It's time for another episode of SLTS: Tarantula's Tales! Sorry for the long wait but we're finally back into the swing of things!
...
I'll just go into the reviews...
REVIEWS
Guest - Thanks for letting me know. I don't know why I assumed that he was a vet. Anyways, I've changed that line of dialogue now.
J - Thank you so much. It's often hard to find a balance between all these different story elements but that's always my goal when trying to create a coherent and exciting story.
Guest - Haha! I like it. I might actually use this if I decide to bring back this random thief.
Guest - Thanks for your review. I do have plans to have Arturo meet Lincoln in the future. You'll just have to see when that happens. Also I'm glad you liked the idea of Razorwing as well. Trust me, his flight in the sky is far from over.
JTWAS1994 - Thank you. I hope you enjoy today's episode!
LoudVillainsSong - Great to see you again. I like the song you created for Big Cheese. The big bad crime boss certainly deserves one.
And with that, here's Episode 12! Reviews and constructive criticism welcome!
NB: Credit goes to a guest review, Nick Name and Indy Scott for the villains used in this episode. A special thank you also to Indy Scott for helping me plan this episode.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Casagrandes. All rights belong to Nickelodeon.
NB: The theme song is Feel Invincible by Skillet. Some lyrics have been slightly modified to fit the series. Otherwise, the song is exactly the same. I hope you all enjoy it!
Theme Song
Target on my back
Lone survivor lasts
They got me in their sights
No surrender no
Webs and stingers go
Living the dangerous life
Hey, hey, hey
Everyday when I wake
I'm trying to get up
They're knocking me down
Chewing me up
Spitting me out
Hey, hey, hey
When I need to be brave
You're making me strong
You're making me stand
Never will fall!
Never will end!
Shot like a rocket up into the sky
Nothing could stop me tonight
You make me feel invincible
Earthquake powerful
Just like a tidal wave
You make me brave
You're my titanium
Fight song raising up
Like a roar of victory in a stadium
Who can touch me 'cause I
(I'm made of fire!)
Who can stop me tonight
(I'm hard-wired!)
You make me feel invincible!
I feel, I feel it!
Invincible!
I feel, I feel it!
Invincible!
Episode 12: On the Skids
It was a quiet night in the eastern part of Great Lakes City. This side of the city didn't see much activity. In fact, it was evidently run down compared to the rest of the city. Most of the buildings were abandoned, there were hardly any streetlights, and the roads had several potholes and cracks in them. The concrete foundation had definitely deteriorated over the years.
Speaking of concrete, a section of it had suddenly started to move, as if it had seemingly come alive.
*cracks rapidly spread out across the ground until a figure bursts free*
This figure appeared to be a male, but his body was entirely covered in cement. His right arm and left leg appeared to be thicker than the other limbs. He had dark holes forming his eyes and mouth. It was like he was someone's new creation.
"*looks around* Uhh..." said the cement man, trying to come to his senses.
Just then, he heard the sound of motorcycles zipping past him on a nearby street.
"*grumbles* Cycles..." said the cement man, as he suddenly stood to his feet and started to follow after the motorcyclists.
Meanwhile at the Casagrandes...
"*runs into the living room* Maria! Maria! How does the dress look huh?" asked Frida, seeking approval for the dress she was wearing.
Frida was wearing an elegant pink floral dress.
"It's fine Frida...Ooh. There's a little loose thread. Here I'll get it." said Maria, pulling out her sewing kit.
She was also dressed elegantly, wearing a silver sequin gown.
"¡Ay dios mio!" exclaimed Frida, in a panic.
"Come on Carlota! Think about all the press I'd get! DJ Carl would be huge at this party!" said Carl, pleading with his sister.
He was dressed in a tuxedo with his signature shades perched on top of his head.
"*groans* I don't have time for this right now Carl. We're about to be late if we don't leave in the next two minutes!" said Carlota, who was clearly stressed.
She was dressed in an elegant teal dress.
"Look, all I'm saying is you can mention me to your boss. I can remix something formal for the venue." said Carl, folding his arms in a "cool" pose.
"*squawks* Here's his card!" said Sergio, dropping Carl's business card in Carlota's hand.
