Chapter 6:Showdown
A couple of days after their fight with Malloy, Liam and Tony met Matt at the airport.
"Liam, you look like you've been through a bit." said Matt.
"On the brighter side, Floyd Malloy is history." said Liam. "On top of that, we got the statuette."
"Malloy gone?" asked Alex. "It sounds like such a shock."
"Where's the statuette?" asked Matt.
"You'll see." said Tony.
Liam and Tony showed Matt the statuette.
"Nice work, guys." said Matt. He reached out to touch it.
"No, don't." said Liam as he grabbed Matt's hand. "Touching it has very bad effects."
"That's why we're transporting it like this." said Tony.
"I see." said Matt. "Let's take it to the lab."
He then closed the statuette's carrying case: the trunk of the Minx.
----------
At VENOM headquarters, Calvin paced angrily. "How could you guys just let those bloodsuckers take my sister?" he yelled.
"It was a little out of our hands." said Weller.
"Yeah, how many times you gonna tell yourself that?" asked Calvin.
"That's enough!" said Mayhem. "Our situation is bad enough without you guys going at it like that! The vampires have managed to get their hands on the research. Cassidy is in their custody. We don't know where Kelly is."
"Hey, guys!" said Kelly as he ran into the room. He stopped when he saw the mood of the room. "What happened? Where's Cassidy?"
"The vampires got her." said Bates. "And the last of the research."
"Where have you been?" asked Darwood.
"Ireland." said Kelly. "I went there with a couple of MASK agents. We managed to capture the source of Riley's powers. They're going to use it to find a way to reverse the vampires' transformation."
This raised every eyebrow in the room. "Reverse the transformation?" asked Gilford.
"Not possible." said Carl. "Is it possible?"
"You were with two MASK agents?" asked Mayhem. "What were their names?"
Kelly tried to remember their names. He then realized Liam and Tony never used their names around him. "Uh...um...Declan!" he said. "No, wait. That was the other guy."
"It's not important." said Mayhem. "We have to prepare for battle."
"When and where?" asked Kelly.
"We don't know yet." said Darwood. "We'll get back to you on the specifics."
----------
At the reservation, the Minx was unloaded from a flatbed truck.
"How'd you get this thing into the country anyway?" asked Buddie.
"We told the officials it was being transported to a museum." said Liam.
"Now, how do we get the statuette to the lab without touching it?" asked Tony.
"There's an air shaft to the lab." said Nevada. "We removed the grates and set up a plate at the bottom so we can move it through there."
"And how do we get it into the air shaft?" asked Enzo.
"Open the trunk and I'll show you." said Bruce as he donned his mask.
Liam opened the trunk. The statuette was inside.
"Lifter, on!" called Bruce. A series of yellow rings were broadcast from the visor and circled the statuette. The rings elevated and carried the statuette to the air vent. Once it was inside, Bruce dropped it down the shaft.
At the bottom of the shaft, the statuette landed in a metal tray. Michael walked over and picked up the tray. Alex watched him.
"How long before you can find a solution?" asked Alex.
"Unknown." said Michael. "It could take a few minutes. It could take days. It could be a dead end. I suggest you find something else to do in the meantime."
Matt reported the situation to the agents. "Michael and his staff are researching the statuette. This could actually take a while, so I suggest we do something else."
"We need to prepare for a possible attack on the reservation." said Hondo.
"I think it might be best to evacuate the people." said Nevada.
"Can you do that?" asked Matt.
"It will require a lot of planning, but we might be able to pull it off." said Nevada.
"We also need to keep a watch on the vampires' lair." said Gloria.
"How's Scooter holding up?" asked Matt.
"Okay, for a guy who's been in the desert for three days." said Caitlin. "We've been bringing him supplies every once in a while."
"Good to hear." said Matt. "Liam, Tony, for your hard work on the quest to Ireland, I think you two could use some rest."
"If you think so, Matt." said Liam.
"Everyone else, if you're not working on a project that will directly benefit this operation," said Matt "you may work on any side project to pass time. That is all. Good luck."
"Hey, Buddie." said Enzo as the crowd started to disperse.
"Yeah?" asked Buddie.
"What do you say to a little auto customization?" asked Enzo as he looked at the Minx.
"Sounds like a good way to pass the time." said Buddie.
----------
Michael ran a wavelength analyzer over the statuette. He and Nevada checked their findings.
Elsewhere, Liam tried to get some sleep. Unfortunately, he was too worried with the coming events.
Matt leaned on a railing at Boulder Hill headquarters. Hondo walked over to him and Matt gave him an uncertain look.
At the vampires' lair, the vampires learned of Malloy's demise at Liam's hands. Elizabeth tried her best to comfort the very upset Laura.
Buddie tried to get the Minx's engine out while Enzo used a sander to remove the paint.
Caitlin and Gloria raced through the desert. Caitlin overtook Gloria just before they made it to the Naginata. They knocked at the door, then Scooter received a couple of microwave dinners after waking up.
Nervous about the forthcoming events, Julie prayed with Tony.
----------
Finally, three days after Liam and Tony returned, Michael and Nevada looked at the vampire bikers while the statuette was wired to a makeshift contraption of some kind.
"Should we tell them?" asked Michael.
"Your findings should be definite." said Nevada.
"Very well." said Michael.
Matt was in his office trying to get some much-needed sleep. The phone rang, spoiling his plans. He answered with a curt "Yes?"
"Matt, this is Michael. I think we have made a breakthrough."
"How's that?" asked Matt.
"If you come to the lab, we'll show you." said Michael.
----------
Two hours later, Matt and Bruce were in the lab.
"The day after we received the statuette," explained Nevada "Michael made a very surprising discovery."
"What was that?" asked Bruce.
"The statuette has the same energy signature as the crystal that powers your maks." said Michael.
"Excuse me?" said Matt.
"I compared the wavelengths of the statuette's energy to that of your masks." said Michael. "They are remarkably similar. I theorize that the statuette and the energy crystal might even have similar origins."
"This has also given us an edge in discovering a way to adapt a possible cure into a weapon." said Nevada. "However, this is only a prototype." he added as he held out his hand to the contraption.
"How well does it work?" asked Bruce.
"See for yourself." said Michael. He pointed to a mirror mounted at the back of the room. There were three bikers in the cages. Two now showed up in the mirror.
"Why isn't the third showing up?" asked Matt.
"We decided it was best if we gave you a demonstration." said Nevada. "We zapped the first one shortly after we managed to rig up the weapon two days ago. We used the weapon on the second yesterday. We did that to track their progress in the transformation reversal."
