DISCLAIMER: I don't own Loonatics Unleashed, or any of the characters within the following story. Well, excluding the characters I've come up with myself. But if I did... *Rubs hands together evilly*
If you want to read all the crap I usually have here, it's on FF.net. Read it there and review kthx.
It was a calm day. Acmetropolis hadn't been threatened for almost a week, which was only 5 days away from a new record. Well, if it stayed "saved," that is. Some new psycho was always popping up and wreaking havoc. However, if Tech had anything to say about it, that wouldn't be happening much anymore. The coyote was working hard to finish a device which would restore everything and everyone to their pre-meteor selves. No more superpowers, and no more super villains. In fact, if his new invention, the "Impact Reversal Ray," worked as he hoped, everyone on Earth could get back to their normal lives. If it worked, which he strongly hoped it would.
However, work on the ray was more than likely to be delayed. The arrival of a certain red blur made sure of that. Papers were scattered about the coyote's lab as Rev took a spot next to him, looking none-too-pleased with what he saw. Tech's invention was coming along smoothly, and it looked as though it would be finished in a matter of hours.
"Hey-Tech, -are-you-sure-you-want-to-go-through-with-this? I-mean, -it's-not-like-you-have-to-build-this-ray-thingy-because-we-could-still-protect-Acmetropolis-and-keep-our-powers-and-it-could-be-cool-and--" Rev spoke, the onslaught of words assaulting Tech's poor ears. However, he reached out and silenced the roadrunner by clenching his beak in his fist.
"Look, I know what you're getting at, but it's for the good of everyone." Tech explained, not looking any happier than his friend, "Once everyone affected by the meteor's back to normal, we can do what we want without worrying about saving the city all the time. And besides, it's a 'ray,' Rev; it'll only affect who we aim it at." The roadrunner looked relieved at that statement; they'd still be able to fight against any intergalactic threats like Optimatus.
"Well, -that's-a-relief. I-thought-we'd-all-be-powerless-and-then-we'd-be-easy-pickings-if-Optimatus-ever-escaped-and-decided-to-destroy-us-again. That'd-really-stink, -you-know." The coyote nodded, and directed his full attention back to his work. This was Rev's unspoken cue to leave the lab and allow Tech to finish the ray gun.
"Well, -okay-then, -Tech, -I'll-see-you-later. Hope-the-Power-Reversal-Ray-thinger-turns-out-alright." Rev rambled, although a glare from the coyote stopped him, "Okay, -I-guess-I'll-go-now. Later!" In a flash, the roadrunner was gone, the lab's door hissing shut behind him. Sighing, the coyote continued with his work, working carefully to ensure that he fashioned the device properly. Even the slightest error could spell disaster for the world. If he was lucky, he wouldn't be interrupted again any time soon.
Days passed, and Tech still hadn't completed the device. Fortunately, nothing else had come up, so he had plenty of time to work. The others went about their own agendas, doing what they normally did on their days off. Slam had already ordered a few pizzas, which they'd been receiving free of charge for half a year or so now. Saving the man in charge had certainly led to a few perks. Duck had been using his powers at every opportunity he got, even after he'd been told that they'd still be keeping their abilities. That stopped after Slam chased him down, however; even Duck wasn't willing to make Slam angry more than once.
On the fifth day, the day the city stayed saved for 11 days and set a record, Tech had finally finished his Impact Reversal Ray. He almost pranced back into the meeting room, carrying the device carefully as he approached the main table. Ace, Lexi, Duck, Rev, Slam and Zadavia were all present, waiting for Tech to make his presentation. Well, almost everyone waited. Rev had been twitching slightly in his seat as the coyote drew out his entrance with uncharacteristic pride. He must have been incredibly confident in his new invention. In any case, the roadrunner zoomed up beside his coyote friend, pummeling him with a barrage of questions.
"How-does-it-work? Is-it-going-to-cure-everyone? Are-you-sure-we'll-be-safe-in-the-tower? How-did-you-make-it?" Rev asked, his mouth going a mile a minute as he found his beak clenched shut by Tech again.
"Rev! Watch what you're doing!" Tech exclaimed, letting go of the roadrunner's beak, "If you'd knocked the ray gun out of my hands… well, let's just say one of us could be a few powers short." Rev gulped at that thought, and quickly returned to his seat. It was never good when Tech's inventions didn't work exactly as planned. Of course, the only times they went wrong was when someone used them improperly or tampered with them beforehand. Fortunately, neither had occurred this time; they were going to be enjoying quite a few more days off.
"Alright, since everyone's curious about the Impact Reversal Ray, I guess I'll give you a little explanation." Tech began, excitement shining in his olive eyes, "After the meteor hit, I figured it might be a good idea to get a sample or two of it… y'know, for future projects at the Institute. However, after all the stuff we've gone through, I've thought that we could use a bit of a break. So, I found a way to use the dormant energy within the meteor in a reverse process. Instead of bestowing powers to people, it'll remove the powers of all those wackjobs who've been trying to destroy the city. All we have to do is hook it up to the weapons defense system, and we can send the ray all over the city."
"As long as you're certain it'll work. I assume it hasn't yet been tested, correct?" Zadavia asked.
"Well, no, I haven't tested it yet. But I'm sure it'll work. Besides, it's a lot safer than obtaining curium." Tech explained, "Besides, we'll never know until we try, right? C'mon, let's go test this thing out." He looked a lot less excited after Zadavia pointed out the device's only flaw. They still had no idea if it would work the way he planned, but the theory of it was flawless. It could only possibly work as he planned. After all, he was a genius. Everything he did post-meteor worked perfectly… didn't it?
By the time they reached the lab, Tech was tempted to call off using the Reversal Ray. That one comment had shaken his confidence; he had to make sure that the device would work properly. Hopefully he wouldn't have to test it on himself. After having his powers for the past few years, the idea of not having them anymore felt bizarre.
"Hey, Tech, you okay?" Ace asked, jolting the coyote from his troubled reverie, "If you're not ready to test it out, you can just take it back into the lab and fix it up until you're satisfied." But the coyote shook his head, insisting that he had to try it out. After all, he'd hyped up the device so much, he figured he didn't really have any other choice. They had to test it now, or he'd probably never get around to doing so.
He broke from the group and approached his weapons defense system, which hadn't seen use since Lexi blew up Melvin's space ship. However, he was certain that it would be able to spread the beam throughout the city. The meteor fragments still possessed a large well of power. Removing the special abilities of all the super villains in town wouldn't even use up half of the space debris' energy.
"It's all set up. Let's all hope this works." Tech said, anxiety evident in his voice. The others felt a little more than worried that Tech wasn't 100 percent confident, but they decided not to talk him out of it. Even the chance that they could take a vacation was too good to pass up. Duck had spent the last two days trying to wrangle everyone into taking a cruise, although those plans might not come to fruition. With one last calming breath, Tech pushed the button, closing his eyes as the device whirred into action. After a moment or two, the ray finally started working, a loud shockwave resounding from the top of the tower. The blue energy of the ray shot throughout the city, fizzing out a mile or so outside of city limits. Several pulses of energy emerged from the top of the tower, before Tech deactivated the device.
The tower was surprisingly quiet after the ray's use, everyone seemingly uncomfortable or unsure of what to say. It was Duck who broke the silence, however, not being one to sit around quietly.
"So… did it work?" He asked, feeling the tension in the room dissipate after his comment. However, it was soon replaced with uncertainty and curiosity, most of it coming from the scientifically gifted coyote.
