Finally Beaten ~Taz x Up~

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"This is the most crap plan I have ever been part of." Up whispered as they crept along the walls of the enemy ship. Robot bits were strewn across the floor where Up and his team had blown them up all over the place.

"It's the best chance we have of rescuing the Lieutenant, Commander." Specs muttered.

"You're right Specs." murmured Up, his heart pounding. "Right, that's the room Junior's in. Without robots! Krayonder, Tootsie and Mega-Girl, remember. Distract him in any way possible. Mega-Girl, I know you haven't had your inhibitor chip put back in, but please don't kill anyone."

"Yes." said Mega-Girl. "Let's go."

There was a massive BANG as Mega-Girl blasted open the door to the room. There were muffled yells and war-cries from Krayonder as Up and Specs bolted down the corridors which seemed to go on forever. Specs almost got floored and killed by a robot if Up hadn't blasted it apart first. Finally, panting and clutching stitches in their sides, Up and Specs stopped at a door that led to a long corridor. The silver plate on the door read: "PRISONERS QUARTERS" in metallic writing. Could Taz be in here? There was only one way to find out. Up tentatively pushed open the door, and Specs followed as they padded down the corridor lined with small metal doors. They were all the same, how were they meant to find Taz?!

"Specs, scan the corridor for Taz." Up commanded, rapping gently on a few of the doors. Specs scanned the corridor with her scanner. It went off almost immediately, flashing red and beeping loudly. Specs hastily turned it on silent and followed the flashing.

We're coming, Taz, Up said inside his head.

Meanwhile Krayonder, Tootsie and Mega-Girl were having fun with Junior, who was having to duck zaps from all three of them.

"Can't hide, Junior, man!" Krayonder screeched in glee, sending lasers everywhere, one narrowly missing Junior's cheek.

"Get away from me!!!" Junior snarled, dodging another laser shot by Mega-Girl who seemed to have gone over the top.

"KILLKILLKILL" she recited, her right fist glowing red as she zapped laser after laser at Junior. One accidentally hit the ceiling and bits of rubble began to fall.

"Quick, get the hell out of here!" Tootsie yelled, ushering Krayonder and Mega-Girl toward the door. Junior tried to scramble up after them, but then the ceiling caved in, and he was separated from them by a large hunk of brick and plaster. As several other big pieces began to fall, Tootsie asked,

"D'you think Junior'll make it out of there alive?"

"Well I'm not stickin' around to find out!" Krayonder said. "RUN, MAN!"

They slammed the door and bolted down the corridor as they heard shrieks coming from Junior getting quieter and quieter. Suddenly Krayonder's communication watch sounded with Up's Western drawl. He was panting, and sounded like he had run around the whole Bug Planet.

"Come in, cadet. This is Commander Up. Over."

"This is Krayonder, Commander. Have you got Taz yet? Over."

"We're searching for her, I think we're getting close. How are you doing? Over."

"The ceiling caved in so Junior got trapped in a pile of rubble, I think he passed out. Over."

"Great job! Now come and find Specs and I. We're at the bottom of the ship, in this corridor called the Prisoners' Quarters. Over."

"We'll be there ASAP, man! Over and out!"

Specs' scanner flashed brighter and brighter as they proceeded down the corridor. They came to a stop at the five last doors.

"Has to be one of these." Specs said hopefully. She directed her scanner at each of the doors. The scanner flashed green at the second to last door.

"Oh, I hope it's this one!" Specs said.

"So do I, Specs." croaked Up as he blasted the door open.

Taz didn't know how much time had passed since Junior last left her. She had spent so much time thinking about what he had read her from Up's diary she didn't care if he never came back. She didn't want to hear another word out of that diary. She still loved Up, but she had that heavy weight sensation on her shoulders ever since that bastardo Junior read from Up's diary. She'd been held hostage for about a week now, and she looked like she'd been living it rough. Her hair was messy and tangled, and her clothes were stained with dead God knows what. She could tell Up all about her worries when he rescued her - if he ever did. She felt herself tearing up again for the first time in six days when a loud thud made her cower against the wall. The door had been blasted to the ground. The light flashed menacingly in her eyes, which had adjusted to the dark over the past week. There was a figure standing at the door, but it was too big to be Junior. Taz's eyes widened in disbelief.

The frame of the door fell open easily after Up blasted it apart. He stepped cautiously into the tiny room and immediately spotted a small figure, who scrabbled up against the wall in fear, eyes squinting. The light from outside cast a beam of light over her face. Pointed, tanned face, messy black Mohawk, shiny dog tags. There was only one person who it could be.

"TAZ!"

Her eyes widened; then a single tear splashed down her face. Up easily picked his best friend up and set her gently on the bed. He drew the knife out of her utility belt which she hadn't been able to reach and swiftly cut the ropes that bound her wrists and ankles. She sat up properly for the first time in a week and quickly untied her gag. She spat the ball of cloth to the floor and smiled.

"Up!" she whispered. Her voice sounded croaky, as if she had long lost the habit of using it. "You - you came."

"Course I did, Taz! What did you expect me to do? The team isn't the same without you." Up replied, smiling.

"Thanks." Taz grinned, quickly hugging Up around the shoulders. Up had to bend down to return it.

"Vamos, let's get out of here. Before that bastardo Junior gets back." She tried to take a step forward, and yelled in pain; there was a deep cut in her right leg, and several deeps welts in her ankles and wrists where the rope had cut in.

"Meirda." she muttered, examining the wound. "I can't walk."

"Aha." Up grinned. "You may not be able to walk, but on when you're on my back, I can run faster than the two of us combined."

Taz had a smile creeping up her face as Up helped her onto his shoulders. "Let's get the hell outta here!" Up shouted, and ran off, Krayonder, Specs, Tootsie and Mega-Girl hurrying behind.