A month has passed and all has been well at the park. It's a bright sunny day. The birds are chirping, the water in the lake glistens with the vibrance of the sun. People walked the park enjoying the day. A couple had set up a picnic beneath a large oak tree, on the bench near the fountain sat a mother, father, and their two children. Doug hasn't been hassling Mordecai and Rigby either. The lovers could have finally been able to relax.
The avian and coon were finishing their duties on time and enjoying each other after hours. Benson was pleased to see things getting done right and on time. Everything seems to have finally settled and perhaps Doug had given up.
"Hey Mordecai, could you go give Skips a hand moving a new bench?"
"Yeah, sure thing Benson."
Rigby crossed his arms and huffed slamming himself back on the couch. Mordecai chuckled and kissed his cranky coon.
"Don't worry, I'll be right back ya brat."
"Fine."
Mordecai left and Rigby couldn't stop smiling. He was so happy to be back to his normal life with Mordecai. Rigby leans back into the couch and sighs pleasantly, but only for a moment. Outside a vehicle skids to a stop in front of the house. Rigby gets up and looks outside and sees Gene, the manager of East Pines Park. The vending machine approaches Benson, he looks enraged. Rigby cracks the window so he can hear what's being said.
"Benson! I thought we had a treaty!"
"What are you talking about Gene?"
"The prank war treaty! There were supposed to be no more pranks."
"No one from this park has pranked you or your park."
"Really? That's funny. Because we caught Muscleman on camera pranking in my park.
"What? That's impossible. Muscleman is aware of and respects the treaty."
"The evidence is undeniable. We already have Muscleman and are as of now declaring prank war."
"What!? Gene you need to listen!"
"It's too late now Benson. See you on the battlefield."
Gene walked back to his car and drove of, so violently that it left a cloud of smoke and the smell of burnt rubber. Benson and Mordecai both looked concerned. Rigby shut the window and darted outside and stood next to Mordecai.
"What's going on?"
"Gene just said that they have Muscleman and are declaring prank war on us."
"I can't believe this! Mordecai, Rigby! Go get everyone and get ready. They are sure to attack today!"
Mordecai and Rigby sprinted off to gather their coworkers. Now accompanied by Skips, Highfives and Pops, Mordecai and Rigby bring them all to the house where Benson is waiting. He is holding a clipboard, wearing a dome-like military helmet, and is wearing war paint.
"Alright everybody listen up! Apparently Muscleman has pranked and was captured by East Pines."
The group, excluding Mordecai and Rigby, gasped in unison.
"What?! So that's what happened to him? I was wondering why he wasn't at the trailer."
"Oh dear, whatever are we going to do? The last prank war nearly completely destroyed the park."
"We have to be ready to fight back! First priority is to get Muscleman back!"
"That sounds great but how are we supposed to get into East Pines undetected?"
Everyone questioned frantically as the anxiety of war welled up in each of them. Mordecai and Rigby are the only two that didn't say anything. Rigby was sitting and listening to Benson and the rest but out of nowhere was lifted and rushed inside. The door slams and locks, Rigby is plopped onto the couch, Mordecai rushes around locking the windows and sliding the blinds closed so quickly it sounded with a woosh.
"M-Mordecai! What are you doing?"
"I wanted you inside and safe. Our marriage was almost destroyed once and I am not letting anything fuck it up again!"
Rigby fell silent and a familiar feeling of guilt arose in him. Rigby loves Mordecai so much and remembering the pain that Mordecai felt when Doug nearly managed to convince him to leave the blue jay brought on extreme regret and self loathing for the little coon. Mordecai sees his little lover upset and goes to him. He pushes Rigby back on the couch and leans over his small frame to kiss the coon deeply. When he pulls his beak back, Mordecai looks into Rigby's eyes to reassure the coon of his love.
Rigby blushes, crimson color floods his brown face and he huddles into a slight ball shrinking in size a little. With Mordecai hovering over him, Rigby felt vulnerable and safe all at once. Mordecai moves his arms which were supporting him and wraps them around Rigby. Mordecai kneels and leans over the edge of the couch resting his head on Rigby's chest fur. Rigy didn't know how to react, this was the first time Mordecai put himself at a lower position.
"I know normally I seem composed, but I'm terrified of losing you. I can't. I've gone through too much and fought too hard to lose you now."
Rigby can say nothing as he feels his husbands embrace tighten and his tears stream onto his chest. It doesn't take but a blink of an eye for Rigby to cry as well.
"You can't lose me. I'm too stuck in love with you."
Mordecai looks up to his little coon lover and as he goes to speak a loud thud sounds from their door. A demanding voice bellows from the other side.
"Open up! I know someone's in there!"
Mordecai stands and once again swoops Rigby up. The blue jay looks around desperately until his eyes settle on a closet door. He rushes over, opens it and puts Rigby inside.
"What? No! Mordecai."
"Stay here and don't make a sound. Do not some out."
Before Rigby can object, Mordecai shuts the door. Rigby places and ear to the door to hear what's going on. BAM!
"Yep there's one in here!"
"H-hey, let go of me!"
"He's resisting! Knock him out!"
A cracking noise is made and things fall silent. The demanding voice orders to have Mordecai taken away and for the house to be searched. Crashing and smashing sounds come one after the other and some in unison. Things being broken, thrown over, it sounded like a tornado was ripping through the house.
"You! Upstairs! I'll check this closet!"
