Chapter 6

Conclusion

Just when you thought the good guys won…

Don Karnage spurred on his horse.

"Hiya." He said squeezing his heels into the beast.

Oracle could barely keep up edging her horse along mentally as well.

The Don Karnage stared back at her. He stilled his horse

"It’s a good day to die. Isn’t it Oracle." his dark eyes seemed to burn.

Oracle stopped.

The murderer sounded so strange she couldn’t put her finger on it. Her horse was one of Jellicle’s brood, she had the sense to run away from danger. It took nearly all of her concentration to still the panicky horse.

"Now we meet. I’ve always wondered what kind of person it would take to commit such a feat. Unfortunately this will not be a meeting you will enjoy you disgusting scavenger."

"I’m going to get you, you filthy Murderer." she drew the sword at her belt.

"Then you should have brought a bigger saber."

His horse pawed against the Earth playfully. It looked like a fire breather. Much more temperamental. It was a wonder the fox could maintain his balance. He must have been glued to the saddle.

He made his first attack, his charger rammed forward at full speed. From his hand flashed a red light, like a blade. She had never seen a blade like that. It was almost the last thing she ever saw.

She caught his laser blade against hers. It almost broke through the blade, she and her horse reeled back, trying to avoid the blow. She retreated on her horse to wait for decent opening.

"I’m surprised you could deflect that with a metal sword."

Oracle held her blade high.

"You are pretty good."

She hacked at his neck.

"If you say for a girl, you’ll eat that eye patch."

He tossed off the blow. She had never fought such a good swordsman. She knew that she couldn’t beat him with her wimpy short sword.

He made one more blow against the sword before it splinted into a million bits. She felt the metal go into her flesh. She dropped the hilt.

"This is for Voltaire."

The fox reached over his head for the death blow.

This was the time that Oracle’s horse broke out of her control. The horse bucked and kicked his horse and tore away from him. Don Karnage was still on his horse. He was no City Boy.

Oracle tried to calm the horse but it would not stop, fleeing in terror from the nasty sword wielding fox. She pulled on the reigns. She turned it around with a horse Illusion over it’s eyes. The Fox rodetall wielding his saber. Oracle had nothing to parry his blow with and had both of her hands on her reigns to control the beast. He swung at her head, she ducked.

Stupid horse. Why couldn’t it just calm down, it was almost too smart to control. She let it run a little faster away from the pirate. It was an unfair fight. The sword knicked her ear.

It was then the idea dawned on her. Why should she bother?

She looked at Don Karnage’s horse and captured it’s mind.

Don Karnage didn’t even realize.

All at once the fiery charger squealed in the opposite direction. Don Karnage barely had time to clasp onto the reign before the beast went thundering away.

"Easy Girl, whoa. whoa."

The horse went nuts running straight for the edge of a cliff.

"Cliff. It’s a-"

The horse did not see a cliff but flat prarie. And to the horse Oracle resembled a mountain lion the size of a horse. Don Karnage tried to stop the horse. But the beast shrugged off his commands. The horse went towards the cliff. They both went rolling into the ravine below.

Oracle stilled her horse again. And looked into the ravine below.

The horse had tumbled to it’s death. The fox lay crumpled like a kleenex clutching on to one stray root.

"You killed my horse." He clutched his knee. He probably had a broken ankle.

Oracle jumped and grabbed his collar.

"I’m going to kill you."

"I guess I won’t have to worry about disgracing Voltaire."

He looked up at her.

"You’re not even wearing it any more." He squeezed his eyes shut.

"I’m dying for him now."

Oracle’s hand stilled. "That’s my line you punk. Aren’t you going to beg for mercy?"

The fox glared at her.

"But Danny didn’t get that chance you just jumped him. I shouldn’t give you that choice."

The fox looked nearly dead in her arms. He looked like he was barely holding on to consciousness. He was going to pass out in pain.

"I shouldn’t-" she threw him aside.

Don Karnage stared up at her for the second before he passed out.

"What happened to you?"

