Samurai Pizza Cats A RADIATING EXPERIENCE ---- PART ONE Author: G.A. Wildcat Before we start, I want to mention something. There are those people (who will remain nameless for the time being) that believe that ALL of my fanfiction is bad instead of believing that SOME of it is. For those of you who think that, this one's for you, if you ever decided you wanted to bother with it. Last time on the SPC, the Rad-Cats managed to escape from the pit, but no one had any idea who was helping them....until now. Curtis has realized, after speaking with their rescuers, that the Rude Noise plan to seek assistance from the Pizza Cats in dealing with the Big Cheese (due to lack of money)! Quarter has made his announcement at this moment that he plans to nuke the city if his plans aren't dealt with. Yep, you got it...it's time for the final confrontation! --------------------- (We see Curtis and the Pizza Cats charging towards the nuclear silo at full steam. Before they even reach the main entrance, however, Curtis starts going slower) Guido: Hey, Curtis, what's going on? Curtis: (turns to the others as he moves) Let's just keep going, but only at half speed. We need to at least be able to have strength to fight. Guido: (looks at the others) You heard the kid. C'mon! (Everyone slows down a bit. In the distance, the brilliance of a signal flare hits the sky) Curtis: That's Teasy and the others. While we take on Quarter and the others, they'll sneak in and retrieve the power core and bring it back to the Pizza Parlor. If it works, we'll have taken down everyone the EASY way. Speedy: (puzzled) Easy way? What's the HARD way? Curtis: (shakes his head angrily) Trust me, Speedy, you don't want to know the answer to that question yet. Just keep on going. (Speedy looks at him, still puzzled, but then continues on) (Over in the silo, Quarter is giving last second orders to his men....er, animals....in the control room. It appears to be in an open area at the very top of the silo with a high transparent bubble to keep out precipitation, with the 4 walls surrounding them 5 feet high. Some snow has already gathered on top of the bubble) Blackout: (checking out the radar) Quarter, we've got incoming! 6 fast-moving blips coming from the southwest, and 4 more coming from the west! Quarter: (thinks for a moment) I have a pretty good idea who's all going to be showing up. (taps a few buttons on the console in front of him) I'll have my drones take on the Rad-Cats. I have a couple of extra plans to decommission Curtis and the SPC. Caner: Your plan being? Seymour: Tell us the plan! So far all you've done is babble! Quarter: (growls) Listen, everyone. The only passageway to where we are right now is filled to the brim with nuclear radiation. That will hinder their progress a bit. Next, we will join altogether and ultimately destroy them. Jerry: (snaps) Face it, Quarter. You're a walking cliche! Each time we hear those words "ultimately destroy" associated with the Pizza Cats, we always wind up losing! Flasher: True, but YOU TWO have never had enough resources or intelligence to carry out your plans to the fore. (looks at Quarter and smirks) Once Curtis and the Pizza Cats are defeated once and for all, we'll have all the power and supplies we need to overcome the rest of the world. Jerry: (shakes his head) You guys are just typical terrorists. We just want Little Tokyo. That's it. Flashdog: (snarls) Well, WE won't stop until Earth's in our grasp! Do you understand, old crow?? (Jerry takes his walking stick and smacks the canine's left hind foot with it. Quarter catches Flashdog on his way down as the latter one yelps a bit) Quarter: (coldly) That'll be enough out of everyone. (A red alert sounds in the control room) Quarter: (snaps his head towards the monitor) That must mean that Curtis and those Pizza Cats have reached the outer defenses! Everyone, get ready! (As the A.L.D. rush to do so, the Big Cheese and Jerry slip away and head downstairs) Seymour: (quietly) I can't stand those braggarts anymore. Let's go somewhere. Jerry: Like where? We're not allowed in the city. If anyone