Matt, Pat, Vermious Snaptrap, Zippy, Dr. Rabies, Madame Catastrophe and TUFF Puppy © Butch Hartman
Colette Parfume and Vincent © Me.
It would've been a lie to say that Matt was confident in his decision on which direction they should take within the yacht's air ducts. Without a map of the ventilation system, he was leading them blindly. Matt just hoped they were heading in the right direction. He wished the others didn't look to him so much to come up with an idea. The truth was, if Snaptrap hadn't pointed out the vents in the first place, they would have still been stuck in the cabin room.
"Ow!" He cried as a jolt of pain shot through his tail. He looked behind him, barely making out the sheepish expression on Snaptrap's face.
"Sorry, Matt," he apologized.
"Blast it, Verminious, that's the third time your knee has smashed my tail!" Matt whispered in irritation.
"Hey! I can't help it if you've got a long tail!" Snaptrap retorted. "That darn thing keeps swishin' around and slapping me in the face!"
"Hey, it's no better for us back here!" Pat spoke from the back, with Collette right behind her. "I'm gettin' tired of staring at your behinds!"
"Hush!" Matt Snapped. He turned to the front and peered ahead into the duct. All he could see was total darkness. He sighed hopelessly. "I'm not sure if we're even going the right way," he admitted, "I- Gahhh! What the heck?!"
Matt shielded his eyes as an intense light shone right at them then disappeared. For a moment all he could see were colorful spots. Blinking to get rid of them, he stared irately at Snaptrap, who was now holding the flashlight he had stolen.
"What are you doing?!" Matt hissed.
"I'd thought I'd use my flashlight so I can make sure your dumb tail doesn't hit me in the face again," Snaptrap explained.
Matt stared at his brother then wearily rubbed his forehead. "Why didn't you take that out in the first place instead of letting us crawl through here in the dark?" He muttered.
"I dunno," Snaptrap admitted, "You of all people should've thought of that idea. Hey!"
"Give me that!" Matt exclaimed, snatching the flashlight from Snaptrap's hand. He shone the light forward to show where they were going.
"Dummy-head," Snaptrap muttered from behind.
"Shh!" Matt replied, "I think I see something up ahead!"
A look of hope appeared in everyone's eyes, as Matt began to crawl forward while holding the flashlight out in front of him. Zippy darted ahead of them to check out what Matt had seen, then zipped back with alarming speed.
"There's a vent opening to another room!" She whispered excitedly.
"Excellent!" Matt replied, "We'll tell the occupants about our plan and to be ready."
Hen they reached the vent, Matt peeked out through the grating. His ears drooped with disappointment. He motioned for the others to stay where they were as he carefully backed away from the vent opening.
"There are guards in there," he whispered to the others.
"Aw, terrific," Pat sighed.
"What do we do?" Colette asked.
Matt shook his head. "We'll just have to move on. Who knows how long those guards will be in there. Time is of the essence right now. It's only a matter of time before they discover we've escaped. We must make it to the engine room."
The others exchanged sad glances, as Matt started to crawl ahead. "We must be absolutely quiet," he warned. He shot Snaptrap a warning look. "And I mean all of us."
"Why're you looking at me when you say that?" Snaptrap asked. Not bothering to reply, Matt slowly and carefully made his way over the vent. Crawling a few feet ahead, he stopped and waited until the others made it across. Luckily, no one seemed to have heard them. Breathing a sigh of relief, Matt continued to lead on.
The plan wasn't going as exactly as Matt had hoped it would be. Every room they had passed so far seemed to have a guard or two in it. There was no way they could warn the guests of their plan. Each room they passed made the escapees feel less and less hopeful about their chance of overtaking Doctor Rabies and Madame Catastrophe.
Matt sighed in frustration. "I never anticipated this. It's almost like they're expecting something to happen."
"Perhaps we can think of another plan?" Colette suggested.
"Well, right now, I'd just like to know where in the yacht we are," Matt replied, "It almost feels like we're going in circles."
Snaptrap's nose started to twitch. "Well, wherever we are, at least the air smells better. I was getting tired of it smelling like something died in here. Or maybe Matt's deodorant just wore off-OW!"
Matt gave his brother an aggravated kick, hoping that Colette didn't hear the last remark. Before Snaptrap could react, Pat silenced them both with a shush. She sniffed the air. "I think Verm's onto something," she spoke, "It does smell pretty good in here. Almost like...food."
Matt took a whiff. "Mmm, you're right Pat. I do smell something delectable. That can only mean one thing. We must be near the kitchen!"
Colette gave a little clap. "Then that means we are not far from the engine room!" She said happily.
Matt sniffed the air some more. "It seems like it's coming from this direction," he said, turning a corner. The smell soon became stronger, assuring him that they were headed in the right direction. The flashlight revealed another vent grating not too far ahead.
Zippy darted over to it and poked her head through one of the grate holes. "It's the kitchen!" She chirped. "And there's not a guard in sight!"
Matt peeked through the grating and gave a satisfactory nod. "Right, we'll get out here. It's not too far to the engine room from the kitchen."
As Zippy began to unscrew the bolts with her beak, Matt and Snaptrap sat on one side of the vent while Pat and Colette sat on the opposite side. Matt got a good grip on the vent grate as Zippy undid the last bolt. Pat grabbed the other end, and the two carefully lifted up the grate and set it gently to the side.
Zippy flew down and scanned the kitchen. "I was right!" She called up, "The coast is clear!"
Matt sat at the edge of the vent and went down first, landing firmly on his feet. "It's not too far down," he assured the others, "You-GAAGH!"
Unfortunately for Matt, Snaptrap didn't give him time to move out of the way and landed right on top of him. Snaptrap sat up, shaking his head out of its daze. He looked down, and found that he was sitting right on Matt's back.
