Chapter 1
Part 7: Exposure to an Actual Plot
Mino was soaring away from the newly crafted ArmorHole. The sky was a beautiful blackish-purple and luminous, swirling clouds gathered in the distance. His walkie talkie had been going all day, with reports of odd radioactive activity appearing everywhere. On the ground below him he could see white lab-coated scientists scanning the destruction of the streets with odd contraptions that even Mino didnât recognize. He put his plane at a lower angle in an attempt to land. On the ground nearing, he could see the motorcycle that Xeano had ridden. It was parked outside his destination. The planeâs engines roared in attempt to make the landing, but ultimately it was still rough, as Mino was tired. He was having the darndest time controlling his biplane. The wheels extended out of the bay and slid across the blacktop of the runway. The plane rode for about two hundred feet before it finally came to a grudging end.
Mino was outside ArmorCathedral. After the Great Tournament, rebellious Newmans had the church moved because McNeelism had become unpopular. Since the moving of the church McNeelism was all but gone. Mino opened the shiny, black door of his plane and jumped out. Even for his great stature, the 10 foot drop was still difficult. He stretched his arms out and adjusted his labcoat. The Minotaur turned and slammed the door shut, taking a few steps away from his plane and doing a quick three-sixty. In Minoâs opinion, the church was moved to a fabulous setting. It was the middle of nowhere, in the desert far away from ArmorCity. The church was placed on a hillside which allowed for a spectator the view of dozens of miles in every direction. The sky was getting darker, the clouds were getting bigger, and the wind was getting stronger. Mino couldnât stand the desert wind, so he decided to walk up to runway and go into the church. The church, being on the top of a hill and in a middle of a desert and all, was fairly difficult to reach via walking. The runway was built to reach it, but, accordingly the runway had to be built at angle. It didnât start out too bad, but as one got closer to the building they would have to climb steeper and steeper. Eventually theyâd find themselves climbing the runway like it was the side of a building. Mino despised the poor engineering skills of its builders.
As he pulled himself over the top, he stood up with a loud grunt and trudged forward a little bit. Mino stopped a few seconds later, glanced at his motorcycle, and then ran towards it.
âGOD DANGIT!â
Mino picked his bike completely off the ground and clutched it in his hands. He started to cry the more he held it. There was a terrible scratch in the side which ruined the paint job. Mino cried for a few minutes before setting it down, wiping his eyes and going inside. Before he pushed the great doors open, he turned back around again and glanced at his beloved once more. He wielded a big frown. He turned and went inside.
ArmorCathedral was a magnificent church. It looked like any other church, but Mino felt it was special. The bell tower, especially. However, he decided not to dwell on its features and went towards the great altar. There were big candles lit, lighting only the front of the church. He almost tripped upon shutting the great doors because he couldn't see anything. Mino squinted his eyes and he could make out a few robed people.
âHey, uh, guys? I donât think you should be here.â
Mino knew he was supposed to be there. Storm screeched at him via walkie talkie to go there specifically, and that he shouldnât expect any visitors except Storm herself.
âYo, dudes. Get out.â
He didnât think they heard him.
âBROS! GET OUT!â
At that point, every robed figure turned and glared at him. He couldnât tell how many were there because, despite most Minotaursâ usual ability to see in the dark, Mino got his eyes from his motherâs side. Coincidentally, she wasnât a Minotaur. He thought one started towards him, but he couldnât tell.
âWho are you guys!?â
At that point, the whole church lit up as the ceiling lights turned on. Mino looked down and saw two robed figures.
âOkay, showâs over. Get out now or deal with my sword.â
Mino always kept his sword in his plane.
âCome on, guys. No one wants to see gore.â
âI DO.â
Storm grabbed the chest of her robe and pulled it off in one, elegant movement.
âOh, itâs you... Thank Newman.â
The other robed figure pulled its robe off. Mino couldnât tell who this person was.
âHello, dearie.â
âEr, hi.â
The person looked like a woman, but had the face of a man. Under the robe she had a white v-necked dress, and she had gorgeous blonde hair. She also had an elegant diamond necklace with matching earrings to boot. Most shockingly, however, was the fact that her arms were so buff they had the combined width of her chest.
âMINO, I, UH, HANG ON.â
Storm stuck her hand down her throat and pulled a black ball out.
âAh, much better. That stupid voice-translator always makes me sound so loud.â
Mino had known Storm for nearly 5 years, and he had no idea she used such a device. Her voice was sexy and alluring without the translator. It made her seem so intimate now.
âWhoâs that?â
Mino gestured to the unknown woman.
