Firefall Part Two

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Disclaimer: I don't own the BMFM, Charlie, Carbine, Rimfire, Stoker, Limburger or Brie. I do, however, own, Mari, Mandy, Ice, Turbo, Fire, Firefall and Sunspot. I make no money from this, and I do so for my and other's enjoyment.

   Mari did not trust Limburger and would not have taken her eyes off him for one moment. She did not like what she would soon say, and knew Vinnie would not react well at all.
    "What we need to do," Mari found herself saying, though inside she had a feeling she might regret it. "Is for you and us to form a temporary alliance to get these other Plutarkians off of the Earth."
    "Mari? What are ya? Crazy?" Vinnie cried.
    Limburger seemed quite shocked as well. "I never thought I'd hear a mouse calling for a truce."
    "It's only temporary," Mari said, sitting in a chair, her laser re holstered.
    The room Limburger had taken them, one of his little used storage rooms, seemed the only safe place for them to hash out their differences. Mari had learned early on that sometimes you had to give a lot to get what you wanted. And now she was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice if need be.
    The silence soon became unbearable, and Mari rose, pacing the floor.
    "What do you know about this Junior character?" Mari asked Limburger, stopping to look straight at him.
    "Nothing. Only that he claims to have authorization to take over my Tower, which he does not have," Limburger said. "Why?"
    Mari shook her head. "He has the right, Brie's already gone."
    "Who has taken over the Detroit operation?"
    "Havarti," Mari said with a cold deadliness to her voice. "But that's beside the point. Is there any clue as to weakness or flaws Junior might have?"
    "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about, my dear mouse," Limburger said.
    "Mari, ya lost even me," Vinnie said, looking up from the object he had in his hands.
    "If we can find Junior's weaknesses, then we can beat him. Just like his attack at the hangout." She continued to pace. "His Stingrays seemed to transport out right in the middle of an attack. That's something."
    Limburger tapped a finger idly on the chair arm. "All of our ships have transporter abilities. How can that help us?"
    "Not sure. But why abandon a fight he could have won?" Mari asked in general.
    "Indeed," Limburger said. "No respectable Plutarkian worth his weight in gold-gills would break off a successful attack."
    Mari stopped pacing. "Then why did he?"
    "Good question," Limburger said thoughtfully. "Why indeed. He must have had some technical difficulties. Something that triggered a mass transport."
    "But what?" Mari asked. "Something had to go wrong. If we can figure out what, then maybe we can get rid of Junior and get you back in control of your Tower."
    Vinnie stopped Mari's pacing. "Are ya crazy?"
    "Vinnie, it's better to have Limburger to beat than some Plutarkian we've never heard about. At least you guys know how Limburger acts. So far Junior's been able to whip our tail's good."
    "I guess you're right," Vinnie said half dejectedly. "But I don't gotta like it."
    Mari shook her head. "No, but if we can get things back the way they were . . . "
    "So? Whatever shall we do?" Limburger asked. "Junior want's me out of my Tower. Now."
    Mari paused. "No idea yet. I'm almost tempted to confront him personally to get some answers." She added hastily to Vinnie's startled expression, "But I'm not gonna do it. I'm not that crazy."
     "We have to do something," Limburger said at long last. "Junior would find us sooner or later.'
    "You know your Tower better than either of us, so you lead," Mari said, drawing her laser. "Take us to your transporter. I've gotten me some wicked good ideas."
    Limburger turned. "Dare I ask?"
    Mari shrugged. "Probably not. Now move, time's a wasting."
    They exited the room, bikes in tow.
                                             #
    "Sweetheart," Vinnie began in protest.
    "Trust me, I know what I'm doing," she said, removing the casing from Vinnie's bike. She pulled a couple of wires, adding them to the ones she took from Ice.
    Vinnie moved, his laser still trained on Limburger, though he watched Mari in fascination. She rewired the transporter then hooked it up to both bikes. She punched several buttons on each bike then stood back.
    The transporter sprang to life, humming. Both bikes purred quietly as if in response. Mari crossed her arms, smiling.