"Stupid Stupid."

"Wrong Direction?"

"Shut up or so help me, Blue hair. I was almost eaten alive."

Flight looked around

"Where’s Static?"

"He is pursuing the truck. They are hiding something important in it. I fear for him."

"Random I just faced a four foot ten girl who folds cars like sheets. You almost died fighting a half fat decaff no foam latte. The kid can handle a truck by himself."

Random snorted.

"You got to start worrying about him."

At this Oracle returned her horse looked dead, she looked like she had been rolling in the dirt.

"I got him."

"God Oracle what were you doing."

"What can I say I enjoy a nice country ride." she said. "But my hands aren’t used to this, ow."

"Got iodine?" Jett asked.

***

"Well we know the chick is blind, that the Ice dog guy is mortal." Flight said "If we can trap’em maybe we can use that."

"What is their motivation?"

"Frappucino mentioned Elludium."

"The Pickle Puss did too. She said that we would never get our hands on it or something like that."

"They were protecting it with their lives." Random

"But it doesn’t even sound like a real thing. It sounds made up." Flight said

"It sounds like something hush hush,

"Where is she anyway?" Random asked.

"She’s riding after Don Karnage. Who else would know about this kind of thing?"

"Jett."

"Let’s find her."

Jet sat humming and fixing her plane, her head in it’s hood.

"When I saw you for the first time, my knees began to quiver… From my kidney to my liver. Babe you got me tongue tied- tied tongue. hm hmm hmmm"

"Jett." Random were approaching.

"Yeah?" she said bored. She saw Random and pulled her head out of the plane "Oh hey Random. Just working on the plane or-"

"I don’t know I’ll check it out for ya." She said watching her watch.

"An explosive? Where did the Time Pirates get it?" Oracle said.

"Thorn said she wouldn’t let it fall back into the wrong hands."

"Back. That means they stole it. But from whom?" Oracle wondered

***

"Well it’s not a dessert topping. Elludium is the primary chemical agent in the Elludium kb 97 space modulator, the most powerful explosive device in existance." Jett said.

"But they didn’t steal an explosive. It was a grain shipment. Remember?" Oracle said as Flight bandaged her hand.

"Who would have it?

"Probably Pokemon. That stuff is dangerous. It was forbidden to be exported into any of the Three worlds."

"Even the Time Pirates aren’t that brave?"

"But how did the Time Pirates steal it then?" Oracle’s exhausted brain tried to think up a decent reason.

"Why you asking all this stuff?" Jett asked grabbing her monkey wrench.

"The Time Pirates have it now." Random said

"Don Karnage has Elludium." Jett pulled her head out of the plane. "Ow." she slammed it against the hood of the plane. She chuckled and looked at Flight "I meant to do that."

Flight scratched his head "I don’t get it. It doesn’t add up."

Random lifted one eyebrow.

"Similar things happen when we trust to implicitly in the information provided us. They were keeping the true nature of our mission secret. I knew I did not trust Muster."

"Look who cares how he got it. If Don Karnage has the elludium, no one in the Three Worlds will ever be safe again. We gotta get that stuff away from him." Jett panicked.

"You’re right. It’s not important where they got it, right now we got to make sure they don’t use it." Flight said.

All at once a red haired bear drove up in a hover truck.

"’Ey yo. What’s the dilly yo?" he said in the strange Martian accent.

"Official business sir. We’re on an official investigation."

"Whoa, youse mugs in da SHUSH er something?"

"We’re the Future Ones, minus two."

"Futurwonesminustoo. What is dat er Swahili?"

"Listen have you seen this woman sir."

The bear looked at the holeo of Thorn.

"Ayayae. What’s a matter her face?"

Frankie rolled in the back, silently.

He was doing a good job confusing the Future Ones.

"So dese Time Pirates, what dey got like eye patches and peg legs and shiv?" the bear laughed.

"Yeah, make you walk the space plank." Flight said.

The Bear laughed "Now dat is a good one."

