Daddy's Girls: Chapter 24

Author's Notes: Sorry for the wait all, but after a long hiatus, the drama continues to unfold in the beginning of the climatic ending to our story. Will our heroes triumph over the evil forces of VENOM? Keep reading to find out!

"Somebody getting a little despite," Nash spoke to himself as he noticed Rhino attempting to use Smoke screen to hinder Nash's visual. "Unfortunately that ain't going to anything for you cause I got your heat signature on my radar. Bombs away!" He shouted as he launched another missile. Matt cautiously crept up to an unaware Nash Gorey.

Matt was ready to jump up behind Nash and toss Nash to the ground. Yet the simple plan of action was ruined the first few steps Matt took. Nash could hear the sound of boots crunching against the dirt. He turned around just in time to move out of the way to avoid Matt's oncoming punch.

"Miss me," He taunted, "You really think you can sneak up on me I have excellent hearing."

"My fault," Matt half-hardy joked, "I forgot you're a little weasel when it comes to getting out of a fight."

"Well see whose still standing when I'm done with you. POWER HOUSE ON!"

"Only a weasel would have to hide behind the powers of his own mask."

This enraged Nash. It wasn't the first time he had been teased about his mask ability to increase his strength. In fact there was many before matt he made eat those very words by stuffing them in small containers like little basketballs. Gorey lunged at Matt, but he quickly dodged by rolling away from his deadly grip.

"You maybe strong and smart Nash. I'll give you that, but you're slow on your feet." Matt replied as he broke into run towards the false old taker's vertical computer command center's ladder.

"Awww shit! Who said you could go up there!" Nash shouted as he chased after his enemy.

"I wonder what's up here?" Matt asked curiously.

"I'm gonna throw you off the top when I get up there. You got nowhere to go." By the time Nash reach the top of the oil tanker, Matt was just standing there as if he was casually waiting for Nash to meet him.

"Need to work on that time you're a minute in a half too slow."

"And I say you got no where else to go."

"Do I?" The MASK agent said a bit perplex just before he stepped off the edge of the oil taker. Nash rushed over to the edge expecting to see the agent splattered all over his vehicle, but instead the man glided through the air right toward his controls.

"YOU TRICKED ME!" He howled in raged. Nash hurried back to the ladder and gradually made his way down, but by then it was too late. Matt had reprogrammed outlaw's missile to strike Stinger's claw.

The claw snapped apart the moment the missile hit and let Gator fall to the ground. The orange jeep still stuck in gear sped forward the moment it touch the ground.

Miles Mayhem couldn't believe the amount of grief the small rocket glider was giving him as he valiantly tried to maneuver Switchblade to shake the pilot off his tail.

"I'm going to stick to you like glue, Mayhem!" Julio shouted as he followed closely behind the jet plane. "Hmm, glue...that gives me an idea," the doctor muttered to himself.

Julio slowed Firefly and dropped back, widening the distance between the rocket glider and Mayhem. Mayhem predictably leapt on the opening and quickly turned Switchblade around, targeting the retreating glider with his missile launchers as he menacingly advanced. Julio waited out Switchblade's approach until the last possible second while Mayhem cackled gleefully inside the jet's cockpit as he obtained a positive target lock on Firefly.

"I'm going to blow you out of the sky!" He shouted at his pesky pursuer.

At almost the same instant Mayhem fired, Julio put his plan into motion. "STREAMER ON!"

"AHH I CAN'T SEE!!!!"

The burst of sticky glue splattered unerringly onto Switchblade's windshield, blocking Mayhem's view of the battle below, causing him to send his missile significantly off course. It smashed violently into an already damaged Stinger, sending Bruno scurrying for cover and catching Jackhammer in the crossfire.

"Damnit Mayhem!" Rax shouted over the radio as he stopped harassing Shark in order to give Dagger and Bruno some cover, "ya tryin' to kill us too!?! Who the hell's side are you on?!"

Julio continued to pummel Switchblade's windshield with streamers of glue until a distracted Mayhem could no longer take the abuse and called a retreat. He converted the jet back into a helicopter and sped off, muttering curses furiously as he cleaned his front window. "Blast you MASK, this isn't over! You haven't seen the last of me!"

Knowing that they were sitting ducks without Switchblade to cover them, the other VENOM agents beat a hasty retreat from the battle scene as well. Julio laughed heartily as he transformed Firefly back into a dune buggy, stopping long enough to pick up a stranded Matt from where he'd taken cover amidst the rocks.

