Gargoyles
Biker Mice from Mars
"Business Partners"
Pt 4.
Ding! "Main Office, Clerical, and possible Evil Plutarkian Den of Dastardly Deeds, everybody out!" Modo announced as the elevator doors opened to the empty elevator shaft, except for 3 mice. Metal hand tightly gripping the steel cable, effortlessly supporting himself and the two Martian Warriors on his broad shoulders.
Throttle, and Vinnie leaped off and into the hall, blasters out and covering the empty hallway. "This is getting boring; I still say we should've just Blasted our way in here and forced Mr. Bigshot and the Reek Fish to tell us what their planning!"
"Now, Vinnie, you know we can't do that until we've made sure that this guy is actually a Bad Guy working with Limburger, cause if he aint, well that just wouldn't be very polite now would it?"
"This is a Commando Raid Modo, not a Garden Tea Party." Vinnie groaned giving his big gray bro an exasperated look. "As My Dear Gary Furred Mama always says. There Aint No Excuse for Bad Manners."
"And speaking of manners, your blaster is set to STUN, isn't it Vincent?" Throttle asked giving the White Furred Martian a Very Direct Look. "Yes, it's on stun, ya don't gotta keep asking me every ten seconds!"
The Look continued. Click. "There you see its on Stun, are you satisfied!?" Vinnie grumbled, hoping Throttle didn't hear that click of him moving his blaster into the stun setting. "Well, just make sure It Stays There."
Moving down the hall as stealthily as they could, despite some under the breath grumbling of yes mother. "In here!" Throttle whispered, pushing open a large double door marked office. "Woo, Fancy!" Modo whistled impressed at the large and extravagant office they just snuck into.
"I dunno, it seems kind of restrained for a possible Megalomaniacal Multibillionaire." Vinnie stated. "Well, the potted plants do give the place a certain relaxed charm." Modo added.
"Cheese, you two should've joined with the Mouse House Interior Decorators instead of the Freedom Fighters!" Throttle laughed while making a froo froo gesture at them.
"Hey, it don't hurt to have possible career options to keep yourself busy when you retire, sides Real Men know how to Decorate!" Modo replied with a smile. "I'll keep you in mind then." Throttle smiled back. "Yeah, like you two know anything about being fashionable, better to Burn Out than Decorate I say." Vinnie replied eye rolling.
They tiptoed across the office, the thick rich carpet helping keep their heavy biker boots quiet. Throttle moved over behind the desk by one wall, Vinnie headed right for the array of computer and giant TV screens on the wall opposite it. Modo moved over to the large window that looked out over the Island of Manhattan.
"Whew, I love Chi-Town, but The Big Apple sure has it beat when it comes to that Big City Vibe." Vinnie just snorted as he ogled enviously at the Wall of Monitors and TVs. "Please, NYC aint got Nothing on Chi-Town's Hot Dogs! Nobody does a dog like a Chicago Dog!"
"We haven't gotten to try any New York Dogs yet." Throttle pointed out while inspecting the draws on Xanatos's desk. "And until we do, my opinion stands!" Modo and Throttle just smiled at their bro's closed mindset about these things.
"Guys, this is Boring! Have you found anything yet, cause if we can't start some Tail Whipping soon, I'm gonna. Gonna... I dunno what but I'm gonna do Something!" Vinnie griped, getting upset at having to be quiet, and not finding the remote so he could turn on the TVs. "Can't believe we're missing the Chicago Nubs vs New York Zets game for this."
"Aw, we are?" Modo gasped! He prided himself on never missing a Nubs game! "Priorities Guys, planet saving takes precedence over catching the game." He gave up on the desk drawers, they were all locked and he didn't want to bust them open, so he picked up some paperwork on the desk.
He scanned the papers before dropping them. "Rats, these are all in Legalize, and Business-Gobbledygook, a totally Alien Language to this rough riding rodent. "Maybe we'll have better luck on the electronic side." He turned to the Desktop Computer and began typing on the keyboard.
