Chapter 3: To Collect My Fee
After an hour following the departure of the last helicopter, Gothel's harvesting team starts. There are multiple Jeeps, several designed to have the front passenger seat be sent out, along with other vehicles meant to carry open to cages to put the dragons in. In one jeep as it passes through an open space, with mostly grass and small bushes, Gothel speaks into her radio.
"This is as good a place as any for base camp. That's first priority after we're finished with this scheduled withdrawal. I want it up and running in 30 minutes. That's half an hour." Gothel is in the back of the jeep and had traded her suit for something universes more particle in this environment. "Understood? Over."
"Belay that order," Clayton says as he turns from the front to discuss with Gothel.
"What? Why?" Gothel asks.
"This is a game trail, Ms. Gothel. Carnivores hunt a long game trails because they know that's the route their prey take to water and food. Now do you want set up a base camp or a buffet?" Clayton asks trying to make a point.
"Um..." Gothel starts trying to answer.
"That was rhetorical."
Gothel gets the message and turns back to the radio. "Let's find a new spot that our experts would approve shall we? Over and out."
"Now Meter, if you want me to run this camping trip there are two conditions I want to make inescapably clear. Firstly, I'm in charge, everyone does exactly what I say, how I say it, when I say it. And when I am not around Shere Khan is in command and if neither of us are present, then command falls onto Gaston. All you need to do is sign the checks, tell us we are doing a good job and open up a case of Scotch when we have a good day. Secondly, my fee. You can keep your money, all I want in exchange for my service is the right to hunt one of the Great Deaths, a male, a Green Death only. How, Why and all other questions unasked because that is my business and mine alone. Now if you don't like either of those conditions, you're on your own. So good ahead, set up base camp here, or in a swamp or in the middle of a Great Death's nest for all I care. But I have been on too many safaris with rich dentists [1] to listen to many more suicidal ideas. Okay?" Clayton asks.
"Okay." Gothel agrees to Clayton's terms. They weren't unreasonable and it saves a fair amount of money. Sure it would cost the life of a Great Death, but if Gothel ran the program from the beginning, Great Deaths wouldn't have been bred in the first place, too much of an insurance issue as the attempt on Isla Dreki proved.
Looking at the printout of dragons, Gothel's 'shopping list' and the various species of dragons around them, Clayton starts the hunt. "Cycles, break off a stray from herd and flush him to the right. Snagger stay ready. They're bringing him to you. It'll be a Snaf...Snaf... oh hell, the fat heads with the bald spot and morning star tail... Friar Tuck." Clayton orders as a couple of cyclists break from the main party to drive a Snafflefang away from the rest of the flight.
Other species of dragons are present in the flight, Grapple Grounders, Rumblehorns, Hotburples, Hobblegrunts, Gronckles, and Thunderpedes. They are all running away from the harvesters, while the better part of them will escape the team is there to capture a small number of dragons. Gothel has no intentions on biting off more than she can chew.
Not even 30 seconds after Clayton's order is given, the Snafflefang is cornered for the most part. One of the Jeeps pulls to the side from the hunt and stops a man steps out, he clearly of African descent, but the length and thickness of his hair and beard gives him a regal lion like appearance.
He is Dr. Zuberi Mufasa and like Rapunzel, he is a part of the new field of paleontological behavioral study. His own studies have been changing the current understanding of dragons. For the most part the two agree on the behavior of most dragons, with the major exception being the Great Deaths. Unlike Foreverwings, Bewilderbeasts, and the Screaming Death subspecies of the Whispering Deaths, Great Deaths fossil remains point to the parents either abandoning the young at an early age or, as Dr. Mufasa had theorized, Great Deaths are brood parasites. Not unlike magpies, the Great Deaths would leave one of their eggs in the nest or clutch of other dragons and because of their size and such, the forced adopted parents would take care of these dragons over their own.
In fact, some recent finds of several other species of dragon nests from the late Cretaceous show that to be the case. Granted Screaming Death young appear in Whispering Death nest, but tests have proven that Screaming Deaths can be born from Whispering Deaths. "Terra olfaciodens, aka, Snafflefang." Mufasa says as he looks on at the dragon in question.
"Carnivore?" The other man in the jeep asks.
"No, herbivore from the late Cretaceous, evolved from the Gronckle not unlike the Hotburple and Groncicle."
As they watch the attempt to capture this abnormally active member of the Terra genus, Mufasa begins explaining the dragon features, "See that skull, that top part is almost nine inches of solid bone. Also the neck, unlike most other dragons, actually attaches to skull at the bottom not at the back. So when it lowers its head, its neck and backbone line up directly. Which in this case is perfect for absorbing impact." The Snafflefang then rams into another Jeep and is able to get out of the circle of humans. But it's dizzy, it's skull was not designed to slam into metal.
Watching the Snafflefang stagger away, "Snagger, Friar Tuck's on the loose, just about to cross your path." Clayton informs. Coming up behind the Snafflefang, the crew of one of the vehicles designed with an open top cage. Also are two padded arms that are meant to trap an animal and left it into the cage. In a little over thirty seconds the 'Snagger' team manages to capture the Snafflefang and put it into the cage. The animal however was tranquilized to make sure the capture was a success.
