PUSH IT.
(Originally meant to be a comic, this is a recapped version.)
Before the events of Mayonaise, two cyborg aliens known as Sweet and Sour invade Sunshine Port to get close to Dave and an artifact he guards, only problem for Dave is he doesn’t know he guards it. The artifact is called ‘The Winterstone’ and holds untold power. While at the Hendrix, Dave finds himself in trouble with Gene his boss and goes home early, questioning his usefulness outside of dangerous situations. Returning home to find Sweet and Sour entering in through the window of his apartment above the local tavern. Gwen, Rick and Pop-Rock go ask the bar owner Genevieve how Dave is before he enters the bar through the roof. After a tousle with Sweet and Sour, Dave gets some assistance from his friends to get the advantage. But not for long….
MAYONAISE.
Gwen: Dave!
Dave is currently getting his face reshaped in the likeness of Sweet’s boot. Everyone watches in horror, all except for Sour who can’t hide a smirk on his weak face. After the impact, Sweet runs to her brother’s aid and lifts him up, Dave’s friends mirror Sweet. Her anger can be seen through her cybernetic mask, preparing herself to stop anyone who stops her from saving her brother. Imani tries to calm Sweet down by proposing a compromise.
Imani: How about we take our guy and you take your guy. Go our separate ways and everybody wins. Sound good?
Sweet remains silent before nodding, tears form in her eyes as she sobers up from the situation and begins carrying Sour out the door. When the door slams shut, Gwen, Imani and Pop-Rock all get to work checking on Dave and Genevieve, but she’s in a better spot than Dave and helps carry him up the stairs to his apartment. They struggle as they manoeuvre the stairs and then the door before seeing the massive hole in the floor.
Genevieve: This is gonna cost a fortune to fix…
Gwen: It doesn’t matter when Dave’s dying here!
Pop-Rock: We don’t know that!
Imani: Did you see how hard he was getting his ass handed to him?
Pop-Rock: Fair point. Quick let’s put him over here, clear some space!
Imani slides all of Dave’s belongings off his dining table as they place him carefully, Genevieve goes back downstairs to get her first aid kit and grab the pub’s phone to call for more help while Imani and Pop-Rock take off into the kitchen looking for icepacks and other things they could use to help Dave. Gwen just sits next to the table holding Dave’s hand. Gwen thinks back to their conversation about how she was cut off.
Gwen: I believe you can do this… I believe in you…
“You disobeyed a direct order!”
Sweet carrying Sour on her shoulder. Looks up to another of her kind with red armour unlike her pink armour and Sour’s orange armour, behind him is one in brown armour. Tomato and BBQ were the leaders of this small operation and found it personal whenever no one listened to the plan he made.
Sweet: I don’t care.
Tomato nearly slaps her for the attitude but BBQ stops him before he can do anything and Sweet is so focused on her brother that she doesn’t notice.
Tomato: I told you we were going to go back for him.
Sweet: And when would you fit that into your plan? I just did it and saved you lying about going back.
Tomato: You little b-
BBQ: I would like to remind everyone we are all on the same side here. This bickering doesn’t solve anything, Sweet take your brother to Mustard in the sickbay.
Sweet nodded and carried her brother towards the infirmary. BBQ turned to Tomato.
Tomato: Don’t even start, you and I both know it was a risk that she shouldn’t have taken.
BBQ: We need all hands on deck, if we were down Sour we wouldn’t be able to do what’s next. Remember my friend, we have what we came for…
Grey: The Winterstone. That’s what they stole… Dammit to hell!
Grey slammed the wall with the back of his fist and instantly regretted it as the pain shot through his body. He tried rubbing his hand better as he listened to what everyone had to ask. Imani and Pop-Rock sat on the lounge, Genevieve was trying to fix her shotgun, and a few more had shown up who knew of Dave’s other life. Gwen was the only one to stay by Dave’s side, still holding his hand and wondered often of where his mind was right now.
Dave dreamed deliriously deeply, dimensions directed into Dave’s dazed domain, days dragged down deeper. Delegated derangement and damaging dialysis, Dave daredevils dangerously dangling, deceived declarations of damned dealings. Dave defeats Dave defiantly, definitively determined.
Imani: So what even is this Winterstone? Why is it so important?
Grey: It is a prison. A prison beyond time and somewhat beyond space, it operates at the same time as its creation and its destruction. Many sorcerers, wizards and witches came together from across the universe and the World Tree to enchant it, the stone is impossible to break the seal from the inside or out.
Genevieve: So then what do we have to worry about then? Seems like you made it a tight box with no windows or doors.
Grey: I believe the ones responsible for Dave’s condition have a way to break it.
Gwen: What are they looking for in there?
Grey: Not what, who.
Meanwhile within the Winterstone as they speak, a cybernetic organism known only as Mayonnaise, sits upon a makeshift throne made of alien skulls and bones, weaving through its cables connected to this creature at certain points on their body. In front of the seemingly king, a fight between his warriors is in the midst surrounded by a crowd, he watches them closely as they nearly tear each other asunder. Beneath a foggy glass helmet a smile forms. The King Mayonnaise laughs as he stands up from his slouched position and puts his hand up to stop the fight.
Mayo: That’s enough my warriors… you have proved your points. You two shall join the ranks of my personal guard. Go see Mayland about fixing you up and report to Ava for your first mission briefing. Everyone else, leave me to my own devices!
Everyone dispersed quickly and with little sound other than that of footsteps. As the crowd leaves it reveals that one odd man does not move, eventually this gets the attention of The Cyborg King as he repeats his orders, again to no avail. He wears a cloak covering his face from seeing his true intentions.
ODD: I have a way off this amulet.
Mayo: My people on Earth have retrieved the Winterstone, leaving this godforsaken prison is imminent, why would I need you to tell me how to leave?
ODD: Because it’s the guy on the other side who’s gonna to try to stop you, that you gotta worry about.
Mayo: And you believe my people won’t stop him?
ODD: Oh believe me, he’ll wipe the floor with their asses.
Mayo: You know this man well it seems.
ODD: I know him better than he knows himself.
BBQ, Tomato, Sweet and Sour look down at the Winterstone, their cybernetic minds find themselves unable to grasp the magic of the amulet. Mayonnaise had only taught them so much in their years before he was trapped and locked away, they had never felt so useless before. These feelings brought on memories for all of them of their early years, time before that was unrecorded or inaccessible in their memory banks.
All four’s memories were of different times they were being rebuilt, then of Mayonnaise teaching them about their great gifts, then of the atrocities ordered of them. BBQ and Tomato were the oldest, and they both thought of the others they have lost on the journey to reclaim their master. As for Sweet and Sour, they were the last to be rebuilt under Mayonnaise’s watch. They still think of their actions done against others.
Sour: I think we have to take it back and ask how it works.
Tomato: You are idiotic in your thinking, Sour. Aimlessly putting ourselves at risk for the chance that boy you stole it from knows how it works.
Sweet: Don’t get mad at him just for thinking of something rather than just looking at it!
Tomato: Stay out of this Sweet. Do not defend your brother’s stupidity over and over, how will you ever learn?
