Road Rovers Extreme vs. The Cruisin' Canines Pt. 2 "Reality Check" Co-written by Chris Chestnut and Kevin Bryan October 16, 2029. The city is Los Angeles de Infierno, formerly known as Los Angeles. It's deserted and decimated, it's only inhabitants are those who are seeking refuge. Like the three young people moving swiftly through the rubble. One is a young man carrying a young girl on his back as he moves through the rubble. He's wearing a black ballcap with a yellow brim over short brown hair, torn blue and tan jacket, dirt stained white t-shirt, worn-out blue jeans, and a some sort of controller device attached to his belt. A gray glove covers his hand and lower right arm. He quickly dodges an attack, from a Boxer cano-mutant. The other is a young woman. She moves through the rubble as quickly and quietly as she can. She's wearing an old white T-shirt, fingerless black gloves, black sunglasses, a shoulder holster with two guns, and black jeans with holes in the knees. Her hair is black and cut close to her head. Following closely behind her is a bulldog cano-mutant with a laser rifle. The two, the lady and the man, had been sent to rescue the small girl when the two cano-mutants attacked. The plan had been simple: the young man would rescue the girl and her mother, while the young woman held off the cano-mutants. But like so much in this world, the plan had gone wrong. The girl's mother had been killed, and the two would-be rescuers were lucky to have gotten away themselves. The girl was injured, but if they could make it to shelter, she would live. The bulldog cano-mutant fires at her, but she manages to avoid the fire. She looks back at him as she continues to run, and she puts her hand out towards the cano-mutant. The cano-mutant's gun explodes. It cries out but continues chasing her, pulling a knife from a utility belt around its waist. Suddenly, the woman trips, falling to the ground. She sees that the man and the girl seem to have gotten away, their attacker lying unconscious on the ground, and breathes a sigh of relief. She turns in time to see the cano-mutant standing over her, a wicked smile on its face. She screams, as he raises the knife. Before the woman can register what is happening, the cano-mutant falls to the ground unconscious, and a German Shepherd cano-sapien is standing next to her. He's wearing a black NASCAR-like uniform with gray sleeves, pant legs, and black running shoes with white laces. A few moments later, four other cano-sapiens join him; a pug, an Airedale Terrier, a Malamute, and a Jack Russell terrier. All were wearing similar uniforms as the German Shepherd but in different colors. The woman looks surprised for a moment. She spots the pug and immediately jumps up and throws her arms around him. "Kinssin! Thank goodness it's you! The real you!" She pulls back and looks at him. He has a puzzled look on his face. "It's me, Jamboree!" "Jamboree? What happened?" Kinssin asked. "It's a long story, but things have really gone wrong! Von Erich has taken over, and the world's gone crazy! Only a few of us humans survive as free people. Kinssin, you and your team have to help us!" "How?" White Fang asked. "We have to go back in time," Jamboree said simply. The Cruisin' Canines look at each other. Jamboree begins to walk away. "C'mon guys, follow me. I'll take you to our headquarters." ---- A short walk later, the Cruisin' Canines and Jamboree enter her headquarters. Jamboree leads them to the dining area, where she gets them each a soda or a cup of coffee. Kinssin looks around the dining area as Jamboree fixes the drinks. The room looks a bit shabby, with paint chipping off the walls and cracked linoleum. The CC's go over to a table in the corner of the room. The chairs around the table have torn cushions, and one of them is missing the back. The table is clean, and a cracked vase with a single flower sits in the middle of it. The flower is the brightest and most beautiful thing in the room. Arelene stares at it trying to figure out what kind of flower it is. "That's a beautiful flower. What kind is it?" she asks Jamboree. "I'm not sure. I think it's a new breed. I found growing amongst the rubble, and I brought it inside and put it in a vase. Not the whole plant, just that one flower. I put it there to remind me and the gang that there's still beauty in our world, despite all the pain and destruction," Jamboree answered. She fixes herself a cup of coffee and sits down around the table in the corner of the room with the CC's. Sounds of shots being fired and people screaming are heard in the far distance. The CC's are shaken by the noise, but Jamboree sits there as though the sounds were a normal part of life. For her, they are. "So what exactly is going on? I mean what happened after we left?" Jack asked as he sipped his soda. "Well," Jamboree began, "it's a long story. You remember our fight with Von Erich and Del? Von Erich jumped through Tripper's portal just as she closed it. We thought that Von Erich was killed, or at the very least trapped outside the time stream. But he found a way back, arriving in the future only a few weeks after the battle took place. Using the knowledge he had gained from his time in the future, he rebuilt his army of cano-mutants, equipping them with those same futuristic weapons he had used in Los Angeles. We didn't find out he was alive until the Spring of 2001. We were on our way back from a routine mission. He shot down the Turbo Rover. Krystal died in the crash, but the rest of us managed to escape. We searched the globe for him, but we couldn't find a single trace of him anywhere. Then he showed up during one of the Road Rover's missions and killed them all. Afterwards, he stormed RRMC, killing most all of the other Rovers. Jolt, Roughhouse, Tripper, Domino, Belle, and I were the only survivors. We did our best to stop the spread of Von Erich's army. We found other mutants to join our cause. We recruited a small army. But it was ultimately useless. Von Erich managed to conquer the world in the year 2014. That final battle took place right here in Los Angeles. Our forces were decimated, and the battle was ended when he detonated a huge bomb. It destroyed the entire city. Those who survived were taken as human slaves. Only Jolt, myself, and Belle remain from the original group." A tear rolls down Jamboree's cheek as she speaks, remembering all the horrors she's witnessed in this endless war. All the heartache of losing her family and friends spills over, and tears flow down her face. She puts her head down on the table and weeps for a moment. "I'm sorry," she said as she attempted to regain her composure. "It's okay," Kinssin said, hugging her. "Tripper told me that you guys would arrive today. She told me the exact location, and I was going to meet you after returning from my mission. But I got held up when we were attacked," Jamboree said. Tears well up in her eyes again. "You guys are our last hope. We've been working on a time machine. You guys have to be the ones to use it, because you're the only ones who know what your future was like. You have to go back to the past and set things right." "We'll do our best," Kinssin said. The door to the kitchen opens, and an older man enters. He looks to be in his early 40's, with long brown hair down to his shoulders, slowly going gray, and a brown mustache. He has a black headband on, a white T-shirt, black jeans, black finger-less gloves, black boots and a shoulder holster identical to Jamboree's. A younger man enters the room behind him, dressed identically to the older man. He has short brown hair and green eyes. Jamboree hugs the younger man. "Jolt," Jamboree said, going over to hug the older man. "How did everything go?" "As well as could be expected," Jolt said, smiling. "We didn't lose anybody." He turns to the Cruisin' Canines. "I see you guys made it." He goes over and gives each of them a hug. "It's good to see you. I was worried that since time changed, you guys wouldn't arrive at all." "Jamboree was just filling us in on what's been happening," White Fang said. Arelene noticed a wedding band on Jolt's finger. She looks over at Jamboree and notices a wedding band on her hand, too. 