Hi, I'm back again. This story has hit 5. 8k reads, so I guess I'm way overdue for another update. 😅 I've just been caught up in a lot of extracurriculars and schoolwork lately. Just a quick note, thank you guys for reading this and sticking with me, it means a lot :). I will be doing two chapters, one centered on the drama of each launchpad. Enjoy!

Launchpad 43/4

Moscow, Russia

March 2nd

0530 hours

Erica POV:

As Mom, Ben and I dropped down from the helicopter, we heard screams from the control center near Grandpa's launchpad. I frowned.

"It looks like BACON is trying to forcefully take control of the launch control center so they can launch from there without it being messy.. We'll leave it to Grandpa's team to get rid of the enemy agents, but if they don't, we need to go disable the rocket so it won't be able to launch." I surveyed the rocket. The plasma cannon seemed to be attached a space craft which was attached to the rocket. I assume the ship is going to be how they remotely control the cannon. 

"We need to climb the scaffolding and disrupt the seals on the hydrogen tank. If we can cause a leak and get away to a safe distance, then everything should explode and we'll all be safe. It seems like BACON prepped the rocket before they left so we can't unplug the hydrogen line.

I yanked a can of aerosol freeze spray and a hammer out of my utility belt and handed them to Mom. "Spray the seal with this, it should freeze over instantly and then you should be able to break it with the hammer. Then, if they should try to launch the rocket, the gas should leak out and cause the whole thing to explode. We just have to get away in time before we get blown up as well. Let's hurry!" I urged.

Mom simply nodded and tucked the tools into her own belt. We scrambled up the scaffolding of the rocket, racing against a clock that could very well run out of time in the next minute. As we reached the level of the hydrogen seals, om gripped the sides of the rocket and crawled to the other side, like a big spider clinging to its web. Keeping one arm locked around the booster rocket, she freed the spray from her belt and coated the seal with a fine layer of ice. I tore my eyes off my mom's progress and handed the hammer to Ben.

"As soon as I finish spraying, I want you to hit the seal in a circle, around the edges, as hard as you can. It should be able to knock the seal loose. Got it?"

He simply nodded and held the hammer loosely, ready to hit. I shook the can, and released a puff of frigid spray onto the metal seal. True to his word, Ben immediately started to hit the seal, and it cracked, releasing hydrogen gas with a whooshing noise. Mom had finished up her side as well and was currently climbing back to us. Making sure that she would be fine, I scrambled down the scaffolding, followed by Ben, then Mom a few minutes later.

"Now, we need to get out of here before the rocket quite possibly blows up. We should probably go check in on the control center to make sure that Grandpa is doing okay there." I declared.

Mom opened her mouth to answer, but was distracted by something else. I whirled around to see what she was staring at, and immediately dropped to the ground, yanking Ben with me. It was a huge military Humvee packed with enemy agents, charging straight at us. I groaned in frustration.

"This will be very annoying," I sighed.

Ben looked on the verge of freaking out, and I couldn't really blame him. We were sitting ducks. Then, another Humvee came screeching down the road and crashed straight into the one currently charging at us. A loud whoop came from inside, as Orion used his vehicle as a battering ram. I looked at Mom, somewhat amused and relieved.

"Where did he come from?" I asked curiously.

"Oh, we used him to pick up Elizabeth from the airport. We thought she might be able to help." Mom said somewhat nonchalantly. My eyebrows shot up. 

Ben broke in incredulously, "Elizabeth? Like the new girl that I didn't really get to meet? How could she --"

"Benjamin, everyone can be helpful, even if it is small. Now, I believe we should go help out our friend Orion. Even though he may be good at driving, he is quite terrible at self-defense," my mother interrupted, effectively ending the conversation. We scrambled up and ran toward the two Humvees, which were driving around in circles, with random gunshots pinging around. I pulled out my tranquilizer gun and aimed it at the guy shooting on the roof. He slumped to the side, unconscious, and Mom and I quickly nailed the rest of the guys.

Orion, seeing that we had finally taken care of everyone, steered the Humvee towards us, and we jumped in. Of course, as soon as we did, he started talking.

"Oh! It's you guys! It's so nice to see you again. Did you know how lonely I was after you left my chateau? Oh goodness, I was practically begging for something to-"

I cut him off impatiently. "Could you take us to the other launchpad? We need to get to the others and see if they are alright, and probably disable the other rocket as well."

Looking somewhat miffed at being interrupted, Orion still agreed enthusiastically enough to bring us to the launchpad. I sighed and wondered how chaotic the day would become.

Well! I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter. I don't know when I'll update again, but I'll try to do it sooner once I figure out my work schedule. As always, please vote, comment, and share! Have a great day guys!