BBQ: Calm all of you, Sour does have the right spirit. Just not the nuance needed to succeed. Tomato, who did you say was the one who imprisoned our master again?
Tomato: That devil, Grey. I was with Mayonnaise when he was taken from us. From what I have found in my research is that he lives outside of the World Tree.
Sweet: How does he do it? Surely we can replicate it?
BBQ: My dear Sweet, his way is of magic which leaves us still in square one.
Tomato: But that magic wouldn’t be as sealed as the Winterstone. We could perhaps construct a device that could create our own way outside of the World Tree.
BBQ: I think I might have an idea of how that could work. Come Tomato, we have much to work on.
As they rush off to construct their portal device, Sweet and Sour stay behind with the Winterstone. Sweet can see on her brother’s face he still believes his plan will work, and she knows she will never learn because the love for her brother is too great to break over knowledge that will pail in comparison. She already knows she will aid her brother in his task.
Gwen still sits by his side, even after they had moved him to the bed. She knows things will be back to normal soon, at least a version of normal, she can see Dave’s face twitch as she wonders what he dreams about. Probably something stupid she thought, but that thought was cut short when Addison and Pop-Rock stood by the doorway and knocked.
Addison: Hey Gwen, we were just wondering if you wanted to get your mind off all the Dave stress and come out to the club with us? Some of the others from work are going to be there too…
Pop-Rock: I heard Trent’s new girlfriend he’s been hyping up will be there. One we think is sketchy, not the other one.
Gwen: I guess, but what if something-
Pop-Rock: Nothing’s going to happen. This is Dave we’re talking about, the guy went up against a cyborg alien guy thing and he’s still kicking the bucket!
Addison elbows Pop-Rock followed by a grunt.
Addison: Kicking the bucket means he’s dead, you dingus!
Pop-Rock: Can’t kick buckets if you’re dead Addison, your muscles run out of juice shortly after you die.
Addison: I know that dork! But you can’t say stuff like…
Gwen drained out the sound of them flirting with each other and thought about the offer, she did like a good night out. And Pop-Rock was right but misguided in what he said, so she let go of Dave’s hand and stood up. Dusted herself off and threw her hair to one side before asking…
‘What’s taking you so long? We have a club to get to.’
The lights flash across the dance floor with every colour imaginable, like a kaleidoscope on acid. The Hendrix Crew lose themselves and their worries in the atmosphere, an escape from the stresses of life, work and whatever’s going on with Dave. Trent’s new girlfriend is actually pretty cool too, Gwen thought, Maybe normal was back earlier than expected.
Across the Club enters a pair of strange visitors, they begin searching the place for something, or rather someone. They push through the dancing crowd unnoticed as they make their way to Gwen, she continues to remain unaware until one of the visitors jumps off the ground to tap her on the shoulder. When Gwen turns around she is greeted by a Fish man wearing a tie and brown duster and a small beast like girl. They try talking to her but the music is too loud to hear over, the fish man signals her to follow them.
Once they find a spot far from the dance floor, though the music can still be heard quite clearly still, they say their piece.
Amberjack: Sorry to bother your night but it’s important. I’m Detective Ray Amberjack and this is my partner-
Beastgirl: WHERE’S DAVE???!!!
Amberjack: Maxine calm down, we aren’t on the dancefloor anymore.
Beastgirl: MY EYES ARE STILL RINGING!
Amberjack puts his mouth over her mouth muffling her yelling.
Amberjack: Sorry about her. But we do need to know where your friend is.
Gwen blinks a couple times to make sure she was seeing this right, while she adjusted her idea of normal Beastgirl bites Amberjack’s hand causing him to let go of her mouth, they start slapping each other to stop.
Gwen: I’m sorry. Am I seeing this right, are you a fish man and a little girl wearing a bear skin coat?
Beastgirl: I’M 24! Geez.
Amberjack: Heheh… Yeah, you are seeing this right…
Gwen: What drugs did I take?
BBQ and Tomato stand around the portal they made, a circular doorway connected to two glass balls. Tomato watches as BBQ types away on his computer adding the final touches on their machine. Tomato goes over to the power switch on the wall behind them, when he gets into position he hesitates for a second before looking over at BBQ. They nod each other as they do what is needed to activate the portal.
As the flip goes down, sparks fly out as the electricity follows the cords to the glass balls, a whirring sound fills the metal room, as in both glass balls two separate small black dots start to form. Growing bigger and louder with each passing moment as they fully form into two black holes. These villains intent to rip the fabric of the universe apart with the help of the ring portal to target the ripping molecules within that designated area. A few more seconds pass before they see the portal work as intended.
BBQ and Tomato smile at each other under their masks, then look back at the portal that leads them to Beyond, the world beyond all other known realities and universes. To eyes not adjusted to this reality it is a white void, its inhabitants are the only perceivable objects to the naked eye. They know they have reached their destination. Tomato begins to walk through the portal but BBQ stops him.
BBQ: We must go and retrieve Sweet and Sour, they will scout ahead for us, find out who knows how to break the spell on the Wintersone.
Tomato: Forget them. They will mess up this simple task like everything else they do. Besides, when was the last time we were able to stretch our legs?
BBQ: And if this dimension should rip us about as we enter?
Tomato: Where is the fun of science without risking something? Come on, let’s make some good memories.
BBQ can’t think of a reason to disagree and starts walking with Tomato, they step through the portal with no fear, almost as if there was no chance it was going to rip them apart too. They look back and see the other side of the portal, it looks as they thought it would, ripped fabric. They then start to look around at their surroundings, not a sound or soul in sight.
The two begin their walk down the hallway they were in, their loud footsteps bounced off the all white walls. Eventually someone popped their head out of one of the rooms, and shouted that they couldn’t be here. Tomato responded in a calm and reasonable manner by shaping his hand into a blaster and fired at the person. The all white walls were now tainted as the body was flung into the wall then onto the floor. The sound of the blast brought more out of their rooms, BBQ and Tomato responded to each of them personally as they kept walking to their destination.
The Hendrix crew has noticed Gwen’s disappearance and began searching the club for her, when they found her with Amberjack and Beastgirl many let out a groan of disappointment. Gwen still found it hard to believe what she was seeing as at this point, yet again, the strange pair were arguing with each other. Each time Gwen began to interject their ramblings, those same ramblings stopped her. Eventually as the rest of the crew caught up to her, they too found themselves watching what felt like a conversation car crash they could not look away from.
Amberjack: No! Maxine. That’s too much information, even for me.
Beastgirl: What did I do wrong? I didn’t say anything different from what you said!
Amberjack: I was explaining how I was a fishman! Noticed how not anyone else here looks like me?
Beastgirl: Well, excuse me for not being super observatory like fishman magee over here!
Amberjack: What did I tell you about calling me that, it’s really offensive and-
Beastgirl: FISHMAN MAGEE! FISHMAN MAGEE! FISHMAN MAGEE!
