Ed Edd n Eddy
Future ShockED
Chapter 8
The Eds peered out of the carrier's window. Outside they could see a cliff with a huge ruined building on its peak. As they looked down the cliff they saw rusty vents belching out smog-like fumes out into the distance. At the base of the cliff they saw a cave, which looked eerily artificial, as if something had carved it for easy access in and out.
"Who could carve such a fine doorway into that cliff?" Double D wondered.
"Hey Ed, it looks like you're not the only one with gas!" Eddy chuckled.
"Save the jokes, guys!" Kevin growled. "It's time to gear up and get serious!" He motioned to Rolf, who summoned a vine carrying a trolley full of cases. As Nazz took one out and opened it, she gasped. The Eds immediately ran over to see what was up.
"Kevin, surely we don't need the Lightstorm holo-armour here right?" she asked. "Double D never tested it!" Double D gave Nazz a confused look. "Sorry, I mean our Double D…"
"We can't take any chances, Nazz." Kevin replied. "The Cyber Plank captain we have to face here is more dangerous than any before him. No man has ever gone against him and survived…until now…" he continued. Ed raised his hand jumping around for attention. "Yes, Ed? What is it?"
"What's that Bright Spark Jello Harbour? Ed asked. Kevin looked at a case he took out of the trolley.
"I'll show you…" he replied, as he attached a metallic sash around his chest, pressing a button on the side. The sash glowed bright green and started to zap Kevin with electricity. He yelled in pain as a bright flash flooded the carrier. As it faded Ed saw Kevin and grinned ecstatically. Kevin was clad in streamlined glowing green armour with lightning buzzing around inside it. He also had a large shuriken shaped like his hat in his hand.
"Cool!" Ed exclaimed.
"Isn't it just?" Kevin responded. "Lightstorm Holo Armour was made by our own Double D. He focused his powers and managed to fuse it with the toughest scrap we could find. He was able to make a good amount of them before he was captured, but I don't think they'll be enough for everyone." As the rest of the Peach Creek Force put a sash on, they activated the armour and were stunned how quick it materialised and gave each of them a weapon. Nazz had two purple swords, Jimmy had cyan knuckle dusters, Rolf had a green scythe, and Sarah had pink sais.
"Won't that armour hinder your mobility or powers at all?" Double D asked.
"Not in the least. My armour can stretch along with me!" Nazz said as she stretched around to demonstrate. Everyone watched as her armour bent and twisted with no damage at all. She then turned into a spring and somersaulted back in front of the Eds.
"Yeah, it doesn't affect our powers and it's light and strong at the same time." Kevin said. Now that we've geared up we can…"
"Excuse me…" a voice spoke. Everyone turned around and saw the Farmhands each holding a plasma shotgun. "We are still grateful to you for saving us; the least we can do is help in your next mission." Jack said. Kevin thought for a moment and the spoke up bitterly.
"Hmm, you may not have powers, but we'll need all the help we can get." He replied. The farmhands each gave a salute as if to say "We won't let you down."
"You can count on us, sir!" Dennis and Sophie said in unison.
"Right, now if I may…" Kevin coldly asked the group. He didn't get a reply. "Good, I shall now explain my plan of attack on the Steelworks!" He pulled out a remote and a screen floated out from the back room with a map of the Steelworks displayed on it.
"Too bad we forgot the popcorn guys!" Ed said, giggling a little.
"Can it Lumpy!" Eddy replied back. Kevin shot both of them a dirty look.
"First, we will freefall from the carrier and land at the base of the cliff, in order to reduce the risk of us being spotted." Kevin explained
"What?!" Double D said in disbelief.
"Please leave your questions at the end of the presentation."
"Once we all make it down safely, we then storm the entrance of the cave and destroy the sentries we find there. After we do that our group will split up. Me, Rolf, Triple D and the Eds will make our way into the Cyber Plank construction facility and put it of commission so the Gourd will have fewer troops to protect his base." Kevin continued. "Meanwhile, Nazz, Jimmy, Sarah and the Farmhands will enter the Cyber Plank mines and rally our captured binbots in order to take the area over and cripple the Gourd's resources."
"Oh my, Kevin's really getting tense here…" Nazz whispered to Jimmy.
