Two sharp-dressed women walked down the murky streets, toward a building that was obviously a club. They could hear music inside. One of the women was observing the door to the club.
"Yep. That's definitely Aldo's blood, Zodiack." one woman said, holding a smoking cigar and a couple of solitaire cards.
"Don should've known better than to send a MAN to this place." said the woman in the revealing blue suit. "Come on, Angelina. We've got some work to do."
Zodiack and Angelina entered the club's double doors, squinting at the bright fluorescent cathead that hovered above them.
The song 'Single Ladies' was playing on the surround sound system. Angelina and Zodiack caught several stares as they walked toward the back of the building. A couple of larger women stopped both women.
"Didn't we tell you Montanas not to come back here?" one woman asked fiercely.
"Easy, Betty, Louise. We're only here to talk to Charlie on Don's behalf." Angelina explained.
"You don't want to raise a clatter in this little establishment you've got goin', do you?" Zodiack asked, flashing the handle of a gun.
"We're not scared of you, Zodiack. The most you can do to us with those is give us bruises. Besides, it is two of you versus two hundred of us. I do not like your odds."
"Let them in!" called a voice from inside the door that Betty and Louise were guarding.
Disgruntled, the two stepped aside, allowing the two Montanas entry.
"It's your birthday tomorrow, isn't it Louise?" Zodiack asked
The heavy-set woman nodded curtly.
Zodiack clicked her tongue, pointing her finger like a gun at her before entering with Angelina.
"I see you've decided to wear clothes today, Charlie." Angelina said.
"So, you're back again. I guess Muze didn't give Aldo enough scars." said Charlie, the woman in the yellow body suit zipped all the way down to her midriff. Three women stood behind her chair.
"The point being, we're persistent. You won't stop hearing from us until we get the rest of our back rent. We GAVE you the Pink Club. Now we want our dues." Angelina said, putting the cigar back in her mouth.
"We told you already. The Pussycats are a little short on money right now. Come back in five days, when we have our biweekly Party Night.
"You don't understand, Charlie. We've been asking for our money for MONTHS, and it's always the same story. You burn your money just as quickly as you collect. If you don't have your money for us by tomorrow, we're bringing this place to the ground." Zodiack said.
Charlie blew a smoke ring into the air as the two Montanas turned and left without a response from her.
"What are you going to do, Boss?" one of the women who stood behind her asked.
"Tell the Pussycats to party like it's 1999, Scarlet, because tomorrow, this place is turning into a battlefield."
***
Two people in police officers' uniforms slowly walked across the shadowy bridge leading out of Clint City.
"Do you see any of them, Dayton?" one man asked.
"Nah. They're all in hiding. We're looking for some specific people, though. DJ Korr is said to have his HQ in this area. We're in deep water, Coby." Dayton said,
All of a sudden, the two officers heard loud music. Dayton took out a small machine and pressed a button. The machine hummed for a few moments, then a number appeared on the machine's panel.
"947 BPM." Coby said, taking out a small radio. "Coby to Copper. We've confirmed the location of the Junkz HQ. Permission to engage?"
"Permission denied. Remember, your mission isn't to scatter the Junkz, yet. All you're doing right now is sabotaging DJ Korr's Universal Sound System. He's linked it to every other sound system in Clint City."
"So we're going to destroy it?"
"No. Destroying it won't disable all other sound systems. I hate asking this of you guys, but you're going to have to get in close. I'll walk you through how to hack the USS's system and destroy every other sound system in town."
"Roger." Coby said, putting the radio back into his pocket. "Let's move."
He and Dayton using grappling ropes to carefully sneak down under the bridge. The music that blasted under the bridge was so loud, not even earplugs muffled the sound.
"Junkz, Bangers, and even All-Stars are down here. How do these guys not go deaf?" Dayton asked in sign language, since the music made it impossible for him to speak loudly enough.
Coby shrugged, and then looked back at the massive block party that was going on under the bridge. No one noticed the two Sentinels sneaking around behind the technical equipment.
"That must be it." Coby signed, pointing to a large futuristic machine that flashed all different colors.
Coby felt something vibrating in his pocket. He took out his cell phone and read a message from Copper.
"Unscrew the panel that directly behind the machine. Take care not to alert anyone of your presence, especially DJ Korr."
Coby crawled behind the machine. He held his breath once he realized that he was directly behind the freakish, six-armed DJ Korr. He was able to spin all six discs on his turntables at one time.
"That noise. It's so hypnotic." Dayton signed.
Coby slowly unscrewed the panel on the USS. Inside were several multi-colored wires. Coby took out his phone and read another message.
"I'm reading over the USS blueprints. There should be a red, green, blue, and orange wire. Quickly detach them and just as quickly reattach them to the large white wire."
Coby did as he was told.
"If you've done it by now, what you did has force linked the USS to all other amps in Clint City. Attach the 'spike' to the wire and get out of there." read the new message from Copper.
Dayton stepped forward and attached a small device to the wire collection that Coby had created.
