The quest to find Linka and the Thundercats who were captured by Spidera was starting to become much harder then Wheeler first thought. When he first started on his own personal mission Wheeler just figured that he would be able to find the woman he loves more than anything else safe and sound, now he has to try and save Linka and the other Thundercats on his own. Once we was near the Thundertank and saw that Lion-O's sword was further away, he almost wanted to call the others back at the lair for help, then he realized that no one would want to believe or trust him or that they would think that he is lying about the situation. After a brief moment and grabbing the sword from the ground, he started to follow the trail of little spiders that was starting to come from behind him towards something unknown in the distance
As Wheeler started to follow the little spiders on the ground, his thoughts started to wonder towards hoping to find everyone that was captured and prey that he was not to late. While still following the small spiders on the ground, Wheeler could almost feel that something wasn't right with his situation. He knew that even though he was alone in the cavern system underneath the planet, that he still couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching his every move.
As Wheeler made his way through another cavern chamber, he started to hear something in the distance, muffled but somehow in pain. As he approached the source of the sounds, he saw a bunch of small spiders starting to crawl around a giant web cocoon. Upon a further glance of the cocoon, Wheeler saw that it was moving in and out as if something was still alive in there. Without even thinking, he took the weapons that he had taped together and started to power them both up. As both weapons reached full power, he started to fire a volley near the bottom of the cocoon, hoping to frighten all of the spiders away for a while.
A moment after Wheeler had fired his weapons at the bottom of the cocoon, all of the small spiders started to run away in fear. After all of the spiders left, Wheeler approached the cocoon to see if he could free whoever was trapped inside it. Upon further examination, Wheeler figured that he was in time to save whoever was trapped inside, but he also had to be careful not to hurt the person covered by the webbing. Being very careful, Wheeler took Lion-O's sword and started to cut the webs very carefully. It took him a while, but he was able to remove enough of the webbing so that the occupant could break himself out.
After Wheeler had loosened the webbing, the prisoner started to break free from his webbed prison and started to remove the webs covering his head. After removing the webs from his face the Tuska Warrior Turmagar turned around to look at his savior.
"Wheeler, what are you doing down here?" Turmagar asked.
"I came down here to find and rescue Linka." He replied.
"I was also down here with Lion-O, Tygra and Panthro for that same reason." He started to say. "Then Spidera got the drop on us and imprisoned all of us as well."
"I have to find Linka Turmagar." Wheeler started to say. "Can you help me?"
"It would be my pleasure to help you, but we must find the others as well." Turmagar responded. "How did you find me anyway?"
"I just followed the small trail of spiders on the ground here." Wheeler responded as he gestured to the small line of spiders crawling away from their newly freed food source.
"We will need something more accurate to try and locate the others my friend." Turmagar responded.
"Maybe this will work just as well." Wheeler said as he took out the tracking device from his carry on bag.
"This just might do the trick." Turmagar started to say. "We just need to modify this tracking device to pick up human and Thunderian life signs."
"I believe I can handle that, Turmagar." Wheeler said as he started to modify the tracking device.
After a few minutes of modifying the device, both Wheeler and Turmagar got four sensor contacts on the tracking screen.
"You did it my friend." Turmagar stated with a little bit of happiness in his voice. "We can now track their locations."
"The only problem is that we don't know who is where until we reach those locations." Wheeler responded as he and Turmagar looked at the sensor readings.
"It is alright my friend." Turmagar said as he put his right flipper on Wheeler's left shoulder. "We will find them."
"I hope that you are right Turmagar, I am just so worried about Linka." Wheeler responded.
"It will be alright." Turmagar started to say. "Now lets see which one of these contacts is closest." He finished as both he and Wheeler looked at the tracking screen.
"It looks like the closest signal is about 50 yards away in that direction." Wheeler stated as he started to point down a very dark and dangerous cavern system.
"Then I suggest that we both get started my friend." Turmagar stated as he and Wheeler started to head down towards the caverns.
"Turmagar, may I ask you a question?" Wheeler asked as they both started heading into another cavern system.
"Not at all my friend, please ask away." Turmagar replied.
"If you don't mind me asking, how did you meet the Thundercats?" Wheeler asked while he and Turmagar were still following the sensor contact.
"It all happened shortly after the Thundercats arrived on Third Earth." Turmagar started to explain. "I was in need of some help to protect to source of all of the rivers and streams on the entire planet. I heard rumors about a strange group of beings from another world and decided to meet them and hopefully gain their support. I took my very best friend and loyal companion the Gomplin for the trip in hoping of meeting them. During the flight we were attacked by an evil man who wanted to control the source for his own evil purposes."
"I can understand that Turmagar." Wheeler stated, trying not to cut off Turmagar. "It is like trying to take over someone's natural resource and make a small profit in the process."
"Exactly my friend." Turmager replied. "Now as I was saying, when I arrived at the Cat's Lair and explained my mission to see them, the Thundercats all jumped at the chance to see a new part of this planet. My friend the Gomplin was injured by the attack and I had to leave him at the lair to recover. Luckily Panthro was able to help him recover and he and Snarf were able to help us and the others retake the spring and prevent anyone else from ever stealing it again."
