Disclaimer: I don't own Flushed Away or any of its characters. They belong to Dreamworks entertainment.
Chapter 3: Out to Town (Teenage Years)
Rita felt the cool breeze once again as she traversed through the empty tunnels of the Root Canal. The water was more choppy here, and it took all of her concentration to steer the Dodger through the cold waters.
She didn't know what urged her onwards like this. Her father would kill her if he found out she was trying to get to the world Up Top to search for more valuable goods. He told her about the rapids, and that no ship had gotten past them.
"They haven't met you, Jammy." She muttered as she pat the control panel of the boat, "You can travel through a miniature hurricane if we ever got any."
The ship remained silent, as most boats do, and continued to brave the miniature waves the water had created.
A distant buzzing caught her attention and she tightly grasped the steering wheel before chancing a look back at the tunnel behind her. A gasp escaped from her lips as a helicopter, much larger then the ones that followed her earlier, soared after her, unheeded by the rapids as her vessel was.
The large grate which revealed the deadly waterfall was coming up quickly, and she tried to force the boat to go straight instead of veering off to the left where the gaping mouth of the gate stood, ready to devour the Dodger and her. The front of the boat almost reached the smooth waters, but suddenly the enemy aircraft lowered itself before her and pushed the boat back into the deadly rapids.
"No!" she shouted as the boat was furiously pulled by the current into the opening of the dangerous passage. She furiously pounded out on the controls, feeling her life slipping away at each passing minute as she neared the falls. The boat was being hammered on all sides by the huge waves, causing Rita to be knocked around every which way.
She reached out for the hand control at the last minute and tried using the mechanical figures to grasp the side of the tunnel. Unfortunately, there was nothing to hold onto, and the boat began to plunge nose-first down the fatal cliff. She held on tightly to the steering wheel and tightly shut her eyes, feeling her life pass before her as the boat struck and water surrounded her on all sides…
"Rita, it's time to wake up."
Rita gasped and unconsciously struck out a hand, feeling her father's strong hold against it, "Calm down, it's just me." Mr. Malone whispered as he released her wrist, "Bad dream?"
"Horrid…" she muttered as she felt her heart beat as if it were at the edge of her throat, "It's nothing though, just a little nightmare."
Her
dad gazed down at her uncertainly, "You know, if you're not
feeling up to it, I could drive the family in."
"No, that's
fine." Rita muttered as she sat up and stretched her arms over her
head, "I'll be alright, just gotta get some breakfast."
When her dad left the room, she jumped out of bed and changed into a red, white, and blue tee-shirt her mother made and also pulled on a new pair of jeans. She gazed up at the mirror above her dresser and reached up a hand to straighten out a few strands of hair, smiling as she saw her reflection. She looked tough, exactly the kind of image she wanted to put upon herself. She didn't want to appear like some helpless girl to those rats if they attacked again.
She even let a few fiery strands of hair fall above her eye for a kind of messy affect. Mum wouldn't approve, but then again, she didn't approve of much that Rita did, said that she should be more interested in boys then in scavenging.
"Mothers…" Rite muttered softly as she gaze in her mirror for one last look before she began to leave her empty room.
Her siblings were strangely quiet this morning. When she looked at the clock on the wall, she noticed that it was eight o'clock. The game wasn't until noon, and apparently the kids were still a bit tired.
"That's what happens when you stay up late, Fergus." She said as she pat the bald head of the tallest mouse who was rubbing his tired eyes with the back of his paws. She looked at another of her younger brothers who was leaning backwards on a kitchen chair. He was the second youngest to her, and he was the one who caused fourteen years of irritation for her.
"Hey Rita, I heard you brought some new items here." The black-haired kid said as he gazed carelessly at her, "Why did it take you so long, did you have problems digging through the trash?"
"Just shut your mouth, Liam." Rita snarled as she took a seat far from him, "I'm trying my best to take care of this family. All you do is sit around, listening to rock music all day!"
"What? I can't hear you!" Liam had cranked his headphones up to the maximum so it would drown out his sister's voice, "I'm listening to Bubonic Frume!"
