Giggles POV

Light poured over me as I began to wake. I sat up as I looked around my tent. The birds chirped outside and I shivered from the cold air. It was early in the morning and it was in the middle of fall. I got up as I walked outside my tent and felt the fresh air.

It was cold but refreshing; it reminded me of a normal day in the city. It felt like I wasn't even in a fight for survival, being trapped by people who wanted me dead.

I looked outside as I saw Flippy sitting in his watchful position asleep. Lumpy sat on a log as he chewed on some beef jerky. I sat down next to him as he turned to see me.

"Hi" He greeted me.

I smiled back at him as I sat there. I looked up into the sky as I still saw it was overcast.

"It looks like it might rain" I said making small talk.

Lumpy nodded as we both sat there. I knew that everyone was hit hard by what had happened. Suddenly sleeping on the floor of Russell's ship didn't sound too bad. Atleast we knew we were safe there, but that time was over.

Now we had to fend for ourselves and make it out alive. I knew we could pull through with Splendid there. I saw Flaky get up as she and everyone else began to stir. The morning went on without a hitch; we did what we usually did. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, except Disco bear was being very antisocial.

That was especially weird for Disco bear, he loved the attention. He was so flamboyant and women crazy, you could definitely spot him out of a crowd.

But when noon rolled around something happened. I was sitting talking with Cuddles, Handy, and Petunia as we all chatted. We chatted about our experiences and what we were going to do when this was all over.

"You know I really wish we find a guitar, I've been so bored ever since we've gone on this camping excursion" Cuddles said implying this invasion was a 'camping excursion'.

"Well finding something to fix is pretty easy around here" Handy stated.

"Well I don't miss doing my job" Petunia joked.

"I doubt those burgers are going to miss being flipped" Petunia laughed.

"Oh now we'd you have to bring that up, now I really want a burger" Cuddles said rubbing his stomach.

"Sorry, maybe we can find some baby back ribs in the forest" Petunia joked.

Wait a second…

"Say that again" I said to Petunia.

"Oh now you join, you were zoned out for awhile" Petunia told me.

"Just tell me what you said" I said impatiently.

"Maybe you can find some baby back ribs?" Petunia said confused.

"The baby!" I said standing up suddenly.

I noticed that I haven't seen Cub ever since we camped here. I rushed out of the tent as I looked around frantically.

"What's wrong?!" Petunia said confused.

"Have you seen Cub?" I asked her.

"No… oh shit" Petunia said realizing what was wrong.

"Has anyone seen Cub?!" I shouted to everyone.

No one answered as a bunch of people shrugged.

"What's going on?" Flippy said waking up.

"Cub is missing" Petunia said worried.

"No one's seen him?" Flippy asked.

"No and no one knows where he went" I told him.

"Okay we should formulate a search" Flippy said taking charge.

"We should make teams and-" Flippy said as he was cut off.

There was a loud cry for help. The noise sounded throughout the camp as everyone heard the sound. The noise startled me as a bunch of other friends looked around.

"The noise came from that direction!" Toothy shouted pointing out into the forest.

My natural instincts kicked in as I began to rush towards the sound. I was going to rush out there as I suddenly felt a hand wrap around my wrist. Petunia held me around the wrist as I stopped. I turned around and saw holding me back.

"It may be a trick" Petunia told me.

"Who ever that is needs our help" I said desperately.

"Come on think logically" Cuddles said coming towards me.

"What if it's Cub?" I said knowing he was the only one who was missing.

I pulled my hand free as I rushed off into the forest. Cuddles tried to lung for me but he missed. As I rushed towards the screaming I could hear the others yelling for me to come back. I couldn't come back knowing that there was a helpless baby out there.

If it meant risking my life for someone in need, than so be it.

Cuddles POV

"Come on!" I yelled as I rushed after my girlfriend.

A group of friends joined me as we rushed into the forest.

"We'll stay here and hold down the fort" Flippy yelled to me thinking ahead.

Lumpy, Mime and a few others stayed at the camp. Some of them were cowards but others knew that the camp would need to be protected, like Flippy. If someone robbed the remaining supplies we had at camp we would be screwed.

"What's going on?!" Disco bear yelled as he ran behind me.

"Giggles and Cub are in trouble!" I yelled loudly so everyone following could hear.

It was hard to track Giggles but I did the best I could. The tree branches blocked my view hindering my sight. I knew we were making a racket and if any of the agents were tracking us it would be easy for them to notice us.

I began to lose hope of finding Giggles as I lost sight of her awhile ago. I stopped in the middle of the forest as I looked around for any sign of her.

"Oh great, now what?" Lammy asked tired.

"Am I only one who's tired?" Disco bear said out of shape.

Handy mumbled to himself as he kicked a rock across the ground.