"Finally, if all goes according to plan, we will then regroup and lead an all-out assault on the Cyber Plank captain himself!" Kevin concluded. "Are there any questions?" Before anyone could raise a hand, Kevin's screen turned to static, with evil scratchy laughter slowly coming into focus. As Kevin turned around angrily, the static vanished to show a massive robotic T-Rex, laughing and lounging on a pile of jawbreakers.
"I have a question, chump!" it said nastily. "How's your plan gonna work now that I've heard it from your big mouth!" It grabbed a jawbreaker and crushed it with its teeth.
"I don't care if you spied on us; I am still going in there and kicking your techno tail!" Kevin spat angrily, glaring at the T-rex with raw hatred in his eyes.
"Fair enough, go ahead and try it." It gloated. "It won't work anyway because I have my secret weapon!" A Cyber Plank appeared behind it and tried to tell it not to say too much, but it simply grabbed the Cyber Plank in its jaws and flattened it in a single bite. "Let this chunk of scrap be reminder of what happens when you mess with Red: the Strongest of the Cyber Planks!" it roared as it held the dead minion in his hands.
"We're not scared, Red." Kevin retorted. "Especially not me!"
"Then come down here and let me crush you like the jawbreakers your dad made here…" Red scoffed as he grabbed a handful of jawbreakers and smashed them to dust with his jaws. Kevin growled in anger as the laughter started up again and the image of Red's terrifying face turned to static once more. Kevin couldn't take it anymore and grabbed his shuriken, slashing the screen clean in half. Everyone else was in shock and disbelief.
"Kevin, are you alright?" Double D asked sympathetically.
"That rusting reptile is going to pay for what he did to the jawbreaker factory!" Kevin snarled in rage, making Double D back off.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Eddy said rudely. "That dump was a jawbreaker factory?!"
"Yes." Kevin replied weakly. "It was my Dad's."
"Aw sweet!" Eddy yelled, rubbing his hands greedily. "Once we take care of the lizard, I'm taking some of those with me!"
"Eddy!" Double D retorted. "Focus on the mission! We have more to worry about than mere jawbreakers!"
"That's the first time I've ever heard you say that." Eddy replied under his breath.
"Quiet!" Kevin snapped. "I have a jawbreaker factory to take back!" the rest of the Peach Creek Force gave him a dirty look. "I mean, we have a jawbreaker factory to take back, and we have to make that thief pay! Turn off your armour; it'll make us less conspicuous."
A minute later, the carrier door opened up with the group standing below it, all of them staring at the billowing clouds of smog and dreary day lit sky.
"But I've never done skydiving!" Double D stammered.
"No sweat, Double D." replied Ed. "I've got your back." Eddy said nothing, but he looked at the factory and chuckled at the prospect of jawbreakers. The farmhands clipped their shotguns to their backs and were listening to Nazz.
"Now, if you or the Eds lose control in the fall, me and Rolf shall come get you." She explained.
"Safety checks are complete, Kevin!" Jimmy yelled over the din of the carrier's engine. "We're ready to drop."
"Okay, on the count of three." Kevin shouted. "One…two…"
"Can't we find another way to do thi…" Double D spluttered in a panic.
"THREE!" Kevin yelled as he jumped off the carrier and spread out his arms and legs to gain control of his decent. The rest quickly followed, with Ed grabbing Double D by the waist and jumping off with his friend dangling around in the air.
"OH DEAR!" Double D yelled as they fell through the clouds, quickly followed by Eddy, who landed on Ed's head.
"Now this is the only way to drop!" Eddy gloated as lounged on Ed's back. They watched as the others in their group soared downwards towards the base of the cliff. Kevin, being the fastest, held his arms and legs in a position looking as if he were diving. He was going to lead this charge and nothing would stand in his way. The Farmhands and the Peach Creek Force kept their limbs spread out, to catch any wind they could for a safe landing. Eddy then noticed the factory, with the door open and with no guards, and grinned.
"Come on Lumpy, let's go get jawbreakers!" he said greedily, as he grabbed Ed's head and tried to steer him away from the group. Double D noticed right away and grabbed Ed's head also.
"Eddy! What are you doing!" he yelled. "We have to stay with the group!"
"Zip it, Sockhead!" Eddy shouted back. "We're getting jawbreakers!" As they struggled for Ed's flight path, a gust of wind blew into them and they lost their balance, causing them to tumble uncontrollably.
