Chapter One
Darkness Descends

The sun slips slowly beneath the horizon and paints the sky with subdued hues of red,
gold and purple. It is a beautiful sunset, which most New Yorkers never really notice in
their hustle and bustle. It would seem, however, that one diminutive New Yorker does
notice the striking colors of this New York sunset. Dale Oakmont takes it all in as his
eyes scan the sky. The chipmunk's face brightens as he spies the object of his intense
search.

At first one wouldn't be blamed for thinking it a bird. Until, on closer examination, one
would notice the two rather large ears perched on its head. Dale's smile broadens as he
takes in the approaching form's features. The large ears, the reddish-brown fur, the green
eyes and that smile. That special smile reserved only for him. Foxglove lightly touches
down and quickly enfolds the chipmunk in a passionate embrace.

"Hello, cutie." She says with that endearing smile. "Miss me?"

"As always, Foxy." Dale replies, giving her a peck on the cheek.

It is then that Dale notices her ears flicking and twitching somewhat nervously. As
though some unseen source were irritating her.

"What's wrong, sweet stuff?"

"Hmmm?"

"I asked what's wrong? Your ears are going a mile a minute. Something bothering
you?"

"I don't rightly know. For about the last hour or so I've had a sort of buzzing in my ears.
It's very low and faint but it's becoming more than just a little distracting."

"Funny." Dale says cocking an ear to the wind. "I don't hear anything."

"Cutie," she smiles. "Look at these things." She says pointing to her ears. "My hearing
is far more sensitive than yours. Sometimes it's a curse. There are times I hate that
they're so big."

"Hey! Don't say that. I really like your ears. I think they're lovely."

Foxglove immediately brightens. "Really? You like my ears?"

"Of course I do. I like everything about you, Foxy. Heck, I even like the cute way you
snore."

"Oh, you!" She says giving Dale a playful shove.

"Come on, sweet stuff. Let's go inside."

They turn to head inside and Dale slips his arm around Foxglove's shoulder and the bat
snuggles against him. As the door closing behind them a figure steps out of concealment
onto the branch of a nearby tree. Ears, even larger than Foxglove's, have heard the
conversation between the two lovers.

"Hmmm." The sound seems to rumble from deep within the figure's chest. "So much
for only us being able to hear them. A baleful set of eyes train on the front door of
Rescue Rangers HQ. Hard eyes. Cold eyes. Eyes that have seen too much of the pain
that this old world has to offer.

"Foxglove…already you're proving to be an extraordinary young lady. Extraordinary
indeed."

* * * * * *

"Target in sight! I'm going in!"
At the modified controls of his Sparrowhawk attack aircraft the pilot swings his plane
into a long banking turn. With the plane practically standing on its wing, the G-forces
slamming him hard into his seat the pilot yanks the stick and snaps the wings level. In
the pilot's vernacular he's racing in with his fangs out. Eyes trained on nothing but the
target. Triple-A bursts around him but he is oblivious to it. He releases his payload.

"Yeah!!! That got 'em. Secondaries big time!!! Oh yeah, that blew the hell outta
'em!!!"

Only then does he hear the alarm.

"Crap!!! I've got a SAM coming at me!!"

The surface to air missile bears down in the Sparrowhawk. The pilot kicks out chaff and
banks hard but the missile will not be denied.

"Damn! Let my emotions get the better of me. It's like that damn thing's alive."

Jinking the plane this way then that the pilot tries desperately to shake his pursuer. The
missile, however, closes the distance and then…. detonation. The missile's warhead
blows mere feet away sending a shower of shrapnel into and through the thinly armored
Sparrowhawk. The pilot's world instantly turns crimson as the deadly debris rips through
his cockpit.

**Damn! I'm too low for ejection! She's coming apart on me!** "Mayday! Mayday!
Mayday! This is Bat One! I'm hit and going down!"

That is what he would like to say, but all that comes out are guttural sounds. Reaching up
he feels his face and realizes that his jaw has been totally shattered and his snout is all but
pulped.

**Crap and I just had all that dental work done. Let me see if I can get her down in
something resembling a controlled crash. The stick's sluggish and my rudder's all but
gone.**

With a Herculean effort he maneuvers the disintegrating Sparrowhawk towards a
clearing. The plane now little more than a fire ball.

**Hell, there go the rudder and elevator controls. She's a brick with wings! Not gonna
make the clearing! I'm coming to join you girls!"

What's left of the aircraft dips sharply and plows into the trees. Out of instinct or training
the pilot still grips the stick trying beyond all reason to control his descent. Then comes a
bone jarring impact. His restraints snap and his head rushes towards the control panel
and then…

"NO!"

The figure bolts upright, breathing heavily.

**That will certainly be enough of that. Damn, must've dosed off. Strange I haven't had
that dream in years now. Wonder what brought it on?**

Looking to the west he realizes that the sun has long since set and night has fallen.

**I must be getting old. I hope she's still in there.**
Getting to his feet he walks along the branch of the tree next to the oak that houses
Ranger HQ. Peering into the window he sees that Foxglove is indeed still present.
Seated with the others around the television.

**Well, she definitely has a thing for that red-nosed chipmunk. That one there's the
leader, if my information is correct. Looks like a capable enough guy.**

Then his demeanor changes as his eyes fall upon Gadget and Monty. His lips pull back
in a snarl exposing a set of formidable canines.

**Mice!! I really don't like mice. How in the name of hell am I gonna deal with
them?**

With a burning intensity he stares at the little female bat as she cuddles next to her
chipmunk lover. In frustration he begins to pace.

**Doesn't look like she's gonna leave any time soon. Boy she's really stuck on that guy.
Then again who the hell am I to judge. At least she has someone. Oh well, might as well
bite the bullet.**

With the unfurling of large but graceful wings he silently glides to the Rangers' front
door. Knocking softly on the door he then enfolds himself in his wings like a cloak. It is
Gadget who answers the knock.

"Good evening may I…. GOLLY!!"

Gadget's voice catches in her throat as she gazes up into eyes of the biggest bat she's
ever seen. He stands nearly twice her height and his nearly canine features are quite
disconcerting. Monty upon hearing Gadget's exclamation comes to the door.

"Is there a problem Gadget luv? Toorahloo, but you're a big one!"

The stranger simply looks down at the two mice in the doorway. His expression is cold
and dispassionate. Then in a soft voice, which belies his size, he asks. "Is Miss Fairmont
in?"

Gadget pulls her eyes away from the stranger and calls over her shoulder. "Foxy,
someone's here to see you."

"Someone for ME?"

"Boy is SOMEONE here to see you." Monty says.

Walking timidly to the door Foxglove actually takes half a step back at the sight of her
caller.

"H-Hello. You wanted to s-see me?"

"You needn't be afraid of me little one. If there's one person in this world I wouldn't
harm it's you."

"Excuse me sir, but who are you?"

"Oh! Where are my manners? I'm Alexander P. Fairmont, your older brother."

Foxglove stares, blinks, stares again and finally says, "You're my WHAT?" Chapter Two
The Ties That Bind

Dale responds to Foxglove's raised voice by vaulting the couch and heading for the door
with Chip hot on his heels.

"Foxy, what's…. ZOWIE!"

Even Chip is taken aback by the imposing figure at the door, but quickly takes charge of
the situation.

"Pardon me sir, but what is your business with Foxglove?"

"With all due respect. What business I have with my sister is no business of yours."

"Sis…" The word sticks in Chip's throat as he looks from the stranger to Foxglove and
then back again. "Pardon me for saying so, but the family resemblance is hard to see."

"Listen, I would like to speak with my sister alone."

Dale places a comforting arm around Foxglove's shoulder and pulls her slightly to him.

"Are you alright with that, sweet stuff?"

Foxgloves looks into Dale's eyes and then slowly into the eyes of Alexander Fairmont.
The large bat stands looking down at her. In his eyes she can see no malice towards her.
She sees however, a hurt that runs very deep and in that moment her heart goes out to the
stranger.
"I'll be alright alone with him."

Slowly she walks up to the towering figure. Silently she pushes past him and walks out
onto the veranda. The big bat turns to follow. He stops in mid-stride, turns to the group
in the doorway.

"I am pleased that Foxglove has such good friends to look out for her."

He then walks slowly after his sister.

"Wowie!" Dale says. "That guy is huge. Look at them together. He makes Foxy look
like a child."

Gadget turns to her companions. "Come on guys. Let's give them a little privacy."

Foxglove leans on the railing of the veranda, looking up at the night sky. Alex stands
behind her enshrouded in his wings. He watches as her small shoulders lift and fall with
a heavy sigh.

"You know, you couldn't have caused more of a ruckus if you had dropped a bomb in
there."

"I know. I really wanted to make that announcement to you alone, but it didn't look as if
you were leaving any time soon. I decided to tell you regardless before I lost my nerve.
Foxglove I've been searching for you for a long time."

"Why?"

"Fair enough question my dear sibling. You and father are all the blood family I have
left. Nearly everybody that meant anything to me is gone now."

"That's the hurt."
"I beg your pardon?"

"I said, that's the hurt. The hurt that I saw in your eyes when you looked at me back
there. That's the main reason I came out here alone with you."

A chuckle rumbles from deep within Alex's chest. Foxglove turns at the sound and sees
his features soften as he gazes down at her.

"You are indeed a wonder, Foxglove. You can see through the façade that I put up for
the rest of the world. I've seen a lot of the worst things that this world has to offer. You
however are one of the few good things. I'm really proud of that little bat I once held."

Foxglove cocks an eyebrow and says, "What do you mean "once held"? I've never seen
you be…." It is then that she notices it. It isn't quite the same but it's definitely familiar.
Like a long forgotten memory come rushing to the fore. "Your scent…. It seems familiar
somehow."

Alex casts his penetrating gaze skywards, breaths deeply and exhales explosively.

"Foxglove I am thirteen years your senior. I am the product of a liaison between my
mother and your father. They were both very young at the time and irresponsible. On
thing lead to another and I appeared on the scene. Neither of them was ready for
marriage so there I was, dad's bastard son. For some reason my mother grew to hate me
and to say the least the first few years of my life weren't at all rosy. Mother began a
downward spiral the eventually lead to her death when I was about twelve years old. By
that time dad had married Daisy and she was pregnant with you. Dad took me in and
treated me well and Daisy was more than a mother to me. She was a very dear friend. I
was there with her the night she gave birth to you."

"You were? Really?" Foxglove moves closer to the huge bat. Her interest was now
indeed piqued.

"Little one, it was one hell of a night. There was a storm so fierce that it was as if the sky
itself were about to break. Dad was away and couldn't make it in time. So it was Daisy
and I in the delivery room. It was kinda weird; there I was all of thirteen watching my
baby sister being born. I was the one who cut your umbilical and held you for the first
time. Daisy said an unbreakable bond was formed that night. I held you and you looked
up at me and grabbed my wingtip at that moment she said we were tied beyond any
untying."

"My God! That's why you scent's familiar to me. I scented you as an infant and never
really forgot it. But what happened? I know I was lost about a year after that. What
happened to you?"

Foxglove had closed the distance between them and attentively reached out with a
wingtip and touched her brother's wings, which still enshrouded his form. Looking down
at the small bat, his features once again softened.

"Let's just say that sometime after you were lost, me and dad had a real bad falling out.
It was my fault really now that I look back on it. I was head strong and too proud for my
own or anybody's good. I even alienated the best friend I ever had…. Daisy."

"I've found my family once again but they made no mention of you."

"Dad probably figured you'd be better off not knowing anything about me."

"Well I do know about you now and I'm glad of it. Although I know the family is back
in Texas, I still get lonely sometimes. Now I've a big and I do mean BIG brother here."

She looks up at him with that disarming smile that could slag titanium. He looks down at
her and gives her a half smile.

"C'mon, let's go inside." She says, "I'd bet the others are about to burst from curiosity."

With that she steps lightly towards the door seemingly without a care in the world. Her
brother's step however, seems troubled.

**Well, there's no turning back now.**

Chapter Three
Neo Bat

To say that the others were on pins and needles would have been an understatement.
Dale was beside himself with worry, Chip was trying to figure out this newcomer's angle,
Monty was still trying to absorb the shock of the bat's sheer size and Gadget just sat
rather quietly. It was Monty that first noticed her uncharacteristic behavior.

"What's wrong Gadget luv? I know he's big, but you're acting like you've seen a
monster."

"I'm not all too sure that I haven't." She replied quietly.

"Come again?" Chip asks.

"It just the way he looked and Monty and me. As though we had offended him in some
manner." She visibly shutters. "It's the way a predator transfixes its prey. I've never
looked into a colder pair of eyes in my life. Even Fat Cat's stare pales into
insignificance."

"Yeah," Dale ejaculates. "And we left Foxy out there with him alone."

Chip, forever the voice of reason, says, "If he wanted to harm Foxy I believe he could
have done so right at the door. I don't seriously think we could have stopped him."

"Humph!" Monty grunts. "Speak for yourself, Chippah me lad. If he had tried anything
old Monty would have stopped him with a shot to the jaw. Remember the bigger they are
the harder they fall."

"I think in this case, Monty it's the bigger they are the harder they hit."

"And what's with the Darth Vader act." Says Dale.

"Excuse me." Says Chip.

"I mean you see how he kept his wings wrapped around himself all mysterious like."

"Well, maybe someone his size finds it easier to move around in small places that way."
Gadget pipes in.

"Well, am glad me little pally Zipper wasn't here to see that guy. He was nervous
enough when Foxglove showed up. With bats being preds and all."

Dale stands and says, "Well I think we sh…"

The rest of his statement dies on his tongue as the door slowly opens and Foxglove enters
followed by her brother. The bat has to bend down to get through the doorway. Within
the confines of the main room Alex seems all the larger and for the first time the Rangers
get a good look at their visitor. It is Chip who speaks first.

"As I said before, I don't see the family resemblance."

"That's understandable." Alex answers softly. "I'm Foxglove's half-brother. We have
the same father. My mother was a hybrid, I'm one quarter flying fox."

"That would account for your almost canine features and size."

"Zowie, it must have rough on your mother."

The big bat actually smiles at Dale's comment.

"I was not much bigger as a pup than Foxglove was when she was born. As I entered
puberty my flying fox traits began to show themselves."
**He seems jovial enough with Dale.** Gadget thinks to herself. She had been studying
the bat from the moment he walked in. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was
more to Alex than met the eye. **That might be because of Foxy's involvement with
him.** She notices that his eyes are the same shade of green as Foxglove's but where
her's are as warm as a spring day his are cold and hard as emeralds. It is then that she
notices the ear tag. **How is it I missed that before? Guess I just couldn't tear my eyes
away from his. What's that it says?**

XP-CN: BLADE

Timidly Gadget walks up to Alex, barely able to meet his gaze she asks, "Excuse me,
Alex but were you tagged by humans? I noticed your ear tag."

Alex's expression almost immediately darkens as he looks down at the young inventor.

"No, I wasn't that lucky. Look it's about time I came clean with you all."

With that he slowly opens his wings. Gadget actually squeaks in surprise and the other
gasps. Her feeling had been correct after all. Standing before them was something that
nature never intended. Where Alex's wings should be mounted to his torso there are two
gleaming appendages of segmented metal, and his wings have been moved further back
to what would correspond to his shoulder blades. In her amazement a term comes to
Gadget's mind. Something she'd dismissed as rumor but now her mouth formed and
uttered the words as if of its own volition.

"Neo Bat."

Alex's head snaps around and his eyes flash. Gadget takes a full step back as his gaze
bores into her.

"I wasn't aware that anyone outside of The Colony was familiar with that term."

"J-J-Just rumors that's all. You know things that get bandied about on the street. T-The
sort of things you really don't give a second thought to."

Monty realizes Gadget's discomfort and moves to her side.

"Turn down ya burners mate. Can't you see you're upsetting the lass?"

"Upsetting her!! I've had things done to me by your kind that…"

A sudden pounding on the door interrupts Alex's statement. As Chip moves to answer it
the door suddenly erupts inward. The chipmunk is thrown back along with a shower of
splintered wood. He bounces once, twice, thrice before thudding to a stop.

"CHIPPAH!!!" Shouts Monty rushing to the fallen chipmunk's aide.

Through what is left of the door two rats enter. Alex's lips pull back and a deep growl
rising from his throat.

"Now Alex, you've been a naughty boy." The larger of the two rats says smiling. "It's
time for you to come back home now. Don't force us to get rough with you."

"Stryker, you always were an ass. You don't know what rough is. If you and your buddy
had an ounce of common sense you'd leave now." Alex growls as he begins to lower his
huge bulk into a fighting stance.

Gadget for her part simply stands transfixed by the events unfolding before her. **Golly,
I didn't know that bats could growl.** The two rats brandish their weapons.** They
look like some sort of stun rods. I guess they want to take Alex alive.** And then it
happens. To Gadget and the others it seems like slow motion. From his semi crouch
Alex launches himself at his would be captors. Powerful legs propel him up and at them
before they can even react. Alex's right elbow comes crashing down onto the smaller
rat's skull. The sickening sound is like that of a wet wooden box being smashed fills the
room. A gout of blood erupts for his mouth and he is dead before his body hits the floor.
The larger rat lunges with his stun rod. The tip of the instrument arcs as it contacts the
bat's chest dead center. Stryker's eyes go wide, as the rod has no seeming effect.

"My God!! What have you become?" Screams the terrified rat.

"Your death." Alex replies coldly as he reaches and grabs Stryker by the throat. "I gave
you a chance Stryker but you blew it." The metal hand clinches and bone and cartilage
crunch. Then all is quiet except for the dripping of blood from Stryker's crushed throat
onto the wooden floor.

Alex looks around him. His eyes fall upon one stunned face after another and then they
fall on Foxglove. She stares at her brother in unbelieving silence. Then her expression
changes to one that Alex has seen before. Her wingtips fly to her mouth and she bolts off
to the bathroom to retch. Slowly releasing his grip Alex lets Stryker's body slump to the
floor. Looking at the carnage that took less than ten seconds to unleash, Alex slowly
shakes his head.

"Damn it! Damn it all to hell." He growls.

Chapter Four
Beginnings

Chip's eyes flutter open and slowly they focus on Gadget's worried features.

"Oh thank goodness you're alright."

Chip pushes himself up into a sitting position with a grunt.

"Well, I'm amongst the living but I wouldn't say that I'm alright. What happened? The
last thing I remember was heading toward the door."

"Oh, Chip it was awful. Two rats tried to take Alex prisoner and…"

Chip could see that Gadget didn't want to tell him the rest.

"I'd take it that Alex was less the cooperative with them. Roughed them up pretty badly I
take it."

Chip smiles until he notices that Gadget's eyes were beginning to glisten with tears. He
places a hand on her shoulder.

"Gadget. What did Alex do?"

"H-He killed them, Chip! I've never seen anything like it. He almost a blur of motion,
but when he had stopped moving the two rats were dead."

"What?"

"He crushed one rat's skull before we could blink. I've never seen anyone so large move
so fast."

Chip grunted and got to his feet. The chipmunk checks himself to find that he is in
reasonable enough working order.

"Where is he now?"

"I don't know. He took the two bodies and flew off with them. It's quite obvious that he
generates a lot of lift. He was able to carry off two grown rats with no seeming
difficulty."

"Well, I've got to talk to him. He just can't go around killing people."

"Chip, he gave the two of them fair warning."

"Fair warning or no, this is Rescue Ranger Headquarters. To say the least it looks very
bad for people to be killed here. We're suppose to help people for cryin' out loud!"

The excited chipmunk storms out of his bedroom and into the main area. There he finds
Monty doing his best to clean up the bloody mess and Foxglove being comforted by
Dale. Chip places his hand tenderly on Foxglove's shoulder.

"Foxy, do you have any idea where your brother went?"

"No. He just said that he'd screwed up my life enough already and that he'd be leaving.
Oh Chip, I know what he did was terrible but you should have seen the hurt in his eyes
afterwards. Don't send him away, Chip. I'm all he has in the world."

Chip shakes his head and sighs. "Foxy, I don't think that he'd stop coming around to see
you because I said so. It sounds to me that he's made the decision to leave all on his
own. It's like he's looking out for you."

Foxglove suddenly gasps, "Sounds. It didn't dawn on me until now. That low buzzing
noise I heard early today."

Chip raises an eyebrow. "What buzzing noise?"

"Earlier this evening Foxglove said there had been a sound bothering her for a couple of
hours." Dale interjects.

"Yes, that's right. I just realized that it must have been coming from Alex somehow.
When we were out on the veranda I noticed it again but I was too intent on what he was
saying to make the connection. If the noise is coming from Alex I might be able to track
him with it. That is if he's still in the area."

"Good," Chip says. "We can use the Rangerwing to…"

"No Chip, that's no good. The sound of the Rangerwing's engines will interfere with my
ability to track him."

"Yes, it probably would at that." The chipmunk places his hand to his chin and taps it
with a finger. "Hey Dale, let me burrow your hang glider."

"My hang glider?"

"Yeah, I'll fly along with Foxy and speak with Alex."

"Alright buddy, but you two be careful."

"I don't think we'll have to worry Dale, after all we're not his enemies."

"Let's just hope it stays that way pally."

"What do you mean, Monty?" Asks Foxglove with her head tilted to one side.
"Just before those two blokes busted in here, Alex seemed ready to go off on a tirade. I
get the distinct feeling that someone's done that bloke mighty wrong and he's still hurting
from it. So do as Dales says and go slow Chippah."

"I'll definitely take that under advisement. Thanks Monty."

"Any time, Chip me lad."

* * * *

Gliding just above tree top level in a pattern of concentric circles, Chip follows just
behind Foxglove as she strains her ears for the tell tale buzzing that will lead her to Alex.
Chip notices, with some amazement, at the way Foxglove's large ears swivel and turn as
she searches. Looking, all the world, like radar dishes trying to home in on a signal.
Chip wants to speak to her but fears that his interruption might cause her to miss the
signal all together. It is then that her head snaps up and both ears turn in unison to her
right.

"You got something?" Shouts Chip.

"Yup, I sure do." Foxglove replies.

With a graceful dip of her right wing, Foxglove dives with Chip in pursuit. It is then
Chip sees the reddish-brown bat perched on the back of a park bench. His large ears
swivel in their direction and his head turns. Upon seeing them, Alex once again lets his
head rest on his drawn up knees.

**Well, it looks like Foxglove's figured out how to track me. She's one smart little bat.
Well, might as well let them have their say. I guess I owe them that much at least.**

As lightly as a feather, Foxglove lights next to her brother. In his seated position she can
finally get a good look at his features. She looks at the ear tag in his left ear and then
notices how his right ear is torn. Above his right eye is a scar just above the brow line
and another down the left side of his muzzle. She reaches out a wing tip and touches tuft
of fur on his right cheek, turning his face to hers. Alex responds by unwrapping his
wings from around him and reaching out a large metallic arm. Foxglove sits close to him
as the arm pulls her in along side of him. He then enfolds them both in his wings.
Foxglove is suddenly aware of a feeling of security that she hasn't felt even with the
Rangers. Somehow the metallic arm doesn't feel cold to her but warm. She seems to
know in this instant that this big bat would protect her with all the means at his disposal.

Chip glides and lands on the seat portion of the bench, unstraps himself from the glider
and walks to the brother sister couple. Foxglove opens her eyes and the smile drops from
her face. **Uh oh, here it comes.** She thinks.

"How ya doin', Alex?"

"Been better." Alex replies flatly.

"I'm willing to bet that the two guys you killed have had better days as well."

"Don't go there, Chip. You don't know the whole story."

"I know all I need to know. You killed two rats. In our headquarters no less."

"I killed two of my tormentors."

"Says you."

"You're damned right, says me."

Alex can feel his sister trembling in his embrace. **This can't be easy for her. Chip here
is her friend and I'm her brother. She has to feel torn.**

"Listen Chip, let's lower our voices and try to discuss this civilly. We're upsetting
Foxglove here."

Chip sighs, "Okay, you're right on that point. May I ask what you did with the bodies?"

"I incinerated them. There's nothing left but ashes."

"Alex, you've destroyed the evidence of a crime. You can't…"

"Listen, Maplewood. We can't go by the book here. Please take my word for it."

Chip raises an eyebrow. "How do you know my last name?"

"You're not the only detective on the planet, ya know. I've done my homework. You
guys are involved with my sister here. I've checked you all out."

**It would seem that I've underestimated him. He did just what I would've done.**

"Trust me when I tell you that we cannot bring the authorities in on this. The Colony
goes far beyond the law. If they find out that you know all of you will be in danger.
That's the reason I've got to leave. I thought I'd have more time with Foxglove. I didn't
think they would track me down so quickly."

"That's the second time you've mentioned The Colony. Who or what are they?"

"They're an abomination is what they are. They're a bunch of rodents that seem to want
to do nature one better. Obviously they're a bunch that never read Frankenstein."

"You mean to say that they're fooling around with nature?"
"The proof stands before you. They made me what I am. A freak, a thing that should not
be."

Alex feels his sister's wings tighten around his torso at this statement. He smiles down at
her and playful musses her head fur with a large hand.

"Before I tell you the story I think we should return to your headquarters. It's not an easy
story for me to tell, so I'd rather not have to repeat it."

* * * *

"It was during the last small mammal war. I was a pilot for the 604 Aerobats."

"Wait a minute, mate!" Monty interrupted. "I thought your name sounded familiar."

"You've heard of Alex before, Monty?" Foxglove questioned.

"Too right I have lass. Colonel Alexander Fairmont of the Aerobats was the first of his
species to earn his wings, so to speak. This bloke's nearly as famous as your father
Gadget luv. Forgive me mate, but I thought you were dead."

"As far as you and the rest of the world are concerned I died five years ago. I was shot
down on an attack run. Me and my plane were shredded by a SAM."