Amberjack put fingers in his ears and started making noise to drain out Beastgirl. Everyone else watches with alarm until Imani speaks up, getting their attention instantly, his face that of a disappointed parental figure. He scolds them for ruining a perfectly normal stress-free night with all their supernatural mambo jumbo anxiety inducing bullcrap! Their eyelids flash with embarrassment and realisation of where they are.
Imani: So what the hey, if you pardon my french, are you two knuckleheads even doing here?
Gwen: They’re here to find Dave.
Imani: WHAT FOR?
Beastgirl: Me and Fishy are Paranormal Investigators and we think Dave might be able to help us.
Imani: Of course you do…
A large sigh follows before he continues his thought.
Imani: Ok everyone, let’s go check on Dave again…
They all leave the club shortly after, luckily it was only a 15 minute walk from Dave’s apartment. In that time the crew was able to learn more about the investigators, Amberjack was from a world not unlike The Sea of Green and Beastgirl was really named Maxine Sallow, raised by intelligent genetically enhanced beavers. They had only been working together for a short time after their apartment was haunted by the ghost of the previous owner.
Gwen pulls out her key to the bar below the apartment, on the windows read the sign ‘Closed for Renovations’ and behind that sign lies still the ramble and debris from earlier in the week. After shaking the lock loose, the door opens and everyone pours in like the dam broke, Trent and Jane find themselves opening bottles from behind the bar. Addison and Pop-Rock continued their integration of Trent’s girlfriend they had started since they first met her at the club, and the rest stayed down as Gwen and Imani made their way up to check on Dave.
As they grew closer to his room, they began to hear muffled voices, voices Gwen and Imani had heard before. Amberjack and Beastgirl pulled weapons out, what looked like a watergun for Amberjack and a wooden steak for Beastgirl. They jumped around the corner to see Sweet and Sour looking over Dave before shifting into fighting positions themselves.
Imani: Oh great, you guys.
Gwen: Kick a guy when he’s down, how nice of you guys.
Sour clenches his fist, but Sweet puts her hand on his chest before he can lunge forward.
Sweet: We don’t mean any harm, we never meant any harm earlier either.
Amberjack: Clearly doesn’t seem to be the case.
Sour: Your dumbass friend attacked my sister first. But that’s… behind us now. We just need to know how to work the Winterstone.
Imani: And you think Dave knows how? He didn’t even know he had it.
Sweet: Shit.
Sweet looks up at her brother, He can see her expression through the mask, disappointment. She thinks about how they are going to explain this to BBQ and Tomato. As her mind races, Gwen notices that they really do mean no harm and pushes Amberjack’s watergun down as she eases her stance. Sweet looks at Gwen doing this and moves closer, all Gwen can see is herself in the reflection of her mask.
Gwen: Why do you guys care so much about this stupid stone?
Sweet: This stupid stone, it holds the closest thing sour and I have to… a father. We have other family but they don’t care for us the same way…
Gwen: I’d be doing the same thing if my Dad went away. Sorry for thinking you were here to kill our friend. Is there anything we can do to help?
Sour: Not much we can do without him waking up.
Everyone yet again watches as Dave rests, again wondering what his mind is going through.
Mr. E: And he goes, “I don’t think that’s your metro card!”
Dave and Mr. E both burst out with laughter, Mr. E pours Dave another glass of Croak. As they collect themselves Dave looks around the room, a rustic feeling with a fireplace and bookshelves around the room, Some books he recognises the names of others not. One catches his attention more than the rest, he walks towards it as Mr. E watches him joyously. As he gets closer the title becomes clear to read, Mayonnaise.
Dave: Heh, who names their book, Mayonnaise?
Mr. E: There are worse names for a book. And you wouldn’t want to read that one.
Dave: Why wouldn’t I?
Mr. E: Spoilers. Come on, I have something I want to show you.
Mr. E closes the book in Dave’s hands and puts it back before heading out of the room. He follows through the hallway, featuring posters of films, trinkets and statues of deities and gods Dave has never seen before. One even looks like a bat and another has a letter on his chest. Mr. E stops in front of the door at the end of the hallway and puts his hand on the doorknob. Dave looks confused unlike the man standing in front of him.
Dave: What is it that you want to show me?
Mr. E: Eh, maybe another time. I’ve taken up enough of your time, you gotta go home. Your friends need you.
Dave: Ha, funny. No, I’m not going back there. I got my ass handed to me so hard I came here… wherever here is?
Mr. E: That’s not how this story goes, sorry.
He opens the door leading to a white void, Dave falls into it almost as gravity were pulling him in. He tries to grab onto the frame but barely misses, Mr. E waves him off as he says “See you whenever I see you.” Dave feels the pain coursing through his body as he reattachs to his physical body and shoots up out of bed yelling. His brain takes a second to realise where he is, and finally notices everyone looking at him.
Dave: Uhhh, Hey everybody…?
Gwen and Imani rush to embrace him, Dave has no time to react and accepts his fate. The other four watch as the friends reunite, the hug ends when Dave winces as they start to touch his bruises, a smile wider than the room inhabits his face. They bask in the feeling for a little bit longer before helping Dave down to see everyone else who then all rush him again with another hug, resulting in the same bruises being squeezed by the embrace.
Dave: -If you guys weren’t trying to hurt me, then why come in through the window?
Sour: That was my idea, we tried to follow you up the stairs and the barlady yelled at us.
Dave: Sounds like Genevieve. Well, you seemed to have healed well from the shotgun to the arm.
Sweet: Our cousins patched him up, it’s fairly easy when we’re cyborgs.
Pop-Rock: That’s my question, why the masks?
Sweet: We’re from another planet, so we have hideous faces that the human mind can’t comprehend anddd if you did, you’ll likely have melted brains coming out of your brain.
A crowd of surprised faces watch in horror as she tells them that Dave leans in closer to see if he can see through the masks.
Sour: That and they keep us alive.
A flurry of ‘oh’s and acceptance fill the room. Dave thinks about the Winterstone, why would Grey leave it with him if he never told him of its existence and why hasn’t Grey checked up on him since he woke up?
BBQ holds Gail’s throat in his hand away from the ground, while Tomato holds a blaster to her. Surrounding them is the trashed remains of the white hallways and rooms that Gail and Grey inhabit, the lifeless bodies of innocents caught in the crossfire of these maniacs. Grey comes around the corner, luckily behind the two cyborgs and in Gail’s view, he grabs his rapier on his belt tighter ready to fight.
Tomato: You have a simple choice, tell us where your lapdog is and how to use the Winterstone.
Gail: Or what?
The two cyborgs don’t elaborate as they know she knows the answer, but this gives Grey enough time to get closer. He begins to ready his sword before he leaps through the air, by the time either BBQ or Tomato are able to react Grey has already sliced through BBQ’s forearm restraining Gail, followed by her falling to the ground with the hand still holding its grip. Continuing his momentum Grey brings the rapier around and stabs it into Tomato’s stomach, with little reaction Tomato throws his elbow into the blade breaking it in half before hitting Grey in the face with a backhanded fist.
With a THUD into the wall Grey loses a second of time, giving his enemies to close the gap between them. With groans Grey gets back onto his feet before improvising a weapon out of a nearby desk drawer, throwing it aimlessly, BBQ slaps the drawer out his way splitting it into pieces on contact. They grew closer boxing Grey in, he began throwing punches only to be countered by BBQ using the flat part of his served arm as a battering ram on Grey’s stomach.