"Your pleasant mood towards me is gone isn't it?" He asked. Matt raised his head to say something, but a hard object bounced off his head before he could.
"Vincent!" Snaptrap exclaimed happily as he picked up his skull friend. "Thanks, Matt. You broke Vincent's fall." He held the skull out to Matt. "He says, thank you."
His face still flat against the floor, Matt spoke in a muffled, but angry voice. "I'll break you if you don't get off me!"
Snaptrap leaped up and helped his brother up. "Hey, it's not my fault you've got a wimpy frame!" He retorted.
"I-I do not have a wimpy frame!" Matt spluttered, as he pulled away and straightened his turtleneck sweater. "I'm just...trim."
"Will you two nerds be quiet?!" Pat asked in slight annoyance. She was hanging onto the air duct vent, a few feet from the floor. "The whole yacht's gonna hear!" Matt and Snaptrap went over and checked her as she let go and landed on her feet. Pat smoothed out her dress, which was now dirty and wrinkled from crawling through the ducts.
"Ugh, I'm gonna have to do some major shopping when all this is over," she muttered.
Matt stared up into the air duct. "Can you make it down, Colette?" He asked. The pretty skunk's head poked out, checking the distance from the duct to the floor.
"Yes, I think so," she said confidently. She slowly lowered herself until her hands were gripping onto the edge of the vent hole, then let go. She wobbled a bit when she landed but Matt steadied her, placing his hands on her shoulders. Colette smiled at him in a way which made his stomach flip flop. Fiddling awkwardly with his collar, he scanned the kitchen area with the flashlight.
"Well, so far so good," he said, "Now we just have to get to the engine room."
"What'll we do if we run into guards?" Pat asked.
"I could knock 'em out with Vincent," Snaptrap suggested, holding up the skull.
Matt looked hopelessly skyward with a sigh. "Yes, well, I'm afraid "Vincent" may not be enough to stop an entire group of guards."
"We could just try to, how you say, make a run for it," Colette spoke. "Even if we do meet some guards, there is a chance that one of us might make it to the engine room."
"No, it's too risky," Matt answered, "Besides, Verminious is the only one who knows where on the engine that Scrambler device is located,"
"So...basically, this whole thing kinda depends on him," Pat concluded with a sigh. "Yeah, we're dead."
Matt scratched his head, "If only Verminious could remember and tell us where he placed that device. At least that way, if we ran into trouble, we'd have a better chance if only one of us made it to the engine room."
"Yeah we...hey, wait, where is Verm?" Pat asked, looking around, "Aw, great, don't tell me he went on ahead,"
"No, even he wouldn't do anything that foolish, given our current situation," Matt replied.
"Maybe he went into the refrigerator to get something to eat," Zippy guessed.
"Yeah, that sounds like something Verm would do," Pat said.
"Y-You know, that sounds like a good idea," Colette spoke up, "It has been a long time since any of us had some thing to eat. Perhaps we should have a quick bite to keep up our strength, yes?"
Matt looked towards the fridge skeptically. "I'm not sure that's a good idea, Colette. We're really on borrowed time right now. There's no telling when they'll discover that we're gone from our room. Every second counts."
Colette looked disappointed, even more than Matt thought she would. After a moment's hesitation, he reached out and gave her hand a squeeze. "Look, I'm just as hungry as you are," he spoke sympathetically, "But this may be our only chance to fight back." He paused, then cleared his throat nervously. "Er, maybe...maybe if we make it out of this, I could um, take you out to dinner afterwards?"
Colette gave Matt a small smile. "I...I would like that very much, Matthew," she answered quietly.
Matt's eyes lit up. "Really? I...hold on..." Matt's ears twitched slightly, "Do any of you hear a sort of crunching noise?"
Everyone became silent as they listened for the sound. Sure enough, there was a barely audible crunching-like noise coming from somewhere in the kitchen. It would go on for a few seconds, stop, then continue again. Zippy flew around the kitchen, trying to locate the source of the mysterious noise. She soon passed by a covered food cart which was used to deliver meals to the rooms. She stopped and hovered next to it, as she discovered that the noise was coming from beneath the cloth covering. She signaled to the others of her discovery. Matt quietly tiptoed up to the cart and lifted the covering to reveal...Snaptrap. The grey rat looked at the others casually, his cheeks bulging as he munched away on a pie he had found on the cart.
"What...are... you... doing?" Matt asked in frustrated disbelief.
"Duh, I'm eating," Snaptrap replied through a mouthful of food, "If there's a chance we're not gettin' out of this alive, I wanna at least have a last decent meal!" He held out a dish to Matt. "Pie? It's cherry."
"Verminious, we don't have time for this!" Matt exclaimed, "We need to get to the engine room now! So stop stuffing your face and get moving!"
"Wait, Matt," Pat cut in. She stared at the food cart thoughtfully. "I think Verm's given us a way to make it to the engine room unnoticed."
Matt raised an eyebrow. "How so?" He asked.
Pat patted the cart as she explained. "We could hide inside the cart and slowly roll ourselves to the engine room. If any guards come by, we'll stop. I'm sure they won't suspect anything seeing a food tray around. They'll just assume it was left when the yacht was taken over."
Matt thought it over. "It sounds a little too risky," he said skeptically.
"Er, yes," Colette agreed, "Perhaps we should try something else."
Pat shrugged. "Hey if you guys have any better ideas, I'm all ears," she said.
Matt stared at the cart for a moment and sighed. "I suppose we have no choice. We've wasted enough time already. Hmm, I don't think all of us could fit under there. We'll have to take another cart, two to each. Pat you go with Verminious while Colette and I take another cart. Zippy, you can choose who you want to go with."
"I'll go with Snaps and Pat," Zippy answered, as she perched on Snaptrap's shoulder, "They have food."