'I guess he and Roughhouse must have broken up...' she thought. "Who are you?" Shepard asked the younger man. "Oh!" Jolt said, putting his arm around the younger man. "This is my son, Christian." "Hello," Christian said, nodding to the CC's. "Are you the ones that dad and Jamboree are always telling me about? The ones who are going to save us all?" "Um...yeah," Kinssin said. The younger man's eyes well up with tears. He hugs Kinssin, weeping. "You're finally here. I can't believe it. Now we can finally stop this horror." He pulls back from Kinssin, wiping his face with the back of his glove. "Sorry, I'm just a bit overwhelmed. You guys are like legends." He gets an idea. "Hey, let's go show them the time machine!" "Right," Jamboree said. "I also need to explain some other things to you guys on the way." ---- After a walk through the headquarters, the group arrives at a door. Jolt punches a few numbers into a control panel beside the door. It slides open, revealing a surprisingly high tech lab inside. The group enters the room, and a Dalmatian cano-sapien stands up from behind a platform-like machine. The CC's immediately assume battle positions. "DEL!" Kinssin cried, "What are YOU doing here?" "I work here," Del said. "Oh yeah," Jamboree said. "I forgot to tell you. The Devil Dawgs don't exist. They all became members of our group as we fought Von Erich's army in 2014. Wendy and Poco died, but Kuros and Cantos are members of the team as well. They're servicing the transports, but they'll be here shortly." "Yes, I've been a member of the team ever since my master, Tripper found me. I swore revenge on Von Erich when he killed her. That was 2019. It's taken me ten years, but I've finally been able to complete my ultimate vengeance," Del said, indicating the platform-like machine. "It's my time machine." Christian walked up next to him. "Aunt Ana would be proud of your work, Delirious," he said. "Delirious?" White Fang asked, giggling a bit. "It's my full name. I prefer Del, but since Christian is practically family, I let him get away with it," Del said. "Listen up, guys," Jolt said. "We need to go over a few things. First, you guys need to realize that you now exist outside of time. You already exist in this timeline, and, unfortunately, you're all working for Von Erich. Since you already exist in this timeline, you guys will eventually fade away." "Fade away?" White Fang asked. "What do you mean by that?" "We're not exactly clear on what will happen," Jolt said. "We only know that you guys will soon simply cease to exist. It's the way it works." "Right," Jamboree said. "Second, we're going to try to send you back to the exact moment and location that Tripper sent you forward in the future. Once you're in the past, you have to convince us that Von Erich is alive and that we have to stop him. But you can't reveal too much about what's happened to us individually, because we could mess things up even worse." "Right, and we don't wanna have to fix stuff again," Shepard said. "Is there anything else?" Kinssin asked. "I think that's it," Jamboree said. "I'll set the coordinates," Del said, turning to a control panel next to the computer. Just as he finished typing in the coordinates, the building shook with some sort of explosion. Del struggled to keep his feet as the time platform suddenly jumped to life. The CC's head for the machine, but before they reach it a blinding flash lights the area... ---- October 16, 2000. After fixing up their wounds and getting a good night's rest, the whole gang is feeling much better. Aside from a few minor burns and some bruises, everyone is fine. And after a nice hot breakfast, everyone is in the Conference Room, saying their good-byes as Tripper prepares to send them home. Of course, Laura is helping with her telepathic powers. "Well, Kinssin," Jolt said, "It's been real. But it looks like it's time for you guys to get going." "Yeah, this has been one extraordinary journey," Kinssin said. Jamboree hugs Kinssin. "Take care, you guys. After all, you're the Rovers of tomorrow. Oh, and if you see me in the future, be sure to say 'hi'!" Kinssin blushes. "Sure thing." "Tell your master," the Master began, "that he has some good, good dogs on his side." "Will do," said Jack. They finish saying their good-byes and turn to Tripper. "Okay, if everyone's ready, one time portal, courtesy of myself and Laura." She concentrates and with Laura directing her, a green portal opens in the room. The CC's start to go through, and Extreme waves good-bye to them, saying things like "Good luck" and "Take care." When everyone is safely back in their proper year, Tripper closes the portal. "You know," Blaze said, "I'm going to miss those guys." "Yeah," Krystal sighed. "It was fun to have new faces around." "Who knows," Tripper said, "maybe we'll meet them again one day." "I hope so," Jamboree added. Suddenly a blinding flash of light blazes through the room. The Master shields his eyes from the bright light, and sort of ducks down. When the light subsides, he blinks as his eyes readjust to the normal light in the room. He looks around, but sees no trace of Extreme. "Jolt?" he called. "Roughhouse? Domino?" He concentrates and uses his telepathic abilities to scan the school and the surrounding area. "There's no sign of them. They're...they're gone!" ---- October 16, 2029. The blinding light in the lab of the rebel headquarters subsides. The CC's, Del, Jolt, Jamboree, and Christian stare in disbelief at the time machine. Standing on the platform in their uniforms are the members of Extreme - Roughhouse, Tripper, Krystal, Domino, Blaze, Heatwave, and the younger versions of Jolt and Jamboree. They stare at the people gathered in the room. Then Jamboree launches off of the platform and throws her arms around Kinssin's neck. "Kinssin!" the younger Jamboree exclaimed. "It's you! I'm so glad to see you guys!" The CC's stare at Extreme, confused by their sudden arrival. Jolt and the others stared around the room, at the other people gathered there. The door to the room opens and two cano-sapiens enter, a black pug and an Irish Wolfhound, along with an older woman with blonde hair. They're all dressed identically to the future versions of Jolt and Jamboree. The blond woman, Belle, telepathically contacts the other members of the future Extreme as well as the CC's. 'I sensed what happened. We have to be careful not to let them know who we are. Jolt, Jamboree, and I will use fake names.' "Okay," Roughhouse said. "What the heck is going on here?" "It's a long story," Kinssin said. "Welcome to October 16, 2029." "This isn't the way the future looked when I was here," Tripper said. "That's because it's not the same future you went to," Arelene said. "We arrived here to find that the future had changed." "That sucks," Blaze said. "But why did you bring us to the future?" "That was sort of an accident," Del said. "Why are Del, Kuros, and Cantos here?" Heatwave asked, eyeing them suspiciously. "It's okay," Shepard said. "They're good guys in this new future." "Okay, so who are these other guys?" Roughhouse asked. "Oh, sorry. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Livewire," the future version of Jolt said. He turned to the future version of Jamboree. "And this is my wife, Blowout, and the blonde is Michaela." He turned to Christian. "And this is my son, Christian." "Nice to meet you all," Christian said, but his eyes lingered on Roughhouse. It had been over 15 years since his mother's death, and now here she was, not even twenty years old. She notices him staring at her and he quickly shifts his eyes to Tripper, his aunt. Del was also staring at Tripper, his master, who had been dead for 10 years. He wanted to go to her and throw his arms around her and cry his heart out, but he knew he couldn't. If she knew about him, about his connection to her, then she might never even meet him. "Okay, so what exactly is going on here?" Jolt asked. "You said this isn't the way the future is supposed to be. How can we help set things right again?" "C'mon," Livewire said, "we'll explain everything to you." ---- Von Erich sat in his "office," a room filled with computers and monitors located in Washington, D.C. A desk and most of the computers sit on a raised platform. Von Erich is seated at the desk. His good eye is closed, his other covered by an eye patch, and he appears to be concentrating deeply. Several of the computers show security cameras in the facility. The other computers are running a program, scanning the globe for any signs of danger to Von Erich or his empire. Suddenly, an alarm on one of the computers blares, as the others continue scanning. Von Erich sits up, instantly alert. He goes over to the computer's keyboard and brings up the exact problem. "Ah," he said, "a temporal rift. Time travel...But how? Tripper is dead...and I ordered all mutants or cano-sapiens with the ability to teleport or time travel to be exterminated...Hmm...Could the rebels have built a time machine?" He goes over to another control panel and pushes a button. "Diablo, bring the Kanine X-Termination Squad up here. I need you to run an