    "What on Earth have you done?" Limburger nearly shrieked. "Tampering with Plutarkian - "
    "-Can it, Junior could detect what we're doing," Mari snapped.
    The transporter soon quieted as well as the bikes. "There," Mari continued, unhooking the bikes and replacing the wiring.
    "How can that help?" Vinnie asked.
    "I've downloaded the entire memory of this transporter. It'll tell us everyone who used this transporter since its last repair," Mari said, mounting Ice. "That way we can see exactly from where Junior came from. Something about him bothers me. Especially since he knows me and I have never seen him before. I want to know who his captives are, and why he wants me as his prize."
    Limburger took a step, halting when Vinnie raised his laser. "I hate to agree with the enemy, but he does seem somewhat familiar to me as well."
    "No time," Mari said, gunning Ice's engines. "It's bail time." She turned to Limburger. "Sorry, but this affair has ended. You're on your own, now."
    Limburger began to protest, but the retort fell short as Vinnie and Mari sped off, demolishing the walls in a straight line to the outside.
    With speed, but not silence, the two mice headed back to the scoreboard to disseminate the information.
                                        #
    Mari used Ice to relay the information to the others. It seemed that the last transport out of Limburger, or Junior Tower as they tried to think of it, stemmed not from Plutark, but from Mars.
    "I guess the Plutarkians really have returned with a vengeance," Vinnie said.
    "Wait a minute," Sunspot said. "There are no transporters on Mars. We destroyed all of them so they couldn't sneak in. The last one went down in flames about a week ago."
    Mari quirked a brow. "Then how come Junior, who's been here only a day used a transporter from Mars? They must have brought in a new one."
    "I've never heard of a Plutarkian on Mars named Junior, and Carbine has a list of all of them, past and present," Firefall added. "There's no record of him."
    "Then how?" Mari asked, plopping down on Ice. "This is getting weirder and weirder by the minute."
    No one could refute her nor answer her questions. They all remained at a loss on the enigma inhabiting the former Limburger Tower by the name of Junior. What they couldn't deny is that Junior needed to be removed. And soon.
    The rest of the evening lay in silence as the small group tried to figure out a way to remove Junior, then to head back to Detroit and remove Havarti.
    Mari couldn't shake the odd feeling Junior gave her. She still couldn't figure out how he knew her, and that bothered her. No one could give her any answers. She had to find out, one way or another. She had to know. She had to know whom Junior held captive. She had to know if the Rockers did live.
    Night came and went in silence, though no one slept soundly, only dozed. When first light broke, Mari rose, stretching, glad her leg had finally healed enough for her to use it relatively pain free. She made her way to the window, though now a large gaping hole stood there, and looked out.
    A light morning breeze ruffled her long smoke-gray hair as she stood. Her ice-blue eyes surveyed the damage done by Junior and sighed. She let her mind wander, concentrating on Turbo and her children. Wondering what they would be doing now if events had happened differently.
    Mari wiped a stray tear from her cheek, laying her chin on her folded arms. Memories of Mars and what she and Turbo had before and during the war flooded back.
    She closed her eyes, letting soft sobs escape her. Sometimes she wished she had been the one to die, not her mate and children. Some days the pain became too great to bear. Even after ten years she still grieved.
    Mari's head shot up at a cool hand on her shoulder. She turned, sniffing, and ran into Vinnie. Mari began to speak, yet the words died on her lips.
    "Are you ok?" Vinnie asked in hushed tones, his voice tinged with worry.
    Mari nodded. "Just old memories."
    "Care to talk?"
    "Someday," she replied, turning to look back out the window. Her heart skipped a beat and her breath caught as he began to knead both of her shoulders.
    She lowered her head, letting her hair fall in front of her face to hide the blush rushing into her cheeks. It felt so good to have someone work the tensions out. Mandy had helped work out aches before, but this was different.
    Mari closed her eyes and let herself go. Let her aches be soothed. Some little part in the back of her mind screamed no. Not to let this go any further. Not to let something happen which might ruin friendships.
