The following fan fiction has been rated WEB-MA-LVD
by the Internet Code of Ethics (I.C.E.).

It contains coarse language, violence, and some suggestive dialogue.

It is intended solely for mature audiences, and is not recommended for readers under the age of 15.

Parental and general reader discretion is advised.

Rescue Rangers XN

Beyond Celestia

By

Edward C. Baird

I. The Idea.

Guy often faced crowds of bogies, but not as many as he faced this time. “Damn! I can’t shake ‘em, Danni! I’ll try the Spinning Head Dive!” Guy’s gruff, angered voice barked into the Comm Link. Using the all-too-famous maneuver he learned from his father, Amos Atticas, he lured the enemy fighters into his dive. Faster and faster, the craft spun nearer and nearer to the concrete below. “Pull up Guy, pull up! Dammit, you’ll never make it out of that dive!” Danni screamed to the desperate comrade. Guy licked the sweat from his lips as he yanked back on the bars, pulling for every bit of adrenalin in his system.
“Come on, scummers! Good ol’ Snapper’s got a strip of asphalt he wants you to meet!” Guy taunted as the bogies rammed head on into the middle of Corada Avenue. “YEAH!!! Ol’ Yatru’s gonna be pissed when he eyes that mess!” Danni cheered, rejoining Guy as they head back to base.
As Guy and Danni stepped out of their machines, Guy’s wife, Charlotte, appeared from the back of the hangar. She flung her arms around Guy’s neck and kissed him on the lips. “Thank Hiki you’re safe! I thought you’d never return!” She said, thoughtfully. “Yeah, I must admit it was one hell of a run, but I don’t think I’ll ever see the day when Yatru finally gets the upper hand on me.” Guy smirked, scratching the back of his head smugly.
When Guy got back to the Skyrise, he threw the dusted old beige scarf that his mother made for him when he was a tender youth onto the coffee table and clicked on the V-wall. The Manglers had to have won today’s match-up of Kill Puck. Slowly, the sportscasters image focused onto the wall. “In sports today, another sad loss for the New Malacom City Manglers in today’s match-up against the Eastport Rush.” Lead sportscaster for Accu-Cast 120 sports, Kit Gradoron relayed the raw news to Guy, while gory films of the game were displayed as he spoke.
“In the first quarter of the game, Haron Wicker bludgeoned Wendel Reginald senseless, stealing the puck with a vengeance, and slamming that sucker into the goal. Oy, that’s gotta hurt!” Kit winced as he watched the blood spurt from said players skull. Guy, being the desensitized pilot that he was, hardly noticed. He was more concerned that his favorite team was trounced by the second worst team in Kill Puck history...Again. He covered his face in disgust.
“Dammit! I can’t believe those bastards got away with it again!” Guy shamefully moaned. He changed the channel to the new VI Network, and was about to link up his neuro-cables to his head when Charlotte called to him from the kitchen. “Hey hothead, pipe down and get over here. I want to ask you something.” Guy was happy to oblige. He had nothing better to do, and needed to kill some time between now and the next game on the VI Network. “Okay, shoot.” Guy said.
Charlotte’s face was one of seriousness for once. “I’ve been wondering about our son, Wescott. It’s been twenty years since we sent him from us. I hope he’s okay. We never did get a chance to really know him.”
“Relax, girl! He’s a tough kid. He should be, he’s got my blood in him.” Guy said reassuringly. “That reminds me. Where did you say his capsule was headed? Guy asked.
“There was only one place I knew of to send him. A little planet in the Sol system...”

Ten P.M. It was a rainy Saturday night in Chicago. The skylights on the tall building tops downtown brightened the sky an orange hue. The torrents sounded on the sidewalks surrounding the tall oak tree just northeast of the Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park. Within, Tammy, Foxglove and Dale were lounging about on the round couch in the den, waiting for Monster Vision on TNT to start. Wescott was in the kitchen, popping a bowl of popcorn in the microwave. Mesmerized by the spinning bowl, he didn’t even hear Tammy calling to him. “Hurry up, Wes! The show’s gonna start in ten minutes!” She said, to no avail. The bell sounded, and Wescott snapped up. “Uh..What? Oh yeah, sorry. Popcorn’s up, guys, lemme fix it up, and I’ll bring it out.” Wescott hurriedly fetched his own special “popcorn magic” decanter. he learned the recipe from an old movie-going hamster in Houston, Texas who hated the taste of bland movie popcorn. She whipped up a batch of the stuff in her spare time (between movies) using stuff she found at the nearby Safeway. When Wescott boarded with her for two months, she gave him the recipe and a special round decanter to put the concoction in. “Knock ‘em dead, kid.” She told Wes as he flew off to find a new place to live.
Wescott sprinkled the mixture liberally over the popcorn and dashed into the den just in time. “Gosh, speedy, next time don’t go so fast. We might not even see you.” Dale complained.
“Tonight on Monster Vision, Ghoulies!” The snapping southern-styled human, Joe-Bob Briggs announced. Wes sat back, put his arm around Tammy and munched at the popcorn. He always enjoyed the pseudo-entertainment of a good ol’ cheap horror movie that had fake slime demons as the villains. “Ghouleeeee!” Wescott announced loudly when the little rat monster appeared in the circle. Tammy and Foxy laughed. “Button it, Wes, I’m trying to watch!” Dale demanded.
While the movie was playing, Chip and Gadget were melding minds in the lab. Before them stood a new creation. Gears, springs, silicon chips, and leather were all involved in the monstrous human-shaped metal pile. Gadget finished tightening the last bolt on the object with her trusty rubber-coated spanner. “So exactly what does this thing do?” Chip asked, a little concerned. “Chip, you know I would never create anything without having a purpose for it. This is the RangerMech.” Gadget reassuringly said. “Mech? What the heck is a mech?” Chip said.
“It’s a body suit that lets you do things you couldn’t do alone. Gadget replied. “For example: I’ve put twin double-helix tasers in the left arm for riot control. On the other arm, there are net launchers for enemy capture. Within the vehicle, I have a communication microphone and speaker for talking to other members. Also, there are wings on the sides and thruster engines on the feet for flight and extra maneuverability.”
“Good land, Gadget, you must have put in everything but the kitchen sink.” Chip remarked, stunned by the creation’s features. “Well, I was going to add it, but where do you think I should put it?” Gadget said, carrying a sink into the lab.

