Hello all! Here's the scene we've all been waiting for... Maximus vs Chef Louie!

TPATFan16: Again, sorry it took so long to review, but you also, 'like always' to quote you, did a great job! (;
MrAndersIversen: Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoy reading my stuff. Hope to be able to read some more of your work at some point. ;)
DreamGirll: Kind of like the frying pan and Eugene's statue having the nose wrong in my previous chapters... she just had to be wearing lavender and have her hair braided...
Solaria daughter of Apollo: Oh, believe me... this fight, is gonna be good!

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Chapter 10 ~ Catch Me If You Can

Maximus peeked his head out from behind a jar, and gasped upon seeing the head of the dreaded kitchen.

Chef Louie rummaged through a cupboard, singing in French to himself, "Nouvelle cuisine. Les Champs-Elysées, Maurice Chevalier."

Louie chuckled, and continued singing as he prepared the fish, "Les poissons, les poissons, how I love les poissons! Love to chop and to serve little fish. First I cut off their heads, then I pull out their bones. Ah, mais oui ça c'est toujours delish. Les poissons, les poissons. Hee-hee-hee, haw-haw-haw. With a cleaver, I hack them in two. I pull out what's inside and I serve it up fried, 'cause I love little fishes! Don't you?"

Maximus, who had heard each word and seen every action of the chef's song, desperately ran around the kitchen, trying to find a way out. Spotting a large lettuce leaf, Maximus grabbed the leaf and used it to cover himself as the chef continued singing, "Here's something for tempting the palate... prepared in the classic technique... First you pound the fish flat with a mallet, then you slash through the skin, give the belly a slice. Then you rub some salt in, 'cause that makes it taste nice."

Maximus's worst fear was confirmed when the cook reached out and grabbed the lettuce leaf, leaving him exposed. The small crab kept perfectly still as the chef gasped, "Zut alors! I have missed one!"

Louie picked up the 'dead' crab and continued singing, "Sacrebleu! What is this? How on Earth could I miss such a sweet, little succulent crab? Quel domage, what a loss! Here we go! In the sauce. Now some flour, I think just a dab."

Louie tossed Max into a bowl of sauce and threw a handful of flour in his face, before pulling him out and stuffing some filling in his shell, "Now I'll stuff you with bread... It don't hurt, 'cause you're dead, and you're certainly lucky you are."

Maximus pushed the filling out of his shell and let out a brief cough. Louie, who didn't notice that the crab in his hand was still alive, continued, "'cause it's gonna be hot in my big silver pot. Toodle-oo, mon poisson, au revoir!"

Louie threw Maximus across the room into a large pot of boiling water. Maximus yelped as he chucked himself out of the pot, and landed on a nearby bench with a loud thud.

Louie, hearing the 'thud', turned and walked over to the bench. He picked up the crab and carefully inspected it, "What is this?"

Max swiftly reached out his claws and snapped them shut around the chef's nose. Louie yelled out in pain as he dropped the crab. Maximus ended up on the handle of a pan on the stove. Louie reached for the crab, but instead put his hand on the fiery hot stove. The chef screamed and blew on his hand as the pan fell onto his foot. Louie grabbed his foot and cried in pain, before sending Max an angry glare, grabbing a bunch of knives and hurling them at the crab. Maximus, who ducked each knife, dove under a bench, and while the chef was looking under the bench, Max pushed the bowl of sauce off the bench and onto his head, before speeding away and hiding in a large shelf of plates and dishes. Louie screamed, holding his mallet in his hand, and leapt at the set of shelves.

Susanna, who was pouring drinks for the prince, Grimsby and their young guest, looked in the direction of the kitchen at the sound of a large crash. "Uh, I think I'd better go see what Louie is up to..."

Once she had excused herself, she hurriedly made her way to the palace kitchen.

-line-

Louie, ripped clothes and all, continued to turn the kitchen upside down in search off the crab.

"COME OUT, YOU LITTLE PIPSQUEAK, AND FIGHT LIKE A MAN!" Louie screamed, before continuing to tear apart a cupboard.

"LOUIE!" Susanna yelled from the doorway. "What are you doing?"

"Uh... well, I was just, uh... I'm sorry, madame," Louie spluttered, before giving her an exaggerated grin.

Susanna groaned, picking up the plates - which all had a metal dome over the top - off a nearby bench, and storming out the kitchen.

"You know, Eugene..." Grimsby started, setting his glass back on the table as Susanna placed their dinners in front of them. "Perhaps our young guest might enjoy seeing some of the sights of the kingdom. Something in the way of a tour, perhaps..."

Eugene simply sat there, staring at Rapunzel with a lovestruck expression on his face. Realising that Grimsby had said something to him, he snapped out of his daze. Eugene let out a small chuckle and looked at Grimsby. "I'm sorry, Grim. What was that?"

Grimsby leaned over to the prince and whispered, "You can't just spend all your time moping about! You need to get out, do something, have a life. Get your mind off-"

While Grimsby talked, Rapunzel's eyes widened in horror as she saw him lift the metal dome off his plate to reveal none other than Maximus sitting in the middle of the plate. As the two gentlemen at the table were distracted, Rapunzel beckoned for the crab to come hide on her lap. Maximus didn't hesitate to scurry across the table and hop onto Rapunzel's lap.

"Easy, Grim, easy. It's not a bad idea, if she's interested," Eugene replied, before turning to look at the young brunette, who 'innocently' examined the 'patterns on her dress'. "Well, what do ya say?"

Rapunzel looked up and smiled at him as he continued, "Would you like to join me on a tour of my kingdom tomorrow?"

The brunette nodded eagerly, and Grimsby smiled, "Wonderful! Now, let's eat... before this crab wanders off my plate."

Grimsby looked down, and confusedly looked at the crab-less plate.

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Duurrrrrr... where'd it go? Nice move, 'Punzel! Please review!