Disclaimer: I don't own the Biker Mice, Charlie, Carbine, Rimfire, Brie, Limburger, or Karbunkle. I do, however, own Mari, Mandy, Turbo, and Ice. I make no money from this writing and do so for my own enjoyment and that of other BMFM fans.

This is the first story in the Mari series and tells how she met the Biker Mice and formed an alliance with them.

Read, enjoy, and E-Mail me with your feelings about this story.

                                                 A Meeting of Minds 
                                        (C) 1/10/1999 All Rights Reserved
                                                    By Goldenmane
                                                ***********************

     The sun high above made Mari squint as she crossed the parking lot in a solemn march. A plastic bag banged painfully against her left hip. She shifted it, but to no avail. Mari ducked into a side alley and kriss crossed the narrow paths with the silence and agility of a mouse. She came to a small junkyard, filled with all manners of objects. Mari picked her way carefully, for Mandy had planned the mother of all alarms. One false move, and there would be enough noise to wake the entire solar system. Or so Mandy had told her.
     At the back door, Mari turned the knob. The door did not open as she expected. Instead, she filched inside her vest pocket to produce the spare key. Her roommate never kept the door locked. Unless . . .
     Mari burst in, package in one hand, a sleek laser in the other. The interior of her home away from home lay in deep shadows. At first glance, everything seemed normal, if a bit void of life. She strained her sensitive hearing, but could detect no sounds, save the beating of her heart.
     "Mandy?" she called cautiously. Upon no response, she aimed her query at one she knew had to be there. "Ice, what happened?"
     Since her childhood, Mari had always had a good rapport with her bike. Not that at twenty-seven, she would call herself an old maid. She seemed to have the uncanny ability of reading her bike like a book, along with other talents she seemed to have developed.
     Blazing with the speed intoned by her colors, Ice screeched around a corner. The sun glinted off the lemon-colored lightning bolts, dancing across the bikes sky-blue surface, causing a sort of glowing effect. Mari had always considered her AI bike to be just as personable as any being she had known.
     Ice screeched to a halt in front of her rider, a note taped to her seat. Mari laid the package on a nearby table, and palmed the note. The note had been plain, simple, and to the point: 'Mari, Gone to check on unusual activities at the Monument, meet me at the Dunes, I'll fill you in. Mandy'
     Mari tucked the note in her pocket and checked her laser. If there's activity at the Monument, then something unpleasant that reeked of offworlders, should come to pass. She grabbed her helmet, and plopped it atop her head. "Locked and loaded and ready to roll," she mumbled. This phrase almost her mantra, she used it so much.
     Astride Ice, she fired her bike's engines, and punched a button before her. The main door to the Changing Times garage slid effortlessly open. Mari rared her bike before heading out into the blinding light and her destination.
                                                                  #
     When Mari arrived, she saw Mandy propped against her ride, eyes closed. "Took you long enough," Mandy said.
     "I'm here now. So?" Mari asked. "Where's the fire?"
     Mandy gestured behind her. "The fire headed west. No idea where, but every Dune Ranger had to be present."
     Not all, Mari thought with a glint in her eye. She knew what the piles of twisted metal stood for. Her victories over an invasion which could easily bring about an end to the Earth. "How long ago?" Mari asked after a brief silence.
     "Near an hour ago. Got word over the CB of traffic jams near the Monument. I knew that could only mean Brie planned a major assault somewhere."
     Mari gunned Ice's engines. "I'll scout a fair radius. Don't wait up for me, but keep an ear to the sky in case I need help."
     Mandy merely nodded, watching Mari's rapidly shrinking form through the cloud of dust and debris. She kicked her own bike into gear and headed in the opposite direction back to her garage.
                                                                     #
     Mari tried to figure out why that piece of curdled cheese, by the name of Brie wanted in the west? The next major city over would be Chicago. What could he possibly find more interesting than Detroit? Back home there would be more metal for him to use than anyone could shake a tail at.