The movie was soon over and everyone was tired, except for Wescott and Tammy, who were the later of the nightowls tonight. With Foxglove and Dale gone to bed, Wescott just sat back in the comfort of the couch and admired the beauty of the stars from the skylight above. Tammy finally asked a question that had been bothering her ever since the day she met him.
“Peanut, how come you never talk about your family? Did you have any brothers and sisters?” She asked. “All I can remember is that I had a foster family of spider monkeys when I lived in Denver. See, there was my mom, Julia, there was my dad, Arthur, and my two brothers, Robert and Charles. The zookeepers named them ridiculous names, like Mr. Hairy and Chunky. No one ever paid attention to me as a child accept my mother and father, and even when they did, it was to tell me to shut up, or sit my butt down. My brothers had all the freedom in the world, but I had nothing. Actually the only thing I had were my adventures outside of the cage at night. I know that they couldn’t be my true parents, because first off, they are monkeys and I am a squirrel. Secondly, true parents would nurture me, not neglect me. And that’s why to this day, I have always wanted to see my true parents.”
“Wescott, I promise you that one day, you’ll see your parents.” Tammy said, smiling hopefully at him. He knew her promises were always right.

Wescott was just slipping into his hammock and nodding off. The vision came into his brain an hour later, the approximate time for psychic travel across The Space/Time Continuum. In his vision, Wescott saw two forms. They appeared to be squirrels like him-one male and one female-but there was something different about them. Their fur was slightly more colorful than Wescott’s, but only slightly. They called to him.
“Wescott, our child, you will see us soon. Tomorrow, a gateway to your planet will be linked to a nearby portal. We will tell you more then. Until tomorrow, sleep well.” The female said. Then the two squirrels faded out of Wescott’s mind for the rest of the night.
Wescott sat up in his hammock. “That was weird. I gotta quit eating that popcorn magic stuff, it’s making my head spin.” He commented, pulled up his pillow, held it tightly, and went back to bed. Maybe tomorrow he could sort it all out.

II. The Mind and The Closet.

Wescott woke up the next morning with a throbbing headache. One such as he had never faced before. It was as if the inside walls of his skull were caving in. He had to hold his hand over his mouth to keep from screaming in agony. He ran to the breakfast nook, still dressed in only his blue boxers. Tammy was there, as usual, her pretty self. She couldn’t help but notice how Wescott was holding both his head and his mouth. She reacted.
“Omigosh! Wescott, what’s wrong?” She said, alarmed.
“Oh...my head...it hurts...” Wescott moaned. The pain exploded in his head as last night’s vision painfully left its hangover. He collapsed head first onto the nook table. Tammy’s pupils constricted as she saw the sight, as they often did when she was shocked. Tammy grabbed Wescott’s arm, picked him up and quickly took him upstairs to the recovery bay. She placed him on the raised mat, and got everyone out of bed. Something was wrong with Wescott.
Within minutes, she had rounded up Chip, Gadget, Dale and Foxglove. They all gathered at the recovery room. Tammy put a cold, damp cloth over Wescott’s brow, and checked for a pulse. He was still alive, but in some sort of unknown state. She had seen all types of mental and physical conditions in her time, but none like this. Wescott’s head was swelling and shrinking very strangely. She couldn’t diagnose Wescott. He seemed to be in a fevered trance. For these sort of things, everyone turned to the magic and arcane master of the team, Foxglove Digitalis. Foxglove put her wings on Wescott’s head. A jolt passed through her. She was stunned for a second, but she knew what was going on. Wescott had been channeled psychically through his dreams.
“I have the diagnosis: someone tried to dial 1-888-WESCOTT and get him hooked up to the psychic friends hotline...across the galaxy. See, he’s been contacted, and this odd symptom of his head swelling and shrinking usually happens to those who are contacted from a far distance. He’ll get over it soon, just gotta give it time.” Foxglove explained.
Tammy decided to take no chances and removed the damp cloth to put on another one. In the process she revealed the V-shaped mark that everyone knew Wescott had. The odd thing was that Tammy noticed that the scar was glowing a dim red. Tammy stared at it for a second or two, and then just covered it up with the next cloth. She stayed on in the recovery room to help Wes back to health while the others prepared for the day.
At lunch time, the Rangers were waiting on Tammy to fix their noontime repast. This was a thing that she loved to do, but today her main concern was Wescott’s well being. Wescott was still in the recovery room. He was propped up on a therapeutic pillow, while Tammy spoon-fed him chicken soup. Wescott was bargaining with her to let him go.
“I mean it, Cocoa Bean, I’m fine! Cheese and crackers! Can’t you find it in your heart to release me?” Wescott pleaded. Tammy considered it. “Alright, but just remember that if it happens again, I’ll be right here. You just let me know.” She said.
Tammy resumed her work in the galley fixing the lunch, which consisted of bacon club sandwiches, Clausen pickles, New England clam chowder and cold raspberry lemonade. Everyone ate with relish. It was a typical Sorenthia lunch, which was better than any five delicatessens in Chicago put together. Chip wiped his mouth, put his fedora on, and began to head downstairs. “Well, let’s go scan the skies for new cases. I need some action. Who’s with me?” He asked. Dale, Gadget and Tammy replied wholeheartedly. “Maybe Mutt Winston is planning a robbery over near the Navy Pier. I have some sort of feeling that that might happen.” Wescott suggested. “Alright then. Let’s go!”
Soon the whole team was hitting the chutes to the underground hangar, where the infamous RangerKestrel was lying in wait. Gadget and Chip took their spots as pilot and co-pilot. Wescott was sufficed to sit next to Tammy today. The press of a button, a few quick movements of the wrists, and Gadget piloted the jet over the vastness of Lake Michigan.
They wheeled around to check out Navy Pier. Wescott used his binoculars to spot a form moving below. The bad Italian suit which was lamely wrapped around a short, stubby English bulldog proved his suspicions. It was none other than Mutt Winston himself. The same Mutt Winston who also recently lay claim to the underworld of Chicago as his own, with one mission. To make all of Chicago his own oyster.
“Hell’s bells, Tammy,” Wescott said, narrowing his eyelids and lowering his binoculars. “He’s here all right. That’s Mutt Winston.”
Foxglove spoke up and made her voice known. “Aha! You predicted it! That’s another side effect of the psychic linkup!” She said, pointing a velvety wing at Wescott. “Huh?...Oh that. Yeah, I guess that would explain a few things.” Wescott said. “But right now I think it’s time for some serious butt-kicking.” Wescott and the others joined in the call as the jet descended on the canine kingpin. “RESCUE RANGERS AWAY!!” They shouted.
Down below, Mutt Winston was walking across Navy Pier, preparing for the assault. He had not really started to attack the pier, but his cronies were lying in wait to attack at his given time. He looked up just in time to spot the descending RangerKestrel, and three forms flying out of the craft. He had been ambushed himself! He wasn’t going to let his plans be ruined again.
“Alright boys, change of plans. Perforate the Rescue Rangers!” He yelled, pointing at the closing jet and at Wescott, Tammy and Foxglove. It was Tammy’s first real flight mission, and she was doing fine. She had had one and a half months of in-flight training by Wescott in preparation for this, and she was even faster than him as they soared out of the sky to the Pier, deftly avoiding bulletfire. Foxglove countered with a firebrand spell, which sent five cronies fleeing in flames. Wescott pulled out his bo as they landed and jolted it swiftly into a tall rat’s gut, knocking him out cold. Tammy cocked Eater, her own modified Double Helix Taser, and sent shots blazing at the oncoming horde. Two cats’ guns were knocked clean from their hands, while another three goons doubled over from the impact, wincing in pain.
Soon, Chip and the others were on the scene and into the fray. Chip landed by smacking a crow upside the head and lashing another with his trusty leather bullwhip, sending the unsuspecting crook into the water, a scar across his back. Gadget sprang from the cockpit, laying waste left and right with her silver dirk. She did a split and punched a thug square in the crotch, which obviously made him squirm in pain. Dale smacked furiously at three large cats with his nunchakus, knocking them all out. He then picked them up and threw them into Lake Michigan. “Have a nice day, losers!” He taunted.
Wescott chased the fleeing bulldog, and swung furiously at him with his bo. He succeeded several times in tripping him with the front part of the staff to gain time, while he batted Winston’s skull with the butt. Finally, he simply let him go. “And don’t come back, ya pansy!” Wescott added. Mutt Winston turned around as he fled to make a final remark. “Screw you, rangers! This isn’t over, you roadkill squirrel! I’ll get you yet!”
That make Wescott angry. Wescott stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes began to glow red. Wescott would have continued the chase and killed Mutt Winston had he not been held back by Tammy. She soothed him a bit to keep him from entering Bloodlust. Wescott took some deep breaths as the other Rescue Rangers gathered by his side.
“I let him get away. That poor idiot still doesn’t know who he’s dealing with, eh guys?” He said. Everyone agreed, and raised their weapons in a cheer for another Ranger Victory. Chicago was once again temporarily safe from the likes of Mutt Winston.

