p style="text-align: center;"strongBiker Mice from Mars/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strongHard luck Dently/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strongIt's always Sunni in Kansas/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strongPt 4./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong FWOOSH! A bright fiery blast shot out of Hard Luck's foot jet and hit Scorcher right on his butt and thigh! "AARGH!" Scorcher cried out as he jerked his hands to his scorched seat! The Molotov flew out of his hand to go flying back over their heads to hit the ground in an open area, exploding in a massive fireball! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Everything was bathed in a red-tinged orange glow for a brief few seconds' entrapping everyone's attention! Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Hard Luck pushed up on his other foot as forcibly as he could, Shooting up like a Mouse-in-a-box! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong His battered helmet crashed right into Smasher's chin just as he turned back around with a bone-shattering CRACK! "GRUH-OOF!" The Giant grunted and fell backward head over heels over his 4-wheeler to slam onto the ground like a boulder! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Just managing to stay on his own feet, Hard Luck swayed slightly, throwing a few weak punches blindly. "Tuh, take thu, that!" He shook his helmeted head to try and clear the exploding starfighters from his eyes. A loud crack sounded, and his old helmet broke into about 3 large pieces and fell to the ground. "Aw, Cheese." He groaned./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong 3 Loud Gasps came from the Trio of Thugs when they looked at the De-Helmeted Hard Luck! "WHAT ON MY BLAZING BACKSIDE ARE YOU!?" Scorcher called from where he was scooting his said butt on the ground, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "He luh, luh, loo, looks lie, like, like a, a…!" Sneaky stuttered, shaking so much he almost let Sunni slip out of his grasp! "My perceptions are clearly most addled for I can put no assurance into confirming the apparition my eyes describe!" Smasher stated almost clearly from where he had pulled himself up onto his 4-wheeler, while he spit out a couple of broken-off teeth. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "…Like a WEREWOLF, with Big Pancake Ears?!" Sneaky finished his sentence finally! Every set of Human Eyes there turned and stared at him in a mix of awe, wonder, and fear! Hard Luck's green yellow eyes jumped around, returning all their gazes. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "A were…? He mumbled but luckily in the short time He'd spent at Davidson's Garage watching Late Night Cable TV, He'd seen a lot of Earth's Horror Movies! "YEAH, that's what I am a What-Were, uh whatever…GRRR, GROWL…WOOF!?" He snarled at them with what he hoped was a fierce and menacing look and stance!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong The looks of awe, wonder, and fear pretty much vanishing told him how good a job he did. Sunni just managed to choke back giggling out loud. The seriousness of the situation helped. Look more like a Were-Mouse to me, SMASHER, time for some Pest Control, if you would be so inclined!" Scorcher remarked while standing up having extinguished the fire on his pants. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "With the paramount of gratification!" The Behemoth replied while pulling some nasty brass knuckles out of a pocket and putting them on his already massive ham-hock-sized fists. Effortlessly stepping over his 4-wheeler, he let out a growl of his own and did a much better job of making it more menacing than Hard Lucks. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Fondue me." Hard Luck sighed as he backed away from the giant. He hated when his baddies broke tropes. They're supposed to be Big and Dumb! Why did he get the Big and Smart one!? Smasher surged forward and threw a flurry of punches! "Aw, you aint slow either, this is so not fair!" Hard Luck gasped; He had only just Barely managed to dodge all the blows. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong FWOOSH! The tip of Hard Luck's bandaged wrapped tail burst into flame! "YEOW!" Hard Luck cried out which gave Smasher ample time to deliver a gut punch to his stomach, a vicious uppercut to his jaw which was followed up by a head butt which sent Hard Luck falling backward to go skidding across the muddy ground. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "…and that's why you wear helmets kids...gwuahhh!?" Hard Luck mumbled while shaking his head to clear the little stars and motorcycles that were circling his head. Spotting between the twirling view he spotted one of his blasters lying on the ground just a few inches from his black gauntleted right paw. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Lunging for the weapon, he almost grabbed it when the ground around it burst into flames! "Ah, ah, ah, we won't be having any of that now!" Scorcher chided as he blew some smoke away from the fingers of his trick gloves. Hard Luck shook his own slightly charred gauntlet as he looked forlornly from the Smiling Thug to his blaster now blown out of reach. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Smasher started to stomp towards him when Scorcher stopped him. "Hold on Big Guy, this one is mine, you do what your best at and SMASH this place up, and Good!" The Huge Thug looked like he was about to disagree but the look on his leader's face encouraged him to avoid doing so. Reluctantly he backed away from the fallen Martian. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "STOP THIS, Leave Him Alone you, you Big Bullies!" Sunni shouted out, managing to get her mouth free from Sneaky's arm across it. She also kind of struggled to get out an anger-fueled remark. It was something very unnatural to her, but she gave it her best. She was silenced when the arm wrapped around her again. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Shhhh." Sneaky hissed like a snake into her ear while holding the blade tighter against her throat, helping to ensure her silence as she froze still against the feel of the sharp metal. "Ahh, the golden sounds of silence, second only to the magical music of mayhem." Scorcher chuckled./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Hard Luck was on the verge of attempting to throw himself at Sneaky in a completely vain attempt to save her but was stopped when Scorcher slammed his boot heel onto Hard Luck's tail and malevolently ground his hell into the muddy ground! "Urrghh! "Hard Luck grunted, biting back the pain. This just encouraged Scorcher to press harder!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Not so fast, Fuzzball!" Scorcher snarled down at him. "I'm not done with you yet!" Hard Luck frowned as he watched the thug seemingly unconcernedly toss another Molotov bottle in one hand. "While my associates once again attend to the task of Demolishing this Domestic Domicile, I will engage in my little hobby of cooking, by making a nice Deep Flame Fired FREAK!" /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong As he said this, he tossed the bottle up, spinning in the air and seeming effortless, used the trick gloves to shoot out a flame and ignite the Molotov's fuse then caught it in the same hand. Taking a few steps backward and raising the Molotov up above his head, he took aim at Hard Luck. "I don't know about you, but I like my Freak Good and Crispy!" /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong BWAWOOMPFH! The muddy ground exploded up into Scorcher's face! While he had been talking, he'd missed Hard Luck slowly pushing his foot jet into the mud. The Pyromaniac fell over, dropping the Molotov, which rolled over and smashed against one of their 4-wheelers! A few seconds passed before the flames hit the fuel tank and the vehicle in a raging fireball with a thunderous boom shaking the ground! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Flames and pieces of 4-wheeler rained down, parts of Scorcher's clothes igniting again! "Argh, not again, you miserable freak… Smasher, Get Him, Sneaky don't you let her go!" He growled out as he rolled around on the ground trying to extinguish his clothes!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Yuh, yeah sure!" Sneaky blurted out, practically hiding behind Sunni more than it appeared to be holding her hostage! Smasher came running back, now with a sledgehammer that he was going to use to smash a tractor to bits, now he intends to do the same to Hard Luck! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Prepare to be Pulverized into a Painful Patay!" The Giant growled out while taking a savage swing at Hard Luck with the hammer! He had just managed to awkwardly scramble to his feet and dodge the blow, getting missed by a whisker's width! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "CHEESE, CHEESE, CHEESE!" Hard Luck cursed as he dips, ducked, and dodged as The Big Bruiser swung the sledgehammer around and around trying to take his head off! Smasher pulled a gargantuan downward swing at him, just missing the Martian as the heavy hammer half-buried itself in the soft ground! