The Virus
There were blasts of particle beams, and blood. Mike looked around in horror as he saw his house around him burst into flames. "Mike! We have to get out of here!" screamed B-Bop. His lungs began to grow tight with black smoke. With a crack, one of the flaming rafters fell and Cedric let out a groan as the rafter crushed him. In Mike's arms, was a comatose Angela. Suddenly, in a large explosion, Dog blew up in a fury of shrapnel. Some of the metal caught him around the temple and white-hot pain seared through him. 2-T looked anxious, "Mike, there's something you should know."
Mike jerked awake. He was drenched in a cold sweat. He ran a hand through his spiked hair. Shaking he stood up. Looking around, he found the voice activated phone. Flipping the 'ON' switch, he said, "Cedric.". "Hello?" Asked a sleepy voice. "Ced? It's Mike. It happened again.".
Cedric sat up rail straight and almost fell off his bed. Reaching on his beside table, he fumbled for his glasses. "What happened this time? What did you see?".
"I don't remeber."
"You don't remeber? How can you not remeber!?"
"I just don't."
A nod.
"It's okay, Mike."
"Yea, night'."
"You mean morning."
"What time is it?"
"Two thirty in the morning."
"Yippie..."
With a sigh, Cedric hung up his phone. Mike had been having these dreams about him and Angie and the rest friends all dying. Creepy. He took off his glasses and fell back on his bed. After a few moments, he fell asleep.
The next morning...
"Mike? You awake? Hey Mike?". A sudden whack upside his head awoke him. "What?!" He roared. Angela jumped back about a foot. "Geez Mike! Chill. You fell asleep. Don't bite my head off or anything."She argued. She glared angrily. B-Bop looked over from what he was doing. "What's going on over there?"He called. Cedric rolled his eyes, "there gonna kill eachother.". Angela stormed over angrily to the alien's meteor game. The same one that had almost killed Mike. Suddenly, something caught her eye. "Uh, guys, you might wanna check this out!" She cried. Do-Wah walked over, an ice pop in his one hand. "What's up Angie?" He asked. She pointed a finger at the screen. On the screen, it said, "Incoming Virus.". He paled and screamed, "Angie get away from there!". Too late. A beam shot from the screen and enveloped her. She looked at Do-Wah, her eyes filled with horror, fear, and pain. Then she passed out. The the screen said, "Downloading Virus.". 2-T ran as fast as he could and screamed, "we can't let that thing finish downloading the virus! It could kill Angela!". He got to the game a moment too late. The beam dropped the now limp Angie and the game went back to normal. She lay still on the floor. The rest of the group ran over. "What happened?" Cedric asked, bewlidered.
"Is she gonna be okay? I mean, the virus can't be that bad...can it?" Mike asked B-Bob. The 'Fearless Leader' shook his head and sighed. "I don't know, Mike. I don't know anything about this virus.". Mike carefully picked her up in his arms and looked to his friends. "I think we should take her back to my place. My parent's are gonna be gone for a coupla days. That means you guys can hang there too.". They nodded. They headed back to the hovercrafts and hoverboards. Cedric tugged on his helmet over his head and sighed. Angie was sick...no, Angie wasn't sick....Angie was dying. Ms. Ruff n Tuff, the same Angie that just five minuets ago, was up and arguing with Mike. Sighing, he jumped on his hoverboard.
2-T looked over at Mike. He looked upset. But then again, who wouldn't be? He didn't tell anyone, but he knew Bog was going to be doing this. If B-Bop found out, he'd be dead.....literly. Angela, without the proper care, was now well on the way to her death. Unless....no. That type of cure could never happen. He shook his head, his Angie was going to die. And there was nothing he or his friends could do about it.
When they arrived at Mikes house, the blonde boy walked to his house door and said the password, "Opensaysme", and walked inside. He layed Angela on the couch and got his first good look at her. Her face was pale and terror-filled. Her breathing seemed alright...for now. But he was scared. No, not just scared. Angry. Why had he even yelled at her? If he hadn't, she wouldn't have stormed away. She wouldn't have been in the way of the beam....and the beam would of hit him....oh man, what had he done?! No how many times she had called him 'Mikey' was he this angry. He furiously blinked tears out of his green eyes and looked at his friends. Cedric put a hand on his shoulder and looked at him. "Listen, Mike. I know your upset and everything, but we--" "FHUMP!" "UMPH!". A sickening crack rippled through the silent house. Mike looked up from his swing. Cedric was crumpled on the floor holding his cheek. Crimson blood seeped from between his fingers. He looked up at the older boy, his eyes full of loathing. "Listen to me! Just because your mad cause' Angies' sick, dosen't mean you can go off an' slug me!" He screamed. Mike glared at him. "You have no idea how I feel now, Cedric. No idea what so ever." he whispered under his breath. "Let's go clean that up, Ced. I think MIKE, needs to get a relaity check." B-Bop reasoned as he motioned for 2-T to take Cedric to the kitchen.
2-T gathered the minor supplies to clean Cedric's bleeding cheek. Things like, a few bandages, some peroxide, a wet cloth, and some bandage tape. "You do know why Mike's so mad, right Ced?" 2-T inquired as he wiped the wet cloth on Cedric's cheek. "Yea. But that dosen't mean he can go and beat up anyone he wants." Cedric argued. The short alien sighed. He had to tell the one person that he knew would keep this horrible secret safe. "Listen, Cedric. I need to tell you something. I knew all about this. I knew exactly when and where this was going to happen. Bog informed me all about this.". The dark-skinned teen almost fell off the stool he was seated on. His breath suddenly came in broken short gasps. "What do you mean you knew? You mean you could have stopped this before it happened?" He asked between gasps. His breathing became short and forced. Panic was lacing his features, making him look much older than he really even was. "Cedric, come on. Take a breath, please. Breath, Ced. Your face is turning purple." 2-T advised. The boy fianally slowed his breaths to a semi-broken state and allowed the alien to clean and bandage his face. "Listen though Cedric. I know your scared. But you can't tell anyone. Got it? Or else B-Bop'll kill me alive. Understand?" He asked firmly. The teen nodded carefully. Hopping down off the stool, Cedric ran a hand through his hair. This was bad. No. This wasn't bad, this was downright wrong. If 2-T had knew all about this, then why hadn't he said something before?
Coming out of the kitchen, Cedric heard B-Bop speaking to Mike about Angie. "Mabye, if she hears a familiar voice, she'll be comforted." He said to the boy. "How is she?" 2-T asked. Mike looked at the two as they walked into the room. Mike cast his green eyes downward and said, "I'm really sorry for um, hitting you earlier. I shouldn't have gotten so mad. It's just that I'm worried about Angela. I keep thinking that this is all a joke and she'll wake up. But, I have this nagging in the back of my mind, that she won't.". Cedric walked up to his best friend and placed his hand on his shoulder. "I know your upset and we all are. But I think you should really rest a while. Your gonna wear yourself to death if you keep this up.". Sighing, he looked over at Angie. 'This is bad. Really bad.' He thought.
