Hey there!
Thanks again for the reviews and all, really appreciate it.
Happy to hear that you like this story.
I've gotta say, I truly enjoy writing it as well, but that's not really surprising, for I just luh-ove to write about Vinnie.
He's such a great character.
I sometimes wish he was real, hehe.
Ahem, okay, before things get awkward, here's the next (long) chapter, with a bit more old-school action and mucho macho hero stuff.
It was a bit difficult to write here and there, all thanks to that stupid language barrier.
Did the best I could, hope it's easy to read despite all that.
I often wish my English was more advanced than it is now, but I'm just gonna keep practicing.
I'm thinking about taking a few classes, maybe.
But we'll see.
I'm not really the study type, to be honest.
More like an autodidact, but sometimes, that's just not enough.
Aaaaanyway...
Enjoy this beast of a chapter! ^^
Chapter 7
"Aaaoowww!"
Vinnie's battle cry echoed through the streets of the almost deserted part of Chicago as the tires of his cherry-red bike touched the cold asphalt again after a few perfectly executed airborne somersaults.
The goon he was chasing looked over his shoulder, fear clearly written upon his face, along with something that seemed to be a hint of regret, probably realizing he obviously had picked the wrong profession.
Vinnie couldn't agree more.
"So, hey, there's gotta be like a hundred reasons why I should let you just walk away…-", the white-furred mouse told the goon as his right finger pushed one of the small buttons on his handlebar.
Two laser weapons slid out of their compartment next to the headlight and using the small screen in his bike's dashboard, Vinnie aimed at one of the tires of the goon's means of transportation.
Although it was very tempting at the moment to just blow the guy's head off, Vinnie knew that wasn't how they worked and so, he just settled with the tire.
When the soft beep -the one that told that the target was locked- reached his sensitive ears, the white-furred daredevil smiled almost manically.
"-...but right now, I really can't think of one", and he fired without any form of hesitation or regret.
A blue laser flew out of both weapons and seconds thereafter, the tire of the buggy exploded, causing its rider to lose control.
After a few zigzags, the vehicle flew to the right and crashed into one of the cars that happened to be parked in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Reckless endangerment, destruction of public property, obstructing the town's hero, disturbing the peace and now you're parking in a no-parking zone...", Vinnie summed up with a slightly shaking head as he drove towards the goon that tried to get out of his buggy before that interplanetary devil would reach him, but there seemed to be something wrong with his seatbelt.
Or well, not just the seatbelt, for the entire buggy now looked more like a crumpled piece of paper instead of a well-functioning vehicle.
"You're lucky I ain't no police. That would've been one hell of a ticket", the young mouse smiled devilishly as he came to a halt next to the poor guy, who now doubled his attempts to escape, probably wishing it was the police who caught him instead of this out of control, crazy-ass alien.
Vinnie watched him struggle for a little while, his arms folded while his heart kept pumping adrenaline with blood through his veins, something he could definitely use after everything that happened last night.
Oh, he could use it alright.
Hot damn.
The guy glanced at him over his shoulder as he still fought with the seatbelt, despair decorating his not so pretty features and the left corner of Vinnie's mouth went up when he saw the fear in the man's eyes.
"Aaaaanyway… Maybe it's just me, but you look like you're in some kind of trouble here."
The man's attempts to free himself became even more desperate and Vinnie shook his head while his right hand took one of his beloved grenades that were attached to the right side of his awesome bike.
"Here, lemme help ya", he smirked before he pulled the pin out with his teeth and in one smooth movement, he threw the now ticking bomb under the damaged buggy while his tail released the seatbelt without any trouble.
The goon blinked a few times as he looked at the belt before he let out a sigh in resignation, knowing he was fucked in every possible way and Vinnie patted him on the shoulder, allegedly sympathetic.
"Don't beat yourself up, man. You did the best you could. But for now, you've got a flight to catch."
"A flight?", the thug asked a bit dazed.
"What flight?
The ticking sound, coming from under the buggy, sped up and Vinnie revved his bike, knowing he hadn't much time left if he didn't want to end up as mouse pate, which he didn't, of course.
And so, after popping a wheelie, he blew the man a kiss and quickly bolted.
The explosion was deafening and while using his weight to keep his bike under control when the giant shockwave hit him, the white-furred mouse adjusted his right side mirror, to see the buggy fly up in the air while the man flew even higher, screaming loudly in sheer terror.
That flight, sucker.
"Well, that goes to show ya — always wear your seatbelt, kids", Vinnie snickered, highly amused by this perfectly executed stunt of his.
Knowing he couldn't just let the man become street pizza, he pushed another button on his dashboard, though a bit reluctant.
A few ropes weighted with stones flew out of the back of his motorcycle and then wrapped around a couple of streetlights to form a safety net.
Although he knew he had the angle right, after all, he was Vinnie van Wham and simply the best, he still glanced in the side mirror to check if the guy wouldn't land next to it.
That would be a bit… doltish, to say the least.
But, of course, the goon landed perfectly in the middle and after bouncing up and down a few times, the poor guy ended up on his back, his arms and legs stretched like a starfish as he tried to catch his breath after this terrifying experience.
Resignation accepted, hehe.
Still softly chuckling, Vinnie took another quick look at the screen in his dashboard again, seeing that his two beloved bro's were just around the corner and he hit the accelerator, not wanting to miss out all the fun.
He sure as hell could use the distraction because holy shit times ten, he had made a mess alright, and he wasn't talking about the trail of destruction behind him, created while he and his bro's tried to stop another scheme of Limburger.
No, it was all about last night.
Ignoring a direct order was one thing, but lie to his bro about it?
That was just downright stupid and he was still trying to figure out whether he was tired of living or just plain crazy.
Probably both.
Especially because there was not even the slightest reason for lying -which was almost a mortal sin in their culture, but that aside-.
The point was that when he had shared that first kiss with Charley, one that had made his entire body smoldering, yearning for more, he had taken the liberty of taking a brief look inside her head, only to find out her intentions and nothing more, for taking someone on a Mind Walk without their specific permission was even worse than lying where he came from.
