Biker Mice from Mars
What's His Frequency Karbunkle?
Hard Luck Trilogy
Pt 3
Chapter 1

Chicago Rocked & Rolled, just not in the fun way! Buildings all over the City exploded and collapsed into huge piles of rubble! The streets quacked under the impact of the falling structures! The Air was filled with dust and smoke, creating a thick cloud-like layer above. Even though it was summer, it felt more like fall under the shadow of the dust cloud.
On one of the streets where an entire block of buildings had just been demolished was a massive crowd of the Chicago Citizenry! Mixed in with them there was also a large chunk of the Chicago TV News Crews, and Reporters!
Above the crowds were a dozen helicopters, News Copters, Police, and even Government and Military! The Eyes of the World watched as another row of buildings exploded and collapsed like fiery dominos!

Walking calmy out of the dust and up onto a small, raised platform stepped Lawrence Limburger, wearing a hard hat on top of his sweaty fat head. He also had on a very wide smile, that He thought looked very sincere. Lucky for him the dust in the air was making it kind of hard to see.
"My dear friends and neighbors, it be-fins, er I mean Behooves me to stand before you on this summer day. "He said in his most humble manner. "As we are all so painfully aware, our dear city recently suffered an attack of Monstrous Proportions!" He removed his breast pocket red kerchief and daintily wiped away a non-existent tear.
He turned and waved his hand at the remains of the buildings behind him. "I am here to inform you all that Limburger Industries has chosen to do its civic duty and has volunteered all of its resources, willingly taking on the expensive task of repairing and rebuilding our beloved city." He had the crowd's full attention.
"Sadly, these businesses and homes behind me must be destroyed, owing to the damages and contamination inflicted upon them by the unknown slimy menace that threatened us all." Even as he spoke Plutarkian Digging and Demolition Machines started to crawl onto the rubble and began to clear it away.
The Crowds watched in fascination as the Large Alien Machines crawled, trundled, and rolled over the remains of the buildings, working with alarmingly fast speeds and dexterity.

Limburger once more stepped forward and gestured to attract the attention of the citizens and the press. "I am announcing that I will not rebuild my own Tower which was destroyed (twice) during the attack. "he called out to the citizens. "I pledge that I will not rebuild My Home until Everyone's homes have been restored to them!" The Crowd cheered once more. Limburger was personally amazed that he was able to hold his laughter in during all of it.
Stepping up to stand next to Limburger was the City Mayor and several other officials, plus a few other people in suits, including some in black suits with dark glasses. "Please enjoy the entertainment and refreshments that I and the City and Government have provided for you!" The Crowd cheers and applauded at this announcement. Limburger just smiled back at them. His true thoughts hidden behind his grotesque mask.

"This totally blows!" Yelled Vinnie as he angrily punched one fist into the palm of his other paw. The sight of Limburger's machines crawling around and him not blasting them into wrecks was almost more than he could stomach! That and the fact that he couldn't go get some hot dogs from the street vendors really irked him.
The Biker Mice and Charley were watching all this from a rooftop above the citizens and the Plutarkian work crews, and it infuriated them knowing there was nothing they could do about it.

"We can't exactly go in lasers blasting like normal, not with the press and the feds all around watching." Throttle said with disgust as Plutarkian Backhoes made the rubble disappear and at the pit growing in front of them. He knew that if they tried their normal tactics now, it would only get them all kinds of attention that they really didn't want.
"There has got to be something we can do to stop him?!" Charley asked from her normal spot riding behind Vinnie on his red rocket cycle. "Yeah, we can't let the Stinkfish worm his grips in with the Earth Governments, that is the same thing He did on Mars, and we all know how that turned out." Growled Modo as unhappy memories surfaced.
"if we rush in now, Limburger could and would probably blame all of the crazy stuff that has happened to Chicago over the last few years on US!" Throttle said with a resentful sigh. "Us not being exactly Legal Aliens would not help to try and convince the Earth Gov's different." He said as he fidgeted around on his bike seat tenderly.
"Are you, uh, feeling ok Throttle?" Charley asked as she watched him with concern. "You aren't still, um, hurt from uh, before, are you?" She asked trying to be as diplomatic as she could. The Ending to their last big adventure had left all of them sore and bruised.