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Ugh, urgh, gruh!" Smasher grunted as he tried to extract the hammer, while both He and Hard Luck looked from each other and to the hammer back and forth. Moving quickly, Hard Luck raised his cyborg's leg and brought his metal foot down as hard as he could on the sledgehammer's wooden handle, shattering it into toothpicks and kindling! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Argh!" The normally articulated giant grunted as he stumbled unexpectedly backward, almost falling but just managing to stay on his huge feet! "GET HIM! YOU BIG DOOFUS! Scorcher called out, standing up having once again putting out his smoldering clothes. "Yeah, Get Him Smasher, Get Him, QUICK!" Sneaky added, in a far more anxious tone! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "RRAARRGHH!" Smasher roared as He charged towards Hard Luck, big hands out in a grabbing position, aimed at his neck, to snap it like a twig! "Oh, Mama!" Hard Luck cried out turning just in the nick of time to get his paws up to grapple with the Giant! Smasher smiled as he pushed Hard Luck back, forcing him towards Sunni, Sneaky, and his blade. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong The Giant's smile quickly vanished when Hard Luck suddenly started pushing him back! They both grunted and growled as each fought to get an edge over the other! "Renunciate…yourself…to the…Inevitable...conclusion of this encounter…you minuscule abnormality!" Smasher grunted trying to take both the physical and mental advantage of the conflict! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Uh, er, Go SQUEAK YERSELF!" Hard Luck responded and managed to shove the large human back even further! "Get him over here Smasher and I'll roast that rodent to the bone!" Scorcher hollered! The Thug Leader had retrieved a fuel canister from his 4-wheeler and using his trick fire gloves now had a small but deadly Flamethrower, which he demonstrated by firing off a couple of big fiery bursts into the air!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong KER-POW! A shotgun blast interrupted the chaos and insured everyone's attention was now centered! "WHAT IN TARNATION IS GOING ON OUT HERE!?" Mr. Daigh hollered out; shotgun aimed skyward. Mrs. Daigh right beside him and carrying a large pistol, both being true Midwesterners, were armed and ready! If they weren't in their pajamas and robes this would've looked a bit less comical. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "SUNNI! What are you doing to our Granddaughter, Bert look!" Mrs. Daigh gasped when she spotted Sunni being held hostage at knife point! Sneaky did his best to hide behind Sunni even more, and Scorcher leaped forward making sure to keep Hard Luck and Smasher between him and the Grandparents. Smasher did the same by spinning to keep Hard Luck's back facing them! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "LET OUR GRANDDAUGHTER GO NOW!" Mrs. Daigh ordered in a steel-laced authoritarian shout! Sneaky and Smasher almost complied with her, but Scorcher reminded them which side they were on. His! "Now, now let's all try to remain calm; we wouldn't want things to Get out of Control, now, would we?" He chuckled threateningly and using his flamethrower ignited a couple of large round hay bales and an old outhouse! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong The Fires gave the area a nightmarish feel. The Look of pure Evil on the Thug's faces just added to the aura. "If you want your beloved family member to come thru this unscathed, I suggest you put down your weapons, if you would so, please." He hissed sinisterly. The Elderly Couple looked forlornly at each other and reluctantly put their firearms on the ground./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong He gestured for them to kick their guns out of reach to which they grudgingly complied. "Now why don't you all just get together, like a nice little family." He mockingly suggested as Mr. Mrs. Daigh slowly moved towards where Sunni was. "The Family that comes together can Go Up Together." He whispered malevolently to himself. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong It went unheard by everyone, except for the guy with the pancake-sized ears! "Oh, Fromage!" Why did the Universe keep putting him into this type of situation? Was it really that Cruel, or just that bored!? He had to do something to save this poor family! Especially after they'd been so nice to him. Well, Sunni and Mrs. Daigh anyway. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong He had to think and think Quick! Another thing He's no good at! What would Throttle do, or Modo, or Davidson, or uh. Willy? Heck, what would any of the warriors, soldiers, and actual Heroes he had known and met over the years do, and why were none of them here now? "Ugh, I really hate my life sometimes." /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong He was snapped back to the moment when He almost tripped when Smasher started pushing him back towards Sneaky and Sunni, whose eyes were as big as plates at seeing her grandparents all but defeated! Oh, that did it. Time to fall back on his standard tactic. Do something Really Stupid and Hope for the Best! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Glancing over his shoulder he saw Sunni's big eyes again, He attempted to put his Stupid Idea into action. Faking fighting against Smasher pushing him back, he did his best to enact his plan. "Just a little closer, a little bit…" He muttered to himself trying to time this just right! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Swish, Poink! "AAAHHH!" Sneaky cried out as the tip of Hard Luck's tail jabbed him in his eye, both his hands rushed to rub the sore orb, and he let go of Sunni to do so! "HAI!" She cried as she pulled an Aikido martial art move and flipped Sneaky over her shoulder! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong At the same time, Hard Luck pulled on Smasher's arms and delivered a head butt of his own to the Thug's mishappen head! CLONK! Rolling backward Hard Luck yanked and lurched forward, to crash right into Sneaky with another CLONK as their heads collided! They crashed to the ground in a heap in front of Scorcher! "Get up you Morons!'/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Hard Luck, you did it, your freed me, are you ok!?" Sunni gasped jumping off the thug's 4-wheeler and running over to the wobbly Martian. "Ugh, I got a headache!" He moaned holding his throbbing noggin. "Why do bad guys always have to be so hardheaded?"/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "KIDS, DUCK!" Mr. Mrs. Daigh called out! "Ahh!" both Hard Luck Sunni cried out as they dived to the ground as a fireball shot thru the space where they had just been standing! "Run!' Hard Luck gasped as he helped Sunni up and they both ran for cover as more fireballs rained down around them! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Fire exploded all around as they dived behind a broken-down tractor! "I never knew farming could get this exciting!" Hard Luck joked lamely. "Yeah, we country folk know how to have a real hot time!" Sunni added joining in. They both laughed. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "You kids, okay?!" Mrs. Daigh yelled from behind a metal shed that was also burning on one side. She breathed a sigh of relief as they waved back to her. "Oh, if I only had my shotgun, I'd blast those scoundrels full of buckshot!" Mr. Daigh growled shaking a clenched fist at the thugs in an angry gesture! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Bertram Daigh, remember your blood pressure and calm down. Going off all hot-headed and half-cocked aint going to do any of us any good!" Holly Daigh chided her husband, while secretly agreeing with him. Especially seeing as how Scorcher had gotten his two cohorts back into action, and they were picking up their lost shotgun and pistol./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Fan out and surround them, while I keep them pinned down!" Scorcher ordered the two while he kept a steady barrage of fireballs, keeping both groups staying put. "Come on, ow, work darn it, ouch, work!" Hard Luck grumbled as he pressed against both sides of his head and squinted as if he was in deep concentration, but not getting the result he wanted. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "What's not working, what are you trying to do?" Sunni asked. "Trying to call a friend but it aint working, ugh too many blows to the head, I hate when this happens, ouch!" He griped hitting himself in the side of the head trying to fix the problem but only making his headache worse!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Huh?" Sunni questioned with a puzzled look. "Ugh, it don't matter, we gotta save ourselves, oh we're so fondued." He moaned dejectedly. "Oh, now don't be silly, all you have to do is keep a positive mind and hope in your heart and everything will always work out in the end!" She said to him in her most hopeful and helpful manner, all but radiating positivity!