I'm Falling And I Can't Get Up
"This ought to be an interesting specimen for the docs," One of the guards remarked as they forcibly escorted Bubblegum through the corridors towards a research lab in the Ark. "Find out what makes her tick."
"This thing is really made of gum and human DNA? Remind me to never have a Double Mint again," Another guard scoffed.
The irony of all this is that's what would have done myself, Bubblegum thought to herself. And I have done things like this before.
"I'm not a thing," Bubblegum said with authority. "I'm a princess."
"Sure you are, princess…" The first guard mocked.
In the future Bubblegum decided that she would be much gentler with her subjects during her research experiments.
"FINE! I SLIPPED OFF MY DIET! ARE YOU HAPPY?" The Ice King was heard yelling from the examination room. "I'M A FAT! FAT! FATTY! FAT! FAT!"
As Bubblegum was escorted into the examination room she saw the Ice King grab his robe back. He was wearing the blue boxers Marceline had given him and he looked thin and emaciated. "Now if you don't mind I'd like to cover my love handles!" He snapped as he put the robe back on.
The shocked looks of the doctors at his thin body and his obvious low self-esteem told Bubblegum that there might be a chance of reaching some of the doctors here. But she didn't dare hold onto too much hope.
"Tim this…used to be human?" A nurse gasped as she looked at the Ice King.
"According to Betty…yes," Tim looked horrified. "I met him before when he was…Not this."
"My name is the Ice King!" The Ice King snapped. He looked at Bubblegum. "Can you believe it Gunter? The nerve of these people!"
Bubblegum was stunned at the Ice King not recognizing her. She was shoved forward by the guard. "Got another freak for you to study," He grunted.
"That's a royal freak to you buddy!" Ice King snapped and blew a raspberry. "Don't you know you have to bow to royalty? Tell 'em Gunter! Tell 'em to bow down to ya!"
"Gunter?" Dr. Nadal blinked.
"I'm Princess Bubblegum. Gunter is…his penguin," Bubblegum explained.
"That explains the smell…" One of the guards grumbled.
"I see…" Tim frowned. "Betty was right. He isn't well."
"Mentally anyway. His body has clearly adapted for survival in cold climates beyond anything we can imagine," Dr. Nadal was impressed. "Even being underweight as he is he has remarkable stamina."
"That's cause I take my vitamins!" Ice King said proudly.
"What interests me is that weird sound his heart makes," Dr. Nadal frowned. "If I didn't know better I would say it was made of maracas."
"Sinews and toffee actually. That's because it's an artificial heart," Bubblegum explained. "I made it myself when the Ice King…couldn't use his old heart anymore."
"You made an artificial heart?" Dr. Nadal was stunned. "You know about scientific and biological principles?"
"Of course I do. I'm a scientist. My family helped engineer the Candy People race. Science is in our blood," Bubblegum said.
"You have blood?" Dr. Nadal was stunned.
"Liquid sugar blood but still blood. What did you think we had? No, don't answer that," Bubblegum stopped him. "This is why Barton let so very few humans interact with the outside world. So you wouldn't know. So you would have no idea there were people living in the lands you want to conquer."
"Conquer? What do you mean?" Dr. Nadal asked.
"I mean that your leaders want to use your research to enable them to take our homes and enslave the people who live there," Bubblegum said.
"Shut up you!" A guard growled.
"Why? It's true isn't it? What are you afraid of?" Bubblegum challenged. "That humans may not be the rightful owners of the Earth? That you're not alone on this planet and other species have just as much rights as you do?"
"That's telling them Gunter!" Ice King whooped. "End species suppression! Penguins are people too!"
"Why you little…" The guard went towards Bubblegum.
"That's enough! I don't want her damaged," Dr. Nadal stood in front of Bubblegum. "When I want your help I will ask for it. Understood?"
"But she…" The guard sputtered.
"I think you should wait outside," Dr. Nadal said with authority. "If I need you I will call you. I don't think they'll give us any trouble."
"We have orders to guard the prisoners," Another guard spoke.
"You can guard them outside the room and make sure they don't escape while we do our work," Dr. Nadal said sternly. "Or are you really afraid of an old blue man and a young candy girl?"
"We'll be listening," The guard growled. "At the first hint of trouble…" They went out of the room.
"Thank you," Bubblegum said sincerely.
"I only wish I could do more," Dr. Nadal frowned. "We had no idea…"
"I understand," Bubblegum nodded.
"It's okay Gunter," Ice King patted her hand. "I won't let them hurt you. It will be okay. You'll see. We'll be rescued soon by…by…What was that boy's name? Billy! Yes good ol' Billy will rescue us!"