And just as his instinct had told him, her intentions were good.
She was, without a doubt, reliable, and her actions only confirmed that, her helping him getting O'Neill out of the way making a good example.
These findings added together made him conclude that there was absolutely no need to erase her memory.
To use her as some sort of lab experiment, or maybe even more to the point — to take the risk of killing her.
Then why didn't he tell Throttle?
He never lied to his bro's, most certainly not to his leader.
Trust was rare and worth its weight in gold in times of war and chaos.
Without trust, death came knocking on one's door before one could even blink.
Stupid.
That's what it was.
It might have something to do with him deep down knowing that his tan-furred leader still didn't want to take the risk, after all, he was very tenacious and preserving when it came to their secret identity.
He truly believed that the fate of the planet relied on it, and heck, maybe he was right.
Still.
Maybe he was being selfish here, which wouldn't be the first time by the way, but not even the fate of the planet felt important enough to stay away from her.
Nothing did, actually.
All he wanted was to be with her.
To talk to her.
To get to know her.
To finish what they had started, there in that dirty alley…
Stop.
He had to stop thinking about that, for if he didn't, he would turn around straight away and race to the Last Chance Garage, right where he had left her last night after Throttle had summoned him on a patrol at the south side of the city.
Fuck, what a mess.
He really screwed up this time.
Lying to his bro's, shit, what the hell was he thinking anyway?
That he could have some secret love next to this already time-consuming 'superhero life'?
That his bro's wouldn't find out about him having a girl somewhere hidden in town?
That he…
"Vincent, look out!"
Throttle's voice blaring over the speakers in his helmet broke him out of his thoughts, but it was already too late.
One of the buggies -that was being chased by Modo, he found out later- crashed into him with dazzling speed, and despite that he wasn't prepared at all, instinct made him pull up his leg only a split second before the bumper made contact with his beloved bike, an action that most likely saved his foot from a very dark fate.
Although he was highly grateful for this fast reflex, it was all he could in this short matter of time and while his bike got pushed to the left by the goon's vehicle, Vinnie got catapulted to the right, only inches over the buggy, before he landed on the asphalt with a loud bang.
Despite the sharp pain that shot through his right arm and neck, the white-furred mouse luckily had the presence of mind to rollover, knowing that if he didn't, his fur would be scraped off by the rough surface, straight through his clothes.
Still, it was hardly a controlled landing and although he did manage to eventually land on his feet, gravity was far from in his favor at the moment and he stumbled a few passes before he already lost his balance again, but then there was Modo.
Catching him right before he would end up face forward on the dirty road and Vinnie let out a laugh in relief, dangling in the grey-furred giant's arms.
"Whoa, nice catch, bro."
"It's all in the wrist", Modo snickered, moving his bionic hand with a soft zooming sound before he put his beloved young bro back on his feet.
While Vinnie leaned with his hands on his sore knees to catch his breath, a black and chrome bike stopped close to him with soft screeching brakes.
"That was quite the mean crash, baby bro. You okay?", Throttle asked worriedly as he opened his visor, his bionic eyes flying over Vinnie's body to take in the damage from behind his glasses.
"Still in one piece, I guess…", the white-furred mouse panted, still a bit out of breath and he cracked his neck, his nose wrinkled and one eye a bit narrowed when the pain now slowly spread through his entire body.
This was going to hurt in the morning, that he knew.
Ugh.
Whatta drag.
"What were you thinking, Vincent? You could've been killed", his tan-furred friend breathed, still a bit shocked that his young bro was still standing after a crash on such a scale.
"Yeah, but I'm not, now am I? I was just… a bit distracted, I guess. No biggie", Vinnie grumbled, not in the mood to get a slap on the wrist and his ruby-red eyes peeked over Throttle's shoulder, seeing that the party was already over again.
In other words, another win on their behalf.
But the young mouse felt anything but victorious when his gaze eventually landed on his bike that lay on its right side at the beginning of an alley nearby an empty, with graffiti decorated building, partially buried under the goon's buggy, for the sight made his heart ache.
His much-loved bike.
"Ah, man… now that hurts", he sighed in defeat, his left fingers massaging the sore muscles and sinews in his right elbow a bit absent-minded.
Throttle turned his upper body to follow his gaze and his shoulders slumped before he looked back at the white-furred mouse, the sight of the bike giving him renewed determination to get through to his stubborn little brother.
"No biggie, my ass. I'm not joking around here, man. Whatever it is that's bugging you, you have to get it together or it will get you killed and I ain't planning on scraping you off the asphalt just yet."
He didn't say this to lecture him, but only because he was worried.
Because he cared.
Vinnie knew, and yet, it annoyed him.
He wasn't sure why, but it just did.
Probably because he was just so angry with himself for being so goddamn stupid.
"Will you quit your whining? I said I was distracted, not bugged. Besides, I don't break so easily, as proven once again, so let it go, okay?", he snapped at his leader, already feeling guilty that he did, but instead of taking it back or apologizing, he walked away to get to his bike.
Or well, walked…
More like stumbled.
Fuck, this hurt, big time and not just his ego.
"Throttle ain't wrong here, Vin. Getting a ball in your face because you're distracted is one thing, but a crash like that... ", Modo told him as he followed him on his bike with a softly purring engine, a worried glance visible in his one eye.
Vinnie clenched his teeth, but said nothing as he stubbornly continued his path, slightly limping despite his effort to cover it up.
Man.
Guess it was safe to say that this wasn't his day.
That is, if anything, an understatement.
When he finally reached his motorcycle, he already raised his hand to grab the rear bumper of the buggy -the driver already long gone-, planning on pulling it off his dearest ride.
But the damn thing didn't cooperate, much to his frustration and a low growl escaped his mouth as he doubled his efforts, now hanging on the bumper with his full weight.
"Move, you stupid thing, move…"
"Modo is making a compelling point here, Vinnie my man. We simply don't wanna lose you."
Throttle added the last part with a certain sympathizing tone hidden underneath his usual husky sound, one that made Vinnie even more cranky.
