"How's my best cyborg doing," the boss couldn't be happier. Standing right in front of her was E.L.O, her personal number one among all the gangsters who worked for the pink lady. No answer followed. The iron one spoke very little and therefore no one could figure out what mood the gangster had. "Small talk aside, E.L.O! I bet you weren't just sipping cocktails all the time, right?", Cassandra continued to grin contentedly at the man whose head was covered by his helmet and the red visor flashed briefly.
"Even when Savage Garden died, you were right on top of it and did your own research. So...do you have anything interesting for me," Cassandra knew the answer already.
Indeed, E.L.O silently pulled up his left arm and fumbled on some of the buttons on his bracer. Now several holo images formed up showing the lombaxes and so much more. He photographed their trip to Veldin, the week at the resort, and even on Barlow. He had been everywhere in secret. But the next pictures were the straw that broke the camel's back. More pictures showed her own workers: Rihan, Flame, Ninja, Hammerfall, Si, Garf, and Tom-Tom doing common things with the furry troublemakers before the leader of the organization was finally shown, which now made the boss's blood boil even further.
"That...little...son of a bitch!"
Her glass shattered in her hand, giving out her own blood, but the lady didn't care about the pain. James had been the one who knew about all her orders and told the lombaxes, because he had been the real mastermind of this organization and for the pink lady one thing was certain. The sandman must die, "E.L.O, bring me this traitor and the lombaxes! IMMEDIATELY!"
"...As you wish!"
The few words of his mechanical, dark voice rang out before he strode back to the carpet and prepared his departure. When the boss gave him an order, it was usually something big that only the mechanical one could do, and he would immediately do everything he could to keep the boss in her position. His jet pack activated, but before he could fly up into the sky Cassandra stood up again and walked slowly towards the cyborg, who was playfully waving a knife around.
"And the others...", instead of a word she playfully stroked her neck with the blade, which E.L.O immediately understood.
Slowly the morning was reaching its limit. Clank stood on the kitchen table and sorted the glasses with some help from Kit. Both robots waited for Ratchet and Rivet to get ready together in the bathroom, before heading to the final plan. "Once again...clothes scattered everywhere!"
"Oh dear, hehe," just like her counterpart, she gave out the familiar "Oh dear", before putting away the remaining glasses with him. As they finished, both lombaxes then stepped out, dressed in their ever familiar outfits and placed the little robots on their backs in backpack style as usual, "So, ready to bring down a mafia empire?"
"Anytime," Rivet placed a kiss on her beloved after this answer before Ratchet then activated the phone in his ear and left the apartment with the others.
"James, we're on our way!"
In the usual alley near the warehouse, which served as their hideout, James stood as usual in a gray sweater and folded arms leaning against the wall, waiting for the lombaxes. Since the evening it really felt for the tiger-like as if he had found two new friends, even if this could be their last meeting, before he then brings down the boss. Already on command, the four heroes entered the other side of the alley, with the bots at their backs of course, and strode toward the gangster.
"Hey Jimmy. How's it going," Ratchet offered a fist, which the taller one even accepted, before becoming a bit more serious again, "Don't ever call me that again!" "It's just a nickname," the rebel nudged his ribs with her iron elbows, at which the tiger alien himself then had to grin before joining in the fun.
"Well then, FURRBALLS. Let's go to the meeting place," together but hidden they walked to the entrance of the warehouse, and the closer they got the more James grinned determinedly. Unlocking the door, the gangster then stepped inside first. "He's smiling like the sun. Not that he's about to blow up of joy," Rivet grinned cheekily, to which Ratchet agreed, "It's a big day too, after all..."
Entering the hall, both lombaxes slammed into something hard in front of them. It was not a cabinet, or old equipment of the hall, but something that breathed a sigh of relief. There stood James, and he was completely motionless, shaking at his paws completely and a nervous and horrified breathing could be heard. "James, what is it...", but as the couple pushed past him they saw the reason for the sudden change of emotion. On the floor, or even scattered about, were the remains of blood and flesh from the other gangsters they were allied with. James' friends were all lying motionless on the ground, and no one was moving.
"J...James...are they," Ratchet and Rivet now also had the feeling of nervousness and coming up before the gangster's shaky voice could be heard again.
"They...are all...dead!"
