"Storm Toad" by Fero McPiglet First draft - 11/7/98 Final draft - 2/5/99 Edited by Rygar 1/5/04 SCENE 1 - DEEP SPACE A small squadron of toad double bubbles is flying at top speed. Behind them, The Indefatigable is giving chase. COMMANDER DOGSTAR and LIEUTENANT WOLF are in the cockpit, ENGINEER DIGGER and PITSTOP PETE are in engineering, and ASC RUMBLEBEE is blasting away at the maser cannons. A couple of double bubbles blow up, and the rest frantically try to get away. DOGSTAR I say! Good shooting, Rumblebee! RUMBLEBEE (continuing to target double bubbles) Thank you, Commander. Bzz bzz. But the rest are out of range. Bzz bzz. DOGSTAR Digger? DIGGER (over comm) Sorry, Commander, but the turbo charge needs time to recalibrate. DOGSTAR You mean to tell me we're going to let those toad scum get away? Unacceptable! WOLF Sir, I have an idea. Everybody, hang on ... Wolf pilots the Indefatigable around a passing meteor. He uses the meteor's gravity to slingshot the frigate toward the remaining double bubbles. DOGSTAR Good thinking, Wolf! We're catching up to them! DIGGER Commander, sensors indicate that the double bubbles are preparing for hyperjump ... RUMBLEBEE ... and the toads are still out of range. Bzz bzz. DOGSTAR Well, we can't have that. Pete? PETE (loads some space torpedoes into the missile chute) Yup. DOGSTAR Fire! Twin scattershot torpedoes launch out of the frigate toward the double bubbles. The torpedoes explode within the ranks of the toad squadron, sending the double bubbles careening in all directions. They crash into one another and blow up. DOGSTAR Nice work, everybody. Chalk up another successful patrol for The Indefatigable. No enemy scum escapes my crew! WOLF (checking the radar screen) Not quite, sir. A single double bubble is still intact. It's headed for the planet Barran. DOGSTAR Hmm, can't let that tarnish our flight log. OK, crew, let's go after it! The Indefatigable chases after the single ship. They enter the atmosphere of the desolated Barran, a rocky planet of deserts, mountains, volcanoes, and cliffs. The double bubble makes a crash landing, and The Indefatigable lands behind it. The usually clear red sky darkens as clouds start to form. DOGSTAR Strange. The toad pilot should have stepped out by now ... DIGGER Commander, I've scanned the downed vessel. There are no life-form readings onboard. DOGSTAR No life-form readings, you say? WOLF Sir, could it be a decoy? DOGSTAR Perhaps. But for what? A lightning bolt suddenly flashes from the sky and strikes The Indefatigable. The frigate crackles with electrical energy. Inside, the crew is knocked from their seats. DOGSTAR (picking himself up, over comm) Is-is everybody all right? RUMBLEBEE Still ~ brzztz ~ functional. Bzz bzz. ~ krrtzz ~ DIGGER We're fine in engineering. PETE Yup. DOGSTAR What the hell was that? WOLF Looks like an electromagnetic storm, sir. This is the same type of damage an EM storm causes. DOGSTAR Impossible! Barran doesn't have the proper atmosphere to generate that kind of weather. DIGGER Commander! That lightning bolt has shorted out every control system! DOGSTAR All of them? DIGGER Everything except the communications array. But weapons, engines, and sensors are all kaput. We can't even open the doors. DOGSTAR Then we're trapped. In our own frigate. Outside, the electric storm rages on, raining lightning bolts that narrowly miss the still-sparking Indefatigable. SCENE 2 - TOAD MOTHERSHIP TOADBORG walks into the main room of the ship. KOMPLEX is on the computer monitor in front of him. TOADBORG You called for me, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX? KOMPLEX Yes, Toadborg. As you already know, you are the Toad Empire's most proficient agent. TOADBORG As you designed me to be. KOMPLEX But, of late, you have been lax in your duties. TOADBORG What? But I have been ... KOMPLEX Silence! The success quotient of your recent missions is down. Your plans and projects end in failure. You haven't conquered any new planets in months. And you still haven't gotten rid of that miserable Bucky O'Hare. TOADBORG I apologize, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX. I will try harder. KOMPLEX You will. But first, let me introduce you to your new peer. TOADBORG Peer? What do you mean? KOMPLEX You, Toadborg, are the Toad Empire's first success in cyber robotics. The mind of a mere stormtoad merged with the steel-hard frame of a fighting warrior. Do you think we would have stopped at only one of you? TOADBORG No. But why was I not informed of this? KOMPLEX Do you question your master, Toadborg? TOADBORG No, no. Of course not. KOMPLEX Good. A small alarm goes off from the computer. KOMPLEX Ah. Here he is. The door beside the computer slowly slides open, revealing the massive blue and green frame of another toad CYBORG. The newcomer is similar in design to Toadborg but of a more advanced and superior model. The cyborg steps forward. KOMPLEX Toadborg, this is the next level of the toad infantry. The Cyber Stormtoad. TOADBORG (eye sensors narrow) I see. KOMPLEX Cyberstorm, meet your comrade, Toadborg. CYBERSTORM (lifts his hand to shake Toadborg's) Toadborg! I'm finally glad to meet you face to face! You're an inspiration to stormtoads serving the Toad Empire everywhere. The guys at my old unit all look up to you. We had to fight for the honor of being chosen as the next toad cyborg. We all wanted to be the one to work alongside the great Toadborg! TOADBORG (ignores the offered handshake and turns to KOMPLEX) So, is this my replacement? CYBERSTORM (retracts his hand and sounds genuinely surprised) Replacement? I'm not here to replace anybody. I'm here to serve KOMPLEX, just like you. KOMPLEX Never mind that. Cyberstorm, report on the status of your mission. CYBERSTORM Oh, right. Cyberstorm plugs into a console and a computer screen displays the image of The Indefatigable on Barran and the storm still continuing. CYBERSTORM My plan worked. I was able to lure Commander Dogstar and his crew to Barran and seal them in their frigate with an electromagnetic storm. TOADBORG An electromagnetic storm? CYBERSTORM Sure. I can make all sorts of fancy weather and stuff. KOMPLEX Cyberstorm is equipped with the latest in toad science: the miniaturization of climate converter technology. He can localize tornadoes, cause earthquakes, generate snow, and create firestorms and other anomalous