Returning to the tree, Wescott’s head began to hurt again. Only this time with a pulsing intensity. “AAARRRRGGGHHHH...make it stop!” Wescott cried, stumbling across the den, holding his head, which felt like it was going to pop. Tammy grabbed him from his pain and flew him up to the recovery room. Foxglove followed suit, and the others followed her.
Once there, Foxglove tested Wescott for more psychic readings. She found them. “He seems to be receiving a message. I’m going to intercept the message, and try to display it. I think I can do that.” She said. Foxglove placed one wing on Wescott’s head as he lay on the mat, while she put the other wing to her own head. “Come on, Wescott, don’t fail out on me now.” She said. Suddenly, a ball appeared on the north wall of the room. Everyone but Wescott and Foxglove turned to look at it. Wes and Foxy were experiencing the vision first hand. The ball was beginning to form what was being seen in Wescott and Foxglove’s heads.
In this vision, the two squirrels reformed. The male squirrel reached out his paw and spoke. “Now is the time for you to join us, my child. The gateway has been selected. Just use your closet and you will be transported to Mountania, and we will be waiting in the caves to pick you up. See you then!” He said. Then the vision ended, and Wescott sat up.
“Wha...what happened? It felt as if someone else saw what I saw...” Wescott said. “We all saw it. Were they your parents?” asked Tammy, excitedly. “I’m not sure. I guess there is only one way to find out. However, I don’t want to go alone. Tammy, Dale, you two come with me. The others can stay behind and use Foxglove as the psychic contact. Whenever we want to report to you, I’ll psychically link up with Foxglove. Until then, I’ll see you.” Dale gave Foxglove a quick kiss. Wescott waved goodbye and they ran to Wescott’s room. Wescott opened up the closet door, and a bright blue light shown through. Obviously, the visions were real. Wescott took courage and stepped through. Tammy and Dale followed suit. Soon, the blue light engulfed them almost fluidly, and shot them through the tree, into space, past comets, planets, even right through the sun.

