Hiya, folks! Ok, this is probably another short chapter, but there's nothing I can do about it...ok, so maybe there is...but the story is better this way. Anyway, here's another new original character to add to the list...don't get relieved, there's still more to come. Well, enjoy this chapter as much as you possibly can.
Mike Steele tore down the highway on his Harley. He maneuvered his motorcycle between the other cars with practiced ease. He reached a wide stretch of road with only a few cars in the right lane. The left lane was completely clear. Leaning back, Mike put his motorcycle into a wheelie and accelerated quickly.
Mike's sharp eyes spotted the turn signal of the battered pickup just in time. He swerved around the vehicle unscathed. He hated when cars did that. Pressing his fingers together, he created a nail the size of his thumb. He flicked his wrist back, releasing the pointed projectile. The nail pierced the pickup's tire and the driver was forced to pull over.
Mike smiled. Being a mutant had its advantages. Especially being able to create metal from the atmosphere.
Mike had the typical look of a biker. He had a long beard, was fairly muscular, and wore sunglasses, a bandana, and a leather coat. Mike checked his fuel meter. It was nearing empty. He continued on until he reached the nearest exit.
Minutes later, Mike pulled into a gas station. Dismounting, he noticed his back wheel was looking rather worn out. He quickly refueled his precious motorcycle and began to search the town for a mechanic. When he finally found one, he approached a pair of legs sticking out from under a car.
"Hey!" Mike shouted. There was a sudden clunk and a shriek of frustration as the man under the car hit his head.
"What do you want?" the bony man pulled himself out from under the car, rubbing his head. He was aging and had only small wisps of white hair.
"Are you the mechanic here?" Mike asked, slightly impatient.
"This is Rick's Garage ain't it?" the man's western accent made his annoyance easier to notice, "Read the name tag!"
Mike glanced at the man's name tag. Sure enough, the name Rick was clearly printed on it.
"So what do you want?" Rick asked, putting his hands on his hips.
"You need to replace a wheel on my Harley," Mike ordered, "And as soon as possible."
"Well, who died and put you in charge?" Rick asked sarcastically, "I'll have to keep it overnight. I have a few other appointments. You can come back tomorrow for it."
"I don't leave until the job's done," Mike told him.
"Suit yourself," Rick scowled, "but there's nowhere to sleep 'round here except my office and I ain't lettin' you in there."
"I don't need to sleep," Mike insisted.
"Whatever you say," Rick wheeled the motorcycle into his garage while Mike sat down on a bench outside.
Nucleo's van moved quickly down the dark road. Nucleo sat in the passenger seat explaining his plan. Lorenzo was in the driver's seat, obviously driving. Max, Carl, and Roy sat in the back seats, listening to Nucleo.
"Only use force if necessary," Nucleo finished.
"Estamos casi allí," Lorenzo said.
"What?" Nucleo turned to him, "Speak in English."
"We're almost there," Lorenzo said, slightly irritated.
"Good," Nucleo smiled, "I hope everyone's ready."
Mike was just dozing off when a van pulled up to the garage. He watched as five men got out of the van and began to walk towards him. At least, four of them looked like men. One of the forms was slightly stooped and had a lizard-like form to it. Mike concealed his surprise when the group stopped in front of him.
"Good evening," said the figure closest to him.
"Uh, hey," Mike couldn't recognize the group as anyone he knew. Maybe it was that pickup driver that he forced to pull over.
"Allow me to introduce myself," the figure said, "I am Nucleo. I, like yourself, am a mutant."
"Not so loud," Mike hissed, "That guy in there doesn't know I'm a mutant!"
"There's nothing to be ashamed of," Nucleo assured him, "Mutants should be treated with respect. Just like any other human being."
One of the figures behind Nucleo cleared their throat.
"Ah, yes," Nucleo shook his head, "I'm getting off track. You have been chosen to join me in my quest."
"Quest?" Mike wondered if this was some kind of joke.
