Ch. 15: End Game Pt. 1

Ben Foreman stumbled through the junk to his boss to deliver the bad news.

"Boss, the Tin Man just took out Dean! We're the only two left now!"

"Shit! As always when you want something done right you have to do it yourself."

"What are we gonna do? He's banged up but this guy is still pretty tough."

"Shut up a minute, I need to think!"

Slater paced back and forth furiously as he thought. Almost all of his gang was indisposed and he had the nightmare of every criminal on his tail. Surely there was something in this junkyard that could give him an edge. But what? Should he use his cannon to tip over a stack of cars and hope I was crushed underneath them? That's when he saw something nearby and a malicious grin spread across his face. With a bit of luck I would soon be nothing more than scrap metal like everything else in the yard.

"C'mon, Foreman, I have a plan."

I slowly made my way through the degrading piles of scrap, keeping my auditory pickups at maximum and my thermal vision active. I was edging around a pile of refuse when I heard a footfall behind me. I dove out of the way, rolled on the ground, and came up in a crouching position with my gun aimed.

TARGETING_

"Watch it partner, it's me!"

"Ashley? What are you doing here? I told you to wait in Gadgetmobile!"

"You were taking a long time and we were starting to get worried. But don't worry, Shelby won't come looking for you as well, I've instructed Gadgetmobile to not let her out. Now what's taking you so long?"

"I'm hunting."

"Hunting?"

"Yes. I'm hunting the rat bastards who tried to put me in the ground!"

"On your own?"

"It's not like I can't handle it!"

"The hell you can't! Look at yourself! You're damaged, these guys have an advantage!"

"Well the only ones left are Foreman and Slater and I don't think they're going to be too much of a problem."

"There's only two left? What happened to the others?"

"One was on the receiving end of a high intensity shock round, one neglected to fasten his seatbelt, another forgot that playing with firearms can get you killed and the other is unconscious."

Ashley blinked, part of her probably a bit shocked by my callousness, before she found her voice again. "Well, there're still two others as you said and Slater is the cleverest of the lot. You need someone with you and that's going to have to be me. Now let's find them before they find us."

Knowing from experience to never argue with a woman who has her mind made up, and that I did need a partner, I sighed and followed Ashley deeper into the yard. After a few minutes I was looking around when I finally found who we were looking for on the thermal imaging.

"Ashley, I think I've found Slater. He's over there, pacing," I indicated.

Ashley dared to peek and drew back just as quick. "It's him. He's alone."

"I'll grab his attention, you flank him and take him when I give the signal."

"It's a plan."

"Slater!" I yelled as I walked into the open to confront my nemesis. "Let's finish this!"

"Hey, tin man! I've been wondering when, or even if, you'd show. Looks like my boys did a little number on you, though."

"They got what they deserved in the end."

"Well hey, if you can beat my boys with this kind of firepower, there's nothing I can do. I surrender," he said and tossed his assault cannon aside.

"I'm not arresting you anymore," I stated coldly as I leveled my gun and advanced.

"Hey, what is this? Come on, cut the bullshit, this isn't funny!" Slater said worriedly as he backpedalled. "Come on, cut it out! You're a cop for Christ sake!"

"Haven't you heard? I'm a fugitive now."

I continued to walk forward, forcing Slater back. But in reality I was maneuvering into the exact position he wanted me. I took one more step and found myself in a magnetic field that was pulling me upwards. Within seconds I had flown off the ground and connected with a powerful industrial magnet. I couldn't move.

"Ha! You fell right into that one, tin man! Who's on top now?" gloated Slater with a malicious grin. "Alright, Foreman, let's make a gadget crepe!"

The magnet started moving and I was just able to twist my head to see where I was going but I suddenly wished I couldn't. The magnet was being maneuvered to a trash compactor. I continued to struggle but the magnet was too strong to break free of its pull. Where was Ashley? I was right over the compactor when a gun shot rang out, loud and clear, through the air. It had to be Ashley shooting whoever was operating the magnet but the power still cut and I fell in.

Ashley had been watching the entire thing from a safe vantage point until she entered the picture. But the plan went awry when I was caught by the magnet. She quickly searched the area and saw the tower where the magnet was being operated from and set off at a dash. When she got to the control tower the operator was ready to cut power to the magnet but he wouldn't if Ashley could help it.

"Hands in the air! Now!"

Startled, Foreman whipped around and reached for his own gun. That was a mistake. Ashley shot once and Foreman fell backwards into the controls, hitting the lever that turned off the magnet.