"It’s good to know not everyone on Mars is evil." Jett said

"Hey Fuhget aboudit. Youse go and catch dose pirate guys, a’ight?"

The hover truck continued on.

As soon Brian drove out of sight.

"I should be exceedingly perterbed at you. Ugly stick?" she said clutching her head bandage

"Sorry shug. I was acting." he returned to his normal southern drawl. "Unless you wanted to face those two galloots with a lovely concussion."

Frankie sighed.

"Let’s find out where they got the elludium."

"Now we got to go find Frappe and Dolly before someone else does. Can you imagine if it fell back into the wrong hands?"

***

***

Dolly looked out at the terrain.

"Do you want to know the whole truth about me? It’s kind of shocking."

Static glared at her "Anything worse than being a Time Pirate."

"Martian Navy."

She sighed.

"I am time traveler." she squeezed her eyes.

"Go on."

"You believe me?"

"Future or past?"

"You believe me when I tell you. No one’s ever done that. The past."

Static regarded her.

"I come from the year 1996, I mean if you like add two because I’ve been with Justin. But the problem is I can’t get back to my time. I mean the guys have tried tachyporting me back to that time but it doesn’t work. I mean it's way scary. I went back once and my dad was an evil lunatic. Who tried killing people instead of saving them…"

"Who is your Dad, Gizmoduck, Darkwing Duck"

"Quacker Jack."

"Quacker Jack?"

"The Toy Wonder, the Light Brigade?"

"Quacker Jack was a super hero? Man I guess I’ve been reading the wrong history books." Static laughed.

"My dad was the defender of St. Canard. What did your Dad do? He’s probably a dyslexic plumber."

"My Dad is the Time Keeper, the bearer of the watch of the Fedoras."

"Since when do you need a hat to read time."

"We’re time travelers too. Only we don’t get stuck."

He looked at Dolly.

"Look I mean this thing happens all the time, entire worlds, universes, realities disappear, winnowed out. So the course of time moves on."

"Well you’re not from one of them, are you?"

"I’m sorry Dolly."

"It’s okay. No one really understands. Justin saved me just before my timeline was destroyed. He was also the sole survivor of his world. He took me into his clan and made me his sister, seeing as how my father couldn’t take care of me. We made a promise to find each other’s times. I’m still going to keep it after the war is over. Justin is always wasting his time trying to send me back to Dad and Elmo."

"Maybe he’ll find a way."

"I don’t know. They need me here. It’s all so confusing.

The elludium sat silently under the seat Static sat in, in the glove compartment.

***

"The elludium is in danger. The Cloisters was found by the Future Ones…"

"Later. Later. We have to fix you up."

She hugged him tightly.

"Oh my precious little baby. It kills me to see you fight so hard. Who was it this time?"

"My horse." Don Karnage laughed.

"I have to get your boots off."

The fox winced in pain as she helped him to sit.

"You know I don’t remember having a broken ankle." Don Karnage mused.

"I think it’s just sprained. I hope. And we don’t have a lick of naproxin sodium in the house."

"Serena we must change your plans about the Elludium. Now that the Cloister has been discovered, we cannot risk protecting it. The Corporation won’t rest until it’s returned."

"What about protecting you? I’ve lost to many good men to the greater good."

"But Serena we can still help…"

"You and your pirates must leave immediately. The Star Vulture is fixed. If you can leave in the next twenty-four hours for deep space you should be able to escape the Future Ones."

She ripped off his boot. He made a strange noise, noise some where between a bark and a cluck.

"You’re not alone in this revolution. The cells will keep the Elludium away from the Corporation. The best way we can."

"You’re going to destroy it, aren’t you?"

"We will plan when you get back, Justin. It’s only a setback."

"A set back that we’ll cost lives if-"

Serena grabbed his face earnestly.

"Mars will be here when you get back. That’s all that matters. The Time Pirates are necessary to the survival of the Revolution." she kissed him on the cheek.

"We’ve come so far, we were almost there."