Throttle especially so in a kind of humiliating way. "I am fine, ouch." He grumbled as he once more tried to find a comfortable spot on his bike's seat. A slight blush spreading across his furry face cheeks.
Vinnie let out a surly laugh. "Oh yeah, things have been going Smooth as Martian Marmalade ever since our new roommate moved in!" Modo turned to give his White furred Freedom Fighter Friend a dirty look. "Hey, lay off him, He hasn't caused that much trouble." Both Throttle and Vinnie turned and gave him a look. "Well, not that much trouble." Modo mumbled embarrassedly.

Charley just shook her head sadly. "What has Hard Luck done?" She asked. "What hasn't He done!?" Vinnie chortled loudly. "Watch it." Modo said with a rumble in his voice. Vinnie didn't hear him or just ignored him.
"Let see, since He moved into the scoreboard, he melted the microwave, he fried the TV, he knocked over some shelves and crushed our beds, which we were still in, and he accidentally threw away all most all of our blaster power packs." Vinnie rattled off until he stopped to take a breath. "Those were all Accidents!" Modo added but even he didn't sound entirely convinced.
"Oh, and let's not leave out the latest blunder with the Thumbtacks!" Vinnie added with a laugh and a sideways glance at Throttle, who once more squirmed embarrassingly on his bike seat with an uncomfortable groan.

"Gosh, if I had known it would cause this much trouble, I wouldn't have kicked him out of the Last Chance." Charley uttered. "He can always move back in with me if it would help." She added with only a slightly noticeable tone of a hindrance.
"That would be aweso…" Vinnie shouted but was cut off by Throttle. "No Charley, you have a shop to get back up and running, you don't need any extra troubles right now." Throttle replied. "We just have to get used to him being… underfoot."
"It wasn't under your foot where those thumbtacks went!" Vinnie expressed trying and failing to keep all his laughter in. Throttle just shot him an angry look. Modo just looked down with a confused, and sad look on his big face.

"We need to get on the ball and think up some way to put a pounding on the Big Cheese before he turns all of Chicago into a crater, Vinnie you take Charley back to the Last Chance while Modo and I head back to the hideout." Throttle told the others and tenderly started his bike's engine.
Vinnie turned and gave Charley a wink and then started to say, "Hold on Tight Sweetheart!" and he wiggled in front of her. "Oh please." She sighed but knew better than to ride with Vinnie and NOT hold on tight. "Wait Vinnie, I want to take Charley back to the Last Chance, if that is alright with you Charley-Ma'am.!" Modo quickly blurted out before Vinnie was able to shoot off the roof.

Charley looked across at Modo, and the look in his big eye made the decision for her, she then bopped Vinnie on the back of his helmeted head. "Ow, hey what was that for?" He griped as he rubbed the back of the said helmeted head. "That was to stop you from saying whatever stupid thing you were going to say." Charley answered him promptly. She then climbed off Vinnie's cycle and got on Modo's in the spot he made for her.

Vinnie looked like he wanted to argue her point, but he really couldn't. All 3 of them started their cycles. "Let's Rock and …." Vinnie started to yell out but all he got was some frustrated replies. "Not in the mood." Modo grumbled. "Not in front of the press Vinnie!" Throttle snapped. Charley just shrugged and both jumped over the edge of the building and took off. "Why is everybody so grouchy!?" He gasped and sped to catch up with Throttle.
Limburger looked up from the platform when he spotted 3 motorcycles jumping down from the building across the street. He continued to wave at the throng of citizens in front of him, but this time his sinister smile had an actual real hint of (what counted for him) happiness!

His laugh was real this time as well. He watched the vile vermin split up and go off in two different directions. He had finally come upon a brilliant way to waylay those cursed crumb chasers from interfering in his schemes! Simply do everything in the Bright Light of the Day and get the insipid Chicago Citizenry to make the perfect shield! Those goody-goodies wouldn't do anything that would put them at risk!

He turned and made to walk off the platform, pausing only to schmooze with the City and Government Officials as he passed by. This had also proved to be a perfect hiding place as well. He had made himself well known to the Earth Powers that be whereas the Mice had to keep themselves hidden away to protect themselves. If only he had attempted this tactic before his Tower had been demolished over 60 times, ah well.

Limburger crossed the open space between the wrecked buildings to the totally normal-looking Foreman's Trailer off to one side on the lot. Greasepit waved at him cheerfully as he walked by. Limburger was very tempted to make a rude gesture but instead, he just ignored the oily oaf. The Press being nearby helped quell that temptation.
He stepped inside and closed the door. The High-Tech Alien Interior greeted him. Sitting at a computer terminal was Karbunkle. He was holding an odd-looking device with a small radio dish on it.