Matt and Bruce looked at the two who'd been cured. The first one had gained back quite a bit of skin tone and was casually leaning against the wall of his cage. The second was still somewhat pale, but was also quite docile. The third, who Nevada indicated hadn't been cured, still maintained a vampiric appearance and tried to escape from the cage.
"Ready for that demonstration?" asked Matt.
"All you had to do was ask." said Michael as he flipped a switch. A pair of lights on the weapon started to glow. A disk embedded in the barrel started to spin. The contraption let out a low hum.
Michael aimed the weapon at the vampire biker for two seconds, then pressed another switch. A yellow beam of energy was fired from the barrel and connected with the vampire. He convulsed and twisted in the beam, then collapsed. Matt looked back at the mirror to see he now had a reflection.
"Welcome back to life, Rocky." said one of the other bikers.
"It worked." said Matt.
"We have to make this weapon mobile." said Bruce.
"We can work on it." said Nevada.
"We've already got a chariot lined up for this weapon." said Michael.
"Bruce, help them with it." said Matt. "I'll even lend a hand if I have to."
"Tell the others about this." said Bruce. "Such a breakthrough will bring much morale improvement."
"I'll get right on it." said Matt.
----------
Scooter kept watch over the vampires' lair just after night fell. He continued to listen to the bug on Max's person.
"So, they managed to rig up a reversal." he said to himself. "I'd like to see how the vampires react to this."
Just then, something punched through the side window of the Naginata and wrapped its hand around Scooter's face. Something then pulled Scooter out of the truck headfirst. Something turned out to be Melissa.
"Well, it looks like MASK has been spying on us." she said. "I knew it was a mistake letting that hick Dusty do the patrols."
----------
Alex ran down a hallway at Boulder Hill. "Matt!" he said. "I tried to contact Scooter a few minutes ago. He didn't respond."
"What?" said Matt. "Did the Naginata's security system register anything?"
"The window was broken shortly after nightfall." said Alex.
"They must have found him." said Matt. "We need to send someone to check out the situation."
"I suggest sending anyone not currently assigned to the defense of Nevada's reservation." said Alex.
"But that's just Julie, Buddie, and Enzo." said Matt.
"Unfortunately, they'll have to do." said Alex.
"Well, Julie can handle herself if she has her mask." said Matt. "I think we can send them."
"If you agree, Matt." said Alex.
In the vehicle staging area, Buddie and Enzo had cut the roof off the Minx and were now carrying it to a nearby area.
"I hope Declan likes this." said Enzo.
"If he doesn't, we'll just say it was your idea." said Buddie.
Julie came running into the staging area. "Guys, Scooter's gone missing!" she said.
"What? When?" asked Buddie.
"Maybe half an hour ago." said Julie. "Unfortunately, we're the only ones free to mount a rescue."
"It's been a while since I've gone into action." said Enzo.
"It's like riding a bike." said Buddie. "You never forget."
"Si, si." said Enzo.
"Let's go, guys." said Julie.
Julie ran over to the Orca and climbed in. Buddie got into the driver's seat of the Firecracker while Enzo started to get in the passenger's side.
"Enzo, wait." said Buddie.
"What?" asked Enzo.
"We're gonna need all the firepower we can get." said Buddie.
"Oh, I gotcha." said Enzo. He closed the door to the Firecracker and ran over to the Bumblebee.
The three of them started their vehicles and drove out of the garage.
----------
Melissa dropped Scooter in the foyer of Riley's mansion. Every vampire in the building was watching.
"Well, it appears that MASK did have a spy watching us." said Riley.
"And somehow Dusty and Kevin missed him." said Melissa.
"I swear he wasn't out there the other night." said Dusty. "He must have packed it in before we got out there and came back after we left."
"How would he know we were coming for him?" asked Gorey.
"You know MASK." said Brad. "I used to run with them."
Scooter looked up at him. "The illustrious Brad Turner, I presume." he said. "You looked so much better as a human."
"As I was saying," said Brad "they have powerful technology and could easily have hacked into our security systems or communications network."
"Not very likely." said Gorey. "Both have very sophisticated anti-hacking systems built in. It would take a professional to hack into them."
"Do I look like a novice to you?" asked Scooter.
"What do you suggest we do with him?" asked Melissa.
"He works with the group that killed Malloy!" said Laura. "We must punish him a lot!"
"Wait, what if he's not the one who killed Malloy personally?" asked Max.
Scooter looked up at him in shock.
"Does it really matter?" asked Gorey. "They kill one of us, we kill one of them."
"Why don't we turn him?" asked Elizabeth. "We could use a hacker good enough to crack our systems."
"We eliminate the intruder and bolster our ranks." said Riley. "I like it. Prepare to put that plan into action. I have other things on my plate."
"How's that?" asked Brad.
"As you may know," said Riley "MASK recently captured the statuette which was the source of our powers. What they don't realize is that I have a connection to the statuette. If I concentrate, I can trace its location."
"Why haven't you done so earlier?" asked Dusty.
"Before tonight, someone had been spying on our operations." said Riley. "If I had traced the statuette before we found this man, he would reported it to his superiors. Thus, we would have lost the element of surprise."
"Oh." said Max.
"Now that no one's listening, I shall track my prize." said Riley.
----------
On a lonely road somewhere, Calvin parked on the shoulder in the Piledriver.
"This is Calvin reporting." he said. "Nothing out there so far."
"This is Kelly reporting." said the voice on the radio. "It's a little too quiet out here."
"This is Dagger." said the next voice. "I also have no action to report."
Suddenly, the Orca, Firecracker, and Bumblebee raced past the Piledriver.
"This is Calvin again. Something just happened. I'm right on it."
He put the Piledriver into gear and took off after the MASK agents.
"'Ey, didn't we just pass that bus we saw at the branch office?" asked Enzo.
"Yeah, I think we just did." said Buddie.
"He's following us." said Julie. "If he follows us, maybe he can help us."
----------
At Riley's mansion, Scooter was now strung up between a pair of pillars under the second-floor balcony. Riley himself was meditating.
"Why don't you just do it already?" asked Scooter.
"Not just yet." said Elizabeth. "We have to make sure our feeding session meshes with Riley's plans."
"I hope it takes him all night." said Scooter.
"I know where my statuette is." said Riley.
"Crud." muttered Scooter.
"I will now organize a raid on the location." said Riley. "Vanessa, Melissa, Gorey, and Dusty will join me."
"What about the rest of us?" asked Brad.