As night assended on the house, everyone began to tire. Mike stifuled a yawn as he for about the thousanth time looked down at Angie on the couch. Her breathing was harsh and rough. A wet cloth was placed on her head to try and keep her fever down. Cedric walked into the room with a glass of water and some pills. "Take these." He demanded. He handed the glass and pills to Mike, who at the moment, was too tired to even care what his friend had said. Popping the pills in his mouth, he downed them with a long gulp of water. In about 3 minuets, he fell limp and asleep. "What'd you give him?" Do-Wah asked from behind. Cedric smirked, "NiQuil. Knocks me out all the time. Figured he'd be to tired to care what I gave him.". "Ingenious idea, Ced. Real brains."chuckled 2-T. He seemed tense and uptight since he told Cedric about how he knew. With a quick glance at Angie, Cedric yawned. "I may not be a genious like mister Psyco Enegenieer, but I know when your tired." B-Bop said to him. Smirking, he looked over at Angie again. "Is she supposed to be this pale?" He asked. His brown eyes were wide in fear. B-Bop looked across from where he was, and gasped. Her lips were lined a pale blue and her face was as white as a sheet. "If this is what I think it is...." He trailed and walked over. Placing his one hand over her mouth and nose, his eyes widended. "Angie isn't breathing!" He screamed, horrified. Almost instantly, any awake occupant in the house went haywire. Dog started barking like crazy, Cedric began hyperventalaiting, 2- T tried to calm him down, Do-Wah started shaking Angie as hard as he could, and B-Bop was trying to stop him for hurting her anymore that he already was. "Cedric, do you know CPR?" 2-T asked the shaking boy. He nodded with a jerk of his head. Falling beside the sofa, he jerked away a panking Do-Wah with suprising force and pinched Angie's nose shut and breathed once, twice into her mouth. Leaning up, he arranged his hands in the correct spot on her chest and began to try and force the female teen to breath. He repeated once more with breathing in her mouth. Still no change. He began to panic once more, his own breaths becoming sharp and quick. "Calm down, Cedric. No pressure, but Angies' life is in your hands!" 2-T urged. Suddenly, in the middle of the second breath, Angela let out a wheeze and gasped for air. Cedric remained hovering over her, just to be safe. Slowly, the color returned to her lips and her cheeks, filling them with blood. Cedric let out a long sigh of a breath he'd been holding. Standing up, he suddenly swayed as his knees gave out from beneath him. 2-T leaned to catch him just before he hit the floor. In the short aliens' arms, Cedric seemed so small and childish and innocent. But then again, he was. He was the youngest of all the kids though. He had fallen asleep out of pure exaustion. Sighing he carefully turned to B-Bop. "There's some blankets and pillows in the hall closet. Go get them. I can't put Ced down or he'll wake up." 2-T whispered. B-Bop nodded and motioned for Do-Wah to follow. In a few minets, the duo returned carrying a few blankets and pillows. Do-Wah held up Angie's head and slipped a pillow beneath it and then pulled a blanket up to her chest and B-Bop dittoed for Mike. 2-T allowed his friends to do the same thing for Cedric and he lay him down. "They really need the sleep. They've had a hard day." B-Bop whispered. The aliens made sure everything was locked up, and every window was closed before they aswell turned in. Just before falling asleep, 2-T whispered to himself, and hopefully Cedric would hear it, "your a hero, Ced. Never forget that."
"Somebody....anybody, help...........please..." Moaned a quiet voice. 2- T opened his eyes and looked around the darkened room. Somebody was talking in their sleep. More like crying. Standing up, he walked twards the noise. He followed the voice to where Cedric was sleeping. He looked down and saw that the small teen was close to crying. He was tossing and turning all over the place and was squeezing his eyes shut, as in in fear. Reaching down, he gentally shook him almost awake. "Cedric, Ced wake up. Your having a nightmare. Ced wake up." He coaxed. But he didn't wake up. He shook Cedric harder by both shoulders and spoke slightly louder. In a flash he woke up and took a deep gasp of air before completly breaking down crying. This took him by suprise, Cedric never cried, ever. "Ced, calm down. Calm down. It's okay. It's okay....what happened?" 2-T quipped to the boy. The boy took a shuddering breath and began to speak carefully. He had had a nightmare. Of the house collapsing and everyone was dying. Angie was already dead. Mike was well on his way as well. Bog had arrived. "And that's all I remeber." He explained. Sighing, 2-T just rocked the small shaking teen gently as sleep over took him once more. "This is getting worse then I thought. It's effecting everyone. I knew that it was going to be bad. But not like this." He whispered. He didn't know it, but he fell asleep.
The Next Morning...
Mike opened his eyes from sleeping. Bright sunlight glared in his eyes, making him squint. Sitting up, the blanket that had been put around him fell off. Angie was still asleep, as with Cedric and the Martians. He looked at the clock hanging on the wall above him. 9 am. Sighing, he stood up, his head hurt. Then he remebered the pills that Cedric had given him. Being careful not to wake up anyone, he walked into the kitchen. There on the counter was the medical supplies used yesterday for Cedric and next to it, a box of Extra-Strength NiQuil. He smirked. "Leave it to the youngest to think of that." He sighed. Suddenly, a soft thud jerked him even more awake then he even was. Looking back into the living room, he saw Cedric was awake and sitting up while looking around the room with wide, curious eyes. "Ced? Did I wake you up? Sorry..."He trailed as his eyes fell on the smaller boys' slightly swollen face, the bruise an ugly shade of purple. The smaller boy looked down at the floor beneath him. "It's okay, you didn't wake me. I just heard a noise." He replied. "Oh. That was me. Sorry." Was the soft apology. Do-Wah turned over suddenly in his sleep and muttered something about Bloat Worms. Cedric made a face. Well, the best face you could make when half of it was bruised like a bad apple. "He got me to try one of those, remeber? They may taste like chicken to him, to me they taste like eating cold noodles, espically when their raw." He sighed. Suddenly, Dog's alarm went off, waking everyone but Angie awake. B-Bop stood up and stretched. "You two sleep well?" He asked the two boys. They nodded. 2-T stood and leaned over to Cedric. "Lemme see you face."He demanded. Turning his face so the bruised side faced the alien, 2-T peeled away the bandage. "Ewww..."He trailed. Mikes' angry knuckle marks stood out even on his dark skin. Small, rough, scabs were lacing around the broken skin and the bruise was raised slightly raised from the normal level of skin. "Hmmm. It looks infected slightly."The technicion mused. He turned suddenly to Mike, who had been staring dumbstruck at the mark 'HE' had made. "Mike? Can you get me some more salve and bandages, please?" He asked him. He nodded dumbly.
