Biker Mice from Mars
Hard Luck Trilogy
Part 3
What's His Frequency Karbunkle?
The Epilogue!
"Holey Falling Hot Rocks, My fellow Shy-Townsters, did you catch the Totally Cosmic Far-out Fireworks Show last night!?" Sweet Georgie Brown yelled out over Vinnie's Bike Radio! "Like it was a Totally Rad Pyrotechnic Star Flung Rock Show!
"Like the Big Brains of the Scientific World, the know-it-all eggheads, when asked about that big whammer-slammer, they had this to say *Boy it sure was a Big one*!" He said with mock shock in his jovial voice!
"That's enough of the Sci-Fi News, so let's get back to the Normal Chicago Chaos!" He rambled on with! "The Feds, State, and City Big Wigs are all on the lookout for the Missing Big Cheese himself, Lawrence Limburger!"
"The Big Man has like totally pulled a Where The Heck is He the last couple of days, and I can tell you, my wonderful fans, that they are Not happy with Him, and his work crews all but disappearing like it was a Magic Trick, The City Leaders are like Not Happy!" He said not being able to keep himself from laughing!
"Offers are already being put out to the Big Business Big Boys, to help pick up the slack that Limburger bugged out on, one of whom is already in the deals talking is NYC #1 Hot Shot, David Xanatos!" He stopped to take a breath. "Blah, Blah, Blah, Who wants to listen to all that BORING Talk, We've Got Some Heavy Metal to Rock Too!" He cheered!
"So, on that note, let's start up a Few hours of Metal Magic from Mettalicrank, Puns & Noses, and EngineCranium!" He howled and loud rock music shot out from Vinnie's Radio! "Oh, Yeah About Time!" Vinnie grunted and started to head-bang along with the music until Throttle elbowed him in the ribs. "Not Now Vincent!" He glared at him from behind his sunglasses. "Oh, Uh, yeah, right." Vinnie ashamedly mumbled and turned his radio off. They all sat there in awkward silence, waiting for someone to just say something.
All 4 Mice and Charley were parked along a small side street on the South Side of Chicago, Lake Michigan was sparkling under a pre-evening Sun, just getting ready to touch the western Horizon, and making all the buildings sparkle like rough diamonds. The on-ramps to the big Interstate highways just in front of them, rumbling with the heavy traffic roaring up and down them.
Throttle, Vinnie, and Charley, on her Masked Ryder Bike, sat on Hard Luck's left side while Modo sat on his right. "You don't have to go Lil Bro, aww heck, I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO!" Modo said, his husky voice heavy with heartfelt emotion! He leaned over and wrapped his Big Meaty Left-arm around the smaller mouse, Hard Luck almost crumbled under the massive weight of it!
"Nah, I, I really think I should go. "Hard Luck said weakly while glancing at the 3 off to his other side. "I've been a pain in you guy's tails for too long already." Modo's single eye popped open! "Now that aint true and you know it, right guys!" He said and looked to the others to back him up on this!
"No, it isn't, None of us want you to Leave, Right Guys!" Charley said while turning to give the other 2 mice a look that says. Yes, You agree with us. "What, oh yeah, sure we do Sweetheart, I mean Don't, of course, we don't!" Vinnie blurted out and nodded his head, His ears, and antenna flopping almost comically. Throttle just gave a low grunt as he fidgeted tenderly on the extra cushions on his bike seat.
"How are those new pants fitting Throttle?" Charley asked him, shooting a scowl at Vinnie's for his verbal screw-up and Throttles Lack of verbal reply. "They fit Fine Charley, and yes, I…don't want you to leave either Hard Luck." He said with a sigh, and a slight smile as he rubbed one paw on the sturdy new blue jeans Charley bought for him to replace his destroyed old ones. Grateful that the new pants hid most of his bandages.
"I'm sure they will fit better once the swelling goes down." She said pointedly with a slightly approving look. Throttle just smiled and nodded his head. "See Hard Luck, None of us want you to leave!" Modo nodded and strongly agreed with her.
