Note: I do not own the Bikermice From Mars universe nor any of the characters featuring in the original show. The characters you do not recognise from the original show were created by me – except for Virekka and Zuel who were originally created by Ylla K and borrowed with permission. The original story was a co-effort between YK and me and while YK later expressed not to be further associated with the works credit still ought to be given rightly. This story contains some swears and the unsettling story makes it unsuitable for persons under 16 years of age.

Dark Secrets, Part 3

Written/rewritten 1997-2000 kklo

The Martian space ship landed in a pretty small crater.
"We are here." Frank said while he was writng down the codes he got from the computer. He typed on the keyboard and the doors opened.
"Let's go inside, just follow me so you won't get lost."
"Why should we? How do we know that there is no trap in there?" asked Vinnie.
"Mr. Vincent, you have to trust me if you wish to survive this little adventure."
"Grrrr, okay." he replied and thought I really don't like this creep so why can't they understand?
"Okay, if you would prefer to stay here, good. Your choice."
Frank walked towards a rock and opened a door which was almost invisible from the outside.
He stepped inside and the others fallowed.
"Welcome, enter this headquarter!" Frank said with dark humor and walked inside. "And please, close the door."
"Yadda-yadda!" said Vinnie, closing the door.
Frank walked fast through empty and dark corridors, bikermice and Charley had to run to match his speed.
Suddenly he stopped before door of steel.
"Here is the entrance, so I guess it is only to walk in."
"Yeah, why not? It's not like there's a giant mechanical octopus in there, programmed to strangle us!" said Vinnie.
Frank laughed derisively and pushed a button si the door opened itself.
The sight which met them was unbelievable.
They looked into a giant cave which was filled with strange things which worked and gave silent noises.
Frank went into the big cave and said to them: "Stay here and don't touch anything, okay? I will be right back."
"I wonder what kind of 'surprise' he's preparing for us right now!" said Vinnie.
"Hm, you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover." said Charley. "Or judge the collection of stories by the first one you see."
"Sweetheart, you are in love with him?" Vinnie asked.
"Vinnie!" Charley exclaimed.
"Well, I just thought about your safety! He will surely hurt you, sooner or later!"
Throttle had had enough, grabbed Vinnie's shoulder and said firmly: "Stop it Vinnie!"
"Stop, it, Vinnie!" Vinnie mimicked his friend. "Shut up, will, ya? You're in no position to say anything!"
"Excuse me, but what the hell are you talking about?"
Frank stood just a few meters from them, and they hadn't recognized him.
"Frank!" said Charley.
He walked to Vinnie, grabbed him around the throat with his right hand and pushed him into the wall with a load bang, saying: "This is my last warning to you. If you don't stop this I will force you to bath naked in the acid over there." He pointed at a bassin.
Throttle laid a hand on Frank's shoulder: "Calm down Frank! Take it easy bro."
Frank suddenly relaxed, and the angry expression in his face disappeared as fast as it had come.
He called me bro, eh?!
It wasn't until now Charley and the Biker Mice recognize that Frank had changed clothes.
He looked cleaner and more presentable like he had worked on his appearance.
"Frank." said Charley again, and smiled at him so he understood what she meant.
"Do I look better now Charlene?" he asked and gave her a tender smile Vinnie hated dearly.
"Yeah, you really do." she said, still smiling.
"You want to see what kind of science I worked with before I left? The area the Freedom Fighters found wasn't important. Here are my real laboratories."
"Yes, I would love to. By the way Frank, what DID you work on?" asked Charley.
"I worked with many things, one is fusion-energy. I have made a fusion reactor over there. It is the powercenter of this place. I found a way to make the fusion-reaction slower, which makes it easier to control it.
I've worked with the gate to other dimensions. The one over there." he pointed at the far side of the lab, which they couldn't see too well. The lab was REALLY big.
"Wow." Charley kept repeating, as she looked at all the experiments in the huge lab.
