Episode 3: Trust Exercises

It had been a week since Querl and his team had defeated Rekin. Querl had decided that it would be best if the team did some trust exercises to help them become a better team. So they headed into the forest while Abel remained at the garage. Needless to say that the exercise didn't go to well. Kopi groaned in pain as she fell on her back hard.

Sorun was standing behind her with a bored expression on his face.

"Sorun, you're supposed to catch me. That's the whole point of a trust exercise." She growled as she stood up. A sudden white noise made her gasp and she quickly pulled out her com-link.

"Oh great, now my com-link is busted." She added.

"Oh I'm so sorry, maybe when it was my turn you shouldn't have let me fall three, times, in, a row!" Sorun spat in anger.

"Well that was because you weren't falling correctly." Kopi argued. In response Sorun pushed her away, hard.

"Then why don't you demonstrate how to fall right your dictatorship?!" Sorun exclaimed with a glare.

Kopi growled angrily and lunged at the teen speedster. The two soon found themselves engaged in some sort of childish slap fight.

"Hey knock it off you two!" Querl shouted.

They both stopped and turned to Querl and Tam as they approached. Their eyes widened when they saw the position that Querl and Tam were in. Tam was holding Querl bridal style.

"Yeah, why can't ya guys take anything seriously like us?" Tam huffed with a grin on his face.

Sorun and Kopi smiled and burst out laughing at Querl and Tam. But Querl wasn't smiling back at them. When Tam put him down again he walked over to the two of them.

"If we're going to work together to re-capture all the escaped fugitive we need to trust each other." He said with a stern voice.

"Oh but I really do trust Sorun. To mess up." Kopi glared. Sorun growled before grabbing hold off her once again. Querl groaned and massaged his forehead as a headache came along. Suddenly a message came on the com-links.

"Abel to Querl, Sorun, Tam and Kopi!" Abel exclaimed through the com-link.

"Go ahead Abel." Querl sighed.

"Please return to the garage, I have something to show you." Abel said.

"On our way Abel." Querl said before hanging up.

They then made their way back to the garage. However, as soon as they had vanished into the woods another beings leapt into the clearing. He was a tall and lean werewolf like man with dark grey fur and bright menacing yellow eyes. This was Balto. He wore a black tank top with black torn up jeans. He leaned down and sniffed the tracks left by Querl and his team.

He snarled at the scent...

As Querl had said before, he knew exactly where to put the parts from the Ark. Underneath the garage was a ginormous basement and the only way to get down there was by an elevator. For security reasons Querl and Abel had installed a handprint scanner into the elevator. If your hand matched you could go down.

"My scanners have detected a small cluster of fugitive tracking signals nearby and it appears that they may be intact stasis pods as well." Abel explained.

"Some easy captures would be nice." Querl sighed. Suddenly an alarm went off.

"MAYDAY! MAYDAY! THIS IS CAPTAIN SMITH OFF THE COAST OF KELNA CITY! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK BY WHAT APPEARS TO BE A PIRATE WITH A STEEL FOREHEAD!" The captain cried.

"A fugitive." Kopi glared.

"MY CREW HAS EVACUATED TO THE LIFEBOATS! PLEASE SEND ASSISTANCE IMMEDIATELY!" The captain cried before the line went dead.

"The Ark's prisoner manifest lists a pirate aboard." Abel explained as him began to type something into the monitor. He then picked up Querl and Kopi's weapons.

"Here are your weapons you two. They will work this time." He chuckled and tossed them to Querl and Kopi. The two easily caught them.

"Are you sure Abel?" Querl asked.

"Not really." Abel smiled nervously. Querl Dox sighed before walking over to the others.

"Come on Tam, I have a boat that you and I can tow to the water." He said to the green haired man standing behind him.

"Wait, you and Tam?" Kopi hissed as Tam silently did a victory dance behind Querl.

"Tam has proven to me earlier today that he can be trusted in a field situation that requires teamwork." Querl glared at them. Kopi and Sorun looked at each other spitefully before back at the Coluan.

"You two will check out those other fugitive signals together." Querl ordered before walking away. Tam turned towards them.

"Yeah, work on that teamwork." Tam smiled before following Querl. Abel gave them the coordinates and Sorun quickly dashed off with Kopi running after him...

Tam and Querl made it to the coast of Kelna with hardly any trouble.

