Friend or Foe- chapter 2
Time had changed the tiny beige colored mouse. She was now much older. No more than close to thirty. Her hair hung down loose. The mice noticed part of it covered half of her face. The only thing that remained were her eyes. Vinnie remembered them. Clear, baby blue eyes that used to gaze at him when they were together.
"Sweetheart, I can't tell you how glad I am to see you." Vinnie said, unable to contain his joy.
"I've missed you, too." Harley replied.
"Harley, we searched everywhere for you." Modo said, ''Searched for months. We had to pull Vinnie off the search after a while."
"Yeah, where have you been?" Throttle asked, incredulous.
"After Mace took me, I tried to escape. He pulled his blaster on me and we fought over it. It went off killing him and hurting me."She replied, "'Got shot in the face."
The smile she gave them quickly faded. What replaced it was a sullen, sad frown.
"I was hurt pretty badly. The left side of my face was burning. It felt like it was going to explode. It was horrible. I looked up to see a crowd of Nomad Rats standing over me. I was frightened. I had heard horror stories about the Rat people. The number of Martian Mice slaughtered under their hands. I thought they were going to kill me. I tried to get up to run away, but I was too weak. My eyes began closing and everything went black. When I came to, I was lying on a bed. Soft pillows were under my head and I was covered with a blanket. I noticed that the left side of my face was covered with a bandage. It shocked me that they were actually were capable of kindness. That they would show compassion to anyone. Let alone someone they considered their enemy. They accepted me as one of their own. I learned that like us the Plutarkians forced them to flee their cities and go underground. They were just like us. They wanted to save Mars. One day, the Fish Faces found us and we were invaded. We fought back and lost. I was forced to flee with the few followers I had with me."
The mice were shocked to see two Nomad Rats approach. One was carrying a group of fish on hooks and lines slinging across his back and over his shoulders. The other one had made a campfire. Four others came dropping wrapped bundles of twigs on the fire.
"Hi. Welcome." The one tending the campfire said.
"Me and these few wandered around searching for food and shelter for days. Then we met Finn here and his people."
"We had just come here from Plutark after my friends broke me out of prison. We ran into Harley and her people. Weapons were drawn on us. I was able to calm them down. We shared our water with them." Finn joined in.
"I thought at first they poisoned it so I made them drink it first." Harley laughed.
"She didn't trust us since we're Plutarkians, but we showed her were not like the others." Zephrine said.
"And we're not. There are others like us, but they're too afraid of the High Chairman to speak out." Gil said.
"They knew they'd face either prison, death, and the total humiliation of being looked down on by their fellow planetary country men. I'm Puffer by the way." The fourth Plutarkian said.
"But if we had that device you spoke of to produce water and other natural resources, we could save Mars." Harley said.
"If your people have such a thing, why are they going around strip-mining other planets?" Throttle asked.
"Actually, one of your own people invented it. It was stolen from him as ordered by Lord Camenbert. But the device is in the experimental stage and none of the scientists on our planet know how to use it." Finn replied, "It's called a Regenerator."
"This mouse got a name?" Modo asked.
"They call him Stoker."
"The Coach?" Vinnie looked on shocked. The Biker Mice hadn't seen Stoker lately. They knew the old leader had a secret lab hidden from the prying eyes of their enemies. Even Carbine didn't know where it was.
"We need to find Stoke. He may know where on Plutark they stashed this Regenerator." Throttle said, "Let's ride."
"We already know. It's in the vault of the treasury in the High Chairman's palace." Finn told them.
"That's great. We just need to get a ship, fly there and get it." Trey said.
"And if the Reek Fishes find out we're paying them a visit, they'll blow us to the cosmos." Throttle replied, "I think we ought to let Carbine know about all this."
...
Throttle!" Carbine almost put the breaks on a huge smile that formed on her face, "I'm so glad you guys are okay."
She said "guys" but she looked right at him.
They had just arrived back at Martian Command.
"Hey, beautiful." He grinned, taking her in his arms, " ''Can't get rid of me that easy."
"Hey, hotshot." Charley said to Vinnie who grinned.
"Sweetheart!" He said.
"Where'd you guys run off to?" Carbine asked.
"We found an old friend." Throttle said, as Harley stepped into view.
"Harley?" Carbine asked, incredulous.
"Hello, general." She replied.
"We also ran into-" Throttle began.
"Guys, look out! Plutarkians!" Charley cried out, pointing to the four allies behind the mice.
"Guards! Arrest them!" Carbine called out, as Martian Mouse Freedom fighters with guns began aiming guns at the heads of Finn and his people.
"Wait, General. It's okay. They on our side." Trey explained.
"They're Plutarkians, soldier! They destroyed our planet!" Carbine replied.
"My dear, I understand your anger. If you could..." Finn began.
"You don't know a d- thing about me!" She countered back, "And I'm not your dear!"
Finn looked down.
"Finn was trying to be friendly. You didn't have to be so nasty to him." Zephrine said, giving Carbine a dirty look. The four Plutarkians were then led away by guards to the prison house.
"Babe, calm down." Throttle told her.
"Why did you bring them here? Have you forgotten what they did to us? To our baby?" Carbine questioned Throttle.
