Disclaimer: I do not own the Biker Mice from Mars, nor do I make any profit from this story. It is written for my enjoyment and the enjoyment of other fans. Terra and Tony belong to me.

 

Shadows: What the Future May Bring

By TerraBM

 

 

December 31, 1999

9:00 p.m.

The city of Chicago was covered in a thick layer of crystal white, illuminated by the many streetlights, car lights, electric signs, all everything else you can imagine. Yes, the age of technology had advanced quite a bit in the past century. Maybe even to the point where it was a bit over baring. Or so thought one individual.

On this cold, and not so quite night, he was making his usual rounds, wandering the city by nightfall, patrolling, keeping the city, his city, safe.

" Hey, Throttle!" The Martian looked up abruptly and touched the little button on the side of his helmet and spoke into the small speaker inside. " What’s up, Charlie?" he asked. " Why don’t you head on home? It’s only three hours till midnight." She said. He chuckled a bit. " Don’t worry, Charlie, I’ll be there. How’s everyone?" he asked. "Fine. Fine. There’s a certain mouse here who misses you though." Suddenly another voice was heard over the speaker; " Hey, babe."

Throttle smiled. " Hey, baby." He said smiling. He heard his sweetheart giggle a bit. "So, how’s very thing look out there?" she asked. "Oh, you know the scene. Big New Year’s eve parties everywhere, crazy teenagers running around egging cars, the wine-o’s are out and…WHOA!" On the other end of the speaker Terra began to get worried. " Throttle? Throttle are you there?" she asked urgently. In the background the party died down, all eyes turned on her. " Throttle! Throttle answer me!" she cried. She looked back at them. " Nothing but static." She murmured.

Meanwhile…

Throttle skidded to an abrupt halt as a stranger, dressed in crimson red body suit covered over with a black leather jacket and motorcycle helmet over his head, jumped right out in front of the mouse and grabbed his handlebars, wrenching him from his bike and throwing him into a snow bank. " Hey!" he gasped. The stranger walked up to him and aimed a lazor pistol at the dazed mouse’s chest. " Say goodnight, pal." A strangely familiar voice hissed from behind the helmet. Throttle stared up at him, but didn’t look the least bit worried about being shot. " I warn you, it’s been done." He said. The mugger, thief, or whatever you want to call him looked a bit puzzled and then blasted him right in the chest. Throttle cried out and held his wound and then stood up, watching as the hole that the lazor had made was quickly sealed up. The stranger gasped and took a step backwards. " I warned you." He shrugged. The stranger stared and then let his gun fall to the ground, " Throttle? Is that you?" he asked. The Martian was quite surprised by this, " You know my name?" he asked. The mugger nodded and slowly drew his helmet from his head. " Vincent!" Throttle gasped, utterly horrified to see that the person who had just shot him was none other than one of his best friends and his little bro. Vinnie had changed a lot in the past few months. Ever since that fateful night at Limburger Tower that Halloween, the Biker Mice knew their lives would never be the same. But they had never expected it to tear them apart the way it had. With Throttle only technically living after sun set, and Modo’s deep depression over his newest "handicap" caused by the accident at the Scoreboard, Vinnie had been thrown into emotional turmoil, and like many people, when he found the problem too big to handle on his own, he turned to violence. In this case, he had quit the Biker Mice and had joined a gang, a cult as it were that were into all sorts of questionable things.