     She wove traffic as much as she could, as still remain within the law. She pressed the boundary of the speed limit, not even scratching the true speed of her bike. Mari punched up her station and kicked out the jams until she came to the Chicago off ramp. She had seen no sign Brie had left the interstate and could still see no sign of the stinkfish. Mari lowered the volume and punched up Ice's onboard monitor. She did not have to wait long to find blips of activity to the north east.
     A faint rumble brought her attention to the distant skyline. She picked a route that would bring her to the edge of the disturbance. If Brie did attack another city, it would be her solemn duty to protect it as well. Though she seriously wondered if she could protect two cities at once.
     Nearing the roaring of engines, and the cracks and hisses of lazerfire, Mari chose a particularly grand skyscraper to view the activity below. Mari punched a button and brought Ice around, rearing, she raced up the side of the building, and stopped. She perched Ice's front tire on the roof's edge ridge and surveyed the streets below. She made mental note of Brie's Dune Rangers and how they seemed to have encountered an armed force surprisingly similar to his. No other local opposition seemed to be present. Mari folded her arms across her chest and waited. If someone else could cream Brie's cheese, then she would let them.
     "What the . . . ?" Mari gasped, her watch cut short.
     She fired Ice's engines and roared down the opposite side of the building. On street level once again, she drew her laser and fired at the Dune Rangers, the others she ignored. Why fight possible allies, she thought. Mari blasted left and right, all shots made their intended targets. She laughed as Ranger after Ranger hobbled away, singed, but alive. She would never kill her opponents, no matter who they would be.
     Ahead sat a biker on a machine much like hers, though his bike sported bright red paint. She watched in horror as twin beams, one from a Dune Ranger buggie, and one from those who fought Brie's army, struck a building behind him. Mari shouted, knowing the falling debris would burry the biker before he could have any chance of escape. She screeched Ice to a halt in front of the rubble, and promptly set Ice to protect them.
     "Tail Bail number six, and don't spare the lasers," Mari said, digging through the bricks. Her bike beeped once then set off a hail of missiles and laser fire.
     Mari continued to dig, fear driving her on. She at last found her mystery biker, who turned out to be a white-furred mouse, judging by his broken tail. She undid his helmet and gasped. He truly looked like a mouse, and sporting an old war wound, judging by his face plate. Mari assessed the damage, broken bones, cracked ribs, cuts and bruises some of which would need immediate binding. "Honey, just be glad you wore a helmet, or things might have been a heck of a lot worse."
     She dragged him to a safer place, using Ice as cover. She did not trust the openness of the area, nor the smoking building. No sooner had she stopped, then another section of wall fell, burying the spot she once stood. Mari rose, and removed a medkit from Ice's storage compartment. She began to bind his ribs, and arm, when he began to rouse. When he asked about others she did not press who, just reassured him he lay out of harms way, and these 'others' could handle themselves. Mari gave him a shot of relaxant, and waited for the drug to take effect.
     Once he slept soundly, she went back for his bike. The further collapse of the building had done greater damage to his bike. There would be no way for anyone to use the machine until it had been repaired. Mari doubted anyone could fix the bike, not even Mandy was that good. She dragged the beaten bike back to Ice.
     "Send out a distress call to other Martian bikes, generic code only." Ice beeped once.
     Mari hesitated before removing her helmet. She shook her long mane of pale grey hair, her ice blue eyes watchful of trouble while checking the bandages. She put his helmet on his head for safety.
     Mari looked up as Ice began to beep frantically. She could see two bikes heading fast toward her. She replaced her helmet and rose. "Thanks, Ice."
     The bike revved once then stilled. It had been times like this Mari had been glad Mandy fashioned her a new helmet. People in Detroit seemed not to like her nonhuman looks. She wondered if these mice had the same problems.
     Mari winced as she stepped back, banging her shin painfully on a piece of debris. She watched the lead bike, a classic black Harley, slide in beside Ice. An older blue-violet low-rider pulled in not far behind.
     "What happened?" the lead biker asked.
