Salvation

Part II

Three dreary weeks had past since the incident between Throttle and Carbine. Everyone could see the change in him.

It was as if all the warmth had been drained out and there was nothing left, but a cold hard husk. He rarely spoke and when he did it was just to bark out orders.

Stoker informed Modo and Vinnie of what had happen, not that it was necessary. They knew there was only one thing that would push Throttle this far over the edge, added to the fact that Carbine hadn't made her regular radio communication since it all happened. They gave their hurting bro a lot of space though Vinnie was almost fed up with being treated like a underling instead of a trusted bro.

The ride to the Last Chance was filled with tension. Normally when coming from a good trashing of Limburger, the air would be filled with high fives and bad puns, but not this time.

They pulled into the garage and Charley could immediately tell things had gone from bad to worst, but still she attempted to lighted the mood with a bit of humor, "I heard the tower go down at Old Flounder Butt's. You guys just can't let a girl join in the fun."

Vinnie snatched off his helmet and glared at Throttle, "Trust me, Charley-girl, it was anything but fun."

Modo removing his helmet,gave Vinnie a glance. He couldn't blame him for being upset. Throttle had gone too far and they were both really worried. Vinnie's way of dealing with it was anger and saying all the wrong things, his was quiet concern.

Throttle took off his helmet and gave no reaction to what Vinnie had said. He looked almost frightening. He'd taken off the red bandanna, that use to hang around his neck, along with the one around his wrist. He'd replace them with a black long sleeve tee shirt that if you looked hard had a slight blood stain where his tattoo was located. Though he still wore the leather vest all the bright silver buttons had been torn off leaving small rips in the cloth. It must have been weeks since he'd done anything to his hair, because it was tangled in a wild mess that coved his head. Even the tuft of hair that was one of his most endearing features had grown much longer and covered his shades ominously.

"Leave him alone, Vincent." Modo knew that, unlike before, Throttle wasn't to be push.

"No, I'm sick of tip toeing around. He was way outta line and almost killed that guy if you hadn't pulled him off."

"What?" Charley stood in shock.

"That's what we're here, for ain't it?" Throttle sat on his bike with his arms crossed staring at the ground as his icy voice slithered from his mouth.

"You know we don't work that way, not their way. We bring um down, but we don't kill in cold blood. We aren't like them." Modo said trying to talk a little sense into his distant friend.

"Well maybe it's time we were."

"You know, Throttle, I use to have a lot of respect for ya. But you lettin' some babe make you act like one of those Zombies from Charley's old scare flicks is just plain stupid. I'm outta here, you ride with him, Modo, I'm done." Vinnie slapped his helmet on and turned his bike to screech out of the garage.

Modo looked to Charley for help. His bros where falling apart and he didn't know how to stop it. She took a long breath and smiled at her distraught friend walking over toward him, "Go calm him down and leave Throttle with me. I think we need to talk a little."

"But.."

"Don't worry he'll be fine and so will I. You have to worry about finding crazy man and trying to calm him down." She leaned up to give him an encouraging kiss on the cheek, then took his helmet from his hand and placed it on his head.

He smiled back, took one more sad glance at Throttle and left.

Charley knew this was coming. She just wasn't sure how she was going to handle it. Should she let him know she had seen everything, maybe that would help open him up? Or maybe it would just send him deeper into himself, if that were possible. She walked over to put the garage door down and decided to play it by ear.

Throttle still hadn't gotten off his bike, nor did he follow Modo when he left, so that was something good. Maybe he actually wanted to talk.

Charley walked over to the frig and retrieved two bottles of root-beer. Popping the tops off with the opener that hung on the wall near by, she walked in front of him and put the bottle on the work table located right next to him. She walked over to the trapdoor steps that lead to her bedroom, sat down and took a long drink from the bottle. Even thought she didn't drink alcohol, she wished that this time it was something a little stronger.

"So we gonna play twenty question?" She said holding the bottle down between her knees.

Throttle turned his head and looked in her direction,"Play What?" He asked confused not familiar with the expression.

"Oh sorry. It's a game Earth children play when they have a secret. They make the other children quess what the secret is, but the others can only ask twenty questions."

He lifted one leg over and stood leaning against the bike for a second. Then walked over to the work bench and picked up the bottle to take a drink too. He flipped the hair from his face and focused his attention back at Charley,

"Don't have any secrets," he said dryly.

"Oh then why are you acting like Karbunkle has given you a personality transplant. You have everyone worried sick. Vinnie's about to go ballistic, Modo is on the verge of a nervous claps. You treat me like I have the plague. You haven't spoken one decent word to me in almost a month. You don't treat your friends like that, Throttle. If there's something wrong you let them help, you don't block them out."

Charley felt herself about to go too far, say too much. The way he'd been treating her only added to the pain she had already felt. But still she didn't want him to know her real feelings or let her ownsecret out.

"You all ready know Charlene. I knew you were there, I could feel you." He said quietly.

Charley dropped the soda and sat with her mouth hanging open.

"I'm...I'm.. so sorry, Throttle. I didn't mean to pry. I just didn't know what to do. I was already there when you got the call and when I came out of the bathroom I didn't want you to see me. I should have gone back in, but you were hurting so much and I thought that maybe I... I could..do something. But when I saw you... I knew there was nothing I could do so I left."

Charley felt horrible all she could do was hope he didn't hate her.

"I guess I put on quite a show groveling around like some wounded animal. Doesn't matter, nothin' matters. Can't really blame her, she deserved more than me anyhow. Maybe the next guy will give her what she needs, love her and Mars like she wants...stupid war takes everything from you, family, friends, love," he looked at the bottle in his hand then threw it so hard it exploded on contact with the opposite wall, afterward burying his head in his hands.

Charley jumped up frighten by the noise. She hesitate for a second then slowly walked over to him. She cautiously place a hand on his back, but he shrugged her off and rushed over to his bike. Charley ran after him and moved between he and the machine.

"Don't run from me, Throttle. Please I can help," her hand touched his face.

He looked into her compassionate eyes."Can you, Charlene?"

His hand brushed the hair from her face and held the back of her neck. She didn't move as his other arm wrapped around her waist. He leaned down to kiss her, but it didn't feel like she dreamed it might have. It was cold and harsh and frightened her. This wasn't right, she could feel it going too far, he was going too far and she wanted it to stop. She tried to stop him, but her breathless no's where engulfed by his kiss. She tried to push away, but his arms where too tight around her. Still she began to struggle, this wasn't Throttle, it was the raw emotion that had taken him over. The valiant young woman wasn't going to let anything happen, she began fighting with every fibber in her. She struggled to get free and that struggle backed her and him against the bike and it toppled under their weight. Charley flew over backward with Throttle's bulk landing right on top of her.The momentum flung her head back and it hit hard against the concrete floor and she went limp.

The sudden fall snapped Throttle back to himself and he realized that Charley wasn't moving under him. He lift up and saw she was unconscious. The arm that was still under her shoulders felt warm liquid trickling down it.

To be continued...