"Hm, and what was the purpose of your experiment?" asked Modo.
"Well, I needed a power-generator for my lab and I had to do something. I hate when I have nothing to do. My brain needs to work."
"Hmm, that's a good reason!" said Vinnie. "The guys who invented the hydrogen bomb claimed to have the same one."
Frank made a face and gave him an angry look.
"I don't work with weapons, there're enough with other creatures who are taking care of it."
"Well..." he continued as he walked and pointed at big machine. "There's the fusion reactor."
"Wow!" said Charley. Her mechanical skills allowed her to appreciate the complexity of the machine.
"As I told you, that machine is always working with a slow fusion-process. But I got much energy from it. And the security is very high. The chain-reaction is controlled by an advanced computer, and it's a very slow reaction, easy to control."
"How long did it take you?"
Frank thought for a moment, then answered: "I worked with this for many years when I studied in collage...but I never had the money or the things I needed to test it. But, let's say...about ten years."
"Wow!" repeated Charley and turned to the guys. "You guys should learn from Frank to stick with whatever you're doing. For you, Vinnie, that would be more than five seconds."
"Right, honey, Charley, babe, whatever you say!" Vinnie answered, then said quietly to the others: "That's it! She loves him too."
Frank pretended not to hear what Vinnie said and gave Charley another smile. She replied with the same.
When they came up to a strange machine did he stop.
"This is..." he said proudly, "...my own transporter. It was here that I threw all the prisoners before. The special thing with it is that this transporter can reach much longer than the early transporters. The transporters the Plutarkians are using are old and bad.
The dimension I call XZ-451 lays...5,81*10^37 light-years away.
Do you know understand how LARGE the universe is?!"
"We understood it a long time ago." said a voice. Everyone turned around and they saw Carbine and Virekka standing in the doorway.
"Virekka?" Frank said, almost smiling. "Whatta confidence. Still mad?"
"Hm, well, actually, that's not the number one issue at the moment. At least for you." she answered.
Frank folded his arms and didn't answer.
"Throttle!" said Carbine happily, and ran up to him.
"Carbine! Honey, are you allright?" Throttle asked and hugged her.
"Now is everything allright" she said, kissing him.
"Oh, so sweet." Frank smiled. "I'm glad you're all right. Without your help I would have been dead."
Throttle released Carbine from the hug and she turned to Frank. "Well, I am glad I did it."
Frank gave her a warm and friendly smile, but then his face went hard and cold.
"Triuc has treated me like a creep, as a...PUNK! That's nothing anyone does twice!"
"Frank! Stop it! Your hatred clouds up your senses!" said Charley.
He calmed down and turned to Virekka.
"I should have told you about everything before, but you wouldn't have believed me anyway, that's why I didn't. I used the situation in a very bad way. I'm so sorry for that."
"Forgiven, for the situation. After that we shall decide." she answered and turned to the entire group.
"Okay. Carbine, told me a little about this, but how about everyone brings us up to date?"
"I don't need to say anything if you can read my thoughts, try." Frank said.
She closed her eyes and moved her feet to a more stable position. After about 5 minutes she opened her eyes and looked at him, surprised and a little embarrassed.
"Sorry, I didn't trust you." she thought, making it so he could hear her.
"Well...I was stupid and how would you have known?" he answered without saying anything.
"Okay, thank you, Frank. Now, what were the plans?" she asked out loud.
"Well, we have to find Triuc McDann before he finds us. Very simple but not too easy."
"Right." said Charley. "How?"
"I don't know for the moment. I think he's still on Earth. The best thing we can do is relax.I think we'll need it."

"You will all be punished for this! Idiots!" Triuc McDann said at the mice who had failed to capture the Biker Mice and the earthlings.
"Sorry."
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! They are ALWAYS sorry!"
"Um, sir!" called a young female mouse from the corner.
