"Could you please help me with this, dear?" Frenzy asked, holding out a delicate gold necklace.

"Sure," Ziv answered. He took the necklace from Frenzy and fastened it around her neck. Frenzy was wearing a strapless black dress and had her hair fixed in a long braid. Ziv had put on a tuxedo in preparation for LLP's party.

"I'm ready if you are," Frenzy told him.

"Then let's go. We don't want to be late." The two of them went to the elevator and headed downstairs, pausing only for the moment it took Ziv to put an innocuous beeper in his pocket.

Outside the building, a limo was waiting for them. It was only a short drive through the city to the RM Corp Tower, where the party was being held. They got out and entered the huge building, which was being heavily guarded by Security-bots. The Corp obviously anticipated an attack during the party.

In the ballroom, they were greeted by LLP. "Good evening," he welcomed them. "I'm surprised to see you here so early."

"We were ready, so we decided to come over," Frenzy said. "I could use a party right about now."

"You can say that again," Ziv agreed. "Lunch was insane."

"I saw the news," LLP said grimly, and shot Frenzy a questioning look. She shook her head.

At least, I don't think he recognized anyone, she thought.

"How's the plan coming?" LLP asked them.

"I've arranged for some ore to be transferred," Frenzy said. "Blitzy should jump at the chance to destroy our krang-ore supply."

"And when she does," Ziv added, "I can incapacitate her bots with my device." The three of them smiled.

"Blitzy! Are you in here?" Genesix called.

Blitzy looked up from the computer monitor, where she had been halfheartedly playing with the Jungle Fiver simulation program. "Yeah, Genesix. What's up?"

"Watzon finally dezided Ninjzz iz okay," Genesix answered. "The BOYZZz are meeting to dizcuzz a plan."

Blitzy obediently followed Genesix down the hall, where all the BOYZZs (except Freehand and the Talking Heads, of course) had assembled in front of the wall map. Taking a deep breath, she picked up ZZ's laser pointer and highlighted a building on the map.

"Here's our target, BOYZZs," she said, sounding very much like ZZ. "The Corp Condo Complex. I want Ninj, the Street BOYZZs, and the Sports BOYZZs in Splitvan. I'll take VAS and stay in contact with Genesix. Twigg, you'll come along for backup. Swang, you're with me. You may have to scout the area."

Swang whistled in approval.

"We'll get into the city through a side gate and proceed to the condos. When we get there, I want Twigg to stay outside while the rest of us go up to Frenzy's apartment and get ZZ. Understood?"

The BOYZZs nodded.

"Good," Blitzy said. "Let's go!" They abandoned the living room and ran for the garage off the BAL. As Blitzy climbed into VAS, Watson handed her a small object.

"Take my zleeper devize," the doctor said. "You never know when it'll come in handy."

"Thanks, Watson," Blitzy told him, putting the device in her pocket. The doctor stepped back as VAS rose into the air. The plane/bot screamed out the tunnel with Splitvan and Twigg close behind.

"Fill me in, Ninj," Blitzy said over the mike. "What's up with ZZ?"

"He iz very confuzed," Ninjzz answered. "I don't think he knowzz uz."

"Why?" Blitzy asked.

"I'm not zure," the BOYZZ admitted, "but I think it haz zomething to do with wirezz."

"Wires?" Blitzy echoed.

"Perhapzz zome kind of mind-control devize," Genesix speculated. Blitzy had forgotten that he was listening in from the house.

"Well, whatever it is, the first step is to get ZZ away from the Corp," Blitzy said. "Genesix, I want you to stay in constant contact with us. And tell Watson to get the clinic ready. If they really have used a mind-control device on ZZ, I have a feeling we'll be needing Watson's help once we get home."

"Affirmative," Genesix replied. "Good luck, Blitzy."

"Thanks," she replied, "but as Ninj would say, luck has very little to do with it."

"Well zaid," Ninjzz remarked. "Now let'zz do it!"

