Well Folks! Only 5 more chapters to go! Which means the upcoming updates will be more frequent now.

Planet: Mars

Location: Karbunkle's Labrotory

Time: 5 Hours since the Battle of Tharsis Rise

Agony drew him from his sedated sleep. He thought he cried out, but the pain drowned out all sound. It felt like someone was sending electrical shocks into his mind over and over. It lasted for several seconds before it finally stopped. Stoker's ears were ringing and the pounding in his head wasn't helping. He sat up slowly, the bonds that had been holding him down before missing. His vision was blurry, and he blinked a few times. When his sight returned, he saw the bros across from him, still unconscious. Vinnie seemed to still be fine, but Modo and Throttle were a different story.

It looked like Throttle had received new bandages over his eyes, and Stoker dreaded to think why new bandages had been necessary. Modo… oh Gods... Modo's right arm was now replaced with a metal invention, one that Stoker knew would plague the poor boy for the rest of his days.

Finally, he took stock of his own body. Wires brushed against his shoulders and the back of his head, seemingly attached to his forehead. And his tail felt…off. He felt something being yanked off of his forehead, and the ringing in his ears finally began to die down.

"…how are we feeling, my syn-mechanical masterpiece?" the nauseating voice of Karbunkle crooned, and Stoker saw red as he turned to the clearly delighted mad-scientist.

"Feel?" he hissed, and he relished in the uncertainty that crossed the man's face as he slipped off the operating table, "I feel…like any Freedom Fighter… who just found himself in a Plutarkian lackey's claws…"

"Wh-what?" Stoker curled his fingers into a fist.

"…PISSED!" He swung hard, and the doctor fell back, hitting his head on the machines behind him, passing out. Stoker breathed hard, glaring at the slumped body, when the room began spinning. He groaned and felt his body tip forward. He was caught by feminine hands, and a familiar, comforting smell reached his nose. The two wires still attached to his head were gently removed and he was slowly lowered to the ground. He opened his eyes to see auburn hair fall in front of his vision, green eyes swimming with tears as she looked him over, her helmet set on the ground beside them. Shaking hands cupped his cheeks.

"Easy, easy… I got you. Oh please tell me it worked and it's you." Stoker's breathing hitched as it finally sunk in that Charley was there. His eyes roamed over her face, as a wobbly smile spread across her face.

"Charley?" He reached out and caressed her cheek, just to be sure his eyes were not deceiving him. The moment she leaned into the touch, he choked on his breath and pulled her close, burying his head in her shoulder. "Oh gods, Charley. I am so sorry." He felt her return the hug while shaking her head.

"No, no, you were right. I was a coward and I should have just told you guys the truth from the start." She pulled back, Stoker letting her go reluctantly as she began to wipe away her tears. "You have every right to hate me…"

"Hate you? Oh no, I don't hate you, beautiful. I never did. I shouldn't have pushed you and…oh sweetheart…" He wiped away more tears that fell from her eyes, "…this is what you wanted to stop, isn't it?" Charley dipped her head in admission, and Stoker pulled her close again as she whimpered.

"I'm sorry, Stoker."

"If anyone should be apologizing it's me, sweetheart." He brushed a hand through her hair, "You still came back? After everything I said?"

"Of course I did. I love you. And the bros. I wouldn't abandon you." She pressed a soft kiss to his lips, and he poured all of his remorse into his kiss. She pulled back and leaned her forehead against his, smiling cheekily. "Thanks for giving me the kick in the ass when I needed it." Stoker couldn't help the weak chuckle that escaped him. He winced as the movement sent a twinge of pain through the base of his spine. He twisted around to try and see what the problem was.

"Speaking of kick in the ass, what is…" He trailed off when he finally spotted his tail. No, not his tail. The mechanical, segmented appendage was gunmetal grey, and felt slightly heavier than his original had felt. Stoker stared at the appendage before getting to his feet with Charley's help. He took a few steps, gauging how the new weight affected his balance and adjusted his stride accordingly. He overcompensated a little and nearly lost his balance again, catching himself on a metal pillar and gesturing to Charley not to worry when he heard her sharp intake of breath. "Let's just call this my price to pay for being an ass. Although…" he studied the pillar for a moment before stepping back, twisting his body in anticipation. He swung the tail forward with a crack, and the hollow pillar snapped in two and collapsed. Stoker smirked triumphantly. "…maybe this might be fun after all." He turned back to Charley, who smiled sweetly.

"Reel it in, sweetheart. We don't have much time."

