"Imagination's Call" Chapters 20 - 23 (Story By Cabey9)

"Imagination's Call" 

Written By: Cabey9

Chapters 20 - 23

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Chapter 20: Escape

Jonathan and Drake got easily past the dragons with the sword.

The two raced out the temple door. Blocking their path was a black fog. It was slowly joining together.

"Run," said Jonathan."Run!"

The two dashed through the fog and to their spaceship. The fog was turning into a minifigure. The Darkitect.

"I've had enough experience with that creep to last me a lifetime," muttered Jonathan, preparing the engines.

"Get out of here!" shouted Drake. "He's coming right now!"

The spaceship lifted into the air. The Darkitect didn't even try to follow.

"That's not like him..." said Jonathan. "He planning something."

They went into hyperspeed back toward the Nimbus System.

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Back at Nexus Tower. Everyone was waiting. Duke Exeter had said he had received a transmission that they would be there any minute.

Again, the launchpads were filled with minifigures. Even Doctor Overbuild was out there.

Nobody said anything, and complete silence was over the tower.

A few minutes later, a minifig shouted,"It's coming!!!"

Instantly looked in the direction he was pointing at. Doc Overbuild squinted and looked into the clouds.

A low "ztz" sounded across the tower. It was coming from the clouds.

Crackeling and on the verge of explosion, the spaceship plummeted through the clouds.

"Baron Typhonus..." whispered Doc Overbuild.

The ship missed the tower, and crashed down onto Crux Prime.

Everyone starred in horror as a mighty explosion sounded. Everyone peered over the launchpad, but only saw a dense black smoke rising beyond Nexus Tower. They were all whispering,"It was the Maelstrom...."

Aboard the spaceship, Drake sat in what used to be the copilot's sets, but what was now a pile of burned rubber. The control panel was totally destroyed, and part of the ship's metal skeleton was poking through the roof and crushing him.

He looked at his partner. All he could see were his feet. The rest of Jonathan was buried in rubble.

Drake squirmed free of his prison, and ran to Jonathan. He ripped the thinner melt chucks away. It soon became hopeless.

He sat down, defeated. His good, new friend wouldn't probably make it out alive.

Then he noticed the sword. He ran over to it and pointed it at the rubble. He focused. A bolt of Imagination Lightning zapped out at the tip. It destroyed all the rubble around Jonathan.

He ran over to his friend and pulled him out.

"Thanks..." mumbled Jonathan.

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Chapter 21: Home Again

Jonathan and Drake walked out of the wreckage. They were in the most untraveled part of Crux Prime. Since it was so unexplored, anything could happen. Anything.

They walked in the direction of the tower. The going was hard.

When the tower still very far away, they heard an engine drone above them.

"Rescue squad!" shouted Jonathan.

One of the pilots stops a rope latter for them to climb to his helicopter. When the reached the top, Duke Exeter was waiting for them.

"We have to talk," he said. "Once we get to Nexus Tower, go straight to my desk."

The helicopters took off for Nexus Tower.

When they landed, they did exactly as Duke had said. When they were all at his office, they relayed the story to him.

At the end, Jonathan handed him the sword.

"Keep it," he said. "It's yours after all."

Shocked, Jonathan took it back.

"You may leave, Drake. You're help will not go unrewarded," said Duke Exeter.

As Drake headed for the doors, the a Sentinel guard handed him a Nexus Force shield MKIII. Duke winked at him. He starred blankly at Duke, then the shield, and fell unconscious to the ground.

The guards took Drake away, and closed the doors.

"Are you ready for another mission?" asked Duke.

"Depends on what it is..." replied Jonathan.

"This mission should be no problem for you after what you've been through. I simply need to get that Spider Queen out of the picture. I've read over your notes several times, and I've decided that you should have a team of 4. These members will be the best of the best. There will be an Assembly, Venture, Paradox, and Sentinel member. The Sentinel will be Drake. That is, if he ever recovers. "Duke said, and laughed. "I'm still finding good team members, but I can assure you they will be quick, agile, and armed with a variety of weapons. You will lead them, and be their general." He paused. "Do you accept this mission?"

