Author Note: Get ready to meet my new Lightning Knight, fellow readers.
Chapter 3: Going Wild in the West
Ace and Thunderfoot had escaped the horrors of Nevershine Mine, and found themselves in a spooky ghost town, built in the middle of a rugged canyon. There were several small huts lined up next to eachother, and there were a series of zombies cowboys, a group wandering around, as if they were constipated, and some wielding guns. A few tumbleweeds were rolling around in the strong breeze and a couple of green scorpions wearing hats were scuttling around.
Thunderfoot sneaked past the villains to a hut, where a notice was pinned up. He tore it off and turned to Ace who had joined him.
"Well, what does it say?" asked Ace impatiently.
"It is…a wanted sign!" said Thunderfoot in bewilderment.
"What?" bellowed Ace.
"It says, Wanted: Ace Lightning. Dangerous, reckless and uncaring, beware this Lightning Knight and approach if necessary. Award: 100,000 Doom Dimes. For more information, see Dirty Rat at the Rattrap Hotel.
"That…that…rat!" cursed Ace out loud, catching the villains' attention.
"Hey! It's Ace Lightning!" screamed a cowboy. "Destroy him!" shouted another.
The rolling tumbleweeds turned and rolled quickly towards Ace, developing sharp thorns. Thunderfoot jumped between them and Ace and with a swift slash of his axe, he turned the tumbleweeds to pincushions. The cowboys pulled out their guns and shot bullets at them. Ace backflipped to dodge the bullets and fired lightning bolts at the cowboys, whom died. The scorpions scuttled over and attempted to sting Ace, but Thunderfoot picked them up by their tails, swung them around and tossed them into the approaching cowboys.
"That was close! Let's get to that hotel!" shouted Ace, running through the clearing and down a passage.
"Yes sir" replied Thunderfoot excitedly and ran after his comrade.
After a few minutes of blasting enemies and running down obnoxious paths, Ace and Thunderfoot came to a signpost. An image of a hotel pointed down a dark path, chock-a-block of cactuses. Ace glared determinedly and marched into the cactus lane, followed by Thunderfoot. There was nothing but cactuses, big and small, all down the path.
"It is quiet…to quiet!" whispered Thunderfoot, looking suspiciously at the cactuses.
"Your right, now that you mention it, I think we are being followed!" said Ace. The two turned around to look behind them. Nothing. Just the same cactuses that had not moved. Ace shrugged and the two carried on, but then the suddenly span around. There actually were an army of zombies disguised in cactus costumes, hopping after Ace and Thunderfoot. Ace and Thunderfoot screamed and ran away. At the end of the passage were two welcoming escalators, one moving upward, and the other moving downward.
"Let's get up that escalator! It is our only hope of escaping those Cactus Men!" said Ace.
As they approached the escalator, there was a loud sound of squeaky tyres and out of no where came a pink kangaroo, with a toilet on its head. It frantically road a old bicycle down one of the escalators and peddled like a madman towards the approaching cactuses. It collided with the Cactus Men and knocked them down like a bowling ball hitting some bowling pins. Ace and Thunderfoot exchanged looks and ran up the escalator they required. When they got the top, they finally saw their destination: The Rattrap Hotel.
The Rattrap Hotel was a large crumbling pink building, built on a rocky pillar, in the middle of a crater. All of its windows were boarded up, except for a couple, which were glowing with spooky green glows. On the roof were giant flashing letters which spelt out 'hotel'; but the L on the sign was lopsided and the O was not bright. Several zombies patrolled the outside of the hotel, and mechanical vultures glided around the top of the building.
"I certainly do not want to get reservations here!" commented Thunderfoot. "Hotel? It looks like a low-tel!" said Ace. "Anyway, we've got to find Dirty Rat, in order to obtain the amulet piece!" said Thunderfoot.
"Your right" said Ace "Let's go and put that rat in a cage!".
Ace and Thunderfoot managed to get over to the hotel with help from some floating rocks, and avoid the zombies without notice. They then entered into the hotel.
