MASK 2:The Next Generation
AN:Okay, this will be the last chapter for a while. Sometime later, I will be bringing out chapter seven which will be the start of a new story.
Until then, here's chapter six:
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Showdown
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"Okay, let's put our cards on the table." said Jeremy. "Darwood's up to something, but what?"
"For the moment, let's assume he's not planning on selling the weaponry." said Matt. "Let's suppose he's planning on using it himself."
"The weapon he can create is a Sonic Wave Emitter." said Scooter. "As I pointed out earlier, he can use that to inflict a massive ammount of damage to a hard target in a short ammount of time."
"What kind of target would Darwood want to destroy?" asked Jeffrey.
"Without knowing his motives, it's hard to say." said Gates.
"He managed to capture the wave generator an hour ago." said Bruce. "That gives us a few hours before he can assemble the pieces and mount it on something."
"Guys, I'm thinking about something." said Chris. "Was the security on these stolen doodads at their normal levels?"
Gates pulled out his notepad and checked it. "No, all the pieces that were stolen were taken during a brief reassignment of the guards." he said.
"If that's so, how did Darwood know when to strike?" asked Enzo.
"Yeah, that's a good point." said Kenny. "Maybe he's got someone on the inside."
"As much as I'd hate to admit one of ours would do such a thing," said Claudia "I'm afraid it's our only possibility at the moment."
"And therefore, it's our only lead." said Jeremy.
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At the Foxes' staging area, Dr. Frankenstein was snapping together the Sonic Wave Emitter. "Why am I the one who always puts these things together?" he asked.
"'Cause you're the geek." said Gearbox.
"And you failed science twice." said Frankenstein.
"Who told you?" asked Gearbox as he rushed Frankenstein with a raised fist.
His sister, Flash, grabbed his wrist. "Easy, Calvin." she said. "You shouldn't hurt him while he's working."
"Especially considering how big this one is." said Frankenstein. "Even Darwood is preparing for battle."
"Indeed." said Darwood as he entered. He had changed out of his business suit and into a red, white, and black jumpsuit. "I'm certain you will be finished soon."
"Just a couple more snaps and I'll just have to install the software." said Frankenstein. "You want me to install it on the Monster immediately?"
"Forget the Monster." said Darwood. "I have something else to install it on." He approached a steel door and pushed a switch. The door opened and revealed a red Acura NSX with a carbon fiber hood, aero body kit, and white lower body. The fox head emblem was nicely painted onto the hood. "Behold!" said Darwood. "The Firefox!"
Frankenstein gulped. "I knew he was saving the best one for himself."
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"This is an outrage!" yelled the professor. "First, you fail to recover the stolen compnents, now you're accusing one of my men of assisting the thieves?"
"I'm sorry, but it seems like the most likely possibility." said Jeremy. "Somehow, Darwood knew when the security around the components would be weakest and acted accordingly."
"But my men would not do such a thing." said the professor.
"Are you entirely certain?" asked Gates.
While listening to this, the professor's scientist assistant snuck away guiltily. She stopped when she ran into Caitlin.
"Going somewhere?" asked Caitlin.
"Let me go!" yelled the scientist as Caitlin dragged her back to the others.
"What's going on, Caitlin?" asked Jeremy.
"I think this lady has something to tell you." said Caitlin.
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The Foxes prepared to mobilize. The Sonic Wave Emitter had been installed on the Firefox which was leading the group.
"Looks like we're ready to move." said Gearbox.
"Calvin, I was thinking." said Flash. "When the dam bursts, can you get out of the way in time?"
"I'm not even going to be near it." said Gearbox. "Just relax. I'll be fine."
"I'm actually kinda happy that Blades was captured." said Rocks. "Now, he can't screw this up."
Just then, the Rabbit pulled up.
"Spoke too soon." said Rocks.
Blades jumped out of the car and ran towards the others. "Boy, am I glad to see..." he said before Hack cut him off with a punch to the stomach.
"Where were you?" yelled Hack.
"I was captured, you insensitive dork." groaned Blades as he tried to get back on his feet.
"We won anyway." said Darwood. "We got the wave generator and the emitter is finished."
"Then the Kane Valley operation is a go?" asked Blades.
"We're just about ready to leave." said Darwood. "If you're coming, come now."
The Foxes got into their vehicles. As they started to pull out, the mechanic from the transport truck crawled out from under the Monster and hid in the shadows. After the Foxes left, he took out his cel phone.
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While Jeremy and Gates interrogated the scientist, the other MASK agents stood around waiting.
"What does she know?" asked Wei.
"I dunno, but it had better be important." said Rocky.
"Hey, Laura." said Max. "After I tackled you out of the way of that blade, you said we were even. What did you mean by that?"
"I don't blame you for not remembering." said Laura. "We had you so shot up on pain-killers, you couldn't even tell us your name."
"Wait, you were part of the ambulance crew that picked me up after my rock climbing accident?" asked Max. Laura responded with a nod. "Whoa." he muttered.
"I dropped by your room at the hospital every day." said Laura. "I was back east visiting my relatives when you woke up. By the time I returned, your sister had already checked you out of the hospital."
"Whoa, sounds like it was meant to be." said Enzo.
"Knock it off, wise guy!" snapped Laura.
Just then, Jeremy returned from the interrogation. "She finally came clean." he said. "Darwood offered her a large paycheck and a position at one of his companies if she arranged the security teams to be at their minimums during the heists."
"Did she say anything else?" asked Kenny.
"She said he asked her for something that could destroy a wall of reinfornced concrete and look like a natural disaster." said Jeremy.
"Maybe he's planning on hitting a facility with another weapon to steal." said Caitlin.
"The emitter would also damage whatever he wanted to steal." said Michael.
"Maybe he's looking to hit a bank." said Chris.
"A bank heist?" replied Rocky. "I think that's too small for Darwood's tastes."
"Natural disaster. Natural disaster." muttered Scooter. "I've got it. I think he's planning on taking out a dam."
"Sounds like a wall of reinforced concrete to me." said Laura.
"Not only that, but the resulting cascade would cause serious damage." said Liam.
"It's something to go on." said Jeremy. "We think we know what, but what we need to know is 'where?'."
The professor ran in and said "The mechanic from the transport truck just called. He said he stowed away on one of their vehicles and hid in their staging area. He overheard them say something about Kane Valley."
"There's a dam in Kane Valley." said Max. "I've climbed near it."
"To your vehicles, team." ordered Jeremy. "Let's get this guy."
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The Foxes approached the Kane Valley Dam shortly after leaving their headquarters.
"Get your last look at the dam, boys." said Darwood. "Within the hour, it shall be rubble."
"Darwood, I was just checking the map." said Frankenstein. "I noticed an airfield not far from the dam. Maybe we can use their radar to keep an eye out for intruders."
"Better safe than sorry, I guess." said Darwood. "Frankenstein, you work the radar. Hack and Slash will stand guard."
"Got it." said Frankenstein.
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In short order, Frankenstein, Hack, and Slash snuck into the airfield and found the radar tower.
