Bolivia.

The thin faced, eight foot tall cowboy turned off the radio with a flick of his finger and stood, stretching. His white ten gallon hat brushed the ceiling and his spurs jangled as he walked towards the door of the cantina. Leaning in the doorway, he interlaced his fingers and cracked his knuckles. Clad in a brown western-style suit and a bolo tie, he looked every inch the Texas tycoon.

"You hear that?" he said, his voice as rusty as his hair color.

"What?" the blue-skinned young woman lounging outside said, sipping her drink. The cowboy grinned.

"Gimme a kiss, maybe I'll tell you, Breathtaker."

"Can it, Duke. Heard what?"

"New Wave and her partners just busted up a hospital in La Paz."

"And that's news...how?"

"They were dropping off that numbnuts who does things with cold. Looks like they got chewed up." The cowboy cracked his knuckles again. "Guess their tip paid off, hunh?"

"Guess so." Breathtaker knocked back the rest of her drink. She threw the glass out into the street. "You still think they're heading here?"

"I did a bit of work for the Brain a few years back down El Paso way," Duke said. "Got a peek at a few of his dibs and dabs. This here town was on a map in his files."

"So?"

"So, darlin', the Brain owns him a hangar out at that bitty little airfield we done arrived on. And he stored something there."

"Yeah? What?"

"Gimme a kiss first," Duke said, leaning in close. Breathtaker stepped back, face wrinkling in disgust.

"Hell no, you rust-addled freak!"

Duke grimaced. "You-"

"Settle down," a woman said. Duke turned. She was easily his height, and dusky skinned, clad in green and black. "We brought you along to make up for Provoke being in prison stateside. Don't make us regret it, si?"

"Yeah. Fine. Don't go getting uppity, Stranglehold." Duke held up his hands in a peaceful gesture. "As I was sayin', they'll come here, because 'here' is where the Brain stored the Doom-Dactyl..."

Issue # 15

'SLASH AND BURN' (Bungle in the Jungle, Part Three)

"What the hell is a 'doom-dactyl'?" Plunder said, looking at the map. The silver and blue clad bounty hunter grimaced beneath his mask. The six colorfully clad villains sat in one of the dozen jeeps sitting in the motor pool of the HIVE base they had just left.

"An experimental aircraft," Houngan said. "One of a kind." The Haitian-born criminal held onto the dash of the jeep with white-knuckled ferocity as Bane drove down the old logging trail that Houngan swore led to the town where the Doom-Dactyl was stored.

"Why is it called 'doom-dactyl'?" Bane said, not turning around. Houngan closed his eyes.

"Please keep your eyes on the road."

"I am. Answer the question."

"You're a curious one," Phobia said from the back. She sat on Plasmus' lap, her black cloak tucked beneath her. Knockout, sitting on the other side of Plunder, who was squashed in the middle, laughed.

"We are all curious, girl," the henna-haired Apokaliptian said. Phobia glared at her.

"Don't call me girl!"

"I'll call you what I like, you-"

"Quiet," Bane said. The jeep bumpity-bumped over a log. "Houngan?"

"It's shaped like a finger." Houngan sounded slightly embarrassed. "A very long, very unpleasant finger. The Finger of Hell, that's what the Brain called it."

"A finger?" Plunder said.

"I heard the Brain was insane, but-" Knockout shook her head. "Ha!"

"Plunder. The map," Bane said. The jeep had cleared the edge of the jungle and the logging trail had become a dirt road.

"What about it?"

"How close are we?"

"Five, maybe ten minutes, looks like." Plunder looked up. "Make that four." He pointed at the approaching town. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have civilization!"

Bane grunted and hunched over the wheel. Houngan looked at him.

"You still haven't said why you are helping us."

"Money," Bane said. "We are being paid quite handsomely to keep you alive and help you get to the Brain. You can do that, yes?"

"Oh yes," Houngan said, holding up the doll he'd been fiddling with. "This doll contains the bio-signatures of over a dozen individuals, including our friend, the Brain. Once we acquire the Doom-Dactyl, we can pay a visit to our former leader-"

"And crush him!" Plasmus snarled. The creature twisted in its seat, looking up. "By the by, we are being followed."

"Followed?" Houngan turned and followed Plasmus' gaze. A golden shape hurtled overhead. Houngan felt a thrill of panic fill him. "Bane, we-"

"I know. I have been aware of our stalkers for some time." Bane pointed. "We're here."

"Bane! Look ou-" Houngan lunged for the wheel even as the front of the jeep exploded, causing the vehicle to slew sideways and tip. It rolled, scattering its riders, and slammed into a shanty. The building exploded into a shower of flaming splinters.

Plunder was on his feet first, rifle in hand.

"Where are they, Morillo?" an armored figure said in a thick Russian accent. Literally dripping with weapons, the man was an intimidating sight. Plunder stepped back.

"Don't call me that, Killshot."

