Crimson Noir Part 2: The Incredible Journey
Summary: Kendall, Avery, Woody and Buzz managed to get out of Aerogun Nightclub alive, and they managed to find one clue – Gwen is located in Baton Rouge. But the question now is how are they going to get to Baton Rouge?
School ended for the day as Knothead and Splinter race to Woody's house to hear the rest of Woody's story from last night. Knothead is on his skateboard while Splinter is on her roller blades. They went past the grouchy Ms. Chicarelli and her dog Oskar, Mr. Vickle who is planting roses, and Cleo Carter who is taking a walk. Then Buzz and Wally followed Knothead and Splinter to Woody's house.
"How's school kids?" Woody asked as he puts down the novel that he is reading, once he saw Knothead, Splinter, Buzz and Wally entering his house.
"We had to learn Shakespeare today." Knothead replied. "And drama."
"And worse," Splinter added. "We have to hear Brianna bragging about how cute she looks, just because she won a lot of beauty pageants."
"None of those are as good as your story." Knothead told Woody.
"Can we hear what happens next?" Splinter asked. "After you and the others got out of the nightclub in one piece?"
"We'll help too!" Buzz and Wally added.
"Alright," Woody said as he sits down. "Here's what happened after we got out of Aerogun Nightclub…"
"I think we ditched that rapist." Woody said as he catches his breath and then proceeds to take off his disguise.
"We sure did, but now there's one problem." Kendall replied as she puts on her normal clothes. "We still can't find a way to get to Baton Rouge and find Gwen."
"And only Wally, out of all people in Quahog, knows where that place is." Buzz told Kendall. "But he wouldn't be bothered to help us."
"Now we'll never find Gwen." Woody said sadly as a tear came down from his emerald eyes. "And I'm sure that Kat will be heartbroken if Gwen is not home safely."
"We might not see her again." Kendall cried. "I think it's best if we just give up."
"Now hold on just a damn minute!" Avery shouted as puts on her regular clothes. "Wally or no Wally, we can still go to Baton Rouge and find Gwen."
"But how do you suppose we do that exactly?" Woody asked.
"I ... I don't know."
"Oh, come off it!" Wally huffed as he approaches them, now wearing his regular clothes. "Be serious."
"I am serious!" Avery yelled at Wally.
"You're insane."
"What are you doing here anyway?"
"I'm hiding from the law if you must know! Now if you excuse me, I'll hide in the dumpster."
"Why if we're all wiener dogs, all of our problems will be solved." Buzz told Avery.
Everyone (Wally included) stares at Buzz, with confused looks on their faces.
"What?" Avery spoke, still confused.
"Or maybe it was a basset hound." Buzz continued.
"You're all insane!" Wally yelled from the dumpster.
"It was in the newspaper I picked up yesterday. A dog and his master went fishing one afternoon in Hoover Creek just 2 weeks ago. The dog was chasing a chipmunk at that time when his master accidentally left him behind as he traveled back to the city. The dog had to use his wits and instincts to survive the outside world as he traveled to the city to be reunited with his master. In conclusion, he turned out to be one spunky pup."
"If a dog can do it," Avery spoke. "We can do it!"
"But the dog has four legs." Kendall reminded Avery.
"Ah don't be a blonde bimbo."
"Extra legs would help." Woody spoke.
"Brains wouldn't hurt either!" Wally shouted.
"Lay off."
"Yeah, pipe down, dumpster man." Buzz mocked Wally.
"Well, I'm going to Baton Rouge with or without you." Avery spoke again.
"I say we stay here and forget about going to Baton Rouge!" Wally barked. "Gwen can get back home to Mellowbrook."
"But what if Mr. Ivan gets to her before she can come home?" Kendall cried. "What if he does something horrible to her?"
Avery's determined face quickly fades as she saw Kendall's sad face. She really wants Gwen to come home, safe and sound.
"Well what about the rest of you?" Avery asked the remaining people.
"You girls are going to need a guide." Buzz said with pride. "Why, alone in several cities like Quahog, you wouldn't last more than five minutes out there. I was once a traveling salesman traveling from one city to another. And together we can stand against the sins, the drugs, the violence and the potential rape."
"Were you really a traveling salesman?" Woody asked Buzz.
"Sure. Ask anybody here. Ask Homer Simpson. Why, we make hundreds of dollars together in Springfield."
"Wow." Woody turns to Kendall. "Well, y'know, I was thinking, you guys are going to need someone who knows how to outwit his foes too."
"Good idea." Avery replied.
"Away we go, to places we never go, in search of Gwen Axle." Buzz cheered. "And who's there to drive a villain crazy, but Woody Woodpecker of the forest!"
Avery then noticed Wally, still hiding in the dumpster, reluctant to come.
"Y'know," Avery spoke. "We could use someone who's really ... strong!"
"And loud!" Buzz added.
"And grumpy!" Kendall added.
"And oblivious to reality!" Woody added.
Avery did nothing but give Buzz, Kendall and Woody a glare before turning back to Wally.
"Well?"
Wally thinks for a moment. Surely he doesn't want to personally help the gang, but he also doesn't want to end up getting caught by the police of Quahog. He might need all the help he can get to escape from the law. He thinks. Woody has the habit to drive his foes nuts. Buzz can scam people out of their money and scam his way out of his mess. Avery has the potential traits of being the leader while Kendall is ... Kendall.
Wally gets out of the dumpster and walks up to the gang.
"I just know I'm going to regret this." Wally said finally.
"Good enough." Avery replied. "We can do this either now, or get some sleep so that none of us are tired when making the journey to Baton Rouge."
"I'd say we get some rest first." Kendall replied. "Maybe we can get a hotel room for the night."
"But there might be rapists in there and we don't want either you or Avery to get raped." Buzz told Kendall. "I know where we'll sleep for the night."
"Where did you guys sleep?" Knothead asked. "The dumpster where Wally was trying to hide from the cops earlier?"
"No." Wally replied. "We did not sleep in the dumpster."
"In fact, we stayed at my sister's apartment for the night." Buzz told Knothead. "She was kind enough to hide Wally whenever a cop shows up at her door."
"But when dawn came," Woody continued. "Buzz's sister was nowhere to be found…"
Avery, Kendall, Woody, Buzz and Wally search through the apartment to find the whereabouts of Buzz's sister. One night she was here and then when dawn broke out, she was nowhere to be found. Buzz noticed a sticky note on the fridge and out of curiosity; he takes the note and reads it.
Brother Buzz,
The cops had become suspicious of me when I told them I have not seen a walrus fugitive on the run last night. I do not want either you or your friends to get hurt. The cops are out to get me sooner or later. Now I must run away from this wretched place and be gone forever. I don't know where I'm going to, but I'll always love you deep inside the heart. Do not worry if darkness has taken over the light. Have faith and hopes with you and soon, light will triumph over darkness.
Sincerely yours,
Faith Buzzard.
"Wow," Buzz spoke. "She must be really serious."
"Any sigh of your sister?" Woody asked Buzz. "Everyone else is getting worried."
"She left." Buzz replied. "She left before the cops could get to her and have her tell them about Wally."
"Should we tell the others?"
"If we tell them, Wally would blame himself for this and he may never forgive himself. It's best if we keep this our little secret."
"Alright if that's what you really want. We should go back to the gang before we disappear from their lives as well."
Buzz nodded as he and Woody went to the living room where they saw Kendall, Avery and Wally sitting on the couch.
"Any luck?" Kendall asked Buzz.
"No luck." Buzz replied. "So now what?"
"I guess it's best if we leave to Baton Rouge as soon as possible." Avery spoke. "The more we sit still and wait, the more likely that Gwen might be already in the hands of Mr. Ivan."
"I've always loved travel anyway." Woody spoke. "The open road, the smell of the wind in my face, the flies clogging up my nostrils."
"But now here's the hard part," Wally spoke. "Since my car's been impounded and auctioned off, Buzz's sister took the car with her and some of us are without a driver's license as of now, how are we going to travel?"
"Hey I got an idea!" Buzz spoke. "We can all pile up on top of the bed and then Wally could push us!"
()()()()()
At the hallway, Kendall, Avery and Woody are top of the bed as Wally is pushing. But at the edge of the stairway, Wally gives out a big push and sends the gang bumping down the staircase with the bed following them.
()()()()()
"No. That's no good." Buzz replied when his first idea failed. "Hey! What about my sister's pogo stick?"
()()()()()
The gang is on one little pogo stick. They tried to hop but they ended up hurting themselves.
()()()()()
"No, no, no." Buzz replied when his second idea failed. "Hey! How about we're in a refrigerator on a skateboard tied to Avery's bike and then Avery could pull?"
()()()()()
Wally, Buzz, Woody and Kendall managed to get themselves inside the fridge on top of a skateboard that is tied to Avery's bike. Avery tried to ride it, but the rope breaks, the fridge falls and everyone inside are hurt. Kendall is freezing since she's inside the freezer.
()()()()()
"No, no, no." Buzz replied when his third idea failed. "HEY!"
"Shut up! Shut up!" Woody yelled at Buzz.
"SHUT UP!" Avery, Wally and Kendall yelled at Buzz as well.
"Let somebody else try for a change." Woody told Buzz.
()()()()()
"Arise Hassan, arise O magic carpet…" Woody chanted as Wally, Kendall, Avery and Buzz are on a carpet. Avery and Wally exchanged annoyed looks while Kendall and Buzz are excited, thinking that Woody's plan would work.
But Avery gives in as they tried to make the carpet fly, only for them to fall from 2 stories high and injure themselves in the alley. Avery noticed the dumpster moving slowly since it has wheels below them and thought for a moment. Maybe they can travel in the dumpster. A clean, modified dumpster that is.
So the gang went to work. They cleaned the inside and outside of the empty dumpster. They put the bed mattress inside the dumpster so that they have a soft place to sit and rest. They made a little door so that they can get inside rather than climbing inside. They placed the steering wheel so that Wally, who shall be the driver since he's the biggest of the gang, can make left or right turns. When the dumpster is modified into a traveling vehicle, they tested it out, but there is one problem. The wheels won't move, nor could they go any further.
"We need a power source to travel." Woody spoke. "Like a car battery or something."
"Woody." Avery spoke to Woody. "That is the best idea we ever had."
"But how are we going to get it?" Kendall asked.
"We can borrow someone else's battery for a while." Buzz said as he takes the battery off of a random car. "I'm sure they won't mind."
Avery sighs as she powers up the battery and ties it tightly in front of the dumpster. When they tested their dumpster vehicle again, the wheels moved and the dumpster start acting like a real car. However, they came to a stop at the gateway that would lead them out of Quahog for good and take them to places until they've reach Baton Rouge.
"I guess this is it." Avery spoke.
"Once we leave Quahog, there's no turning back." Wally informed. "It's not like we're going to miss this place."