atmospheric conditions and use them to deadly effect. CYBERSTORM (beams) Yeah. This is actually my first test run. I think I'm handling it OK. TOADBORG But that is still a lot of hardware. Doesn't it slow you down? CYBERSTORM Well, it does. That's why I'm not built for actual combat -- no other weapons or armor. I've still got a force field to protect me, though. I probably won't need it. I'm programmed to destroy my enemies as quickly as I can before they can retaliate. And with these powers, they won't have the chance. TOADBORG So why don't you deal with Dogstar while they're helpless? CYBERSTORM Well, I'm waiting for his distress signal. I left their communication systems online for when he calls for help. If I'm lucky, it'll be Bucky or Mimi who tries to rescue their comrades. I want the signal to be genuine in case they think it's a trap and, of course, it is, but ... A red message saying "Distress Call Detected" flashes on the screen. CYBERSTORM Nice timing. And now that I have no further need for Dogstar ... Cyberstorm presses a button on his forearm. On the screen, several lightning bolts strike The Indefatigable in unison. The frigate crackles as the electricity surges around its metal frame. A message in red flashes "No Life-Form Readings Detected" on the screen. CYBERSTORM That should fry those mammals. KOMPLEX Very impressive, Cyberstorm. In the few hours since your activation, you have already eliminated one of the most irritating vessels of the United Animals Coalition S.P.A.C.E. fleet. TOADBORG (eye sensors narrow further) Yes, very commendable, indeed. CYBERSTORM (actually tries to blush) Oh, it's nothing. I left the frigate intact so we could use it to infiltrate Genus later. Well, I better go back to Barran and wait for Bucky or Mimi to arrive. (to KOMPLEX) I'll keep my comm channel open so you can contact me whenever you want. KOMPLEX I await news of your success. You are dismissed. CYBERSTORM Yes, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX. (pauses before Toadborg before leaving) I'm really glad to have met you Toadborg. I look forward to working with you on other missions. KOMPLEX and Toadborg watch Cyberstorm leave. TOADBORG He's an eager, bright-eyed toad, isn't he? KOMPLEX Yes, but very effective. TOADBORG Do you think he will really be able to stop Bucky O'Hare? The toad forces have been trying to accomplish that feat for years. KOMPLEX We will soon find out. He was able to dispatch the crew of The Indefatigable with ease. As the first prototype cyborg with the climate converter technology, the Toad scientists are not certain whether his hardware will function properly in direct combat conditions. He is still an experiment. But if he succeeds in vanquishing Bucky O'Hare, then we will know for sure that the equipment is safe. We will produce more of his kind and crush the UAC. TOADBORG And what of me, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX? KOMPLEX You will still have some use to the Empire, Toadborg. You will not be forgotten. In the meantime, do something useful while waiting for news of Cyberstorm's triumph. Locate the mercenary Al Negator. Our spies have reported his resurfacing. TOADBORG For what reason? KOMLEX It was noted in your report on the bombing of the Pledge Ceremony of Vigilance that only the sleazasaur could have been responsible for its failure. Al Negator has double-crossed us. I want his carcass as an example to other beings who would dare to try and betray the Toad Empire. TOADBORG But KOMPLEX, hunting a lowly mercenary? This is not suited to my skills and capabilities! I ... KOMPLEX Are you questioning my orders *again*, Toadborg? TOADBORG (eye sensors look down) No. No, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX. KOMPLEX Good. SCENE 3 - TINKER'S HIDEOUT The hideout is a messy workshop filled with junk and machinery. TINKER the rat is sitting at his table, reading the news on his computer. TINKER Hmm, there's a salvage yard sale in Gigakat Sector. Big discounts on N4cer chopper and tank parts. Better check it out later. Now where's the job ads? Need some simoleans to pay for my netcable ... Tinker turns to another page. TINKER What's this? There's nothing but wanted posters on ... There's a loud banging on the door. Tinker panics and hides under the table. VOICE Open up! TINKER (terrified) Ahh! It's Dogstar! He's found me again! VOICE Tinker, you scrawny ratfink! Open up! I know you're in there! TINKER (looks puzzled) Scrawny? Dogstar never called me scrawny before. VOICE Tinker, if you don't open this door at once, I'm going to blow it up and ... Tinker has already gotten up and pulled a cord. The door slides open, and a FIGURE falls inside. VOICE ... get sick on your floor ... TINKER (rushing over to help the figure) Al? Is that you? Al Negator is all dirty, bedraggled, and half-conscious. He's got wounds and bandages all over his body. Tinker helps the dizzy, injured sleazasaur over to a couch. NEGATOR Of course it's me! Who else would know the way to this rat hole? TINKER But I thought you were dead! I heard about the fiasco during the Pledge Ceremony, and when I didn't hear from you for weeks, I assumed you were vaporized! NEGATOR (coughs) I nearly was! I felt the blast at close range before your teleporter sent me away. Good thing it had enough charge left after I teleported with pieces of the bomb. I was unconscious in a ditch for days! TINKER Geez! And then what happened? NEGATOR Well, I finally woke up and stole some supplies from a hospital. I spent some time recovering before I tried leaving Genus. Good thing my cruiser was still there. Ow! TINKER Look, you need some treatment. I'll go get the med-kit. NEGATOR (lays his head back and closes his eyes) Thanks. I'll just lie here and groan ... Tinker leaves the room and grabs the med-kit. Then he pauses to look at the computer screen and picks up his communicator. TINKER Heh heh heh! Maybe I don't need to look for work any more! Serves Al right for all he's done to me ... NEGATOR (rasps from the other room, halfway delirious) Y'know, Tink? You're a good friend ... You'd let me in your rat hole after I turned you in the last time. I really appreciate this ... I'll make it up to you someday, after I get some more cash out of the toads. I will ... really ... Tinker looks pained as he glances back at the screen, then at the wounded sleazasaur. He