The tan furred leader looked sad. He looked away. They were just getting over the loss of their baby. It hadn't been easy. But Throttle had the support of his two friends. Plus, he and Carbine finally were making things right between them.
But Carbine still took her miscarriage hard. She saw that baby as a way of connecting her to Throttle. A chance to start over. Carbine wanted a different life than what she had. She had pictured her and Throttle happily raising that baby. She saw herself warming baby bottles, play dates, birthday cakes, drying baby's tears if she scraped her knee. Now that chance was gone thanks to the Fish Faces.
"No...I haven't." He replied.
"Then why...?"
Carbine's eyes widened. Her jaw dropped. She abruptly backed away from Throttle and the other mice.
"Traitors!" She blurted out, pointing at the Biker Mice.
"Oh, you're not gonna start that again, are you? Kill first, ask questions later?" Vinnie groaned, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, last time that happened you tried to throw us into a pit with large spikes sticking out of it." Modo said.
"Carbine, the Biker Mice are our friends." Charley said, "They're not traitors."
"Then why bring the Reek Fishes here?" She asked, "What am I supposed to think?"
"Carbine, I never forgot about our child. She's in my thoughts everyday. I want this war to end just like you do. They were brought here because the Plutarkians have something we need to save Mars." Throttle said.
"I have little interest in what they have to say." Carbine said.
"Even if it could save Mars?" He asked.
"Carbine, the mice are innocent. I'm the one who was helping the Plutarkian rebels." Trey said.
"Trey what are you doing?" Modo asked.
"Keeping you from being punished." He replied, then to Carbine, "I'm the one responsible for them being here. Throttle, Vinnie, and Modo had nothing to do with it. If you want to blame anybody, blame me."
"You're a Martian Mouse! Carbine exclaimed, "How can you sell us out to Plutark?"
"I haven't sold us out to anyone. These Plutarkians are my friends. They don't want to invade us. They want peace between our two planets."
"You expect me to believe that?" Carbine asked.
"It's the truth!"
"Well, we're going to find out. In the meantime, I'll have to arrest you."
"Leave him out of this. He hasn't done anything wrong." Penella said.
"Oh, really? Helping and befriending our enemies is treason. Guards." Carbine said.
Two Martian Mouse guards grabbed Trey putting his arms behind him.
"No, please! Don't take him away." Penella pleaded.
"Why? Because he's your brother?" Carbine questioned.
The blood drained out of Penella's face over this shocking revelation. She looked as if she'd seen a ghost.
"Don't look so surprised. I have eyes and ears all over this facility." Carbine explained, "Not too much gets past me."
"You're making a big mistake. Trey is innocent." Penella said.
"Begging your pardon, Miss General Ma'am, but Trey's just a kid. Is it right to just put him in prison?" Modo asked her, stepping up and standing by Penella's side.
"You stay out of this!" Carbine snapped.
"Leave him alone!" Penella snapped back.
Both women glared at each other. For a second, it looked like a fight was going to commence.
"Break it up, you two. This is getting us no where." Throttle said, getting between the two women.
Both women calmed down.
"Fine. I'm holding the boy for questioning. When I get the answers I'm looking for, he'll be released." Carbine said.
"Then you won't mind my accompanying you while you interrogate my brother?" Penella asked.
"You're an officer. Of course not." She replied.
"I'm coming, too." Modo said.
Carbine began walking towards Martian Command followed by Penella and Modo.
After thorough questioning which lasted for two hours, Trey was released.
"Thank you, Modo for sticking by me." Penella said, glancing up at the gray furred giant with gratitude.
"Yeah, thanks, Modo." Trey said.
"Trey!"
The mouse broke into a grin on seeing Primer wave to him.
"I promised Primer I'd teach her to ride a bike. See ya around." He told Modo and Penella. Modo saw Primer get on Trey's bike. The later sat in front and rode off.
"They grow up so fast." Modo said, glancing at the two young mice.
"Yeah. So, can you forgive me?" Penella asked Modo.
"For what, darling?"
"Not telling you about Trey in the beginning."
He took her hands into his own.
"Penella, we have to have total honesty and trust if our relationship is ever gonna work out." He said, "I forgave you before."
"I promise. No more secrets." She replied, putting her arms around his waist and gazing into his single eye.
"I love you." He said, taking her in his arms.
"I love you, Modo."
They kissed eagerly.
...
"Still can't get over it. Friendly Plutarkians." Charley said.
Vinnie and Charley were racing their bikes across Red Rim Pass when they stopped to have lunch. Charley brought a basket of hot dogs and root beers.
"I know. Hard to believe. We gotta find to the coach." Vinnie replied.
"You really think they're telling the truth? That Stoker did build something that can actually produce water?"
"Only way to find out would be to go to Plutark."
...
"Are you serious? That's what my uncle's been working on?" Carbine asked Throttle.
"That what Finn and his people told me. The Regenerator can reproduce any natural resource including water."
"We'd have enough water to not only replenish the Garden of Hope, but all of Mars." She thought, out loud, "But to send any of us to Plutark is suicide."
"Not to worry, this mouse has got a plan to get the Regenerator out from under Lord Stinko's nose!"