Chapter 26
The laughter and merriment rang out through the common room as Ma-Ti's birthday mystery had been a complete success! Wheeler had set up his camera and asked Gi to properly align the right view through the finder and activate the timer so that everyone could take a group picture while still in costume.
"Just hold down the oval button until a green light flashes and then press the red button to the right of it," Wheeler instructed to the water Planeteer, who promptly complied and bounced back to the group so she could be in the photo too.
A series of flashes indicated that the camera snapped several shots of the people in cognito, and Wheeler decided that there had to be at least one shot where someone didn't blink. It was his hope that there would be enough prints of the group picture that everyone would have a souvenir since the weekend was fun for all. Of course there was a little something special in store for the heart Planeteer as well.
"OK, guys, I'm gonna go change into something that fits better," Wheeler announced as he headed for the door, only to be stopped by Kwame, who rested a firm hand on his right shoulder.
"Remember what we talked about, my friend," was all the black man said, hoping to remind his pregnant pal of the other surprise they were hatching for Ma-Ti.
"I'm starting to feel squashed in this thing," Wheeler protested as he ran a hand along the lapel of his jacket: however, he did remember what the Planeteers had discussed that one time when Ma-Ti had gone out for a twilight walk the night before his birthday. "OK, Let's get the pictures you need with me done and over with so I can change right afterward. I don't wanna do a Dr. Banner and break outta this thing." He couldn't help cracking a smile as he remembered the comic books he used to read with scenes where the scientist tore through his shirt when turning into the huge green monster that was the Incredible Hulk.
"Fair enough," the African man agreed. "Ma-Ti, come over here and pretend you are arresting Wheeler again."
"But why?" the young adult queried with a curious look on his face and one raised eyebrow.
"We are going to put together a scrap book of the entire weekend with pictures of all of us and phony newspaper articles so you would have something to remember this weekend by for years to come," Linka answered with a wink.
Ma-Ti nodded, approached Wheeler, and repeated his earlier line where he was making his arrest as he snapped the restraints around his prisoner's wrists. Then there were pictures featuring Wheeler and Linka with stage booze and prop cigars or cigarettes, the paunchy Lord standing over an exhausted looking maid, who was scrubbing the floor, an angry master threatening his black gardener, and one of the apparently inebriated Lord Wheeler Sloane looking into the camera with the facial expression of a drunken man. A few more shots of the fire Planeteer in costume were taken with other characters, and he would be free to duck out of the photo session and change in another couple of minutes.
"I think I'm ready to have breakfast now," Wheeler glanced over in the girls' direction with a puppy dog expression.
"You have not eaten yet?" Ma-Ti glanced at his watch that read 11am.
"Oh, he has eaten once already; I think he is referring to breakfast number two," Kwame explained as he grinned.
Wheelers new appetite was something the down-to-earth youth found to be very amusing, and the redhead blushed sheepishly; for what was amusing to the African was deeply embarrassing to him.
"You had better be careful, Wheeler, looks like you already need Giana to sew the button back on your top," Gi gently teased as she tickled the gap in the dinner suits shirt with her index finger and remembered that Wheeler couldn't sew to save his life.
"I know, I can't believe I grew out of this thing in a week," the American pouted, his cheeks turning an even brighter shade of pink. As he fingered the area where the button had come off, he sighed, "Man, Pop's gonna kill me."
"Just leave your shirt on my bed, and I'll fix it before you have to give it back," Gi smiled as she reached into her apron pocket and fished out the button she happened to find on the floor during the course of the role play.
"Come on, Mr. Mastermind, I will make you some scrambled eggs." Linka quickly changed the subject and carefully rubbed her friends back as a reassuring gesture.
A brightening Wheeler gave the Russian a smile. "Ok that sounds good; better go find some bigger pants first though."
With a wink Wheeler headed for his hut, thinking to himself that it was a good thing Ma-Ti had solved the mystery so quickly. His father's dinner suit was beginning to feel distinctly tight in certain places. Slipping into a pair of loose fitting pants, a large t-shirt, and light jacket, the American couldn't help reflecting upon what had happened only a few minutes before; Ma-Ti had felt his little one move; he was over half way to fatherhood now.