     Mari motioned for Ice to back up once she noted the tails of the two bikers. She unwound her tail from her leg, a habit she had adopted to attract a little less attention, and grabbed the white mouse. She eased him onto her bike. "Save the intro's for later. He needs medical attention now."
     Carefully she slid in behind him, propping the heels of his boots on Ice's footrests, pinning them with her own. His hands she let drape over her bike's handles and prayed this would work. "Let's get out of here. Now. Take us to wherever he can get help," Mari snapped.
     "That'd be the Last Chance - " the lead biker began.
     "Any where'd be better than here. Let's bail," Mari said, turning to Ice. "Honey, just stay on their tails."
     The lead biker turned, motioning for the other, a tall, muscular grey-furred mouse, to collect the fallen bike. Once the damaged bike had been secured, the lead biker fired his bike's engines, turning."Let's ride," he said.
    In a cloud of dust and debris, they set off, chaos echoing in their wake.
                                                                #
    Now, Mari thought, introductions could begin. These bikers seemed familiar, as if she'd heard about them before. She would wait until later to ask. Right now her stomach rumbled fiercely. They sat around a small table, her two kinsmen and her, waiting for news about the third mouse. Everyone too tense to act. The lead biker, Throttle, had procured a tray of hot dogs while Modo collected the root beer, once they found their bro would be all right.
     "How long have you been on Earth?" Throttle asked, another dog going down the hatch.
     "A little over 10 years," Mari took a swig of root beer, half grimacing. Not her usual choice of drink.
     Throttle whistled.  "We've been on Earth only four years. That's a long time."
     Mari rubbed her left knee unconsciously. "First I heard of mice on Earth. I came here on account of Brie. When he took all of his Dune Rangers, I knew it would only be trouble."
     "How'd you get to Earth?" Charlie asked as she propped herself in the doorway, a silent nod Mari took as encouraging.
     "It's a long story. But aren't they all?" Mari paused. "The whole affair begins a few months before I arrived here. Just outside the city of Monument. You boys probably remember the area," Mari said.
     Throttle nodded slowly. "That's where the army kept their heavy artillery, right?"
     " 'Used to' is the key word. I was part of Rock's unit stationed in Monument. Mars knew Plutarkians had  returned and set up a small base near there. We had been the advance guard to keep Mars safe.
     "Unfortunately those stinkfish took us by surprise. Monument suffered heavy damage before we could get out. The Plutarkians had us out manned and out gunned. But we fought on. Most of us had friends or family there." Mari lowered her head.
     Modo laid a hand on hers. "You had family?"
     Mari nodded. "Two kids. My mate Turbo fought with us. We knew there would be no way to save Monument, so Rock decided to charge the remaining Plutarkian defense. If they shot at us, then if anyone survived in Monument, they could escape."
     "Man," Throttle said. "War is rough."
     "Yeah," Mari said. "Only a few of us survived, returning to base. The Leaders awarded us a medal of valor for surviving against the odds. None of us wanted it, but we couldn't refuse. We decided to honor Rock's memory and decided to become our own unit called the Rockers."
     Charlie shifted positions, walking to join the trio. "What happened to your children?"
     "No one survived Monument," Mari solemnly said.
     "That's bad," Charlie said. "I'm sorry."
     Mari shook her head. "Turbo couldn't accept it. He wanted to comb every inch of Monument. The government placed the city off limits. We obeyed, begrudgingly.
     "Then, one day, the Plutarkians struck our unit. They took me and Ice. When I awoke on one of their cutters, I promptly persuaded the pilot and crew to let me take their ship for a spin." The gleam in Mari's eyes told much. Throttle and Modo had to smile at the thought.
     "I tried to get back, but by then the Plutarkians had spread word I was out there. I caught a piece of news report, Plutarkian style, that I had been killed while trying to escape. I tried to warn Turbo, but they jammed the radio," Mari continued. "You boys' musta left Mars before all of that happened."
    "We  kinda hopped a ride in a Cyclodrone we found functional," Modo said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.  "And those fish faces drove us off.  We roamed the galaxy and tried to return, but they shot us down over Chi-town."
