Part 4-The Tin Lizzie Strikes
"You moved me again." said Tawny to Landtear.
"Yes." stated Landtear. "I protect my assets."
"How sweet." replied Tawny sarcastically. "And I thought was a person. What a shock."
"It's business." stated Landtear.
"And I thought there was more to life than commerce." said Tawny acidly. "Where do I get these strange ideas?"
"Don't pull that with me, brat." sneered Landtear.
"Feeling insecure?" asked Tawny. "Mad that Ren and Bean trashed your clone army?"
"Shut up!" exploded Landtear.
"It's going to get worse." said Tawny. "Next you'll have Ren, Bean, Twitty, and Donny attacking. Plus Gaia knows who else."
"I will prevail!" said Landtear.
"Or we can strike a deal." responded Tawny.
"Interesting." said Landtear. "What are the terms?"
"Let me go and build your telemarketing center elsewhere." she said. "I won't press charges and I'll say it was a misunderstanding."
"Really?" replied Landtear. "I go away, leave you alone and you'll forget all about it?"
"Yes." said Tawny. "All I want is the church and playground intact. Nothing else "How touching." stated Landtear.
"I mean it." replied Tawny. "That clone army cost a lot. Plus you'll be facing kidnapping charges. And a bigger group of angry people is after you now. Your brainwashing attempts have failed and will fail. Take my deal and we both win."
"Never!" screamed Landtear. "I am the juggernaut Kenny. The inexorable, the unstoppable. I will not be thwarted by insolent teenyboppers!"
Tawny sighed and said.
"Big egos."
"Computer, run bubble gum music video sequence." said Landtear as he stomped out of the room.
The video screen in front of Tawny came to life.
Outside Tawny's prison, Landtear talked to a robot resembling Hillary Duff.
"Destroy the targets downloaded into you and return." said Landtear.
"I'll be back." replied the Tin Lizzie. The robot turned and left.
Ren and Bean paused in their treetop to treetop floating to rest.
"What a battle." said Bean.
"Yes." replied Ren.
The tree shook.
Ren and Bean floated down to the ground some distance away. She scanned with her electrobinoculars.
"It's a robot that looks like Hillary Duff." said Ren. "Protected by a titanium-ceramic reinforced with isopure diamond composite armor."
"I don't like this." said Bean.
"Me neither." added Ren. "Could be another Landtear attack."
"He's mad about us trashing his clone army." responded Bean.
The robot had been moving closer while they spoke. It turned its optics to Ren and Bean. Bits pulsed through neural networks, comparing images. A match.
"Ren and Bean must die." it said in a monotone.
"Charge!" cried Ren.
As she charged, her boken turned into a battleaxe. Bean's fighting stick morphed into a sword.
Ren swung the axe, aiming for the chest. The axe hit and bounced off, leaving a dent three inches long and one thirty second of an inch deep. She felt the impact all the way to her toes.
"Exterminate, exterminate." droned the Tin Lizzie. It reached for Ren but she back flipped, bounced off a tree trunk and floated into a treetop.
Bean struck while the robot was seeking Ren. His thrust penetrated about a sixteenth of an inch. The robot spun around and knocked his sword away. Bean leapt backwards and up into a treetop. He thought and his sword came to him.
"Activate the telepathic battle comlink." said Ren. Bean complied.
"Let's try this." said Bean. Ren nodded
Ren and Bean floated down. The Tin Lizzie turned. Ren moved in, axe ready.
Bean concentrated, channeling all his telekinetic power into one big blast. Ren sensed the moment of release and jumped high. Bean fired. The shock wave tore through the air at hypersonic velocity.
The Tin Lizzie flew through the air into a metal yard. The fence went down and she slammed into the front of a bulldozer. The Tin Lizzie tore through the blade, the engine block, the cab and went out the back. She next struck a pile of steel pieces between one and two inches thick, creating a tunnel. The tunnel stayed open for a fraction of a second before the it collapsed.
Ren and Bean landed on the top of the ruined bulldozer and watched the pile of metal that was the Tin Lizzie's prison.
The metal pile stirred.
"Uh oh." said Ren.
"Are your sure we're not in a anime?" asked Bean.
"A nightmare one." said Ren.
The Tin Lizzie dug its way out of the metal pile. It looked around and found a two-inch diameter steel rod. It snapped off one end.
Then it spotted Ren and Bean.
"Destroy!" it cried, flinging the rod like a spear. Bean and Ren scattered.
The robot followed Ren and Bean as they retreated back to the park where they had first engaged the machine. Once there, Ren and Bean attacked.
The Tin Lizzie pointed its palms at Ren and Bean. High velocity baseballs raced toward them.
Ren felt bullet time engage. The projectiles slowed to a crawl and she saw the shock waves behind them. It was so easy to dodge them and line up for a mighty stroke. Bean had so much time to aim his sword.