"Honestly… I'm not sure." Tech sighed, looking defeated, "I guess we'll just have to hope for the best." Rev rushed up to his friend, patting the green coyote on the back gently. His momentum made it a lot less than gentle, but he meant well.
"C'mon-Tech, -don't-worry. Your-inventions-always-work; we'll-be-able-to-take-a-summer-vacation, -except-that-it's-not-really-summer-or-anything-and-then-you-can-maybe-get-out-of-the-lab-for-a-bit." To the roadrunner's surprise, Tech didn't clamp his mouth shut, or tell him to speak slower. Instead, a small smile appeared on the coyote's face, and it soon bloomed into a full grin.
"You're right, Rev." Tech smiled, "Let's get started now. I'm due for a day off." He ran out of the lab, looking much happier than he'd seemed in… well, a long time. Rev enthusiastically followed the coyote, although he ended up passing him. The others decided that they may as well join their teammates, and soon, everyone was headed off to the local pool. Zadavia opted to sit out, since someone needed to stay at the tower. She could also ensure that Tech's invention had worked. In all honesty, she hoped that the Loonatics could take a well-deserved break. They needed it.
Well, there it is. I'll post the other chapters here later, once this has gotten a few views. XD Hope you guys enjoyed it. ^^
Ace and Lexi forever and i'm not a peice of toast so don't u even try to eat me*glares at everyone* I'm serious i will hurt you........Kidding i'm a very friendly person
Ace and Lexi forever and i'm not a peice of toast so don't u even try to eat me*glares at everyone* I'm serious i will hurt you........Kidding i'm a very friendly person
Well, I do have up to Chapter 6 already written. XD
I take it I should put them up on here soon, then? ^^
Ohyeah, I know how you feel already, Dragon. X3 I guess I'll go retrieve Chapter 2 now.
"Make-sure-you-behave-yourself, Rip." Ma Runner said, looking over the back of her seat at her youngest child, "Remember-what-happened-last-time? Well, I-guess-you-do, since-you-were-the-one-who-was-wrecking-the-city, remember? You'd-better-behave-yourself-or-we'll-ground-you-for-so-long-that-you-won't-have-a-social-life-until-you're-57. Ooh, such-an-odd-number, isn't-it? 57-57-57-57." A certain moody roadrunner, lounging in the back seat of the car, rolled his eyes. He'd gotten this speech at least a dozen times, and it rarely strayed from its core message. The time he'd finally have a social life was always different, though.
"Yeah, yeah, mom, I gotcha. I already learned my lesson, anyway." Rip sighed, his expression predominantly one of sadness, "Besides, I think Rev said that the parasite 'mysteriously vanished' after he got it off me." He sighed again, looking out the window as he propped his head up on the fleshy part of his palm. It had been a while since he'd seen Acmetropolis, although it had only been about 6 months. That entire time, he'd been grounded and stuck in his room, even though he'd salvaged the Robo Amigo, and helped keep the family business from falling out due to a mass toy malfunction. Sure, he was the one who caused the malfunction in the first place, but he fixed his mistake, right?
Apparently, it hadn't been enough for his parents. While they were proud that he could join the family business, they were still mad that he'd tried to ruin it first. It hadn't even been his fault; the parasite had just given him the power to do what he wanted in his heart of hearts. After all of it had happened, he still wasn't sure why he'd done what he had. Had he really wanted his dad's attention so badly that he was willing to destroy an entire city? It all seemed so stupid. He couldn't say that it hadn't worked, however. His parents had kept a vigilant watch over him ever since then; the only time he escaped it was when they went to bed or he snuck out.
Even when he felt that he had to escape his parents and their suffocating love, it hadn't been worth it. Everyone in his school had seen the incident, and they ostracized him out of fear. If he'd been crazy enough to try to take out the city, who could say that he wouldn't start something in the halls. Only his closest friends had stuck with him, and even they kept him at arm's length. Rip had never felt so alone in his life. Another sigh left the bony teen, and he found himself looking around the car. It was an older model, with pleather seats and ambient lighting. The car ran smoothly enough, but his parents always complained that they couldn't go fast enough. He knew that the only reason they owned a car was that he and Rev had been skipped by the whole "roadrunner speed" gene. Well, Rev had found his own way around that, but that still left normal, plain, boring Rip.
The vehicle started to rumble for a moment, and Rip's first assumption was that something was wrong with the car. However, as he gazed out the window, he saw that the pedestrians were feeling it as well. An earthquake, perhaps? No, that wouldn't make sense; they were in a hovercar, after all. But… what was going on, then? Rolling down his window, he managed to catch sight of the trouble. A massive wave of bright blue energy was rippling out through the city, moving at roaring speed betwixt buildings and citizens. Instinctively, the roadrunner shielded his eyes, just as his father slammed on the breaks. Rip shot forward, bashing his head hard into the back of his father's seat. It hurt like hell, but it wasn't enough to knock him out. What knocked him out was the impact of the car behind them rear-ending them, shooting him forward with even more intensity than his father's breaking.
The Loonatics had quickly abandoned all their vacation plans upon seeing the state of the city. Instead of the usual cheerful city, they were greeted by one full of crashed cars, disoriented citizens and malfunctioning hardware. Apparently, the ray hadn't been quite as harmless as they'd thought. Tech felt his stomach twist into knots, guilt tearing him apart worse than any physical method had done so. Well, being blown up by explosive charges had also been rather painful, but he'd have to put guilt a step or two above it.
In any case, they went around making sure everyone was doing well. Despite what they already knew deep down, they asked the citizens they aided what had happened, and they consistently received the same answer. Every person they talked to told them about a ripple of bright light, accompanied by an incredible gust of wind. Car alarms had gone off - some were still going - and people had been literally swept off their feet. They were comparing it to the original meteor, although they hadn't seen anything fall from the sky. For the moment, they decided to leave out the fact that they had caused the damage; they really didn't need bad publicity.
After a half-hour of wading through destruction, the Loonatics received a message from Rev, who'd gone to check damage ahead of the group. At first, it was impossible to understand him, considering he was speaking much faster than usual. When Rev was going more than a mile a minute, at least one member of the team was able to understand him. This could only be a bad sign.
"Rev, calm down!" Tech cried, "You've gotta slow down; we can't understand you!" A few seconds passed, and a strange, choking sound reached them. At first, the Loonatics looked curiously at one another, before their communicators relayed a loud wail from the roadrunner. It wasn't hard to determine what the choking noise had been seconds ago; Rev had started crying.
"Rev, what's wrong?" Ace asked, the first to get his mouth back in working order.
"It's… it's my family!" Rev sobbed, the words flowing at normal speed, "They're all out cold, and I think Rip's… I think he's bleeding! Please, someone, come quick!" The roadrunner must have been really out of sorts; he could have probably brought his entire family back before any of them reached him. However, they reacted on instinct, rushing toward their distressed comrade. It took a few minutes to find him, considering their jetpacks were considerably slower than the speedster was.
About 5 minutes after receiving Rev's message, they found the distressed roadrunner, wearing a circular hole in the pavement as he paced worriedly. His family members were splayed about their vehicle, unconscious. True to his word, Rev's little brother had hit his head hard enough to draw blood, and was starting to look pale. Tech pried the doors off with his abilities, knowing that Rev's parents would be mad that he wrecked their car. Saving their lives just wasn't a good enough cause, was it? Sighing, he let the others move in and rush them out, watching as Slam picked up Rev's parents and the roadrunner rushed in for his brother.
