Jules Verne’s airship swung around to pick up Theodore Roosevelt. When they were within reach, Poe held out his hand. “Thank you for your help, Mr. President,” Poe said.

“Bully!” shouted Roosevelt, leveling his railgun at Poe and firing. Poe barely had time to deflect it with a swipe of a Ravenchuck while Verne spun the wheel in an emergency evasive maneuver. Verne looked back with trepidation from where he was built into the cockpit of the airship from the waist down.

“But you’re on our side!” gasped Poe as Roosevelt lined up another shot. “You let that baby bear live!”

“Wrong!” said Roosevelt. “I let it grow until it was a worthy adversary, and then I killed it with my two hands and spliced its DNA with mine, as I do with all my enemies!” He fired again and tore a hole in the intricate ship. Verne cried out in pain and raised a metal hand to his wire-wrapped head.

“We cannot take another shot!” he cried.

Poe took out his second pair of Ravenchucks, Arabesque. “Care for some Amontillado, Roosevelt?”