catches us around here, we'll be sent to Extras Island---or worse, sent up the river! We won't be able to make a living unless we leave this entire area! Seymour: (looks at Jerry) I'm not thinking THAT far in advance. Let's just wait by the fire escape. Jerry: I won't be able to drop a couple of feet to the ground, you know. These old bones of mine are a tad too old. Seymour: Just stay on my back, and I'll jump the rest of the way. I'll keep you safe. Jerry: (sarcastic) That's very reassuring. Seymour: (annoyed) C'mon, Jerry. Let's just GO. (Cut down to the main entrance of the silo. The heavy metal doors don't open, and refuse to open when Speedy knocks on them. Naturally.) Curtis: (grins) Let's try a different approach. Polly: So, what's the door made of? Curtis: Steel. Pure, solid steel. (chuckles) Won't stay solid for long. (enters his Quad-Strike sequence) (Everyone steps back) Curtis: (screams) ARRIVEDERCI!!! (Claw, eat your heart out. :) (Curtis releases the blast, and it pierces the door, goes straight through, and impacts and explodes against another door farther down the hall) Curtis: (grins) Bingo! C'mon, gang. Time to rock and roll! (Everyone charges down the hall, shoving the wreckage of the door out of the way. Meanwhile, opposite the main team, the 4 Rad-Cats have reached the back door. Teasy walks up to it) Teasy: Careful, bros. This door may be rigged. (grips the handle) Chico: (waves the comment off) Don't worry, Teasy. We're right behind you. Daniel: Literally. Teasy: (annoyed) Hush. (The door doesn't open) Teasy: (snarls) Blast. Locked! Guess I'll to carve our own way in. (Teasy raises the laser on his wrist and begins to cut his own entrance) Runner: So, what's the plan? Teasy: (hisses) Simple. We sneak in while Curtis and the others keep Quarter occupied, then we take the power core. Should prevent the launch. After we get the core, Daniel will race back to the pizza parlor, put it back inside, and rejoin with the Pizza Cats. Daniel: (looks at Chico) You're the electronics expert. Not me. Teasy: (looks at Daniel) Kid, you're the fastest one in the group. I could care less whether or not you're an expert in electronics. Chico: No, he's right. I'll go with him. (By this time, Teasy's laser has melted a hole in the door. The 4 cats dive through and continue their conversation, going down the hall) Daniel: Sure you can keep up? I'm going to have to breach the sound barrier. Chico: (laughs) Daniel, I didn't become a Rad-Cat on my good looks alone. If you can run fast, so can I. Runner: (does the same) C'mon, you guys, let's go. (The four continue on. After a few minutes, they are almost ready to go through an intersection) Teasy: Runner, how long has it been since we got Quarter's message? Runner: Oh, I'd say about 20 minutes. Why? Teasy: (shrugs) Just curious. I just wanted to make sure that we still have enough time to get the power core on back. Daniel: (grins) Well, that's----YIKES! (Daniel suddenly jumps backwards and falls against his brothers as gunfire blazes across the spot where he was seconds earlier) Teasy: (growls) What? Daniel: (gasps) Gunfire! Chico: (disbelieving) Huh? The A.L.D. were always the energetic type. Let me have a look. (Chico takes off his sunglasses and holds them at an angle. Sure enough, there are triangular-based gun turrets with a yellow roof on top of them, as reflected) Runner: Well, what are they? Chico: (thinks) Definitely gun turrets. They're guarding that intersection, and they'll waste us if we step into that hallway. (Teasy doesn't say anthing. He just stands there with a distant look on his eyes, and then snaps back to reality) Teasy: Guys, I know how we can get through this. Chico, Daniel, and Runner: (as U.S.S. Enterprise crewmen) Yes, Captain? Teasy: (snarls at the reference) Hush. Have any of you ever played Command & Conquer before? (The 3 cats look at one another, puzzled. Then, it hits them) Daniel: (raises a paw) I have, but the last time I played it was 8 months ago. I couldn't get past the first mission with the Orca, so I gave up on it altogether. Teasy: That's probably good