The Bullworth Never Ending Story

[BloodChuckZ]

The four returned to Bullworth Town.  As before, nobody paid them any attention whatever, and dodging obstacles, Tony and his group rode to the alley behind the Dragon’s Wing.  They concealed their bikes as best they could, then following Tony, made their way down the rear steps that led to the basement of the Comic Store.  Tony pulled up the mat and found the key there.  Using it, he unlocked the basement door and they all filed in.

There was a sort of muffled sobbing noise coming from the small room off to the right, the one where Algie had gotten his nut blown off.  Tony and Nick entered cautiously.  There, on the bed, was a rather large figure under the blankets, and the blankets were trembling with every wracking sob that issued forth.  Nick stepped boldly forward and yanked the covers off to reveal Alfred Owens, the comic store owner. 

As the blankets were pulled away, Alfred curled into a ball and screamed, “AHHHHHH !!!  Go Away !!!!!!  GO AWAY !!!!!!!”

“Relax, Mr. Owens, it’s us”, Tony said.  “We won’t hurt you.”

“RUINED, I”M RUINED !!!!”, Alfred went on as if he hadn’t heard Tony at all.  “Mad BOMBERS, Mad Bombers, They’re Going To Blow Up My Store, Oh The Humanity !!!”

Zoe and Laurent had crowded into the small room by this time as well.  Zoe spoke, rather softly for her, as if to a child, “It’s Ok, Mr. Owens, everything is gonna be alright.  We just need your help.”

Alfred Owens moaned.  “Help ?  Help ?  I Need Help !!  My Store, My Life !!!  The Mad Bombers Are Going To Blow It Up !!!”

“Not if you can help us”, Zoe continued in that soothing voice.  We just need to find something, and maybe all of this can stop.  Will you help us ?  Please ?”

For the first time, Alfred Owens opened his tightly shut eyes and took them all in.  “How....How can the lot of you help.....My Store !!  My Precious Store !!!”

“It’s a bit complicated”, Tony said, following Zoe’s lead and using a soothing tone, “And we really don’t have time to explain.....But we’re looking for some Gas Masks.  Do you have any of those down here ?”

“Gas Masks ?”, Alfred mumbled, “Gas Masks ?  Oh, is it that bad outside ?  Oh, my Stars !”

“There’s.....A lotta buildings blown up, but the Dragon’s Wing is still safe.  We just want to try to catch the Bomber”, Tony lied.  “We have to go to a place that has toxic gas.  Can you help us ?”

“Catch the Bomber”, Alfred repeated, a tear trickling down his cheek.  He squeezed his eyes shut once more, then considered.  “Look....In those boxes in the big room.....There was some old surplus gas masks in one of them......”

Tony nodded to the others, and they returned to the basement game room.  Before leaving, Tony pulled the covers back over Alfred Owens.  “Thanks, Mr. Owens.  We’ll get him, don’t you worry.”  Tony felt like sort of a puke, lying like that, but he had no other option.  What the hell was he going to say ?  Out in the big room, they all got started looking into the contents of the many boxes piled against the walls.  Tony cautioned the others to hurry.  Despite what he said to Alfred Owens, he wondered just how long it would take before the Dragon’s Wing was ripped by an explosion, as many of the surrounding buildings were. 

It took all of 30 minutes to finally locate the box with the old Gas Masks in it.  Zoe was the one who found it, calling out in triumph, “Here They Are !!”

The others gathered around.  In the box were six Gas Masks.  More that enough.  As they left the basement, Tony threw the key back under the out side mat, noticing the muffled sobbing from the small room had continued.

Next, they needed some Oxygen.  They went up the street on foot, and turned North on Main Street.  Going up a couple of blocks to the Clinic there, Tony said he would go inside.  From his couple weeks recovery there after being shot by Jake, he sorta knew where things were kept. 

Their attention was drawn by shouting.  From the corner where they stood, they could see an angry group of people in front of the Bullworth Police Station.  The doors were shut tight, and nobody was going in or out.  Further away, they could make out an even angrier mob on the steps in front of the Courthouse.  They couldn’t make out what was being said, but they gathered that the good citizens of Bullworth were not too happy with the Town leadership at the moment. 

The sidewalk was fairly empty of people at the moment.  Tony figured that most of the people were in the crowds gathered at the Police Station and the Courthouse.  Tony sucked in a deep breath and dashed into the Clinic.  Nick followed behind.  Inside the clinic, it was bedlam.  Injured people were all over, standing, staggering, laying, and shouting.  The small staff was overwhelmed.  Tony darted to the place where he knew they kept the hand-held Oxygen canisters, and groaned when he found only two.  The rest were undoubtedly being used about the Clinic.  Tony snatched them up and he and Nick left the Clinic unchallenged.

Out on the sidewalk, they held a small conference.  “This is all there was”, Tony said.  “It’s not enough !”

“There’s the Clinic over in New Coventry”, Zoe suggested.  “They Probably have some.”

The others agreed, and the trekked back to behind the Comic Store to retrieve their stolen bikes.  With all that was going on, it seemed that stealing bikes was the last thing on anybody’s mind, and they found theirs untouched.  Speedily, they mounted up and biked back into New Coventry, taking the same route down the brick street as before, turning left though instead of right at the corner.  A half-block away, the New Coventry Clinic was in sight.

They pulled their bikes up to the front, and Tony and Nick dashed in.  Laurent and Zoe stood guard over the bikes with their weapons out, as this area still had poeple wandering around and fighting.  When someone came too close, they were just popped with a Spud Gun to drive them off.  Normally, this would draw the attention of the Cops, but no one was going to be busted this evening.

As much as a madhouse as the Bullworth Clinic had been, the New Coventry Clinic was even worse.  Tony and Nick managed to grab one canister each, and those with difficulty, as a Clinic person charged them to try to prevent the thefts.  Tony and Nick both fired on him, and he went down, screaming, “OH, MY BALLS !!!!!”  Others converged on them then, and it was just to many to fight.  They cut and ran pell mell out the doors and hopped on their bikes.  The entire group rode to the Blue Skies Bridge like the dogs of hell were after them. 

Once on the other side, the group stopped and equipped themselves with their Gas Masks.  There was a little slot to plug the O2 canisters in on the masks.  Each turned the valve on and started the oxygen flow, and away they went, ever deeper into Blue Skies.

It was surreal.  The greenish cloud, which grew denser the farther in they rode, made the whole place appear like a scene right out of an old war movie.  Since Zoe knew the area best, Tony let her take the lead.  They poked and prodded into all the hiding places she pointed out.  Up on the elevated catwalk at Spazz Industries, where there was some storage compartments, Tony could see the bulk of the toxic cloud emitting from the Chem Plant some distance away.  Down Meats Street, they could see it was blocked with the smoldering ruins of the abandoned Wonder Meats Slaughterhouse.  They doubled back to the Police sub-station and tried the road there. 

They were running low on Oxygen by then.  The small canisters were only good for about a half-hour, and no more.  Raising his mask briefly, Laurent shouted to Zoe, “Is Not There A Clinic There By Your Old House ?”  Zoe nodded and they went there.  The place, however, had been trashed and looted.  Nothing so much as a bedpan remained.  The four gathered outside once more.  They had to lift their masks to speak. 

“We’ve got to get out of here. we’re running out of time !”, Tony panted.

“Wait”, Zoe gasped.  “There’s a warehouse that Jimmy used to hide out in, it’s just down the street there, a little ways past Spencer Warehouse !   Let’s try that before we give up !”

Tony agreed, but there wasn’t time to delay.  He flipped his mask down and the four biked on, going South down the street. 

BLAMM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As they passed the Spencer Warehouse, a huge explosion rocked the second floor offices of Spencer Warehouse.  Tony, Zoe, Nick, and Laurent were thrown off their bikes by the shock wave of the blast.  Lying there gasping, Tony smelled a new smell that he knew well....That of Gunpowder.
_____________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Mr. Spencer was on the phone at his home, Spencer Estates.  On the line was a desperate Chief Carcer, cringing in fear at the loss of control of the Towns by his woefully undermanned Police Force, still trying to convince somebody, anybody, to let him call in outside help.