"DANG, it's password protected, maybe Charley should've come with us." Throttle cursed again, just stopping himself from banging a fist on top of the computer. "So, can we call this mission a bust yet?" Vinnie asked, blatantly wanting the answer to be yes.
"I'm starting to agree with our irascible little buddy, this being sneaky schtick aint our mug-o-root beer, I say we bail." Vinnie nodded in agreement. " Modo's got that right, I say we get outta here, find Limburger and just Beat it Out of Him…IRASCIBLE!?"
"Yeah, I guess so. At least with the getting out of here part. We obviously aint going to figure out what Limburger and this Xanadon guy are planning from this stuff. Let's jump out.
"I'd say I'm sorry you weren't able to find what you were looking for, but I won't make any apologies for being less than forthcoming with my personal projects but if you really want to know it never hurts to just ask."
The Mice's helmeted heads jolted at the sound of the unexpected voice! Xanatos stood leaning cooly against the open-door frame with one of those smiles on his face that a parent or older sibling makes when catching the little kids getting into the forbidden cookie jar.
"Oh, Cheese!" All 3 Bros groaned. Throttle, and Vinnie's blasters snapped up blindingly fast. Modo holding his arm cannon in check, seeing as it didn't come with a stun setting. "Wow, fast reflexes." Xanatos replied sounding impressed. Almost.
Stepping away from the door, and maintaining his unconcerned demeanor, strolled over to his desk. "I do agree, trying to read these things can be a real headache. There really needs to be a law against letting Lawyers get involved with anything." He joked scooping up the paperwork and setting them back down in a neat pile.
"I tend to favor the Straight Shot." Throttle said, holding up his blaster, while not aiming it at Xanatos, it's implied intention was quite clear. Maintaining an almost annoying level of relaxed calm, Xanatos just leaned back against his desk with arm, and legs crossed with that ever-confident smile.
'Oh, I quite agree, the direct approach is very useful tactic, but any good businessman knows that the indirect one can be even more so. "The level of the Annoying Smile jumped! Throttle realized they'd been had a few seconds too late.
Xanatos played his part as the distraction expertly, getting the complete attention of all 3 Mice, giving Owen ample time to use the secret entrance into the room hidden by one of the ancient castle tapestries hanging on the wall behind Vinnie.
The bespectacled assistant silently and expertly using a disarming martial arts technique, and stone hand. "Hey, what the...!?" Vinnie gasped, getting spun around, his blaster flying from his paw, being caught in Owen's flesh hand, aiming it directly at Vinnie's helmeted head!
Taking full advantage of this, Xanatos attacked Throttle the instant he diverted his attention by Owen's strike! His ruse of being relaxed dropped, one leg snaked out, toppling Throttle off his feet, while hitting assumed pressure points on his arm and shoulder!
Slammed down onto the office floor, with his partially numb right arm pinned beneath him, and his helmet being pressed down by a well-made shoe, with the added insult of his own blaster being pointed at him.
"See Owen, I told you it would work, all that practice paid off." Xanatos chuckled. "Yes, sir, your diligence is an admirable trait Mr. Xanatos." Owen admitted in his emotionlessly wooden way. Modo just stood helplessly watching this from his spot by the big window, unable to think of how to help his bros! "Oh, Mama!"
"Now that things have been put in to a more, shall we say amicable situation, lets take this opportunity to discuss why you, and I hope I'm using this term correctly "Gentlemen" have entered my personal properties Uninvited and then proceeded to rifle through my private business affairs, I mean it really goes without having to say it, but I will anyway, that is quite rude."
'Yeah, well manners were never our strongest attribute." Throttle growled, trying to move his neck into a less painful position while being pressed down by Xanatos's heel. "Yes, I could tell." He smirked.