"*sighs* Whatever..." said Carlota, as she took the card and stormed off.
"*squawks* You've got a plan right?" asked Sergio.
"Oh yeah. Come on." said Carl, as he and Sergio headed back into the living room.
"Ronnie! How are we looking cous?" asked Carlota, entering her room.
"I've got the dress on. Don't worry." said Ronnie Anne, standing there wearing an elegant purple dress.
"Hmm...I feel like it needs something." said Carlota, who was thinking when a sparkle in her peripheral suddenly caught her eye.
"Hey. What's that?" asked Carlota, pointing at Ronnie Anne's desk.
"What?" asked Ronnie Anne confused.
"There's something sparkling on your desk. Under all these papers...*pulls the object out* There!" said Carlota, as she was now staring at a silver bracelet with a purple jewel in the center.
"It's beautiful cous! Where'd you get this?" asked Carlota, enamored with it.
"Oh, this nice jewelry store lady gave it to me for returning her stolen jewels. I kinda forgot I had it actually..." said Ronnie Anne.
"Well now you're wearing it! *slides bracelet onto Ronnie Anne's wrist* You're gonna make a fashion statement with this look!" said Carlota.
The purple jewel then glowed brightly before the glow faded away. Ronnie Anne seemed to be the only one who noticed this.
"Huh?" said Ronnie Anne to herself.
"*checks her watch* Oh! We've gotta go! Come on Ronnie!" said Carlota, as she suddenly pulled Ronnie Anne behind her.
"Chop chop ladies! We have to leave now if we're gonna make it to Fashion Network's summer business party in time!" exclaimed Carlota.
"We're ready hija!" exclaimed Frida, with Maria right behind her.
"Mama?" said Maria.
"I've got my keys and some snacks in case you all get hungry. Let's roll." said Rosa, carrying a platter with an assortment of snacks on it.
She was wearing an elegant royal blue dress with frills.
"Ooh!" said Carl, about to grab one.
"Uh-uh." said Rosa, who smacked Carl's hand away.
"Ouch!" said Carl, rubbing his hand.
"Bye honey!" said Frida, to Carlos.
"Bye Frida! Don't worry, we'll meet you ladies there!" said Carlos, who was holding Carlitos in his arms.
They were both dressed in tuxedos, though Carlitos' was more of a mini-tux.
"Yeah, if I can find my bowtie! Where did I put that thing?" asked Hector confused.
Suddenly, CJ entered the living room, riding Lalo around like a cowboy. He was swinging Hector's bowtie around like a makeshift lasso.
"Yee-haw!" exclaimed CJ.
CJ was wearing a white dress shirt and black pants.
Carlitos started laughing at this sight.
"Hey! My bowtie!" said Hector.
"Oh boy." said Carlos, as his sweat dropped.
"Good luck Tio Carlos!" said Ronnie Anne, offering support.
"See you guys at the party!" said Carlota, as she closed the door behind her and the others.
"Hey! CJ! Get back here!" exclaimed Hector, chasing after him and Lalo.
Meanwhile at a local bar known as Moto's Cross...
*three bikers wearing black leather jackets with a blood red fang symbol on the right sleeve enter the place*
"Hey Moto! How goes it my man?" said the apparent leader of the group.
He was a young man of average height with slicked back hair that he was constantly styling with his comb.
"Cruiser. Taking a pit stop huh? I thought the Vicious Cycles would be on the road longer. What'll it be? The usual?" asked Moto, the owner of the bar and also the bartender.
He was a middle aged man with a scruffy beard wearing an brown ascot cap. He didn't appear to be affiliated with the Vicious Cycles.
"Nah, give me something light. Me and my crew are on patrol for a few more hours." said Cruiser, still styling his hair.
"What about you two?" asked Moto.
"*takes a bite of ham* I'll have what he's having." said Hawg.
He was a large guy sporting a pink bandana on his head and hung a keychain with a pig's head on it from his left pants pocket. He seemed to love ham.
"Just get me a lime margarita." said Kit, with her arms crossed.
Kit was a young Asian woman wearing red biker gloves. She had black hair with a single blonde streak running through it. She also wore a tool belt bag around her waist.
