Chapter 21 - On The Way

We've been on this subway for almost half an hour, undetected still somehow. Bogo has been explaining their location and how to get there forever now. I'm like. About to fall asleep.

"Seriously? It's on the sky?!" Nick took a step back and gasped. He was looking at the map Bogo was showing him.

"Yeah. Their headquarters are in the sky. This is why we could never track them down. Never thought...they'd have a sky base you know? Not even our planes detect it." Bogo was explaining where the culprits we're at.

"Hmm... It's pretty far from here." Nick was pointing from his location to their location. Looks like a good 30 miles away.

"First of all, how are we getting there?" Jack asked Bogo.

"I don't know still." Bogo said as he sighed.

"Oh, I know!" Nick raised his tail and ears. Looks like he knows how.

"You know?" Jack asked Nick.

"Yeah. I have a buddy who's a pilot but, I doubt he's still here or probably got captured.

"Should we head to their location then? We could borrow one of their planes-" Jack didn't feel like finishing his sentence. He knew it was a ridiculous one.

"You're crazy. Right?" Nick raised his ears again as he asked Jack.

"I'm not." Jack said.

"None of us knows how to drive a plane!" Nick yelled out.

"How else are we gonna get there?!" Jack yelled back.

"..." Nick couldn't get a word out right now.

Everyone was speechless. Not a peep out. Bogo was just staring at the ceiling. Jack was looking straight at Nick as Nick looked back at him.

"I'll try then." Nick rolled his eyes and sighed.

"You're going to kill us!" I cried out. Nick, you aren't a pilot and neither is Bogo and Jack or I!

"No, no! I'll read the manual quick and get there for us." Nick chuckled nervously. Is he out of his mind?! Why don't we build a tower or something?! Like I don't want to die!

"I hope!" I cried out again.

"Oh boy. Here we go then." Jack said as he cleaned up his shirt and pants which looked a bit dirty and dusty.

"Well Nick. Going to guide us or not?" Bogo crossed his arms and glared at Nick.

"..." Nick looked behind Bogo and noticed one of those dark cloaked robots. He pointed to it while shaking and I also saw it.

Nick grabbed me and started running out of the subway. Jack noticed the robot as well and grabbed Bogo's arm. No time to speak at all, we just started running away. As I looked behind us.

"It's still chasing us!" I said while gasping.

"Actually. We're cornered..." Nick said as the whole group was surrounded and cornered by them robots.

"No running now..." One of the robots spoke out and chuckled at them.

Bogo pulled out his gun and shot him. He started shooting at each of them, some of them even avoiding his shots.

"Crap!" Nick was punched by one of the robots who tried to slam Nick to the ground but couldn't.

"Do you really have nothing to defend yourself with Nick?!" Jack was going to help Nick but felt a little helpless without a weapon.

"I was stripped out of my weapons. I possess nothing!" Nick was wrestling one of those robots down while I held tight onto him.

"Wait, I have an extra one. Catch it Jack!" Bogo said as he pulled one out of his side pocket and threw it to Jack. He caught it and yelled at him for that.

"I don't know how to use one!" He yelled at Bogo shaking a bit.

"Just pull the trigger on one of them!" Bogo got punched in the stomach by one of them, but he shot them in the head instantly.

"Uh..." Jack aimed at one of the robots that was about to tackle Nick from the back. He tried to hold it tight, he didn't want to shoot Nick.

Nick slammed that robot onto the ground and stepped on his face, crushing them completely.

"AH!" I yelled out as I saw that robot flying towards me. Nick looked behind him and panicked. He didn't know what to do and couldn't react fast in time.

BAM! The robot was shot and they fell down to the ground. Completely laying dead in there.

"Oh man. Thanks Jack!" Nick rubbed the sweat coming out of his forehead.

"There's no more left. This is an opportunity to go now before the helicopters arrive." Bogo shot the last one and put the gun back to his pocket.

"Right. There was one earlier and I noticed it was filled with them." Jack said.

"I wonder why bullets are effective against robots. Hmm..." Nick looked at the robot on the ground who suffered from a bullet wound.

That's pretty odd actually. Is Nick actually right about them being robots? That's fishy. I'm telling you. I don't like how we found Nick's chief randomly in a subway just waiting here.

Nick began to run away from the subway along with Bogo and Jack. Their next destination was to Nick's friend.

After an hour and a half...