* * * *

For Alex the world came slowly back into focus and the first thing he was aware of was
searing pain. The pain of his smashed face and shredded wings were all that he was
aware of at first. Slowly he became aware of another pain. Looking down he saw that
his legs were pinned under the collapsed instrument panel of his fighter. Also he realized
that it was a difficult job just to breathe.

**Well, I guess this is it. I'm gonna die a slow, miserable death here in this God
forsaken place. Oh God my head is killing me.**

Bringing a wing tip to his forehead he touches it gingerly and feels it give beneath his
touch. Pain shoots through his head like a lightning bolt.

**Aaarrgghh! Don't do that again. Why the hell am I still alive? I'm a freakin' train
wreck. Never seen anyone with more reason to be dead.**

With ragged breathing, Alex sits back as best he can and quietly awaits his death.
Through his pain, however his sensitive ears pick up the sound of movement.

**Oh great, someone's coming this way. Probably coming to make sure I'm dead. If
I'm lucky they'll finish the job the missile started.**

Through a haze of pain he sees a mixed group of mice and rats come through the tangled
undergrowth. They cautiously approach the wrecked aircraft seeing that the occupant is
still alive.

"This is recovery team B here. We're at the crash site and the pilot is still alive. Repeat,
the pilot is still alive." One rat says into a radio.

"If at all possible, transport survivor back to base." Is the reply.

Alex is extricated from what remains of his attack plane, carefully placed on a stretcher
and carried through the underbrush back to the area that he had not long bombed. Indeed
his bombing run had been dead on target. The building is all but totally demolished. His
captors take him into an underground complex deep beneath the bombed out area.

**Damn, it would seem that our intelligence was more than just a little off. We put our
asses on the line to knock out this place and the majority of it is underground.**

He is carried by elevator down a shaft for about one hundred feet to a pristine installation.
It is a five story complex built by the organization known as R.O.D.E.N.T.S., the RODent
ExterminatioN & Terrorism Squad. He taken into an emergency area and examined by
medical personal. He is given an injection and oblivion soon overtakes him.

When consciousness slowly returns he can hear people about him discussing his medical
condition.

"We're going to have a heck of a time with this guy, but the council seems to think that
he can be salvaged for our purposes."

"His skull is going to have to be reconstructed, but there isn't a lot left to work with.
There's just too much pulverized bone."

"I guess the best thing to do is to go for full cranial replacement using that newly
developed bio-metal."

"Yes that would seem to be the most logical way to go."

"His legs were also all but crushed in the crash so they had to be amputated."

Alex fights back the panic that seizes his heart at hearing this. **Funny, my legs still
hurt. I guess that thing about phantom pain is true after all.**

"His wings were so badly shredded that there was nothing left to work with. We
amputated what was left of them."
**Oh God, they just hacked off everything. It would seem I'm little more than a torso."

"Does the council think that he can survive the many operations that it will take to rebuild
him?"

"They're figuring if the missile and crash didn't kill him, he'll survive."

"Poor bastard's gonna go through seven levels of hell."

* * * *

The Rangers listen in shocked silence as Alex relates his shocking story of pain and
suffering at the hand of his captors. How they rebuilt his shattered body. Replacing most
of it with something referred to as bio-metal. This remarkable substance is stronger than
titanium but weighs only half as much. The bio-metal takes on the body's own DNA
signature so that there is no problem with rejection. However, for this procedure to work
the substance must be rooted to the flesh without the use of anesthesia.

"Are your legs made of this stuff?" Questions Dale.

Again Gadget notices that the big bat looks at Dale and gives his half smile to the
chipmunk.

**He seems to really have taken to Dale. I guess it must be Dale's easygoing nature. He
has a way of putting people at ease.**

"Yes they are. You're probably wondering why my legs don't look like my arms."

The chipmunk simply nods his head.

"It's simple really. They hadn't finished work on my arms when I escaped. I've got this
stuff running through nearly my whole body. They grafted the stuff to my ribs and spine
to strengthen them for battle. Put simply, I was designed to be the ultimate killing
machine. They wanted to use my kind and me as assassins. To strike at targets around
the world and eliminate any opposition to their goals."

"I'd heard rumors from the last war about such goings on, mate." Monty put in. "But
like Gadget said, I just didn't put much stock in it."

Alex turns from Monty and looks at Chip.

"Now you see, Maplewood why you can't take this to the authorities? R.O.D.E.N.T.S.
operates outside the law."

"No one is above the law, Alex."

"I didn't say they were above the law. Tell me something, Maplewood. How in the
name of hell are the local authorities going to fight something that only people in the
highest places know exist?"

Chip stares at Alex for what seems an eternity and then sighs in resignation.

"Best to let me handle these guys in my own way, Maplewood. I know it's distasteful to
you but it's really the only way. I'll be taking my leave of you now. I just wanted to
come see my sister. To let her know that she had blood close by but it's best for you all
that I leave. They'll be sending people far worse than those two I killed tonight."

Alex turns to Gadget, who has been quiet during his story.

"I believe you've seen my ear tag, Ms. Hackwrench?"

"Yes."
"Well, the XP is for Experimental Prototype. They made at least five more after me. I'm
the test bed for all their technology. They want my butt back big time, after all they have
a lot of time and money invested in my hide."

"But you're my brother. I don't want you to go. Stay and let us help you."

"Little one, you're the main reason that I must keep my distance. If they were to find out
that we're family they could strike at me through you. Now father and Daisy would
never forgive me if something happened to you."

It is then that Gadget, who has said next to nothing during this exchange, gets up and
walks over to Alex. She stands beside Foxglove and looks up at the big bat.

"I'm sorry."

Alex, not unlike Foxglove, cocks his head to one side. Looking at the young inventor
with a questioning expression.

"Now what have you got to be sorry for?"

"It's mice that did this to you. No wonder you hate us so. I'm sorry for what they did to
you."

The entire room seems to tense as Alex looks down on the little blonde mouse. His eyes
are hard and cold as they bore into her. Gadget, for her part, doesn't flinch under his
intense stare. She looks into his eyes with all the compassion that her big blue eyes can
muster. Alex continues to stare and then shifts his gaze to his sister. She looks at him,
then at Gadget and then back at him. With a smile she places a wing tenderly around
Gadget's shoulder and once more looks up at her brother. The room seems to relax
slightly as Alex gives the mouse and bat before him that strange half smile.

"It's true that mice are largely responsible for what happened to me and I've hated you as
a species for some time now. Unfortunately, that's my prejudice and I've got to learn
live with it. If my information on you is anything near correct you have been like a sister
to Foxglove over the past few years and for that I'm grateful. You must give this old bat
time to lick his wounds and learn to put his prejudices behind him."

With that Alex reaches out a large hand and places it on Gadget's head and playfully
musses her hair. "Deal little one?"

Gadget looks up, her eyes glistening with tears. "Deal."

Alex turns away from her and the others and walks out onto the veranda. Foxglove turns
to Gadget, pulls her to her and hugs her fiercely.

"I think you're making head way with him, Gadget."

"What makes you think that, Foxy?"

"He just called you 'little one'. It's like a term of endearment he uses with me."

"I don't that I've hardly endeared myself to him yet, Foxglove."

"Well, maybe in you case it's a term of not wanting to rip your lungs out."

"I would definitely settle for that."

Dale quietly leaves out after Alex and finds the bat looking off into space, his eyes not
focused on anything in particular. He takes a step or two towards the bat, and then as
though thinking better of it he turns and begins to walk away.

"Is there something you wanted to say to me, Dale?"

Dale stops in mid-stride and turns. "W-well, I-I-I…"

Alex turns and Dale is surprised to see that he is wearing a full smile.

**I think that's the first time he's really smiled since he got here.**

"You needn't be afraid of me, Dale. Of all my sister's friends I know that you are the
special one."

"I was wondering how you felt about that?"

"Well, aren't we the gentlemunk? Coming to find out how the older sibling feels about
your relationship."

Dale smiles weakly at the towering figure before him. "You're ribbing me, I hope."

"Yes, indeed I am. My sister is a grown bat, there's nothing I could say to change her
mind."

"Change her mind!"

"Hold on there, Dale. Let me finish. I couldn't change her mind even if I wanted to and
I don't want to. I've seen you two together and you make each other very happy. I'm the
last one to stand in the way of someone's happiness. I may be a cold blooded killer but
I'm not that heartless."

"Oh, you're far from heartless, Alex. You're not the only one with eyes around here.
I've watched you with Foxy and you're anything but heartless with her. I must admit that
I'm just the tiniest bit jealous."

"Come again?"

"As you said, I've been Foxy's special one for some time now and with you here now I
have competition."

"Believe me, I'm no competition for you. I'm just her idiot brother, while you are her
heart."

"Let us help you, Alex."

"No, that is out of the question. You guys are good but you've no chance against the
likes of what they'll be sending against me. I appreciate it, but answer must be no."

"Okay, but at least stay here. Everyone needs a place that they can call home. I'm sure
the others wouldn't mind and Foxy would be ecstatic."

The smile fades slightly from his face as Alex slowly shakes his head.

"You present a good argument there, Dale. Are you sure your fearless leader wouldn't
mind?"

"I can handle, Chip."

"It would be nice to get off the road for a change. Okay if the others are in agreement I'll
stay for a bit."

Chapter Five
Life With Alex

The next morning finds the Rangers gathered around the breakfast table as Alex walks
into the room.

"Good morning people." He says in a pleasant tone.

"G'morning mate. How's about some breakfast?"

"No thanks Monty, I'm going out for a morning flight. I like to keep my wings as limber
as possible."

"Zowie, Alex! What happened to your wings?"

Again the half smile appears. "I'm so use to doing it now I don't even realize it any
longer. I've folded my wings into their sheath on my back."

Foxglove cocks an eyebrow. "Sheath?"

"Remember little one that most of my body's been re-engineered. My natural wings
were shredded remember."

"Oh yeah, that's right."

"So when they gave me new ones they made them totally collapsible. They figured that
there would be situations where my wings could be a hindrance."

"How do you go about deploying them?" Questions Gadget, her inventor's curiosity
piqued.

"Well, it took some getting use to but it's simply a mental command and a shoulder
shrug."

With that Alex shrugs his shoulders and his wings blossom from their sheath nearly
filling the remaining space in the small area.

"Toorahloo, mate! That's some wingspan you've got.

"Well, there's a lot of me to get into the air plus any equipment I might be carrying at the
time."

"How much lift can you generate, Alex?" Asks Foxglove.

"About three times my own weight."

"Wow, I can barely carry Dale."

"I have to confess. My wings don't generate all my lift. I remember when I first saw you
your ears began twitching."

"You mean that funny sort of sound I hear when you're around."

"Yup. I don't know how or why you can hear them but you obviously do."

"Hear what?" Ask Chip.

"Foxglove's picking up the ultra high frequencies of my internal implants."

Gadget is now fully involved in the conversation, her food forgotten in front of her.

"Internal implants?"

"It would seem that our young mouse inventor has finally woken up. Throughout my
body there are implants, small computer driven devices most of which I'm still figuring
out. After all I didn't exactly come with an operating manual. However, I'm sure that
some are for partially canceling out the effects of gravity. Come into the main area and
I'll gladly demonstrate."

Gadget practically runs her companions over in her zeal to see this technological
demonstration. Once in the main seating area, Alex simply begins to levitate some six
inches off the floor without so much as a wing beat.

"Golly."

Alex lightly touches back down and heads for the door. "And that concludes today's
demonstration."

"Hey, big brother wait for me."

Foxglove toddles after her brother, looking like a child chasing after its parent. Together
they take to the sky, Foxglove's entire form nearly fitting beneath one of her brother's
massive wings.

"Better give me some room little one."

Foxglove dips one wing and side slips away from Alex as he begins to beat his wings.
The down rush of the wing nearest her upsets her trim and she drops in altitude slightly.
She corrects and flies slightly ahead and above her brother.

"Sorry about that sis, guess my wings really cause a lot of turbulence."

"I'll say they do. You're like an eagle to my sparrow." Foxglove giggles.
Out on the veranda the others watch as the two siblings stretch their wings. They watch
them climb and dive, swoop and swirl about one another. They witness an aerial show
and see the difference in the flight characteristics of the two chiropterans. Where
Foxglove's movements are like those of an aerobatic plane, Alex's are those of a
powerful fighter-bomber. The little bat out maneuvers her larger sibling, but she's no
match for Alex's power maneuvers. He climbs, with the help of his implants, straight up,
spirals, and then fully unfurls his wings to their full span using them as an air break and
then pitches over and plunges toward the ground. Foxglove mirrors his move exactly
opposite him.

"Don't try to keep up with me, sis."

"Don't worry about me, big brother."

The Rangers watch as the two bats plummet toward the ground at a frightening speed
both bats having tucked their wings back against their bodies. As they quickly approach
the ground the others begin to worry.

"Golly, they're both moving mighty fast. I certainly hope they can pull out of that dive."
Gadget says with her heart in her throat. Being a pilot she realizes more than the others
the danger of the maneuver.

Mere yards from the ground, Alex snaps open his wings and begins to level out.
However, when Foxglove does the same she finds that her flight won't stabilize. She
wobbles, unable to maintain her trim. Alex quickly sees that his sister is about to lose it
completely.

"Quick, Foxy! Fold your wings!"

Without a moment's hesitation she complies, Alex quickly inverts beneath her and gently
wraps his arms around her. Foxglove buries her face in his chest fur and shuts her eyes
tightly. With seemingly ease, Alex rights his flight just two feet parallel to the ground.
He then snaps his wings open to their fullest. They billow as they catch the air, he
extends his legs and they plow a furrow in the earth as he brings them both to a stop.
As the Rangers rush to them, Alex looks down at the bat clutched to his chest.

"Can I open my eyes now?"

"Yes you can little one, we're down now."

Dale is the first to reach the siblings.

"Foxy, are you all right?"

"I think so, Dale"

Alex lowers Foxglove to the ground and into Dale's arms. The bat clings to her lover.

"What happened, sweet stuff?"

"I don't know."

"You might say she exceeded her flight specifications."

All eyes fall on Alex as he continues.

"Her wings weren't strong enough for such a maneuver. We were coming down at such
a clip that if she had continued to try and right herself she probably would have
dislocated a shoulder at the very least. My wing roots are specially reinforced for just
such a stunt. That's why I told you not to try to keep up with me, sis."

"Next time I'll listen to you. Thanks Alex."

"Hey, a big brother's protection extends from the womb to the tomb."

Dales looks back at the nearly six-foot gash in the soil left by Alex's feet.
"Man oh man, that's some skid mark you left. I'd forgotten that your legs are artificial as
well. They sure can absorb quite an impact."

"The best legs money can buy, little buddy. I'll be back in a while."

Alex then launches himself into the air.

"Wow, I wish I could get into the air that easily."

"That's what being reconstructed can do for you sweet stuff, but I hardly think it's worth
it."

"C'mon cutie, let's go inside. I'm still a little shaky and my right wing hurts like the
dickens."

"Hey! I just realized he called me little buddy. Maybe his softening up a little."

"I've noticed that of all of us, Alex is friendlier with you Dale." Gadget interjects.

"Dale's always had that ability, Gadget." Chip pipes in. "Even when we were kids
together, Dale could reach just about anybody. He was able to reach me when no one
else could. I guess it's just an inborn talent."

"Oh, all I think Alex needs is half a chance. I'll bet he's really a nice guy when he
lightens up a bit."

"That may be true Dale, but let's not push him into anything. Remember to respect his
privacy and feelings. He's gone through a lot." Chip says with an authoritative voice.

"Anyway," says Gadget. "I'm off the junkyard to pick up a few things. See you guys
later."

Gadget departs and the others return to Ranger HQ.

* * * *
The junkyard, to some a dump, but to one Gadget Hackwrench, it's a gold mine. The
young inventor gets pretty much all her raw materials in this most unlikely place.
Picking through the refuse she selects out this and that, her keen mind immediately
know a perfect use for the piece. So involved in her search, Gadget doesn't notice the
two rats coming up on her until it's too late.

"Hey there good lookin'. What are you doing here?"

She turns with a start and gulps when she sees the large rodent.

**Good going, Gadget. You let your guard down. These bruisers don't look like
they're here to discuss the weather. I've seen that one before, he works for Fat Cat.**

"Aren't we lucky, Toonce. We've run across the prettiest of the Rescue Rangers and
she's all on her lonesome. If we took back to Fat Cat I think he'll show his
appreciation. Don't you?"

The rat called Toonce simply nods his head. Gadget backs up against a bit of debris
and lowers her small frame into a fighting stance.

"Well, looky here. I do believe the little lady is going to put up a fight. Now darling
why don't you just come along quietly?"

Toonce reaches for Gadget and receives her small foot against the side of his head for
his troubles. Grabbing the side of his face the rat bellows in rage and punches the
mouse in the midsection. All the air rushes from her and she collapses in a heap at
his feet.

"Damn Toonce, you've always had a way with the ladies."

The two rats laugh over Gadget's prostrate form, but the laughter soon dies at the
sound of leathery wings. Alex lands atop a pile of junk and glares down at the two
rodents. His green eyes are hard and merciless.

"Who, or should I ask what the hell are you?"

"Who I am is Alexander P. Fairmont and what I am is a friend to the young lady
there. Now I'm feeling charitable today, so why don't you bums just beat it before I
take you apart."

"You hear that, Toonce? He's gonna take us apart. You and what army, freak?"

Alex leaps off the six-foot pile and doesn't even use his wings to slow his descent.
He thuds heavily onto the ground. Landing between the rats and Gadget's
unconscious form.

"No army is needed, jerk. You guys sure as hell don't rate it. Now run along before
you get the 'freak' angry."

Toonce moves forward with a speed that belies his bulk and throws a right fist at
Alex's head. Moving his head slightly to one side, Alex avoids the blow and grabs
Toonce's arm. Then he drives his left fist up into the rat's exposed armpit. There
comes a cracking sound as the joint is instantly dislocated. The next blow crashes
into Toonce's nose and smashes it. Toonce drops like a ton of bricks to the ground.
The second rat stares in mute horror at his partner's still form.

"You freak! I'll get you for that!"

He rushes forward and is stopped dead in his tracks by an open handed smash to his
chest. The rat's breastbone snaps under the impact and then he is knocked sideways
by a powerful roundhouse kick that caves in several ribs on his right side. He slams
into a pile of refuse and joins his companion on the ground.
With the two rats dealt with, Alex turns his attention to the fallen mouse. Looking
down at her still form he frowns as old prejudices rise to the surface.

**Stop thinking like that Fairmont! This mouse hasn't done you any wrong. She's
one of Foxglove's good friends. Get over it old bat.**

Gadget moans and stirs slightly and a smile crosses Alex's features.

**She sure surprised that Toonce fellow. Good foot to the head kid.**

He gathers Gadget into his arms and takes to the sky, making all possible speed back
to Ranger HQ.

* * * *

Slowly Gadget climbs back to consciousness. She can make out a concerned Foxglove
alerting the others.

"Hey guys I think she's coming around."

She opens her eyes and slowly the world comes into focus. She sees the relieved faces of
her friends over her.

"Hi guys."

"Welcome back, Gadget luv."

She tries to sit up but a sharp pain in her abdomen stops her. She winces and returns to a
prone position.

"Owww! My stomach hurts." She says weakly, her hand massaging her midsection.

"No surprise there." A low voice rumbles. Although she can't see him Gadget knows
the owner of the voice is Alex. "That bum gave you quite a shot to the bread basket.
Don't worry though I paid him back, double in spades. You more than likely have a
couple of bruised ribs."

"I think we should leave and let her rest." Chip suggests.

Back in the main area, Chip questions Alex.

"Exactly what did you mean by paid back?"

"Don't worry boss munk, I didn't kill them but I did bust them up a bit. I figured that
you wouldn't want me to waste them."

"I thank you for that, and for helping Gadget. I know how you feel about mice."

"I'm trying to put that little thing behind me, Maplewood. I'm trying real hard. Besides
she sort of grows on you."

"That she does, mate." Says Monty planting a hearty slap on Alex's back.

"I can tell she bursting to ask me questions about my design, but she's nervous about
doing it because of my prejudice. Being an inventor she can't help but be curious about
me. When she wakes up you tell her she can ask me anything. I'm stepping out for a few
minutes."

Sadness seems to overcome Alex as he leaves the room. The others watch him leave and
then look at each other. This time the one who follows the big bat out is Chip. He finds
Alex just unfolding his wings for take off. His sensitive ears pick up Chip behind him
and he turns.
"Something I can do for you, Maplewood?"

"Yes there is. You can answer a question for me."

"Shoot."

"What's wrong, Alex? We all saw your face fall back there."

Alex just stares at the chipmunk in front of him. Chip stares back at the big bat. For
what seems an eternity there is nothing said. Alex, finally chuckles and Chip sighs
inwardly to himself.

"Did I say something or does my appearance just amuse you."

"No, I'm just surprised it's you asking me that question. I would have figured Foxglove
or Dale to ask."

"Why should that surprise you?"

"Not to put too fine a point on it Maplewood, you can be somewhat of a cold fish."

"Me! That's pretty funny coming from you."

"Let me answer your question with a question. Do you love Gadget?"

The chipmunk is taken aback by the directness of the question. He thinks to deny the
question at first but for some reason he finds himself saying.

"How did you know?"

Again the big bat chuckles. The sound is a little disturbing as it rumbles from deep in
Alex's chest. "A blind bat could see it in a dark room and I mean that literally. I'm
pretty sure that Foxglove knows as well. We bats see with our ears as well as our eyes.
I've heard how your heartbeat increases when she enters the room or when she sits next
to you. You can lie with your mouth, your eyes even but your body will give you away
every time."

"Okay, you got me on that one."

"Now in the way of answering your question, Maplewood. Tell her how you feel and
don't waste time about it. It is said that 'time is the fire in which we all burn' so don't
waste it. We're quite a bit alike, Maplewood. Before all of this happened to me I was in
law enforcement, and I was really gung ho about. I threw myself into it and quickly
made Inspector Detective. I had a reputation for getting the bad guys and making the
charges stick like glue. That rep turned out to be a double-edged sword. Certain
underworld figures took exception to my work. The dirty bastards struck at me through
my family. My home was bombed and my wife and two girls were killed."

Chip's eyes go wide. Here was someone he wasn't even sure he liked unburdening
himself to him. "I'm sorry to hear that. It must really hurt."

"It still hurts, Maplewood. Not a day goes by that I don't think about them. I can see
that Monty cares for Gadget as if she were his daughter and that brought it all rushing to
the fore today. No parent should have to bury his children. It hollows you out inside. I
wasn't able to feel anything until I found out that Foxglove was still alive. Well, to make
a long story short don't let your career ruin your chance at happiness like I did. Tell that
girl in there about how you feel. I think I can say with some certainty that she feels the
same. There you asked what was wrong and now you know. Don't repeat my mistake,
Chip. Later."

The big bat launches himself skyward leaving a stunned chipmunk standing in his wake.
Chip watches as Alex's form vanishes in the distance.

"Well, I'll be. He called me Chip."

Chapter Six
Alex Pays A Visit

Hours later, Gadget awakes to the sound of voices in the next room. Gingerly she gets
out of bed, still massaging her abdomen. Opening the door she steps into the main room.

"Hi gang. What's up?"

"Gadget." They all say in unison.

"How ya feeling, Gadget luv?"

"A little sore, but otherwise okay. Where's Alex, I wanted to thank him."

"Left out, said he had something to take care of. Can't imagine what that something
could be." Dale replies.

Gadget's eyes go wide. "Oh no."

Foxglove rushes to her side thinking that she's in some sort of difficulty.

"Gadget, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine but I just thought of something. If Alex heard that rat he knows that he's
working for Fat Cat."

Chip leaps from his seat. "Fat Cat! How's he involved in this?"

"I don't think that he is. I believe I was a target of opportunity but Alex doesn't know
that. He might be going after Fat Cat as we speak."

"I wouldn't worry about that Gadget." Says Dale. "After all he probably doesn't know
where Fat Cat's at."

"I wouldn't underestimate him, Dale. Before he joined the military, Alex was a
detective. It wouldn't take much detecting to find out where Fat Cat is."

"How do you know that, Chip?" Asks Foxglove.

"We had a little talk earlier today. You might even say we connected with one another."

"I'll tell you this much people." Gadget states. "With what he's capable of, he wouldn't
have to use detective work. He could just find a thug or two and squeeze them for
information, and if we know anything about Alex I'm willing to bet he'll use the squeeze
technique."

* * * *

After squeezing a few local thugs for information, Alex stands on a rooftop opposite Fat
Cat's casino. He watches as all sorts of shady characters come and go. In particular he
eyes the large rat at the door.

**Strange that a cat would have some many rodents in his employ. Oh well, he shouldn't
pose any real threat. Might as well get on with this. Probably get my butt chewed by
Chip, but I think it's worth a chewing out.**

Unfurling his wings, Alex glides silently down and lands out of sight of the casino;
folding his wings around him he makes for the front door. The rat, which is nearly as big
as Alex, notices his approach.

"Hey where do you think you going pal?"

"Inside, I would like to see Mr. Fat Cat. Is he in?"

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No, but I think he'll see me anyway."

"Look pal, no body gets in to see the boss without an appointment. So beat it."

"I really think he'd see me."

"That does it, pal!"

The big rat swings a large fist that connects solidly with Alex's jaw.

"What the hell?"

The bouncer stands dumbfounded as his blow goes almost unnoticed by Alex.

"Not too shabby a shot fella. Now it's my turn."

The front door explodes inward in a shower of wood and glass. The bouncer flies into
the room and smashes into a table and then another before coming to a halt. The casino
patrons look to the wreckage of the front door and through the dust there seems to appear
a figure from a nightmare. With his wings unfolded to their maximum span, Alex looks
more like some hellish apparition than a bat.

"OKAY PEOPLE, LISTEN UP! THIS DUMP IS CLOSED FOR REPAIRS UNTIL
FURTHER NOTICE!"

The customers simply stare at Alex is silent disbelief.

