Chapter three
Throttle and Vinnie had been dragged from the darkness into a rocky Gorged by Rats with lazier blasters. The Gorge's wall were a blue-grey colour, they stood high on either side blocking out most of the sun light which was a dirty orange colour any way. The rats pushed Throttle and Vinnie forcing them to walk faster and further into the gorge. Throttle had been counting 100 rats and that was just by the entrance there were more the deeper they went in. The mice weren't the only ones there, they past lots of dirt covered aliens that should have been coloured differently but because of the amount of time they had been here they had all turned the same colour, dirt Grey there cloths were no rags with huge holes in showing how thin most of the aliens were.
The mice were stopped in an empty space and given a digging tools, "you dig or die" one of the rats spat before the group of them moved into there guard positions, Throttle and Vinnie started digging. "there's a lot of rats here even though it smells of stinky cheese" Vinnie moaned "looks like the Rats are working for this Fish now" "weren't they meant to be on our side?" "Yeah but I guess they didn't realise that" "how many rats do you think there are?" "So far I've counted 450 but I got a feeling there's more" "well Bro this is hardly fair, there gunna get whipped" Vinnie was being his usual self. "Vincent I know we're good but we're not that good" "speak for your self Bro, I'm the badest mama-jamma in the universe" Throttle rolled his eyes even though Vinnie couldn't see because of his green tinted Field spec's "we go to get our weapons, find Modo, check on Charley girl then get back to Mars" "err Bro, we have to find our weapons first" "Shush" came a female voice from behind them, both mice looked around, they couldn't see any one so went back to work.
"I'd think you'd want to check on Charley before we find the big guy" "what are you talking about Vinnie?" "do I have to spell it out for you? You're in Love with Charley, and it gets you mad when I flirt with her" Vinnie said with cockiness filling his voice. "you "shouldn't talk" came the female voice once more. "who's there?" Vinnie demanded "shush the rats have eye's and ears every where" she said as she moved out of the shadows, she like the rest of the people here had been turned grey and was wearing rags that were filled with holes. She looked at them both for a moment as if she was thinking.
"Throttle and Vinnie?" she said then twitched into the shadows, as a rat turned the Corner to check on them. The two Males mice where working when he checked on them so he moved away to spy on some one else, once he was gone she came from the shadows back into sight. "how do you know who we are kid?" Vinnie demanded "I remember every thing I've ever been told, sis told me about the three of you, well now two" she said looking around as if she expected Modo to appear beside her. "your sis? What's your name and her?" Throttle asked trying to figure out why this mouse looked familiar. She laughed humourlessly "Names aren't a thing here, they al forget there names along with every thing else they were once, I remember though, I always remember. I'm Mist, sis doesn't like me saying her name cause she doesn't remember it, it upsets her, here you'll need this" The young mouse past them both a peace of something that resembled earth bread.
"Don't you need it?" Throttle asked looking at how thin she was
She shocks her head, "I don't eat, hardly any body eats, you two need food if you want to go home" she said before slipping away.
"She seemed a little dotty" Vinnie said then looked back at Throttle.
"That kid doesn't look so healthy" Vinnine nodded at Throttles concern the kid was really to thin.
"What kind of metal do you think these shackles are made of?" Throttle asked pulling his hands apart so the chains rattled a little. "lets find out" Vinnie said crouching down by a boulder he put his hands on it, he spread them as far apart as he could, Throttle lifted up the pick axe try tool high above his head he brought it down fast and hard, the chains were un-damaged the pick axe held for a moment then fell into peaces. "Well that was a bush, what next?" "I don't know, give me chance to think"
Both mice continued to dig whilst Throttle though of a plan, or rather he tried to think of a plan but came up with nothing a fog was in his mind stopping him thinking properly. After a long time a group of rats came to escort the mice back to the building that they had woken up in, all the other aliens were walking back as well, Throttle and Vinnie joined the crowd, they both looked for the kid but couldn't see her through the see of grey. Two of the rats that were marching close to the mice were talking about the kid "that brat did it again" "she's never going to learn" "I think we should kill her thieves aren't good for business" "no! That deranged Doctor will take her and the other mice of our hands," Throttle and Vinnie exchanged a look at the mention of the Doctor. Karbunkle had fled for plutark before they had, had a chance to catch up with him, and the smell around here told them that the plutarkians were here some where so he could be the doctor the rats were talking about if that was the case the kid was in serious trouble.
She moved through the crowd towards them, she accidentally on purpose bumped into Throttle she slipped her hand into his jacket pocket leaving him the key to the shackles and taking Modo's eye patch at the same time, before she twitched away "smart kid" Vinnie whispered to Throttle who nodded, he looked over the crowd trying to distinguish some of the alien species that where here, but they all looked grey, think and looked weak as well as hopeless, one fell hitting the rocks hard, the others just stepped over him, Mist was moving through the crowd as fast as she could to help him but Throttle and Vinnie beat her to it, they each picked up the male by one of his arms and helped him walk the rest of the way, Mist smiled as she saw them carrying him. "Good guys" she said quietly to her self before moving back to her sis. Mist past the once Sandy coloured mouse something, her sis scowled down at the young mouse; Mist was a good pick pocket had been for a long time.
