Dare to Play?
DISCLAIMER
I do NOT own
Biker Mice from Mars (but maybe in the future... Who knows?). They were used
without permission. I do NOT own D&D 3E. I do NOT make any profits from this
story. This fan fiction is written only for the enjoyment of the viewers and the
author. WARNING: The characters are adults and behave like adults. Deal with it
or hit the road. You were warned. And the last thing: I'm from Poland, so please
excuse me any spelling/grammar/vocabulary etc. errors. Capice?
I hope so.
Episode #3
"Dare to Play?"
by Elvis Van
Wham
5.10.2003
Copyright 2003
by Elvis Van Wham. All rights reserved.
Scene I
The Last Chance Garage, 3.30 p.m.
It was another one rainy day in the Windy City. Big Cheese
had to visit Plutark personally, so he'd left Chicago in peace... For some time.
Never mind. The point is, that the Mice think, that without him it is so...
- Boring - apologized Throttle.
- Yeah - said Vinnie. He was cleaning his bike... Sixth
time in a row.
- Why won't we go out somewhere? - asked Modo.
- Where...?
- And that's the problem, Throttle.
- Hey - Vinnie smiled, as usually when he was reminding
something funny - Remember the game called "Catch it"? We were playing it on
Mars... Long time ago.
- Hmm... Not bad idea, bro - Throttle agreed - Modo, can
you assure that Charley's out? She said that she's gotta shopping to do...
Modo checked it. Charley went shopping.
- We're alone - assumed Modo - Gotta grenade?
Scene II
Outside the Last Chance Garage, 3.35 p.m.
Charley just returned from a shop. She was carrying the
bags with the food for the Mice and herself. She called for the guys to help her
with it, when...
KA-BOOM!
The explosion teared the door up and threw Charley on the
street. "Whatta hell's going on?!" - she thought and stood up. After a
moment Vinnie came out of the Last Chance. He was now... Black. He had a little
problem with his equilibrium.
- Whoa, hi, *koff, koff* Charley girl! Back *koff* home so
soon?
Modo and Throttle came out too. They were black like
Vinnie.
- What... - Charley was trembling - What you've done with
my house?!
- Sorry, Charley ma'am. It's so boring now... We were just
playing... By the way, that was Throttle, who hadn't catched the grenade - Modo
pointed his friend.
- Hey, bro! It was Vinnie!
- Why you always blame me?! - the white mouse protested.
- Don't worry, Charley. We've decreased the power of the
grenade... Only the corridor is... Ehrm... - Throttle couldn't found the
suitable words.
- A heap of the rubble - ended Vinnie.
- But we'll rebuild it. Bros?
- Sure - answered both Modo and Vinnie.
- I hope so - said Charley.
Scene II
Next day, the Last Chance Garage, 5.05 p.m.
- Easier said than done - apologized Vinnie as he started
painting the walls - Ya know, we've gotta two advantages of destroying the
corridor.
- Go on - Modo dropped a can of paint and splashed
himself.
- One: At last we have something to do. And... Look how
nicely Charley had chosen the color - Vinnie grinned.
Throttle and Modo were keeping painting in silence. The
paint was white.
Scene III
The Last Chance Garage, 6.45 p.m.
- Mission accomplished, Charley ma'am.
- Let me see... Gosh! Great job, guys!
- Yup... But we're getting bored again...
- Wanna paint the other rooms?
The Mice protested.
- As I thought - Charley smiled - So... We'll do something
new... Go and get few candles and a matchbox. We'll meet in the living room at
seven o'clock.
Scene III
The Last Chance Garage, 7.05 p.m.
The Mice and Charley were sitting at the table in the
living room. It was almost pitch black there, and the only one source of the
light were candles...
- Ehrm, sweetheart, I dunno why are we sitting here in the
silence. If you wanna have a romantic dinner with ME... - Vinnie grinned - And
are shy to say it... I'll just tell my bros to go out and...
The doorbell rang.
- Gonna get it, babe?