"I guess so. Okay, let's go."
Wally puts on drive and the dumpster drives through the gates. Out from the big city and into the beautiful fields of the country. It's no wonder such a beautiful view would have a terrible city like Quahog.
"Why look Woody." Buzz told Woody as he points the sun. "From here you can see the big light."
"Wow." Woody replied. "I wonder where her switch is."
But there's one problem. How will know if they're going the right way?
"What we need is a navigator!" Buzz cried.
"A navigator?" Woody asked.
"Why sure. I'll just signal to Baton Rouge from my navigator and we'll be on our way."
Buzz picks up his navigator and tries to get a signal. It did receive the signal to get to Baton Rouge.
"North by northwest." Buzz told the gang. "Watch out for low-flying aircraft."
As the gang made the dumpster drive again, Avery noticed a frown coming from Kendall.
"Is everything alright?" Avery asked Kendall.
"I just hope Gwen is alright." Kendall replied. "Wherever she is."
"Don't worry Kendall. A light will triumph over darkness. I just know it."
"Oh boy," Wally huffed, not caring about the talk. "You're telling me."
Avery: Life is like a journey on a road that's within
Head says you should stay, but your heart says to begin
So you go
Wally: But you don't wanna go
Avery: Any life worth living
Isn't life just filled with ease
You just stay forgiving through the forest and the trees
Avery and Woody: And you'll go
Just where you wanna go
Avery, Woody, Kendall and Buzz: Time flies by in the city of light
Time stands still in the country
There's no time for a fuss and a fight
As we travel the land
Woody and Buzz: And I'd be satisfied just to be not denied
Avery, Woody, Kendall and Buzz: To reside with some pride
While I ride
To the city, the city of light!
Woody: Light shines like a diamond in the city at night
Buzz: When that diamond shines you know that everything's all right
Wally: But you know
We got a way to go
Kendall: Let us meet the heiress
We don't wanna make her wait
Kendall and Woody: You just keep on knockin'
She will open up the gate
To that city of light
Woody: Axle is a girl with a plan I can understand
Avery: Axle is a girl of great reflection
Buzz: Axle is a girl who lays her hand across the land
Kendall: Axle is the girl of our affection
All: Time flies by in the city of light
Time stands still in the country
There's no time for a fuss and a fight
As we travel the land
Woody and Buzz: And I'd be satisfied just to be not denied
All: To reside with some pride
While I ride
To the city, the city of light!
Twilight emerges as the dumpster takes our gang to what seems to be the forest of dead trees. It was too thick to drive through, but the dumpster managed to find a clearing in the middle of the forest.
"Look!" Woody cried. "A clearing!"
"Great." Wally spoke as he gets out of the dumpster. "Let's spread out the blanket and have a picnic."
"But my sweater's full of stickers." Kendall whined.
"Well this dumpster's full of thistles and sticks and who knows what else. Whose idea was it to come this way, anyway?"
"Why it's the woodpecker's, I tell ya!" Buzz cried.
This made Woody angry.
"Oh yeah?" Woody shouted as he gets out of the dumpster. "Who's supposed to be the big shot navigator around here, Mr. Loudmouth? Mr. Big … LOUDMOUTH!"
"Yeah!" Wally joined in.
"Where are we anyway?" Avery asked Buzz.
"Why I-I…" Buzz tries to speak. "I don't believe we have to be here to get to Baton Rouge on time."
"Let me at him!" Wally yelled. "I'm gonna get myself some buzzard stew when this is over!"
"I'm gonna peck him in the head and give him a headache he'll never forget!" Woody yelled as well.
"Knock it off you guys!" Avery yelled. "We're supposed to be settled down and try to get some sleep."
()()()()()
Night came as the gang makes use of whatever they can find in the clearing of the forest of dead trees to get some sleep. Woody, having found a few dead leaves, fell fast asleep, but quickly woke up to see Buzz making a circle around him with Wally giving Buzz a cold look.
"This is my sleeping space, see?" Buzz told Woody and Wally. "And nobody crosses this line."
"Yeah, well, you better not try to scam your way out by dawn and leave us stranded in this spot!" Wally told Buzz.
"What are you complaining about?" Woody spoke to Wally. "You didn't do any work to find Gwen today."
"Yeah!" Buzz joined in.
Wally gives Woody and Buzz a mean look before facing Kendall who gives him a small smile.
"Go find your own place to sleep you blonde Mary-Sue." Wally said harshly to Kendall before falling asleep.
Kendall sighs as she walks away from Wally. She wants to sleep with someone other than her cat so that she won't be alone. Wally wouldn't do since he had been harsh towards her. Maybe she can get some sleep with Buzz. But she didn't notice a circle that surrounded Buzz which woke Buzz up, as well as Woody.
"Watch it!" Buzz yelled at Kendall. "Are you blind? There's a line!"
Kendall faced Woody. But all Woody can do is give her the silent treatment and went back to sleep. Maybe Avery can sleep with her, just for the night. She saw Avery sleeping peacefully, the same way Kick slept back in Mellowbrook. But when she gets a bit too close to Avery, Avery woke up and just gently shoved Kendall away.
"Geez Kendall, I'm not Kick," Avery spoke, half-asleep. "Go snuggle somewhere else. I'm trying to get some sleep. Go on."
Kendall sighs as she sits down beside a nearby tree and slept for the night. Maybe the others can be nicer to her when dawn came.
()()()()()
Dawn came as the gang went back to their route. But first, they must get out of the forest of dead trees. As they find their way out without having their dumpster being filled with twigs and who knows what else, they heard a sound. It sounded like animals. Wait. They see the light up ahead. They traveled to the light and not a moment too soon, they were out of the forest of dead trees. But now, they were in a place that is more beautiful than the suburban of Quahog.
They're in the meadow.
"It's beautiful." Kendall said as she gets out of the dumpster to smell the flowers.
"I guess we can have some time here." Wally said as the others get out of the dumpster to enjoy the view. "But after that, it's back to finding Gwen."
The gang went to their separate ways during their stay in the meadow. Kendall is being hugged and worshipped by a group of forest mice. Woody is, as usual, pecking trees and helping the beavers build their homes out of wood. Buzz is teasing and trying to get Wally to be happy, but with questionable results while Avery just sits on the grass and enjoys the view.
Up on the tree, a worm is moving quite slowly, before being grabbed by a bird that is determined to capture the helpless worm and feed him to her hungry babies. The worm managed to escape, but fell into a pond full of frogs. The frogs became attracted to the worm that they dived into the water and give chase to the worm, bypassing a red and gold puffer-fish who has a habit of singing. The puffer-fish loves to sing, but is in need of a microphone. The worm would make a good microphone. So he too gave chase to the worm, but not before the bird finally manages to capture the worm. The puffer-fish grabbed the worm by the tail and he is being lifted into the air. He made the bird let go of the worm and grabbed the falling worm. He sings, he falls into the water, and then, he swims away, letting the worm go in the process.
Avery is feeling down, but is also feeling annoyed. A group of men from Quahog are hiking somewhere near the meadow. Avery could tell that most of the men are rapists and perverts. She studied them and gives them a cold face.
The men saw Avery far away from them, all alone. In their little minds, each wants to have Avery all to himself, for lust. They walk really fast, one of them eager to get to Avery first.
Avery noticed the men's moves. She got up to her feet and quickly made a run for it. The men followed her. Avery ran into the forest and hides behind the bushes. The men also went into the forest, but none are able to find Avery. So they left and went to whatever they're doing. But Avery is unsure. If the men are truly gone, she could go back to her gang and they could continue their search for Gwen-
What was that? Avery thought, badly startled by something brushing her back. Spinning around, she discovered … a beautiful woman who wore a white and gold gown in the form of a flower. She was graceful looking.
Who is she? Avery thought curiously.
The woman's feet and dress are attached to the earth. She could not move her legs unless otherwise. Her dress was in full bloom. Avery finds herself … speechless by the flower woman's wonder, but was quickly shocked into action when the woman began to … caress her.
Now Avery felt stumped. Why would a graceful woman do that to her? Eyes wandering down and up, Avery has a somewhat appearance of a boy, and if you count the jean skirt, a boy in drag. Yes she is a total tomboy and has the same hairstyle as Kick's when his helmet is taken off and she doesn't wear feminine clothes regularly – just the jean skirt that she wore frequently.
Maybe it's the jacket that is causing the woman to think that she is a boy. Her jacket is able to reach to the bottom of her skirt which caused most female peers to think that Avery is a boy when wearing her jacket.
Gently, Avery pushed the woman away from her body.
"Oh, no, no, I'm only a human girl." Avery explained softly. "I'm not a boy."
Despite the truth, once Avery's hand left the woman's elbow, the woman was rubbing against her once more. It is clear that the woman is entirely mute. Avery panicked, not knowing what to do in this situation. A part of her was reminded of Johnny, how he always loved to play with her messy brown hair after a stunt went terribly wrong between the two. Johnny has strange ways with girls around his age; some had loved him in their own way. But Avery remembered, this woman is not an ordinary human, but a flower creature. She couldn't just stay in the same spot until the woman stops; she had to get back to her friends.
Hastily, Avery ran off to behind the other side of the bush, leaving the woman slumped behind her. But then, she did something she would later regret and cherish; she looked back.
A silver of sunlight cast itself upon the woman. Unlike before, her gown is dropped downwards and became as dull as sickness. Her beautiful blonde hair became also dropped downwards and changed from the golden yellow of sunshine to the dirt brown of waste. Blood was dripping to the ground as well. The woman had rejected the very thing that gave her life. Avery only watched as the woman gave a slight shudder, almost like a sigh as she lies on the ground, looking rather dead. She had just given up living, and it was all because of Avery.
Avery couldn't help but think of how fragile and vulnerable the woman had been. She had grown up alone, isolated from the other people who lived in towns and cities. Lonely, the woman had lived for another human being or another flower creature to come along and talk. She had waited for a friend.
Who knew how long she had stood there with her legs rooted to the ground like a plant. She suffered through, day in and day out; clinging to the hope a companion would come along. And then Avery came.
That lonely woman experienced the presence of another. She fell in love and outwardly displayed her affection, afraid that her only companion would leave, trying to deny the inevitable. And then Avery ran away.
Avery carried a heavy heart on the walk back to the meadow, where her friends are. She was the cause of complete heartbreak. She had caused a beautiful woman to die alone and in agony. She had been so harsh to it and she would never forgive herself.
On the rise of the hill, Avery sadly passed a backward glance to the clearing. As she thought about it, the woman reminded her of Kendall. The night before, she had been just as harsh to Kendall as she was to the woman. Kendall only wanted to snuggle up next to her, just for something familiar back in Mellowbrook. But Avery pushed her away, refection the girl's affection … exactly like what she did to the woman.
If she and the others continued pushing Kendall further and further away, would the same thing happen? Would Kendall die alone and afraid with nobody to comfort her? But then, Avery asked herself another question.