enough. What kind of armaments can take out Guard Towers without getting damaged? (The 3 cats look at each other again, and then back at Teasy, who has an upset look on his face) Daniel: Um...long-range armaments? Like, say....artillery? Teasy: That's correct. Runner, how many grenades do you have on hand? Runner: (checks his arsenal) I have about 100 of those little bombs inside that bracelet. Teasy: (nods) Chico, is your needle launcher at full strength? Chico: (chuckles) As always, all 700 of them. I'm currently setting up for a Vladdie Impaled manuever. Teasy: (laughs) Good. Have at them! (Chico's needle launcher implodes, and the gigantic radioactive spike appears and lodges itself in a wall, blocking the view of the miniature Guard Towers. The four Rad-Cats dive across the short gap. The Guard Towers try to fire, but as the old saying goes, you can't fight what you can't see. However, this doesn't hold true to the Rad-Cats) Runner: (snaps) Here goes nothing. Hang on for the ride! (Runner taps a button on his bracelet, and a bomb, approximately the size of the eraser end of a pencil, drops into his left paw. As he hurls the bomb over the needle, everyone hits the floor. The resulting vaporization takes out not just the Guard Towers, but the spike as well. Chico's launcher reappears on his wrist) Runner: (chortles) Gotcha! Teasy: (looks at both paths) It's your call, bros. Do we go straight or make the right turn at Albuquerque? Runner: Straight. Daniel: Right turn. Chico: Straight. (Teasy looks undecisive. After a moment, he pulls a coin out of his jacket pocket. One side is scratched) Teasy: (to himself) Take a vacation, Two-Face. (to his brothers) Heads, we go straight. Tails, we take the right turn. Chico, call it. You win, and I'll give you a slice of cherry pie when we get home. Chico: Heads. (Teasy flips the coin. Lost in the glare of the lights, though, no one sees what happens to it) Runner: (seething) This better not be one of your trick coins, Teasy. Teasy: It's not! Honest! (Daniel, being the smallest of the four, climbs his way up Runner) Chico: (confused) Danny, what are you doing? Daniel: (looks at him, silencing further words) I'm trying to stand as lookout. (snarls) And don't call me Danny. Chico: (smirks, and shrugs his shoulder) Whatever. Runner: (snaps) Make it quick, Daniel. I'm strong, but my balance is virtually nil with someone standing on my head. Daniel: (whistling "Danger Zone", jumps off Runner's head and lands on top of Teasy) Teasy: (balance suddenly shaken) Hey, Daniel, get off! (Daniel stops whistling and jumps off Teasy's head. Angered, Teasy swats at him, causing the young cat to land on his OWN head) Teasy: (upset) Stop fooling around! We got a job to do, remember? Daniel: (moans) Ouch....(picks himself up and dusts off his jacket) Anyway, I found your coin. Runner: Where was it? Daniel: It landed heads on Teasy's hat. Chico: (to Teasy) Well, hats off to you, bro! The joke's on you! Teasy: (sighs) Why couldn't I have been an only child? Chico: Because Blackie and Aby's genes couldn't permit it. Teasy: (losing his temper) KEEP MOM AND DAD OUT OF THIS AND LET'S GO!!! Runner: (waving his paws apologetically) Ok, Teasy, you've made your point! Let's hit the road! (Daniel is about to say something else, but a look from Teasy shuts him up) (The hallway that gave them the option of turning right intersects another hallway. Down this corridor charges Curtis and the Pizza Cats) GB: Hey, guys! I think I smell something bad coming from the end of the hallway! Curtis: (nose tingling) Yeah, I smell it too. We have to keep going, though. Speedy: But--- Curtis: If it makes you feel bad, hold your noses! I'm not forfeiting the mission because of a room that was hit with a stink bomb! Guido: (annoyed) Curtis, just where did you pick up your ability to end arguments quicker than you can say Jackie Robinson? Curtis: Just something I picked up over time. As the years went by, I shortened argument times from 15 minutes to 20 seconds---- (At this point, everyone is in the bad-smelling antechamber) Curtis: (holding his nose) ----and