Charley stood up and went to open the door. After few
minutes, she came back with a teenage. He was tall, slim, black-haired and
brown-eyed. He had a dark carnation, what contrasted with his extremely orange
and white Hawaiian shirt. He was holding a bag.
- Guys, meet Robert, a teenage from the neighborhood.
Robert, meet Throttle, Vinnie and Modo, the Biker Mice from Mars.
- Hi there.
- Hi! - welcomed him the Mice. They were suprised that
this kid wasn't afraid of them...
- Charley girl, hope this guy isn't your boyfriend. If
so...
- No, he isn't- Charley interrupted Vinnie - Just a...
Friend. Rob, can we begin?
- Sure thing.
- Sit down then. How do you like this room?
- Perfect. Great climate. Big table, candles, windows
closed... Can't see the end of the room! So, let's start!
Scene IV
The Last Chance Garage, 7.10 p.m.
Robert took out of his bag three big tomes, few printed
sheets of paper, and few dice.
- Waitta minute... You don't want us to play kinda game
for kids! - Throttle protested.
- That's not the game for kids. God, it's better to play a
game with us than doing nothing, isn't it? I've played it a lot...
- Yeah, sure. When? I've never seen you playing this game.
- When you are refusing me to participe in your mission!
I'm getting bored sometimes too.
- Ok, Ok
- Vinnie, embarrassed, calmed Throttle - Let's play.
- Ehrm... How to play it? - asked Modo.
- You have to use your imagination - explained the teenage
- Nothing... Almost nothing more.
- Aaaow! Now I can proof that I'm the best intellectually
too! - said Vinnie.
- Sure... - Throttle lowed his shades - But I think that
you have no imagination... Don't even try to hit me, Vincent... If you had at
least a bit of it, you wouldn't do... I warn you, bro!... Such stupid things
like... Hah, you've missed!...
- Like WHAT?! - yelled Vinnie and tried to punch Throttle.
He missed another one time.
- Like doing everything in the name of the device "First
shoot, than ask the questions".
- But I love the risk! The danger! Adrenaline...
- 'Cause you simply can't imagine the consequences!
- OK, enough of these - Charley interrupted them - let's
*play*.
- Ehrm, OK, take one of these - Robert passed the sheets
of paper to Charley and Mice.
- Whoa! "Dungeons and Dragons - Character Record Sheets" -
red Modo - But I'm afraid that I don't know how to feel it.
- Don't worry, man. Take this - the kid passed him a tome
called "Players Handbook" - Choose you class, race, character, name and sex.
Charley? Wanna be a female human mage as always?
- Yup. The basic equipment as always too.
- Modo, have you already chosen? - Robert asked.
- 'Till I came here I've always wanted to be a human.
But... I'll be a mouse... Just gimme the human stats, right? Class... Warrior.
Male, of course.
- Good. Now take the dice... And roll your stats.
Modo rolled his stats (high strength, luckily for him).
Than Vinnie and Throttle have chosen their characters, and rolled stats. Vinnie
was an elfish archer ("What does it mean - "There are no guns"?! Aw... So,
gimme something that shoots"), Throttle - a human monk ("I like the
fist-fighting.")
- Great. Now take those dice - the teenage passed to the
Mice few strange dice - The destiny has many faces. So do those dice. Look: d4,
d6, d8, d10, d12, d20 and d100. You'll be using them during the game. Right... I
think that you don't haffta know anything else... For a while. I'll be
describing all during the game. Let's play than.
Scene V
The Game; The Tavern under "The Shiny Spring", Dusk
The tavern was a really nasty place. Our heroes were
sitting next to the door. Ogden, the tavern owner, appeared.
- Welcome, friends. Do you want to have a rest after such
a long and hard travel? I have got the best rooms in the village.
- No, thank you. But give me something to eat. What's
yours "Specialité de
la maison"? - asked Charley, who was dressed in
the long, teal mage's suit and a characteristic spiky hat.
- Fried chicken, madam.
- Good. I'll take it. And you, guys?
- A can... Ehrm... A mug of beer, please - said the white
mouse. He was dressed in the dark pants and brown leather armor with a hood.
