Chapter 4

Troubles In

The Land

Down Under!

Part 4

Disclaimer: Let's go!

The Next Morning

"Something wrong, Mr. Bridge?" Wondered Spirit as he came into the kitchen of Gateway's home that following morning after some Meditation.

Where he noticed a frowning Bridge sitting at the table. "Someone I've had keepin' an eye on Reeve and those Dreadnoks hasn't reported in yet. She's normally quick to get me intel when its needed." Informed the man while hoping the worst hadn't happened to her.

"Perhaps she has just had some unexpected difficulties in her trip back to you."

"Yeah, maybe..."

A knocking at the door quickly had Bridge make his way to it and to his relief, the individual he'd been worrying about was on the other side and looking slightly worse for wear given some of the tears in her clothes and the dirt in various areas. Along with a dark skinned teenager in brown pants and carrying a spear with him. "Saw her on me way back, can I keep her?" Asked the teenager with a grin that saw the woman with him scowl at him.

"Comments like that are going to see you getting a whack to the head one of these days, Eden." The woman said.

"Nah, I'm too cool for that."

"So you're why Donner here took so long to get back to me?"

"Actually, no, if it wasn't for him, Jerwin would have killed me since he caught me snooping around last night." Donner, or rather, Sheila Donner, said with a sigh.

A former (for now) reporter who had to go into hiding after getting on the wrong side of the Mob back in America and now hid out in her native Australia and occasionally worked for Bridge. "He didn't follow either of you back here, did he?" Asked Spirit in concern and worry.

"Considering I can teleport and that nutjob never saw me, he doesn't have a clue where we are." Eden Fesi told the Joe.

"Teleport?"

"Its me Mutant ability. I call meself Manifold and I learned all I know from ol' Gateway."

Spirit nodded in understanding as he even he himself had already learned a few things in the short time they'd been in the old man's home. As a matter of fact, Gateway and Lance were off somewhere in the area right now with the older teaching the younger a few things about Medicinal Herbs. The experience was also helping to serve as a way for Lance to learn Australian Sign Language after learning of it courtesy of Skymate helping him learn it while Xi patrolled the perimeter. "Yeah, saves time on long trips." Grunted Bridge as he let the two inside.

"Now, what'd you learn out there, Donner?"

Quickly, Sheila told the two what she had learned, making the two frown over the news. "Well, that certainly explains the Coffee shortage." Muttered Spirit.

"Reeve better hope the general population never finds out he had somethin' to do with that or he's a dead man." Added Bridge with a scowl and gained several nods of agreement.

Though it bothered him and Spirit considerably that Reeve was evidently in league with some mysterious group. One that Reeve was looking to bring Torch and Ripper into if he could get them too and there was no telling what kind of problems that could cause as well.

Near McKinlay Around Noon

"So, you boys thought about my offer to join my new outfit?" Asked Reeve once they were near the town of McKinlay in their respective vehicles.

And they weren't alone as Reeve had brought some friends with him in another vehicle. "We need to talk it over with Zartan before doin' anything." Torch told him.

"Yeah, we owe the boss that much." Ripper added with a nod as he munched on a Jelly Donut.

Reeve sighed but nodded. "Fair enough, boys. But you two don't need his say so to wreck this place, do ya?"

Both guffawed and said they didn't, making the man with them grin in a pleased manner. "Then let the fun begin, mates!"

Author's Notes: Well, this isn't good!