"Like… I… said…", the young mouse squeezed out between clenched teeth, still trying to get the buggy into movement as he now wrapped his tail around the bumper in the hope that this little bit of extra strength would do the trick.
"I... ain't... so…"
It didn't, though, so now his right foot joined the fight with this stupid piece of metal and he planted it on the rear tire of his bike so he could throw a bit more of his weight around.
"...easy... to... get... rid…"
With a loud crack, the bumper broke off and Vinnie flew backward with the metal component still in his hands, a somewhat surprised look on his face, but again, Modo saved the day and caught him right before he fell.
"...off", the white-furred youngster sighed a bit tiredly to finish his sentence, again, hanging in his older bro's arms.
"Dammit."
"That we all know too well", Modo chuckled and after a soft push, the young mouse was back on his own feet.
"How about telling us what's eating your tail, huh? Maybe we can help."
While he offered this, the large mouse stepped off his bike and walked over to the buggy.
"Sometimes it's already enough to just talk about it, ya know? To create some space in your mind. Might make it easier to bear and stuff."
With only using his bionic hand, Modo pulled the buggy off Vinnie's damaged ride without too much trouble and threw it away as if it was nothing more than an empty can of root beer.
Yep.
That's our Modo.
Dr. Phil and the Hulk in one.
"Typical", Vinnie muttered under his breath as he threw the bumper over his shoulder and walked over to his poor, poor bike, deliberately ignoring Modo's suggestion while he was at it.
But Throttle wasn't planning on letting him walk away from this and kept his gaze focussed on the white-furred mouse as he leaned on his handlebars.
"I think that sounds like an excellent suggestion, don't you agree?"
No, he didn't agree.
In fact, the last thing Vinnie wanted to talk about was what was eating his tail, for he had no idea how to tell his bro that he had betrayed his trust.
Both of their trust, to be exact.
The thought alone made him sick to the stomach.
"Well, in my humble opinion, this so-called 'excellent suggestion' is the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life", he therefore told his leader without looking at him, and with a little effort, he managed to get his bike back on its tires.
"Oh, gosh, sweetheart, what have they done to you…"
The red racer beeped back a bit sad and the white-furred mouse took in the damage, which was substantial.
Still, it seemed that it was still able to drive, although maybe not at full speed.
Ugh.
This day was just getting better and better…
NOT.
"Can you ride?", Throttle asked him as he got back upright, looking at Vinnie's bike with a frown on his face and subconsciously guessing his young bro's thoughts.
"We need to get outta here before the police show up to do their job for a change."
Even though this part of the city was practically forgotten by the entire government, a fight like this one most definitely would come to their attention.
"Of course I can ride. It takes a lot more to take the Vinman or his bike down and you know it", Vinnie protested, but it didn't sound as convincing as he wanted to.
"Oh, I know alright…", the tan-furred mouse sighed tiredly because of this very laborious conversation, but Modo wasn't planning on giving up already.
"It's about that girl, isn't it?"
Vinnie visibly tensed, he just couldn't stop himself, no matter how much he wanted to.
The image of her sparkling green eyes flashed before his and goosebumps spread across his body.
Luckily, both his clothes and fur covered it up and he slightly shook his head, giving himself a firm mental scolding that he needed to keep his head in the game.
But just when he opened his mouth to give another evasive answer, a raw and stupid sounding voice broke the pressing silence.
"Yo, biker bunnies! Haul those buck teeth over here. I've gots somethings for yous…"
Saved by the bell.
Or well, by Greasepit.
They all three looked up a bit surprised, but there was curiosity as well and they shared a meaningful look.
"Now what is he up to this time, huh?", Modo asked with a small smile, not worried at all as he looked over his shoulder, but since they were still partially standing in the alley, he wasn't able to see what was going on.
"Knowing him, something really stupid", Throttle chuckled and he closed his visor with an amused look on his face.
"Maybe he finally figured out how a shower works", Vinnie shrugged, a bit hopeful though, for the guy was like the definition of disgusting, thanks to his little oil leaking problem.
Now, he wasn't really one to judge, but the oil was quite hard to get out of his fur and if he had to be honest, he hated showers just as much as Greasepit did, maybe even more.
It was just so… boring.
And wet.
Don't forget wet.
"Well, why don't we go and ask him, huh? Polity of course", Throttle suggested calmly, but just when Vinnie was about to mount his bike, another voice echoed through the for now still empty streets.
It sounded a bit muffled, but it was, without a doubt, a female voice.
"No, Vinnie, it's a trap!"
When the beautiful sounds of her voice reached his sensitive ears, the white-furred mouse froze entirely, his right leg now floating in the air only halfway his bike and his heartbeat increased faster than a speeding bullet.
Even though he had only met her three nights ago, he would already recognize her voice everywhere, as if it was instilled within every cell in his system.
Perhaps it was.
No way…
He wouldn't dare, would he?
Not even Greasepit could be that dumb…
...right?
A pang of anger activated his muscles again and while his grip around the handlebars tightened, Vinnie sat down on his bike almost in slow motion, every movement executed with a certain precision that just wasn't like him, at all.
But something awoke inside of him the moment his ears caught the first soundwaves of her voice.
Something evil and dark, brewing in his chest, preparing itself for battle.
Hm.
Maybe he didn't hear it right.
He was, after all, distracted.
She had crawled into his system the moment he saw her in that alley and was haunting his mind ever since.
So maybe his brain was playing tricks with him.
It wouldn't be the first time.
Ignoring the questioning gaze of both his bro's which almost burned a hole in his skull, the white-furred youngster pushed his bike toward the end of the alley, the left part of his upper lip slightly twitching.
He had to be sure.
For all of their sakes.
When he reached the corner, he placed both heels on the ground to stop, which the cherry-red racer did, although with a cringing squeaking sound that wasn't supposed to be heard.
His beloved ride was obviously toiling under the severe damage due to the crash, but Vinnie didn't have space left to worry about that.
All he could think of was her.
That she might be in danger.
The thought alone made his entire body quiver.
Took his breath away.
Oh, boy.
As he buried his shiny white teeth in his lower lip, some feeble attempt to keep this darkness inside of him under control, his ruby-red eyes peeked around the corner.