- Vinnie - whispered Charley - You can't say "Please"
here. Be decided. You are the master here. Show it.
- A mug of the root beer! Pronto - yelled Vinnie - or I'll
kill you instantly!
- Yes, good master - said frightened Ogden - And for your
friends?
- Beer - said Modo.
- Same for me - declared Throttle.
Modo was dressed in the black leather armor and Throttle
in the brown monk's frock. Instead of his shades he had his bandanna, so he was
seeing nothing. But feeling a lot.
Suddenly the door opened and a hooded woman bounced into
the tavern.
- Ogden! Where are you!? - she yelled.
Ogden entered the room. He was carrying the food for our
heroes and calmly gave it to them.
- No, Triss - said Ogden to the hooded person - Get the
hell out of here.
- I'm sorry that I'll have to do that - Triss pulled out a
silver dagger.
- Hey - said Throttle. He have heard the slicing sound -
Wait a moment.
- Shut up! - yelled Triss and threw off her hood.
She had have to be a beautiful woman one day... Until
someone thought that it isn't a bad idea to slash her face. Now her face was
covered by the numerous scares.
- Look at me - continued Triss - It's his fault. His goons
have mistaken me with someone else... They've used special magic sabre, so I
can't heal myself normally... And he promised me to get a cure!
- It's impossible to get it! - Ogden tried to defend
himself - Helseth von Sulrith keeps it always with him! It's his most valuable
treasure!
- Goddammit! If it's impossible...
- Wanna bet? - grinned Vinnie.
- What...? - Triss was very suprised. - Hm... Not bad
idea. But let's make it more interesting.
- What do you mean?
- You will have 48 hours to bring the potion to me.
- I thought that you want just to have this cure... Who
needs a deadline?
- I like gambling. If you will fail... I will simply kill
you and your team.
- And if I'll win, sweetheart?
- If you win, I'll buy a... Let's see... a keg of beer.
- Aaaaow! You've got it, babe!
- Two days will pass, and I'll be back.
Triss disappeared in the cloud of the stinky, green smoke.
- OK, bros, let's get to work - Vinnie stood up, but his
bros were still sitting - What?
- You're crazy! Our lives for a keg of beer? - apologized
Modo.
- ...
- I'll better go and ask the tavern owner where is this
guy... - Charley came out of the room. She's back in few minutes.
- Great. This guy lives in a small castle in the town
that's about six miles to the east from here, in the town called Kaedven. Come
on.
- I knew you'll like my idea, Charley girl!
- ...
Scene VI
The Game; "en Route", Night
Charley, Throttle, Vinnie and Modo were traveling through
the dark forest.
- Vinnie! - Charley yelled - Watch your...
- Back? - interrupted Vinnie - Don't worry, our radar
doesn't sense any danger, right bro? - he asked Throttle.
- Nope - Throttle answered.
- Vincent... I wanted to say: "Watch *your* butt! Not
*mine*!" - she yelled.
- Ehrm... Sorry, but...
- Shhh!
- What, Throttle? - whispered Modo.
- Left side.
They looked at their left side, and they've seen few
points... Eyes, glowing in the dark. Suddenly a pack of goblins attacked our
heroes.
- That's what I like - shouted Vinnie happily and grabbed
his bow.
He missed.
Scene VI
The Last Chance Garage, 7.40 p.m.
- WHAT!? I never miss!
- But you've threw 2 on d20! That means that you've
missed.
- Hey, I'll show you that I never miss! Wanna fight?!
- Vinnie - interrupted Charley - leave Robert in peace.
These are the rules. Can't throw more than the enemy's armor class - miss.
- Whatta crap. Ok, let's keep playin'.
Scene VII
The Game; "en Route", Night
Throttle was punching the goblins one by one, Modo was
slashing those nasty creatures. Vinnie wasn't as good as he thought (typical),
but he'd killed a plenty of 'em. Charley was helping the Mice by casting the
defensive spells. After few minutes of the violent fight, the goblins were
defended.
- We're the best - assumed Throttle and started drinking a
healing potion.