"Brad, you will stay here and keep watch over the others." said Riley. "If you run into any trouble, Elizabeth is here to back you up. She will remain anyway since she has to stay to comfort Laura. Laura is a little too torn up about Malloy, so I'm letting her stay out of this one."
"When are you leaving?" asked Elizabeth.
"Right now." said Riley. "Come."
Riley and his selected operatives made their way to the vehicle staging area. He was now wearing a black jumpsuit.
"Is the Demon finished?" asked Riley as they entered.
"I put the final touches on it last night." said Gorey.
"How did it turn out?" asked Riley.
"Take a look for yourself." said Gorey as he showed Riley to a Ferrari Enzo. The car was painted in pearlescent red with yellow and white racing stripes down the center. A spoiler similar to the one found on the F40 was mounted to the rear of the car. The wheels sported Rolf Blix LX4 rims.
"It is...satisfactory." said Riley. "We shall leave at once."
The rest of his group climbed into their vehicles. Dusty's was the Durango from the patrol the other night. They started the vehicles and drove out.
The vehicles took to the road and made their way towards the reservation. Just up the road were the Orca, Firecracker, Bumblebee, and Piledriver.
The radar in the Bumblebee picked up the vampires' vehicles almost immediately.
"Uh oh!" said Enzo. "We've got a wolfpack heading our way!"
"I see a rest area up ahead." said Julie. "We can hide out there for a few seconds."
The four vehicles pulled off and hid in the rest area. Riley and his group drove by a few seconds later.
After they passed, Buddie pulled alongside Enzo and said "I think I saw your namesake in there."
"Definitely a new piece of equipment." said Enzo.
"I think Riley would only allow himself to drive that." said Julie. "It makes me wonder what's going on there."
"Hey, you guys need any assistance?" asked Calvin as he hung out of the door of the Piledriver.
"Maybe." said Buddie. "What's in it for you?"
"Those vamps took my sister the other night." said Calvin. "I need to find her. She means very much to me."
"You certainly realize that this is dangerous work going into their lair." said Enzo.
"Well, surely so do you." said Calvin.
"Hmm, touche." said Julie. "Okay, I guess you can come along."
"Alright." said Calvin. "Let's get cracking."
"Think we're going to find his sister?" asked Buddie.
"The man is very determined." said Enzo. "He will find her. No question about it."
"Think she'll be alive?" asked Buddie.
"No." said Enzo grimly.
----------
At the reservation...
"Julie's informed me that the vampires are coming." said Hondo. "You guys had better get under cover."
"Understood." said Jeremy.
The agents climbed into their cars and started them. They then went to hide them in numerous carports and garages. After parking the Hurricane, Hondo ran to the lab.
"How's the weapon coming?" he asked.
"We've got the design planned out very well." said Bruce. "We've started to assemble the weapon with whatever we could find. Designing a mount for it is the tricky part."
"Need a hand?" asked Hondo.
"By all means." said Bruce.
Hondo began looking over the place where the mount would go. "I think we can house the action here." he said.
"I agree with that suggestion." said Michael. "Have you heard from Brad about the invasion?"
"Not yet." said Hondo. "I really hope it's because he can't get a message to us."
"I hope so as well." said Bruce. "He's my friend too."
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At Fox Industries Headquarters...
"Anything to report?" asked Mayhem.
"Calvin's reported that Riley is leading a group of vampires somewhere." said Darwood. "He doesn't know where, though."
"What could Riley be doing?" asked Mayhem. "He usually doesn't leave the safety of his mansion unless it's important."
"Need I remind you of the recovery of his statuette by myself and two MASK agents?" asked Kelly.
"Shut up..." said Mayhem before thinking of his words. "Wait, that's actually a good point. The goal of his excursion is obvious. He's going to secure his statuette."
"Miles, this would be the perfect time to intercept Riley and destroy him." said Darwood.
"We're short two Lucases." said Mayhem. "But we're still strong enough to take down a small group of vampires."
"Very well, men." said Darwood. "Prepare to saddle up. We are going into battle."
"We?" asked Bates. "WE'RE going into battle? Or are you saying YOU'RE going into battle?"
"Bates, this is serious." said Darwood. "We need to take these guys on or the vampire war may never end."
"He has a point." said Weller. "Everytime, it's you guys do this, you guys do that. You're a commander, but not a leader. You've got to take initiative. You have to lead by example. You need to earn your men's respect."
"So, you need to respect me, hmmm?" said Darwood. "I'll see you in the vehicle staging area in five minutes. The Fox is mine."
"It's about time." said Mayhem. "Let's go for this."
----------
Julie and her group came upon the Naginata. They climbed out of their cars and walked over to the vehicle.
"They got him." said Julie. "It doesn't look like he turned on the surveillance system, though."
"If Max's bug is still intact, maybe we can find out what's going on in there." said Enzo.
"Worth a try." said Julie.
Inside the mansion, the remaining vampires looked Scooter over.
"If you spare me, I can help you out." he said.
"How's that?" asked someone.
"Well, I've got intricate knowledge of the inner workings of MASK." said Scooter. "If you decide to leave me alive for who knows how long, I'd be happy to divulge as much information as I can."
"Why can't you give us that information when you're with us?" asked Elizabeth.
"We at MASK have developed a method of blocking out this information in just such a case." said Scooter.
"Say it." whispered Brad.
"Yes, he's right." said Max. "When I was at MASK, I learned so much. Now that I'm a creature of the night, I remember nada."
Brad flashed him a thumbs-up.
"He has a point." said Elizabeth. "We could talk with him for a few hours, learn everything we need to know, gain a sizable advantage. Ah, but who has the time? Bite him."
"Oh, come on!" yelled Scooter.
Outside...
"We have to hurry." said Julie.
"I'm going in." said Buddie as he ran for the Firecracker.
"I've got your back." said Enzo as he jumped into the Bumblebee.
"We'll stay out here in case you need backup." said Julie.
Buddie started the Firecracker while Enzo started the Bumblebee. They both put on their masks and drove towards the mansion.
"How are we getting in there?" asked Enzo over the radio.
"Land in the Firecracker's bed and I'll show you." said Buddie.
"Got it." said Enzo. He pushed the transformation button on the Bumblebee's dashboard. The rear of the car extended to the sides revealing rocket pods on either side. A pair of rotor blades elevated from the rear of the cargo bay and folded into place. The wheels rotated downward and the side skirts lowered to become landing skids. The front clip swung down and a gun turret lowered from the grill.
Enzo maneuvered the Bumblebee into the Firecracker's bed. Buddie continued to charge towards the front door. "Penetrator, on!" he called.