"Justin, I might not be the warrior you real grandmother is, but I’ve been fighting this Revolution before longer than your life. I came to this planet in the search for freedom, and even if it’s on my dying breath, I’ll see it a free world."

Justin sighed.

"Why are you always right, Serena?" He held her hand.

"Now get going, you’ve got to get everyone together. You have a flight to catch."

***

Frankie, Frappe and Brian dismounted. Frankie had a bandage over her eye.

"So this is what getting your butt whooped feels like." Frankie laughed.

"Wwhat’s a matter Money bags, you never get defeated before." Frappe was still stiff and shivering from Random’s attack.

Serena patted them on the back.

"They haven’t beaten you yet. They can’t do a thing once you are off this planet."

Frappe sighed "If I hadn’t have told that stupid wizard about it…"

"I think that we can keep them in the dark about it. They still think this is a transport piracy."

"I’ll have my friend pick up the truck. It will disappear. No one will ever have to worry about it again."

"If there was only some other option…" He pulled himself on his broken ankle.

"Let’s go find Dolly." Don Karnage said dejected.

The pirates trudged to their ship.

"Oracle."

"It’s FO."

"Don Justin Karnage, you are hereby placed under arrest by the order of the Terran Council for crimes of sedition, piracy and mass destruction."

"Well isn’t that nice. But you know what else they forgot."

Oracle stared.

"Killing the FO group leader."

Don Karnage dismounted.

"Come on Oracle, you came to get me. That’s all they wanted. You bring me back to Earth or kill me. It won’t matter to them. But I am sick of this hypocrisy."

He snorted at Frappe.

"Get inside the Vulture. I’ll fend her off. I’m probably going to be a little late or maybe early."

"Captain." Lieutenant Frappe nodded.

Oracle approached him

"All right Karnage, I’ll admit it. I came here to get you. But I have my duty as well. To arrest and Detain the Time Pirates."

"But that’s the thing. You can’t stay true to your duty and get me. So you got to chose one."

"Oracle they’re going to get away with the Elludium. Even if we get Karnage, it won’t matter if they set it off."

He grabbed onto Oracle’s shoulder.

"We’ve got to stop them now."

Oracle was frozen.

Don Karnage stared at her contemptuously.

"I am Evil. I must be stopped."

Flight tried to hold onto her. "He’s just trying to egg you on. You can’t beat him by yourself."

While the debate continued, the Pirates streamed into the ship.

Don Karnage smirked "And you know what I did kill your Daniel. I found out you killed Voltaire and I killed him. What do you got to say to that Oracle are you going to let me go now?"

"I didn’t kill anyone." Oracle snarled.

"But I did. I killed Daniel."

Oracle broke out of Flight’s grip and lunged on the fox.

"You son of a-"

The fox darted out of the way quickly

"That’s right. Come and get me. I hunted him down like a dog. And it was easy too."

Oracle was too blinded by anger to attack straight. She jumped on him and tried to press his face into the ground.

"And then I shot him between the eyes."

Oracle sat with her hands around his throat. She paused.

"You’re lying."

"I’m not. I-"

Oracle eased up and Flight held the gun to his head.

"All right Chili con Karny. Consider yourself busted." Flight said.

Don Karnage threw up his arms.

"Danny wasn’t shot. He was killed with a sword."

Don Karnage looked away contemptuously

"Does it really matter?"

"You didn’t kill Danny."

"But I wish I had."

She slapped him.

Flight slapped the cuffs on him.

"They’re getting away."

"We got what we came for." Oracle said almost like her old self. The others stared at her and the compliant prisoner.

"Mission accomplished."

***

Oracle headed off to radio headquarters, by herself.

Flight stared at their captive.

"I must say, I’m not used to facing such worthy adversaries. And I would rather die at your hands than anyone else’s."

"Right." Flight said. "You are being unusually cool about us foiling your evil plan and stuff."

Don Karnage smirked.

