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Biker Mice From Mars

In

Decisions & Sacrifices

By: Whipblade

Part 13

***Weeks Later****

Rimfire, Speedbump and Kickstart whistled at the new Last Chance Garage. The three of them entered from the rear, walking into a small 'mud room' then into the kitchen. The bright tiled floors, the blue and slight cream walls. The white appliances and kitchen table.

The living room, separate from the kitchen, was done in maple and cherry wood, complete with a stone fireplace. (fake of course). Stairs ran in a slight spiral between the living room and the kitchen. A heavy door separating the residence from the business.

"Uncle Modo?" Rimfire called opening the heavy fire door to the garage. The double bay garage, was still a double bay with two hoists, a small front office but it looked new and less run down.

"Bro?" Kickstart pushed Rimfire into the garage bay and looked around.

A loud bang and a female curse sent the three freedom fighters venturing upstairs. The hallway to the upstairs bathroom and three bedroom doors. Only one was open. The other two had yet to be finished.

"Uncle Modo? Aunt Charlene?" Rimfire called feeling a little silly being all grown up and still using titles.

"In here." Charley called as she pushed against an errant door frame.

"Need a hand?" Kickstart asked peeking around the corner.

Charley looked up and smiled at the trio. "What I need is a break." she stood up and watched the door frame wobble before leaning at an impossible angle against the wall. "How's hot dogs and root beer?"

"You read my tummy." Kickstart grinned stepping out of her way.

Gathered around the table, the three visiting Martians gazed around with anxious energy. As soon as Modo came up from the basement and sat down did they tense. Rimfire couldn't believe the haggard state his uncle was in. The big gray mouse, happy with his new life on Earth looked more like a worn down solider who couldn't find the light at the end of the constant battles in a war. A war, Rimfire noticed, Chicago was losing.

"Anything new and exciting down here?" Kickstart asked stuffing a hot dog into his mouth.

"Not much bros. Just one battle after another." Modo smirked. "But you missed this stupid villain Limburger brought in last month. She couldn't even hit me a point blank range!" he laughed.

The three mice snickered. "Must be running out of villains, finally." Rimfire said relieved.

"I wish." Charley sighed rubbing her mouses shoulder. "We've had some pretty hard battles against old foes. Brie even paid a visit with his dune rangers, between keeping Limburger and Brie from destroying more of the city with their rivalry, we've had the Pit Boss loose and Pulveriser fighting on Brie's team."

"He couldn't wait for payback." Modo shook his head. "But enough about us, how are things on Mars? How's ma?" His eye traveled eagerly to Rimfire.

"Well, she's feisty as ever, and living, but she isn't getting around so well. She's been spending a lot of time laying down." Rimfire confessed. "Grandma misses you."

"She sends her love too, and cookies, but we ate them on the way here." Kickstart grinned as he grabbed another hot dog off the platter.

Speedbump kicked Rimfire's leg. Rimfire jumped giving his mute bro the evil eye. Reluctantly he sighed before opening his mouth. "There's, uh one more thing... well more than one... but...." he paused looking to Kickstart for help.

Kickstart bit his bottom lip. "Yeah, uh remember that new rat nest not far from the city base?"

"Yeah, the one that popped up over night?" Modo asked making sure he got the right nest.

"That's the one. They had mice." Kickstart said pausing long enough to take a swig of his soda. "But they weren't prisoners."

"Mice?" Charley was confused.

"Yeah, uh, Stoker dragged me there, he thought they were stealing our water too." Rimfire cleared his throat. "They weren't of course and.. uh... well.... the mice that was there.... they were rescued from some pirate ship.... there's only two....."

"You would think it's easy telling you two this, but heck, its' just weird." Kickstart butted in. "I mean you should see them, their like two totally different mice. No one is allowed to see Throttle either."

Rimfire punched the long furred caramel colored mouse.

"OW!" Kickstart rubbed his arm.

"Uncle Modo, Vinnie and Throttle are alive." Rimfire said quickly.

"Alive?" Modo uttered in disbelief. "After all this time? They're alive."

Charlene gripped Modo's flesh hand, the two squeezed gently comforting each other. "Their really alive?" hope filled her green eyes.

"Yeah, for the most part." Rimfire said. "Throttle may or may not make it. He's still really weak. When we left he wasn't out of the coma yet."

"No one but Vinnie and some medics are allowed near him." Kickstart shuffled his tail around the chair legs.

