Disclaimer: I don't own any of the BMFM characters. But Victoria van Wham is my O.C.
Thank you for those who are still reading this and sorry about the recent updates taking so long. But all good things come to those who wait. Yes, I'm talking to you, MayaPatch. ^_^ Enjoy you guys.
Chapter 5: Nightmare
Searing pain on her back. Dizziness in her head and darkness in her eyes. The smell of chemicals cooking filled her nose while she attempted to calm her aching body and rest for the next round. However, the white mouse's uneasy sleep was interrupted by the sound of the lift coming down and the painfully bright lab lights turning on.
"Time to wake up, my snowy little mouse." The wheezing voice of Karbunkle said, making the Martian cringe in both fear and hate as she slowly opened her pink eyes. It had been almost a month since the attack on her squad, and still, she managed to hold out on any real information. Not that she even had the information they wanted.
"Mornin' doc," Victoria spat her false greeting as she strained against the shackles that held her spread eagle against the wall. "What's on the agenda for today? Electric shock, lashes again? That's my favorite." The sarcasm in her voice held to the van Wham name. The doctor went to one area of the lab where his other inventions and experiments were kept. It was also where her bike was being held. They had to disable the A.I. system in order to do so because she fought so hard against the stinking fish.
"Now, now, my dear girl. Don't be so eager. Lord Stilton has ordered something much more pleasant for you," he said, his voice becoming darker as he pulled out a strange-looking contraption. It looked like a white jellyfish from Earth, with a black column holding up the top. Vikky's tail was moving slightly in worry. She didn't like the look of that thing and knowing Karbunkle; it couldn't be good.
"So happy to hear that he thinks of me," She spat bitterly. As the doctor set up the machine closer to her, he didn't say anything more, just chuckled evilly. Karbunkle removed three patches that were connected to the contraption by wires and attached them to both of the mouse's temples and on her forehead.
"Don't worry, this will only hurt a little," his voice didn't lose it's dark tone as he flipped the switch and proved his words false. Almost immediately, a powerful course of electrical currents ripped through Vikky's body. Her screaming filled the lab, and even some of the lower levels of the castle. Her fur was standing on end, and her mind was rebooted into its cyclone tenfold. When the deranged doctor turned off the machine, she went utterly slack against her shackles. "Now that your weakened, this should work much easier." He said more to himself, as Vikky fought to stay conscious. He hit a few more switches, and the lights turned from red to green. Flipping the switch again with a squeaky laugh, he watched as the female mouse struggled against the mind-bender beam's effects. "Stop fighting, you rodent, you're only delaying the inevitable." Karbunkle almost growled.
But she kept fighting as ideas wormed into her mind that she knew in her heart were wrong. Plutark needed resources, and she needed to help get them. She was a loyal servant of Plutark. NO! She was a Martian Army mouse who was fighting against the Plutarkians. Her brother was a Freedom Fighter.
It took maybe two hours for her outer form to stop fighting, but her mind didn't. When her body's pink eyes opened, they were glazed over like they didn't see the doctor in front of them.
"How do you feel, my dear girl?" He asked when her shackles released and let her fall onto her knees before him.
"Like I need to destroy some biker mice who interfere with Plutark's plans." She growled, while on the inside, she was trying everything in her power to attack the doctor and run. But her body didn't respond to her commands, and she was forced to hear words that weren't hers leave her mouth. Karbunkle snickered as he rubbed his hands and watched the mouse rise to her feet. Retrieving her weapons from where he stashed them, he gave them to her. Without really thinking, Vikky returned all but her whip to their rightful place. Karbunkle had made a few changes to the bullwhip, a few mechanics to give it a more devastating lash to any enemy. Since she couldn't strike out at the being of her rage, she took the whip and struck out at one of the tables holding extra chemicals and brought it back with a loud crack. The chemicals went flying and landed on an experiment of the doctor's—a little mutant made of spare parts.
That mad Karbunkle scream. "Be careful, you vandalizing vermin!" He ran over to his experiment and quickly brushed away the chemicals before there was any significant damage. He wasn't able to ridicule her any further before Stiltan came down from the lift.
"Having problems, Dr. Karbunkle?" The surprisingly clean-cut Plutarkian asked as he stepped off the lift and approached the Martian.
"No, no problems, your sweet cheddar cheesiness." The doctor said, returning to where he was before. "The prototype has done its job. Now all you need to do is give her her assignment."
Stilton met the pink eyes of the mouse and was surprised to feel a chill of fear run down his spine. Vikky only broke eye contact long enough to replace her whip on her hip. "Are you fit enough to perform the task I have for you?" he asked, making sure that his expression was scrutinizing to hide the slight fear when she returned a hateful glare.
"I've killed plenty of Plutarkians before my capture, no doubt I can kill even more biker mice." Her body growled, poking his chest with a clawed hand. 'No, NO, NO!' Vikky screamed in her head as she fought to gain control of her body before it was too late.
"Good, the next city to take, is the city of Brimstone. Your job is to go in ahead and plant several bombs to go off at nightfall." Stilton informed as he pulled out one of his many handkerchiefs from his sleeve and brushing off the spot on his chest she touched. "Don't disappoint me." He said, baring his piranha-like teeth. Once the Plutarkian was gone, Victoria went to her bike, readying one of her flares to melt the chains holding her. It worked like a charm, and as soon as the A.I. was activated, it beeped happily at its rider.
