Fully Armed - Part 2
Funny how one can write when one's Muse is beating one over the head with her scroll.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, but have 'borrowed' them from the Professors Foglio, whom I hope will not think badly of me for it.
*spuk* *spuk*spuk* *spuk*
‘Heeeere, mousy mousy. C’mon, mousy. I’ve got some nice cheese for you . . .
*spuk* *spuk* *spuk* *spuk*
Now, sweetie, don’t be like that. I’m not going to hurt you. Come to Mamma . . .
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
‘CATCH THAT MOUSE-SQUID! DON’T LET IT GET AWAY!’ Agatha’s flushed face was a mask of frustration. She’d realized quickly that the mouse-squids could climb their aquarium walls, but she hadn’t dreamed they could pick the locks.
‘That’s kind of a clumsy name for such a cute little construct.’ Judy reached for the tiny creature, missing it by millimeters. ‘I think Squouse is much more elegant.’ She grabbed, and missed, again. ‘A group together could be called Squice. Trips more easily off the tongue, don’t you think, dear?’
Punch, still not accustomed to speaking, nodded. He, too, reached for and missed the newly-dubbed Squouse, which was rapidly heading for a yet-to-be repaired wall. The clockwork inside was ticking away nicely, seeming a lesser threat to the near-panicked creature than the giants who pursued it.
‘I don’t think . . .’ Agatha panted, ‘. . . that now is really the time . . .’ She dove, and came up empty. ‘. . . to be talking about cute little names!’ At least, she had diverted her escapee from the wall, sending it racing along the corridor and around a corner. Punch patted her on the shoulder as he rushed by, a handkerchief in his hand. ‘I’ll get it, kid, don’t worry.’
All three stopped suddenly, as a loud *SQUEEK!* echoed from beyond the corner. They then heard an evil chuckle, as a familiar figure strolled towards them.
Krosp licked his lips. ‘Delectable! Rather shrimp-like in flavor, with an extra tang.’
‘You . . . you . . . ATE my construct? Krosp, how COULD you!’
‘Well, if it was important, why was it running around outside the lab?’
Agatha had a murderous look in her eye, as if contemplating an impromptu dissection.
‘I . . . you . . . you . . . BEAST! You KNOW I’ve been working on that project for a MONTH! YOU ROTTEN-HEADED FUR-BRAINED FOOL, I’LL . . . I’LL PUT TENTACLES ON YOU, YOU NASTY LITTLE . . .’ Agatha’s threats became muffled as Punch enveloped her in a huge hug. A look from Judy sent Krosp stomping off the way he’d come, as now seemed not the time for an intellectual debate.
Once calmed down, Agatha returned to her lab, dejected that her best subject had become no more than snack food. She moved towards the aquarium, but stopped short. ‘Did I forget to lock it? No, I remember locking it when I saw that little . . . Oh. My. God.’ Frantically, she cast her eyes about the lab, halting when she spied the last little mousy tail vanishing through a vent near the ceiling. ‘Those little SNEAKS! The first one was a decoy!’ Agatha ran to the voice-tubes, and pulled an alert cord. ‘Everybody! Look sharp! We have five escaped experimental constructs, size tiny, threat unknown! Teams two and four, hit the air vents. Teams one and three, meet me in the foyer, now!’
She paused, running her hands through her hair. ‘Castle! Have you been monitoring?’
‘YES, MISTRESS. IS ACTION REQUIRED?’ The booming voice, still in need of volume control, rolled from wall to wall as Agatha held her hands to her ears. ‘Castle, is there any way for you to stop the escapees in the air vents?’ It was quiet for a heartbeat, then, ‘I HAVE POISON GAS, NEEDLE GUNS, ELECTRIFIED STEAM . . .’ Agatha interrupted, ‘No, no, I mean anything not LETHAL.’ There was another pause while Castle Herterodyne pondered. ‘NO, MISTRESS.’ Agatha sighed. Here was yet one more thing to add to the ever-growing list of repairs. ‘Can you at least track them?’ Her voice had taken on a tone of plaintive exasperation. ‘YES, MISTRESS. WHAT ARE THE PARAMATERS?’ Agatha laughed. ‘Well, they are the only three-inch creatures with tentacles in there, aren’t they?’ The Castle ticked a moment, then, ‘NO, MISTRESS.’ Agatha heaved a deep, heart-felt sigh. Make that two more things to add to the list.
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Krosp was in a state of high indignation. ‘Imagine! The nerve! Speaking to her King and Liege Lord as if I were a common . . . animal!’ The last word was snarled through gritted fangs. ‘I’ll shred her best slippers for this! I’ll leave entrails in her . . . Oof!’ He stopped, rubbing his belly. ‘THAT didn’t feel right . . . Oh!’ A nasty taste rose in his throat, as his belly lurched. ‘AGA . . . ORGLE . . . AHEKAHEKAHEKAHEKA . . . BLEARRRRRK!’
