Before we get to the next chapter- I have a new story up entitled "Bleed" that's M-rated (no sex or violence, yet, but a rape scenario) and a Rimfire-centric fic.

....wow, I didn't know I could stoop so low as to whore one story in another. ~sigh~

"So what the hell are we gonna do?" Vinnie growled, pacing around in Charley's living room anxiously.

"I have a awesome idea- let's break Modo out." Gamut exercised his right arm, irritated and in pain.

"We can't just go flyin' in there," Throttle said. "He's under mind control, remember? He's very much capable of killing all of us, even without his arm cannon. We need a game plan, bros."

"I don't wanna," Gamut mumbled.

"Come on, old man, you know he's right." Shnag'r patted the large mouse's shoulder gently.

"Dammit." Gamut leaned back, his hands behind his head to hold the ice pack in place. He winced.

Limburger shut down his computer and leaned back in his chair, occasionally sipping his black coffee. The happy smile on his face would terrify a meek man, and send shivers down the spine of even the strongest.

"Oh, you Fabulous Flatulent Flabbiness?" Karbunkle called.

"Hmm?"

"I have a matter of the most utter importence to talk to you about."

"Oh, this isn't about the payment to the Dalai Lama, is it? Tell him that if he asks again, I'll-"

"No, no, your Utterly Rich And Creamy Whole-Milkness. This concerns the mind-control experiment." Karbunkle stepped into Limburger's lavishly furnished office. "Apparently the firewalls blocking the subject's control of the computer systems needs to be updated constantly."

"So? Update them! You don't need my permission for that."

"Yes, well.." Karbunkle looked around nervously. "The thing is, during the update the computer systems will be vulnerable to takeover by the subject. I need all the electronic hardware and software connected to the master computer in the building shut down during the updating process, or we may have a rampaging rodent on our hard drives."

"Oh, very well then." Limburger sighed. "I suppose I'll just have to go without Charlie's Angels for now, hmm?"

"Indeed." Karbunkle made a face and returned to his lab.

"Okay, Quinn, Shnag'r, you guys take west and make sure no citizens get hurt. Vinnie, you two back me up in case something goes wrong. Charley-girl, I'm gonna need some flash-bangs for the guards." Throttle held up several pieces of paper. "Gamut, you're with me."

"Finally," the older mouse crowed. Charley threw Throttle a white box marked with a skull, and handed Gamut a favorite weapon of hers.

The two mice got on their bikes and headed towards Limburger Tower, with the radios blaring Dimeback loudly.

When they got there, they were greeted by laser-fire and several strategically placed grenades. Gamut blasted them using a flamethrower, while Throttle took out the snipers with a few tossed flash-bangs. It took longer than usual (a whole five minutes!) but they did get inside. Gamut took the lead and headed up the stairs, Throttle close behind.

"Why are the lights off?" he mused out loud. Gamut's snarky answer was cut off by the lights flickering oddly, and then shutting off again.

"If that's not enough to induce epileptic seizures, then I don't know what is," Gamut mumbled to no one in particular. He crashed through the blast doors that had formerly held the sixth floor securely shut, and looked around the room confusedly.

"He was here," Gamut said.

"The computer's shut down," Throttle remarked. "So's the air conditioning, the heaters, the water supply.. you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"A ham sandwich would be awesome right about now?" Gamut suggested. They stared at each other for a minute before Throttle coughed and said, "Never mind. Let's keep looking."

"Uhm, sir?" a nervous technician sitting at the control computer said. Karbunkle sighed.

"What?"

"Is the console supposed to do this?" The tech motioned to the rapidly flickering monitor in front of him. Karbunkle hurried over, and then cursed several times.

"Some idiot forgot to disconnect that malcontent mammal from his electronic interface! He's gotten into the computer systems! Activate your firewalls, I'll head down there and manually deactivate the interface." Karbunkle ran for the elevator, punched 12 and waited impatiently until the elevator doors opened onto the mostly empty prison block.

Modo was in the farthest cell, slumped like a puppet without strings. The metal fingers of his right hand were twitching at regular intervals and his antennas were glowing a soft pink.

Karbunkle entered the password that would allow him access to the cell block, but a message came up on the screen-

"'Incorrect Password'?! What do you mean, incorrect password?! I just changed it yesterday! I-"

Karbunkle's tirade was cut off by Modo, who shifted, opened his eye and stood. He aimed his arm cannon at the cell's door and fired, completely destroying its front. Like a robot, he stepped over the rubble and headed straight for the door to the cell block.

"Uh-oh." Karbunkle realized just what had happened and ran like hell for the elevator, managing to enter it just in time, as he saw Modo destroy the only thing keeping him from escaping.

"What the hell was that?" Gamut said, looking up at the ceiling worriedly.

Throttle booted up the computer console and acessed the surveillance cameras. His jaw dropped open when he saw what was happening on level 12.

"Modo's out and loose," he said quickly, jumping back on his bike. "Come on- maybe we can stun him and get him back to the garage!"

The two of them managed, somehow, to get past the crowd of twenty or so people fleeing down the stairs from the explosions upstairs. A few of the employees were tossed out of the way by a frantic Gamut, and others just kept on running down the stairs, tripping over each other in a disorderly evacuation.

"Modo!" Throttle shouted as they reached the prison block. "Modo, bro, are you okay?"

Modo stood in front of a window, simply looking out at the city below. His eye glowed red, but his face was expressionless and his body was relaxed.

"Oh, shit," Gamut whispered softly. Louder, he said "Modo? Son, can you hear us?"

Modo didn't respond, but he did turn to look at them. After a moment, he turned on his heel and headed for the elevator.

"Where are you going?" Throttle asked.

Again, Modo stared at them for a moment, before holding up four fingers.

"Fourth floor?" the tan mouse guessed.

Modo blinked and turned to the elevator, pressing the 'down' button.

"You know he's not okay when he takes the elevator," Throttle muttered.

Not my best work, but hell, it's a nice chapter if I do say so myself. What do you think? I'd like to know. :D