**I can see that this crowd's gonna need a little motivation.**

"WHAT IS WITH YOU PEOPLE? YOU GOT CRAP IN YOUR EARS OR
WHAT? OKAY, I'LL EXPLAIN IT TO YOU IN TERMS EVEN YOU CAN
UNDERSTAND!"

With that he pulls a large gun from a holster behind his back and fires it into the ceiling
three times. It has the desired effect. The casino patrons all make a beeline for the exits.
More of Fat Cat's flunkies emerge in response to the gunfire.

"Who in the name of hell are…."

The lizard finds that he can no longer speak with a shattered jaw. Another one receives a
shattered knee for his troubles. A chipmunk launches himself at the large intruder and is
knocked casually aside with a backhanded fist that catches him in the midsection. The
chipmunk feels his pelvis shatter on impact. On it goes as the big bat wades through a
river of henchmen. Then one of Fat Cat's inner circle appears. It's a scraggily alley cat
with a ragged woolen cap and a tattered vest.

**Meeps. From what I've heard this guy is about as smart as a bag of hammers. Still,
I've got to watch it; after all he is much larger than me. If push comes to shove I'll pop a
cap in his ass.**

"What's going on in here?" Questions Meeps in his whiney nasal voice.

"I would think it was obvious, even to a doorknob like you."

"Hey, who are you calling a doorknob?"

"Boy, Fat Cat can really pick 'em."

Meeps rushes forward and Alex springs into action. His powerful legs launch him and
his metal skull impacts the cat square on the chin. Meeps staggers back momentarily
stunned. Alex then delivers a double fisted hammer blow right between Meeps' eyes.
The mangy cat topples like a house of cards. Alex lands next the fallen feline showing no
signs of fatigue as he surveys his handy work. All about him there lie unconscious and
broken bodies. With a somewhat sinister smile he pulls another weapon from its holster.
This one is a rodent-sized version of a machine pistol. He lets loose with the weapon
shredding everything in sight. Slot machines spark and explode, tables and chairs
splinter and the bar erupts in a shower of glass. Walking through the carnage, unmindful
of the shards of glass underfoot, he moves toward the elevator leading up to Fat Cat's
office. Pulling a clip from his ammo belt, Alex reloads his machine pistol and chambers
it. The elevator doors open and Alex steps out into an empty office.

**Fat Cat either wasn't here or he bolted when the crap hit the fan.**

Alex's gun speaks again, this time shredding Fat Cat's office. Wood, glass and papers fly
left and right as the high velocity rounds find their mark. After trashing the office, Alex
shoots out the windows and takes flight into the late afternoon sky.

Moments later the Rangers arrive in the Rangerwing. Landing on the roof they make
their way into the office from above.

"Golly! What a mess. It looks like a hurricane hit this place." Gadget exclaims.

"Yeah, a hurricane named, Alex." Says Chip.

Taking the elevator down the casino level even more destruction greets their eyes.

"Crikey! He went through this place like a dose of salts." Monty observes.

Foxglove looks around at the unconscious henchmen and wreckage wringing her
wingtips.

"Boy, big brother can really dish out the punishment."

"You can say that again, Foxy me lass. Look over there! He managed to drop Meeps.
That would take all of us working together to pull off."

"Zowie! Some of these guys are busted up pretty bad."

Chip looks about him at the living wreckage left in the bat's wake. "You're right, Dale.
We'd better call for medical help before we leave. Looks like Fat Cat wasn't here when
Alex came calling."

A few minutes later the small mammals version of E.M.S. shows up and begins its work
removing the more critically injured individuals for transport. The Rangerwing lifts off
from the roof. All the while on a rooftop across the street a figure watching the entire
goings on down below with keen interest. A grin dances across his face as he watches
the cavalcade of broken animals being carried out of the casino.

**My…my…my, Alex. I see you haven't lost your touch after all this time. It's gonna
be so good to see you again.**

Chapter Seven
Hammer Time

"Just what did you think you were doing?" Shouts an enraged Chip.

"Just paying ol' Fat Cat a visit. Nothing more." Alex replies flatly.

"A visit? You tore the place apart!"

"Hey, that wasn't my fault. I went there with the intention to only speak with Fat Cat.
His boys decided they wanted to get physical, so I simply obliged them."

"You sent a dozen people to the hospital! There's a chipmunk that may never walk
again! How can you be so blasé about that?"

"Listen boss munk, I didn't start swinging at anybody who didn't swing on me first. I
made sure the patrons were out before the crap hit the fan. By the way, I hope that
chipmunk wasn't a relative of yours or Dale's."

"Very funny, Alex. If you only wanted to speak with Fat Cat, why were you armed?"

"Chip, I'm always armed. You know as well as I do, Fat Cat can be a rough customer. A
bat's got the right to protect himself. I didn't use my guns on anyone."

"Alex, you're a walking friggin' combat zone. People have a nasty habit of getting hurt
and dead around you. What do you think Fat Cat's going to do when he finds out it was
you that trashed his casino?"

"That's what I'm hoping for. That fat tabby's been plaguing you guys since the
beginning according to Dale. Let fat boy come for me and I'll drop him like a bad habit
and you'll finally be rid of him."

"We don't go around killing our enemies, Alex!"

"That's the beauty of the thing. I'll be the one doing the killing, your hands will be
clean."

"Sorry, but I can't condone that."

"I don't recall asking you to, Maplewood."

"I can't believe you! Are you sure you're related to Foxy?"

"Listen here buddy boy." Alex's voice rises as he stands and advances on the angry
chipmunk. "Don't judge me by my sister. She's a sweet person, I'm not."

Alex glowers down at Chip, and chipmunk doesn't give an inch. He meets the bat's
intense stare with one of his own.

"Foxy had it hard too, but she managed to remain a loving individual. What happened to
make you such a cold blooded person?"

"R.O.D.E.N.T.S. happened, that's what."

"I'm not buying that, Alex. You must've had a mean streak in you a mile wide before
you ever encountered those guys. You were an officer of the law how can you disregard
all that you swore to uphold?"

"I still uphold it. The difference between us, Maplewood is that I'm not riding a high
horse like you are. You're a damned idealist, Maplewood. If that works for you fine but
don't try to force feed it to me. I'm a vigilante in the exact meaning of that term. Knock
the bad guys down and then step on their necks. I use harsh methods were you don't
even use harsh language. You can martyr yourself and your team mates to your cause,
but I believe in letting the other guy do the bleeding."

"You're hopeless, you're no better than the people you fight against."

No sooner than words leave his mouth, Chip realizes that he's said the wrong thing. His
words have struck and found the chink in Alex's armor. Before anyone can react, Alex
snatches Chip by the scruff of the neck, lifting the chipmunk off his feet effortlessly. He
brings Chip eye to eye with him. To his credit, Chip doesn't flinch as the big bat's lips
pull back in a snarl exposing an impressive set of teeth. Then he growls more than
speaks.

"You…can say that…to me? Knowing what you know."

>SCHNICK>

The others gasp in shock and Chip's eyes go wide, for extending from compartments on
the back of Alex's free hand is a pair of long, slicing blades. They glint in the light of the
room as their tips stop their extension just short of Chip's nose.

"After all I've told you, Maplewood. You have the nerve to insult me like that. You
realize right now I could bone you like a fish."

A sizeable hand lands on Alex's shoulder.

"Put 'im down, mate." Monty says in deadly earnest.

"No Alex, no!" Pleads Foxglove as she tugs at her brother. "Don't hurt Chip, please!"

With a snarl, Alex's head snaps in Foxglove's direction. His expression is so fierce that
she suddenly releases her grip and falls to the floor on her backside. Upon seeing the fear
in his sister's eyes, Alex releases his grip on Chip. The chipmunk thuds to the floor on
his backside as well.

"Damn them to hell for making me like this. I'm like a mad wolf biting at his own
wounds."

>SCHNACK>

With a mental command the two blades retract into their compartments. Alex looks
about the room at the faces around him, and what he sees is not shock but horror.
Obviously the Rangers have seen no one even remotely like him. What hurts the most is
the fear he still sees in his sister's eyes. His one staunch supporter is now cringing in fear
of him in her lover's arms. Dale's eyes hold more hurt than fear and the cheery
chipmunk sadly lowers his eyes and shakes his head. Gadget has gone to Chip and
cradles his head against her chest. Her blue eyes stare at him accusingly.

"I've seem to most definitely worn out my welcome here. I'll return for my gear in the
morning. Thanks for trying guys. See ya."

They watch as he walks to the door and steps out onto the veranda. Foxglove buries her
head in Dale's chest and sobs openly. He holds her close as her small frame is wracked
by her sobs. Chip looks at the distressed bat and shakes his head.

"Blast this temper of mine. He's right; I should never have said that to him. I've got to
stop him."

Disengaging himself from Gadget's warm embrace, Chip bounds for the front door.

"Alex wait, I'm sorry."

He sees the big bat unsheathe his wings, but just before he can take off he's struck in the
left side by a blast. The residual energy knocks Chip to the deck and sends him skidding
back inside.
"Crikey, what was that?"

"I don't know." Says Chip from his prone position. "But someone or something just
blind sided Alex big time."

They all rush out onto the veranda to find that part of it has been blown away.

"Look down there, mates!"

They follow Monty's pointed finger to an area not too far from their tree. In the failing
light they can see Alex, in a kneeling position holding his left side. A few feet away
there stands another figure. He is obviously a neo bat like Alex; only he's nearly half
again as big and brandishing what looks like a long handled sledge.

"He's hurt!" Foxglove shouts and immediately takes wing. She swoops down and lands
next to Alex.

"Get out of here little one. Go on back to your friends." Hisses Alex through clinched
teeth.

"I can't just leave you, Alex. You're my brother no matter what."

"Okay if you really want to help go to my room and open that long, thin case I have.
Quickly go and bring me what's inside. Go little one, I'm counting on you."

Foxglove beats her wings franticly as she makes for the tree house. She shoots passed
the Rangers and flies straight to Alex's room. Throwing things this way and that she
comes across the described case. Upon opening it she discovers a Japanese style long
sword. Grasping it in her foot claws she again makes for the door.

"Howdy, Alex. How's it hangin'?"

"Oh, pretty good, Max. How's things with you?"

"Been sent to bring you back, Alex. You were a bad boy running off like that.
Especially carrying all that nanotechnology. The council's really upset with you."

"Screw the council, Max. We used to be good friends. What happened to you? Since
when have you become the council's lap dog?"

"Since I wised up and saw who was holding all the power. I'm gonna be on the winning
side in this one, Alex. They want you back man, dead or alive."

"Dead is the only way I'm going back, Maxwell."

"Have it your way, Alexander."

Max shifts the grip of his cumbersome weapon and slowly it begins to glow. Alex takes
on a ready stance. Then from above them both comes the sound of Foxglove's voice
raised in a shout.

"Alex, I've got what you want!"

She dives at her brother as fast as her wings will allow.

"Drop it Foxglove! No need to come any closer!"

The little bat flies on, ignoring her sibling's warning. Max points his hammer and a beam
of energy is released it strikes the ground as Alex manages to avoid it, but Foxglove is
caught in the energy backlash. Alex's blood freezes in his veins upon hearing his sister's
high-pitched scream. The little bat is thrown bodily against a tree. Alex hears Dale's
inarticulate scream as Foxglove slumps to the ground. Something inside Alex's head
snaps and a red haze clouds his vision.

"HAMMER! I'LL TEAR YOU APART!"

With a howl, Alex launches himself like a living projectile. He smashes into the larger
bat with a bone jarring impact. Even though ready for the blow, Max is staggered by it.
Then he hears a sound that freezes the blood in his veins.

>SCHNICK>

Max's own scream pierces the early evening air as Alex's metallic claws find they mark.
The larger bat stumbles back against a tree as Alex pushes off of his chest with both feet
and propels himself backwards. He arcs through the air and lands with a thud near Dale
and Foxglove. The little bat still grips his sword in her foot claws. Alex quickly takes
the sword and unsheathes it. The sun's fading light reflects off the sword's brilliant
surface giving it a blood red glow. Looking toward Max he lowers the sword's tip and
draws an arc in the soil in front of him.

"This sunset is the last you'll ever see, Hammer."

"Bring it on, Blade." Retorts the larger bat while clutching a gapping wound in his
abdomen.

Alex takes wing, flying mere inches off the ground. Max lashes out when Alex is within
range of his bludgeon but the oncoming bat snaps open his wings and comes to a sudden
halt. The head of the sledge whistles through the air mere inches in front of him. It is too
late for Max to recover; Alex hovers above him holding his sword above his head in a
two handed grip. Max knows what's coming and can't do a thing about it.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU NOW!"

The bright blade slashes down in a shining arc. Above on the veranda, Gadget moans,
shuts her eyes tightly and holds on the Chip. The blade cleaves a diagonal line through
the larger bat's torso, starting at the left shoulder and ending at the right hip. Max's form
doesn't move, as it seems rooted to the spot. Then the upper half slides from the lower
and falls wetly to the grass. Max's last breath sighs from his ruptured lungs on impact,
then finally his knees unlock and his lower half falls to the ground. Blood splatters over
Alex's reddish-brown fur but he seems to pay no heed to it. Slowly he turns away from
the bloody scene and returns to where his sister lay still unconscious.

"Foxy. Please Foxglove, open you eyes." Implores a distraught Dale. He gently shakes
his lover but still there is no response. "Please Foxy, don't die."

Alex and the others reach the lovers at about the same time. Dale looks to his best friend
with tears streaming down his face. His eyes are like those of a child looking to an adult
to make everything right again. Gadget, being the one with the most medical experience,
kneels beside Foxglove and quickly examines her. She places her fingers to Foxglove's
neck and feels for a pulse. To her relief she finds it beating hard and strong.

"I think she'll be all right, Dale. She's got a good strong pulse. The blow against the tree
must have simply knocked her out."

"Excuse me, Gadget." Alex gently pushes her aside as he kneels beside his sister. Then
the bat opens his mouth and emits an ultra high frequency pulse. He closes his eyes as
his ears exam his sister. Again he emits a pulse and listens to the return. They others
watch him, not daring to even breath. After a third ultra sound examination, Alex smiles
and places a comforting hand on Dale's shoulder.

"I appears that Gadget is correct. The impact with the tree seems to have given her a
mild concussion. She'll need to be watched but I think she'll be fine. She's probably
going to have one hell of a headache and she might suffer with a little nausea, but nothing
more serious than that."

It is only then that, Gadget notices that Alex has a gapping wound in his left side. The
wound isn't bleeding because of cauterizing affect of the energy beam that struck him.

"Alex, you're hurt too. Maybe you should let me take care of that."

"Oh this, don't bother yourself about it, Gadget. I've had worse than this."

Tearing out a clump of grass, Alex cleans the blood from his sword. Looking around he
spots the sword's sheath. He walks over and bends to pick it up and that is when blood
first bubbles then erupts from his mouth.

"Oh my God, Alex!" Shouts Gadget as she runs to him. The big bat drops to his knees.
He supports himself with his sword as he feels small hands on his shoulders. He turns to
find a pair of big, blue concerned eyes looking into his.

**Guess someone on this miserable planet gives a damn rather I live or die.**

It is then that the dark of embrace of unconsciousness claims him.

Chapter Eight
Interlude

"Oh, my head." Groans Foxglove as she regains consciousness.

"Welcome back to the land of the waking, sweet stuff."

"Hi, cutie. How long was I out?"

"All night long, honey. Alex said that you should be watched."

"Awww, and you stayed with me all night. How sweet."

"Well, Alex told me to love you and look after you."

"How did things go after I got knocked out?"

"Alex took that guy out in pretty much one move, but he was hurt pretty badly."

"What?" Foxglove goes to get out of bed but groans and flops back down. "Oh, the
room just spun on me."

Dale places his hand on her head. "You have to take it easy for a while, Foxy. Alex said
that you have a slight concussion, so you'll be a little woozy for a while." He moves his
hand to her right ear and scratches behind it, knowing it to have a soothing effect on his
lover.

"Hmmm, that feels nice. How's my brother doing?"

"He was hurt with the first shot of the fight. It turned out that he had internal bleeding
from the impact. Gadget's been looking after him."

"But he should be in a hospital."

"He made it pretty clear that there was to be no hospital. He said his body will heal itself
in a day or two."

"A day or two? From what you said…"

"Sweet stuff, something tells me that there are things about that bat that we can't even
begin to figure out."

* * * *

"Thanks for all your help, Gadget, but you should really go get some sleep. I don't want
to be any further bother to you."

"Golly, Alex it's no bother. I'm used to staying up all night."

"Yeah, I bet it's when you'll working on an invention or trying to solve a problem."

"That's right. How'd you know?"

"You're an inventor. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. You wouldn't be
able to sleep with a problem buzzing around in your head."

Gadget gives a little giggle. "You're right about that."

"Any way, you should go rest now. I can tell by your posture that you nearly exhausted.
This old machine will heal itself in no time, you'll see."

"Okay if you think you'll be all right."

"I'll be fine, really. Go on, a pretty girl like you needs her rest."

"Okay, see you later."

Lying on his bedroll, Alex watches as Gadget leaves the room. Closing his eyes he
replays the events of the previous day in his head.

**What the hell was I thinking, I nearly got Foxglove killed by involving her in my fight
with Hammer. We seem to have the same stubborn streak. She disregarded my advice
again and plowed headlong. Maybe we're a bit more alike than the boss munk thinks.**

Finally he shuts his eyes and lets sleep take him.

* * * *

Alex sleeps all that day and into the next. The Rangers take turns looking in on him but it
is Gadget who monitors the bat the most. That evening they gather in the main seating
area.

"Gadget, is it normal for someone to sleep this long? I mean it's been a nearly a day and
a half." Questions Chip.

"Ordinarily I'd say no, but with Alex's shall we say unique biological make up it's hard
to tell. I've checked his wound and it's nearly healed. To say it's remarkable would be
an understatement. What about your examination, Foxglove?"

"As far as I can tell with my ultra sonic probe, his internal injuries have healed as well."

"I'm no medical expert," says Chip. "But I'd figure that injuries of this nature just don't
heal without medical intervention."

"That goes without saying, mate. From what Foxy told us from her first examination, the
big guy's liver and stomach were badly damaged. Now little more than a day later those
organs show no sign of trauma. That just ain't natural."

"Then you've got to remember, Monty. I'm not exactly natural."

Five heads turn as one as Alex enters the room. The only outward sign of his injury is
that the fur over the wounded area is a slightly lighter shade than the rest. He walks over
with and sits with them.

Foxglove hugs him tightly. "Welcome back big brother. How do you feel?"

"The area is a little sore, but all in all I feel good. Told you this old machine would heal
up in no time, Gadget."

"I've only got one question." Gadget says with a look of amazement. "How?"

"Fair enough question, Ms. Hackwrench. Have you ever heard of nanotechnology?"

"Yes, cell-sized machines." Gadget once more squeaks in surprise. "You mean?"

"Yup. Yours truly is a walking, talking storehouse for them. That's the main reason The
Colony wants my butt so bad. Of all the nano experiments, I'm the only one to survived.
Not only did I survive, but the little buggers seem to thriving in me. As you can see they
can repair some pretty severe damage to my body given the time. It would also seem that
they're getting better at it. Normally an injury like that would have taken two whole days
for them to repair."
"Zowie, just like on Star Trek."

"Zowie indeed, Dale. They thrived in me while the others that had them implanted died
horrible deaths. The Colony scientists couldn't figure out why this happened."

"Probably something to do with your blood chemistry." Interjects Gadget, after thinking
for a moment.

"Someone give that little lady the door prize. That's just the conclusion they came to. If
you don't mind my saying so, you've got a lot on the ball for someone who's posing as a
little grease monkey."

"Gadget here, is our resident genius." Says Monty throwing an arm around Gadget's
shoulder.

Alex looks at the young mouse. "She also seems to have some medical experience as
well. Judging from how well she looked after me. By the by, thanks Gadget for all your
trouble, you've gone quite a way in showing me that not all mice are bad."

"Just returning the favor, Alex. Thanks for the rescue the other day."

"Think nothing of it. Even rescuers need rescuing sometimes. Well, I'm gonna go out
and stretch my wings some."

As Alex turns and heads for the door, Chip bolts to catch up with him.

"Alex, about the incident day before yesterday and you leaving. Well, I would like to say
that I…I…"

Chip continues to stammer as Alex looks on, his face an unreadable mask. Chip,
obviously uncomfortable, shifts his weight from one foot to the other. Finally Alex
comes to the Ranger leader's aid.
"Listen Maplewood, I know and the same from me boss munk."

Alex extends a large hand, which Chip takes and whole-heartedly shakes. They then
stare at one another, as if something silent were passing between them. Chip tilts his
head in the direction of the others, Alex nods turns and leaves.

"Crikey, mate. What was that all about? Have you blokes developed telepathy or
something?"

"I think we're both starting to understand each other, Monty. You said that Alex was a
colonel in the last war. Well, he's use to giving orders and not having his decisions
challenged by anyone."

"But what was with the staring contest and head action?"

"He's given me permission the tell you what he told me some days ago."

* * * *

"There you have it, gang. Now you know as much about Alex as I do."

The others sit in stunned silence. All that is heard is Foxglove's sniffling as she sheds a
tear for her brother's past. Dale puts an arm around her in comfort and pulls her to him.

"Golly, no wonder he got so steamed."

"I know." Laments Chip. "That was a stupid thing for me to say to him. He's sacrificed
every thing in his pursuit of justice. What right do I have to question his loyalty to
justice? What have I sacrificed? He's just as dedicated as I am. It's our methods that
differ. He acts like such a cast iron bastard I didn't think that he could be hurt. I forgot
that sometimes words can hit harder than any blow."

"As you said that night, mate. Your temper got the better of you and his got the better of
him. Ya know, I believe he has a lot of respect for you, Chippah."

"What makes you think that, Monty?"

"You're a leader and he knows what that's all about. He also usually referred to you by
your sir name. That might just be his military years showing through, but I think it's out
of respect for your role as leader."

"Chip?" Foxglove pipes in softly. "You're not going to let him leave are you?"

"Not if I can help it, Foxy. Not if I can help it."

Chapter Nine
Of Bats And Squirrels

By way of stretching his wings, Alex flies at treetop level around the park. Testing out
the repair job of his resident mechanics. He performs a series of hard S-turns that put a
tremendous strain on his upper body.

**So far, so good. Good job guys.**

He then pulls up and points his nose to the sky. With arms against his body he climbs
nearly straight up aided by his implants.

**Okay guys, now for the acid test.**

His wings collapse against his body as he pitches forward. His ears flatten back against
his skull as he hurdles earthward like a stone. With about twenty feet to go, Alex snaps
open is wings. This maneuver places the maximum strain on his wings and body. At ten
feet his trajectory flattens out and at less than two feet he levels out. Then it happens. A
blinding pain in his left side causes that wing to dip. The wingtip touches the ground and
the big bat cartwheels out of control.

**Oooooh damn!**

Instinctively, Alex tucks in his extremities and folds his wings around him. Looking like
a reddish-brown softball he smashes into a row of bushes. Plowing through the thicket
for ten feet he finally comes to a stop in an undignified heap. Pulling bits of shrubbery
from his long scalp hair and fur he rights himself, sits and chuckles inwardly.

**Guess I tried a little too much, too soon. Feels like I've still have a little tenderness
around my left wing root. That definitely wasn't one of my better landings. Well, at
least no one saw me.**

It is then he hears a young voice pipe up.

"Oh man, did you see that? He hit the bushes like a cannonball!"

**Oh great! There goes what's left of my dignity.** Groans Alex inwardly.

The bushes before him part and a young female squirrel's face peers in at him.

"Gee mister. Are you okay?"

"Just fine, thank you."

It is when Alex untangles himself and stands that the young squirrel sees his obvious
extra equipment. He hears her breath catch in her throat.

**Jeeze, here it comes.**

"Oh wow! You must be Foxy's big brother."

The big bat is surprised by the young girl's reaction. He had expected her to back away
in fright. After all that is the usual reaction to his appearance. This little redheaded
youngster however just smiled and extended a small hand to him.

"Hi, I'm Tammy Chestnut pleased to meet you."

Alex takes her hand and shakes it gently.

"I'm Alex Fairmont. I take it you know my sister."
"Oh my yes. She's the one of the nicest people I've ever known."

"Well, that's Foxglove for you. She's one of the nicest people I've ever known too."

The two make their way through the tangled shrubbery. Tammy follows in Alex's wake
as he snaps off the obstructing limbs in his path. Upon emerging from the thicket, Alex
finds himself virtually surrounded by young rodents.

"Friends of yours, Tammy?"

"Yup. Hey gang, this is Foxglove's brother."

"Duh!" Exclaims a young male chipmunk. "How many bats with arms do you think are
walking around town?"

The youngsters crowd around the large bat. Shaking hands and asking questions left and
right. Alex stands somewhat dumbfounded by all the positive attention he's receiving.

**Teenagers, go figure.**

One fresh faced mouse comments. "You're the one who trashed Fat Cat's casino the
other day. Man, that was so cool. It's about time someone really pulled that fat tabby's
tail."

"Hey, I was just paying him a little social call." Alex says shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah right."

A smile creeps across Alex's scarred features. Here he's is being praised today for
actions that two days ago had nearly brought him and Chip to blows.

**I guess it all depends on one's P.O.V.**

It is then that his sharp ears pick up a raised female voice.

"Hey, does anyone here know someone named, Bink?"

"Yes." Replies Tammy, "She's my little sister. Why?"

"There seems to be some trouble nearby. Where do you live?"

"Just over there." Answers Tammy, pointing to a large maple tree.

"I'm on it!"

Alex launches himself towards Tammy's house, while the others follow after. The bat's
sharp eyes quickly pick up movement at the base of the tree. His ears pick up the heated
conversation as if he were standing right there.