III. Brave New World

Moving much faster than the speed of light, everything around them sped by as they moved onward towards their destination. Soon, a large blue planet approached. the bright lights of it slowed down and as such, so did their flight. They landed in a patch of bushes near a huge cave. The cave was at least 20 miles high. They decided that this must be the place, and entered the cave.
Inside the cave was a huge city, with skyscrapers and search lights that flashed all the time. Wescott, Tammy and Dale approached a sign. It was kind of dark so it took a few seconds for Wescott to read it aloud. “’Welcome to Mountainia. One of the largest cites on Amalis. Kaerala’s Finest City, 4037.’ Mountania, huh? This must be where my supposed mom and dad want to meet me.” He said. Tammy and Dale followed Wescott as he looked for his parents. As he wandered around, he was tapped on the shoulder. “Huh?” He said. He looked around and found himself face to face with a group of foxes. They had silver fur and wielded nasty looking weapons. The largest fox had a white and black stripe running down his back. He spoke up to Wescott.
“Are you looking for trouble, mac? This is a restricted area. No loafers allowed.” He said. “I’m sorry if I entered at a bad time. I’m just looking for my parents. They said I would meet them here. I’m Wescott Vance Atticas.” Wescott responded. The fox looked stunned. “THE Wescott Vance? I don’t believe it. Show me your scar, that is, if you really are him.” The fox added, disbelievingly. “Which one? I have a lot of scars. Which one do you mean?” Wescott said. “The one on your forehead.” The fox said. “Oh! You mean my V-Scar. I don’t exactly know how that’s going to help things, but here.”
Wescott pulled up the fluff of hair on his forehead to reveal his V-shaped scar. It was still glowing the dim, red color. The foxes released their weapons and lowered their heads a bit. “Wescott, I’m sorry I doubted you, just a precaution, I assure you. My name is Robert Redeye.” The lead fox said. He reached out his hand to shake Wescott’s. Wescott accepted. “That’s alright, I didn’t know I was famous here.”
After a few minutes of introductions, Robert lead Wescott through the city, and told him of what was going on. “You see, Wescott, your dad is a very important beast on this continent. Guy Atticas is the leader of the Bolton Fighter Squadron in New Malacom City. He’s helped us out numerous times, and we are in great debt to him. But nowadays, the only thing that keeps him going is the thought that one day, he’ll see you. And if things go right, that day could be today. I just want to say what an honor it is to finally meet the son of the famous Guy Atticas. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you get back to your father.” He said.
About this time, Guy Atticas and his wife, Charlotte were in Mountainia, talking with the guards, who had just reported finding his son. General Thomas Jakelins, the Royal Cavern Guard General, was speaking with the fighter ace. “So you see, sir, the sentries have found your son, and are as we speak, bringing him into the city. Would you like to go out and meet him?” He said. “Of course I would! Let’s go!” Guy said happily. It was the first time in months that he had felt good about something. Charlotte was excited as well. “Guy, can you believe it? We are actually going to see our son!” She said. The guard turned to the hopeful mother. “Don’t get your hopes up, though, it might not be him.” He said.
The guards stopped at the main guard house. Guy and Charlotte walked out and saw their son. They were overcome with joy. Wescott finally saw his parents. He was speechless with joy. He ran up and hugged his mother. “Mom? Is that really you?” He said. “Yes, Wescott, it’s me.” She looked at his forehead to make sure, and her aspirations were confirmed. It really was Wescott Vance Atticas, her long lost son. Guy hugged both of them. Dale broke out into tears as he pulled out his spotted handkerchief to blow his nose. “I just love family reunions!” He bawled. Tammy put her paw on his shoulder. “There, there, Dale.” She said. Everyone was in a mood of happiness. The Atticas household was once again, after over 20 years, a family.
Everyone, including Dale and Tammy, was escorted into a special shuttle that went straight to the station at New Malacom City. Within seconds, Wescott and his friends were whisked straight to Wescott’s birthplace. Once there, he was treated to a homecoming party by the entire city of New Malacom. Everyone was cheering and throwing confetti to the family. Soon, they arrived at Guy’s Skyrise, high up in the sky above the city. Wescott sat on the couch, with Tammy and Dale on either side of him. On the opposite couch sat Guy and Charlotte. Wescott smiled. It was one of his greatest wishes come true. He had met his parents, and they had met him, for the first time in twenty years. Wescott spoke up. He had a lot of questions.
“Father, why did you send me to Earth if you love me so much?” He asked. Guy let out a long, seep sigh. “That’s the question I’ve been meaning to tell you the answer to. You see, Wescott, it’s been almost twenty years since the War of the Flags. That was way back when New Malacom City was still just Malacom City, named after its founder, Griffith Malacom. We had just had you, our only son. That was when Yatru’s forces first invaded Malacom City, and took our Community Flag. Yatru and his forces captured and sent many beasts to the execution stations on Aquanox Island. Thousands of beasts from Malacom City died at the claws of the mad dictator. Before we were captured, we had to evacuate to Eastport Town. But before we left, we had to launch you to a place where you would be safe from the atrocities of war until you were at a more mature age. See, Charlotte had selected just a place that was perfect for you: the planet Earth in the Sol System. It had all the right atmospheric pressures and good things that we have here on Amalis, so we sent you there. But we knew that one day, we would return you to us when you could understand it.
“After a few years of constant fighting, we formed a coalition to stop the forces of Yatru. K.L.O.S.E.T. is still up today. We launched our first fleet of fighters to the ravaged remains of Malacom City. I was the leader. We found Yatru’s headquarters in the south side of the city, and bombed it straight to Dark Lake. Yatru had to move to a new location. Day after day, we sent in troops to pick off Yatru’s battalions, one by one. It took us a while, but for the most part, Yatru gave in, and we won the War of the Flags. Malacom City was rebuilt using all new technology, and renamed New Malacom City. Yatru was sentenced to death by public acid burning, but ten days before his scheduled execution, he up and disappeared. The only thing they found was a piece of paper in his death row chamber with the phrase, “DIE GUY DIE” on it. I was on my toes from that point onward.
“Nowadays, Yatru is back, but he only comes around once in a while. We have reason to believe that he has gained support from the strange beasts on Rephix, and gets his masked troops from there. I just hope and pray he doesn’t throw a fit like he did during the War of the Flags again, or there might not be enough scraps left of the city to fill a salad bowl.” Guy concluded.
“Well, I’ve met my friends on Earth, and Tammy and Dale here have grown to love me like a family member.” Wescott said, hugging his friends. “I had just always wondered where I came from. But who is this Yatru guy, anyway?”
“Yatru Spinga is the evil dictator who has been trying to take over the continent for over 20 years. He and his cronies attack us every once in a while, but we always succeed in pushing him back. I should know, he’s my worst enemy.” Guy said. “But what I’d like to know is how you’re doing, son.”
“Well, I’m a member of a team known as the Rescue Rangers. See, there is a species of animal on Earth called a human....” Wescott said. “Human, eh? Hah! What’s a human?” Guy asked. “Well, it’s this big, hairless thing that is very dumb. They’re big, slow and stupid, all rolled into one. It would be fine if these humans didn’t make such a mess of everything. They’ve practically destroyed their own planet with their pollution, toxic waste, and other things.” Wescott explained. “Anyway, as a Rescue Ranger, my friends and I fight the crimes of both the humans and beastkind.”
“Ah, so you’ve been very busy. What happened after we sent you to Earth?” Charlotte asked. “When I was sent to Earth, I was raised by a group of monkeys in Denver, Colorado. That’s where I learned to fly. After that, I started wandering the country, searching for a place to hang my hat. As I did so, I was taught martial arts, received my bo, studied in libraries, and basically learned the lessons of life. One day, I was passing through Chicago, when I bumped into this guy, Dale Oakmont, as he was trying to steal from a gumball machine.” Wescott pointed at Dale. “Yeah, he caught me.” Dale mentioned lowly. “From there, I was taught to be a Rescue Ranger. While I was with the Rangers, I met Tammy Sorenthia there, and she is now my girlfriend.” Wescott hugged Tammy tightly. “Ah, you picked a fine choice, son.” Guy said, very proud of his son’s good taste. “So, go on.” Guy said.
“That’s basically where I am now. I live in Chicago, Illinois, with Tammy, Dale, Foxglove Digitalis- Dale’s girlfriend, Chip Elmwood-our leader, and Gadget Hackwrench-our resident inventor.” Wescott ended his update. Charlotte looked at her guests with a look of concern. Then she realized what was missing.
“Oh! You kids must be famished. Would you like something to eat and drink?” Charlotte said, looking at her guests and son. “Uh, if it’s not too much trouble...” Tammy said, a little apprehensively. “Ah, it’s no trouble at all. I can whip up something in half a second.” Charlotte said, and true to her word, she entered the kitchen and came back with three platefuls of a bluish looking grasslike substance instantly. “This used to be Wescott’s favorite when he was just a cub. Go on, try it!” She said, encouragingly. Wescott chowed down, remembering the taste, and relishing every mouthful. “Oh mom! It’s that dish you always used to make...what was it again?” Wescott asked. “Wedgenut grass in a light gube sauce. So how do you like it, Dale and Tammy?” Dale and Tammy were out on the floor. The taste was so disgusting to them, they passed out. “Dale? Tammy?” Wescott asked.
Minutes later, Dale and Tammy were back up and drinking some fruit juice. Wescott was having a brew with his dad while they watched the latest game on the V-wall. Wescott noticed someone’s bloody head roll onto the screen. Wescott turned green. “Yuck! What the hell is that?!?!” Wescott asked, disgustedly.
“That’s Kill Puck. It’s the continent’s favorite pastime.” Guy said, proudly. “Well, why the hell would anyone want to watch someone get beaten to death and have their rotting corpse played with on the field? That’s horrible!” Wescott protested. “No, that’s high-paying entertainment.” Guy remarked.
Tammy decided to go in the kitchen and see what Charlotte was up to. In the kitchen were all these strange appliances that Tammy had never seen before. One was an object that looked sort of like a tuning fork with three buttons on it. One was green, one was black, and the other was red. Tammy was tempted to touch it, but she remembered: curiosity killed the squirrel. Another thing she saw was a box that looked like a microwave. Charlotte was placing dishes into the box. She simply closed the door and opened it, producing perfectly clean and shiny plates. “But how...” Tammy said. “Sonic waves clear the plate of grime.” Charlotte explained. “God, I wish I had one of those.” Tammy gasped.
While Wescott and his friends were experiencing the hospitality of his family, The mayor of the city, Nicolaus Grenston was experiencing the hostility of Yatru Spinga. Yatru had taken siege of the office, and had Grenston pinned against the wall with his curved, barbed gold scimitar. The sweat was pouring from Grenston’s nervous brow.
“I’ll ask you one more time before I skewer you like a squab. Where is Guy Atticas?” Yatru interrogated angrily. “I’m telling you, my best guess would be in the Malacom Skyrises seeing his son, Wescott!” Grenston said, nervously.
“So the poor punk is off frolicking with his bastard son, eh? We’ll see about that!” Yatru said, and within a second, he was out the door, and after the fighter ace and his son. Grenston fell to the ground with a thud. “Hiki save us all.” He prayed.
Guy was about to pull out his collection of guns for his son and his friends to peruse when the door was banged upon furiously. “Open up, you douchebag! I know you’re in there!” Yatru called irritatedly. “Yatru! You sonovabitch! How the hell did you find me?” Guy Atticas yelled back.
“It was easy. I followed the stench. I can smell dogshit for miles.” Yatru snapped back. Guy and his family were found. Guy was angry. He though up something. “Damn! I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this. Wescott, Dale, Tammy, you guys head to the back. There’s an escape hatch. Go tell K.L.O.S.E.T. that Yatru is invading our home. Charlotte, you and I take on Yatru. Ready? Go!”
Wescott grabbed Tammy’s arm, and the two of them picked up Dale and flew out the escape hatch. They flew out into the open air of New Malacom City, and headed down to the center of the city. Yatru had to be stopped!

