The Bullworth Never Ending Story

[BloodChuckZ]

The dream was in the past this time, Tony knew.  The Snowstorm, the back West steps of the School at the back Quad.  Pete waving the Magnum in the air, the Great Clique War stopped in it’s tracks, the gathering of weapons, Pete ranting at the Cliques over the howling wind.  Tony was back there again, and strangely it wasn’t cold at all, even though the snow swirled all around.  Then Algie, on the far left, screaming, shooting at them, Tony catching a Pellet in his arm, Constantinos with a shredded ear, Algie pitching forward, shot by one of his own.  Pete railing, telling the Cliques to disarm, “DO IT NOW !!!!”, the Wheelbarrow, the piled weapons, the Furnace.  Back at the Quad, Pete ranting again, waving the Magnum, “"SHUT UP !!!!  SHUT UP !!!!!  YOU MORONS BROUGHT THIS ON YOURSELVES !!!!!  THIS ISN'T A SCHOOL, IT'S A WAR ZONE !!!”

Then the shot, barely heard over the wind, Pete turning in slow motion, blood spurting as the Pellet finds it’s target, Pete falling, crumpling to the ground in a heap.  Prefect Karl racing, scooping up the Bullhorn, shouting unheeded orders, panic, chaos. Tony hadn’t been present when Pete was shot, but it played out clear in the dream just as if he had been there.  Suddenly he was kneeling, holding a gasping Pete, trying to hear....But instead of “Pirate Island”, Pete mouthed, “Get Up, Tony, Get Up !! .....Go for the Belly !  THE BELLY !!!”

Then it dissolved, falling away, and the crowd noise grew, cries of stunned disbelief.  WHACK !!!  The punch connected, and he fell to the mat, Tony was down, his head spinning from the blow,  Karen screaming from outside the Ring to “GET UP, TONY, GET UP !!!!”, grabbing for the ropes, the countdown, Tad grinning from the other side of the Ring.  Then Pete, with an eyepatch, suddenly there at the side of the Ring, shouting “Go for the Belly !  THE BELLY !!!”

The dream abruptly ended as Tony’s eyes popped open and he came awake in a panic, hyperventilating huge gulps of air as his heart raced.  It took several minutes before he could calm himself, disoriented by the dark room.  He blindly reached for Karen, but she wasn’t there.  Fresh panic set in, until he remembered she was at the Girl’s Dorm, safe and sound.  Sweat poured from him and he sat up, the bedsheets a tangled mess around him, trying to processes what he had experienced.  It had to be a Metaphor, he rationalized.  He wasn’t a Boxer, had never boxed in a Ring.  There were tricks to it, sure there were, but it was a whole different style of fighting.  Look what had happened to Hal.

Tony had no plans to fight Tad in the Boxing Ring.  But Tad had to be beaten, somehow...At his own game ?  Just where was Tad’s soft vulnerable underbelly ?  Was it his money ?  Was that why dream Pete was telling him to hit him there ?

Tony couldn’t think.  His mind was muddled with Mr. Riddle’s riddles, and now this dream.  He was groggy and exhausted.  He lay back after a few minutes and dozed fitfully.  The dreams did not return.
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[BloodChuckZ]

The next morning, Tad put his plan into action.  An hour after classes were underway, Vanessa managed to get herself excused to go to the Bathroom.  Armed with a Hall Pass, she instead roamed the halls, looking for specific Lockers, those of certain Greasers.  Tad had been able to get their Locker numbers by buttering up Christy in the Office, telling her that Bif had probably gotten what had been coming to him for the way he had treated her, stringing her along for sex.  Tad went on to say that he never liked what Bif had done to her and considered it despicable, and by the way, the Preps wanted to leave some notes of apology for the Greasers for suspecting them of the attack and make amends, could she perchance find their Locker numbers for him ?

Although Christy was Graduated and had now moved into the Adult World, she still loved a good rumor and a juicy story, and since this partly concerned her, more the better.  And because she was still naive, believing in Tad’s seemingly good intentions, she pecked at her trusty new School Computer and provided Tad with the Locker List for every Greaser.  She even confirmed that the Greasers were present that morning for class, with the exception of Hal and Vance.  Tad took the list and commented on how Christy looked exceptionally stunning today before leaving the Office, to which Christy smiled and beamed.

Now Vanessa, armed with some notes, was seeking out the Lockers Tad had pointed out to her earlier of the specific Greasers to be targeted....Those of Lefty, Lucky, and Norton, the ones who didn’t have steady girlfriends.  In the case of Vance, Tad knew all about him and Gord (who hadn’t been seen all day), so he was left out of getting any note.  That would still sizably cut down on the Greasers left if the lure and subsequent bushwacking  was successful, leaving only Peanut, Ricky, Vance, and a beat-up Hal to defend against the surprise attack, which would come afterwards.

Finding the Lockers one by one, Vanessa tucked the perfume-scented notes into them through the vent-holes.  She shot a little sprite of perfume onto to each Locker for good measure.  Then she actually did go to to the Bathroom, to primp her hair, before returning to class.  The halls had been empty, no one had seen her.

Tad was gambling on what the Greasers habits were.  Normally, they would gather at the Autoshop area on Fridays after class and Saturdays also, waiting until way after dark to troop over to the Blue Balls Bar, when the weekend drunken customers would be thinning out.  Thereby, by closing time, they could just enter the Bar and have a bit of fun themselves.  To insure that the Greasers would stick around, Tad got excused from Chemistry Class, claiming to be feeling sick to his stomach, and left School to go spray a Tag by the Greaser’s gate, reading “SLOWBACK ATTACK”, a reference to the Greaser’s 69 Mustang Fastback, which had been returned a couple of months ago to the AutoShop after extensive repairs. 