Tomato grabs the now debilitated Grey by the ankle and begins to follow BBQ back towards their portal dragging the fallen fighter behind them through the rumble and debris of the cybernetic destruction. Forgetting Gail, she watches as they disappear with Grey, she still struggles to remove BBQ’s hand until finally breaking free from its grasp and gasping for air. She picks up the hilt of Grey’s broken rapier before picking herself up, she looks at it before looking back up to where she last saw her friend…
An hour has passed since the truce between Dave, The Gang and Sweet & Sour and them leaving to get back to their cousins before they got into trouble. The crew of the Hendrix continues their party, weirdly enough Amberjack and Beastgirl are still hanging around and joining in the fun instead of their reason for being there, which at this point may as well just been a lie to hang out with people. Meanwhile Dave and Gwen enjoy the cool breeze and watch the stars from the fire escape next to Dave’s apartment window.
They tune in the sounds of Sunshine Port at night, the faint hum of the music coming from them, cats scurrying through the alley and the occasional car that drives by. The rough night seawaves and the slight smell of sea salt but mostly what Dave is smelling is Gwen’s perfume, what he feels is the warmth radiating from her. His eyes stop watching the night sky and glide down to watch Gwen as her face glows, time slows down as he can’t divide his attention from her. He thinks of all the times he’s caused her stress and worry, but those thoughts and every other negative emotion going through his mind is washed away by the feelings he has for her.
She places her hand on his yet again, Dave’s body is reminded of the gentle hand that held him while he was recovering while his mind and his heart feel it for the first time. His heart races lap after lap, as he embraces their connection, he wonders how he can fight all kinds of bad guys and go to other dimensions with no problem but as soon as he’s faced with the girl who makes him feel something he can’t help be at a loss. He can’t even keep his mouth closed. He fears what she will think if he speaks of how he really feels, but this isn’t the time to let the moment pass by him.
Dave: Hey Gwen…
Gwen: Yeah, Dave?
Dave: Thanks. Thanks for being there for me.
Gwen: The least I can do, you’re there for me when I need you.
Dave: I think I- Well, the way I feel- how do I put this? I lik-
Gwen: I know. So don’t even worry about messing up the words, all I need to know is that you felt the same way.
Dave: I do feel that way. I feel in ways that not even the greatest poets out there can describe.
Gwen: Sometimes Dave, you have to do it rather than say it.
Gwen turns to Dave and their eyes lock, within each other’s eyes are galaxies, worlds, the stars and everything in between. They both move in closer as if they were magnets, closer and closer sparks begin to fly until actions speak louder than words than those actions begin to take over their minds. Fireworks begin to blast through the sky and reflect on the window behind them, their hands feel each other’s forms slowly becoming one as their bodies drift together, the cold night fights against their heat. Nails dig trenches into Dave’s back as he runs his hands through her hair and breathes in her aroma and she his scent. This release continues as they spend the night in each other’s arms and embrace, not another lonely night for the two become one.
The sunrise has already begun its ascent as it reaches through the window of Dave’s apartment, the light eventually gets to an angle where it shines in Dave’s face as he sleeps in bed, waking him up as his eyes flicker open. As they open he notices a woman in white standing at the end of the bed looking down on him, Gail has come to talk. Dave quickly pulls the sheet over Gwen laying beside him as she still sleeps and sits up. Dave tries to grab some boxers hanging on his bedside table before Gail turns around.
Gail: I’ve seen it all before, quite literally.
Dave: I’m guessing your Gail?
Gail: So Grey has told you about me.
Dave: A few times, say you were a powerful lady.
Gail: Not as powerful as I would have hoped.
Dave: Come on, I wanna let Gwen sleep in.
Dave grabs his jeans and his hat from the end of the bed as Gail moves into the kitchen. She looks down at the hole made earlier, now poorly covered by cheap boards of wood, with a snap of her fingers the floor is rebuilt and back to its state before the battle with Sour. Dave walks in putting on a shirt to see his floor fixed and closes the bedroom door behind him.
Dave: Huh. Thanks. Now, what’s up? Did something happen to Grey?
Gail: They took him… They were trying to figure out how the Winterstone worked. I wouldn’t say how it worked and they took him. Along with wrecking our offices, they took so many.
Dave thinks about last night, about Sweet and Sour and how they were trying to find out about the Winterstone. He puts the pieces together and a rush of anger takes over making him kick something on the floor into the wall while swearing. As he calmed down he explained to Gail about Sweet and Sour being the culprits but she then responded that it wasn’t them, then Dave knows it really wasn’t them when she describes them.
Dave: They did say something about their cousins last night, but never got their names.
Gail: So they distracted you while their cousins got one step closer to the Winterstone.
Dave: But why distract me? I don’t even have a way to get you guys, Grey always came to me.
Gail: They probably didn’t know that, they would just know you had the Winterstone and knew Grey well enough he would trust you with it.
Dave: I didn’t even know I had it, what does that say about how Grey thinks of me?
Gail: Grey knows you and trusts you well enough that he thought it would be safe, just cause he didn’t tell you doesn’t mean anything. Me knowing him, it was to protect you in case anyone asked you about it.
Dave: Maybe. You got a plan?
Gail: I… don’t know. For the first time in a LONG time, I don’t know what to do next. Maybe look through Grey’s files, figure out who is in the Winterstone and why these people would want to break them out.
Dave thought back to what Sweet and Sour said about their father, he also thought about saying something but kept quiet. A first for him.
Gail: I’ll get back to you soon, as for now… Ready yourself. When I have something, we will go back to get Grey and finish what these monsters started.
And with a blink, Gail was gone. Dave looked around but found nothing, the only thing in the kitchen leaning on the counter was The Sword, he could hear it calling to him but he turned around out of the kitchen and made his way back to the bedroom. Silently opening the door to see Gwen still enjoying her sleep, he watched her as he thought about how she was so trusting with Sweet and Sour’s story when she was usually able to see through people’s BS. A question for her when she wakes he thinks and continues to lean on the doorframe keeping an eye on her.
Grey spits out blood onto his white pants after another punch from Tomato, hours and hours of them trying to figure out what he knows results in Grey’s face looking like a purple balloon from all the bruises. Strapped into a metal chair constantly cold to the touch on his arms and body where he is not covered, BBQ barks another threat before asking about the Winterstone again, Grey has heard every threat and seen every torture there is. If he were not breathing you would believe he was actually dead that’s how little emotion he was showing. Tomato threw in one more kick to the jaw before the two cyborg brothers walked out of the lifeless room, it was the same colour as Grey’s name and his soul.
Grey: This isn’t going to work…
Tomato: You want us to kill you, is that it?
Under Grey’s breath he tells them yes, but they are too stubborn to hear it thinking it was a joke and inflict another wound. So much pain has gone through his body there wasn’t even a reaction to go with it, BBQ looks down on Grey as he thinks of the reputation that proceeds him.