We barely managed to get here. We we're now in the Savannah region. Apparently his friend is supposedly in the desert region on this part of the city.

"I'm so tired..." Jack stopped sprinting and gasped for air. He now started walking. Nick and Bogo noticed him and began walking as well now.

"There's a store in my friend's place. You'll get some water there." Nick said.

"Why didn't you ask before? We passed by so many stores!" Bogo yelled at Jack. Jack was a little scared by that.

"Didn't think this would be a long trip! Come on I almost got killed by one of those maniacs!" Jack cried out. Bogo rolled his eyes and just continued to walk with Nick now.

"Weird enough the scientist and chief haven't bothered to slaughter us yet or something." Nick gave out a sigh of relief.

"That is weird." Jack rubbed his chin and looked at Nick.

"Let's not get our hopes too up yet." The chief said. He was correct. We're not done yet. We have to continue our quest right now.

"We should be glad they aren't hunting us down to death. We're the ones supposed to hunt them down." Jack said and chuckled. That's also pretty true.

"That's right." Nick agreed with the two of them.

"Dad...are we there yet?" I asked him as I pulled my tongue out. It was completely dry. The desert was a pretty hot place to be in.

"We're almost there! I can see it!" Nick looked far off in the distance.

"Road! That's road! This is...an airfield?" Jack said as he looked at the ground. It was road indeed.

"His private airfield." Nick said.

"This is a private Savannah airfield indeed. Only one person owns this place possibly. They're pretty luxurious to own." Bogo said.

"And he has a shop you say Nick? I doubt anyone buys there." Jack said.

"You're right about that." Nick said and chuckled at Jack.

"Eh?" Jack raised his ear and questioned Nick by that.

"Yeah. Nobody ever buys here. He just opened that shop for emergencies you know? The guy is rich and all, doesn't need a store but he decided to have one 'cause why not?" Nick explained the reason why his friend has a shop in his airfield.

"I guess. He really seems to have all the money on the world." Jack took his tongue out and giggled.

"I doubt." Nick said.

After a while, all of us arrived to the main of the airfield. Nobody was here indeed. But, there was people here before...

"Oh. My. God." Nick said as he looked through the area.

"People have...already been here..." Jack gasped out-loud.

"...Looks like your buddy has been defending here already. And the robots must be gone onto other areas." Bogo said with his arms crossed. Should I even ask Bogo how he knows all this?

"What do you mean? He didn't do all this?" Jack asked Bogo.

"Nope. I've noticed once someone is captured, the robots will leave the area. Only thing I've learned about them." Bogo said. Yeah that sounds fake. I feel like this might be a trap.

"He can't possibly be gone. I swear." Nick's jaw was dropped down. Shocked indeed.

"why do you think that?" Jack asked Nick.

"He's a fighter man. A cruel fighter. A pilot, fighter and store owner. Anything else I need to add up?" Nick described his buddy even more now. Might he be a close friend of his?

"I get the general idea already." Jack said and giggled.

"Alright, I'm gonna. Check inside the store. All of you. Stay here and watch my back. Including you son." Nick said as he put me down on the ground.

"Aw..." My ears turned down. I understand and all he's doing this to protect me but, I don't like this.

"Stay near me Omid." Jack said as he grabbed my hand.

I held onto his arm and watched Nick get closer to the airfields door each time. The whole place was crushed down, including the planes.

The planes we're an absolute wreck. His store was burning and collapsed. The only thing left was the airfield's main center. It was pretty wrecked as well. Nick should really be careful.

Nick walked slowly and reached the door. He opened it slowly and screamed.

"PULL YER HANDS UP!" A voice was heard from inside. A guy appeared out of some collapsed blocks and pointed their shotgun to Nick.

"...Jose. It's me." Nick had his hands up and talked to the guy.

"NICK!" Jack's voice could be heard coming closer.

"Nick?" The guy raised his ear and lowered his shotgun down.

"It's me indeed. Nicholas. You're actually. Alive?" Nick kept his hands up and talked to that guy who was hiding between the blocks.

"'Course I am! I have been err since those things attacked me!" The guy threw his shotgun to the ground and started getting closer to Nick now.

"Those things?" Nick raised his ears but lowered his hands.

"I dunno. They tried to destroy my home man! I hate them!" He said as he clenched his fits and growled.

"Ah. The robots." Nick said and chuckled.

"That's what they are?" He asked Nick.

"Yeah. We thought they captured you, you old coop." Nick smirked at his friend and he smirked back at him.

