Chapter Ten: Saved by the Bomb
Mater woke from unconsciousness to the near-deafening sound of a bell being struck. He looked around to discover he hung from a rod above him, Emily lying in his flatbed with her arms tied behind her and her ankles bound together. Mater caught sight of Finn and Holley, the two spy cars tied to a giant gear.
"Holley! Finn!" Mater called. "Where are we?"
"We're in London, Mater." Finn replied. "Inside Big Bentley."
Well, that certainly explained the giant gears and mechanisms. Mater and Emily cried out in surprise when Mater suddenly dropped, the clock's gears lowering him several yards down before jerking to a halt. Mater gulped a bit at the sight of the twisting and turning gears below him. The giant, powerful gears spelled certain, crushing doom. The giant gear Finn and Holley were tied to gave a turn, bringing them closer to an intersecting gear that would squash them flat like a boot to a bug.
Mater groaned a bit. "This is all my fault."
"Don't be foolish, Mater." Finn scolded.
"But I am, remember?" Mater protested. "You said so."
"When did I—?" Finn paused, remembering what he said to Mater before the truck went into the lemon meeting. "Oh. No, Mater, that was a compliment on what a good spy you are."
No sooner had he finished that sentence did Mater suddenly shout, angrily, "I'M NOT A SPY!"
It was silent for a moment, Mater's shout echoing throughout the clock.
Emily shifted a bit, staring at Mater in shock. "What?"
Mater slumped down in defeat. "I've been tryin' ta tell you that the whole time. I really am just a tow truck."
"Finn, he's not joking." Holley said.
Finn sighed silently. "I know."
"You were right, Finn." Mater said. "I'm a fool. This is all my fault."
"No, it's mine." Finn said. "I'm the fool, Mater, for dragging you and Harley into all this."
Mater's eyes widened. "Harley! Oh no, where is she? I don' see 'er! Harley!"
"Mater, calm down!" Finn said hurriedly. "Harley's fine."
"Where is she?" Holley asked.
"I'm not sure." Finn admitted. "Probably still in Porto Corsa."
"How can you know if you're not sure?" Emily snapped.
Finn glared off into space. "Because I gave myself up so that she could escape. She's fine, Mater. I would never let any harm come to her." Emily, Holley, and Mater blinked in surprise, staring at Finn. They felt relieved the youngest member of their group made it out all right, but also a bit surprise by the fond tone Finn's voice took on when he talked about the girl. Finn tried to not think about Harley's terrified voice or the way she shook when she clung to him. He swallowed. "Don't worry. She's alive and unharmed."
"That's what you think!"
The spies and Mater turned to see Grem and Acer arrive on an elevator. "The kid's dead, McMissile." Acer said, smirking darkly.
Finn's eyes widened. "No. No, Zündapp promised!"
"You really think Professor Z would keep that promise? The kid knew too much." Grem laughed. "She was shot and killed right after you were taken."
Finn felt like his engine stopped running. Harley...no...no, this can't be happening. First Leland and now Harley? Finn felt he deserved to die now. He didn't even want to imagine the crushed look on Mater's face.
The tow truck looked absolutely mortified, feeling for a moment like he couldn't breathe. Harley? Lil' Sissy? Dead? For some reason, the idea just didn't compute in his brain. He just couldn't imagine Harley shot dead.
"Now sit back and relax." Grem said. "Professor Z wanted you to have a front-row seat for the death of Lightning McQueen." Grem pushed the disguised camera out a panel opened in the clock face, aiming it towards the track where the racers would come by.
Mater and Emily yelped when Mater was suddenly lowered once more towards the gears, Finn and Holley also getting closer to the gears that would crush them. Finn hardly cared at the moment, fighting back his tears. Harley...I'm so sorry...I failed again.