errand..." He turns back to the monitors. "I need to find them...But thanks to Shepherd's meddling, I can't read the minds of most of the rebels..." Suddenly, another alarm blares. This one comes from the same area as before. He types in a few buttons. "Hmm," he began. "This is a different energy signature..." He sits staring at the screen deep in thought for a moment. His good eye flares with energy as he tries to get into the minds of the time- travelers. The door slides open behind him, but he doesn't turn to see who has entered. The Kanine X-Termination Squad, a pug, an Airedale terrier, a Jack Russell terrier, a malamute, and a German shepherd, stands on the floor just in front of his desk. They're wearing black uniforms, like those of the German Soliders from War World II, with silver capes and Von Erich's Rein Symbol on their right arm. They are this reality's version of the Cruisin' Canines. Finally, after almost fifteen minutes, Von Erich turns to them. "We have a situation," he said. "It seems that we've either got a mutant or cano-sapien who can travel through time, or the rebels have a time machine. I seem to be unable to telepathically enter their minds, so I need you to find out which. Whatever you find, eliminate those responsible. I'll contact you as soon as I can pry any information from their minds." "Yes, master," the pug, Diablo said as he led the group from the room. Von Erich turned back to the monitors. "So, the Cruisin' Canines have finally arrived. I assumed that they would eventually. But I believe they'll find my version to be a bit more than they can handle. But that second signature worries me. If the rebels have a time machine, they could already be destroying my hard work...I must know!" His eye begins to glow again as he concentrates, trying to find the answers. ---- Christian sat next to Roughhouse in the kitchen. He still couldn't believe that this was his mother. She had been gone so long, but now, here she was. He sipped his coffee, unsure of what to say. "So," Roughhouse began. "Livewire says that you're his son. Who's your mother?" "Oh," Christian said. "My...my mother's dead. She died fighting Von Erich in Los Angeles." "Oh, I'm so sorry," Roughhouse said, putting her arm around his shoulder. "It's okay," Christian said. "I've come to terms with it. Hopefully, if our plan is successful, we can make it so that she never has to fight Von Erich." "I hope so, too," Roughhouse said. ---- Del stood next to Tripper in the lab. He was working on the time machine, and Tripper was watching intently. "What caused the explosion that threw the machine out of whack?" Tripper asked. "Well," Del began, "it was something in the wiring. I'm not exactly sure what." "Ya know," Tripper asked, "the other Del kidnapped me, and I noticed that he seemed to have some sort of thing for me." "A 'thing' for you?" Del asked, trying hard to pay attention to what he was doing. "Well," Tripper said, "not like a romantic thing, but he seemed like we shared some sort of history. He seemed so...sad. I don't know why, but I was curious if we have any connection between us." Del is quiet for a long moment. "I can't say." Tripper hugs him from behind and he tenses up. "It's okay. I understand." He relaxes a bit, remembering when he was just a cano- sapien pup, and an older Tripper would hold him like that. "I don't know exactly what history we have, but I know there's something. I hope me being here doesn't bother you too much." "Not at all," Del said, but his voice held a bit of emotion. "Hmm," she answered. "Well, I hope at least that I can help set things right." The door opens and Heatwave enters. "Hey, guys," he said. "Livewire wants us to meet in the lab to assign our tasks." "Alright," Del said. "Looks like we're finally getting underway." Tripper walks next to Del, her arm around his waist, and his arm around her shoulders. Heatwave looks questioningly, but Tripper shoots him a look that says "shut up, I'll explain later." He shrugs and heads down the hall behind them. ---- A few short moments later, both teams and the rebels are gathered in the lab. Livewire and Blowout stand in front of the group. "Okay," Livewire said. "Now we all know the plan. But I have a feeling that we're gonna be getting company soon. So we're gonna split up into two groups. The first group will head back to the past to stop Von Erich. The second group will run interference with Von Erich and his troops." "This is how we're going to break up," Blowout said. "The Cruisin' Canines, Jolt, Jamboree, Roughhouse, and Tripper will head back to the past. That should be enough to take on Von Erich since he's going to be on his own. Krystal, Heatwave, Domino, Blaze and the rest of us will take-on this time's Von Erich to keep him busy. Michaela and Del will stay behind to monitor the progress of both teams." ---- Just above them, on the surface, Attacker, the Jack Russell terrier, had his ear pressed to the ground. The other KXS stand gathered around him. He looks up at them. "I heard everything," Attacker said. "They've got a time machine, and they're planning to go back to stop Von Erich from taking over. Some of them are planning to stay behind to stop us from interfering." "We better contact the Master," Diablo said. "No need," Von Erich told them telepathically. "I heard it all. Listen very carefully, you must make sure that the girl who can time travel is eliminated. Her name is Tripper. She's the young blonde. Destroy the time machine as well. If you fail, find some way to follow them." "Yes, Master," the Airedale, Nightstrike, said. ---- "All right," Livewire said. "Let's get going." Del steps over to the time machine's control panel and fires up the machine. The group going to the past approaches it, and is about to get on, when the ceiling explodes above them. They all drop to the floor, covering their heads. "Well, well, well," the malamute, Blood Fang, said. "It looks like we've uncovered a nest of vermin." "What should we do?" the German Shepherd, Dashslasher said. "Exterminate them!" Diablo yelled. The KXS jump down into the room, as the gang tries to get to their feet. Blood Fang raises his hands towards the time machine, which is no longer active, and beams of black ice fire from Blood Fang's hands. The machine is frozen solid, down to the last molecule. "You're up, Nightstrike," Blood Fang said. Nightstrike leaps at the machine and smashes into it with a roundhouse kick. The parts she kicks shatter into a million pieces. "No!" Del shouts. "My work!" He pulls a laser rifle and fires on Dashslasher. Dashslasher uses his super speed to easily move out of the way. He laughs as Del fires on him again. Livewire gets to his feet and calls to the others. "Canines! Tripper! Get outta here! Michaela, go with them!" "Wait!" Arlene exclaimed, "Who are those Canio-Sapiens?! They look like us!!" "They're the Kanine X-Termination Squad!" Livewire shouted, "but we have no time to make introductions!" "Right!" Michaela called. "Not so fast!" Diablo yelled. He grabbed Tripper as she tried to get by him. "You're not goin' anywhere, kid," he said as flames, blacker than the night sky, enveloped his other hand. Tripper screamed as he brought his flaming hand closer to her. "Stop!" White Fang yelled as he prepared to fire off a blast of ice at Diablo. Just as he's about to fire, he suddenly begins to fade. "White Fang!" Arelene shouted. "What's happening to him?" Diablo laughed. "You fools! You don't belong here, so you're being erased. Soon all of you CC's will be gone!" White Fang screams as he disappears from sight. The other CC's stare at where he had been standing in disbelief. Then a strange look comes over their faces. "What just happened?" Kinssin asked. "I'm not sure," Jamboree said. "It must be starting!" Michaela said. "The CC's are starting to disappear!" "But who disappeared?" Jack asked. "I can't remember!" Arelene said. "Fools," Diablo said, still holding Tripper with his flaming hand near her face. "Of course you can't remember. He no longer exists. Every single trace of...of...of whoever it was is gone forever! And soon you will be too!" "Which is why we have to get you outta here!" Livewire said. "Go on, you guys," Jolt said. "I've gotta get Tripper!" He lunged for Diablo, but was stopped cold by a flurry of super fast punches from Dashslasher. Jolt stumbles back, but Shepard zooms by and catches him, carrying him away from his double. "Jolt!" Tripper cried out. "He's okay," Shepard said, setting Jolt down a safe distance away from Dashslasher. "He doesn't matter anyway," Diablo said, eyeing Livewire. "The only one we have to destroy is Tripper." Memories flash through Livewire's