The trio then took seats at the bar as Moto went to work making their drinks. However, he wasn't able to get far before he kept getting messed up due to the ground shaking beneath him.
"Hey what's goin' on?" asked Hawg.
Before anyone could respond, the sound of motorcycle horns could be heard, as it sounded like the machines had crashed into each other outside.
This alerted pretty much every biker inside to get up and investigate. Cruiser was able to get outside first and witnessed first hand the reason for the commotion.
The cement man had arrived to the bar and was currently smashing every patron's motorcycle that was parked in the parking lot.
"Hey! Get away from my ride you freak!" yelled a random Cycles member.
Unfortunately, the cement man didn't take too kindly to his request and suddenly the disgruntled biker found himself being launched into the air. The cement man appeared to have caused the gravel below him to jut out and upwards, effectively sending the biker flying.
The cement man then turned his attention to a special looking motorcycle. It appeared to be a power cruiser.
"Hey! Hey! Whoa! Let's take it easy there fella! *runs over to protect his bike* That's my ride! Can't we talk about this?" asked Cruiser, trying to reason with the brute.
The cement man didn't respond and suddenly picked up Cruiser and hurled him toward the building. Cruiser went flying straight through one of the windows.
"Hey! W-Who are you?" asked Hawg, a bit freaked out.
"Cement...um..." said the cement man, almost as if he was unsure of who he was.
"Cementum?" said Kit confused.
The cement man didn't offer a response to dispute otherwise so the name "Cementum" seemed to stick. Cementum then continued on his rampage.
Some of the Vicious Cycles still attempted to try and stop him, but most ended up fleeing the area in fear of their lives.
Meanwhile, the Casagrande women were currently stopped at a stop light, en route to Fashion Network's summer business party.
*Ronnie Anne hears the ground rumbling in the distance*
"That doesn't sound right..." said Ronnie Anne to herself.
"What's wrong Ronnie?" asked Maria.
"There's something going on in the east side of the city. I can feel it. I've gotta go check it out." said Ronnie Anne.
"What?! But Ronnie, I need you to model for me!" exclaimed Carlota, suddenly distraught.
"I know. I know. I promise I'll be back in time to model. I'm the last presentation right?" asked Ronnie Anne.
"*sighs* Yeah..." said Carlota reluctantly.
"Great! I'll be there cous. Don't worry. Mom?" said Ronnie Anne.
"Just be careful honey and hurry back." said Maria.
"I will mom." said Ronnie Anne.
Ronnie Anne then opened up the van's sliding door, hopped out and started sprinting along the sidewalk.
"Good luck Ronnie!" exclaimed Frida.
"Ooh what was I thinking? She should've taken a snack!" said Rosa, once again holding her platter in her hands.
Back at Moto's Cross, Cementum was still going haywire in a blind rage.
*Some Cycles members try to leave on their bikes but their back tires get popped by sharp rocks*
"Yo! I'm on the skids!" exclaimed one of the bikers.
"Our tires are popped!" exclaimed another biker, making the realization.
Just then, Cementum yelled loudly before picking up a slab of concrete from the ground and hurling it at the bikers.
"Ditch the rides man!" exclaimed the other biker, as he and his friends booked it out of there, leaving their bikes behind to be crushed.
By this point, Moto's Cross had been pretty much deserted. Some of the Vicious Cycles had managed to escape with their bikes intact, but most weren't so lucky. However, the bikes weren't the only things that got trashed. The inside of the bar was also a complete mess due to Cruiser being thrown straight into it by Cementum earlier.
*Hawg and Kit are helping a limping Cruiser out of the bar*
Cementum turned around and grunted at them before he suddenly stomped the ground beneath him. This caused a tremor to be sent out from his feet and it was coming right towards the group. Just before it could hit them however, they were suddenly pulled out of harm's way.
*Kit looks up and sees that Tarantula saved them*
"Hey, it's Tarantula!" exclaimed Hawg.
"What are you doing here?" asked Kit.
"I'm saving you guys. Now, if you'll excuse me, I got a cement monster to deal with." said Tarantula, as she went to confront Cementum.