"Yeah!" Blitzy yelled. "Watch out, RM Corp City, 'cause here we come!"

"Yeah!" the BOYZZs chorused. They continued towards RM Corp City in a barely controlled state of excitement, matched by more than a little tension. Blitzy, in fact, was so nervous that she could hardly hold on to the joystick.

What if ZZ really doesn't know us? she thought. What if he doesn't want to come home?

Blitzy pushed the thoughts out of her mind when the skyline of RM Corp City appeared before her, faintly illuminated by the lights of the city.

"Here it is, BOYZZs," she said as she brought VAS down low. "We'll get in at Gate Five." Blitzy opened the cowling of VAS and nodded to Swang. "Go check out their security," she told the BOYZZ.

Swang obediently jumped out of VAS and bounced to the gate. A few moments later she returned, hopping back into the seat as Blitzy closed the cowling again.

Five Greenbots, Swang whistled. Nothing else.

"Ninj, how'd you like to ambush some Greenbots?" Blitzy asked.

"I'd love to," Ninjzz replied. Three seconds after stepping out of Splitvan, he was at the gate, slashing Greenbots with all three of his swords and firing a steady stream of ninja-stars.

"Mizzion accomplizhed," he said after a moment. "I've taken out the guardzz."

"Good work, Ninjzz," Blitzy said. "Now let's go." VAS, Twigg, and Splitvan rushed through the gate and toward the interior of the city, pausing only long enough to pick up Ninjzz. Five minutes later, they arrived at the Corp Condo Complex.

"Street BOYZZs, Ninj, take out the ground forces," Blitzy ordered. "I'll take care of the towers." Blitzy brought VAS up quickly and destroyed the security towers with two quick shots. By the time she landed again, Ninjzz, Jammerzz, and Toolzz had destroyed the Greenbots and Security-bots outside the building.

"Good going, BOYZZs," Blitzy told them. "Now for the hard part. Twigg, find a hiding place and stay there. We'll call if we need you. Everybody else, with me." Blitzy and Swang got out of VAS, which promptly took off again to hide in stealth mode above the city. The rest of the BOYZZs left Splitvan to join them.

"Swang, go check out the lobby," Blitzy ordered. Swang bounced away and returned with the news: There are three Security-bots in the lobby.

Blitzy led the BOYZZs around the side of the building. They burst through the revolving door, taking all three bots by surprise, and had deactivated the bots in an instant. The Street BOYZZs carefully propped the bots up again as if they were in perfect condition.

"We're in," Blitzy reported to Genesix. She turned to the Sports BOYZZs. "You BOYZZs stay here and keep a lookout."

"Zure thing," Bats replied. The Sports BOYZZs positioned themselves around the room while Blitzy, Ninjzz, Swang, and the Street BOYZZs piled into the elevator.

"How does ZZ usually disarm the security system?" Blitzy asked, peering at the security interface by the elevator door.

"I don't know, that's not my biz," Jammerzz said. "Get on the mike and ask the whiz."

"Good idea," Blitzy said. "Genesix, come in."

"What'zz up?" the Science BOYZZ answered.

"How do I disable the security system in the elevator?" she asked.

"Have Toolzz pinpoint-lazer the aczezz port," Genesix instructed.

Toolzz quickly complied. "Okay, Genezix, I did that," he said. "Now what?"

"That'zz it," Genesix replied. "You can go up now."

"That wasn't so bad," Blitzy commented, pressing the button for the twenty-eighth floor. The elevator slowly rose. When the doors opened, Blitzy and the BOYZZs jumped out, ready to face Frenzy's Personal Police Bots or whatever else might await them. There was no one there.

"Swang, scan for life forms," Blitzy ordered. The BOYZZ hopped through the apartment and back again.

There's nobody here, Swang whistled. The apartment is empty.

"Look around," Blitzy said. "Try to figure out where they went." She and the BOYZZs spread out, searching the apartment for clues.

"Lady Frenzy'zz jewelry box iz open," Toolzz yelled from the bedroom. "They muzt have gone zomewhere fancy."