Walking out of the room he turned to look out the window. There, out of all his most horrible nightmares, could have added up to this. Martian Shock Troops were lining the sky. "B-BOP!!!!" He cried, just as the first shot struck a scant ten yards from the house. The backfire shook every occupant in the house off their feet. Angie tumbled off the couch and landed head first, thunking her head on the corner of the coffee table. Cedric who had just stood up, was violently thrown off his feet to land on the floor, injured faced side first. He cried out in pain as the coarse carpet rubbed against raw flesh. The three martians looked at eachother and nodded, their gazes obviously begging, 'B...K...M!'. "But we have to get the kids outta here before we do anything crazy!"Do-Wah interveined. But just as Dog was about to send a warning to Mike to run back to the living room, a blast, a Particle Beam was shot at the house. Mike immedatly came running back the room. Mike looked at Cedric, Cedric looked at Mike. 2-T looked at Cedric, Cedric looked at 2-T. "This is bad, really bad!"cried Do-Wah out in worry. Mike picked up Angie in his arms. Suddenly, a particle beam struck the house, making it burst into flames. A transmission came through on Dog. It was Bog. "I see my Shock Troops got there before I did! I know that you've been goofing off for quite sometime! Now The Blue Planet will suffer from you being traitors!" He cried. The transmission died down and suddenly, one if the rafters started to fall. It was just like in his dream. Cedric was going do be crushed! B-Bop caught on quick. "Ced look out!" He cried and tackled the young boy just as the rafter fell excatailly where the boy had been a split second ago. Suddenly, just like in the dream, Dog blew up, and just like in his dream, and just as planed, the shrapnel caught him around the temple. "Ah!"He cried. Wiping away the frantically running blood from the cut, he looked at his friends. Suddenly, as if on some out-of-the-world cue, Stoat Muldoon was heard. "Step away from the burning inferno, Alien Scum! Don't worry kids! Stoat Muldoon....Alien Hunter will save you!" He cried. Cedric rolled his eyes. "Why now!? Now of all times did he have to show up!?"He screamed. Mike's eyes widended. Cedric was loosing it. Once again, just like in his dream, his lungs began to grow tight with the black smoke. He began to cough as Muldoon began to kick at the thick titanium door. "Mike....say the...password!" Choked B-Bop from inbetween coughs. "Open...open...opensaysme!"Mike cried as loud as he could. The door flew open and Muldoon burst in. "Come on young peoples! It's time Stoat Muldoon got you out of here!" He cried. And he ushered everyone out of the house. He couldn't see Mike through the thick smoke. Suddenly, Mike's eyes went as wide as saucers. Looking around, he saw the rafters begin to fall all at once. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. No sound. No feeling. No nothing. He didn't see the rafter above him begin to fall right above him. Throwing Angie as far away from him as he could, the rafter crashed, striking him with a voilent blow over the back. He felt something crack and couldn't feel his legs. Another blow to struck him on the back of his neck, pinning him fully. His neck hurt so much. So much. Before he passed out from the pain, he remebered hearing those so familiar words for the last time: "B...K...M!". 'Angela....please get better....' He thought thickly as his thoughts were no more and everything went black.
Cedrics' brown eyes were wide as he curled up into a tight ball. He knew he was acting far to childish for a boy of his intellegence, but he didn't care. He was going to die. "Hail Mary. Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee..."He repeated over and over again. "Save the praying for Angie, Cedric. It's going to be alright." Called a VERY familiar voice. Looking up, he saw 2-T standing there, 'BKMized' that is. "All right!"He cried. Picking up the boy, he began to lead him outside into the clean air, but the Troops were still firing. Cedric began to cough hard. The smoke was becoming choking. "Just hang on Ced! We're almost outside! Just hold on!" 2- T cried after hearing the boy's coughs. "This should REALLY get you guys in some brownie points with Muldoon!"Cedric joked, once outside. The suddenly Troops dissapeared. Then he realized, that Angie, B-Bop, himself, 2-T, Do- Wah, and Muldoon were there. "Where's Mike?!"He cried. Everyone there, humans and aliens alike, froze. "He wouldn't still be in there would he? I mean....Mikey's smarter than that....right? He would of tried to get out the back."Asked Do-Wah in a strange voice, so unlike his normal, happy-go- lucky tone. "You can never tell, Alien Scum. He might as well be pronounced- -" Muldoon was quickly cut off as 2-T pointed to where Cedric was sitting near Angie. His knees where drawn to his chest and his chin was resting on them. His arms were wrapped around himself in some fruitless attempt to comfort himself. And then Bog's insanic cackling could be heard as he cried, "the damage has been done!".
Cautiouly walking over, the martians looked at what was left of the house. A sudden murmering noise brought everyone's attention to where Muldoon was hovering over Angela. She was awake and sitting up, looking around curiously. "Looks like I missed the party huh?" She asked. Cedrics' head jerked up. "Angela!" He cried happily. With out warning, he threw his arms around the older teen and held her in a friendly embrace. "Man, I thought we lost you forever!" He cried as he hugged his friend.
B-Bop tramped through what was left of the rebuliding house. "I know he's around her here some where..."He muttered. "Mike! Mikey! Hey Mike!"He called out. Kicking around some fallen shingles, he unearthed something shiny. Mikey's Goggles. "Oh My God..."He murmered under his breath. Mike NEVER went anywhere with out these. Ever. "If his goggles are here, then he can't be very far."He said aloud. Walking around he continued to call his friends name. He began to worry. Then he saw it. Pinned under two rafters, in a small pool of crimson. "Mike!"He cried. Running to him, he carefully shoved the two heavy rafters pinning the boy to the ground. Kneeling down, he placed a hand on the teen's side, and shook him very gently. "Mike. Mikey. Mikey come on. It's time to get up Mike." He urged. Then he gasped as he moved his hand over the boy's side. The bones moved eaisly. To eaisly. "Mikey? Mike. Come on. Can you hear me?" He asked. His voice growing slighly hysterical. His hand moved up to the teen's neck, and what he found, shocked him beyond belief. Snapped cleanly in two. Only a small ring of bruises that would never heal on his neck. Then he was aware of the akward angle of his back. Broken. "Mikey..."He breathed. "Mikey!"He cried. His voice surging with not only saddness, and agony. But hysteria. Mike was dead. Hopefully quick and slighly painless. Picking up the limp head of Mike, which was still attached, but only by skin and tissue, and he set the goggles back onto Mike's forehead. He ran his armored hand over the spikes of hair and let out a slow, quivering breath and he felt a lump form in his throat. He picked up the limp, broken, battered body of his friend. Wincing as he did. He was always taught to leave the dead, and continue on. To get on with life. But that was back home. Back home on Hell. This was Earth. He noticed that Mikey's crimson blood stained the yellow and grey armor of his gloves. He sighed. "I never thought it would end like this, Mike.". He turned and walked back to the house. Noone would be going to bed with a happy heart tonight. Noone except the only thing in the universe without a heart. Bog. He would be going to bed with that horrible, evil, twisted, cunning grin on his lips. Now all B-Bop wanted to do was rip that horrible grin off his Emperor's face and blast it to ashes.
