Cougar Curaguay and Lake-Thing have risen to power. All over Meghalaya, the DeJarro Brigade does their bidding. They're all younger than the first DeJarro...and not to mention more of a fresh breath of air for the ladies to look at.
They get to work, enforcing the duo's new tax laws. As you might expect, they make DeJarro's look innocent. They also cost just as much of an arm and a leg to enforce as they do to pay. And in the Brigade's case, that's sometimes literal.
Fulbright's gone into hiding. Otherwise, the Brigade would try to recruit him. The poor man's got no clue as to where his daughter is. With luck, though, she'll find him before the new government kills him.
Alas, by now, Fulbright's just about given up on waiting for his daughter to come back to him. Best he can tell, she's already dead. Hence, it's time to avenge her. It's time to go out in a blaze of glory...as he's always dreamed of.
He digs through his weapons vault. He finds a big game rifle. And, he finds a sniper rifle. He gets an idea...
In an improvised metal shop, he forges the perfect weapon. Or rather, he forges a brace of them: one for Cougar Curaguay, and the other for Lake-Thing. He's going to kill those sons of bitches. And he's going to do it with a pair of single-shot weapons that'd make a SMAW bleed green.
He forges. He hammers. He follows the diagram he's drawn for both weapons. In a way, it feels like he's in an episode of Forged in Fire.
It's the night before a big speech. There's a building, across the grounds where the Cougar and the Lake-Thing will be speaking...while in human form. Fulbright's confused. If he were a shapeshifter such as them, he'd NEVER let the public see him in human form...
Fulbright uses his old skills as a guerilla warrior to disarm the security, so he can ascend up to the rooftop from which the two shots would be the best-made. Once up there, he gets to work. He sets up the mounts. And he sets the weapons on the mounts.
Once it's all set up, he places some disguises on them. If anyone sees them from below, or if a UAV does, they'll assume that this is night-lighting. Next, he points them down towards the street, just to confuse patrols even more.
Next, Fulbright camps out on the roof. He knows how; again, he used to be a guerilla.
One joule of daylight at a time, the sun rises. So do patrols. They inspect the area three times, before giving the despots the greenlight to come make their speech. Fulbright dodges all three inspections, like a charmer. Or rather, he thinks he has.
Soon, the crowds come. No surprise, most of them have come to protest, and throw things at the Cougar and the Lake-Thing...and all who dare protect him. Hence, both men come with an armored convoy. Fulbright doesn't blame them. He would, too, if he had to rule a country that hated him that much. (Not that he'd ever want to, understand.)
Fulbright rises from his camp, and takes the disguise socks off the weapons. He considers this their "big reveal."
Meet Taggart and Stark. They're both 84mm sniper rifles. They're basically long-range anti-tank rocket launchers. Or rather, they're anti-despot weapons. To put it simply, they're the kind of weapons you kill Jehovah with.
And, they're both bolt-action...whatever the hell Fulbright was thinking, when he forged them. But then, for snipers, at least, it shouldn't be THAT hard to imagine...
They've scopes, too. As tempting as it was, Fulbright ultimately decided to NOT make them the kind you have to drop change into, in order to use.
Down and over there, the two despots rise to the occasion. Before them, the crowd throws trash at them. A few throw eggs. Alas, the dais is protected by a tent of netting. Hence, not a single piece of mess reaches either man.
"This is getting crazy," Lake mutters to Stoddard. "I think we should give the people more power in this new government."
Stoddard scoffs. "It's because of the masses that shit's wrong with the world, Lake. I know it's hard, but I need you to start acting like a man. You know? I used to wonder why the hell you never went out and slew Gatorella. Now I'm starting to think I know."
"Also, about that. Should we be concerned about Gatorella? I mean...he hasn't been sighted since he fought the Baracus."
Stoddard smiles. "I know. Isn't it wonderful?" He slaps him on the shoulder. "Watch out for which stars you wish on, Lake! Seriously, are you TRYING to get this autocracy toppled?!"
The two men take the lecterns, right after a harbinger announces them. Via an intercom, Stoddard begins the speech with his bit.
Perfect; both men are standing in their designated spots. Now, Fulbright must make the preparations. With luck, neither man will make it through the speech with their hearts still in their chests.
With the scopes, he aims the weapons. The scopes range the targets for him. He's built these weapons specifically for killing shapeshifting men; Lake-Thing and Curaguay Cougar, specifically.
