A Mouse For Mirabel

The Biker Mice and Rimfire were on the street playing bottles and brodies. In the game, you ride close enough up to a bottle without knocking it down. Throttle and Modo had just had their turns. Now it was Vinnie's. The intrepid white mouse rode his bike past his two comrades coming closer to the bottle than them.

"Am I bad or what? I'm badder than Beetlejuice!"He crowed.

"Better smoke him or we'll never hear the end of this." Throttle said to the other mice.

"Gotcha." Rimfire grinned.

Rimfire rode next to Vinnie and a few inches past him an inch near the bottle.

"'Sorry, Vinnie, looks like I win." He said. Vinnie was shocked.

"Not bad, kiddo. 'Course you were just lucky."

Suddenly, there was a scream. The guys followed the direction of the screams. It came from their friend Manuel 's grocery store. Two of Lawrence Limburger's goons walked in. They were hassling him.

"Sign over the store or you got trouble." One of them said, holding a piece of paper and pen in his face while the other one knocked over a shelf of salsa dip. The sound of broken glass could be heard throughout the store. The red concoction splattered on the floor and walls. Manuel flinched but stood up to them.

"It's not for sale." He replied, firmly.

"Don't mess with us, fool!" One of them said, grabbing Manuel by the collar of his shirt.

"You leave my brother alone!" Said a voice. A young Hispanic girl came out and ran to hit one of the goons with a bat.

"Mirabel, get back!" Manuel yelled.

The goon grabbed her wrist making her drop the bat. He then picked her up and held her up against the wall. Mirabel struggled to get free.

"She's cute. This just got interesting." He sneered at the frightened girl.

The Biker Mice crashed through a window. Throttle shot a gun out of the hand of the goon who held Manuel by his collar. The goon released Manuel and ran.

The goon who had Mirabel now pointed a gun to her head.

"Don't come any closer or the girl is history." He grunted.

Throttle, Vinnie, and Modo aimed blasters at the goon.

"There's no where to run to. Now let the lady go!" Throttle said.

Rimfire stealthily crept up behind the goon. The guy didn't hear him. He was nervous and cornered. He was also sweating profusely. He took the back of the hand that held to gun to wipe sweat off his face for a minute. That's all it took. Rimfire took a flying leap karate-kicking him in the back. The goon released Mirabel who got down behind a counter followed by Manuel. The goons got scared and ran out of the store.

"This ain't over!" One of the goons said, before running out.

"Thank you, my friends." Manuel said to the mice.

"You folks okay?" Throttle asked.

"Yes, thanks to you." He replied.

Rimfire was helping Mirabel up when he saw her for the first time. A red blush formed in his cheeks. The girl was quite pretty. They shyly smiled.

"I'm glad that goon didn't hurt you, miss." He said.

"It's Mirabel." She replied, with a Mexican accent, kissing his cheek, which made him blush more, "And gracias."

"Whoooooo! Hoooo!" The mice hollered at Rimfire.

"Cut it out, guys." He said, flustered, then to Mirabel,"Pleased to meet ya. I'm Rimfire."

"Oh! Look at the mess they made." Maribel said, turning to the spilled salsa on the floor and making a face. She went to reach for a mop. Rimfire's hand reached out at the same time. Their hands touched as they smiled again and looked away from each other. Rimfire then took the mop.

"I'll help ya clean up." He said.

"Careful of broken glass, children." Manuel told them.

"Man, he's worse than my Uncle Modo telling me to brush my back teeth 'cause that's where most of the food is stuck." He murmured, rolling his eyes. Mirabel giggled.

"That is where most of it's stuck." Modo chuckled.

"Manuel, what's going on? Why'd Cheese Breath sent his thugs here?" Throttle asked.

"Limburger's been after me for months to sell him my store. This is the second time he's sent hired gang members to extort me. Now people are afraid to come here to shop. The gang hangs around outside the store. It scares them. I don't know what I'm going to do if I can't stay open." He sighed, slumping down into a chair.

"Hey, don't sweat it, bro. We'll make sure you stay open." Vinnie said.

"We gotta find out why Stink Face wants this store so bad." Throttle said, putting his thumb and forefinger under his chin thoughtfully, "We need someone to sneak into his place and find out."

"I'm your mouse. Send me." Rimfire said.

"No, nephew. It's too dangerous." Modo protested.

"I'll be okay, Uncle Modo. After all, I am a sergeant of the military on Mars. First class. I've gone on some covert missions."

"You're so brave!" Mirabel exclaimed, clasping her hands together and gazing at the teenage mouse with admiration.