by dat time, knot very many people wanted to ague with me. Francine: (doing the same) Iv you kept on doing dat, wouldn't it mag it hard for anyone to wad to speak with you? Curtis: (still) Only one person sed dat to me, but I could neva thig of a way to punish him widout hurding him. Speedy: (sounding like Groucho Marx) I have a mind to ring his doorbell and run. (Curtis and Francine let go of their noses in shock, and turn around to stare at Speedy) Curtis: (startled) Did I hear what I just thought I heard? Polly: (sounding like Chico Marx) I dunno, but if you hum a few bars, maybe he'll-a fake it. GB: (as Harpo Marx; caws his agreement) Guido: (like Zeppo Marx) I don't know, guys. They couldn't sing very well to begin with. Curtis: (groans) Well, I guess the gang's all here. Francine: (confused) Curtis, do YOU get what's going on? I don't. Curtis: (turns around and looks at her) If you tell me you don't know who the Marx Brothers were.... Francine: (shakes her head) I don't know who the Marx Brothers were. Curtis: (pounds a wall in frustration) Fran, the Marx Brothers were the greatest comedians of the 20s and 30s! How could you NOT know who those guys are? They had more gags, punchlines, and movies than you could copy on a diskette! Francine: (looks back at her teammates, then back at Curtis) So, now we're stuck with a bunch of idiots? Curtis: With the exception of Zeppo over there. (indicates Guido) (Everyone heads out of the antechamber) Speedy: (GM) If we ever get out of this, I'll never embark on a dangerous mission again. Metallic voices: Intruders, stop where you are! (Everyone looks up and spots a pair of robots in front of them, approximately Curtis's height and twirling katanas in front of them) Speedy: (GM; a bit hastily) On second thought, I think I'll go clean the crackers out of my bed. I'm expecting comany. (turns to leave) GB: (HM; grabs Speedy's tail and turns the cat's head towards the robot) Robot #1: If you do not leave immediately, we shall have to challenge you to a duel! Curtis: (shrugs his shoulders) Fine with me. (raises his iceinator and freezes both robots in their tracks) Polly: (CM) Oooh, vicious! Curtis: Something I picked up from one of Ford's old movies. (shoves the two robots, which shatter a second later, out of the way) C'mon, guys. Our mission is not over yet. (Switch to the Rad-Cats' perspective. They are still heading down the hallway. Finally, they approach a set of stairs) Chico: Finally. I was wondering when the hallway would end. (As they head up the stairs to the landing, 4 large cat-like machines jump out of nowhere and block their way. If you've seen the Swat Kats episode "A Bright and Shiny future", these machines look a lot like the robots from that episode, except with a heavier build, spiked armor, and small energy barrels on their shoulders. At that instant, they fire.) Teasy: (reflexively) JUMP! (Everyone jumps and dodges the blast, leaping off the landing back onto the first floor) Teasy: (growls) These look mean! Daniel: (sourly) No kidding, captain. Anything in our arsenal that'll deal with them quickly? (Everyone looks over their weaponry, then shakes their heads) Teasy: (looks grimly at his brothers) Guys, I know you don't like these odds---- (The robots fire again, and everyone takes shelter behind an unused computer terminal) Teasy: ----but unless any of you have an idea, we're going to have to go with our more vicious armaments! Daniel: (gasps) No! Not the Super-Rad-class Aerodynamics! I couldn't fight for weeks, remember? Chico: Quiet, Daniel! It's either the Aerodynamics, or the nuke! Teasy: (chuckles) If it weren't for the fact that you're lower on the scale than me, I'd think that was a very fine way of putting it. (Chico scowls, but there is no further reaction) (Teasy grabs his mace and attaches it to the top of his laser cannon, forming what looks like a ballistic missile launcher) Teasy: (suave, smooth) Like, Coolsville! (Chico makes the light reflect off his sunglasses onto his needler launcher. After a second, he rips it off his wrist and slaps it onto the back of his paw. In