After getting Atticus, Cherry, Patrick, Emily, Colette, Lucky, Cookie, and Drell, they all then went to where Carface's friend was. Patch stayed close with his fellow dogs.
"I don't like this." Patrick whispered to his wife.
Emily nodded in agreement as they followed Carface. Carface glanced to Cherry and Atticus every now and then as they were going to the secret place.
"Why do you keep looking back at us?" Atticus asked.
"I think he remembers us..." Cherry smiled nervously.
Atticus shrugged. "Makes sense..."
"Why do I smell fear and hiding something from me?" Drell asked.
"I have no idea!" Cherry chuckled nervously.
"You okay, Cherry?" Atticus asked. "You seem nervous."
"Nervous?" Cherry laughed. "Wh-Wh-Why would I be nervous?"
Drell looked into her eyes.
Cherry looked even more afraid than she normally would. "DON'T KILL ME!" she yelled out, running from him.
"Okay, she's nervous about something, but we'll have to figure out what it is later." Drell whispered to Atticus.
"Mm-hmm..." Atticus nodded, he had seen Cherry nervous before, but this was really extreme compared to how the perky goth would be before.
"We're almost there." Carface told the others as they came up to a fence.
"I'll take care of this fence." Drell said, cracking his fingers.
"Charlie!" Itchy panted. "Charlie!"
"Itch, you're out of breath and the fun hasn't even started yet." Charlie smiled as he walked through the fence as Carface climbed underneath through it.
"Charlie... I got a bad feeling about this..." Itchy said.
Drell got the fence out of the way with his magic so they could continue to follow Carface. Cherry started to hyperventilate as they walked off with her palms sweating.
"Guys, we're here." Carface said as he showed them a small building.
They came to the door and Carface opened it for them.
"Hey, Red!" Carface called, but no one answered. "He must be in the back... Have a look around..."
Cherry backed up to the door as the others went inside.
"Okay, Cherry, what is wrong?" Drell asked. "Why are you backing up?"
"Wh-Wh-Whatya mean?" Cherry gripped her collar nervously.
Drell narrowed his eyes. "I am so using a truth spell on you when we're done here."
Cherry gulped like her life was being threatened somehow. The doors closed behind them which made both Cherry and Itchy scream.
"Cherry afraid?" Patch asked. "Okay, something's up with her."
"You're telling me." Atticus said.
"Cool, a crystal ball." Colette smiled as she looked at the glass sphere.
"Itchy, come here," Charlie grinned as he sat in front of the crystal ball. "I'll read you your fortune... I see you going for a long walk..."
"Yeah," Carface took it with a sick grin. "On a short leash! You're in the wrong seat... Move it!"
"Carface..." a voice called. "That's no way to treat customers."
"You must be Red, my name-" Patch said, about to introduce himself.
"Patch Pongo, Charlie Barkin, Itchiford Dauschand..." Red said before anyhting else could be said. "Welcome..."
"Wait," Charlie realized Red could somehow see him, Itchy, and Patch. "How can he-"
"Red knows all and sees all." Carface chuckled.
Itchy sniffled. "You got cats around here or what?"
"Cats!" Red laughed. "Oh, good heavens, no!"
"We hope you don't mind, but I brought my owner, his parents, father figure, and his friend, along with my father and mother figures and girlfriend along with us." Patch said.
"Not at all, not at all..." Red smiled.
"Anyway, Carface tells us you got some special collars?" Charlie prompted.
"Collars...? Oh, yes..." Red chuckled as he took the crystal ball off the stand to show red studded collars. "They're going to be the next big thing... Here, try..." he then pushed the collars over to Charlie, Itchy, and Patch.
Seeing those collars made Atticus nervous and scared at the same time.
Itchy sniffed the collars before looking at the wrinkled dog. "What's the catch, old man?"
"No catch," Red smiled. "Any friend of Carface is a friend of mine... There is ONE small thing..." he then said, showing a claw.
"There is a catch, isn't there?" Patch groaned.
"I knew it!" Itchy snarled. "We're outta here!" he then started to storm off, but looked back as he was kind of alone. "Right, guys?"
"What's the catch, sir?" Emily asked.
"The collars are only good until sundown," Red explained as he stroked the crystal ball. "After that, you'll be, to put it... Instantiated..."
"So it's not a catch, but a warning." Patch said.
"Precisely." Red replied.
"By then, I'll have Sasha begging for me..." Charlie carried a collar over his snout, coming to a mirror and only the collar was shown in the reflection. He then hopped the collar up in the air and caught it around his neck, making himself visible and in the appearance of life again.
"Me next!" Patch smiled as he took one of the collars and went to the mirror as well before putting on the red collar.
Like magic, Patch's reflection appeared right before him. Carface wrapped the thrid and final collar around Itchy's neck and flung him against the mirror.
Itchy yelped as he hit the mirror and got back up to see his reflection with the collar.
"Ah, perfect fit." Charlie smiled before Itchy started to sneeze.
"You okay, Mr. Itchy?" Patch asked.
"I-I-I think so..." Itchy said before he sneezed again and instantly itched again as his fleas returned due to being alive now. "Ooh, get off! Everybody, off!"
"And don't forget," Carface reminded them as they left. 'Sundown tomorrow!"
Itchy sniffled and then sneezed over Carface's face as he dizzily followed the others out. Cherry gripped her collar nervously as more sweat beaded down her face.
"Wait, my dear, I would like to speak with you and Carface alone." Red said.
Cherry deeply gulped and forced a smile. "Great!" she squeaked slightly.
"Red," Charlie poked his head out before officially leaving with Patch and Itchy. "I owe you one."
"Oh... You'll owe me one all right." Red grinned rather darkly.
"We'll see ya in a little while, Cherry." Atticus said.
"Okay, bye..." Cherry grinned nervously.
Drell glanced long to Cherry and walked off with the others.
As soon as they were out, Patch felt refreshed.
"Isn't this great, Colette?" Patch asked.
She didn't answer.
"Colette?" Patch looked around.
Colette tackled Patch and spun around with him, pinning on top of him, nuzzling her nose against his. "I missed you."
"I missed you too." Patch smiled.
Colette happily nuzzled him.
"Hey, Lucky," Charlie smiled to the male border collie. "All we need now is Flo and we'd be the Dynamic Trio again before I met Itch."
"Yeah, but right now, you've got an important mission of your own to complete." Lucky said.
"Uh, yeah..." Charlie shrugged.
"Shouldn't we wait for Cherry?" Atticus asked as Charlie seemed anxious to get going.
"She'll catch up with us." Charlie told them.
Patrick and Emily smiled to Atticus, admiring his friendship to her and they went off.