Chapter 9

Eduardo walked up to the dazed blackbird. He studied how stupid it looked with its tongue hanging out of its beak. Gently he placed his hand on the bird's head.

Eduardo's eyes glazed over and he fell back to the floor, out cold.

The blackbird sat up slowly, scratching its head. The star medallion bounced softly on its feathery chest.

"Wow. Guess this ain't too hard after all."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The terrified and bruised turkey scuttled away as fast as it could. Still fuming but slightly cooled off, Lichmonde looked back at the body on the floor.

/ If that body is empty, / he thought. / Then where's the spirit? /

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Eduardo was vaguely aware that someone was tapping the top of his head. His vision was a little blurry, then it sharpened and he saw a blackbird staring at him.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Eduardo screamed.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The blackbird screamed. It did a backward flip and hyperventilated. "JEEZ! Watcha tryin' t' do? Gimme a heart attack?!"

Eduardo pulled out his proton gun. "STAY BACK!"

The blackbird rolled its eyes and sighed in exaggeration. "Aw c'mon! Do we hafta go through this ev'ry time?"

Eduardo lowered the proton gun. "Wait. I think I know you from somewhere..."

"Ya should, y'know." Before Eduardo could move, the blackbird walked right up to him and tapped him on the forehead. Eduardo blinked.

"You're the ghost I saw three weeks ago!" Eduardo pointed out accusingly.

"Right. Now ya can stop yellin' like a five-year-old, or I'll help ya."

Eduardo obediently clamped his mouth shut.

The blackbird reached forward and scooped Eduardo up in its talons. "I know where they took Ky an' th' others. I'll give ya a lift."

Eduardo glared at the medallion still hanging on the bird's front. "Mind telling me where you got that?"

"Um.....I found it on th' floor?"

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

It was finally midnight.

"It's time."

Lichmonde called Scout to him. "Tell them to start the Purification process from wherever they are. We can't afford to delay anymore."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"We're here."

The blackbird put Eduardo down in front of a room with a sealed door.

The bird looked up at the moon. "Good, it's midnight. Easier t' get in. Here's where I need yer help, Rivera."

"Sure, amigo. What do I do?"

The blackbird raised one talon. "Just turn around an' don't move......."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Kylie stared at the bird monster on the other side of the room. It had a torch with it, so that it could keep an eye on her better.

The only opening present was the door, but there was no way she could get past the 'animal' and open the door in time.

No way out.

The door slid open, and the silhouette of another birdman stood before the doorframe. The guard also turned to see.

The blackbird did not move from the door.

Then it fell forward, revealing a grinning Eduardo behind it.

"Hi!"

Eduardo fired at the guard. It shrieked as proton energy swam around it. Carefully and steadily, Eduardo lifted the bird up...and up....and up.

The blackbird stirred and scratched its head in a dazed confusion.

Eduardo released the struggling guard, and it crash-landed on the blackbird before it could even move its wings.

Both birds were knocked out.

Eduardo beckoned. "Let's go! We've only got half an hour t' get t' th' guys!"

Kylie pointed at one of the tubes. "But what about them?"

"They're already dead. Now c'mon!"

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Lichmonde frowned and glared at the moon.

He could definitely feel that something was going on. Someone was probably ruining all his carefully laid plans at that very moment.

Or maybe he was just being paranoid.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The turkey slumped to the floor and stopped moving.

Eduardo and Kylie ran up to the two tubes holding Garrett and Roland.

"How are we going to get them out?"

Eduardo charged his proton gun. "The Rambo way. Get back!"

A stream of proton energy rushed forward and splashed onto the tubes. The glass promptly shattered, spilling the liquid all over the floor, where it evaporated into nothingness.

Garrett and Roland tumbled out of the tubes, gasping for breath. Both looked a little queasy.

"Thanks." Garrett managed to whisper. Roland had his hand over his mouth.

"You guys feel okay?" Kylie asked.

Garrett sighed and closed his eyes. Roland crawled feebly to a corner and retched.

Kylie grimaced slightly. "Thanks for sharing."

Eduardo dragged the unconscious turkey out. "Ya watch th' guys, Kylie. I'll take care of this one."

"Sure, I suppose." Kylie watched the turkey disappear from sight. / Strange. If I didn't know better, I'd say Eduardo sounded like someone else. /

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Eduardo dumped the turkey on the floor, and checked his surroundings.

All clear.

He knelt down and placed his hand on the turkey's head. / I'm coming for you, Lichmonde. /

= * =

Oh yeah!

SHOWDOWN!

To be continued...

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