"When did you learn to drive these things Querl?" Tam asked as they rode to speed boat to the ship that sent out the distress signal.

"I've have a 12th level intelligence remember." Querl replied. Soon they boarded the boat. They investigated the deck but found no one.

"Looks like there's no crewmen or pirates here." Querl commented.

"That's too bad. I was hoping for some punching." Tam pouted. Suddenly the boat jolted. Querl and Tam ran to the side and saw something moving below the waves.

"I can't wait to punch some creep." Tam smirked...

Elsewhere Sorun and Kopi were in the mountains trying to locate the pod.

"This is the total opposite of the right way!" Sorun exclaimed.

"You wouldn't know the right if it hit you in the eyes." Kopi glared as they walked away from the mountains and into the forest. Sorun suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"You're never gonna treat me as an equal are you?!" He shouted at her.

"And you're never going to take me seriously are you?!" She asked in rage. Sorun rolled his eyes and turned away.

"I'll com you when I find something." He huffed and started walking away.

"We can't split up! Querl was very specific!" She exclaimed but he was gone. Kopi then tried to use her com-link.

"Sorun? Sorun!" She called but there was only a mix of white noise and static.

"Stupid com-link." She groaned...

Whatever was swimming below the waves started ramming the ship again. Querl Dox struggled to keep his balance while Tam watched the dark object swim around below them.

"Excuse me." Tam smirked and went to jump over the edge.

"Tam no! Wait!" Querl cried. But it was to late. Tam jumped over the edge and onto the object. It was a small submarine.

"This isn't teamwork!" Querl exclaimed as Tam started punching the submarine. He quickly pulled out his staff and tried to get it to work.

"Come on, come on." He muttered. Suddenly the submarine rammed into the ship once again. The sudden jolt caused Querl to drop his staff and it rolled across the deck.

"Whoo! Yeah!" Tam cried as he held on tightly to the submarine as it sped around. A voice suddenly called from inside.

"Release my vessel you disgusting land lover! I do not wish to be covered in your vile stench!" He shouted.

The submarine suddenly stopped and Tam went flying into the air. Realising that he was now falling towards the ocean Tam quickly pressed a small button on his belt buckle. He soon found himself covered in a light yet strong white armoured form-fitting suit. Querl Dox had given all of them these suits in case they had to go either under water or into space.

Tam's suit was white with green lining.

But then there was another little problem. Tam remembered couldn't swim. After a few moments of struggling Tam sank to the sea floor.

"Tam!" Querl cried. He quickly ran to get his staff. However the submarine stopped and someone was ejected out of the top. Querl gasped as the man leapt onto the deck and kicked his staff away. This was a bald, skinny, pale man and his entire forehead was made of steel...

"Who does that punk think he is?" Kopi muttered angrily as she walked through the forest alone.

She suddenly stopped walking and gasped when she found a large ditch. It held two stasis pods in it. Some sticks snapped not to far away from her. Kopi quickly charged up her blasters and advanced towards where the sound came from. She saw Balto with his back towards her and his hands on another stasis pod.

"Prepare for freedom brother." He smirked and prepared to bring his razor sharp claws down onto the pod.

"Claws in the air wolf boy!" Kopi exclaimed as she aimed her blasters at him. But instead of being scared Balto smiled at her.

"Hello sister, did you fall out of the sky to?" He asked but Kopi did not budge. "I'm so glad we found each other." He added.

"Fugitive. By order of legal code section 305 you are hereby under arrest." Kopi glared.

"Of course. You're confused." He chuckled. Kopi arched an eyebrow at this.

"I wasn't a prisoner on that ship, I was a guard." He said.

"Abel never said anything about a guard on the prison ship." Kopi said suspiciously. Balto didn't seem fazed by this.

"Yes, Abel. Well he wouldn't have known. I was in stasis also, my pod was programmed to wake me in case of a riot." He explained.

"Then why would you have a prisoner ID mark/tracker on your shoulder?" She asked him, lowering her blasters slightly.

Balto glanced at the two matching prison cyan blue ID marks on his shoulders. Unlike the others however his had claw marks slashed through his. He chuckled again before turning back to her.

"You are very well trained, asking all these excellent questions. The marks are meant to confuse the other prisoners so they don't immediately attack me." He smiled.

Suddenly he snarled at lunged at Kopi.

