FicWad

Biker Mice from Mars

In

Aftermath of War

Part 6

By: Whipblade.





Mace winced at the loud noise and curses that followed. Leaning on the windowsill of the scoreboard, he looked at the destruction Vinnie had left in his wake. "Their gonnablame this on vandals, you know."



Modo, leaning on the railing behind Mace nodded. "Teenagers."



"Will they come in here?" Mace asked turning his back to the broken bleachers, disarrayed dugouts and smashed vending machines.



"Usually don't. Long as we clean up what Vinnie mess's up. Stosh won't see a thing." Modo said.



"Stosh, that blind janitor?"



"He ain't blind." Modo smirked. Listening to the crash of something in the locker room. The place fell silent.



"Think he found something?" Mace leaned over the railing looking down at Vinnie who walked out of the locker room, dragging his battered baseball bat.



"Looks like he did." Modo frowned."What...."



Down below, Vinnie dropped his bat. "Throttle?"



Looking up from his bike, Throttle saw the concern written on Vinnie's face. Getting up, he met his white furred bro half way. "What did you find?"



"I dunno." Vinnie jingled the few in his hand. "Bro, these are..."



Throttle looked down to see the rusty old-style razor blades. Picking one up, he frowned. They were far from rusty. "Where'd you find these?"



"They were in a vent, just behind the lockers. There's gotta be at least two dozen." Vinnie muttered low.



Throttle hummed. He didn't dare turn his head to find Mace. He knew Vinnie was thinking the same way. His red eyes kept glancing up. But he never once tipped his head in the direction.

"Carefully bag these and the rest Vincent. Don't cut yourself."



"I'll be careful." Solemnly Vinnie nodded.



Throttle walked over to the pay phone.





"He didn't bring the bat." Mace pointed out, not overly concerned.



"If you didn't tamper with the bikes, he wouldn't be tearing up the place ta start with." Modo smirked pushing off the railing.



"What? Me?" Mace grinned in mock shock. "I would never, ever do anything like that." He grinned following Modo.



"Right. Like Ah believe that." Modo chuckled climbing down the ladder.



"Do you mind?" Mace shifted his gaze apologetic.



"Ah haven't said 'nything 'for now have Ah?" Modo asked moving aside for Mace to get down.



"No... but..."



"Bro. I know why, n' yah've made sure Charley had plenty in stock."



"Think Vinnie....." Mace jumped off the last rung of the ladder.



"Don't tell Vinnie." Modo smiled as he walked with Mace to Throttle. "You'll lose your fur."



"Bro?" Modo saw Throttle's worry.



"Mace, gear up we're going to see Charley."



"Why?" Mace asked hurrying to fetch his helmet.



Throttle sighed. "We just are."



"All of us?" Modo asked seeing Vinnie head back out of the locker room. A bag full of something in his hand.



"No. Just Mace and I." Throttle stated hopping on his bike.



Mace walked to his bike, about to mount it.



"Mace, with me." Throttle motioned with his tail as he started his ride.



Mace froze in mid swing, lowering his leg; he hopped onto the back of Throttle's bike. "bro?"



"We'll be back soon!" Throttle called over his shoulder as he left.



"What's that all about?" Modo asked Vinnie who walked by.



"I found these." Holding up the bag full of used razor blades.



"Oh momma."



------------------------------------------------



Charley stood quietly. On the table laid about two dozen packs of used razor blades and a half pack of new. All bore the same rusty resemblance.



Mace, a little unsure of what was going on, sauntered over to the pretty mechanic. "Wanted to see me?" he smiled hugging her.

Her hug back seemed desperate, sad. "alive."She whispered letting go.



Mace glanced at the table and saw the evidence he left behind. His ears fell tail went limp he bit his bottom lip, nervously.



Charley made her way outside, knowing Throttle would deal with the red mouse, one way or another.



"Sit down Mace." Throttle's firm voice commanded.



Slumping into the chair, Mace sat without a word, unable to lift his head and meet Throttle's hard glare.



"Take off your gloves." Throttle's voice remained clam and steady.



Slowly Mace complied knowing it would be useless to deny or drag out the anger looming in Throttle's carefully controlled grasp. He slowly unwrapped the pressure bandages.



Angry red swollen welts criss-crossed both of Mace's wrists along the veins till they met the crease before his elbow, all of them appeared to be in different stages of healing. Some defiantly were deeper than others.



Grabbing the red hands with tawny ones "Are you suicidal?"Throttle demanded holding firmly to Mace.



"Not right now...." Mace muttered.



"Damnit Mace! Either you are or you aren't!" Throttle snapped.



Mace hung his head. His shoulders slumped. "Throttle... I'm...n"Peeking up through his bangs he looked to the tawny mouse he had hoped for so long to be his, only to have his hopes dashed with a -I'm sorry Mace.-"I'm not, really."



"Mace... do you do this ... why?" Throttle ran his thumb over healing cuts at the wrist.



Pulling his hands free from Throttle, Mace turned away. "Because I want to." He snapped.



"Self mutilation is a want now?" Throttle growled. "You think its fun being disfigured by war?"



"No!" Mace growled angrily. "I think its better to know that I'm alive in a world that doesn't feel it!" he stood up, his voice rising till he was shouting. "You three are nothing more than self-absorbed teenagers! If you never wanted me to stay here you could have sent me back!"



Throttle stepped back letting the red mouse rant, knowing maybe his words would shed some light. "I never said I didn't wan-"



"SHUT UP!" Mace screamed. "I hate you! You left me alone to fight Stoker! You never once said a word to anyone about us!" Tears pooled in his gray eyes. "You just...I never meant anything to you."



"Mace, we we're young and stupid. I was curious." Throttle whispered. "I'm ashamed to admit that we did things back then."



The words struck Mace like a slap in the face. Tears dripped down his cheeks. Turning around he stormed out the back door.



"MACE!" Throttle shouted following the red mouse.



"LEAVE ME ALONE!" he screamed not looking back, slamming the door.



Throttle sighed. "That didn't go well." He stood at the door, watching Mace storm across the nighttime street.



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To be continued

Whipblade 2007