"Guards." said Frankenstein. "I didn't count on this."
"Don't worry, we'll take 'em." said Hack.
"No, I can handle this." said Frankenstein. He targeted one of the guards and called "Droid, on!"
A red bolt shot from his mask and hit the guard. The guard's expression went blank.
"Knock out your partner." ordered Frankenstein. "Then, lock yourselves in the shed."
The guard quickly turned and punched out his partner. He then picked him up and dragged him to the nearby tool shed.
"As Darwood said, stand guard." said Frankenstein.
"Okay." said Slash.
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Now, MASK 2 was approaching the dam.
"I checked the map." said Scooter. "Kane Valley Dam is a flood-control dam. Without it, a good portion of the valley will be underwater, including two towns."
"Does Darwood have any businesses in the valley?" asked Jeremy.
"Yes, he's got a factory near one of the towns." replied Scooter. "According to Darwood Enterprises' financial report, it's not doing well."
"Looks like he's looking to collect some insurance." said Kenny.
"Hence the need for a natural disaster." said Michael.
"Jeremy, there's an airfield not far from the dam." said Scooter. "I think the Foxes might use it for a staging area."
"Let me take a look." said Jeremy as he stopped his car.
"Let me wire into your mask." said Scooter as he worked the computer. A few seconds later, the display showed what Jeremy was seeing. Scooter then patched it through to the displays in the other agents' cars. "Okay, go."
"White Hawk, on!" said Jeremy. A white energy probe flew from his mask and flew over the dam.
"It's still standing, so we're not too late." said Enzo.
The probe flew downriver and passed a rocky cliff.
"That's where I climb." said Max.
The probe flew up the cliff and came upon the airfield.
"I don't see Darwood or his men." said Jeremy. "Looks like you're wrong this time." Then, he found Hack and Slash. "Wait a minute."
"Looks like they're guarding the radar tower." said Liam.
"So much for an airstrike." said Rocky.
"Can that radar pick up the Mammoth?" asked Wei.
"Maybe, I don't know." said Scooter. "In any case, it looks like we're going to need a good plan."
"We either risk a ground assault or risk an airstrike." said Jeremy. "That's our only options."
"Not necessarily." said Max.
"You know something or are you just optimistic?" asked Caitlin.
"A little of both." said Max. "If you check the surveillance photos, you'll notice that the gruesome twosome are looking away from the cliff."
"That's because there's no one crazy enough to climb that thing." said Chris.
"Except us." said Max.
"Max, since you're so confident you can make that climb, you lead it." said Jeremy. "Scooter will drive the Bear for now. Chris and Kenny, you'll go with him since you're the ones who can best handle yourselves in a fight."
"Me and my big mouth." groaned Chris.
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Within minutes, Max, Chris, and Kenny were at the base of the cliff and ready to climb.
"How high is this cliff?" asked Kenny.
"I dunno, a hundred feet maybe?" said Chris.
"A hundred twenty." said Max. "Not that I've climbed this one. It's off limits due to the airfield."
"It should be off limits due to those guys." said Kenny as he pointed at a flock of birds. "Peregrine falcons. Fastest birds in the air and protected by law."
"Yeah, I can only imagine what the planes are doing to them." said Max. "Come on, every second we talk is another second we don't have to keep that dam intact."
Max led the climb up the cliffside. Chris and Kenny followed carefully. A few minutes later, Max was waiting at the top. Chris and Kenny reached him a minute after that.
"Looks like they're not expecting us." said Max.
"Good, the element of surprise will come in very handy." said Chris.
"Okay, we'll take down those two hoseheads..." said Kenny.
"...and I'll take out their radar man." said Max.
Max snuck over to the radar tower while Chris and Kenny snuck up behind Hack and Slash.
"It doesn't look like anyone's going to try anything." said Hack.
"Yeah, they're too scared of us." said Slash.
"Hold on, it doesn't mean we're never going to see anyone." said Hack as Chris snuck up behind him and hit him in the arm with a spin kick. Hack fell over and got back up to face Chris. "Slash, give me a hand!" he called. "Slash?"
He looked over to see that Kenny had Slash in a tight grip. Kenny then lifted Hack up and suplexed him.
Max ran over to the radar tower and called "Whisper, on!" He was surrounded by a blue force field and approched the tower.
"What's going on out there?" asked Frankenstein. "I'd better check the sensors." He activated the sensors and found nothing on infrared, sonar, or motion detectors. "Could've sworn there was something out there." he said as Max ran past the sensors completely undetected.
Slash tackled Kenny and knocked him back into a steel girder. Kenny grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him off.
Hack threw several punches at Chris, but he blocked every one of them. Finally, Chris launched another spin kick and hit Hack in the side.
"Great, those idiots can't even pull off a guard mission without getting into trouble." groaned Frankenstein. "I guess I'd better contact Darwood."
Just before he was about to activate the radio, Max grabbed his wrist. "Sorry, Simon didn't say." said Max.
"What the..." said Frankenstein. He tried to fight off Max, but was quickly overpowered. Max grabbed him by the collar and dragged him towards an equipment locker.
"Okay, pal." he said. "It's high school flashback time."
Outside, Hack somehow managed to get behind Chris and hold him in such a way he couldn't move his arms. "End of the line, partner." he said.
"Guess I'll start a new line then." said Chris. He then swung his leg around and arched it to hit Hack in the back. Hack collapsed and Chris broke free.
Max looked over the radar setup while Frankenstein pounded on the inside of the locker.
"Now, how do I bypass the radar system?" asked Max to himself. He spotted a digital recorder and said "Of course."
Outside, Slash had thrown Kenny to the ground and was ready to hit him with a steel rod. "I'm gonna hit you so hard, you'll fly like a bird!" he growled.
"Bird?" said Kenny, remembering the falcons. "That's it! Noah, on!"
A series of green energy rings were broadcast from his mask towards the falcons Kenny had seen just before the climb. Pretty soon, Kenny had the falcons' attention. "Help me with this guy and I'll lobby for your protection. Well, more." pleaded Kenny.
The falcons listened and flew to his location. They found Slash about to swing the rod at Kenny. Quickly, they attacked Slash first. He dropped the rod and tried swatting at the birds.
"Get away from me, you stupid birds!" yelled Slash.
Kenny jumped back to his feet and charged Slash. The falcons flew out of the way as Kenny knocked Slash to his back. "Those are endangered!" he yelled.
"Kenny, y'alright?" asked Chris.
"Yeah, let's check on Max." said Kenny.
The two ran to the radar tower and found Max hooking up the digital recorder to the radar setup. "It's almost ready." he said.
A minute later, Max had finished the setup and recorded a couple of sweeps of the radar, then set it for infinite repeating.
"Okay, that's done." said Max. "Let's signal Jeremy." He pushed a button on his watch.
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"Have ya heard from Max yet?" asked Liam.
"No." said Jeremy.
"Are you sure you haven't?" asked Liam.
"Yes." said Jeremy.