" Throttle? I can’t believe it’s you! I-I didn’t recognize you in that…outfit." The white-furred mouse said eyeing his bro’s new attire. An all black body suit, with the emblem of the Biker Mice on the chest in silver, covered over by a black leather jacket, with black boots, and of course his specs. " In this day and age, the good guys always wear black. Huh?" He added. Throttle however remained serious. " Vincent, what are you doing out here?" he gasped. Vinnie sighed, " Nothing, alright?" he said irritably. " You call shooting people nothing!" Throttle cried. " Look, I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t know it was you." He replied, turning his back. " I don’t suppose it would have mattered to you if I was some one else then, huh?" Throttle asked. Vinnie sighed again, " Look, I didn’t come here to get lectured by you, alright? So if you ain’t got nothing to say to me, then I’ll be going." He added as he started to disappear down an alley. " Vinnie, wait." Throttle voice came then as he laid his hand on his shoulder. Vinnie turned back around, eyeing him. " I-I’m sorry bro. Let’s not fight, please. I’ve…I’ve really missed you." He said slowly. Vinnie looked at him out of the corner of his eye, biting his lip. " I’ve missed you too, bro." He replied. They smiled weakly at each other. " Is there some place we can talk?" Throttle asked. Vinnie looked around carefully, " Not here. Come with me." He said motioning to him. Throttle got his bike and then followed his friend to a little apartment over looking the alley. " Is this where you’re staying?" he asked him as he stepped inside and looked at the poorly kept room. " Well, sorta." Vinnie replied, rubbing his neck. " This is just where I sleep. I’m never here very long." He added. Throttle could tell this by the lack of furniture. In fact the only furniture in the whole place was a mattress spread out on the floor with pillows and blankets tossed on it, an old broken down T.V., a table and a chair and an icebox. Throttle shook his head, not knowing what to think. " Make yourself comfortable." Vinnie said, flopping back on the mattress and sprawling out on it. "I’ll stand, thanks." He replied. Vinnie shrugged, "Suit yourself." He said. Then he sat up and looked at his friend. " How’s Modo doing?" he asked, trying not to sound anxious. " He’s doing a lot better now. It’s almost like old times again…" Throttle said, trying to sound cheerful. "Almost." Vinnie pointed out. " You know…he misses you too, Vin’. Why don’t you come home?" Throttle asked hopefully. Vinnie glared at him slightly, " Look, bro, I told ya before, I just need some space for awhile." He said. "Space is one thing, bro. Abandoning your friends and your duty and joining some cult is another." Throttle replied. Vinnie jumped up and got in his face, " Don’t you dare tell me about my duty. You know nothing about it, so just back off!" he snapped, stomping away over to the table and picking up something. Throttle watched him as he lifted something that looked like a syringe and jabbed it into his arm. Vinnie hissed in pain and then a smile slowly spread across his face. "That’s better." He sighed. "What was that?" Throttle asked him after a moment. " None of your business." Vinnie growled, turning away from him. Throttle walked up to him and grabbed a little box that was sitting on the table and looked at it carefully. " Give that back!" Vinnie snarled. Throttle stared at him. " Venom? You’ve been using Venom!" Throttle cried, staring at him in shock. Venom was a powerful drug that increased a person’s strength and agility and was known to heighten the senses, but it also had dangerous side effects like blood-lust and rage. Therefore the drug was notorious in Vampire cults. " Shut up!" Vinnie cried, hitting him hard in the face, causing him to go flying backwards, landing on the bed. Throttle sat up slowly, rubbing his mouth as he and Vinnie stared at each other in shock. " Oh, bro…I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you." Vinnie said rushing up to him. Throttle looked away, " I think I’d better go." He said quietly. Vinnie fell down beside him and rubbed his head. " Maybe…" he said quietly. Throttle looked back at him. He wanted to say so much, but somehow the words just wouldn’t form. Vinnie looked hopeless and lonely, not to mention his life seemed to be crumbling around him. Vinnie looked at him then too, he had the same longing in his eyes as he did. But the drugs, and I suppose his pride got in the way of him saying what he wanted to. " Is there some reason you keep staring at me like that?! You got somethin’ you wanna say to me?" he asked, giving him a bit of a shove. Throttle glared at him then stood up. "Nothing at all." He muttered, storming towards the door. " Yeah, well don’t let the door hit ya on the way out." Vinnie muttered back. Throttle cast one last hurt and angry look back at his friend, then sighing, stepped back out into the chilly December air. Vinnie turned around when he heard the door slam shut and had hopped his bro would stay. But with no such luck. He clenched his fists in frustration and anger and kicked the table, breaking one of the legs. He wasn’t mad at Throttle. He was mad at himself for being such an ass. There was no reason for him to be acting like this. He glanced at the box of drugs on his table. Yes there was. He fell back on his bed, rubbing his head and whimpering a little bit. Man, did it suck to be him.

At that moment he heard a little beeping noise coming from his belt. He looked up slowly, puzzled a bit, then remembered his little cell phone. Pulling it out of his pocket he opened it up, "Yeah, what do you want?" he grumbled into the receiver.

" Hello Vincent." A clear British accented voice replied.

Vinnie clenched his teeth and bit his lip a bit.

It was his "boss."

