Operation: Pacifica, Ride of the Vulpine
by DeadLock the Feral (NYAR!), aka CyberPyro, (deadlock@one.net)


 Hanover, Windigo, and DeadLock entered the small room from the main
  corridor they had traveled.  Their four companions had split off previously,
  heading in their directions and knowing their tasks.  They closed the door
  behind them and huddled together like some bizarre trio of football players.


 "...Last Ritual of Lizzie Borden, this is ..." spoke Windigo.


 "...much fun! ... Why not? ... Uh-huh..." replied DeadLock between
  the simultaneous replies from the other two.  Hanover yanked his head back
  from the huddle.


 "No way.  You're crazy!"  Hanover pulled his arms from the other
  two and backed away, clearly not liking this idea.


 "So, when are we going to get started?"  DeadLock grinned, amused
  at Hanover's reaction.


 "Fun, this will be!" exclaimed Windigo.


 "Started?!  Do you have any IDEA what you're asking me to do?"
  Hanover, aka the Vulpine, flattened his ears in annoyance.  DeadLock looked
  quizzically at Hanover.


 "No.  Not really.  Why?"


 "Liked your personality to have picked you, he did," replied
  Windigo.  She took a couple of steps towards Hanover for emphasis.  He
  backed up, wanting to keep the distance.


 "Nice to have his support. Thought to ask him why he isn't doing
  this himself?"  DeadLock closed the space between them and gave Hanover a
  little push.


 "C'mon your Yellowness, time's wasting."  Hanover stood firm.  He
  found himself turned around by the shoulders and pushed from behind,
  involuntarily moving towards the door.  Windigo graciously pulled the door
  from its hinges and placed it aside so there'd be nothing to grasp.


 Hanover slid his heels trying to find purchase on the smooth floor.


 "Ack!"  The Vulpine flailed his arm wildly as he slid through the
  door and out into the hallway.  With a low grunt, he broke DeadLock's grip
  on him and spun around to face him.


 "I want you both to know something first.  I.. hehehe."  DeadLock
  began tickling Hanover's sides, sending him into sharp reports of laughter.


 "C'mon.  It's time to go.  This'll be fun!"  DL tickle-pushed
  Hanover along, insistent on their plans.  H swatted at DL with his three
  tails and paws, laughing the whole time.  To his dismay, Windigo appeared at
  his side and began tickling as well.  H's resistance melted under dual
  tickle assaults.


 "Mooooooooooooooooove it," smiled Windigo, doing an uncanny cow
  imitation.


 "Maybe we should carry him?"  DeadLock grinned ferally.


 "Maybe." replied Windigo as the Vulpine coughed, trying to catch
  his breath.


 "ACK!"  Hanover fought to escape the tickling fingers, not liking
  the idea of being carried one bit.


 "Got a Vulpine-a-pult?  Maybe that'll move him along."  DL smiled,
  amused at H's reactions.  Windigo suddenly stooped down and grabbed
  Hanover's feet and legs in her arms.


 "Get the fore-end, DeadLock."  DL hooked his arms through Hanover's
  armpits and hoisted him from the floor.


 "Watch where you're grabbin' on that aft!" yelled Hanover, swatting
  at Windigo with his tails.  He quickly fell silent, shushing himself in the
  den of Lyrans, lest he attract a lot of unwanted attention.  The two started
  walking with Hanover held between them.


 "It's time to go," sang DeadLock in his best June Cleaver
  imitation.


 "Trust me, this won't hurt us a bit," stated Windigo, trying to
  calm the Vulpine's alarm.  Hanover grrr'ed in hushed voice as he was
  forcibly hauled ahead.


 "Maybe a byte!  Not a bit though!"  DL laughed to himself, liking
  the pun.  He began dancing a little as he carried Hanover, thoroughly
  enjoying the entertainment.  Hanover groaned and rubbed his face.


 "This is the send-off I get? Nerd puns?!" Blue electricity crackled
  on H's paws.


 "We're off to see the Wizard, the terrible Wizard of Lyra..." sang
  Windigo softly under her breath in tune to DeadLock's earlier song.  DL bit
  softly into H's ear.


 "No shocking," he whispered.  Hanover swung his arms about wildly,
  trying to maintain some semblance of dignity.


 "All right, what am I supposed to say?" he asked, silently
  resigning himself to this idea.


 "Yes?" suggested DeadLock.


 "I mean when I get there, meathead," bit back Hanover as his two
  friends carried him around a corner.


 "Well, about how about 'No!  I'm too yellow to die!!' ?" suggested
  DL.


 "Do what comes natural.  Tell Charn'El pissed off at the harm to
  your children, you are," answered Windigo.


 "Oh, all right!  All right!" whined Hanover as he squirmed in the
  other's grips.  "Put me down and I'll do it."


 "As a really cool Halloween costume, think of it as, you should,"
  chuckled Windigo.


 The Vulpine found himself unceremoniously set down on the floor.
  Hanover stood up, righted his clothing, and cast a withering stare at his
  companions.  He snorted, deciding not to complain anymore.


 "Piggy back ride!" laughed DL as he jumped onto H's shoulders.
  "Gidde up!  Let's go!"  Windigo pushed the two forwards, snickering despite
  herself.


 "Where in my job description does it say 'Pleasure Vehicle?'"
  demanded Hanover.  He struggled to walk, DL's weight above his center of
  gravity making it a difficult task.


 "Same place it says Nemesis's the 'Jihad punching bag'," cackled
  Windigo.


 "Am I supposed to steer with these things?"  DL grabbed an ear in
  each hand and pulled them around like controls on some sort of vehicle.


 "No, you steer with THESE!"  Windigo grabbed a tail in each claw
  and snapped them like reigns on some horse.


 "Will ... You ... Get ... OFF!" snarled Hanover through gritted
  teeth.  DeadLock bent double from his perch of the Vulpine's shoulder so
  that he looked at Hanover face-to-face, though upside down.


 "Promise to do it?  Hmmm?"


 "YES! Fine! Off!" snarled the Vulpine.


 "OK, he promised," smiled Windigo, letting go of H's tails.


 "There.  That's wasn't so painful ... yet .. now was it?" asked DL
  as he unhooked his legs from H's shoulders and prepared to dismount.
  Hanover growled and shoved DeadLock from his shoulders, causing the other to
  fly through the air, land in a roll, and then stand with a dramatic
  flourish.


 Hanover glared at his two friends, still not believing what they'd
  talked him into doing.  Was he completely insane for agreeing to it?


 "Fine.  Let's go."  Hanover goose-stepped around another corner,
  making his way towards Charn'El's throne room.  Windigo and DeadLock
  followed after, walking in step to Hanover and humming 'Pinky and the Brain'
  under their breaths.



- DLtF(NYAR!)
Copyright, Pyrokinetic Productions, Inc. (1997)