Watching from the side of one of the hills, Eugene and company witness Gothel's extraction attempt. As much as Eugene doesn't want to admit, Gothel's team is highly efficient.
Back in the hunt "Gaston, get in the outrigger. You're closing in on a wind...wind..." Clayton orders, preparing to acquire another dragon. His command doesn't come through due to his jeep going over rough terrain.
"Say that again, Clayton, A what?" Gaston asks from inside his Jeep. Like Shere Khan and Clayton, Gaston Le Veneur is a skilled hunter. Granted the other two lead hunters have at least a decade more of experience on him, Gaston never bothered with trophy-hunting, sure he used the antler from every buck he killed in his decorations and mounted heads on his wall, but these were bonuses, most of his hunting was for a functional purposes, such as population control, fur trading, food for his local village, etc. In short Gaston is more of a particle hunter than his seniors. That being said, hunting dragons can't hurt his chances with the ladies back home.
"The one with the big white horn... the pompadour... ELVIS!" Clayton shout, making the order clear and simple.
"Copy that. Take me out, Le Fou." Gaston orders his driver and he is sent out to fire a tranquilizing dart into the Windstriker that his group has nearing. He aims and fires, hitting his target. "Okay bring me in." Gaston orders and is taken back into the vehicle proper. Shorty the Windstriker stops a decent size crew gets ready to bring the animal down.
"Easy, easy. Not too close." Gaston orders as some grab staffs with lassos and try to get it around the neck. "Go for the legs! The legs! Watch the tail!" Gaston orders as the men scatter to bring the animal to the ground.
After about 30 seconds of distracting the dragon, the better part of the crew that went after the Windstriker pull the ropes causing the animal to fall forward. It roars in pain, but there is nothing that it can do as the tranquilizer starts to take full effect.
From their vantage point, Eugene et all witness this event as well and similar tactics to it and the first one used on a Rumblehorn, Gronckle, Hotburple, Hobblegrunt and Thunderpede. Gothel is clearly not going to attempt to capture carnivores this trip if she can help it and has elected to not waste the time on the larger herbivore species.
Back on the plains, Shere Khan and Clayton come across a large puddle, the footprint of a large carnivorous dragon. "Mufasa!" Clayton calls. The expedition's paleontologist consultant comes fairly quickly and sees the track. "Do you recognize this trackway?" Clayton asks.
"It's a Great Death, most likely a Red Death. Since they tend to be larger than the Green Deaths. They tend to travel farther from their nests assuming they share the nest, in which case the Green Death's livelihood would be much like a clownfish, tending to the eggs and hatchlings to stay within the comparative safety of the more concentrated part of an anemone. However as Dr. Corona would argue, not even a Red Death would go too far from the nest if there is a hatchling in it. I would say, assuming this is a Red Death's tract, the nest is about 10 to 12 miles from here, she would say closer to 5."
"And if a Green Death's the nest is much closer. Thank you. Shere, shall we?" Clayton asks and heads over to the Jeep he was in and assembles his gun.
"Clayton, where do you think you are going? We're still collecting." Gothel asks.
"To collect my fee, Ms. Gothel, to collect my fee." Clayton answers as he and Shere Khan practically vanish into the bush.
Gaston is taking a water break as he sees a Terrible Terror at his feet as it chips at him. As he takes out a portable shocking wand. Mufasa runs over. "Ignis horribilispavor, better known as the Terrible Terror, or Terrors for short, found in Bavaria in 1913" Mufasa informs.
"Is it dangerous?"
"That's still being debated, but most in the field presume Terrors to be scavengers, not unlike jackals. However, it's highly possible their like red bellied piranha with arapaima in the river [2], they will hunt using great numbers." Mufasa continues.
"It gives me the creeps. It's like it's not scared." Gaston comments.
"Well odds are we are the first humans most of these dragons have ever seen. So this one would have no reason to fear Man. Be confused about us, most certainly, but not inherently fear us." Mufasa counters.
Gaston zaps the Terror causing it to leap into the air and skerries away. "Now it does," Gaston says nonchalantly. Mufasa shakes his head in disgust and leaves.
Following the direction of the Great Death track hours later, Clayton and Shere Khan stumble upon the nest. Part of their delay was to approach unnoticed while making sure they had escape routes and know the way back to the main ground. The area is swarming with flies that eat the rotting carcasses of several different species of dragons. The two go farther in and see a slight ledge. Something adult Great Deaths could easily traverse, but not an infant and would be extremely difficult for most other dragons to climb down to attack the hatchling. "It's the Death's nest." Clayton says as they look down at the infant as it eats, obvious to their arrival. "It's probably only a couple weeks old. Never left the nest."
"Offspring that young, assuming Dr. Corona's right, the parents won't leave it alone for too long." Shere Khan says as the two look over their shoulders. "Normally I would suggest to make you blind here and wait for the Green to return but with the nasal structure the infant has..." Shere Khan points out and stops, the two are discussing the situation taking turns at addressing observations made.
"True, especially if this nest is upwind. Then so are we." Clayton continues
"Thus when the Green comes back, he's going to know we're here without us even having a chance." Shere Khan carries on.