- Yeah... Let's search the corpses.
Modo had found the long sword +2.
Scene VIII
The Last Chance Garage, 8.05 p.m.
- What? A weapon + 2 in the beginning of the quest? You
haffta be kidding! - protested Charley.
- Nope. Under the rules included in the Dungeon's Master
Guide... Modo's lucky one! He'd threw 100 on d100. Capice?
Scene IX
The Game; "en Route", Night
- This place seems to be good for awaiting till dawn -
said Charley - We won't risk the travel through the cementary that's no far far
away...
- Why, Charley ma'am? - asked the grey mouse.
- I hate the undead.
- Who?
- The undead. Ya know, zombies, skeletons, specters and
others living deads.
- We've met 'em once, remember, bros?
- Yeah - Throttle agreed enthusiastically - Al Capone and
the rest... Few hours after the eel-skin had organized
the motocross...
- Aaaow, that was somethin'! I've shown those punks, the
Loogy Brothers and this freak Evil Eye Weavil who rules in the Windy City!
Remember it, sweetheart? - Vinnie patted Charley on her butt.
- That's enough, my dear ego-mouse! Wanna fondle me?! No
way - she casted a spell, and...
- Ehrm... I feel a bit different... But I dunno what's
wrong...
- You're an impotent now - smiled Charley.
- Yeah, sure... WHAT!?
- An impotent.
- No! It can't be... - cried Vinnie - Do somethin'!
- Maybe... If you'll be gentle for me. But not now.
- Aw...
Throtte and Modo were lying on the ground and laughing.
Scene X
The Last Chance Garage, 8.15 p.m.
- Thanks God, that's only the game... - Vinnie mopped his
forehead.
Scene XI
The Game; "en Route", Dawn
- Get up, guys!
- One more moment, Charley ma'am - yawned Modo.
- ... root beer and two hot-dogs ... - mumbled Throttle.
- As you wish, Charley g... Charley - Vinnie stood up.
- I like that...
- Don't get used to it.
Scene XI
The Game; "en Route", Day
After few hours of traveling, our team have reached their
destination - Kaedven. The town had nothing special; a church, few houses, town
hall, a tavern and a market place. Nothing special... Except an enormous castle
built on the hill nearby the church.
- Whoa, we weren't building such big buildings even on
Mars! - said Modo when he saw the castle.
- Cool - assumed Vinnie - Regret that ya can't see it,
bro.
- But I can feel it.
- Never mind.
- Right, what do you wanna do? - asked Charley - Hope you
don't want to just knock...
- Why not?
- Vincent...
- Ok, ok... You decide.
- Let's visit the nearest tavern.
- Look there - Modo pointed a building nearby - An oberge.
Maybe there...
- No - interrupted Charley - The oberges aren't the safest
places. There you can easily die on your knees, begging for mercy, singing
"Please, mister! Please". Better pay more in the tavern and be safe. Vinnie?
You haven't told anything! A miracle! Te life without you would be much
easier...
- ...
- Just kidding.
- Very funny, Charley girl.
Scene XII
The Game; the Tavern, Day
Charley and the Martian Mice have found the tavern. It was
almost full; there was only one table left. Luckily.
- I'd want to talk with the one who knows the most... -
Throttle took the root beer from the servant.
- Yes. But there can be a problem... He and his friend are
now a bit... Unfit to talk now.
- Now - Throttle gave him a gold coin.
The servant came back quickly with two man. They were
smiled.
- Yeees? - asked one of them, the dark-haired one.
- Take a seat - said Throttle - and tell us how to get
into this big castle... Unnoticeably.
- Hey, Tom - said the blond-one - You've haired them? They
want to get to the castle... Ha... Hah... Hahahaha!
Those two guys started laughing.
- What's up - Vinnie stood up - Tell us or... - he grabbed
his dagger.
- Whoa, hold it - said Tom. He was still smiling - Ha...
Ya know, we're... Toasted now. Ha...! So excusehe us our behahaviour...
- Charley girl, I thought that smoking the grass is
illegal... How you've told us one day...