“Release me the codes, Mr. Spencer, I beg of you !!”, Chief Carcer was saying.  “It’s totally out of control here !!  People are rioting, they’re outside of the Station this very minute !!”

“You know full well only Harrington has those outside codes”, Mr. Spencer said serenely, watching the action on a secure channel on his Television, live coverage by CNN of the raid on a certain New York building.  “Besides, I have a feeling that there’s going to be plenty of lawmen coming here soon enough.”

“But what am I to do ?”, moaned Chief Carcer.

“I’d hunker down if I were you”, Mr. Spencer said, not unkindly.  “Wait it out.  It will all be over soon enough, I’m sure.  Oh, one more thing, Chief......Destroy all your files.  It wouldn’t do to have them fall into the wrong hands, now would it ?”

With that, Mr. Spencer terminated the connection and turned his full attention back to the TV report.  The cameras were zooming in on Federal Agents leading men from the besieged building in handcuffs.  Mr. Spencer reached for his remote and turned up the volume.

“......As you can see, Agents are just now emerging from the building with the some of the top Syndicate Leaders.....And there is Vincent “Bloody Vince” Fonzerelli, now being pulled down the steps.  Sources have it that he has been arrested on multiple counts of  Income Tax Evasion, Racketeering, Bribery, Corrosion, Witness Tampering, and Murder, and violations of the RICO statutes and the MANN Act.  Other indictments may also be coming soon, according to Justice Department Officials.  It appears that the back of this particular branch or organized crime in the city has been broken.....”

Mr. Spencer punched the mute button on his remote.  He regretted the action he must now take, but whatever was destroyed could be built up again, just as long as he wasn’t sitting in a Federal Prison somewhere.  And that, he had no intention of doing.

He picked up his phone once again.  He had lied to Chief Carcer about not having those outside codes.  He could very well call for help.  But first, before anything else, he had to have time to eradicate any and all evidence against him and the others that he could.  Since Harrington had stupidly let that File get stolen, he was sure he would take some heat if that was ever found.  But even so, he and the others had a plan....They would turn State’s Witnesses against Harrington in exchange for Immunity.  It had all been decided.

He punched in a number he had hoped he would never have to use.  On the empty second-floor offices at Spencer Warehouse, a red light on a phone console in his office began flashing, sending an electric current to the various file cabinets and desk drawers that had been packed underneath with dynamite explosives.  Mr. Spencer listened as he heard the the tone for several seconds, a drawn out “BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOO.....” that dissolved into static, indicating the job had been done.  He knew the resultant fire from the accelerator gels packed with the explosives would take care of the rest of the evidence.  The blame would be laid on whomever was bombing the rest of the city, a fortunate turn of events for him.

He replaced the phone then, and rose for his next task, that of stripping his home files of anything incriminatory.  Those he would haul down and burn in his huge fireplace.  He figured he would be under arrest soon, as Bloody Vince’s far-flung empire was investigated and dismantled.  But in any case, there wouldn’t be that much evidence against him, and he had whole lots to tell for just the right kind of deal.

As he went about his task, he whistled a happy tune.  In the end, he would finally get it over on Harrington this time.
__________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Tony, Zoe, Nick, and Laurent lay stunned momentarily on the pavement from the explosion they had just rode by.  If it had been any closer, or had been at ground level, they might have been in serious trouble indeed.  As it was, they were lucky to have kept their Gas Masks on.  But the few minutes it had taken them to collect their wits and slowly re-mount their bikes meant all the less oxygen they had left in their canisters.  Wobbily, they set off towards the Save Warehouse, not even noticing the fire that was breaking out in the aftermath of the explosion on the second floor of Spencer Warehouse.

They were very low on air by the time they reached the Save Warehouse door, only to find it locked.  Zoe took a deep last breath and ripped off her mask.  Beating with all her might, she pounded on the door and yelled, “JIMMY !!!  IT’S ME, JIMMY !!!  LET US IN, QUICK !!!!”

For several seconds, nothing happened.  Then the door was yanked open and Jimmy appeared, yanking Zoe inside, and motioning for the others to follow.  On the last of their air, they stumbled in, and the door was slammed shut behind them.  The friends sank down on the floor in relief, pulling off their masks and sucking in the fresh air of the warehouse. 

Zoe hugged tight to Jimmy, sobbing with relief at finding him Ok and unhurt.  After a while, Tony saw Damon, who had slammed shut the door, and one other he didn’t expect....Algie.  The fat Nerd, minus his glasses, was perched on a nearby crate with a rabbit-scared look on his face.  His unfocused eyes were glued on Tony as he rose and walked over, stopping right in front of him.  “Please don’t hit me !”, Algie pleaded, raising his arms to protect his face.

I’m not gonna hit you, Algie”, Tony said.  “I think you probably suffered enough....Haven’t you ?”

“Yes, Oh Yes !!!”, Algie squealed, “I’m really sorry for what I did !!”

“Not near sorry enough”, grumbled Damon, standing nearby.  Jimmy shot a look at Damon and he went quiet.

“Be that as it may”, Tony said, “You got a long ways to go to ever get back the trust of even your own Clique.  If you join with us, it might go a little way on the long road back.”

Algie looked slightly hopeful.  “I will !!  I can !!  You’ll see !!”

“Right”, Tony said.  He turned away to the others.  “Hopefully, we’ll all see.”

When they were settled, Tony filled in Jimmy on the extent of the bombings so far.  They had brought along an extra two Gas Masks, but were basically out of oxygen to make the trip back.  Jimmy then related that they might be able to squeeze through, or around, the wrecked Frontloader that was wedged in the short tunnel leading to the footbridge.  The idea was discussed at some length.  The fire had gone out some time ago, Jimmy knew from taking quick looks out the door and down the street.  It was only a matter of time before the metal cooled off enough so they wouldn’t be burned making their way past it.  That would be the fastest way back to Bullworth Academy.  However, the ever-present toxic gas was still a problem.  Tony and the others hadn’t seen any bodies laying around, which meant that those affected must have made it to safety somehow, even those who were initially overcome, as Jimmy had told them.  But Laurent spoke up, saying that didn’t mean that there wouldn’t be long-range health problems from such a thing, as they didn’t know what the gas was to begin with, and they couldn’t risk it if they had to face Jake or anyone else for control of the school.

Back and forth the debate went, with them finally agreeing to wait out the Toxic Gas.  It was sure to dissipate in the next few hours, even sooner if a favorable wind came along.  Tony reluctantly agreed, worried as he was about Karen and the others, but he reasoned that perhaps Jake, and assuming the Punks he was apparently working with, would try to secure the Towns first, paving the way for a smoother take-over of the school without outside interference. 

They settled in for the wait.  Since it was already nightfall, they stood watches so all could get some sleep.  It was bound to be a big day tomorrow, whichever way it all came out.
__________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

BOOM !!!!!!!!!!  BOOM !!!!!!!!!!  BOOM !!!!!!!!!!  BOOM !!!!!!!!!!
BOOM !!!!!!!!!!  BOOM !!!!!!!!!!  BOOM !!!!!!!!!!  BOOM !!!!!!!!!!

Night fell across the Vale Valley, and the explosions continued.  At Bullworth Town, Worn In Used Clothing and the Shiny Bike Shop were hit, with the biggest explosion coming at the Rocket In My Pocket store.  That blast ignited most all of the Fireworks and such inside the store, and citizens ran from the area in panic like scared rabbits.  Over in New Coventry, The Final Cut and the Blue Balls Bar, the Greaser hangout, were rocked with explosions.  In Bullworth Vale, The Aquaberry Shop, Old Bullworth Hair, Nails & Beauty, and the Scuba Place were the next targets to be hit by the blasts.

