Chapt. 13. A Desperate Plan.

Anubis cracked a wide smile. "Surprised?"

"Oh no," Kento said sarcastically, "we just wanted to see how loud we could be!"

Just then Mia stormed downstairs, and boy was she hacked! She glared at Rowen, Kento, and Sage as she came down. "You three are really going to get it! You're loud enough to be heard in America! Have you no resp..." She suddenly trailed off when she saw a very familiar person standing in the living room. "Anubis?!"

Anubis smiled at her. "Hello, Mia. Good to see you again."

Mia frowned, hardly daring to believe what was she was seeing. She glanced back at Sage, Kento, and Rowen. "So that's why you three screamed. I'll let it go *this* time."

All three hung their heads.

Ryo looked back at Anubis. "Um, Anubis, you said you had something to tell us."

"Yes," Anubis replied, making himself comfortable on the couch. Everyone else sat down and gave him their full attention.

"As you may already know, Talpa has Cye within his stronghold. He has a certain plan for your young friend that will effect all of you. It is important that you rescue him as soon as possible. But it will not be easy. Talpa's newest recruits are very powerful."

"Yeah, we figured that one out already," Sage said.

"Yes, but one of them has feelings for Cye," Anubis continued. "If she were found out, she could be in danger as well."

"I hope it's not the psycho chick," Kento muttered.

"OK," Ryo said. "I think it's time we come up with a plan to rescue Cye. He's our friend and he trusts us. Right?" He looked back at Anubis. "Anubis, can you get us into the netherrealm?" he asked.

"Yes, but it may be difficult. All four of you should be wearing your armor before you cross the bridge. Talpa's netherspirits will keep you from transforming if you are not wearing them."

Ryo nodded, then looked at Rowen. "Rowen, can you draw a diagram of the Dynasty's castle, and figure out a way for us to get in?"

Rowen nodded and left to get what he would need. He returned minutes later and spread out a long roll of flat paper over coffee table. He took a dark blue magic marker and began sketching out the inside of Talpa's castle and the area around it.

"OK, here is Talpa's main throne room," he said as he sketched. "Over here would be the first hallway where the bedrooms are kept. Somewhere inside this castle, there has to be an air shaft, but Talpa will be expecting us to either go above, or just come on through."

"OK," Kento said, not really sure where he was getting at. He peered closely at the diagram as if trying to decipher it.

"So what I'm thinking is that we go underground and pop up through the floor and into the dungeon."

Ryo nodded his head. "Not a bad plan, Ro. Just one question. How do we get underground without them seeing us?"

There was silence. Ryo did have a point there. Kento still did not see why they couldn't just go right in and kick some Dynasty butt and free Cye as fat as possible. Sage folded his arms, something he always did while he thought. Mia just stared straight ahead, still numbed. She still refused to believe that Anubis was in this very room with her and four of the Ronins. It seemed impossible!

Rowen's brows wrinkled as he tried to think of a good way to get into the netherrealm and underground before the Dynasty's minions found them out. Finally he brightened. "What about decoys?"

Everyone snapped their heads up at him. "Decoys?" Sage echoed. Rowen nodded like a little boy eagerly awaiting a gift promised. His dark blue eyes went from Sage to Kento to Anubis to White Blaze, who was just laying there on the floor, pouting, to finally Ryo.

Ryo was thinking this all through. He bit his lip, wondering how it could possibly be done. He looked toward Anubis. "Can the Staff make copies of us?" he asked.

Anubis smiled. "The Staff is capable of doing many things, Ryo. So yes, in other words it can."

Ryo nodded, then addressed everyone. "OK, here's what we do. We send the decoys into the netherrealm before us. Once the soldiers are busy fighting against them, we take Rowen's plan, and sneak in and rescue Cye. Oh, and Mia, you have to stay here."

Mia nodded, knowing she would only get in their way if she tagged along.

Anubis smiled. "I will stay with her. But first let us go outside and get this started."

All four Ronins nodded and followed him outside.

Chapt. 14. Helplessness.

Cye was awake and feeling more miserable than he had ever felt before in his entire life. His muscles were sore and the cuffs cutting into his wrists added to the torture. And being very hungry did not help much either.