    She sighed in contentment as he worked his hands along her neck and shoulders, moving down to her back. It had been such a long time since Turbo had done that to her.
    Mari straightened and turned. Turned into Vinnie's arms. The closeness between them made Mari blush even harder. She looked into his eyes and died inside. She tried hard to deny the feelings surfacing after all those years.
    True, they were the same age, had nearly identical abilities and manners. But he had Charlie and she still had Turbo. If not with her, then in her heart.
    "I can't," Mari said softly.
    "Can't what?"
    Mari shook her head. "I still believe Turbo's alive out there. And you have Charlie. I won't be the factor that comes between what you two share."
    Vinnie backed away and Mari could sense the blow she had just dealt.
    "Friends?" she asked in a plantitive voice, hoping she had not lost his friendship.
    He smiled at her in his usual lopsided grin. She returned the grin the same way. Both of them began to chuckle, trying hard not to wake the others. Mari was glad when no one seemed to stir, except for a couple of bikes.
    "Better go see what's gotten into Ice and your bike," Mari whispered at long last.
    They went to their bikes and the bikes stilled instantly. Mari ran a quick diagnostic, a startled expression on her face.
    "What is it?' Vinnie asked, going to her side.
    "Our bikes picked up the latest use of Junior's transporter. I guess I really did a number when I rewired everything," Mari paused. "Anyway, seems like the target went to Mars. But the strange thing is, the readings are all wrong."
    Vinnie quirked a brow. "How so?"
    "Wherever Junior's transporter led to, it wasn't our Mars. There seems to be some temporal bending around the transporter signal." Mari rose, arms crossed. "I'm not all that fluent in time travel, but I'd say Junior is a few decades one way or the other of us."
    "Then that's why those Stingrays seemed odd," Vinnie said. "He must be from the future."
    Mari slowly nodded her head. "If so, then we are in for the fight of our lives. And that would explain how he knows me so well, and I don't have the foggiest idea who he is."
    "Should we wake the others?" Vinnie asked.
    "Let them sleep," Mari said, sitting casually on Ice. "If they can sleep, let them. We may be in for a long day."
    Mari closed her eyes and sighed. Wait. All they could do is wait. Wait for Junior to make the next move. Wait to see what new plan the Plutarkians would try and throw at them.
    Wait for the future to bring answers to the past.
                                                             #
    Mari did not like waiting in the least. She had learned to tolerate it, but she still didn't have to like it. She could sense the restlessness in Vinnie as well. Neither of them could last much longer before heading after the others.
    Throttle had decided on a small re-con when the other's had woken up. He didn't want to endanger the link they had to Junior's transporter and had further decided that Mari and Vinnie should wait at the scoreboard.
    Mari had punched up her favorite Detroit station, trying to find out how it fared under Havarti. Vinnie had selected WSGB to find any mention of Junior. Unlike Limburger, these two Plutarkians seemed content not to have their name throughout the news but contented themselves to remain anonymous.
    She looked to Vinnie, sighing. In a minute one or the other of them would do something rash. Like heading after the others when they were told to wait.
    "The guys should be back by now," Vinnie said, rising.
    "We can't go. We have to show some restraint," Mari said, not feeling all that sure she could live up to her words.
    "But what if they need our help?" Vinnie asked. "What if - "
    Mari cut him off with a wave of her hand. "Nothing's wrong. Just that you have all that adrenaline and nothing to use it on."
    Vinnie laughed. "You're right," he said, flopping back on his bike's seat, sighing.
    Mari rose, moving closer. "I know how you hate to wait. I can't stand it either, but we gotta do it."
    Vinnie looked to her. "I know. It's just that it's not like them to be silent for so long."
    "You're worried more about Charlie than the guys or Firefall and Sunspot," Mari said, laying a hand on his. "I understand."
    Vinnie glanced down at her hand on his and blushed slightly. He started to speak then stopped. Something seemed to pass between them. Some spark that had not really been there before. Something more than what Mari had felt earlier when he had gone to her.
