The Bullworth Never Ending Story

[BloodChuckZ]

Benny came to as the first few big raindrops hit his face.  He was laying on his back on the shortcut pathway by the footbridge that crossed from the street in front of the Academy to Bullworth Town.  His bike was laying nearby. 

Musta Passed Out, he thought.  His head was woozy.  Benny struggled to sit up and get his bearings.  A cold wind was whipping through the rock walls that lined the pathway, and the sky was a molten swirl of black.  A few giant drops of rain was falling.  Benny could just make out the impact of where they were hitting the ground.

He was near the footbridge.  Crawling, he was able to reach it, then used it to pull himself up.  Benny stood there for awhile, the big raindrops splatting on the top of his head, until the dizziness subsided.  He made a few tentative steps and then reached his bike.  After a couple of tries, he managed to haul it upright.  Benny mounted the bike, and after a couple of minutes, pushed off and rode across the bridge.  The Golden Horseshoe still seemed so far away.
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“Look at this, Jimmy !!  And This !!”, Zoe exclaimed.

Jimmy took the papers from the file Zoe had found.  In the short time they had been going through the file cabinet in the Shipping Office, they had already been able to quickly scan about half the contents.  Jimmy read the file, which contained shipping orders, with a furrowed brow.

“Whoa....This is heavy stuff”, Jimmy said with wonder.  “Are they really shipping this stuff through here ?”

“Only one way to really find out”, Zoe said. “We have to get into one of those crates !”
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[BloodChuckZ]

Omar and the Townies moved down the long pathway from the fountain to the Gym.  Sneaking between the main Gym building and the Pool building, they approached the stairs to the Football Field.  Ducking behind the border walls lining the stairs, they cautiously peeked over the top.  The high winds funneled up the staircase from the field as they rested their weapons on the brick border wall and prepared to fire.
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The largest group of students had moved to the lower bleachers on the west side of the Football Field.  The rising South-East winds and splatters of rain had just about called a halt to the festivities, driving those who had been playing a catch and throw game over towards the Jock’s Clubhouse, where they milled about uncertainly, some standing while others huddled on the bleachers.

“Looks like we’re going to have to call this off early, No ?”, Laurent observed.

“Seems that way”, Tony agreed.  “I wonder where Constantinos is at ?  He should’ve been back by now.”

“You did tell him to come back and report, didn’t you ?”, Nick asked.

“Yeah !”, Tony said, worriedly.  “I’m beginning to think something mighta happened to him.”

“Maybe we should go check”, Nick said, looking towards the dark, swirling sky. “Like, real soon.”

Mandy had come over to talk with Karen and Melody in the meantime.  Tony went over to tell her that they were going to go looking for Constantinos.  Karen said, “That’s Ok, us girls are gonna go to the Clubhouse until this storm blows over.  These raindrops are cold !”

“The boys will probably want to play in the rain”, Mandy said wirily, “But we don’t want to get our hair wet !”

“Eeew, I don’t want to look like a drowned rat”, Melody said. “Let’s get inside !”

The three girls made for the Clubhouse, while Tony, Nick, and Laurent started toward the Gym.  With the wind swirling around them, they got about halfway to the stairs when suddenly, the Townies opened fire.
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Hearing the noises of weapons fire from the Football Field, Otto Activated the Spud Cannon, firing a long barrage at the lock portion of the Observatory doors.  After less than a minute, the doors were sprung, and Otto abandoned the Spud Cannon and raced down the stairs, followed by Floyd.  Both drew their weapons as they kicked in the doors and charged into the Observatory.

Meanwhile, in the Basement, the Nerds had heard the barrage.  Jarred out of their intense G & G play, each one knew immediately that they were under attack.  Someone had breached the walls, they must defend the Castle !  “To The Battlements !!”, cried Fatty, and they grabbed up their weapons and charged up the stairs from the basement.  Melvin stopped to gather up the Prep’s Shield and their Ultimate Weapon, the Rubberband Ball.

The main floor of the Observatory was still a mess, it’s ornate tile floor missing huge gouged out chunks where the big telescope had fallen and been smashed in a long-ago battle many years ago.  The literature that was included in the promotional brochure for Bullworth Academy touted the Observatory as a selling point to entice the Nerd families into sending their offspring to the school, even including glowing pictures which were no doubt from an earlier time.  But, once a new Nerd arrived at the school, he quickly learned that he wouldn’t be gazing at the stars after all....Mostly, he would be seeing stars all right, but not through a telescope.

The Observatory itself had been a gift of a long-ago alumni who had struck it rich in bootlegging in the 1930s.  It was at a time right after the discovery of the planet Pluto, and the race was on to find the existence of the predicted ‘Planet X’.  Administrators at the time had greedily accepted the gift, drooling over the possibility that a major discovery could put Bullworth Academy of the academic map.  Alas, by the time the real Planet X, named Eris (whose discovery had been announced in 2005) was found, the smashed remains of the telescope had been consigned to the junkyard for many years.  Every Nred, however, dreamed of the day when the Observatory would be restored to it’s former glory, and over the years, it had become their safest refuge.

The Townies weren’t expecting much, if any, resistance from the wussy Nerds.  But this wasn’t the first assault on their hallowed domain, and the Nerds were always ready to repel invaders.  As Otto and Floyd came barging through the doors, the element of surprise had been lost.  They were met by the lead Nerds, Thad and Bucky, who immediately began throwing Stink Bombs at them.  Otto and Floyd got off a few useless shots before diving for cover behind a couple of the four huge square pillars that used to hold up the massive telescope.  