"We need to get him to come to where we want him to. The trick is how. How do you feel about forcing the parental hand?" Clayton asks. Shere Khan only chuckles in agreement.
An hour later as the sun has set, the infant Great Death cries out in pain and fear. "MOM!" "DAD!" "MOM!" "DAD!" One of its rear legs having been broken, it lies on the ground no longer able support itself on the others. In spite of it's pain, it remembers that it wasn't the two male two-legs that causes it current condition. It was the female with long hair.
The little fella had no idea what she said to the two males before she took a heavy stick and whacked his leg with all her might, but the two males weren't happy about it, but she seemed to be the one calling the shots. The infant also remembers being tied to a strange thin tree with a wired vine. It couldn't fight, and now it can't fly. "MOM!" "DAD!" it continues to cry.
In a tree overlooking the infant Great Death, Clayton and Shere Khan wait. "In case the Red comes first or with the Green, I brought this." Shere Khan says as he shows his air rifle.
"Excellent call, now to remain silent." Clayton says and they go silent, Clayton is still irate about Gothel breaking the infant's leg, now the youngster will surely die, this was not the plan.
Over the ridge behind the two hunter's site is the base camp. It's pretty much in order, there is some music being played, not to calm the caged animals. No, most of the crew is singing the praises of Gaston. For while Clayton and Shere Khan went off to trophy hunt. Gaston not only got base camp to exceed Gothel's expectations in 25 minutes, he also captured a few more dragons, a Speed Stinger, a Scuttleclaw, two Terrible Terrors, a Thunderclaw, a Monstrous Nightmare and most impressive of all, a Skrill. Sure they were not on Gothel's shopping list this time, but they had more than enough cages for the addition and it reduces the cost per dragon. Another part of the camp was setting up for Gothel's chat with the limited partners she is soliciting to help off-set the costs of this expedition and get her plans on it's feet.
Watching from a hill on the other side of the camp are Eugene and company. Everything finally sinks in for Eugene, "So this is why Nick was in such a hurry to get you guys here." He is of course referring to Finn, Ralph and Rapunzel. "He knew they were coming."
"Odin's ghost, they are well-organized." Finn comments looking at the extraction team's equipment from their vantage point. "Those toys are the major league."
"Yeah, maybe I should ask to use their phone. Their dish is so much bigger than ours." Eugene comments earning him a punch into his back.
"Don't blame me for your lack of patience and for your user-errors." Finn growls unamused.
"So they actually want to build another park here? After what you said happened with those monsters on the other island?" Vanellope asks.
"First, they're not building anything. They're taking these animals out of here and back to the mainland. Second, I never out and out said the dragons on Isla Dreki were monsters. What I wrote was 'While the creatures InGen made for Draconic Park can be considered 'monsters', we have to remember that the term 'monster' is relative. To you and I, a cat's a pet, ask a canary and that's a different kettle of fish.' I also wrote later on in the chapter, 'For most of my life, I considered myself to be biggest boldest baddest tomcat around, after returning to the Costa Rican mainland from Draconic Park, I realized how much more in common I have with a canary.'" Eugene says.
"So to paraphrase, 'monster's a relative term, to a canary a cat is a monster and we humans are just use to being the cat.'" Rapunzel summing up for Vanellope what Eugene said.
"Oh..." Vanellope says getting it.
"Well if you're done, Socrates and Plato, I probably should have told you all this before. St. North told me these people might show up. Which is the reason he hired me. Now he thought we'd be finished and have our finding being published by the time this started." Ralph gestured to Gothel's extraction team base camp when he said 'this.' "But just in case that didn't happen, he had a backup plan." Ralph then takes out pair of bolt cutters.
"What back... You're gonna Wreck it aren't you! SWEET! Dad, dad, dad, dad, can I stay and watch 'Knuckles' break stuff?" Vanellope asks almost too loud.
"I am taking you to the trailer and I suggest we all go back, but you're all going to do what you want. Just don't get yourselves killed if you can," Eugene says, lifting Vanellope and putting her over his shoulder.
"Come on, this is so exciting. I think I am going to vorp. You know like vomit and burp and you can taste it." Vanellope says in objection. "Why can't I stay?"
"Because with how my luck has been going if you do, you'll be trampled to death and I will never hear the end of it from Helga."
"Killjoy. And you're the fun-parent too." Vanellope pouts as her father carries her back to their camp.
"I am going to finish setting up the High-Hide." Finn says and also starts to depart.
"Are you scared? I thought you we're fearless." Ralph asks.
"I am fearless, however I am not stupid." Finn counters.
"You need some aloe vera there, Ralph?" Vanellope's voice is heard asking sarcastic. Rapunzel chuckles a little.
In the camp next to the satellite array, "Simply put, InGen is seeking limited partners to defray some of our expenses. The prospectus you've been given by the board lists the details. Among them is our projected hardware and construction expenses, factoring a 7% rate of inflation [3], and as you can see by my two friends here," Gothel points to the two Terrible Terrors in their significantly smaller cages. "with me tonight, the software is already fully developed. You might say, we'll be up and running. In a moment, I'll take you on a stroll through the camp and you'll see some of our larger, more impressive specimens." Gothel continues her pitch.
