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Biker Mice From Mars

In

Decisions & Sacrifice

By: Whipblade

Part 14

Carbine slipped into the darkened hospital room. Vinnie wasn't anywhere to be seen. Throttle laid on his back looking peaceful. The door barely made a sound as it shut. Padding across the tiled floor she took a seat beside Throttles bed.

The General was at an awe as she looked over her one time lover. He was thin, much thinner than he should be. His hair, unwashed, tangled and stuck to his forehead. His pale antennae's's flopped against the pillow. She could hear his breathing, ragged and soft.

"I guess you know its been four years since we last saw each other." she started, recalling Stokers words,'talk to him, even if he doesn't respond, just talk. He can hear you.' "Four years is a long time. Harley managed to hack into the Plutarkians' computers. It must have been hard dealing with Mace after what he did to her, then both of you guys." she paused knowing it may destroy him inside. "We held a wake for you last year. We all moved on. I moved on." turning her head away she looked to her hands. "His name is Turbo, he's a Freedom Fighter Commander. We love each other, he's there for me, I'm there for him." she turned to look at Throttle. "He wants children, I haven't told him yet."

"tell him." Throttle whispered.

"ACK!" Carbine jumped falling off her chair and landing on the floor.

Throttle turned his head in time to see her tail fly. "You alright?"

Grabbing the chair she righted herself. "No. Your suppose to be in a coma!"

Throttle chuckled as her startled state. "I've been awake for a few hours."

She grumbled taking her seat again. "You could have said something earlier."

"You wouldn't've talked to me then." he gave a lop sided smirk. "Why haven't you told Turbo what happened?"

Carbine noticed the way Throttle talked, like if he enjoyed slurring his speech by smacking his lips after each word. "I don't want to loose him." she confessed.

With trouble, Throttle took hold of her hand. "You wont, not if he loves you the way I loved you."

"You.... your not upset?"

Throttle smiled seeing her confused features. "Face it, we may have loved each other, but we were never together. I'm thrilled you moved on. You deserve it."

Carbine noticed something odd about Throttle. "What about you?"

"I'm not interested in that right now. I want me feet to move first." he chuckled.

"What happened to your front teeth?"

Resisting the urge to touch his mouth, he ran his tongue over the top and bottom gap in his mouth. "They were punched out in a fight." Throttle said knowing it was a lie.

"How many?"

"I couldn't tell you how many teeth I have left or how many I lost." he admitted.

"Do you want me to inform someone?" she asked rubbing his hand and shuddering.

Throttle moved his arm back to his side. "False teeth? We do that now?"

"Without Plutarkians to worry about, we've been doing a lot better." Carbine smiled.

"Without.... wait the war?"

"Is over. There's an odd cruiser buzzing over the sky, and one moon is still theirs, but they're off the planet."

"They don't want us anymore?"

"There's nothing to take. Far as they know, we have no water, we have stolen space crafts and our population is extremely low." she shrugged. "There's nothing here for them anymore."

"Then why the moon?"

"Their using it as a prison for what's left of Martians, and now humans."

"Humans?"

"Yeah, Earth is seeing some tough action." Carbine admitted. "We can't help them, there isn't enough of us left to help them."

"How many is left?" Throttle asked warily.

"Enough to start a breeding program. We have already documented the remaining family lines. Very few are related to anyone now."

"Carbine, how many is left."

"Nine hundred, less a handful."

Throttle took a deep breath. "It's not going to make a difference one way or the other then."

"huh?"

"Never mind." Throttle sighed his vision becoming filled with static again, he closed his eyes.

Carbine stood up. "I'll let you sleep, Throttle."

Throttle smiled feeling her lips on his cheek.

***************

Vinnie snored softly in some corner of the dark hospital room.

Throttle stared down at his thin unmoving legs. "How come you won't fucking move?" he snarled under his breath breaking the silence. His feet didn't reply or move to his snarling swear-filled threats. The tip of his tail flicked in the air, but not his feet, his toes or his legs moved.

Vinnie gave a snort as he awoke to Throttle holler of delight. The morning sun illuminated Throttle who was sitting up in bed unaided, his one foot wiggling back and forth. A smile on the tans face made Vinnie wince. He had never noticed the missing teeth before.

"wha?" he yawned.

"My foot finally moved." Throttle hummed looking to his immobile left foot. "Now if only the other one would." his face scrunched up in concentration as he tried to mentally will his left foot to move like the right one.

Vinnie stood up stretching with a large yawn. Shaking the morning fog out of his head, he scratched his butt. "You want something for breakfast?"