âThat is pang. She is my master.â
âYour what!?â
âMino, how much do you know of the plan?â
âI thought we were going to resurrect the great prophet Freakenstein!â
âYes, and do you know why?â
âNo, I just do what you tell me.â
âOh. Uh. Sorry, I thought Iâd told you already.â
Mino thought that Storm seemed a little more rational without the translator as well.
âYou see, pang is an old friend of Freakenstein. He is going to help us.â
âYou mean sheâs a guy!?â
âYes.â
pang gave him a disgusted look. He yanked the blonde hair (which was actually a wig) off his head, which revealed short brown hair. Then, he reached down his cleavage and pulled out two watermelons. He carried the items over to Mino.
âGrab my huge melons.â
âMy pleasure.â
Mino set the melons on the floor in front of him. pang turned and stood next to Storm again.
âIf I may ask, why the disguise? And why the voice-translator? And why all this darn secrecy!?â
The two exchanged looks, which prompted Storm to take a few steps forward and sit on the front pew.
âYou can never be too careful here. You see, the prophets didnât die as weâd been told they did.â
âAre they alive?â
âUh, no. Not really.â
âThen, what are they?â
Storm looked at pang and the other walked up to Mino. He put his hand on his shoulder.
âHave you ever heard of the Penguins?â
âThe whats?â
âAh, well, we have some explaining to do.â
Storm adjusted herself in her seat before she started talking.
âThe Penguins are a group of the others. Most of the others are harmless, but the Penguins are something else. They have Freakenstein trapped in a limbo state.â
âI guess that answers a lot of questions.â
Mino paused.
âWait, why did we kill that pickpocket character?â
pang covered this question.
âPickpocket was given AP to increase his physical ability by destroying his memory. Pick was actually a member of the Penguins before he arrived. While he slept after passing out in the desert, we gave him subconscious messages to influence his memories. Originally, he was on his way to kill Storm. Also we had to kill him to get this.â
Storm pulled out a crystal ball.
âWhat is it?â
âIâll show you in a minute. In the meantime, what do you think about Pick and this whole situation overall?â
âThat itâs terrible.â
Storm laughed. âHa, that fool could never touch me! Heâs mediocre at best.â
âNo, I mean the fact that they stole Freakenstein. How are we going to keep being secretive?â
âWell, we both fooled you. Iâve been meeting with Storm for years and you didnât even know I was a man.â
âNot to mention the fact you didnât know Pick was an other.â
âI suppose thatâs why that Matrix guy wanted to kill him. You know, being an evil other and all. And I guess it wouldnât be hard to maintain our secrecy.â
âYes.â
Mino looked around the church.
âWhereâs Xeano?â
âNot here. Why?â
âHe scratched my bike up.â
âWell, he dropped it off at another one of our secret hiding places. We rode it here together.â
âOh.â
Mino sat down on the pew adjacent to Stormâs.
âSo now what?â
pang lifted his leg to the seat next to Mino. The furry man turned his head away to avoid seeing pangâs man-junk.
âThatâs why we brought you here. You have a very special mission.â
Storm pulled out the crystal ball she stole from Pick.
âAre you going to show me now?â
âNo. You have one mission.â
âAnd I canât know what that thing is to do it?â
âCorrect.â
âSeems legit.â
pang sat in Minoâs lap.
âYou see, as this is Penguin property, we need you to sneak into the Penguin base and deliver it. Claim that youâre a Penguin affiliate.â
âThen what?â
pang started stroking Minoâs chin hair, which Mino found surprisingly soothing.
âThen you let us in. We break in, kill a bunch of them, and free Freakenstein.â
âI see.â
pang sat up and walked into a back room. Storm sat up and tossed Mino the ball.
âGood luck.â
âWait, aren't you going to help me?â
âI just did, didnât I?â
âNo, I mean with supplies. I have a plane and a ball.â
âOh, fine, furry man.â
Storm got up and walked to the altar. Sitting upon it was a large briefcase with a dark sheen, most likely made out of leather.
âTake this. Itâs not safe to go alone.â
She walked down to Mino and handed it to him. He had a hard time juggling the ball with it in his hands.
âOof... Whatâs in it?â
âThereâs a map that will describe a path from here to their lair. Thereâs another map showing all of the places inside the lair that weâre aware of. There are also instructions of how to open the gate that will let us in.â
âThatâs it?â
âOkay, okay. Youâll be looking for a guy named Vinny. Heâs their leader. Heâs a little odd but not as odd as he could be.â
âIs he as odd as you?
Storm smiled dangerously.
âIâm kidding!â
âAnyway, when you find him, give it to him. At that point feel free to open the gate up.â
âSo thatâs it?â
âThatâs it. The rest is up to you.â
âUh, okay. Bye.â
Storm waved at him vigorously as he proceeded to go back outside.
âDonât die!â she called cheerfully.
Mino picked his nose. Easier said than done.