The first room was a bar room. There were several round tables scattered in the centre of the room, where zombies sat playing cards. Behind the tables was a bar where a zombie in a waiter costume stood, wiping a bottle. Some transparent can can dancers pranced about with some more zombies on the staircase above. There was also another Cactus Man sitting by the bar, wearing a poncho and a Mexican hat.
"Hm-mh!" coughed Ace. All the villains looked up in astonishment. "Would anyone know where Dirty Rat would be?" asked Ace. Suddenly, the cowboys threw away their playing cards and pulled out their guns. They fired bullets at the Lightning Knights. The Cactus Man hopped towards Ace, but he stumbled over and exploded. The Can Can Ghouls floated around in the shadows, while the zombies leapt down from the stairs to join the brawl. Ace fled from the cowboy zombies, who slowly chased after him. The Zombie Waiter scooped up a bottle and threw it at Thunderfoot. Thunderfoot dodged the bottle as it hit a table and smashed. Thunderfoot threw his axe at the waiter and struck him in the chest. The waiter groaned and slouched over the bar before vanishing. Ace fired lightning bolts at the following cowboy crew. They all flopped over like fish. Thunderfoot took care of the Can Can Ghouls who tried to knock him out with their flying shoes. Finally, the bar room brawl was over and Ace found the required key and unlocked the door to the next room.
The next room was a giant round ballroom with a chequered floor and a small piano in a corner. The pattern on the ceiling was shaped as the Amulet of Zoar. Just then, Dirty Rat flew into the room, grinning evilly.
"Hey Lightning, never the day would I see you get reservations here!" laughed Dirty Rat "Or did you and your little friend come to steal my amulet piece!".
"Less talk rodent! Now hand the amulet over!" shouted Ace. "You'll have to get through my friend first!" said Dirty Rat. There was a sudden rumbling and from the ceiling fell a giant cowboy, the size of the Empire State Building, and landed on the ground. He was completely made from stone.
"Hahahaha! Prepare to die!" laughed Dirty Rat "Because Giant George Wayne is about to squash you!".
"Say your prays Geronimo!" said Giant George. "We can take this giant cowboy on any day!" said Thunderfoot.
"I don't think so!" laughed Dirty Rat. Giant George suddenly strode forward towards Ace. Ace realised that George was trying to flatten him, and jumped aside and ran over to the other side of the room, where Dirty Rat sat on the piano. Ace whistled to Giant George who was looking for him. George spotted Ace and ran over to him. Ace jumped out of the way and Giant George tripped over his foot and fell directly on Dirty Rat and the piano.
"Whoa! That battle was quick!" exclaimed Thunderfoot. Ace walked over to the unconscious cowboy. Dirty Rat's hat was visible underneath Giant George's body.
"Gggrrrrr….I'll get you for this Ace!" groaned the muffled voice of Dirty Rat.
"Ha! You'll have to break up with Giant George first, he has a real crush on you!" laughed Ace. He then took the amulet piece from Dirty Rat's hand. Dirty Rat suddenly vanished in a flash of blue smoke. Thunderfoot approached Ace and looked confused.
"He just vanished into thin air!" said Thunderfoot, bewildered.
"Dirty Rat is actually a ghost, and he is only usually able to stay visible if he has an Amulet fragment" explained Ace. "Oh, so how do we get out of here?" asked Thunderfoot.
As he said those words, the far wall smashed in forwards and a small battleship that looked like a silver bird entered the room. It slowly landed and out of the cockpit, came a strange robotic human that had raptor like claws and a long metal tail. He had a robotic yellow eye and a normal human eye with scars surrounding.
He smiled and approached Ace. "Ace, Thunderfoot, greetings!" said the metallic human.
"Good to see you Shockwave!" said Ace, shaking the Lightning Knight's clawed hand.
"Same here…" groaned Thunderfoot. Thunderfoot didn't really like Shockwave. Shockwave was an expert in air attacks and had a high rank in the Lightning Knights, which made Thunderfoot jealous. Swift, brave and crafty, Shockwave was always a great superhero.