He inspected the odd blaster in his hand but didn't let it waiver from its target. "There is also the question of your technology. I can't say I've ever seen anything like it before, which isn't the first time I've thought that recently." Xanatos looked tempted to test the weapon.
"I really should suggest that you refrain from such an experiment unless it's absolutely necessary sir." Owen pointed out, accurately guessing his employer's thoughts. "Yes, I wouldn't want to upset the cleaning staff, plus it could be embarrassing to try and explain the mess on the carpet, but sometimes making a mess is sadly unavoidable."
Vinnie and Modo exchanged a swift glance at each other then at their friend on the floor, but didn't say anything, waiting to see what Throttle's play would be. If he has one. "These mysteries are starting to add up." Xanatos smiled.
"A new possible business associate shows up from nowhere, with some very impressive equipment, and then there's you three. You and your tech are just as big a puzzle as well, so I will Ask Again. What Do You Want with Limburger an Our Business Arrangement, and What and Who are You?" All the humor and affability now gone from his voice.
"Jumping… Jack… Flash…A!" Throttle grunted while twisting on the floor. Matching Smiles popped up on Vinnie and Modo's faces, bracing themselves. Xanatos started to repeat his first questions when he noticed the glow and hum coming from under his prisoner.
"What…?" Xanatos started to say but was cut off when Throttle's Glowing Nuke Knucks slammed into the floor! BAM! The entire Office rattled as if hit by a large magnitude quake! Modo and Vinnie jumped up with split second timing before the impact!
Xanatos and Owen hadn't been as observant. They both cried out toppling off their feet! Modo's metal arm shot up and with mechanical speed and the electronic precision granted by his cybernetic eye and vision enhanced helmet visor, blasted the lights on the ceiling, causing them all to Explode in a Shower of Glass Shards and Sparks!
"WAHOO!" Vinnie jubilantly cried out, turning his jump into a spinning summersault! Two loud Whip Cracks sounded as both Vinnie and Throttle's tails snapped out, both hitting Owen and Xanatos's wrists, causing both to drop the Martian Blasters!
Vinnie snatched his from Owen out of the air delivering a back kick to Owen's chest, while Modo rushed forward, grabbing Throttle's, and giving Xanatos his best Football Charge, knocking the billionaire off his feet! "Excuse me!" He said, remembering his manners, while also yanking their team leader up off the floor!
The Office door crashed open as the Mice barreled through it and out into the hall. "Sir are you…" Owen called out, but was interrupted by his boss. "Yes, Owen I'm fine." They both picked themselves up.
Moving stiffly behind his desk and tapping a hidden switch, a panel swished open, and a set of controls emerged. "I'm activating the castle's automated security measures Owen. I would prefer our uninvited guests be taken alive, but I won't hold you to any unrealistic expectations."
Leaving the office, he did his best to straighten up his appearance. "I'll be downstairs making sure our Officially Invited Guests are kept in the dark about the noise upstairs, maybe something about the Chief dropping his cake pans, but like I said I would prefer them in some semblance of one piece."
Owen nodded as he watched Xanatos depart. He flexed his wrist; it had a growing red welt where Vinnie's tail struck him. He looked at his stone wrist, a hard look crossing his face. "Yes sir, I shall do my best to Attempt to do so." He moved to the security controls.
Exiting thru the main doors of Xanatos's building, Limburger deactivated the little viewscreen built into his wristwatch. He chuckled to himself after watching the preceding excitement that just happened high above him.
He looked up at the Castle above and could only smile as the spotlights that had been scanning the New York skyline suddenly turned to focus more directly above. His deep lavender stretch limo pulling up to the curb, door automatically popping open, and he squeezed himself into the back seat.
"Onward to our next due destination my malformed miscontent." Limburger purred to Fred the Masochistic Mutant playing chauffer. "It's time to depart to ratify my next resident confederate in this little enterprising endeavor."