"I don't think Mayhem appreciated my stick-to-it-iveness," Julio quipped over the radio to the others.

"Yes, quite a bit of a sticky situation there old chap," Alex agreed from Rhino.

"How can you guys joke at a time like this!!!!!"

For once, Jess found she couldn't appreciate the humor as she watched her father's jeep careening out of control. She could see Gloria pacing him in the distance, but she knew that not even her aunt's trained stunt driving would be enough to save him. Before anyone could stop her, she leapt out of Rhino and detached the small ATV on the back, racing to her father's rescue.

"JESS! COME BACK HERE!" Alex yelled, but knew he couldn't abandon post now. He just hoped Jess would survive long enough so that he could strangle her.

'Okay', Jess thought. 'Let's see in those Advanced Physics class finally pays off.' Licking her lips, she switched on the comm line.

"Hey, 'Ria, you copy?"

"Jess, I'm kinda busy right now," Gloria forced out between clenched teeth. "I don't have time."

"I know, but you check your rear view mirror."

Much to her own surprise, Gloria did what her niece suggested and noticed Rhino's ATV slightly left of Gator's backside. "Oh no, don't tell me you're riding the ATV, Jess."

"Okay, I won't but I have an idea to stop Gator and I need your help for this."

"I think I know what you plan." She sighed. "Okay, I'm with you... it's the only way. But be careful... your mother's gonna kill me if spomething happens to you."

"She'll kill us both if we don't act now. Ready?"

"Yeah. Are you in position?"

"Yes."

Gloria kept Shark in front of Gator and swallowed. "On three... one, two... THREE!"

Carefully, she stepping on the brake once again, gently slowing down the speed. She was thrown forward in seat as Gator bumped Shark's backside, but Jess didn't fare any better when Gator hit the ATV's front. Then she carefully slowed down a bit, pushing Gator forward, which was followed by a similar maneuver from Gloria. After what seemed to be an endless game game of tag, they had Gator slowed down enough to stop completely. Once that was done, Gloria rested her head against the steering wheel, taking deep breaths.

"Jessie, are you alright?" she asked softly. But Jess didn't answer. "Jess?" Gloria's head jerked up, her voice taking on a tone of urgency. "JESSIE!" She practically ripped off her mask, jumped out of the car ... and leaned back against Shark's badly damaged body in relief when she saw her niece kneeling on Gator's front passenger seat, tending to Dusty. But her relief was quickly washed away when she noticed the smell of gasoline. "Oh sh..." Quickly, she walked over to Gator.

"Jess, one of the tanks is leaking. We need to get Dusty out and away from here."

"Tell me something I already know," Jess snapped back. "Help me, I can't get him out myself."

Together, the two managed to pull Dusty from what was left of Gator, and carried him away to a spot far enough from the wreckages that once were their vehicles. Carefully, they laid him down under a tree, falling into the soft grass next to him.

"Oh jeez," Jess panted. "Dusty's so gonna join Buddy in his diet program."

Gloria grinned, then nodded her chin at her former partner. "How is he?"

She had barely finished her sentence when Dusty started moaning.

"Does that answer your question?" Jess asked. "Daddy? Are you alright?"

Shaking his head, Dusty tried to get into a sitting position, only to find himself being held down by his daughter and sister-in-law.

"Easy there, big guy. You got shaken up quite well," Gloria said, gently pushing him back to the ground.

"What happened?" Dusty asked groggily, rubbing his forehead.

With a grin, Gloria looked over at her niece. "Some nifty piece of driving by your daughter."

Shocked, Dusty looked at Jess who blushed slightly. "Well, I had great help, great driving teachers, and the family's driving talent."

"Are you okay?" Dusty asked, reaching to cup her cheek with his hand.

"Yeah... I'm okay... now. Wish I could say the same about the cars, though."

Dusty pushed himself up again and blinked. "What do you mean?"

Gloria cleared her throat. "We, um, well we had to risk some damage to the vehicles trying to stop you."

"How much is 'some'?"

"Ummm... well, some is kinda... relative," Jess stammered.

"Relative?" Slowly pushing himself into a sitting position and following Gloria's gaze. When he saw what was left of Shark, Gator, and Rhino's ATV, Dusty did the only thing he could. He rolled his eyes and fainted.