"Nazz! Rolf! HELP!" Double D shouted for all he's worth. The two heard his cry for help.
"The Eds are in trouble!" Nazz shrieked. "Let's go Rolf!" Nazz turned herself into a hang-glider and swooped up to grab Double D, while Rolf sprouted leaf wings and caught Ed and Eddy before they hit a rusty pipe on the cliff. As the two floated back down to join the others, Double D gave Eddy a scornful look.
"Hey, how come the chick saved you?" Eddy jeered rudely. Double D sighed and looked up at Nazz.
"Thanks Nazz, me and the guys owe you and Rolf one!" he said weakly.
"They don't owe me nothing!" Eddy ranted. "They give money to me, not the over way around!"
"Remind me to make them buttered toast!" Ed said happily. Nazz, Rolf and Double D rolled their eyes as they landed safely on the ground and joined up with the rest of the team.
"I see the Eds had some trouble." Kevin said. "Good work, you two."
"If it wasn't for Eddy we wouldn't had any trouble!" Double D yelled.
"I thought I told you to zip it, Sockhead!" Eddy shouted back.
"We don't have time for this!" Kevin bellowed at both of them. "We have to storm the Cyber Planks' sentry posts in the cave! Peach Creek Force, activate your armour, Eds and Farmhands, get your weapons ready! We're going in!"
In front of the group was the cave leading into the Steelworks. Across the scorched earth were bits of barbed wire, and land mines dotted around to keep intruders at a safe distance. At the cave itself was a large gate lined with more barbed fencing on both sides. Near the ends of the cave were two turrets manned by Cyber Planks, and several more patrolled behind the fence. One Cyber Plank hovered inside the gate's archway, with a loaded minigun to its left. Kevin was about to charge right in, but Nazz and Rolf held him back behind a rock, just as a barrage of laser fire barely missed their speedy target.
"I know you want to fight Red, Kevin, but we can't just rush in with all that security there." Rolf said gruffly. Kevin growled and bit his lip.
"Okay, but there has to be another way!" he replied. Just then, Sarah walked up to him.
"I have an idea." She whispered, as Nazz and Rolf came over to hear. "Nazz can turn into a rectangle like one of them and I'll carry her while I'm invisible, so she'll look like she's hovering. We'll then get inside and force the defences to attack each other, leaving safe passage for the rest of us." Kevin thought for a moment, and slowly nodded his head.
"It's risky, but it might be our only shot." He said. "Good luck girls." Sarah saluted as she slowly turned invisible and Nazz moulded herself into a Cyber Plank. She still had her suit's colours, but no-one thought it mattered. She jumped into Sarah's arms before they completely faded and they set out towards the gate.
"Hang on." Nazz said quietly. "Cyber Planks don't open their mouths to speak, won't that give us away?" she added as they got closer.
"Let me do the talking" Sarah replied reassuringly. "And don't move a muscle." As they got to the gate, the guard halted them and floated forward.
"State your business and number, unit." It gargled electronically.
"I am unit number…" Sarah began hesitantly. "1D-1999, and I come to deliver a message to Red."
"You seem rather suspicious, unit." The Cyber Plank buzzed. "Why do you have strange colours on your casing?" In Nazz's mind she thought they'd been caught out but Sarah kept going.
"I had a run in with the Peach Creek Force at the gag factory." She responded. "They dumped horrible paint all over me and I can't get it off…"
"Maybe so, but what's your message for our captain about?" the Cyber Plank robotically hissed, as the turrets turned to Nazz ready to fire. She wasn't sure how long she could hold out, as she'd been holding her breath the whole time.
"When the Peach Creek Force fought me, they said they were leading an all-out assault on the Steelworks, and I came here to warn him and you all." Sarah said. "I learned they have a superweapon capable of defeating the Gourd in one strike!" The turrets and the Cyber Plank guard backed off at the mere mention of their master's potential oblivion.
"Proceed unit, we must warn Red of this outrage at once." The Cyber Plank snarled in its metallic voice. From inside the cave Nazz and Sarah could see two paths, one leading down to the mines and the other leading to the Steelworks upstairs. The cave itself felt alien, its walls lined with almost vein-like red cobwebs, and rock formations resembling that of swollen barnacles. Along the floor were several splotches of molten steel, presumably from leaking pipes on the ceiling. Suddenly, Nazz dropped to the floor just as they passed the archway.