Krosp’s spine stiffened as he arched, howled, and spewed the contents of his gut. Flopping over on his side, he saw, through bleary eyes, one worse-for-wear Squouse pick itself up out of the effluvia, shake itself off, then skitter away for parts unknown. Groaning, Krosp pulled himself to his elbows, a disgusted look on his face. Glancing at the mess, he snarled, ‘Ink! What a dirty rotten trick!’ Standing on trembling legs, he shook his fist in the last known direction of his now-mortal enemy. ‘You haven’t heard the last of this, squeeky! We will meet again!’ Straightening his coat, he marched (well, staggered) off in search of something more palatable to kill the rotten taste on his tongue. He would report to Agatha later, first things first.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teams one and three were already in the foyer when Agatha entered. She smiled to herself as she looked them over, proud of how well they were working together. Team One, led by Dimo, held particular honors, as they were the first internal line of defense. Even if anyone happened to be clever enough to trick their way past the Castle’s exterior barriers, Agatha doubted they would make much headway against her deadly bunch. Ognian lead Team Three, his hand-picked crew of Mechanicsburg volunteers standing at attention behind him. His special territory included the kitchen, which he guarded even from himself, when on duty.
Agatha walked the line, inspecting her forces. ‘Alright, folks, this is not a drill!’ The answering grins, fanged and otherwise, brought out a grin of her own. ‘You all know of my work in getting Dimo his new arm, right?’ She knew they did, but the affirming nods were good to see. She continued, ‘As it turns out, the Alpha experiment is intelligent. Very intelligent.’ The teams glanced at each other, eager for the challenge, eager to be the first to bring their beloved Mistress proof of their skills. As Agatha finished with the necessary details, she looked straight at Dimo. ‘I don’t need to tell you how important it is to get these . . . Squice back alive. Unharmed if at all possible, but do your best. Alright everybody, hunt!’ With that, the teams were off. Agatha started to follow them, when a voice stopped her.
‘Wouldn’t it look like you don’t trust your own people to do their jobs if your guests see you following them around?’ Zeetha looked at her Zumil, one eyebrow raised. ‘Argh, my guests! I forgot all about them! Have any arrived yet?’ Agatha brushed at her lab coat, frowning to realize how messy she was. ‘No, but you’ll want to get cleaned up. We can’t have your paramours thinking you don’t have a laundry in this rock pile!’ ’Zeetha's face was a studied blank. ‘They’re not my . . .’ Agatha stopped her heated retort, realizing she was being teased. She stuck her tongue out at her friend, then fled towards the bathing room before another ‘lesson’ could be administered.
End Part 2
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, but have 'borrowed' them from the Professors Foglio, whom I hope will not think badly of me for it.
*spuk* *spuk*spuk* *spuk*
‘Heeeere, mousy mousy. C’mon, mousy. I’ve got some nice cheese for you . . .
*spuk* *spuk* *spuk* *spuk*
Now, sweetie, don’t be like that. I’m not going to hurt you. Come to Mamma . . .
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
*SPUK*
‘CATCH THAT MOUSE-SQUID! DON’T LET IT GET AWAY!’ Agatha’s flushed face was a mask of frustration. She’d realized quickly that the mouse-squids could climb their aquarium walls, but she hadn’t dreamed they could pick the locks.
‘That’s kind of a clumsy name for such a cute little construct.’ Judy reached for the tiny creature, missing it by millimeters. ‘I think Squouse is much more elegant.’ She grabbed, and missed, again. ‘A group together could be called Squice. Trips more easily off the tongue, don’t you think, dear?’
Punch, still not accustomed to speaking, nodded. He, too, reached for and missed the newly-dubbed Squouse, which was rapidly heading for a yet-to-be repaired wall. The clockwork inside was ticking away nicely, seeming a lesser threat to the near-panicked creature than the giants who pursued it.
‘I don’t think . . .’ Agatha panted, ‘. . . that now is really the time . . .’ She dove, and came up empty. ‘. . . to be talking about cute little names!’ At least, she had diverted her escapee from the wall, sending it racing along the corridor and around a corner. Punch patted her on the shoulder as he rushed by, a handkerchief in his hand. ‘I’ll get it, kid, don’t worry.’
All three stopped suddenly, as a loud *SQUEEK!* echoed from beyond the corner. They then heard an evil chuckle, as a familiar figure strolled towards them.
Krosp licked his lips. ‘Delectable! Rather shrimp-like in flavor, with an extra tang.’
‘You . . . you . . . ATE my construct? Krosp, how COULD you!’
‘Well, if it was important, why was it running around outside the lab?’
Agatha had a murderous look in her eye, as if contemplating an impromptu dissection.
‘I . . . you . . . you . . . BEAST! You KNOW I’ve been working on that project for a MONTH! YOU ROTTEN-HEADED FUR-BRAINED FOOL, I’LL . . . I’LL PUT TENTACLES ON YOU, YOU NASTY LITTLE . . .’ Agatha’s threats became muffled as Punch enveloped her in a huge hug. A look from Judy sent Krosp stomping off the way he’d come, as now seemed not the time for an intellectual debate.