Tad then went back to Harrington House to await Bryce, while Justin, Parker, and Chad went to the Glass Jaw after class, taking along the Bait....Vanessa.  She would get ready as well, stripping away her bra underneath her thin white shirt, and then changing into an short-short Aquaberry pale blue skirt, teasing her hair out to look sexier, and then the coup-de-gras....Five-inch Blue Stiletto  High Heels.  Taking their bikes, they all rode across the Towns to the indoor Bike Park just inside New Coventry to await their victims.  The stage was set.
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[BloodChuckZ]

Lucky was the first to go to his Locker that afternoon, trading out his Math book and intending to pick up his Geography textbook for the next class.  Although only barely an average Student, Lucky was probably the only Greaser who studied anything else but Porn Mags.  He really desired to ‘Get Edumicated’, as he put it, and was constantly encouraging the other Greasers to stay in School and graduate one day.  As he was fond of saying, "If you drop out of school, your life is pretty much over. Better to stay in, even if you suck."  Mostly due to his attitude, the Greasers DID stay in School instead of becoming Dropouts, and most (but not all) would graduate in due course.

The note fell to the bottom of his Locker as he traded textbooks, and he scooped it up.  He noticed the perfumed smell right away, and his heartbeat picked up.  Opening the note, it read:

”Hello, Lucky...You don’t know me, but I’d like to meet with you.  I’m new here, but I saw you at the Trial.  I think it’s awful what those dirty Preps are trying to accuse you boys of.   I just think all you boys are soooo handsome in your leather outfits, and that YOU are the best looking one.  Can you meet me at the Bike Park in New Coventry at maybe nine-thirty tonight ?  I’m sort of shy, or I’d ask you in person.  I’ll be waiting there for you.  P.S. come alone and don’t tell anyone, Ok ?  I’ll have a surprise for you.”

The note was unsigned, but had the lipstick imprint of kissing lips at the bottom.  Lucky looked around, but could spot nobody watching him read the note.  He quickly folded it back up and stuffed it in his pocket before tucking his book for the next class under his arm and closing his Locker.  His heart beat a little quicker at the prospect of meeting this mystery girl that evening.

None of the Cliques had their Lockers together in any one place, and it made for some interesting confrontations from time to time, with the weaker loser generally being stuffed in his own Locker or a nearby empty one, of which there were many.  So it was that Lefty and Norton in due time found their own similar notes from the mystery girl.  Reading his note, Lefty immediately made plans to be at the Bike Park, whereas Norton was suspicious at first.  He’d been kind of hanging with that thin Whitney Worth girl for a few days, but this note didn’t seem like something she would have written, since she was kind of a space case.  Still, he remained undecided about what to do until later that evening.

Peanut and Binky were the first to arrive at the Autoshop entrance after classes, and saw the spray-painted Tag.  Peanut then checked the Fastback for any signs of tampering, and thereafter marshaled each Greaser as they showed up, telling them to get their Weapons ready and to be on the lookout in case of an imminent attack.  But as the late afternoon hours wore away to evening, the sprayed Tag began to seem less of a threat and more like a prank...A close watch on Harrington House on the other side of the Fountain yielded sightings of only two Preps, Tad and Bryce, the whole time.  Gradually, the Greasers and their girlfriends relaxed and broke out the beer, getting a head start on the night’s drinking before the group would head off to the Blue Balls Bar close to midnight.

As darkness approached, first Lefty and then Lucky stole off on their bikes without anyone noticing.  Norton followed a bit later, his ape-like curiosity finally getting the better of him. None of them saw any of the others.  Unfortunately for them, they all left their Weapons behind.
____________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

“He said What ??”, Karen asked Tony.

Tony described to her again what Mr. Riddle had told him, adding “I’m pretty sure that ‘underneath you were already there’ refers to me and Nick being in the Tunnels.  But I’m not sure where the 'place where things come and where things go’ he refers to is at.

“Well, just where did you go in those Tunnels when you were looking for us ?”, Karen asked.

“Oh, gosh...We went to lots of places over there”, Tony said.  “A bunch of buildings...Gloop Oil, Beam Cola, Spazz Industries, Wonder Meats, Blue Skies Shipping, Red Star Industries, Bullworth Paints, Spencer Warehouse...”

“Wait !”, Karen exclaimed, “It’s...It’s Spencer Warehouse !  It’s got to be !”

“The Spencer Warehouse ?  Why there ?”. Tony asked.

“Didn’t you tell me it was blown up during the bombings as you and the others rode by it ?”, Karen asked, “You and Nick, and Laurent and Zoe ?”

“Well...Yeah, so what ?”, Tony said, confused.  “What’s that got to do with anything....”

“So was there any of those other places you went up into from the Tunnels that was damaged ?”, Karen asked quickly.

“Uhh...Well, Wonder Meats...”, Tony hesitated.  “But no...We couldn’t get up there, the way was blocked....”  He shrugged.  “What’s the difference, anyway ?”

“Don’t you see ?”, Karen asked with a trace of excitement.  “That’s the other part of the riddle....’Look it over but take some care’.....It’s damaged, so you would have to be careful looking !”

Tony mulled that over.  Karen had a good point there.  He grinned sheepishly.  “I guess...That just hadn’t occurred to me.  Mr. Riddle did say that Mr. Luntz was using the Bugs to track the shipments of goods and Weapons.”

“So I’m right !”, Karen said, her eyes sparkling. “There’s Bugs in that Warehouse !  Told you so !”

That’s why I need you around, sweetie”, Tony smiled, “To tell me things.”

“And here I thought it was just my good looks”, Karen joked as she snaked an arm around Tony and snuggled him.

Tony squeezed back.  “I guess that’s where I’ll start looking then.  I’ll go in the evening, after the workday is finished over there in Blue Skies.”

“Tony, you be careful in that place”, Karen warned.  “We’ve had enough happen to us, all of us, without you getting injured or something.”

“I’ll be real careful, don’t you worry”, Tony told her. “That place was a real wreck.”

Come early evening, Tony made his way over to Spencer Warehouse, but he was unable to get inside.  The front entrance was locked tight and chained off, and the wooden rear stairway that had led up to the second floor offices in the back part of the building had burned in the aftermath of the explosion. Even had there been room to Parkour, the upstairs doorway had been boarded up in any case.  Tony had to go to the Rail Yard and access the tunnel system from the building where he and Nick had first found the tunnels, and then make the long way back underground to Spencer Warehouse.  After getting inside at last, Tony would spend several hours searching the wrecked interior and burned offices for the Bugs, long after dark.  So it was that Tony completely missed the events of Tad’s unfolding notorious plan that very night.
_______________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Lefty arrived at the Bike Park first, entering through the automatic double-lift-doors that would only work if one were riding a Bike.  He heard and saw no one though, the place seemed as empty as a Graveyard where all the dead people had been dug up and moved.  Lefty rode around the facility for awhile, but didn’t see anyone.  An odd thing he did notice as that a chair had been placed in the raised portion in the center of the Bike Park.

