All right, no new announcements today. Once again, this chapter can be
blamed on DS9 DVDs.
Escape
Toad cocked a pistol, and then kicked the door to the shack open. Wavedancer lunged at him.
They struggled briefly, and then recognized each other. "Todd. Bludd's here. He has Roadblock and a lot of others."
"Who's dead?" Toad was weary, this was the last news he needed to hear, but he wanted to know. He felt he had to know.
"Firestar. A lot of men who I wasn't familiar with. Lance is going fast."
"Let me see him." Toad was in his element, taking charge. Wavedancer was glad to surrender command to him.
"He's in there." She pointed to a small room in the back of the shack. Toad went in. Lance was lying on a cot. He had a line of bullet wounds in his side.
"Hey Avalanche. How're you holding up?"
Lance tried to sit up, but collapsed. "Not too well. You should see the other guy though." He grimaced. "He came from behind me. Riddled me up before I knew what was going on. Then he looked up and saw a wall of earth coming down at him. Did my best. Hope it was good enough. Doesn't look like I- I'm going to get another shot at it, does it?"
"Don't talk like that Lance," ordered Toad. "I'm telling you right now, if you die, I will never forgive you. In fact, I'll kill you."
"Toad," chuckled Lance weakly, "you never cease to amuse me."
"Listen to me. I'm going to find Lifeline. He can fix you up. You know that!"
"Tell Kitty, tell Kitty that I did my best. Promise me you'll do that. Promise me!"
"You can tell her yourself. You aren't going to die Lance."
"I can see the next world, I think. I can see angels."
"I'm going now to find Lifeline."
"Bye Toad. I won't see you again."
"Yes! You will."
"If you say so."
Toad strode out. "Where's Lifeline?"
"Other side of the compound." Said Storm, staggering in. "He's working on Gambit. He took an explosion shielding Scott and Jean."
"Got it. What am I looking at out there?"
"Snipers on every building that will hold them. One of them grazed my leg on my way here. There are also plenty of troops patrolling on ground level."
"Can you give me a fog covering?"
"I'll try." Storm's eyes went white.
"There. That is the best I can do. It should hold out long enough for you to make it about halfway across the compound. After that, you're on your own."
Toad loaded his handgun, and nodded grimly. "So be it."
He walked out. Thick fog shrouded the compound. He saw a dark shape approaching.
Toad stuck like lightning and broke the man's neck. He continued on. The fog was beginning to clear. He ran.
The fog was gone. Toad screwed a silencer onto his pistol, and shot a sniper on the main command center. The man went down on one knee and returned fire. Toad dived out of the way as the bullets sent up a small cloud of dust.
He shot again, this time sending the man off the roof. But the damage was done. Troops, having heard the shots, were racing from all over. Toad reached into his ammo belt and pulled out a grenade. He pulled the pin and rolled it towards a group of men racing from the direction he wanted the shots to go in.
The explosion scattered them. Toad unsheathed his sword and ran at the remaining soldiers. He cut a path through them.
As they regrouped, Toad turned around and ran backwards, throwing another grenade.
"Sorry I can't stay and play, boys." The grenade exploded, with particularly black smoke. By the time it cleared Toad was gone.
***********************************************************************
Toad strode through the double doors, paying no attention to the armed resistance members guarding the door. Gambit was on his feet limping around the building. Lifeline had just finished healing Kurt.
"Lifeline, we've got trouble."
"What is it?"
"Lance, he's going fast."
"Where is he?"
"The other side of the compound."
"I don't know if I'll be able to make it across."
"You're right. I barely made across on my own, and I have no reservations about fighting."
"Maybe he can't make it across," said Kurt, struggling to his feet, "but I can. And I can bring him."
"Kurt, you're weak." Said Lifeline, "are you sure you can handle it?"
"I've done a lot that I am not proud of," replied Kurt, "and I have taken a lot of lives. Maybe, in a small way, I can start to make up for that by helping to save Lance's life."
"All right. Let's go." Said Lifeline.
Kurt put one hand on each of Lifeline's shoulders and teleported, leaving his trademark scent of sulfur and brimstone.
Toad sighed, "Well, looks like I'm going back the hard way." He armed his pistol and left.
Gambit sat up, and pulled out a deck of cards. "Gambit just play solitaire den, no?"
***********************************************************************
When Toad reached the shack, Lifeline was busy bandaging Storm's leg. He looked pale.