"Can't we all stop thinking about food for just a moment?" Matt sighed in frustration.
"Speak for yourself," Pat grumbled, crawling underneath the cloth covering of the cart. "Scoot over Verm, and hand me a slice of that pie."
Matt shook his head as Colette rolled another covered cart to him. "Do you think this will really work, Matthew?" She asked.
"To be honest, I have no idea, Matt admitted. He held up the cover, allowing Colette to crawl under.
Snaptrap poked his head out from under the cloth and gave his brother a smirk. "Why did you choose to go with Colette?" He asked teasingly.
Matt pushed his brother's head back in as he turned a slight shade of red. "None of your business, now let's get moving!" He ordered. He was about to crawl under his cart with Colette when he paused. He then lifted up the covering of Snaptrap's cart and addressed him. "Er, Verminious, would you mind handing me a piece of that pie?"
Snaptrap's hands poked out, each holding a small pie.
"Blueberry or cherry?"
Without light, the hallways of the yacht seemed dark and foreboding. It was no different than being in the air ducts. It was quiet too. Eerily quiet. All that could be heard was the soft squeaking of the cart wheels. Fortunately, for them, the plan seemed to be working. If a guard was coming they would stop and sit silently, holding their breaths. So far, each one passed by without a second glance at the carts. Matt and Colette were leading the way, with Pat, Snaptrap, and Zippy following behind. Matt would poke his head out now and then to make sure they were heading in the right direction.
"Are you sure we are going the right way?" Colette whispered to him.
Matt answered her while looking straight ahead. "Yes, I'm certain of it. I made sure to know every part of this yacht when I purchased it." He gave a humorless chuckle. "This is turning out to be some birthday."
Colette's eyes saddened as she watched Matt while helping to push the cart forward. "Matthew, we do not have to do this,"she said softly. Matt looked back over his shoulder to her.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I mean, we do not have to go through all this trouble to remove the device," Colette answered. "We are free. Free to leave the yacht. We could turn the carts around and head for one of the lifeboats. We could escape to the shore. You, me, and your siblings."
Matt stopped the cart and turned around to face her, looking confused. "You mean leave? Just like that?" He asked.
Colette nodded. "You know there is a chance we could be caught doing this. And we don't have the guests to back us up. Who knows what Rabies and Catastrophe will do if they find y-us. We should leave while we still have a chance." She gently placed her hand on his chest and leaned a bit towards him. Even in the dark, Matt could see the almost pleading look in her soft blue eyes. "Please, Matthew," she begged quietly.
Matt gave a nervous gulp. He could feel his face growing warm. "Er, I...er..." he stuttered. He and Colette gave a sudden squeak of surprise as Snaptrap's cart bumped roughly into them, nearly knocking them out of their cart. Sitting up, Matt crawled over to the other end of his cart, and peeked out at his sibling's cart. "Will you please be careful?!" He whispered harshly, "You nearly blew our cover."
"We nearly?!" Pat snapped back. "You were the one that made an unexpected stop. Next time give us a warning!"
"What're you two doing anyway?" Snaptrap asked from the back. "Are you guys making out? Fine time to be doing that!"
"What?! I...No!" Matt spluttered, his face growing even hotter, "Colette just needed to ask me a question! Now be quiet and let's get moving!"
Before either of his siblings could reply, Matt went back to his front position and started to move his cart off. Colette helped him, looking at him expectantly: "Matthew...?"
Matt's ears twitched as he heard her speak, knowing she was waiting for his response to her escape offer. He sighed regretfully, "I know you mean well, Colette," he answered sympathetically, "But I can't have those two roughnecks get away with my yacht. Besides, even if we did leave, if they were caught or word of this got out, the police might suspect I was in on it. And me leaving the yacht will only make me as well as you and my siblings look suspicious."
"We could go for help on land," Colette replied hopefully.
"By then it may be too late," Matt spoke softly.
Colette just kept silent in response.
The escapees had made good progress, much to their excitement. They started to feel more hopeful about their plan. Maybe they would pull it off after all. As they rounded a corner, Matt's heartbeat quickened a bit. Going a few feet further, he poked his head out and spotted a door a few inches near him. He read the inscription on it, then quickly pulled his head back in. He turned to Colette, a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Colette, we made it!" He whispered energetically, "This is it! The engine room! We're halfway to victory!"
Though Colette gave a small smile, Matt could sense some sadness behind it. He gently patted her hand. "Colette, I appreciated what you wanted to do, really," he assured her, "But...I couldn't just run away."
Colette nodded and placed her hand on Matt's. "I-I understand," she said. She leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheek.
Matt blinked, surprised but delighted. "W-what was that for?" He asked.
Colette pulled a stray lock of her hair back shyly. "Just...just because," she replied.
Matt looked at her a bit puzzled, then remembered their mission. He poked his head out and looked down both ends of the hallway. No one. He quietly crept out from beneath the cart covering and tiptoed to the corner of the hallway they just came around. Pressing his back against the wall, he cautiously peeked around the corner. Nothing. Not a guard in sight. He scurried back to his cart, raised the covering, and smiled at Colette. "We're in luck, there's no one around. Come on out."
As the lady skunk crawled out, Matt went over to his siblings cart and lifted their covering. "Come on out you three, it's safe," he announced. Snaptrap's head poked out. He opened his mouth...and let out a huge belch right in Matt's face. Snaptrap lumbered out from under the cart covering and stretched as Matt went into a coughing fit.
"Boy, that was a great pie!" He said in relief.
Matt stood up, still gagging and stared at his brother in disgust. "Egad, you could peel the paint off a wall with that stench!" He gasped, "When was the last time you brushed?"
"Brushed what?" Snaptrap asked in confusion. Matt just shuddered in reply.
