Chapter 5
James grinned as he watched the screen. "They're coming!" he called out.
Amber peered over Jade's shoulder. "Will you be ready?"
Jade nodded, her fingers flying across her tablet. "I'm setting up the last of the programming now. Once they get in the hologram room, they'll be trapped."
James leaned over the table and studied the device his sister had made. "I've got something I've been wanting to try out." He pulled out a box the size of a shoe and patted it. "This will be way cooler than trying it out on Leo, and I won't get yelled at."
"Something?" Amber repeated, narrowing her eyes. "What is it?"
James opened the box and revealed the contents, picking up one of the small spider-like creatures and admiring the tiny metal insect with a proud grin.
"Say hello to the Spider Blaster 5000. They are amazing.
They can go just about anywhere, can transmit audio and video, and can shoot out a web-like string.
Once it sticks to something, they won't be going anywhere unless they have the safety word.
I was going to have Leo test it out the next time we were in the treehouse Alice and Adaline made for us.
No more bouncing around in a bubble; we can just jump and these bad boys will keep us from hitting the ground. It's like sticky worms on steroids!"
Amber and Jade exchanged a look at each other and grinned. "I guess now is a good time to test it out," Amber agreed with a laugh.
With each hop of the symbiot, Gallad, Polk, and Hobbins quickened their pace through the narrow corridors, their anticipation building.
Gallad rubbed his hands together. Thoughts of his credits flooded his mind, conjuring visions of luxurious vacations and extravagant purchases.
He would buy a massive freighter, its steel hull would gleam in the starlight, and he'd eagerly take on a multitude of lucrative jobs.
He was even open to the idea of taking on another job for his sister, as long as she didn't try to deceive him and withhold his rightful earnings.
"Right this way, fellas," Gallad murmured, glancing back at his accomplices. "We'll get the device, and then we'll be rich beyond our wildest dreams."
As the symbiot came to a stop, the three men stumbled into one another.
The clumsy movement was a pretty bad mistake, but even so, the men immediately attempted to conceal their pursuit.
Hobbins turned in a swift motion and forcefully stuffed his hands into his pockets.
Pretending to clean something off his boot, Polk leaned against the wall, his eyes focused on the scuffed surface.
Gallad acted like he was searching for something on the floor.
The symbiot's sensitive nose twitched back and forth, picking up the tantalizing scent of something intriguing, before it disappeared through a doorway. The men grinned and followed the creature through the open door, eager to see what lay beyond.
When the door closed behind them, Hobbins let out a string of curses.
Gallad's four eyes swept over the room, capturing the vibrant colors and intricate foliage.
Only after he noticed the luminous flowers and perfectly trimmed hedges did he realize they had entered a hologram room that resembled a garden.
His eyes narrowed in suspicion when three kids—two teenage girls and a young boy—stepped out from behind a large plant.
"Where is it?" Gallad demanded.
"What? This?" the girl wearing a dark pink top asked as she held up the device Gallad had stolen earlier.
He took a step forward and curled both of his lips. "Give it to me, keep your mouth shut, and maybe you'll live," he snarled.
The girl tsked and looked at the girl beside her. "Did he just threaten us?"
The girl in red grinned. "Yeah, I think he did."
"He obviously doesn't know who he's dealing with," the boy scoffed.
Gallad's eyes narrowed, fixating on the boy who clutched a mysterious box.
He felt a sense of unease as he observed the amused expressions on the children's faces.
The unexpected reaction caught him off guard, leaving him momentarily speechless.
Most of the street urchins he encountered on the spaceports ran in the opposite direction when they saw him coming.
He sneered with both sets of lips, revealing his contempt.
"Give me the device," he said, his voice dropping lower and more menacing.
The girl in pink shook her head. "I don't think so."
He glanced over his shoulders and jerked his head at both Polk and Hobbins. "Get them."
Polk and Hobbins nodded in agreement and took a confident step forward.
They had only taken a handful of steps when the girl in red lifted her hand and pointed a peculiar device at them that resembled a box with a round disk.
Just as he was about to speak, a powerful blast struck him in the chest, causing him to lose his breath.
With a sudden jolt, he felt himself floating, and his eyes widened with panic.
As he floated off the floor of the ship, his arms swung like spinning wheels, desperately trying to maintain balance.
"Wha–what's happening?" Gallad cried, his two heads swiveling in confusion as he flailed his arms helplessly.