Rimfire stared up at the intimidating silhouette of the Plutarkian castle against Phobos, holding his sister's hand tight. He could feel her trembling behind him. He almost regretted bringing her along. He hated having his sister in a situation where she was uncomfortable. But he was proud of her for holding up so well.

"Rimfire, how are we gonna get in?" She whispered to him. Before he could reply, a low whistle caught their ears, coming from their right. He grabbed Primer and dived behind a rock, pressing his back against it.

"Stay low." He murmured to her, and she nodded wordlessly.

"News, Deep Pocket?" they froze at the accented voice a few feet away from their hiding spot.

"What's the situation inside?" Rimfire poked his head around the rock, spotting a Freedom Fighter talking with a Sand Raider. He gritted his teeth. His Uncle had been sold out, by someone they considered a comrade.

"Their leader, Stoker, is being assimilated onto our side. The one called Modo is next for the Mind-Bender Beam." Rimfire started at the mention of his Uncle, and his hand slipped. Primer gasped as several rocks were dislodged and clattered below.

"What was that?" Rimfire shot a hand over his sister's mouth and they slowly backed away. The Sand Raider had muttered something else out of earshot before cackling. As soon as they were far enough away, he released Primer's mouth and grabbed her by the hand, racing away.

They suddenly crashed into something, and Rimfire yanked his sister behind him as he fell, hoping to shield her from whatever enemy they were facing.

"Freeze…!" He eyes widened as he saw Carbine on the floor in front of them, aiming a gun at them. She paused when she recognized them. "Rimfire? Primer? I told you to let us handle this!" she raised her voice as Rimfire pulled Primer back on her feet.

"Yeah, well you've been sold out, alright?" he argued back, frustrated. "One of your troops is trading in with the Sand Raiders." He watched as Carbine's face twisted in rage.

"Don't tell it's that human snake?" Rimfire paused and Primer voiced his thoughts.

"Human snake?"

Before either of them could ask, Rimfire felt himself tackled to the ground. He heard Primer scream and out of the corner of his eye saw Carbine wrestling to free herself from Mace.

"It's a shame that brat had to blow my cover. Things were going so well." Mace grunted as Carbine elbowed him in the face. At the same time, the weight off his back was lifted when Primer grabbed a rock and smashed it on the Sand Raiders head. He got back on his feet as the Sand Raider turned grabbing his baton and swinging it.

"Full reverse, with a half twist." Rimfire muttered as he dodged the blow, smiling to himself as he successfully landed on his feet. He'd been working on his moves in secret, reinvigorated with the knowledge that he would be a Freedom Fighter in the future, thanks to Charley. And it seemed to be paying off. He heard Carbine call out to him as he charged the Raider, somersaulting and knocking him down before landing on his feet. Primer took an extra measure, grabbing the baton and knocking the Hyena out.

"Nice stick on the landing, kid." Carbine praised, and Rimfire nearly burst with pride.

"Carbine, what did you mean by human snake?" Primer asked as she approached them, and Carbine's face twisted into a snarl as she reached for her gun that had fallen in the scuffle.

"I mean that woman. Her little partner in crime, Mace, made it clear she was behind all of this." The twins shared a bewildered glance as Carbine straightened again, pointing at them. "You two are gonna stay here, out of sight and keep guard. That's an order. I'll get the bros out." And before either of them could say anything, she was gone.

"She…she doesn't mean Charley, does she?" Primer asked, and Rimfire rubbed at his forehead.

"Oh momma…this can't be good." A high-pitched series of beeps made them jump and the twins spun around, ready for a fight, when they spotted a familiar bike hiding behind some rocks.

"Comet?"

Stoker watched Charley as she tried to hack the Plutarkian computers. She had given a brief summary of her intention whilst they had dealt with the still unconscious Karbunkle, handcuffing him and dragging his body to the far side of the room. She hoped that messing with the part of the Tug-Transporter all those months ago would have slowed down the Plutarkian's plans, but it seemed like it hadn't done much. So while she had the chance, she would try to hack it from the source. With her success at disabling the Mind Bender Beam, they hoped it would be a breeze. But it wasn't going well.

"Argh, shit. I can't get in. Stilton's got it locked down." Charley moaned, running fretting hands through her hair.

"What about…"

A low groan caught their attention across the room. They turned their heads see Modo slowly opening his eye, which now glowed red from across the room. Charley raced over, Stoker close on her heels. The grey-furred mouse raised his new arm, inspecting it with dread.

"My arm…" he murmured, and Charley reached out and took his hand.