Would she let such a thing happen again?
Clenching her fists and closing her eyes, she thought only one word.
No.
She would never let something like that happen ever again, to anyone. No matter what, she won't lose anyone else on the journey, especially not Kendall.
She couldn't help but smile a bit. If the others wouldn't take upon themselves to be at least kind to Kendall, because of her bossy attitude towards the others in the past, she would. She would give Kendall the care and attention she really needed. She would be a friend to her, a sister perhaps. Whatever they went through, Avery would always be there for Kendall, no matter what.
And Avery wouldn't have it any other way.
()()()()()
When Avery went back to the meadow, she could see Buzz and Woody dancing while Wally just sits down and grumps all day. And then, she saw Kendall, being dragged into a hole by the forest mice. She can guess correctly that the forest mice don't want Kendall to leave. They want her to stay, forever. But Avery knew that something's wrong. The forest mice are pulling Kendall. Kendall cried in pain as she is being pulled into the hole.
"Hey!" Avery yelled at the forest mice. "You leave her alone!"
Avery grabs Kendall's hand and pulls her out from the forest mice's grip. She was lucky that Kendall is unharmed, but there was a small hole on her ebony skirt, probably because the mice thought that Kendall's skirt was black cheese.
"Thanks for saving me." Kendall said to Avery.
Avery nods as she and Kendall went back to the dumpster.
"Guys," Avery spoke to Wally, Woody and Buzz. "It's time to go."
"Finally." Wally said as he went back to driving. "Those frogs have been driving me crazy."
The gang soon leaves the meadow, waving goodbye to the forest inhabitants as the sun slowly sets to let twilight come. Following the route from Buzz's navigator, the dumpster took the gang to the forest – only this time, it wasn't full of dead trees and who knows what else. It was a real forest filled with tress that stood about 5 stories tall, but there's something more. The forest was rather spooky looking.
"Are you sure this is the right way?" Avery asked Buzz.
"I'm as sure as I am honest." Buzz replied.
"In that case, we're definitely lost." Woody added.
"But there may be monsters and out-of-town rapists in there…" Kendall said nervously.
"And tigers and bears. Oh my." Woody said to Kendall.
"She's such a sissy!" Buzz said sarcastically. "Wah-wah!"
But Avery pushes Woody and Buzz aside as she comforts Kendall. Halfway through their route, Woody turns on a flashlight that has a replaceable bulb to shine a light up ahead when it became dark. However, Wally starts to feel a little down.
"What's the matter Wally?" Avery asked Wally.
"The battery's getting low and we should give it a rest." Wally replied before facing Woody. "Turn off that light."
Woody did what Wally said as the dumpster was set to park. They in the middle of the forest. How are they going to find shelter?
"Do we have to stop here in the middle of the forest?" Kendall asked Avery.
"Only for a while." Avery replied.
"Just be long enough to lose our minds!" Buzz exclaimed. "We'll be cannibals within a few days, I've seen it happened."
"And you'll be the first to go, buzzard-brain."
"Hey guys!" Woody cried. "We can stay in here! Look!"
But when Woody turns on the flashlight, he was inside a tree whose entrance and windows look rather scary and it almost resembles a monster. The others gasp as they hide behind the bushes.
"What's the matter?" Woody asked.
"Eaten alive, the poor sap." Buzz replied.
Woody turns around and aims the flashlight at the tree that he had found. He then discovers that the others were right. The tree is scary looking. He screams a woodpecker scream and runs into the bush to hide.
"Oh I thought you were a goner." Buzz said to Woody.
"Eh, you wish." Woody replied looking annoyed.
"You know guys," Avery spoke. "We are going to need some kind of shelter."
"Yeah," Wally added. "Shelter from the likes of them."
But this made Woody and Buzz ticked. Woody sticks his tongue at Wally.
"Come over here and say that, fat egg!" Buzz mocked Wally.
"What?" Wally yelled at Buzz.
"Oh sorry about that. I meant to say, bloating walrus."
But this made Wally even angrier. He tries to fight against Buzz. Buzz did the same. But before either one of them can lay his hand on his opponent, Avery gets in the way and keeps the two fighting animals separated.
"Look!" Woody cried which caused Avery, Buzz and Wally to stop whatever they're doing and look where Woody is looking at.
They saw Kendall setting up a tent from the blanket that she found inside the dumpster. She had found a shelter for the night.
()()()()()
Later, everyone had settled down and rest inside their homemade tent. Wally was the first to sleep, knowing that he must be pretty tired from driving all day. Buzz also fell asleep after listening to a good song on the radio that he brought along. Avery, Kendall and Woody are the last to fall asleep.
Before Avery could sleep, she gives Kendall a gentle hug.
"Thanks." Avery spoke to Kendall.
"Oh that's alright." Kendall replied as she too falls asleep.
Woody had found a couple of leaves earlier and he thought that he might use them as a pillow. It wasn't as soft as a regular pillow, but it'll do as he is very tired. He soon falls asleep, but quickly woke up to see Avery sleeping next to Kendall. He was now confused. Last night, Avery wouldn't let Kendall sleep with her. But now all of a sudden Avery is letting Kendall sleep with her. He wonders if Avery is starting to become friendlier and less stubborn to Kendall. He knew that Avery was a little harsh on Kendall ever since he taken this whole mystery case. Avery had on several occasions nicknamed her 'Kandy' but that was only to tick Kendall off. He wonders if all girls are like that, stubborn one day, friendly the next. They're pretty much as changeable as the wind.
"So … uh … what's this thing with you and Kendall?" Woody asked Avery, not wanting to sound rude.
"What thing?" Avery replied.
"You know. All of a sudden, you're being so darned nice to her all of a sudden."
"Oh, that. Well I was just thinking, and I got this feeling that I should be nicer to her for a change, you know. Now I feel better."
Avery gives Woody a smile. It wasn't a fake smile whenever you lie to someone. But Avery wasn't forcing herself to make a smile as well.
"Wow." Woody spoke. "That's weird."
"What's so weird about it?" Avery asked.
"I don't know. I mean, you were never this nice to her before, and now all of a sudden you're nice to her all the time, and I don't know. I'm, uh, I'm just trying to understand, trying to figure out, you know, what it all means."
"Well, it's kinda hard to describe," Avery started, her indigo eyes darted about. "It's like getting a new pair of roller skates."
Woody looks puzzled. He's a woodpecker and woodpeckers have absolutely nothing to do with roller skates. He didn't know what Avery is talking about so Avery tries again.
"Hmmm. It's, um, let's see …" Avery tried to find another answer. "It's like a sweet adrenaline when going down Widowmaker's Peak."
Okay she's getting warmer, but Woody still can't get what Avery is trying to say.
"Or … like a maple that's just …"
"A maple?!" Woody repeated.
Bingo! Avery is speaking Woody's language.
"Yeah." Avery replied.
"I think I know what you're talking about. It's like the feeling I get, when I think about my sister, Maple."
"Yeah that's it."
"I remembered the time I fell out of a tree and injured myself in from of Maple who was reading a book. She looked at me. I was injured and broke a couple of bones. She left and I thought that she was going to leave me there to die. Being the youngest and possibly the only male in the family, I cried, hoping that someone would rescue me from death. But then Maple came back with a first-aid kit and nursed me back to good health. And it felt like a maple."
"Well that's all there is to it."
"That's very interesting." Woody happily sighs as he remembers the kindness his sister had given to him when he was a very young woodpecker. He had this feeling that maybe not all girls are bad after all, even after his breakup with Winnie. Avery is quite an independent girl. Kendall may be bossy, but at least she has a heart.
"Goodnight." Woody told Avery as he quickly falls asleep.
"Goodnight." Avery replied as she too falls asleep.
It was 8:20 AM, just a few minutes before school officially started. All the seventh graders and eighth graders are heading to History Class. Their teacher is Mr. Henry Teacherman who may be harsh and tough, but wants what's best for his students. When school started, no one was late, except for Johnny who accidentally overslept for the third time this month. Though it all seems like a full house, only one student, a female eighth grader is absent. Gwen Axle.
"Is Gwen Axle here today?" Mr. Teacherman asked as he did the attendance.
"Sorry I'm late Mr. Teacherman," cried Gwen as she runs inside the classroom to get her seat. "Kat was expecting me to get something for her."
"Thank you for the notice, Gwen." Mr. Teacherman replied. "Please take your seat."
Avery couldn't help but smile to see Gwen in class. Now that Gwen's safe, safe from the clutches of Mr. Ivan, the dirtiest crook in the world, everything's perfect.
Or is it?
The bell rang as Avery was the last to walk out of the classroom. She would've seen the hallways being filled with children, but wait. The hallways are deserted. Not a single reckless stunt was made from Kick. Not a political announcement came from Kendall. Not a banana was dropped on the floor by accident from Gunther. Not even one experiment that went completely wrong was made from Ronaldo, or the screeching of Wacky Jackie whenever she sees Kick go by. And not even a woodpecker laugh was heard from either Knothead or Splinter.
It's like a ghost town. Not a single form of life was there.
And then, she heard a scream.
She recognized that scream. It came from Gwen. She's in some kind of trouble.
Avery was about to run and follow the sound, but had this feeling that she is flying. She looks down and discovered that she is indeed flying. This was Annabelle's doing whenever the hallways are too crowded to walk to the classroom without getting suffocated, and she should know, because in truth, Annabelle is a halfa – half human and half ghost.
Avery instead flies to where Gwen might be and discovered that Gwen is being grabbed by a big shadowing figure, Gwen tries to escape but the figure has an iron grip.
"Hang on!" Avery cried as she flies towards a screaming Gwen.
"No Avery," Gwen tried to warn Avery. "Turn back."
But when Avery pushes the palm of her left hand forward, an energy blast was shot from her hand. Now Avery is puzzled. Has she become a halfa like Annabelle?
Wasting no time, Avery shoots out the energy blasts at the figure, trying to get him to release Gwen. But no matter how hard she tries, the figure would not let Gwen go. Then the figure creates a fire circle, surrounding Avery as he retreats, taking the helpless Gwen with him. Avery could not escape and can only watch as Gwen disappears right before her very eyes.
"Turn back," Avery heard Gwen's voice. "You're not safe here."
The fire circle then raises its flames as Avery had another encounter with her new foe.
Her new foe takes in in the form of a monstrous clown, one Avery could recognize from several horror movies that she used to watch with her friends. Her foe wore a ghost-hunting outfit and is holding a gun that is capable of killing any ghost, regardless of how powerful they really are.
Then something hit her head. The clown is a ghost hunter and what do ghost hunters hunt?
Ghosts. Full or halfas.
And what is Avery as of now?
Half-ghost.
Then Avery panicked. The clown is going to kill her, just like how the figure was going to kill Gwen earlier. Then she heard one word that would soon haunt her in her dreams for the rest of her life.