Hard Luck just sadly sighed and dropped his head to his chest. He hated moments like these. It was just the next day since the "Light Show" the other night. The Mice and their Motorcycles had all been bandaged up and repaired.
Hard Luck was sitting on the re-tired Dently, clad in his big heavy black coat, hiding most of the bandages wrapped around his thin, weatherworn frame. His patched-up black pants and boots giving him a shadowy look. A shadow he wished he could disappear into right now.
His long, bandaged tail twitched around him like a nervous snake. He held his battered green helmet in his paws. Charley fought to hold back a tear. He looked exactly like he did the first night she saw him. That night felt so long ago now.
It was Obvious that Modo was fighting the same battle within himself as well. "I don't get it, why do you think you need to Leave Now?!" He asked point-blank.
Hard Luck almost looked up but couldn't. He knew if he looked into Modo's Big Full of Love and Care Face, his resolve would crumble. He kept looking down at his helmet while pawing his little metal pendant, and green bandana in his left paw.
"I, I, muh my head hasn't been my own for a long time." He mumbled quietly. "I juh, just wanna go do my own thinking for a while, on my own." Dently let out a loud and rude sounding rumble. Hard Luck Glared at the Camera Eye staring up at him.
Charly put her hand over her mouth to hold back a giggle. "What'd he say!?" Modo growled questioningly. Still looking at Dently's camera eye Hard Luck replied. "Nothing complimentary." They scowled at each other before Dently's Camera swiveled away from him. He let out another rude noise from his exhaust.
"Look, Big Bro, this aint my first ride on the Not-So-Merry-Mind-Control-Go-Round." Hard Luck said quickly, cutting off Modo before he could ask another question. "I, I just need some time to get my head in order, I gotta cope with it in my own way, on my own."
Modo leaned back on Lil Hoss's seat with a not-happy look on his face, but he nodded slowly. "OK, fine, I can understand that I think." He growled. "But before you go, I got a question, We All Got Question!" Charley agreed. So did Throttle. Vinnie thought for a second then had to agree too!
Hard Luck's shoulders drooped even more, but he shook his head. "Yeah, I kinda figured you guys would." If there is one thing Hard Luck Hated, was answering questions, especially about himself! Modo fired first.
"WHERE THE HECK HAVE YOU BEEN ALL THESE YEARS!?" Modo Bellowed, arms thrown up into the air! "Whoa, Hey, Watch It!" The other three Mice and Charley called out as they all nearly fell over! Modo took a few deep breaths to get himself back under control, He wasn't used to this level of emotional outburst. Neither was anyone else!
"Yuh, You know, I kinda spent a few years bouncing around the Wild Lands on Mars, got caught by the Plutarkians, got parts of my brain and spine ripped out, got taken into space, escaped and just kinda bounced around the Galaxy, and a few other places, for a, uh, few years?!" Hard Luck tried to say matter of fact and failed spectacularly!
Modo's Cheeks puffed up and his eye went red! Throttle, Vinnie, and Charley all but ducked behind their bikes. Hard Luck closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and braced himself as best he could! Dently slightly quivered noisily!
"THAT'S IT!?" Another Bellow! Some of the Traffic on the highway swerved at the sudden noise! "You disappear even before the war, Me, Mama, Everyone else WORRIED SICK All this Time, Not Knowing if Your Dead or Alive, and That's All I GET!" Charley, Throttle, and Vinnie looked back and forth between the two, awaiting the next reply with bated breath! Also making sure their brakes were on to keep from getting blown over by it!
"Hey!" Hard Luck squeaked! "What your asking for is a Very Big Pile of Very Long Stories, so unless you wanna sit here for a year or 12, that's all I am gonna share for now, so yuh, you can take it or leave it!" He said as strongly as he could, which wasn't very strong at all!
Modo puffed up, His eye growing brightly, then he just deflated, his big head dropping to his chest plate, and he just rumbled with a low deep laugh. "Oh, Ok Little Bro, I get ya, I can accept that, for now." He sighed and once again hugged the smaller mouse in a crushing hug! Hard Luck gurgled but didn't fight it.