"That only cuts it down to about ten zillion possibilities," Blitzy said sarcastically.

"Perhapzz not," Ninjzz said. He was standing in front of the televiewer, watching the evening news.

" . . . an exclusive party for high-level Corp employees," Lonnie Chang was saying. "The party is being held in honor of Ziv Zulander, who, according to RM Corp, was rescued yesterday after being held hostage by his sister."

"Where would the Corp throw a party?" Toolzz asked.

"In the Tower," Blitzy said triumphantly. "I'll have ZZ here in five minutes." She picked up the phone and began dialing.

Ziv sipped his champagne and nodded at various partygoers as they passed him. He didn't recognize anyone at the party except Frenzy, Hiss, and Paradim, and was almost relieved when a waiter-bot approached him.

"Telephone call for you, sir," the bot informed him. Ziv excused himself and followed the bot to a telephone station outside the ballroom.

"Hello?" he answered when he picked up the phone.

"Doctor Zulander, this is Security Control," someone greeted him. "Could you please come to your apartment right away?"

"Why?" Ziv asked. "What's wrong?"

"Uh, I'd rather not discuss that over the phone. Security, you know."

"Oh. Well, I'll be there as soon as possible," Ziv said.

"Thank you, sir," replied the caller. "Sorry to interrupt your party."

"That's all right. Goodbye." Ziv hung up the phone and went back to the ballroom.

"I'm going home for a while," he told Frenzy.

"Why?" she asked. "Do you feel ill?"

"Oh, no, I'm fine. Security Control wanted to meet with me. It's probably nothing."

"Don't be too long, Ziv," Frenzy said.

"I won't," Ziv promised as he left.

"He'll be here any minute," Blitzy said. "Take your positions. Blitzy to Sports BOYZZs."

"All-Ball here."

"You BOYZZs get down so you can't be seen. ZZ will be here soon."

"How do you know?" All-Ball asked.

"Easy," Blitzy said. "I called him."

Ziv got out of the limo and walked into the apartment lobby. The lobby was empty except for three Security-bots, who didn't even bother to ask him for ID.

Probably because Security Control told them to expect me, he thought. He got into the elevator and went upstairs to his and Frenzy's apartment. When the elevator doors opened, he was surprised to see that the apartment was empty.

Where are the security officers? he wondered. Suddenly the lights came on and a girl stepped out from the next room.

"ZZ! Are you okay?" the girl exclaimed, running towards him.

"Blitzy!" Ziv exclaimed. "I should have known you would try something!"

"I knew you would know!" she said happily. "Now let's get out of here!"

"I don't think that'zz what he meanzz, Blitzy," Ninjzz warned. He stepped out from his hiding place and grabbed Blitzy's hand, preventing her from rushing headlong into ZZ's arms.

"Your bot is absolutely right," Ziv said, reaching into his pocket. At the word "bot", Blitzy and the BOYZZs, who had all come out of hiding, stopped short.

"Bot?!" Blitzy asked, shocked to hear the word come out of her brother's mouth. "These aren't bots! They're BOYZZs!"

Ziv smiled. "What you call them won't matter when there are millions of them working for the Corp."

"ZZ, I think you oughta know we'll never work for that bozo show!" Jammerzz said.

As the other BOYZZs echoed in agreement, Blitzy noticed that ZZ had a small object in his hand. She also noticed that Ninjzz's grip on her wrist was getting tighter and tighter.

"Ninj, let go. You're hurting me," she complained. A moment passed in which Blitzy noticed that all the BOYZZs were slowly slumping to the floor.

"I can't," Ninjzz said in surprise. "I can't move my arm."

"Me neither," Toolzz said. "I feel really weak."

Jammerzz was lying on the floor now, and Toolzz and Ninjzz had dropped to their knees. Swang was lying on her back like an overturned turtle, kicking feebly at the air and making soft bleeping noises. Blitzy was forced to sit on the floor as Ninjzz sank lower and lower, his hand still clamped around her wrist like a vise.