The Firecracker and Bumblebee were engulfed in a yellow energy field just before they were about to crash into the front door. They ended up passing right through it and ended up in the foyer. The vampires all turned to the two vehicles that had now entered their mansion.
The Bumblebee lifted out of the Firecracker's bed. The Firecracker's body then rose off its chassis revealing a pair of guns on the rear. A pair of guns extended from the grill and the doors swung open. The spare tire in the bed split and blades extended from it.
"The cavalry's arrived!" said Scooter.
Enzo took aim at one of the pillars Scooter was tied to. He fired off a shot and shot off part of the pillar. Scooter slipped his bonds through the break and reached over to untie his other wrist. He then lowered himself and untied his legs. As soon as he was free, he ran for the safety of his teammates.
"Thanks for showing up." said Scooter. "Things were about to get bad."
"Fear not, paisan." said Enzo. "Because you are under the protection of Castaldi the Night Stalker and Buddie the Vampire Slayer."
"How long have you been saving that one?" asked Buddie.
"Since we met." said Enzo.
"Let's take them down!" said Laura.
The vampires started to approach the two.
"Let's try to get out of here!" said Scooter.
"It's gonna take a while before my mask recharges." said Buddie.
"What do we do?" asked Max.
"Try to stall the vampires a little more." said Brad.
"Good idea." said Max. He turned to the other vampires and said "Fellows, we now face a serious threat from the forces that seek to destroy us! We must find a way to defeat these nefarious warriors! To do nothing will result in our destruction! We shall band together for our survival! Victory shall be ours!"
He quickly slapped his pants pocket for effect. Unfortunately, that's what knocked the bug out of his pocket.
"Oh, the listening device!" he said. "I completely forgot about that!"
"What listening device?" asked Laura.
"I was supposed to plant a listening device just before you attacked me." said Max. "Of course, I don't remember this...due to becoming a vampire and all."
"How do you remember that?" asked Laura as she picked up the bug.
"You're kinda smart for someone with the mind of an eight-year-old." said Max.
"Thank you!" said Laura just before she crushed the bug.
Outside...
"Great, there goes our surveillance." said Julie.
"Sorry I have to do this." said Calvin as he put his hand against Julie's chest. "But I have to find my sister. Leech, on!"
A green glow surrounded his glove and Julie crumbled to the ground. Calvin got back into the Piledriver and drove towards the mansion.
Inside...
"You've been betraying us since you were turned." said Laura.
"Well, since I was never on your side in the first place..." said Max.
"You have!" said Laura. "You have! You have! You have!"
Outside, Calvin drove towards the front of the mansion at high speed. As he gripped the wheel, he chanted "Uh, uh, uh. Another one rides the bus."
Inside...
"You can't go on like this." said Max. "These are humans you're preying on, just like you used to be."
"We have been given a gift." said Laura. "The humans are supposed to be our prey."
Enzo looked over his shoulder at the Piledriver approaching through the window. "Uh, speaking of preying," he said "you should either pray or move."
Buddie moved the Firecracker away from the front of the building and Enzo elevated out of the way. Seconds later, the Piledriver ripped through the mansion's facade. The door opened and Calvin stepped out.
"Well, that was subtle." said Buddie.
A vampire dove for Calvin. He looked up and called "Leech, fire!" A green energy bolt fired from his mask and knocked the vampire out of the air.
"Bye." said Max as he jumped away from Laura.
"'Ey, it's a full on free-for-all!" said Enzo. He started to maneuver the Bumblebee around the foyer aiming at the vampires.
A pair of vampires attacked Calvin. He grabbed one and threw him into the other.
Scooter was the next target. He blocked a strike by another vampire and returned with a spin kick. He then tried to regain his balance.
Buddie tried using the Firecracker's hypno-lights, but they had no effect on the vampires. He was forced to use the rear freeze cannons as the nose guns were mounted too high.
Outside, Julie tried to pull herself off the ground. She took a few breaths, then climbed back into the Orca. She started the car and drove towards the mansion.
Inside, another vampire tried to jump on Max. Enzo shot him out of the air. "Thanks, bud." said Max.
Another vampire jumped onto the side of the Bumblebee and tried to grab Enzo through the open window. Enzo turned to him and called "Splinter, fire!" A wooden stake shot from his mask and took the vampire off the vehicle.
Max jumped and grabbed the railing for the second floor. He then pulled himself up and onto the balcony. Laura simply jumped up and over the railing.
"You wouldn't be trying to avoid me, are you?" she asked.
"It was worth a try." said Max.
Calvin was grabbed by two vampires at once. He grabbed them both and shoved them into the wall. Scooter grabbed a piece of wooden debris and drove it through one of their hearts. Calvin threw the other one onto the stake.
Julie then drove in. She climbed out of the car and held onto the door to steady herself.
"Uh oh, here comes the sun." said Enzo.
"Julie, are you alright?" asked Buddie.
"Okay enough to add my input." said Julie.
Several vampires looked at her in absolute fright. They started to take cover.
Max had trained with Julie and knew what was about to happen. "Brad, take cover." he said.
Brad nodded and dove behind the Piledriver. Max joined him. Laura overheard him and took cover behind a knocked over table.
Julie took a few deep breaths, then called "Sunburst, on!" She started to levitate and glow yellow, then a massive burst of light shot from her. Buddie and Enzo had shielded their eyes ahead of time. Scooter and Calvin were behind the Piledriver. The vampires were all stunned.
Julie fell to the floor. "That sure did it." she muttered.
Scooter and Calvin walked out from behind the Piledriver and looked around. "Max, are you alright?" yelled Scooter.
"Yeah, I'm good." said Max as he climbed out from behind the Piledriver. Brad was with him.
"No flippin' way." said Buddie. He jumped from the Firecracker and walked over to Brad. "Brad, is that really you?"
"Don't look at me." said Brad. "I don't want you to see me this way."
"Hey, hey, it's alright." said Buddie. "We're trying to fix this. We can make you human again."
"You think so?" asked Brad.
"I don't kid like that." said Buddie.
"What about me?" asked Max as Scooter helped Julie up. "Can you fix me too?"
"We can try." said Scooter.
"Why do you resist?" asked Laura as she came out of cover. "You are all going to join us. Prepare to..."
She didn't get to finish her sentence. Someone struck her from behind and knocked her unconcious.
"Who..." asked Max.
Elizabeth walked out of the shadows with a big piece of debris. She walked up behind Laura and said "Sorry about that. I had to stop her from wasting time attacking you. Although, I must admit that was the second worst thing I've ever done to her."
"If you don't mind me asking, what was the worst?" asked Calvin.