…one hour ago…
"We'll be waiting there, James. We have a little surprise for the three of you," that same morning Rihan walked through the streets and contacted her leader with her earpiece on the helmet. The gangster of Rilga walked grinning with a bottle of the finest alcohol brew to the warehouse, where the rest of the team was already waiting. Today had been a great day for them, because together with the lombaxes, they would bring the boss down and finally put an end to the whole thing, and for that she had her fanciest war cloak on today. The blue alien strode through the iron door and was already greeted by the other gangsters.
"What's up, guys," Rihan strode up to the small table where Flame took the bottle from her and examined it, "Oh, Purple Haze. Even at its best."
"Yes, big guy," the hairy cyclops was still staring at the good juice before he put it down again and continued talking with the rest of the gang. All had been gathered and were still waiting for their leader and the lombaxes, whom you have to thank for getting this far.
"Friends...tomorrow we are free!"
Ninja however, suddenly silenced the gangster chick. Something caught his pointy ears, which also alerted the rest of the group, "What's wrong, Ninja?" Not a word much, but something iron landed in the middle of the room, immediately startling the gang. Before them stood an unexpected, but uninvited guest, his iron armor glinting from the light of the sun. "T...This is...E.L.O...", the tension immediately rose in the room as the cyborg stood up and set his sights on the other gangsters.
"Rihan, do you think he...", Flame whispered in her ear, while still no reaction followed from the iron one.
Before he then set the first attack.
The gang just managed to dodge as E.L.O sprinted with his rocket boots and tried to land the first punch. Now the gangsters knew and set to counterattack. Rihan fired off with the blasters, but they only bounced off the suit before then Si went on the attack with his round form. E.L.O had no problems against the robot, until his scrawnier partner Garf also joined in and he then hit the round against the long. But then the next opponent was Hammerfall, the strongest of the group. The slime in battle armor lashed out with his massive fists at the cyborg, who deftly dodged and waited for an opportunity.
"Now I have you," but after the translated word of the slime it happened. E.L.O twitched two laser blades from his bracers and stabbed the armpits of the mechanical arms before taking on his legs.
Kneeling on the floor, the cyborg pounded both fists against the glass dome that bore Hammerfall's slimy form and then began to push with all his might. The glass withstood a lot, but it began to crack more now and any attempt by the slime to do any damage missed as he continued to look into the red visor of the enemy.
The last option was to scream, when it finally happened.
"NO!"
The gang watched as the canister shattered and Hammerfall's slime spread to the elite gangster's fists, before the armor fell back to the ground. He had taken out the strongest first, so it was now easy for him to finish off the rest of the traitors. The scrawny bot Garf quickly extended his arm and wrapped it around E.L.O, who then got the three claw fist from Tom-Tom. "YOU DAMN BASTARD," the bug made the cyborg tap backwards before he then quickly recovered from the blow and swatted Garf's arm away. Rihan now set to sprint, but the elite man set to walking error and rammed her face to the stony ground. He lifted her up again by the helmet, making her gasp and cough up blood. Before E.L.O. could deliver a final blow, shuriken flew at him, which he quickly dodged and turned his attention to the ninja lizard gangster.
He used the element of surprise and launched a surprise attack, as other shinobi would dare to do, but his opponent was again one step ahead of him. The flying kick was intercepted by the cyborg and with full force he rammed Ninja against one of the machines, leaving a red mark. Screaming, the lizard-like was again rammed against the ground on his head, causing it and his mask to burst open, now staining the ground with red blood. At that moment, the small round robot Si shot a laser beam, knocking the other gangster against the shelves before helping his partner Garf up and looking at the remains of Ninja in shock, "You alright...bro?"
"I'm still in tact," the longish one held his arm before Flame, Tom-Tom and Rihan then gathered back with the bots and considered a battle plan, "What do we do now? Two of us are already dead!"
"We fight...either HE or WE," growled the gangster chick in blue.