"Sports BOYZZs, come in!" Blitzy said frantically into her mike.

"What'zz wrong?" All-Ball answered.

"We're in trouble up here. Big trouble," Blitzy said, looking at ZZ.

How could he do this? she thought. How could he hurt the BOYZZs?

"We're on our way," All-Ball said. A moment later the Sports BOYZZs came running out of the elevator, poised to fight.

"Where're thoze Greenbotzz?" Ace yelled. "Let me at 'em!"

"Forget Greenbots!" Blitzy yelled. "Just get that beeper!" The BOYZZs turned toward ZZ, who dodged them and ran behind the sofa. The BOYZZs chased him around the room, lunging for the beeper.

For a moment Blitzy actually maintained the hope that the Sports BOYZZs would succeed. She maintained it for exactly forty-five seconds, after which ZZ began to run faster.

No, he's not going faster, Blitzy realized. The Sports BOYZZs are slowing down. One by one, the Sports BOYZZs dropped to the floor; first Ace, then Bogey, and finally Bats and All-Ball.

"Zzzzzzorry, B-b-b-blitzy," Bogey said jerkily, his voice circuits failing. "I g-g-guezzzzzzz we b-b-blew it."

"Blitzy, come in. Thiz iz Twigg," Blitzy heard over the mike. "What'zz wrong?"

"I'm not sure," Blitzy replied. "ZZ's here, but he's got some kind of device that's killing the BOYZZs."

"It zoundzz like you could uze zome help," Twigg said.

"No!" Blitzy ordered. "Don't come in. You'll be helpless."

"I can't juzt leave you in there!" Twigg protested.

"Then think of a way I can get ZZ to turn this thing off!" Blitzy said.

Ignoring the pain in her arm, Blitzy looked up at ZZ. He was standing calmly in the center of the room, holding the "beeper." I have to get through to him, she thought desperately.

"Please, ZZ, turn that thing off," she begged. "It's hurting the BOYZZs."

"You left me no choice, Blitzy," he replied. "I'm not going to let you and your bots continue terrorizing people."

"I'm not a terrorist!" Blitzy screamed. "I'm just trying to stop the Corp, like you."

"I would never do anything against the Corp," ZZ said angrily. "I'm completely loyal to Paradim."

"That's not true! They just told you that to turn you against us, but it's not true! You know that! Can't you remember?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," ZZ said.

"We've got to make him remember!" Blitzy said. "Does anyone have any ideas?"

The recording, Swang squeaked.

"Huh?" Blitzy had no idea what Swang was talking about. "What recording?"

In the black box, the BOYZZ said. Her words were becoming more garbled by the second.

"Blitzy to Genesix!" Blitzy called. "What's a black box?"

"Zwang haz a black boxzz," Genesix replied, "if that'zz what you mean."

"Yeah! Swang told me there was a recording in the black box!"

"Well," Genesix said, "Zwang'zz black boxzz iz an indeztructible compartment for high-zecurity itemzz. There could be a recording inzide."

Yes, Swang said. ZZ's recording.

"How do I get to it?" Blitzy asked.

"You have to uze a zcrewdriver," Genesix said.

"No problem. Toolzz is right next to Swang," Blitzy replied. "Ninj, can you scoot over that way?"

"I'll try." Ninjzz managed to move about two feet closer to Toolzz and Swang. Blitzy stretched as far as she could and managed to shove the paralyzed Swang toward Toolzz's arm.

"Can you take out those screws?" she asked.

"No . . . zweat," Toolzz replied haltingly. After a few moments of painfully slow work, he reached Swang's blackbox and opened it. Inside lay a handheld audio recorder.

"There is a recording!" Blitzy exclaimed triumphantly. "Give it to me, quick." Blitzy took the recorder from Toolzz and turned it on as loudly as it would go.

