Pinky, Voltron and The Brain
By KittyLynne and The Bandit
Disclaimers: Voltron and all associated characters are owned and copyrighted by WEP. Original/new characters belong to the author. 'Pinky and the Brain' belongs to Warner Brothers/Amblin Entertainment and Mr. Rogers belongs to himself. Other relative disclaimers may apply to obscure references to other shows.
Rating: PG for mild violence, innuendo
Author's Note: A word of explanation may be needed here. 'Pinky and the Brain' is a very funny and witty cartoon that first appeared in Steven Spielberg's 'Animaniacs' on the WB network before eventually spinning off into their own show. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the characters, in the words of their own theme song, they are: "Pinky and the Brain, Pinky and the Brain, one is a genius, the other is insane! They're laboratory mice, whose genes have been spliced..." The Brain's ultimate ambition is to rule the world. The Brain concocts elaborate schemes to achieve world domination by using different aspects of our culture to impart his message; anything from pop idols to Shakespeare has been used to his advantage, which results in some hilarious spoofs. The goofy Pinky is his incompetent but very loyal and eager sidekick in these schemes. Even though Pinky's incessant babble often drives Brain crazy, and even though Brain's Schemes for World Domination inevitably fail, the two mice stick together and never, ever give up.
Which brings us to our story...
Originally posted to the KAEx mailing list - 09/2001
Rating: PG for mild violence, innuendo
Author's Note: A word of explanation may be needed here. 'Pinky and the Brain' is a very funny and witty cartoon that first appeared in Steven Spielberg's 'Animaniacs' on the WB network before eventually spinning off into their own show. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the characters, in the words of their own theme song, they are: "Pinky and the Brain, Pinky and the Brain, one is a genius, the other is insane! They're laboratory mice, whose genes have been spliced..." The Brain's ultimate ambition is to rule the world. The Brain concocts elaborate schemes to achieve world domination by using different aspects of our culture to impart his message; anything from pop idols to Shakespeare has been used to his advantage, which results in some hilarious spoofs. The goofy Pinky is his incompetent but very loyal and eager sidekick in these schemes. Even though Pinky's incessant babble often drives Brain crazy, and even though Brain's Schemes for World Domination inevitably fail, the two mice stick together and never, ever give up.
Which brings us to our story...
Originally posted to the KAEx mailing list - 09/2001
Click on the following links to move along to that chapter.
Planet Arus: 5:00 a.m.
Dawn's pinkish hues illuminated the impressive silhouette of the Castle of Lions; the steel gray fortress took on warmth as the first lazy rays of the sun appeared over the horizon. The burgeoning light soon touched the lands around the Castle, highlighting the meadows that were liberally dotted with symmetrically rounded trees of equal height and breadth. The rear of the palace was also revealed, including the flawlessly formed lake that was glimmering in front of the manicured courtyards. The gardens were filled with impeccably maintained flowers that stretched open their petals to the first faint beams of sunlight.
Graceful, pillared structures reminiscent of ancient Greece emerged from shadow as the sparkling rays blanketed them. The emerald green grass that grew on the flawlessly angled hill on which the buildings rested, took on new verve as wildlife began to stir. Small, shy bunnies emerged from their burrows to hop to and fro, little songbirds trilled a catchy melody, and gentle does and their fawns romped in the meadows. Another perfect, sunny day on Planet Arus. All was peaceful, all was quiet.
Which is exactly why our story doesn't start there.
Planet Earth: 8:05 PM
The inner city building had been condemned, but that didn't bother its occupants. Acme Labs hadn't earned their results-with-minimal-cost-to-the-client reputation by being frivolous with a buck. The humungous letters of the blinking neon sign that crowned the dilapidated laboratory jutted into the stormy night, providing an excellent allegory for what occurred inside the structure; rare flashes of brilliance mixed with the inevitable power failure due to low wattage. Tonight the sign spelled 'ACE BS'.
The scientists corralled within the lab's dingy walls scurried about, performing their assigned duties, which consisted of experimenting on field mice collected by ACME Pest Control, and then watching the resulting mutations go about their business. Everything about these mice had to be carefully recorded as data. Data was a scientist's best friend, data was their bread and butter, as long as they provided data of any kind for the Big Man, they all had jobs.
Eventually, the eight o'clock bell sounded, ending the evening shift. The white-coated humans simultaneously dropped their clipboards and exited en masse, speedily departing their world of test tubes, rodents, and paperwork for the comforts of home. The door slammed, and a morgue- like silence fell over the room, broken only by the sporadic sound of a squeaky exercise wheel.
"Pavlovian imbeciles, once again they've left the place a wreck," muttered a cultured voice. It came from a cage far above the others in the lab. "Ah, but at last I have some peace!"
A steel cage door swung open, and the misshapen mouse the scientists had dubbed 'The Brain' crawled out of confinement with a thankful sigh. As soon as he was free of the pen, he stood in an upright position on the laboratory table and placed his fore paws in the small of his white, furry back, stretching it out with pleasure. His grossly oversized cranium almost overbalanced him for a moment, but he managed to stay upright as he completed his exercises, his abnormally tiny body making little cracking noises.
"Ahhh, that feels so good. How I hate having to regress to such primitive measures to get around. Four-footed locomotion should be reserved for inferior creatures like cats and rats." The mouse grumbled, his perpetual scowl deepening with contempt.
A loud voice liberally laced with a Scottish burr piped through the bars of a nearby cage. "Zort! I say Brain, is that you?"
"No, Pinky, it's Mr. Rogers." The Brain replied with sarcasm as he strolled over to the enclosure directly below his.
"Ooooo, really? The Mr. Rogers? The 'oh, won't you be my neighbor' Mr. Rogers?!" The happy voice trembled with excitement. A pink nose bracketed by two large eyes and a buck toothed grin suddenly appeared between the cage bars. Two extremely outsized ears quivered in ecstasy on either side of the broadly grinning face. "Mr. Rogers, I'm a big fan of yours...poit!...play land of make believe with me, would you please? Oh, I simplylove King Friday, and Prince Tuesday, and Daniel..."
"Pinky, your inability to grasp the obvious never fails to astound me," the big- headed rodent answered, wearily. "Are you coming out of your cage or did you forget how to open your door?"
"No, Mr. Rogers, I didn't! Look! I can do it by myself now! Look!" The gangly mouse whipped open his cage door with a flourish and scurried over to his friend, eagerly glancing around. "Oh hi, Brain! Where's Mr.- "
“Not here," The Brain cut him off, speaking in simple sentences. "Never was here."
"Oh," Pinky's face fell, then brightened. "Mr. McFeely?"
"Not here."
"King Friday-"
"No."
Pinky's lower lip quivered. "The trolley isn't here either?" he asked pitifully, his eyes starting to water.
"Pinky, this is not the land of make believe, we are the only ones present in this godforsaken hellhole, and we have a job to do, so just get over it, please!"
Pinky was immediately distracted from his sulk. "Work? Oh goody, I love work!" He clapped his front paws together.
~The attention span of a flea at a dog show.~ The Brain thought despairingly. Good thing Pinky made the perfect lackey, or he would be tempted to personally put the addled rodent in the crowded rat cage experiment.
"What are we going to do tonight, Brain?" His dimwitted counterpart inquired excitedly.
"The same thing we do every night, Pinky." The mousy genius replied emphatically. "We are going to- TAKE OVER THE WORLD!"
Pinky danced around in delight. "Oooo goody! How are we going to do it this time?"
"Well, up until a minute ago I hadn't a clue," the Brain admitted, "but your inane prattle has actually given me a brilliant idea."
"That's nice, Brain. But I haven't named a prattle since I was a baby," Pinky informed him gravely.
"Never mind, Pinky. What I am saying is that we will use make-believe to take over the world!"
"Will King Friday be the ruler?"
"NO! Forget about Mr. Rogers and focus, Pinky; gather those genetically scattered wits!" The Brain bellowed, then calmed himself. "We are going to use the beloved world of animation to send a subliminal message to the earth's population to worship The Brain. All that remains is to choose a suitable series to use in our plan."
"Does that mean I get to watch cartoons again?" Pinky asked, with a hopeful grin.
"Yes, I do believe that would be the best way to choose. Now that I have installed the satellite dish on the roof, we now have 540 channels to pick from."
"Naaarrrf! That's amazing, Brain! I'll go get the remote! Zort!"
"You do that," his friend replied, with a sigh of relief. Pinky had actually mastered that task. "I'll wheel out the big screen television."
The two mice went their separate ways, Pinky to the remote, The Brain to the huge closet that contained the television and the 'Big Suit', a headless, life size mechanical body he had built for any world domination schemes that required him to appear human. He managed to pull the cart out without dislodging the suit, and wheeled it to the nearest power source.
Soon the T.V. was on and the two laboratory mice were seated on the table in front of it, eyes avidly fixed on the screen.
The first channel showed an animated gray cat and large- headed brown mouse wrecking havoc on a house and each other. Pinky chortled in glee as the cat's face took on the shape of the steam iron that had flattened it.
"Ah yes...the classics..." The Brain intoned, thoughtfully. "That mouse had the right idea, but his ambition is limited to a lowly cat. A good looking fellow too...but what a pitiful waste of talent. Switch channels, Pinky!"
The intellectually impaired mouse leaped to his feet and jumped up and down on the channel changer. The picture tube now showed a tuxedo- clad mouse and a duck in nautical type garb having a very animated conversation. The duck was spitting and sputtering intelligibly as the mouse calmly listened to his tirade.
"Not much to go on here," The Brain muttered.
"Yes, but isn't Mikey a sharp dresser?" Pinky sighed wistfully. "It almost makes me wish that I wore clothes."
"Oh honestly Pinky... it's 'Mickey', not 'Mikey', you simpleton!"
His companion corrected him in disgust. "Hm...I will say that it is simply amazing to me that such a banal but amiable personality could be running a corporation that has come so very close to the objective I have been trying to achieve."
"Duck is funny," Pinky laughed heartily. " I like him."
"Just change the channel, please," The Brain sighed.
"Aw..."
"Do it, Pinky!"
The channel flipped, and suddenly a dog and four humans appeared on the screen. One female in horn-rimmed glasses was speaking animatedly.
"Jinkies, it's the ghost-!"
"Next one, Pinky!!"
"Velma, I hardly knew ye," Pinky whispered sadly, as he hopped.
"Yabba dabba-"
"Change it!"
"Oh Bother, Piglet-"
"Change!"
"Eh, what's up, Doc?"
"Next!"
"Ji-ga-lee-puff..."
"Oh good lord...NEXT!"
"Good thing I work out on the wheel as much as I do," Pinky gasped, continuing to jump.
Channel after channel went by, and The Brain felt himself falling into the depths of despair. Were all American cartoons full of inanity and mindless violence, with no redeeming characteristics whatsoever? How could he hope to win people over to his side with countless falling anvils, singing chipmunks, a duck hunter with a speech impediment, or a pudgy cat that ate lasagna?
Finally, there was only one option left; a network that showed cartoons imported or adapted from Japanese animation. What could the Japanese offer that good old American ingenuity had overlooked or hadn't watered down beyond recognition?
But then, stirring music spilled into the room and the screen was suddenly filled with the impressive form of a lion-headed mechanical warrior that was, the announcer informed them, "a mighty robot, loved by good, and feared by evil."
"My God, it looks very much like the design of my Big Suit," The Brain gasped in astonishment. He watched in awe as the Robot formed his blazing sword and various other weapons to defeat ugly mechanical monsters. He noted with astonishment that the warrior was made of five separate parts, flown by five pilots; four men and one woman. The humans were shown in split screens from time to time, exchanging information and banter.
"Look at the Princess, isn't she lovely?" Pinky sighed. "I'm pretty sure she and Captain Keith-he's the mullet guy in red flight suit and white go go boots- are in love, even though Lance flirts with her! She has kissed Lance on the cheek a few times, but I don't think it means anything because Keith and Allura always look at each other in the most amazing ways, and they always are shown together. But Keith is very quiet about it, because he's not a Prince, not that it matters, mind you, although that horrid Nanny makes it seem like it does, although I think she changed her mind after Keith took a slash in the chest to defend the Princess' honor, and she was so upset she sat by his bed the entire time until the Robeast attacked, and she went to protect him, and then he came out of his coma just in time to help save her and defeat the monster." Pinky sucked in a deep breath and his goofy grin turned wistful. "Ain't love grand, Brain? Even though they never say it, you just know they-"
"It's called subtext, Pinky. And I take it that you have watched this show more than once?" The Brain interrupted his friend's stream of semi-coherent babbling.
"Poit! Oh yes, many times! I love the adventures of the Voltron Force, although there are some really icky poo poo people on it that want to destroy them and capture the Diamond Galaxy and ruin the Alliance, then there's that evil Prince Lotor who is always after Princess Allura, ooo, he makes me so mad!" The gangly body bristled with repressed ire. "It would be so marvelous if they would let Captain Keith really smack that Lotor a good one, Zort!"
"Yes, yes, whatever. I am more interested in their Big Suit, Pinky. It looks practically invincible, and all the people on the show seem to admire or fear it greatly." The Brain's myopic eyes grew wide as he saw the mechanical man standing on a pedestal in front of cheering, flower-throwing throngs of people. "Look Pinky! Look how they worship the Big Head Lion Suit!"
Pinky giggled. "Oh Brain, you silly-willy, it's not called Big Head Lion Suit! It's Voltron, Defender of the Universe, or V:DOTU for short."
"Voltron, eh?" The final credits were now rolling, and The Brain was disappointed. "Over already? Oh, to have seen more, my loquacious friend, I feel that we could have learned much."
Pinky beamed and clapped his paws together. "You're in luck! It's Wednesday, and every Wednesday they run a Voltron mini-marathon! Wait until you see the Castle of Lions, and how get to the lion ships before they form Voltron!"
The Brain raised his tiny fists in triumph. "Yeeesssss! I foresee great potential in this show. Let the marathon begin!"
Six hours later...
The Brain, still murmuring excitedly to himself, had filled an entire notebook with specs on the Defender of the Universe. Finally, he threw his pencil down in triumph.
"That's it!! If my calculations are correct, Pinky, we can modify the exoskeleton of our very own Big Suit to emulate that of Voltron in its functionality."
"Why do we want to do that Brain?" The pink nosed mouse whimpered as his gaze remained fixed on the screen. “You know quite well that I'm afraid of extra scary skeletons, Narf!”
"Oh for the love of..." his friend sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. "Don't make me hurt you, Pinky. I was referring to the structure of the Big Suit. There will be no extra skeletons, scary or otherwise. "
"Okay," was the distracted reply.
“Here is my plan in a rudimentary, yet effective nutshell.” The Brain stated. "We will alter the Big Suit to resemble Voltron, go to Japan to fight some giant monsters and save Tokyo from certain destruction. Since the Japanese are severely depressed over their latest economic decline, they will love us and will reward us for bringing them security by giving us our own show along with rights to mass merchandising. In the daily program, we will be shown performing heroic deeds, attending school, working hard and setting a good example of citizenship, thereby ingratiating ourselves into the hearts of all Japanese. At the end of every show, when they do the monologue, we will insert our own subliminal message to make me their leader! To control Japan, is to control of one of the seven world economic powers; once our series hits syndication, we will then export our show around the globe, along with our message, and in no time at all we take over the world!"
Unable to contain himself, The Brain chortled with wicked and prolonged glee until Pinky shushed him with vehement and completely unexpected emphasis.
The Brain stopped chortling and glared. “What could possibly be more important than my brill-”
Pinky interrupted. "There's a K & A moment coming up soon."
The Brain scowled. "What, pray tell, is a 'K & A' moment?"
"Keith and Allura, silly, remember? I just know that one of these days he's going to kiss her!"
"Really Pinky, one of these days I'm going to...wait!" The Brain pointed at the screen excitedly. “Those small red eyed creatures, who are they?”
"Narrrffff....oo, those are the Space Mice; they are the special friends of the Princess!" Pinky explained happily.
"What is that contraption they are flying?"
"It's their version of a lion ship. Pidge, the Green Lion pilot built it." Pinky shook his head. “The boy genius meant well, but why did he make it so they have to pedal it to get it to fly, poor little guys! With all the gizmos and gadgets, why would he give them a gerbil..."
The Brain wasn't listening, he was pondering. "Experienced pilots, eh? We are going to need recruits that are experienced in combat for our knockoff- I mean, our personal version of Voltron." The Brain scratched his head. "And you say these mice are very close to the Princess of , uh...uh..."
"Planet Arus," Pinky supplied helpfully. “She already rules a world.”
"Yes, yes, of course she does. And so will we, once we would have an inside way to get more complete information on the lions' infrastructure; I must admit I am a little vague on the concept of dynotherms and infracells." The Brain watched closely as the Space Mice were rewarded with cheese for a job well done. "Ah, Pinky, this is excellent! They will work for food! Are you pondering what I'm pondering?"
His skinny friend looked pensive. "I think so Brain, but no matter how much he has the hots for her, Lance will never pursue Allura because Keith is his best friend and it would hurt him badly. Oh look, the Princess is on again, isn't she beautiful?"
The Brain was too busy concentrating on his plan to look. Striding over to the remote, he switched off the television, and began to quickly disassemble the apparatus.
"You took her away! Why, Brain, why?" The besotted rodent wailed pitifully.
"Cool your mega-thrusters, Pinky, you'll be seeing her in person if this works."
The tall mouse wore a look of rapture. “Oh joyous day!”
“Not if you don't get to work!”
“Right away Brain!”
With Pinky now fully engaged in the task, lttle paws flew as they wired and re-wired the remote. The last step was to hook it to the surveillance camera mounted nearby.
"I will really get to meet her?" Pinky clapped his paws together as he watched the Brain hooked up various cables and wires to the video camera. "Oh, that would be even more wonderful than meeting Mr. Rogers and taking a ride on the trolley."
The Brain finished the last connections and gave a sigh of satisfaction. “Yes, that should do it, now we must get this to the Big Suit. With all the technology that they have lying around on Planet Arus, I can modify the suit there for next to nothing."
"Zort! You don't mean-"
"Yes, Pinky, we are going to Planet Arus via my Network Trans Warp Modifier! What was once unattainable as fantasy will become the ultimate reality show!"
"But t-that m-means..." Pinky looked as if he would have paled if hadn't been white. “That means...”
"Going to another network? I know, and I don't care."
"Not just that! Zort! It's against the rules of animation, Brain! We'll get in big trouble!"
“Once I am ensconced as ruler of this world. I will pardon us.”
Pinky folded his arms and stuck his nose in the air. "I don't care. It's wrong and I won't do it!"
"Do you want to see your precious Princess or not?"
"Oh yes! I'll get the Big Suit!"
The Brain shook his head as the hyperactive rodent ran for the closet. It was way too easy sometimes. True love and romance was for idiots, and Pinky was their poster boy.
The suit was rolled out and set into position. The Brain entered through the open toed shoe, carrying the remote, with Pinky at his heels. Brain immediately sped to the top of the suit, sat in the captain's chair and stuck his head out of the large neck hole. He knew, of course, that his head was way too small in scope for the body it topped, but no one had seemed to notice this deformity on previous adventures, so he saw no reason to change it.
Pinky's plaintive tones rose up from the bowels of the suit. “Brain, why do I have to sit way down here? I can't see or touch anything!”
"That's the idea," the Brain muttered to himself. Aloud he said, "It's only for a few minutes, my friend. Isn't it worth it to meet the lovely Princess?"
"Naaarrrffff," was the dreamy sounding response.
"I'll take that as a yes. Hang on Pinky, we are ready to proceed."
"All right! " Pinky yelled. “Let's go, Big Suit Force!”
"Indeed," The Brain said. Switching on the television by remote, he then pressed the channel changer, and a few seconds short of instantly the Big Suit and its two rodent occupants were transformed into pixels of light that were sucked straight into the verdant, scenic Arusian countryside depicted on the screen.
Dawn's pinkish hues illuminated the impressive silhouette of the Castle of Lions; the steel gray fortress took on warmth as the first lazy rays of the sun appeared over the horizon. The burgeoning light soon touched the lands around the Castle, highlighting the meadows that were liberally dotted with symmetrically rounded trees of equal height and breadth. The rear of the palace was also revealed, including the flawlessly formed lake that was glimmering in front of the manicured courtyards. The gardens were filled with impeccably maintained flowers that stretched open their petals to the first faint beams of sunlight.
Graceful, pillared structures reminiscent of ancient Greece emerged from shadow as the sparkling rays blanketed them. The emerald green grass that grew on the flawlessly angled hill on which the buildings rested, took on new verve as wildlife began to stir. Small, shy bunnies emerged from their burrows to hop to and fro, little songbirds trilled a catchy melody, and gentle does and their fawns romped in the meadows. Another perfect, sunny day on Planet Arus. All was peaceful, all was quiet.
Which is exactly why our story doesn't start there.
Planet Earth: 8:05 PM
The inner city building had been condemned, but that didn't bother its occupants. Acme Labs hadn't earned their results-with-minimal-cost-to-the-client reputation by being frivolous with a buck. The humungous letters of the blinking neon sign that crowned the dilapidated laboratory jutted into the stormy night, providing an excellent allegory for what occurred inside the structure; rare flashes of brilliance mixed with the inevitable power failure due to low wattage. Tonight the sign spelled 'ACE BS'.
The scientists corralled within the lab's dingy walls scurried about, performing their assigned duties, which consisted of experimenting on field mice collected by ACME Pest Control, and then watching the resulting mutations go about their business. Everything about these mice had to be carefully recorded as data. Data was a scientist's best friend, data was their bread and butter, as long as they provided data of any kind for the Big Man, they all had jobs.
Eventually, the eight o'clock bell sounded, ending the evening shift. The white-coated humans simultaneously dropped their clipboards and exited en masse, speedily departing their world of test tubes, rodents, and paperwork for the comforts of home. The door slammed, and a morgue- like silence fell over the room, broken only by the sporadic sound of a squeaky exercise wheel.
"Pavlovian imbeciles, once again they've left the place a wreck," muttered a cultured voice. It came from a cage far above the others in the lab. "Ah, but at last I have some peace!"
A steel cage door swung open, and the misshapen mouse the scientists had dubbed 'The Brain' crawled out of confinement with a thankful sigh. As soon as he was free of the pen, he stood in an upright position on the laboratory table and placed his fore paws in the small of his white, furry back, stretching it out with pleasure. His grossly oversized cranium almost overbalanced him for a moment, but he managed to stay upright as he completed his exercises, his abnormally tiny body making little cracking noises.
"Ahhh, that feels so good. How I hate having to regress to such primitive measures to get around. Four-footed locomotion should be reserved for inferior creatures like cats and rats." The mouse grumbled, his perpetual scowl deepening with contempt.
A loud voice liberally laced with a Scottish burr piped through the bars of a nearby cage. "Zort! I say Brain, is that you?"
"No, Pinky, it's Mr. Rogers." The Brain replied with sarcasm as he strolled over to the enclosure directly below his.
"Ooooo, really? The Mr. Rogers? The 'oh, won't you be my neighbor' Mr. Rogers?!" The happy voice trembled with excitement. A pink nose bracketed by two large eyes and a buck toothed grin suddenly appeared between the cage bars. Two extremely outsized ears quivered in ecstasy on either side of the broadly grinning face. "Mr. Rogers, I'm a big fan of yours...poit!...play land of make believe with me, would you please? Oh, I simplylove King Friday, and Prince Tuesday, and Daniel..."
"Pinky, your inability to grasp the obvious never fails to astound me," the big- headed rodent answered, wearily. "Are you coming out of your cage or did you forget how to open your door?"
"No, Mr. Rogers, I didn't! Look! I can do it by myself now! Look!" The gangly mouse whipped open his cage door with a flourish and scurried over to his friend, eagerly glancing around. "Oh hi, Brain! Where's Mr.- "
“Not here," The Brain cut him off, speaking in simple sentences. "Never was here."
"Oh," Pinky's face fell, then brightened. "Mr. McFeely?"
"Not here."
"King Friday-"
"No."
Pinky's lower lip quivered. "The trolley isn't here either?" he asked pitifully, his eyes starting to water.
"Pinky, this is not the land of make believe, we are the only ones present in this godforsaken hellhole, and we have a job to do, so just get over it, please!"
Pinky was immediately distracted from his sulk. "Work? Oh goody, I love work!" He clapped his front paws together.
~The attention span of a flea at a dog show.~ The Brain thought despairingly. Good thing Pinky made the perfect lackey, or he would be tempted to personally put the addled rodent in the crowded rat cage experiment.
"What are we going to do tonight, Brain?" His dimwitted counterpart inquired excitedly.
"The same thing we do every night, Pinky." The mousy genius replied emphatically. "We are going to- TAKE OVER THE WORLD!"
Pinky danced around in delight. "Oooo goody! How are we going to do it this time?"
"Well, up until a minute ago I hadn't a clue," the Brain admitted, "but your inane prattle has actually given me a brilliant idea."
"That's nice, Brain. But I haven't named a prattle since I was a baby," Pinky informed him gravely.
"Never mind, Pinky. What I am saying is that we will use make-believe to take over the world!"
"Will King Friday be the ruler?"
"NO! Forget about Mr. Rogers and focus, Pinky; gather those genetically scattered wits!" The Brain bellowed, then calmed himself. "We are going to use the beloved world of animation to send a subliminal message to the earth's population to worship The Brain. All that remains is to choose a suitable series to use in our plan."
"Does that mean I get to watch cartoons again?" Pinky asked, with a hopeful grin.
"Yes, I do believe that would be the best way to choose. Now that I have installed the satellite dish on the roof, we now have 540 channels to pick from."
"Naaarrrf! That's amazing, Brain! I'll go get the remote! Zort!"
"You do that," his friend replied, with a sigh of relief. Pinky had actually mastered that task. "I'll wheel out the big screen television."
The two mice went their separate ways, Pinky to the remote, The Brain to the huge closet that contained the television and the 'Big Suit', a headless, life size mechanical body he had built for any world domination schemes that required him to appear human. He managed to pull the cart out without dislodging the suit, and wheeled it to the nearest power source.
Soon the T.V. was on and the two laboratory mice were seated on the table in front of it, eyes avidly fixed on the screen.
The first channel showed an animated gray cat and large- headed brown mouse wrecking havoc on a house and each other. Pinky chortled in glee as the cat's face took on the shape of the steam iron that had flattened it.
"Ah yes...the classics..." The Brain intoned, thoughtfully. "That mouse had the right idea, but his ambition is limited to a lowly cat. A good looking fellow too...but what a pitiful waste of talent. Switch channels, Pinky!"
The intellectually impaired mouse leaped to his feet and jumped up and down on the channel changer. The picture tube now showed a tuxedo- clad mouse and a duck in nautical type garb having a very animated conversation. The duck was spitting and sputtering intelligibly as the mouse calmly listened to his tirade.
"Not much to go on here," The Brain muttered.
"Yes, but isn't Mikey a sharp dresser?" Pinky sighed wistfully. "It almost makes me wish that I wore clothes."
"Oh honestly Pinky... it's 'Mickey', not 'Mikey', you simpleton!"
His companion corrected him in disgust. "Hm...I will say that it is simply amazing to me that such a banal but amiable personality could be running a corporation that has come so very close to the objective I have been trying to achieve."
"Duck is funny," Pinky laughed heartily. " I like him."
"Just change the channel, please," The Brain sighed.
"Aw..."
"Do it, Pinky!"
The channel flipped, and suddenly a dog and four humans appeared on the screen. One female in horn-rimmed glasses was speaking animatedly.
"Jinkies, it's the ghost-!"
"Next one, Pinky!!"
"Velma, I hardly knew ye," Pinky whispered sadly, as he hopped.
"Yabba dabba-"
"Change it!"
"Oh Bother, Piglet-"
"Change!"
"Eh, what's up, Doc?"
"Next!"
"Ji-ga-lee-puff..."
"Oh good lord...NEXT!"
"Good thing I work out on the wheel as much as I do," Pinky gasped, continuing to jump.
Channel after channel went by, and The Brain felt himself falling into the depths of despair. Were all American cartoons full of inanity and mindless violence, with no redeeming characteristics whatsoever? How could he hope to win people over to his side with countless falling anvils, singing chipmunks, a duck hunter with a speech impediment, or a pudgy cat that ate lasagna?
Finally, there was only one option left; a network that showed cartoons imported or adapted from Japanese animation. What could the Japanese offer that good old American ingenuity had overlooked or hadn't watered down beyond recognition?
But then, stirring music spilled into the room and the screen was suddenly filled with the impressive form of a lion-headed mechanical warrior that was, the announcer informed them, "a mighty robot, loved by good, and feared by evil."
"My God, it looks very much like the design of my Big Suit," The Brain gasped in astonishment. He watched in awe as the Robot formed his blazing sword and various other weapons to defeat ugly mechanical monsters. He noted with astonishment that the warrior was made of five separate parts, flown by five pilots; four men and one woman. The humans were shown in split screens from time to time, exchanging information and banter.
"Look at the Princess, isn't she lovely?" Pinky sighed. "I'm pretty sure she and Captain Keith-he's the mullet guy in red flight suit and white go go boots- are in love, even though Lance flirts with her! She has kissed Lance on the cheek a few times, but I don't think it means anything because Keith and Allura always look at each other in the most amazing ways, and they always are shown together. But Keith is very quiet about it, because he's not a Prince, not that it matters, mind you, although that horrid Nanny makes it seem like it does, although I think she changed her mind after Keith took a slash in the chest to defend the Princess' honor, and she was so upset she sat by his bed the entire time until the Robeast attacked, and she went to protect him, and then he came out of his coma just in time to help save her and defeat the monster." Pinky sucked in a deep breath and his goofy grin turned wistful. "Ain't love grand, Brain? Even though they never say it, you just know they-"
"It's called subtext, Pinky. And I take it that you have watched this show more than once?" The Brain interrupted his friend's stream of semi-coherent babbling.
"Poit! Oh yes, many times! I love the adventures of the Voltron Force, although there are some really icky poo poo people on it that want to destroy them and capture the Diamond Galaxy and ruin the Alliance, then there's that evil Prince Lotor who is always after Princess Allura, ooo, he makes me so mad!" The gangly body bristled with repressed ire. "It would be so marvelous if they would let Captain Keith really smack that Lotor a good one, Zort!"
"Yes, yes, whatever. I am more interested in their Big Suit, Pinky. It looks practically invincible, and all the people on the show seem to admire or fear it greatly." The Brain's myopic eyes grew wide as he saw the mechanical man standing on a pedestal in front of cheering, flower-throwing throngs of people. "Look Pinky! Look how they worship the Big Head Lion Suit!"
Pinky giggled. "Oh Brain, you silly-willy, it's not called Big Head Lion Suit! It's Voltron, Defender of the Universe, or V:DOTU for short."
"Voltron, eh?" The final credits were now rolling, and The Brain was disappointed. "Over already? Oh, to have seen more, my loquacious friend, I feel that we could have learned much."
Pinky beamed and clapped his paws together. "You're in luck! It's Wednesday, and every Wednesday they run a Voltron mini-marathon! Wait until you see the Castle of Lions, and how get to the lion ships before they form Voltron!"
The Brain raised his tiny fists in triumph. "Yeeesssss! I foresee great potential in this show. Let the marathon begin!"
Six hours later...
The Brain, still murmuring excitedly to himself, had filled an entire notebook with specs on the Defender of the Universe. Finally, he threw his pencil down in triumph.
"That's it!! If my calculations are correct, Pinky, we can modify the exoskeleton of our very own Big Suit to emulate that of Voltron in its functionality."
"Why do we want to do that Brain?" The pink nosed mouse whimpered as his gaze remained fixed on the screen. “You know quite well that I'm afraid of extra scary skeletons, Narf!”
"Oh for the love of..." his friend sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. "Don't make me hurt you, Pinky. I was referring to the structure of the Big Suit. There will be no extra skeletons, scary or otherwise. "
"Okay," was the distracted reply.
“Here is my plan in a rudimentary, yet effective nutshell.” The Brain stated. "We will alter the Big Suit to resemble Voltron, go to Japan to fight some giant monsters and save Tokyo from certain destruction. Since the Japanese are severely depressed over their latest economic decline, they will love us and will reward us for bringing them security by giving us our own show along with rights to mass merchandising. In the daily program, we will be shown performing heroic deeds, attending school, working hard and setting a good example of citizenship, thereby ingratiating ourselves into the hearts of all Japanese. At the end of every show, when they do the monologue, we will insert our own subliminal message to make me their leader! To control Japan, is to control of one of the seven world economic powers; once our series hits syndication, we will then export our show around the globe, along with our message, and in no time at all we take over the world!"
Unable to contain himself, The Brain chortled with wicked and prolonged glee until Pinky shushed him with vehement and completely unexpected emphasis.
The Brain stopped chortling and glared. “What could possibly be more important than my brill-”
Pinky interrupted. "There's a K & A moment coming up soon."
The Brain scowled. "What, pray tell, is a 'K & A' moment?"
"Keith and Allura, silly, remember? I just know that one of these days he's going to kiss her!"
"Really Pinky, one of these days I'm going to...wait!" The Brain pointed at the screen excitedly. “Those small red eyed creatures, who are they?”
"Narrrffff....oo, those are the Space Mice; they are the special friends of the Princess!" Pinky explained happily.
"What is that contraption they are flying?"
"It's their version of a lion ship. Pidge, the Green Lion pilot built it." Pinky shook his head. “The boy genius meant well, but why did he make it so they have to pedal it to get it to fly, poor little guys! With all the gizmos and gadgets, why would he give them a gerbil..."
The Brain wasn't listening, he was pondering. "Experienced pilots, eh? We are going to need recruits that are experienced in combat for our knockoff- I mean, our personal version of Voltron." The Brain scratched his head. "And you say these mice are very close to the Princess of , uh...uh..."
"Planet Arus," Pinky supplied helpfully. “She already rules a world.”
"Yes, yes, of course she does. And so will we, once we would have an inside way to get more complete information on the lions' infrastructure; I must admit I am a little vague on the concept of dynotherms and infracells." The Brain watched closely as the Space Mice were rewarded with cheese for a job well done. "Ah, Pinky, this is excellent! They will work for food! Are you pondering what I'm pondering?"
His skinny friend looked pensive. "I think so Brain, but no matter how much he has the hots for her, Lance will never pursue Allura because Keith is his best friend and it would hurt him badly. Oh look, the Princess is on again, isn't she beautiful?"
The Brain was too busy concentrating on his plan to look. Striding over to the remote, he switched off the television, and began to quickly disassemble the apparatus.
"You took her away! Why, Brain, why?" The besotted rodent wailed pitifully.
"Cool your mega-thrusters, Pinky, you'll be seeing her in person if this works."
The tall mouse wore a look of rapture. “Oh joyous day!”
“Not if you don't get to work!”
“Right away Brain!”
With Pinky now fully engaged in the task, lttle paws flew as they wired and re-wired the remote. The last step was to hook it to the surveillance camera mounted nearby.
"I will really get to meet her?" Pinky clapped his paws together as he watched the Brain hooked up various cables and wires to the video camera. "Oh, that would be even more wonderful than meeting Mr. Rogers and taking a ride on the trolley."
The Brain finished the last connections and gave a sigh of satisfaction. “Yes, that should do it, now we must get this to the Big Suit. With all the technology that they have lying around on Planet Arus, I can modify the suit there for next to nothing."
"Zort! You don't mean-"
"Yes, Pinky, we are going to Planet Arus via my Network Trans Warp Modifier! What was once unattainable as fantasy will become the ultimate reality show!"
"But t-that m-means..." Pinky looked as if he would have paled if hadn't been white. “That means...”
"Going to another network? I know, and I don't care."
"Not just that! Zort! It's against the rules of animation, Brain! We'll get in big trouble!"
“Once I am ensconced as ruler of this world. I will pardon us.”
Pinky folded his arms and stuck his nose in the air. "I don't care. It's wrong and I won't do it!"
"Do you want to see your precious Princess or not?"
"Oh yes! I'll get the Big Suit!"
The Brain shook his head as the hyperactive rodent ran for the closet. It was way too easy sometimes. True love and romance was for idiots, and Pinky was their poster boy.
The suit was rolled out and set into position. The Brain entered through the open toed shoe, carrying the remote, with Pinky at his heels. Brain immediately sped to the top of the suit, sat in the captain's chair and stuck his head out of the large neck hole. He knew, of course, that his head was way too small in scope for the body it topped, but no one had seemed to notice this deformity on previous adventures, so he saw no reason to change it.
Pinky's plaintive tones rose up from the bowels of the suit. “Brain, why do I have to sit way down here? I can't see or touch anything!”
"That's the idea," the Brain muttered to himself. Aloud he said, "It's only for a few minutes, my friend. Isn't it worth it to meet the lovely Princess?"
"Naaarrrffff," was the dreamy sounding response.
"I'll take that as a yes. Hang on Pinky, we are ready to proceed."
"All right! " Pinky yelled. “Let's go, Big Suit Force!”
"Indeed," The Brain said. Switching on the television by remote, he then pressed the channel changer, and a few seconds short of instantly the Big Suit and its two rodent occupants were transformed into pixels of light that were sucked straight into the verdant, scenic Arusian countryside depicted on the screen.
Planet Arus: 5:05 am
The peace and quiet of a dawning, perfect day was barely disturbed by the roar of five lion ships. They flew high above the landscape,
"Can someone tell me why I was dragged out of my nice warm bed at this ungodly hour?" Hunk grumbled as he maneuvered Yellow Lion into formation. "We kicked their butts but good, so it's not like Doom is waiting around the corner."
"Cheer up big guy! Nanny is planning a special breakfast for us after drills in honor of our latest victory!" Pidge consoled his friend.
"As well she should! It's gonna be a challenge for Lotor and Hagar to find any more RoBeast volunteers after what we did to the last one," another voice interjected with a cackle.
"You said it, Lance! Those giant anti-lazon enemas were just what the doctor ordered; the RoBeasts on Doom will be running on empty for days!" Hunk declared with glee.
"That's all well and good, but we're out here because we can't afford to relax our guard." The ever-somber Captain of Voltron cut in firmly. “Who knows what evil magic Hagar has put away for emergencies?”
A chorus of disgruntled grumbles greeted his statement.
"Or what Prince Lotor might have up his sleeve," a feminine voice added uneasily, putting a quick end to the grumbling.
"Don't worry Princess, you know that I-that we won't let that creep lay a hand on you!" Captain Keith vowed earnestly. On screen, his firm jaw was set, and his dark eyes flashed with intensity. Protectiveness oozed from his every pore. Or perhaps it was sweat. “He doesn't stand a chance if he tries!”
Lance rolled his eyes at Hunk and Pidge's images on his view screens. Everyone was very aware that the pilot of Black Lion would do anything to keep the Lothario Lotor from having his way with Allura, he had said so several times in and out of battle.
"So brave!" Allura gushed. "So noble and brave! I don't know how I can ever thank you for all you've done for me, Keith, or any of you boys, for that matter.”
"I can think of a way for you to thank me, Princess," Lance told her. "It involves you and some cheesecake."
Keith glared at the smirking Red Lion pilot on his screen with narrowed dark eyes smoldering with suppressed emotion. "No way, Lance!"
"Just a thought," his friend shrugged. “Can't blame a guy for trying.”
“Yes, I can.” Keith stated. “I can definitely blame you.”
Hunk spoke up in an amazed tone. "Jeez, Keith, it sounds to me like you're kinda jea-"
"Why don't you want Lance to have cheesecake, Keith?" The pilot of Blue Lion broke in, her voice sounding reproachful. "I'd be happy to give him that if that is what he likes.”
Lance turned to look at Allura with an innocent smile on his handsome face. "That'd be swell. Do you know what my very favorite flavor is, Princess?"
"No, but please tell me." She replied, returning his smile warmly.
The Red Lion pilot's smile broadened to epic proportions. “Royal cherry. It's sweet and-”
"Enough, Lance!" The Captain abruptly cut off his second-in command.
Allura protested, "Keith, you're being harsh."
The Black Lion pilot's eyes closed for a brief moment as unnamed emotion sliced through him. "Princess, please. You don't understand. Lance was making a inappropriate joke, the kind Terrans call a double entendre."
"A sexual joke with a hidden meaning? I know about those!” Allura declared with spirit. “ I don't think it applies to this situation. What hidden meaning or ambiguity can be found in enjoying any variety of cheesecake? If Lance thinks royal cherry is the best kind, I am sure I can procure some for him."
Distinct choking noises could be heard coming over the Red, Green and Yellow Lion intercom systems, but Allura appeared not to notice. She smiled into her viewer, meeting her commander's bewildered stare, then blinked as she saw him shift uncomfortably in his seat. Comprehension dawned, and her expression became apologetic. "Oh dear. I've slighted you, haven't I? I wouldn't ever want to leave you 'out in the cold', as I believe your Terran expression goes. Would you like some royal cherry cheescake, Keith? Or do you prefer a different kind?"
"Uh...well...." The Voltron Captain stammered. He felt the sweat break out on his forehead and wondered if it would turn to vapor as his face grew ever hotter. The thought made him cut off his visual connection to the other lions, just for a moment to recoup his composure. With one unsteady hand, he wiped his visor, which was rapidly fogging up, all the while trying to think of an appropriate, or at the very least, matter of fact explanation for Allura of how this specific flavor would qualify as a double entendre.
Dammit, he couldn't think of any.
"Cat got your tongue, Keith?"
Over the comm, Lance was openly chortling. Hunk's deep chuckles and Pidge's snickers also could be heard.
"Keith? Did you copy?" Allura was sounding slightly vexed. "Would you want the royal cherry cheesecake? If you don't, just say so, and I'll give your piece to someone else!"
Keith winced as deafening laughter crackled over the comm system. This conversation was wiping out all hope of being able to focus on the exercise at hand.
He needed help.
~Good King Alfor!~ He prayed desperately. ~I really could use some help here. Your daughter's virtue might be at stake!~
As if in reply, an alarm going off on his console mercifully diverted everyone's attention.
"I'm picking up an anomaly on long range sensors, Chief." Pidge spoke up, moving various levers and switches.
"What is it?" Keith asked, turning his visuals back on and moving various levers and switches.
"I don't know, Skipper, I guess that's why we call it an anomaly. And gosh dang it, moving these levers and switches never tells me anything," the Green Lion pilot grumbled. "I've lost it now, couldn't even get a fix on it."
"Oh no," the Princess breathed, while pushing buttons and turning dials. "I hope it's not Lotor."
All his previous discomfort gone, Keith growled, "Don't worry, Princess, if he touches one hair on your head, I'll-"
"Yeah, yeah, Captain Vengeance, we all know the drill!" Lance interrupted impatiently.
"Actually, we don't, Red Lion," Hunk corrected his irritated teammate. "Keith never finishes that sentence."
"That's right!" Lance responded, looking thoughtful. "What would you do if Lotor tries to fondle the Princess, Keith?"
"We'd like to know too!" Hunk and Pidge chorused.
"Me too," Allura added, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief and a hint of something else.
"Uh...er...well..."
"Holy cow, Skipper, surely you had something appropriately nasty in mind for that arrogant SOB after all this time?" Lance needled his friend. "I'm sure Lotor has something really good cooked up if he ever catches you fondling her!"
Allura gasped audibly. "Lance! What a terrible thing to say!"
The Red Lion pilot winked flirtatiously. "It's all right, don't worry about it, Princess! It won't come to that! Ole Blue Ears will never get the drop on Keith, because, unlike Prince Ally-Obsessed, our leader's iron clad discipline doesn't allow for a lovely woman to distract him from his mission."
"Of course." Allura said, softly, not sure if she was relieved or disappointed at hearing this piece of news.
Keith sighed in exasperation and tried to run his hand through his ebony locks, but stopped the motion when he realized he still had his helmet on. He settled for adjusting his visor, taking a moment to gather his composure. As he met the gaze of a smirking Red Lion pilot, who was watching his every move on the screen, an inscrutable mask dropped over his boyish features. "I have a plan, but I'd rather not disclose it. Rest assured it involves plenty of gratuitous violence." He said, a thread of steel running through his words. "But if you really want to know what it is, Lance, just continue to pursue that cheesecake scenario you've concocted."
Keith sent his friend a feral grin as sudden silence reigned over the airwaves. "Red Lion, do you read?"
"Loud and clear," Lance mumbled. "Sheesh."
"Whoa Nellie, did I just hear that?" Hunk boomed. "Chief, it almost sounds to me like you've got a thing for-"
A sudden alarm went off on his console, mercifully diverting the VF's attention, but frustrating everyone else.
"I've got a fix, Keith. The dials and buttons did it!" Allura exclaimed, happy and completely oblivious to the unresolved tension simmering around her.
"Nice going Princess!" Keith turned to smile at her. “I knew you could do it!”
Their gazes connected through the comm. They gazed deeply into each other's eyes. Time seemed to freeze.
"Hello, what are we doing about the anomaly?" Pidge prodded his leader back to reality.
The ebony haired pilot blinked, and tore his gaze away from the golden haired goddess. "Oh. Yeah, let's check it out! And look sharp team, we don't won't to get caught off guard by one of Doom's minions!"
"Oh dear, I hope it isn't Lotor," Allura whispered, her blue eyes wide and troubled.
Keith's jaw tightened. "Don't worry Princess, if he tries anything-"
"Keith will give him a dirty swirly!” Lance said, interrupting. “Can we go now?”
“What's a dirty swirly?” Allura asked.
“Don't ask.” Hunk told her. “It's better if you don't know.”
The Five Lions changed course, and headed for a small forest just a few kilometers from the Castle, where their sensors showed the anomaly had now landed.
A few thousand feet below...
"Egad, Brain! You did a smashing job of bringing us in!" Pinky trilled as he clambered out of the charred mechanical suit.
"Smashing is right! Look at our suit, Pinky! It's in pieces!" The Brain cried. "How will I ever get it back together? The exoskeleton has been compromised and the circuit board was fried during network entry. We've lost everything!"
Pinky counted. "Narf! Two arms, two legs and a body; five pieces, just like Voltron! Too bad we can't fly the Big Suit parts like the lion ships fly. Zort!"
For a few stunned seconds, Brain blinked at his companion in astonishment. "You know, every so often, a bit of light peeks through that dust-covered porthole you call a brain, Pinky. You have just come up with a splendid idea! All is not lost! We have some quick work to do before we make first contact, help me gather together the Big Suit into one pile,"
They had just finished when a thundering sound reverberated through the trees as the five lion ships buzzed the area.
"Five lion ships! It's them! It's the Voltron Force!" Pinky screamed in jubilation. "They've spotted us and they are coming to help!"
"Of course they are," The Brain cackled. "The poor, misguided, trusting saps!"
"Oh, pretty, pretty! There's Blue Lion, the Princess is here, poit! Maybe I will be able to entertain her!" Pinky cried. He began to groom himself, then faced his big-headed friend. "How do I look, Brain?"
"Like a mouse without a clue." The Brain scoffed, cynically. "She has her own mice to amuse her, remember? Besides, they are Space Mice, you're just a low born, laboratory specimen."
"I can dream can't I? Poit! One's status shouldn't matter at' all when you are in love." Pinky sniffled, his eyes filling with moisture. "Just wait until you meet your dream girl, and you'll see how marvelous it is! Zort!"
The Brain snorted. "Not likely, unless there happens to be a witty, pink haired warrior woman with megalomaniac tendencies and a passion for nuclear physics around these parts."
"Well, now that you mention it-" Pinky began, when he was cut off by the sound of a high-pitched human voice hailing them.
"Let me handle this, Pinky," The Brain hissed as the bespeckled boy ran up to them.
They're mice!" Pidge exclaimed, staring at the two wide-eyed rodents who stood rigidly at attention near what appeared to be pieces of a spacecraft of some sort.
Lance eyed the rodents suspiciously. They looked like some sort of mutant mice. Obviously their genes had been spliced; possibly by Witch Hagar. "I've got a funny feeling about this...I don't like it. They don't look like normal mice at all. If you ask me, this has all the makings of a Hagar/Lotor scheme."
"I didn't ask you." Pidge retorted. "Anyone ever tell you that you have a tendency toward paranoia? For Gosh sakes, Lance, they're just mice!"
"Well to be fair, that's what you said the last time strange critters showed up around here, and they ended up trying to take over the Castle!" Hunk reminded his diminutive friend. "And I don't think I need to refresh your memory about what happened when you brought the Princess some tadpoles..."
"Yeah, yeah," Pidge muttered grumpily. “A couple of miscalculations versus two mishaps. Excuse me for being human.”
The three men stared intently at the tiny intruders.
"Narf! Poit! Zort!" Pinky hiccuped nervously, earning him a harsh glare from his baggy eyed companion.
"Poit? Zort?" Pidge asked, to no one in particular. "Narf? Whattaya think, Hunk? Do you think he's trying to communicate?"
"Nah."
They exchanged glances. Then they turned to their companion, who had visibly relaxed.
"Harmless?" Hunk asked Lance in a low tone.
"Yeah, I think so. Especially the goofy looking one."
"Which one are you talking about?" Pidge snickered, a mite too loudly. "They both look goofy to me!"
The Brain bit his tiny tongue at hearing the comment. ~I wouldn't talk, my little pre-pubescent pawn; anyone wearing a headband like that should be immediately scheduled for a fashion lobotomy.~
An evil smile curled his mousy lips at the thought.
Allura joined her comrades, Keith at her heels. He continued to hover protectively in the background as she walked up to them. "Oh look, boys, the mouse with the huge head is smiling at us! Perhaps Cheddar can talk to them."
Without more ado, she reached down inside the front of her uniform top to bring out her special friend. After a few seconds, it became obvious she was having some difficulty locating the creature.
"Can't blame the little guy for not wanting to leave," Pidge observed under his breath.
"Uh, maybe he got wedged in her crevice, and can't get loose," Hunk suggested quietly, assessing the situation with an experienced eye.
"It's called cleavage, Hunk." Pidge corrected in an undertone, rolling his eyes. "Not crevice. You make it sound like Cheddar was rock climbing."
"Sorry." Hunk blushingly mumbled, as Lance tried to hold in his giggles.
They all jumped guiltily as their leader made his presence known by meaningfully clearing his throat, wordlessly voicing his displeasure with their conduct. Lance felt dark eyes boring into his back, and wisely refrained from asking his comrades if he thought the Cheddar situation warranted hands-on search and rescue supervision.
Pinky sighed, and grew dreamy eyed as he watched Princess Allura. The Brain gave his enthralled companion a sharp elbow and warning frown, although he admitted that the sight of the beautiful young monarch groping inside her clothing was rather compelling. To know that a distant variety of his species was of a status where he could take such liberties was interesting...and unfair.