"Don't you think you might've missed his call?" asked Liam.
"Liam, shut up." said Jeremy.
"Well, I'm worried about him." said Liam. "He's never been in a situation like this before."
"None of us have." said Laura. "Relax, he might be okay."
"Jeremy, are you there?" asked Max over the radio.
"Right here, Maxie." said Jeremy.
"Max, ya had me worried." said Liam.
"Don't worry, Liam." said Max. "You're not gonna get rid of me that easily. The radar is down. You have your window."
"You heard him, guys." said Jeremy. "Let's hit it."
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"This is Fox Leader, checking in." said Darwood. "I'm prepared for takeoff. Other Foxes, check in."
"This is Gearbox guarding the western end." said Gearbox. "Nothing to report.
"This is Flash backing up Gearbox." said Flash. "Everything is a-okay."
"This is Rocks." said Rocks. "The eastern end of the dam is clear."
"This is Blades." said Blades. "Rocks is perfectly covered."
"Good." said Darwood. "Here I go."
The Firefox raced down a stretch of highway, then transformed. The rear section split into jet engines and rotated around to the sides of the car. The spoiler elevated into a pair of vertical stabilizers and a horizontal stabilizer. A pair of wings swung out from the car's bottom. The sonic wave emitter was mounted on the vehicle's underside.
"Now, for the final touch." said Darwood. He pushed the green button on the control panel and his mask slid over his head. He turned the Firefox towards the dam and prepared the emitter for use.
"Hey, Cass, did Darwood just take off?" asked Gearbox.
"Yes. Why?" relied Flash.
"Shouldn't he be showing up on radar?" asked Gearbox.
"This is the proudest moment of my life." said Darwood as he approached the dam. "Say hello to the flood."
Just as Darwood was about to get within effective range, the Ferret flew up from behind the dam.
"What in the..." asked Darwood.
Just then, the Skyhawk flew over the Firefox and flipped over. Jeremy then flew in close enough to see Darwood. The Foxes' leader was very surprised.
"MASK, attack!" ordered Jeremy as he broke away from Darwood.
The Monster and Rocket converted into battle mode. The Lion and Rabbit parked by the side of the dam and converted as well.
"How did that chopper get behind the dam?" asked Rocks.
"I dunno." said Blades. "But he's not getting one over on me again."
"Guess I'll take out that Corvette for Darwood." said Rocks as he targeted the Skyhawk with his missiles.
Before he could fire, the Lion was hit with a shot from another cannon. Rocks looked for the source and found Scooter in the Bear shooting at him. "I'll cover this guy." said Scooter as Laura sat next to him. "The rest of you try to take out those guards."
The Lightning and Mammoth passed the Lion while Scooter kept it busy. The Rocket cruised towards them.
"Now it's time to party." said Flash.
"This one's mine." said Caitlin.
The Rocket flew out over the lake with the Lightning in hot pursuit. The Mammoth engaged the Monster.
Michael, who was in the back of the Mammoth, suddenly got nervous. "Wei, what's Darwood's target?" he asked.
"The dam." replied Wei as he traded shots with Gearbox.
"What are we parked on at the moment?" asked Michael.
"I know!" said Wei. "Just let me waste this guy and we can get to safety."
The Ferret and Rabbit faced each other in mid-air.
"Ready to fight?" asked Blades.
"Bring it on, lad!" dared Liam.
The two flew towards each other and opened fire. The Rabbit lost a horizontal stabilizer, but managed to take off the Ferret's infrared jammer. The helicopters turned around and repeated the cycle.
Jeremy and Darwood continued their dogfight. Everytime one had the other in their sights, the target would perform a defensive maneuver and come out of harm's way.
"This is getting annoying." said Darwood. "Time to do what I came to do." He turned back towards the dam and prepared the wave emitter.
"Great." groaned Jeremy. He opened a communincations channel and told his fellow agents "Guys, I tried a diversionary tactic, but it failed. Darwood's going to take out the dam. I suggest you try to defeat your current opponent ASAP and prepare to take out Darwood when he approaches."
"Don't you think I'm trying?" asked Scooter as he continued to trade shots with Rocks.
Laura looked over the battle and said "Aim for the hillside."
Scooter lowered his aim and fired upon the hillside the Lion was parked on. The tall vehicle started to fall over. Rocks had to change it back into civilian mode to prevent a catastrophie.
"Did you hear that?" asked Enzo in the Lightning's passenger seat. "Jeremy needs our help."
"A diversionary tactic?" asked Caitlin. "That's what she's doing. She's leading me away from the battle." Caitlin broke off her pursuit and turned back towards the dam.
Flash looked behind her and noticed the Lightning was not there. "Uh oh." she said and quickly turned back.
The Ferret and Rabbit were both slightly damaged at this time.
"I think it'd be best if you were to give up now." said Liam.
"Not while I've got you on the ropes." said Blades as he lined up for his next attack.
"Safety, on!" called Rocky from the cliffside nearest the battle. A yellow wave of energy fired from his mask and swept through the Rabbit.
Blades tried to fire his weapons, only to discover they weren't working. "Well, look at the time." he said. "Gotta run."
"It's about bloody time you showed up!" yelled Liam.
"He wasn't in range yet." replied Rocky. "Besides, you had the situation in hand."
"I'm getting reports that the others have leveled the playing field." said Michael.
"Great, now they can help us with this guy." said Wei as he continued to trade fire with the Monster.
On the road nearby, a car stopped and let out Max, Chris, and Kenny.
"Thanks for the lift." said Max.
"Hey hey." said the driver as he turned around and drove off.
"There!" said Kenny as he pointed to the Monster.
"Let's get 'em." said Chris.
Gearbox contiued firing on the Mammoth. "Is this ever going to end?" he asked.
"Maybe we should put the Mammoth in fortress mode." suggested Wei.
"Not enough room." said Michael. "If we turn it sideways, we'll only be able to use half the weapons."
The Lightning and Rocket approached the dam. The Rocket was now in pursuit and firing on the Lightning.
"Hey, Caitlin." said Enzo. "Does that car have anything keeping it upright?"
"Vertical stabilizers, as far as I can tell." said Caitlin.
"Just what I wanted to hear." said Enzo as he turned back to the Rocket and called "Torque, on!"
A blue cone shone from his mask and hit the Rocket. The Rocket was flipped over and tumbled across the water like a boulder.
"Cassidy!" yelled Gearbox. He turned the guns towards the Lightning.
"Now's our chance!" said Michael.
"Got it!" said Wei. He turned the Mammoth back into civilian mode and drove towards the Monster. "Charger, on!" he called.
A yellow field surrounded the Mammoth as it rolled forward. It rammed into the Monster and knocked it away from the dam.
On the other side, Max and Chris jumped out of the way of the sliding vehicle. Kenny, on the other hand, jumped aboard.
"Why you little..." growled Gearbox as he turned his guns on the Mammoth. Before he could fire, Kenny got him in a headlock.
"That's enough." said Kenny.
"If I'd known it would be that simple, I would've just done that." said Wei.
