"Muskateer?", the heroine called out, her voice drowned out by the noise. She called out once more, this time loud enough to be heard over the din. "Muskateer! I need to speak with you."
Setting his hammer on the workbench, Muskateer turned to face Black Diamond. It was obvious to the heroine that he had spent many hours working down here recently. There was a weary look to the man as if he hadn't slept in days. Hadn't shaved either. Sweat had stained the T-shirt he wore and the odor was noticeable.
"Didn't hear you come in," Muskateer announced as he took a break from his labor and turned down the volume on his CD player. He picked up a nearby juice carton and chugged the contents down. "What's on your mind, fearless leader?"
"Exactly what are you working on?" Black Diamond countered Muskateer's question with one of her own. She critically eyed the mass of metal and cloth on top of the workbench as she approached. With only a cursory glance, its purpose wasn't immediately discernable.
"The Claw shredded my armor pretty bad, so I'm making a new set."
"I see," the heroine answered, nodding her head. "Getting back to why I am here, there have been a couple of matters brought to my attention that I need to pass on to you. I've just had conversations with the Scarlet Sabre and the Huntress."
"I take it that they weren't calling just to gossip?"
"Hardly. Scarlet is reporting that CII was raided by several, as of yet unidentified, supervillains last night. It's all in this report." Diamond handed Muskateer the folder she held in her hand. (Editor's Note: See Scarlet Sabre #3 for full details)
"Sounds like Red had a fun Saturday Night." Muskateer accepted the folder after removing his work gloves. Eagerly, he dug into the information while Black Diamond casually leaned back against the workbench, her ebony clad arms folded across her chest.
Suddenly, Muskateer looked up in alarm. "What's this about them trying to contact us and not getting any response?"
"Just what it says. I talked to Lightburst before I came down here and he claims that he didn't receive any calls for assistance last night," Black Diamond explained. "Our records do agree with his claims."
"Yeah, well, computer records can be altered. I find it hard to believe that Jess and Jaime could be mistaken about something like that." With their computer-like nature, accuracy was a given. "I certainly would trust them over LB."
"And I concur," Diamond continued. "I'm still not sure what to make of Lightburst's change of heart. It could be genuine or it could be something far more insidious."
Lightburst had been captured by Lord Evil and Lady Darkness almost a month ago and spent two weeks as their prisoner. Upon being rescued, Lightburst seemed like a changed man. Or maybe it was a mask for something more malevolent. Diamond agreed to allow Lightburst to continue on as an Avenger with the idea of having Nightingale monitor him. However, other problems had prevented the Psionic Avenger from spending much time investigating Lightburst.
"Well, you already know my opinion of Lightbutt. I say we go find him and wring the truth outta him."
"That's hardly the way to accomplish anything. Regardless, we are just guessing. There really could have been a malfunction in our communications system."
"Maybe, but it's just too damn convenient," Muskateer countered.
"Then prove that Lightburst deliberately ignored the call for assistance. In the meantime, I'd like you to check out Scarlet's report and see what you can find out."
"Sounds good to me, boss lady. I could use a break anyway. So what did Sprout have to say?"
"Actually, she was trying to get in touch with the Enchantress," Black Diamond explained.
"Now that is something I wouldn't have guessed." Gwen was currently in Texas consoling her grieving friend, the Sorceress. Gwen and Helena had not really seen eye to eye in the past. The sword-swinging Avenger had no idea why Helena would want to contact the Enchantress. "What did she want with Gwen?"
Black Diamond paused a beat, trying to figure out how to say this and sound believable. "Helena, as the Huntress, encountered vampires a few nights back." (Editor's Note: Back in Huntress #19-20)
"Yeah, right!", Muskateer laughed. "That's a good one, Di. I almost thought you were serious there for a sec."
"This is no joke, Muskateer," Black Diamond chastised. "It seems that a vampire has set himself up as an underworld assassin and has recruited nearly a dozen police officers into his fold. The same policemen that have been reported missing over these last few weeks."
"Yeah, I read about that." The story of the ten missing police officers had received plenty of media coverage. Rumors and theories were running rampant through the city as to the reasons for their disappearance.