Definitely not fair, the mousy mastermind reflected bitterly, that an equally low-born creature in this universe had attained a most exalted and comfortable seat within the bosom of absolute power. No elaborate scheming had been needed, it had happened simply because the creature had kowtowed to the female human's need for a companion. Even more galling was the knowledge that the Arusian mouse had total access and all the advantages but no ambition to be more than a companion to the ruler of an entire planet. Such a waste! If only he could be a Princess' confidante, he would make the most of it. It would be a splendid back up plan should things go awry with the Big Suit.
The Brain pondered, then dismissed the notion.
~Even if I were willing to go that route, there aren't any princesses on Earth with power to provide perks like those.~ He mused, as he and the other males present continued to watch the Princess vainly try to get a grip on her pet. ~But I must say it makes me long for the days of monarchies and feudalism.~
"Need any help there, Princess?" Lance offered boldly, unable to hold himself back any longer.
"Lance." Keith hissed, jabbing a hard elbow into the ribs of his second-in-command while their gazes followed the moving, spandex covered lump that was Allura's hand.
"OW! Dang it, I'm only trying to help!"
"Assistance she doesn't need," Keith shot back, turning to glare at his friend, partly to intimidate, and partly to avoid staring what the Princess had her hand at that moment.
"Lucky mouse," Hunk observed wryly, as Cheddar was finally pushed up into view.
Allura giggled as the mouse's whiskers tickled her skin, then blushed furiously as she noticed the bemused expressions on her companion's faces. Realizing too late how her actions had appeared to her companions, she hastily tried to divert their attention.
"Cheddar, it seems we have some visitors in need of help. Would you talk to them, please?"
The mouse nodded, smiled and gave the universal peace sign, his little red eyes gleaming smugly.
"Good! Now be extra kind, Cheddar, these two are visitors to Planet Arus, and by the looks of them, they have had a very rough time." Allura said, while sending a winning smile at the strangers. "Convey our warmest greetings, that we wish to be their friends, and that we are sworn to help all those in need. I am sure we can help them rebuild their ship, we just need to find out what they require."
"Narrrrf. She's as lovely, kind and good as she seems on the telly," Pinky breathed reverently. "Don't you think so Brain?"
"She's all right.” His grouchy friend grudgingly admitted. "A little too nice, and the blue eyed, blonde look is a bit cliché...but she can definitely get away with it.” He added hastily as Pinky turned to glare at him.
“I think she's beautiful.“
“Quite.” The Brain agreed. “We should cease our conversation now, Pinky. Quite obviously, they aren't aware we are capable of speaking with humanoids. Let's see if we can communicate with our peer before letting them know."
The two laboratory mice from Acme stood at attention as the big eared, red-eyed creature approached them on all fours, his whiskers twitching in a friendly way.
He rose on his back legs and looked the strangers over for a long moment, then bowed.
The Brain put on his most affable expression, which still made him look like he had a migraine, and returned the bow with studied dignity. Pinky bowed three times, grinning broadly, his large nose twitching with excitement at the possibility of making a new friend.
Cheddar smiled back, amused at the contrast between the alien visitors. Clearly and slowly, he began to speak to them in of 'Squeak and Chatter', considered the most common mouse dialect in the galaxy.
The peace and quiet of a dawning, perfect day was barely disturbed by the roar of five lion ships. They flew high above the landscape,
"Can someone tell me why I was dragged out of my nice warm bed at this ungodly hour?" Hunk grumbled as he maneuvered Yellow Lion into formation. "We kicked their butts but good, so it's not like Doom is waiting around the corner."
"Cheer up big guy! Nanny is planning a special breakfast for us after drills in honor of our latest victory!" Pidge consoled his friend.
"As well she should! It's gonna be a challenge for Lotor and Hagar to find any more RoBeast volunteers after what we did to the last one," another voice interjected with a cackle.
"You said it, Lance! Those giant anti-lazon enemas were just what the doctor ordered; the RoBeasts on Doom will be running on empty for days!" Hunk declared with glee.
"That's all well and good, but we're out here because we can't afford to relax our guard." The ever-somber Captain of Voltron cut in firmly. “Who knows what evil magic Hagar has put away for emergencies?”
A chorus of disgruntled grumbles greeted his statement.
"Or what Prince Lotor might have up his sleeve," a feminine voice added uneasily, putting a quick end to the grumbling.
"Don't worry Princess, you know that I-that we won't let that creep lay a hand on you!" Captain Keith vowed earnestly. On screen, his firm jaw was set, and his dark eyes flashed with intensity. Protectiveness oozed from his every pore. Or perhaps it was sweat. “He doesn't stand a chance if he tries!”
Lance rolled his eyes at Hunk and Pidge's images on his view screens. Everyone was very aware that the pilot of Black Lion would do anything to keep the Lothario Lotor from having his way with Allura, he had said so several times in and out of battle.
"So brave!" Allura gushed. "So noble and brave! I don't know how I can ever thank you for all you've done for me, Keith, or any of you boys, for that matter.”
"I can think of a way for you to thank me, Princess," Lance told her. "It involves you and some cheesecake."
Keith glared at the smirking Red Lion pilot on his screen with narrowed dark eyes smoldering with suppressed emotion. "No way, Lance!"
"Just a thought," his friend shrugged. “Can't blame a guy for trying.”
“Yes, I can.” Keith stated. “I can definitely blame you.”
Hunk spoke up in an amazed tone. "Jeez, Keith, it sounds to me like you're kinda jea-"
"Why don't you want Lance to have cheesecake, Keith?" The pilot of Blue Lion broke in, her voice sounding reproachful. "I'd be happy to give him that if that is what he likes.”
Lance turned to look at Allura with an innocent smile on his handsome face. "That'd be swell. Do you know what my very favorite flavor is, Princess?"
"No, but please tell me." She replied, returning his smile warmly.
The Red Lion pilot's smile broadened to epic proportions. “Royal cherry. It's sweet and-”
"Enough, Lance!" The Captain abruptly cut off his second-in command.
Allura protested, "Keith, you're being harsh."
The Black Lion pilot's eyes closed for a brief moment as unnamed emotion sliced through him. "Princess, please. You don't understand. Lance was making a inappropriate joke, the kind Terrans call a double entendre."
"A sexual joke with a hidden meaning? I know about those!” Allura declared with spirit. “ I don't think it applies to this situation. What hidden meaning or ambiguity can be found in enjoying any variety of cheesecake? If Lance thinks royal cherry is the best kind, I am sure I can procure some for him."
Distinct choking noises could be heard coming over the Red, Green and Yellow Lion intercom systems, but Allura appeared not to notice. She smiled into her viewer, meeting her commander's bewildered stare, then blinked as she saw him shift uncomfortably in his seat. Comprehension dawned, and her expression became apologetic. "Oh dear. I've slighted you, haven't I? I wouldn't ever want to leave you 'out in the cold', as I believe your Terran expression goes. Would you like some royal cherry cheescake, Keith? Or do you prefer a different kind?"
"Uh...well...." The Voltron Captain stammered. He felt the sweat break out on his forehead and wondered if it would turn to vapor as his face grew ever hotter. The thought made him cut off his visual connection to the other lions, just for a moment to recoup his composure. With one unsteady hand, he wiped his visor, which was rapidly fogging up, all the while trying to think of an appropriate, or at the very least, matter of fact explanation for Allura of how this specific flavor would qualify as a double entendre.
Dammit, he couldn't think of any.
"Cat got your tongue, Keith?"
Over the comm, Lance was openly chortling. Hunk's deep chuckles and Pidge's snickers also could be heard.
"Keith? Did you copy?" Allura was sounding slightly vexed. "Would you want the royal cherry cheesecake? If you don't, just say so, and I'll give your piece to someone else!"
Keith winced as deafening laughter crackled over the comm system. This conversation was wiping out all hope of being able to focus on the exercise at hand.
He needed help.
~Good King Alfor!~ He prayed desperately. ~I really could use some help here. Your daughter's virtue might be at stake!~
As if in reply, an alarm going off on his console mercifully diverted everyone's attention.
"I'm picking up an anomaly on long range sensors, Chief." Pidge spoke up, moving various levers and switches.
"What is it?" Keith asked, turning his visuals back on and moving various levers and switches.
"I don't know, Skipper, I guess that's why we call it an anomaly. And gosh dang it, moving these levers and switches never tells me anything," the Green Lion pilot grumbled. "I've lost it now, couldn't even get a fix on it."
"Oh no," the Princess breathed, while pushing buttons and turning dials. "I hope it's not Lotor."
All his previous discomfort gone, Keith growled, "Don't worry, Princess, if he touches one hair on your head, I'll-"
"Yeah, yeah, Captain Vengeance, we all know the drill!" Lance interrupted impatiently.
"Actually, we don't, Red Lion," Hunk corrected his irritated teammate. "Keith never finishes that sentence."
"That's right!" Lance responded, looking thoughtful. "What would you do if Lotor tries to fondle the Princess, Keith?"
"We'd like to know too!" Hunk and Pidge chorused.
"Me too," Allura added, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief and a hint of something else.
"Uh...er...well..."
"Holy cow, Skipper, surely you had something appropriately nasty in mind for that arrogant SOB after all this time?" Lance needled his friend. "I'm sure Lotor has something really good cooked up if he ever catches you fondling her!"
Allura gasped audibly. "Lance! What a terrible thing to say!"
The Red Lion pilot winked flirtatiously. "It's all right, don't worry about it, Princess! It won't come to that! Ole Blue Ears will never get the drop on Keith, because, unlike Prince Ally-Obsessed, our leader's iron clad discipline doesn't allow for a lovely woman to distract him from his mission."
"Of course." Allura said, softly, not sure if she was relieved or disappointed at hearing this piece of news.
Keith sighed in exasperation and tried to run his hand through his ebony locks, but stopped the motion when he realized he still had his helmet on. He settled for adjusting his visor, taking a moment to gather his composure. As he met the gaze of a smirking Red Lion pilot, who was watching his every move on the screen, an inscrutable mask dropped over his boyish features. "I have a plan, but I'd rather not disclose it. Rest assured it involves plenty of gratuitous violence." He said, a thread of steel running through his words. "But if you really want to know what it is, Lance, just continue to pursue that cheesecake scenario you've concocted."
Keith sent his friend a feral grin as sudden silence reigned over the airwaves. "Red Lion, do you read?"
"Loud and clear," Lance mumbled. "Sheesh."
"Whoa Nellie, did I just hear that?" Hunk boomed. "Chief, it almost sounds to me like you've got a thing for-"
A sudden alarm went off on his console, mercifully diverting the VF's attention, but frustrating everyone else.
"I've got a fix, Keith. The dials and buttons did it!" Allura exclaimed, happy and completely oblivious to the unresolved tension simmering around her.
"Nice going Princess!" Keith turned to smile at her. “I knew you could do it!”
Their gazes connected through the comm. They gazed deeply into each other's eyes. Time seemed to freeze.
"Hello, what are we doing about the anomaly?" Pidge prodded his leader back to reality.
The ebony haired pilot blinked, and tore his gaze away from the golden haired goddess. "Oh. Yeah, let's check it out! And look sharp team, we don't won't to get caught off guard by one of Doom's minions!"
"Oh dear, I hope it isn't Lotor," Allura whispered, her blue eyes wide and troubled.
Keith's jaw tightened. "Don't worry Princess, if he tries anything-"
"Keith will give him a dirty swirly!” Lance said, interrupting. “Can we go now?”
“What's a dirty swirly?” Allura asked.
“Don't ask.” Hunk told her. “It's better if you don't know.”
The Five Lions changed course, and headed for a small forest just a few kilometers from the Castle, where their sensors showed the anomaly had now landed.
A few thousand feet below...
"Egad, Brain! You did a smashing job of bringing us in!" Pinky trilled as he clambered out of the charred mechanical suit.
"Smashing is right! Look at our suit, Pinky! It's in pieces!" The Brain cried. "How will I ever get it back together? The exoskeleton has been compromised and the circuit board was fried during network entry. We've lost everything!"
Pinky counted. "Narf! Two arms, two legs and a body; five pieces, just like Voltron! Too bad we can't fly the Big Suit parts like the lion ships fly. Zort!"
For a few stunned seconds, Brain blinked at his companion in astonishment. "You know, every so often, a bit of light peeks through that dust-covered porthole you call a brain, Pinky. You have just come up with a splendid idea! All is not lost! We have some quick work to do before we make first contact, help me gather together the Big Suit into one pile,"
They had just finished when a thundering sound reverberated through the trees as the five lion ships buzzed the area.
"Five lion ships! It's them! It's the Voltron Force!" Pinky screamed in jubilation. "They've spotted us and they are coming to help!"
"Of course they are," The Brain cackled. "The poor, misguided, trusting saps!"
"Oh, pretty, pretty! There's Blue Lion, the Princess is here, poit! Maybe I will be able to entertain her!" Pinky cried. He began to groom himself, then faced his big-headed friend. "How do I look, Brain?"
"Like a mouse without a clue." The Brain scoffed, cynically. "She has her own mice to amuse her, remember? Besides, they are Space Mice, you're just a low born, laboratory specimen."
"I can dream can't I? Poit! One's status shouldn't matter at' all when you are in love." Pinky sniffled, his eyes filling with moisture. "Just wait until you meet your dream girl, and you'll see how marvelous it is! Zort!"
The Brain snorted. "Not likely, unless there happens to be a witty, pink haired warrior woman with megalomaniac tendencies and a passion for nuclear physics around these parts."
"Well, now that you mention it-" Pinky began, when he was cut off by the sound of a high-pitched human voice hailing them.
"Let me handle this, Pinky," The Brain hissed as the bespeckled boy ran up to them.
They're mice!" Pidge exclaimed, staring at the two wide-eyed rodents who stood rigidly at attention near what appeared to be pieces of a spacecraft of some sort.
Lance eyed the rodents suspiciously. They looked like some sort of mutant mice. Obviously their genes had been spliced; possibly by Witch Hagar. "I've got a funny feeling about this...I don't like it. They don't look like normal mice at all. If you ask me, this has all the makings of a Hagar/Lotor scheme."
"I didn't ask you." Pidge retorted. "Anyone ever tell you that you have a tendency toward paranoia? For Gosh sakes, Lance, they're just mice!"
"Well to be fair, that's what you said the last time strange critters showed up around here, and they ended up trying to take over the Castle!" Hunk reminded his diminutive friend. "And I don't think I need to refresh your memory about what happened when you brought the Princess some tadpoles..."
"Yeah, yeah," Pidge muttered grumpily. “A couple of miscalculations versus two mishaps. Excuse me for being human.”
The three men stared intently at the tiny intruders.
"Narf! Poit! Zort!" Pinky hiccuped nervously, earning him a harsh glare from his baggy eyed companion.
"Poit? Zort?" Pidge asked, to no one in particular. "Narf? Whattaya think, Hunk? Do you think he's trying to communicate?"
"Nah."
They exchanged glances. Then they turned to their companion, who had visibly relaxed.
"Harmless?" Hunk asked Lance in a low tone.
"Yeah, I think so. Especially the goofy looking one."
"Which one are you talking about?" Pidge snickered, a mite too loudly. "They both look goofy to me!"
The Brain bit his tiny tongue at hearing the comment. ~I wouldn't talk, my little pre-pubescent pawn; anyone wearing a headband like that should be immediately scheduled for a fashion lobotomy.~
An evil smile curled his mousy lips at the thought.
Allura joined her comrades, Keith at her heels. He continued to hover protectively in the background as she walked up to them. "Oh look, boys, the mouse with the huge head is smiling at us! Perhaps Cheddar can talk to them."
Without more ado, she reached down inside the front of her uniform top to bring out her special friend. After a few seconds, it became obvious she was having some difficulty locating the creature.
"Can't blame the little guy for not wanting to leave," Pidge observed under his breath.
"Uh, maybe he got wedged in her crevice, and can't get loose," Hunk suggested quietly, assessing the situation with an experienced eye.
"It's called cleavage, Hunk." Pidge corrected in an undertone, rolling his eyes. "Not crevice. You make it sound like Cheddar was rock climbing."
"Sorry." Hunk blushingly mumbled, as Lance tried to hold in his giggles.
They all jumped guiltily as their leader made his presence known by meaningfully clearing his throat, wordlessly voicing his displeasure with their conduct. Lance felt dark eyes boring into his back, and wisely refrained from asking his comrades if he thought the Cheddar situation warranted hands-on search and rescue supervision.
Pinky sighed, and grew dreamy eyed as he watched Princess Allura. The Brain gave his enthralled companion a sharp elbow and warning frown, although he admitted that the sight of the beautiful young monarch groping inside her clothing was rather compelling. To know that a distant variety of his species was of a status where he could take such liberties was interesting...and unfair.
Definitely not fair, the mousy mastermind reflected bitterly, that an equally low-born creature in this universe had attained a most exalted and comfortable seat within the bosom of absolute power. No elaborate scheming had been needed, it had happened simply because the creature had kowtowed to the female human's need for a companion. Even more galling was the knowledge that the Arusian mouse had total access and all the advantages but no ambition to be more than a companion to the ruler of an entire planet. Such a waste! If only he could be a Princess' confidante, he would make the most of it. It would be a splendid back up plan should things go awry with the Big Suit.
The Brain pondered, then dismissed the notion.
~Even if I were willing to go that route, there aren't any princesses on Earth with power to provide perks like those.~ He mused, as he and the other males present continued to watch the Princess vainly try to get a grip on her pet. ~But I must say it makes me long for the days of monarchies and feudalism.~
"Need any help there, Princess?" Lance offered boldly, unable to hold himself back any longer.
"Lance." Keith hissed, jabbing a hard elbow into the ribs of his second-in-command while their gazes followed the moving, spandex covered lump that was Allura's hand.
"OW! Dang it, I'm only trying to help!"
"Assistance she doesn't need," Keith shot back, turning to glare at his friend, partly to intimidate, and partly to avoid staring what the Princess had her hand at that moment.
"Lucky mouse," Hunk observed wryly, as Cheddar was finally pushed up into view.
Allura giggled as the mouse's whiskers tickled her skin, then blushed furiously as she noticed the bemused expressions on her companion's faces. Realizing too late how her actions had appeared to her companions, she hastily tried to divert their attention.
"Cheddar, it seems we have some visitors in need of help. Would you talk to them, please?"
The mouse nodded, smiled and gave the universal peace sign, his little red eyes gleaming smugly.
"Good! Now be extra kind, Cheddar, these two are visitors to Planet Arus, and by the looks of them, they have had a very rough time." Allura said, while sending a winning smile at the strangers. "Convey our warmest greetings, that we wish to be their friends, and that we are sworn to help all those in need. I am sure we can help them rebuild their ship, we just need to find out what they require."
"Narrrrf. She's as lovely, kind and good as she seems on the telly," Pinky breathed reverently. "Don't you think so Brain?"
"She's all right.” His grouchy friend grudgingly admitted. "A little too nice, and the blue eyed, blonde look is a bit cliché...but she can definitely get away with it.” He added hastily as Pinky turned to glare at him.
“I think she's beautiful.“
“Quite.” The Brain agreed. “We should cease our conversation now, Pinky. Quite obviously, they aren't aware we are capable of speaking with humanoids. Let's see if we can communicate with our peer before letting them know."
The two laboratory mice from Acme stood at attention as the big eared, red-eyed creature approached them on all fours, his whiskers twitching in a friendly way.
He rose on his back legs and looked the strangers over for a long moment, then bowed.
The Brain put on his most affable expression, which still made him look like he had a migraine, and returned the bow with studied dignity. Pinky bowed three times, grinning broadly, his large nose twitching with excitement at the possibility of making a new friend.
Cheddar smiled back, amused at the contrast between the alien visitors. Clearly and slowly, he began to speak to them in of 'Squeak and Chatter', considered the most common mouse dialect in the galaxy.
When the space mouse called Cheddar concluded his discourse, he looked at the strangers with an expectant air.
The Brain's smile had slipped and then turned downward as he strained to grasp the gist of what Cheddar had been squeaking about.
"Brain, are you going to answer him?" Pinky asked his mentor quietly, after several seconds had ticked by.
"I'm working on it." The Brain muttered. How humiliating! Fluent in twenty-five human languages, but he hadn't understood a word of what a creature from his own species had said. He wasn't about to admit that to anyone, though, least of all, Pinky. "He spoke softly... I confess I couldn't hear everything clearly," he began, the excuse sounding lame even to him.
"Poit! I believe he asked us if we were shot down by Zarkon's forces and if we needed assistance in repairing our ship." The gangly mouse supplied helpfully.
"A good guess." The Brain arched an imperious eyebrow. "But honestly, you don't really understand what he said, do you?"
"Well yes, actually I do Brain. He's speaking a very common field mouse dialect, with a thick accent. It's rather similar to Arnold's back at the lab."
The eyebrow lowered. "Arnold?"
"Arnold Schwartzenmouse, the chap from Austria that has huge muscles that he likes to flex, with veins popping out all over!" The pink nosed mouse wrinkled his nose in distaste.
"Oh, him." The Brain nodded. "Acme is using him to test those new steroids. He's a droll fellow, smarter than he appears. Throws out extremely catchy one liners. It's too bad I haven't found a use for his wit and ability to bend cage bars."
"He's really too big for the likes of our little network," Pinky said. "He should be in the movies instead of a cage."
For a moment, the two lab rodents stared off into space pondering the injustice of it all, but were interrupted by a chatter of alarm from Cheddar, who evidently was worried they'd suffered some kind of injury in the crash, according to Pinky.
"Apologize for our discourtous inattention, Pinky, tell him we are all right and that we need help and materials for our 'Suit Ship'," The Brain murmured in reply to his companion, hoping that he wouldn't be questioned as to why he was delegating authority.
His cheerful cohort relayed the message without hesitation, amid several loud 'poits' and 'zorts'. Cheddar nodded enthusiastically to whatever had been said, and rattled off a monologue that Pinky appeared to understand, but which also heightened the Brain's anxiety about what was being said and the response his addled companion would give.
Pinky answered rapidly in the same dialect. He listened to the rejoinder and started to snort and chortle, with the Space Mouse joining in the laughter after a moment of hesitation.
"What? What? What's so funny?" Brain snapped at Pinky in an undertone.
"He's wondering, since we'll need replacement space suits, what helmet size 'Mr. Large Noggin' wears," Pinky said. "What a funny, funny nickname, can I call you that, Mr. Large Noggin, sir?" He giggled, then abruptly ceased at seeing the fierce scowl on his friend's basset-hound-like features.
"Don't make me hurt you, Pinky," The Brain said through clenched teeth. "Not in front of the Princess. She'd probably faint."
"Oh no," Pinky whispered, casting an adoring gaze upon the lovely Allura. "We mustn't have that!"
It was fortunate she was looking elsewhere, The Brain thought. Differences in species aside, it was clear that the black haired mullet man held her in his thrall. "Was there anything else?" He prodded Pinky with impatience.
"Oh yes, we are to come back to the Castle with them now, Cheddar said he has a guest room in his quarters that we can use. Then they will find us the materials we need for our ship!"
"The Castle? We are to stay in the Castle?" The Brain raised his little paws, about to warble his customary 'Yes!' but thought better of it, as he spotted the inquisitive looking humans. If they didn't hear him speak their language, he'd be able to overhear so much more that way!
"Relay our thanks, Pinky, and let's go!" He said, keeping his chortles to himself. So far, everything was going exactly according to his master plan.
"Looks like Cheddar was able to get through to them," Pidge commented, watching the strange looking mice falling into step behind the Princess' tiny friend. "Look how they walk on their hind legs, it's almost like they're human!"
"They sure don't look any mice I have ever seen, and I've seen a lot of them." Lance agreed, eyeballing the approaching critters with trepidation. "The tall one looks like he has a screw loose," he added.
"Oh no, the little one has such a misshapen body." The Princess said, her eyes moistening with empathy as she stepped forward and bent down to greet the little visitors. "He must have been through something awful."
"Captured and tortured, most likely." Pidge said to Lance. "Escapees from Doom?"
"Why would Doom care about torturing a couple of mice?" Lance scoffed.
"The same reason they do anything." Hunk said grimly. "Because they think it's fun."
"Well they're safe now! Hello! If you come in peace, you are welcome on our planet. " Allura declared with warmth as Cheddar translated her words. Her smile was radiant, a beacon of goodness and inner beauty. The Brain bowed courteously while his companion just stood and stared at the Princess.
"Bow, you dunderhead," his leader hissed at him, but the besotted mouse curtsied instead. Allura giggled as The Brain covered his eyes and shook his oversized cranium in obvious disgust.
Obviously, Pinky was captivated at seeing his dream woman for the first time without glass distortion or bad reception separating them. His grin was beatific, his eyes glowed rapturously, and for once he was incapable of uttering so much as a 'poit'; a situation for which his intellectual partner silently gave thanks. The less his peculiar cohort said, the less likely it was that The Plan would be discovered.
The Princess held out an elegant hand, palm up, and Pinky at once followed Cheddar in hopping aboard, with a reluctant Brain bringing up the rear.
"You poor creatures must have suffered horribly, oh dear, look at your tail!" Allura cried, turning her hand to better inspect the Brain's hindquarters and the extremity that resembled a jagged lighting bolt.
The brilliant rodent twisted around in bewilderment to stare at it as she continued to murmur words of dismay. What was wrong with his tail? Nothing, it looked the same as it always did!
"You needn't be afraid that anyone will do you further injury, my little friends. You shall be my special guests, and the boys will help you with rebuilding your transport." The Princess informed them kindly. "Hunk and Pidge are wonderful at fixing all sorts of spacecraft, aren't you boys?"
"Sure thing, Princess," the large one called Hunk boomed, "we'd be happy to help them out."
As Cheddar translated, and the two visitors smiled and nodded, although of course they had understood her the first time. The Brain took the opportunity to look around at the assembled group. They were clearly a team, but even if he hadn't known who was their leader, that unmistakable air of command would have made it evident. Lucky for The Plan that Keith didn't seem as distrustful or ill mannered as Lance of the perpetual smirk and boorish stare. The Brain returned Lance's unwavering scrutiny with a stare and smirk of his own. ~Take that, fool! No one out-smirks the Brain!~
Lance's smirk turned to a frown. "Little dude's got a bad attitude," he murmured to no one in particular.
"You should know about that." Keith said. The Red Lion pilot shot him a dirty look.
The Brain blinked, the only outward sign of surprise. So, beneath his noble pronouncements and the ridiculous boots, the Captain had a bit of an edge. Interesting...
His ponderings as to if Keith might be incited to incapacitate Lance were interrupted by the youngest member of the Voltron Force.
"Greetings, visitors. They call me Pidge." The Green Lion pilot introduced himself with the air of one stating a well known fact. "I'm the only one around here that understands the mice other than the Princess. Cheddar, tell the large headed one to say something, and I'll translate."
As Cheddar rattled off the request, The Brain felt a cold sweat break out on his brow. What was he going to do, he couldn't squeak the mouse dialect to save his life!
For a moment panic rose within him. It was over. He would have to confess he was clueless. But his brain kept working, life in a laboratory had trained him well to deal with the unexpected, and he recklessly decided to improvise.
Striking a dramatic oratorical stance, one paw thrust into the air, the other behind his back, he intoned, "Squeak squeak, squeak,... squeak squeak, squeak...squeak!" He paused. "Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak squeakitysqueak, squeak squeak squeaky squeak squeak."
A deep silence fell over the glen.
Pinky and Cheddar looked at each other in stupefaction, and then shrugged.
"What did he say, Pidge?" Allura asked.
Pidge scratched his head. What the deformed rodent had just said was total gibberish, as far as he could tell, but dare he admit that and look bad in front of his buddies and the Princess? They probably wouldn't believe him, and his credibility would be shot to Hades. "Uh, I think maybe he's probably still in shock from the crash,what he said was rather garbled."
"Aahhh, just admit it, you never know what those creatures say, you're just a lucky guesser," Lance taunted, grinning at the boy's put out expression.
"Can you make out the gist of it, Pidge?" Keith asked. "He's obviously trying to get something across, he seemed pretty focused on what he was saying."
"Yes, Keith. Whatever it is, he is clearly emphatic about it." Allura nodded at the Black Lion Pilot and he blushed, which in turn made her blush. Their gazes locked for a moment, then both looked away, the ebony haired man seeming unusually unnerved.
Pinky and Cheddar, who were paying close attention to this byplay, exchanged meaningful glances. There was definitely something going on between the Captain and the Princess. You could just see it written in their beet red, flustered countenances.
"Have they confessed their love yet?" Pinky whispered to his new acquaintance in mouse squeak.
Cheddar sighed and shook his head.
"What a pity." Pinky said sadly.
"Well, Pidge?" Keith prompted his teammate, his voice sounding a trifle husky. "What do you think?"
"Um...I think he might have been vowing loyalty to the Princess, and eternal vengeance against evildoers like Zarkon." The Green Lion pilot improvised, not wanting to disappoint his leader.
Pinky and Cheddar looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
Brain took a deep breath and tried to look as righteous as he could as all eyes turned to him. Apparently, he wasn't the only genius individual around here not willing to admit to some shortcomings, but the boy had given him something to work with and he took it. He bowed, and tried his best to look like someone who fought tyranny.
"Well I think any enemy of Zarkon is a friend of ours!" Hunk said heartily. "So now that we're friends, should we head back to the castle and get these two some food and equipment to fix their rig?"
"Yeah!" The others exclaimed in unison.
"They can ride with Cheddar and me in Blue Lion," Allura said. "That is, if they trust me."
Cheddar and Pinky nodded and squeaked their thanks, with the Brain following suit in a more dignified tone. But even he had to admit to a bit of a thrill at his illustrious perch as the Princess gently set her new companions on her shoulder.
"She smells good, doesn't she, Brain?" Whispered Pinky. "Like wildflowers and sunshine."
"Yes." The Brain murmured, only a bit sarcastically. "If only we could bottle that smell, we would be rich beyond our wildest dreams of avarice."
But all cynicism fled when they entered Blue Lion. The Brain goggled at everything, feeling as giddy as a schoolboy, er, mouse, in taking in all the splendid technology before his eyes.
The usual ritual was performed to start the lions, coupled with roll call. Within moments, they were airborne.~Impressive! Magnificent!~ The Brain enthused silently as he sat watching the famous infracells, thrusters and dynotherms perform flawlessly. ~Voltron is a marvel! I must know its secrets for myself!~
Pinky leaned over and whispered, "What shall we do now, Mr. Lar- I mean, Brain?"
"For now, enjoy the ride. And keep your mouth closed."
"Zort!"
The Brain's smile had slipped and then turned downward as he strained to grasp the gist of what Cheddar had been squeaking about.
"Brain, are you going to answer him?" Pinky asked his mentor quietly, after several seconds had ticked by.
"I'm working on it." The Brain muttered. How humiliating! Fluent in twenty-five human languages, but he hadn't understood a word of what a creature from his own species had said. He wasn't about to admit that to anyone, though, least of all, Pinky. "He spoke softly... I confess I couldn't hear everything clearly," he began, the excuse sounding lame even to him.
"Poit! I believe he asked us if we were shot down by Zarkon's forces and if we needed assistance in repairing our ship." The gangly mouse supplied helpfully.
"A good guess." The Brain arched an imperious eyebrow. "But honestly, you don't really understand what he said, do you?"
"Well yes, actually I do Brain. He's speaking a very common field mouse dialect, with a thick accent. It's rather similar to Arnold's back at the lab."
The eyebrow lowered. "Arnold?"
"Arnold Schwartzenmouse, the chap from Austria that has huge muscles that he likes to flex, with veins popping out all over!" The pink nosed mouse wrinkled his nose in distaste.
"Oh, him." The Brain nodded. "Acme is using him to test those new steroids. He's a droll fellow, smarter than he appears. Throws out extremely catchy one liners. It's too bad I haven't found a use for his wit and ability to bend cage bars."
"He's really too big for the likes of our little network," Pinky said. "He should be in the movies instead of a cage."
For a moment, the two lab rodents stared off into space pondering the injustice of it all, but were interrupted by a chatter of alarm from Cheddar, who evidently was worried they'd suffered some kind of injury in the crash, according to Pinky.
"Apologize for our discourtous inattention, Pinky, tell him we are all right and that we need help and materials for our 'Suit Ship'," The Brain murmured in reply to his companion, hoping that he wouldn't be questioned as to why he was delegating authority.
His cheerful cohort relayed the message without hesitation, amid several loud 'poits' and 'zorts'. Cheddar nodded enthusiastically to whatever had been said, and rattled off a monologue that Pinky appeared to understand, but which also heightened the Brain's anxiety about what was being said and the response his addled companion would give.
Pinky answered rapidly in the same dialect. He listened to the rejoinder and started to snort and chortle, with the Space Mouse joining in the laughter after a moment of hesitation.
"What? What? What's so funny?" Brain snapped at Pinky in an undertone.
"He's wondering, since we'll need replacement space suits, what helmet size 'Mr. Large Noggin' wears," Pinky said. "What a funny, funny nickname, can I call you that, Mr. Large Noggin, sir?" He giggled, then abruptly ceased at seeing the fierce scowl on his friend's basset-hound-like features.
"Don't make me hurt you, Pinky," The Brain said through clenched teeth. "Not in front of the Princess. She'd probably faint."
"Oh no," Pinky whispered, casting an adoring gaze upon the lovely Allura. "We mustn't have that!"
It was fortunate she was looking elsewhere, The Brain thought. Differences in species aside, it was clear that the black haired mullet man held her in his thrall. "Was there anything else?" He prodded Pinky with impatience.
"Oh yes, we are to come back to the Castle with them now, Cheddar said he has a guest room in his quarters that we can use. Then they will find us the materials we need for our ship!"
"The Castle? We are to stay in the Castle?" The Brain raised his little paws, about to warble his customary 'Yes!' but thought better of it, as he spotted the inquisitive looking humans. If they didn't hear him speak their language, he'd be able to overhear so much more that way!
"Relay our thanks, Pinky, and let's go!" He said, keeping his chortles to himself. So far, everything was going exactly according to his master plan.
"Looks like Cheddar was able to get through to them," Pidge commented, watching the strange looking mice falling into step behind the Princess' tiny friend. "Look how they walk on their hind legs, it's almost like they're human!"
"They sure don't look any mice I have ever seen, and I've seen a lot of them." Lance agreed, eyeballing the approaching critters with trepidation. "The tall one looks like he has a screw loose," he added.
"Oh no, the little one has such a misshapen body." The Princess said, her eyes moistening with empathy as she stepped forward and bent down to greet the little visitors. "He must have been through something awful."
"Captured and tortured, most likely." Pidge said to Lance. "Escapees from Doom?"
"Why would Doom care about torturing a couple of mice?" Lance scoffed.
"The same reason they do anything." Hunk said grimly. "Because they think it's fun."
"Well they're safe now! Hello! If you come in peace, you are welcome on our planet. " Allura declared with warmth as Cheddar translated her words. Her smile was radiant, a beacon of goodness and inner beauty. The Brain bowed courteously while his companion just stood and stared at the Princess.
"Bow, you dunderhead," his leader hissed at him, but the besotted mouse curtsied instead. Allura giggled as The Brain covered his eyes and shook his oversized cranium in obvious disgust.
Obviously, Pinky was captivated at seeing his dream woman for the first time without glass distortion or bad reception separating them. His grin was beatific, his eyes glowed rapturously, and for once he was incapable of uttering so much as a 'poit'; a situation for which his intellectual partner silently gave thanks. The less his peculiar cohort said, the less likely it was that The Plan would be discovered.
The Princess held out an elegant hand, palm up, and Pinky at once followed Cheddar in hopping aboard, with a reluctant Brain bringing up the rear.
"You poor creatures must have suffered horribly, oh dear, look at your tail!" Allura cried, turning her hand to better inspect the Brain's hindquarters and the extremity that resembled a jagged lighting bolt.
The brilliant rodent twisted around in bewilderment to stare at it as she continued to murmur words of dismay. What was wrong with his tail? Nothing, it looked the same as it always did!
"You needn't be afraid that anyone will do you further injury, my little friends. You shall be my special guests, and the boys will help you with rebuilding your transport." The Princess informed them kindly. "Hunk and Pidge are wonderful at fixing all sorts of spacecraft, aren't you boys?"
"Sure thing, Princess," the large one called Hunk boomed, "we'd be happy to help them out."
As Cheddar translated, and the two visitors smiled and nodded, although of course they had understood her the first time. The Brain took the opportunity to look around at the assembled group. They were clearly a team, but even if he hadn't known who was their leader, that unmistakable air of command would have made it evident. Lucky for The Plan that Keith didn't seem as distrustful or ill mannered as Lance of the perpetual smirk and boorish stare. The Brain returned Lance's unwavering scrutiny with a stare and smirk of his own. ~Take that, fool! No one out-smirks the Brain!~
Lance's smirk turned to a frown. "Little dude's got a bad attitude," he murmured to no one in particular.
"You should know about that." Keith said. The Red Lion pilot shot him a dirty look.
The Brain blinked, the only outward sign of surprise. So, beneath his noble pronouncements and the ridiculous boots, the Captain had a bit of an edge. Interesting...
His ponderings as to if Keith might be incited to incapacitate Lance were interrupted by the youngest member of the Voltron Force.
"Greetings, visitors. They call me Pidge." The Green Lion pilot introduced himself with the air of one stating a well known fact. "I'm the only one around here that understands the mice other than the Princess. Cheddar, tell the large headed one to say something, and I'll translate."
As Cheddar rattled off the request, The Brain felt a cold sweat break out on his brow. What was he going to do, he couldn't squeak the mouse dialect to save his life!
For a moment panic rose within him. It was over. He would have to confess he was clueless. But his brain kept working, life in a laboratory had trained him well to deal with the unexpected, and he recklessly decided to improvise.
Striking a dramatic oratorical stance, one paw thrust into the air, the other behind his back, he intoned, "Squeak squeak, squeak,... squeak squeak, squeak...squeak!" He paused. "Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak squeakitysqueak, squeak squeak squeaky squeak squeak."
A deep silence fell over the glen.
Pinky and Cheddar looked at each other in stupefaction, and then shrugged.
"What did he say, Pidge?" Allura asked.
Pidge scratched his head. What the deformed rodent had just said was total gibberish, as far as he could tell, but dare he admit that and look bad in front of his buddies and the Princess? They probably wouldn't believe him, and his credibility would be shot to Hades. "Uh, I think maybe he's probably still in shock from the crash,what he said was rather garbled."
"Aahhh, just admit it, you never know what those creatures say, you're just a lucky guesser," Lance taunted, grinning at the boy's put out expression.
"Can you make out the gist of it, Pidge?" Keith asked. "He's obviously trying to get something across, he seemed pretty focused on what he was saying."
"Yes, Keith. Whatever it is, he is clearly emphatic about it." Allura nodded at the Black Lion Pilot and he blushed, which in turn made her blush. Their gazes locked for a moment, then both looked away, the ebony haired man seeming unusually unnerved.
Pinky and Cheddar, who were paying close attention to this byplay, exchanged meaningful glances. There was definitely something going on between the Captain and the Princess. You could just see it written in their beet red, flustered countenances.
"Have they confessed their love yet?" Pinky whispered to his new acquaintance in mouse squeak.
Cheddar sighed and shook his head.
"What a pity." Pinky said sadly.
"Well, Pidge?" Keith prompted his teammate, his voice sounding a trifle husky. "What do you think?"
"Um...I think he might have been vowing loyalty to the Princess, and eternal vengeance against evildoers like Zarkon." The Green Lion pilot improvised, not wanting to disappoint his leader.
Pinky and Cheddar looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
Brain took a deep breath and tried to look as righteous as he could as all eyes turned to him. Apparently, he wasn't the only genius individual around here not willing to admit to some shortcomings, but the boy had given him something to work with and he took it. He bowed, and tried his best to look like someone who fought tyranny.
"Well I think any enemy of Zarkon is a friend of ours!" Hunk said heartily. "So now that we're friends, should we head back to the castle and get these two some food and equipment to fix their rig?"
"Yeah!" The others exclaimed in unison.
"They can ride with Cheddar and me in Blue Lion," Allura said. "That is, if they trust me."
Cheddar and Pinky nodded and squeaked their thanks, with the Brain following suit in a more dignified tone. But even he had to admit to a bit of a thrill at his illustrious perch as the Princess gently set her new companions on her shoulder.
"She smells good, doesn't she, Brain?" Whispered Pinky. "Like wildflowers and sunshine."
"Yes." The Brain murmured, only a bit sarcastically. "If only we could bottle that smell, we would be rich beyond our wildest dreams of avarice."
But all cynicism fled when they entered Blue Lion. The Brain goggled at everything, feeling as giddy as a schoolboy, er, mouse, in taking in all the splendid technology before his eyes.
The usual ritual was performed to start the lions, coupled with roll call. Within moments, they were airborne.~Impressive! Magnificent!~ The Brain enthused silently as he sat watching the famous infracells, thrusters and dynotherms perform flawlessly. ~Voltron is a marvel! I must know its secrets for myself!~
Pinky leaned over and whispered, "What shall we do now, Mr. Lar- I mean, Brain?"
"For now, enjoy the ride. And keep your mouth closed."
"Zort!"
Thanks to a good tail wind aidingd Allura's penchant for speed, the Blue Lion was the first to return to its home base.
The Brain and Pinky blinked in astonishment when Allura carried them into the castle from the launch chute. The area commonly referred to as Castle Control was even more impressive than it appeared on television, its cavernous size emphasized by a towering fifty-foot ceiling.
The mice blinked again as a stately looking, middle-aged gentleman came forward and greeted them with a stiff bow. His clothes and manner of speech echoed the formality of his gesture.
"Welcome friends, and may I say we are sorry for the misfortune that has befallen you. I am Coran, the Castle Diplomat and Advisor to Her Majesty the Crown Princess Allura; I am here to serve." Faded brown eyes looked upon the rodents with kindness, the creases at the corners indicating that a smile lurked behind the luxuriant mustache. "Anything that you need, please name it and I will do my best to accommodate you. All I ask in return is that you and your home world wherever it is will consider joining our New Alliance against Zarkon; we value and need all potential allies."
Cheddar translated rapidly and Pinky relayed the speech to Brain, who nodded graciously and bowed. It appeared to be a sufficient response for Coran, who bowed even more deeply, the hem of his greatcoat brushing the floor.
The Brain was pleased. ~This fellow has impeccable manners. I could use a diplomat/butler/greeter once I become the beloved leader of Earth. I wonder if he'd consider a transfer if things don't work out for him on Arus?~
Silence fell. Coran seemed at a bit of a loss as to how to continue. "I, er, am most eager to hear about your adventures-"
A loud growling interrupted him, and Pinky blushed.
"I think storytelling will have to wait until my guests have been fed!" Allura chuckled.
Coran nodded. "Of course! There are suitable morsels for them in the kitchen, why don't you go ahead; when they arrive I will inform the others where you have gone."
Once again, Cheddar translated the dialogue and Pinky told his companion, while clapping his paws in glee. The Brain nodded again, graciously, although he cast a last longing glance around Ops,
wishing he could take a much closer look.
"We shall see you later Coran, I will be taking them on a short tour as well."
The Brain smiled suddenly; things were looking good, and he had the best seat in the house to observe them.
He glanced down from his perch on her shoulder, at the soft hills protruding from the Princess' uniform.
Well, maybe not the best seat, he corrected himself, wryly.
As Allura turned and started to exit the room with her passengers, the Royal Advisor called out, "I believe Nanny is in the kitchen, Your Highness."
The Princess half turned. "Is that a warning, Coran?"
The crinkles around the Castle Diplomat's eyes deepened and his mustache twitched. "Of course not. I'm simply imparting useful information."
"I see." Allura said, giving him a tiny smirk. "Thank you for the information."
"You're very welcome."
Twenty minutes later...
"Eeeeek!"
The black cast iron skillet came crashing down repeatedly, centimeters away from Pinky as he squeaked and scurried around to avoid being flattened. "Begone! This is no place for vile vermin!"
The rotund woman's flushed cheeks and bulging eyes coupled with the clanging of the pan were too much. Pinky began to cry piteously.
"Tears will not help you, I do not tolerate strange mice in my pantry! Now I will teach you a lesson!" The skillet rose menacingly over a visibly trembling Pinky.
"STOP!" The Princess cried, The Brain and Cheddar still riding on her shoulders. "Nanny, what do you think you're doing?"
"Defending my foodstuffs from this repulsive creature." The skillet wavered, then lifted into the air once more.
"Nanny, I command that you stop! He's my honored guest, we just rescued him from the woods, where he and his friend had crashed after Zarkon shot them down!"
Her governess sniffed skeptically.
"It's true!" Allura insisted. "But in any case, Coran has already welcomed them and you should do the same."
"Ach! Of course, he always welcomes the strange when he would do well to be more wary." The Royal Governess sighed and lowered her weapon, then pointed an index finger at the Princess, exclaiming in what the Brain thought was a Germanic accent, but wasn't quite sure, "The lions preserve us, what is that monstrosity on your shoulder?"
"You're not exactly the Aphrodite type yourself, Madam," The Brain muttered, while scowling fiercely at the overwrought female.
"Nanny, you are being terribly rude! Apologize to- to, um..." The Princess' voice trailed off uncertainly. Cheddar immediately whispered in Allura's ear and she quickly finished with, "Apologize to Master Large Noggin, and the honorable Antonio Banderas, at once!"
~Antonio Banderas?~ The Brain thought, incredulously. He glanced at Cheddar and the mouse gave him a large smile and the inevitable peace sign. He then looked sternly at Pinky, who shrugged and gave him a gap-toothed grin.
"Not until I find out what he was doing in my pantry," Nanny said firmly, folding her ample forearms across her ample chest and glaring at the scrawny looking rodent.
"I sent him here, we were all coming down to get some food for our guests." Allura explained. "Antonio just got a little ahead of us, because he seemed to know exactly where he was going. I have never seen anyone with such a well developed sense of direction!"
Pinky stared at his feet and tried to look modest. The Brain gave a soft snort.
"Vell, Princess, I am sorry I frightened your little mouse guests," the older woman huffed, "but someone has to be on guard, and I am taking no chances when it comes to strangers in the palace." She gave Pinky a stiff curtsy. "Master Banderas, I hope you will forgive me. I mean you no harm."
Cheddar translated. Pinky clasped his paws, bowed low in acknowledgment, and then blew the governess a kiss.
"Such cheekiness!" Nanny sputtered, but not looking entirely displeased. "Let me get you some cheese so you can be on your way."
She set down the skillet on the counter, opened the nearest cupboard, and pulled out a large wheel of cream- colored cheese. She then located a knife and cut out a large wedge for each mouse. "Here you go, Master Large and Master Antonio. This is some of the finest cheese Arus has to offer. It has been aged for forty years, it should be at its peak of perfection."
Pinky's lower extremities wiggled in pure delight as he accepted the treat.
The Brain sniffed his section suspiciously before taking a small bite. He closed his eyes in bliss as the pungent yet smooth flavor exploded on his taste buds. ~All I need now is a glass of German Auslese, vintage 1983.~ He thought as he savored the exquisite treat. ~Something sweet to go with the pungent.~
"Care for some Honey Nectar?" Allura offered, while Cheddar and Pinky translated rather sloppily, as their oral cavities were stuffed with cheese.
The Brain inclined his head in affirmation and soon was sipping the liquid out a small sugar spoon. ~Very nice bouquet; full-bodied, And extremely high in alcoholic content.~ He critiqued privately. He needed to keep his fiendishly clever mind clear as a bell, so he refused a refill.
Pinky tossed back his portion and two more, and then looked hopefully at the Princess, who laughed.
"No more for you, my young friend! The nectar is delicious but it packs quite a wallop if you aren't used to it. Anyway, I need to finish your tour."
Cheddar translated, a trifle inarticulately, as he had imbibed as much as Pinky, then reeled away to hide and take a nap before the Missus could box his ears for tippling before lunch.
Allura reached down to help the staggering Pinky climb aboard her shoulder. The inebriated mouse curled up next to Brain and promptly fell asleep.
After a whirlwind tour (that the snoring Pinky completely missed) the Princess and her guests finally ended up in what was affectionately called Pidge's 'Think Tank'. It was a room located in the pilot's living quarters, a cross between a den, a laboratory and a workshop. The boy prodigy and Hunk were off to one side, attentively perusing a mass of wires and computer circuitry, but greeted the visitors with friendly smiles upon their arrival.
On a large rectangular table in front of the two pilots lay the salvaged pieces of the Big Suit and several weird looking tools and gadgets. The Brain began to salivate at the sight of such advanced engineering components.
Pinky awakened and stretched and looked about him in bleary eyed puzzlement. "Poit! Hey, Brain, hic!... oh dear, 'scuse me! Where are we?"
"In the laboratory of the one they call Pidge." The Brain muttered. "And please keep your voice down, I wish to observe everything without being observed."
"How come I never saw this room on the show?" Pinky asked in a loud whisper.
"How should I know?" His friend whispered back. "Perhaps because you happened to miss an episode?"
This rapidly sobered the half-drunk rodent, whose large pink nose wiggled in indignation at the very idea. "Absolutely not! I've seen every one!"
"Then maybe the production company is making new shows that will be aired in future, and this room is an addition." The Brain said with a shrug.
"Oh lovely, more Voltron! It would be beyond my wildest hopes!" Pinky murmured happily. "To have more time with the team...and maybe Keith will even get to kiss the Princess now."
"Whatever," The Brain muttered. "I'm more concerned with attaining the secret of Voltron at the moment."
As if sensing the mouse genius' eagerness, Allura placed her passengers with great care upon the table next to the Suit ship. "Here you go, boys. Please make yourself at home."
Feigning nonchalance, Brain strolled over to inspect the new and highly developed computerized components that the two mechanics were going to install in the Big Suit. Here was technology beyond his wildest dreams, even beyond the artistic capabilities of WB artists, with brand new parts instead of rebuilt ones. And not one of them was labeled 'Acme'! The mouse genius was filled with uncharacteristic sentimentality as he surveyed the intricate apparatus, and a tear came to his eye at the absolute splendor of it all.
"The Final Frontier..." he murmured. "I'm about to boldly go where no mouse has gone... oh for the love of Pete, Pinky, try to concentrate, don't you care that we are about to learn about some fascinating and advanced new technology!""
But Pinky had already wandered off, having noticed a red clad figure hovering in the hallway. Captain Keith was tailing them again, keeping an eye on the Princess.