Max clapped. Then he turned around and saw the Firefox on its final approach. "Oh no!" he cried.
Jeremy came over the radio again. "Guys, it's now or never! Concentrate your weapons fire on Darwood!"
"Don't even bother to transform." said Michael as he opened the hatch and stuck his head out.
On the other side of the gorge, the Warhorse and Bear pulled up to the cliffside. Scooter told Laura "You take the helm. I'll take care of this."
"But I wasn't trained with this vehicle." explained Laura.
"Then your training starts now." said Scooter as he opened the hatch.
Liam checked his weapons systems and found they were in working order.
Jeremy flew up under the Firefox and said "Alright, guys! Hit it! Red Hawk, fire!" A red energy projectile fired from his mask.
"Safety, on!" called Rocky. A yellow wave of energy shot from his mask.
"Glytch, on!" called Scooter. A silver wave shone from his mask.
Laura fired the Bear's anti-aircraft guns at the Firefox.
"Lightspeed, fire!" called Caitlin. A red laser beam fired from her mask.
Kenny fired the Monster's surface-to-air missiles at the Firefox.
"Heat, on!" called Michael. A red heat ray shone from his mask.
Liam fired a salvo of missiles at the Firefox.
In short order, the Firefox was pummeled by the multiple shots. Many of the shots were directed at the sonic wave emitter and did serious damage. A few seconds later, the emitter shorted out and exploded.
Darwood shook off the shock of the firefight and his onboard computer told him his weapons management system had overloaded. He let out a growl.
"It's over, Darwood!" said Jeremy. "You're out of options. There's no more fighting."
"Yes, but I did leave a plan for escape." said Darwood. "Fox, on!"
A brilliant white flash burst from Darwood's mask. All of the MASK agents suddenly felt very confused.
"Hurry!" ordered Darwood. "That wave of confusion will only last long enough for us to get out of here."
Rocks never got a chance to put the Lion back into battle mode. He drove out of the area quickly.
Blades was already gone.
Flash converted the battered Rocket back into a car and drove away.
Gearbox shoved Kenny out of the Monster and followed his sister.
Darwood flew away while trying to keep the Firefox together.
The MASK agents regained their senses shortly after the Foxes left. "Did we win?" asked Max.
"The dam's still standing." said Wei. "Darwood and his men are gone."
"I'm willing to call this a victory despite the fact that Darwood got away." said Jeremy.
"Yep." said Chris. "Teamwork. That's what it's all about."
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Some time later, the Foxes limped their vehicles into a new base.
"Well, men." said Darwood as he climbed out of the Firefox. "Welcome to our true base."
"How many bases do we have?" asked Flash.
"I try to find one for every mission." said Darwood. "I have my sources."
"We could've taken down MASK with your mask!" said Gearbox.
"A mask as powerful as my Fox mask requires a lot of energy." said Darwood. "I can only use it once an hour so I have to conserve power."
"Maybe we should attack MASK's base when we're capable again." said Rocks.
"No, we can't." said Darwood. "Sanchez and Gates are not fools. I'm sure they will have a new base as well when this is all over."
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"I think we should attack the Foxes' base as soon as we get back on our feet." said Rocky.
"No, that's not possible." said Jeremy. "Darwood's a smart man. He's no doubt got a new base waiting for him like we do."
"Where is our new base?" asked Max.
"It's in the Santa Monica Mountains." said Jeremy. "The entrance is marked by a modern house."
"What was that weapon Darwood had in his mask?" asked Kenny.
"As far as I can tell, it was some kind of hypnosis ray." said Scooter. "It appeared to be designed to leave its victims confused for ten seconds."
"Hey, guys." said Chris. "He's coming."
Gates entered the room with Matt, Bruce, and the design team. The agents applauded.
"I should retire more often." joked Gates.
"Congratulations on your retirement." said Enzo.
"So, what are you going to do now?" asked Laura.
"I'll see." said Gates.
"It was a pleasure working with you and learning from you." said Jeremy.
"Thank you, Jeremy." said Gates. "It was a pleasure working with you as well."
"Lawrence," said Matt "Bruce and the others came up with a retirement present for you."
"Here it is." said Bruce as he brought in a box slightly bigger than a human head.
"Is it a hat?" asked Kenny.
"Sort of." said Claudia.
Gates opened the box and looked inside. He smiled as he reached inside. He pulled out...
"A mask." said Wei.
"You got me my own mask." said Gates.
"It's called Authority." said Matt. "It projects a beam that forces its victims to obey your commands."
"Good thing it's not in Darwood's hands." said Gates.
"Speaking of which, we have to prepare for his next attack." said Jeremy. "Darwood may have lost this battle, but he's not going to just curl up at home and lick his wounds. The Foxes are going to remain ever vigilant, so we must be as well. I'm in. Who's with me?"
All the agents raised their hands.
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AN:And that's the end of the first case. I'm afraid you'll have to wait a couple of months for the start of the next one.
I'm sorry to leave you waiting, but I'm working on a couple of other fics. I promise I will be back.
For now, here's a new trio of profiles. This time, they are for the team leaders, Jeremy Sanchez and Malcolm Darwood. As a bonus, I'm throwing in Gates' profile as well.
Jeremy Sanchez
Allegiance:MASK 2
Position:Leader
Cover Job:FBI Agent
Birthplace:Los Angeles
Mask:Hawk (triple function; Red Hawk fires an energy projectile, White Hawk launches a probe, Blue Hawk launches a drone that can carry small objects)
Vehicle Code Name:Skyhawk (Chevrolet Corvette/interceptor jet)
Bio:Jeremy grew up with a strong sense of justice starting when he helped police catch a drug dealer at his high school. He has since joined the FBI where his ability to quickly evaluate a situation proved quite useful. Gates suggested him for a possible candidate for the leader of the new MASK, a suggestion he does not regret.
Malcolm Darwood
Allegiance:The Foxes
Position:Leader
Cover Job:Businessman
Birthplace:New York City
Mask:Fox (fires a flash of light that renders its victims confused for 10 seconds)
Vehicle Code Name:Firefox (Acura NSX/attack jet)
Bio:Darwood was very ambitious in high school and college with his workings on the debate team and in business courses. One night, he and his classmates were performing a prank when they ran across Miles Mayhem who was in the middle of a VENOM mission. Rather than eliminate the young Darwood, Mayhem took him under his wing to craft a possible successor to his legacy.
Lawrence Gates
Allegiance:FBI
Position:Field Agent (retired)
Birthplace:Sacramento
Mask:Authority (fires an energy wave that forces those caught by it to follow his orders)
Bio:An experienced agent for the FBI, Lawrence Gates always knew he'd see some strange things in his line of work. He never dreamed he'd see vehicles that transform into combat vehicles or masks with seemingly magical powers. He saw both of those when he worked with the original MASK team. When VENOM was defeated, he promised Matt Trakker that he'd help to form a new team if a new threat showed up to take VENOM's place.
Thank you. I shall return.