"Apparently this vampire is now setting his sights on adding a few superheroes to his undead legions. Helena was mainly calling to warn us about this threat and thought that perhaps the Enchantress might have knowledge on the subject."
Muskateer didn't know what to make of this so-called 'threat'. "Well, it will make night patrols all the more interesting. Guess I'll have to throw together a garlic necklace now."
"Make light of this if you will, but I have encountered vampires before. They are real. I had best warn the others."
"I could say something, but I think you'd hit me," Muskateer said, with a wave and a grin, as Di turned to leave the shop.
"Wise choice," she responded over her shoulder.
Muskateer returned to his room to clean up before giving the folder from Black Diamond a more thorough examination. He had been laboring on re-creating his armor since yesterday morning, working straight through the night. A quick shower perked the Avenger back up.
Seated at his desk, Muskateer investigated the file in greater detail. Knowing Scarlet as he did, he knew her report would be very accurate and thorough. "Okay, says here that we're looking for some jerks who use ice and electrical powers. Can't be too many of those guys around."
Turning to his computer, Muskateer entered keywords and searched the villain database. It brought up a list of names that Muskateer quickly eliminated. Several were currently in prison or had been reported to be elsewhere at the time of the crime. Only a few names remained.
"Hmmm... Thermax is a familiar name." Muskateer thought back to his past encounters with this particular villain. He had been hired help in a scheme to earn points for the Great Supervillain Contest by Half-Jack. Thermax, along with Ogre, had been defeated and captured during that encounter. (Editor's Note: Back in Muskateer #8)
But that wasn't the end of the matter. The Morbanes Lord Evil and Lady Darkness had tricked PRIMUS into assaulting the Avengers while their forces raided PRIMUS HQ and liberated the Stone Crown. In the process, they released Thermax and Ogre. Both seemed to be working for the evil priests as they next appeared with them and that funky Crystal. Unfortunately, Thermax managed to escape from that encounter. (Editor's Note: Back in Avengers #8 & 10)
"I wonder if this clown has any involvement in all of this?" The team finally did track down and defeat the Morbanes, but Thermax was never found. Whether he continued to work for them was still up in the air. Gwen had a bad feeling about the capture of the Morbanes from the start. Muskateer couldn't help but think that it was all somehow connected. He just couldn't figure out how. "If the Morbanes really weren't captured like Gwennie implied, then Thermax could still be working for them. We never even saw him, which makes sense if they were protecting themselves. Same goes for that Chameleon joker too. Oh crap, I just got a really bad feeling about all this."
Playing a hunch, Muskateer did a search on recent high-tech crimes. There had been a whole series of them. The Avengers did become involved in one such crime. The team captured most of the villains, but not before a plethora of equipment was taken away. Maybe if he examined everything that had been stolen he could figure out what they were trying to make and how the robbery at CII figured into all of this....
"Steven?", a voice called out softly, followed by a light tapping on his quarters' door. "Are you in there?"
The noise shook Muskateer out of the sleep he had fallen into. He was still seated at his computer station having drifted off into a light slumber while working. "Uhm, yeah. Hang on a minute, Gwennie." With effort Muskateer rose and tried to straighten out the kinks. "Man, this'll teach me to crash in a chair."
"If it's an inconvenience, I can come back in the morning," the Enchantress called out from the hallway. The lovely sorceress had spent the weekend comforting her friend the Sorceress over the death of her Superior Seven teammate, the Comet.
"Nah, just a sec," Muskateer yelled out as he rushed to the door. In spite of his posturing, he had grown to miss the Enchantress over the few days they had been separated. He needed to see her, if even only for a few minutes.
Gwen smiled slightly as the door was opened. She was dressed in her heroine outfit, but had a weary look to her. No doubt the grim mood of her friend was taking its toll on her as well. "Hello."
"Hi yourself, beautiful. Come on in."
"I really shouldn't stay very long," Gwen apologized as she stepped inside the door. "I just thought I would stop off to let you know I was back."
