The Rovers gathered in the main meeting room to find Shepherd at his usual station before a large screen. Usually this acted as a training room where the prof showed them videos; things like how to behave around humans and people they needed to recognize either as friends or foes. This time, though, they all knew they weren't in for a lesson.
"Road Rovers, I know you've been wondering when and how your services would be called upon again. Now the time has come, should you choose to accept it."
"What's the problem, Master?" asked Hunter.
Shepherd sagged ever so slightly. "There's no need to call me that, Hunter. As you know the government has squelched the news of your existence – with some help from my bank account," he added as an afterthought. "Now they are asking for your help in turn with a problem of grave importance. Two days ago, a battleship was attacked by an unidentified submarine in the South Pacific. All hands escaped, but the ship was lost – and so was a top-secret military device on board."
"What kind of device?" asked Colleen, lifting a hand to flip some of her hair back.
"They weren't allowed to tell me, but they did tell me that in the wrong hands it could mean the end of the free world."
The Rovers were confused. "Did you not say the ship sunk-ski?" asked Exile.
"The ship sank, but the navy's recovery vessels found no trace of the device. They believe someone – probably more than one person – stole it and escaped with the submarine responsible for the attack.
"Since that time, a satellite picked up a signal matching the device's frequency, as evidently whoever stole it was testing it out. The Marines sent in a team to retrieve it, but lost contact soon after."
"And now they want us to go in?" asked Hunter. "No offense, Master, but we've only been training for a few months now."
"Oh, is da mutt-boy scared now?" challenged Blitz.
Professor Shepherd folded his arms. "Sometimes it's good to be afraid, Blitz. Whoever is behind this is versed in military tactics and possesses what I'm told is a weapon deadly enough to place the fate of the world in jeopardy. It also places them in a position to retaliate on a level the President is anxious to avoid. The best chance of getting it back is that your powers and unconventionality will give you an advantage the thieves won't expect." Pausing a moment, he added, "Besides, it's the only way I can convince the government not to swarm in and take you and the transfigurator all off to a laboratory somewhere."
The Rovers all looked at one another, thinking that over. On the one hand, none of them had exactly asked for a future of missions too dangerous for the military. On the other hand, the prof had provided some pretty sweet digs at HQ; three square meals a day, the gym and swimming pool, and rec facilities. They even had their own rooms, and were allowed on the couches (well, most of them anyway; Shag's had broken the week before under suspicious weight-related circumstances). Now it sounded like the world really needed their help. Besides, it wasn't like they hadn't been aching to go out and flex a little more muscle.
"Alright," Colleen agreed, standing up with her hands splayed on the table. "I'm up for it."
"Ditto," Hunter chimed, rising to his feet.
Blitz and Exile couldn't very well say no after that, and with a little persuasion even Shag caved in. Professor Shepherd nodded his approval.
"Between the training and subsequent treatments in the transfigurator, all of you are stronger and more capable than you were on your last mission. Hunter, we've pretty much solved your vision problems at high speed, and Blitz's teeth and claws are now stronger than ever."
"What about us?" asked Colleen, frowning as she gestured to Exile on one side of herself and Shag on the other.
Shepherd shrugged. "Well, there's only twenty-four hours in a day," he answered in his defense. "But for all of you, I've got some new equipment as well."
He reached down and picked up a case which had been sitting at his side, sliding it over to Exile where he sat in the center of the group. Exile opened it and saw six devices like sci-fi ray guns lying between layers of ripple-textured foam.
"These DEWs – Directed Energy Weapons – can be used to generate intense heat or cold, adjusted by a switch on the side. The gauges on top show how much energy they have on top and please be careful where you point them." Shepherd added this last a little anxiously as Shag, taking one clearly designed for massive fingers, stared down the barrel as if trying to figure out how they worked.
"Too cool!" exclaimed Hunter. He eyed the sleek shape of his weapon. "Heh. It looks kind of like you, Blitz."
"It does?" asked the Doberman, eyeing his weapon. "Ooh, I like it. My face is on a gun. I am calling it Blitz Blastah now."
Colleen rolled her eyes and glanced across at Hunter. "You just had to get him stahted, didn't you?" she asked.
Hunter just shrugged helplessly. "Sorry?"
Exile squinted in confusion at his blaster as if he were trying to solve a Rubik's Cube. "Where do you get these things?"
Shepherd coughed. "Uh, from my company," he admitted, sounding rather sheepish. "Testing out their prototypes was one of the ways I placated my investors after killing the transfigurator contract."
The husky's eyes widened in surprise and dismay. "You killed contract?! What did it do?"
Hunter shook his head. "No, Exile, it's an expression."
"Contract is expression?" Now Exile just looked confused. "How you kill expression?"
Shepherd sighed. "Ask later. Now, about the mission?"
Hunter coughed. "Uh, yeah. So, what does this device look like?"
An image flashed on the screen of a peculiar object resembling a metal desk drawer with no opening on top. "This is the item you're looking for," Professor Shepherd explained. "It will probably be connected to a computer of some kind. Also, the authorities were quite clear in asking that it not be destroyed like the last time. Its retrieval is an absolute necessity."
Hunter caught a glance from Colleen at the part about 'like last time.' "Retrieval, huh?" he asked. "Good thing I'm fifty percent retriever."
"And one hundred percent mutt," argued Blitz. "I'm not taking orders from some mixed breed again. I should be top dog."
