The Wicked One

Chapter Ten | Gateway, Part Three

"Well, well, well, well, lookie at what we have here," a jeering voice called as a massive mech marched its way through the hole. It stood a good twelve feet tall, decorated in heavy metals and black soot. It held a large Gatling gun in one hand, and the other was shaped into a sizeable looking blade. And seated in the center, behind bars of metal, was a heavy set man with a shaggy beard and a victorious smile. "The exterminator is here, and he finally found his little lab rat!"

"I really hope he doesn't mean me..." William mumbled, hiding slightly behind Castro.

"Hey there, William. I finally remember you, you sonofabitch! No more mind games now, eh? And is that tall fellow Castro? Always knew you were too sly for your own good. Gone and slithered from your little cage, eh?"

"Good to see you as well, General," Castro greeted with a polite nod.

"Sir, the children," one solider near the mech spoke up, his eyes on the cage in the corner of the room.

"Aha! So, there's where you've been hiding 'em," the General exclaimed, his wide eyes fixed on us. "You know, a good number of my men died to find their sons and daughters. Jerry's daughter is locked up too, isn't she, Jerry?"

"...Yes sir," the soldier who had spoken up replied, his eyes still on the cage.

"Still alive and all in one piece I hope?" the General asked, his mech taking a step closer in their direction.

"Yes..." William began, before Castro threw a halting arm out to him and took a step forward.

"The children are still alive," the scientist answered. "And still under our custody. So, I suggest this, you let us leave here peacefully, and we will hand over the children."

The room grew quite then. A few seconds passed before the solider deemed Jerry started to speak. "The hell we-!"

But he was caught off by a low chuckle emitting from the General. The small laugh soon erupted into a fit of hysterical laughter as the large man guffawed in his mech suit."You make me laugh, Castro! Hear it!? After all the hell you and William put me through and I can still laugh like this? You're too much, I tell you! Too damn much!"

The General laughed like this for a few more seconds before dying down to a wide smile. Looking straight at Castro. "Now, here's how this will really go. We are going to take the children, then gun you all down for betraying the American government. How's that sound?"

"I think I'm going to be sick..." William mumbled behind us.

"Kyd Wykkyd," Castro whispered just loud enough for me to hear. I took an immediate step towards him, to show that I was listening. "Your teleportation works properly in here, correct?"

I quickly nodded.

"Good, William?"

"Y-yes?" William muttered, still hiding behind Castro.

"How long until that thing is ready to go?

"J-Just a minute or so, but I would need to be ready to put in the activation sequence as soon as it's primed, otherwise it will just reset..."

"Then here's the plan," Castro said immediately. "Kyd Wykkyd, I want you to teleport us above the general and drop me on top of him. From there, take out as many of his guards as possible. Meanwhile, William, head for cover and call Kyd Wykkyd when the device is ready. Kyd Wykkyd, when you hear the call, head over to William immediately and ensure that he gets it working and open..."