"That's quite alright." Muskateer drew her into his arms and held her tight. "Are you feeling okay?"
"It has been a most trying weekend. Miss me?"
"You know it, pretty lady." They moved closer, lingered for a beat, and then shared a kiss.
"A sentiment I share," Gwen sighed in response. "Anything exciting happen while I was gone?"
"I don't know about you, but I really don't feel like talking shop." Gwen's grin was her answer. Muskateer pushed the door to his quarters shut.
"So, was I right or what?" Muskateer stopped and turned at the sound of the query. Approaching him was the Huntress. The Monday morning meeting of the Avengers had just broken up and Muskateer had been on his way to the workshop to finish up his new armor after saying goodbye to the Enchantress. The sorceress was off to be with her friend Tanya once more. (Editor's Note: Shown in Avengers #23)
"Right about what, Ralph?" The Huntress grimaced at the pet nickname Muskateer had given her. That would teach her to complain about being called Sprout.
"You know what. About you and the Enchantress." The Huntress fell into place alongside Muskateer as he continued onward. "From what I've heard, my observations were dead on target."
"Uh huh, and what exactly have you heard anyway?"
"Oh, I hear things," she answered, teasingly. "Couldn't help but notice you were sitting side-by-side at the meeting."
"Yeah, well technically, I was sitting next to Di too."
"Technically," the Huntress conceded. "If you don't want to talk about it, fine, I won't pressure you."
"Don't want to talk about it? You're the one being evasive, Ralph."
"Moi?"
"Do you always answer questions with other questions?"
"Why is it so hard for you to admit I was right about something?", the Huntress asked defensively.
"You're doing it again, you know." Muskateer kept walking for a few steps, then stopped and turned to her. "Okay, so you were right. In this case, I don't mind admitting it. Frankly, I'm pretty happy you were right." Seeing a smile starting to form on her face, he added, while waving his finger, "Just don't let it go to your head."
"Thanks," was her response, as they started down the hall again. "I bet that wasn't the easiest thing for you to admit." Muskateer turned toward her again, and she added, "You know, giving out praise?"
"What are you trying to imply anyway?"
"Don't be so defensive. It was supposed to be a compliment. You don't take them very well either, do you? Anyway, I hope you're both very happy."
Muskateer regarded her for a moment. Apparently, she was really being sincere. "Sorry, Sprout. Sometimes it's hard to remember that everything doesn't have to be a competition between us now. Thanks. So far so good."
"Well, some competition is healthy. It's just not something to be so compulsive about all the time."
Muskateer moved closer to her and looked at her from different angles, as if he was looking for something.
"What in the world are you doing?", she finally asked.
"Just trying to see if it's really you, or not," he said casually.
"Very funny. Things have changed since the last time I've seen you."
"Yeah, same here." The two had just arrived at the workshop door. "I got some work to finish up in here, but I'd like to hear how the business with Artemis worked out. I would have loved to take her out myself."
"I have a little free time now. Mind if I join you?", the Huntress offered. Muskateer gestured for the heroine to enter the workshop.
"I'm supposed to be meeting with the Scarlet Sabre this afternoon, so I should get going." The Huntress placed the phone back in its cradle. A couple hours had passed as the two heroes spent the time getting caught up on each other's news. That was until Felina, Helena's mother, called to alert her daughter to Scarlet's impending visit. (Editor's Note: Shown in Scarlet Sabre #4-5)
"No prob, Ralph. Tell Jess I said, 'hi'. I'm due out there tomorrow to get my scooter, finally."
"I'll be seeing you."
"Oh, hey, I almost forgot," Muskateer said, as the Huntress was exiting the door. She stopped in the threshold and turned back around. Putting down his tools, he went over to another nearby bench. The Huntress looked on, curiosity etched on her face, as Muskateer produced a small leather pouch and presented it to her.
"What's this?"
"It's a surprise," he responded with a smile on his face. As he returned to his workbench, she opened the packet. "Something I put together this morning for you. Thought it might come in handy."
"You think you're pretty funny, don't you?" But the look on her face told him he had gotten the desired response. The inner box had a large red label on it indicating the contents; 'Vampire Survival Kit'.
