ROAD ROVERS: RETALIATION

Trust

The Fire Breathes, Part 1

Written by Pyrover

Directed by Steven Speilberg

Season: 2

Episode: 3

---

Colleen is walking slowly in the darkness. She is nervous, looking back and forth quickly. A dim red light shines in the distance. She cautiously steps toward it. The light is barely enough to show its origin. It is the eye of Pyro, lighting up his face. He stares into nothing. Colleen motions for him. He turns to her. A green targeting reticle is seen sliding over his eye. His armor expands and weapons protrude from his forearm plates. Colleen turns and runs frantically back into the darkness from which she came. She hears in the distance, from the mouth of Pyro: "I am unstoppable!" The eye opens again again in front of her. She screeches to a halt, looking back and forth for a place to hide. The eye becomes closer. Pyro's face is again seen, his head shaking back and forth. Although he does not open his mouth, his words are heard. "I am unstoppable! I am unstoppable!" With nowhere to go, Colleen prepares for a fight. Pyro disappears. He reappears directly in front of her. She is startled. He stands motionless for a moment, then deals a crushing blow to her face. She is knocked several feet back. Wiping the blood from her head, she stands back up. Pyro slowly moves toward her again. The dim red light from his eye reveals an evil smile. He raises his arm to her and a weapon fires. It hits her dead-on, throwing her yet another few feet. She cannot get up. Pyro leaps into the air and lands standing upon the paralyzed Colleen. The weapons retract from his arm and a sharp steel blade slips out. He stares down at the terror-filled face of Colleen and raises the blade. He brings it down. All is dark. The voice of Pyro is once again heard. "I am Dreadclaim."

Colleen jumps from her bed at Road Rovers Mission Control in a cold sweat. She takes a few deep breaths and looks at the alarm-clock on her nightstand. 2:46 A.M.

The door to her room slides open and she steps out. She walks as quietly as possible down the cramped hallway to the kitchen. Hearing noise coming from the weapons testing/exercise room, she opens the door and steps in. Hunter is too busy practicing on one of the stuffed dummies to notice her. He is fighting up close, primarily attacking with his hands. Constantly in motion, he circles the dummy and pokes jabs. He then changes direction and lands a hard right cross into the dummy's face. It launches backwards, then springs into its original position. Two more speedy jabs come from Hunter, another right, and finally a well-placed left hook to the body. The dummy is knocked back again, and as it bounces up, Hunter jumps straight up and thrusts a kick into its head. It is knocked completely over.

HUNTER: (out of breath) Yeah! That's right!! Who's your daddy?!

COLLEEN: (applauding) Not bad! Not bad at all!

HUNTER: Oh, hey Colleen. Didn't know you were there.

COLLEEN: What are you doing up so early?

HUNTER: Oh, I don't know. I come down here sometimes to think. Whenever I need to clear my head, I just beat the stuffing outta ol' Marty for a couple of hours, and pretty soon I forgot what it was I was thinking about.

COLLEEN: Hmm...what was it you were thinking about?

HUNTER: (with a laugh) Quite a bit. I've been trying to sort out this whole SIEGE thing for a while. So much happened so quickly, and before you know it, Parvo's just gone, this Dreadclaim guy almost levels the Malary Biochem Building, and...we've got a new teammate. (pause) ...and the way things used to be.

COLLEEN: Before SIEGE?

HUNTER: Before the Rovers. Old friends, good times...home...how about you?

COLLEEN: Me, oh...nothing in particular...

HUNTER: Come on! It's like three in the morning and you're watching me beat up on Marty! What's on your mind?

COLLEEN: You sure?

HUNTER: Yeah! Now what's going on?

COLLEEN: Well, alright...I'm...starting to wonder about this new guy...

HUNTER: Yeah, me too.

COLLEEN: Really?!

HUNTER: Sure. I mean, he's given up a lot for us, but...

COLLEEN: He's so powerful.

HUNTER: But you know what? He deserves a shot. He's had a rough go so far, and the least we can give him is our support.

COLLEEN: Do you really trust him, Huntie?

