The Case of the Gold Thief--Part Nine
by HA
Ginzu backed Shirley into the wall and thrust its wrist blade at her. Shirley ducked in time to avoid it, and the assassin robot punched into the wall, getting its arm stuck. The young detective took advantage of its inconvenience and ran away. Beeping angrily, Ginzu pulled out its arm and pursued its target.
"Get her!" Number Nine ordered his creation. "We must eliminate her before we are discovered!" Mojo copied its master's command and shook its fist.
Shirley ran as fast as she could, but her automated killer picked up the pace. She moved forward to avoid a blade swing. She broke left and started looking for something to use against the robot. Nothing was against the walls. Even the fire extinguisher was mysteriously missing.
"I've taken the liberty to remove any objects that would have been possible aids against Ginzu," Number Nine revealed. "You've got brains, detective. Do you have the brawn to match?"
Shirley reached for her cell phone and turned it on. She dialed Inspector Hewitt's number, but all she got was static.
"No help from your Interpol friend this time, detective. This building has been outfitted with a communications shield," Number Nine said, sneering behind his mask.
Shirley let herself get distracted as she stared at her useless phone. Only the sounds of metallic footsteps from behind brought her focus back. She ducked in time to avoid another of Ginzu's blade swings. The only casualty of the attack was her hair. She rolled away as the sliced-off strands floated to the ground.
"Ginzu, don't decapitate her!" Number Nine shouted. "When we burn down this building, we must not let the authorities know she was killed intentionally."
Shirley got up just as Ginzu leapt at her. Its blades dug into the gym floor, giving her enough time to run to the door. She pushed and pulled, but nothing happened.
"Oh, the entire facility has been secured, courtesy of my locking devices," Number Nine mentioned as Ginzu freed itself.
Shirley turned away from the door only to face Ginzu. The robot slashed at her. Shirley moved away in time, and the only victim this time was the sleeve of her blazer. After running away, she felt a little pain in her arm. Looking closer at her arm, she saw a small cut caused by the tip of Ginzu's blade.
"You can't keep going forever, detective!" Number Nine declared from above. "Unlike humans, Ginzu never tires! Sooner or later, you will be nothing but a memory!"
Shirley caught her breath as Ginzu advanced on her. She moved again in time to dodge another lunge by the killer robot.
* * * * *
Molly continued to scream as the missiles got closer. Her mouth stopped emitting her distinct sound when the projectiles started exploding. Blinking, she noticed that a yellow energy barrier was blocking them. An even closer look revealed that it was coming from Rika. Her hands, or rather, the gauntlets she wore, emitted a yellow glow that generated the barrier.
Molly's mouth fell open. "What?"
In the Mechapanzer, Number Nine-Nine slammed his fist onto his control panel. "Damn! Those were my last missiles!"
Bart looked at Molly, then at Rika. "What happened to exercising discretion?" he asked his fellow Stranger.
"Sorry. Habit," Rika said as she made the barrier vanish. "Last time I checked, life was precious." She glared at Molly. "Even this little vixen's."
"Who are you?" Molly asked, still trying to take everything in.
"If you value your life, I suggest you run and find cover," Rika told the blonde sociopath sternly.
Fortunately, Molly valued her neck enough not to waste her time asking questions. She glanced at Rika, then Bart, and finally at the Mechapanzer before running away.
"Hmph. Mr. E probably wants her alive still," Number Nine-Nine mused to himself. "Or maybe not. He's so fickle sometimes," he said as he raised his robot's arm.
"Hey!" Bart fired rapidly at the Mechapanzer, causing tiny pinging noises. "It's me you want, remember?"
"Good point." Number Nine-Nine aimed for Bart and unleashed a powerful particle beam. Rika stood in the way and used her barrier again.
"Well, those are very effective toys," Number Nine-Nine commented as he continued to fire.
"Help Bo and Blake," Bart told Rika as the beam continued to push against the barrier.
"Are you crazy?" Rika asked, straining to maintain their only defense.