"Now we're lost and it's all because of you" Toothy said blaming me.

"If it wasn't for you and your girlfriend we'd still be at the camp" Toothy said ungrateful.

I got angry as I faced Toothy.

"You didn't have to come" Lammy told Toothy.

"That's priceless coming from you, pickle girl" Toothy replied back.

"Okay that's enough, both of you" Petunia said playing referee.

"Ladies ladies you're all pretty" Disco bear said trying to calm everyone down.

"Especially you Toothy" Disco bear joked.

"Nobody cares about your opinion" Toothy argued.

I began to get frustrated as suddenly I heard a shout.

"Cub!" I heard a feminine voice cry out.

I got moving as I rushed a few feet towards the sound and stopped when I came to an open space. I saw Giggles there as I rushed towards her.

I noticed that Cub was there also as he cried into his tiny hands. Giggles picked up Cub as she held him. Giggles turned around as she jumped in surprise, not knowing I was there.

"You scared me" Giggles said sighing in relief.

Petunia and the others came through as they looked around. Petunia hugged Giggles tightly as they both laughed.

"Let me know next time you do something that stupid, okay?" Petunia told her.

"Okay" Giggles said embarrassed.

Everybody felt relief as they realized nothing bad had happened to both of them. Disco bear immediately flirted with Lammy as Lammy conversed casually. Handy kissed Petunia on the cheek and Toothy talked with Giggles.

It was nice to see everyone getting along but I knew we should be getting back. Everyone at the camp would be worried, and I had this feeling of impeding danger.

I was going to tell everyone we should get moving when a suddenly blast of wind came from above us. I looked above as I saw a blue figure flying. Splendid smiled as he looked down below and slowly began to descend. As he got closer to the ground everyone realized who it was and got excited. As Splendid touched down the wind blew fiercely at us.

I covered my eyes as dust and dirt flew from the power of the wind. Splendid touched down as he walked on the ground, the wind getting weaker and then disappearing. Everyone gathered around Splendid as I stood where I was.

It was nice to see Splendid again, but he had really gotten an ego over time. His hero complex made it so he always had to be a center of attention, and this would only distract the others from getting back to the camp.

Lammy walked up next to me as she looked puzzled.

"Who's that?" Lammy asked obviously not knowing.

"Huh, oh right you're new here" I said realizing she probably hadn't heard of the masked hero.

"He's Splendid, he's a hero that protects our city" I told her.

"That's cool." Lammy said awestruck.

"Isn't that cool Mr. Pickle?" Lammy said talking to her imaginary friend.

I didn't bother to look as I knew there would be nothing there. Then as Splendid got crowded around I saw something creep into the side of my vision.

"Stop!" Splendid suddenly yelled as everyone stopped chattering.

Splendid pushed his way through the crowd as he looked around. Some of my friends went to follow him.

"Don't follow me" Splendid commanded his admires

They backed off slowly as Splendid slowly approached the figure. Light came to the figure as I noticed the person was crawling on the ground injured. Splendid gasped as I saw it was Shifty. Splendid rushed to Shifty as he got him on his knees. I suddenly got a realization that we haven't seen Lifty or Shifty since the ship sank. Shifty looked weakly at Splendid as Splendid stared back.

"Are you okay?" Splendid asked worried.

Shifty got tears in his eyes as he hugged Splendid and began to cry. Splendid smiled as tears streamed down Shifty's face.

"Everything's all-" Splendid said as there was a sharp stabbing sound.

Splendid's pupils shrank as I gapped in surprise. Shifty stabbed Splendid in the back with something. There was a bright piece of gem sticking out of Splendid's back. The tears down Shifty's eyes stopped as he began to smile. Splendid got up as he backed away from Shifty.

"What the…" Splendid said as I heard Giggles shriek in terror.

She held her hand over her mouth as I was confused. Splendid pulled the gem out of his back as he stared at it in his hand.

"Now!" Shifty screamed as he rolled backwards.

Suddenly heads popped up from around the forest as the bullets whizzed towards Splendid. It's a trap!

The bullets hit Splendid as he surprising stumbled around clumsily. As the gun fire stopped Splendid panted in pain from the barrage. That gem must have done something to him. The soldiers came out of the forest as they cornered us. I picked up a rock as I felt a soldier grab me from behind. I struggled with the man as I managed to break free.

The man lunged at me again as I smashed the rock I held into his face. The soldier fell to the ground as I saw all my other friends struggling. I ran to help as Disco bear stole one of the soldier's guns. He shot a soldier off of Lammy as she ran to make her escape.

The rest of the friends retreated as Hydenrich struggled with Disco bear and took the gun from him. Hydenrich kicked Disco bear in the gut violently. Disco bear fell to the ground as Hydenrich pointed it at him on the ground.