"Run."
Avery did what the clown said and made a run for it. But a wave of ectoplasm began to chase her. Avery tried shooting them away, but no matter how hard she tries, she is discovering a bit too late that she is unstable.
All Avery could do is close her eyes and hope that this nightmare would end. But when she opens her eyes, she was hanging from a pole. She is also starting to get destabilized. She looks down and saw a pool of water directly below her. Ectoplasm falls off from her foot and landed on the water, quickly dissolving within seconds.
Avery tries to hold on, but her arms quickly wear out and then, she falls to her possible death.
Then there was a loud noise.
Avery quickly woke up from her nightmare. She could tell something was wrong. Her eyes snapped open just as the loudest rumble of thunder sounded overhead. The wind was picking up as she looks out into the night. The woods reminded her of the horror movies that parents would forbid their kids to watch until they are old enough to watch them.
"AAAAHHHH!"
Kendall's scream brought Avery out of her musings. Rather than being over her and the others, Kendall was right in front of Avery, all tangled up in the blanket that had come loose. Instinctively, Avery grabbed Kendall's hand. There was no way she's going to lose Kendall, the flower woman was enough.
As Avery held on, the wind drags her across the grass. Kendall was terrified, her eyes pleading.
"Don't let go!" Kendall cried.
Avery refused to let Kendall go. But the elements were against them as her hands strained to keep her grounded.
Lightning flashes around them, reminding Avery of her nightmare. The storm was just … water. Would she dissolve into nothing while trying to save Kendall?
Finally, the wind forced the girls to a cliff. Avery tries her best to hold on and gain her footing. Pain raced through her arm, but she pushed it away and focused on the yellow hair before her indigo eyes. Yellow, like the sunlight on the morning the gang left. Yellow, the color of the gloves and boots that Kick wore all the time. Yellow, like the hair color of Johnny, Gunther and Annabelle. Yellow, like the beaks of Woody and Buzz. Yellow, like the flower woman. Yellow that reminded her of lightning. A sharp twig flies across Avery and made a cut across her chest. Avery yelped in pain as she accidentally let her grip slips and that was all the wind needed.
"AVERY!" Kendall yelled as she is blown away.
Avery could only watch as the yellow went up into the trees while placing one hand on the cut. Avery couldn't believe it right before her very eyes. She's bleeding ectoplasm instead of blood. Could her nightmare be coming true?
Yellow: the color of all things she lost.
"KENDALL!" Avery shouted after her. She needed to find her; she would not have a repeat of the flower woman.
This quickly caught the attention of Woody, Buzz and Wally. They too tried to shout Kendall's name, but due to the wind making such a racket, they could not hear or receive a reply.
"Kendall!" Woody cried as well.
Woody quickly turns on the flashlight in hopes of spotting Kendall somewhere in the trees. He flies up high enough to spot Kendall, but the bulb quickly burns out. He soars down to the dumpster and plugs the flashlight to the battery to get it working, but not a single spark came to recharge the flashlight. Wally became shocked, more shocked than having to face the cops back in Quahog.
"The battery's gone dead!" Wally cried.
"We're trapped here like rats!" Buzz added. "Small little rats with no hair and one leg."
"KENDALL!" Avery shouted once more. "Kendall!"
"Kendall!" Wally cried as well. "Where are you, you blonde Mary-Sue?"
Woody could only stay in his spot as Avery, Wally and Buzz tried to look for Kendall in the dark woods, without any source of light. Then he discovers that there was something else he could do. Get more power. Not only would the gang have enough power to get out of here, they'd be able to cover more ground in their search for Kendall.
He had learned from his sister, Maple, that lightning was made out of electricity, and Woody knew that most appliances like a flashlight ran on electricity ... but how could he get the lightning to power his friends?
The battery.
No. He couldn't! That would be suicide, even for a male woodpecker like him. Was he really and truly willing to die for his friends?
No, you're not! A part of Woody argued. Go with them! You can find Kendall without the battery.
But Woody knew that wasn't the right way to think. His father had once told him this statement.
Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.
If this could apply to humans ... why not a woodpecker?
But what should he really do? He looks at the others in sadness, and then he got determent. He knows what he has to do. He grabs the car battery charger, connects it to the battery and then flies up high in the air to get the lightning to recharge the battery while hooking the charger onto the flashlight. He's using himself as a lightning rod. He knew that this was suicidal but it has to be done. He gave his friends one last glance, hoping that they'd be able to find Kendall. The he turns his sights back towards the sky.
The dark thunderclouds gathered above the woodpecker, and he shivers. He watches as the clouds parted and a beam or lightning shot down and hits Woody. It hurts, but he could feel it traveling into the battery, which is a good thing.
OW! Make it stop! Woody though as intense pain flows through his entire body in mid-air. He wants the pain to stop and die right in mid-air, but he could still feel the battery powering up. He had to keep going. The electricity kept flowing, pulsating through the woodpecker. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before, and he never want to feel it again, if he can help it.
Then the bulb of the flashlight that was in his hands exploded, sending sharp pieces right through his arms and across his upper chest.
Down below, Avery, Wally and Buzz noticed this and is shocked to see Woody getting caught by lightning. Avery had already lost Kendall; there is no way she's going to lose Woody.
"WOODY!" Avery cried.
There was nothing the remaining friends could do but watch as the lightning stops zapping at Woody, leaving the woodpecker to fall into the earth, injured very badly. The friends quickly ran to Woody's side and are depressed. He used the flashlight and himself as a lightning rod. He placed 3rd degree burns all over his body. His arms are badly injured from having to hold onto the flashlight. Why? Why did he decide to do it? Was it so important to him that he help his friends even if it means risking his own life so that the others could continue on their journey to find Gwen? Possibly without him? Since when did Woody become so selfless?
Then they noticed that the battery is fully recharged as the rain stops shortly after what it had happened. Woody did this to recharge the battery so that they can continue to find Gwen.
Buzz pondered some of his thoughts in silence. The usual con artist sat quietly next to the unconscious woodpecker in question who had given so much for them and received so little. It wasn't fair that the normally crazy but father-like woodpecker had to resort to something so drastic in order to save them all. How could he ever repay him for everything he'd done for them when he wakes up? Ifhe wakes up.
"How is he?" Avery asked quietly, walking up to the buzzard, a sad, worried expression on her face.
"Same as before." Buzz answered shortly.
He had tried to sound indifferent, as if he really wasn't worrying his blood pressure to a cold temperature when the crazy woodpecker would regain consciousness. He was ashamed to admit it, but it would be quite embarrassing for him if he let his guard down to the others by admitting that he was actually worried for Woody. Who else would he have to con him out of whatever money he might bring along and joke with him with his endless jokes about almost everything from the underwear joke to the jokes about fat people in Quahog?
"I really don't like the looks of this." Avery remarked sighing deeply.
The guilt was etched so deeply in the Mexican girl's indigo eyes; it actually pained Buzz to even look at their leader. No doubt Avery felt this whole thing was her fault. Not that it was, but Buzz knew how sensitive she could be.
"We need to find Kendall." Wally stated, breaking the tense silence and getting behind the wheel of the dumpster, then looking at Avery. "Oh and we need to fix you up missy."
"Wally's right." Buzz told Avery. "You're starting to lose too much blood, as if this is blood."
Avery had almost forgotten about her injury. She could see a big green stain on her white t-shirt. She was so busy trying to find Kendall and being so worried about Woody after what he did during the storm, that the ectoplasm made a big stain on the t-shirt.
"Don't worry." Buzz said as he pulls out a first-aid kit. "We'll fix you right up with bandages."
Avery sighs as she takes off her jacket and her stained shirt.
"Um … can I do this in private?" Avery asked Buzz.
Buzz nods as he hands the first-aid kit to Avery who then went behind the bush to stop the cut from bleeding. Moments later, Avery returns with bandages wrapped around her chest, stopping the ectoplasm from bleeding. She puts back on her stained shirt and jacket and gives Buzz the first-aid kit.
"Now we need to fix Woody." Avery told Buzz. "Before he loses too much blood as well."
Buzz nods as he starts putting bandages on some parts of Woody's body where they are injured the most.
"But what about Woody?" Buzz asked Wally. "We can't just leave him there in the middle of the woods and rot to death."
"What about him?" Wally snapped sounding irritated in an attempt to hide the worry and anxiety he actually felt. "We'll take him with us, of course!"
"When do you think he'll wake up?" Avery asked staring at the bits of blood scattered around Woody's body.
"How should I know? Who knows how much power he absorbed! He may not wake up at all!" Wally answered harshly, turning away from the others in annoyance.
Buzz looks at Wally, sad expression crossed his face, the words stinging him like knives.
"Yeah, how should any of us know, really?" Buzz added drearily.
Wally had immediately regretted his words after that. He did not mean it to sound so final. Heck, he didn't mean it at all. It was just his nature to always sound cross towards other, like how Kendall used to be in the past. He was just used to it. He never expressed any emotions like love, kindness or joy to anyone, ever. Just because the crazy woodpecker had gone and decided to be a hero did not mean he was entitled to start acting like he really cared about him. Despite the fact that he did not care. A lot. And the ugly reality that Woody hadn't woken up after two hours created a dread as heavy as a 300 lb. man that lay uncomfortably inside his body. Wally hated that feeling of anxiety. It made him feel powerless. Helpless.
There was an uncomfortable long silence following Wally's hurtful words. Avery was about to say something when a sudden soft groan caught everyone's attention. Wally spun around, perhaps a little too quickly, earning him a light jab from Buzz.
"You were saying?" Buzz said with smugness in his tone.
Wally huffed.
"Woody! Woody, can you hear me?" Avery asked as she leaned down close to Woody, Buzz right beside her.
Another audible groan rang through the air. All eyes were immediately back on the woodpecker as his eyes slowly fluttered open to the bright sunlight morning.
"I think … the battery … is working now." Woody mumbled blearily, his eyes red and his vision swimming, his friend's face gradually becoming clearer in the white light.
"Glad to see you're awake! How do you feel?" Avery asked gently, waiting for the woodpecker to answer.
"I've been better." Woody joked before a sudden coughing fit overtook him, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut as the damage to his body momentarily overwhelmed him.
"Easy now. Don't push yourself. You've been through a lot." Avery replied.
"You gave us a real scare chum," Buzz told Woody. "I was almost certain that lightning did you in."
"I never knew you had that in you Woody." Avery said proudly, smiling at Woody.
"Had what?" Woody asked in confusion, looking at the Mexican girl. His mind was still in a blur and his memory was a little fogged.
"What you did back there; it was very brave." Avery explained gently.
"Indeed it was." Buzz added. "Why if I were you, I would've done the same thing."
Wally snorted at Buzz's bold declaration.