"I told you to release my daughter." A distraught middle-aged female squirrel says to a
lizard that holds her youngest child.

"My boss says that a lady like yourself needs all the protection she can get." States the
reptile in a gravelly voice. "He says that his rates are very reasonable. You should
consider paying my boss."

"You should consider doing what the lady said."

The lizard and two squirrels cast their eyes up to see a descending figure. The bat lands
with feather lightness in front of the lizard.

"Who the hell are…Aaacckk!"

The lizard finds his thin neck in the vice-like grip of the big bat. His grip on the little
squirrel instantly released. She stands stark still looking up at what appears to be a giant.
The big bat looks down with a smile and says.

"Go to you mother, sweetheart."

This galvanizes the young squirrel and she runs to her mother who gathers her up in her
arms. Alex then turns his attention to his captive.

"Tough guy, huh?"

"Are you crazy?" The lizard says through a constricted throat. "You have any idea who
I work for?"

"Don't know. What's more, don't care. All I care about is that I heard you threatening
this lady here. Trying to roust protection money form her."

"Hey, I'm just doing my job."

"Well, it's a lousy job and somewhat hazardous."

"Hazardous?"

"Yup, hazardous. Especially when you run into someone like me."

By now the teenagers have arrived on the scene. "Hey Alex, was this creep bothering my
mom?"

"Yeah. This skinny creep was trying to extort money from your mother. You wouldn't
happen to know who he works for?"

"Yeah, he works for Rat Capone."
"Oh, I've heard of him from, Maplewood."

"Yeah, Rat Capone. So I guess you know that you should let me go."

"Oh, you think I should let you go? Well, I guess I had better do just that."

The bat slams the lizard down on his feet so hard that his right ankle snaps under the
impact. The lizard howls in pain clutching his mangled ankle.

"Now, you limp your sorry ass on back to your boss and you tell him that the Chestnuts
are under my protection."

The injured lizard hobbles painfully away leaving a stunned group behind. It is Tammy's
mother who first dares to break the silence.

"Thank you for your help, sir."

Alex turns towards the squirrel, once again his face wearing his patented half smile.

"Sir? My father is sir. You can simply call me Alex, Ms. Chestnut."

"And you can call me, Donna. You're Foxglove's brother aren't you?"

"Guilty as charged. I didn't realize that so many knew of my presence here."

"Well, trashing Fat Cat's casino tends to get you a certain amount of recognition."
Donna says flashing Alex a rather beautiful smile. "And now, you've gone and made
trouble with Rat Capone. You seem to know how to rub the bad element in town the
wrong way."

"I guess it's just a knack that I have. I don't like bullies and I believe in meeting force
with force."

Alex feels a little tug on his right wing and looking down he sees Tammy's little sister,
Bink. To keep from being to imposing to the small child, Alex comes down to one knee.

"What is it little lady?"

"You bashed that bad guy really good. Are you a Rescue Ranger like your sister?"

"Oh no, sugar. I haven't been around here near long enough to join that group. I'm just
helping out the Rangers with a few things and looking in on my baby sister."

The little squirrel boldly reaches up and touches the scars on Alex's face. Her little hand
tracing the long scar running down his muzzle.

"Do they hurt? How did you get them?"

"Binky!" Donna exclaims.

Alex waves off Donna's obvious embarrassment at her daughter's questions.

"No, sweetheart they don't hurt, and I got them helping people."

"Chip and the others help people too, but they don't have scars like you."

"Let's just say that me and the Rangers do things a little differently. I'm a bit more of a
in your face sort of guy."

The answer seems to satisfy the young squirrel's curiosity and she smiles and returns to
her mother's side.

"Anyway, thank you again Alex. Hope to see you around here more often."

Tammy gives her mother sort of a sideways glance. **Is it my imagination or is my
mother flirting with Alex. Naaah, couldn't be.**

* * * *

Some time later, Alex returns to Ranger HQ. Upon opening the door he is greeted by the
assembled Rangers.

"What?" Alex asks.

Chip steps forward from the others. "You know, you're making quite a name for
yourself around here, Alex. First you bust up Fat Cat's casino and send about half of his
thugs to the hospital."

**Oh horse pucky! Here it comes again.**

"And earlier today you roughed up one of Rat Capone's goons. It's all over the animal
community already. You've directly challenged Capone's will."

With a heavy sigh, Alex replies. "Listen Maplewood, what was I suppose to do? Let that
goon roust Ms. Chestnut. There are just some things that…"

The rest of his statement dies on his tongue as he notices, Foxglove snickering behind her
wings. Both Gadget and Dale quickly join her. The big bat cocks his head to one side,
folds his arms in front of him and looks down at Chip with a puzzled look.

"What the heck's going on here, Maplewood?"

Chip breaks into a laugh. "Had you going there, didn't I big guy? It's like you came in
expecting a confrontation."

Monty comes forward and places a friendly hand on Alex's shoulder. "Lighten up, mate.
Tammy came by and gave us the lowdown on what happened. If you ask me that creep
had it coming."

"I wish I was there to see it." Gadget says while wiping a tear from her eye. "That
lizard's name is Sugar Ray. He thinks his a real tough customer. Tell me, did you
actually just throw him to the ground?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much what I did. What's with you guys? I just broke on a guy and
you're laughing about it."

"It's just that…" Chip begins. "Rat Capone's the one enemy we have that we've got a
real personal grudge against. He slapped Gadget around in the past and we've been
wanting some payback for some time now. What you did today is like a slap in Capone's
face."

Alex looks from one Ranger to another as they look at him with smiles and laughter.

Chip continues. "We're also glad that you tempered your actions with good judgment."

"What you're saying is that you're relieved that I didn't kill anyone." Alex says with an
even tone.

The laughter and smiles vanish immediately at the tone of the big bat's voice. They have
heard that tone before. Something has been done or said that Alex doesn't like. They
look at him with concerned expressions now. His features have taken on their hardest
tone.

"You know Maplewood, I'm not always the cold hearted bastard I make out to be. I
know I can be a real son of a misbegotten bat when I want to be, but I kill only when it's
necessary. When I feel that my opponent warrants it. I know that this doesn't sit well
with any of you. Even you Foxglove, you have your reservations about me."

The little bat opens her mouth as if to say something but she's cut off by the sound of a
low rumbling. The rumbling grows in intensity until they all realize that it's coming from
Alex. The neo bat is chuckling and the sound comes from deep within his chest and then
it happens. Alex opens his mouth and releases a healthy belly laugh.

"Gotcha! Gotcha! Gotcha!" He says pointing at the Rangers.

"Oh you." Foxglove says as she launches herself at her brother. He easily catches her in
mid leap and hugs her to him. "You really had us going, big brother. I thought that you
were really angry with us."

"Pretty good acting job, eh Maplewood?"

"Touché." Is all Chip can answer with.

Watching Alex laugh and hugging his sister, Gadget thinks. **It looks like he's taking
the first steps towards healing. This is the first time we've seen him actually laugh.**

Chapter Ten
The Cat's Back

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE?"

His henchmen cower as Fat Cat surveys his wrecked casino. All about him is
destruction. It seems wherever his eyes fall there is shattered bits of glass and tables and
whatever.

"THIS PLACE LOOKS AS IF A WRECKING CREW WERE TURNED LOOSE!"

"Actually boss, that's not too far from wrong." The big rat named, Zeus interjects. "This
guy was like a whole crew."

Fat Cat slowly turns toward the rat. "Guy? GUY? GUY!?! YOU MEAN TO TELL
ME THAT THIS WAS ALL DONE BY ONE PERSON!!"

"Yeah boss, pretty much so."

"What kind of animal was this GUY? From the looks of things he must have been a full
grown wolf."

"Well boss, he was a bat actually."

"A BAT? YOU MEAN A BAT DID ALL THIS? WHERE THE HELL WERE
YOU?"

"H-He knocked me through the front door. I was out before the whole thing started."

"WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS?" Fat Cat looks around and realizes that he seems to
be a little short staffed today. "By the way, where is everybody?"
"Either in the hospital or at home nursing their wounds. Boss this guy weren't an
ordinary bat. He was bigger than me and he had these metal arms. I gave the guy my
best punch and it didn't even move 'im. He's hard boss, real hard. I'd bet you could
roller-skate on this guy."

Wart, the chameleon, takes up the story. "Another thing about him is that he came armed
to the teeth. He frightened off the customers and then proceeded to rip up the place. We
tried to stop him but he waded right through us. He was hitting people and breaking
bones on impact. Carl Freely may never walk again. Oh, by the by, he trashed your
office."

"He WHAT!?!"

"It would appear that he left something for you."

Wart extends a small black box along with a white card toward Fat Cat and the angry
tabby snatches them from his grasp. The small box is a transceiver and Fat Cat examines
the card. On the front of the card is the picture of a katana with bat wings emerging from
the hilt. The crime boss turns the card over and reads:

Came to pay you a visit. I'm sorry that I
missed you. Use the provided device to
contact me.
Call me. Ciao.

"Oh, I'll call you alright my smug friend. No one crosses Fat Cat and gets away with it.
NO ONE!"

Meanwhile back at Ranger HQ, Dale steps out onto the veranda where he finds Foxglove
looking off into space.

"A penny for your thoughts." He says as he wraps his arms around her waist from
behind.

"Oh, I was just thinking about Alex. He seems to be warming up to us slowly, but there's
still so much about him we don't know. For one, where does he go for hours on end?"

"He told me that he's just scouting out the area. He said he likes to know the lay of the
land."

"He told you that? You and he are getting to be down right chummy."

"What can I say? It's a gift."

Dale nuzzles Foxglove's neck and it brings forth a flood of giggles from her.

"Stop that, Dale. You know I'm ticklish there."

"Yeah, that's why I did it. Hey what's that?"

"What?"

"That."

Foxglove follows Dale's finger and she sees something approaching at high speed.
Squinting her eyes she says, "I think that's Alex. What's that crazy bat up to?"

"I'd say about 200 mph from the looks of it. Man, look at him move!"

It is quite obvious to the young couple that Alex is once again trying out his wings. The
bat is moving a speeds normally reserved for hawks.
"He's coming right at us!" Dale exclaims as Alex bears down on them. He grabs
Foxglove and puts his body between her and her hurdling sibling. At the last possible
moment Alex banks up and to his left. His passing actually creates a momentary vacuum
that lifts the two lovers off their feet slightly. Regaining their composure they watch as
the neo bat flies in a zig zag pattern. Changing direction so drastically sudden that it
becomes hard for their eyes to follow his movements. Finally he spirals down towards
them, pulls up and gently lands in front of them.

"Gosh almighty that was fast!"

"It would appear that my little repair crew has been busy with a few upgrades. They've
seemed to have boosted my implants' output a few percentage points.

"A FEW!" Interjects Foxglove. She walks up to her brother and stands with one wing on
her hip and the other wagging at Alex. "You nearly pulled us off the veranda with that
stunt Alexander!"

**Uh-oh, the whole first name. I'm in deep sheep dip.**

"Sorry sis. There are times when I forget just how big I am. Won't happen again,
honest."

"Well, okay. Just see that it doesn't." With that said Foxglove turns on her heel and goes
inside leaving two stunned males behind her.

"Wowie, I've never seen her like that before."

Alex chuckles. "She's definitely my sister alright. You've just witnessed a flare up of
the classic Fairmont temper. I think she's ticked because she feels that I endangered
you."

"Me?"

Yup. I also noticed that you placed yourself between me and her. Pretty brave thing to
do, Dale."

"Aww, it weren't nothing"

"Yeah, right."

Just then the door flies open and it's Gadget who addresses the big bat.

"Your transceiver set is beeping."

"Well, well. That'll be the overweight lover himself."

As Alex moves past her, Gadget screws up her face, cocks her head to one side and
repeats, "Overweight lover?"

"Don't mind me little one. That's just my sick sense of humor showing. I left a little
something at Fat Cat's place the other day. He must have gotten my message. I'll put it
on speaker."

After flicking a couple of switches. "Hello."

"Is this the person responsible for the carnage at my casino?"

"Guilty as charged."

"What the heck is your major malfunction? You get off on smashing up people's
livelihoods?"

"No, but I do enjoy rousting you, round boy. Tell me, how's Meeps? I banged him
pretty hard, but then again he's pretty much dead from the neck up anyway."

"You came into my place." Raged the tubby tabby on the other end of the line. "Scared
off my customers, trash my equipment and furniture and beat up on my employees."

By now the other Rangers have gathered around the conversation. They can practically
feel the heat of Fat Cat's rage through the transceiver. Alex however seems oblivious to
the crime boss' rage.

"Employees? Listen blubber boy, why don't you call them what they are? GOONS!!!
Second rate goons at that. I've worked up more sweat flying aerobatics with my kid
sister. You should really teach them better manners. Especially the big goon at the front
door. He never informed me that you weren't in. He just swung on me."

"Would you have left if he had said I wasn't in?"

Alex stares at the ceiling for a few seconds and then answers. "No. Most likely not."

"So you were going to break up my place regardless?"

"Uh-huh."

"In the name of hell, why?"

"Gadget."

"Gadget?"

"Gadget."

"You mean that little blonde Ranger."

"Hey, you got it in one. Good for you."

"That doesn't really answer my question, you ninny."

"Couple of your boys roughed her up the other day and I happened to see it. One of those
rat creeps, Toonce I think his name was, should by sporting the imprint of a dainty little
foot on the left side of his head. I had nothing to do with that."

The others heads turn toward Gadget as one and she blushes under their gaze.

"That was all Gadget there. The big jerk got more than he bargained for. She can be one
tough little Sheila." This last part Alex says with an excellent Australian accent. Monty
looks at him with a smile and gives him a thumbs up.

"I don't know about you, but no one roughs up a friend of mine in or out of my sight with
impunity. So here's the deal. I'll be in to see you in the morning for a nice little brunch.
How's that sound to you?"

"Excellent, I'll be expecting you."

"Good, I'm looking forward to meeting with you Heavy C. Until then, don't get killed.
See ya."

Switching off the set, Alex turns to see the others gaping at him. He looks from one
astonished face to the next. "What?!"

"Are you cuh-razy?" Chip ejaculates.

"Yes, but what's that got to do with anything?"

"You just can't waltz into Fat Cat's clutches like that! He can't be trusted!"

"So, neither can I. Listen Maplewood, he's gonna be thinking more along the lines of
you guys. Granted he has some idea of my capabilities but believe me he hasn't a clue as
to what I can do. I'm going to see him and turn his world upside down."

"But?"

Alex looks directly into Chips eyes a smile creeping across his face. "Believe me boss
munk, you're gonna love it."

Chapter Eleven
Into The Valley Of Death

9:45 am.

It was the third time Foxglove had looked at the clock in the past five minutes. The little
bat had been pacing like a caged panther most of the morning. Once more she looked at
the door to her brother's room, stopped in front of it and walked away to continue her
pacing.

"Foxglove why don't you sit down, luv." Monty spoke in a soothing tone.

"That's alright Monty, I just can't keep still."

Indeed she had increased the speed of her pacing and all the while wringing her wingtips.

"C'mere Foxy." Dale motioned to her. "Come sit by me."

"O-Okay cutie."

Foxglove plants herself next to her lover but seems to take no heed of him. Dale placing
an arm around her shoulder and frowns.

"Gee Foxy, every muscle in your body is tensed. You feel like a rock."

Foxglove springs to her feet and shouts. "How can you all just sit here? Alex is going to
meet with Fat Cat alone. ALONE!!!"

Her eyes fall on Chip, seated in his reading nook.

"Chip…Chip…Chip, please! You're the leader here! Can't you make him see that this is
crazy? He can't go there alone! Fat Cat's going to expecting him! He's walking into a
trap!"

Chip looks up at the desperate bat. "I know that. You know that. Heck, everyone in this
room knows that." Chip casts an eye at the door to Alex's room. "And most of all, he
knows that too."

Monty comes over to the distraught bat, places his hands on her small shoulders and
looks her right in the eye.

"Alex is one tough bloke. If he says he can handle it, I'm inclined to believe him, luv."

"But."

"Alex has dealt this hand." Chip interjects. "And like it or not he's running the game
right now. I say we let him play it out his way. We'll just have to batten down the
hatches and weather the storm."

"Why Maplewood, thanks for the vote of confidence."

Everyone in the room turns as one at the sound of Alex's voice.

"Zowie!"

"Golly!"

"Crikey!"

Alex has emerged from his room dressed in his battle gear. Covering his torso is a form
fitting shell of black Kevlar body armor. On the left breast in white relief is the image of
a katana with bat wings. On his metal fists are a pair of matching jet black gauntlets.
Around his neck is a black choker bordered in gold and at its center a red stone, polished
to a brilliant sheen. His feet are covered in a pair of heavy, black boots the toes of which
are encased in gleaming stainless steel. In holsters on either side of his body rests the
rodent equivalent of two .357 magnum automatics. Just to the right side of his head they
can see the black and gold inlaid hilt of his katana and in his left hand he clutches the
weapon of the vanquished neo bat Hammer. The entire image of death and destruction is
tied together by a long, black leather duster.

Dale is the first to comment on Alex's attire. "Whoa, Matrix chic."

"Experimental Prototype-Codename: Blade." Gadget utters quietly.

Alex turns to her with that half smile and winks. "These are my work clothes. They're
part of the message that I'll be giving Fat Cat today."

Walking over to Chip, Alex stares down at the much smaller rodent. The others watch as
they seem to communicate without uttering a single word.

"Be careful Dark Ranger, Fat Cat's slicker than snot." Chip finally says.

"Very colorful metaphor there boss munk. Well, I'd best be off. Wouldn't wanna keep
round boy waiting."

As he turns to leave, Alex feels a tug at his coat tail. Turning he finds his sister looking
up at him with tear filled eyes and trembling chin. She fiercely launches herself into his
arms and clings to him with all her might.

"Don't go! Don't go! Don't go!" She sobs as she pushes her head up under his chin.

Alex closes his eyes and sighs deeply. "I have to do this little one. I'm doing this for all
of you."

Foxglove's sobs begin to subside as Alex lowers her into Dale's waiting arms. Looking
at the young couple he places a large hand on Dale's shoulder. "Thanks buddy."

Looking over at Monty, Alex gives him a thumbs up. "It's gonna be a bonza dust up,
wish you could be there with me."

"Me too, mate. Me too."

Alex then turns to leave again but this time stops on his own. Turning back, he looks at
Foxglove standing in Dale's embrace. He opens his mouth and speaks but the gathered
rodents hear nothing. However, they look on as Foxglove quickly nods her head as she
tries to hold back the tears. Finally Alex turns and leaves. As he walks out onto the
veranda his wings unfold through apertures in the back of his duster and seemingly with
no effort takes to the sky.

**I love you too, big brother. I love you too.**

* * * *

Cruising at an altitude of 200 feet, Alex looks at the city spread out beneath him.

**Look at them down there. I wonder how humanity would react if it knew that there
was another culture living at it's feet?**

He shakes himself out of his reverie upon spotting his destination, the Happy Tom Cat
Food Company. A sense of grim determination comes over him as he dives toward it.

In his office, which is in the head of the cat logo atop the building, Fat Cat is ranting at
his cronies.

"When that arrogant bastard gets here I'll have the pleasure of seeing him taken down a
peg or two. I'll have him begging for mercy which I will not extend. This is going to be
absolutely delicious."

On his desk a intercom buzzes. "Yes, what is it?"

"Boss, he's here."

"Alright, I'll be there shortly. Come, my muddled minions, our guest awaits."

Down on the main floor, Alex is escorted into the casino. He checks out the two large
rats that flank him.

**If Fat's trying to intimidate me with these guys, it ain't working. Hey I recognize this
one on my right.**

"Hey pal, how's your chest?"

"Still a little sore, sir. You really pack a wallop."

"Thanks." Alex motions the big rat closer. "Listen friend, if the crap hits the fan around
here try and make yourself scarce. I most likely won't have time to choose my targets."
He whispers in Zeus' ear.

"Thank you, sir. I'll take that under advisement. Have a seat, the boss will be with you
shortly."

Fat Cat purposely makes Alex wait, hoping to put the bat on edge but instead he finds
him sipping on a drink and happily conversing with Zeus.

"Sorry for my tardiness, I hope you weren't too bored." Fat Cat says with a hint of
sarcasm.

"No, not at all Fat Cat, Zeus and I were having a very spirited conversation. I must say I
find him very different from your usual hirelings. He actually appears to have a high
degree of intelligence. You're slipping Fat Cat, I thought that you preferred morons."

"May we please get to the point of this meeting. I'm a very busy feline."

"Right you are." The smile falls from Alex's face and it takes on a deadly earnest. "I
would like my property returned before this goes another step."

"Oh, you mean the transceiver, by all means yes. Wart if you'd please."

The chameleon steps forward somewhat nervously and hands the small device to the bat.
Alex looks at it and then at Fat Cat. With a half smile he then drops the device on the
floor and smashes it with a booted foot.

"Why on earth did you do that?"

"C'mon Fats. What do you take me for?" Bending down to the wrecked communicator
Alex picks up a small electronic component and holds out for all to see. "A tracking
device. Really Fats, a clumsy attempt at best. Did you somehow get a brain cramp and
forget that I'm a bat." He then points to his large ears. "I heard the signal the minute you
entered the room."

Fat Cat groans inwardly but keeps up outward appearances. "Can't blame a crime czar
for trying. Now that we've gotten that out of the way."

"Yes, yes certainly. As much as I would love to sit here and chew the fat with you, there
is the matter of our business. Well Fats, here it is. I would really appreciate it if you'd
pack up and get the hell out of Dodge."

"What?"

"You heard me. Get out of New York City."

Fat Cat as well as his henchmen look at the bat incredulously. "You, someone I hadn't
heard of until yesterday, are telling me to leave town."

"Yup, that's about it." Alex says, the smile never leaving his face. "You know what?
On second thought, why don't you get out of the tri-state area. Go west Fats. Nevada's
got more than enough opportunities for a cat of your, shall we say, special talents."

Fat Cat starts to actually tremble with rage. Didn't this night flyer realize who he was
talking to. He's Fat Cat! No one tells him what to do. He tells others what to do. What
daring! What OUTRAGEOUSNESS!! WHAT ARROGANCE!!! **Look at him
sitting there leaning back in his chair, no less!**

"Why you son of a misbegotten BAT!!"

"Hey, I didn't know you knew my mother."

"Why should I leave?"

"Well, not to put too fine a point on it. You can either leave town or you can leave this
life."

**He doesn't realize that I can hear his heartbeat. Boy, maybe I can aggravate him into a
fatal heart attack."

"I'M FAT CAT, DAMMIT!!!"

**Or maybe not.**

"NO ONE THREATENS ME! ESPECIALLY NOT IN MY OWN PLACE!!"

**Here it comes!**
"BLOW THIS BASTARD'S HEAD OFF!! NOW!!!!"

With his legs, Alex pushes the table into Fat Cat's face and at the same time rolls
backwards off his chair. From hidden compartments gunmen pour out with weapons at
the ready. Alex rolls and comes up with his guns drawn and the first three gunmen go
down from gunshots to the head. Alex spins and takes out two more before they can
level their weapons.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU ALL? I SAID KILL HIM!!" Fat Cat roars, fairly
foaming at the mouth.

The big bat's guns bark again and three more hoods are sent off to the judgment of a
higher court. Finally Fat Cat's hoods get the range and train their guns on the fast
moving bat. Realizing this, Alex goes to one knee and enshrouds himself in his wings as
the air is shattered by nearly a dozen guns, of various calibers, opening up.

"YES! YES, MY MINIONS! DESTROY THAT NIGHT FLYING FREAK!!!"
Shouts Fat Cat with a maniacal smile. The smile quickly fades as the gun smoke clears
and he sees that the big bat is unscathed.

Alex rises still encased in his wings but now they appear to sheathed in glittering bio-
metal. The bat lifts his head and his eyes fall on Fat Cat. A decidedly evil grin creeps
across his canine-like features. Fat Cat feels the blood in his veins turn to ice water.

"My turn." Alex whispers.

Fat Cat and company look on in horror as the bat's wings snap open to reveal a fully
automatic shotgun removed from it's holster on his back. The charges slam into the
massed gunmen shredding them like paper. Fat Cat turns to run but a well aimed charge
shatters his left leg below the knee, all but amputating it.

"Stick around Fats, I've got plans for you." Alex growls. For now, in truth, Alex is no
longer present. No longer is that bat, who loves his sister and is growing to like her
friends, in this fight. This is war. This is survival! Alex is gone, now there is only
BLADE.

Too late do Fat Cat's hoods realize the change. Throwing down the empty shotgun,
Blade dashes for his war hammer. Scooping it up he gets medieval on the last of Fat
Cat's elite guard. Growling and roaring like a bat gone mad he swings the deadly
bludgeon again and again. A large rat rushes forward only to be sent spinning backwards
with blood frothing from his nose and mouth as the hammer smashes his ribcage. All
around him enemies try to advance but Blade stands like a rock in the surge of the sea.
Body after broken body is repulsed by the big bat. Then a trio mice take up a coordinated
attack carrying swords of oriental design. They circle the bat and their smaller size
making the bludgeon an impractical weapon for the job. Dropping the heavy weapon,
Blade draws his katana, turns its point down and draws an arc in the blood around him.
From three different points the mice attack and are repulsed as the bat's speed belies his
bulk. One mouse is slammed back by a steel toed booted foot. Another is smacked by
his metal wings. The third is the most unfortunate, he's the one who attacked head on.
Blade comes forward with his katana and the mouse tries to parry the stroke only to have
his sword shatter and the bat's heavier blade bisect him at the waist. The mouse's lower
half actually takes four more steps before collapsing to the floor. Blade stands ready as
the remaining two mice attack again and once again come up short. Blade trips one as he
passes and the second one finds himself impaled on Blade's claws. As the first mouse is
trying to regain his balance, Blade flings the body of his comrade at him. The mouse is
struck in the back and the force of the impact sends him sprawling. As he tries
desperately to crawl out from beneath his dead friend, the shadow of the bat falls across
him and it is over as his head is separated from his body.