"Home free. Let's get out of here." he said, tiptoeing forward. Little did he know, the power wire for the USS was strewn right in front of his path, and neither of the Sentinels noticed it. Dayton caught his foot on the wire and accidentally yanked it out, cutting the sound off abruptly.
"Idiot!" Coby said, rather loudly. He vainly covered his mouth, even though the words had already escaped.
DJ Korr looked behind him, yelling in a strange autotuned voice.
"Hey! It's the cops!"
"We're dead." Dayton sighed.
***
Ambulance sirens blared as the Rescue vehicle charged down the dark, empty Clint City streets.
"Read me that emergency report, Larry!" one woman said to the man who was driving.
"The La Junta and Fang Pi Clang have allied for a scrimmage with the Nightmares and G.H.E.I.S.T, who are causing havoc on Main Street."
"That's not the weirdest thing, though, Bridget." said Larry, who was barreling down the streets, seeing the red lights as a just a suggestion. The Nightmares have been seen using super-advanced technology."
Bridget frowned.
"Now, I know from experience that Ielena is no idiot, but there's no way she could've gotten her hands on Upper tech on her own. Something odd is going on, but that's not our problem. We have lives to save, which is the Rescue Clan's first priority."
The ambulance screeched to a stop and the Rescue workers leaped out. They ducked to avoid a chunk of scorching debris that flew right toward them.
"Move, Rescues, move!" Larry ordered. They sprinted through the whistling bombshells that flew through the air.
"We have an injury over here!" yelled one of the Rescues that were already on scene.
"What's been going on here, Marco? You've been here longer." Larry asked.
"They're chucking grenades. This place is becoming a war zone."
"So what's the case?"
"Winifred caught one from an acid leech that Astrid threw." Marco said, lifting the shirt of the woman lying on the ground.
"My God. That's the worst acid burn I've ever seen. Get her out to the ambulance, stat!" Bridget ordered. Larry and Marco put Winifred on the stretcher.
"Glosh, Hax, Alec! Go into the fray and bring back any injuries, whether it be Junta or G.H.E.I.S.T. The Rescue Clan doesn't take sides." Bridget said, walking toward the ambulance. "If you can, try and drive back the Nightmares and any G.H.E.I. that are overly aggro."
The three men ran into the rain of bombs and smoke, plucking any injured warrior from the field. Alec stopped when he saw a large fire coming from one of the buildings.
"That fire is ROARING!" Glosh said.
"We can see that, big guy." Alec said.
"No, literally! Listen!"
From inside the building, there was a loud roaring sound that didn't come from the fire.
"Oh no. Glosh, get the injured Juntas and Clangs out of here. Hax, you're with me."
The heavy-set Rescue ran as fast as he could, carrying three unconscious bodies on each shoulder.
Alec walked up to the broken door, flinching backwards when a flame jumped out of it. He activated a miniature water pump built into the arm of his suit and blasted the flames, slowly entering the inferno.
The first thing that Alec heard was the sound of gunfire. Quickly blasting any flames in his wake, Alec and Hax ran up the steps. He ran into a Junta with a faceplate covering his identity, but Alec could tall who he was by his voice.
"Hey, Alec. Is Winifred okay? I heard she got taken down by Astrid, but I was on active duty, so I couldn't see for myself."
"She's in critical condition, but don't worry, Myke. You're girlfriend's going to be fine."
"Wish I could say the same for you, old friend." said a deep demonic voice. Alec recognized it as the voice that roared. All of a sudden, a strange creature with red skin and red wings and covered in living flames stepped from a doorway.
"Kenny? Kenny, is that you?" Alec asked.
"Surprised? The Nightmare are my people. THIS is what I was born to do." Kenny said, referring to the wildfire he had started in the building.
"Hax, get Myke and any other people in here to Bridget."
"Are you crazy? You can't fight Kenny alone." Hax protested.
"Just go! This is my fight!" Alec barked. Hax nodded and ran back downstairs with Myke in tow to look for any other survivors.
"We don't have to do this, Kenny. This isn't the Rescue's fight. We're here to help people in trouble."
"The only one you should be worried about helping is yourself!" Kenny said, drawing a flaming sword.
Alec put his helmet on and took a long pickaxe from the strap on his back.
He and Kenny began to trade blows amidst the roaring flames. Kenny got one good blow in, searing Alec's arm. Alec responded by blasting Kenny in the face with a large stream of water. He hissed in pain, giving Alec an opportunity to kick him out of a nearby window.
Alec held his breath as he heard the building moan and creak.
"Alec! We have to get out, now!" Hax yelled from the top floor, where he had worked his way up.
Alec looked around for the nearest exit, and then noticed the window that he had just kicked Kenny out of.
Alec made a running break for the window and quickly leaped out, only now realizing how high he was from the ground. A fall at that height could kill a human being instantly. Thoughts of death gripped Alec's mind as he freefell to the ground. He squeezed his eyes shut when he was only feet from the earth.
All of a sudden, Alec received a sudden lift. He opened his eyes and saw that he was in the arms of a flying, light grey-skinned woman.
"Aurora! Nice to see you, love!" he said as he flew through the air. "You have a nice sense of timing."
