The Secret Trio

Chapter 15

The three teenage boys with superpowers were faring, in a word, poorly. They helplessly panicked, hope ticking away like the second hand of a clock. Jake wriggled hopelessly in the Sphinx net, and Randy tried his best to squeeze through the bars of his low, tight cage. Danny was the most immobile of them all at the moment, powers disabled by the box and his arms and legs trapped.

Finally, the ghost boy let out a helpless moan and allowed his head to fall back. He closed his eyes and groaned. "It's no use. We're stuck here." he announced despairingly. Randy scowled at said companion and paused his efforts to find a gap large enough to go through.

"Don't say that yet. There's got to be a way." Randy retorted, crossing his arms. "I mean, you're a box with a head, so you're no help right now." he said with a derisive snort; Danny pulled his head back down and glared at him, which was promptly ignored. Randy turned his head to Jake, narrowing his eyes. "Why exactly is a net stopping you? Just breathe some fire on it and let's go!"

Jake rolled his eyes and sighed. "This ain't just any old net, Randy." The boy grimaced and clenched his fists. "This is a net made out of pure sphinx hair."

"What does the sphinx hair do?" Danny inquired, cocking his head to the side, brows knitted with a frown. Jake pulled his legs against himself, curling into a ball of sorts.

"Sphinx hair is known to weaken dragons. It disables us completely." he explained. Both Randy and Danny grimaced.

"So you're down, and Danny is still just a box with a head." Randy said bitterly.

"Maybe our friends are coming to get us." Danny interjected hopefully. "Sam and Tuck have gotten me out of jams before."

"Yeah, let's hope," Jake agreed, "Trixie and Spud and maybe even G will come. If they can find this place and find a way in without being caught."

"And Howard's probably right on his way!" Randy exclaimed. He formed a lackluster smile. "We just have to hope for the best. Hmm..." He placed a hand on his chin and then looked back towards the other boys. "I think I might have an idea." He balanced himself on his knees, moving from the leg-cross he had been in. His hand dove down into his pants, and slowly, methodically, the hand moved back and forth. Danny and Jake shared an annoyed look, and looked back to Randy.

"Dude...I understand you're trying to distract yourself, but now is really not a good time to do that." Danny snapped sardonically. Randy grunted.

"I'm looking for...ah!" He pulled the Ninja mask from his pajama pants. "I always have it with me. Even now!" Randy held it up proudly, pressing it against the bars of the cage in the others' direction. The other two simultaneously screwed up their faces.

"That was in your pants?"Danny asked warily.

"And you're gonna put in over your head?" Jake furthered, one of his eyes twitching. Randy beamed.

"Yep! It's Ninja-o'-Clock!" He pulled the mask over his head, and with a quick flurry of black and red ribbons and flashes, he was covered by the suit. Randy yanked the sword out of the scarf, pulled it back, and struck the bars of the cage as hard as he could. The sword vibrated and the bars cracked minimally, and that was it. He stared for a moment before finally letting out an extended, pained cry. "Are you kidding me? Really?"

"Well, it cracked...a little." Jake said reassuringly.

"You tried." Danny consoled lamely. Randy nervously whimpered.

"We need to bust out of here fast. It cracked a little, so I'm gonna keep hacking at it until something happens." He pulled back the sword behind his head and struck the bars again. The crack did not deepen this time. Danny looked out towards the drooling, disgusting imps in the room before them again.