"What is it?" he answered, mad.
"Um, I've found them."
He walked up to her. "What?"
She had a computer attached to her belt, on which she was typing furiously.
"Well, the DiNAS found Throttle, Vinnie, Modo, and Carbine."
"Dinos? What the hell does this have to do with Dinos?"
"Not Dinos, DiNAS is a program. DNA, or DiNA Searcher. We have a catalog of all the citizen of Mars' DNAs, and we can search for them any time. This program is still in its testing state, but we know it works. The government didn't approve it yet, though."
"Okay, so, why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"Well, sir, legally this program and the catalog do not exist."
"Okay, fine. So, where are they?"
"Um." she said, searching though the data. "They are on Mars, approximately 5 miles from Olympus Mons, exact location is unavailable at the moment because of our satellite. If it were in position, it would be easily tracked down by the HST, so it has to hide."
"HST?"
"Hubble Space Telescope. Humans are using it to look for changes on Mars."
"Aah." Triuc McDann laughed. "They're in his old headquarters we invaded about one year ago. Stupid of them to return to that damn place! When will the ship arrive?"
"Um, soon." answered one of the mice.
McDann laughed out loud while he went over the field.
The other mice looked scared at him, but didn't dare to say anything.

In the headquarters Frank was telling everyone more about his science. And he showed them the machines.
"I'm working with cybernetics too. And the computer that works with the fusion-reactor is a simple model."
"Cybernetics? Is that like silicon-based animals?" asked Throttle.
"Nah, it doesn't have to be just THAT." he answered. "Robots and computers, that can make choices, and it looks like they can think for themselves."
"Aahh...okay."
"I'm working with advanced robots too. You have seen the film Terminator?"
"Is there any earthling who hasn't?" asked Charley.
"What film?" Carbine asked.
"A film about a robot from the future who is going to kill a woman. Very interesting story. I think I have that film in my video-library here. I have collected a lot of films and music on CDs, when I didn't have anything better to do. And I have a library about my science too. I can't believe how much I worked, but a lot of my work destroyed McDann , that day six years ago."
"Don't be sad. It's done, and it's no use to spend sorrow over that." Modo said gently.
Suddenly Charley laid her arm around Frank's neck and said: "Can't you show us the library while we're waiting for any ideas?"
Frank looked a little bit confused, but seemed to like to have her arms around him.
"Of course, come with me friends."
Vinnie looked darkly at them, but followed without protests.
"Okay, and here I have my collection of Star Trek movies." said Frank.
"I was always fascinated by the ideas in those movies." Charley commented.
"Really? Me too!"
"Okay, go on!" said Vinnie, trying to break it up.
"Um, yes. And over there is the main Book Library. My collection is in all formats, books, tapes, CDs and word pads," said Frank.
"Word Pads? Isn't that a really simple word-processing program?" asked Carbine.
"Yes, but it is also what I call the computer pads that contains information, like books about Star Trek." he explained.
"Tricorders." said Charley.
"Nope, those were for measuring." said Frank quickly.
The two humans looked each other in the eyes for a moment. Frank broke the gaze and walked away in deep thoughts without a word.
They saw him disappeared behind some bookcases.
Vinnie felt better when Frank was gone and laid his hand on Charley's shoulder.
"Hey sweetheart! Why so quiet? What's the matter babe?"
"Um, nothing! Why should there be something the matter?" she answered.
"Well, it looks like HE makes you feel bad."
"Um, no! Not at all!" she said immediately. "It's just that..." her voice broke off.
"Hmmm, it looks like you're at a loss for words, babe!" Vinnie said grinning.
"Charley?" Throttle asked gently. "What is it?"
"Um...nothing, don't worry about it." she said abruptly and left them, wondering and a little bit worried
She found him sitting on a couch and was in so deep thoughts that he didn't hear her when she came.
"Frank?" she called.
Slowly, he turned his head and looked at her.