Once calmed down, Agatha returned to her lab, dejected that her best subject had become no more than snack food. She moved towards the aquarium, but stopped short. ‘Did I forget to lock it? No, I remember locking it when I saw that little . . . Oh. My. God.’ Frantically, she cast her eyes about the lab, halting when she spied the last little mousy tail vanishing through a vent near the ceiling. ‘Those little SNEAKS! The first one was a decoy!’ Agatha ran to the voice-tubes, and pulled an alert cord. ‘Everybody! Look sharp! We have five escaped experimental constructs, size tiny, threat unknown! Teams two and four, hit the air vents. Teams one and three, meet me in the foyer, now!’
She paused, running her hands through her hair. ‘Castle! Have you been monitoring?’
‘YES, MISTRESS. IS ACTION REQUIRED?’ The booming voice, still in need of volume control, rolled from wall to wall as Agatha held her hands to her ears. ‘Castle, is there any way for you to stop the escapees in the air vents?’ It was quiet for a heartbeat, then, ‘I HAVE POISON GAS, NEEDLE GUNS, ELECTRIFIED STEAM . . .’ Agatha interrupted, ‘No, no, I mean anything not LETHAL.’ There was another pause while Castle Herterodyne pondered. ‘NO, MISTRESS.’ Agatha sighed. Here was yet one more thing to add to the ever-growing list of repairs. ‘Can you at least track them?’ Her voice had taken on a tone of plaintive exasperation. ‘YES, MISTRESS. WHAT ARE THE PARAMATERS?’ Agatha laughed. ‘Well, they are the only three-inch creatures with tentacles in there, aren’t they?’ The Castle ticked a moment, then, ‘NO, MISTRESS.’ Agatha heaved a deep, heart-felt sigh. Make that two more things to add to the list.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Krosp was in a state of high indignation. ‘Imagine! The nerve! Speaking to her King and Liege Lord as if I were a common . . . animal!’ The last word was snarled through gritted fangs. ‘I’ll shred her best slippers for this! I’ll leave entrails in her . . . Oof!’ He stopped, rubbing his belly. ‘THAT didn’t feel right . . . Oh!’ A nasty taste rose in his throat, as his belly lurched. ‘AGA . . . ORGLE . . . AHEKAHEKAHEKAHEKA . . . BLEARRRRRK!’
Krosp’s spine stiffened as he arched, howled, and spewed the contents of his gut. Flopping over on his side, he saw, through bleary eyes, one worse-for-wear Squouse pick itself up out of the effluvia, shake itself off, then skitter away for parts unknown. Groaning, Krosp pulled himself to his elbows, a disgusted look on his face. Glancing at the mess, he snarled, ‘Ink! What a dirty rotten trick!’ Standing on trembling legs, he shook his fist in the last known direction of his now-mortal enemy. ‘You haven’t heard the last of this, squeeky! We will meet again!’ Straightening his coat, he marched (well, staggered) off in search of something more palatable to kill the rotten taste on his tongue. He would report to Agatha later, first things first.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teams one and three were already in the foyer when Agatha entered. She smiled to herself as she looked them over, proud of how well they were working together. Team One, led by Dimo, held particular honors, as they were the first internal line of defense. Even if anyone happened to be clever enough to trick their way past the Castle’s exterior barriers, Agatha doubted they would make much headway against her deadly bunch. Ognian lead Team Three, his hand-picked crew of Mechanicsburg volunteers standing at attention behind him. His special territory included the kitchen, which he guarded even from himself, when on duty.
Agatha walked the line, inspecting her forces. ‘Alright, folks, this is not a drill!’ The answering grins, fanged and otherwise, brought out a grin of her own. ‘You all know of my work in getting Dimo his new arm, right?’ She knew they did, but the affirming nods were good to see. She continued, ‘As it turns out, the Alpha experiment is intelligent. Very intelligent.’ The teams glanced at each other, eager for the challenge, eager to be the first to bring their beloved Mistress proof of their skills. As Agatha finished with the necessary details, she looked straight at Dimo. ‘I don’t need to tell you how important it is to get these . . . Squice back alive. Unharmed if at all possible, but do your best. Alright everybody, hunt!’ With that, the teams were off. Agatha started to follow them, when a voice stopped her.
‘Wouldn’t it look like you don’t trust your own people to do their jobs if your guests see you following them around?’ Zeetha looked at her Zumil, one eyebrow raised. ‘Argh, my guests! I forgot all about them! Have any arrived yet?’ Agatha brushed at her lab coat, frowning to realize how messy she was. ‘No, but you’ll want to get cleaned up. We can’t have your paramours thinking you don’t have a laundry in this rock pile!’ ’Zeetha's face was a studied blank. ‘They’re not my . . .’ Agatha stopped her heated retort, realizing she was being teased. She stuck her tongue out at her friend, then fled towards the bathing room before another ‘lesson’ could be administered.
End Part 2