After a few chaotic laps around the room, Rei finally gave up the chase, slamming the chair down and glaring daggers at Tim.
Tim, still catching his breath, peeked out from behind a medical cabinet like a kid who had just escaped certain doom.
Tim (panting): "You... have... anger issues..."
Rei: "And you have boundary issues!"
Dr. Aron rubbed his temples, his worry for Sheila momentarily overshadowed by the madness before him.
Dr. Aron: "Enough. Both of you."
His voice carried more weight than usual - not out of anger, but fear.
Tim immediately straightened up. Rei's fury melted into concern as she remembered the reason they were even here.
Rei (serious now): "Doctor... we need to go after her."
Tim's playful expression faded.
Tim: "Wait... go after who?"
Dr. Aron sighed, gripping his communicator tightly.
Dr. Aron: "Sheila. She's been captured."
Tim's jaw dropped in disbelief.
Tim: "Wait-what? When?! By who?!"
Dr. Aron's voice wavered ever so slightly.
Dr. Aron: "I don't know. I got a call just now - an unknown number. They showed me a live feed... she's bound, beaten... unconscious."
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then-
Tim (clenching his fists): "We need to go after her. Now."
Dr. Aron: "We don't even know where she is."
Rei: "There has to be a way to trace the call."
Dr. Aron shook his head.
Dr. Aron: "It was too well-encrypted. Whoever did this knew what they were doing."
Tim's hands trembled, a mix of frustration and anger swirling inside him.
Tim: "Then we force answers out of someone who does know."
Rei: "Starting with Gravik."
Dr. Aron's eyes widened slightly.
Dr. Aron: "You mean the commander Sheila captured on Planet Dales?"
Tim nodded, his Solar Saber sparking slightly from the sheer force of his grip.
Tim: "Yeah. He has to know something. He was high-ranking - if anyone's got info on who's pulling the strings, it's him."
Rei's gaze hardened.
Rei: "Let's pay him a visit."
Dr. Aron hesitated.
Dr. Aron: "Listen - I want to save Sheila more than anything... but you two recovered just recently. And maybe...this could be a trap."
Tim's voice was firm.
Tim: "I don't care. She saved a lot of lives on Dales. She's the leader of the Resistance - your wife."
Dr. Aron's jaw tightened, the pain in his heart visible.
Tim (softer now): "She needs us... this time... just like we needed her... against Deadbeat. Because we are all like a family"
After a long pause, Dr. Aron finally gave a slow, reluctant nod.
Dr. Aron: "We question Gravik. But if this spirals into something worse, you two stay behind. Sheila wouldn't want you risking your lives recklessly."
Rei(serious): "Then, we should inform Jim and others before we go. Because they too have the right to know."
Tim nodded while Dr. Aron's expression clearly said he was not against it.
So, without wasting another second, they gathered their gear.
As they moved through the medical center, Darren and Maria, unaware of what was happening, tugged at Dr. Aron's coat again.
Darren: "Where are you going?"
Dr. Aron knelt down, forcing a smile.
Dr. Aron: "Just... checking something, okay? Be good while I'm gone."
Maria's eyes shimmered with concern.
Maria: "Mom's coming home, right?"
Dr. Aron's heart twisted.
Dr. Aron: "Of course. She's strong - just like you two."
The kids nodded slowly, trusting his words even though he wasn't sure he believed them himself.
As Dr. Aron rose to his feet, Tim patted Darren on the head.
Tim (grinning reassuringly): "Don't worry, buddy. Your mom's gonna be back before you know it."
And with that, they set off in a Resistance spaceship located in the Centre's hidden underground base heading for Soluna first.
After few hours...
The Resistance spaceship hummed softly as it landed at Heatsun's base on Soluna.
The moment the hatch opened, Jim was already there, his arms crossed, his sharp eyes scanning Tim, Rei, and Dr. Aron.
Jim: "Didn't expect to see you all back so soon. Something happened?"
Tim stepped forward, his usual playful demeanor replaced with grim determination.
Tim: "It's Sheila. She's been captured."
Jim's eyes widened, and for a second, he didn't speak - the weight of those words sinking in.
Jim: "What...? How? She just liberated an Dales a few days ago."
Dr. Aron, his face lined with concern, ran a hand through his hair.
Dr. Aron: "I received a call - unknown number, encrypted beyond anything I've seen. They showed me Sheila-she was beaten, unconscious. They told me not to be reckless... or she dies."
Jim's jaw clenched, his aura flickering faintly around him.