Allura noticed the Captain as well, and made her excuses to the others, trying not to seem too eager as she approached the doorway to greet the dark haired pilot. Pinky crept after her, curious as to what would be really said between the couple, now that he and Brain had managed to bypass all of the network's 'sensors'...well, except for Nanny of the Very Large Skillet, the human equivalent of the alarm and huge rubber stamp that got used where he came from.
"Keith? Is everything all right?" The Princess asked softly. "Did you need me for something?"
"Yeah! I mean, no, everything's fine!?" Keith said without his usual poise. As he straightened, he met the incredibly beautiful eyes that had the power to hold him captive and tie knots in his tongue and tried to ignore the heat rising in his face. "Uh, I just got back and I wanted to see how everything was going with our guests."
"Couldn't be better." Allura assured him. "They seem to be no worse for their horrible experience, and Hunk and Pidge are going to help them fix their space craft now." She walked closer to him and put a hand on his bicep . "I wonder...if you would do me a big favor, Keith?"
Blue eyes glimmered and pink lips glistened as she gazed at him. The golden head tilted inquiringly as her other hand rose to trace an imaginary line down his arm. Keith sucked in a tortured breath, and Pinky saw the Captain's eyes darken and his Adam's apple bob as the Black Lion pilot swallowed hard.
"Anything for you, Princess."
Pinky's eyes were wide with delight. "Now's your chance!" He hummed, doing a little dance. "Kiss her, kiss her!"
Allura was blushing too, but she didn't move away, and in fact, inched closer. She looked around, as if to check for spies, and then leaned forward to whisper her request. As she did so, her right breast brushed his left arm.
Keith's eyes grew wide and he gave a start that had his elbow jerking into her chest, jabbing into the softest, most tender flesh imaginable.
"Owww!" The Princess cried, staggering back as pain moistened her baby blues, and shock pushed the request to the back of her mind.
"Oh dear, that didn't go at all well." Pinky clucked.
"Oh God, I am sorry..." Keith instinctively reached out to inspect the damage that had been inflicted, then thought better of it and snatched his hand away. "Er, can I get you something, Princess? An ice pack maybe?"
Allura glared at him, while crossing her arms over her chest. "No thanks, it really doesn't need to be chilled right now on top of everything else." She looked down at the right side of her chest. "It might be puffing up a little, but my bra should contain it."
"Oh-okay." Keith felt a suspicious tightening in his nether regions and shifted uneasily. Damn the tightness of his flight suit, and the blazing red that outlined every bulge!
Allura's eyes lowered and widened.
Pinky clapped his paw over his mouth in shock. ~Egads! She said 'bra'! Nanny is going to show up any minute and spank the naughty Princess for sure!~
Much to his amazement, the overprotective governess didn't materialize. Pinky scanned the corridor. Maybe Coran would be the one to break up this rendezvous- it was usually one or the other, and it always happened that way on T.V. But nope, no Coran to be seen on the horizon, either, so Pinky happily returned to his surveillance of Keith and Allura.
The couple still stood as if frozen in place, each trying desperately not to check one another for signs of 'swelling'.
"I'm really very sorry," Keith began again.
"It's all right, these things happen," Allura replied quickly.
~No they don't!~ Pinky thought gleefully. ~That was a bit of a blooper, Zort!~
"Ahem. You had a favor you wished to ask of me?" The Captain reminded her, doubly determined to make up for his clumsiness.
Allura suddenly smiled and her eyes began to sparkle once more. "Oh yes. There is something I need, and I..." She paused as the beeping of the communicator broke her train of thought.
To the on-looking rodent, Keith looked nervous, titillated and perturbed all at once.
"Come in, Commander," a disembodied voice crackled into the hall like a shot. "Keith, do you read? Are you there?"
Pinky sighed as he watched the Black Lion pilot reluctantly take the security call from Coran. ~I guess that's more like it. I was starting to wonder why they'd actually have a chance to smoochy-woochy. Zort!~
He watched Keith regretfully take his leave of the beautiful Princess and saw her yearning expression and her gaze follow the dashing Commander as he strode away.
"Someday, Keith." She murmured, and then slowly turned and strolled off in the opposite direction.
Pinky instantly decided to follow her. Maybe, just maybe he could cheer her up.
The Brain and Pinky blinked in astonishment when Allura carried them into the castle from the launch chute. The area commonly referred to as Castle Control was even more impressive than it appeared on television, its cavernous size emphasized by a towering fifty-foot ceiling.
The mice blinked again as a stately looking, middle-aged gentleman came forward and greeted them with a stiff bow. His clothes and manner of speech echoed the formality of his gesture.
"Welcome friends, and may I say we are sorry for the misfortune that has befallen you. I am Coran, the Castle Diplomat and Advisor to Her Majesty the Crown Princess Allura; I am here to serve." Faded brown eyes looked upon the rodents with kindness, the creases at the corners indicating that a smile lurked behind the luxuriant mustache. "Anything that you need, please name it and I will do my best to accommodate you. All I ask in return is that you and your home world wherever it is will consider joining our New Alliance against Zarkon; we value and need all potential allies."
Cheddar translated rapidly and Pinky relayed the speech to Brain, who nodded graciously and bowed. It appeared to be a sufficient response for Coran, who bowed even more deeply, the hem of his greatcoat brushing the floor.
The Brain was pleased. ~This fellow has impeccable manners. I could use a diplomat/butler/greeter once I become the beloved leader of Earth. I wonder if he'd consider a transfer if things don't work out for him on Arus?~
Silence fell. Coran seemed at a bit of a loss as to how to continue. "I, er, am most eager to hear about your adventures-"
A loud growling interrupted him, and Pinky blushed.
"I think storytelling will have to wait until my guests have been fed!" Allura chuckled.
Coran nodded. "Of course! There are suitable morsels for them in the kitchen, why don't you go ahead; when they arrive I will inform the others where you have gone."
Once again, Cheddar translated the dialogue and Pinky told his companion, while clapping his paws in glee. The Brain nodded again, graciously, although he cast a last longing glance around Ops,
wishing he could take a much closer look.
"We shall see you later Coran, I will be taking them on a short tour as well."
The Brain smiled suddenly; things were looking good, and he had the best seat in the house to observe them.
He glanced down from his perch on her shoulder, at the soft hills protruding from the Princess' uniform.
Well, maybe not the best seat, he corrected himself, wryly.
As Allura turned and started to exit the room with her passengers, the Royal Advisor called out, "I believe Nanny is in the kitchen, Your Highness."
The Princess half turned. "Is that a warning, Coran?"
The crinkles around the Castle Diplomat's eyes deepened and his mustache twitched. "Of course not. I'm simply imparting useful information."
"I see." Allura said, giving him a tiny smirk. "Thank you for the information."
"You're very welcome."
Twenty minutes later...
"Eeeeek!"
The black cast iron skillet came crashing down repeatedly, centimeters away from Pinky as he squeaked and scurried around to avoid being flattened. "Begone! This is no place for vile vermin!"
The rotund woman's flushed cheeks and bulging eyes coupled with the clanging of the pan were too much. Pinky began to cry piteously.
"Tears will not help you, I do not tolerate strange mice in my pantry! Now I will teach you a lesson!" The skillet rose menacingly over a visibly trembling Pinky.
"STOP!" The Princess cried, The Brain and Cheddar still riding on her shoulders. "Nanny, what do you think you're doing?"
"Defending my foodstuffs from this repulsive creature." The skillet wavered, then lifted into the air once more.
"Nanny, I command that you stop! He's my honored guest, we just rescued him from the woods, where he and his friend had crashed after Zarkon shot them down!"
Her governess sniffed skeptically.
"It's true!" Allura insisted. "But in any case, Coran has already welcomed them and you should do the same."
"Ach! Of course, he always welcomes the strange when he would do well to be more wary." The Royal Governess sighed and lowered her weapon, then pointed an index finger at the Princess, exclaiming in what the Brain thought was a Germanic accent, but wasn't quite sure, "The lions preserve us, what is that monstrosity on your shoulder?"
"You're not exactly the Aphrodite type yourself, Madam," The Brain muttered, while scowling fiercely at the overwrought female.
"Nanny, you are being terribly rude! Apologize to- to, um..." The Princess' voice trailed off uncertainly. Cheddar immediately whispered in Allura's ear and she quickly finished with, "Apologize to Master Large Noggin, and the honorable Antonio Banderas, at once!"
~Antonio Banderas?~ The Brain thought, incredulously. He glanced at Cheddar and the mouse gave him a large smile and the inevitable peace sign. He then looked sternly at Pinky, who shrugged and gave him a gap-toothed grin.
"Not until I find out what he was doing in my pantry," Nanny said firmly, folding her ample forearms across her ample chest and glaring at the scrawny looking rodent.
"I sent him here, we were all coming down to get some food for our guests." Allura explained. "Antonio just got a little ahead of us, because he seemed to know exactly where he was going. I have never seen anyone with such a well developed sense of direction!"
Pinky stared at his feet and tried to look modest. The Brain gave a soft snort.
"Vell, Princess, I am sorry I frightened your little mouse guests," the older woman huffed, "but someone has to be on guard, and I am taking no chances when it comes to strangers in the palace." She gave Pinky a stiff curtsy. "Master Banderas, I hope you will forgive me. I mean you no harm."
Cheddar translated. Pinky clasped his paws, bowed low in acknowledgment, and then blew the governess a kiss.
"Such cheekiness!" Nanny sputtered, but not looking entirely displeased. "Let me get you some cheese so you can be on your way."
She set down the skillet on the counter, opened the nearest cupboard, and pulled out a large wheel of cream- colored cheese. She then located a knife and cut out a large wedge for each mouse. "Here you go, Master Large and Master Antonio. This is some of the finest cheese Arus has to offer. It has been aged for forty years, it should be at its peak of perfection."
Pinky's lower extremities wiggled in pure delight as he accepted the treat.
The Brain sniffed his section suspiciously before taking a small bite. He closed his eyes in bliss as the pungent yet smooth flavor exploded on his taste buds. ~All I need now is a glass of German Auslese, vintage 1983.~ He thought as he savored the exquisite treat. ~Something sweet to go with the pungent.~
"Care for some Honey Nectar?" Allura offered, while Cheddar and Pinky translated rather sloppily, as their oral cavities were stuffed with cheese.
The Brain inclined his head in affirmation and soon was sipping the liquid out a small sugar spoon. ~Very nice bouquet; full-bodied, And extremely high in alcoholic content.~ He critiqued privately. He needed to keep his fiendishly clever mind clear as a bell, so he refused a refill.
Pinky tossed back his portion and two more, and then looked hopefully at the Princess, who laughed.
"No more for you, my young friend! The nectar is delicious but it packs quite a wallop if you aren't used to it. Anyway, I need to finish your tour."
Cheddar translated, a trifle inarticulately, as he had imbibed as much as Pinky, then reeled away to hide and take a nap before the Missus could box his ears for tippling before lunch.
Allura reached down to help the staggering Pinky climb aboard her shoulder. The inebriated mouse curled up next to Brain and promptly fell asleep.
After a whirlwind tour (that the snoring Pinky completely missed) the Princess and her guests finally ended up in what was affectionately called Pidge's 'Think Tank'. It was a room located in the pilot's living quarters, a cross between a den, a laboratory and a workshop. The boy prodigy and Hunk were off to one side, attentively perusing a mass of wires and computer circuitry, but greeted the visitors with friendly smiles upon their arrival.
On a large rectangular table in front of the two pilots lay the salvaged pieces of the Big Suit and several weird looking tools and gadgets. The Brain began to salivate at the sight of such advanced engineering components.
Pinky awakened and stretched and looked about him in bleary eyed puzzlement. "Poit! Hey, Brain, hic!... oh dear, 'scuse me! Where are we?"
"In the laboratory of the one they call Pidge." The Brain muttered. "And please keep your voice down, I wish to observe everything without being observed."
"How come I never saw this room on the show?" Pinky asked in a loud whisper.
"How should I know?" His friend whispered back. "Perhaps because you happened to miss an episode?"
This rapidly sobered the half-drunk rodent, whose large pink nose wiggled in indignation at the very idea. "Absolutely not! I've seen every one!"
"Then maybe the production company is making new shows that will be aired in future, and this room is an addition." The Brain said with a shrug.
"Oh lovely, more Voltron! It would be beyond my wildest hopes!" Pinky murmured happily. "To have more time with the team...and maybe Keith will even get to kiss the Princess now."
"Whatever," The Brain muttered. "I'm more concerned with attaining the secret of Voltron at the moment."
As if sensing the mouse genius' eagerness, Allura placed her passengers with great care upon the table next to the Suit ship. "Here you go, boys. Please make yourself at home."
Feigning nonchalance, Brain strolled over to inspect the new and highly developed computerized components that the two mechanics were going to install in the Big Suit. Here was technology beyond his wildest dreams, even beyond the artistic capabilities of WB artists, with brand new parts instead of rebuilt ones. And not one of them was labeled 'Acme'! The mouse genius was filled with uncharacteristic sentimentality as he surveyed the intricate apparatus, and a tear came to his eye at the absolute splendor of it all.
"The Final Frontier..." he murmured. "I'm about to boldly go where no mouse has gone... oh for the love of Pete, Pinky, try to concentrate, don't you care that we are about to learn about some fascinating and advanced new technology!""
But Pinky had already wandered off, having noticed a red clad figure hovering in the hallway. Captain Keith was tailing them again, keeping an eye on the Princess.
Allura noticed the Captain as well, and made her excuses to the others, trying not to seem too eager as she approached the doorway to greet the dark haired pilot. Pinky crept after her, curious as to what would be really said between the couple, now that he and Brain had managed to bypass all of the network's 'sensors'...well, except for Nanny of the Very Large Skillet, the human equivalent of the alarm and huge rubber stamp that got used where he came from.
"Keith? Is everything all right?" The Princess asked softly. "Did you need me for something?"
"Yeah! I mean, no, everything's fine!?" Keith said without his usual poise. As he straightened, he met the incredibly beautiful eyes that had the power to hold him captive and tie knots in his tongue and tried to ignore the heat rising in his face. "Uh, I just got back and I wanted to see how everything was going with our guests."
"Couldn't be better." Allura assured him. "They seem to be no worse for their horrible experience, and Hunk and Pidge are going to help them fix their space craft now." She walked closer to him and put a hand on his bicep . "I wonder...if you would do me a big favor, Keith?"
Blue eyes glimmered and pink lips glistened as she gazed at him. The golden head tilted inquiringly as her other hand rose to trace an imaginary line down his arm. Keith sucked in a tortured breath, and Pinky saw the Captain's eyes darken and his Adam's apple bob as the Black Lion pilot swallowed hard.
"Anything for you, Princess."
Pinky's eyes were wide with delight. "Now's your chance!" He hummed, doing a little dance. "Kiss her, kiss her!"
Allura was blushing too, but she didn't move away, and in fact, inched closer. She looked around, as if to check for spies, and then leaned forward to whisper her request. As she did so, her right breast brushed his left arm.
Keith's eyes grew wide and he gave a start that had his elbow jerking into her chest, jabbing into the softest, most tender flesh imaginable.
"Owww!" The Princess cried, staggering back as pain moistened her baby blues, and shock pushed the request to the back of her mind.
"Oh dear, that didn't go at all well." Pinky clucked.
"Oh God, I am sorry..." Keith instinctively reached out to inspect the damage that had been inflicted, then thought better of it and snatched his hand away. "Er, can I get you something, Princess? An ice pack maybe?"
Allura glared at him, while crossing her arms over her chest. "No thanks, it really doesn't need to be chilled right now on top of everything else." She looked down at the right side of her chest. "It might be puffing up a little, but my bra should contain it."
"Oh-okay." Keith felt a suspicious tightening in his nether regions and shifted uneasily. Damn the tightness of his flight suit, and the blazing red that outlined every bulge!
Allura's eyes lowered and widened.
Pinky clapped his paw over his mouth in shock. ~Egads! She said 'bra'! Nanny is going to show up any minute and spank the naughty Princess for sure!~
Much to his amazement, the overprotective governess didn't materialize. Pinky scanned the corridor. Maybe Coran would be the one to break up this rendezvous- it was usually one or the other, and it always happened that way on T.V. But nope, no Coran to be seen on the horizon, either, so Pinky happily returned to his surveillance of Keith and Allura.
The couple still stood as if frozen in place, each trying desperately not to check one another for signs of 'swelling'.
"I'm really very sorry," Keith began again.
"It's all right, these things happen," Allura replied quickly.
~No they don't!~ Pinky thought gleefully. ~That was a bit of a blooper, Zort!~
"Ahem. You had a favor you wished to ask of me?" The Captain reminded her, doubly determined to make up for his clumsiness.
Allura suddenly smiled and her eyes began to sparkle once more. "Oh yes. There is something I need, and I..." She paused as the beeping of the communicator broke her train of thought.
To the on-looking rodent, Keith looked nervous, titillated and perturbed all at once.
"Come in, Commander," a disembodied voice crackled into the hall like a shot. "Keith, do you read? Are you there?"
Pinky sighed as he watched the Black Lion pilot reluctantly take the security call from Coran. ~I guess that's more like it. I was starting to wonder why they'd actually have a chance to smoochy-woochy. Zort!~
He watched Keith regretfully take his leave of the beautiful Princess and saw her yearning expression and her gaze follow the dashing Commander as he strode away.
"Someday, Keith." She murmured, and then slowly turned and strolled off in the opposite direction.
Pinky instantly decided to follow her. Maybe, just maybe he could cheer her up.
Allura hummed softly to herself as she followed the maze of corridors leading to her office. Actually, it was more like a lounge, but she liked to call it an office since it was where she took care of all the voluminous paperwork Coran loved to draw up for her. Proclamations, certificates of valor, declarations of defiance, and Alliance condemnations of the latest Doom atrocities were the usual fare that crossed her desk. She'd be glad when the Advisor got the new word processor she had ordered for him, it would cut down on the paper waste.
She finally reached the proper door and placed her hand on the identification scanner.
"Greetings Crown Princess Allura of Arus, you may enter this space," a tinny sounding voice greeted her.
Allura stuck her little pink tongue out at the pretentious security device. Why did they have to program the thing to talk, anyway? It was so annoying, unless...maybe she could tamper with the message a little, have some fun with it.
A wide smile turned up the corners of her mouth at the possibilities. One message could be really fun if done correctly. She spoke her thoughts aloud, in the style of the automated voice, to test her idea for shock value.
"Greetings Captain Keith of the Voltron Force, you may enter the Princess' personal space right away, as she finds you extremely worthy."
She giggled wildly at the double entendre; Lance would be so proud of her. There was another good idea, maybe Lance could help her reprogram the darn thing. He'd do anything to get a rise out of the Captain, which made them like two peas in pod, although she was hoping for a rise more like she had just seen a few minutes ago after Keith had elbowed her.
Realizing she was still standing in the hallway with a goofy grin on her face, Allura went into the room, not noticing the furry little rodent that skipped in right behind her before the door slid shut.
She groaned as she spied the pile of documents and folders, and sank down in the nearest chair, which happened to be a papasan, letting the chair's bowl shape comfortably cradle her body. She closed her eyes in bliss, then opened them with a start as she felt a gentle tickling on her face. She gazed, almost cross-eyed, at the huge pink nose, whiskers, and beady, bugged out eyes just inches from hers, and screeched heartily.
Pinky yelled too, and fell backwards off her chin, landing on something firm and bouncy.
Egads! He was too afraid to look at what he was sitting on... poit! He could already feel the imaginary weight of Nanny's skillet upon his puny head. Noticing he was in shadow, he warily looked up, and breathed a sigh of relief. Oh, there they were, hanging high over his head, like two pink clouds. Thank goodness.
Allura recovered her composure, glanced down and started to laugh at the sight of the blushing and flustered rodent. "Well, you must have decided to keep me company instead of hanging out with the boys, is that right, Antonio?"
A shy grin was her response.
"That is so thoughtful of you," she smiled. "I know you can't understand me completely yet, but I hope you at least are familiar with my nature. I have always found all mice to be rather intuitive." She plucked the now cheerfully smiling mouse off her stomach and set him on the chair's edge, at eye level. "I could use someone to talk to right now, Antonio, because I am just so frustrated."
Pinky's face grew serious, and he nodded vigorously, indicating he was willing to listen.
"Keith, our Captain, is my true love, and I know he has feelings for me, yet I can't get him to kiss me, or affirm his feelings for me," the perplexed Princess confessed to her audience of one.
Pinky thought for a moment, then pantomimed a response, kissing and hugging an imaginary being.
"Good idea, but I already tried making him jealous, with Lance. It worked, but it didn't provoke him enough to kiss me, it just made him mad at Lance."
Pinky gestured some more, running to and fro in slow motion.
"Another good idea, Antonio, but the next Love Bridge festival is four months away, and I can't wait that long. By the way, I am so impressed that you are familiar with our legends."
Pinky then hopped around, grimacing and swooning. Allura shook her head sadly.
"Tried fainting already- he catches me gently, sweeps me up into his wonderfully strong arms... and takes me to Dr. Gorma, who gives me castor oil as a punishment for wasting his time." Both mouse and Princess shuddered at the thought.
Pinky made a slight motion with his paws, as if conversing, and then puckered up.
She looked stunned. "Ask him to kiss me? Why, I am the Princess of Arus! I am the leader of an entire planet, one of the founders of the New Alliance, the pilot of Blue Lion and..." her voice trailed away as she saw the mouse lower his head in dejection, his tiny white shoulders slumping forward. "And... I'm just a woman who is desperate to be with the man she loves to distraction," she finished miserably.
Pinky lifted his head and gazed up at her with shining, soulful eyes, went down on one knee, and lifted paws clasped together in entreaty.
"Oh Antonio, you're so sweet, but I'm afraid Keith has my heart for all time." Allura said kindly. "I'm honored that you asked me, though."
Pinky sighed. It had been worth a try.
"Maybe I should just ask him," Allura mused. "He said he'd do anything for me."
Pinky grinned in agreement.
"Okay, I'll do it tonight, " she said, smiling brightly. "I better get through my work so my schedule is clear for Operation Kiss." She leaned over and placed a gentle peck on Pinky's head. "Thank you Antonio, I am so glad you are here, I guess love is a language we all understand."
She finally reached the proper door and placed her hand on the identification scanner.
"Greetings Crown Princess Allura of Arus, you may enter this space," a tinny sounding voice greeted her.
Allura stuck her little pink tongue out at the pretentious security device. Why did they have to program the thing to talk, anyway? It was so annoying, unless...maybe she could tamper with the message a little, have some fun with it.
A wide smile turned up the corners of her mouth at the possibilities. One message could be really fun if done correctly. She spoke her thoughts aloud, in the style of the automated voice, to test her idea for shock value.
"Greetings Captain Keith of the Voltron Force, you may enter the Princess' personal space right away, as she finds you extremely worthy."
She giggled wildly at the double entendre; Lance would be so proud of her. There was another good idea, maybe Lance could help her reprogram the darn thing. He'd do anything to get a rise out of the Captain, which made them like two peas in pod, although she was hoping for a rise more like she had just seen a few minutes ago after Keith had elbowed her.
Realizing she was still standing in the hallway with a goofy grin on her face, Allura went into the room, not noticing the furry little rodent that skipped in right behind her before the door slid shut.
She groaned as she spied the pile of documents and folders, and sank down in the nearest chair, which happened to be a papasan, letting the chair's bowl shape comfortably cradle her body. She closed her eyes in bliss, then opened them with a start as she felt a gentle tickling on her face. She gazed, almost cross-eyed, at the huge pink nose, whiskers, and beady, bugged out eyes just inches from hers, and screeched heartily.
Pinky yelled too, and fell backwards off her chin, landing on something firm and bouncy.
Egads! He was too afraid to look at what he was sitting on... poit! He could already feel the imaginary weight of Nanny's skillet upon his puny head. Noticing he was in shadow, he warily looked up, and breathed a sigh of relief. Oh, there they were, hanging high over his head, like two pink clouds. Thank goodness.
Allura recovered her composure, glanced down and started to laugh at the sight of the blushing and flustered rodent. "Well, you must have decided to keep me company instead of hanging out with the boys, is that right, Antonio?"
A shy grin was her response.
"That is so thoughtful of you," she smiled. "I know you can't understand me completely yet, but I hope you at least are familiar with my nature. I have always found all mice to be rather intuitive." She plucked the now cheerfully smiling mouse off her stomach and set him on the chair's edge, at eye level. "I could use someone to talk to right now, Antonio, because I am just so frustrated."
Pinky's face grew serious, and he nodded vigorously, indicating he was willing to listen.
"Keith, our Captain, is my true love, and I know he has feelings for me, yet I can't get him to kiss me, or affirm his feelings for me," the perplexed Princess confessed to her audience of one.
Pinky thought for a moment, then pantomimed a response, kissing and hugging an imaginary being.
"Good idea, but I already tried making him jealous, with Lance. It worked, but it didn't provoke him enough to kiss me, it just made him mad at Lance."
Pinky gestured some more, running to and fro in slow motion.
"Another good idea, Antonio, but the next Love Bridge festival is four months away, and I can't wait that long. By the way, I am so impressed that you are familiar with our legends."
Pinky then hopped around, grimacing and swooning. Allura shook her head sadly.
"Tried fainting already- he catches me gently, sweeps me up into his wonderfully strong arms... and takes me to Dr. Gorma, who gives me castor oil as a punishment for wasting his time." Both mouse and Princess shuddered at the thought.
Pinky made a slight motion with his paws, as if conversing, and then puckered up.
She looked stunned. "Ask him to kiss me? Why, I am the Princess of Arus! I am the leader of an entire planet, one of the founders of the New Alliance, the pilot of Blue Lion and..." her voice trailed away as she saw the mouse lower his head in dejection, his tiny white shoulders slumping forward. "And... I'm just a woman who is desperate to be with the man she loves to distraction," she finished miserably.
Pinky lifted his head and gazed up at her with shining, soulful eyes, went down on one knee, and lifted paws clasped together in entreaty.
"Oh Antonio, you're so sweet, but I'm afraid Keith has my heart for all time." Allura said kindly. "I'm honored that you asked me, though."
Pinky sighed. It had been worth a try.
"Maybe I should just ask him," Allura mused. "He said he'd do anything for me."
Pinky grinned in agreement.
"Okay, I'll do it tonight, " she said, smiling brightly. "I better get through my work so my schedule is clear for Operation Kiss." She leaned over and placed a gentle peck on Pinky's head. "Thank you Antonio, I am so glad you are here, I guess love is a language we all understand."
Meanwhile, back at the Think Tank, Pidge and the Brain were having difference of opinion and a silent tug of war with the Big Suit's innards.
"You can't put the turbines there, it'll interfere with the warp coil!" Pidge practically yelled, lifting both the part and the mouse clutching it into the air in front of his sweating, bespectacled face.
The Brain gave the youth his best 'don't make me hurt you' glare as he dangled in mid air. This young whippersnapper may know his way around a computer, and probably had memorized an entire astrophysics textbook, but he knew nothing of the mechanics involved in operating the Big Suit.
Hunk intervened, taking the part and setting it down gently. Without more ado, The Brain hoisted it to his small shoulders and scurried off, chortling to himself.
The Green Lion pilot turned to his friend, his agitation causing his glasses to steam up. "Didja hear that little cheesehead? Didja? He's cackling just like Hagar does when she gets the best of us!"
"Cool it, little buddy, it's his spaceship, give him some credit! From what I can see, the technology that powers this thing is pretty primitive, and probably runs a lot differently than our ships." Hunk replied, trying to smooth Pidge's ruffled feathers.
They watched the rodent get to work, expertly installing the turbine.
"You have to give him credit, he sure looks like he knows a thing or too about mechanical engineering," the Yellow Lion pilot commented admiringly. He strolled over to observe the mysterious Mr. Noggin. In no time flat, the misshapen mouse had completed his task and stood back to let the Big Guy inspect it.
"Very nice, Noggin! I am very impressed with your mechanical skills, especially since you had to use such makeshift equipment," he commented, while eyeing a apparatus that strongly resembled what Terrans called a hand mixer.
The Brain was quite gratified to hear this, but dared not respond or give any indication he understood. He could acknowledge the general tone of the remark, so he smiled affably.
"Okay, the old framework is all in place, now let's soup this baby up! Ready with the weapons systems Pidge?"
"All set!" The youth carried over some fascinating looking computer chips and panels.
"Good, then let's get down to business!"
The Brain's eyes glinted with satisfaction as he stepped back to let the boys of Anime do their jobs.
"You can't put the turbines there, it'll interfere with the warp coil!" Pidge practically yelled, lifting both the part and the mouse clutching it into the air in front of his sweating, bespectacled face.
The Brain gave the youth his best 'don't make me hurt you' glare as he dangled in mid air. This young whippersnapper may know his way around a computer, and probably had memorized an entire astrophysics textbook, but he knew nothing of the mechanics involved in operating the Big Suit.
Hunk intervened, taking the part and setting it down gently. Without more ado, The Brain hoisted it to his small shoulders and scurried off, chortling to himself.
The Green Lion pilot turned to his friend, his agitation causing his glasses to steam up. "Didja hear that little cheesehead? Didja? He's cackling just like Hagar does when she gets the best of us!"
"Cool it, little buddy, it's his spaceship, give him some credit! From what I can see, the technology that powers this thing is pretty primitive, and probably runs a lot differently than our ships." Hunk replied, trying to smooth Pidge's ruffled feathers.
They watched the rodent get to work, expertly installing the turbine.
"You have to give him credit, he sure looks like he knows a thing or too about mechanical engineering," the Yellow Lion pilot commented admiringly. He strolled over to observe the mysterious Mr. Noggin. In no time flat, the misshapen mouse had completed his task and stood back to let the Big Guy inspect it.
"Very nice, Noggin! I am very impressed with your mechanical skills, especially since you had to use such makeshift equipment," he commented, while eyeing a apparatus that strongly resembled what Terrans called a hand mixer.
The Brain was quite gratified to hear this, but dared not respond or give any indication he understood. He could acknowledge the general tone of the remark, so he smiled affably.
"Okay, the old framework is all in place, now let's soup this baby up! Ready with the weapons systems Pidge?"
"All set!" The youth carried over some fascinating looking computer chips and panels.
"Good, then let's get down to business!"
The Brain's eyes glinted with satisfaction as he stepped back to let the boys of Anime do their jobs.
Back at the Princess quarters, Pinky was making himself useful. He just loved to be helpful, and he happily licked and sealed all the envelopes Allura passed to him.
"This is so boring, isn't it Antonio?" She remarked after the better part of two hours had gone by. "You are so nice to help me."
Pinky tried to reply, forgetting that he was supposed to keep quiet. Mercifully for The Plan, the glue from the envelope had riveted his sizeable tongue to the roof of his mouth. He could only grin, which seemed to satisfy the Princess as a response.
A quiet scratching at the door startled both of them.
"What was that?" Allura said, rising from her desk. She strode over to the door panel and listened. After a few seconds, the scratching could be heard again, louder and more insistent this time, accompanied by what sounded like purring.
"It almost sounds like a cat," she commented and then looked in horror at her guest. "One of the new maids must have brought it in, because the older staff knows we have a ban on cats here, out of respect for my little friends." The Princess smiled reassuringly at the frightened Antonio. "Don't worry, I will take care of it at once."
She went to press the panel to open the door, then stopped and returned to the desk to scoop up her guest. She placed him to one side of the door, right below the control panel.
"There is a small recess there that you can stand in if the kitty happens to get in here," she advised him. "It'll keep you safe."
She opened the door, kneeling in preparation for a feline to coming creeping in, but nothing came into view.
"That's odd, I know I heard something." Allura pondered. She stepped out into the hall, and glanced both ways. "Nothing out here either. I'll just walk down the hallway a short distance and check. Stay here, Antonio."
Pinky nodded reflexively, and watched her depart. An uneasy feeling jabbed through his gut. He had only ever seen one cat on the show, and it belonged to that evil witch...
~THE BLUE CAT!~ A frantic Pinky started to scramble down from the ledge. It was then that he heard her scream. Jumping back up, he hit the big red button he was sure had to be the alarm. As the klaxons went off, he scooted down to the floor and ran out to the hall. At the end stood the Princess, now confronted by the most evil looking animal with yellow eyes Pinky had ever seen. It was the Blue Cat, and it looked like it was getting ready to pounce!
Without hesitation, Pinky scurried down the hallway, and put himself between Allura and the wicked creature.
The feline, diverted by what promised to be a tasty snack, broke off its attack on the Princess and focused on the mouse.
"Oh Antonio, no!" Allura cried. "Don't..."
The heavy clatter of approaching guards filled the air and the cat knew it had to escape. Lunging forward, he grabbed Pinky by the tail and ran off.
The mouse tried to yell, but the glue still kept his tongue from functioning.
The guards gave chase, but the wily cat eluded them all, knowing they couldn't fire on him while he held the rodent guest as a hostage. Everyone knew the Princess confided in the mice, and Hagar was sure to be so pleased with his catch, that she might actually let him have this delicacy after she had thoroughly interrogated it.
He nimbly leaped out the nearest open window, and ran along the parapets to a hidden, coffin shaped pod. The feline leaped in, and the hatch closed behind him. Soon the cat and the mouse were airborne, heading toward Planet Doom.
"Antonio!" Allura whispered, as she sadly watched the departing pad. "You brave, noble, foolish mouse..."
Spinning around, she pelted toward Castle Control, while notifying Coran to round up the team. She had told Antonio she would protect him, and she intended to keep that promise.
"This is so boring, isn't it Antonio?" She remarked after the better part of two hours had gone by. "You are so nice to help me."
Pinky tried to reply, forgetting that he was supposed to keep quiet. Mercifully for The Plan, the glue from the envelope had riveted his sizeable tongue to the roof of his mouth. He could only grin, which seemed to satisfy the Princess as a response.
A quiet scratching at the door startled both of them.
"What was that?" Allura said, rising from her desk. She strode over to the door panel and listened. After a few seconds, the scratching could be heard again, louder and more insistent this time, accompanied by what sounded like purring.
"It almost sounds like a cat," she commented and then looked in horror at her guest. "One of the new maids must have brought it in, because the older staff knows we have a ban on cats here, out of respect for my little friends." The Princess smiled reassuringly at the frightened Antonio. "Don't worry, I will take care of it at once."
She went to press the panel to open the door, then stopped and returned to the desk to scoop up her guest. She placed him to one side of the door, right below the control panel.
"There is a small recess there that you can stand in if the kitty happens to get in here," she advised him. "It'll keep you safe."
She opened the door, kneeling in preparation for a feline to coming creeping in, but nothing came into view.
"That's odd, I know I heard something." Allura pondered. She stepped out into the hall, and glanced both ways. "Nothing out here either. I'll just walk down the hallway a short distance and check. Stay here, Antonio."
Pinky nodded reflexively, and watched her depart. An uneasy feeling jabbed through his gut. He had only ever seen one cat on the show, and it belonged to that evil witch...
~THE BLUE CAT!~ A frantic Pinky started to scramble down from the ledge. It was then that he heard her scream. Jumping back up, he hit the big red button he was sure had to be the alarm. As the klaxons went off, he scooted down to the floor and ran out to the hall. At the end stood the Princess, now confronted by the most evil looking animal with yellow eyes Pinky had ever seen. It was the Blue Cat, and it looked like it was getting ready to pounce!
Without hesitation, Pinky scurried down the hallway, and put himself between Allura and the wicked creature.
The feline, diverted by what promised to be a tasty snack, broke off its attack on the Princess and focused on the mouse.
"Oh Antonio, no!" Allura cried. "Don't..."
The heavy clatter of approaching guards filled the air and the cat knew it had to escape. Lunging forward, he grabbed Pinky by the tail and ran off.
The mouse tried to yell, but the glue still kept his tongue from functioning.
The guards gave chase, but the wily cat eluded them all, knowing they couldn't fire on him while he held the rodent guest as a hostage. Everyone knew the Princess confided in the mice, and Hagar was sure to be so pleased with his catch, that she might actually let him have this delicacy after she had thoroughly interrogated it.
He nimbly leaped out the nearest open window, and ran along the parapets to a hidden, coffin shaped pod. The feline leaped in, and the hatch closed behind him. Soon the cat and the mouse were airborne, heading toward Planet Doom.
"Antonio!" Allura whispered, as she sadly watched the departing pad. "You brave, noble, foolish mouse..."
Spinning around, she pelted toward Castle Control, while notifying Coran to round up the team. She had told Antonio she would protect him, and she intended to keep that promise.
The Brain gazed in wonder at the rejuvenated Big Suit and his mind filled with superlatives.
He walked around the entire vessel, and then stood back to survey it, then walked around it again, marveling at the awesome battle warrior mecha guise his creation had become.
A mighty feat of engineering. A masterpiece of design. Perfection.
Best of all, it had a mechanical head now...his two benefactors had assumed the old one had been destroyed, and of course the mouse couldn't dispute that unless he talked. In addition to the head proper, it had four more heads, one at the end of every extremity in addition to the one above the shoulders. It pleased him to no end that the one called Hunk had suggested that the five heads carry The Brain's fearsome, scowling likeness (although the big man had remarked in an aside to Pidge that the sight of Mr. Noggin's mug would scare the enemy without having to fire a shot, and his friend had laughingly agreed).
The Brain, blissfully unaware of this exchange, had privately reveled in the fact that, even though his actual person would now be under wraps, his noble brow would still be visible to his adoring public.
All of the 'Large Noggins', as Pidge referred to them, (much to the Brain's displeasure) also had the capability of detaching and forming into independent, pod-like ships, although the extremities themselves couldn't separate due to lack of proper materials and time.
The paint on the cyborg's suit had been changed from a loud brown and gold plaid to a more subtle shade of gray, with pinstripes. The ecru shirt, maroon tie, and a hanky embroidered with the Royal Crest of Arus added stylish panache to the contraption. Hunk and Pidge had installed several advanced weaponry systems that the megalomaniac mouse was terribly anxious to get his paws on, plus a communications and tracking system that was second to none.
The mouse genius smiled in appreciation of the effort that had been put forth by his companions. It was a joy working with individuals that understood all aspects of mechanical and electrical engineering. Yes, The Brain had to admit that these two humans had been especially resourceful and clever in giving his creation such limitless possibilities. Too bad they wouldn't go for serving a Benevolent Despot, otherwise he could have offered them both paid positions with good benefits once he'd established his empire on Earth.
The Brain's brow furrowed as he considered the idea. Come to think of it, they might actually be open to such an offer- from what he could tell, they worked for room and board, and with all the Doom raids and RoBeasts stomping on people, he doubted they even qualified for affordable life or medical insurance. They never bought anything and always wore the same clothes day after day on their show. Certainly they'd give it some consideration to a tempting proposition to steal them away from their current employers. Perhaps he'd give it a go, even if the young one was mouthy and a bit of a grandstander.
Pinky would help distract the boy with his inanities once they'd revealed their true identities. It would be amusing to see if Pidge would tolerate the
The Brain smirked, then sighed, unexpectedly missing his zany cohort at this pivotal moment. ~I wonder where Pinky got himself off to, and if he's pondering the same things I am?~
He finally decided after seconds of reflection that it was premature for him to ponder any staff decisions until he got to test-drive the Big Suit. There were bound to be glitches that would need his full attention, and everything needed to be fully operational for The Plan to succeed.
~Your name shall be Braintron, and you shall be mine.~ The mouse genius thought with elation. ~With your power, I will achieve my goal of taking over the world at long last. You are destined to become a global phenomenon, and a mighty Champion for all ages!~
The Brain was so enthralled with their handiwork, so wrapped up in his vision come to life, that he didn't so much as flinch when the alarms went off. Klaxons blared and running footsteps could be heard in the outer corridors. Someone shouted right outside the door. The Brain didn't twitch or give any sign that he heard.
"Something's going down!" Hunk boomed. "Gotta go!"
Not waiting for permission, the Big Guy reached out one beefy hand and scooped the bemused mouse off the worktable.
The Brain came to life, struggling, and then subsiding with a glare.
"Sorry, Noggie old boy, but duty is calling, and we have to answer!" His captor said as he slid Brain into his vest's inner pocket. “Stay with me, I'll get you to safety!”
~NO! This can't be happening!~ The Brain shouted silently. So close, so close to his objective, and then... he looked at his tiny watch resignedly. ~Of course, should have known, we are getting to the part of the story in which our customary bout with unmitigated failure begins to loom on the horizon. I wonder what Pinky Banderas has done this time to foul up The Plan. The vastness of deep space has nothing on the gap between that boy's ears!~
The Brain was pulled from his despair, and grunted as he was jostled and bounced into the rock hard body of the Yellow Lion pilot, who was now running full tilt to answer the emergency summons.
~Ow! This fellow is a lot fitter than he looks-oof! The Princess was a much more comfortable ride!~
He crouched low in the vest pocket, immersed in a sulk...but stopped as he realized that they were probably headed for the castle's Control Center. All was not lost, maybe this little emergency wouldn't be such a waste of time after all, if he could get a first hand look at the inner sanctum of the Voltron Force!
He walked around the entire vessel, and then stood back to survey it, then walked around it again, marveling at the awesome battle warrior mecha guise his creation had become.
A mighty feat of engineering. A masterpiece of design. Perfection.
Best of all, it had a mechanical head now...his two benefactors had assumed the old one had been destroyed, and of course the mouse couldn't dispute that unless he talked. In addition to the head proper, it had four more heads, one at the end of every extremity in addition to the one above the shoulders. It pleased him to no end that the one called Hunk had suggested that the five heads carry The Brain's fearsome, scowling likeness (although the big man had remarked in an aside to Pidge that the sight of Mr. Noggin's mug would scare the enemy without having to fire a shot, and his friend had laughingly agreed).
The Brain, blissfully unaware of this exchange, had privately reveled in the fact that, even though his actual person would now be under wraps, his noble brow would still be visible to his adoring public.
All of the 'Large Noggins', as Pidge referred to them, (much to the Brain's displeasure) also had the capability of detaching and forming into independent, pod-like ships, although the extremities themselves couldn't separate due to lack of proper materials and time.
The paint on the cyborg's suit had been changed from a loud brown and gold plaid to a more subtle shade of gray, with pinstripes. The ecru shirt, maroon tie, and a hanky embroidered with the Royal Crest of Arus added stylish panache to the contraption. Hunk and Pidge had installed several advanced weaponry systems that the megalomaniac mouse was terribly anxious to get his paws on, plus a communications and tracking system that was second to none.
The mouse genius smiled in appreciation of the effort that had been put forth by his companions. It was a joy working with individuals that understood all aspects of mechanical and electrical engineering. Yes, The Brain had to admit that these two humans had been especially resourceful and clever in giving his creation such limitless possibilities. Too bad they wouldn't go for serving a Benevolent Despot, otherwise he could have offered them both paid positions with good benefits once he'd established his empire on Earth.
The Brain's brow furrowed as he considered the idea. Come to think of it, they might actually be open to such an offer- from what he could tell, they worked for room and board, and with all the Doom raids and RoBeasts stomping on people, he doubted they even qualified for affordable life or medical insurance. They never bought anything and always wore the same clothes day after day on their show. Certainly they'd give it some consideration to a tempting proposition to steal them away from their current employers. Perhaps he'd give it a go, even if the young one was mouthy and a bit of a grandstander.
Pinky would help distract the boy with his inanities once they'd revealed their true identities. It would be amusing to see if Pidge would tolerate the
The Brain smirked, then sighed, unexpectedly missing his zany cohort at this pivotal moment. ~I wonder where Pinky got himself off to, and if he's pondering the same things I am?~
He finally decided after seconds of reflection that it was premature for him to ponder any staff decisions until he got to test-drive the Big Suit. There were bound to be glitches that would need his full attention, and everything needed to be fully operational for The Plan to succeed.
~Your name shall be Braintron, and you shall be mine.~ The mouse genius thought with elation. ~With your power, I will achieve my goal of taking over the world at long last. You are destined to become a global phenomenon, and a mighty Champion for all ages!~
The Brain was so enthralled with their handiwork, so wrapped up in his vision come to life, that he didn't so much as flinch when the alarms went off. Klaxons blared and running footsteps could be heard in the outer corridors. Someone shouted right outside the door. The Brain didn't twitch or give any sign that he heard.
"Something's going down!" Hunk boomed. "Gotta go!"
Not waiting for permission, the Big Guy reached out one beefy hand and scooped the bemused mouse off the worktable.
The Brain came to life, struggling, and then subsiding with a glare.
"Sorry, Noggie old boy, but duty is calling, and we have to answer!" His captor said as he slid Brain into his vest's inner pocket. “Stay with me, I'll get you to safety!”
~NO! This can't be happening!~ The Brain shouted silently. So close, so close to his objective, and then... he looked at his tiny watch resignedly. ~Of course, should have known, we are getting to the part of the story in which our customary bout with unmitigated failure begins to loom on the horizon. I wonder what Pinky Banderas has done this time to foul up The Plan. The vastness of deep space has nothing on the gap between that boy's ears!~
The Brain was pulled from his despair, and grunted as he was jostled and bounced into the rock hard body of the Yellow Lion pilot, who was now running full tilt to answer the emergency summons.
~Ow! This fellow is a lot fitter than he looks-oof! The Princess was a much more comfortable ride!~
He crouched low in the vest pocket, immersed in a sulk...but stopped as he realized that they were probably headed for the castle's Control Center. All was not lost, maybe this little emergency wouldn't be such a waste of time after all, if he could get a first hand look at the inner sanctum of the Voltron Force!
Five minutes later in Castle Control found Keith and Allura already standing behind Coran at the Ops panel when the rest of the team entered the main computer room.
One look at the Princess and Hunk knew something truly terrible must have happened. Her features were pale and set, and her eyes were glistening with tears that she was refusing to let run onto her cheeks. Keith looked stern and foreboding with his thick black brows pulled down over blazing eyes. Coran was quickly punching information into the computer and frowning worriedly.
"Is it Lotor again?" The Yellow Lion pilot blurted out.
"The Blue Cat was here and it accosted the Princess," Keith stated grimly.
"Uh-oh....that means another Doom plot is underway." Hunk rasped, while crossing his muscular forearms firmly across his bulging pectorals. Thank goodness the Princess was okay. He hoped that darn cat would choke on a hairball.
He gave a start as he felt one bulge start to move violently and sheepishly pulled out a glaring large headed mouse. "Oops! Sorry Noggie, I forgot you were there!"
~Imbecile! You almost crushed me! What were you thinking? That's right- you weren't!~ The Brain snarled silently.
“Sheesh, I said I was sorry, Noggin!" Hunk addressed the glowering mouse. He set The Brain on one brawny shoulder. “ Get over it now, we got bigger fish to fry.”
The Brain subsided, but fumed as he sat. That name! He loathed the sound of it! Why couldn't Pinky have introduced him as 'the Iconoclast' like he was supposed to? The thought of hearing that moniker for the rest of their stay was almost enough to make him rethink his vow of silence...
Almost.
~It will take more than hatred of a ridiculous nickname to get me to jeopardize The Plan! Sticks and Stones, and all that.~
With renewed resolution, The Brain turned his full attention to his Hostess.
She seemed quite agitated, if one could judge by her wildly gesturing arms, high-pitched tone and heaving bosom.
"They've kidnapped Antonio. He tried to defend me against that horrible cat and it grabbed him took off in a space coffin ship." Allura's voice shook with emotion. "We tracked it; it has gone all the way back to Planet Doom.We have to do something to save him!"
~Pinky...Pinky has gone to Planet Doom?~ The Brain's eyes widened in horrified comprehension of the situation. ~If I remember correctly, that's where the Voltron's sworn enemies, the fish eared guy and the son of a fish eared guy live, along with some sort of witch!~
It was inconceivable! But it had happened- the Princess had seen it! The witch's fiendish feline familiar had mousenapped his best friend and carried him into the heart of pure evil.
"That wicked piece of work probably thought our guest was one of Princess' pets, and took him in for interrogation." Lance offered, grimly. "Either that, or he was tired of canned space rations."
"Oh no! Don't say that Lance!!" The Princess closed her eyes in anguish. "This is all my fault. If I had just kept the door shut..."
In a voice shaking with emotion, she relayed exactly what had happened to the shaken Brain and her teammates.
"Don't blame yourself, Your Highness, you had no way of knowing that it was Blue Cat, it was our perpetually second-rate security systems that failed you and Antonio." Coran spoke up, turning in his chair to look at his Princess. "It sounds like Antonio freely made the decision to defend you, a noble choice indeed from a stranger who only met us by fate."
~You have no idea.~ The Brain thought with a stab of strong emotion. ~He did it for love- the poor, misguided, infatuated fool! This is what following your heart gets you, Pinky! A harsh lesson, one you did not deserve to learn!~
“Lotor wants to get hold of him." Pidge remarked quietly. “He covets anything he thinks belongs to the Princess.”
"If he does, I am sure we'll be hearing from the creep right away," Keith replied briskly. "He'll use Antonio as a bargaining chip to get to the Princess, you can count on it."
~Brilliant deduction, Captain! How many episodes did it take you to figure that one out?~ The Brain thought sarcastically. Of course, he had to admit his own plight was rather predictable as well, The Plan for Global Domination was in danger of failing again. But it had never involved Pinky being in harm's way...
"Well, what are we waiting for, let's go get the little guy!" Hunk exclaimed.
Keith shook his head. "We can't just go flying off half-cocked to Doom, Hunk. It could be a trap!"
“Or maybe they just got lucky.” The Big Guy stared at the Captain. "All their RoBeasts are incapacitated after our last run in, what better time to go and whomp on the rest of the place?"
His leader thought a moment. "You know, you have a point there. Let's go for it!"
The rest of the team stared at Keith in astonishment. So did The Brain. ~Well, I'll be a hamster's uncle!~ The mouse thought. ~The guy is breaking out of the script. He's improvising.~
"No need to look so shocked, " The Black Lion pilot said defensively. “I can be as impetuous as the next guy.”
Allura blinked her big blue eyes before reaching over and patting the Captain's arm. A bright flush instantly stained his cheeks.
“I'm not shocked.” She said. “I'm pleased.”
"Nicely done, Captain Vengeance." Lance murmured. “Let's just hope you don't get us all killed on a whim.”
Keith shot his friend a look, then he glanced back at the Princess, who was still gazing at him with admiration and something else glimmering in her limpid eyes. His flush grew deeper and he looked away.
The Brain rolled his eyes. For a battle-hardened warrior, Captain Keith was annoyingly coy. Watching him and Allura interact made his fillings hurt; good thing the Smirky Guy was there to keep things tart.
"You all right Chief? You're looking a mite feverish." Lance said, with a sly half smile.
"I'm fine," Keith responded brusquely.
Allura smiled at the two men, before becoming completely serious once again. Antonio Banderas was in dire peril. This was certainly no time for flirting.