The Nerds ducked behind the other two pillars and the twisted remains of the old catwalk that had been knocked down last year during Earnest’s battle with Jimmy.  A pitched battle ensued in the stinky, smokey room that soon turned into a standoff.  Otto and Floyd grimly fought on, outnumbered by three to one, hoping for reinforcements once the battle on the Football Field was over.
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[BloodChuckZ]

Sudden explosions went off as the Bottle Rockets fired by the Townies lining the walls sought their targets.  Tony, Nick, and Laurent, who had been making their way towards the stairway, hit the dirt for cover as the first of the Bottle Rockets whizzed by them.  The Jocks scattered along the front of the West bleachers did likewise, diving for cover.

The winds had risen to a howl, pushing the Bottle Rockets far off their mark, and most of the shots veered from their intended targets and did no damage.  Omar ordered a switch to Spud Guns, but these too proved ineffective, the winds pushing just hard enough to alter the Spud’s trajectories.  Seeing the futility of the accuracy of their weapons at this distance, Omar changed tactics and told the others to mount a full frontal assault to get in closer weapons range while the Jocks were still in disarray.  Clint, Duncan, Jerry, and Leon ran down the stairs and charged the field.  Omar unslung his Air Rifle and steadied it on the flat stone top for cover.
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Mandy, Karen, and Melody had just reached the Clubhouse doors, seeking shelter from the ever-increasing fat raindrops when the assault broke out.  They turned at the sound of the first Bottle Rocket explosions in confusion.  Just then, the door was flung open, and Lance appeared.

“Hurry !  Get Inside !”, Lance urged, seeing the girls standing there.  “It’s An Attack !!”

“But...We should Do Something !”, Mandy protested.

“Tony’s Out There !”, Karen said worriedly.

“And Nick !”, Melody exclaimed.

“It Wont Help To Get Shot !”, Lance shouted over the wind.  “Get Inside !!”

The three girls reluctantly complied, entering the Clubhouse and closing the door against the wind.  Lance limped to the caged-off wire area, pulled open the door, and began rummaging in the drawers.  “We have to a way to get these weapons out to them !”, he said.  “Help Me !”
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Tony, Nick and Laurent had fallen back to where the other Jocks were at just in time to see the Townies pour down the steps and run towards them in the glow of the overhead arc lights.  Ted was looking at the situation and was momentarily confused to see only four figures running towards them.  Seeing no more coming, Ted shouted, “LET’S GO GET 'EM !!!!”  The Jocks sprang into action, galvanized by the cry, and ran towards the Townies.  Omar zeroed in on Ted and took Careful aim, and squeezed off a shot.

“POW-THUNK !!”  The Pellet, not affected by the wind as much as the other weapons, sped to it’s target with only a slight bit of variance, striking Ted high in the right chest.  The force of the shot spun him around and he went down, stunned and gasping for air.  The Jocks, seeing what had happened, faltered in their charge.  Omar smiled.  Take out the head, and the rest would fall.

Tony and Nick rallied the Jocks.  “LET’S TAKE 'EM OUT !!!” Tony hollered, and Nick added, “KICK THEIR ASS !!!”  The Jocks resumed their charge towards the Townies.  

Meanwhile, Laurent had separated himself from the group and had snuck behind the bleachers. Spotting Omar preparing to fire again, he ran headlong at the brick wall, and using the Parkour, Gained the top of the slab in three easy steps.  Startled, Omar looked up just in time to see Laurent’s big foot coming at his face.  Laurent planted a vicious kick to Omar’s head, sending him sprawling on the steps, and causing him to drop the Air Rifle on the slab.  Laurent scooped it up and jumped off the wall before Omar had a chance to recover.

Omar sputtered as he drew his Spud Gun and staggered to his feet.  Goddam little Fuck !  He looked over the wall, but Laurent and his Air Rifle were long gone.  He turned and loped down the steps to provide backup for the others.  He looked briefly towards the Observatory.  Where the hell were Otto and Floyd ?  They should have taken care of those miserable Nerds by now and come to join the fight.  And for that matter, where was Leo Cash ?
__________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

By the time Benny reached the Golden Horseshoe, the fat drops of rain were coming down even harder.  Parking his bike by the entrance, he sadly reflected on the fact that it would be stolen in five minutes.  No help for that now, he had to get inside and find Kurt.

As he stumbled in through the doors, he headed down a hallway that led to a check-in desk for the Hotel rooms upstairs directly ahead.  There was a elevator there too, and off to the right through an open doorway was a lounge and bar area.  It was filled with a cross-section of locals, Dockmen, and Construction Workers, seated at the bar and at round tables.  At the far end was a stage area, and there was the Rockers, playing an old riff from a David Lee Roth song, Curt and Pinky making a duet out of it....

Kurt Sang....
“I’m just a Gigolo, and everywhere I go, People know the part I’m playing,
Paid for every dance, selling each romance....Ooohh, what they saying.....”

Pinky Sang....
“There will come a day, when youth will pass away, what will they say about you,
When the end comes I know, you were just a Gigolo....Life goes on without you !”

It was being presented in a comical manner, musical style, with Kurt trying to draw Pinky near, while Pinky pushed him away and pranced to the other side of the stage, out of reach.  Spurned, Kurt swung onto the last bit of the song, begging Pinky from across the stage.....

“Cuz, I-I-I-I-I-I Ain’t Got No-o-o-o-o-b-o-o-o-o-dy,
Nobody, cares for me, cares for me, nobody, nobody....
I-I-I-I-I-I-mmmm so sad and Lo-o-o-o--o-ly,
Sad and lonely, sad and lonely,
Won’t some sweet Mama come and take a chance on me,
Cause I ain’t so bad......”