"My dear Practitioner of the Psychotic, how goes your efforts in the mechanical macabre?" "He enquired. Karbunkle spun around on his chair and returned Limburger's sinister smile back to him. "All interference and technical issues with Project Double R have been Rectified and it is now following the program promptly and proficiently!" He laughed.

"Excellent, and how goes our Rebuilding Efforts?" He purred questioningly at the depraved doctor. Karbunkle checked the data on his terminal screen. "The Space Holding Bin is approaching nearly 50% of its capacity and climbing quickly!" He reported with a sneer.
"Oh, I do so love it when my brilliant stratagems perform to what should be the norm of exceptionalism." He reached out and took a bottle of slime worms off a shelf and began slowly slurping them down. "Your gifted genius at figuring up a way to keep those Bothersome Bikers out of our way truly demonstrates your sinister level of shrewdness!" Karbunkle gushed at his employer.

"Now is not the time to drop our dutiful diligence, it is time to implement phase 2." He turned and yelled out the door. "GREASEPIT GET IN HERE!" He bellowed! "Coming Boss!" Greasepit replied and slipped and slid his way towards the Trailer!
Modo and Charley pulled up to the Last Chance Garage on Lil Hoss. Charley walked thru the door and turned the sign from closed to open. She walked directly over to a vehicle in the repair bay and went right back to work repairing it.

Modo followed her thru the garage, and he looked around. The Poor Old Last Chance had seen better days, that was for sure. The building had certainly taken a battering over the last few weeks since his little brother had dropped into town. Modo couldn't blame him but he could tell Hard Luck did feel kind of responsible for it.
"I take it there is something you wanted to talk about Modo?" Charley asked as she continued to work nose deep in the engine compartment. The Big Grey Mouse let out a sad slow sigh. "Yeah." He kind of whispered. "Do I need to even bother to pretend that I don't know what or who it's about?" She said while giving him a sly sideways look.
Modo ashamedly scooted his booted foot around the floor as he tried to think of how to start the conversation. Charley decided to try and ease him into it by starting it by bringing up another topic on the same subject. She just had to smile when she looked at Modo. He looked like a 4-year-old that was trying to tattle on an older sibling but really didn't want to do it. The Big Loveable Lug.

"I don't see what I can tell you about Hard Luck Modo, I mean I have only really known him about a month and a half, and a good chunk of that he's been bandaged up on my couch. "She said. "That is kind of what makes this so hard, I mean I have to ask the kind of questions you probably really can't answer." Modo said in an emotionally confused voice.

"Isn't this something you should discuss with either Throttle or…God I almost said Vinnie?" She asked nearly choking on that last part. "That is kind of the problem, I really can't." He said now with even more confused emotion displayed on his face.
Modo reached out with his tail and pulled a stool over and under him and he heavily sat down on it. He let out a heavy pent-up sigh. "Maybe I don't so much want to talk as much as I just wanna VENT!" He all but growled.

Charley was a bit shocked by this. Seeing Modo get this angry at someone who wasn't a Bad Guy. "So, what is it with you guys?" She asked. "I take it you guys haven't really been getting along?" She asked. Modo just nodded his big head. "That is almost putting it mildly." He sighed.
"Do I even want to know about the incident with the thumbtacks?" She asked slowly. Modo's eye grew wide, and he gulped. "Oh, gosh I don't think Throttle would appreciate it much if I told you about that, although I can say that half of the blame for that can be put squarely on Vinnie's shoulders." Modo looked away hoping not to catch the expression on her face as he said that.

"Sheesh MODO!" Charley gasped. "That doesn't help me to NOT be curious!" She said while looking at the side of his head. "Was it really that bad?" She asked while staring at him. Modo couldn't face her but ashamedly nodded his head.
"What is it with those 3?" She asked him. She has almost completely forgotten about the vehicle she was working on at this point. "Ever since Hard Luck dropped into town, neither of those two have acted normally, why is that?"

Modo made another unsure look before he got the strength to reply. "That is kinda hard to explain without getting into other mice's pasts, and that is kind of a big taboo with us mice, seeing as how we have actual telepaths." Modo said trying to explain. "Our saying is It's Not My Story to Tell or Show."