"This is Kopi to base! I'm under attack by an unknown fugitive!" Kopi called into her com-link as she narrowly avoided a swipe from his razor sharp claws.

Balto quickly grabbed her leg and threw her in the opposite direction. Kopi cried out as she was thrown into the air and landed hard against a boulder. The wolf man smirked when she didn't move to get up and walked over to her...

Sorun sighed as he ran into the garage with his super speed and went down the elevator. Abel quickly ran towards him.

"Kopi isn't back yet is she?" Sorun asked his smaller friend as he looked around from her.

"Listen Sorun!" Abel began.

"Oh and I didn't find any stasis pods, your equipment must be messed up squirt." Sorun interrupted.

"Sorun!" Abel shouted.

"What?" The speedster asked.

"Kopi called in and it sounded like she was in some kind of trouble, but it was too hard to hear! And now her com has stopped functioning and I can't track her!" Abel explained, panic evident in his voice. Sorun's eyes widened.

"You two split up didn't you?!" Abel growled.

"Crud." Sorun mumbled under his breath.

"I'll notify Querl immediately." Abel said and turned to leave. "Don't worry, I'll handle it."...

Querl gasped and just managed to dodge out of the way as Hammerhead brought his fists down on the deck floor.

"You have forced me to walk it open air like some fowl land lover, how dare you!" Hammerhead shouted and charged at the Coluan. As soon as the pirate was close enough Querl flipped him over his shoulder. Hammerhead grunted as he fell into some crates.

"I didn't realise it was an issue." Querl glared. Hammerhead hissed in rage and burst out of the crates. Querl quickly fired some energy blasts at the pirate but Hammerhead shield himself with one of the crates.

"Listen Hammerhead, surrender now or when my partner returns you'll probably take a beating, then surrender." Querl smirked. In response he got a few crates thrown at him.

"Ha, ha! Surrender to the likes of you? I would never be able to show my face in the depths again!" The pirate laughed before charging at the Coluan again.

Querl managed to dodge Hammerhead's punches and kicked the pirate in the stomach. Hammerhead grunted slightly in pain as he crashed against a large pipe.

"I am sure that this will leave a big hole in your social calendar but we're still bring you in Hammerhead!" Querl exclaimed before glancing back at the still ocean waters.

"Anytime now Tam." He muttered.

At the bottom of the ocean Tam stood on the sea floor, staring at the bottom of the ship. Tam jumped up again and tried to move to the surface but instead ended up floating back to the the sea floor. Up on the surface things weren't much better. Hammerhead threw another punch at Querl but the Coluan managed to grab hold of the arm and wouldn't let go.

"Release me at once land lover! You are not fit to touch my arm!" Hammerhead growled. Querl tightened his grip on the arm before flipping the pirate over his shoulder and against the ground. He quickly charged up his hand with energy and aimed it at Hammerhead.

"Guess you took a beating after all." He grinned. Suddenly sirens filled the air. Querl gasped and looked at the horizon and saw a team of cops heading their way. Seeing his foe distracted Hammerhead pulled his arm out of the Coluan's grip and punch him in the face. He quickly grabbed hold of Querl's shoulders.

"Even in your element I am your superior, do not pursue me, or I shall prove it again." He warned. The pirate took a sniff of his own hand.

"Ugh, now your ground stench will be on me for weeks." He growled in disgust before throwing Querl against the floor of the deck. He then jumping back into his submarine. His submarine then vanished once again beneath the waves.

"Tam can you hear me? Can you get to shore?" Querl asked through the com-link...

"Abel? You in here?" Tam called as they exited the elevator. It had taken nearly an hour but Tam managed to walk along the seafloor and back to shore where Querl was waiting patiently for him. But when they got back to the base it was empty.

"Sorun and Kopi are probably still on their assignment and Abel must have gone to get some supplies." Querl suggested. He then walked over to the monitor and began looking through the prisoner manifests. Soon he found Hammerhead's file.

"What are you doing?" Tam asked as he rung his hair out.

"I'm trying to find out more about Hammerhead so we can predict where he will go next." Querl replied as he read through the file. According to the file Hammerhead threatened to pollute Earth's ocean unless the united planets payed him a ton of cash. Thankfully he was stopped before he could complete his plan.

Querl's eyes widened when he realised something.

The ship that Hammerhead was trying to sink was an oil tanker! Hammerhead was planning on making a come back by polluting Kelna's oceans.

