Mandelovia- Moments Ago

"TOMB...this is Bibbo. Pull out. I repeat, withdraw from Mandelovia. Re-group in Thunder City."

"That's an order."

Danny looked up at LLance.

"Did you hear that?" He yelled. LLance nodded in reply, and turned to look back into the heart of the city. Towards the Palace. His gaze shifted across the city, towards the waiting MAN carrier that was ready to take them all across the world.

LLance's expression dropped.

"Not liking the idea of abandoning Mandelovia, huh?" Danny said, landing on the ground next to LLance and retracting his wings. LLance shook his head.

"Me either..." Danny replied, "I was beginning to get attached to the place. It was nice to have a proper home for a while..."

They turned back towards the approaching hordes of Larry Lance, being held off by Heritage.

"We've been given our orders..." LLance said. Danny nodded.

"Just a second," Danny said. He ran back to the battle, where Heritage continued to fight. He increased the strength in his arms, and regrew his wings. Danny grabbed D'Goon, and lifted him above the battle.

"Are you coming?!" Danny yelled.

"What?!" Heritage replied.

"I know you don't always see eye-to-eye with TOMB... but you've helped us here. And you should come with us. There's too many of them... if you stay, you'll be killed!"

"THEN I WILL BE KILLED DEFENDING MY COUNTRY! LET ME GO!"

"Don't be stupid! You'll die!"

"My life is a paltry sacrifice to protect Mandelovia! Drop me!"

"Listen to reason-"

D'Goon raised an arm and punched Danny across the face. He ripped himself from Danny's grasp, and fell back down into the battle.

"Shit," Danny said under his breath, then went back to LLance's side.

"That was a noble thing you just did. Stupid, but noble," LLance said.

"It was worth a try..."

The two team mates ran towards the waiting carrier.

Transport Carrier- Now

Danny sat, silently, with his head in his hands.

"What's up?"

Danny looked up at the source of the voice. It was Joker1.

"That General. Goes by the name Heritage..." Danny began.

"Big guy? Devilish good looks? I know him," Joker1 replied.

"He's probably dead right now. Or he will be soon."

"What makes you say that?"

"There was just too many of them. Larry Lance's men. And the Nazis. And who knows what the hell else..."

"Don't feel too sorry for him. He'd kill you as soon as you got in his way. Not a man renowned for his kindness and compassion, that one..." Joker1 said, sitting down next to Danny.

"But still... everything he does, he does for the love of his country. To protect Mandelovia. There's something to be admired there. However much we might disagree with his actions... he doesn't deserve to die just because he's patriotic," Danny said.

"Really?"

"...that's what I think anyway..."

"Of course it's what you think. You spent half your life in jail, then you were taken away to some lab. You haven't had a real home in a long time. So the concept of patriotism is important to you. You like the idea of having one place that's worth dying for."

"...You know Joker, you're a lot more insightful than people give you credit for."

"It's been known to happen. Now, where's the chandelier on this thing?"