"We'll need a special plan," Coran interjected suddenly. "The Doomian castle is heavily fortified."
"Right. Let's brainstorm and see what we can come up with, team. Then it's off to Doom!" Keith cried.
The rest of the team responded as one. "All right! Let's go, Voltron Force!"
~Rah, Rah.~ The Brain thought, a couple of beats behind. His sarcasm was a reflex, as his thoughts were in a jumble. Pinky getting kidnapped was not conducive to the success of The Plan, but suddenly that didn't matter.
It was time to follow the Captain's lead, disengage all fail-safes, and see what the Voltron Force could do to save his friend.
One look at the Princess and Hunk knew something truly terrible must have happened. Her features were pale and set, and her eyes were glistening with tears that she was refusing to let run onto her cheeks. Keith looked stern and foreboding with his thick black brows pulled down over blazing eyes. Coran was quickly punching information into the computer and frowning worriedly.
"Is it Lotor again?" The Yellow Lion pilot blurted out.
"The Blue Cat was here and it accosted the Princess," Keith stated grimly.
"Uh-oh....that means another Doom plot is underway." Hunk rasped, while crossing his muscular forearms firmly across his bulging pectorals. Thank goodness the Princess was okay. He hoped that darn cat would choke on a hairball.
He gave a start as he felt one bulge start to move violently and sheepishly pulled out a glaring large headed mouse. "Oops! Sorry Noggie, I forgot you were there!"
~Imbecile! You almost crushed me! What were you thinking? That's right- you weren't!~ The Brain snarled silently.
“Sheesh, I said I was sorry, Noggin!" Hunk addressed the glowering mouse. He set The Brain on one brawny shoulder. “ Get over it now, we got bigger fish to fry.”
The Brain subsided, but fumed as he sat. That name! He loathed the sound of it! Why couldn't Pinky have introduced him as 'the Iconoclast' like he was supposed to? The thought of hearing that moniker for the rest of their stay was almost enough to make him rethink his vow of silence...
Almost.
~It will take more than hatred of a ridiculous nickname to get me to jeopardize The Plan! Sticks and Stones, and all that.~
With renewed resolution, The Brain turned his full attention to his Hostess.
She seemed quite agitated, if one could judge by her wildly gesturing arms, high-pitched tone and heaving bosom.
"They've kidnapped Antonio. He tried to defend me against that horrible cat and it grabbed him took off in a space coffin ship." Allura's voice shook with emotion. "We tracked it; it has gone all the way back to Planet Doom.We have to do something to save him!"
~Pinky...Pinky has gone to Planet Doom?~ The Brain's eyes widened in horrified comprehension of the situation. ~If I remember correctly, that's where the Voltron's sworn enemies, the fish eared guy and the son of a fish eared guy live, along with some sort of witch!~
It was inconceivable! But it had happened- the Princess had seen it! The witch's fiendish feline familiar had mousenapped his best friend and carried him into the heart of pure evil.
"That wicked piece of work probably thought our guest was one of Princess' pets, and took him in for interrogation." Lance offered, grimly. "Either that, or he was tired of canned space rations."
"Oh no! Don't say that Lance!!" The Princess closed her eyes in anguish. "This is all my fault. If I had just kept the door shut..."
In a voice shaking with emotion, she relayed exactly what had happened to the shaken Brain and her teammates.
"Don't blame yourself, Your Highness, you had no way of knowing that it was Blue Cat, it was our perpetually second-rate security systems that failed you and Antonio." Coran spoke up, turning in his chair to look at his Princess. "It sounds like Antonio freely made the decision to defend you, a noble choice indeed from a stranger who only met us by fate."
~You have no idea.~ The Brain thought with a stab of strong emotion. ~He did it for love- the poor, misguided, infatuated fool! This is what following your heart gets you, Pinky! A harsh lesson, one you did not deserve to learn!~
“Lotor wants to get hold of him." Pidge remarked quietly. “He covets anything he thinks belongs to the Princess.”
"If he does, I am sure we'll be hearing from the creep right away," Keith replied briskly. "He'll use Antonio as a bargaining chip to get to the Princess, you can count on it."
~Brilliant deduction, Captain! How many episodes did it take you to figure that one out?~ The Brain thought sarcastically. Of course, he had to admit his own plight was rather predictable as well, The Plan for Global Domination was in danger of failing again. But it had never involved Pinky being in harm's way...
"Well, what are we waiting for, let's go get the little guy!" Hunk exclaimed.
Keith shook his head. "We can't just go flying off half-cocked to Doom, Hunk. It could be a trap!"
“Or maybe they just got lucky.” The Big Guy stared at the Captain. "All their RoBeasts are incapacitated after our last run in, what better time to go and whomp on the rest of the place?"
His leader thought a moment. "You know, you have a point there. Let's go for it!"
The rest of the team stared at Keith in astonishment. So did The Brain. ~Well, I'll be a hamster's uncle!~ The mouse thought. ~The guy is breaking out of the script. He's improvising.~
"No need to look so shocked, " The Black Lion pilot said defensively. “I can be as impetuous as the next guy.”
Allura blinked her big blue eyes before reaching over and patting the Captain's arm. A bright flush instantly stained his cheeks.
“I'm not shocked.” She said. “I'm pleased.”
"Nicely done, Captain Vengeance." Lance murmured. “Let's just hope you don't get us all killed on a whim.”
Keith shot his friend a look, then he glanced back at the Princess, who was still gazing at him with admiration and something else glimmering in her limpid eyes. His flush grew deeper and he looked away.
The Brain rolled his eyes. For a battle-hardened warrior, Captain Keith was annoyingly coy. Watching him and Allura interact made his fillings hurt; good thing the Smirky Guy was there to keep things tart.
"You all right Chief? You're looking a mite feverish." Lance said, with a sly half smile.
"I'm fine," Keith responded brusquely.
Allura smiled at the two men, before becoming completely serious once again. Antonio Banderas was in dire peril. This was certainly no time for flirting.
"We'll need a special plan," Coran interjected suddenly. "The Doomian castle is heavily fortified."
"Right. Let's brainstorm and see what we can come up with, team. Then it's off to Doom!" Keith cried.
The rest of the team responded as one. "All right! Let's go, Voltron Force!"
~Rah, Rah.~ The Brain thought, a couple of beats behind. His sarcasm was a reflex, as his thoughts were in a jumble. Pinky getting kidnapped was not conducive to the success of The Plan, but suddenly that didn't matter.
It was time to follow the Captain's lead, disengage all fail-safes, and see what the Voltron Force could do to save his friend.
On Planet Doom, a terrified Pinky found himself being carried by the Blue Cat into a creepy, cave-like room that smelled strongly of sulphur. It appeared to be a laboratory, but it bore little resemblance to the one he called home.
As his eyes adjusted to the ultra red lights, he could see the outline of a wizened figure, a long staff clutched in its clawed hand, hunched over a console holding a crystal ball, and numerous beakers containing solutions of some sort. A harsh muttering filled the air as whatever the entity was trying to do obviously failed.
"A curse on that Voltron Force and their enigmatic weapons! Those RoBeasts are still too pooped out to fight!"
The figure turned abruptly, and Pinky gasped. Those glowing yellow eyes, green skin and extensive facial wart problem were a dead giveaway! It was Hagar, the old witch!
The gangly mouse shuddered in revulsion as Witch Hagar floated nearer to him. She was even more hideous looking in person, although he had to admit she appeared slimmer and younger than on the telly- it must be true what they said about the camera putting on years and weight on a body.
Of course, it didn't apply to everything. Case in point- the Brain's oversized cranium, and Princess Allura's stunning figure. Those were truthful depictions.
~Egad! I wonder how I look like on T.V., I guess I'll have to watch myself watching T.V. and find out.Zort! Hm... now wouldn't that be an odd sight, really just like holding a mirror, in front of a mirror, in front of a mirror, in front of-...~
The witch's wicked cackle unmercifully brought Pinky's wandering thoughts back to stark reality. "What have we here? A mouse from Castle Arus? Ah, well done, my pet! A confidante of the pretty Princess...let's see what he knows."
Pinky gulped and trembled as the clawed fingers reached out and detached him from the cat's mouth.
Back on Earth, watching the show, he'd often gotten a secret kick out of the witch...she had a wicked sense of humor, and he liked how she was able to put the evil Prince and the King in their places.
But this Haggar was scary. And not funny, no, not funny at all!
~The Brain will help me! Voltron Force will save me!~ He thought doggedly, before fainting dead away.
As his eyes adjusted to the ultra red lights, he could see the outline of a wizened figure, a long staff clutched in its clawed hand, hunched over a console holding a crystal ball, and numerous beakers containing solutions of some sort. A harsh muttering filled the air as whatever the entity was trying to do obviously failed.
"A curse on that Voltron Force and their enigmatic weapons! Those RoBeasts are still too pooped out to fight!"
The figure turned abruptly, and Pinky gasped. Those glowing yellow eyes, green skin and extensive facial wart problem were a dead giveaway! It was Hagar, the old witch!
The gangly mouse shuddered in revulsion as Witch Hagar floated nearer to him. She was even more hideous looking in person, although he had to admit she appeared slimmer and younger than on the telly- it must be true what they said about the camera putting on years and weight on a body.
Of course, it didn't apply to everything. Case in point- the Brain's oversized cranium, and Princess Allura's stunning figure. Those were truthful depictions.
~Egad! I wonder how I look like on T.V., I guess I'll have to watch myself watching T.V. and find out.Zort! Hm... now wouldn't that be an odd sight, really just like holding a mirror, in front of a mirror, in front of a mirror, in front of-...~
The witch's wicked cackle unmercifully brought Pinky's wandering thoughts back to stark reality. "What have we here? A mouse from Castle Arus? Ah, well done, my pet! A confidante of the pretty Princess...let's see what he knows."
Pinky gulped and trembled as the clawed fingers reached out and detached him from the cat's mouth.
Back on Earth, watching the show, he'd often gotten a secret kick out of the witch...she had a wicked sense of humor, and he liked how she was able to put the evil Prince and the King in their places.
But this Haggar was scary. And not funny, no, not funny at all!
~The Brain will help me! Voltron Force will save me!~ He thought doggedly, before fainting dead away.
"What a waste of time and materials!" Witch Hagar lamented to her cat. "An exercise in futility! The workings of this vermin's mind remain a complete mystery to me, even though he can actually speak!"
She had spent the past hour acting as a pseudo-confidant to a mouse high on Anthraxian penathol. Alas, instead of vital information or even juicy tidbits of gossip, the mouse's ingestion of the costly potion had induced nothing but a speedy judgment on her part that somewhere a mouse village was missing its idiot.
Pinky snored and drooled on the tiny gurney to which she had strapped him. An occasional toot punctuated his snores, an unfortunate side effect of the potion that had been administered to him by his captress.
"He cares deeply for the Princess, but why is he constantly babbling about someone called 'The Brain'? There's no one residing in the castle that bears that title...unless it could be a reference to the brat that flies Green Lion."
Hagar circled the gurney and continued to mutter, half-aloud. "He doesn't know anything about the innards of Voltron, the Castle's defenses, or even the other mice that I don't already know. Perhaps he's a recent arrival and new to palace living? But how could he have gotten to Allura so quickly? He's a strange one- a laboratory experiment gone awry, or a discard of some kind; or more likely, he had the good fortune to be discovered and have those do-gooders rescue him from a castle exterminator."
The old witch scooped her cat into her arms, scratched behind the animal's ears with talon- like fingers, and then smoothed down the wiry blue fur; the feline's yellow orbs narrowed in pleasure at his mistress' deft touch. "Well, it appears our little captive's luck just ran out. Coba, my pet, you look hungry, would you like this tender morsel as a reward for your trouble in bringing him here?"
The cat purred his assent. The witch cackled dryly, and deposited her salivating familiar on the table next to the slumbering mouse. "He's all yours, pussycat. Bon appetit!"
Coba's fangs, so like his owner's, gleamed wickedly in the laboratory's dim light as he anticipated sinking his teeth into a rare treat: mouse sushi.
"Hagar! I must speak with you at once!"
For a moment, the harsh, imperious tone of the man entering her domain froze the sorceress and her pet in place. Then the witch sniffed with disdain, taking hold of her cat once more. It was prudent to hold on to Coba for the time being, or she'd end up throwing something at the arrogant donkey's patoot. How dare he come in here unannounced and uninvited, disturbing her private time!
The cruel looking but handsome son of King Zarkon strode toward her, dressed as usual in full battle regalia, the trademark bat-winged helmet firmly in place to hide the open secret of his receding hairline. The rest of the Prince's still luxuriant, snow-white hair trailed down his broad back and rippled in the breeze created by the movement of his hulking physique. His ochre eyes gleamed menacingly as they skewered the witch; Lotor's cheeks were darker than their customary light blue, and his sensually full upper lip was folded behind his lower one, both definite signs that the Crown Prince was not pleased.
He stopped in front of the sorceress, purposely towering over her hunched form in an attempt to intimidate her with his mass at least as much as she intimidated him with her dark magic.
Hagar confidently stood her ground. Shifting the kitty to her left arm, she casually reached for her magic staff-just in case he needed a reminder to respect his evil elder. Outwardly she smiled at Lotor, as if it pleased her to see him. "Prince Lotor, whatever brings you here today?" Meh, as if she couldn't guess! Lotor had a virtual sonar system in his leggings when it came to finding out anything about that Arusian trollop!
"I heard from one of the drones that you have one of Princess Allura's prized pets in your claws, old woman. Why did you not notify me at once? You know I take a special interest in anything-" The Prince stopped his chastising of the hag to stare at the reclining rodent in front of them. "Yurack's balls, what sort of mutation is that? Hagar, have you been experimenting on the thing already? And without my consent?"
"Calm yourself my Prince, this is the creature's natural state." The witch informed him soothingly. "I discovered that he can talk, so I merely sent him into a state where I could ask him questions. She hesitated, then said in a very careful, very neutral tone. "It is unfortunate that despite his verbal ability, I have deduced that he is a complete simpleton. He holds no value to us, save that of a snack for Coba."
Annoyingly but not surprisingly, Lotor disagreed. "Not so, old witch! If he belongs to the Princess, then he is of great value, whether he knows anything about Voltron or not!"
Hagar scowled. "Sire, I really don't think-"
"Oh look, he's coming around." Lotor interrupted.
Pinky's eyelids fluttered and opened. He stared blearily at the ice blue features of the man standing over him, and as the identity of the visage registered, he sat up abruptly and squeaked. "LOTOR! NARF!"
The cruel looking man cut him off, confirming Pinky's worst fear. "I am indeed Crown Prince Lotor of Doom, and you are a prisoner of war! Do you understand?"
Pinky shrugged helplessly, his oversized eyes wide with fright.
"Do not attempt this foolish deception, we know you can speak the Common tongue, you did so with Hagar already." Lotor snarled, then smiled. "Come now, this doesn't have to be an unpleasant exercise. If you tell us what you know of the Princess Allura of Arus, I will release you, unharmed. If not, you will regret it for the rest of your short life. I am sure a lowly survivor of the gutter like yourself will know what to do to save his own skin."
"You're in love with the Princess!" Pinky blurted, totally throwing his interrogator off his game of intimidation. Lotor gaped, then quickly looked away, but not before the mouse had seen the Prince's blue skin darken to a deep violet shade, and his tormented expression.
"You are mistaken. She is merely a prize, and I want to add her beauty to my harem."
"Poit! Maybe that was what you wanted at first, but it's a lot more than that now." Pinky informed him seriously. "She's your dream girl, and you will stop at nothing to get her. You even saved her life a couple of times. Egad! You defied your father the King and turned down a marriage to another Princess because you love Allura and you want to marry her!"
The Prince's eyes opened wide. "This just happened this very day! How could your Arusian spies have known?"
"They don't." Pinky said. "I saw it myself."
Lotor was shocked. "You were on Arus! How could you possibly have-" He blinked, took a closer look at the mouse. Given how different this creature looked, it was possible that supernatural forces were in play. "Are you some sort of a seer?"
"Yes." Pinky nodded solemnly. "I saw it on my telly."
"What! Why didn't you tell me about that?" Hagar complained.
"Most probably because you didn't ask." Pinky said. "Poit."
"Does this telly tell you everything?" Lotor asked, after snickering at Hagar's chagrin.
Pinky nodded. "Pretty much. The rest I fill in with my imagination."
The Prince leaned forward. "So tell me, does Allura have feelings for me? Any at all? Does she talk about me? I would do anything for her, you know, I would lay my empire at her feet..."
Hagar shook her head. ~Of course. Instead of trying to extract useful info, we're getting another 'what about Allura, what about me, what can I do, I must have the Princess for my own' monologue.~
As Lotor recited the litany of his unrequited love and delusional plans for marital bliss, the Prince's words became a faint 'wah-wah' sound in the background as the witch privately reflected the irony of the situation. Like the fact that if she still had use of white magic, she could've brought peace to the galaxy...or at the very least, whipped up a simple love potion for the besotted Prince and the object of his affections and give them a happily ever after ending. Not having to deal with Lotor's silly obsession was the single best incentive she ever had for considering letting her 'good self' out again.
Trouble was, the good side might decide to take control, and so she had never dared chance it.
Still, she was beginning to think it might be worth the risk as time went on. Lotor's speeches were mind-numbingly maudlin, and his obsession with impressing the Arusian blondie was keeping him off the throne... the old witch grudgingly tuned in to the scene before her and shook her head once again in disbelief as Lotor finished his passionate discourse- "And that's why Allura should be with me. And she will be mine, make no mistake about that!"
The Prince was unfazed by the embarrassing fact that he'd been rambling to a little white mouse. That the Royal Idiot wasn't discriminating about the manner of confessing his love for Arus' monarch was painfully clear; at this rate, he might just as well broadcast his weakness in all its variations on every viewscreen across the galaxy.
For his part, Pinky blinked at Lotor, amazed at finding someone who was an even bigger windbag than The Brain and even more obsessed over making far fetched plans that Pinky was sure wouldn't get him what he really wanted.
"So what say you, rodent? Tell me the truth about her feelings!" As Pinky looked anxious, Lotor added quickly, "It's inconceivable that she cares for that bombastic, mullet headed, white boot wearing, baby-faced commoner Captain Keith..." The Prince spat out his enemy's name like an epithet, and his hand rested on a sheathed dagger at his waist as he stared at his tiny prisoner. "I want to know how she feels about me! And I will know if you lie!"
The implied threat was more than obvious, even to Pinky, who gulped and grabbed his tail, twisting it between trembling paws. ~Egads, this must be how those three poor blind chaps felt just before the farmer's wife chopped off their wee bitty tails!~
So what to do? Lotor didn't want to hear a lie, but bad news could be equally fatal. But what could he say in this situation that wasn't bad and wouldn't be an obvious lie? The evil prince was capable of love- that was Lotor's one and only redeeming...well, if not redeeming, his one honest quality.
Princess Allura hated what Lotor was. She loathed him. But he was on her mind a lot...
Pinky decided he'd try to be honest without giving specifics.
"She talks and thinks about you quite a lot. She does have very strong feelings about you, Mr. Prince,Zort! Very, very strong."
The Prince's yellow eyes gleamed. "But not love. And I accept that. It's a fine line one walks between hate and love! If there's not love, I will settle for her abhorrence, for it is better to have earned that, rather than her indifference. She thinks of me, and she feels something! That means I matter!"
"Very true," Pinky said, not sure if Lotor was to be admired or pitied. "Insightful, you are."
"I prefer to be thought of as philosophic, it vexes my father." Lotor admitted with a smirk, while tapping his helmet with a forefinger. "And just think, rodent, there's even deeper stuff where that came from. Isn't that right, Hagar?"
~How deep can you pile bat guano?~ Hagar thought with a silent cackle. "Indeed, Your Highness. You are a man of depth."
The Prince's expression turned reflective. "Perhaps if Allura knew about my intellectual side, she'd be more agreeable to our merger. If I show her I'm not just a handsome face, she may grow to appreciate me after marriage. Do you see this in my future, small one?"
Forgetting all about the dagger, and exactly who and what he was dealing with, Pinky said, "Well no, that won't happen, you know, because she's good and you are a bad man... and even when you try to turn good, it still won't work because you only do it to get her, and she loves another and feels that if you love her, you would be good for goodness' sake and wouldn't trick her or force her to-"
"Enough!" Lotor thundered. "Your prattle gives me a headache, although I am sure the Princess was unaccountably amused by it. Which means I now plan to see what Allura will sacrifice to get her pet back in one piece!"
"Petty blackmail?" Hagar grinned, her fangs glinting a brilliant white against her shadowed, leathery face. "Sounds like fun. May I accompany you to Arus to return Allura's lost pet, my Prince?"
"Why certainly, Old Witch! But first, you will do a small favor for me..."
The Prince leaned over and whispered into Hagar's ear- assuming she had one, no one on Doom knew for sure because a hood always covered her head. Witch Hagar's arm dropped in astonishment at what he said, and Coba fell to the ground with a startled mew. Tail twitching, he hissed and glared balefully at the Prince, who ignored the unhappy cat.
"Him? You can't be serious! He's too stupid, and flighty, and... well..." The crone shook her head and waved her index finger in a rapid, clockwise circle beside her head.
"I'm always serious! And as you well know, we have no others available to us at present!" Lotor barked. "Furthermore, using him will be a final, demoralizing blow to the rest of those insufferable Lion twerps! I command you to do my bidding, Hagar..." he paused to unsheath his sword, "...unless you'd like to take the rodent's place?"
"All right, all right, all right." The witch snapped. "Don't get your jock in a knot! I'll do it."
The Prince chuckled fiercely. "A wise decision."
As Pinky gaped at them with a fearful expression, Lotor's evil chuckle soon grew to a maniacal laugh, which bounced around the chamber. He glared at Hagar, who quickly joined in out of politeness rather than genuine amusement.
The mouse shuddered at the grating sounds, and covered his sensitive ears. ~I don't like this, not one bit. And Lotor's laugh reminds me of Acme's Dr. X, the one who does all the alien autopsies. Of course Brain said they were fake, but I know better!~
He gulped noisily as Lotor lifted him by the scruff of the neck. "But first, it's time for a chat with the fair Allura. Come, Witch."
They quickly exited the laboratory, leaving behind a disgruntled and hungry Blue Cat.
She had spent the past hour acting as a pseudo-confidant to a mouse high on Anthraxian penathol. Alas, instead of vital information or even juicy tidbits of gossip, the mouse's ingestion of the costly potion had induced nothing but a speedy judgment on her part that somewhere a mouse village was missing its idiot.
Pinky snored and drooled on the tiny gurney to which she had strapped him. An occasional toot punctuated his snores, an unfortunate side effect of the potion that had been administered to him by his captress.
"He cares deeply for the Princess, but why is he constantly babbling about someone called 'The Brain'? There's no one residing in the castle that bears that title...unless it could be a reference to the brat that flies Green Lion."
Hagar circled the gurney and continued to mutter, half-aloud. "He doesn't know anything about the innards of Voltron, the Castle's defenses, or even the other mice that I don't already know. Perhaps he's a recent arrival and new to palace living? But how could he have gotten to Allura so quickly? He's a strange one- a laboratory experiment gone awry, or a discard of some kind; or more likely, he had the good fortune to be discovered and have those do-gooders rescue him from a castle exterminator."
The old witch scooped her cat into her arms, scratched behind the animal's ears with talon- like fingers, and then smoothed down the wiry blue fur; the feline's yellow orbs narrowed in pleasure at his mistress' deft touch. "Well, it appears our little captive's luck just ran out. Coba, my pet, you look hungry, would you like this tender morsel as a reward for your trouble in bringing him here?"
The cat purred his assent. The witch cackled dryly, and deposited her salivating familiar on the table next to the slumbering mouse. "He's all yours, pussycat. Bon appetit!"
Coba's fangs, so like his owner's, gleamed wickedly in the laboratory's dim light as he anticipated sinking his teeth into a rare treat: mouse sushi.
"Hagar! I must speak with you at once!"
For a moment, the harsh, imperious tone of the man entering her domain froze the sorceress and her pet in place. Then the witch sniffed with disdain, taking hold of her cat once more. It was prudent to hold on to Coba for the time being, or she'd end up throwing something at the arrogant donkey's patoot. How dare he come in here unannounced and uninvited, disturbing her private time!
The cruel looking but handsome son of King Zarkon strode toward her, dressed as usual in full battle regalia, the trademark bat-winged helmet firmly in place to hide the open secret of his receding hairline. The rest of the Prince's still luxuriant, snow-white hair trailed down his broad back and rippled in the breeze created by the movement of his hulking physique. His ochre eyes gleamed menacingly as they skewered the witch; Lotor's cheeks were darker than their customary light blue, and his sensually full upper lip was folded behind his lower one, both definite signs that the Crown Prince was not pleased.
He stopped in front of the sorceress, purposely towering over her hunched form in an attempt to intimidate her with his mass at least as much as she intimidated him with her dark magic.
Hagar confidently stood her ground. Shifting the kitty to her left arm, she casually reached for her magic staff-just in case he needed a reminder to respect his evil elder. Outwardly she smiled at Lotor, as if it pleased her to see him. "Prince Lotor, whatever brings you here today?" Meh, as if she couldn't guess! Lotor had a virtual sonar system in his leggings when it came to finding out anything about that Arusian trollop!
"I heard from one of the drones that you have one of Princess Allura's prized pets in your claws, old woman. Why did you not notify me at once? You know I take a special interest in anything-" The Prince stopped his chastising of the hag to stare at the reclining rodent in front of them. "Yurack's balls, what sort of mutation is that? Hagar, have you been experimenting on the thing already? And without my consent?"
"Calm yourself my Prince, this is the creature's natural state." The witch informed him soothingly. "I discovered that he can talk, so I merely sent him into a state where I could ask him questions. She hesitated, then said in a very careful, very neutral tone. "It is unfortunate that despite his verbal ability, I have deduced that he is a complete simpleton. He holds no value to us, save that of a snack for Coba."
Annoyingly but not surprisingly, Lotor disagreed. "Not so, old witch! If he belongs to the Princess, then he is of great value, whether he knows anything about Voltron or not!"
Hagar scowled. "Sire, I really don't think-"
"Oh look, he's coming around." Lotor interrupted.
Pinky's eyelids fluttered and opened. He stared blearily at the ice blue features of the man standing over him, and as the identity of the visage registered, he sat up abruptly and squeaked. "LOTOR! NARF!"
The cruel looking man cut him off, confirming Pinky's worst fear. "I am indeed Crown Prince Lotor of Doom, and you are a prisoner of war! Do you understand?"
Pinky shrugged helplessly, his oversized eyes wide with fright.
"Do not attempt this foolish deception, we know you can speak the Common tongue, you did so with Hagar already." Lotor snarled, then smiled. "Come now, this doesn't have to be an unpleasant exercise. If you tell us what you know of the Princess Allura of Arus, I will release you, unharmed. If not, you will regret it for the rest of your short life. I am sure a lowly survivor of the gutter like yourself will know what to do to save his own skin."
"You're in love with the Princess!" Pinky blurted, totally throwing his interrogator off his game of intimidation. Lotor gaped, then quickly looked away, but not before the mouse had seen the Prince's blue skin darken to a deep violet shade, and his tormented expression.
"You are mistaken. She is merely a prize, and I want to add her beauty to my harem."
"Poit! Maybe that was what you wanted at first, but it's a lot more than that now." Pinky informed him seriously. "She's your dream girl, and you will stop at nothing to get her. You even saved her life a couple of times. Egad! You defied your father the King and turned down a marriage to another Princess because you love Allura and you want to marry her!"
The Prince's eyes opened wide. "This just happened this very day! How could your Arusian spies have known?"
"They don't." Pinky said. "I saw it myself."
Lotor was shocked. "You were on Arus! How could you possibly have-" He blinked, took a closer look at the mouse. Given how different this creature looked, it was possible that supernatural forces were in play. "Are you some sort of a seer?"
"Yes." Pinky nodded solemnly. "I saw it on my telly."
"What! Why didn't you tell me about that?" Hagar complained.
"Most probably because you didn't ask." Pinky said. "Poit."
"Does this telly tell you everything?" Lotor asked, after snickering at Hagar's chagrin.
Pinky nodded. "Pretty much. The rest I fill in with my imagination."
The Prince leaned forward. "So tell me, does Allura have feelings for me? Any at all? Does she talk about me? I would do anything for her, you know, I would lay my empire at her feet..."
Hagar shook her head. ~Of course. Instead of trying to extract useful info, we're getting another 'what about Allura, what about me, what can I do, I must have the Princess for my own' monologue.~
As Lotor recited the litany of his unrequited love and delusional plans for marital bliss, the Prince's words became a faint 'wah-wah' sound in the background as the witch privately reflected the irony of the situation. Like the fact that if she still had use of white magic, she could've brought peace to the galaxy...or at the very least, whipped up a simple love potion for the besotted Prince and the object of his affections and give them a happily ever after ending. Not having to deal with Lotor's silly obsession was the single best incentive she ever had for considering letting her 'good self' out again.
Trouble was, the good side might decide to take control, and so she had never dared chance it.
Still, she was beginning to think it might be worth the risk as time went on. Lotor's speeches were mind-numbingly maudlin, and his obsession with impressing the Arusian blondie was keeping him off the throne... the old witch grudgingly tuned in to the scene before her and shook her head once again in disbelief as Lotor finished his passionate discourse- "And that's why Allura should be with me. And she will be mine, make no mistake about that!"
The Prince was unfazed by the embarrassing fact that he'd been rambling to a little white mouse. That the Royal Idiot wasn't discriminating about the manner of confessing his love for Arus' monarch was painfully clear; at this rate, he might just as well broadcast his weakness in all its variations on every viewscreen across the galaxy.
For his part, Pinky blinked at Lotor, amazed at finding someone who was an even bigger windbag than The Brain and even more obsessed over making far fetched plans that Pinky was sure wouldn't get him what he really wanted.
"So what say you, rodent? Tell me the truth about her feelings!" As Pinky looked anxious, Lotor added quickly, "It's inconceivable that she cares for that bombastic, mullet headed, white boot wearing, baby-faced commoner Captain Keith..." The Prince spat out his enemy's name like an epithet, and his hand rested on a sheathed dagger at his waist as he stared at his tiny prisoner. "I want to know how she feels about me! And I will know if you lie!"
The implied threat was more than obvious, even to Pinky, who gulped and grabbed his tail, twisting it between trembling paws. ~Egads, this must be how those three poor blind chaps felt just before the farmer's wife chopped off their wee bitty tails!~
So what to do? Lotor didn't want to hear a lie, but bad news could be equally fatal. But what could he say in this situation that wasn't bad and wouldn't be an obvious lie? The evil prince was capable of love- that was Lotor's one and only redeeming...well, if not redeeming, his one honest quality.
Princess Allura hated what Lotor was. She loathed him. But he was on her mind a lot...
Pinky decided he'd try to be honest without giving specifics.
"She talks and thinks about you quite a lot. She does have very strong feelings about you, Mr. Prince,Zort! Very, very strong."
The Prince's yellow eyes gleamed. "But not love. And I accept that. It's a fine line one walks between hate and love! If there's not love, I will settle for her abhorrence, for it is better to have earned that, rather than her indifference. She thinks of me, and she feels something! That means I matter!"
"Very true," Pinky said, not sure if Lotor was to be admired or pitied. "Insightful, you are."
"I prefer to be thought of as philosophic, it vexes my father." Lotor admitted with a smirk, while tapping his helmet with a forefinger. "And just think, rodent, there's even deeper stuff where that came from. Isn't that right, Hagar?"
~How deep can you pile bat guano?~ Hagar thought with a silent cackle. "Indeed, Your Highness. You are a man of depth."
The Prince's expression turned reflective. "Perhaps if Allura knew about my intellectual side, she'd be more agreeable to our merger. If I show her I'm not just a handsome face, she may grow to appreciate me after marriage. Do you see this in my future, small one?"
Forgetting all about the dagger, and exactly who and what he was dealing with, Pinky said, "Well no, that won't happen, you know, because she's good and you are a bad man... and even when you try to turn good, it still won't work because you only do it to get her, and she loves another and feels that if you love her, you would be good for goodness' sake and wouldn't trick her or force her to-"
"Enough!" Lotor thundered. "Your prattle gives me a headache, although I am sure the Princess was unaccountably amused by it. Which means I now plan to see what Allura will sacrifice to get her pet back in one piece!"
"Petty blackmail?" Hagar grinned, her fangs glinting a brilliant white against her shadowed, leathery face. "Sounds like fun. May I accompany you to Arus to return Allura's lost pet, my Prince?"
"Why certainly, Old Witch! But first, you will do a small favor for me..."
The Prince leaned over and whispered into Hagar's ear- assuming she had one, no one on Doom knew for sure because a hood always covered her head. Witch Hagar's arm dropped in astonishment at what he said, and Coba fell to the ground with a startled mew. Tail twitching, he hissed and glared balefully at the Prince, who ignored the unhappy cat.
"Him? You can't be serious! He's too stupid, and flighty, and... well..." The crone shook her head and waved her index finger in a rapid, clockwise circle beside her head.
"I'm always serious! And as you well know, we have no others available to us at present!" Lotor barked. "Furthermore, using him will be a final, demoralizing blow to the rest of those insufferable Lion twerps! I command you to do my bidding, Hagar..." he paused to unsheath his sword, "...unless you'd like to take the rodent's place?"
"All right, all right, all right." The witch snapped. "Don't get your jock in a knot! I'll do it."
The Prince chuckled fiercely. "A wise decision."
As Pinky gaped at them with a fearful expression, Lotor's evil chuckle soon grew to a maniacal laugh, which bounced around the chamber. He glared at Hagar, who quickly joined in out of politeness rather than genuine amusement.
The mouse shuddered at the grating sounds, and covered his sensitive ears. ~I don't like this, not one bit. And Lotor's laugh reminds me of Acme's Dr. X, the one who does all the alien autopsies. Of course Brain said they were fake, but I know better!~
He gulped noisily as Lotor lifted him by the scruff of the neck. "But first, it's time for a chat with the fair Allura. Come, Witch."
They quickly exited the laboratory, leaving behind a disgruntled and hungry Blue Cat.
Back at the Castle of Lions...
"Incoming transmission from Planet Doom!" Coran warned the Voltron Force, Cheddar, and their sole remaining guest.
The Brain cast anxious eyes to the giant monitor, hoping for promising news.
The large view screen flickered and the hateful visage of Prince Lotor materialized.
"Hello Princess," he said smoothly. His eyes greedily drifted over her body. "So lovely. I always find the sight of you quite...stimulating."
Allura reddened in anger and embarrassment. "Lotor-"
Keith interrupted. "Cut the crap, Lotor, what do you want?
"The question is not what, but whom, Captain." The Doom Prince said coldly. "Peruse this- I possess one of the Princess' prized, perky pets."
~Great alliteration~ The Brain thought. ~Bat winged helmet and skull belt buckle. Wonder if he writes goth poetry?~
But idle speculation was forgotten in the instant the terrified features of Pinky filled the screen. The Brain gawked in dismay at the sight of his bound and gagged best friend and then glared in hatred and disgust at the smarmy Prince, an expression mirroring those of the humans around him. Cheddar quickly scooted over to lay a consoling paw on his shoulder.
"Antonio! Oh, are you all right?" Allura cried out.
Pinky smiled sadly and then vanished as Lotor reappeared.
"Antonio? My, such a refined name for such a bizarre creature." He mocked.
"You don't know the meaning of the word refined, you brute!" The Princess raged at him. "You are sinking to a new low, picking on poor defenseless mice! What's next? Pulling the wings off flies?"
"I think in a much larger scale than that, Allura my dear." The evil tyrant laughed. "Here's the deal- I will return, ah, Antonio, unharmed, if you agree to be my wife."
"What?!" Keith yelled, and lunged forward, but Hunk stopped him in his tracks with a restraining hand on his shoulder.
"Chill, Skipper. Losing your temper won't do anyone any good." The big man said calmly.
Silence fell as everyone stared at him in surprise, including Lotor.
"What?" Hunk asked. "Why are you all lookin' at me like that? Do I always have to be the hothead? Can't I be the voice of reason once in a while?"
A murmur of contrite phrases like 'of course you don't' and 'sure you can, nice job, Hunk' was heard until Lotor put a stop to it.
"I'm still waiting for an answer!" He bellowed, making his audience jump.
"Could you repeat the question?" Allura asked politely.
"I just asked you to marry me," Lotor replied, his expression softening. "If you would do me the honor of becoming my bride, Antonio will live in the lap of luxury as a royal pet to the Queen of the Denubian Galaxy."
Allura was not impressed. Her face darkened.
"Refuse me, and your mouse as you see him now will be history," the Prince added hastily.
The Princess gasped, her beautiful azure eyes filling with angry tears.
The Brain paled, no easy feat, as he was already white.
"Get lost, Creep!" Lance sneered. "This is a new low for you, threatening the life of a mouse to bargain for the Princess."
"I will not kill him." Lotor addressed the Princess, and totally ignoring Lance, knowing it was the one surefire way to aggravate the Red Lion pilot whose ego was almost as legendary as his own.
Lance took the bait. "Hey fancy pants, I'm talking to you! You can't just-"
"But if you do not accept my proposal, you will never see him again." Lotor went on, staring at Allura. "Is that something you can live with?"
"She doesn't have to live with it or you!" Lance yelled. "Try anything, and I will personally fly to Doom and-"
"Lance, be quiet!" Coran spoke quietly but his tone effectively silenced the Red Lion pilot's rant. "May she take some time to consider your request, sir?" He asked the Doom prince.
Lotor considered the request. "Of course."
"Thank you."
"She has ten minutes."
The Brain flinched. Ten minutes? Granted, it was longer than the usual commercial break, but how could they form a plan in ten minutes?
Oddly, Coran didn't seem upset or unnerved by the idea. The Brain's gaze narrowed. Was that a smile lurking beneath the mustache? Interesting. Maybe he had a plan. Maybe there was a secret weapon! Maybe there was hope!
Lotor's eyes had also narrowed at seeing the Royal Advisor's benign expression. "No tricks! I shall contact you when your time is up and you'd better have an answer!"
Coran severed the connection. All eyes turned to the Castle diplomat, who sat down and leaned back into the Ops command chair, in a thoughtful pose, fingers steepled under his chin. He was the Royal Advisor, battle tested and cool under fire. They waited, expectancy humming in the lines of their bodies, for the sage advice that would send them into action.
"Well." Coran said. "That escalated quickly."
"Incoming transmission from Planet Doom!" Coran warned the Voltron Force, Cheddar, and their sole remaining guest.
The Brain cast anxious eyes to the giant monitor, hoping for promising news.
The large view screen flickered and the hateful visage of Prince Lotor materialized.
"Hello Princess," he said smoothly. His eyes greedily drifted over her body. "So lovely. I always find the sight of you quite...stimulating."
Allura reddened in anger and embarrassment. "Lotor-"
Keith interrupted. "Cut the crap, Lotor, what do you want?
"The question is not what, but whom, Captain." The Doom Prince said coldly. "Peruse this- I possess one of the Princess' prized, perky pets."
~Great alliteration~ The Brain thought. ~Bat winged helmet and skull belt buckle. Wonder if he writes goth poetry?~
But idle speculation was forgotten in the instant the terrified features of Pinky filled the screen. The Brain gawked in dismay at the sight of his bound and gagged best friend and then glared in hatred and disgust at the smarmy Prince, an expression mirroring those of the humans around him. Cheddar quickly scooted over to lay a consoling paw on his shoulder.
"Antonio! Oh, are you all right?" Allura cried out.
Pinky smiled sadly and then vanished as Lotor reappeared.
"Antonio? My, such a refined name for such a bizarre creature." He mocked.
"You don't know the meaning of the word refined, you brute!" The Princess raged at him. "You are sinking to a new low, picking on poor defenseless mice! What's next? Pulling the wings off flies?"
"I think in a much larger scale than that, Allura my dear." The evil tyrant laughed. "Here's the deal- I will return, ah, Antonio, unharmed, if you agree to be my wife."
"What?!" Keith yelled, and lunged forward, but Hunk stopped him in his tracks with a restraining hand on his shoulder.
"Chill, Skipper. Losing your temper won't do anyone any good." The big man said calmly.
Silence fell as everyone stared at him in surprise, including Lotor.
"What?" Hunk asked. "Why are you all lookin' at me like that? Do I always have to be the hothead? Can't I be the voice of reason once in a while?"
A murmur of contrite phrases like 'of course you don't' and 'sure you can, nice job, Hunk' was heard until Lotor put a stop to it.
"I'm still waiting for an answer!" He bellowed, making his audience jump.
"Could you repeat the question?" Allura asked politely.
"I just asked you to marry me," Lotor replied, his expression softening. "If you would do me the honor of becoming my bride, Antonio will live in the lap of luxury as a royal pet to the Queen of the Denubian Galaxy."
Allura was not impressed. Her face darkened.
"Refuse me, and your mouse as you see him now will be history," the Prince added hastily.
The Princess gasped, her beautiful azure eyes filling with angry tears.
The Brain paled, no easy feat, as he was already white.
"Get lost, Creep!" Lance sneered. "This is a new low for you, threatening the life of a mouse to bargain for the Princess."
"I will not kill him." Lotor addressed the Princess, and totally ignoring Lance, knowing it was the one surefire way to aggravate the Red Lion pilot whose ego was almost as legendary as his own.
Lance took the bait. "Hey fancy pants, I'm talking to you! You can't just-"
"But if you do not accept my proposal, you will never see him again." Lotor went on, staring at Allura. "Is that something you can live with?"
"She doesn't have to live with it or you!" Lance yelled. "Try anything, and I will personally fly to Doom and-"
"Lance, be quiet!" Coran spoke quietly but his tone effectively silenced the Red Lion pilot's rant. "May she take some time to consider your request, sir?" He asked the Doom prince.
Lotor considered the request. "Of course."
"Thank you."
"She has ten minutes."
The Brain flinched. Ten minutes? Granted, it was longer than the usual commercial break, but how could they form a plan in ten minutes?
Oddly, Coran didn't seem upset or unnerved by the idea. The Brain's gaze narrowed. Was that a smile lurking beneath the mustache? Interesting. Maybe he had a plan. Maybe there was a secret weapon! Maybe there was hope!
Lotor's eyes had also narrowed at seeing the Royal Advisor's benign expression. "No tricks! I shall contact you when your time is up and you'd better have an answer!"
Coran severed the connection. All eyes turned to the Castle diplomat, who sat down and leaned back into the Ops command chair, in a thoughtful pose, fingers steepled under his chin. He was the Royal Advisor, battle tested and cool under fire. They waited, expectancy humming in the lines of their bodies, for the sage advice that would send them into action.
"Well." Coran said. "That escalated quickly."
"Get ready for stage two, Witch," Lotor growled.
"Aren't you going to wait for their answer, my Prince?" Hagar asked in mild surprise.
"I didn't like that smug look on old Bore-an's face," the Prince replied curtly. "Prepare the mouse!"
Pinky swallowed hard as he was placed on the transporter pad. Whatever the two Doomians had planned for him, he was sure it involved heaping helpings of discomfort and woe.
As a shower of sparks suddenly shot out of the shower- head- shaped device above him, he tried to run, only to find himself glued in placed by the lazon beam shining down upon his head. The next plan was to pass out, but he was distracted from that as he looked down at his feet, which seemed to be growing to an immense size.
He looked around, and found himself on eye level with the Prince, who was watching him with narrowed eyes and compressed lips. He was as tall as Lotor! Which could only mean one thing -they were making him into a giant sized mouse! Which normally would have been quite a spiffy and grand idea, except that this was Lotor and Hagar's plan, which meant they intended to use him to hurt his friends in some way.
No matter how neato it was to be large, no matter how spiffy he looked, he could never abide using his size to bully someone. It was, as Brain would have said, a completely and utterly unacceptable option.
Pinky clenched his paws as he continued to grow. He was unbearably scared, he couldn't stop the process, but he had to hang on, had to keep the essence of who he was, some vestiges of memory, no matter what he became. His gaze returned to his feet once more. The claws on his toes were huge, which prompted the memory of a lullaby, one his mother had squeaked to him when he was a newborn. He began to sing it, hoping it would bring him the means to hang on as well as some comfort as bolts of lazon beamed from the massive nozzles that surrounded him on all sides...
I have a magic toe-o-nail,
I keep it on my foot,
It's always there when things get rough,
or when they go KA-PUT!
It has the cutest cuticle,
Free of all disease!
As toenails go, it's really quite
Ex-tra-ordin-ar-y...
"Aren't you going to wait for their answer, my Prince?" Hagar asked in mild surprise.
"I didn't like that smug look on old Bore-an's face," the Prince replied curtly. "Prepare the mouse!"
Pinky swallowed hard as he was placed on the transporter pad. Whatever the two Doomians had planned for him, he was sure it involved heaping helpings of discomfort and woe.
As a shower of sparks suddenly shot out of the shower- head- shaped device above him, he tried to run, only to find himself glued in placed by the lazon beam shining down upon his head. The next plan was to pass out, but he was distracted from that as he looked down at his feet, which seemed to be growing to an immense size.
He looked around, and found himself on eye level with the Prince, who was watching him with narrowed eyes and compressed lips. He was as tall as Lotor! Which could only mean one thing -they were making him into a giant sized mouse! Which normally would have been quite a spiffy and grand idea, except that this was Lotor and Hagar's plan, which meant they intended to use him to hurt his friends in some way.
No matter how neato it was to be large, no matter how spiffy he looked, he could never abide using his size to bully someone. It was, as Brain would have said, a completely and utterly unacceptable option.
Pinky clenched his paws as he continued to grow. He was unbearably scared, he couldn't stop the process, but he had to hang on, had to keep the essence of who he was, some vestiges of memory, no matter what he became. His gaze returned to his feet once more. The claws on his toes were huge, which prompted the memory of a lullaby, one his mother had squeaked to him when he was a newborn. He began to sing it, hoping it would bring him the means to hang on as well as some comfort as bolts of lazon beamed from the massive nozzles that surrounded him on all sides...
I have a magic toe-o-nail,
I keep it on my foot,
It's always there when things get rough,
or when they go KA-PUT!
It has the cutest cuticle,
Free of all disease!
As toenails go, it's really quite
Ex-tra-ordin-ar-y...
"Tell us what we should do, Coran, and we'll do it." The Princess said to her guardian, as he continued to stare mutely at the blank view screen in front of them.
The older man muttered something that Allura strained to hear, but couldn't. She leaned in closer.
"Pardon me? I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch-"
"I don't know what we are going to do!" Coran exclaimed loudly, running a hand over his face.
Allura backed off, blanching at his obvious distress. "But- but you always have a plan, you have to have a plan, Antonio's life is-"
"I'm sorry, Princess, but someone else will have to be the brains on this one, I am completely out of clever ruses, hidden castles and deus ex machina miracles!" Her Royal Advisor responded, a tad too stridently.
Allura blinked in astonishment, while behind her, the rest of the Voltron Force exchanged alarmed glances at this rare display of ill temper by a man renowned for his poise and tact.
Cheddar and the Brain, now standing on the Ops control panel in front of the bewildered Princess, looked at each other as well. The Brain saw utter dismay simmering in the Space Mouse's eyes, a mirror of his thoughts, and a dash of cold water over The Brain's delight in finally being able to touch and feel the advanced technology under his feet.
~Here's a fine how-do-you-do! I am a virtual connoisseur of plans, and I have to keep quiet! Surely one of the others will think of something!~
"Okay, Fearless and Resourceful One! Seeing as you're our leader, you should come up with the scheme to save Antonio," Lance told Keith.
The dark haired pilot slowly rubbed his chin, as he always did when deep in thought. One precious minute ticked by, and then another, before he finally spoke. "Okay. Let's just get to the lions, I'll think of something on the way."
"And I guess that's why they pay you the big bucks!" Lance rolled his eyes dramatically. "Brilliance! Nothing like launching an attack without a plan!"
Keith's eyebrows lowered over eyes suddenly gone hard. "I haven't heard you offering anything worthwhile, smart guy!"
"Ask me nicely and I will!"
The two pilots glared at each other with fists clenched, their testosterone levels rising sky high.
Allura stepped between her friends with a severe look at each of them. "Keith, Lance, please stop this, you're fighting like little-"
"Since I have the highest IQ of anyone here, I need to say something right now!" Pidge cut in, earning a relieved murmur from his teammates, and a resentful scowl from The Brain. "I have some insight into this situation that I'd like to share."
~Do enlighten us.~ The Brain snarked silently. ~And you're only the second smartest being here.~
"What do you think?" Keith asked the youth, his dark brows arching over a hopeful expression.
"That we need more time." Pidge said. "What with being given only ten minutes to ponder the proposition of devising a successful plan to rescue a tiny mouse from Hagar's lab on far away Planet Doom, the chances of a rescue are virtually zero."
A series of groans and glares followed, and the abashed Green Lion pilot quickly moved to the back of the group, well behind the conveniently large form of Hunk.
~That's it?~ The Brain thought incredulously. ~The young human prodigy's intellect doesn't translate from clinical to practical application in real time?~
"How about if we form Voltron, fly to Doom and smash Hagar's lab?" Hunk suggested. "Their RoBeast supply is exhausted, shouldn't be too hard, right?"
~The 'Hunk smash' strategy.~ The Brain thought. ~Blow up everything. Fly right in there and wreck havoc.~
"How is wrecking havoc on the lab going to save Antonio?" Keith pointed out, verbalizing the Brain's next sentiment.
"It probably wouldn't, but it would make me feel a lot better about the whole thing if we took Lotor out," Hunk admitted.
The Brain covered his face with his paw as Lance spoke up.
"It would make us all feel better, big guy! But Hagar's too clever with her tricks to allow for us storming in there. I say, we should try and stall for time. As long as the mouse is alive, the creep knows he has a connection to Princess. I say, take a risk that Prince Lowturd won't follow through on his threat, and have Princess tell him to take a long walk off a short space dock unless he'll give her more time to think about it."
Utter silence followed this response. The Red Lion pilot shifted uncomfortably under the accusing stares of his teammates.
After a minute, Keith said tersely, "Any other brilliant suggestions? Preferably ones that have maintaining Antonio's well-being as a top priority?"
~I'm surrounded by imbeciles! How did they ever manage to save anyone?~ The Brain seethed, then turned imploring eyes to the Princess of Planet Arus. ~The ruler of an entire planet should be able to figure this out. Tell them, Your Highness! Take charge! Tell them what we are going to do to save my friend!~
Allura looked at her male teammates, indecision flickering in her baby blues. Would they even listen to her plan? Contrary to popular opinion, it was really no picnic being the only woman on the Force, one of the drawbacks being always having your ideas heckled as being 'illogical' or 'overly emotional'.