It was a campy bit from the 80‘s, not their usual style, but went over well with this type of audience, judging by the whistles and catcalls coming from the tables.  Benny felt a stab of regret, if he hadn’t gotten sick he would be up there with the band, playing with his friends. He made his way unsteadily through to the stage area as Kurt finished off the song.....

“Really want that soul, little loving soul...all the time,
Even on the beat, cherry, cherry on the beat,
Need a long tall darling, mama, Feeling sick,
Got nobody, no, nobody, nobody,
Nobody, nobody, no one, no one.....

Loopey loop, darling, darling,
Getting serious, got to see the walls,
Over there. nobody, got no one, nobody,
Nobody, nobody, nobody, nobody.....
Nobody cares for me !”

With a flourish, the band finished the song to the roaring approval of the audience.  Benny was at the front of the stage by then, and caught Kurt’s attention.  Bending down, Kurt helped him up on stage.

“Hey, Benny, My Man !  Thought you weren’t coming !”, Kurt said, and then looked a Benny a little closer as he swayed back and forth on stage.  It looked like he was ready to pass out.  “Dude, you don’t look too good !  Whatta you doing here ?”

Barely able to be heard above the noise, Benny said, “Something’s wrong over at the School....Christy’s in trouble....Being held hostage in the Dorm.....”

“What !?” Kurt shouted.  

Nearby, Winky perked up.  “What this about Christy ?”

Panting, Benny turned towards Winkie.  “Christy...Held Hostage....That Fat Fuck, Pee-Stain Algie....Others there too....Probably them Townie freaks.....Other Girls there too....Big Trouble....She Need Help !”

Benny swayed then, starting to pass out. Kurt and Winkie grabbed him and kept him from falling, and eased him down on the floor.  Pinky came over to tend to him.  The other Rockers gathered around, helpless to do anything.  The audience was noisy and indifferent.

Pinky came over. “Benny, what are you doing here ?  You should be in bed !  What’s going on ?”

Winky told her what Benny had said.  She immediately turned to Kurt.  “We’ve got to do something !”

“We will”, Kurt said. “Look, Tibo....Keep the guys playing, me and Winkie are gonna go check this out.....”

“I’m Coming Too !”, Pinky said suddenly.

“No...You’re not !”, Kurt said sharply.  “It’s too Dangerous....Besides, we don’t need any.....”

Just then, the lights went out.
_______________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

In Dr. Crabblesnitch’s office, Ms. Danvers had managed to slither like a snake to the side of the Headmaster’s chair.  Struggling to get to her knees, she had at length been able to rest her head on Dr. Crabblesnitch’s arm.  Turning her head, she began tearing with her teeth at the Duct Tape binding his arm to the to the armrest that she had so recently been forced to tape his arm to.

Her devotion to Milton Crabblesnitch was fierce and determined.  She had been in an affair with him for many years now, and he was her God.  She ripped and tore at the tape with all the fervor of a zealot at the alter.  A lesser woman would have cowered in the face of this indignanty, but not Carolyn Danvers.  She was tough.  She had to be, to survive in this beasty place full of unruly ruffians. 

At last, the final bit of tape was torn through, and she raised her head and smiled in triumph with bloody lips where the tape had cruelly cut her mouth.  Dr. Crabblesnitch freed his arm and went to work tearing the tape off his other arm, and then the tape binding his torso to the chair.  He  then bent to rip the tape binding Ms. Danver’s arms and legs. 

Helping her up, he said, “We’ve got to get help.  Can you walk ?”

Ms. Danvers nodded.  “I...Think so.”  Together, they exited into the School Office, Ms. Danvers limping on her badly bruised foot while holding on to the Headmaster.  As they passed her desk, she cried, “Look !  The Phone !”

On the desk sat the phone, untouched, and overlooked by Jake in his arrogance.  Helping Ms. Danvers to the chair, Dr. Crabblesnitch grabbed up the phone and punched in a code, followed by a number.  The connection was made, and a phone on the other end of the line began to ring.

“Bullworth Police”, a bored voice answered, “Officer Williams speaking.”

“This is Dr. Crabblesnitch.  The school is under attack !  We need help Quickly !”

“Confirmation Code ?”, Officer Williams asked, suddenly alert, waiting to hear a code that only Dr. Crabblesnitch would know, the purpose of which was to forestall fake or prank calls.

“One-Zero-One-Seven-Alpha-Six”, Dr. Crabblesnitch rattled off.  “You need to get everybody over here, now !  They’re on the grounds this very minute !”

“Uhhh....Nobody’s here, Sir”, Officer Williams said.

“What ?! Where Are They At ??”, Dr. Crabblesnitch yelled.

“They’re all at....The Policeman’s and Fireman’s Ball....Up at the Courthouse, Sir”, Officer Williams said, haltingly.  “I’m the only one here.  I shouldn’t...Er...Be leaving my post....”

Of course.  The Ball.  The Headmaster had given the Prefects leave to attend this evening.  “Listen”, Dr. Crabblesnitch said evenly, “This is a Priority One !  They have invaded school grounds and taken hostages !”

“Uhh...Who has, sir ?”, Officer Williams responded, still not understanding.

“Those Townie Misfits !”, Dr. Crabblesnitch yelled, losing his patience. “And that Jake Brown boy too !  They’re trying to take control of the school !  This is an Emergency !  Go up the damn street and get your force over here !  And tell my Prefect boys to get back here Right Now !”

Officer Williams was finally convinced.  “I’ll...Get Right On It, Sir !  Don’t You Worry !”