"You? You would've hid in the bushes before risking your beak to recharge the battery, you big show-off!" Wally grumbled.
Avery chucks while Woody rubs his aching head with his injured arm.
"Did I really …" Woody started his eyes wide in disbelief, the whole ordeal slowly coming back to him like it was some kind of strange dream rather than reality.
"Risk your life for us?" Avery finished with a knowing smile.
"You bet your fried feathers you did!" Buzz exclaimed hopping over to the stunned woodpecker and pointing dramatically at the burnt cerulean feathers making Woody look at it in surprise, realization slowly dawning in his burned body.
"Wow." the small exclamation of wonder causing Avery and Buzz to laugh.
Wally shook his head feigning annoyance but was really trying to hold in his own mirth at their simple-minded friend's disbelief that he could do something so heroic.
"As much as I hate to say it, without you, we'd be stuck here." Wally grumbled seriously but with complete honesty looking Woody straight in the eye as he spoke.
"And we are forever grateful to you, Woody!" Avery added placing a hand over her chest in a half bow.
Buzz followed suit expressing his gratitude in a more exuberant manner, throwing his derby across his chest and bowing deeply until he was almost touching the ground.
"And I thank you graciously kind sir, from the bottom of my heart! If I actually have one." Buzz joked lifting his head at the corny punch line.
Woody let out a full-hearted laugh.
"Thanks, guys. It sounds weird, especially coming from you Wally, but thanks." Woody said looking to the gruff walrus with respect.
Wally mumbled something indistinct before turning away suddenly finding the fresh air very interesting. Woody smiled watching the walrus turn away in obvious embarrassment. He was feeling much better than before and much more alert of his surroundings. That was when he finally noticed that something was amiss.
"Hey, where's Kendall?" Woody asked his smile faltering slightly, Kendall's absence suddenly being noticed for the first time since he woke up.
"Oh, I'm sure she's around here someplace." Avery replied lightly not wanting to cause Woody any unnecessary anxiety to compound his injuries further.
"Well, might as well start looking for her." Wally stated setting the dumpster on drive, waiting for Avery and Buzz to help Woody up inside the dumpster before taking off to find their missing companion.
"Kendall? Kendall where are you?" Avery cried. "Kendall?"
"C'mon Kendall," Woody spoke. "Speak up for Kick's sake!"
But a sudden coughing fit overtook him, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut as the damage to his body momentarily overwhelmed him. This time, bits of ectoplasm came out from his beak.
"No, no, just relax." Avery motions Woody to lie down. "You've done enough. We'll take over from here."
"I am feeling a little sick." Woody noted.
"Say Avery," Buzz spoke quietly to Avery, with a worried expression on his face. "You don't think that …"
"…he's starting to become a halfa, because he coughed out ectoplasm instead of blood?" Avery quickly finished the question. "Just like how I bled ectoplasm instead of blood last night?"
"It could only mean a sigh."
"Help!" cried a familiar female voice from a distance. It was Kendall's voice.
"Hey," Avery spoke quietly to the others. "Listen."
"Help me please! Avery! Wally! I'm stuck!"
"I hear her." Avery spoke.
"But I don't see her anywhere." Woody spoke quietly.
"Maybe she's calling from Heaven." Buzz suggested. "She's a perky little angel, with a pointy nose."
"She's just stuck in a tree, that's all!" Wally huffed. "Look!"
The others look up and true to Wally's words; they saw Kendall hanging onto a branch, high up on the tree.
"Help!" Kendall cried again.
Wally grabs a really long rope from under the mattress, throws it high enough to get over the branch that Kendall is stuck in and ties it around the dumpster. He then ties the other end of the rope around his body and then, he starts climbing to Kendall.
"Hang on tight, Kendall!" Avery called out to Kendall.
"I am!" Kendall yelled back.
"Don't let the tremendous height scare you." Buzz joked.
Kendall looks down and closes her eyes shut, believing Buzz's words. However, she opens her eyes when Wally is a few centimetres closer to her. Being a little brave, Kendall lets go of the branch and lands on Wally, her hair blocking Wally's vision. Because of this, Wally lets go of the rope which caused him and Kendall to fall from such a height. They thought that they were going to die, but the rope however saves their lives. They were about one inch away from the ground, leaving Wally to get onto his feet and untie the rope.
"That was kinda awesome." Kendall spoke for the first time.
"Now get off of my face!" Wally shouted.
"Thanks Wally." Avery spoke as she, Woody and Wally got out of the dumpster.
"Great idea Wally." Woody spoke as well.
"And as I suspected, this was warm-hearted and brave." Buzz said before Wally gets Kendall off of him.
"Now just cut that out all of you!" Wally barked. "I only did it so that we can be on our way! We're wasting time!"
The others could only watch as Wally heads back to the parked dumpster.
"Then what happened?" Knothead asked Woody. "Did you get to Baton Rouge and find Gwen?"
"The rest of our journey had proven to be a lot more challenging than what we have expected before." Woody replied.
"As in this case, there was the time when we came across a huge waterfall." Wally told Knothead and Splinter.
"We could've gone to another route," Buzz explained. "But according to my navigator, going across the waterfall is the only way to get to Baton Rouge."
"Did you make it across?" Knothead asked.
"You'll just have to listen and find out." Woody replied. "Here's what happened…"
Avery, Kendall, Woody, Buzz and Wally approach the waterfall. It was the biggest waterfall you could have ever imagined. Just the sight of it freaks Wally out, despite the fact that he is a walrus. He shifts the dumpster into park, pulls out the extension cord and tries to swallow it. This scares the others. It's an attempted suicide.
"Wally!" Avery cried. "No!"
"Get the cord out of his mouth!" Woody screamed. "Don't let him swallow it!"
"Knock him out!" Buzz cried as Avery grabs her gun, unloaded, and knocks Wally out cold.
Several minutes later, Woody, Buzz and Kendall could only watch as Avery tries to recover Wally from his sudden seizure.
"He just passed out." Woody spoke quietly.
"Cracked up and snapped." Buzz replied. "He sold the farm and pulled up the daisies. Poor chap."
"How does he look?"
"A lot better than you, actually. Keep it up Buttowski!"
"Hey guys!" Avery cried. "I think it's working!"
The others came to where Avery and Wally are, and they circled around the unconscious walrus.
"Wally!" Avery cried. "Wally can you hear me?"
"Wake up," Kendall cried. "Wally."
Then all of a sudden, Wally opens his eyes. He saw the others cheering, knowing that he's alright. But instead of being happy, Wally is angry.
"Lay off!" Wally yelled as he pushed the others aside. "Just lay off!"
"What's the matter?" Avery spoke, looking worried.
"We were worried about you." Woody added.
"You have us real scared there, pal." Buzz added.
"Well, there's nothing wrong with me, pal!" Wally yelled at Buzz. "Just back off!"
"Don't be angry." Kendall spoke softly.
"Just keep your hands, paws and claws off my body! Who needs you guys anyway? Gotta drag you around all the time, bunch of dead weight! I'd be better off without you!"
"But Wally…"
"Especially you, you little brat!" Wally yelled directly at Kendall.
There was a small pause after hearing Wally's hurtful words. Wally looks at the waterfall, then at his friends.
"So, uh … how do we get across this thing anyway?" Wally asked.
()()()()()
A few minutes later, Avery, Buzz, Woody and Kendall have tied the ropes around their waists, while being connected to the empty dumpster, which is connected to Wally.
"I think Moe did this once," Buzz spoke. "And if I remember right, he was out of the hospital in no time."
"Well that's encouraging." Woody noted.
Avery took a look down below her and in one second, she closes her eyes tight. It was a long way down from here and this could mean instant death. Then she remembered something.
Her nightmare from last night. There was a part where she was hanging from the pole for her dear life and just below here was a pool of water. Then she remembered being a halfa and that she was destabilized. She was melting quickly and then she remembered falling to her death and being dissolved into nothing.
"Okay Wally." Avery told Wally who then preceded his part of the plan. He shakes the ropes which then creates a swing, letting Avery reach to the edge of the other side. Avery managed to grab the edge of the other side and plunges herself up. She holds the rope firmly.
"Hey." Woody cried. "We're not dead!"
"Knock some wood onto your senses, woodpecker." Buzz replied before facing Avery. "Avery! You okay?"
But Avery then starts to have problems. The waterfall is making her paranoid. Would she end up falling to her death, dragging her friends with her?
"Avery!" She heard the buzzard's voice.
"Yeah … I, um …" Avery tries to speak before coming to her senses and facing Wally who is at the other side. "Give me some slack, Wally!"
Wally lends Avery more rope so that her friends and the dumpster could get to the other side safely. Avery gets paranoid again, but quickly recovers. But she ends up letting go of the rope that is tied around her waist. She falls, along with her friends and the dumpster that are connected to her. They screamed as they fall into the waterfall.
But Wally however, remained on the cliff. Despite being connected, the rope has snapped, due to the dumpster's weight. He is too late to save his friends from falling into the waterfall. A part of him told him that since his friends are gone, he wouldn't have to drag them along all the time.
Leave them. A part of Wally told him. They're useless anyway. You can go on to Baton Rouge without them.
But Wally knew that wasn't the right thing to do. He knew that his friends are alive, somewhere in that waterfall. He knew that they have a reason to go to Baton Rouge in the first place – to find Gwen and bring her home back to Mellowbrook to stop the others closest to her from worrying too much. He saw a note floating in the air. It must've fell out of Buzz's pockets just before Buzz fell into the waterfall. He grabs it and reads it. This was the same note Buzz's sister had wrote just before she disappeared. He carefully studies the sentences as tears rolled down from his eyes.
Buzz's sister is telling him to not give up so soon. There's always a second chance in life. Wally puts the note in his pockets, grabs the mattress and then made a run for it at the edge. Once he makes it to the edge, he jumps and falls into the waterfall.
He's going to find his friends before someone else could. The mattress floats across the rapids of the river. Wally kept his eyes open in case he sees someone. From a distance, he saw a flash of golden hair. That can only mean one thing.
Kendall is alive.
Wally makes the mattress sail fast enough for him to reach Kendall, and by the time Kendall gets on the mattress, he saw Woody trying to swim for his life. What's different is that the bandages were gone, plus the fact that Woody's feathers are molting.
"Give me your hand!" Wally cried as he reached out his hand to Woody. "Before you lose all your feathers!"
Woody did exactly what Wally said as he is being pulled up to the mattress. He stops molting as well.
"Damn thee accursed whale! By the depths of Hell I stabbeth thee!" yelled a voice, quoting a sentence from Moby Dick.
The others turned around and saw Buzz poking his navigator at Wally, thinking that he is a whale.
"Climb on, you idiot!" Wally yelled at Buzz.
"Oh it's you." Buzz replied as he climbs up to the mattress.
There's one person missing. Avery.
"Where's Avery?" Wally asked.