Unbeknownst to the spies and Mater, Harley was definitely still alive. She somehow managed to follow the lemons to London and into Big Bentley. While she couldn't save her friends just yet, she could sneak around the lemons to climb up to the catwalks above them and have the perfect lookout. But when she saw everyone in danger, she started getting fearful again. Come on, Harley. You can do this. You just gotta think of a plan. She looked out to her trapped friends and the most likely armed enemies below her. Think of a plan...and pray to Chrysler it works.
After several minutes, Grem announced, "Here he comes."
Harley scrambled to think of an idea. I've got to do something. But what do I have that can take out that camera? She patted her pockets, inspecting her belt, but nothing stood out to her and she didn't have time to experiment. Lightning was coming up fast, and Grem was powering up the camera to full strength. Harley suddenly gripped her paintball gun. It'll at least buy me some time. They'll have to wait for another lap. She aimed the gun towards the cars and shot, the paintball slamming into the metal at their tires. But as Harley ducked out of sight, she saw only Acer turn around and look around for the source of the paintball. Grem was still focused on the camera. No! Harley mentally kicked herself. It was supposd to be the other one! She held her breath, waiting to hear an explosion and the sound of screaming. She just hoped it wasn't her own when it happened.
There was a roar of engines as Lightning sped away, unharmed.
Harley exhaled silently out of pure relief, willing her heart to stop pounding so hard. Oh thank Chrysler. If anything had happened to him, I'd never forgive myself. Her eyes narrowed in confusion. Wait, why didn't it work? Lightning said he would use Allinol.
"Snuck a bomb in McQueen's pit..."
"What?" Harley looked back to her trapped friends.
"Dad gum lemons!" Mater growled.
"Request acknowledged." The computer said, attempting to unload Mater's gatling guns. But when he tried to fire, he found nothing came from the guns. Mater still glared, and for the first time in his life pure hatred grew inside him. But then he caught sight of the ropes around his guns a bit frayed from the friction. He quickly hid his smile.
"That's right!" Acer cackled. "You got nothin'!"
"Who's the lemon now, huh?" Grem laughed as he and Acer rode the elevator back down to the first floor.
"Nice try, Mater." Finn said.
"At least you didn't go down without a fight." Emily noted.
Mater wasn't done fighting. "Dad gum!" His guns attempted to roll out, only to be stopped by the ropes. But the twisting of the guns began to rub against the ropes and sever them. "Dad gum! Dad gum! Dad gum!" Mater repeated his usual catchphrase until the ropes snapped, sending him and Emily straight down to the gears.
"Mater!" Holley cried. Harley stared in shock, but sighed in relief when Mater managed to jump across the moving gears and land on the platforms safely.
"Well that's one way to escape certain death." Emily groaned, still tied up in Mater's flatbed. She hurriedly got to work on the ropes around her wrists.
"I gotta get y'all out of there!" Mater called, searching for a way to help Finn and Holley.
"There's no time!" Finn called. "McQueen needs your help, Mater."
"But I can't!" Mater protested. "I'm just a tow truck!"
"You're the only one who can help!" Finn urged. "Go to the pits and get everyone out. You can do that! Emily, go with him and make sure everyone gets to safety!"
Emily was hesitant, but nodded. "Can do, Finn!"
"Go and get some more dents, Mater." Holley encouraged.
Mater's eyes settled into a determined glare, and he took off for the elevator. By the time he rode it to the first floor and burst out the doors, Emily had managed to bring her arms in front of her and untie the ropes.
"Let's go, Mater!" Emily urged, standing up and hanging onto Mater's roof. "We got a bomb to find!"
Back in the clock, Holley glanced back towards Finn. "So, we have a plan to get out of here?"
"He wouldn't have left if I'd told him the truth." Finn said regrettably.
A soft thud caught the cars' attention, and a familiar voice spoke up. "Why? You are going to be okay."
Finn looked up and locked his aqua eyes with a pair of familiar crystal blue ones. He smiled broadly. "Harley! You're alive!"
"Harley?" Holley called, excited. "Oh thank goodness!"
