CHAPTER 4

"It was 30 years ago," Stickybeard said while sucking on his peppermint sword. "I was a janitor at the Ajax chemicals factory. I was a teenage lad with a great taste for candy, and it was just after I quit being Black John Licorice's cabin boy. One day, the factory was holding a school field trip. I remember being quite annoyed by the presence of so many bratty children."

"But one in particular stands out. She was a 12-year old girl with green eyes and lovely blond hair," the captain continued. "And under one arm she carried a red Rainbow Monkey and under the other, a plastic unicorn."

"Gross," Numbuh 4 said. Numbuh 3 immediately shushed him.

Stickybeard continued his story. "I was just cleanin' the floor near the platform where the class was walking through. Then the cook came heading for the mess hall. He had his new machete in his hand, which I haven't a clue why he needed one. The cook was in a hurry to get to the mess hall and failed to see the "Wet Floor" sign I had put up and he slipped, sending his machete flying through the air!"

"It went straight for the girl with the monkey and unicorn, but I rushed over and pushed her out of the way! However, I did not walk away unscathed as ye can plainly see."

Stickybeard showed his peppermint hook and peg leg. How he got them was no longer a mystery.

"But it didn't end there," Stickybeard continued. "that same machete hacked off the head of the lass's Rainbow Monkey, and both it, the unicorn and the machete fell into the giant vat of chemicals below."

"Later that night, there were serious consequences. I got a serious disability insurance policy and left to find a new job. The cook was fired for causin' all that excitement, and the lass's parents were rich so they got her new toys. As for the monkey head it was thrown into the garbage and that should have been the end of it."

"Or so everyone thought. Weeks later, the night shift claimed they heard bubblin' come from that very same vat where the headless monkey, unicorn and machete were supposedly dissolved. Now, bubblin' in a chemical vat is no surprise, but it became more and more violent, the platform shook, sparks flew and the security cameras showed static! Finally, accordin' to one of the janitors, a black, caped figure riding a giant, dark steed and wielding a sword in what looked like a tail sprang from the vat! It caused much destruction in the factory before ridin' off into the night, but didn't seriously injure anybody."

"But now, it has returned. The Headless Monkey has come back to decapitate any Rainbow Monkey it finds!"

"Right," said Numbuh 1. "Thank you for the information, but I see it's been a waste of time."

"Numbuh 1's right," Kuki said. "How could a Rainbow Monkey ever turn evil?"

"Aah, scoff if ye must," the captain said with frustration. "You're all free to go, but don't say ol' Stickybeard didn't warn ye!"

The kids turned and exited the captain's cabin, all but Numbuh 4 wearing expressions of disbelief. Wally was the only one who was scared from what he heard from Stickybeard's story, although he didn't tell his teammates.