- Remember - we're not in our reality. We are in the
fantasy world.
- All right than... - Vinnie turned to his new information
source - Stop goddammit smilin' and laughin' and tell what you know!
- Easy... Follow the path until you'll reach the old
church at the edge of town. Enter inside. Between the fourth and fifth column,
there is an... Ehrm, let's call it a "weak part" of the specific pavement.
That's all I know. Twenty gold pieces.
- Ten.
- Fifteen?
- Ten.
- Fifteen and a room for you and your friends until the
night. Deal?
- Deal. Come on, bros. We'd better have some sleep. This
is gonna be hard night.
As our heroes went upstairs, Tom stood up from the table
and followed them. Than he waited for an hour... And quietly entered their room
with the dirk in his hand. "Obeah will be proud of me" - he thought.
Scene XIII
The Game; the Church, Night
Modo raised the maul that he'd bought last day and hit the
pavement. The effect was satisfactory.
- Cool, bro! Now... Who's gonna enter first?
- Stupid question. Vinnie? - Charley smiled.
- I would enter even without your... Order... - the white
mouse disappeared in the tunnel.
- Let's go.
Scene XIV
The Game; the Tunnels, Night
The underground tunnels were very dark and claustrophobic,
but well lighted up. Our heroes were seeking the entrance to the castle in the
silence, wishing to get outta there as quickly as possible... After few minutes
of traveling they've reached a big chamber. An old tome was lying on the
pedestal, in the middle of the room. Charley approached to this book, and
started reading:
I can see what you see not,
Vision milky, then eyes rot.
When you turn they will be gone,
Whispering their hidden song.
Than you see what cannot be,
Shadows move where light should be.
Out of darkness,
Out of mind,
Cast down into the Halls of the Blind.*
As Charley closed the tome, she saw something that was
moving behind Mice. She casted a spell to see what can it be...
- Watch your back - yelled Charley. She was frightened.
- A little flashback, sweetheart?
- Vin... She's serious - Modo grabbed his sword.
Vinnie turned back and get hit by someone... Or something.
- Aw, that hurts... I hate flashbacks... - said Vinnie
lying on the ground.
- What? - Modo was suprised - These things are
invisible... Argh! I'm hit!
- Hold on, bros! I'm coming! - Throttle jumped in the
direction of his friends to defeat them.
It was easy for Throttle to fight with those invisible
freaks of nature. For him, the ability to see was useless. All other senses were
very sensitive. Suddenly the tan mice had felt the vibrations of the air near to
him and had heard the breathing. He punched in it's direction and knocked it
out. Than Throttle jumped on it and started hitting it once by once. When this
thing stopped breathing, Throttle leaved it, because the creature started to
appear. The monster had a big head, he had something about two meters, bug eyes
and a yellow skin.
- Whatta abomination - assumed Modo.
- Yeah... Great to see it dead - said Vinnie rubbing his
cheek.
- Maybe... - suddenly said the mysterious voice, that
sounded like a whispering of the wind - I've been expecting you...
The door hidden in the wall in front of the Mice opened.
- Please, enter...
Scene XV
The Game; the Chamber, Night
The door closed with the <HUK> when our heroes entered the
next chamber. It was much more bigger and dark that the previous one. Charley
shivered as she saw the man who was standing in front of the cauldron. Something
was boiling in it. The man was dark-skinned, with the strange, white suit and
the white top hat. He had had a long magic wand, ended by the skull and plumes.
>From his belt was hanging down a lot of the little bags with the mysterious
ingredients and powders.
- My name is Obeah - the strange man said - And I know why
you are here. You want to steal the magic potion from Helseth von Sulrith? Too
late. I've done that... A month ago. From a month I'm preparing a mixture, that
will give me the force... I will be a god! And I need the cure as a part of my
mixture...
- Shut up. Give the cure and I might let you live -
interrupted Vinnie.
- It's not so easy, my friend... As you suppose, I'll now
try to stop you... In the name of Papa Legba! In the name of Baron Samedi, the
lord of the graveyards... In the name of Master Carrefour... Ogoun wangol danger
mina! - Obeah was incantating and gesticuling - By the power of Zambes... I
summon you!
