The four duct tape covered captives, each a previously and currently prisoner of Dr. Clayton Forrester, sat alone in the cavernous room in uncharacteristic silence. Joel had taken the liberty of scanning over the room in attempt to utilize a possible escape using the various scientific equipment at their disposal, but the former Gizmocrat was drawing a rare blank with a constructing a creative contraption.

Tom Servo, still duct taped uncomfortably close to Joel's chest could clearly hear and feel Joel's sigh of defeat as he failed to think of a plan. "Joel? You think of anything yet?"

"No, sorry buddy. I'm at a total loss right now. You?"

"Same." Tom sighed as well. "It's a little hard to think when you're completely covered in duct tape, isn't it?"

"Yeah..." Joel tried to humor Tom. "Never thought I'd miss being trapped in space."

"I know what you mean. Living in a tiny apartment with those two would make any sane man, or machine, covet the privilege of a synchronous orbit around the Earth!"

Joel and Tom were awaiting a witty rebuttal from Mike or Crow, but surprisingly the two kept their silence.

"Hey Crow!" Tom hated it when his comments weren't acknowledged or were flat out ignored. "Did you hear me?"

Crow turned his head, his net again scratching Mike's chin, and glared silently at Tom for a moment before turning away again. Mike's chin was raw and beginning to draw blood from the repeated scratches.

"Geez, what's his problem, Joel?" Tom asked bluntly.

Joel smirked a little at the question. "He's just a little embarrassed about losing to Timmy. You know how sensitive he can be."

"I'M NOT SENSITIVE!" Crow turned back quickly to yell at Joel, his net cutting into Mike's chin causing the poor man more pain and drawing more blood.

"Oww!" Mike shook his head slightly and titled it back in an effort to keep Crow from bumping his chin again. "That hurts!"

Joel saw the small trickle of blood running down Mike's chin toward his neck. "Man, he got you pretty good. Hope you don't turn into a 'werecrow' again."

Tom started chuckling, which in turn made Crow giggle in response.

Mike just sighed at the memory. "That was a weird day." He sort of started off into space for a moment, unable to focus on the current situation.

"Something on your mind?" Joel thought Mike seemed a little distracted.

"Huh?" He looked over at Joel. "Oh, I was just trying to comprehend the fact that, between Crow and Timmy, Crow is the good twin and Timmy is evil... Didn't see that one coming."

"Yeah, I can understand how you feel. I didn't see Timmy for the evil entity that he was until after he abducted Servo and stuck him to a wall."

Crow growled a little. "The fact that Timmy attacked Cambot and kept pushing me around wasn't enough proof of his evil for you?!"

"Honestly? No." Joel replied calmly and sincerely.

"What?!"

Tom openly agreed with Joel. "Well, let's face it Crow. You can be pretty devious sometimes."

"Like when?!"

Joel remembered a prime example of Crow's deviousness. "Like the time you chased Gypsy with a knife after watching 'The Beatniks', and ended up stabbing Servo."

"Yeah, but..." Crow paused for a moment. "He got better!"

"You stabbed him, Crow."

"But-"

Tom butted back in. "You stabbed me you bastard!"

"Okay, okay..." Crow finally admitted. "I could be a little..."

"Evil?" Tom suggested.

"No."

"Demented?" Joel suggested his own term.

"No."

"Mischievous?" Mike offered.

"Yeah! That's it!"

Tom scoffed at the idea. "Right. If you stabbing me is 'mischievous', then me burning down an apartment complex is 'flirting'!"

"Hey..." Joel disliked it when the bots argued or their humor got too dark. "Come on guys, let's stop fighting and start looking for a solution. Okay?"

"We're sorry Joel..." The two bots honestly apologized in perfect unison.

As Crow turned his head to scope out the room for an idea his net scratched Mike's chin, again.

"Oww! Crow! Stop it!" Mike was trying to keep his chin away from the little bot but had little room to move away.

"What?" Crow looked up at Mike and saw the small trail of blood coming from his chin. "Oh, sorry. But it's not my fault you have a giant, square jaw. And head."

It was at this moment Joel had his own idea. "Wait a minute! Crow, do you think you could use your net to cut through the tape?"

"Yeah!" Tom was getting excited. "That's a great idea! Come on Crow, do it!"

