Fried Money, Anyone?
To todd fan: Hey there todd fan! I read the new chapters of "X-Men: Evolution, the Musical", and I loved them! Man, you really are into Liz Hurley, aren't you? I'm glad you liked the last chapter so far! Enjoy this new one, and I can hardly wait for new chapters of "X-Men: Evolution, the Musical", "Slugs and Snails", "Little Shop of Mutants", and "Welcome To The EnchantedLand"!
To Red Witch: Hey there Red Witch! Yeah, "Money to Burn" is one of my favorite GI Joe episodes! My birthday is coming up. I just may ask for those GI Joe DVDs for it. You wanted more? Here's the new chapter for you! Enjoy it, and I can hardly wait for new chapters of "Valor, Venom, and Other Stuff", and "Memories Are Made of This"!
To Aaron: Hey there Aaron! I'm glad you liked the last chapter, my friend! Yeah, in the Misfit-verse, "Captain Nebula" is a comic book character, and is one of the favorite comic characters of Kyle "Thunderbolt" Wildfire. Why were Virus and Zanya brawling? Well, maybe Virus accidentally made a crack about Starchild in front of her. Anyway, enjoy the new chapter!
Disclaimer: "What is this? Fruit Juice?"
Chapter 2: One Bad Poker Night!
A laboratory in the Cobra Base
"So…what does this…thermal molecular ignition transmitter do?" Serpentor asked Destro. "It looks like an oversized musical and speech reception device."
"If you mean a radio…I suppose it does resemble a radio slightly." Destro nodded. Oh brother. I think the lunacy of this place is starting to get to him. "Anyway, would you like to see what the device does?"
"It's a lot better than hearing the Dreadnoks' latest wit-filled and intelligent debate." Serpentor nodded.
"We are about to conduct a test." Destro smirked. He pulled several pieces of paper out of his pocket. "As you can see, these are genuine American currency. 100 dollar-bills to be exact."
"How the Americans denote their currency is no concern to me." Serpentor snorted.
"I know. But please observe." Destro put the money on a table. He nodded to a Cobra technician at the transmitter. The technician nodded and typed some commands into a console on the device. The transmitter glowed bright red for a second, then fired a pink beam at the pile of money. The money burst into flame. Within seconds, the money was ash. Serpentor nodded, showing he was impressed.
"I am impressed. Money is indeed the lifeblood of the United States, as Tomax and Xamot here have said before." Serpentor smirked at the twins, who only nodded once in unison with smiles.
"Indeed, Serpentor." Destro smirked.
"By this time tomorrow…the United States will be in financial ruin, and will be at our knees. And soon afterward, the world!" Serpentor crowed.
The Pit communications room
In the Pit communications room, several Joes, and a couple of the Misfits, were gathered around a table. Some money was at the center of the table.
"Hey Ace, you sure it's a good idea to let the boys in?" Ripcord, a Joe para-trooper, asked Ace, a Joe pilot. Ace had on a blue dealer's visor.
"They ain't boys, they're merely amateurs." Ace replied sagely.
"You saying we can't play poker, Ace?" Lance Alvers teased with a smirk. Lance was one of the Misfits. He was a mutant with the power to shape and move earth, hence his codename of Avalanche. He was also the lead guitarist of the Superstars, the world's first all-mutant glam-metal band.
"Don't mind Ace, yo. He tends to run his mouth at the poker table." A frog-like boy snickered, running a hand through his long dirty blond hair. This was Todd Tolensky. He was one of the first Misfits, codenamed Toad. His mutant gene gave him a frog-like appearance, but it also gifted him with superhumanly strong legs, reflexes, agility, night vision, acid spit, and the ability to cling to walls, along other abilities.
"You're going to regret saying that, Frogface." Ace teased back. "Around here, when it comes to gambling, I am…the undisputed…king of gambling."
"Here he goes again." Alpine, a Joe mountain trooper and account, sighed. "Hey Your Majesty, let's deal already."
"Too bad Kitty and Al ain't here, yo. We could play strip poker." Todd joked.
"Kitty would kick my butt for suggesting it." Lance shook his head with a smile.
"Okay boys…" Ace announced as he dealt cards out to the guys. "The game is standard rules because we got new players, and jokers are wild." The pilot dealt out the cards and the players all looked at their hands. Ace whooped. "Read 'em and weep, boys! I got a hand that no one can beat!"
"What's going on here?" Roadblock, a GI Joe heavy machine gunner, and Toad's guardian, walked into the room. He eyed Lance and Toad.
"Uh oh…" Alpine gulped.
"Toad, what have I told you about hanging around Ace?" Roadblock crossed his arms and looked at Toad sternly.
"Uh…" Todd blinked. "Not to if you value your allowance?" Todd guessed. Ace chuckled.
"Relax, Roadblock." Ace chuckled. "I'm just teaching him a valuable skill he'll need later in life."
"Poker is not that valuable a talent." Roadblock said to Ace. "You're trying to give me even more lament!"
"I dunno. I kinda like it." Lance cracked a big grin at Roadblock.
"I'm out." Alpine threw down his cards.
"Me too." Alpine agreed. "No way can we take down Ace."
"Oh no! I think Ace is full of it." Lance smirked. "Even he can't keep up his lucky streak forever!"
"Yeah, yo! You're bluffing!" Todd agreed. Ace let out a smirk.
"Ahh, youthful mistakes." Alpine crossed his arms and shook his head good-naturedly at the two Misfits with a smile.
"Boys, you are going to regret that." Ace smirked. He was about to throw down his winning hand when suddenly, the money on the table erupted in pink light and incinerated. "What? My winnings!"
"Where'd the money go?" Lance blinked.
"Hey!" Alpine felt something going on in his back pocket. He pulled out his wallet and looked in it. "My money!" Alpine shook the wallet over the table, and ash came out, landing on the table.
"Everybody check your wallets!" Lance ordered. "Put the money on the table!" Roadblock, Toad, Ace, and Lance took out their wallets and emptied them. Instead of money, ash came out of their wallets.
"You're kidding me!" Ace exclaimed in shock. "I had the winnings from three other games today in here! What's going on here?"
"Did…did all our cash just do the big flash?" Roadblock blinked.
"I got a bad feeling about this, yo." Todd said to Lance.
"Yeah." Lance agreed with a nod. "I got a funny feeling that a certain bunch of snakes is behind this."
Well, well, well! Lance may not know how right he is! What insanity will happen next? What is Cobra up to now? Why are they destroying money? Can our heroes put a stop to it? Will Ace ever get his winnings back? Find out in the next chapter! Suggestions needed badly!