A Different Place

Chapter 37 - Teisel Gets A Big Surprise

The engines of the Gesellschaft were a faint hum in the background as Servbot Number Twenty-Eight finished sweeping the bridge. The Servbot emptied the last pile of dust into his waste receptacle, which he then put in the storage closet along with the broom. Twenty-Eight punched the elevator's call button, waiting impatiently for the lift to reach the topmost floor of the skyship.

"About time!" he muttered as it arrived. Twenty-Eight walked in and pressed the button for the Residential Floor. The Servbot tapped his foot rapidly on the floor as the elevator whined its way down. As he exited the floor, he felt a fleeting wish that he still held his membership card for Mega Man's Buster Battalion, but of course he'd given it to the real MegaMan for safekeeping.

Number Twenty-Eight knocked twice on the door. "Master Teisel, is it the appointed hour?"

"Almost," came Teisel's muffled reply. "Come on in."

Twenty-Eight opened the door to Teisel's room and confidently strode in, trying to look as manly as possible for the eldest Bonne. Teisel was already seated on his sofa, eyeing the clock with anticipation. Number Twenty-Eight hopped upward, struggling to pull himself onto the couch as well. "Oh, boy!" he said. "I really hope Bomb Man doesn't blow up the Monstropolis Sports Arena and Convention Center!"

"Oh, he won't get away with that," Teisel assured him. "Our blueboy'll stop him in plenty of time. Or my name isn't Bonne!"

"What does that have to do with it, Master Teisel?"

Teisel coughed. "Um, er, or his name isn't Mega Man!"

"Right on!" agreed Twenty-Eight, attempting to flex his muscles. This was difficult, as he technically had none.

"It's time," Teisel said dramatically, switching on the television with his remote control. A different scene awaited the two than the one they had been expecting. "What's this? Did they pre-empt our favorite show?"

"I think it's a news update," supplied Number Twenty-Eight.

"And now, Mayor Amelia Davis of Kattleox Island," said the announcer.

A blond woman approached the podium in from of Kattleox City Hall. She cleared her throat and began speaking. "Ahem. Rumors have flown throughout the city today that we might have been under pirate attack---"

Teisel laughed shortly. "Not yet, they're not!"

"---this is not the case. In fact, today begins a joyous era of celebration for Kattleox Island, as the myths surrounding our ancient network of Ruins will be put to rest. Allow me to introduce to you the leaders of our three intrepid teams of Diggers."

Teisel and Twenty-Eight watched the program with renewed interest.

The woman introduced the first group of Diggers with a wave of her hand. "Group One consists of the Casketts, Roll and Barrel, and the intrepid Dantz the Digger!" Applaused thundered from the gathered citizens of Kattleox Island as the mayor introduced a teenage girl, an impressive-looking young man in Digger's armor, and an old man in a bathrobe.

"Our second team is made up of the internationally-renowned Glyde Wingstar and his army---er, team of specialist Birdbots!" Glyde strutted in front of the woman, hamming it up in for the audience. Most of the Birdbots were hanging behind, and one seemed to be aligned closer with the Caskett family than with the tall, svelte pirate.

"What is Glyde doing there?" Teisel demanded. "What's going on?"

"And, our third and final team is the Bonnes, treasure-hunters extraordinaire!" The mayor of Kattleox stepped aside to let the crowd and television cameras catch their first glimpse of a glowering Tron, who pouted and looked witheringly at the audience. MegaMan, just to her side, seemed quite taken with his newfound celebrity, waving at both the audience and the camera, and flashing his most toothsome smile. Every now and then, he could be seen sneaking a glance at the Caskett team, though it was not clear why he was doing that. Three of the Servbots were doing backflips, somersaults, and cartwheels in the background, showing off while they had the spotlight.