Down at the Football Field, the Cliques were getting restless as it grew darker and the sodium-arc lights came on.  Ted stepped up to take the leadership role he had so long shirked to maintain order, aided in large part by Bob Southby.  Whenever talk arose of a group taking off on their own, Bob was there to say, “EVERYBODY STAY.  NOBODY LEAVE.”  He would emphasize that statement by smacking his huge basketball sized fist into his other equally large hand.  Most grumbling would cease at that point.  Having Mrs. Carvin and Mrs. Peabody, the only real adults present, also aided by at least having some kind of Authority figures present.  They were going about, making the students lay out the blankets and such into some kind of organized bedding, in the event that everyone would have to bunk down in the Football Field for the night, which increasingly looked like what was going to happen.  Meantime, Karen teamed up with Mandy to put on some cheerleading displays, even though she really wasn’t on the squad.  Melody joined in also, and for laughs, Eunice was granted a few tries with comical results.  The mood gradualy became more relaxed, though some still stayed on their guard with weapons at the ready.

Over at the house that Sid and the Punks occupied, the detonation codes were being fed in with regularity.  The had set off close to half the charges they had planted by 11 PM.  Starting after dark, Sid had sent out Frankie on several runs with the Go-Kart to survey the Towns and report back to him.  After the last run, Frankie returned.  All was going according to plan, he told Sid.  The Townspeople were an uproar and there was some rioting and looting going on.  A large crowd was gathered at the main Police Station and an even larger angry crowd was packed around Courthouse.  Both places appeared to be barred shut from the inside.  Frankie told Sid that no one had even bothered with him or seemed to pay attention to him whatsoever as he motored about and around the fallen debris.  But it appeared that the situation was in limbo.  They seemed no closer to taking over the Towns than when they started.

Sid was just getting started, however.  Quickly, he disconnected the AC plug from the Transmitter and inserted a DC lead in the proper terminal.  This he hooked up to a stolen car battery that he had had the Punks obtain for just such a situation.  Actually, this was in his plan all along.  With the Transmitter operating once more, he entered a series of specific codes.  “Break out the lanterns, boys.  Let’s see how they like this.”  With that, he triggered the transmitter key.
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KA-BOOM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Over in the South-East section of Blue Skies, C-4 charges planted at the Power Plant substation erupted with a mighty roar.  Within seconds, the entire Vale Valley was plunged into darkness.
_______________________________________________   

[BloodChuckZ]

Mr. Smith left his hotel room in Provenience and headed off to the Governor’s Mansion.  All that late afternoon, since he had arrived, he had used whatever political influence he had to get an emergency audience with the Governor.  Having been a large cash contributor to his campaign in the last election hadn’t hurt any either....In fact, that alone was probably the sole reason he was being afforded this late-night meeting at the home of the only person in the state of Rhode Island who could call out the National Guard.



As he was admitted to the residence after being searched, he was ushered to a grandly decorated office, where the Governor was seated behind a massive desk.  After taking a seat and making some preliminary small talk, Mr. Smith got down to business.

“There’s some kind of insurrection going on at Bullworth Town, sir.  It’s real serious.  There are some sort of Terrorists setting off bombs !!”, Mr. Smith exclaimed.

“Terrorists ?  Bombs ?”, the Governor frowned.  “I’ve heard nothing of this.  Just where is this place ?”

“It’s off Highway 403, down south of East Greenwich”, Mr. Smith related, “But it’s a pretty isolated place.  It’s not on most maps, hardly anyone knows about it.”

The Governor buzzed an Ade.  “Bring me in some State Maps”, he ordered.

In a few minutes, the Ade entered the office, arms loaded with maps of the state.  “Show me where”, the Governor ordered.  Mr. Smith went rose and went over to the desk.  After looking for a few seconds, he pointed.  “Right here.  This is the place.”

The Governor squinted.  “There’s....Nothing there.  Just a blank spot near the bay.”

“The Towns are isolated, Governor, shut off to the world.  There are people there who have made it that way”, Mr. Smith related, neglecting to mention that he had been one of those people.  “You’ve got to believe me, sir, the situation in Bullworth Town is very serious indeed !”

The expression on the Governor’s face indicated he felt he was listening to a raving lunatic, but at the mention of the place, the Ade’s expression perked up.  “Bullworth, you say ?  I know that place.”

The Governor looked up in surprise, as did Mr. Smith, at the Ade.  “How’s that again ?”

“Oh, Yeah”, the Ade said, “I went to this ratty old school there, back in the 80s.  They called it an ‘Academy’, but it was a real stone age place.”

“So....This is a real place ?”, the Governor quizzed.  The Ade nodded, then excused himself, saying he would be right back.  The Governor settled back in his chair.  “Tell me more”, he said to Mr. Smith.

Mr. Smith did his best to describe Bullworth Town and the Vale Valley, and the creeping isolationism that had crept over the area, spurred on by the rich and powerful that now controlled the area for their own ends.  By the time he was finished, the Ade had returned.

“Here’s a much older map, sir.  As you can see, Bullworth Town is right here, along with some other towns called The Vale, New Coventry, and Blue Skies”, the Ade related.  “They’re pretty small places, as towns go, but I recall they had shipping facilities there, some industries, a rail line, and a dam.”

“That’s interesting”, the Governor said, peering at the map.  “And you say someone is setting off bombs there ?  Some kind of Terrorists ?”

“I don’t know who they are”, Mr. Smith admitted, “But that was the talk that’s been going around.  The city leaders are powerless to call for help, and the situation is far beyond their control.  People are rioting, and the law is useless.”  He finished by describing the events of the past day and then showing the Governor the photos of the damage he had taken just before he had left.

“So, why didn’t you go to the State Police about this ?”, the Governor asked.

Mr. Smith sighed.  “There is a certain level of....Corruption....on many levels.  I thought it best to come to you, personally.”

The Governor mulled that over.  He knew all about corruption.  It was, as they say about the air, everywhere.  He leaned back in his chair once more and tented his fingers.  “What do you expect I can do about this, provided of course what you say is true ?”

“Send in the National Guard”, Mr. Smith said.  “Only you have that power.  If it IS some kind of Terrorists, think of what a boost that would be to you in you re-election campaign.  Hell, even if they aren’t, just the publicity alone would get you a huge boost in the polls.”

The Governor considered.  It WAS an election year, and he was going to be facing a tough opponent this time around, no question about that.  If this situation was true, and he took decisive action that restored order, he would be lauded as being a hero.  On the other hand, given the situation, and he didn’t act, he would be lambasted by the press and would surly lose come November.  This type of thing was political dynamite, it could make or break a career.  He leaned forward.  “All right, Smith, I’ll tell you what I’ll do.  First, I call up an Expeditionary Force to go in and check it out.  If what you say is true, I’ll send in the National Guard.  Agreed ?”

Mr. Smith nodded.  “It has to be tonight !  Things were getting bad when I left.  The’re probably worse now.”

The Governor instructed his Ade to connect him to a secure line, and the Ade left to do so.  “Tell me, Smith”, The Governor asked while they were waiting, “What’s your interest in all this, anyway ?”

“I live there”, Mr. Smith said sadly, “And I helped build those towns.  I can’t stand by and let some kind of Punks destroy them.”

The intercom buzzed.  “All ready sir”, the Ade’s voice said.  The Governor picked up his phone.  “We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

The Sodium-Arc lights over the Football Field suddenly dimmed and went out, eliciting cries of dismay from the startled students.  Most hadn’t been directly affected by the day’s events since the bombing of the Statue at the fountain, or in the Nerd’s case, the Observatory gateway, but the sudden plunge into darkness somehow made their situation seem worse, and by extension, all the more real.  In one way, it made Ted’s job easier....No one seemed inclined to bolt off into the unknown darkness of the campus.  The sky was black at this point, there was no moon to guide them at any rate.  A cloud cover obscured any stars.  Things were a bit tense at first, for this seemed an optimal time for an attack, if one was to come, while they were confused and defenseless, with no target to fire back on in the darkness.  But, after an hour or more had passed with no threat, they calmed down once more.
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After the blackout, Sid once again sent out Frankie on the Go-Kart, along with Sean.  This time, it would be a specific mission.  Standing on the back of the Go-Kart, Sean carried a package, tied to a brick.  The Go-Kart zipped quietly along the streets, dodging those pedestrians Frankie could see, while hitting others he couldn’t.  By the time the Go-Cart crossed the North Bridge, Sid triggered an explosion at the Bullworth Arts Building, South-West of the Courthouse. 

