The LAB

Chapter 19

"No Jaslo, the other one." Nick's transmitter beeped softly as he stood along the sandy shore from the lake. The Blazer in front of him grumbled, driving along the small track they had created in the sand. Nick had made a mock up road, and was desperately trying to teach each of the younger cars how to drive like a sane vehicle in a city. His biggest challenge was the Blazer, who didn't seem to understand the concept of her own signals.

"Now again, drive down the road and turn left correctly with your signal." Jaslo huffed, driving down the mock road as asked, turning perfectly but again using the right signal instead of the left. Nick groaned out, earning a giggle from the Humvee hiding within the trees.

"Why do I even need to know this?! It's stupid!" Jaslo growled, equally frustrated, heading back to the start of the course.

"If you are to ever go into that city and survive outside that lab, you need to get this down. Do you want to go back?" Nick's transmitter sounded, his monotone robotic voice still somehow gave emotion through his choice of words, and his purple eyes helped. Jaslo just shoot her front, trying the course yet again. Finally, after so many tries, she managed to use the correct signal and Nick's transmitter let out a small tune of clicks. As a dog reacts to a clicker, Jaslo bounded around joyfully and bolted off for a lap around the lake with long howl. Nick just laughed at this, well the best he could at least, turning to see Dan walk out from the trees with a smirk.

"She finally got down the signal thing?" he chuckled, laying down in the sand with his wings slightly splayed out.

"Finally, the others won't even try, but I'm certain the Humvee doesn't even have that component." Nick's response earned a wider smirk from the jet beast, right as Jaslo came back from her victory lap.

"So, what's the next lesson? They're picking up advanced English rather well, and I'm not teaching anymore flying for a while..." Dan rolled over, using the dirt to relieve his back of itches while his tail swept away the course Nick had made. The Nissan just frowned at the large beast

"I am unsure of that right now. I need to bring back supplies for all your engines to keep everyone in proper shape until I'm able to work on something else." Nick reversed quickly as Dan rolled back to his feet, a wing slapping the ground uncomfortably close to the car. The group was startled by a low rumble coming from one of the caves, a call to the group, and everyone got up and went to the source as fast as they all could. Cougar was the first to make it there, skidding to a stop inside the cave before being run into by Cunner and Jaslo. Dan and Nick arrived shortly after, everyone looking at the blind Mustang within the cave itself. Larry looked near where the group was, his expression filled with worry, enough for the group to get uneasy.

"He's on the move..." Larry said, earning a shock from Nick but everyone else was confused. He picked up on this, and felt the need to elaborate.

"Mago, the creature linked to our Blazer here by life force... he has been released from the lab. I can feel his energy getting stronger. Whatever your plans are, you must do them now or we lose our chance!" Larry looked to Nick now, a tire sliding across the ground.

"How much time do we have, old friend?" Nick asked, driving closer to the Mustang.

"Two days, if we are lucky. The pace he's taking is slow, but not constant. I worry we don't have much time."

"Then I hate to be the one to say this," Dan started, "But it's up to you kid." Everyone had turned to Jaslo, her response being to cower behind Cougar with a whine. She was their only plan at this point, and she wasn't too proud of that either.

"How do you know of this creature, Larry?" Cougar asked, trying to break the tension in the air.

"Young one, I know a lot of the creatures within the valley. Also, Nick does as well."

"Then how are you so sure about all this info and all that?"

"Cougar, I would never give you reason to doubt me. Nick and I go very far back, and we have learned a lot about most of the creatures within that lab. One was the most prized, sharing a broken code that Jaslo has, which made them linked. He was named Mago, and is an assassin class beast, made to track and have strength unusual to its type. It's not an easy thing to avoid, but I know of his power and I know that right now, in this time, we are not able to fight and defeat him. Mostly since defeating him would be killing off a friend." Cougar relaxed his stance, looking down to the floor as an apology to the older Mustang. Everyone's silence seemed to get through the Blazer's frame, making her whimper through it all.

"Come on Jaslo, we need to get you ready for the city," Nick said, driving back out to the lake. With a sigh, Jaslo followed, trotting on her tires through the forest. She wasn't too pleased with this information, but this was how things went now.