Shortly after, the double-lift doors rumbled open and Lucky rode in on his bike.  They gaped at each other from across the Bike Park, and then Lucky slowly rode to where Lefty was.

‘Whatchoo doin’ here ?”, Lucky asked in a shocked tone.

“Whatchoo doin’ here ?”. Lefty said back in a defensive voice.

The two stared at each other for a full minute.  Then Lucky said, “I, uh....Got dis note...from a goirl...in my Locker....”

Lefty’s eyes widened.  “I....I dids too.”

“What...What is goin’ on heres...”, Lucky began, but their parlay was interrupted by the sound of the double-lift doors rumbling open once more, and in rode Norton.  He braked to a stop just a few feet away.  “What’s shakin’ ?”, he asked.

The three stared at each other for a bit.  Then, Lucky asked, “Youse get a note too ?  From a goirl ?”

Norton considered.  “Thought so....Mebby not.  Youse ?”

Lucky and Lefty nodded.  “Somethin’ funny goin’ on heres”, Lucky said.

“Yeah”, Lefty said.  “Why woulds a goirl be sendin’ all of us dis....?”

“Hello, Boys !!”, a feminine voice suddenly called.  Three heads turned in the direction of the Bike Ramps at the north part of the Bike Park.  Having hidden from sight under one of the Ramps, Vanessa was now walking sexily towards them, carrying what looked like a Boom Box.  Her high heels clicked on the floor and echoed in the silence as she walked.  She approached the raised portion in the middle of the Bike Park, actually a small 360 degree Bike Ramp used for jumping bikes, with a flat top area in the center.  Vanessa mounted the Ramp, showing plenty of legs on the climb.

The three Greasers gaped as she teetered on her heels as she climbed, and when she walked to the chair and bent over to set down the Boom Box beside the chair, their tongues licked their lips as her panties came into view under her short-short skirt.  Vanessa then turned and addressed them.  “Edna's Cat got your tongues, boys ?"

“W-what are y-you doin' heres ?", stammered Lucky.  “I-I weren't expectin'.....I means...Youse is Spencer's goirl..."

“I don’t always agree with Taddy”, Vanessa said with a sigh.  “So bull-headed sometimes....Like blaming you boys for what happened to poor Bif.....And then, tricking Hal into that fight Tad knew he would win....He should apologize, but he won’t, you know.....So I’ll do it for him....When I’m done dancing, I’ll let you boys have a taste...”  She motioned down her body from her breasts to her ass.  “So....Watch !”

Vanessa reached down and pushed play on the Boom Box, and Stripper music began playing, echoing all about the Bike Park as she went into a dance around the chair, using it as a prop.  The Greasers watched as she loosened her thin blouse, sexily squeezing her Boobs while batting her eyes at them.  Motioning the Greasers a bit closer as their boners grew, she removed the blouse, one sleeve at a time, and tossed it to them.  Lefty caught it, standing there dumbfounded.

As the music continued, so did Vanessa’s dance, as she swirled her hips and shook her way out of her skirt, dropping it to the floor and kicking it towards the group.  Lucky was the one to catch that item of clothing.  Vanessa twirled around the chair like a high-class Strip Dancer, and next reached behind herself and unhooked her satin Bra, pulling it free as her luscious Boobs popped into full view.  She flung the Bra high and Norton was the one to catch it as Vanessa smiled and laughed at them.  What panting dogs they were, what all boys were, it was just sooooo easy to snare and trap them.  She grasped her Boobs and began squeezing them as the music played and these sex-starved Greasers could not take their eyes from them.
 
From behind the long Bike Flume at the south end behind the Greasers, Justin, Parker, and Chad appeared, their approach unheard over the music blaring from the Boom Box.  Vanessa removing her Bra had been the signal to spark the attack.  As Lucky, Lefty, and Norton watched mesmerized, the Preps crept up behind them, closer and closer.  They were armed with their modified Egg Guns, packed full with rock-hard boiled eggs.  As Vanessa hooked her thumbs into her Panties as if she were going to pull them down, the Preps had their Weapons sighted on the back of the Greaser’s heads and pulled their triggers over and over, taking the Greasers down.

SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!

Lefty and Lucky were knocked out swiftly, but Norton took a little longer.  All three Preps fired Eggs into his face, guts, and nads, until he too was subdued.  As the attack had started, Vanessa ducked and took cover behind the chair, when it was over, she clacked her way down off the raised ramp and recovered her clothing.  Now the Preps were watching her body at close range, she told them to turn away while she put her skimpy clothes back on.

The Preps dragged the unconscious Greasers over behind the Bike Ramps and tied them up there with rope they had brought along.  Finished, the recovered their stashed bikes from behind the Flume and rode out of the Bike Park, leaving New Coventry and heading towards the School.  It was time for Phase Two of the attack.    ______________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Things were winding down at the Autoshop.  Being Friday night, the Greasers were usually eager to get themselves over to the Blue Balls Bar where they could run their own party after closing time.  But this particular Friday had been different.  A mood of depression had settled in on this night in the wake of Hal’s defeat in the Boxing Ring at the Glass Jaw the night before. While they usually gathered as a group, on this night they were too depressed to be together and parlay with their usual banner, they had split off into solitary groups and eventually alone, for those who didn’t have girlfriends.  This had been why Lefty, Lucky, and Norton had been able to leave separately and unobserved.  By the time 10 O’clock had rolled around, Peanut and Binky were in the Shop Area in the large building, Hal and Angie had gone to the back Garage building, and Ricky and Jessica were in the Garage that was attached to the large building where the '69 Fastback was being kept.

Long about that time, Jessica decided to go back to the Girl’s Dorm.  Ricky offered to walk back with her, but she told him no, as his mood was just too gloomy for her.  She bid Ricky goodbye at the Greaser’s gate and headed off by herself.  Unlike Binky and Angie, she had not moved in with the Greasers full time, preferring the comfort of her own Dorm room.  Ricky gloomily watched her go and hung around the Gate area for awhile.  The night was quiet, and he eventually went back to the side Garage.