AN:Okay, this will be the last chapter for a while. Sometime later, I will be bringing out chapter seven which will be the start of a new story.
Until then, here's chapter six:
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Showdown
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"Okay, let's put our cards on the table." said Jeremy. "Darwood's up to something, but what?"
"For the moment, let's assume he's not planning on selling the weaponry." said Matt. "Let's suppose he's planning on using it himself."
"The weapon he can create is a Sonic Wave Emitter." said Scooter. "As I pointed out earlier, he can use that to inflict a massive ammount of damage to a hard target in a short ammount of time."
"What kind of target would Darwood want to destroy?" asked Jeffrey.
"Without knowing his motives, it's hard to say." said Gates.
"He managed to capture the wave generator an hour ago." said Bruce. "That gives us a few hours before he can assemble the pieces and mount it on something."
"Guys, I'm thinking about something." said Chris. "Was the security on these stolen doodads at their normal levels?"
Gates pulled out his notepad and checked it. "No, all the pieces that were stolen were taken during a brief reassignment of the guards." he said.
"If that's so, how did Darwood know when to strike?" asked Enzo.
"Yeah, that's a good point." said Kenny. "Maybe he's got someone on the inside."
"As much as I'd hate to admit one of ours would do such a thing," said Claudia "I'm afraid it's our only possibility at the moment."
"And therefore, it's our only lead." said Jeremy.
----------
At the Foxes' staging area, Dr. Frankenstein was snapping together the Sonic Wave Emitter. "Why am I the one who always puts these things together?" he asked.
"'Cause you're the geek." said Gearbox.
"And you failed science twice." said Frankenstein.
"Who told you?" asked Gearbox as he rushed Frankenstein with a raised fist.
His sister, Flash, grabbed his wrist. "Easy, Calvin." she said. "You shouldn't hurt him while he's working."
"Especially considering how big this one is." said Frankenstein. "Even Darwood is preparing for battle."
"Indeed." said Darwood as he entered. He had changed out of his business suit and into a red, white, and black jumpsuit. "I'm certain you will be finished soon."
"Just a couple more snaps and I'll just have to install the software." said Frankenstein. "You want me to install it on the Monster immediately?"
"Forget the Monster." said Darwood. "I have something else to install it on." He approached a steel door and pushed a switch. The door opened and revealed a red Acura NSX with a carbon fiber hood, aero body kit, and white lower body. The fox head emblem was nicely painted onto the hood. "Behold!" said Darwood. "The Firefox!"
Frankenstein gulped. "I knew he was saving the best one for himself."
----------
"This is an outrage!" yelled the professor. "First, you fail to recover the stolen compnents, now you're accusing one of my men of assisting the thieves?"
"I'm sorry, but it seems like the most likely possibility." said Jeremy. "Somehow, Darwood knew when the security around the components would be weakest and acted accordingly."
"But my men would not do such a thing." said the professor.
"Are you entirely certain?" asked Gates.
While listening to this, the professor's scientist assistant snuck away guiltily. She stopped when she ran into Caitlin.
"Going somewhere?" asked Caitlin.
"Let me go!" yelled the scientist as Caitlin dragged her back to the others.
"What's going on, Caitlin?" asked Jeremy.
"I think this lady has something to tell you." said Caitlin.
----------
The Foxes prepared to mobilize. The Sonic Wave Emitter had been installed on the Firefox which was leading the group.
"Looks like we're ready to move." said Gearbox.
"Calvin, I was thinking." said Flash. "When the dam bursts, can you get out of the way in time?"
"I'm not even going to be near it." said Gearbox. "Just relax. I'll be fine."
"I'm actually kinda happy that Blades was captured." said Rocks. "Now, he can't screw this up."
Just then, the Rabbit pulled up.
"Spoke too soon." said Rocks.
Blades jumped out of the car and ran towards the others. "Boy, am I glad to see..." he said before Hack cut him off with a punch to the stomach.
"Where were you?" yelled Hack.
"I was captured, you insensitive dork." groaned Blades as he tried to get back on his feet.
"We won anyway." said Darwood. "We got the wave generator and the emitter is finished."
"Then the Kane Valley operation is a go?" asked Blades.
"We're just about ready to leave." said Darwood. "If you're coming, come now."
The Foxes got into their vehicles. As they started to pull out, the mechanic from the transport truck crawled out from under the Monster and hid in the shadows. After the Foxes left, he took out his cel phone.
----------
While Jeremy and Gates interrogated the scientist, the other MASK agents stood around waiting.
"What does she know?" asked Wei.
"I dunno, but it had better be important." said Rocky.
"Hey, Laura." said Max. "After I tackled you out of the way of that blade, you said we were even. What did you mean by that?"
"I don't blame you for not remembering." said Laura. "We had you so shot up on pain-killers, you couldn't even tell us your name."
"Wait, you were part of the ambulance crew that picked me up after my rock climbing accident?" asked Max. Laura responded with a nod. "Whoa." he muttered.
"I dropped by your room at the hospital every day." said Laura. "I was back east visiting my relatives when you woke up. By the time I returned, your sister had already checked you out of the hospital."
"Whoa, sounds like it was meant to be." said Enzo.
"Knock it off, wise guy!" snapped Laura.
Just then, Jeremy returned from the interrogation. "She finally came clean." he said. "Darwood offered her a large paycheck and a position at one of his companies if she arranged the security teams to be at their minimums during the heists."
"Did she say anything else?" asked Kenny.
"She said he asked her for something that could destroy a wall of reinfornced concrete and look like a natural disaster." said Jeremy.
"Maybe he's planning on hitting a facility with another weapon to steal." said Caitlin.
"The emitter would also damage whatever he wanted to steal." said Michael.
"Maybe he's looking to hit a bank." said Chris.
"A bank heist?" replied Rocky. "I think that's too small for Darwood's tastes."
"Natural disaster. Natural disaster." muttered Scooter. "I've got it. I think he's planning on taking out a dam."
"Sounds like a wall of reinforced concrete to me." said Laura.
"Not only that, but the resulting cascade would cause serious damage." said Liam.
"It's something to go on." said Jeremy. "We think we know what, but what we need to know is 'where?'."
The professor ran in and said "The mechanic from the transport truck just called. He said he stowed away on one of their vehicles and hid in their staging area. He overheard them say something about Kane Valley."
"There's a dam in Kane Valley." said Max. "I've climbed near it."
"To your vehicles, team." ordered Jeremy. "Let's get this guy."
----------
The Foxes approached the Kane Valley Dam shortly after leaving their headquarters.
"Get your last look at the dam, boys." said Darwood. "Within the hour, it shall be rubble."
"Darwood, I was just checking the map." said Frankenstein. "I noticed an airfield not far from the dam. Maybe we can use their radar to keep an eye out for intruders."
"Better safe than sorry, I guess." said Darwood. "Frankenstein, you work the radar. Hack and Slash will stand guard."
"Got it." said Frankenstein.
----------
In short order, Frankenstein, Hack, and Slash snuck into the airfield and found the radar tower.
