Chapter 44

A week later, Kid Owl and Badger were on their way to the scene of a distress signal.

"Do you have any thoughts who contacted Nell to give us a tip on a crime?" Badger called Robert on the phone.

"No, this is Baltimore, after all. People do not need a valid motive to signal for assistance. Unfortunately, this location has been abandoned." Robert stated.

"That's an excellent point. I suppose we'll find out when we arrive." As they approached the signal where the call was given, Kid Owl said.

"All right, now that we're here, where is the individual who gave this signal?" Badger inquired.

"Turn around," a fresh voice snarled as Kid Owl spun around to discover Nichole standing there.

"Nichole. What exactly are you doing here?" Kid Owl inquired, reaching for a Gray Dagger.

"Oh, I just wanted to have an open talk with you. Nell." Nichole's words stunned them both.

"Where is Nell?" Kid Owl inquired.

"Please, trainee, don't even try it." Nichole explained.

"Wait, did she just refer to you as a trainee?" Badger inquired.

"I'm not sure why you assume my name is Nell, but we are not connected." Kid Owl stated, having honestly disowned himself from Nichole.

"Really. So, Kid Owl appears at the same time you return to Maryland to rescue one of your ex-commanders, and you modify the Owl suit with camo and other sizes." Kid Owl sighed as Nichole spoke.

"What makes you think I'm a Microsoft X student?" Kid Owl inquired, despite the fact that he already knew.

"Because I used a different name in another poem. Anthony. Borge, Anthony" Nichole stated as Badger stared at her in disbelief.

"Liar!" Kid Owl yelled as he flung a gray dagger at Nichole, who quickly dodged it and drew out her butterfly knife to launch an assault.

"I recognize you behind that mask, Nell. And you're not going to do anything to me." Nichole explained.

"How do you know that?" Kid Owl inquired as he pushed Nichole back.

"Because I'm the only one who knows where you can locate Ruby, sweetie." Nell's eyes turned red as she grabbed towards her archenemy and gripped her hard.

"What happened to her? Where is Ruby, traitor, so I can rectify everything?" Nell demanded, no longer bothering to conceal his name since he was desperate to find Ruby so he could override everything and correct this verse so innocent people wouldn't die.

"Do you honestly believe I'd tell you that?" Nichole asked smugly, only for Kid Owl to start punching her.

"Where has Ruby X gone?" Kid Owl demanded, pushing Nichole up against the cliff.

"If you promise to let me go, I'll tell you." Nichole said this, only to be surprised as Kid Owl grabbed her wrist and pulled her head over the precipice.

"Oh, please don't do that." Nichole explained.

"Do you really want to put that theory to the test? You contributed to my master's disappearance and misery. You bitch, have you hurt one of my dearest friends and given my leader grief that he may never recover from?" Kid Owl inquired fiercely.

"Enough, Kid Owl. Don't lower yourself to her level. We'll send her to Rehab and obtain the answers that way. She wishes to enter your mind." Badger warned because she was concerned that Kid Owl would breach the same line that King Owl did.

Kid Owl's fury was broken by her teammate's remarks, and he recognized what he was doing.

"Nichole, you should not have come up here. And you should not have crossed the line that you did." said Kid Owl.

"So why not? You and I clearly have more in common than you realize. After all, you simply beat me unconscious in order to obtain information. But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, considering this isn't the first time you've been the source of my misery." Nichole explained that her guilt trip wasn't going to work on Nell this time.

"Nice attempt. And while you may have guessed my name, we are nothing alike, and you are no longer one of my allies. You, on the other hand, are going to tell me where Ruby is. In some way or another." said Kid Owl.

"You're not going to imprison me. Not if you want Ruby dearest to live so you can save her." Nichole explained.

"What are you on about?" Kid Owl inquired.

"Do you honestly believe I'd come up here without a backup plan? I'm the only one who knows where Ruby X is, and she'll die if I don't bring her food and water. Do you honestly believe you can find her before she perishes from malnutrition or dehydration?" Nichole inquired.

"You're holding captive the women who gave you a shot in the X Warriors? You've gone nuts." Badger was shocked.

"You have no choice but to let me go." Kid Owl reluctantly let Nichole go, Nichole said.

"She is correct. She may be insane, but I will not jeopardize Ruby's safety." Kid Owl spoke forward, and Badger nodded.

"I'm glad we get each other." Nichole muttered as she walked away, leaving Kid Owl furious.

"I can't believe you abandoned Nichole." Robert stated.

"We didn't have much of a choice. We can't make a move until we liberate Ruby from her." Nell remarked, dangerously staring at Robert, who hastily backed away.

"Perhaps we should attempt tracking Nichole's movements using Owl's satellite and letting her lead us to Ruby." Chloe said, attempting to mediate between them.

"Right," Robert replied.

"Do we have a satellite?" Nell inquired.

"Yep. It was built under the guise of space exploration by King Owl, but its true goal was to watch Maryland and also track Microsoft X when he first became active, and they became friends." Chloe stated.

"That's useful to know. Anyway, let's get started. The sooner we discover Ruby, the sooner I may return Nichole to the M.R.C. Cell." Nell stated.

"Would you like to put Nichole in an M.R.C. jail?" Robert inquired.

"My only master is King Owl, and I aim to protect his heritage as well as the rest of Maryland. Jacob, too, has become a jerk." Nell stated.

"I'm presuming that means you're not going to reveal your identity to him?" Chloe inquired.

"Are you insane? Jacob will never know the truth unless he suddenly sees the light." Nell replied, and both Robert and Chloe nodded as they went about their job.