Walking around the West side of the School, Jessica reached the Front Quad in time to see a group of Preps biking in.  She held back against the wall surrounding the raised Patio area in the front of the School and watched as they biked towards the East side of the School and disappeared from view.  It struck her as odd, since in her short time here, she had never seen the snooty Preps riding bikes.  Particularly Vanessa in that skimpy outfit.  She was tempted to go back and tell Ricky, but decided against it and continued on her way to the Dorm.  It was just too gloomy there right now, and her bringing back news of some Preps biking around wouldn’t help the mood any.
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[BloodChuckZ]

Chad, Parker, and Justin, with Vanessa bringing up the rear, biked their way back to Harrington House in the gathering darkness.  Except for Jessica, no one had seen their return, even as they pulled passed the Fountain.  The Preps snickered, it looked like no one was guarding the Greaser’s gate, and even better, it looked like had been left slightly open.  The Preps turned into their path, entered through their new gate, and quickly ditched the bikes and went inside.

Tad and Bryce were waiting for them, since Vanessa had called Tad on her new Cell Phone and reported the success of the first phase of the attack.  For her, it was another first at seeing violence up close, and this time she had been on the winning end instead of getting beat around by Tad’s ex-psycho girlfriend.  And, she was going to get in on the action in the final phase too...Tad was giving her an Egg Gun to participate, her job would be to take out any Greaser girls.  First though, she went upstairs and changed out of her skimpy clothes and heels, putting on a more fashionable Prep battle outfit.

Tad sent Chad out to spy on the Greasers positions, and Chad was gone for about 15 minutes.  When he came sneaking back, he reported that the Greaser’s gate was indeed open, and their Quad appeared empty.  That meant the Greasers were still inside the buildings.  Tad knew their weekend schedule, just as he had known it a week ago when he set up the attack on Bif.  Tad held back for another half-hour, then made sure all their weapons loaded with a full round of rock-hard boiled and then frozen Eggs.  Then, as a group, they headed out.

There were going to be no worries about Prefects this night, Tad had given Edward $300 and told him to ‘Take the boys out for a treat’ that evening, courtesy of the Preps.  There hadn’t been a Prefect to be seen on Campus since shortly before dark.  Sneaking past the Fountain and onto the Greaser’s path, they saw no one.  Lately, Tad knew, a bunch of the School kids, mostly the newer ones, had been going down to the Bleachers at the Football Field until way after dark to watch the Jocks work out and hob-knob with them afterward.  Tad didn’t really care about that, what those sport buffoons and their weenie fans did was no concern of his.  After he put the Greasers in their place, he would deal with the Jocks next.  With a possible influx of new Preps in just a few weeks for the new term, eventually the Preps might be able to regain their supreme status on Campus once more.

Sneaking silently past the open Greaser gate, the Preps took up positions in the shadows around the dumpster and fence with loaded Weapons, waiting for the remaining Greasers to come out and play.
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[BloodChuckZ]

“Where dis’t everyone go ?”, grumbled Peanut irritably, “It’s about time to leaves for da Bar.”

“Maybe they be outside or back in the other Garages”, Binky said coolly, taking a last drag off her ciggy, then dropping it to the concrete floor and mashing it out with her high-heeled boot.  “Let’s go look for them, Ok ?”

Binky was becoming well-attuned to Peanut’s shifting moods, and right now his mood was depression, as were all of the Greasers moods that night.  Being new to the school and the group, she was not emotionally invested as yet and was still an observer, so Hal’s defeat in the Ring didn’t trouble her.  She understood, though, what effect it was having on the others, and Peanut in particular as the Leader of the Greasers.  Peanut, and the others would get over this blow to their pride, she knew...It would just take some time.

“Yeah, allrights, I guess”, Peanut said, and they exited the Autoshop.  But the small Quad area in front appeared deserted.  Peanut and Binky headed to the attached Garage by the inner fence.  Hidden in the shadows, the Preps held off their attack, as their plan was to surprise attack the group as a whole.

Only Ricky was in the attached Garage where the '69 Fastback was being kept, chain-smoking a pack of ciggys.  “Where be everybody ?”, Peanut asked him.  “Time to leave for da Bar.”

Ricky looked up.  “I donno....Think Hal and Angie are in da back Garage.  Maybe de others are in’s da back yard area.”

Hal, along with Angie, were indeed in the back Garage.  Hal’s face looked terrible, with some cuts and deep purplish bruises blooming.  Angie had been crying, as her red eyes could plainly be seen.  Peanut told them it was time to make the trek to the Bar, but didn’t ask about the other Greasers, as it was plain they weren’t in there.  Alone, he circled the back inner wall to the larger back area where the junked Parts Cars were still kept.  Nobody was there, and the gate to the Parking Lot was closed and secured.  Peanut returned, gathered up Binky, Hal, and Angie, then Ricky from the attached Garage.  As a small group, the headed back around the inner fence to the front.

“I wonder wheres dose guys got off to”, Peanut remarked to Binky.

“Maybe theys just went off ahead”, Binky told him soothingly.

“Mebbe so”, Peanut groused, “But dey knows we always goes together.  Somptin’ seems fishy here.”

“Everybody’s down on accounts of hows the fight turned out”, Binky said, “Dey probably just forgot.”

“Yeah, mebbies”, Peanut said, as the group cleared the fence. “Buts dey ouggta knows better den to just goes off alones.....”

Peanut didn’t have time to finish that thought, as the Preps stepped from the shadows and opened fire.
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[BloodChuckZ]

Tony soon discovered that finding any Listening Devices in the wreckage of the Spencer Warehouse wasn’t going to be an easy job.  The blast had done overwhelming damage to the facility.  All up and down the vast Warehouse, the giant racks which held the merchandise had been tumbled over in the massive explosion, and their contents scattered everywhere.  Most of the contents had been broken, but a few items had escaped damage.  As Tony had noted before when he had been here, the sliding doors in the roof were damaged and open to the night sky. 

