Underdog 2
Chapter 10
Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to Underdog.
Underdog flew through the clouds, determined to make it to the warehouse to save Jack and Dan. Suddenly, there was a flash and a bolt of lightning struck directly in front of him.
"Whoa!" he said. "I'm guessing that's not the weather…"
As he tried to continue, another bolt struck, blowing him back a little.
"Show yourself, Conrad!"
Indeed, the Electric Eel did come out in the open, eyes crackling with electricity.
"I'll do you a favor since you saved my daughter's life, dog", he said. "Your death will be quick and painless!"
As Conrad aimed another bolt of lightning at Underdog, he flew to the side.
"How about you let me live, and we'll call it even?" said Underdog.
"No can do, doggy", said Conrad. "I want Elizabeth and I to be together forever, and there are only two things stopping us from doing that: You and the law!"
Another bolt was thrown, but again Underdog dodged it.
"Did you ever stop and think about what Elizabeth wants?" he said.
"Shut up!" said Conrad, eyes blazing. "You don't know a thing about my daughter!"
"I know she blames you for her mother's death!"
Conrad powered down a bit.
"What did you just say?"
"She's hurting, Conrad. She lost her mom, she can't depend on her dad-she doesn't need this added pressure. She wants nothing to do with this version of you."
"Liar!" Conrad cried, electric sparks flying on his body. "Lizzie loves her daddy!"
"Elizabeth is all grown up now, Conrad! The last time she saw you was before she knew about all of this! Do you really want to prove to her that this is the man you are?!"
Conrad balled his hands into fists, sparks flying from them.
"The kind of man who stands up for what he believes in and doesn't let anyone push him around when he takes what he wants?" he said smugly. "Absolutely."
Underdog flew out of the way as bolt after bolt of electricity was thrown at him. Conrad cried out as Underdog left a sonic boom in the air when he flew away.
"You can run, but you can't hide, dog!" he said as he flew after him in the form of a lightning bolt.
…
Elizabeth's eyes fluttered open and closed as the EMTs in the ambulance worked on her.
"Pulse seems stable", said one of them, "thanks to your quick work."
He nodded at Molly, who nodded back.
"I'm just glad she'll be alright."
Elizabeth struggled to take the oxygen mask off her face.
"Where's Underdog?" she wheezed before another EMT pulled the mask back on.
"I'm not sure where he went", said Molly. "Something about a criminal and your family being in danger."
Elizabeth coughed violently as she again removed the mask.
"My family?!" she cried in a weak voice. "The Electric Eel has my family?!"
"Ma'am, please, you have to keep this on!" the EMT protested as the mask was put back in place. "You shouldn't even be speaking-you're not strong enough!"
Elizabeth grunted as she removed the mask from her face once more.
"My family's in danger", she wheezed, and sat up. "I have to-"
"Please, ma'am!" said the EMT, who forced her back down onto the gurney. "If you continue to refuse treatment, I'm afraid we will be forced to administer it."
"Elizabeth, they're right", said Molly. "Let the EMTs help you. You need to take care of yourself first."
"No", Elizabeth coughed, struggling against the hand holding her down. "My family needs me-let me up!"
"I hate to do this to you, ma'am, but-"
Elizabeth gasped and then coughed as the EMT held up a syringe.
"No!"
The EMT grunted as Elizabeth catapulted herself off the gurney and sent the syringe into his chest. The other EMTs blocked her escape, but she rolled the gurney out of the ambulance doors.
"Elizabeth!" Molly called after her. "Elizabeth, wait!"
Elizabeth ignored the cries of protest behind her. She held a hand over her mouth and coughed as she ran to catch a taxi.
…
Jack and Dan struggled against the ropes that bound them to the chairs they were sitting in.
"Hang on, son", said Dan, grunting with effort. "Just like before, we'll get out of here...just gotta get-ugh!-untied."
Jack's eyes scanned the room before landing on an axe a few feet away. He nudged his father, who strained to turn around and see. Dan chuckled.
"Brilliant."
Together, the two of them scooted their chairs over to the axe. Jack strained to reach it with his fingers until he finally grasped the handle.
"That's it, son", Dan encouraged Jack as he rubbed his bound hands against the blade. "Faster!"
…
Underdog flew through the clouds as the Electric Eel pursued him.
"I know that Jack and Dan are bait, but still I hope I'm not too late!" he said.
"GET OVER HERE, UNDERDOG!" Conrad cried, moving to strike.
…
Jack grunted with effort as he broke through the last of the ropes around his wrists. Bringing his hands to the front, he whipped the gag from his mouth.
"Dad!"
"Jack!"
"Are you okay?"
"I'll be a lot better once we're out of here-come on, let me have that thing!"
A few minutes later, they lifted the last of the ropes over their heads and stood, rubbing their wrists to get the circulation going.
"Better keep this", said Dan, brandishing the axe. "It might come in handy."
"Where's Elizabeth?" said Jack, scanning for guards.
"Last I heard, she was nearly blown up in the sewers before Underdog found her."
"Man, what is it with villains and bombs?"
Dan shrugged as they raced back up the stairs.
"I mean, first it was Simon Barsinister, and now this guy."
"Yeah, well, this guy is a lot more dangerous than that crazy scientist and his idiotic assistant."
"The car's still out there", said Jack, checking outside. "Let's go."
The two of them left the warehouse and headed back to the city.
…
The Electric Eel scanned the skies, but there was no sign of Underdog.