Ren's blow landed on the robot's chest. The axe cut a gash four inches long and one-eighth of an inch deep. Bean had better luck. His sword penetrated the armor, exposing machinery.
Normal time resumed. The robot spun around and brought its steel bludgeon to bear. Ren and Bean both evaded, barely avoiding getting pulped. The robot raised the club.
A blue bolt exploded on the robot's chestplate, sending electrical discharges down and up its body . A second burst dimmed the red light coming from the optics. It staggered as if struck by a club.
Ren looked in the direction of the bolts. She saw Lewis, Donny and an adult. The adult carried a black shotgun style weapon with a 12 gauge barrel and what looked like 4 drum magazines ahead of the trigger guard.
"Clear out!" yelled Donny. Ren and Bean leapt away as Donny threw a sledgehammer at the robot. It struck it in the head. The adult fired another blue bolt. The Tin Lizzie fell.
"I'm Velociraptor." said the man to Ren and Bean. "An AOL buddy of Lewis."
"What did you hit that 'bot with?" asked Ren.
"EMP, that is electromagnetic pulse." he answered. "The idea is to fry circuits with a blast of electricity."
"Cool." said Bean.
"Let's hope it stops that thing." said Lewis.
"Me, too." added Ren.
"What's your real name?" asked Donny.
"I'll tell you after we defeat that 'bot." answered Velociraptor.
The Tin Lizzie slowly rose up.
"Not again!" exclaimed Ren.
"Those EMP blasts are designed to fry hardened electronics." sighed Velociraptor.
"Ren, please give Velociraptor your electrobinocs." requested Bean. Ren complied.
Velociraptor scanned the Tin Lizzie. He also scanned Ren and Bean, but they did not notice it.
"Ren and Bean have damaged it." he said. "And it is suffering some processor degradation from my EMP hits."
"There's some good news." remarked Ren.
"We'll have the do this the old-fashioned way." said Velociraptor. "I stun and disorient it. Ren, Bean and Donny beat to death."
"Ok." replied Ren.
"Positions everyone." said Velociraptor. "Show time."
The robot moved into range and locked onto Lewis. He ran and it followed. Velociraptor stepped in front of the fleeing Lewis and fired three EMP blasts. The robot fell. Ren, Bean and Donny rushed up and pounded the machine with axe, sword and sledge hammer. Velociraptor halted them.
"Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do." it droned. The voice was slurred as if someone was slowing down the tape. "I'm all but half crazy for the love of you."
The robot's optics went dark and the voice silent.
"Ding dong, the witch is dead." sang Velociraptor.
"You moved me again." said Tawny to Landtear.
"Yes." stated Landtear. "I protect my assets."
"How sweet." replied Tawny sarcastically. "And I thought was a person. What a shock."
"It's business." stated Landtear.
"And I thought there was more to life than commerce." said Tawny acidly. "Where do I get these strange ideas?"
"Don't pull that with me, brat." sneered Landtear.
"Feeling insecure?" asked Tawny. "Mad that Ren and Bean trashed your clone army?"
"Shut up!" exploded Landtear.
"It's going to get worse." said Tawny. "Next you'll have Ren, Bean, Twitty, and Donny attacking. Plus Gaia knows who else."
"I will prevail!" said Landtear.
"Or we can strike a deal." responded Tawny.
"Interesting." said Landtear. "What are the terms?"
"Let me go and build your telemarketing center elsewhere." she said. "I won't press charges and I'll say it was a misunderstanding."
"Really?" replied Landtear. "I go away, leave you alone and you'll forget all about it?"
"Yes." said Tawny. "All I want is the church and playground intact. Nothing else "How touching." stated Landtear.
"I mean it." replied Tawny. "That clone army cost a lot. Plus you'll be facing kidnapping charges. And a bigger group of angry people is after you now. Your brainwashing attempts have failed and will fail. Take my deal and we both win."
"Never!" screamed Landtear. "I am the juggernaut Kenny. The inexorable, the unstoppable. I will not be thwarted by insolent teenyboppers!"
Tawny sighed and said.
"Big egos."
"Computer, run bubble gum music video sequence." said Landtear as he stomped out of the room.
The video screen in front of Tawny came to life.
Outside Tawny's prison, Landtear talked to a robot resembling Hillary Duff.
"Destroy the targets downloaded into you and return." said Landtear.
"I'll be back." replied the Tin Lizzie. The robot turned and left.
Ren and Bean paused in their treetop to treetop floating to rest.
"What a battle." said Bean.
"Yes." replied Ren.
The tree shook.
Ren and Bean floated down to the ground some distance away. She scanned with her electrobinoculars.
"It's a robot that looks like Hillary Duff." said Ren. "Protected by a titanium-ceramic reinforced with isopure diamond composite armor."
"I don't like this." said Bean.
"Me neither." added Ren. "Could be another Landtear attack."
"He's mad about us trashing his clone army." responded Bean.
The robot had been moving closer while they spoke. It turned its optics to Ren and Bean. Bits pulsed through neural networks, comparing images. A match.