Rita groaned and closed her emerald eyes, her snout twitching at the scent of breakfast cooking on the stove, Oatmeal again? Can't we afford any good food anymore? She knew that the answer was "no". Ever since the kids started coming like crazy, they've been hardly able to support themselves and the new bundles of joy that continued to add to the family.
"It wasn't like that when I was young…" Rita muttered softly as she gazed at the stumbling kids that wandered all over the house, "Now it seems we have no time or money to spend."
"What was that, my girl?" Mr. Malone asked as he tapped her on the shoulder.
"Hmm?" Rita asked as she gazed blankly up at him. She shook her head as she realized what she was saying and a hint of red appeared beneath her brown fur on her face, "Oh, it's nothing, really. I'm just talking to myself."
"Well, I'd suggest you prepare for the game, England versus France today, I'm sure it will be a great show."
Rita nodded softly and watched as Mum carried out the bowl of oatmeal. She allowed Rita to take the first few bites, she needed the energy to sail them all into town, but as soon as she was finished, the rest of the kids swarmed around the food, causing splashes of oatmeal and an occasional spoon flying all about the kitchen.
Rita got out of her chair and pushed it in in order to escape the furry piranha. Sure, she didn't mind getting a little oatmeal on her in the morning, but having a whole handful being poured over her head like little Russell was threatening to do? Not good for her overwhelming dignity.
"Psst, Rita. Come over here."
Her Dad's voice called to her from the other side of the kitchen door, and she noticed he was standing in the corner, a paper clutched tightly in his hand.
She walked to him, looked around to see if anyone was watching, and peered down at the paper as her father gave an explanation to his secrecy, "Listen, it appears there's been some gang of thugs out and about, trying to look for new members in their crew." He placed a finger upon a picture where it revealed a few tough-looking mice in leather jackets and bandanas glaring at the person who had taken the picture, "Apparently they've caused a lot of damage and hurt a bunch of folk who refused to join them. I want you to stay close to the family during the game today." He looked up at her with a worried glance, "I know how strong you are, and I'm sure these goons will give you trouble. I want you to stay with us, no matter what happens."
The younger rat nodded, but she had her fingers crossed behind her back.
This would be a perfect opportunity to prove myself… She thought as she gazed at the four tough rats on the paper, If I can defeat those goons, maybe the Toad will realize he's messing with the wrong girl. Now the question is, how can I get away from Dad and Mum to find them?
The answer to that was quite simple. Her family took great joy in watching the game, and they would be easily distracted by it. Besides, she wasn't very crazy about sports on television, even the best-loved sport in all of England, real football. (Okay, I'm not dissing American football, but come on; the Europeans had the idea way before us, and what does throwing a ball to one person to another have to do with your feet? xx')
The family was soon fed and ready for the trip in the Jammy Dodger. Granny Malone stayed with most of the younger kids who would've been impossible to keep track of. The older ones climbed into the boat, some sat on the deck, some went in the cabin, but Rita and her Dad were at the captain's position: at the control panel where they could steer the noble vessel to its destination.
Liam pulled on the cord in order to start the boat, and Mr. Malone stepped on the gas while Rita steered. The shouts of the kids kept her from her musings as she usually did when she drove, but instead it provided her with a comforting feeling of home that she never had when she was out on her own.
The ride was fairly uneventful, except for the fact that she had to pull out her younger brother Jojo from the river when he looked over to see something shiny in the water. Apparently it had been a small paperclip, which Rita placed in her back pocket in case it would come in handy.
When they arrived in the familiar, dark dock that Rita soon took a liking to, all of the kids stumbled to get out of the boat, climbing and pulling on one another to see who would get the best spot in the central park where the large TV loomed over Ratopia.
Rita waited until everyone was out before she turned the Dodger off and leapt out herself. She watched from the corner of her eye as she secured the boat to the dock to make sure her Dad was out of view, and as he turned the corner, she breathed a sigh of relief and pulled tightly on the knot.
The city streets weren't very crowded, since everyone was in the square watching the start of the game. Rita figured that the gang would be somewhere near, seeking out new meat in order to create their group. Not only would she prove herself strong, she may even be able to help someone out. See? There's always a better side to everything.
She had walked past a dark alley when she heard a familiar voice, and she could sense the fear within it.
"P-p-please, leave me alone. I don't want to join you Wolfgang, just let me be."