"Turning her." said Elizabeth.
"How's that?" asked Max.
"After I was turned," explained Elizabeth "I wanted nothing more than to return to humanity. I thought the problem was medical, so I turned a medical student thinking she would be properly motivated to find a cure. But it backfired and her mind snapped."
"Before that, you also killed two of our agents." said Enzo. "Care to explain that?"
"I was trying to build my own group of vampires seeking a cure." said Elizabeth. "Unfortunately, I was not very good at creating other vampires. I went too far and killed them by mistake. I cannot begin to express my regrets."
"We may have just found a cure." said Buddie. "What do you think of that?"
"What?" said Elizabeth. "You found a cure? You found a way out of this neverending torture?"
"We'll bring you to the cure." said Buddie. "But you've got to keep from attacking us."
"I can't ask you to believe me." said Elizabeth. "But I'll do my best to earn your trust."
"We have to go if we're going to prevent Riley from destroying it." said Scooter.
"Can I come too?" asked Brad.
"If I know Matt," said Buddie "you'll be the first one cured."
"I'm coming too." said Max.
"Bring Laura." said Elizabeth. "We recovered your vehicle."
"The Ape? Really?" asked Max. He ran over to Laura and picked her up.
Julie fell against the Orca.
"I think I'd better drive." said Scooter.
"Good idea." said Julie.
"Coming?" asked Buddie.
"I've got my own vehicle." said Brad.
"Wait, what about my sister?" asked Calvin.
A female vampire with brown hair tapped him on the shoulder. "If you're refering to the blonde girl they brought in a few days ago, they took her away the following night. They went to Flagstaff."
"Thanks." said Calvin.
Scooter started the Orca. Julie laid in the passenger seat.
"Good thing he left a hole big enough to drive a bus through." said Scooter.
Max carried Laura to the vehicle staging area. Brad and Elizabeth came as well.
"I can't believe you were on our side the whole time." said Brad.
"Back atcha." said Elizabeth.
Max set Laura in the front passenger seat of the Ape. He then climbed in the driver's seat.
"So, that's your vehicle." said Elizabeth.
Brad had climbed onto a Ducati 999R that had black/orange color shift paint. Graphics of white arches adorned the Hotbodies Racing cowling. "Like it?" asked Brad. "It's called the Nighthawk."
Max drove out first. Brad and Elizabeth followed. Scooter drove out of the foyer. Enzo transformed the Bumblebee back into a car and followed him. Buddie did the same with the Firecracker and joined him. Calvin got back into the Piledriver and followed them, widening the hole in the process.
----------
VENOM's agents were in the boardroom at Fox Industries Headquarters. Darwood ran in. He was wearing a red jumpsuit with a white midsection and a black chest area.
"Look alive, men." he said. "I just heard from Calvin. Riley and his forces are about to attack MASK's laboratory where they've set up a possible vampire cure themselves."
"What's the big deal?" asked Rax. "Didn't you say yourself that the research was just a red herring?"
"MY research was." said Darwood. "However, MASK came upon something real. I think it is in our best interests to help them protect it."
"You ARE coming, right?" asked Bates.
"This is a promise I intent to keep." said Darwood. "Let's go."
----------
At Nevada's reservation, many of the MASK agents were asleep. Alex had used the computer in the Rhino to project a possible arrival time for the vampires. He had then set an alarm clock to wake himself up forty minutes earlier. It went off.
Alex woke up and climbed out of the Rhino. He looked around and saw the vampires hadn't arrived yet. "Thank goodness my calculations were correct." he said.
He then went around waking several agents up. After everyone else was up, he went into the lab to wake up Bruce, Hondo, Nevada, Tony, and Michael. He was surprised that Hondo, Nevada, Tony, and Michael were asleep, but Bruce was wide awake.
"What are you still doing up?" asked Alex.
"I'm not needed in battle." said Bruce. "But designs and engineering is my forte. I let Nevada and Michael rest while I continued working on the vampire cure."
"Is it almost complete?" asked Alex as he shook Nevada gently.
"Almost." said Bruce. "Once it's finished, we can install it in the Hunter."
"Oh, you've named it." said Alex as he shook Michael awake.
"Matt liked it." said Bruce. "Although considering it's his code name, it makes sense."
"I'll lend you a hand as soon as I make sure everyone's awake." said Alex.
"Thank you." said Bruce.
----------
"How much further?" asked Max over the radio.
"Not much." said Buddie. "Riley still has a major lead on us."
"There's a lake next to the reservation." said Scooter. "We can take a shortcut across it."
Julie let out a moan.
"You alright?" asked Scooter.
"I don't think so." said Julie. "I think I'm going to need to rest somewhere."
"I'll see if I can find a place." said Scooter.
In the Ape, Max kept his hands on the wheel and took a glance at Laura. She was starting to stir awake.
"Oh, what happened?" she asked.
"I came to my senses." lied Max. "We're on our way to stop MASK from curing us."
"Yay!" yelled Laura.
"Uh, yeah." said Max. "We're on our way to destroy that piece of equipment."
"Alright, we're gonna get those guys!" cheered Laura.
"Oh yeah, someone is going down." said Max.
----------
The Demon raced up to the entrance to the reservation. The other vehicles were right behind it.
"We'll do this like we normally do it." said Riley. "They face off with the Demon, Nightshade, Nightbeast, and Nightmare while Melissa sneaks in through the lake in the Night Terror."
"And while everyone's fighting you guys," said Melissa "I destroy the curing ray."
"On your word, Riley." said Dusty.
"Now." said Riley.
The Demon and the other vehicles raced into action. What Riley did not know was that Matt was keeping watch with his Spectrum mask. "Riley's here!" he said into his radio.
"Perfect timing." said Michael. Just seconds earlier, he and Nevada had finished welding the mount onto the curing ray.
"We're not done yet." said Nevada. "We still need to get the ray into the Hunter."
"How hard could that be?" asked Michael.
"Not very." said Bruce. "We just need to open the trunk, put it in, and bolt it in place."
"We have to hurry." said Nevada.
In their hiding places, the MASK agents started their vehicles. V-6, V-8, and V-12 engines roared to life.
"Move out!" ordered Matt as he ran for the Thunder Hawk.
Immediately, the Rhino, Tempest, Wyvern, Chupacabra, Shark, and Firefly raced out of various carports and garages. Matt reached the Thunder Hawk and jumped in. He started it and raced out of cover.
Riley entered the reservation first and was surprised that MASK had established such a presence. "Well, it looks like the party has begun." he said as he pushed the transformation button.