HUNTER: I want to. And I hope he's sincere about helping us out.

In the shadowy open doorway leading into the dark hall, a glowing red eye is seen. It remains motionless as the two speak.

COLLEEN: I just don't know if I can trust someone so...mysterious.

The glow shifts and moves down the hall.

HUNTER: Give it a little time. With SIEGE after him, I'm pretty sure all he wants right now is someone who'll call him friend. (pause) Well, I'm getting a little rest. You coming?

COLLEEN: Yeah, sure.

As they pass through the doorway, Hunter turns out the lights.

HUNTER: Thanks again, Marty!

---

It is morning at Road Rovers Mission Control. Dispite it being underground, it seems to be a little brighter now. One could almost expect to see a bird perch on the domed roof of the transdogmafacation room. After the events of the last few days, a little sun couldn't hurt anyone.

Colleen wakes up once again, this time to the alarm clock and at the appropriate time. She freshens up, grabs her suit and heads out the sliding door. She meets Exile in the hall.

EXILE: Morning comrade! Sleep well?

COLLEEN: Super, thanks. Have you seen Hunter?

EXILE: Umm...I think he's in hangar with Pyro.

COLLEEN: Great, thanks a lot.

EXILE: Oh, meeting with Master in five minutes.

COLLEEN: Got it, thanks.

Upon reaching the hangar, she sees Hunter bent over the hood of an experimental streetcar. Someone is lying under the vehicle as well.

PYRO: Man, what did you do to this thing?

HUNTER: Oh, come on! It's not that bad.

PYRO: Yeah it is! You ripped this baby apart!...You ever consider driving an automatic?

HUNTER: Shut up.

Pyro laughs and rolls from under the car. He is now wearing standard Road Rovers armor. He stands up and blinks his glowing red eye at her. He smiles warmly.

PYRO: Morning!

COLLEEN: Morning guys. Did you know the Master's holding a meeting in a few minutes?

HUNTER: (wiping off gloved hands) No, we've been here all morning. We'd better go before we're late.

Upon reaching the transdogmafacation room, they realize the Master has already begun speaking to Exile, Blitz and Shag. Muzzle is bouncing crazily about, and hops over to the three. Hunter pats him on the head.

HUNTER: Hey, Muzzle! Haven't seen you in a while! (to Master) Sorry, are we late?

MASTER: No, we just started. Have a seat. We received this transmission late last night. It is apparently coded.

The Master presses a button, and the transmission plays on the main screen. It is nothing but garbled static, except for a marquee of zeroes and ones running across the bottom. Pyro is staring intently at them. His eyes tighten.

PYRO: It's from SIEGE. Mind if I try to decode it?

MASTER: We have nothing to lose, be my guest.

Pyro taps at a few keys on a keyboard. The transmission appears in full clarity.

BLITZ: Wow, that didn't take much.

PYRO: It wasn't meant to be hard. They're playing games with me.

After a period of blackness, an image appears. It is Dreadclaim himself. His entire body has visibly changed. What was once large chunks of flesh are now steel and wires. His head is almost completely CYbio, save a small piece of human face that contains his right eye. He no longer has a nose, mouth or human skull. When he speaks, lights brighten at either side of his head. His voice is different, it has lost all touch of humanity.

This appearance shocks everyone but Pyro, who is only discouraged by the sight.

DREADCLAIM: I would like to take a moment to congratulate you, P83. You were able to catch Dreadclaim off guard. This is a very rare occurrance, and you took advantage of it. Enjoy your victory while it is still sweet. For you have killed the man, but there is more to Dreadclaim than flesh and bone. There is a power that you can barely fathom, and that you have only begun to experience. I have been lenient with you, P83. I was hoping to bring you back somehow. I had plans for you. You would have been great among us.Your power would have been unmatched. But now you have gone far beyond a mere insult. Pass a message on to William Malary. Tell him Jason is dead. Tell him his bones were crushed, his flesh burned away, and his mind shattered. But the mind of Dreadclaim is sound, and the bones can never be broken. Tell him the pain of Jason was excrutiating, but the body of Dreadclaim feels only a burning rage that can never be extinguished. You will feel my wrath, P83, along with millions, who will bow before me as they slowly die. Congratulations on your victory. Mine is soon to come.

