>>5363427“...n… …AN!”
Roused from your unexpected nap, you nearly choke when you feel something being poured down your throat! Spitting it out all over yourself and the floor, you open your weary eyes to find yourself propped against what appears to be <span class="mu-b">THE VAN!</span>
“<span class="mu-i">Oh th-thank GOODNESS!</span>” Stammers Denise as she performs a quick assessment of your body with two freshly-bandaged hands made from torn-up lab coat, “<span class="mu-i">Y-you came r-right in the nick of t-time, Stan…</span>”
Stumbling to your feet, you wipe the grime from your face and stagger over to the Garage entrance! How long were you out?! What’s happening?
“<span class="mu-i">O-only a m-minute…</span>” The scientist stammers as you hear someone toiling away underneath the of the van! “<span class="mu-i">Wh-which is why I sh-shoved marrow d-down y-your throat… th-they’re still c-coming!</span>”
Pointing a burnt, shaking finger down the hill, you immediately see what she means–despite Nat’s and Syb’s stellar performances, more skeletons approach the Garage as some already take aim with <span class="mu-r">ROCKET LAUNCHERS!</span>
“<span class="mu-i">A-at l-least th-they can’t use their v-vehicles…</span>” Laughs the professor nervously, “<span class="mu-i">Th-this sn-snow impacts th-them, too… h-heheh…</span>”
“Big problem for us, too.” Grunts the owner of the large shoes sticking out from underneath your ride. “Gonna be hell driving in this weather.”
Sliding out from underneath the armored van on a mechanic’s creeper is Gus–his right arm hastily done-up in some kind of exhaust pipe sling at his side. “Good save, by the way. Not outta’ the woods yet.”
No, you frown, you <span class="mu-i">aren’t</span>. Though Syb and Art continue to strafe the approaching skeletons from above, Mitzi and the film students are still MIA–as is Lil’ Stanley.
“<span class="mu-i">Is…</span>” Denise mutters as a rocket flies just above the Garage roof, “<span class="mu-i">Is T-Talbie okay?</span>”
You respond with a shrug–you’re working on that, but you also need to get the others. There’s a <span class="mu-g">HELICOPTER</span> at an old substation nearby–maybe if you reach tha-
“In <span class="mu-i">this</span> weather? You’d hafta’ be crazy.” Gus explains with a shake of his head before returning below the van. “Be crazy to drive, too.”
Before you can argue further, the whole machine shop is rocked by a nearby explosion–one that sends several of the hanging lights crashing to the greasy floor! Gus, you snap as you look around the shop for anything useful, can you get the van running!?
“Yep,” he groans, “can make it handle snow a little better too–just need <span class="mu-i">time</span>.”
Time’s at a premium right now, but you don’t tell him that–you’re not gonna get far without wheels, that’s for damn certain! Taking stock of the <span class="mu-g">TURRETS, HOT RODS, AND OIL BARRELS</span> around you, you hatch a plan to buy Gus some more time as the skeletons resume shelling your hideaway!
>CONTD. 