As the pyro-papa was getting into some more comfortable clothes, the photo session continued with shots of Clash faking an episode of shell shock, Ma-Ti taking notes on a hand held pad, Kwame carrying in some vegetables, Gaia standing behind the stove, Gi polishing a piece of silver, and Linka looking down her nose at the camera as if she couldn't be bothered to pose for this picture. Other shots of the characters interacting with each other were immortalized, and there were enough photos for the scrap book and fake newspaper articles. Then all Gi and Linka had to do was put their talents for compiling aesthetically pleasing albums to work and assemble the memento for the last Planeteer who had become of age.
"Where did you learn how to feign shell shock like that, Commander Clash?" Linka asked as the group discussed everyone's play acting.
"I have had some friends who went through it after the Vietnam War, and what I didn't pick up from seeing how it affected them, I took from war movies on television."
"Now I know why Wheeler kept his character a secret from all of us; what a spoiled brat he was!" Gi laughed out loud.
"It seemed a bit unfair of him to make himself and Linka the wealthy ones while everyone else had to be servants," Ma-Ti observed with the shake of the head.
"Not really, my friend," Kwame reasoned as he rested his hands on Ma-Ti's shoulders and looked into his eyes, "at least not given the time period the story was to take place. Back in the 1930's, people of minority races were often treated unfairly and given nothing more than menial jobs. Those who did get a formal education were very lucky."
"When Wheeler gave Kwame and me our roles, he said that he hoped that we would understand and not get angry. We both knew it was in good fun and told him we weren't offended at having been made servants. It's funny; when I read my character description and saw how the weekend was playing out, I noticed something … our characters were our complete opposites. Think about it; Wheeler was an alcoholic who planned for his father and Trevor's murders; Linka was a rich spoiled snob; Commander Clash was a nervous man with shell shock; Kwame was a man who resented the way he was treated because of his skin color; I was held back from realizing my true potential because I couldn't further my education. Wheeler even found a part for Gaia to play so she could be part of this too." The water Planeteer smiled at her friends as she started to collect some of the props and put them away in a carton that stood in the corner.
"I cannot thank you enough for this, my friends." Ma-Ti couldn't wash the grin from his face.
Yes, it was fun, and I thank Wheeler for inviting me to be a part of it," Commander Clash said as he joined the conversation and tugged off his tuxedo jacket. "I think I will follow Wheeler's lead and change into something more comfortable."
Everyone else seemed to be in agreement that it was time to get out of their costumes that were either too hot to wear or were no longer feeling comfortable; so they all retreated to their huts to don their own clothes before returning to the common hut to start preparing Wheeler's second breakfast.
"Can someone pass the salt please," Wheeler requested, chewing a forkful of the eggy snack and concluding that he needed a little more seasoning to make it taste just right.
Commander Clash automatically reached for the shaker in front of him and was about to pass it to the redhead; however, he felt Gi's hand clamping down firmly onto his. As he looked up to meet her eyes, he saw her shake her head.
"The salt is in front of Commander Clash, Wheeler, maybe you should ask him to pass it to you." the Oriental lady suggested, looking to her expectant friend, clearly feeling fed up with the feud that existed between Planeteer and soldier.
Wheeler squirmed uneasily in his chair. Now that every one was back in modern clothes and out of character, talking to the ex-service man suddenly seemed very awkward. He wanted to sort this thing out as much as his friends did, knowing that he shouldn't be this irked over a simple gesture of help. It was something that he would normally have laughed off within a few seconds, and he constantly found himself wondering why he still felt so cross with the military man almost two months later.
"Its ok, I need to cut down on the salt anyways," the redhead mumbled, seeing no possible way to talk to the commander without his emotions causing him to sob or storm out.
"Planeteers, we have an eco-emergency!" Gaia appeared in front of the small gathering and quickly beckoned them to follow her to the crystal chamber. Once everyone was assembled around her, the spirit continued, "Plunder has come up with another money making scheme, Planeteers. He is promising to build affordable housing here for the local population in return for labor-"
"Ooooooohhhhhhh. Do you have to use that word, Gaia?" Wheeler grimaced as the thought of going through labor hit him squarely like a brick between the eyes.
"That does not sound like plunder," Linka interrupted giving the redhead a gentle nudge and letting him know he should concentrate as Gaia carried on, appearing to be unperturbed by Wheeler's outburst.
"No, Linka it doesn't, the area is home to some rare flora and fauna, not to mention all the old growth trees. I think it would be wise to check out Plunder's precautions and licenses."
