Reunited Hearts -Chapter 4
"You see, the Symbiote is an organic life form that I and my companion have been tracking it for weeks." Dr. What explained to Modo.
"Y-Your companion?" Modo questioned, glancing over at Indigo.
"I work as the Doctor's assistant. I help him with his research, plus we help capture escaped space criminals and travel to other dimensions." Indigo explained quickly.
Suddenly, the robot cockroach got up on its hind legs.
"Oh, mama! I thought I blasted it." Modo said.
Indigo quickly karate kicked it knocking it down again. Smoke came from it and fire.
"Those Roachoids are nasty things." Indigo spat out.
"Wow! Indigo, how'd you do that?" Modo asked.
"Long story." She replied.
"Um, I believe a hasty retreat is in order." Dr. What told them.
"But Doctor, what if more have followed us through the portal?" Indigo asked.
"That was the last. I don't sense anymore." He replied, then glanced toward Martian Command, "But I do sense the Symbiote. There!"
"At Martian Command? We've gotta hurry!" Indigo said.
...
Vinnie and Charley sprinted into the conference room to see Throttle helping up Carbine who stumbled a bit. Other Freedom Fighters were getting up. The place was a mess. Broken tree trunks covered the floor.
"Bro, everyone okay? Place looks trashed." Vinnie told Throttle, "Harley-"
" That crazy ex of yours just swiped the Regenerator!" Carbine broke in.
"Everybody?"
Modo had just entered the door. Dr. What and Indigo followed him.
"Harley's gone. She's headed for Plutark." Throttle said.
"Just as I feared. The Symbiote has taken possession of her." Dr. What said.
Suddenly a blaster was pointed in his face. Carbine had her weapon trained on the confused little man.
"You got five seconds to tell me what's going on." She muttered,"Or I shoot first and ask questions later!"
"You gotta calm down, babe." Throttle said, trying to soothe her.
"Calm down?! Harley's taken our one and only source of producing water for Mars! The Regenerator is our only chance of bringing life back to our planet." She moaned.
"I know, but this isn't gonna get us anywhere." He told her, placing his hand over the blaster.
Carbine lowered her weapon.
"Just what did you mean when you said it took possession of her?" Charley asked.
"The Symbiote can't survive on its own. It needs a host." Dr. What explained.
"Harley said she had to have the Regenerator for revenge. Then she said she was headed for Plutark." Throttle thought out loud.
"So she's gonna use it on Plutark." Carbine finished the sentence," Unless we get there first and I know how."
...
Harley made her way inside a Plutarkian airship left behind after their defeat at the hands of the Martian Mice.
Harley switched it on and now flew off into deep space. She had just set the coordinates for Plutark.
...
On Plutark, at the royal palace of Lord Camenbert...
"My Lordship, we just received an incoming message from Commander Gunner. He says it's urgent." A Plutarkian officer said.
"Put him through." Lord Camebert replied.
The image of Commander Gunner appeared on the screen.
"My forces have just immobilized a squadron of soldiers. They appear to be part of the cave mouse population that occupied Mars during the war." He replied, then motioned towards the back of the ship,"We have retrieved their prize possession: the Regenerator."
"Excellent, commander. I'll see you're greatly rewarded for your hard work."
"Thank you, Lordship. I will be arriving to Plutark in two hours."
"We will be expecting you. Farewell." The image of Camenbert disappeared from the screen.
It was a hologram projected from a collar Harley wore around her neck. She pressed a button on the collar. A sly smile formed on her mouth. Then she frowned as she imagined seeing the High Chairman's ugly face.
"You sucker!" Harley hissed, crushing the floor with the heel of her boot.
...
Carbine found a Plutarkian battle cruiser recovered from the war. It was stored in an old cargo hold of Martian Command Headquarters.
"Were gonna need your killer mechanic skills to fix this monster, think you can handle it?" Carbine asked Charley.
"Do you even gotta ask?" Charley replied, quickly examining it," Take me maybe four hours."
"Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of time. Do what you can to get it done in an hour before any of us can risk flying it."
"So what you're asking for is a miracle."
"Exactly."
...
Modo was walking down the hall of Martian Command when he saw Indigo staring out the window. She was gazing excitedly at a cherry blossom bush that had recently been planted outside. Its pink blooms and sweet scent delighted her.
"That bush was a gift from the governor of Chicago's daughter that time my bros and I helped to save their home from being blown up by Limburger." He told her.
"It's so beautiful!" She breathed.
"There's plenty of flowers like that on Earth."
"Yes, I had heard stories about you and your friends helping the people there as well as on Mars." Indigo replied, smiling admiringly at the tall gray giant that stood next to her.
Then her smile faded as she remembered the present.
Indigo was nervous and awkward. So was Modo. They hadn't seen each other since the war. Why did this dumb war separate them? Keep them apart?
"It's...been a long time." She finally said, after a pause.
"Yeah. I wish things could have been different, Indigo."He said.
"I did want to marry you then, Modo, but the time wasn't right for us. Then when the Plutarkians came and invaded Mars, I knew the military was going to need every available person to fight them. So I joined the military. I knew you didn't agree with the war."
"I didn't wanna fight. Then I thought about my mama and the rest of my family. They had to be kept safe. Why I joined up with the military then the Resistance. I really thought our leaders would be able to reason with Plutark. That Mars wouldn't be sold out. Shows how stupid I was, huh?" He replied, lowering his head.
"You were never stupid." She told him, placing her hand on his cheek and raising his head till he was staring into her purple eyes,"Wanting to resolve something without fighting is a noble thing and... that's what made me fall in love with you."
Modo dipped his head and kissed her. A warmth from his mouth spread to hers. The kiss then deepened then she responded back with equal intensity.
"Modo..."
"I never stopped thinking about you, Indigo."
"Nor I you..."
"The day I heard you were taken by the Stink Fishes was the worst day of my life. I searched for you only to find out the slave ship you were on had blown up. I thought I'd lost you." He was clutching her to his chest. Indigo hugged him back feeling his heartbeat against her own," I'm sorry I...couldn't protect you."
"Don't be. I don't remember much. We rebelled. The last thing I remembered was being pushed into an escape pod and shot into deep space. Then watching the ship explode. I found myself on this asteroid. I tried to move but couldn't. My leg was broken. That when I met Dr. What. He found me and fixed my leg with cybernetics." She replied, lifting up a pants leg, then removing a panel on the side of her leg. Modo saw wires and electodes inside her leg.
"That's how I was able to karate kick that Roachoid. The doc and I have been traveling through other dimensions ever since."
...