The transmission ends.

BLITZ: ...Wow.

MASTER: As can be seen, Dreadclaim is very much alive. If his business is not finished with William Malary, he may attack Malary Biochem again. At the very least, we may be able to gain information from Willaim. I want you all to return to the Biochem building and offer assistance as needed. And come back with something valuable.

HUNTER: All right then, let's hit the road!

---

Battered from the chaos of the SIEGE attack, the Biochem building is already being renovated. Cranes rise high alongside the building. Tools are strewn about the premesis. Windows and doors once smashed in are now boarded up. The team exits the Sky Rover and has a look around. Pyro carries his SCaR.

BLITZ: Sure didn't take long to start fixing up the place...

EXILE: Malary is very rich man.

PYRO: Hey guys, I'm picking up armed guards by all of the entrances. Deja vous. They've all got the Malary Biochem logo, though.

COLLEEN: William must not feel so secure now that he's marked for death.

PYRO: Does a number on the ol' self-esteem. Well, he's certainly in there.

HUNTER: Let's give the obvious approach a try.

They step up as close as they can to the doors, but armed soldiers stop them a good distance away. Guns are drawn. Pyro wisely straps his SCaR around his back. The Rovers raise their hands in peace.

SOLDIER 1: Step back before you are fired upon!

HUNTER: We come in peace! We're the Road Rovers, and we're here to help.

SOLDIER 1: You're freaks, now get away before we kill you!

Suddenly, one of the soldiers presses his hand to his radioed helmet and whispers something into the speaker that protrudes from it. He motions to the other soldiers.

SOLDIER 2: Let them in, Malary says they check out.

The soldiers step aside and let the team walk uneasily in. They look around the interior of the under-construction high rise. As soon as Pyro hears the door close, he swings the heavy SCaR from his shoulder. At the end of the hall, a door opens. They hesitantly enter and find it to be a private elevator. They ascend an unknown number of floors. The elevator stops. Pyro presses the close button as the door begins to open.

PYRO: Okay, here's the deal We've got to do this right. There's armed guards everywhere. At the end of the hall is a heavy bulletproof door. I'm assuming Malary's there. There's a camera, so they'll see us as soon as we open the door. One of the other rooms on this floor has some computer equipment I want to check out. The door is open, so I think I can sneak in.

COLLEEN: How can you get by the camera?

Pyro's eye begins to glow brighter. He disappears before them, but his eye still shines.

COLLEEN: Unbelievable!

EXILE: Amazing!

HUNTER: Cool!

PYRO: I can't read beyond the main room for some reason, but I can communicate with Shag's laptop if all else fails. Ready?

He lets go of the close button, and the elevator opens. The camera immediately focuses on the team. As they walk down the hall, the door opens for them. They are ushered in by guards. Nearby the elevator, a small, floating red sphere crosses the hall and passes through an open door.

The Rovers are inside the "waiting area" William's office. A heavily armed guard ushers them to seats and tells them that William will be ready shortly.

The eye of Pyro floats in the doorway, moving back and forth in search of another security camera. Seeing none, he uncloaks himself and sits down at a computer. In moments, he is typing away.

PYRO: Okay, Mr. Malary, let's see if you can tell me something good...

A sliding door swooshes open in Malary's waiting room, and the Rovers are escorted in. There is a massive room behind this small door, containing only a large desk. It is vacant.

HUNTER: I'm getting a little impatient here...

Pyro is typing at the keyboard, frustrated.

PYRO: Okay, you wanna do it the hard way?

His forearm plate opens and a snakelike cord attaches itself to the computer. It comes alive. A spinning logo of Malary Biochem is seen.

PYRO: That's right, now tell me what I want to know. We'll start with...Cano-Mutant research.

A list is displayed.

PYRO: Whoooa...I don't believe this. (presses button on belt) Shag...Shag, you there?

Shag, standing in the office with his laptop, gets the message. He types a reply, which Pyro sees in his CYbio eye.