Blade looks around and all about him are the dead bodies of rats, mice and chipmunks.
He then turns his attention to larger prey, Fat Cat and his inner circle. Blade advances on
them and one of the rats who escorted him in moves to intervene. Blade makes short
work of him by literally grabbing him by the throat and ripping it out. The rat drops to
his knees, gurgling and sputtering as he drowns in his own blood. Without so much as a
backwards glance, Blade continues to move towards Fat Cat's prone form. The inner
circle look nervously at one another as the bat advances.

"Do you think that fat sack of crap is worth dying for? If so, step right up." Blade
growls.

With that said, Fat Cat's associates turn tail and run for the exit.

"No, please don't leave me. Come back." Fat Cat pleads while holding the shattered
stump that once was his leg. "It can't end like this. I was going to rule this city. First
those miserable Rangers and now this bat from hell."

Fat Cat comes out of his ranting to see that Blade is nearly upon him. The criminal
kingpin extends his claws. "I'll kill you myself. You're just a bat, I'm higher on the
food chain than you. Die you misbegotten freak!"

Fat Cat brings his massive paw arcing at his tormentor.

>SCHNICK> >SWISH>

Fat Cat howls in pain and disbelief.

"MY PAW!! YOU CUT OFF MY PAW!!"

Fat Cat then tries to scoot back away from the advancing bat, but the floor is too slick
with his blood and the blood of others.

"You just had to do things the hard way." Blade growls more than says. "You could
have gone west and made a fortune there. Oh well, c'est la vie."

"No, please. Don't kill me, please. Mercy!" Pleads the once powerful crime boss but
mercy's face has fled. He is now in the grip of the beast and it will not let him go.

Chapter Twelve
Birth Of The Dark Ranger

As the Rangers wait for Alex to return, they try to go about their usual routine. However
as the morning gives way to early afternoon there is still no sign of Alex. By then
Foxglove has gone beyond anxious and is now bordering on frantic. Once again she
resumes her pacing and refusing to eat.

"Oh, what could be taking him so long? It's been over three hours now. Something's
gone wrong, I just know it."

Gadget looks on worriedly as her friend continues her pacing. Fearing for Foxglove's
health, she places a arm gently around Foxglove's shoulder and steers her toward her
workshop. Once inside, Gadget manages to get the agitated bat to sit down. It seems to
Gadget that her friend has aged three years in the past three hours. She can see the
extreme worry etched onto the young bat's face and her wingtips are nearly rubbed raw
from her constantly wringing them. One of Gadget's greatest assets is to feel empathy
for others and their situations.

"Foxy." she begins. Hoping that she can distract her friend. "Can I ask you a kind of
personal question?"

"Sure Gadget."

"Just before Alex left he spoke to you but we couldn't hear what he said."

"Oh that. We bats can communicate at frequencies that you rodents can't register. I
guess he was afraid of sounding sappy in front of all of you. H-He was just telling me t-
that he loves m-me."
With that the dam then breaks and Foxglove falls into Gadget's arms. The young
inventor just holds her friend and cries with her.

Meanwhile in the main living area, an excited knock is heard at the door. Monty goes to
answer but before he can reach the door it flies open and very excited Tammy bursts in.

"Tammy, what's the matter?" Chip asks as he rises from his seat.

"I take you that you guys haven't heard."

"Heard what?"

"Fat Cat's been killed. The word is spreading like wildfire."

Emerging from the workshop, Gadget and Foxglove catch only the tail end of Tammy's
statement.

"What's spreading like wildfire?" Gadget asks.

"Fat Cat's dead. Someone came into his casino this morning a sliced him up."

The Rangers stand in mute astonishment, hardly believing the news which has just been
relayed to them. It is Chip who breaks the silence.

"C'mon crew, we've got to check this out for ourselves."

Within minutes the Rangerwing is making its way to Fat Cat's casino with Foxglove
flying along side. As they grimly wing towards their destination, thoughts buzz around
Chip's head like a swarm of angry bees.

**I just knew it would come to this. Alex is the irresistible force and Fat Cat was the
immovable object. There's one thing that I'm unclear on. Did Alex leave this morning
with the distinct purpose of killing Fat Cat in mind, or did events spin out of his control
forcing his hand?**

In short order Gadget lands the Rangerwing on the roof and they all descent the staircase
from the roof to Fat Cat's office.

"The office is reasonably undisturbed." Observes Gadget.

Chip turns to Dale. "I think it's best that you stay up here with Foxglove, Dale. It's
liable to be pretty grim downstairs."

"That's alright, Chip. You needn't try to protect me from what my brother is capable of.
I may not have been at this long, but I'm a Ranger too."

Chip begins to say something in way of an argument but Dale places his hand on his
friend's shoulder. "She's right, Chip. Let's get on with this."

They all descend in the elevator to the casino below. Even before the doors open their
sensitive noses pick of the distinct scent of blood. Each now realizing that it will indeed
be a grim scene. The doors slide open and the stench of blood strikes them all like a
sledgehammer.

"Crikey! This place is a charnel house." Says Monty wincing from the stench.

Everywhere they look there's blood and bodies. The New York Rodent Police
Department is on the scene collecting whatever evidence they can and documenting the
crime scene. A large, middle-aged squirrel advanced toward them upon noticing their
presence.

"I figured that you guys would show up here sooner or later. Can you actually believe
that Fat Cat's dead. I tell you there's hope for the world, yet."

"Hello, McDugell. This is something that we had to see with our own eyes." Chip says
while shaking the squirrel's hand. "Where is he?"

"Right over there." The squirrel says jerking a thumb over his shoulder.

The Rangers approach the prostrate form of Fat Cat slowly. It is apparent from the cat's
expression that he was absolutely terrified at the time of his death. It also equally
apparent that despite the mutilated leg and severed paw, Fat Cat had died from a single
thrust to the throat. Death was more or less instantaneous.

"Alex did all this?" Foxglove says in a whisper that is barely audible. Her eyes taking in
the carnage around her and the stench of blood strong in her nostrils.

"Toorahloo! When that bloke gets going, he really goes."

"Let's get out of here." Chip says abruptly. "This is a job for the NYRPD not us. I just
wanted to see it with my own eyes."

"Right you are, mate. It's hard to believe but there he is, deader than a three day old
mackerel."

On their way out, the Rangers are stopped by McDugell.

"Hey, you guys wouldn't happen to have any ideas on who might have pulled this off? I
mean from what we can tell there was one heck of a fire fight here. There are spent shell
casings everywhere. Definitely looks like a professional job."

Chip swallows, looks quickly at his friends and then McDugell.

"No sir. Can't help you there. All I can say is that in Fat Cat's line of work you're
bound to make some powerful enemies."

"That's most definitely the truth. Well, I'll be seeing you."

McDugell turns and heads back to the crime seen, while the Rangers make for the
elevator.

"Damn him!" Chip growls in the quiet of the elevator.

The others look on in shock as they are not accustomed to hearing Chip swear. However,
given the circumstances it is quite understandable. They know that Chip Maplewood is a
chipmunk driven by a code of ethics. To him nothing is more important, and now he has
been forced to compromise those ethics for Alex's sake. He had been force to look a law
enforcement official in the face and tell a bold-faced lie. To say the least it was not
sitting well with him.

"We've got to find him. I want to know what happened here."

"I wonder why he didn't come back to headquarters?" Says Foxglove, again in a small
voice.

Gadget looks uneasily at her friend as if not wanting to give voice to her thoughts. It is
Monty, however that voices them.

"You don't suppose that he's hurt. After all McDugell said that there was a lot of
shooting going on. He could be lying somewhere hurt. The bloke could really be in
trouble."

Foxglove gasps at this thought but Chip's face looks as if a light bulb went off over his
head.

"C'mon crew, I think I know where he might be."

* * * *

The Rangerwing speeds northward from the industrial area of the lower Eastside to the
upper Westside of Manhattan. The flight goes on in silence until Dale breaks it.

"Hey fearless leader, you mind cluing us in."

"When Monty said that Alex might be in trouble, I remembered something that Alex had
told me earlier."

"I don't quite follow you Chippah, me lad."

"It's not that he's in trouble but he might be troubled."

"Huh?" Gadget grunts from the pilot's seat shooting Chip a sideways glance.

"Alex told me that when he's feeling troubled he always heads up here to a small park to
think things through."

"He told you this?" Dale says with no small amount of surprise. "You know for a guy he
seems at constant odds with he sure confides in you."

"Yeah, I find it kinda strange myself."

After a few more minutes flight time, Gadget lands the Wing in a small park nestled in a
nice neighborhood. Deplaning they look around and it's Foxglove who shouts, "There he
is, over there." They rush towards Alex only to suddenly pull up short.

"My God." Chip says in a hushed whisper. "He's covered in blood."

"Too right mate, but that's not all, look."

On closer examination they realize that Alex is standing before a pair of headstones. The
big bat is as immobile as the stones that he stands in front of. His normally keen ears
seemingly not registering the Rangers' presence.

"Golly, we might be intruding if we went over there now. Perhaps it's better to wait
for…"

Gadget hasn't the chance to finish her statement as she sees Foxglove walking to her
brother and surprisingly with Dale in tow. She and the others watch as the couple close
the distance between themselves and Alex. Still the bat pays no heed to their presence. It
isn't until Foxglove reaches out a wingtip and touches his arm that he comes out of his
reverie. Looking down at the two lovers he places a hand on each of their shoulders and
half smiles at them. Looking up he notices the others and motions for them to come over.
Once they are all together, Alex addresses the headstone on the left.

"Well honey, here's the group I've been telling you about." Putting a hand at Foxglove's
back he gently pushes her forward. "This little honey here is Foxglove, your sister in-
law. She reminds me so much of you, Midnight. She's loving, caring and selfless to a
fault, just like you."

Foxglove looks at the grave marker and through tear filled eyes reads:

IN LOVING MEMORY
MIDNIGHT FAIRMONT
WIFE MOTHER FRIEND
1968 - 1991

He then turns her to the marker to the right. "Hey girls, this is your Aunt Foxglove. I
wish you could have gown up to be like her. You could have done far worse."

Now with tears running down her face Foxglove reads:

IN LOVING MEMORY
BRITTANY & FOXGLOVE
FAIRMONT
1988 – 1991
THEY NOW FLY WITH THE ANGELS

The little bat looks from the gravestone to her brother and back again.

"Foxglove?" She's able to barely choke out the name.

"I named one of the girls after you. We all thought that you were lost to us forever. It
was my way of keeping your memory alive. You would live on in Little Foxglove."

At this Foxglove totally breaks down. Alex turns and motions for Dale to step forward,
which he does taking Foxglove in his arms.

"This here's your Uncle Dale. I'd know you'd have liked him and he'd like you."

The introductions go and finally. "Well, sweetheart that's all of them with the exception
of Zipper. I have yet to meet him myself. It would seem that he's on extended leave
with his lady friend. Goodbye for now girls, rest well."

The Rangers watch as Alex kneels and clears away a few weeds which have cropped up
on and around the graves. Then rising he turns to Chip.

"C'mon Maplewood, let's talk."

The others watch the chipmunk and bat walk off together with a bit of apprehension.
After all there is no telling where a talk between these two volatile personalities will lead.

With an even tone, Chip starts things off.
"Alex, what the heck happened at the casino this morning?"

"I presented an ultimatum to Fat Cat is what happened."

"Ultimatum?"

"Yeah, I told him to take his business elsewhere or die. He chose to die."

"You what?!"

"Will you listen to me before you go flying off the handle."

"Okay, go ahead."

"It's my understanding that you guys have been a mutual thorn in each other's side for
years now."

"Can't argue with that."

"Well, I figured if I could persuade him to leave town it would be beneficial for all
concerned."

"In other words, you were willing to make Fat Cat someone else's problem."

"Yes! This way he might come up against someone who wasn't squeamish about
fraggin' his fat ass."

"I already told you that we don't…"

"Yes, yes I know but the world isn't made up of Chip Maplewoods. There are some like
you and then there are a whole lot more like me. People who believe in squashing an
enemy's head beneath their boot. It was like you and Fats were locked in some kinda
clumsy death grip. Lurching this way and that. How long did you think you could keep
that up. Sooner or later he was going to get you guys."

"Oh please, Alex. One of Fat Cat's insipid schemes actually work."

"There is this thing called the law of averages ya know."

"Law of what?"

"It is said, even a broken clock is right twice a day. In other words, no one can screw
things up all the time. Sooner or later they get it right."

"Maybe but I don't see…Oww!"

Alex bonks Chip gently on the head.

"Hello! In case you've been in a mental coma and haven't noticed, my sister is now a
member of your little team. If you go down, chances are you'll take her with you."

"Now how do you figure that?"

"You know for someone who calls himself a detective, the simple things seem to slide
right by you."

"Whattayamean?"

"Elementary my dear Maplewood. You and Dale are as tight as brothers. Hell, you're
tighter than most brothers I've known. If you're in danger do you think he'll abandon
you?"

Chip simply stares without answering.

"Hell no! He'll do everything in his power to help his best bud out. Now let's expand on
that. My sister has tied herself to your best friend beyond any untying. Do you think
she'd abandon Dale if he were in danger?"

Chip's mouth drops open. "The domino principle." He slowly says.

"Exactly!"

Chip looks up and Alex and fixes the bat with a intense stare of his own.

"One question, Alex. Did you leave this morning with the idea of killing Fat Cat?"

"Let's put it this way, Maplewood. I didn't leave with the idea of NOT killing him. I
knew I was going to try a little brinkmanship on him. I pushed, he pushed back. He tried
to kill me, I did kill him."

"How can you just break it down to such a simple equation? My God Alex, you must
have killed at least a dozen people this morning."

"It was closer to twenty actually."

"You keep count?"

"You're damn Skippy I do. Maplewood, I do not take a life lightly. When I do make the
decision that it is necessary, there is no court of appeals. My decision stands and
sentence is carried out. As I said before, I'll not sacrifice my sister on the altar of your
ethics. She's all I have in this lousy world and I would murder that world to keep her
safe."

Chip shakes his head sadly at the big bat's statement. "You know I believe you would at
that. What are we to do with you?"

"Boss munk, I don't think that we'll ever see eye to eye on certain things but I do think
we can work most of the rough areas out. In one respect we're the same."

"And that would be?" Says Chip with a weak smile.

"We're commanders. You've run this outfit for five years now and I've commanded
soldiers in the last war. I will promise you this, commander. There will be no
unnecessary wet works on my part. That is not to say that I won't still break some bones
here and there. I'm telling you now though, when I think you're wrong I'm gonna let
you know. I'm gonna be the proverbial pain in the butt to you, Maplewood. Now when
it comes to my little problem with The Colony, that must be handle by me in my own
way. Agreed?"

Again Chip smiles and shakes his head. "Something tells me that my life is about to
become a lot more complicated." The Ranger leader extends his hand and Alex shakes it.
"Welcome aboard, Dark Ranger."

"You called me that earlier today. You know, I kinda like the sound of it. Blade, The
Dark Ranger. Yeah, that should strike fear in the hearts of evil doers everywhere."

The two share a laugh as they return to the others.

"C'mon troops, let's head for home." Chip says cheerfully.

Alex turns to the graves of his family.

**Hear that girls? Home. Something I haven't truly had for ten years now. Sounds
good though. HOME.**

The Rangers along with their newest member take to the sky and swing south towards
Central Park. The mice and chipmunks marvel as Alex easily carries an exhausted
Foxglove on his back. Sitting between his two large wings, she grips his ears and smiles
at her friends.

"Look, I have my own Batwing." She says with a giggle.

"Ouch!" Her sibling says. "I should drop you for that one, sis."

* * * *

As the sextet nears their tree, Foxglove's ears suddenly perk up.

"Alex!"

"Yeah, I know. I hear it too, sis."

"What's the problem over there guys?" Dales asks.

"Trouble Cutie. We're both picking up the sound of implants."

"Where from?" Shouts Chip.

Alex turns toward him and slowly replies. "Headquarters."

Chapter Thirteen
An Unexpected Guest

Swooping down toward the front door, Alex unholsters his two automatic pistols.

"Ride's over little one." He says and Foxglove detaches herself and takes wing. She
hovers beside the Rangerwing which in turn hovers some six feet from the door.
Landing, Alex shoves open the door and brandishing his guns bolts into the room.

"Alright sucker, freeze!"

The figure seated on the couch slowly turns toward the big bat. Recognition then plays
across Alex's face as he slowly lowers his twin cannons.

"Ravencroft?" He barely whispers.

"In the fur, sir."

Having landed the Rangerwing and not hearing any sounds of mayhem, the others slowly
file into the room. What greets their eyes is Alex staring at a stunningly beautiful neo
bat. She, like Alex, stands much taller than them, but still a full head shorter the Alex.
Her fur is a brilliant white and luxurious shoulder-length hair is the same stark color. It is
her eyes, however, that stand out the most. Large, expressive and a rosy shade of pink
making her that true rarity: An albino bat.

Gadget smiles and thinks, **Gee! Just like sis.**

Chip steps forward and stands next to the newest member of his team, all the while
keeping a weary eye on the other neo bat.
"Do you know her?"

"Yeah, I know her alright. Alicia Ravencroft. She was one of two females under my
command during the war. She was my best pilot."

"And the best damned wingman you ever had. If I do say so myself, sir."

Ravencroft starts to come around the couch and is brought up short as Alex retrains his
guns on her.

"So they got to you too." He says flatly. His eyes showing just a hint of sorrow.

"Same day they shot you down, sir. I was circling to get a fix on your position after
hearing your garbled mayday."

"Yeah, I didn't have much of a face left at the time. You were always a good pilot,
Ravencroft, not to mention, a great wingman. Coming back in to look after your reckless
commander. Funny, I don't recall ever seeing or hearing about a female in our little
group of guinea pigs."

"I wasn't part of your group, sir. I was part of Group B."

"Group B?"

"Yes, sir. We were kept in another part of the compound."

"How many out of your group survived?"

"Four, sir. Counting myself. The others they…"

"No need to tell me , Ravencroft. I saw it with my own eyes. So I take it you left
without permission."
"Yes, sir. We most certainly did."

"We?"

"Me and the remainder of Group B."

At this news, Alex's eyes go wide. He quickly scans Ravencroft and once again lowers
his guns.

"She's telling the truth." He says, now holstering his weapons.

"Are you certain?" Chip questions, still weary of Ravencroft.

"Foxglove?" Alex says, turning to the little bat.

"Uh-huh, she's telling the truth alright. Her vitals were steady the whole time."

"Sir?!"

"Sorry Ravencroft, but I had to be sure. There's some bad hombres tracking me and I
had to be sure that you weren't one of them. I had Foxglove do a back up scan by way of
verification."

"No sir, that's not it. Did I hear you call her Foxglove?"

"Well, Ravencroft your ears are nearly as big as mine so I guess you heard right."

The albino neo bat's face takes on an odd expression and she begins to unconsciously
fiddle with her left ear. Alex notices the behavior, sighs and shakes his head.

"Oh damn. I'm sorry, Alicia. I've forgotten that you're self-conscious about your ears.
Sorry."
A smile creeps onto her delicate features as she regains her composure.

"No problem, sir. It's already forgotten. However, getting back to the point. Is she the
one that was lost some years ago?"

"Guilty as charged." Pipes in Foxglove, using her brother's standard reply line.

"I'm glad for you, sir."

"Thank you, Alicia. Now there's just one more thing."

"Sir?"

Alex walks to her and places a hand on each of her slender shoulders and looks her
straight in the eye.

"The war's over, Alicia. You don't have to address me as 'sir' any longer. You can call
me Alex or by my codename if you prefer."

"Okay, if you insist, sir…er…I mean Alex."

"I do insist, Alicia. You were one of few people I considered my friend back in that
lousy war. I'm just sorry your dedication to duty resulted in this happening to you. I
know the pain you went through."

It is then that Alex notices his friend's ear tag and reads it.

CN: KATANA

"Hey whattaya know about that. It would seem you got to keep your old call sign."

"Call sign?" Questions Gadget.

"A call sign is what we pilots use in the military for easier identification over the radio.
My call sign was 'Bat One' and Alicia's here was 'Katana'. Let's have a look at your
personal."

This time it's Monty who jumps in. "Personal?"

"Yeah, personal weapon. Many of us were codenamed for the weapons we carry. As
you saw Hammer carried just that as a personal weapon. Katana, here carries…"

Alicia unsheathes her weapon from behind her back. It's a katana like Alex's the
difference being where his hilt is inlaid with ebony and gold trim, hers is ivory and silver.
Turning the exquisite weapon over in his hands several times he notes that it's only about
¾ the weight of his weapon. He also notes that the hilt is somewhat smaller than his.

"A fine blade, Alicia. Definitely balanced for its owner."

"Alex?"

The big bat turns and faces Dale. The chipmunk is wearing a rather puzzled expression.

"If you all were named for your personal weapons, how come your codename is simply,
Blade?"

"I can answer that for you." Alicia interjects. "Alex, as you probably know, was the first
of us. It would seem that no matter what weapon was placed in his hands he excelled
with it. Those on the council considered him as close to perfection as was physically
possible. It was said that he would be like a scalpel. They would use him to 'surgically'
remove a problem. From the analogy of the scalpel came the codename, Blade."

"Golly," Alex says sheepishly. "I didn't realize that I had become the talk of the
complex."

"After you fought your way out it was declared that none of us would be as intensely
trained as you were. I guess they didn't want to chance creating an army of Blades that
would only eventually turn on them."

"Yeah, I guess the jerks should've read Frankenstein." Alex says removing his torso
armor.

"They made you too well, Alex." Alicia says in a low voice staring hard at her former
commander. "From what I've heard, they're afraid of you. So much so that they've gone
ahead with Project: Tracker."

"Wow, I'm flattered." Alex says, removing his heavy boots. "You mean to tell me that
those little snits on the council are that afraid of me?"

"It would seem so."

"Project: Tracker?" The inventor's curiosity is once again piqued.

"You tell them, Alicia. I'm going to hit the showers."

The big bat turns to leave the room, all the while muttering obscenities under his breath.
The two other bats are able to hear his comments clearly. Foxglove blushes so deeply
that the rosy hue is easily seen beneath her fur. Then they all hear, "I should go back
there and burn it all down. Don't leave two bricks standing together. Don't those
jackasses realize all I want is to be left alone. No good sons of…" >SLAM>.

Alicia turns back to the others and smiles weakly. "Well, I guess we all know how he
feels about the situation."

They all move to the conversation pit and sit down. Foxglove notices that despite her
size, Alicia's movements are smooth and graceful, a lot like her brother's. There seems
to be an economy of movement.

"Now," Alicia starts. "getting back to Project: Tracker. From what information I was
able to gather the project was thought up as a contingency plan by the council. After all,
they were designing assassins that were two and three times their size. Project: Tracker
was meant to be used like a police force over us. If any of us or all of us were to step out
of line this police force was to be there to quell it."

"What sort of animal was to be used for this police force?" Chip asks.

"Really don't know but the scuttle butt was that R.O.D.E.N.T.S. was shipping in South
American Fruit Bats."

"Crikey! Those blokes are like 2 ½ to three times as big as Alex."

"Yeah, and just think when they're enhanced. They'll probably be like flying tanks. I
don't know how he'll stop one if it's sent out after him."

"He'll stop it with our help." Dale says jumping to his feet.

"Afraid not cowboy." Alicia says shaking her head. "These thing will be designed to
stop a neo bat. No offense intended but you guys wouldn't even be an minor annoyance
to these killers."

"But what about his implants?" Foxglove queries.

"What about them? Your brother has the same implants as I do and I'm telling you I
wouldn't be able to stop a Tracker.

"No, no, something happened and he said that his implants were…Oh what's the word he
used?"

"Enhanced!" Dale exclaims.

"Yeah, that's it!"

"Enhanced?" Now it was Alicia's turn to question. "How could his implants be
enhanced? That would take a major overhaul of his systems. The implants would have
to be reprogrammed and that would…" The white bat's voice trails off and her face
registers shocked realization. "Tell me, has Alex sustained any major injuries recently?"

"Crikey, I'll say he did. Just a couple of days ago when he took on that Hammer bloke.
Gadget here can tell ya the extents of his injuries. She stayed with him for most of the
time."

"Well, from what I could tell." Gadget begins. "The left side of his ribcage was all but
caved in. How he survived the initial attack, let alone fought, is beyond me."

"Alex is somewhat over-engineered, Gadget. For some reason his design is much more
robust than the rest of us. But do go on." Alicia says with a smile.

"There was extensive damage to his stomach and liver. Not to mention a gaping hole in
his left side. Afterwards, he slept for a day and a half and when he awoke his injuries had
healed."

"Then just yesterday, Foxy and me saw him flying around the park. Man he was moving
like a hawk and then he pulled a series of high speed direction changes."

"The nanites." Alicia says softly.

"Yes, he did mention them." Chip says. "But you seem shocked. Why so?"
'The nanites in Alex's system are suppose to repair damage and return things to a
nominal condition. It would seem, however that the nanites have exceeded their original
programming. They're not just repairing but upgrading his systems."

"Golly, it sounds like you're describing a computer, Alicia."

"That's not a bad analogy, Gadget. If Alex were a computer this would be like having
his operating system upgraded every so often. Not only that, but having his peripherals
changed out as well. All this being done without ever turning off the computer….My
goodness!"

"What?!" Everyone says in unison.

"No wonder the council fears him so. It's all perfectly clear now."

"What?!" Again in unison.

"That's why the nanotechnology was withheld from the rest of us. What killed the others
is benefiting him."

"We're not quite following you, Alicia." Chip says with a touch of irritation.