The prisoners moved through the metal building that rose up before them. The rats stood guard in the huge room. It was full of tables and chairs; it only had two doors, the one that lead out side and the one that lead back to the darkness of the cells. The prisoners sat in small groups and talked quietly either to them selves or to who ever was listening. Vinnie and Throttle sat down on an empty table with the old man they had just helped, Throttle looked around the room, he caught sight of Mist twitching back through the spaces over to them, she sat next to the old man. She past him something under the table. "you're a good girl" the old alien said then patted her on the head "I'm not going to let you down old timer" she said pleasantly before moving away.
"Thank you boys, it was mighty kind of you, you wont be that way for long, unless your any thing like that young mouse, she has so much energy, always has had, ever since she was three" the old man had a smile in his voice as he talked about Mist, "how long have you been here?" Throttle asked "I was the first, its been 3 centuries" "how long has the kid been here?" Vinnie asked watching her move around the room handing out a never ending surplice of food that seemed to be coming from her tinny pockets "Mist has been here for 13 years, turned up when she was three," "where did she come from?" Throttle asked expecting a stupid answer like 'mars' instead he got "she doesn't know"
"She said she remembers every thing" Vinnie moaned thinking that the old man was crazy as well as the kid. "She does you one, every thing about every one else not about her self, she was never even given a name that she could remember, poor kid" "so why did she tell us she was called Mist?" Vinnie was getting annoyed he had no patience and he was rearing for a fight "I gave her that name, she mystified me, even after all she's been through she's still fighting in her own way. That child has kept us all alive for a long time" the old man turned to watch the young mouse who was sat next to yet another mouse who again was covered in dirt and tattered clothing that could have once resembled a freedom fighter uniform, this female had her back to them.
"Has any one every tried to escape" Throttle asked pulling the old mans attention back to them. "Martian mouse look behind you" he said motioning with his head Throttle and Vinnie turned. The back wall was covered in skeletons of different shapes and sizes of different species from all over the universe "tried" the old man said sadly before standing up and walking over to one of the rats, he marched the old man from the huge seating room to his pitch black cell. Mist and the other Female mouse sat next to the bro's "I don't know how much longer he can cope, he's too old" Mist said sadly "we need to get out of her" Vinnie stated Mist laughed humourlessly the other female was messing with a one of the two curls that hung in front of her ears, the rest of her hair was pulled back into a loos ponytail.
"no body gets out" this one said sadly. Both male's recognised her voice, they looked like cloths from mars that the freedom fighters wore, she wasn't looking at them so they couldn't work out who she was. "Has any body ever gotten out alive?" Throttle asked Mist nodded once then made a subtle sweep of the room with her eyes making sure no-one was listening. "a prisoner from Jupiter got out of here once, he's been returning to the prison there" "how'd he get out?" "Don't ask that, that's bad, that's bad" the other female said shaking her head wildly.
Mist put her hand on the others shoulder, she turned her head and locked eyes with Vinnie he gasped her name as he recognised her "Harley" Mist at the guys then at Harley. "I guess it makes sense you know each other, she was the one who told me about you three, two, and your leader that was all before she lost her memories and became this" Mist looked frustrated her deep red eyes were filled with anger, Harley's deep ocean blue eyes were dull with pain.
"What happened Harley girl? We though you were dead" "I don't know" she said simply Harley didn't like it when Mist said her name, but when Vinnie had said it, she felt better. "Trust me, not the right time to ask" Mist said watching one of the rats, Throttle flowed her gaze. 3 rats were talking and one was pointing at Mist and the other three mice. "The crazy Dr is here" Mist voice had been filled with defeat. "The Dr" Vinnie asked although he really didn't want to know. "Karbunkle" that one word filled both guys with worry, mist knew that her self and Harley were in big trouble. She sighed heavily. "it looks like its over, it was nice meeting some hero's. I was beginning to think that they wearnt real." Mist Smiled sadly at them. The group of rat headed over to the table. Mist swung her legs out and bolted.
She was a fast mouse, the rats moved into position around the table keeping the three mice still. The rats had too many guns the guys couldn't fight and win, Mist was grabbed just before she reached the door leading to the gorge, she fought madly kicking and punching which ever rat got close to her. One rat hit her in the face with the handle of his blaster, her body feel lip and she was carried away.
Harley was grabbed and marched out Throttle had to put his hand on Vinnie's shoulder to stop him form exploding and attacking the whole army of rats. Soon after that every one were returned to there dark cells. "I can't believe Harley is still alive! It been years, I thought!" "Calm down Vincent, I know how your feeling" "no you don't! I thought Harley was dead, Throttle, the one you love is safe and you know she is, you saw her before we got on the ship" "are you trying to say you love Harley…Vinnie, that isn't like you" "I know I though I was over her, but seeing her in there, I just" "for your info, I'm still with Carbine" "yeah I know just cause your with the babe doesn't mean you love her, Bro"