BBQ: And they called you the Devil. Where is your rage and cunning nature? I only see a shell of the ‘god’ whose real name can’t even be whispered on some planets… Is this really the same Lucifer, Brother?
Tomato: Never meet your heroes.
He moved in closer to Grey who continued to look down at the pools of blood on the sterile floor, Tomato grabbed him by the back of the head and made his eyes meet Grey’s. Underneath Tomato’s mask was rage and anger while Grey could only see himself in the reflection. He then picked up the broken man by the throat, lifting up the chair with him. Grey would still not react for Tomato, in desperation for a sign of anything he threw Grey into the wall, as it hit the wall a quiet grunt could be heard as the metal chair dented the wall as the wall had bent the chair.
Tomato: We get our father back. You will help us. Whether you like it or not.
He began to walk off before BBQ started to follow, into their lab they went and found an experimental device they had been working on, the device was a helmet that would extract memories and thoughts from whomever was wearing it. The two began to reconstruct the device without the bare minimum they call safety protocols to cause the most pain on Grey as they learned the nature of the Winterstone. After they were complete they made their way back to Grey’s cell only to find his chair covered in blood and him nowhere to be found. Tomato rips the door off and throws it down the hallway in anger.
Grey limps through the halls of their hideaway trying to figure out his surroundings, but each turn leads him back to where he began or to somewhere more confusing than the last. He believes his captors have some sort of security measure that is meant to disorient him and make him easy prey, but how they are doing it could be one of two things, magic or technology. If they have to ask him about how the Winterstone works then must be terrible at magic leaving the latter option.
Grey hears them moving closer, this is a maze that only leads to one place. He starts looking around and feels the walls for any panels, or at least a weapon for when they catch up to him. Suddenly his hand falls into the wall and he feels what could be a door before frantically searching for a way to open it, with each second foot steps echo as a reminder of what awaits if he’s wrong about this being a door. With luck the door opens and he jumps into the room not knowing his next move, a rookie mistake he thinks.
He was right because behind the door was Tomato already throwing a punch that Grey only reacts to just in time and dodges, he only gets a split second to get an idea of his surroundings before a kick comes his way. The sound of running comes quickly behind Grey who notices and begins to kick, but as he turns around he sees no one there. Dammit he’s still using his technology to throw me off, he thinks to himself, before Tomato lands a hit on Grey throwing him into the ground.
He quickly gets back up only for another punch to land in his gut, the only way to fight him was to somehow get past Tomato’s tech and tricks but with each hit something grows out of Grey’s soul. Something he kept locked away for a long time now, something he didn’t want to let out in fear it could never be put back. Sound and sight faded as Grey became red, Tomato’s hits became less and less effective until his rage was matched by Grey’s tenfold. Tomato threw one last kick before Grey began to deal just as much pain onto Tomato in little time.
BBQ ran into the room to see his brother’s almost lifeless body as Grey continued to throw punches and kicks, BBQ used this distraction to his advantage and jammed the device onto Grey and switched it on. Grey fell to his knees as his every memory played in unison all at once then shortly followed by screaming, meanwhile BBQ watches as the data complies then to his brother he watches as the last breathes are taken. He then picks his brother up and takes him out of the room leaving Grey to feel every ounce of pain by himself.
Mayonnaise looks over what he has turned the Lands of Winter into, what was once a prison is now his domain to rule over. His shadow lords over the other prisoners, men and women who have led their lives with no fear now live in terror of just the idea of him being around the corner. When he arrived in the Lands, Mayonnaise was still somewhat an organic being but with each fight, each victory building himself better because the only way to live life was to make yourself stronger to survive all the terrible things life hurls at you. Now Mayonnaise was more machine, built to survive, built to respond to any threat before it even comes close. Strong offense is a great defense.
He thinks back on his life, all the people he had lost, his world, the empire he swore allegiance to… they were all too weak to survive, every time he thought of this he would only feel pity for a second before discarding it and replacing it with shame he ever felt anything for them, this was always shortly followed by anger towards those all of those who pushed him down into the dirt. These emotions would then release themselves with something or someone being broken, only to be discarded. You can never repair something broken, he remembers.
Shoving everything down just in time for ODD to walk into the room, he is oblivious to this. Mayonnaise turns around to watch him looking at something in his office, an artifact they found while getting resources out there in the Lands of Winter, it was a small statue of a woman crying. Neither of them or anyone in the Lands knew of what it meant but Mayonnaise knew it could be their salvation in looking for a way out.
ODD: Why are you so confident in this stupid statue?
Mayo: Because it speaks to me.
ODD: I’m speaking to you now, yet you’re not confident in me.
Mayo: I have never felt any faith in anything but the cold calculations of machines, this on the other hand… it radiates something that my cybernetics can’t explain. The only part of me that makes any sense of it is my organics.
ODD: Could be the heebie jeebies.
He could feel Mayonnaise’s expression real through his lifeless mask.
ODD: Just saying. Didn’t your mum ever tell you about staring at a screen too long and your eyes becoming squares? Obviously not.
Mayo: Leave before I rip you to shreds.
ODD: Okay, okay. Calm down, I’m leaving…
As he leaves the room, he looks back at Mayonnaise who has already lost interest and returns to looking out the window over his kingdom, wondering about why he’s going through all this. Answers are hard to come by when it comes to that ‘man’. Honestly he couldn’t care though, as he has his own motives for helping the cyborg.
Gwen walks into the bedroom as Dave prepares himself for when Gail comes back with Grey’s whereabouts, and she sits on the bed, Dave hasn’t even noticed her and only does after she coughs. He looks surprised as she has a smirk on her face, she sees some much he isn’t saying, he moves towards the bed and sits next to her.
Gwen: Are we going to talk about last night?
Dave: Didn’t realise that’s something you wanted to talk about. I liked-
Gwen: Not that part, well yes that part but that’s not what your thinking about, the part where Grey is missing and probably dead.
Dave: Gwen, if there is anything I know about that man it is that he is not dead, believe me I tried once… it was shortly after I met him.
Gwen: But if one of his friends came to you terrified and without a plan, that should scream to you that even if he isn’t dead yet, he very much could be soon!
Dave: That’s why I gotta help him!
Gwen: I’m sorry Dave, but I have been there for you after every time you got beat, broken and nearly turned into beef mince and I will keep doing that but at some point when are you going to stop jumping in feet first?
Dave: I don’t go in feet first. I think about it for a few seconds, know it’s what I want to do then I jump in.
Gwen: YEAH, BUT YOU DON’T THINK ABOUT ANYONE ELSE WHEN YOU DO IT!
That snapped Dave into reality. Gwen puts her face into her hands as Dave doesn’t have anything to say, he tries to put his hand on her shoulder but she shoos it away. Dave just watches her recomposing herself before continuing.
Gwen: It’s different now… Dave, I… Why is this always so hard, but I feel different about us-
FfffBOOM! The couple’s conversation was cut short by something outside, they both go out to the fire escape to see, they first look down at the alley then the street to see the pedestrians looking up before moving their eyes up as well to see a giant spaceship almost in the shape of a sauce bottle. Guess that’s Dave’s queue to get to action, but as he starts to leave his apartment Gwen grabs him by the arm and turns him to face her as her face pleads him not to go, his face tells her he can’t leave it.