He was quiet for a minute, trying to get the nervousness out of his voice and then replied, "Yeah, what is it?" he asked. "Are you alone?" the man asked. "Of course I’m alone, Troy. Who would I have in here with me?" Vinnie asked, getting a bit defensive. The man on the other side of the phone chuckled a bit. "Go outside, Vincent. And turn the corner." And with those words the phone went dead. Vinnie gave a trembling sigh and then pulled his black jacket closer around him and hopped out the window on to the fire escape. He jumped down off that, landing in a snow bank and then made his way out of the back alley and around the corner. When he got there he looked up to see a long black limousine with a bright red claw mark painted onto the side of it waiting for him. The driver, who was a grim looking pale faced man got out and opened the door for him. Vinnie gulped and muttered some curses under his breath as he stepped inside and sat down slowly as the driver sealed him in. Vinnie sat uncomfortably inside the darkened limo, trying not to show his anxiousness, but it was next to impossible when his employer could smell it on him. "There’s no need to be so uptight, my dear Mr. Van Wham. You’re not in trouble…yet." His voice mocked him from the darkness. "You’ve already been paid Tony, I ain’t got any more money." Vinnie snapped. "Oh, my dear Vincent, you should no better than that." Tony, as he was called, chuckled, his red eyes gleaming at Vinnie in the darkness. "I don’t want money…I want to know who that man was who was in your apartment." Vinnie felt his heart skip a beat as he went limp against the seat. "Come, come now, no need to be shy. He’s a rather fine looking specimen if I ever saw one." Tony leaned forward a bit in his seat, his pointed chin resting on his bony hands as he gazed at one of his followers. "He’s nothing you’d want." Vinnie said. "Oh? And how would you know that?" Tony asked, grinning slightly. "We made a deal, Tony. I’ve held up my end, but you gotta stay away from my bros…" Vinnie said fiercely. Tony let out a loud harsh laugh and suddenly seized Vinnie by the throat, digging his nails into this flesh, "You listen to me you little parasite, I own you now. You’re mine. And whatever I want you’ll give it to me, is that clear?" he hissed. Vinnie squirmed in his grasp, "No! I won’t do it…please, Tony, he’s harmless, just leave him alone, please!" he begged. Tony grinned and jerk Vinnie’s neck hard to the side, nearly breaking it and dug his claws into his face before tossing him to the floor of the limousine where the poor mouse lay half consciously. Tony laid his steel clawed hand on Vinnie’s head and stroked one of his antennas. "You’ll bring him to me, my little puppet. Yes, you’ll bring him to me." He murmured. "That one is very special. I can sense the darkness around him…he’s one of them. Oh Xavier, you’ve slipped up this time. Not one more of your children will escape my grasp…not a single one."

**

Throttle arrived back at the Last Chance feeling really pissed off and down, so he was hardly thrilled when a white furred female mouse with shoulder length black hair bolted through the door and launched herself into his arms. "Throttle! You’re home!" she gasped, throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a big kiss. Throttle pushed her back gently a second later, "Terra, honey, not now." He said walking past her. Terra looked shocked. "Throttle," she began following him inside. "What’s wrong?"

The rest of the party looked up then. "Hey! Look who showed up!" Modo said smiling at him. "Hmm, we were starting to wonder." Charlie added. Throttle ignored them and flopped down on the couch with his head in his hands. "Bro, what’s the matter?" Modo asked worriedly. "It’s Vinnie…" Throttle replied. Terra and Charlie glanced up at each other. "He’s alright, isn’t he?" Charlie asked, terribly worried. " I can’t say, Charlie-girl. He’s on drugs, and he’s in that cult. I think he’s in bad trouble but he won’t let me help him. I don’t think he wants to be helped." The tan mouse sighed. "But that can’t be true." Terra said sitting down next to him and Modo. " I know Vinnie, he may be a little crazy and irresponsible but he’d never—" Modo laid his bionic hand on hers. "Terry, you gotta remember, drugs can make people do weird things…Vinnie feels helpless and rejected, he thought he had nowhere else to turn." He said. The big grey mouse looked at his brother again. " How bad is it?" he asked. " He’s on Venom. I don’t know much more than that. He looked like he wanted to come home but his pride wouldn’t let him." He explained. "Well some things haven’t changed." Terra sighed. "Throttle, we have to help him! Who knows what kind of trouble he’ll get into out there!" Charlie cried. "You think I don’t know that?!" Throttle cried, getting very frustrated. "Look, I tried to help but he’s just too damn stubborn for his own good! If we wants to be Mr. Macho-Tough-Guy then let him! I don’t care!" he shouted walking off into the back room and slamming it behind him. "Oh mama…" Modo sighed, rubbing his temples. "Talk about pig-headed." Charlie grumbled. "Well, some much for the party." Terra said turning off the CD player and shutting down the T.V. "I’ll go talk to him." She added, walking towards the door. She opened it quietly, "Throttle?" she asked peering into the little room. It felt strangely cold and that’s when she noticed the curtains fanning in the breeze as the window stood wide open. "Typical." She sighed irritably.