She ran her gaze around the group until her eyes made contact with Keith's. As the others debated the merits of Lance's plan amongst themselves, the Captain had edged over, and now looked down at her with an intense expression. She met his gaze calmly, and found herself losing all perspective as she swam in the dark pools of liquid emotion his eyes had become.
The Brain noticed this byplay and edged closer on the console to the couple to get a whiff of the plan he was sure was about to be hatched.
"Princess?" Keith half-whispered. "Did you have a suggestion?"
She nodded, continued to stare at him. Her lips parted but no words emerged. The tip of her tongue appeared to briefly wet her dry upper lip. Keith stared at her lush mouth for a long moment, and then swallowed convulsively while reluctantly raising his gaze to hers.
"Um...so what is it?" He prompted her gently, his eyes darkening even more, it seemed his pupils had taken over his irises. "I'm listening. What's your plan?"
Allura sighed softly, her shoulders slumping. "The only thing that will work." She replied softly, gazing deeply into sable orbs. "I am going to give myself up to Lotor, it's the only way to save Antonio!"
A shaft of unadulterated pain distorted the Captain's handsome face. Forgetting his manners, he grabbed Allura's forearms, bringing them up against his broad chest. "No! I won't allow it! There's got to be another way, Allura!"
He almost shook her in his intensity.
The others stopped chattering and gawked at this unusual display.
The Princess shook her head slowly, the tears she had bravely held in check until now, starting to stream down her face. "If going to Lotor and becoming his wife is the only way I can save Antonio, then I must do it."
"No!" Keith choked out.
The Brain threw up his paws in disgust. He remembered now that Allura's writers always seemed to be determined to make a martyr of her, so that, of course, was the plan once again. Didn't she know she had numerous defense systems and decoys at her disposal? Didn't she realize by now that she could wrap Lotor around her little finger by showing a little affection and then she could blow him away once he got near enough? Didn't she know that it was in her contract that she could make her look-a-like stunt double go to Lotor instead?
~She needs a better agent!~ The Brain decided, in disgust. ~I'll help her with that once we get Pinky back.~
"Five minutes until Lotor calls back," Coran reminded them all gloomily.
"The Princess wants to go to Lotor!" Keith told him indignantly.
Cheddar immediately ran to his mistress, jumped up on her shoulder, and began to chatter softly in her ear. She smiled sadly and shook her head. Her little friend immediately started to cry.
~Why, he's as devoted to her as Pinky and the Captain.~ The Brain thought in astonishment. ~I've underestimated her influence.~
Coran ran his hands through his hair, making it stand wildly on end. "Princess, you cannot surrender yourself! Arus needs you, and an heir!"
Allura glared at her advisor. "So go adopt one. There are plenty of deserving orphans on this planet who have made bigger sacrifices than I!"
Coran looked shaken, mainly at the thought of Allura in the arms of a tyrannical scoundrel, and a little at the idea of some unknown commoner taking charge of the throne of Arus.
Hunk boomed, "Princess has a good point-there are a lot of deserving Arusian children who need a good home-oof!"
Lance drew back the elbow he'd just jabbed into Hunk's side. "You big oaf, we don't want the Princess to leave!"
The Yellow Lion pilot flushed a dull shade of red. "Sorry. I just lose my bearings when it comes to those kids."
Pidge spoke. "Princess, Antonio wouldn't ever want you to give yourself up-"
"That's right!"
"Don't do it Princess!"
"You can't do it! There's got to be something-"
At that point, a sardonic voice cut in, like a Ginsu knife through a can.
"Cease the incessant jabber! NOW!"
Silence fell.
"Who said that?" Coran asked the others, who were looking around in bewilderment.
"Someone trying to reach us?" Pidge guessed, staring at the comm.
"The Space communicator isn't turned on right-"
"ME! I said it!"
Six sets of human eyes and one set of mouse eyes stared in incredulity at the glowering, bigheaded rodent perched atop the Ops console, his tiny paws resting on his tiny hips.
"Mr. Noggin?" The Princess gasped. "You can speak?"
"Yes, I speak your language, yes I have understood every word you have said, and yes, I've had it with this entire charade!" The Brain ranted. "We're wasting what precious little time we have had! My good friend is in the clutches of a tyrant, but you care more about correcting each other..."
The irate rodent shot a look at Hunk and Lance, who colored guiltily.
"or blathering about meaningless statistics..."
Pidge flinched.
"...or engaging in incongruous byplay!"
Everyone stared at Allura and Keith, who promptly went scarlet.
"It's inconceivable to me that you call yourselves Defenders of the Universe, and even more so that you call yourselves a team!" The Brain shook his head. "Shameful. Simply shameful."
All members of the elite Voltron Force looked down at their shiny boots in embarrassment. Coran looked down at his dress shoes. Cheddar stared at The Brain in wonder.
"I will rescue my friend Pi- uh, Antonio, from the evil Prince!" The mouse genius asserted. "I am an absolute genius on my world. I will devise a plan that will keep the Princess safe, and the Planet Arus intact! Who's with me? Raise your hand!"
The humans looked up, and The Brain could see the determination in every face. Six arms and one paw shot into the air, simultaneously.
The Brain smiled. "A step in the right direction. You may lower your arms now."
Coran spoke up as he lowered his arm. "If I may be permitted a question, sir; where are you from, and how is it that you can speak the Universal tongue?"
The Brain stood straight and tall. "I am from another dimension in space, a zone that is beyond the realm of your reality...yet coexists with you just the same."
"Yeah?" Lance asked, a suspicious frown wrinkling his brow. "So why are you here?"
The mouse quickly revised his answer, realizing now wasn't the time to make things complicated. "I'm from Planet 'WB', in the Milky Way Galaxy. It's a colony on Earth. I haven't spoken until now because I wasn't sure of your intentions." He paused and glared at Cheddar as he said, "By the way, there I usually go by the name 'John Brain', not 'Large Noggin'." The other mouse grinned sheepishly.
"Sorry John!" the humans chorused in unison, their furrowed brows un-wrinkling at this piece of digestible information.
The mouse formerly known as Noggin beckoned to the team. "Now that that's out of the way, here's my strategy ...and I'll also need Cheddar to round up the rest of the Space Mice..."
Cheddar nodded and took off to find his family as The Brain continued to hold court, regaling the humans with one of his patented, never-say-die, fail proof plans.
The older man muttered something that Allura strained to hear, but couldn't. She leaned in closer.
"Pardon me? I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch-"
"I don't know what we are going to do!" Coran exclaimed loudly, running a hand over his face.
Allura backed off, blanching at his obvious distress. "But- but you always have a plan, you have to have a plan, Antonio's life is-"
"I'm sorry, Princess, but someone else will have to be the brains on this one, I am completely out of clever ruses, hidden castles and deus ex machina miracles!" Her Royal Advisor responded, a tad too stridently.
Allura blinked in astonishment, while behind her, the rest of the Voltron Force exchanged alarmed glances at this rare display of ill temper by a man renowned for his poise and tact.
Cheddar and the Brain, now standing on the Ops control panel in front of the bewildered Princess, looked at each other as well. The Brain saw utter dismay simmering in the Space Mouse's eyes, a mirror of his thoughts, and a dash of cold water over The Brain's delight in finally being able to touch and feel the advanced technology under his feet.
~Here's a fine how-do-you-do! I am a virtual connoisseur of plans, and I have to keep quiet! Surely one of the others will think of something!~
"Okay, Fearless and Resourceful One! Seeing as you're our leader, you should come up with the scheme to save Antonio," Lance told Keith.
The dark haired pilot slowly rubbed his chin, as he always did when deep in thought. One precious minute ticked by, and then another, before he finally spoke. "Okay. Let's just get to the lions, I'll think of something on the way."
"And I guess that's why they pay you the big bucks!" Lance rolled his eyes dramatically. "Brilliance! Nothing like launching an attack without a plan!"
Keith's eyebrows lowered over eyes suddenly gone hard. "I haven't heard you offering anything worthwhile, smart guy!"
"Ask me nicely and I will!"
The two pilots glared at each other with fists clenched, their testosterone levels rising sky high.
Allura stepped between her friends with a severe look at each of them. "Keith, Lance, please stop this, you're fighting like little-"
"Since I have the highest IQ of anyone here, I need to say something right now!" Pidge cut in, earning a relieved murmur from his teammates, and a resentful scowl from The Brain. "I have some insight into this situation that I'd like to share."
~Do enlighten us.~ The Brain snarked silently. ~And you're only the second smartest being here.~
"What do you think?" Keith asked the youth, his dark brows arching over a hopeful expression.
"That we need more time." Pidge said. "What with being given only ten minutes to ponder the proposition of devising a successful plan to rescue a tiny mouse from Hagar's lab on far away Planet Doom, the chances of a rescue are virtually zero."
A series of groans and glares followed, and the abashed Green Lion pilot quickly moved to the back of the group, well behind the conveniently large form of Hunk.
~That's it?~ The Brain thought incredulously. ~The young human prodigy's intellect doesn't translate from clinical to practical application in real time?~
"How about if we form Voltron, fly to Doom and smash Hagar's lab?" Hunk suggested. "Their RoBeast supply is exhausted, shouldn't be too hard, right?"
~The 'Hunk smash' strategy.~ The Brain thought. ~Blow up everything. Fly right in there and wreck havoc.~
"How is wrecking havoc on the lab going to save Antonio?" Keith pointed out, verbalizing the Brain's next sentiment.
"It probably wouldn't, but it would make me feel a lot better about the whole thing if we took Lotor out," Hunk admitted.
The Brain covered his face with his paw as Lance spoke up.
"It would make us all feel better, big guy! But Hagar's too clever with her tricks to allow for us storming in there. I say, we should try and stall for time. As long as the mouse is alive, the creep knows he has a connection to Princess. I say, take a risk that Prince Lowturd won't follow through on his threat, and have Princess tell him to take a long walk off a short space dock unless he'll give her more time to think about it."
Utter silence followed this response. The Red Lion pilot shifted uncomfortably under the accusing stares of his teammates.
After a minute, Keith said tersely, "Any other brilliant suggestions? Preferably ones that have maintaining Antonio's well-being as a top priority?"
~I'm surrounded by imbeciles! How did they ever manage to save anyone?~ The Brain seethed, then turned imploring eyes to the Princess of Planet Arus. ~The ruler of an entire planet should be able to figure this out. Tell them, Your Highness! Take charge! Tell them what we are going to do to save my friend!~
Allura looked at her male teammates, indecision flickering in her baby blues. Would they even listen to her plan? Contrary to popular opinion, it was really no picnic being the only woman on the Force, one of the drawbacks being always having your ideas heckled as being 'illogical' or 'overly emotional'.
She ran her gaze around the group until her eyes made contact with Keith's. As the others debated the merits of Lance's plan amongst themselves, the Captain had edged over, and now looked down at her with an intense expression. She met his gaze calmly, and found herself losing all perspective as she swam in the dark pools of liquid emotion his eyes had become.
The Brain noticed this byplay and edged closer on the console to the couple to get a whiff of the plan he was sure was about to be hatched.
"Princess?" Keith half-whispered. "Did you have a suggestion?"
She nodded, continued to stare at him. Her lips parted but no words emerged. The tip of her tongue appeared to briefly wet her dry upper lip. Keith stared at her lush mouth for a long moment, and then swallowed convulsively while reluctantly raising his gaze to hers.
"Um...so what is it?" He prompted her gently, his eyes darkening even more, it seemed his pupils had taken over his irises. "I'm listening. What's your plan?"
Allura sighed softly, her shoulders slumping. "The only thing that will work." She replied softly, gazing deeply into sable orbs. "I am going to give myself up to Lotor, it's the only way to save Antonio!"
A shaft of unadulterated pain distorted the Captain's handsome face. Forgetting his manners, he grabbed Allura's forearms, bringing them up against his broad chest. "No! I won't allow it! There's got to be another way, Allura!"
He almost shook her in his intensity.
The others stopped chattering and gawked at this unusual display.
The Princess shook her head slowly, the tears she had bravely held in check until now, starting to stream down her face. "If going to Lotor and becoming his wife is the only way I can save Antonio, then I must do it."
"No!" Keith choked out.
The Brain threw up his paws in disgust. He remembered now that Allura's writers always seemed to be determined to make a martyr of her, so that, of course, was the plan once again. Didn't she know she had numerous defense systems and decoys at her disposal? Didn't she realize by now that she could wrap Lotor around her little finger by showing a little affection and then she could blow him away once he got near enough? Didn't she know that it was in her contract that she could make her look-a-like stunt double go to Lotor instead?
~She needs a better agent!~ The Brain decided, in disgust. ~I'll help her with that once we get Pinky back.~
"Five minutes until Lotor calls back," Coran reminded them all gloomily.
"The Princess wants to go to Lotor!" Keith told him indignantly.
Cheddar immediately ran to his mistress, jumped up on her shoulder, and began to chatter softly in her ear. She smiled sadly and shook her head. Her little friend immediately started to cry.
~Why, he's as devoted to her as Pinky and the Captain.~ The Brain thought in astonishment. ~I've underestimated her influence.~
Coran ran his hands through his hair, making it stand wildly on end. "Princess, you cannot surrender yourself! Arus needs you, and an heir!"
Allura glared at her advisor. "So go adopt one. There are plenty of deserving orphans on this planet who have made bigger sacrifices than I!"
Coran looked shaken, mainly at the thought of Allura in the arms of a tyrannical scoundrel, and a little at the idea of some unknown commoner taking charge of the throne of Arus.
Hunk boomed, "Princess has a good point-there are a lot of deserving Arusian children who need a good home-oof!"
Lance drew back the elbow he'd just jabbed into Hunk's side. "You big oaf, we don't want the Princess to leave!"
The Yellow Lion pilot flushed a dull shade of red. "Sorry. I just lose my bearings when it comes to those kids."
Pidge spoke. "Princess, Antonio wouldn't ever want you to give yourself up-"
"That's right!"
"Don't do it Princess!"
"You can't do it! There's got to be something-"
At that point, a sardonic voice cut in, like a Ginsu knife through a can.
"Cease the incessant jabber! NOW!"
Silence fell.
"Who said that?" Coran asked the others, who were looking around in bewilderment.
"Someone trying to reach us?" Pidge guessed, staring at the comm.
"The Space communicator isn't turned on right-"
"ME! I said it!"
Six sets of human eyes and one set of mouse eyes stared in incredulity at the glowering, bigheaded rodent perched atop the Ops console, his tiny paws resting on his tiny hips.
"Mr. Noggin?" The Princess gasped. "You can speak?"
"Yes, I speak your language, yes I have understood every word you have said, and yes, I've had it with this entire charade!" The Brain ranted. "We're wasting what precious little time we have had! My good friend is in the clutches of a tyrant, but you care more about correcting each other..."
The irate rodent shot a look at Hunk and Lance, who colored guiltily.
"or blathering about meaningless statistics..."
Pidge flinched.
"...or engaging in incongruous byplay!"
Everyone stared at Allura and Keith, who promptly went scarlet.
"It's inconceivable to me that you call yourselves Defenders of the Universe, and even more so that you call yourselves a team!" The Brain shook his head. "Shameful. Simply shameful."
All members of the elite Voltron Force looked down at their shiny boots in embarrassment. Coran looked down at his dress shoes. Cheddar stared at The Brain in wonder.
"I will rescue my friend Pi- uh, Antonio, from the evil Prince!" The mouse genius asserted. "I am an absolute genius on my world. I will devise a plan that will keep the Princess safe, and the Planet Arus intact! Who's with me? Raise your hand!"
The humans looked up, and The Brain could see the determination in every face. Six arms and one paw shot into the air, simultaneously.
The Brain smiled. "A step in the right direction. You may lower your arms now."
Coran spoke up as he lowered his arm. "If I may be permitted a question, sir; where are you from, and how is it that you can speak the Universal tongue?"
The Brain stood straight and tall. "I am from another dimension in space, a zone that is beyond the realm of your reality...yet coexists with you just the same."
"Yeah?" Lance asked, a suspicious frown wrinkling his brow. "So why are you here?"
The mouse quickly revised his answer, realizing now wasn't the time to make things complicated. "I'm from Planet 'WB', in the Milky Way Galaxy. It's a colony on Earth. I haven't spoken until now because I wasn't sure of your intentions." He paused and glared at Cheddar as he said, "By the way, there I usually go by the name 'John Brain', not 'Large Noggin'." The other mouse grinned sheepishly.
"Sorry John!" the humans chorused in unison, their furrowed brows un-wrinkling at this piece of digestible information.
The mouse formerly known as Noggin beckoned to the team. "Now that that's out of the way, here's my strategy ...and I'll also need Cheddar to round up the rest of the Space Mice..."
Cheddar nodded and took off to find his family as The Brain continued to hold court, regaling the humans with one of his patented, never-say-die, fail proof plans.
Five minutes later, the view screen flickered and the malevolently grinning visage of Prince Lotor blinked into view.
The grin faded when the evil tyrant saw that Castle Control was empty, save for one misshapen rodent whose scowling countenance sent shivers down his spine.
"Where is the Princess, and the rest of her motley crew?" He snarled.
"The Princess is indisposed, and I believe Motley Crue is playing a gig somewhere in upper Siberia." The Brain responded, with a smirk.
"And who are you?" Lotor snapped, trying to cover his perplexity at meeting another talking rodent. This one was intelligent, if the size of his cranium and his vocabulary was anything to go by.
The Brain decided at that moment not to give his real name. "I am known here as Large Noggin, and I am in charge of this negotiation."
"Large and in charge?" The Doom Prince barked out a laugh. "You are vermin, and not capable of leadership of any kind. This has to be a joke."
The man was insufferable, and The Brain could see why the Princess completely detested him. "Do you see anyone else here with me? Does it appear that I am joking?" He asked, deepening his scowl.
Lotor's amused expression disappeared. "You look like a puny Noggin-head. I take it this means that the Princess is turning me down."
"You surmise correctly. Not surprisingly, she finds the thought of entering into matrimony with you... abysmal at best." The Brain informed him with relish.
"Insolent rambles from a rat!" The Prince scoffed. "Isn't Allura concerned that her friend will become kibble if she refuses me?"
"She is deeply saddened by the fact that Antonio will in all likelihood, lose his life, and intends to use his noble sacrifice to motivate her people. Antonio will live on in memorials and textbooks across Arus and worshipped as a symbol of selfless martyrdom. It's what he would have wanted..."
The Brain wiped away a genuine tear at this point, for if his plan failed, what he had just spoken of might really come to pass.
"A martyr." Lotor hissed through clenched teeth. "I think not. I have bigger plans for your friend, and they will result in him bringing glory to the Doomian Empire!"
The Brain's eyes widened. "Then you're not going to-"
"Execute him? No, that would be too quick and easy and therefore, not very agreeable." The evil Prince replied, a fervid gleam in his eyes as he unknowingly confirmed The Brain's theory. "I will have my victory and my revenge against Voltron this day, and your Antonio will be instrumental in helping me achieve them!"
"I don't believe you! Let me talk to him right now!" The Brain shouted, shaking a tiny fist at the screen. "Pi-, I mean Antonio would never willingly hurt Arus or the Princess! He'll be rescued, the Voltron Force will see to-!" The Brain stopped short as he realized just what he had said, and then wondered at the strange sound of his voice shaking in righteous outrage.
~OMG! It's happened, I've caught 'do-gooder-itis'! Do-gooders do not plot to take over the world! Why did I think coming here was a good plan?!~
His yellow-eyed nemesis smiled mockingly. "So you think they can save him? My dear stunted little rodent, that would only come to pass if your friend recognizes where his allegiance truly lies when next he sees them..."
The Prince began to laugh maniacally and then the connection was severed.
The Brain sank to his knees. Behind him, the door opened and the humans ran into the room.
Princess Allura was the first to reach the shaken mouse. "John, what is it? It went badly? You look so discouraged."
The Brain looked up into the large blue eyes and for a long moment was sorely tempted to cry on the shoulder of the lovely ruler of Arus. But it was momentary weakness. Soon his trademark surliness reasserted itself and he straightened his spine and got to his feet.
"I am not discouraged, Princess. I have only begun to fight!"
"That's the spirit!" She cheered him. "I can see why Antonio admires you!"
The Brain felt a prickle of something in his eyes, and a small glowing warmth within his tiny body. Allura really was a lovely person, inside and out. Why didn't that Keith fellow wise up and confess his feeling for the woman, anyway? It was clear that the Princess was as besotted with the guy as he was with her, so what was he waiting for?
Not that he cared about romantic intrigue and all that came with it. He was a shounen mouse, after all. Subtexts were to be tolerated or ignored. Angst and stoicism was the rule.
The Brain scowled and returned his attention to the situation at hand.
"Pinky is not going to be killed by the Prince. But it sounds like Lotor is coming to us, and if what I suspect is true, we are going to need my Big Su- I mean, my spaceship and your Voltron on immediate standby. " The Brain turned to the contingent of mice that had just joined the group. Cheddar, will you and your kin fly with me? Cheddar gave him an affirmative peace sign and the rest of his family nodded.
Keith asked quietly, "Antonio is still alive then?"
The Brain cleared his throat. "Yes. But as I suspected, he's being used against us in a plan to conquer Arus."
Allura's eyes glistened; she had a horrible suspicion what her little friend's fate was to be.
"Oh no! They wouldn't!" Pidge hissed.
"Oh yes they would." Hunk stated grimly. "Typical Lotor/Hagar scheme, giving new meaning to the phrase animal cruelty."
"How can we keep him alive if that's what happened?" Lance asked in a hushed tone.
"It will be done if you will do as I say." The Brain replied with conviction. "Our biggest advantage is that Pinky skipped the queue when guile and intellect were being handed out. Our trouble comes in with the Prince...he's not going to be swayed by the threat of force, or into giving up his aspirations of having the Princess."
"We're ready, John!" The Captain of Voltron declared. "We've kicked his royal blue ass before, and we'll do it again."
"Keith!" Allura exclaimed. Her tone held a mix of shock and admiration. Keith's grin had an edge, saying without words that it was cathartic to be a bit naughty, and that maybe he'd be doing it more often.
Lance gave a holler. "Now that's my kinda talk! Give us the plan, Mr. Brain, and then let's go and save the mouse from Doom!"
The grin faded when the evil tyrant saw that Castle Control was empty, save for one misshapen rodent whose scowling countenance sent shivers down his spine.
"Where is the Princess, and the rest of her motley crew?" He snarled.
"The Princess is indisposed, and I believe Motley Crue is playing a gig somewhere in upper Siberia." The Brain responded, with a smirk.
"And who are you?" Lotor snapped, trying to cover his perplexity at meeting another talking rodent. This one was intelligent, if the size of his cranium and his vocabulary was anything to go by.
The Brain decided at that moment not to give his real name. "I am known here as Large Noggin, and I am in charge of this negotiation."
"Large and in charge?" The Doom Prince barked out a laugh. "You are vermin, and not capable of leadership of any kind. This has to be a joke."
The man was insufferable, and The Brain could see why the Princess completely detested him. "Do you see anyone else here with me? Does it appear that I am joking?" He asked, deepening his scowl.
Lotor's amused expression disappeared. "You look like a puny Noggin-head. I take it this means that the Princess is turning me down."
"You surmise correctly. Not surprisingly, she finds the thought of entering into matrimony with you... abysmal at best." The Brain informed him with relish.
"Insolent rambles from a rat!" The Prince scoffed. "Isn't Allura concerned that her friend will become kibble if she refuses me?"
"She is deeply saddened by the fact that Antonio will in all likelihood, lose his life, and intends to use his noble sacrifice to motivate her people. Antonio will live on in memorials and textbooks across Arus and worshipped as a symbol of selfless martyrdom. It's what he would have wanted..."
The Brain wiped away a genuine tear at this point, for if his plan failed, what he had just spoken of might really come to pass.
"A martyr." Lotor hissed through clenched teeth. "I think not. I have bigger plans for your friend, and they will result in him bringing glory to the Doomian Empire!"
The Brain's eyes widened. "Then you're not going to-"
"Execute him? No, that would be too quick and easy and therefore, not very agreeable." The evil Prince replied, a fervid gleam in his eyes as he unknowingly confirmed The Brain's theory. "I will have my victory and my revenge against Voltron this day, and your Antonio will be instrumental in helping me achieve them!"
"I don't believe you! Let me talk to him right now!" The Brain shouted, shaking a tiny fist at the screen. "Pi-, I mean Antonio would never willingly hurt Arus or the Princess! He'll be rescued, the Voltron Force will see to-!" The Brain stopped short as he realized just what he had said, and then wondered at the strange sound of his voice shaking in righteous outrage.
~OMG! It's happened, I've caught 'do-gooder-itis'! Do-gooders do not plot to take over the world! Why did I think coming here was a good plan?!~
His yellow-eyed nemesis smiled mockingly. "So you think they can save him? My dear stunted little rodent, that would only come to pass if your friend recognizes where his allegiance truly lies when next he sees them..."
The Prince began to laugh maniacally and then the connection was severed.
The Brain sank to his knees. Behind him, the door opened and the humans ran into the room.
Princess Allura was the first to reach the shaken mouse. "John, what is it? It went badly? You look so discouraged."
The Brain looked up into the large blue eyes and for a long moment was sorely tempted to cry on the shoulder of the lovely ruler of Arus. But it was momentary weakness. Soon his trademark surliness reasserted itself and he straightened his spine and got to his feet.
"I am not discouraged, Princess. I have only begun to fight!"
"That's the spirit!" She cheered him. "I can see why Antonio admires you!"
The Brain felt a prickle of something in his eyes, and a small glowing warmth within his tiny body. Allura really was a lovely person, inside and out. Why didn't that Keith fellow wise up and confess his feeling for the woman, anyway? It was clear that the Princess was as besotted with the guy as he was with her, so what was he waiting for?
Not that he cared about romantic intrigue and all that came with it. He was a shounen mouse, after all. Subtexts were to be tolerated or ignored. Angst and stoicism was the rule.
The Brain scowled and returned his attention to the situation at hand.
"Pinky is not going to be killed by the Prince. But it sounds like Lotor is coming to us, and if what I suspect is true, we are going to need my Big Su- I mean, my spaceship and your Voltron on immediate standby. " The Brain turned to the contingent of mice that had just joined the group. Cheddar, will you and your kin fly with me? Cheddar gave him an affirmative peace sign and the rest of his family nodded.
Keith asked quietly, "Antonio is still alive then?"
The Brain cleared his throat. "Yes. But as I suspected, he's being used against us in a plan to conquer Arus."
Allura's eyes glistened; she had a horrible suspicion what her little friend's fate was to be.
"Oh no! They wouldn't!" Pidge hissed.
"Oh yes they would." Hunk stated grimly. "Typical Lotor/Hagar scheme, giving new meaning to the phrase animal cruelty."
"How can we keep him alive if that's what happened?" Lance asked in a hushed tone.
"It will be done if you will do as I say." The Brain replied with conviction. "Our biggest advantage is that Pinky skipped the queue when guile and intellect were being handed out. Our trouble comes in with the Prince...he's not going to be swayed by the threat of force, or into giving up his aspirations of having the Princess."
"We're ready, John!" The Captain of Voltron declared. "We've kicked his royal blue ass before, and we'll do it again."
"Keith!" Allura exclaimed. Her tone held a mix of shock and admiration. Keith's grin had an edge, saying without words that it was cathartic to be a bit naughty, and that maybe he'd be doing it more often.
Lance gave a holler. "Now that's my kinda talk! Give us the plan, Mr. Brain, and then let's go and save the mouse from Doom!"
"This is it, I won't be long now, Hagar." Lotor growled into his ship's communicator."I can see the spires of that accursed castle on my monitor, may it rust and rot and fall into the Pit of No Return!"
The Doomian Prince loathed the damned, near-impenetrable Fortress of Goodness and Light. Never, ever would he admit to anyone, not even upon threat of execution, that he was actually glad to see it looming in his sights, and the reason why.
The sense of celebratory anticipation he was feeling wasn't because the fair Allura resided inside those fracking walls of steel, but because seeing that castle meant that he would soon be out of the hellish capsule called a 'Coffin-Cruiser'; a mode of transport that ranked as 'highly abhorrent' on his internalized hate-o-meter. It was disconcerting to be on his back, (a position that should be reserved for other far more enjoyable activities), the padding made his hair crackle with static buildup , and he despised having the lid so close to his face. At best, flying in it gave him a sense of being disconnected from his senses, and at worst, a feeling of rising panic, as if he had been buried alive. On his longer jaunts, he found himself involuntarily scratching at the hatch, trying to get out...or worse, having to divest himself of the facilities for waste elimination.
Where was that Old Witch anyway? What if he couldn't get the hatch open when he landed?
"Hagar, do you read? Answer me!" He commanded loudly, trying to stomp down the touch of alarm.
Hagar cackled to herself as she heard the hint of panic behind the Prince's terse words.
Lotor was claustrophobic, a fact no one else on Doom was privy to, (and if anyone found out by accident, they disappeared rather quickly.) Hagar had known for a long time, since Lotor was a boy, in fact, but chose not to mention it at that time for obvious reasons. Even as an adolescent, Lotor had had a very nasty temper.
So as was her mode of operation, she had filed the knowledge away, and then when the opportunity presented itself, cleverly curried his favor by devising a magical means of transporting the coffin-like pods so that it was a matter of minutes rather than hours, before they reached Planet Arus.
Lotor had been very pleased, so much so that he'd actually thanked her for her contribution, using the pretext that he could see Allura that much quicker, a fallacy that the old witch was happy to overlook as long as it suited her. Being in the Doom Prince's good graces was a advantageous thing, although she rather missed hearing his whimpers and wild ranting after spending hours closed up in a pod. She really didn't understand what the big deal was; she liked the close quarters; flying in the coffin gave her the time and seclusion for her daily meditation without the interruptions and constant jabbering of the infernal robot soldiers Zarkon was so fond of, bless his evil heart.
She checked to see that the third pod her ship was towing was still intact; it was, and she was almost disappointed to see that it was so. She had a very bad feeling about this plot; it reeked with the stench of pending epic failure. But then again, which of Lotor's schemes didn't? She cackled again at the thought, and then debated how long she should let his anxiety build.
"HAGAR!" The feedback was painful, and the witch cringed as the Prince's voice roared into the cockpit accompanied by a high screeching tone. Lotor had reached his limit.
"This is Hagar, my Prince." She replied in a sticky-sweet voice. "My apologies, I had a small glitch with my communicator. Is everything all right?"
"Yes, yes." Lotor cleared his throat. "Everything's fine, old woman. I was only concerned for your well being."
"I thank you for that, Sire. We are ten minutes away from our targeted destination." The crone replied.
"That long?" The Prince sounded petulant. "I thought we were closer to it than that."
"It's a route we must maintain to remain unseen, so be patient." Hagar reminded him. "Your prissy- um, your Princess will make any inconvenience worth it."
"Ah yes," Lotor sounded much happier. "Yes... soon you are to be mine, Allura!"
Once again, as the Prince droned on and on and on about his favorite obsession to her over the communicator, Hagar tuned him out, concentrating instead on finding a suitable landing spot. The forest should be just about- ah yes, there it was, that Hidden Glen they always used to deploy their various schemes. That they had used the glen so often probably meant it didn't qualify as 'hidden' anymore, but she wasn't interested in quibbling semantics... unless it involved witchcraft, of course.
The three Doomian conveyances hovered over the clearing, and then quietly lowered themselves to rest, looking much like actual coffins descending into the ground. The descent didn't sit well with the Prince, who abruptly abandoned his Princess prattle and fell silent, his hands frantically searching for the 'release hatch' switch.
He found it and coughed to cover his ragged sigh of relief.
The minute he felt the slight thud and vibration that told him he was on solid ground, he opened the hatch and scrambled out. Once he stood, he straightened his tunic, donned and adjusted his battle helmet, and then waited with impatience for Hagar to emerge from her own transport.
The Doomian Prince loathed the damned, near-impenetrable Fortress of Goodness and Light. Never, ever would he admit to anyone, not even upon threat of execution, that he was actually glad to see it looming in his sights, and the reason why.
The sense of celebratory anticipation he was feeling wasn't because the fair Allura resided inside those fracking walls of steel, but because seeing that castle meant that he would soon be out of the hellish capsule called a 'Coffin-Cruiser'; a mode of transport that ranked as 'highly abhorrent' on his internalized hate-o-meter. It was disconcerting to be on his back, (a position that should be reserved for other far more enjoyable activities), the padding made his hair crackle with static buildup , and he despised having the lid so close to his face. At best, flying in it gave him a sense of being disconnected from his senses, and at worst, a feeling of rising panic, as if he had been buried alive. On his longer jaunts, he found himself involuntarily scratching at the hatch, trying to get out...or worse, having to divest himself of the facilities for waste elimination.
Where was that Old Witch anyway? What if he couldn't get the hatch open when he landed?
"Hagar, do you read? Answer me!" He commanded loudly, trying to stomp down the touch of alarm.
Hagar cackled to herself as she heard the hint of panic behind the Prince's terse words.
Lotor was claustrophobic, a fact no one else on Doom was privy to, (and if anyone found out by accident, they disappeared rather quickly.) Hagar had known for a long time, since Lotor was a boy, in fact, but chose not to mention it at that time for obvious reasons. Even as an adolescent, Lotor had had a very nasty temper.
So as was her mode of operation, she had filed the knowledge away, and then when the opportunity presented itself, cleverly curried his favor by devising a magical means of transporting the coffin-like pods so that it was a matter of minutes rather than hours, before they reached Planet Arus.
Lotor had been very pleased, so much so that he'd actually thanked her for her contribution, using the pretext that he could see Allura that much quicker, a fallacy that the old witch was happy to overlook as long as it suited her. Being in the Doom Prince's good graces was a advantageous thing, although she rather missed hearing his whimpers and wild ranting after spending hours closed up in a pod. She really didn't understand what the big deal was; she liked the close quarters; flying in the coffin gave her the time and seclusion for her daily meditation without the interruptions and constant jabbering of the infernal robot soldiers Zarkon was so fond of, bless his evil heart.
She checked to see that the third pod her ship was towing was still intact; it was, and she was almost disappointed to see that it was so. She had a very bad feeling about this plot; it reeked with the stench of pending epic failure. But then again, which of Lotor's schemes didn't? She cackled again at the thought, and then debated how long she should let his anxiety build.
"HAGAR!" The feedback was painful, and the witch cringed as the Prince's voice roared into the cockpit accompanied by a high screeching tone. Lotor had reached his limit.
"This is Hagar, my Prince." She replied in a sticky-sweet voice. "My apologies, I had a small glitch with my communicator. Is everything all right?"
"Yes, yes." Lotor cleared his throat. "Everything's fine, old woman. I was only concerned for your well being."
"I thank you for that, Sire. We are ten minutes away from our targeted destination." The crone replied.
"That long?" The Prince sounded petulant. "I thought we were closer to it than that."
"It's a route we must maintain to remain unseen, so be patient." Hagar reminded him. "Your prissy- um, your Princess will make any inconvenience worth it."
"Ah yes," Lotor sounded much happier. "Yes... soon you are to be mine, Allura!"
Once again, as the Prince droned on and on and on about his favorite obsession to her over the communicator, Hagar tuned him out, concentrating instead on finding a suitable landing spot. The forest should be just about- ah yes, there it was, that Hidden Glen they always used to deploy their various schemes. That they had used the glen so often probably meant it didn't qualify as 'hidden' anymore, but she wasn't interested in quibbling semantics... unless it involved witchcraft, of course.
The three Doomian conveyances hovered over the clearing, and then quietly lowered themselves to rest, looking much like actual coffins descending into the ground. The descent didn't sit well with the Prince, who abruptly abandoned his Princess prattle and fell silent, his hands frantically searching for the 'release hatch' switch.
He found it and coughed to cover his ragged sigh of relief.
The minute he felt the slight thud and vibration that told him he was on solid ground, he opened the hatch and scrambled out. Once he stood, he straightened his tunic, donned and adjusted his battle helmet, and then waited with impatience for Hagar to emerge from her own transport.
Back at the Castle of Lions, everyone was scrambling to carry out 'The Plan - Phase Two'. In a small shipping dock next to Castle Control, which now served as a makeshift hangar, a feisty mouse now known to all and sundry as John Brain and a laid-back Pidge were briefing his new team on the new weaponry, potential perils and pitfalls of the new and improved Big Suit, which loomed impressively behind them.
Cheddar, Cheesey and two of their eight children nodded in understanding as the mouse and boy finished their presentations.
"Each of you will be in one of the extremities," the Brain concluded. "And as for me, well, I'll be the head."
"You'll form the head," The pilot of Green Lion corrected.
"No, no, no, I'll literally be the head!" The mouse genius snapped. "I'm always the head!"
"Whatever." The boy shrugged. He guessed that explained the tiny neck hole he had found on the mouse's transport. He chuckled at the absurd image that rose in his mind of a little mouse head on top of the ship's large body; the scale would be comparable to seeing his own head on top of Voltron's mighty shoulders, a thought that made him giggle.
The Brain scowled at the amused boy. "Spare me your misguided hilarity, Midge."
"The name's Pidge," Pidge replied, his giggles fading abruptly. "And yours is gonna be 'Tiny Noggin' while you're flying that ship."
"Call me what you will." The Brain retorted. "But know that I get results."
Captain Keith strode into the room, the firm click of the heels of his white boots instantly commanding attention.
"Lotor and Hagar were just spotted, team!" He grimly informed the assembled rescuers."They've landed at Hidden Glen!"
"Why do they call it that?" Pidge asked.
Keith pondered, taken aback. "I suppose it's because at one time people didn't know it was there, they couldn't find it, and therefore it was 'hidden'."
"But we know right where it is, and so do Lotor and Hagar. Isn't it time we find another name for it?"
"Yeah, I guess...but it really isn't our job to name places. That would be the narrators job...let's ask them, one of them is sure to come up with a better one!" Keith said. With a wide smile, he turned as if to face an unseen being and winked flirtatiously."Personally, I think she who must not be named could find a really good name for it."
Pidge scoffed, "Oh please- her? The person who ends up in Michigan when she's trying to go to Toledo? I think The Bandit would do better!" The Green Lion Pilot turned and gave a thumbs up to an invisible being, and then quickly jumped aside as a falling anvil landed right next to him, putting a deep divot into the floor tiles.
"If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times; show some respect!" Keith hissed, staring at the huge anvil with widened eyes. "She likes you, but don't push it! She's got the power to write any of us out at any time!"
"Yeah...she does that, then she's an EvilLynne." Pidge muttered, also looking askance at the anvil. "But she won't do it, she's too nice. She doesn't have the-"
"Please allow me be your conductor for your return trip to reality, gentlemen." The Brain cut in sarcastically. "The renaming of Hidden Glen isn't important at this time. In case you've forgotten, we have a situation, a code red, a highly calamitous occurrence developing here! Lotor is on your back doorstep and he's scratching to get in! I suggest you leave the semantics for now and get a move on!"
The Black Lion pilot nodded grimly. "He's right, Pidge. Apologize later, right now we need to save Antonio and foil Lotor's scheme; Allura, Lance and Hunk are already on their way. Let's get to our lions!"
"Fine. There's nothing for me to apologize for anyway." Pidge muttered.
Keith stared at him. "What was that?"
"I said, right Chief! Let's go right away!"
With that, the two pilots dashed out of the room and down the hall. A minute later they ran by again, this time in the right direction.
The Brain, lagging behind with Cheddar and family, heard the distinctive sound of launch chutes deploying, then pounding footsteps. Seconds later a loud, long yell was heard, followed by an echoing thud, then dead silence.
The mice immediately scurried the rest of the way to Control, where they found Keith and Coran kneeling and looking down into Launch Chute Number Three.
Cheddar and Cheesy exchanged concerned glances and then looked fearfully around the room as if scanning for some imaginary presence. The Brain closed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief as Keith's concerned tones drifted to their mousy ears.
"Pidge! Are you okay? Coran, get help! I think he slipped off the trapeze bar."
"Good Lord!" The older man ran to the control panel and pressed a red, cross shaped switch.
"I warned him- I told him not to mess with her," The Voltron Captain loudly whispered to the watching rodents, who nodded vehemently. "Writers are dangerous...they'll do anything to put a twist in a plot! I tried to tell him, but the kid never listens!"
"I'm listening now," Pidge's feeble tones echoed up from the bottom of the launch chute. "I sorry...so so sorry..."
"Medic to Castle Control. Medic to Castle Control." A tinny voice quickly announced over and over on the intercom system.
"Tell me again how this team has never lost to a RoBeast?" The Brain moaned to Cheddar, who shrugged and grinned sheepishly.
"It's going to be up to us, then, Mr. Cheddar." The Brain said firmly. "If the boy is severely injured, then they cannot form Voltron."
Cheddar, Cheesey and two of their eight children nodded in understanding as the mouse and boy finished their presentations.
"Each of you will be in one of the extremities," the Brain concluded. "And as for me, well, I'll be the head."
"You'll form the head," The pilot of Green Lion corrected.
"No, no, no, I'll literally be the head!" The mouse genius snapped. "I'm always the head!"
"Whatever." The boy shrugged. He guessed that explained the tiny neck hole he had found on the mouse's transport. He chuckled at the absurd image that rose in his mind of a little mouse head on top of the ship's large body; the scale would be comparable to seeing his own head on top of Voltron's mighty shoulders, a thought that made him giggle.
The Brain scowled at the amused boy. "Spare me your misguided hilarity, Midge."
"The name's Pidge," Pidge replied, his giggles fading abruptly. "And yours is gonna be 'Tiny Noggin' while you're flying that ship."
"Call me what you will." The Brain retorted. "But know that I get results."
Captain Keith strode into the room, the firm click of the heels of his white boots instantly commanding attention.
"Lotor and Hagar were just spotted, team!" He grimly informed the assembled rescuers."They've landed at Hidden Glen!"
"Why do they call it that?" Pidge asked.
Keith pondered, taken aback. "I suppose it's because at one time people didn't know it was there, they couldn't find it, and therefore it was 'hidden'."
"But we know right where it is, and so do Lotor and Hagar. Isn't it time we find another name for it?"
"Yeah, I guess...but it really isn't our job to name places. That would be the narrators job...let's ask them, one of them is sure to come up with a better one!" Keith said. With a wide smile, he turned as if to face an unseen being and winked flirtatiously."Personally, I think she who must not be named could find a really good name for it."
Pidge scoffed, "Oh please- her? The person who ends up in Michigan when she's trying to go to Toledo? I think The Bandit would do better!" The Green Lion Pilot turned and gave a thumbs up to an invisible being, and then quickly jumped aside as a falling anvil landed right next to him, putting a deep divot into the floor tiles.
"If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times; show some respect!" Keith hissed, staring at the huge anvil with widened eyes. "She likes you, but don't push it! She's got the power to write any of us out at any time!"
"Yeah...she does that, then she's an EvilLynne." Pidge muttered, also looking askance at the anvil. "But she won't do it, she's too nice. She doesn't have the-"
"Please allow me be your conductor for your return trip to reality, gentlemen." The Brain cut in sarcastically. "The renaming of Hidden Glen isn't important at this time. In case you've forgotten, we have a situation, a code red, a highly calamitous occurrence developing here! Lotor is on your back doorstep and he's scratching to get in! I suggest you leave the semantics for now and get a move on!"
The Black Lion pilot nodded grimly. "He's right, Pidge. Apologize later, right now we need to save Antonio and foil Lotor's scheme; Allura, Lance and Hunk are already on their way. Let's get to our lions!"
"Fine. There's nothing for me to apologize for anyway." Pidge muttered.
Keith stared at him. "What was that?"
"I said, right Chief! Let's go right away!"
With that, the two pilots dashed out of the room and down the hall. A minute later they ran by again, this time in the right direction.
The Brain, lagging behind with Cheddar and family, heard the distinctive sound of launch chutes deploying, then pounding footsteps. Seconds later a loud, long yell was heard, followed by an echoing thud, then dead silence.
The mice immediately scurried the rest of the way to Control, where they found Keith and Coran kneeling and looking down into Launch Chute Number Three.
Cheddar and Cheesy exchanged concerned glances and then looked fearfully around the room as if scanning for some imaginary presence. The Brain closed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief as Keith's concerned tones drifted to their mousy ears.
"Pidge! Are you okay? Coran, get help! I think he slipped off the trapeze bar."
"Good Lord!" The older man ran to the control panel and pressed a red, cross shaped switch.
"I warned him- I told him not to mess with her," The Voltron Captain loudly whispered to the watching rodents, who nodded vehemently. "Writers are dangerous...they'll do anything to put a twist in a plot! I tried to tell him, but the kid never listens!"
"I'm listening now," Pidge's feeble tones echoed up from the bottom of the launch chute. "I sorry...so so sorry..."
"Medic to Castle Control. Medic to Castle Control." A tinny voice quickly announced over and over on the intercom system.
"Tell me again how this team has never lost to a RoBeast?" The Brain moaned to Cheddar, who shrugged and grinned sheepishly.
"It's going to be up to us, then, Mr. Cheddar." The Brain said firmly. "If the boy is severely injured, then they cannot form Voltron."
Back in the Perfectly Visible Glen, Hagar stretched lazily, and then climbed out of her ship.
"What a nice, relaxing trip," She addressed the scowling Lotor pleasantly. "It's amazing how much a little time alone in a tight, confined, virtually airless space can do for one's evil spirit."
"Yes, yes. Amazing." He waved a dismissive hand, eager to change the subject. "We don't have time for chit-chat. It's time to set our master plan in motion."
"Your master plan," The crone corrected sharply. "I'm not taking any credit for this one."
"How kind and unusual of you to step aside and leave the glory to me, Old Witch." The Prince looked pleased at her generosity.
"Not at all," Hagar mumbled, nervously adjusting her robe. "If Zarkon wants to know who was responsible, don't even mention my name."
"If you insist," Lotor smirked. "Now, Hagar, release our creature so it might wreck its wrath upon all of Arus!"
"As you command, Sire!" Hagar acknowledged. She reached behind her to grab her staff. Waving it with somewhat less than her usual flare at the third pod, she magically opened it, while muttering, "Here goes nothing, and I do mean nothing."
A great rumbling sigh emitted from the coffin ship, and slowly two large feet, followed by an immense armor clad white body, topped by a large eared head with horns rose from the transport. It was Pinky- but yet not Pinky.
"Arise, great beast, your Prince is need of you!" Hagar screeched to the giant mouse.
The creature blinked at her sleepily, then stood up. The hag waved her staff, bathing her creation in rays of lazon. He started to expand, on his way to his new height of eighty feet, four and one quarter inches.
"That's it. that's it..." the witch encouraged as he swelled. When the beast was completely full-grown, she turned to Lotor.
"What do you think, Your Highness?" She asked, slyly. "Impressive, yes?"
The Pinky-Beast regarded them impassively, while it did so, a large paw lifted to the huge nose and began to pick it.
"Gross." Lotor shuddered, and perused the gigantic rodent with a critical gaze. "The horns, spiked collar and breastplates are a nice touch."
"Thank you, Sire." Hagar dipped her head briefly.
"Wish he looked even meaner, and he still acts stupidly. But his appearance will throw them off, and his lack of wit will make him easy to control. He will be a splendid RoBeast."
"If you say so, Sire." Hagar agreed.
The Pinky-Beast opened its mouth. "ALLLLARRAAAAA!" It roared, making the leaves shake and fall from the trees all around him. Critters scrambled in every direction, running or flapping their wings at top speed to get away.
"Yes, my rodent friend, soon you will be able to see your friend Allura!" The Doom Prince shouted. "All you have to do is bring her to me, and you and I will share her friendship, forever!"
"ZORT!" The Pinky-Beast threw back its head and stretched out its arms in exultation. Lotor and Hagar lunged in opposite directions as two massive oaks came crashing down into the glen.
"Watch it, you idiot!" The Prince snarled as he picked himself up. "You're gigantic now, be more aware of your surroundings!"
"PPPOIIITT!" The beast burped out apologetically, dropping its arms.
"Yes, well, see that it doesn't happen again!" Lotor commanded. "Now listen. I don't know what you've done in the past, but it's nothing to what you're about to do now. It's gut check time. You are battling for your true love. Win one for her, and for the Doomies!"
"A pep talk of cliches. Oh yes, that's going to ensure his success." Hagar said, as she sat down on one of the trunks of the fallen trees. She shook her staff and cackled. "Go team go! Rah, rah, rah, sis boom bah!"
Lotor gave her a dirty look, which only made the hag cackle louder. He opened his mouth, then closed it, deciding to ignore her for the moment; when victory was his, he'd be in a better position to deal harshly with the old bat.
Turning to his RoBeast he raised his arms in a grand, sweeping gesture.
"Venture onward, Mighty Antonio! Plunder and pillage the castle ramparts to deliver my Beloved from an mediocre existence of eternal saccharine bliss!"
The mouse-beast blinked down at him, clearly confused.
The Prince tried again; repeated the gesture.
"Depart, Great Beast! Now is the time to blitzkrieg! Demolish the House of Perpetual Saintliness and retrieve its Monarch!"
The Pinky-Beast looked even more confused and lifted a mighty paw to scratch behind one long, green horn.
Lotor stamped his feet in frustration. "Dammit! Don't make me come up there and hurt you! Just get your white furry ass over to the castle and grab the Princess! Capice!?"
This command the creature seemed to take in. With a large grin, it turned and stomped toward the Castle of Lions, leaving his master, mistress and what now had become the Totally Demolished Glen, far behind.
"What a nice, relaxing trip," She addressed the scowling Lotor pleasantly. "It's amazing how much a little time alone in a tight, confined, virtually airless space can do for one's evil spirit."
"Yes, yes. Amazing." He waved a dismissive hand, eager to change the subject. "We don't have time for chit-chat. It's time to set our master plan in motion."
"Your master plan," The crone corrected sharply. "I'm not taking any credit for this one."
"How kind and unusual of you to step aside and leave the glory to me, Old Witch." The Prince looked pleased at her generosity.
"Not at all," Hagar mumbled, nervously adjusting her robe. "If Zarkon wants to know who was responsible, don't even mention my name."
"If you insist," Lotor smirked. "Now, Hagar, release our creature so it might wreck its wrath upon all of Arus!"
"As you command, Sire!" Hagar acknowledged. She reached behind her to grab her staff. Waving it with somewhat less than her usual flare at the third pod, she magically opened it, while muttering, "Here goes nothing, and I do mean nothing."