hesitates for a moment then sighs and shuts off the computer. The ad "WANTED BY THE TOAD EMPIRE: AL NEGATOR; FOR TREASON AGAINST THE TOADS; REWARD" is visible before it blinks out. Tinker walks back to the couch. TINKER Er, yeah. Um, look, there's something you have to know ... SCENE 4 - THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION The Righteous Indignation is flying in deep space. BRUISER and AFC BLINKY are playing the holographic "Combat Chess Craft" when a door appears. ENGINEER WILLY DUWITT steps out. BRUISER Hey, Willy! How'd yer exams go? WILLY Piece of cake. I think I aced them. I see you're still playing that game, huh? BLINKY Friend Bruiser is becoming amazingly proficient at this strategy game. He can actually beat the AI in one out of ten games -- an impressive feat, considering the Artificial Intelligence is set to maximum. Bruiser beams, and Willy laughs. WILLY Anyway, what's happening here? I wanted some time off. I hope there's no emergencies or anything. DEADEYE (enters the room) No such luck, Willy, me boy! We just received a distress call from The Indefatigable. Jenny told me you'd be coming so's I could tell ye. WILLY Oh no! Did something happen to Dogstar? DEADEYE We don't know yet, lad. The distress call's a general alert. Could be they've been captured by toads or their accelerator's on the fritz. Bucky's favoring the latter, but ol' Deadeye is hopin' fer the former, so's we can bust us some toadies! BRUISER Yeah! DEADEYE Anyway, we traced the homing signal to the planet Barran. We'll be enterin' its atmosphere in a few minutes. SCENE 5 - PLANET BARRAN The Righteous Indignation is hovering in the clear sky. Below, the crew can see The Indefatigable along with the toad double bubble in the rocky terrain. CAPTAIN BUCKY O'HARE and FIRST MATE JENNY are at the helm. BUCKY Are you sure you can't raise Dogstar on the comm-link? JENNY Negative, Bucky. The call's patching through, but there's nobody answering. BUCKY Hmm. I don't like it. Jenny, land this thing. We'll have to investigate. The frigate starts to land. SCENE SHIFTS TO A HILL ON BARRAN Not far away, Cyberstorm watches them and concentrates. Storm clouds start to gather again. CYBERSTORM C'mon ... c'mon ... SCENE SHIFTS TO THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION The frigate lands. JENNY (frowning) Something's not right here. BUCKY I know. If Dogstar's here, he should have talked to us by now. JENNY No, there's something else. Something's not right in the air. BUCKY What are you talking about, Jenny? The only thing in the air are those clouds. SCENE SHIFTS TO A HILL ON BARRAN The sky is already thick with clouds. Cyberstorm trembles with anticipation. CYBERSTORM C'mon, just a few more minutes! The charge needs to build up ... SCENE SHIFTS TO THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION JENNY (eyes closed) There's a balance maintained in a planet's ecosystem. Someone's been tampering with this one. I can feel shifts happening ... (opens her eyes and whispers urgently) Bucky, we have to get out of here! BUCKY (surprised) What? You mean take off? We just landed ... JENNY No! We have to get out of the ship! Electricity has already started to crackle inside the clouds. Cyberstorm laughs as he raises his arms and points to the frigate. But before a lighting bolt can form, Bucky and his crew stumble out of the Righteous and run for cover. Several streaks of lightning strike the frigate; its hull sparks as the electricity rushes through it. DEADEYE (looking behind him) Blimey! That was a close shave! WILLY We could have been electrocuted! BUCKY Thanks for the warning, Jenny! How'd you know? JENNY (glancing around) I sensed the unnatural changes in the atmosphere. But what could have caused it? CYBERSTORM No! No! No! The crew looks up to see a frustrated Cyberstorm toad hovering above them in a funnel of air. The storm clouds are dispersed by the whirlwind. CYBERSTORM (shaking his fists) You should have been killed at the first try! You should all be dead by now! You should have ... Oh drat! I forgot! You're not supposed to see me ... BUCKY (to Jenny) That answer your question? (to Cyberstorm) Hey, Toadborg! What's with the wardrobe change? CYBERSTORM Huh? (stops his ranting and laughs) Oh, I'm not the great Toadborg. I'm the next generation stormtoad: Cyberstorm! And I am your doom! Your worst nightmare! Prepare to meet your maker, mammals! Ha ha! DEADEYE (takes out his masers) Is this guy for real? BUCKY We have to take his threats seriously. He was able to summon that EM storm. WILLY (squints upwards) Bucky's right. I recognize some of his hardware. He's got climate converter technology! DEADEYE C'mon Bruiser, let's croak this toad! BRUISER (hefts a boulder) Gotcha! Deadeye takes aim with his masers and fires at Cyberstorm just as Bruiser throws the boulder. Cyberstorm cringes for a moment as the boulder hits him dead on. A white flash appears as the boulder strikes his force field and shatters. Then, he straightens up and stands proud as Deadeye's maser shots bounce off the field in small white spots. CYBERSTORM (thinking) (to the others) Ha! You can't stop me now! I'm going to kill you just like I killed Dogstar and his crew! BUCKY (alarmed) What did you say? CYBERSTORM You heard me! I fried him in his frigate! But I think I'll burn you guys instead. Cyberstorm starts making circular motions with his hands. A wide ring of fire surrounds the crew. Cyberstorm smugly folds his arms in front of him. WILLY Hey! What is this? BLINKY It is a fire wave. Common in planets of the Pyren Sector. Combustion forms from chemicals present in the air. High levels of extreme temperature. Very dangerous. CYBERSTORM Precisely! And this one's about to do you in! (thinking) The crew tries to get out of the circle, but the flames are too hot. Licks of flame jump out and singe some of the crew. DEADEYE Yeowch! Bucky, what do we do? BUCKY (scoops up Jenny) We're getting out of here. Bruiser, you think you can leap over the flames? BRUISER (grabs Deadeye and Willy) I can try, but I ain't no jumper like you are. I could toss you guys over, though. CYBERSTORM (wags a finger) Ah ah ah! Can't have that. Cyberstorm snaps his fingers, and the fire wave burns higher. He snaps his fingers again, and the circle rapidly starts to decrease in circumference. WILLY (screams) We'll be burned