"What are you doing now?" Tam asked as Querl began to type quickly.

"I'm running a search to see if there are any other sources of crude oil nearby."

Suddenly the computer came back with the results. "There's a short line refinery within just a couple of miles from here. Thankfully fully automated." Querl said as he stood up.

"Sorry about before." Tam said as they rode up the elevator.

"It's okay, everyone makes mistakes at some point Tam, but keep in mind that just because you've taken the first step doesn't mean you've run the race." Querl explained.

"Okay, how many steps are there?" Tam asked with a goofy grin. Querl groaned...

Abel held on to Sorun's shoulders for dear life as Sorun sped through the woods. The youngest member of the rag-tag team had insisted he tag along and now he was regretting it. Soon Sorun came to a stop outside of a cabin that had tubs of different coloured paints next to it.

"Where are we?" Sorun asked as Abel looked at the data pad he had brought.

"An old ranger station. See." Abel said and pointed to the tubs of paint. "That's glow in the dark paint. Rangers use them to help mark off limit areas during hunting season." He added.

"But still no sign of Teamy McTeamwork." Sorun mumbled sarcastically. Abel narrowed his eyes when he noticed something was off. Abandoned in the bushes next to the station was an old 21st century tow truck. But at the back the chain had been broken off.

"Someone's been here recently. This chain has been snapped clean." He pointed out as he examined the chain. He then examined the marks on the ground.

"And from the skid marks it looks like the truck was yanked around, by something big." Abel gulped. Sorun picked the kid up on onto his back again before running off.

"Won't matter if we find Kopi. She'll still treat me like scum." Sorun muttered with a small scowl.

"My caretaker used to say 'you want respect, you have to give respect'. One of you just has to throw your pride away and take the first step, that's all." Abel explained as they ran through the forest...

Kopi groaned as she regained conscience. The first thing that she noticed was Balto was kneeling in front of her with a grin on his face. She was chained up with the chains from the tow truck and in a small stick made shelter. He chuckled at her glare.

"You still don't understand, I want to help you. I'm sorry I lied but I didn't know if I could trust you. Yes I am a fugitive. B-But I've changed." He explained, his voice full of sincerity.

"Into a kidnapping fugitive!" Kopi hissed.

"I apologise for the things I've done, but I can never go back to my home world. I'd be locked up again just like the way you wanted to jail me before I could explain anything." He sighed. Kopi felt a small pang of guilt in her gut.

"But in this city I can begin anew with fellow prisoners who feel the same way, in peace. Now is that so wrong?" He asked his captive. Kopi looked away. Not far away, hidden in the bushes, was Sorun and Abel.

"I don't trust him at all, he's too cool. Kinda reminds me of someone." Sorun whispered as he glared at the wolf man's back.

"So, what do we do now?" Abel whispered to the speedster.

"If I was half the criminal Kopi thinks I am I'd just walk away." Sorun shrugged. Abel suddenly got an idea and ran in the other direction.

"Where are you going?" Sorun asked.

"Making you a criminal."...

It took half an hour but soon Querl and Tam arrived at the refinery. Tam ripped open a hole in the wall and the two of them cautiously walked along the dark inside of the building. Soon they came across two passageways.

"Okay, we split up just for now. If you find Hammerhead what do you do?" Querl asked Tam.

"Start punching." Tam grinned. Querl glared at the green haired man.

"Call you." Tam corrected with a childish pout. "Then start punching." He added with a smiled.

Querl sighed. Suddenly there was a loud clunk that echoed throughout the entire refinery. The two quickly ran towards the noise. Hammerhead snarled as he pounded his fists into a steel pipe but it would not break.

"Forced to walk one land twice in one day, thank the currents others can't see me now." He growled.

He was then tackled to the ground by Querl and Tam. They both pushed him up against a wall hard. However the force was too much and one of the pipes burst and covered the floor with thick, slippery oil. Tam and Querl cried out as they started to slid around with no control. Hammerhead smirked and like an ice skater on ice he charged at them.

Tam grabbed Querl's arms and swung him at the pirate.

Querl smirked as he kicked Hammerhead right in the face. The pirate slipped out of control and fell face first into Tam's fist. Hammerhead fell to the ground, unconscious and with a noticeable dint in his steal forehead. Querl smiled up at Tam.

"Now that's what I call teamwork."...