"I think they need more help than me." Bart observed as the three toy soldiers dominated his friends.
"Well, he can't keep firing this type of weapon for long," Rika noted. "Once he stops, I'll help the others."
"Blast it!" Number Nine-Nine said with a snarl as he noted a nearby heat gauge. The pointer leaned towards the red side. "I'd better switch to shorter blasts or I'll overload the system."
Rika let out a sigh of relief as the beam faded away. "You'll be okay?" she asked Bart as she got ready to run.
"I'm prepared this time," Bart answered.
Rika nodded and took off. Number Nine-Nine looked at Bart. "Well, looks like we're all alone."
"Yep," Bart said coolly.
"There's no river to save you now, Bart!" Number Nine-Nine declared as he fired. Bart ducked in time and fired back. The young ENIGMA agent laughed as the sonic boomer's shots pinged against the Mechapanzer. "You can't hurt me! My armor's too thick!"
Meanwhile, Bo and Blake were being manhandled by the toy soldiers. One of the thin ones grabbed Bo and tossed him to the ground. Blake kicked the fat one aside, but the other thin soldier grabbed him from behind and started squeezing. Blake's face tightened from the pain.
"Blake!" Bo tried to rise, but his opponent stomped its foot on his chest and kept him pinned.
Thankfully for Blake, Rika tackled the toy soldier from behind, forcing it to release him. The soldier holding Bo down witnessed this action and was about to attack. However, Rika prove too fast and punched it in the chest with a glowing fist. "You two need a lady's touch," she said as the soldier fell to the ground. The fat soldier jumped up and tried to land on Rika. She moved in time, and the soldier crashed onto the grass.
"Much obliged, ma'am," Blake said to Rika with a smile.
"Yeah," Bo said as he got up. His eyes fell on the glowing gauntlets. "Nice trick."
"Thanks," Rika said. "Good old reliable family heirlooms."
The toy soldiers recovered and regrouped. "Okay, time for round two," Bo said, getting ready for the upcoming charge.
The soldiers rushed Bo and the others, and another fight broke out between the two sides. Meanwhile, Bart and Number Nine-Nine continued to exchange fire. Bart dodged the Mechapanzer's beam shots and fired his own in short intervals, resulting in more pinging on the robot's surface. As he fired, Bart heard the beeping from his weapon become faster.
"Give up, Bart! Your puny weapon can't penetrate my armor!" Number Nine-Nine taunted as his beam weapon cooled down.
"Good point," Bart said, looking at the tiny light on his weapon as it switched from red to green and the beeping became even louder. "I'm almost out of power, so I'd better make this quick," he noted as he twisted the end. Finished, he took aim at the Mechapanzer.
"Come now!" Number Nine-Nine's laughter echoed from the robot as he raised its arm for another shot. "You'll need a bigger weapon to beat my Mechapanzer!"
"Not exactly." Bart smiled and fired, unleashing a large sonic shot that threw him to the ground. As Bart's butt made contact with the grass, his shot impacted with the Mechapanzer.
Inside the robot, Number Nine-Nine jerked back as he felt the sonic boomer's blast. "Curse you, Bart!" he shouted, pushing buttons to maintain his stability and restore his weapons. "Once I get weapons control back, you're dead! Dead!"
Bart watched as the Mechapanzer struggled to stay up. "Then I'd better be quick," he muttered as he stood up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small disc. "Time to see if this thing will work, Ivan," he said before throwing it at the large robot. The disc attached itself to the robot's chest and emitted a pulse throughout the Mechapanzer.
"No!" Number Nine-Nine shouted as all his systems shorted out. He shielded his eyes from the shooting sparks with his arm. Without power, the Mechapanzer crashed to the ground.
The toy soldiers stopped to see the wreck of the Mechapanzer. "All right, Bart," Bo said.
"Now! While they're distracted!" Rika said, pointing to the soldiers. Bo and Blake followed her in a charge at the metal menaces. The attack took the toy soldiers by surprise and each teen tackled one to the ground.
