Synopsis: It has been seven months since General Parvo's defeat in episode thirteen. Since then he has been perfecting a new technology that can finally give the half-cat conqueror the victory he desperately seeks. The road rovers like the rest of the world have written him off as a threat no more, enjoying more time to themselves and not having to worry about Parvo's plans. But will Parvo's new plan to use the technology to create a new anti-rover team finally deliver him the world? Or has Parvo finally bitten off more than he can chew? Let the battle begin…
Road Rovers
The Ghost Warriors
Chapter 1
Darkness Reborn
General Parvo stared out into the night sky with a touch of anticipation in his eye. The late night moon nearly blocked out the surrounding stars, illuminating the never-ending forests of northwest Montana heading south. Parvo was lost in a deep thought on how the world would react to his unexpected return. For months now, General Parvo had been painstakingly researching, building, and perfecting a new technological advantage that would finally deliver the world to General Parvo's hands.
"Conquest…" The general hissed to himself. "The one goal that torments me, being so close, then slip away at the paws of mere dogs!"
Hepunched the wall of his ship hard in an angry way; the mere thought of his army of cano-mutants being beaten time and again by no more than a squad of smaller Canines was enough to make Parvo see red for weeks. Parvo droppedhis fist from the wall and placed his hands together behind him. As he did, he heard the door hiss open behind him. There in the doorway stood the Groomer, Parvo's loyal follower and second in command. Groomer approached her commander with a slightly amused look on her face.
"Having memories again sir?" Groomer asked intently.
"No groomer, I thought I'd look better as a tomato!" General Parvoshot back still in a frustrated mindset.
"Just thought I'd ask; no need to be so testy sir, especially with our new invention ready to go sir. I came to see where you wanted to go" the groomer reported.
Parvo's dark mood dissipated as the groomer reported the invention. He couldn't wait to initiate his new strategy. The only thing left to do was to find a wolf pack that would be good subjects to test his new nano-bots.
"Groomer," Parvo boomed before turning to the window "…where are we?"
The Groomer approached the main console and, with the push of a red button, brought the console to life with a picture of Wyoming on. "We are over Yellowstone national park sir!"
Parvo, who still looking out over Yellowstone, ordered his assistant in an anticipating dark tone, "Then ready the Cano-mutants groomer. our victory begins here!"
"Yes sir!" the groomer fired to her leader and ran out of the room.
Parvo smiled intently as he gazed into the moonlit forest and announced in a victorious tone of voice, "Victory…thy name is Parvo!"
Hunter dodged the blue lasers that blew past him. Across the bay from Hunter, hiding behind several crates, were four bikers with long, metallic blue laser guns. Hunter couldn't help but snicker and asked himself amused, "Jeez with the most up-to-date technology you would think that we would have drones that could shoot straight."
Hunter then noticed a small gap in the crates no more than ten feet in diameter.
"Well, good news is I found something…bad news is I don't have an idea of how to get there" Hunter said lightly to himself. "Oh duh!"
Hunter chuckled to himselfbefore using his super speed to dash between the rocks and turned around. The bikers turned around in surprise to find the road rover leader behind them with a smile on his face, arms crossed and one leg over the other. The rover asked in an amused tone of voice, "Hey guys, what'cha shooting at?"
"How the?" The biker leader asked confused.
"Who cares how he got there, let's get him!" another biker shouted, and the four raced towards the rover.
Hunter found a pipe nearby, as the first of the four bikers approached him, the biker threw a punch, but Hunter ducked and struck the biker in cheek with the pipe. The biker collapsed and is enveloped by a white glow; when the glow subsided, there was nothing but a floating grey orb.
"Why you!" the second Biker shouted vengefully and ran toward hunter with another piece of metal pipe in hand.
Hunter turned his attention to the charging Holo-Thug and punched the thug hard in his stomach, then, using the same move as before, conked the Holo-thug on the head and watched as the collapsing Hologram was once again cut off into a second floating sphere. Hunter smiled and thought to himself "You know this is so easy it's almost sad."
Hunter then felt his whole body being constricted. He could only turn his head around to see the third Holo-Thug holding him in place.
"Now!" shouted the third Holo-thug.
the Holo-thug leader pulled out and pointed a revolver straight at Hunter. Hunter immediately moved his head forward and conked the third Holo-thug in the face, releasing his grip on hunter. The Road Rover grabbed the third Holo-thug by the shirt collar and tossed him towards the fourth and final Holo-thug. A loud thud was heard as the Holo-thugs collided.