"Charlene. I think I wished that you would come here." he said slowly, giving her a warm smile.
"What?" she asked when she noticed it.
"You want to sit down?"
She sat down on the couch next to him.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
" I'm just a little bit annoyed, because of that Vinnie. That's all."
"You should learn to accept him. He's mostly like that."
Frank sighed, and looked into her green eyes. "Charlene...I think..." He tried to find the words. "...I..."
"What?" she said, smiling at him.
"Charlene...I think...I think I have fallen in love with you."
"What?"
"I think I have fallen in love with you Charlene." he said and looked seriously at her.
"I...I don't know what to say..."
"Sorry Charlene... I am an idiot, I should have kept my mouth shut."
"No! You're not an idiot! Not at all! And it's a good thing that you shared your feelings with me..."
She hugged him to make him feel better, but the truth was, she did know how she felt herself.
"I will not be surprised if my love is unanswered. So, what are your feelings for me?"
"Um...I don't know...I wish I did..."
"So, what am I interrupting?" asked Vinnie as loud as he could.
Frank groaned.
"Vinnie!" said Charley mad, but was trying to hide it.
"Well, nothing which is YOUR business. Charlene, I hope we'll get a chance to talk alone, later."
"Thanks Vincent!" said Charley sarcastically.
Just to annoy Vinnie laid Charley her arm around Frank and said: "Let's go Frankie."
Vinnie could swear he was bright red and about to explode.
"That should make him be quiet for awhile." Whispered Frank to Charley and grinned.
They walked away together to find the others, with a very annoyed Vinnie behind.
"Hi again. Charlene and I tried to have a little talk, until Vincent here came..." Frank said.
"Well, you just have to get used to that annoying little personality of his." said Carbine.
Frank gave her a smile, that one which looked so sick.
"And don't give me that face! I DID save your life!" said Carbine.
Frank muttered something on a strange language and gave Vinnie a dark look.
"What does that means?" Modo asked him.
"Um, you don't want to know!" answered Virekka plainly.
"I wonder what Triuc McDann and his men will do next!" Frank suddenly said.
"Hm, why not you use you psycho-science-powers to find out?" asked Virekka toxically.
Frank snorted and was going to answer when they heard a cold voice say:
"What will Triuc McDann going to do next? You will soon find out!"
They turned around and saw that the dark-grey mouse standing a few yards away with a kind of gun in his right hand and with 10 army-mice behind.
They all carried heavy weapons and were ready to use them.
"So nice to have you all collected. It will be six executions today instead of five!"
"Don't hold you breath!" said Charley and something flew at Triuc, threw him off his balance and made him fall.
"What the...?!"
"Thank you!" said Charley, turning to Virekka who had just thrown one of the CDs at a fast speed at Triuc's legs. The CD was hurt less than McDann and laid unbroken on the floor.
"LIGHTS OFF!" Frank suddenly yelled in a loud voice and the whole library went dark.
Virekka heard Frank whisper: "Quick, lead us in the darkness, away from here!"
They heard McDann swear loud and the other mice rabbled confused with each other.
Virekka, who could see in darkness, took their hands in hers and forced them to follow her in the dark library, away from Triuc McDann and the others.
"You're gonna PAY FOR THIS! When we get you!" Triuc roared out in the darkness.
"Which won't be soon!" Frank yelled loudly as answer.
When they turned around a corner they suddenly had light.
Frank had a little torch in his pocket and turned it on so they saw pretty well.
"Follow me, we have to run!" Frank said quickly, and hurried into a small door.
"LIGHTS ON!" he said and the lights turned on in the long corridor.
They ran through it and had reached the stairs, when they heard a shot and the door blew away.
"Kill them ALL!" Triuc commanded and the mice started to shoot at them. As fast as they could they ran down the stairs.
"Where does this passage lead?" Throttle asked when they ran.
"Down to the big caves under the lab. Be careful...all of you. There are a lot of abysses down here!"
