Chapter Disclaimer: I do not own DJ Ox, even though its the chorus.
Chapter 4: Sewer Skiing?
A near fatal four-way, a match with a clone, locked up in prison, fighting a spirit possessed suit of armor...what's next? A trip through the sewers sounded like a good idea. Edward had sealed the manhole to prevent the NYPD of finding him, Ash, Pikachu, Rin and Sakura. Coming off their lucky shot victory against Barry the Chopper, the search for the green-haired Child of Time resumed. "That should keep the heat off our backs," Edward sighed in relief. "Now comes this." The putrid smell of waste weighed in on the group to favor returning to the surface. Yet, they had to find ACROSS and the Child of Time. Ash and Pikachu moved on ahead, walking the seemingly narrow side of the wide mouth river of sewage.
"The conditions of the garbage that swims through here has a strong potency," Rin observed. It would explain why Sakura plugged her nose, preventing the stench from bleeding into her sinuses. The scent of the sewers were nasty. Other than Pikachu, the boys didn't seem phased one bit. "How are you able to tolerate this smell?"
"Let's just say that there's a place called Gringey City and it's much worse than down here," Ash explained. He sounded like the disgusting smell in the sewers were weak air fresheners.
"You are a brave man, Ash," Sakura gulped with a nasal sound. She wasn't the only one impressed but it wasn't Rin.
"Anyone who can tolerate sewers are two types: those that have smelt worse and those who have no sense of smell, whatsoever," Edward categorized. "Apparently, you belong in the latter of the two while the rest of us want to get back on the streets." No kidding. In a moment of thought, he also noticed Rin was keeping her hands to her sides. She was able to take the foul scent? "Besides, you're taking this in stride yourself. Why the hell complain?"
"Because I'm having problems standing the sewers' scent," Rin admitted. It would occur that Ash was the only kid taking the scent as nothing much.
"Now, if only there was a better way to tour the sewer..." If that was whining by Edward, no one wanted any part. Ash turned around, willing to complain about Edward's belligerence. However, he saw something unreal. Two white jet-skis were floating around, heading to their area. This was dumb luck. He couldn't believe it.
"Wish granted?" he questioned. Everyone turned to see the jet-skis, awed by the turn of fortune. Ed, unfamiliar with these aquatic vehicles, smiled. He knew what the trainer seemed to point out.
"Wish granted." Ash and Rin pulled the jet-skis to the side and quickly hopped on board.
"I'm with Ash," Sakura called as she boarded behind and held onto Ash by the waist. Aw, how thoughtful. Defeated so suddenly, Edward was left to sit with Rin.
"No funny business," she warned. Edward didn't really care about "funny business" as he gripped the seating, not on the supposed samurai's hips.
"Not my problem," he groaned. With the turn of the handlebar, both jet-skis began to accelerate. Time for a song.
We gotta get it up! (Let's go, let's go, yo! Let's go, let's go, let's go, yo!)
Y'all ready to ride!
Y'all ready to slide!
Y'all ready to live!
Y'all ready to (come on) die!
Let's go, let's go, yo! Let's go, let's go, let's go, yo!
Y'all ready to move!
Y'all ready to fool!
Y'all ready to win!
Y'all ready to...lose!
Let's go, let's go, yo! Let's go, let's go, let's go, yo!
"This is a lot better than simple walking," Ash cheered, not concerned about the bacterial-infested waters that may splash into his mouth. "We'll be at their headquarters in no time!" Sakura started to grip Ash by his side, afraid to lost her handle on the courageous trainer. She began to lean onto his back, looking to catch a few snores before arriving at ACROSS. Suddenly, uncharacteristic splashes had the leading jet-ski peer around. Rin and Edward watched as more Sound Ninjas made more appearances and got passed Ash and Sakura for the lead, running on the surface of the sludge water.
"Persistent warriors," Rin groaned. They quickly surrounded both jet-skis. This was trouble, especially when one hopped on the side of Ash's ride, nearly toppling it over. Ash regained control...and mockery.
"I'm sorry, but this is only a two-seater." He whipped the jet-ski down, trying to submerge the vehicle. Figuring his plan, the ninja leaped clear of the ski. That wouldn't work. Ash made the jet-ski hit a free wake, sending the vehicle upward and into a back-flip, slamming the ninja's head into the ceiling and dragging the head for a foot before descending. Rin and Edward zoomed passed the airborne trainer and young ninja, taking pole position. In sheer insanity, Edward stood on the seat with his pike on hand. He wasn't going to swat the ninjas from the water, was he? He was, because it's baseball season and Edward was at the 45 mph plate. Each swat was felt from areas away.
We gotta get it up! (Let's go, let's go, yo! Let's go, let's go, let's go, yo!)
Y'all ready to ride!
Y'all ready to slide!
Y'all ready to live!
Y'all ready to (come on) die!
Let's go, let's go, yo! Let's go, let's go, let's go, yo!
Y'all ready to move!
Y'all ready to fool!
Y'all ready to win!
Y'all ready to...lose!
Let's go, let's go, yo! Let's go, let's go, let's go, yo!
