Family Ties By Gerhard Naudé and Kristen Coughlan All Road Rovers names © Warner Brothers and rightful owners Natsu, Reese © Kristen Coughlan All Rover Strike names, Arkadiy, Tyrna, Armand, Rongue, Jock, EuroCorp, Mayhem Mercs © Gerhard Naudé Sprinter © Andrew Sinclair Corse Any question, comments, complaints, feedback or suggestions can be sent to gnaude_@hotmail.com. The scene opens in a EC meeting room. An EC businessman is showing slides of Arkadiy in action as he speaks to some EC board members and members of MM. A top EC executive is telling the mercenaries about Arkadiy. Executive: Since he was here, Monsieur Rembrandt really wants him recaptured. We are will to pay well if you bring him back here. MM Executive: What is so special about this cano-sapien? Executive: He is one of the original test subjects for the sapien project we were running. He had escaped during the incident with the nature warriors. MM Executive: What skills or abilities should we know about? Executive: So far he seems a good shot and hand-to-hand fighter, but as for specific abilities we do not know. EC Executive 2: When the Russians were spying on him. One of his jobs was a bounty hunter. We believe he is doing the same job with the Road Rovers. The slides show spy photos by the Russians of Arkadiy in action and some photos of him training in the Road Rover training rooms. Executive: As you can see, he has received some Road Rover training and can easily gain aid from their units. On the streets of London, an Irish Terrier is walking in the London Underground. His name is Reese and he is a Road Rover agent. He is wearing a suit and carrying a laptop bag. At closer inspection a EuroCorp tattoo and ID number can be seen in one of his ears. Suddenly Reese looks up. Reese has the power to transmit and receive electric signals through thought. He hears a signal from a cell phone. Voice (female, in Reese head) Hello, someone help me. This man kidnapped me and wants to harm me. In Reese's mind, he finds where the call was transmitted. He stashes his laptop bag in a locker and locks it. He goes through the Underground and finds a storage room and enters. As he enters, something hits him in the back of the head and he falls to the ground. He sees the figures of three huskies. There are two males and one female. Female Husky (talking into comm.) We got him . . . Reese realizes she was a caller and this was a trap. Older Male Husky (to other two huskies) Now for the next phase of the plan. Hours later at Road Rover Mission Control, Arkadiy is in one of the Road Rover training rooms punching and kicking a punching bag. He is very fast because of his speed powers. Hunter enters the training room with Exile and Colleen. Hunter: How are you this morning, Arkadiy? Arkadiy (punches the punching bag) Good, comrade. Exile: And how is your training coming along, comrade? Arkadiy (gives the punching bag a kick) Good. Colleen: He seems to be having fun. Hunter: Master has a mission for you. A Road Rover has gone missing. Arkadiy: Who? Hunter: His name is Reese. He is a Irish Terrier cano-sapien. He is a Rover that works in London, England. Colleen: And since you have free time, the Master thought that you should go to London and find him. Other units are busy and we are about to head to the South African Border to help free Striker. Arkadiy (looks at a file Hunter gives him): I can find him in a few hours. Hunter: Master is going to send two agents with you. Arkadiy (stern): I work alone. Hunter (calm): You don't have to work with them, but they will shadow you just in case you run into serious trouble. Sprinter and Tyrna come into the training room. Arkadiy (stern): I rather work alone. Exile (calm): Like it or not, comrade. That is what the Master says. Sprinter (to Hunter): You asked us to meet us here, Hunter. Tyrna (stares at Arkadiy) Arkadiy? Colleen (shocked): What a minute, Tyrna. You know about Ark? Tyrna (calm): We were in EuroCorp at the same time. Had a cell next to my sister. Arkadiy goes up to Tyrna. Arkadiy (stunned): You are about the last fur I'd expect to see here. Tyrna: You're the last fur I expected to see too. I thought