"Just trying to be helpful, Ralph. Couldn't come up with any silver bullets on short notice though. Oh wait, those are for werewolves anyway, aren't they?"
The Huntress tucked the packet under her arm and pulled out a wooden quarrel with a sharp point from her hip pouch. "Actually, I am already prepared," she said, holding it up for him to see. "But thanks for your concern. I'm touched."
Halfway through the doorway, the Huntress turned back to face Muskateer. "Oh, that reminds me about something else I wanted to bring up."
"What's that?"
"As you know I've moved back to the estate. With Linda's help I finally cleaned up my dad's stuff. I don't have much use for his old clothes and since you're both about the same size, I thought some of it might fit you. Provided you're interested of course."
"That might not be a bad idea, Sprout," Muskateer answered after a moment's thought. "Gwen was mentioning about upgrading my wardrobe a little more anyway. We'll have to check it out one of these days."
"It's about time," Muskateer said into the phone. "You better believe that I'm ready to go!" It was now late Tuesday morning and Muskateer had just received a call from the Scarlet Sabre indicating that his flying scooter was ready for his inspection. "I'm on my way over."
"No need for that," Scarlet informed him. "I'm right behind Avengers Mansion as we speak."
Mildly surprised, Muskateer went to the window in his quarters and gazed out into the backyard. True to her word, the Sky Sabre was setting down in the driveway. "I can see that. I was figuring on driving out to your place and then going to get the scooter."
"That's kind of silly," Scarlet retorted. "After all, are you not going to fly your scooter back to the Mansion?"
Muskateer thought about that for a second. If he had driven, he would have to recover the car at some point. Scarlet was right, it was better for her to pick him up. "I can see your point. Hang on, Red, I'll be right down."
A few minutes later, the Sky Sabre was streaking over Manhattan towards its Long Island destination. The skyscrapers below passed in a blur as the Sky Sabre reached speeds of over 150 mph.
"I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to call or not," Muskateer casually noted from the rear seat as he took in the view.
"Sorry, I had a late night," Scarlet explained apologetically. "Helena and I were out roughing up some thugs. More time consuming than anything."
"Sorry I missed it. Sounds like fun."
"It was a spur of the moment kind of thing," Scarlet added. "I didn't plan on doing anything like that last night. Still, it felt good to get back into action."
Muskateer continued to get used to his airborne vantagepoint as the Sky Sabre flew along. "I can't tell you how happy I am to finally get some more mobility. Frankly, I'm already a little tired of having to be carried around by someone else."
"Gee, I figured getting out of that bed would have been good enough for now." Much like Muskateer, Scarlet had spent the better part of a week bedridden out at Bryn's Clinic in Los Angeles. Both had received substantial injuries during the conflict with the Crimson Claw.
"I was ready to get out of there OVER a week ago," Muskateer muttered in annoyance.
"Really? I hadn't noticed," Scarlet teased. "Just because you were going around like a caged animal."
"That bad, huh?" He might have been a pain in the butt during the first part of that week, but it was no picnic for him either. At the beginning anyway. "Well, it actually turned out to be a decent trip in the long run," he finally admitted.
"Good for you. Gwen's a great woman."
"That she is." Muskateer leaned back a little and folded his arms as he thought about his silver-haired love.
"And, if she ever has the poor sense to break up with you, give me a call."
That brought a chuckle from Muskateer. While he and Scarlet had flirted many times before, he never really thought seriously about a relationship with her. "Too bad you have so much security over at CII," he flirted back. "Kind of difficult to sneak in at night."
"I'd give you a key to the back door," she responded with a wistful smile.
"I'll keep that in mind." Changing the subject, Muskateer added, "Anything new about the robbery Saturday night?"
"Not a thing."
"I'm sure you probably considered this already, but I did some checking and it turns out that there's been a whole mess of high-tech crimes over the last few months. I was tryin' to figure out if they were connected or what."
"That's not a bad idea," Scarlet conceded. "I should have thought about that myself. By going over what has been stolen, perhaps we can figure out what our crooks are trying to make."
