Colleen took a deep breath and made her way down the hall to the Main Room. Master had summoned her from her room, where she was practicing. She was able to put her mind at ease long enough to think. Now she sat down quietly in her seat.
"Gather around, Rovers," Master said. "Before I give you your assignment, I just want to talk to Colleen for a moment."
"Yes, Master?" she said, looking up.
"I'm really sorry to ask you this, Colleen," he began, but we have absolutely no leads at all on Hunter's murder. I was truly hoping...now that you've had a few more days to think about it, if you remember anything different from that night that you could tell us about."
"I'm sorry, Master," she said, shaking her head. "But what happened then is exactly the way I remember it. I know you don't believe me, no one does! But I know I saw a woman climb out of the window, she had long back hair and ice blue eyes," she shivered. "They were Groomer's eyes!"
Blitz stood up. "Master, I don't think upsetting Colleen again is going to do any good. It's plain to see she's on the verge of a breakdown! Now, I suggest that until she's back to her old self again, you should get a temporary leader..like, say me?"
"I HAVE CHOSEN COLLEEN!" Master said in his commanding voice. "Now, you will be a team player and HELP HER OUT!" At that Blitz cowered behind his chair.
"Okay, okay, okay, yeah, you chose Colleen, that's fine, alright."
Master sighed. "But that does bring up another topic I wanted to address, Colleen. The boys have been talking to me..they were saying something about you believing Hunter to still be alive.."
"He IS," Colleen said. 'I know he is! I felt him, I felt him three times, he's calling to me and needs my help."
"But, Colleen," Master said, "You know he's dead, you saw his body yourself, you even scattered his ashes."
"I could feel him, Master, and he was calling to me!"
"Then let me ask you this," Master said, "If you really think Hunter is still alive..who did we scatter in the ocean?"
"I really don't know, Master," Colleen said. "I can't explain that. All I know is that it wasn't him I was holding in the dark." Hunter's image came back to her again, him standing, almost being swallowed by darkness. Dark? Darkness? Is that the secret?
"Dig Deeper!" Hunter urged. "You're almost there!"
"I really can't explain it, Master," she said. "It wasn't Hunter..it may have been a Clone for all I know." Suddenly Hunter's image came back to her again..but this time he was beaming. Her eyes widened.
Hunter's clone! She thought. Of course! Why didn't I think of that before? Two Hunters were descending on her in her dreams, one disguised as Groomer. Two Hunters! One part of her brain dismissed this as nonsense, the other part knew this was the only thing that enabled Hunter to still be alive. A Clone of Hunter was dead- Groomer had killed the Clone. And Hunter was out there- ALIVE- but in grave danger. "I've told you all I remember, Master," she said.
Master sighed. "I see no point in grilling you any further about it. Now, Rovers, I am prepared to give you your next assignment," he then looked at Colleen. "Colleen, this assignment is your first one as Leader. Are you SURE you're up to it?"
She nodded. "Yes, Master. I'll do it for Hunter. I am fully prepared to give it all my best."
Master nodded. "All right. Now, we have just found out that there has been another break in at a hospital. The person is making off with DNA codes and blood samples."
"Groomer strikes again!" Blitz said. "Come on, let's go down there and bite some tushies!"
"Don't be a weird boy," Exile said.
"I believe so too. Rovers, your mission is to stop Groomer and her Cano-Mutants, from causing more disturbance."
"Yes, Sir!" The Rovers said together, rising from their places at the table.
"Let's hit the road, Rovers!" Colleen said. The others smiled at the all-to-familiar Hunter saying. Giving a large group howl, they all started off for the Vehicle Room.
"Wait, Exile?" Master said.
"Yes, Master?' He asked.
"Please keep an eye on Colleen. I may have acted hasty with my choosing of her as Leader, but I do expect you to take over if it looks like she is unable to carry out this mission."
"Yes, Sir, I will watch over her like Papa Lion," with that, he took off.
As the Cloud Rover began to fly toward its destination, Exile made sure to keep a close eye upon Colleen as she flew with a steely determination in her eyes. He exchanged a worried look with Blitz and Shag. He truly hoped, for all their sakes, that Colleen could hold on, at least until they had stopped Parvo. Once the hospital was spotted, the Cloud Rover made a smooth landing in the back and quietly the Rovers began to creep in.
"I'm having funny feeling of deja-vu," Blitz mumbled.
"You and me both," Exile said as they made their way near the door of the room that held the DNA samples and the blood. Quickly they snuck in to find Groomer and some Cano-Mutants loading several vats with blood and DNA.