The professor sighed at their squabbling. He hadn't yet assigned a full-time leader because so far none of the team had quite risen above the others. Hunter had ample diplomatic skills and had proven himself well on the first mission, but lacked decisiveness and focus. Colleen was quick and decisive, but too sharp when bothered. Blitz was brave and strong, but lacked judgment and diplomacy. Exile had potential, but got into arguments with Blitz too readily. Shag… well, it was safe to say Shag would never be leader material. Shepherd had specifically designed the transfigurator not to interfere too much with the dogs' minds, but he wished those would improve to match their enhanced bodies.
Colleen seemed to share his perspective. "Uh, gents," she broke in, "hadn't we better discuss this on the way to the hangar?"
"Yes," Shepherd broke in. "There's tactical gear in the armory for you all – and please remember the separate changing rooms."
Colleen glowered at Blitz as they left the room.
"Someone is still carrying grudge," Exile remarked, feeling pretty confident about his wager with the Doberman.
"Stay off my side, Exile," Colleen countered.
The tactical gear, as it turned out, was much less about form and more about function than their original uniforms. Covered in a camouflage pattern and equipped with numerous pockets, the new gear felt pretty baggy. Once they had changed into it, Colleen got her wish about discussing Hunter's merits and demerits en route to the hangar. Or at least she would have gotten her wish if by 'discuss' she had meant 'continue to bicker.' Blitz spent the walk complaining about how they almost got killed on the last mission. It seemed to the rest to take twice as long as usual before they entered a large room full of vehicles. Most were air-based, although there were also several cars and a small submarine sitting on a thing like a boat trailer. The submarine was modified from a research vessel, and the aircraft were mostly acquired through Professor Shepherd's business connections.
"… and you told da mutant to put me down," added the Doberman, waving his arms.
Hunter raised his hands palms-up. "Okay, so I picked a bad choice of words."
"I think Huntuh did alright," Colleen argued, feeling the need to balance things out. She strongly suspected that if Blitz gave her that kind of lip, she would have fattened it for him. She was still miffed over the way he ogled her when he thought she wasn't looking – and often as not when he knew she was.
"Well you would think so," Blitz argued, "since he lost the mission to save you."
Colleen folded her arms. "Well, a lot of girls would find that romantic," she quipped. Glancing at Hunter, she added, "Not that you're off the hook, just so we're clear."
As entertaining as the repartee was, Hunter was getting tired of it. "Well, nobody asked me to be in charge," he admitted, shrugging. "Blitz, if you want to call the shots this time, I'm okay with that."
"Huh?"asked the others, dumbfounded.
Even Blitz seemed taken aback. "Are you serious?" he asked.
"Are you crazy?" rejoined Exile.
Blitz allowed no time to answer that question. "Alright. Colleen, you and I will take the sahb. You othahs take the plane." The fact that there were several planes in the hangar was apparently lost on him.
The others reluctantly obeyed, with Exile, Shag, and especially Colleen clearly questioning the sanity of this new chain of command.
"We should have put to vote," Exile grumbled as he, Hunter, and Shag climbed into a jet.
"This way, pretty girl doggie," Blitz practically leered as he climbed down the sub's hatch.
Colleen folded her arms. "Gee, and I thought that was one of the planes," she muttered. She thought about taking another jet. With any luck, they'd be halfway to their destination before Blitz realized he would be going alone.
"If he makes a move in my direction, this sub bettah have a backup control panel," she uttered, reluctantly descending.
As the Rovers left, the professor pulled out his phone and re-dialed the last number. It only rang once before an answer came.
"General Malone."
"It's Professor Shepherd, sir. They're on their way."
"Thank you, Professor."
Professor Shepherd held his silence for a moment, and when he did speak it wasn't to say 'You're welcome.' "General, I have to be honest. I'm not happy with this."
"Neither am I, but my higher-ups insisted. You've unleashed what could be the most powerful fighting force on the face of the earth, and after everything I did to cover for you last time, I had to give the Pentagon some reassurance that there wasn't a threat of it turning on them."
The prof knew that was true. General Malone had been his inroad to the government, and after the fiasco it was only by his string-pulling that it had been possible to withdraw the project from Uncle Sam and even Shepherd Industries. One could have argued that it was an act of embezzling, really, and the general had made it clear he disliked the whole thing, but there really wasn't much alternative.
"Professor?" asked the general, evidently bothered by the long silence. "Are you there?"
"Yes sir, I'm here. And... thank you. You're right. This is the least I can do."
"I never said it was the least you could do," argued the general.
The professor's voice was weary and uncertain. "No, you didn't," he agreed, "but it is."
When the call ended, he leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I feel like I just sent Daniel off to the lions' den," he murmured.
And there you have it; chapter two. As you fans of the original series know now, this is a retake of "Storm from the Pacific," the original show's episode 2. I probably mentioned before that the lineup of episodes won't always be the same (I'm thinking of putting "Dawn of the Groomer" and one or two other episodes in season 2, for instance), but given the para-military theme going here it made sense to use this one next anyway. Also, obviously, there's going to be some plot differences with Exile not yet having heat or freeze vision and Muzzle not being the one to save them – unless of course I find some way to introduce him in this episode.
My thanks to KRUSA for the comment, and yes, Muzzle will be important once he arrives. However, like I've said, I want to give him a more unique introduction separate from the other Rovers. So you'll see when the time comes. :)
Nobody seems to have taken a stab at the Easter Egg in the first chapter, but I guess I made it less than obvious by applying it to a villain. General Malone's line about Parvo having "a power and force like we've never seen before" is a nod to the Power Rangers theme song.