"We are on it, Gaia!" Kwame vowed as he set off and lead his friends to the Geo-cruiser, ready to fight for the planet once more.
"Wait, I gotta pee," Wheeler groaned just as the eco-activists reached the small craft.
As he set off for his hut, the young man grimaced. Sometimes pregnancy could really be annoying! Finishing up with his relief effort, Wheeler dried his hands and started to return to his friends and the mission in hand when something caught his eye; it was a page in the comic book he was reading. An article in the corner of one of the pages was advertising spy kits, and Wheeler came to the immediate realization that something about this mission sounded familiar. It was just under a year ago when they had a similar eco-emergency involving Plunder endangering a … what had Linka called it in her write-up, Site of Special Scientific Interest. Visions of a past mission floated into his mind, one that had failed because of a lack of evidence. Instantly, an idea presented itself, and he knew he had to try, if only for Spot the owl's sake.
"Ok, Wheeler?" Ma-Ti asked as the redhead settled in his seat and started to pull the seatbelt across his front
"Are you sure you should come, Yankee? You can barely do the seatbelt up," Linka carefully pointed out.
"Got it!" With a grunt, Wheeler locked the safety strap in place. "I'm fine, babe," he replied as he began looking out the window. He really didn't want to think about quitting, even though Linka was right about how he could just barely get his seatbelt fastened.
The flight was a short one, a hop across the pond as Wheeler had once joked, and the redhead watched absently out of the window and fiddled with the ring on his finger.
"What is wrong with your hand?" a concerned Linka asked as she noticed his twisting the jewelry around and around on his finger.
"Huh? I guess my hand must be hot; my ring feels kinda tight," the uncomfortable youth said as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Your fingers do look a little swollen. Maybe its water retention, from the pregnancy." Gi, the Planeteers' honorary nurse, quickly offered her medical opinion.
"Man, is there anything that isn't affected by my being pregnant!" With a huff, Wheeler leaned back and pulled the golden band off his index finger, leaving it to one side before folding his arms.
"Well your moods certainly have not escaped the effects," Kwame said as he returned his attention to the controls and carefully engaged the landing gear, touching the solar powered craft down in a small township in the state of Montana.
After exiting with a little help, Wheeler carefully pulled the back of his trousers up. One annoying discovery he made was that his rapidly expanding middle meant that most of his pants needed to be worn below his bump, and it seemed he would have to constantly adjust his pants when the bulge made them slip down.
"We should split up if we are going to find the evidence we need. It will not be long before Plunder notices our arrival." Linka quickly pointed out the high tech security system that surrounded the area.
"Linka's right; Ma-Ti, Wheeler, and I will go and search Plunders office. There's bound to be some information there. You three try to find out what's going on from the workmen and get some photographs." Gi immediately took charge, the failure of their last attempt to save the old growth forest resting heavily on her heart and making her even more determined to "nail that bum" she thought laughing as she mentally quoted her American friend.
"Excuse me, but why can't I take the pictures?" Wheeler asked, feeling a little confused; after all, it was his camera, and he was the one with the true talent for photography.
With a sly wink, Gi indicated the young mans belly, and he immediately and reluctantly understood. Nodding in agreement, the parties separated with Gi, Ma-Ti and Wheeler setting off towards the workman's huts and Plunders base camp while Linka returned to the cockpit of the Geo-cruiser for the camera. As she retrieved Wheelers SLR from the compartment something glittered and caught her attention.
"Bozhe moy, Wheeler has left his ring behind," she muttered, snatching the power ring and dropping it into her pocket.
After jumping from the plane, she thought about calling the redhead back, but he was already too far to hear her. She also did not want to alert the goons to her presence. She would just have to give it to him when meeting up with him later.
"Careful, Wheeler." Gi paused and gently pushed the expectant man behind a large tree as one of the eco-villains armies of henchmen marched passed them in search of unauthorized personnel.
"That was close," the Kyapo breathed as the troop checked to see that the coast was clear and crossed to enter the plush portable cabin that Plunder had turned into his personal on site office.
Pieces of paper with growth charts and lists of numbers lay in stacks everywhere throughout the office. The documents that were charting the baddies growing wealth could be seen on every surface. After shutting the blinds so that they couldn't be scene from the outside, Gi looked around in disgust as she noticed just how many pages littered the portable office.
