Chip looked at the cart. Seven bodies. And that's just the ones they found. There were at least as many unaccounted for. They may even be alive for now, but there was no getting to them. Not without BombarDeer's approval. And the antlered prick wasn't bothering to give it.

Chip had been in the room with the boss, seen the footage of Bandito heading in the mine shaft. They kidnapped his sidekick, seemed like a nice kid, if a touch slow. Were using him as bait for the hero. But they hadn't counted on AcroCat giving him a supersonic lift to the site. Men were still inside, but the boss just slammed the detonator like it was nothing.

The worst part was, even with that, the capes got out. The three henchmen who made it safe? That was all thanks to the kid. All the rest, it seemed, had died. Or would. Unless he took the dustifier beam and got them out. Of course, the boss'd kill him just for thinking it.

He looked at the cart again. There wasn't a face he didn't recognize. He'd eaten meals in these men's homes. Met wives, children, pets. These were friends. He didn't have a choice. He went for the boss's private armory.

"Hello, Charles," BombarDeer's high voice came from behind him. "What is this that I see you doing?"

Chip debated how to answer, before just grabbing the dustifier from the rack and turning to point it at the antlered humanoid. "Can't leave them down there, boss."

"Yes, we can leave them down there most easily by doing nothing. It is more easily done than something, which seems to be what you want to be doing."

He thought about explaining it, but he decided it wouldn't accomplish much. He pulled the trigger and ran. It wouldn't kill his former employer, he knew. He'd seen it survive far worse, but it gave him a clear path and a bit of time.

None of the other henchmen tried to stop him. He was sure they knew what he was going to do. A few gave him half nods. A few more followed, without a word, ready to help. It'd be a fight when BombarDeer recoveres, but they'd have numbers. And he'd already sent a signal from the base to every hero he could think of. They'd be there soon enough.