The Policeman rang off.  Dr. Crabblesnitch replaced the phone in it’s cradle.  “It’s going to be alright, now....Help is on the way”, he said to Ms. Danvers.  She gave him an adoring look.

Just then, the lights went out, and the school was plunged into darkness.
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[BloodChuckZ]

Jake finally arrived at the Gym area after beating Constantinos, and then taking a side trip to check on the status of the Preps.  Seeing that the bound Preps weren’t likely to cause any problems, he told Gurney to come with him to the Football Field.  Together, they strode down the walkway between the Gym and the Pool building and halted at the top of the steps.

The Townies had opened fire as soon as they were within better range, where the now-howling wind would have less effect on their shots.  They fired first on Tony and Nick, who were closer, but both boys managed to duck.  Tony pulled his weapon and fired back.  Duncan and Jerry turned their weapons on the advancing Jocks and actually scored hits on Bo and Dan, knocking them to the ground and disabling them.  As the two went down in front of him, Kirby turned and ran towards the bleachers, and was hit by a Spud to the back of his head.  Meanwhile, Mandy and Karen bravely ran out weapons to the remaining Jocks.

Damon, Casey, Luis, and Juri then charged at the Townies like the linebackers they were.  The Townies saw them coming and began backing up, both sides firing off Spuds and Bottle Rocket rounds to little effect in the swirling winds.  Jake sent Gurney down the steps to join in the battle and even up the odds.  He wondered uneasily what was keeping Otto and Floyd.  

The battle intensified as the rain did also.  The sound of Spuds being fired and Bottle Rockets exploding were drowned out by the rising winds.  The whole scene took on a surreal effect as the two groups got closer to each other.  Omar was gesturing to the others, motioning them to spread out on the field.  Jake tried futilely firing some ammo himself to no effect.  The winds were just too strong.  He started down the steps to get closer, and then at that moment spotted Tony.

Anger erupted in Jake.  There was the backstabbing fuck who had caused all this !!  Because of him, Jake had to sleep with rats and vermin out in the stinking cold.  Had to stay for weeks at the carnival in a boring job, had to run for his life from the Cops, had to change his looks, had to expend enormous time and effort in these attempts to take over what was rightfully his, what was rightfully Gary’s....Bullworth Academy.  He had carried on the cause for Gary, his cousin, carried on the dream for the one shared reason of the both of them.....Revenge on their piece-of-shit Grandfather, Mr. Smith, who had turned his back on his children, Jake’s Mother and Gary’s Father, living in wealth while they had lived in poverty.  Had it not been for that sidewinding fuck Tony, he would have already been in control of the school long ago, making plans to bleed dry the one bastard blood relative who had denied them recognition and respect.  Making him pay and bringing that sanctimonious old fuck down into ruin, for himself and in Gary’s memory.

Hatred filled his mind as he dropped his weapons and unslung his Air Rifle.  He hadn’t been this close to Tony since the smackdown at the front of Harrington Hall not long after the night he had tried to run him over with the Greaser’s classic car.  He couldn’t miss at this range.  Taking a bead through the sights, he curled his finger around the trigger and took aim, fighting to hold the gun steady in the whipping wind.

Suddenly, the Sodium Arc Lights illuminating the Football Field flickered and went dark.
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[BloodChuckZ]

Otto and Floyd had been running out of ammo in the running battle with the Nerds, and were reduced to taking potshots at any movement they could spot in the rare times that they could fire around the pillars.  The Nerds kept up a steady barrage, however, having plenty of ammo stored on site.  Donald and Bucky kept running downstairs to get more ammo to resupply the rest, but the two Townie boys didn’t enjoy that advantage.  The smoke from the Stink Bombs were already threatening to make them ill, the only thing that was saving them was the knocked open outer doors providing a draft of fresh air blowing in.  Still, their eyes were watering and they were coughing like they had smoked some weed.  

Otto decided to try some intimidation.  Pulling some Firecrackers from his pocket, he began lighting them and tossing them in the Nerds direction, snickering as they scattered.  One of them even took out Corneluis.   Otto poked his head around the pillar and hurled some insults as well.

“Hey, You Dickless Dorks, You Know We’re Gonna Get You, Why Don’t You Freaks Just Give Up Right Now And Save Your Dumb Asses From A Whole World Of Hurt ?”, he shouted.  “Surrender, Or We’ll Kick Your Little Nuts Up In Your Scrawny Asses And Fat Bellies !!”

Instead of answering the Nerds resumed their counter-attack with even more vigor.  Realizing that they would probably not get help in time, Otto began thinking about retreating to the outside, where they could cover the doors and effectively trap the Nerds inside while waiting for reinforcements.  After a few minutes more of sporadic shooting, he signaled Floyd to start to move out.  

But just as they began to back up, the Nerds suddenly stopped firing and fell back to the basement stairs.  Chancing a look around their protective pillars, Otto and Floyd beheld a strange sight.  Not all the Nerds had retreated....The Nerd leader, Melvin, was advancing on their position, holding a huge Shield in front of him.  Otto and Floyd looked at each other in confusion, then stepped out from behind their pillars and opened fire.

But everything they shot at Melvin just bounced harmlessly off the giant Shield.  Both Townies soon lowered their weapons when they saw it was having no effect on Melvin whatsoever.  No sense in wasting ammo.  

“You Giving Up, Fatass ?”, Otto yelled, hopefully.

Instead of answering, Melvin lowered the shield slightly and glared at them.  Withdrawing a round, blue-looking object from behind his back, he threw it with as much force as he could muster in their direction, then turned and ran for the stairs.

