103/104 55: A Child's Cry For Help?

Meanwhile, Dice, Mickey, Max and Olive were walking through the neighborhood of Paris, Texas.

"Like, where are we going, Dice?" Mickey asked.

"I've already told you, we're doing this to stay together...and to help Tommy." Said Dice.

"And what makes you think that Tommy is in need of our help?" Max asked.

"Because i'm a dog. I do know a bad situation when i see one." Said Dice.

"Is that why we're out running around the city? Because your dog instincts kicked in?" Mickey asked.

"No, it's more than that. Much more." Said Dice.

"Oh, yeah, lik what?" Max asked.

"Like the fact that Tommy is crying out for help." Said Dice.

"What makes you think that?" Mickey asked.

"Because of what happened last month." Said Dice.

"What do you mean 'what happened last month?' What happened?" Max asked.

"Dice, seriously, can't we just let whatever this is be handled by Rex and Gigi?" Mickey asked.

"No. Tommy has a serious problem,...and he is having feelings about it. And i have learned over the past four years that if you don't face your problems and fix them, they can be really bad for everybody." Said Dice.

"What does that mean?" Max asked.

"Look..." Began Dice before stopping in his tracks and turning to face his three siblings, who had also stopped in their tracks as well. "this is important. I feel like we can help this kid, okay? But ever since he got that magic kit, he's been staying to himself and shutting everyone out. The worst part is no one seems to be willing to look into that. It's like nobody cares. And i don't want to be one of them. I really like Tommy, and i don't want to be part of the reason that he turns out like Stacy or Cruella."

"It's sweet how much you care about Tommy. But he's having a very different childhood than any other kid." Said Mickey.

"Yeah. That's true. But...i understand darkness. And i just feel like this kid has some darkness buried inside him. And he's crying out for help." Said Dice.

"What makes you think that?" Max asked.

"Because of what happened last month...on May the 3'd." Dice began. "See, what had happened was this: Tommy and i were in his bedroom on the night of May 3'd,...and he and Rex were talking about Stacy being his real mother."
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May 3'd, (2024)

That night at the Miller residence, Tommy was up stairs in the boy's bedroom, sitting on his bed Indian style, with Dice sitting in front of him and Rex sitting on the bedside.

Tommy wore a gray and white striped long sleeve hooded shirt, with black jeans and black socks. The shirt's collar also had two black buttons. The bottom button was buttoned up while the top button was not.

"Why'd you wanna talk to me alone? Did i do something wrong?" Tommy asked.

"No, no, no. No, Tommy, you didn't do anything wrong. I have something to tell you." Rex began. "You know who your real mother is now, right? It's Stacy."

"I'm well aware. Don't worry. Dice and i will watch out for her. We already talked about it." Said Tommy.

"Yeah, i have no doubt." Said Rex.

"But...why isn't she here with us now?" Tommy asked.

"Cuz she's staying at her own place." Said Rex.

"But why couldn't she call from there?" Tommy asked.

"It's complicated." Said Rex.

"Something's wrong. My Mom isn't okay...is she?" Said Tommy.

"Your Mom is doing just fine." Said Rex.

"But at the same time she isn't." Said Tommy.

"She just got out of prison. She's on probation for the next three months, and she can't be around you until then. But she's a strong woman." Assured Rex.

Tommy then got off of his bed and went over to the window and looked out.

Rex turned to face the back of Tommy as the boy looked out the window. "You wanna tell me what's on your mind?" He asked, looking at the boy. However, the boy did not answer. "Okay, fine. You can pick the movie. Just this once, i'll make an exception." Said Rex.

Tommy turned away from the window and looked at Rex. "I was mad at her. All last year, i was mad at my Mom for leaving me."

"Come here, bud." Said Rex.

Tommy then went back over to the bed where Rex and Dice were sitting.

"Look...your Mom would understand that. I'm sure that she loves you. I know she...she knows that you're such a great kid. And you were just going through a tough time." Said Rex.

"But, maybe..." Tommy began.

"Maybe what?" Rex asked.

"Maybe she's gonna be having bad times too." Said Tommy.

"Okay, why would you say that?" Rex asked.

"Because of the curse. My Mom has a very, very bad curse on her." Said Tommy.