Modo poked Hard Luck in the nose with his metal index finger! "I'll take that answer for now, but when I get you back home to Mama, I don't care if it does take 12 years, you are gonna spill the beans, All of em!" He growled with a big smile.
"Heh, heh, yeah, suh, sure, uhh." Hard Luck laughed weakly ending with a wheeze, as he pictured that event happening. "Cah, can't wait." The Look on his face said otherwise. Modo smiling apparently missing this. Nobody else did. They all exchanged little smiles at Modo's obvious or intentional Obliviousness to it.
"Ok, I got a question I want an answer to!" Throttle cut into the silence. They all turned to look at him. "Yuh, yeah?" Hard Luck mumbled nervously. "What and How Much did you actually tell Limburger about us!" Much like a Laser, Throttle got directly to the issue. "And before you say it, yeah I know you couldn't tell him what he wanted to know." He added quickly to avoid the Hard Luck Guilt Trip.
"Actually, not that much." Hard Luck said, a visible wave of relief visibly washed over Throttle. "He seemed to think that He has got you guys pretty much figured out." This didn't really surprise anybody. Limburger pretty much told them this whenever he got a slight edge over on them.
"That I don't really know that much." He added. "Once he found out I aint exactly a core member of the Freedom Fighter's Best Team Ever, He changed his plans around that pretty quick" Throttle nodded begrudgingly. "Yeah, the Big Cheese is good at thinking on the fly, I will give the Stink Fish that. "
"What about the Scoreboard Hideout, did you tell him about that?" Charley asked, recalling her and Vinnie's escape from their earlier. "Limburger never asked me anything like that, I was just a tool to him, but I got the impression He has always kinda known the guys have a hideout there, just not where in the stadium exactly, but then He said finding you guys was never really a problem." Hard Luck told her.
"Heh, heh, yeah Ninjas we are most def Not!" Vinnie chuckled. Taking pride in his non-covert commando-style tactics. Charley, Modo, and Throttle all agreed with that, Especially about Vinnie. "What about the Police that raided the Hideout?" She added to her question with. "Do they know about the Guys being, well ALIENS?!"
"Oh, those weren't real Feds or Cops." Hard Luck told her. "Those were just Goons in disguise, Limburger didn't want to get too chummy with the Human Authorities yet, that is more of a Level 3 Incursion Tactic on a Low-level Civilization like Mirth!" He smiled.
"Earth, not Mirth!" Charley said with a half-smile, half-scowl at His goof. "Oh, uh, yeah I, I knew that." Hard Luck blushed a little. Charley chuckled and shook her head. "You are so Different!" The Mice all laughed, and Hard Luck just nodded blushing more.
"So, if you weren't Ratting Us Out, what was your job then?" Modo asked, putting an extra bit of hate on that one word. "Oh, I was just supposed to make sure you guys were where He wanted you, when He wanted you, and to mess you up as much as I could along the way." Hard Luck said ashamedly. Even undeserved guilt is a hard thing to deal with.
"Like not filling us in on how the Slaughtarkians being the Big Monsters they were, or how they operated." Throttle accurately guessed. Hard Luck nodded yes. "They were kind of a bonus to Limburgers Big Zapper Plan, Karbunkle didn't even tell him about me until after I got here."
"More of that Last Minute Improvisation at work." Throttle grumbled, recalling how many times of late he fell for it. "Kinda yes, kinda no." Hard Luck sighed. "All of this was just one big, convoluted plan!" They all looked at him again. "How so?" Charley asked.
"Apparently, Limburger's plan was to wreck the City with the Big Zapper, then after He offered to fix it back up, he was gonna infest it with the Slime Mold Monsters, to keep everybody away, then use his Robot Army to take them out, and then sell the Tech to the Human Governments to get in extra good with em." Hard Luck explained.
Throttle shook his head unhappily. "More or less the same thing the Plutarkians did on Mars." Vinnie and Modo growled as they remembered those bad days. "How so?" Charley asked. "They came in and offered to fix some disasters that we later learned that they orchestrated and started selling us their better technology." Modo snarled.