"There must be a whole rainforest just in this office with all the paper," she said with an exasperated sigh.
"How are we going to find what we need in time? Plunder will be back soon," Ma-Ti pointed out the possibility to his fellow spies.
"Look, the briefcase, I bet he keeps the most private stuff in there," Wheeler observed as his eyes fell upon the expensive looking attaché case.
"Wheeler, you stand watch and let us know if Plunder's coming back," the Asian girl instructed, getting to work on the expensive leather cases golden locks with the small pocket knife that she carried in her pocket just in case Wheeler wasn't around to burn through ropes.
"Again! How come I always have to stand watch!" Wheeler started to complain, especially since his last job on guard duty resulted in his getting nabbed by Duke Nukem. It seemed that he always had to have the rubbish job at the moment, and he felt he was capable of doing more than just standing in one place as the look out.
"Don't argue, just do it!" struggling and feeling stressed as the time ticked by Gi shot back as her temper threatened to break.
"Fine," leaning against the thin cabin wall, the redhead watched the movement of people and machines as his friends worked ardently to release the documentation of the evil-doers true intention from its hiding place.
"Got it. Hmmm this could be usef-"
"Heads up, guys, Plunders coming!" Wheeler hissed urgently as he spied the pony tailed man and his muscular henchman heading towards the small office.
"Quick hide," the flustered Water Planeteer said in a loud whisper as she shoved the piece of paper she was reading into her pocket and pushed the young South American towards a large chest on the floor.
"Where, I'm the size of the geo-cruiser." Wheeler desperately looked around for a hiding place as the eco-villains loomed even closer
"There, in the corner, behind that stack of papers," Gi answered as she pointed a space out and clambered into the tea-chest with Ma-Ti, lowering the lid down onto a pencil so that they were hidden but could still observe what was happening.
"Whaddya mean, Meester Plunder?" Bleak questioned his boss as both parties entered, but was quickly silenced as the sharply dressed millionaire spotted the open briefcase.
"I believe we have company, Bleak. Won't you invite them to join us in a more comfortable location?" Gi flinched as she heard Wheeler yelp in surprise when the bald headed sidekick dragged him from the corner. "Well well, nice of you to drop in and see me. You're looking considerably better than last time, less green around the gills," the business man smiled smugly as he looked Wheeler up and down. "You'd better not do to me what you did to Dr. Blight that day."
"What are you up to, Plunder!" the plump looking youth shot the business man an icy stare, refusing to flinch despite the uncomfortable grip on his upper arm.
"Oh I'm just providing a little accommodation for the local population. Everyone should have a decent place to live don't you think?" With an insincere grin, the tall middle aged fashion conduit leaned in close to his captive, the taint of expensive cigars on his thin lips.
"I don't believe that for a second, you slime ball, let go of me, or I'll roast ya. Fi-" Upon thrusting his right hand forward as he felt Bleaks grip loosen, the fire Planeteer suddenly realized that he had left his ring on board the geo-cruiser, and this meant he was helpless against the muscular mercenary.
"Take him away," Plunder hissed evilly as he gloated at the young mans obvious mistake, and Wheeler felt his arm wrenched backwards once again as Bleak moved to carry out the order.
"Come on you liddle brat!" the henchman ordered as he roughly pulled the redhead from the room.
Unable to do a thing while still in their hiding place, Gi and Ma-Ti watched as Looten Plunder sleeked back his hair with a bejeweled hand, closed his briefcase, and followed his lackey and prisoner outside. Once the coast was clear, the two Planeteers sneaked from their hiding place and ran outside
"We have to contact the others and get Wheeler before anything happens to him," Gi breathed once they were out of range
"Heart… Linka, Kwame, Commander Clash … Wheeler has been captured by Looten Plunder. We need to help him…" the young man quickly sent a telepathic instruction to his other friends, who wasted no time in meeting up with the heart and water Planeteers.
"We need a plan. Do you know where they took him?" Linka asked as she looked around the busy construction area for any sign of the Brooklynite.
"We didn't see where they went," Gi looked dejectedly at her knees, unable to keep from blaming herself. She could have done something; she could have used her power, caught the eco-evildoer by surprise, but she had hoped to have another look at that brief case; and now her surrogate brother was in potential danger as a result.