He was alone in the dungeon, the other cells having no prisoners at all, so he felt pretty lonely. Once in awhile Cye would see a Dynasty soldier march pass. He shook his head, getting his bangs out of his eyes. He let out a sigh and wondered when his friends would show up to rescue him. He hoped it was soon. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take hanging around, and he wasn't putting that phrase as a joke either.

He heard footsteps and lifted his head to stare through the bars. "Kania," he said quietly.

Kania smiled, almost warmly. She was holding a tray of eggs, bacon, and toast. "You remembered my name, Torrent. How sweet." She unlocked the door and sauntered inside.

Cye stared hungrily at the food. He suddenly wondered if this was how Kento felt whenever he got one of his hunger attacks. Kania approached him, steadily balancing the tray with ease.

Kania slowly reached for a fork while eyeing the young boy. "You will eat won't you?"

"It's not poisoned or enchanted is it?"

Kania took a bite out of everything. Cye watched her carefully. When she acted no different, he accepted the food. Kania fed him patiently, noticing how he chewed with his mouth closed.

You're polite," she said, causing him to blush. She laughed gently. "Relax, fishboy. I'm just surprised to see a teenager who has more manners than an ancient warlord."

Cye could not laugh, nor could he smile. He was miserable and wanted to go home. He let Kania feed him until all the food was gone. Cye was full now so that was one less problem there. Now if only he could get out of here.

Kania tuned away and stopped when she noticed Cale and Dais standing behind her. "Oh, you two startled me!"

Cye looked past her, and his eyes narrowed angrily at the two Warlords. What did they come down here for? he wondered bitterly. To beat me? That's just what I need right now. More misery.

"Master Talpa wants Torrent in the throne room. "Dais said as he and Cale moved past Kania. Kania only smiled and nodded once before taking her leave.

Cye eyed the two wryly. He did not trust them at all. And he did not trust Talpa either for that matter. Yet, there was little he could do. He wasn't wearing his subarmor, nor his armor, his orb was gone, and Cale and Dais were incredibly strong right now. But still it wouldn't hurt to try.

As if sensing his attempt before it happened, Cale grabbed Cye's arm and held it tightly while Dais loosened the cuffs. Cye frowned, now realizing his situation before him.

The two warlords marched him through the dungeon, up the stairs, through a hall, past a corridor, and into the throne room.

Cye took one look at Talpa and screamed loudly. He broke free of Cale's and Dais' grasps and turned tail and ran for it!

Talpa calmly lifted his hand and Cye stopped short. He was stunned. Talpa held him tight as if he were a puppet. He couldn't move! He felt himself being lifted into the air and drawn quickly back with incredible force.

Talpa rudely dropped him on the floor, right on his back. Cye groaned and lifted his eyes to look up at the evil Dynasty master.

"Did you really think you would be able to escape Torrent?" Talpa bellowed angrily as he stared down at the poor boy. "You are gravely mistaken. I will not give you the chance to get away. I have big plans for you, boy, and I will not see them wasted!"

Cye was getting a bad feeling. He knew that Talpa was up to no good, but what could he do? He was paralyzed from the neck down. Where had Talpa gotten this new power of his? And what plans did he have?

He could try anything, Cye realized with fear. I can't give him the chance to control me or my armor. He could use me to hurt my friends, and I don't want that. There has to be a way to keep him from achieving that goal. If I only knew how.

"Badamon!" Talpa suddenly bellowed out. A floating blue spirit suddenly appeared, calmly floating over to Talpa. Badamon was the high priest of the netherspirits, and he obeyed Talpa without question.

"You called, Lord Talpa?" Badamon said as he bowed.

"Yes," Talpa said. "Now is the time for my plan to come out into the open, something my Warlords and Warladies had been waiting so patiently for."

Dais, Cale, Sekhmet, Delia, and Kania all stood at attention, looking very curious indeed. Badamon let out a smile and slowly turned to looked down at Torrent.

Cye's gaze met with Badamon’s, and the young Ronin suddenly knew he was in trouble.

Badamon raised both hands, and Cye rose into the air. His eyes widened with shock as the floor left him. His heart started pounding against his chest, and he could not keep his fear away.

Badamon began chanting. The words were unfamiliar to Cye, but they were sure doing something to him. He began to glow a light blue, and his kanji of Trust appeared on his forehead, shining brilliantly.

Cye suddenly let out a long scream of pain.