I threw my rock at him as it smashed into his wrist causing him to drop the weapon. Hydenrich cursed as Disco bear got up and scurried away. I turned around as I saw Splendid fighting Roswell and trying desperately to fight back.

"Go now!" Splendid yelled to me in peril.

Shifty grabbed him from behind as Splendid took off into the sky and crashed only a few feet away.

I didn't hesitant as I ran away following my friends. I felt drips of water as it started to rain. I caught up to them as I took back all the bad things I thought about Splendid, he better make it out alright.

Sly POV

Roswell gave us orders to find Splendid with utmost haste. The remaining soldiers that weren't injured came with me to find him. Three soldiers scouted as I looked also.

The rain began to pour on us as I knew this was trouble. Tracking is extremely hard in the rain since all footprints and tracks of people are washed away.

Roswell looked around as the scouts joined back up with me.

"We haven't found him sir" I informed him.

"Son of a bitch" Hydenrich said rubbing his wrist.

Roswell suddenly looked up to sky as a laser pierced a tree. Roswell took off quickly in the direction as Hydenrich and I followed behind, with the soldiers trying to keep up.

Roswell stopped as Splendid floated there in the rain looking around. Splendid was near a cliff with a cave in it. We walked onto the mountain side as we spotted him.

"Where are you?!" Splendid called out looking for Shifty.

Roswell walked forward as Splendid suddenly turned his head to see. Roswell walked forward as he shot Splendid in the chest.

The bullet didn't pierce his chest but it made Splendid fall to the ground. Splendid got to his feet slowly as he was still ready to fight.

"Give up, now!" I demanded as I pointed my rifle at him.

Splendid shook his head solemnly as he stood his ground.

"You can't keep me down!" Splendid yelled loudly.

"Kill him" Roswell said to us.

Hydenrich and the soldiers rushed at him as I got in a sniping pose. As I got on my knee Hydenrich rolled a grenade at Splendid. The grenade exploded underneath him sending him into the air. The soldiers shot into the air as Splendid got control and dodged the bullets.

Splendid came rushing at us as Hydenrich jumped out of the way, Splendid flew by and grabbed a soldier. Splendid tossed the soldier into the side of the rock formation as his neck broke from the impact. A soldier used a grappling hook as he pulled Splendid down.

Roswell leapt forward as he stabbed Splendid with a knife. The tip of the knife broke in as Splendid twinges in pain. Splendid broke free of the rope as he threw the soldier holding onto the other end of the rope.

The Roswell ducked as the soldier flew over his head and smashed into the ground. I got a good shot as I fired a bullet at Splendid. Splendid moved dodging my attack as he retaliated by fired his laser eyes at the remaining soldier. The soldier got hit with the laser as he fried instantly and collapsed dead.

Suddenly Shifty came out of his hiding and stabbed Splendid with the weakness gem. Shifty continued to stab Splendid as Splendid tried to regain his composer. Shifty pushed the gem deep into Splendid's arm as Splendid fought back.

Splendid punched as Shifty tried to dodge it. Instead Splendid hit Shifty in the upper part of the spine. Shifty flew back as he smashed into the rock wall and slide down into a sitting position, his spine shattered by the impact.

Splendid stepped back slowly as he pulled the gem out of his arm with force. As he pulled out the gem blood began to pour from his wound.

Splendid shook with terror as he saw his own blood for the first time. Shifty suddenly began to chuckle through the pain as he saw Splendid's reaction.

"Some hero you turned out to be" Shifty laughed as he sat there.

Shifty panted as he watched with anticipation. I saw my opening as I took aim and lined up my shot. I fired the shot as it tore through Splendid's shoulder, direct hit.

Splendid yelled in pain as blood spurted from his shoulder. Blood poured down both his arms as he tried to maintain balance. Splendid fell to his knees as his head bowed towards the ground in defeat.

I knelt down next to Shifty as he smiled at me.

"Finish them, kill them all" Shifty said as he died right on the spot.

His eyes stayed open as I pulled his eye lids down. I stared at the body for a second then I got up and walked towards Splendid.

Hydenrich was kneeling down next to Splendid's face, obviously whispering insults and hate into him. I shook my head as I looked at Roswell. Roswell walked behind Splendid as Hydenrich backed away.

We all knew what was going to happen.

Roswell cocked his handgun as Splendid lifted his head from the ground. He looked up into the rain as it splashed on his mask, as if he was looking into heaven. The rain mixed with his blood as it ran on the ground near Roswell's feet.

Roswell wrapped his hand around the gun, ready to execute the hero. Then Roswell pulled the trigger and there was a loud bang. The bullet pierced his skull…

And as he died I could have sworn I saw a smile on his face.