A great rumbling sigh emitted from the coffin ship, and slowly two large feet, followed by an immense armor clad white body, topped by a large eared head with horns rose from the transport. It was Pinky- but yet not Pinky.
"Arise, great beast, your Prince is need of you!" Hagar screeched to the giant mouse.
The creature blinked at her sleepily, then stood up. The hag waved her staff, bathing her creation in rays of lazon. He started to expand, on his way to his new height of eighty feet, four and one quarter inches.
"That's it. that's it..." the witch encouraged as he swelled. When the beast was completely full-grown, she turned to Lotor.
"What do you think, Your Highness?" She asked, slyly. "Impressive, yes?"
The Pinky-Beast regarded them impassively, while it did so, a large paw lifted to the huge nose and began to pick it.
"Gross." Lotor shuddered, and perused the gigantic rodent with a critical gaze. "The horns, spiked collar and breastplates are a nice touch."
"Thank you, Sire." Hagar dipped her head briefly.
"Wish he looked even meaner, and he still acts stupidly. But his appearance will throw them off, and his lack of wit will make him easy to control. He will be a splendid RoBeast."
"If you say so, Sire." Hagar agreed.
The Pinky-Beast opened its mouth. "ALLLLARRAAAAA!" It roared, making the leaves shake and fall from the trees all around him. Critters scrambled in every direction, running or flapping their wings at top speed to get away.
"Yes, my rodent friend, soon you will be able to see your friend Allura!" The Doom Prince shouted. "All you have to do is bring her to me, and you and I will share her friendship, forever!"
"ZORT!" The Pinky-Beast threw back its head and stretched out its arms in exultation. Lotor and Hagar lunged in opposite directions as two massive oaks came crashing down into the glen.
"Watch it, you idiot!" The Prince snarled as he picked himself up. "You're gigantic now, be more aware of your surroundings!"
"PPPOIIITT!" The beast burped out apologetically, dropping its arms.
"Yes, well, see that it doesn't happen again!" Lotor commanded. "Now listen. I don't know what you've done in the past, but it's nothing to what you're about to do now. It's gut check time. You are battling for your true love. Win one for her, and for the Doomies!"
"A pep talk of cliches. Oh yes, that's going to ensure his success." Hagar said, as she sat down on one of the trunks of the fallen trees. She shook her staff and cackled. "Go team go! Rah, rah, rah, sis boom bah!"
Lotor gave her a dirty look, which only made the hag cackle louder. He opened his mouth, then closed it, deciding to ignore her for the moment; when victory was his, he'd be in a better position to deal harshly with the old bat.
Turning to his RoBeast he raised his arms in a grand, sweeping gesture.
"Venture onward, Mighty Antonio! Plunder and pillage the castle ramparts to deliver my Beloved from an mediocre existence of eternal saccharine bliss!"
The mouse-beast blinked down at him, clearly confused.
The Prince tried again; repeated the gesture.
"Depart, Great Beast! Now is the time to blitzkrieg! Demolish the House of Perpetual Saintliness and retrieve its Monarch!"
The Pinky-Beast looked even more confused and lifted a mighty paw to scratch behind one long, green horn.
Lotor stamped his feet in frustration. "Dammit! Don't make me come up there and hurt you! Just get your white furry ass over to the castle and grab the Princess! Capice!?"
This command the creature seemed to take in. With a large grin, it turned and stomped toward the Castle of Lions, leaving his master, mistress and what now had become the Totally Demolished Glen, far behind.
"Great Googly Moogly!" Hunk gasped as he spied a RoBeast moving toward the castle. "Wouldja get a load of the size of that rodent?! Time to call a Giant Exterminator, and quick!"
"Oh no," Allura whispered, as she spotted the titanic sized mouse headed their way. Putting herself on the Castle's external comm, she reached out to her romantic, but no longer little, friend. "Antonio, it's me, Allura! Do you remember me? Please stop! Look at you, you're stomping and squishing lots of things! I know you don't want to do that...you care about others..."
There was no sound other than the thundering crash of the Pinky-Beast's footsteps as he continued to advance toward the Lions.
"ANTONIO!" Allura shouted, then dropped her head despairingly on the console of Blue Lion and sobbed.
"Princess..." Keith looked stricken. He reached out a hand, placed it on the screen where her shaking shoulder could be seen. "I know. It's no good, he's under Doom's control now. And with Pidge unavailable, we can't form Voltron, so we have to use four lions."
Allura's head came up and she turned to glare at Keith's image on her screen. "How about helping me fix this rather than doing a recap of the bad things I already know about?"
The Black Lion pilot blanched. "Uh...I'm sorry. I want to help, I didn't mean to be insensitive to your feelings..." He shook his head, looking sad. "What can I say? I'm just a cotton-headed ninny muggins!"
Allura blinked, then laughed a little. "Yes you are sometimes, but that's okay. You always come through for us."
Hunk and Lance exchanged glances as Allura reached to the screen and touched Keith's hand with her own, but kept quiet. In their estimation, a guy who had it so bad for a lady that he'd willingly expose himself to unceasing future ridicule from his posse by referring to himself as a 'cotton-headed ninny muggins' in their presence, deserved a special moment with said lady.
"I'll come through for you this time." Keith vowed. "Count on it."
Lance spoke up grimly. "As will we all. So, we'll go out and face Antonio as four lions. But Princess, keep in mind that if he doesn't remember us, if he can't help himself, saving him means we have to put him out of his misery. I know the little guy wouldn't want this. It's a far better thing to do than to leave him to their evil devices."
"That won't be necessary, Mr. Lance!" A familiar, acerbic voice broke in. "Pidge may have a broken wing, but you still have a Brain at your disposal!"
"Oh no," Allura whispered, as she spotted the titanic sized mouse headed their way. Putting herself on the Castle's external comm, she reached out to her romantic, but no longer little, friend. "Antonio, it's me, Allura! Do you remember me? Please stop! Look at you, you're stomping and squishing lots of things! I know you don't want to do that...you care about others..."
There was no sound other than the thundering crash of the Pinky-Beast's footsteps as he continued to advance toward the Lions.
"ANTONIO!" Allura shouted, then dropped her head despairingly on the console of Blue Lion and sobbed.
"Princess..." Keith looked stricken. He reached out a hand, placed it on the screen where her shaking shoulder could be seen. "I know. It's no good, he's under Doom's control now. And with Pidge unavailable, we can't form Voltron, so we have to use four lions."
Allura's head came up and she turned to glare at Keith's image on her screen. "How about helping me fix this rather than doing a recap of the bad things I already know about?"
The Black Lion pilot blanched. "Uh...I'm sorry. I want to help, I didn't mean to be insensitive to your feelings..." He shook his head, looking sad. "What can I say? I'm just a cotton-headed ninny muggins!"
Allura blinked, then laughed a little. "Yes you are sometimes, but that's okay. You always come through for us."
Hunk and Lance exchanged glances as Allura reached to the screen and touched Keith's hand with her own, but kept quiet. In their estimation, a guy who had it so bad for a lady that he'd willingly expose himself to unceasing future ridicule from his posse by referring to himself as a 'cotton-headed ninny muggins' in their presence, deserved a special moment with said lady.
"I'll come through for you this time." Keith vowed. "Count on it."
Lance spoke up grimly. "As will we all. So, we'll go out and face Antonio as four lions. But Princess, keep in mind that if he doesn't remember us, if he can't help himself, saving him means we have to put him out of his misery. I know the little guy wouldn't want this. It's a far better thing to do than to leave him to their evil devices."
"That won't be necessary, Mr. Lance!" A familiar, acerbic voice broke in. "Pidge may have a broken wing, but you still have a Brain at your disposal!"
Authors Say: 'Innuendo' is Italian for Preparation H.
"Look team! It's that weird ship we fixed!" Lance exclaimed, as he stared out his cockpit window at the Big Suit that now had drawn alongside Red Lion. "Who's flying it?"
The Brain's purple helmeted visage, which exuded determination and grit, blinked to life on Lance's viewer. "Captain John Brain and the Braintron Force, at your service, Lieutenant!"
Loud squeaks and chatters from Cheddar, Cheesy and their two children Sukey and Inky were heard in the background, which when translated, amounted to yelling, 'LET'S GO, BRAINTRON FORCE!'
"What the devil are you- this wasn't in the-" The Red Lion pilot sputtered.
The Brain smiled down at his tiny view screen. "Sorry, Lance, no time for clever banter. I know this wasn't in `The Plan', but since three of you can't form Voltron, the Space Mice and I are going to save Antonio."
"No way. That's a negatory, Brain!"
The Brain regarded Lance coolly. "I should think you'd welcome the assistance."
"Not for a suicide mission!" The Red Lion pilot barked. "If you think you can defeat a rampaging RoBeast with a tricked out Armani suit, you're loony tunes!"
"Of course! My entire family descends from Looney Tunes." The Brain informed him with dignity. "We may be unorthodox to you, but it's a beloved and distinguished lineage where I come from."
"Happy to hear it," Lance replied grimly, "but you're out of your league here. The reality is, there are no miraculous recoveries or resurrections here- when people here get smashed or blown up, they stay smashed or blown up!"
The Brain wanted to point out that Lance's friend Sven had come back from the dead, but given he was unsure if Sven was actually his doppelganger brother or himself again due to a plot twist, he decided it wasn't wise to get lost in the translation. Instead, he gave the pilot a ferocious `don't make me hurt you' glare.
Lance glared right back. "You could be maimed, mutilated and killed! That thing that was your friend has no friggin' idea who you are!"
As he saw genuine concern flickering in Lance's ice blue gaze, The Brain relented. "Okay, Lieutenant- I'll grant you the obvious. Yes, right now Antonio is a green-horned, dog-collared flunky for evil. I concede he's also a vile, bloodthirsty, rampaging atrocity who at present is oblivious to the sacredness of life, and an absolute insult to fashion and good taste- no, no- please, hear me out."
Lance closed his mouth, sat back, and folded his arms across his chest, waiting for the inevitable `but'.
"Trust me on this Lance, no one, but no one, knows better than I how high the odds are that I will fail in any mission I undertake." The mouse genius said, raw emotion underlining his words as he passionately shook one tiny paw, and his eyes burned red. "But it doesn't change the fact that it's my best -and frankly my only- friend in two galaxies that is trapped underneath that horror and that I will free him or die in the attempt!"
The Brain waited a brief but stirring moment to let this sink in.
"But what if you fail?" Lance asked. "I repeat, there are no second chances here."
"Then I will succeed!" The Brain replied. "Failure? I scorn thee! Failure? I mock thee! Failure, I expectorate in thy wretched visage!"
And with that, drawing up all his salvia, the newly commissioned Captain of Braintron forcefully spat.
High-pitched cheers from the Space Mice filled the airwaves. The Brain used the break to compose himself, and to discreetly wipe off his viewer with his uniform sleeve.
Hunk seized the opportunity to ask a question. "Sorry, had some static feedback. Would someone fill me in on why Noggie's hawking a loogie on the console?"
Lance slapped his helmet with one hand.
"Well, Hunk, what John did was to show that he's determined to save his friend, even though poor Antonio is a naughty, ugly monster now. John will stop at nothing to try to save him because they're best friends." Allura explained, a tear running down her cheek.
"So he's going to try to save his friend? What a guy, er, mouse!" The Big Man then glanced at the PinkyBeast image on his scanner, and shook his head. "Antonio was cute. But that...that is one bad, buuhtt-ugly Ro-Mouse!"
They all watched the PinkyBeast, who looked most fearsome...until it tripped over a small cliff and landed on his face in the middle of a river, sending water washing over the banks, which flooded the surrounding landscape. The Monster got its bearings and rose to its feet, grinning sheepishly and tipping its head sideways to let the water run out of its enormous ears; as soon as the creature stepped out of its makeshift tub, the water receded to normal levels.
The Yellow Lion pilot chortled. "HA! Did you guys get a load of that? It's a klutz! Ya know, I think a souped up mecha-suit can take him out! What a goofball-"
A soft, choked gasp ended his critique. View screens and communicators now carried the image and sounds of the heartrending sobs of an extremely distraught Princess.
"Nice going, moron!" Lance fumed at Hunk, who grinned back at him sheepishly. "Hell's Bells, why do I always have to be the sensitive guy in this group? That `goofball' was her friend too, so say sorry before Princess floods her cockpit!"
"Sensitive? " Hunk scoffed. "That's way out of character for you! Keith's the serious, sensitive and noble leader, you're the sarcastic, volatile and overly flirtacious second banana, Pidge is the mascot child prodigy and I'm the brawny, thickheaded but mechanically brilliant, soft-hearted lummox. Princess is the spunky, beautiful, valiant and sometimes rebellious um...well, Princess, Coran is the angst-ridden shrewd elder statesman, Nanny is-"
The Red Lion pilot ruthlessly cut him off as Allura's sobs increased in volume. " Apologize, you yutz! If there's one thing I can't handle, it's crying women."
"Oh, there's some sensitivity for you." Hunk snapped. "I'm sorry the Princess had to hear that!"
The Brain slapped his forehead in despair. ~I'm dealing with the equivalent of two otaku teenagers at a fanservice convention. They have three seconds to straighten this out or-~
Time was up. The Brain cleared his throat, loudly and with great length. Hunk and Lance both fell silent while Allura continued to weep.
"Your Majesty, please dry your tears." The Braintron Captain said gently. "I swear on my Mother's burrow that I will bring Antonio back, safe and sound."
On the view screens they could see the Princess' blond head lift off her console, and her blue, shimmering gaze seeking out the scowling visage of her newest champion.
"I believe you, John." she answered softly, then hiccupped. "Oh dear. Excuse me."
"Hold your breath and count to ten." The Brain advised her automatically. "Now, your Highness, I have another Plan, but it will be much more perilous than the first. No matter what the cost I will carry it out, but the rest of you need not. All that I ask is that the Lion ships distract the Beast long enough for me to get close to him."
Allura released her breath before responding, and smiled when she realized the hiccups were gone. It was a good omen. "We're with you, John. We're in this together, to the end."
A chorus of determined squeaks mixed with Lance's and Hunk's fervent affirmatives settled the matter.
"Thank you," The Brain said humbly, then lurched violently from side to side as a giant sized Narf induced turbulence shook the Big Suit in midair. He gripped his command chair and spoke urgently, sensing the imminent danger.
"I'll make this fast. If what I suspect it accurate, Pi- I mean, Antonio, will be encapsulated in one of the Beast's buttocks."
"Why not in the head?" Lance asked.
"If the Witch spent even five minutes with Antonio, she'd know not to let him anywhere near the command center. He's the empowering life force and the personality, but someone else is acting as the brain. I need to cut through the crap and get him out."
The Red Lion pilot nodded curtly. "And we provide a diversion so you can go in through the back door." As Hunk snickered, Lance rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Don't go there."
"Where?" The Princess asked curiously.
Hunk glanced at the Princess. "Oh yeah. Okay."
Weary and impatient, The Brain simply shouted, "Going bye-bye! COVER ME!"
The three Voltron force members quickly snapped to attention, and as one, the three Lion ships dived at the rampaging menace. Veering off at the last possible moment, they then took turns making passes at the monster's torso and legs.
The PinkyBeast grinned with malevolent delight at the toy size arrivals. "ZZZOOOORRRRTTTT!" It rumbled, reaching for the three 'kitties'.
"Uh-oh." Hunk observed, barely avoiding the monster's swiping paws. "He wants to play!"
"So play already!" Lance retorted, anxiously watching as the Big Suit ship rocketed upwards. As he saw it shoot between the Beast's horns and disappear behind the gigantic head, completely unnoticed by the distracted creature, he broke out in a grin. The mouse had done it! So far, so good.
"Okay team, Brain's completed the first stage...now let's do our part and look after Tiny Toes." He said, steering Red Lion into another steep dive.
"Right!"
"You got it, Red Lion!"
The Brain's purple helmeted visage, which exuded determination and grit, blinked to life on Lance's viewer. "Captain John Brain and the Braintron Force, at your service, Lieutenant!"
Loud squeaks and chatters from Cheddar, Cheesy and their two children Sukey and Inky were heard in the background, which when translated, amounted to yelling, 'LET'S GO, BRAINTRON FORCE!'
"What the devil are you- this wasn't in the-" The Red Lion pilot sputtered.
The Brain smiled down at his tiny view screen. "Sorry, Lance, no time for clever banter. I know this wasn't in `The Plan', but since three of you can't form Voltron, the Space Mice and I are going to save Antonio."
"No way. That's a negatory, Brain!"
The Brain regarded Lance coolly. "I should think you'd welcome the assistance."
"Not for a suicide mission!" The Red Lion pilot barked. "If you think you can defeat a rampaging RoBeast with a tricked out Armani suit, you're loony tunes!"
"Of course! My entire family descends from Looney Tunes." The Brain informed him with dignity. "We may be unorthodox to you, but it's a beloved and distinguished lineage where I come from."
"Happy to hear it," Lance replied grimly, "but you're out of your league here. The reality is, there are no miraculous recoveries or resurrections here- when people here get smashed or blown up, they stay smashed or blown up!"
The Brain wanted to point out that Lance's friend Sven had come back from the dead, but given he was unsure if Sven was actually his doppelganger brother or himself again due to a plot twist, he decided it wasn't wise to get lost in the translation. Instead, he gave the pilot a ferocious `don't make me hurt you' glare.
Lance glared right back. "You could be maimed, mutilated and killed! That thing that was your friend has no friggin' idea who you are!"
As he saw genuine concern flickering in Lance's ice blue gaze, The Brain relented. "Okay, Lieutenant- I'll grant you the obvious. Yes, right now Antonio is a green-horned, dog-collared flunky for evil. I concede he's also a vile, bloodthirsty, rampaging atrocity who at present is oblivious to the sacredness of life, and an absolute insult to fashion and good taste- no, no- please, hear me out."
Lance closed his mouth, sat back, and folded his arms across his chest, waiting for the inevitable `but'.
"Trust me on this Lance, no one, but no one, knows better than I how high the odds are that I will fail in any mission I undertake." The mouse genius said, raw emotion underlining his words as he passionately shook one tiny paw, and his eyes burned red. "But it doesn't change the fact that it's my best -and frankly my only- friend in two galaxies that is trapped underneath that horror and that I will free him or die in the attempt!"
The Brain waited a brief but stirring moment to let this sink in.
"But what if you fail?" Lance asked. "I repeat, there are no second chances here."
"Then I will succeed!" The Brain replied. "Failure? I scorn thee! Failure? I mock thee! Failure, I expectorate in thy wretched visage!"
And with that, drawing up all his salvia, the newly commissioned Captain of Braintron forcefully spat.
High-pitched cheers from the Space Mice filled the airwaves. The Brain used the break to compose himself, and to discreetly wipe off his viewer with his uniform sleeve.
Hunk seized the opportunity to ask a question. "Sorry, had some static feedback. Would someone fill me in on why Noggie's hawking a loogie on the console?"
Lance slapped his helmet with one hand.
"Well, Hunk, what John did was to show that he's determined to save his friend, even though poor Antonio is a naughty, ugly monster now. John will stop at nothing to try to save him because they're best friends." Allura explained, a tear running down her cheek.
"So he's going to try to save his friend? What a guy, er, mouse!" The Big Man then glanced at the PinkyBeast image on his scanner, and shook his head. "Antonio was cute. But that...that is one bad, buuhtt-ugly Ro-Mouse!"
They all watched the PinkyBeast, who looked most fearsome...until it tripped over a small cliff and landed on his face in the middle of a river, sending water washing over the banks, which flooded the surrounding landscape. The Monster got its bearings and rose to its feet, grinning sheepishly and tipping its head sideways to let the water run out of its enormous ears; as soon as the creature stepped out of its makeshift tub, the water receded to normal levels.
The Yellow Lion pilot chortled. "HA! Did you guys get a load of that? It's a klutz! Ya know, I think a souped up mecha-suit can take him out! What a goofball-"
A soft, choked gasp ended his critique. View screens and communicators now carried the image and sounds of the heartrending sobs of an extremely distraught Princess.
"Nice going, moron!" Lance fumed at Hunk, who grinned back at him sheepishly. "Hell's Bells, why do I always have to be the sensitive guy in this group? That `goofball' was her friend too, so say sorry before Princess floods her cockpit!"
"Sensitive? " Hunk scoffed. "That's way out of character for you! Keith's the serious, sensitive and noble leader, you're the sarcastic, volatile and overly flirtacious second banana, Pidge is the mascot child prodigy and I'm the brawny, thickheaded but mechanically brilliant, soft-hearted lummox. Princess is the spunky, beautiful, valiant and sometimes rebellious um...well, Princess, Coran is the angst-ridden shrewd elder statesman, Nanny is-"
The Red Lion pilot ruthlessly cut him off as Allura's sobs increased in volume. " Apologize, you yutz! If there's one thing I can't handle, it's crying women."
"Oh, there's some sensitivity for you." Hunk snapped. "I'm sorry the Princess had to hear that!"
The Brain slapped his forehead in despair. ~I'm dealing with the equivalent of two otaku teenagers at a fanservice convention. They have three seconds to straighten this out or-~
Time was up. The Brain cleared his throat, loudly and with great length. Hunk and Lance both fell silent while Allura continued to weep.
"Your Majesty, please dry your tears." The Braintron Captain said gently. "I swear on my Mother's burrow that I will bring Antonio back, safe and sound."
On the view screens they could see the Princess' blond head lift off her console, and her blue, shimmering gaze seeking out the scowling visage of her newest champion.
"I believe you, John." she answered softly, then hiccupped. "Oh dear. Excuse me."
"Hold your breath and count to ten." The Brain advised her automatically. "Now, your Highness, I have another Plan, but it will be much more perilous than the first. No matter what the cost I will carry it out, but the rest of you need not. All that I ask is that the Lion ships distract the Beast long enough for me to get close to him."
Allura released her breath before responding, and smiled when she realized the hiccups were gone. It was a good omen. "We're with you, John. We're in this together, to the end."
A chorus of determined squeaks mixed with Lance's and Hunk's fervent affirmatives settled the matter.
"Thank you," The Brain said humbly, then lurched violently from side to side as a giant sized Narf induced turbulence shook the Big Suit in midair. He gripped his command chair and spoke urgently, sensing the imminent danger.
"I'll make this fast. If what I suspect it accurate, Pi- I mean, Antonio, will be encapsulated in one of the Beast's buttocks."
"Why not in the head?" Lance asked.
"If the Witch spent even five minutes with Antonio, she'd know not to let him anywhere near the command center. He's the empowering life force and the personality, but someone else is acting as the brain. I need to cut through the crap and get him out."
The Red Lion pilot nodded curtly. "And we provide a diversion so you can go in through the back door." As Hunk snickered, Lance rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Don't go there."
"Where?" The Princess asked curiously.
Hunk glanced at the Princess. "Oh yeah. Okay."
Weary and impatient, The Brain simply shouted, "Going bye-bye! COVER ME!"
The three Voltron force members quickly snapped to attention, and as one, the three Lion ships dived at the rampaging menace. Veering off at the last possible moment, they then took turns making passes at the monster's torso and legs.
The PinkyBeast grinned with malevolent delight at the toy size arrivals. "ZZZOOOORRRRTTTT!" It rumbled, reaching for the three 'kitties'.
"Uh-oh." Hunk observed, barely avoiding the monster's swiping paws. "He wants to play!"
"So play already!" Lance retorted, anxiously watching as the Big Suit ship rocketed upwards. As he saw it shoot between the Beast's horns and disappear behind the gigantic head, completely unnoticed by the distracted creature, he broke out in a grin. The mouse had done it! So far, so good.
"Okay team, Brain's completed the first stage...now let's do our part and look after Tiny Toes." He said, steering Red Lion into another steep dive.
"Right!"
"You got it, Red Lion!"
As the horned rodent lunged and grabbed at the dodging Lion ships, Lotor had left the Totally Demolished Glen and was on his way to the battle in a hovercraft purloined from an elderly Arusian who had been wise enough to make a present of his transport to his future ruler without hesitation.
As he sped along, the Prince muttered curses in five Denubian dialects as the rust covered craft alternately backfired and lurched forward, and then began to cough and choke on the cloud of foul smelling exhaust that belched out from vehicle's front engines, completely encompassing him. In desperation, he reached beneath the skirt of his tunic, and pulled out a huge rolled up hanky from inside the front of his leggings, shook it out and held it over his mouth and nose.
~Last time I go for an 'easy' steal!~ He seethed. ~This bucket of bolts makes the coffin ship seem like a pleasure cruise.~
Despite his aggravation, Lotor smiled behind the hanky when he reached the site of the skirmish. He was pleasantly surprised to see only three of the mighty Lion ships faced his latest challenge, and happy didn't even begin to describe his mood when he spotted the mighty Blue Lion among them.
A pity the arrogant Captain Keith was unable to attend our little party." Lotor chortled to himself. "Allura WILL be mine..." But his gloating was halted by another sight, which had him dropping his hanky and savagely gunning the transport's engines. "That is, if that big oaf doesn't crush her first! HALT BEAST!"
The craft shot forward, continued to lurch violently and belch black, rancid-smelling smoke as it picked up momentum, but allowed him to reach his destination with surprising speed, the Prince quickly located and fired the craft's elevation thrusters; the transport jerked upwards, listing from side to side, but somehow managing to lift him to eye level with his newest robotic menace.
It seemed that the PinkyBeast had managed to grab hold of both Blue and Yellow Lion. He now held the battered ships above his head as he 'flew' them around, making loud `Vrrrrrrooommm' noises, before lowering and gleefully bashing the two Lions together, head-on.
"ZORTTTTT, PPPOOOIIITTT!" It giggled, as inside the Lions, a dazed Princess and a stunned Hunk groaned miserably. Appalled at the sight of his precious Princess package not being handled with care, Lotor unclenched his teeth and bellowed at the grinning creature.
"No, no, NO, you IDIOT! Not the blue one! Allura's in there! You'll squash her, you imbecile!"
The Pinky Beast froze, all motion stilled in an instant, then let out a planitive roar, looking at his master, then at the damaged blue ship.
"NO! MINE!" Lotor screamed. "NOT YOURS!"
An immense lower lip began to quiver and tears welled up in giant red eyes. Huge white paws clenched around the lions as the PinkyBeast pouted, then began to whimper, obviously well on his way to working up a mega-sized tantrum. If the silly creature decided to pound his fists...
The Doomian Prince stomped his foot in exasperation, then took a deep, calming breath. Fortunately for the imperiled Princess and himself, he had seen fit to demand a crash course from Hagar on how best to handle this creature's strange moods before leaving the Totally Demolished Glen.
~Or should that be - unfortunately?~ He thought dolefully. The Witch's instructions had succeeded in shocking him- him, the merciless, cynical Royal Scourge of the Doomian Empire! His handsome face had turned a paler shade of blue as he listened to Hagar's directions, which was presumably why the Witch had to stop for so many 'cackle breaks' during the lecture. Good thing the crazy old hag had volunteered to stay behind to attend to the ships, the thought of her actually witnessing what he thought he would never have to do instead of imagining it was far worse than any punishment he could mete out.
Lotor determinedly squared his shoulders, and cleared his throat. Pasting a bright smile on his features, he addressed the PinkyBeast, trying to make his harsh voice as warm and friendly sounding as possible.
"Now, now, it's okay, wittle Tonyums, I know how much you wike the piddy boo one," He soothingly called to the gigantic mouse. "Don't cry, I know you meant well."
The Beast blinked at him, and its lip stopped quivering.
"But guess what? That lion is special, and we have to be careful. The piddy Pincess is in it, and we want the piddy Pincess all in one piece, don't we?"
The Beast sniffled, and nodded.
Lotor grinned, pleased at his success, which almost made up for the humilation of this dialogue. "That's a good boy! Say, I know, why don't you put her down, then go catch and play smash the icky Red one instead, there's a good Beastie! Pwincey Wotor wuvs you!"
"ZORT!" The PinkyBeast burped out happily, while setting the Blue Lion down. Lotor breathed a sigh of relief as the monster turned its attention to the skies in search of the Red ship; the Prince's yellow gaze then feasted on the sight of Blue Lion lying on its back, its four legs flailing aimlessly.
Red Lion, still free and hovering near the RoBeast, had picked up the conversation between evil Prince and Giant Mouse. At first he'd giggled, but when it had ended, Lance was feeling queasy. Thoughts of the Doomian Prince successfully baby talking anything was the stuff of nightmares.
He tried hailing his teammate in Blue Lion, who, to his relief, responded right away.
"I'm okay Lance, but I think my rear stabilizers have been compromised," The Princess told him urgently. "I'm on my back and I can't get up."
"Allura, you've got to move, that's right where Lotor wants you!" Lance yelled.
"I know, I KNOW! I'm working on it!" Allura exclaimed anxiously, turning dials and flipping switches frantically.~Nothing is responding...Father, where on Arus are you? You always show up to help me at a time like this!~But the Princess' screen remained spiritless, despite her mental plea. ~Oh sure, now he
decides to let me grow up!~
"I need help, Red Lion, I'm gettin' pulverized!" Hunk shouted, his raspy voice shaking as the Pinky Beast whirled his ship around by the tail, then repeatedly smashed it into the ground with an earsplitting but delighted, "Duh- huh- huh!"
"Right!" Lance responded, and launched his ship at Hunk's playful captor. "I'll be right back Princess; hang tight and don't talk to strangers!"
As Lance rocketed to Yellow Lion's aid, Lotor slowly descended to the level of the helpless Blue Lion, the hovercraft's turbines pinging, knocking, and occasionally backfiring as he did so. The craft eventually settled a few yards away from his target, with a jarring thud.
"I have you now, stubborn Princess!" He whispered aloud, his ochre eyes glinting with sinful purpose. ~And I'll have her later, too!~ He added silently, with a waggle of both eyebrows and blue fingers holding an imaginary cigar.
Chuckling to himself, Lotor shut off the ancient craft's engine, jumped to the ground and quickly strode toward Blue Lion's cockpit.
As he sped along, the Prince muttered curses in five Denubian dialects as the rust covered craft alternately backfired and lurched forward, and then began to cough and choke on the cloud of foul smelling exhaust that belched out from vehicle's front engines, completely encompassing him. In desperation, he reached beneath the skirt of his tunic, and pulled out a huge rolled up hanky from inside the front of his leggings, shook it out and held it over his mouth and nose.
~Last time I go for an 'easy' steal!~ He seethed. ~This bucket of bolts makes the coffin ship seem like a pleasure cruise.~
Despite his aggravation, Lotor smiled behind the hanky when he reached the site of the skirmish. He was pleasantly surprised to see only three of the mighty Lion ships faced his latest challenge, and happy didn't even begin to describe his mood when he spotted the mighty Blue Lion among them.
A pity the arrogant Captain Keith was unable to attend our little party." Lotor chortled to himself. "Allura WILL be mine..." But his gloating was halted by another sight, which had him dropping his hanky and savagely gunning the transport's engines. "That is, if that big oaf doesn't crush her first! HALT BEAST!"
The craft shot forward, continued to lurch violently and belch black, rancid-smelling smoke as it picked up momentum, but allowed him to reach his destination with surprising speed, the Prince quickly located and fired the craft's elevation thrusters; the transport jerked upwards, listing from side to side, but somehow managing to lift him to eye level with his newest robotic menace.
It seemed that the PinkyBeast had managed to grab hold of both Blue and Yellow Lion. He now held the battered ships above his head as he 'flew' them around, making loud `Vrrrrrrooommm' noises, before lowering and gleefully bashing the two Lions together, head-on.
"ZORTTTTT, PPPOOOIIITTT!" It giggled, as inside the Lions, a dazed Princess and a stunned Hunk groaned miserably. Appalled at the sight of his precious Princess package not being handled with care, Lotor unclenched his teeth and bellowed at the grinning creature.
"No, no, NO, you IDIOT! Not the blue one! Allura's in there! You'll squash her, you imbecile!"
The Pinky Beast froze, all motion stilled in an instant, then let out a planitive roar, looking at his master, then at the damaged blue ship.
"NO! MINE!" Lotor screamed. "NOT YOURS!"
An immense lower lip began to quiver and tears welled up in giant red eyes. Huge white paws clenched around the lions as the PinkyBeast pouted, then began to whimper, obviously well on his way to working up a mega-sized tantrum. If the silly creature decided to pound his fists...
The Doomian Prince stomped his foot in exasperation, then took a deep, calming breath. Fortunately for the imperiled Princess and himself, he had seen fit to demand a crash course from Hagar on how best to handle this creature's strange moods before leaving the Totally Demolished Glen.
~Or should that be - unfortunately?~ He thought dolefully. The Witch's instructions had succeeded in shocking him- him, the merciless, cynical Royal Scourge of the Doomian Empire! His handsome face had turned a paler shade of blue as he listened to Hagar's directions, which was presumably why the Witch had to stop for so many 'cackle breaks' during the lecture. Good thing the crazy old hag had volunteered to stay behind to attend to the ships, the thought of her actually witnessing what he thought he would never have to do instead of imagining it was far worse than any punishment he could mete out.
Lotor determinedly squared his shoulders, and cleared his throat. Pasting a bright smile on his features, he addressed the PinkyBeast, trying to make his harsh voice as warm and friendly sounding as possible.
"Now, now, it's okay, wittle Tonyums, I know how much you wike the piddy boo one," He soothingly called to the gigantic mouse. "Don't cry, I know you meant well."
The Beast blinked at him, and its lip stopped quivering.
"But guess what? That lion is special, and we have to be careful. The piddy Pincess is in it, and we want the piddy Pincess all in one piece, don't we?"
The Beast sniffled, and nodded.
Lotor grinned, pleased at his success, which almost made up for the humilation of this dialogue. "That's a good boy! Say, I know, why don't you put her down, then go catch and play smash the icky Red one instead, there's a good Beastie! Pwincey Wotor wuvs you!"
"ZORT!" The PinkyBeast burped out happily, while setting the Blue Lion down. Lotor breathed a sigh of relief as the monster turned its attention to the skies in search of the Red ship; the Prince's yellow gaze then feasted on the sight of Blue Lion lying on its back, its four legs flailing aimlessly.
Red Lion, still free and hovering near the RoBeast, had picked up the conversation between evil Prince and Giant Mouse. At first he'd giggled, but when it had ended, Lance was feeling queasy. Thoughts of the Doomian Prince successfully baby talking anything was the stuff of nightmares.
He tried hailing his teammate in Blue Lion, who, to his relief, responded right away.
"I'm okay Lance, but I think my rear stabilizers have been compromised," The Princess told him urgently. "I'm on my back and I can't get up."
"Allura, you've got to move, that's right where Lotor wants you!" Lance yelled.
"I know, I KNOW! I'm working on it!" Allura exclaimed anxiously, turning dials and flipping switches frantically.~Nothing is responding...Father, where on Arus are you? You always show up to help me at a time like this!~But the Princess' screen remained spiritless, despite her mental plea. ~Oh sure, now he
decides to let me grow up!~
"I need help, Red Lion, I'm gettin' pulverized!" Hunk shouted, his raspy voice shaking as the Pinky Beast whirled his ship around by the tail, then repeatedly smashed it into the ground with an earsplitting but delighted, "Duh- huh- huh!"
"Right!" Lance responded, and launched his ship at Hunk's playful captor. "I'll be right back Princess; hang tight and don't talk to strangers!"
As Lance rocketed to Yellow Lion's aid, Lotor slowly descended to the level of the helpless Blue Lion, the hovercraft's turbines pinging, knocking, and occasionally backfiring as he did so. The craft eventually settled a few yards away from his target, with a jarring thud.
"I have you now, stubborn Princess!" He whispered aloud, his ochre eyes glinting with sinful purpose. ~And I'll have her later, too!~ He added silently, with a waggle of both eyebrows and blue fingers holding an imaginary cigar.
Chuckling to himself, Lotor shut off the ancient craft's engine, jumped to the ground and quickly strode toward Blue Lion's cockpit.
Away from the front, the improved Big Suit had reached the targeted area, lowering itself to hover in a spot near the seat of the monster.
"Cheddar, my Ultra-Sensors indicate a warm blooded life form centered in the left buttock." The Brain informed his second in command. "We shall focus our attack there."
An affirmative squeak came over the comm.
"All right, let's see what this body can do!" The Brain muttered, studying the weapons panel, which was covered with several multicolored switches. "Curses, I forgot to tell them to label the stuff! Oh well, let's see what this one is." He flipped a red switch.
Immediately a door in the lower abdomen of the Big Suit slid open and a huge, white gloved hand holding a mallet sprang forth on an extending mechanism.
"A hand holding a mallet? That's high tech? Well, it's just not what we need. Maybe this one," the misshapen mouse mumbled, retracting the hand with the mallet with a flick of a paw, and then flipping another bright yellow switch. With a loud 'Sproing!' another extended hand holding a black ball with a fuse on top popped out of the Big Suit's intestinal cavity, bearing a familiar logo that caught the eye of the Captain.
"What is THIS? ACME? Odds Bodkins! If I had wanted Acme weapons, I could've stayed-" The Brain broke off his tirade as he spied the computer keypad next to the colored switches, labeled 'Anime Weaponry'. "Oh, here they are. Heh. My mistake. This looks promising." He pushed the key labeled 'Mega-Cranial Ram'.
There was a loud crack, followed by he sounds of shrill, panicked squeaking. The Big Suit reeled backwards as its mouse heads at the ends of its arms and legs launched themselves toward the RoBeast's backside.
"Oops." The Brain said, as he watched the heads violently bounce off the mouse's steely gluts and head back to the Suit ship, leaving little Brain face shaped dents behind them. "Guess I should have given them time to fasten their stabilizer bars."
He fidgeted as the heads reattached to the Big Suit, waiting for the outburst he knew was coming. Sure enough, as the heads reattached to their limbs, an irate looking Cheddar appeared on the viewer, straightening his helmet and uniform. Upon seeing his Skipper's contrite features, he squeaked loudly and gutturally, most likely uttering language not fit for the ears of man or mouse.
"I'm so very, very sorry." he told Cheddar in remorseful tones, when the tiny pilot finally took a breath. "I should have warned you. Entirely my bad."
The Space Mouse folded his paws across his chest and glared. Three other equally irate looking mice blipped up in split screens all around him and glared too.
"Here, why don't you four decide the next attack?" The Brain offered nervously. Mutiny was not a pleasant thing for a Captain to go through."`Ricocheting Rodent Missiles'?"
The glares intensified.
"Okay, no. The Winds of Limburger Blaster then?"
The glares turned to looks of absolute horror. Cheddar pantomimed keeling over with x's for eyes as the others vehemently shook their heads.
A self destruct weapon of last resort, the Brain thought, getting the message. "All right, how about `Blazing Grater'? I'm certain that one doesn't involve certain doom or us disassembling."
Cheddar conferred with his crewmates, then flashed a peace sign.
"Excellent! 'Blazing Grater' it is!" The Braintron Captain confirmed heartily, relieved that his team was still with him. Once they strapped in, he reached over and pressed the pad.
It was time to cut the cheese.
"Cheddar, my Ultra-Sensors indicate a warm blooded life form centered in the left buttock." The Brain informed his second in command. "We shall focus our attack there."
An affirmative squeak came over the comm.
"All right, let's see what this body can do!" The Brain muttered, studying the weapons panel, which was covered with several multicolored switches. "Curses, I forgot to tell them to label the stuff! Oh well, let's see what this one is." He flipped a red switch.
Immediately a door in the lower abdomen of the Big Suit slid open and a huge, white gloved hand holding a mallet sprang forth on an extending mechanism.
"A hand holding a mallet? That's high tech? Well, it's just not what we need. Maybe this one," the misshapen mouse mumbled, retracting the hand with the mallet with a flick of a paw, and then flipping another bright yellow switch. With a loud 'Sproing!' another extended hand holding a black ball with a fuse on top popped out of the Big Suit's intestinal cavity, bearing a familiar logo that caught the eye of the Captain.
"What is THIS? ACME? Odds Bodkins! If I had wanted Acme weapons, I could've stayed-" The Brain broke off his tirade as he spied the computer keypad next to the colored switches, labeled 'Anime Weaponry'. "Oh, here they are. Heh. My mistake. This looks promising." He pushed the key labeled 'Mega-Cranial Ram'.
There was a loud crack, followed by he sounds of shrill, panicked squeaking. The Big Suit reeled backwards as its mouse heads at the ends of its arms and legs launched themselves toward the RoBeast's backside.
"Oops." The Brain said, as he watched the heads violently bounce off the mouse's steely gluts and head back to the Suit ship, leaving little Brain face shaped dents behind them. "Guess I should have given them time to fasten their stabilizer bars."
He fidgeted as the heads reattached to the Big Suit, waiting for the outburst he knew was coming. Sure enough, as the heads reattached to their limbs, an irate looking Cheddar appeared on the viewer, straightening his helmet and uniform. Upon seeing his Skipper's contrite features, he squeaked loudly and gutturally, most likely uttering language not fit for the ears of man or mouse.
"I'm so very, very sorry." he told Cheddar in remorseful tones, when the tiny pilot finally took a breath. "I should have warned you. Entirely my bad."
The Space Mouse folded his paws across his chest and glared. Three other equally irate looking mice blipped up in split screens all around him and glared too.
"Here, why don't you four decide the next attack?" The Brain offered nervously. Mutiny was not a pleasant thing for a Captain to go through."`Ricocheting Rodent Missiles'?"
The glares intensified.
"Okay, no. The Winds of Limburger Blaster then?"
The glares turned to looks of absolute horror. Cheddar pantomimed keeling over with x's for eyes as the others vehemently shook their heads.
A self destruct weapon of last resort, the Brain thought, getting the message. "All right, how about `Blazing Grater'? I'm certain that one doesn't involve certain doom or us disassembling."
Cheddar conferred with his crewmates, then flashed a peace sign.
"Excellent! 'Blazing Grater' it is!" The Braintron Captain confirmed heartily, relieved that his team was still with him. Once they strapped in, he reached over and pressed the pad.
It was time to cut the cheese.
Prince Lotor finally reached the door to Blue Lion's cockpit and leaned against the ship's steely hull for a moment, catching his breath. He couldn't believe it- only a puny wall separated them now. Soon that too would be gone, and Allura would be where she belonged in life, in his powerful arms and eternal service to Doom!
Grinning at that delicious thought, he turned and pressed a pointed ear to the panel and listened intently, the grin fading to a worried frown. There were no sounds coming from inside. Was she knocked out? Injured?
He knocked twice on the hatch.
"Who's there?" A sweet feminine voice answered promptly.
Lotor smiled. "Your love!"
"Your love who?"
The Prince's smile turned downward and he drew himself up to his full height. "It is I, Prince Lotor, future King, Merciless Warrior, Conqueror of Worlds, Holder of-"
The disembodied voice cut in, coldly. "I know who you are. Get lost."
Lotor gritted his teeth, but forced a calm tone. "Now Allura, we really don't have time for lover's games. Please open the hatch."
"No."
"Open it."
"No!"
"Resistance is futile! Open it!"
"Go away!"
Lotor breathed heavily, his temper barely in check. He drew his laser sword and held it aloft, its pulsing and crackling energy filling the air. "If you don't open this hatch RIGHT NOW, I'll hack and I'll chop, and I'll cut my way in!"
"I won't ever give in, I swear by my late Father's kin!"
"How you vex me, Woman!" The Prince wheezed, his face a darker shade of purple. "Remember this ten minutes from now when I am dragging you out of there by that golden mop of yours... remember that I asked first." His voice dropped to a threatening growl. "I will always ask first. Things will be much more pleasant for you if I do not have to force any issue between us."
Inside the Blue Lion cockpit, Allura paled at the ominous words. It would take the Prince a while to cut through the door, but would that be enough time for help to arrive? Where was Keith anyway?
She flipped her SOS switch on the console as she stared at the hatch, her only route of escape, yet the only barrier between her and Lotor. It was already sparking from the forceful blows of a viciously wielded laser sword.
Grinning at that delicious thought, he turned and pressed a pointed ear to the panel and listened intently, the grin fading to a worried frown. There were no sounds coming from inside. Was she knocked out? Injured?
He knocked twice on the hatch.
"Who's there?" A sweet feminine voice answered promptly.
Lotor smiled. "Your love!"
"Your love who?"
The Prince's smile turned downward and he drew himself up to his full height. "It is I, Prince Lotor, future King, Merciless Warrior, Conqueror of Worlds, Holder of-"
The disembodied voice cut in, coldly. "I know who you are. Get lost."
Lotor gritted his teeth, but forced a calm tone. "Now Allura, we really don't have time for lover's games. Please open the hatch."
"No."
"Open it."
"No!"
"Resistance is futile! Open it!"
"Go away!"
Lotor breathed heavily, his temper barely in check. He drew his laser sword and held it aloft, its pulsing and crackling energy filling the air. "If you don't open this hatch RIGHT NOW, I'll hack and I'll chop, and I'll cut my way in!"
"I won't ever give in, I swear by my late Father's kin!"
"How you vex me, Woman!" The Prince wheezed, his face a darker shade of purple. "Remember this ten minutes from now when I am dragging you out of there by that golden mop of yours... remember that I asked first." His voice dropped to a threatening growl. "I will always ask first. Things will be much more pleasant for you if I do not have to force any issue between us."
Inside the Blue Lion cockpit, Allura paled at the ominous words. It would take the Prince a while to cut through the door, but would that be enough time for help to arrive? Where was Keith anyway?
She flipped her SOS switch on the console as she stared at the hatch, her only route of escape, yet the only barrier between her and Lotor. It was already sparking from the forceful blows of a viciously wielded laser sword.
"FORM... BLAZING... GRATER!" The Captain of Braintron shouted. The Big Suit ship's two mouse head hands slammed together with a mighty clank, and when they parted, Cheddar's mouse ship held the end handles of a three dimensional rectangular object that was covered with long, sharp-edged holes on all sides.
"This will get us in!" The Brain exclaimed. "But we have to get closer. Is that okay with everyone?"
A series of affirmative squeaks sounded in his ears, and the mouse genius guided the suit until his likenesses were virtually pressed up against the left side of the PinkyBeast's bottom.
"I suppose this would be the time to make a humorous quip about gluteus kissing or some such nonsense," The Brain told his crew. "But puns are like flatulance; some are real stinkers. You may proceed, Lieutenant Cheddar, whenever you and Cheesy are ready."
The arms of the Big Suit moved inward and both mouse heads grasped the ends of the blazing grater in their mouths, sawing it vigorously back and forth against the RoBeast's tush in an attempt to breach away the top layers of sheet metal.
"Hopefully we'll have broken through before the security breach is detected." The Brain muttered to himself, while avidly measuring their progress.
"This will get us in!" The Brain exclaimed. "But we have to get closer. Is that okay with everyone?"
A series of affirmative squeaks sounded in his ears, and the mouse genius guided the suit until his likenesses were virtually pressed up against the left side of the PinkyBeast's bottom.
"I suppose this would be the time to make a humorous quip about gluteus kissing or some such nonsense," The Brain told his crew. "But puns are like flatulance; some are real stinkers. You may proceed, Lieutenant Cheddar, whenever you and Cheesy are ready."
The arms of the Big Suit moved inward and both mouse heads grasped the ends of the blazing grater in their mouths, sawing it vigorously back and forth against the RoBeast's tush in an attempt to breach away the top layers of sheet metal.
"Hopefully we'll have broken through before the security breach is detected." The Brain muttered to himself, while avidly measuring their progress.
In another location, another pair of eyes were measuring progress too, severe anxiety glimmering in their lovely depths. Allura knew it wouldn't be long and Lotor would have her in his clutches. There was no escape- unless, of course, she threatened to blow her brains out with the blaster. That threat had worked with the creep before, and if it didn't, she was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice.
She checked the blaster...it had power enough for one shot. All she needed. She cocked the trigger, raised it to her temple.
"Princess, I know you're in trouble, but this thing's got me pinned down," Lance's strained voice filled the cockpit. "You'll have to -aaaaah!"
There was a burst of static and the connection was severed.
"Lance! Come in! Lance!" Allura cried. She jumped to her feet in agitation, and the blaster fell to the cockpit floor and discharged right where the Prince was attempting to gain entrance.
For a moment the wild hope that her unwanted suitor had somehow been incapacitated rose within her, but then Lotor's booming voice filled the cockpit through the hole she'd just shot in the hatch.
"Nice try my dear, but you missed!"
"Don't come any closer! I'm armed!"
"With what? That was your last blast, or there would have been more!"
What could she say? He'd called her bluff.
"My new pet has your Lions by the necks. If you surrender now, Allura, quite possibly they will be allowed to live!"
Allura clasped her trembling hands. A feeling of doom swept over her.
"Forget that pesky Captain- he's shown you his true color. He should be flying yellow!"
Allura grit her teeth and her hands clenched into fists. Hearing the insult to both Keith and Hunk, who was proud to wear yellow, and whose actions completely disproved the color's negative stereotype, was like getting a shot of adrenaline. "How dare you!" She shouted. "Take it back!"
"Sorry, I have a strict no return policy." Lotor smirked. "And you know I dare anything when it comes to you, Princess!"
"As do I!"
A familiar, amplified voice echoed into the Blue Lion cabin, sounding as hard as steel.
"Black Lion!" The Princess cried happily. "Thank Arus!"
"Lotor, you creep!" The Captain yelled, as Black Lion roared. "Surrender at once!"
"I think NOT!" The Prince hissed, continuing to whack at the hatch with his sword. "You have a right to fight, but shoot me now, Beastie Boy, and you blast the Princess too!"
Black Lion hovered, its pilot realizing his quandry.
"You know that I want Allura to live," Lotor continued conversationally, "So if I were you...I'd be more worried about the lives of your two friends!"
"Keith, the RoBeast has captured Lance and Hunk! They'll be killed if you try to rescue me!" Allura exclaimed.
Keith groaned. "I should have gone and freed them first."
"Oh Keith, why didn't you?"
On the Blue Lion's monitor, Allura watched as The Captain closed his eyes, then opened them to regard her with dark intensity."I'm sorry, Princess, but when you're in danger, you're all I can think about. And when you're not in danger, that still holds true."
Her own eyes glowing, the Princess breathed into her communicator, "It does? But...why?"
~Really? He's really going to do this now?~ Lotor, hacking away at the stubborn panel, gave an extra loud grunt as he listened to the tender exchange. ~I can't believe she's fallen for that guy. By all that is evil, if he follows up with something like 'because you're pretty swell' or 'I choose you, Pikachu'...~ The Prince's blows abruptly increased in intensity.
"Well, you know I think you're a top flight gal, and..." Keith began, stopped at the look on the Princess' face, then took a different tack. "Allura, look, I've been doing a lot of thinking, and there's something I need to tell you, something I should have said a long time ago."