Dave: They’re here for me.
Gwen: Doesn’t mean it’s gonna just a visit for afternoon tea.
Dave: Hey, I could be lucky and they’re nice like Sweet and Sour.
Gwen: Sweet said they were dicks.
Dave: I’ve met worst.
Gwen: Please… you don’t have to do this…
Dave: I would do the same if you were in trouble.
She reluctantly loosens her grip but she can’t accept this is who he is. Dave gives her a kiss before he runs off and down to ground level, Gwen goes back out to the fire escape to watch Dave run out into the street against the crowd running away. She walks out into the kitchen angrily before kicking the helpless garbage bin over, it sobered her up from the anger seeing the sad little face on the bin. She sighs before running off after Dave.
BBQ scans his holographic monitors scanning for Dave on the ground, his behind his mask darting from screen to screen looking a quick vengeance for his brother, he knows its not enough and will never will be enough but he doesn’t care. He’s just out for blood, he looks back at Grey who has dragged into the control centre of his ship, still extracting what he needs to open the Winterstone.
Grey still screaming in pain as he tries to unconnect himself while BBQ is distracted by searching for his friend, he is simultaneously on verge of disconnecting it and the furthest from getting it off him, if he gets it off he can go and stop him. BBQ yells in excitement as one of the cameras on the ship finds Dave, he stomps his way over to Grey and grabs him by the jaw and shows him the screen. Gloating about his expected victory, Grey can’t hear him but tries harder to fight against the memory extractor.
Meanwhile on the ground, Gwen has caught up to Dave running alongside him, he double takes to make sure he was seeing this right before he stops running, he looks at her with a face that reads weren’t you just mad at me a second ago.
Dave: What the hell?
Gwen: Oh what. I can’t come with you?
Dave: No!
Gwen: Cause girls can’t fight like men?
Dave: No, nothing like that! It’s just I-
BBQ pushes a button on his control panel beaming both Dave and Gwen aboard the ship, then he makes his way past the now numb Grey on his way to the teleporter room. Dave and Gwen phase into the teleporter room still mid conversation, losing a word or two in transit.
Dave: -you, Gwen! And I don’t want you getting hurt or into trouble because of me! Wait where even are we?
Gwen: Now you care about consequences… Cleary the big scary ship that came out of nowhere.
Dave: Come on this way, it’s the only door out. And I don’t want to be here when the dickhead cousins get here.
The two make their way to the door and open it only to be greeted by a chair thrown by BBQ, Dave pushes Gwen back from the doorframe as he closes it.
Dave: Not going that way.
He looks around for something to stop the door from opening, finding nothing he just smashes it with the hilt of his sword before heading to the next exit. As they walk off they hear the door declining to open up for their pursuer, they make it to a vent big enough to fit them both and Dave uses his sword again to pry it open, he looks behind him back at the door as Gwen begins to crawl through. As she keeps going she notices Dave isn’t following her, when she looks back she sees he’s closed the vent.
Gwen: What are you doing Dave?
Dave: Buying you time, go find Grey then we are outta here.
Gwen wasn’t going to argue, all she had to do was find Grey and they could at least get a safe distance before making another plan, Dave hears her crawling again just in time for the door begin to be pryed open by BBQ and Dave readies himself for the fight of his life. Finally after a few attempts the door is open and the rage full cyborg shakes the room with each step as he makes his way to his opponent.
Dave: Ok shit-head… Let’s get groovy!
BBQ makes the first move with a lunge into the air, Dave slices to defend cutting him from his shoulder to his hip and BBQ slides on the ground before flipping around and back onto his feet and without a breathe attempts another attack. A metallic boot flies towards Dave’s face hitting him in the chest but he is able to keep himself balanced after stumbling for a few steps, Dave has no time to react as another punch comes his way but he blocks the punch with his sword. Due the way he held his sword to block, his blade nearly cuts through him like a tomato but stops in just in time, spinning around and making another slice across BBQ’s chest before drop kicking him back away.
As Dave hits the foll he rolls backwards and jumping back upwards before running at BBQ and attempting another cut before the cyborg’s arm became a cannon, in response Dave drops down and begins to slide on his knees keeping his sword high as it cuts through the arm, BBQ begins to fire the cannon but it’s just blows up what’s left of his arm. Dave jumps back up again using the momentum to tackle BBQ onto the ground, piercing his sword through his enemies shoulder to keep him in place.
Dave: Your cousins are stronger… now, tell me where is Grey?
BBQ: It’s too late… We got what we wanted, not much to do to stop it now…
Dave: Shit! I’ll be back for you asshole.
He runs off to save his lady.
Gwen crawls through the vents like a blind mouse, thinking to herself ‘why did I follow him? I knew where it was going to lead…’ before seeing robotic arms and drones trying to recover Tomato’s dead body, ‘… the morgue’. Finally she can hear Grey grunt trying to remove the device, she sees him from the vent and tries to open it with no success, ‘great’. After repositioning herself to be able to kick down the grate she gives it 4 good kicks before she can get out, she rushes over to him and pulls out the device’s cable connected to the back of his brain. Grey coughs and spits out blood from earlier.
Grey: thank you…
Gwen: I may not be your biggest fan but I’m not going to let the one guy who has Dave’s back die, I need him alive… you hear me?
Grey is going in and out of consciousness as she picks him up and onto her shoulder as they make their way back to the teleporter room, ‘which is somewhere… whatever direction somewhere is?’ Grey is heavy but Gwen knows how to carry the weight from spending enough time with her father and brother, she gets nervous when she hears hurried footsteps down the hallway, she begins to hide before…
Gwen!
Dave turns the corner to see his friends, he catches up to them before catching his breath. He then takes Grey onto his shoulder to help Gwen and the three all start moving, with no idea of how to get back to the teleporter let alone use it. Finally after 15 minutes they find their way back to find BBQ missing, a problem for later, and after another 7 minutes to figure out how to turn the teleporter on.
Right as they are about to teleport back to the ground an alarm switches on as a loud explosion can be heard throughout the ship before they are thrown around as they begin to go towards the ground the old fashioned way. They try to grab onto anything as they float off the cold metal floor, missing a few times before Gwen grabs a structural pillar and Dave grabs onto a series of pipes before catching the limp Grey.
The ship heads towards the beach of Sunshine Port, Regal Bay, as all the beach goers run towards safety. Finally with a loud thud and Sunshine Port shook to its core, BBQ’s ship has landed. Inside the ship, Dave, Gwen and Grey lie still on the other side of the room they were in, a groan comes from Dave as he gets up only suffering bruises.
Dave: Gwen, you good?
Gwen: Think so, don’t feel too bad. How the hell did you know we weren’t going to die from the impact?
Dave: Lucky guess.
Gwen: Next time, come up with a plan that isn’t just luck. Wait…
Dave: What is it now?
Gwen: Where’s Grey?
Dave: Oh shit! I was just holding onto him a second ago!