"Or, more importantly, what they're trying to accomplish. Unfortunately, a few of the parts are a bit beyond me just now."
"It's a big puzzle and one that Jaime would be more adept at trying to figure out. We'll see what we can come up with."
"Sounds good. So what's the story about this Tyler Labs place, anyway?", Muskateer wondered, changing the subject once more.
"Not much to tell, really. It used to be a small research and development firm in the seventies. The CEO was a great research scientist, but a very poor business manager. They went bankrupt and Sheryl bought out the company. TL still does research and development, but also some hero-related projects on the side."
The sprawling property that Tyler Labs occupied soon came into view. In reality, it was comprised of a trio of buildings. Spaced out among the structures were a large pond, a small race track, and short runway.
"That's the Main Building," Scarlet indicated by pointing toward the smallest of the structures. The Sky Sabre altered course so as to provide a better view of each building as they approached. The Main Building was two stories high. "It houses the main offices of the staff and the sales and display areas. Next we have the Sciences building. That's where you'll find the majority of the labs and workshops. Anything from cryogenics to radiation effects."
The Sky Sabre banked once more and descended towards the largest of the buildings. It resembled an airplane hanger more than a regular structure. "This is the vehicle hanger where all sorts of air and ground vehicles are assembled. This is where we'll find your scooter."
"I figured that, Red," Muskateer noted. "The runway and the racetrack were dead giveaways."
The Sky Sabre touched down and taxied over to a temporary staging area that was currently unoccupied, except for ground support vehicles. Nearby a prototype for a submersible sat on a universal carriage, awaiting its testing. Two mechanics were going over a checklist. It was interesting, but didn't hold Muskateer's full attention. As soon as Scarlet unleashed the locking mechanism for the canopy, Muskateer slid his portion back and leapt out of the plane to the tarmac below. He immediately started heading for the hangar doors.
"Not too anxious, are we? Kids on Christmas morning have less enthusiasm than you do," Scarlet teased.
Muskateer turned back to the heroine, and took a few steps back in her direction. She was still descending the ladder from her seat. "Sorry. I've been looking forward to this. You have to admit you were probably pretty excited the first time you took this baby out for its test flight," he added, putting his gloved hand on the side of the Sky Sabre.
"Point taken." She pointed toward their destination. "Your present is in the test bay over there. Had I known, I would have had them put a big bow on it."
"After you."
The two heroes headed toward the area Scarlet had indicated and they entered. The interior of the structure had been divided into various sub-areas. Heavy machinery and workers dotted the various bays. Numerous equipment and vehicles were in varying stages of completion. Sparks flew about and bright blue flashes from grinders and welding equipment filled the air.
Halfway through the facility, the heroes were met by a huge man. He stood nearly seven feet tall and was built like a stone wall. "Muskateer, I'd like you to meet Frank Constance. Frank's the head grease monkey around here."
"One of these days, we're going to have a long talk, little girl," the man stated in a serious tone, but the smile on his face indicated that he had taken Scarlet's comments in stride. He had heard it all before.
"How's it going?", Muskateer said, extending his hand to the large man.
"Nice to meet you, Muskateer. I've made a point to follow the Avengers exploits over the years. Actually, my official title is Chief Vehicle Designer. But I have to admit, I love working on them more than designing them. We get some remarkable machines come through this place."
"I bet," Muskateer responded. "So, where's my remarkable machine?"
"Right over here." Frank led the way to a nearby station. The machine was covered by a large blue cloth. "I think you'll be pretty happy with this baby. We added a few extras." Frank stepped over and pulled back the covering.
"Whoa!" Muskateer stepped forward and admired his new machine. He circled it halfway taking in the sleek design.
"I think he approves," Scarlet commented to Frank. "It's not often that he's speechless."
"That's the kind of response we always love to get."
The flying cycle looked superficially like a large motorcycle, but was missing the obvious wheels. The machine was done up in dark blue metallic paint, with golden pipes and accents. The propulsion unit was jet-black and gold. On the front was what looked like an extended fairing. It wrapped around the front of the driver, offering protection. Muskateer eagerly mounted the large comfortable seat and grabbed the handlebars.
