Dragon

[DerVVulfman]

Chapter Ten
Shocks

“Hey, Pardy!”

“Yeah, Chris?”

“Where the hell are we going?”

“How should I know? What diff does it make? Just keep us floating, okay? Okay! If we stay up here long enough we’re bound to find something!”

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right... keep pedaling, kid... looks like we’re heading west.”

Moulty was trying to regain his equilibrium. They were too damn high. “Oh, man.” He was doing loop-de-loops inside his cage, involuntarily. “Can’t you guys keep steady? I think I’m gonna puke all over my seed treat!”

Pardy was pedaling angrily. “Stop criticizing or I’ll eat you! At least you get a free ride, Cupid! I’m the leader now! I’ll decide what we’re gonna do!”

“Oy, vey,” moaned Moulty.

“Let’s set down somewhere in one hour, kid,” Chris said. “This gets boring after a while.”

? ? ?

John Diamond and David Furfy were traveling in Diamond’s car. The security guard looked out the window, gaped, then stopped driving. He got out. So did Furfy. They both looked up in mute amazement. Furfy looked disgusted. Finally, twenty seconds later, Diamond spoke. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding!!!”

? ? ?

There was a knock on Becky’s door. It was Hunt.

“Thanks for knocking,” she said. She noticed he carried his tazer drawn... set to full charge.

“I wish it was good news, but...” he looked guiltily at the floor. “I think you’re in trouble. Let’s go, Fox. I’ve gotta take you to deck 8.”

“What’s happened?” She asked.

“I can’t tell you until we get there. I’m sorry.”

They arrived. Everybody was there-- the Genera, Roberts, Emerson and all the rest standing in front of something large, circular and white.

“Hit it, Emerson,” Hunt ordered. The private began playing a grand piano.

As Becky stared, flabbergasted, everyone but Hunt and the General sang... Hunt was cracking up standing behind her, while Roberts sang loudest of all.

[indent]“Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday, dear Dragon!
Happy birthday to you!”[indent]

Applauding her, Roberts and the rest cleared the way so she could see the vanilla cake, and its 18 burning candles. “Come on up! Blow it out!” the doctor said, smiling.

Becky incinerated the entire cake, flicking twice in one second. Now the soldiers had a nice pile of black ash to chew on. She stormed off.

Robert looked hurt. “That wasn’t what I had in mind.”

? ? ?

In Diamond’s car, Furfy took out a photograph of Becky. He told Diamond sadly, “If she’s still around, she just turned 18 today. Dammit.” He wiped his eyes. “And these... these bastards think she’ll go to war for them? Kill for them? They’re out of their heads. Becky would never hurt a fly. There’s no way.”

“That’s the kind of person who usually fights for the war makers,” Diamond said.

? ? ?

“Happy birthday, carrot-top, wherever you are,” Chris muttered.

“What’re you talking about?” Pardy asked.

“Never mind, kid. Let’s get ready to land. We need to get a bite to eat.”

“Thank God,” Moulty sighed. “Hey, wait a minute! Did we forget to contact Dragon’s sister? I just realized it.”

“We did not forget,” Rabikes answered. “We just didn’t do it.”

“Well, why the hell not?”

“‘Cuz Tracy’s got a temper that makes even Furfy look like Mr. Rogers, and there’s no point in worrying her just yet. If we can get Becky back today, I can unleash my latest practical joke on her. This one involves crabs. But if we can’t get her back, Moult, I guarantee you her big sister’s gonna hold every last one of us responsible. Pardy, let’s land this sucker. What’s that building down there?”

“Commencing Big Wheel impact! T-minus 5... 4... 3... ” Pardy snarled.

? ? ?

Roberts came to collect Becky. He was alone, but carried a tazer.

“It’s time for your second major field trip, Dragon. Let’s go.”

She sighed, “Do I look like a flying green lizard to you? She left her room.

“The VSO appreciates your cooperation,” he said. “Try not to worry. This assignment is different than the first. It's not what you think.”

Sure it isn’t, she thought. She stopped walking and said “Dr. Roberts, will you marry me?”

The doctor stopped, jutting back his head quizzically. Now or never! Becky thought, and whipped around, punching him in the gut and forcefully as she could. Startled at the sudden eruption of brutal Beckiness, he fell back into a line of file cabinets as she snatched his tazer. Down but not out, he shouted “Stop her!” to no one in particular.

Becky ran around the side corridor and was instantly taken down by Emerson and Pastula. “UHHH!!!” they zapped her side and legs. The setting was high enough to put her out cold. Her escape attempt was 9.3 seconds long.

? ? ?

She awoke in the VSO van, with Roberts, Emerson and six other soldiers. There was no sign of Hunt. She looked out the window, but didn’t recognize the city area.

Roberts told her “That was stupid, Dragon. Shame on you.”

Emerson added “D’ya think you can just run off every time you feel like it?”

“Where’s Kevin?” she asked. “Where are we going?”

Roberts replied “The General’s dog, while off the hovercraft, is on solo assignment.”

“That’s a little harsh, Doc,” Becky said. “What do you want from me now?”

The van parked. “I want you to enter that courthouse all by yourself...”

“No backup?” she questioned. This was unusual.

“I doubt you’ll need it. For your information, we’re in Minnesota. But time is short. You have to go into the courthouse in five minutes and be out in ten. I’ll give you the specific instructions in two minutes. Let’s just say you may not have to kill this time. That’ll be a random factor. But you do have to flame up, of course.”

“You want me to go in there. Alone,” she repeated.

Roberts nodded. “We all wait outside.”

Becky asked “What’s to stop me from just -- ”

He leaned very close to her. “The life of a very special someone in your precious life.”

She bit her lip. “You... you have David?”

“No. Your niece.”