Back on the ground Slater had heard the gun shot and assumed that his last lackey was dead and went to hit the controls to turn on the compactor. Now it was time to take care of whoever had offed his last boy and beat it. He got his assault cannon and fired at the tower. It exploded and debris when everywhere. When the dust settled there was a woman on the ground, wounded but still alive. Ashley's gun was a less than three feet away. If she could reach it in time she could blow Slater away. But unconsciousness was threatening to overtake her. She had to fight it. She started to inch towards her weapon but Slater was one step ahead of her.

"Stop right there, sweetheart. You won't be needing that."

Ashley raised her head and could just make out in her still blurred vision that Slater was pointing a handgun at her.

As I stood up in the compactor I heard noises as the machine came to life for the first time in ages. The top of the compactor had closed, cutting off my escape that way. I could cut through the metal wall but that would take time I didn't have. The walls were closing in on me inch by inch and if I waited much longer Taylor and Jay wouldn't be able to put me back together. There was no other scrap in the compactor, nothing I might be able to use to prop up between the moving walls and overheat the system. Despite the lack of time I went with the blow torch option any way and started to cut through the metal as fast as I could.

But as I predicted the walls would lose in on me completely before I was free. The door was two-thirds done when the threat became really imminent. The only option left was to pit my strength against the hydraulics of the compactor. I raised my arms and slowly the walls put increasing pressure on my limbs. It gradually became a struggle and I grit my teeth in determination but bit by bit the compactor was winning as the pressure on my servos climbed.

DIAGNOSTIC

SERVO PRESSURE: 1600 PSI

The walls slowed but due to my condition did not stop and inched closer together bit by bit, applying more pressure to my servos.

CRITICAL

SERVO PRESSURE: 1860 PSI

If the pressure increased much more then a system shutdown would be imminent and I'd lose. That was not an option. Though I had a different life than I did before the explosion there were still good things in my life. I could still walk, I was still a police officer, I still had Shelby. Somehow I found an extra reservoir of strength and redoubled my efforts. The compactor was really straining now and as far as I could tell it was an even match… for now. One of us would have to give and eventually that happened. The strain was too much for the compactor which shut down once the pressure exceeded the red line. I had survived. Relieved, I resumed cutting a hole in the wall and soon had an exit.

Slater wouldn't be walking away.

I got out of the death trap not a second too soon. Slater was going to shoot Ashley.

"Slater! Leave her alone, I'm the one you want!"

"Inspector, you seem to have a habit of coming back to pester me," spat Slater. "Well this time I'm going to make sure you go away for good!"

Knowing his gun would be useless he ditched it, kicked away Ashley's piece, and picked up a heavy steel pipe that was lying nearby. It was time for our final showdown. Slater struck first with a feint to the head and then switched to my gut. The ploy worked and I stumbled backwards. The next blow was blocked as was the one that followed. Already my opponent was getting in a fair number of hits. In my current state I might have the strength but I was slow, making it uncertain who would win. But we continued trading blows, both of us knowing the price of defeat. Slater shot for my face again and this time I caught the rod in my hands before slater used his foot to push me backwards again. I stumbled and fell, allowing Slater a shot at a gap in my armor. He took advantage and plunged the rod in. I deflected his first attack and then his second. But his third hit home and he twisted it around, tearing a pained yell from me.

"Say goodnight, Gadget!" he sneered as he got in close.

"You know," I growled, "they don't call me 'Gadget' for nothing!"

Spikes extended from my knuckles and I rammed them into Slater's chest, piercing the heart. The crime boss staggered backwards, clutching the wound as blood poured profusely before collapsing, never to rise again.

"Ashley! Are you alright?"

"I'm a mess, but I'll be alright," came the answer a few moments later.

I sighed in relief and trudged over to help my partner up.

"It's over, Slater's dead," she said.

"No, it's not over. There's still one more bastard left," I reminded.

"Who's left…? Oh. Right, the real Machiavelli behind this whole situation is still at large."

"You are quite right and our job is not over until he's been brought in. It's time to face Xavier."

"Alright, just give me a minute. I need a breather."

"Not a problem, I need one too," I admitted with a smile as we helped each other back to Gadgetmobile.

No doubt I was going to get an earful about this from Shelby and Taylor. Especially from Shelby when she figured out I wasn't done yet. At least I could turn off my audio pickups.

A/N: Almost done! One more chapter and another of my fanfics will be complete! But how will Gadget's standoff with Xavier go? Will he be brought to justice or does he have an ace up his sleeve? Leave a review to find out!