"She sank." Woody answered Wally's question.
Just then, they scream as they face and fall from another waterfall. Seconds later, they saw Avery swimming underwater, and despite the fact that it is giving her a bath, the green stain on her shirt remains unaffected.
"Boy, are we glad to see you!" Buzz spoke to the others as Kendall gets Avery up on the mattress.
"I thought for sure I'd turned in my warranty that time." Woody added.
"Until Wally here showed up!"
"I just slipped and fell in. That's all." Wally replied.
This made the others laugh at Wally's statement.
"Oh, yeah, sure, right." Woody cried.
"You can't fool us." Kendall said as she hugs Wally. "We love you."
"That's right," Buzz added. "Like Marge Simpson loved her children and husband."
"Yeah, yeah." Wally replied as the mattress then floats into the shore. "Well, here's the shore. Everybody off."
As everyone gets off the mattress, Buzz picks up a leaf and puts it on Wally's mustache.
"For saving everyone from a watery death, I'm awarding you the medal of honor!" Buzz exclaimed with pride.
Buzz blows the leaf off and everyone else laugh. But Avery wasn't laughing. In fact, she feels depressed. The mattress had taken them into a swamp. How will they get to Baton Rouge now?
"Where are we?" Avery asked as she takes a few steps forward to the swamp forest, then looking at her friends. "I'm really sorry, you guys."
"Oh come on it's not your fault." Buzz tried to cheer Avery up as she continues on walking. "Things could be worse you know."
"How?" Woody asked Buzz.
"How what?" Buzz replied to Woody.
"How could they be worse?"
"They couldn't; I lied."
()()()()()
Avery sat down near the river as she gloomily looks at her reflection in the water. How could things get worse from having to escape from the hellish city of Quahog to actually getting lost, and not knowing where to go next? And what's worse, she saw her own reflection changing into something that Avery thought she wasn't in the first place.
A halfa who wore a white poncho over a black jumpsuit and a beige cowgirl hat.
Angered at this, Avery splashes the water with one hand and looks away from the water. She is a freak, and a failure. She had failed to get to Baton Rouge. She had failed to find Gwen. She had a green stain on her shirt. She almost lost Kendall and Woody during the storm and now all of the things that had happened in the last few days are entirely her fault.
She knew she didn't deserve to be an honorary cop in the first place. She should've thrown the badge into the water, but she didn't. She kept it with her, knowing that if she would get back to Mellowbrook one day or another, she would surrender her badge to the cops.
()()()()()
Sometimes later, Avery, Buzz, Woody and Kendall have their waists tied with ropes and are connected to Wally as suggested by Kendall. She thought that this plan would work since Wally is the slowest walker in here and if he stops and falls, the others would not be able to go far, thus not leaving him behind.
Buzz however his having troubles trying to get a signal to get to Baton Rouge.
"Did you find anything?" Woody asked Buzz.
"I'm lucky that the navigator's working, since this whole waterfall thing." Buzz replied. "But unfortunately, it won't give us a signal to get to Baton Rouge."
"Well I just hope we're not going in circles." Avery spoke. "C'mon."
As the gang walk to their apparent direction, Wally trips over a puddle of mud and falls into a quicksand, sinking in the process as the others tried to get him out of it.
"I knew this plan wasn't a good idea!" Wally yelled as he continues sinking.
"C'mon!" Avery cried as she and the others pulled their ropes. "Pull!"
But no matter how hard they tried, Wally continues to sink.
"Oh, this is great fun! Let's make these outings a regular thing, okay?"
"Wally!" Avery cried. "Untie yourself!"
"Help me!" Wally cried as he is finally sinking into the quicksand.
Now the others are going to sink. Woody was the first to sink slowly.
"Wow, the poor guy didn't have a chance." Woody spoke sadly as he is slowly sinking. "Just fmmp and that's it."
"Well don't look now woodpecker! You're about to fmmp yourself!" Buzz warned Woody as he struggles to remain on the surface.
Woody realized too late that he is now sinking to the bottom. And before he knew it, he was already sinking into quicksand, just before releasing a woodpecker scream. Avery and Kendall are next to sink.
"Can you let go?" Avery told Kendall as she is sinking. "Try to untie yourself."
"I'm not scared." Kendall replied as she is soon sinking into the quicksand.
Avery tries to call Kendall's name before she too realized that she is now sinking into the quicksand. Buzz is the last one to sink, losing a little bit of consciousness in the process. But before he is fully under the sand, the next thing he knew is that a fat, balding man who wore a white and green jumpsuit pulled him, and his friends out of the quicksand. Although Buzz is half conscious, his friends are fully unconscious.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" the fat man spoke happily as he placed Buzz and his unconscious friends in the back of his truck. "Two young girls and three animals with human DNA. They must be ghosts, so I better take them back to my place with the other ghosts I've collected earlier."
After placing the gang inside his truck, the fat man then went inside his truck and drove off from the swamp to his destination – his store where he sells different kinds of ectoplasm. He carries the gang's bodies from his truck and puts them aside in his private office where the other ghosts are. Some are unconscious while some are more curious about their newest visitors.
When the fat man left his office, just after he heard a bell in which a customer is here, the gang regained consciousness and look at their surroundings. They're inside an office where they could see dissecting tools, jars full of ectoplasms, and ghosts – some are full while some are halfas.
"Seems like a nice place," Buzz spoke for the first time since the encounter with quicksand. "Creepy but nice."
Just then, they heard laughter. It sounded almost like a woman's laughter, in a menacing way. They looked up and saw a young girl, no older than 14 years old. She has dirty blond hair, feathered styled, pale skin with a musical note on her left cheek that serves as a beauty mark, and exotic, catlike eyes that are green and blue. She wore an oversized, indigo 17th century coat, black tights and brown boots.
"Who are you?" Kendall asked the young girl.
"Forgive me for being a little rude since your arrival," replied the young girl as she hovers towards the gang. "The name's Isis. Isis Buttowski."
"You're a Buttowski?"
"Just like everyone else in here."
"Relatives of yours?" Kendall asked Avery.
"Might be distant cousins or something." Avery replied.
Isis however, noticed the constant molting coming from Woody and the green stain on Avery's shirt. She smiles, in an evil way as if this caught her interest.
"I see that the two of you are halfas," Isis spoke softly to the gang.
"And how would you know which two of us are halfas?" Wally questioned Isis.
"I can tell by instincts. One, your woodpecker friend is losing his feathers, which is a sigh of being unstable, for bird ghosts like him."
"He's unstable?" Avery asked Isis. "How do we make him stabled?"
"You can make him stabled by using the Ecto Dejecto, but such a device can be very rare. Fortunately, the owner of this place, Dell St. Pete has plenty stored inside."
Isis flies towards a box that is located at the very back of the room. Inside is a boxful of Ecto Dejectos. She grabs one and then flies towards Woody who is shivering from the cold.
"Now this won't hurt a bit," Isis told Woody. "It's going to hurt a lot."
Isis then sprays the Ecto Dejecto directly at Woody. He screams, though not loud enough to get St. Pete's attention. A few minutes later, Woody has a feeling that his feathers aren't molting anymore. He is now a stabled halfa.
"Use your powers in good health." Isis warned Woody. "While you still can."
"I have just one question." Kendall spoke to Isis. "How did you and the others get here in the first place?"
"It wasn't that long ago, me and my relatives were just having fun. We would fly across the globe, meet new people and gain experiences as halfas. Why, while we tend to pull pranks on other people, since they are not halfas like we are, we would try to live peacefully with both full ghosts and humans. But then, one by one we were captured by the Guys in White."
"The Guys in White?" Avery said in shock. "Aren't they the same Guys in White that tried to eliminate all ghosts and capture Danny Phantom?"
"That's the one. Anyway, as we are taken in to the government's secret lab, the boss has made a clear and sharp note that the Guys in White have no information on us halfas. Because of this, we were shipped to an individual scientist who actually has information on halfas – Dell St. Pete."
"What was St. Pete like?" Buzz asked.
"St. Pete is quite an amusing fellow. He wouldn't even dare to destroy us because he had learned one rule about halfas – if one half gets destroyed, the other half goes along with it."
"In English please?" Kendall asked.
"If the ghost half is destroyed, the human or animal half gets destroyed as well." A voice was heard from the shadows of the office. The gang turned around and saw another young girl. Only this time, she looked 13. Her reddish-brown hair is short and wavy, tied into a blue-violet fan-like bow, her eyes are marbled blue, her skin is just as pale as Isis' but she lacks one thing – a nose where her Band-Aid is located. She wore a blue-violet shirt under a black leather jacket, blue jeans which reached down to her lower knees and a pair of black and violet sneakers.
"Forgive her for being rude." Isis told the gang. "This is Amelia, another halfa who lost a nose during an encounter with a ghost hunter in a gang town."
"And I couldn't find a replaceable nose ever since." Amelia made a note.
"Are there any more of you in this room?" Wally asked.
"Quite so." Isis replied.
Then out of the blue, a young boy flew right beside Amelia. He wore a long, black lab-coat over a blue t-shirt, grey jeans, and a pair of red and white sneakers. He has green eyes, a small clown-like nose, and wore a light bulb in the form of a hat, in which the gang could see his brains.
"This is Jim." Isis introduced the boy to the gang. "He came here after St. Pete found him dying in the junkyard, with his head cracked open to reveal his brains."
Then a young man walks beside Jim. It looks like he might be still going to college. He wore a white lab coat over a black t-shirt, blue jeans, a pair of walking shoes and glasses. He has pale blue eyes, brown nerd-like hair which is tied in a ponytail and bits of hair growing on his chin.
"And this is Drake. He was caught trying to steal something from the lab, that he was at first sent to the Guys in White for punishment, but since he is a halfa, he was placed in here to be rehabilitated."
Then a young teenage boy flew beside Drake. His outfit is more exotic as he wore an Egyptian outfit. His skin is much darker than the others, but he has cat-like scars all over his face and body, green eyes, a small brown beard and short, wavy brown hair.
"He I believe is called Jaguar. He was caught by the locals for trying to free helpless animals back in Africa."
Then another young girl flew beside Jaguar. She wore a white sweater with a yellow stripe across, blue jeans, a pair of black, fingerless gloves, goggles and a pair of ski boots. She has peachy skin and short, dark brown bobcat hairstyle.
"This is Joan. She was caught in an avalanche in Germany which result her to become a halfa. Afterwards, she was frozen in Russia where St. Pete did his research there. He saw her frozen body and took her back home where he managed to revive her."
Then another young girl walks beside Joan. She wore a pale blue jacket, black tights, maroon boots, maroon helmet with a black stripe and goggles. Her hair is medium length and puffy and her skin is peachy.
"This is Louise. Got arrested by the Guys in White for foiling their plans to kill an innocent ghost in the big city. Like Drake, Louise was sent here to be rehabilitated."