The Demon's front quarters extended to the sides and retracted towards the rear. Laser cannons were revealed on the front. The rear quarters extended to the sides to become jet engines. The wheels rotated downward and a pair of wings extended sideways from the chassis. The rear wing rose to become a tail section. The Demon then lifted off.
Warfield transformed the Nightshade and Dusty transformed the Nightbeast. The front flipped forward and the headlights flipped up with guns extending from them. The passenger compartment rose and the wheelbase contracted. The roof rose and a pair of cannons extended from it. A missile bank was revealed in the rear.
The Thunder Hawk, Tempest, Wyvern, and Firefly transformed and took off. The Rhino and Chupacabra also transformed.
"Matt, Riley seems to be engaging us in battle." said Alex over the radio.
"I wonder what he's planning?" asked Matt.
Gorey drove the Nightmare into the reservation and parked near the lab. (He didn't know it was there, he just chose what he deemed an ideal place to set up.) He then transformed the Nightmare.
As Nevada and Michael tried to bolt the curing ray into place, they saw dust fall from the ceiling.
"Someone just drove over the top of the elevator." said Nevada.
"No, it looked more like someone dropped something on the elevator." said Michael.
"I'll check the security camera." said Hondo. He checked the camera and saw what had happened. "Uh oh, Gorey's set up the Nightmare on top of us."
Michael ran over to take a look. "At that angle, raising the elevator will still work." he said. "In fact, I think it will help our cause a little."
While the MASK agents engaged the vampires, Melissa watched. "Now seems like a good time." she said to herself. She drove towards the lake and transformed the Night Terror as it slipped into the water.
Gloria was watching from the reservation and went into action. The Shark hopped off a small rise and flew into the lake. It transformed in mid-air. A pair of fins extended from the hood as the front wheels rotated up. The rear wheels extended to the sides and rotated rearward to become thrusters. Another pair of fins extended from the rear and flipped up. More fins extended from the wheel wells.
"Now to make my way to the..." said Melissa as she maneuvered the Night Terror towards her target. She was quite shocked when the Shark appeared in front of her. "Ah! Again?" she yelled.
"Nice try." said Gloria.
"How did she know I was going to do this?" asked Melissa to herself.
Matt had Riley in his sights. He fired off a shot, but Riley dodged it. He continued his pursuit of Riley with Julio backing him up.
"That thing is amazing in the air." said Julio.
"We could use some backup." said Matt. "What happened to Caitlin and Liam?"
"We're taking on Warfield." said Caitlin as she performed a loop, breaking a missile lock from the Nightshade.
"The Tempest wasn't designed for aerial combat." said Liam as he attempted to fire on the Nightshade.
Suddenly, the Demon made a quick spin in the air and came for Matt. Riley fired off a pair of missiles. Matt went for the trigger to his guns, but the missiles exploded in midair before he could pull it.
"What?" asked Riley.
Matt was also surprised by the quick destruction of the missiles. Shortly afterward, the Switchblade flew past him.
"I can't believe I just saved the leader of MASK." muttered Mayhem.
"Glad you could join us, Mayhem." said Matt.
"I figured this was the least of two evils." said Mayhem.
The rest of VENOM came racing in. Dagger parked the Jackhammer and let Gilford out. He turned to the agents and said "Transform and attack!"
The various VENOM vehicles rolled into action led by Darwood in the Fox. The car's doors folded up and out to become wings. The rear wheels rotated rearward to become jet thrusters. A vertical stabilizer extended from the rear window. The front wheels rotated to reveal canards and the front bumper folded down to reveal laser blasters.
After Darwood took to the sky, Kelly followed him in the Tornado. The Jackhammer, Stinger, Iguana, Jackal, Roach, and Zombie also transformed and strode into combat.
As the Buzzard split into three, Rax drove the Caribe into the lake and transformed it. Melissa noticed him almost immediately and groaned at the thought of having to face off with both him and Gloria.
"What?" asked Warfield. "It's Mayhem!"
The Roach hobbled over to the Nightmare. Weller threw both of the robot's arms against the battle tank and tried to shove it towards the wall. Gorey, however, shoved back with more force.
"Use your mask, Weller!" said Mayhem over the radio. "Oh, the irony." he mused.
"Got it!" said Weller. "Powerhouse, on!"
A yellow energy field surrounded the Roach. Weller was now able to push the tank back to the Nightmare's gun station.
"Riley, VENOM's joining forces with MASK!" said Gorey into his radio. "We're starting to get a little outgunned!"
"The odds just piled up against us!" said Riley. "But we have to destroy that cure! Our very existance depends on it!"
"Are you sure?" asked Gorey. "It doesn't look like the situation could get any worse!"
Deep below him, the situation was about to get much worse. Michael had tightened the final bolt on the curing ray. "It's in!" he announced.
"Close the trunk and get in the driver's seat!" ordered Nevada. "I'll see you topside."
As Nevada closed the doors to the cargo container, Michael threw off his lab coat and climbed into the Hunter. Nevada then threw a lever and the cargo container started to rise.
Gorey felt the Nightmare shake. "What was that?" he asked.
That's when the cargo container pushed through the ground. On top of the container was a small shelf of wood and a couple of inches of dirt.
"No." muttered Riley.
As the container rose, it also lifted one of the Nightmare's stabilizers. Within seconds, the cannon ended up leaning at a 30 degree angle.
Nevada and Hondo ran out of the lab as the container stopped elevating. "I've got the Hurricane!" said Hondo. "You get to ride shotgun in the Hunter!"
"No argument there!" said Nevada.
He ran over to the container to open it, but Weller used the guns on the Roach's arms to shoot off the hinges and locks. The doors fell off immediately.
"Thank you very much." said Nevada. He ran into the container and climbed into the Hunter. "Let 'er rip." he said.
Michael started the engine. A thunderous roar greated him. A second later, he pushed the accelerator and the screech of rubber on metal was heard.
Out of the container came the Hunter. It was a black metallic '68 Plymouth Road Runner with white stripes running along the sides and American Racing Wolverine rims.
"Where's the most advantageous sniper's position?" asked Michael.
"Ironicly enough, on top of the container." said Nevada.
"Is there enough space up there for this thing to deploy?" asked Michael.
"There should be." said Nevada.
"Hold on." said Michael. He turned the wheel sharply and sent the Hunter racing down a road.
"If we go this way, it'll take us behind the lab." said Nevada. "From there, we can jump to the top of the cargo container."
Hondo got behind them in the Hurricane. "I'll cover you." he said. He activated the car's transformation. The body rose and revealed an extra pair of wheels. The headlights extended forward to become cannons and the grill slid open to become a radar scanner. Another cannon extended from the windshield on the passenger side.
