Chapter 3: The Rescue
Well, I decided to push forward a plot point that was to appear later on and boy did it take off.
Yes, in other words I rewrote Chapter 3 since it was going nowhere and was more of the same of Chapter 2.
Every Toon species had at least one prominent flaw. For Bears, this was pride. Teddison "Ted/Teddy" Carter was still stinging from his defeat. So he was planning to something about it. He was planning to do something everyone else would call completely irrational or insane.
Securing a copy of the blueprints for Sellbot HQ was easy, even for an unqualified Toon like himself. He poured over it obsessively, looking for something that would help him get his own back.
Now this looked interesting. There was a large area where the Sellbots supposedly retired for the night. . .
Roxy McSocks and 118-7 got on as well as a Toon and a Cog were expected to get on. Conversations almost without fail descended into arguments over which side was "in the wrong" often resulting Roxy storming home in outrage and 118-7 ranting to a sympathetic Vice President about "that infuriating Toon" when he got home.
But when they did get on, Roxy found him pleasant, even charming. And this was were it all started. . .
"Are you all right?"
The blue cat looked up from another angry drawing of 118-7. "Huh?"
"Are you all right?" Chicken McNugget repeated. "You've been a bit. . . moody of late."
"Oh. . . it's nothing."
"You've been drawing him a lot as well. The Telemarketer with the scarf."
Roxy froze. "I what?"
The purple-feathered duck gave her an indecipherable look and pulled out a wad of crumpled up paper from her bag. "You've been throwing them in the bin, when you think no-one's looking."
Well darn. That was a lot of paper.
Chicken sighed. "Look, I was just worried that you might have thoughts of going after him or something, you know, to get revenge."
"Oh no" she smiled, relieved. "I was just. . ." Venting her frustration in art.
"Hey," another voice interrupted. "Have either of you seen Teddy?"
A dark brown monkey in a snowflake shirt and rainbow skirt was leaning over their desk.
The pair frowned and looked around their bright, multicoloured classroom for him.
"No, sorry," said Roxy as Chicken shook her head.
Lady Trixie sighed. "I'm afraid he might have done something stupid. I found this in his house." She unrolled Teddy's copy of the blueprints of Sellbot HQ.
"No," Roxy breathed.
"He can't have," Chicken continued.
"Whatcha lookin' at?" Winky Dizzypop in a blue shirt with purple stripes and dark green denim skirt asked as she joined the trio. "Sellbot Headquarters huh?"
Roxy and Chicken 'shushed' her as Trixie clamped her hand over mouth. "Not so loud. I think Teddy might have gone there."
Winky's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "He could get his licence revoked if he's been captured and someone rescues him."
Trixie nodded. "I know. That's why I want to go after him before he gets found out."
"We could get out licences revoked if we-"
"So we won't get caught."
"All right, I'm in," said Roxy. She exchanged looks with Chicken who nodded.
"For Teddy."
Winky sighed. "I'm in too, then."
Trixie beamed. Thanks guys. We'll meet by the pond in Toontown Central at nine. Most of the Sellbots should be asleep by then."
"Yeah," said Winky. "Let's hope that Intel isn't wrong."
Roxy McSocks looked up at the sky as she left school for home. Grey clouds hung in the air. It looked like it was going to rain soon, which meant there would be no meeting with 118-7 tonight. That was one thing they had in common; they both hated the rain.
Toontown Central, normally a colourful and cheerful place bustling with Toons looked very different under the dark of night and in the pale light of the Moon. Two figures were waiting by the pool. The blue cat wrinkled up her nose in disgust tiptoed across the sodden grass. It had indeed rained in the evening, soaking the ground. Her purple-feathered companion on the other hand looked delighted, stamping her feet down in the wet grass to produce a squelch and small spray of droplets.
"Looks like we're a little late," Chicken remarked as they approached.
Winky Dizzypop jumped up and down on the spot, looking too nervous to show her disgust at her cold, wet feet. "So we just go in, find Teddy, get out. No-one gets hurt, right?"
Lady Trixie nodded. "That's the plan."
"So what are we waiting for?"
"Alvin. There he is."
A cyan dog in a tie dye shirt and and orange shorts with blue and yellow stripes down the sides, was hurrying towards them. "Sorry I'm late. Are we ready to go?"
"Ready when you are," Trixie replied.
Winky nodded. "I don't think I can get any readier."
"I'm good to go," said Roxy.
"Yeah, me too."
"All right. Let's do this."
The motley quintet headed for Silly Street with loud, wet squelches.
The Courtyard was empty. Mercedes Paw had told them that it was usually crawling with Sellbots.
"Looks like that Intel's right," Chicken McNugget remarked. "Cogs do sleep."
"Come on," said Trixie, as she started forward.