" Really? What were they used for?" Charley asked.
"The caves?"
"Yeah!"
"I don't know if the Plutarkian scientists used these caves. Maybe they used them as warehouses? Well, they were at least empty when I arrived here for the first time."
They heard loud voices a few hundred yards away.
"We have to run faster!" Frank said.
Suddenly fell Charley into an abyss with a scream and with the speed of light threw Frank himself down and grabbed Charley's hand.
"Frank!" Charley screamed.
"Don't be scared, just hold my hand!"
Charley's fear showed in her face but Frank got an arm around her and pulled her up.
"I told you this is a dangerous place. I'm happy you're all right!" he said and laid his arms around her, she was shaking.
"You should have let her fall!" Triuc said while he was walking out from the shadows, his men behind. "That death would have been much better than the death she and you, will get now."
"You WILL NOT hurt her!" said Frank in a mad voice.
"And who is going to stop me? You? Pathetic!" replied Triuc who knew Frank hated that word more than any other in any language on any planet in the galaxy. Yet he said it, just to tease Frank.
"Quiet Triuc!" said Virekka in a cold voice.
Triuc gave her a grin and said: "Are you surprised? I didn't think it would be so easy to fool you!"
"Well, nobody's perfect. Especially not you! So, I would suggest you give up or get ready to be turned into a rat sandwich!"
Triuc's grin turned even wider and he answered: "Don't worry, you'll not get any more chances to make a mistake! I know your weakness Virekka. I just have to shot you!" He raised his weapon, and pointed it at her.
"Gee, I'm REAL scared!" she answered in an ignorant voice. "Immortal means unkillable and I'm immortal."
Triuc McDann laughed at her and shot her in the chest. Virekka fell down to the ground and didn't move anymore.
Carbine, Frank, Charley and the Biker Mice stared at her silent body.
A feeling came up in Frank's brain, a furious feeling and stared at McDann.
"That was the last moment for her, I hope you feel honoured to be here and share it with us."
"The game is over for you, McDann!" Modo growled, with his eye glowing.
Bikermice pulled up their weapons and blew the other mice' weapons away.
Carbine, bikermice and the Army-mice started a to fight and Frank saw Triuc grab a gun which laid on the floor.
"Let's have a fight, mouse vs. creep!" McDann said smiling.
"I won't give you the pleasure of a fight! You will die the second after I touch you!" said Frank in a hissing voice.
"Hm, nope, that's okay!" answered McDann simply. Without turning he motioned two army mice to attack.
In moments Frank was pinned to the ground.
One of the mice took out a syringe and Frank saw its blue-green contents.
"What is that?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing, just a little something to make sure you meet your makers."
"With me dead you can't build a port, and you can't reach my projects in the lab..." answered Frank
"Well, we have a few accesses up our sleeves!" Triuc said regally. "We will get to everything you spent so much of your valuable time trying to hide."
"In your dreams." Frank answered with a sick smile. "The security-system is built in special way. No one except me, who knows the password, can access it. No backdoors, as in your sucky system!"
"Well, guess we'll just have to get that password." said Triuc. "And you know the best part? You are not even gonna notice it. Zuel, please come here."
"Yes?" sounded a young girl's voice. Everyone watched as Zuel materialized from nowhere.
"You!" Frank said, not scared, just upset.
"This creature has hurted your sister and those ones are with him!" Triuc pointed at the Biker Mice and Carbine, who now had failed and laid captured on the floor with Charley.
Zuel watched them and her eyes glowed for a second.
"I should have known about you." she said with a horrible voice, then she turned to Frank.
"And for you...I have some things to give you. I haven't forgotten our latest meet!"
"Zuel, don't listen to him! He's lying!" Charley tried to convince her.
Everyone watched in awe as Zuel's eyes started to glow. Slowly they turned bright shade of her sister's skin.