"I don't think so," Bo told his captive, one of the thin ones, as it struggled to break free. He responded with a few punches to the face, and the robot's struggles weakened.
Rika readied her glowing fist for a blow to the fat soldier's face. With a cry, she brought it down quickly. Suddenly, the fist stopped about two meters from the robot's face. "Nani?" she said in amazement.
"What's wrong?" Blake asked as he pinned his soldier's arms.
Rika reached for the bottom of the soldier's head. Her friends watched as she removed it, revealing the face of a dark-haired woman with a double chin. "This is..." she began.
"Mrs. Fish?" Bo said, shocked. He looked at his own captive and pulled off the head. "Oh, no," he said, his eyes as wide as tennis balls when he beheld the face of the school headmistress. Her eyes half-opened, Ms. Stratmann moaned. "Um, Blake? I just beat up Ms. Stratmann."
Blake yanked off his robot's head, and he recognized Ms. Goldstein. "I hope this won't affect my essay grade," he said half-jokingly. His eyes fell upon a flesh-toned bandage on her forehead. Curious, he pulled it off, and a tiny chip fell off. He caught the object before it could hit the ground.
"What is it, Blake?" Bo asked as he joined his friend at his side.
Blake held the chip between his fingers. A tiny flare of heat told him to let go, and as he did, the chip disintegrated. "I'm guessing remote control devices," he hypothesized.
Bo removed the ones on Ms. Stratmann and Ms. Fish and threw them away before they destroyed themselves. All three women closed their eyes. As Bart joined them, Rika checked the pulses of the three faculty members.
"Are they...?" Bart began.
Rika shook her head. "Thankfully, no. Their pulses are normal, but they need medical attention." She pulled out her comlink, switched it to phone mode, and dialed the appropriate number.
As Rika got in touch with the city dispatcher, Bo and Blake watched the three women with Bart. "Nice shot," Bo told the bespectacled boy.
"Thanks," Bart said with a small grin.
"Why didn't you do it sooner?" Bo asked.
"Powered-up shots really drain the battery," Bart answered, checking his sonic boomer. "In fact, now this thing's due for a recharge," he added as he pocketed the pen-like weapon.
"How'd you take down that thing?" Blake asked.
"EMP bomb," Bart answered.
"EM-what?" Bo asked, puzzled.
"Electromagnetic pulse," Blake explained. "Shorts out electronics."
Bo understood. "So you just shut down his big toy."
"Exactly," Bart said with a nod.
"You think he's down for good?" Blake asked as he looked at the wreck of the Mechapanzer.
"I doubt it," Bart said seriously.
Rika hung up. "An ambulance is on its way. They said it'll take about twenty minutes or less."
"Then let's save Shirley!" Bo shouted anxiously.
"What about them?" Blake asked, pointing to Ms. Stratmann and the other Sussex staffers. "Someone has to stay with them until help arrives."
Bart heard noises coming from the Mechapanzer. "What?" he wondered as his gaze went to the ruined robot. The head flew upward and landed with a thud. The new Stranger saw a raised gloved fist sticking out of the hole.
"Worry about yourself, Bart!" The fist lowered itself, then Number Nine-Nine jumped out of the worthless Mechapanzer.
"Guy's got good hang time," Bo commented as the ENIGMA agent landed before him and the others.
Number Nine-Nine stood up and faced his enemy. His uniform was slightly dirty, and his helmet showed no sign of damage. "Looks like I'll have to take care of you myself!" he declared as he glared at Bart, reaching for the sword sheathed at his side.
Bart turned to his friends. "Go!"
"Are you nuts?" Bo exclaimed, staring at his friend. "You can't take this guy on by yourself, especially without your sonic thingy."
"Don't worry about me. Shirley needs you guys," Bart answered, keeping his gaze on Number Nine-Nine as he reached into his pocket. "Get going!"