"This message is recorded for the generations to come," said ZZ's voice, filling the room, "if I fail to stop the biggest threat the world has ever faced. My name is Ziv Zulander. I am the creator of the 3-A. I invented them to serve humanity, but they're about to be turned into war machines - against freedom."

ZZ seemed completely oblivious to the tape. Please work, Blitzy thought.

"Soon," the recording continued, "an upgrading chip known as a krang-chip will be placed in all the existing 3-As worldwide, in every home, transforming them into fierce warriors that will obey only the RM Corporation. I, with my friends, the Brain Operated Young Zygoatopic Zoid, or BOYZZ-bots," (Blitzy checked ZZ's face for recognition; found none,) "am determined to stop the Corp and its chairman's evil plan."

Blitzy looked at ZZ and felt a twinge of bizarre pride. She had never known about the recording, a secret shared only by ZZ and Swang. She had never dreamed her brother could be so passionate about his cause. ZZ himself still looked doubtful, as if he would accuse Blitzy of faking the tape at any moment. Still, he listened as his own message continued to fill Lady Frenzy's apartment.

" . . . wonderful chip, yeah, right! Uhh, where was I? Oh, yeah. I originally created the BOYZZs in my home workshop to be my playpals. They're funny, young, imaginative, and intelligent, into sports and games. But now, I have no choice but to turn them into rebel commandos to help me in my mission to stop Paradim. I've decided today to destroy the RM Corp factories that make the krang-chips."

As the recording played on, Blitzy thought she could see a shimmer of recognition beginning to appear on ZZ's face. The truth was breaking through. Still, the device continued to pour forth its deadly magnetic field.

" . . . I only hope I can do this before Paradim learns of my plan and sends his Security-bots to stop me . . . or worse," ZZ's voice continued. There was a pause in the recording, and then the voice returned, loudly and accompanied by the sounds of running and laser fire. " . . . and I'm gonna place this recorder in the indestructible blackbox of Swang! Hopefully, no one will ever need to know about all this . . ."

The tape ended there. Had it been enough?

Please, let it work, Blitzy thought desperately. Ninjzz was slowly but surely crushing her wrist in his spasmodic, short-circuited grip. Blitzy watched ZZ expectantly and prayed for a miracle.

"Blitzy?" ZZ said confusedly as realization dawned in a rush of conflicting realities. "What's going on?"

He sounds like a little kid, Blitzy thought. He has no idea what he's been doing. "Turn off that device," she instructed.

ZZ looked at the deadly contraption as if he had never seen it before. In a moment, he had located the switch and turned it off. Blitzy let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"What's going on?" ZZ repeated. "Where am I?"

Blitzy pulled herself free from Ninjzz's gradually opening hand and ran to ZZ, hugging him tightly.

"Oh, ZZ, what did they do to you?" she said, tears rolling down her face. "What did they do to you?"

Lady Frenzy left the people she was talking to and sought out LLP and Doctor Hiss. The party was going well, but she wished Ziv were there.

"Is Ziv back yet?" she asked her colleagues.

"Where did he go?" LLP asked.

"Security Control wanted to see him at home. He said it wouldn't take long."

"Why would Sssssecurity Control want to sssee Zuuuulander?" Hiss asked suspiciously.

"They didn't say," Frenzy replied.

"Check it out," LLP ordered.

Hiss pulled out his mike. "Hissss to Sssssecurity Control," he said.

"Yes, Doctor Hiss?" a security officer answered.

"Why did you call Zuuuulander to his apartment?" Hiss demanded.

"We didn't call Doctor Zulander for any reason, sir," the officer said in surprise. "Is there a problem?"

"Yesss," Hiss said. "Ssssend all available Greenbotsss and helibotssss to the Corp Condo Complex. I'll be there sssshortly."

"Yes, sir. Security Control out."

Hiss put away his communications mike. "Zuuuuulander's ssssissster mussst be trying to ressscue him," he told Frenzy and Paradim. "Ssshe'sss in for a sssurprise."

I love surprises, he thought.

"We'd better get out of here," Blitzy said. "We need to get you home."

