I'm cutting the story in some places, otherwise this will go on forever. I'm trying to intertwine the MvA story into this also.

PART 3

It had been a long day and definitely been one of the weirdest, and in Susan's life that was saying something. The group clambered up steep hills and travelled through narrow passages, even coming up a field of deadly poppies, they were not that deadly when Blion announced they were delicious.

Eventually they came to an open area, Blion oozed along with ease but the others were worn out from the long trip, Tink's joints were creaking more than usual. Ahead of them there shone a bright light of red on the horizon.

"There it is, Ruby City!" Tink announced to the others.

The city was tightly packed together and its towers rose high into the sky, it sparkled red in the sun, it looked majestic. The monsters all stood for a moment, gawking at the city, the silence was broken however when Insectoto decided to do its business against Tink's leg. The metal fish ape jumped aside and fell over, oil spilling everywhere.

"So," said Susan, "Inside that city is the ruler of Oz?"

"Certainly is," said Tink, "Also it has the best bars to hook up with women; I've been there several times myself!"

"Figures," muttered ScareRoach.

"So we see this almighty dude and he'll give us what we want?" said Blion hopefully.

"That's correct," said Susan.

"Then what are we waiting for?" called Dr ScareRoach, "Super smart experiments here I come!"

The group took off down the road towards the Ruby City, soon Susan would be able to escape this world and return to reality. They got closer and closer when suddenly everything started to go dark. The group slowed to a stop, they turned round to look at the sky.

"Is it night time already?" said Blion, "I need to get changed into my jimmy's!"

"It isn't night…" Tink told the blob, "It looks like something's blocking the sun."

Susan knew what this meant, "RUN!"

A large cloud was blocking the sun, the cloud started to move closer and closer towards them, then tiny moving images started to appear within it, it wasn't a cloud, it was thousands of winged creatures.

The group turned and began to run for the city, then an oval shaped creature landed in front of them. Susan stared in horror, it was the alien probe from San Francisco only this time it was human height, had wings and there were now thousands of them.

"Out the way, Egg head!" Tink walked up to the probe.

The probe just stared at the fish ape; it then revealed one of its pincers and punched Tink in the stomach, sending him flying over his friends' heads. The others gathered together, not sure of what to do, Insectoto growled as loud as he could then Blion slid up to another probe, he tapped it on the shoulder, "Excuse me, can we help you?"

The probe attempted to punch the blob but simply bounced off it, Blion took offence, "Now that's not nice!" punching the probe back.

The probes surrounded the group and began attacking them, Dr ScareRoach was pulled to pieces as bits of straw flew everywhere, "Fiddlesticks!" he mumbled.

Tink received bashing after bashing, his metal body was dented in several areas and his arm became severed, hanging on by a few wires. Blion couldn't be beaten up so the probes dropped a mass of tree trunks on top of him, trapping him for a while. Insectoto was tossed into the pile of straw from Dr ScareRoach's body. Susan was now alone as the probes swarmed around her, one then grabbed her arm and took off into the sky, Susan screamed as the probes took her away from her friends and the Ruby City.

Susan awoke after being knocked out, she stood up and realised she was inside a small cage, she tried to shake the bars but they were too strong. She looked around, her cage was suspended in the middle of a large room, there was a set of stairs leading to a balcony, a large mirror hung on the wall and a window showed a land full of dead trees and flying probe creatures. Susan knew this was the lair of the Wicked Witch of 'Flagnod', the door behind her creaked open and out stepped the most hideous thing Susan had ever seen.

"Greetings, human," it said, "I am Flagnod, the Wicked Witch!"

It looked like an alien, it had a large blue head and four eyes, it had numerous tentacles for legs and it was dressed as a witch. Susan nearly choked in response.

"Why have you abducted me?" she asked, as if she didn't know why!

"You have stolen something that is rightfully mine!" Flagnod growled at Susan.

Susan looked at her emerald slippers, "The slippers? Aren't you a guy?"

"Silence!" he snapped, "Those slippers contain powerful magic, the most powerful magic in Oz! And now you will give them to me!"

Flagnod grabbed Susan's feet and tried to pull off the slippers but they wouldn't budge. Susan responded by kicking the witch in the over sized head, Flagnod stumbled back rubbing his forehead, "It seems that only you can remove them!"

"Well I ain't going to!" Susan said firmly.

"Oh you will, or you will spend eternity in this cage! You will never get to go home!" smirked Flagnod. "I need those slippers to overthrow my fellow witches! And when I do, I will be the supreme ruler of Oz, not that stupid Oz man in Ruby City!"

"My friends will come for me and then you'll be sorry!" Susan told the alien witch.

"Ha! I don't think so. Now spend some time with your thoughts, they may be your last!" the alien turned and left, leaving Susan all alone. She slid to the floor and hugged her knees, her eyes welling up with tears.

"There's no place like home. There's no place like home." She whispered to herself.

Outside Ruby City, Susan's friends lay defeated on the ground. Blion was the first to rise, emerging from the tree trunks, he stretched his features back into its lion shape. Insectoto yipped to get the blobs attention, "What is it boy? Did someone fall down a well?" the blob said.

Insectoto had a look on his face that said, Please be serious for a moment! He yipped again, pointing at the two other figures on the floor, Dr ScareRoach's head was intact but his body was still in pieces, the mad scarecrow called to the bug/dog.

"My dear Terrier, if you could use your bug features you might be able to pull me together again!" said the scientist scarecrow.

Insectoto snorted and shot a silk thread at one ScareRoach's legs, the little fuzz ball then tugged it over to the Doc's torso, after that he started to pull the rest of his ligaments together and used more sticky silk to glue him together again.

Whilst this was happening, Blion had oozed over to Tink who was on the floor, his body was damaged in several places and he had rusted up again. Blion helped the metal fish ape to his feet, his arm hanging limp from its socket. "Oh dear," tutted Blion.

"He just needs oiling again!" said Dr ScareRoach, he had been stuck back together with Insectoto's silk threads and made his way to the duo, "his oil cans in his chest!"

Blion retrieved the oil can and soon Tink was moving again, he cursed under his breath as he attempted to put his arm back in, "So those flying omelettes took Susan?" he growled.

"Yes, those creatures belong to the Wicked Witch of Flagnod!" said Dr ScareRoach, "Only one person knows where the witch lives!"

The groups looked at the Ruby City, "Right," said Tink, rubbing his hands together, "Lets have a word with Mr. Oz!"