"I'm fine." Harley assured. "I'm totally freaked out, but I'm good. Now hold still; I'm getting you out of here." She pulled her knife from the sheath on her ankle and began slicing the ropes tying Finn and Holley to the gear.
"No, Harley, get off this thing." Holley urged. "You'll be crushed before you can get us loose."
"She's right." Finn agreed.
"You know, I really don't think 'died because they were too noble' is a great thing to have on one's headstone." Harley said in a sassy tone, continuing to cut the ropes. "I'm not leaving you behind. Not again."
Finn grunted when the gear turned again. There was only one turn left before they were all crushed. "Being killed by a clock." He chuckled. "Gives a whole new meaning to 'Your time has come.'"
Harley rolled her eyes. "And I thought my sense of humor was terrible."
"Time?" Holley blinked, looking around before spying a piece of electric machinery nearby, the machine rotating a large rod that operated the whole clock. "That's it!" She moved her wheel over just enough to pull her taser from her hubcap. She launched the wires, but they fell short and she reeled them in again.
"What're you doing?" Finn asked as Harley continued cutting the ropes.
"Trying to turn back time." Holley launched the wires of her taser, but they fell just a few inches away. The gear suddenly turned, the interlocking gear pressing painfully against Finn and Holley.
Harely fell against the interlocking gear, pushing against it to keep herself upright. "Holley, hurry!"
Holley took aim, despite the pain in her roof. "If I can just reverse the polarity." She fired one last time, and this time the taser hooks hit their mark. The resulting shock caused the gears to jerk to a halt and then go backwards, pulling Holley, Finn, and Harley away from their crushing deaths. The two cars began struggling a bit against their bonds, but Harley was quick to resume her cutting.
Holley caught sight of yet another gear, this one with spokes much sharper. "Oh no."
"Harley?" Finn called.
"Hold on!" Harley hurriedly sliced at the ropes. Dang these guys were thorough in their tying! She finally cut a rope that sent all of them falling loose. "Go!"
Finn and Holley jumped with all their strength, Finn hooking a grappling hook around Harley's arm and pulling her along. The spy cars hit the platforms along the edge of the tower, Harley bouncing off Finn's hood and tumbling to the ground.
"You all right?" Finn asked worriedly.
"Brilliant!" Harley said with a firm nod and a smile. She jumped to her feet, sheathing her knife as she and Finn hurriedly met up with Holley.
"We've got to get to the course." Finn urged.
Holley was way ahead of him, a pair of wings appearing on either side of her along with a tailfin. "Ready!"
Finn blinked. "Oh! Miss Shiftwell."
"They're standard issue, now." Holley said with a smirk.
"Not bad." Harley laughed.
"You kids get all the good hardware." Finn said, a twinge of jealousy in his voice. The three of them moved to hurry off, but suddenly skidded to a halt at the sight of an air filter on the ground. Written on tape stuck to the filter was "If lost return to Mater."
"Oh no, that's Mater's." Holley groaned.
"I knew his escape was too easy." Finn said.
"You called that easy?" Harley asked incredulously.
"No time to explain!" Finn said. "Harley, hang on!" He unleashed one of his back grappling hooks, allowing Harley to grab hold of it so he could drag her out of the clock tower. Holley activated her jets and shot out the window of the clock, flying off. Finn sped down the streets, Harley rolling behind him like a water skiier.
Mater tore through the streets of London, not even stopping as he barreled through the gates to the racetrack.
Emily looked around before finally spying the pits. "Up there, Mater! Hurry!"
Mater nodded, picking up speed and passing several very confused pit crews as he went. Luigi noticed him first, calling his name and alerting everyone the tow truck had arrived. Mater turned and skidded to a halt outside the pit.
"Everybody, get out! Get out now!" Mater shouted. He finally noticed the rest of the Radiator Springs' residents also in the pits. "Hey what're you guys doin' here?"
"We're here because of you, Mater." Sally explained.
"Is everything okay?" Flo asked worriedly.