"Oh you didn’t spoil anything I had planned. The Elludium is out of the hands of my enemies, my crew is halfway to Neptune by now. You know I don’t really do much except stand around and look violent. It’s quite sad." He laughed " You could be Don Karnage and no one would know the difference."

The fox stared at the duck

"If not me, than someone else. There’s always going to be someone out there to play my role. Some one who is going to do what no one else can, what should have be done. There will always be a Don Karnage."

***

It seemed like only a few minutes before a few Corp toughs came to the ranch to pick up the prisoner.

"Hey there boys."

"So at last Don Karnage, you’re going to suffer you obnoxious-"

The tough lifted his billy club. Don Karnage grabbed his hand.

"That’s not very chivalrous at all." Don Karnage tsked. "Boy I gotta tell you. This whole experience has truly changed my high regard for the Martian legal system. I gotta tell ya."

He tossed the guard aside.

"So shall we gentleman."

The Toughs carted him off into the hoover van.

"See you next time, FO."

They watched him speed down the road out of their lives.

"You know Oracle… I think your friend Danny would be proud of what you did today."

She looked up at Flight.

"I mean I am. You could have iced Karnage right there."

"I could have punished an innocent and obnoxious jerk."

"Well at least now you know."

"I don’t know anything now. Someone killed Danny, and now I don't know who did. Heck I don’t even know if that monster is lying or not."

"Oracle, Danny would have been proud, I am too."

"Thanks Flight."

Flight cheered "We did it, man. We beat Don Karnage."

"We arrested him. We foiled his plan. But we could never defeat Don Karnage." Oracle said.

Jet flew over head to take them back to Waswo.

***

Dolly was driving the truck.

"If your Dad was a hero, How could you become a Pirate?"

"I’m not a pirate."

"Well you follow Don Karnage, and he’s a pirate."

"Everybody calls him that. He’s not one either."

"Well than what do you guys think you are?"

"We are free people. They only ones on Mars. We seek to free Mars from oppression."

Dolly looked at him with her dark deep eyes.

"You’ve seen how bad everything has gotten. Crime, starvation... I might not be a Martian, but I know I gotta change that."

"How is stealing going to help any of that? It’s just wrong."

"It isn’t any worse than what Mars has been put through. It’s much less worse in fact."

Dolly kept her eyes on the road.

"You should know better. You should rise above them." Static said "How can you do things you know are wrong?

"What else can we do? Every time we try to do the right thing, the Corporation just lies about us, and puts us on the news, or ignores us. How are we supposed to do anything if no one will listen?"

"I don’t know."

"I know you can’t answer it because I can’t either Static. The Revolution is my life. I’ve given everything to it. I think you’d understand what it’s like to give up your life to something. You’re a Time Keeper. And aren’t there just times you want to be a regular kid? All you have to worry about is the big party on Friday, or how many …"

"Or the test in Algebra, or buying the coolest shoes"

"Or how many hotdogs you can fit in your mouth."

"Or boys."

"Or girls."

The two stared at each other.

"But I can’t just give it up, Static. It’s my duty. I can’t be normal. I’m special."

"I understand Dolly." Static said "I can’t agree, but I understand."

The two sat in silence for a long time."

"I’m gonna let you out now."

Static wanted to protest.

"And you’re going to run away, you’re going to tell everybody that you escaped. And I’m going to go back and tell everybody that I threw you out of my truck. And you’re gonna go back to Earth, and I’m gonna stay here."

She looked back at the road, trying to keep the tears out of her eyes,

"And that’s the end of it."

Static held her hand.

"I have to stop Don Karnage."

"And I have to stop the Corporation."

"What are we supposed to do about all this…"

"I don’t know. But right now, this feels right."

The truck stopped. They stared at each other for a long time.

"Goodbye Dolly." His hand opened the door.

"Goodbye Static."

He stepped out of the truck and it sped away.

***

Jet flew in closer.

"Hey look it’s Sputterspark."

The pilot swooped in.

The others gasped as the nose of the plane scraped the Earth.

"Static, I thought we’d have to leave you hear to the baby newt things."

