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CONTINUED I have my hands full. Three maverick operatives trapped in a store. A furious dealer who has learned of the TFMs existence, and is threatening to expose us all. Time is running out. Before long, people will notice all the activity. I have to come up with something...and fast. The clock is ticking... Boss>"I need options, people! We've got to get them out of there. And I need a solution to the dealer end of it." Jerunski>"Too bad we didn't have a transporter. We could beam them out." Rjung>"If we had a transporter, we could just beam the toys out for every mission without sending anyone in! Be serious. This isn't science fiction, this is real life." Boss>"Enough. No jokes. We have to get them out, and quickly." Jerunski>"I suppose we could blow the door.." Optimus Primal>"Blow? OK!" Jerunski>"Get him off of me!" Rjung>(rather annoyed )"He said to be serious!" Boss>"No, wait, he may have a point." Rjung>(incredulously)"With that lame WWFF joke?" Boss>"No, I mean about the door. The quickest way to take it down is to use a small explosive device." Rjung>"Why not just cut thru it with a torch?" Jerunski>"Takes too long. Besides, we don't have a torch." Rjung>"Oh, but we DO have explosives?" Jerunski>"I don't. But TFX-1 does." TFX-1>"Yo, yo, yo! I got the bang, and I got the buck!" Boss>"Er, yes. You have the explosives and the cash. I want you to get our people out, then go in and...negotiate with the dealer." Jerunski>"You're kidding." Boss>"No, I'm not. It makes perfect sense. He brought the explosives; he knows best how to use it. And as long as he's over there, he can take care of the dealer as well." Jerunski>"Are you nuts? That hothead? He's not exactly what I'd call a calming influence. It would be like throwing gasoline on a fire." Boss>"Yea, but he speaks the language. And from what I saw at the convention, he knows Rachael personally." Jerunski>"Which is exactly why he SHOULDN'T go! How can he be objective? It'll be just another Joe Bradford fiasco all over again." Rjung>"I would have to agree with Jerunski.You didn't see what happened at the convention between those two. TFX-1 won't keep his cool under the circumstances. We might just be providing the catalyst that makes this entire situation explode. He could take care of the door, but perhaps PalZe or myself should..." Boss>(cutting him off)"No. We're running out of time. We need to do this now. And I'm not risking any more of us being exposed. My decision stands. TFX-1, you're it. Head into the store, and get our operatives out." TFX-1>"1-2-3, Brooklyn baby represent!" (runs to the store) Jerunski>"What did he say?"
Rjung>"beats me. But I've got a bad feeling about this." |
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TFX-1 heads to the front of the store. He places a small explosive device against the gate, then ducks behind a car. TFX-1>"Knock knock knockin' on Heaven's Door!!"
We hear a loud boom, followed by the sound of rending metal. TFX-1 runs into the cloud of dust, and kicks open the remains of the gate. Although no one would tell me why, the rest of the team felt that TFX-1 was the wrong choice. Perhaps... |
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TFX-1>(entering the store)"Yo, Red!(high-fives RedAlert) Get down on your bad self! So what the fuck is this shit? (looks around the store, and spys the TF case) Whoa, $1400 smakers for Menasaur! That's a lot of sticky buns! Not to worry, cause I got the snuff!" Rachael>"TFX-1? They sent HIM? You've got to be kidding!" RC>"Yes, I would agree. He doesn't strike me as the most logical choice in this situation." TFX-1>"Yo, fuckoff! Boss says I gotta talk the walk for you losers, so shut the fuckup!" Rachael>"You DARE to talk to me that way? You little puke, come here and say that!" RedAlert>"Hey guys, calm down, we're all on the same side here. The boss probably figured he was the best choice. Nice fireworks, by the way. But isn't it past July 4th?" Rachael>"How DARE you imply that I would be on the same side as this cretin! (points an imerious finger at TFX-1) Do you have any idea who you are talking to?" TFX-1>"Been there, done you. I'm the MAN!" Rachael>"Barf! Yes, I've sampled your wares before. How foolish of me, to think I ever saw anything in a flacid little slug like you." RedAlert>"Rachael, take it easy! Let's keep this professional. He got the door open, didn't he? And I'll bet he can solve our little dealer problem, too." TFX-1>"You got the right one, baby! Sure as these baggy shorts hide my big snake! You KNOW she wants me, yesiree! They all do! Blam! Pow!" Rachael> Why you disgusting little urchin!You've got nothing to brag about in those shorts. And I'll SHOW you a snake!" Rachael pulls her boa constrictor off her shoulders and flings it at TFX-1, who gets hit square in the ribs. The snake, out of fear and surprise, begins squeezing him mercilessly. RC>(the strain of the situation evident in her voice)"Rachael, what are you doing! That thing will kill him! Oh, I KNEW I should have made you leave it back at the hotel!" Rachael>"He's not going to die. He's just getting what he deserved. TFX-1 is the LAST person that should have been sent in for the extraction! He should have stuck with the door. I'll teach this foul-mouthed jerk some manners before we leave!" RedAlert>"This whole mission is going down the crapper. Can you PLEASE get it off of him? You KNOW he hates snakes! If he snaps, we're all going to suffer." TFX-1>"Aaagghh! Poonasty Bitch! (we hear a rib crack) Aargh! Fuck! (pulls his walther p-38 from his shoulder holster) I kill this mutherfuckin' reptile! (fires a round into the head of the snake, killing it, thus relaxing its grip on him. TFX stands up, and spits a mouthful of blood out. He wheezes to Rachael)Fucking whore! Play me, huh?"(points gun at Rachael) RedAlert>"TFX-1, NO! (steps in front of Rachael, shielding her) This is NOT the way!" TFX-1>(Bloodlust in his eyes, trying to get a clear shot)"Yo, five-thousand, G! Tune out, tuneboy! Fuckin snakebitch goin down a scale or three!" RedAlert>"Please, you gotta stop, man, before somebody gets killed!" (RedAlert manages to grab the handgun out of TFX-1's hand, to both their surprise) TFX-1>(stares in wonder at his gunless hand)"Huh? Whazzup wit dat? (pulls back to throw a punch)See stars, Red!(connects square and solid with RedAlert's jaw, who mercifully passes out before the full impact of his broken jaw hits him. The gun flies out of his hand and out of sight into a pile of rubble) And that's the news. Goodnight!"