you were killed when the nature warriors came. Arkadiy: I thought so too. Your sister Harva was quite upset over the fact. Tyrna: Where is Harva? Arkadiy (sad) EuroCorp recaptured her when we were living in Russia. Tyrna sighs and tears appear in her eyes. Tyrna (cries) I hate EuroCorp. Colleen: We all hate EuroCorp, as do many people and canos. EC commits all kinds of atrocities behind a smokescreen of European Union laws and regulations. Arkadiy: I want EuroCorp to pay for kidnapping my wife. Exile: We all want EuroCorp to pay, comrade. In a secret compound, Harva is sitting in a corner of a cell rubbing her belly. There are other newly captured or transformed cano-sapiens in the brig. A Bulldog Cano-sapien that looks like a drill sergeant enters the brig. Sergeant: And how are the ladies this morning? Cano-sapien #1: Let us out! Cano-sapien #2: Where are we? Cano-sapien #3 (growls) You will be sorry when I get out of here. Sergeant: Keep your cool. You will soon be trained how to be mercenaries. You will get out when the time comes. Cano-sapien #2: I was on vacation and kidnapped out of my hotel. I don't belong here. Sergeant: Think of it as "conscription", maggot. Cano-sapien # 3 (growls) I was invited to Spain for a wrestling match and I ended up in this hellhole. Cano-sapien #1 (upset) What do you want with us? Sergeant: Simple. We're going to turn you useless maggots into soldiers. Cano-sapien #4 (growls) I don't want to be a soldier. I want back with my humans. Sergeant: No can do, maggot. We will teach you to be a soldier, or we'll kill you. Simple as that. Cano-sapien #4 yips. Some guards enter the brig. The cell doors open. Cano-sapien #4 tries to make a break for it. The guards all pull out tasers and fire electrical darts at the escaping prisoner. The Cano-sapien shakes on floor. The guards grab the cano-sapien, and then drag him away. All the other cano-sapien but Harva stands up at attention. Sergeant (smug): Got you attention, have I? He then notices Harva. Sergeant: Hey, you! Stand to attention! Harva shakes in fear. The drill sergeant sees the EuroCorp tattoo in her ear. Sergeant: Ah, you're the special one. I got orders for the advanced training course for you. Harva (whimpers) I'm just a housewife and I am pregnant. Sergeant: That's why we should get you into training ASAP before that pup starts kicking. Harva cowers into the corner. The sergeant motions to his underlings. They come up and grab Harva. Sergeant: Enough talk. Training time! Harva is forced to the training grounds with the other cano-sapiens. She is taken to an obstacle course. The sergeants climb a platform running along the course. Sergeant: Ready, maggot? Let's see how well you can run! Harva runs but runs out of breath quickly. Sergeant: You tired, maggot? Harva pants and falls to her knees. Sergeant: On your feet, maggot! You're going to the gym to build that stamina! She forces herself to her feet but keeps panting. The sergeant led her to the gym, barking at her and forcing her to run. When she arrives at the gym, she is almost about to pass out. Sergeant: Rest while you can, maggot. Soon you'll be exercising those muscles! Harva lays on the floor panting as the base commander enters the gym. Commander: How are the new trainees, sergeant? Sergeant: Typical new trainees. Complaining why they are here and one of the tried to escape. (points at Harva) This one is the weakest I seen. The commander looks at Harva, rubbing his chin Commander: She does look like it? Sergeant: I had instructions from the top to give her advanced training and get her ready to work with Lt. Rongue's unit. Commander: Ah, yes. This one is a special case, sergeant. Get her fit as you can and keep her on the advanced training until she passes. Harva still lays panting on the floor. Commander: Have her get a rest. In the jet rover, Arkadiy, Tyrna, and Sprinter are heading to London. Tyrna: So you married Harva? Arkadiy: Dah. We became pretty much inseparable. In an abandoned building, Reese is tied up and gagged. Also in the room are the three huskies, Rongue, Raven and Armand. They were in Mayhem Mercenaries uniforms. On a closer look, on