"I'm sorry. I was sort of thinking out loud. Alex as you already know is a prototype.
When the nanotechnology worked in him, the scientists went ahead and installed it in the
others. Figuring if it worked with Alex it would work with the others. They were in for a
major disappointment. The nanites ran amok in the others, killing them in horrible
ways."

"I don't mean to sound morbid," Gadget says. "But what were the mechanisms of death
in the others?"

"For the most part cellular disruption. The nanites not only tried to rewrite the implant
programming, but the DNA of the host. This lead to parts of their bodies being converted
into bio-metal. Many of the cells couldn't withstand the conversion and the cellular
membrane was ruptured. Some of those poor souls died like victims of radiation
poisoning, bleeding from every orifice as their internal organs broke down. Others
simply turned into lumps of dying flesh, their organics actually liquefying before the
doctors' eyes."

"Crikey, helluva way to go."

"Oh my sweet lord. That won't happen to my brother, will it?"

"It doesn't seem likely Foxglove. The others died within days of nanites being
introduced. Your brother has had his for two years now."

Foxglove closes her eyes and breathes a small sigh of relief. It is Chip who then speaks
up.

"You said it was clear why they fear him so."

"The folks back at the Colony are real control freaks. They fear Alex because he's an x-
factor. They fear him because it's difficult to chart his progress. They're in the dark as
to what his capabilities are. You said he's already had a run in with one of the Colony's
hunters?"

"Three if you count the two rats that showed up that first night." Dale says, inwardly
shivering at the memory.

"That would most likely have been Stryker and Raddis. Those two are strictly small
potatoes."

"Were." Chip corrects.

"Were?"

"Alex killed both of them that night. I've never seen anyone so large move so fast."
Gadget says.
"That again would be the implants doing. They're designed to heighten our natural
abilities and I'm here to tell you that Alex was fast even before all of this."

With a mischievous grin, Foxglove asks, "What was Alex like before all the changes?"

The female neo-bat is about to answer when she is interrupted by Alex.

"Now Alicia, don't go boring them to death with tales of my misspent youth."

"Awww!" Foxglove pouts. "I wanted to hear about it."

"Perhaps another time, Foxy." Alicia says with a smile. Turning she notices Alex giving
her a sideways stare.

"What?" She says with a shrug.

Alex's stare falters and he merely smiles shaking his head. "I know you well enough not
to try to change your mind on anything."

"See that's why you made colonel, you're smart. Now come with me and I'll give you a
tour of our facilities."

"No."

"No? Why not?"

"What I don't know I don't have to lie about. If worse comes to worst and they do get
me, I won't have to lie about the location of you and the others."

"Well, like I said. That's why you made colonel. I'll still be checking in with you
though."

"Always the good wingman, eh?"
"Always."

Alicia then cocks her head towards the front door and the two neo bats step out onto the
veranda.

"I think they make a cute couple." Foxglove chimes. "Don't you think so, Dale?"

"Yeah. If you're thinking of starting up an Assassins R Us branch."

"Oh you." Foxglove pouts as she playfully hits Dale in the shoulder.

Outside the two bats walk to the railing and Alex turns to Alicia.

"Okay Alicia. What's up?"

"This." From a pouch on her hip she removes a small disc. "You might be interested in
what on this."

"What is it?"

"As close as I can figure it's design specs on Project: Tracker. I was able to download it
from the Colony's main computer before I left. Maybe you can find some weakness in
the design and exploit it. The only problem is that the disc is encrypted. We may have a
way to beat this thing and we can't get at it."

"Wait a minute. I seem to remember the Rangers mentioning a friend of theirs that's a
computer wiz."

Alex walks back to the door and pokes his head in. "Hey boss munk! Could you step out
here for a minute?"

"Sure."
The others watch curiously as Chip walks out and steps between the two towering neo
bats.

"I have an encrypted computer disc here. There's possibly vital information on it.
You've mentioned a friend of yours that might be able to help."

"Indeed, her name's Trackball."

"Trackball?" Alicia questions with puzzled expression.

"It's her screen name. Come to think of it, we don't know what her actual name is."

"Think she can crack this disc for us, boss munk?"

"If she can't. I don't know who can."

Chapter Fourteen
Meet The Ts

As daylight wanes Chip and Gadget prepare to leave for Trackball's home.

"I hope you don't mind not being able to come along with us, Alex?" Chip says to the
big bat as he climbs into the Rangerwing.

"It's just that Trackball is a little skittish about meeting new people."

"Not a problem Maplewood, but you be sure to tell her what I said about decrypting that
disk. I don't want her coming into this thing blind. You must tell her EVERYTHING I
said."

"I read you loud and clear, Colonel." Chip replies snapping off a quick salute.

Alex replies with a quick nod and then steps back from the Rangerwing as it lifts off
vertically and speeds away. The neo bat watches as it disappears into the distance. His
gaze then shifts to the surrounding park as the as shadows of early evening lengthen into
night.

**This is really a nice area to live in. I think I could get use to it here. It's been a long
time since I've heard the sound of children at play. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed
that sound.**

The sensation of something furry against his arm snaps Alex from his reverie. He looks
down to see that his sister has taken his hand and placed her cheek against his arm. He
smiles down at her and she up at him.

"Don't worry big brother," she says quietly, "Trackball will be able to open that disk for
you."

"From what I've heard, that's not even a worry."

"Then what is?"

"Cripes, am I that easy to read?"

"For me, yes. So what's the worry?"

"My worry is that I'm bringing another person in on this thing. You and the other
Rangers were thrust into this the first night we met. Alicia…Well, she's been watching
my back for so long that it's become nearly second nature to her."

Alex pauses, gazes off into the gathering gloom, shakes his head and sighs.

"But this Trackball person is a babe in the woods. If she decides to go along with this
she'll be drawn in as well. Sis…I'm afraid."

The little bat looks up at her brother in astonishment. Here was the biggest, toughest
person she has ever known. This is the bat who had taken out Fat Cat and a casino full of
his minions. Here he was, all this and more, admitting to her that he was afraid.

"You? Afraid? Afraid of what?" She asks almost incredulously.

"It's just that it seems people who get caught up in one of my storms wind up paying too
heavy a price for the ride."

"But Alex, we're Rescue Rangers. That's what we do big bro'. We help people."

"I know. I know little one but Trackball isn't a Ranger. She's more like an expert
consultant. I know she's helped out the Rangers in the past but this is really some
heavyweight crap here. If The Colony gets wind that she's in on this they'll waste her
just to cover their tails. Believe me, I know."

Alex walks away from Foxglove and stares off into the night.

"I just hope Maplewood makes the situation absolutely clear to her."

"Chip." Says Foxglove with a hint of irritation.

"Pardon?"

"Alex, his name is Chip."

"Right. I'll try and remember that."

The little bat rolls her eyes and heads back inside. Leaving her brother alone with his
thoughts. As she closes the door and turns she is startled by Alicia.

"My goodness!"

"Sorry Foxglove. I didn't mean to startle you."

"How is it that you and Alex are so large but move so quietly?"

"It's all in the training, honey. How's your brother?"

"He's worried about Trackball coming into this mess. Alicia, he actually admitted to
being afraid."

"Well, that doesn't surprise me in the least, Foxglove."
Foxglove cocks her head to one side.

"It doesn't? How come?"

"Your brother has always been afraid. Afraid of losing people that he feels responsible
for. During the war he was loved as much as any commander could be by those under
him. And do you know why?"

Foxglove just stares dumbfounded.

"Because he cared about his people and they knew it. He always tried to carry out a
mission so it would result in a minimal loss of life for his people. The ones that he would
lose he would agonize over. There were times during the war that I feared for his sanity.
He'd pull it together though and move on to the next mission."

"You've known Alex for some time now, Alicia. He told me that watching his back had
become second nature to you."

"Well, I guess it has at that."

"I'm glad that you're around. None of us could look out for him like you can. Please
watch over him for me."

"It would be my pleasure, Foxy."

* * * *

Time passes and everyone eventually moves into the main living area of Ranger HQ.
Alex and Monty engaged in a game of chess, while the others watch television. Alex's
ears suddenly perk up.
"They're back." He says while moving his knight to capture Monty's bishop.

"Crikey! You can already hear them?"

"I know what to listen for now. It's like I've filed the sound of the Rangerwing away and
can select it out from all the background noise. Oh, and by the way. Checkmate."

Alex rises and heads for the landing pad while Monterey stares wide-eyed at the
chessboard. Foxglove quickly bounds after him and the others soon follow. The sharp
eyed bat looks up at the approaching Rangerwing.

"It would seem that we have a guest." Alex says dryly.

"It must be Trackball!" Foxglove exclaims as she launches herself toward the
descending aircraft.

Alex turns to Dale and asks. "What gives? Maplewood told me that she's funny about
meeting new people."

"She usually is. This is the first time we've seen her outside."

Gadget brings the Wing down for a perfect landing, while Foxglove chats away with
Trackball. Alex takes in the scene as Dale and Monty advance on the Wing. He
observes Trackball as he would a potential target. She's a mouse about the same age as
Gadget but slightly smaller in stature. Her hair is shorter than Gadget's and about two
shades darker. He also takes note that her fur is of a fawn coloration. What strikes him
the most is the large, expressive chestnut brown eyes peering out from behind a pair of
large, round eyeglasses.

Inwardly the big bat chuckles. **I've always had a thing for pretty girls in glasses.**

Beside him, Alicia nudges him in the ribs. "Down boy. You're probably old enough to
be her father."

Alex turns and looks at the female neo bat in shock.

"Damn girl! You know me far too well."

She turns to him and smiles smugly.

"Of course I do. During the war I had to know what you were going to do before you
did. How else could I have kept up with your crazy flying?"

Alex stares at her for what seems an eternity and finally says. "Makes sense."

Meanwhile at the Rangerwing the others are making a big fuss over their unexpected
guest.

"Welcome to our humble abode, Trackball luv." Monty says with a big smile. "To what
do we owe this visit?"

The young mouse simply looks passed Monty with an expression of awe. Then in a soft
voice she asks.

"Is that them, Chip?"

"It most certainly is."

"They're beautiful." She says in a voice that isn't much more than a whisper.

As if on cue, the two neo bats slowly approach the Rangerwing. The others note that
Trackball is practically trembling with excitement. Alex gives the little mouse his half
smile and extends a large hand out to her. Trackball does the same and Alex gently
shakes her hand.

"My name is Alexander P. Fairmont and this is my associate, Alicia Ravencroft.
Welcome to Ranger Headquarters, Ms. Trackball."

The mouse simply stares at the large chiropterans with wide-eyed amazement. Finally
she manages to squeak out a reply.

"Thank you, Mr. Fairmont."

"You can simply call me Alex."

Trackball just nods her head.

"Well, let's all go inside." Foxglove pipes up.

Dale opens the Wing's cargo compartment and removes a collapsible wheelchair. It is
only then that Alex notices that the little mouse has braces on her legs.

"Allow me, little one." He says with a smile as he reaches toward Trackball.

"Thank you." She replies in a shaky voice as she reaches up and places her arms around
his neck and feels herself lifted effortlessly from her seat. The others look on as Alex
turns and carries Trackball inside.

Inward, Gadget giggles, **Golly! Alex seems to be really mellowing. Maybe we're
having an affect on him.**

Alex can feel Trackball's entire body tremble in his arms as he places her down on the
couch.

"Do I frighten you?"

"N-No. Well, maybe just a little."

"Honesty. A rare commodity these days."

Alex lowers himself to one knee as to come to eye level with the seated mouse. On
seeing this the others stop dead in their tracks.

"It's just that I couldn't help but notice that you're trembling."

"Yes, I am but it's more from excitement than fear. You see, there has been rumors
about your kind on the net for a little over a year now. It's kind of hard to believe that
I'm sitting here talking with one of you."

"There are rumors of us on the internet?"

"Yeah. On sites like Area51.com and the such. Also there's a buzz about neo bats in
some of the chat rooms."

**If The Colony is monitoring the internet, they must be pulling out their hair over
this.**

"I hope you don't mind me saying so, but you're a lot nicer than I was led to believe."

Alex turns to Chip and gives the ranger leader an inquisitive look. All Chip can do is
smile sheepishly.

"It would appear that the reports of my bloodlust have been greatly exaggerated."

The mouse and neo bat share a small laugh at this statement that serves to dissipate the
remaining tension between them.

"Boss munk over there was just trying to prepare you for the worst."

"I guess." Trackball replies with a little smile.

"So, little one. Are you in or out?"

"Oh, I'm must certainly in."

"Well then, welcome to my storm, Trackball."

With that the others finally move in and mill about Trackball and Alex.

"I gave the disk a quick look before coming here. From what I can see it shouldn't take
me too long to decrypt it."

"That's good to hear." Alex replies. "Because I have the distinct feeling that time is
most certainly not on our side."

* * * *

The evening passes quietly as Trackball learns more about the two neo bats and their
situation. At about 11:00 pm it is decided to break up the gathering and take Trackball
home. As before Chip, Gadget and Trackball take the Rangerwing, however this time the
Wing is escorted by the two neo bats. Trackball, for one, is happy to have them along.

"Boy, it's too bad I can't tell anyone about meeting the two of you."

"I hope you understand why we want to try and keep off the net, Trackball." Alicia
replies.

"Oh, I understand fully. When I work on the disk I'll use a computer isolated from the
net."

"Good thinking."

"You have a very open mind, little one." Alex interjects.

"What makes you say that?" The young mouse queries.

"It's just that when you first saw us you described us as being beautiful. I've been called
many things but 'beautiful' sure ain't one of them."

Trackball shyly looks down at her legs and then back up at Alex.

"I guess being in my situation sort of changes my view of the world somewhat."

"Well, I hope nothing happens to change…"

Alex cuts his statement short and shoots a look at Alicia. He immediately realizes that
she too has picked it up by way of her expression.

"GADGET!" Shouts the big bat. "Land NOW! You and Chip get Trackball to safety!"

To her credit, Gadget complies without so much as a second thought. She pitches the
Wing's nose down and makes for a thicket.

"What's wrong?" Trackball asks in a fear filled voice.

Chip turns to her, trying not to let his face show the fear he feels.

"Judging by their reaction I'd say there's another neo bat in the area. Alex is just being
cautious."

Gadget sets the Wing down in a concealed area and the three rodents look up at the two
chiropterans as they scan the night sky.

"Alex, I recognize that signal. It belongs to Twitch."

"Twitch?"

"Yeah, she's one of my group. What the heck is she doing here?"

"Twitch? What the hell kinda codename is Twitch?"

"Her name is Rebecca Corrigan. She was never given a codename."

"Why not?"

"Well, she's a little unstable."

"Oh great. You mean she's a nut ball."

"ALEX!"

"What?"

"The pain of the conversion process is what unbalanced her. As a result she was slated
for termination. When we broke out I just couldn't leave her to that fate."

Alex looks at her and then smiles.

"It would seem that The Colony couldn't train all the compassion out of you."

"I could say the same about you."

"Hummph."

"Hummph, yourself."

"We'll discuss this later. From what I can tell your buddy Twitch has locked on to us and
is heading this way. What took her so long to do so?"

"She's a bit scattered. It shortens her scanning range somewhat."

"We might as well land."

Alex and Alicia gently swoop down to the waiting Rangerwing and a somewhat agitated
chipmunk.

"What's up you two?"

"Sorry boss munk, false alarm. It turns out that we picked up on one of Alicia's group."

Chip turns to Trackball with a smile.

"See Trackball, I told that he was just being cautious."

"Golly! Look there gang." Gadget says pointing.

They all follow the inventor's finger and see silhouetted against the full moon another
neo bat. The assembled rodents and Alex quickly realize that this neo bat is quite
different from any that they have seen thus far. The most obvious difference is this bat's
size. As neo bats go this one is down right diminutive. Upon sighting Alicia, the
newcomer dives straight for her. With an anguished cry the small neo bat wraps her arms
around Alicia's waist.

"Alicia! Oh thank heaven I found you!"

"What's wrong, Twitch."

"She's after me! She's after me!! SHE'S AFTER ME!!!"

Taking the little bat's face gently in her hands, Alicia looks her straight in the eyes.

"Twitch! Calm down and tell me who's after you."

"Don't know! Don't know! She said she's gonna kill me! Said I was damaged goods!
Said I should have been terminated a long time ago!"

Alicia turns to Alex her faced etched with worry.

"Sorry, Alex. We're not going to get much out of her in this agitated state."

The big bat doesn't seem to hear Alicia's words however, he's busy scanning the sky
with both eyes and ears.

"I'm only picking up signals from the two of you, no one else. She must've managed to
shake her pursuer. Regardless, I don't think that we should take Trackball home tonight.
What do you think boss munk?"

"I think that it's gonna be a bit crowded in Ranger HQ for a while."

"Well, Alicia and Twitch can stay in my room for the night. I doubt if I'm going to get
any sleep anyway."

"Okay, Alex. Gadget is it alright if Trackball bunks with you tonight?"

"I've no problem with that, Chip." Gadget steps next to Alex and gently tugs at his left
wing and whispers. "What's wrong with her?"

"Twitch is somewhat unbalanced. Alicia told me it was the pain of the conversion
process that did it. I can certainly understand it. The mind can only take so much and
then it retreats to protect itself. Twitch was to be put down, so Alicia took her along
when she and the others escaped."

Gadget looks long and hard at the little neo bat and Alex looks at the young inventor. He
knows that her heart has already gone out to the troubled Twitch.

"Golly, she's so small. Small compared to you and Alicia, I mean. She's not that much
bigger than Foxglove and me."

"I guess The Colony is trying to diversify. Sooner or later they'll start using other
species in their damned experiments. Anyway, we're not gonna find out anything from
Twitch tonight. She'll probably be a bit more cooperative in the morning."

* * * *

Alicia stirs and moans as a shaft of sunlight streaks in the window and strikes her face.
Finally, like it or not, she is dragged out of her sleep. Climbing out of Alex's bed she
stretches and yawns, her wings fluttering behind her. She then collapses her wings and
turns to Twitch's sleeping form in Alex's bed roll.

**She looks so peaceful now. I hope she'll be able to tell us something more this
morning.**

She pads quietly out of the room and into the main living area. The place is quiet and
Alicia's sharp ears pick up the sounds of the others peacefully sleeping.

**Guess I'm the first one up. I'm still trying to get use to this new sleep pattern.**

She steps out onto the veranda to find Alex standing stark still and staring at the sunrise.

"A penny for you thoughts, big bat."

Alex turns slowly towards her and presents his patented half smile.

"Then you'd have change coming."

"Have you been up all night?"

"Pretty much all night. Why?"

"It's just that Foxglove has told me that you seem to sleep very little."

"What's this? Are you ladies trying to gang up on me or something?"

"It's just that she's your sister and she's worried."

"Well, she shouldn't be."

"And why the hell shouldn't she? You think that the love and worry only travel a one
way street? You worry about her."

"That's different, Alicia. I'm her older brother, I'm suppose to worry about her."

"And she's not suppose to worry about you? Well, wake up and smell yourself!"

"Wake up and WHAT?"

"Your sister isn't a little kid. Granted compared to us she is little but she's not a kid. She
sees you charging headlong toward danger and you say she shouldn't worry. You big
goof, she's your kid sister and she loves you. Therefore she worries about you. Though I
personally don't know why? You're built like a damn tank. What the hell were they
looking for when they altered you. Of all of us that I know of, you're the most heavily
augmented."

"Probably because I was the most heavily damaged to begin with. I was pretty much just
a head and a torso after the crash."

"Have you noticed any changes?"

"Yeah, little ones mostly. My speed has increased quite a bit and my reflexes seem to be
quicker."

"You're also unique in the fact that of all of those who had the nanites , only you
survived."

"I'm no hematologist but I'd say it's my blood. And that's what has me so worried about
Foxglove."

"I don't follow?"

"If the trait came from my mother's side, then there's no problem. As far as I know my
mother had no surviving family. However, if the trait comes from my father's side…"

"Then it's possible that I may have the trait."

The two neo bats turn as one to see Foxglove standing timidly in the doorway. She
stands there hugging herself in her wings, her expressive eyes strike Alex like a physical
blow.

"And if The Colony thinks I have it." The little bat continues. "They'll come for me."

Alex closes his eyes and sighs.

"That's why you sought me out. You knew that they might come after me."

Alicia walks to Foxglove and takes the young bat in her arms.

"Foxglove, honey. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Alicia. Like you said, I'm a big girl now. My brother doesn't know about my
life before I met the Rangers. I didn't exactly live a sheltered life. I know how the world
works, Alex. I know it's not all peaches and cream."

"I know, you know, little one. I just didn't want you to worry about the possibility of
The Colony targeting you. And I do know about your life before the Rangers, Dale and
the others filled me in. They're your friends and they're damn good friends but they
don't stand a snowball's chance in hell if The Colony comes after you. That's why I'm
here, sis. I'm here to be your guard dog. And please no comments about my canine
features."

Foxglove looks up and starts to smile at her brother but the smile dies on her lips.

"Oh my gosh! Alex your wings!" Foxglove shouts.

Alicia turns and stares in open mouthed amazement. With the rising sun at his back and
his wings at almost full spread she can see what looks like a network of circuitry running
through them.

"Yeah, I noticed it about three days ago. I had no idea what it was all about until my
fight with Fat Cat's cronies. It would seem that my new addition allows me to do this."

With the closing of a mental circuit, Alex's wings flash over and are once more they are
encased in glittering bio metal. Foxglove and Alicia walk around the big bat examining
his new wings. Foxglove reaches out to touch them.

"Careful, little one! The edges have become quite sharp."

"Incredible." Says Alicia in a hushed whisper. "You little crew of mechanics have been
very busy indeed."

"Well, this little change has already paid me a dividend. I'd be dead now if not for it."

All three bat's ears perk up at the sound of a not too distant voice.

"Where am I?"

"Sounds like Twitch is awake." Alicia says hurrying into the house. Foxglove starts to
follow but is restrained by her brother.

"Let Alicia handle Twitch alone for right now, Foxglove. Too many strangers may upset
her."

"I really feel sorry for her."

"Of course you do."

"Whattayamean?"

"It's just that it's in your nature. You and Gadget automatically empathize with people.
It is amazing considering the hard time you had coming up. How the heck did you
manage to remain so sweet and caring?"

"I don't know. Just lucky I guess."

"Yeah, you were lucky. Your personality allowed you to continue smiling when the
world kicked you down. My personality, on the other hand, made me come out swinging
under the same circumstances. There are times when I think that Maplewood was right.
He said that I must've had a mean streak in me to begin with."

Once again Alex's wings flash and revert to their normal state. With a sigh he folds and
collapses them.

"Come on little bit. Let's go in."

Inside they find Alicia speaking with Twitch in the main living area. The smaller neo
bad seemed much calmer this morning than the night before. She was speaking in a
coherent manner to Alicia when she noticed them standing in the doorway.

"Alicia, is that him?"

"Yes, it is. Why don't you go say hello?"

The little neo bat slowly rises and walks shyly toward Alex and his sister. Stopping
before them she first looks down at her feet and then slowly up at the towering bat before
her. Timidly she extends a small hand.

"Hello, my name is Rebecca Corrigan but my friends call me Twitch. I'm very pleased
to meet you Mr. Fairmont."

She watches amazed as her small hand is engulfed by Alex's large one.

"Pleased to meet you." Alex says looking down at her with a half smile. "My friends
call me Alex. Welcome aboard, Twitch."

Twitch smiles back and then takes notice of Foxglove. Immediately her smile widens
further.

"Where are my manners?" Alex says smacking himself on the forehead. "This here is
my little sister Foxglove."

"Hi, Twitch. My friends call me Foxy."

"Oh boy, finally someone my size." Twitch says almost jumping with glee. "Have you
any idea what it's like always having to look up to everyone around you?"

"Well, unless my big ears deceive me, Monty's up and getting breakfast ready." Alex
says. "The others should be getting up very shortly."

* * * *

After breakfast, the Rangers and their three guests gather in the main living area to
discuss last night's situation. The small, golden furred neo bat known as Twitch eyes the
non bats quite timidly. She immediately takes a liking to Dale as she notices he and
Foxglove sharing a little cuddle away from the others. Monty, she figures is likeable
enough, although his boisterous nature sometimes frightens her. Gadget also is easy
enough to like. What with her sunny smile and bubbly disposition. The other female
mouse is the one she feels the most connected to. She realizes that they are both
handicapped, Trackball in body and she in mind. Surprisingly the one she finds the most
threatening of the entire group is Chip. To her he's even more intimidating than the big
neo bat. The chipmunk seems so stern and unyielding. He seems to be such a
perfectionist. How could he ever accept her? She after all was 'damaged goods'. With
this in mind, it is no wonder that the little neo bat clings to her friend and protector,
Alicia Ravencroft.

"Now Twitch," Alicia says quietly. "What happened last night?"

The little neo bat's amber eyes dart from person to person.

"Don't be nervous, Rebecca. Everyone here is a friend." Alicia says reassuringly.

"Well, I went out last night to stretch my wings. I was beginning to feel really cooped up
and besides, Richard and Gary were teasing me again."

"Richard and Gary?" Queries the big bat.

With a sigh Alicia replies, "My other two charges. I've told them time and again to stop
picking on Twitch. I'm here to tell you that they're worst than children sometimes. Go
on honey."

"Anyway, there I was flying around minding my own business when this female neo bat
attacked me. She said she was sent to bring you and the boys back, Alicia. She then said
that she was also sent to terminate me. She called me damaged goods."

"Twitch?" Alex interrupts. "I know that your problem causes you to be a little
unfocused but you mean to tell me that she was able to get within striking distance of you
and you didn't pick up on her implant signature?"

"I didn't hear a blasted thing. I was a little upset because of the boys teasing me but not
THAT upset."

"Excuse me, but what does her emotional state have to do with it?" Asks Chip.

"Plenty boss munk. It's just like when you're very upset or angry you sometimes don't
hear or even see everything going on around you. It's just like the night when I got
clocked by Hammer. I didn't even know he was there until he caved in my ribs."

