Authoress Update: It's almost November! Do u know what that means? It means FIW is going on hiatus (fans: "how could we tell?") so we can devote time to our second attempt at winning NaNoWriMo!! If you've never heard of it, it's a challenge to authors everywhere to complete a 50,000-word novel in 1 month's time. Check it out at / If you'd like a clue how big 50,000 is, the word count for FIW is (before this posting) 44,769! Wish me luck, and good luck to those of you who try it too!
The Future Is Wild!
By Nefertanya dragongurl Ahhotep
Chapter 27: Was This Trip Really Necessary?
"LOOK OUT!" Ace screamed as the pavement beneath them cracked and crumbled. With one hand tugging along the weakened coyote, he used his other limbs to scuttle backwards further away from the widening maw. In horror, he watched as a crack he'd just latched onto broke away from the street and quickly tipped towards the sky as it simultaneously slid away. Tightening his grip on Tech, Ace tried to will into being a cohesive plan to survive. It never came.
Luckily, it didn't have to. Just as the fragment reached a ninety-degree angle, Ace became aware of a pair of hands. Quickly, everything went pitch black, then just as quickly he was on solid land.
"Boy, do you owe me, Flopsy!"
The grey and yellow rabbit turned around to face a panting Danger Duck. He noted a mix of annoyance and relief in the waterfowl's eyes. A slow smile spread over his features.
"Aw, yeah? Put on my bill!" Ace laughed.
Duck's cheeks puffed out, but as he opened his mouth Lexi cried out. "ACE!!"
In the hole, a silver metallic building had appeared. It had a flat bottom, but was rounded on top. As the team watched in horror, the 'building' rotated, until a discernable face comprised of two massive round yellow windows and a massive jaw was in front. It blinked several times, then focused on the quintet. Its features grew dark, it's eyes red.
"Say hello to my little friend, George!" Price beamed, proud as any new dad. "Don't be shy, George! Come on out and say a…special hello to daddy's friends!"
The newly introduced robot suddenly lurched up. His wide shoulders created even more damage to the streets as they broke through the crust like a knife through a cake. He seemed to rise forever, ending up at about one hundred stories tall! George looked back down at the tiny creatures.
"Hel-lo." It monotoned.
"Hullo George." Ace said weakly from where he sat.
"Good-Bye." It then said, and then lifted one arm over his head. With increasing force and speed, the open hand descended towards the new heroes of Acmetropolis.
Chapter 28: Seeing Red?
"Run!" Tech barked.
"No kidding!" Duck barked back. They all scattered as fast as they could, managing to miss the initial blow. However, the resulting sonic boom released knocked them over, rolling them like brightly colored tumbleweeds. For a third time that day, earthquakes shook the city.
"Ace! This city wasn't built for this amount of seismic activity! These buildings were never repaired after the disaster! If it does that again, we're sitting ducks out here!" Tech glanced over at the irritated waterfowl. "Nothing personal!"
"He's right, Ace! I'm picking up tons of cracking noises! Too many! I can't pinpoint where they're coming from!"
"Lexi, don't you dare panic on me!" Ace roared. "Keep yer head an' start using your eyes! We're gonna get dis guy!"
"Oh, my!" Price wheezed in glee. "I don't think so! Georgie1, that rabbit there needs a spanking!"
George pointed an index finger at the two rabbits. A circular panel opened, and a laser burst forth. The lapine pair, being the extraordinary athletes they were, deftly leapt out of its path to opposite sides of the battlefield.
"Oh no! Lexi, look out!" Tech cried out. Above her, a sandstone carving released itself from the wall, and was plummeting towards her. Incapable of moving away fast enough, she could only scream as death approached…
"LEXIIIIIII!!"
"Uff!" Lexi grunted as some force slammed into her side. Her eyes flew open as she heard Ace shriek her name. With a start, she realized two things:
One, she was alive and unharmed. Two, there was an extremely fast heartbeat next to her!
Looking to her left, Lexi was amazed to see a tall, thin bird smiling back at her. "You…Okay…?" He seemed to strain his words, as if speaking was a difficult task for him.
"Uh-huh. Uh, thanks."
The bird nodded.
"Lexi!? Ace – Ace! She's over there! She's okay!"
The girl was dumbfounded when she realized how much distance was between her and her new comrades. "Whoa…who are you, The Flash?"
Before the bird could reply, George had also noticed the duo. With a roar of rage, he turned to face them. Its rage turned to confusion suddenly as the very pavement he ascended from buckled under his own weight. After flailing a moment, it righted itself and pressed on.
"Of course…that's his weakness!" Tech glowed with realization. "All the recent tectonic activity has de-stabilized the area! George's prodigious bulk, centered in one zone, will disrupt the crust!"
"Hunh??" Duck's and Ace furrowed their brows in confusion.