"Come on!" Rika tugged on Bo's arm.
"We can't just leave him here," Bo protested.
"He knows what he is doing," Rika said solemnly.
"I hope so," Blake said. "Let's get to the gym."
Bo did not wait for the others. He bolted towards the direction of the gym. *Hang on, Shirl!*
Number Nine-Nine sneered as Blake and Rika took off after Bo. "They won't make it in time, Bart," he said. "Uncle will kill her, and I'll kill you."
"We'll see about that," Bart said, removing the battle baton for his pocket. With a push of a button, the weapon extended to its full length.
Number Nine-Nine studied the weapon in Bart's hand. "Ooooooo, Bart's got a new toy," the ENIGMA agent said mockingly. He yanked his sword out of his scabbard. "Let's see if you can handle it."
Bart glared at Number Nine-Nine. "Bring it on."
Number Nine-Nine held out his sword. "Let's begin the dance." With a yell, he charged Bart with his sword ready to strike.
Bart blocked the coming swing and made his own. Number Nine-Nine knocked it aside, and with the headmistress of Sussex Academy, her secretary, and an English teacher lying unconscious nearby, the two boys engaged in a duel to the death.
* * * * *
Shirley leaned against the wall. Her breathing was heavy, and she was surprised her legs were still able to support her. Her blue eyes looked up to see Ginzu advancing on her with its arm blades ready to carry out its instructions. Behind it, Number Nine and Mojo watched the show.
"I believe it's time to join your great-granduncle, Mademoiselle Holmes," the Elite Eight member declared. Mojo beeped its agreement.
Shirley slid her backpack off and knelt down to open it. As she searched through its contents, Ginzu appeared over her. It emitted an electronic sound akin to laughter as it eyed its target. Hearing her assassin, Shirley's blue eyes darted upward. Her hand continued to dig through her backpack.
"Adieu, Shirley Holmes," Number Nine said.
Mojo beeped loudly and clapped its hands. Ginzu raised its arm and prepared for the death blow.
END OF PART NINE
by HA
Ginzu backed Shirley into the wall and thrust its wrist blade at her. Shirley ducked in time to avoid it, and the assassin robot punched into the wall, getting its arm stuck. The young detective took advantage of its inconvenience and ran away. Beeping angrily, Ginzu pulled out its arm and pursued its target.
"Get her!" Number Nine ordered his creation. "We must eliminate her before we are discovered!" Mojo copied its master's command and shook its fist.
Shirley ran as fast as she could, but her automated killer picked up the pace. She moved forward to avoid a blade swing. She broke left and started looking for something to use against the robot. Nothing was against the walls. Even the fire extinguisher was mysteriously missing.
"I've taken the liberty to remove any objects that would have been possible aids against Ginzu," Number Nine revealed. "You've got brains, detective. Do you have the brawn to match?"
Shirley reached for her cell phone and turned it on. She dialed Inspector Hewitt's number, but all she got was static.
"No help from your Interpol friend this time, detective. This building has been outfitted with a communications shield," Number Nine said, sneering behind his mask.
Shirley let herself get distracted as she stared at her useless phone. Only the sounds of metallic footsteps from behind brought her focus back. She ducked in time to avoid another of Ginzu's blade swings. The only casualty of the attack was her hair. She rolled away as the sliced-off strands floated to the ground.
"Ginzu, don't decapitate her!" Number Nine shouted. "When we burn down this building, we must not let the authorities know she was killed intentionally."
Shirley got up just as Ginzu leapt at her. Its blades dug into the gym floor, giving her enough time to run to the door. She pushed and pulled, but nothing happened.
"Oh, the entire facility has been secured, courtesy of my locking devices," Number Nine mentioned as Ginzu freed itself.
Shirley turned away from the door only to face Ginzu. The robot slashed at her. Shirley moved away in time, and the only victim this time was the sleeve of her blazer. After running away, she felt a little pain in her arm. Looking closer at her arm, she saw a small cut caused by the tip of Ginzu's blade.