Jim: "Unbelievable..."
Rei folded her arms, her tone serious.
Rei: "We don't know who's behind it yet, but whoever it is-they're strong. Strong enough to capture someone like Sheila."
Jim exhaled sharply.
Jim: "If they got Sheila... they're either on Deadbeat's level... or worse."
That thought made Dr. Aron's heart pound even harder.
Dr. Aron: "Which is why we have to be careful. Sheila's life is hanging by a thread, and the person who took her clearly wanted me to know they're in control. We can't rush into this."
His voice faltered for a moment, the weight of his fear evident.
Jim exhaled sharply, glancing toward Heatsun, Moonsalt, Henry, and Marie.
Jim: "First things first-Jeromy needs to take command of the Resistance. Without Sheila, there's no official leader right now, and we can't afford chaos."
Henry stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Henry: "Jeromy's been leading Resistance operations from the shadows for years. He can hold things together while we focus on the rescue."
Tim frowned.
Tim: "Yeah, but even if we do that, we still need muscle. If someone managed to capture Sheila, they're either Deadbeat's level or even stronger. We need Celestic Justice's help."
Jim cracked his knuckles.
Jim: "I don't want to bother Edward with this... but this is bigger than us now. I'll talk to him."
Moonsalt placed a gentle hand on Jim's shoulder.
Moonsalt: "He'll understand, Jim. You don't have to do this alone."
Jim gave her a small nod, then turned to Dr. Aron.
Jim: "What about the call? Any way to trace it?"
Dr. Aron shook his head.
Dr. Aron: "It was too well-encrypted. Whoever this is, they knew exactly how to cover their tracks."
Marie (in a nervous tone): "So we're fighting an invisible enemy."
Rei: "Not necessarily. If they contacted Dr. Aron, that means they want something. And if they want something, they'll reveal themselves sooner or later."
Jim's eyes narrowed.
Jim: "Then we'll make our move before they do. I'll contact Edward now."
He stepped aside, activating his communicator. As he did, Heatsun and Moonsalt exchanged a glance, then turned to Tim and Rei.
Heatsun: "You two just recovered, and now you're heading straight back into battle."
Tim (grinning): "No rest for the strong, right?"
Rei: "Someone has to save Sheila. Sitting around won't do us any good."
Moonsalt (smiling slightly): "You two, really are persistent."
Before Tim could respond, Jim returned, his expression unreadable.
Jim: "Edward's on his way."
A sense of relief filled the room after hearing that.
A few hours later, the sound of powerful engines roared above Heatsun's base.
The sky darkened briefly as a sleek fleet of Celestic Justice spaceships descended, their emblems glowing brightly. The largest ship landed at the center, and from it emerged Edward, his imposing figure stepping onto the base with a stern yet focused expression.
Behind him, his squad followed.
Jim immediately stepped forward.
Jim: "Edward... thanks for coming."
Edward (firmly): "You didn't need to ask. Sheila's been a key ally in this war and a friend. We're not letting her stay in enemy hands."
Tim nodded, stepping up beside Jim.
Tim: "Then we don't have time to waste. We need to head to Dales - now."
Edward's gaze sharpened.
Edward: "Dales? Why there?"
Dr. Aron, his face still pale from the shock of the unknown call, explained quickly.
Dr. Aron: "That's the last place Sheila was before her disappearance. She completed her mission there, but stayed behind for further investigation."
Edward's brow furrowed.
Edward: "Then the answer lies on Dales."
Jim crossed his arms.
Jim: "Exactly. And there's someone there who might know something - Gravik. He's a high-ranking commander of Dark Void who was captured by Sheila's team. If anyone knows what happened to her, it's him."
Edward glanced at his squad.
Edward: "Then we'll confront Gravik and make him talk."
Tim clenched his fists, his usual lightheartedness giving way to a rare seriousness.
Tim: "If he thinks he can hide anything from us... he's dead wrong."
Rei simply nodded, her silence a sign of her determination.
Dr. Aron adjusted his glasses.
Dr. Aron: "We have to be cautious. The enemy is strong enough to capture Sheila without alerting us - they won't make it easy for us to uncover the truth."
Edward's eyes glimmered with a subtle but fierce resolve.
Edward: "Let them try."
He turned back to his squad.
Edward: "Prepare the ships. We head to Dales immediately."
As the Celestic Justice squad began organizing their fleet, Jim, Tim, Rei, and Dr. Aron exchanged a brief but determined glance.
Dr. Aron: "We're coming for you, Sheila."