"Dr. XM here..." Triuc kicked Frank in the stomach, "has got an important code we need, can you help us to make him talk?"
Just as slowly, she raised off the ground and moved towards Frank, looking like Banshee.
She raised her hand and shot something purplish-blue at him.
Whatever it was it made Franks body literally jump up from the floor.
It a voice that would scare the living daylights out of anyone she said: "You have a two choices: confess or die."
Frank grinned in reply.
"I don't think Triuc here would find my death so useful. Or he would have shot me a long time ago."
Zuel smiled a scary and evil smile in return.
"Once you're dead it would be the easiest thing to retrieve your memories. He should have done it a long time ago, but I'm not in the mood to do it..."
"You'll never control my thoughts...I can hide them for you, and destroy them before you can do anything! I have the power down here, it's my area."
"You have outdated ideas on the world order." replied the girl.
He answered with a fakely sadness in the voice: "The problems with you immortal creeps is that you don't understand others. You always thinks you knows what's best, and you always knows what's right. I'm sorry girly. But you can't control or scare me anymore."
"How sad you don't wish to agree!" Zuel sighed and shot another fireball at him.
He rolled away over the floor, but raised himself at once, and brushed of his clothes and said: "Better up..."
"Stop it! Please STOP IT!" Charley yelled at Zuel.
"Keep your mouth closed, if you don't have a death wish."
"This is MY area! I know every corner around here!" Frank laughed and disappeared in to the darkness in a second.
"Where the hell did he go?" asked Triuc frustrated.
"Mortals can't be strong." said Zuel. "Mortals are unimportant. They are there to entertain the immortality."
She simply snapped her fingers and Frank appeared in front of her from 'nowhere'.
"Flesh can be tracked." she answered.
"Good girl." he answered, smiling. "I'm really impressed, but I've some surprises you never thought existed!"
He waved cryptically with his other hand and said slowly and smiling: "There's no use to be angry or furious. Just read my mind if you dare, and many questions will be answered."
No one said anything, so he continued: "So sad. But I thought you wanted to read my mind, and the mind can't lie and you know that. But sadly enough, you can only read the parts I'm willing to let you read."
"I do not wish to read your mind, mortal." Zuel said, evenly. "I also do not wish to kill you. However, unless you answer the question, I will be forced to kill you and read you mind. That will make me unhappy, and you don't want to know what unhappy Zuel looks like."
"Lies. I never thought an immortal was afraid of reading a mortal's mind. Maybe it's you who's afraid?"
Everyone wondered what he was doing and stared confused at Frank.
"No, not afraid!" said Zuel in her child voice. "Too bored to do something that monotonous!"
"Poor excuses. Only poor excuses."
"Shut up!" Triuc roared who didn't like the discussion.
"Why, my dear enemy? Give me some good reasons." Frank smiled. "Tell Zuel here a little bit about what you did on Earth, just because of your evil desires."
Triuc stared at him but Frank ignored it and continued: "You felt good after killing a lot of innocent animals and destroy the flora and fauna, just for fun?"
"You...you did what?" asked Zuel, turning to him.
"He's lying! Don't listen to him!"
Frank said triumphantly: "Why do you have so much sweat in your forehead Triuc, old pal? Isn't it so, that you are the liar here?"
Slowly, not really knowing what to believe, Zuel raised her hands to her head. Pressing lightly on her forehead, right above and between the eyes, she stared at Triuc blankly. She knew that there was nothing he could do to control what part of his memory she saw.
As the silence continued Zuel's face expression did not change. Just as slowly she put her hands down and kept staring at him.
Triuc screamed and grabbed his head. He felt it was about to explode in enormous pain that struck it suddenly.
"Hurts? Doesn't it?" Frank asked. "I thought you had learned to ignore that pain since we met last time."
"Keep quiet, or you will suffer too!" said Zuel, still staring at Triuc.
"Really?" Frank answered but went quiet.
