Thanks for the reviews! :D

Ladydaisys; Professor Milestone was the mouse who brought English to Mars. I told about him in chapter fifteen. I copied the story Throttle told below, to help you fresh up your memorie. Also for everyone else who can't remember it. :)

"A very long time ago, some professor on Mars found out about Earth. His name was Professor Milestone. Back then, the mice population were way ahead in technologie than Earth, we still are, actually… But this professor, he traveled to Earth to studie you humans. Some said he was obsessed. Maybe he was. Anyway, he found out that people on Earth spoke many languages, but English was the most common. In his eagerness to learn everything about you, he learned the language from a friend who he had made on Earth. Someone who he could trust. Someone who wanted to learn just as much about Martian Cave Mice as the professor wanted to learn about the humans. Anyway, long story short; English slowly became the new spoken language on Mars."

Very well, let's continue the story! Enjoy! ^^

Chapter twenty five

Kiwi was busy cleaning her house. She needed to do something to fight the stress. There was something wrong, but she couldn't lay her finger on it. But she just had a very bad feeling about all this. She was scrubbing her bathtub like her life depended on it, deep in thoughts. But suddenly, she heard the sound of breaking glass. She jerked upright and pricked her ears. Footsteps on the stairs. And it wasn't one of the mice, she could tell.
Shit.
She quickly jumped at her feet. Her gun was in lying on the nightstand in her bedroom and that was across the hall. She had to pass the stairs to get there and she could hear there wasn't much time left. Fuck. And her phone was lying downstairs.
Dammit. Way to go, Kiwi. Honestly…
She took a deep breath and stormed out of the bathroom, focussed on her goal, namely her bedroom. By the looks of things, she was gonna make it. Her hand reached out to open the door, but suddenly something grabbed her by the hair and her head jerked back. She lost her balance and landed hard on the floor, moaning in pain. When she looked up, she saw Flo bending over her, a ice cold look on her face.
"Well, hello again", the blond headed woman snorted.
Kiwi blinked a few times and pushed herself off the floor and tried to make a run for it. But Flo grabbed her again. Kiwi clenched her fist and whirled around, trying to hit the woman. But Flo was prepared for that and easily dodged it.
"Oh come on, is that the best you can do?", she laughed.
Kiwi attacked her again, but again, Flo dodged it.
"I would've thought these mice had trained you better", and she punched Kiwi in the face.
A sharp pain in her nose made Kiwi stumble back. She raised her hand and carefully touched her face. When she looked at her fingers, she saw blood. She clenched her teeth and tried to run past Flo to her bedroom, but Flo tackled her. Her head slammed against the floor, but Kiwi wasn't gonna give up that easily. She crawled further, but Flo grabbed her leg and pulled her back. Dammit, this woman was way too strong.
"Let me go! What the hell is wrong with you, jesus!", Kiwi screamed in anger, kicking wildy with her leg. She rolled on her back and looked at the blond headed woman, who was still having that stupid smile on her face.
"Okay, playtime is over", Flo smiled and she grabbed a black device outta her pocket.
When Kiwi recognized it, she started to kick even harder, but Flo was too strong. And before Kiwi could stop her, she pushed the button and two wires with small hooks flew out of the device and when they made contact with Kiwi's body, a immense pain jolted through her whole body. She tried to scream, but she couldn't open her mouth because of the spasms that were the result of the electricity. The pain was immense and soon after, her body shut down and the whole world became black.