"You can't keep going forever, detective!" Number Nine declared from above. "Unlike humans, Ginzu never tires! Sooner or later, you will be nothing but a memory!"
Shirley caught her breath as Ginzu advanced on her. She moved again in time to dodge another lunge by the killer robot.
* * * * *
Molly continued to scream as the missiles got closer. Her mouth stopped emitting her distinct sound when the projectiles started exploding. Blinking, she noticed that a yellow energy barrier was blocking them. An even closer look revealed that it was coming from Rika. Her hands, or rather, the gauntlets she wore, emitted a yellow glow that generated the barrier.
Molly's mouth fell open. "What?"
In the Mechapanzer, Number Nine-Nine slammed his fist onto his control panel. "Damn! Those were my last missiles!"
Bart looked at Molly, then at Rika. "What happened to exercising discretion?" he asked his fellow Stranger.
"Sorry. Habit," Rika said as she made the barrier vanish. "Last time I checked, life was precious." She glared at Molly. "Even this little vixen's."
"Who are you?" Molly asked, still trying to take everything in.
"If you value your life, I suggest you run and find cover," Rika told the blonde sociopath sternly.
Fortunately, Molly valued her neck enough not to waste her time asking questions. She glanced at Rika, then Bart, and finally at the Mechapanzer before running away.
"Hmph. Mr. E probably wants her alive still," Number Nine-Nine mused to himself. "Or maybe not. He's so fickle sometimes," he said as he raised his robot's arm.
"Hey!" Bart fired rapidly at the Mechapanzer, causing tiny pinging noises. "It's me you want, remember?"
"Good point." Number Nine-Nine aimed for Bart and unleashed a powerful particle beam. Rika stood in the way and used her barrier again.
"Well, those are very effective toys," Number Nine-Nine commented as he continued to fire.
"Help Bo and Blake," Bart told Rika as the beam continued to push against the barrier.
"Are you crazy?" Rika asked, straining to maintain their only defense.
"I think they need more help than me." Bart observed as the three toy soldiers dominated his friends.
"Well, he can't keep firing this type of weapon for long," Rika noted. "Once he stops, I'll help the others."
"Blast it!" Number Nine-Nine said with a snarl as he noted a nearby heat gauge. The pointer leaned towards the red side. "I'd better switch to shorter blasts or I'll overload the system."
Rika let out a sigh of relief as the beam faded away. "You'll be okay?" she asked Bart as she got ready to run.
"I'm prepared this time," Bart answered.
Rika nodded and took off. Number Nine-Nine looked at Bart. "Well, looks like we're all alone."
"Yep," Bart said coolly.
"There's no river to save you now, Bart!" Number Nine-Nine declared as he fired. Bart ducked in time and fired back. The young ENIGMA agent laughed as the sonic boomer's shots pinged against the Mechapanzer. "You can't hurt me! My armor's too thick!"
Meanwhile, Bo and Blake were being manhandled by the toy soldiers. One of the thin ones grabbed Bo and tossed him to the ground. Blake kicked the fat one aside, but the other thin soldier grabbed him from behind and started squeezing. Blake's face tightened from the pain.
"Blake!" Bo tried to rise, but his opponent stomped its foot on his chest and kept him pinned.
Thankfully for Blake, Rika tackled the toy soldier from behind, forcing it to release him. The soldier holding Bo down witnessed this action and was about to attack. However, Rika prove too fast and punched it in the chest with a glowing fist. "You two need a lady's touch," she said as the soldier fell to the ground. The fat soldier jumped up and tried to land on Rika. She moved in time, and the soldier crashed onto the grass.
"Much obliged, ma'am," Blake said to Rika with a smile.
"Yeah," Bo said as he got up. His eyes fell on the glowing gauntlets. "Nice trick."
"Thanks," Rika said. "Good old reliable family heirlooms."
The toy soldiers recovered and regrouped. "Okay, time for round two," Bo said, getting ready for the upcoming charge.