mind as he stares at Diablo moving in to kill Tripper. He sees the day that the Tripper he knew died at the hands of Diablo, only then it had been a knife, and a slit throat. Now he was going to have to watch her die again, only this time, it would not only affect him, but all of history. "Nooo!!!!" Kinssin screamed as he tackled his alternate, and the two crashed through the door. Livewire, Jolt, and Del breathed a sigh of relief. Jack helps Tripper up and Michaela leads them down the hallway into the kitchen area. A few moments later, Jolt, Roughhouse, Jamboree, Shepard and Arelene arrive as well. "Where's Kinssin?" Arelene asked. "I'm not sure," Jolt said. "He went after...well, himself." "We can only give him a few minutes more," Michaela said. "Then I have to help Tripper send you back." "C'mon, Kinssin," Jack said. "Don't let us down..." ---- Back in the lab, Krystal, Heatwave, Blaze, Domino, Del, Cantos, Kuros, Christian, Livewire, and Blowout continued their fight against the alternate CC's. Kinssin and his alternate are nowhere in sight. "You fools! You can't fight Von Erich's power!" Nightstrike yelled as she dropkicked Domino. He crashed into the far wall. Blaze hurled a fireball at her, but she leaped out of the way. It instead hit Heatwave. He glanced up as he realized his bandana was on fire. But instead of panicking he just put out the flames, then converted the heat into a powerful blast. He fires it at alternate Blood Fang, and it makes contact, slamming him into the wall, and knocking him out cold. DashSlasher slams into Heatwave, knocking him to the ground. "We need to slow that canine down!" Livewire said. "Leave that to me! I think I can do it," Krystal said. She concentrates, and small crystals begin to form around Dashslasher's feet, then climb up his body. "What the...?" he began before the crystals covered him from head to toe. "I've got him!" Krystal called out to the others. "But I don't know if I can hold him!" Del, Kuros and Christian continue to fire laser rifles at Attacker and Nightstrike. Nightstrike moves over to pick up Blood Fang, throwing him over his shoulder. "Nightstrike!" he calls. "We have to get Dashslasher out of there! You know what to do." She leaps over Blaze, kicking him in the back of the head as she goes over him, then nails Krystal with a half crescent kick. Without Krystal holding Dashslasher's crystalline prison in place, he manages to bust lose. "Thanks, honey!" Dashslasher calls. "No problem, lover," she said as she runs past him. "By the way, we're retreating, but you're welcome to stay if you like." "What about Diablo?" he asked. "He can take care of himself," she answered, as she leaped up out of the room and onto the street above. "That dog knows how to treat inferior species." Dashslasher carried Attacker and Blood Fang up the wall at super speeds, and then the lot of them disappears. "Did the others make it?" Blaze asked. "I'm not sure," Del said. "We better go check on Michaela." ---- Michaela and the others all wore worried expressions. "The noise has stopped," Jamboree said. "Do you think the fight is over?" "I'm not sure," Michaela said. "I can't sense anyone. Von Erich's goons must be carrying jamming devices." Michaela checks her watch. "You have to go now." "But...," Arelene began. "No buts," Michaela said. "We have to get going. The fighting seems to have stopped, and the others may not have been victorious. You have to go now, in case they lost." "Kinssin...," Arelene said. Suddenly, Shepard screamed, grabbing his sides. The group watched in horror. "Shepard!" Jack cried. Shepard screamed again and then faded from sight. The group watches, then blinks as though they're just waking up. "It happened again," Tripper said. "Someone's gone." "You have to go now, before it's too late," Michaela said. She turns to Tripper and places her hands on the sides of her head. Tripper's powers flare and a portal opens in the room. "Now get going." Jolt, Jamboree, and Roughhouse head towards the portal. "Wait!" someone called from the hallway. Kinssin ran into the room, his uniform a bit tarnished. "I'm ready." "Okay then, get going," Michaela said. They each leapt through the portal, Tripper going last. Suddenly, Diablo emerged from the hallway. "Wait!" he cried. "You've got the wrong pug! He switched places!" Michaela moved to block him, but he tossed a fireball towards her, forcing her back. He ran to the portal and dove through, just as it closed. He screamed as the outline of his form faded from sight. "No!" Michaela said. Livewire and the rest of the gang ran into the room a second later. "What happened?" Blaze asked. "Did they get through?" Domino asked. "Yes," Michaela said. "They were going through when another pug ran in and dove through after them. He said he was the real Kinssin, but I didn't have time to see if he was telling the truth. Whichever Kinssin it was, the door slammed shut on them. And another one of the CC's disappeared while we were waiting for Kinssin." "Aw, geez," Christian said. "What if he was telling the truth? That only leaves two CC's, and they're willingly carrying along an enemy." "I don't know," Livewire said. "We'll have to hope for the best. But we have a backup in place. Be...I mean, Michaela, scanned the minds of all the CC's before they left, so she can act as a link to their future. If we can get the time machine working, and our plan does fail, we'll be able to go back and try again. Del, get to work on the machine. The rest of us are gonna keep watch for any of Von Erich's troops." "I'll need some help," Del said. "Any volunteers?" "Sure," Domino said. He followed Del out of the room along with Cantos, Kuros, and Christian. "I'm gonna go check the perimeter," said Heatwave. "Sounds interesting," Blaze said. "I'll tag along." The two exit the room. Michaela goes over to the stove. "I'm gonna make some lunch for the gang." Krystal moves over to help her. Livewire and Blowout are left alone for the moment. "You think they'll be able to do it?" Blowout asked. "I'm not sure," Livewire answered. Blowout hugged him, and he pressed her tightly to his chest. "You know," she began, "if they succeed, we'll probably never marry each other." "I know," Livewire said. "But this isn't about us, it's about the entire world. We have to do this." "I know," said Blowout, a tear rolling down her cheek. "So for now, just hold me, and let's pretend we'll stay together forever." He held her close as she cried her heart out on his shoulder. ---- Kinssin's head swam. He sat up and looked at himself. He was dressed in a black uniform like that he has seen in WWII books, except for the fact this one had a silver cape. 'Now I remember,' he thought. 'The alternate version of me knocked me into a closet and knocked me out. Then he switched our uniforms. Lucky for me I woke up in time to follow him through the portal.' He looks at his surroundings, and realizes that he definitely has not arrived at his destination. He appears to be on a floating island. A house sits nearby, next to a small lake. A car sits in the parking lot of the house. A small forest surrounds the rear of the house, all the way to the other side of the island. Around the island, there is nothing but empty space. High up in the sky is a small sun, and directly across from it is a small moon. "Where am I?" Kinssin wondered aloud. "This is my home," a voice said. Kinssin turned to see an old man leaning on a wooden cane. He had a white beard trailing down his chest, long white hair, and he wore a blue robe with a blue cap. A pair of wire-framed glasses sat neatly on his nose. A Golden Retriever sat on one side of him, and Himalayan cat on the other. "Welcome." "Where am I? And who are you?" Kinssin asked. "I have no real name. Some people call me Father Time. You're in the nexus of time, where all timelines meet. I am the guardian of this place. These are my companions, Tick and Tock." He paused to rub the heads of the cat and dog. "I take it you're here by accident. Trying to undo the mess the last one made." "Last one?" Kinssin asked. "Yes. His name is Von Erich. He arrived here by accident when the time traveler known as Tripper closed the door on him. The same thing happened to you, yes?" "Yeah," Kinssin answered. "I'm Kinssin by the way." "I know," Father Time answered. "Follow me, I'll get you something to eat." "Wait," Kinssin said. "I'm in a hurry. I need to follow my friends." "Don't worry," Father Time said. "This place exists outside of time. I can drop you anywhere you want. But I have some important things to discuss with you." He turns and heads into his house. Kinssin follows. He leads them to the kitchen, and