Love of Mars

Chapter 7

The girls had officially kicked the Biker Mice out. They had all but shooed them out of the garage claiming some much needed 'girl time'.

"Awe common, sweetheart! Why can't we stay! I wanna see you girls have a pyjama pillow fight!"

"Nope. Absolutely not Vincent Van Whamm." Charley had barked, shoving the white mouse out the door along with his bros.

"Besides, you'd be bored shitless, Vinnie. I promise." Said Stella, "we're gonna spend hours doing our hair and our nails and face masks and then we're gonna spend even longer gossiping about boys and periods and make up and watching romantic movies..."

"Alright! Alright we're going! Jeeze!"

The girls high fived as soon as the guys bikes were out of eyesight. Then proceeded to get comfortable and pull out some projects they'd been working on secretly to surprise the guys. The anniversary of when the mice had first crash landed in Chicago was coming up and the girls had planned a small celebration and to gift them each with a little something and besides, the guys loved getting new toys!

The workshop was quiet. Only the low sound of the radio, soft clink of tools and the low hum of Stella's equipment filled the air. Charley was engrossed in making an upgrade for Modo's arm while Stella sat at a workbench, goggles pushed up into her hair, staring at the glowing monitor of her laptop.

"Hey Char?" 

"Hmm?"

"You know how Limburger's goons have been popping up a lot more lately?"

"Yeah, its like they always seem to know where the guys are. How come?"

"I think I know why..." Stella showed her screen and explained.

"You're telling me Limburger is tracking the guys through their bikes?" Charley asked straightening back up. Stella frowned. 

"Not exactly. He's tracking the alloy in the Mars tech. This is advanced tracking, it's way more advanced than anything they've used or done before... But I think I can scramble the signal if-"

The garage door slammed open so hard it rattled the windows.

Both women froze.

A deep, synthetic voice echoed through the garage. 

"Well, well. If it isn't the mechanic and the brain."

Grease pit.

Three of Limburger's goons stepped inside, metal boots clanking on the concrete. One of them cracked his knuckles making Stella cringe at the sound.

Charley slowly set her wrench down. "You boys lost?"

"Not at all," the lead goon said. "In fact, we're exactly where Mr Limburger wants us."

Stella subtly reached for a small device on the desk behind her, but one of the goons noticed and grabbed her wrist before she could move.

"Nice try, genius."

Charley lunged for a nearby crowbar, swinging hard, but another goon grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms.

"Char!" Stella shouted, thrashing and punching wildly in an attempt to get the smelly creep off her so she could reach her friend.

"Let her go, you grease ball!" Charley snapped, trying to kick backwards.

The lead goon smirked. "Mr. Limburger says you two are very valuable. Essential to his plans to finally get rid of those biker-bunnies."

Stella's stomach dropped. "He wants my research."

"He wants you," the goon corrected.

Before either of them could fight back again, a cloth was shoved over Charley's mouth and a stun rod pressed against Stella's side. Electricity shot through her and the world went white for a second. The last thing she heard before everything faded was Charley still trying to yell through the gag and the goon saying:

"Package secured. Limburger's gonna be very happy."

Stella woke to the dull buzz of fluorescent lights.

Her hands were strapped down and she was laid on a cold metal table. Across the room, Charley was tied similarly, glaring furiously at the guards like she was planning ten different ways to kill them with a screwdriver.

"Hey Charley... you okay?" Stella asked quietly.

"I've been better," Charley muttered. "You?"

"My head feels like someone ran me over with a hover bike."

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Just then a familiar slimy voice echoed from the shadows.

"Ahhhh, wonderful! You're both awake." Limburger rolled into the light, grinning. "Welcome, ladies."

Charley smirked. "You know the mice are gonna come for us, right? They're gonna kick your stinking behind all the way back to Plutark."

Limburger's grin widened. "Ohh I'm counting on their arrival.." Stella and Charley exchanged a look.

This was going to get a lot worse before it got better.