**

Vinnie was shivering as he walked down the street. He felt absolutely awful, inside and out. He was way over due for another dosage of Venom, however Tony had cut him off until he brought him what he wanted. Vinnie had refused. He may be desperate but he would never betray his friends. However he didn’t know how much longer he could hold out like this. He leaned against one of the pillars of the bridge that he was walking under to rest for a moment to keep from falling over with dizziness. It was then he felt a shadow whiz past him. His red eyes opened wide, alter with nervous fear as his large ears perked up. "Who’s there?" he asked, reaching for his lazor.

"Vincent." A deep voice said. Vinnie spun around to see Throttle standing behind him looking at him steadily through his specs. Vinnie eyes grew wider and he cursed under his breath as sweat started clinging to his fur, even though it was only ten degrees outside that night. "What are you doing here?!" he gasped, half terrified. "You really don’t think I was just gonna let you off like that, did you?" Throttle asked taking a step towards him. Vinnie backed up against the bridge like a cornered animal. "No, you don’t understand…" he muttered, almost ready to cry. The withdraw was really getting to him. He didn’t know how much longer he could stay on his feet. "Vinnie, no more games. You’re coming with me whether you like it or not." Throttle said. Vinnie glared at him fiercely, "Why can’t you just leave me alone!" he cried, thrashing out at him. Throttle caught his hand and held it in an iron grip. Vinnie grimaced and whimpered in pain, finally falling to his knees in snow. Every fiber of his body felt like it was on fire and the slightest touch from anything caused excruciating pain. "You don’t understand!" he cried again. "You’re right, bro. I don’t understand." Throttle said to him, helping him back up. "You have to tell me." He said. Vinnie made a noise that was somewhere between laugh and a sob. "You don’t get it do you? Why can’t you just stay out of my life!" he screamed beating him on the chest and punching him in the face. His attempts were so weak that they didn’t even phase his older brother who looked at him painfully behind his glasses. "That may have worked last time, bro, but this time you won’t push me away." Vinnie looked up at him with big teardrops glistening in his eyes. "I HATE YOU!" he screamed. "You won’t say that in the morning." Throttle said.

Vinnie gasped suddenly as he felt a sharp prick in his arm and the next moment he slumped gratefully against his friend’s chest, blissfully asleep.

**

10:30 p.m.

Throttle carried his brother carefully up the steps of The Scoreboard, figuring it would be better if he kept Vinnie away from the others for the moment. "The couch will be fine, James…" Vinnie murmured incoherently as he struggled his way back into consciousness. Throttle laid him down on the couch and threw a blanket over him after removing his jacket. "Just rest. You’ll feel better after you sleep." He said. Vinnie rolled over and hugged a pillow, "I’m sorry." He said quietly. Throttle touched his shoulder. "It’s okay." He replied. He picked up a cell phone and began to punch in some numbers; "I’d better call Charlie and the others and let them know you’re alright." He said.

"Hello?" Modo’s voice said suddenly.

"Bro?" Throttle replied.

"Hey, you’re still alive." He said.

Throttle’s eyebrows made a little frown on his forehead,

"Very funny. Look I’ve got Vinnie here with me. He’s fine, just tell Charlie I’ll---UNH!"

Throttle crumpled to the ground, struck hard in the back of the head by a coffee table leg. Vinnie sighed and dropped his weapon, picking up the phone as Modo’s voice frantically called over it.

"Modo?" he asked.

There was a brief pause over the phone before Modo answered; " Vinnie?"

"Bro, when he wakes up, tell him…I’m sorry."

Then the line was dead.

Vinnie grabbed Throttle under his arms and dragged him towards the bathroom, "Gotta get you out of here, before they show up." He grunted.

