Here we go again...
Spectre, Skyrider, and Shatterstar were forced through the halls of a building.
I know this place... Diamondback thought. This is that CorSec weapons place the Mavericks took control of... And the place where Dad almost shot Death Star... With that, he remained silent, paying attention to what was going on around him.
"What do you want with us?" Skyrider yelled at the Mavericks leading them through the base, and was ignored.
"Yeah, what good are we to you?" Spectre, Diamondback's "host," followed up, also being ignored.
"Dammit, TELL US!" Shatterstar finished. A Maverick hand flashed across her face.
"Anything to make you three shut up with that mind-speak," the Maverick snapped. "A little brainwashing, and you're flipped to our side. Now shut up!"
What!? Diamondback's thoughts, as well as the three teenagers voices, all said. The guns pressed into their backs prevented them from making a move, however.
Ryan, Andrew, you two here? Diamondback sent telepathically, remembering the last time.
Yeah, I'm here, anyway, Avatar replied.
Likewise, Ripple's voice added. So our friends here were captured by the Mavericks for a little brainwashing routine.
Looks that way. And since we know this is really happening... Diamondback trailed off. Silent nods seemed to enter Diamondback's mind, as the three started watching their surroundings again. The three teenagers has been led into a small, dungeon-like area, where they were roughly shoved into a cell, the door slamming hard behind them.
"Great... They've got a psychic block up," Skyrider muttered, releasing his concentration.
"Yep, we're screwed..." Shatterstar added dejectedly. Spectre seemed lost in thought. Suddenly, she looked up and snapped her fingers.
"They can't block the collective abilities!" she hissed. "And that new ability we learned... You know, the memory transfer..." Three telepathic ohs sounded between Diamondback, Avatar, and Ripple. "We could transfer our memories to three people. Maybe they'd pick up, if we transfer this part of our life to them, and come get us outta here!"
"Long shot, Jennifer..." Shatterstar mumbled. "But it's the only way."
"Everyone know who to transfer to?" Two nods. "All right, go!"
Spirit paced up and down the alley, waiting and thinking.
"Urrgh..." a voice sounded from behind her. Whirling around, she saw her cousin standing up and a cat flying towards a wall. "Stupid ass stray cats..."
"Chris! About time you woke up," Spirit greeted, as Avatar and Ripple also woke up, Ripple sending a trash can flying into the street as he flipped out of it.
"Things just got a little bit more serious..." Ripple informed Spirit, and the three explained what they'd just seen, and that they had learned that this had happened shortly in the past.
"That's great... Just great," she said quietly. "So do we know where they are?" Diamondback explained to the three that he knew where the place they had seen was. "Then what are we waiting for!? Let's go!"
"Whoa, whoa, not so fast, Andrea," Avatar cautioned. "The four of us can't handle an entire Maverick force. Let's head back to HQ and get some help." The other three nodded. Ripple and Avatar grabbed their hoverboards, while Spirit shapeshifted into a half falcon and Diamondback, showing off, morphed into a phoenix. Rolling their eyes, the three others lifted into the air and took off for Headquarters. Squawking, Diamondback leaped into the air and followed them, a firey red feather flying off of him and into the air.
"That's twelve, Dias! You sure you can keep going like that?" Dias nodded the affirmative and continued cramming another hot dog down his throat. A small group had gathered around him and were now cheering on the apparent bottomless pit. John McCormick, sitting on the other side of the cafeteria with Matsuoka, shook his head and took a swallow of his drink.
"The things the troops are amused by," he commented, getting a giggle from Matsuoka.
"Yeah," she agreed. "If Ripple was around, though, Dias would've met his match!"
"Where are they, anyway?" John asked absently. "I haven't seen him or any of the enhanced since about eleven this morning..."
"Andrea's missing too," Matsuoka added. "They're young, they probably took off to a pizza place somewhere... Things are slow around here lately..."
"All right, slackoffs, get your asses to the control room, I've got mission orders waitin' on ya," the computer broke in. The group surrounding Dias quickly dissipated, leaving a very sick looking EarthGovian sitting at the table.