other words, a very hard form of brass knuckles) Chico: (same) I'm no echidna, but I'm just as great! (Daniel jams both flamethrowers into each other. The wrist-mounted machines become cannons capable of shooting lava) Daniel: (same) Hotcha! (Runner's bracelet glows white, as does his jacket. Within seconds, he becomes a lightning-quick wall of muscle) Runner: (same) Turbo Time! Teasy: (shakes his head) Enough with the cliches. Just pick your man...er, robot, and go! (This doesn't seem to be a problem. Chico, Daniel, and Runner decide to take on the ones on the left side, leaving only the leader for Teasy) Teasy: (shrugs) Oh, well. Let's see what this baby can do! (Stepping out of cover, Teasy raises the launcher and fires a long, purple-colored projectile, with the tip glowing with energy. The missile hits the robot and promptly causes it to overload and explode....taking a portion of Teasy's energy with it. The Rad-Cat staggers, but manages to keep his footing) (Chico, meanwhile, is in the middle of a tango with a robot, dodging fire as best he can. Finally, deciding he's had enough, he leaps up) Chico: (yelling) Heads up, handsome, because I'm blasting YOURS off! (Chico throws a vicious left jab at the robot that sends its head ricocheting off walls. The blasters on the shoulders, meanwhile, are still firing) Chico: (hisses) What does a Rad-Cat have to do? (throws a sound wave courtesy his amplifier at the robot) (The second robot finally powers down) (Daniel is dodging fire, as well. Suddenly, there's a break in his momentum, and a stray laser hits Daniel's right shoulder) Daniel: (quietly) Blast it.....(screams)....YOU....JERK...!!! (With a yell, the Rad-Cat [or rather, kitten] throws both lava cannons in the robot and switches them on....and almost as quickly shutting them off as the robot disintegrates itself from the inside out) (Runner is escaping laser fire, but doing it without even breaking a sweat. He knocks the robot off its feet with a swipe at the knee, and, then, when the robot gets up, decapitates it from the chest on up with a savage uppercut) (The Rad-Cats survey the damage. Several pieces of scattered electronics lay around the floor, and sparks are still flying) Teasy: (his weaponry going back to normal) That was cold, Chico. Chico: (laughs) You didn't know I liked the Thing, did you? Teasy: (shrugs) I guess not. Come on. Let's go. (The Rad-Cats go up the stairs and begin their search for the power core. They open a door and walk into the first room on their left) Runner: Do you really expect to find the power core in a room full of TV screens? Chico: Funny. (British accented) We are in a surveillance room, are we not? Teasy: Cute, Chico. Let's see what we can scope out. Search around and see what you can find. (After a few precious minutes, the search has come up nearly empty.) Daniel: Only thing I found was a digital clock that read "2:08:02.45". Teasy: (nods) Must be the amount of time we have left before Little Tokyo races into oblivion. What about the rest of you? Chico? Chico: I scanned the contents of a diskette and found Quarter's plans for the next 2 months. Mostly involves the bombing of a dozen of the largest cities around the planet, 2 on each of the 6 major continents. Teasy: (shakes his head) Typical terrorist. All I could find was a CD of shareware contents. Runner? How about you? (A grinning Runner holds up a rectangular piece of metal that looks as if it has been severed from its central source) Teasy: (grins happily) You found the power core? But....