alive! CYBERSTORM (laughs) That's the idea! BUCKY You'll never get away with this! CYBERSTORM Oh, but I think I have. DEADEYE Aw, get down here and fight fair, you stinkin' bag o' bolts! CYBERSTORM Gee, do you really want that to be your final words? "Wave" goodbye now! Ha ha ha! The fire wall rises over the crew's head, and the circle closes. Some of the crew scream. The bonfire at the center burns for a full minute before Cyberstorm extinguishes the flames with a wave of his hand. CYBERSTORM (flying closer) Hey, that went pretty well! Now, let's see what their charred bones look like ... what?! There's nothing at the center of the circle but ashes and cinder. CYBERSTORM Uh oh. Where'd they go? SCENE 6 - UNDERGROUND Willy is struggling. He's got his eyes shut and is screaming. WILLY Ahh! It burns! It burns! JENNY Willy! Willy, it's OK! We're safe. Willy opens his eyes to find that Bucky, Jenny, Deadeye, Blinky, and Bruiser are all unharmed. He looks around him and sees that they are in a cramped underground tunnel. WILLY Huh? How'd we get here? And what happened to the fire wave? Willy feels some heat and turns to find a torch being held by Wolf. Behind him is a grinning Pitstop Pete. WOLF We happened. Pete and I were able to pull you underground before the fire wave closed in. PETE Yup. WILLY But how'd you get here? Cyberstorm said he killed you guys! BUCKY Explanations later. Wolf says this area's unstable. WOLF (waves his torch to a tunnel) Right. Follow me. Dogstar and the rest are this way. They form a line and walk quickly until they reach a bigger cavern. There, they find Dogstar and Digger attending to a sparking Rumblebee. BUCKY Dogstar! DOGSTAR (stands up and shakes Bucky's paw) Bucky, old chap, good to see you! I see you've already met our host for this soiree. BUCKY (smiles) He wasn't very gracious. So, what happened? We received your distress signal, then that walking trash compactor ambushed us. DOGSTAR Same with us, except he lured us to Barran with decoy double bubbles and sealed The Indefatigable with an EM storm. Since we weren't killed outright, we realized that he wanted something else. And with the communications array conveniently functional, we guessed that it was more victims. (motions to Digger) Digger here is familiar with the terrain of Barran. He knew about the lava tubes under the ground. DIGGER (nods) Yes. Barran has mazes underneath it. We were lucky that one such tube was directly underneath our frigate. Pete manually opened the bomb bay doors ... WOLF He ripped the hinges right off. PETE (grins) Yup. DIGGER ... and we escaped undetected. JENNY And the distress signal? DIGGER I rigged a timer to automatically send the signal once we were gone. DOGSTAR We had to send the signal. We could've handled that Cyberstorm toad cyborg by ourselves, but he would've been suspicious if we did nothing but waited. Once we thought that our adversary had considered us dead, I had Wolf go back to the surface and do reconnaissance. WOLF (nods) I found the cyborg hiding and watching the skies. I relayed the design and specifications of his frame to Digger. DIGGER As you have seen, he has climate converter technology miniaturized on him, but not much else. It seems that his only protection is his force field generator. BUCKY Are you saying that if we take out his force field, he's defenseless? DOGSTAR (nods) Precisely. Digger's been trying to cobble together a frequency disrupter for the past hour. We were hoping we could complete it before you arrived and spare you the trouble of facing that toad. Digger shows around the gun-shaped device he's been working on. DIGGER I had to cannibalize my bazooka and Rumblebee's hardware for parts. It's nearly finished except for some fine-tuning. I based this on your design, Willy. Recognize it? WILLY (takes the frequency disrupter and looks it over) Hey, this is like the disrupter I used to neutralize the force field on that brainwave-draining toad satellite! DIGGER I know. I studied your work in case a situation like this ever came up. WILLY (proudly) Nice work, Digger. You missed a few components though. And the modulator needs adjusting. Blinky, can you spare a capacitor and a transceiver dial? BLINKY Humble robot is happy to donate parts required. Willy and Digger, with Blinky and Rumblebee, continue to work on the frequency disrupter. The remaining crewmembers crowd around. DEADEYE So what's the plan, cap'ns? BUCKY (turns to Dogstar) You've had time to think this over, Dogstar. What was your original strategy? DOGSTAR Considering how formidable our opponent is, everything depends on the frequency disrupter deactivating Cyberstorm's force field. After that, a few well-placed masers should put him out of commission. JENNY That's it? That's your plan? Shoot him? WOLF It's a good one. The cyborg's too confident in his powers. He doesn't expect to lose. And he doesn't seem to be too smart, either. DEADEYE (flips his masers) So all we do is hide underground until it's over? We don't even get ta see some action? That stinks! BUCKY We should avoid unnecessary conflicts when we can, Deadeye. Willy interrupts the circle. WILLY Bad news, guys. We don't have all the necessary components. RUMBLEBEE (stands up and tests his limbs) Sorry about that. Bzz bzz. DOGSTAR You mean the disrupter's not functional? DIGGER Oh, it's completed, all right. But the mechanism that isolates the specific frequency that can neutralize the field is missing. In order to turn off the field, we have to test all the frequencies until we can locate the right one. WILLY And that will take some time ... BUCKY Well, we've got plenty of that, as long as Cyberstorm doesn't know we're here. DOGSTAR He may not know that we're underground, but he most certainly knows that we're still alive. We risked discovery when we rescued you from the fire wave. He'll be looking for us now. BUCKY How much time do you think we have left until he does find us? Wolf's ears suddenly twitch just as Jenny's gem glows faintly. JENNY I think that ... WOLF ... he already has! SCENE 7 - SUFACE OF BARRAN Cyberstorm is surveying the ground and concentrating. His sensors flicker as he stops at a certain spot. CYBERSTORM There! I can feel the vibrations! I can hear the echoes underground! Cyberstorm puts his hands on a particular part of the ground and concentrates some more. CYBERSTORM Ha! Thought you