"Run faster, Dave!" Cassandra shouted at Dave who's running away desperately from an Android behind her. Her Bob cut hair flies side to side as they try to outrun their pursuers who're intensely following them with things on their hand. Her legs are getting stiff from all the running they've done that she felt like stumbling in every step. Her back is sore and her arms are bruised, throbbing.
"YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I HATE ANY WORD THAT ENDS IN -ER!!" Dave complained. His roller shield got ripped by an Android from his arm, leaving a cut on it and loosen its adhesive. His breathing is heavy as if his lungs had gone a cardio exercise for a whole day. His vision became blurry that instead of hitting his enemy on the neck, he hit the hair instead. "This kind of running without sleep and a modest meal will really slow me down, you know? I wish I had brought more cookies!" he gasped for air.
"Stop screaming, Dave!! You're giving out our position!" Sandra climbed up an old white van, trying to escape from the Android who's trying to catch her. "You're the only one talking so loudly in this dark night sky!" she kicked its forehead and it stumbled to the ground, dragging another android on its back.
"Why are you mad at me?!" Dave complained and dodged the swing of a palm tree. "Where did he even get this plant?!" he exclaimed, quite confused.
"Get off me!" Sandra kicked another Android's face and she fell to the ground again. "I told you to be quite Dave! They'll keep following us if you're always shouting complaints! You're like an angry customer in front of a resto counter. And I bet that palm tree is from a pot from the hotel entrance down the street." she frowned.
"But Cassy!" Dave whined. He stood up from strangling the Android with the palm tree. He ran atop a delivery truck and whacked every head that pops up to him from where he stood.
"And for the record, I've taken down more Androids than you did." Cassandra got down from the van and started walking towards the crossing.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Dave mumbled. He followed Cassandra while looking out for an enemy. He's shaking his hands to ward off the strain. "And for your information, I'm the one holding those Androids from the rear, you know. Would you mind being grateful for a while?" he walked in front of his friend, trying to convince her.
"Huh?!!" Cassandra sarcastically responded, she faced him with a smirk. "...ja, thanks for the effort, Master Dave. As if I'm not doing the protecting stuff here?" Cassandra added as she poked his head using the stick she picked from the ground.
"Ouch!... what was that for?" he hopped back and glared but Cassandra looked at him more meanly. He swallowed his pride and looked away. "... My bad, my bad." they started to move again. "But, you know,, aren't we going through a long route, Cass?" Dave asked.
"It's the safest route, I think."
"But, I was impressed. We just came from Zone 4 with Markus and now we're almost near Zone 7," Dave said.
"Thank an Android for not locking his bike on the parking that we were able to use it up to here." Cassandra looked around for possible danger. "Too bad the wheels gave up when we crossed the 6th's border."
"But that was a great ride." Dave dribbled a tennis ball he picked on the road. "Considering the two of us are riding it."
"Well, I was the one who did the pedaling though." Cassandra pouted.
"You were more athletic to begin with." Dave said while stepping away from his friend. "And I was not that heavy. I was just standing behind you." he pouted.
"Yeah right..." Cassandra said ironically. "Anyway, the green lights are on sight. That just means we're clearly nearing Zone 11."
"Once we're there, I hope those Androids will not be on sight." Dave mumbled.
Cassandra went to a convenience store and looked around the parking. Dave knew what she was thinking so he helped on searching for loose locks.
"I found it!" Dave exclaimed.
"Shhhhh!!" Cassandra threw her hands on Dave's face. "Shut it up you idiot!"
Dave regretted his actions so he covered his own mouth with his hands and let Cassandra took the bike he found. He hopped behind and stood on an extension bolt, holding his friend's shoulder. They drove the darkened road after about an hour and a half, they reached Markus' house.
"That was smooth sailing," Dave whispered.
"Don't jinx it." Cassandra glared at him and he immediately looked away.
"Sorry," Dave whispered.
They hid behind a garbage bin on the corner of the street's intersection, facing the street going to Markus' house, leaving their ride on a post lamp. They tried to look around and scanned the area, keeping their heads low.
"Oh..." Dave muttered. "We're on a pinch."
"You said it." Cassy replied. They exchanged looks and sat on the ground.
"How can we get past through those 7 armed Androids that were stalling on the street, blocking our way through Marky's House," Dave asked, crossing his arms.
"Will you go there, knock on the door, and ask if we can come in?" Cassandra smirked.
"Nope," Dave immediately replied without restrain. "I don't even want to think about it. So, what are we gonna do?" he replied.
"Let me think of it first," Cassy muttered.
Then, a familiar voice said from behind them, "I guess I can help you, kids..."
They hesitantly looked behind and they saw the silhouette that gave them shivers.
They unconsciously swing their weapons and hit the man on the head and face.
