Joseph plugged the wire into Josh's suit of armor and suddenly, they heard the conversation. Joseph's eyebrows shot up so high that Andrew thought they were going to hit the ceiling. Everyone else merely jumped.
"That's ya talking!" said Jakkon in an accusing tone.
Joseph shook his head. "No it's not. It's Liquid Metal Joseph and Sandra! They're back! And they're in Josh's suit of armor, possibly controlling it . . ."
". . . and we don't know how to get the armor off," finished Andrew grimly.
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TO BE CONTINUED . . .
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And here it is: The continuation of "Liquid Metal II: The Error"!
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1997 Liquid Metal II: The Error (Continued) By Derek J. Barbee
Any resemblance to actual characters are not coincidental. ; )
Joseph, Bahb, and all other independent creations of Joseph DeLaCroix are the copyrighted property of JoCo Inc. Commander Packbell, Bookshire Draftwood, and Sandra Nightweaver are the copyrighted property of David Pistone. Jakkon, Jerena, Colin, Chris, Andrew, Josh, Dakkon, Runa and Ashley are the copyrighted property of Derek J. Barbee. All rights reserved. Pause for bourgeois legalities: This story is copyright ©1997 by the author, who grants permission to reproduce and distribute it, so long as A) you don't screw around with it and leave the text as it is, and B) you don't try and make some cash off of it. If you're serious about the latter, drop me a line barbees@sonic.net and we'll discuss my cut. All the normal provisions of Title 17 (the U.S. Copyright Law) still apply.
Based on characters and situations created by Sega Corporation, Archie Comics and/or DiC Productions. Bookshire Draftwood may appear in this story courtesy of David Pistone Talent Associates.
A link to my Web page is now in my Copyright notice. It can be reached at http://www.sonic.net/~barbees/derek/index.html so enjoy!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author's Note: After I finish this continuation I think I'm going to take a break from writing Sonic Stories for a while. (You have NO idea how tricky it is to be constantly funny!) Don't worry, I won't take too long until I start writing again! In fact, I'll even give you a preview of the stories that will be up when I get back! Here: 1st. Robotnik Returns 2nd. The World of Legends 3rd. A Few New Surprises
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Time Line: Precisely 3.4 seconds after "Liquid Metal II: The Error"! ;-)
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There was a stunned silence.
Jakkon was the first one to move, and when he moved, he moved quick. In a flash Jakkon was across the room and had his hands at Joseph's collar. It was a few seconds before Joseph realized that his feet weren't touching the ground anymore.
"Do ya realize that my son . . . MY SON . . . is in the hands of those two bloody cretins right now?" screamed Jakkon, emphasizing his words with the occasional shake of his hands, making Joseph sway wildly.
Joseph grabbed the Amber Chaos Emerald and used a simple levitation spell to propel him up into the air and out of the clutches of Jakkon. Joseph floated for a moment to cool Jakkon down before he landed at the control panels that he had used in the experiment. "We don't know that he is in the clutches on them, just that they are in the suit of armor with him," said Joseph, casting a concerned eye over at Josh.
There was a sudden hum and a loud blast of energy exploding. Everyone whirled to see where it was coming from.
"Josh!" cried Colin. "Look at Josh!"
There was an audible gasp as they did so. The suit of armor was swirling like mad, much more than usual. Suddenly, a head appeared in the armor!
Liquid Metal Joseph stretched out, forming another body of liquid metal. In a few seconds Liquid Metal Sandra did the same. Liquid Metal Joseph detached himself from Josh, beckoning for Sandra to follow. Now there were three forms of liquid metal, and two of them were set on destroying Knothole!
Liquid Metal Joseph kissed Liquid Metal Sandra as they were both fully detached. Colin snorted under his breath and whispered to Chris. "It's a wonder that their lips don't stick when they do that."
Liquid Metal Joseph glared at him. "I was considering sparing you for a time, but now I've changed my mind."
Andrew held up a finger. "Before we die, may I ask you a question?"
Liquid Metal Joseph looked amused. "Okay."
"What just happened here?"
"It's all really quite simple. Even if Joseph did cut us up into little tiny bits to make Josh's armor . . ." he gestured at the small form that was now struggling to stand up. ". . . the armor was still made of us. And we each have control over a third of the armor."
"Now if there are no more questions I think would like to destroy something."
Joseph began muttering under his breath. Jakkon knew he was getting ready to cast a spell, a real doozie, too, judging by how much time it was taking to prepare it and summon up the necessary energy. So, he stalled. Jakkon style.
"Very good sir," he said like a waiter, "may I recommend . . ."
Liquid Metal Joseph and Liquid Metal Sandra lunged. At the very same moment Joseph cast the spell. Joseph and the whole rest of the group disappeared. In their place appeared a brick wall.