Hunter turned around with a satisfied look on his face and said in a triumphant tone of voice, "And that's how Road Rovers take out the trash."
"Nice work Untie," A female English voice said over the loudspeaker as the dock faded into a grey tiled room. A door on the farthest wall from Hunter opened as a brown and white Collie cano-sapien emerged from the darkness beyond the doorway. She walkedup to Hunter with a smile and said in a congratulatory tone of voice, "You really put a walloping on those blokes Huntie."
"Thanks Colleen," Hunter said in an accomplished state of mind.
A dark brown male Doberman and a blue and white male Husky,with his arms folded, walked out of the shadows.
"It wasn't as nearly good as my touchy biting," the Doberman noted in a defiant tone of voice.
With an eyebrow raised, the husky fired back in an amused tone of voice,"oh yeah blitz, everyone wanted to see you hide for half the fight."
Blitz fired in an angry response, "I was thinking of a strategy!"
Everyone around Blitz laughed, andAs their laugh faded, the red emergency lights began to flash and the sirens blared throughout the base. The Rovers heard Masters voice come over the loudspeakers across the base, "My pets, General Parvo has resurfaced, report to briefing for orders."
The Road Rover leader clenched his fist in frustration as he heard their targets name. "Parvo? I thought muzzle's mauling would've got the message through to them that they just wont conquer the world". He found himself asking out loud.
Colleen looked at him and responded in an attempt to lighten his mood, "Well, if muzzle's teeth aren't enough to get through that thick head, I don't know what is."
Hunter just kept his straight face as they dashed to the briefing room, but the truth in Colleen's observation was just as plain, if slightly funny, as the nose on his face.
Parvo descended the ramp that spat out from his ship like a tongue. his eyes stayed fixed on the forest that surrounded him and his Cano-mutant soldiers.
"Groomer, can our ship be noticed on radar?" General Parvo asked concerned.
"No sir! No one knows we are here or will know for awhile unless visually spotted," the groomer said confidently.
General Parvo took this in and was pleased so far that no one knew he was in the park or what his plans were. "What about the park rangers?" Parvo asked, trying to hide his concern.
"They wont make their rounds for another hour sir"
"Very good then," Parvo said, still showing no sign of emotion.
Suddenly, Parvo heard the cry of a wolf pack nearby to the west near the river. Parvo slowly lifted his head in the direction of the howl and, with a dark mood but with a smile on his face, said, "our test subjects as if on cue. Cano-mutants find the source of that howl and bring every wolf back here. Start near the river!"
The Cano-mutants saluted and rushed off into the forest to find their targets. Some of Their guns were armed with new transdogmafier darts at the ready; most others usedregular tranquilizer darts.
The Cano-mutants spotted the wolf pack through the breaks of the bushes, and waited for the best moment to strike the unsuspecting wolves with the new weapon. In front of the Cano mutants stood an all black wolf leading six other wolves to the river for a late night drink. This all black wolf had a built chest and legs. On his face, he bared four claw marks across his face from a previous battle for dominance. In front of the pack, a small boy nicknamed Peter was petting the black wolf. Peter smiled amused as the black wolf did as he always did while he was being petted, which was turn his head away after a few minutes of the same rub up and down his nose.
"Adrian, you're always going to have that shy side of you aren't you? Well my old friend, I cant blame you. I'd be wary too if almost every male in a five mile radius would try and dethrone me too. But cant you at least trust me? We've known each other since we were little, and after all…" He concluded as he held up a picture of himself and Adrian as toddlers, "You do owe me one for saving you from the bear."
"Paytah!" the boy heard a female voice cry out from the forest.
the boy smiled back at Adrian and calmly said to him, "Well boy, see you tomorrow. Coming mom!"
As Adrian saw the boy disappear into the distance, he could faintly hear Peter's voice, "Mom, you know I prefer Peter!"
General Parvo had snuck in as his troops waited and spotted the proud looking wolf. "Oh, The all black one in the front, he's Perfect! He looks like he's had his fair share of battles. he will be our first volunteer for project Phantom's tests. But first, we must wait for the boy to get out of here! Groomer, have only one transdogmafier dart ready to fire and have the rest stored for later. I want that black wolf as my first Phantom Rover! "
The Groomer nodded silently and signaled to one of the Cano-mutants for only one transdogmafier dart to be 's ears reared back behind him as he turned around suddenly; his teeth barred and growling lowly.
