Gear Crash

Chapter 14

"SOPHIA!" Kyle screamed. He rushed to her side, as Simon scanned the room with his tranquilizer for any hostile entities. "Are you okay?" He asked. Sophia didn't respond. Simon knelt down next to her.

"Looks like she's unconscious. Let's get her back to the lab so we can make sure she's safe." Simon picked her up and carried her over his shoulder. "Let's go." The duo walked out the house, carrying Sophia's body. Kyle's mind was brimming with theories on what had happened. Maybe The Scourge had attacked her, or some meteor had hit her house. His ideas became crazier and crazier, until they finally pulled up to the lab. Kyle picked Sophia up and put her on his back, and brought her into the lab. They laid her down on a table that they had improvised into a bed after Simon had started sleeping in the lab, and waited for her to wake up.
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When Sophia awoke, Simon and Kyle were both standing next to her. It was early morning, and the sunlight was trickling in from the windowsill.

"Hey sleeping beauty," Simon said, grinning. "Enjoy your nap?" Sophia stared at him with a straight face.

"I seriously can't believe you went after me. That's the most stupid thing I've ever seen anyone do." She lectured them.

"We're glad to see you again too" Kyle muttered. Sophia looked up. Her face softened.

"Thank you. Thank you both. I probably wouldn't have made it out of there if it weren't for you"

"What happened back there?" Kyle asked. "We heard a scream and when we went in there, you were unconscious and covered in blood."

"If I recall correctly, The Scourge sent his minions after me. Seems like he wanted to tie up some loose ends. I tried to fight them off, but I was eventually overwhelmed." Sophia recollected. 

"Minions? Where would The Scourge get minions?" Simon asked.

"Remember when I told you guys about how he can possess people? I just found out he can split a little bit of his soul, and use it to control other people's minds." Sophia explained.

"Like Voldemort's horo-thingys splitting his soul into little tiny pieces?" Simon asked. Sophia nodded.

"Yes, except he doesn't have any repercussions for using it."

"Then why can't he just possess us?" Kyle questioned her.

"We don't." Sophia said. "He probably wants to make you guys come to him, so he can kill you guys himself, so he can watch you suffer. But I'm not letting that happen. Can I see your suit for a moment, Kyle?" Kyle handed his suit over, and Sophia carried it to the garage. "This adjustment," she said, unscrewing the lid of the mask, "Should render you invincible to the Scourge's possession powers. It creates radio waves jamming the air around you. You'll hear a slight buzzing sometimes, but I think it's worth it, no?" 

Kyle and Simon watched in wonder as Soph's hands flew over the suit, working on it, like worker bees building a beehive. In a matter of moments, she had created a device out of random spare parts, and had fitted it to the suit.

"I'm not gonna lie, that was really attractive." Kyle blurted out. He stopped, then pulled back, mortified. Sophia and Simon looked at him, with the former blushing and the latter looking amused. 

"Thank you" was Sophia's response, as she grabbed another box of spare parts, trying not to look at Kyle.

Kyle mentally slapped himself. Why was he such an idiot all the time! He was so furious with himself that he almost didn't notice Sophia finishing what looked like a small mask.

"This is basically a duplicate of Kyle's mask, without all the cool magnifying stuff. It also has a jammer in there, preventing you from getting your brain stolen." Simon picked it up and put it on.

"I AM YOUR FATHER!" He shouted, breathing heavily to make himself sound like Darth Vader. Kyle rolled his eyes

"What about you, Soph?" Kyle asked. 

"Oh, I think I'll be fine" Sophia responded, with a little maniac grin getting into her eyes. Kyle could only imagine what sort of crazy engineering miracles she had pulled off to make herself immune to the Scourge's mind control. Suddenly, the Lab's alarms went off. Sophia smiled. "Looks like we're back in action, boys!" She ran over to the computer set up, and started rapidly typing. She looked over at Simon and Kyle.

"What are you waiting for?" She urged. "GO!"

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Kyle touched down at the airport, with Simon clinging to his back. 

"We really need to get a better mode of transportation for me" Simon muttered, as he dismounted Kyle and stepped onto the pavement, pulling out his tranquilizer. Kyle looked around. They were in an airfield, with giant planes surrounding them.

"Sophia, can you get a read on where the target it?" Kyle asked. He heard frantic typing in his headset.

"I could, but I don't think it would be helpful at all." was her response. Kyle turned around and stared into the eyes of their target.

"CARL SMASH!" 

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"WHAT THE HECK!" Simon yelled. "I BEAT THIS GUY'S ASS! HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE LOCKED UP!" Simon fired a wave of tranquilizer darts at Carl, who jumped to the side, avoiding the bullets, and smashed into the ground, sending shockwaves through the air.

"WELL, YOU OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T DO A GOOD ENOUGH JOB, BECAUSE HE'S STILL ALIVE AND SMASHIN'" Kyle shouted back, firing a set of lasers into Carl's chest. Carl was knocked back a few steps, and stumbled. He then got back onto his feet and jumped at Kyle. 

"Boys, stop arguing and someone shoot him already!" Sophia yelled through the mic.

"Easier said than done, sweetheart," Simon said as he fired another dart at Carl, who swatted it aside like a fly.

"Kyle, get behind Carl!" Sophia barked out orders. "Simon, you shoot him when he's distracted!" Kyle flew behind Carl, and fired two more lasers into his back. Carl turned around, angered.

"YOU MAKE ME MAD!" He yelled, and swung a giant fist at Kyle, then stopped midair.

"One shot, one uh... tranquilizer." Simon said. Carl collapsed to the floor, with multiple darts in his back. Kyle walked over and examined the unconscious giant.

"Wasn't exactly one shot either, was it?" He commented.

"Shut up." was Simon's response, as he pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

Suddenly, a big cloud of smoke appeared in the air. Simon blinked his eyes. The smoke seemed to be covering Carl, who blinked his eyes and woke. He stirred to his surroundings, then realized what was happening.

"NO, MASTER, PLEASE!" Carl begged. The smoke shaped itself into a large, blank face, with two eyes, a nose, and a mouth, and then it spoke :

"YOU HAVE FAILED ME." It spoke. It seemed to suck in air, as Carl's body was dragged into it's mouth, screaming. "THIS IS YOUR PUNISHMENT." Carl screamed, and the mouth swallowed. A loud bang went off, and the smoke dissipated. Kyle ran towards Carl's limp body, and checked for a pulse. He felt none.

"Guys, he's dead." Simon and Sophia ran over as well.

"It looks like his back is bloody" Sophia noted. She pulled off his shirt and gasped. Carved into the giant's back were four large words, each pouring down enough blood to drown a killer whale.

"What does it say?" Kyle asked. Sophia shivered.

"It says, 'I'm coming for you.'"