Thanks for the feedback once again, always appreciated. Without too much fuss on with the next part.

It had been a long wait but Fry's senses which had previously deserted him eventually returned. He then became aware that he was moving, presumably on a spacecraft of some kind if the gentle hum of an engine was anything to go by. He neglected to open his eyes however as light entering his eyes probably wouldn't have helped his banging headache. He must have had too much to drink the night before, or worse...

Fry (groggily): Man...where am I? What's going on?

Fry then heard a familiar voice.

Bender: Relax meatbag...we're just going on holiday that's all.

Fry breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Fry: Thank god! I guess it was all a dream then.

Bender: Probably...unless you mean the situation of being captured by government soldiers whilst looking for your lost floozy and other friends and currently being taken for almost certain execution. If that's the case then it wasn't a dream.

This made Fry open his eyes.

Fry (shocked): WHAT?

Fry bolted into an upright position and surveyed his surroundings...if they could be called that. They just consisted of a dark, dingy room with a couple of locked doors and a solitary light in the middle of the ceiling apparently struggling to keep lit. There was what also looked like a small PA system in the corner. At the opposite side of the room to Fry was Bender sat up against the wall with his hands bound by handcuffs. Looking down at his own hands he found himself to be in the same predicament as his friend.

Fry: ...aw crap!

Bender: Could be worse, you could be stuck in here with Zoidberg instead.

Fry: But...you said we were going on holiday!

Bender (laughs): Heheh...yeah, I was just kidding...

Fry couldn't even muster a fake smile let alone a real one. He'd failed already...and if it wasn't for Bender's intervention on numerous occasions he wouldn't have even got this far. His friends needed him, Nibbler needed him, even the whole city probably needed him...and most notably to Fry, Leela needed him. But here he was, sitting helplessly in one of the Mayor's ships being flown away to God knows where. In short, he'd let everyone down again by being so careless.

When he saw who or what he thought was Leela in the house on Nomian he was just overwhelmed with relief. But despite it being a totally understandable reaction to run straight to her he still blamed himself for running straight into a trap. To make things worse, going hand in hand with the feeling of disgust for himself was the memory of his emotions at that moment. The startlingly quick descent from joy and relief to agony and heartbreak was not something that is easily brushed off. The only time he could remember a similar passage of emotion was during his ridiculously short marriage to Leela during the timeskips which left him wallowing in his own mental pit of despair. Thanks to eventually managing to win Leela's heart during the opera fiasco the scars left by that had faded near enough completely but with Fry's current state of affairs there seemed little hope of a cure anytime soon...if one was ever going to come.

Bender inevitably broke the silence.

Bender: Still, I'd rather be here than going to that stupid science demonstration thing that we were meant to be going to today...although, on the down side I guess now I'll never get to see the Professor's 'automated suppository inserter' in action...

Fry (desperate): Bender! Don't you realize what's going to happen to us?

Bender: Don't you realize what a lucky break you've had? You were the guinea pig for that invention!

Fry: But don't you see Bender? It's over...

Bender: What is?

Fry (sad): This whole mission thingy we've been given. Now we've been caught they're probably going to shoot us or lock us in a cage like congressman and leave us to die of something.

Bender (unmoved): Yeah, probably. Oh well, at least I'll leave a lasting legacy of greatness...whilst you've just left a lasting smell in the bathroom.

Fry: Don't you even care?

Bender: Not really, besides, I didn't get us caught so at least it wasn't me who got everyone killed.

Fry sighed, Bender's take on things might have been harsh but he was right technically. Fry's thoughts were then interrupted by a voice coming from the corner of the room.

PA System: Landing in two minutes.

Upon hearing this Fry just took a deep breath and then let it out again with a sigh. It seemed his impending doom was drawing ever closer. The main thing that bothered him though was that without him there to save the day Leela would more likely than not have a similar fate bestowed on her.

And he was totally powerless to stop fate from having it's way.

After what seemed like an eternity the pair eventually felt the ship touch down. Where exactly they had landed however was a total mystery to them as their mobile cell had no windows whatsoever. Fry, still slumped against the wall was staring gloomily at the floor trying not to think about what was coming next though as much as he tried he just couldn't help himself. Bender on the other hand was sitting in a similar position although strangely enough he didn't seem overly concerned. Fry put this down to Bender's initial lack of faith in the 'quest' to start with so he didn't really feel the same amount of dejection that was currently gripping Fry.