"We're in." Sarah whispered. "Let's go." The Cyber Plank guard turned around, its red eyes flashing out of sync.
"What doesn't compute, unit?" it wheezed. "Do your hover circuits have an error?" Just then Sarah faded into view and Nazz turned back to normal.
"JK, steel face!" Sarah yelled as Cyber Planks began to close in. "We're here to send you back to the woodshed!" She jumped in the air and disappeared again, only to reappear behind the guard and kick it in the eye, sending it flying into a blob of molten metal. It tried to break free but the metal blob cooled and fused it to the floor. Nazz grabbed two more Cyber Planks and threw them like ninja stars, one crashed into the wall while the other hit a minecart being pushed out of the mines by a lone guard. It couldn't escape as the minecart rolled backwards and crushed it. Nazz and Sarah then jumped onto the turrets and kicked the Cyber Planks manning them out, and aimed them at the metal monsters hovering towards them, after using the guns' barrels to smash open the fence. From behind the rocks, Kevin and the others could see the coast was clear.
"CHARGE!" he roared as the PCF, the Eds and the Farmhands alike stormed the gate with guns blazing and Lightstorm armour illuminating the cave's entrance. Eddy held up his hand and created a Gamma bomb bigger than normal, and threw it at a squad of the mechanised lumber, bowling them over like pins.
"It's cliché but I have to say it. STRIKE!" he teased, as he saw Edd shooting at Cyber Plank dispensers to keep more from coming, and Ed firing gravy all over another squad, reducing them to singed grey ooze. The Farmhands blasted several Cyber Planks with their shotguns, but one was about to ambush them until Jimmy impaled it with his Lightstorm knuckle dusters. Rolf was surrounded by Cyber Planks, but then he spun around with his Lightstorm Scythe and hacked them all to pieces. It wasn't long till all was quiet in the cave's entrance.
"Okay, the coast is clear." Kevin instructed. "Eds, Rolf, Triple D, you're with me. The rest of you, go into the mines and get our binbots out of there!" Nazz, Sarah, Jimmy and the Farmhands saluted as the six heroes ran up the stairs into the Steelworks' production facility.
Inside the main factory were countless conveyor belts, carrying blobs of steel from the mines into a rectangle shaped mould. As it closed, Kevin's group burst through the doors and saw the machines at work. Steam was hissing from the mould as it cooled the metal inside.
"This must be where they make the Cyber Planks." Double D said, as he stood there and watched.
"This used to make jawbreakers back when my Dad owned it." Kevin snarled, looking up at the entrance to Red's hoard. He could see half eaten jawbreakers and mangled coins all over the floor.
"Jeez, look at that loot!" Eddy grinned, as he tried run towards the doorway. Double D signalled to Ed and he grabbed Eddy by the shirt and dragged him back to the group.
"Eddy, will you just focus on the mission!" Double D yelled. "Are you trying to get us killed?!"
"Who cares?!" Eddy shot back. "I'm after that money and jawbreakers and you're not gonna stop me, Sockhead!" Kevin, Triple D and Rolf turned around and shot the Eds a dirty look.
"Quiet you three; you'll give away our position with that bickering!" Triple D squawked at them. Suddenly the hissing from the mould stopped and two doors on it opened up. Along the conveyor belt was a shiny metallic casing. Mechanical arms emerged from the ceiling and placed complicated looking circuit boards inside, before a drill bolted the cover over it. It drilled two holes on one end of the metal cuboid, resembling eyes, and the mechanical arms placed two red spotlights into them. The group could see a container of dark matter at the end of the conveyor belt, and after one arm engraved a sinister smile on the metal box, it vanished back into the ceiling and the box fell in the container. The dark matter sizzled like it was irritated by the metal, and a hatch opened up under the basin, releasing a newly built Cyber Plank. It stared around for a little bit, as it hovered above the ground with a bit of effort. Everyone was silent.
"Guys, come on!" Eddy yelled rudely. "It's just one stupid robot, let's go grab that loot!" The Cyber Plank quickly turned around and saw the intruders, its red eyes flashing and garbled digital sounds came from its unmoving mouth. At this signal, hundreds more came out of holes in the ceiling and charged towards the group.