The Rubberband Ball ricocheted off the side of the pillar and hit Otto a glancing blow.  Otto raised his Spud Gun, angry at the little stunt, and prepared to fire on the fleeing Melvin.  Dumb Fucks musta lost their minds, he thought.  Suddenly, he was whacked with even more force from behind as the Rubberband Ball struck him in the Kidneys.  Floyd looked on in horror before turning and making for the Observatory doors, but he was knocked down as the Rubberband Ball picked up speed with each bounce off an object.

 ZING !! ZIP !! (SMASH !!) ZONG !! ZAM !! (CRASH !!) ZOOM !! ZANG !!

The next shot struck Otto in the nuts as he turned to try to escape.  He went down, gasping, seeing Floyd getting hit once more, knocking him into the wall.  The Rubberband Ball continued bouncing wildly, taking down the two townies each time they attempted to struggle to their feet.  Finally, they just lay there, withering as the ball continued battering their twitching bodies until they moved no more.

At last the Rubberband Ball lost it’s speed and momentum and began to slow to a fast roll.  Melvin ventured out cautiously from the stairwell with the Shield in front of him, having used to cover the stairway entrance so the Nerds wouldn’t get hit.  As the Rubberband Ball slowed to a roll, Melvin attempted to catch it but kept missing.  At last it rolled to a stop, but before Melvin could reach it, the Rubberband Ball exploded, throwing chunks everywhere.  Melvin felt some of them bounce off his Shield, and then all was still, save for the howling of the wind outside.

The other Nerds crept back up the stairs, weapons at the ready.  Fatty limped over to where Melvin stood looking sadly at the ruined remains of the Rubberband Ball.

“That’s a design flaw in those things”, he said to Melvin.  “If they’re not caught on the roll and come to a stop, the internal pressure makes them do that.  The only way to save them is to catch them while still in motion.”

“Yeah”, Melvin said, “But it really sucks to lose this one.  It was the only one we had.”

“Maybe we can build another one”, Fatty suggested, knowing better.

“Not enough of those big Rubber Bands around anymore”, Melvin said sadly.  “You know that.”

Fatty nodded.  “At least it was used in battle for the Castle’s defense.  That’s something.”

“I guess so”, Melvin said, turning to see about who had attacked them.  He recognized Otto, but Floyd was a new one to him.  He ordered the others to get some rope from downstairs and tie them up.  Then with Fatty, he took a look outside for any more Townies.

“That’s Odd”, he said.  “Why were they attacking us ?  Where are the others ?”

“Something’s not right”, Fatty said as they approached the still locked gate.  “Wait....Listen !”

The swirling wind and fat rain, blowing in their direction, carried the sound of battle from the Football field.  Melvin told Fatty, who was the Nerd’s best shot and who held the highest score of any Nerd ever at the ConSumo game, to get up on the platform and man the Spud Cannon.  Fatty limped up the steps to the platform and swiveled the Spud Cannon around to cover the front beyond the gate and wall of the Observatory.  Meanwhile, Melvin had gone in and recruited Bucky, Donald, and Thad to go up on the platform and provide cover fire in case there were more coming.  He went over and checked on Corneluis, who had been knocked unconscious.  

As the three Nerds gained the top of the platform and lined up with weapons at the ready, they could clearly hear the sounds of conflict from the direction of the Football Field.  They hunched into the wind as the rain suddenly picked up and intensified.

As they watched, the lights suddenly flickered and went out.
______________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Jake squeezed the trigger just as the lights went out.  A gust of wind sharply pushed up the nose of the Air Rifle at the same time, and the Pellet intended for Tony went left and up over his head, winding up striking the Scoreboard across the Football Field. 

The sudden change to darkness unnerved the combatants on the Field.  It was like suddenly being blinded.  Added to that was the rain, now slamming down, hard driven by the escalating winds.  Both groups began firing blindly, none of the shots hitting any targets.  The Townies were spread out over the center of the field, the Jocks were just opposite them.

Mandy had found Ted on the girl’s run back to the Clubhouse.  He was gasping for air as she knelt down to check.  The Pellet had broken a rib in his chest and then deflected into his Plural Cavity.  Ted was on his way to a collapsed lung.  Mandy waved Karen on as she bent over Ted to shelter him from the weather as much as possible.  Karen returned to the Clubhouse and helped Melody and Lance barricade the door.

Nick had spotted Omar before the lights quit, and moved towards where he thought his position was.  Seeing a shadowy shape in the darkness, he ran towards it, spinning with a kick as he got close.  A grunt of “OOOFF !!!” told him he had hit his target.  A sudden fist crashed into Nick’s head as Omar recovered and swung in the direction of his attacker.  The two faced off, only a couple of feet apart in the shadows.

Omar smiled. This was more like it.  “I’m gonna take you apart, little man !”

Nick assumed a fighting stance.  “You’re welcome to try, Badass.”

Omar slammed a fist into Nick’s mouth, breaking a tooth.  Nick countered with two quick hits to the guts, slamming the Solar Plexus.  Omar doubled over as Nick danced away and then spun in with another kick.  The kick missed, and Omar grabbed his leg, yanking him to the ground and leaping on him.  They struggled, then Nick kneed Omar in the nuts and threw him off.  Both fighters leaped to their feet and began stalking each other.

Tony had zeroed in on Gurney, whom he had seen running down the steps.  No one had seen Jake, however, except for Laurent, who was now on top of the bleachers.  Laurent had seen Jake start down the steps, then stop take aim at Tony.  He rushed across the bleachers and leaped from the top to try to clear the parapet of the stone wall next to the steps.  But the bleachers were slick and slippery with rain, and Laurent’s leap fell short, mashing his shins into the wall and tumbling over the parapet and onto the steps behind Jake just as the lights went out.  Hearing a noise behind him, Jake turned and sent a vicious kick at the figure sprawled on the steps.  The kick connected with the side of Laurent’s head, knocking him senseless.