Kinssin takes a seat. Father Time goes to the counter and fixes him a sandwich and a soda. He sets it on the table and sits down. Kinssin begins to eat as Father Time talks. "There have been only three people to ever be able to travel through time. Parvo was the first, and, though he was attempting to destroy them, he created a chain of events that lead to the creation of the Road Rovers. Things never were completely ironed out in their case, but the flow of time was preserved. "Then there was the cano-mutant Von Erich. He built a time machine and escaped to your future. The team known as Road Rovers Extreme destroyed the machine. But in the process, the young girl known as Tripper gained the ability to time travel and was flung to your future as well. She was forced to take Von Erich back to her time where they tried to take over. You and your friends were pulled to the past as well, and were able to stop them. "But when Tripper sent Del and his goons back, Von Erich tried to come, too. He wound up here, where he stole the information he needed to take over and went back to his own time. He used the information to take over, thus creating an alternate future. That alternate future became the dominant time string." "Huh? What do you mean 'the dominant time string?'" Kinssin asked, stopping Father Time's explanation. "Yes," Father Time said. "Time flows like a river. There's a main branch and then there are smaller branches stemming from critical points in history. Von Erich gained the knowledge to manipulate the time stream to his own liking. He changed the flow so that the main branch flowed into the reality you saw, where he ruled." "Yeah, that's why we went back in time," Kinssin said. "We wanted to fix things." "Well," Father Time began, "you may be able to set things back on the right track, but you can't erase the other reality. Everything that has already taken place in that reality will remain the same, and Von Erich will still rule." "But if what you're saying is true, why bother fixing it? And why are the others disappearing?" Kinssin said. "We must fix it, otherwise the main stream of events will be altered forever," Father Time responded. "As for your friends, they aren't being destroyed, they're being realigned. The reason you can't remember them is because, as long as you remain outside of time, you share no history with them. Time is still realigning itself, but as soon as the last of the CC's goes, the realignment will be complete and you will all return to your reality, but with no memories of what has occurred because you are secondary reality, not the mainstream one." "Okay, I think I get it," said Kinssin. "But, one question. If the future I remember still exists, then why couldn't Tripper send us there?" "She can only jump forward or backward in time, but not through different timelines," Father Time answered. "So, when the portal opened you were dumped in the future Von Erich created because it is now the main time stream." "This is complicated," Kinssin said, rubbing his head. "I don't think any of my training has prepared me for anything like this." "Yes, I imagine it is for a mortal being," Father Time said. "I just wanted you to know two things: if you do change the time stream, you will notice the affects immediately, just as you did when one of the CC's disappeared; and know that the alternate future you visited will not be changed. Everything else will take care of itself." "Can't you help us fix it?" Kinssin asked. "I'm afraid not. I'm not allowed to interfere, so I'm pretty much helpless. However, it is my job to preserve the flow of time, so if you can stop Von Erich in the past, I'll take care of the rest." "Great! Thanks for the info, and the lunch," Kinssin said. "You're quite welcome. I don't often get visitors, as you can imagine, but I enjoy the company," he said. "It must be lonely," Kinssin said. "Not really," Father Time answered. "I've got Tick and Tock, and I get to watch over all of time. It's a bit like watching a soap opera. But you need to be getting on your way." Father Time stood and waved his hands in the air. A portal appeared in front of him. "This will take you where you need to go," Father Time answered. "You should arrive just in time." "Thanks for everything," Kinssin said. "Goodbye," he said as he headed into the portal. Father Time waved good-bye. "Good luck!" he called out to Kinssin as the portal closed. ---- The portal opened in an alley in Los Angeles. Tripper, Jolt, Arelene, Jack, Shepard, Diablo, Roughhouse, and Jamboree crashed to the sidewalk. The portal closed behind them, as Tripper got to her feet. "Attention passengers," Tripper said. "We've now reached our destination. Thank you for choosing Tripper time traveling services. We hope you enjoyed your trip and have a pleasant day." "Are we in the right year?" Diablo asked. A stray newspaper blows onto Tripper's leg. She picks it up and reads the date on the paper. "Yep," Tripper said. "According to this and the info Michaela gave me telepathically, we've arrived two weeks after our battle with Von Erich in LA." She looks at the bank across the street, which flashes the time, date, and temperature. " And we're also an hour behind the time that they believe he arrived." "Which means we've got to find him fast," Roughhouse said, getting to her feet. "He'll still be weak from our battle, so we should be able to take him." "I can track him," Jack said. "Just give me a second." He stops and sniffs the air for a moment, his eyes closed. His concentration is broken a second later, however, as Arelene screams. They turn to look at her as she screams. She fades from sight a second later. The others seem stunned. "It happened again, didn't it?" Jamboree asked. "Yep," Jolt answered. "I don't know who it was, but we have to hurry before Kinssin and Jack disappear, too." Diablo keeps a straight face, but he secretly wants to smile. 'These fools don't realize that I'm not the Kinssin they know. Won't they be surprised when I turn traitor? They actually think that the five of them can take Von Erich. That's just plain stupid' he thought. Jack sniffed the air again. "I've got him! Follow me!" Jack takes off out of the alley and down the street. The others follow closely behind. People on the street stare as the group runs past. Finally, they reach the docks, and Jack leads them to an old warehouse. "He's in there," Jack said. "I'll fly up and take a look," Jolt said, lifting himself into the air with his powers. He flies up until he can see into a window. Inside he spots Von Erich talking with a man in a suit. The man is holding some sort of weapon. Two armed men stand beside him, also in suits. He listens in for a moment. "You want me to pay to have these manufactured?" the man asked. "Exactly," Von Erich said. "I want them for my cano-soldiers." "Why should I help you?" the man asked. "Because once I take over, Mr. Rocco, I'll make sure you're well taken care of," Von Erich said. Mr. Rocco considers for a moment, looking down at the gun. "I'll tell ya what," he said finally, "I'll manufacture these things as long as you agree to let me have some for my men." "Agreed," Von Erich said. "I'll get the blue prints from my briefcase." Outside, Jolt flies back down to join the others. "He's already struck a deal with an arms dealer. There are two goons with the dealer, and they're armed. Now is the time to strike, while he's unprepared." "Alright," Roughhouse said. "Let's do this people." She leads the group over to the door to the warehouse, and, with one punch, breaks the door in. The two goons turn to face them, but Jolt takes out one with a bolt of electricity, and Jamboree blasts the other with a small explosion. They crumple to the ground. The arms dealer whirls on them, bringing up the futuristic gun that Von Erich had given him. Tripper launches a small green arrow from the crossbow attached to the glove of her right arm and nails the gun. It disappears from his hand and reappears in hers. "Nice trick," Jack said "Thanks," Tripper answered. Jack pulled his own gun from his holster, the famous Tennis Ball Mini-Shooter, which looks like a small automatic handgun, except for the large round end. He opens fire on the arms dealer. The ball flies out of the Mini-Shooter at lightning speeds, not giving Rocco any time to react. The ball smacks him in the head, stunning him. He falls to the ground next to his men. Von Erich claps his hands. "Bravo," he said. "You've managed to take down a bunch of human thugs. But now you must deal with me." ---- In the alternate future, the rebels were busy holding off Von Erich's forces. They had been eating lunch when the