"It's almost lunch." Throttle corrected his white furred bro. "Dr. Rudder said she'd be by with food and someone to look at my mouth."

"Oh." Vinnie scratched behind his ears. "Guess I slept rather well."

"Too well." Throttle stated as he again tried to will his foot to move.

Seeing Throttle's anger starting to boil to the surface Vinnie decided there was only one course of action. "I need to use the little boys room." he stated quickly leaving the room. From the bathrooms, clear as a bell, Throttle screaming "FUCKING MOVE!" echoed down the busy hallways.

Dr. Rudder froze in her spot as she wheeled a cart of food down the hall. "Wow, that's some profanity." she blinked back her surprise.

"Think that's bad? You should hear him when he can't get a computer to do what he wants it to." Carbine smiled as she passed the brown female doctor.

"hummm, I take it I should move him to a sound proof room?" Rudder asked as she entered Throttles' room, Carbine at Throttle's bedside.

"Naw, it'll move soon." Throttle said watching his foot.

"Hrm just your foot?" Carbine gave a coy smile as she set up the trays.

"Yes dear, just my foot." Throttle winked. "The rest will follow."

Carbine giggled. "Found you someone who may help with your choppers, her name is Claymore. She's the best." Carbine brushed a lock of her black hair behind her ear. "She'll be here at sun down."

"Thanks Carbine." Throttle smiled as he looked at the soft mushy food on his try. "The sooner I get solid food into me, the less I'll want to throw this stuff up."

"It's not that bad." Rudder smirked shaking her head lightly at the joke. "Really, it's what the staff has to eat too." she set Vinnie's tray off to the side.

"I knew there had to be a reason there is so few of us left." Vinnie stated as he looked at the white mush on his plate. "Just don't tell me what it is."

"Don't worry Vinnie. It's not K-rations." Carbine smiled watching the white mouse dig into his food with zest. Throttle on the other hand awkwardly held his fork. "Need help?" she asked politely.

"I'm fine." Throttle said still glaring at his foot as he ate carefully, not wanting to spill any of the precious meal.

"In that case, I'll see you at sun down." Carbine said exiting the room. "Oh, and Vinnie." Carbine popped her head back in. "Explain to Throttle what's going to happen when your both better." Just like that, she was gone again.

"She's...... flighty." Vinnie stated surprised at the way Carbine acted.

"She isn't as bitchy any more I have to agree." Dr. Rudder agreed.

Throttle rolled his eyes. "She changed once the war stopped or when she hooked up with Turbo?" he asked Rudder.

"Biggest change happened when the war ended. The only small change she made hooking up with Commander Turbo..." Rudder paused. "She isn't as sexually frustrated now."

"How long has it been over?" Vinnie asked scrapping his plate. "The war I mean?" he stuffed his mouth.

"Little more than a year." Rudder said taking Vinnie's empty plate. "I'll be back in a little while to check on you Throttle." she said leaving the room with the cart.

"Can't get used to it, being over." Throttle shook his head, still fighting with his meal.

"You and Carbine?"

"No. The war. It started when we was kids." Throttle got another mouthful in.

"Yeah, gee, we're adults now.... old ones at that." Vinnie chuckled.

"Just experienced." Throttle frowned. "In too many ways."

"What did Mace do to you?" Vinnie prompted.

"What was it Carbine was talking about? What's going on after I get mobile?" Throttle asked changing the subject completely.

Vinnie accepted his bros unreadiness to talk. "She wants us to go to Earth and recover there. Away from the Freedom Fighters and mice."

Throttle scrapped the last bit of food out of his dish. "Yeah? I like that idea." he popped the food into his mouth. "When do we leave?"

"When will you walk?" Vinnie chuckled.

*****************

'It's like two totally different mice. Before there was the strong and independent mouse, hell bent on keeping his bros safe and securing a future for Mars. Now, there's this total stranger. This persona of a dependant and, for lack of better words, weak. He's no longer the leader that left the Freedom Fighters along with his two bros chasing leads of a lost friend in space.

'He isn't the mouse I had worked so hard to build up to take my place. He's not even the raw rookie material I started with. He is a stranger. A Stranger with scars and memories so deep and dark he refused to share with the Army's psychiatrist. What's worse than not knowing this new mouse in the fur of the old, is the fact this new mouse refused to even consider the smallest of jobs within the Freedom Fighters.

'I lost the only mouse I ever considered closer than a son. I lost the mouse I held such high hopes for. I lost my best friend.'