Inside the Blue Lion, the Princess' heart leapt with excitement. "What? What is it?"
But at that moment, the hatch gave way, and Lotor stumbled into the cockpit.
"PRINCESS!" Keith yelled.
"I'll be all right. Go save Lance and Hunk-" Allura managed to gasp before a hard forearm was placed in front of her mouth.
"Yes, do fly away, Keithie!" Lotor said with a sneer. "Loserville needs a pilot!"
She checked the blaster...it had power enough for one shot. All she needed. She cocked the trigger, raised it to her temple.
"Princess, I know you're in trouble, but this thing's got me pinned down," Lance's strained voice filled the cockpit. "You'll have to -aaaaah!"
There was a burst of static and the connection was severed.
"Lance! Come in! Lance!" Allura cried. She jumped to her feet in agitation, and the blaster fell to the cockpit floor and discharged right where the Prince was attempting to gain entrance.
For a moment the wild hope that her unwanted suitor had somehow been incapacitated rose within her, but then Lotor's booming voice filled the cockpit through the hole she'd just shot in the hatch.
"Nice try my dear, but you missed!"
"Don't come any closer! I'm armed!"
"With what? That was your last blast, or there would have been more!"
What could she say? He'd called her bluff.
"My new pet has your Lions by the necks. If you surrender now, Allura, quite possibly they will be allowed to live!"
Allura clasped her trembling hands. A feeling of doom swept over her.
"Forget that pesky Captain- he's shown you his true color. He should be flying yellow!"
Allura grit her teeth and her hands clenched into fists. Hearing the insult to both Keith and Hunk, who was proud to wear yellow, and whose actions completely disproved the color's negative stereotype, was like getting a shot of adrenaline. "How dare you!" She shouted. "Take it back!"
"Sorry, I have a strict no return policy." Lotor smirked. "And you know I dare anything when it comes to you, Princess!"
"As do I!"
A familiar, amplified voice echoed into the Blue Lion cabin, sounding as hard as steel.
"Black Lion!" The Princess cried happily. "Thank Arus!"
"Lotor, you creep!" The Captain yelled, as Black Lion roared. "Surrender at once!"
"I think NOT!" The Prince hissed, continuing to whack at the hatch with his sword. "You have a right to fight, but shoot me now, Beastie Boy, and you blast the Princess too!"
Black Lion hovered, its pilot realizing his quandry.
"You know that I want Allura to live," Lotor continued conversationally, "So if I were you...I'd be more worried about the lives of your two friends!"
"Keith, the RoBeast has captured Lance and Hunk! They'll be killed if you try to rescue me!" Allura exclaimed.
Keith groaned. "I should have gone and freed them first."
"Oh Keith, why didn't you?"
On the Blue Lion's monitor, Allura watched as The Captain closed his eyes, then opened them to regard her with dark intensity."I'm sorry, Princess, but when you're in danger, you're all I can think about. And when you're not in danger, that still holds true."
Her own eyes glowing, the Princess breathed into her communicator, "It does? But...why?"
~Really? He's really going to do this now?~ Lotor, hacking away at the stubborn panel, gave an extra loud grunt as he listened to the tender exchange. ~I can't believe she's fallen for that guy. By all that is evil, if he follows up with something like 'because you're pretty swell' or 'I choose you, Pikachu'...~ The Prince's blows abruptly increased in intensity.
"Well, you know I think you're a top flight gal, and..." Keith began, stopped at the look on the Princess' face, then took a different tack. "Allura, look, I've been doing a lot of thinking, and there's something I need to tell you, something I should have said a long time ago."
Inside the Blue Lion, the Princess' heart leapt with excitement. "What? What is it?"
But at that moment, the hatch gave way, and Lotor stumbled into the cockpit.
"PRINCESS!" Keith yelled.
"I'll be all right. Go save Lance and Hunk-" Allura managed to gasp before a hard forearm was placed in front of her mouth.
"Yes, do fly away, Keithie!" Lotor said with a sneer. "Loserville needs a pilot!"
The Brain studied the tiny hole they had made, only big enough for a gnat to climb through. "It's working, but not fast enough! Every minute we take to scrape, we risk detection!" The tiny Captain pounded a fist on the arm of his chair. "If only we had a laser or something, we'd get through in no time! Why don't we have one? After all, I'm on the good guys' side now, right? And the good guys always win, right? So why the Sam Hill isn't anything going-"
Keith's frantic tones issuing from the comm cut off the rant. "John, do you read? Lotor has Allura and Lance and Hunk are in trouble! I'm going to help them, and someone has to help the Princess escape! John! Do you copy?"
The Brain lowered his head. This was it, then. No more goofy laughs. No more pratfalls. No more late night 'are you pondering what I'm ponderings' or 'what are we doing tomorrow nights'.
No more joy.
No more Pinky.
The least he could do was save his best friend's beloved Princess.
"We copy that, Black Lion!" The Brain straightened his slumped shoulders, and addressed his crew. "You heard the man- we go to the Princess." But what could they do to help her? Would they get there in time? "Let's do our best. And if any of you have connections to a higher power, use 'em. We sure could use a miracle-"
The Brain broke off as a raucous `yeeeee-haw!' blasted out of the comm. What the-?
In disbelief, he and the rest of the Braintron Force watched on their scanners as a thin laser beam came out of the sky, harmlessly shooting past the Big Suit and cutting a neat square-shaped doorway in the RoBeast's buttock.
"It's a miracle!" The Brain shouted.
A buoyant voice hailed them. "You are correct, Mr. Brain. As it happens, it's my middle name!"
Keith's frantic tones issuing from the comm cut off the rant. "John, do you read? Lotor has Allura and Lance and Hunk are in trouble! I'm going to help them, and someone has to help the Princess escape! John! Do you copy?"
The Brain lowered his head. This was it, then. No more goofy laughs. No more pratfalls. No more late night 'are you pondering what I'm ponderings' or 'what are we doing tomorrow nights'.
No more joy.
No more Pinky.
The least he could do was save his best friend's beloved Princess.
"We copy that, Black Lion!" The Brain straightened his slumped shoulders, and addressed his crew. "You heard the man- we go to the Princess." But what could they do to help her? Would they get there in time? "Let's do our best. And if any of you have connections to a higher power, use 'em. We sure could use a miracle-"
The Brain broke off as a raucous `yeeeee-haw!' blasted out of the comm. What the-?
In disbelief, he and the rest of the Braintron Force watched on their scanners as a thin laser beam came out of the sky, harmlessly shooting past the Big Suit and cutting a neat square-shaped doorway in the RoBeast's buttock.
"It's a miracle!" The Brain shouted.
A buoyant voice hailed them. "You are correct, Mr. Brain. As it happens, it's my middle name!"
Authors Say: Double useless trivia bonus points for knowing the movie references in this chapter.
The Brain gaped at the grinning face of the pilot that had just blinked up on his viewer. "Pidge? But I thought your arm was-"
"Pressure cast plus an apology and I'm back on the team." Pidge explained cheerfully. "You're in the clear, Mr. Brain! Go get Antonio so we can blow up this menace and go home!"
"I copy, Green Lion!" The Brain brought the Big Suit near the hole, opened his hatch door and turned to address his first mate. "Cheddar! You're in command of the ship until I return!"
With that, he jumped from the Big Suit into the bowels of the Robeast.
As his vision adjusted to the dim interior, The Brain saw he was standing in a large compartment that looked like a cargo area. Save for two giant cylinders, it appeared to be empty, but appearances could be deceiving. He continued to scan every nook and cranny above and below him for a flash of white in the gloom, but saw nothing.
Hoping that his voice and movements would be too small to activate any security mechanisms, The Brain resorted to a shout. "PINKY! WHERE ARE YOU?"
His shout bounced around the hollow innards of the monster. There was no reaction or response.
The Brain felt a cold stab of fear pierce his heart. Had he been wrong? Had Pinky's physical being actually been altered to become the mechanical monstrosity that was wrecking havoc, rather than merely preserved and entombed as its life force? Lazon, though effective on creatures from Doom, should have had only a temporary growth effect on 'Control Group Pinky', a mouse who had proven to be impervious and immune to all manner of experimental treatments at Acme Labs...
Hope rose again as a familiar rattling noise reached his sensitive ears. With renewed hope and resolve,The Brain charged forward and discovered a concealed opening that on closer inspection appeared to be an entrance to a tube. He peered into it; sounds and light could be seen at the end of the passage. He dropped to all fours and scuttled down the small tunnel.
The rattling noises grew steadily louder as he approached the light, and in just a few seconds, he found himself at the entrance to a circular room filled with wires, glowing computer panels and, in the middle, an oversized exercise wheel whose rapid spins were the obvious source of the noise.
The Brain climbed out of the tunnel, and stood up. He craned his neck, focusing on the pale blur that was frantically propelling the giant wheel. "Anton-er, Pinky!"
"Hi...Brain! Can't...chat... Lotorsaid... nobreaks...hurtme..." Pinky's breathless, jiggling voice replied.
"We're here to save you!"
"Oh good!" Pinky gasped out. "Princess safe?"
The Brain grimaced. "Yes and no. She flew in Blue Lion, but the monster you're currently residing in has knocked her down, and Lotor has her cornered at the moment."
"NO! What... shall... we do?"
"To begin with, you could stop running." His genius friend suggested.
"Can't do that Brain. I'm the spark... wires... electrodes...doohickeys...everything is me."
The Brain gaped at the human sized mouse shaped blur. "And the problem with not being that would be...?"
"Big problem!" Pinky huffed and puffed. "I stop...Robeast go boom! Zort!"
The Brain sighed. If it were anyone but Pinky, he'd have suspected a brainwashing. "Pinky, we want the RoBeast to 'go boom', and we want Lotor's scheme to fail like ours always do! If it doesn't, the bad guys take over! We must maintain the balance! All bad or all good means no conflict! And without conflict, everything would be the same, nothing new would happen, so what motivation would people have for watching the show?"
"Robeast go boom, we go squish." Pinky said stubbornly. "Only me...don't care. But friend Brain...no squish."
The Brain suddenly felt a stinging sensation in his eyes. Dust kicked up from the wheel, most likely. He cleared his throat. "My friend, your concern is appreciated but misguided. Let me remind you that I would not be here without an escape plan. I have prepared a way out, and the Big Suit is there, waiting to take us away before the beast drops. "
There were a few seconds of nothing but the whirring of the wheel.
"Egads!" Pinky exclaimed. "That's brilliant, Brain!"
"Indeed." The mousy genius smiled. "Now Pinky, you must slowly reduce speed, and gather your energy. Once you've stopped, we will have to make a run for it."
The Brain quickly moved forward and began to pull off the wires and leads that harnessed Pinky from his evil giant twin. The wheel slowed, as its occupant obeyed the directive.
An eerily calm voice echoed into the compartment as wires were yanked and connections severed. A familiar visage appeared, hovering next to the wheel.
"Good afternoon, Pinky."
"Mr. Rogers!" Pinky gasped. "Is that you?"
"It's not him!" The Brain hissed. "It's a magical projection taken from your memory banks and built in by Witch Hagar!"
"You must not leave, Pinky."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Rogers, but-"
"Please keep running. King Friday will reward you."
"Don't listen to him!" The Brain commanded fiercely, as Pinky started to increase his pace. "Mr. Rogers would never tell you to do something that was bad!"
"We are neighbors, Pinky. You want to be special. There is no one else like you."
Pinky grit his teeth. "Yes, I want to be special..."
"You are! You're the only one who can end this! And you're my best friend, Pinky!" The Brain pleaded.
Pinky's eyes filled with tears. "Your forever friend?"
"Yes, Pinky. You are my forever friend." The Brain said with humility. "I can't imagine life without you, and I like having you around."
"Then I am special!" Pinky shouted, and began to slow the wheel.
"Pinky, what are you doing? Don't do that Pinky..." The soothing voice objected, then started to sing. "It's such a good feeling to know you're alive..."
"When I disengage this last wire, we go for the tunnel! The escape hole we cut is just beyond!" The Brain said urgently.
"Righto!" Pinky responded, then let out a howl as The Brain ripped away the last of the wires. He collapsed onto his back, and blinked up at his rescuer. "So weak...I may have overdone it a bit on the exercise, Brain..."
"Don't worry, I'll get us both out of here!" His friend declared. "If you can crawl into the tunnel behind me, I can carry you. Can you do that for me?"
"I can." Pinky stated, while wiping his eyes.
The disembodied voice had grown slurred and slow. "It's a beautiful day...in the neighborhood, a neighborly day...in this beauty wood, would you... be mine? Could you... beeeeeeeeeewaaaaarrrr..."
The mechanical speech stilled as The Brain dropped to all fours and leapt into the tunnel and held out a paw. "Courage, Pinky! The Princess is in danger and we must save her!"
With a tremendous effort, Pinky flipped himself over and crept to the tunnel where he reached for his friend's outstretched paw. The Brain gave a silent prayer of thanks for adrenaline that allowed him to pull Pinky into the enclosure.
As he did so, the creature began to list forward and backwards.
"What's happening, Brain?" Pinky asked plaintively.
"It seems I won't have to carry you!" The Brain shouted, as they began to move.
Sure enough, as the PinkyBeast swayed backwards, the tunnel floor went on incline, becoming a slide to freedom. The Brain wrapped his paws around his friend, and the two mice coasted rapidly to the opposite end of the tunnel, landing with a thud in the outer hull.
The Brain stood up and grabbed Pinky. Grunting and straining, he carried the much larger mouse to the opening and hailed his on- looking crew before heaving Pinky upwards and dumping him through the hatch of the Big Suit as soon as it drew near, then jumped for it himself, almost missing the small fishing net that had extended from the mouth of the Big Suit as the RoBeast lurched violently to the side and threw him off balance. For a moment he thought he was a goner, but fate and Acme ingenuity was with him, as the net scooped him up like a flapping fish and brought him in.
Leaving the exhausted Pinky lying on the floor of the cockpit, the Braintron Captain picked himself up, lunged for his chair and opened a channel to his crew. "I've got him, team!" He bellowed into the com, as he flipped the yellow switch. "And now it's time to finish the job!"
The hand with the bomb extended once more. This time, however, The Brain waited for the secondary lighter hand to extend, light the fuse, and then toss the bomb into the hole Green Lion had cut in the RoBeast.
Success! Both appendages shook hands and then speedily retracted.
There was a huge roar as Hagar's creation and the Braintron team waited breathlessly to see if their explosive would be expelled by its thrashing and dancing. They breathed sighs of relief, when, in true Pinky fashion, the staggering monster did them a favor by clapping a hand over the hole in its backside, which kept the bomb from rolling out.
"Bomb's away!" The Brain cried. "Warn the team to clear out!"
"Copy that, John!" Keith's voice quickly answered. "Pidge filled me in, Lance and Hunk are free, the Beast let them go. Fly to our position, we need to make sure the beast falls backwards."
"Affirmative, Black Lion. Braintron out!"
The Big Suit shot upwards, flying behind Green Lion, skimming across the tips of the PinkyBeast's horns, then down to where Black, Red and Yellow Lions held formation near the monstrosity's pelvis.
"All right, team, The Princess and Lotor are still in Blue Lion. We must keep this beast from falling on her." Keith stated grimly. "On my mark, we will launch ourselves at it and knock it backwards while John and his crew fly down and confront Lotor."
After a chorus of 'all rights', the Big Suit sheared off from formation, and four lions pounced on the monster just as it tipped backwards. It fell on it's backside, hitting the ground just as the bomb went off.
The men of the Voltron Force watched as the creature's eyes bugged out and its head imploded, sending the two green horns flying in opposite directions and the collar spinning into the air and out of sight. Another tremendous blast finished the job, and billows of orange and red smoke billowed into the atmosphere, along with the little bits and pieces that were left of the RoBeast.
"He got the lazon tanks!" Pidge cheered. "Good work, Mr. Brain. Good work indeed!"
"Pressure cast plus an apology and I'm back on the team." Pidge explained cheerfully. "You're in the clear, Mr. Brain! Go get Antonio so we can blow up this menace and go home!"
"I copy, Green Lion!" The Brain brought the Big Suit near the hole, opened his hatch door and turned to address his first mate. "Cheddar! You're in command of the ship until I return!"
With that, he jumped from the Big Suit into the bowels of the Robeast.
As his vision adjusted to the dim interior, The Brain saw he was standing in a large compartment that looked like a cargo area. Save for two giant cylinders, it appeared to be empty, but appearances could be deceiving. He continued to scan every nook and cranny above and below him for a flash of white in the gloom, but saw nothing.
Hoping that his voice and movements would be too small to activate any security mechanisms, The Brain resorted to a shout. "PINKY! WHERE ARE YOU?"
His shout bounced around the hollow innards of the monster. There was no reaction or response.
The Brain felt a cold stab of fear pierce his heart. Had he been wrong? Had Pinky's physical being actually been altered to become the mechanical monstrosity that was wrecking havoc, rather than merely preserved and entombed as its life force? Lazon, though effective on creatures from Doom, should have had only a temporary growth effect on 'Control Group Pinky', a mouse who had proven to be impervious and immune to all manner of experimental treatments at Acme Labs...
Hope rose again as a familiar rattling noise reached his sensitive ears. With renewed hope and resolve,The Brain charged forward and discovered a concealed opening that on closer inspection appeared to be an entrance to a tube. He peered into it; sounds and light could be seen at the end of the passage. He dropped to all fours and scuttled down the small tunnel.
The rattling noises grew steadily louder as he approached the light, and in just a few seconds, he found himself at the entrance to a circular room filled with wires, glowing computer panels and, in the middle, an oversized exercise wheel whose rapid spins were the obvious source of the noise.
The Brain climbed out of the tunnel, and stood up. He craned his neck, focusing on the pale blur that was frantically propelling the giant wheel. "Anton-er, Pinky!"
"Hi...Brain! Can't...chat... Lotorsaid... nobreaks...hurtme..." Pinky's breathless, jiggling voice replied.
"We're here to save you!"
"Oh good!" Pinky gasped out. "Princess safe?"
The Brain grimaced. "Yes and no. She flew in Blue Lion, but the monster you're currently residing in has knocked her down, and Lotor has her cornered at the moment."
"NO! What... shall... we do?"
"To begin with, you could stop running." His genius friend suggested.
"Can't do that Brain. I'm the spark... wires... electrodes...doohickeys...everything is me."
The Brain gaped at the human sized mouse shaped blur. "And the problem with not being that would be...?"
"Big problem!" Pinky huffed and puffed. "I stop...Robeast go boom! Zort!"
The Brain sighed. If it were anyone but Pinky, he'd have suspected a brainwashing. "Pinky, we want the RoBeast to 'go boom', and we want Lotor's scheme to fail like ours always do! If it doesn't, the bad guys take over! We must maintain the balance! All bad or all good means no conflict! And without conflict, everything would be the same, nothing new would happen, so what motivation would people have for watching the show?"
"Robeast go boom, we go squish." Pinky said stubbornly. "Only me...don't care. But friend Brain...no squish."
The Brain suddenly felt a stinging sensation in his eyes. Dust kicked up from the wheel, most likely. He cleared his throat. "My friend, your concern is appreciated but misguided. Let me remind you that I would not be here without an escape plan. I have prepared a way out, and the Big Suit is there, waiting to take us away before the beast drops. "
There were a few seconds of nothing but the whirring of the wheel.
"Egads!" Pinky exclaimed. "That's brilliant, Brain!"
"Indeed." The mousy genius smiled. "Now Pinky, you must slowly reduce speed, and gather your energy. Once you've stopped, we will have to make a run for it."
The Brain quickly moved forward and began to pull off the wires and leads that harnessed Pinky from his evil giant twin. The wheel slowed, as its occupant obeyed the directive.
An eerily calm voice echoed into the compartment as wires were yanked and connections severed. A familiar visage appeared, hovering next to the wheel.
"Good afternoon, Pinky."
"Mr. Rogers!" Pinky gasped. "Is that you?"
"It's not him!" The Brain hissed. "It's a magical projection taken from your memory banks and built in by Witch Hagar!"
"You must not leave, Pinky."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Rogers, but-"
"Please keep running. King Friday will reward you."
"Don't listen to him!" The Brain commanded fiercely, as Pinky started to increase his pace. "Mr. Rogers would never tell you to do something that was bad!"
"We are neighbors, Pinky. You want to be special. There is no one else like you."
Pinky grit his teeth. "Yes, I want to be special..."
"You are! You're the only one who can end this! And you're my best friend, Pinky!" The Brain pleaded.
Pinky's eyes filled with tears. "Your forever friend?"
"Yes, Pinky. You are my forever friend." The Brain said with humility. "I can't imagine life without you, and I like having you around."
"Then I am special!" Pinky shouted, and began to slow the wheel.
"Pinky, what are you doing? Don't do that Pinky..." The soothing voice objected, then started to sing. "It's such a good feeling to know you're alive..."
"When I disengage this last wire, we go for the tunnel! The escape hole we cut is just beyond!" The Brain said urgently.
"Righto!" Pinky responded, then let out a howl as The Brain ripped away the last of the wires. He collapsed onto his back, and blinked up at his rescuer. "So weak...I may have overdone it a bit on the exercise, Brain..."
"Don't worry, I'll get us both out of here!" His friend declared. "If you can crawl into the tunnel behind me, I can carry you. Can you do that for me?"
"I can." Pinky stated, while wiping his eyes.
The disembodied voice had grown slurred and slow. "It's a beautiful day...in the neighborhood, a neighborly day...in this beauty wood, would you... be mine? Could you... beeeeeeeeeewaaaaarrrr..."
The mechanical speech stilled as The Brain dropped to all fours and leapt into the tunnel and held out a paw. "Courage, Pinky! The Princess is in danger and we must save her!"
With a tremendous effort, Pinky flipped himself over and crept to the tunnel where he reached for his friend's outstretched paw. The Brain gave a silent prayer of thanks for adrenaline that allowed him to pull Pinky into the enclosure.
As he did so, the creature began to list forward and backwards.
"What's happening, Brain?" Pinky asked plaintively.
"It seems I won't have to carry you!" The Brain shouted, as they began to move.
Sure enough, as the PinkyBeast swayed backwards, the tunnel floor went on incline, becoming a slide to freedom. The Brain wrapped his paws around his friend, and the two mice coasted rapidly to the opposite end of the tunnel, landing with a thud in the outer hull.
The Brain stood up and grabbed Pinky. Grunting and straining, he carried the much larger mouse to the opening and hailed his on- looking crew before heaving Pinky upwards and dumping him through the hatch of the Big Suit as soon as it drew near, then jumped for it himself, almost missing the small fishing net that had extended from the mouth of the Big Suit as the RoBeast lurched violently to the side and threw him off balance. For a moment he thought he was a goner, but fate and Acme ingenuity was with him, as the net scooped him up like a flapping fish and brought him in.
Leaving the exhausted Pinky lying on the floor of the cockpit, the Braintron Captain picked himself up, lunged for his chair and opened a channel to his crew. "I've got him, team!" He bellowed into the com, as he flipped the yellow switch. "And now it's time to finish the job!"
The hand with the bomb extended once more. This time, however, The Brain waited for the secondary lighter hand to extend, light the fuse, and then toss the bomb into the hole Green Lion had cut in the RoBeast.
Success! Both appendages shook hands and then speedily retracted.
There was a huge roar as Hagar's creation and the Braintron team waited breathlessly to see if their explosive would be expelled by its thrashing and dancing. They breathed sighs of relief, when, in true Pinky fashion, the staggering monster did them a favor by clapping a hand over the hole in its backside, which kept the bomb from rolling out.
"Bomb's away!" The Brain cried. "Warn the team to clear out!"
"Copy that, John!" Keith's voice quickly answered. "Pidge filled me in, Lance and Hunk are free, the Beast let them go. Fly to our position, we need to make sure the beast falls backwards."
"Affirmative, Black Lion. Braintron out!"
The Big Suit shot upwards, flying behind Green Lion, skimming across the tips of the PinkyBeast's horns, then down to where Black, Red and Yellow Lions held formation near the monstrosity's pelvis.
"All right, team, The Princess and Lotor are still in Blue Lion. We must keep this beast from falling on her." Keith stated grimly. "On my mark, we will launch ourselves at it and knock it backwards while John and his crew fly down and confront Lotor."
After a chorus of 'all rights', the Big Suit sheared off from formation, and four lions pounced on the monster just as it tipped backwards. It fell on it's backside, hitting the ground just as the bomb went off.
The men of the Voltron Force watched as the creature's eyes bugged out and its head imploded, sending the two green horns flying in opposite directions and the collar spinning into the air and out of sight. Another tremendous blast finished the job, and billows of orange and red smoke billowed into the atmosphere, along with the little bits and pieces that were left of the RoBeast.
"He got the lazon tanks!" Pidge cheered. "Good work, Mr. Brain. Good work indeed!"
"Your do-gooder friends can have their battle as long I still have what I came for," Lotor sneered, tightening his grip on the struggling Princess before dragging her out of her lion and jerking her in front of him.
"You stink!" She spat.
Lotor glowered at her. "Such a crude insult, and unworthy of an educated royal."
Allura's nose was wrinkled as she tried to lean further away. "It's not an insult, it's the truth! You smell like rancid grease!"
Silently cursing the oil burning hovercraft, Lotor grit his teeth and raised his sword to a place just under her up-thrust chin. "We'll be sure to shower later. Right now, we're moving toward that transport over there. That's a good girl."
The Princess continued to struggle, but the Prince of Doom easily towed her along. As they approached the craft, a human-size suit with the head, hands and feet of a scowling mouse heads lowered itself to bar their way.
Lotor's ochre eyes widened, then crinkled. "Heh. What an absurd looking contraption!"
The Brain's voice was calm. "It's over, Lotor. Surrender now or be exterminated."
The Prince guffawed. "A noble but futile aspiration for a ridiculous-looking piece of space junk!"
Inside his cockpit, the Captain of the Braintron Force regarded him coolly. "Can't say much for your mode of transport either. And for your information, this piece of space junk just succeeded in rescuing Antonio and blowing up your hideous monster."
The Princess cried out for joy. "Antonio! Antonio is safe?"
In the back of the cockpit Pinky sat up and glanced questioningly at The Brain, who nodded his assent for Pinky to come forward and answer her himself. "Dear Princess, I'm safe, thanks to Brain and the Voltron Force. You put yourself in harm's way to save me, an insignificant and unworthy mouse. You are truly good and good will always prevail over evil!"
Pinky delivered his speech without so much as a 'poit', a 'narf' or even a 'zort'. The Brain's pondered that as his companion wiped away a tear.
"You are significant and worthy!" Allura responded. Eyes full of happy tears, she beamed. "You're my friend...I love you, and I'm so thankful you're okay. We are going to win this battle, and when we do, I am going to give you a big kiss on the cheek!"
Pinky's coloring now matched his name. "Thank you, Princess. I love you too."
The Brain rubbed his tiny chin, contemplating the reason Pinky's irritating verbal tics had gone. He'd often heard that love could work miracles; he just hadn't believed it until now...
Lotor laughed scornfully. "So you love this lowly creature, my Princess? How very touching, but I think I have a quite a lot more to offer."
With those words, he pressed his body up against her, and since the Prince was a very tall man, Allura felt every inch of him against her back. She tried to arch away from it, but the sword at her neck held her in place, so she merely stood stiffly upright, her face turned away in shame.
"Move that piece of trash or she will taste my sword," the Doomian snarled. "Oh, and inform the overgrown tin kitties that they had better stay away if they want the Princess to stay intact."
The Braintron Captain quickly opened a secure channel to warn the others.
"We heard him, John." Keith cut in, as his head and shoulders blipped up on the viewer. His eyes were as hard and as dark as obsidian and his jaw was clenched. "We'll stay put-for now."
Pinky was hopping mad. "Ooh, I hate Lotor! Why can't he find an evil Princess to court?"
Cheddar, Cheesy, Sukey and Inky concurred, chattering their outrage over the comm.
"Indeed," The Brain replied, his scowl deepening. "He's an absolute cad. Part of him admires Allura's genuine goodness, but unfortunately, bad people find it easier to corrupt and take advantage of nice people instead of doing the work of becoming good themselves."
"Such a pity." Pinky's voice cracked. "As long as I live, I will never forget those hours I spent with her, licking envelopes, doing the Time Warp, and making silly willy faces to cheer her up-" He stopped abruptly, his blue eyes widening in amazement. "Brain! That's it!"
The Brain blinked. "What, Pinky?"
"I'm going to tell her how she can get away!"
"But-"
It was too late for protests. Pinky had shoved his Skipper aside and taken charge of the comm. "Oh, Princess! One last thing..."
"You're moving now?" Lotor yelled back, tightening his hold on his captive.
"Yes, but first, may I say goodbye to the Princess?" Pinky asked, trying to sound as pitiful as possible.
"As you are the reason I have her, I guess I grant you something for that." The Prince smiled evilly. "You have thirty seconds."
Pinky ignored his taunting. "Princess Allura, I just want you to know I really enjoyed all the laughs we had together."
"Me too," Allura responded uncertainly.
"I especially liked making you teaching you about Stooges." Pinky continued. "It was worth the owies to hear you laugh, and say Moe, Moe, Moe! Do you remember?"
"YES! That's it!" The Princess was grinning and nodding. "I mean, I remember how you did that, and I haven't laughed that much in-"
"Time's up!" A scowling Lotor interrupted. "Antonio would be a great fool, but too bad, he's staying and you're going. Move it, Princess!"
"What's your hurry, my Prince?" Allura said sweetly."There's no need to worry. You have me."
"Yes, and I'd like to keep it that way."
"You said that things will go better if I accept your attentions. Since we're going to be lovers, I thought perhaps you might do me the courtesy of giving me a preview of what I can expect from you."
"Wha-" Lotor gulped as the Princess of Arus pressed her sweetly curved backside against his thighs. "W-What do you want me to do?"
"How about a kiss? It'll be easier if you turn me around," She responded, her hand lifting to caress the forearm wrapped around her waist as her bottom wiggled.
"I see." The yellow eyes narrowed. "And why would you want to do this now? I thought you had a yen for the goody-goody Captain."
His captive turned her head to the side and pouted prettily."Yes, I have a weakness for good looking men. " She shrugged. "And I'm a realist. If I'm going to be your Queen, I may as well make the best of it."
Lotor considered her words, glanced up at the hovering Black Lion and smiled toothily. "Yes, my Princess, I believe I will grant your request. An intimate kiss from you will show Keith you are mine- and that you will serve only me!"
The sword disappeared from beneath her chin, and Allura turned, her gaze focusing on the Prince's broad chest; he stood with lowered arms, though his sword was still at the ready.
Her gaze moved up his massive bulk and focused on the sharp angle of his chin, dropped to his chest and then lowered and became fixated on a certain spot. As she gawked, she started to smile...and then stifled a giggle.
"Is something amusing, Allura?" Lotor asked, clearly disgruntled.
"Er, no." She answered, as a snicker escaped.
A rough hand under her chin jerked her gaze up to his. "Tell me!"
"All right. You happen to have a large blot in a very personal area." The Princess informed him.
The haughty Prince's eyes widened. He released her chin and quickly glanced down. "Where? I don't see-"
"RIGHT HERE!" The Princess yelled, bringing up her hand so that the side of it slid under the perfect nose and painfully shoved it upwards.
Lotor dropped his sword and grabbed his nose as unexpected pain exploded below it. Allura stepped back, made a 'v' for victory with the fingers of her right hand and with a 'poinking' gesture, jabbed the two digits into his yellow orbs.
"GAAHH!" The Prince's helmet fell off as he doubled over, screaming with blind rage. The screams were promptly cut off by a feminine arm encircling his neck and squeezing as his scalp and hair were harshly rubbed and pulled by... knuckles?
"No! Not the hair!" He croaked.
"Yes, you should worry, you're a little thin up there." Allura informed him. "We had better protect what's left of it!"
The encircling arm flung him aside and Lotor stumbled. Opening his mistreated eyes, he tried to focus on the pink blur that was coming at him. Then everything was blotted out as his helmet was rammed down on his head and over his eyes.
"Stop!" He could hear his prize running away, and struggled to remove the headpiece, but it was stuck fast.
"If you didn't have such a big head, that wouldn't be a problem!" Allura yelled from a distance over a familiar rumble. As he finally wrenched the helmet and huge patches of hair off his head along with it, his clearing vision spotted the Princess resting safely on the paw of Black Lion as it lifted off the ground.
Inside the Big Suit, The Brain was looking at his colleague in wonder. "Pinky, what in the world-how did- why the heck would you teach her that?"
Pinky shrugged and grinned. "She likes slapstick. And you know, I thought it might help her someday when she had to fight. She's a jolly fast learner!"
His Captain blinked at him in disbelief.
"The Three Stoogies were classic comedy, you know. " Pinky informed him, looking wistful. "If only they had been real instead of live action."
"Only you would tell a Princess how to defend herself with a Three Stooges manuever." The Brain said with a small smile. "But surprisingly, that showed some impressive foresight and maturity. Well done."
"Why thank you, Brain." Pinky beamed.
"But Pinky?"
"Yes, Brain?"
"A mouse with maturity and foresight doesn't sit and spin doughnuts in my captain's chair."
"Righto. So sorry Brain."
"You stink!" She spat.
Lotor glowered at her. "Such a crude insult, and unworthy of an educated royal."
Allura's nose was wrinkled as she tried to lean further away. "It's not an insult, it's the truth! You smell like rancid grease!"
Silently cursing the oil burning hovercraft, Lotor grit his teeth and raised his sword to a place just under her up-thrust chin. "We'll be sure to shower later. Right now, we're moving toward that transport over there. That's a good girl."
The Princess continued to struggle, but the Prince of Doom easily towed her along. As they approached the craft, a human-size suit with the head, hands and feet of a scowling mouse heads lowered itself to bar their way.
Lotor's ochre eyes widened, then crinkled. "Heh. What an absurd looking contraption!"
The Brain's voice was calm. "It's over, Lotor. Surrender now or be exterminated."
The Prince guffawed. "A noble but futile aspiration for a ridiculous-looking piece of space junk!"
Inside his cockpit, the Captain of the Braintron Force regarded him coolly. "Can't say much for your mode of transport either. And for your information, this piece of space junk just succeeded in rescuing Antonio and blowing up your hideous monster."
The Princess cried out for joy. "Antonio! Antonio is safe?"
In the back of the cockpit Pinky sat up and glanced questioningly at The Brain, who nodded his assent for Pinky to come forward and answer her himself. "Dear Princess, I'm safe, thanks to Brain and the Voltron Force. You put yourself in harm's way to save me, an insignificant and unworthy mouse. You are truly good and good will always prevail over evil!"
Pinky delivered his speech without so much as a 'poit', a 'narf' or even a 'zort'. The Brain's pondered that as his companion wiped away a tear.
"You are significant and worthy!" Allura responded. Eyes full of happy tears, she beamed. "You're my friend...I love you, and I'm so thankful you're okay. We are going to win this battle, and when we do, I am going to give you a big kiss on the cheek!"
Pinky's coloring now matched his name. "Thank you, Princess. I love you too."
The Brain rubbed his tiny chin, contemplating the reason Pinky's irritating verbal tics had gone. He'd often heard that love could work miracles; he just hadn't believed it until now...
Lotor laughed scornfully. "So you love this lowly creature, my Princess? How very touching, but I think I have a quite a lot more to offer."
With those words, he pressed his body up against her, and since the Prince was a very tall man, Allura felt every inch of him against her back. She tried to arch away from it, but the sword at her neck held her in place, so she merely stood stiffly upright, her face turned away in shame.
"Move that piece of trash or she will taste my sword," the Doomian snarled. "Oh, and inform the overgrown tin kitties that they had better stay away if they want the Princess to stay intact."
The Braintron Captain quickly opened a secure channel to warn the others.
"We heard him, John." Keith cut in, as his head and shoulders blipped up on the viewer. His eyes were as hard and as dark as obsidian and his jaw was clenched. "We'll stay put-for now."
Pinky was hopping mad. "Ooh, I hate Lotor! Why can't he find an evil Princess to court?"
Cheddar, Cheesy, Sukey and Inky concurred, chattering their outrage over the comm.
"Indeed," The Brain replied, his scowl deepening. "He's an absolute cad. Part of him admires Allura's genuine goodness, but unfortunately, bad people find it easier to corrupt and take advantage of nice people instead of doing the work of becoming good themselves."
"Such a pity." Pinky's voice cracked. "As long as I live, I will never forget those hours I spent with her, licking envelopes, doing the Time Warp, and making silly willy faces to cheer her up-" He stopped abruptly, his blue eyes widening in amazement. "Brain! That's it!"
The Brain blinked. "What, Pinky?"
"I'm going to tell her how she can get away!"
"But-"
It was too late for protests. Pinky had shoved his Skipper aside and taken charge of the comm. "Oh, Princess! One last thing..."
"You're moving now?" Lotor yelled back, tightening his hold on his captive.
"Yes, but first, may I say goodbye to the Princess?" Pinky asked, trying to sound as pitiful as possible.
"As you are the reason I have her, I guess I grant you something for that." The Prince smiled evilly. "You have thirty seconds."
Pinky ignored his taunting. "Princess Allura, I just want you to know I really enjoyed all the laughs we had together."
"Me too," Allura responded uncertainly.
"I especially liked making you teaching you about Stooges." Pinky continued. "It was worth the owies to hear you laugh, and say Moe, Moe, Moe! Do you remember?"
"YES! That's it!" The Princess was grinning and nodding. "I mean, I remember how you did that, and I haven't laughed that much in-"
"Time's up!" A scowling Lotor interrupted. "Antonio would be a great fool, but too bad, he's staying and you're going. Move it, Princess!"
"What's your hurry, my Prince?" Allura said sweetly."There's no need to worry. You have me."
"Yes, and I'd like to keep it that way."
"You said that things will go better if I accept your attentions. Since we're going to be lovers, I thought perhaps you might do me the courtesy of giving me a preview of what I can expect from you."
"Wha-" Lotor gulped as the Princess of Arus pressed her sweetly curved backside against his thighs. "W-What do you want me to do?"
"How about a kiss? It'll be easier if you turn me around," She responded, her hand lifting to caress the forearm wrapped around her waist as her bottom wiggled.
"I see." The yellow eyes narrowed. "And why would you want to do this now? I thought you had a yen for the goody-goody Captain."
His captive turned her head to the side and pouted prettily."Yes, I have a weakness for good looking men. " She shrugged. "And I'm a realist. If I'm going to be your Queen, I may as well make the best of it."
Lotor considered her words, glanced up at the hovering Black Lion and smiled toothily. "Yes, my Princess, I believe I will grant your request. An intimate kiss from you will show Keith you are mine- and that you will serve only me!"
The sword disappeared from beneath her chin, and Allura turned, her gaze focusing on the Prince's broad chest; he stood with lowered arms, though his sword was still at the ready.
Her gaze moved up his massive bulk and focused on the sharp angle of his chin, dropped to his chest and then lowered and became fixated on a certain spot. As she gawked, she started to smile...and then stifled a giggle.
"Is something amusing, Allura?" Lotor asked, clearly disgruntled.
"Er, no." She answered, as a snicker escaped.
A rough hand under her chin jerked her gaze up to his. "Tell me!"
"All right. You happen to have a large blot in a very personal area." The Princess informed him.
The haughty Prince's eyes widened. He released her chin and quickly glanced down. "Where? I don't see-"
"RIGHT HERE!" The Princess yelled, bringing up her hand so that the side of it slid under the perfect nose and painfully shoved it upwards.
Lotor dropped his sword and grabbed his nose as unexpected pain exploded below it. Allura stepped back, made a 'v' for victory with the fingers of her right hand and with a 'poinking' gesture, jabbed the two digits into his yellow orbs.
"GAAHH!" The Prince's helmet fell off as he doubled over, screaming with blind rage. The screams were promptly cut off by a feminine arm encircling his neck and squeezing as his scalp and hair were harshly rubbed and pulled by... knuckles?
"No! Not the hair!" He croaked.
"Yes, you should worry, you're a little thin up there." Allura informed him. "We had better protect what's left of it!"
The encircling arm flung him aside and Lotor stumbled. Opening his mistreated eyes, he tried to focus on the pink blur that was coming at him. Then everything was blotted out as his helmet was rammed down on his head and over his eyes.
"Stop!" He could hear his prize running away, and struggled to remove the headpiece, but it was stuck fast.
"If you didn't have such a big head, that wouldn't be a problem!" Allura yelled from a distance over a familiar rumble. As he finally wrenched the helmet and huge patches of hair off his head along with it, his clearing vision spotted the Princess resting safely on the paw of Black Lion as it lifted off the ground.
Inside the Big Suit, The Brain was looking at his colleague in wonder. "Pinky, what in the world-how did- why the heck would you teach her that?"
Pinky shrugged and grinned. "She likes slapstick. And you know, I thought it might help her someday when she had to fight. She's a jolly fast learner!"
His Captain blinked at him in disbelief.
"The Three Stoogies were classic comedy, you know. " Pinky informed him, looking wistful. "If only they had been real instead of live action."
"Only you would tell a Princess how to defend herself with a Three Stooges manuever." The Brain said with a small smile. "But surprisingly, that showed some impressive foresight and maturity. Well done."
"Why thank you, Brain." Pinky beamed.
"But Pinky?"
"Yes, Brain?"
"A mouse with maturity and foresight doesn't sit and spin doughnuts in my captain's chair."
"Righto. So sorry Brain."
"Are you all right, Princess?" Keith's amplified voice asked from Black Lion.
"Yes, but Blue Lion isn't!" Allura yelled back. "We really can't form Voltron now!"
"Don't worry, Princess, the Braintron Force can handle this!" Pidge said, as the rest of the Lions circled Black Lion.
"Pidge, I can't believe you're here!" The Princess called. "How did you manage to get to your lion?"
"He did the right thing and made amends with his creators." Keith told her. "It's-"
"A long story, that I'll save for back at the castle." Pidge said, sending a speaking look at Keith over the viewcom.
"Er, right. Go check on John and his crew, while I get busy with Allura-"
Keith stopped.
Lance smirked.
Pidge and Hunk tittered.
"I meant, I'll get her into Black Lion stat, then we'll join you guys!"
"Whatever you say, Chief."
"No need to explain, we know what you were thinking."
"Catch ya later, Romeo!"
Before Keith could form a scathing response, the three Lions took off.
"Yes, but Blue Lion isn't!" Allura yelled back. "We really can't form Voltron now!"
"Don't worry, Princess, the Braintron Force can handle this!" Pidge said, as the rest of the Lions circled Black Lion.
"Pidge, I can't believe you're here!" The Princess called. "How did you manage to get to your lion?"
"He did the right thing and made amends with his creators." Keith told her. "It's-"
"A long story, that I'll save for back at the castle." Pidge said, sending a speaking look at Keith over the viewcom.
"Er, right. Go check on John and his crew, while I get busy with Allura-"
Keith stopped.
Lance smirked.
Pidge and Hunk tittered.
"I meant, I'll get her into Black Lion stat, then we'll join you guys!"
"Whatever you say, Chief."
"No need to explain, we know what you were thinking."
"Catch ya later, Romeo!"
Before Keith could form a scathing response, the three Lions took off.
"Let's get him!" The Brain cried to his crew, as Lotor bolted around them and headed for his transport.
The hovercraft took off, lurching and belching.
The Big Suit followed, running easily over the rough terrain, until it could launch itself into the sky, setting a direct course for the surprisingly speedy hovercraft.
After a few minutes of pursuit without gaining ground, The Brain told Pinky, "I fear we have depleted the infracells. Tell Cheddar we need more power."
Pinky dutifully relayed the message to an on screen Cheddar, who quickly tapped the command into his console. The Suit gave a lurch of speed, then slowed once again. Cheddar started squeaking, frantically waving his paws.
"He says this is the fastest we can go, unless we want the power crystal to be drained and all our weapons rendered useless." Pinky informed the Captain.
"I don't care! Tell him to make us go faster!" The Brain thundered, slamming a fist down on the arm of his command chair. A sorrowful squeaking filled the cockpit in response.
"He says, 'Captain, the crystal will not survive a higher speed! He can nae change the laws o' physics!'" Pinky translated.
The Brain scowled at Pinky. "Do something! Get down there and help him!"
Pinky scowled back. "Sorry Brain, I'm a lab mouse, not an engineer."
Down below the Big Suit, Lotor smiled as the Big Suit dropped further behind him, and he spotted the outlines of fallen trees from the Totally Demolished Glen.
He gunned the craft to top speed and shot toward them.
The hovercraft took off, lurching and belching.
The Big Suit followed, running easily over the rough terrain, until it could launch itself into the sky, setting a direct course for the surprisingly speedy hovercraft.
After a few minutes of pursuit without gaining ground, The Brain told Pinky, "I fear we have depleted the infracells. Tell Cheddar we need more power."
Pinky dutifully relayed the message to an on screen Cheddar, who quickly tapped the command into his console. The Suit gave a lurch of speed, then slowed once again. Cheddar started squeaking, frantically waving his paws.
"He says this is the fastest we can go, unless we want the power crystal to be drained and all our weapons rendered useless." Pinky informed the Captain.
"I don't care! Tell him to make us go faster!" The Brain thundered, slamming a fist down on the arm of his command chair. A sorrowful squeaking filled the cockpit in response.
"He says, 'Captain, the crystal will not survive a higher speed! He can nae change the laws o' physics!'" Pinky translated.
The Brain scowled at Pinky. "Do something! Get down there and help him!"
Pinky scowled back. "Sorry Brain, I'm a lab mouse, not an engineer."
Down below the Big Suit, Lotor smiled as the Big Suit dropped further behind him, and he spotted the outlines of fallen trees from the Totally Demolished Glen.
He gunned the craft to top speed and shot toward them.
Hagar rose and stretched, as she spotted the black cloud shooting along the ground in her direction. She had watched the entire disaster unfold in her traveling crystal ball, cackling madly all the while, especially at the antics of the Princess.
The girlie had a hidden mean streak, maybe there was hope for her. If she could get the child to embrace the Dark Arts...
The old witch chuckled and filed the notion away for a future endeavor.
For now, it was time to prepare for the journey home. She thanked the evil stars that Zarkon would have no idea that anything had transpired-timing the disapparation of the ships to the deployment of a spell of distraction meant no one would look for them until they'd gotten home again.
Using her staff for support, Hagar clambered into her coffin ship. She muttered a few preliminary magical phrases for apparation, and waited for the inept Prince to arrive.
"Lotor is getting away! Probably has a ship in the Totally Demolished Glen!" The Brain shouted.
"Hunk, Pidge and I are right behind you," Lance's voice assured the mice. "Coming over at twelve 'o clock high. We'll stop him."
"We copy, Lieutenant. And thanks!"
The lion ships roared past Lotor and landed in front of him, forcing the Prince to bring his transport to a screeching halt.
"Out of my way, infidels!" The Doomian shouted, drawing his sword. "My witch is behind you, and if you do not let me leave, you will be sorry."
The malevolent cackle echoing into the clearing proved it was no idle threat.
"That witch again! Why is she always so good at helping him get away?" Hunk fumed.
"She's had lots of practice," Pidge reminded him.
"Heh. Yeah, I guess she has."
"Let's take her out. We leave Lotor to you, Braintron," Lance ordered.
"Right!"
"You're on!"
"Your command is our wish." The Brain acknowledged.
But as Hagar saw the Lion ships turning her way, she did something completely unexpected- before the lions could make a move, she jumped into her ship, slammed the lid and took off.
The team watched the ship disappear into the wild blue yonder.
"How do ya like that? " Hunk said. "She abandoned Lotor!"
"Why do I get the feeling it wasn't her idea to come here?" A grinning Lance responded. "Looks like she's letting Lotor take his lumps on this one."
"That's why we're going to let her go, team." Keith said, as Black Lion joined the group. "We'll back up Braintron. Antonio deserves to hand out some retribution."
The girlie had a hidden mean streak, maybe there was hope for her. If she could get the child to embrace the Dark Arts...
The old witch chuckled and filed the notion away for a future endeavor.
For now, it was time to prepare for the journey home. She thanked the evil stars that Zarkon would have no idea that anything had transpired-timing the disapparation of the ships to the deployment of a spell of distraction meant no one would look for them until they'd gotten home again.
Using her staff for support, Hagar clambered into her coffin ship. She muttered a few preliminary magical phrases for apparation, and waited for the inept Prince to arrive.
"Lotor is getting away! Probably has a ship in the Totally Demolished Glen!" The Brain shouted.
"Hunk, Pidge and I are right behind you," Lance's voice assured the mice. "Coming over at twelve 'o clock high. We'll stop him."
"We copy, Lieutenant. And thanks!"
The lion ships roared past Lotor and landed in front of him, forcing the Prince to bring his transport to a screeching halt.
"Out of my way, infidels!" The Doomian shouted, drawing his sword. "My witch is behind you, and if you do not let me leave, you will be sorry."
The malevolent cackle echoing into the clearing proved it was no idle threat.
"That witch again! Why is she always so good at helping him get away?" Hunk fumed.
"She's had lots of practice," Pidge reminded him.
"Heh. Yeah, I guess she has."
"Let's take her out. We leave Lotor to you, Braintron," Lance ordered.
"Right!"
"You're on!"
"Your command is our wish." The Brain acknowledged.
But as Hagar saw the Lion ships turning her way, she did something completely unexpected- before the lions could make a move, she jumped into her ship, slammed the lid and took off.
The team watched the ship disappear into the wild blue yonder.
"How do ya like that? " Hunk said. "She abandoned Lotor!"
"Why do I get the feeling it wasn't her idea to come here?" A grinning Lance responded. "Looks like she's letting Lotor take his lumps on this one."
"That's why we're going to let her go, team." Keith said, as Black Lion joined the group. "We'll back up Braintron. Antonio deserves to hand out some retribution."
Unbeknownst to the Black Lion pilot, the Captain and first mate of Braintron had a dilemma on their paws.
They sat, still as mice, all weapons trained on the evil Prince who had sunk to his knees in dejection as he watched Hagar disappear into thin air.
"You realize, Pinky, that if we dispatch Lotor, a big part of what makes the show so watchable will be gone." The Brain said quietly.
"I know, Brain. It's that pesky balance thing again, isn't it?"
"Yes, Pinky. And It's your favorite show."
"Yes. And as much as I can't stand the cad, the other villains just wouldn't be the same without him."
The Brain nodded. "Unwritten rule of an ensemble cast; an original goes, the replacement tries too hard to live up to the hype and falls flat."
"Yes, and it would mean you'd never get to meet Queen Merla." Pinky told him sadly.
"Queen Merla?" The Brain frowned. "I don't recall seeing anyone by that name."