"Ren and Bean must die." it said in a monotone.
"Charge!" cried Ren.
As she charged, her boken turned into a battleaxe. Bean's fighting stick morphed into a sword.
Ren swung the axe, aiming for the chest. The axe hit and bounced off, leaving a dent three inches long and one thirty second of an inch deep. She felt the impact all the way to her toes.
"Exterminate, exterminate." droned the Tin Lizzie. It reached for Ren but she back flipped, bounced off a tree trunk and floated into a treetop.
Bean struck while the robot was seeking Ren. His thrust penetrated about a sixteenth of an inch. The robot spun around and knocked his sword away. Bean leapt backwards and up into a treetop. He thought and his sword came to him.
"Activate the telepathic battle comlink." said Ren. Bean complied.
"Let's try this." said Bean. Ren nodded
Ren and Bean floated down. The Tin Lizzie turned. Ren moved in, axe ready.
Bean concentrated, channeling all his telekinetic power into one big blast. Ren sensed the moment of release and jumped high. Bean fired. The shock wave tore through the air at hypersonic velocity.
The Tin Lizzie flew through the air into a metal yard. The fence went down and she slammed into the front of a bulldozer. The Tin Lizzie tore through the blade, the engine block, the cab and went out the back. She next struck a pile of steel pieces between one and two inches thick, creating a tunnel. The tunnel stayed open for a fraction of a second before the it collapsed.
Ren and Bean landed on the top of the ruined bulldozer and watched the pile of metal that was the Tin Lizzie's prison.
The metal pile stirred.
"Uh oh." said Ren.
"Are your sure we're not in a anime?" asked Bean.
"A nightmare one." said Ren.
The Tin Lizzie dug its way out of the metal pile. It looked around and found a two-inch diameter steel rod. It snapped off one end.
Then it spotted Ren and Bean.
"Destroy!" it cried, flinging the rod like a spear. Bean and Ren scattered.
The robot followed Ren and Bean as they retreated back to the park where they had first engaged the machine. Once there, Ren and Bean attacked.
The Tin Lizzie pointed its palms at Ren and Bean. High velocity baseballs raced toward them.
Ren felt bullet time engage. The projectiles slowed to a crawl and she saw the shock waves behind them. It was so easy to dodge them and line up for a mighty stroke. Bean had so much time to aim his sword.
Ren's blow landed on the robot's chest. The axe cut a gash four inches long and one-eighth of an inch deep. Bean had better luck. His sword penetrated the armor, exposing machinery.
Normal time resumed. The robot spun around and brought its steel bludgeon to bear. Ren and Bean both evaded, barely avoiding getting pulped. The robot raised the club.
A blue bolt exploded on the robot's chestplate, sending electrical discharges down and up its body . A second burst dimmed the red light coming from the optics. It staggered as if struck by a club.
Ren looked in the direction of the bolts. She saw Lewis, Donny and an adult. The adult carried a black shotgun style weapon with a 12 gauge barrel and what looked like 4 drum magazines ahead of the trigger guard.
"Clear out!" yelled Donny. Ren and Bean leapt away as Donny threw a sledgehammer at the robot. It struck it in the head. The adult fired another blue bolt. The Tin Lizzie fell.
"I'm Velociraptor." said the man to Ren and Bean. "An AOL buddy of Lewis."
"What did you hit that 'bot with?" asked Ren.
"EMP, that is electromagnetic pulse." he answered. "The idea is to fry circuits with a blast of electricity."
"Cool." said Bean.
"Let's hope it stops that thing." said Lewis.
"Me, too." added Ren.
"What's your real name?" asked Donny.
"I'll tell you after we defeat that 'bot." answered Velociraptor.
The Tin Lizzie slowly rose up.
"Not again!" exclaimed Ren.
"Those EMP blasts are designed to fry hardened electronics." sighed Velociraptor.
"Ren, please give Velociraptor your electrobinocs." requested Bean. Ren complied.
Velociraptor scanned the Tin Lizzie. He also scanned Ren and Bean, but they did not notice it.
"Ren and Bean have damaged it." he said. "And it is suffering some processor degradation from my EMP hits."
"There's some good news." remarked Ren.
"We'll have the do this the old-fashioned way." said Velociraptor. "I stun and disorient it. Ren, Bean and Donny beat to death."
"Ok." replied Ren.
"Positions everyone." said Velociraptor. "Show time."
The robot moved into range and locked onto Lewis. He ran and it followed. Velociraptor stepped in front of the fleeing Lewis and fired three EMP blasts. The robot fell. Ren, Bean and Donny rushed up and pounded the machine with axe, sword and sledge hammer. Velociraptor halted them.
"Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do." it droned. The voice was slurred as if someone was slowing down the tape. "I'm all but half crazy for the love of you."
The robot's optics went dark and the voice silent.
"Ding dong, the witch is dead." sang Velociraptor.