Speedbump looked to Charley-ma'am. He watched her hopeful expression sink to worry and despair.

"I saw Throttle, the rats were taking good care of him. He... he was hooked up to so many machines, a feeding tube and oxygen.... I wasn't sure he was even alive." Rimfire gazed at the half eaten hotdog on his plate. "Modo, he's a mere skeleton, you can see every bone in his face, he was pale, looked cold and..... and...." Rimfire closed his eyes trying to vanish the image he remember all too well.

Charley rubbed her nephew in-law back. "It's okay Rimfire." she whispered worried as he paled at the mere thought of Throttle. "How is Vinnie?"

"Vinnie? He looks great! He wandered around the base for a bit with the General and Stoker." Kickstart chirped as he once again started to eat. "He never even lost his mask."

"Got a couple of small scars. He likes to point them out now and again." Rimfire continued. "He wont say what happened to him. But he's all for that new rat nest."

"He is?" Modo and Charley echoed surprised.

"Yeah, apparently the nest is Ick.. Icky...." Kickstart paused looking to Rimfire for help.

"Icky-wara."

"The Ikkywara?" Charley leaned back and thought a moment. "That's what Throttle told Carbine about, That Day....."

"Yeah?" Rimfire shrugged it off not able to remember. "Well, they saved them, and their rats and Vinnie likes some of them."

"Vinnie liking rats." Modo shook his head amazed. "Things certainly have changed."

"Not much. He still races his red bike and shows off his skill." Kickstart chuckled.

"Or lack there of." Rimfire turned to Charley. "He fell off a couple of times, flipped the bike onto him and crashed into a wall."

"Oh momma!" Modo laughed. "boys' gonna need training wheels again."

The garage filled with laughter and fond memories of the white alive Biker Mouse.

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

Vinnie paced the corridor as mice worked on Throttle in surgery. Vinnie couldn't remember all their names, he only knew a few were experts in repairing Karbunkle's faulty bionics.

"I hate Karbunkle." Dr. Rudder sighed as she untangled wire from dying optic nerves."

"How bad is it?" Bits asked, his dark gray and black dappled fur was offset by the orange scrubs he wore.

"Bad." she sighed. Her brown glove covered hands removing the faulty optics. "They aren't even fully connected."

"Lest it's only his eyes." Core said as she readied a new set of optics. "I hate the long multi-cybernetic repairs."

"Haven't seen much of Karbunkles' screw ups for a while. Still got your magic touch Core?" Torque asked as he hobbled over with a tray.

"You better believe it." Core said taking over Dr. Rudder's spot by the patients face.

"How is his vitals?" Doctor Rudder asked the technician.

"Steady and stable." Techno replied from her post.

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

Rudder walked out from the surgery room. She waited till the white mouse saw her before she spoke. "Good news, he pulled through." she smiled watching the way the white mouse tilted his head assessing her.

"Good. What did you do?" Vinnie asked curious. "Didn't the Ikkywara do everything that needed to be done?"

"The ones who brought him here were unable to repair your bros damaged optics. They never dealt with Karbunkles' screw ups."

Confused Vinnie asked "You mean he was blind?"

"I don't believe he was fully blind. However the faulty connection may have left him enable to see at times." she said.

Vinnie nodded, still unsure what it all meant.

A gray and black dappled mouse poked his head out of the surgery door. "Dr. Rudder, we disconnected the feeding tube and ventilators. He's breathing on his own now."

"Thank you Bits." Rudder gave him a nod and he disappeared.

"On his own? He could do that before, it was just to make sure he had enough oxygen that nothing failed." Vinnie said.

"I know that." Rudder said touching Vinnie's shoulder. "But that was when he was in a coma, he's not now."

"He's not?"

"Nope, he started waking once the anesthesia wore off. Give us an hour and you can see him." She left Vinnie standing in the hallway.

Excited, confused, nervous and happy Vinnie stood in front of the door hardly able to stand still.

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

Vinnie sat on the edge of the bed, it groaned and squeaked loudly in protest.

Throttle gave a small weak mummer but that was it. The tawny continued to sleep.

Despite being back among mice, Vinnie couldn't help but feel uncomfortable and alone.

'Mann, this reeks! I'm with Freedom Fighters! My own bros and I can't even trust them! How can I? Who other than Throttle could understand what we went through? Even Stoker and Modo, they .. were only used for a purpose. Karbunkle maybe twisted but he too only used us for a purpose. Those damn rats used us for Pleasure!'