Zuel looked at the pathetic sight in front of her and stopped.
Triuc shook his head, and moved backwards. His eyes looked like they burned.
"So, you did do this, didn't you?" Zuel said.
Triuc gasped, filled with hate: "You'll never find out!"
With a quick move he raised his laser and shot Zuel in her chest, as he did with her sister
Zuel fell to the floor but Triuc couldn't do anything more, because Frank had threw himself over him.
"The game is over, my dear enemy!" Frank growled and hit Triuc hard in the chest so he lost his breath.
The army mice couldn't use their weapons because they could hurt their leader, so they just stared at the show.
Bikermice and Carbine got up and knocked out four of the mice so fast that they hadn't time to react.
"A little bit of action!" Carbine said and kicked one of the mice. "I wonder how the hell I could work with you bastards!"
"Maybe because when you worked with them they were in top shape, unlike now!" answered Throttle and knocked out another mouse.
Vinnie hit one mouse in the chest so that he fell to the ground with a loud thud.
Modo pulled up one of them. "I wonder if you aren't masked RATS!" he roared and threw the mouse into a stone wall.
Triuc tried to hit Frank, but Frank slipped away from him.
"You are a really bad fighter, McDann! I'd better teach you some lessons!"
At the same time tried a big mouse a to shot Carbine, but Charley went up behind him and hit him hard in the head with a weapon she had taken from the floor.
All the army mice laid on the ground, and everyone's gaze fell on Virekka who started to move on the floor.
"Huh..." Virekka said, slowly coming back
Charley ran towards to her. "You okay?"
"Huh? Yeah...I am...thanks.." she answered, getting up. She looked around and saw Zuel.
"Triuc did it. Be she'll surely wake up soon too." Carbine said.
Suddenly did they notice the loud screams from McDann and watched he and Frank standing at the edge of a horrible abyss. Frank's eyes flashed by hate and Triuc looked a little bit tired because he never hit Frank properly.
"Now, dear enemy..." Frank smiled and punched Triuc hard in the neck. "...you will..." he jumped up and did a kind of round-kick so the mouse fell backwards... "DIE!"
With a horrible scream fell Triuc McDann into the deep abyss.
His scream faded out and the silence laid heavy over the cave.
"How deep is that?" asked Carbine.
"Deep enough so we never have to worry about him anymore."
"Really? Then how come I can still hear his heart pounding?" asked Zuel.
Frank gave her a toxic glare.
"It'll stop soon. You can't understand how deep this abyss is?"
Virekka listened too and suddenly she said: "No more, it's silent."
"You feel good now that you have gotten your revenge?" Charley asked him.
Frank didn't answer and left.
"Yeah, he probably did!" exclaimed Vinnie.
"Shut up!" snapped Charley.
"Ow, come ON! You have feelings for him! You know it! He knows it! I do! Everyone else too! Just stop this I-dunno-what-you're-talking-about-look, girl!"
Charley ignored Vinnie and walked after Frank.
She found him soon, sitting behind a big rock and when she looked at him closer she was surprised to see that he was crying.
"Frank?"
He didn't answer. He had hid his face in his hands.
"Frank, listen to me..." she said gently.
Slowly he raised his head, his face was wet with tears.
"Frank? Wha...what's wrong?" she asked, worried.
"I have killed someone for the first time...and even if he deserved it twice, it still makes me feel so dirty..."
"We all did it...and it wasn't your fault..." Charley sai put her arms around him.
"It's okay..." she whispered.
Frank looked her in the eyes now, they were alone, face to face
His eyes talked to her. She saw a relief, a sorrow and a love in them.
Their lips met and they kissed each other deeply.
Charley laid her hands on his shoulders and he laid his arms around her waist.
After a few seconds did they stop and looked at each other for a long time.
"I still love you Charlene... I loved you from the year we studied in the same collage." said Frank.