     "We have contact with Mars, on and off," Throttle said. "Carbine, Rimfire, and Stoker have dropped by."
     Modo smiled slyly. "Or crashed by."
     "Let them know next time, please. I want the group to know I'm alive and well. Ten years is a long time."
     Throttle nodded. "We will. But how did you get to Earth? Shot down by the Plutarkians over Detroit?"
     "Close, but no. Over New Orleans. I guided the ship toward a swampy area. Ice and I survived, banged and bruised. We were almost lunch for a local creature, but a kind old man saved us," Mari said, a fond smile gracing her features.
     "He took us in, no questions asked," Mari continued. "Patched up Ice right and fine, me too. He did not seem concerned I didn't look human. That was when I found out about Gerard Gruyere. I've had my eye on him, until one day he packed up and headed north. I bid my first friend goodbye and followed."
     "We've met Gruyere before. Ought to pay him a visit once we get Limburger out of the way," Modo said. "Thought we did once, but the stinkfish seems to have more lives than a catfish."
     Mari slowly nodded. "I lost sight of Gruyere and ended up in Detroit. I learned a meeting of the local Plutarkians had been slated to be held in Detroit. That is, until Brie came down with a suspicious case of slimeworm salmonella.
     "In any case, I met a mechanic named Mandy Takanoru who took me in. Seems she'd been watching Brie for months, trying to find a way to expose him. Along come Ice and me, and her problems are over," Mari said, leaning back. "As I said, Brie came here, I followed, and a good thing I did, or Vinnie would be history right now."
     "Now there are mice to watch Plutarkians on both ends," Modo said, downing the last root beer.
     Throttle began to agree when muffled explosions brought them to their feet. "We're down one. Vinnie won't be joining us on this one," he said instead.
     "What about me? I can fill his place," Mari said. "I may not know Chicago as well as I do Detroit, but I can still whip tail with the best of 'em."
     "Why not?" Charlie said when Throttle began to protest. "We'll be fine here."
     Throttle hesitated only a breath. "It's settled then," he said, half leading the charge to the bikes.
     Mari sprinted to Ice, leaping into the seat. She nearly punched the door remote before remembering this was not her base. She fired Ice's engines instead, waiting for their next move.
     "Let's rock," Throttle said suddenly. Modo joined in for the latter, "And ride."
     Mari took off, slightly behind them. "Let's rock 'em 'till we drop 'em," she softly intoned, keeping her energetic laugh to herself.
                                                                   #
     Mari formed the crux of the 'V' formation as the trio blazed a trail down the street. As Throttle had informed her, innocents usually deserted the streets at the first sign of a firefight. Stragglers from Limburger's goon army, however, had been fair targets.
     Ahead lay a tower of a different construct than the rest. The insignia at the top bore a large 'L' and small 'P', the bottom of the 'L' seemed styled as a fish. Mari thought this must obviously be the residence of Chi-town's Plutarkian. She punched up her monitor. Throttle and Modo may know the layout of Limburger Tower by heart, but to her this was virgin territory.
     Mari had to softly chuckle to herself as the guys seemed quite content to blaze a trail straight through the city. She selected her targets with pinpoint accuracy, wasting no shots.
     "Guys. Lotsa activity on the roof. I'll scout," Mari said at last.
     "Gotcha, Mari," she could hear Throttle say over her helmet's radio, though he now lay far out of sight. "We'll check things below."
     Mari kicked Ice into overdrive, overpassing Throttle and Modo. Up the side of Limburger Tower she raced, easing back on the speed. She cleared the roof by several good feet and landed behind Brie and another portly fellow dressed in a purple suit. Ice's tires screeched horrendously on the concrete, leaving marks.
     "Hold it Brie," Mari said, laser trained on Detroit's local Plutarkian. She held a second laser on the other man, figuring he must be Limburger.
     "You!" Brie nearly shrieked, before calming. "Well, well, if it isn't my old awch-wival fwom Detwoit."
