And I'm back once again! For those of you who were wondering, yes the arrogant jerk Throttle beat up last chapter was the same one who nocked the girls down. Karma, man, it'll get ya!
Enjoy!
"I know this won't taste very good, but it's all we have at the moment." Carbine set the plates Tandy had brought in front of the girls.
"That's ok! I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!" Angela answered.
Carbine cocked her head. "I'm not sure what a horse is, but I take it it's big?"
Tiffany nodded excitedly. "Yeah! They're really big! They're bigger than ten mice put together!"
"Really?" Carbine shot Throttle a questioning smile and handed him a plate. "Bigger than ten mice?"
Throttle smiled as he took the plate. "They're big." He agreed. "Chicago has some police who ride them. I've never seen a horse as big as what Tiffany's talking about, but I've heard they get even bigger!"
He took a bite of the food and made a face. "Bleah, this stuff is worse than I remember!" he teased.
Carbine chuckled. "I had Tandy tell the cook to make yours extra terrible. Glad to see you're enjoying it!"
Throttle grinned and waggled an eyebrow at her. "Yep. Great big glop of disgusting, with a side of revolting." He motioned. "Could you pass the glass of nauseous?"
Carbine laughed and passed him the drink he requested. "You're incorrigible!"
He shrugged. "I aim to please!"
That night, after the girls had been put to bed, Carbine, Tandy, and Throttle gathered in her office for a conference with the Freedom Fighters best scientist.
He was the only true scientist they had at the moment, though the two mice he was training were coming along in leaps and bounds.
"So, do you think this is reversible?" Carbine asked, once the situation had been carefully explained to him.
The mouse leaned heavily on the table, pondering the dilemma she had laid in front of him.
Throttle bowed his head, trying to hide his smile as he scrutinized the other mouse through his bangs.
This mouse was, bar none, the weirdest looking creature he'd ever seen on two planets. And lord knew the humans had some doosies!
No one really knew much about him.
The Freedom Fighters had rescued him along with several other civilians during a raid on a Plutarkian fortress. As soon as he was well enough, he had joined the Freedom Fighters.
And he had made the Plutarkian's pay for what they had done to him.
The name he had chosen for himself was Crucible. A very highly appropriate choice.
Like many of the freedom fighters he was a very young mouse, almost five years younger than Vinnie, currently the youngest mouse in the Freedom Fighters.
We're practically robbing the cradle now! Throttle thought sadly. Kids his age should be in school, worrying about bikes and girls. Not on a military base dreaming up new ways to kill Plutarkians!
But what truly set this mouse apart from all others was his appearance!
Crucible's pelt was a brilliant, startlingly vibrant lime green!
As near as anyone could tell, the Plutarkian's had been testing some sort of new poison out on the young mouse.
The poison had left him nauseous, unable to focus his eyes, and too weak to stand. His pale gold coat had turned to its current color after the first twenty-four hours.
It was apparently permanent.
Along with his green fur, his black hair had turned a deep violet purple, his muddy red eyes taking on a pale lavender color.
Throttle had never seen this, but he'd been told that Crucible's eyes became a progressively darker, and redder, shade of purple when he was angry. Shades of blue showed up in the purple when he felt sad.
He knew it was in bad taste to laugh at the poor mouse. After all, he wouldn't take it well if their situations were reversed and Crucible was laughing at his eyes!
So he chewed the side of his lower lip and waited impatiently for Crucible's diagnosis.
"Technically…technically this shouldn't even be possible." Crucible finally answered. "But seeing as it happened, it seems logical that this could be reversed."
Carbine nodded. "Good. We…"
"I said it seems logical. I didn't say I knew how." Crucible interjected. Carbine gave him a look. "If I'm to even have a shot at reversing this, I need to see the machine Karbunkle used. Otherwise I'm just chasing Thylwips in the dark here."
Carbine sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I was afraid you'd say that…why is it never that easy?"