She could kind of understand that having been thru the Martian Mind Trick a few times. It was kind of creepy. Seeing someone's actual memories and being able to feel their emotions, it was a wiggy feeling for sure. "Just do your best Big Guy." She said in a hopefully helpful way. Modo sat there and thought about how to do that.
"To start off with, I guess I could say that our ages may have a bit to do with it." He said. "I'm about 10 years older than Hard Luck, Throttle is about 6, and Vinnie is about 1 year older. "He pointed out. She nodded. That kind of explained their maturity levels or lack thereof in Vinnie's case.
"Vinnie's big issue with Hard Luck is that Vinnie is Jealous of Hard Luck." He said. Charley thought about this for a few seconds and couldn't comprehend it. "Why the Heck is that?!" She asked kind of dumbfounded.

Vinnie had his pros and cons, but He was an exceptionally good fighter and an excellent motorcyclist. Hard Luck, she did like the lunkhead, but he was to put it kindly, a walking disaster area at times.
"Oh, that is an easy one, Vinnie is Jealous because of Stupid Vinnie Reasons." He said plainly. She gave him a look that said you must explain that. He noticed that and knew it.

"As you well know about our fav little danger junkie, is that he wants to be The Best." Modo said and Charley just nodded. This was common Vinnie Knowledge. "Vinnie didn't start out good either, he had to work at it!" She nodded and gestured for him to continue. He did.
"When he was a little kid, he was scrawny, awkward, and kind of a little dork. "He said giving her a glimpse into the past. She pictured Vinnie wearing glasses with tape on them. She would be sure to tease him about that. "What does that have to do with being jealous of Hard Luck?" She asked him.

Modo squirmed on his seat and another confused and ashamed look crossed his face. "To not go into any great detail, or uncomfortable history, Hard Luck has always kind of had a Bad Boy Reputation, that he never really deserved, but well, you know how Vinnie feels about that kind of thing. "
Oh, she knew, she knew all about that. Mr. Baddest-MamaJamma (Wants to be) In the Galaxy never really shuts up about his desire for a Cool Reputation. The Dangers of having an Over Bloated Ego. Vinnie was the poster boy for sure.

"That and somehow Hard Luck always seems to best Vinnie in some ways." He said. "How so?" She asked. "Well, take that bit where you two crashed thru the Sears Tower, where Hard Luck did it sitting on the front tire, sure, he got all bashed up, but Vinnie has never done anything like that, so…" Modo explained to her but stopped knowing she could fill in the rest herself.

"Hard Luck did it, but I haven't, which is all Vinnie would think, yeah, that makes sense, in an idiotic Vinnie type of logic." She said almost to herself, with a smirk. She had gotten to know how Vinnie thought all too well. Not that it was all that hard mind you.

"That all makes sense, now try to explain the Mouse #2 issue." Charley said while leaning against the vehicle that's repair job had all but been forgotten about at this point. "What is the deal with Throttle and Hard Luck?" She asked point-blank, not seeing any reason to dance around the merry-go-round on this one.
Another few seconds of Modo squirming on his seat as he tried to think about how to explain This relationship. 'You probably have noticed by now, but Hard Luck is kind of clumsy, and unlucky." Modo said to her and somehow kept a straight face, she on the other hand nearly fell off the vehicle she was leaning against. She also managed to not reply to that statement using a bunch of words that would have embarrassed the cheese whiz out of the Big Guy.

"Poor Little guy, if there is anyone that will slip on it, sit on it, or get hit by it, it's poor Hard Luck." Modo sighed with a sad smile. Charley had to give the same smile, in the short time she had known the blue mouse, that little bit about him was very apparent.

"But when You mix Hard Luck and Throttle, it's like juggling Matter and Anti-Matter, one little slip and there is a Big Boom, and for whatever reason, Throttle tends to end up on the Boom side of it." Modo said while making an explosion gesture with his hands.

Once again Charley couldn't argue with that, especially from what she had seen since the arrival of the subject of the conversation. Modo recognized the look on her face, he had seen it quite a few times over the years. "Don't ask me why, but Hard Luck is Throttle's kryptonite!" Charley thought that was almost an understatement.
"I can't say too much without getting too deep into their personal histories, but if it weren't for Hard Luck, Throttle wouldn't be the Mouse we Know and Love today." He said with a good chunk of pride in his voice.

"How is that?" She asked wanting to know how that could be the case. Modo chuckled as his memories flashed thru his mind. "Throttle would never admit to this, not even if you tied his tail in a knot, but when he was younger, he was way more like Vinnie than he would care for anyone to know."
'You're kidding me!" Charley accused him. Modo just smiled and shook his head. "Nope, his ego was every bit as big, the problem was that Vinnie wanted to be the best, but Throttle pretty much KNEW he is the best!"