could trick me, did you? Thought you could hide from me, the Cyber Stormtoad! Well ... Cyberstorm localizes a quake. The ground crumbles and shakes. A fissure cracks open, exposing the underground cavern with a resounding crash. CYBERSTORM ... I'm still going to crush you all! Prepare for death, puny mamma ... Huh? Not again! The cavern is empty. Cyberstorm adjusts his sensors and turns to see Bucky and Dogstar's crews emerging from a nearby hole and scattering. He spies Dogstar. CYBERSTORM Dogstar? Bu-but I killed you! You're dead! DOGSTAR (shoots Cyberstorm and bounds away) Does it look like I'm dead? The maser shot bounces off of Cyberstorm's force field, but the cyborg flinches anyway. Thunderclouds start to form. Meanwhile, the captains shout out commands. DOGSTAR Everybody! We need to buy Willy some time! BUCKY Pair up with your counterpart! Pilot to pilot, gunner to gunner ... BRUISER No! That'd isolate our skills! Pair with someone else, so's we're more versatile! Everyone stops and stares at Bruiser, dumbfounded. A thrown lighting bolt barely misses everybody and gets them moving again. BUCKY Bruiser's right! Pick a partner and let's croak toad! CYBERSTORM You can't run away! I'm going to get you all! Cyberstorm is screaming as all his targets evade his lightning bolts. Willy and Blinky hide behind a rock. Willy holds the disrupter in his hands and prepares to stand up. BLINKY (pulling Willy down) Friend Willy, no! You will be hit by lightning bolts! WILLY But the disrupter needs to be in close range before it can start to work! BLINKY Then let this humble android try. Blinky takes the disrupter. He extends his eye to look over the rock. He sees that Cyberstorm is distracted by the others, so he extends his arm, letting it creep close the ground. He activates the disrupter when it's about five feet away from the cyborg. Unfortunately, it makes a loud beeping sound. CYBERSTORM (hears the beep and turns) What was that? Blinky has already retracted his arm, but Cyberstorm sees it. He sends a bolt to shatter the rock that was Willy and Blinky's hiding place. Willy and Blinky are knocked backward but land on the ground running. Willy has the disrupter in tow, still beeping. CYBERSTORM (grins) I like easy targets. Cyberstorm stomps his foot. The ground quakes, and Willy and Blinky are sent sprawling. Willy takes a particularly bad fall. WILLY Ow! My ankle! BLINKY Friend Willy! Can you move? WILLY I-aah! No, I can't. CYBERSTORM Well, maybe this will move you. Cyberstorm lets a lightning bolt streak from the sky aimed at both of them. Blinky sees this and lays a hand on Willy's shoulder. BLINKY Do not move. WILLY Blinky, wha ... Blinky extends his metallic arms and legs over Willy, forming a metal cage. The lightning bolt hits his body, acting like a lightning rod and sending the charge straight to the ground. Willy is unharmed, but Blinky falls to his side, retracting, his body sparking and smoking. WILLY Blinky! CYBERSTORM (raises his hands again) That was a stupid thing to do! All it did was buy you a few seconds more seconds to live! WOLF Actually, more than that! Wolf suddenly leaps over from behind Cyberstorm. He drops some napalm bombs on the cyborg's face as he lands on the ground. The bombs have no damaging effect, but the napalm nonetheless sticks to the force field and temporarily covers Cyberstorm's sensors with fire. The blinded cyborg strikes about randomly, giving Wolf enough time to run over, pick up Willy, and drag him to a cave. WILLY (struggles to stand) Wolf, wait! We forgot about ... ow! WOLF We can go back for Blinky later. WILLY No! The disrupter! I dropped it! It's primed to deactivate Cyberstorm's Force field as soon as it gets the right frequency, but it has to keep functioning! Cyberstorm creates a small vacuum to suck away the napalm. His sensors glow angrily as they pick up Willy's last comments and spies the disrupter on the ground. CYBERSTORM A disrupter, eh? Something to leave me defenseless? Thanks for the information! And to show you my gratitude ... Cyberstorm sent a bolt to strike the rocks above the cave where Willy and Wolf are, causing a cave-in. Wolf tries to drag Willy away, but the ceiling falls on the entrance. Cyberstorm laughs. CYBERSTORM Ha! That takes care of them. Now where's that disrupter? (spies it on the ground) There it is! That was a good plan. It would have done the trick, if it was allowed to work! Cyberstorm lets a rain of lightning fall where the device is. Before they can strike, however, Jenny somersaults out of nowhere and snatches the disrupter away. She continues to flip, evading the bolts that threaten to electrocute her. JENNY I've got it! CYBERSTORM Would you stupid mammals stop doing that? Not that it matters -- you can't avoid my bolts forever! JENNY I can try! A lightning bolt shatters a rock in front of Jenny, and a piece of debris hits her in the side of her face. Stunned, she stops to regain her balance as another bolt streaks toward her. A black and yellow blur suddenly swoops out of the sky and carries her away. The lightning bolt strikes them, but nothing happens. RUMBLEBEE Hey lady! Bzz bzz. Going my way? JENNY (looking at Rumblebee's quickly flapping wings) Rumblebee? How'd you ... where'd you get your wings? RUMBLEBEE New flight conversion. Bzz bzz. Thanks to Digger. Bzz bzz. JENNY Well, good thing! Thanks for the lift! RUMBLEBEE (nods) But we can't go too far. Bzz bzz. The disrupter has a limited range. Bzz bzz. But at least Cyberstorm's lightning attacks can't harm us. Bzz bzz. We're not grounded! CYBERSTORM (starts to concentrate) Maybe so, but your flight won't protect you from a tornado! The thunderclouds disperse as the wind starts to pick up. A funnel of air materializes, then grows into a full-blown tornado. It quickly moves directly into Rumblebee's flight path before he can avoid it. Rumblebee struggles against the wind but is caught in the vortex. He and Jenny are spun around like leaves. RUMBLEBEE Hang on, Jenny! Bzz bzz. JENNY I'm trying! But the wind's too strong! CYBERSTORM (shouts at them) Remember, it's not the wind that kills you. It's the fall! The tornado whips Jenny and Rumblebee away toward a cliff, where they disappear. Cyberstorm lets the tornado dissipate as he sees the disrupter spinning at its center. The disrupter starts to fall to the ground. Cyberstorm lets an air