"Nothing to it, Miss Mirabel." He replied, shyly blushing in her direction as his blaster accidentally dropped out of his hand and shot a hole in the wall. Everyone stared at him.

"Um. Ha ha. Musta slipped." He replied, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"Open up, Manuel!" Said a voice.

Everyone looked outside to see about fifteen members of Limburger's goon squad in dune buggies surrounding the store. The two goons they beat up were among them.

"Told ya this ain't over." The goon that had Mirabel gloated,"Send out the Biker Mice or we'll level this place!"

"What'll we do?" Manuel asked, worried.

"A distraction. We'll lead the creeps from the store while Rimfire sneaks into Fish Face's lair." Throttle told the others.

"Let's do it!" Rimfire said.

The four mice high-fived each other with their tails.

The Biker Mice then flew out the window on their bikes and blocked the entrance. They were now facing the goon squad.

"You want this store? You're gonna have to come through us." Throttle said, firmly.

"So save yourselves the embarrassment and go back to your boss." Modo joined in.

"Or make me real happy and start a fight."Vinnie finished.

"Let's get em!" The goon yelled. They came charging at the Biker Mice. Throttle activated his Nuke Knuckles and slugged two goons in two of the buggies. They went flying into a brick wall then an open dumpster that Throttle wheeled out. Meanwhile, Vinnie was flying down the street pursued by two dune buggies. In front of him were two more chasing Modo. They were headed for him.

"Eat my sludge, slime balls!" he said, as he pressed a button on his bike. A trail of black oil oozed out. The goon's slipped on the oil. Modo had hit one of the goons' tires with his bionic arm. The two mice made their bikes fly through the air. Both sets of buggies slammed into other other. The goons then staggered out.

"Whooo! Hoooo!" Both mice whooped and hollered as they high-fived each other.

Meanwhile, Rimfire rode his bike to Limburger Tower. He parked it a few feet away. He saw security cameras on the property so he used a water fountain on the property as a cover. He made his way to the back. He was carrying a duffle bag. He opened the bag and put on rock climbing equipment. He was preparing to scale the tower when he heard a sound of foot steps. He took out his blaster intending to shoot first and ask questions later. The sound was getting louder and closer. He hid behind the fountain. He perspired like crazy. He then aimed.

"It's alright. It's me, Rimfire."said a voice.

"Mirabel? What are you doing here?" Rimfire asked.

"I came to help. I don't want my brother to lose his store."She replied.

"Alright, but stay close." He said.

The young mouse whipped his tail around the girl's waist.

"Hold onto me and you won't fall." He held in his hand a gun which contained a grappling hook attached to a rope. He fired it and it attached to the top of the tower. They flew up to the roof.

They landed on the roof and opened a door that led inside.

"We gotta find Limburger's main office." Rimfire said. Mirabel saw a locked door that had a keypad lock on it.

"I don't know the combination. Wish Uncle Modo was here. He'd blast it open."

"There's more than one way to get in." Mirabel replied, opening her purse and taking out a small round pink compact of face powder. She opened it and held up a tan powder puff full of brown powder. She blew the powder on the keypad. Fingerprints were visible. Mirabel pressed the buttons on the keypad and opened the door.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Rimfire asked, impressed.

"Television. I saw it once in an episode of CSI."

"I watch that show, too. Cool!"

They were inside a secret room that contained a desk. There were several papers on it. One was a map of Chicago. The other was a map of the neighborhood where Manuel's store and the Last Chance were.

"Manuel's store. Someone circled it." Mirabel said, noticing the location on the map. Rimfire took out a small camera and snapped a picture

"Hey, take a look at this. It looks like blueprints for a factory. Clampoo?" Maribel read on the strange papers under the map.

"That's that shampoo Limburger tried to sell to people. A map of the neighborhood? Plans for a new factory? That must be why he wants Manuel's store." Rimfire said, as the realization hit him, "He wants the land!"

"So he can tear down the store and build a factory." Mirabel finished.

"Very clever, my dear children." said a voice.

The two friends looked up to see Limburger standing in front of them with Carbunkle and Greasepit.

"Excuse me, but I'm sixteen. I'm no child." Rimfire corrected.

"And I'm fifteen." Mirabel joined in.

"Point taken. But I'm afraid your cleverness has cost you your freedom." Limburger said, chuckling.

"Wanna bet?" Rimfire replied, as he tail tripped Greasepit.

Mirabel snatched the big pile of papers off the desk and threw them at Limburger and Carbunkle. Rimfire and Mirabel ran out the door.

"Get them!" Limburger yelled.

"Right away, Your Butter Cheesiness." Carbunkle replied, attempting to chase the two teens.