Gwen: Wait, over here! A blood trail!
Dave: Let’s hope it’s his.
They follow the trail as it goes through the ship’s winding corridors as the trail stays consistent, eventually passing by a massive hole in the side of the ship revealing the ever-stretching beach as the Sun hits the water at the right angle to create a beautiful view but now as not the time to breathe it in. The two jumped and slid down the obstacles in their way before getting to another hole in the ship, this time Gwen stopped to look down to see how much further to the sand, a long way down but Gwen couldn’t tell how far down exactly. Behind them in the shadows of wreckage a figure lurks waiting for Dave to get a look down too.
Dave: No way we were out for that long for Grey to make it to the sand, we must be getting closer to him-
The attacker tackles Dave, throwing both of them hurling into the sand as Gwen can only watch as they descend to the ground, she then decides to begin scaling down the ship from the hole to catch up to them quicker. The two slam into the ground before rolling in opposite directions, Dave winches from the pain of both the fall and the attacker landing on him and doesn’t see who he’s fighting before getting kicked in the head.
Gwen nearly slips off a few times before finding a sturdy cable she uses as a rope to make her final decent, meanwhile Dave is being grabbed by the ankle and dragged back to the ship putting Gwen in the right angle to attack from above, with a push from the wall Gwen positions herself mid-air to knock the attacker over and away from Dave. She lands kneeing them in the neck knocking them out for a few seconds while she runs to Dave to check on him.
Dave sits up rubbing the top of his head, as Gwen helps him up onto his feet they finally notice who the attacker is, BBQ but now with Tomato’s body. BBQ gets up and removes his helmet to reveal a completely scarred face, only very few parts of his face were clean of any visual damage, a smug smirk lines his face as he throws the helmet on the ground before taking a deep breath of the salty air.
BBQ: I like how much you and Luci both think you can stop me from saving my father.
Gwen: Luci?
BBQ: HA! Seems he was keeping secrets from you two. You think he was the guard of that prison? He was the enslaver! My father did nothing wrong except live his life the right way and that all ended when he crossed paths with Luci and he never came back.
Dave: No way, I know Grey, he isn’t like that. There’s a reason he’s in the Winterstone, I don’t care what reason.
BBQ: Do you ever really know someone like him? How do you trust someone who is trying to be steps ahead of everyone else? How do you know you aren’t a pawn in his plan for total control?
Gwen: I’m not the biggest of Grey either but I can usually see through people’s bullshit, including yours.
Dave: Even if he was like that, he isn’t now.
BBQ: You organic losers are always the same, thinking you can change your code, who you are.
Dave: Says the hypocrite who became a cyborg to change themselves.
BBQ: I just accepted I needed help to change, there’s a difference.
Dave: Doesn’t matter now, your breakout is through, may as well give up now.
Another explosion comes from the ship, causing Dave and Gwen to turn around as they watch as white lights shoot out from every hole in the ship, followed shortly after by snow as Gwen puts her hand out to grab it from the air. The two look back at BBQ as he begins to laugh, before he falls to the ground still laughing harder and harder until tears begin to roll down his face.
Earlier…
A busy crowd fills The Hendrix, as Pop-Rock charms the customers, Addison runs the food, Imani takes the orders and Trent with the other chefs cooks the food with an intensity brought on by Gene’s militaristic orders to work better and faster (and cheaper if possible), but this all feels empty as both Gwen and Dave are missing as to the crew of The Hendrix, the team is incomplete. But they continue to work hard, knowing that they’ll be back soon after all this Winterstone business is done and dusted, but as Addison somehow managed to carry 5 plates at once and made her way to the table the earth shakes through the dining hall. Followed by the sound of a loud crash, both from the ship hitting the ground and the plates smashing on the ground.
Everyone ran out to the street to see smoke in the distance coming from Regal Bay, many customers began to panic along with everyone else on the street at the time, some call their families and most ran in the other direction but as for the crew of The Hendrix they looked to each other as they knew the answers to what had happened and who needed their help. They began to walk towards the smoke when Gene came out and yelled at them to come back inside and keep working.
Gene: If you don’t come back in here right this instance, I will be more than happy to fire all your asses!
Nobody said a word, it was a standoff and the choice of what to do next floated through everyone’s minds for a few seconds, then wondering who would make the first move but it was decided for everyone when Imani replied to Gene simply, firmly and like a leader.
Imani: Dave and Gwen need us, because once a Hendrix, always a Hendrix.
He turned and started walking before he could see Gene’s surprised gasp, with each second the others also turned towards Imani to start walking, avoiding their bosses yelling and profanity as they knew they made the right choice. After they couldn’t hear Gene anymore they began lightly jogging before above average jogging towards Regal Bay, grabbing whatever they could for weapons as they passed stores and trash bins. Trent began humming No Sleep Till Brooklyn to hype everyone up as they moved in closer on the smoke, he kept the tune going as they all joined in as their readiness was at its peak. They turned the final corner to come face to face with the task ahead of them as the ship was lit up like a disco ball.
Trent: I thought this was just going to be those sauce guys again…
Addison: We are fucked…
Pop-Rock: You can say that again.
Imani: Look I see Gwen and Dave! Let’s go!
The four run over to the stairs that lead down to the beach and before going down they watch Dave and Gwen stand there in front of the ship as a new hole gets blown out of it throwing them back and creating a sand cloud covering them from the crew. They run down the stairs to catch up to their friends as Trent accidentally decides to take the quicker way down as he trips on his own feet and tumbles down into the sand below, as the others reach him and help pick him up the sand cloud settles to reveal a hulking white and tan coloured metallic dinosaur cyborg standing over Gwen and Dave.
Addison: We are so fu-
Pop-Rock: Don’t say it again now.
Mayonnaise has arrived.
Dave tries to wipe the sand out of his eyes and get a look at his new opponent but just can’t seem to get it out, Gwen can’t help but to watch in horror as Mayonnaise scans his surroundings. The dino-borg finally looks at his son as BBQ runs up and tells him of what happened to Tomato, as his son tells him the story, Mayonnaise looks uninterested and uncaring.
Mayo: Pathetic. I taught you better than to get your brother killed. Then you couldn’t even kill this Earth weakling… You have failed as my offspring.
BBQ: B-but Father-!
Mayo: Quiet!
BBQ quivered as he accepted his father’s order and stepped back behind him before he felt someone walk past him, a cloaked man with a broken sword on his hip finally stopping at Mayonnaise’s side. The Cyborg King doesn’t even look at the odd man, only at Dave, before asking him a question.
Mayo: Is this him?
ODD: Can’t mistake him for anyone else. I know those rugged good looks anywhere.
Dave finally gets the sand out of his eyes and looks up at the odd man as he takes his hood off to reveal… no, this can’t be right. It must be some sort of trick, an illusion or a hologram. CGI even! But he realises he’s looking at Old Dave Donovan, who looks jaded and grey. Dave can’t believe it, how is this even possible, then he looks at ODD’s sword and knows it can’t be a trick as that’s The Sword broken in half and there’s no way to fake it’s energy it radiates. Gwen and the Hendrix crew as well have their jaws on the floor as they look at Dave’s cynical future self.