Elsewhere in the camp, Ralph and Rapunzel starts to free the caged dragons. They keep as quiet as possible, letting the noises the dragons make hide their presence.
"You don't bring people halfway around the world to visit a zoo, you bring the zoo to them. San Fransokyo is the perfect setting. While it strives to demonstrate itself as the Global City of Tomorrow, let's be honest what keeps tourists coming is not the leaps and bounds in technologies shown in the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology showcases. People have for decades afflicted the beautiful city with animal attractions. The San Fransokyo Zoo & Red Bridge Aquarium, the San Fransokyo Kaiju, all of which are own by InGen, at present." Gothel pauses for dramatic effect.
Ralph and Rapunzel continue to set free dragons. Not only are there adults, but Gothel's team also captured infants.
Back at the tent where Gothel is pitching, "Mr. St. North knew this." Gothel has shown a painting of the original plan for Draconic Park, an amphitheater like structure where people would watch dragons like a football game. "Even before he ever dreamt of an island, he began construction on an amphitheater, very near to where you're sitting now, the InGen Water Complex, not even a fifteen minute train ride from the Red Bridge Aquarium."
Gothel walks to a model of the amphitheater as it is. "The original plan my uncle conceived was to show a select number of dragons as the regular shows; Gronckles, Monstrous Nightmares, Hideous Zipplebacks, Deadly Nadders, Terrible Terrors and Night Furies being the cash cows. These and other dragons would be on scheduled rotating exhibitions with seasonal subspecies on display each year and selected showings of the legendary species. But just as the construction was only a day away from completing, he abandoned it, in favor of something far grander and ultimately... impossible. And so the facility sits, while finished and maintained, unused when Draconic Park San Fransokyo could be brought up to code and ready to receive visitors in less than a month."
Gothel pauses and just then an angry Rumblehorn comes charging through the site. In less than twenty seconds, chaos ensues as all the caged dragons start running amuck in the camp.
Gaston looks on at this. "Clayton is not going to be happy," his only friend, Le Fou says watching on with Gaston.
"Find out how the dragons got loose." He orders.
"On it, boss." Le Fou says and starts his search.
"You there, put that fire out, and you..." Gaston starts ordering the men in an attempt to salvage the camp.
At the tree Shere Khan and Clayton are using as their vantage point, they hear the explosions, turning to see a Jeep on fire flying right at them and they both bail out of the tree. It's not the ideal way to get down, but it was the better method available as the Jeep slams right into the tree. The two then head back to the base camp, there is something they need to attend to. As they leave, Ralph had made it to the injured Great Death. He cuts it free and prepares to get it out of there.
Back at the camp, Clayton looks around and then to Gaston, he notes that things are starting to get a little better. No doubt due to Gaston's command, but the issue of why and how the chaos started needs resolving. "You have one hour to prove you're not at fault, or that was the last time I leave you in charge," Clayton says plainly and goes to assess the damage himself with Shere Khan not far behind him.
"Le Fou, you've better found something," Gaston says, mostly to himself.
Away from the camp, but not far from where Rapunzel and Ralph left the others to free the dragons, Ralph reunites with Rapunzel. He is carrying the injured Great Death. Upon hearing the cries Rapunzel turns to see Ralph coming from the river with the Great Death in his arms. "Terror of Demons stand by me! Are you out of your mind? Do you know what that is?" Rapunzel asks.
"Yes and its got a broken leg, Doc. Let's it get into the car before they hear it." Ralph says as he gets out of the river carrying the infant Great Death.
Rapunzel rushes to open the door to the back of the Jeep, it's not in her nature to leave an injured animal hurt. Ralph puts the baby in and they two go to the front. "Eugene is not going to be happy about this," She mutters.
Back in the extraction team's camp Le Fou and Gaston rejoin Clayton and Shere Khan. "I found this," Le Fou says as he hands to Clayton a cut lock. "What is it?" Gothel asks as she meets up with the four. She sees the lock, "What is going on?"
"Ms. Gothel, is there anyone with the want and the means to attempt preventing you from taking these animal?" Clayton asks as he examines the lock.
"Only one person, Mr. St. North. Why do you ask?"
"Because, Ms. Gothel, we're not the only humans on this island." Clayton answers and drops the lock into one of the fires the team set for light and cooking.
At the trailer Eugene and Vanellope enter and turn on the lights. He goes over to the radio and see that it's not set. "It's not set to the frequency," Eugene says.
Walking around her father, Vanellope takes out a book from a cupboard below where the switches and dials for the radio. "Look in here," she says handing the book to Eugene.
About halfway between where the extraction team set up camp and the cliff-top camp of Eugene et al, Finn is finally getting the chance to get the High-Hide set up. As he is testing the equipment to raise and lower it the other Jeep drives past him and he hears something like an animal crying. "What in Helheim was that?" he asks. What Finn heard was the baby Great Death crying 'MOM!'
Back at the trailer, Eugene finds an open frequency to for the radio. "It's right here. Hello?" He asks into the mouthpiece of the radio.
"Hello?" comes a woman's voice in a Spanish accent.
"Buenos Dias." Vanellope says as the initial reply.
"Enrique..." is all Eugene actually understands.
"No, this not Enrique. This is Eugene Fitzherbert. Are you on the boat?" Eugene asks.