the back their necks there are a small green light from a tiny device. Rongue (nods) Make sure he is kept drugged. We don't want him to use his powers to warn Road Rovers in the area. Reese growls through his gag and struggles as Raven injects Reese with a sedative. Raven (hits Reese) Shut up. Reese yelps in pain, but growls defiantly in his gag. Raven hits Reese again. He yelps in pain again. Armand (turns to Rongue) Father, the spy at the Road Rover base reports the target is on his way to London. Rongue: Excellent. We will hide in the shadows and ambush him when he tries to rescue this maggot. That clear? Raven, Armand (nods) Yes, father. Armand (reads report) The spy reports there are two Road Rovers with him. One of them being Tyrna. Rongue: Are you sure about that? Armand (nods) Yes, Father. The spy sent a photo of the other two agents with the target. Armand hands the photo to Rongue. Rongue takes the photo and looks at it for a second, then pockets it. There is some sadness in his eyes and the device on his neck flashes a bit. Reese notices this and makes a mental note of it. On the streets of London, Arkadiy is using a machine to track the tracking device in Reese's collar. Arkadiy: He is near. Sprinter (looks at his own machine, points) He is in that building. Tyrna: Something is not right. (looks on the screen) It looks like he is not moving. Arkadiy: Dah, something here feels dangerous. Sprinter: We better go in with caution. In the building, Raven looks out the window. Raven: They are here. Rongue goes to look out the window. Armand prepares the taser guns. The older husky stares out the window. Rongue (whispers) Get in positions. Arkadiy, Tyrna, and Sprinter enter the building. Arkadiy and Sprinter are holding guns. Tyrna follows behind them with the scanner. They start to go up the stairs. Tyrna (sniffs the air) I smell other cano-sapiens. A familiar scent. Sprinter (sniffs the air): There are other scents around here. Pretty strong too. Arkadiy (sniffs, whispers) I think we are walking into a trap. Sprinter (growls) Man, Ark's right. This whole place just smells. Tyrna (growls) I know these scents. Sprinter: Who is it? A large brown husky appears behind the group. Armand (growls) Me. Armand points his weapon at the group. Arkadiy and Sprinter point their weapons back at Armand, growling. Arkadiy: Who are you? Armand (growls) Don't you remember me. We had cells next to each other. Tyrna (growls) Armand. Sprinter: Armand? Didn't you say that he was your brother, Ty? Tyrna (growls) Yes. Raven comes in from the other direction and also points her gun at the group. Raven (stern) Put your paws up. Sprinter turns to Raven and points his weapon at her. Sprinter: And who are you? Tyrna (growls) That would be Raven. Raven (evil smile) Hello, sister. Sprinter: Sister?? Tyrna (growls) How could you work for the people that killed mother? Raven: Easy, sis. We are very forgiving. Armand (growls) No more questions. Drop your weapons. Arkadiy (growls): There are three of us. We outnumber you. Armand (growls) We are not the only ones here. Sprinter: There are more of you guys here? Voice: I'm here. Tyrna looks up and sees the older husky. Tyrna (shocked) Father? Sprinter (surprised): Father? Arkadiy: Rongue. Tyrna (upset, to Rongue): Why are you doing this? The people you work for killed mother. You loved her. Rongue: That was in the past. Today, I know better about my employers. Tyrna (growls) They are monsters. Rongue: Not once you get to know them better, daughter. Tyrna (growls) I know them good enough. Raven: Aww. That's not nice, sister. Hehehe. Armand (growls) You three will be coming with us to be re-educated. Sprinter (confused): Re-educated? What does that mean? Arkadiy (growls) Force us to work for them by any means. Rongue (laughs): Oh, no. Not forced. "Persuaded". And it won't even hurt. Tyrna (growls) Never! Rongue: Never is not a word in my vocabulary, daughter. You WILL join us. Arkadiy (growls) None of us will join you. Raven: Oh yes you will. All of you. Sprinter (growls) No we won't! Rongue (stern): Enough talk! Open fire! Rongue, Raven and Armand each take aim at a Rover. They fire