"We've got to get them back to the tower, ASAP!" Ace ordered, "Rev, you go back to the tower with Slam and Tech. Lexi, Duck and I will make sure no one else got hurt too badly and meet you there." Tech and Slam nodded, and headed back to headquarters. If Rev had waited for Ace to finish his speech, he would have nodded as well. However, he was already gone, and had probably already handed his brother off to Zadavia.
The day had just gone downhill for our resident green coyote. Not only had his invention wreaked havoc on the town, it had inadvertently hurt his best friend's family. What if… what if the Impact Reversal Ray had killed Rev's younger brother? Rev would never forgive him, he was certain of that. Tech was racked with guilt; none of his inventions had screwed up so monumentally before. Okay, so once he'd flooded the Acmetropolis Institute when a device he'd been working on exploded. A few mops and emergency drains later, and everything was okay. If Rip or Rev's parents died, a mop wouldn't make any difference. He wouldn't have to worry about Rev forgiving him, he realized; forgiving himself would be much more difficult.
After breaking a few speed laws, Tech and Slam arrived at the tower, only to find a very upset roadrunner. Zadavia had already gone off to the medical wing, apparently taking Rip with her. Slam lumbered off in that direction as quickly as he could, leaving the coyote to console his friend. Tech sat down next to Rev, somewhat unsure of what to do. He had never been good at cheering people up. Either people didn't understand what he meant, or he just happened to say the wrong thing.
"It'll be okay, Rev… it's probably just a concussion. He'll be fine if we got to him in time." Tech said nervously, apparently choosing the wrong words. Another racking sob left the roadrunner's beak, and he slumped face down against the meeting table. The sound only made Tech feel worse. He'd never seen Rev cry, and, of course, the coyote just had to be the one to cause it. Guilt just continued to pile up on him, squashing his chest and tying his innards into knots. Tears began welling up in Tech's eyes, and he had to excuse himself. He couldn't possibly have screwed up any worse.
Well, there's the second chapter. It turned out a lot more emotional than I'd meant it to. In any case, hope those of you who haven't read it yet enjoyed it. And I hope those of you who have read it enjoyed reading it again. XD
-- Edited by Franz Nerdlinger at 03:05, 2008-08-05
Alex, please use the "edit post" button rather than double posting to fix typos.
Also, I want to read your story, Franz, 'cause it looks awesome, but I'm too sleepy to read it right now. Tomorrow, maybe. I will get around to it! Eventually. xD
Lucky: Why can't you Toons just enter a room normaly?! Bonkers: Us Toons don't do normaly things! That's what makes us sooo adorable! X3 Lucky: Yeah, like a trainwreck. -__________-
Cassidy and Dusk: Freaky siamese twins seperated at birth.... ~ Andrea
Many thanks to HCoyote for the awesome avatar! I love it! <3
Danni- Official supporter of Tessidy, Sethidy, Cassless, Duri, Seck, Ricy, Dapphire, Calric, and Cassaghu 83 And Maley D. Because it's wrong. \8D/
It was a long night. Ma and Pa Runner woke up a few hours after arriving at the tower, each asking a flurry of questions. As Tech had predicted, Pa was upset that his car had been taken apart, even though Ace promised that Tech would repair it. Ma was more worried about Rip, especially since her moments before the crash had been spent lecturing him. Fortunately, they hadn't been badly injured; they only had a few minor bruises where the seatbelts had been. Rip was stable, although he hadn't awakened. He could probably use the rest, anyway.
With his family safe, Rev finally calmed down, although he was still worried about his brother. Besides, he had been told to leave the room because he hadn't stopped pacing. It wasn't entirely his fault; he always paced when he was worried. Inwardly, he wondered what he should do for the rest of the night. Beating himself at table hockey wasn't as fun as it used to be, and he couldn't think of anything that he wanted to watch on television. That left him with only one option; hang out with Tech. The coyote always had something cool lying about, and he was fun to speak with.
"Hey-Tech! How-are-you? I'm-feeling-much-better-than-I-was-earlier, I-guess-I-really-needed-to-let-all-that-go-and… Tech?" Rev slowly stopped talking, a puzzled expression playing on his face, "Tech, are-you-okay? You-usually-find-a-way-to-shut-me-up-when-I'm-talking-too-much-for-your-liking, which-is-often, but-you-still-haven't-stopped-me-yet. Are-you-feeling-okay?" The roadrunner slowly made his way over to Tech, who was standing near one of the large, foreboding computers. A loud sniffle rang through the laboratory, making the speedster look even more confused.
"Tech, are you crying?" Rev asked, speaking at a slower tempo to ensure that his question couldn't be brushed aside.
"No." Tech snuffled, his voice cracking, "I'm fine." The genius quickly wandered over to his workbench to grab a few tissues, blowing his nose into them. A slight smile formed on Rev's face; Tech had always been a terrible liar. The roadrunner strode over to his friend, patting him gently on the back.
"It's not your fault, Tech. You couldn't have foreseen any of this happening." Rev said, gently rubbing the coyote's arm, "I don't think you'd have gone through with it if you could have, anyway." He smiled warmly at his friend, receiving a sulky stare from the coyote.
"I should have tested it first, though, Rev…" Tech sighed, removing his friend's hand from his arm, "I could have seen how powerful the ray actually was… I guess it's back to the drawing board, then." Another sigh escaped the inventor, who looked dejectedly down at his tools. Rev soon found himself frowning, and he grabbed the coyote by his arm and spun him around. It probably hurt, but Tech would live.
"Don't-you-go-feeling-sorry-for-yourself, Tech." Rev scolded, "You're-the-smartest-guy-I-know, not-to-mention-the-most-dedicated. So-what-if-one-invention-didn't-work-exactly-as-you'd-envisioned-it? I-know-for-a-fact-that-you'll-keep-trying-until-it-works-and-works-safely. So-suck-it-up, you-big-baby." Tech glared at his friend at that last comment, although he only received a coy grin in return. Rev was only trying to cheer him up, or at least stop him from spiraling downward in self-pity. It worked, or at least somewhat.
Rev, by all circumstances, was probably the one who needed cheering up. His family could have been killed in a car crash, for crying out loud. Yet there he was, trying to make his friend feel better. It made Tech feel worse; he didn't deserve a friend like Rev. He knew for a fact that he'd be upset with anyone who almost killed his family, whether they were a friend or not.
"I guess I'm lucky." Tech said aloud, a small smile gracing his green-furred face, "I'd probably be perpetually glum if I didn't have a friend like you. C'mere!" He reached forward and pulled Rev into a headlock, gently digging his knuckles into the roadrunner's skull.
"Oh, so-it's-noogies-now, eh? I'll-show-you-how-to-give-a-noogie!" Rev laughed, pulling out of Tech's headlock and ensnaring the coyote in his own. It was meant to be innocent fun, but it stopped being fun after only 5 seconds. The roadrunner accidentally took it too far, his own noogie accidentally starting the coyote's head on fire. He must've been going too fast. Tech cried out in surprise, and started trying to put the fire out. Rev acted a little faster, however, and soon doused his friend with the fire extinguisher.
Tech looked rather displeased, although he had good reason. His skull hurt, and he'd been set ablaze. The lab was now full of white foam as well, a mess which he'd have to clean up before he could use the room again.
