*Click * *Click * *Click *

Trey/D-Frag's P.O.V.

Once V.E.R.A. activated the Codec's ghost mode, Austin stepped forward towards the front of the deck as we slowly pulled closer to the floating castle. The youngest of the Matrix family was braiding and unbraiding her pigtails over and over, styling them into unknown styles I don't know of, while her brother played around with some sort of high-tech electric-green-and-navy-blue stress-relieving toy between his fingers. Parker looked up from his forest green holo-screen and craned his neck towards our newest teammate. "So, what's the plan you have?"

Giga snapped her fingers on both hands in a downward motion, creating a light purple, holographic screen in front of her like Parker's. "As I explain, may I ask you to code a-"

"Delete *click* code *click* for the *click* barrier *click* holding *click* Bob *click* and Dot?" He finished, stepping forward to show Giga his work mid-complete. "Already *click*on it."

Giga let out a very soft chuckle that I almost missed, causing me to smirk myself. She must've known Parker Plaza was our brains, but I didn't think she knew him as an "already-1-step-ahead-of-the-team" kind of brainiac. "So, judging by you four and your lack of experience fighting the newly upgraded sentinels with your newly upgraded abilities - no offense - I deduced the best plan of action would be to draw a majority of the army away from the throne room to test your new powers, therefore providing an escape plan on the Codec. This distraction would have to be so extravagant that it would lure Megabyte and Hexadecimal out of the throne room where the parents are kept and possibly decrease their strength. Megabyte also isn't aware of me officially being part of the team, so that gives the advantage.

"I know what you are thinking; I'm suggesting that I need to be the one to retrieve the orb. Though it does seem logical there are a couple of flaws;  my lack of knowledge and mental map of the castle would waste time from saving Mr. and Mrs. Matrix, and we can't be bothered with virtual maps on screen or a member of our team telling me directions to the throne room; and I don't have the ability to go incognito, only pose as another figure, and I highly doubt that it won't raise high alarm if anyone from this castle saw a sentinel or a duplicate virus leader in the throne room freeing the parents. So, I suggest for Enigma to veer away from the distraction and save said parents."

Austin did a full 180-turn and marched up to Giga's face. "What did you just say?" He asked, slightly furious. Okay, very furious. "If you're so confident and can work out all the glitches, then why can't you just find a way to be the hero and not just volunteer one of our teammates to do the hard work?"

She didn't stand down. Her shoulders were pushed a bit back to make up for herself being "vertically challenged" as Parker would say. "Enigma can actually disappear and turn invisible, whereas my suit can only manipulate and copy another figure's appearance. I told you; suspicion would raise if a duplicate of dark code were in the throne room during battle since the protective dome surrounds the Matrixes. Also, Enigma is your team ninja; from what I've gathered, researched and heard, she seems more than capable to take up the job, especially since you four have been upgraded.

"I'm not doing this without your consent; right now, I'm asking you, as our leader, if you approve or oppose any part of the plan."

The boy in red armor clenched his gloved fists. Parker stopped coding for a moment to look in my direction. I nodded in response, knowing why Austin seemed like he could blow his helmet off.

The two of us were well aware of his soft spot for Tamra; she was the one who got put down by that Hexadecimal creep and doubted her role on the team. Luckily, Austin has been crazy making sure she's back to her smash-happy, sarcastic, Tamra Sez ways. They've gotten even more closer over the summer since there were no distractions, allowing Tamra to invite him to appear in a countless amount of her vlogs. Practically everyone can see how protective our leader was for our ninja, including the millions of Tamra Sez fans that watched the two in the challenge and vlog videos.

There is an advantage; I got closer to my nerdy little buddy, and I finally understood why Austin considers him "the little brother he never had" because Parker became that to me too. But I swear, if I have to watch anymore of their hopeless flirting and pining and goo-goo eyes gazed at each other, I'm immediately looking for a replacement for D-Frag just to get away. I enjoy being able to bash sentinels in the head in order to unleash my anger towards my dad, but that's what punching bags are for as well.

After a minute, I decided to step in. "Vector, I agree with Giga." He turned to me. "We all know Enigma is more than well enough to pop in and out of the castle with the parents. And we'll all be there in case something goes wrong."