"Vanessa, I'll let you take him." ordered Riley. "Hayes, back her up."
Warfield flew over the route taken by the Hunter. She took aim at the vehicle, then fired. However, she didn't count on Michael making a sharp turn into a side road. Hondo kept on his tail while Warfield had to make a maneuver to catch up.
At this point, the Bumblebee flew in for a reconaissance run. After Enzo saw the chaos, he returned to the convoy on the highway.
"It's a madhouse out there!" he reported.
"Guess we showed up just in time." said Buddie.
"Here we go." said Brad. He pushed the transformation button on the Nighthawk. The cowling split and folded down to become a pair of wings. The front forks became a pair of laser cannons. A pair of jets extended from the engine and he took off.
Elizabeth followed suit, then Buddie and Calvin. Scooter drove towards the lake. As he approached, an explosion came out.
"Yeah, the action is heating up." he said.
He drove the Orca into the lake. Before it hit the surface of the water, it transformed. The wheels retracted and the fenders extended sideways. A pair of stabilizers extended from the side skirts. The hood scoop slid forward to reveal a pair of guns. The trunklid rose slightly to reveal a depth charge launcher.
"I've got three blips on sonar." he reported. "But which one's the Night Terror?"
"It's this one." said Julie as she pointed to one of the shapes. "After using this thing long enough, you tend to recognize shapes."
"Thanks." said Scooter. He aimed the Orca over the blip indicated and released a pair of depth charges.
"She's holding her own very well." said Gloria.
"Not a major problem." said Melissa. "I'll be in the lab in no time."
Suddenly, one of the Orca's depth charges hit the Night Terror's thruster, disabling it.
"Now what?" asked Melissa.
The second depth charge hit the Night Terror's roof, causing a hull breach.
"Who did that?" yelled Melissa.
Gloria got on her radio. "Thanks, Jul." she said.
"Thank Scooter." said Julie. "He's in the driver's seat this time."
Warfield lined up for an attack run on the Hunter. Hondo stopped and popped open the Hurricane's roof. He aimed the cutting lasers mounted to the panel at the sky in anticipation of the Nightshade's pass.
"She's coming in on us!" said Nevada.
"I see her." said Michael. "Steady. Steady. Now!"
Warfield fired ahead of the Hunter, but Michael surprised her by hitting the brakes. The Nightshade's weapons fire completely missed the Hunter.
Hondo fired the cutting laser and took out the Nightshade's engine. Warfield tried to keep it in the air, but was forced to eject.
Riley let out a groan. "Hayes, why didn't you back her up?" he yelled.
"I didn't catch your radio message." said Dusty. "I was too busy reporting vital information to the MASK agents. By the way, I'd like to tender my resignation."
Riley groaned again.
Michael made a quick right turn towards the back of the lab. "Good thing we built it into the side of the hill." said Nevada.
"Where am I going?" asked Michael.
"It should be to the left of the pole." said Nevada.
Michael saw the pole Nevada had mentioned. He aimed for the pole and angled off to the left. After he drove up the hill and across the roof, he flew off the roof and landed on the cargo container.
"Now the long anticipated moment." said Michael. He pushed the transformation button. The wheels folded down to become stabilizer platforms. The front clip rose to reveal a pair of laser cannons. The passenger compartment rose and the roof and doors retracted revealing the curing ray. Next to the ray was the passenger seat in which Nevada was seated.
"I hope this works." said Nevada.
"Who's your first target?" asked Michael.
The Nightbeast drove into view.
"How about Dusty?" asked Nevada.
"Go for it." said Michael.
Nevada aimed the curing ray at the Nightbeast.
"Please work." whispered Dusty.
Nevada fired the ray and the Nightbeast was bathed in yellow light. Dusty growled in pain. The ray shut off three seconds later. Dusty took a few breaths, then looked at the Nightbeast's rearview. He was pleasantly surprised to see his reflection.
"Oooo-weee!" he cheered. "Seventeen years of torture undone!"
Riley looked on in horror. "Destroy that emplacement!" he ordered.
Hondo had driven onto the roof of the lab. He got on the radio. "Dusty, are you okay?"
"Better than I've been in a long time!" replied Dusty. "Whatcha need, Hondo?"
Hondo smiled. "First of all, to hear your voice." he said. "Second, cover that gun!"
"No problem!" said Dusty.
Elizabeth looked on in delight. "They cured Dusty!" she announced.
"Your turn." said Brad.
"Right." she said.
"How soon can I fire this again?" asked Nevada.
"There should be a two minute waiting period between shots." said Michael.
"It's almost up." said Nevada.
Riley banked towards the Hunter. Michael aimed for him with the hood cannons. "How much longer?" he asked.
"About twenty seconds." said Nevada.
Riley readied the Demon's guns on the Hunter. Nevada watched the timer click down.
Elizabeth flew in on an intercept course. "I'm next, pal." she said.
She fired on Riley as she approached the Hunter. Riley ignored her and fired on the Hunter.
Just then, the timer ran out and Nevada fired another shot at the Demon. Unfortunately, Elizabeth flew in front of the shot and was hit instead. She winced and convulsed in her seat. Nevada shut it off just in time to see the shots from the Demon heading towards him.
Nevada was blown out of the seat. He landed on the container next to the Hunter, but stopped just short of falling off.
Elizabeth checked herself in the mirror and saw a reflection. She let out a sigh of relief. Riley continued on his path.
"Are you alright?" asked Michael.
"I think my arm's broken." groaned Nevada. "I can't use the curing ray."
"I can." said Hondo. He jumped to the container and climbed into the Hunter's gunner's seat.
"Give it all you got." said Nevada.
Riley turned around to make another run. Brad flew towards the Hunter. "Oh, this is just poetic." he said.
"I've got thirty seconds." said Hondo.
"And I've got an unknown bogie coming in." said Michael.
"It's Brad." said Hondo.
"Gorey, why aren't you doing anything about that gun?" yelled Riley.
"I can't hit it from this angle!" replied Gorey.
Brad flew towards the Hunter and slowed down. Hondo watched as the timer ran out again.
"Hello, boys." said Brad. "I'm back!"
Hondo nodded to him. He returned with a thumbs-up and pulled up.
Hondo fired the curing ray again. Brad was bathed in it for three seconds, then Hondo shut it down. Brad buzzed the Hunter, narrowly avoiding it.
"Not Brad too!" cried Laura.
"Yeah, that thing's kicking tail!" said Max.