"Sorry, Tech!" Rev apologized, "I-didn't-mean-to-do-that, I-just-kinda-got-carried-away, is-all, and-I'm-sorry-I-made-a-mess-of-your-lab-and-your-head-and-your-tools-and-" The coyote moved forward and gently shut Rev's beak, sighing softly.
"Nevermind, Rev." Tech said, "Just help me clean up. After that… we can play a game, or something."
"How-about-table-hockey? I'll-kick-your-butt-and-look-good-doing-it." Rev challenged, grinning at his friend.
"As soon as the lab's clean, I'll make you eat those words." Tech replied, grinning right back Rev.
A soft moan announced Rip's reawakening, the scrawny teen sitting up in his bed. At first, he was only aware of two things: one, his head hurt, and two, he was cold. It was only then that he realized that he was only clad from the waist up. Embarrassed by his bony body, he pulled up his blankets, despite the fact that he was alone. Aside from his parents, that is. They were both snoring, and were both occupying beds a few feet away from his own. Looking around, he wondered where he was, although the city skyline refreshed his memory. They were in the Loonatics' tower, their base of operations.
Normally, he would've got up and started exploring, but thanks to an IV, he was stuck in bed. Had he hit his head that hard? Reaching up, his fingers brushed against gauze, and he realized that he must've taken a quite a hit. His chest also hurt a little, as did his hips. Damn seatbelts. Even if it had saved his life, it had also given him several painful bruises. Sighing, he laid back down, his head throbbing in pain. Why was it that every time his family went to Acmetropolis, something bad always happened? At least it hadn't been his fault that time.
After a few agonizingly long minutes, Rip heard footsteps. Whoever was walking around was heading toward the medical wing. Inwardly, he hoped it wasn't Rev; his older brother wasn't exactly gentle when he was excited or happy. However, to his surprise, a tall, blonde woman walked in, her purple high heels clicking loudly against the floor. She looked surprised to see Rip awake, considering she jumped slightly. However, unlike the roadrunner, she'd kept her composure. Rip had shouted in fear, and thrown a conveniently located orange at the woman.
"Please calm down, Rip," Zadavia said calmly, catching the orange and setting it down on a nearby table.
"Wh-who're you?" Rip asked, trembling, "And how do you know my name? St-stay back!" He shifted into a defensive position, although they both knew he wasn't dangerous. A gentle smile graced the woman's lovely face, and she gently pushed Rip's arms back down to his sides.
"My name is Zadavia," Zadavia stated, "The Loonatics work for me, you see. I know your name because of the incident with the Biotech Parasite, Rip."
"Of course." Rip grunted, looking upset, "So, what're you here to do? Are you gonna give me a lobotomy? I like my brain in one piece, lady." The roadrunner glared at the blonde, although the only response he received was a giggle.
"Don't be absurd," Zadavia smiled, "I'm just changing your bandages. Don't get yourself worked up; you took quite a blow to the head." She gently removed Rip's bandages, although they did stick to the scab from his head injury. They all came off after a gentle tug, although it still hurt the teen's head. After the cut was sterilized - despite Rip's protests - his bandages were replaced, fresh and soft.
"Um… thanks." Rip said, coughing embarrassedly, "I'm… uh… sorry I threw that orange at you."
"It's… how do you young folk say it? It's no big deal, home slice." Zadavia said, posing like a young musician she'd seen once on television. Unfortunately, she only succeeded in making Rip laugh. That was easily the worst imitation of teenagers he'd seen in ages. No one had said anything like "home slice" for hundreds of years. His laughter died down after about 10 seconds, considering laughing hurt his chest. Damn seatbelts.
Not long after Zadavia's impression, Rev stopped by, and gave his younger brother a suffocating hug. He ended up leaving almost immediately after, mostly since Rip cried out in pain. That only woke up his parents, who managed to mimic Rev's previous actions exactly. The three older roadrunners left the room, escorted by Zadavia. Rip wouldn't be getting any better if everyone kept making his condition worse.
A few hours passed, and the Loonatics - and his parents - all ventured in to visit, asking him just how he'd managed to injure himself that badly. Jokes were passed around, but all merrymaking ended rather abruptly at the sound of an alarm.
"Loonatics!" Zadavia called, presumably from the meeting table, "There's a situation in Acmetropolis! Come quickly!" The superheroes left the room quickly, leaving Rip alone with his parents. Well, for a few seconds, at least; his parents followed Rev out of the room after quickly telling him for the 12th - or was it the 13th? - time that they loved him. At least now things were quiet… sort of. In a matter of minutes, Rip had fallen asleep again, snoring quietly. He could use the rest.
Well, there's the third chapter. This one was a little trickier for me to write, so hopefully it turned out well.
Also, it was more than tempting to add Rev's reply to Tech's "eat your words" comment. But I didn't, since my brain didn't feel like making a good comeback.
Let's pretend that I didn't double-post. >>;; *Won't do it again*
Well, here's the fourth chapter; I managed to narrow down Rip's possible abilities, and I decided upon the final direction of the story. X3 Also, I have no idea why Zadavia was in the tower instead of underwater like she usually is. I guess I forgot, is all. Anyway, I'll rectify that and get to some action! XD
"So, what's up, boss lady?" Ace asked as he entered the meeting room. Zadavia stood next to the holo-screen, waiting patiently for the Loonatics to take their seats. Ralph and Harriet stood by to watch, despite the fact that they didn't need to hear the briefing. Disregarding their unnecessary presence, the Frelengian activated the screen, which segmented into several camera feeds of Acmetropolis.
"Acmetropolis is being threatened by a trio of superpowered individuals." Zadavia stated, gesturing to the screens to her left.
"They don't look familiar," Ace pointed out, rubbing his furry chin, "They're from outta town, right?" He had come to that conclusion after Tech's invention had been used. It should have removed the powers of everyone in town. However, Zadavia shot down that idea with a simple shake of her head.
"No, Ace." Zadavia said, focusing the holo-screen on a tall, heavy-set man with patchy stubble, "This man works in a butcher shop that's only a few blocks away. He possesses telekinetic abilities that allow him to literally 'chop' things into pieces. He's already injured a few people and broken into several establishments."
"Lemme guess," Duck snickered, "They call him 'The Butcher,' right? Ha! That's like, the most unimaginative choice of naming ever! I mean… he's… uh…" The glare he received from Zadavia and the others made him quiet down.
"Well, I suppose you are good at guessing," Zadavia sighed, rubbing her forehead, "Yes, they have started calling him 'The Butcher.' Unfortunately, he's not working alone. There are two women working alongside him."
"Lucky guy." Duck muttered, receiving another glare from Zadavia. While it wasn't harsh, she was hoping he'd take the situation more seriously.
"Anyway, both women are also from Acmetropolis." Zadavia said, letting the screen shift to the women, one elderly, one adolescent, "The young woman works in a hobby shock for occultists, and the older woman owns a bakery. Because of their abilities, citizens have been calling them 'The Candlestick Maker' and 'The Baker.'" Duck burst out laughing again, holding his sides as he wheezed in hilarity.
"Give me a break!" Duck laughed, kicking his feet around above him, "Do they get around in a giant bathtub, too? Cripes! What a riot! Supervillains are bizarre." His laughter died away slowly, and Zadavia continued once Duck had finished.
"They travel on foot, Duck, and they are extremely dangerous." Zadavia said, arms folded across her chest, "This Baker woman is capable of encapsulating people in a bubble of energy, which slowly cooks them to death. The young lady is also quite dangerous; she's already given several people serious burns with her pyrokinetic abilities." The room was deathly quiet. Even duck had stopped laughing. Both of the women looked so… harmless. Well, aside from the young woman. She was using her powers much more frequently than her companions, and setting many a scalp aflame.