BOOM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The blast had the effect of dispersing the angry mob around the Courthouse steps and served to clear the street in front.  Just a minute later, by the light of the flames belching from the Arts Building, Frankie drove the Go-Kart up the Courthouse steps and near one of the elevated windows.  As Frankie briefly stopped the Go-Kart, Sean hurled the package & brick through the window.  Inside the package was a Walkie-Talkie intended for Judge Starkweather.  In the fresh confusion and panic, nobody paid the two the slightest attention, and soon they were driving back, their mission complete.  By that time, Chief O’Rouke arrived with the pumper truck to fight the new fire.  He had just returned from Blue Skies, where he had been able to knock down the fire at Spencer Warehouse.  It was fortunate that the Chief had Gas Masks, or the whole West end of Blue Skies and the Docks would have gone up in flames otherwise. 

Although no one could see it, the hands on the Clocktower above the Courthouse were stopped at 11:04, the instant the power went out.  The faded words under the big clock, “BULLWORTHLESS” glowered eerily in the night.
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[BloodChuckZ]

The time ticked past midnight.  The siege on the Vale Valley had been going on 12 hours now, and it was time for the next phase of Sid’s plan.  Systematically, he began triggering explosions of the smaller charges of C-4 they had planted near the homes of the residents.  A few charges were let off in the alleyways of the Tennaments in New Coventry and the Condos along the more affluent sections of Bullworth Vale, but the main hits were in the residential sections along Bullworth-Vale Road and the rich homes up and down Vale Valley Road.  The small blasts drove many into the streets, contributing to the chaos.  Soon, the rich mingled with the poor, and in the near total darkness, neither could tell one from the other.

Charges went off too near Spencer Estates and Harrington Mansion, But both men, true to their snobbish heritage, refused to run out and mingle with the common peons.  Instead, they retreated to their safe rooms, where each barricaded themselves in to wait out the siege.  Ironically, those were to be the first of many small rooms that they would find themselves an unwilling prisoner of in the weeks ahead. 

To forestall any intervention from the outside world, although he didn’t expect there would be, Sid triggered the charges planted in the tunnel of the only road out of town.  It was here, however, that Sid made a monumental error.  Stuck to the ceiling of the tunnel, the charges failed to ignite.  The radio signals were unable to penetrate the rock mountain there, and the C-4 went unexploded.  For some inexplicable reason, Sid sent nobody to check on the tunnel to assure it was blocked.  Instead, he had ordered his gang, including Jake, to get some sleep.  It was going to be a big day tomorrow, and he wanted his crew fresh.
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The Carnival on the far west of Bullworth Vale was just as dark as the rest of the Vale Valley, but that didn’t really matter.  Billy Bob Crane had loaded his entire crew of Carnies and Freaks into three Clownmobiles and had left the area earlier that afternoon, during the initial attacks.  Billy Bob feared that they too would be a target for attack, and he moved with lightening speed to ensure the safety of his workers.  The Freaks had all been placed in their own specialized vehicle, with a tank in the back for Courtney the Mermaid.  The caravan headed to Stoneworth, a small town in Connecticut, where Billy Bob’s brother, Johnny Joe Crane, had his own traveling carnival.  Billy Bob had no worries.  Carnies always took care of their own.
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Down at the Football Field, things had settled down.  Mrs. Carvin and Mrs. Peabody, possessing flashlights, patrolled the rows of sleeping students with steely resolve.  A few remained awake, standing guard in shifts, just in case, but the anticipated attack never occurred.  Some were coming to believe it never would.

Karen couldn’t sleep.  Worried more and more about Tony with each passing hour, she sought comfort with Melody, who was also worried about Nick.  Constantinos and Ray hung around to keep them company, but it was no use.  She pictured all sorts of bad things happening to Tony and the others, but resolved to keep her promise to him to stay put.  When daylight came, she would go looking for him.  Until then, there was nothing she could do.
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Jimmy and Tony traded off watch shifts throughout the night in the dark Save Warehouse.  Tony was almost certain now that Jake and the Punks were behind all that had happened this past day.  Somehow, Jake had teamed up forces with the mysterious Sid and they had pulled off the attack of the century on the Vale Valley.  Tony could see the plan in his mind now, just as surely as if he were back in his Mediator office with the papers taped to the wall with the red and black connection lines drawn between them. 

Again, he agonized over his inability to stop Jake over the past few months.  Far from the weak psychotic boy Jake had appeared to be when he tried to ram Tony with the Greaser’s classic car, he now loomed in Tony’s mind as an evil genius.  Conning the Townies has been one thing, but that he was able to con an adult criminal like Sid to go along with his plans spoke volumes.  Tony felt totally inadequate to his avowed task of stopping Jake for good for really the first time.  His only hope was that Jake would, in his arrogance, make a mistake.  It seemed to be the only hope for him, for Karen, and for his friends.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[BloodChuckZ]

As the power had failed across the Vale Valley, the electronic locking system of the Towns Jails had failed also.  The Townies, who had been locked up since Easter, staged jailbreaks from the main Station at Bullworth Town and two of the other sub-stations at Bullworth Vale and New Coventry, walking out of the empty stations encountering no resistance whatever.  Barricaded in his office at the Bullworth Town Jail, Chief Carcer heard them go with no way to stop them, and knew that his career in Law Enforcement was over.

The Townies joined the throngs in the streets, and immediately began looting the damaged stores.  Like kids let loose in a candy store, they pillaged everything they could carry, and headed towards Blue Skies.  When they found their way blocked by the Toxic Gas, they stashed their loot on the lot of a rundown trailer located near the bridge, behind a building.  For the rest of the night, they stood guard, and beat any townsperson who was foolish enough to come within range.
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Judge Starkweather eventually retrieved the Walkie-Talkie that had been thrown in through the window.  Pushing the 'Talk’ button, he demanded to know just who was on the other end of the line and just what their demands were.  After a while, Sid replied, using a fake accent.

“This Is The Bullworth Liberation Front”, Sid began.  “The BLF Demands Your Complete And Total Surrender Of The Towns Of This Vale Valley.  If You Refuse To Comply, Your Business And Industries Will Be Totally Destroyed.”

“Impossible !!!”, Judge Starkweather gruffly, mustering a bravado he certainly did not feel.  “I don’t have the authority to agree to such an action !”

“Are You Not The Highest Official In The Towns ?  There Is No Mayor, No Council, No Managers”, Sid said.  “Do Not Lie To Us.  It Is You Who Must Turn Over To Us Unconditionally The Control Of The Bullworth Towns !”

“I CAN’T and I WON’T !!!”, snarled Judge Starkweather.  “You have NO RIGHT to do what you are doing !!!”

“Then You Will Feel Our Power”, Sid threatened.  “We Will Destroy All Your Homes And Businesses !!!”

“You Would’nt DARE !!!”, Judge Starkweather stormed desperately.

“I Will Contact You In One Hour”, Sid said.  “We Shall See !!”

The Judge responded with curses, but there was no answer.  In the distance, he heard the bombs going off again.
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The Task Force arrived at 2 AM, guided to the nearly obscure road that led into the Vale Valley by Mr. Smith, who had come along to show them the way.  A small detachment went in past the now-inactive holographic entrance by the Carnival in a nondescript ordinary car, as not to draw attention.  Within a half-hour, they had returned and reported that the Towns were indeed under siege.  The Commander of the Task Force, who had stayed behind, stationed just beyond the wrecked Go-Cart Track, radioed in that the situation was just as Mr. Smith had described, and requested a full assault.  This information was relayed to the Governor, who ordered the National Guard to assemble and be ready to launch a full-scale assault at dawn.  The clock was now ticking.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The negotiations continued through the wee hours of the night, with Sid issuing more threats and the Judge still refusing to back down.  Part of the reason was he had been unable to contact either Harrington or Spencer to get the go-ahead for such a drastic action.  It slowly sank in on Judge Starkweather that they had abandoned him, and that he was left to sink or swim just like the stinking Crab in the Vale Bay.  Sid had continued to systematically detonate charges laid near homes and some of the businesses that were left.....The Dry Seaman Bar, the Vale Movie Theater, the Vale Shiny Bike Shop, and numerous other small businesses. 