"Come out and fight, pooch!" he yelled, shooting lightning bolts at nothing in particular.
From the clouds, Underdog yelped as a bolt of lightning shot up from under him.
"I've heard of people with electric personalities", he said to himself, "but this is ridiculous!"
Suddenly, a sequence of images flashed in his head and he could see Jack and Dan heading back to the city.
"They're safe!" he said.
There was a loud growl, followed by more lightning, and suddenly the Electric Eel was right in front of him.
"There you are", he said, and chuckled. "Now, be a good boy and FETCH!"
Underdog quickly flew out of the way of another blast.
…
Elizabeth gripped the edge of the backseat of the cab, suppressing a heavy cough.
"Hey, you alright?" said the driver.
"I'm fine-please, just drive!" she insisted, and coughed again.
It was then that she noticed a spectacular light show going on in the sky above her.
"Oh, my God", she breathed, and pounded the seat. "Stop right here!"
The taxi cab came to a halt by the side of the road, and Elizabeth got out.
"Thanks!" she called to the driver, tossing a fistful of bills into the passenger seat. As the cab drove off, Elizabeth put a hand to her eyes, scanning the sky.
"Underdog!" she cried, and bent over as she went into another coughing fit. "Underdog!"
…
As Underdog avoided another blast, he was suddenly aware of someone calling his name.
"Wait a minute", he said. "Is that-"
A sequence of images flashed through his head, and he could suddenly see Elizabeth standing on the ground below them.
"Underdog!" she continued to cry, and he whined when he saw her cough afterwards.
"Conrad!" he called out. "Elizabeth's here, but she's in danger! We have to stop!"
"Nice try, dog", said Conrad. "Now take this!"
"No, wait!"
Underdog yelped and flew out of the way as another bolt of lightning flew right past him...and headed straight for Elizabeth.
…
Elizabeth was in the middle of another coughing fit when a flash of light caused her to look up. She wheezily gasped as a bolt of lightning flew straight towards her, and she ran in the other direction, screaming as it hit a few feet away and knocked her off her feet.
Elizabeth coughed, watching the singing earth in front of her. She looked up at the sky wheezing.
…
Underdog growled and flew up to the Electric Eel, biting his hand.
"AGH! Why, you-!"
"Look what you're doing!"
With a glare, Conrad looked down at the ground...and saw Elizabeth looking right back up at them. He gasped.
"Lizzie", he said. "My God...I almost-"
"We have to stop this fighting!" said Underdog. "The one thing we have in common is wanting to keep her safe."
Conrad narrowed his eyes into slits and glared at Underdog.
"I'm the one keeping her safe", he insisted. "If it weren't for you, she wouldn't be in danger!"
Careful not to let the lightning hit the ground, Conrad threw another bolt towards the dog.
…
Elizabeth coughed and wheezed, her vision becoming blurry, as the light show above her continued.
"Underdog", she breathed.
Elizabeth groaned as her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she fell face first into the dirt. A white van pulled up beside her unconscious form, and the goons who had dropped her off in the alley got out and laughed.
"Well, if it ain't the ex-boss's little princess", said one of them, folding his arms.
"Grab her and let's go", said the one behind the wheel. "Time for us to make some money out of this job."
The two goons who had gotten out carefully grasped Elizabeth by the arms and dragged her towards the van. Her feet left drag marks in the ground and she groaned as they lifted her into the back. The goons jumped in beside her and slammed the sliding door shut, tearing off down the road.
…
As Underdog continued his fight with the Electric Eel, he was suddenly aware that Elizabeth was no longer watching them. He looked down to see that she was gone.
"Oh, no! Conrad, you-!"
BAM! A bolt of lightning struck his cape, and Conrad laughed.
"There's more where that came from, pup!"
"Alright", said Underdog, "I've had enough of this."
With teeth bared, he flew up to Conrad and clamped down on his hand.
"AGH! Why, you-!"
"Stop what you're doing and think! Look down, Conrad!"
Conrad growled and did as he was asked. He gasped when he saw that Elizabeth was no longer there.
"Your daughter's gone."
In a flash of light, Conrad was on the ground.
"No", he said when he saw the scuff marks. "No, no, no-LIZZIE!"
Underdog heard tires screeching on the pavement just a few miles away. Using his enhanced vision, he could see a white van tearing down the road...with the unconscious Elizabeth inside.
"Conrad!"
Underdog flew down to the criminal, who had his head buried in his hands.
"I know where she is. We have to-"
"URGH, YOU did this!"
Conrad lunged for Underdog.
"I'll kill you, you stupid mutt, do you hear me?! I'll-!"
"Conrad!"
Underdog used his super speed to bury him in a deep hole.
"Listen to me! Elizabeth is alive, but she needs help! Those goons you were working with have her!"
"What?"
Conrad's eyes narrowed.
"Those two-timing sons of-"
"Look", said Underdog, "I know you and I don't see eye to eye, at all, but we can agree on one thing, can't we?"
"The safety of my daughter."
Underdog nodded.
"We have to put aside our differences, let bygones be bygones. It's the only way to save her. What do you say?"
Underdog held out his paw.
"You with me?"
Conrad stared down the road and nodded.
"Alright, mutt...for my daughter."
Conrad's hand sparked with electricity as he grasped Underdog's paw and shook.
Suddenly, a car hit Conrad and sent him reeling back. Underdog looked up as the car screeched to a halt and Dan got out.
"Now we're even", he said.
Tune in next time to see what happens next!
-Imagigirl20