For Your Pink-Eyes Only
Epilogue:
5 days later…
Roger Pink-Eye stepped out onto the underground training stadium. He wore a purple bulletproof west and his characteristic eye was covered up by an eyepatch with an electronic red lens. He had no weapons but the lens allowed him to home in on targets and react to movement more quickly.
"Alright Mr. Fowler, give me all you got. Let's finish this before your bedtime." Roger called out.
The former custodian stood at the other end of the stadium. He growled irritated and pressed a button on a remote control. Then, three robotic cassowaries rose onto their feet after having lied on the floor all this time. Their electronic eyes flashed red. "This might teach you to respect your elders, you spoiled little brat."
Roger readied himself. Getting into a defensive stand.
The three cassowaries ran directly towards him. The first one kicked at him with its metallic talons but Roger stepped back, avoiding it right in time. The second robot swiped at the teen with its beak but this time Roger sidestepped the attack and jumped up on the birds back. Quickly, he ripped off a tube attached to its mechanical neck. Oil spewed out of the bird's neck and severed the tube. Roger elegantly jumped off its back before it collapsed to the floor.
Roger smirked. "Are all your toys this easy to break, old timer?"
Mr. Fowler grit his teeth. He tinkered a bit with his remote control. The remaining cassowaries' eyes flickered red before charging at the former Grossologist once again.
Roger Pink-Eye resumed playing keep-away with the robotic birds. These exercises usually ended with him bloody and bruised but he wanted to endure it. He wanted to prove himself worthy of the Society. He wanted to become stronger. He wanted to upstage those arrogant Grossologists next time he saw them.
Above the stadium was an observation booth. Inside the booth, BookWorm and the hooded master of the Society of Drossology watched over Roger's training.
The cloaked figure took in what he saw with glee. "He's progressing quickly, isn't? Look how far he's gotten in only five messily days."
"I still don't understand what all this was for nor what his purpose could possibly be here." BookWorm stated. "There's plenty of candidates that would make for more suitable agents and we didn't need him to find the Grossologists' secret base since our insider has already given us that information."
"Yes and it was thanks to that insider that we could get our hands on Tyler Archer's old Grossometer so we could plant it in his locker and rig an alarm to go off as soon as Roger got within ear shot." The cloaked figure explained. "I wanted Roger to find the gaglab himself without actually telling him as well as get all his memories back. That was why I ordered Salvador Slimeman to only attack areas Roger visited while he was cooperating with Lance Boil. My predictions were proved correct. Roger now has all of his missing memories and a passionate hatred for the Bureau of Grossology."
BookWorm turned, looking down at the ginger-haired boy in the stadium. "If I'm allowed to speak freely, master. I think Pink-Eye is too emotionally unstable for this kind of work. One wrong move and he could turn against us."
The hooded man forced down a chuckle. "He's nothing like LabRat if that's what you're worried about." Every once in a while he would tease BookWorm about her former student.
Of course, BookWorm showed no response to it.
The cloaked figured turned his sights back to Roger, training below them. "That boy's burning hatred will make for the perfect tool once we decide to strike back at the bureau of Grossology."
Roger avoided another attack from the cassowary's beak when he heard his cell phone buzzing. "Whoow! Timeout!" He called out and made the timeout-sign with his hands.
Mr. Fowler snarled irritated but pushed the off button on his remote anyway, deactivating the robotic cassowaries.
Roger rushed over to his backpack by the wall and fished out his phone. After glancing at the screen for a second, he was scowling spitefully. It was a voice message from Ty Archer.
Roger stared at the message for a solid minute, his scowl deepening more and more. Finally, he clicked PLAY.
"Roger, this is Ty! I haven't seen you in school or anywhere else for the last five days. Please call me!" Ty sighed. "I-I know you've been spying on me and my team. I'm sorry for keeping it a secret. I wanted to tell you but I was under oath. I planned to tell you eventually, I promise." He sounded genuinely heartbroken. "We found a slime trail in your room. I know Salvador Slimeman got you. Just-just give me a call already and I'll save you. I promise, I'll bring you back Roger and then we can be friends again like it's supposed to be. Just give me a sign!" The message ended.
Roger snarled. "The nerve of that guy. It's too late for that now."
He then heard BookWorm's voice echo over the loudspeakers. "Pink-Eye! Do need to remind you that all transmissions going out of this base will be scrutinized by me? That includes phone calls."
"I wasn't calling anyone!" Roger Pink-Eye barked at the loudspeaker, even thou he knew BookWorm couldn't hear him thru that thing. He resumed looking at his cell phone before clicking DELETE. He then found Ty's number and selected 'Block Number'.
"I am part of something bigger now Ty and I know where I fit into it. Opposing you."
Ty Archer was not someone that necessarily needed everything to be at a certain time or in a certain way. He was not the kind of guy to freak out when things didn't go as planned. However, he could definitely appreciate a well put together schedule. Knowing when to eat, when to study, when to brush his teeth and when to go to bed. He knew it kept his young mind sharp and his body fit but tonight he couldn't bother with any of that.
It was 21:45 yet Ty was still in his blue shirt and olive green khakis, not in his pyjamas as he should be. He was sprawled out on his bed, wistfully looking up at the ceiling.
He hadn't been himself this past week. Usually he'd be so talkative during dinner that his mom had to remind him that intestinal parasites were not an appropriate topic for a dinner conversation but today he'd just been silently sulking. He ate half of his mom's delicious lasagne before excusing himself.
He sighed mournfully for the two-hundredth time before fishing his (newly bought) smartphone out of his pocket. He logged onto SlimeBook (a popular social network). He was still listed as Friend on Roger's account. He checked his photo album. Ty still had plenty of pictures of him and his gingivitis-ridden friend, including one of the two of them in laser-tag gear.
Ty sighed for the two-hundredth & one time. He really hoped Roger was just being held captive by Salvador Slimeman somewhere, waiting for him to rescue him. He didn't want to believe he was dead. He also didn't want to consider Abby's horrifying suggestion. That he'd joined forces with one of their enemies again, just like when he cooperated with Lance Boil of all people.
"Have I really been such an awful friend?" Ty asked the ceiling. Then, his sad frown turned into a determined scowl. He sat up and started typing on his smartphone, sending message after message to Roger. If he couldn't call him on the phone, he would try every media he could in order to contact him.
'Don't worry Roger. No matter what you're going thru right now, I'll never stop reaching out to you.'
ENDING SONG: HOW TO SAVE A LIFE – THE FRAY
Author's Note:
I guess this makes Ty & Roger the Naruto & Sasuke of the Grossology world then. =D
This epilogue took way longer to write than it should have. Sorry for that. I've just been so swamped by schoolwork recently that I haven't had time for anything else.
With this, episode 6 For Your Pink-Eyes Only is done with. Hopefully I can find some time to write more stories for this series later this year.
Did you guys like the new directions I took with these characters? Did you hate it? As always, any feedback you guys can give me will be appreciated. Thanks for all of your continued support.
Till we meet again, Grossologists!