     The man Brie had a laser trained on intoned in a very earnest reaction to surprisingly bad news: "What! They must be everywhere. Is there no rest for a Plutarkian?"
     "Not for you two. Nor the others, so long as there are mice here to protect the Earth," Mari said, easing her leg onto Ice's footrest to ease her knee. "I figured you must be Limburger. I could smell both of you from here."
     A faint whizzing turned her attention from the Plutarkians to a new threat. She ducked as an object sped dangerously close to her shoulder. The second object impacted with her shoulder, imbedding itself deeply into her flesh. She winced and pulled it out with her tail. "Of all the cheese that comes my way."
     "Ah. A subject at last," she heard from behind.
     "Karbunkle," Mari spat, ice edging her voice. "I shoulda known." A sadistic laugh. "One of my earlier patients, perhaps?"
     "No such luck, doc," Mari said. "But your reputation for harming mice is well known on Mars."
     She put a hand to her helmet, grimacing as her grip began to falter. A sudden numbness seemed to spread to her hands and side, migrating to her left side and knees. Her head ached wickedly. Both lasers dropped with a thud as she grabbed hold of her sides, gasping for breath.
     "Hmmmm. She should have been paralyzed by now, your portly richness. See how Brie stands motionless."
     Mari glanced up through the haze of shock to see Brie completely motionless, his laser now pointed at him.
     "I guess, my dear doctor, your formula suited best against another adversary. However he is one of my own kind." Limburgers tone changed for the worst. "There had better be a serum"
     "Ah," Karbunkle said. "There is no need, my cream cheesiness. The effects will wear off in two hours for Brie. For our guest mouse, who can tell?"
     Mari's stomach turned cold at the gleeful chuckle from Karbunkle. 'Great,' she thought. 'As if everything else wasn't bad enough.' She did manage to punch a small button, but no more as the world began to swim. She closed her eyes and let her chin drop to her chest. 'Someone just get here on time.'
     At the revving of a familiar engine, Mari tried to look up, but all of her strength had been sapped. Mandy? But the flash of red and white told other.
     "Mari..sweetheart..what happened? Karbunkle," Vinnie growled the last word out.
     "I am so disappointed," Karbunkle said. "I had been told you had met an unfortunate demise."
     "You forget, doc. Mice have macho metabolisms. We heal quite quickly," Vinnie said. Mari noticed an edge of pain to his voice.
     "Boy..we make a great pair," Mari wheezed through clenched teeth. "A coupla used...and abused...mice."
     Mari could hear scraping sounds coming from in front of them, and tensed inside. In her current condition she would be the literal 'sitting duck' for whatever Limburger had planned for them.
     "Don't worry, sweetheart," Vinnie said in a whisper. "I'll take care of you. Same as you did for me."
     "Anytime," Mari said softly. She could hear footsteps retreating then advancing. Mari tried to note the positions of the sounds to what she remembered of the layout of the roof. Her heart did a double take when she noticed out of the corner of her eye a sudden movement in red. She managed to look up and see a forlorn expression on Vinnie's face as he edged his bike closer to hers. She closed her eyes, lowering her head. Mari could feel his leg brush against hers.
     "Don't worry. Throttle and Modo should be here any minute now," Vinnie said. "I hope."
     "Now," Limburger began. "You can begin your tests. We seemed to have acquired a couple of 'willing subjects'."
     Mari could feel Vinnie shift positions. "In your dreams, lardbutt."
     "Now, now, my dear mouse. Why all the hostilities?" Limburger said, feigning surprise.
     Mari could sense the wicked grin on his face.
     "In your dreams," Vinnie growled.
     Mari heard movement and tensed. She felt Vinnie's arm go around her waist. She knew deep inside they could never escape alone. Not in their current conditions.
     "Oh, man," Vinnie whispered. "Where are the guys?"
     "It seems, my dear guests," Limburger said, "That you two are all alone. I can see the fight has ended down below."
