seymoure

48.

There was a raging thunderstorm overhead, this was evident from the deluge of water cascading down through the ten story hole in Thunderbase opened by The Blaster.

Just to make it more unreal, every now and then a bolt of lightning would tear the sky above.

The message had been sent, received and accepted. There was a small change of terms.

The trio from Thunderbase would be accompanied by Mastadon and by Emo riding Rugglestump. These guards were to make sure that there was no variance from the terms of the agreement, but would not enter into the fight.

The time was coming quickly, and the preparations were done. Out of detection, the tower was encircled by a force that included every powerful individual available. At the given order Vadid Shastan would be set upon by an army like nothing he had ever seen before.

Folks had been building the “mechanicals” that would be the main tool in the scam.

He would have surprises coming from all directions, which is always the best if you can work it out.

It was expected that Shastan would also have forces waiting, but if the fight was going to happen then he should be the one battling the element of surprise, not them.

None of this made the act of waiting in the open to be assailed any easier to do.

The group left the tower with a good 10 minutes left before appointed hour.

Mickey thought he might have liked it better had they brought a deck of cards and played on Rugglestump’s back.

He tried to not look at Madame Mimic because it made him think about his mother. It was the last thing he wanted to do at this time. He was worried enough about what was going to happen than to spend some of his mental capacity sapped by the tears he knew he would shed anytime he thought of her.

Now, the thunderstorm ceased, almost on cue. The sky opened and showed a bright blue overhead.

A single sound brought the boy back to the moment that was real, and he dabbed his eyes.

The sound was that of the saucer whooshing overhead. It circled twice in wide arcing turns overhead.

He was using equipment to see if anyone was there and hiding. He wouldn’t find any. They were all too far away.

The only thing he wasn’t expecting was the object under the tarp that sat at Mickey’s side. No one had seen that but the boy himself (and Jeremy, and those who helped put it together).

The saucer slowed, and lightly set down on the grass. The portal opened and the ramp lowered to the ground.

Mickey knew, in a second, the single most powerful man on Earth was going to exit that doorway and set about to kill him and his brother.

He started the only emotional way he could cope with the situation.

Mickey began to get mad.