Tripping as he was forcibly dragged from the portable office, Wheeler had no choice but to follow. He felt the baby move inside him and silently hoped that he would get out of this predicament soon. In a few minutes they entered another cabin at the back of the camp site, and this one was empty. He felt himself being roughly pushed to his knees, the figure of his captor looming silhouetted in the doorway as Plunder watched on grinning.
"Whatever you're up to your not going to get away with it, Plunder!" the feisty youth looked up at the imposing figure and forcibly spat in his direction, something he hadn't done for years.
"Charming, I hope you'll be teaching your own child better manners. And as for what I'm doing, of course I'll get away with it." the silver tongued smart suit laughed heartily As Bleak turned his hostage around and forced him into a flat sitting position. "See this plot of land; this is prime real estate. Why hasn't it been used? Because of some old dead trees. Well, I have fixed that; guess you remember the last old growth forest; what makes you think you can win this time? You have even less evidence. Of course, as a property developer, I needed to come up with paper work proving that the site was not on protected land, and that no species would be harmed by the development. They got it; in fact, the environmental officer vouched for me, for a price of course."
Wheeler flinched as Bleak firmly bound his arms behind his back with what felt like plastic, and Plunder continued to describe his plan with evil satisfaction.
"Oh, and I suppose you already realized that I'm getting more out of this than just a housing development. These are going to be luxury apartments, second homes for wealthy city folk who will no doubt pay these peasants for menial tasks, not that they deserve it. And as for the wood, fine timber from this area. I have already sold the entire stock to a factory; it will all be used for chipboard."
A shocked Wheeler felt another tie being applied to his legs as he listened to the horrible disclosure the yuppie villain was giving. "You haven't won yet, Plunder; we'll stop you, you can't do th-" With no warning, a cloth quickly covered the Planeteer's mouth; and it tasted nasty, like it had been packed in a dusty box for years. The young man coughed, trying to force the horrible taste out of his mouth, but it was no good, for the gag had been tied too tightly.
"Whose going to stop me; obviously not you. By the time your friends find you, it will be too late; their will be nothing left."
As both men exited the portable office, locking the door behind them, Wheeler found himself shut in the darkness, how was he going to get out of this? The expectant man tried to get to his knees, but he found it was impossible, for his size prevented him from even using his elbows as a lever; and he rolled back to the floor out of breath.
Outside, the other Planeteers watched the comings and goings of the construction crew, and they couldn't see Plunder or Bleak anywhere. Unfortunately, their was no sign of Wheeler either. Ma-Ti's ring had lead them to the small group of workman's huts that were situated on the other side of the forest; however, something was stopping the signal from leading them further along in their search.
"You don't think he's hurt do you?" Gi expressed her worries over the safety of the soon to be father and nervously chewed her finger nails.
"I do not know, Gi. It may be because the signal is not as strong since he is not wearing his ring, or maybe there is pollution around here," the Kyapo answered watching quietly as a couple of construction workers busily passed by.
"Commander, we will need you to take over Wheelers power. If we cannot find him soon, you will have to help us call Captain Planet." Linka calmly explained the situation, and fished the garnet colored gem ring from her pocket.
It felt like a betrayal, like she was selling out on Wheeler, but they needed some help. It was growing more and more apparent that they needed big blue, or another forest was likely to disappear; and Commander Clash was the only chance they had at the moment. They had no idea whether the ring would even work for the ex-soldier; it was a situation they had never had to encounter before.
As the coast cleared of the workers, the group hunkered down to the ground and crept over to the cabins. One seemed to stand out; the blinds were drawn tightly against the light; the door was locked; and the key was apparently gone. Commander Clash approached the flimsy structure and raised one heavily booted foot.
"Stand clear, Planeteers!" he ordered as he was about to kick the door in.
What was that? Footsteps could be heard coming from outside. Was Plunder returning? In the darkness, Wheeler struggled to see the door, wanting to know what was going on. He hadn't heard anything from his friends, and he wondered if they had been captured too. A loud crack assaulted his ears; and he watched as the wooden door began to splinter, and the flimsy lock gave way, to reveal… "Oh no, not him, anyone but him," Wheeler silently thought as he saw Commander Clash enter the room, followed by his fellow Planeteers.
"Don't worry, Wheeler, we'll soon have you free," the military man promised as he set eyes on the bound youth.