Fulbright's also designed both weapons to go off when the same trigger is pulled. All Fulbright has to do is analyze whenever all circumstances, natural and man-made, line up in his favor. When they do, he'll take the shot. And once again, Roman Austroasia will be free...and leaderless...again.
And, what's more, Fulbright will have avenged his daughter. Yes; sometimes he forgets that if not for her, he'd have better things to do than be on this mission. Like hide from the army's recruiters... Or find the A-Team, and beg for them to hide him.
He's...not sure if he knows who the A-Team is. As a matter of fact, there's something frightening about that name... Wrathful, even...
At last, the weather is calm. Everything's in order. And Fulbright's got no clue how much time he's got before that changes, so he goes on, and mounts the weapons' controls.
He can see the preaching despots, plain as day. They're both within range, and he's got the crosshairs on both. Right now, they're just a trigger pull away from being finished...
Right behind Fulbright, a squad of rifles reload. Fulbright sighs, raises his arms, and steps down.
The Brigade's found him, of course. Captains Córdoba, Buenos Aires City, Mendoza, Santa Fe, NRW, France, Bulgaria, and Azad Kashmir all capture him. They've got plans for him. Or rather, their bosses do.
They also confiscate Taggart and Stark. Apparently their bosses have plans for them, too...
Far away, in MURDOCK's complex, Daryus takes a relaxing bath. Dr. Sullivan has ordered him to take it easy for a few weeks; his injuries were that severe. He's just glad that that blood transfusion worked out okay. By now, he doesn't know the donor's blood from his own...which, of course, is what he prefers.
At least MURDOCK didn't give it to him. He probably would've stoked his blood up with nanites, and made him crazy...
For this, he doesn't wear his gold necklace. Unclear as to why... But then, I'm sure he's got his reasons... Seems strange, that he would be taking a bath. Seems that if the Baracus was a cat, he'd be afraid of water. But then, it's a good thing Daryus isn't Hulk Hogan instead.
Speaking of whom, his poster is up on the wall, in the room where Daryus bathes. It's an old 10-10-220 poster. My, how the times have changed... At least ALF's not on that poster with him. Otherwise, Daryus would rip it off the wall, and throw it in a compost bin...if MURDOCK even has any of those in his complex...
On a wall outside, a pair of robotic birds of paradise fight one another. Both are cocks. Both are rifle birds of paradise. They're in the midst of a territorial dispute. Or rather, MURDOCK's programmed them to think that.
For hours, they fight one another. Through a window nearby, Daryus takes his bath...
Suddenly, one of the cocks sucker-punches the other, and sends him flying. He shatters the window and lands in Daryus's bathtub, making sparks as he does so.
Daryus screams, and leaps from the water. He grabs a towel, and covers his less-decent half.
The victorious bird of paradise lands on the sill of the shattered window. He unfolds a fan of proud male bird feathers from his tail end.
"You crazy, fool," Daryus tells the cock, unaware of if MURDOCK can hear him. "You could've electrocuted me!"
Suddenly, MURDOCK's voice comes to life on the complex-wide intercom. "Pardon the interruption," he says, mimicking a reporter, "but there's much ado in the capital. Or rather, there's a transmission coming in from the capital. It's being sent everywhere...but I'm pretty sure it's directed at us."
Confused, Face shakes his head. "Who's 'us?!"
"Hard to tell... But I would automatically suspect...Tia Fulbright."
In the common room, a wall lights up, like a video screen. It IS a video screen. In the video, Harlan Fulbright is tied to a chair. He's got Taggart and Stark aimed at him...from either side of him. He's bound and gagged. He's...also been stripped to his boxers. Not that it matters, but his boxers are red fern-patterned.
One at a time, the complex's residents enter the room. They tend to do so in pairs. Hannibal and Dr. Sullivan do, embraced. Face and Ms. O'Hannorhan also do, embraced.
A rank of Brigade men stand right behind poor Fulbright. They're the same ones who captured him. Capt. NRW stands close to the middle; he's the blondest of them all. Capt. Bulgaria is also blond...to an extent.
"They're not all there," Stern mutters, biting on an un-lit cigar. "I wonder why."
"Tia Fulbright," a voice announces, on the live feed. "I expect that you've survived your former duties to the Baracus. Lord knows you're not feeding him anymore. Good news; we don't know your whereabouts. But then, if we did, we wouldn't tell you, would we?"