"Hey you! What's the big idea? Don't you know it's-"
Tarantula couldn't even finish her sentence before she was suddenly swatted back out of nowhere from a backhand slap from Cementum.
"*lands on the ground with a thud* Ouch...I'm seeing stars..." said Tarantula, in a daze.
She was quickly pulled out of this daze however, when she heard Cementum gunning for the group of Cycles again. Tarantula quickly shot out two web ropes to restrain Cementum's arms before he could hurt them again.
"*grunts* You guys get outta here! I'm not sure how long this is gonna hooold!"
Tarantula was suddenly pulled forward and flung upwards into the sky, simply from the brute force exerted by Cementum. Luckily, she landed on top of the sign of the bar.
"Hawg, come on! Let's go!" said Kit, as she and Hawg hurriedly raced away from the premises on foot, still carrying an injured Cruiser.
"Geez, this guy is strong. How am I gonna-Huh?"
Tarantula's thought was once again interrupted as she realized the sign that she was standing on was tipping over.
"Uh-oh." said Tarantula, as she quickly jumped off the sign and landed in a pose on the ground, just as it came crashing down behind her.
She then realized it had tipped over because a huge rock spire had emerged from the ground and knocked it off balance.
"Yikes." said Tarantula.
Just then, however, another spire emerged from the ground beneath her feet which lifted her into the air once again. She managed to keep her balance atop it but this was short lived.
*Tarantula jumps off of the spire just as she sees Cementum crashing body first into it*
"What is this guy's deal?" asked Tarantula, as she landed back on the ground.
She unfortunately didn't receive any answers as she was suddenly put on defense again. Cementum began sending wave after wave of concrete at Tarantula who was struggling to keep up with dodging the attacks.
"Boy, ain't this a grind!" said Tarantula.
Suddenly, however, she lost her concentration and was tripped up by a concrete slab. The next thing she knew, she was staring at Cementum's cracked fist coming right at her. Before he could land his punch however, Tarantula managed to hold his fist back through pure willpower and determination. This was quickly proving to be a losing battle though.
"*grunts* I'm not strong enough..." said Tarantula, in a desperate tone.
Tarantula found herself quite literally between a rock and a hard place. She was pinned on the ground and her arms were about to give out. Just when it looked like all hope was lost, a bright flash of hope suddenly appeared.
"*suddenly feels a rush of strength and starts pushing Cementum back* Huh? What the?" said Tarantula confused.
She looked at herself and realized that she was enveloped in a glowing purple aura of sorts. She then looked at her wrist and saw that the purple jewel in the center of the bracelet was glowing brightly.
"The jewel..." said Tarantula, as she suddenly came to a realization.
FLASHBACK
"Oh! I want you to have this!" said the store owner, as she presented Tarantula with a silver coated bracelet with a purple jewel in the center.
"Oh Miss, I couldn't-"
"Please Tarantula. This bracelet is special like you. I know you don't understand now but trust me. You'll need it to stand firm in the toughest of times." said the store owner.
"*sighs* Okay. Thank you Miss." said Tarantula, as she put the bracelet on.
"Please. Call me Julie." said Julie.
"Okay Ms. Julie. See you around!" said Tarantula, as she rushed out the shop.
END OF FLASHBACK
"It's the jewel!" exclaimed Tarantula, as she suddenly tapped into a newfound strength.
She was able to push Cementum away from her and stand back up on her feet. Cementum looked at her in shock before adopting a scowl on his face.
"I'm about to wipe that mean mug off your face pal." said Tarantula, as she suddenly jumped forward and grabbed Cementum's right arm.
She picked him up and threw him over her shoulders. Cementum was slightly disoriented, but quickly regained his bearings and tried to attack Tarantula once again.
He started shooting a torrent of jagged rocks at Tarantula, but it was no use. Tarantula emerged through the onslaught and delivered a solid kick straight through the center of Cementum. With the help of the mysterious jewel, a pulse was sent out from her foot that completely disintegrated Cementum.
*Tarantula lands on the ground slightly panting*
She looked around and saw that the ground was now littered with tons of cement rubble. Just then, the purple aura around her seemed to fade and the purple jewel stopped glowing.
