Christmas in France

To Sparky Genocide: Hey there Sparky! Indeed, it does. The Joes high-wiring the B.A.T.s and making them think they're French can-can dancers? AHHHHH-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!! I like that idea! I'll see if I can fit it in somewhere! Enjoy the new chapter!

To Firefly25: Hey there Firefly! I always thought of Overkill as a cyborg soldier with a lot of mental baggage. Knowing that miswired moron, he's likely under Cobra orders. I doubt he and Virus get along. Virus likes to torment people, and what better way to torment a soldier who thinks he's a robot than to use other robots as guinea pigs. Besides, as far as Virus is concerned, B.A.T.s are dumb machines, and Overkill is no different, only he has more features and can talk. Enjoy the new chapter, and I can hardly wait to beta-read the new chapter of 'Reindeer Flotilla'!

To Red Witch: Hey there, Red! I read the last chapters of "This Soap Opera Called Life" and your Holiday fic and I loved them! Fried Santa, anyone? Who knew Evan was so devious? Gotta give him credit though, he fooled everyone. Enjoy the new chapter!

To Metal Dragon1: Hey there, Metal! By focus problems, I mean it is difficult to give every character a place in the spotlight. I may have to do a series of solo stories. There are some definite 'stars' in the West Coast Team: Wildstar, Thunderbolt, and X23. Where de monkey go? He's with Firestorm! My testing period is over, but then I got writers' block for a while. Oh, well. Yeah, the image of Marie-Claire being forced through Hell Week is rather amusing. Yep, the West Coast Misfits are meeting Overkill, the loony cyborg from Valor vs. Venom. They definitely will have their hands full. Enjoy the new chapter, and I can hardly wait to read the new chapter of 'Take the Long Way Home'! Please put it up, quick!

To Raliena: Hey there, Rae! You bet the arguments are going to heat up! Enjoy the new chapter!

Disclaimer: "Dahhhhh, nobody wants to play with me." - Jim Carrey as Ace Ventura, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls

Chapter 6: Going to Charity!

A limo going down the streets of Paris

"Again, I must thank you for helping me protect ze new B.E.T. Mark II." Gerard d'Agastino said to the Malibu Joes as they rode in a limo.

"No problem, Monseiur d'Agastino." Firestrom grinned, BR hooting on his shoulder.

"Tell us again, what are you doing?" Torpedo blinked.

"Well, every year on Christmas, I do a little bit of charity work." Gerard grinned. "A little way of giving back to the community."

"I think that's very nice." Kicker grinned.

"Plus, I can reveal the new and improved B.E.T." Gerard added. In a truck following the limo was the new, improved B.E.T. under a light brown tarp. The truck was being driven by Wipe-Out. In the truck was Dazzler, Siryn, Rictor, Marie-Claire, and Thunderbolt.

"God help us if those two start fighting in the truck, man." Rictor gulped at the thought of Marie-Claire and Kyle facing off again.

"Relax, lad." Theresa smiled at the young Mexican mutant. "Wipe-Out had a pretty ingenious idea for keeping them under control." Theresa pointed with her thumb, grinning. The Irish girl was pointing at Kyle and Marie-Claire. The two were sound asleep, and they were tied up and gagged. "Wipe-Out knocked them out, then tied them up and gagged them."

"Not to mention injected a sedative in them to put into Dreamland." Ali added with a smirk. "Make fun of my hair, will she? By the way, where is Sunfire?"

"Sunfire's at the charity ball where Mr. d'Agastino is going to show off the BET." Siryn answered. "He'd meet us there."

"He doesn't seem like the type to go to parties to me, man."

"Knowing him, he's just standing around in costume waiting for action." Ali chuckled.

Downtown Paris

"Man Dial-Up, I am the luckiest man alive." Jester grinned. The Joe pilot and prankster was sitting across from Dial-Up, A Japanese woman who served as Malibu Base's communications officer. Even though her face was calm, her eyes showed she wasn't too happy.

"This is not a date, Jester. I only agreed to this because you were the only one who was willing to go to the art museum with me." Dial-Up said. "I had two tickets and it would be wasteful to just use one."

"Dial-Up, I'd gladly go to the ballet if it meant I got to sit next to you." Jester grinned. Dial-Up groaned.

"Oh look, the children have arrived." Dial-Up said, some relief in her voice. Rahne and Longshot walked up to the two Malibu Joes.

"Fancy meeting you guys here." Longshot grinned. Jester chuckled.

"You know Ali is going to be furious if she finds you messing around with Wolfsbane, Longshot." Jester chuckled. Longshot rolled his eyes.

"Ye're crazy, Jester." Rahne laughed. "It's nothing like that."

"Don't worry Jester, Ali knows I'm with Rahne. She wanted to meet the new mutant, and Rahne and I wanted to sightsee."

"Ace?" Rahne wondered as she recognized a familiar figure. Ace walked up to them, looking like he was in a bit of a scuffle. Next to him was Tarot.

"Hey dudes." Ace grinned. He was holding a black robot head.

"Ace, is that a Battle Android Trooper?" Dial-Up asked in shock.

"It's a robot, and it stunk of snake, so yup." Ace nodded.

"What's she doing here?" Longshot pointed at Tarot.

"I am from this country." Tarot crossed her arms. "Do you have a problem, Other-Worlder?"

"Tarot, be nice." Ace said sternly to the French Hellion.

"Sorry."

"I think we have a problem." Jester gulped as he took the B.A.T. head and looked at it.

"I also took this thing from its chest." Ace grinned as he pulled out a quarter-roll sized black cylinder from his pocket. "My friends, you are looking at a B.A.T.'s 'black box'."

"We could use it to figure out what a B.A.T. was doing in Paris." Dial-Up nodded as she took it.

"If it's from Cobra, then its nae good." Rahne shook her head. Her watch bleeped. She looked at it and her eyes widened. "Guys! Terrell, John, and Tommy! They are in trouble!"

"Are you sure it's a good idea to bring the redhead?" Jester whispered to Dial-Up. The Japanese woman blinked.

"Rahne is one of us."

"No, the other one."

"Tarot? She's harmless around Wildstar."

Elsewhere in Paris

"You filthy monsters!" The cyborg Cobra agent Overkill roared as he leapt out of nowhere. His arms morphed into machine guns and he started firing at the West Coast Misfits codenamed Thunderbird, Velocity, and Chilljaw.

"Remind me again why Sunfire didn't want to come with us?" John grumbled as the three mutants ducked behind a car.

"He said he had other things to do." Terrell groaned. "Yeah, right. He never was too social."

"Eat ice water, you cheap pile of tin!" Tommy spit ice water at Overkill. All it did was get him wet. Overkill laughed.

"Stupid organics. I have defensive capabilities against all you freaks." Overkill snorted. Tommy gulped.

"I think we're in trouble."

Well, well, well! Looks like our heroes are in trouble! What insanity will happen next? Can Thunderbird, Chilljaw, and Velocity stop Overkill? Can our heroes protect the BET? What'll happen when Kyle and Marie-Claire wake up? Find out in the next chapter! Suggestions needed badly!