Giggling like a psychopath, Fred acknowledged him and managed to resist the urge to steer the big limo into the New York Traffic, despite how much he really wanted to. Settling back into his seat he reactivated his wrist monitor. "I do so hope Karbunkle remembered to put a tape in the VCR, I wouldn't want to miss any of the action."
"Excuse us, coming thru, clear the way, hey watch it, Look Out!" Chaos broke out as the Kitchen Staff making dishes for the business event suddenly had 3 large Nuts in biker outfits crashing through the kitchen! Food, pots, pans, and kitchen staff went flying!
Exiting the other side in the same way, the mice kept running down the hall, with a cavalcade of shouts, curses and insults erupting from the closing door. "Wow, New Yorkers really do have a Colorful Vocabulary!" Throttle commented, wiping some noodles off his vest and furry shoulder.
"Not bad cooks though." Modo added while stuffing some quickly grabbed pastries and sweets into his mouth. "Man, why don't they ever serve hot dogs and root beer at these stupid things? These little cocktail weenies and coffee sucks, Yech!" Vinnie griped tossing aside his poorly chosen confections.
"Maybe when you grow up and develop some of them Adult Preferences." Modo teased. "Bleh, in that case I hope I never grow up!" Vinnie joked. "If you two don't pay attention, neither of you'll get any older!" Throttle replied pointing down the corridor ahead of them.
Almost imperceptible movement on the walls, ceiling, and floors told them that there were hidden weapons getting ready to pop out from hidden compartments. "What is it with Bad Guys and the Pop Out Guns Trope?" Vinnie wondered out loud.
"So, what's the ruling on Not wrecking this place?" Modo asked Throttle, who reached up and felt the side of his helmet with the shoe print on it. "I'm very tempted to say we Thump this Dump, but I gotta stick with no more than we need to get out of here with tails intact."
"Well, that does open up a certain level of excitement." Vinnie grinned, looking forward to the adrenaline rush, while holstering his blaster and taking two flares from his bandolier.
"Sigh, I know I'm wasting my breath but, Restraint Vincent, Restraint!" Vinnie gave Throttle one of his trademarked crazy smiles. "Hey, that's my middle name!" Modo had to fight to keep from laughing out loud. Throttle letting out another sigh didn't help.
"Yah-ha-ha-ha!" The White Martian laughed insanely! Starting off with a little hop, he took off down the hallway quickly speeding up to a run! All along the hall, out popped complicated looking weapons! They all swiveled attempting to track the fast-moving target.
Little metal pins on wires shot out of the weapons, sparking as they went! Tasers! Flares igniting, they flashed all round as Vinnie run, jumped, spun, and even at one point, swinging by his tail from one broken gun on the ceiling!
Wires slashed, and guns exploded as the plasma flares made short work of them! He finished up by adding a spinning landing and bowing to his bros as a flourish. "Ta-da." ZAP! KA-BOOM! "WOOO!?" Vinnie yelped and jumped away from an explosion behind him!
"Missed One!" Modo chuckled blowing the smoke from the barrels of his arm cannon. Vinnie looked from the smoking gun back to his grinning bro. Vinnie gawked back at him.
"Uh, yeah, well I, uh. I skipped that one for you so you wouldn't feel left out!" Vinnie blustered while waving the smoke away from behind him. Making sure the back of his pants and his tail were still there.
Watching this Owen's eyebrow crept up a little, seemingly impressed by the skill being displayed on the security camera monitors. Tempted to move to more harmful measure, but his orders rang in his head. Reluctantly his hand moved away from those switches.
3 Helmets popped out around a corner. "Man, whoever designed these old castles must've really been into those Mazes & Monsters games, cause I'm Mouse enough to admit it, I'm lost." Throttle flat out stated.
"Guess I should've brought a multi-sided dice." Modo joked. "Ugh, only NERDS would make a game where you gotta do Math to play it!" Vinnie growled. "What, you don't do any calculations for trajectories or rates of speed when pulling your moves?" Vinnie just looked up at Modo with a shrug. "Hey, that's Cool Math, not Nerd Math!"