(voice trails off) Daniel: (frowns) I think we've underestimated Quarter. Either that, or it's the wrong core. Runner: (shakes his head, still smiling) All these years of looking over Chico's shoulder as he read his electronics booklets have paid off. Chico: (laughing) Why, you little.... Teasy: Well, why isn't the power off on the silo? Daniel: Quarter must've found a couple of backup generators somewhere. If we have the power core for the Pizza Cats parlor, then it's the only explaination that makes sense. Teasy: (laughs) Well, we've cut some of the wires on the Legion's bomb. Let's get this thing back to the pizza parlor and see if we can cut the rest. (The Rad-Cats race back down the stairs the way they came and out the back door, running at full steam back to Little Tokyo) (Upstairs in the control room, Quarter looks over his group and smiles.) Quarter: We're making this a little too easy for them. What do you say we play our trump card? Flashdog: (grins, then snickers) Good. The hand's in our favor now! Quarter: (chuckles) You bet. (slaps a twin set of levers) (The time immediately changes from just over two hours to one hour) Quarter: (laughing to himself) Mr. Burns would've loved me! (Out on the roads of the city...) Chico: I guess Quarter thought we wouldn't look inside a surveillance room for a central power source. He probably assumed we'd look in some of the more important rooms of the silo, like the control room. Teasy: Yeah, but I don't think he thought we were stupid enough to look inside one of those rooms. Runner: That's true..... All: We ARE that stupid! (The Rad-cats burst out laughing. By this time, they've reached the outskirts of the city. Turning on the turbo-jets, they reach the parlor in seconds) (The parlor looks the same as Curtis and the others had left it. Teasy raises his laser, but stops when he sees a black shadow inside) Teasy: Let's not get in there. I think I see someone in there. Could be Blackout. Runner: And since when did you get so suspicious? Blackout couldn't be in there. Teasy: (shakes his head) Doesn't hurt to make sure. (A familiar voice is heard from inside the parlor) Voice: Hey guys, come in! The window's open! Daniel: (recognizing the voice) Ambush Cat, why'd you leave the window open? It's cold out here! Ambush Cat: Then why don't you come in? And go on and install that power core while you're at it! (The Rad-Cats exchange puzzled glances, then squeeze through the window) Teasy: How'd you know we had the core? Ambush Cat: (chortles) Oh, come on! After the power came on the pizza parlor a second ago, who else could it be but the Rad-Cats? Chico: Huh? I don't get it. Ambush Cat: I can't explain it, but I think the power core has a magnetic connection to the parlor's computer. Without the core, the computer can't function. Runner: Let's not get technical. We've got a job to do, and we've got less than 2 hours to get the job done. (The 4 Rad-Cats charge down the hidden staircase. Meanwhile, in the kitchen....) Ambush Cat: Those people are weird. (flips on the television) Female voice: So are Quarter and his legion. (Aldonza walks into the kitchen, dusting off her winter jacket) Ambush Cat: And what brings you here? Aldonza: Carlos Cosmos just did a scan from his fighter on the nuclear missile silo. Quarter lied when he said he was giving us 3 hours. He's only giving us 2! Ambush Cat: (drops the remote control and hisses) Blast it. If it's the last thing I do, I want to kick Quarter's tail off the planet. That's how mad I am! Aldonza: (smiles) No doubt. What about you? (frowns) What are you doing, watching episodes of Dilbert while the rest of us are struggling? Ambush Cat: I'm waiting for the final ambush. If Quarter tries to retreat into the city, I have a couple of others waiting to unleash the trap. Aldonza: (laughs) Can I join you? Ambush Cat: (hisses) Out in the cold, yes. In here and conscious, no. Aldonza: (snarls at him, then turns her back on him) Suit yourself, freak. (leaves the kitchen and dives back out the window) (Back at the silo, Curtis and the others are standing in front of another door, this one twice as heavily armored) Polly: (CM) Whatsa it made of? Curtis: I'm guessing some form of armor stronger than titanium. Quarter's hiding in here, no doubt about it. Speedy: (GM; grins) Well, let's lay down the mat and tell him he's not welcome, shall we? Curtis: Great minds think alike. Harpo---I mean, GB, would you mind cutting down this door? (GB simply nods his head and motions for everyone to get out of the way. When they do, he jumps into his Worc's Fire sequence. Without even a yell, he heaves the beam at the door, ripping it apart) Curtis: (thoughtful) Hmm...maybe he could do an attack in mime. Guido: (ZM) That's a likely possibility, you know. (Everyone enters the control room chamber. Dials and controls of all kinds light up the room, including a timer on the far side of the room. Suspicious, Curtis runs up to it) Curtis: (looks at the timer, disbelieving) What...?! We have 48 minutes left! There's no way we could've taken 2 hours just to get up here! Voice: You're right. It DIDN'T take that long. (Quarter and the A.L.D. step out from a hidden door on the far side of the room) Quarter: We decided to shorten the time amount. Flashdog and I had decided that we were making things too easy for you, so we decided to turn things in our favor. Curtis: (hisses) Why, you irresponsible, mangy canines! If it's the last thing I ever do, I'm going to---- Caner: Save the smooth talk for the upcoming battle, Curtis. Trust us; you'll need every bit of energy you have. (Another door open, and 5 huge machines roll on in. They look like gigantic, metallic wolverenes. Each one has metallic claws and teeth, and a laser cannon right in the mouth. As they walk towards our team, they shoot lasers, scattering everyone) Francine: (assessing the situation) Everyone, we'll do a 1-on-1! Choose your target and go! (Speedy, Guido, Polly, GB, and Curtis each charge a beast and begin to do battle with it) Speedy: (GM; dodges a set of claws) Really, now, there's no need to drive the point home! (slices off a few claws with his sword) Guido: (ZM; does the same) I don't think this is a decent time for doing this, you know.... Polly: (CM; unleashing a series of blows that drive the robot back, but don't destroy it) Come on, Mista Beast! If you had half the brains of me, you'd be heading for the junka-yard right now! GB: (HM; lashes his sword at a wolverene's laser cannon, slicing it off) Curtis: ***raspberry*** Come on, catch me! I dare you to even TRY! (The wolverene does, and Curtis simply jumps over it and punches it in the back. The robot staggers, but keeps its footing) (Francine, meanwhile, is standing by herself. She hasn't been doing any fighting) Francine: (She spots Quarter and the Legionaires, edging towards the fight) Francine: (jumps into her Ion Cannon sequence) Quarter: (snaps at his team) Everyone, get on back, and get on DOWN! (The bad guys dive back a couple of meters and hit the ground. Francine's Ion Cannon shot hits the robot that Speedy's been fighting, blowing to smithereens) Guido: (ZM) Good idea! (revs up his Firebat sequence) Polly: (CM) Here goes nothing! (commences her Heart Breaker sequence) Curtis: (his sword begins glowing) GB: (HM; starts his Worc's Fire sequence once more) (After powering up their respective blasts, the SPC lunge at the robots, destroying them and sending them flying in an explosive burst of debris. When Curtis's sword glows white, he throws it at the last robot. The attack slices through the robot's chest, and it slumps to the ground and follows the path of its counterparts. After the explosions die down, Curtis retrieves his sword, then turns around and looks straight at Quarter) Curtis: (snarls) It's not over yet, Quarter. Blackout: Just a personal opinion, Curtis, but I think you're a dozen eggs short of a full carton. Francine: (shouts at him) That was lame, Blackout! That was just LAME! Blackout: Lamer than your Fists of Death, as I like calling them? Francine: (snaps) That's SEMI-DEADLY FORCE to you, smart guy! (The good guys and the bad guys quiet down and stare at each other for a few moments, not noticing the time on the counter hitting 32 minutes) (Outside the silo, the Big Cheese and Jerry have just made it down off the fire escape) Seymour: I don't know why, Jerry, but I think I'm having bad vibes. What do you say that we leave this joint? Jerry: Don't run. I can't keep up. Seymour: (irritated) If I had a car, I'd drive it, but I don't, so we're just going to have to walk as fast as we can. Jerry: Oh, well. Suit yourself. (The two of them starting walking as fast as they can towards Mount Coochie) ---------------------------------- To be continued.......