"That's the thing! Something always goes wrong with our plans! Nothing goes as planned! If you were in my shoes, you wouldn't want to put Enigma at risk," he fired back, his hands waving around the place like crazy. "I'm the leader, meaning I know what's best for our team."

"And there's a reason why there is no I in the word 'team'," our intellect stated calmly, putting himself in between our newest teammate and our hotheaded leader. I allowed him to take over this debate since I literally just called him our team intellect in my head like a billion times. He is Austin's best friend so he should know how to switch his point of view. "There's a reason why your dad chose the four of us - five including Giga - to save cyberspace. We all agree on a plan that would be best for everyone in the world. And this isn't exactly our decision to make," he turned to Tamra, who was unusually silent throughout this fight, "it's Enigma's decision."

The ship was almost completely silent, from the quiet hum of the Codec's engines to the awkward clicking sounds from Little Enzo's stress reliever, those were the loudest noises on the ship. The six of us were just staring at Tamra, waiting for even the quietest answer from her. I watched her twiddle her thumbs around in circles and I could tell she was doing that in order to find the best way to reply, and the safest due to Austin's potential outburst. From the corner of my visor, I saw Parker slowly return to his work in order to avoid any other awkwardness that may come.

Click.

Click.

Click-

"I think it's best if I am the one who goes in the castle during the distraction," she said calmly, her head raising to meet Austin in the 'eyes', her hands dropping to her sides.

Click.

Our leader turned his entire body to face her. "Why?" He attempted to sound strong but cracked.

Click.

She shrugged. "Giga is right; I am right for the job. And it's the only way to save these kids' parents from who knows what."

Click.

"It's the most dangerous mission any of us will have to go on, with you being in the most dangerous position of all. I'm just worried about you-"

Click.

She cut him off, activating her ski-thingies to gain more height. "You don't have to because I can handle myself. I've trained as much as I can - possibly more than necessary- this past year, and now that I have these new powers, I'm more than capable of doing this." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Please, just trust me."

Click.

A moment of silence passed before we heard Austin sigh in defeat. "Googz, are you done with the anti malware for the barrier?"

"Just..." click click click "... about done..." clicketty-click click-clicketty "... now!" He exclaimed, dramatically pressing the transfer button and lifting his hand in the air afterwards. I heard Giga stiffled a laugh. He unplugged an electric green USB drive from his screen, using his other hand to self-delete said screen, and held out the USB drive for Tamra. "All you need to do is press the big red button on the side of it and plug the wired-needle doodad into any place on the barrier. Just make sure they are not actually touching the place you plugged it in though."

She took her hand off of our leader's shoulders, carefully plucking the USB drive out of his hand and pocketing it in her side zipper. "Finally, no more of that annoying click click click noise," I exhaled, fake relaxing. "I will definitely take out my anger from hearing that noise a bajillion times in the past half hour on the sentinels, and hopefully Mega-jerk."

"Bajillion is not a real number," both Parker and the Bionic Blade answered in an automated-like voice.

Austin fake gagged. "Ew, nerd love," he teased. "This is worse than when you were geeking out with Jane, Parker."

Our shortest teammate looked down in embarrassment, rubbing one ankle against the back of the other. "Let's just get on with the mission, please?" He glanced up at Giga, his shoulders raising a bit.

She chuckled. "Yeah, the sooner we put this plan in action," she whispered the next line in his ear, not loud enough for the other four to hear though, "the sooner these love birds can stop flirting and being protective over one another and go their separate ways."

I stifled a laugh from escaping my throat. Said lovebirds exchanged their goodbyes and good lucks before Tamra stepped onto the launch bay. She sent a peace sign our way before going invisible.

"I guess there needs to be a new temporary Enigma," Giga said, drawing our attention back to her. "Cloak!" A neon purple discus formed above her head horizontally. As it passed down each body part and piece of cyber-armor, it changed into Tamra's suit; yellow and black armor; neon yellow skis that gave her more height; all the signs that said "Giga" transformed into signs that said "Enigma".

"Don't mistaken me for your girlfriend though, Leader Vector," she commented.

"S-s-she's not my girlfriend!" He stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

Click click click.

I turned to Parker who was clicking away at his screen. "Really? I thought you were done!"

"I'm looking for the best place to strike the castle, duh!" He replied without looking up. "Also, I muted the button sound effects; all I did was play a recording of the clicking noise."

"Parker Plaza!"