"Guards." said Frankenstein. "I didn't count on this."
"Don't worry, we'll take 'em." said Hack.
"No, I can handle this." said Frankenstein. He targeted one of the guards and called "Droid, on!"
A red bolt shot from his mask and hit the guard. The guard's expression went blank.
"Knock out your partner." ordered Frankenstein. "Then, lock yourselves in the shed."
The guard quickly turned and punched out his partner. He then picked him up and dragged him to the nearby tool shed.
"As Darwood said, stand guard." said Frankenstein.
"Okay." said Slash.
----------
Now, MASK 2 was approaching the dam.
"I checked the map." said Scooter. "Kane Valley Dam is a flood-control dam. Without it, a good portion of the valley will be underwater, including two towns."
"Does Darwood have any businesses in the valley?" asked Jeremy.
"Yes, he's got a factory near one of the towns." replied Scooter. "According to Darwood Enterprises' financial report, it's not doing well."
"Looks like he's looking to collect some insurance." said Kenny.
"Hence the need for a natural disaster." said Michael.
"Jeremy, there's an airfield not far from the dam." said Scooter. "I think the Foxes might use it for a staging area."
"Let me take a look." said Jeremy as he stopped his car.
"Let me wire into your mask." said Scooter as he worked the computer. A few seconds later, the display showed what Jeremy was seeing. Scooter then patched it through to the displays in the other agents' cars. "Okay, go."
"White Hawk, on!" said Jeremy. A white energy probe flew from his mask and flew over the dam.
"It's still standing, so we're not too late." said Enzo.
The probe flew downriver and passed a rocky cliff.
"That's where I climb." said Max.
The probe flew up the cliff and came upon the airfield.
"I don't see Darwood or his men." said Jeremy. "Looks like you're wrong this time." Then, he found Hack and Slash. "Wait a minute."
"Looks like they're guarding the radar tower." said Liam.
"So much for an airstrike." said Rocky.
"Can that radar pick up the Mammoth?" asked Wei.
"Maybe, I don't know." said Scooter. "In any case, it looks like we're going to need a good plan."
"We either risk a ground assault or risk an airstrike." said Jeremy. "That's our only options."
"Not necessarily." said Max.
"You know something or are you just optimistic?" asked Caitlin.
"A little of both." said Max. "If you check the surveillance photos, you'll notice that the gruesome twosome are looking away from the cliff."
"That's because there's no one crazy enough to climb that thing." said Chris.
"Except us." said Max.
"Max, since you're so confident you can make that climb, you lead it." said Jeremy. "Scooter will drive the Bear for now. Chris and Kenny, you'll go with him since you're the ones who can best handle yourselves in a fight."
"Me and my big mouth." groaned Chris.
----------
Within minutes, Max, Chris, and Kenny were at the base of the cliff and ready to climb.
"How high is this cliff?" asked Kenny.
"I dunno, a hundred feet maybe?" said Chris.
"A hundred twenty." said Max. "Not that I've climbed this one. It's off limits due to the airfield."
"It should be off limits due to those guys." said Kenny as he pointed at a flock of birds. "Peregrine falcons. Fastest birds in the air and protected by law."
"Yeah, I can only imagine what the planes are doing to them." said Max. "Come on, every second we talk is another second we don't have to keep that dam intact."
Max led the climb up the cliffside. Chris and Kenny followed carefully. A few minutes later, Max was waiting at the top. Chris and Kenny reached him a minute after that.
"Looks like they're not expecting us." said Max.
"Good, the element of surprise will come in very handy." said Chris.
"Okay, we'll take down those two hoseheads..." said Kenny.
"...and I'll take out their radar man." said Max.
Max snuck over to the radar tower while Chris and Kenny snuck up behind Hack and Slash.
"It doesn't look like anyone's going to try anything." said Hack.
"Yeah, they're too scared of us." said Slash.
"Hold on, it doesn't mean we're never going to see anyone." said Hack as Chris snuck up behind him and hit him in the arm with a spin kick. Hack fell over and got back up to face Chris. "Slash, give me a hand!" he called. "Slash?"
He looked over to see that Kenny had Slash in a tight grip. Kenny then lifted Hack up and suplexed him.
Max ran over to the radar tower and called "Whisper, on!" He was surrounded by a blue force field and approched the tower.
"What's going on out there?" asked Frankenstein. "I'd better check the sensors." He activated the sensors and found nothing on infrared, sonar, or motion detectors. "Could've sworn there was something out there." he said as Max ran past the sensors completely undetected.
Slash tackled Kenny and knocked him back into a steel girder. Kenny grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him off.
Hack threw several punches at Chris, but he blocked every one of them. Finally, Chris launched another spin kick and hit Hack in the side.
"Great, those idiots can't even pull off a guard mission without getting into trouble." groaned Frankenstein. "I guess I'd better contact Darwood."
Just before he was about to activate the radio, Max grabbed his wrist. "Sorry, Simon didn't say." said Max.
"What the..." said Frankenstein. He tried to fight off Max, but was quickly overpowered. Max grabbed him by the collar and dragged him towards an equipment locker.
"Okay, pal." he said. "It's high school flashback time."
Outside, Hack somehow managed to get behind Chris and hold him in such a way he couldn't move his arms. "End of the line, partner." he said.
"Guess I'll start a new line then." said Chris. He then swung his leg around and arched it to hit Hack in the back. Hack collapsed and Chris broke free.
Max looked over the radar setup while Frankenstein pounded on the inside of the locker.
"Now, how do I bypass the radar system?" asked Max to himself. He spotted a digital recorder and said "Of course."
Outside, Slash had thrown Kenny to the ground and was ready to hit him with a steel rod. "I'm gonna hit you so hard, you'll fly like a bird!" he growled.
"Bird?" said Kenny, remembering the falcons. "That's it! Noah, on!"
A series of green energy rings were broadcast from his mask towards the falcons Kenny had seen just before the climb. Pretty soon, Kenny had the falcons' attention. "Help me with this guy and I'll lobby for your protection. Well, more." pleaded Kenny.
The falcons listened and flew to his location. They found Slash about to swing the rod at Kenny. Quickly, they attacked Slash first. He dropped the rod and tried swatting at the birds.
"Get away from me, you stupid birds!" yelled Slash.
Kenny jumped back to his feet and charged Slash. The falcons flew out of the way as Kenny knocked Slash to his back. "Those are endangered!" he yelled.
"Kenny, y'alright?" asked Chris.
"Yeah, let's check on Max." said Kenny.
The two ran to the radar tower and found Max hooking up the digital recorder to the radar setup. "It's almost ready." he said.
A minute later, Max had finished the setup and recorded a couple of sweeps of the radar, then set it for infinite repeating.
"Okay, that's done." said Max. "Let's signal Jeremy." He pushed a button on his watch.
----------
"Have ya heard from Max yet?" asked Liam.
"No." said Jeremy.
"Are you sure you haven't?" asked Liam.
"Yes." said Jeremy.