'I've gots somethings for yous…'
When Vinnie saw what that dumber than dumb right hand of Limburger called Greasepit meant with 'something', his breathing accelerated and he quickly let go of his lower lip again before he might bite straight through the flesh, somehow still able to realize that it would leave an ugly scar and heck, he already had enough scars decorating his pretty face.
At least he knew now that his brain wasn't playing games.
Oh no.
Far from it.
For the helpless figure that sat on top of something that looked a lot like some huge ass mouse trap was, without a doubt, the intriguing human female named Charley.
Her tremendously fine body tied with ropes.
That maddening mouth of hers, that was able to make him go crazy faster than lightning, covered with a black bandana.
Vinnie let his gaze wander over the giant metal construction with sharp-looking pins, all the way over to Greasepit, who stood next to it while holding a rope that was attached to the trap's detonator and the proud glance on his ugly face only sparked Vinnie's fire even more.
Eventually, his red eyes darted back up and locked with Charley's.
When he saw the fear whirling in the green flames, every muscle in his body quivered under the tension that now built up with the speed of light.
Tension belonging to a certain kind of rage he had never felt before.
The monster, now ignited, was almost ready to be unleashed.
Holy-fuck-a-moly.
Greasepit over there just signed his own death sentence.
While the weight of this burning fury threatened to crush him, Vinnie lifted his right foot and slammed it on the kickstart of his bike.
After sputtering for a few seconds, the powerful engine came to life, much to his relief.
It seemed as if the bike was just as eager as him to free Charley from this life-threatening and precarious situation and with his hand shaking almost uncontrollably, the white-furred hothead closed his visor.
Hold my beer — I'm going in.
But, much to his horror, right before he wanted to take off, Throttle blocked his way and gave him one of those famous, toe-curling penetrating gazes of his.
"She knows your name."
It was all he said, but it was already enough for Vinnie to almost explode out of his fur, feeling the monster mercilessly breathing down his neck.
"Say what?! Who the fuck cares?!", he exclaimed angrily, perhaps even a bit confused by this sudden intervention but when Throttle didn't move, he slammed his fist on the dashboard of his bike, which beeped back in protest, but the young mouse didn't hear it as he pointed a warning finger at his older bro, fighting to keep himself under control, but hot damn, it was hard.
"You better get out of my way, right now, or I'll make you and believe me when I say it won't be pretty!"
It was a nice threat, if he may say so, but the tan-furred mouse didn't even flinch and it somehow was a huge blow to his ego, which was beyond childish, actually.
"You told me you erased her memory. Then how in the world does she know your name?", Throttle asked, seemingly calm but his voice was as cold as ice, giving away that on the inside, he was everything but calm and Vinnie let out a groan in frustration, knowing he was about to lose the fight with this burning rage that was setting his heart on fire.
"Can we not have this conversation right now? The lady is in trouble, man!"
"It's a simple question, bro."
"Asked with the worst timing EVER! Fuck, Throttle, I really don't wanna hurt you but I swear to anything holy, if you don't haul your stupid tail out of my way…"
"Just answer the goddamn question and that's an order, soldier!", Throttle snapped at him, his tail lashing through the air.
It was a short and somehow controlled outburst on Throttle's part, but it was the final push to make the white-furred mouse snap like an elastic band.
Boom.
Just like that.
"Aarrgh, I couldn't, okay?!", Vinnie exploded, his usual high-pitched voice now raw of anger and he grabbed the windshield of his bike in some sort of feeble attempt to deal with this giant hurricane of anger, for he had no idea what to do with it.
As he looked at Throttle with eyes fuming, he leaned forward while his fingers almost buried themselves in the hard plastic.
"What do you want me to say, huh? That I fucked up? Well, I did! Big time!", he breathed in pure fury, leaning even closer to Throttle who just looked back with his mouth in a tight line.
"Or do you need me to tell you that I really tried, but that I just couldn't stand the thought of losing her?!"
Still mad with rage, the white-furred mouse now climbed over his windshield and within two steps, he was standing right in front of his leader before he folded his trembling fingers around Throttle's steering wheel.
"Or maybe you just wanna hear me say out loud that I might even love her? Well, I do!"
Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Vinnie placed his feet on the front tire of the black and chrome bike and pulled himself up so he could close the remaining gap between them, right until his nose almost touched Throttle's.
"Does that answer your question, sir?"
Breathing heavily due to this outburst, the young mouse fell silent again, somewhere in the back of his mind already cursing himself for saying this out loud, but holy shit, what else could he say?
It was the truth, after all.
Crazy, maybe, but the truth nevertheless.
For a moment, the two brothers in arms looked each other deeply in the eye.
One almost breaking under the pressure of anger and impatience, maybe even despair.
The other one stone-cold calm and authoritative.
But then, Throttle let out his breath and gave his young bro a nod.
"Okay. Left flank roll, bro's. It's time for us to rock and ride."
That was all Vinnie needed to hear and he was already back on his own bike in only the blink of an eye.
Time to unleash the Kraken!
...
Nope.
Just nope.
Too cheap.
Too lame.
Let's just stick with: 'Time to whip some tail.'
That'll do it.
The moment his beloved yet super annoying tan-furred bro was out of harm's way, the white-furred mouse sped away as if he was fired by a catapult, pushing his damaged bike to its limits.
"You let her go, oil breath. If you wanna keep breathing, that is…", he growled between clenched teeth, planning on giving the guy one warning and one alone, which was already one too many than he actually deserved, but hey, they were the good guys here, after all.
Whoopdidoo...
But Greasepit was either too dumb or too overconfident to fully comprehend the gravity of the situation, even now the usual happy note of the famous trio was almost foaming at the mouth of anger.
One should say it was a clear hint, but maybe not to Greasepit, who now held up the hand that was holding the rope.
"Yous touch me and I pull this string…", the goon gloated with a smile on his face that probably should pass for an evil one while in reality, it made him look even stupider.
"...and your friend, she goes… snap. Bwhahaha!"