"Oh Modo. I'm so sorry." Stoker leaned over and used his tail to pick the lock on the shackles holding the man down. Once he did, Modo moved his arm closer to his face, somehow activating the laser gun held within the arm.

"Oh momma…" Stoker's ear twitched and he spun around to see Karbunkle, awake once more…and holding a remote of some kind. He hissed and raced towards him, but it was too late.

An alarm sounded, and several Plutarkians rushed into the room. Charley reached for her gun, but they were quickly taken out one by one by Modo, who was quickly getting used to his new weapon. One of his shots went wide and hit a computer, which disabled the shackles on the operating tables. Stoker turned back to see Karbunkle slinking onto a platform in the floor, and it sunk into the ground before he could catch him. He growled and hit the floor with his fist as Charley ran over to him.

"We've gotta get outta here. Mace is gonna lead an attack on Headquarters pretty soon."

"Is that what happened back in your time?" he asked.

"Yeah, but thankfully this time, you weren't affected by the Mind-Bender Beam, and thus, not helping lead said attack." Stoker suppressed a shudder at the thought. Modo had gotten up holding his head, disoriented.

"Wait, what? Charley, what are you…?"

"No time to explain, Big Guy. Help me get Vinnie and Throttle." Stoker could see that the grey-furred mouse was still confused but moved over to Vinnie's side as asked, while he and Charley saw to Throttle.

"C'mon Vinnie. Naptime's over. You're under an anesthetic." Stoker heard the mouse stir, and glanced to see him groggily open his eyes.

"Naptime over? Oooh, must be time to visit the little boy's room… I hope I'm not too laaate…" Vinnie giggled. Actually giggled. He and Charley shook their heads as tried to lift an equally groggy Throttle onto his feet, Stoker moved to his other side to help take the weight.

"Oh great. He's a sedated smart-mouth now." She muttered, jumping when Vinnie suddenly looped an arm her shoulders.

"Hey girl…what happened to my face?" he asked drunkenly, pointing at the bandages stretching from his ear to his jaw. Throttle raised a hand towards his bro, brushing over the rough material.

"Well, maybe your right side took one look at the other half and left." The two mice broke into hysterical laughter, while the three clear-headed member of the group shrugged. Another Plutarkian raced into the room, and Modo reacted instantly, firing his arm.

"Well, it's a good thing you're well-armed...well…well-ARMED! Oh I'm killing myself here!" Stoker shook his head the slightly deranged mouse and turned to Charley.

"What's the plan, sweetheart?" he asked. Charley passed Throttle to Modo, who held both of his bros steady.

"Call Harley, have her evacuate the Freedom Fighters to Alternate Post 14. Tell them we'll meet them there."

"How am I supposed to…"

The revving of engines and bashing of a door caught their attention from across the room to a locked door straining against an unknown weight. Charley pulled put her gun and fired at the lock, releasing the panicked bikes from their prison. Purpose rolled right up to his rider, who patted the bike fondly while Lil'Hoss, Sweetheart and Lady approached the bros. Stoker got to work on the comms while Modo helped the other two onto their bikes. Charley raced to the doors, using her whip to override the lock, hoping to buy them some more time.

"Oop, lights are out brooos…" Throttle crooned, as he blindly tried to find Lady's handlebars.

"And nobody's home…" Stoker tuned out Vinnie and Throttle's drunken banter as he finally got his comm online once more.

"Stoker to Headquarters. Harley, come in." He waited a few seconds before the screen lit up, revealing a relieved mechanic.

"Stoker! Oh thank the gods! Are you alright? Where are the bros?" she asked in quick succession.

"Charley and I will explain later. Listen to me, Mace is a spy. You and the rest of the Fighters need to evacuate to Alternate Post 14 asap. We'll meet you there." He saw startled confusion cross her face.

"Charley's there? Wait did you say Mace…?" she trailed off, and looked panicked. "Oh no! Stoker, Carbine's-"

Whatever the mechanic was about to say was cut off when a window smashed in, and Carbine dropped in from above, whipping her tail and knocking Charley off her feet. Charley cried out as she landed hard and Carbine held her down to the ground, gun to her head.

"Got you now, traitor." That snapped Stoker out of his shock, and he dropped the comm and raced over. Grabbing Carbine by the waist with his tail, he lifted her off of Charley. Carbine yelped as he dropped her. "Stoker what are you doing?" He ignored her as he checked on Charley, while Modo tried to placate the grey-furred soldier.

"Heh, some things never change." Charley muttered, causing Stoker to raise a brow.