Bubblegum was stunned. "Maybe even a princess will rescue us?" The Ice King looked far away. "Wouldn't that be nice Gunter? A princess coming to our rescue."
"What did you do to him?" Bubblegum gasped.
"Nothing. Just examined him and took some blood samples," Tim said. "He was pretty banged up when they brought him in here."
Just then General Barton and Damon entered the room with the guards. "What the devil did you send the guards away for?" General Barton barked.
"They were interfering in our examinations," Dr. Nadal said simply. "Clearly these people aren't any threat."
Damon made a scoffing noise. "You have that right!"
"Sir if you want information I suggest you have your men wait outside so we can do our work in peace without any interruptions," Dr. Nadal said with authority.
"Scientific curiosity will have to wait. We need to interrogate the prisoners," General Barton gave the Ice King a stony glare.
"What do you wanna know? I know two plus two is four! Four plus four is eight…" Ice King rambled. "Eight and eight is…something. Something and something is thirty two…"
"Shut up old man!" A guard snapped.
"First you want me to talk, then you don't want me to talk," The Ice King waved. "Make up your minds already!"
"Oh I can't wait to get you to start talking, Petrikov," Damon snarled.
"Who-kov?" The Ice King blinked. "I think you're confusing me with someone else buddy."
"No," Dr. Nadal said. "I will not allow it."
"What do you mean you won't allow it?" General Barton snarled.
"This man," Dr. Nadal said calmly with authority. "Is clearly not only physically but mentally ill. What you are asking me to do violates every bit of the Hippocratic oath I swore to uphold. And as long as I am Head Doctor I will uphold it. If you want to replace me, go ahead but remember no one else here has half the experience or the talent I do."
The general was about to snarl but Damon held him back. "He's right. Besides this…Ice King isn't a real threat to us as long as he doesn't have the crown. In fact he wasn't much of a threat before the crown. Just a pathetic shell of a man."
"This one on the other hand," Damon turned to Bubblegum. "Has much more information and is clearly a scientific genius. We could use her. She could give us valuable information."
"Stay away from her," Ice King growled. "Gunter! Get behind me!" He put himself in front of Bubblegum.
"We don't have time for this nonsense," General Barton made a motion. The guards advanced on the Ice King and dispatched him easily with several blows.
"NO!" Bubblegum gasped.
"STOP THIS NOW!" Dr. Nadal yelled as the soldiers threw the Ice King to the ground and savagely kicked him.
"I'm sorry Gunter…" The Ice King croaked weakly. "I…tried." He passed out.
"ICE KING!" Bubblegum tried to go to him but was restrained by the two soldiers.
"You didn't have to use that much force on him!" Dr. Nadal snapped as he tended to the Ice King. "He was in no real shape to fight back."
"He's just an animal," Damon scoffed.
"No, whatever else he may be he's still a man," Dr. Nadal snapped. "He's still a person and so is she!" He pointed to Bubblegum.
"I'm just going to take that outburst coming from your complete devotion to your oath and your complete lack of knowledge about the situation," General Barton glared at him. "Dr. Handstrom will be more than capable of assisting me with the interrogation."
"What are you going to do to her?" Dr. Nadal frowned.
"Nothing too violent. Just something to make her more…cooperative," General Barton made a sinister smirk at Bubblegum.
Now Bubblegum was truly afraid.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Where is everybody?" Marceline floated to the Ice Kingdom just after the sun set. "I checked around the tree house and the Candy Kingdom and nobody knows where anyone is. I wonder…"
"Hello?" Marceline floated into the Ice Castle. "Man this place is more of a mess than usual. I've only been in the Nightosphere for a few hours…"
"WENK! WENK! WAK! WAK!" Penguins were running around frantically.
"WAK! WENK! WAK!" Gunter was directing penguins everywhere, frantically waving her flippers.
"Gunter what's going on? What happened?" Marceline asked. She looked through the penguin's memories. "NO!"
"Wak! Wak!" Gunter took out the demonic wishing eye from its hiding place. Several penguins emerged as well as Kitten.
"I'm with you Gunter," Marceline nodded. "Hold on, is there an extra ghost pouch around here somewhere?"
"Wenk," Gunter nodded and got the ghost pouch out of the hiding place underneath the Ice King's throne. She handed it to Marceline.
"Thanks Gunter," Marceline growled. "Those humans made a huge mistake kidnapping the Ice King. We're going to war!"
"WENK!" The penguins made a resounding cheer through the castle.