"Yeah, but Twitch said that she wasn't really that upset."

"Yeah, and that little tid bit of information has me worried, boss munk."

"How so?"

"Those damned scientists back at The Colony may have found a way to mask their
assassins' implant signature. If so…"

"Then we have no way of knowing that they're about until they attack." Alicia
continues.

"And by then it could be too late." Alex growls.

Chapter Fifteen
Deadlier Than The Male

Within minutes of hearing Twitch's story the Rangers and their guests prepare to escort
Trackball back to her home. As Gadget checks over the Rangerwing, Alex retires to his
room along with Alicia to don his battle gear once more.

"I thought you didn't want to know where our little hideout was located." Alicia says as
she watches her former commanding officer strap himself into his equipment.

"That's before we heard Twitch's story. We've got to bring your two boys in and get
them up to speed about this new wrinkle. Right now speed is what's important. Damn,
for all we know this assassin may have already found your hideout."

"What about Trackball? Aren't you worried about her?"

"We've got to get her back to her computers so she can decrypt that disk you brought me.
I've got to have some idea of what I'm up against. Besides, I don't think that this latest
assassin is going to be a direct threat to her. From what Twitch has told us, she's here for
you and your clutch. We'll see Trackball safely to her home and then we neos are going
to high tail it to your place and pick up your guys."

Alex checks over his body armor and then starts to don his black choker.

"That's a beautiful stone, Alex. Where did you get it?"

"My mother gave it to me just before she died. She told me that it was a keepsake of her
father's. I wear it with my armor for sentimental reasons."

"Can I see it?"
"Sure."

Alicia takes the choker and examines to oval shaped stone. Turning it over she notices an
inscription.

Courage of the heart is rare.
The stone has a power when it's there.

"Nice inscription." She says handing it back to Alex.

"Yeah, I know it sounds kinda corny but I like wearing it into a fight. Maybe it's just a
superstition on my part but I think this thing's kept me alive so far. I carried it with me
when I was a police officer and all during the war. You'd have to agree that being hit by
that SAM and the resulting crash should have done me in five times over. When I
escaped The Colony I found this old rat who knew how to fashion body armor and I had
had him mount the stone in this choker. I guess like most males I like to have something
that reminds me of my mother." **Regardless of how much she seemed to hate me.**
"But enough about me. Let's get a move on."

Minutes later a strange armada consisting of two chipmunks, three mice, one bat and
three neo bats is winging its way to the southern border of Central Park.

"Crikey! Look at those three will ya. They're more nervous than I long tailed cat in a
room fulla rockin' chairs." Monty says as he observes the three neo bats.

Indeed the three neos are exhibiting a bit of nervousness. Their heads turn as if on
swivels as they constantly scan the sky for any sign of a threat.

"Cut them some slack, Monterey." Chip says. "They feel that they're at a definite
disadvantage not being able to hear this new neo bat's signature. Are you picking up
anything Foxy?"

"Just them is all. Boy Twitch's heart is going like a trip hammer but Alex and Alicia
seem to be as cool as cucumbers."

"That's because those two have been in battles before. They know each other very well."
Monty offers by way of explanation. "I've been in plenty of scrapes and it always feels
better when you've got a mate you can depend on."

In no time they reach Trackball's home and Gadget noses the Rangerwing over and lands
on the roof of a computer outlet store.

Alex chuckles inwardly. **Figures she'd live in or around one of these.**

They all land and while Alex and Alicia converse with the others, Twitch keeps a
constant watch on their surroundings. Once more Alex helps Trackball out of the
Rangerwing and this time places her in her wheelchair.

"I'll get right to work on that disk right away, Alex."

"Thanks Trackball, I really appreciate your help on this. I'm certain that the information
on that disk will give a handle on The Colony's timetable on Project: Tracker." Alex
then turns to his fellow Rangers. "We neos are going to go to Alicia's place and bring
the others…"

"HERE SHE COMES!!"

All eyes shoot skyward at Twitch's cry. They watch the neo bat confidently approaches
them. She glides silently and lands four feet away from astonished group. Alex quickly
assess this new opponent as she does the same to them. He notices that she stands a little
shorter and is built a little lighter than Alicia. Her fur is a rich golden brown and her hair
is as dark as pitch. It is her eyes that the big bat notices the most. Her eyes don't seem to
fit her other features for they are a piercing icy blue. In her left hand she holds a
seemingly simple metal rod.

"Who the hell are you?" Growls Alex.

"Natasha Manninoff." The female neo answers in an elegant Russian accent. "My
codename is, Lance. You on the other hand need no introduction. You are Alexander
Fairmont. You're the one who started all of this trouble."

"Guilty as charged."

"My assignment does not concern you. So step aside and let me be about my work."

"Sorry but I can't do that. Your assignment does concern me. If you're here to take
Alicia back and terminate Twitch then your assignment most certainly concerns me."

"Alright then. Have it your way."

With unbelievable speed Lance closes the distance between Alex and herself and smashes
the larger bat in the mouth with the heel of her hand. The blow staggers Alex and he
takes two steps back. Seeing her opening, Lance strikes again by slamming a knee into
Alex's midsection. She then strikes him four more blows to the head with her metal rod.
The big bat falls to one knee momentarily and then counter attacks with a lightning quick
blow of his own but finds that it connects with nothing but empty air as his adversary
leaps up and out of the way of the blow. She then delivers a roundhouse kick that sends
Alex sprawling. She then comes slamming down with both feet into the big bat's chest.

"Crikey! She's wiping the floor with him! I'm gonna help the bloke out!"

"Monterey NO!" Shouts Chip but it's too late as the large Aussie mouse launches
himself into the fray.
"Ha, you have got to be joking." Natasha says with distain.

"Normally I wouldn't strike a Sheila but in your case I'll make an exception!"

Monty advances looking to land a haymaker but like his neo bat friend the blow finds
empty air. Lance's return blow sends the Aussie flying backwards and slamming against
the side of the Rangerwing causing the aircraft to fairly rock with the impact.

"You fool! Did you think the likes you could best me? Now I'm going to…"

Her statement is cut short by a metal fist colliding with the left side of her head. The
blow sends her skidding across the rooftop. To her credit she had noticed the blow a split
second before it landed and was able to turn away and roll with it.

**Damn he's strong! If I hadn't picked up on it that blow would have taken my head off.
I really have to be careful. HOLY…**

Lance rolls and barely avoids Alex's attack as his feet slam into and through the tar paper
of the roof. Again and again the big bat tries to strike the elusive she-bat but again and
again she avoids his heavy blows.

**Dammit to hell! She's just too freakin' fast for me! Owww!**

Lance catches the larger bat with a roundhouse kick to the head. Three more blows are
landed in rapid succession to the left of his head then the right and then the left again.
The she-bat presses her advantage again and again. However, after repeated hammering
of the Dark Ranger a realization slowly dawns on Lance.

**What the hell is he made of? These blows should have a least rendered him
unconscious by now. I can't finish him hand to hand. He's just too damn strong!
WHAT?!**

Suddenly, catching a glint from the corner of her eye, Lance turns just in time to fend off
Alicia's katana strike with her metal rod. The white bat strikes again and again forcing
her adversary into a completely defensive posture as she is forced to fend off blow after
blow. Then Alicia, with her pink eyes blazing, rears her head back and delivers a
devastating head butt. Blood erupts from Lance's nose and mouth as bone and teeth
break under the impact. The dark-haired she-bat lurches into the air to put some distance
between her and her prey turned tormenter.

"No you don't!" Alicia growls. "You don't get off that easily, you witch!"

Alicia launches herself skyward, her sword held high ready to delivery a two-handed
death blow. Her target is staggered, coughing, spitting blood and teeth.

"I HAVE YOU Nnngghh." Alicia's voice chokes off in mid-sentence. She looks down
at her abdomen and sees that it has been pierced by a gleaming metal spike. From the
metal bar that Lance is holding has extended this spike that has pierced her. Once more
the white she-bat looks down to see a red blotch spreading over her white tunic and fur.
Her adversary smiles with broken teeth at her astonishment. The spike then retracts and
Alicia falls back to the rooftop. Her katana clatters to the roof as it falls from her
nerveless fingers. Alex leaps skyward and catches her limp form and slowly lowers her
to the tar papered surface. All is quiet as though time itself has stood still.

"ALICIA!!!"

All heads turn to the source of that gut wrenching cry. They stare in disbelief at the
spectacle before them. It is Alex who then breaks the silence with a whispered statement.

"My God…Twitch."

The little neo bat stands with an open legged stance, her little fists clinched in rage. The
song of her implants has risen to a ear shattering crescendo. Energy literally arcs
between her ears like a Jacobs Ladder. Then with a inarticulate, guttural cry she takes to
the air. The patch of roof surface where she stood is left scorched and bubbling.

"What the hell?" Lance says just before Twitch's fist thuds heavily into her jaw. The
blow spins the larger she-bat 360 degrees. As her spin ends she finds the little neo bat
ready and waiting. Twitch delivers another shot that spins Lance 360 degrees in the
opposite direction.

"DAMAGED GOODS, HUH?" Twitch screams. "I'LL SHOW YOU DAMAGED
GOODS!!"

A crushing right hand smashes into Lance's left eye and a geyser of blood issues from the
impact site as the orbit is shattered. As fast as Lance is, she cannot land a blow against
the even faster and smaller Twitch. The smaller neo bat buzzes about the frustrated
Lance, pummeling her with blow after blow. If Alicia was her tormenter then Twitch has
become her own personal demon.

"YOU INSANE LITTLE WITCH!! YOU CAN'T BE DOING THIS TO ME!!"

"THEN KEEP TELLING YOURSELF THAT THIS IS ALL A BAD DREAM!!!"

With that said, Twitch slams a bludgeon-like blow into Lance's mid-section that
immediately makes the larger she-bat wish she hadn't had such a large breakfast. Her
stomach instantly empties its contents onto the roof below. She tries to recover but
Twitch doesn't allow her the chance. A vicious right hand crashes into the side of her
neck and she feels her left arm go totally numb. Her lance falls and clatters onto the roof.
She turns quickly to attack but the little neo isn't there. **Where hell is she? It's like
fighting smoke.** Then in a flash, Twitch rises from below flying at full tilt. The golden
furred fury slams both fists into Lance's pelvis area and then grins an evil grin as she
feels the pelvic bones crunch under the impact. Down below, Foxglove covers her ears
as she hears that terrible high pitched scream bats emit when they have been mortally
wounded. Still the larger she-bat tries to stay aloft but it's a losing battle as Twitch raises
both her fists above her head and with every iota of her strength slams them down in a
double hammer blow. Lance plummets like a stone and slams into the roof. The others
look on as the once formidable neo bat lies in a broken, unmoving heap.

"I think I'll…go to sleep now." Twitch says in such a low whisper that only Alex and
Foxglove hear her.

"Foxglove, bring her down!" Alex shouts to his sibling. "She can't stay aloft. She's
totally exhausted herself!"

"I'm on it!" Foxglove replies as she heads skyward. Grasping Twitch by the shoulders
with her feet she beats her wings furiously as she gently lowers the now unconscious neo
bat into Chip's waiting arms.

Gadget looks down at the neo bat who's head lies in her lap. Alicia eyes are open but
unfocused as she fights for life. Her breath beginning to come in short, ragged gasps.
The young inventor then lifts her gaze and locks eyes with Alex. The big bat's eyes first
transmit the hurt he is feeling, but upon hearing movement from Lance those eyes flash
over cold. Slowly Alex turns his head and looks toward the broken neo bat. Against all
odds the badly battered she-bat has drawn herself up into something that resembles
standing. (Or as good as one can stand with a broken pelvis.) Alex turns and faces the
once confident neo.

"Well, it looks like little Twitch did something that I couldn't. Hand you your ass."

Lance tries to give a confident sounding chuckle but she doubles over vomiting blood
from her ruptured stomach. She then slowly straightens up and stares, with her one
remaining eye, defiantly at Alex.

"I don't know how she did it, but I'll be back and when I…"

"You won't be back." Alex says flatly. "I doubt that those bastards back at The Colony
would even bother trying to repair you. Twitch definitely opened up a large economy
sized can of whup ass on you. It was a thing of beauty to behold."
"What are you going to do with me?" The once proud neo bat queries in a shaky voice.

"The same thing you were going to do to Twitch." Alex replies in that terrifying flat
tone.

"Alex…don't." Chip says in a choked whisper.

Alex's draws both his automatics and immediately begins firing. Lance is hit again and
again by the heavy slugs. Bullet after bullet rips into her sending her staggering back.
She seems to be enshrouded in a red mist as each bullet slams home and causes a cloud of
atomized blood to rise. Still Alex's guns bark as Lance collapses in a heap but still the
guns bark.

"Alex, in God's name stop!" Foxglove screams at the top of her voice. "She's dead!
There isn't anything left to kill!"

Indeed the big bullets seem to thud into a corpse that appears to be nothing more than fur
and fabric. Even the blood seems to have been blasted out of it but still the guns bark.
Finally the roar of gunfire ceases as Alex runs out of ammunition. He still stands with
arms extended and guns leveled at Lance's shredded corpse with their slides in the blow
back position. Slowly Chip walks up beside him and gently places his small hand on
Alex's forearm. Alex slowly acknowledges the chipmunk's presence, lowers and
holsters his weapons.

"Come on Dark Ranger, Alicia needs you now. We've got to get her to a hospital and
she's too big for the Rangerwing. You've got to fly her there." Chip says in a low, even
voice.

"Yeah boss munk, you're right." Alex whispers in response.

Chapter Sixteen
The Bat's Out The Bag

Alex slowly turns from Lance's mutilated corpse and makes his way to Gadget and
Alicia. Lowering himself to one knee he locks his eyes on the inventor.

"How's she doing, doc?"

"Her pulse is getting weak, Alex. We've got to get her to a hospital fast."

Bending down to Alicia's ear, Alex whispers. "Alicia…Alicia…Alicia!"

The wounded neo bat slowly turns her head toward the sound of his voice. Her eyes lock
on his but Alex can see that the sparkle is no longer there.

"Alicia, you have to fold your wings. I've got to fly you to the hospital but you wings
will make carrying you difficult. C'mon soldier you can do it. Fold your wings."

With a sigh, Alicia closes her eyes. For a few moments nothing happens and Alex is
about to prompt her again. Then with the closing of a mental circuit the she-bat's wings
collapse in on themselves and fold neatly into their sheath.

"Good girl." Alex says with a sigh of relief.

"Be careful." Gadget cautions are Alex gently lifts Alicia. "I'm pretty certain that she
has a lot of internal bleeding."

"Boss munk, I think that someone should stay with Trackball and seeing that Twitch is
incapacitated I think it should be Foxglove and Dale."
"Why those two?"

"When she comes to she may be in an agitated state. I've noticed that she's warmed
toward the two of them. They should be able to keep her calm until I return."

"Sounds good to me." Chip says. "Foxglove, Dale. You heard the bat. Feel you're up
to it?"

"No problem, Chip." Dale responds with a salute.

"Look after her like she's family, Foxglove." Alex adds as his implants kick in and he
begins to levitate. "Gadget radio ahead and tell them what to expect."

"Will do." She answers as Alex flaps his powerful wings once, twice, thrice and then
shoots off in the direction of the hospital.

"Crikey! He took off outta here like a bat outta…"

"Don't say it, Monty." Foxglove says with a smile.

"Oh! Sorry about that Foxglove luv." He says sheepishly.

Quickly climbing into the pilot's seat, Gadget switches on the radio.

"This is the Rangerwing calling Small Animals Hospital. Repeat this the Rangerwing
calling Small Animals Hospital. Over."

"This is SAH, ER here. Go ahead. Over."

"You have an emergency stab wound enroute to you. ETA three minutes. Over."

"What is the species. Over."
"That's kind of hard to pin down. It's a bat and then again it isn't. Over."

"What?"

"Believe me, you'll see when they get there. Over and out."

* * * *

After Gadget's alert, the emergency room staff of Small Animals Hospital mill about the
ER entrance in anticipation of the incoming casualty. The staff consists of mostly mice,
rats and chipmunks with the occasional sprinkling of squirrel here and there. Amongst
the group is a rat that stands out due to his height. He stands heads and shoulders above
the others both literally and figuratively. His name is Leon Montclair and he is the
hospital's foremost expert on bat physiology. His keen eyes scan the sky watching for
his incoming patient.

"Any particulars on this case, Dr. Montclair?" Asks a small, white, middle-aged mouse
at his elbow.

"No, not really Mary. All we know is that it's a stab wound and that the victim will be
coming in by air."

"HERE THEY COME!" Shouts a young gray squirrel.

"Where?" Dr. Montclair asks. "Oh wait, I see them…WHOA!"

Streaking right at them at breakneck speed is the biggest and strangest looking bat any of
them has ever seen. The ER staffers quickly bring out a stretcher as the big bat flares his
wings and lightly touches down. With infinite care he lowers his burden onto the
stretcher and she is quickly whisked away. For what seems an eternity, Alex simply
stands outside the emergency room entrance. He looks down at himself and sees the
blood of his friend and confidant glistening on his body armor. It is then that the middle-
aged mouse steps back outside with clipboard in hand.

"Excuse me sir, but what is the young lady's name?"

There is no response from the towering figure before her. He hasn't even given an
indication that she exists at all.

"Ah, excuse me. Sir?"

It is only then that Alex responds. Looking down and fixing the little mouse's gaze with
his.

"Sir, what is the young lady's name?"

"Ravencroft." The big bat answers in a low rumbling tone. "Alicia Marie Ravencroft."

"Age?"

"Thirty two, I-I think."

"Blood type?"

"I don't know. Check the back of her ear tag. It should be there."

"Next of kin?"

"None that I know of."

"Your relationship with the patient?"

"She's my friend. My closest friend."
"Would you like to come inside and sit down?"

"No, thank you. My friends will be here shortly. I'll wait here for them."

"Can I get you anything? A cup of coffee?"

"No, thank you, ma'am. I'll be fine."

"Okay. I'll be inside at the nurse's station if you have any questions. Just ask for Mary."

"Thank you, I'll do that."

As the mouse turns to leave, she is stopped by a large metallic hand on her small
shoulder.

"Pardon me, but who is the attending doctor?"

"Nothing to worry about there, dearie. Dr. Montclair is our best when it comes to your
species. Ms. Ravencroft couldn't be in better hands."

Alex smiles weakly and the little mouse goes on her way. He thinks to himself and
suddenly it hits him. He had said that Alicia was not only his friend but his closest
friend. It was not until he had voiced it that he realized it. Alicia had been with him
through thick and thin during the last small mammal war. She was his right hand bat
during all the hard times back then. When the dung had hit the fan she was always there
at his side. Whether in the air or on the ground she was there. She was that one person
he could talk to about the war that would understand. The Rangers were slowly working
their way through the barriers that he kept up but Alicia was there before the barriers had
fully arose. They had seen each other at their best and at their worst. They had gotten
drunk together, laughed together and cried together. She was the one person who kept
him grounded. When he would get to full of himself, there would be Alicia to slap him
back to reality. She had kept him focused during all the crazy times and here she was
doing it again. It was then, in a blazing instant of clarity, that he realized that he couldn't
lose the albino she-bat. For if he lost her, he would most certainly lose himself.

* * * *

Foxglove and Dale stare in wide-eyed wonder at computer center which is Trackball's
home. Surrounded by close to a dozen rodent-sized computers, Trackball is once again in
her element. Here her inability to use her legs doesn't matter as her fingers fly across the
keyboard. The disk which Alicia has brought spins in the reader and a stream of
gibberish appears on the monitor screen.

Looking over her shoulder, Dale asks. "What's all that?"

"That's the data stored on the disk, Dale. It's the disk's encryption code that's preventing
us from seeing it properly." Replies Trackball as she intensely studies the monitor
screen. She learns on her elbows, clasps her hands together and taps on her chin. To the
computer expert the gibberish on the screen reads like text. She cannot read the data but
she can read the encryption code. "It seems to be a fairly simple encryption code. I
shouldn't have too much trouble cracking it."

As Dale turns away from Trackball his attention falls on Foxglove, who is intensely
watching the sleeping Twitch.

"How's she doing?" Dale asks coming up behind the watchful bat and placing his hands
on her shoulders.

"As far as I can tell, she's doing fine. She's just in a deep sleep right now. It's like she's
used up an entire day's energy in just a few minutes."

"That's a very good observation Foxglove." Trackball says from her computer console.
"If I understand what your brother has told me about his kind correctly. It would seem
that is what exactly happened to her. Her implants would seem to have fed off of her
adrenaline stores. When Alicia was injured, Twitch became enraged and a surge of
adrenaline was pumped into her system. Her implants took this new power source and
used it to its best advantage."

"Ya know, looking at her lying there so peaceful, it's hard to believe that she beat down
someone nearly twice her size just a few minutes ago." Dale says with a smile. "I mean
look at her. She's not that much bigger than we are."

"I think it's like big brother said. The Colony is looking to diversify its assassin corp.
All the neos we've seen have been on the large side. Twitch on the other hand could
sneak into places that Alex and the larger neos could never fit."

Trackball loads in another of her custom made decryption programs and sets it about its
task. Once sure that the program is running properly she turns in her motorized
wheelchair and faces Foxglove and Dale.

"Foxy, please don't take this the wrong way but today your brother absolutely terrified
me. I mean the way he just gunned down Lance. How is it he can be so charming one
minute and dispassionate the next.?"

The little bat just simply smiles at the young computer genius.

"Don't worry Trackball. I'll admit that there are times when he frightens me too. What
you saw earlier wasn't so much Alex as it was Blade."

"Excuse me."

"Alex told me that when he's in a desperate fight, something happens to him and there is
no conscious thought. He said at times like that it is his training that takes over. He says
when Blade is unleashed let the enemy beware."

The startled mouse is about to comment when a beeping from her computer seizes her
attention.

"Hey!" She says turning back to the screen. "I think we've got something here."

* * * *

"How's she doin', mate?"

"Don't know yet, Monty. They're still working on her."

Taking his large hand in both her small ones, Gadget looks up into Alex's green eyes.

"She'll pull through, Alex. From what I've seen she's one tough lady."

"That she is little one. No one knows that more than me. I think she's gonna have to
count on that toughness to see her through this episode."

Alex once again turns to Monterey, this time noticing the swell on the left side of his
face.

"Hey you stiff necked Aussie, thanks for giving me my shot at Lance earlier. The only
thing I've seen move faster than Lance did is Twitch. All the same though it's a good
thing you've got a thick skull, Monty. You know if she had thought that you were a
legitimate threat she probably would taken your fool head off. I really appreciate the
help, but you guys have got to keep clear of these guys. I'm telling you that they're in a
whole other league."
"You can say that again mate." Monty says rubbing the side of his head.

"Ah, Alex…about Lance?" Chip asks somewhat nervously.

"Yeah, what about her?" The big bat rumbles in response.

"I know we agreed to let you handle the neo problem your way, but…"

"But what?"

"Okay. Why on earth did you have to gun her down like that for?"

"Because, she needed killing. That's why."

"There's no such thing as a person that needs killing."

Monterey nudges Gadget and whispers. "Uh oh, a clashing of the minds."

"That's where you're wrong, Maplewood. I've come across plenty of people that need
just that. I told you before that the world isn't full of Chip Maplewoods. You just can't
understand how a person like Lance thinks."

"I you do?"

"Ya damn right I do. I know exactly what was drummed into her head. I was a hair
away from being just like her. Hell, in a way I am like her. I just decided to steal all the
technology and training they lavished on me and use it independently. You can't know
the mind games that The Colony plays on you. Most seem to succumb to the
brainwashing but there are a few who don't. People like Alicia and myself are just to
fiercely independent to give into that crap."

"And what about ones like Twitch?"
A pained expression plays across Alex's features.

"Twitch is the third category. Unable to bend but not quite strong enough to resist.
Besides I don't see the problem with wasting, Lance. As far as I'm concerned she was a
stone waste of bat."

"How can you say that, Alex? Everyone is worth something." Gadget says pleadingly.

Alex looks down at the inventor and gives her his half smile.

"Gadget, you're pretty much still an innocent in this world and I sincerely hope nothing
happens to change that, but you all heard her. She was going to waste Twitch just
because she didn't measure up to The Colony's idea of perfection. Twitch was going to
be terminated just because she's a little different! Now if you want me to feel bad about
doing Lance, forget it. Besides I'm not really the one who did her in."

Chip's jaw drops at this statement. He just stares unbelievingly at Alex.

"Whattaya mean, you didn't do her in? We all witnessed it!"

"Really? Did you all now? My, what short memories we seem to have here."

"Huh?"

"Actually what you witnessed was an act of mercy."

"Wha…ARE YOU CUH-RAZY!!" Chip ejaculates.

"Think back to the fight between her and Twitch. The next to the last blow that Twitch
delivered."

The trio of rodents just stand dumbfounded.
Alex smiles and shakes his head. "I guess it was all happening a little to fast for you.
When Twitch rammed into Lance's pelvic region she let out a terrible high pitched
scream."

"Yeah, now I remember." Gadget comments. "Foxglove had to cover her ears."

"That's right! That was sort of like a death scream. Twitch had dealt her a fatal blow.
You saw how she vomited blood? Maplewood, Lance was as good as dead. I just
hastened her along to meet it."

"Crikey! You mean our little Twitch literally beat Lance to death? Who would have
thought she was capable of such a thing."

"Monty, don't forget that she is a neo bat. The Colony didn't exactly design us to be
carpenters and seamstresses. The Colony heads didn't think that she was incapable of
being trained and didn't really bother with her. As you saw, however there seems to be a
wealth of raw talent in her."

"What do you to do with her?"

"That's not my call, Maplewood. She's Alicia's charge not mine."

"Speaking of Alicia." Monty interrupts. "Here comes the doctor now."