"Oh-my-goodness-that's-awful!" Harriet exclaimed, "I'm-not-sure-I-want-my-little-Revvie-going-down-there-since-it-looks-so-dangerous-but-I-guess-there-isn't-really-any-other-choice, so-go-show-'em-how-to-behave-themselves, honey!" In the span of her run-on sentence, Ma Runner had rushed to Rev's side and hugged him. However, upon realized how close she was to Tech, she shuffled to Rev's other side, maintaining the hug as she moved. Suppressing a chuckle, Ace pushed his chair away from the table, standing up to address the team.
"She's right, guys… if she said what I think she did." Ace smiled, "Let's jet!" The Loonatics all stood, and, after Rev pried his mother off him, left the tower. Zadavia also turned to leave, her high-heels clicking softly against the tile of the floor.
"Wait-a-minute, miss-Zadavia," Ralph called, causing the blonde to turn around, "Where-are-you-going? You-don't-look-like-you're-a-fightin'-kind-of-gal, what-with-your-fancy-dress-and-shoes." Zadavia gave him a puzzled glance, trying to sort through what he'd just said. However, she managed to figure it out, and a small smile graced her face.
"I'm going back to my own base of operations." Zadavia said, although she wasn't obligated to answer, "I've been up here for far too long; I'm afraid I'm going to get heat stroke. You may remain in the tower to keep an eye on your son until he recovers. Farewell." With that said, the tall woman left the building, vanishing before the roadrunners' eyes. The two aging avians shrugged their shoulders and returned to the medical ward, glad to find Rip was sleeping peacefully.
Things were not nearly as peaceful in downtown Acmetropolis. Butcher, Baker and Candlestick Maker were quickly clearing the streets of people, most of whom were fortunate enough to flee unscathed. For those less fortunate… let's just say that most of them met a swift end. It wasn't much consolation, considering several people wound up burning. However, the strange trio came to a sudden halt when the Loonatics arrived on the scene, glancing apathetically at the six heroes.
"If you three know what's good for you, you'll stay where you are and let us take you into custody." Ace ordered, taking a triumphant stance above the three criminals. Candlestick Maker was the first to react, fire enveloping her clenched fist. With a pitching arm rivaling Duck's, she threw the flame at Ace's head, although the rabbit evaded it.
"Alright, let's take 'em down!" Ace shouted, "Duck and Slam, you take on the Butcher! Tech, you and Rev go for the Baker! Lexi and I will get that Candlestick girl." His fellow Loonatics nodded, splitting into their assigned groups to apprehend their foes. However, as soon as Ace gave the order, the three foes retreated, fleeing the scene.
"Ha! I guess they were afraid of the ass-kicking I was going to give them." Duck grinned smugly, bringing his thumb to his chest.
"Don't just stand there talking! We've gotta catch them before anyone else gets killed!" Ace commanded, before flying after the pyro with Lexi in tow. The other Loonatics followed suit, chasing after their assignments. Rev and Tech had (presumably) the easiest opponent, so they took their time. After all, how hard would it be to apprehend an old woman? However, they were finding out that it was surprisingly difficult. Someone her age shouldn't have been able to run so fast without breaking something.
The other Loonatics were having similar difficulties, their quarries also proving difficult to capture. Duck and Slam chased Butcher for quite some time, until the large man finally stopped. They were standing in the middle of a construction site, surrounded by cranes and massive building frames. I-Beams littered the ground, all awaiting use in the enormous building. Lonely machinery sat alone within the site, their hulking figures strangely foreboding.
"So, giving up, are you? Smart move. I'd wipe the floor with ya! I'd kick your keester! I'd…" Duck taunted, although his jeering died away as the large man laughed in a deep, gravelly voice. The waterfowl slowly retreated behind Slam, peeking out as Butcher finished laughing. He raised his cleaver, the large knife reflecting the sunlight into the eyes of his foes. Having temporarily blinded his opponents, he brought the cleaver down, unleashing a wave of psychic destruction. Several deep gouges slashed into the ground, rushing at Duck and Slam with incredible speed.
The bird quickly recovered from the shining light, however, and quacked himself and Slam out of the attack's way. While they remained unharmed, the I-Beams behind them weren't so fortunate. One look at the shrapnel Butcher had created was enough to set Duck's knees shaking.
"Whoa." Slam said, his speech straddling the fine line between understandable and unintelligible.
"We're doomed." Duck moaned, burying his face in his hands.
Ace and Lexi chased Candlestick a few blocks away from the crime scene as well, eventually finding her waiting for them in the junkyard. She grinned at them, her silvery hair hanging down in her face. Ace activated the Guardian Strike Sword, the blade springing back from its collapsed state. Lexi prepared herself to fight as well, fingers already against her temples. The pale girl brushed some dust off her black straitjacket and skinny jeans. Her appearance certainly explained why she'd gone on a rampage; she looked as though she'd escaped the mental ward and dyed her clothes.
"It doesn't have to go down like this." Lexi said, ready to attack if she needed to, "You could just turn yourself in, and maybe get 10, 15 years in prison." The adolescent said nothing, opting to instead set her fist ablaze. Lexi sighed, taking a more stable position; why did they always insist on doing things the hard way?
Remaining silent, the teen pitched the fireball at the lagomorphs, although she missed both of them. As Ace was about to dish out a witty taunt, he realized that she hadn't been aiming for them at all. The flames descended upon an oil drum, which promptly burst into flame. It seemed the drum hadn't been sealed very well either, for in a matter of seconds, flames encircled Ace and Lexi, roaring high into the sky.
"Is it just me, or was she a lot more prepared than we thought?" Ace quipped, soon standing back to back with Lexi. Candlestick leapt in through the fire, no traces of burns on her clothing. She was smirking at the rabbits, her vacant eyes holding a mocking look.
"Yeah, just a little." Lexi responded, firing a brain blast at the young woman.
Tech and Rev continued chasing the old woman, not certain of where she was leading them. The speedster had caught up with the woman a few minutes earlier, but after being clotheslined, he opted to pursue from behind like Tech. He was looking rather tired, but minimal exercise couldn't have given him godly stamina. However, he managed to keep the pace, despite wheezing slightly from the effort. Fortunately, they didn't have to continue the chase for long; the Baker had run into a dead-end alleyway, from which there was no escape.
"Oh-boy-Tech-it-looks-like-we've-got-her-now-since-it's-a-dead-end-and-as-far-as-we-know-she-can't-fly-oh-I-hope-she-can't-fly-that'd-be-a-major-pain-in-the-ass." Rev babbled on, although he wasn't silenced by the coyote. His attention had been focused on the woman, who looked ready to fight. Tech pushed a few buttons on his wristguard, revealing a small laser-like device.
"Stand down, ma'am," Tech ordered, "I don't want to scramble your atoms, but I will if I have to." He was bluffing. In all actuality, it was a net gun designed to ensnare super-powered individuals. It was something he'd designed ages ago, but hadn't tested in combat. If the woman insisted on fighting, he might finally get to use it. She certainly wasn't backing down. In fact, she was moving her hands in a peculiar fashion, as if forming a sphere.
Before either male could inquire, Baker thrust her hands out, creating a large orange bubble around the red and green Loonatics. Her palms were connected directly to the bubble, but remained on the outside. Almost immediately, the temperature within their entrapment began to rise, soon becoming uncomfortably warm.
