Synth was immediately rushed to the medical pod. After a few x-ray scans, the doctors found four broken ribs, one of which had punctured a lung. However, they also found a strange piece of technology attached to his heart. Before they could operate on him, they needed to know what this device was. So, Floyd called Crimp to ask if she could figure it out. The Trolls boarded Rhonda and hustled over to Crimp's place and after some scanning and running a couple diagnostics, she was finally able to discover what was implanted inside Synth.

The answer was not good.

“A kill switch?" John Dory asked. Crimp nodded.

“It's a, uh, device set to destruct if anyone goes poking around inside him," she explained, “or even if Miss Willow uses her magic."

“But why would Synth have a kill switch?!" Bruce exclaimed.

“If I had to guess, I'd say someone thinks they own him and must've sent your new friend to get him."

“So, he'll die if we operate on him?" Viva gasped.

“And he'll die if we don't," Clay added.

“Isn't there a way to bypass it?" Floyd wondered.

“That's the good news," Crimp assured the Trolls. “Most kill switches, like this one, can be overridden by a passkey. But we're gonna need some information to access it."

“You've known Synth longer than any of us," Bruce said to King Trollex. “What do you know about his life before you met him?"

“He won't talk about it," Trollex admitted.

“Looks like most of the tech was developed by a company called Genesis," Crimp informed them. “There's a code on all of it: H2-Omicron. At the most, he's got about forty-eight hours."

Willow wouldn't say a word as she processed all of this information. She just stared at Synth, who remained unconscious as he lied in a cold, hard bed. His breathing was slow and weak as water pumped from a tank through a tube into a breathing mask attached to his mouth. Determined to save her friend, Willow stormed out of Crimp's lab with clenched fists and the rest of the Trolls followed her out.

“Willow, where are you going?" Bruce asked.

“Genesis have to have records," she said. “Maybe they'll have a way to override the kill switch and save Synth."

“They won't just hand over that information," Clay pointed out.

“That's why I'm breaking in."

“I'm coming with you!" Viva declared.

“Viva, this could be dangerous," Willow warned her.

“I care about Synth, like, a lot," she said. “Whatever I have to do to save him, I'll do it."

“Same here," Trollex declared. “Synth's my little buddy. I'm going."

“Well, to anyone else going on this mission," Crimp said, “there are a few things you should probably know."

“Like?" Clay asked.

“I just searched it up online, and Genesis isn't on this planet," Crimp began. “It's actually based in the third vector of the Rocky Road Galaxy."

“Sounds delicious," John Dory said. Hope laughed in agreement.

“So, to get there, you're gonna need a special ride," Crimp continued. “Like the giant spacecraft in my garage. It's really big, but I'm sure you guys can figure out how to fly it if you read the user manual in the dashboard under the cupholder. Plus, it's got a healing ward so you can keep Synth in there until you save him. I recommend using a shot of Insta-Mend."

“You own a spaceship?" Floyd asked.

“Space-craft," she corrected. “And, technically, I was fixing it up for a friend. So, try not to damage it too much, if you guys get in danger. Which you probably will. There are pirates and cops out there who kill first and ask questions later."

“Oh, crap," Willow muttered.

“Hey, don't worry, kiddo," John Dory reassured the teenager. “We stick together, we can handle this. Right, Hope?"

Hope just babbled happily, not understanding what her daddy was saying.

“Wait, you're taking Hope with you?" Bruce asked John Dory. “I don't think that's a good idea."

“She'll be fine," John Dory insisted. “Besides, Branch takes his kid on adventures all the time."

“I blame Poppy," Willow said (I admit, maybe Branch and I shouldn't be bringing Flower with us on so many dangerous missions).

“Well, just to be safe," Bruce said, “I think I should watch her until you get back."

“Nah, I can't do that to you," John Dory argued. “You already have thirteen kids."

“And what's one more?" Bruce insisted, and reached his arms out to grab Hope, but John Dory just backed away.

“Dude, chillax! She's my kid, I can handle her," he said. “But, uh, I will need someone to feed Rhonda."

Rhonda just panted at them and began chasing after a butterfly.

“I'll go back to the village to help rebuild and continue the project," Clay told Viva.

“Thanks, pal," Viva replied, and gave him a big hug.

“By the way," Crimp said, “there's someone I know near Genesis who can help you once you get there. I'll send the message you're on your way, but you'll have to tell them I sent you. And if you need my help with anything, just call and I'll send in a whole calvary of my old college research buddies."

Minus Clay and Bruce, all of the Trolls boarded the ship, Viva placed Synth in the healing ward, Floyd pulled out the manual, and he and Trollex buckled up in a giant seat in the cockpit. Sitting right next to each other at first, Trollex and Floyd were both flustered, but both calmed down once John Dory put in a tiny car seat in between them and fastened Hope inside.

“There you go, baby baby girl," John Dory said in a sweet voice. “You just sit tight here next to Uncle Floyd while Daddy figures out how to fly this thing, okay?"

Hope couldn't talk yet, so she just giggled cheerfully.

“All you have to do is push the blue button to get it to start the ship," Floyd explained as she read the manual, “push on those handlebars to get it to move, pull them back to stop, tilt the right handle down to go right, and the left handle down for left."

“Sounds pretty basic," John Dory said as he pushed the blue button, and Willow grew a magical sturdy vine around the giant helm so a Troll would be able to man it. “Will, think you can be my eyes?"

“Oh, so just because I have giant eyes that means I can see extra well?" Willow asked, sounding offended.

“No, you're the only one of us who can fly," John Dory pointed out as Willow's retractable wings popped out from her back.

“Oh, right," Willow realized, and hovered up to the windshield to get a good view outside. “Now, let's go save our friend."

With that, the ship took off and flew out of our atmosphere.

“Good luck!" Crimp hollered to the Trolls onboard while Clay and Bruce just nervously glanced at each other, concerned for the safety of their loved ones.

Inside the healing ward, Viva stood by Synth's side as his eyes darted around underneath his closed eyelids. She didn't know what was he was dreaming about, nor did she care. All that mattered was him staying alive, so she decided to try singing to him to make him feel more comfortable, if he could hear her.

Into the dark, into the light

Baby, I go

Whether it's wrong, whether it's right

I will follow

I'll pay the price, I'll sacrifice

That's on my love, yeah

As Viva kept singing, Synth dreamt about how he would always play with the other three children in the Elemental Class during their free time, when they weren't being tested. More often than not, it would end with him lying the water, laughing. The little cloudy Troll would get so happy, she would float to the ceiling while the fire Troll would sit in warm embers in the cell she shared with the earthy boy.

“It's so good to have friends!" she would always say, and she was right.

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