"Enrique?" the woman asks over the radio again.
"No, is this the boat?" Eugene asks. Eugene couldn't make out exactly what the woman says in reply, but he knows it's not helping him. "We're on Isla Santa. We need to talk to the boat, Mar del Plata, ma'am." He says.
Outside the other Jeep pulls up and Rapunzel and Ralph get out and Ralph gets the baby Great Death. "I'll get it," Ralph says as he goes to carry the baby Great Death. The animal tries to fend him off but can't. "It's okay. That's it. I gotcha." Ralph says as he gets the animal out. "Watch the tail and get the door." he tells Rapunzel. She runs a little faster than him and opens the door into the trailer.
Inside the trailer Eugene is just listening to the woman he radioed. "Man, is she mad at you," Vanellope comments.
"I don't pity this Enrique fellow, if she's this mad at me for a 'miss-dial', then Enrique is a little too loose for her," Eugene comments.
"What about you?"
"What's that's supposed to mean?" Eugene asks.
"Mom said you were very... indiscreet in your... choices," Vanellope says.
"How many women did she say I bed?" Eugene elects to not beat around the bush, while he rather not have this conversation he knows he has to have it with each of his children at some point. He had hoped to have gone over it with Jack and Kristoff first.
"Only four," Vanellope answers, "but you fucked like 10,000." Vanellope comments. "Mom's words."
"Actually I shared a bed with only thirty [4] women and that's how many... 'indiscretions'... as Helga would put, I've had. That's including her and my three other marriages and no Rapunzel is not on the list."
"But you want her to be and you want it to not be like the others, not a conquest, not an indiscretion. You actually want to marry her and you want to make it work, like be buried with her work."
"How long ago did you figure it out?" Eugene asks, he knows better than to deny it in front of any of his three children.
"When you picked me up after your first date with her, you know when she got her masters and was no longer your student. You know it's interesting," Vanellope muses.
"What?" Eugene asks.
"For a man who cites that he aged out of Catholic orphanage for why he's an antithesis-"
"Agnostic, I never said I out and out reject the existence of a divine force or being. I just openly acknowledge that I struggle with accepting what most religions say," Eugene corrects.
"As I was saying, the only women you ever felt comfortable or intimate enough to marry were good Catholic girls. My mom's Catholic, Aunt Emma and Aunt Bulda are Catholic, your third wife was Catholic and Rapunzel, your current girlfriend is Catholic." Vanellope pauses and let's Eugene look at her and realize just how smart she is and how stupid he can be. "Just saying."
Just then Rapunzel comes in, "No lectures now. Vanellope, get over here. Eugene, don't stand up." Rapunzel orders as she moves Vanellope so that she would not be in Ralph's path as he comes in.
"I got it! Watch it's head!" Ralph says as he comes in and starts to bring the baby Great Death into the trailer there is a table there they can use to examine the baby Great Death.
As Ralph carries it to the table. "No, Blondie, No!" Eugene morns.
"Eugene it's hurt." Rapunzel says as she follows Ralph to the back of the trailer and helps him put the baby Great Death onto the table. "It's okay. There you go." She says trying to calm the dragon. Needless to say, its not working.
Eugene gets up and looking at the scene, "What happened, did someone hit it with a stick?" he's not really asking. "Vanellope, honey stay back." He orders as Vanellope gets a closer look at the baby dragon. He pulls her back as the dragon continues to cries and he hears the woman say 'Enrique' and something else in Spanish. "No, lady, enough! This is not Enrique. Wrong frequency." Eugene turns off the radio, "Damn it." he curses and tries again to find the frequency for the boat.
As Eugene is doing that, Rapunzel gets what she needs to ultrasound the leg as Ralph tries to restrain the baby dragon. "Ralph, don't let it get those around you." she says to him as he narrowly avoids being bitten. Ralph elects to take off his belt and makes a makeshift mussel with it. As he mussels the dragon Rapunzel gets to ultrasound the leg. "Okay, here are the metatarsals. Tibia, fibula. There it is. There's the fracture. Right above the epiphysis."
"How bad, doc?" Ralph asks still struggling with the animal but getting to the point.
"Well if it's not set properly the dragon will die. The fracture won't heal properly, it won't be able to pivot on its ankle, It won't be able to walk, let alone run. Another predator, most likely a wing of Night Furies, will pick it off before it's a month old."
Back at the radio, "No, Carols, come in. Damn it, you bastard, listen..." Eugene rants in frustration.
Vanellope watches this and comes to a realization, "Other animals are going to hear this."
"Come in please, can you hear me, anyone?" Eugene asks into the radio still trying to get through to the boat.
"Dad, we've got to get out of here. We've got to leave." Vanellope says as her realization comes full circle and starts to panic.
"I am calling... oh who am I kidding. Where do you think we should go?" Eugene gives up on the radio.
"Someplace else, away from the crying dragon. Somewhere safe." Vanellope pleads.
"Isn't it safe here, look that little fella's relatively harmless."
"It's not the baby dragon I am trying to get away from. It's what going to hear its crying in pain I am scared of. We got to go somewhere... high... out of sight." Vanellope says and then Eugene remembers, for there to be baby dragons there have to be a mommy and a daddy dragon, and injured babies are also prey to other animals.