The mice raced through the streets. Vinnie pushed his bike to the limits, pushing away all the images that were popping up in his head after Throttle had said those words out loud.
Kiwi is in great danger.
What were they gonna find when they got home? Jesus, what if Kiwi was dead? His heart skipped a beat and he gritted his teeth, gaining even more speed. His bro's were close behind him. When they flew around the corner, Vinnie felt the back of his bike slipping away, but he fighted to keep her upright.
"Vincent, easy…", he heard Throttle warning him in the radio, but Vinnie ignored him.
Finally, he saw the fence that surrounded Kiwi's house and he pulled back his handlebars. He used his weight to get his front tire of the ground and fired his jets. He jumped over the fence but when he landed, way too wild, his bike wobbled and Vinnie lost control. His bike slipped and landed on her side. Vinnie fell off, but he quickly turned it into a controlled fall. He made a few head rollers and landed back on his feet. Without stopping, he stumbled to the house.
"Dammit, Vincent, watch yourself! You can't help Kiwi if you're wounded!", Throttle yelled into the radio, but again, Vinnie ignored him.
But when he reached the front door and saw the broken glass, he stopped death in his tracks. Modo and Throttle joined him and also stopped when they saw it.
"No, Kiwi…", Vinnie breathed and he burst inside, grabbing his gun in the proces.
"Vincent, check upstairs. Modo, kitchen and living room, I'll go check the garage", Throttle ordered and they split up.
Vinnie slowly made his way up, his gun in both hands aimed in front of him. His heart was pounding in his chest.
"All clear down here", he heard Modo's heavy voice rumbling.
"Garage is clear too", Throttle confirmed.
Vinnie took the last steps and quickly checked the rooms, one by one. But when he walked to Kiwi's bedroom, his stomach turned. Blood. There was blood on the floor. He burst into Kiwi's room, but it was empty.
"All clear. Bro's, get up here, now!", Vinnie yelled and he kneeled down next to the blood. He touched it and rubbed his fingers. It was still fresh.
Modo and Throttle quickly joined him.
"Is that…", Modo started, but Vinnie suddenly jumped at his feet, grabbed Modo and pushed him against the wall.
"You! This is all your fault! If it wasn't for you, we still had her! You let her go… If Kiwi's dead, her blood is on your hands, you hear me?", he yelled, his voice shaky and raw because of his despair.
Modo stared at him, his eye wide open, shock written on his face.
Throttle quickly grabbed Vinnie and pulled him away from Modo.
"Vincent, stand down. Right now, we don't know anything. Kiwi is alive until proven otherwise, you got that?"
Vinnie took a few deep breaths to control himself.
Throttle was looking at the blood and suddenly something caught his eye. It looked like… confetti, actually. Hmmm. He immediately knew what it was.
"Flo used a taser to take Kiwi down. That means Flo took her alive", he said, looking at Vinnie. The white furred mouse nodded.
"Vinnie, I'm… I'm sorry, I was wrong, I…", Modo stuttered, still in shock about what Flo had done.
But Vinnie shook his head.
"I don't wanna hear it. Not now. We need to find Kiwi", Vinnie said shortly and focussed his attention back on his tan furred bro. But before he could ask the question that burned on his tongue, the phone downstairs rang.

The mice stared at each other for a moment, but then ran down.
Vinnie wanted to pick up, but Throttle pushed him away and grabbed the phone before his bro could
"Hallo?"
"Ah, Throttle, right?", Flo's voice.
"Where is she, Flo?", Throttle asked, his voice gave away his anger. But Flo wasn't impressed.
"She's safe. For now."
"Let her go. She's got nothing to do with this."
"I'm afraid I can't do that. And she belongs to you, right? So she has everything to do with this."
"What do you want?"
"That's simple. You. And your friends. If you surrender, she'll live."
"How do we know she's still alive?"
"You don't. I think you have no other choice than to take my word for it…"
Throttle gritted his teeth. He looked at Vinnie, who was close to losing it. Then, his gaze fell on Modo. The poor guy was still in shock. He couldn't blame him.
"Fine. Like we have a choice", he growled in the phone. There was no choice. They couldn't take the risk. Kiwi was innocent.
"Very wise decision. Go to Lake Michigan. No bikes. No weapons."
"Now just wait a minute…", Throttle started, but Flo just laughed.
"Hurry, mouse boy. Time is ticking…" and she broke the connection.
"Flo? Flo? Dammit", Throttle cursed and looked at his bro's.
"No bikes? No weapons?", Vinnie asked, his voice low and shaky. He was obviously trying to hold himself together.
"We don't have a choice, bro. If we don't do as she say, Kiwi is gonna pay the price", Throttle sighed. This was one big mess alright.
Modo was still very quiet. Poor guy.
Throttle grabbed his gun and threw it on the table, just like his knuck knocks. He grabbed a knife outta his booth and lay it next to his gun. He looked at Vinnie and the white furred mouse sighed, but did what him was told. He took off his bandoliers and lay it on the table, along with his gun and spare gun. He somehow felt naked without his weapons and he quickly ran to the guesthouse to grab a shirt. When he came back, his bro's were ready to go.
"We need to go. We can use Kiwi's car to get there", Throttle suggested and he marched outside. Modo and Vinnie shared a quick look, but followed their leader and best friend. Vinnie quickly snatched the keys from the table and when they were standing by the car, Throttle turned around.
"Give me the keys, Vincent", and he held up his hand. Vinnie sighed and gave them to Throttle.
When they drove away with shrieking tires, Vinnie looked at Throttle.
"Who is she, Throttle? What do you know that we don't?"
"She's a Barker. Professor Milestone made a friend on Earth, who teached him English and everything he wanted to know about Earth. In return, he told Barker everything about Mars and the Martian Cave Mice. They were friends. They trusted each other. But someone found out about Milestone and reported it. When the authorities came by the house, Milestone fled and Barker was thrown into prison. Word is he's tortured to death, because even if Milestone had abandoned him, he remained loyal to him. He never said a word about Mars or us."
Vinnie looked confused.
"So? This happened ages ago. What has this to do with Flo?"
"Not sure. I guess she found out. And I can imagine the hatred against Martian Mice runs deep into the family."
Vinnie stared outta the window. He just couldn't believe his oversized ears. The fact that Kiwi maybe would die because of something that happened years ago… He just couldn't wrap his mind around it.
Modo was also staring outside. He'd never felt so betrayed. She used him. She used him to work out her plan to get him and his bro's and now, she dragged Kiwi into it. Anger ran through his veins and he felt so stupid he'd fell for her act. But no more. If Kiwi was gonna die, Vinnie was right. Her blood would be on his hands. And he wasn't planning on letting that happen. He would never forgive himself. He was gonna set this straight, no matter what.