". . . the blinkin' brick wall!" finished Jakkon, laughing as he disappeared.
Wacrunch!
A few seconds later they appeared outside. Chris looked at Joseph quizzically. "What spell was _that_?"
"Juxtapose."
"Juxta-wha?"
"It magically switches you with the object of your choice. I moved us out here into the spot where a brick wall was and I moved the brick wall where _we_ were."
"Ah."
Joseph sighed. "We had better alert Knothole. It won't take Liquid Metal Joseph and Liquid Metal Sandra too long to get out of the dome."
There was a rumbling as the ground started shaking and most of the group fell flat on their backs.
"Check that!" yelled Jerena. "It won't take them any time at all!"
The two liquid metal monsters exploded from the earth, leaving a gaping hole in the ground.
Jakkon frowned. They seemed slightly larger! He shook the thought away. There was no way they could have gotten bigger in that short amount of time.
Liquid Metal Joseph took in a deep breath and sighed contentedly. "Smell that, m'love? Fresh air! It's been so long since we actually smelled fresh air!"
Liquid Metal Sandra took his arm. "True, it has been a while. We were stuck in the Metal Dimension for a long time. Too long, for my liking."
"Well, my dear?" asked Liquid Metal Joseph, "Shall we dance?"
Liquid Metal Sandra smiled. "Let's."
With a roar the two rushed a restaurant known as "The Next Level". This particular restaurant was all metal, and sported futuristic devices.
Liquid Metal Joseph and Liquid Metal Sandra absorbed it.
That's right.
Absorbed it.
Everything that was metal was gone. Luckily it was a holiday and no people were inside. But this did attract a crowd. It is not every day you see two metal creatures attack a restaurant and absorb it. AND GROW BIGGER WHILE DOING SO!
Colin turned to Joseph. "Don't tell me, let me guess. Liquid Metal Joseph and Liquid Metal Sandra are able to use any other metal to make themselves grow bigger."
Joseph nodded glumly. "Good guess."
Liquid Metal Joseph and Liquid Metal Sandra were now much larger than before, and towered over the crowd. Liquid Metal Joseph turned and fixed an icy glare on the audience.
The audience ran.
"Ah ha!" exclaimed Liquid Metal Joseph, moving into a quick pursuit, "Fast food!"
Jakkon looked around desperately for a weapon. No nothing here! Just a farmer with a pitchfork, an old female squirrel with a frying pan and a little otter maid with a squirt gun.
Jakkon blinked. Squirt gun?
Jakkon dashed over to the otter maid and knelt next to her. "May I borrow this?"
The baby otter looked rather confused, but nodded. Jakkon cocked the gun a couple times and looked for Liquid Metal Joseph or Liquid Metal Sandra. Right now they were preoccupied with destroying another building. Jakkon sighted on the gun and tried to think of what he could do to attract their attention. Then he thought of something.
"Hey bonehead!"
Liquid Metal Joseph turned, annoyed, to see Jakkon standing there smiling, the water gun behind his back.
Liquid Metal Joseph growled. "You are becoming a nuisance!"
Jakkon clucked his tongue. "I'm just becoming a bally nuisance _now_? I must be bloody losing me touch!"
Liquid Metal Joseph roared and stretched out a hand. And when I say STRETCHED out a hand, I mean that literally. Liquid Metal Joseph's hand grew and stretched itself shooting across the road and heading for Jakkon.
In that split second, Jakkon whipped the squirt gun out from behind his back and fired. The water hit the expanding hand dead on. After all, Jakkon had been a mercenary and was a crack shot, even with squirt guns (Author's Note:I know that sounds silly, but it's true! Sometimes Jakkon and the Mercenaries used squirt guns more often that real guns!)
Joseph's hand froze and stopped expanding. Liquid Metal Joseph cursed and tried to move it but found that he couldn't! It had become solid!
Jakkon pumped his fist and grinned. It had worked!
Liquid Metal Joseph merely shrugged, and the solid part of his hand feel apart from his body and lay on the ground. Liquid Metal Joseph was a bit smaller, but still liquid.
Jakkon fired three more shots with surprising accuracy.
Clank! Clunk! Thud!
Three more pieces of metal fell to the ground.
Liquid Metal Joseph was running now, fearing more for his life than his revenge. Liquid Metal Sandra followed
Jakkon shook his head in disbelief. For something that was metal, that blasted thing moved fast!
Jakkon looked around at the scattered group. Jerena was huddled with the kits in a corner of an alley, Colin, Chris and Andrew were hiding behind various trees and Joseph and Sandra were standing behind Jakkon. "Well?" asked Jakkon in a loud voice, "What're y'all waiting for? Break out the bally water guns!"
With a cheer, Colin, Chris and Andrew ran toward the direction of their huts.
