Chapter 28: Chapter 28

"Bruno!" A smile appeared on Doctor Roberts face as the dog trotted towards him. Wagging it's tail and cuddling beneath his legs. He bent on his knees, letting his hand graze through the dog's furs while he vertically rested a briefcase.

"I think Mozart is the best classical composer." Lola's declarative tone grabbed his attention. There she was, seated on the couch opposite Marcus's piano. Vehemently arguing against each other.

"No, Ludwig Van Beethoven IS the best." Marcus asserted.

"Well I'm no music guru but I do know he had quite a number of operas during his time. He's also a prodigy at composing and you can't deny the fact his music brings this soothing feeling." Lola stated.

"I agree with you. Mozart's style of music defines simplicity and grace but Beethoven's has this uniqueness. His music tends to be emotionally deep and complex." Marcus clarified. She was about to protest when Theodore intervened.

"Both of them are founding structures in classical music. It's like arguing who is best between Ronaldo and Messi or saying which is better between Pizza sauce and Spaghetti sauce." Theodore interjected in their center while Ariel focused on her soap opera. "So please stop this pointless arguments." He pleaded before trailing into the kitchen.

"Well I think whoever wrote Romeo and Juliet is dumb!" Michael chirped as he emerged from the kitchen with burger and a drink in his hands. He joined them on the couch while the others rewarded him with hostility.

"First of, nobody is talking about Williams Shakespeare's book here!" Lola scorned with an obvious frown.

"Have you even read the book at all?" She queried in an infuriated tone.

Michael chuckled as he glanced across their faces.

"I read the book precisely in 2018 and trust me it was rubbish!" He declared before taking a bite. "The writings were barely understandable and I just had to skip to the ending."

"That's because it's old literature. But I don't blame you, you're too small minded to understand." Marcus retorted from his Piano seat.

"Pardon my intrusion, but I don't understand what's happening here." Doctor Roberts beamed an innocent smile at them while Bruno stood by his feet.

"Oh hi, Doctor Roberts." Lola pitched with a sweet smile complementing her face. "We were just discussing who is the better composer between Mozart and Beethoven."

He hummed before relaxing to the single couch opposite the TV.

"Who do you think is better?" Marcus interjected.

"Oh great, now we're going to have another round of argument." Theodore groaned as he sat by the dining, feasting on his cereals.

Doctor Roberts chuckled and then peered suspiciously at their impatient faces.

"What do I know?!" He blared. "I'm just a scientist, Music isn't my discipline."

"But you must have come across their works, one way or the other." Lola toned pleadingly.

"Yes!" Marcus affirmed and Doctor Roberts sighed.

"I think both of them are special in their own ways. There's both carry different uniqueness in their style." He explained, dearly hoping his words were enough to calm their heated tension.

"You're a killjoy, Doctor Roberts." Michael remarked before gulping a sizeable amount of his drink.

"Please, give this briefcase to your friend when he returns." Doctor Roberts muttered as he carefully placed the Pawn Briefcase on the center table. One Collins had blatantly rejected before teleporting away.

They retained silence, peering at the briefcase as if recalling The Capsule's incident.

"Service, turn down the volume please." He pronounced and then walked to Marcus piano.

"May I?" He gestured politely and Marcus resigned off the seat.

He grinned at their suspicious faces before playing Symphony No. 5

"Wow Doctor Roberts, didn't know you can play." Lola smiled. He nodded as he exchanged knowing glances with Marcus.

"So you came all the way from goodness knows where just to play a piano." Theodore referenced, his gaze still retained on his meal.

Doctor Roberts chuckled.

"I came to see how my team is faring and I also want to inform you all, that I'll be giving you guys the rest of the week off." He answered as he exchanged another glance with Marcus.

"Why?" Lola quizzically retorted.

"You haven't told them yet?" He referenced at Marcus. Whose face expressed anxieties and his eyes pleading him not to tell.

"Told us what?" Michael interjected.

"Marcus will be performing at Dé Deluxe Piano Concerto."