Pat came crawling out with Zippy right behind her. "So far so good," Pat said, smoothing out her dress. "I didn't think it'd be this easy."
Matt rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Yes...easy..." he mumbled distractedly.
"So what're we waitin' for?" Snaptrap spoke impatiently, "Let's go inside and get that stupid device off before those yahoos try to stop us!"
"No, wait! Verminious!" Matt cried. But he was too late. Snaptrap had already gone in.
Matt slapped his hand against his forehead. "That idiot! Rabies' mechanics could still be in there!"
"Aw, crud, what'll we do now?!" Pat exclaimed.
"Let me think! Let me think!" Matt said urgently. They all jumped as the door suddenly opened, and Snaptrap's head poked out.
"Well, are ya' coming or not?" He asked.
Pat blinked. "You weren't caught?" she asked.
"Uh, no," Snaptrap replied, "There's no one here. The place is as empty as Larry's head."
Matt, Pat, and Colette exchanged confused glances. Matt turned back to Snaptrap, "There's no one in there at all?" He asked, skeptically. Snaptrap shook his head.
Matt scratched his head, completely stumped. "Odd," he spoke, "You'd think they'd still be trying to fix the engine."
"Maybe they're taking a break," Zippy guessed.
"Blah, blah, blah, who cares!" Snaptrap exclaimed in frustration, "Let's get going! We shouldn't be looking a mule in the mouth!"
"Gift horse," Matt corrected.
"Yeah, that too," Snaptrap replied heading back into the engine room. The others followed after him.
The engine room was just as frightening in the dark as the hallways and air ducts. It wasn't huge, but the dark and vague shadows made it seem like it was. The escapees drew a little closer together, as they all nervously looked around them, as if expecting some sort of terrifying abomination to leap out at them. They stopped as they came up to the engine. Though Matt was the only expert in there when it came to boat engines, the others had to agree it was a pretty impressive piece of machinery. It was a culmination of gadgets and mechanical parts that ran throughout the room. Only a yacht as grand as the Phantom would require such a fine mechanism to propel it through the seas.
Pat shook her head in disbelief, "That little device is somewhere on this?" She asked Snaptrap.
"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Snaptrap answered.
Matt sighed wearily. "Well, Verminious, go on. Try to remember where you placed the thing."
Snaptrap began to slowly walk the perimeter of the room and around the engine, trying hard to remember what part of it he planted the device. He walked back, forth, and around desperately trying to recall his footsteps earlier that day. The darkness and shadows only made it more confusing for him. After walking the entire perimeter of the room, he slowly made his way back to the others. He stared at them silently, his ears drooping apologetically.
Pat eyed him accusingly. "You forgot, didn't you?" She asked flatly. Snaptrap just twiddled his claws shamefully in reply.
"Blast it, Verminious!" Matt cried, throwing his hands up in the air, "How could you forget?!"
"I didn't mean to!" Snaptrap argued, "It's just that with all the stuff that's happened, it kinda got pushed out of my mind! I was forced to eat a whole cake of cheese today for Pete's sake!"
Matt stormed up to his brother and looked about ready to tell him off. Snaptrap drew back a bit, expecting the worse. Matt pointed at Snaptrap threateningly and was about to vent...when his eyes fell on Snaptrap's snout. Running down it were the scratch marks that Madame Catastrophe had inflicted upon him. It all came rushing back to Matt: the cruelty Rabies and Catastrophe had dealt him and his siblings, how Snaptrap had boldly defended them. The price he paid by having to consume that great cake of cheese despite his allergy. Matt then recalled the talk he and his siblings had over the picture of that day at the beach...so long ago. The memories...
Matt slowly lowered his hand as all this ran through his mind. He continued to stare at the wound. The blood had since dried and crusted over the cut, but it still looked nasty. In all the excitement, Snaptrap hadn't even bothered cleaning the wound. Matt's expression of anger slowly disappeared as he found himself calming down. Pat came to his side and followed her brother's gaze. Her expression also changed as she saw the scratch marks. Snaptrap eyed his brother and sister warily, waiting for both of them to start ranting on him. Matt opened his mouth...but to Snaptrap's surprise, he didn't scold him. Instead, Matt just sighed. "Alright, alright, let's see if we can help you with this," he said calmly.
Snaptrap just blinked dumbly. Was this really his brother?
"Try retracing your steps in your mind," Matt suggested, "Think back to when you were making your way to the engine room earlier."
"I did, but I still can't remember," Snaptrap whimpered.
"That's because you're too tense right now," Matt explained, "Just take a deep breath and concentrate."
Snaptrap wasn't sure if that would help or not, but he complied. He inhaled and exhaled sharply. His eyes closed in concentration as he forced himself to think(A task he didn't engage much in). Matt and Pat both watched him quietly. Snaptrap looked up at them sadly.
"I can't..." he said quietly.
"Yes, you can," Matt responded calmly, "Just relax and think."
"You remember that day at the beach after all these years," Pat spoke confidently, "You can remember this."
Snaptrap stared at both of his siblings. Did they just express confidence in him? As both just stared back in expectation, he realized that they did. Matt and Pat truly did believe he could do it. Swallowing a lump that had formed in his throat, Snaptrap took another deep breath, then shut his eyes and began rubbing the sides of his head. He began muttering softy to himself, as he tried to let the memory of that day fall into place. Everyone watched him in dead silence, not wanting to break his concentration. Suddenly, Snaptrap's eyes popped open. Without a word he snatched the flashlight from Matt and sprinted off to the part of the engine that was across the room. He came up to a small space between the engine and the wall. His siblings watched curiously.
"Verm?" Pat called out to him.
"I remember!" Snaptrap called back triumphantly as he began to squeeze into the small area. Zippy flew on over to him. Snaptrap was resting on the floor, with one hand inside the engine. His tongue stuck out as he struggled to retrieve the device.
