Hell's Gate

Chapter one: What my eyes have seen.

This place is barren, so much promise, and so little hope. The land is but a desert and its people are scattered. The freedom fighters in hiding awaiting their champions, however they do not believe that they will come. The call has been put out, but to no answer. They hope beyond hope, that in this desolate place someone will come to save them from their doom, and it's not so much them that they wish saved. It's their home, their land, and their freedom.

Mars' limited military resources were growing more limited and the sand raiders multiplied and knew how to attack. They came slow at first, and then they came in droves, wanting to take over, wanting everything that the population held dear.

She was waiting; she would never give up hope that the call would reach them. She looked to the speck in the sky, the small bright star in the southern sky. Earth, they had put the call out to Earth. She could only keep hoping that the call would be answered.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

He was sleeping, and sleeping soundly for the first time in what seemed like ages. He was like a rock; there would be nothing that could stir him, nothing that could disturb him, except Vinnie.

"Bro?" The door was pushed open. His eyes opened and he yawned. His dismay turned to anger. Throttle did what he could and pulled his pillow out from under his ears and placed it on his head.

"No, whatever it is …NO" Throttle was angry now.

"Hurry." The worry in Vincent's voice is what caught him by surprise. He lifted himself from under the pillow, and looked up at his younger counter part.

"What is it?"

"It's Carbine." Vinnie looked worried. "We've got to go home."

"What?" Throttle sat up.

"Just come on." Vinnie turned and left. Vinnie was being serious, and in his world, serious was Vinnie's code for 'bad'. Just how bad would have to be determined.

Throttle looked up to the starry sky and sighed deeply. It was more than he could take in at the moment. The call had been full of static, it was hard to hear but he did know she had said. "Come back home." That is what he would do, he would come back home. They had had this discussion before; a long time ago when they had left for earth the first time.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

The sun had been rather brutal to the mice. The war had just begun. Throttle and Modo were getting ready to leave. Vincent would be with them shortly. Carbine stood tapping her foot impatiently. "I just don't understand why you have to go."

"Stoker ordered it." Throttle said putting a few items in the saddlebag of his bike. "I'm not going to sit here and discuss this right now."

Carbine grabbed his arm "Yes ..you are." Modo took this as his perfect moment to leave. Pulling the door open he sighed walking out into the hall to meet Vinnie. He pulled the door closed behind himself so the two could be alone.

"Carbine one of these days you are just going to have to understand the fact that I'm a soldier."

"I do understand that Throttle I'm one too." She put her hands on her hips. "I just think that they should get someone else to go."

"It's a routine mission, it won't be that long; and I'll be back before you know it." His eyes softened and he approached her quietly. "I'll come back, I'll always come back." He reached for her and placed his hand behind her neck.

"What if something goes wrong…this is a war…something doesn't feel right…"

"I am well aware that this is a war. I just want you to know I will always come back for you…all you need do is call." Throttle would never know how much impact his words would be to her. He would never know the time and effort she put into each and every moment that they had together. Even though Carbine could be a handful, she still loved him; and Throttle knew it.

Throttle kissed her gently, pulling her close. Their kiss was broken and they looked down to the dirt; both unable to say goodbye. "Just come home…you belong on Mars."

"I'll be back…you have my word." Throttle released her hands and turned making his way back over to the door to meet Vinnie and Modo who had returned to join him.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888

Now she had called, it had been over a year. Their words had been few and far between. He wondered what she would think. He wondered what she would say. He sighed as the transport landed. Charlie stood by, he gave her a sideways look. He didn't know what to feel anymore. He was torn. He did nothing but turned and started for the transport. His Bike was being loaded as he approached the ramp. He looked back to see Vinnie and Charlie hugging and continued back into the ship.

"Commander Throttle." A voice caught his ear. "Welcome aboard."

"Thank you." He said and moved forward to the voice. A female walked out onto the platform. "Amelia?" He blinked. "What are you doing here? You were captured by the fish mongers ages ago…" He took a step forward reaching up to her hair moving it aside looking into her eyes. "Your eyes…"

"I was recently released by the Plutarkians …yes they worked on me as well…" She said. "The General asked I return you to Mars." She was all work this one.

"What is going on?" Throttle set down his bags on his bike that was locked into place in the cargo hold next to bikes of Vinnie and Modo. "Why is it so important?"

"Vincent did not tell you why Carbine wanted you to return?" She blinked her eyes rotating quietly in the sockets.

"No, but someone had better….the transmission was choppy at best" Throttle started to get aggravated. "Deadeye, please tell me what the hell is going on."

"I have not heard my call name in so long." She looked down. "Carbine was hurt, by an explosion." She said quietly.

"Where?" Throttle walked up to Deadeye, and stared her down.

"The Catatonians caught us in Hells Gate." She said.

"What were you doing all the way out there? That's way past the red ridge pass." Throttle pulled her aside. "There is no reason for any mouse to be that far out in the dead zone."

"That's where Carbine bargained for me from the Plutarkians." She said rather sadly.

"Bargained?"

"Yes." Deadeye turned and saw Vinnie and Mod walking up the ramp. "She gave them quite a bit of the supply to save my life, and I owe her more now than I could ever repay." She made a motion. "Get to the cockpit the lot of you...I want to get home…at a decent hour."

"Why are you so important?" Throttle grabbed Deadeye's arm. She turned. Modo and Vinnie stopped turning to the pair.

"Throttle Clam down now." Modo asked softly.

"I need to know Modo." He said eyes fixed. "Why did she need you?"

"It's nothing." Deadeye said pulling at her arm a bit.

"Yes it is…She's hurt and you have something to do with why." Throttle wanted to scream at her. "We don't just give up limited supplies for prisoners of war…there are too many of them…that means you're different, that means you either know something or you have something."

"Commander, she bought me back from them because I am the answer to your little problem." Deadeye grabbed Throttle's glasses off. His eyes closed tightly.

"Give them back." He stated flatly, calmly. "Captain…my glasses NOW." That was an order, it had been a long time since Throttle had been pushed to the brink of giving orders.

"Let go of my arm and I will Commander." She said just as evenly. If he was going to toss titles around, so would she. Throttle released her and she handed him his glasses back. "She got me back because my eyes are the same as yours. Only mine are not prototypes. She wanted to give you your eyes back. Seeing as yours will fail to function eventually." Deadeye turned to the cockpit and motioned the mouse below. "Let's get out of here; I've had enough blue, take me to see some red."

"Aye Captian." The mouse said.

Throttle returned his glasses to his eyes and sat down on his bike.

"You ok bro?" Modo sat down.

"I don't know." He looked up. "Everything is such a blur right now I'm not sure what to say."

"Root beer?" Vinnie sat down to Throttle's left and held the small can to him. Modo and Throttle got cross looks on their faces.

"Vinnie." Throttle and Modo said together exasperated.

"What?" He looked down to his boots. "Makes me feel better when I'm upset."

"I'm not upset Vincent." Throttle put a hand on his back. "I'm just confused a bit…and Deadeye…She's a whole different can of worms."

"She looks different." Modo said regarding the slender Captain.

"No kidding, that many years with the Plutarkians." Throttle shook his head. "She even sounds different to me." He sighed. "I'm just surprised she is still alive."

"Yeah but we're all ok." Vinnie said putting up a hand.

"Yeah but we weren't held very long by the fish heads." Throttle shook his head. "There's something wrong with this picture."

Modo shot Vinnie a look behind Throttle's back. Vinnie could only shrug. Deadeye turned into the cargo hold. "Come on to the bridge gentlemen, your bikes will be fine." The three stood and made their way to the main bridge of the small vessel helmets in tow.