Angie looked around, noting they were one kid short. "Where's Mikey?" She asked aloud. "Yeah, where is he? I figured if he got out the back, he would have caught up with us by now." Cedric sighed. "I've got him." Replied a somber voice. B-Bop came walking over from the half-demolished house, which was slowly rebuilding itself. Mike's battered body in his arms. He was dirty, slightly bloody, and look like had been through Hell, and back. "I don't think the kids should see this..."trailed B-Bop nervoulsy with a glance to Cedric and Angela. "Why? What's the matter? If if's only some busted bones or something, like an arm or a leg, it's won't bug us. Mabye blood, but not broken bones."Angie sighed. "It's alot worse then broken arms or legs."2-T said sadly, looking at Mike. Angela paled about four shades lighter. Cedric took a deep breath. Both children got up, Angie using Muldoon as a hand hold for support, and walked over. There, in B- Bops' arms, was Mike. His clothers were smeared with his own blood, his back arched at an awkard angle, as well with his neck. Cedric looked horrified. "Angie? Why is his neck bent like that?" He asked, even though he already knew the answer. "He broke his neck when the rafter fell on him. That's where I found him, pinned under two of them."The Leader explained. Muldoon looked up at the massive aliens and sighed. He now didn't see them as threats, but life savers. Three rogue aliens that were PROTECTING this planet. Not trying to take over. Angie heard Cedric take a shaking breath, the young boy obiously shaken quite badly over all this. She waved her fingers tward herself and held open her arms. Cedric allowed himself to be held by Angie. He began to feel the burning tears sting his eyes as he tried blinked them away with no avail. Angie felt a few tears drop onto her white teeshirt. Cedric was crying. In all the years that they had been friends, never did she remeber seeing him cry. "Hey, it's okay, Ced. It's okay to act your age for once."Angie soothed. 'He's only twelve, he should be able to do this.' She thought to herself silently. "What are we going to do with him?" Do-Wah asked as he tore his eyes from Angie holding Cedric. "We'll have to tell his parents. Sooner or later. But I don't know what they'll think of us." 2-T sighed. Obviously, Mike's death was weighing heavally on everyone. "What was the boy's name?" Muldoon asked the group. "Mikey. His name was Mikey."Angie whispered. Looking down, Muldoon shook his head. "I don't understand it. I took this job to PROTECT humans. Not kill them. Now it's too late." He sighed. Suddenly 2-T jerked up from his sadness. "I think I know how we can save him. It might be a little crazy, but I think I can make it work!"He cried. "How are you going to do that? His neck is broken, and his back, when those are broken, it's over."Cedric mumbled sadly from Angies' shoulder. "Bone Replacement. It's this little gizmo that I thought up and made a while back. Heck knows when you guys are with us, we'd need it sometime. What it does is litteraly, take out all the bones in his body, and repairs them, then place them back in." He tecnician explained. "But how is that gonna make him alive again. His hearts' dead. So even if you fixed all the bones in his body, he's still be dead." Cedric argued. 2-T shook his head from underneath his helmet, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "That's a little bonus I put in. When the bones are placed back in the body, the reformed bones shock whatever has stopped functioning."He said to the boy. "Should we let him do it, Angie?" Cedric asked as he lifted his head from her shoulder. She shrugged. "What choices do we have? Either Mike stays dead, or we let 2-T try this weird invention on him. What do you think Muldoon?" Angie sighed and looked at him. "I think we should let him try it. We don't have a choice. What would we tell his parents. I know that they wouldn't be very happy." The man replied. Angie nodded and said, "All right. You can try this....Bone Replacement thing." 2-T reached into a fold in his armor, and pulled out what looked like a silver box with lots of small holes in it. "Lets just hope this works."He muttered. Do-Wah looked on as he trained his eyes on the two teens and the insane alien hunter. "Hey B-Bop, do you really think that this is a good idea letting 2-T try out his invention on Mikey? I mean, not alot of his inventions have actually ever worked right.". "I don't know, Do- Wah, but we have to keep up hope." He replied. Setting the box down infront of Mike's prone form, 2-T pressed the button ontop of the box.
Angie gasped as the light became too bright that was streaming from the box became too bright for her too see. Just barely she saw the most amazing thing in the world. Mike's broken skeleton being taken from his body. Slowly, everyone heard the broken bones repairing themselves. Then as the light died down, the bones slid back into his body. A few sudden, electrical jolts shook his body uncontroallbly. "His vitals are coming back!"B-Bop reported exciteldy. With a small groan, Mike's eyes became barely visible slits of green, which soon became wide, but sleepy eyes. "Mike!"Angie cried. Turning his head slightly to her, he muttered, "Now I know what they mean by 'The Light At The End Of The Tunnel'.". Angie and Cedric smirked. Slowly helping him to stand, Cedric grinned, "welcome back.". 2-T grinned to his friends, "looks one of my inventions fianally did work." He smiled. Mike slowly sat up, shaking his head to clear it slightly. "What a day...huh?" He chuckled slightly. Sighing, Angie helped him to stand. "You could say that.". A cough broke the sudden unnerving silence. "Mabye we could I don't know ummm.....get out of the broad daylight? It's kid of weird seeing nine foot aliens in your front yard Mike."Cedric pointed out. "But the house--"Mike began, only to see the house had rebuilt itself, again. As the large group began to walk twards the house, Mike asked, "Hey Angie? What made you wake up?". Angie shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "I dunno really. Something just told me to.....well....wake up really. It's a little stupid when I think about it actually.". Cedric jogged up beside the duo and smirked. "Ced? Have you been crying or something?" Mike asked him. Upon closer inspection, he was right. His eyes were moist and red. With a quick swipe of the hand, his eyes were somewhat back normal. "Nope." . Chuckling, Mike fianally asked, "hey 2-T, your pretty smart right? If Angie was still sick...how did she wake up with out anyone knowing?". 2-T laughed nervously. "Well, uhh I'm kinda responsible for all that, and umm, all this."He said nervously. B-Bop grabbed the Martian Tech from the front, and screamed, "you WHAT?!". "B- Bop! B-Bop! Back off! It's over know. It's over now. Angie's gonna be fine, I'm not dead, and the world isn't coming to an end! It'll be fine. Now what were you gonna say? About how Angie got better so soon?" Mike said as seperated the aliens. "The only way that Angela could have woken up, is if someone that has known her for a certain amount of time lost their life. It's really complicated. It all really dependes if that last thought in their mind was on them." 2-T explained. "Mike.....you were the only that died...were you actually thinking of me?"Angela asked him. Mike blushed hard and nodded. "Awwww, is our widdle Mikey growing up?"B-Bop chuckled. "Hey! That's MIKE! Not Mikey!"He cried. "I'm afraid I have to leave now, Alien Scum. But if you even think of pulling any funny business, I'll catch you in the act.". And with that, the Hunter left. "Cedric watched him leave, "you know, I think he gets crazier every time we meet him.". 2-T smirked. "Ohhh, I don't think he'll be remembering this one Ced. I made sure I left him a parting gift in the Van before he left.".
Muldoon was driving back to the silo, when he spotted something in a small, wrapped box on the passenger side seat. "Hmmm, wonder what's this?" He inquired aloud. Parking the Hover Van infront of the silo, he walked out with the box. Unwrapping the box, he revealed a VERY familiar clearish, purplish pyramid shaped thing. Before he could drop it, the purple gas sprayed him full in the face. "But Mommy....I don't wanna see the scary clown..."he muttered sleepily, before hitting the ground.
3 Months Later....
"Mike! Wake up! Mike!". A sudden slap on the upside of his head. Once more being jerked out of his dreams, Mike found himself looking at Anglea. "What?!"He cried. Then he felt a sense of Deja Vu setting in. Just before Angela stomped off to go break something out of her temper, Mike caught her arm. "Just to be safe, why don't you go AROUND the Doom Chase 5000 this time, huh?"He asked. Angela smiled. "Don't want that to happen again.". "Nope.". A really annoying pause set in the air. "Hey! Do we have to wait here all day? We wanna see some action!" Cried a voice. "Yeah! Kiss her already Mikey!" Cried another. "Where's the soda?" asked another. "I paid good money to see this! Come one already!" Cried a fourth. The duo turned to see B-Bop, 2-T, Do-Wah, and Cedric all sprawled out on chairs, soda ans popcorn in hands. "Go already!" Cheered B-Bop. Dog was standing next to B- Bop, camera rolling. When Angela was busy glaring at them, he quick moved foreward in a flash, and kissed her on the cheek. Everything went silent. Angie turned around to face him, her eyes wide in suprise. All the other boys minus Mike that is, let their jaws drop. Angie leaned foreward, and kissed him back. "That's how you do it."She smirked. Sudden cheered could then be heard from all around the boarded up, old Zaps. Three human, three martian, and one barking.
This had been one Hell of three months, and three days.