But Vinnie didn't slow down after this lousy threat, neither did his bro's and when the young mouse glanced up for a moment, he saw how Charley looked back at him almost pleading, her eyebrows switched to a position that made her look so… helpless.
The sight was even more painful to witness than the one of his damaged bike and his heart almost cried out loud now, although still surrounded by fire.
Goddammit, she was scared.
Completely petrified.
She was hardly recovered from an already traumatizing attack in a dark alley and here she was, already being dragged into the next life-threatening situation.
Fuck.
The image of him blowing Greasepit's head off flashed before his eyes and he quickly shook his head, trying to ignore this burning desire to completely destroy the man who was responsible for doing this to her until there was absolutely nothing left of him, not even so much as a hair to make it a crime scene.
Try to suck on that, detective 'lame-ass' O'Neill.
Suddenly, the wind turned and a hint of her lovely fragrance caressed Vinnie's nostrils, although it was now stained with the smell of fear and by the Gods, it made him even more riled up, a thing he never thought possible.
Guess it was safe to say that he had never been this angry in his entire life, which, in turn, told him that what he said to Throttle just now really was the truth.
He loved her.
Shit, he really did.
He was completely and utterly in love with her.
And now, someone was threatening to hurt the woman who had managed to capture his heart in only two nights.
Gosh, it was probably a good thing that his bro's were going to take care of Greasepit so he could get Charley into safety and he forced himself to focus on that and that alone, for he had no idea what would happen if he didn't.
All he knew was that it would be messy.
Bloody, too, probably.
Argh, focus, macho mouse.
Focus.
"Just hang tight, sweetheart. It will be over before you know it…", he whispered, knowing she wouldn't be able to hear him over the howling engine and so he didn't even try.
If he had to be honest, he probably didn't even say it for her, but for himself.
All to keep his head in the game.
To not let these very sinister thoughts take over control.
Instead, he gave her a reassuring smile before focussing his attention back on the job.
He had a girl to save.
And that's that.
Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker.
As the three mice rapidly came closer to their goal, Vinnie quickly changed a few settings on his bike before he held up his thumb to Throttle, who drove nearly behind him.
"All set and ready to rumble, bro. Let's do this."
"You got it. Look alive, Modo. It's time to get real."
"Copy that, boss man."
Luckily, the bond between the three bro's was strong enough to survive a few arguments or two and when danger was lurking around the corner, they were all three able to set aside their differences to focus on doing what they do best, namely — whippos some tailos.
And so they did.
Biker Mice style.
They had reached the point that hell was about to break loose and it was at this exact moment that a few things happened at the same time.
Before he reached Greasepit, Throttle hit the brakes and did a full 180 while pressing a button on his right handlebar.
A rope with a grappling hook attached to it came out of the back of his bike and with a little help of the laws of gravity, it wrapped around the oil-leaking goon before he could even try to make a move, like pulling the rope he was still holding in his fleshy hand, for instance.
Lucky for them, including Charley, the guy was a bit slow on the uptake, which was probably a lifesaver at this moment.
After all, there had been more than a thousand opportunities for him to close the trap, but he hadn't taken either one of them and when the rope around him tightened, forcing him on his knees, Greasepit's face darkened as he finally realized that he was, as always, too late.
"Oh, boys… Mister Limboiger ain't gonna like this", he sighed when he lay on the ground, helpless like a little baby and Throttle shook his head with a smile when he came to a halt next to the lump of meat and oil.
"You said it, greasebump."
At the same time, Vinnie curved to the left while Modo went to the right and when he was close enough, the grey-furred giant raised his bionic arm while the deadly laser smoothly zoomed out of its hiding spot.
With his one eye a bit narrowed and the tip of his tongue between his teeth, Modo aimed carefully at the middle section of the trap and right after Greasepit was down, he took the shot.
A blue laser flashed by with almost the speed of light and Charley followed it with her green eyes, her entire face twisted in a mask of fear and despair.
The moment the laser hit the metal construction, the base exploded into a million pieces with an ear-deafening bang and a high shriek escaped her mouth as Charley now closed her eyes in sheer terror.
Luckily, and as anticipated, of course, the platform which Charley was sitting on protected her from the explosion, but it did, unfortunately for her, make her fly in the air, just like the goon earlier this afternoon.
The only difference was that the female Earther flew even higher and screamed even louder, but no one could really blame her for that, now could they?
"Sorry, ma'am… Believe it or not, we're actually trying to save you here", Modo mumbled, feeling a bit guilty as he followed the scared woman with his one eye before he gave his young bro a heads-up over the radio.
"You're up, Vin. Fire off."
Not that the white-furred daredevil needed a heads-up.
After all, what goes up, must come down, it really was as simple as that.
All he had to do was to make sure that the landing would be soft and pleasant.
No problem.
Using the radar on his bike, Vinnie kept a close eye on her trajectory to make sure he would be in the right place at the right time, knowing that timing was everything.
But anger still chased him down quite mercilessly, much to his annoyance.
If he hadn't such an important job to do -like catching the girl that already meant the world to him, preferably before she would become a sidewalk soufflé, for instance-, he would've turned around to teach Greasepit the true definition of Martian thunder.
Gosh, the nerve of that guy.
Well, as Modo's old grey-furred momma used to say — 'What goes around, comes around.'
And one day, he was going to pay for this, one way or another.
As he was still trying to get the burning monster inside of him back on its leash, his bike beeped, telling him that he was right where he needed to be and so, he quickly shook off these revengeful thoughts and looked up, although that wasn't really necessary, for her screaming was already enough for him to know that she was close.
"This better work, sweetheart. Please, don't fail me, not now", he mumbled to his bike, and as the high notes of Charley's voice made his dearest eardrums painfully chatter, he slammed his foot on the brake pedal, pulled back the handlebars and opened the throttle a bit further.
Again, his bike squeaked and creaked, making Vinnie flinch in turn, but luckily, it still did what it was supposed to do and the front wheel came up quite smoothly, actually.
Despite the burning anger that was still setting his entire body on fire, a smile curled his lips and he flipped a bright-red colored switch that was hidden behind the left handlebar.
"Bang! I'm gone."