Afterwards, a sexy, adult woman flew right beside Louise. She wore a pink daredevil jumpsuit, complete with golden gloves, golden boots and a golden belt. She has blue eyes and her hairstyle is just the same as Isis' only instead, her bangs are pushed forward, rather than sideways. She also has a green gem on her forehead
"This is Daisy. She almost got raped by a certain rapist back in Quahog, and was caught by the Guys in White while performing a stunt in a local nightclub. But she was put to here because she made all the other government agents go crazy and unfocused."
Then a muscular, red-haired, green-eyed man walks towards Daisy. He wore a black sweater, blue jeans and a pair of green combat boots.
"This is Jam. He was mistaken for a local robber, so he came here to hide from the law, only to be forced to stay by St. Pete's demands."
Then a fat, Chinese man flew towards Jam while making a delicious stew. He wore a maroon Chinese robe, a Chinese hat and a bow that ties around his braid.
"Tai-Changa loves to make delicious stew and feed them to the poor and needy in the streets of Beijing. One day, one of the royal Chinese guards seized him and the cruel and wicked Emperor had him banished to America for making the people's lives happy. While in America, he was captured by the Guys in White, but due to his sudden obesity, he was sent here until he would lose at least 30 pounds."
And last but not least, a tall, pale woman few beside Tai-Changa. Her body is skinny and covered in scratches and scars. She wore a white nightgown which is sleeveless. Her wavy hair is a sickly color of brown, tied in a high ponytail.
"Forgive me for poor Victoria's appearance. She had been caught by the Guys in White numerous times and had been dissected alive numerous times. She is very mute. She's been losing ectoplasm every day and we are certain that she may die in a few days if she doesn't get enough ectoplasm very soon."
Isis then flies towards Avery, circling around her with interest.
"And you, Cousin Avery, are one of us."
"Me? One of you guys?" Avery replied. "I don't think so."
"Oh, but this is true. We know that you're a Buttowski and we know that you're a halfa. Just like us."
"We can even see the green stain on your shirt." Jim pointed out.
"It proves that you've been bleeding ectoplasm." Drake added. "If a human bleeds ectoplasm instead of blood, that proves that he/she is a halfa."
"Whether you were born with ectoplasm, or received one from accidents." Jaguar told Avery. "Either way, you would still qualify as a halfa."
Just them everyone stops talking as they heard St. Pete's voice talking to a customer. Everyone went to their positions and sit still.
"Hello St. Pete." Said a customer. "I am in need of Australian ectoplasm."
"Ha, ha, ha, Australian ectoplasm?" St. Pete laughed. "Why sure I have a shipload of them last week."
But in the shop, one halfa, an Australian man who is in his early 30s became shocked. So shocked that he hid under the desk. He knew that St. Pete is lying, and he knew that his ectoplasm type is Australian.
"Oh boy," the customer spoke again to St. Pete. "Heaven had sent you to me."
"How much ectoplasm do you want?" St. Pete asked the customer.
"Three jarfuls at least. I'll need them to impress my new girlfriend."
This time, Woody, despite being quite, gasped after hearing the customer's voice. He had heard his voice before, and he is shocked to think about whom the voiced belonged to.
Winnie's current boyfriend – Wellsley Woodpecker.
"I'll get the Australian ectoplasm within a flash." St. Pete answered to Wellsley as he walks inside his office.
While inside, he heard a shivering noise coming from under his desk. It was the Australian halfa.
"There you are!" St. Pete cried as he drags the Australian halfa by the hand. "I found you."
As he hooks the halfa onto the experimental table, he moves Avery, Kendall, Wally, Woody and Buzz to the small, worn-out couch. Since Wally is obese, he'll have to stand beside the couch or sit on the floor in which he did the former. The gang and the other halfas watch as St. Pete approaches the halfa, who is struggling for his life from the belts that were strapped around him. St. Pete then puts the gas mask on the halfa, making him lose consciousness in the process. With the halfa put to sleep, St. Pete then pulls out a cabinet full of dissecting tools, and begin dissecting the unconscious halfa.
Avery, Kendall, Woody, Wally and Buzz are horrified to see what St. Pete is doing to the halfa. He had an evil smile as he sliced the halfa's chest open to reveal his organs and green ectoplasm. Thinking that the halfa would really need enough ectoplasm to live, and since the approximate amount of ectoplasm needed for the halfa to live are about three jarfuls, St. Pete had little choice but to pull out the halfa's green heart, thus killing the halfa in the process. Afterwards, he starts taking out the halfa's other organs and then placed them in separate jars. When that is finished, he then sucks all the ectoplasm from the halfa's body to three separate jars and then places a price tag on each.
He takes the three jars of ectoplasm with him and leaves the office, while the gang saw the remains of the halfa. Is this what St. Pete is doing behind everyone's back? Killing innocent halfas just to sell ectoplasm and make money? This guy's sick and twisted.
"Boy those were the last three left!" St. Pete's voice was heard outside his office. "You're some lucky woodpecker."
The office was in silence again, before the menacing laughter of Isis spread across the room.
"You see? You never quite know what he's going to do!" Isis taunts the gang. "He's quite spontaneous."
"W-w-well, how do we escape?!" Woody asked Isis.
Upon hearing Woody's question, Isis flew right towards the other halfas.
"Did you hear that cats? They want to know how to escape!" Isis then bursts into laughter.
Hearing what Isis had told them, the other halfas laughed with Isis as well. The gang didn't know it, but the halfas knew that it's impossible to escape, from St. Pete. They've been there far longer than the gang and they knew what it's like to be a prisoner in a jail cell.
"You may have not heard this before but," Isis spoke to the gang before she laughs evilly. "There's no escape from here!"
"But you don't understand." Avery spoke to Isis. "We're on a mission here. We need to go to Baton Rouge and save this red-haired girl, Gwen Axle, from her kidnapper, fast."
"But you don't really know the half of it. Let us demonstrate for a moment."
Halfas: Watch yourself
Don't fall off of the shelf
Daisy: You must be the new boys in town
Woody: What's that sound?
Is someone moving around?
Isis: Sit down for a spell
You don't look so well
Drake: Wait a minute, I feel great
You just leave yourself to fate
You might as well just hang around
Jaguar and Amelia: It's too late
We've got to operate
Isis: Just try to relax
It's a house of wax!
Joan, Amelia and Jim: Oh, I remember Frankenstein
Shivers up my spine, wo-oh
Wally: I'm for getting out of here
Halfas: No need to shout, my dear, no-oh
Jaguar: Who will go to the cellar down below?
Tai-Changa: Trouble is a-bubbling in the brew
Halfas: And while you're down there Mr. Vincent Price
Will give you good advice
Isis: He'll know what to do
You just tell him "BOO!"
Halfas: He will put the voodoo in the stew
I'm telling you!
It's like a movie
It's a B-movie show
It's like a movie
It's a B-movie show
Just then, a black coffin appeared right before the gang's eyes and before they know it, Victoria, wearing a black funeral dress pops out of the coffin. She tells the gang her story by using hand gestures and body language before fainting back inside the coffin as it disappears into thin air.
Wally: This is weird
Buzz: It's much worse than I feared
Woody: I'll close my eyes and make it disappear
The halfas circled around the unlikely males, making them back up to Tai-Changa's back in fear.
Wally, Woody and Buzz: This is strange
Tai-Changa: It ain't home on the range
Halfas: You just tell St. Pete
That you got cold feet
Avery, Woody, Wally, Kendall and Buzz: There goes the sun
Here comes the night
Somebody turn on the light
Somebody tell me that fate has been kind
Halfas: You can't go out
You are out of your mind!
It's like a movie
It's a B-movie show
It's like a movie
It's a B-movie show
The halfas then start hovering up into the ceiling until they heard the bell rang and everyone went back to their positions.
"Excuse me St. Pete," Wellsley's voice was heard outside the office. "The Australian ectoplasm was lovely. I was wondering if you have some buzzard ectoplasm as well."
Buzz gasped. He is the only buzzard in the room, but unfortunately, is not a halfa, or a full ghost.
"Why sure," St. Pere's voice was heard as well. "I've got a shipment of them just this morning."
Buzz panicked as he grabs Avery's jacket and pleads for mercy.
"You've got to help me! You've got to hide me! I'll do anything! Cheetah Chug! I can get you Cheetah Chug, mountains of Cheetah Chug!"
"Buzz!" Avery cried as she shakes Buzz to his senses. "Get ahold of yourself!"
Avery, Woody, Kendall, Buzz and Wally hide just as St. Pete is entering his office to collect Buzz, but found him missing.
"Now where did that buzzard go?" St. Pete asked himself angrily. "I could've sworn he'd be sitting on that couch! What did he do? Fly away? I should've bought ghost cages to keep ghosts from flying out of those cages."
As St. Pete searches the office for Buzz, Buzz kept himself hidden in an old treasure chest, trying to keep quiet. Unfortunately, he let out a squeaky fart, which caught St. Pete's attention. St. Pete walks up to the chest and find Buzz there, giving him a scared look.
"There you are!" St. Pete said as he drags Buzz to the experimental table and straps him there.
Avery, Woody, Kendall and Wally gasped in fear as St. Pete was about to kill Buzz next. They could've told him that Buzz is not a ghost, or a halfa, but they're too scared to tell him that.
"Wally," Avery whispers to Wally. "What should we do?"
"I-I-I ... I don't know." Wally whispered back, not knowing exactly what to do.
Woody thinks for a moment, and then, an idea pops up in his head.
"I got an idea." Woody told Avery, Kendall and Wally. "Follow my lead."
Buzz watched in fear as St. Pete grabs the gas mask and places it on his beak. Buzz tries to fight it off, but the gas made him lose consciousness, while St. Pete pulls out the dissecting tool. But before St. Pete could really dissect the unconscious buzzard, someone turned off the lights. He puts down the dissecting tool and looks all around him. The room is pitched black. Then, he heard something, almost like a cackle. He saw a ghost, flying towards him, and when he gets too close, he speaks in a way that would scare the shit out of St. Pete.
"Guess who?"
St. Pete screams after hearing what the ghost had told him. He screams even more when he saw three more ghosts coming after him. He runs and then faints. The ghosts then took off their forms to reveal Avery, Wally, Kendall and a flying Woody with glowing green eyes.
"I told you it would work." Woody told Wally as he flies up to the experimental table and unstraps an unconscious buzzard. "Ha-ha-ha-HA-ha, ha-ha-ha-HA-ha, ha-ha-ha-HA-ha, hahahahahahaha!"
"Now's not the time to go laughing about it," Wally replied as Buzz regains his consciousness. "Now we need to get the hell out of here and get to Baton Rouge."