    Mari blushed, smiling when she noticed Vinnie had turned a brighter shade of crimson as well. Both mice broke out into nervous laughter.
    "I . . . ah . . . um . . . ," Vinnie began, stammering over the words. He hastily rose, releasing her hand.
    Mari turned to Ice, blushing even harder. She glanced back over her shoulder, a smile on her face, the blush fading away. He stood with his back to her, head bowed in thought, or so she felt.
    She sat down again on Ice and crossed her legs at the ankles. She closed her eyes and sighed. Waiting had not been one of her better traits. She knew full well what Vinnie was going through. The similarities, she could not help but notice, seemed to be getting more and more as she got to know him better.
    Mari tried to focus her thoughts on other matters but found it hard to do. She could not help but wonder what was on his mind. Vinnie had turned silent, quite unlike him. The faraway look in his eyes when he turned to sit on his bike tugged at her in a way she could not say how.
    Mari turned her attention to the radio, nearly missing a faint call over her helmet's radio. She grabbed her helmet from Ice's handle and plopped it on her head. "Mari here, go ahead," she said, motioning to Vinnie to do the same.
    "Junior has sent Limburger back to Plutark," Throttle said. "And he has installed some kind of device to the transporter. Wait,"
    Mari leapt to her feet as Ice began to hum slightly. She looked to Vinnie who had done the same. "Junior just fired the transporter, right?"
    "You could sense that?" Throttle asked.
    "No. Our bike responded to it." Mari paused, running a diagnostic on Ice. "Looks like he's transporting something in from Mars. And the readings are the same. Somewhere from the future."
    Silence followed and she could only imagine the small group watched what Junior transported in. When both bikes ceased their hum, Mari guessed the transport had been completed.
    "Junior has teleported in . . . " Throttle said, voice trailing off. "It looks like a mouse. But there's a hood over their face so I can't be sure."
    "He did say he had captives," Mari said, her heart beating faster.
    She could hear faint whirring and clicking. No doubt they had just armed their bikes.
    "We're going in," Throttle said. "Keep the line open."
    "Will do," Mari said, wincing as he began the infamous Biker Mice charge.
    She looked to Vinnie, noting the worry and impatience on his face. Now that the action had begun, Mari thought, both of them would have a hard time staying put.
    They could hear laser fire, explosions, shouts of orders from both Junior and the guys, and a strangled cry from someone. Then silence as several bike engines cut out.
    Mari glanced to Vinnie, not betraying the worry she felt. Then, much to her relief, she heard Throttle speak.
    "All right, fish guts, hand us the mouse."
    "Whatever would make you think I would give you some dried-up morsel like this?" Junior said with nearly the same feigned innocence they would have expected of Limburger.
    Silence followed and several clicks could be heard. "I said hand 'em over now," the edge in Throttle's voice told much.
    "Since when would a Plutarkian give up such an advantage," Junior said. "And when I send you to Lord Camembert, I shall indeed reclaim my right to be the Most Grand High Poobah of the Earth."
    "Throttle," Mari said softly. "Havarti says the title would be his now, try and pit Junior against him. But keep in mind he said 'reclaim'."
    A short pause. "I thought Havarti was the next Poobah?" Throttle asked.
    "Him?" Junior asked. "He is an ancient relic that should have retired by now. He is no match for my superior cunning."
    Mari chuckled. Her plan had begun to work. "Ask him, then, why Havarti managed to destroy an entire Martian unit."
    She closed her eyes as she heard Throttle give a brief mention about her unit and the Battle of Monument. Mari stifled a tear, concentrating on Junior's words.
    "That little escapade does not compare to the brilliance I have given the Plutarkians," Junior said. "I have given them something more than the desiccation of a few rodents. I have given them a new source of raw material."
    "Destroyin' a planet is the only way you'll get your resources," Modo said. "What other way could there be?"
    Mari could hear shuffling in the background. Then Junior spoke.