There were blasts of particle beams, and blood. Mike looked around in horror as he saw his house around him burst into flames. "Mike! We have to get out of here!" screamed B-Bop. His lungs began to grow tight with black smoke. With a crack, one of the flaming rafters fell and Cedric let out a groan as the rafter crushed him. In Mike's arms, was a comatose Angela. Suddenly, in a large explosion, Dog blew up in a fury of shrapnel. Some of the metal caught him around the temple and white-hot pain seared through him. 2-T looked anxious, "Mike, there's something you should know."
Mike jerked awake. He was drenched in a cold sweat. He ran a hand through his spiked hair. Shaking he stood up. Looking around, he found the voice activated phone. Flipping the 'ON' switch, he said, "Cedric.". "Hello?" Asked a sleepy voice. "Ced? It's Mike. It happened again.".
Cedric sat up rail straight and almost fell off his bed. Reaching on his beside table, he fumbled for his glasses. "What happened this time? What did you see?".
"I don't remeber."
"You don't remeber? How can you not remeber!?"
"I just don't."
A nod.
"It's okay, Mike."
"Yea, night'."
"You mean morning."
"What time is it?"
"Two thirty in the morning."
"Yippie..."
With a sigh, Cedric hung up his phone. Mike had been having these dreams about him and Angie and the rest friends all dying. Creepy. He took off his glasses and fell back on his bed. After a few moments, he fell asleep.
The next morning...
"Mike? You awake? Hey Mike?". A sudden whack upside his head awoke him. "What?!" He roared. Angela jumped back about a foot. "Geez Mike! Chill. You fell asleep. Don't bite my head off or anything."She argued. She glared angrily. B-Bop looked over from what he was doing. "What's going on over there?"He called. Cedric rolled his eyes, "there gonna kill eachother.". Angela stormed over angrily to the alien's meteor game. The same one that had almost killed Mike. Suddenly, something caught her eye. "Uh, guys, you might wanna check this out!" She cried. Do-Wah walked over, an ice pop in his one hand. "What's up Angie?" He asked. She pointed a finger at the screen. On the screen, it said, "Incoming Virus.". He paled and screamed, "Angie get away from there!". Too late. A beam shot from the screen and enveloped her. She looked at Do-Wah, her eyes filled with horror, fear, and pain. Then she passed out. The the screen said, "Downloading Virus.". 2-T ran as fast as he could and screamed, "we can't let that thing finish downloading the virus! It could kill Angela!". He got to the game a moment too late. The beam dropped the now limp Angie and the game went back to normal. She lay still on the floor. The rest of the group ran over. "What happened?" Cedric asked, bewlidered.
"Is she gonna be okay? I mean, the virus can't be that bad...can it?" Mike asked B-Bob. The 'Fearless Leader' shook his head and sighed. "I don't know, Mike. I don't know anything about this virus.". Mike carefully picked her up in his arms and looked to his friends. "I think we should take her back to my place. My parent's are gonna be gone for a coupla days. That means you guys can hang there too.". They nodded. They headed back to the hovercrafts and hoverboards. Cedric tugged on his helmet over his head and sighed. Angie was sick...no, Angie wasn't sick....Angie was dying. Ms. Ruff n Tuff, the same Angie that just five minuets ago, was up and arguing with Mike. Sighing, he jumped on his hoverboard.
2-T looked over at Mike. He looked upset. But then again, who wouldn't be? He didn't tell anyone, but he knew Bog was going to be doing this. If B-Bop found out, he'd be dead.....literly. Angela, without the proper care, was now well on the way to her death. Unless....no. That type of cure could never happen. He shook his head, his Angie was going to die. And there was nothing he or his friends could do about it.
When they arrived at Mikes house, the blonde boy walked to his house door and said the password, "Opensaysme", and walked inside. He layed Angela on the couch and got his first good look at her. Her face was pale and terror-filled. Her breathing seemed alright...for now. But he was scared. No, not just scared. Angry. Why had he even yelled at her? If he hadn't, she wouldn't have stormed away. She wouldn't have been in the way of the beam....and the beam would of hit him....oh man, what had he done?! No how many times she had called him 'Mikey' was he this angry. He furiously blinked tears out of his green eyes and looked at his friends. Cedric put a hand on his shoulder and looked at him. "Listen, Mike. I know your upset and everything, but we--" "FHUMP!" "UMPH!". A sickening crack rippled through the silent house. Mike looked up from his swing. Cedric was crumpled on the floor holding his cheek. Crimson blood seeped from between his fingers. He looked up at the older boy, his eyes full of loathing. "Listen to me! Just because your mad cause' Angies' sick, dosen't mean you can go off an' slug me!" He screamed. Mike glared at him. "You have no idea how I feel now, Cedric. No idea what so ever." he whispered under his breath. "Let's go clean that up, Ced. I think MIKE, needs to get a relaity check." B-Bop reasoned as he motioned for 2-T to take Cedric to the kitchen.
2-T gathered the minor supplies to clean Cedric's bleeding cheek. Things like, a few bandages, some peroxide, a wet cloth, and some bandage tape. "You do know why Mike's so mad, right Ced?" 2-T inquired as he wiped the wet cloth on Cedric's cheek. "Yea. But that dosen't mean he can go and beat up anyone he wants." Cedric argued. The short alien sighed. He had to tell the one person that he knew would keep this horrible secret safe. "Listen, Cedric. I need to tell you something. I knew all about this. I knew exactly when and where this was going to happen. Bog informed me all about this.". The dark-skinned teen almost fell off the stool he was seated on. His breath suddenly came in broken short gasps. "What do you mean you knew? You mean you could have stopped this before it happened?" He asked between gasps. His breathing became short and forced. Panic was lacing his features, making him look much older than he really even was. "Cedric, come on. Take a breath, please. Breath, Ced. Your face is turning purple." 2-T advised. The boy fianally slowed his breaths to a semi-broken state and allowed the alien to clean and bandage his face. "Listen though Cedric. I know your scared. But you can't tell anyone. Got it? Or else B-Bop'll kill me alive. Understand?" He asked firmly. The teen nodded carefully. Hopping down off the stool, Cedric ran a hand through his hair. This was bad. No. This wasn't bad, this was downright wrong. If 2-T had knew all about this, then why hadn't he said something before?
Coming out of the kitchen, Cedric heard B-Bop speaking to Mike about Angie. "Mabye, if she hears a familiar voice, she'll be comforted." He said to the boy. "How is she?" 2-T asked. Mike looked at the two as they walked into the room. Mike cast his green eyes downward and said, "I'm really sorry for um, hitting you earlier. I shouldn't have gotten so mad. It's just that I'm worried about Angela. I keep thinking that this is all a joke and she'll wake up. But, I have this nagging in the back of my mind, that she won't.". Cedric walked up to his best friend and placed his hand on his shoulder. "I know your upset and we all are. But I think you should really rest a while. Your gonna wear yourself to death if you keep this up.". Sighing, he looked over at Angie. 'This is bad. Really bad.' He thought.