"Wow. That was pretty cool. I've got to figure out what's up with this jewel." said Tarantula, looking down at her wrist.
Suddenly, Tarantula heard sirens approaching in the distance. And she knew what that meant.
"Oh now they come..." said Tarantula to herself, as she quickly swung away from the area.
As soon as she left however, the pieces of cement rubble started to mysteriously roll away from the scene...
About an half hour later, an inconspicuous black car is seen pulling up to a garage on the opposite side of the city. A sign on the building identified the location as Kade's Garage.
*some Vicious Cycles members turn their heads toward the car*
One of the rear passenger doors suddenly opened and Ru Bing stepped out of it and held the door open. Immediately following after him was the notorious crime boss, Big Cheese. As soon as Big Cheese's presence was made known, the Cycles quickly became quiet.
A few seconds later, a middle aged Asian man emerged from the inside of the garage to see what was going on. Once he and Big Cheese saw each other, they both gave each other quick head nods to acknowledge each other's presence.
Ru Bing then stepped to the side as Big Cheese walked past him to meet up with the Asian man. As the two men disappeared inside the building, a young girl who appeared to be a mechanic seemed to be watching them with a curious gaze in her eyes.
Meanwhile with Big Cheese and the man inside...
"*turns on the light in his office* Please, have a seat Abe." said the Asian man, as Big Cheese took his seat.
"*closes the door* Thanks for coming. I know you're very busy trying to repair your restaurant." said the Asian man, now taking a seat across from Big Cheese at his work table.
"Not a problem Kade. It is apparent that this is a serious matter. My apologies to the owner that this happened. Of course, I'm prepared to help pay for the damages and rebuild the structure." said Big Cheese.
"That's nice of you Abe, but I feel that there's a bigger issue here. According to the report I'm hearing from my Cycles, a giant cement monster destroyed the building. Not to mention most of my motorcycles. Some of my members even got injured, nearly killed!" said Kade, with his arms now crossed.
Kade was an older Asian male who appeared to be in his late 40s. He had slightly grayed hair, wore a red leather jacket with the Vicious Cycles' fang symbol in white and also wore red pants.
"I understand your concern Kade, I do. Rest assured however, that the situation will be handled." said Big Cheese.
"I mean no disrespect Abe, but are you really sure about that? It just seems that Great Lakes has been overrun with superhuman activity lately and this incident has just tipped the scales." said Kade.
"As I said before, I do understand your concerns. However, I have no intentions on changing the way I operate my business to accommodate some meta-humans lacking a sense of morality. A system of control must be maintained in order to prevent more incidents like this from surfacing. You understand, old friend?" asked Big Cheese.
"Of course, but allow me to say this. In life, you have to know when to change things up and adapt. That's the Vicious Cycles' life motto. We live our lives on the road. Sure it's dangerous at times...but you have to know when to change lanes." said Kade.
Big Cheese just sat across from him in silence as he tried to process what he had just said.
Meanwhile, outside of the garage, Ru Bing was struggling to avoid the stares of pretty much every Cycles member present in the lot.
*Jackie Knife gets out of the car from the driver's seat and walks over to Ru*
"Yo, you alright man?" asked Jackie.
"I'm fine Jackie." said Ru, crossing his arms.
"You sure?" asked Jackie.
"Why can't you just take my word for once? I said I'm fine!" said Ru, clearly getting annoyed.
"Alright, fine. Whatever." said Jackie, not willing to push any further.
As the two stood there in silence, Jackie began to get more and more impatient. She was also getting annoyed because now the Cycles were staring at her as well. Eventually, she noticed that the only Cycles member not staring at her was the young mechanic sitting by herself in the corner.
"Hey, let's go check out what this girl is buildin'." said Jackie, as she motioned for Ru to follow her.
Ru reluctantly obliged and he and Jackie ambled their way over to the young girl.
"Hey, what's up? I'm Jackie. This is a pretty cool ride you've got here." said Jackie, complimenting the girl for her work on the motorcycle she was currently fixing.
"Thanks. It's not finished yet. I've still gotta work on the engine." said the young mechanic.
"Cool cool. So what's your name?" asked Jackie.