"I can call you what I like. My guns are bigger," Killshot said, gesturing with the massive gun he held in one hand. The same gun he'd used to disable the jeep. "The Society of Sin. Give them to us."

"If it was just me, I'd hand 'em over, man, you know that," Plunder said. "But my partners, well-"

A chunk of jeep hurtled out of the burning shanty and bounced off of Killshot's head, knocking the cyborg backwards. Knockout stepped out of the flames, grinning from ear to ear. She nodded to Plunder, then charged towards the reeling cyborg.

"I was getting quite bored, metal man. You showed up just in time!"

"Glad to hear it, darlin'," Duke said, dropping down on Knockout from somewhere above. "And if you like metal, then give the Duke of Oil a try!"

Plunder looked up. Breathtaker hovered overhead, smiling serenely. She gestured, and the bounty hunter began to choke as all of the air was pulled from his lungs.

"Sorry, Morillo. Nothing personal," the blue-skinned woman said.

"Neither is this," Bane said, leaping up, his hands closing around Breathtaker's ankles. She squawked as Bane yanked her down and slammed her flat. Plunder collapsed onto all fours, coughing. Bane hauled Breathtaker up and smashed a fist across her jaw. He turned.

"Plunder, move!"

Plunder turned and dove sideways as a sizzling arc of electricity sliced towards him. A Japanese youth clad in gold and crimson armor cursed, electricity crackling around his lithe form.

"Damn it! Stranglehold, handle the luchadore, please!"

"With pleasure, Shock Trauma," the eight foot tall woman said as she tackled Bane off of Breathtaker. "It's rare that I get to match skill with-"

"You still haven't," Bane said, breaking her hold and kicking her off of him.

"Where the hell are the others?" Plunder said, scrambling to his feet as shock Trauma stalked him, letting tiny surges of electricity rip through the air near the bounty hunter.

"I saw the woman running towards the center of town," Knockout grunted, trying to unwind one of the Duke's telescoping limbs from around her neck.

"We'll get to them soon enough, pretty," the Duke said. "They ain't going nowheres."

"Killshot! Get after them," Stranglehold said, locking her arm around Bane's throat. The Russian cyborg staggered to his feet and took off at a lumbering run. "Shock! Stop playing with Morillo and fry him!"

"Don't call me that!" Plunder barked, diving forward under another blast from Shock Trauma. He rolled to his feet, drawing twin pistols from within his coat. Shock Trauma's eyes widened and he instinctively summoned a shield of energy in front of him as Plunder began to fire.

"Help me!" the youth yelped.

"Hang on, I'm-" Breathtaker struggled to stand, her arms out. Plunder fired, taking her in the shoulder, knocking her backwards. She screamed, losing all thought of helping her comrade. Plunder spun.

"Knockout, duck!"

Knockout twisted around, dragging the Duke of Oil around with her. Plunder's next shot caught him in the back. The Duke released Knockout and staggered, smoke rising from him.

"Augh! You sonnuva-"

"Silence," Knockout said, driving her fist into his belly, lifting the android up off of his feet. A second blow, too quick to follow, sent him flying up and away into the distant trees. "Faugh. Machines make poor sparring partners."

"You're welcome, now how about returning the favor!" Plunder shouted, dodging another burst of electricity.

"No," Knockout said, turning towards the town. "I have other business."

The airstrip.

"Are you sure this was wise?" Plasmus said, slapping a guard aside. "Leaving them?"

"No. But I don't trust them," Houngan said. "Which means they get to stay behind. Besides, our fight with the Brain is personal. Phobia?"

"Everything is fine here," Phobia said, gesturing. A half dozen security men writhed on the ground, screaming. "Where did these come from?"

"The Brain hires men through security companies to guard his assets," Houngan said. He approached the hangar door and looked at the lock. "Plasmus? If you please?"

"Ja," Plasmus said, rearing back and driving his fist through the door. Houngan stepped through. Then came flying out. He hit the ground and bounced. Phobia whirled. "What-"

"Filthy mudman. Thinking we wouldn't be watching this thing?" a voice said. "Blind Faith foresaw your attempt before you even thought of it." The big man stepped out of the hangar, flexing. Clad in filthy denims and a shirt emblazoned with a great red cross, the man known as Iron Cross pounded a fist into his open palm. "Surrender and maybe we'll make it painless."

"Painless?" Plasmus growled. "What do you know of pain, little Nazi?" He lunged, snatching Iron Cross off of his feet.

A woman in white stepped out through the door, her bionic arms flaring with energy. "Put him down, monster!" She smashed a fist into Plasmus' midsection, then gawped as his flesh closed around her wrist. Plasmus laughed and tossed Iron Cross aside. He grabbed her arms and yanked, causing her to scream, as wires and tubes popped free from their sockets.

"I have battled gods, Heatmonger," Plasmus said. "You are less than noth-" Plasmus' voice was silenced as a cybernetic wing sliced out, cutting the top of his head off. Plasmus stumbled aside, already reforming.