As night assended on the house, everyone began to tire. Mike stifuled a yawn as he for about the thousanth time looked down at Angie on the couch. Her breathing was harsh and rough. A wet cloth was placed on her head to try and keep her fever down. Cedric walked into the room with a glass of water and some pills. "Take these." He demanded. He handed the glass and pills to Mike, who at the moment, was too tired to even care what his friend had said. Popping the pills in his mouth, he downed them with a long gulp of water. In about 3 minuets, he fell limp and asleep. "What'd you give him?" Do-Wah asked from behind. Cedric smirked, "NiQuil. Knocks me out all the time. Figured he'd be to tired to care what I gave him.". "Ingenious idea, Ced. Real brains."chuckled 2-T. He seemed tense and uptight since he told Cedric about how he knew. With a quick glance at Angie, Cedric yawned. "I may not be a genious like mister Psyco Enegenieer, but I know when your tired." B-Bop said to him. Smirking, he looked over at Angie again. "Is she supposed to be this pale?" He asked. His brown eyes were wide in fear. B-Bop looked across from where he was, and gasped. Her lips were lined a pale blue and her face was as white as a sheet. "If this is what I think it is...." He trailed and walked over. Placing his one hand over her mouth and nose, his eyes widended. "Angie isn't breathing!" He screamed, horrified. Almost instantly, any awake occupant in the house went haywire. Dog started barking like crazy, Cedric began hyperventalaiting, 2- T tried to calm him down, Do-Wah started shaking Angie as hard as he could, and B-Bop was trying to stop him for hurting her anymore that he already was. "Cedric, do you know CPR?" 2-T asked the shaking boy. He nodded with a jerk of his head. Falling beside the sofa, he jerked away a panking Do-Wah with suprising force and pinched Angie's nose shut and breathed once, twice into her mouth. Leaning up, he arranged his hands in the correct spot on her chest and began to try and force the female teen to breath. He repeated once more with breathing in her mouth. Still no change. He began to panic once more, his own breaths becoming sharp and quick. "Calm down, Cedric. No pressure, but Angies' life is in your hands!" 2-T urged. Suddenly, in the middle of the second breath, Angela let out a wheeze and gasped for air. Cedric remained hovering over her, just to be safe. Slowly, the color returned to her lips and her cheeks, filling them with blood. Cedric let out a long sigh of a breath he'd been holding. Standing up, he suddenly swayed as his knees gave out from beneath him. 2-T leaned to catch him just before he hit the floor. In the short aliens' arms, Cedric seemed so small and childish and innocent. But then again, he was. He was the youngest of all the kids though. He had fallen asleep out of pure exaustion. Sighing he carefully turned to B-Bop. "There's some blankets and pillows in the hall closet. Go get them. I can't put Ced down or he'll wake up." 2-T whispered. B-Bop nodded and motioned for Do-Wah to follow. In a few minets, the duo returned carrying a few blankets and pillows. Do-Wah held up Angie's head and slipped a pillow beneath it and then pulled a blanket up to her chest and B-Bop dittoed for Mike. 2-T allowed his friends to do the same thing for Cedric and he lay him down. "They really need the sleep. They've had a hard day." B-Bop whispered. The aliens made sure everything was locked up, and every window was closed before they aswell turned in. Just before falling asleep, 2-T whispered to himself, and hopefully Cedric would hear it, "your a hero, Ced. Never forget that."
"Somebody....anybody, help...........please..." Moaned a quiet voice. 2- T opened his eyes and looked around the darkened room. Somebody was talking in their sleep. More like crying. Standing up, he walked twards the noise. He followed the voice to where Cedric was sleeping. He looked down and saw that the small teen was close to crying. He was tossing and turning all over the place and was squeezing his eyes shut, as in in fear. Reaching down, he gentally shook him almost awake. "Cedric, Ced wake up. Your having a nightmare. Ced wake up." He coaxed. But he didn't wake up. He shook Cedric harder by both shoulders and spoke slightly louder. In a flash he woke up and took a deep gasp of air before completly breaking down crying. This took him by suprise, Cedric never cried, ever. "Ced, calm down. Calm down. It's okay. It's okay....what happened?" 2-T quipped to the boy. The boy took a shuddering breath and began to speak carefully. He had had a nightmare. Of the house collapsing and everyone was dying. Angie was already dead. Mike was well on his way as well. Bog had arrived. "And that's all I remeber." He explained. Sighing, 2-T just rocked the small shaking teen gently as sleep over took him once more. "This is getting worse then I thought. It's effecting everyone. I knew that it was going to be bad. But not like this." He whispered. He didn't know it, but he fell asleep.
The Next Morning...
Mike opened his eyes from sleeping. Bright sunlight glared in his eyes, making him squint. Sitting up, the blanket that had been put around him fell off. Angie was still asleep, as with Cedric and the Martians. He looked at the clock hanging on the wall above him. 9 am. Sighing, he stood up, his head hurt. Then he remebered the pills that Cedric had given him. Being careful not to wake up anyone, he walked into the kitchen. There on the counter was the medical supplies used yesterday for Cedric and next to it, a box of Extra-Strength NiQuil. He smirked. "Leave it to the youngest to think of that." He sighed. Suddenly, a soft thud jerked him even more awake then he even was. Looking back into the living room, he saw Cedric was awake and sitting up while looking around the room with wide, curious eyes. "Ced? Did I wake you up? Sorry..."He trailed as his eyes fell on the smaller boys' slightly swollen face, the bruise an ugly shade of purple. The smaller boy looked down at the floor beneath him. "It's okay, you didn't wake me. I just heard a noise." He replied. "Oh. That was me. Sorry." Was the soft apology. Do-Wah turned over suddenly in his sleep and muttered something about Bloat Worms. Cedric made a face. Well, the best face you could make when half of it was bruised like a bad apple. "He got me to try one of those, remeber? They may taste like chicken to him, to me they taste like eating cold noodles, espically when their raw." He sighed. Suddenly, Dog's alarm went off, waking everyone but Angie awake. B-Bop stood up and stretched. "You two sleep well?" He asked the two boys. They nodded. 2-T stood and leaned over to Cedric. "Lemme see you face."He demanded. Turning his face so the bruised side faced the alien, 2-T peeled away the bandage. "Ewww..."He trailed. Mikes' angry knuckle marks stood out even on his dark skin. Small, rough, scabs were lacing around the broken skin and the bruise was raised slightly raised from the normal level of skin. "Hmmm. It looks infected slightly."The technicion mused. He turned suddenly to Mike, who had been staring dumbstruck at the mark 'HE' had made. "Mike? Can you get me some more salve and bandages, please?" He asked him. He nodded dumbly.