Kiwi slowly woke up, feeling very confused. Her whole body hurted and her face felt swollen. She opened her eyes and tried to move, but she noticed she hardly couldn't. She suddenly heard the sound of water. What the… She tried to sit upright, but there was no room. Her eyes flew in every direction and her heart skipped a beat. She was lying in some sort of box, made of glass. And the box was lying on the bottom of Lake Michigan. Panic hit her like she got slapped in the face and she screamed.
"HELP! HELP ME!" and she hit with her fists against the glass.
But it was no use. She noticed she was quickly out of breath.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit, she was running out of oxygen.
She suddenly saw a tank standing next to the box, a tube attached to the box. Her gaze landed on the meter on top of it and she gasped in fear. She really was running out of oxygen. Because if she needed to believe the meter, she only had fifteen minutes left before the tank would be empty…

Throttle hit the brakes and before the car was standing completely still, Vinnie already jumped out. He quickly checked the surrounding, but next to the fact it was completely deserted, nothing seemed to be wrong. He gritted his teeth. This girl was playing with them, he knew it. And he had no other choice than to play along. To keep Kiwi safe. His bro's joined him and also looked around.
"Hmmm… I have a bad feeling about this…", Throttle said softly.
Vinnie walked to the water, looking for… yeah, for what actually? Dammit. He turned around to face his bro's.
"She ain't here, bro's. That girl is playing with us", he growled.
Throttle rubbed his chin.
"Time is ticking. That's what she said. But why…"
His gaze landed on the water. No. She wouldn't, right?
Vinnie saw the look on his face and came into action almost the same time.
"Vincent, wait, we don't know…", Throttle started, but Vinnie didn't even hear it.
He took a deep breath and dove into the water. He opened his eyes and looked around him. But he saw nothing. Panic was slowly taken over his body.
Dammit, Kiwi , where are you?
He swam further, still looking around him. But then, something caught his attention and he swam down. His heart stopped when he realized where he was looking at. A big box, the size of a coffin, was lying on the bottom of the lake. And trapped inside of it, his girl. He swam over to her and lay his hands on the glass. Kiwi suddenly saw him and relief was visible in her eyes. But soon, panic took over again and she pointed at her right. Vinnie looked at where she was pointing at and saw the oxygen tank. The meter told him there were only three minutes left.
Shit.
He clenched his fist and punched on the glass, but the only result was a heavy pain in his hand.
Fuck.
How was he gonna get her outta here? Kiwi looked up at him, despair written on her face. He tried to break the glass again, but it was no use. It was no goddamn use. It was too thick and without his gun or flairs, he was never gonna get her out. He started to feel light in his head and his lungs were almost exploding. He needed to go back to the surface to breath, but the look on Kiwi's face made it almost impossible to leave her, even if it was for only for a short moment of time. He signed at her he needed air and pointed up. She shook her head in panic, tears were streaming out of her eyes. Her mouth opened and Vinnie could see her lips, her beautiful soft lips, forming the words.