How can I talk to anyone but Throttle about what we went through? Who other than Tweak? A rat! Would I tell our story too? Man, how am I suppose to look at Charley if she ever found out? She wouldn't see me as a macho mouse returned from the dead, but some victim who should've stayed away.

Vinnie stood up yet again, he paced the small hospital room where Throttle was recovering from surgery and having all the equipment removed from him. An IV dripped slowly measuring out nutrients and medication to the tawny mouse. A heart monitor beeped. A small pump pushed oxygen into Throttle nose. Other than that, he was free from the larger oxygen tank, the feeding tube, the other IV that dripped more nutrients and medications, the brain wave monitors and Ventilators.

'It doesn't help that any mouse who hears the word therapist automatically thinks I'm burned out from battle, mentally deficient or just insane, and not in a good way.

Vinnie took a good long look at his bed ridden bro. The weight they gained wasn't as considerable as Vinnie thought it would have been. Throttle was still sickly thin, but he didn't look like a wasting away skeleton anymore, he looked more like an Earthling druggie.

"By the time you wake up, you'll probably be addicted to all the stuff their pumping into you." Vinnie muttered leaning against the window beside Throttle's bed.

Vinnie didn't hear the light chuckle coming from the doorway.

"Seven months bro." He sighed watching the red sand blowing gently out side. "What are we going to do now?"

"Easy." Stoker's voice interrupted Vinnie's loud contemplations. "Your going to Earth."

Vinnie spun around to face what he wasn't used to seeing. "Wow." he muttered once again thrown completely off his mental track.

"What punk?" Stoker asked amused at Vinnie's loss for words.

Vinnie blinked unable to come up with any age related jokes. "You... just look old."

"Yeah." Stoker shrugged it off still amused at the punk. "Tends to happen to everyone. Even when we don't want it too." Seeing Vinnie wasn't snapping out of it. Stoker used the lowest of low tactics. "How's Throttle doing, Snowball?"

"Fine!" Vinnie snapped eyes narrowing. "I told you not to call me that."

"Good." Stoker smiled seeing the white mouse becoming himself again. Walking to the end of Throttle's bed Stoker frowned. He couldn't see any improvements or changes since he first saw the comatose mouse. Other than the lack of various equipment around.

"Why Earth?" Vinnie finally asked.

"Modo and Charley are willing to put up with you two." Stoker said turning back to the white mouse he had to admit looked a lot better not as bulked up with muscles of war. "Still need weight on your bones."

"He needs it more." Vinnie said jerking his thumb to Throttle. Vinnie stepped back wary of Stoker's habit of greeting with a fist fight.

"Relax bro, those rats put you on edge." Stoker sat at the foot of Throttle's bed. The springs groaning and popping with the weight. "Think your up to seeing Charley and Modo?"

Vinnie leaned against the wall making sure Stoker wasn't going to jump up suddenly. "Yeah, I'm up to seeing them." he smiled fondly thinking of Charley girl. "Once Throttle wakes up."

"He'll be off the sedation meds shortly, then you two can go." Stoker said.

"Who else will be coming?"

"Just us three, and Carbine piloting. Don't need us all hanging around messing up the reunion." Stoker said looking to the ill mouse once more. Placing his hand on Throttle's foot, Stoker shuddered feeling the bones through the blanket. "Maybe Charley can help fatten you two up some."

"Eh" Vinnie shrugged. "My appetite healthy, I'm not worried about me." his eyes shifted to Throttle.

"I'll bug you later" Stoker stood up, the bed jerked and popped. Once at the door Stoker paused. "Make sure your both okay with going to Earth first."

Vinnie nodded watching the door close behind the metal tailed mouse. Vinnie's gaze wandered to Throttle's furry tail, the tip he could see any ways.

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

The tawny mouse looked up at the white figure looming over him. He couldn't make out if the being was a white rat or a white mouse or a white human with oversized ears, he couldn't tell if it was friend or foe. He didn't dwell on any option as his vision continued to blur and fill with static. The painful fire that seemed to come from all over his body was like nothing like he felt before. The tightness of his skin, the itchiness of his tail and back. The irritation between his legs where the catheter entered and rested. His very antenna's seemed weak as they rested against his scalp.

"dead..." Throttles parched voice hissed.

Vinnie jumped slightly, tossing the data pad he was silently reading on the floor, he ran to Throttle's bedside. "We're alive." he whispered softly.

