Oh dear me dear me, a little birdās flit down anā sung a song right into my own ear!
Oi, @liversnaps-grayson, @Rockford_Julius, seems like a honest gentlesentientās work is never done!
I tell you, I just donāt know wotās 'appened to the fine Weatherbean appreciation of an entrepreneurial spirit . Sad times these are my friends, sad indeed.
So this little bird tells me the fellar Liv, @MalevolentPixy, him who owns the Post Ledger seems to have some misconceptions about our endeavors and 'e plans on spreading these lies all over town!
Now, Mr. Twitterly-dee tells me they expecting us to come full force at the gates like a buncha barbarians! Well says me, that wounds almost as much as him thinkinā this is some sort of criminal syndicate.
So Rocks, you send what boys we can spare to where we talked about, and then gather close my stalwart mates, and 'eres what we gonna doā¦
Oi! Tom (@Tom_Ratchetcrank), me old wombat.
Iāve had a proposition laid out to me earlier in the eveninā and after a great deal of thought, I think it is in everyoneās interest that I take it.
Tomās easy smile faltered a bit.
What Iām looking at is a long term strategy. Sure the daily grind we have here is nice, but what aboutā¦ the Big Time?
As useful as I may be, frankly, I can be replaced by any of your boys. But back to that opportunityā¦
Coatrack is concerned for appearances and needs me to keep my whiskerās clean. Well, I used that to my advantage.
I can see youāre wondering what sort of deal Iāve made, but hold on a moment.
The Farnsworth Trade Concern is about to open and so I told the moose to get me in the first class. I hang out there, the professorās know this face, I pass with flying colors and then Mr. Farnsworth will make me head of his Import/Export business. No more dealing with tramp steamers and scruffy nerf herders to bring in the goods, mate.
Now, sure, this takes a bit of time, but donāt most of you boys have other plans anyway? Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink,
I figure we let everything settle down, do all our duties for Gods and Weatherby. Send the Huns packing and when everyone is ready to celebrate again, well, theyāll know where to get the party favors.
Soā¦good speaking with you. Need to go see a man about a horseā¦and carriage.
Rocks, Rocks, Rocks. You could never be replaced me boyo, never you think that. You anā Liverschnapps are part of the beating heart of our little family 'ere, truth on truth I tell you.
walks over to Rockford and puts an arm over his shoulder
Comes a time though, I understand well, comes a time when all families must grow. Much as we might pretend, we knew the magic wouldnāt last. Never you think it Olā Tommy would get in your way, all Iāve ever wanted for you is the best.
Indeed, Iām myself to become the Mister to the Duchess soon, a date a relish more with each coming day. The winds are changing Rocks, the winds are changing.
No, Olā Tommy wishes you nothing but the best in your latest concern, and I too see greatness coming for us all with this not-to-be-missed opportunity for expansion. So proud of you I am, I tell you what Iām gonna do. Iām going to send a few of the discrete boys with you, always there to lend you a hand should you need it. No, no, donāt protest, itāll be our best, Dick anā 'Arry, and you know they well know how to stay out of sight. But you can rest assured knowing theyāll be there.
Watching over you.
Now go on you scamp! I hears it told youāve got an appointment to make.
Tom paces back and forth before the entrance to the ally, unnoticed with the chaos beginning to fill Weatherbyās streets. Domestic life had long since shuttered his operation there, appearances must be kept he was told. A heavy chain with rusted padlock now holds the gate shut.
āThose were the days,ā he thinks, āthose were the days.ā Of course not everyone saw it that way, Tom was still loathed by much of Weatherbyās elite. So maybe the feral ocelots were his fault, and he couldnāt help it now if the wild hippo population had taken over the sewers. But no, he knew the reason they turned their sneers towards him: hiding their fear. Fear of what Tom knew, fear of whoās name might still be in a little book. For all their airs, the upper crust of Weatherby still liked to dip its beak, such as it were.