That the lift that brought Tony up from the tunnel was next to the inner South wall that had sparred that area from damage, most of the rest of the place was trashed.  It was almost as if the bomb had been set to where it would do maximum damage to the building, or at least the contents of it.  Tony was able to climb over debris on the staircase to the second floor.  There he encountered a devastated area that used to contain glassed-in offices.  There was little left other than that but ashes, a fire resulting from the explosion had burned or melted everything in sight.  The remnants of file cabinets could be made out, their metal twisted from the heat, their contents incinerated.  It was obvious to Tony, as he shined his flashlight about, that others had already been looking in here.  There were large boot-mark-like impressions on the floor amidst the mess, probably the Feds, Tony figured, looking for evidence to use against Mr. Spencer.  Tony sighed, if there had been anything salvageable here, it was sure gone now.

Tony retreated back down the stairs, and began the task of looking through the huge warehouse.  It would be several hours before he would check the place he overlooked...A small Shipping Office near the stairs. The small entry door was locked, but the door had a good-sized window.  Tony found one of the iron statues from the mess in the Warehouse, and used it to bust out the glass and gain entry.  Tucked under the devastation of the second floor, the small office had escaped damage.  Inside was a small counter and a shelf-like box behind it, presumably used for order-storing.  The small counter and box were cleaned out, someone had already searched in here too.  Tony got down on hands and knees and began looking, shining the light up under the small counter.  After a few minutes, he saw what he had looked all night for...A tiny Bug attached up underneath the back of the small counter.
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[BloodChuckZ]

A storm of rock-hard-boiled Eggs hurled towards the suddenly surprised Greasers. A gust of summer wind had been blowing down the side of the building next to them, funneling like a small vortex because of the inner fence.  It was just enough to alter the Preps shots, as Peanut realized at that instant an attack was in progress.  Instinctively, he stepped in front of Binky to shield her while reaching for his own weapon, catching an Egg hit on his upper left arm.  Pushing Binky up against the inner fence while pulling his Spud Gun free and blindly triggering off a couple of shots in the direction of the attack, he had little time to think.

SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!

The volley of Eggs slammed into the Greasers in back of Peanut, and Angie screamed out in pain as a rock-hard Egg smacked into her left boob.  Ricky dived right while reaching for his own Weapon, but as he drew it knew he would be unable to fire with Peanut and Binky directly in front of him.  Poor Hal fared the worst, several hard Eggs splatted into his chest, driving him backward.  Meanwhile, one of Peanut’s shots had hit Chad in the knee, spinning him around into the way of Justin and Parker, who were still triggering off shots from their Egg Guns.  Several ‘Friendly Fire’ rounds slammed into Chad at close range, taking him down.

The unplanned diversion was just enough for the Greasers to retreat backwards, around and behind the attached Garage, Peanut and Ricky marshaling a stumbling Hal out of the line of fire, while Binky drug a sobbing Angie around the corner as the Preps re-organized, stepping past the fallen Chad and continuing forward.  Peanut had no wish to become sitting ducks in the attached Garage, and urged the others around to the back, where they could find a better position of defense.  Their element of surprise lost, Tad urged the Preps forward, and they followed cautiously, intent on finishing the attack.
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[BloodChuckZ]

After 22 days and nights in a coma, Tiffany woke up.  Her lips mumbled, “Dangerrrr....Attackkkk....”

At a chair by her bedside, Constantinos was pulled out of his dozing.  Sitting upright, he searched Tiffany’s face.  Had he heard something ?  As he watched, her eyelids fluttered, and came half open.  Constantinos could hardly believe his own eyes.  He reached and grasped her hand and Tiffany weakly squeezed back. 

A sense of hopeful relief began to cascade throughout Constantinos’s mind.  For once, the Voice of Reason was silent, probably too stunned to slip in any snarky comment.  He searched Tiffany’s face as her lips parted and her tongue licked them, then she voiced again, stronger, “Dangerrr....Attackk....”

“Danger is over”, Constantinos said, his voice dry and sounding horse, “You’re safe now....Can you...Can you hear me, Tiff ?  It’s all over....We’re safe now, Safe !”

Tiffany’s eyes rolled towards the sound of his voice.  She blinked, twice.  “Constan....Izzat you ?....”

“Yes !”, Constantinos said, louder, “It’s me, I’m here !”

“Wherrr....Wherr am I ?”, Tiffany said weakly.

Constantinos gulped, trying to keep the shaking out of his voice.  “At, uh, at a Hospital in Boston...You were...Uh, injured...At the Chem Plant....Do you remember ?”

“Rememberrr....No....Only...Hurrrs....”, Tiffany mumbled. 

“You...Had an...Infection”, Constantinos told her, “But you’re going to be all right...Do you....Understand ?”

“Yesss”, Tiffany breathed, “All Riiite....Sleepy.....Now...”

Her eyes fluttered and closed.  Constantinos suddenly began to panic.  What was happening ?
___________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

The Preps rounded the corner, firing volleys, but the Greasers had managed to pass through the detached Garage by that time, so the rock-hard-boiled Eggs only struck the building and a nearby dumpster producing funny-sounding 'BONG’ noises.  After a couple minutes they crept forward, Tad, Vanessa, and Bryce in the lead, with Justin and Parker behind.  Tad fumed that the Greasers had escaped what seemed the perfect trap on their own turf.  Dammed night breezes !  He should have accounted for that, as even frozen hard-boiled Eggs weighed far less than a Spud. 

The Preps crept around the detached Garage. The smaller back area was littered with several Trash Cans that would slow their escape.  There was also the Junk Pile, heaped up against the outer wall that had provided Jake with his means of escape during the failed Townie assault on the School this past Spring.  The Greasers had their backs to them, except for Angie, who was sobbing and holding her wounded boob, looking at Hal.  Peanut and Ricky were helping up Hal, who had stumbled and fallen.  Binky was watching them trying to wrestle Hal to his feet and not looking behind her.  Tad motioned the Preps, and they silently lined up past the end of the detached Garage and leveled their Weapons.

But Binky did look around then.  “Peanut, Look Out !”, she cried.

“OPEN FIRE !”, Tad commanded, and the Preps let loose with a barrage from their Weapons.  Peanut grabbed Binky and pulled her behind some nearby Trash Cans as Tad shouted his order.  The frozen rock-hard-boiled Eggs slammed into the Trash Cans just as Peanut and Binky dived behind behind them.

 CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG !!!

Ricky tried to make a break for it, while firing wildly back and climbing the Junk Pile to escape, but the Preps turned the barrage in his direction before he was halfway up.

SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!

Ricky was nailed in his back multiple times, and tried to keep climbing, but then was hit in the buttocks and legs as the barrage continued.  His knees buckled, and he fell to the pavement, striking his forehead on a piece of protruding junk on the way down, knocking him out.  Hal had managed to get to his feet, and now moved toward Angie, who was screeching in fear now, and the barrage was centered on him next.

SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!  SPLAT !!

Weakened, Hal went down in a hail of frozen rock-hard-boiled Eggs before reaching Angie, who now screamed as Hal was shot down.  “HAL !! Oh, You BASTARDS !!!”  Vanessa leveled her Egg Gun at Angie and shot five rounds into her midsection to shut her up.  Angie fell to the pavement, moaning.

The barrage of rock-hard-boiled Eggs had knocked the lids off the metal Trash Cans, and Peanut had scooped a couple up while the Preps were firing on the others.  Both he and Binky now used them as Shields as they backed around the inner wall.  “GET THEM !!”, Tad ordered, and the Egg Guns were turned back on the pair.
 
 CLANG !!  CLANG !!  CLANG !!  CLANG !! CLANG !!  CLANG !! CLANG !!

The Trash Can lids deflected the rock-hard-boiled Eggs harmlessly, and Peanut and Binky escaped around the inner wall to the larger lot directly behind the Autoshop.  As there wasn’t time to unlock and push open the heavy sliding gates to the Parking Lot, they sought refuge behind the nearest Junk Car and waited, with only one Spud Gun for the two of them.
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[BloodChuckZ]

Constantinos ran to get a Nurse.  Tiffany had been moved from ICU long ago, after the infection had been cleared, and was now in a regular room on a section known as Ward C, for comatose patients.  The Staff was used to his near-constant presence by now.....Constantinos had told them he was a distant Cousin of hers, and he was not questioned about that.  All the Hospital knew about Tiffany was that she had no other family and was a charity case, which meant they were fairly disinterested in her as a Human Being.

When Constantinos reached the Nurse’s Station, he had to calm himself as he approached.  It wouldn’t do to look too overly concerned.  He took a deep breath as he reached the Station and got the attention of the night Nurse on duty.  The shift change had come not long ago, and rounds had not yet started.  He told her that Tiffany had woken up and talked, but wasn’t now, could she come take a look ?  The Nurse told him she would come check now, and that he would have to wait in the Waiting Room.

Nurse Stephanie Kronos was middle-aged and halfway through her career as a Nurse.  She had never married, but held a soft spot for youngsters in trouble not of their own choosing.  She had read the file of this waif of a girl when Tiffany was sent to the Ward, and looked in on her more than the other shifts would have.  She also knew Tiffany had been shot with some kind of unusual Weapon, and about the infection that resulted.  She could also tell that Constantinos was of Greek heritage, as she was herself, and that Tiffany was not.  She suspected that Constantinos was not the ‘Cousin’ he claimed to be, but never questioned him about it, for he also seemed like a troubled youngster himself. 

Constantinos waited with growing unease in the Waiting Room, afraid that Tiffany would never awake again.  He has been staying here the better part of the time since he returned to Boston after dealing with Tiffany’s attacker, Leon.  Unaware of the fire that had broken out after he had set off the M-80s attached to Leon’s belly, he hoped that the Bastard would burn in Hell someday, ironically not knowing he had brought the fire of Hell to Leon early.

When not at the Hospital with Tiffany, Constantinos had stayed at a variety of run-down vacant houses, of which there were many, and would occasionally do some break-ins of seedy joints for cash to supplement his meager supply, using his talent of being able to get into places.  Although he could afford to eat at places like McDonalds, he mostly did so from their dumpsters, or he would cage some leftover Hospital food from the big steel rolling 'Warmers’ before they were taken back to the Kitchens on the Elevators.

As with the rest of the Students, he had been held briefly and questioned the morning after the Chem Plant Raid, but as most all the others, there was little he could tell them.  Nervously, he kept expecting the F.B.I. or some other Deceives or Cops to show up here, but they never had.  Constantinos suspected that since the Townies were being guarded by the Army, they had probably been into some far deeper shit than just the Kidnapping of two teenaged girls, and on that hunch he was right, although he didn’t know it.

It was nearly midnight when Nurse Kronos returned to tell him that Tiffany was now just merely asleep and was showing signs of coming out of her coma.  Her pupils were reacting to light, and Tiffany had moved some as she examined her, as a person would when someone was trying to wake them up.  “But, it will take awhile for her to return to normal”, she told him, “People don’t just wake up all at once from a coma.  It takes time.”

“Time ?”, Constantinos echoed, “How long a time ?”

Nurse Kronos shrugged.  “Days...Weeks...Months, sometimes.”  Seeing the alarmed look on Constantinos’s face, she added, “But her coma time has been short....Just three weeks....She’ll probably recover a lot quicker.  Now that she has woke, and even spoken, is a real good sign.”

Relief washed over Constantinos, like a great weight was being lifted from his very soul.  Nurse Kronos took notice and said kindly, “She’ll sleep for long periods of time, but will return to normal soon, you’ll see.  She’s young and strong.”

“That’s...A big relief”, Constantinos said gratefully.  “Thank you.”

Nurse Kronos looked at him.  “You could use some sleep yourself....There’s an empty room across the hall from Tiffany.  You can sleep there tonight, if you like.  I’ll wake you before shift change.”

Constantinos nodded, his gratitude evident.  “I’d...Like that.”

Nurse Kronos gave him the room number, and Constantinos headed that way, stopping off at Tiffany’s room first.  He watched her slow, regular breathing for a bit, looking like his Angel in repose.  Then he went to the empty room and laid down on the bed.  Relieved for the first time in weeks, he fell asleep thinking of the ways to get Tiffany out of here when she was ready to go.
_________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

The Preps followed Peanut and Binky, but were driven back when Peanut unloaded some shots of his own as they started around the inner wall.  “What now ?”, Bryce asked.  In the background, Angie’s moans could be heard over the slight breeze.  “Let me think”, Tad responded, irritated by Angie’s moans and whimpering.  “First, shut that Damn Tart up, will someone ?”