The back-and-forth exchanges continued, with Sid threatening to blow up Spazz Industries, the Wonder Meats Warehouse, the Beam Cola Plant, and to sink the rest of the Dock Area.  Finally, Sid pulled out his ace card, and told the Judge he would blow up the Bullworth Dam and flood the entire valley.  At that point, Judge Starkweather finally capitulated, and agreed to the demands.  Sid arranged for the handover of power to be at the first light of dawn, in front of the Courthouse.  He stipulated that all codes to all buildings, including the Bank, be handed over, and that the Courthouse was to be cleared.  After he broke contact, he went to awaken Jake and his troops. 

Sid was going to hold up his end of the deal.  Jake was to leave while it was still dark, and would be accompanied by Denny and Kenny, who were to be fully armed.  Jake was allowed to carry his Air Rifle and Spud Gun.  Sid wanted to take no chances that the erratic Jake would start shooting kids.  Brothers Denny and Kenny were being sent along to help with the takeover of the school, and to keep an eye on Jake.  If all worked according to plan, the trio should be securing control of the school just as Sid and the others would be taking over the towns.  Still, a trickle of doubt ate at Sid, and he vowed to be extra vigilant.
__________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

With still plenty of darkness to go until dawn, Jake left for the school, accompanied by Denny and Kenny.  Dressed in black, the three took a route that would minimize their being seen.  Leaving the rented estate on foot, they traveled the one block South along the bricked street that led to one of the entrances of Bullworth Vale Gardens Park.  Strangely, probably the safest place for any Citizen of the towns tonight was the Park, and it was completely empty.  Traversing the Park, they headed out a grassy path that led to Vale Valley Road, and crossing that, went down Vale Court.  A dirt pathway led off there, and went past the Lighthouse Overlook, where not long ago Tony and Karen had gotten it on in the shadow of their Go-Cart.  The trail switchbacked down this elevated part of the Vale, winding up on the beach and passing directly in front of the Beach House where Pinky had been staying of late.  The Beach House was dark tonight, as Pinky was still in the School Clinic with a fractured jaw, courtesy of her ex-fiance.

Staying close to the beach wall, they covered the distance all along the shore to nearly the South Bridge, passing a sleeping wino under the big pier.  Here, they were forced to go up to the sidewalk to cross the bridge.  The kept on the alert, but it didn’t matter....The Townspeople who were out were all too preoccupied with the damage and destruction to even so much as look in their direction.  Not that they would have seen much in the dark anyway.  The sounds of sirens still uselessly filled the air, and as they watched they saw Chief O’Rouke’s lone Fire Truck moving down Vale Boulevard, still trying to extinguish the resultant fires from the Bombs. 

Crossing the bridge swiftly, they headed for the school, turning right at the Parking Lot access road.  Going the length as stealthily as they could, they reached the side gate and found it closed and chained shut.  The Prefects had long ago withdrawn from the gates to inside the school, and the gate stood unguarded.  Jake cracked an ironic smile at that.  In spite of his ever-creeping paranoid demeanor, he had admit Sid had been right to have him hold off further explosions on the Academy.  The chaos going on outside the school would serve to instill a false sense of security inside the school.  Jake regretted now setting off the explosion by the Observatory, only the first one had been necessary. 

Neither Jake or the Punks knew how to Parkour, but it was no matter.  Cutting right was the old rail line that led around the perimeter of the school, and that was the path they went down, the same one they had used to sneak in to set the explosives in the first place, over the wall that led to the back lot of the Autoshop.  Jake would have no use for this particular method of entry after this day, since the morning would see him in his rightful place as King of the School.

Sneaking through the back lot, they peered around to the Parking Lot.  It was deserted, and after a short wait, the trio moved to the edge of the lot to cast a look at the West side of the school.  Usually one of the Prefects patrolled there at night, but after a few minutes it was clear that there was no one about.  Jake and the Punks unslung their weapons, theirs were SKS-45 Surplus Rifles, while Jake had his less-deadly Air Rifle, the same one he had used to shoot Pete in the eye the past winter.  Creeping forward cautiously to the Front Quad, and looking about, they also found the area deserted.  While Denny and Kenny stood watch, Jake went swiftly to the Boy’s Dorm.  At the top of the steps, he eased open the door and stepped inside.  Fishing out a flashlight from his backpack, he shined it around and saw no one, only empty hallways.  He took a quick look in the common area and several rooms, only to find them empty as well.  He took off on a silent run out of the Boy’s Dorm and crossed the path to the Girl’s Dorm.  Air Rifle at the ready in one hand, flashlight in the other, he searched there, upstairs and down with the same result.  Nobody was there.  The students were gone.

Jake returned to the Front Quad.  The three then mounted the steps to the school, weapons at the ready in case of an ambush.  When nothing happened, Jake signaled them to check the doors.  Denny moved to the right to the Patio door, Kenny moved to the left to the Clinic door, while Jake tried the main Doors.  All three were locked.  Jake removed from his backpack another nifty item he had picked up in Provenience, a little mini-cutting torch.  Igniting it, he bent to cut the lock out of the front doors while the two Punks stood guard.  In less than two minutes, the lock dropped free on the pavement at his feet.  Jake kicked it aside, and the three entered the school, guns at the ready.

The building was eerily silent.  Jake watched for the flicker of flashlights indicating patrolling Prefects.  After a few minutes, it was clear none was forthcoming.  Jake risked turning on his flashlight and led the two Punks up the steps to the second floor and into the School Office. Quickly shining the light about, the mystery of the missing Prefects was partly solved...Seth lay snoring on the short sofa, while Max was slumped down against a nearby wall, likewise asleep.  Both were rudely awakened by the Punks with lights shining in their eyes and Rifles jammed at their heads.  Jake made them lay down face-first on the floor, withdrawing rope and gags from his backpack.  After threats of being shot, Seth gave the information as to where Karl and Edward were.  The Punks then bound and gagged them, then Denny followed Jake to the Teacher’s Lounge while Kenny stood guard.  They burst into the Lounge to find Karl and Edward likewise asleep and soon had taken them prisoner just as easily as they had Max and Seth.  The errant Prefects were marched back to the office, laid on the floor, and soon bound and gagged.

With the Prefects neutralized, Jake turned his attention to the door to Dr. Crabblesnitch’s office.  Finding it also locked, he stepped aside and motioned Denny to shoot it off.  The rounds crackled from the SKS, then Jake kicked in the door and rushed into the Head’s Office.  Having heard the commotion, Dr. Crabblesnitch was on the move.  The good Doctor was at the hidden door, pulling it open and beginning to drag Ms. Danvers along with him to the relative safety of the balcony.

“Hold It Crabblesnitch !!”, Jake ordered, firing a pellet at the woodwork above the Head’s head.  “That’s Far Enough !!!”  He lowered his weapon and trained it on Ms. Danvers.  “You wouldn’t want your lady to get shot, now would you ?”

“Oh Milton, Save Me !!”, Ms. Danvers moaned, her frightened features made ghostly in the flashlight’s glare. 

Dr. Crabblesnitch backed slowly away from the balcony door.  “There’s no need for violence here.  What is it that you want ?”

A huge maniacal grin broke onto Jake’s face.  “I’ve come to collect on your Resignation, Crabby.  This is your last day of school, Turdknocker !!”
_______________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

The first faint light of day was beginning to make itself seen in the skies over Blue Skies.  A mild breeze had sprung up from the South-West, helping to disperse the toxic greenish gas that had blanketed the area for most of the previous day and night. 

Jimmy cautiously opened the Save Warehouse door.  In the dim light, it appeared that the cast of the sky was going more to blue than green.  The light wind in his face told a good story.  Jimmy took a breath and didn’t choke.  Tentatively, he sucked in a deeper breath and held it.  The gas was still there, but just smelled more like a Stink Bomb in it’s final stages.  It would be time, at last, to be able to move soon.  He stepped back inside and went to wake the others.
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Sid was making final preparations to move out.  He shut down the transmitter and disconnected it from the car battery, since he would be no longer needing it.  In it’s place he stuck a small, cigarette-pack sized transmitter in his pocket.  It would serve well at shorter distances within a quarter-mile radius.  It was one of two he had picked up in Providence along with the other electronic equipment.  Jake Brown, who had already left for the school with Denny and Kenny, had the other one. 