"Not them! My papers! Pick them up! Greasepit, find those brats and bring them here!"

"Yes, Mistah Limboiger." The muscle-bound ape replied, running out the door.

Meanwhile, the Biker Mice had just defeated Limburger's goon squad and were headed to Limburger tower.

"So far, so good. Rimfire's had to have made it inside FishFace's place by now." Throttle said.

"Just hope he's okay." Modo said, worried.

"Relax, bro. Rimfire's been trained by the best military on Mars. Including Carbine. He'll be fine." Vinnie told him.

"A call's coming in." Throttle said.

"Guys! Come in, guys!" Charley said.

"What's up, Charley-girl?" Throttle asked her.

"Manuel's here. He says can't find Maribel anywhere."

"Be right there." Throttle said, then turning to Vinnie and Modo, "We're gonna hafta..."

Suddenly the view screen on Throttle's bike changed. It showed Limburger and Carbunkle.

"Limburger! I thought something reeked." Throttle said.

"You would be wise to address me with a civil tongue...If you don't want your little friends to meet their end."

Rimfire and Mirabel were tied to a pole and suspended over a boiling vat of chemicals.

Carbunkle stood next to a control panel.

"Rimfire!" Modo cried.

"What do you want, Hallibutt?" Throttle questioned.

"Why, your surrender, of course. Give yourselves up and I'll let these young people go unscathed." Limburger replied.

"You better or I'll hunt you down!" Modo yelled.

"Relax, dear boy. They're perfectly alright." Limburger said. The view screen went black.

Limburger's smile broadened as Carbunkle pressed a button. The image of Rimfire and Maribel suspended over the vat disappeared. It was a hologram.

"Perfect. Those moldy rodents have taken the bait." He chuckled, "Carbunkle, everything ready?"

"Ready to spring our trap, Your OverRipeness." He replied, pressing a button on a remote, which a giant bear trap with sharp spikes snapped together. The two villains laughed fiendishly.

Meanwhile, unknown to him and Carbunkle, Rimfire and Maribel hid in the ventilation shaft over his office. They watched how he intended to trick and trap the mice.

"We can't let 'em do this." Rimfire said. Suddenly, two hands had grabbed his foot.

"I gotcha now, ya pipsqueak!" Greasepit said. Mirabel squirted perfume in his eye.

"Ahhhhgh! Can't see!" He cried, as he fell out of the vent followed by Rimfire and Mirabel.

They were surrounded by Limburger and his baddies. The Biker Mice came crashing through a window.

"It's so hard to find good help these days!" Vinnie teased.

"Watch out! Limburger sprung a trap!" Rimfire cried out.

The mice and Mirabel jumped clear of the trap as it was about to fold up over our heroes. Modo fired his bionic arm. Vinnie threw one of his flares. The trap flew back tearing the back of Limburger's suit. Soon, the mice and Mirabel were laughing.

"I'll get...what's so funny?" He asked.

"Uh, your Buttery Fatness?" Carbunkle began.

"Out with it, fool!" Limburger yelled.

"Ha Ha Ha Ha! Hey, boss, I can see your underwear!" Greasepit yelled, laughing.

Limburger blushed redder than a beet as his back and the rest of his body was exposed.

"Disgusting!" Maribel said, making a face at the hideous alien before her.

He then ran off in shame followed by Carbunkle and Greasepit. The mice and Mirabel rode outside.

"Too bad we left without totaling Fish Face's tower." Vinnie groaned.

" Oh, I wouldn't say that. I left the Beached Whale a little housewarming gift."Rimfire said, with a mischievous grin.

"Another failure." Limburger said, sitting at his desk and laying on it. Suddenly there was a sound like rushing water. Limburger opened it to have his whole office flooded with Clampoo.

"NOOOOOOO!" He cried, as the force of the flood knocked his tower down. It was submerged under the liquid.

The mice and Mirabel watched the show atop the roof of another building.

"Aha ha ha ha! Not too shabby." Vinnie grinned.

"That stopped Cheese Breath for now. Now, you motorcycle madmen and lady, let's ROCK..." Throttle said.

"AND RIDE!" The other mice said. They rode down the road.

Manuel was able to keep his store open. Customers were no longer afraid to shop there and all his regular shoppers came back after hearing about the heroic vigilantes that beat the gang.

" I can't thank you all enough." Manuel happily told the mice.

"Ride Free, Citizen."

"Here." Mirabel said, handing Rimfire a small jar of salsa, "It's salsa. Something to remember me by."

"Thanks." Rimfire smiled, dreamily," Ride Free, pretty citizen."

"Ride free, sweet mouse." Mirabel replied.