"While at the same time bribing and buying off our own Government to stay out of their way as they destroyed the planet." Throttle added. Vinnie scowled as he remembered too. "Also, to keep the Military and us Freedom Fighters off their scaly backs too."
"I guess the Planet MIRTH doesn't know how lucky it is to have the Biker Mice from Mars around to save it." Charley said to hopefully lighten the mood. It worked. All 4 Mice stared at her for a few seconds before 3 of them started to laugh. Hard Luck caught on a few seconds after them and at least smiled.
"Oh, and speaking of those Monsters, the Slaughtarkians, how did the Stalkers fit into Limburger's plans?" Modo added to the pile. "Well, after the Slaughters got shot off to who knows where, Limburger remembered the Stalkers were prisoners on Mars, and He figured that They were a just as good replacement he could use and more easily force to do what He wanted." Hard Luck explained as best he could.
Vinnie got a puzzled look on his masked face. "How did Stink-cheese figure that He could control them better than the Big Mouths?" Everyone laughed at his statement and looked at Hard Luck to see if he could answer him. Hard Luck's Antenna Sparked as he thought about how to answer him.
"Well, uh, Buddy…" Hard Luck started, Vinnie's eye twitching at the name forget, again. "Uh, well The Slaughtarkians had their own Spaceship, so could come and go as they pleased, but the Stalkers didn't. "Vinnie thought about that.
"The only way off the planet they had was thru Limburger, and his Transporter, which is kinda why they didn't kinda didn't take you guys out on the top of the tower." They all stared at him. "Wait, what?" Vinnie gasped! "We beat them easy!"
Throttle and Modo gave him looks that didn't appear to agree. "We did beat, them but it was pretty close, they did come close to slicing out Armor open like cans of Soup, Vincent." Throttle said to him as if explaining something to a child. A Hyperactive Child with poor attention skills.
The Look on Vinnie's face said he wanted to agree with that after he thought about it but just couldn't form the words to say it. "That kind of happened because I kinda made a deal with them that if they didn't kill you, I would help them get off the planet." Hard Luck explained to them.
"How's that?" Modo blurted out. They all looked at the Blue Martian. "Karbunkle's transporter was password locked, and I kinda gave em the codes to operate it when nobody was looking." A few moments of silence. "WOW, Really!?" Vinnie gasped.
"That kind of explains how the end of our fight went with them." Throttle said as he remembered their battle with them on top of the Limburger Tower. Charley thought back to that night too. After She saved the Stalker Leader. It did seem that her doing that had some kind of effect on it.
"Yeah, well the Stalkers would have been happy to come back and hunt you guys again, they just weren't happy to do it on Limburgers Terms, they wanted to do it on theirs, so don't go too soft for em. "Hard Luck said quickly to make things clear.
He then looked at them with an ashamed-filled face. "I do kinda feel I should apologize to you guys, 'cause it's all kind of my fault you got infected with the Psycho-Plankton during that whole thing too." His uncomfortable look increased.
"It was in the Mud, wasn't it?" Throttle said pointedly. Hard Luck nodded sourly.
"How'd you figure that out?" Modo shot out. "It was the only connecting factor that affected all of us." He told him. "And on that note, I feel I should also apologize to you directly, Chu, Char, Chrrr…Davidson." Hard Luck ground trying to get out Charley's name before once again resorting to her last name.
"Apologize for what?" She asked with a confused look on her face. "Cause that whole fight in the Warehouse was all kinda staged." He grimaced. Charley thought on that for a few seconds. "So, when you Accidently Crashed into those garbage cans, making all that noise…" She started to say but didn't finish. Hard Luck was once again nodding his head.
"But they beat the cheese out of you!?" Charley gasped. "Yeah, I remember." He groaned. "But it was still kinda faked, even the falling into the Lake was part of it, Oh I am so sorry Davidson, I know you were all worried, and it was all a big lie!"
"Hard Luck, There is Nothing You need to feel sorry for, We all saw how Limburger used you like a Puppet, if anything We should apologize to you for not figuring it out earlier!" She told him. "Yeah, Lil Bro, it's all that Fat Fiend's Fault, Not yours!" Modo chimed in angrily, backing up Charley's point!