"That sounds like them. I can't help but be a little impressed." Wheeler stated
"Why is that my friend?" Turmagar asked.
"What the Thundercats did to help you is just like what the Planeteers do to protect our home from pollution and destruction."
"I have never thought about it like that before."
"I just hope that both of us can find the others before it is to late."
"My friend, you must never give up hope."
"That almost sounds like what Kwami or Ma-Ti would say."
"Then I am glad to be in the same group as your friends."
"I agree Turmagar, now lets get going." Wheeler stated as he and Turmagar started to enter the dangerous cavern system.
As the two kept going into the caverns, both of them failed to notice a strange creature keeping tabs on their progress. The creature that was following them was almost an exact copy of Spidera but this spider creature was a lot younger and half the size of it's mother. As the spider kept following the two explorers, it also had to make sure that it wasn't spotted itself so that it could launch an attack when the time was right.
As the two explorers entered another chamber, Turmagar started to notice that something was starting to bother Wheeler.
"Is anything wrong my friend?" Turmagar started to ask. "You look like you have something on your mind?"
"I'm sorry Turmagar." Wheeler started to reply. "I guess I was just thinking back to all of our adventures that the Planeteers have had on earth and especially with Linka."
"You shouldn't let those thoughts cloud your ability to sense danger from anywhere." Turmagar started to say. "In this place one mistake could cost you your life."
"On that I agree with you Turmagar." Wheeler replied as the tracking device finally locked on to the signal in the distance.
"It appears that we are almost at our destination my friend." Turmagar replied.
"Yes, and that is what worries me Turmagar." Wheeler started to say. "You just said that we have to be on our guards down here and now it seems that we are supposed to let our guards down for some reason."
"I see your point, it may be a trap meant for us."
"Exactly, so we should be ready for anything." Wheeler said as he reached into the tote bag and pulled out some weapons for himself and Turmagar.
"I am quite pleased that you came prepared for this situation my friend." Turmagar stated.
"When it comes to saving my friends and the woman I love more than life itself, it is best to be ready for anything." Wheeler replied.
"Then let us go and both be on the alert." Turmagar stated as he and Wheeler approached the sensor contact.
As Wheeler and Turmagar approached, they both started to see another webbed cocoon with a bunch a little spiders crawling all around trying to break in.
"Turmagar, ready your weapon and prepare to fire at the base of the cocoon." Wheeler stated as he and Turmagar primed their weapons.
"Ready my friend." Turmagar replied as he took aim at the bottom of the cocoon.
As Turmagar and Wheeler were about to fire their weapons at the bottom of the cocoon, they were both momentarily distracted by a strange roar coming from high above them.
"What is that thing?" Wheeler stated as both he and Turmagar both started to look up at the top of the chamber.
"WHEELER MY FRIEND, LOOK OUT!" Turmagar stated as he pushed Wheeler out of the way just as a blast of webbing came down towards their position.
"Thanks Turmagar, that was a close one." Wheeler stated as he helped Turmagar back to his feet after getting back up himself.
At that moment the creature that made that sound jumped down to surprise and block off any route of escape for the duo.
"Is that thing Spidera Turmagar?" Wheeler asked.
"No my friend, this spider creature is only half the size of Spidera." Turmagar explained as they both got a better look at the creature.
"We have to stop this spider and rescue whoever is inside that webbed cocoon before it is too late." Wheeler stated.
"I am open to any ideas that you might have my friend." Turmagar stated as the creature started to focus all of it's attention on the duo.
"Turmagar, you are better with a blaster than I am, so I need you to rescue whoever is trapped inside." Wheeler stated.
"But if I go and do that, what are you gonna do?" Turmagar responded.
"I'm gonna distract this spider and buy you enough time to free the captive."
"All right but we better hurry." Turmagar said as he gestured to the swarm of spiders covering the cocoon." It looks like the spiders are almost through the layers of webbing."
"Then let's get started." Wheeler stated as he ran towards the spider creature." COME ON YOU OVERGROWN INSECT!" Wheeler started to shout. "TRY AND CATCH ME!" He then continued hoping to gain the spider's attention away from Turmagar and focused on him.
After a few minutes more of yelling, Wheeler's plan was put into high gear as the spider shifted it's attention from Turmagar and went straight on Wheeler.
"Now I just have to keep him away long enough so that Turmagar can free the captive." Wheeler started to think as he led the spider down to another section of caverns.
Once Wheeler and the spider were out of his visual ranger, Turmager then started to head back towards the webbed cocoon, hoping to free it's prisoner.
"I sure hope that Wheeler can keep that spider busy long enough for me to set whoever is in there free." Turmagar stated as he started to fire the weapon at the base of the cocoon.
Within a few minutes of firing his weapon at the base, Turmagar was starting to become pleased with himself as the person inside the cocoon was starting to come around and break free from the inside out.
"Are you strong enough to break free on your own my friend?" Turmagar asked.
"I believe so Turmagar." The voice said from inside the cocoon.
"You better hurry, I don't know how much longer Wheeler can keep that spider busy." Turmagar responded.