"Yes."

"Excellent! I knew you would say that. Since you said yes, I would like to give you something besides the sword to help you defeat the Spider Queen." Duke went behind his desk and touched a space on the wall. The wall moved slightly toward Duke and became a door. A number pad came out, and he quickly entered a code. He opened the door and beckoned for Jonathan to follow.

Duke flipped a switch on the wall, and the small room shone with light, revealing tons of objects: Capes, rank 4 faction gear, Maelstrom Helmets and more.

Duke went to the far back wall and took out a brick. Behind it was a number pad. Again, he typed a password and a door opened.

He leaned inside and pulled out a huge gun with Sentinel colors.

He handed it to Jonathan. "This is protected for a reason. It's the exclusive valiant weapon for the Space Ranger. Usually exclusives like these are only given out to us faction leaders. It's very powerful. In the hands of a newbie, he/she could blow this place up." He slapped his forehead."I probably shouldn't make fun of newbies," he muttered.

"Well, anyway, you get the point. It's the best gun in the Universe. I'd like to see the Spider Boss try to come near you with that!"

"Wow..." said Jonathan, starring in aw at the powerful weapon. "Thanks...."

"Don't mention it," Duke said smiling. "And don't mention it, to anyone. No one can know what this is. Understood?"

"Yes sir," Jonathan replied.

"I will gather the team tomorrow, and you will set off to defeat her. Good luck."

And Jonathan walked slowly out the Sentinel meeting room door, holding the 2 most powerful weapons in the Universe.

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Chapter 22:

The next morning, the team set off to Avant Gardens with Jonathan leading them. They made a great team: The Sentinel, Drake, the Assembly Inventor, Lots O. Bricks, the Venture, Alyss, and some Paradox minifig who refused to say his/her name.

They were a tough group. They had done a few practice rounds of combat challenger together, and finished, something only one of my friends did in LU due to a bug where the timer didn't stop.

When it was time for launch, the explorers waved good bye to the tower and their faction leaders. The first one to put down his rocket was Jonathan, and he blasted off to Avant Gardens, and the others followed.

As he flew over the planets, he saw the effect the Maelatrom had had upon the Universe. Crux Prime: A former world, now exploded and crawling with Maelatromic brutes of all sizes. Nimbus Station, being repaired after the last battle.

As he neared the Maelstrom Mine, he pulled down on his brakes and landed his rocket on a high cliff.

"Make sure your rocket is in a place where the Stromies can't get to it," he said. "Then we'll head into that old mine and get ready to fight."

The walked into the entrance, smashing anything in their way.

When they got to the tinsel to the mine, they heard sounds of Maelstrom creatures groaning, grunting and smashing. Everyone looked around but there was nobody.

"Strange..." said Alyss.

"Ah.... It was my cell phone," said Jonathan laughing, and the others began to laugh too.

Jonathan took it out.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Duke Exeter. I gotta tell you something so you aren't confused."

"Ok."

"Here's a little background story. Long ago on a square planet far away, there was this so-called partner of mine, called Baron Tyhponus. That, you already know. But, when he first made the Maelstrom, he didn't make the Spider Queen. He made the Spider KING. That's what I need you to find and get again. I know with the new technology, we've been able to send all the new recruits back in that cave to fight and smash the spider QUEEN. She's weak compared to the king. So, don't fight her unless you need a warm up. Thought this might help. See ya, Jonathan."

"Er, see you around!"

He hung up. "Duke has just informed me of something interesting. There's a spider queen and king out there. We obviously want the king, but I'm thinking the queen might come in and join the fight. Who knows, there might even be some of their "kids" around. Just be careful, fight hard, and everything will be fine. Now we just have to find the spider king...." said Jonathan.

"What's that path up there lead to?" asked Alyss, pointing at a small path running up the rock, deeper into the cave.

"That does look like it leads to something," said Drake. "I say we try this way, but Alyss leads. She's a Venture member!"

"I agree." said Jonathan. "Let's go!" And then, beckoning to Bricks, who had been smashing Spiderlings the whole time, said, "Come on, Bricks!"