Shit! Rigby began to panic. He had to think of something and fast. He looked up and noticed a narrow shelf close to the top of the closet. The coon climbs frantically and settles behind some towels just in time as the door opens. A worker from East Pines scavenges through the clutter and after a moment stops and walks away.
"Anything upstairs Jim!"
"Nothing up here Bill!"
"Alright, let's move out!"
The two men leave and slam the front door hard behind them. Rigby falls from his hiding place but lands with a thud in his back. He let's out a groan as he stands and looks around, everywhere there was broken furniture, ripped paintings, the rail to the stairway was broken, and on the floor nearly center the room was...BLOOD! No! Is that Mordecai's blood?! Fearing the worst for his lover, Rigby begins to have trouble breathing.
"Rigby! Are you okay?!"
The coon turns to see Skips in the doorway. He was splattered with tomatoes and there was a rope tied round his ankle that had been cut just above the knot.
"They took Mordecai!"
"What?! How did they manage that?"
"I don't know! Mordecai put me in the closet to keep me safe. They took him and trashed the house looking for me."
"This is bad. We need Muscleman."
Outside the sound of explosions echoed through the park. The damage done looks like a landscaper's worst nightmare. Craters, fallen trees, demolished hedges, spoiled bologna scattered everywhere, etc.
"Hey!"
An East Pines employee shouted pointing at Skips. In an instant Skips pushed Rigby inside and shut the door again. Rigby stayed on the floor frozen in place. He had no idea what to do. I wish Mordecai was here. Mordecai could always keep Rigby calm. But Mordecai can always think of something even on his own. He managed to find and rescue Rigby from Doug. Rigby felt so useless. But in that same moment something in the little coon lit up. I'm not useless! It's my turn to save Mordecai!
Now in East Pines territory, Rigby sneaks through the brush being careful to stay out of sight. Rigby isn't the best fighter, though he has proven a worthy opponent in the past, but he is good at being stealthy. After sneaking past a few employees, Rigby soon stands at the wall of East Pines HQ. Where do I get in? Rigby looks around and soon notices a vent near the ground. Perfect! I can fit in here.
Rigby crawls through the vent carefully, he looks through each opening for and empty room. When the stealthy coon finds one he exits the vent. Now where do I go? As Rigby thought out his next move he hears a familiar voice shouting.
"Let go of me! I didn't do anything!"
Muscleman! He can help me find Mordecai. Rigby opens the door to the room he is in slightly and peeks through. There are no guards in sight but he can hear other voices in the same room as Muscleman. Rigby squeezes through the door and creeps along the wall. When he reaches the corner into the room with muscleman, he only glances in to see what's going on. There was no door but instead an open archway. Two guards were facing away from the archway and poking at muscleman.
"Yeah, yeah sure ya didn't do nothin'. We got ya on tape."
"I'm telling you it wasn't me! It was an impostor!"
Rigby's expression went blank but his mind raced. Of course Doug is behind this. Damn it! Rigby moved swiftly into the room. Muscleman noticed the coon but acted as if nothing was happening. Rigby crawled to the feet of one guard. Rigby prepared himself and from all fours sprawled up the guard.
"H-hey! What the hell is going on?!"
The guard next to the one Rigby was attached to pulled out a baton and swung for Rigby who was currently on top of the first guards head. Before contact was made Rigby moved and the guard he sat upon was knocked out with the blow. The swift coon scurried onto and along the second guard's arm and latched to his face. The guard now swung toward himself and well... the outcome is pretty much the same.
"Woah dude, nice work. I didn't know that you could pull stuff like that off."
"To be honest, neither did I."
Rigby tried to untie the rope but it was knotted in a weird way, so instead the coon chewed through the binds.
"Hey, Rigby. You gotta believe it wasn't me."
"Don't worry Muscleman, I know it wasn't you. But I need your help. They have Mordecai here."
"Oh yeah, I saw them take him to the interrogation room. It's right down the hall."
"I have to get to him. Thanks!"
"Wait, Rigby!"
Before Muscleman could finish his thought Rigby had darted off. The little coon sprinted faster than he ever had before toward a large metal door. It was plain, grey steel with an eye slit at the height a normal person could see through. Rigby had no rational thought, only the intense need to get to Mordecai. Rigby turned the knob and felt lucky to find it was unlocked. Without hesitation he threw the door open but what he found only troubled him more.
"Hey there sweety. Did ya miss me?"
Doug stood next to Mordecai. The blue jay was tied to a chair, he was bloody from being beaten. Tears flood forward but Rigby manages to hold them in for now.
"You know, it hurt having you betray me like that at the warehouse. But, I'm willing to forgive you. Just quit fighting and come with me. I'll let bird brain here go and I'll make sure this prank war ends."
"Screw you ya psychotic shit! Let my husband go!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You really should mind what you say. After all, Mordecai here doesn't look so good."
Rigby silenced and looked at Mordecai. His head hung low and blood dripped from the end of his beak. His left eye was completely swollen shut and the right was halfway there. Mordecai lifted his head slightly and looked at Rigby with his half good eye.
"D-don't worry babe. I'll be fine."
Doug turned and socked Mordecai with a sucker punch. The hit threw Mordecai's head sideways and silenced the avian.
"You better shut it!"
"Don't you dare touch him!"
"Oh I could do so much worse. Refuse me and I'll make sure it gets worse, and you'll watch."
Rigby didn't know what to do. He promised Mordecai he wouldn't let anything separate them again but this seemed like an impossible situation.