The previously sealed door to Fry's left then opened to reveal a government soldier dressed in all black beckoning them.

Soldier: To your feet.

Bender managed to comply with this request easily, even without the aid of his hands. Fry however, was finding things more difficult. Another soldier poked his head round the doorframe to see a red haired young man stumbling all over the place.

Soldier 2 (to other soldier): This the guy we've been busting a gut to find?

Soldier (watching Fry's 'performance whilst slowly shaking his head): ...I'm afraid so...

Soldier 2 (laughs): THAT guy? I guess the stupid ones are harder to read.

The pair watched the sorry display for about ten more seconds before the first soldier went inside and dragged Fry to his feet himself. He then stood behind him, placed his left hand on Fry's shoulder and with his other hand pressed a laser pistol into Fry's back. The second soldier held Bender in a similar position.

Bender: I apologize for my charge here; he gets like this when he's not had his normal 23 hours of sleep.

The soldiers ignored this quip and led guided the pair out into a small hanger which was presumably inside a space station of some kind. Fry glanced around nervously. This place gave him a creepy feeling and reminded him somewhat of the death star. Either that or it was just the gun being held to his back which was giving him the uneasy sensation.

The pair silently allowed themselves to be led out of the hanger.

After an unpleasant five minute 'guided tour' of the station they found themselves at a rather unforgiving black door. On the door was a sign which simply read "Dorena".

The soldier holding Fry took his hand off his shoulder (though keeping Fry at gunpoint) to press a button on the wall that was below an intercom.

A voice that was eerily familiar to Fry from his visit to jail a few days ago was heard.

Voice: Yes?

Soldier: We've found the stragglers sir.

There was an unsettling pause.

Voice: ...come in.

The door then opened to reveal a small office with minimal furnishings. There was a single but large window overlooking the outside view of the blackness of space. This was in turn fronted by a desk with a familiar figure sat at the desk, the figure of the Mayor.

As they were brought ever closer to him Fry realized that he seemed even more cold and unfeeling than he did on the TV. They were halted when they were but a few feet away from the Mayor. He looked at the pair silently with his gaze eventually resting on Fry.

Mayor: Well...

Bender (angrily interrupting): Cut this crap and onto the real issue! What the hell did you interrupt 'All My Circuits' for the other day? It was the defining moment of the episode and you cut it off and for what? Some stupid announcement telling us that Fry's a moron? I already knew that dammit!

There were a few moments of silence.

Mayor: ...moving on. Tell me Fry, why does a "hero" of your ability carry on? All this toil and effort...it's all leading you to one thing, me. You can't delay the inevitable. It seems that you've finally learnt that.

Fry (angry): Oh you'd like it if I learnt something wouldn't you? Well I'm not learning anything until you release Leela and my other friends!

Bender: ...but you can keep Zoidberg if you want.

The Mayor just smiled coldly.

Mayor: So young and naive to reality...you still can't see that your insolence is getting you nowhere. Love is indeed blind. I just hope that girlfriend of yours is blind to her fate, might lessen the suffering...

Fry (furious): Where is she? What have you done with her?

Mayor (laughs): She's coping...just. Now, seen as you're here I have a few questions of my own...I believe your ancient nephew has hidden something of great importance to us. As his "responsible" uncle might you be able to shed some light on its whereabouts?

Fry (blank): What now?

Mayor: Does the term 'energy processor' mean anything to you?

Fry shook his head.

Mayor (angrily): Look, are you going to tell me or is that cyclops going to discover more forms of pain?

Fry (furious): I don't know what the damn thing is! I admit it, I'm dumb! But if you lay one finger on Leela I swear...

Mayor (interrupting): Yes yes, very good. I guess you really are just dumb and therefore of no further use. Guards, take them to be executed...a nice slow, drawn out death should teach them some manners.

And with that the pair were forcefully dragged from the room with Fry cursing like his life depended on it. Sadly for him, it did.

Well, there's another part. I'll try not to leave whoever's bothered hanging on too long for the next part. (Some reviews might make me get on with it:p).

Anyway, thanks for reading and stay tuned for more...if you're bothered.