"Hold on a minute, Carbine! Mace is the traitor." Modo stated. There was a banging on the door as the Plutarkains began to break through. Stoker went to help Charley up when she pushed at his chest.

"Take the bros and regroup with the rest of the Fighters. Tell them everything. Rimfire and Primer can help fill in the blanks." The gnaw and whine of a saw hit their ears. "I'll meet up with you later, I swear." She ran for her helmet placing it one her head and activating her visor to hide her human features. "Girls, get them outta here, and don't forget to pick up Rimfire and Primer on your way out." Before any of them could react, Purpose and Lil'Hoss grabbed onto Stoker and Modo by their waists pulling them into the seats. Lady did the same to Carbine, placing her behind Throttle. The bikes revved and sped off, and to Stoker's horror, leaving Charley behind as she cried out one last time. "Trust me!"

"Wait, no!" Purpose shot a hole through the window and the bikes launched themselves through it, landing solidly on the ground far below. Sweetheart and Lil'Hoss broke off to the right while Purpose and Lady kept course, firing upon the Sand Raiders ahead of them. Stoker tried desperately to brake, to turn around and go back for his girl but his bike was being insubordinate. "Dammit Purpose, we can't leave her there!"

"Stoker, what in the hell is going on!?" He ignored Carbine's call as he tried to regain control of his bike while enemy fire whistled in his ears. Lil'Hoss and Sweetheart rejoined the group, carrying two more passengers with them.

"What's going on? Stoker?" Rimfire called out from his seat behind his uncle, while Primer whimpered from Sweetheart. Throttle and Vinnie seemed to be clear-headed now, and were both equally worried.

"Lady, for gods' sake, stop! We gotta help Charley!" Stoker noticed with growing alarm that all three bros were not in control of their bikes, like him. He looked back towards the castle shrinking in the distance and grit his teeth.

Charley-girl, love. I hope you know what you're doing.

Stilton was outraged as his men tried to saw through the doors. Karbunkle had cowered into his meeting with Lord Camembert, face red with shame and arms handcuffed behind his back. His Mind-Bender Beam had failed, and Stoker had apparently arranged for a rescue, which was currently taking place. He had gathered his soldiers, deciding to leave Karbunkle in his restraints as a lesson for now. His men finally managed to cut through the doors, and they fell…

Revealing a Martian Mouse leaning against a deep-violet motorcycle, dressed in Freedom Fighter attire and wearing a violet and silver helmet. She was spinning her pistol around her fingers. Head tilted, her purple visor hid her features. She did not react when his men aimed their weapons at her.

"About time you slowpokes got here." She voiced, holstering her weapon as she stood upright, turning to the broken window and staring out with her back turned to them. "They're long gone, by the way. You can thank your soldiers for that one, lousy shots they are." Stilton studied the woman, whose body language oozed confidence. He raised his hand to his men to lower their weapons.

"And who might you be?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him. The woman did a little pivot and bowed at the waist.

"The name's Cyclone Threemane. Your new spy." Her honeyed voice reminded him of Limburger, yet somehow he could tell this mouse was far more competent than that fool.

"I wasn't aware that we hired a new spy." He retorted, pinching his chin. "Threemane… are you at all associated with the mouse known as Throttle Threemane?" She let out a low chuckle, rising out of the bow and strolling along the room, ignoring his men who raised their weapons once more.

"Oh, you could say that." She strolled over to Karbunkle's Mind-Bender Beam, flicking at the cables. He raised a brow.

"Why should I trust you, Miss Threemane? You've hardly any credibility to show me."

"I've only been a so-called 'Freedom Fighter' for 9 months. And in that time, I managed to gain the trust of the three best warriors in the rebellion….and, won the heart of General Stoker himself." She snickered as she traced a hand over Karbunkle's operating table. "Bet your little rat took twice as long."

Stilton hid his astonishment. He had heard of this mouse. From that Striker fellow. The rodent had been in a dour mood during a secret meeting six months ago, and very little prompting had been needed to learn why that was. Some young upstart had publicly foiled his plans in dealing with the Threemane boy himself, and while Stilton could sympathize, he really couldn't feel all that bothered. They would quell the rebellion themselves soon enough. What was even more intriguing about the 'High Chancellor's' tale was that there had been rumors circulating among the Martian Council that she was bedding Stoker. It would seem those rumors were delightfully true.

"And what exactly is it that you are offering, Miss Threemane?" She turned her head towards him.

"How does the head of General Stoker sound?"

Stilton smirked.