"Need any help?" Zippy asked
"Yeah, thanks," Snaptrap replied appreciatively, "I can see the device, but I'm having trouble getting it out."
"Leave it to me," Zippy replied, "Just keep the flashlight on it." With those words, the hummingbird darted down and squeezed into the narrow space that Snaptrap's hand was just in. Snaptrap kept the flashlight steady while Zippy worked at getting the Scrambler Device to him.
On the other side of the room, Matt and Pat exchanged a smile as they watched their brother. Colette walked up beside them, watching Snaptrap anxiously.
"Looks like we're gonna make it, Matt," Pat said with a hint of relief in her voice, "We got through the first part pretty easily."
"Yes," Matt responded. His eyebrows furrowed in suspicion, "Maybe a little too easily."
Pat turned to her brother. "What do you mean?" She asked.
"Think about it Pat," Matt said, "Did you notice that in the hallway, we didn't see very many guards? We pretty much glided smoothly over here."
"Maybe most of them were guarding the rooms," Pat guessed.
Matt shook his head. "No, there were far more than that. Even if all the cabin rooms were guarded there would've still been a fair amount left to patrol the yacht. And another thing I noticed. It's been quiet aboard the yacht...too quiet for my liking. I thought for sure they would've discovered us missing by now."
Pat's expression turned to one of concern as she went over what her brother had just said. Matt's neck hairs start to bristle. "Something's not right here," he whispered darkly, "I'm not sure what, but something seems off."
They both jumped suddenly as Colette began to call out frantically to Snaptrap. "Snaptrap stop! Don't do it! Please stop!" She cried in dismay. She was about to run over to him when Matt pulled her back.
"Colette! What on earth...what are you doing?!" He asked. Colette tried to break away from him, still in a panic.
"Matthew, you must go! Forget about the device! You all need to leave now!"
"What? Why?" Pat asked. "What the heck's goin' on?!"
"Please!" Colette begged, "Before it's too late!"
Matt stared at Colette intently, his suspicion growing even more. He narrowed his eyes accusingly. "You know something don't you?" He whispered almost threateningly to the pretty skunk. Colette said nothing but lowered her eyes. Matt pulled her closer, his grip on her shoulder tightening slightly. "Is that why you were so desperate to have us leave?" He interrogated. Colette swallowed guiltily. Matt's voice began to rise in anger. "You know something! What is it! Blast it, Colette, tell me!"
"We got it!" Came a shout from across the room. Everyone turned to see Snaptrap's hand sticking up from behind the engine. Grasped in it was the Scrambler Device. "I got the little yahoo!" Snaptrap's voice announced proudly from behind the engine. "It's all switched off! Mission accomplished!"
As if on cue, a large rumbling noise filled the entire room. The engine began to shake a bit as it's inside mechanisms began to churn and pump. Matt, Pat and Colette watched, as the whole engine began to sputter.
"Verminious! Get away from there!" Matt called out to his brother fearfully.
Realizing where he was, Snaptrap scrambled away from the machine on all fours, still clutching the device. Zippy darted out of the engine just as it finished powering up. The lights immediately came on, causing everyone to cover their eyes from the shock of the sudden brightness. Suddenly, a harsh voice sounded from behind them.
"GET THEM!"
The escapees looked around in confusion. Being in the dark for so long, their eyes were still adjusting to the light. They heard the sound of a dozen footsteps echoing all around them. As Matt desperately rubbed at his eyes, he realized he was no longer holding Colette.
"Colette where-"
WHACK!
Matt cried out in pain as a heavy blow struck him behind his head. He fell to the floor with a great thud. He looked up, his head aching. His eyes finally adjusted to the light, but what he saw was an unpleasant surprise. He and Pat were surrounded by guards.
"What-What's going on?" He asked nervously.
"Hey! Let go! Get your hands off me you jerks!" Pat struggled as two guards got a strong hold on her hands. She began to punch and kick at them in a desperate attempt to fight them off. Matt suddenly felt himself being lifted up roughly by the guards and turned around to face: Dr. Rabies and Madame Catastrophe.
Anger filled Matt's eyes. "You two," he growled.
Dr. Rabies laughed. "Who else, Matt? Who else?" He said spreading his hands wide, "Though I must say, you all took your sweet time getting here." Matt just blinked in confusion as Dr. Rabies walked up to the engine and nodded approvingly. "I owe you and your siblings a bit of thanks," he said in a mock grateful tone, "I never would've guessed that the only thing preventing me from carrying out my cargo was a simple gadget." Matt jerked back at Rabies' comment. Dr. Rabies smiled deviously. "That's why I didn't have you captured right away," he explained, "I figured I'd first let you solve the engine problem for me. You see, I knew of your plan all along Matt. Why do you think I had my guards in the guests rooms? I couldn't let you form that uprising. Oh, yes, I knew of that too. Every step you took did not go unreported."
"Unreported...?" Matt whispered hoarsely. His heart dropped as a realization struck him...as if someone had punched him right in the gut. "Wh...where is Colette?" He asked, a hint of dread in his voice.
Instead of answering, Dr. Rabies simply pointed behind Matt. The rat slowly turned around and...there was Colette, standing right next to Madame Catastrophe. She wasn't surrounded or bound, just standing casually, though her eyes were full of shame. Matt stared at her in disbelief and sorrow. Colette, the French lady skunk whom he had fallen for, who had captured his heart ever since that boat race last month...was the traitor.
Madame Catastrophe smiled wickedly, taking great pleasure in Matt's distress. "Your girlfriend was quite the effective espionage agent, Matt," she said cruelly. "She's been working with us since the beginning. Whatever you did, wherever you were, whatever she found out, it was reported to us."