Suddenly the door was blasted open and Tony and two other thugs, stepped into the room, holding out really long, razor sharp swords. "Too late." Tony said with a smug grin on his face, his fangs showing slightly. He motioned to his goons. "Take them."

**

Modo rode up to the Scoreboard, he could immediately tell that something bad had happened. The snow in the parking lot had been destroyed by tire tracks, from a car apparently, and one moving pretty fast at that. He jogged up the steps to the Scoreboard and found the door had been blown open and there had been an apparent scuffle from the broken and turned over furniture. Then, much to Modo’s dismay, he heard the bikes come roaring into the room with him. Both Vinnie’s and Throttle’s. That meant he couldn’t track them to where they went. But the way Vinnie’s bike kept insistently beeping and honking at him it was obvious it had something important to say. Modo examined it carefully as it’s vidcom screen came on, showing a map of the city and a little red blip on the screen. "That must be where Vinnie is." He said to himself. He climbed on his own bike, which was at his side at a moment’s notice and pulled on his helmet. "Take me to them, girl." He said to Vinnie’s bike. Then, with Vinnie’s bike in the lead, Modo set out to find his friends.

**

11:00 p.m.

When Throttle opened his eyes he found himself chained to a slab that was slanted up-right with his hands chained above his head. The back of his head was throbbing as he squinted against the light that was shinning in his face. Slowly his vision cleared and he looked up to see himself face to face with a very peculiar looking human. "Ah, good you’re awake." He said in his distinct British accent. "Who are you? And where’s Vinnie?" Throttle asked, rattling his chains. The man smiled and chuckled to himself. "You’re little friend will be along in awhile. As for myself, my name is Tony Williams. But you may address me as…" he paused and took Throttle’s chin in his hand grinning at him with an evil glint in his eyes, two bright white fangs showing from his grinning mouth, "…master."

Throttle cocked an eyebrow and eyed him. "So, you’re a vampire huh? Should have guessed." He sighed. "Oh I’m not just any vampire, Mr. McCloud. I’m a Slayer Vampire. Just as you are a Shadow Warrior." He stepped away and looked Throttle up and down, " Xavier hasn’t been very picky lately I see." He said winking at him. "I know what you’re thinking you sick fag." Throttle grunted. "Now, now…" Tony said waltzing up to him, pulling out his sword and severing Throttle’s bonds, making him fall face first onto the floor and stepping on his head. "Lets settle this like gentlemen, shall we? I challenge you to a duel to the death." He said. Throttle pushed the man’s high heeled boot off his head and rolled over, getting to his feet. "Alright. What are the stakes besides death?" he asked casually. "If I win, I get your soul and the pleasure of licking up what’s left off your carcass. Oh and you’re little friend. He becomes my mindless little puppet slave for all eternity. " Tony said, smiling. Throttle felt his stomach turn. "And if I win?" he asked. "You take your companion and go free." Throttle considered carefully for a moment and then nodded and shook his hand. "It’s a deal." He replied.

Tony smiled. "Wonderful! Now chose your weapon." He said. Throttle quickly unsheathed Masume as Tony chose a similar looking sword, only this one was glowing red like a light saber. "And now, for the incentive." Tony said pulling a back a curtain to reveal Vinnie sitting tied and gagged inside a little cell, looking really bad. "Vinnie…" Throttle murmured seeing the condition he was in. Vinnie looked at him weakly. "Bro…Throttle…I’m sorry…I didn’t know…" he murmured. Tony cuffed him hard. "Shut up!" he snapped. Then he looked back at Throttle. "Shall we?" he asked. Throttle shrugged. "It’s your funeral." He said, charging him suddenly.

The vampire however was more than ready for this and quickly dodged to the side. But Throttle recovered too quickly for him and turned, giving him a roundhouse kick to the head, making the human vampire stagger off to the side. Throttle went for another kick since he was off guard, but much to the mouse’s surprise Tony reached up and caught his foot, holding it in an iron grip. Now it was the Vampire’s turn to look at the startled mouse before lifting him over his and slamming him into the wall. It took Throttle a whole minute after he’d slumped to the floor to realize that he’d hit the wall. He shook his head, his vision swimming just before he saw Tony charging at him like a wild bull mouth wide open in a hiss, ready to strike. Throttle’s eyes widened and he rolled away quickly, finally getting to use Masume, which he brought down in a sweeping arch across Tony’s back. The vampire roared as black blood sprayed from his wounds and slowly he looked back at Throttle, chuckling darkly. "So, I see you drew first blood. Very good. But now, let’s have a taste of yours!"