"Yes," Nucleo nodded, light reflecting off of his glass eye, "I want revenge. Revenge on a traitor to the mutant race. Unfortunately, he has an army of his own. That's what you are for. Especially you."
"Why especially me?" Mike leaned back. He wanted answers.
"I need you for only his army. The leader of this army can manipulate metal. You, with your metal-making abilities, would be useless against him. I need you to fight his army." Nucleo explained, making things perfectly clear.
"Alright, so what if I do join you?" Mike wasn't much for sticking his neck out for others. He wanted something for himself, "What's in it for me?"
"Name your price," Nucleo smiled in the dark.
Mike paused. The guy was willing to let him choose a price. This was a deal he couldn't pass up.
"Bills," Mike said, "If you pay my mechanical and gas bills for my bike until this job is over, then it's a deal."
"Welcome to the team," Nucleo extended his hand.
Mike took it and shook.
Nucleo straightened up again, "Now if you'll follow me, we'll return to the van."
"I don't leave without my bike," Mike insisted.
"How long is that gonna take?" asked another figure.
"Mechanic said he'd have to keep it overnight," Mike told them, "Said he has other appointments."
In the dark, Mike could see Nucleo smile.
"Raptor," Nucleo turned to the lizard figure, "Why don't you give our mechanic a little visit and have him work on Blacksmith's bike now."
Mike assumed Nucleo was referring to him when he said Blacksmith.
Raptor crept into the garage. A few moments later, Raptor returned with a smile on his face, "He took a little scare and started working on it right away."
Ten minutes later, Mike's bike was ready to go. Mike mounted it and started it up.
"Just follow the van," Nucleo instructed him.
As the vehicles pulled away, Rick poked his head out of the door, checking if they were gone. He shivered as he closed and locked the door. Mutants gave him the creeps.
Yup, that's right, done already. You know, it just dawned on me...there's two new characters in this chapter...RICK!!!! Remember? Well, I don't think you'll have to worry about him anymore. What's that you say? Update soon? I will update as my spirit sees fit. It can be stubborn at times. Farewell! Up, up, and AWAAAAAAAY!!!!
Mike Steele tore down the highway on his Harley. He maneuvered his motorcycle between the other cars with practiced ease. He reached a wide stretch of road with only a few cars in the right lane. The left lane was completely clear. Leaning back, Mike put his motorcycle into a wheelie and accelerated quickly.
Mike's sharp eyes spotted the turn signal of the battered pickup just in time. He swerved around the vehicle unscathed. He hated when cars did that. Pressing his fingers together, he created a nail the size of his thumb. He flicked his wrist back, releasing the pointed projectile. The nail pierced the pickup's tire and the driver was forced to pull over.
Mike smiled. Being a mutant had its advantages. Especially being able to create metal from the atmosphere.
Mike had the typical look of a biker. He had a long beard, was fairly muscular, and wore sunglasses, a bandana, and a leather coat. Mike checked his fuel meter. It was nearing empty. He continued on until he reached the nearest exit.
Minutes later, Mike pulled into a gas station. Dismounting, he noticed his back wheel was looking rather worn out. He quickly refueled his precious motorcycle and began to search the town for a mechanic. When he finally found one, he approached a pair of legs sticking out from under a car.
"Hey!" Mike shouted. There was a sudden clunk and a shriek of frustration as the man under the car hit his head.
"What do you want?" the bony man pulled himself out from under the car, rubbing his head. He was aging and had only small wisps of white hair.
"Are you the mechanic here?" Mike asked, slightly impatient.
"This is Rick's Garage ain't it?" the man's western accent made his annoyance easier to notice, "Read the name tag!"
Mike glanced at the man's name tag. Sure enough, the name Rick was clearly printed on it.
"So what do you want?" Rick asked, putting his hands on his hips.
"You need to replace a wheel on my Harley," Mike ordered, "And as soon as possible."