The group ran towards the lobby and quietly entered.
"Where are we going?" Winky asked as they ran down another corridor, which looked like every corridor that they had run down so far.
Lady Trixie consulted the blueprints. "I'm trying to find the jail block. But I think we're lost."
"Wonderful."
"Here, let me have a look," Alvin offered. He poured over it, then looked around their dull, grey surroundings until he found a small yellow sign with 'N8' in bold black letters. "All right, no worries. I know where we are. See N8 is here and where we want to go is here. Come on, we'll be out of here in no time."
The group ran to the end of the corridor and rounded it, straight into two Movers and Shakers.
Roxy was picked up by the scruff of her neck before she had fully registered their presence and held aloft.
"Isn't this cute, Five. Another 15 Laffer in Sellbot HQ."
They were unusual in the fact the they both had some kind of power pack strapped to their backs and were plugged into by wires leading into their wrists.
Her four companions were frozen to the spot in fear, but Trixie managed to find her voice. "You've got Teddy?"
"Who?" Asked Five.
"Teddy, our friend, we came to rescue him."
The two Sellbots exchanged bemused looks then roared with laughter; hollow, mirthless laughs that raised the fur on the back of their necks.
"Did I hear her correctly, Four? She came here to rescue him?" He sneered and leaned forward. "You're the ones who need rescuing."
"Four? Five?" asked Roxy.
Four reacted instantly. "How dare you! Only-"
"Friends or family may refer to you in such a manner. I know. I was going to ask if you were brothers or friends."
They exchanged bewildered looks. As did her friends.
"I'm 457-4 and this is 457-5."
"Ah I see. I assumed as much."
Five stepped closer. "Unless I'm mistaken, you must be Roxy McSocks."
"How did you-?"
"Special exemplary orders from the Vice President; Toon Roxy McSocks is to be left alone until-"
"Until the exchange of information is finished," Four cut in, shooting his younger brother a warning look.
"All right then. Put me down."
457-4 smiled. "I don't think so. You and your friends have no place in Sellbot HQ. You're being thrown out." With that, he picked up Winky, Five picked up Chicken and Trixie and they began to head back to the entrance.
"No! If you don't put us down and step aside, I won't give you anymore information."
Four stopped. "If you put it like that, Toon," he replied sourly and put Roxy and Winky down.
"Four are you-"
"You heard what she said."
The Mover and Shaker sighed and released Chicken and Trixie.
"Now then, since you didn't ask for our help, for which I'm grateful, we have duties to tend to."
The quintet watched after their retreating backs as they stalked out of sight.
"What was that about?" asked Alvin.
"Yeah, exchange of information?" Winky added.
"A fair exchange of information," Roxy quoted. "I explain Toons and 118-7 explains Cogs, but nothing that would compromise the other."
"Who's 118-7?" asked Trixie.
"He's that Telemarketer, isn't he? The one that attacked us?" Chicken realised.
The blue Toon's ears drooped. " . . . Yeah. . . You know I said he attacked me a few weeks ago? Well. . . it was the other way around. That sort of got his attention. So we've been meeting up in the evenings after school ever since."
"Well that explains those foul moods you've been in."
"You're okay with this?"
"Sure," Chicken replied. "I mean any information about the Cogs is helpful, and it's not like your siding with them or anything. Or enjoying his company."
"Come on, Rox," said Winky. "Did you really think we were that shallow?"
Roxy scratched the back of her sheepishly. "Sorry, guys."
"I'm with what they said," Alvin cut in. "But we should get going. Teddy's been stuck in here long enough."
"Are we even sure he's been captured?" Winky pointed out.
"Well why else would he stay here?" Trixie asked.
"Touché, but you know how prideful Bears are. I'm just saying; perhaps his pride won't allow him to leave until he's avenged himself. And us too, I guess."
"Let' just take things one step at a time," the blue cat suggested. "If he's not in a cell, we'll figure out what to do next."
The cyan dog nodded. "Sounds good to me. Let's go."
A surprise was in store for the unsuspecting Toons. When they finally got past the doors to the jail block, the first thing they noticed was a Telemarketer in a blue scarf. He too was wearing a power pack.
The Sellbot smiled, closed the book he was reading and got up from the stool he had been sitting on. "At risk of sounding clichéd; I've been expecting you."
There was a collective "You!" in response. Then Lady Trixie noticed a forlorn Teddison Carter in the cell behind him.
"Teddy! You all right?"
The brown bear nodded. "Yeah, as well as can be expected. This bucket of bolts caught me trying to sneak up on him. So he got his brothers and . . sisters. . . to throw me in here. He hasn't moved since."
118-7 smiled again. "I apologise, Miss McSocks, for missing our meeting."
"No need," she replied. "It rained."
There was a pause.