The ninjas were down, either unconsciously drowning in the ugly river or already dead. The two wave-runners hit a split in the path. Which way to go? Ash and Sakura zipped into the left path while Rin and Edward entered the right. Rin and Edward kept banking turns, not spotting any ninjas. They got lucky enough for them to relax. Ash and Sakura? Misfortune took them into the demons' den and a wicked obstacle course. Using her ninja skills, any demon who tried to board the sudden vacant seat was skewered by the Hidden Leaf maiden. Ash may have been born with a knack for stunt vehicles because he hit jumps and doing wicked showboating stunts that knocked more of the minions back into the dirty drink. One more clank to a demon's head, crushing it's skull perfected Ash's landing on the surface with Sakura re-boarding. The jet-ski abandoned the downed demons and blew ahead.
We gotta get it up! (Let's go, let's go, yo! Let's go, let's go, let's go, yo!)
Y'all ready to ride!
Y'all ready to slide!
Y'all ready to live!
Y'all ready to (come on) die!
Let's go, let's go, yo! Let's go, let's go, let's go, yo!
Y'all ready to move!
Y'all ready to fool!
Y'all ready to win!
Y'all ready to...lose!
Let's go, let's go, yo! Let's go, let's go, let's go, yo!
Rin and Edward stopped and peered back, waiting for their partners. Before long, Ash and Sakura screamed into the scene, not literally, and zipped passed the other two, no choice but to pursue. Their team back together, they continued their path down the sewers. Banking on guided turning by Rin, they were believing that they were getting closer to ACROSS, hitting more disposal pipes and avoiding getting rained on by trash.
We gotta get it up! (Let's go, let's go, yo! Let's go, let's go, let's go, yo!)
Y'all ready to live!
Y'all ready to...die!
We gotta get it up!
After touring the sewers for miles, they slowed down to relax, ease themselves of tensions built up during the excitement. Ash and Sakura had quite a bit of action from their time. "Well, that was a rush!" he chirped. Edward and Rin just wanted some easement.
"We should be another mile from the ACROSS headquarters," Rin pointed out. Edward decided to go with Rin's observation, not because he was forced to obey Rin...
"Yeah, can't wait to return to Al's side," he wished. Their time of relaxation would be halted. The sounds of trudging blades slicing the murky waters. Everyone turned to the sounds. That's when they spotted an armor goldfish. No, seriously. This reddish giant goldfish with what may be a crown came to the four on two. To Ash, it was trouble.
"I knew it would be a matter of time before Team Rocket showed up," he growled. "They're the only ones who would appear in the Magikarp Sub. All that awaits is their tiring motto." Well that's nice to know.
"Give back our sub!" screeched a woman from afar. The group turned, spotting two adults and a dirty white cat with a gold oval coin on its forehead. One was a female with blood red hair styled like a wave. The other was a blue-haired male who's hair was more or less basic. Both wore white uniforms with a red "R" on each, the woman's uniform exposed her hungry stomach and thighs. They didn't come in on jet-skis...but a wooden paddle boat. That's...sad. Even Ed was a bit stunned with the show up.
"You don't suppose..." Ed fidgeted. Ash knew who it was, but realized something was really wrong.
"If that's Team Rocket, then who's in the sub?" he wondered. More laughter, but it echoed from the sub. Everyone twisted heads back to the vessel, thinking that this was trouble.
"Bow before the might of ACROSS as I, Excel, will protect the power of Lord Illpalazzo," a woman proudly bellowed as she emerged from the top of the sub. She was blond, though orange toned, wearing a turquoise spring jacket over a black undershirt with matching shorts. The heroes were quite startled with who showed up, even more astonished with how brazen she was, revealing her partnership with ACROSS.
"I'll give you something to bow at, sissy!" the redhead Rocket snapped. "That's our ride!" The other female? Nowhere near impressed...or intimidated.
"Excel accepts this fishy submarine as a battle vehicle to escort the all powerful Lord Illpalazzo to safety from the bowels of the USA!" That's when she gripped her hands together like she was praying. "Oh, Lord Illpalazzo, your faithful Excel will guard you with as many lives as you like to destroy!" Ash and Edward were immediately getting annoyed by her ranting. Look at their smug mugs.
"Is there any reason she's referring to herself in the third person?" Edward grumbled. Good question. So, how did Excel obtain Team Rocket's submarine?
"Their fateful lord forcefully borrowed our sub and made a few modifications," the cat meowed like a gangster from Brooklyn. Ed was pretty surprised with the cat able to talk like a human.
"And since when to cats have the ability to talk like the rest of us?!" The cat and alchemist were beginning to get into each others' throats.
"I took acting lessons, that's how!"
"Acting lessons?! Why the hell would an alley cat need acting lessons?!"
"I was trying to impress a female Meowth, good enough reason, tin arm?!"
"Sardine breath!"
"Infant's playmate!" Uh oh! To Edward, that talking cat crossed the line. He leaped onto the boat and...to put it simply, nothing pretty.