With a rustling sound that became louder and louder, flames came out of the back and his beloved racer flew straight up with a roaring engine.
As the wind pulled his clothes, he already felt the familiar and almost addictive tingles in his lower abdominal area tickling his insides, tingles caused by feeling the power of the machine trembling underneath him and it was enough for another massive shot of adrenaline.
But as it usually set his entire body on fire, it now felt more as if he was standing under a cold shower, the water putting out the flames of the beast, making him feel a bit calmer again.
"Vinnie, the velocity atrocity, grabbing some altitude", he breathed in relief without losing track of his target, namely — a very scared female human being, who had just reached her highest point and was now falling down with dazzling speed, screaming her head off.
Vinnie checked the radar one last time, knowing it was now or never and while his bike still flew straight up, the white-furred mouse carefully placed both feet on the footrests that were initially designed for the passenger driver.
Using his tail to keep his balance, he looked back up to Charley, who was now only a few meters away from him.
After taking a deep breath, Vinnie bent his knees before he let go of the handlebars and jumped off the bike with all the strength he had in him, his eyes fixated on his new Earthly friend.
His heartbeat rose to an astonishing level when he stretched his arms almost automatically and for a moment, time seemed to slow down.
Maybe it even stopped ticking.
It felt like it did.
All he heard was his own heavy breathing, reflected by his helmet, soon accompanied by the sound of his heart pounding in his head.
Her hair dancing in the wind prevented him from seeing her face, but thanks to the somehow peaceful silence pressing against his ears, he noticed that she had stopped screaming.
That couldn't be good.
His beloved ears thought otherwise, though.
But, as always when time seemed to stop, it now took a leap forward, desperate to catch up with the delay.
Luckily, Vinnie had a flawless sense of timing, not to mention an arsenal full of some pretty swell skills and so, he was able to catch Charley without too much trouble.
As soon as his body practically crashed into hers, he immediately wrapped his arms around her torso while his tail snaked around her legs, all to prevent her from slipping out of his arms when they made a few unwanted yet inevitable somersaults due to the speed he had caught her with just now.
"Gotcha, sweetheart", Vinnie breathed in her ear, still holding her tightly and he closed his eyes for a moment, relief washing over him by feeling her in his arms.
At the same time, he used both his weight and tail to turn this quite dashing freefall into a bit more controlled one and when they finally stopped spinning, he suddenly heard a soft, muffled sound coming from his neck, where she had buried her face the moment he caught her.
It seemed as if she was trying to say something and he pricked his sensitive ears, as far as his helmet let him, that is.
"Great. But who's got you?"
Despite that her voice sounded weak, which told him that she was either close to losing consciousness or that she might be in shock, his lips curled into a relieved yet smug smile, almost thanking God on his bare knees that even though her day was far from going well, she obviously hadn't lost that dry sense of humor of hers.
Whatta woman.
"Don't sweat it, babe. This is standard hero work", he told her, but his voice sounded somewhat raw, a little too raw, maybe, for now his actual innocent comment sounded so… dirty, all of a sudden.
It all had to do with their entwined bodies, and the fact that last night was still fresh in his memory.
Very fresh.
Very, very fresh.
Yeah, yeah.
Point taken.
The timing couldn't be worse, though and he bit his lower lip in the hope that the pain signal would stop his system from producing this sudden and maybe even inappropriate amount of testosterone.
"How reassuring", Charley mumbled, but there was a certain tone audible, one that might be described as teasing.
One that gave him goosebumps all over his body.
Oh, boy.
Biting his lip even harder, Vinnie looked up, his ruby-red eyes searching the sky for his bike, which was flying a bit higher to their right and he whistled between his teeth.
"Yo, bike! Throw us a line!"
The cherry-red racer immediately obeyed and once the rope was close enough, Vinnie gently untangled his left arm to pull it from the sky.
As soon as his white-furred fingers enclosed the rough object, the young mouse whistled again and his bike now started to haul the rope back in.
Fortunately, it didn't take long before they reached his by AI-controlled means of transportation, for the ground was coming closer and closer.
Knowing they hadn't much time left, Vinnie skillfully climbed back in the saddle without losing his grip around his human friend.
Carefully, maybe even tenderly, he placed her in front of him with her legs to the left while his left hand let go of the rope and grabbed the handlebar instead, thereby securing her legs with his arm.
He kept his right arm firmly wrapped around her waist, to avoid her falling off and he quickly fired his jets to slow down their freefall.
Or well, he tried to fire his jets.
But, much to his horror, nothing happened and he looked down at his bike a bit questionable before he suddenly remembered the crash again.
Uh, oh...
"No, no, no, come on, sweetheart, don't do this to me…", he breathed as he tried the switch again, but still, nothing happened.
His red eyes peeked down and although he was no mouse to frighten easily, even his heart performed a few cartwheels when he saw how close to the ground they already were.
"Fuck."
Talk about your major cold shower.
Since there wasn't really anything else to do, for the jets were their only chance for a smooth landing, he just kept flicking the red switch on and off, his nose wrinkled in annoyance.
"Come on… come on… come...on..."
Just when he started to believe that they weren't going to make it, a soft splutter made his entire face lit up and breathing suddenly became a lot easier again.
"That's it, sweetheart. That's it!", he encouraged his beloved ride, somewhere in the back of his mind realizing that he sounded awfully like one of those cheerleaders Charley had mentioned in their previous conversation, but right now, he couldn't care less.
Heck, he would even dance around in a skirt, for all he cared.
If that meant that they were both allowed to stay on this planet for a little while longer, fine by him.
Uh… how about no?
There was a loud bang, soon followed by the familiar rustling sound again and Vinnie quickly pulled on the left handlebar.
Phewie.
The bike's front slowly came up like a prancing horse, using the power of the now fully functioning jets at the back to slow down their fall, but Vinnie had enough experience to know that it all came just a fraction too late.
"Alright, brace for impact, Charley-girl. It's gonna be a bit bumpy from here on", he warned her between clenched teeth as he used all his strength to keep the front wheel up as long as he could.
