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"What floor are we on, Howard?" asked Vince inquisitively.
"4th," replied Howard. They were all sat down at a table outside a cafe.
"So we've got to get past this floor, the next floor, then we're in the car park!"
"It's not that simple, there are loads of monsters in these floors," added Naboo.
"I gotta bad feeling 'bout this."
"Yeah, you've already said that," Naboo rolled his eyes at Bollo.
"What if we just leg it?" suggested Vince.
"Just as long as we don't die..." Howard said in a thoughtful tone. He remembered the last time he died, it had all been a bit of a nuisance really.
They all stood up, eyes on the next flight of stairs. Bizarrely, it was guarded by Bob Fossil. The truth is, they already knew that – and they'd been sitting at the cafe table for half an hour, putting off the inevitable confrontation.
"Why d'you think he's here?" whispered Vince behind his hand to Howard. They watched the American grab invisible food from the air and eat it, bobbing along to 'I can't go for that', oblivious to the four pair of eyes trained on him.
"I don't know, I thought everyone turned into me or you?" replied Howard, a bit too loudly it seemed.
Like in a clichéd horror film, Bob Fossil dramatically turned to look at them.
Naboo backed into Vince, who grabbed hold of Bollo, who was busy wiping bogeys onto Howard's shirt.
"Hey you guys, I've been looking for you!" yelled Fossil. He bounded over to them, grabbed Naboo, and threw him over his shoulder.
"What are you doing!" exclaimed poor Naboo, who'd been picked up too many times today.
"I've always thought we made a great double act," explained Fossil as he put the tiny shaman down.
"Oi, me an' Howard are the only double act round here," complained Vince.
Bob spat at Vince.
"Um, Mr. Fossil, how long have you been looking for us exactly?" asked Howard, getting back to the main concern.
"I don't know, for about 70 pancake days," smiled Fossil.
Howard blinked at him.
"Yeah, I befriended a camel, and he tried to digest me. High five!" He raised his hand hopefully to Bollo, and got rejected.
"So we've travelled to the distant future, where everyone's turned into me and Vince, apart from Naboo and Bollo, one of the hitcher's cronies, and now you! This storyline just gets stupider and stupider!" complained Howard, exasperatedly, "how come you haven't aged a day?"
"Sometimes I draw faces on my hands and make them talk to me..."
"Is that your explanation?"
Bob Fossil nodded enthusiastically.
"Ok then," Howard glared at him.
"Have you been up to the car park recently, Fossil?" asked Vince.
"No, the lifts don't work," he replied miserably. Vince sighed, resting his hands femininely on his hips and striking a most attractive pose.
"Right, we're taking you with us. I'm surprised you're not dead yet," Vince said, feeling protective of his old boss, from back in old days of the Zooniverse.
Howard silently shook his head in horror; Vince nodded back, his dolphin face paint still perfect.
"YAAAAAAAAY!" shouted Fossil, unnecessarily loud. He linked arms with Naboo. As they walked towards the stairs leading to the 5th floor, his enthusiasm caught on.
They all linked arms, and skipped along.
"Last floor until the car park!" yelled Vince.
"Feet remind me of apple pie!" yelled Bob.
"I miss my magic carpet!" yelled Naboo, his feet barely touching the ground as he was dragged along by Howard and Vince.
They ran up the stairs gaily.