The ground quaked and ruptured in few places. >From there,
something started to go out...
- Zombies! Damn, I've hoped that I'll avoid it - whispered
Charley to herself.
But what are the zombies for a pack of the heroes? Those
creatures of the night were dead now... Another one time.
- All impure souls of the living dead shall be banished
into eternal damnation - assumed Charley as the fight ended.
- I'd said: to the Plutark - corrected Modo.
- Maybe.
- Vincent... - said Charley to Vinnie, who was trying to
steal a little obsidian statue from the pedestal nearby - Stop playing Arsene
Lupin and help us to get the cure from this voodoo sorcerer!
- Ehrm... What's voodoo, Charley ma'am? - asked the grey
mouse.
- Hey, more important is the question who's Arsene Lupin?
- Vinnie grinned.
- Vincent... Wanna be an impotent until the rest of your
days? Never mind. Catch it - Charley threw him a crystal vial - And drink. I
don't want you to die as a person, who...
- Don't have to end - Vinnie drunk the potion - Ahh...
Much better.
- So - would we kick this sorcerer’s butt now, guys? -
asked Throttle.
- No so fast - smiled Obeah and pulled out for wax dolls -
Do you know what is it?
- No - Charley shaked her head.
- Let me show you - the strange man took a needle and gave
the doll hat looked like Vinnie a prick. In the wax our heroes were able to see
their fur... And hair, naturally.
- Argh!!! - Vinnie curled himself up - That hurts!
- Goddammit, Obeah! What do you want? - Modo's eye started
glowing.
- You. A witch told me one day, that when I'll get the
souls of three strange mouse-like creature... I'll be the master of the voodoo!
- Hey, bros, here we've got another one freak, who wants
to take our souls... But I'm not sure if I even had one... Shall we tell him
something, bros?
Throttle and Vinnie smiled. Especially Throttle, because
he had heard something from the outside... The knights of Helseth, after a month
of searching, have now found the hiding-place of the murderer of their master...
And are coming here to revenge.
- It's tail whipping time! - yelled our heroes as the door
was completely destroyed by incoming forces.
Another one battle started.
Scene XVI
The Last Chance Garage, 11.55 p.m.
- Rob... You know that I hate the Deus ex Machina
situations...
- Calm yourself, Charley! It's the first game for your
friends, so, as you can see, I've made it a bit... Stereotypical.
Scene XVII
The Game; the Chamber, Night
The battle ended almost as fast as it started. Now Obeah
was dead, and Vinnie was searching his bag of the cure for Triss...
- I think I've got it, Charley girl! - he passed her a big
vial filled with a shiny, grey liquid - Check it!
- Yup, Vin. Now we can go back. Come here... To me... Not
SO close, Vincent... Right... Now I'll teleport us back to the tavern...
Scene XVIII
The Game; the Tavern under "The Shiny Spring", Night
Vinnie, Modo, Throttle and Charley appeared in the cloud
of stinky smoke.
- Aw, smells like the Big Cheese - sniffed Throttle.
- Mission accomplished - smiled Vinnie and went to Triss,
who was awaiting for them with Ogden. He passed her the vial.
When Triss drunk the liquid, her face started to shine.
And than... All of the scars disappeared. "She is beautiful" - thought
Vinnie - "But not as beautiful as my Charley...".
- Ogden, bring me here a keg of beer. Yeeehaw!
Scene XIX
The Last Chance Garage, 00.05 a.m.
- The end - Robert closed his guides.
- So... How do you like it, guys?
- Superb.
- Cool thing, Charley...
- If you like it, I love it too - Vinnie grinned.
- Gotta go - Robert packed up his things - My parents
certainly worry about me. See ya!
- Bye!
- Charley, this game is great! - said Throttle as the
teenage went off. The tan mouse was a bit shocked - When will we play another
one part?
- Would you dare to play?
- Sure!
- And... You, Vinnie?
- ... Sure thing, babe.
The End
* - by Chris Metzen, used without permission
