Another night, another chapter. Enjoy, everyone.
Back atRobotnik's base, a few hours later, the rest of the band was still in their cell. They were now under heavier guard, Sleet and Dingo both standing with weapons ready. Sleet had his foot bandaged, while Dingo had a nice bruise large on his forehead. It seemed that he no longer found Metallica "cool."
"So I guess James got out, huh?" Kirk said, smiling.
Sleet looked him right in the eye, pissed.
"Shut up, human. The rest of you are still here, and we're going to make sure it stays that way."
Lars got up and walked to the bars. He looked at Dingo, sarcasm in his eyes.
"Hey dumbass," he said, "why don't you entertain us with another kazoo solo?" Everyone broke out laughing.
Dingo's face went red with anger. He looked at Sleet, who gave him a nod. Then he took aim and fired his gun right at Lars' feet, missing by only inches.
"Fuck!" he shouted at the heat singed his shoes.
"The next one won't miss." Dingo said with authority.
While they were standing there, Dr. Robotnik entered the room, and very quietly, pulled up a chair and sat his large frame down in front of the band. Kirk and Jason stared, while Lars sat down and tended to his foot.
"What do you want with us now?" Jason asked. Robotnik's cold eyes just stared at him, anger in them.
"Want?" he said slowly, "What I wanted was for you all to cooperate with my plan. But it seems that when it comes to cooperating, you gentlemen can create a hell of a fuss."
Kirk stepped up to the bars and, being the calm and reasoning person he was, stared the doctor right back in the eye.
"We create a fuss?" he said, motioning his hand toward the others, "If I'm not mistaken, you captured us. You made a hell of a lot more fuss then we did, big guy."
Jason stepped up, backing up his band mate.
"He's right, fat ass, you can't say anything about us doing shit!"
Robotnik glared. He realized that the band had a point, but decided not to argue. He raised a hand to silence the band so he could talk.
"I'm not in the mood to play games with you this moment," he said. "I have been given enough grief from your lead singer, and I will not take any from you three!"
Kirk and Jason backed away from the bars, getting the point. Robotnik continued on.
"Now, it would seem that the plan with you which I originally had in mind has developed a problem. See, I had captured four of you, but it appears your lead singer has managed to work up the courage to escape."
Lars, still checking his foot, looked up, cutting the doctor off.
"Yeah, and you can bet that when he comes back, he'll have a whole shit load of help with him!"
Robotnik glanced at Lars.
"Mr. Ulrich, unless you wish to keep your foot the next time, I recommend you keep quiet!"
Lars glared, but he got the message and shut his mouth, going back to tending to his foot.
"Now then," Robotnik continued, "With your lead singer gone, it has come to mind that as a band, it would be rather hard for you to function as a band. Thus, it seems to me that you have now become a liability and are no longer needed."
He nodded to Sleet and Dingo, who raised their weapons, aimed at the guy's heads.
"It would be rather simple to accomplish, really; shoot you here, dispose of the evidence, and make it seem on your world as if an accident happened during a concert. And trust me, I am fully capable of making this happen."
He sat and stared at the bands now concerned faces; concern for their life. After a minute of letting them think about it, he chuckled and motioned for Sleet and Dingo to lower their weapons.
"Of course, I wouldn't want that. To kill someone as popular as you would be…out of character for me. So, in the interest of fairness, I have decided to let you go."
He pulled out his remote control and pressed another button. The cell door slowly slid open.
This surprised the guys. They glanced at each other, then at the open door. Lars and Jason got up and were ready to walk out, but Kirk stopped them, sensing that something was wrong. He glanced at the doctor.
"Wait a minute," he said, "A guy like you wouldn't just let a captive go. What's the catch?"
Robotnik grinned, pretending to be sincere. But it was clear to Kirkthat he was hiding something.
"Why, there is no catch. I just figured that my genius is better suited to other important things."
Kirk didn't buy that for a minute. His eyes narrowed.
"Okay, but answer me this. If you'll let us free, where are we supposed to go?"
Robotnik chuckled.
"Why, back to your world, of course. I have no intention of leaving you on a world you know nothing of."
At this point, Jason and Lars were getting anxious to leave. They tried to talk some sense into Kirk.
"Look man," Jason said, "He's letting us go. Why do you have a problem with that?"
Lars came up next to his band mate.
"Yeah, we got a fucking free ticket home. We shouldn't pass this up."
Kirk shook his head.
"You guys are thinking to much for yourselves and not enough for Metallica. Maybe you forgot that James is out there running around someplace. You want to just up and leave his ass here alone?"
Robotnik cleared his throat to get the band's attention.
"I assure you gentlemen that when Mr. Hetfield is found, he will be returned to your world as soon as possible."
This did get everyone's attention. Jason turned back to Kirk.
"See that? We got nothin' to worry about. Everything's cool." Lars nodded in agreement. Kirk just glared at Robotnik. He didn't trust him one bit. But yet, he couldn't really prove that the doctor was talking bullshit.
After a minute, he sighed.
"Okay doc, you win this one."
Ten minutes later, the three band members were standing in the room they had first entered, standing right in front of the inter-dimensional portal. Dr. Robotnik was at the console, making some final adjustments as the machine fired up. As it slowly came to life, he turned to the band.