Sid? Rita turned in and saw by the light of a lamp high above the alley the same gang she saw in the paper. There was no mistaking the chubby teen in the middle, his leather jacket and dirty face made him look as if he were in the gang, but the look of terror on his face told her otherwise.
"You know, we're giving you a once in a lifetime opportunity," the largest member, Wolfgang, said as he rubbed one fist into an outstretched palm, "You can either join us, or we'll make sure that no other gang takes you in. What do you say to that?"
The three other members came up from behind Sid and made threatening gestures such as pulling their sleeves up to reveal their sinewy biceps.
Yeesh, where do these guys work out at? I mean, a bit of muscle is good, but that's going a bit overboard… Rita thought as she stepped further into the alley, taking note of the objects that were within it. A dumpster rested nearby and across from it was a flag pole that jutted out just above their heads.
"Hey, Brainless!"
Augh! Why'd I do that?!
"Why don't you pick on somebody your own size?" she asked, noting that they completely dwarfed her. Well, she was taller than Sid, but was lacking in the wideness.
Wolfgang turned to her, his sunglasses gleaming in the light, "Who's there? Why don't you show yourself and we'll see how tough you really look."
Great…
She stepped forward into the light, resting one hand on her hip and slouching to the side a bit to reveal her defiance. She saw the looks of utter shock and surprise on their faces, one point for Rita, zero thugs.
Wolfgang looked at her, then his mouth opened in a stupid grin, and then he laughed hard.
"Wah ha ha ha ha! What is this, some kind of a joke?" he asked, folding his huge arms over his chest, "I was expecting someone a bit…completely different from what you are!"
Wow…he can't even talk right…
"Well, usually I don't pick fight with girls." He said the last word in such a tone that it made a scowl cross Rita's face, "But in your case we may make an exception."
Rita grinned as two of the guys ran at her, and she easily slipped between them and threw a kick at one, then the other, planting her foot on their rears before they toppled over onto the ground. She turned as another came from behind her and she ducked, placed her palms on the ground, and threw her weight up to bring her shoes crashing into the larger rat's stomach, flinging him back onto the backs of the other two.
She then turned to Wolfgang, who's grey face was beat red from rage and shock. He came after her with arms outstretched, so she leapt onto his hands, used them as a springboard to reach the dumpster, and then landed upon it with one knee and one hand to hold herself up. She then jumped towards the flagpole, grabbed it with both hands, and swung herself up and around, planting a kick into his large jaw. She flew over once again and adjusted her position so that she would face the other direction. She lifted her legs to her chest, flew over his head, and then let go of the pole, allowing herself to fall upon him and pin him to the ground, her sneakers upon the back of his wrists.
"Not so tough now, are you?" she asked as he groaned beneath her. Lithely jumping off, she walked over to Sid and helped him off of his knees, "Are you alright there?" she asked, a look of utter triumph written plainly upon her face.
Sid nodded vigorously and looked at the dazed opponents she had fought, "Wow, when did you learn to fight like that?" he asked, still blinking in surprise.
Rita led him forward, over the crumpled bodies of the groaning rats, "You kind of learn these things while being on your own," she sighed and dropped his arm as they reached the light outside, "Trust me; I'm on my own a lot. It can be nice at some points, but it does get lonely."
She gave a weak smile to her friend and pat him on the back, "Well, you better stick with your friends. You never know if brainless creeps like these ever learn their lesson."
"Yes, m'am!" Sid said as he gave her a double thumbs up, "Thanks for saving my tail, I owe ya one!"
Rita waved it off, "It's no problem, just take care, okay?" He was a few feet away from her when she realized something, "Oi! And don't tell my parents about this, okay?"
He turned and gave her a wave to show he heard and he ran off once again. Rita smiled and slapped her hands together from her success and began to walk back to the crowd. However, she felt that even though she fought those thugs, that it wouldn't be anything near to what she would face in the future. As she maneuvered herself through the crowd, she pictured the Toad and his henchmen, and wondered if she would ever stop their oppression on everyone in Ratopia.
"Hey, Rita, are you enjoying the game?" Mr. Malone asked a few minutes after she snuck by him, completely oblivious of where she was the past few minutes.
"Yeah...I sure am."