Walking out of the room he turned to look out the window. There, out of all his most horrible nightmares, could have added up to this. Martian Shock Troops were lining the sky. "B-BOP!!!!" He cried, just as the first shot struck a scant ten yards from the house. The backfire shook every occupant in the house off their feet. Angie tumbled off the couch and landed head first, thunking her head on the corner of the coffee table. Cedric who had just stood up, was violently thrown off his feet to land on the floor, injured faced side first. He cried out in pain as the coarse carpet rubbed against raw flesh. The three martians looked at eachother and nodded, their gazes obviously begging, 'B...K...M!'. "But we have to get the kids outta here before we do anything crazy!"Do-Wah interveined. But just as Dog was about to send a warning to Mike to run back to the living room, a blast, a Particle Beam was shot at the house. Mike immedatly came running back the room. Mike looked at Cedric, Cedric looked at Mike. 2-T looked at Cedric, Cedric looked at 2-T. "This is bad, really bad!"cried Do-Wah out in worry. Mike picked up Angie in his arms. Suddenly, a particle beam struck the house, making it burst into flames. A transmission came through on Dog. It was Bog. "I see my Shock Troops got there before I did! I know that you've been goofing off for quite sometime! Now The Blue Planet will suffer from you being traitors!" He cried. The transmission died down and suddenly, one if the rafters started to fall. It was just like in his dream. Cedric was going do be crushed! B-Bop caught on quick. "Ced look out!" He cried and tackled the young boy just as the rafter fell excatailly where the boy had been a split second ago. Suddenly, just like in the dream, Dog blew up, and just like in his dream, and just as planed, the shrapnel caught him around the temple. "Ah!"He cried. Wiping away the frantically running blood from the cut, he looked at his friends. Suddenly, as if on some out-of-the-world cue, Stoat Muldoon was heard. "Step away from the burning inferno, Alien Scum! Don't worry kids! Stoat Muldoon....Alien Hunter will save you!" He cried. Cedric rolled his eyes. "Why now!? Now of all times did he have to show up!?"He screamed. Mike's eyes widended. Cedric was loosing it. Once again, just like in his dream, his lungs began to grow tight with the black smoke. He began to cough as Muldoon began to kick at the thick titanium door. "Mike....say the...password!" Choked B-Bop from inbetween coughs. "Open...open...opensaysme!"Mike cried as loud as he could. The door flew open and Muldoon burst in. "Come on young peoples! It's time Stoat Muldoon got you out of here!" He cried. And he ushered everyone out of the house. He couldn't see Mike through the thick smoke. Suddenly, Mike's eyes went as wide as saucers. Looking around, he saw the rafters begin to fall all at once. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. No sound. No feeling. No nothing. He didn't see the rafter above him begin to fall right above him. Throwing Angie as far away from him as he could, the rafter crashed, striking him with a voilent blow over the back. He felt something crack and couldn't feel his legs. Another blow to struck him on the back of his neck, pinning him fully. His neck hurt so much. So much. Before he passed out from the pain, he remebered hearing those so familiar words for the last time: "B...K...M!". 'Angela....please get better....' He thought thickly as his thoughts were no more and everything went black.
Cedrics' brown eyes were wide as he curled up into a tight ball. He knew he was acting far to childish for a boy of his intellegence, but he didn't care. He was going to die. "Hail Mary. Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee..."He repeated over and over again. "Save the praying for Angie, Cedric. It's going to be alright." Called a VERY familiar voice. Looking up, he saw 2-T standing there, 'BKMized' that is. "All right!"He cried. Picking up the boy, he began to lead him outside into the clean air, but the Troops were still firing. Cedric began to cough hard. The smoke was becoming choking. "Just hang on Ced! We're almost outside! Just hold on!" 2- T cried after hearing the boy's coughs. "This should REALLY get you guys in some brownie points with Muldoon!"Cedric joked, once outside. The suddenly Troops dissapeared. Then he realized, that Angie, B-Bop, himself, 2-T, Do- Wah, and Muldoon were there. "Where's Mike?!"He cried. Everyone there, humans and aliens alike, froze. "He wouldn't still be in there would he? I mean....Mikey's smarter than that....right? He would of tried to get out the back."Asked Do-Wah in a strange voice, so unlike his normal, happy-go- lucky tone. "You can never tell, Alien Scum. He might as well be pronounced- -" Muldoon was quickly cut off as 2-T pointed to where Cedric was sitting near Angie. His knees where drawn to his chest and his chin was resting on them. His arms were wrapped around himself in some fruitless attempt to comfort himself. And then Bog's insanic cackling could be heard as he cried, "the damage has been done!".
Cautiouly walking over, the martians looked at what was left of the house. A sudden murmering noise brought everyone's attention to where Muldoon was hovering over Angela. She was awake and sitting up, looking around curiously. "Looks like I missed the party huh?" She asked. Cedrics' head jerked up. "Angela!" He cried happily. With out warning, he threw his arms around the older teen and held her in a friendly embrace. "Man, I thought we lost you forever!" He cried as he hugged his friend.
B-Bop tramped through what was left of the rebuliding house. "I know he's around her here some where..."He muttered. "Mike! Mikey! Hey Mike!"He called out. Kicking around some fallen shingles, he unearthed something shiny. Mikey's Goggles. "Oh My God..."He murmered under his breath. Mike NEVER went anywhere with out these. Ever. "If his goggles are here, then he can't be very far."He said aloud. Walking around he continued to call his friends name. He began to worry. Then he saw it. Pinned under two rafters, in a small pool of crimson. "Mike!"He cried. Running to him, he carefully shoved the two heavy rafters pinning the boy to the ground. Kneeling down, he placed a hand on the teen's side, and shook him very gently. "Mike. Mikey. Mikey come on. It's time to get up Mike." He urged. Then he gasped as he moved his hand over the boy's side. The bones moved eaisly. To eaisly. "Mikey? Mike. Come on. Can you hear me?" He asked. His voice growing slighly hysterical. His hand moved up to the teen's neck, and what he found, shocked him beyond belief. Snapped cleanly in two. Only a small ring of bruises that would never heal on his neck. Then he was aware of the akward angle of his back. Broken. "Mikey..."He breathed. "Mikey!"He cried. His voice surging with not only saddness, and agony. But hysteria. Mike was dead. Hopefully quick and slighly painless. Picking up the limp head of Mike, which was still attached, but only by skin and tissue, and he set the goggles back onto Mike's forehead. He ran his armored hand over the spikes of hair and let out a slow, quivering breath and he felt a lump form in his throat. He picked up the limp, broken, battered body of his friend. Wincing as he did. He was always taught to leave the dead, and continue on. To get on with life. But that was back home. Back home on Hell. This was Earth. He noticed that Mikey's crimson blood stained the yellow and grey armor of his gloves. He sighed. "I never thought it would end like this, Mike.". He turned and walked back to the house. Noone would be going to bed with a happy heart tonight. Noone except the only thing in the universe without a heart. Bog. He would be going to bed with that horrible, evil, twisted, cunning grin on his lips. Now all B-Bop wanted to do was rip that horrible grin off his Emperor's face and blast it to ashes.