"It will take some time to warm up."
Jason and Lars were still anxious to get going, but Kirk still felt as though something was wrong. He knew that the doctor was planning something, but he wasn't quite sure what.
Robotnik walked up to the guys.
"Before you leave, I decided to have my robots create a little something for you all, just to show that there's no hard feelings." He motioned for Sleet to walk forward. When he got there, he opened his hand, revealing three small pins, like what one would place on their shirt for a special occasion.
They were round, with a black center and a white border. In big bold white letters, METALLICA was spelled on the black part, while smaller letters in black spelled out 'We are the fucking greatest' on the white border. Each band member grabbed one and examined it.
"What the fuck are these for?"Lars asked.
Robotnik grinned.
"Why, they are simply a gift. Nothing more."
Each band member looked them over, and then with a look of, 'Why not', pined them to their shirts.
"Not bad," Kirk said. "Maybe you ain't all bad, doc."
Robotnik grinned slyly. It was obvious he had something planned.
Just when everyone was set, the portal finally materialized, the image forming of the interior of the stadium in their world, in the exact room they were taken from.
Kirk looked into his world as he stepped toward the portal.
"Well, all I got to say is, Good bye and good riddance."
He and the other band members started to walk toward the device, but just when they were about to step through, the portal suddenly dissipated. The band stood there confused.
"What the fuck?" Lars said.
"Come on! This is bull shit!" Jason exclaimed in frustration.
Kirk was the only one who seemed to know what happened. Instantly, he turned to Robotnik, who stood there with his finger on the 'emergency shut down' button on the console.
"What the fuck did you do?"
Robotnik smirked.
"Oh, I'm sorry, my finger slipped," he said, sarcastically. He began to laugh.
Jason and Lars were pissed, but it was Jason who finally took action.
"You fucking piece of shit, I'll tear you apart!"
He rushed the doctor, but Robotnik quickly whipped out his remote and pressed yet another button. Instantly, the pin on Jason's shirt began to glow, and he stopped in his tracks, holding his head in agony. Robotnik laughed evilly.
"Whoops, I slipped again."
Kirk and Lars were shocked.
"What the fuck did you do to him?" Lars asked, demandingly.
"Teaching him a lesson," the doctor responded coldly. "And it seems that the same needs to be done for you."
He pressed two more buttons, and the Pins on Kirk and Lars began to glow as well, and they two crumpled to the ground, caught in what felt to them like a train was running over their heads.
The doctor walked up and stood over the band. He glanced over each band member, and gave a look of false sympathy.
"I'm sorry, gentlemen, but you brought this upon yourselves."
Kirk looked up at the doctor, his head feeling like it was going to explode.
"What…the…hell…" he struggled, trying to fight the pain.
The doctor looked around once more, and then started talking.
"You see, when your lead singer escaped a few hours ago, I was stumped on how I was going to proceed with my plan. But then it hit me. I still had three good band members left, so I decided to hold on to them at all costs. I had my robots create the pins, which you now have on, and while they may look nice on the outside, inside, they are composed of microscopic networks. These networks emit energy waves directly to the brain of the person wearing the pin, blocking and disrupting the brain's patterns and leaving the person more or less lifeless. This then leaves said person open to, suggestion, shall we say, allowing me to send my own commands to the brain, making them able to do whatever I command."
The band members continued to struggle as the doctor continued.
"Of course, the first few moments, there is sever pain as the normal brain patters are disrupted and blocked, but it shall soon subside. Soon, I will be the only one running Metallica."
Kirk looked up at the doctor one last time.
"You…Bastard…" he managed to blurt out. Then, his face fell to the floor. He had blacked out. And it appeared the rest of the band followed.
Robotnik waited a few minutes, and then glanced down at his remote. All three buttons he had pressed were now flashing green. He smiled evilly.
"It's done. Stand up, gentlemen."
The band suddenly came back to life, slowly pulling themselves to their feet. They all stood next to each other, perfectly straight, like a solider at attention. Their eyes stared off into space, their faces drawn and expressionless. They had no more control over their bodies.
Robotnik pressed a button on the remote, and the trap door from earlier opened, and up came the stage of instruments.
"Now gentlemen, take your appropriate instruments, and play…oh I don't know…Master of puppets."
The bans members all looked up at once. "Yes, Doctor Robotnik," they droned. They now sounded and acted more like robots then humans.
They all turned and walked up to their guitars, Lars to his drums. Kirk's voice droned out a beat. "One, two, three, four," and with a quick start, they went right into the opening riff.
Sleet walked up to Dr. Robotnik as they played.
"Sir, shouldn't we leave? What about the subliminal message chips?"
Robotnik glanced down at his assistant.
"Relax, my little friend. The chips can't be activated unless I do so. Right now, those are just normal instruments."
Sleet nodded in understanding, but then he noticed another thing.
"Doctor, you are aware that the songs won't sound right without the Lead singer and his extra guitar playing?"
Robotnik glanced at the empty spot where James would have been standing. The guitar was still sitting in its stand.
"Hmm, I see your point, but fear not, I do have yet another plan that should solve that."
He grinned evilly.
"If you can't get the original, make another."