"Ok, Exile, do your stuff," Colleen said. Exile nodded and stepped out in front. He stared at some of the Mutants as freeze beams emerged from his eyes and hit their target. They quickly froze in their tracks.
"What the..." Groomer cried, turning around.
"NOW!!" Colleen yelled as the Rovers surrounded them. Blitz quickly found himself surrounded.
"Let the biting begin!" He cried as he began to run after them.
"JACKIIIE CHAN! JEEEET LI!! SAMMMO HUNG!!" Colleen cried, executing some very impressive karate moves upon them, but THIS time she tried to watch out more carefully. Her eye was especially on Groomer, who was once more trying to escape. She raced after her, wishing she had Hunter's speed. "THIS ONE'S FOR MY LUV!!!" She yelled as she threw a massive kick toward Groomer, knocking her into a vile of beakers.
She gasped as she quickly remembered only a few short weeks ago, when this same thing had happened to her...and Groomer had collected some of her blood. Her eyes grew wide, it all made perfect sense now. She had gathered blood...to take to Parvo...to make clones! NOT THIS TIME! she thought as she moved closer to Groomer..but unfortunately, Groomer didn't cut herself. Instead, she grabbed the containers she held and made her way out the door. Before Colleen could follow, Exile grabbed her shoulder.
"Comrade, come see!" He cried. "Look, we have all Mutants accounted!" Colleen looked around and saw he was right, they were either frozen or completely knocked out. Her heart grew with pride. "He would be very proud of you, Comrade Colleen," Exile said.
Colleen smiled. "To the Power of the Pack!" She cried. The group responded with a howl. She then looked out the window as Groomer began to slip away..almost the same way she had slipped away that night. "NOT AGAIN!" Colleen cried. "NOT THIS TIME!" She turned. 'To the Cloud Rover, now! Groomer won't get away again!"
Immidiately they piled into the Cloud Rover, carrying the Mutants to transdogmify back once they got back to Headquarters, and followed the Groomer's hovercraft, staying a good distance away so as not to be spotted, but keeping close enough to see her. A short while later they spotted the vehicle entering a dark and creapy place that looked like it was cut out of a mountain. Slowly they landed it near the back.
Colleen thought quickly. How are we gonna get in? She thought and thought, but nothing came. She hung her head, who was she kidding? She couldn't do this, she wasn't born for it like Hunter was. Hunter would have thought of something lickety-split. Exile noticed her look and patted her shoulder.
"It is alright, take your time," he said. 'We know this is first time you have this responsibility." Colleen gave a small smile of thanks and thought, What would Hunter do?, then it came to her, He'd look around, he'd try to see if there was some way in! She slowly got out of the Cloud Rover, beckoning the others to follow.
Slowly they made their way around to the front of the hideout, to be greeted by Cano-Mutant sentries. This reminded her of another instance when something like this was spotted, the time when they had first encountered Storm. Suddenly her eyes widened. "THAT'S IT!" She huddled around the other Rovers. 'Ok, I'll keep the Guards busy while all of you sneak in."
"But, how, Colleen? You do not have super speed like Hunter when he did this," Blitz said. He winced when Exile poked him.
"I know..but I have other ways, just be prepared." They nodded. Quickly, Colleen snuck near the Guards. She picked up a coconut that had fallen near, took careful aim, and threw it at them. It landed on the head of the first guard. Colleen jumped out of her hiding place, waved innocently, and ran off. She left no trace of fire, but she COULD run fast. The guards took off after her while the others ran into the door.
Colleen raced around until she came to a tree and climbed up it's branches as nimbly as a squirrel. The guards stood at the foot of it barking. "OSCAR DE LA HOYA!! ANN LANDERS!" She cried, kicking them as she jumped from the tree, knocking them cold. She raced into the door where the others were waiting.
"Excellent work!" Blitz cried.
"Good going, you learn good!" Exile cried.
"Thanks. Now, let's get moving, she couldn't have gotten very far."
Parvo cursed out loud at what he saw through his security cameras, Groomer at one end of the hideout, the Rovers coming in through the other.
"Do we get em now?" Storm asked.
"No," he said quietly. 'Just let them come. Our friends are now gathered downstairs anyway. By the time the Rovers will have found their way down there our friends will have already seen our Clones and will have paid the money. Then we can REALLY give them a demonstration."
"What about the 'problem' in the basement?"
"Will worry about THAT once the rest of the Rovers are done for."
"And HER?" he asked, pointing to Groomer.
"Leave her to ME."