attack came. Del's time machine was once again destroyed, and the group had been forced back into the streets. "This sucks," Blaze said, crouched behind an overturned car. "Tell me about it," Livewire said. He sighted down his arm and fired another round of laser fire at Von Erich's approaching troops. They backed off for a moment. "Can you tell if the others are okay?" "Well," Blaze said, "Michaela, Krystal, and Del are hiding just behind that abandoned building, and Christian and Blowout are just behind us, crouched behind a mailbox. I think Cantos is dead, and Kuros is MIA. Dom and Heatwave made it to the roof of another building, and they're trying to hold off some of Von Erich's forces by knocking over some buildings to block the path." "Hopefully, they can buy us some time," Livewire said. He fires off another round, nailing a cruiser carrying several cano-soldiers. It crashes into a nearby building and explodes, collapsing the building into the road. "Good shooting," Blaze said. "Something's wrong," Livewire said. "This is too easy. It's like they're just a..." He trails off as a thought dawns on him. "...a diversion." He whirls around in time to see Von Erich make his entrance. "Heads up, guys! This is it!" ---- They all fired on Von Erich at the same time, all except Diablo. Diablo stood back, watching. Von Erich easily shielded himself from their attack. "Damn," Jolt said. "He's using that stupid psionic shield again. The only way to make it fall is to hit every inch of it at once. Blaze was able to do it last time, but I'm not sure if we can do it again." "The gun!" Jack said, indicating the gun Tripper was holding. "You can change the setting so that..." His sentence broke off in a scream. He dropped his gun, as he fell to his knees holding his head as if it was pounding like crazy. He let out a loud howl as he disappeared, erased from existence. Diablo walked over to where Jack dropped his Mini-Shooter and calmly picked it up. "We're down one," Roughhouse said. "We have to end this NOW!" "He said something about Tripper's gun," Jolt said. "Give it to me, quick!" Tripper tosses him the gun and he catches it, looking it over. Diablo raises the Mini-Shooter and points it at Jolt's chest. "Freeze." Jolt looks up surprised. "What are you doing, Kinssin?" "I'm not Kinssin," he smiled. "You mean you're....," Jolt trailed off as the realization dawned on him. "Yes," Diablo smiled wickedly, "I'm Diablo and I come from the future Von Erich created. And just so you know, even though these are not bullets, the speed from one of these balls at close distant is, well let's just say, not even you will survive this." "Not so fast," a voice called. They all look around, but can't see the source. Suddenly, a portal opens behind Diablo, and Kinssin emerges, tackling him. They roll across the floor, and the Mini-Shooter goes sliding away. Jamboree grabs it, trying to figure out what to do with it. Meanwhile, Jolt plays with the gun a bit, as the other members of Extreme attempt to hold off Von Erich. He finds a switch on the side of the gun. 'This must be what that person meant when they said to change the settings,' he thought. Jolt raised the gun and pointed it at Von Erich. He pulled the trigger, and a wide arc of energy shot forth from the gun. It knocked him backward off his feet, even as it surged over Von Erich. "Now!" Roughhouse yelled, "While his shielding is down!" The three girls fire at once, as Kinssin and Diablo continue to struggle, and Jolt gets to his feet. ---- "We have to get him to drop his shield!" Livewire called to the others. "Not that again," Blaze groaned. "I did it last time, but I had to douse him with gasoline. I can't set the shield on fire directly." "Well, we don't have any gasoline, so we'll have to think of something else," Livewire said. Michaela linked the whole group up telepathically. 'Okay, guys we're all hooked up,' she said. 'I've got an idea to get him to drop his shield,' Del said telepathically. 'I've got this new invention that I've been cooking up just for him. It's a grenade that will release a concentrated blast of energy. The only problem is that it works like a land mine. If I can place it on the ground, and get him to walk over it, it'll discharge inside his shield, knocking it out and injuring him." 'Sounds good,' Livewire said. 'Do it! Everyone else, cover him. Dom, Heatwave, hold off any troops you spot from up there.' Christian fires a bolt of electricity at Von Erich, and Livewire joins in. Blaze hurls a few fireballs as well. Meanwhile, Del runs across the street towards Christian and Blowout's position beside the mailbox. He drops the grenade in a crack in the street. No one is bothering to hide anymore, since Von Erich came up from behind and knows where they are anyway. 'Christian, Del, Blowout' Livewire said telepathically, 'fall back here, maybe he'll follow you.' Christian, Del, and Blowout head towards Blaze and Livewire, and the five of them move to the other side of the car. As they hoped, Von Erich begins walking towards them. "You fools," Von Erich said. "You can't defeat me." Von Erich raises his hands up, and using his powers lifts loose debris from the area. Fortunately, the grenade stays put. Von Erich then throws his hands forward, flinging the debris at the group. Livewire and his group hide behind the overturned car, and Krystal builds a wall of crystals to defend herself and Michaela. Von Erich continues forward as they cower before him. He walks over the bomb and it detonates beneath him. The whole area is lit up for a moment by the blast. Von Erich reels, as his shield falls. "NOW!" Livewire cries out. "Hit him with everything you've got!" ---- Von Erich reels under the assault of the girls, and Jolt quickly changes the settings on the gun and joins in. They continue to pelt Von Erich with round after round. He reels, finally falling back to the floor. "You think you're so smart," he said. "But I possess the knowledge to change history! Whether I win this battle or not, it doesn't matter. I'll ultimately be victorious!" "Not this time!" Jolt said. "You won't win!" Jolt charges him, catching him off guard. Jolt channels all his power into his right arm and slugs Von Erich across his muzzle. Von Erich reels. "That was for my father." This time, he channels his energy into his left arm and punches Von Erich again. "And that was for Blaze." Von Erich lays unconscious on the floor. Jamboree screams, "Kinssin!" Jolt turns to see that Diablo has Kinssin lifted off the floor by the neck with one hand. His other hand is holding a laser gun trained on Roughhouse's forehead. "Anyone makes one move, and I'll put a bullet through the girl's head," he said. He turned his head to look at his double in the black jumpsuit. "As for you, my goody-two-shoes counterpart, you're about to die. Any last words?" "Though evil shall have the upperhand, good will triumph over it," Kinssin said with a gasp as he hung in Diablo's grip. "Oh, shut up!" Diablo yelled at his alter ego, "I'm so glad I didn't become you." As Diablo's grip got tighter on Kinssin, time seems to slow down as Jolt cries out, "Jamboree!" Diablo turns and fires at Roughhouse as Jamboree blows his gun to bits. Roughhouse rolls out of the way as the bullet breezes by her, grazing her arm. Jolt tackles Diablo, making him drop Kinssin to the floor. Tripper opens a portal behind them, and Jolt shoves Diablo through. "You'll never defeat the great master! NEVER!" Diablo shouted as Tripper slams the portal shut. "Thanks," Kinssin gasped, rubbing the front of his neck. "No problem," Jolt said. "I owed you one, remember? You saved Ana, and I saved you." Jolt then goes over to check on Roughhouse, who is bleeding. "Are you okay?" "Yeah," she said. "It just grazed me." "Where'd you send him?" Jamboree asked as she helped Kinssin stand. "I sent him back to the future," she said. "I thought you need a psychic to do that," Jamboree asked. "It's getting easier," she said. "It's just like teleporting. You just have to visualize it. Since I've been there I can visualize it." "So what do we do now?" Jolt asked. "We haven't fixed things yet," Kinssin said. "The time stream would have realigned itself if we had, and we would have gone back to the time when we left." "Of course," Jolt said. "We stopped Von Erich for today, but what's to stop him from trying again?" "Are you saying we kill him?" Jamboree asked. "Not that he doesn't deserve it," Roughhouse began, "but, no, we don't kill. Maybe Belle could mind wipe him." "That won't be necessary," a voice said, as the room was bathed in light. When it subsided, no one was left in the room. ---- Von Erich staggered as