"Got any last information for me, doc?" Vikky asked as she caringly stroked Velocity's fuel tank where the chains hand been.
"Only one, don't muck this up. Or you'll end as a new rug in Stiltan's chamber." his only answer was Velocity revving her engine warningly.
"Don't doubt me so much, Karbunkle. Besides, he won't be able to get anywhere near me." That last bit was an agreement between both mind and body because it was true the fish would be long dead before he even thought about 'dealing' with her. Mounting her bike and slipping on her helmet, Vikky felt Velocity's anticipation of being out of the lab. Popping a wheelie, the mouse headed for the exit, and both bike and rider were happy to be back on the red sand of Mars.
Brimstone was too easy. The mice that lived there didn't give her a second glance. 'I can't do this! I don't want to do this. C'mon, wake up! These are your people!' She was screaming at herself but got no response. Throughout the day, she planted several small bombs around the city, mostly around factories and the like. But when she came to a school or a shelter, her morals refused her to plant the bomb. Only the body just mumbled that it wasn't worth the explosions. When she felt that there was enough spread through Brimstone, she left the city and found a lookout point at a reasonable safe distance. Velocity was slowly noticing the change in her rider, and she would occasionally beep with worry. She never answered the A.I.
When nightfall came, she could see the Plutarkian force massing several miles away. "Showtime." She mumbled to herself as she pulled out the detonator. At that moment, her body found it challenging to lower her thumb onto the red button to set off the explosions. Her mind was fighting tenfold against Karbunkle's mind-bender beam, but it wasn't enough. Slowly, but surely, her thumb pressed home, and Brimstone welt up in fireworks. A few tears escaped her, but the visor of her helmet hid them. The Plutarkian forces swept threw the city with their Sand Raiders and quickly took the city in its chaotic state. With her job done, the white mouse turned her bike and headed back to the hell hole of a base.
When she got back, Stilton was rather impressed with how easy it was to take the city. "Well done, my dear mouse, you should be an advantageous asset in the future." He said a devil's grin wide on his face.
'Go die in a whole, you Plutarkian skunk fish." Her mind spat at him while her body responded, "Was there ever any doubt of a loyal servant of Plutark?" Stilton only chuckled deviously, the wheels turning in his head. She knew that many more difficult missions were coming her way.
And that's just what she got, as the weeks went by she got most of the, what humans call, Black-op missions. But surprisingly, it suited her. Every night she spent in the lab, refusing any accommodations that Stiltan offered. Her body would say it was because she didn't need it when her mind refused to take a reward for the crimes she committed.
Then, that day came.
Brimstone had fallen to the Freedom Fighters, and after Stilton finished chewing out Limburger, he turned his rage onto her. Vinnie had been there. So, the fancy pants Plutarkian decided to blame her for the loss of the city. The same one she had gift-wrapped for him to begin with.
"You think that I have control over my brother? We haven't exactly been in contact these past few weeks. For all I know, he believes I'm dead." The mind-bender beam's effects had become weaker slightly, not enough for her to notice.
"Then perhaps that needs to be changed. You'll call your brother, tell him whatever story comes to mind, and set up a meeting." Stilton ordered, believing that she would tell him that she would get it done, like always.
"No," Vikky said coldly and with enough venom to supply all three heads of a saber squid for four generations.
"What?!" He spat back angrily as he turned on her.
"I said no. It's time for you to do a bit of the hard work." She growled, crossing her arms over her chest. "Besides, the longer they don't know I'm alive, the better." Vikky was starting to notice the change in her words. They were bolder and challenging, where they should've been compliant. But she wasn't able to say or do anything she truly wanted to.
"How dare you speak to me like that!" He screamed as he stormed closer to her. Tori made to take a defensive stance but was soon grabbed by mechanical tentacle-like arms and slammed against a wall.
"What the Karbunkle, what are you doing?!" The white mouse snarled as the doctor appeared with a small remote in his hand.
"What I told him to, should you start showing signs of... losing your usefulness," Stilton said, pulling out a handkerchief. He looked at her with a great deal of disappointment in his eyes. "Too bad."
"Oh yeah, for who? As I recall, I'm your best damn agent! You've gained more ground in these past few weeks since you got here!" Her tail was slashing in anger as she struggled against the mechanics, only to receive over a thousand volts sent through her body.
"You need to be reminded of the order of things." Stilton turned to Karbunkle. "Ensure that the message is made clear doctor, I have business to take care of."
"Gladly your over-ripeness." With that, the Plutarkian turned on his heel and left. "Looks like another round with the Mind Bender Beam is in order, good thing I've been working out the kinks."
"I'm already loyal to Plutark. You gassed up, chrome-dome!" Vikky screamed as another wave of electricity went through her body. Only this time, it was more potent, and it lasted longer. By the time he turned it off, she was barely conscious.
"Maybe, but you still answer to every Plutarkian. Time to remind you." The doctor reached for the whip on the mouse's hip and made the mechanical arms turn her back to him as it uncoiled. Then, with the modified bullwhip, he lashed out onto the mouse's back. A shot of adrenaline threw her veins to keep her awake, and her screams continued with each crack.