"Chyort Voz'mi! These bonds are really tight, I cannot get them off!" Linka swore in Russian under her breath as she struggled to free Wheeler, who upon sitting up had noticed something that made his blood boil with rage.
Commander Clash was wearing his ring! The fire Planeteer couldn't believe it; the others had replaced him on the team just like that, and worse yet, they hadn't even asked him. Without even stopping to see how he felt about it or giving him any explanation, they just handed his ring over to that man! He couldn't tell whether he was hurt or angry; his emotions were in complete turmoil as the urge to blow his top and the urge to cry battled it out in his brain.
"Commander you'll have to burn through these bonds," Gi signaled behind Wheeler, and the older man approached, nervously fingering the unfamiliar ring.
As the girls pulled Wheelers sleeves out of the way, the former radar operator imagined using the ring as a blow-torch or cigarette lighter, hoping that it was thought that controlled the power
"Fire." A small flame popped up from the centre of the crystal, and the golden band suddenly felt warm around the military man's knuckle. His fingers were bigger than Wheeler's, and the ring couldn't go passed the middle knuckle on his index finger. Applying the flame to the plastic band, he watched as it slowly melted stretching, stretching…
"Mmmmmmm!" a still gagged Wheeler was unable to cry out, wincing in pain as the hot plastic seared the sensitive skin around his wrists.
In a few seconds, the plastic gave way with a snap, and Gi was examining the rapidly blistering area as Kwame struggled to release the musty gag that stifled the redhead's ability to talk. Anger was winning the battle in Wheelers mind, and his expression turned stony as his mood blackened. How could they do it, his so called friends; how could they kick him off the team without even a word and replace him as quickly as 1, 2, 3! Commander Clash had wandered around in front of the fuming father-to-be, right in his line of sight; this guy really was too much! If he had to be replaced at all did it have to be Commander Clash?
"Please do not be angry, Yankee, we had no choice. There was no way of knowing that we would find you before it was too late." Linka ducked down beside the redhead, reading his expression perfectly. "We had to ask Commander Clash to borrow your ring in case we needed Captain Planet's help before we could rescue you."
Linka laid one hand on his shoulder, starting to rub in a comforting gesture; however, he pulled away, yanking his wrist away from Gi in the process. The situation was becoming dangerous, even with Ma-Ti guarding the door, they were cutting it close. They knew that Plunder could be back at any moment. Kwame's dark fingers finally undid the knot at the back of the captive's head, and the gag released its grip on the redheads jaw; however, he remained silent watching the group of people fussing around him. What were they waiting for?
"Aren't ya gonna untie my feet!" he demanded angrily, his voice gruff and menacing as he loudly banged his heels against the floor to direct them to the other tie.
"You'll just have to wait till I've finished bandaging your wrists Wheeler," a rather annoyed Gi scolded as the American tried to pull away.
"We know you too well, my friend, as soon as we release you, you will run off. You do not want those burns to get infected." Kwame tried to soothe his anxious friend to no avail.
"Ok, Commander, I'm done." After slipping the last pin into the bandage on Wheelers right wrist the Asian girl sat back and gingerly let go of the snuggly wrapped form.
"Fire." Upon lighting the ring again, Commander Clash started to draw the flame close to the tie around Wheeler's legs, something that made the 22-year-old feel quite uneasy.
"Hey whatcha don't catch my pants on fire!" the flaming youth warned as he warily watched the tiny spark coming too close to his legs. He suffered burns on his wrists, and he didn't need the same thing to happen to his legs too. Had the young man been in a clearer state of mind, he could have taken the eco-ring back from the military man and freed his own legs; however, the anger he felt inside was obscuring any chance of logical thought. He remained seated, slowly flushing beetroot red as his mood continued to darken.
"I will be careful, wheeler," the Army man promised as he plunged into a deep state of concentration.
The plastic bond finally snapped and there was no incidence of accidental burns on the freed man's legs. Wheeler quickly rolled to his knees, wanting desperately to get up so he could leave and be alone.
"Well help me up then!" he demanded, holding his hand out as a request for assistance. It took only a few seconds for him to realize that without a surface to grip onto, he was still stuck on the floor. As soon as the murder mystery role play was over, this day really went down the drain and totally sucked by the early afternoon! Kwame stepped forward and gripped his flushed friend under the arms, dragging him upright. "Thanks," the cross carrot top muttered caustically as he spun on his heal and stormed out of the cabin.