"Oh great work, Eddy!" Double D hissed as the Cyber Planks hovered in for the kill.
Meanwhile, down in the mines, Sarah, Jimmy, and the Farmhands were riding down to the furnace area on Nazz, who had turned herself into a minecart, albeit with her head sticking out in front. The track was swerving back and forth, and Sarah and Jimmy's Lightstorm weapons wouldn't reach the Cyber Planks floating towards them. Luckily, the Farmhands had got out their shotguns and were blasting away. Three of the terrible timber lunged for Jimmy's throat, but Dennis smacked them away while Jack and Sophie gunned down two them. The last one tried the same tactic again, but Dennis delivered a solid shot right through the loathsome lumber's head. Nazz noticed a stopper at the end of the track, and stretched her neck up to talk with her group.
"We're going too fast!" she screamed over the din of her wheels. "When I give the signal, you jump out!" she added as the group screamed down the track, with the buffer stop coming right at them, Nazz saw the precise moment and turned to face the group again. "NOW!" In an instant the team leaped out, but it was too late for Nazz. She crashed right through the buffer stop and smashed it to pieces, her wheels screeched as she tried to stop, but she could barely slow herself down.
"Nazz look out!" Sophie and Sarah screamed. Nazz turned her head and saw a lava pit getting dangerously close behind her. She gritted her teeth and turned her front wheels back into arms, and she finally stopped. As she turned human again and got back the group could see that crashing into the buffer stop had taken its toll. Her hands had been melted into stumps on her arms and her legs were limping a bit. As she noticed the group's look of concern she chuckled.
"Don't worry, I'm okay." She hissed as limped across the burnt rocks. "I do have powers after all." The farmhands rushed over and helped her back to the group. They could tell from experience at their farm that Nazz had been injured badly, even if she was made of rubber.
"Guys, what do we do?" Jimmy spluttered. "Nazz is hurt, and she's the only one who can get us out of here!" Nazz raised her head and gave Jimmy a confident look.
"Would Kevin give up on us if he was hurt?" she asked rhetorically. The group looked at each other and shook their heads. "No, he wouldn't, and I'm not going to either. We have a mission to do, and Binbots to save, now let's go!" Nazz called. The others gave a cheer for their leader and they charged deeper into the mine. Dennis and Jack held Nazz's arms over their shoulders and helped her keep up. As they came out of a dark tunnel, they reached the main cavern. It was an awe-inspiring sight.
The cavern was huge, with flimsy wooden bridges hugging the walls as it went up in a spiral pattern. In the middle though, was an immense heap of scrap metal. As the group got closer, they could see dead Binbots piled up along with metallic ore mined from the walls. Nazz's eyes struggled to change into binoculars, and she could a Cyber Plank with a laser cannon suspended on a platform hanging by chains on the ceiling. She then quickly blinked her eyes turning them to normal and flinching from the pain. The two farmhands caught her before she fell over. Just then, a Binbot came over to see them.
"The Peach Creek Force, what a relief!" it gurgled happily.
"Hello little guy." Jimmy replied. "What's the situation?"
"The Cyber Planks have been forcing us to mine for metal buried under the Steelworks around the clock!" the robot replied. "Any who try to rebel get thrown in…"it gulped as it pointed to scrap pile. "There. The furnace." Another Binbot said as it walked up to the group. "At the bottom of that pile is boiling molten metal, sent to the Steelworks to be made into Cyber Plank armour."
"And if we don't do what we're told, they melt us down and turn us into Cyber Planks like them…" A third Binbot said. The group looked at the slave master Cyber Plank on its platform and turned to Nazz.
"I don't think I can try any elastic tricks this time." Nazz said sadly. "I hurt all over…" The group looked down at the floor. They couldn't think of anything. "On second thought, maybe I can." She turned her arms into a massive megaphone, and shouted into it.