And those three cliffhangers are making me curious to what is going to happen! And I like how you made up the villains from a nursery ryhme. Very skilfull there. I can't wait for the next chapter.
Well, for those of you who're reading the fic here, I've got Chapter 5. ^^
The world was blank. White walls, white ceiling. It was quite easily the most boring dream Rip had ever had. Nightmare was probably more accurate, however. He was completely alone. Silence overwhelmed him, its presence tense and suffocating. As hard as he tried, he couldn't awaken. He didn't want to be alone anymore. Slowly, however, the room darkened, shadows creeping along the walls until the adolescent roadrunner was left standing in the middle of a black void.
"Don't be afraid." A disembodied voice stated, vaguely familiar but undeniably unsettling. Saying 'don't be scared' never actually kept people from being frightened. In fact, it often had the opposite effect, as it was in this case. Time passed, and eventually an amorphous figure slowly formed, moving toward Rip by some unknown means.
"What are you?" Rip asked the figure, not entirely sure if it would answer him or why he was even talking to it. Dreams were strange, and this one seemed odder than the usual. At least he'd be waking up soon. Hopefully.
"In a way, I'm a part of you now, Rip." The blob stated, indistinct features shifting into what might be conceived as a smile, "You see, that wave of energy did wondrous things to you. You'll see when you wake up, of course. Anyway, it's probably best if you woke up; your friends need you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rip asked, left with even more questions, "And how do you know my friends need me?" The figure said nothing, and simply sunk into the ground, the black of the room replaced by the bright, bleached walls.
"You don't need to dwell alone in the dark anymore, Rip," The voice said again, resounding clearly through the room, "Don't be afraid of the light." With those cryptic words, the voice disappeared, leaving the roadrunner alone in the institution-like room. Was he dying? That would be seriously messed up; he'd only just started making a recovery. However a firm shake and the opening of his eyes reinforced the fact that he was very much alive.
"Oh-Rip-, take-a-look-at-this! Your-brother-and-his-friends-and-the-coyote-are-in-trouble-see-it's-on-the-news-right-now!" Ma Runner babbled, gesturing to a portable television that Pa Runner had brought with him. A live newsfeed was onscreen, complete with a pessimistic caption below the video: "The End of the Loonatics?"
"What in the…" Rip had begun to say, only to find words gone at the sight on TV. Rev and Tech were ensnared in an enormous bubble, which according to the anchorwoman was capable of cooking things to death in a matter of minutes. Two new video feeds came up onscreen, one involving Duck and Slam trying to fight against a man with a cleaver, and the other displaying Ace and Lexi fighting a girl in a black straitjacket.
"I've gotta get down there…" Rip mumbled, trying to stand up. Naturally, however, his mother pushed him back into the uncomfortable bed, a worried look on her face.
"Oh-no-you-don't, mister. You're-staying-right-here-because-you-took-quite-a-bump-to-your-noggin-and-you-don't-have-superpowers-like-those-six-do." Harriet said, frowning at her youngest son. She didn't want him to get himself injured even more than he already was. However, her son was just as stubborn as she was. Then, something clicked. Realization dawned on Rip's face, and a small smile grew there as well.
"Actually, I kinda do. I'll be right back, I promise." Rip said, his shadow growing beneath him while he spoke. His mother's eyes went wide, and within seconds, the darkness enveloped her son. Harriet looked exactly as fearful as she felt, but was powerless to stop Rip from vanishing from the medical wing. As quickly as she could, the older roadrunner ran out of the room, screaming for Ralph to help her find Rip.
Moving through the darkness was a very strange feeling. It was like being everywhere, yet nowhere. Fortunately, Rip knew exactly where he was headed; he only worried about actually arriving in time. However, he managed to find his place, springing up from a shadow near a particularly putrid garbage can. He was a few feet behind an elderly woman, one who was slowly cooking his brother and Tech to death. It seemed he'd gone unnoticed, even by those he intended to help. Taking the opportunity, Rip skulked out from behind the garbage, his shadow extending up his bare forearm.
It was all or nothing, now. Rev opened his eyes to slits, and spotted his brother approaching the woman from behind. His expression quickly shifted to a mixture of worry and joy, which looked rather strange. The old woman noted the change in expression, and slowly turned to see what the roadrunner was looking at. Rip's shadow arced from his hand, striking the elderly lady in the head and separating her from the bubble. Oppressive heat shot out from the dome as it shattered, dissipating as quickly as it had been formed.
"That-was-amazing-Rip! When'd-you-get-those-powers-because-I'm-pretty-sure-you-never-had-them-before-now-and-" Rev rambled on, before his brother closed his beak. The adolescent's face held an expression of urgency, which proved to be infectious.
"I'll tell you later; the others are in big trouble. We've gotta go help them!" Rip said nervously, glancing down at the elderly woman he'd knocked out. He'd never attacked anyone while in his proper state of mind; usually, he was rather pacifistic. Now wasn't the time to sit idly by, however. If he could do something, he needed to do it.
"Well, let's go, then," Tech grunted, standing up rather slowly, "Nice work, though, Rip. You'll have to tell us about all that later." The young roadrunner nodded, and he extended a hand to both of the older males.
"This is gonna feel weird, but make sure to hold on tight; I dunno what'll happen if I let go," Rip said quietly, receiving a nod from Rev and Tech. After a short moment, darkness pooled about them, slowly absorbing them into an infinite umbra. They all felt intangible for a moment, before reappearing in a construction site. All the available metal around would prove useful as ammunition for Tech's abilities. Duck and Slam were employing hit and run tactics at the moment; Duck would through a power egg or two, and Slam would throw the largest things available.
"Good going, Rip! Now c'mon, let's save these guys so we can rescue Ace and Lexi." Tech said, trying to lead the two into a good position to fight their enemy. Butcher wasn't making things very easy for Duck or Slam, considering he was batting their attacks out of the sky with every swing of his cleaver. Rip's eyes went wide, evidently new to the 'dangerous villains' aspect of the superhero life. The Loonatics dealt with people like this all the time? He was shivering, but it was mostly due to running around shirtless.
"We're doomed!" Duck wailed, almost running around in circles, "I'm too young and sexy to die, Slam!" He was still focused on the battle, however, judging by the fact that he quacked himself and Slam out of harm's way. Trenches had formed in the ground where the two Loonatics had stood seconds before, resulting in a relieved whistle from the mallard.
It was then that Tech decided to spring into action. A green glow surrounded what appeared to be a destroyed I-Beam, which he carefully levitated into the air. The Butcher didn't seem to be watching, considering he was focused intently on his targets. As quickly as he could, Tech flung the chunks of beam at the man, knocking him to the ground.
At first, Duck seemed alarmed, but his expression shifted once he spotted Tech, Rev and Rip.
"You know, you guys sure showed up late. And why'd you bring the kid? He's still all injured and powerless." Duck pointed out, his arms crossed over his chest. Rip frowned at the duck's comment, but refrained from retorting. He could argue with Danger later. There were still two Loonatics in danger.
"There's-no-time-to-explain!" Rev shouted, gently taking hold of Rip's shoulder, "We've-gotta-save-Ace-and-Lexi, and-I-don't-think-we-have-a-lot-of-time-to-work-with-before-they-get-roasted."
"Alright, alright, fine. So what's the plan, then?" Duck asked, although his wrist was grasped by the adolescent roadrunner, "Hey! Don't touch the merchandise."