Matt just continued staring, barely even taking in all of Madame Catastrophe's words. He pointed to Colette. "You..." he said softly, finally finding his voice. His tone was full of hurt and betrayal. "It was you all along. You told them everything." Colette just stared at the ground as Matt continued. "All those moments you spent with me, you were just spying on me. You wanting me to show you around the yacht...you were just gathering intel. During the lunch incident...you weren't getting a facial like you claimed...you were reporting to these two! That's why you didn't get sick!"
His voice grew louder and harsher as he went on. "Being 'trapped' in the room with us...you weren't trapped! You were sent to spy on us! All this time we were in the vents, you were giving out information! You weren't 'powdering your nose' in the room! You were telling these two of our plan! Out on deck you weren't in trouble! It was all just an act! You were in on the scheme all along!"
Matt breathed heavily, mixed with the emotions of sadness, anger, and hurt. Everyone stared at him in silence. After all that, Matt was only able to speak one word:
"Why?"
Colette raised her head and looked straight at Matt, her voice trying to sound calm: "Matthew, my perfume company, it has not been doing too well as of late. I have been in desperate need of some money, to keep it going, or else my smuggling will be discovered. Dr. Rabies and Madame Catastrophe...they needed someone to distract you and keep on eye on you while they carried out their plan. "They-They knew how you felt about me and figured I would be perfect for the job. They said that they would pay me handsomely at the end and would also pay me for any other future assistance."
Matt's heart sank lower. "Perfect for the job," he repeated sullenly. "So that's all it was to you...a job. All those compliments you paid me, all those things you said. It was a complete lie. You didn't give two cents about me."
Colette shook her head. "No, Matthew, I-"
"Enough!" Madame Catastrophe shouted, "We have much lost time to make up for! If we don't get the cargo delivered in time, the whole deal will be ruined!" She began to dish out orders to the guards. "You two! Go find someone to take control of the steering! You three, go find our mechanics to watch the engine! I don't want this happening again!"
As Madame Catastrophe continued, in the corner of the opposite end of the room, behind a part of the engine, were two figures that had been overlooked during the capture: Snaptrap and Zippy. The two had been watching the whole scene, hearing every word.
"Whoa, Colette was in on the whole thing," Snaptrap whispered to the small hummingbird in disbelief.
Zippy shook her head sadly. "Poor Matt, he must be devastated."
"Yeah," Snaptrap replied, "He really liked Colette." Snaptrap turned his gaze to Matt and felt his heart sink. His brother looked so hurt and shocked. Matt had been fooled by the woman he cared deeply about. Snaptrap felt pity for his brother. No one, not even Matt, deserved to have their heart broken like that. They had all come so close too. Now here they were, captives once again. Snaptrap gulped. Who knows what Rabies and Catastrophe would do to them this time. It was only a matter of time before they would notice that he was missing. But what could a crazy rat like him do? Snaptrap's mind went back to the talk he and his siblings had in the room earlier as they looked at the picture. The picture of them at the beach, all of them so happy so long ago. The gratitude his siblings expressed at his defense of them on the deck. The hint of pride they had in their voices for their little brother.
Well done.
A look of determination instantly formed on Snaptrap's face. No, those two creeps weren't going to beat them. Not if he had anything to say about it. He whispered to Zippy: "We gotta help them."
"How?" Zippy asked, "We're outnumbered."
The grey rat looked around, as if searching for an idea. Then he looked at the Scrambler Device he still held in his hand.
"I have an idea," he said to Zippy, "When the lights go off, follow me."
Before Zippy could ask anything, Snaptrap stuck the device on the engine and turned it on, its power set to the highest level. The engine started to sputter again and the lights immediately went out. Cries of confusion and outrage could be heard from the other side of the engine room.
"Let's go!" Snaptrap exclaimed to Zippy.
The small hummingbird darted off after him, trying desperately to catch up. Fueled on by fear and excitement, Snaptrap gripped the flashlight tightly in his hand and brought Vincent from out of his coat, all the while sprinting as fast as he could towards his siblings. Turning the flashlight on and raising Vincent high above him, the crazy rat screamed like a mad beast as he charged into the guards.
"RELEASE MY SIBLINGS OR PERIIIIISH!"
With those words, Snaptrap began to smash the skull and flashlight as hard as he could onto the heads of the guards. Matt and Pat found themselves being thrown aside, as the guards began to scatter willy nilly in confusion. Almost oblivious to the mayhem around him, Snaptrap struck out left and right with both Vincent and the flashlight. As Matt and Pat stumbled around, they heard their little brother crying out to them.
"Matt! Pat! Where are you?!"
Matt scanned around, trying to found the source of his brother's voice. He suddenly found himself staring into a bright light.
"Matt?"
Matt's ears perked up as he recognized the cracking voice. It was Snaptrap, shining the flashlight on him.
"Verminious? Wha..." He started to ask.
Snaptrap grabbed his arm, dropping Vincent in the process. "No time, Matt! We gotta get out of here! Where's Pat?!" As he pulled his brother along, Snaptrap's flashlight found Pat. He rushed over to her and nudged her sharply. "Pat! It's us! Let's get out of here!" Releasing the flashlight, Snaptrap grabbed Pat's arm and ran towards the exit. He could barely see in the dark room, and kept bumping into confused guards. He could hear Dr. Rabies and Madame Catastrophe ranting and screeching above the commotion.
"What's going on?!"
"Where are the prisoners?!"
"Stop rushing around you idiots and find them!"
"Don't let anyone escape!"
Their shouts only made Snaptrap put on more speed as he ran towards the door. Remembering Zippy, Snaptrap called above the din. "Zippy?! Zippy! The exit! Head for the exit!"
Hoping she heard him, Snaptrap rushed on over to the door for all his worth. Panting heavily, he fumbled for the doorknob. After what seemed like forever, he finally found it and threw the door open. Unfortunately, at that moment, Madame Catastrophe had found the flashlight he had dropped and shone it directly on him and his siblings.
