2.3 Death Ray's Return

The din from inside suddenly turned to screams, and Death Ray knew that, like it or not, it was time to bail Bob’s ass out of the fire again.

He rushed back through the kitchen door just in time to see a massive cyborg raise his weapon to strike. At blindingly fast speed, he whipped the ray-gun from his belt and fired.

The blast caught the cyborg’s left wrist and sheered straight through it. Off balance the axe tilted away and sliced through the air just inches from Bob’s skull.

Someone grabbed Ray from behind. He whipped around to see his foe but saw nothing, even as the grip tightened on his shoulders. He suddenly choked as he felt Venus de Milo’s touch burn in to his skin.

He dropped to the floor and gasped at the pain. He let the ray-gun fall from his hand as he reached to his back. He yanked one of Venus’ detached arms from his back and slammed it down against the floor. Across the room, Venus cried out. Ray felt the other hand’s grip loosen and fall away.

His back still burned, but Ray retrieved his gun and climbed back to his feet. Ray shoved his way through the crowd, trying his best to get to Venus before she reached the exit.

A metal fist struck him alongside the head. The blow took Ray off his feet and he fell hard on his hip. His gun fell from his hand and slid several feet away as Wargod moved in for the kill.

Ray swept a foot out but instead of tripping the cyborg, he only managed to bruise his foot against its solid steel leg. Wargod reached down with his remaining hand and grabbed Ray by the throat.

Wargod lifted Ray up by the neck, and at the same time began to crush the life out of him.

Ray silently cursed as he raised his hands up and clawed at Wargod’s face. His fingers caught against Wargod’s raised right optic sensor. Ignoring the pain it caused him, Ray drove his fingers in to Wargod’s fleshy forehead and ripped the bionic eye away.

Wargod roared in pain and confusion. Ray felt the grip loosen around his neck. He took the distraction as an opportunity to bring his legs up. He drove them in to Wargod’s chest and pushed away. He felt his collarbone snap as he yanked free of the cyborg’s grip.

Ray tumbled to the ground and rolled up on to his knees. He reached down beside him and picked up the ray-gun from the floor.

Wargod turned towards him just in time to take the blast from the ray-gun in his remaining optical unit. The cyborg roared in confusion as it lost all vision.

Ray stood up and scanned the room for Venus. He knew she wouldn’t leave without her servant, but he could not see her anywhere.

“Over here!” At the sound of her voice, Ray turned back towards the bar. She stood atop it, but she was not alone. She held an unconscious Bob Cat by the hair, as she stroked his face with her free hand.

“If you don’t want to see your friend’s skin melt from his face, I suggest you drop your weapon.”

Ray grimaced as he lowered his weapon to the ground. Despite all the dumb shit Bob pulled, Ray still loved the kid like a brother. He couldn’t just stand by and let him die.

Wargod moved past him and straight towards Venus as she continued to talk. “We’ve got what we came for, and despite my hatred for both your asses, I really don’t feel like fighting to the death today. So if you let me and Wargod teleport out of here, I will let your little friend here go. Agreed?”

Ray nodded.

Wargod reached Venus’ side. Venus pushed Bob Cat in to Wargod’s free hand. She began to gyrate her hips on stage. A few drunken stragglers began to cheer at the free show.

After several seconds of dancing, a blue glow began to radiate from her skin. It coalesced in to hundreds of particles of floating light. The particles floated away from her and formed a ring. After a few more moments, the ring flashed to life and formed an iridescent blue rift in space/time.

Venus stepped towards the warp, but she stopped short before entering it. “By the way,” Venus said as she turned back towards Ray. “I’m a liar.”

Wargod threw Bob Cat’s limp form through the warp hole. Ray cursed. He reached down and yanked the gun from the floor as he sprinted towards his opponents.

Venus walked through the portal, followed two steps behind by Wargod. Ray pushed himself forward and dove towards the warp-hole.

It closed just as he reached it and Ray found himself hurtling in to the bar. He crashed down hard and felt his arm and several ribs break on the impact.

Ray pulled himself upright. He reached down, grabbed his arm, and shoved the bone back in to place. Damn it, he thought. Why does every night out with Bob have to end up like this?

He dragged himself towards the door. It was going to be a long night. He had a rescue effort to mount.