"Well, who died and put you in charge?" Rick asked sarcastically, "I'll have to keep it overnight. I have a few other appointments. You can come back tomorrow for it."
"I don't leave until the job's done," Mike told him.
"Suit yourself," Rick scowled, "but there's nowhere to sleep 'round here except my office and I ain't lettin' you in there."
"I don't need to sleep," Mike insisted.
"Whatever you say," Rick wheeled the motorcycle into his garage while Mike sat down on a bench outside.
Nucleo's van moved quickly down the dark road. Nucleo sat in the passenger seat explaining his plan. Lorenzo was in the driver's seat, obviously driving. Max, Carl, and Roy sat in the back seats, listening to Nucleo.
"Only use force if necessary," Nucleo finished.
"Estamos casi allí," Lorenzo said.
"What?" Nucleo turned to him, "Speak in English."
"We're almost there," Lorenzo said, slightly irritated.
"Good," Nucleo smiled, "I hope everyone's ready."
Mike was just dozing off when a van pulled up to the garage. He watched as five men got out of the van and began to walk towards him. At least, four of them looked like men. One of the forms was slightly stooped and had a lizard-like form to it. Mike concealed his surprise when the group stopped in front of him.
"Good evening," said the figure closest to him.
"Uh, hey," Mike couldn't recognize the group as anyone he knew. Maybe it was that pickup driver that he forced to pull over.
"Allow me to introduce myself," the figure said, "I am Nucleo. I, like yourself, am a mutant."
"Not so loud," Mike hissed, "That guy in there doesn't know I'm a mutant!"
"There's nothing to be ashamed of," Nucleo assured him, "Mutants should be treated with respect. Just like any other human being."
One of the figures behind Nucleo cleared their throat.
"Ah, yes," Nucleo shook his head, "I'm getting off track. You have been chosen to join me in my quest."
"Quest?" Mike wondered if this was some kind of joke.
"Yes," Nucleo nodded, light reflecting off of his glass eye, "I want revenge. Revenge on a traitor to the mutant race. Unfortunately, he has an army of his own. That's what you are for. Especially you."
"Why especially me?" Mike leaned back. He wanted answers.
"I need you for only his army. The leader of this army can manipulate metal. You, with your metal-making abilities, would be useless against him. I need you to fight his army." Nucleo explained, making things perfectly clear.
"Alright, so what if I do join you?" Mike wasn't much for sticking his neck out for others. He wanted something for himself, "What's in it for me?"
"Name your price," Nucleo smiled in the dark.
Mike paused. The guy was willing to let him choose a price. This was a deal he couldn't pass up.
"Bills," Mike said, "If you pay my mechanical and gas bills for my bike until this job is over, then it's a deal."
"Welcome to the team," Nucleo extended his hand.
Mike took it and shook.
Nucleo straightened up again, "Now if you'll follow me, we'll return to the van."
"I don't leave without my bike," Mike insisted.
"How long is that gonna take?" asked another figure.
"Mechanic said he'd have to keep it overnight," Mike told them, "Said he has other appointments."
In the dark, Mike could see Nucleo smile.
"Raptor," Nucleo turned to the lizard figure, "Why don't you give our mechanic a little visit and have him work on Blacksmith's bike now."
Mike assumed Nucleo was referring to him when he said Blacksmith.
Raptor crept into the garage. A few moments later, Raptor returned with a smile on his face, "He took a little scare and started working on it right away."
Ten minutes later, Mike's bike was ready to go. Mike mounted it and started it up.
"Just follow the van," Nucleo instructed him.
As the vehicles pulled away, Rick poked his head out of the door, checking if they were gone. He shivered as he closed and locked the door. Mutants gave him the creeps.
Yup, that's right, done already. You know, it just dawned on me...there's two new characters in this chapter...RICK!!!! Remember? Well, I don't think you'll have to worry about him anymore. What's that you say? Update soon? I will update as my spirit sees fit. It can be stubborn at times. Farewell! Up, up, and AWAAAAAAAY!!!!