"They call me Gearbox. I kinda hate that name, but it's the one that stuck so, I guess I'm stuck with it." said Gearbox.
Gearbox is a young Asian girl with black hair that's kept tucked under a white casquette with red stripes. She wears goggles, white coveralls with red streaks, red gloves and red boots.
"Hey if you don't like your name, you should change it. It doesn't have to be set in stone you know?" said Jackie.
"Yeah I guess you're right..." said Gearbox, not entirely convinced.
She then looked up at Ru, who quickly avoided her gaze. Before she could say anything however, motorcycle engines were suddenly heard as another crew of Cycles suddenly pulled up to the garage.
"*climbs off his bike and takes off his helmet* Why the long faces? You guys miss me? Haha! Don't worry, your ol' pal Chopper is taking a siesta." said Chopper, as he placed his helmet down on his bike.
Chopper is a tall guy with messy blonde hair. He wears black army boots and has a few scars and scrapes on his face. He has a machete holstered to one side and a handgun on the other.
"*notices a group around Gearbox and he stops* Wait. Hairpin. Torque. Am I seeing things? Maybe I've been on the road too long..." said Chopper, as he pointed in their direction.
"It looks like little Gearbox made some friends." said Hairpin, with a smirk.
Hairpin is an asian guy who appeared to be very athletic. He kept his hair pinned at the back using a distinct blue hairpin.
"Oh shoot! Is that Spokes?" asked Torque, in disbelief.
Torque is a black guy with a buzz cut who wore a pair of tinted shades.
Chopper paused for a second when he realized Ru was standing among the group.
"Wow. Here's a face I never thought I'd see again! Wittle Spokes has come back to us! Tell me, did you finally learn how to steer?" asked Chopper, as he and his crew approached Ru.
"That's not my name..." said Ru, getting angry.
"Hey. Look. Spokes finally found a voice." said Hairpin.
"I think you're right Hairpin. It's about time honestly. Your big brother would have been real proud of you." said Chopper, as a mischievous smile was suddenly plastered across his face.
"*growls* Don't speak of him..." said Ru, as his right arm appeared to be glowing faintly red underneath his skin.
"Why not? It's not like he can hear me! He's six feet under! *laughs* Oh did you not get the memo? Maybe that's why you've been missing from the Cycles for so long. *stands right in front of him* You're still looking to please a corpse." said Chopper, in a cold tone.
"Hey! Back off man! *blades pop out of her arms* Unless you wanna get chopped up for real." said Jackie, stepping in between the two of them.
"I don't think you're gonna wanna do that sweetheart." said Torque, who was now standing in front of Chopper.
"I ain't your sweetheart son! Who do you think you're talking to?!" exclaimed Jackie, who was now really riled up.
She was ready to start slicing and dicing and Ru was struggling to hold her back.
Fortunately, however, it was at this moment that Big Cheese and Kade came back out into the parking lot. Their presence unintentionally broke up the ensuing fight.
"Hey Kade! What's the word on Moto's?" asked Hawg.
"Rest assured Cycles, Moto's Cross will be restored in due time. Big Cheese will be personally paying for the damages." said Kade.
Some of the Vicious Cycles were happy about this, while others weren't completely satisfied. Some still had concerns they wanted to address.
"Kade, that's not enough. What about our motorcycles? Who's gonna pay for those?" asked Kit.
"And what about me huh? I barely made it out of there alive! That crazy rock monster almost killed me!" exclaimed Cruiser, who was very distraught.
These responses suddenly sparked a very fiery debate among the Cycles and the argument quickly got out of control.
*a gunshot is suddenly heard*
"Hey! Shut up! Chopper's talking now! *holsters his gun* Kade what's the deal man? Are you dropping the "vicious" from our name now? I don't know exactly what happened at the bar earlier but it sounds like we need to be compensated." said Chopper, now getting close to Big Cheese.
"Chopper, please, there's no need for this-"
"Nah screw that Kade! You've gone soft! Everyone here knows you're getting on in years now! It's about time to hang up your helmet old man! Cause I am not gonna stand here and get punked by some giant Cheesehea-!"