"Golden Eagle," Heatmonger said. "Bring him down!"

"My pleasure," the golden-suited, be-winged blonde man said. His wings extended and he took to the air, arrowing towards Plasmus. Before he could reach him, however, Phobia stepped between them, her hands extended. Golden Eagle crashed to the ground, screaming, clawing at himself.

"Xenophobes have such delightful fears, so easy to stroke and coax to the surface," she said, setting her foot on his throat. "Scream, and scream again."

"Witch!" Iron Cross charged towards the black and green clad villainess. Phobia turned, extending a hand towards him. The big man staggered, but continued on, his face twisting as his worst fears clawed their way free of his psyche. "N-NO!"

"Fall, you over muscled-" Phobia began. Her eyes widened as Heatmonger lunged for her. "No!" Heatmonger stumbled, staring at her own hands in horror. Sweat began to roll down Phobia's face.

"Can you-can you keep it up?" Houngan said, staggering into view. His face was already purpling from Iron Cross' blow.

"I-I don't-" she began, shaking her head. "I-"

"Don't worry. You don't have to find out."

A blast of energy caught Phobia, hurling her back and through the thin wall of the hangar. Houngan turned, eyes widening as Killshot walked towards him, raising his weapon for another shot.

Elsewhere.

"The alarm?" Mallah looked up from the book he'd been reading, and knuckled over to the computer. "Brain, the alarm-"

"The Doom-Dactyl, yes. My internal sensors are working perfectly," the Brain said from nearby. "Do we have a visual?"

"No-wait-yes," Mallah said, tapping a button. Images sprang up on the screen, showing the Aryan Brigade, then the members of the Society of Sin. The Brain made a noise. Mallah looked at him.

"They look...perturbed."

"People are trying to kill them," Mallah said.

"So it would seem, yes." The Brain watched the images. "I wonder why?"

"Does it matter?" Mallah turned the images off. "We have cut our ties to the Society-"

"Maybe we were too hasty. Bring up satellite imagery of the town. I want to know what's going on."

"Brain-"

"Do it. Please."

"Oui," Mallah said, with a sigh. The images appeared on multiple screens.

"The Hangmen. The Aryan Brigade. Is that the Duke of Oil?" the Brain asked. "What is going on in that sleepy little hamlet?"

"Bane. Knockout. That bounty hunter-what is his name-Plunder?" Mallah added. "Something is going on. Our fellow Society members seem to be on the receiving end of-what, exactly?"

"Keep watching," the Brain said. "I want to see where this goes."

Bolivia. The airstrip.

The Aryan Brigade had regrouped, and now found themselves faced with Killshot on one side and Houngan on the other.

"Back off," Heatmonger said, gesturing at Killshot. "The mudman is ours."

"I beg to differ," Killshot said, leveling his weapon. "We saw him first."

"How about we compromise. Let me go," Houngan said, sidling towards the hangar. He tried to gauge the distance. If he could just-

"Going somewhere?"

Houngan turned. Knockout smiled down at him.

Killshot spun, weapon firing. Knockout grabbed Houngan and leapt aside even as the blast struck the ground. Iron Cross crashed into Killshot, slamming him backwards through a nearby building. Heatmonger and Golden Eagle confronted Knockout.

"Give him to us, and we'll let you live," Golden Eagle said. Knockout laughed.

"Have him," she said, and hurled Houngan at them. Golden Eagle fell off balance, Houngan on top of him. Heatmonger leapt past them, clawing for Knockout, who leaned back. A blast of energy caught Heatmonger inches away from her opponent and sent her flopping aside, smoke rising from her limp form.

Knockout turned. "Took you long enough."

"Not quite. I was hoping they'd kill you," Plunder said. Bane followed close behind.

"The Hangmen?"

"Need you ask?" Bane said, jerking Houngan to his feet. "Where is this aircraft?"

"Uh?"

Bane shook him, and Houngan's head jerked up. "Where?" Bane said.

"In the hangar." Houngan looked around. "Where are the others?"

"Here," Plasmus said. He held Phobia in his arms. "We must go."

"Indeed. There will be more hunters." Bane shoved Houngan towards the hangar. Inside, a thin, oddly shaped vehicle rested. Houngan made a grand gesture and said, with a sneer, "Behold, the Doom-Dactyl."

"It looks like a cigar," Plunder said. He squatted, hefting a tarp, one of several on the floor. "Someone got here before us."

"The Aryan Brigade were hiding in here," Houngan said. "Maybe they-"

"It doesn't matter. Get aboard," Bane said. "We have an appointment with the Brain."

Minutes later, the streamlined engines flared to life and the Doom-Dactyl taxied through the front of the hangar and onto the runway. VTOL systems raised the vessel straight up and then it was hurtling through the air.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next issue: The finale of BUNGLE IN THE JUNGLE! The Secret Six vs. The Society of Sin vs. The Brain and Mallah vs....who?