    "What I have given them is no concern of yours, rodent. For you shall not live long enough to care." A pause and a faint beep. "Warriors, assistance is needed. Hostile rodents and a captive to protect."
    Mari leapt to Ice when she heard the renewed laser fire and fired Ice's engines. She looked to Vinnie as he had done the same, worry lining his face.
    "Throttle, need assistance?" Mari asked.
    "Do you have to ask?"
    Mari nodded to Vinnie. "Help is on the way. Let's rock 'em 'till we drop 'em," Mari said with a howl.
    They sped out of the scoreboard, racing through the streets of Chicago at top speed. Once they reached the Tower, they promptly crashed through several walls until they could locate the others.
    Mari ducked a laser blast, returning fire on Junior's muscled goons. These Plutarkian paid warriors seemed quite capable of holding their own, not the pushovers of Limburger's staff.
    Mari fired, launching a missile in the midst of the warriors. She swerved, heading for Junior as the building rocked under the blast. She snaked her tail out, reaching for the captive mouse. She swore as she missed, instead finding a hand on her tail, yanking her off Ice.
    She rolled to her feet with catlike grace and stayed in a crouch. She looked to Junior, hate burning in her eyes. "I want that mouse."
    "My dear Mari," Junior began. "I have never given you what you wanted in the past, why should I now?"
    "How do you know me?" Mari nearly growled, anger welling inside her.
    Junior smiled, removing his mask. "We have met, several times. In fact, you were a guest of mine once. But that was long ago."
    "You're making no sense."
    "Indeed, I keep forgetting. You, of this time, have never met me. I on the other hand have heard about your exploits on Earth as well as those of the Biker Mice."
    Mari slowly rose to her feet, hand going to her laser. Her tail still stung from the pull. "Then you are from the future."
    Junior nodded. "Finally, a rodent has a clue."
    "Mari," she heard Vinnie yell.
    She did not take her eyes off of Junior, listening as she heard a bike approach and skid to a halt.
    "So," Junior began. "I see you remained just as hyper in the time I have been gone. Apparently some things never change."
    Vinnie looked to Mari. "What's up with him?"
    "I had truly hoped you would remember me, but I guess in the time that has passed, I have changed." Junior hauled his captive closer to him. "Had things not worked out the way they did, I would not have been able to claim this Tower. After all, ol drippy drawers would never leave anything behind for the family. Not even his nephew."
    Vinnie stared in disbelief. "Marshall? But . . . how? I mean it was only a few years ago when you were here, and you were only a kid?"
    "Time has its benefits," Junior said, a cold deadly smile on his face. "I would like to thank you all for the upgrade to our ships. One mouse in particular," He nodded in Mari's direction.
    "Me? How would I help you?" Then Mari looked long and hard at Junior's captive. "By the Moons. You didn't?"
    Junior smiled, showing his sharp teeth. "Quite indeed. After all, if you hadn't arrived on Plutark, I would not have been able to steal your transport ability. Though I believe you did leave a bug or two in the system. I still have the problem of system shorts than return my ships to their rightful time. That was until you had been caught again."
    "Why tell us all of this when you know full well we'll stop you?" Mari asked.
    "Because, my dear rodent, I am from the future. What happened in my past, your future, shall come to pass. I shall indeed rid the solar system of Martian mice and claim the Earth for my own," Junior said. He removed the hood from the captive.
    Mari could only stare in shock and disbelief. The mouse, old and frail, looked back at her with ice-blue eyes, dulled by age. Her gaunt body held whitish fur ticked with silver. Her long dark gray hair hung unbound behind her. A silent word seemed to pass between the captive and Mari
    Dragon.
    Mari reeled under the mental blow, silently thanking Vinnie when she felt a tail wrap around her waist, supporting her.
    "Mari-girl, you ok?" Vinnie hissed, drawing her closer.
    "Yeah," she whispered. "It's just that . . . that mouse . . . she can send. Like me."
    Vinnie lifted her up and onto his bike behind him. "Ice, follow," he called, never unwinding his tail from her waist.
