From: Regulus <MiraiNoHikage@hotmail.com> Subject: [PW!] And Then...part II Date: Friday, September 03, 1999 12:03 AM Spec was alone. Alone, and far from any signs of life. He had hiked up a rather steep mountain, after stealing the gear from a mall in some undistinct, no-name town. He didn't mind the chilling winds stinging his body. They were more than welcome. He always felt at home in the cold. He stood up and gazed down towards the base of the mountain, seeing a few towns in the distance, a flock of Fearow heading south, and an occasional spark or three shooting from some odd building off to the northwest. "Well....here I am then." Ring. "They won't be able to find me here." Ring. ....Ring? What rang on a mountain? Ring. Oh. Well that was dumb, putting a pay phone under 3ft of snow. Spec walked over, packed the snow down, and answered. "Officer Hardass, how may I help you?" "Don't be funny, Spectre." "Boss?!" "Yes, quite." "I thought I told you never to call me here." Spec chuckled. "You can run, but you cannot hide." "You sound cliché as ever, Captain." "Time to pay the piper, Hikage." Click. Pay the piper? He thought about that. So much, in fact, that he didn't happen to hear the noise from the approaching helicopter. Nor did he notice the avalanche, caused in part by the idiot pilot getting far too close to the mountain. Of course, that didn't fully cause the avalanche. The avalanche was fully caused by the marksman, who held a bazooka. And he missed. Twice. At close range. With a laser scope. Who the hell ever heard of a laser scope on a bazooka? And so, Spectre was drug under, and drug downward. Not to mention drug down the mountain itself. Trapped in an air pocket, and feeling like his ribs had been crushed, he took it upon himself to breathe softly. He didn't know how long it was. It couldn't have been too long. Could it? Well...if no one had found him thus far, no one would. He sighed. In the helicopter that had caused the snowslide, which had done quite a number of passes, trying to find their target. "Dammit, it's your fault for not holding this thing still!" "You were close enough! And you had a laser scope! Who the hell ever heard of one on a bazooka?!" "It's a homemade version!" Whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... "You hear something?" "Just you flappin' your gums!" ...rrrrrrrrrr... "It's like...a high-pitched whine." "No, you complaining is a high-pitched whine." "Would you shut up?!" Oh look, fireworks! Fireworks? Spec blasted upward with his free hand. It melted the snow around him, allowing him to painfully scramble out. He smirked as his beam made an arc, aiming at the chopper. He turned and took off running, in spite of his ribs. The helicopter exploded, the two Rockets inside getting hurled off towards the mountain. "Okay, now THIS is your fault," The pilot screamed as he slammed into the snow. "MY fault?!" The gunner yelled, making an imprint beside his partner. "How is it my fault?!" "YOUR ammo made the explosion worse!" "Now wait a MINUTE!" And with that, the bazooka, which apparently had been loaded, went off. The two Rockets looked up as the rumbling started. As the huge pile of snow slid towards them, the argument started anew. "This is all YOUR faaaaaa -" At the mountain's base, Spec stood. Beaten, but not broken. He smirked slightly. "Two down. Countless to go. I've avenge you yet, Kat-chan. I promise." With that, Spectre Hikage disappeared from sight. -- Reg