funnel carry him upward so he can grab it, but a low-level maser shot hits it and sends it flying in another direction. Another shot tosses it away again, then another. More maser shots juggle the beeping disrupter in the air. CYBERSTORM What the ... The disrupter finally lands in the waiting paws of Deadeye, who's hanging at the side of a mountain. Pitstop Pete is suspended beside him, grinning. DEADEYE Ha hah! Looks like ol' Stormy's not gonna win any prizes in this game! Eh, Pete? PETE Yup. DEADEYE (starts to climb away) Ye know, this climbin' business's pretty simple to a guy with four arms. I'm a regular spider-man! I oughta do this more often ... CYBERSTORM (flies in closer) You idiots! You can't stop me! No one can! DEADEYE (lets loose a barrage of maser blasts at Cyberstorm) We'll see about that! (to the beeping disrupter) C'mon, work, already! Pitstop Pete lobs a couple of grenades at Cyberstorm, but the projectiles continue to have no effect. Amid the exploding grenades and bouncing maser shots, Cyberstorm counterattacks by creating more clouds and letting a shower coat the mountain. Deadeye and Pete's perch on the ledge they're on starts to slip. DEADEYE (finally slips away and falls) I just remembered why I don't climb so often! I'm allergic ta fallin'! Pitstop Pete lets go of his own grip and reaches for Deadeye. They both fall for a few feet before Pitstop Pete uses his paws to gouge a hole into the side of the mountain. It stops them from falling, but the sudden jerk causes Deadeye to drop the disrupter. The disrupter beeps as it plummets downward. Cyberstorm follows it and lands on the ground. His sensors flicker. CYBERSTORM I saw it land over here. Where is it? Cyberstorm scans the floor and hears footsteps. CYBERSTORM A-ha! Cyberstorm touches the ground and opens up another fissure. In the lava tube below is Digger and Bruiser, holding the disrupter. CYBERSTORM About time! Gotcha! DIGGER (points in Cyberstorm's direction) No, Cyberstorm, we got you! Now, Bruiser! BRUISER (hefts a big rock) Right! Bruiser tosses the rock in Cyberstorm's direction. Cyberstorm waits for the rock to shatter against his shield, but it hits the floor at his feet instead. His footing crumbles, and Cyberstorm falls into he hole. He gets buried under some rubble as Digger and Bruiser climb out onto the surface. BRUISER How much longer do we gotta hold 'im off? DIGGER The disrupter's gone through half of the frequencies. Just a few more minutes ... CYBERSTORM (roars as he breaks out of the rubble) Precious moments you don't have! Cyberstorm raises his arms, and a heavy rain of hail falls from the sky, aimed at Bruiser and Digger. Sizable chunks of ice drop on them before they can reach shelter. Bruiser goes in front of Digger and starts bashing most of the falling ice. He destroys or shatters as much as he can, but the pieces start to pile up around them. They can no longer move around. BRUISER I can't hold out much longer, Digger! DIGGER But we can't let the disrupter be destroyed! Digger sees Bucky and Dogstar over a hill and throws the disrupter at them. DIGGER Dogstar! Bucky! Catch! Bucky catches the device before Bruiser misses a huge chunk of hail that hits Digger. The engineer falls down and, when Bruiser turns to check on him, another large chunk knocks him out. The hail continues to fall until the two are buried underneath chunks of ice. Cyberstorm steps over the rubble to confront the two captains. The only sound that can be heard is the beeping of the disrupter. CYBERSTORM Looks like it's just the three of us left. It's been fun! BUCKY It's not over yet. DOGSTAR You've underestimated us before. CYBERSTORM (raises his arms to attack) Something I won't have to do once I've crushed your skulls! A fire wave start to form, but Bucky and Dogstar break out of the circle before it is completed. Cyberstorm stomps his foot and causes another quake, but the captains avoid the fissures as well. Cyberstorm finally waves his hand and generates a flash freeze on the surface. Bucky is able to jump before the creeping ice touches him, but Dogstar isn't so fortunate. His boots are frozen into the ground. DOGSTAR Well, that's not good. (waves Bucky away) Don't worry about me, Bucky! Keep the disrupter away from hi ... ungh! Dogstar reels as Cyberstorm rushes toward him and punches him in the gut. He gasps as he doubles over and drops his maser blaster by his feet. BUCKY Dogstar! Bucky prepares to tackle the cyborg, but Cyberstorm quickly grips Dogstar by the collar. CYBERSTORM I'm tired of these games. Give me the disrupter, hare, or I'll freeze your friend's blood solid! DOGSTAR (rasping) You'd ... kill me ... anyway! Don't do it, Bucky! CYBERSTORM Shut up! Cyberstorm jerks Dogstar's head back painfully. Dogstar grunts but doesn't cry out. Bucky quickly raises his paws in surrender. He drops his gun to the ground. CYBERSTORM I don't want your gun; I want the disrupter! Cyberstorm puts a stranglehold on Dogstar's neck. Dogstar struggles and futilely punches at the cyborg while gasping for breath. Bucky raises his hands in anger but quickly stops himself. BUCKY All right! Here. CYBERSTORM Good choice. Bucky tosses the still-beeping disrupter toward Cyberstorm. The device sails into the air, and the cyborg catches it in one hand. He looks at it and smiles. CYBERSTORM You thought the disrupter would work? Ha! Too little, too late, rabbit! Cyberstorm crushes the disrupter. The device's beeping intensifies for a moment, then stops. Suddenly, the invisible haze of the force field surrounding Cyberstorm flickers into view, then blinks away. Cyberstorm hesitates for second. CYBERSTORM What? What's happened? BUCKY (dives for his gun and fires) Looks like it worked after all! Dogstar, think fast! Bucky's maser shot hits Cyberstorm's arm. It catches the cyborg off-guard, since he expected the maser shot to bounce off. Dogstar breaks free of his grip. He bends over to retrieve his blaster and shoots at the ice surrounding his boots. He rolls away before Cyberstorm can grab him. DOGSTAR Nice shooting, Bucky! Cyberstorm holds his injured arm. It's already sparking, as wires and cables are exposed, but he stands proud to face the armed captains. CYBERSTORM You think I'm beaten, do you? Well, I can still destroy the two of you! My shield may be down, but you still don't have enough firepower to stop me. I've