"ENOUGH!" yelled Kade suddenly, as he reached for his whistle. Chopper saw this and reluctantly took some steps back.
"I am sorry about that Big Cheese. There is no room for disrespect in the Vicious Cycles." said Kade.
"There's nothing to apologize for old friend. It's not your fault if someone failed to learn proper manners. Or basic hygiene. Jackie. Ru. We're leaving. Let's go." said Big Cheese, as he and his entourage got back into their car and drove off.
All the Vicious Cycles then went back to business as usual, with most of them leaving the premises to go back on patrols.
Chopper on the other hand was visibly fuming. He couldn't believe that he had just been insulted like that. He then noticed that Kade was giving him a disapproving glare before he went back inside the garage. This had Chopper ready to blow a gasket.
Meanwhile at Fashion Network's summer business party...
*Carlota is visibly nervous and checking her watch*
"Have patience mija. Ronnie will be here." said Frida, trying to calm her daughter's nerves.
"But mom, she's up to model next! They're gonna call the last category soon!" said Carlota.
"Don't worry Carlota. My lucky candle has been burning all night. Ronnie Anne will make it here in time." said Rosa.
"Mama, I don't think-"
"What's up guys?" said Ronnie Anne, suddenly interrupting the conversation.
"*jumps a little in shock* Ronnie! You made it!" said Carlota, as she hugged her cousin, feeling overjoyed.
"Sorry I'm late. That emergency turned out to be a tall order." said Ronnie Anne.
"You can tell us all about it later! We have to get you backstage! Quick!" exclaimed Carlota, as she suddenly grabbed Ronnie Anne's hand and pulled her behind her to go backstage.
"I guess I was wrong Mama. Maybe there is some truth to these candles." said Maria.
"I told you hija." said Rosa.
"Hey! There you ladies are!" said Carlos, as he approached the group holding Carlitos in his hands, with CJ following behind him.
"Found you mom!" said CJ, giving her a hug.
"*laughs* Yes you did honey. What took you guys so long Carlos?" asked Frida curious.
"Well we were really waiting on Papa. He's still fighting Lalo for his bowtie." said Carlos.
the scene quickly cuts away to see Hector and Lalo engaged in a tug of war for his bowtie*
"...So we decided to come without him. I hope we didn't miss much." said Carlos.
"You're just in time for the last modeling act." said Maria.
"Hey wait a minute. Where's Carl and Sergio?" asked Frida, realizing that they were missing.
Meanwhile with Carl and Sergio...
"So as you can see Ms. Braxton, I am highly qualified to perform at any event. Including your fashion expos! After all, I did make that popular Tropical Fruits remix." said Carl proudly.
"Do the Fruit Shake! Do the Fruit Shake!" said Sergio, dancing to the tune in his head.
"*looks at DJ Carl's card before discarding it* Yeah, I'm sorry boy, but I only do business with professionals." said Ms. Braxton.
"What? What do you mean? I'm professional! Why I-"
"...Need to go back to my seat? Yes you do! I'm sorry about these two Ms. Braxton." said Carlota, who was just returning from backstage.
"It's quite alright Ms. Carlota. I look forward to seeing your final piece in the presentation." said Ms. Braxton.
"Yes of course! (to Carl and Sergio) Come on you two!" said Carlota, as she pushed Carl forward with Sergio following behind them.
A couple of minutes later, the last catalog of dresses up to model were presented. Carlota entered Ronnie Anne wearing an elegant summer sundress. She was hoping that she would pull off the look. After all of the models had went, the judges announced a short break to deliberate and determine the winner.
"Ronnie! You did so good cous!" said Carlota, as she ran up and hugged her.
As they pulled away from each other, Maria noticed something about her daughter that alarmed her.
"Ronnie? Come over here for a second honey?" said Maria, in a concerned tone.
Ronnie Anne walked over to her and Maria sat her down on a chair.
"*turns her head to the side and inspects her cheek* Ronnie...you have bruises all over your face! What happened to you?" asked Maria concerned.
"I took a few blows from this giant cement monster. He was really strong, and tough. None of my attacks were working on him." said Ronnie Anne.