"No, everything's not okay!" Mater cried, serious once more. "There's a bomb in here! Y'all gotta get out! Now!"
"He's serious!" Emily piped up from her perch. "All of you need to evacuate. Now!"
"Mater!" Finn's voice called over Mater's radio.
"Finn, you're okay!" Mater smiled, relieved.
"Listen to me!" Finn cried urgently. "The bomb is on you! They knew you'd try to help McQueen! When we were knocked out they planted it in your air filter!"
Mater's eyes looked to his engine and he took in a breath, holding it and popping off his filter cap to see a few blocks of C4 and a digital device attached to his engine block. Mater's eyes looked to the allinol container right next to him.
"Uh oh." Mater gulpd.
"Mater!" Lightning cried happily as he rolled up. "There you are!"
Panic swept over Mater. "Stop right there!"
"Where's Harley?" Lightning didn't seem to hear his friend as he kept coming. "Are you okay?"
Mater felt a twinge of sorrow at the sound of Harley's name, but his fear for his friend's life overtook him. "Stay away from me!" Mater suddenly reversed, driving backwards and onto the track. Emily yelped, gripping Mater's roof to make sure she didn't fall off.
"Mater!" Emily cried. "What are you doing?"
"Ya gotta get off me, Emily!" Mater urged. "I don' want ya to get hurt!"
"Mater, just calm down!" Emily said, trying to keep her voice steady despite the situation. "We've got to get that bomb off you!"
"Mater, wait!" Lightning suddenly shouted, speeding after his friend.
Mater still drove backwards as fast as he could. "If you git close to me, you gonna git hurt real bad!"
"I know I made you feel that way before, but none of that matters!" Lightning called. "Because we're best friends!"
The one time loyalty may prove to be our downfall. Emily thought bitterly. "Stay back, McQueen!"
"Who the heck are you?" Lightning called, finally noticing the human woman riding his friend.
"The woman trying to keep you alive, so stay away!" Emily urged.
"She's a friend now stay back!" Mater said hurriedly.
"I'm sorry about what happened!" Lightning called. "I'm sorry I yelled at you!"
"McQueen, you don't git it!" Mater shouted, suddenly doing a 180 to drive forwards again. "I'm the bomb!"
"Yes, Mater! You are the bomb!" Lightning called happily. "You've always been the bomb and you'll always be the bomb!"
"Wrong kind of bomb!" Emily called.
"Again, who the heck are you?" Lightning asked incredulously.
"Stay away!" Mater shouted.
"No! Never!" Lightning shouted, speeding up and getting closer to Mater. "I'm not letting you get away again!" He suddenly lifted a wheel and hooked Mater's tow hook under his front axle, keeping him right behind Mater.
"Gotta keep away from McQueen!" Mater muttered anxiously.
"Request acknowledged." A twin set of rockets appeared out of Mater's flatbed, just behind his hook.
"Oh my gosh!" Lightning gasped.
"Oh holy—!" Emily yelped as the rockets blasted at full power, sending Mater and Lightning speeding down the racetrack. They ended up shooting past Francesco and ramming right through the makeshift wall that lined the race course.
Meanwhile, Zündapp was furiously trying to set off the bomb, slamming his tire on the detonator button several times. But Mater was now so far out of range the signal would never reach him. The German car growled, but suddenly caught sight of a purple mass floating right before the window he stood at. He gasped as Holley, now hovering in middair, glared back at him. She unloaded her pistols from her hubcaps, but Zündapp suddenly screamed in terror and smashed his way out another window. He landed in a balloon-like structure and made his way to the ground, speeding off as fast as his tires could carry him.
Finn caught sight of Zündapp as the German microcar began making a run for it. "Holley, we'll get Zündapp! You help Mater and Emily!"
"Got it!" Holley called, flying off to find the tow truck and assasin.
Finn shot into the streets of London, Harley still hanging onto the grappling hook. But when they looked ahead, Zündapp disappeared in the crowd. "Where'd he go?" Finn growled.