"They're escaping!" She screeched at the top of her voice, "You fools! Don't let them get away!"
Matt, Pat, and Snaptrap both glanced fearfully at each other and tore down the hall. Matt soon got ahead of them, and motioned for them to follow him.
"Out to the deck!" He shouted.
As they ran, Zippy caught up to Snaptrap. The rat smiled in delight. "You made it!" He cried happily.
"Yep!" Zippy chirped, "Now what?!"
"Darned if I know!" Snapptrap answered back.
The rat siblings sprinted through the hallways as fast as their legs could carry them. They could hear the commotion of the guards behind them, which spurred them on faster. At last the sight of the deck doors came in sight. All at once, they put on a burst of speed, and charged through the doors out onto the open deck. The fresh night air was a welcome relief for them after being inside the stuffy air ducts and hallways. But there was no time to rest. Matt's head shook back and forth, as he desperately tried to figure out where to go. His eyes then fell on one of the life boats hanging over the side of the yacht. He pointed them out as he called to his siblings.
"There! The life boats! Quickly, climb inside!"
Pat, Snaptrap and Zippy followed Matt over to the lifeboat. Matt and Snaptrap helped their sister up to the boat and under the tarp that covered it. Snaptrap climbed in next, allowing Zippy to dart in before him. He then pulled Matt inside and pulled the tarp down. All four escapees just sat there for a moment, panting heavily after running so fast. Pat's ears twitched as she listened for anyone coming.
"I don't hear anything," she whispered in short breaths, "They must be checking the hallways."
"Or maybe the air ducts," Zippy added.
"Still, we can't stay here," Matt gasped, "They'll be out here soon." He chanced a peek out from under the tarp. No one had come outside yet. Matt then spotted the ropes that held the life boat in place. Standing up and untying the one on his side, he called to his siblings.
"Quick! Help me with these ropes! We need to lower the lifeboat!"
"What? Why?!" Snaptrap asked as he poked his head out.
"It's our only chance, Verminious!" Matt answered while fumbling with the ropes. "We can't radio for help now! Our only chance is to make it to land! Now hurry! The guards could come out at any second!"
Pat and Snaptrap immediately began to work at untying the ropes. Their hands worked feverishly at loosening the great knots. Zippy assisted them, pecking and pulling at the ropes. They were just about to start lowering when they heard the noise they were dreading to hear. It was the deck doors bursting open followed by the thundering footsteps of the guards.
"Oh crud!" Snaptrap exclaimed.
"Quick! Start lowering!" Matt shouted. They all furiously began to lower as fast as the ropes would allow. If they just let the boat drop, there was the chance it would be damaged by the fall.
The guards spotted them. Shouting and pointing, they began to run towards the lifeboat.
"They're coming!" Zippy shrieked.
Before either of the siblings could react, one of the guards fired off a laser from his blaster. It sped right towards the lifeboat and cut through the ropes that held up one side of the boat. The three rats cried out in dismay as the lifeboat suddenly dropped on one side. Reacting quickly, they all grabbed onto the edges of the boat, which was now hanging on one side by one rope above the frigid waters. Zippy hovered about, trying desperately to figure out what to do. Snaptrap chanced a look down. The ocean waters seemed dark and foreboding, as if waiting for them to fall so it could swallow them up. Looking up, he froze in fear. The guards were all lined up along the deck railing, their blasters aimed at him and his siblings.
The forms of Dr. Rabies and Madame Catastrophe appeared in the center, accompanied by Colette. The skunks eyes widened as she saw the rats dangling helplessly below.
Dr. Rabies sneered: "Oooh, so close my friends...but alas, not close enough...YOW! OUCH! STOPPIT!" Dr. Rabies began to rage and swing at the air around him. Soon Madame Catastrophe and the other guards were swinging and slapping. The rat siblings watched them in confusion, till they saw a familiar green and magenta form darting in and out of the crowd. Zippy was on the warpath and had begun to attack their adversaries with her sharp beak.
"Leave 'em alone you cowards!" She screeched angrily. She called out to the rats. "Guys! The ropes! Lower yourselves down now!"
It was Pat who realized that Zippy was distracting the guards so they could make their escape. She called up to Matt. "Matt! The rope! Get to the rope!" She shouted. She began to push him up. "Now ya Ding-Dong!"
"I'm going! I'm going!" Matt called back. Gathering all his strength, he began to pull himself towards the top of the rope to undo it. Pat helped him by pushing him up towards it. Matt was almost to the top when Colette appeared. She began to fiddle with the knot.
"What are you doing?!" Matt exclaimed, ""Get away from there!"
Colette ignored him, still fussing with the rope. The rush of anger he felt inside seemed to give Matt a burst of strength that enabled him to climb speedily towards the skunk traitor. He grabbed her hand, staring at her in the eye. "Get away," he growled viciously.
Colette struggled in his grip. "Matthew, please!" She cried pleadingly, "You don't understand! I'm-"
A laser blast suddenly struck Matt in his shoulder. He cried out in pain and let go of the rope. Colette and Pat screamed as Matt fell. Reacting quickly, Snaptrap reached out and caught his brother by the hand. He grunted at the weight, but kept a tight grip. Matt looked up at Snaptrap and managed a grateful smile before wincing in pain. Zippy had paused a moment to watch the scene.
Unfortunately that was all it took.
A guard took careful aim at her and struck her with a laser blast. Zippy gave a sharp cry and plummeted down to the water. Snaptrap watched in horror as he helped Matt get a grip on the boat.
"Zippy!" He shouted in dismay. He glared up at Dr. Rabies with pure hatred. "You stupid, snot-nosed..."