he was pelted by the blasts from the rebels. He reeled back trying to regain his shielding, but to no avail. He used his powers to hurl more projectiles at them, but that tactic also failed. "Keep hitting him," Livewire yelled. "He can't concentrate as long as we keep hitting him!" "Wrong!" Von Erich said. He lifted a section of the street in front of him as a shield, using it to take the brunt of the blasts. He reached out with his mind and toppled the building that Dom and Heatwave are standing on. Heatwave takes to the air, carrying Domino with him. Below them, Krystal and Michaela are forced out into the open. "You're going to pay for your assault on me," Von Erich said. He fires a bolt of psychic energy through his hands, one aimed at Michaela and Krystal, and the other at Heatwave and Domino. All four are knocked to the ground. Livewire, Del and Blaze charge him, guns firing, while Blowout and Christian stay behind the car. Von Erich laughs at their attack, sweeping his hand out and knocking them to the ground. Blowout and Christian open fire as soon as the others hit the ground. Von Erich smiles. "Oh, 'Livewire,' I do so enjoy torturing you and your family." He reaches out with his power and lifts Livewire up into the air, holding him there, helpless. "Say goodbye," Von Erich said, as he hurled an extremely powerful bolt of psychic energy at Blowout and Christian. It hit the car and exploded. Both of them screamed as the air was engulfed by the blast. "NO!" Livewire screamed, full of rage. The sudden surge of emotion fed his powers, and the sky grew dark with clouds. Lightning flashed down and struck him, and he absorbed the energy. He charged Von Erich, wrapping his arms around him in a bear hug. He created a circuit between them, releasing all that energy into Von Erich and then absorbing it back into himself, over and over again. Finally Von Erich went limp in his arms. Livewire dropped him and Von Erich fell, to the ground, and lay very still. Livewire knelt down beside him, checking for a pulse. There was none. "He's dead," Livewire said, as the others got to their feet. "What about Blowout and Christian?" Michaela knelt beside Blowout. "She's okay, just unconscious. We need to get her to a medical unit." Krystal knelt next to Christian. "His pulse is steady, and he seems to be breathing. I think the explosion looked worse than it really was." "Hey, it managed to throw Livewire into a fit, so I say it was a good thing," Blaze said. "We might have lost otherwise." "What now?" Del asked. "Now," Livewire said, "we spread the word to all Von Erich's troops. Von Erich is dead. We lead now." He looks around at the destruction. "Looks like we've got our work cut out for us." Suddenly, a bright flash envelops the area. It disappears just as suddenly, leaving behind only Von Erich's body. ---- When the light subsided, Extreme and the rebels stood looking at each other on Father Time's island. Arelene, Jack, Shepard Jones, and White Fang were also there. They ran over and hugged Kinssin. "Man, it's good to see you," Jack said. "It seems like it's been a lifetime since we've seen you." "It has been," Father Time said, whimsically. "I brought you here from your proper timeline. You've lived your whole life there without ever even meeting Kinssin, because time hasn't realigned itself." "Uh...okay," Shepard said. "Father Time?" Kinssin asked. "What are we doing here?" "I told you I'd take care of the rest Kinssin," he said. "I can't leave this area, so I brought you all here." He glances over at the unconscious Von Erich. "Thanks for knocking him out. I couldn't remove the information from Von Erich's mind as long as he was conscious, but now that he's out cold, I can handle him." "Who are you?" Jamboree asked. "Oh, this is Father Time," Kinssin said. "And we're in the nexus of time." "Yes," Father Time said. "Thank you for all your help, children. You've successfully managed to restore time." "But why didn't our future change?" Blowout asked. "Everything was still the same." "It won't change," Kinssin said. "The world you know is an alternate reality branching from our battle with Von Erich. Von Erich changed the flow of time so that he would become ruler, and so your world would be the dominant timeline. We fixed the flow of time to the way it's supposed to be, but unfortunately, we can't change what happens to your reality." "Hey, it's okay," Christian said. "We took out Von Erich just before we were brought here." Kinssin looked relieved. "Thank goodness. Now you guys can build a better future." "Hopefully," Del said. Father Time went over to Von Erich and put his hands on the sides of his head. "What are you doing?" Blaze asked. He looked up at the others. "To prevent further problems, I erased the knowledge of how to build the time machine from Von Erich's mind. There's only one other way to travel through time now." He turned to Tripper. "I'm sorry, but I must lock away your time traveling abilities." "That's okay," she responded. "They sort of scare me anyway, because there's no guarantee that I can get back home." Father Time placed his hands on her head. A moment later he looks up. "There," he said. "All locked away. A telepath can reopen them if an emergency arises." He turns to the arms dealer. "As for these guys..." His eyes flash with a white light. "There, all the info is erased from their minds as well." A portal opens beneath them and they disappear. "What'll happen to them?" Jolt asked. "They'll wake up in the warehouse where you found them," Father Time said. "What happens to us? I mean, will we remember any of this?" Christian asked. "Of course," Father Time said. "That's why I brought you here. I didn't want your memories of these events to be erased when time realigned. It's my gift to you. Plus, I wanted to give you all a chance to say good-bye. When you're all done let me know." The group sort of splits up, hugging each other and saying good-bye. Tripper goes over to Del. "Del," she began, "I still don't know what history we share, but I know that I definitely mean something to you. Which is why I want you to have this." She reaches up to her neck and takes off the cross she's wearing on a silver chain. "This isn't much, but I want to give you something to remember me by." "Thank you," Del said, his eyes welling up with tears. "This means more to me than you can ever know." She hugs him as he begins to cry, the cross clutched tightly in his hand. Livewire, Blowout, and Michaela stood next to Blaze, Krystal, Heatwave, and Domino. "Thanks you guys," Livewire said. "I'm really proud of you. If it weren't for your help, our future would never have been freed." "Well, you did most of the work," Domino said. "We were just the back- up." "Don't sell yourselves short," Blowout said. "You're a fine group of kids." "Thanks," Krystal said. "I hope you guys have the best of luck rebuilding things. I know with you guys in charge, things are going to get better." Jolt and Jamboree stood with the Cruisin' Canines. "Thanks for all your help," Kinssin said. "If not for you, we never would've gotten home." "No problem," Jamboree said, hugging him. "I'm just glad everything worked out for everyone." "Me, too," Arelene said, as Jamboree moved to hug her. Jolt extended his hand to Kinssin, and Kinssin shook it. They hugged briefly, then pulled back. "Thanks," Kinssin said. "I should be thanking you," Jolt said. "This is the best adventure I've ever had. And I found a great friend." "Same here," Kinssin said. "You take care of that sister of yours, and Extreme." "As long as you promise to take care of the CC's," Jolt said. Christian and Roughhouse stood off to the side, alone. "Roughhouse," Christian began, "I'm not sure I should say anything, but...you reminded me of my mother. I don't remember much about her. I was very young when she died. I just wanted you to know that I'm really glad I got to meet you." Roughhouse hugged him. "I'm glad I got to meet you, too," Roughhouse said, her eyes welling up. "Your mother would be very proud of you." "Thank you," Christian said. "Okay!" Father Time called, emerging from his house. "Everyone get together for a group photo!" The group got together, with the CC's in the middle, Del and Tripper on one end, Roughhouse and Christian on the other, Livewire and Blowout holding each other, and Extreme scattered throughout. Father Time took four pictures. He gave one to Jolt, one to Livewire, and one to Kinssin. He kept the last for himself and then he put away the camera. "There," he said. "Now we'll all have something to remember this event." He slapped his hands together and rubbed them. "Okay, guys," he said. "Now it's