All the Mice agreed with her, well Vinnie did grouse that the plankton did really itch until Modo threatened to smack him upside the back of his head. "I know, I know, it's just that…I dunno, I just feel…" Hard Luck mumbled but didn't have the strength to finish.
"Ok, It's My Turn Now, I got a Question!" Vinnie blurted out in his typical overexuberant impatient manner. "Yeah, what is it, Stanley?" Hard Luck asked back. Vinnie ground his teeth together but somehow stopped himself. Charley, Modo, and Throttle managed to contain their own chuckles…almost.
Vinnie blushed but pushed forward. "How did get Throttle, and Modo to lure me and Charley Babe into the Limburger Pit?" Modo and Throttle exchanged puzzled looks. "What are you talking about Vinster?" Modo grumbled. Throttle nodded too, wondering if Vinnie was going looney.
"No, no He is right, I remember now, We did hear both your guy's voices calling us down into the pit!" Charley said backing up Vinnie, who winked at her, to which she just rolled her eyes. "I tried to ask you about It, but, well you know." She said.
"Oh, that's simple, I just mimicked them." Hard Luck said simply. A chorus of confused looks stared back at him. "I did it like this." He replied then. *Kzzt* "Hey, Sweetheart, Looking Good Babe" Vinnie's Voice replied out of Hard Luck's Mouth. 4 Amazed Looks.
*Kzzt* "As My Dear Gray Furred Old Mama says…" This Time Modo's Voice. *Kzzt*"Ride Free Citizens!" Throttle's voice. *Kzzt* "MEN!" Charley's voice. They all stared at him with Wow Expressions on their faces. Hard Luck just smiled at them.
"Yeah, one of the little perks of having computer brain chunks." He sighed. "I can copy anybody's voice that I've heard before, kinda hurts though." He sighed.
"Well, I can see how that could have some advantages." Throttle muttered albeit slightly impressed. "That was just Creepy!" Modo said with a Shiver! "I do Not Talk or Sound Like That!" Vinnie whined. 'YES, YOU DO!" Modo, Throttle, and Charley laughingly yelled at him. Vinnie mumbled petulantly to himself.
"What was it like, being controlled like that?" Charley asked, a concerned look on her face. Guessing this would be a very touchy, and sore subject for him. His expression pretty much confirmed it was. The jovial mood in the air dissipated quickly.
"Oh, just your basic type of really, really horrible." He said trying to say it in an off-setting jokey way. "The Control was kinda spotty at first, Dently was able to jam the signal for a while." He said and lovingly patted The Camera Eye looking up at him. "But Karbunkle eventually broke thru it. "He shivered slightly.
"I could still see, and feel everything, but I was trapped in my own body, screaming out but no one could hear me, no one but Dently that is." Dently rattled sympathetically, Hard Luck leaned over and hugged him.
"I was literally Programmed like a computer, I couldn't do, or say anything that would interfere or go against Limburger's plans, if I did my own brain circuits would fry me until I complied with it." He murmured. "But you did help us, like when you brought us our Armor!" Vinnie pointed out excitedly!
"Only cause Dently was still able to jam the signal!" Hard Luck threw back. Dently rattled to confirm it. Modo jumped in with a point, once again almost knocking them all over when he bellowed out!
"But You DID Try to Warn Us, You were trying to the Whole Time!" He empathized it by pointing with his metal finger on his cyborg arm, almost bonking Hard Luck in the head with it! "Wait, What are you talking about!?" Hart Luck Stammered, not sure if he wanted to hear this or not!
"I figured it out when I realized you had been LYING to us the whole time You've been here!" Hard Luck's eyes popped, now he was really sure he didn't want to hear this. Throttle and Vinnie blurted out, both wanting to know how long He knew this without telling them about it!