    Mari did not protest, only glancing behind her at the frail old mouse, cringing inwardly when she saw Junior hold a laser to the mouse. Mari watched in horror as Junior pulled the trigger, killing his captive. Mari felt a sharp pain in her side, passing out against Vinnie.
                                               #
          When Mari came to, she winced at the pain lingering in her side. She sat wearily, trying to fend off the helpful hands of the other mice and Charlie and Mandy.
    "I kinda got worried when ya passed out," Vinnie said. "We checked ya over and couldn't find a scratch."
    "This is way too weird," Mari said, folding her legs under her, sitting in bed. "That mouse had to have been me of the future. After all, she sent to me, and when Junior shot her, I felt it."
    "You're right. That is weird," Throttle said. "But he did confirm that he is from the future. I heard what he said about you and the technology."
    Mari slowly nodded. "That's what worries me. What I did to his transporters might be what gave him the edge. Maybe his captives are us?"
    "I'd hate to think of that," Vinnie said, helping her to stand.
    "I don't like the idea either," Mari said. "But it's a thought we gotta keep in mind."
    Vinnie hesitated. "Ya said she . . . sent to you. What did . . . she say?"
    Mari paused. "Dragon. But I don't know any Dragons."
    "We don't have transporter capabilities," Firefall said. "And I don't think you do either."
    "What worries me more, is that Junior said it was me who gave him the ability to travel in time." She went to Ice, running a hand over the scars in her paint. Mari then punched several buttons. She soon rose from her task, her brows furrowed in worry.
    "What is it?" Firefall asked.
    Mari hesitated a moment, checking her facts. "Seems Ice's systems were reconfigured after Junior's last transport. I guess I really did it this time. Ice should have transporter abilities, limited, though, but there nonetheless."
    "Then my bike should be the same," Vinnie said, going to his bike. He watched as Mari ran a diagnostic on his bike.
    "The same. I don't think either of us should take our bikes out until I can figure out how to reverse the process," Mari hesitated a moment, staring at Ice. "If I even can."
    "You gotta try," Sunspot said. "We can't let that kind of technology fall into their hands."
    Mari shook her head. "I don't care what Junior said about events being concrete. Who says we can't alter his past, our future?"
    "I think ya just lost me," Modo said from behind.
   "Simple," Mari said, sitting on Ice. "From the time Junior comes from, these things have already happened. But from our point of view, they haven't. All we gotta do is make sure we find out what history Junior knows about us, and alter it."
    Throttle crossed his arms. "To do that, we gotta go back to his Tower."
    "Unfortunately," Mari said. "I have an idea, but I'm not taking Ice with me."
    When Ice began to protest, raring slightly, Mari rose, patting her bike. "I'm not gonna take a chance they use your parts to beat us."
    Ice stilled, though her engine remained running.
    "Vinnie's bike stays here as well. Both bikes are in the same boat," Mari said, a look of 'I'm sorry' crossing her face. "I think that if two of us sneak in, then that's all we need. All I gotta do is borrow someone's bike."
    "But our bikes only allow us to ride them," Modo said.
    "But you forget, I can talk to bikes," Mari said looking at Modo and Throttle.
    "Take mine," Throttle said at last. "Just remember to treat her like the Lady she is."
    Mari smiled, grabbing her helmet. "Don't worry. She can't be as fussy as Ice."
    She mounted Throttle's bike, firing her engines. "I need someone to come with me. We'll take only one bike."
    "I'm with ya," Vinnie said, trotting to Throttle's bike, grabbing his helmet with his tail.
    "Just make sure ya'll keep a line open in case of trouble," Mari said. "And keep our bikes away from Junior."
    "Will do," Throttle said.
    Mari waited for Vinnie to settle himself. "Time to recon," Mari said with a howl, heading out of the scoreboard. "Bear with me, ol' gal," Mari said under her breath to Throttle's bike. "If I start treating ya like Ice, just let me know."
    His bike beeped once before falling silent. Mari hoped and prayed they could get what they needed without a confrontation. The last thing she needed was to go into battle on an unfamiliar AI bike.