He went to the front room and saw that Frankie and Sean were likewise readying to move, slinging their SKS-45 Rifles over their shoulders.  Sid had added a Colt-38 to his weaponry, although it truth, he didn’t expect to have to use any weapons.  The populace was scared shitless, and the takeover should go smoothly.  But Sid was not one to leave anything to mere chance.  He wanted to be prepared if anything should go wrong.  Together the three left the hideout house for the last time.  Going to the detached garage, Frankie pulled open the door.  The Go-Kart awaited for their transport to glory.
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On the access road just outside the Vale Valley, more than 30 vehicles were lined up, mostly Jeeps and Troop Transport Carriers from the National Guard.  Captain Calbert 'Cal’ Curry surveyed the line as the first slivers of light began to lighten up the sky.  It would be time to move within a few minutes.  The Captain’s attention was soon drawn to a line of dark green Government cars moving up parallel to the convoy.  The lead car came to a stop and a man dressed in a dark suit emerged, walking over to Captain Curry.

“Captain ?”, the man said, flipping out an Identification Badge.  “Special Agent Hosty, FBI.  We’re going to be working with you in tandem on this one.  I assume you’ve been notified ?”

“That’s correct, Sir”, Captain Curry replied, “We were informed you would be here.  My orders state that we are to go in and restore order, and then you may follow at your discretion.”

“Very Good”, Agent Hosty said.  “I have 20 agents with me, and we’re expecting to make several arrests.  When the situation is stabilized,  you will be able to assist ?”

“Yes Sir, should not a problem”, the Captain replied.  The Agent nodded and returned to his car to wait.  As he got in, he spoke a few word to his passenger in the front seat, who the Captain could see was obviously a civilian.

“Sargent Carter !”, the Captain called to a soldier standing nearby, “Get them ready to move out in five !”

“Yes Sir !”, the Sargent responded crisply, and headed down the line as daylight drew closer.
_________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Dr. Crabblesnitch and Ms. Danvers were forced into the outer office, already getting a bit crowded with the four Prefects lying bound and gagged on the floor, Denny and Kenny looming over them.  “Bind Him !”, Jake ordered.

The Punks quickly complied, shoving the Head roughly up against the wall and tying his arms behind him.  “Now, where are the others, Crabby ?”, Jake demanded.

Dr. Crabblesnitch remained silent.  Enraged, Jake came closer and shoved the Air Rifle in the back of his neck.  “Wanna see what this does at close range, Jackwipe ?  Once again, WHERE IS EVERYBODY ?”

Ms. Danvers moaned.  Still hobbled by her cast from her last encounter with Jake, she was unable to run, only hobble.  When Dr. Crabblesnitch still refused to reply, Jake turned his Air Rifle on her.  “Talk, Crabby, or your woman’s get crippled for life !”

“Oh, You Hooligan !”, Ms. Danvers cried.  “Why, I Ought To....OOOFFFF !!!!!”, she screamed, as Jake belted her in the stomach.  She doubled over and fell to the floor. 

“ENOUGH !!”, Dr. Crabblesnitch yelled.  “I’ll Talk !!”

“Hurry it up then, or she gets another !”, Jake said, viciously.

“The Staff....Is locked in their classrooms”, Dr. Crabblesnitch began.

“Locked in their classrooms ?”, Jake snickered, and began to laugh. “Oh, that’s Rich !”

“It’s for their safety....”, Dr. Crabblesnitch started to say.  Jake cut him off.

“You Old Fool, I got the whole school building mined with explosives !”, Jake crowed.  “The rest of the Campus too !  Did it right under your noses !  What’cha think about that, Crabby ?”

Dr. Crabblesnitch was silent at that.  Jake went on, “Alright, where’s all the kids ?  The Cliques ?  Where are they ?”  He advanced on Ms. Danvers and prepared to kick her in the gut.

“Down at the Football Field !”, Dr. Crabblesnitch said in a rush. “Don’t hurt her any more, Brown !”

“I’ll do what I damn well please !”, snarled Jake.  “I’m in charge here now !”

Jake addressed the two Punks.  “Take this Bitch around and unlock those classrooms.  She’s got keys to everything.   Assemble all them Teachers and Staff out in the big hall.  Tell them I’ll shoot Crabby here if they don’t get a move on !”

Denny and Kenny hauled Ms. Danvers up from the floor and she was forced to hobble out with them.  Jake ordered Dr. Crabblesnitch to the couch and leaped up on the counter to best keep an eye on everyone.  In about ten minutes, the Teachers were assembled out in the Great Hall, lined up by the front doors.  In addition, the Punks had also hauled out Nurse McRae from the School Clinic, along with Tad and Pinky, who was sporting a large bandage tied about her head in a rather comical way.

Once the Staff was rounded up, Jake marched Dr. Crabblesnitch and the four Prefects out of the office and down the stairs to join the others.  Jake looked them over.  He saw Edna the Cook, Mr. Galloway, Mr. Hattrick, Mr. Matthews, Mr. Neil, Miss Peters, Ms. Phillips, Mr. Wiggins, Dr. Slawter, and Dr. Watts.  He also spotted Tad and Pinky.

“Spencer !  That you, you Prep Fuck !”, Jake exclaimed.  “Wha’ja do, beat your girl there ?”

“I did nothing of the sort !”, Tad replied hotly.  “That was Derby’s doing !”

“Harrington, heh ?”, Jake laughed.  “I can believe that.  One of the biggest scum fucks in the school.  But not THE biggest, eh ?”  Jake waved to the two Punks.  “Alright, everyone outside on the Patio !  We’re gonna have us a little Saturday Morning Assembly !”

Denny and Kenny herded the Teachers and Staff out the busted front doors.  Jake followed with the Prefects and Dr. Crabblesnitch ahead of him.  He had the adults line up in rows on the patio, and then leaped up onto the banister by one of the pillars.  “Spencer !”, he called, “You’re gonna do a little job for me.”

“I’m not doing anything for your kind”, Tad returned stiffly.

“Sure you are, just like you Preps used to do for my dear departed cousin, Gary”, Jake said.  He called to the Punks, “Take this sack of shit down to the Football Field, and take Seth here too.  Round up all those Jackasses and march them up here.  Don’t want anyone missing our Assembly this morning !”, he chortled gleefully.  “Have that blue-suited dumbass strip all their weapons and leave them there.  Wouldn’t do to have an armed gang at our little meeting here, not on this historic day, now would it ?”

Tad was reluctant to be pushed along.  Jake called out, “You go down there and help convince ‘em to come peacefully, Taddie, or your little girlfriend here is gonna get one in the stomach !  And if anybody thinks of giving any trouble down there, I’m gonna shoot little Miss Bitch Danvers in her other foot and cripple her for good !”

Dr. Crabblesnitch nodded at Seth.  “Do as he says.”

The Punks moved off with Seth and Tad at gunpoint in front of them.
______________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Jake waited about a minute after Denny and Kenny led off with Tad and Seth, then pulled his mini-transmitter from his pocket.  Keying in certain codes, he pushed the transmit button.

BOOM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   BOOM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Down at the Football Field, the two C-4 charges he had planted behind the Bleachers exploded, breaking the back retaining walls and crumpling some of the bleacher seats themselves.  It was a rude wake-up call for most of the students, who had been sleeping fitfully on blankets on the ground.  Cries erupted from the sleepy, startled students, and there ensued a disorganized frantic mad rush towards the back of the Football Field.  Bob and Ted attempted to keep order, all to no avail.  In the pre-dawn light, all attention was centered on the mass of confused, frightened students, and no one took notice of the pathway some had been previously guarding where they expected an attack to come from.  After a couple of minutes though, Constantinos DID notice.  He pointed and shouted, “LOOK !!  LOOK !!”

At the top of the steps stood two figures clad all in black, somewhat difficult to see in the weak light of the approaching dawn.  Both were holding what appeared to be some serious weaponry.  Coming down the stairs were Seth the Prefect and Tad Spencer.  At the sight, the students gradually fell silent, save for a few shouts here and there.  Denny, the figure to the left, raised a Megaphone and began to address the students gathered in fear. 