"I don't believe you." Charley said, she just couldn't see it. Throttle acting like Vinnie. No Way! "Oh, yeah!" Modo corrected her. "He was so full of himself it almost hurt to look at him." Charley could only just stare back at him. No way, I can't buy it." Modo just chuckled. He assured her it was true. The Most Level and Cool Headed of all the Mice used to have an ego that gave Vinnie's a good run for its money.

"Ok, so let's just say for the sake of argument that I buy this, and I am not saying I do, but how can you tell me that Hard Luck is the one that turned Throttle from a Pre-Vinnie-Clone into the Leader with the Most that we all know and love?" She leaned back and got comfy. Modo once more kind of squirmed around on his stool as he tried to think of how to do this.

"Well, I am gonna try to leave out the more personal and painfully humiliating parts of the story, cause I aint sure Throttle would appreciate you giving him funny looks every time you see him." He said after letting out a long-held breath. He was NOT used to talking this much.

"I had literally just met Throttle. "He started. "He was 21 and had just cleared all the basic training and entry-level courses to join the Freedom Fighters, and this was still a year or so before the Plutarkians came to Mars, so it was still the Good Times." He said with a slightly remorseful sigh.

"I was a Master Sargent, and I was getting ready to lead a platoon of Newbies out on a month-long Wilderness Survival and Weapons Training Course, of which Throttle was one of em." He said then stopping to take a breath. Charley sat there and digested this. Trying to picture the World of Mars as it was before she saw it.
"We were going to be off base for a month and I had arranged to store my bike Lil Hoss, where Hard Luck was staying, it was closer than Mama's Cave, and Throttle was already storing his bike there too." Modo explained adding to the picture.

"While I was getting Lil Hoss situated, Throttle thought he would get on a few good sides and play the Big Brother Routine with Hard Luck, so he went into his room and tried laying it on." Modo stopped talking and dropped his head slightly as he recalled all the memories. He wiped a tear away while trying to keep his laugher in as best he could. "Without saying much, his efforts backfired on him in a major way."

"No chance of you telling me what actually happened is there?" Charley askes in a slightly teasing tone. "All I will say is that Hard Luck was working on some kind of science project for school, I think, and Throttle chose the really worst time to interfere." Modo told her while not giving in to her playful teasing. "Spoilsport." Charley said while sticking her tongue out at him. He returned the favor.

"All this happened right when the troop carrier pulled up to pick us up." Modo laughed again. "I had to patch him and his uniform pretty much in front of the whole Platoon, and Colonel Stoker wouldn't let him ditch out on the training session." Modo said with a bit of a winded sigh. "He said that kind of thing was all a part of survival so Throttle would just have to make do, so he was pretty much the butt of every joke for the next month."

"Poor Throttle." Charley said with a bit of a guilty smirk. "What happened to Hard Luck?" She asked. "Oh, he kind of panicked and he ran off, and was gone for the entire month, he got in Serious Trouble when he got back." Modo said once more shaking his big head as he recalled all the memories.
"He ran away for an entire month?" Charley gasped! "Yeah, he did that a lot as a kid, Hard Luck is a self-taught survival expert." Modo told her with a bit of both proud and sad smile. "He never did tell anybody where he went." Modo laughed at this. "Oh, was Mama mad at him!"
"So how did that help Throttle?" She asked him. "That was kind of the first big dent that got put in his ego, and well, a couple more and it shattered like glass, and he learned that lesson that Vinnie still aint quite got yet." Modo said with some well-worn exasperation.

Charley had to agree with that. Vinnie's ego is made of some stubborn stuff. Not surprising that Throttle was able to learn something Mister VanWham hasn't yet. Charley decided they had spent enough time on memory lane. "So, what is the real reason you wanted to talk to me about Modo?" She asked him point-blank.
Modo sagged sadly on his stool and drooped his big head. She could tell his heart was running heavy now. She felt kind of guilty for forcing the turn in the conversation, but if she didn't, she got the feeling it wouldn't happen. He crossed his arms and put some steel in his eye, and he looked up straight at her. It kind of unnerved her, the seriousness he put in it. She shivered a little at its intensity.

"It took me a little while to realize it was happening, and then a bit of time for me to remember all the details, but it's Hard Luck…" He started telling her then petered off. She urged him to spit it out. "I don't want to believe it but, I can't ignore it anymore, and I aint sure I want to say anything to the guys yet but, Hard Luck is, well..." He was having trouble with this. Modo let out an angry growl then said. "Since Hard Luck first showed up here on Earth, He has been Lying to us."

To Be Continued.