Dave: Why are you here?
ODD: To kill you.
Dave: Do I have to keep asking why, asshole?
ODD: I think you deserve the truth… You ruined my life, and killing you means I fix all my mistakes. You are a real asshole, you know that?
Dave spits at ODD and hits him straight in the eye, ODD smirks as he moves down closer to his younger self.
ODD: Never change. Cause in a few minutes… Your ‘friends’ will have to bury you six feet under in the sand. That’s if they stay around that long.
Dave: What happened to you?
ODD: Lady Luck stopped bein’ fond of us.
Old Dave motioned Dave to stand up and fight, our hero was more than happy to stand and kick his old ass, he was mad and had a point to prove that this was just lies and deception to knock him off his feet. He readied himself, and hey it doesn’t hurt to kill off a bad part of yourself every once and while, Dave smirked at the idea. Everyone watched in anticipation as both Dave’s waited for the first strike.
Blink and you missed it as The Sword’s clang together and create sparks, blink and the next strike, then another blink and another and another. More clanging and sparks flew as the two were evenly matched and could predict what the other would do, their swords knew what to do. They continued to fight as Mayonnaise watched intently, meanwhile the crew of The Hendrix caught up to Gwen and helped her up, this caught the attention of BBQ who ran after them to attack them. Mayonnaise let his child go to have some fun.
BBQ jump towards Gwen but she was more than ready to use his momentum against him and redirected him into rocks on the shore, he landed face first knocking and cracking some of his teeth and nose, he spat out some blood and turned back around to see everyone was on the move with their makeshift weapons and Gwen’s boot heading straight for his robo-nuts. Letting out a high-pitched groan as he was being ganged up on, being hit by shovels, bricks and someone’s bike pump Trent was using as nunchucks, he pushed everyone away as he began to focus again on Gwen.
Gwen and Dave bump into each other’s backs, quickly look at each other before both ducking at the same time launching ODD and BBQ’s attacks into each other, disorientating them for a second. Dave and Gwen look at each other again excited by the fact that worked, then switched opponents to keep them confused. Dave sliced BBQ’s back as he was getting back up, at the same time Gwen frontflip dropkicked ODD’s broken sword out of his hands before sweeping his leg and dropping his ass to the ground again. Mayonnaise let out a small breath of amusement.
They switched again as Dave ducked down and Gwen rolled over to gain momentum to launch herself at BBQ, Dave used his position to slice ODD upwards across the chest but Old Dave stepped back in time, rolling down and grabbing the broken sword to defend from the next attack. The crew rejoined Gwen in kicking BBQ’s ass but he was retaliating by throwing his arms out knocking Imani and Trent out of the way and onto the ground, Addison in fear instinctively hid behind Pop-Rock who held his ground against BBQ while Gwen prepared another attack but was knocked off her feet by BBQ stomping the ground hard enough to throw her balance.
Mayonnaise smriks as Gwen and Dave fight for their lives, but within a moment his attention is elsewhere. He throws Sweet into the ground after she tries to attack from behind silently, he looks down on her for her betrayal, Sour on the other hand is not stealthy in his approach and makes his rage quite known to Mayonnaise who punches him in the chest so hard he goes flying back into the rocks. He turns back to Sweet with anger in his scaly eyes.
Mayo: Just like your father. Just out of reach of victory as always.
Sweet: Where is he!?
Mayo: My sweet niece, I put him down. It was for his own good.
Sweet: You monster– I’ll kill you!
Mayo: I will be more than happy to reunite you with your father.
The Cyborg King throws his fist towards Sweet on the ground but before the punch can hit her she rolls out of the way and jumps back to her feet, Mayonnaise reacts quickly by trying to slice her legs with his arm, Sweet barely jumps in time to save herself. He keeps throwing punch or kick after another and Sweet finds only mere milliseconds to react and move, but she keeps the momentum to continue dodging his attacks. In the corner of her eye she sees Sour getting back up, she must keep him occupied long enough for her brother.
Sour doesn’t wait to attack as Sweet wasn’t quick enough to turn Mayonnaise away from what he was doing. As soon as Sour gets within arm’s reach Mayonnaise grabs him by the throat, looks back at Sweet and kicks her away, she slides through the sand as she watches Sour’s neck snap in between Mayo’s huge hands. He then tosses the lifeless husk at Sweet as she tries to get back up, knocking her down again. The other fights stop as they watch this unfold, fear holds their bodies hostage.
Dave loses all interest in fighting himself and starts walking towards Mayonnaise. The glass on Sweet’s mask is broken revealing behind it tears streaming down her face as she desperately tries to get her brother’s body off of her to no avail. A shadow falls over her as the massive dino-cyborg stands over her and raises his boot to squash her like the bug he thinks she is. ODD watches as his younger self filled with rage yells at Mayonnaise to get his attention.
Dave: You want me dead so bad. You got me…
Thunderous laughter fills the air as Mayonnaise moves his boot away from Sweet and back onto the ground. Dave stares him down, not finding this humorous at all, Mayonnaise locks eyes with him and stops laughing. He still can’t help but still smirk, before letting out of last ‘heh’, he sees a warrior spirit in Dave, along with a rage he can’t contain or control. Mayonnaise clenches his three clawed fingers into the fists that will save Dave and this world from its pitiful existence.
A faint breeze blows through the crashed ship creating a faint whistle cutting right through the silence of everyone waiting in baited breath. Dave breathes in and closes his eyes, trying to feel The Sword in his hands, becoming one with it. He feels the energy it radiates, he feels the added energy from ODD’s Sword, he hears it talking to him… vanquish him. Mayonnaise makes the first move, pouncing at his claws first, without a thought Dave slices through the cyborg’s arm and dodges the rest of him as Mayonnaise hits the sand and slides. Without even acknowledging his arm, Mayonnaise makes another attack, Dave again cuts through effortlessly the same arm further down.
Then black.
Then a THUD as knees hit the sand.
Mayonnaise collapses before Dave as his friends and enemies watch him take deep breaths. Dave looks at the lifeless husk of flesh and wires in front of him, not thoughts, just the image being seared into his brain. Gwen moves in closer but Dave doesn’t move, BBQ uses the confusion to make a run for it to the ship, the rest of Dave’s friends run in closer to see the destructive scene and stop next to check on Sweet on the sandy floor.
Gwen: Hey… you ok? Dave, it’s over now. We-
Dave: You’re right. It’s over.
Gwen: We can get out of here now, Gray can-
Dave tells her no. She’s confused until He turns to look at her, a face of his she had never seen but she knew the feeling of.
Dave: I Quit. I’m done…
He drops The Swords and they bounce on the sand. Then he takes off his hat and drops that too. He reiterates that’s he’s done with everything, his friends watch with confusion by what he truly means but the truth becomes apparent when he starts to walk away with his head hung low. ODD exclaims “This is how I remember it happening…” before fading to dust and becoming one with the sand on the beach. Gwen doesn’t follow him, she instead bends down to pick up The Sword before looking back up at Dave as he wonders off.
“I love you…”
To Be Continued…?