Blue Beetle Was Kidnapped

Jaime paced Maria's safehouse, his Scarab armor deactivated but still partially visible as glowing veins of light across his forearms. The events at Kord Industries weighed heavily on him, but a buzzing from his phone shattered his thoughts.

"Hello?" Jaime answered, his voice tense.

The voice on the other end was frantic. It was his younger sister, Milagro.

"Jaime! They're here—they're saying you're a terrorist! They've got Dad and Mom, and they're looking for you!"

Jaime's blood ran cold. "What? Who are they?"

"I don't know! They're armed, and they're tearing the house apart!" Milagro's voice cracked, and Jaime could hear yelling in the background.

Jaime gritted his teeth. "I'm coming. Stay hidden, Milagro."

The line went dead.

Maria looked up from her makeshift console, her face pale. "What happened?"

"They've got my family," Jaime said, his voice tight with anger.

Maria hesitated, then nodded. "Let's go. Leave a message for Ethan."

Jaime quickly scrawled a note on a nearby notepad:

"Family in trouble. Armed men at my house. Come if you can."

With that, Jaime and Maria rushed out the do.

The Reyes home was a scene of chaos. Armed men, clad in tactical gear and black uniforms, patrolled the area, their vehicles parked haphazardly on the street. Jaime and Maria arrived a block away, hidden behind a row of parked cars.

"They've labeled me a terrorist," Jaime muttered, clenching his fists.

Maria's face hardened. "Whoever they are, they've got serious resources. We have to be smart about this."

"No time for smart." Jaime's armor began to form around him. "I'm getting my family out."

Before Maria could argue, Jaime launched himself forward, smashing through the front door like a battering ram. The armed men inside turned, their shouts drowned out by the Scarab's glowing presence.

"What the—?" one of them started to say, but Jaime's energy blast cut him off, sending him flying across the room.

Jaime moved with precision, disabling weapons and incapacitating his enemies without lethal force. His movements were almost too fast for the human eye, the Scarab enhancing his reflexes and strength.

In the chaos, Jaime found his parents and Milagro tied up in the living room. His father, Alberto, was bleeding from a gash on his forehead.

"Jaime!" Milagro cried out.

"I've got you," Jaime said, kneeling to untie them.

One of the men recovered, pulling a gun from his holster. Jaime turned, his armor deflecting the first few bullets, but then the man aimed at Alberto.

"Dad, get down!" Jaime yelled, diving to shield his father.

The bullet struck Jaime's armor, the kinetic force sending him sprawling. Before he could recover, another man struck him from behind with a stun baton, the electric charge momentarily disrupting the Scarab.

Jaime fell to the ground, his body seizing as his armor flickered. The men quickly piled on him, subduing him with reinforced restraints designed to counteract Scarab technology.

Maria, hiding in the hallway, watched in horror as Jaime was dragged outside, thrown into a black van, and driven away.

The men didn't leave quietly. As they retreated, they set fire to the Reyes home, ensuring nothing was left behind. Flames engulfed the building within minutes, and Maria, along with Jaime's parents and sister, could only watch helplessly from a safe distance.

"We have to save him," Milagro whispered, tears streaming down her face.

Maria clenched her fists. "We will. I promise."

Hours later, Ethan pulled up to the safehouse, his Scarab replica stored in a reinforced case at his side. He noticed the door ajar and felt a chill.

"Jaime?" Ethan called out, stepping inside.

His eyes landed on the hastily written note, and his heart sank. He immediately rushed to Jaime's house, arriving to find smoldering ruins and the remains of the Reyes family's life reduced to ash.

Maria stepped out from the shadows, her face streaked with soot. "You're too late."

"What happened?" Ethan asked, his voice sharp.

"They came for him," Maria said. "Labeled him a terrorist, took him, and burned everything down. His family's safe, but Jaime..." She trailed off, her eyes filled with guilt.

Ethan's jaw tightened. "Did you get anything on who they are?"

Maria nodded. "Not much, but I managed to get a partial ID on their vehicles before they left. They're linked to a private security firm—one that's been working with Kord Industries."

Ethan exhaled slowly, his mind racing. "So, Kord is behind this."

Maria nodded grimly. "Or at least someone within Kord."

Ethan looked at the charred remains of the house, his resolve hardening. "Then we need to move fast. I'm not leaving Jaime in their hands."

Back at the safehouse, Ethan, Maria, and Jaime's family gathered to regroup. Ethan began scanning through data Maria had collected on Kord Industries, using his powers to analyze every piece of alien tech he'd come across in the last year.

"We need a plan," Maria said. "Kord has resources we can't even begin to match."

Ethan nodded. "We don't need to match them. We just need to outthink them."

He opened the case containing his Scarab replica, the device humming softly. "Jaime's got the original, but I've got this. It's not as powerful, but it's enough to give us an edge."

Maria glanced at the replica. "You're going to bond with it?"

"I already have," Ethan said. "Now we use it to get Jaime back. First, we figure out where they're holding him. Then we hit them hard and fast."