killed or injured all of your friends. You two are all alone now! JENNY Wrong again! CYBERSTORM (looks around him) What? A bedraggled Jenny and Rumblebee, a shiny, wet Deadeye and Pitstop Pete, a dusty Willy and Wolf with a sooty Blinky, and a glittery Bruiser and Digger appear to surround the surprised Cyberstorm. All of them are tired and hurt but alive. And they're all poised to shoot at Cyberstorm. BUCKY (smiling wanly) Looks like you've underestimated us again. And for the record, I'm a hare. DEADEYE Make a move and we'll blast ye! Cyberstorm looks around him fearfully. DOGSTAR I would recommend surrender, Cyberstorm. CYBERSTORM Never! Black mist issues from his armor, spreading quickly. It happens so fast that the crewmembers have no time to react. Within seconds, the whole area is shrouded in a dense fog. Bucky is still with Dogstar in the darkness. BUCKY (strains with his eyes) We can't see anything in this fog! We can't even shoot; we might hit one another. And Cyberstorm's getting away! DOGSTAR (takes careful aim in the inky clouds) Leave it to me and my crew, Bucky. We're trained to fight in this sort of thing ... Dogstar fires into the darkness, the shots flashing briefly in the black fog. His maser shots strike metal. They hear circuits start to crackle. DOGSTAR I can track his scent. Toad metal has quite a nasty aroma, you know. The sound of grenades landing is heard, followed by a series of small explosions. DOGSTAR Wolf has extraordinary hearing that's uncommon for his race. Maybe that's why he follows orders so well. A shower of rocks is thrown in the direction of the explosion, producing a cacophony of metals denting. DOGSTAR Being in the dark is the norm for a guy like Digger. There is a whir like a machine being transformed, followed a quick barrage of blasts that strike and shred an invisible target. DOGSTAR And of course, Rumblebee has triangulation circuits to help with his shooting. There's another whir of transformation, and the fog starts to disperse. The cause is soon apparent as Rumblebee appears, standing in the center, beating his wings to blow away the fog. Bucky sees that Cyberstorm has made it a few meters away from his old position but is now only lurching on the ground. His hardware is clearly damaged, as his systems are shooting off sparks. DOGSTAR And Pete ... Cyberstorm looks up as the last of the fog disappears and sees Pete standing in front of him, grinning. CYBERSTORM (trying to raise one arm) You ... stupid mammals! I had ... beaten you ... Pete gives Cyberstorm a tremendous punch that sends him flying. PETE Nope. DOGSTAR ... let's say that he has this knack. Cyberstorm lands in a crackling heap. Everybody surrounds him again, in case he tries something. Cyberstorm struggles to stand but only succeeds in kneeling. All over his body, circuits and wires are exposed and discharging sparks. Static electrical surges pulse over his broken frame. The shriek of mechanized agony fills the air as he tries to move. BUCKY It's over, Cyberstorm. Give up. CYBERSTORM No ... I was ... programmed to destroy you. I ... I can't fail ... There is a loud beep, and Cyberstorm slowly looks down at himself in surprise. There's something blinking on his chest. Digger steps closer to inspect the blinking lights. He quickly draws back in alarm. DIGGER A failsafe device has been activated! DOGSTAR What kind of failsafe? DIGGER Looks like an Armageddon wave! WILLY Arma ... what's that? DIGGER It's a self-destruct mechanism in climate converters. It basically lets all sorts of extreme weather run wild for a ten-mile radius. Everything in that area will be decimated! DOGSTAR Then we'd better get out of here. BUCKY Everybody! To the frigates! CYBERSTORM But I ... I didn't ... Nobody hears his words as everybody starts to run. They reach their frigates. DIGGER Wait! The Indefatigable's systems are still inoperable! Cyberstorm scrambled them when we first arrived! It can't fly! WILLY But the Righteous Indignation can! The lightning bolt it took was only supposes to kill the life forms inside, not damage the systems! We can tow The Indefatigable with the magnetic winch! C'mon! Bruiser and Pitstop Pete help the engineers attach a magnetic hook to the Indefatigable, while the others pile into the Righteous. After a few moments, everybody's crowded inside Bucky's frigate. BUCKY Everything secure? JENNY Yes, sir. BUCKY Then take off! The Righteous Indignation blasts off, towing The Indefatigable. They break through the atmosphere into space in a matter of seconds and, looking back, see a huge explosion that rocks the surface of Barran. SCENE 8 - DEEP SPACE Aboard The Righteous Indignation, the autopilot is set for Genus. Everybody's in the main brig, congratulating each other. DEADEYE (slaps Bruiser in the back) I tell ye, Bruiser, I couldn't believe me ears when ye talked back to the cap'ns about us splittin' up! WOLF That was a brilliant strategy on your part, Bruiser. BRUISER (looks pleased with himself) Aw, shucks. DEADEYE Them strategy type games're doing ye some good! A little more practice, an' you'll be as smart as yer brother ... (stops short as Bruiser's happy face suddenly goes down) Ach, Bruiser, I'm sorry! I didn't mean ta ... Pistop Pete is asking Rumblebee and Jenny a question. RUMBLEBEE How'd I survive that tornado fall? Bzz bzz. I don't know! My sensors went offline for a second, and the next thing I know, I'm on the ground with Jenny at my side. How'd you manage to save the both of us, Jenny? Bzz bzz. JENNY (smiles) Well, you know what they say: A cat always lands on her feet. Rumblebee and Pete scratch their heads as Willy and Digger attend to Blinky at a table. WILLY Don't worry, Blinky. I know your speech circuits are overloaded, but we'll fix you up as good as new. DIGGER In fact, how'd you like to have flight capabilities like I did with Rumblebee? We probably can't use the wing additions, but a rocket booster adapter might work. WILLY Hey, yeah! That'd be cool! Wanna fly, Blinky? Blinky nods slightly, and Willy and Digger understand. Elsewhere, Bucky is talking to Dogstar. BUCKY (grins) So, Dogstar, letting the years catch up to you? You used to wipe the battlefield clean of toads before the cavalry would arrive. DOGSTAR (grins) Ha! Circumstances, Bucky, circumstances! I remember pulling your ears out of the frying plan more times that you can count. Don't