Don't leave me…

He gave her his most charming smile in a attempt to take away her panic and winked at her.

I'll be back, sweetheart. No worries. Hero stuff, remember?

She lay her hands against the glass and he did the same. And after giving her one reassuring smile, he quickly swam back up.

Throttle and Modo were standing on the beach, staring at the water to see if there was any sign of Vinnie, but nothing happened.
"He's too long down, Throttle, something is wrong", Modo said worried, his eye glowing red. "I'm gonna go after him", but Throttle stopped him.
"It's too dangerous, we don't know her plan. We need to stay here in case she shows up. What will happen if we all underwater and come up for air and she is standing here with a bazooka?"
Modo was about to answer, when Vinnie came up, gulping air into his lungs.
"Vinnie!", Modo called out.
The white furred mouse looked at him, breathing heavily.
"Kiwi is down there in a box, she's almost outta air, but I can't break the glass without my flairs…", he breathed, his voice hoarse of panic.
Modo suddenly looked at his arm. No weapons. But he couldn't just ripp his arm off, now could he? So, off course, he still had his armcannon. And he made a decision.
"Vin, stay here with Throttle, I'll go get her", he said determined.
Vinnie wanted to protest but Modo was already in the water.
"No time to discuss who's gonna be the hero, bro. Besides, this is all my fault. Stay here!" and he dove down.
Vinnie quickly swam to the beach and stumbled out of the water. Throttle helped him by grabbing his arm. Vinnie clung to Throttle.
"What if he's too late?", he gasped, still outta breath.
Throttle looked him the eye.
"He'll make it, Vincent, I just know he will."

Modo spotted the box Vinnie had mentioned and quickly swam to it. But when he looked through the glass, he saw that Kiwi already had lost consciousness. Well, he hoped she was only unconsciousness...
Oh momma.
He raised his arm cannon and shot the glass. He just hoped she wasn't gonna get hurt too bad because of the broken glass, but he didn't had a choice right now. She needed to get up. The glass shattered and water flushed inside. Modo quickly grabbed Kiwi and swum up.
When he reached the surface, he saw a white blur running into the water and grabbing Kiwi. Vinnie quickly carried her to the beach and gently lay her down.
"Sweetheart? Sweetheart, wake up", he said softly, his hands flying over her body. She had small wounds off the broken glass, but nothing major. But she wasn't breathing.
Vinnie squeezed her nose and pressed his lips on hers. He blew air into her lungs.
"Come on, sweetheart, come on…"
His bro's were kneeling on the other side of Kiwi, looking desperate at the human girl.
Vinnie repeated the kiss of life, two times, three times, four times… But still nothing happened.
But Vinnie wasn't gonna give up.
"Kiwi, please…", he moaned and again, blew air in her lungs.
Suddenly, Kiwi started to cough and water sprayed out of her mouth. Vinnie let out his breath in relief.
"That's it, sweetheart, that's it", and he quickly pulled her in his arms.
Kiwi was gasping for air, grabbing his wet fur and tears streamed out of her eyes. Vinnie held her tightly and looked at Modo.
"Thanks, bro. Really…"
But before Modo could react…

*CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP*

They looked up and saw Flo standing close to them, clapping her hands.
"Way to go, mousies. You saved the girl. Great job. Really, I'm impressed."
Modo and Throttle jumped at their feet, Vinnie was still holding Kiwi.
"Can you stand?", he asked softly, his eyes still fixed on Flo.
"Yeah, I guess…", she whispered back.
Vinnie helped her up and supported her by holding her by the waist.
Kiwi looked at Flo, who was really amused, she could tell. Jesus, what the fuck was wrong with this woman?
"Why are you doing this? What kind of game are you playing?", Modo asked, still somehow doubting her intentions. It couldn't be all just a big lie, right? But when he saw the ice cold look in her eyes, he already got his answer.
"It's no game, it just was some sort of experiment. And the outcome wasn't what I expected at all…", Flo smiled, but it was no nice smile.
"A experiment?", Throttle asked annoyed. "Listen lady, stop talking in riddles and spill it. What is that you want?"
"I wanted to know if my grandgrandgrand etcetera grandfather Ben was right. I read his journals, you know. And he was talking about this professor Milestone like he was some sort of god. But if he was, then why would he abandon him from the moment they got in trouble? He just left him to die. So, I was just… curious, I guess."
Vinnie couldn't believe what he was hearing. Kiwi felt him tense and she quickly grabbed his arm before he was gonna do something stupid.
"Really? You gotta be kidding me! You almost killed my girl because of something that happened ages ago? Jesus, sweetheart, get it over it and move on!", he spit out in anger.
"Well, I just wanted to know if all Martian Mice were like that. But apparently, I was wrong. Ah well, it was just for fun, actually. Now, it's time to get back to business", and she grabbed her gun.
"So, it was all a big lie? The waving eyelashes, the innocent touches, playing the damsel in distress? Only to do such a lousy experiment?", Modo asked. He felt stupid alright. She'd wrapped him around her little finger and he immediately had fall for it.
"Not everything was a lie, big guy. I really am a bounty hunter. But I came to Chicago for you, not Limburger. Well, I did need him. He was prepared to pay a big price to get rid of you."
"And you found out about us, how?", Throttle asked, getting more annoyed by the second.
"It all started when I found the journals on the attic of my fathers house. And I was immediately intrigued. My father always told me stories about Martian Mice, just like his father told him, who had learned it from his father etcetera. I never believed it, actually. I just listened to the stories because my father apparently had the strong urge to tell them and I didn't want to hurt him. Anyway, when he died and I was emptying his house, I found the journals. I read them all, and I was surprised. You know, the stories my father told me, were always about betrayal, darkness and death. But the journals told otherwise. How noble this professor Milestone was. Friendly. Loyal. Ben was crazy about him.
Anyway, a few months later I read this article in the newspaper about a guy who got arrested for trashing a neighbourhood. And that this guy told the police it was done by a mouse on a motorcycle. First, I just laughed about it. People are getting more and more creative to stay outta jail. But I suddenly rememberd another article, about three mysterious bikes who had saved Chicago from a lavastream that started in some shady amusement park. All I had to do was add one plus one. I immediately left for Chicago. It wasn't that hard to find you and after observing you for a while, I knew enough. I went back home and started to prepare. I reached out to Limburger, because I'd seen how much he hated you guys. I knew he was rich. So, that's the story."

Modo's ears drooped.
"You used me… I stood up for you, even went against my own bro's for you and you just used me…"
Flo looked at him and for the first time, her cold face softened.
"You left me no choice. When that crazy adrenaline junkie...", and she pointed at Vinnie, who looked offended. "...almost ran over me, I needed to improvise. I never wanted to meet you before I'd go to Limburger, but it just happened. And your chivalry was exactly what I needed. Sorry, big guy. It's just work, nothing personal", and she winked at him.
Modo clenched his teeth. This lady had played with his head. She had taken advantage of his personality. And because of that, Kiwi'd almost died. But he knew now. This lady ain't no lady. He raised his armcannon. Flo quickly raised her gun.
"Hey! No weapons! That was the deal!", she warned.
"Yeah well… good thing we don't make deals with scum like you. Ma'am", Modo snorted the last word sarcastic. "I'll give you the choice to just walk away and never look back. If you don't, well… things could get ugly."
Flo clenched her teeth. She aimed the gun at Throttle, who was standing close to Modo, but the gray furred giant quickly pushed his friend behind him.
"If you want them, you'll have to go through me first. Now, walk away and nobody will get hurt."
Flo studied his face. Was he really gonna sacrifice his own life to save his friends? Hmmm…
"You're brave", she said slowly. "But stupid!" and she pulled the trigger.
"NO, MODO!" Kiwi screamed when the big guy fell on his knees. But Modo raised his arm again.
"Are you really gonna shoot a lady, big guy?", Flo teased him, but she was underestimating the gray furred mouse.
"You, Flo, ain't no lady. And don't worry, it's just work, nothing personal."
Flo's face darkened but before she could react, Modo fired. He hit the hand that was holding in the gun and blood splattered around. Flo screamed in pain and the gun flew away. Vinnie came into action and jumped in the air, landed on his hands, pushed himself up again and after a somersault, he landed on his feet next to the gun. He snatched it with his tail before Flo could grab it with her other hand. He aimed the gun at her, and Kiwi saw his finger lying on the trigger. Suddenly, his low voice echoed through her head.