"Oh mija! Did he beat you up?" asked Frida, now alarmed as well.
"He would have, but then something weird happened. The big guy had me pinned against the ground but then all of a sudden, I just got really really strong out of nowhere. I was strong enough to push him away from me and throw him over my shoulder!" said Ronnie Anne.
"Whoa! No way!" said CJ, in awe.
"So wait. How did you even do this? *gasps* Do you have super strength too?!" asked Carl excitedly.
"Shh! Keep it quiet Carl! And no. At least I don't think so. I think the reason why I got so strong is because of this jewel." said Ronnie Anne, putting her wrist out in the midst of her family so that they could see the purple jewel.
"Hmm. I wonder what kind of element this jewel is. You don't mind if I examine it do you?" asked Carlos.
"Nah, go ahead Uncle Carlos. I wanna find out what's up with this jewel too." said Ronnie Anne.
"*clears throat over the microphone* Good evening everyone. The judges have debated among themselves and tallied up their scores. They have decided the winner of this year's summer business party! Our newest teen Fashionista, Carlota Casagrande!" said Ms. Braxton.
Carlota jumped out of her seat and screamed in disbelief before running up on stage. As she accepted her trophy, she looked out into the audience and saw her family cheering and clapping for her, as well as a few other people in the crowd.
If only moments like this could last forever...
About an hour later at Kade's Garage...
*most of the Cycles all arrive at the same time from patrols to see a burning building*
*Gearbox is sitting on the ground, her knees are drawn to her chest and she is silently crying*
"What happened here Gearbox?" asked Kit, running over to her.
"K-Kade! He...he..."
Gearbox was struggling to speak as tears streamed down her face. However, the other Cycles didn't need her explanation to figure out what had happened. Someone had assassinated their leader.
"*smirks* Ain't that something Cycles? We're only gone for an hour and the boss of our boss has already shown his true colors." said Chopper, standing in the midst of the group.
"What are you talking about Chopper?" asked Torque confused.
"Ain't it obvious? It's Cheesehead! He put his goons up to this! Wittle Spokes blew his top like he always does and set the place ablaze." said Chopper.
"You really think it's him?" asked Kit skeptical.
"Heck, I'm willin' to bet it's him and swiss army knife. This is too much of a coincidence. We're not getting paid! We're getting ripped off! And I'll be damned if I have to take orders from a big ol' block of cheese!" exclaimed Chopper.
Gearbox looked up at Chopper with a tear stained face before he continued his speech.
"Cycles! We've gotta hit the streets! We've gotta show Big Cheese why we're called the Vicious Cycles! This is war on that cheese-eating freak! We've gonna kill him and all of his lackeys! Once he's outta the picture, then we'll be the gang that runs Great Lakes City! Heck, they'll start callin' us the Great Vicious Cycles! Hahahaha! So what do you say Cycles? You with me?!" exclaimed Chopper.
Most of the Cycles members present responded with a resounding "YEAH!"
FLASHBACK
*Chopper is seen stabbing Kade to death with one of Jackie's knives*
"*plants the knife next to Kade's body* Your time on the road is done old-timer." said Chopper.
Chopper then grabbed a canister of gasoline and doused every inch of Kade's office.
"*lights a match* To a new dawn on the road. A new era for the Vicious Cycles." said Chopper, as he dropped the match dramatically on the ground.
Almost instantly the entire office became engulfed in flames. Chopper just barely escaped getting burned alive.
END OF FLASHBACK
*Chopper smiles with a crocodile grin*
"Yes. To war." said Chopper, to himself.
Oh boy. Great Lakes City is in for a world of trouble in these next episodes...
I'm sorry this episode took five-ever to come out. (Yes, that's a new word I thought of to describe my absence.) To put it simply, I've been really busy since I'm close to graduating from my college (spring next year hopefully), and I've also been going through kind of a writer's block at various points in trying to write this episode. This episode is very critical in introducing things to the overall story and also in moving things forward. So, if it feels like a jumbled mess, that's why.
Still, I hope you were able to find some enjoyment out of it and I hope you're still excited for this series to continue. Alright, well, I'm gonna get outta here. Thank you all for reading and I'll see you all around. 65 out.