Meanwhile, Tony had stalked close to Gurney, and lashed out with a fist that caught Gurney in the throat.  Gurney choked, but managed to return a blow to the side of Tony’s head.  The two began exchanging punches, with Gurney having the advantage due to his longer arms. He battered Tony backwards on the field until Tony ducked down and tackled him around the knees, climbing on top of him and sending a knee into Gurney’s nuts.  Gurney shoved him off, and the two fighters rolled to their feet to face off again.

The rest of the Townies and Jocks were in full fight mode as well.  Damon had found Clint, and the two were exchanging punches, neither one giving an inch, trading hits that would have put just about anybody else in the Clinic.  Casey, Luis, and Juri had found Jerry, Duncan, and Leon, and all were engaged in punching one another without even knowing which one they were hitting in the darkness.

Jake was uncertain what to do.  he couldn’t fire into the clustered figures and chance hitting one of his own forces.  The battle raged in the pouring rain, the winds now shrieking. Overlaid was another noise, heaver and more threatening.  Jake faced to the West, shielding his eyes from the stinging, wind-whipped, slashing rain.
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[BloodChuckZ]

The Tornado tracked in from the west, having touched down near Exeter and sped across the landscape towards the Vale Valley.  Entering the pass along where the only exit to the outside world was, it smashed through to the Carnival, splintering the false facade that hid the road from the eyes of most of the residents of the towns.  Tearing it’s way across the Go-Kart Racetrack, it leveled the shed housing the track’s Go-Karts, sucking up both wreckage and Carts into it’s angry swirl, passing through the midway, it’s fierce outer winds damaging sections of the Octopus Ride and the Roller Coaster Track, but sparing the Ferris Wheel.  It then charged out into the cove, South of the Lighthouse next to the Prep’s Beachhouse, and skipped across the water, pulling up a waterspout that slowed it somewhat. 

If anybody had been standing out on the Pier that stretched out into the bay, they would have beheld an awesome sight.....The Tornado sucking up water and taking on form as it raced across the water moving East-South-East, then slamming into Pirate Island, uprooting trees as it plowed across, spewing them like deadly giant toothpicks.

Vance was safe in his underground cavern on the Island, bit the some of the uprooted trees were slammed down over the entrance, blocking it.  The Tornado moved on, it’s trajectory somewhat altered as it skipped across the water once more, tearing the remaining masts off of the half-sunken derilict ship near the Island.  It stormed ashore once more, moving on a South-East path now, past the South end of the old railroad tunnel and onto the bed of the old rail line, a scant 50 yards from the back of the Jock’s Clubhouse.
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[BloodChuckZ]

Ignoring the wind and rain, Nick lashed out at Omar with a triple combo, stunning him and driving him to the ground.  Groggly, Omar tried to get up but failed, falling back like a Drunken Sailor.  He looked the part, lashed with the rain and sporting two black eyes Nick had given him.

Similarly, Tony had been getting the best of Gurney, who was staggering under repeated blows.  Damon was cracking Clint in the head over and over, saying, “I’m Gonna Rip Out Your Heart And Watch You Bleed !!”  Casey, Luis, and Juri were whomping the shit out of Otto, Duncan, and Jerry, beating them just as they had beaten them over on their home turf months ago.  The Jocks were younger, stronger, and much more fit than the slacker Townies ever were, even on their best day.

In a twist, the Sodium Arc Lights flared on again, as the Bullworth Substation tried to compensate for the loss of power caused by the Tornado taking out the main Hi-Power Cable Trunk Lines on the Western edge of the Vale.  The fighting halted for a moment as the fighters blinked in the sudden brightness.  The Townies looked at their foes and saw they were still poised and ready, while they themselves looked tattered and worn.  Suddenly, Jerry pointed and shouted, “OMAR IS DOWN !!!”

And he was. Nick stood over his unmoving figure, and stared in their direction.  Then, raising his hand, he pulled it across his throat in a universal gesture that was recognized everywhere.  Standing in the windy, cold, soaking rain, the Townies suddenly lost their will to continue the fight.  As one, they turned and ran.
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Up on the Platform in front of the Observatory in the darkness, the Nerds could hear above the howling wind the sounds of the battle.  Melvin turned to Thad and Bucky.

“Go down in the basement", he ordered.  “Grab up all the Volcano 3000‘s you can carry, and get them back here in a hurry !”

Thad and Bucky scurried to do his bidding.  The Volcano 3000‘s, predecessor to the Volcano 4000, worked just the same as their successor, spewing brightly colored lit tiny rockets from their tops, except that they did not explode at the finish.  Both boys returned shortly, each carrying and armload up the steps to the platform.  Melvin took a couple, lit them, and then heaved them out towards the walkway as far as he could.  With their fat, weighted bottoms, the Volcano 3000‘s landed right-side up, and began shooting out the bright rockets up in the air, illuminating the area.  Now, they would be able to see any attack heading their way.  More important, Fatty would be able to zero in on his targets.
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As the Townies broke and ran towards the East end of the Football Field, a sudden brightness burst out of the opening that led to the Observatory.  Since that was their only way out, they headed towards the light, with the Jocks in pursuit.

Jake spotted Tony again, and struggled to line up a shot with his Air Rifle once more.  Turning, Nick spotted the figure at the top of the staircase, and hollered at Tony.