"Naw, not at all. You know me Nicky. I don't go down without a fight." Jose gave Nick a tight hug and patted his back. Nick did the same as well.

Jack got to Nick and raised their gun to the guy's face. The guy looked at Jack with a confused face.

"Oh! Jack. Don't worry. It is him." Nick let go of Jose and talked to Jack onto lowering his weapon.

"You screamed! Are you alright?!" Jack lowered his gun as soon as Nick said 'Don't worry'.

"He's aight'." Jose said as he tipped his hat.

"Ah, so you're Nick's friend?" Jack asked him.

"Indeed, I am. And the owner of this whole airfield." Jose snapped his fingers and smirked at Jack. They we're a brown fox who was wearing a cowboy hat.

"Yeah, we heard." Jack said.

"Who is this little guy Nicky?" Jose crouched down and looked at me. He patted my head and I smiled.

"That's my son!" Nick said feeling all proud of it.

"Oi! You did your wife finally?! You a man Nicky!" Jose gasped and gave out a hearty laugh to Nick.

"N-No! Not like that- quit talking like that towards him!" Nick growled at Jose and Jose got up and chuckled.

"Right right. Sorry." Jose chuckled a little bit and wiped a laughing tear off his face.

Ack! That made me uncomfortable actually... I'm not going to think about that now, aren't I? Oh god, the nightmares.

"May I remind you two this isn't a reunion right now." Bogo stomped on the ground and everyone jumped. Right! He's right. We can't stand here and listen to them two talk about their life right now. We have to focus on the future of ours and the city's!

"Oh yeah..." Nick said and rubbed the back of his head.

"Reunion?" Jose raised his ear and asked Bogo.

"I came here to ask you for a favor buddy." Nick said and looked at Jose with begfull eyes.

"Hm. What is it Nicky?" Jose asked Nick.

"We need you to take us to here in your plane, It's really important." Nick pulled out the map and pointed to the area they had to go. Jose rubbed his chin and his tail raised up.

"Of course I could! Why for thou if ya don't mind me askin'?" Jose asked again to Nick. How does Nick know this guy anyway? We'll probably find out soon.

"To save the town." Nick said.

"Save this town? You're nutso Nicky!" Jose gasped and looked at Nick with a face that said "You are nuts indeed, Nick."

"Have you seen what's happened to the town? It's chaos! And the only person that can fix this is myself. I'll give it all I have to save everyone." Nick gave out his flawless testimony to Jose. Jose seems to believe it with that face he's putting right now.

"Naw, I never leave my home' and It's destroyed! Look at my whole base! Millions of dollars are gone..." Jose looked like he was about to die, he really loves this place a lot.

"We can fix it once we're done with this." Nick said.

"Hm that's a lot but, guess that's a fair deal!" Jose said and hugged Nick tightly.

"Deal?" Nick raised his ears, he was confused. Wait, you weren't serious dad? Oh boy.

"You'll repair my home for making me drive you all da way to that place, right? Gasoline ain't cheap, y'a know." Jose glared at Nick feeling like not doing this for free. You're saving the world by doing this Jose. Come on!

"...Yeah. Yeah. We really need this. So why not?" Nick said and shrugged it out. I'm not going to help you on this one dad.

"Thank you Nicky. I knew I could count on you!" Jose hugged Nick even tighter now. Nick gasped for air and pulled himself out from his hug.

"Of course you can." Nick said and gave out his chuckles as usual.

"But. First question. Do any of your planes work?" Jack asked Jose. Indeed. All the planes I see here look like they've been rammed by trucks and destroyed by people. And by people, It's obvious who it could have been.

"Yeah, there should be! There's one inside that garage in there. It's been locked to prevent them darn hijackers and it looks like the only plane left that works, hopefully. I hope it has gas thought. Haven't filled that baby up in months!" Jose said as he pointed to where the garage was located at.

"Shall we check it out then?" Nick said and asked Jose.

"Yeah, leggo!. I have the keys right with me." Jose said as he put his hands onto the pocket, hearing the keys jiggle from it. I wonder where Jose is from. His accent sounds a lot like a cowboy to me.

The four of us along with Jose started walking to the end of the airfield which the garage was located at. As I looked around me, It was pretty sad seeing all his expensive belongings destroyed by the stupid robots that maniac sent to capture all the citizens, including all of us. I hope none of them followed us here. That would be tragic.

Chapter 21 END.