"Just my luck to get stuck on a team with two Odd Numbers, if you two don't help me Calculate a way out of here, I just might have to Subtract you from it." Throttle cut in snappily. "Thanks for Adding that to the Conversation." Modo snickered. "I guess that just about Sums up this situation." Vinnie replied. Throttle groaned and started bonking his helmet against the wall.
"Ok, ok let's get serious here, I think if we wanna get outta here, we should use that door up there!' Modo said while pointing at a door at the top of a curving flight of stone stairs against a far wall in the small chamber.
"Why's that?" Vinnie asked looking up.
"Cause it's marked Exit and those tend to go outside." Modo answered looking down.
"That's a fine bit of logical dedication there Mr. Schlock."
"Thank you, Captain Jerk."
"If you two are done Trekkin Around, I say we Make it to Go!" Throttle interrupted and pointed at the stairs with a gesture. "Wrong Show." Vinnie pointed out. Throttle just smiled and replied with a different hand gesture. "That aint from the show either."
Making their way towards the stairs, they almost forgot about the hidden traps and weapons! Stone Panels, paintings, and tapestries slid away, and projectiles came flying out from behind them! Sphere like grenades rolled across the floor with thick smoke pouring out of them!
"GAS! Helmets to space mode!" Throttle ordered and all three Mice charged up the stairs with Modo leading the way! They were literally running blind as in the chocking Fog!
BASH! The Heavy Wooden and Metal Medieval door built to withstand attack by raiding Vikings exploded into kindling, standing no chance against a Martian Attack! Modo smashing thru it like it was made of matchsticks using his best Rugby Rush!
Throttle, and Vinnie emerged from the thick gas filling the now empty door frame and joined Modo. "There's the tower with our bikes, lets get up there and get out of here, before anything else happens!" Throttle growled. All 3 looked around the Castle Courtyard for a way to do that.
"Uh, too late Bro." Modo uttered as all around them on the walls, courtyard and parapets emerged weapons batteries, projectile launchers, and a very large group of armed and battle gear wearing security guards!
"Oh Mama, I know Home Defense is a good idea, but this is taking it to a whole new level!" Modo whistled. "I guess being a Billionaire has its perks." Vinnie laughed, revving himself up for the up coming rumble. "All I care about is getting out of here with our perks in once piece!" Throttle snapped.
"So, how we playing those Boss Mouse? These aint Goons? Fight or Flight?" Modo asked. Vinnie turned to Throttle too, clearly against that last bit. The Tan furred Martian looked around, calculating their odds. "Soft Ball #5!" He growled.
Eye glowing red, Modo just grinned. Agreeing with the play called on this one. He'd had enough of this being quiet & well-behaved little mice thing too.
"Oh, yes!" Vinnie eagerly looking forward to the rumble, cracking his knuckles, and flexing arms and tail. "SOFT BALL #5 Vincent!" Throttle pointed out again for his youngest team member. "Yeah, yeah don't get any rougher than is necessary. I gotchya."
"FREEZE, Don't Move, Hands above your heads, we've to you surrounded!" One of the guards shouted out, as she and the others all leveled their weapons at them. "At least they aint using real guns, looks like some kind of weird tazer and grenade launcher." Modo pointed out in a whisper.
"Yeah, I noticed that too, so that's why this is a Soft Ball Play." Throttle replied. "You're one bright guy..." Vinnie replied with a chuckle. "SHUT UP AND RAISE YOUR HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEADS!" The Guard Captain shouted again cutting him off, gesturing at them to do as she ordered.
"…almost as bright as this!" He tossed a plasma flare up above his head with a flick of his wrist! The Flare burst with a brightness to rival a supernova! All the guards cried out! They all tried uselessly to shield their eyes but only managing to trip and fall over themselves!