Through the crush of the near riotous crowd Harry barely manages to reach Tom. He hesitates to complete his task, averting his eyes his pushes an envelope to his former employer.
āBoss, Iā¦ā
āItās okay, Harry, you always done good by me. Itās okay, remember that, right? Now get out of here, get your family, go, make for the countryside.ā
Tom slips a 50 pound note into Harryās palm before he disappears back into the chaos.
He stares at the envelope unsure what to do with it. Slowly he opens it, then it slips from his fingers to fall to the cobblestones
Time means nothing as Tom stands before his former glory, the world a continuous crash around him. Grief begins to boil away from the heat of rage as his knuckles turn white gripping the iron bars of the gate. With a grimace he pulls a worn brass key from his pocket and unlocks the gate, the rusty hasp pulling free with a hard yank.
āSo, thatās how he does. Well, the boyoās gonna find out how I do.ā
As Chaos erupts at the Governorās mansion, no one notices one more exoskeleton scuttling in the back alley.
Inside there are shouts, flashes of light, cries ā but itās indistinct. A rebellion, for certain. But most rebellions fail. This one certainly isnāt going well.
Eighth digs into the gravel and splices into a fibre line. Another antenna bounces data packets off a private micro-relay satellite.
āSuperior Information. Thatās what Jules is always saying.ā In position, prepared, and connected, Eighth muses to himself āIād rather be attached to a space ship.ā
Rocco was conflicted.
Cmdr. Capstanturnbuckle (@pogo) had left. Leaving him to care for little Rocco. Of course it was what had to be done, but part of him had wanted to be there by Damerlās side.
He hadnāt seen any of the old crew in over a month. Those days were over, but through rose colored lenses, those were his salad days.
It would seem as no one had seen Hieronymoose in almost a month either. At least, not in the flesh or for any length of time. When heād gone to see Lizzy, sheād put a a good faƧade, but he could see her flickering and she admitted she had no idea where Hieron was.
āWorkingā he tells me. āOn what?ā I ask and then he goes on about his business plan and mission statements and āthe prototypeā Heās like a moose obsessed.
āAnd thatās where conflict gets you.ā, mused Rocco as he scanned the evening sky from his perch on the water tower.
Liz had been happy to watch over little āRocco Lobsterā as she called him. Before starting into that damn song.
Young Rocco had been happy to have playtime with Quatro.
And Rockford had been happy to try on that mil-spec wing suit heād found in the closet. A future gift, he surmised as it fit him perfectly. He tightened his chin strap and pulled down the goggles The night vision automatically turning on. A short run. A Jump. And the night breeze off the bay caught him as he surveilled the grounds below. As he descended, Heād find another tall building, climb to the roof and try again.
The longer it went on, the longer he knew the search was in vain. He banked and turned and prepared for a landing.
The old alley.
Somehow, he knew heād end up here.
"Odd, "he thought, āThe gates arenāt locked. Iām sure only @Tom_Ratchetcrank had the key and that certainly doesnāt look forced or jimmiedā
A dark figure leans in the shadows, idly fingering something in his pocket.
Aye. you. Whilst I still see you, know this:
The greatest trick you ever pulled was convincing this world you didnāt exist.
but, i know there are other worlds than these
The bag of what had been presumed to be old clothes tossed in alley moved.
A low moan escaped as a bushy tail popped out of the bag. Followed by the rest of a groggy Scuridea Astras.
"Oi? Last I remember I was having a spot of tea when this bruiser came up asking if I knew when the next shuttle to Weatherby was. As if Iād ever return to. < Sniff > that. < Sniff > rock. < Snifffff >.
Oh, bugger.
Oi oi oi me boyo, I cannot say as you 'avenāt seen better days from the looks of ya. Same tell, youāre a sore sight for these sore eyes.
Seems strange days and stranger ways have tossed us on the same shores. What say we get the gang back together and see where it goes?
Iām not broke
but you can see the cracks
you can make me
perfect again