The one clear entrance was blocked by guards, dressed in normal clothes in case they were spotted by citizens. Luckily they didn't see the three spies watching from in a nearby alley.

"How are we gonna sneak in?" Fennec asked.

"We need to plan another way in." Rose was too busy scanning the building for possible entrances to notice Dale rushing towards the guards. The word 'idiot' coming from Fennec shook her from her thoughts. She face palmed when she saw Dale running towards the guards. Even they were taken aback by the blatant attempt.

Fennec & Rose followed to help Dale. Even though him & his two swords seemed to have everything under control, Fennec's bow & arrow knocked out 3 men. Rose pulled out her small gun & took out the rest of the remaining henchmen.

"Thanks for the help, but I had it under control." Dale ran his hand through his golden hair.

"Do you want the world to know we're here?!" Fennec tried his best not to yell it out.

"Congratulations. You failed preschool," Rose added.

"Hey I got the job done, & we have an entrance. No harm done." He spoke too soon. Not more than a few seconds later, they were surrounded by henchmen.

"You don't say." Rose glared at Dale. Fennec let out a battle cry, & together they ran into the swarm of soldiers. Rose pulled out her second pistol & shot at the henchmen, aiming to injure but never kill. Dale ran straight into the mass, swords going this way & that. Fennec jumped off the rubble & flipped off broken objects, his arrows never missing the targets. One by one, the men fell unconscious. One by one, Rose & the team snuck into the lair.

It was hard to imagine this place used to be a factory. There was a lobby, probably used for field trips & tours. The walls that were standing were run down & the others were piles of garbage. The team decided to go down a large hallway to the left. There was a giant hole in the ceiling, & they were constantly watching where they stepped. The call of a crow echoed down the hall. After deciding to turn right, the team walked into a very large room. Rose covered her mouth with her hands when she saw what was stacked against the wall.

Line after line of cages was stacked against the wall and throughout the room. Dale looked inside the cages.

"These are... computer humanoids!" Fennec and Rose exchanged horrified expressions. Every cage had a number. It was as if you were shopping, & you went down a certain aisle to find what you came looking for.

"They're all unconscious," Fennec stated, reaching through the bars to check the pulse of a humanoid. The most heartbreaking detail Rose noticed was the shackles around their necks & limbs.

"These innocent citizens were kidnapped & forced into captivity." Rose's eyes were filled with pure empathy and sadness.

"We need to free these people," Dale said.

"I know where you're coming from but we can't right now. We'll cause too much of a commotion," Fennec replied.

"Then how about just one?" Fennec opened his mouth to disagree but Dale was already working on it. Fennec was actually kind of surprised by the strength he held in his arms when he forced the cage to open. The girl inside fell out & Dale caught her. She was still unconscious, and she still wore the shackles, but at least she could leave the cage now. Dale picked her up & closed the cage door to lessen any suspicion.

"We should go through this door." Rose pointed at a door with a keypad next to it.

"How are we supposed to know the code?" Fennec asked.

"Maybe its a birthday?"

"It's never a birthday."

"Done! Wow, for a villain you'd think he would make it harder than the date of the explosion," Dale said suddenly. The other two whipped their head around in shock to see the double doors sliding open. It was one thing for the room to be in such a good condition after an explosion, but to see Dale unlock a villain's keypad so quick? That was a thing of its own.

Still carrying the female humanoid, Dale and the others crept silently down the new hallway, but suddenly it split three ways.

"We should split up. We'll cover more ground," Rose whispered.

"There's no way I'm letting Dale go off on his own in an evil lair," Fennec responded.

"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. We're splitting up," Rose repeated, her voice more firm. Rose went left, Fennec straight, & Dale right. Rose ended up in an empty room with a disgusting smell, so she turned back. Fennec almost stepped on dead mice when he came to the end of the hallway. The place used to be a room but now it was piles of debris & wreckage everywhere. After poking around for a bit, he turned around too.

Dale didn't want to turn the corner, because he was sure he knew what was around it. He put down the computer humanoid he was carrying, drew his swords, & turned the corner. He was right. Machines were in lines to the left and right of him, & in the center, a throne. Suddenly it spun around & Dale froze. He couldn't see under Killslinger's bandana, but he knew he was smirking in satisfaction. He's gonna capture me & kill me but Rose & Fennec are just gonna laugh at how stupid I was. Dale thought miserably. But for some reason, the villain only beckoned him to come closer. Seeing no other safer thing to do, Dale listened.

"Let's make a deal." Killslinger started.

"Why would I make a deal with you?"

"Because if you don't, someone's life is at risk."

"Who's?"

"Your parents."

"You'll never get them. You don't even know where they are." Dale let a premature smile creep across his face, until Killslinger pressed a button on a device, & the screen showed Dale's house.

"I do now."

"What do you want?"

"They have something I want."

"Like what?"

"You've never been in your basement?"

"I meant, what do you want from me?"

"Kill Rose, and your parents are safe. Don't, & they all die."

"I would never."

"Your choice." Killslinger aimed his crossbow at Rose, who was in the entrance looking over the unconscious humanoid, completely oblivious.

"Ok fine I'll do it!"