The man was on him so quickly that Throttle hardly had time to block him before his throat was nearly ripped apart. Throttle back-flipped, hitting the creature in the face and ended up landing on the floor in front of Vinnie’s cage. He glanced back, seeing Vinnie laying all huddled up on the floor, shivering and soaked in sweat. The tan mouse decided he’d had enough of this, and he quickly sliced the bars to his prison open and reached in to help. "Vinnie, get up! Come on! Run! Get out of here why you still can!" he shouted at him. Vinnie looked back up at him trembling. "I-I can’t…too weak…gotta have more drugs…" he groaned. Throttle reached out to grab him when suddenly two huge fangs sunk themselves deep into his shoulder and began to suck the life from him. This was followed by a sever blow to the stomach by some strange energy ball that appeared in the palm of his hand, like magic.
Throttle managed to jerk himself away and tried to fight back but now he was weak and every blow Tony took to him seemed to immediately find it’s mark. A punch to the mouth, two hits to both eyes, a kick in the gut, and blow to the head, a sword to the knee, a slash at his throat. Throttle vaguely realized he was slowly but surely being pushed out of the little penthouse room he had found himself in out onto the balcony, where at last he collapsed in a heap on the ground, his sword skidding away from him. He groaned and reached out to get it but it was useless as Tony stepped gently on his head, pushing him back to the ground. "I wouldn’t try that if I were you, Mr. McCloud." He said smiling wickedly. Throttle lay on the ground bleeding from just about everywhere and moaning in exhausted pain. Tony reached down and lifted him to his feet by his hair and turned him around just as Vinnie staggered into the doorway. "Looking for this?" he asked holding the beaten mouse up for him to see. "Leave him alone! It’s me you want!" Vinnie gasped, hugging himself for fear his body would simply explode because of the fiery pain that consumed him. Tony let out a loud, harsh, echoing laugh. "Ha hahahahaha! You pathetic little fool! Did you really think I was interested in the likes of you? I was just using you to get what I really wanted," he said turning his face towards Throttle’s, his tongue flickering across the flesh of Throttle’s neck in a very vulgar, erotic way. Vinnie eyes were aflame at the sight of this. "Get you’re filthy hands off him or I’ll…ugh…" Vinnie had started to run forward but he immediately fell to the ground, too weak and sick to stay on his feet. " Ha ha hah! You puny parasite! Did you really think you could challenge me? All the venom I’ve pumped into is finally starting to pay off. You’ve almost had the maximum dosage, one more dose and it would have fried your brain, plunging you into comatose. And if that didn’t kill you, the withdrawal would, as you can see." Vinnie stared at him with wide eyes. "You…BASTARD! You set me up!" he cried. Tony laughed again. "Well, you do have a brain in your head. I’m impressed. And all this time I thought you were just another mindless little twerp trying to escape reality." He said. "Now, if you will excuse me, I’m feeling a bit famished." He said, a smile flicker across his lips as he titled the dazed mouse’s head back to lay back on his shoulder and began to sink his fangs into his veins to finish the job, but before he could, Vinnie lunged at him, with an ax no less! The mouse took a long deadly swing at him, slicing off his arm! Tony let out and unearthly howl, dropping Throttle, but not before slashing at Vinnie, sending him to the floor once more.

The demon’s eyes glowed bright red with fury, "NOW YOU WILL BOTH DIE!" he roared. He put his hands together as he formed a huge devastating ball of black energy between his hands, ready to deliver the final blow to Throttle, just as he was coming to himself again. "Prepare yourself for the silence of oblivion mouse!" he cried.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Vinnie screamed, catapulting himself in way of the blast before it his bro.

"VINCENT NO!" Throttle screamed as the blast enveloped both in a wave of white heat.