"ATTENTION BINBOTS!" she yelled. "THIS IS PCF MEMBER NAZZ! WE HAVE COME TO FREE YOU, BUT YOU MUST FIGHT ALONGSIDE US! THERE IS A HIDDEN BLASTER IN EACH OF YOU, DOUBLE D FITTED YOU WITH THEM WITHOUT YOU KNOWINGBEFORE HE GOT CAPTURED!" As her words echoed across the whole cavern, the Binbots opened their lids and found guns inside their cylindrical bodies. They took aim at the slave master who attempted to fire, but was shot multiple times and fell off his platform into the molten metal below. Suddenly vents in the walls opened up with Cyber Planks instantly popping out, with their eyes flashing an angry red colour.
"BINBOTS! PEACH CREEK FORCE!" Nazz boomed again, albeit wincing in pain. "FIGHT BACK TOGETHER!"
Back at the entrance to Red's treasure hoard, Kevin, Rolf, Triple D and Eds were fighting off a horde of Cyber Planks. Kevin used his shuriken hat to carve many of them to pieces, while Rolf rooted them to the floor and impaled with his scythe. Amongst the Eds though, tension was building.
"This is your entire fault, Eddy!" Double D yelled. "Couldn't you take your mind off that treasure hoard for one second? IT BELONGS TO A ROBOTIC T-REX FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" As he ranted a Cyber Plank came up to him, but he immediately turned around and shot it in the face with his Energy Catapult. Eddy snarled as he took down more of the wicked wood, including slamming one of his bombs right in one's face, blowing it up.
"Oh, I'm so scared!" Eddy said sarcastically. "Not! Face it, Double Drip! You're only here because we forced you into it!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Double D asked angrily.
"It means you're just a chicken!" Eddy bellowed. "A big useless chicken with a sock on your head!" Triple D turned around and reacted angrily to Eddy's insult.
"Eddy, cease this appalling behaviour this instant!" he said over the carnage happening around them. "As a chicken myself of the order Gallus Domesticus, I take offense to that statement."
"I…am…NOT A CHICKEN!" Double D shouted louder than he ever had before. "YOU'RE THE REAL COWARD HERE! YOU JUST WANT ABANDON THE REST OF US AND TAKE RED'S TREASURE! WELL YOU'RE NOT GETTING IT WITHOUT GOING THROUGH ME!" He ran over to the entrance of the hoard, and as Eddy got close, he aimed his catapult at him. Eddy gritted his teeth and charged towards Double D, throwing a Gamma Bomb right towards him. He leapt out of the way and fired back, but Eddy simply dodged them and lunged straight for him. The two dropped their weapons and fought on the floor rolling around punching and kicking each other repeatedly.
"Have you two flipped?!" Kevin said, turning away from the fight to see the two former friends fighting. "Pick up your weapons and get back to fighting the Cyber Planks!"
"Stop you guys!" Ed wailed. "Listen to Captain Kevin right now!"
"Don't butt in, Ed!" Eddy screamed, grabbing his glove and throwing a bomb by Ed's feet blasting him off his feet.
"Have you lost your mind, Eddy?!" Double D howled in rage. "Ed's our friend!"
"Not anymore, and neither are you!" Eddy shouted back, throwing Double D off him and running into the hoard. He threw one last Gamma Bomb at the ceiling, causing the entrance to cave in much to everyone's horror. Even the Cyber Planks stopped in their tracks as the hoard was completely sealed off with Eddy inside.
"NO!" Kevin roared, as his team rushed over to the rocks and tried to lift them, shoot them, melt them, anything they could try, it didn't shift the rocks at all. Suddenly, they heard a voice from the over side, but it didn't sound like Eddy.
It was Red.
"And what do YOU think you're doing in MY TREASURE HOARD!" the metallic monster bellowed.
"Get lost, Too-Lame-O-Saurus Red!" Eddy rudely shouted back. "All this money and the jawbreakers are mine now!" Double D scowled at Eddy's selfish words from behind the rocks.
"All the heat from the Steelworks must have gone to your head, you little runt." Red chuckled evilly. "Let me add mine in there too!" The group listened in horror, as the sounds of a laser powering up got louder and closer to the caved in entrance. Even Double D couldn't help but widen his eyes and drop his jaw as Eddy's screams of fear mixed with the laser's ominous noise. Then all was quiet. The Peach Creek Force worst fear had finally happened: They had failed to protect Eddy. Kevin pulled out a communicator as the group walked back to the dropship, bizarrely escorted by the Cyber Planks.
"Group B, this is Kevin. Fall back. Mission Failed…"