ZZ didn't say anything. They really messed him up, Blitzy thought.

The BOYZZs, who had nearly recovered, were back on their feet, taking experimental steps. Toolzz had put Swang back together, placing the recorder that had saved them back into the hiding place ZZ had chosen long ago.

"I believe we are all ready," Ninjzz said. "Oh, I'm zorry about your arm, Blitzy."

"That's fine," Blitzy said, dismissing the injury with a wave. "It doesn't hurt anymore." The last statement was a lie. Blitzy's wrist was painfully swollen where Ninjzz had nearly crushed it.

That'll remind me never to shake hands with a BOYZZ, she thought.

"Toolzz, Jammerzz, go check out the lobby," Blitzy ordered. The Street BOYZZs took the elevator down and were back in less than a minute.

"No good to get out the easy way," Jammerzz reported. "There's Greenbots there gonna blow us away!"

"Then we'll just have to do it the hard way!" Blitzy said. "VAS, come to the window. Jammerzz, there's a small matter of glass I'd like you to take care of . . ."

"Just say the word and consider it done," the rapper replied, poised to bash through the window. "Jammerzz does this better than anyone!"

"I beg to differ," Ninjzz said, stepping in front of Jammerzz. There was a blur of swords and then Ninjzz stepped back from the window, nodding at Blitzy. She stepped forward and pushed on the window, which fell out in one piece, smashing on the ground below.

"Very nice, Ninj," she complimented. Soon VAS came into sight, hovering outside the window. "Right on time!" Blitzy said. She took ZZ's hand and hopped up into the aircraft, settling into the pilot's seat with a satisfied smile. "Everybody grab a hook!"

One by one, the BOYZZs climbed out the window and caught hold of the handles on the underside of VAS's wings. When they were all on board, Blitzy brought the aircraft up and around in a tight spiral, heading down toward Splitvan.

"Why do we alwayzz have to do it thiz way?" Toolzz complained nervously. The acrophobic BOYZZ was hanging on to the hook for dear life, using all four arms.

"Because it's the best way!" Blitzy said. "Right, ZZ?" she asked her brother, thinking of ZZ's love for such things as mini hang gliders and bungee-cut descents.

ZZ didn't reply. He was sitting motionlessly in the passenger seat, staring at nothing.

"I know something bad happened, ZZ," she said, "but it might help to talk about it."

No reply. So much for my knowledge of psychology, Blitzy thought. I'll have to watch more "Troy Carter, M.D."

"Uh, Blitzy, I think you better zave that ztuff for later," Bats said. "We've got helibotzz at ten o'clock!"

Blitzy looked up and saw them - a virtual fleet of Corp helibots approaching fast.

"Hold on, BOYZZs!" she yelled. "We're goin' down!"

Blitzy sent VAS into a kamikaze dive ("I hate heights!" Toolzz screamed) and pulled up at the last possible second, hovering near Splitvan.

"Everybody off!" she ordered. "Get out of the city! Twigg, help me with the helibots!"

As the BOYZZs raced to Splitvan, VAS and Twigg took to the air, blasting helibots right and left.

"Yahoo!" Blitzy yelled as VAS's lasers tore through a row of helibots. "That's for messin' with my brother!"

Meanwhile, the brother in question was fighting another battle - with himself.

You've got to fight back, spun through ZZ's head. Don't let her kidnap you again! No, silly, she's not trying to kidnap you; she's rescuing you; she can help you. You don't need any help from terrorists! She's not a terrorist, she's your little sister and she can help you; she has to help. NO! I am in charge; you will listen to me! No, I won't; you're not really me and I don't have to do anything you say! I AM IN CHARGE. Blitz, do something! I can't hold out much longer . . . I better do it fast, before we get out of the city.

Dr. Hiss's program fully in control, Ziv grabbed Blitzy's wrist - the one that the ninja-bot had nearly crushed - and twisted it as hard as he could.

There was an audible cracking sound; Blitzy screamed in pain. "ZZ! What are you doing? Let me go!"