their tasers but Arkadiy and Tyrna dodge them. Sprinter is hit and falls to the floor. The trio kneels down and immediately fire at Tyrna. Tyrna dodges again and pulls out her gun. Arkadiy fires at Armand but the bullets bounce off of him with his powers. Armand immediately jumps at Tyrna as she is pulling out her gun. Rongue stares into Tyrna's eyes and starts to use his mind control powers. Rongue begins to suggest to Tyrna's mind to go to sleep Tyrna passes out and goes to sleep. Armand grins back at Arkadiy. Armand (evil grin): My turn. He fires his taser at Arkadiy. Arkadiy uses his super speed to dodge the taser again. Raven (growls): You can't dodge them forever. Armand (growls): I agree, sis. Let's see how he dodges this! Armand jumps at Arkadiy and fires, while Raven also opens fire. Arkadiy dodges Armand's taser but not Raven's. He falls to the ground, twitching. Armand and Raven begin to tie up and gag the three Rovers. Rongue: Good. Let's get them into the truck and get them to EuroCorp. Arkadiy and Sprinter growls barely able to move. Rongue goes to fetch Reese from the room. Tyrna is still in a deep sleep. Sprinter (muffled) You can't do this. We are protected by the UN. Armand punches Sprinter in the side. Armand (smug): Whatever. Arkadiy growls at the three huskies. Raven kicks Arkadiy. Raven and Armand finish gagging and binding Arkadiy, Sprinter and Tyrna. Rongue returns dragging Reese. He throws Reese on board the truck. Rongue (nodding in approval): Excellent. Let's get to the truck. The three huskies drag the other Rovers to the truck and throw them inside. Armand punches Arkadiy once as he throws him into the back of the truck. Armand (smug): Comfy? Arkadiy growls at Armand. Armand chuckles and closes the back of the truck. Tyrna was starting to awaken. Sprinter edges closer to Tyrna and nuzzles her. Tyrna yawns and nuzzles back. Sprinter (muffled): Can you use your shape shifting powers? Tyrna (muffled, weak): I'm still tired. I can't focus. Arkadiy tries to find a sharp point to cut the ropes. Sprinter manages to get the gag out of his mouth as the truck starts up and moves. Sprinter (worried): Easy, Ty. We all got bushwhacked back there. Reese is passed out from the drugs in his system. Arkadiy finds a sharp point and rubs his ropes against it. Soon the ropes snap and he unties himself and removes the gag. Sprinter (concerned): Untie Tyrna first. Arkadiy removes Tyrna's gag and unties her. Arkadiy (concerned): You all right, comrade? Tyrna (yawns) Yeah. Tyrna goes to untie Sprinter and Arkadiy unties the knocked out Reese. Arkadiy gently slaps Reese's face. Arkadiy (stern): Comrade, wake up. Reese moans a bit. Arkadiy grabs the agent and shakes him hard, trying to get him to open his eyes. Reese wakes up. Reese (moans): Who are you? Arkadiy: I'm a Rover, comrade. We're here to rescue you. Sprinter goes to the end of the truck and tries to open the doors. Arkadiy lifts Reese onto his shoulders and carries him over to the end of the truck. They feel the EuroCorp Truck stop. Arkadiy: This is our chance, comrades. Open the door. They all jump out of the truck. After the last cano was out, the truck starts to move again. Arkadiy leads the way in running to the bushes at the side of the road. Once everyone is in the bushes, they watch the truck as it drives on Arkadiy: Think we've seen us? Sprinter: I hope not. Arkadiy: So what's the plan, comrades? Tyrna: We need some way to contact Mission Control. Arkadiy: Dah. We need to find a radio. But where? Tyrna: That is the problem. Soon they will find out we escaped and begin to track us down. Reese: I can help you with that. Arkadiy: You have a radio? Reese (shakes head) I can use my power to contact HQ but those huskies drugged me but it won't be long before most of it is out of my system. Tyrna (sighs) I still can't believe my family would work for those monsters. My father hated EuroCorp, especially for what they did to my mother. Reese (shakes head) They are being controlled by them. Sprinter (confused) What? Reese (blunt) I noticed on their necks a small device with a green light. Tyrna (nods) I noticed that too. What is it? Reese (blunt) EuroCorp uses those devices to keep very unwilling subjects in check. It is a microchip inserted into the neck. It controls feelings and actions. Arkadiy (confused) How do you know this, comrade? Reese looks down and pulls some of his neck fur back. The electric light is seen but not lit up. Reese (sighs) I was a test subject at the lab where the microchips were created before EuroCorp bought the company. The chip malfunctioned not long after I became sapien. Sprinter (interested) How did you escape? Reese (sighs) I was being transferred to another lab on a train. GONV forces attacked the train. I used my power to escape the GONV forces by interrupting their signals and turning them on each other and attack the EuroCorp guards. Tyrna: How did the Rovers find you? Reese: During the Techno War, I saved a Cano-sapien family, a mother and two pups. I got them to a RR team for safety. Reese's head looks up. Reese: I think my powers are working again. He closes his eyes. Reese: I heard that the Huskies just discovered we escaped the truck. Sprinter: That's not good. Reese (closes his eyes) But there is a friend of mine that is in the area that is on her way. Tyrna (confused) Who? In the distance, there are some headlights. A Hummer SUV comes into view. Reese (grins) And here she is. The hummer is black in color and the Road Rover logo is on the front doors in silver. The windows are tinted black. The hummer stops beside the three cano-sapiens and one of the windows lower. In the driver's seat is a female Shiba-Inu. Her fur is black and tan. She is wearing a brown leather jacket over a black t-shirt and black pants. Shiba-Inu (blunt) Need a ride? Reese (smiles) Thank god you're here, Natsu. We just escaped Euro-Corp truck and they just discovered we escaped. Natsu (eyes narrow) Get in quickly everyone, there is a Euro-Corp Training Base not far from here. They could of called reinforcements by now. Each of the three cano-sapien enters the Hummer. Arkadiy in the front seat beside Natsu. Sprinter, Tyrna and Reese go into the back. Natsu puts the Hummer in gear and drives off. Inside the Hummer is high tech. There are two small computer screens. One of them shows various views outside the vehicle and the other is a touch screen computer that links to various RRHQs, satellites, and databases. There are various buttons on a control panel that control various weapons. Sprinter (questions) Are you another Euro-Corp refugee? Natsu (shakes head) No. But I know about Euro-Corp well. My master is a Euro-Corp scientist. He brings me into the lab sometimes. I do some spying for the Road Rovers there. I want that place shut down. Reese (smiles) Natsu is also a brilliant scientist and mechanic. (pats side of the Hummer) This Hummer is her pride and joy. As they drive a large vehicle-carrier truck appears behind them, speeding to catch up with them. Natsu (looks at the view screen) We got company. The truck speeds up, then pulls alongside them. It seems to trying to pass. On the back are a dozen expensive cars, as well as a few men. The truck then comes in front of them a good distance. One of them then activates a controller. The ramp and lowers, and suddenly one of the cars is dropped off right in front of them. Sprinter (confused) What are they doing? Arkadiy: Watch out! Natsu quickly turns the wheel to avoid the car. She curses in Japanese. In front of them the packet unloads yet another vehicle. Arkadiy: Natsu! Another one! Natsu turns to avoid the other car. They narrowly miss the car. A third is dropped off. This one, however, lands wrong and begins to spin and cartwheel over the road. She growls deep, she presses some buttons activating the weapons as she tries to avoid the third car. The car gets airborne and seems it is about to land right on top of them. Natsu fires a missle at the car. The missle hits the car, blasting it into a big fireball. The car lands on the road next to them. Up ahead, a fourth car is about to be released. Arkady(growling) Oh no. I've had enough! Natsu: There are weapons behind the backseat. Arkadiy grabs a pistol, then leans out the window and begins to fire at the man with