Chapter 10: The Discovery
B-102's Log- Entry 2
I was sitting at my desk, going through paper work when suddenly I felt somebody tap me on the shoulder.
"Hey," C-102 said. "Your turn to guard the cat."
I nodded and got up from my desk. I went into the Sellbot HQ custody center where the cat was. I was just supposed to stand in front of his cell for the next two hours. It didn't really make a lot of sense to me. It's not like anybody could ever escape, but VP said that we couldn't be too sure. I heard a groan coming from the kid's cell. I turned around to see him in a sitting position.
"So you have awaken," I said. He just glared at me. I could clearly see he wanted to strangle me.
"Where am I?" He demanded.
"Sellbot HQ," I replied. "The Chairman will be here to question you soon. I suggest you cooperate if you know what's good for you."
"You don't scare me," the kid replied.
"Oh really? You must have forgotten what A-102 did to your mother," I replied smugly.
The kid was angry now. "When I get out of here, I'm gonna kill you," he threatened.
"We'll see," I said. I took out my phone and started to dial Garret's number.
* * *
There were five minutes left in free period when Milton ran into home room. He ran up to Jamie, out of breath.
"Where's Zach?" Milton asked.
"He went home to get something," Jamie replied. "Again."
Milton decided to tell Jamie about what he had found while walking to the café.
"Dude, are you serious?" Jamie said awestruck. "How did the police miss something like that?"
Milton shrugged. "I guess they never thought a Cog HQ would be under the town."
"So are we going down there?" Jamie asked.
Milton grinned. "You know it."
* * *
"He's waking up. Ace? Can you hear me?"
Ace sat up in his bed. He was in his room with his parents standing over him. "Ouch, my head. How long have I been asleep?" Ace asked.
"About a day," his father said. "But Ace, what the heck were you thinking trying to destroy that beast of a cog?"
"I didn't think it was going to be one of the ones that attacked Zach and Milton."
"Well you need to be more careful. That cog could have killed you."
"I doubt he wants to kill us Dad," Ace said. "Cogs usually just kidnap people."
"But what about Neil Grant?"
"That was one time, and that cog is history anyway."
Ace's father shook his head. "Well we're just glad you're not hurt. Now you need to get some rest."
Ace started to lay back down, but then remembered something. "What happened to the others?!" He shouted.
His parents looked at each other.
"Lily's in the hospital," his dad said. "Kippy's injuries weren't major. She's at school right now. As for Domino, well no one has seen him since yesterday."
Ace looked down. "I know what happened to him." Ace told his parents about how B-102 was there to capture the four of them. He told them that he had tried to save Domino, but he wasn't fast enough.
"That doesn't make any sense," his mother said. "You kids are barely thirteen."
Ace shrugged. "Tell that to the bulk brains who thought of it."
"B-102 huh?" His dad said. "That doesn't sound too good."
"He said he was there to take us to Garret Martin," Ace said.
His father suddenly turned pale. "Get some rest son," he said suddenly. His mother and father walked out of his room, and Ace fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
Cool Clyde hadn't heard the name Garret Martin since college. Clyde was a tall, 34 year old orange dog. Martin had been a master in mechanics and all things related to machinery. He was known to be a little crazy. The last semester of their fourth college year, he just vanished and hasn't turned up anywhere- until this day.
* * *
Zach was late to language arts once again.
"Now Zachary this is the second time you were late," Miss Giles scolded. "What held you up this time?"
Zach shrugged. "Nothing, I guess I was just a little slow."
Miss Giles shook her head. "Take a seat Zachary, and if this happens again, we're going to have a problem."
Zach walked to his seat next to Milton. He expected him to open his mouth with another one of his smart remarks, but Milton just sat there with a weird look in his eyes.
* * *
Zach walked over to his usual lunch area with Milton, Jamie, Mike, Scotty, and Harvey.
"Dude, wait til you hear this," Milton said. He told Zach what he had told Jamie earlier.