time to send you home. Let's start with you rebels." He opens a portal and Livewire, Blowout, Christian, Del and Michaela step through waving good-bye to a chorus of "good-byes" and "good lucks." Father Time turns to the Cruisin' Canines. "Your turn," he said. He opened a portal, and the five members of the team head through, waving good-bye. "Bye, Kinssin!" Jamboree called. "Don't forget to say 'hi' if you see me in the future!" "And now for you," Father Time said. He opened the final portal, and Extreme headed through, waving good-bye to Father Time. When the portal was closed, he smiled to himself. "They're all a bunch of fine people. I see great things in their future." Tick and Tock run up to him. He leans down and greets them with pats on the head. "Now, let's go get some dinner." ---- Epilogue ---- Jolt sat on the roof of Shepherd University next to Roughhouse, watching the sunset. "That was some adventure," Jolt said. "I'll say," Roughhouse said. "Too bad we missed two weeks worth of school work. But Father Time didn't want us to interfere with, well, us, when we came back to stop Von Erich. So he dropped us off right after he took us." "I'm glad I graduated a few months ago," Jolt said. "Lucky dog," Roughhouse said. She leaned on Jolt's shoulder and watched as the sun sank lower on the horizon. She sighed. "I wonder if Christian will be okay." "I'm sure he'll be fine," Jolt said. "Hopefully, we'll get to meet him in our own time." "That would be nice," Roughhouse said. "Weird, but nice." They watched the sun sink below the horizon, still huddled on the roof. "Wanna go get some ice cream?" Jolt asked. "Race ya there," she said standing. The two headed through Jolt's bedroom window and raced down the hallway, passing by Tripper's room. Tripper sat on her bed writing into her journal. She sat back and read the entry to herself. 'Dear Journal,' she read silently in her head. 'Things have been weird. I got to travel through time again to an alternate future, and then me and the rest of Extreme had to set things right. We got to see the Cruisin' Canines again, which was cool. And we got to meet some rebels, which I suspect of being Jolt, Jamboree, and Belle. They didn't use their real names, but I think it was them. And Jolt had a son with Roughhouse! His name was Christian. I have/had a nephew! Oh, and I got to see Del again. Not the Del that kidnapped me, but a good Del, who was working with the rebels. I seem to share some history with Del in both realities, but I don't know what. I gave the good Del my cross. I wish I could have given the other Del, the Del that I'll eventually meet, something. He seemed so sad last time I saw him. I promise that when/if I meet him, I'm gonna do everything I can to keep him safe and happy. Well, I gotta go, I think I just heard Jolt and Roughhouse run by, which can only mean ice cream. Laters, Ana.' Jamboree stuck her head into the door. "Hey, Jolt and Roughhouse are going to get ice cream! C'mon!" Tripper locks her journal into her chest, and then turns to Jamboree. "I'm coming!" Tripper said. ---- The Cruisin' Canines sat around their headquarters, relaxing. Father Time had sent them home right after they had originally left. Kinssin sat at the computer engrossed in something, while Jack and Shepard sat playing Black Jack, Arelene watched television, and White Fang listened to his newest CD. "Ya know," Shepard said, "it's good to be home." "Yeah," Jack said, "but it's almost like we never left." "Thank goodness," Arelene said. "That way I don't miss the season premiere of 'Friends.'" "Is that show 'still' on?" White Fang asked, turning his head to see her. Kinssin kept browsing the security files. He noticed a folder in the computer that he'd never seen before. He clicked on it, and a file began to load. "Hey guys," he said. "I think I found something in here. It's an old file, last updated on October 16, 2019." "That was exactly 10 years ago," Jack said. "What's it say?" White Fang asked. "It's still loading," Kinssin said. Jack and Shepherd dropped their cards, Arlene got up from her spot, and White Fang set down his headphones. The other four CC's gather around the computer screen to see what the file says. A window opens on the screen, and a logo pops up. It reads "Road Rovers Extreme: Personal Records and Battle Log." Kinssin clicks on the logo, and a page loads showing pictures of each member of Extreme, including some the CC's don't recognize, along with their names. "Do you think this file suddenly appeared because of something we did in the past?" Jack asked. "I don't think so," Kinssin said. "I don't think Father Time would have let that happen." "So these records were just lost all this time, huh?" Shepard asked. "Maybe so," Arelene said. "The bios don't say what happened to them. The records were never updated after this date." "Maybe the date of their last battle?" White Fang asked. "Or maybe they retired after that?" Jack asked. "Who knows?" Kinssin said. "But I'm glad to know that they seem to have done alright for themselves." "Let's hope we do as well for ourselves," Arelene said. The door opened and a tan skinned, red hair, green eyed young man enters the room. He is wearing a white lab coat, light blue dress shirt, brown sweater, digital watch/communicator, black dress pants, black socks, and black shoes. It is their master, Charles A. Wolfe. "Sorry to interrupt, but dinner is served. I made you all an extra special dessert as a way of saying 'job well done,'" Charles said. "All right," Shepard said. He headed for the door, followed by the other Cruisin' Canines, except for Kinssin, who stays seated at the CC computer. Arlene sees Kinssin still at the computer and asked, "Kinssin, aren't you coming?" "I-I'll be there soon, ok?" he smiled. "All right," she smiled back, heading into the new dining hall. "Hey, if Kinssin doesn't come soon, I get his food!" shouted Jack. Kinssin went back to the computer and looked at the files, the pictures, and that date that is nagging at him. "What happened to them?" he thought, "The file is here, but it hasn't been updated in ten years. And what of Extreme? There should be some info on what happened to them somewhere, but it isn't here." He gets up from the computer and closes the file, marking a spot on the computer for easy access. He then walked away a bit saddened, but determined. "Sorry, Father Time," he thought, "It looks like our trip through time and with Extreme is far from over. I promised Jamboree I would say 'hi' to their future selves, and I plan to keep that promise!" Kinssin enters the Dining Hall, where the Canines are eating their food. Charles stands nearby and chuckles at the sight. He spots Kinssin and asks him to join the group. Kinssin smiles and sits next to Arlene and Jack. Jack turned his head and laughs at Kinssin, "I guess I won't get to eat your food after all!" "Right," Kinssin chuckles. "You've done well, me friends," Charles smiled at his canines. "You're good, good dogs," Charles said. ---- Del, Livewire, Blowout, Michaela, and Christian sat around the table in the kitchen area of their base. Kuros and Cantos were there as well, both were seriously injured but alive. They were being tended to at the medical bay of their headquarters. The others were having dinner. "I still can't believe it's over," Blowout said. "It seems unreal that Von Erich is dead. And I am thankful Kuros and Cantos are okay." "Me, too, but we've got a lot of work to do," Michaela said. "Fortunately, I can use my psionic powers to order around some of Von Erich's remaining troops so we can get them transdogmafied and on our side." "I just wish Mom could have seen this," Christian said with a sigh. "I know she was with us," Livewire said. "We've lost a lot of people along the way, but we've finally done what we set out to do." Del fingered the cross Tripper had given him as he ate. "I'm glad we got to see Tripper and the others. I think it really rallied us. Seeing the hope and idealism they possessed. Well, I know it helped me, anyways," Del said. "Yeah, and we're gonna need a lot more idealism to rebuild what Von Erich has destroyed," Livewire said. Michaela lifted her cup. "I propose a toast," she said. Everyone raised their glass. "To idealism, to hope, and most of all to our future." ---- Del sat in his room at the Devil Dawg's hideout. He propped his head up on his arm, staring at a picture of Tripper, deep in thought. From the room adjacent to his, loud crashes can be heard. He sighs, then reaches up and knocks on the wall behind him. "KNOCK IT OFF!" The noises immediately quiet, and he slouches back down in his chair. He sighs again. "Ana," he said, sad