"SILENCE!" Dr. Rabies roared. His shout rang out all around them causing everyone to halt and be silent. He glared right back at Snaptrap. "You..." he growled, "You've been nothing but a nuisance to me ever since you stepped aboard this yacht! You used that device again didn't you?! Tell me where you planted it! Tell me now, or I'll leave you all to drown!"
At his signal, the guards cocked their blasters and aimed them at the rats. Snaptrap knew Dr. Rabies wasn't fooling around. He looked at his siblings who only stared back at him helplessly. He looked down at the water where poor Zippy had fallen. Gritting his teeth in a helpless rage, he stared back up at Dr. Rabies.
"It's on the engine on the back right corner of the room!" he answered angrily, "It's the truth I swear!"
Dr. Rabies smiled triumphantly. "Oh, I don't doubt your word, Snaptrap. You are in no position to lie." He turned to a couple of guards. "Go to the engine room and remove that device! Quickly!"
As the guards saluted and ran back into the yacht, Dr. Rabies turned back to Snaptrap and smiled. "Well, Snaptrap, you put up a good fight, for an idiot. It has been quite an eventful night with you around..." His smile suddenly turned into a frown. "But I'm afraid you have worn out your welcome," he concluded darkly.
Drawing out his blaster, Dr. Rabies fired directly at Snaptrap. There was no way he could miss. Snaptrap yelped in shock at the blaster struck him directly, causing him to lose his grip. Matt and Pat watched in complete horror as their little brother plummeted down like a stone into the dark waters with a great splash.
"Verminous!" They both shouted in despair. Up above, Colette placed her hand to her mouth in shock.
Dr. Rabies casually put away his blaster. "Well, that takes care of that," he said with a smile. "Bring the others inside!"
Snaptrap found himself engulfed in icy darkness. For a moment the freezing temperature of the ocean water made him forget what had happened. Then he felt a sharp jab in his shoulder. He turned his head to see what it was. It was Zippy and she was furiously trying to get him to swim to the surface. Everything suddenly coming back to him, Snaptrap grabbed Zippy and began to swim towards what he hoped was the surface. Just as his lungs began to burn, he shot through the surface of the water. Both he and Zippy gasped and choked as they greedily sucked in fresh air. A great rumble reached their ears.
"Look!" Zippy gasped pointing towards the yacht. The great vessel had suddenly lit up as the power turned back on. Dr. Rabies' guards no doubt had found and removed the Scrambler Device. Snaptrap realized he was only a few feet away from the yacht and stared up to where he had just been hanging a moment ago. Just in time, he saw Matt being pulled over the railing, and back onto the yacht.
"Matt! Pat!" He shouted aloud. He saw the faces of his two siblings peer over the railing and gasp with shock.
"Verm!" Pat called down, both in dismay and relief. One of the guards was about to fire at Snaptrap when Madame Catastrophe pushed his gun down.
"No," she ordered, "Let him be. He can't hold himself up in that icy water forever."
Matt stared at the evil cat in horror. "You-You can't just leave him there! He'll freeze to death!"
"Shut up!" Catastrophe hissed. "We can leave him and we will! That moron is more trouble than he's worth!"
Pat struggled in the guards' grip, baring her teeth. "You...You witch!
"Enough!" Catastrophe screeched, "Take them away! We'll have to find a better place to keep these sewer dwellers!"
Matt and Pat struggled and threatened but to no avail. They were dragged towards the dock doors, all the while crying out to their brother. Down below, Snaptrap could barely hear his brother and sister's cries. He shouted back to them, but he knew it was no use. No help was coming for him and Zippy. Another great rumbling was heard from the yacht. Snaptrap and Zippy watched silently to see what was happening. The great vessel began to slowly move away from them. As it began to pick up speed, Snaptrap realized with cold horror that they were being left behind in the great freezing ocean. And he had no clue how far away land was nor which direction it lay. He looked at Zippy who was perched on his shoulder shivering.
"Z-Zippy!" He gasped, shivering from the intense cold. "Y-You've got to f-fly back to the yacht! G-Get back to my brother and s-sister!"
Zippy flapped her wings, but found she couldn't rise an inch. "I-I can't!" She squeaked, "I'm t-too wet and c-cold!"
Snaptrap suddenly felt himself being pulled towards the yacht. His feeling of horror grew even more as what was happening dawned on him. In its movement, the yacht was creating an undertow. If Snaptrap didn't get out of it soon, he and Zippy would be pulled underneath the vessel. With a gasp of fear, he began to paddle as hard as he could away from the yacht. But he couldn't keep it up. The chill of the water and the blast he had received had taken away much of his strength. He found himself fighting a losing battle. Zippy cried out in dismay as they were both sucked underneath the yacht. The two stowaways found themselves in a whirlwind of darkness and bubbles. Snaptrap struggled not to cry out as he felt himself being banged mercilessly against the yacht's bottom, loosing Zippy in the process as well as his sense of direction. Suddenly, the current yanked him sharply upwards, causing him to strike his head hard against the yacht bottom. Snaptrap blacked out and went limp, completely at the mercy of the yacht's powerful undertow. As the yacht moved further away, the undertow died down. As it did, Snaptrap began to sink. Down, down, he went, further and further into the icy watery abyss.
He was soon swallowed up in darkness.
Snappy! Nooooo!
Yes, Colette was in on Dr. Rabies' scheme the whole time…poor, poor Matt. :(
Snaptrap had a pretty heroic moment there, didn't he? Rushing at all those guards like that…hey, I'm sure Snappy could surprise like that if he wanted to….and if the writers allowed it. Course, I had to let Zippy show some heroism herself too. I didn't want to limit her to an all in one pocket
Such heroism…too bad it was short lived. Poor Snaptrap. How's he gonna get outta this mess?
Sorry for waiting so long for an update. I'll try not to take so long this time. So please stay tuned!