forget the time my crew and I held off the toad armada while you gallivanted around in the Toad Homeworld. BUCKY Oh, yeah? I distinctively remember saving you from a court martial for arresting the wrong people when my crew and I caught the real perpetrators. DOGSTAR And I repaid that when we rescued you and your crew from KOMPLEX when Jenny was kidnapped. But I owe you for this one. You cut it quite close, though, when you threw the disrupter at Cyberstorm and it neutralized his force field before he could destroy it. Great timing! BUCKY (frowns) Actually, it was pure luck. I couldn't say for sure when the disrupter would do its work. But something's bothering me. I distinctly saw the disrupter crushed before the field was dropped. DOGSTAR (laughs and slaps Bucky in the back) That's impossible, Cap'n! How could the shield be deactivated if the disrupter wasn't functionin' no more? SCENE 9 - TOAD MOTHERSHIP About an hour later, Toadborg is striding down the halls. A STORMTOAD is running to keep up with him. STORMTOAD I'm sorry, Toadborg, but we can't find a trace of Al Negator anywhere! TOADBORG Keep searching. And don't come back unless you have news of his appearance! Now leave me be. STORMTOAD (runs away) Y-yes, sir, Toadborg! Toadborg enters the bridge alone. All the lights are closed, even the computers. He sits on the chair, when the screen suddenly turns on. A dark figure on the screen speaks to him. FIGURE Salutations, Toadborg. I hear you're looking for me. TOADBORG (instantly analyzing the voice transmission) Al Negator?! How'd you get on this communication line? NEGATOR (steps out of the shadows, still bandaged) Oh, I got a friend who's good at tapping into networks. That's how I kept one step ahead of your little manhunt. You think I'd let myself be found so easily? TOADBORG I see. So, you intend to gloat? NEGATOR Not really. More like to offer you a deal. TOADBORG The Toad Empire doesn't make deals with the likes of you, traitor. We'll find you, and we'll terminate you. NEGATOR (smiles smugly) Well, I say! Be careful of what you're saying, Toadborg. The same could be applied to you. TOADBORG (suddenly stops short) What are you talking about? NEGATOR I kept tabs on all the communication messages being passed around your mothership, not just the ones that were about me. About an hour ago, I picked up a tight, coded package being beamed out of the mothership. It was sent in secret, under high-level security -- wouldn't even register in the toad records. I was curious, so I made a copy and checked it out. Couldn't figure out what it was, who sent it and who it was sent to, but I knew it was important. TOADBORG You're not making any sense ... NEGATOR That's 'cause I'm not done. So I had my friend look into it. It took a while for him to decode the package. It was a viral command disguised as a comm-signal. Whoever received it would have his systems secretly overridden. After a certain moment, two commands would be given: "Drop Shield" and then "Self-Destruct." Is this getting any clearer to you, Toadborg? Toadborg is sitting quietly in his seat. He doesn't move. NEGATOR Well, it will. Tracing the source of the package took even more time. It was nearly impossible to track down the sender, but not quite. The trail lead to probably the most important individual in the Toad Empire, next to our dear friend, KOMPLEX. The one who is probably the most trusted and well respected of the stormtoads. The one who supposedly holds the highest ideals of the Toad Empire. I'll assume we both know who I'm talking about. (smiles) I didn't bother with finding out who'd be on the receiving end of this hot piece of software. I heard about the unfortunate incident on the planet Barran, concerning that unfortunate new prototype cyborg stormtoad. (beat) Now, I could only guess the reasons for why you would do such a thing, but I know for sure KOMPLEX wouldn't understand. TOADBORG (eye sensors narrowing) What do you want? NEGATOR I want to be left alone. No assassins. No manhunts. If a toad even happens to look at me in a wrong way, copies of the package and other incriminating documents will be broadcast on Toad TV -- I guarantee. Do we have a deal? TOADBORG (steadily, after a moment) All right. You do know, of course, that the toads will never hire you again. NEGATOR (smiles a small, painful smile) I'll worry about that. You worry about what you're going to tell your boss. Au revoir! The screen blinks out, and the room falls dark again. Toadborg sits in his chair, alone. SCENE 10 - TINKER'S HIDEOUT Al Negator is lounging in an easy chair in front of a big TV, with Tinker trying to attach some cables and antennas behind it. NEGATOR (relaxing further into the chair) Ah! This is the life! TINKER How's the picture now? NEGATOR (looks at the TV) Still fuzzy. Try the other wires. TINKER (continues to work on the cable) How is it now? NEGATOR (fumbles with the remote and increases the volume) Great, great! It's all there! C'mon! A dirty Tinker comes out from behind the TV to sit in a rickety chair beside Negator's. They watch some bulls and bears fight over a pigskin ball on the TV. TINKER Sheesh! All that installing and illegal connections for the Mammal Sports Channel? NEGATOR (laughs) Yeah, why not? It's good entertainment. And once you drag the comm-link over here, I'll be able to make some bets. It's not like I'm goin' anywhere. I'm still recuperating, y'know. TINKER (looks disgusted) You don't look like you're recuperating. You look like your freeloading! In *my* hideout! Sitting in *my* easy chair! Using *my* home entertainment center! Wearing *my* bunny slipp ... NEGATOR Aw, c'mon, Tinker! Relax. You know I still hurt all over. I need to lay low for a couple o' weeks. And I'm not gonna take on any mercenary work unless I'm at full strength. Speaking of strength, how about poppin' us some popcorn? And fetching some swampgrass? TINKER (turns away and tries to watch the TV) Get it yourself. NEGATOR (groans and holds his leg and back) Ow, my foot! Oooh, my ribs! Ouh, my spinal column ... TINKER (stands up and goes to the other room) All right! All right! Sheesh! NEGATOR (laughs and calls out) Don't worry, Tinker! I'll pay you back for all this! TINKER (in the other room) Oh, yeah, right. Like heck you will! NEGATOR (laughs again) Sure I will! (smiles) I mean, what are friends for? THE END