Tech sighed irritably and tried again. "One- Borasilica's riddled with underground laboratories and storage unit. Two- it was never repaired after the Explosion2. Three- it's a really, really heavy machine!!"
Ace's eyes brightened as he caught on. "Gotcha, doc! Duck! Quack ova' there an' bring Lexi back, and tell that blur dat rescued her in the foist place to come too!"
Meanwhile, Lexi had also noticed the robot's temporary tipsiness. But at the moment, she had more pressing matters-like dodging giant, heavy feet! With luck, skill, and more than one assist from her new companion, she'd yet to receive any damage. But she was tiring, and fast. How long could she keep up the pace?
"Need a lift, pretty lady?"
Her face split into a grin as she whipped around. "Duck! Thank goodness!"
"Going my way?" He replied gallantly, offering an open hand with a little bow. Before Lexi could take it, the pair was unceremoniously shoved. 'Like being hit by a car' she thought as she sailed forward.
FWOOOMMM!!
"JeezeI'mreallysorryaboutthat,butyoueithercouldn'thearmeorweren'tlistening,andanywaysI'maniceguyandwouldhatetoseeyouturnedintopancakes!"
Duck opened his eyes to see a five foot crater where he'd been standing a moment ago, a large metallic object recoiling away, dripping soil and concrete. Not one to handle frustration and fear well, he popped up and begin chewing out the other bird.
"What the HECK is your problem?! Listen fella-there's only room in this crew for one feathered friend, got that?" Duck shook a finger warningly in Rev's face.
"Well, then you'd better get us out of here before the elections start!" The female turned to the thin bird apologetically. "Duck here can teleport, but he's never attempted it with three people before. Since you're so fast, do you think you can make it over to the others in one piece by yourself?" Rev grinned madly and nodded, pleased that he seemed to actually be appreciated! Quick as a wink, he raced off, weaving around the debris.
Ace jumped a bit at the bird's sudden appearance. Quickly though, he shrugged it off-It was just another weird thing in a weird day, after all. "Hey, kid, t'anks fer saving my buddy! Name's Ace Bunny, dis here's Tech, and dat ova dere in Slam."
"Greattomeetyou!Myname'sRev.RevRunner.But,uh,don'tyouthinkthisisanoddtimeforintroductions?Imeanwiththatkillerrobotandall?
Ace and Tech's ears drooped as they stared slack-jawed. Slam turned his head and let out a confused whine. Luckily, Rev's ego was spared when the remaining team members popped in. "Ace, guys! You get a plan while I was gone?"
"Yeah! We're gonna gonna use you as bait, get him ta climb the tallest building around, and den buzz 'em till he loses his grip an' falls!"
"Ohhh, that's rather cliché, now, isn't it?"
The six anthros looked up. Vinn Price smiled down at them from what looked like a flying saucer equipped with a pair of clawed arms. "You're ruining my Georgie's fun, you bad things. Looks like I'll have to break you in first!" The arms snapped out towards the group with surprising speed. Duck 'Quacked' out, Rev sped off, and Lexi back flipped out of reach. Ace and Slam weren't so lucky, and found themselves gasping for air in their tight embrace
"VIIIIIINNNNNNN!!" Tech roared in fury.
"Awww, is the little puppy unhappy?" Price rasped. "Maybe this will make him feel better!" He thrust up a lever, and the captured boys screamed in agony as electrical current wrapped around and thru them. "No?" He laughed maniacally as Tech released various insults. "Funny, it makes me happy! Hahaha!!"
."Duck, get them out of there!!" Lexi screamed.
"I can't! All that voltage means Duck, Extra Crispy!"
Tech boiled in fury as he watched helplessly as his two new friends fight valiantly for survival. It should have been him. He could have withstood the agony, learning long ago that his body would self-heal, although the phenomena of pain would still be felt. He looked up at his old human rival, who was laughing so hard he looked in danger of falling out of his seat. Damn Price…damn him damn him DAMN HIM!!
"PRIIICE!!" The coyote roared again. The emotions of fury, hatred, and desperation bubbled up and boiled over inside him. His eyes began to glow a pure white, and he was dimly aware of a tingling sensation.
"LET. THEM. GO. NOW!!"
The mechanical arms were bathed in a white glow, and with an amazing amount of force, split apart like a flower in bloom. Ace and Slam fell heavily to the ground, panting and gasping. For several minutes, it was the only sound as Vin and the others stared dumbfounded at the smoldering equipment. Slowly, all eyes turned to the green-furred canine, who continued to stare at the broken machine.
Slowly, shakily, he raised a hand to point at it. "Did I…. Did I do that?" He asked weakly.
George: Fans of the classic Bugs Bunny cartoons will get this immediately.
The Explosion – One of the many names attributed to the Meteor in 2772. Other names include 'The Event', and the 'You Know'. It is in the vein of superstition that ppl do not refer to major tragedies in plain-speak. 21st century examples include: '9/11', 'The Tsunami', 'Dubya'