Get control of the aircraft, Ziv thought. Like a robot, he let go of Blitzy's obviously broken wrist and went for her shoulders, pushing her up against the inside of the cockpit.

"ZZ?" Blitzy shrieked. "What's wrong with you? Stop that!"

"What'zz wrong?" Twigg asked over the mike, his usually flat voice concerned.

"Help!" Blitzy answered. "Somebody help me!"

Oblivious to her pain, ZZ continued bashing Blitzy against the wall. Stars exploded in front of her eyes, and she could only see one thing - ZZ's eyes, which looked like those of a maniac. Their green fury was so terrifying that Blitzy could hardly bear to look at them.

I wish his eyes were closed, Blitzy thought between blows. I wish I could close them.

Blitzy's next thought hit her like a lightning bolt; I can.

Ever so slowly, as if the air had turned into molasses, Blitzy reached over and up, up, searching for the pocket on her shoulder. She found it, opened it, closed her hand around the smooth disk-shaped object inside. In her last desperate moment, when the next blow would surely have knocked her unconscious, she jerked herself upward and threw Watson's sleeper device at ZZ as hard as she could. It struck him in the middle of his chest and he fell back against the opposite wall, eyes sliding shut.

Still reeling from the attack, Blitzy scooted back to her seat and took hold of the joystick with her left hand. Her right arm was cradled in her lap, virtually useless. If the circumstances had been normal, she would have been mentally thanking Kiddie for making her play video games left-handed (as a handicap to even the match between her and the naturally (artificially?) ambidextrous BOYZZ). However, circumstances were not at all normal, and Blitzy could only cry, her mind blank, while she piloted VAS almost automatically, manipulating the joystick and firing on helibots out of habit.

"Blitzy! Blitzy, anzwer me! Are you all right?" Twigg's voice penetrated Blitzy's numbness. It was obvious that he had been calling for quite a while.

"I'm . . . here, Twigg." Blitzy's reply was soft and shaky.

"What happened?" the BOYZZ demanded.

"I don't know," Blitzy said tearfully. She glanced at ZZ, who was fast asleep.

He looks like my brother, she thought. He used to be my brother, but he's not anymore. The ZZ I knew would never act like this. Why is he doing these things? Why?

"I don't know," she repeated.

The girl called Blitzy Zulander felt completely empty as the airplane called VAS flew past the smoking remains of things called helibots, over the walls of the metropolis called RM Corp City, and toward a field called the Meadow, beneath which lay a place called home.

"They escaped."

"Yessss, LLP," Doctor Hiss said, head bowed meekly. He was quite accustomed to being in LLP's hot seat, but it usually wasn't quite this hot.

"We had the chance to terminate them both. We had the chance to gain thinking-bot technology. What do we have now?" Paradim said angrily.

"There'ssss ssstill a sssstrong posssssibility that Zuuuulander will be sssseriousssly damaged when they try to undo my program. We may sssstill have come out ahead." Hiss looked up hopefully. Had he managed to change LLP's mind?

Hiss quickly ducked his head again when he saw Paradim's expression.

"I wanted them terminated," the Corp's chairman said. "You failed, Hiss. See that it doesn't happen again."

"Yessss, LLP," Hiss said nervously, and slunk out of the huge office like a dog that had been sprayed by a garden hose.

How does Zulander do it? he thought. How does he always manage to get away? How?

Lady Frenzy switched on her televiewer and leaned back on the sofa, exhausted.

"Our top story on the late news tonight is an update on the Zulander situation," Lonnie Chang said. "We have unconfirmed reports that Ziv Zulander escaped tonight in a firefight over RM Corp City. Witnesses report two aircrafts left the city at approximately ten-thirty after destroying several Corp helibots."

Frenzy turned the TV off. I guess it just wasn't meant to be, she thought. She glanced at the temporary safety plastic over her broken window, imagining the blackened shells of Greenbots and helibots beyond. It wasn't meant to be at all. What a shame.