"Oh, you really know where to find useful ways to piss me off, huh? Allow me to show you what I do to people when I get really pissed!" Edward, we get your point. No need to pummel them to death for it. Everyone else watched on as Edward continued to beat the living crap on Team Rocket in silent gawks. With one more uppercut, Edward sent the trio from the sewers to the skies.
"Well, our stay wasn't that long," the blue-haired whimpered. They began to sail toward the Atlantic. Bye bye.
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they sounded in unison as they disappeared. Think we'll see them again? Back in the sewers, Edward's anger wasn't quelled yet. He gazed to Excel who didn't seem intimidated. Quite a brave face on the representative of ACROSS.
"Now, how about taking us to your lord," he ordered. Excel revealed a small remote control, hitting a button. The sub opened tiny "scales," propellers lowered to the dirty water. The spinning blades made Ash believe she was taking off again.
"She's trying to escape!" he snapped at the rest. "Ed, get back on board!" Edward obeyed, hopping back with Rin before they gave chase. It didn't take long at all for the two jet-skis to reach the Magikarp sub. Excel seemed entertained.
"So, you challenge Excel in the modified sub, eh?" she chirped in glee. "Come on!" Inside, she played with the remote, the "mouth" of the sub dropping floating black balls...which spikes protruded out of each. Evasive maneuvers! Ash and Rin managed to slalom their way through that barrage. Rin had a thought.
"We need to close in on the submarine!" she pointed at the obvious. Ash knew that reaching the sub was important. He had part two.
"Yeah, Ed and Sakura can board and take down Excel," he thought up the strategy. "Let's punch it!" Throttled up, Ash and Rin raced inward. Suddenly, mechanical arms extended out from the false fins. They swung wildly at the two, hoping to knock off the skiers. Ash and Rin dodged each swipe. Edward got his pike ready as Sakura got more of those throwing knives. She chucked the knife, striking the arm clean off the ball-bearing joint. Edward had a swat at the other, disabling the mechanism. Ash and Rin accelerated their jet-skis to each side of the sub as Edward and Sakura leaped on the sub, prompting Ash and Rin to fall back. Edward opened the hatch and leaped inside, Sakura following.
"Teacakes!" Excel screamed in fear. The sub began to rock a bit with a tussle inside the hull. One inner explosion later, the sub's new retreat propellers ceased function. The sub's wake lessened as a sign that the pursuit was over. This round was finished...CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!
"I can't believe you!" Sakura snarled inside. Was she mad at Excel? She emerged, but insisted on looking inside the disabled sub. "Real mature,Ed!" Sakura was mad at Edward? What could he have done? He crawled up the hatch...bruises over his forehead. You...feeling okay? The heroes exchanged places, Ash wondering what Edward did to upset Sakura.
"Okay, what did Ed do?" he exaggerated.
"He did something that little kids shouldn't see," Excel advised. Whatever was in there, Ash and Rin peered inside...and were profoundly disturbed. Discomforting looks over to Ed, Ash and Rin were highly offended.
"Ed, seriously? Grow up!" Edward was steaming up again, being mentioned as small...in his opinion.
"I would agree with Ketchum on this," Rin defended. "We're going through a serious matter. Something like this is best left elsewhere, preferably where no child should find." Ed realized that they weren't talking about his height. Still, he tried to make it sound like no big deal.
"Hey, when I do alchemy, the rearrangement is somewhat out of my control," he tried to defend himself. Flustered, a malcontent Rin got back on her jet-ski as did Ash. They circled around the sub, and noticed land. Were they one step closer to finding ACROSS?
"Well done, adversaries," an older man gloated. "Impressive job in finding the ideological organization known as ACROSS." From above, a tall man, wearing a cloak as a cape, descended onto the concrete platform ahead of them. To the heroes' astonishment, it was the guy from the photo. This was the leader of ACROSS. Excel saw the man herself, jumping onto her feet and raising an arm to him.
"Hail Illpalazzo!" she exuberantly greeted. Lord Illpalazzo. They finally met.
"Excel, despite your defeat, you did an exceptional job. You helped me in studying the patterns of our crashers." That's interesting, getting a compliment for a failed assignment.
"Thank you, sir. But I do deserve to be punished for not beating them." Somewhat humbled, a rope dropped down in which Illpalazzo tugged. A trap door sprung open from below Excel, beginning to plummet from above the sewage. Ash and Rin slowly accelerated to keep themselves from joining Excel in that unknown area. However, the door closed up, allowing the drivers to stop.
"Now, as for you..." Illpalazzo was ready to address the team, but Edward would be voicing before him.
"Look, all we want is the child," he made the point. "Either hand her over or be pulverized." Kindly put, Illpalazzo seemed nowhere near worried.
"You may act all controlling now, but I will spin the fate of you four." He forgot Pikachu. Another rope lowered. Before anyone could ask, he yanked it. The floor under the water, under them opened up. They screamed in panic as they fell down the well, vanishing from sight. "Enjoy the time warp from which returning is impossible." A time warp? What will happen now? They've been separated from ACROSS, Illpalazzo, the Child of Time... Were they going to be stuck in the ever swirling warp forever?
TO BE CONTINUED...