"OK, I admit I didn't figure it out at First!" He admitted sheepishly. "I didn't really figure it out until we were all up on the Space Bin after we saw you turned in to that Mind Controlled Zombie by Karbunkle." He growled as he remembered the recent events. Hard Luck turning on them, and then pretty much beating them all in a big fight. Not a fun thing to have to go thru. Hard Luck's Cold Empty Eyes would haunt Him forever.
"For a while, I was worried that was all you were anymore, but then I remembered that when you Lie, you got a Tell!" Modo said with a sly smile while looking at Hard Luck who now had a Horrified look on his pale blue face.
"What are you babbling about Modo, we all got Tails!" Vinnie blurted out. Throttle looked at him then put his paw to his face like he was getting a Headache. "Oh, Cheese Vinnie." He groaned. Charley all most fell off her bike laughing. "WHAT?" Vinnie gasped not understanding.
"Not TAIL, You big Goober, TELL, T-E-L-L!" Modo snapped, half-amused, and frustrated with the White Martian's thickheadedness. "Oh." Vinnie muttered. "Uh, I, I think I am gonna go now, Bye!' Hard Luck said quickly and tried to start Dently's motor! "LEAVE IT IN PARK Buddy Boy!" Modo barked. Hard Luck gave a pathetic whimper and did.
"When My Lil Bro LIES, he stutters. "Modo said as if this explained it all. "Uh Modo, he stutters All The Time!" Throttle interjected with. "No, No, Modo explained this to me earlier, I thought the same thing, but he told me how you can tell!" Charley told him.
"Awwhah, Modo Please Don't Tell them this, its, it's Embarrassing!" Hard Luck whined and pleaded with the Gray Giant, but Modo just smiled back at him. "Nope." Hard Luck gurgled and pulled his jacket up over his head and zipped it up! "Yeah, there are only 2 reasons My Lil Bro stutters, One's that he is Scared or Nervous, the Other is that He is LYING!" Modo Laughed as memories came back to him.
A muffled curse came from inside the black jacket. All the Mice laughed, Charley just shook her head, not being able to hear it. "The Tell is in How He stutters," Modo said wiping a tear away and getting his laugher under some control.
"Go on!" Both Throttle, and Vinnie gasped, they wanted to hear this! Hard Luck tried to hide deeper in his coat. "When He is just Scared, He stutters on the First and every Odd Word, but when He LIES, it's the second and very Even Word after that!" Modo explained!
Charley laughed again. She remembered when Modo first told her this, it was that morning He had asked to take her back to the Last Chance instead of Vinnie at Limburger's Press Meeting at one of his Destruction Sites. The only difference was that then, even Modo had forgotten that one key point.
Another whimper escaped from inside the jacket. Modo leaned over and patted the shoulder. "Yeah, Mama figured it out pretty quick way back when she took Little Musket in, he didn't figure it out for quite a while though!" Modo laughed at the memories again. "it got his backside whooped for lying to her more times than I could count!"
"You always were a big BLABBER-MOUSE!" Hard Luck shouted, his head popping up out of his jacket, with an angry scowl on his blushing face! Everybody laughed again! "Musket, your real name is Musket!?" Charley gasped! "That is so Cute, and so…YOU!" She giggled! Hard Luck attempted to scowl at her but couldn't keep the small smile off his face.
"I Hate that name, it's a Girls name!" Hard Luck Pouted! "Hey, your right it is!" Vinnie guffawed, finding it really funny until Throttle smacked him up the backside of his head. "Well, not That Funny." He sheepishly muttered, rubbing the back of said slapped head.
"Oh, that reminds me…" Modo gasped. "Speaking of Girls Names, Who is Pala?" He looked at the Smaller Blue Mouse with a funny look in his eye. Hard Luck jerked back. "Uh, Puh, puh, Pala?" He gulped. "Or Taarna too, for that matter!" Throttle added, remembering that name being mentioned while He and Hard Luck fought to get off the Space Bin.
"Oh, or Char'Dhaak-La?!" Charley said, recalling that name from when back on the first night she met the Blue Martian and hoping she pronounced the alien name right! Hard Luck's lower jaw snapped up and down almost uncontrollably as he tried to form words, having all 4 of them eagerly looking at him was not helping!