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Hard Luck really bit down on his tongue to keep the remark from getting out of his mouth. He also hoped the Look he was giving her didn't let her know what he was really thinking so he lied instead. "Uh, yuh yeah sure, of cuh, course it will!?" Insincerity all but plastered on his face./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong KABOOM, Ki-Tang! Smasher fired the shotgun, and the shot ricochet off the burning metal from of the tractor they were hiding behind! "Don't shoot till you can See Them, You Big Dummy!" Scorcher yelled at him! "Oh, yeah right!" The Big Thug replied and worked the shotgun's action, ejecting the used shell and getting the gun ready again! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Oh, Fromage!" He cursed and turned to Sunni. "Ok, I'm gonna try something, anything, so just Stay Here, STAY HERE!" He ordered her, really empathizing that last bit. If anything bad happened to her, he wouldn't even let himself consider the thought of thinking about it. She nodded at him, wide-eyed, and gave him a big smile and two thumbs up! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong He turned away before she could see him rolling his eyes at what he considered her putting misplaced faith in him! "Fondue me." He took a quick peek around the side of the tractor. "THERE HE IS!" BOOM! Smasher yelled and fired off a wild shot, barely missing Hard luck who in the nick of time ducked back behind the tractor, checking to make sure his nose was still attached. It did give him an idea, not a good one but, what else was new? /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Hard Luck popped out from behind the tractor's big rear wheel, Smasher fired again, just missing but he did pop the tire! Hard Luck reappeared at the front of the tractor, and Smasher fired again, hitting a headlight! "Persistent Pest, cease with your unpredictable travel!" Scorcher shot a fireball past his head! "You Cease You Big Jerk, He's making you waste your ammo, you can't Reload!" He snapped! Smasher simply said "Oops!" /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong This was the opening Hard Luck had been hoping for! With a Big Whoosh, he flew up into the dark night sky on his foot jet! "What the heck was that!?" Scorcher snapped, looking around to try and figure out what had just happened, Smasher joined in too! "Up here Rock Head!" Hard Luck shouted down, Smasher looked up just in time to see a boot and metal foot come crashing down onto him! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Argh, Off, Ouch, Ahh!" was blurted out as Hard Luck collided with Smasher, who then fell back onto Scorcher and all 3 of them formed into a rolling, bouncing ball of legs, arms, and one tail that trundled across the yard until they crashed thru a fence and smacked into the middle of a big mud puddle in the Pig Pen located on the side of the barn! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Thru the broken fence ran a dozen oinking pigs and little piglets! Out of the muck, 3 different sizes of Mud Monsters stood up. One stumbled to the broken fence. "Spit, ptoo, ugh oh that don't taste good, Bligh!" Hard Luck spluttered spitting out a mouthful of mud. "How about a taste of something hotter!" Hard Luck turned to see the mud-caked Scorcher a few yards behind him, pointing his fire gloves directly at him! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Hard Luck flinched as Scorcher pointed his glove and…nothing. "What the…" The Pyromaniac growled and tried again, but the mud-soaked gloves wouldn't even spark! "Hah, what's the matter Hot Stuff lost your touch!?" Hard Luck laughingly teased, but almost ducked at the glare of hot hate Scorcher shot back at him!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "DON'T MAKE FUN OF ME, NOBODY MAKES FUN OF ME!" Scorcher screamed! "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BIG-EARED FREAK!" He charged at Hard Luck, with hands like talons aimed right at Hard Luck's throat! "Cheese, keep your hands off me you, you Nut job!" Hard Luck cursed while grappling with the deranged baddie before shoving him away, sending Scorcher sliding back across the mud!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong No sooner had one thug fallen than the Bigger One attacked next! Smasher came charging across the pig pen, the articulate behemoth forgoing his verbal mastery for simply roaring like a blunt beast! "RARRGH!" Just as he almost tackled the Martian, Hard Luck threw a fast right hook! Smasher let out a loud grunt, while another tooth went flying and he fell back into the pen to SMASH right on top of Scorcher! They both lay in the mud groaning and moaning painfully. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Shaking his sore right paw, Hard Luck barked at the mud-caked thugs. "And I'm just as tired of You too, you big jerk, and if you both know what's good for you, you'll both stay down!" He leaned against the broken fence, silently praying that they both did! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Mr. Mrs. Daigh slowly walked up, holding each other's arms, with somber looks on their faces. "Huh, hey look, I got 'em!" Hard Luck smiled exhaustedly thru his mud-smeared face. "You, you did a fine job son. Real fine job." Mr. Daigh sighed. "There's just one thing you forgot." Hard Luck looked around confused. "What? What'd I forget!" He asked, not sure he really wanted to know the answer. Mrs. Daigh looked at him with a sad smile. "There're 3 of 'em." /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Huh, what? What're you talking about…oh Phobos Fall on Me!" He groaned as Sneaky appeared behind the Elderly Couple, holding Mrs. Daigh's big pistol in his hand and aimed at their backs, and a sick sinister smile on his hooded face. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Now you know why we call him Sneaky!" Scorcher chuckled from the pig pen, pushing the inert Smasher off himself. "Good Job Cousin now let's get everyone all together so we can put an End to this Little Job! Sneaky nodded and smiling again, pushed the Couple towards Hard Luck. It wasn't too hard to figure out what he had in mind, and it isn't pretty!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Hard Luck watched the Daighs slowly walk his way. Scorcher went and got onto his bike. A few seconds of tense silence passed when suddenly Hard Luck got a Big Smile on his own face. Scorcher glared at him. 'What have you got to smile about freak?" This just made Hard Luck's smile even bigger. "I'm smiling 'cause I aint the only one that's bad with numbers!" /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Before The Thug Leader could ask what he meant, a loud Martial Arts Battle Cry rang out and the until now in hiding and forgotten about Sunni came leaping out from behind the tractor and with a flying kick sent the pistol flying out of Sneaky's hand! "HAI!" Sunni cheered out! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Mr. Daigh swirled around and punched Sneaky right in his nose, while Mrs. Daigh dashed in the direction her pistol had fallen! Sunni started to run over to Hard Luck, while Scorcher yelled at his two cohorts to do something! Smasher emerged from the pig pen and picked up the until-now-forgotten shotgun off the ground and took aim at Sunni! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "NNOOOOO!" Hard Luck shouted and jumped forward, things seemed to move in slow motion as he grabbed Sunni with both hands, wrapped his arms and tail around her, and threw himself around to shield her with his body! A shattering KABOOM exploded out from the shotgun as Smasher fired the last shell out of it, just as Hard Luck yelled out "AAAUUUUCCCHHHH!" as he was hit in the old red work shirt that was tied around the seat of his pants! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "HARD LUCK!" Sunnie cried out, full of concern as they fell on the ground! "HOLLY get over here!" Mr. Daigh called for his wife! "I got it, I got the Pistol, I'm coming!" She called back from somewhere in the darkness! "Let's Get Out of HERE!" Scorcher yelled! Smasher threw the empty shotgun down and picked up Sneaky and ran to the other 4-wheeler! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong The Thugs stared up their bikes, engines firing up! Sneaky with Smasher on the back of his bike started his, Sneaky and Smasher Cackled Manically as they pinned Mr. Daigh in the headlight, revving the engine and making to run the old man over! "GRANDPA LOOK OUT!" Sunni yelled out! The Old Man froze like the proverbial Deer in the Headlights! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong The 4-Wheelr with the 2 thugs jumped forward! BOOM! "AAAAAHHH!" Sneaky and Smasher bellowed as they flew into the sky as their bike exploded beneath them! "NO, NO, NO UUGHH!" Scorcher gasped as Sneaky and Smasher fell on top of him! The Pile of Groaning Thugs jerked as the bike took off, swerving and nearly toppling over as it erratically raced away from the farm! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "HONK!" Dently leaped out of the open barn doors, blaster cannons smoking, after having blasted the 4-wheeler out from under Sneaky and Smasher! "Hard Luck are you Ok, Oh, I'm so sorry, you didn't need to, for me I mean Oh Golly!" Sunni gushed kneeling by the wounded Martian. "Oh, Ouch, oh, uh I, I'm fuh fine, ouch." Hard Luck groaned. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Dently rolled over and rattled and clanked concernedly for his friend! "Cuh, Calm down you muh, metal goof-ball, I suh, said I'm fuhh-ouch" Hard Luck mumbled as Sunni helped him to almost stand up. "Tarnation, but I got no clue what is going on around here no more!" Mr. Daigh huffed, taking Hard Luck's other arm in his and helping support him over to the unbroken pen fence on the other side of the barn doors. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Is Everybody Ok? Oh, My Stars, BERT DAIGH, what have I told you about that Darn Shotgun of yours!" Mrs. Daigh snapped at her Husband, trying to cloak her concern with motherly anger, while also quickly concealing her own pistol beneath her nightrobe. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Blue Blazes Holli, you always act like I never listen to you!" Mr. Daigh harumphed. "I didn't load that old scattergun with nothing lethal, it just had, er, rock salt in it." He replied with a guilty grimace, the look his wife shot at him didn't help. She kept herself from saying anything they both might regret and rushed over to the wounded Martian leaning on the fence. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Speaking of Blue Blazes, what in the blue blazes are you!" Mr. Daigh blurted out getting his first look at the helmetless Hard Luck. "Uh, ouch, I, I can, ow, explain?!" He whimpered not sounding like he knew how to do that. "He's a Martian!" Sunni almost yelled out enthusiastically! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "A MARTIAN!?" Both Grandparents exclaimed unbelievingly! "Yeah, a Martian Mouse, a Biker Mouse from Mars!" The Smile on Sunni's young face couldn't hide her excitement at getting to share this with someone else finally! She had had to keep this secret for almost a full half a day!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "A BIKER!?" Mr. Daigh huffed, sounding like that might be worse than the Martian Mouse bit, lifting his retrieved shotgun up to a ready position. "Heh, uh huh hi!?" Hard Luck weakly smiled at the old couple who were doing their best to accept this rather Big Bit of Information! Mrs. Daigh had a slight head start on her husband./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Put that thing down!" She snapped at him while pushing down on the shotgun. "In case you missed it, this Martian Biker just saved your granddaughter's life, Again!" Mr. Daigh ashamedly looked at the weapon in his hands to his Wife, and Granddaughter standing on either side of the furry blue Martian. Even the riderless motorcycle seemed to be giving him a disapproving look. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "OK, I hear what you're saying, but you got to give me a few minutes to get my head wrapped around all this, it's been a hectic couple of weeks, and getting the revelation of Actual Alien Lifeforms dropped on me, well like I said, give me a few minutes here!" Mr. Daigh huffed sounding all but tuckered out by all of this. "I need some coffee." /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "That can wait!" Mrs. Daigh replied while turning to Hard Luck and putting a hand delicately on his shoulder. "How does, um it, feel son?" She asked the obviously embarrassed Martian. "Uh, it, kinda…tingles?" He frowned with his fuzzy face blushing deeply. He really hated when this happened, which was way too often for his liking. WAY Too Often! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Oh, I'll go get the First Aid Supplies!' Sunni chirped and made to run into the barn, but was stopped by both her grandparents shouting out a loud NO! Sunni looked at them with a confused look while Mr. Mrs. Daigh exchanged a quick look. "I think I should handle the medical aid this time if you don't mind dear." Mrs. Daigh said while Hard Luck gave a silent look of thanks. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Bert, go get the first aid boxes and then do something about these fires before the whole farm burns down." Mr. Daigh nodded and started to go but was stopped by a rather impolite rumble from the somehow irritated-sounding motorcycle. All 3 of the Daighs looked from it to the Martian on the fence. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Oh, uh Mr. Mrs. Daigh, Sunni, this is Dently my motorcycle and best friend. Dently meet the Daigh Family." Dently burbled happily and wiggled his handlebars in a friendly greeting. He loved to meet new beings, plus he also hated having to act like an inanimate object. It was so boring. The Old Couple returned the wave rather shakily. Sunni gave him one of her bright as-the-sun smiles. "Nice to meet you Dently, oh this is so cool!" She giggled almost bouncing up and down with delighted pleasure. Dently returned her excitement and did bounce a little./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Where on Deimos's Darkside have you been while all this has been going on you Greased up Goofball!?" Hard Luck groaned while trying to distract from the pain of his blasted backside. "You didn't notice all the shootings and explosions or something!" Dently almost ignored Hard Luck before he all but exploded himself in a barrage of rattles, clanks, and engine noises, nearly looking like he could shake himself to pieces! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Whattya mean you've been chasing a bad guy, what bad guy?" Hard Luck barked at the overly excited bike! "All the Bad Guys were here!" He gruffly pointed out. Dently glared back silently for a few seconds before with a grumpy chuff of his exhaust pipes, his storage tank compartment opened, and a mechanical appendage popped out holding an angry squirming ball of fluff! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Reek, reek, reek!" squealed the Angry Rabbit. "Eek, a Bunny!" Sunni gasped and snatched the small critter out of Dently's grasp! It almost instantly calmed down while she started scratching it behind its ears, but it continued to stare at the Motorcycle with blatant hatred in its little eyes. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Mrs. Mr. Daigh did their best to not to laugh out loud, while Hard Luck didn't even try. He laughed so hard he all most fell off the fence! "Har, har, hah, oh it hurts, ouch, that, that's what you've been doing all this time?" He gasped breathlessly while pulling himself back up. Dently growled his engine at his irritated friend. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Ha, hah, oh, ow, I, I hope the fuzzball didn't put up too much of a Fight for you to handle, ha, ha, ouch!" Hard Luck wasn't even trying to hold it in at this point. "Look at it, clearly it's one of Earth's Most Fierce Predators, I mean look at those Fangs and Claws, haha, ouch!" Dently just silently sat there, knowing better than to say anything. Just let him get it out of his system./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Hyuk, yuk, it looks like a miniature version of that buck-toothed, big-eared grump in the barn. Mabel the Mule!" Everyone there looked from him to the pen fence and back. "Uh, Hard Luck, you might…" Sunni tried to interrupt but he didn't hear her. "Ha, ha, oh I hope you didn't shake yourself to pieces when it hee 'ed and haw 'ed at you like that Angry Hay Muncher!" /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Oh, Help, Donna the Distempered Diminutive Donkey Doubleganger is trying to get me, Har, Haw, Ha, Ouch!" All 3 of the Daighs and Dently were making stop gestures with both hands and handlebars at him but he was too far gone to notice! Almost crying and his antenna sparking, he continued to laugh and make insults!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Oh, it probably scared the Meadow Muffins out of you like the Miserable Mule, Ha ha!" He was stopped when KAPOW! "EEEEYOWCH!" Hard Luck cried out as he suddenly went flying across the yard! CRUNCH! He thudded head first into a large round haybale that was thankfully one that was not on fire, his legs and tail hanging limply down from the center of it. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Harrumph!' Molly the Mule snorted as she pulled her rear hooves back thru the fence after kicking Hard Luck thru the fence slats. She had come up unnoticed behind the Martian just in time to hear his jokes, and she didn't find any of them to be all that funny./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Molly, that was not nice at all!" Sunni chided her with a disapproving wag of her finger. The Mule put an apologetic look on her long face, but her slight smile hinted at it not being all that sincere. Dently chuffed sadly, not surprised at this turn of events at all. "Uh, I'll go get that first aid kit now." Mr. Daigh said and made for the barn as fast as he could get away from this situation. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "We'll wait here dear." Mrs. Daigh replied as her husband walked off, and she quickly put her hand over Sunni's eyes as her granddaughter turned around. "Hey, what's up Grandma!?" Sunni gasped. "Oh, um I just want to, erm. Protect you from the grisly sights dear." Mrs. Daigh mumbled as she looked towards the prone Hard Luck, not failing to notice that the old work shirt tied around his midsection had fallen off, revealing the torn and tattered (missing) seat of his pants. Plus the 2 sets of U-Shaped Hoof Prints helped draw the attention. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strongTo Be Continued…/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strongHard luck Dently/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strongIt's always Sunni in Kansas/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strongPt 4./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong FWOOSH! A bright fiery blast shot out of Hard Luck's foot jet and hit Scorcher right on his butt and thigh! "AARGH!" Scorcher cried out as he jerked his hands to his scorched seat! The Molotov flew out of his hand to go flying back over their heads to hit the ground in an open area, exploding in a massive fireball! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Everything was bathed in a red-tinged orange glow for a brief few seconds' entrapping everyone's attention! Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Hard Luck pushed up on his other foot as forcibly as he could, Shooting up like a Mouse-in-a-box! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong His battered helmet crashed right into Smasher's chin just as he turned back around with a bone-shattering CRACK! "GRUH-OOF!" The Giant grunted and fell backward head over heels over his 4-wheeler to slam onto the ground like a boulder! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Just managing to stay on his own feet, Hard Luck swayed slightly, throwing a few weak punches blindly. "Tuh, take thu, that!" He shook his helmeted head to try and clear the exploding starfighters from his eyes. A loud crack sounded, and his old helmet broke into about 3 large pieces and fell to the ground. "Aw, Cheese." He groaned./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong 3 Loud Gasps came from the Trio of Thugs when they looked at the De-Helmeted Hard Luck! "WHAT ON MY BLAZING BACKSIDE ARE YOU!?" Scorcher called from where he was scooting his said butt on the ground, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "He luh, luh, loo, looks lie, like, like a, a…!" Sneaky stuttered, shaking so much he almost let Sunni slip out of his grasp! "My perceptions are clearly most addled for I can put no assurance into confirming the apparition my eyes describe!" Smasher stated almost clearly from where he had pulled himself up onto his 4-wheeler, while he spit out a couple of broken-off teeth. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "…Like a WEREWOLF, with Big Pancake Ears?!" Sneaky finished his sentence finally! Every set of Human Eyes there turned and stared at him in a mix of awe, wonder, and fear! Hard Luck's green yellow eyes jumped around, returning all their gazes. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "A were…? He mumbled but luckily in the short time He'd spent at Davidson's Garage watching Late Night Cable TV, He'd seen a lot of Earth's Horror Movies! "YEAH, that's what I am a What-Were, uh whatever…GRRR, GROWL…WOOF!?" He snarled at them with what he hoped was a fierce and menacing look and stance!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong The looks of awe, wonder, and fear pretty much vanishing told him how good a job he did. Sunni just managed to choke back giggling out loud. The seriousness of the situation helped. Look more like a Were-Mouse to me, SMASHER, time for some Pest Control, if you would be so inclined!" Scorcher remarked while standing up having extinguished the fire on his pants. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "With the paramount of gratification!" The Behemoth replied while pulling some nasty brass knuckles out of a pocket and putting them on his already massive ham-hock-sized fists. Effortlessly stepping over his 4-wheeler, he let out a growl of his own and did a much better job of making it more menacing than Hard Lucks. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Fondue me." Hard Luck sighed as he backed away from the giant. He hated when his baddies broke tropes. They're supposed to be Big and Dumb! Why did he get the Big and Smart one!? Smasher surged forward and threw a flurry of punches! "Aw, you aint slow either, this is so not fair!" Hard Luck gasped; He had only just Barely managed to dodge all the blows. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong FWOOSH! The tip of Hard Luck's bandaged wrapped tail burst into flame! "YEOW!" Hard Luck cried out which gave Smasher ample time to deliver a gut punch to his stomach, a vicious uppercut to his jaw which was followed up by a head butt which sent Hard Luck falling backward to go skidding across the muddy ground. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "…and that's why you wear helmets kids...gwuahhh!?" Hard Luck mumbled while shaking his head to clear the little stars and motorcycles that were circling his head. Spotting between the twirling view he spotted one of his blasters lying on the ground just a few inches from his black gauntleted right paw. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Lunging for the weapon, he almost grabbed it when the ground around it burst into flames! "Ah, ah, ah, we won't be having any of that now!" Scorcher chided as he blew some smoke away from the fingers of his trick gloves. Hard Luck shook his own slightly charred gauntlet as he looked forlornly from the Smiling Thug to his blaster now blown out of reach. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Smasher started to stomp towards him when Scorcher stopped him. "Hold on Big Guy, this one is mine, you do what your best at and SMASH this place up, and Good!" The Huge Thug looked like he was about to disagree but the look on his leader's face encouraged him to avoid doing so. Reluctantly he backed away from the fallen Martian. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "STOP THIS, Leave Him Alone you, you Big Bullies!" Sunni shouted out, managing to get her mouth free from Sneaky's arm across it. She also kind of struggled to get out an anger-fueled remark. It was something very unnatural to her, but she gave it her best. She was silenced when the arm wrapped around her again. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Shhhh." Sneaky hissed like a snake into her ear while holding the blade tighter against her throat, helping to ensure her silence as she froze still against the feel of the sharp metal. "Ahh, the golden sounds of silence, second only to the magical music of mayhem." Scorcher chuckled./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Hard Luck was on the verge of attempting to throw himself at Sneaky in a completely vain attempt to save her but was stopped when Scorcher slammed his boot heel onto Hard Luck's tail and malevolently ground his hell into the muddy ground! "Urrghh! "Hard Luck grunted, biting back the pain. This just encouraged Scorcher to press harder!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Not so fast, Fuzzball!" Scorcher snarled down at him. "I'm not done with you yet!" Hard Luck frowned as he watched the thug seemingly unconcernedly toss another Molotov bottle in one hand. "While my associates once again attend to the task of Demolishing this Domestic Domicile, I will engage in my little hobby of cooking, by making a nice Deep Flame Fired FREAK!" /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong As he said this, he tossed the bottle up, spinning in the air and seeming effortless, used the trick gloves to shoot out a flame and ignite the Molotov's fuse then caught it in the same hand. Taking a few steps backward and raising the Molotov up above his head, he took aim at Hard Luck. "I don't know about you, but I like my Freak Good and Crispy!" /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong BWAWOOMPFH! The muddy ground exploded up into Scorcher's face! While he had been talking, he'd missed Hard Luck slowly pushing his foot jet into the mud. The Pyromaniac fell over, dropping the Molotov, which rolled over and smashed against one of their 4-wheelers! A few seconds passed before the flames hit the fuel tank and the vehicle in a raging fireball with a thunderous boom shaking the ground! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Flames and pieces of 4-wheeler rained down, parts of Scorcher's clothes igniting again! "Argh, not again, you miserable freak… Smasher, Get Him, Sneaky don't you let her go!" He growled out as he rolled around on the ground trying to extinguish his clothes!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Yuh, yeah sure!" Sneaky blurted out, practically hiding behind Sunni more than it appeared to be holding her hostage! Smasher came running back, now with a sledgehammer that he was going to use to smash a tractor to bits, now he intends to do the same to Hard Luck! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Prepare to be Pulverized into a Painful Patay!" The Giant growled out while taking a savage swing at Hard Luck with the hammer! He had just managed to awkwardly scramble to his feet and dodge the blow, getting missed by a whisker's width! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "CHEESE, CHEESE, CHEESE!" Hard Luck cursed as he dips, ducked, and dodged as The Big Bruiser swung the sledgehammer around and around trying to take his head off! Smasher pulled a gargantuan downward swing at him, just missing the Martian as the heavy hammer half-buried itself in the soft ground! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Ugh, urgh, gruh!" Smasher grunted as he tried to extract the hammer, while both He and Hard Luck looked from each other and to the hammer back and forth. Moving quickly, Hard Luck raised his cyborg's leg and brought his metal foot down as hard as he could on the sledgehammer's wooden handle, shattering it into toothpicks and kindling! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Argh!" The normally articulated giant grunted as he stumbled unexpectedly backward, almost falling but just managing to stay on his huge feet! "GET HIM! YOU BIG DOOFUS! Scorcher called out, standing up having once again putting out his smoldering clothes. "Yeah, Get Him Smasher, Get Him, QUICK!" Sneaky added, in a far more anxious tone! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "RRAARRGHH!" Smasher roared as He charged towards Hard Luck, big hands out in a grabbing position, aimed at his neck, to snap it like a twig! "Oh, Mama!" Hard Luck cried out turning just in the nick of time to get his paws up to grapple with the Giant! Smasher smiled as he pushed Hard Luck back, forcing him towards Sunni, Sneaky, and his blade. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong The Giant's smile quickly vanished when Hard Luck suddenly started pushing him back! They both grunted and growled as each fought to get an edge over the other! "Renunciate…yourself…to the…Inevitable...conclusion of this encounter…you minuscule abnormality!" Smasher grunted trying to take both the physical and mental advantage of the conflict! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Uh, er, Go SQUEAK YERSELF!" Hard Luck responded and managed to shove the large human back even further! "Get him over here Smasher and I'll roast that rodent to the bone!" Scorcher hollered! The Thug Leader had retrieved a fuel canister from his 4-wheeler and using his trick fire gloves now had a small but deadly Flamethrower, which he demonstrated by firing off a couple of big fiery bursts into the air!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong KER-POW! A shotgun blast interrupted the chaos and insured everyone's attention was now centered! "WHAT IN TARNATION IS GOING ON OUT HERE!?" Mr. Daigh hollered out; shotgun aimed skyward. Mrs. Daigh right beside him and carrying a large pistol, both being true Midwesterners, were armed and ready! If they weren't in their pajamas and robes this would've looked a bit less comical. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "SUNNI! What are you doing to our Granddaughter, Bert look!" Mrs. Daigh gasped when she spotted Sunni being held hostage at knife point! Sneaky did his best to hide behind Sunni even more, and Scorcher leaped forward making sure to keep Hard Luck and Smasher between him and the Grandparents. Smasher did the same by spinning to keep Hard Luck's back facing them! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "LET OUR GRANDDAUGHTER GO NOW!" Mrs. Daigh ordered in a steel-laced authoritarian shout! Sneaky and Smasher almost complied with her, but Scorcher reminded them which side they were on. His! "Now, now let's all try to remain calm; we wouldn't want things to Get out of Control, now, would we?" He chuckled threateningly and using his flamethrower ignited a couple of large round hay bales and an old outhouse! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong The Fires gave the area a nightmarish feel. The Look of pure Evil on the Thug's faces just added to the aura. "If you want your beloved family member to come thru this unscathed, I suggest you put down your weapons, if you would so, please." He hissed sinisterly. The Elderly Couple looked forlornly at each other and reluctantly put their firearms on the ground./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong He gestured for them to kick their guns out of reach to which they grudgingly complied. "Now why don't you all just get together, like a nice little family." He mockingly suggested as Mr. Mrs. Daigh slowly moved towards where Sunni was. "The Family that comes together can Go Up Together." He whispered malevolently to himself. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong It went unheard by everyone, except for the guy with the pancake-sized ears! "Oh, Fromage!" Why did the Universe keep putting him into this type of situation? Was it really that Cruel, or just that bored!? He had to do something to save this poor family! Especially after they'd been so nice to him. Well, Sunni and Mrs. Daigh anyway. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong He had to think and think Quick! Another thing He's no good at! What would Throttle do, or Modo, or Davidson, or uh. Willy? Heck, what would any of the warriors, soldiers, and actual Heroes he had known and met over the years do, and why were none of them here now? "Ugh, I really hate my life sometimes." /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong He was snapped back to the moment when He almost tripped when Smasher started pushing him back towards Sneaky and Sunni, whose eyes were as big as plates at seeing her grandparents all but defeated! Oh, that did it. Time to fall back on his standard tactic. Do something Really Stupid and Hope for the Best! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Glancing over his shoulder he saw Sunni's big eyes again, He attempted to put his Stupid Idea into action. Faking fighting against Smasher pushing him back, he did his best to enact his plan. "Just a little closer, a little bit…" He muttered to himself trying to time this just right! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Swish, Poink! "AAAHHH!" Sneaky cried out as the tip of Hard Luck's tail jabbed him in his eye, both his hands rushed to rub the sore orb, and he let go of Sunni to do so! "HAI!" She cried as she pulled an Aikido martial art move and flipped Sneaky over her shoulder! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong At the same time, Hard Luck pulled on Smasher's arms and delivered a head butt of his own to the Thug's mishappen head! CLONK! Rolling backward Hard Luck yanked and lurched forward, to crash right into Sneaky with another CLONK as their heads collided! They crashed to the ground in a heap in front of Scorcher! "Get up you Morons!'/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Hard Luck, you did it, your freed me, are you ok!?" Sunni gasped jumping off the thug's 4-wheeler and running over to the wobbly Martian. "Ugh, I got a headache!" He moaned holding his throbbing noggin. "Why do bad guys always have to be so hardheaded?"/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "KIDS, DUCK!" Mr. Mrs. Daigh called out! "Ahh!" both Hard Luck Sunni cried out as they dived to the ground as a fireball shot thru the space where they had just been standing! "Run!' Hard Luck gasped as he helped Sunni up and they both ran for cover as more fireballs rained down around them! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Fire exploded all around as they dived behind a broken-down tractor! "I never knew farming could get this exciting!" Hard Luck joked lamely. "Yeah, we country folk know how to have a real hot time!" Sunni added joining in. They both laughed. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "You kids, okay?!" Mrs. Daigh yelled from behind a metal shed that was also burning on one side. She breathed a sigh of relief as they waved back to her. "Oh, if I only had my shotgun, I'd blast those scoundrels full of buckshot!" Mr. Daigh growled shaking a clenched fist at the thugs in an angry gesture! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Bertram Daigh, remember your blood pressure and calm down. Going off all hot-headed and half-cocked aint going to do any of us any good!" Holly Daigh chided her husband, while secretly agreeing with him. Especially seeing as how Scorcher had gotten his two cohorts back into action, and they were picking up their lost shotgun and pistol./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Fan out and surround them, while I keep them pinned down!" Scorcher ordered the two while he kept a steady barrage of fireballs, keeping both groups staying put. "Come on, ow, work darn it, ouch, work!" Hard Luck grumbled as he pressed against both sides of his head and squinted as if he was in deep concentration, but not getting the result he wanted. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "What's not working, what are you trying to do?" Sunni asked. "Trying to call a friend but it aint working, ugh too many blows to the head, I hate when this happens, ouch!" He griped hitting himself in the side of the head trying to fix the problem but only making his headache worse!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Huh?" Sunni questioned with a puzzled look. "Ugh, it don't matter, we gotta save ourselves, oh we're so fondued." He moaned dejectedly. "Oh, now don't be silly, all you have to do is keep a positive mind and hope in your heart and everything will always work out in the end!" She said to him in her most hopeful and helpful manner, all but radiating positivity!