"I like it," Muskateer finally said enthusiastically.
"Now this isn't top of the line, of course, but this model will do around 80 mph. It has vertical take off and landing capabilities and while it won't turn on a dime, it's pretty darn maneuverable. There's a lot of mods we could still make to it: laser shielding, increased carrying capacity, more weapons, more aerodynamics, more horsepower, you name it."
"Really? That sounds pretty cool."
"Oh yeah. We prototyped a grav-cycle for PRIMUS that pushed 150 mph a few years back," Frank bragged proudly.
"'Course the rider kept falling off...," Scarlet added with a sarcastic grin.
"Yeah, well, we're working on that," Frank countered. "So, you wanna take it for a test ride?"
"You bet." Frank tossed him a security key and Muskateer inserted it and punched the starter. The engine eagerly roared to life. "Hey, Scarlet. How brave are you feeling?" He tossed his cavalier hat onto a nearby bench.
"I don't frighten very easily." The Scarlet Sabre slipped behind the hero and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Kind of cozy if you ask me. Okay, let's burn rubber."
Muskateer tested the controls, gauging the machine's power. He lifted off slightly and hovered over the station as Frank gave a few final instructions. "The throttle is controlled with the foot petals on the right. Shifters on the left. You adjust your pitch and yaw with the handlebar controls. Just take it easy at first until you get the hang of it. Don't start off..." Muskateer gunned the accelerator and the cycle took off like a shot. "..too fast", Frank added, shaking his head. He had dealt with enough heroes in his time to have seen this coming.
Deftly dodging a large robotic arm moving scrap metals, Muskateer flew toward the open hangar doors. As soon as they reached outside, he went into a climb, quickly gaining altitude. As his speed increased, the jet cycle arced almost straight up. Muskateer could feel Scarlet's grip about him tighten and frankly he had to hold on to the controls as tightly as he could. Looking down, he could see the digital speedometer flicking back and forth between 70 and 71 MPH.
After leveling off and slowing a little, Muskateer surveyed the view above Long Island. If driving the Hunter's Corvette was fun, this was truly invigorating. His land bound days were now over. Muskateer couldn't help but have a wide smile on his face under his mask. Turning back over his shoulder, he said to Scarlet, "How you doing back there?"
"Is that all you can do with this thing?", she asked in a bored tone. This was nothing, compared to the speeds the Sky Sabre could reach.
"Alright, smarty pants, you asked for it." Muskateer leaned to his right and pulled hard on the handlebars. The cycle banked tightly and dove at the same time, doing corkscrews as it descended. Muskateer pulled out and then climbed again, pulling them through a loop-the-loop. He followed it with two more, each tighter than the last.
Once they leveled off once more, he again remarked, "I think I have the hang of this thing now. Hold on."
"Like I have a choice?", Scarlet shot back.
After another short climb to gain more altitude, Muskateer steered the craft out over the Atlantic Ocean. "Power dive!", he yelled and the cycle lurched downward. As it began to pick up speed, Muskateer nosed it down even further, putting the cycle into a nearly perpendicular descent toward the water below. The throttle was at full. Muskateer cast a quick glance at the speedometer. It simply flashed two dashed lines.
Cranking hard on the controls, the sword-swinging hero fought to pull the cycle out of its dive. It began to level off and just barely missed skimming the ocean surface, the jet wash from its engine creating a wake in the water below. Muskateer climbed again. "Better?"
"You are a maniac," Scarlet said simply. "But my kind of maniac."
"Thanks." Muskateer banked again, back toward Long Island.
"Heading back so soon?"
"I have what I wanted. I can test it out at my leisure now," Muskateer commented. "Plus I have the ride back to Avengers Mansion."
"Try not to scare too many of the civilians, okay? They have enough problems with pigeons as it is."
After a short flight back in the direction of Tyler Labs, the heroes began to descend toward the hangar again. Just then a large explosion rang out in front of the Main Office. Scarlet pointed in the direction of the blast, but Muskateer had already banked the cycle in that direction.