IV. The Mission.

Charlotte’s barb on the end of her tail waved menacingly in the air as she unholistered her lasers. Guy reached for his trusty double barreled blaster rifle. Yatru broke through the door and prepared to slice the two squirrels with his sword. “See you in Dark Lake, scumbags!” Yatru cackled as he brought down his blade with a clang on the metal floor. Guy and Charlotte jumped to the side as Guy fired three rounds into the dictator’s side, causing him to sway a bit. Nevertheless, he succeeded in knocking Guy out with the flat of his blade when Guy made a wrong move. Charlotte was a little rougher to catch. She stung Yatru nine times, injecting her venom into Yatru’s veins and weakling him severely. As a last resort, he used a secret weapon. He shined a very bright light into her eyes, stunning her. Simply placing her in a bag, he scratched something out on a spare piece of paper and disappeared, dragging Guy’s body with him.
Wescott, Tammy and Dale were looking everywhere, but they couldn’t find the thing that Wescott’s father referred to as K.L.O.S.E.T. Just to their left, a craft was approaching. It was silver, and shaped like a bullet. Inside of it, Wescott could see a tall gray mouse and a vixen with two tails. Wescott tapped on the glass with his free paw.
“Excuse me,” He said. “I’m looking for something called K.L.O.S.E.T. Are there any such places anywhere?” The vixen pointed straight ahead. Just up ahead, there was a huge, twin-towered complex. In bright blue letters against a silver backdrop was a giant sign that flashed a message:

K.L.O.S.E.T.
Kaeralan Law and Order Sensory Enforcement Team

“Thanks!” Wescott said, and they headed to the complex.
Inside the complex it was slightly colder than outside, with the bullet cars buzzing through tunnels built into the inner sides of the building. It was in some ways like a hotel, but in other ways like a huge industrial office. Regardless, the main thing on Wescott’s mind was to get help. He saw an information booth, and went up to it. At the booth, a pretty young skunk lady was sitting, chewing bubble gum. A tag on her vest read that her name was Cynthia Lokkens. Wescott spoke up.
“Ma’am! Mymomanddadhavebeenattackedbythisguywithabigcapeandhesreallyuglyandmydadandmomneedhelp NOW!!” Screamed Wescott. Cynthia remained calm and continued to chew while Wescott poured his heart into his speech. “So, what’s the victim’s name?” She said. “He’s Guy Atticas, my dad.” Wescott said. Cynthia almost fell back in her seat. “THE Guy Atticas? Are you really Wescott Atticas, son of Guy?” Cynthia exclaimed as she looked at the young squirrel in disbelief. He figured that if the scar worked for the guard, it must work for these guys. “Will this help?” He said pulling back his hair to reveal the scar. “Holy Hiki! You are Wescott! I know where he lives, let me round up the boys. This is an emergency!” Within a second, the sirens blared, soldiers hustled and blue lights flashed everywhere. “CODE BLUE!! CODE BLUE!!!” The loudspeakers blared. Soon, a form of silver-suited beasts arrived at the desk. “Sector S4-Y89. Go!!” Cynthia directed. “Just follow these beasts to the bullet cars, and we’ll help you get your parents back. Just remember: Guy is known all over the continent, and he has told everyone about his son. You are not alone in this. Take Care!” Cynthia waved at Wescott as the three friends ran down the hall, the echo of their battle cry ringing out for all to hear. “RESCUE RANGERS, AWAY!!!” They shouted.
Jumping into the bullet cars, the trio was accompanied by a troop of soldiers, armed to the teeth with weapons to ensure that Guy and Charlotte were ok. It wasn’t more than a few seconds before the car left the complex, and was speeding through the air, towards the Skyrises.
When Wescott, Dale, Tammy and the troops arrived at the Skyrise, they found only a shambles. Lamps were smashed against the floor. The V-wall was torn in several places. Destruction was everywhere. Wescott searched the entire Skyrise for his parents, but only came up with a note, written in shorthand:

Dear Bastard Son,
If you are reading this, then you are obviously too slow. I have captured your imbecilic parents, and you’ll have to find them. You might want to check the ruins of the Temple of the Twelve Chambers in the Malaki Rainforest near the city of Coaxan Temple. Good luck, you little puke. You’ll need it.
Death to you,
Lord Yatru Spinga