Commander Clash started to follow, feeling a need to comfort the young man, for he believed he was going through some pretty serious issues that he might not be able to handle on his own. Maybe he just needed someone to shout at, to let loose his feelings of anger or betrayal. A strong arm prevented his movement, and he looked into the solemn brown eyes as Kwame shook his head.
"Nyet, Commander, leave him. He will calm down." Linka shook her head and felt she should give her warning for the Commander's sake as well as Wheeler's.
"It's not safe to approach him in this mood; it would be like walking directly into the eye of a hurricane. You would have no idea just when the storms – or in this case, wheeler's temper – will pick up speed again." Gi added, retrieving and examining the dirty cloth that had bound her friend's mouth. She wasn't convinced that he couldn't catch something nasty from that.
"Yeah, hurricane Wheeler," Ma-Ti noted with a smile.
Unfortunately, the funny thought did not last long, for running footsteps approached the area.
"What's going on here!" Plunders voice boomed in anger.
With a burst of speed, the four eco-warriors and ex-soldier scattered, leaving the eco-villain seething, and cursing the ones who had let his Planeteer prisoner escape.
Wheeler came to a halt, breathing hard and feeling a painful cramp. Anger still burned furiously in his veins, but he no longer wanted to run away; he just wanted to stop. Looking around, he realized he had found a paradise. The tall redwoods slowly gave way to a clearing. A winding stream ran near his feet, and he followed its gentle meandering course, listening to it babbling away and feeling himself relax. Why had he gotten so angry anyway? Surely, there would be an explanation, and he should have realized that his friends just wouldn't kick him off the team like that. After sitting on the bank and slipping his sneakers off the redhead dipped his feet into the cooling water, feeling the river weed tickling his feet. He leaned back and felt the baby wiggling inside him energetically.
"Hey, munchkin," he talked to his unborn little one as he smiled and rested his palm flat on his belly, clearly enjoying the sensation.
Boy, what would his friends say if they could see him talking to his bump? A crinkled grin crossed his fair features. Did they need him? Probably not for a while, not with Commander Clash there. He figured he would go back to the Geo-cruiser in a minute; after all, Plunder wouldn't be able to fell the entire forest in one afternoon.
Realization suddenly dawned on the Eco-villain. His captive had escaped, and he had told him everything! Could it affect the plan? No, it was fine, even if the bio-brat were to tell someone, it was the word of a wealthy property developer against that of some radical tree hugger - and a radical tree hugger who is entering into the later stages of pregnancy at that. He was safe.
After losing the guards in the trees the Planeteers managed to regroup. They still didn't know where Wheeler was, and they were uncertain if he was safe wherever he was. The deep throaty roar of a bulldozer shattered the silence, and the birds began frantically flapping from their perches in great haste, wanting to escape back to the silence that was their forest home. Using her binoculars to observe what was happening, Linka looked back towards the site as the deforestation restarted with renewed pace.
"Plunder is worried. He has speeded up the project," she observed nervously.
"What can we do? We have no evidence to use against him," Gi responded with a hint of despair in her voice. This couldn't happen again; Plunder just couldn't destroy another precious forest.
"We have no choice; we will have to call captain planet!" Kwame put forth the only option that seemed to be available.
"What can he do?" Gi queried. Normally she would have called the environmental super hero without argument, but there was no immediate danger. There was nothing to stop them from halting the eco-baddies plans except time.
"He may be able to buy us more time, Gi, or at least find Wheeler," Ma-Ti reasoned.
It was worth a try, and they realized they could do nothing else at this moment. Every hour they wasted in planning or arguing was another 10 trees that would never see another spring.
"Let us hope this works, cross your fingers everybody," Kwame called out. Would the summoning process work without Wheeler? Would the ring work for Commander Clash a second time? "Earth!"
"Fire!" The commander closed his eyes, concentrating deeply and hoping that he could help his friends call the super hero for Earth.
"Wind!"
"Water!"
"Heart!"
"By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!"
"Go Planet!" the Planeteers and fill-in eco-hero called out in triumph.
"Why, Wheeler, either you've changed a lot since the last time I saw you, or someone else is in charge of the fire power now. What's happening Planeteers?"