Bricks came following after them, along with the mysterious Paradox.

As they hiked, the cave got darker, except for the blotches of the luminescent Maelstrom goo, which grew thicker.

They walked yet deeper. Signs that the miners had written on the fall said "KEEP OUT", and "BEWARE!".

However they continued.

The Paradox walked up to Jonathan. "There's something back here alright. The signs make it obvious." he said

Jonathan starred at him. "You sound like a friend of mine, but he's an Assembly member...."

"I'm a man of many talents," he whispered, pulling back his hood to reveal he was Fred.

Jonathan laughed and patted his old friend on the back. "You turn up everywhere!"

"It certainly seems so," he mused.

The 5 continued. All of a sudden, blocking their ways was a huge Maelstrom barrier.

"Gas Masks everyone. We're going in." said Jonathan.

Again, Jonathan felt the awful presence of the Maelstrom, but when he went through. It didn't end. He looked ahead: a million arachnid eyes looked back.

A spider lunged forward, knocking off their masks.

"We aren't going back this time..." Jonathan whispered.

Thousands of metallic clicks sounded, and all was war.

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Chapter 23: Betrayal

Jonathan took out his to powerful weapons. he destroyed hundreds, but more kept pouring in. Above on a cliff were the spider king and queen, firing their own energy blasts on the explorers.

The spider king sent a huge blast directed toward Jonathan, but Alyss jumped between them. It hit her and she smashed instantly.

"No!" said Jonathan.

He ran forward into the mass of spiders and smashed hundreds. But they still kept coming. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bricks fighting valiantly, but then overcome by spiders and placed on a web. Fred was nowhere to be seen. Jonathan was all that was left.

"Well, well, well.... If it isn't my good friend Jonathan again!" laughed a voice. 

Jonathan turned around. He saw Fred walking toward him, holding the staff of the Darkitect.

"What...? How...?!"

"Confused? Don't be. How did I overcome that spider who attacked you in Avant so long ago? I controlled it. I became your "friend". I learned a lot from you. Remember the time you first met me in my Darkitect form? How did I "save" you? I am much more powerful than a thousand minifigures! How can one overcome me, unless he is faking or lying? How did this whole army of spiders come here to kill you? I told them of course."

"No.... You can't be Fred...." said Jonathan miserably.

"Actually, I can." The Darkitect transformed back into Fred. He was smiling his same old smile. But it grew evil, and his face began to turn skeleton like. And he grew back up into the shady purple mist of Maelstrom. Then he was Fred again.

Jonathan fell backwards.

"Smash him." said the Darkitect.

Jonathan saw who appeared to be his former friends issue his death sentence to more than a thousand spiders, and watched the spiders obey. Everything seemed to be in slow motion as the hoard ran at him, ready to end him. In his hands, he still held the to weapons. On the Sentinel Space ranger weapon, he read the charge up. "Blasts a rope that can hold up to 4 minifigures and gets them out of a tight spot."

"That's a bit to easy!" he thought.

He pressed the charge-up button and just as a spider was going to crush him, he launched off into the sky. He grabbed Drake and Bricks from the web and gathered up Alyss's pieces and shot up higher to the roof of the cave.

He looked out and saw a crack above the Maelstrom barrier. And swung into it. The Darkitect and the spiders fired blasts at them, missing by inches. In the crack, Jonathan quickly rebuilt Alyss.

"Let's not forget what we came for." said Jonathan. And as if they all had one mind, the 4 minifigures blasted the cliff that the spider king and stood on. I crashed into lots of spiders below smashing both them and the Spider bosses.

The team raced down the same path they had come up with. Thousands of spiders and the Darkitect followed.

The raced around the final corner. New recruits starred.

"RUN!!!!" shouted Jonathan.

The recruits needed no further warning as they saw all the spiders chasing after the 4 minifigures. A few stayed a fought bravely with their basic weapons, but most were smashed who did so.

They ran out the mine, and Jonathan took out his cellphone, dialed Duke, and shouted, "Get reinforcements!"

He put his phone away and ran.

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