“AAARRRRGGGHHHH! That sick asshole! I’ll kill him for this!!” Wescott bellowed, slashing the note into confetti with his claws. It took both Tammy and Dale to stop him from losing it. The soldiers looked dejected. They could do nothing to help Wescott now. “I’m sorry, son, but we can’t help you on this one. It’s just you three against Yatru Spinga. All we can do for you is to give you some shuttle tickets and escort you to the terminal.” The leader of the troops said.
They led Wescott to the same terminal that had brought them to New Malacom. There was a small RT headed for Coaxan Temple when Wescott got there. Just then, the RT arrived. The operator took the three friend’s stubs, and allowed them to board the RT. On the car were several other beasts who were taking the same trip. One of them was a pretty young squirrel, who looked at Wescott flirtatiously. “Hey there, big boy.” She cooed. Tammy stepped up. “Back off, tart. He’s mine.” She growled. The other squirrel backed down. Once again, Tammy had defended her mate against almost certain temptation.
Suddenly the car began to squeal on down the track, into the dark, cold underground tunnel that led to their destination. The solid gray brick construction was the only thing that the occupants of the RT could see, reflected off of the dim lights of the car. It was a longer trip to Coaxan Temple, since that city had not gotten quite the same technology that New Malacom City had. Wescott looked at his remaining half of the ticket. It told him where he was going-Coaxan Temple, the length of the trip-fifteen minutes, and even provided a map showing all of the other routes in the Kaeralan Underground Transcontinental Service. Coaxan Temple was the center of all of the RTs and shuttles. Why the central point of all of the subterranean travel services could not afford to upgrade their transports was a mystery to him. He pondered this for several minutes.
It was about halfway through the trip when the car received a sudden jolt, which flung those that were standing up on the back end of the RT to the front. Wescott was still looking at his ticket when he was shot through the car into the lap of the pretty young squirrel. Dazed and confused, he didn’t realize that she was playing with his hair, without his permission. Tammy saw this, and bolted over to the scene, slapping the other squirrel silly.
“Slut! I told you to stay away from my mate!” She barked. “I didn’t do anything, he landed in my lap.” The other squirrel tried to justify her actions. Tammy was just about to let the other squirrel taste her fist when the lights went out. Everyone gasped. Dale yelped. “W-w-what’s gong on?” He asked, quivering. The loudspeaker came on. A voice from the terminal spoke up. “We are sorry for the delay. We are experiencing some technical difficulties. We will restore power momentarily. Thank you for your patronage.” It said.
A few moments passed. The occupants of the car began to grow restless. Suddenly, there was a knock on the right side of the RT. A pair of bloodshot eyes peered into the car. Dale jumped back and gasped. “It’s a monster!” He whispered. The whole car gasped in terror when they too saw the eyes. Soon, distant laughter could be heard. Then, the car started rocking back and forth. Tapping began on both sides of the car. The left side door then slowly opened. A voice came from outside.
“Hee hee! This-a make-a good-a fun! We killeee!” A shrieking voice spoke. Then the laughter grew into a multitude of voices, giggling evilly, and chanting weird, undiscernible words. The occupants of the car grew nervous. Tammy found Wescott and hugged him tightly. Dale grasped a bar and held his ground. Something jumped into the car.
The lights came back on, and the beasts in the stopped RT were surrounded on all sides by small, brown, hairy creatures. The creatures carried spears and halibards. They began poking at the younger beasts in the car, seeing if they would scream. Some did, and the little gremlins began laughing evilly again. Wescott took charge. Pulling out his bo, he smacked the leader across the head smartly. He was dazed for a second and then began shrieking at Wescott. Soon, three more creatures began pushing into the car. It was Dale’s call. He grabbed his nunchakus and flailed out at each of them, pulverizing them, and keeping them from entering the car. He then disposed of them out the door. They ran screaming back down the tunnel. Wescott picked up one of their dropped spears, and used it as a toothpick. “I think I got some Wedgenut grass in my teeth.” He said, casually. Then, the ground around the car started to shake. From behind them, a giant-sized monster came out and roared at the car. Three windows shattered to pieces, and all of the children began to cry. Wescott grew angry. He called out Dale and Tammy, and the three of them jumped out of the car to confront the huge monster. He carried a spear and looked like the previous creatures, except that he had horns, a barbed tail, and more bloodshot eyes. Wescott stood, twirling his bo, while Dale brandished his nunchakus. Tammy reloaded Eater, and the three of them stood face to face with the monster.
The monster roared at them, and then began to breathe fire upon them. Wescott rolled to the left, Tammy jumped back, and Dale stepped to the right. The creature hurled its spear at Tammy, who jumped off the wall to avoid it. As she did so, she jumped a second time, and kicked the creature square in the forehead, blood spurting from the wound. The creature wobbled, and nearly fell down.
It was Dale’s turn to deal some damage. The creature roared at him, and began clawing at him, ripping a shread off of his blue Hawaiian t-shirt. when Dale saw this, he went into a rage. “This is where you wave bye-bye to your ass. NO ONE messes with my shirt!” Dale yelled. He jumped up and swung left and right with his nunchakus, battering the monstrosity into submission. When Dale had finished, the creature was a bloody wreck. Both of his eyes were put out, his left arm was broken, and his hip was fractured in several places. He had several cuts which still had not clotted and were continuing to trickle blood. It looked rather disgusting, hanging off of his hair. He didn’t feel too hot either, and quickly beat a hasty retreat back into the tunnels. The ambush of the gremlins had been broken!
The crowd inside the RT had been watching the whole time. They began cheering and whistling about their rescue at the hands of the brave beasts. Wescott was hamming it up, bowing elegantly, and showing off with his bo. Tammy simply dragged him back to the car by his tail. Dale was a bit late, but he showed up, he was looking out for more of the little critters. Soon he was certain that they would not show their faces for the rest of the trip. It took a few minutes before the beasts at the terminal realized that the car wasn’t going anywhere. The speaker came on again.
“We apologize for the delay, and we will refund your money at the next terminal. Have a nice day!” The terminal operator said. Within seconds, the train began to go again.
At the terminal, the ticket taker was taking back tickets, and replacing them with 15,000 Kaeralan Credits. When it was Wescott, Tammy and Dale’s turns, they were each handed a crisp, fresh, §15,000 bill, and given an apology respectively. There was only one thing to do. Go up the stairs. The challenge of the evil dictator called for them to find the Temple of the Twelve Chambers, rescue Wescott’s parents, and defeat Yatru Spinga. There was no other alternative.

