It was a calming afternoon in the town around Stormalong Harbor. Flapjack was finding enjoyment as he played around with a bouncy ball that Bubbie had discovered just adrift out at sea.
"Come on cap'n, bounce the ball with me!" Flapjack exclaimed, giddy as he kicked and bounced around the ball with his round, soft head.
"Adventurers don't "bounce" around things boy..." K'nuckles responded. "It's so soft and awkward, rather do something manly like punching, or kicking!" Flapjack held the ball in his arms. "Wellll..." He explained "We could play...kick-ball!" He chuckled happily, drawing Captain K'nuckles' attention further.
They headed to an open spot around the crates and barrels so they could play together. Flapjack detained the ball as K'nuckles hustled, kick to give a powerful kick from one of his steady wooden legs.
"Alright, cap'n! Here it comes!" Flapjack exclaimed, tossing the ball for K'nuckles. K'nuckles swung his left leg in a powerful kick, causing the ball to rebound and roll rapidly across the rafters on the buildings. The two of them pursued the ball frantically, almost catching up until it managed to roll down a sloped roof and land a "thud" into an open storm drain.
"Seabiscuits!" Flapjack exclaimed, flustered. "Now our ball is lost forever, cap'n". He shriveled a bit, saddened by his sudden loss.
K'nuckles comforted Flapjack with a pat on the shoulder. "Now don't cry boy..." He explained "It was my kick that drove your ball down this...murky drain thing. I'll get it back for you!" K'nuckles began to take climbing down the rungs in search of Flapjack's ball. Of course, Flap wasn't going to leave his captain behind.
"Adventure!" Flapjack exclaimed.
Soon enough, they had arrived within the structure of the trench. It was dark and murky, but thankfully Flapjack and K'nuckles made their way around using the light of a spare match and a convenient lantern. The place reeked of brackish waste and was splattered in sludge. Had this been a tunnel below Stormalong they were beginning to wonder, as it certainly felt riveted of all traces of the sea.
"Do you see anything, cap'n?" Flapjack questioned, browsing about in any clumps or puddles of algae for any sign of the ball.
"Nope, just more muck and sludgy stuff. I think your ball's rolled off too far, boy. Might've washed away at this point." K'nuckles ensured. It wasn't just in honesty of Flap's ball missing, but that the place itself was really started to creep him out. Just then, a slight squeaking and splashing could be heard up ahead.
"Hey, that's the sound of my ball!" Flapjack exclaimed, curiously. He began to rush ahead to the opening where the sound was echoing, K'nuckles following behind.
In the rustic chamber, Flapjack faintly could make out his ball among many other trifles and relics that were submerged in murky water and sludge. As the young boy could pick up the ball however, a murky, green claw swept out from the opening in front and snatched the ball in its tight grasp. Flapjack tugged viciously in hopes to claim the ball, but he was having little luck. K'nuckles rushed to give him a hand and pull back as strongly as he could, but it was no match as they stumbled back and the sludge yanked itself back in. Out of the shadowy murkiness, the claw revealed to be part of a bigger, wadding series of algae-like clumps. It was a muck monster.
"Who dares try to rob me of one of my treasured trinkets?" The monster scowled, briny drool leaking from its lips. Flapjack and K'nuckles huddled, fearful as the monster approached closer.
"W-w-we were just coming down to salvage our b-ball, Mr. Monster..." Flapjack muttered, trembling.
"Y-yeah...besides it was my fault we're down here anyways. If you're gonna roughen anyone up, you're gonna have to get through me!" K'nuckles mumbled as well. While at times he could be crude and ignorant, he opened up on being fearlessly selfless in the presence of Flap's concern. The captain stood up and charged over, ready to fight the monster for the rescue of both Flapjack and his stolen ball.
"Oh please you old barnacle, I wouldn't fight you on such ridiculous means." The monster responded, chuckling. "Besides, finders keepers for anything that ends up in my corner of this mucky mire. K'nuckles, stubbornly tried to wrestle the ball out of the monster's grasp as Flapjack peeked around at the items in their surrounding.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Flapjack exclaimed, causing both K'nuckles and the muck monster to pause on their tussling. He could make out a framed photo of a smaller, younger creature happily cradling a ball of its own. "Was that...you?" He questioned at the monster, who looked down, frowning.
"Indeed it was, young boy." He spoke, saddened. "You see I used to love playing ball back on the surface. One day during a storm, the winds clenched up my ball and sent it spiralling down a deep, dark hole. Relentless but determined, I followed after and ended up trapped down in this murky mire." "As time went on, I became bitter and excessively insatiable in my desires to take any sorts of items that'd end up in my muck." As it had turned out, the monster had become trapped and encased in not only his filthy desires, but in the sludge and brine building up around his body. "I just...wanted to play with this ball because it reminds me of the one I loved." The monster muttered, now truly sad.
"Maybe you could still play with us?" Flapjack offered, optimistic in the situation.
"R-really? You wouldn't mind playing with a filthy, smelly and selfish muck monster like me?" The monster questioned.
"We play with monsters all the time!" K'nuckles joked. "It's an adventurer's thing for sure." The monster himself began to become overwhelmed with joy and delight, knowing someone could boost his mood and give him some fun after a long time of wallowing in sadness and excess.
"Only one thing...is I'm kinda stuck in here." The monster mumbled, aware the sludge had caught him up in such a tight corner. "It'd take a kick or something powerful along those lines to loosen me up." Flapjack had an idea and directed it in Knuckles' consideration. With that, the captain leaped up and began using the might in his legs to kick and loosen up the mounds of sludge. Flapjack helped as well, softening up the muck with each nudge.
The sludge began to slide out in a rush as Flapjack and K'nuckles were swept away in it, the monster flailing to grasp them both safely in his arms. He surfaced with them unharmed as the muck began to build up and surface for a dome of light. There was so much overflow in the sludge, it had managed to surface all three of them out of the drain. Flapjack, being the smallest, managed to pop out and then provided a hand to both K'nuckles and the monster.
"The sanitation department of Stormalong's gonna blow a vein over that mess..." K'nuckles spoke. But at the time it was no real worry, as he was happy Flapjack and his new monster friend were safe. And of course, they had their ball back.
After washing away the muck and briny stench, K'nuckles and Flapjack endured in a kickball game with the monster. He happily leaped around, jabbing and kicking the ball at each bound with his newly-cleaned, scaly legs. The monster was truly happy to be free of his sloppiness, and at the same time return the favor of having fun once more. With new friends at the least as well.
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