Dance of Death

Zanya finished loading her guns and looked at Road Pig. "Are you ready for this?" she asked him seriously.

"You bet," replied the large Dreadnok as he hefted up the large machine gun he was carrying.

Zanya closed her eyes to focus her mind on the bloodbath that was about to ensue. "Don't get dead on me," she warned Road Pig. "Because if you do, I won't be very happy with you."

Road Pig smiled as the ding of the elevator sounded to signal that it had reached the basement. "Wouldn't dream of it," he said as he gave her a playful nudge on the shoulder.

Meanwhile, upstairs Zartan was pacing back and forth impatiently.

"Brother," said Zandar. "Do not worry for Zanya. She has never failed to accomplish a task for you. I do not think she shall start now."

"I think I'll check out da front wit da uddas," said Zanzibar when he realized the tender moment that Zartan and Zandar were having. Zartan ignored him and just continued to pace.

Up at the front, Ripper was watching the action. "Da coppas don't know wha' to do," he said to the others.

"Oy, Zarana?" asked Buzzer. "'Ow come Zanya and Road Pig get to 'ave all da fun?"

"Because, moron," replied Zarana. "They will get the job done. I don't think the same can be said for some of you others."

"OH!" said Torch. "Dat's not nice, Zarana! Dat hurts."

"The truth usually does," said Zarana. "Now shut up."

"Ay!" shouted Thrasher into his headset. "You all still there? What's the fucking hold up?"

"We're waiting for Zanya to work some 11th Hour magic," said Zarana. "Just sit tight and keep waiting."

"I hate waiting," said Monkeywrench.

"Too damn bad," hissed Zarana. "If you don't like it, talk to Zartan about it."

"I'll wait," said Monkeywrench.

"I figured you would," said Zarana with a smile. "Don't worry, the carnage will start soon enough."

Zanzibar walked up and looked at Zarana. "Things by the lift were gettin' too serious," he said. "Any damage I can do?"

"Hold on," said Zarana. "Let me ask. Brother, can we play while Zanya clears the way?"

Zartan let out a frustrated sigh. "Very well," he said. "IF you must."

"Oh," began Zanzibar when he heard Zartan's reply on his headset. "We must. We must indeed."

Zartan muted his headset and looked at his brother. "Maybe fortune will smile on me," he said to him. "And they will all get themselves killed."

"Don't wish too strongly for that, brother," said Zandar. "They do have their uses."

"Name them," said Zartan with a wry smile.

Zandar looked contemplative for an instant. "I will have to get back to you on that," he said with an equally wry smile. The both of them laughed and were grateful for the relief of tension.

Zanzibar moved over to his sled and removed a remote control device from the back. "Dis is where watching Battle Bots pays off," he said. Then he pulled out a second remote and attached it to the bottom of the first.

"Oy!" said Torch. "Isn't dat my Game Boy?"

"And?" asked Zanzibar as he flipped a switch on the first remote.

"But dat's my Game Boy!" whined Torch.

"Well," said Zanzibar. "You weren't using it when I built this thing."

"Dat's not right," said Torch. "Dat's really not right."

"Oh well!" said Zanzibar as the sled's engines roared to life and the sled lifted off of the ground. "Time ta play!"

Zanya set her guns to full-auto and winked at Road Pig. "Let's play!" she said as the doors opened. Instantly they were both covered by infrared targeting lights.

"Drop your weapons and put your hands on your heads!" ordered one of the policemen.

"No," replied Zanya.

"Please," said the officer. "Drop your weapons and we promise you won't get hurt."

"No," said Zanya again. "Drop your weapons and we will let you live!"

With that she dove out of the elevator and behind cover as Road Pig opened fire with his machine gun. The police took cover and Zanya set into motion. Popping up from behind her cover, she opened fire with both of her pistols and sprayed bullets in a wide arc. When she finished her initial burst of fire, she crossed in front of Road Pig under the bullets he was firing. A few policemen tried to take shots at her, but as soon as they presented even the slightest portion of themselves Zanya shot them.

Eventually, Road Pig ran out of ammunition and paused inside the elevator to reload while Zanya moved towards the policemen. They were in a disoriented mess and Zanya was able to take full advantage of the fact. Without mercy she continued to shoot down any policeman who caught her eye until the police had no choice but to fall back outside the room. Road Pig finally finished reloading his weapon moments later and turned his weapon to where he thought the policemen were, only to find Zanya alone in the room casually reloading her guns. "You didn't save any for me?" he asked dejectedly.

"You didn't reload fast enough," said Zanya with a smile. "What was I supposed to do?"

Road Pig didn't say anything, but instead just picked her up in a great big bear hug.

Upstairs, Zanzibar's sled moved out of the building and hovered level with the police cruisers on the street. One of the policemen shouted something incoherent into his bullhorn and all the assembled Dreadnoks just smirked. "Gonna make their lives short, ya?" said Zanzibar as he looked into the second control unit and pressed a button. Instantly outside the guns on the sled fired off a blistering barrage at the policemen. Zanzibar smiled and moved the control stick side-to-side while still firing, causing the sled to fire in a wide sweeping arc. A few people, both civilian and not, were subsequently mowed down. "Messy, messy!"