The soldiers rushed Bo and the others, and another fight broke out between the two sides. Meanwhile, Bart and Number Nine-Nine continued to exchange fire. Bart dodged the Mechapanzer's beam shots and fired his own in short intervals, resulting in more pinging on the robot's surface. As he fired, Bart heard the beeping from his weapon become faster.
"Give up, Bart! Your puny weapon can't penetrate my armor!" Number Nine-Nine taunted as his beam weapon cooled down.
"Good point," Bart said, looking at the tiny light on his weapon as it switched from red to green and the beeping became even louder. "I'm almost out of power, so I'd better make this quick," he noted as he twisted the end. Finished, he took aim at the Mechapanzer.
"Come now!" Number Nine-Nine's laughter echoed from the robot as he raised its arm for another shot. "You'll need a bigger weapon to beat my Mechapanzer!"
"Not exactly." Bart smiled and fired, unleashing a large sonic shot that threw him to the ground. As Bart's butt made contact with the grass, his shot impacted with the Mechapanzer.
Inside the robot, Number Nine-Nine jerked back as he felt the sonic boomer's blast. "Curse you, Bart!" he shouted, pushing buttons to maintain his stability and restore his weapons. "Once I get weapons control back, you're dead! Dead!"
Bart watched as the Mechapanzer struggled to stay up. "Then I'd better be quick," he muttered as he stood up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small disc. "Time to see if this thing will work, Ivan," he said before throwing it at the large robot. The disc attached itself to the robot's chest and emitted a pulse throughout the Mechapanzer.
"No!" Number Nine-Nine shouted as all his systems shorted out. He shielded his eyes from the shooting sparks with his arm. Without power, the Mechapanzer crashed to the ground.
The toy soldiers stopped to see the wreck of the Mechapanzer. "All right, Bart," Bo said.
"Now! While they're distracted!" Rika said, pointing to the soldiers. Bo and Blake followed her in a charge at the metal menaces. The attack took the toy soldiers by surprise and each teen tackled one to the ground.
"I don't think so," Bo told his captive, one of the thin ones, as it struggled to break free. He responded with a few punches to the face, and the robot's struggles weakened.
Rika readied her glowing fist for a blow to the fat soldier's face. With a cry, she brought it down quickly. Suddenly, the fist stopped about two meters from the robot's face. "Nani?" she said in amazement.
"What's wrong?" Blake asked as he pinned his soldier's arms.
Rika reached for the bottom of the soldier's head. Her friends watched as she removed it, revealing the face of a dark-haired woman with a double chin. "This is..." she began.
"Mrs. Fish?" Bo said, shocked. He looked at his own captive and pulled off the head. "Oh, no," he said, his eyes as wide as tennis balls when he beheld the face of the school headmistress. Her eyes half-opened, Ms. Stratmann moaned. "Um, Blake? I just beat up Ms. Stratmann."
Blake yanked off his robot's head, and he recognized Ms. Goldstein. "I hope this won't affect my essay grade," he said half-jokingly. His eyes fell upon a flesh-toned bandage on her forehead. Curious, he pulled it off, and a tiny chip fell off. He caught the object before it could hit the ground.
"What is it, Blake?" Bo asked as he joined his friend at his side.
Blake held the chip between his fingers. A tiny flare of heat told him to let go, and as he did, the chip disintegrated. "I'm guessing remote control devices," he hypothesized.
Bo removed the ones on Ms. Stratmann and Ms. Fish and threw them away before they destroyed themselves. All three women closed their eyes. As Bart joined them, Rika checked the pulses of the three faculty members.
"Are they...?" Bart began.
Rika shook her head. "Thankfully, no. Their pulses are normal, but they need medical attention." She pulled out her comlink, switched it to phone mode, and dialed the appropriate number.
As Rika got in touch with the city dispatcher, Bo and Blake watched the three women with Bart. "Nice shot," Bo told the bespectacled boy.