Throttle smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "If life were easy, there wouldn't be any challenge. And where's the fun in that?"
"I suppose so." Carbine muttered. "But I can dream can't I?"
Tandy and Crucible raised their eyebrows.
They were both young mice and had never met Throttle before today.
The only person they had ever seen Carbine allow to touch her in anything remotely resembling a familiar way was Stoker. And that was a rarity.
She gave off a feeling of cold strength and confidence. There was always a wall in place, keeping anyone and everyone at arm's length.
But this stranger…He reached past that wall to her in an almost casual way! Him she allowed to touch her, talk to her in a familiar way. She welcomed his attentions.
Who was this person, who had stolen their generals heart?
Carbine glanced up at him.
"You knew I'd have to go back sooner or later. Probably sooner. Vinnie, Modo, and Charley need me. And I promised Tiffany and Angela that I'd get them home." Throttle told her sadkly. He smiled. "And besides, I've got a score to settle with Karbunkle."
She laughed at that. "All right." She nuzzled his jaw, then looked to the others. "Crucible, do you have anything here on mars that you absolutely can't leave with your trainees?"
Crucible shook his head. "No sir. The projects I've been working on can be put on hold, deactivated, or left in someone else's care….May I ask why?"
Carbine nodded. "You may. You're traveling to earth with Throttle and the girls. Once there the device will be retrieved and given to you. I want you to analyze it, and reverse the effects. Tandy? I need you to get a space craft up and running. It doesn't need to be big, just large enough to carry them, along with whatever equipment Crucible will need."
Tandy moved to the computer and keyed into it. "There are very few crafts we can spare….sir, the Rip Cord is available. It isn't a sizeable craft, but it's fast. It should do…"
She gave Throttle a look. "…and it's hardy. Crafts sent to earth tend to not come back." She frowned at the screen, puzzled. "The pilots mention something called a 'score board'?"
Throttle chuckled. "Yeah. Charley swears that thing's a magnet for crashing space ships. It's getting to be a pain cleaning and repairing the bachelor pad at least every other week! 'Cause if a spaceship hasn't hit it, Vinnie has!"
"Speaking of Vinnie…" Carbine slipped her arm around Throttle's waist. "The malfunctioning equipment beacon came on early this morning. I think Vinnie broke the transmitter again."
Throttle chuckled. "That'd be the sixth time this month right? Charley must be runnin' out of spare parts! She's good at making do, but more parts would make her job easier."
Carbine nodded. "Agreed."
Tandy began typing again. "I'll requisition a package of spare parts and have them put aboard the Rip Cord…...On second thought considering how often this happens, with the general permission, perhaps we should send two?"
"Excellent idea." Carbine agreed. "Make sure that there are extra's of the more delicate pieces. Vinnie probably breaks those the most."
Tandy nodded. "Yes sir."
"When will the Rip Cord be ready to go?" Throttle asked, once she finished typing.
Tandy hit a few more keys and paused to read the screen. "Um….sometime around noon tomorrow. Ship and pilot will be waiting on the launch pad at noon exactly."
"Thank you Tandy." Carbine told her. "Crucible? Be on the launching pad a few minutes early and make sure that our equipment has been loaded and secured correctly."
Crucible saluted. "Yes sir General. Permission to go start packing?"
Carbine returned the salute. "Granted conditionally. We've all got a big day ahead of us tomorrow, so I'd rather we were all rested and alert. Don't stay up all night."
"Yes sir." Crucible left without another word.
"That goes for you to you know." Throttle said gently.
Carbine gave him a fake glare. "And since when did you give orders to me?"
"I'm not." He answered, desperately trying to keep a straight face. "You gave the order, I'm just reminding you."
"Ha!" she turned and slipped into his embrace. "…I missed you." She told him.
He nuzzled her affectionately. "Missed you to. Not a day went by I didn't think about you."
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Come one people I need something you slackers! And for the two of you who did last chapters I'm leaving you cyber cookies!