"Don't you think you might've missed his call?" asked Liam.
"Liam, shut up." said Jeremy.
"Well, I'm worried about him." said Liam. "He's never been in a situation like this before."
"None of us have." said Laura. "Relax, he might be okay."
"Jeremy, are you there?" asked Max over the radio.
"Right here, Maxie." said Jeremy.
"Max, ya had me worried." said Liam.
"Don't worry, Liam." said Max. "You're not gonna get rid of me that easily. The radar is down. You have your window."
"You heard him, guys." said Jeremy. "Let's hit it."
----------
"This is Fox Leader, checking in." said Darwood. "I'm prepared for takeoff. Other Foxes, check in."
"This is Gearbox guarding the western end." said Gearbox. "Nothing to report.
"This is Flash backing up Gearbox." said Flash. "Everything is a-okay."
"This is Rocks." said Rocks. "The eastern end of the dam is clear."
"This is Blades." said Blades. "Rocks is perfectly covered."
"Good." said Darwood. "Here I go."
The Firefox raced down a stretch of highway, then transformed. The rear section split into jet engines and rotated around to the sides of the car. The spoiler elevated into a pair of vertical stabilizers and a horizontal stabilizer. A pair of wings swung out from the car's bottom. The sonic wave emitter was mounted on the vehicle's underside.
"Now, for the final touch." said Darwood. He pushed the green button on the control panel and his mask slid over his head. He turned the Firefox towards the dam and prepared the emitter for use.
"Hey, Cass, did Darwood just take off?" asked Gearbox.
"Yes. Why?" relied Flash.
"Shouldn't he be showing up on radar?" asked Gearbox.
"This is the proudest moment of my life." said Darwood as he approached the dam. "Say hello to the flood."
Just as Darwood was about to get within effective range, the Ferret flew up from behind the dam.
"What in the..." asked Darwood.
Just then, the Skyhawk flew over the Firefox and flipped over. Jeremy then flew in close enough to see Darwood. The Foxes' leader was very surprised.
"MASK, attack!" ordered Jeremy as he broke away from Darwood.
The Monster and Rocket converted into battle mode. The Lion and Rabbit parked by the side of the dam and converted as well.
"How did that chopper get behind the dam?" asked Rocks.
"I dunno." said Blades. "But he's not getting one over on me again."
"Guess I'll take out that Corvette for Darwood." said Rocks as he targeted the Skyhawk with his missiles.
Before he could fire, the Lion was hit with a shot from another cannon. Rocks looked for the source and found Scooter in the Bear shooting at him. "I'll cover this guy." said Scooter as Laura sat next to him. "The rest of you try to take out those guards."
The Lightning and Mammoth passed the Lion while Scooter kept it busy. The Rocket cruised towards them.
"Now it's time to party." said Flash.
"This one's mine." said Caitlin.
The Rocket flew out over the lake with the Lightning in hot pursuit. The Mammoth engaged the Monster.
Michael, who was in the back of the Mammoth, suddenly got nervous. "Wei, what's Darwood's target?" he asked.
"The dam." replied Wei as he traded shots with Gearbox.
"What are we parked on at the moment?" asked Michael.
"I know!" said Wei. "Just let me waste this guy and we can get to safety."
The Ferret and Rabbit faced each other in mid-air.
"Ready to fight?" asked Blades.
"Bring it on, lad!" dared Liam.
The two flew towards each other and opened fire. The Rabbit lost a horizontal stabilizer, but managed to take off the Ferret's infrared jammer. The helicopters turned around and repeated the cycle.
Jeremy and Darwood continued their dogfight. Everytime one had the other in their sights, the target would perform a defensive maneuver and come out of harm's way.
"This is getting annoying." said Darwood. "Time to do what I came to do." He turned back towards the dam and prepared the wave emitter.
"Great." groaned Jeremy. He opened a communincations channel and told his fellow agents "Guys, I tried a diversionary tactic, but it failed. Darwood's going to take out the dam. I suggest you try to defeat your current opponent ASAP and prepare to take out Darwood when he approaches."
"Don't you think I'm trying?" asked Scooter as he continued to trade shots with Rocks.
Laura looked over the battle and said "Aim for the hillside."
Scooter lowered his aim and fired upon the hillside the Lion was parked on. The tall vehicle started to fall over. Rocks had to change it back into civilian mode to prevent a catastrophie.
"Did you hear that?" asked Enzo in the Lightning's passenger seat. "Jeremy needs our help."
"A diversionary tactic?" asked Caitlin. "That's what she's doing. She's leading me away from the battle." Caitlin broke off her pursuit and turned back towards the dam.
Flash looked behind her and noticed the Lightning was not there. "Uh oh." she said and quickly turned back.
The Ferret and Rabbit were both slightly damaged at this time.
"I think it'd be best if you were to give up now." said Liam.
"Not while I've got you on the ropes." said Blades as he lined up for his next attack.
"Safety, on!" called Rocky from the cliffside nearest the battle. A yellow wave of energy fired from his mask and swept through the Rabbit.
Blades tried to fire his weapons, only to discover they weren't working. "Well, look at the time." he said. "Gotta run."
"It's about bloody time you showed up!" yelled Liam.
"He wasn't in range yet." replied Rocky. "Besides, you had the situation in hand."
"I'm getting reports that the others have leveled the playing field." said Michael.
"Great, now they can help us with this guy." said Wei as he continued to trade fire with the Monster.
On the road nearby, a car stopped and let out Max, Chris, and Kenny.
"Thanks for the lift." said Max.
"Hey hey." said the driver as he turned around and drove off.
"There!" said Kenny as he pointed to the Monster.
"Let's get 'em." said Chris.
Gearbox contiued firing on the Mammoth. "Is this ever going to end?" he asked.
"Maybe we should put the Mammoth in fortress mode." suggested Wei.
"Not enough room." said Michael. "If we turn it sideways, we'll only be able to use half the weapons."
The Lightning and Rocket approached the dam. The Rocket was now in pursuit and firing on the Lightning.
"Hey, Caitlin." said Enzo. "Does that car have anything keeping it upright?"
"Vertical stabilizers, as far as I can tell." said Caitlin.
"Just what I wanted to hear." said Enzo as he turned back to the Rocket and called "Torque, on!"
A blue cone shone from his mask and hit the Rocket. The Rocket was flipped over and tumbled across the water like a boulder.
"Cassidy!" yelled Gearbox. He turned the guns towards the Lightning.
"Now's our chance!" said Michael.
"Got it!" said Wei. He turned the Mammoth back into civilian mode and drove towards the Monster. "Charger, on!" he called.
A yellow field surrounded the Mammoth as it rolled forward. It rammed into the Monster and knocked it away from the dam.
On the other side, Max and Chris jumped out of the way of the sliding vehicle. Kenny, on the other hand, jumped aboard.
"Why you little..." growled Gearbox as he turned his guns on the Mammoth. Before he could fire, Kenny got him in a headlock.
"That's enough." said Kenny.
"If I'd known it would be that simple, I would've just done that." said Wei.