Random saw his companion.

"Static. Are you all right." Random said.

"I barely escaped. That pirate, she’s really tough."

"Well we got Karnage. Now we can head back to Earth."

"I’m glad you got him." Static said trying to hide his emotions.

"And the others?"

"They flew of in their space ship."

Flight slapped him on the shoulder "Hey It’s only a matter of time. The Time Pirates aren’t getting off that easy, they can’t win. Cause were the good guys."

***

Dolly stopped the truck as the Star Vulture loomed. She took one last look before the tractor beam picked her up.

***

The toughs ridiculed Don Karnage from the back of the van.

"Soon you’ll be lucky to die."

"Uh huh." Don Karnage grunted non commitally.

"Yeah. When the downtown boys find out you’ve been arrested they are going to a number on you."

"Well I enjoy making new friends." Don Karnage blinked his eyes lazily.

"You don’t stand a chance."

The toughs laughed. Don Karnage joined them.

"What are you laughing at, pretty boy?"

"It’s just that twenty years ago there wasn’t even a road here let alone a highway. I thought that was hilarious."

"What’s so funny about that?" The two toughs didn’t see him contort the eye patch off his face into his right hand.

"Nothing, just wondering what this place would have looked like before roads?"

The toughs looked back at him strangely.

"What are you talking about?"

They didn’t see him activate a small device in his hand

"Can you imagine what it must have been like here twenty years ago?"

"No."

Don Karnage shrugged and put the eye patch in his mouth.

"I tell you when I get back."

There was a huge explosion that rocked the van upside down.

"What in the-"

The two toughs looked around the wreckage.

"Where in the heck did that guy go?"

"Where’s his body?"

The only evidence of Don Karnage ever being there, was a pile of clothes, a red cape.

***

Twenty years earlier, a naked young fox fell from the sky with an eyepatch in his mouth. He stood up and scanned the horizon.

He sighed to himself, wrapping his arms around himself.

"I should have chose a warmer day."

The local milkmaid stared intensely at the random appearance of this young handsome fox.

All of a sudden there a huge space ship appeared in the sky. A strange looking canine in a blue and black uniform.

"It worked beautifully. The Corps will be searching for you for weeks, Captain."

Don Karnage put on his pants, and waved at the milkmaid.

"Hey hi there. How you doing?" Don Karnage said.

"Hi."

"You wouldn’t mind keeping a little secret now would you?"

"Umm."

"You didn’t see anything strange happen today. Like someone appearing out of no where."

"No one would believe me." she shook her head "I don’t even believe me."

"Thanks, you are such a doll." He kissed the milkmaid on the cheek.

"Come on sir. You’ve been gone for two weeks. We’ve a lot of business to catch up on."

Don Karnage put on his sweater. And grabbed his war belt, and black cape.

"I’m coming Frappe. See you around doll."

He walked into the space ship and it disappeared.

The milkmaid passed out and spent most of the afternoon thinking of a reasonable explanation on why she had spilled her can.

***

Justin walked to Dolly’s room to make sure everything was all right. It was good to be on the ship again.

She sat on her bed reading a hard copy 20^th century book. He could hear her crying. The real tears, he had cried so many times. The tears of a true warrior’s remorse.

Dolly turned her head. She wiped her eyes, trying to hide them.

"Brother Justin." She walked up and hugged him.

"Hey Dolly."

"Hi."

Justin looked at his little clan sister. Normally she would have jumped and squealed like a little pig. But she held onto him extra long "You okay? You look a little down."

"I’m just tired…."

He looked down at her, and sighed.

"Justin, what would have happened if we could have kept the elludium."

"We can’t know."

"I wish this were over."

"I do too Dolly."

"I can’t believe, they beat us."

"Dolly, you are growing up. You have learned one of the strangest lesson you must learn on the way to become a warrior. To honor and respect your enemies."

"I always thought that our enemies were evil. But they weren’t. They were just doing what they had too. It’s just so hard to understand. Why couldn’t they see things our way?"

"Because