The Mice reacted instantly, spared from Vinnie's flare, having activated their helmet visors when raising their paws up above their heads with unnoticed taps to the sides. Visors going nearly pitch black, they moved!
Guards went flying! Tails whipping out, wrapping around ankles and wrists, pulling them off their unbalanced feet and tossing them against the walls! Modo, being a proper gentle-mouse did make sure the Guard Captain didn't hit the wall too hard!
"Launch Knock Out Gas!" A Guard Lieutenant up on a high walkway yelled out after partially getting his sight back. Gas grenades landed all around the mice! The courtyard filled with the thick fumes, everything disappearing under the smothering gas!
"Hold fire!" He shouted. The dozen or so guards all looked over the inner parapet at the yard. It was almost completely quiet. Only the distant city noises could just be faintly heard from the streets far below.
"We must have got em, put on your masks and get down there and secure them, Fast!" The Lieutenant ordered. Half the guards did so and started to move towards the stairs. Two Furry Objects object came flying up out of the gas! A tan and white one to be precise!
Throttle landed on the walkway next to the Lieutenant, with Vinnie at the other end, one guard just making it a little way down the stairs. Before anyone could respond Vinnie went into a blazingly fast display of Martian Martial Arts!
Spinning, flipping, throwing punches and kicks with lot snapping whip tail attacks all with the accompanying shouts. "HYAAA HIA HOOO AHAHA WOOO!" Abruptly coming to a stop, He put out his arms and pressed gently against the Guards Battle Vest and smiled.
At the other end The Lieutenant turned and gawked at Throttle, who also smiled, and held up his glowing nuke knuck paw. He as softly as he could, tapped him on his vest. The Nuclear Inertia Canceling effect turned them into a big row of human dominos!
THUD, CLUNK, CLACK, BASH, CRASH BANG, BONK! Helmets and bodies colliding with each other in a row, the guards collapsed into a groaning and moaning pile of bodies. The One Guard on the stairs looked up at the two mice, who looked back.
"Eep!" He squeaked and turned to make a hasty retreat down the stairs, only to encounter a Giant Gray Monolith that emerged from the fog! Modo stomped up towards him, causing the stone blocks to shake!
Remembering he was carrying a weapon, he swung it towards Modo and opened fire!
Pow, Pop, Pow, Pop, Pop!" Bean bag round after round shot out of the weapon, and all harmlessly bouncing off Modo's own Chest Armor, and rock-hard abs and arms, both metal, fur, and flesh.
Towering over the petrified guard, Modo smiled down at him, while his tail calmly whisked around the gun and removed it from the guard's hands. Modo then reached out with his left paw removed his gasmask, and with his metal arm picked him up by his vest armor and held him out over the Knock-Out Gas below. "Nighty Night." Modo said pleasantly and dropped him down into the smoke with a plop.
"Glad that's over, this playing patty cake is for no year cadet rookies, I prefer a fight to be the real thing!" Vinnie complained as they moved along the outer castle wall walkway. "I'm sure Limburger will have someone or something for us to rumble with before long, so just keep that in mind." Modo replied to the young hot head.
"And That is why we need to get our bikes and get out here, so we can find the Big Cheese and make sure whatever he's got planned, we can put a stop to, and in a way that I'm sure you'll approve of Vinnie." Throttle said. Vinnie just smiled, indicating that he did indeed approve.
Spotting a route that led to the Main tower their bikes were stashed on, they increased their pace, coming around a curved section. They stopped; a deep rumble came from under their boots.
Hidden Hydraulic pumps activated! The Walkway shot up like it was on springs and Ejected the Mice over the side of the castle, out into open air, high above the city streets! "Hey, what the…AHHHH!" They yelled as they started their long fall!
Owen watched this happen on the monitor in Xanatos's Office. He looked down at the security control panel. His stone fist Accidentally setting on the switch for the walkway ejection activator. "Oops." He muttered, the smallest hint of a smile on the corner of his mouth.
…To Be Continued!