"Time out!" the man exclaimed. He tried very hard to catch the kid's weapons and pin them to the wall and the garbage bin. "Shhhh. Don't scream, they'll hear us!" he said with caution and stared at them.
"Uncle Ned!" the two said in unison. They looked up to the guy's eyes and trembled in relief. Tears formed in their eyes that Dave almost started to whine but Ned did what he has to do.
"Ma..ma.. silence please... they'll gonna hear us," Ned replied shunning their mouths.
"Hai.. I'm sorry." Dave said silently. He wiped his tears, snot, and sweat altogether. "Ssss." he sniffed.
"Ja, let's not do the talking here, let's go to my house," Ned said and lead the kids to his garage, covertly.
"But, Marky's house is this way," Cassandra complained, pointing to the other street.
"Hai.. I see... but, have you forgotten? My house is just behind their house."
They entered the garage, closed the doors, and turned on the lights. They sat on the stools they found lying inside.
"Here, have some milk. You look to burned out. What happened? I mean, what's happening around the city?"
The two looked at each other as they drink their glass of milk.
Dave thought.
The two sighed and told Ned what happened to the city and what Markus has been up to. All about their plan and who might the culprit is.
"So, how come you didn't fell unconscious, uncle Ned?" Dave asked. He stretched his neck from side to side and looked straight to Ned.
"I've heard the phone call but I was wearing a welding shield since I'm doing something for my client. I did hear a static after the call ended, though." Ned looked out the garage and saw if something is a threat. "I continued my work since no one really passed by here unless they are my customers so I haven't noticed the changes until I called my client but he didn't answer which is not right."
"It's because everything, especially, the communications is down in the whole city." Cassandra put her empty glass on the table and turned back to Ned.
"Ahh. After I thought something is off, I scanned the city through my LAN access with the Orion--"
"How did you have that LAN access?!!" Dave interrupted but Ned continued saying,
"--and I saw what happened through the street cameras."
Dave looked confused.
"I don't know what to do so I tried to contact anyone from the outside, but still, no use." Ned defended. "I did call for a back up though."
"How did you even do that when the networks are not working?" Dave exclaimed.
"Don't underestimate me, kid. I've had connections and I know some stuff." Ned said confidently.
Dave was taken aback and didn't have the courage to doubt the guy. He smiled and turned back his trust to their uncle Ned saying, "Sorry."
"Anyway, what we have to do now is to enter Markus' room and searched for something he needed. How can we get in without the Androids noticing us, uncle Ned?" Cassandra asked. She crossed her legs and looked straight to Ned. She was trembling from fatigue but she hides it with her stern personality.
He was amazed by what the kids have gone through and what they want to accomplish. He thought it was just right that he took care of them before. He was also justified that he called for backup.
"Ja, You'll gonna have to use these." Ned opened a drawer and handed Dave and Cassandra a long cable wire and a pair of harnesses.
"You mean, we're gonna... fly?" Dave asked in a woozy voice "Like a zip line?" his eyes were filled with confusion.
"But where tho?!" Cassy exclaimed. She stood and took the ropes.
"Hey Cassy, that's not the right question," Dave muttered.
They were ignored and Ned continued to walk inside his house.
"Ahh... That's the best way I can help the two of you. Markus had trusted you very well to get something for him, I would do the same." He went to the door going to his kitchen and went upstairs. "Follow me and you will get to his room immediately."
They went to the attic and opened the window facing the street.
The two saw the house in front and realized that it was Markus' house.
"That window belongs to Marky's room." Ned pointed to the window in front "Throw that cable silently and cross using the harness."
"You said it like it was a piece of cake, but it is something cool... like a Ninja!." Dave cynically said. "I just hope I will not fall to the ground."
"Ma.. na.." Ned replied "Well, if it's the two of you, I know you can do it." he smiled with a hidden motive.
"So, Uncle Ned , what will you do?" Cassandra asked
"To Guard you two and I've called for back-up." He replied, crossing his arms in brag.
"Back-up. Sounds great." Dave said, "...but, who?"
Ned did not answer, instead, he clamped the harness on the cable and pushed the two to get to Marky's room.
"Just someone." he then smiled and waved his hand.
They heard his voice slowly fading away.
"Wait a sec!!!!..." Dave shouted standing on the balcony in Markus' room.
He didn't realize he had zipped from Ned's attic to where they are now.
"Shut it up, silence, Dave! The Androids will hear us...shhh" Cassandra placed her hand on Dave's mouth to shut him up. She dragged Dave down to hide.
"But, that Ned, that ol' man did a mean thing!!!! I thought I'm a goner." Dave complained. He's still in shock at what Ned has done to them. He removed his harness and placed it aside. "...and here I thought I can do it in my own pace, and yet, he suddenly..."
"Shut up, you just screamed." Cassandra rolled her eyes.