"There's our target," Scarlet shouted, indicating a large tank that was rumbling towards the facility. A few squads of agents with blaster rifles flanked the approaching tank, firing as they went. They were dressed in military-style assault gear, but what organization they belonged to was not readily apparent.
"Hang on!" Muskateer gunned the throttle and closed in the tank from behind. Before they could intercept however, the tank's cannon fired again and the Tyler Labs main building erupted in an explosion. Parts of the building collapsed from the shell's impact, as smoke and dust shot into the air.
"Those maniacs!", Scarlet yelled in anger. "We've gotta stop them!"
The whine of their jet engines having given their approach away, the heroes now found themselves on the receiving end of the agents' blaster fire. Muskateer dodged the first few blasts as he guided the cycle closer to the tank. A few other blasts glanced off the cycle's fairing shield.
"Don't worry about those pea shooters," Scarlet said as she fired up her lightsabre. "We need to stop that tank before it does any more damage. People may already be seriously hurt down there! It's odd that the building's defense systems are inactive."
"I hear you, Red." Muskateer bore down on the tank, as blaster fire filled the sky. The tank was large. Muskateer estimated it to be well over fifteen feet across. The main turret housed a cannon as well as two side-mounted beam weapons. The front of the tank had twin sets of machine guns. In addition a pair of large grappler arms jutted out from the front of the tank.
The Scarlet Sabre leaned around Muskateer to block any of the shots that came near, and doing her best to redirect them at other agents. The tank's turret began to rotate while the war machine itself turned so as to bring its main cannon around as quickly as possible. Before the heroes could reach the tank, it fired one of the side weapons at them.
Muskateer's new cycle was too nimble for the tank's gunners, easily dodging the energy beam that ripped through the sky. The cycle raced past the agents as they continued to fire. Scarlet turned the blasts aside, doing considerable damage among the unarmored agents' ranks. They started to fall back, upon seeing that their attacks were futile.
"Let me off as you go by," Scarlet suggested.
"You're the boss." As Muskateer slowed to guide in his cycle, he unsheathed his sword and banked as he passed. The Scarlet Sabre slipped off and landed on the tank's rear. "End of the line. That'll be $22.50."
"I'll take it off the bill for your Scooter, but no tip."
As soon as she landed, Scarlet slashed at the lightly armored rear of the tank with her energy sabre. Muskateer continued his pass and swung his blade as he flew over the cannon barrel. His sword deftly sliced the weapon off, twisting the metal of the part that remained. Replacing his sword, he accelerated again and headed for the regrouping agents who were trying to pick Scarlet off the tank's back.
"Let's see how this gun works." Thumbing the firing trigger, a greenish beam shot out and slammed into one of the agents, felling him. A few more well placed shots had the agents on the run again. "Not too shabby."
Banking back towards the tank, Muskateer could see that Scarlet hadn't finished with the tank yet, although thick clouds of black smoke were pouring from the rear end of the war machine. She was facing his direction and waving her arms as if to get his attention.
"Well, I don't know what she wants, but I'm not gonna find out way out here." He jammed the throttle and raced towards the heroine. Closing in he started to circle the damaged tank. "Whataya need, Red?"
Scarlet paused long enough to leap over one of the grappling arms, which threatened to clamp about her. A two handed overhead swing damaged the arm and it began to move slowly and in a haphazard jerky motion. "This is just a diversion!", she shouted over the rumbling engines. "The hangar is under attack!" She pointed off in that direction, to make her point. Muskateer strained to look, but couldn't see anything past the billowing black fumes.
Taking her word for it, Muskateer flew straight at the heroine and scooped her up in his left arm. She nimbly slipped back behind him and got settled as Muskateer banked again and throttled up towards the hangar.
"Thanks! Jaime said there's a VTOL cargo plane trying to make off with the prototype sub we saw on the way in."
"Not if we have anything to say about it." As Muskateer guided his new cycle towards the aerial threat, the Terrible Tank lined up the heroes in its sights and fired!