“LOOK !!  UP THERE !!”, he called, pointing.  Tony turned and looked, then dropped to thr ground just as Jake fired off a round.  The Pellet threw up a clod of dirt inches from Tony’s head.  Nick drew a Bottle Rocket Launcher and began firing on Jake’s position.  Tony leapt up ad pulled his Spud Gun and did the same.  The shots, pushed by the wind, missed Jake, but he ducked for cover anyway.  As the boys advanced on his position, Jake knew he could no longer stay.  Proving worthless in the end, those chickenshit Townies had turned tail and beat their hasty retreat.  The plan, so carefully laid, had suddenly collapsed.  He knew he might be able to take out one of his attackers before he went down, but it also meant that he would be captured.  And that was not an option.

With a look of pure hatred at his advancing foes, Jake turned and ran.
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[BloodChuckZ]

As the remaining Townies ran to through the opening, they were backlit by the Volcano 3000‘s.

“THERE THEY ARE !!”, hollered Melivn.  Fatty turned the Spud Cannon and began firing.

WHAKA-WHACKA-WHACKA-WHACKA-WHACKA-WHACKA----SPLAT-SPLAT-SPLAT-SPLAT-SPLAT SPLAT-SPLAT…..

Leon, the eternal slacker, was tonight the fastest of the crew, and was cut down first, socked in the guts and chest.  “OHHH !!  FUCK MY LIFE !!!!”, he screamed as the Spuds pounded him into the rocks behind him.  Jerry, Duncan, and Gurney were next hit, the Spuds pounding them almost before they knew they were being attacked.  Clint, bringing up the rear, saw his fellow Townies go down, and began to dodge the incoming Spuds.  He was able to make it the farthest, until Leon grabbed his leg, gasping.  “Quit Your Blubbering !!”, Clint ordered, distracted.

 WHAKA-WHACKA-WHACKA-WHACKA-WHACKA-WHACKA----SPLAT-SPLAT-SPLAT-SPLAT-SPLAT SPLAT-SPLAT…..

Clint Henry was smacked in the head multiple times, knocked down violently by the Spud Cannon.  For good measure, Fatty swept over the Townies again before the Spud Cannon’s sound was drowned out by a more horrible sound.

The Jocks, in pursuit, witnessed the last of the attack as they rounded to the opening, and dived out of the way for cover before the Cannon could be turned on them.  However, that was to be the least of their troubles.  Rolling on his back, looking towards the South-West, Damon shouted, “LOOK !!!!!!”

The Tornado was visible, rising up behind the double-fence, boulders, and trees.  It was raining down debris on the Football Field, it’s hundred-mile an hour winds ripping the sodium-arc lights from their pylons and sending them crashing to the turf, once more plunging the area into darkness.
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[BloodChuckZ]

Pandemonium had erupted at the Golden Horseshoe as the lights had gone out.  The audience, half drunk, had charged to the opening that led to the exit hallway from the bar & lounge, jamming the opening, creating a rising panic.  The emergency battery-powered lights kicked on then, throwing a ghostly glow over the room.  Amazingly, nobody was trampled in the rush to exit the building.  After what seemed like an eternity, the crowd began to move. 

Up on the stage, Kurt had Jero, Bonz, and Grungy pick up Benny, and the group headed towards the opening, Tibo and Winkie fighting the way through to the check-in desk.  The elevator would be out, Kurt knew, and he searched for the stairs, finding them behind a door near the elevator.

“Get Benny up to the rooms”, Kurt said.  “Me, Tibo, and Winkie will go check out the school !”

“I’m coming too !”, Pinky said resolutely.  “Christy’s my friend, and I’ve got to help her !”

“NO, You’re Not !!!, Kurt yelled.  “We don’t know what’s up there, and I’m not putting you in Danger !”

Pinky started to pout.  “I should be going.  She needs my help !”

“Look”, Kurt said, “We’ll take care of it, OK ?  Right now, Benny needs your help, right here, right now.  We’ll find her and bring her back safe, allright ?”

“Promise ?”, Pinky said, realizing Kurt was being firm in his decision.

“I Promise”, Kurt said.  Pinky gave him a kiss, and started up the stairs after the other Rocker boys.  “Now, let’s get going.  We’re wasting time”, he said to Tibo and Winkie.

The three went out back and gathered up their bikes, speeding off towards the school.
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[BloodChuckZ]

The huge Tornado veered down the old mining rail spur line path that looped around the back of the school, taking the way of least resistance.  As it wound it’s destructive way Eastward, it belched out trees, rocks and other material from it’s massive swirling cone that pelted a wide area around it, including dropping a tree trunk on the top of the Clubhouse. 

The roaring winds were so loud that no other sound could be heard.  Able and injured alike were picked up like rag dolls and flung around the Football Field.  Ted and Mandy were slammed into one of the benches at the North side of the Field, with Mandy receiving a broken arm.  Injured as he was, Ted managed to hold onto the bench and Mandy, or else it would have been much the worse for them.  The unconscious Jocks were flung around willy-nilly, most being thrown into the bleachers.  The Jocks who had been chasing the Townies were swirled around, but all managed to grasp ahold of the benches or the lone tree at that end of the field. 

Up on the Observatory platform, Bucky, Donald, and Thad were blown off and hit the ground below.  They managed to crawl to the relative safety of the Observatory.  Fatty hung on grimly to the Spud Cannon, and Melvin hung on grimly to Fatty.  The rain was now lashing down in torrents.