"I do my best." Aurora said, placing Alec on the ground. He turned back to the burning building, witnessing its collapse to the ground. Hax had already escaped and was sitting with Myke and other unconscious survivors on the other side of the road.
"Alec, we've got a big problem down here!! Like, REALLY big!" Glosh yelled, turning a corner and running down the street from something.
Alec was confused until he heard loud stomping. Coming out of the corner street that Glosh was escaping from was a giant of a man, standing as tall as ten of Alec. He had a large red beard, but most of the red was probably blood. He clutched a large burnt redwood in one hand.
"No way! How did they get a hold of Timber?!" Alec asked himself.
Timber raised his head and gave a blood-curdling roar.
***
In the ambulance on the way to the hospital, Bridget was busy treating Winifred, who was since unconscious from anesthesia.
"Give me some more skin grafts, Mark. I've only covered up about a quarter of her burns." she said to the other doctor.
"We don't have anymore grafts." Mark said.
"What do you mean?? Where did all of our grafts go?"
"We didn't have that many to begin with."
"Fine. Get the culture fluids. Were going to grow our own grafts from her skin." Bridget said.
As the two doctors were preparing to culture Winifred's wounds, a large metal object landed in front of the ambulance. Larry swerved to avoid it.
"Watch it, Larry! We're operating here!" Bridget yelled.
"Sorry! What WAS that?"
Mark quickly looked out of the window behind him and saw a large robotic creature walking toward them, with a computer screen on the front. The face of the G.H.E.I.S.T leader could be seen on the screen.
"Is that Sigmund?" Mark asked.
"There's no time to worry about him. Winifred is still on the table and if we don't wrap her up quickly, she could die." Bridget said, using the cultured skin as a graft on Winifred's acid burns. All of a sudden, a loud thump was heard on the roof of the vehicle. Sharp, bloodstained claws ripped into the roof.
"What the hell?" Bridget asked in surprise as Ielena ripped almost half of the roof off the ambulance.
"I believe you have something of mine." the vampire queen hissed with a slight lisp.
"Is she talking to you?" Mark asked.
"I'll handle this; you finish the operation." Bridget said, making a spectacular leap up onto the roof of the ambulance.
"You've got some nerve, stealing from the Nightmare Leader." Ielena lisped.
"After all of the innocent people you've killed, you're lucky I only took your FANG in your sleep. I could've lethally injected you and you couldn't have done anything about it. But I digress. I needed your fang to produce a cure-all antibiotic." Bridget explained.
"I'd sooner give a rat's ass for what YOU wanted with my fang. I want it back!" Ielena yelled, pouncing on Bridget. She held her by the neck over the edge of the ambulance.
Larry saw Bridget's feet dangling in front of the windshield.
"Hang on, Mark!" he warned, quickly throwing the wheel quickly to the left. The ambulance jerked slightly, causing Ielena to trip backwards, giving Bridget enough leeway to step back onto the ambulance. She took a gun from her pocket and pointed it at Ielena.
"You're a pacifist, Bridget. You won't kill me." she challenged.
"Correct. I won't kill you." Bridget said, pulling the trigger. A small dart full of powerful anesthesia plunged into Ielena's neck, knocking her unconscious. "But I'm no pacifist."
Bridget kicked Ielena off of the ambulance, making her tumble to the streets. Suddenly, a G.H.E.I.S.T missile flew through the air.
"Larry, swerve!!" Bridget yelled. The ambulance quickly jerked to the left, avoiding the missile.
"How'ya doin' back there, Mark?" Larry asked.
"I'm almost done closing her up." said Mark, who was holding a pair of sutures.
Bridget looked behind her and saw the large G.H.E.I.S.T machine stomping toward them, launching a swarm of drunk missiles, which exploded like fireworks all around the ambulance.
"What do they WANT from us?" Bridget asked in exasperation.
"We're almost to the hospital!" Larry said, turning a quick corner. The Rescue HQ was at the end of the street.
"Done!" Mark said, stitching the last suture.
Bridget leaped onto the destroyed roof of the ambulance and gasped as she saw a smart bomb cruising right toward them. She took out her anesthesia gun and fired a round at the missile. It exploded, jarring the ambulance and almost knocking Bridget off. Sigmund's droid was slowly stomping forward.
The ambulance quickly pulled up to the ER entrance. Bridget hopped off of the ambulance and quickly unloaded Winifred. The Rescue HQ administrator, Kerry, quickly ran out of the building. She gasped when she saw Sigmund's droid stomping toward the hospital. Ielena had hopped on top of the droid.
"Sigmund! What is your problem?! Why are you hounding the Rescues? We haven't done anything to provoke you." Bridget said through a loud megaphone.
"This is just business, my dear. Zlatar is paying the G.H.E.I.S.T and Nightmares a hefty amount of green to level your hospital and the surrounding area. And you know I don't say no to money." Sigmund said, releasing a horde of missiles that were whistling through the air, straight toward the Rescue HQ.
"If those missiles make contact, hundreds of people are going to die!" Bridget panicked, staring in absolute fear at the incoming missiles.