A short while later at the High-Hide, Finn armed with the air-rifle sees Eugene and Vanellope coming. "What? What is it? What's going on?" He asks the two. "Information." Finn request.
"Trust me, you'll be happier off not knowing. Now get us up." Eugene says as the three actually enter the High-Hide.
"I thought you said that this would put us at a convenient biting height." Finn says as he preps the controls.
"I did, I am wrong. Are you satisfied?" Eugene asks not amused at this.
"Yep. Here we go." Finn says and the High-Hide starts its ascent.
"This is stupid. I am so stupid. I never should have come along." Vanellope says realizing her error in judgment when she shuck on board as the High-Hide is pulled up.
Back in the trailer. "Can you set it?" Ralph asks.
"That's the easy part. The trick is make something temporary, something that will break apart and fall off as it grows." Rapunzel point out as she readies to inject morphine into the dragon.
"Whenever you're ready, Dr. Quinn, it's fighting." Ralph points out as he continues to struggle with the dragon.
Back at the High-Hide, it reaches its top level and is out of the way of all but Grapple Grounders. "Finn, what's the frequency for the boat?" Eugene asks.
"One five triple eight, it's the third one from the top." Finn answers as he secures the High-Hide.
"Okay, well now we're high and except for actually being off the island, this is the safest place you can be." Eugene says trying to comfort Vanellope. "Like what Rapunzel said before, the plants make it so the animals shouldn't know you're here."
"You're just trying to make me feel better. I remember all the stories you told." Vanellope points out, Eugene forgets how smart his children are.
"Oh, no, no. This is nothing like that. This is a com-" Eugene is cut short as the roar of an angry Great Death echos throughout the air. All three turn to where they heard the roar come from, even Finn is startled. "I stand corrected, this is actually the same situation. Um Finn, is there anyway we can communicate with the trailer?" Eugene asks. Finn picks up a phone that is linked the phone in the trailer and hands it to Eugene.
Back in the trailer, "It's moving too much for this to be done safely with an inexperienced assistant like me. You need to give it more morphine." Ralph points.
"We have no idea what its metabolism is. We'll put it into respiratory arrest if give it too much and it will die."
"If we don't give it more, I am very likely to use too much force trying to restrain it and break more bones and it will die." Ralph counters calling attention to his his inexperience with handling animals. He hears the phone rings and goes to get it.
"Ralph, I need your hand here. Put some pressure there." Rapunzel orders and Ralph obeys.
Back in the High-Hide, "No answer, what a surprise." Eugene says and gives Finn back the phone. "How do I get down?"
Finn gets a harness and hands it to Eugene. "Put this on you."
"Where are you going, Dad?" Vanellope asks as Finn gets the quick descend cable ready.
"I am going to get Ralph and Rapunzel out of there. There is at least one Great Death heading their way looking for the baby they brought, I don't know if it's the mommy, the daddy, or another Great Death that hears an easy meal and a way to farther it's genetic line." Eugene answers as he puts the harness on.
"Stay here, come on, you have to stay here. Please!" Vanellope pleads.
"Squeeze this rope hard, the harder you squeeze, the slower you go. You don't squeeze at all..." Finn informs.
"I get the idea." Eugene says.
"Dad, please stay here." Vanellope continues to plead.
"Now who are you?" Eugene asks, trying to calm Vanellope as he gets out so that he can go down. "My …" he pauses.
"Queen, Goddess, Inspiration." Vanellope lists off, reluctantly accepting this.
"I'm going to do everything to come right back." Eugene says.
"But you never come back!" Vanellope counters, Eugene can see her eyes reddening as she's about to cry over losing her parent. Eugene takes a breath and goes down the line.
Looking over and watch the descent. "Personally I would have squeezed just a little bit harder." Finn comments.
Back in the trailer, Rapunzel and Ralph have finished putting a cast on the leg of the baby Great Death. "Okay I am almost finished. I need another adhesive, something pliable that I can..." Rapunzel pauses and as she hears that Ralph is chewing gum. She holds out her left hand. "Spit out your gum." she orders and Ralph reluctantly obeys and Rapunzel finishes putting the cast together.
Back in the High-Hide Finn and Vanellope watch as the trees move, they both have a good idea that the movement is caused by something going through them, at least one adult Great Death and it's heading to the trailer. The Great Death passes under them and they look on, Vanellope in terror and Finn in shock.
Meanwhile, Eugene is running as fast as he can through the jungle to get back to the trailer. He's actually faster than he was before his femur was broken on Isla Dreki, but running still hurts his left leg.
In the trailer, "Get the bottle of amoxicillin and fill a syringe." Rapunzel orders as she finishes preparing the baby Great Death. Ralph looks for what he was for. "Quick injection of antibiotics and he's out of here." she continues. The phone starts ringing again. Just then Eugene arrives.
"For once in your live, woman, would it kill you pick up the phone?" Eugene asks angry and winded as he gets into the trailer, he runs to the back. "Help me get this thing out of here!" Eugene orders.
"No, we just set its leg." Rapunzel argues and tries to stop Eugene. Just then they hear something hit the Jeep in camp and witness it rolling off the ledge.