Stoker stood in the shadows watching Throttle glance around like he never seen the garage before. The new pink eyes taking in every small detail, a flash of anger washed over Throttle's tawny boyish face before sadness took root. A single tear escaped Stokers eye as Throttle left the building without even a glance back or a goodbye.

"Stoker?" Carbine's careful voice came before the gentle hand on his shoulder. "Come inside with the others, Vinnie wants to catch up with their mentor."

The older mouse turned to see the delicate and hopeful smile of General Carbine. "You should have waited for him." Stoker muttered with a sigh.

"No, he wanted me to move on. I did. When he came back he was more than happy to see that I had." her arm looped around his waist. "He'll be watched closely by me and Turbo." she reassured as they walked towards Vinnie and his red bike, complete with training wheels.

Stoker grinned.

Throttle stood outside, his back against the garage door. 'what am I doing?' he wondered looking around the new Martian city Eden. 'Everything is alien to me. There's nothing here for me, no one here for me. Just Vinnie, and a ruined view of the Freedom Fighters. Modo may have rat in his blood, but right now he and Vinnie are the only two I can count on. At least Mace gave me them.'

Leaning heavily on the metal cane, Throttle limped towards the Stalker ship where Turbo was making sure the ship was ready for flight.

"Hey bro. Hop on up, the others will be boarding shortly." Turbo said waving the tawny mouse over.

"Thanks." Throttle muttered once he was close enough to the brown mouse. Running his tongue over the back of his new teeth, Throttle couldn't get used to the new taste in his mouth.

***********

Long Hours Later:

The ship landed with a gentle thud, a subtle lurch up and down and then rested. Hissing from the steam vents cooling could be heard. The ramp lowered with a mechanical whine. Carbine emerged from the cockpit, Turbo on her heels.

"Enjoy the ride?" She asked the two passengers. Vinnie yawned. "we there?" he asked waking up from his snooze. He couldn't help it, as soon as he entered the ship all he wanted to do was sleep.

Throttle uncurled his hands from the arm rest. His hidden eyes from the new blue shades finally opened. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Remind me to use the transporter next time I go to Mars." he muttered not daring to stand just yet.

Turbo smiled as Carbine exited the ship, more or less to give Modo and Charley time to brace when they see their changed comrades.

Throttle looked up to the dark brown mouse with black hair. "What?"

"You look tense." his deep clipped voice stated. "Do you want a drink or something before you get up?"

Shaking his head no Throttle shifted in his seat. "Do you know where my cane went?"

Turbo smiled at the slight embarrassment of Throttles plight. "Yeah, it rolled up front." He left to retrieve it.

Upon returning The darker mouse handed Throttle his etched cane Stoker made him. The small detail no one had told the tawny mouse yet. "Do you want help going down the ramp?"

"Can you go ahead of me, please?" THROTTLE asked leaning heavily on the cane to stand up.

"Sure." Turbo said before nudging Vinnie at the top of the ramp. "Go on." he encouraged.

Upon spotting Charley Vinnie raced down the ramp, he swooped her up in his arms and kissed her passionately. When they came up for air, charley blushed a deep scarlet.

Modo leaned over Vinnie threateningly. "Let go of my wife now, and I'll forgive you kissing her."

Turbo strutted out of the ship like a proud father, Throttle trailing behind him. The cane making a dull thud sound with every other step Throttle made.

"YOUR WIFE!?" Vinnie's ears dropped dramatically as he backed up from Charley, his arms dropping to his sides. He stared wide-eyed from Modo to Charley, their matching ear rings, the matching wedding bands. He whimpered feeling his heart break into a million pieces at once. "Oh, oh kay...." he uttered trying to look like he wasn't at all hurt. He even forced his ears to perk up some.

"They didn't tell you, did they?" Charley's soft voice stung him.

"No..," 'Just another cruel joke.' Vinnie acidly thought. He turned to Modo, trying to ignore Charley for the moment.

"Your not in that bad of shape." He tried to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, Limburger keeps me and Lil' Darlin' pretty busy. Even Lady been taking up fighting with a dummy for a rider."

"I didn't know she'd let you ride her." Vinnie smirked.

"Funnie." Modo glared aiming a fun-natured punch Vinnie in the arm.

Vinnie ducked while pivoting out of the way. "don't do that." he snarled through clenched teeth.

Modo nodded with a frown. It wasn't like Vinnie to avoid a friendly fist fight.