Max clapped. Then he turned around and saw the Firefox on its final approach. "Oh no!" he cried.
Jeremy came over the radio again. "Guys, it's now or never! Concentrate your weapons fire on Darwood!"
"Don't even bother to transform." said Michael as he opened the hatch and stuck his head out.
On the other side of the gorge, the Warhorse and Bear pulled up to the cliffside. Scooter told Laura "You take the helm. I'll take care of this."
"But I wasn't trained with this vehicle." explained Laura.
"Then your training starts now." said Scooter as he opened the hatch.
Liam checked his weapons systems and found they were in working order.
Jeremy flew up under the Firefox and said "Alright, guys! Hit it! Red Hawk, fire!" A red energy projectile fired from his mask.
"Safety, on!" called Rocky. A yellow wave of energy shot from his mask.
"Glytch, on!" called Scooter. A silver wave shone from his mask.
Laura fired the Bear's anti-aircraft guns at the Firefox.
"Lightspeed, fire!" called Caitlin. A red laser beam fired from her mask.
Kenny fired the Monster's surface-to-air missiles at the Firefox.
"Heat, on!" called Michael. A red heat ray shone from his mask.
Liam fired a salvo of missiles at the Firefox.
In short order, the Firefox was pummeled by the multiple shots. Many of the shots were directed at the sonic wave emitter and did serious damage. A few seconds later, the emitter shorted out and exploded.
Darwood shook off the shock of the firefight and his onboard computer told him his weapons management system had overloaded. He let out a growl.
"It's over, Darwood!" said Jeremy. "You're out of options. There's no more fighting."
"Yes, but I did leave a plan for escape." said Darwood. "Fox, on!"
A brilliant white flash burst from Darwood's mask. All of the MASK agents suddenly felt very confused.
"Hurry!" ordered Darwood. "That wave of confusion will only last long enough for us to get out of here."
Rocks never got a chance to put the Lion back into battle mode. He drove out of the area quickly.
Blades was already gone.
Flash converted the battered Rocket back into a car and drove away.
Gearbox shoved Kenny out of the Monster and followed his sister.
Darwood flew away while trying to keep the Firefox together.
The MASK agents regained their senses shortly after the Foxes left. "Did we win?" asked Max.
"The dam's still standing." said Wei. "Darwood and his men are gone."
"I'm willing to call this a victory despite the fact that Darwood got away." said Jeremy.
"Yep." said Chris. "Teamwork. That's what it's all about."
----------
Some time later, the Foxes limped their vehicles into a new base.
"Well, men." said Darwood as he climbed out of the Firefox. "Welcome to our true base."
"How many bases do we have?" asked Flash.
"I try to find one for every mission." said Darwood. "I have my sources."
"We could've taken down MASK with your mask!" said Gearbox.
"A mask as powerful as my Fox mask requires a lot of energy." said Darwood. "I can only use it once an hour so I have to conserve power."
"Maybe we should attack MASK's base when we're capable again." said Rocks.
"No, we can't." said Darwood. "Sanchez and Gates are not fools. I'm sure they will have a new base as well when this is all over."
----------
"I think we should attack the Foxes' base as soon as we get back on our feet." said Rocky.
"No, that's not possible." said Jeremy. "Darwood's a smart man. He's no doubt got a new base waiting for him like we do."
"Where is our new base?" asked Max.
"It's in the Santa Monica Mountains." said Jeremy. "The entrance is marked by a modern house."
"What was that weapon Darwood had in his mask?" asked Kenny.
"As far as I can tell, it was some kind of hypnosis ray." said Scooter. "It appeared to be designed to leave its victims confused for ten seconds."
"Hey, guys." said Chris. "He's coming."
Gates entered the room with Matt, Bruce, and the design team. The agents applauded.
"I should retire more often." joked Gates.
"Congratulations on your retirement." said Enzo.
"So, what are you going to do now?" asked Laura.
"I'll see." said Gates.
"It was a pleasure working with you and learning from you." said Jeremy.
"Thank you, Jeremy." said Gates. "It was a pleasure working with you as well."
"Lawrence," said Matt "Bruce and the others came up with a retirement present for you."
"Here it is." said Bruce as he brought in a box slightly bigger than a human head.
"Is it a hat?" asked Kenny.
"Sort of." said Claudia.
Gates opened the box and looked inside. He smiled as he reached inside. He pulled out...
"A mask." said Wei.
"You got me my own mask." said Gates.
"It's called Authority." said Matt. "It projects a beam that forces its victims to obey your commands."
"Good thing it's not in Darwood's hands." said Gates.
"Speaking of which, we have to prepare for his next attack." said Jeremy. "Darwood may have lost this battle, but he's not going to just curl up at home and lick his wounds. The Foxes are going to remain ever vigilant, so we must be as well. I'm in. Who's with me?"
All the agents raised their hands.
----------
AN:And that's the end of the first case. I'm afraid you'll have to wait a couple of months for the start of the next one.
I'm sorry to leave you waiting, but I'm working on a couple of other fics. I promise I will be back.
For now, here's a new trio of profiles. This time, they are for the team leaders, Jeremy Sanchez and Malcolm Darwood. As a bonus, I'm throwing in Gates' profile as well.
Jeremy Sanchez
Allegiance:MASK 2
Position:Leader
Cover Job:FBI Agent
Birthplace:Los Angeles
Mask:Hawk (triple function; Red Hawk fires an energy projectile, White Hawk launches a probe, Blue Hawk launches a drone that can carry small objects)
Vehicle Code Name:Skyhawk (Chevrolet Corvette/interceptor jet)
Bio:Jeremy grew up with a strong sense of justice starting when he helped police catch a drug dealer at his high school. He has since joined the FBI where his ability to quickly evaluate a situation proved quite useful. Gates suggested him for a possible candidate for the leader of the new MASK, a suggestion he does not regret.
Malcolm Darwood
Allegiance:The Foxes
Position:Leader
Cover Job:Businessman
Birthplace:New York City
Mask:Fox (fires a flash of light that renders its victims confused for 10 seconds)
Vehicle Code Name:Firefox (Acura NSX/attack jet)
Bio:Darwood was very ambitious in high school and college with his workings on the debate team and in business courses. One night, he and his classmates were performing a prank when they ran across Miles Mayhem who was in the middle of a VENOM mission. Rather than eliminate the young Darwood, Mayhem took him under his wing to craft a possible successor to his legacy.
Lawrence Gates
Allegiance:FBI
Position:Field Agent (retired)
Birthplace:Sacramento
Mask:Authority (fires an energy wave that forces those caught by it to follow his orders)
Bio:An experienced agent for the FBI, Lawrence Gates always knew he'd see some strange things in his line of work. He never dreamed he'd see vehicles that transform into combat vehicles or masks with seemingly magical powers. He saw both of those when he worked with the original MASK team. When VENOM was defeated, he promised Matt Trakker that he'd help to form a new team if a new threat showed up to take VENOM's place.
Thank you. I shall return.