Gnawgahyde smiled at the distraction that was being caused and took aim again with his rifle. "They're gonna need another leader!" he said into the communicator as he squeezed off a round that hit the new cop in charge of the scene in the head. "Oops! Another one gone down to Hell!"

"We're missing out on the fun," said Thrasher. "This sucks."

"Our time is coming," reassured Monkeywrench. "Just wait."

"I hate waiting," said Thrasher.

"Take it out on the cops then when the time comes," said Monkeywrench.

"I will," said Thrasher.

"Father," said Zanya once Road Pig set her down again.

"Yes, my daughter?" said Zartan.

"We have dealt with the policemen," she said. "It is safe to return."

"Very well," said Zartan. "All Dreadnoks, prepare to finally move out."

"It's about damn time," said Thrasher. "I was beginning to go stir-crazy."

Gnawgahyde packed up and headed downstairs to his rendezvous point. "I think we've done enough damage for one day," he said amusedly.

Torch, Buzzer, and Ripper moved out with Zarana back to where Zartan and Zandar were waiting for them. However, Torch quickly noticed that Zanzibar wasn't following them.

"Oy!" said Torch. "Zanzibar, we're leavin'!"

"Give me a moment," said Zanzibar as he stopped shooting at the policemen and moved the stick on the controller to move the sled up into the air. Then he aimed it downwards at the crowd of on-lookers. Pushing a different button, he launched the two small missiles on the sides of the sled right at them. Then he aimed the sled at the policemen and drove the sled straight down upon them, causing the sled to explode in a fireball when it crashed. "That oughta shake things up."

"Come on!" ordered Zarana. Zanzibar just smiled and hurried to catch up with the rest of them.

Downstairs, Zanya and Road Pig moved into the next room and finished off the remaining police inside. Once they were satisfied that all the police were dead, they moved over to a large crate. Road Pig grinned, set his gun down and pulled out a large crowbar. With several great grunts and groans, he managed to pry open the crate, revealing a getaway van. "My lady," he said to Zanya as he got into the driver's seat. "Our chariot awaits."

"Why thank you, kind sir," said Zanya with a mock posh accent and an exaggerated curtsey.

A few moments later, Zartan and the rest of the Dreadnoks arrived on the scene. "Blimey," said Buzzer.

"I know," said Zartan proudly.

"What a fucking mess!" said Ripper to finish Buzzer's thought.

"I know," said Zartan again.

"I'm glad those two are on our side," said Zarana.

"I know," said Zartan with a great big smile. "Come, let us be off."

As a single group they met up with Zanya and Road Pig and piled into the van. Once they were all in and seated, Road Pig jammed his foot on the accelerator, drove right through the garage door, and out into the street. Within moments, they were to Gnawgahyde and barely stopped to pick him up. Once he was inside, Road Pig again hit the accelerator and took off down the street. As soon as the police realized who it was in the van, they sent three cruisers after them.

"Thrasher," said Zarana into the communicator. "It's time in five…four…three…two…one. Now!"

"Whoo-Hoo!" shouted Thrasher as he ignited the turbine of the Thunder Machine and broke out of hiding, right behind the three pursuing cruisers.

"Eat lead, coppas!" said Monkeywrench as he fired the Thunder Machine's mini-guns at the cruisers. Within seconds, the three cruisers were shredded by the barrage of gunfire from the Thunder Machine. "Gotcha!"

Five more police cruisers joined in the pursuit and were quickly gaining on the Thunder Machine. "Did you and Torch get that surprise all worked out?" asked Thrasher.

"You bet!" said Monkeywrench.

"Then let's get rid of these annoying pests!" said Thrasher as he pulled up on his parking brake, turned the steering wheel hard, and spun the Thunder Machine 180-degrees to face the oncoming cruisers. As soon as he did so, he put the Thunder Machine into reverse and stomped on the accelerator to avoid a head-on collision with the lead cruiser.

"You drive like a fucking lunatic!" shouted Monkeywrench. "Bloody brilliant!"

"Are we close enough?" asked Thrasher.

"Yuppers," said Monkeywrench as he pushed a button on a control box on the dashboard. Instantly, two flame jets shot out of a pair of tanks that were mounted on the outside of the front wheels. The lead cruiser had no time to react and was instantly engulfed in flames. "Bugger me! It works!"

Thrasher continued to drive in reverse while Monkeywrench dealt with the remaining pursuing cruisers. Once the flame tanks were emptied, Monkeywrench pushed another button to eject them away from the Thunder Machine and resumed firing with the mini-guns. Less than a minute later, none of the cruisers remained in pursuit as they had either been demolished by the Thunder Machine or simply given up the chase. "Zartan," said Thrasher as he spun the Thunder Machine back about. "We're all clear."

"Excellent," said Zartan with a smile. "Now, let's all go home."

To be continued…