"Thu, Thu, They, they were, are, ARE fuh, fuh, FRIENDS of Mine!? He stammered, his blush increasing a few degrees. "FRIENDS!?" Vinnie gasped, All 3?" He started turning a shade of green as his eyes got bigger, admiration and jealousy taking hold at the same time. "YOU GOT 3 GIRLFRIENDS!"
Dently rattled off a loud clatter of noises! Hard Luck's blush increased. Charley nearly choked by laughing so hard. 'What, what'd he say?" The other 3 Mice all asked at once. Charley smiled dryly. 'Oh, I really shouldn't say…but according to Dently, well Vinnie, try not to pop a blood vessel, but apparently. 3 aint even Close!" Vinnie and Hard Luck's colors went thru deepening shades of greens and reds.
"Well, Modo, I guess that answers at least One Question about WHAT He's been doing out there all these years!" Throttle somehow managed to say thru bursts of laughter!
"Ha, ha, Way to Go Lil Bro, You always did have a way with the Females!" Modo snorted almost without breath and reached over and gave Hard Luck a big Slap on his back, almost knocking both Him and Dently over!
Vinnie Fumbled for a reply, but the jealousy was managing to even keep his mouth shut! "Don't let it get to you Vinnie, I am sure someday you will acquire a nice long list of Old Girlfriends!" Throttle chuckled and patted Vinnie on the shoulder.
"Oh, ha, ha, very funny!" Vinnie shot back at him. "Oh, that reminds me, I'm Still Mad at You!" Throttle gawked at him. "Mad at me, for What!" Vinnie gave him a Shocked Look! "I am Mad at you for letting Those Two DISFIGURE MY BIKE!" Vinnie nearly shouted while pointing at Modo and Hard Luck!
"What're you babbling about Vinnie?" Throttle sighed. Vinnie just stared at him!" I'm talking about THIS!" He cried and pointed at the small scratch on the front of his bike.
"Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me!?" Throttle groaned. "RUINED, TOTALED, I should just drive the Poor Thing to the Scrapyard and have it put out of its Humiliating Misery!" Vinnie carried on like a Stage Actor stuck in Over-Acting-Mode!
"Calm Down Vinnie, I can have that buffed out and repainted in less than a couple of hours!" Charley sighed. "Impossible!" Vinnie snapped! "The damage, the trauma runs too deep now!" Hard Luck began to say something, but Modo just put a big hand on his shoulder and silently shook his head. This wasn't the kind of fight they needed to get involved in. Modo had learned that lesson about the Overactive Adrenaline Junkie a long time ago.
"No, not this Poor Bike of Mine, its only recourse I could do would be to get it a Mask to Hide its Horrible Scars just Like MINE!" He leaned back and dramatically put a paw to his own mask. He then thought for a second. "Hmm, that might actually look kinda Radical, now that I think about it?" He muttered while looking at his bike's scratched surface.
They all started slow clapping, Hard Luck joining in last, getting the joke. "Vinnie, that was Truly an Oscar-Worthy Performance!" Throttle said to him as solemnly as he could. "Yeah, Oscar Meyer!" Modo guffawed. They all broke down into laughing! Vinnie smirkingly glared at them but joined in with the laughing too!
A distant rumble of Thunder rolled across Lake Michigan from the far Eastern Horizon. A line of deep, dark clouds was gathering there and slowly making their way towards the City of Chicago. The Air of Happiness evaporated as quickly as the thunder sounded.
"I, I should really get going." Hard Luck stammered and started to put on his green helmet. Modo tried to say something, but no words came to his mouth. "You should Wait Hard Luck, if you leave now, you'll just be riding into a storm!" Charley said, attempting to persuade him from leaving.
Hard Luck just turned and smiled at her. "Story of My Life Davidson." He smiled. "You still have the money I gave you; you'll need it you know!" Charley blurted out quickly before emotions robbed her of her voice too.
"Yeah, I got it, but you really didn't need to, I am used to getting by without much!" He said and started to put his paw into the pocket with the money to give it back to her. "No, Keep it, I want you to keep it." She said quickly.