None of the male Preps was going to shoot Angie, so Vanessa walked over to where Angie was laying, centering the Egg Gun on her head.  Angie looked up with hatred in her eyes.  “I hope you all go to Prison !”, Angie spat.

Vanessa decided she didn’t need to shoot Angie again.  She cast the Egg Gun aside and instead reached down a grabbed Angie by the hair, yanking her up, and cold-cocking her with a right to the jaw.  Then she hauled Angie the rest of the way up and stuffed her head-first into a nearby Trash Can.  That done, she picked up her Egg Gun and rejoined the others.

“I say, good show !”, Tad said admiringly.  The other Preps just looked at Vanessa with bugged-out eyes.

“Ok, that’s done”, Vanessa said.  “What’s the plan ?”

Tad thought for a moment.  “Turn those Trash Cans over.  We’ll stand on them and shoot over wall, using that for cover.”

The Preps did as Tad directed, turning over four Trash Cans.  While the Preps mounted them, Vanessa stayed near the edge of the wall, out of Peanut’s line of fire, and took several potshots at the Junk Parts Car that Binky and Peanut were holed up behind.  When the Preps were mounted on the Trash Cans, they opened up on the hapless pair.  Just in time, Peanut and Binky saw the Preps and raised up the Trash Can Lids for cover.
   
 CLANG !!  CLANG !!  CLANG !!  CLANG !! CLANG !!  CLANG !!  CLANG !!

Peanut had Binky hold both Trash Can Lids in front of them as they hunkered behind the front of Junk Parts Car, so he could fire the Spud Gun between them.  The Preps ducked as they saw the barrel of the Spud Gun emerge in the moonlight, and the two sides exchanged potshots for the next ten minutes, until dry clicking was heard from Peanut’s Spud Gun.  He was out of Spuds.

“Oh, out of Ammo, are we ?”, Tad cried gleefully.  “You may as well just come out and take your medicine then, for poor Bif’s sake !”

“I ain’t gots nuttin’ to do wid whats happened to Bif”, Peanut retorted, “An’ youse knows dat.”

“Well, ONE of you Greaseballs had something to do with it, I’m sure !”, Tad gaily responded.  “So now, ALL of you must pay !”

“Youse needin’ to buy some test answers, Prep scum ?”, Peanut laughed.  “We aints all heres, Numbwad....Youse missed a few, and dey’ll take youse down !”

Tad roared laughter.  “We already took care of you Slimeball buddies earlier tonight.  It’s just you left now !  So, come on out and get what’s coming to you !”

“Youse dirty bushwhackin’ Prep Fucker, why donts youse come fights me like a real Man”, Peanut challenged.  “Or, is youse too much of a Pussy ?”

The other Preps looked at Tad.  He had led them into this, and he knew he couldn’t back down from Peanut’s unexpected challenge and lose their respect now.  “Why, of course, Little Man...Since I just beat you Ape friend Hal, I can surely beat you.  Throw out your Weapon !”

“It’s empty, Dumb Fuck”, Peanut said, “And I aints gots no more Ammo.”

“Low Lifes like you are full of tricks”, Tad said.  “Throw it out anyway, or we shall just finish you off right now.”

With no choice, Peanut tossed the empty Spud Gun out into the lot, where it landed with a clatter.  The Preps dismounted the Trash Cans and moved cautiously around the inner wall with their Egg Guns at the ready.  Unknown to Peanut, the Preps were nearly out of Ammo themselves.  They had shot off hundreds of rounds, and empty Egg Cartons littered the small lot behind them from all the reloads they had done.  There was barely a few rounds between all of them, and Vanessa’s Egg Gun held the most of those.

“Come on out”, Tad challenged, “Your little girlfriend too.”

Peanut stepped out, and Binky laid the Trash Can Lids on the Junk Car’s hood stepped out. “Examine that”, Tad ordered, and Bryce went to where he could see in front of the Junk Car.  “Nothing there”, he reported.

“Well, it’s you and me now, Peon”, Tad said.  “I’m going to make you cry.”

“Puts down your Weapon”, Peanut said, “If’n you wants to fight lika Man.  Them others too...I’m unarmed.”

Tad’s temper seethed, but he kept it in check.  “Put them away, boys....I’ll handle this.”  Tad handed his Egg Gun to Bryce, and the Preps put all their weapons away, except for Vanessa, who was standing by the wall.  Nobody appeared to notice, as she was further away from the others, but she lowered it and clutched it by her side,

“All right, let’s Go !”, Tad exclaimed, and the two started to circle each other.  Tad danced about as he did in the Ring, as Peanut bored forwards.  Tad struck first, coming in and punching Peanut in the jaw; Peanut struck back but only whiffed air as Tad danced back beyond his reach.  With shorter arms, Peanut didn’t have the reach that Tad did, as as the fight progressed, Tad would land ten punches for every one that Peanut could connect, and those were just glancing blows.  Peanut’s arm was also sore from where the rock-hard Egg had struck it earlier, but he gamely hung in there.  The Preps, except for Vanessa, made a half-circle between the fighters and the Autoshop.  Binky held her place by the Junk Car, and Vanessa remained by the inner wall. 

About ten minutes into the fight, Peanut’s face was starting to resemble a punching bag, and he was tiring badly.  Tad stepped in to finish him off, but Peanut suddenly exploded a hard punch to Tad’s guts, and then clipped Tad a shot on the jaw as he doubled over.  Peanut moved in to follow it up, but Tad suddenly kicked Peanut hard in the Nuts as he spread his legs to power his next blow.  “OOOFF !!!”, Peanut cried as he sunk to his knees on the pavement and gasped, “"Ahhhhh !!!! My Johnson !!!!!" ”

Binky suddenly grabbed one of the Trash Can Lids and charged Tad.  “You Can’t Do That !”, she yelled, and wielding the Trash Can Lid, she smacked Tad on the face with it with all her might.  Tad staggered back from the blow, his face bleeding from where the Lid had cut into him, stunned.  Binky advanced on Tad to deliver another blow.