Angie looked around, noting they were one kid short. "Where's Mikey?" She asked aloud. "Yeah, where is he? I figured if he got out the back, he would have caught up with us by now." Cedric sighed. "I've got him." Replied a somber voice. B-Bop came walking over from the half-demolished house, which was slowly rebuilding itself. Mike's battered body in his arms. He was dirty, slightly bloody, and look like had been through Hell, and back. "I don't think the kids should see this..."trailed B-Bop nervoulsy with a glance to Cedric and Angela. "Why? What's the matter? If if's only some busted bones or something, like an arm or a leg, it's won't bug us. Mabye blood, but not broken bones."Angie sighed. "It's alot worse then broken arms or legs."2-T said sadly, looking at Mike. Angela paled about four shades lighter. Cedric took a deep breath. Both children got up, Angie using Muldoon as a hand hold for support, and walked over. There, in B- Bops' arms, was Mike. His clothers were smeared with his own blood, his back arched at an awkard angle, as well with his neck. Cedric looked horrified. "Angie? Why is his neck bent like that?" He asked, even though he already knew the answer. "He broke his neck when the rafter fell on him. That's where I found him, pinned under two of them."The Leader explained. Muldoon looked up at the massive aliens and sighed. He now didn't see them as threats, but life savers. Three rogue aliens that were PROTECTING this planet. Not trying to take over. Angie heard Cedric take a shaking breath, the young boy obiously shaken quite badly over all this. She waved her fingers tward herself and held open her arms. Cedric allowed himself to be held by Angie. He began to feel the burning tears sting his eyes as he tried blinked them away with no avail. Angie felt a few tears drop onto her white teeshirt. Cedric was crying. In all the years that they had been friends, never did she remeber seeing him cry. "Hey, it's okay, Ced. It's okay to act your age for once."Angie soothed. 'He's only twelve, he should be able to do this.' She thought to herself silently. "What are we going to do with him?" Do-Wah asked as he tore his eyes from Angie holding Cedric. "We'll have to tell his parents. Sooner or later. But I don't know what they'll think of us." 2-T sighed. Obviously, Mike's death was weighing heavally on everyone. "What was the boy's name?" Muldoon asked the group. "Mikey. His name was Mikey."Angie whispered. Looking down, Muldoon shook his head. "I don't understand it. I took this job to PROTECT humans. Not kill them. Now it's too late." He sighed. Suddenly 2-T jerked up from his sadness. "I think I know how we can save him. It might be a little crazy, but I think I can make it work!"He cried. "How are you going to do that? His neck is broken, and his back, when those are broken, it's over."Cedric mumbled sadly from Angies' shoulder. "Bone Replacement. It's this little gizmo that I thought up and made a while back. Heck knows when you guys are with us, we'd need it sometime. What it does is litteraly, take out all the bones in his body, and repairs them, then place them back in." He tecnician explained. "But how is that gonna make him alive again. His hearts' dead. So even if you fixed all the bones in his body, he's still be dead." Cedric argued. 2-T shook his head from underneath his helmet, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "That's a little bonus I put in. When the bones are placed back in the body, the reformed bones shock whatever has stopped functioning."He said to the boy. "Should we let him do it, Angie?" Cedric asked as he lifted his head from her shoulder. She shrugged. "What choices do we have? Either Mike stays dead, or we let 2-T try this weird invention on him. What do you think Muldoon?" Angie sighed and looked at him. "I think we should let him try it. We don't have a choice. What would we tell his parents. I know that they wouldn't be very happy." The man replied. Angie nodded and said, "All right. You can try this....Bone Replacement thing." 2-T reached into a fold in his armor, and pulled out what looked like a silver box with lots of small holes in it. "Lets just hope this works."He muttered. Do-Wah looked on as he trained his eyes on the two teens and the insane alien hunter. "Hey B-Bop, do you really think that this is a good idea letting 2-T try out his invention on Mikey? I mean, not alot of his inventions have actually ever worked right.". "I don't know, Do- Wah, but we have to keep up hope." He replied. Setting the box down infront of Mike's prone form, 2-T pressed the button ontop of the box.
Angie gasped as the light became too bright that was streaming from the box became too bright for her too see. Just barely she saw the most amazing thing in the world. Mike's broken skeleton being taken from his body. Slowly, everyone heard the broken bones repairing themselves. Then as the light died down, the bones slid back into his body. A few sudden, electrical jolts shook his body uncontroallbly. "His vitals are coming back!"B-Bop reported exciteldy. With a small groan, Mike's eyes became barely visible slits of green, which soon became wide, but sleepy eyes. "Mike!"Angie cried. Turning his head slightly to her, he muttered, "Now I know what they mean by 'The Light At The End Of The Tunnel'.". Angie and Cedric smirked. Slowly helping him to stand, Cedric grinned, "welcome back.". 2-T grinned to his friends, "looks one of my inventions fianally did work." He smiled. Mike slowly sat up, shaking his head to clear it slightly. "What a day...huh?" He chuckled slightly. Sighing, Angie helped him to stand. "You could say that.". A cough broke the sudden unnerving silence. "Mabye we could I don't know ummm.....get out of the broad daylight? It's kid of weird seeing nine foot aliens in your front yard Mike."Cedric pointed out. "But the house--"Mike began, only to see the house had rebuilt itself, again. As the large group began to walk twards the house, Mike asked, "Hey Angie? What made you wake up?". Angie shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "I dunno really. Something just told me to.....well....wake up really. It's a little stupid when I think about it actually.". Cedric jogged up beside the duo and smirked. "Ced? Have you been crying or something?" Mike asked him. Upon closer inspection, he was right. His eyes were moist and red. With a quick swipe of the hand, his eyes were somewhat back normal. "Nope." . Chuckling, Mike fianally asked, "hey 2-T, your pretty smart right? If Angie was still sick...how did she wake up with out anyone knowing?". 2-T laughed nervously. "Well, uhh I'm kinda responsible for all that, and umm, all this."He said nervously. B-Bop grabbed the Martian Tech from the front, and screamed, "you WHAT?!". "B- Bop! B-Bop! Back off! It's over know. It's over now. Angie's gonna be fine, I'm not dead, and the world isn't coming to an end! It'll be fine. Now what were you gonna say? About how Angie got better so soon?" Mike said as seperated the aliens. "The only way that Angela could have woken up, is if someone that has known her for a certain amount of time lost their life. It's really complicated. It all really dependes if that last thought in their mind was on them." 2-T explained. "Mike.....you were the only that died...were you actually thinking of me?"Angela asked him. Mike blushed hard and nodded. "Awwww, is our widdle Mikey growing up?"B-Bop chuckled. "Hey! That's MIKE! Not Mikey!"He cried. "I'm afraid I have to leave now, Alien Scum. But if you even think of pulling any funny business, I'll catch you in the act.". And with that, the Hunter left. "Cedric watched him leave, "you know, I think he gets crazier every time we meet him.". 2-T smirked. "Ohhh, I don't think he'll be remembering this one Ced. I made sure I left him a parting gift in the Van before he left.".
Muldoon was driving back to the silo, when he spotted something in a small, wrapped box on the passenger side seat. "Hmmm, wonder what's this?" He inquired aloud. Parking the Hover Van infront of the silo, he walked out with the box. Unwrapping the box, he revealed a VERY familiar clearish, purplish pyramid shaped thing. Before he could drop it, the purple gas sprayed him full in the face. "But Mommy....I don't wanna see the scary clown..."he muttered sleepily, before hitting the ground.
3 Months Later....
"Mike! Wake up! Mike!". A sudden slap on the upside of his head. Once more being jerked out of his dreams, Mike found himself looking at Anglea. "What?!"He cried. Then he felt a sense of Deja Vu setting in. Just before Angela stomped off to go break something out of her temper, Mike caught her arm. "Just to be safe, why don't you go AROUND the Doom Chase 5000 this time, huh?"He asked. Angela smiled. "Don't want that to happen again.". "Nope.". A really annoying pause set in the air. "Hey! Do we have to wait here all day? We wanna see some action!" Cried a voice. "Yeah! Kiss her already Mikey!" Cried another. "Where's the soda?" asked another. "I paid good money to see this! Come one already!" Cried a fourth. The duo turned to see B-Bop, 2-T, Do-Wah, and Cedric all sprawled out on chairs, soda ans popcorn in hands. "Go already!" Cheered B-Bop. Dog was standing next to B- Bop, camera rolling. When Angela was busy glaring at them, he quick moved foreward in a flash, and kissed her on the cheek. Everything went silent. Angie turned around to face him, her eyes wide in suprise. All the other boys minus Mike that is, let their jaws drop. Angie leaned foreward, and kissed him back. "That's how you do it."She smirked. Sudden cheered could then be heard from all around the boarded up, old Zaps. Three human, three martian, and one barking.
This had been one Hell of three months, and three days.