As the three humans, only one of which remained incognito, raced down an adjacent alleyway, Rix's voice could be heard echoing after them.
"Yeah, you better run bitch!" the lizard creature snarled. "Just wait 'till I tell Slim about your friends!"
Turning to face his would be rescuers, the young copy of Sam was furious.
"I don't care what work you've had done," said the eighteen year old to James. "You can't just try and take my deal!"
James looked at his father, dumbfounded. "I have no idea what he's talking about."
The naked boy sighed. "This way!" he said turning down another alley.
"Sam!" called out Franklin. "Wait, boy! Stop!"
"Why do you keep calling me that?" said the teen, turning backward to address the ridicuously garbed alien behind him. "Umons aren't allowed names."
Grabbing the blonde by his bare shoulders, Franklin shook him forcefully.
"Son, your name is Samuel Blade!"
Shurking the stranger's hands off him, the defiant boy yelled back at the man with nearly the exact same attitude.
"No, it isn't!"
The two just stared at each other angrily, until James interceded.
"Dad, I think he's telling the truth!"
Nodding toward the younger Blade, the naked teen softened his tone.
"This your owner?"
"Um... not exactly," replied James, not very sure what he should say to his unbrother.
"Well he's the blasted image of The Idiots themselves, if you ask me!"
"What did you call me, boy!"
"Dad! This is not the time!"
The once common familial interaction was interupted by a horde of aliens storming down the alley the three humans had just left. The Blades ducked toward the wall to remain out of sight.
"Great! Officials! Just what I needed!" ranted the bare blonde.
Removing one of his trenchcoat rags, Franklin tried to drape it over the boy's shoulders.
"I'm going to have to charge you for that."
The two once more stared at each other in silence. Father, and long lost son. Sort of.
Lt. James Blade then touched his head, wobbled on his feet, and collapsed to the ground next to them.
"James!" exclaimed his father, rushing to his side immediately. "What's wrong boy?"
"What is it with your owner and names!?"
"Not now, Sam!"
The blonde rolled his eyes.
James, for his part, had become quite delirious in only a matter of seconds, unable to focus his eyes on his dad above.
"Not feeling.. so hot.. Sir," said the young soldier, struggling to get out the words.
"James, son, you have to get up," urged Franklin, trying to help his other boy stand.
But when the effort proved futile, and the young man was once more on his back, the ret. admiral turned toward the naked youth standing nearby.
"What's wrong with him!?" shouted Franklin in frustration.
The eighteen year old could only shrug, clueless himself.
"You have to help him, boy. He's your brother!"
"I have a million brothers dude. He's just competition."
Franklin got to his feet.
"Samuel Blade, you are going to help your brother... right now!!!" yelled Franklin to the blonde youth.
Briefly glancing at the brown haired soldier, out of it on the ground next to them, the naked teen finally relented.
"Fine! Whatever," said the boy. "But you're going to have to do something for me in return!"
"Anything," said the ret. admiral, worried beyond his long years that he might just lose his youngest son, so soon after finding his first.
"Okay, I know a place we can go," continued the lad, a plan formulating in his handsome blonde head.
Franklin nodded back to the boy in return.
"Help me get him to his feet," ordered the ret. admiral gently to the teen, this time the blonde boy complying to the older man, as requested.
Soon all three men were trudging through the alleyways of Outer Ring City once more, Lt. James Blade supported between the other two.
Through several winding passages, below a few massive skyyways, and down several long decaying staircases, the humans journeyed together through the alien city, trying their best to remain out of sight.
Finally The Blades found themselves standing in front of the pulse pounding, ear deafening, rhythm echoing doors of The Exo Club.
The naked blonde teen gestured for them to head inside.
Franklin hesitated.
"Do you want to help him or not?"
The ret. admiral nodded, and all three ducked into the slamming club.
MUSIC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98WtmW-lfeE&themeRefresh=1
Franklin Blade was forced to blink several times to bring his brain back under his control.
All around him, on all of the many floors, dancing to the heart hammering beat of the club's music, were more copies of his long lost son than the man could count!
Noticing that the still head to toe covered alien had halted in his tracks, the boy urged him forward yet again.
"This way Daddy."
Making their way through several themed dance floors, each just as crowded and jamming as the last, the three humans eventually found whom the blonde teen was looking for.
A violet hued slime blob slithering from one slave worker to the next.
"Slim," said the boy. "I'd like you to meet my friends."