[color=green][u]Same Old Same Old[/u][/color]

Leo the Patriotic Lion here.  Ever had one of those days where it seems people wouldn’t leave you alone, one way or the other?  Maybe they stalked you, kept calling you on the phone and expected you to answer (in case you always let your answering machine go first), always showed up at your door, or whatever it may be.  You have your own life to run, and it’s no business of theirs trying to ruin it or intervene with it.  Believe me, I should know; I’ve had plenty of people do that.  Some of them were angry at me for having such a huge voice, others were bill collectors that wouldn’t get off my tail, but most of the time if ever I had a reason to yell “GET OFF MY PROPERTY!”, it was because Bendraqi was invading.

Having been serving a month of probation alongside Super C because of an extreme meltdown that led me to bellow at my loudest yet, it’s amazing I haven’t lost my voice or damaged my vocal cords any.  “It must be a divine gift,” I told Super C as we woke up one day and found ourselves dressed for battle, but in Bendraqi’s clutches.  “But one thing’s for sure; there has to be a day coming when I will no longer have Bendraqi invading my life and property.”

“This is getting old, that’s for sure,” the Cat of Steel agreed.  “This problem of Bendraqi breaking in, figuring out how to get us to dress in our sleep, and take us hostage for ransom has been going as long as the G-52s have existed.  Bendraqi must’ve been a bad influence because the Glaswegian Devils—and even Louis the Merciless when he was alive—had also been doing it as long as we’ve known their roles in the forces of evil.  Louis just wanted Cripto to die, though; the Devils want the UK ruling the whole world with them in charge, and Bendraqi just wants the world all to himself.  I’d prefer to keep all nations separate as they are, with cultural differences and all.”

“I agree.  Sometimes I wish we could just break this routine, though.”

“I do, too.  It’s a good thing we’ve recruited the number of G-52s and allies that we have, though; they always come through in the clutch.  You just won’t see Cripto today because he’s working with his band and I want him to take a breather from the stress of being a superhero.”

“Has he been pushing too hard again?”

“In those last few battles we’ve fought alongside Chuong and his friends in the UN1024s, yes.  A lot of it was just the frustration from Bendraqi’s stupidity, alongside the freak-outs over these other new members we’ve just met in the UN1024s, behaving as they are, giving you reasons to bellow at them.”

“Which I’m not.”

“And of which I’m seeing you don’t.  But don’t worry; just a few more days of this probation to go.  Then we’ll be free felines once again.”

“Indeed.  Are you able to bust us out of here by ourselves or will someone else come along and bust us out?”

“I’ve called on Boomcat to help us.  Oh.  Here he comes now.  Brace yourself.”  Recall that among Boomcat’s superpowers were the abilities to create explosives out of nothing and use them to our advantage.  He was by himself because Super Slash was assisting General Morton and the Troopers on another case, but we knew he had arrived when the explosions we heard outside set off all the alarms and sent Bendraqi into a frenzy, since all of them were occurring outside the front door.

“AUGH!” he screamed.  “IT’S AN ATTACK!  ACTIVATE DEFENSES!”

“Yeah, yeah; we know the routine,” one of his new goons sneered.  (Recall he fired all the old ones and they now made up the WARSL team known as the Conquerors.)  

“All right, fatso!” Boomcat shouted as soon as he encountered old nutso fatso.  “Where are they?”

“Why should I tell you, stupid?” Bendraqi sneered back.

“Why should I refrain from fighting?” Boomcat shot back.

“Talk will get you nowhere.”

“It won’t get you anywhere either.”  Boomcat created a bomb and tossed it to Bendraqi, then zoomed away before Bendraqi could get rid of it.  The resulting explosion left him black as charcoal and damaged all his equipment before he could start his next beam.  

The former Marine later placed breeching charges to blow up the cell bar, but decided to use his brute strength alone to break the chains that imprisoned the two of us.  Super C assisted Boomcat in the roundup of the goons while I went straight for Bendraqi, and I grabbed him and dragged out to the front of the hideout.  I saw the Patriotmobile flying in and I knew at that moment Tom was flying it, and for the first time, Jake the Patriotic Jaguar was manning the guns.  

“Thanks for your help, Boomcat,” I said as we flew the hated mad scientist back to Alcatraz and later flew on home.  “It’s clear to us all that you continue to live up to the Marine motto: Semper Fidelis, always faithful.”

“No problem, Leo; glad to help,” he smiled.  “That’s not the first time I’ve done that, though; as a Marine, I had plenty of cases where I was assigned to put my explosive powers to use and bust hostages out.”

“Jack would be so proud of you.  Chuong’s friend Jack, I mean; not Captain Cripton.”

“Is his name also Jack?”

“It is indeed, but there, remember, think Union Jack.”

“I never would’ve guessed.  I’m not British, so perhaps that’s why.”

“That’s all right.”

“But I have been to Britain as part of my travels, so I have my fullest respect for those people and their history.”

“Which is all we ask for.”

“I agree,” Super C added.  “Captain Cripton’s not my British counterpart for nothing.  Anyways, to let you know, Boomcat, what you just did in busting us out is something that’s been a frustrating problem for us all throughout the history of the G-52s.  It’s the one Bendraqi knows how to do besides break out of Alcatraz.”

“Really?”

“Yes.  It’s aggravating to the point it’s driving me up the wall.”

“I don’t blame you; I get tired of the same old same old, but if that’s what was happening here, I guess I didn’t do anything new.”

“We’re still happy you helped us get out of there.”

“Thanks, glad to help.”  Our smiles never left us as we arrived home to swap wardrobes for casual wear and later reunited at Maximum Mighty Melt to eat lunch, where we met Cripto and his band, delighted to tell us their latest album, “Face of Silver, Heart of Gold,” was ready for its release in stores and on the internet in downloads.  We wished him the best of luck as we walked inside the restaurant.

THE END