"Mommy's very angry," Eugene says and the three watch the windows intently and soon they see the heads of two Great Deaths, it's hard tell right now which is the Red and which is the Green, if in fact they are not both Red or Green.
After a minute of watching, the Great Deaths look into the trailer and not attacking. "This isn't hunting. They're searching." Rapunzel concludes. "They came for their infant."
"Then let's not disappoint them." Eugene says and picks up the baby Great Death, Rapunzel helping him. Ralph manages to get his belt off the dragon as Eugene carries it to the door. As soon as the mussel is off. 'MOM!' 'DAD!' the baby Great Death starts crying. They get it to the door and gently lower it onto the ground in front of one of the two Great Deaths. Rapunzel couldn't be happier, the dedication the parents have for this hatchling is proving her theory. Soon the three Great Deaths head back to their nest. The little one needs to be where it's safe. The phone ring, Eugene answers. "Yes, Finn?" Eugene asks.
In the High-Hide, "They're heading back into the jungle." Finn informs.
"I know, I saw, but thank you all the same. Is Vanellope alright?" Eugene asks.
"She's fine, a little shaken up, but she'll be okay. Here she is." Finn hands the phone to Vanellope.
"Hello?" she asks.
"Vanellope, how are you? Are you okay?" Eugene's voice is heard asking.
"Yeah, I'm good."
"Good. Stay right there. Don't move. I'll be back up there as soon as I can, understood?" Eugene asks.
"Yeah I understand." Vanellope then hands the phone back to Finn.
Back in the trailer, Eugene hangs up the phone. "You know for the first four years I begged people to listen to me. I even wrote a book. I try to use plain simple English, I try to have no accent, I explain all my colloquialisms-" Eugene starts.
"Oh Eugene, shut up." Rapunzel says.
"Well it should make for an interesting chapter for your book," Eugene comments.
"Sincerely, I believe the whole debate about the parental instincts of the Ingis magnismors is purely academic."
"Yeah just like God, 'like a bear bereaved of her whelps'." Eugene jokes. He goes for the radio and the meaning of the verse he partially quoted, Hosea 13:8, comes inescapably clear. "Hang on this is going to be bad." Eugene says soon the trailer is forced onto it's side and turned onto it's back. Shortly after that it is pushed towards the cliff. The roar of a Great Death is heard. "They're pushing us over the cliff." he states.
"Mary, please pray for us now," Rapunzel says after doing a sign of the cross.
The Great Deaths break through the front window of trailer and continue to push it. This strange huge bug will pay for trying to eat their baby.
"Come on, come on." Ralph says as he tries to open a door. "Once we're out of here, into the woods."
"Assuming we can get out." Eugene says as he tries to help force the door open to no avail. The Great Deaths continue to push the trailer and the back half is such that it take little for it to go over. "Hang on to something!" Eugene and Ralph yell at the same time.
Soon the back half of the trailer is over the edge and all the tiny things have for the most part fallen on to the glass panel at the very back. Soon what Rapunzel grabbed a hold on gives and she falls hitting the glass, she's stunned but the impact has caused the glass to crack.
"I am going down for her." Eugene says and slowly starts a comparatively controlled descent down. As he goes down he sees that the satellite phone is hanging on one of the fixed lamps of the trailer. "Ralph, the satellite phone get it," Eugene orders. He knows for all intensive purposes the trailer's radio is lost, but maybe they can still use the phone.
Ralph starts his own descent so that he can reach it, the problem is that he does not have the footing at where he could easily reached over. As he reaches over the phone starts to slide to the right. Meanwhile Eugene almost gets to Rapunzel. As the phone slides off the lamp Ralph yells "HEADS UP!". As the satellite phone almost makes contact with the glass Eugene grabs Rapunzel's lucky bag.
The sound of the glass shattering wakes Rapunzel and she screams fearing that she's going to plummet to her death. "Lucky pack." She hears the strained voice of Eugene says as she doesn't fall to the rocks below.
Meanwhile Finn, had heard the sounds of the trailer being pushed and had left Vanellope in the comparative safety of the High-Hide. He drives back to the camp in the other Jeep. He knows something went wrong.
Back in the trailer, Ralph has completed a descent to where Eugene is and helps him get Rapunzel back into the trailer. After she's in she hugs Eugene as tight as she can. "You were right," she whispers and starts to cry. She stops as they hear the honking of the other Jeep.
Finn parks the Jeep and goes over to the wrecked and precariously balanced trailer. "Flynn! Ralph! Rapunzel!" he calls out.
"We're in here!" all three answer.
"Hold on! What happened? What did this?" he asks as he goes through the broken front windshield.
"What did you do with Vanellope?" Eugene asks.
"I left her in the High-Hide. Who's hurt? What do you need?" Finn asks trying to keep things focused.
"No one's hurt aside from a few bruises. But we need rope." Eugene answers.
"Anything else?"
"Three large triple cheeseburgers meals with everything." Eugene starts.
"No onions on mine." Ralph continues the joke.
"And an apple turnover." Rapunzel says delivering the punch line.