"Looks like Dias isn't going to make it this time," Matsuoka joked just loud enough for Dias to hear her. He immediately sprung up and took off for the control room. "Nothing works better to get him going than hurting his ego." John and Matsuoka laughed and headed for the control room.
"Shut up, damn computer!" Diamondback telepathically sent to the computer. The computer ignored him. "Don't give me that shit, I programmed you to accept telepathic communications myself!"
"No, really, Snake?" the computer retorted. "Ever come to you I might be ignoring you? I swear, young'uns these days..." Diamondback threw a magazine at the computer's monitor.
Everyone had assembled in the control room, and now were awaiting their mission orders. Diamondback cursing out the computer's continuing red alert call, even though everyone was already there, had interrupted the process.
"Ok, here's the deal," Snipe announced. "Two things going on at once. One involves our friends the enhanced. I'll let them tell you their problem." Diamondback, Avatar, and Ripple all stood.
"Ok. Everyone should know that we passed out during a party and had weird dreams that seemed to coincide, right?" Ripple started, receiving nods from everyone.
"Checking the area where the dream took place, we found that the dream we had actually happened. To make matters worse, the three enhanced that we were in the dream - friends of ours, I might add - are going to be brainwashed and made into human Mavericks." Murmurs sounded.
"But I know where they are, because I recognized the area. Dad has bad memories of that place, because it's where he almost shot Death Star, the general of the Maverick Hunters," Diamondback continued, receiving nods from Paladin and Slasher. "The plan is to take a small group of EarthGovians to the weapons fac and save the enhanced."
"I'll tell you about our other mission before you decide," Snipe interrupted. "Thanks to one of our recon men, we have reason to believe that the Mavericks are readying missiles to launch at Mega City. Now, contrary to what you may think, this mission will actually require a small group, with a fair amount of backup. You are free to choose which group to go with, as each mission is of utmost importance. We can neither let the Mavericks launch the missiles or let them have control of some of the 'enhanced.' I will be leading the missile team. Diamondback will be leading the enhanced team. Those coming with me, report to the Heaven's Hand immediately."
"And those coming with me, prepare to walk it. The weapons facility is rather close to here, and we can't risk being seen," Diamondback added. Half of the EarthGovians followed Snipe to the hangar, while the other half remained behind.
Diamondback looked around at his troops after all of Snipe's group had left.
"Ryan, Andrea, and Andrew... Maestro... Shell... Dakota... and Vaxoin. Eight of us." Everyone looked at the ensign now placed in charge and loosely saluted. "This is where those trainers I put you all through come into play," the young man continued.
"If we succeed, we may have three more people in the Special Unit. If we fail..." Ripple started, then hesitated. "If we fail, the Mavericks will have an unstoppable force. Jennifer and Erica both are very powerful psychics. Put my skills and Ryan's together, and give that to EACH of them." The five non-enhanced murmured various comments.
"It is of utmost importance that we infiltrate the base and rescue the enhanced as quickly as possible," Avatar finished up. Diamondback nodded.
"We'll meet in ten minutes in front of HQ. Bring some mode of transportation, even if it's only your feet. Move out!"
Snipe swung around the corner of the entrance of the Heaven's Hand and ran for the front of the shuttle. Taking a seat in the passengers' seats, he looked back at those coming with him.
Hmm, none of the enhanced came. Big surprise, he thought. Damned if I didn't get stuck with the wrong ones... Matsuoka boarded the shuttle second and joined Snipe at the front. Next on were Dias, Paladin, and Slasher, arguing about something Snipe didn't care about. After them was Gravedigger, walking silently, on his hands. Following him were Iceman and Firebrand, friends even despite their oxymoronic personalities. Lastly was Airier, the EarthGovian Snipe knew least about. What a crowd...
"What's on your mind, John?" Matsuoka asked, sensing Snipe was thinking about something.
"Nothing, nothing," he replied.
"Chitter?" Snipe glanced down and groaned, as a Reploid squirrel, one of the pilots of EarthGov, was staring up at him. "Chitter!"
"What're you lookin' at?" Snipe said rashly. The squirrel chittered again and shied to the pilot's seat, forcing Dias out of it. "When will he ever learn..." The Heaven's Hand fired up and blasted off from the hangar.