     Mari strained her hearing. Indeed she could not hear the battle which had been but a background sound to her. Could the guys have lost under the combined firepower of Brie's and Limburger's army? Even if the two Plutarkians unwittingly helped one another.
     "Don't count on it, cheese face," Vinnie said. Mari could sense the smile on his face. "The Biker Mice are not so easily defeated."
     Mari inwardly smiled. She knew they seemed familiar, and she had been proved right. Her confidence soared anew.
     "If they did, survive, then where are they?" Limburger asked.
     Mari could hear movement some distance before her, and feel Vinnie's arm tighten about her waist.
     On the opposite side of the building, Mari heard the gunning of a pair of engines. She could feel Vinnie's leg twitch, just as her arm tried to do. 'Curse inaction,' she thought.
     "Told ya the guys would make it. The Biker Mice are back," Vinnie said. He tried to give an energetic laugh, but cut short. Mari could hear the pain in his voice. "Stupid ribs."
     "Time for action," she heard Throttle say. "Let's kick it."
     Mari let the sound of lazerfire ease her queasy stomach. Cringing inwardly to the unexpected laser blast emanating beside her helmet.
     "Said I'd protect ya," Vinnie said.
     Mari said nothing, weakness preventing her from complaining when she heard Vinnie back his bike up. She settled when a pair of muscular arms took her on either side.
     "Hang on," she heard Throttle say.
     "She's gonna blow," Modo said from her right. The arm on her left shifted suddenly, moments before a faint beep. Explosions began to rock the building in answer.
     The three of them exited posthaste, Vinnie waiting below. Some distance away they paused. Mari looked up to see the last few clouds of dust settle where Limburger tower once sat.
     "Let's see," Vinnie began. "What number is that for Limburger?"
     "Can he even count that high?" Modo chuckled.
     Throttle seemed subdued. "At least he'll be off our tails for a few days while he regroups. Let's head back to the Last Chance and get cleaned up."
     Their victory done, the quartet headed for home.
                                                                   #
     "Glad to see you're feeling better," Modo said, helping Mari to her feet.
     "I'm just glad whatever Karbunkle had put on the dart wore off with no more side effects," Mari said, her head still pounding out a steady rhythm. "Mandy'll be worried if I don't get back."
     Throttle laid a hand on her shoulder. "Feel up to the long ride?"
     Mari nodded. "I hate to go, but I gotta get back. Brie'll head back to Detroit once he unfreezes."
     "We understand," Throttle said. "Just don't stay a stranger."
     "I won't," Mari said walking to the door. "You boys are welcomed anytime in Detroit, ok?"
     Modo smiled. "Mutual aid."
     Mari returned the smile. As she passed through the doorway, she could hear Vinnie talking, punctuating his sentences with chuckles.
     "You shoulda seen it, Charlie-girl. It was beautiful," Vinnie said.
     "I can just imagine," she replied with mock sarcasm.
     Mari grabbed her helmet and walked to Ice. She turned, a big grin on her face. "It was fun, guys. But time for me to ride."
     "Will ya ever come back?" Vinnie asked, throwing icy looks to Throttle and Modo when the softly chuckled.
     Mari nodded, mounting Ice. She fired her bike's engines. "Just remember, if ya ever need help, just call. Mandy and I'll be glad to lend a hand." She turned to Vinnie. "Take care."
     "Who, me?" Vinnie mocked innocence.
     Mari howled a laugh, so much like Vinnie she had to grin at his shocked expression. She turned her bike and rared Ice once revving her engines. "Ride free, y'all," she drawled.
     "Ride free, Mari," came the response.
     Mari laughed once more before leaving in a blaze of glory. She hit the interstate and punched her favorite station. She laughed at the thought of Brie's predicament. 'He'll be cheesed for sure, once the paralyzation wears off,' she thought with a chuckle. 'I wonder what he thinks of fountain ornaments now...'
     In her mind's eye she could see Brie, knee deep in water, still as a statue with birds all around. Oh how he'd rant and complain about being a fish out of water. Or rather a fish standing in water.

                                                          Finis