PYRO: When did the attack on the base take place?

A reply comes in. Eight days ago.

PYRO: Guess how long Malary Biochem has been studying the Cano-Mutant imbalance? Seven days.

Really?

PYRO: Yup. And they've been working pretty hard on it. Sixty percent of all resources have been going to it...something's up here. Tell Hunter.

He's looking at the screen.

PYRO: Good. Now...

William's coming.

PYRO: Okay, open the speaker so I can hear him.

The man known as William Malary enters the office through a hidden door in the wall. Three armed guards go before him. He is seated at the desk.

WILLIAM: Please, sit down, my friends. I appreciate your bravery in saving myself and my co-workers. What can I do for you?

HUNTER: We won't waste your time. We need to know more about Dreadclaim. Who is he, and why is he after you?

WILLIAM: I have no idea. He's just some power-crazy freak of nature that wants me dead.

PYRO: He's lying. He called Dreadclaim "Jason." He knows something. Computer, look up all references to "Jason."

The computer displays hundreds of names. One, "Jason Malary," is highlighted.

PYRO: Jason Malary? Computer, access Jason Malary.

The computer shows the file.

PYRO: I think I've got something, but it's pretty big. I can't read it all now. I'm taking it with us.

We're getting nowhere in here.

PYRO: Let's try a longshot. Computer, look up all references to SIEGE.

The computer goes black. Suddenly, SIEGE appears in bold red letters. A message also appears.

Welcome to SIEGE central information database. Please enter passcode.

PYRO: What? This is crazy! Well, let's try my old code.

It works. The information database is shown.

We're dying in here. Give us something!

PYRO: Wait! Stall! I'm in the SIEGE database!

WHAT?!

PYRO: Now gimme a sec. Computer, look up all references to Jason.

The computer shows no related files.

He's not helping us one bit. He won't talk.

PYRO: Hmmm... (presses off the communication button) Computer, look up all references to .... Shara.

A match appears.

PYRO: Access Shara.

A file is shown. It contains a picture of the Black Lab from his flashback, along with the Cano-Sapien's personal information. Pyro skims over it.

PYRO: This is coming, too. Wait a minute...last medical exam...that was three weeks ago! You're alive?

The computer flashes on and off. Database Compromise Detected!!! reads on the screen.

PYRO: Shoot. (turning communication back on) I think may have just blown our cover. Play it cool and try to get out of there.

In the room, Hunter and Shag stand up. The others do the same.

HUNTER: Thank you, sir, that should be fine for now. May we come back if we need anything?

WILLIAM: Absolutely. Return whenever you want. My men will let you right in.

COLLEEN: Great, thank you again.

They exit the room and re-enter the waiting area. It is empty. Shag sits back down with the laptop. He types. A message is sent to Pyro.

What are you doing in there?!

PYRO: I just dug up a gold mine, but I triggered something. I can't let this get to any other units.

He speaks of the message, still flashing. In a desparate attempt, he opens his forearm plate and unsheathes the blade. He severs the cords from the back of the computer, and the message stops. Opening the case with the blade, he removes the computer's hard drive. He clips it to his belt.

PYRO: Okay guys, I'm ready. Go ahead and get to the elevator.

The rest of the team exits the waiting room and the elevator opens. As the team piles in, they make sure to leave room for the red sphere which quickly flits across the hall and between the closing doors. The elevator descends. Pyro reappears. Shag woofs something to him and Hunter translates.

HUNTER: What'd you find?

PYRO: (holds up hard drive) A lot.

Back in William Malary's office, a figure steps from the still-open secret door. It is General Parvo.

PARVO: Are they gone?

WILLIAM: I believe so, yes.

DREADCLAIM: You can't let them interfere with the testing.

WILLIAM: Why would they? They're too busy contending with Dreadclaim for that.

PARVO: Good. Let them kill each other. It'll keep them both out of our hair for some time. And remember our little agreement. Continue with the testing.

WILLIAM: Yes, as agreed.

To be continued...

All material © 2000 Pyrover, used only with written permission.