"Just trust me," Rip said, giving Duck an irritated look, "And don't let go." He reached out and took Slam by the hand, since he couldn't hope to encircle the tasmanian devil's wrist. Tech and Rev grasped Rip's shoulders, and soon the group had vanished into the shadows.
The quintet reappeared just outside the junkyard, easily spotting the ring of flames that surrounded the two rabbits and their aggressor. Duck looked rather surprised, especially considering Rip's newfound abilities.
"Wow, you're like deus ex machina in bird form." Duck said, "How'd you know where they were?"
"I saw it on TV before I rescued you four," Rip said, rolling his eyes as though it was something that should've been obvious, "Now let's go, before they get crispy fried." The others nodded, and quickly advanced upon the ring of flames. Ideas were forming in Tech's head, and soon he'd thought up a rescue plan.
"Alright, I've got a plan," Tech stated, trying to assemble the five anthros together, "Duck and Rip, you two teleport into that ring of fire and take Lexi and Ace out with you. Rev, you and Slam move as fast as you can in a circle around the flames. It should make a vortex, thus putting out the fire and leaving that firestarter powerless." The others nodded, serious expressions on all their faces. Duck even refrained from making any snide comments; he didn't want to become the leader just because Ace died. He quickly quacked into the center of the action, Rip appearing through Ace's shadow.
"C'mon, we've gotta get out of here." Rip said, grabbing Ace's wrist and sinking back into the shade. Duck took Lexi by the hand and quacked out of the circle, leaving a very displeased looking young woman alone in the center of the fire. With everyone else out safely, Rev and Slam began moving as fast as the could around the outside. In mere moments, the fire began to die away, leaving only ashes and an unconscious teen behind.
"Nice work, guys," Ace smiled, "A few minutes later and we'd have be charcoal. C'mon, let's take her and her friends down to the police station for questioning. Once we're done that, we can try to figure out how Rip got his powers." The others nodded, Slam gently picking up the unconscious young woman. With that done, they slowly made their way back to find the girl's cohorts. It was going to be a busy day.
Well, that's chapter 5. I'm sad to say that I'm nearing the end of the chapters I've already finished. D:
I should have Chapter 7 done on Sunday... if I get home from a family reunion on time. Xd
Man, Chapter 7 took me a while to write. ><;; Anyway, hope it lives up to everyone's expectations.
The tower seemed a lot larger during the second tour than it had during the first. Rip only then realized just how much of the tower normal guests didn't get to see. In fact, seeing it felt strangely exhilarating. It was like being told an incredible secret, one that must be kept between select individuals. He found his interest focused almost solely on the training room, however. Inwardly, he wondered just how realistic the simulation was, and what the room was capable of producing. In short, he was geeking out.
All of the other rooms in the tower seemed like fodder. None of them really interested him, although knowing where all of the bathrooms were was a bonus. At least he'd know where to go should his bladder threaten to burst. The tour took around a half-hour, ending at about 8:47. That left him with… an hour and 13 minutes before his brother tried to obey their parents' wishes. Rip had no desire to go to bed at 10:00, attitude be damned. If their parents really knew him, they'd know that he'd never been a morning person.
Their tour had ended with the game room, where everyone seemed to have gathered in the duo's absence. Ace was playing pool with Slam, or at least was attempting to. It seemed that the tasmanian devil had accidentally broken the cue ball, a feat which he was still babbling an apology over. Duck was playing pinball in the corner, buttons clacking with furious speed. His score was relatively low, so Rip assumed that the mallard had only just begun. It was either that or assume that Duck was bad at pinball; either was plausible. Tech and Rev were standing at a shooter game, each armed with their own imitation blaster.
"Get that one on the left, Rev!" Tech shouted, pulling the trigger on the blue plastic gun while he fired at the screen, "We're almost out!" Rip slowly gravitated toward the two, reading the game's title on the side of the arcade game. "Necropoly" was written in a font that looked as though it were bleeding, allowing the roadrunner to guess what the game was about. Sure enough, when he moved behind the Loonatics, they were in an ornate mansion filled with several blood-soaked zombies.
"That one looks a bit like the Monopoly guy." Rip pointed out, although the stout, monocle-wearing zombie was soon pumped full of virtual lead, "Erm… well, he used to, I guess." Rev and Tech were tearing through hordes of reanimated corpses, blowing them apart with professional precision. They must have played the game quite a few times, considering they seemed to know exactly where the zombies were going to pop out.
"A-few-thousand-more-points-and-we'll-set-a-new-high-score! Maybe-we'll-even-beat-it-this-time!" Rev said excitedly, firing the gun away from the screen so that he could reload. It was one of those rail-style games, where all you needed to do was aim and shoot quickly enough to stay alive; the game did all the moving for you. Kill totals and point scores went up, steadily rising with every maggot-infested corpse returned to eternal slumber.
A small break came up in the game, wherein their unseen characters finally backed out of the room and blocked off the door. Tech and Rev took a deep breath as one, holding their light guns at the ready while the scene shifted. As the characters backed up, the in-game creaking steadily grew louder, until a startlingly loud crash announced breaking of the floor beneath them. Unfortunately, the floors continued to break, until the game's protagonists had fallen into a subterranean cavern. However, they miraculously survived, considering the floor broke their fall. That and it was a video game, where logic and physics need not apply.
"I hate it when you guys get to that part," Duck said from across the room, pulling the firing mechanism on the pinball machine, "I always lose my groove."
"It'd help if you actually had a groove to start with, Duck." Ace quipped, grinning at the mallard before taking his next shot in pool. Rev and Tech ignored both comments, aiming back at the screen. It was time for the final boss.
"Ooh-I'm-so-excited-for-the-final-boss-do-you-think-we'll-be-able-to-defeat-the-boss-this-time-because-you-remember-how-tough-it-is-to-kill." Rev said, managing to say everything without stopping for breath.
"Well, hopefully," Tech responded, watching as the virtual ground started to quiver, "I mean, you can only lose to the same thing so many times." The roadrunner nodded, his younger brother watching intently. Even if he wasn't playing, watching them play through the game was relatively entertaining. Besides, there was no pressure on him to succeed. However, Tech and Rev were aiming for a new high score, which they'd never get unless they defeated the boss.
And what a boss it was.
The ground within the game slowly split, and out from the ground emerged an enormous maggot with large, claw-like legs. It was covered in several blood-red growths that rippled as it slithered across the tunnel. A horrid shriek escaped the creature's ghastly lips, rows of needle-like teeth quivering at the sound. For an arcade game, it had some incredibly realistic graphics. Rev and Tech both started firing at the beast, small bursts of fire colliding with the creature's face.
Things seemed rather familiar to Rip, as if he'd seen this game before. One of his friends was a master of light gun shooting games, and he always made a spectacle when he played. Had he seen how this game ended? He knew instinctively that this was the last fight; the boss was too crazy not to be. Then, it clicked. The real target in this fight wasn't the boss itself, but the wooden support beams in the tunnel.
"Tech! Shoot the beams supporting the ceiling!" Rip shouted, receiving a startled look from the coyote, "Just trust me; a friend of mine beat it before. Rev, you've gotta shoot those red boil thingies." The two older males looked at each other briefly, before following the young roadrunner's advice. True to the teen's word, the creature was slowly being repelled by Rev's firing, and copious amounts of dust issued from the ceiling where Tech was firing. After what felt like ages of weapons fire and reloading, the creature cried out in pain, bashing itself hard against the wall of the cavern.
