[ QUOTE ]
"Awww... heck. You know me. I'd much rather run but if your plan is going to work you'll need someone to drive while you try to get its attention. I'm in. I can't speak for Jim though."
Jim looked nervous.
[/ QUOTE ]
"I must be crazy," he said at last, as he hefted the camera. "I must be crazy... I must be crazy." He looked at the robot, which had finally broken off the ice and was stomping towards them. "When I come up for my annual review," he grumbled at Harris, "You better have your butt in Lilienthal's office singing my praises... I'm ready."
Lilienthal was the big boss.
Girl Genuis nodded and ducked out of hiding - and just in time. The first Crey operative charging towards them (and only a few feet away) was encased in ice, the second knocked off his feet by an icy barrage, the third disoriented when he got a snowball in his face. In moments she had cleared a path. "Time to go, gentlemen!" She called back to them.
[ QUOTE ]
In moments she had cleared a path. "Time to go, gentlemen!" She called back to them.
[/ QUOTE ]
"Just like old times." Harris said to him again and then started to sprint to the van. Jim followed behind still muttering to himself about how crazy he must be.
"Keys!" Harris shouted back to Jim with his hands stretched out to catch them as he approached the van.
"You must be crazy if you think I'm letting you drive!" Jim shouted back.
Harris was not going to argue. When they both reached the van Harris grabbed the camera from Jim and jumped in the back. He kept the camera on his shoulder so he could carry on the filming and waited for Penny. Jim jumped in the drivers seat and started the engine.
[ QUOTE ]
"Just like old times." Harris said to him again and then started to sprint to the van. Jim followed behind still muttering to himself about how crazy he must be.
"Keys!" Harris shouted back to Jim with his hands stretched out to catch them as he approached the van.
"You must be crazy if you think I'm letting you drive!" Jim shouted back.
Harris was not going to argue. When they both reached the van Harris grabbed the camera from Jim and jumped in the back. He kept the camera on his shoulder so he could carry on the filming and waited for Penny. Jim jumped in the drivers seat and started the engine.
[/ QUOTE ]
Penny ran through the Crey operatives with relative ease. Their tactical support had been withdrawn with the mysterious van, and now they were scattered, disorganized, and easily parted.
The robot was another matter entirely. By now it had broken its pincers out of the ice, but Girl Genius was not to be caught twice so easily. First one slammed into the pavement beyond her, and then the other, but she dodged from side to side, avoiding the blows that left craters in her wake. "Go go go go go!" She yelled to the van, and caught the handle of the back doors just as it took off.
The robot was right in their wake, and she fired bolts of ice at it with her free hand. It was trying to swipe the van with its pincers, but every time it tried, she froze the offending limb, forcing it to break the ice.
It was an effective strategy, but highly risky. If she missed...
[ QUOTE ]
"Go go go go go!" She yelled to the van, and caught the handle of the back doors just as it took off.
[/ QUOTE ]
Jim did not need anymore telling. He slammed his foot down on the accelerator and they were off. Harris helped her in then picked up the camera again and started filling through the open back doors.
[ QUOTE ]
The robot was right in their wake, and she fired bolts of ice at it with her free hand. It was trying to swipe the van with its pincers, but every time it tried, she froze the offending limb, forcing it to break the ice.
It was an effective strategy, but highly risky. If she missed...
[/ QUOTE ]
Suddenly the van hit a bump and speed and the whole thing jumped and slammed down into the ground again. All manner of objects feel of shelves in the van and clanged to the floor. Harris was thrown of his feet. He reached out desperately to regain his balance but only grabbed empty air. A sickening feeling gripped his stomach as he realized (in what almost felt like slow motion) that he was falling out the back of the van.
In a second attempt at desperation he reached out again and this time managed to grab the top of the open, swing back door. His legs span out and he slammed back into the door with a force that made it feel like his arm was going to get pulled out of it socket. He was dangling over the street as the van carried on speeding along its way.
During his fall he had lost his grip on the camera. As he panicked to get a better grip he saw the shoulder strap had gotten snagged on the door handle. He tried to reach out for it. It was just at his fingertips. He could see it slowly slipping. He started to forget about his own safety and just wanted to get the camera no matter what.
[ QUOTE ]
Suddenly the van hit a bump and speed and the whole thing jumped and slammed down into the ground again. All manner of objects feel of shelves in the van and clanged to the floor. Harris was thrown of his feet. He reached out desperately to regain his balance but only grabbed empty air. A sickening feeling gripped his stomach as he realized (in what almost felt like slow motion) that he was falling out the back of the van.
In a second attempt at desperation he reached out again and this time managed to grab the top of the open, swing back door. His legs span out and he slammed back into the door with a force that made it feel like his arm was going to get pulled out of it socket. He was dangling over the street as the van carried on speeding along its way.
During his fall he had lost his grip on the camera. As he panicked to get a better grip he saw the shoulder strap had gotten snagged on the door handle. He tried to reach out for it. It was just at his fingertips. He could see it slowly slipping. He started to forget about his own safety and just wanted to get the camera no matter what.
[/ QUOTE ]
A gloved hand reached out and pulled him hard, while its mate threw a makeshift, icy barrier in the doorway. They wouldn't be able to close the doors, but Harris was in much less danger of sliding out now.
As a bonus, the ice had snagged the end of the camera strap. It wouldn't delay it long - the supercold ice was melting at a phenomenal rate - but he had a better chance to get it, if he acted quickly.
"Is this front or rear wheel drive?" Penny screamed.
"Front," shouted back Jim.
"Thank goodness for small favors," she muttered, and then shouted, "Turn on the heater as high as it will go! Harris, get your [censored] in here and put on your seat belt! Head for the pier and don't look back!"
An enormous lens looked in the door at them and she opened fire, instantly coating it - and then she was climbing over the barrier, to the roof of the van, to get a better shot, and to better protect the people inside.
[ QUOTE ]
"Right between its feet, yes. I can certainly understand if you don't want to take the risk, or risk your equipment. I will be glad to cover you while you get out. But that van will drive faster than I can fly while I am fighting, and if we can get the robot to follow us - and it should - I think we could get rid of it in the bay. If nothing else, you should get some great footage." She paused. "But then, you might not want to risk the van..." She smiled at them. "You guys come first, though. How do you want to do this?"
[/ QUOTE ]
"Awww... heck. You know me. I'd much rather run but if your plan is going to work you'll need someone to drive while you try to get its attention. I'm in. I can't speak for Jim though."
Jim looked nervous.