The high winds funneled like a vortex between the Gym and the Pool Building, pushing Laurent up the path, where his forward motion was stopped when his crotch slammed into a tree.  Tony and Nick, who were chasing Jake, were bowled over, tumbling end over end, being pushed up the path to the fountain.  Jake himself had been knocked down and pushed forward, the steps up to the fountain stopping his forward motion.  He crawled up the steps and went left, down past the steps where he had wrecked the Greaser’s car last fall, then regained his footing as soon as he was able and went tearing around the Autoshop yard towards the Garage areas.  Tony and Nick had to half-crawl, half-tumble to reach the fountain steps, and they resumed their pursuit of Jake, determined to not let him get away this time.

The Tornado at last slammed against the unmoving mountainous stone edifice near the cavern that held the tunnels.  Pressed by the massive low front and with no other place to go, the Tornado lifted up over the mountains and became a funnel cloud, and pushed it’s way across Blue Skies, ripping off roofs and uprooting power poles as it headed out towards the sea.
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[BloodChuckZ]

Inside Spencer Warehouse, Jimmy and Zoe were just opening the fourth crate down on the floor area.  Heavy rain had been slashing the metal roofing of the warehouse for quite awhile now, the drumbeat of the rain creating a huge noise that made talking difficult.  They had been amazed by what the crates were revealing.  It seems crime and graft went even deeper here than anyone but a select few knew about.  Just as Jimmy was banging down the top of this last crate, the winds of the Tornado-turned-Funnel-Cloud ripped large sections of roof from the warehouse as it passed.  The power, which over here had stayed on, faltered and went out completely.

Zoe huddled next to Jimmy as rain started pouring in through the holes in the ceiling where the roof had been peeled away.  Sudden wind whirled through the building.

“Jimmy, I’m Scared”, Zoe yelled to be heard above the noise.

“I Think We Better Get Outta Here”, Jimmy hollered back.

Feeling their way in the darkness, aided by the now-weak flashlight, they gained the stairs to the platform, then quickly exited the warehouse, climbing down the rickety outside stairs.  The street was deserted and ghostly-looking in the pouring rain, and they made their way back to Jimmy’s hidden cave, traveling on foot in the wind without incident , not knowing that Bullworth Academy had been attacked on this very night.  Tucked safely inside Jimmy’s jacket were several telling Shipping Orders.
____________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Officer Williams had finally been able to persuade Chief Carcer that there was trouble brewing at the Academy, aided in large part when the Courthouse Ballroom lights flickered and went out.  Making their way out of the Courthouse, the finely-dressed Protectors of the Law had gotten a rude shock.  Looking South, the sky resembled a molten dark swirling mass, looking for all the world like a scene out of a disaster movie. The Cops and Prefects sprinted towards the Police Station and piled in their cars, which were parked out back, and took off with lights and sirens down Main Street towards the big bridge to Bullworth Academy.  Too late, Fire Chief O’Rourke hurried to the fire station to activate the town’s only Severe Weather Warning Siren.
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Riding single file against the wind and rain crossing the big bridge, Kurt, Tibo, and Winkie heard the Severe Weather Siren suddenly activate far behind them.  A moment later, they were nearly run down as two Police cars came screaming by, headed for the school.  Rounding the curve, they were just in time to see the lead car smash through the front gates while the second car made for the side road that led to the Parking Lot.  As the three boys got to the smashed in gate, they saw that the Police Car had skidded to a stop at the steps to the school.  The Cops and Prefects had poured out of the car, The Prefects running to the doors of the school.  Biking in through the gates, Kurt, Tibo, and Winkie headed directly to the Girl’s Dorm, dropping their bikes and racing up the steps, charging through the doors.
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Running past the Autoshop Bay where the Greasers were still being held prisoner guarded by Ian, Jake skidded to a stop.

“Plan’s Been Compromised”, He yelled shortly to a startled Ian.  “Get Out However You Can !”

“Ahh...What About Him ?”, Ian hollered back to be heard above the pounding rain, pointing at the still-unconscious Sam.

“Up To You !”, Jake yelled.  “It’s Every Man For Himself !”  Jake stood for a tick, knowing pursuit was close behind.  “Light That UP !!!”, he yelled, pointing at the fuse hanging out the door of the ‘69 Mustang Fastback.  “That’ll Buy Some Time !”

“But...What About...”, Ian said uncertainly.

“DO IT !!!!!”, Jake screamed, “DO IT NOW !!!!!”

Ian complied, lighting the fuse, and Jake turned and headed to the open bay door of the second Garage that led to the back area of the shop.  When the bug-eyed Greasers saw what Ian had done, they laid as flat as they could and faced the wall, as still bound there was little more they could do but brace for the explosion.  Ian was not one to leave one of his own behind, and stooped to haul up Sam, then headed for the open bay door.

However, the fuse burned a bit faster than anyone had anticipated.  Ian had just made the doorway when the five M-80 Firecrackers that were tied together exploded.

BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM !!!!!!!!!

Unlike the last time, when a pipe bomb packed with explosives had gone off in the front seat, this explosion was less destructive, causing just damage to the interior and blowing out the windows.  However, this wasn’t Ian’s lucky night.  The windshield was flung out and smacked Ian in the back and the head as he went to leave, pitching him forward and knocking him out.

Tony and Nick were just rounding the corner when the explosion happened.  Instinctively ducking, they were shielded from the blast by the brick walls of the Garage.  Tony and Nick quickly looked inside and saw the shadowy forms of the Greasers moving and coughing.

“Com’on !” Tony said, “We Got To Go !  He’s Getting Away !”

Nick nodded.  “Back For You Later !!”, he hollered at the Greasers.

The two boys resumed the chase, Running through the bay doors of the back garage, they emerged on the other side just in time to see Jake on the top of a large pile of junk at the rear wall.  With a backwards glance at his pursuers, Jake jumped over the wall.  Tony and Nick raced to the pile and climbed up to follow.
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