Throttle stood on the bottom of the ramp. In front of him the back door he recalled entering and exiting a hundred times, kicking more than a dozen and constantly being yelled at for slamming. The door, battered as it was, still looked the same, it was everything else that had changed. The building was now taller, vinyl cream siding, new windows barred on the bottom level. The back lot was paved, clean and made into parking spaces, the Stalkers ship took them all up.

Charley gasped as soon as she saw Throttle limping behind Turbo. The tawny mouse appeared extremely fragile. Thin, scruffy and limping. The crook in the tawny tail that barely swayed with each troubled step he took. His antennas; pale and slightly curved downwards. "Oh Throttle." she knew he was in bad shape, but this was beyond bad. "What have they done to you?" she asked softly going towards the mouse and giving him a light hug.

Awkwardly Throttle hugged back. "Missed you too." he whispered trying not to hit her with the cane. Parting, he smiled lopsidedly. "You look a little tired." he stated gently. Running the back of his hand along her cheek.

"Yeah, you know me. Never know when to quite." she shrugged. "Besides, Modo keeps me up pretty late at night some times." she winked.

Throttle chuckled. "He snoring to loud?"

Charley laughed. "Not normally." she confessed. "Mostly it's a mutual late night." she giggled.

"Ahhh." Throttle caught on by the way she blushed slightly.

Modo came up to Charley's side. "Hey." he said not moving too fast. 'He looks like he'll break if I even touch him.' Modo thought. "Welcome home."

"Thanks, Modo." Throttle ran his tongue over the back of his teeth again. "The scoreboard still standing?" he asked trying to keep the conversation light.

"Naw, Limburger ripped the old stadium down. The city rebuilt Quigley." The big gray mouse shrugged. "There's extra rooms upstairs for you and Vinnie."

Throttle frowned."oh. I was looking forward to watching a Nubs game."

"Plenty on TV." Modo smiled holding his hand out for his bro. "Come on, I'll show you the new garage."

Sucking in a breath, Throttle nervously took Modo's out stretched hand.

Vinnie smiled watching the two enter the garage. He stepped closer to Charley. "So sweetheart." He started. Charley smiled.

"Think there's any possible way you'll lose that big gray mouse anytime soon?" He cooed.

"Sorry Vinnie." she patted his shoulder. "But I'm taken for good now."

Vinnie pouted before turning to Carbine. "Hey Carbine, you single?"

Carbine laughed a loud. "Even if I was, your not my type."

"Nice try, Snowball." Turbo laughed looping his arm around Carbine's waist.

"There's food on the table if your hungry." Charley said. "That means you too Carbine, Turbo."

"Mmmm food." Turbo smiled leaving Carbine as he raced for the door, pushing Vinnie playfully out of the way.

"HEY!" Vinnie pushed back trying to stop the muscular brown mouse from getting through the door first.

Once inside Vinnie and Turbo both flopped down at the kitchen table and started to dig into the hotdogs, hamburgers and salads.

Vinnie ignored the salads and hotdogs.

Throttle stood a ways away looking a little green. "Like the fireplace." he commented to Modo. Purposely turning his back to the kitchen Throttle sucked in a breath. The stench of food making him nauseous. "But uh, I think I need some air."

Modo nodded not sure why his bro looked so ill. "Sure, lets go out the garage." he put his metal hand on Throttle's shoulder. The tawny mouse jumped slightly.

"sorry." Modo said taking his hand off his bro.

"It's okay." Throttle sucked in another breath. "Just a little nervous." he confessed walking passed his bike and out the old front door.

"Your bike misses you." Modo mentioned.

"My bike?" Throttle snorted. "I don't want it any more."

Modo was taken aback, he never heard Throttle refer to any bike as 'it' before. Lost for words Modo decided to change the subject. "Limburger's been busy, keeping me and Charley on our toes."

Throttle nodded. "Yeah well, that's fish for you." he shrugged.

Modo puzzled over Throttle's words. Two things that his bro had been ambitious about, no longer seemed relevant. "Are you hungry?" he asked trying to keep to neutral subjects.

"I've been on a diet of mush since I woke up. The mere smell of what's in there," he jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Just makes me gag."

"Hmmm, Carbine mentioned your diet." Modo paused eyeing the empty war torn street. "I believe rice would keep your stomach full and calm."

"Rice?" Throttle paused trying to remember what it was. "yeah, rice. White stuff with butter."

"That's it. Would you like some?" Modo offered.

"Not right now." Throttle replied. "I just want to sleep."

Modo nodded. "I'll show you to your room."

Throttle chuckled softly. "Sounds like a personal bellboy."

Modo laughed.

**************

TBC

In

Part 15

Whipblade

[email protected]

August 11 2005