The power of the impact caused the ceiling to crumble down upon the maggot-like monster, crushing it in a torrent of stone. To their surprise, the rest of the house they had been in fell upon it as well, ridding them of any other zombies they'd missed. After a few minutes of simply watching the destruction, a message in gold text appeared on screen.
"CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'VE BEATEN THE GAME!" The game announced in a surprisingly loud voice. Duck jumped in surprise from the corner, losing yet another game of pinball. Almost as suddenly, two large spurts of confetti erupted from the arcade game, fluttering down around Rev and Tech.
"HIGH SCORE!" The game shouted again, "ENTER INITIALS!" It was certainly bossy. Tech aimed at the screen, quickly entering in a T for his own name. Rev fired the second space until it changed into an R, leaving the third initial undecided.
"Maybe we should have put an ampersand in between them." Tech shrugged, rubbing his chin with the barrel of the plastic gun.
"Why-don't-we-put-in-another-R-for-Rip? After-all, we-probably-would've-lost-without-his-advice-and-I-guess-it's-the-least-we-can-do, right?" Rev asked, not really noticing how pleased his brother looked. Tech didn't notice either, but he consented, firing in Rip's initial as well. With the high score entered, the credits began to role, starting - oddly enough - with the voice actors. It seemed strange, considering there was very little dialogue… well, unless you counted moaning zombies and screaming monsters.
"We set a new high score on Necropoly! This calls for a celebration." Tech smiled, watching as the others slowly approached the arcade game. After seeing the score, they proceeded to congratulate their friends, although Duck's complement was backhanded.
"Does anyone wanna go get some drinks or somethin'? It ain't a celebration without snacks." Ace noted.
"Oh! I want a tequila with lemon zest and one of those little umbrellas." Duck piped up, receiving stares from all the others in the room. None of them were sure if he was being serious or making fun of Ace; with Duck, it really could have been anything.
"I'll do it." Rip spoke up, breaking the silence, "I may as well do something, right?" The others seemed to agree, giving the adolescent orders for drinks and snacks as if he was a waiter. Slam's order was the most difficult to understand, which was unfortunate considering the amount of food he was demanding. Rip attempted to make note of everything that had been asked, and proceeded to melt away into his shadow.
Above them, they could hear Rip open the refrigerator, and generally try to maneuver around the kitchen. Fortunately, nothing sounded like it was being destroyed, although he did seem to be having some trouble. Eventually, he returned to the room with his arms full of food. His right hand was barely keeping hold of a glass of what looked like apple juice.
"Here Slam." Rip wheezed, his skinny legs shaking from the stress of carrying all of Slam's food. The tasmanian devil was happy nonetheless, and proceeded to eat all the food right out of Rip's arms. It was probably the scariest thing the teenager had ever experienced in his life. At least he still had his arms. With all the food devoured, Slam took the glass of juice in a surprisingly gentle fashion, and lumbered off to the nearest chair to sit down. A relieved sigh left the adolescent, and he went back to the kitchen to fulfill everyone else's requests.
Several trips later, Rip had successfully provided each Loonatic with their snacks and beverages. The only one who still needed to be sated was Rip himself. Without further ado, he headed back upstairs, slipping through his shadow for convenience. It was easy enough to find the soda, and he found a bag of squashed birdseed muffins on the counter. His mother must've been bringing them when their car crashed. Shrugging, he took one of the flattened muffins anyway, and left the kitchen. He decided to actually walk this time, because there wasn't any rush to bring things back. Besides, they didn't need to wait for him to return to celebrate.
As he headed toward the game room, he managed to pick up faint echoes of the others talking. It wasn't the raucous celebration he'd been expecting, but then again, it was only a video game. He continued to walk, but stopped in his tracks when he heard his name. Quietly as he could, he sidled up next to the door, listening to the conversation the other Loonatics were having with one another.
"I just don't trust him." Ace said, his arms crossed over his chest.
"But-why-not? In-case-you-forgot-he-saved-all-our-lives-this-afternoon-and-I-dunno-about-you-but-I'm-glad-that-I'm-not-roasted-right-now." Rev argued for his brother, agitation evident in his speedy speech.
"Look, I know what he did today, and I'm thankful that he did it," Ace began, "But I just don't trust him. He wasn't being mind controlled when he broke into Tech's lab and stole that parasite. What's stopping him from doing something like that again?"
Rip felt crushed. He had felt that he didn't really belong, but he had no idea that the others thought of him as untrustworthy. It had only taken one foolish mistake half a year ago in order to break their trust. Repressing the urge to sigh, the teen entered the room, opening his can of soda and taking a sip. Even if they'd been talking about him behind his back, he would still try to enjoy himself. After all, he now planned to leave in the morning, and he may as well enjoy his last few hours in the tower, even if the others didn't like him.
The party was relatively short, as only Rev and Tech felt like celebrating. After about an hour, everyone left for their rooms, except for Rip. He'd left about 40 minutes before everyone else had, presumably to set up his stuff while he stayed with Rev. However, when Rev returned to his room, he found his brother trying to pack his suitcase. The teen wasn't doing a very good job, considering he still hadn't managed to close his luggage.
"Rip, what-are-you-doing? Well, I-know-what-you're-doing, but-why-are-you-doing-it? You-only-just-got-here-and-I-agree-with-Zadavia-that-you'd-be-a-huge-help-to-the-team." Rev said with concern. The teenager sighed, standing up to face his brother.
"Rev… do the others hate me?" Rip asked, his body language thoroughly conveying how dejected he felt.
"Why-would-you-think-that? I-always-thought-the-others-liked-you, especially-since-you-saved-their-butts-earlier-and-" Rev began, before his brother reached out and snapped his beak shut.
"Don't give me that crap, Rev. I heard what they were saying." Rip sighed, only sadness evident in his voice, "I'm just gonna go home. You guys don't need me anyway." With that said, he tried to close his suitcase again, and again, he failed. Rev was unsure of what to do. He'd never seen Rip this upset about something before; usually his brother stormed about and yelled a lot. Seeing him go about things quietly with a defeated attitude felt wrong. The older roadrunner walked over and patted his brother on the shoulder, gently turning his sibling toward him.
"Don't worry about what they said." Rev smiled, speaking at normal speed to ensure that his message got across, "You can't let something like that get you down; you've just gotta prove them wrong. That's a lot more satisfying than moping around, isn't it?" Rip pondered that for a moment, rubbing the tip of his beak with his index finger.
"Y'know, I had no idea you were such a good motivational speaker, Rev." Rip grinned, crossing his arms over his chest, "You're right. I can show them that I'd be good for the team. Thanks, Rev." He stood there awkwardly for a moment, before giving his brother a loose hug. The teen let go almost as soon as he embraced his brother, looking embarrassed.
"You tell anyone about that, and I'll maim you." Rip said, trying to look surly. His eyes gave away his feelings, however, and he was definitely glad.
"C'mon, it's-time-for-bed-and-I-know-mom's-not-gonna-be-happy-when-she-finds-out-you-stayed-up-past-your-bedtime." Rev smiled, gently punching his brother in the arm. Rip returned the gesture, sharing a smile with his brother. After a small brotherly scuffle, the two set about unpacking Rip's things, and making the teen's bed again. Neither of them wanted to share a bed.
There we are! Chapter 7 is complete! And I'm quite glad it is; it took way more time for me to write than it should have. That arcade scene also felt a little too long for me, but that's just me. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. :)
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