the control. The man ducks behind a car. Ark then proceeds to shoot at the truck's tires. Arkadiy: Speed up! Get next to them! Natsu puts the petal to the metal and speeds up. Arkadiy takes aim at the tires while the truck tries to serve to keep Natsu from getting alongside. Reese takes a genade launcher from the back. Reese: I need a good shot. Natsu pushes a button that opens a sunroof in the ceiling Natsu: Will that help? Reese (nods) Perfect. Reese climbs up to the sunroof as Natsu tries to keep along side the truck. The truck moves away, apparently preparing to ram them hard Reese fires one of the grendes and it lands in one of the remaining cars on the back of the truck. Arkadiy aims at the tires of the truck with his gun. The grenade explodes, blasting the car part and causing the car above it to explode as well. The explosion sends the men flying off it while the force causes the truck to serve violently. Suddenly the trucks jackknifes and overturns, sending cars flying all over the road Natsu quickly moves to avoid each car and debris on the road. Tyrna (grins) Good shot, Reese! Arkadiy: Lets get back to head back to RRHQ before more of EuroCorp's goons show up. Natsu nods and puts pedal to the metal, speeding away from the wreckages behind them In the EuroCorp base, Harva was being put back in her cell. She sighs as she goes to sit in her bunk. She sees the other cano-sapiens being taken back to their cell. They were holding one of their ears or their hip. Harva sees that that they were branded on the hip and tattooed on the ear. Harva looks at her own brand that she received when she was a puppy and sighs. After serveral hours, the Jet Rover arrives at RRHQ. At the same time, the Steath Rover lands. Tyrna (looks) It looks like they rescued Striker from South Africa. Reese (nods) I listened in on the transmitions from their mission with my powers. It appears Striker is severely injured. As the group exit the Jet Rover, they see Striker being taken out of the Stealth Rover on a strecher. Natsu (looks) His legs don't look good. Phoenix is seen running up to the stretcher as Striker is brought down. She goes by his side and takes his paw supportively. Colleen then pushes Phoenix away. Colleen: Sorry, guv. We have to get him into surgery right away. Arkadiy: Surgery? That must be a bad injury. Reese: I heard in the communications that a police tank ran over him. Tyrna: My God. You're kidding! Reese: I also heard that they hid in the Vorster Estate and then took his slaves with them when they left. Tyrna(surprised): Slaves? They had slaves there? Reese (nods) One of them was a captured Road Rover named Kya. I didn't get the other one. Kya and Sunrise now exit the Stealth Rover with Jock. Arkadiy sees him first. Arkadiy: That must be the other slave with Sunrise. Arkadiy now takes a closer look and reconizes Jock. He remembers him from the kennels at EuroCorp. Arkadiy (points) Tyrna! Look! Tyrna: What is it, Ark? Arkadiy (points) It's your brother, Jock. Reese (rolls eyes) Not other one of Tyrna's family. Jock turns towards Tyrna and Arkadiy. Tyrna(gasps): Jock? Is that you? Jock (excited) Tyrna! Tyrna runs up to Jock and hugs him tightly, whining and crying. Jock wags his tail excitedly as he hugs his sister. Arkadiy (smiles) Nice to see you again, Jock. Tyrna wags her tail, still hugging and crying with joy Tyrna: What happened to you? I thought you were dead. Jock explains how he escaped Euro-Corp and ended up as a slave of Adriaan Vorster. Tyrna listens to what he says, then she tells him what happened to her Arkadiy steps up to Jock and holds out his paw. Arkadiy: I'm Arkadiy, but you can call me Ark. Jock: I remember you. You had a kennel next to Harva. Arkadiy nods. Arkadiy: That is correct. She and I are now married. Jock (excited) Where is she? Arkadiy (sighs sadly) EuroCorp recaptured her a few months ago. We don't even know where they are keeping her. Arkadiy sheds a tear. Arkadiy (sad) She is also carrying my pup. Tyrna (sad) EuroCorp also brainwashed our father, Armand, and Raven. Jock(growling) One day, we will make EuroCorp pay for what it did to us. Arkadiy (growls) One day . . . .