"Umm..." Crow was trying to figure out a way to use his net but was unsure of how to proceed thanks to his limited mobility. "Maybe?"

"Good." Joel encouraged. "Try leaning to your side and cut at the tape on my arm."

"Okay, I'll try." Crow leaned over as far as he could, but his was body was too light to put up any resistance against the strong duct tape. "I can't reach!"

Unwilling to give up on their only idea for possible escape Mike also leaned his body over as much as possible in an effort to push Crow closer to Joel.

"Little more Mike, I can almost reach it!"

Mike planted his feet on the floor and used his strong legs to give his body further leverage and resistance to the tape. "Try now!"

Crow leaned his head over and felt his net make contact with the tape on Joel's arm. "Aha! Success!" Turning his head back and forth quickly the sharp edge of he net began gradually sawing its way through the constricting wrap of duct tape.

"Keep going Crow!" Tom encouraged. "We believe in you!"

As the duct tape began breaking, layer by layer, Joel twisted and flexed his arm in attempt to free his trapped limb from its gray adhesive prison. "A little more Crow, I can almost get my hand free!"

Without missing a beat Crow continued cutting through the duct tape and didn't stop until he felt his net brush against the fabric of the jumpsuit covering Joel's arm. "I'm through!"

"Great work Crow!" Joel pulled his arm free of the tape and flexed his cramped hand a few times.

Mike sat back upright against the couch and let out a sigh of relief. "Nice work buddy."

Joel reached over toward Mike and began pulling the layers of duct tape away from Mike's arm. "I'm going to loosen the tape so you can get free, but we shouldn't make a move until we know what 'Doctor Doom' is going to do next."

"Right, we play it smart."

Crow looked up at Mike. "This is a first for you, isn't it?"

"Hey!" Mike complained while Joel and Tom chuckled.

"It's weird," Crow continued. "I never noticed before but, Mike, you look a little like Jack Perkins."

"He does!" Tom agreed. "And he looks like Morissey! But, you know, blonde."

"And if he was bald," Crow added on humorously. "he'd look like Glen, the 'amazing colossal man'!"

Joel arched his eyebrows a little at the random comments until he noticed something uncanny about Mike's appearance as well. "You know, I hate to say this or even think it, but to me you look like Torgo..."

"Yeah, but with sexier knees!" Tom teased playfully.

"Who's Torgo?" Mike asked feeling a little attacked.

"Hey! He sounds like Mothra, too!" Tom added.

"And 'Megaweapon!'" Crow laughed loudly.

"Come on, guys..." Mike pleaded. "Can we focus on escaping, please?"

Joel laughed a little as he finished removing enough layers of tape for Mike to free his arm. "Right, good idea."

"We're sorry." Tom apologized to Mike, but quickly tagged on. "'Monkey-boy'!"

"'Monkey-boy'?" Joel asked with mild hesitation.

"Oh yeah," Crow spoke up matter-of-factly. "Mike's family is the first to start marrying primates and thus allowing a generation of highly evolved apes to roam the Earth."

"But in another 500 years or so." Tom finished.

Joel didn't believe their story but chose to not question it. "Right... How does that help us escape?"

"It doesn't!" Crow laughed. "It's just fun to mention to anyone and everyone possible!"

Mike defended himself quickly. "Well, I at least I didn't try to marry my own brother! You two tried marrying each other, remember?"

This immediately caught Joel's attention."They tried to do what?!" That was a scenario he never expected to hear about, or even consider for that matter.

"Don't worry Joel," Mike answered gently. "they never even got through the ceremony."

"Okay, good." Joel looked down at Tom. "Servo," then he looked to Crow. "Crow, you two are as close to being brothers as robotically possible! You two can NEVER marry each other, that's just a whole new level of wrong!"

Tom and Crow looked at each other awkwardly before Tom finally responded. "No worries Joel, that was just a phase anyway. Although I was a stunning bride-to-be!"

"Besides that was just for a goof, unlike the Nelson family's desire for sweet monkey love!" Crow blurted out while laughing.

"Guys! Focus!" Joel instinctively used his 'dad voice' to get their attention. "We need to escape first, then you can make fun of Mike afterward."

...to be continued...