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Hard Luck really bit down on his tongue to keep the remark from getting out of his mouth. He also hoped the Look he was giving her didn't let her know what he was really thinking so he lied instead. "Uh, yuh yeah sure, of cuh, course it will!?" Insincerity all but plastered on his face./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong KABOOM, Ki-Tang! Smasher fired the shotgun, and the shot ricochet off the burning metal from of the tractor they were hiding behind! "Don't shoot till you can See Them, You Big Dummy!" Scorcher yelled at him! "Oh, yeah right!" The Big Thug replied and worked the shotgun's action, ejecting the used shell and getting the gun ready again! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Oh, Fromage!" He cursed and turned to Sunni. "Ok, I'm gonna try something, anything, so just Stay Here, STAY HERE!" He ordered her, really empathizing that last bit. If anything bad happened to her, he wouldn't even let himself consider the thought of thinking about it. She nodded at him, wide-eyed, and gave him a big smile and two thumbs up! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong He turned away before she could see him rolling his eyes at what he considered her putting misplaced faith in him! "Fondue me." He took a quick peek around the side of the tractor. "THERE HE IS!" BOOM! Smasher yelled and fired off a wild shot, barely missing Hard luck who in the nick of time ducked back behind the tractor, checking to make sure his nose was still attached. It did give him an idea, not a good one but, what else was new? /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Hard Luck popped out from behind the tractor's big rear wheel, Smasher fired again, just missing but he did pop the tire! Hard Luck reappeared at the front of the tractor, and Smasher fired again, hitting a headlight! "Persistent Pest, cease with your unpredictable travel!" Scorcher shot a fireball past his head! "You Cease You Big Jerk, He's making you waste your ammo, you can't Reload!" He snapped! Smasher simply said "Oops!" /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong This was the opening Hard Luck had been hoping for! With a Big Whoosh, he flew up into the dark night sky on his foot jet! "What the heck was that!?" Scorcher snapped, looking around to try and figure out what had just happened, Smasher joined in too! "Up here Rock Head!" Hard Luck shouted down, Smasher looked up just in time to see a boot and metal foot come crashing down onto him! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Argh, Off, Ouch, Ahh!" was blurted out as Hard Luck collided with Smasher, who then fell back onto Scorcher and all 3 of them formed into a rolling, bouncing ball of legs, arms, and one tail that trundled across the yard until they crashed thru a fence and smacked into the middle of a big mud puddle in the Pig Pen located on the side of the barn! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Thru the broken fence ran a dozen oinking pigs and little piglets! Out of the muck, 3 different sizes of Mud Monsters stood up. One stumbled to the broken fence. "Spit, ptoo, ugh oh that don't taste good, Bligh!" Hard Luck spluttered spitting out a mouthful of mud. "How about a taste of something hotter!" Hard Luck turned to see the mud-caked Scorcher a few yards behind him, pointing his fire gloves directly at him! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Hard Luck flinched as Scorcher pointed his glove and…nothing. "What the…" The Pyromaniac growled and tried again, but the mud-soaked gloves wouldn't even spark! "Hah, what's the matter Hot Stuff lost your touch!?" Hard Luck laughingly teased, but almost ducked at the glare of hot hate Scorcher shot back at him!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "DON'T MAKE FUN OF ME, NOBODY MAKES FUN OF ME!" Scorcher screamed! "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BIG-EARED FREAK!" He charged at Hard Luck, with hands like talons aimed right at Hard Luck's throat! "Cheese, keep your hands off me you, you Nut job!" Hard Luck cursed while grappling with the deranged baddie before shoving him away, sending Scorcher sliding back across the mud!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong No sooner had one thug fallen than the Bigger One attacked next! Smasher came charging across the pig pen, the articulate behemoth forgoing his verbal mastery for simply roaring like a blunt beast! "RARRGH!" Just as he almost tackled the Martian, Hard Luck threw a fast right hook! Smasher let out a loud grunt, while another tooth went flying and he fell back into the pen to SMASH right on top of Scorcher! They both lay in the mud groaning and moaning painfully. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Shaking his sore right paw, Hard Luck barked at the mud-caked thugs. "And I'm just as tired of You too, you big jerk, and if you both know what's good for you, you'll both stay down!" He leaned against the broken fence, silently praying that they both did! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Mr. Mrs. Daigh slowly walked up, holding each other's arms, with somber looks on their faces. "Huh, hey look, I got 'em!" Hard Luck smiled exhaustedly thru his mud-smeared face. "You, you did a fine job son. Real fine job." Mr. Daigh sighed. "There's just one thing you forgot." Hard Luck looked around confused. "What? What'd I forget!" He asked, not sure he really wanted to know the answer. Mrs. Daigh looked at him with a sad smile. "There're 3 of 'em." /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Huh, what? What're you talking about…oh Phobos Fall on Me!" He groaned as Sneaky appeared behind the Elderly Couple, holding Mrs. Daigh's big pistol in his hand and aimed at their backs, and a sick sinister smile on his hooded face. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Now you know why we call him Sneaky!" Scorcher chuckled from the pig pen, pushing the inert Smasher off himself. "Good Job Cousin now let's get everyone all together so we can put an End to this Little Job! Sneaky nodded and smiling again, pushed the Couple towards Hard Luck. It wasn't too hard to figure out what he had in mind, and it isn't pretty!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Hard Luck watched the Daighs slowly walk his way. Scorcher went and got onto his bike. A few seconds of tense silence passed when suddenly Hard Luck got a Big Smile on his own face. Scorcher glared at him. 'What have you got to smile about freak?" This just made Hard Luck's smile even bigger. "I'm smiling 'cause I aint the only one that's bad with numbers!" /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Before The Thug Leader could ask what he meant, a loud Martial Arts Battle Cry rang out and the until now in hiding and forgotten about Sunni came leaping out from behind the tractor and with a flying kick sent the pistol flying out of Sneaky's hand! "HAI!" Sunni cheered out! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Mr. Daigh swirled around and punched Sneaky right in his nose, while Mrs. Daigh dashed in the direction her pistol had fallen! Sunni started to run over to Hard Luck, while Scorcher yelled at his two cohorts to do something! Smasher emerged from the pig pen and picked up the until-now-forgotten shotgun off the ground and took aim at Sunni! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "NNOOOOO!" Hard Luck shouted and jumped forward, things seemed to move in slow motion as he grabbed Sunni with both hands, wrapped his arms and tail around her, and threw himself around to shield her with his body! A shattering KABOOM exploded out from the shotgun as Smasher fired the last shell out of it, just as Hard Luck yelled out "AAAUUUUCCCHHHH!" as he was hit in the old red work shirt that was tied around the seat of his pants! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "HARD LUCK!" Sunnie cried out, full of concern as they fell on the ground! "HOLLY get over here!" Mr. Daigh called for his wife! "I got it, I got the Pistol, I'm coming!" She called back from somewhere in the darkness! "Let's Get Out of HERE!" Scorcher yelled! Smasher threw the empty shotgun down and picked up Sneaky and ran to the other 4-wheeler! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong The Thugs stared up their bikes, engines firing up! Sneaky with Smasher on the back of his bike started his, Sneaky and Smasher Cackled Manically as they pinned Mr. Daigh in the headlight, revving the engine and making to run the old man over! "GRANDPA LOOK OUT!" Sunni yelled out! The Old Man froze like the proverbial Deer in the Headlights! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong The 4-Wheelr with the 2 thugs jumped forward! BOOM! "AAAAAHHH!" Sneaky and Smasher bellowed as they flew into the sky as their bike exploded beneath them! "NO, NO, NO UUGHH!" Scorcher gasped as Sneaky and Smasher fell on top of him! The Pile of Groaning Thugs jerked as the bike took off, swerving and nearly toppling over as it erratically raced away from the farm! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "HONK!" Dently leaped out of the open barn doors, blaster cannons smoking, after having blasted the 4-wheeler out from under Sneaky and Smasher! "Hard Luck are you Ok, Oh, I'm so sorry, you didn't need to, for me I mean Oh Golly!" Sunni gushed kneeling by the wounded Martian. "Oh, Ouch, oh, uh I, I'm fuh fine, ouch." Hard Luck groaned. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Dently rolled over and rattled and clanked concernedly for his friend! "Cuh, Calm down you muh, metal goof-ball, I suh, said I'm fuhh-ouch" Hard Luck mumbled as Sunni helped him to almost stand up. "Tarnation, but I got no clue what is going on around here no more!" Mr. Daigh huffed, taking Hard Luck's other arm in his and helping support him over to the unbroken pen fence on the other side of the barn doors. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Is Everybody Ok? Oh, My Stars, BERT DAIGH, what have I told you about that Darn Shotgun of yours!" Mrs. Daigh snapped at her Husband, trying to cloak her concern with motherly anger, while also quickly concealing her own pistol beneath her nightrobe. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Blue Blazes Holli, you always act like I never listen to you!" Mr. Daigh harumphed. "I didn't load that old scattergun with nothing lethal, it just had, er, rock salt in it." He replied with a guilty grimace, the look his wife shot at him didn't help. She kept herself from saying anything they both might regret and rushed over to the wounded Martian leaning on the fence. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Speaking of Blue Blazes, what in the blue blazes are you!" Mr. Daigh blurted out getting his first look at the helmetless Hard Luck. "Uh, ouch, I, I can, ow, explain?!" He whimpered not sounding like he knew how to do that. "He's a Martian!" Sunni almost yelled out enthusiastically! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "A MARTIAN!?" Both Grandparents exclaimed unbelievingly! "Yeah, a Martian Mouse, a Biker Mouse from Mars!" The Smile on Sunni's young face couldn't hide her excitement at getting to share this with someone else finally! She had had to keep this secret for almost a full half a day!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "A BIKER!?" Mr. Daigh huffed, sounding like that might be worse than the Martian Mouse bit, lifting his retrieved shotgun up to a ready position. "Heh, uh huh hi!?" Hard Luck weakly smiled at the old couple who were doing their best to accept this rather Big Bit of Information! Mrs. Daigh had a slight head start on her husband./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Put that thing down!" She snapped at him while pushing down on the shotgun. "In case you missed it, this Martian Biker just saved your granddaughter's life, Again!" Mr. Daigh ashamedly looked at the weapon in his hands to his Wife, and Granddaughter standing on either side of the furry blue Martian. Even the riderless motorcycle seemed to be giving him a disapproving look. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "OK, I hear what you're saying, but you got to give me a few minutes to get my head wrapped around all this, it's been a hectic couple of weeks, and getting the revelation of Actual Alien Lifeforms dropped on me, well like I said, give me a few minutes here!" Mr. Daigh huffed sounding all but tuckered out by all of this. "I need some coffee." /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "That can wait!" Mrs. Daigh replied while turning to Hard Luck and putting a hand delicately on his shoulder. "How does, um it, feel son?" She asked the obviously embarrassed Martian. "Uh, it, kinda…tingles?" He frowned with his fuzzy face blushing deeply. He really hated when this happened, which was way too often for his liking. WAY Too Often! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Oh, I'll go get the First Aid Supplies!' Sunni chirped and made to run into the barn, but was stopped by both her grandparents shouting out a loud NO! Sunni looked at them with a confused look while Mr. Mrs. Daigh exchanged a quick look. "I think I should handle the medical aid this time if you don't mind dear." Mrs. Daigh said while Hard Luck gave a silent look of thanks. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Bert, go get the first aid boxes and then do something about these fires before the whole farm burns down." Mr. Daigh nodded and started to go but was stopped by a rather impolite rumble from the somehow irritated-sounding motorcycle. All 3 of the Daighs looked from it to the Martian on the fence. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Oh, uh Mr. Mrs. Daigh, Sunni, this is Dently my motorcycle and best friend. Dently meet the Daigh Family." Dently burbled happily and wiggled his handlebars in a friendly greeting. He loved to meet new beings, plus he also hated having to act like an inanimate object. It was so boring. The Old Couple returned the wave rather shakily. Sunni gave him one of her bright as-the-sun smiles. "Nice to meet you Dently, oh this is so cool!" She giggled almost bouncing up and down with delighted pleasure. Dently returned her excitement and did bounce a little./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Where on Deimos's Darkside have you been while all this has been going on you Greased up Goofball!?" Hard Luck groaned while trying to distract from the pain of his blasted backside. "You didn't notice all the shootings and explosions or something!" Dently almost ignored Hard Luck before he all but exploded himself in a barrage of rattles, clanks, and engine noises, nearly looking like he could shake himself to pieces! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Whattya mean you've been chasing a bad guy, what bad guy?" Hard Luck barked at the overly excited bike! "All the Bad Guys were here!" He gruffly pointed out. Dently glared back silently for a few seconds before with a grumpy chuff of his exhaust pipes, his storage tank compartment opened, and a mechanical appendage popped out holding an angry squirming ball of fluff! /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Reek, reek, reek!" squealed the Angry Rabbit. "Eek, a Bunny!" Sunni gasped and snatched the small critter out of Dently's grasp! It almost instantly calmed down while she started scratching it behind its ears, but it continued to stare at the Motorcycle with blatant hatred in its little eyes. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong Mrs. Mr. Daigh did their best to not to laugh out loud, while Hard Luck didn't even try. He laughed so hard he all most fell off the fence! "Har, har, hah, oh it hurts, ouch, that, that's what you've been doing all this time?" He gasped breathlessly while pulling himself back up. Dently growled his engine at his irritated friend. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Ha, hah, oh, ow, I, I hope the fuzzball didn't put up too much of a Fight for you to handle, ha, ha, ouch!" Hard Luck wasn't even trying to hold it in at this point. "Look at it, clearly it's one of Earth's Most Fierce Predators, I mean look at those Fangs and Claws, haha, ouch!" Dently just silently sat there, knowing better than to say anything. Just let him get it out of his system./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Hyuk, yuk, it looks like a miniature version of that buck-toothed, big-eared grump in the barn. Mabel the Mule!" Everyone there looked from him to the pen fence and back. "Uh, Hard Luck, you might…" Sunni tried to interrupt but he didn't hear her. "Ha, ha, oh I hope you didn't shake yourself to pieces when it hee 'ed and haw 'ed at you like that Angry Hay Muncher!" /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Oh, Help, Donna the Distempered Diminutive Donkey Doubleganger is trying to get me, Har, Haw, Ha, Ouch!" All 3 of the Daighs and Dently were making stop gestures with both hands and handlebars at him but he was too far gone to notice! Almost crying and his antenna sparking, he continued to laugh and make insults!/strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Oh, it probably scared the Meadow Muffins out of you like the Miserable Mule, Ha ha!" He was stopped when KAPOW! "EEEEYOWCH!" Hard Luck cried out as he suddenly went flying across the yard! CRUNCH! He thudded head first into a large round haybale that was thankfully one that was not on fire, his legs and tail hanging limply down from the center of it. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Harrumph!' Molly the Mule snorted as she pulled her rear hooves back thru the fence after kicking Hard Luck thru the fence slats. She had come up unnoticed behind the Martian just in time to hear his jokes, and she didn't find any of them to be all that funny./strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "Molly, that was not nice at all!" Sunni chided her with a disapproving wag of her finger. The Mule put an apologetic look on her long face, but her slight smile hinted at it not being all that sincere. Dently chuffed sadly, not surprised at this turn of events at all. "Uh, I'll go get that first aid kit now." Mr. Daigh said and made for the barn as fast as he could get away from this situation. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong "We'll wait here dear." Mrs. Daigh replied as her husband walked off, and she quickly put her hand over Sunni's eyes as her granddaughter turned around. "Hey, what's up Grandma!?" Sunni gasped. "Oh, um I just want to, erm. Protect you from the grisly sights dear." Mrs. Daigh mumbled as she looked towards the prone Hard Luck, not failing to notice that the old work shirt tied around his midsection had fallen off, revealing the torn and tattered (missing) seat of his pants. Plus the 2 sets of U-Shaped Hoof Prints helped draw the attention. /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strong /strong/p
p style="text-align: center;"strongTo Be Continued…/strong/p