"That's because you were busy planning and missed some episodes of season two." Pinky explained.
"So who is she?"
"A pink-haired, telepathic warrior woman with a flying Pegasus ship, a passion for nuclear physics and a burning ambition to conquer new worlds."
The Brain gawked at his friend. "And she's a Queen?"
"Quite. She was engaged to Prince Lotor, but she broke it off because she didn't like that he's a thoughtless, womanizing bounder." Sniffed Pinky.
The Brain straightened, a new type of glint in his eyes. "Then that settles it! We'll punish him severely and then we're going to let him get away. But only if that's okay with you, Pinky. He was quite terrible to you, you have every right to want revenge."
"But that would end the show with the Planet Arus in limbo, and the VF out of work! Lotor would want that, so we shouldn't give it to him." Pinky declared passionately.
"Hm. Good point."
"It's okay to punish him though. I wouldn't mind that at all."
"We will." The Brain promised. "Are you pondering what I'm pondering, Pinky?"
The tall mouse put a finger to his chin. "I think so Brain, but I don't think Coran would ever leave Arus to be your butler."
"No, no, no, I meant this!" The mouse genius pointed to a matching switch and button on his console. "I was warned not to use these before...but my hunch is correct, the weapon won't backfire on us if we fly upwind." He turned to the Space Mice, who had been eavesdropping the entire time on their split screens. "You okay with that?" He asked, with an evil looking grin.
The mice nodded, and also gave evil grins.
"Oh my," Pinky said, his eyes wide. "What is going to-"
"Watch and learn." The Brain said, and reached over and flipped the switch. The arms of the big suit raised to point at Lotor, who had now risen to his feet, a mocking smile pasted upon his cold blue lips.
"Go ahead!" The Prince challenged, throwing away his sword. "It's a good day to die!"
The mouths of four mouse appendages opened up.
"That's it, kill an unarmed man like the cowardly little rodents you are!" The evil Prince taunted, though the edge was lost as his voice was shaking.
"Oh we're not going to do that," The Brain's voice informed him.
Lotor blinked, cleared his throat. "You-You're not?"
"No. We're going to let you live."
"Then you truly are cowards!" The Prince bellowed, regaining his bluster.
"Fire away, Pinky," The Brain ordered, pointing at a red button.
"With pleasure, Brain." Pinky said, and pushed the button.
A blast of a vile smelling wind shot out of each mouse mouth, each gust coalescing into a powerful cyclone before reaching the horrified looking Lotor. The cyclone caught him up, spinning him round and round and bearing him along until he was over his coffin ship.
With the flick of a switch, The Brain cut off the power, and the Prince dropped, kicking and retching, into his vessel. The lid slammed shut and the coffin launched, quickly disappearing over the horizon.
"Smell you later, Lotor!" The Braintron Captain grinned, then looked askance at Pinky. "Limburger Wind Blasters," he explained. "Worse than ten thousand angry skunks. Be thankful we're not out there right now, that stench will stay with him all the way home and beyond."
"Ohhhh my!" Pinky chortled. "I wonder how Lotor will explain his stenchy-wenchy to King Zarkon?"
"From a galaxy far, far away." The Brain said with a smirk. "If they're lucky."
Pinky giggled.
They sat, still as mice, all weapons trained on the evil Prince who had sunk to his knees in dejection as he watched Hagar disappear into thin air.
"You realize, Pinky, that if we dispatch Lotor, a big part of what makes the show so watchable will be gone." The Brain said quietly.
"I know, Brain. It's that pesky balance thing again, isn't it?"
"Yes, Pinky. And It's your favorite show."
"Yes. And as much as I can't stand the cad, the other villains just wouldn't be the same without him."
The Brain nodded. "Unwritten rule of an ensemble cast; an original goes, the replacement tries too hard to live up to the hype and falls flat."
"Yes, and it would mean you'd never get to meet Queen Merla." Pinky told him sadly.
"Queen Merla?" The Brain frowned. "I don't recall seeing anyone by that name."
"That's because you were busy planning and missed some episodes of season two." Pinky explained.
"So who is she?"
"A pink-haired, telepathic warrior woman with a flying Pegasus ship, a passion for nuclear physics and a burning ambition to conquer new worlds."
The Brain gawked at his friend. "And she's a Queen?"
"Quite. She was engaged to Prince Lotor, but she broke it off because she didn't like that he's a thoughtless, womanizing bounder." Sniffed Pinky.
The Brain straightened, a new type of glint in his eyes. "Then that settles it! We'll punish him severely and then we're going to let him get away. But only if that's okay with you, Pinky. He was quite terrible to you, you have every right to want revenge."
"But that would end the show with the Planet Arus in limbo, and the VF out of work! Lotor would want that, so we shouldn't give it to him." Pinky declared passionately.
"Hm. Good point."
"It's okay to punish him though. I wouldn't mind that at all."
"We will." The Brain promised. "Are you pondering what I'm pondering, Pinky?"
The tall mouse put a finger to his chin. "I think so Brain, but I don't think Coran would ever leave Arus to be your butler."
"No, no, no, I meant this!" The mouse genius pointed to a matching switch and button on his console. "I was warned not to use these before...but my hunch is correct, the weapon won't backfire on us if we fly upwind." He turned to the Space Mice, who had been eavesdropping the entire time on their split screens. "You okay with that?" He asked, with an evil looking grin.
The mice nodded, and also gave evil grins.
"Oh my," Pinky said, his eyes wide. "What is going to-"
"Watch and learn." The Brain said, and reached over and flipped the switch. The arms of the big suit raised to point at Lotor, who had now risen to his feet, a mocking smile pasted upon his cold blue lips.
"Go ahead!" The Prince challenged, throwing away his sword. "It's a good day to die!"
The mouths of four mouse appendages opened up.
"That's it, kill an unarmed man like the cowardly little rodents you are!" The evil Prince taunted, though the edge was lost as his voice was shaking.
"Oh we're not going to do that," The Brain's voice informed him.
Lotor blinked, cleared his throat. "You-You're not?"
"No. We're going to let you live."
"Then you truly are cowards!" The Prince bellowed, regaining his bluster.
"Fire away, Pinky," The Brain ordered, pointing at a red button.
"With pleasure, Brain." Pinky said, and pushed the button.
A blast of a vile smelling wind shot out of each mouse mouth, each gust coalescing into a powerful cyclone before reaching the horrified looking Lotor. The cyclone caught him up, spinning him round and round and bearing him along until he was over his coffin ship.
With the flick of a switch, The Brain cut off the power, and the Prince dropped, kicking and retching, into his vessel. The lid slammed shut and the coffin launched, quickly disappearing over the horizon.
"Smell you later, Lotor!" The Braintron Captain grinned, then looked askance at Pinky. "Limburger Wind Blasters," he explained. "Worse than ten thousand angry skunks. Be thankful we're not out there right now, that stench will stay with him all the way home and beyond."
"Ohhhh my!" Pinky chortled. "I wonder how Lotor will explain his stenchy-wenchy to King Zarkon?"
"From a galaxy far, far away." The Brain said with a smirk. "If they're lucky."
Pinky giggled.
A mere two hours after Lotor had been blown away, the Braintron Force found themselves filing out on the ceremonial balcony along with their human counterparts to greet the throngs that had gathered below the Castle of Lion's walls. Word of the Voltron Force's victory had spread quickly throughout the realm, and any citizens who lived less than two hours away from the Castle had come forth to celebrate the triumph of good over evil, and the fact that another day had passed by without them becoming RoBeast foot fodder.
After a mercifully short speech from Coran, the Voltron Force was introduced by a radiant Princess Allura, and the cheering intensified as each stepped forward to receive his accolades from the Arusian people. The Brain felt his eyes prickling with tears as he watched the crowd below pay joyful homage to their heroes, and leaned over to whisper to his cohort.
"Take note, Pinky, of how the members of Voltron Force accept the peasants' simpering admiration as their due while still remaining gracious and noble in their bearings! We shall acquit ourselves as favorably once we take over the Planet Earth."
"Of course we shall." Pinky replied, his eyes never leaving the stately form of the Princess who now was waving and smiling at her people. "But when will that be, Brain?"
The Brain blinked in surprise; Pinky speaking normally was still taking some getting used to. "Very soon, my friend! With the New and Improved Braintron Big Suit and technologically advanced weapons at our disposal, Mecha geeks everywhere will be eager to serve and worship us!" He gloated. "The time is coming in which an entire population will cheer just for us!"
At the very moment the Brain finished his declaration, the Princess of Arus raised a hand to hush the crowd. In clear, ringing tones, she proceeded to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of her bewhiskered backup team, with an extra special mention of the heroic feats of Captain John Brain and the courageous Antonio Banderas. As thunderous applause filled the air, Allura beckoned the rodent crew to step forward so that her people could thank them directly.
For a moment the mice, both foreign and domestic, were like tiny statues, their features frozen in a tableau of star struck, incredulous expressions at the realization that the Princess had bestowed such high honor upon creatures most humans regarded as vermin.
Pinky was the first to come to life.
"My goodness, Brain, your prediction has already come true! Why didn't you tell me you were a psychotic?"
Cheddar sent the Braintron Captain a curious look.
The Brain, still captivated by the cheering crowd, answered vaguely, " 'Psychic', Pinky. The word you meant is 'psychic."
Pinky clapped a hand to the side of his head. "Astounding, Brain! So it is! And you can read my mind, too!"
The Brain sighed. "Pinky, reading your mind is the equivalent of watching endless reruns of 'Teletubbies' after drinking ten pots of coffee."
"I simply love the Teletubbies!" Pinky gushed. "Tinky Winky rhymes with my name!" He said to Cheddar, who simply smiled and shrugged.
The Brain covered his eyes with a paw, then simply sighed and turned to the rest of his crew. "Let's go Team! The Princess and our adoring public await us!"
And so it came to pass that Cheddar, Cheesy and the rest of the Space Mice, along with Antonio 'Pinky' Banderas and Captain John Brain, proudly strode forth on their hindquarters to stand at attention at the feet of Braintron.
The sun shone warmly upon their multicolored visages and cast a fabulous golden aura around the tricked out Big Suit, which had been placed upon a raised pedestal for the occasion. It would have presented quite an impressive picture if anyone on the ground had actually been able to see it. As it was, the throng below took their young Monarch's word that the tiny rodents and their flying Mouse-headed Spacesuit were standing somewhere on the pedestal, and therefore cheered wildly.
One by one the mice bowed deeply to the crowd, their tiny helmets tucked under their arms as they did so. When each had acknowledged the applause, they turned and saluted the pilots of the Voltron Force by placing their right fore paws across their chests.
The Brain couldn't help raising his paw gleefully into the air as he watched the Lion pilots return the salute, then start to enthusiastically applaud their support team. "There's nothing better than hearing the sounds of extremely raucous public adulation!" He exulted, then said in a quieter tone, "Are you pondering what I'm pondering Pinky?"
Pinky nodded, looking serious. "I think so Brain, but there's no need to worry about the Princess being compromised- she didn't really see anything because Keith was wearing a towel." He paused. "Although why Keith would wear a towel to take a shower is a mystery, don't you think?"
The Brain looked bemused. "That wasn't what I was pondering! I was thinking as the future Ruler of Earth, perhaps I should have a balcony just like this- a place where the grateful rabble can come and worship me daily as I wave and smile."
"Oh my, that does sound grand, Brain."
"Then please remind me to add that to our What-To-Get-When-We-Take-Over-the-World list, Pinky."
"Righto, Brain! But do you think we can actually find a decent castle to live in?" Pinky asked, all the while watching how intensely Keith watched the Princess when Keith thought no one was watching.
"Well of course we will...although I doubt it will be as technologically advanced as this one. We're only into the twenty-first century." The Brain then frowned, hesitated- and then blurted, "all right, now you have me thinking! Why would Keith be wearing a towel in the shower?"
"Quite possibly because a good commander always covers his rear." Pinky replied, after a moment of consideration.
The Brain looked at his friend in surprise. "An excellent point, Pinky!"
Pinky grinned. "Why thank you, Brain! And I've just thought of something else-there's a ginormous castle I saw on TV in this kingdom in Florida, and I really don't think anyone is living in the place except a few princesses and Mikey the Mouse. He's jolly nice so even if he wouldn't part with the castle, I think he'd at least sell us a time-share..." The taller mouse's ears wiggled in delight. "Oh Brain, wouldn't it be fun to live next to a roller coaster and have silly-willy people in big headed animal suits dancing, and parading and singing cheerfully all day long and-"
"Well, Zippy Doo Da! I do believe the Princess is about to kiss Lance!" The Brain interrupted, wanting to nip his friend's rambling monologue in the bud.
"Oooh, marvelous! I shall see his funny little dance of rapture!" Pinky squeaked excitedly, but then sobered just as quickly after casting a glance at the Voltron Captain. "Although, it's very curious that Lance is getting a kiss this time. Poor, poor Captain Keith. He works hard and never gets a reward..."
The Brain glanced at the man in the red flight suit, taking in the tense posture and the pitifully wistful smile that was pasted to Keith's face as the Captain watched his best friend accept the kiss and do a spastic sort of jig.
"Why doesn't Keith ever speak up?" He asked Pinky suddenly. "He doesn't strike me as the shy type."
"Because he's a pilot and she's a Princess," Pinky replied with a sigh of regret. "Conventional wisdom forbids a pilot and the Princess to hook up. He thinks he's just not good enough, you see."
His friend snorted. "Keith may be thinking some silly things, but that's not one of them. The man's has a stellar career and he's an interplanetary hero. He's a leader, and I highly doubt that he would have lead the Voltron Force so effectively if he never went against conventional wisdom, or been able to give orders to Allura if he saw himself as inferior to her in any way!"
Pinky looked amazed. "Blimey, Brain! You're absolutely right!"
The Brain nodded sagely. "If you ask me, Captain Keith has used the 'a commoner can't hook up with royalty' trap as an excuse for inaction because he isn't sure how she feels about him, and wants to avoid the risk of personal rejection."
"Do you really think so Brain?" Pinky asked with trepidation. "I wonder..."
The two mice watched as Allura sent a smile and glance brimming with hope at Keith, who briefly returned the smile and then quickly looked away. As he did, Allura's cheerful expression quickly faded to one of intense frustration.
"You see? Look how unhappy the Princess looks." The Brain pointed out to Pinky. "And also observe, Pinky, that Captain Keith, for all his stellar leadership qualities, is singularly unobservant to the fact that what he desires most is his for the taking." He paused, then added, "Not that I intend to encourage any type of schmaltzy romantic drivel, mind you. But it's a pity he's letting a prime opportunity pass him by."
"The Princess and I were plotting ways to get him to give her a smoochie-woochie before the cat butted in," Pinky confided.
"Of course you were." The Brain said, with wry amusement. "And the result was?"
"She finally decided she was going to make the first move and ask him to kiss her."
"Inconceivable!" The Brain bellowed, startling the eavesdropping Cheddar family. "Why should she have to do that? Not only is the boy unobservant, he's daft! She's kind, courageous and beautiful, loves him to distraction, and she can, quite literally, give him the world...what more could a man ask for in a woman?"
The genius mouse paused to throw down his helmet, much to the astonishment of his crew. A speechless Pinky, staring with slack jawed surprise at his normally cynical friend, watched in stunned silence as The Brain looked to the heavens, shaking one tiny paw.
"HEY YOU! YES, YOU! WRITER PEOPLE!" He ranted, mostly in shouty caps to get attention. "There's a fine line between titillating romantic tension and the total inability to close the deal! If you can't resolve this, I will have to..." He paused, as if listening. "Fine, fine. You had a plan all along. Yes, yes. Then that is the way it will end."
The Space Mice backed quickly away and anxiously scanned the skies for falling foreign objects. Pinky remained frozen in place as The Brain jumped off the pedestal onto the balcony, following his grim-faced friend's every step and wiping away sweat and exhaling in relief as the big headed mouse marched over to Keith without incident.
The Captain, who had retreated to lean against the wall in the background behind the assembled group- presumably to sulk and brood- seemed lost in his thoughts. Pinky hoped that when he found them again, he'd be receptive to whatever The Brain had decided to say.
"So far, so good. Is it too much to even hope that they will allow this...? Writers understand their characters better than anyone, but they're such terrible teases." Pinky wrung his paws as he whispered to himself and Cheddar sidled over to him and emitted a few wry, empathetic squeaks. "I'd like to think so, Cheddar. And everyone loves a love story, no matter how silly and screwed up it might have gotten, right?"
Grinning, Cheddar nodded. He let out some quiet squeaks, and tugged on his tail suggestively.
Pinky went scarlet, covered his mouth with a paw, and then started to giggle hysterically. "No, Cheddar! I didn't mean that sort of screw...oh my...hee hee hee..." He hiccuped. "Oh dear...POIT!"
After a mercifully short speech from Coran, the Voltron Force was introduced by a radiant Princess Allura, and the cheering intensified as each stepped forward to receive his accolades from the Arusian people. The Brain felt his eyes prickling with tears as he watched the crowd below pay joyful homage to their heroes, and leaned over to whisper to his cohort.
"Take note, Pinky, of how the members of Voltron Force accept the peasants' simpering admiration as their due while still remaining gracious and noble in their bearings! We shall acquit ourselves as favorably once we take over the Planet Earth."
"Of course we shall." Pinky replied, his eyes never leaving the stately form of the Princess who now was waving and smiling at her people. "But when will that be, Brain?"
The Brain blinked in surprise; Pinky speaking normally was still taking some getting used to. "Very soon, my friend! With the New and Improved Braintron Big Suit and technologically advanced weapons at our disposal, Mecha geeks everywhere will be eager to serve and worship us!" He gloated. "The time is coming in which an entire population will cheer just for us!"
At the very moment the Brain finished his declaration, the Princess of Arus raised a hand to hush the crowd. In clear, ringing tones, she proceeded to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of her bewhiskered backup team, with an extra special mention of the heroic feats of Captain John Brain and the courageous Antonio Banderas. As thunderous applause filled the air, Allura beckoned the rodent crew to step forward so that her people could thank them directly.
For a moment the mice, both foreign and domestic, were like tiny statues, their features frozen in a tableau of star struck, incredulous expressions at the realization that the Princess had bestowed such high honor upon creatures most humans regarded as vermin.
Pinky was the first to come to life.
"My goodness, Brain, your prediction has already come true! Why didn't you tell me you were a psychotic?"
Cheddar sent the Braintron Captain a curious look.
The Brain, still captivated by the cheering crowd, answered vaguely, " 'Psychic', Pinky. The word you meant is 'psychic."
Pinky clapped a hand to the side of his head. "Astounding, Brain! So it is! And you can read my mind, too!"
The Brain sighed. "Pinky, reading your mind is the equivalent of watching endless reruns of 'Teletubbies' after drinking ten pots of coffee."
"I simply love the Teletubbies!" Pinky gushed. "Tinky Winky rhymes with my name!" He said to Cheddar, who simply smiled and shrugged.
The Brain covered his eyes with a paw, then simply sighed and turned to the rest of his crew. "Let's go Team! The Princess and our adoring public await us!"
And so it came to pass that Cheddar, Cheesy and the rest of the Space Mice, along with Antonio 'Pinky' Banderas and Captain John Brain, proudly strode forth on their hindquarters to stand at attention at the feet of Braintron.
The sun shone warmly upon their multicolored visages and cast a fabulous golden aura around the tricked out Big Suit, which had been placed upon a raised pedestal for the occasion. It would have presented quite an impressive picture if anyone on the ground had actually been able to see it. As it was, the throng below took their young Monarch's word that the tiny rodents and their flying Mouse-headed Spacesuit were standing somewhere on the pedestal, and therefore cheered wildly.
One by one the mice bowed deeply to the crowd, their tiny helmets tucked under their arms as they did so. When each had acknowledged the applause, they turned and saluted the pilots of the Voltron Force by placing their right fore paws across their chests.
The Brain couldn't help raising his paw gleefully into the air as he watched the Lion pilots return the salute, then start to enthusiastically applaud their support team. "There's nothing better than hearing the sounds of extremely raucous public adulation!" He exulted, then said in a quieter tone, "Are you pondering what I'm pondering Pinky?"
Pinky nodded, looking serious. "I think so Brain, but there's no need to worry about the Princess being compromised- she didn't really see anything because Keith was wearing a towel." He paused. "Although why Keith would wear a towel to take a shower is a mystery, don't you think?"
The Brain looked bemused. "That wasn't what I was pondering! I was thinking as the future Ruler of Earth, perhaps I should have a balcony just like this- a place where the grateful rabble can come and worship me daily as I wave and smile."
"Oh my, that does sound grand, Brain."
"Then please remind me to add that to our What-To-Get-When-We-Take-Over-the-World list, Pinky."
"Righto, Brain! But do you think we can actually find a decent castle to live in?" Pinky asked, all the while watching how intensely Keith watched the Princess when Keith thought no one was watching.
"Well of course we will...although I doubt it will be as technologically advanced as this one. We're only into the twenty-first century." The Brain then frowned, hesitated- and then blurted, "all right, now you have me thinking! Why would Keith be wearing a towel in the shower?"
"Quite possibly because a good commander always covers his rear." Pinky replied, after a moment of consideration.
The Brain looked at his friend in surprise. "An excellent point, Pinky!"
Pinky grinned. "Why thank you, Brain! And I've just thought of something else-there's a ginormous castle I saw on TV in this kingdom in Florida, and I really don't think anyone is living in the place except a few princesses and Mikey the Mouse. He's jolly nice so even if he wouldn't part with the castle, I think he'd at least sell us a time-share..." The taller mouse's ears wiggled in delight. "Oh Brain, wouldn't it be fun to live next to a roller coaster and have silly-willy people in big headed animal suits dancing, and parading and singing cheerfully all day long and-"
"Well, Zippy Doo Da! I do believe the Princess is about to kiss Lance!" The Brain interrupted, wanting to nip his friend's rambling monologue in the bud.
"Oooh, marvelous! I shall see his funny little dance of rapture!" Pinky squeaked excitedly, but then sobered just as quickly after casting a glance at the Voltron Captain. "Although, it's very curious that Lance is getting a kiss this time. Poor, poor Captain Keith. He works hard and never gets a reward..."
The Brain glanced at the man in the red flight suit, taking in the tense posture and the pitifully wistful smile that was pasted to Keith's face as the Captain watched his best friend accept the kiss and do a spastic sort of jig.
"Why doesn't Keith ever speak up?" He asked Pinky suddenly. "He doesn't strike me as the shy type."
"Because he's a pilot and she's a Princess," Pinky replied with a sigh of regret. "Conventional wisdom forbids a pilot and the Princess to hook up. He thinks he's just not good enough, you see."
His friend snorted. "Keith may be thinking some silly things, but that's not one of them. The man's has a stellar career and he's an interplanetary hero. He's a leader, and I highly doubt that he would have lead the Voltron Force so effectively if he never went against conventional wisdom, or been able to give orders to Allura if he saw himself as inferior to her in any way!"
Pinky looked amazed. "Blimey, Brain! You're absolutely right!"
The Brain nodded sagely. "If you ask me, Captain Keith has used the 'a commoner can't hook up with royalty' trap as an excuse for inaction because he isn't sure how she feels about him, and wants to avoid the risk of personal rejection."
"Do you really think so Brain?" Pinky asked with trepidation. "I wonder..."
The two mice watched as Allura sent a smile and glance brimming with hope at Keith, who briefly returned the smile and then quickly looked away. As he did, Allura's cheerful expression quickly faded to one of intense frustration.
"You see? Look how unhappy the Princess looks." The Brain pointed out to Pinky. "And also observe, Pinky, that Captain Keith, for all his stellar leadership qualities, is singularly unobservant to the fact that what he desires most is his for the taking." He paused, then added, "Not that I intend to encourage any type of schmaltzy romantic drivel, mind you. But it's a pity he's letting a prime opportunity pass him by."
"The Princess and I were plotting ways to get him to give her a smoochie-woochie before the cat butted in," Pinky confided.
"Of course you were." The Brain said, with wry amusement. "And the result was?"
"She finally decided she was going to make the first move and ask him to kiss her."
"Inconceivable!" The Brain bellowed, startling the eavesdropping Cheddar family. "Why should she have to do that? Not only is the boy unobservant, he's daft! She's kind, courageous and beautiful, loves him to distraction, and she can, quite literally, give him the world...what more could a man ask for in a woman?"
The genius mouse paused to throw down his helmet, much to the astonishment of his crew. A speechless Pinky, staring with slack jawed surprise at his normally cynical friend, watched in stunned silence as The Brain looked to the heavens, shaking one tiny paw.
"HEY YOU! YES, YOU! WRITER PEOPLE!" He ranted, mostly in shouty caps to get attention. "There's a fine line between titillating romantic tension and the total inability to close the deal! If you can't resolve this, I will have to..." He paused, as if listening. "Fine, fine. You had a plan all along. Yes, yes. Then that is the way it will end."
The Space Mice backed quickly away and anxiously scanned the skies for falling foreign objects. Pinky remained frozen in place as The Brain jumped off the pedestal onto the balcony, following his grim-faced friend's every step and wiping away sweat and exhaling in relief as the big headed mouse marched over to Keith without incident.
The Captain, who had retreated to lean against the wall in the background behind the assembled group- presumably to sulk and brood- seemed lost in his thoughts. Pinky hoped that when he found them again, he'd be receptive to whatever The Brain had decided to say.
"So far, so good. Is it too much to even hope that they will allow this...? Writers understand their characters better than anyone, but they're such terrible teases." Pinky wrung his paws as he whispered to himself and Cheddar sidled over to him and emitted a few wry, empathetic squeaks. "I'd like to think so, Cheddar. And everyone loves a love story, no matter how silly and screwed up it might have gotten, right?"
Grinning, Cheddar nodded. He let out some quiet squeaks, and tugged on his tail suggestively.
Pinky went scarlet, covered his mouth with a paw, and then started to giggle hysterically. "No, Cheddar! I didn't mean that sort of screw...oh my...hee hee hee..." He hiccuped. "Oh dear...POIT!"
Standing apart from the others, Keith crossed his arms and surveyed the scene before him with brooding resignation, thinking for the umpteenth time that Lance had to have had an in with the powers that be. Flattery? Ritual sacrifice? Bribes? How else would he get kisses from Allura simply for showing up?
A sharp tug at the leg of his flight suit broke into the Captain's sulk and made him look down. The large, scowling, fierce visage looking up at him would have taken him aback, if it hadn't looked so ludicrous perched on a tiny little mouse body. His lips twitched.
The Brain put his front paws on his hips and intensified his glare, sensing the Captain was not taking him seriously before he had even begun. "A word with you, Captain, if you please." He demanded sternly.
Keith held back a chuckle as he replied, "What's on your mind, John? Oh wait-here, first let's get eye to eye."
He knelt, extending his hand. The Brain stepped into it with as much dignity as he could muster, and Keith stood and brought his passenger to a level where the misshapen mouse was looking him in the eyes. "Let me guess. Is it troubling you that Lotor and Hagar got away from you after what they did to Antonio?"
"That is quite troublesome, but no, actually it's-"
"I know! It's because we didn't form Voltron! I know you wanted to see how we do it-Pidge told me."
"I did wish to experience that, but that's not it-"
The Black Lion pilot snapped his fingers. "It's because Lance got a kiss from the Princess and you didn't! You feel hurt and left out. That's it, isn't it?" The Captain ran a hand through his lustrous but unmanageable hair. "Well, no need to feel slighted- you probably noticed the rest of us didn't get one either." He said, adding in a mutter, "and some of us have never gotten one."
The Brain gave Keith his most withering stare. At this instant in time, this clueless human had certainly more than earned it. "Captain, the way your mind works is about as clear as the workings of the electoral college are to any American."
"I have no clue as to what you're talking about."
"Precisely! So permit me to tell you- without interruption- exactly what is bothering me-"
"Something's bothering you, John?" Allura had sidled over, unnoticed, and now stood close beside Keith, her shoulder and arm almost brushing against his. He edged away, looking around for her guardians, but lo and behold, the balcony was now deserted except for the Braintron Force, and even the din of the assembly below was starting to fade away as the happy Arusians headed home. "Hey, where did everyone go?"
Allura sighed. It was if the tender words with which he had drawn her close during the heat of battle had never been spoken. Keith was again pushing her away; back and forth, close and away, up and down, it happened over and over, leaving her deeply disappointed...and feeling rather like a human yo-yo. "Everyone else went in to have some celebratory tea and cheesecake. I said I'd round you two up. But first...please do tell me what's wrong, John!"
"What's wrong?" The Brain snorted and waved a paw at the Captain's flushed face. "He's what's wrong!"
Allura gawked at The Brain. "Keith? What has he done?"
"Nothing! He's done nothing! And therein lies the crux of the problem!" The Brain declared. "I'll be blunt, Your Eminence. Ever since Antonio and I were brought to your domicile, we've watched two supposedly levelheaded and mature individuals moon and spoon around each other like a couple of pie-eye adolescents. Furtive glances...jealous glares...longing stares...it simply has to stop!"
Keith frowned. "I don't like your tone!"
"And I don't care, be cause I am fed up with all the sappy, gee-whiz I can't have the Princess because she's a Princess pouts I see every time you're near her!" The Brain ranted. He then turned his glare on Allura. "And you! Explain the logic in rewarding Smirky McJacket all the time with a kiss when you know that you'd much rather be giving one to the Captain? Or having him give you one?"
Allura opened her mouth, but nothing emerged but a strangled chirp.
"Huh." Keith said, blinking rapidly. "Smirky McJacket. Mind if I use that?"
"Whenever you like." The Brain said. "There are more where that came from-"
"Why would you think I wanted a kiss?" Allura half-shrieked the last word, making both Captains jump. "I hoped Antonio wouldn't-" She covered her eyes with a hand and let out a groan. "No. This is not how and where I wanted this to happen. I can't do this now- "
The Brain slapped his paw to his massive forehead. "Your Highness, allow me to assist you from the Fantasy to the Self-Help section in the Library of Your Life! First of all, Antonio has not betrayed your confidence, he has only tried to help!"
The Princess hung her head and looked abashed.
"Secondly, no one needs to say anything for the simple reason that everyone with eyes on this planet or others could see the two of you have 'a thing' for each other!"
Allura looked up with gasp. "Everyone?"
The Brain took a deep breath. "Yes, everyone. Well, okay...there are a couple of villains who may still be in denial, but be that as it may, will you please explain to me how two confident, risk taking people who go boldly into harm's way, who can face down Hagar's nastiest spells, go up against the vilest RoBeasts and think nothing of facing Lotor head on... still can't manage to do or say anything when it comes to telling that special someone that they care for them?"
Allura glanced at Keith, who was giving her an assessing look. She stared back, and he didn't look away.
"Voltron has admirers on the planet that I come from too...and if they can pick up on what's going on between you two, then it's obvious!" The Brain shook his cranium in disgust. "By the way, they can't understand what the holdup is either!"
At that, the Princess' hands flew to her cheeks to cover her perpetual blush. "B-but John, I don't understand...how would anyone on your planet know that I'm secretly in love with-" She stopped, flustered at how easily the revelation had almost escaped her. "With anyone," she amended weakly.
The Brain was startled; too late he realized his major slip up. ~Curses! I completely forgot that none of these people know that their lives are televised public record on Earth, or that many admirers have chronicled the adventures of the Voltron Force. How am I going to explain this one without ruining everything I have worked to achieve and without losing technology for the Big Suit?~
An overly large sweat drop formed at the back of his furred head, but mercifully, it seemed that Keith was more interested in what the Princess had to say. The Black Lion pilot had moved closer to her, his dark eyes intent upon her face as he spoke.
"With anyone? Sounds to me you do know who you secretly love."
"It's not a secret if everyone else knows." She retorted, pulling down one eyelid and sticking her tongue out at him. "It doesn't matter. What people think won't solve anything. I have it on good authority that this person won't tell me if he returned my love because of who I am, so..."
"And how does this authority know? Did they actually ask him?" Keith moved even closer, and the Brain was given a close and personal view of the Princess' throat and the motion of a nervous swallow.
"No." Allura's reply was very quiet, and a bit breathless as the Captain gently brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen over her face and tucked it behind her ear. "But I've tried to give hints, and he's made it clear through his actions that he's not interested."
Keith's hand cupped her cheek. Though the observing Brain was sure her heart had to be going double time, Allura held her ground, and even tilted her chin upward toward the Captain's.
It was then the Brain realized that he, a mere mouse, by virtue of the extreme close up and the size of his extraordinary noggin, was the sole impediment standing between two pairs of lips that an untold amount of people wanted to see locked together, and who would most certainly exact deadly retribution on his tiny rodent body if he blocked their view while it happened.
"Maybe he's just been an idiot?" The Captain said huskily, from behind The Brain's head. "How do you know unless you ask him yourself? You might be surprised at the answer."
The Brain knew he had to act. The falling anvil that had almost taken out Pidge would pale in comparison to the retribution of shippers being denied their fix. He was just getting ready to make a grab for another stray strand of the Princess' hair to swing to the safety of her shoulder, when Keith's hand dropped in elevation, and the mouse genius found himself staring into the valley between two pink and white covered hillocks.
The Brain froze in place and his mouth dropped open as he saw the hillocks swell, lower, and then start to rise and fall rapidly. So this was one of those K & A moments Pinky kept babbling about. Talk about getting an extreme close up! If things went the way it appeared they were going, even without the ire of the shippers as motivation, it was high time to bail out. The Royal cleavage, though assuredly and delightfully a soft and warm place, could still be a deadly place for a mouse if compressed too tightly.
He cleared his throat with a discreet cough. "Hello? A little help here?"
No answer, and the hillocks were getting closer. He resorted to jumping up and down and screaming bloody murder.
Keith gave a start, then looked down at his hand held passenger. "Oh jeez, John, forgot about you!"
"Obviously." The Brain stated dryly. "I've inserted the key, the rest is up to you. So if you'd be so kind to put me down now?"
Keith nodded. "Right!"
After he knelt and deposited The Brain safely on the ground, the Captain stood slowly and moved forward, leaving the smallest amount of space between himself and Allura that was possible without touching.
He gazed deeply into the azure depths of her eyes, saw the intense longing he knew was mirrored in his own and then took her hand.
Softly, reverently, he raised it to his mouth, and brushed his lips across her knuckles.
She shivered and blinked up at him, her expression dazed with happiness. "K-Keith?"
"Yes, Princess?"
"Um...I wanted to say that... in regards to... a-asking a certain someone if he ...uh...well-"
He laughed softly. "No need. I love you, Allura. I have from the moment I saw you."
"And I love you too...so much! Oh Keith!"
As the Princess threw her arms around her pilot's neck in a fierce hug which he returned, the Brain shuddered both at his narrow escape and at the excessive sappiness of the moment.
When Allura drew back, a brilliant smile had spread across her lovely features. "If there are no more secrets, prove it! Show me that you love me!"
Keith blinked, smiled indulgently. "But I just said the words... I love you, Allura! What more proof do you need?"
"Not for me!" She said, turning her head and winking out at the world behind him. "For them! They need more proof!"
Keith turned and looked out as well, a small smile playing around his lips. "All right... I suppose we do owe them a little more for keeping them in limbo for so long."
And so, right in front of a handful of mice, countless shippers who were breathless with anticipation and two omnipotent, smart ass writers, the Black Lion pilot took the Blue Lion pilot into his strong embrace and kissed her, softly and tenderly at first, and then with all of the bottled up passion that had been simmering inside him since he had first laid eyes on her.
As his mouth plundered the softness of hers, Allura moaned and matched his ardor, pressing herself against him in shameless abandon, while she ran her fingers through silky, sexy, raven-black hair. The Brain watched with a critical eye until Keith parted Allura's lips with a groan and a flick of his tongue, after which the mouse turned and scurried back to his team, a self-satisfied smirk pasted on his dour features.
Pinky and the rest of the Braintron crew greeted him with exuberant squeaks and a cheer. "Narf! Poit! ZORT! Brain, you did it!"
The Brain stared at his friend, and then shrugged. The vocal tic was back, but after facing a world without Pinky, it didn't seem nearly as annoying. "It was only a matter of time, my quixotic friend. I just jumped in and moved things along before the raging hormones kicked in, that's all." He replied modestly.
"Naaaarf. That's very nice of you Brain, but I really don't think that a bunch of moaning, destructive trollops would have helped them at all." Pinky informed him.
As the Brain sputtered, his sidekick glanced over at the entwined couple and gasped delightedly as he saw them sink to their knees. "Oh, they must have gotten tired of standing...and look, the Captain must be really getting warm because the Princess is helping him unzip his flight suit!"
The tall mouse yelled in protest when his Captain abruptly spun him around and herded him into the castle along with the equally indignant Space Mice.
"Why can't we stay and watch?" Pinky whined.
The Brain smirked as Cheddar and the other mice glared and gave him an emphatic 'thumbs down' gesture. "There are just some K & A moments that aren't for everyone," He told Pinky firmly. "That one is for ages eighteen and up."
Pinky pouted. "So unfair! Zort!"
"And besides, someone has to keep the rabble amused so Coran or Nanny won't wonder and send someone to look for Keith and Allura." The Brain added slyly.
"I will keep them entertained!'" Pinky vowed. "The Princess and Keith will have their big moment!"
The Brain glanced back at the entwined couple. The Princess' dress had slipped noticeably off her shoulders, and her hands looked as if they were engaged in some extra curricular activity beneath Keith's uniform. By all appearances, they were well on their way to having the ultimate big moment.
He turned back to Pinky. "Yes, that's the spirit! But for heaven's sake stay away from the honey nectar! I'm going to need a sober co-pilot for the trip back home!"
"Copy that Skipper! Over and out! That's a big 10-4-"
The Brain clapped his paws to his over-sized ears. "PINKY!"
His side-kick stopped in mid jig. "Yes Brain?"
"I'm the Captain, and you're my honorable number one. As such, it would please me if you conduct yourself with utmost decorum whilst we dine with our Arusian hosts."
"Quite right. So sorry." Pinky said, then drew himself to his full height and offered a dignified bow. "Shall we go to tea, O Captain my Captain?"
The Brain's scowl faded to a look of surprise that morphed into a reluctant but undeniable affection.
Reaching out, he firmly linked arms with his best friend, the one he loved, had almost lost and had been blessed to have been able to save.
"Yes, Mr. Antonio. We shall go to tea."
FIN
Next up: Pondering What I'm Pondering...aka the Epilogue
A sharp tug at the leg of his flight suit broke into the Captain's sulk and made him look down. The large, scowling, fierce visage looking up at him would have taken him aback, if it hadn't looked so ludicrous perched on a tiny little mouse body. His lips twitched.
The Brain put his front paws on his hips and intensified his glare, sensing the Captain was not taking him seriously before he had even begun. "A word with you, Captain, if you please." He demanded sternly.
Keith held back a chuckle as he replied, "What's on your mind, John? Oh wait-here, first let's get eye to eye."
He knelt, extending his hand. The Brain stepped into it with as much dignity as he could muster, and Keith stood and brought his passenger to a level where the misshapen mouse was looking him in the eyes. "Let me guess. Is it troubling you that Lotor and Hagar got away from you after what they did to Antonio?"
"That is quite troublesome, but no, actually it's-"
"I know! It's because we didn't form Voltron! I know you wanted to see how we do it-Pidge told me."
"I did wish to experience that, but that's not it-"
The Black Lion pilot snapped his fingers. "It's because Lance got a kiss from the Princess and you didn't! You feel hurt and left out. That's it, isn't it?" The Captain ran a hand through his lustrous but unmanageable hair. "Well, no need to feel slighted- you probably noticed the rest of us didn't get one either." He said, adding in a mutter, "and some of us have never gotten one."
The Brain gave Keith his most withering stare. At this instant in time, this clueless human had certainly more than earned it. "Captain, the way your mind works is about as clear as the workings of the electoral college are to any American."
"I have no clue as to what you're talking about."
"Precisely! So permit me to tell you- without interruption- exactly what is bothering me-"
"Something's bothering you, John?" Allura had sidled over, unnoticed, and now stood close beside Keith, her shoulder and arm almost brushing against his. He edged away, looking around for her guardians, but lo and behold, the balcony was now deserted except for the Braintron Force, and even the din of the assembly below was starting to fade away as the happy Arusians headed home. "Hey, where did everyone go?"
Allura sighed. It was if the tender words with which he had drawn her close during the heat of battle had never been spoken. Keith was again pushing her away; back and forth, close and away, up and down, it happened over and over, leaving her deeply disappointed...and feeling rather like a human yo-yo. "Everyone else went in to have some celebratory tea and cheesecake. I said I'd round you two up. But first...please do tell me what's wrong, John!"
"What's wrong?" The Brain snorted and waved a paw at the Captain's flushed face. "He's what's wrong!"
Allura gawked at The Brain. "Keith? What has he done?"
"Nothing! He's done nothing! And therein lies the crux of the problem!" The Brain declared. "I'll be blunt, Your Eminence. Ever since Antonio and I were brought to your domicile, we've watched two supposedly levelheaded and mature individuals moon and spoon around each other like a couple of pie-eye adolescents. Furtive glances...jealous glares...longing stares...it simply has to stop!"
Keith frowned. "I don't like your tone!"
"And I don't care, be cause I am fed up with all the sappy, gee-whiz I can't have the Princess because she's a Princess pouts I see every time you're near her!" The Brain ranted. He then turned his glare on Allura. "And you! Explain the logic in rewarding Smirky McJacket all the time with a kiss when you know that you'd much rather be giving one to the Captain? Or having him give you one?"
Allura opened her mouth, but nothing emerged but a strangled chirp.
"Huh." Keith said, blinking rapidly. "Smirky McJacket. Mind if I use that?"
"Whenever you like." The Brain said. "There are more where that came from-"
"Why would you think I wanted a kiss?" Allura half-shrieked the last word, making both Captains jump. "I hoped Antonio wouldn't-" She covered her eyes with a hand and let out a groan. "No. This is not how and where I wanted this to happen. I can't do this now- "
The Brain slapped his paw to his massive forehead. "Your Highness, allow me to assist you from the Fantasy to the Self-Help section in the Library of Your Life! First of all, Antonio has not betrayed your confidence, he has only tried to help!"
The Princess hung her head and looked abashed.
"Secondly, no one needs to say anything for the simple reason that everyone with eyes on this planet or others could see the two of you have 'a thing' for each other!"
Allura looked up with gasp. "Everyone?"
The Brain took a deep breath. "Yes, everyone. Well, okay...there are a couple of villains who may still be in denial, but be that as it may, will you please explain to me how two confident, risk taking people who go boldly into harm's way, who can face down Hagar's nastiest spells, go up against the vilest RoBeasts and think nothing of facing Lotor head on... still can't manage to do or say anything when it comes to telling that special someone that they care for them?"
Allura glanced at Keith, who was giving her an assessing look. She stared back, and he didn't look away.
"Voltron has admirers on the planet that I come from too...and if they can pick up on what's going on between you two, then it's obvious!" The Brain shook his cranium in disgust. "By the way, they can't understand what the holdup is either!"
At that, the Princess' hands flew to her cheeks to cover her perpetual blush. "B-but John, I don't understand...how would anyone on your planet know that I'm secretly in love with-" She stopped, flustered at how easily the revelation had almost escaped her. "With anyone," she amended weakly.
The Brain was startled; too late he realized his major slip up. ~Curses! I completely forgot that none of these people know that their lives are televised public record on Earth, or that many admirers have chronicled the adventures of the Voltron Force. How am I going to explain this one without ruining everything I have worked to achieve and without losing technology for the Big Suit?~
An overly large sweat drop formed at the back of his furred head, but mercifully, it seemed that Keith was more interested in what the Princess had to say. The Black Lion pilot had moved closer to her, his dark eyes intent upon her face as he spoke.
"With anyone? Sounds to me you do know who you secretly love."
"It's not a secret if everyone else knows." She retorted, pulling down one eyelid and sticking her tongue out at him. "It doesn't matter. What people think won't solve anything. I have it on good authority that this person won't tell me if he returned my love because of who I am, so..."
"And how does this authority know? Did they actually ask him?" Keith moved even closer, and the Brain was given a close and personal view of the Princess' throat and the motion of a nervous swallow.
"No." Allura's reply was very quiet, and a bit breathless as the Captain gently brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen over her face and tucked it behind her ear. "But I've tried to give hints, and he's made it clear through his actions that he's not interested."
Keith's hand cupped her cheek. Though the observing Brain was sure her heart had to be going double time, Allura held her ground, and even tilted her chin upward toward the Captain's.
It was then the Brain realized that he, a mere mouse, by virtue of the extreme close up and the size of his extraordinary noggin, was the sole impediment standing between two pairs of lips that an untold amount of people wanted to see locked together, and who would most certainly exact deadly retribution on his tiny rodent body if he blocked their view while it happened.
"Maybe he's just been an idiot?" The Captain said huskily, from behind The Brain's head. "How do you know unless you ask him yourself? You might be surprised at the answer."
The Brain knew he had to act. The falling anvil that had almost taken out Pidge would pale in comparison to the retribution of shippers being denied their fix. He was just getting ready to make a grab for another stray strand of the Princess' hair to swing to the safety of her shoulder, when Keith's hand dropped in elevation, and the mouse genius found himself staring into the valley between two pink and white covered hillocks.
The Brain froze in place and his mouth dropped open as he saw the hillocks swell, lower, and then start to rise and fall rapidly. So this was one of those K & A moments Pinky kept babbling about. Talk about getting an extreme close up! If things went the way it appeared they were going, even without the ire of the shippers as motivation, it was high time to bail out. The Royal cleavage, though assuredly and delightfully a soft and warm place, could still be a deadly place for a mouse if compressed too tightly.
He cleared his throat with a discreet cough. "Hello? A little help here?"
No answer, and the hillocks were getting closer. He resorted to jumping up and down and screaming bloody murder.
Keith gave a start, then looked down at his hand held passenger. "Oh jeez, John, forgot about you!"
"Obviously." The Brain stated dryly. "I've inserted the key, the rest is up to you. So if you'd be so kind to put me down now?"
Keith nodded. "Right!"
After he knelt and deposited The Brain safely on the ground, the Captain stood slowly and moved forward, leaving the smallest amount of space between himself and Allura that was possible without touching.
He gazed deeply into the azure depths of her eyes, saw the intense longing he knew was mirrored in his own and then took her hand.
Softly, reverently, he raised it to his mouth, and brushed his lips across her knuckles.
She shivered and blinked up at him, her expression dazed with happiness. "K-Keith?"
"Yes, Princess?"
"Um...I wanted to say that... in regards to... a-asking a certain someone if he ...uh...well-"
He laughed softly. "No need. I love you, Allura. I have from the moment I saw you."
"And I love you too...so much! Oh Keith!"
As the Princess threw her arms around her pilot's neck in a fierce hug which he returned, the Brain shuddered both at his narrow escape and at the excessive sappiness of the moment.
When Allura drew back, a brilliant smile had spread across her lovely features. "If there are no more secrets, prove it! Show me that you love me!"
Keith blinked, smiled indulgently. "But I just said the words... I love you, Allura! What more proof do you need?"
"Not for me!" She said, turning her head and winking out at the world behind him. "For them! They need more proof!"
Keith turned and looked out as well, a small smile playing around his lips. "All right... I suppose we do owe them a little more for keeping them in limbo for so long."
And so, right in front of a handful of mice, countless shippers who were breathless with anticipation and two omnipotent, smart ass writers, the Black Lion pilot took the Blue Lion pilot into his strong embrace and kissed her, softly and tenderly at first, and then with all of the bottled up passion that had been simmering inside him since he had first laid eyes on her.
As his mouth plundered the softness of hers, Allura moaned and matched his ardor, pressing herself against him in shameless abandon, while she ran her fingers through silky, sexy, raven-black hair. The Brain watched with a critical eye until Keith parted Allura's lips with a groan and a flick of his tongue, after which the mouse turned and scurried back to his team, a self-satisfied smirk pasted on his dour features.
Pinky and the rest of the Braintron crew greeted him with exuberant squeaks and a cheer. "Narf! Poit! ZORT! Brain, you did it!"
The Brain stared at his friend, and then shrugged. The vocal tic was back, but after facing a world without Pinky, it didn't seem nearly as annoying. "It was only a matter of time, my quixotic friend. I just jumped in and moved things along before the raging hormones kicked in, that's all." He replied modestly.
"Naaaarf. That's very nice of you Brain, but I really don't think that a bunch of moaning, destructive trollops would have helped them at all." Pinky informed him.
As the Brain sputtered, his sidekick glanced over at the entwined couple and gasped delightedly as he saw them sink to their knees. "Oh, they must have gotten tired of standing...and look, the Captain must be really getting warm because the Princess is helping him unzip his flight suit!"
The tall mouse yelled in protest when his Captain abruptly spun him around and herded him into the castle along with the equally indignant Space Mice.
"Why can't we stay and watch?" Pinky whined.
The Brain smirked as Cheddar and the other mice glared and gave him an emphatic 'thumbs down' gesture. "There are just some K & A moments that aren't for everyone," He told Pinky firmly. "That one is for ages eighteen and up."
Pinky pouted. "So unfair! Zort!"
"And besides, someone has to keep the rabble amused so Coran or Nanny won't wonder and send someone to look for Keith and Allura." The Brain added slyly.
"I will keep them entertained!'" Pinky vowed. "The Princess and Keith will have their big moment!"
The Brain glanced back at the entwined couple. The Princess' dress had slipped noticeably off her shoulders, and her hands looked as if they were engaged in some extra curricular activity beneath Keith's uniform. By all appearances, they were well on their way to having the ultimate big moment.
He turned back to Pinky. "Yes, that's the spirit! But for heaven's sake stay away from the honey nectar! I'm going to need a sober co-pilot for the trip back home!"
"Copy that Skipper! Over and out! That's a big 10-4-"
The Brain clapped his paws to his over-sized ears. "PINKY!"
His side-kick stopped in mid jig. "Yes Brain?"
"I'm the Captain, and you're my honorable number one. As such, it would please me if you conduct yourself with utmost decorum whilst we dine with our Arusian hosts."
"Quite right. So sorry." Pinky said, then drew himself to his full height and offered a dignified bow. "Shall we go to tea, O Captain my Captain?"
The Brain's scowl faded to a look of surprise that morphed into a reluctant but undeniable affection.
Reaching out, he firmly linked arms with his best friend, the one he loved, had almost lost and had been blessed to have been able to save.
"Yes, Mr. Antonio. We shall go to tea."
FIN
Next up: Pondering What I'm Pondering...aka the Epilogue
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I can't help it... I ❤ love ❤ Voltron!