"We have to stop it!" said Laura. "Otherwise, there won't be any of us left!"
"Actually, that's kinda the plan." said Max as he steered towards the Hunter.
"What are you doing?" yelled Laura. "You'll get us killed!"
"Quite the opposite." said Max. "That's what's going to return us to life." He drove within view of the Hunter.
"You said you came to your senses!" yelled Laura.
"Hey, I will NEVER come to my senses." said Max. "Just ask my cousin."
"You're a liar!" whined Laura. "Liar! Liar! Liar!"
"Come on, time to grow up." said Max.
Hondo watched the Ape approach. "Ten more seconds." he said.
"Stop!" yelled Laura. "Don't do it!" She tried to open the door.
"No, no." said Max. "It's cool. It's okay."
"It's not okay!" said Laura.
Hondo fired the curing ray at the Ape. Max and Laura were bathed in it for three seconds. Hondo shut it down after that.
Liam saw this and howled with delight.
Laura crumbled down in the seat and moaned "Max...you...creep."
"Laura?" asked Max. "LAURA?"
Gorey was forced to convert the Nightmare back into a fire engine. "Riley, we have to get out of here!" he said. "Our numbers are being torn to shreds! We're getting decimated! I'm getting out!"
"Leave if you want." growled Riley. "I will be the one to destroy the enemy of our cause."
"Well, good luck with that." said Gorey. He started to drive away.
"Now, let's see how that thing likes a missile salvo." said Riley.
"He's coming in for another pass!" announced Hondo. "And I've still got about forty seconds until another shot!"
"I've got him." said Michael.
"I'll help." said Liam.
Michael and Liam fired on the Demon as it came in. The Demon returned fire, but missed. Michael scored a few hits, but failed to do any significant damage. Liam, however, scored a hit on the tail section and shot off one of the elevators.
"What?" he asked. "Matt, it's Liam. Riley's vehicle is weak in the tail section. Hit him there."
"Got it, Liam." said Matt.
Matt flew towards the Demon while Caitlin backed him up. Mayhem and Darwood were with him as well.
"Not exactly a fair fight." said Mayhem. "Just the way I like it."
The Demon circled back and locked onto the Hunter. Hondo turned the curing ray towards it. "Problem." he said. "He's coming in above our maximum elevation."
"As well as mine." said Michael.
"If he takes out the Hunter, we've lost." said Caitlin.
"Take him down!" said Darwood.
Matt, Caitlin, Mayhem, and Darwood fired their guns on the Demon. As each shot connected, the tailplane started to come apart. After a few seconds, a warning flashed in the Demon's cockpit telling Riley that the engine was nearing critical damage and would possibly self-destruct if it took more damage.
"Ah, blast you all!" he growled, then broke off the attack.
"We should chase him down." said Darwood.
"No, we've already dealt him a serious blow." said Mayhem. "It's been a long night. We should go home."
"I guess you're right." said Darwood.
The VENOM agents transformed their vehicles back into civilian mode and left.
"Men, we've accomplished a major victory tonight." said Mayhem. "Everybody return to base and we will rest."
"No." said Calvin. "My sister is out there somewhere. I need to find her."
"Well then, go after her." said Mayhem. "Come back when you've found her."
The Piledriver went one way while the rest of VENOM went the other. Meanwhile, the MASK vehicles transformed back into civilian form and returned to the battle area.
The agents left their vehicles and gathered around. Brad, Dusty, and Elizabeth had joined them. Scooter helped Julie out of the Orca. Bruce and Tony left the laboratory.
"Great." said Tony. "The turning point of the war and I sleep through it."
"Brad! Dusty!" yelled Matt as he ran over to them. "I thought all this time I'd never see you again."
"We thought that as well." said Brad.
"It's good to have a reflection again." said Dusty.
"Max!" yelled Liam.
"It's Laura." said Max. Laura was laying on the ground unconcious.
"What happened?" asked Liam.
"I dunno." said Max. "We were cured and she just passed out."
"Maybe there was something about her not wanting to be cured." said Elizabeth.
"I guess I'll just have to fix that."
They all turned to see who said that: Warfield.
"What?" said Hondo. "I shot you down!"
"I punched out." said Warfield. "I thought I might be able to change your little peripeteia and destroy your new weapon."
"You're going to try to get the Hunter?" asked Michael.
"Just you against maybe a couple dozen of us?" asked Alex.
"You're forgeting what I am." said Vanessa.
Gloria tried to launch an attack on her, but she managed to jump to the other side of the field.
"Blaster, fire!" called Hondo.
Warfield jumped out of the way of his shot. "You still haven't learned after twenty years, have you?" she asked. She landed behind Caitlin and grabbed her. "Anyone tries it and she joins us." warned Warfield.
"Don't try it, guys." said Matt.
"You know," said Warfield "I think I'll have her join us anyway."
"Join this." said Caitlin. She grabbed her Star of David and jammed it into Warfield's hand.
Warfield let out a screech of pain. Caitlin slipped out of her grasp and rolled to cover. Warfield finally pulled the Star out of her hand and threw it to the ground.
"Now you're going to get it." sneered Warfield.
Just then, a particular figure ran out of cover.
"Carl?" asked Liam.
"Wizard, on!" he called. A light blue electrical bolt shot from his mask and created a small fire around Warfield.
The fire started to close in on her. Warfield could only let out a terrified shriek before the fire consumed her.
The agents gathered around and looked at the pile of ash that used to be an adversary.
"Whoa." said Brad.
"Warfield...gone?" said Julio.
"Carl?" asked Gloria.
"When you changed all those people back into people," said Carl "I could not believe what I was seeing. I have never been so thankful to be proven wrong. Perhaps if there are more of my tribesmen out there, I can fix them. For now, I have a friend who needs help. He has a sister. You know as well as I do she's one of them."
And with that, he left.
"What an odd, odd man." said Elizabeth.
Laura let out a moan.
"It's Laura!" said Max. "She's coming around!"
Laura stirred a little more, then bolted upright and gasped. She took a few deep breaths and laughed. "Finally!" she said. "Finally, I'm free of that living nightmare!"
"Sounds grown up now." said Bruce.
"Are you okay?" asked Max.
"Better than that!" said Laura. "Every day since I was bitten, I was hoping I would wake up. That it was all a dream. And everyday I was sorely disappointed."
"Sorry to have put you through all that." said Elizabeth.
Laura looked at her and cringed. "Oh, I wonder if they'll take me back at UCLA." she said. "Oh no, my parents! Do they know what happened to me? Oh, did someone tell them?"
"Yeah, this is gonna go on all night." said Enzo.