Already E.L.O straightened up again, which was immediately followed by an attack from the lady from Rilga. She rammed her fist against his helmet, which also had an effect and caused the elite gangster to stagger for a moment. But unfortunately it was a short pleasure. The cyborg was ready again and kicked with full force on Rihan's right kneecap, whereupon her leg broke and then was kicked away by the iron one's thick boot. Flame lived up to its name and so the cyclops spewed fire at the enemy, who just managed to block it and aimed his visor at Tom-Tom. The bottle on the table was thrown against the cyclops by the cyborg, before he then looped a rope from the bracer around the bug's neck and pulled it towards him. Tom-Tom struggled wildly before he felt one of his forearms being ripped off and rammed down his throat.
Before E.L.O then shot the rope onto a pipe on the ceiling.
Like a hanged man, the beetle alien staggered in the air, causing Si to freeze in fear before the next tragedy ensued. Faster than the scrawny bot could notice, he had to watch as the cyborg stabbed his palm into his partner's round spherical form and immediately disintegrated it with the help of his other hand. The oil shot to the feet of Garf, who was shocked, but then just screamed in rage and wrapped both arms around the elite gangster. Flame came at him again and his hairy fists pounded the armor, taking every blow. Eventually, E.L.O had enough. He tore loose with his shoulders and immediately cut Garf's head away from his shoulders.
The red-haired cyclops screamed again in horror and went on the attack once more, but the cyborg saw this coming and pulled out a knife from under his wrist. He slit the fat one's throat, brought him bleeding to his knees and wrapped his iron hands around the one-eyed skull. Only a loud crack was heard before Flame's head was turned ninety degrees, then fell to the ground, twitching and bleeding. Only Rihan was left, trying to move with a sprained leg. When she looked out the window she was almost happy, because on the other side of the street stood James and the lombax heroes, who were still talking to each other. For the lady from Rilga there was no other way. She hobbled quietly to the exit, hoping to open a crack and get the leader of her former gang with her shouting.
Before a shot followed against her neck.
From E.L.O's gun on the right bracer a small bullet shot itself into the flesh of the blue moll, who was now lying on the floor and crawling towards the exit. "J...James...help...", there were still a few small steps to the door before she reached it and then she would be out. In her crawling, she suddenly heard a beeping sound in her hearing, which then immediately sent Rihan into even more panic. It was the bullet, and the iron gangster behind her aimed his fist into an impression position where the remote detonator could be found on his hand.
"JAAAAA..."
In just a few seconds, Rhians skull scattered through the steps and on the door as the small cartridge exploded. E.L.O breathed a sigh of relief before his shoulders blew off some visible steam. He had completed a part of his mission, but the main attraction would now follow.
He stood in a dark corner with his arms crossed and waited for the lombaxes and the tiger alien.
"Well then, FURRBALLS. Let's go to the meeting place," together but hidden they walked to the entrance of the warehouse, and the closer they got the more James grinned determinedly. Unlocking the door, the gangster then stepped inside first. "He's smiling like the sun. Not that he's about to blow up of joy," Rivet grinned cheekily, to which Ratchet agreed, "It's a big day too, after all..."
Entering the hall, both lombaxes slammed into something hard in front of them. It was not a cabinet, or old equipment of the hall, but something that breathed a sigh of relief. There stood James, and he was completely motionless, shaking at his paws completely and a nervous and horrified breathing could be heard. "James, what is it...", but as the couple pushed past him they saw the reason for the sudden change of emotion. On the floor, or even scattered about, were the remains of blood and flesh from the other gangsters they were allied with. James' friends were all lying motionless on the ground, and no one was moving.
"J...James...are they," Ratchet and Rivet now also had the feeling of nervousness and coming up before the gangster's shaky voice could be heard again.
"They...are all...dead!"
"No...no, no," Ratchet looked at the dead companions. They ranged from mutilated and hanged to decapitated and shattered. "Rihan...", James knelt down to the blue thug where there was nothing left of her head. Rivet had been quickly reset in a fighting stance by her horrified as she pulled out her hammer, "They found out who's working with us! But who did the boss send that could do something like this?"
"No matter what that THING was, be alert," Ratchet twitched his blaster before iron footsteps could be heard. Out of the shadows strode the culprit for this slaughter. An iron-clad man with a cape and red visor on his helmet stood across from the lombaxes and the last gangster of the gang that betrayed the boss, his gaze not determined, but horrified and almost frightened.
"James...who is that," Ratchet and Rivet strode next to their ally criminal, whose gaze did not leave the cyborg.
It's E.L.O...the boss's last and strongest ace!"