“GREETINGS STUDENTS !!  THIS ENTIRE CAMPUS IS MINED WITH EXPLOSIVES, SO DON’T ENTERTAIN ANY FUNNY IDEAS ABOUT ESCAPE !   THIS MORNING, ALL OF YOU ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THE CHANGE OF POWER CEREMONY ON THE FRONT QUAD, WHERE YOU WILL MEET THE NEW HEAD OF THE SCHOOL !  THOSE OF YOU NOT WISHING TO ATTEND WILL BE SHOT !”

Consternation broke out among the crowd of students.  Shouts of “No Way !” and “Fuck YOU !” resounded.  As the babble grew more intense, Kenny, the figure to right, raised his rifle and fired a few rounds into one of the glass lamps on the pillars that bordered the steps, shattering it to pieces.

POW-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW !!!!!!

Some of the girls screamed, but the demonstration immediately silenced most of the students.

“NOT A WISE MOVE !”, Denny continued.  “AS THIS PREP KID HERE CAN TELL YOU, WE HAVE THE UPPER HAND !”

Tad spoke.  “They’re Telling The Truth !”, he related. “They Have The Whole Staff Prisoners Up In Front Of The School !  Prefects Too !”

In the crowd, Constantinos muttered, “We can take them out !  We have Weapons !”, and began to raise his Spud Gun.

“Don’t”, Ted cautioned, who was standing right beside him.  “Those are Automatic Weapons.  They’ll cut you down before you can even reload.”

Constantinos realized Ted was right and lowered his weapon as Denny continued.

“NOW HERE’S WHAT GONNA HAPPEN !  EACH ONE OF YAHS IS GONNA FILE PAST MR. PREFECT-MAN HERE !  EVERYONE IS GONNA THROW ANY WEAPONS THEY HAVE HERE IN A PILE AND GET SEARCHED BY HIM !  HE IS GONNA MAKE SURE NOBODY’S CONCEALING ANYTHING, OR HE’LL GET A ROUND IN THE ASS !”

“Lawbreakers !!!”, Seth said, seething with fury.

“SHUT YOUR PIE-HOLE, YAH BLUE-SUITED FREAK, OR ELSE YOU’LL BE WEARING SOME LEAD IN YOUR UNDERSHORTS !”, Denny said, glaring at Seth.  He turned his attention back to the rest of the crowd.  “WELL, LET’S GET ON WITH IT !  TIME’S A-WASTING !  OR MAYBE I SHOULD START SHOOTING CLIQUE LEADERS ?”

Slowly, the students began to file up towards the steps, dropping their weapons in an ever-growing pile and then allowing Seth to pat them down.  Kenny began backing down the path in front of them as the first students topped the steps, keeping his weapon trained on them.  By this time, Denny had jumped atop a pillar at the top of the steps and kept watch with his SRS trained on them.  Soon, the pile of weapons had grown to a large mound.

“KEEP IN MIND THAT ANY DEVIATION FROM THE WAY UP TO THE FRONT QUAD WILL RESULT IN EXPLOSIONS BEING TRIGGERED OFF ALONG YOU WAY, SO DON’T TRY ANY FUNNY BUSINESS !”, Denny added.  “JUST FOLLOW THAT MAN UP TO THE QUAD AND NOBODY TRY TO BE A HERO !”

The line of students snaked it’s way to the Back Quad.  Kenny stepped off then, and motioned for the line to continue around the East side of the school.  Here he spoke for the first time, saying, “There is Explosives At The Library, So Don’t Think Of Going There.  Just Continue Around To The Front Quad, And Nobody’ll Get Hurt !”  He repeated the message to each group that came by. 

As the students assembled around the Front Quad, the Preps were in the lead, and wound up on the West side of the Quad.  The Jocks followed next, with Mandy, Karen, Melody, Gloria, and Eunice, then the Greasers, then Constantinos and the Non-Cliques, with the Bullies and Nerds trailing in last, taking positions along the East side of the Quad.  When Pinky saw Tad, she ran to him and threw her trembling arms around him.  Her feelings had been re-kindled for him as he sat through the night with her in the School Clinic.

Last came Seth, prodded by Denny and Kenny, who directed him back up the school steps, where he was bound and gagged once more and sent to stand in line with the other Prefects.  Kenny then took up a position on the East rail of the patio to watch over the students, while Denny hopped up on the West rail to do the same thing.  Still perched on the railing near the steps, a madly grinning Jake surveyed his new charges.  Giddy with glee, for he had at last achieved his goal of taking over the school, a feat that his lame cousin Gary had not.  All that was needed now was this little ceremony to make it official.  Shouldering his Air Rifle, he withdrew from his backpack a small bullhorn and a folded sheet of paper.  He clicked on the little unit, and after a small feedback whine, began to address the assembly.

“GOOD MORNING BULLWORTH ACADEMY !!!!”, he chortled.  “SO GOOD OF YOU ALL TO COME !  THE MORNING’S ANNOUNCEMENT IS.....DR. CRABBLESNITCH HAS CHOSEN TO RESIGN AND PLACED ME IN CHARGE AS HIS SUCCESSOR....”  Here he shook open the paper and read from it.  “I HERBY RESIGN AS HEADMASTER OF BULLWORTH ACADEMY, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, AND APPOINT AND ASSIGN JACOB BROWN AS MY REPLACEMENT, SIGNED DOCTOR MILTON CRABBLESNITCH.”

There were cries of surprise and disbelief from the staff and students alike.  Dr. Crabblesnitch spoke up over the din, only wishing he had had enough time to get his Magnum and shoot this little monster.  “You Know That Was Obtained Under Duress, Boy !  It Will Never Stand Up In Court !”

“WHAT COURT ?” Jake bellowed laughter. “THE BULLWORTH TOWN COURT ?  DON’T LOOK NOW, CRABBY, BUT THAT’S UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT !  OR DIDN’T YOU GET THE MEMO ?  MY NEW PUNK BUDS TAKEN OVER THE TOWNS NOW, TOO !!!”

The assembled students and staff gasped.  Could that be true ?  Was that what had been happening ?  Were the Punks now in control of the Vale Valley ?
___________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

The seven kids exited the Save Warehouse in the early morning light, cautiously inhaling the air.  It smelled still of rotten eggs, now overlaid with a faint electrical smell, but it wasn’t making them want to puke or feel dizzy.  They trooped down the now quiet street, picking their way through the wrecked cars to the small underpass where the Frontloader was still jammed into the short tunnel.  The fire had long since burned out.  Jimmy laid a hand on the metal, and though still warm, posed no danger of burning them.  The others gathered around while Jimmy, Tony, and Nick hopped up on the Frontloader, looking for a place to squeeze through.

It didn’t take long to find a way through, although it seemed it was going to be a tight fit for the fattest member of the group, Algie.  They stood on the sidewalk and conferred.  It was decided that Zoe would go through first, followed by Tony, Nick, and Jimmy. Then, they would try to squeeze Algie through, and then Damon.  Laurent had volunteered to hold back to the last, in case any ‘push power’ was needed to get Algie or Damon through the narrow opening.

Tony hurried them along.  He felt the less that they had breathe the air here, the less danger they would be in.  Quickly the first four squirreled easily through the opening.  Laurent hoisted Algie up on the Frontloader and told him to go for the hole.  Algie protested that he wasn’t going to fit, but Damon showed his teeth and gave him no choice.  Moaning slightly, Algie crawled to the opening and wedged himself into it....And promptly got stuck.

“EEEEEEEEEEEK !”  Algie was literally squealing like a stuck pig.  In another circumstance, it would have been funny as hell, but this was not a situation for levity.  Tony and Nick grasped Algie’s flailing arms from the other side and pulled.  Seeing as how if Algie didn’t make it through the tight place, he wouldn’t either, Damon uttered a curse and managed to plow his massive shoulder into Algie’s rear end.  Algie popped through the hole like a cork shot from a wine bottle, and Tony and Nick tumbled over on the other side as Algie landed in a heap at their feet.