"I'll pay you back, I promise!" He said to her. She just nodded. "You promise you'll eat something besides just Chocolate Donuts and Grape Soda now, you hear!" Modo spout out, the Caring Big Brother in him finally having found something to say!
"Aw, where ya gonna go, whattya gonna do out there!?" Modo grumbled, his emotions building up in him. Hard Luck just smiled at him. "I dunno, I, I aint been on one planet for this long, in a really, Really long time, I guess maybe I should go see what's so special about this Little Mudball, see what you guys find so worth fighting for it all this time."
He looked at the 3 Martians and the One human grouped around him. "Although I may have a bit of an idea what so special about it, maybe." He shrugged.
"Ah, Come here you little…!" Modo blustered before taking up Hard Luck in another massive, but heartfelt hug, a hug Hard Luck did his best to return. "You promise me you'll come back, and soon, ya hear me, you promise!" Modo said, while not letting up on his brotherly hug!
"I, I-Promise. *Kzzt*Cough, hack!" Hard Luck rasped, and pushed away from Modo, and rubbed his nose and eyes. "Uh, Ah, allergies, sniff!" He lied as he wiped some smokey tears from his eyes. "Yeah, Allergies, I got 'em too. "Modo said too while also wiping some Allergies from his eye too.
"Try to stay safe out there on the big bad open road, ya goof-ball!" Vinnie almost choked as unfamiliar emotions threatened to bruise His well worked for Macho Mouse Image. "That don't sound like any fun at all!?" Hard Luck joked. Vinnie laughed. "Yeah, your right, No fun at all." He said and leaned in and held his paw up for a fist bump, which Hard Luck happily gave him.
Throttle rolled up to him next. "You've been a right pain in my tail, Musket, but I am gonna hold you to that promise to come back too, cause I got a promise to keep to." Throttle rasped to him in a husky voice. "Ride Free Hard Luck.". He held out his left paw, which Hard Luck took and squeezed in a firm paw-shake.
Charley, making no attempt to hold back tears now looked at him and at Dently. "I haven't known either of you all that long, but I am going to miss you both!" She sobbed. "You take care of him, Dently, you hear me!" She said and reached out and patted his camera eye.
Dently rattled off a sad-sounding bunch of clanks and rattles. "What did He say?" Vinnie asked. Charley just laughed. Hard Luck sighed. "He said He is a Motorcycle, Not a Miracle Worker."
Dently's motor started revving up, going faster and faster until a vibrating "BYEEEE BYYYEE CHAAARRR-LEEEEEE!" Dently said manipulating his gears. Charley's eyes nearly popped! "Bye, Bye to You to Dently, Why can He say my name, but You Can't!?"
"Uh, er, um, ugh, Shu, SHOWOFF!" Hard Luck stuttered and bopped Dently on the back o His Camera Eye, with a friendly smack! Dently shook his tail fender. Charley, now laughing and crying leaned over and hugged them Both.
"Goodbye, Musket." She laughed and cried at the same time. "Guh, Goodbye Duh. Davidson." He said in the same way. He then put on his helmet, Dently's engine started, and they slowly coasted away. They both stopped, looked back at the 4 of them, and both waved again, in their own way.
They roared up the onramp and merged into the traffic of the interstate highway, amidst a bunch of honking horns and screeching brakes, and they were gone! Thunder and Lightning crashing across the sky.
4 sets of eyes watched them until they couldn't see them anymore. Rain starting to fall from the Dark Clouds above them. Not even the rain capable of hiding some of the tears now falling.
A few miles down the highway, the rain was falling harder there! A fast-moving motorcycle cut effortlessly thru the thick water, and slower moving traffic. Dently rattled off an unhappy bunch of noises.
"Yeah, I lied, and You know why I lied." Hard Luck sighed sadly. The heavy rain was nowhere near as heavy as his heart now felt. Dently rattled a mournful sound "Yeah, I know, I know, Come on Buddy, let's go." He said, and they roared off into the Stormy Night ahead of them.
The End
(for now)