RC>"RedAlert! Oh, no! (grabs spybot and yells into it) Help! TFX-1 is going nuts! (tears well up in the corners of her eyes, as the last of her composure slips away) Oh, please, please help us! I don't wanna die here! It isn't worth it! The mission's failed! Just get us out of here, please! (watches as the power indicator on the toy winks out) No, nononononononono! (smashes the toy against the wall, then slides down it herself, mumbling) Alone. All alone." (puts her head in her hands) |
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Boss>(listening to the transmission)"What have I done?" (stares into space) Jerunski>"We've just lost the transmission. I'm amazed the battery held out as long as it did. (notices the boss isn't paying attention to him)Boss?" Boss>"There was no other way. I had to be sure. But this..." Jerunski>"What are you talking about?" Boss>"...nothing. No need to concern yourself. I'm going over to that payphone. I need to make a call." Rjung>"On a payphone? To who? HQ? Why not use the cell?" Boss>"No. I need it untraceable to us. I'm calling the police." Rjung and Jerunski>(together)"WHAT?"
Boss>"Trust me. This is what we have to do. Here's the story..." |
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Back at the shop: TFX-1>"Luckily I always keep a spare! (pulls his tec-9 from a holster hidden on his back)Sudden death round, bitch!(fires off multiple rounds at Rachael)Hahaha! Blam! Zowie! Sweet sweet music!( shots flying all over, Rachael manages to get behind the dealer tied to the chair, who is prompty riddled with the bullets meant for her) Ah, fuck! Not slick willy! Shit!" Rachael>"Stop firing! You hit the dealer, you idiot!" dealer>"Oh, God, the pain..." TFX-1>(mumbling to himself)"It slices, it dices...(the bloodlust leaves his eyes, as the realization sets in)...I never did that before...killed...oh sure, I threatened, but...fuck...me..." Rachael>"RC, RedAlert! (looks around, sees that they are in no condition to help)Dammit! TFX-1, help me here! We've got to stop the bleeding! Call 911!" dealer>(gasping for breath)"You sadistic bastards...I will be...avenged"(dies) TFX-1>"Game Over." Rachael>"Shit! Fuck! Damn! What are we gonna do?" TFX-1>"I am so fucked... I'm gonna go to jail...maybe even fry for this..." Rachael>"Dammit, snap out of it!" TFX-1>"No way I'm going down like that.(a strange light comes to his eyes) Tell the cops I hate this fucking dealer, babe.(puts gun against his head) This Bud's for you." (pulls the trigger) Rachael>"NOOOOOOO!!!!!" (passes out)
FADE TO BLACK... |
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EPILOGUE: The storefront. The police have the area around the store sectioned off with their yellow tape. A coroners van pulls away with two bodies in the back. One is the dealer. The other is TFX-1. There's an ambulance pulling away with RedAlert. He's still knocked out, and with that broken jaw, he won't be talking anytime soon. They say they found two unregistered guns, one in TFX-1s hand, the other in a pile of rubble with RedAlert's prints on it. But that the bullets in the bodies weren't from his (his?) gun. They came from the tec-9. The walther they showed me looked just like the one TFX was polishing, but I'm certianly not going to tell them that. I'm just pretending to be the press, asking snooping questions. I don't dare volunteer any information. I'll have to let RedAlert hang on his own for awhile, and hope for the best. Frankly, the worst he'll get is a fine and some small jail time for the gun. I'll pay the fine, and see if I can't get the lawyers to spring him early. And RC. Poor, sweet, innocent RC. She's not talking either, just rocking back and forth, and crying. How do I fix that? This is my fault. All my fault. But I can live with the guilt. I have to. I have no choice. Rachael is playing her part perfectly. The story she is telling to the police is sheer inspiration. She's telling them that she was an innocent bystander, shopping in the store, when this madman (presumably TFX) came into the store, all guns blazing. Apparently, he had a personal grudge against the dealer, and killed him before turning the gun on himself. The police seem satisfied by this. I wouldn't be. But then again, I'm not a cop anymore... Rachael told me this was TFX-1's idea. I don't know how that could be. I also can't imagine how she can be so calm and collected at a time like this! I wish I could know what went on in there. But she's not talking, and the others won't be able to for awhile. So I'm left with only questions. Did we accomplish the mission? If you mean, did we get the transformers out of the store, then yes, we did. But at what a cost. Not in money, for we took them for nothing. But what's a little money compared to the lives that have been destroyed by this whole fiasco. I simply can't believe that violence is ultimately what we are about. Oh sure, I know we CALL ourselves a militia, but this... I've spoken to HQ. They'll be making all the arrangements. Annonymous donations to the families, costs to the funeral home, etc. TFM takes care of its own. I am told they'll even bring the store under the organization's control. I guess it will clamp down on the questions. I wonder what it will be this time? A coffee bar? Personally, I think they should keep it a toystore, but it's not my place to question their wisdom. Or is it? I'm only a soldier. I follow my orders. Perhaps in this case, I shouldn't have. So what now? We return to base to give our reports. And to ask ourselves a lot of questions. And to wonder if we can go on. Only time will tell.
END MISSION LOG. |
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