"I can't swim through air!" Polk exclaimed, his feet kicking at the air.
"Wait, I weigh more than a ton!" Hobbins shouted, his legs dangling uselessly beneath him.
Amber giggled. "That should slow them down. Now, James! Hit them with your Spider Blaster 5000!"
James eagerly nodded and knelt. He carefully opened the lid to the box, unleashing a swarm of tiny mechanical spiders.
Dozens of silver spiders with glowing red eyes scurried across the floor, their tiny legs making a clicking sound as they hurried towards the walls.
Gallad's eyes darted frantically from one creature to another, his panic intensifying.
"Create a net," James instructed.
The spiders skillfully spun their sticky webs, capturing the floating men in a tight bind. In a matter of seconds, a fine webbing enveloped him, Polk, and Hobbins, making it difficult to move. The steely threads had them locked in place, suspended nearly five feet above the ground.
Gallad, now helplessly cocooned in the spider webs, growled in frustration. "We were so close! You'll pay for this, you little pests!"
"Oh, I don't think so," Jade said with a smirk, holding up the vidcom that was linked to their parents. "I'm pretty sure my dad's going to take care of you when he finds out you were trying to steal Mom's new bubble painter."
"Bubble painter?" Polk echoed in disbelief. "That's the secret weapon? Are you serious?"
Jade nodded. "It's for the amusement park, but you won't get to see it."
Gallad groaned while Hobbins and Polk cursed. Their anger filled the room as they remained suspended, swaying like helpless marionettes. Listening to the threats pouring out of his companions' mouths, Gallad was thankful they couldn't reach him. Hobbins was really trying.
When the door suddenly slid open, he twisted his heads as far as he could, trying to see who was entering.
Trelon Reykill stormed through the opening.
Gallad swallowed nervously. The Valdier prince skillfully dodged the silky strands, causing a grimace to form on the trapped men's faces.
Rushing in behind the prince, the petite woman was saved from running straight into the trap by his timely intervention.
Stepping to the side, they straightened and shared an amused gaze as they looked up at Gallad and his companions.
With a wary expression, he silently groaned when several security officers, including the chief of security from earlier, cautiously made their way into the room behind him.
With a serious expression, the prince crossed his arms and fixed his gaze on the children.
A whistle of awe escaped the woman's lips as she studied the trapped men with a fascinated expression.
"This is amazing, Amber. I have got to know how you did this," she said.
"I didn't have time to test it, so I'm glad it didn't rip them apart. That would have been gross," Amber replied.
"And the webbing?" Cara asked.
"That's mine. It's my new Spider Blaster 5000. I built it so Leo and I could jump out of the treehouse," James answered.
Gallad swallowed and turned his attention to Trelon when he cleared his throat. "Your mom leaves you kids with the security guards for one afternoon…"
"Before you get mad, we had a good reason," Jade protested.
"Yeah! They were trying to steal your new cloaking device, only they stole Mom's bubble paint blaster instead," Amber explained innocently. "We couldn't let them get away with that!"
James pointed to the men. "Yep, and we stopped them. They never stood a chance."
"Well, I bet they never underestimate a dragonling again! I'm so proud of you guys," Cara said with a laugh, hugging James.
Trelon shook his head, his dragon chuckling in the back of his mind. "Well, I'm glad you're all safe… but next time, maybe let the adults handle it?"
Cara laughed, hugging her children. "Looks like the Spider Blaster 5000 and the gravity equalizer worked like a charm. I think we should add those as an attraction in the new Halloween section of the amusement park."
"Really? That would be awesome," James exclaimed with an excited grin.
Trelon sighed but couldn't hide his smile. "Yeah, it would be."
Gallad couldn't believe his eyes as the group exited the hologram room, their excited chatter filling the air.
Only when the doors closed and the room became silent did he realize the unsettling truth—they had been left behind.
Helplessly hanging in the air, he could feel the stickiness of the webs clinging to him.
The thought of dying here, alongside Hobbins and Polk, sent a shiver down his spine.
It seemed like they were all on the same wavelength because Hobbins let out a deep sigh before breaking the silence.
"It could be worse. We could be facing your sister," Hobbins said.
"Shut up, Hobbins. Just… shut up," he muttered, closing his eyes as his dreams of fabulous riches burst thanks to some meddling dragonlings.