The other halfas saw what was going on. Since St. Pete is unconscious, that would mean that he is not as invincible as the others think. They can escape and roam free now, and it all thanks to Avery, Kendall, Woody, Buzz and Wally. They fly through walls, through open doors and anywhere else where they could escape. The gang was about to leave to get to Baton Rouge when Isis and Amelia stopped by to speak to them.
"Why are you still doing here?" Kendall asked Isis and Amelia. "You're free."
"We want to thank you for helping us," Isis replied. "And for regaining our hopes of escaping from this place."
"And it seems that your woodpecker friend is enjoying being a halfa." Amelia said as she saw Woody flying around the office.
"You should try it Avery," Isis told Avery. "Sooner or later, you might find that being a halfa is fun."
"I still think that I'm not a halfa." Avery replied sharply.
"One day Avery. One day you will realize the whole truth."
"Would we see you guys again?" Buzz asked Isis and Amelia.
"Maybe," Amelia replied. "But don't worry; you'll get to see us more often. Until then, catch ya later!"
Then Isis and Amelia left.
"Now what?" Buzz asked Avery. "Should we walk our way to Baton Rouge since our dumpster is lost in the waterfall?"
"I could carry you guys to Baton Rouge, and fly there if you want." Woody suggested as he flies towards the others.
"We really appreciated it Woody," Avery replied. "But due to Wally being heavy, that plan could really drain your energy, and it could most likely kill you in the process."
"She's right." Kendall added. "We need a car to get to Baton Rouge. But how?"
Just then, as they walked out of the store, they saw a parked, roofless, red corvette, owned by Connie D'Amico and her gang who are at the store next door.
"Connie won't mind if we borrow her corvette for a while," Wally smirked as he takes the keys and starts the corvette.
"Cool," Buzz added. "It even has GPS."
"Next stop, Baton Rouge!" Avery cried as the gang took off with Connie's corvette.
"So you made it to Baton Rouge, now what?" Knothead asked Woody. "Did you guys find Gwen and the kidnapper?"
"We were going to find Gwen," Woody replied. "But things have taken for the worst when we first got inside Baton Rouge…"
Baton Rouge is a huge place, even bigger than Quahog. The gang is unsure of where to look first. Gwen could be anywhere. Just then, Woody's cellphone rang.
"Hello?" Woody answered the phone.
"Hi, it's Kat," answered a familiar female voice. "Any sighs of Gwen?"
"Not yet, but we are able to find her in Baton Rouge, thanks to the kidnapper that gave away his info to Avery a few days ago."
"And thoughts on who might the kidnapper be?"
"Avery and Kendall are certain that the kidnapper is Mr. Ivan since he's been on Gwen's trail regularly. But I'm not sure who it is. It could be a jealous woman."
"Jealous woman?" Avery questioned Woody's respond. "That could only mean one person – Lois."
"But Lois is in prison Avery." Kendall told Avery. "There's no way she could've escaped from prison and kidnap Gwen."
"Shh," Wally told Avery and Kendall. "Woody is still on the phone."
"I've got some info for you Woody," Kat called Woody again. "My father is in Baton Rouge, attending to a business meeting."
"Name please?" Woody asked.
"My father's name is Marcus Axle. He's at the meeting now at the museum which is in downtown. Meet up with him as soon as possible and tell him about Gwen."
"Sure thing."
Then Woody hangs up.
"Well?" Kendall asked. "Who was it?"
"It's Kat." Woody replied. "She told us to meet her father at the museum in downtown as soon as possible."
"Well then let's go there," Buzz said with excitement. "There's no time to lose."
But what the gang didn't notice is that they were being followed by a white van with two bulky men in white outfits.
We've got snoopers on our trail boss. One of the bulky men said to the walkie-talkie.
Follow them. A mysterious voice replied. We can't have them foiling my plans.
"Then what happened?" Knothead asked. "Why did the men in white wanted to follow you guys?"
"We have no idea why they want to follow us in the first place." Wally explained. "We thought they were just nosey reporters, looking for a story in Baton Rouge."
"But boy, were we wrong?" Woody replied. "We have realized what they were really are, a little too late …"
"How are we going to find Gwen's father?" Buzz asked. "In this big place?"
"We could ask a few people for directions." Avery said as Wally parks the red corvette in two parking lots at a different angle.
"Um, Wally," Kendall spoke as she looks at where the corvette is parked. "You can't park like that. It's against the law."
"Trust me Kendall," Wally chuckles as the gang gets out of the corvette. "They don't give us tickets. They give it to Connie instead."
The gang left the corvette behind and they walk into the busy streets, unaware that the moment the corvette is out of their sight, a police car came by and placed a ticket on the corvette. But the gang didn't care. It's Connie's problem, not them.
As soon as the gang is at downtown, they find out that looking for Marcus is like finding a needle in a haystack. But they did remember that Marcus is at the museum. But as they went there, the museum is huge and oddly enough, it seems deserted and less busy than it is outside.
"We split up?" Buzz asked.
"We split up." Avery replied. "We go in different directions and cover more ground."
"But what if we get lost?" Kendall asked.
"Luckily I stole five walkie-talkies from that nightclub in Quahog," Wally said as he gives each a walkie-talkie. "I thought it would come in handy, ever since what had happened a few nights ago in Quahog."
"Way to go Wally." Woody replied as he flies up in the air. "This is going to be a piece of cake."
Then Woody flies off in one direction, while the others went in different directions. But they still didn't notice that two bulky men in white outfits are following one of them. Their first target – Buzz Buzzard.
()()()()()
Buzz was at the Dinosaurs exhibit. He looked everywhere in that exhibit, but Marcus was nowhere to be found.
Find anything? Avery's voice was heard through Buzz's walkie-talkie.
Not a single sight of Mr. Axle. Buzz replied through his walkie-talkie. How about you?
Nothing either. Keep looking and don't give up.
Buzz was about to keep on walking, when all of a sudden, he felt a sudden chill. He knew that the museum has an air-conditioner and a heater, but never had he felt a chill in the museum before, except on really hot days.
"Guess who?" said a mysterious voice.
"Huh?" Buzz spoke. "Who is this?"
Buzz turns around and saw a white-skinned bulky man in white outfit, holding a club. Before Buzz could react, he was knocked out by the man in white outfit.
"One down, four more to go." The white man in white outfit spoke as he drags the unconscious buzzard out from the Dinosaurs exhibit.
()()()()()
Wally is at the Medieval Times exhibit. Although he was supposed to look for Marcus, the walrus had become interested in this exhibit, even the history itself. He didn't notice Kendall walking towards him.
"Find Mr. Axle yet?" Kendall spoke which made Wally jump.
"Not yet Kendall." Wally replied. "Although I did become distracted."
Just then, Wally and Kendall heard a noise.
"What was that?" Kendall asked Wally.
"I'm not sure what it is," Wally replied. "But I don't like this one bit."
Kendall was about to speak, but a big hand covers her mouth, preventing her to speak. And before she knew it, she was dragged away from Wally's sight.
"Kendall?" Wally spoke, the tense of silence spread across the exhibit. "Where are you?"
Just then, a net sprung from above and traps Wally inside. The net was glowing green, meaning that it was meant to capture ghosts – full or halfa.
"What is the meaning of this?" Wally shouted. "If this is a joke, this is not funny!"
Right before the walrus' eyes, a black, bulky man who wore a white outfit approaches before him.
"Is this your idea of a joke?" Wally asked the black man. "I find this joke of yours not funny."
But the black man didn't say anything. Instead, he pulls out a button and pressed the red button. All of a sudden, the net started electrocuting Wally, knocking him out cold in the process. Once the walrus is unconscious, the black man then grabs the net and starts dragging the walrus out of the exhibit.
()()()()()
Woody is at the Egyptian exhibit. He knew that Marcus would be at the Egyptian exhibit since he is an archaeologist after all. But no matter how hard Woody tried to look for Marcus (he even checked the sarcophaguses and air vents of this exhibit), but Marcus was nowhere to be found.
This is like finding a needle in a haystack. Woody told Avery through his walkie-talkie. What if Marcus already left the building?
I seriously doubt that he would be out of the building. Avery's voice was heard through the walkie-talkie. Any updates on Wally, Buzz or Kendall?
I got no answer from them. But it's not usual of them to lose their walkie-talkies in this big place.
Maybe the batteries are dead.
No, it's not like that. What if something awful happened to them?
Like what?
But before Woody could answer, he saw a sarcophagus moving in an unusual manner. It rocked itself open to reveal a bulky mummy, who looks like he is not as undead as you think he is. His bandages are fresh and white, and his appearance looks rather young and healthy.
Woody? Avery's voice was heard through Woody's walkie-talkie. Are you still here?
Woody didn't respond. Instead, he flies away from the mummy, only to have the mummy trap the woodpecker in bandages, mummifying him in the process. Woody lets out a woodpecker scream before the bandages wrap his beak shut. Woody tried to phase his way out of the bandages, but the bandages were no ordinary bandages. They were glowing green, which means that it prevented Woody to use his powers to escape as the bandages drag Woody inside the sarcophagus and sealed it shut. The mummy however unwraps himself to reveal a white man in white outfit – the same one that captured Buzz earlier. Buzz, Kendall, Wally and Woody are captured. Avery is the last one yet to be captured.
()()()()()
Woody? Avery tries to talk through her walkie-talkie to get Woody's respond.
It got nothing.
Avery couldn't help but feel worried. None of her friends have responded back to her, and she knew that Woody was right about something – what if something awful happened to them? The same awful thing that had already happened to Gwen? And before Avery knew it, she saw a black, bulky man in white outfit approaching her.
"What do you want?" Avery spoke to the black man.
The black man said nothing. Instead, he punches Avery in the face, knocking her out cold. He grabs Avery's body and then left. Not a single word, noise or living thing emerges in the empty halls of the museum.
Except four ghosts hovering from the ceiling. It was Tai-Changa, Isis, Jaguar and Amelia.
"This is not good," Tai-Changa whispers to the others. "Not good at all."
"Those guys must be so desperate to keep the gang from reaching the father of Gwen Axle." Jaguar replied.
"I'll report this to Gwen's father." Isis said as she starts flying down to the floor. "I think his name's Marcus."
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Amelia asked Isis. "The rest of us are heading to China, and we don't want you to miss out on the fun."
"I'll be fine. You guys go on without me."
Amelia sighs as she, Tai-Changa and Jaguar left Isis behind, leaving Isis to ponder her thoughts.
"Looks like Woody had worn himself out." Buzz said as he, Wally, Knothead and Splinter saw Woody sleeping on the couch.
"Will Woody be continuing the story tomorrow?" Knothead asked.
"We want to know how it ends." Splinter replied.
"Tomorrow after school, when Woody is up and running." Wally replied.
Knothead and Splinter then went upstairs and went to bed. Buzz left the house as Wally carries a sleeping Woody to his room and tucks the woodpecker in, then leaves the house. The story will be resumed tomorrow afternoon.
To be continued…