"You alright Lifeline?" Asked Toad, concerned.
"I'm fine. I saved Lance, but it took a lot out of me. I don't think I'll be able to use my power on anything bigger than a paper cut for a couple days."
"Is he awake?"
"No."
"Good. He needs his rest."
"And it would be a shame to disturb it." Said Bludd in the doorway, "Men, use silencers." He turned and wheeled away
Toad threw his last grenade. "Everybody, out the back, through the tunnels."
"They'll track us without a hitch." Objected Wavedancer, "we have a better chance if we stand and fight."
"If we do that, we'll have no chance. If you go, I can stay behind and slow them down long enough for you to disappear."
"Todd," said Wavedancer.
"I'm staying behind, one way or the other. I advise you go."
"If you stay I'm staying."
Toad realized he didn't have time to argue. More troops were pouring into the area were the door had been, and taking up firing positions. "Fine. Lifeline, take Lance."
Toad kicked over a table and knelt behind it. Wavedancer was right beside him. They took up firing positions.
The Cobra soldiers fired. The thick wood stopped them, but only temporarily. Toad fired. Wavedancer fired. Two soldiers fell. More shots thudded against the heavy oak.
Toad then heard the unmistakable sound of a grenade pin being pulled. He threw Wavedancer back across the room, and hurled the table forward. It deflected the grenade, and sent it back at the troops.
"Eat that snakes." He muttered, then drew his sword and charged the remaining few.
When they were taken care of, he turned to Wavedancer.
"Al, are you OK?"
"Yeah. I'll be all right."
"Sorry about the rough treatment."
"I'm sorry, could you say that a little louder?"
He leaned in. Before he had a chance to talk, she pulled him to her and passionately kissed him. *********************************************************************** About an hour later, they caught up with what was left of the resistance.
"I'm glad you made it." Said Hawk, "Toad, you leave on your mission in two hours."
"Yes sir." Said Toad.
"Wavedancer, I need you to help infiltrate a Cobra base in South America. You get in, download the data we need, namely on their new BATs, plant some plastic explosives and leave."
"Yes sir."
"That will be all."
Well, for once, the plot hasn't thickened. That's a pleasant change. I was starting to run out of plot devices. Well, that's all for today.
Escape
Toad cocked a pistol, and then kicked the door to the shack open. Wavedancer lunged at him.
They struggled briefly, and then recognized each other. "Todd. Bludd's here. He has Roadblock and a lot of others."
"Who's dead?" Toad was weary, this was the last news he needed to hear, but he wanted to know. He felt he had to know.
"Firestar. A lot of men who I wasn't familiar with. Lance is going fast."
"Let me see him." Toad was in his element, taking charge. Wavedancer was glad to surrender command to him.
"He's in there." She pointed to a small room in the back of the shack. Toad went in. Lance was lying on a cot. He had a line of bullet wounds in his side.
"Hey Avalanche. How're you holding up?"
Lance tried to sit up, but collapsed. "Not too well. You should see the other guy though." He grimaced. "He came from behind me. Riddled me up before I knew what was going on. Then he looked up and saw a wall of earth coming down at him. Did my best. Hope it was good enough. Doesn't look like I- I'm going to get another shot at it, does it?"
"Don't talk like that Lance," ordered Toad. "I'm telling you right now, if you die, I will never forgive you. In fact, I'll kill you."
"Toad," chuckled Lance weakly, "you never cease to amuse me."
"Listen to me. I'm going to find Lifeline. He can fix you up. You know that!"
"Tell Kitty, tell Kitty that I did my best. Promise me you'll do that. Promise me!"
"You can tell her yourself. You aren't going to die Lance."
"I can see the next world, I think. I can see angels."
"I'm going now to find Lifeline."
"Bye Toad. I won't see you again."
"Yes! You will."
"If you say so."
Toad strode out. "Where's Lifeline?"
"Other side of the compound." Said Storm, staggering in. "He's working on Gambit. He took an explosion shielding Scott and Jean."
"Got it. What am I looking at out there?"
"Snipers on every building that will hold them. One of them grazed my leg on my way here. There are also plenty of troops patrolling on ground level."
"Can you give me a fog covering?"
"I'll try." Storm's eyes went white.
"There. That is the best I can do. It should hold out long enough for you to make it about halfway across the compound. After that, you're on your own."
Toad loaded his handgun, and nodded grimly. "So be it."