* * * *

A blueprint plan appears in the computer monitor screen. Foxglove and Dale stand
behind Trackball looking over her shoulder as she studies the plans.

"Boy I sure wish Gadget was here. She knows far more about this sort of thing than I
do." Trackball states still staring intensely at the screen. "I'm no expert but I'd say that
this thing is a nightmare in anybody's book. If they stick to these plans, Alex is most
definitely going to have his work cut out for him."

Foxglove looks at the green on black plans for Project: Tracker and feels a shiver run
through her entire being. She suddenly turns to Dale and holds on to him as if her life
depended on it.

"It'll be alright, sweetness. Alex can handle anything they throw at him." Dales coos as
he strokes the back of Foxglove's head.

"I hope you're right, cutie." Foxglove whispers. "Because Trackball's right. That thing
IS a nightmare."

* * * *

"Hello, I'm Dr. Montclair." The large rat says addressing the group. "I'm Ms.
Ravencroft's attending."

"How is she doctor?" asks Gadget.

"Well, Ms. Ravencroft's injuries were quite serious. Her liver was punctured and a major
artery was severed. She bled out about half her blood volume into her abdominal cavity.
As a result of the blood loss some of her internal organs have suffered damage. For one
she has suffered partial renal failure."

Gadget involuntarily emits a small gasp at this news and her attention turns the Alex.
The big bat's expression however, remains impassive as he questions the doctor.

"What's your prognosis, Dr. Montclair?"

"It really is too soon to tell but she's in pretty rough shape. Though I must say she has a
remarkable constitution. I've never seen anything like it. By all rights she shouldn't
have survived the trip here. So already she's beaten the odds in this. But it's really going
to be touch and go for a while."

"Thanks for your candor, doctor. I really appreciate it. I don't care for medical people
who candy coat the situation. Now, if you all will excuse me."

Alex abruptly walks away and heads outside. The Rangers look to one another and it's
Chip who follows after him. Racing out into the early afternoon sun he catches up to the
neo bat just before he could take off.

"Alex, wait up! Where the heck are you going?"

"I'm going back to Trackball's. I'll need Twitch to lead me to her other two companions.
We still need to bring them in on this thing."

"Leave that to the rest of us, Dark Ranger. We can handle that assignment easily enough.
You should stay here."

"Why? There's nothing I can do for her now."

"You can be here for her when she comes to."

"You mean if she comes to. I can better serve…"

"Stop it!"

"Huh? Stop what?"

"Stop acting like a cast iron bastard. When will you realize you don't have to hide your
feelings around us. It's quite obvious that she's at the very least a good friend of yours,
and you yourself have stated that you don't have many of those. You're worried about
her aren't you?"

"Of course I'm worried about her. She's been my right hand for a number of years now."

The chipmunk eyes Alex and the big bat actually flinches a bit under his gaze.

"WHAT?" Alex says taking a full step backwards.

"Oh nothing. I'm just remembering some advice a bat once gave to me about not wasting
time when comes for a chance at happiness."

With that said, Chip turns on his heel and walks back inside leaving a perplexed Alex
standing slack jawed. Slowly a smile creeps across the neo's face and he chuckles to
himself.

**Man, I hate it when my own advice boomerangs on me.**

* * * *

"Hey, there seems to be something else on this disk. Alicia must have downloaded more
than just the Project: Tracker information."

"What is it?" asks Dale.

"Just a second." Trackball answers, as her fingers move over the keyboard. When she
finally calls up the additional information her face lights up with a smile. "Well, will you
look at this."

"The bat and chipmunk study the screen and it's Foxglove who almost immediately
realizes it's importance.
"Hey that looks like Alex."

"Bingo!" shouts Trackball. "These seem to be your brother's original plans and
specifications. Hey there's a sub file here." With a click of her trackball a series of
photos appear on the monitor screen. "Oh my God!"

Foxglove looks at the screen and quickly turns away in disgust. Dale however looks on
with a morbid fascination.

"These are picture of Alex after his plane was shot down." Dale says in a whispered
tone.

On the monitor is the picture of a broken bat. His wings shredded and legs crushed
however it is the face that is the most horrific. Most of his muzzle is torn away and torn
ligaments hang from the injury site. It would seem that the only thing holding the face
together is the skin. One could easily see the malformation of the skull beneath the
bruised and battered flesh and fur.

Foxglove finally speaks in a small whisper as she holds onto Dale for support. "God. He
told us about it but it's very different when you can see it for yourself. My poor brother."
She says burying her face in Dale's chest. "Life has really put him through the wringer.
No wonder he's so angry most of the time."

"That might not totally be the reason for his anger, Foxglove." Trackball comments
while scrutinizing the accompanying text. "I believe that there's a more scientific reason
for your brother's anger and aggressiveness."

Foxglove lifts her head and looks at Trackball inquisitively. "What do you mean?"

"It would seem that The Colony wanted a particularly nasty henchman. It says here that
Alex was given synthetic hormone treatments."

"What kind of hormones?" Dale asks.
"Synthetic human hormones."

"But why on earth would they give him human hormones.?" This time from Foxglove.

"Think about it. As animals go, humans are rather pathetic. They don't run very fast,
they have no claws or fangs to speak of but they are probably the most aggressive of all
the animal species."

"Hmmm." Says Dale. "You know I never thought of that."

"What humans lack in physical prowess, they make up for in pure mean. Alex was given
these treatments to make him even more aggressive than any animal his size has a right to
be."

"But he can also be very gentle." Foxglove says coming to the defense of her older
sibling. "You've experienced that yourself. We all have."

"Yes I've experienced his more gentle nature. That's because his mammalian brain,
which nature programmed to be caring, is able to override the hormonal influence.
That's why…"

A beeping and red light near her console, interrupts Trackball. With the flick of a switch
her monitor switches over to a closed circuit picture of her doorway.

"Hey it's Chip and Monty." She says while pushing the button that releases the door's
magnetic lock. "Gadget and Alex must've stayed at the hospital."

* * * *

Alex was somewhat surprised that Gadget had volunteered to stay behind with him.
From his seat he watches the young mouse as she walked about talking with the staff. He
marvels at how easily she can make friends with just about anyone.

**That shouldn't really surprise me too much. After all she's wormed her way into my
heart and I'm just short of certifiable."

It is then that Dr. Montclair exits from Alicia's room. Both the bat and the mouse spy the
good doctor at the same instant and converge on him.

"Any change, Dr. Montclair?" Gadget asks with hope swimming in her big blue eyes.

"Well, her breathing has steadied enough for us to take her off of the ventilator and she
seems to be resting comfortably enough."

"Can we see her?"

"I don't see why not, Mr. Fairmont. Go right in."

Gadget double clutches and then says. "Maybe I should stay out here. After all…"

"After all what?" Alex rumbles. Gadget cringes at the big bat's tone. "After all I've got
a prejudice against mice. Is that what you're thinking?"

Sheepishly Gadget nods her head slightly while looking down at her feet. She then feels
a large hand on the top of her head. The hand then gently strokes her long blonde hair,
moves under her chin and lifts her head up so her eyes meet his.

"That may still be true in some cases, but not in yours. You've been a friend to my sister
and now I count you as one of the few friends I have. So come on in with me little one. I
think I'll need the morale support."

Gadget's face brightened and she smiled up at Alex. In her mind she has won a great
victory for she had set out to make the big neo bat her friend. With his big hand on her
shoulder they both entered the room. The smile immediately leaves Gadget's face as
they approach Alicia's bed.

Though it is the largest bed that the hospital staff could find on such short notice. The
big she-bat's frame is barely contained by it.

"You know Alex, being around you all this time I hadn't really realized just how big
Alicia really is."

"Yeah, she's a healthy girl all right. Ya know something, of all the female neos that
we've seen so far she's the biggest."

For what seems an eternity the two Rangers simply watch the sleeping she-bat. They
watch as her breasts rise and fall with a smooth and steady rhythm. In fact, if it weren't
for the drainage tubes one could easily think that Alicia was simply taking a nap.

"Well, the doc was right. Her breathing is much better than when I brought her here."
Alex stoops down and examines the drainage container hooked to the side of Alicia's
bed. "Not bad. There's seems to be very little blood in this canister. I'd say that they've
removed the lion's share it."

"I didn't know you knew about such things, Alex." Gadget says with a hint of surprise
playing across her face.

With a chuckle, Alex stands up. "It's a funny thing about being trained to be an assassin.
If you reverse it you can be quite the healer. I at least have a nodding acquaintance with
internal workings of most species."

"You mean knowing that makes you a more efficient killer."

"Give the little lady here the door prize. That's it exactly."

Gadget watches as Alex's attention returns to Alicia. She watches as his expression
softens.

** Golly, I've only seen him like this when he and Foxy are having a heart to heart.**

The big bat then does something totally unexpected. Reaching down he takes Alicia's
relatively small hand in his.

"Dammit, Alicia." He says, barely above a whisper. "Don't you leave me. You're the
only one who truly understands me. It's always been you and me against the world and
we've beat it back every time too."

The little mouse inventor can only look on in complete shock as Alex speaks to the
unconscious she-bat. She feels that she should leave but she seems unable to make her
legs move. She looks on as Alex falls to his knees at Alicia's bedside, still clasping her
hand.

"Don't you die on me!" This time sounding more like a command. "I couldn't stand it if
you did. It'll be like when Midnight and the girls were killed. I-I just couldn't stand that
pain again."

Gadget's legs finally begin to obey orders from her brain again. She quietly pads over to
the kneeling neo bat and hesitantly places a small hand on his shoulder.

"I didn't know that you cared for her." She whispers.

"Not surprising. Hell, I didn't even know myself until a couple of hours ago."

"Would you like me to leave?"

Alex turns his head slowly towards Gadget. In his kneeling position he is practically eye
to eye with her. His right hand comes up and pats her hand which is still on his shoulder.
"No. I'd appreciate it if you stayed, little sister."

With a sincere smile, Gadget slowly puts her arms around Alex's neck and hugs him
fiercely.

"I finally have a big brother."

"Don't let it get around." Alex says with a half smile. "It might ruin your reputation."

* * * *

"Toorahloo!" Exclaims Monterey. "Is that Project: Tracker?"

"Afraid so." Replies Trackball.

"Alicia was right. That thing IS a tank with wings. How in the name of me Aunt Lucy's
bunion is Alex gonna beat that thing?"

"With an incredible degree of difficulty, I'd say." Chip says while studying the plans.
"This creature seems to be more machine than animal."

"Oh it's definitely a cybernetic organism alright. More so than Alex is." Trackball says
as she rolls in from the kitchen.

"Trackball, tell Chip what you told me and Dale about Alex." Foxglove pipes in.

The Ranger leader turns from studying the monitor. "Tell me what about Alex?"

"Alex's aggressiveness probably isn't a character flaw."

"Huh?"
"Haven't you noticed that it's like he's two people sometimes? He can be kind and
gentle like he was with me or he can be ruthlessly cold as he was with Lance."

The chipmunk simply nods in reply.

"I found some design specs on Alex on that disk. He was given synthetic human
hormone treatments during the time of his conversion. These synthetic hormones are
what gives him his incredible rages and probably allow him to what he does. We all saw
what the implants that the neos carry are capable of during when Twitch took Lance
apart. As you can plainly see, Twitch isn't that much larger than Foxglove here. Her
implants feeding off of her rage allowed her to beat down an opponent half again her
size. Now just imagine Alex in a similar situation. His implants power a body that is at
least twice the size of Twitch's. You couple that with the fact that his implants not only
have adrenaline to feed off of but those synthetic hormones as well…"

Dales let's out a long, drawn out whistle. "Gosh almighty!" he says. "He would be…"

"…Anyone's worst nightmare." Foxglove finishes.

"Also, let's not forget the nanotechnology that he carries within him." Trackball adds.
"It's small wonder why The Colony wants him back so badly. Folks, I believe that our
friend, Alex Fairmont could be the most dangerous small mammal alive today."

* * * *

"You know when I first saw her, she reminded me of my sister." Gadget says looking at
the sleeping, Alicia.

"Don't tell me that you have bat blood in your family." Alex replies jokingly.

"No, you big goof. It's just that my sister, Widget is also an albino."

"Widget? Boy, your family sure has a thing for names. It wouldn't surprise me to find
out that you had a sister named, Doohickey running around somewhere."

At that the mouse and the bat share a laugh. It is then that the unconscious she-bat begins
to stir. Gadget and Alex just stare, neither one daring to breathe.

"Can't a girl get a little shut eye around here?" She barely whispers.

"Stay with her, Gadget! I'll go get the nurse!" Alex says as he hurries from the room.

Alicia's pink eyes flicker open and slowly take in her surroundings. She then turns
towards, Gadget and smiles weakly at the blonde mouse.

"Guess I'm still alive." She then winces in pain causing Gadget to move closer in
concern. "Because, I feel awful."

"Golly, I guess being stabbed is bound to make you feel that way."

"Did I hear, Alex?"

"You sure did, he just left to get a nurse."

"You know he had better watch himself, you know."

"Huh?"

"He's going to ruin his reputation for being a cold-hearted killer."

At this Gadget smiles. "I don't think that will be a problem as far as his enemies are
concerned at least."
"And what exactly do you mean by that?

"Alicia, it seems that I've finally won Alex over." Gadget says while practically jumping
up and down.

"Good girl. I knew you could. I told you that he isn't as heartless as he makes out."

Just then Alex returns with a nurse and Dr. Montclair in tow.

"I'll have to ask you two to step outside now. I want to exam Ms. Ravencroft."

As the two Rangers step out into the corridor, Alex turns to his companion.

"What were you two rascals talking about when we came in?"

"Oh nothing." Gadget replies with a slight giggle.

Alex raises an eyebrow and shoots Gadget a sideways glance.

"What?!" The inventor queries.

"I don't know, but I've got the feeling that I'm being conspired against. I just know that
you two are up to something. It wouldn't be the first time ya know. Our little Ms.
Ravencroft can be quite the cut up when she wants to be."

The big bat continues to look down at the mouse, but this time Gadget doesn't pick up
any hostility in Alex's gaze. Finally, Alex simply shakes his head and chuckles.

"Okay then, you two can have your little secret. I'm just happy that Alicia's alive to
share in it with you. Anyway, I'm hungry. C'mon mousie I'll treat you to an early
dinner."

"Sound extremely good to me."
As they turn and head down the hall there comes a ruckus from Alicia's room. They turn
just in time to see Dr. Montclair come hurdling out of the room and land motionless on
the floor.

* * * *

As they all gather around Trackball's computer monitor the remaining Rangers hear a
soft moan from the couch behind them. They turn as one and see Twitch slowly sitting
up.

"Where am I? Where's Alicia?" Twitch says, somewhat confused by her surroundings.

Foxglove pads over the confused neo bat and sits next to her. The little neo bat looks at
her with pleading eyes.

"Foxy, where's Alicia?"

"She's in the hospital, Rebecca. Alex took her there right after the fight."

"Did I stop, Lance?"

"I'll say you did." Dale answers coming over and sitting on the other side of Twitch.

Twitch looks down at her feet and nervously twiddles her fingers.

"I don't know what happened to me. I didn't know I could fight like that. They tried
training me back at The Colony but it never really took."

"After the dust up I saw early today, I'd say that your training took just fine, Rebecca
luv."

**There all very nice but I wish Alicia were here. Uh oh, here comes that other
chipmunk.**
"Twitch, Alex wants you to take us to your hideout. We've got to contact the others and
bring them in on this."

"But Alicia told me not to tell anyone were it is."

"It's alright, Rebecca." Foxglove says putting a comforting wing on the little neo bat's
shoulder. "If Alicia trusts my brother. Don't you think you can trust him too."

"I guess your right about that. Okay, I'll take you there."

As they prepare to leave, Chip pulls Foxglove aside from the others.

"Thanks Foxglove. You handled that situation like a pro."

"Gee, thanks Chip. I'm learning from the best after all."

* * * *

"Axe!"

Alex stands in the doorway to the room and stares at an apparition every bit as
intimidating as he is. Looming over Alicia's prone form is a jet-black neo bat holding a
double bladed battle axe. The black bat is as tall as Alex but of a slightly lighter build.

"My dear Mr. Fairmont. It's a pleasure to meet you once again. What have we here?"
Axe says gesturing toward Gadget with his axe. "Are we going soft Alexander?"

Alex quickly steps between Gadget and Axe. The Ranger goes to complain but Alex
unfurls his wings and uses on of them to gently push her out of the room.

"Stay out of this little one."

"But…"

Gadget's statement is cut short by the door slamming in her face.

"Ooohh shoot!" Gadget says as she kneels down to check on the doctor.

* * * *

The Rangerwing makes it way to an abandoned Farberware factory where Alicia and her
clutch have set up a make shift headquarters their own.

"RICHARD!! GARY!!" Twitch calls into the darkness but she is only answered by her
reverbing voice. "RICHARD!! GARY!! C'MON GUYS, ANSWER ME!!" Still the
darkness mocks her. "Chip."

The Ranger leader sidles up to the obviously nervous neo. "What?"

"I can't hear their implant signatures. That means that they're either out of range or…"

As Twitch's eyes begin to well up with tears, Chip puts his arm around her shoulders.

"Let's not jump to conclusions here. There might be things here that can block their
signatures. C'mon Twitch, let's continue our search."

* * * *

"Well, Garibaldi. You son of a diseased bat. What flat rock did you crawl out from
under?"

"Now Alexander, is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

"Friend? I just as soon be friends with a rabid dog, but let's cut the crap. Who are you
here for?"

"Why my dear, Mr. Fairmont I was sent to deal with you, but since Lance was beaten by
that little misfit, I guess I'll have to take you both in now." Axe says while smoothing
Alicia's hair.

"Take your filthy paws off of me!" she says, squirming under his touch.

"Now, now Ms. Ravencroft. You and your friend here have given The Colony no end of
trouble. It's time for their wayward children to return home now."

"THE HELL YOU SAY!!" Roars Alex as he launches himself at his foe. Axe simply
leaps backwards to the window sill. Alex flares his wings and stops his forward
momentum.

"Oh no, Alexander." Axe says smiling wickedly from his perch. "Not now. Not here. I
will do it at a moment of my own choosing."

"SCREW YOU!!"

Alex's hands fly to his two automatics, he trains them on Axe, pulls the triggers and…
nothing happens.

"What's wrong, Alexander? Out of ammunition? Did you're concern for Ms.
Ravencroft here cause you to forget to reload? You're slipping, Mr. Fairmont."

**Dammit!**

"As I said, Mr. Fairmont. I will choose the time and the place. Until then, Alexander."
The black bat then turns and flies off into the gathering gloom. Alex only watches him
leave while holding his two empty guns.

"Son of a…" Alex growls as he looks back at Alicia. "Are you all right? He didn't hurt
you, did he?"

"No, I'm okay. Are you all right? You forgot to reload your guns. That's definitely not
like you."

"Yeah, I guess I had other things on my mind at the time."

Going to the door and opening it he finds Gadget still tending to the shaken doctor.
Gadget stares hard at her teammate with the mixture of a scowl and a pout on her face.
Alex barely contains an all out laugh at the expression on her face.

"Sorry I had to be so rough on you little one, but I didn't have time to be diplomatic
about it. Forgive me?"

"Well, okay." Gadget says. Her scowl reverting to her sunny smile. "There are times
when I can see where you and Foxy are related."

"Huh?"

"You both have the habit of tilting you head to the side when asking questions."

"We do?"

"Yup."

"Well I can see that Maplewood isn't the only observant one on the team. It must be a
trait from our father's side of the family."
"Who was that?" The doctor asks as Alex helps the big rat to his feet.

"That was Joseph Garibaldi and he is most certainly trouble on the wing."

"How's my patient?"

"It would seem that he didn't hurt her in any way."

"What are we going to do? Ms. Ravencroft isn't well enough to be moved but we can't
have that…that…"

"Neo bat, doctor."

"Neo bat?"

"Yes. That's what we're called."

"Well, we can't have that neo bat disrupting the workings of this hospital."

"Believe it or not, I don't think you'll have to worry about him showing up here again."

"How do you figure that, Alex?"

"Easy my dear, Gadget. Garibaldi has always had this misguided sense of honor. All he
did tonight was to serve Alicia and myself notice. He won't attack her at least."

"And why not?"

"Because she's weak right now. She won't provide him with any sport in her condition."

"Speaking of which. I'd better check in on her now."

Dr. Montclair re-enters Alicia's room leaving the two Rangers in the corridor. Gadget
looks up at the towering neo bat.

"What is it, mousie?"

"Did hear right?" Gadget says cocking an eyebrow. "Did hear Alicia say that you forgot
to reload your guns."

"Yeah…I've never done that before. I guess I was a little preoccupied." Alex replies
with just a hint of embarrassment.

"Well." Gadget says coyly. "Love will make you do that."

* * * *

"Come." Twitch says. "Our living quarters are through here."

The Rangers enter a living area not too much unlike their own. A conversation pit,
television viewing area, corridor leading off to individual rooms, but it is in the kitchen
that they find the two remaining neo bats.

"Chip, I can barely hear their signatures." Foxglove says. "It looks like someone left
them for dead."

"And from what I can see, they weren't too far wrong. We have a problem here. These
guys are as big as Alicia. We can't transport them in the Rangerwing." Chip says
angrily. "We're gonna need the big guy. Dale go topside and use the radio to contact
Alex at the hospital."

"I'm on it, Chip."
The Hawaiian shirt clad chipmunk quickly makes his way to the Rangerwing and no
sooner than he's about to contact the hospital he spies Alex flying in with Gadget on his
back.

"Dale!" Gadget calls. "What's up?"

"I was just about to get in touch with you guys. We found the other neos inside but
someone roughed them up pretty bad."

"One ambulance trip coming right up." Alex says following Dale to the entrance.
"Gadget, radio the hospital and tell to expect two more patients."

"I'm on it!" The little mouse replies, jumping into the Rangerwing's pilot seat.

* * * *

"It's been quite the busy day for me." Dr. Montclair says. "I've never heard of neo bats
until today and already I have three of them for patients. Not to mention the one that
tossed me out of my patient's room like a sack of potatoes."

"ALEX!!" Chip ejaculates. "HOW COULD YOU?"

"Wasn't me boss munk." Alex replies defensively. "It was a neo bat by the name of
Joseph Garibaldi."

"You know, I think I've heard of him." Twitch pipes in. "Is his codename Axe?"

"Yes it is."

"Oh boy, he's a real mean one from what I've heard."

"That he is, Twitch. Garibaldi is about as mean and nasty as they come."

"But you said that he simply up and left earlier this evening." Chip says with a skeptical
look. "You also left Alicia here unprotected."

Alex could see were the chipmunk was heading and decided to head him off.

"Garibaldi fancies himself of noble European blood. I personally think it's a load of
dung but it is this belief that gives him a bloated sense of honor. He will not attack Alicia
or the others at this time."

"And why is that?"

"No sport in it."

"No sport? What the heck or you talking about?"

"Garibaldi likes to feel important. If he attacks a weakened foe he feels that it diminishes
him somehow. Now I'm more than likely fair game."

"But he had his chance at you earlier, mate. Why didn't he take it then?"

"Once again, it's that bloated ego of his. I'm embarrassed to admit it but I had him dead
to rights earlier."

"What?!" Chip practically screams. "You had someone and they're still breathing. I
don't believe it."

The big bat actually looks down at his feet and nervously shifts his weight.

"Well, I had forgotten to reload my guns after the Lance incident. I'm certain that
Garibaldi knew that they weren't loaded because he made no move to avoid them when I
pulled them. I 'm guessing that he felt that I wasn't at the top of my game."

"So now what?" queries Dale.

"Nothing. The next move is up to him. He'll contact me and announce the time and
place of my supposed demise."

Foxglove pads over to her brother's side and takes his big hand in her wingtips.

"How on earth can you be so calm about this, Alexander?"

"Well, I'll tell you this baby girl. Worrying about it isn't going to change a blessed thing.
It might be days or even weeks before Garibaldi contacts me and right now I'm more
worried about Alicia." Alex then extends a hand to Twitch. "C'mon, Rebecca. Let's go
see Alicia."

"You know something." Chip says as he watches the two neo bats walk down the
corridor. "I actually think that Alex is beginning to mellow a bit. Though I wouldn't say
that to his face."

"I heard that Maplewood." Alex shouts as he and Twitch turn into Alicia's room.

The Ranger leader simply smiles and shakes his head.

**I'll say this for you, Dark Ranger. Life is decidedly more interesting with you
around.**

THE END OF SHADOWS OF THE PAST

So ends the first part of a multi-part work which has been christened "The Alex Saga"
This was my first attempt at fanfic and I hoped you liked it. I would like to thank some
people who helped to inspire this little project.

Firstly many thanks to Jaleel and his excellent site, The Foxglove Feature. It was this site
that turned me on to the online world of the Rescue Rangers. It also introduced me to
many talented authors that helped to inspire this little project of mine which has taken on
a life of its own. What started out as a short story has turned into a year and a half labor
of love.

Secondly many thanks to Indy and Chris Silva. Their works were and still are a great
guide to character interaction. In particular their, "Dare To Dream" epic which really
acts as my Holy Grail in this respect. I once told Indy how it was uncanny how the
portrayal of Lawhiney eerily reminds me of my older sister. Thanks a bunch you guys.

And last but certainly not least, my thanks to my fellow inmates at the Acorn Café. The
interaction there and the constant exchanging of ideas has kept the old gray matter
stimulated.

Now on to the dreaded disclaimer:
The characters of Alexander Fairmont, Alicia Ravencroft, Rebecca Corrigan (Twitch),
Maxwell (Hammer), Natasha Manninoff (Lance), Joseph Garibaldi (Axe), Dr. Leon
Montclair, Zeus and Mary are mine.

The character of Daisy Fairmont is property of Indy and Chris Silva.

The character of Trackball is property of John Nowak.

The character of McDugell is property of Matt Plotecher.

All other characters property of Disney.

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