"Just give me a moment longer Turmagar." The voice said.
As Turmagar was working to free the captive from the web cocoon, Wheeler was still trying to outrun and outsmart one of Spider's children. The spider maybe be only half the size of its mother, but it can still be very dangerous if it is underestimated by its opponent. So Wheeler had two things to worry about at that moment, trying to buy Turmagar enough time to save the captive and also to try and stay alive long enough for help to arrive.
"Come on you overgrown insect." Wheeler started to say. "Surly you can do better than that."
The spider didn't respond except with its natural noises.
"I have to give Turmagar enough time to set the captive free and hopefully find out more info on where the others are." Wheeler started to think to himself.
As Wheeler kept running and drawing the attention of the spider, the creature decided on a different attack tactic. While it was in full pursuit of Wheeler, the spider decided to start shooting it's webbing and hoped to catch Wheeler off guard.
"Now this spider is starting to become more of an nuisance, I have to get back to the others." Wheeler thought to himself as he tried to avoid all of the web blasts.
As Wheeler continued to avoid the web blasts, the spider started to get more and more angry. The Spider then decided on trying to block off Wheeler's hope of escape and fired a blast of webbing right in front of him, creating a giant wall of webbing. As he saw the wall of webs starting to take shape, he then tried to slow down hoping that he would be able to stop himself before he hit the wall.
"I have to stop myself from hitting that wall, I can't get stuck down here." Wheeler started to think. "I have to get back to Turmagar and try to save the others, especially Linka from Spidera's grasp." He continued to think as he came to a complete stop only inches away from the wall.
Once he came to a complete stop, and without even hitting the wall of webs, Wheeler just then turned around to face the spider. "YOU WILL NOT STOP ME FROM SAVING MY FRIENDS AND MY WIFE SPIDER!" Wheeler started to yell. "I WILL NOT STOP UNTIL I HAVE SAVED EVERYONE FROM YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR MOTHER!"
The Spider creature did nothing but started to yell in it's own spider language. After a brief standoff between both Wheeler and the spider, the creature decided to end things and cocoon the would be whelp. As the spider was getting ready to fire another web blast at Wheeler to trap and cocoon him, both Wheeler and the spider heard some kind of strange noise coming from the distance followed by two beams of red energy. These two beams of energy came right in front of the spider forcing the creature to abandon it's plan of cocooning Wheeler and trying to get to a safe distance to avoid those beams. As the creature started to back off a little, both he and Wheeler heard two voices coming from the same direction as the beams were fired once again.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM YOU MONSTER!" The first voice said.
"HE IS OUR FRIEND AND YOU WILL NOT HARM HIM AT ALL!" The second voice said and again two more beams of energy came firing at the spider, forcing him to retreat back into the darkness.
After seeing the spider leave his sight, Wheeler quickly went down to his knees trying to absorb what has happened and who saved his life.
"I don't know who you two are but thanks for saving my life." Wheeler said as the two figures started to walk into the dimmed light room revealing themselves.
"My friend, we are just returning the favor that you did for us." The figure said as he revealed himself to Wheeler.
"Turmagar, you're all right." Wheeler started to say while looking up at his friend. "I'm glad that you found me in time.
"Yes my friend, your little distraction gave me enough time to free the captive and then we both started to track you down to see if we could help before it was too late."
"Were you able to find out who it was that we had saved?" Wheeler asked.
"Wheeler, I'm glad that you were able to catch up to us and that you were able to free Turmagar safely." The dark figure said as he started to walk into the light revealing his identity. " I just hope that we are in time to save the others."
"Me too." Wheeler said as he started to see the image of the person being revealed. "I just hope that…. TYGRA?!… TYGRA!.." Wheeler shouted as he started to get back up to his feet and ran over to both Turmagar and the newly freeded Tygra. "I'm just so glad that you are alright."
"I am thanks to you and Turmagar here." Tygra said as he and Wheeler both expressed a hug of joy.
"Do you have any idea where Linka and the others are?" Wheeler asked.
"Not really but Turmagar did tell me how you managed to track us down and I have to say that I am very impressed Wheeler." Tygra stated.
"I just hope that we can find the others as well." Wheeler said as he and Tygra released each other from the hug.
"My friends, we are still picking up three more signals and they are very close." Turmagar stated as he showed the others the tracking device's readings.
"We have to find and save them." Wheeler started to say. "I have to get to Linka."
"We will Wheeler." Tygra started to say. "But we must first come up with a plan to save the others and then stop Spidera."
"We better get going then my friends." Turmagar started to say. "The next reading is only about 20 meters away from us and the life reading are still very strong."
"We better hurry and save whoever it is." Wheeler said.
"I agree with you Wheeler." Tygra started to say. "I don't want to be down here any longer then necessary."
"I agree with you both by friends." Turmagar responded. "I have seen enough of down here for one lifetime."
After Turmagar had finished his statement, the three of them then started to exit the large chamber and started to follow the tracking device's readings that will lead them to their next captured friend. All of the while Wheeler was still troubled with the thoughts that he couldn't keep his wife out of this situation and hoping beyond hope that she would be safe long enough for him and the others to save her from harm.