"I should have stayed in Berk," Finn mutters, heading back to the Jeep. He gets the rope, it's a good hundred feet long. The first thing he does with it is tie it to a nearby stump. He makes sure as best he can that the knot is secure. He then brings most of the rope with him into the trailer through the broken window and throws the rope down to Eugene, Ralph and Rapunzel.
As the three start to get a grip the trailer starts to slide. As Ralph shouts, "We're sliding!" Finn heads back out to the Jeep. He gets the wrenching cable and pulls it out as fast as he can. But the as he gets to the trailer it has slid farther than he had calculated it would, the rain turning the soil to mud is not helping matters as he trips.
As Finn recovers from his fall he hears something disheartening, the scream of Ralph, Eugene and Rapunzel falling due to the knot failing. Finn rushes over to the rope and is able to re-secure it before the three all to their deaths. After that he rushes back to the Jeep and this time he gets more of the wrenching cable and is able to get it onto the front rim of the trailer. It's not easy as the by the time he is able to, the back wheels of the front half are no longer on the ground. Then he hears his Jeep is slipping. He rushes back to it, shifts it out of neural, disengages the emergency brakes and shifts it into reverse and floors it. After he gets far enough back that the Jeep won't be pulled with the trailer he re-engages the emergency brakes and puts it into neutral.
Inside the trailer the three climb, after Finn re-secures the rope. A couple of times they lose their grips. They are relying solely on the rope, if they could put their feet on the cliff side, even with the rain it would be easier.
Back outside the Great Deaths return. They had seen Finn's Jeep, This strange bug shall also die for helping the one that tried to eat our baby. And similar thoughts are on the pair's minds. The Green Death is the first to arrive, he knocked over the last one of the smaller bugs and was the one doing most of the pushing of the larger one. He has to make sure none threaten his child.
He cannot afford to be driven into long grass where the Furies will tear him apart and leave him for Terrible Terrors to feast upon. He bites into this this weird bug and sees a fourth two-legs. He can't grasp why or how these Two-Legs are able to enter and exit these bugs as they please. No matter, this Two-Legs will die with the other, he may even make a good meal, the Green Death is actually starving, he hasn't eaten all day. He cracks the bug's shell open and throws it to the side. Now he goes after its two-legged parasite.
While avoiding two of the Green Death's attempts to get him, Finn struggles to get the air-rifle but it's stuck in the netting. After two tugs he gives up and goes for the flare gun. Before he could aim the jaws of the Green Death comes down on him. Finn never saw the light of day again. However factoring out death, the Green Death is the worse off of the two as Finn's trigger finger tightens and the dragon's mouth is almost set ablaze by the magnesium burn of the flare going off.
If he had his hydrogen gas sacks he would have exploded, that being said in hindsight eating the two-legs was the worse decision he ever made. He roars in agony and storms away. The Red Death follows her mate, for her the strange huge bug that swallowed her baby and regurgitated it has been thought it's lesson as well as the two-legged parasites that infest it and the smaller strange bugs with it and their own two-legged parasite, and now it's her mate that needs her. Although she can do little for him.
As the two Great Deaths leave, the trailer continues to fall off the cliff pulling with it Finn's Jeep. Rapunzel, Eugene and Ralph still clinging on to the rope. With the lose of the trailer, the three can use the ledge as footing in their ascent up the cliff, in spite of the rain.
After a minute of climbing Rapunzel is the first to reach the top and just as she reaches over to get on the ledge a hand reaches out. It's Clayton and he helps her up. As he gets up on the top Shere Khan is close at hand and helps Ralph up and after Ralph gets on to the top. Finally Eugene comes up and is helped over by Clayton.
After they get him over, Vanellope runs through the crowd of made up of the Gothel's extraction team and embraces her father, much like any child who thought they had lost their parent.
Author's notes
Update on cast: Gaston Le Veneur is Gaston from Beauty and the Beast and fills in for Dieter, Le Fou is Le Fou from Beauty and The Beast and fills in the role of Carter.
Update to dragons: None this chapter
[1] I was actually writing this before I learned of the... well let's call it what it is... murder of Cecil the Lion by the American dentist Walter Palmer (The fact that he hails from my nation just disgust me, the fact that this monster is human and has not been brought to justice disgusts me, and his daughter's recent mass-murder of wolves disgusts me). It should be noted that Clayton hates dentists, mostly because of their stupidity out in the bush, but also because those that go trophy hunting think they can purchase the right to kill, Clayton actually despise trophy hunting, yes he has trophies from his hunts, but he has a kill rate of closer to .5% and his 'successful' hunts were often with Shere Khan and at the end of his hunting career.
[2] Believe it or not, piranha are actually not as dangerous as most people believe they are, it's only when the river they live in has as larger number of arapaima (a fairly large Amazon fish) than normal resulting in that only the fieriest piranha surviving to breed. In truth this actually rare during the 1990's and this fact is also widely unknown.
[3] Gothel's not stupid, she knows prices in the US have a historically stable inflation rate of 2 to 3%, but she knows that's it better to project her costs to be higher
[4] When Disney was developing 'Tangled' they ultimately elected to give up on the 'strong man' look for Flynn Rider and had approximately 30 female employees pooled together what they considered makes an attractive man and thus the Eugene 'Flynn Rider' Fitzherbert we all know and love.