Milagro stepped forward, her face set with determination. "I want to help."

Ethan shook his head. "This isn't a fight for kids."

"She's not a kid," Maria said. "And we're going to need everyone we can get. If she wants to help, we'll find a way."

Ethan sighed. "Fine. But we do this my way. No unnecessary risks. Jaime's counting on us, and we're not losing anyone else."

Ethan looked at Maria " If we are going to let everyone in on the plan, we are going to need weapon, armour for defense, I have to contact my private source, this will take time"

" I might know a place outside of the city, it used to belong to my father, it was abandoned, it is no longer in use" Maria replied.

"Who was your father, again" Ethan asked

" The original blue beetle"

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Location: Outside the city of El paso, Texas.

Maria guided the group through a winding dirt road outside the city, eventually leading them to a seemingly abandoned warehouse. Ethan, Milagro, and Jaime's parents exchanged uncertain glances as they exited the car.

"This doesn't look like a place that screams 'superhero,'" Ethan muttered, surveying the rusty exterior.

Maria shot him a look. "My father wasn't exactly Superman. He didn't need flashy entrances."

She approached a hidden panel in the wall and keyed in a series of numbers. The panel beeped, and the ground beneath them shuddered. A hidden elevator revealed itself, descending into the earth below.

"Wait," Ethan said, putting two and two together. "Your father—don't tell me he was Ted Kord?"

Maria smirked. "The one and only".

The elevator opened to reveal a sprawling underground facility. It was a treasure trove of advanced technology, blueprints, and gadgets. A large emblem of a beetle adorned the far wall, glowing faintly in the dim light.

"This... is incredible," Ethan said, his eyes scanning the array of tech.

"Dad built it over decades," Maria said, her voice tinged with pride. "He didn't have powers or alien tech, but he was brilliant. He used his mind, his inventions, and his will to stand alongside heroes like Superman and Batman."

Milagro's eyes lit up as she explored the space. "This is where you grew up?"

"Pretty much," Maria said. "After he died, I promised to keep his legacy alive. I've been maintaining this place ever since."

Jaime's father, Alberto, looked around with unease. "This is impressive, but can it help us save Jaime?"

Maria nodded. "It will. We've got weapons, gadgets, and most importantly, the Beetle Plane."

She led them to the centerpiece of the lair—a sleek, blue aircraft shaped like a scarab. Its surface shimmered with energy, clearly powered by cutting-edge tech.

Ethan let out a low whistle. "That's a beauty."

Maria smiled. "Dad called it the Bug. It's got stealth capabilities, long-range scanners, and enough firepower to take on an army."

While the others explored the lair, Maria and Ethan worked at a console, analyzing the data Maria had collected.

"Here," Ethan said, pointing at the screen. "Their convoy passed through this security checkpoint outside the city. If we extrapolate their trajectory..."

Maria typed rapidly, pulling up satellite images. A cluster of buildings appeared on the screen—a heavily fortified compound.

"There," Maria said. "That's where they're holding him."

Ethan frowned. "That's not just any facility. That's a Kord Industries black site."

Maria's jaw tightened. "It figures. Whoever's behind this is using my father's company as a front."

Before leaving, Maria showed them the armory. It was filled with gadgets and weapons Ted Kord had designed, from compact energy blasters to grappling hooks and deployable drones.

Ethan picked up a sleek energy gauntlet, examining its design. "I'll take this. It might come in handy."

Maria tossed a small device to Milagro. "That's a personal shield generator. It'll keep you safe in a firefight."

Milagro looked up at her with wide eyes. "You're letting me come?"

Maria nodded. "You've got guts, kid. Just stay close to me."

Alberto and Bianca, Jaime's parents, were reluctant to arm themselves, but Maria insisted they at least carry small energy pistols for self-defense.

With everyone equipped, they boarded the Bug. The interior was just as advanced as the exterior, with sleek, ergonomic seats and a cockpit filled with glowing controls.

Ethan took a seat next to Maria in the cockpit, marveling at the technology. "This is way beyond anything I've ever worked on. Your dad was a genius."

Maria smiled faintly. "Yeah, he was."

She powered up the plane, and a low hum filled the cabin as the engines came to life.

"Hang on," Maria said, gripping the controls. "This might get bumpy."

The Bug rose smoothly from the ground, its cloaking field activating as it ascended into the night sky.

Milagro pressed her face against the window, watching the city lights fade into the distance. "We're really doing this, huh?"

Ethan glanced at her and nodded. "We don't leave family behind."

---

The Mission Ahead

As they approached the compound, the group reviewed their plan. Maria would pilot the Bug into the facility's airspace, using its stealth capabilities to bypass their defenses. Ethan and Maria would infiltrate the compound to locate Jaime, while Milagro and the Reyes parents stayed aboard to monitor and provide support.

"This isn't going to be easy," Maria said, her voice steady. "But if we stick to the plan, we can get Jaime out and shut these bastards down."

Ethan tightened his gauntlet and glanced out at the horizon. "Let's just hope we're not too late."