Dr. Sullivan looks up at the ceiling, as if having a hunch. Within the ceilings, MURDOCK seems to have the same hunch...
"As you can see, we have your father here, all fit to be tied. He was very loyal to my predecessor. But then, I'm sure you already know that. I, however, was far from it; that's why I killed him. However, I'm in a good mood. I might just let everything slide."
Tia scoffs. "Slide?! What the hell have I done, but suffer at the Baracus's wrath?!" She acknowledges Daryus. "No offense."
"None taken," Daryus assures her.
"Contact me," the voice from the live feed says, "and your father lives. Don't...and pardon us while the walls of this room that you see get a new paint job. From what I've heard, burgundy is a very popular color, when it comes to military-themed interior décor."
MURDOCK's voice comes back on the intercom. "I've found their location, Colonel," he says. "Do I contact, or no?"
Stern acknowledges Tia. "It's not my call to make this time, Captain...I'm afraid."
All eyes now fall on Tia. Tia hesitates for a bit...then closes her eyes very tightly, and nods.
Within the live feed, one can hear a telephone ring. Good; MURDOCK was right, after all...
It rings several times. Tia and the others wait in suspense. As a matter of fact, the entire country waits in suspense...
Remotely, Taggart and Stark both go off, blowing Fulbright to bits, where he sits. The weapons were probably triggered, somehow, by MURDOCK's signal. And that, at that, must've been some kind of delayed-action mechanism. But of course, the audience HAD to hear the ringing, just to know that Tia was trying.
Tia covers her mouth and gasps, as this happens. Her eyes redden, and tears well up.
"Thank you," the voice says, "for giving away your position. "Don't mind, if we soon show up with infantry, artillery, and cavalry at our command. It's not that we genuinely expect that we'll need that much power to take you down."
At this, Face scoffs. "Clearly, you don't know her like I do," he glances at Ms. O'Hannorhan, "at least."
The voice continues. "We just have a hunch that wherever the Baracus is, you've tamed him, and he is now protecting you as we have this little one-way chat. And if Gatorella's not dead, he might be protecting you, too. Don't ask us why we think so; it just seems a bit to convenient to be a coincidence that both the Baracus and Gatorella are MIA at the same time...and that you were one of the last people seen with the Baracus before Gatorella fought him."
Daryus scoffs. "The sucker thinks he know everything, don't he?"
"Just sit tight, little Tia," the voice continues. "Pizza the Hutt might not be sending out for you...but as for the Cougar Curaguay and the Lake-Thing...we will serve our own asses; my furry one, and the Lake-Thing's scaly one."
"You know," Ms. O'Hannorhan mentions blindly, "I once had an ex-boyfriend named CHARLES Lake..."
"We've gotta do something," Tia demands. "I'm putting you in danger! They're coming for all of us! They've killed my father on live TV!"
"Those are some nice guns, that they killed him with," Hannibal tells her, as Dr. Sullivan lights his cigar for him. "His own invention, I presume?"
Tia studies Hannibal.
Hannibal shrugs. "Me and your old man went way back. At one point, I was his XO. Your father had a dangerous obsession with weaponry. Tell me; is it true that he kept a replica of Mjolnir in his garage?"
Tia shrugs. "Thought you'd tell me. Clearly, you knew him better than I did."
Hannibal sadly spews a steady stream of cigar smoke. "If wishes were horses. But you're right; they are coming. And they'll be here with an amount of artillery worthy of the doomsdays of both Gatorella and the Baracus."
"PLEASE tell me," Face begs, "that you've got a plan, Hannibal. And please don't tell me that the PLAN is your plan!"
"Don't worry; I have no intent of involving the Chinese; naval or otherwise. Lake and Stoddard are coming with their own artillery. Hence, we must forge ours." Hannibal's eyes fall on Tia. "Surely, you've inherited some of your iron-mongery skills from your father?"
Tia shrugs. "My true passion is relic-hunting. But if my father can forge his own Mjolnir, then surely I can imagine some Big Bad Boy Bertha that'll bomb those two men's asses to hell."
Hannibal grins, while smoking his cigar. "Yes... I think we'll all work out just fine." He blows more smoke. "I think it'll all come together...just as they all know I love it!"
Daryus nods. "You'll need to work on that, Hannibal."
"Yes, I know. I'm useless without a brigade to command."