Make sure you're finger is only on the trigger when you'e ready to shoot...

"Vinnie, NO!", she yelled, but Throttle also had seen what Kiwi had seen and he quickly took the gun out of Vinnie's hand.
"We're not like her, Vincent."
Vinnie stared at Flo, who was lying on the floor, holding her wounded hand, crying in pain.
"Ah man, don't you just hate to be the good guys sometimes?", he moaned in frustration.
Kiwi suddenly remembered the gunshot and looked at Modo. He was still on his knees, his hand on his arm. Blood streamed between his fingers and dripped on the sand, colouring it red.
"Shit, Modo!", and she ran over to him. She quickly looked at his arm. It looked like the bullet was still in there and he was losing a lot of blood.
"Throttle, he needs help. NOW!"
The tan furred mouse whirled around and nodded.
"Go to the car, we'll be right there. Call Ruby that we need her."
Modo slowly climbed on his feet and with Kiwi, he stumbled to the car.
"What are we gonna do with her?", Vinnie asked, looking at Throttle.
"Well…", and he bend over and took Flo's phone out of her pocket. "My guess is that the police is gonna be very interested about what happened here and why this lady is carrying so many weapons around in her car."
Flo looked up at him, and for the first time, her face looked desperate.
"No please, don't do this, they're gonna lock me up… please…"
But Throttle already dialed 911.
"We need medical help with police support at the beach of Lake Michigan. Hurry!" and he broke the connection. He smiled at Flo while breaking her phone in two.
"No worries, lady. Nothing personal."
Vinnie quickly took off his shirt and used it to tie her legs and hands together. When he touched her wounded hand, she screamed in pain. But Vinnie couldn't care less.
"Just be glad I didn't blew your brains out. But let me tell you this sweetheart, if I ever see you near Kiwi again, no one is gonna be able to stop me then, not even one of my bro's. For me, it's personal. You made it personal… You got that?", he whispered in her ear.
Flo shivered when she heard the tone in his voice and gave a small nod. Message received. Loud and clear. When Vinnie was done, he and Throttle wanted to walk away. But Flo wasn't ready to be left behind.
"I'm gonna tell the police all about you, you meddling mice!", she threatened, but it sounded weak, even in her own ears.
"Yeah, well… You said it yourself; mice on motorcycles who are trying to save the world… They never gonna believe you. Have fun in jail, doll", Vinnie snorted and he and Throttle turned around and walked away.