Harley looked all around, but couldn't find the microcar anywhere. "He must've taken another turn or something." She blinked. "Oh wait! I put a tracking device on him while I was following you guys to London! And Holley upgraded my glasses!" Harley lifted a hand to her glasses and pressed a button on one side, causing one of the lenses to pull up a translucent, digital map like Holley's computer. A blinking dot on the map caught her attention. "He's heading towards the harbor near the Tyre Bridge. Armored carrier standing by. He's trying to escape!"
"Oh I don't think so!" Finn growled, picking up speed.
Harley looked to the map and noticed there was another pathway to get to the harbor, much faster than the way Finn took. But no doubt that way would be too narrow for even Zündapp to get through...but not for her!
Finn felt his grappling hook line go slack before reeling it in quickly. "Harley?"
"Keep going!" Harley's voice said over the radio. "I'll cut him off and meet you there!"
"Roger that!" Finn nodded, resuming his chase after Zündapp. He approached the Tyre Bridge and caught sight of Zündapp zooming underneath the bridge, heading straight towards an armored carrier sitting in the water nearby. Finn pushed himself up, leaping over the railing of the bridge and landing behind Zündapp. He kept up his pace, shooting his front two grappling hooks and catching them onto Zündapp's bumper. Finn shifted gears quickly, reversing with just enough power to stop the professor before jerking him backwards.
"Do you really think I'm going to let you float away, Professor?" Finn growled, dragging Zündapp backwards. But a strong force suddenly began pulling Zündapp and Finn forward, despite the British car's best attempts to reverse backwards. His tires squealed and smoke billowed out, but he soon discovered why he and Zündapp were being pulled forward: the armored carrier's magnet trained on them. Finn desperately kept his back wheels spinning, his front wheels he used to try and push himself backwards. But the magnet's strength managed to pull him forward still. Finn unloaded his guns, unsure if they'd still be loaded or not, but the magnet was so strong it ended up tearing the weapons off him. It even took the last of his missiles when he tried to fire those and Zündapp's monocle. The armored carrier's large gun suddenly raised from the bow of the carrier, the targeting laser placed right at Finn's hood. The carrier fired a blast, forcing Finn to jump to avoid it. He was forced to do it again as another blast incinerated the stone he once rested on. But he kept his hooks onto Zündapp.
"Give it up, McMissile!" Zündapp shouted.
Not a chance. Finn could only growl, determined to not lose his catch. But even if he could dodge all of the carrier's blasts, he would be captured and killed in an instant if the magnet got him.
A movement caught his eye, and Finn looked up in surprise to see Harley shooting up into the air from the road above. She pulled her legs in to an almost crouching position, a Frisbee-like object in one hand. She shouted in effort and threw the disc with excellent precision, the device sticking to the carrier's gun. A split-second later, the device exploded and took the gun with it. Harley spun in the air and jammed her skates against the windshield of the carrier, scratching it as she slid down. The carrier shouted in pain as Harley skated across the bow of the boat before jumping off the edge, flipping and spinning and landing perfectly on her skates again. She rolled back to Finn's side and screeched to a halt.
"Ha!" Harley laughed. But she yelped when the magnet suddenly became attracted to the metal in her skates, and she was pulled off her feet. Luckily, she managed to catch Finn's tire and held on tightly. Okay, that was smoother and a whole lot cooler in my head. Harley kept a tight grip on Finn's tire, and Fin made sure to keep her close. But the magnet still pulled them along. "Finn? Now what?"
Finn's mind raced, and when he saw his tires he got an idea. He opened up the panel in his hubcaps to release the magnetic explosives, allowing the carrier's magnet to take whatever he had left. "Duck and cover, Harley!" The girl quickly obeyed the spy, curling up and burying her head into Finn's tire. Through his broken windshield, the carrier looked to see the magnetic explosives blinking rapidly, and his eyes widened.
KA-BOOM!