V. To The Limit

When Wescott and his friends reached the top of the stairs, they were imbibed in the tropical oasis of Coaxan Temple. All around them were the smells, the sights, the essence of an ancient time. The sky was constantly violet, even at night, which it was. The stars shown high above them as they looked at where they were. The three friends were high atop a hill, over looking the dense tropical forest, and the surrounding barren, cold ice wasteland. In the distant West was a tall structure that jutted out of the jungle.
“That must be the Temple of the Twelve Chambers. We’ll have to get there soon to free your dad and mom, Wescott.” Dale remarked. The path ahead led straight to a small village. “We’d better stop there for some food, supplies, and maybe for the night.” Wescott suggested. “That’s a solid thought, Wes. Let’s go!” Tammy said.
The comrades headed down the hill to the village. The path was a very clean, lighted pathway, made of very clean dry yellow sand. Wescott was tempted to take off his sandals to walk barepaw through the sand. He did so, and Tammy followed. Dale was stubborn, however. “That might not be a good idea, Wes.” He warned. “It sure seems like it to me.” Wescott said. He and Tammy walked barepaw the rest of the way.
In the village, there were beasts, running around, doing their nightly chores. Some beasts wore clothes, while other beasts didn’t wear any, due to the sheer heat. Even Wescott admitted that he was sweltering in his fur, so he removed his X-Toons T-shirt. Although he himself had removed his shirt, he commented on the strange attire (or lack thereof) of the locals.
“Why are there beasts here, running around naked? Shouldn’t they be clothed in something?” Wescott asked his teammates. Tammy had her eyes shut. Dale just looked at Wescott and peeled off his sweat-ridden blue Hawaiian shirt, leaving only his brown jump pants and boxers on. Tammy didn’t follow up with the boys, she was content the way she was. “Thank God you didn’t take anything off, Tammy, you might have caused the stars to melt.” Wescott said. Tammy blushed.
The first place they came to was a hut with a sign by the door:
Coaxan Crossroads Inn and Breakfast
“Maybe we can get a good night’s rest here. I’m bushed.” Wescott said. “But your parents...” Tammy reminded. “Omigod! That’s right, we have to keep on moving.” Wescott recalled. “But we’re tired.” Dale said. “That’s right.” Wescott said, yawning. “But...” Tammy was cut off. A tall shadowy figure appeared in front of them. “But you should get a good night’s rest. Yatru’s not going anywhere without seeing if you are still on the trail. He’s just waiting patiently.” It said, then vanished.
“Whoever said that is right. We should get a good night’s rest and pick up the search tomorrow. We’ll be better prepared to face whatever Yatru has in store for us that way.” Dale agreed.
In the inn, it was quiet, softly lit and hardly a sound could be heard. Wescott, Tammy and Dale decided to keep it that way. They quietly paid the innkeeper §100 to sleep in the inn. Each beast had their own separate room. The beds were soft and comfortable. Wescott took a few minutes to sleep, while Tammy and Dale fell like a rock. “Father, mother, I’m on my way. Don’t worry. I’m on my way.” He said as he fell asleep.
The next morning, Wescott woke up with a start. He ran outside while putting his shirt on. He had to purchase supplies for the journey to the temple. While he was outside, he saw the source of the heat in the wasteland: a bubbling spring of fresh water, that steamed up in the morning. It was that source that saw Wescott to the general store.
In the store, the owner was just setting up shop for the day. Wescott approached him. “Hi! I need to get some supplies. I’m going up to the temple today.” He cheerily proclaimed. “Then you’ll need kit A. It contains flares, a first aid kit, rope shots, extra rope, a backpack, a canteen, a compass, and a machete just in case.” The shopkeep suggested. “Great. I’ll take three.” Wescott said, paid, got the kits and backpacks and left the shop.
He returned to the inn, and found Tammy and Dale waiting for him at the breakfast table. “Ah, I’m starved.” He declared. However, when he got to the table, all of the food was eaten. Dale was picking his teeth, an empty plate in front of him. Tammy belched aloud, a thing she only did occasionally. “Pardon.” She said demurely.
“Great. I go out to buy the supplies, and what happens? Everyone eats up all the food! Typical. I figured as much would happen.” Wescott simply purchased a SuperBar, and ate it. It was satisfying, and so he bought three small boxes of the energy food. He gave one to Tammy and one to Dale. “Here. Next time, don’t eat mine.” He said. Each of them put a kit in their own packs. Wescott adjusted his leather strand which held his bo in place, and shifted it from over his back to just above his tail, just out of the range of the flight mechanism. This way, he would have more room for his pack. Dale filled up the canteens with water from the well, and gave them back to each team member. They put on the packs, waved goodbye to the innkeeper, and set out for the temple.

The team, which Wescott now referred to as Team Bravo, found it’s way back to the city square. From there, they followed a sign that told them that the Coaxan Continental Park was approximately eighteen miles to the West. The path lead them straight out of the town of Coaxan Temple. The hunt was on.
It wasn’t long before the sandy path became one of soft red dirt Soon, they were engulfed in a dense jungle, with a light mist all around them. Several minutes into the journey, Wescott whistled lightly the theme to X-Toons. Dale joined in. It was their favorite show, and they watched it every Monday night at 1:00 AM on The Extreme Channel. Tammy moaned slightly. “Jeeze, I hate that show. You know how much I hate X-Toons. Why do you torment me with the theme song from the most horribly awful show on television?” She complained. “Because it’s the only thing that can keep my mind off this hike.” Wescott said.
About an hour into the mission, the trio came across a waterfall on their left side. It wasn’t a typical waterfall, though. The clear liquid flowed up from the ground, up a cliff, cascading into the air, and flowing across the cliff from there. Also, the water changed colors every few seconds. It was blue one second, then green the next, then yellow, orange, red, deep violet, and back to blue. Wescott cocked at eyebrow at the sight. “I’ve never seen anything like that before.” He said.
The Bravo Team trekked onward. Dale took the lead. Up ahead was a giant incline. Wescott was slightly angry. “I don’t like this terrain, and it doesn’t seem to like me.” He pouted. “Fuhgetaboutit. C’mon, let’s take it.” Tammy said. Up the incline they went.
Wescott pulled out his bo, and sank the pointed end into the incline with each step for traction. Soon, he sweated like a dog. He had never in his life faced a climb this tough. He kept looking left and right for a way out, but there was no other way then a sheer fall. He trudged onward. His joints began to hurt. He whimpered slightly, and fought back to keep from crying in pain. He felt like he could not go on.
Then he remembered something that he heard while he was walking through Chicago one Sunday. It was a Gospel song. It grew in intensity, from a small sound in the back of his head, to the main thought in the front of his mind. Soon, he tried to sing the words soulfully.

“I know God is able,
to deliver in time of storm,
I know that He’ll keep you,
Safe from all earthly harm,
One day, when my soul is at rest,
I’m goin’ home to be forever bless’d,
Trust and never doubt,
Jesus will surely bring you out,
He never failed me yet!”

Soon, Dale began the second verse.

“Didn’t my God deliver
Moses from old King Pharaoh,
Didn’t He cool the fiery furnace
For Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego?
When I think of what my God can do,
He delivered Daniel, and I know He’ll deliver you,
Trust and never doubt,
Jesus will surely bring you out,
He never failed me yet!”

Next, Tammy sang the chorus.

“I will sing of God’s mercy,
Ev-er-y day, ev-er-y hour, He gives me power,
I will sing and give thanks to Thee,
For all the dangers, toils and snares that He as brought me out
He is my God and I’ll serve Him,”

Wescott cut in for the solo line:

“No matter what the test,”

Then all three of them sang the last part of the chorus:

“Trust and never doubt, Jesus will surely bring you out, He never failed me yet!”