"Why would you think that? And who would put a curse on your mother anyway?" Rex asked.

"Cruella De ViL. She hated Stacy. She told me in a dream that if she didn't get what she wanted, something really bad would happen to my Mom. And it sounds like she was right." Said Tommy.

Rex and Dice just looked at Tommy with concern. More-so Dice than Rex.
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~BACK IN THE PRESENT~

"And that's what happened." Said Dice.

"Wow." Said Mickey.

"Creepy." Max added.

"I know, right? It was so weird." Said Dice.

"And you thought that that was enough to asume that Tommy was in danger and in need of help? All because of some dream he had about Cruella telling him that something bad was going to happen to Stacy?" Mickey asked.

"I don't even think it was a dream, i think it all too real." Said Dice.

"Oh, come on, Dice, get real." Said Max.

"I am being real. I really think Cruella told Tommy all of this. Not in a dream, but for real in real life." Said Dice.

"I think you're being overly dramatic, Dice." Said Max.

"What does that mean?" Dice asked as he stopped in his tracks, follow by his three younger siblings.

"Look...i won't deny that Tommy has been acting weird ever since he got that magic kit,...but he's just a kid and kids do the weirdest things. But at least they grow out of them." Said Max.

"Well, sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't. Look at Stacy. She's living proof that kids don't always grow out of things. And so are Cruella, Diane, Vivian, Linda, Donna, Helena, Richard and the Dark 13." Said Dice.

"Now don't go comparing Tommy to any of those goons. That's not fair." Said Mickey.

"That's not what i'm saying." Said Dice.

"That's how you're making it sound! Like he's gonna grow up to be a living nightmare over some dopey magic kit! Well, i've got news for you, Dice Miller! Tommy is a good kid and the sweetest little boy that i've ever met! He would never hurt anyone because that's not who he is. He's not one of the bad guys, it's not in him." Said Mickey.

"All villains start out like Tommy, Mickey." Dice began. "All villains start out good, kind, caring and sweet. But everytime Tommy shuts out the ones he loves, he pulls further away...to protect his secret that is hidden inside that magic kit. And he's more alone...and angrier because of it. And very soon...that secret is going to expose itself in a terrible, ugly way. And the whole town of Paris, Texas will look at each other and ask themselves "What happened? How could such a sweet little boy turn into such a dangerous, destructive person?" And the answer is...he grew up surrounded by many of them."

"I see your point. But why did you say very soon? What makes you think that the secert in that magic kit is soon to be revealed?" Max asked.

"Because...when i was listening in on Tommy, Gigi and Rex's conversation at the top of the stairs yesterday, Rex brought up the Venice Carnival that's in town this week, and asked Tommy if he wanted to perform his magic trick there. And Tommy agreed to it. Don't you guys get it, don't you understand? He's planning to unveil his secret at the Carnival in front of hundreds of people." Said Dice.

"But why would Tommy wanna do that?" Mickey asked.

"I don't think he wants to do it, but he probably thinks he doesn't have a choice. And that's where we come in. We'll be there today at the Venice Carnival to help Tommy, and at the same time, stop him from unveiling whatever is inside that canister. So are you with me?" Said Dice.

"I don't know. It sounds like a lot of work." Said Max.

"Tommy is our friend you guys? We have a responsibility now to him. And to all the lives these villains could destroy should they remain in this town and out on the streets. So are you in...or out?" Said Dice.

"...I'm in." Said Mickey.

"Likewise." Max added.

Olive barked, agreeing with her two twin brothers.

"Thanks, you guys. I knew i could count on you. Now come on. Let's go." Said Dice.

"Right." Said Mickey and Max.

But before the pups could move forward, someone hiding in the bushes fired a netgun and the net hit it's four targets, trapping them inside. As the puppies struggled to free themselves, the person holding the netgun stepped out of hiding from behind the bushes and into view, revealing himself as Vexen, the 4'th member of the Dark 13, and walked up to the net and looked down at the four puppies who were trapped inside.

"Well, well, well,...what do we have here?" Said Vexen, with an evil grin on his face.

Dice, Mickey, Max and Olive growled at Vexen as they struggled inside the net.

104
DALMATIANS
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