"Thanks," Bart said with a small grin.
"Why didn't you do it sooner?" Bo asked.
"Powered-up shots really drain the battery," Bart answered, checking his sonic boomer. "In fact, now this thing's due for a recharge," he added as he pocketed the pen-like weapon.
"How'd you take down that thing?" Blake asked.
"EMP bomb," Bart answered.
"EM-what?" Bo asked, puzzled.
"Electromagnetic pulse," Blake explained. "Shorts out electronics."
Bo understood. "So you just shut down his big toy."
"Exactly," Bart said with a nod.
"You think he's down for good?" Blake asked as he looked at the wreck of the Mechapanzer.
"I doubt it," Bart said seriously.
Rika hung up. "An ambulance is on its way. They said it'll take about twenty minutes or less."
"Then let's save Shirley!" Bo shouted anxiously.
"What about them?" Blake asked, pointing to Ms. Stratmann and the other Sussex staffers. "Someone has to stay with them until help arrives."
Bart heard noises coming from the Mechapanzer. "What?" he wondered as his gaze went to the ruined robot. The head flew upward and landed with a thud. The new Stranger saw a raised gloved fist sticking out of the hole.
"Worry about yourself, Bart!" The fist lowered itself, then Number Nine-Nine jumped out of the worthless Mechapanzer.
"Guy's got good hang time," Bo commented as the ENIGMA agent landed before him and the others.
Number Nine-Nine stood up and faced his enemy. His uniform was slightly dirty, and his helmet showed no sign of damage. "Looks like I'll have to take care of you myself!" he declared as he glared at Bart, reaching for the sword sheathed at his side.
Bart turned to his friends. "Go!"
"Are you nuts?" Bo exclaimed, staring at his friend. "You can't take this guy on by yourself, especially without your sonic thingy."
"Don't worry about me. Shirley needs you guys," Bart answered, keeping his gaze on Number Nine-Nine as he reached into his pocket. "Get going!"
"Come on!" Rika tugged on Bo's arm.
"We can't just leave him here," Bo protested.
"He knows what he is doing," Rika said solemnly.
"I hope so," Blake said. "Let's get to the gym."
Bo did not wait for the others. He bolted towards the direction of the gym. *Hang on, Shirl!*
Number Nine-Nine sneered as Blake and Rika took off after Bo. "They won't make it in time, Bart," he said. "Uncle will kill her, and I'll kill you."
"We'll see about that," Bart said, removing the battle baton for his pocket. With a push of a button, the weapon extended to its full length.
Number Nine-Nine studied the weapon in Bart's hand. "Ooooooo, Bart's got a new toy," the ENIGMA agent said mockingly. He yanked his sword out of his scabbard. "Let's see if you can handle it."
Bart glared at Number Nine-Nine. "Bring it on."
Number Nine-Nine held out his sword. "Let's begin the dance." With a yell, he charged Bart with his sword ready to strike.
Bart blocked the coming swing and made his own. Number Nine-Nine knocked it aside, and with the headmistress of Sussex Academy, her secretary, and an English teacher lying unconscious nearby, the two boys engaged in a duel to the death.
* * * * *
Shirley leaned against the wall. Her breathing was heavy, and she was surprised her legs were still able to support her. Her blue eyes looked up to see Ginzu advancing on her with its arm blades ready to carry out its instructions. Behind it, Number Nine and Mojo watched the show.
"I believe it's time to join your great-granduncle, Mademoiselle Holmes," the Elite Eight member declared. Mojo beeped its agreement.
Shirley slid her backpack off and knelt down to open it. As she searched through its contents, Ginzu appeared over her. It emitted an electronic sound akin to laughter as it eyed its target. Hearing her assassin, Shirley's blue eyes darted upward. Her hand continued to dig through her backpack.
"Adieu, Shirley Holmes," Number Nine said.
Mojo beeped loudly and clapped its hands. Ginzu raised its arm and prepared for the death blow.
END OF PART NINE