Next, it was Damon’s turn to try to fit his muscular bulk through the opening.  This time, Tony, Nick, and Jimmy all pulled on Damon’s arms while Laurent pushed from behind.  In this way, inch by slow inch, Damon was finally squeezed through the hole to the other side.  Laurent quickly followed through, his slender frame presenting no problems.  The seven now through the obstacle, the headed east on the pathway towards the footbridge that led to the old rail line.  The last time Tony had been this way, he was trying to win a bike race.  This time, he felt he was trying to win a race of another kind, and the stakes were ever so much higher.

At the large cavern, the group went through the short tunnel to the pathway that ran around the outside edge of the Academy on the boulder-strewn trail.  Tony had come to find out that the Nerds used this area sometimes to stage parts of their Grottos & Gremlins games.  The seven trooped to the archway leading back onto school property, and entered.  Walking towards the Observatory, Algie was appalled at the damage he saw done to the front wall, and noticed right away the Spud Cannon was missing.  Forgetting for the moment he was an outcast, he squealed, “How are we supposed to defend ourselves against those dirty Jocks ?”

Damon grumbled at that, as Algie had also completely forgotten that one of those ‘dirty Jocks’ was standing right next to him.  “Your cracker ass don’t have to worry about that, now do it ?”. Damon said, grabbing Algie’s arm and spinning him around to punch him.  Jimmy intervened to keep Damon from punching Algie’s light’s out, while Tony said harshly, “Com’on, we ain’t got time for this shit !”  Cooler heads finally prevailed, and the group moved on to the entranceway to the Football Field.  Algie wanted to hold back, but Damon threatened to kick his ass if he didn’t move along.  After all, where else was he going to go ? 

Tony’s heart sank as he saw the Football Field was completely empty. “What’s happened ?  Where’d everybody go ?  Are we too late ?”

Jimmy, who had been hanging back because he didn’t want to be seen, came around the corner.  “Maybe it’s over.  The attacks, I mean.”

“Oui, that must be !”. Laurent exclaimed.  “We have heard no bomb noises for quite a time now !”

He was right.  It was very quiet now, almost like a graveyard, and had been since before they left the Save Warehouse.  Still, Tony was ill at ease.  As the group headed forward into the blanket-strewn field, he still sensed something was very wrong. 

Nick was the first to spot the strange pile by the steps.  As they got closer, they could see it for what it was.  Nick whistled. “Damn !  There must be every weapon in Bullworth on this pile !”

“What the Hell ?”, Tony asked to no one in particular.  “Who disarmed them ?”

“Listen !!”, Zoe exclaimed, her hearing being better that the boys.  “Up There !”  She pointed up the steps, towards the school.  The others strained to hear.  Faintly, in the distance, they could just catch the sound of what appeared to be someone speaking.

“That’s....A Megaphone”, Tony ventured, “Or a....Bullhorn !”  Latent memories of Jake on a Bullhorn the night of the Valentine’s Dance.  Another vision surfaced, that of his nightmare, with debris and twisted, broken bodies in front of the school....

“And I know just where that’s coming from !”, Tony suddenly exclaimed.  “Com’on, load up with some of these weapons, and let’s go !!”
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[BloodChuckZ]

Out of the mouth of the tunnel they rolled, vehicle after vehicle, looking for all the world like the Liberating Army they were.  Most snaked right down Vale Boulevard, tracking towards the South Bridge, with some breaking away in smaller bunches onto the side streets of the upscale business section of  Bullworth Vale.  The rest moved swiftly with near-silent motors towards the Great Truss Bridge and heart of Bullworth Town.
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Sid drove the Go-Cart from the driveway of the house at the East end of Vale Valley Road, making the circuit around the Happy Endings Retirement Home and onto the straight stretch of the Bullworth Vale Town Road, as standing on the back of the cart were Frankie and Sean, Rifles at the ready.  Like Grant to Appomattox, they rode like the conquers they felt they were, their victory sealed, their domination a foregone conclusion.  All that remained was the handover of power, the actual keys to the city, the formal surrender of the citizens of Bullworth.  Looking neither right nor left as they navigated the debris and wandering citizens on the road, eyes fixed on the looming North Bridge, they sped forward towards their destiny.  Only Sid remained vigilant, still sensing something not just quite right.
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Presiding over his captive audience and flushed with excitement over the final realization of his long sought goal, Jake was winding down his speech, so intent with his absorption with himself that he failed, even once, to look up from the crowd of what he imagined to be adoring faces of those students listening intently to his every utterance, failed to place his gaze for even a second towards the chained Front Gates of the Academy.  If he only had done so, he just might have caught a glimpse of the Jeeps and Trucks passing on the road beyond, and perhaps, just maybe, he might have been alerted that something was a bit off, a tad hinky, a little unsettling in his grand plan of paranoia here at the apex of his triumph.  But no, he continued on, unaware, compelled to believe he had bested them all, that the had finally emerged the victor in the face of all all the odds stacked against him. 

“....AND SO, MY STUDENTS, ASK NOT WHAT YOUR SCHOOL CAN DO FOR YOU, ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR SCHOOL !  FOR THE DAY OF YOUR SALVATION IS HERE !  A NEW ERA DAWNS THIS VERY MORNING AT BULLWORTH ACADEMY, AND THIS FALL WE ENTER INTO THIS BRAVE NEW WORLD TOGETHER AS ONE, A SCHOOL FREE OF STRIFE AND VIOLENCE.  I VOW TO BE YOUR FINAL ARBITRATOR,  YOUR ULTIMATE FIXER !  FOLLOW ME NOW INTO OUR GLORIOUS FUTURE TOGETHER !!!”

“Nobody Is Gonna Follow You Anywhere, You Psychotic Chickenshit !!!!!”, came a voice from the far edge of the crowd of students.  Jake’s head snapped to the right in time to see a line of figures emerging in the pathway from the direction of the library, carrying weapons and defiantly challenging his hard won authority.

Suddenly enraged, Jake reached for his Air Rifle as the line of kids walked boldly to the center of the Quad.  His eyes narrowed with hatred as he focused on the leader of the band.  It was that traitor Tony and his fucked-up friends.
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[BloodChuckZ]

Sid crossed the North Bridge, just a few blocks from the Bullworth Courthouse, where Judge Starkweather was waiting to hand over the Bullworth Towns to his control.  Frankie and Sean were standing on the back of the Go-Kart, holding onto the roll bar as Sid sped up.  Reaching the bottom of the bridge and passing the Oil Spill Gas Station, something on the side street caught his eye.  They were past the street before it registered on Sid just what it was.  What Sid saw was what he least expected in the highly-Isolated Vale Valley Town of Bullworth.....An LMTV Troop Transport Vehicle.

“LOOK !”, Frankie exclaimed, frantically pointing.

Ahead, the same type of greenish-camouflage-colored vehicle suddenly emerged from Main Street, moving directly across their path.  Uniformed National Guardsman deployed from the rear of the vehicle as it came to a stop and began moving to intercept the Go-Kart.  Sid hit the brakes and put the Go-Kart into a looping skid that skewered the back around, then hit the gas and raced back the way he had come, narrowly missing colliding with the LMTV Transport truck he had first saw on the side street by the Oil Spill Station.  Racing back across the North Bridge, the Punks saw to their consternation that two greenish-camouflage-colored Humvees were moving to intercept them on the other side, with still another LMTV Transport Truck close behind.

Sid banked a sharp U-turn and headed back across the bridge once more.  Frankie and Sean were shouting at him, but Sid was thinking furiously.  By this time the LMTV Transport Truck had come to a halt in front of the Oil Spill Station, and Sid saw the weapons the emerging Guardsman were carrying, M-16A2 semi-automatic rifles and M-249 squad automatic weapons.  He knew they were no match for these soldier-boys, and if there was one thing Sid knew, it was guns.  The soldiers formed a line across the street and dropped to one knee, bringing their rifles up into firing positions.  There was only one way to go now, and Sid threw the Go-Kart into a sideways skid.  Rubber squealing, he gunned the Go-Kart across the front of the line and dived it into the small pathway that led to the Bullworth Dam.
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