Week 17.4 – The Crash

Previously: Digger’s rented car crashed into a giant robot. He was rescued from death by a mysterious flying man in black armor. And now…

The man landed a few feet away from Digger. “Are you okay, sir?” asked a muffled voice.

Digger felt a twinge in his neck that promised greater pain later: whiplash. He ignored it. “Yeah. Are you Cole? I’m Digger.”

The visor on his helmet flipped up by itself to reveal a handsome Chinese face. The eyes were a little disturbing: clouded with silver, the gaze just a bit too bright. He smiled, and the metal segments making up his gauntlet peeled away to reveal his hand as he offered it to shake.

“Metalord. It’s nice to meet you, even if you are one of Kevin’s friends,” He glanced down at the hand he was shaking. Then over the sound of the headless robot’s renewed thrashing, he shouted, “But aren’t you supposed to have things on your hands?”

“Long story,” Digger shouted.

“Excuse me.” Metalord turned to the robot and mimed the actions of a man wadding up a piece of paper. The robot’s body crumpled and buckled. Sparks shot from the places where its metal skin tore open. Hydraulic fluid pooled underneath the bestial machine as it collapsed in on itself. When Metalord was done, all that was left was a crumpled ball of metal sitting in a reeking pool of viscous syrup the color of urine.

[blockquote type=”blockquote_quotes” align=”left”]“Professor Exotherm.” Metalord aimed a hand at the copter. Electricity arced around his hand, and then lightning shot out toward the copter, which dodged away. “Mad scientist. You know.” Digger didn’t know…[/blockquote]“Noise was getting on my nerves,” Metalord said. One of the dragonfly copters passed overhead, pursued by the cluster of explosions that left a smoky tendril in its wake.  When the noise had subsided, Metalord asked, “So how was your drive up?”

“It was okay,” Digger said. “A little… Aren’t you in the middle of a battle?”

Metalord sighed. “Yeah, I guess we oughta mop up the Professor. Want to come along?”

“I don’t know,” Digger said. “I’ve kind of…”

“Course you do,” Metalord said. Digger felt something wrap around his waist and then he was pulled into the sky by the strip of aluminum Metalord had wrapped around his waist.

They soared upward and turned toward the waterfront and the derelict pier. The long warehouse-looking building that sat on the pier looked long abandoned. Its white walls were stained and peeling, and the boards over the windows were weathered and gray. But from the air, Digger could see that the roof was in good condition and looked to have been recently patched.

Except for the part that had been replaced completely with two large fiberglass doors–doors which were now swinging open.

“Who are you fighting?” Digger shouted as one of the dragonfly copters buzzed toward them.

“Professor Exotherm.” Metalord aimed a hand at the copter. Electricity arced around his hand, and then lightning shot out toward the copter, which dodged away. “Mad scientist. You know.”

Digger didn’t know. “What’s he planning?”

“I don’t know,” Metalord said. “Cortex keeps track of that stuff. I just hit what he tells me to.”

They flew forward over the building, until they could finally look down into the opening in the roof at what lay below.

What is inside? And what does this have to do with Digger’s pursuit of Twain? The answer to the second question is, “Probably not much,” and the answer to the first question is, “Join us tomorrow to find out in the next thrilling episode of Run, Digger, Run!“

To read from the beginning, click here…