Just when he realized that Charley was awfully quiet, the rear tire grazed the ground and he shifted his weight to the front while he already rested his right foot on the brake pedal.
As soon as both tires touched the ground, the white-furred mouse hit the brakes, hoping his bike wouldn't break in half by the way too rough landing, but again, luck seemed to be on their side and it didn't take long before they were back at normal speed again.
"Whoo, close one… I love it!", Vinnie cheered happily, but when Charley still didn't respond, his smile already vanished like smoke in the wind again.
Perhaps now was a good time to check on her.
Splendid idea.
Knowing that his bro's were perfectly able of taking care of Greasepit on their own, Vinnie made a sharp turn to the right and drove into one of the many alleys this town had to offer for a little bit of privacy.
His red motorcycle skidded to a halt at the end of the alley and Vinnie let out his breath, already ripping off his helmet while his tail snatched a flare out of the wristband that was hidden in the sleeve of his black sweater.
After scraping it over the asphalt, the red light illuminated the shadowy environment for a moment and he quickly cut the ropes before he threw it in one of the puddles close to his feet before someone might see the light and get curious.
The last thing he wanted right now was people snooping around, most certainly not cops.
As the ropes fell on the floor with a soft thump, Vinnie already scooped Charley in his arms and lifted her off his bike.
Although he did vaguely notice that she laid in his arms like a ragdoll, he still tried to put her on her feet, but she just collapsed like a sack of potatoes, her legs obviously not ready to carry her weight yet.
Thanks to his fast reflexes, the white-furred mouse managed to catch her again right before she dropped on the wet and cold floor.
"Phew, you sure know how to keep life exciting, babe", he breathed as he, again, lifted her and gently put her sideways on his bike, which beeped a bit concerned as well.
How sweet.
She seemed to be able to sit, but he didn't want to take any risk and so, he still supported her with his tail while he raised his hands to open the curtain of hair that was hiding her face from him.
"Okay, let me look at you here…", he said softly as he cautiously wiped the wild bangs out of her face.
His heart skipped a beat when he saw that her skin was as white as his fur on shower day, which wasn't really a good sign, at least, not on her part.
As he let his ruby-red eyes wander over her still quite beautiful features, his worry grew even bigger, for her eyes were still shut tight, as if she wasn't really aware of the fact that she was safe on the ground again.
Plus, she was barely able to keep her head up, although she did try it.
The result kind of made her look like one of those funny wobble head thingys Earthers loved to decorate their cars with, but seeing her like this was everything but entertaining.
"Jesus, sweetheart… are you okay?", he asked without really expecting an answer while he tucked a few wandering strands of hair behind her ear, now noticing her shallow breathing.
Cautiously, he lowered his right hand, his fingertips brushing the slightly moist skin in her neck before he gently pressed them on her artery and a frown appeared on his face.
Her pulse was calm, but given the current circumstances, a bit too calm, for his taste.
This had to be, without a doubt, another traumatizing experience for her and it would make so much more sense if her heart would comply with that, but it didn't.
Hm.
All things considered, he could only conclude that she was in some sort of state of shock and an ominous feeling washed over him when he realized that he had no idea what to do.
Shit.
What a mess this was.
Maybe he needed to call his bro's.
Modo did have some experience with first aid, after all.
Or maybe he should just bring her straight to the hospital…
...again.
Man.
He could only hope that this wasn't going to be a thing now, for he hated hospitals with every fiber in his body.
Then again, for her, he would do it, if that meant he would be able to keep her close to him.
Still.
There might be another way, for he now suddenly remembered how scared she had been last night, when she thought he was going to erase her memory.
What he had done to ease her fears.
It had worked once.
Maybe it worked again.
There was no absolutely no harm in trying.
He could always still bring her to the hospital if it didn't work.
Smart thinking.
Still a bit hesitant, for he wasn't entirely convinced he had made the right choice here, Vinnie raised both hands and tenderly weaved his fingers into her auburn-colored hair, which went much smoother this time, without the braid and all.
Feeling her skin under his fingertips almost made him shiver, but he forced himself to stay focussed on her and he took a step closer to her, positioning himself between her legs.
Don't think dirty thoughts, don't think dirty thoughts, don't think dirty thoughts…
...puhlease…
...not now.
After taking a deep breath, he brought his mouth to her ear, already biting his lower lip again to keep himself in check when her scent hit him quite unexpectedly.
"Charley, it's okay… you're safe…", he whispered, fighting the urge to bury his teeth in her earlobe, although he wasn't sure where this temptation came from all of a sudden.
It was just that whenever she was close to him, his body immediately responded, a process he couldn't control.
But right now, all that mattered was her well-being and so, he tilted his head a bit to the right, the tip of his nose grazing her skin as his gaze wandered over her cheeks back to her still closed eyes.
While the low and rough tones of his voice still echoed through the dimly lit alley, Vinnie could already tell that she didn't hear him.
Hm.
Only one thing left to do.
And keep it decent while he was at it, of course.
Yes, please.
As his white-furred thumbs gently rubbed her cheeks, he raised his head and pressed a tender kiss on her forehead with his eyes closed, almost praying that this would work.
He so didn't want to go to the hospital.
But the moment his lips touched her cold yet sweaty skin, a shock went through her body and the white-furred mouse created a bit more distance so he could take a good look at her.
She still hadn't opened her eyes, but there was a frown visible that wasn't there before and his heartbeat increased.
And so did hers, much to his joy.
"There ya go, sweetheart. You're all okay", he smiled lovingly, his crimson eyes fixated on her face, not wanting to miss any possible sign that might tell him that she really was going to be okay.
A soft moan escaped her sweet lips as her breathing accelerated, the frown on her face getting deeper and deeper and Vinnie gently removed his fingers out of her shiny hair and now rested them on her cheeks.
"It's all alright, Charley. You're back on the ground, all safe and sound…"
While her breathing became even heavier, Charley gradually raised her hands, her fingers searching for safety and they eventually ended up on his chest, close to his fluttering heart.
Despite the thick fabric of his sweater and his fur, he felt how cold they were and a shiver ran down his spine, but he did nothing.