"Commander Clash is just temporarily filling in because we have lost Wheeler; he stormed off, and Plunder is about to destroy the forest!" Linka filled the azure skinned being on what was happening at the moment.
"So you need a few time shares? Let's see what I can do!" flying off, the blue hero hovered for a moment and surveyed the situation. "Hey, Plunder, I don't think you have a license for those!" he called, swooping down and picking up the bulldozers as if they were made of paper.
"Captain Planet, you can't stop me this time!" the villain loudly sneered, convinced of victory. He set himself on his laurels and fixed his enemy with a challenging stare. An unperturbed Cap twisted and spun the bulldozer into a pile of knots, gathering the rest of the abandoned equipment and smiling all the time. He knew exactly what to do.
Plunders jaw dropped as he saw what happened to his clear cutting machinery, but he quickly recovered his composure. "That's a nice trick, but I can have more equipment here in three days. Face it you lost. Woops, is that a feeling of déjà vu you're getting now? Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
The transformation of the polluter's machines into green planters had been a shock to the well dressed eco-baddy; however, those bulldozers were easy to get a hold of. Nothing could stop his destruction of the area, not the word of a pregnant youth or the loss of his machines. Even with a three day delay, the Planeteers could do nothing, for all the incriminating evidence was in his briefcase, and he did not plan on leaving it unattended again.
Once his task was done, cap returned to the eco-heroes. "Say hi to Wheeler for me, and stop Plunder; you have 3 days, Planeteers." With that, he split and returned to the rings. "The power is yours!"
The Planeteers and Clash trudged back to the geo-cruiser. Three days wasn't long, and Plunder would be watching out for them. It seemed hopeless, but they were determined not to give up this time; they had to win!
"Hey guys, sorry about the way I acted earlier. I…." Wheeler returned, feeling considerably more cheerful; however, he stopped short when he saw that his friends were huddled together and chatting, Commander Clash taking a central position and apparently busy making a joke. How could he; that was his role!
Feeling his temper rise up again, the redhead pushed passed the group and clambered into the cockpit. From the look on his pink face, it was apparent that he couldn't take much more of this. Realizing their friend had returned, although still apparently in a bad mood, the other Planeteers boarded the geo-cruiser and set the return course to the commander's home island and then to Hope Island. Perhaps, they could think of a solution while in a more familiar surrounding.
Commander Clash made a deliberate and courageous move by sitting next to the moody father-to-be, who turned his back as much as possible and crossed his arms as an indication that he did not want to face this man right now.
"Wheeler, listen to me, I don't want to take your place on the team; I was just called in to help while you were absent." The commander spoke evenly and slipped the ring off his finger. "You will always be the fire Planeteer; it's what you were born to do." The ex-soldier rested the golden band on the window ledge and carefully moved to another seat.
Wheeler looked down at the ring, feeling a little bit of relief as the anger melted away, only leaving room for an awkward feeling that still left him uncomfortable around the military man. He wasn't being replaced; he was still the Planeteer for fire. He twisted back and glanced in the mercenary's direction. Should he say something?
"Commander? Thanks." The sentiment was short, and things still weren't perfect; but even Wheeler could see what the commander was trying to say.
A brief detour took the Planeteers and ex-soldier to the island base the older man had called home for many years, and the radar station operator waved good-bye to his young friends before returning to catch up on several days' worth of tasks that were left undone during his absence.
"Let me know if you need anything," the ex-soldier waved as he watched the yellow craft take off.
"What are we going to do?" Gi said glumly as she glanced out of the window.
The mission looked hopeless with only three days to find that vital piece of evidence, and memories of the emergency the pun loving Wheeler fondly termed Whoo gives a hoot in the Planeteers' mission logs, ran through the Asian girls mind. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled the piece of paper she'd grabbed at the work site; it was nothing, just a list of figures that Plunder had calculated. They couldn't prove anything with that, and she could see no way of finding the evidence they needed at the present time.
The rest of the Planeteers were quiet, and Wheeler stared out of the window. He knew they were thinking about the mission, and he sorely wished he could have kept his temper, for they could have gotten something if it wasn't for him. In fact, if he had stayed home like they had suggested and let Clash take his place for once, they would probably have the evidence they needed to save the forest; and they could have stopped Plunder right there and then. What was his problem with the commander anyway? They had been friends for years, and the Army guy had always been the father that Wheeler had never had.