"Oh my God!" Michael blared as he arose. "Dé Deluxe Piano Concerto is one of the biggest Concerts in the world only famous Pianist get to play!"

"Seriously?!" Lola muttered in awe. "And Marcus you're playing? Congratulations!!" She screeched as she hurriedly threw him a hug.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"W-well I was planning to," Marcus stuttered but Theodore cut him off abruptly.

"The concert is only a week away, unless you weren't planning to invite us."

Marcus heaved a sigh as he glanced across their faces.

"I thought you guys might not be interested." His voice trailed a whispery path. Theodore dropped his spoon noisily before approaching him with a slight frown.

"I wouldn't miss your concert for anything!" Michael blared.

"Yeah, you're talented and honestly I'd love to see you play on the big stage." Lola added as she gently stroked his shoulder. Ariel joined too, simply nodding in assertion.

"We might be bad at everything but when it comes to supporting each other," Theodore's frown morphed into a tiny smile. "We've got each other's backs."

"You have the answer, Marcus." Doctor Roberts interjected as he observed the smile on Marcus's face. "We're all coming."

"Coming to what?" Collins toned sharply as he landed at the door side through a dark shady orange portal. His bandages were gone except for the plaster on his nose. Bruno trotted towards him but the Teleporter shrugged the dog off. Apparently still furious from the day's encounter.

"Oh speak of the devil," Theodore groaned.

"Marcus, better count him out. He ain't coming." Michael added.

Collins hissed as he furiously trailed past them.

"I know it's going to be one nonsensical stuff!" He growled but Doctor Roberts held him back with his words.

"Collins, let's go for a walk." He ordered in a polite mannerism but Collins hissed again.

"My leg aches."

"Collins." Doctor Roberts emphasized and he grumbly followed. They both stepped outside into the starry night. Chilly and serene. They walked the first few metres in silence until he decided to end the tension.

"What was your life like before the explosion?" He questioned as he glanced briefly at Collins.

"You have no right to know." Collins icily avowed. Doctor Roberts nodded.

"Lola is the leader of the team."

"Great." The Teleporter toned with heavy dose of sarcasm.

"There's a reason I assigned you the Pawn position." Doctor Roberts replied as he slipped his hands into his lab coat pocket.

Collins huffed, his eyes still gleaming the same fury it expressed in the Jet.

"There's always a reason for whatever you do, Doctor Roberts. But what you did today, clearly shows how much you belittle me and my powers. Just because I can't shoot Christmas lights or run wild like wolves or smash things like hulk or turn invisible doesn't mean I'm weak!"

"You're not weak!" Doctor Roberts outrightly declared.

"But you gave me Pawn!" Collins growled. His burdensome dissatisfaction hinting in his voice.

"Do you know what happens to them in Chess? They are sacrificial lambs, they die first!"

He laughed but Collins scorned.

"There's nothing funny about what I just said!"

He glanced at Collins with a tiny smile complementing his face.

"Do you play Chess at all?"

"Then how do I know they are sacrificial lambs?" Collins retorted.

Doctor Roberts heaved a sigh.

"Pawns are the most powerful piece if used correctly." He explained in the most soothing way possible but Collins scoffed regardless.

"Indeed."

"I gave Lola The Queen because of her compassion, commitment, determination and of course her exceptional powers."

Collins hissed.

"Ariel is the Kinght due to her highly combative skills and her remarkable powers. Theodore and Marcus are Castles due to their unmatched strengths. Michael is the bishop because he only acts in one direction."

Collins peered suspiciously at him.

"He trust my orders completely." He answered to the Teleporter querying countenance.

"And me?" Collins asked on a more relaxed note. Doctor Roberts smiled.

"Let me tell you one interesting fact about the Pawn." He chirped with a gesture. "It has two purposes. One, it can be the sacrificial lamb and two, it can be the most powerful piece in Chess. When it reaches the final destination in the enemy's territory, it has the ability to transform into any piece. Be it Queen, Castles, Knights. All these depends on how you play it." He paused as their gaze met.

"I'm only going to say this once, Collins."

"You're the most powerful member amongst the team and their future, lies in your hands."