He just stood there, giving her the time and space she needed, to let her do this her own way.
All she needed to know was that she was safe and that he was here to keep it that way.
After lying there on his chest for a little while, her delicate hands now slid along his side all the way to his back, almost painfully slow.
Vinnie held in his breath, his heart pounding in his throat, for feeling her arms around him made him feel… peaceful, actually, which was strange, because he usually never felt peaceful.
Yet, at the same time, it aroused him more than he liked to admit, but he ignored this burning craving as best as he could.
The moment Charley's fingers took the back of his sweater in a tight grip, she leaned forward and while her breathing now came out with rapid breaths, she rested her head on his chest.
At first, Vinnie hardly dared to move, somehow worried that he might scare her off, but when he felt the way she was clinging on to him, almost desperately, he wrapped his arms around her somewhat lazily and pulled her into a tight and hopefully safe hug.
For a moment, nothing really happened, but then the white-furred mouse felt the muscles in her shoulders quiver under his.
It was ever so slightly, but thanks to his well-developed senses, he was perfectly able to feel it and he pressed a kiss on her hair, still holding her tightly.
Soon thereafter, the at first hardly sensible muscle tremors now spread rapidly and it didn't take long before her entire body was shaking uncontrollably against his.
That's it.
"Ssshhh… it's okay. I've got you. No one will ever hurt you again, that I promise", the young mouse spoke softly near her ear as he held her even closer to him, his heart crying by feeling her distress.
Though spoken with love and affection, these simple words did the trick to snap her back to reality and the poor auburn-haired female burst into tears, much to his relief.
Which was kind of crazy, actually, for crying women usually made him feel highly uncomfortable, maybe even insecure, but even he knew that this was by far a much more healthy response to what she had been through than being completely lethargic due to shock.
That didn't necessarily mean that he wasn't feeling slightly uneased, for he did, but all he could do was endure it while giving her shelter in his strong and muscular arms for as long as she needed it.
He had no idea how long he stood there, holding the sobbing Earther tightly, his chin resting on her head.
Time seemed to blur whenever he was around her, in fact, everything did.
But, eventually, she seemed to calm down a bit.
At least, that's what he concluded when he felt that the muscle contractions became less severe and although she was still sobbing from time to time, her breathing irregular, she wasn't really crying anymore.
But all Vinnie did was stroking her hair, enjoying the moment more than he would ever say out loud and he let out his breath when he felt his body relax as well, an effect she seemed to have on him.
After another long silence, Charley softly coughed a few times before she cleared her throat.
"So tell me, Vinnie — is this your usual way to impress a lady?", she mumbled, her face still buried in his sweater.
Her already quite arousing voice was now hoarse of crying, but that didn't make it less sexy and Vinnie let out a laugh in both relief and excitement, his heart already making overtime again.
"That depends, sweetheart. Did it work?"
"If it means that you won't try to outdo whatever this was, then yes, consider me impressed."
"What, you don't like a little action to keep things… alive?"
"Depends on what you mean with action."
Oh.
Vinnie visibly tensed by these, without a doubt, flirty words, spoken by that way too sexy voice of hers and a smug smile appeared on his face, his body temperature already a few degrees above average.
"I can show it to you, if you want…", he suggested, allegedly innocent, but the tone of his voice gave away something entirely different and now it was Charley who froze for a moment before she raised her head and looked up to him.
"You can?"
The white-furred mouse lowered his eyes and glanced back into her slightly swollen eyes with softly gnashing teeth, his heart warming up by seeing the somewhat expectant look on her face.
It could only be described as cute and it reduced the electric field that seemed to emerge whenever they were close to each other, which was actually a good thing because he also saw how tired she was.
Completely drained, both mentally and physically.
Besides, he was only teasing her, anyway.
No matter how tempting it was, he couldn't just unleash himself while his bro's were somewhere out there.
Somewhere close.
Both probably dying to meet her.
And so, he planted a peck on the tip of her nose before he loosened his grip around her.
"I can and I will. Just not right now."
Charley's still pale face darkened, but before she could protest, Vinnie took her head in his hands and kissed her.
Gently, though.
Not as heated as the last kiss they shared, although tasting her lips again already fired this spark that was close to his heart, the warmth spreading through his veins like wildfire.
But he still managed to keep it decent, maybe even just… affectionately.
Atta boy.
She kissed him back eagerly, her hands already making their way under his sweater, but it didn't feel like she wanted to rip it off his body.
No, it felt different this time.
As if she just wanted to feel him.
To have him close to her.
Still, despite that her fingers were still cold, feeling them sliding through the fur on his back made his self-control dangerously falter and he quickly broke off the kiss before taking a few steps backward.
"Ahem… Anyway…", he breathed as he adjusted his black hoodie, glancing at her from under his lashes with one corner of his mouth curled up, knowing perfectly well what effect that had on her.
"Since it's kind of inevitable, are you ready to meet my bro's?"
Charley looked back at him with a furrowed brow, her eyes glistening with something that looked a lot like nervousness.
"Why does it feel like I'm about to meet your parents?", she asked a bit stuffy and Vinnie gave her one of his most charming and disarming smiles.
"Because in a way, you are."
"Great. Just great", the female Earther muttered under her breath and the white-furred mouse snickered.
You said it, babe.
You said it.
Poor Charley, hehe.
She has a lot on her plate ever since she met this white-furred bouncing ball.
I wonder how Modo and Throttle are going to react when they meet her, though.
Will Throttle still be angry?
After all, Vinnie did lie to him, and although the tan-furred leader agreed to save her, for he would never just let an innocent citizen die because of his young bro's mistakes, I can imagine he's still far from amused by these two -in his eyes quite irresponsible- lovebirds.
And what about Modo?
Despite his big heart, he has every right to be angry at Vinnie as well, but I rate the chances of him getting mad as hell quite slim.
Well, guess we just have to wait and see. :D
Hope you liked this chapter.
If you've got some time to spare, please lemme know your thoughts, you know it always makes my day, as long as it's respectful, that is. ;)
Thank you so much for your support and for reading my story.
Till next time and always remember to ride free, my friends.
Later!