Zach was thinking that maybe the Greenes had finally been found out, that somebody had told the cogs they were now the Osbornes. Not likely, Zach thought. They would have already come for me already.
"You alright Zach?" Mike asked. "You look kinda sick."
Zach shook his head in respone. "I'm fine, but what are we going to do about the secret Cog HQ?"
"What do you think?" Milton asked. "We're gonna go in there, gags ablazing until all those stupid metal heads are blown to pieces."
"Hold on," Scotty said. "What if we run into the Chairman? He's probably a hell of a lot worse than those cogs we heard about in the news."
Milton thought through this. "Yeah, you're right, we might need the police to help us. I'll file a report with the Elko police department when I get home today."
"Sounds good," Zach said. "Hey, are you gonna eat those fries Harvey?"
* * *
"He is here," B-102 said to Domino. "Like I said, cooperate if you know what's good for you."
Domino saw a tall red mouse in a black suit walk towards the cell with 102 cogs on either sides of him.
"Well, it looks like we finally have one of the seven mighty heroes. Not so tough now are you Domino Spence?" The mouse scoffed.
"Who are you man?" Domno asked.
The mouse grinned. "You're going to find this hard to believe, but I am the Chairman."
Domino was stunned. This guy was a total traitor. Even worse, he was leading the cog nation.
"But why?" Domino demanded. "Why turn your back on your own kind?!"
The Chairman chuckled. "I thought you would never ask. You may think I am a fool for leading the cogs, but you will learn soon enough." He was now giving Domino a deadly serious look. "I turn my back on Toontown because their society is weak. Trolley games, parties, Goofy's speedway, it's all freaking worthless. They spend government funding on too many fun and colorful things. They need to focus on more important things."
"But what about schools?" Domino asked.
"Well, that is the only good thing Flippy ever did for Toontown. That is why we need a new ruler. That is why we need Zita to come forth and rule once again."
"Zita... who is he?"
"Zita was the first cog ever created. He could easily take out the four bosses without trying. He was built thousands of years ago."
Domino gasped. "How? Technology wasn't that far advanced."
"I know," The Chairman said. "He was created from a rocky material and was brought to life by an ancient ritual."
"What happened to him?"
"The toons did not like the way he was ruling, so they created a gate and sent him to a dark dimension where he lay rest for thousands of years." He looked at Domino with an evil gleam in his eye. "But in less than half a month, Zita's Gate will be opened, and Toontown will see its final days."
Domino was actualy scared now, this was something he never expected the cogs to do, but all it took was one crazy traitor.
"I will leave now," The Chairman said. "Rest while you have the chance, for on October 1st, you will also see your final day."
* * *
"Hey, what do you have going on tonight?" Milton asked Zach as they were heading towards the double doors leading out of Elko Middle School.
"Well first I'm gonna go meet Amy at the cafe, but I'm pretty much free after that," Zach replied.
"Cool," Milton said. "I'll give you a call later if we decide to go and do something later."
"Alright."
They went their seperate ways. Zach started making his way towards the cafe.
* * *
There was a purple adult dog outsidethe police department a little taller than Milton. The dog motioned for Milton to come towards him. Despite Milton not knowing who he was, he walked over anyway.
"Hello, my name is Mark," he said. "I have a question to ask you."
"Alright," Milton said. "Go ahead."
"We have been looking for a young blue dog named Jack Greene. His family disappeared and we are searching for them."
"What does he look like?"
"Well he's a blue dog, and he's about your age and height."
Milton shrugged. "Doesn't ring a bell."
"Okay," Mark said. "But if you find anything out give me call," Mark gave Milton a card with his phone number and e-mail on it.
Mark left and Milton went into the police station. Milton had a feeling he knew where Jack was, but he couldn't endanger him, so he said nothing.
"So what's your name?"
"Jack."
"Jack what?"
"I said Zach, my name's Zach Osborne."
It made sense now. Zach suddenly coming to Elko, the Greenes going missing. Milton knew now that Zach wasn't who he said he was and that he was probably in more danger than he knew.