"I don't think I did then... I do now, though." she answered.
"I'm so fascinated by your clear eyes Charlene...they're so beautiful. It is like they're mirrors for your mind."
"Well.. hm.. thanks." Charley wasn't ready for that kind of a compliment.
He jerked back a little and said: "I have to go, and I think you have to go too..."
"Hm? Go? Go where?" she asked.
"Away." he answered. "I don't know...but I can't stay with you. I have exposed you to so much danger now. It's dangerous to have me close."
"Nonsense!"
"And I can't live close to you, because of your friends..."
"Where are you going?" she asked and watched him disappear in the darkness.
"I'm leaving now. Maybe we'll meet again, maybe not. I don't want to leave, but I have to. I still love you..."
"Wait!" she yelled listening as the sound of her own voice bounced off the walls and realizing there was no ear to catch it.
The silence was total.
Suddenly she heard a movement behind her and Throttle stood there and watched her silently.
Charley sighed
"He's gone, isn't he Charley-girl?"
"Yeah...he is." she said and tried to smiled at him. "And it's our turn to go too."
Throttle watched her seriously.
"You are sad, right? You want him to stay?"
"Yeah...I do... but there is nothing I can do. He has left."
"Maybe he'll come back. But you're right. We have to go home now Charley."
He started to walk to the others. They were all silent.
"Hey guys, pack up, time to go home." she said.
"Where is Frank?" Modo asked.
"He's... gone."
"I'm so sorry Charley."
Vinnie tried to hide a smile but failed.
"What's so funny?!" Charley asked in a cold voice and Vinnie stopped smiling at once.
"He is gone?" asked Zuel.
"Yes, he left before I could do anything."
"I'm sorry and I really wish I could say that to him." said Zuel.
"You should be!" Charley answered in an angry voice. "You have been close to killing him twice."
"Well... Should't we leave this place now?" Virekka asked.
They all nodded and started to walk to the door they came in from.
Virekka moved her hand and suddenly all the army mice flew up in the air and followed them as though they were big, kind birds.

The Biker Mice, Charley, Carbine, Virekka and Zuel stood in the crater the ship had landed in.
The still unconscious mice laid on the ground.
"I, Zuel and Carbine will take care them," said Virekka.
"Thanks. Well honey...I think it's time to say goodbye." Throttle said to Carbine.
They hugged for a long time.
"I'll miss you Throttle!"
Throttle smiled at her and followed Vinnie, Modo and Charley into the ship.
They waved goodbye to Zuel, Virekka and Carbine and the port closed.
Charley went quickly up to the control room, and wrote some easy commands.
"Frank told me how to make this ship fly back to the place it came from." she explained and the ship started to move up in the air.
They looked through the big window and saw Mars' red surface disappear.
Charley sighed, and said: "At least, I think mom will be glad to see us again."

The book was dusty and Frank blew it off.
Professor Josefson's voice sounded without warning and he jumped by surprise.
"Hello mr Streds, I have to introduce you to your new colleague, Mrs. Catherine Shaddack."
Frank looked and saw a very beautiful woman standing by Josefson's left side.
"Hello ms. Shaddack" he said smiling. They shook hands.
"Nice to meat you Mr. Streds."
"A pleasure, and call me Frank." answered Frank, and he smiled too.
Mr. Josefson's eyes glittered for a second then he said behind his big mustache: "I think you two will fit good together as colleagues. Good luck now."
When he turned away and went out had he a big happy grin in his old face. It would probably work out very good for the kids.
Catherine turned to Frank again and said: "Okay, but maybe we can work with this later? So, let's have a dinner together, so we can get to know each other better. What do you think?"
"A great idea." Frank answered.
She smiled warmly and they took off to the restaurant together.
Catherine reminded Frank of Charlene Davidson and he felt a little bit sad when he thought about her.
But the sad feelings disappeared soon and he thought that maybe he could have a good life after all.

The End