He walked out. Thick fog shrouded the compound. He saw a dark shape approaching.
Toad stuck like lightning and broke the man's neck. He continued on. The fog was beginning to clear. He ran.
The fog was gone. Toad screwed a silencer onto his pistol, and shot a sniper on the main command center. The man went down on one knee and returned fire. Toad dived out of the way as the bullets sent up a small cloud of dust.
He shot again, this time sending the man off the roof. But the damage was done. Troops, having heard the shots, were racing from all over. Toad reached into his ammo belt and pulled out a grenade. He pulled the pin and rolled it towards a group of men racing from the direction he wanted the shots to go in.
The explosion scattered them. Toad unsheathed his sword and ran at the remaining soldiers. He cut a path through them.
As they regrouped, Toad turned around and ran backwards, throwing another grenade.
"Sorry I can't stay and play, boys." The grenade exploded, with particularly black smoke. By the time it cleared Toad was gone.
***********************************************************************
Toad strode through the double doors, paying no attention to the armed resistance members guarding the door. Gambit was on his feet limping around the building. Lifeline had just finished healing Kurt.
"Lifeline, we've got trouble."
"What is it?"
"Lance, he's going fast."
"Where is he?"
"The other side of the compound."
"I don't know if I'll be able to make it across."
"You're right. I barely made across on my own, and I have no reservations about fighting."
"Maybe he can't make it across," said Kurt, struggling to his feet, "but I can. And I can bring him."
"Kurt, you're weak." Said Lifeline, "are you sure you can handle it?"
"I've done a lot that I am not proud of," replied Kurt, "and I have taken a lot of lives. Maybe, in a small way, I can start to make up for that by helping to save Lance's life."
"All right. Let's go." Said Lifeline.
Kurt put one hand on each of Lifeline's shoulders and teleported, leaving his trademark scent of sulfur and brimstone.
Toad sighed, "Well, looks like I'm going back the hard way." He armed his pistol and left.
Gambit sat up, and pulled out a deck of cards. "Gambit just play solitaire den, no?"
***********************************************************************
When Toad reached the shack, Lifeline was busy bandaging Storm's leg. He looked pale.
"You alright Lifeline?" Asked Toad, concerned.
"I'm fine. I saved Lance, but it took a lot out of me. I don't think I'll be able to use my power on anything bigger than a paper cut for a couple days."
"Is he awake?"
"No."
"Good. He needs his rest."
"And it would be a shame to disturb it." Said Bludd in the doorway, "Men, use silencers." He turned and wheeled away
Toad threw his last grenade. "Everybody, out the back, through the tunnels."
"They'll track us without a hitch." Objected Wavedancer, "we have a better chance if we stand and fight."
"If we do that, we'll have no chance. If you go, I can stay behind and slow them down long enough for you to disappear."
"Todd," said Wavedancer.
"I'm staying behind, one way or the other. I advise you go."
"If you stay I'm staying."
Toad realized he didn't have time to argue. More troops were pouring into the area were the door had been, and taking up firing positions. "Fine. Lifeline, take Lance."
Toad kicked over a table and knelt behind it. Wavedancer was right beside him. They took up firing positions.
The Cobra soldiers fired. The thick wood stopped them, but only temporarily. Toad fired. Wavedancer fired. Two soldiers fell. More shots thudded against the heavy oak.
Toad then heard the unmistakable sound of a grenade pin being pulled. He threw Wavedancer back across the room, and hurled the table forward. It deflected the grenade, and sent it back at the troops.
"Eat that snakes." He muttered, then drew his sword and charged the remaining few.
When they were taken care of, he turned to Wavedancer.
"Al, are you OK?"
"Yeah. I'll be all right."
"Sorry about the rough treatment."
"I'm sorry, could you say that a little louder?"
He leaned in. Before he had a chance to talk, she pulled him to her and passionately kissed him. *********************************************************************** About an hour later, they caught up with what was left of the resistance.
"I'm glad you made it." Said Hawk, "Toad, you leave on your mission in two hours."
"Yes sir." Said Toad.
"Wavedancer, I need you to help infiltrate a Cobra base in South America. You get in, download the data we need, namely on their new BATs, plant some plastic explosives and leave."
"Yes sir."
"That will be all."
Well, for once, the plot hasn't thickened. That's a pleasant change. I was starting to run out of plot devices. Well, that's all for today.