Back in the woods Kopi and Balto were still talking.

"But giving you a second chance isn't up to me. My superior would have to be the one to grant that request." Kopi explained.

"Oh! Well I would love to meet your superior and the rest of your team, how many of you are there? Where are you based?" Balto smiled warmly. But Kopi's glare returned.

"How do I know this isn't a trick?" She asked coldly.

"I see you've found an cop. Can I get in on a little payback?" A new voice suddenly called from the forest. Balto looked puzzle and turned around. Hidden by the shadows created by the trees he saw a figure standing there. Balto couldn't see what the person looked like due to the darkness But on his shoulders were bright cyan ID marks that seemed to glow in the dark.

Balto smiled when he saw the marks.

"Greetings brother. I'm Balto, and you are?" He asked.

"Oh uh...I'm Mako." The newcomer stuttered as Balto slowly approached him.

"I'm glad you are free Mako, step into the light and join me." Balto asked.

"What happened to your mark there Balto...uh brother." 'Mako' quickly asked.

"I destroyed it and it tracking mechanism. The police mustn't capture me before I can prove to them that I've reformed and want to live here now peacefully, as I'm sure you do too." Balto explained.

Kopi glared at the two fugitives until someone covered her mouth. She gasped and looked over her shoulder. Her eyes widened when she saw Abel standing there with a crowbar in hand. The youngest team member quickly began to try and remove the chains.

"Who? Me? Oh no, no. I'd never give up doing crime things besides I hate order and rules. Am I right?" 'Mako' asked.

"Tell me more about yourself, Mako. How were you captured?" Balto smirked.

"How was I captured? Well it...uh..." 'Mako' stuttered.

Before he could say anymore Abel finally broke the chains that held Kopi. However Balto heard it thanks to his sensitive hearing. He whipped around to face Kopi and Abel with a snarl. Abel gasped and backed up a bit.

"Don't go near him!" 'Mako' warned Balto.

'Mako' suddenly stepped into the light and white the glow in the dark cyan paint off his shoulders. It was Sorun.

"Treachery. How like you humans." Balto hissed and lunged at the speedster. Sorun quickly jumped into the air and dodged Balto's attack. Kopi twisted around as she tried to free herself from the chains. Sorun used his super speed to dodge all of Balto's strikes. The speed teen then moved out of the way and Balto was kicked hard in the head by Kopi and straight into a tree.

However the force of the hit caused the base of the tree to break and it came tumbling down towards Abel!

Sorun gasped and quickly scooped Abel up before moving out of the way of the tree. Sorun, Kopi and Abel looked around for Balto but the wolf man had disappeared into the forest.

"I have a bad feeling we're going to see that guy again." Sorun said, glaring at the last spot where Balto was.

"I hope so." Kopi growled. A loud howl echoed all around them...

Back at the base Kopi, Sorun and Abel relaxed when they saw no sign of Tam or Querl.

"I'm glad your alright Kopi." Abel smiled. "And why wouldn't she be?" Querl asked the three of them as he and Tam entered the base with Hammerhead slumped over Tam's shoulder.

"I was...having a little communications difficulty earlier. Nothing serious." Kopi promised the Coluan.

"Anything to report?" He asked her.

"We found some open pods Querl, and a fugitive." Kopi replied.

"Calls himself Balto. Says he wants to live peacefully in this city with like minded fugitives, but he got un-peaceful with us pretty quick." Sorun added.

"Can't wait to meet him. I'll go put this one away, and I'll do it gently." Tam smiled. He then went to put Hammerhead in a stasis pod.

"If he's lying about going straight we looking at a fugitive army trying to take this city." Kopi pointed out.

"All the more reason to wrap up these fugitives up quickly." Querl replied before heading off to check on Tam.

"Good job you two. Looks like I can send you two into the field together." Querl smiled before leaving.

"Thanks Abel, you really saved my hide back there." Kopi smiled at the 10 year old.

"What?! Hey I put my neck on the line for you to you know!" Sorun growled before storming away. However he suddenly slipped on an oil patch that Tam and Querl had trailed in. But instead of hitting the hard ground Kopi caught him from behind.

"Thanks, and don't get cocky." Kopi smiled before walking away. Abel smiled up at Sorun's confused and shocked face.

"Remember that first step we were talking about in the wood? I think it's just been taken."...

ROLL CREDITS