"...die.... let... me..."

Vinnie frowned not sure if his bro was awake or still under heavy sedation or slipping back into a coma. "I won't let you die." Vinnie tried to assure.

"Can't.... want.... die...." Throttle's tail tip flicked. "leave me.... die..." he whimpered.

Vinnie took his tan bros hand and squeezed tightly. "I won't leave you to die."

Throttle squeezed back, only to have zapped what energy he had. Fog surrounded his brain as the nauseating dizziness returned. With a weak grunt the tawny mouse welcomed the warm embrace of sleep.

Vinnie watched his bro fall back to sleep.. ' Did you want me to leave you to die? Or leave you to sleep? Why would you want to die?' Vinnie couldn't understand his bro. 'Surely Throttle wasn't really awake when Mace cut him up. But then, why? What did he mean?' Sitting down in the lone chair Vinnie pondered his bros few words ignoring the data pad on the floor.

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

The first sensation he felt through the thick fog was that of his leg being lifted and his calf being rubbed. The sensation lasted several minutes as he struggled between fighting the fog and letting it consume him once again. His leg was then bent and someone was rubbing his upper thigh. That was it! Fingers finding the thin blanket covering him, he fought desperately to rid himself of the fog once and for all.

Vinnie pressed his hand just above Throttle's bent knee. He eased off with every exhale, pressed firmly with every inhale Throttle made. The blankets crumpling in Throttle boney fingers didn't waver Vinnie's duty to exercise his bros limp limbs.

"Hey, your clutching the blanket, that's an improvement from just your tail moving." he cooed in a pretend happy voice. Seven months of the same thing over and over again. Vinnie wasn't going to abandoned his bro, but he was wondering what the hell he would do if Throttle stayed a vegetable

"You want to move your hand now?" Vinnie hummed as he lowered Throttle's leg down to the bed.

Throttle continued to grasp and pull at the blanket, both hands reflexing with the movement.

"Tweak isn't here to help, nor is Paige. I couldn't find any books here, but Stoker's been stopping by to tell you old war tales and Rimfire is giving us reports about Earth and Modo and Charley." Vinnie continued on as he watched his tawny charge make a weird movement with his tail.

"nnnnaaahhhh"

"Hey, good to hear you say something. Been a week since you last talked, and BRO! brush your teeth, phew!" Vinnie wrinkled his nose at Throttle's bad breath.

"nnnnaahhhhh"

"Nnaaah? What you don't want to hear about Charley and Modo?"

Vinnie sighed not sure what his bro wanted. Thinking of the only thing that ever got his attention. Vinnie pinched the pale bulb atop Throttle's antennae.

Throttle bolted straight up in bed. His joints popping and cracking with the sudden jolt.

"GAAHH!" Vinnie yelped jumping back.

Eyes wide Throttle took in the unfamiliar shadows surrounding him, before slowly laying back down. He turned his head on the pillow looking straight at Vinnie.

Peeling himself off the wall Vinnie squeaked "Hey."

Throttle blinked focusing on his white bro. "hey" His hoarse dry voice croaked back. "water?"

"Sure, yeah, glass of water, right!" Vinnie slipped out of the room and raced down the hallway to fetch a pitcher of water. His heart racing he flew back into the room praying that it wasn't a figment of his imagination, that Throttle really was awake.

Swallowing was a tricky ordeal as Throttle couldn't hold the glass yet. "Thanks." he hummed leaning back.

"No problem, mouth wash?" Vinnie offered the small bottle he kept in a drawer.

"That'd be good." Throttle took the bottle and empty cup.

Vinnie couldn't help but notice the strange way his bro talked, almost whistling with each word.

"Vincent, how long have I been out? Where are we?" Throttle asked taking another drink of water, Vinnie holding the cup.

Softly Vinnie spoke as he took back the empty glass "You've been in a coma for seven months. We're on Mars."

"How? What about Mace?" Throttles' head reeled.

"Easy bro, I'll start at the beginning." Vinnie offered as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"We were rescued by a trade ship belonging to the Ikkywara. They found you first and hauled you back to their ship. They took bets on your survival. I mean... you were... close bro. I'm sorry." Vinnie paused hanging his head.

Throttle gave a sigh.

Vinnie continued. "We've been patching you up since. They brought me on board as well and patched me up. They were nice enough to bring us home."