When the dust cleared, Throttle found Vinnie laying all twisted and crumpled against him, obviously blown back by the blast. "Vinnie! Noo!" he gasped picking up his brother’s crumpled form. Amazingly he was still alive, and conscious at that. Vinnie looked up at him weakly, "Are you okay?" he asked, smiling at him. "What are you thinking you idiot!? You could have been killed!!!" Throttle cried, hugging him, furious but relieved. " You dare defy me?!" Tony screamed at them. They stared back at him in horror, he seemed to be getting bigger and bigger the madder he got. He charged up for another blast and Vinnie cling to Throttle, shielding him. "Vinnie stop it, you idiot!" he screamed at him. "No!" Vinnie cried back at him forcefully. Throttle looked shocked. "This my fault! I got us into this, and I won’t let you get hurt anymore!" he cried. Throttle stared into his eyes, "But…bro…you’re too weak, he’ll kill you! I can take it, you can’t! You’ve got no chance of standing up to an immortal!" he said taking the mouse’s bruised shoulders. "Says you." Vinnie said grinning. Another minor blast that caught the white mouse in the back made him scream. "VINNIE!" Throttle wailed as his friend, fell against him, shaking. Throttle glared back at Tony with fury in his blue eyes. "That was just a warning," said the Vampire. Another ball of energy appeared in his hands. "The next blast will obliterate you both." He raised his hands to deliver the fatal blow, when suddenly

"YEHAW!"

Out of nowhere Modo appeared from the rooftops with all three bikes right at his side and literally ran over Tony, swerving over to his bros. "You guys okay?" he gasped seeing how bad off they were. Throttle looked up at him weakly, lifting Vinnie up gingerly. "Get Vinnie out of here before it’s too late, I’ll finish off fang face." He said handing the half-dead mouse over to him. They both looked back as Tony began to pull himself to his feet. "Hurry! Go! NOW!" he cried. Modo gave him a worried look and then rode off as Throttle once more unleashed Masume and walked over to where Tony was struggling to his feet before bringing his boot down on his head. "You were saying, blood sucker?" he hissed. Tony looked up at him before sinking his fangs deep into his leg. Throttle hissed in pain and then brought Masume down, stabbing him in the back. The vampire hissed and screeched as Throttle repeated the process over and over until Tony was no longer able to fight back. "This one’s for Vinnie, you bastard." He muttered, slicing his head off then. It rolled across the floor for a moment, eyes still glowing red, then his whole body turned to black ash and was gone in the winter breeze.

**

11:51 p.m.

Vincent Van Wham opened his eyes slowly to find himself on the couch in The Last Chance garage, surrounded by his friends and loved ones, namely Charlie, Modo, and Terra. "You’re awake!" Charlie gasped, giving him a big hug and a kiss. Vinnie squeezed her back, "Charlie-girl? Oh sweetheart I’ve missed you!" he gasped clinging tight to her. "Hey, what about me?" Terra asked, putting her hands on her hips and grinning. "Oh, I’ve missed you too, baby-doll." Vinnie said giving her a hug too. "It’s good to have you home again, Vin’." She said. "How you feeling, bro?" Modo asked, sitting on the arm of the couch. " Like crap, the drugs still in me…but the pain’s not as bad as it used to be somehow." He said. "That’s cause you got people you love to take care of you and help you out now." Charlie said stroking his face. Vinnie smiled then looked around the room. "Hey, where’s Throttle?" he asked.

The tan mouse was standing in the bathroom, leaning against the sink for support, soaking his badly cut forearm in water, which made him hiss and groan. If he had thought he could get hurt bad as a mortal, immortals had it ten times worse!

Suddenly he heard the door creak open and Vinnie peek in. "Are you decent?" he teased. Throttle looked up, a bit surprised to see him up and wandering around. "Well, your up and looking somewhat alive." He mused. Vinnie leaned against the door for support, "Yeah, more or less. Still feel like shit." He said, nervously staring at the ground, as his boots had suddenly become very interesting. "Well, I’m glad you’re feeling better." Throttle said easing his arm out of the water, which had turned dark red with his immortal blood and toweled off. He looked at him curiously out of the corner of his blue eyes. "Is there something you wanted to say to me?" he asked casually. Vinnie carefully shut the door behind him and then ran up and threw his arms around his neck and cried softly. Throttle seemed shocked and then hugged him tightly. "Welcome home, Vin’. Welcome home." He sighed.

Terra suddenly popped into the bathroom, "Hey, guys come on! The ball’s about to drop!" she said. "Coming, love." Throttle said to her. Terra smiled and blew him a kiss as she disappeared out the door. Throttle looked back at Vinnie. "Well, you coming?" he asked. Vinnie nodded, "I wouldn’t miss it for the world." He replied.

~The End~