As he sang the hymn, Wescott felt a power overcome him. He felt a burst of strength and courage. He felt free of his pain, and jolted up the hill without a second’s notice. Dale and Tammy soon joined him as he sprinted past them. Without another moment’s loss, all three members of the Bravo Team were at the top of the heinous incline. Wescott got down on his knees and looked up to the Heavens.
“Thank you God...Wherever you are.” He said.

Everyone was tired. “Alright, we’ll take a break. I need to recharge my battery.” Dale said. Wescott and he sat down underneath the shade of a tall tree to open their packs. Each of them took out a SuperBar and ate ravenously. Tammy, on the other hand, was content to stay up and in the middle of the trail. She casually sipped from her canteen in order to save it. Wescott and Dale didn’t seem to care, and drank sloppily from their canteens. Wescott drank his fill, resealed the canteen, and got back up again. Dale followed Wescott, and the three friends returned to the task at hand: reaching the temple.
They were making excellent time along the trail. About an hour later, the Bravo Team came across a cliff. Across the cliff they could see the vastness of the jungle, and the fact that the springs they thought were only a small pond in the village turned out to be an enormous lake when viewed from the mountain. And just ahead in the distance was the Temple of the Twelve Chambers. The two squirrels and chipmunk screamed and whooped. Tammy squeezed Wescott and kissed him on the lips. “Woohah! Praise the Lord and pass out the ammunition!” Dale exclaimed. They were almost there.
The only problem was, how to get down off the cliff. It was a sheer 500-foot drop straight down. “There has to be a way down, or the pathway would never lead to the right place.” Wescott said. Dale noticed something. “Hey, lookie here! This tree has a switch on it!” Dale said, pointing to a rather odd looking tree. In the middle of the tree was, indeed, a switch. Wescott pulled it. Suddenly, the ground below them began to shake. Tammy held on to Wescott. “What’s going on?” She said. Wescott noticed something protruding from the cliff face. “I don’t believe it! There’s steps coming out of the cliff!” Sure enough there were large metal rods emerging from the cliff face. The shaking stopped and a group of steps were formed out of the rods. “Impressive! Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Wescott said. Tammy took the lead this time. “Remember: ladies first!” She said.
The steps were steady, and all three of the members of the Bravo Team got down to the path safely. Conveniently enough, the pathway into the forest lead right from the edge of the steps. From where he was standing, Wescott could make out a sign ahead. The troop moved to the sign quickly. Wescott read it aloud.
“’Coaxan Continental Park.’ We made it! Wait there’s other stuff there. ‘Shrine Ruins, 0.1 miles. Priestess Towers, 0.3 miles. Temple of the Twelve Chambers, 0.5 miles.’ Only half a mile to go!” Wescott said, happily. From that point onward, the team flew. Wescott grabbed Tammy’s arm and in turn, Tammy grabbed Dale and they worked together to keep each other in the air. The airborne friends rushed past the various small sights along the way, and went straight for the temple. Within minutes they had reached their destination. Before them stood a gigantic monolith, at least thirty stories high, with an enormous base. Wescott, Tammy and Dale stood awestruck at the immense size of the structure before them.
“My parents are being held in THAT?!?!” Wescott cried. “Must be. This is the Temple of the Twelve Chambers, after all, and the note did say to go to this temple.” Dale pointed out. “Right. Well, I guess it’s showtime! Ready, Dale?” Wescott asked. “I’m ready!” Dale responded. “You ready, Tammy?” Wescott asked his other companion. “Ready, willing and able, Peanut!” Tammy agreed, winking at her boyfriend. “Alright then! Yatru’s in there, and he’s got my parents. We’ve come a long way, and there’s no turning back. Weapons out, soldiers!” Wescott said, pulling out his bo. Tammy loaded and cocked Eater, and Dale brandished his nunchakus. This was the moment of truth. The fate of Wescott’s parents lay in the balance. Wescott’s eyes narrowed for the entrance to the temple. Then, the battle cry echoed from the forest, and permeated the air with it’s bloodcurdling sound. “RESCUE RANGERS AWAY!!” The team screamed as they charged the temple. Running with all their might. The fight had begun!

Within the temple, Yatru Spinga held Guy Atticas up by the tail and spat in his face. “Your days are numbered, fool. Your bastard son is about to die trying, just the sort of thing he wasn’t planning on.” Yatru laughed. Guy gave Yatru an icy look. “Aww, does that make you mad? I t should soldier boy!” The evil dictator smacked Guy roughly across the face, dangled him for a few seconds and slammed him to the ground, chipping his incisors. Guy held his mouth to stop the bleeding with one hand, and flipped his middle finger at Yatru with the other. “Learning sign language, are we? Well, you’ll need it when I cut out your fucking tongue!” Yatru hissed vehemently.
Wescott and his friends entered the temple. Inside, he saw his parents being abused by the evil reptilian dictator. This made Wescott very angry. His eyes flashed vermilion. Tammy saw this, and quickly soothed Wescott from Bloodlust. She knew that Wescott would have to keep his head in order to fight properly. Wescott called out to Yatru.
“Yatru! Quit your foolishness! It’s me you want.” He said. “Ah, so the bastard son arrives at last. What a dishonor it is to meet the son of New Malacom City’s ace fighter pilot. So you too wish to die along side your foolish parents? As stupid as your request is, I shall grant it, and I wish all of the terrible pain of Dark Lake on your soul. Puffy, Alex, Gregory, show our guests to their doom.” Yatru ordered.
From behind Yatru stepped three vicious looking monsters. The first one was an odd looking beast, with the head of a man, the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle, and a spiked tail. The second monstrosity was a demon with the body of a man and scaly wings. The third creature was a recognizable thing: it was a baby dragon. Yatru pointed at each monster as he described them.
“The manticore: mythical beast known for killing thousands. The gargoyle: the guardian of thousands of buildings across the galaxy, but brought here simply for the joy of murder. Last but most certainly not least, the dragon: the epitome of evil itself. Also, I have added a new and interesting feature to this place: below you, the tiles are slowly slipping away, to reveal a bubbling acid bath, similar to the one used for sacrifice by the natives when this was a working temple thousands of years ago. Now, I would stay to see the three of you each become monster chow, but I have more important matters at hand. Goodbye, and don’t forget to die!” Yatru called as he took up his cape, and disappeared. The huge stone door behind the Bravo Team shut soundly, trapping them.
He left Wescott’s parents on a ledge high above them, well out of the reach of the monsters and the Bravo Team. While the dragon stood almost perfectly still, the manticore and the gargoyle moved in to take out Wescott, Tammy and Dale. Wescott was scared. The only thing he could think of doing was to call for backup...

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