"Blast! We've been discovered! Oh well, It will be quick. Cano mutants open fire!" General Parvo pointed to the wolf pack as the Cano-mutants began launching their tranquilizer darts at the other wolves.
the fateful transdogmafier dart was already pointed at Adrian, and without a passing thought, the fired transdogmafier dart was true to itsmark. Adrian felt a sudden pinch in his side as he looked and saw a dart with a red feather sticking out of his ribs. The world around Adrian began to fade as he started to succumb to the darts knock out power. As he fell on his side, he felt several cold and tiny nails running up and down his spine. eventually, the nails found their way inside of his head. Weakened and tranquilized, Adrian continued to drift between consciousness and unconsciousness.
It was over as soon as it began. The entire wolf pack had been tranquilized and was ready for transport. General Parvo kneeled next to Adrian, who couldn't see him clearly, and placed his hand on Adrian's forehead. Parvo hid his joy in a concerned tone as he told Adrian "Don't worry my canine friend, I'll not only help you, but I will make you stronger than you ever dreamed possible."
Adrian could only continue to fight to remain conscious, but Adrian didn't trust the way the man said 'Stronger than you ever dreamed.'
"All right Groomer! Load the rest of the pack in the back cages of the ship. Then get Adrian here to the medical table, we don't have much time before the nano-bots begin their transdogmafication process!" barked general Parvo.
"aye sir" said the groomer saluting.
Fifteen minutes passed before the whole pack was brought on board the ship.
"Sir, we're all set to launch!" reported the Groomer with a smile.
"Then get Adrian here to the medical bay. It's time to see our plan in action!" said Parvo carefully handing Adrian to the Groomer.
The groomer received Adrian and proceeded, with General Parvo close behind, up the ramp when off in the distance they could hear "Let's fetch them Road Rovers!" and a howl just after the battle cry.
"Groomer, get him to the medical bay now!" Parvo bellowed.
The groomer nodded as she carried Adrian's unconscious body up the ramp and disappeared into the doorway.
"Parvo!" yelledhunter as the Road Rovers stopped short of the ramp, "those wolves didn't do anything to you!"
Parvo replied as menacingly as he could while he pulled out a small, grey smoke grenade, "It's not what they did TO me. It's what their going to do FOR me! So long Road Rovers, you'll need more than luck to even gain an advantage against my next plan!"
Parvo pulled the pin from the smoke grenade and hurled it toward the Rovers. AsGeneral Parvo ran into his ship, the doorway behind him slammed shut as the grenade goes off, Blinding the road rovers temporarily. As they struggled to have a clear sense of sight, the Road Rovers heard the large booms reminiscent of engines. Pretty soon the rumble had gotten fainter and fainter until it disappeared into the distance.
"Blimey, we lost them!" Colleen cried out coughing as the smoke cleared.
The smoke finally cleared leaving the Rovers in the middle of the moon lit forest.
"looks like we were too lateski," observed Exile.
"yeah, and the wolf pack is gone as well. looks like we have a worldwide search on our hands guys," said Hunter, hiding his disappointment with determination. "Come on guys, lets get back to the ship and inform the Master."
As they boarded their ship and sat in their respective cockpit chairs, Colleen pressed a red button near a television monitor that buzzed to life, showing the master.
"Sorry, master," Hunter began elaborating. "but Parvo got away with the whole pack, and we have no idea where he went."
The master's eyes showed no emotion, but the tone of his voice was enough for the Rovers to know this was not welcome news.
"Then we have much work to do," The master said, covering the bottom half of his face with his hand. "Before you return to base my pets, go out and see if you can find anything to analyze back at base"
The road rovers saluted their master once again and raced back down the ramp and into the forest.
Adrian could barely identify where he was now. all he knew was that he was lying on a cold steel bed. Adrian could barely feel anything on his body. The only thing he could feel was all of the muscles in his body began to stretch, ache, and grow. Parvo stood behind a window of a hidden room, observing Adrian while waiting impatiently for the nano-bots to begin their transdogmafication to take effect. Parvo checked his watch frequently, only to find no signs of mutation present.
As Adrian finally began to collapse from the darts effects, He felt a sudden pain in his head as if someone stabbed a knife into his brain. The muscles in his body began to stretch and strengthen to the point where they felt like they where on fire. for Adrian, those few minutes seemed like an eternity as his body and mind began to transform and grow. With his endurance finally at its limit, Adrian let out a scream that didn't sound like the typical canine yelpbut was more long and drawn out like a human's yell.
General Parvo smiled menacingly and said with satisfaction, "Victory, thy name is Parvo!"