Over by the inner wall, Vanessa raised her Egg Gun, but she feared hitting Tad instead of Binky, as the two were so close.  So, she charged Binky instead, raising the Egg Gun to use as a Melee Weapon against her.  But Binky saw her coming just in time and turned, raising the Trash Can Lid as Vanessa brought down the Egg Gun.  The Weapon smashed against the Trash Can Lid, bending the barrel of the Weapon, and the recoil pushed both back.  Binky recovered first and smashed Vanessa across her face with the Trash Can Lid, drawing blood.  Vanessa responded by grabbing Binky’s hair, and Binky did likewise to Vanessa, both trying to batter each other with their respective weapons.

Tad had recovered by this time, and moved in to take control of the situation, as Binky was really battering Vanessa now.  Unlike Derby, Tad would never hit a girl, so he did the next best thing.  Using the same foot he just used to disable Peanut by kicking him in the nuts, he stomped down hard on Binky’s high-heel booted left foot.  The result was immediate.  The sound of Binky’s small bones breaking was audibly heard, and the heel was snapped off from the force of Tad’s stomp.

“AAAAAARRRRRRUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!!!!!”. Binky screamed as she dropped to the pavement.  “AAAAUUUUHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!!!!!  YOU FUCKING BASTARD !!!!!!!!!!!  “OOOOWWWWWHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!!!!!”

It had happened so fast that the other Preps barely had time to react.  Bryce said, “Hey, we better go....She’s screaming so loud, she’ll wake the whole school.”

Tad looked around helplessly for a solution.  None of the male Preps were going to quiet Binky, and Vanessa was reeling around like a drunken Sailor from the attack.  Tad stepped over and cold-cocked a defenseless Peanut, who was vainly trying to crawl to Binky’s aid.  “Guess we got what we came here to to do.  Let’s go !”

The Preps raced away from the area, Tad leading an unsteady Vanessa along and bringing up the rear.  They gathered up Chad, who could at least hobble, and left the Autoshop grounds, going past the Fountain and back to their home turf.  The screaming continued from far off now, and Tad was extra glad he had paid off the Prefects to be absent for the night.  As the last one through the gate, Tad made a critical error by forgetting to lock it, a mistake he would soon regret.
________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Jessica awoke from an uneasy sleep.  Her bleary eyes focused on the clock, it read exactly 3 AM.  She propped herself up on her elbow and rubbed her eyes, then swung her legs over and got up.  Something was nagging at her.

She decided to go to the Girl’s Bathroom, as she felt a little pukey.  The Greasers drank a lot of Beer, and she had drank some, but she really didn’t like the taste.  But when she arrived at the Bathroom, her stomach had settled down, even though the uneasy feeling remained.  She looked at her reflection in the mirror.  Was it that she had turned down Ricky when he had offered to walk her back to the Dorm ?  He was down, all the Greasers were, but maybe he needed just to talk to someone...And maybe that someone was her.  Boys didn’t usually open up to others, but would with an understanding girlfriend. 

But there was something else.  She puzzled for a moment, and then it came to her.  Those Preps she had seen, riding bikes.  There was something odd about them.  What had it been ?  She stared at her reflection a bit longer, and suddenly her eyes widened.  Jessica turned and ran back to her room, and quickly dressed. 

She was downstairs in a flash, going out the side door, and taking the shortcut at the wall to the Front Quad.  Once she jumped down from the wall, she ran ipast the Parking Lot in the moonlight, rounding out to the Back Quad and then up the steps to the Fountain.  She cast a look down the Prep’s pathway to Harrington House, saw no one, and turned and ran to the Greaser’s gate.  Suddenly her dread increased.  Not only had it not been locked, as the Greasers usually did when they all went somewhere, it was standing open. 

She quickly slipped through and ran around the inner fence before she remembered to be cautious.  She slowed her run to a fast walk, listening intently.  She heard nothing and saw no one.  First she went to the Autoshop door and tried it.  It was Locked.  Jessica stood there for a moment, unsure what to do.  Then it occurred to her...The Garages !  She turned and sprinted quickly but silently towards the South, past the inner fence towards the attached Garage.  When she reached the corner, she stopped and looked around it like someone in a spy movie.  Seeing no one, she continued on, going into the Garage, circling the car inside and seeing nothing.  Going out, she went down to the other garage.  There was no one in there either, and she crept onto the small back lot.

At first, Jessica could hardly believe what she was seeing in the moonlight.  Hal was laying on the pavement ahead, and there was a Trash Can not far from him with what looked like a girl’s legs sticking out of them.  She came closer, and looked.  She knew who it was in the Trash Can, it was Angie.  She recognized her shoes.  She bent to check Hal, and saw he was breathing.  Then she went to the Trash Can.  Using all her strength, she grasped Angie’s legs and pulled her from the Trash Can, laying her down on the pavement.  She had a nasty bruise on her cheek, but was breathing also.  Then Jessica heard a groan.  She looked in the direction of the Junk Wall and saw another figure.  She went over to see, and saw it was Ricky.

She knelt down by him and laid her suddenly shaking hands on him.  “Ricky !  Oh, Ricky, can you hear me ?  Please be all right !”

“Unnnnnngh”, Ricky groaned.  “J-Jess....Dat you ?”

“Yes, it’s me !”, Jessica said, close to tears.  “Did....Did the Preps do this to you ?”

“Ohhhhh....Hows did youse guess that....Einstein ?”, Ricky said gruffly.

“I...Well..I...”, Jessica began, but right then she heard something.  A sound of someone crying....Crying in pain.  “I’ll tell you later”, she told Ricky.  She rose and followed the sound, around the inner wall back to the larger lot behind the Autoshop.  There in the moonlight she saw two figures.  She walked closer and saw Peanut.  He was sitting on the Pavement with his arms around Binky, who was the source of the crying.

“Peanut ?”, Jessica said softly.  “What’s happened ?”

Peanut rolled his face around.  He looked like Hell.  There was a large bruise blooming on the side of his face, and his eyes looked unfocused.  “Spencer did this.”

“B-B-Bastard broke my Foot !”, Binky sobbed, in obvious pain.

“I’m gonna kill him”, Peanut muttered.
___________________________________