Throttle closed his eyes. "Vincent....," Vinnie watched as the blankets moved. "Who knows?" Throttle asked realizing the nightmare wasn't as over as he first thought.

"Only the 4 medical staff of the Ikkywara and Dr. Rudder here, and me." Vinnie brushed a lock of Throttle hair off his face.

"Vincent... don't.."

"I know not to tell bro." Vinnie patted Throttle's leg. "I ain't stupid."

Throttle laid still for a few moments thinking as he watched a golden spider weave a web in the corner of the ceiling.

Vinnie waited patiently as he refilled the glass of water and put a pitcher on the night stand.

"I want to die." Throttle finally stated turning to see Vinnie's startled reaction.

"NO!"

"Vincent, kill me." Throttle's bionic red eyes bore pleadingly into Vinnie natural pinks.

"I can't... I.... bro.."

Throttle frowned seeing Vinnie tear up so quickly wasn't normal for the white mouse. 'Hell what was normal now?'

"Look Vincent, I don't want to live. I didn't for months, now probably years. Just make the pain stop, please." Throttle begged.

Vinnie bit his bottom lip. "Kay, let me go get...." Vinnie muttered low unable to say the word gun. He dragged his tail out of the room.

Dr. Rudder, Bits and Stoker rushed into the room with Vinnie hanging back. An IV pole was placed beside the awake tawny mouse.

"What the hell?!" Throttle snapped seeing the unfamiliar mice.

"Easy Throttle, we're just hooking you up on some morphine, it'll take the pain away." Dr. Rudder soothed, her brown paws working quickly and efficiently.

"I want to die!" Throttle demanded as he weakly swatted at the doctor.

"After four years of torture and seven months in a coma, I'm not surprised." She said quietly inserting the IV in the back of Throttle's hand.

"Get away from me!" Throttle shouted trying to pull his arm away from her, only to move it too late. The needle was in and taped.

"Easy rookie, their just doing their job." Stoker's fatherly voice interrupted as he stood at the foot of the bed.

"If I could move my legs." Throttle hissed darkly. "I would kick your fucking head off."

Eyes wide Stoker stepped back. He swallowed hard looking to Vinnie for an explanation.

Confused Vinnie stepped closer to Throttle once Bits left the room. "Bro, its Stoker..... remember... Stokes?" he whimpered utterly confused at the venom in Throttle's voice and hate burning in his eyes.

Dr. Rudder stayed to observe the interactions

"Oh yeah, I know who and what that cheese eater is. If I ain't dead before I see you again Fish Kisser, I'll kill you myself." Throttle snarled.

Stoker walked out of the room, unable to fathom Throttle's hate towards himself.

"Throttle, come on, its just ....." Vinnie stopped seeing those blazing eyes staring at him. "We... still bros?" He whimpered.

Throttle softened, the white mouse was all he had, all he could trust. At least Mace gave him that much. "Yeah, long as I don't have to be a Freedom Fighter anymore. Worthless waste of time."

Vinnie sucked in a breath not wanting to upset his friend any more. "Okay." he exhaled. "okay, we're not freedom fighters."

Dr. Rudder slipped gracefully out of the room and followed Stoker down the hall.

"Stoker?" She called after him.

The older mouse sighed stopping, he turned around as the doctor caught up. "What?"

"I take it that Throttle has changed some? Personality wise?" she stated ushering him into her office.

"What gave it away?" Stokers sarcasm went unnoticed.

"I was hoping to have more than just Vinnie with him on Earth. Is there anyone else you can suggest that he would warm up to?"she asked hopeful.

"I don't know." Stoker sighed, he felt like weeping. "He... we were close before. Damn that boy was like a son to me!" closing his eyes he took a deep breath. "Carbine would be the next best thing. She and him have a history."

Rudder frowned. "The General?"

"Yeah." he opened his eyes. "The General."

"Stoker, it could just be a phase. Throttle could just be angry that all this time, you never saved him."

"I hope that's all it is." Stoker frowned turning towards the door. "If it isn't a phase?" he asked frightened of the answer.

"Stay away, that goes for everyone else he knew as well." She frowned sitting in her chair. "Just until we know why."

"I guess I best not tell anyone he's awake." Stoker stated leaving the office.

"Broken dreams." Rudder shook her head knowing it would be a long road for them all if Throttle really was hostile towards the Freedom Fighters.

TBC

w hipblade

[email protected]

May 24 2005

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