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"All right, here's the plan."
The group was huddled together closely, listening to Jakkon as he explained what he had in mind to stop Liquid Metal Joseph and Sandra.
Jakkon pointed at Chris. "You get some of the radio equipment and fly around where Liquid Metal Joseph and Liquid Metal Sandra are. Tell us where they are and what they're doing. Understood?"
Chris saluted with a flip of his wing. "Yessir! I'll go get the equipment right now!"
As Chris rummaged through one of his boxes (This is all taking place in Chris's hut, y'know!) Jakkon turned to Josh. "How are you feeling, pal?"
The now Liquid Metal Josh nodded. "I doing fine."
Jakkon grunted. "Good. Because you don't want to miss what's going to happen next!"
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Chris alighted on a branch on the outskirts of Knothole, waiting. He knew that Liquid Metal Joseph and Liquid Metal Sandra would be passing this way, so it was only a matter of time before . . .
"This is stupid!"
Chris snapped to attention and hid in a bush, listening to the voices.
"We should have just gone back there and killed them!"
A second voice, who Chris identified as Liquid Metal Joseph's snarled back at Liquid Metal Sandra.
"Yeah? You didn't get YOUR hand frozen and left behind!"
Chris could now see the pair slithering down the road. They were apparently in a heated conversation about what to do.
"I know I didn't, but quit shying away from the point! They are still out there and have no intention of just letting us be!"
"That _is_ the point!"
"Oh, geez, just shut up!"
"No, listen! I have a better idea than going back to Knothole! From what I've heard, Robotropolis has been abandoned. That place is practically _full_ of metal! If we go there we can get to colossal size and then stupid Jakkon and Joseph and the rest of those dolts won't be able to stop us!"
There was a pause as Liquid Metal Sandra thought it over.
"True. There _is_ more metal in half of Robotropolis that all of Knothole."
"Then let's go!"
Liquid Metal Joseph and Liquid Metal Sandra took off for Robotropolis at an astounding speed.
Chris flinched as he thought what might happen if this went any further. He quickly hit the talk button on his microphone with his claw. "Jakkon! Come in! It's Chris! Liquid Metal Joseph and Liquid Metal Sandra are headed for the remains of Robotropolis! If they suck up all the metal there they'll be unstoppable! We have to cut them off! I repeat, we have to cut them off!"
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"All right, everyone ready?"
Jakkon surveyed the formidable army before him. Every citizen who owned a water gun, equaling about 124, were all standing at the end of the path from Knothole leading to Robotropolis. Each had a water gun in possession and was assigned a position. Now, there was only one thing left to do. Wait.
"Something's coming!" shouted someone from the front ranks.
Everyone cocked their guns and sighted. This was it. One chance. If too many of them missed then they would all die.
Now every animal in hiding was able to hear the slithering noise that got closer.
With a sound like thunder, Liquid Metal Joseph and Liquid Metal Sandra burst through the trees . . . and stopped dead in their tracks.
GOOOOOSSHHH!
Over a hundred water guns all fired at once. Big guns, small guns, even squirt bottles . . . they all fired.
Liquid Metal Joseph and Liquid Metal Sandra roared and tried to stop the flow of water that was solidifying their bodies, but couldn't.
Liquid Metal Sandra was the first to go. She froze in a position of holding her hands out in front of her, trying to block the water. Liquid Metal Joseph cried out as he saw his love die. Just before he too froze, he turned to the crowd with a glare of unbelievable anger.
"I WILL BE BACK! THIS IS NOT THE END! I WILL RETURN AND KILL YOU ALLLLLL . . ."
Liquid Metal Joseph froze, eternally frozen in his anger like a statue, which he now was no more than.
The crowd cheered. Jakkon smiled. Liquid Metal Joseph and Liquid Metal Sandra were finally defeated.
Jakkon walked over to Joseph and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Joe?"
"Yeah?"
Jakkon's grip tightened. "Now, I'm not such a bally good scientist meself, but I think that I could probably come up with some concoction ta freeze ya like ol' Liquid Metal Joseph and Liquid Metal Sandra if ya EVER do anything like this again!" said Jakkon,his grip tightening even more. "Catch my bloody drift?"
Joseph winced. "Righty-o."
Sandra came up and elbowed Joseph. "Careful, dear, you're beginning to talk like Jakkon now!" she said jokingly.
Joseph shrugged. "Would you rather I talk like Sonic instead, babe? Ya know what I mean?"
The whole group laughed at that. The day was won.
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Epilogue: After this incident, The citizens of Knothole took Liquid Metal Joseph and Liquid Metal Sandra and threw them off a cliff into the ocean near the edge of The Great Forest. The cold water would hold them forever, thought everyone.
Would it?
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Not _quite_ the end . . .