"Soooo," said Winky. "What happens now?"
"I have a proposal," 118-7 informed them. "I'll release this Toon if you help me find and free Cold Caller 122-7. He's been taken prisoner."
The group exchanged looks and huddled together into a circle.
"Isn't that. . ? I don't know, some kind of treason?" asked Winky fearfully.
Roxy frowned and scratched her head. "Well they're always changing the location every so often, they obviously expect the Cogs to be able to find it."
"Yeah, but we'll be helping a Cog to find it."
"They won't know it's us, will they?" Trixie pointed out.
"It's either that, or we all lose our licenses," Alvin stated simply.
"You'll be doing Toontown a favour," 118-7 interrupted. "Very soon, the Toon Council will need all the fighters they can get." He finished that statement with a sinister smile.
They swallowed, exchanged looks, nodded and broke formation.
"All right," said Alvin. "We'll do it. We'll take you to our prison."
The Telemarketer beamed. "Excellent decision." He pulled a key out of his pocket and released Teddy from his prison. "To show my good faith, I'll release him now. Let's be off, shall we?"
118-7 examined the building. It certainly didn't look like a prison for containing Cogs. They were on Punchline Place, looking over at a nondescript and unmarked building. No wonder Cogs had difficulty locating Cog Prisons; they looked so inconspicuous.
"Is there security?"
"Duh," Teddy replied.
"How good?"
"It's not the Cogs getting out that concerns them but the Cogs getting in. There are usually only a few Toons on duty, but they're powerful; high Laff, maxed gags. And then there's the Night Watch."
The Sellbot nodded, not looking too concerned.
Alvin and Teddy exchanged bemused looks. "You don't seriously think you can take them on?" asked the dog. "I mean we know you're fast, but their gags have a large target area."
He smiled. "I am well aware of that. However I have jolly little band of hostages that I'm planning to use."
" . . . Touché," said Winky.
The guard Toon looked up sharply when a Telemarketer waltzed in through the doors, dragging a chain of five 15 Laffers behind him.
He beamed. "Hello there. I must ask you to leave, or I will be forced to do one or more of my hostages an injury."
The red dog, in dark blue jacket and trousers, treated the Sellbot to a withering look.
"Before you go. Your key card if you please."
The guard dog growled and reached into his breast pocket for his key card. He looked up in time to see a large rucksack about to make contact with his head, and then it did knocking him unconscious.
118-7 smirked as he snatched the card. "Why thank you, don't mind if I do."
He gestured to the Toons to follow him as he proceeded down a flight of stairs and further into the building. They went through a door and were immediately confronted by a vast, seemingly empty room. A collection of red and green lights glowed in the darkness. The light of a torch revealed the presence of one final guard Toon; a dark blue rabbit dressed in the same attire as the dog.
Teddy shouted a warning, hoping the rabbit would be able to finish the Telemarketer off; instead he succeeded in serving as a distraction. The brown bear sighed as the rabbit slumped to the floor unconscious.
"Turn the lights on, will you?" 118-7 called from the darkness.
A rattling of chains and then the lights came on.
"Can we get out of these chains, yet?" Roxy asked.
He pulled out a key from his pocket and chucked it over. "You're also free to leave, if you wish."
As Winky unlocked their chains, the Sellbot examined the prison. The holding cells were essentially pits built into the floor. A control panel linked up to the cell, displaying a green light for unlocked, or empty, further emphasised by the open 'lid' that stood vertically when not in use, and the raised floor of the cell, and a red light for an occupied one. Two buttons below the lights opened and closed the cell and across the top was a slot through which to pass a card. This he did. The word 'accepted' blinked on in the LCD screen below the lights and above the buttons. He pressed the left button and the cell opened revealing a relieved Pencil Pusher.
"My gears, I'd thought I'd be stuck in there for the rest of my life."
118-7 smiled and patted the Bossbot reassuringly on the shoulder before handing him one of the five power packs had had brought along.
"I thought the deal was for Cold Caller. . . whatever?"
The Sellbot glanced over his shoulder at Chicken. "Indeed it was. If you're not happy, I could always fight you for the rest of them.
She paled and the rest swallowed. "Uh, never mind."
The Pencil Pusher smirked, and then suddenly remembered something serious. "They somehow managed to capture a Loan Shark."
118-7 froze in the middle of handing the now freed Double Talker another of the power packs. "They. . . what?"
"A Loan Shark. I saw him being dragged in before they put me in one."
The next cell revealed the Cold Caller he had been looking for. 122-7 sniffed, wiping oily tears away with his sleeve, before he hugged the Telemarketer in silent, unwordable thanks. 118-7 smiled for the first time in Roxy's presence with genuine affection as returned the hug. "It's all right, Seven," he said, soothingly. "I've come to take you home."