When they got home, Throttle and Vinnie helped Modo inside. He was still bleeding and somehow looked pale under his gray fur. They gently lay him down on the couch. He moaned in pain, his one eye half closed.
"What is taken Ruby so long, he…", Throttle started, but then…
"Ruby can't fly nor she can drive full speed through Chicago on a bike."
Ruby walked in with her bag and Throttle blushed.
"Sorry, I'm just worried…", but she held up her hand.
"I know. Now, what happened this time? Do I need my sedatives again, or a hammer to knock him down?", she asked, but she soon saw the white one standing next to the gray one, who was lying on the couch.
"Hey!", Vinnie said offended, crossing his arms before his chest.
"Good to see you standing on your feet, alive and kicking this time", Ruby winked at him and she kneeled down next to Modo. The gray furred giant was still holding his arm, his breathing shallow. Ruby tried to unfold his fingers so she could examine the wound, but that didn't work.
"Come on, big guy, if you want my help, I need yours."
Throttle quickly kneeled down next to her and lay a hand on Modo's shoulder.
"It's okay now, big fella. Ruby's here, she's gonna help ya…"
Modo looked at him, obviously dazed. He nodded and let go off his arm. Blood dripped on the floor and Ruby quickly put a tourniquet around his arm. The bleeding slowly stopped and she cleaned the wound.
"The bullet is still inside and hit a artery. I need to get it out and stop the bleeding,", she said, grabbing some medicine out of her bag.
She looked at Modo.
"In other words, looks like I'm still gonna need those sedatives today. You need surgery."
Vinnie, who already had taken some distance from the whole thing, froze when he heard the word surgery.
Kiwi saw it happen and quickly walked over to him.
"Why don't you go work on your bike?", she said friendly, pushing him softly towards the garage.
But somehow, he hesitated. It was his bro, after all. It felt wrong to leave him.
"But…", he started, but his heart was already pounding in his chest and he felt these weird tingles in his hands and feet, a sign a panic attack was lying around the corner, ready to consume him.
Kiwi felt how tensed he was and knew he had to go.
"Vinnie, it's okay. Modo will understand. Now, go…"
The white furred mouse took a deep breath and nodded. He gave Kiwi a quick kiss and walked away.
Kiwi looked at him till he was gone and turned around. Throttle gave her a small nodd. She nodded back and saw Modo was already out cold.
Ruby was preparing the surgery and looked at Kiwi.
"You okay, girl?", she asked, worry in her voice. Kiwi was standing on the edge of breaking into tears, but she took a deep breath and nodded. Now was the not the time for a mental break down.
"Can I do anything to help?", she asked and Ruby nodded.
"Yeah, clean the wound one more time, please."
Kiwi did what she asked. Throttle was rubbing his chin.
"I just don't get why she didn't kill him. She knew how to handle a weapon, she had a clear shot and yet, she hit him in the arm…"
Kiwi froze for a second, but soon continued her work.
"You're right, I never thought about it. Maybe it had to do something with the terms she agreed with Limburger. Maybe he needed you alive?", but Throttle shook his head.
"No, he learned the hard way we ain't model prisoners…"
Kiwi looked at Modo, who was snoring loud and she smiled.
"Maybe she did care about him…Deep down", she whispered.
Throttle slowly nodded.
"Yeah… Maybe you're right…"

Ruby was done with preparing and grabbed a big pair of tongs, which was packed into a sterilised wrapping. She opened it and Kiwi made room for her, since the wound was clean.
"Let's get that bullet out", the red headed woman said and she started her work.
After searching for a while, she finally found the bullet and pulled it out. Kiwi held up a silver plate and with loud ringing, the bullet fell on the plate.
"Good. Now, I'm gonna close the artery and after that, it's only a lot of stitching", Ruby said, already busy with finding the ends of the broken artery with tweezers.
Kiwi felt a little sick when she saw how Ruby was poking in the flesh wound and she looked the other way. She was so tired. And still shocked about everything that happened today. Damn, she let this woman into her house. She gave her a place to stay, she gave her food… And still, she almost killed her. This was the last time they were gonna let a stranger into this house. That's for sure.
When Ruby was halfway stitching the wound, Kiwi noticed it was way too silence all of a sudden. She couldn't lay a finger on it, but when she looked at Modo's face, her heart stopped.
"Shit, Ruby, something's wrong!", she called out, pointing at Modo's face. She could see the skin through his fur and it was white as a piece of paper. She also immediately understand why it was so silence. Modo had stopped snoring.
Ruby quickly checked Modo's vitals.
"He's getting weaker, he lost too much blood. More than I thought in the first place."
She looked up at Throttle. No panic, but Throttle could see in her eyes action was required.
"He needs a blood transfusion. Please, tell me you're blood qualifies... "
Throttle breathed in sharply.
Shit.
Back on Mars, at the beginning of their career as a Freedom Fighter, they all had got a extensive medical examination. Not only to test if they were physically okay to fight a war, but also to gather valuable information, such as blood type… Transfusions were almost as common as drinking root beer when you were living in a war.
Fuck.
That was before Vinnie was messed up.
They even made jokes about it, back then. That Modo needed to be nice to Vinnie, since he was the only one with the same rare blood type, and vica versa.
Shit.
He slowly shook his head and looked at Kiwi.
"No, but Vinnie's blood does..."
Kiwi gasped.
Ruby studied them both and sighed.
"Right. The white one with PTSS is the only one who can save him… Great. Just great…"
Kiwi and Throttle were still staring at each other. Shit. How were they gonna do this?

Oh my dear holy mothers of Mars!
No doubt Vinnie is willing to do everything to save his bro's life, but this is something he doesn't control. A trauma. Panic. A living hell.
How in the world are they gonna pull this off?

Stay tuned and puhlease review! :)