Teisel's voice reached new depths of incredulity. "Whaaaat?" He gaped at the television, his brain refusing to assimilate the information it was putting forth. "Just...what is Tron thinking? I told her to scout out the island's defenses to help prepare for our attack! Not to get involved in some...Digging contest! I know I put her in charge of this operation, but we want those Ruins all to ourselves!"

"Yeah!" Number Twenty-Eight agreed, making a fist.

Teisel was silent for a few minutes, lost in thought. "I've got it!" he shouted suddenly, surprising Number Twenty-Eight so much that the Servbot fell off the couch and had to work his way back up. "Tron must be trying to trick those other Diggers!"

Twenty-Eight was preparing to strike another manly pose, but paused. "Huh?"

"Yes, that's it!" Teisel agreed with himself. "Tron must be pulling the wool over everyone's eyes. She'd never voluntarily participate in some silly contest like this." Teisel laughed maniacally in relief. "She had me worried there, for a second, but my sister has really got it on the ball. She's probably planning for those other Diggers to do two-thirds of our work for us, then we'll swoop in and take it from them!" He laughed some more for good measure, with Number Twenty-Eight following his leader's example.

It was easy to forgive Tron because she was so beautiful. And his perfect match, of course. Still, he had taken it quite hard when the Bonne girl had run out on their arranged marriage in favor of some titleless orphan! After Prince Gary of Garrdan Island had put a lot of thought into it, however, he decided that perhaps Tron was in some way being controlled by her family, or even held hostage by that uncouth Mega Man, or whatever his name was.

Gary had formulated a likely situation in his mind:

Tron, clad in only a tight pink nightgown, struggled futilely against the bonds that held her to the bed. "Oh, won't someone help me?" she wailed desperately.

"Shut up!" howled a drunken MegaMan, kicking Tron's bedroom door open. The slovenly youth patted his beer gut and finished off another can of said beverage, belching as he completely drained it. "When will you get it? You don't exist except as my possession!"

"It's so unfair, a flower as lovely as myself shackled to a ruffian such as you!" Tron's eyes welled up with tears. "Oh, Teisel, my brother, how could you do this to me?"

"It was easy," Teisel replied evilly as he walked by the door. "You need a man who'll keep a tight leash on you, Tron." After he had passed, two Servbots stuck their heads in the door and hissed, casting evil eyes at the captive girl.

"If only that handsome Prince Gary had been able to save me!" Tron despaired. "I'd be out of your dirty hands and back where I belong in Garrdan Castle!"

"You're mine, got it?!" MegaMan shouted. "Nothing except mine! Don't you forget that!" He crushed his beer can, tossing it recklessly on the floor. Then, he leapt on the bound Tron and began ripping off her already-meager clothes violently.

It went something like that. Gary HAD to liberate Tron from such terrible bondage! No matter what it took. That was why the prince had been spending day and night repairing and upgrading Guelly since the flight of the Bonnes. Guelly was basically finished, now, and while his chest laser had been permanently disabled, Gary had been able to improve upon the Catatonic Blase, or at least, he believed so. It was hard to say for certain without some sort of test.

"Gary," Aunt Alaine said, striding purposefully into the workshop, "there's something on the television I think you should see." She clicked on the small four-inch workshop television, tuning it to a station marked KTOX.

"---these three groups of champions will explore the Sub-Gates, then, all three teams will join together to tackle the Main Gate!" As the blond woman finished, the nearby crowd cheered loudly. The camera angle zoomed out, and Gary could see a familiar, pretty face among the contestants.

"Tron!" he shouted in recognition. "And next to her, it's---"

"Yes," Alaine confirmed. "They're all competing in some inane Digging contest on Kattleox Island. I just wanted to bring this to your attention, my boy. How you want to handle it is up to you."

"Kattleox Island?" Gary repeated. His ice blue eyes narrowed. "Prepare the royal skyship, Auntie. It looks like we have a little trip to make." Guelly was battle-ready. Within days, they would make it to Kattleox Island and Tron Bonne would be his!