Author's note: This chapter is a bit long. I was originally going to divide it into two chapters, but given the story line, I thought it would be better if it was all under one chapter. Plus, I didn't want the suspense to kill everyone, lol.
Responses to Reviews/Respondiendo a los comentarios:
Cre8ivelybankrupt87: Yup. Like that old song used to say, "we ain't nothing but mammals, so let us do it like they do it in the Discovery Channel", lol.
Yes, that's why I wrote this chapter, to let everyone know this is no small matter for Helga. She is usually a very resilient person, but this one is really tearing her apart.
Yup, that's why Dr. Bliss called her an 'angel'.
Nah, I think that pink bow is lost now.
LOL, oh man I just can picture it. Curly is alone and tied up and then he suddenly hears Brainy's wheezing from behind and then POW! He knocks him out and then says, "Really? Is Brainy the best you got?"
Guest: Gracias! Pero, a que ver que decide Helga.
Sstockbridge1986: No Castaki (Castile/Pataki)? lol
Veganmama: Thank you so much! This is also one of my favorite chapters. It wasn't easy to make and it went through several revisions. Given what I wanted to show, it had to be perfect, lol.
Guest: No Castaki (Castile/Pataki)? lol
The next day...
Arnold woke up that morning with a sore headache. He had been waking up like this for the past couple of days now. The only difference with this one was that he had his headache before he went to bed last night. The stress was no doubt getting to him and even more no doubt about a particular someone who was aggravating it. Arnold wanted nothing more than to just lay there, free of any worry, of any work, or any stress. He just wanted to spend the day resting. But alas, it was not to be. No, he had work to do. Until his friends and the neighbourhood was saved, there was no time for any leisure.
With whatever strength he was able to muster, he groaned as he got up and made his way to get himself ready for the grueling task that lay ahead.
At the very least, Arnold had the morning all to himself. Until he received confirmation from City Hall for the permit to be approved, he had little else in the way of organizing his remaining supporters. Also, he had to wait for Brainy to text him when Rodrigo and his group were going to Eddie's High-Tech shop. So, he spent what little time he had to relax, watched some TV and just spent time with his grandparents.
After a while, Arnold went back into his room to relax. He lied down on his bed, put on some old classic jazz music. The day was brightly sunny, with small, white puffy clouds floating by in the sky; a perfect day to allow your mind to roam free. As it occurred many times when he was a kid, Arnold could stare deep into the beautiful sky and essentially lose himself there, away from all of his worries and woes, away from any distraction. This was his sanctuary, a place he could go and clear him mind, recharge his batteries and continue moving forward with the same usual positive attitude; a place where he could...dream. As he continued starting out in the blue sky while listening to some slow jazz music, he hoped that his mind would wonder somewhere relaxing and peaceful. It did not.
Much to his annoyance, Arnold's mind soon wondered to the one place he didn't feel like going to; his resentment towards the Latino kid. Despite Lila's words of encouragement, it did little to stave off that feeling of bitterness and rancour that he still possessed for that kid.
Why can't I get these feelings out of me?! He frustratingly thought. What is it about this guy that is causing me to be so hostile towards him? Am I really that jealous? It can't be. I've known what jealousy feels like and this feels to be far worse than that. This feels like it's...personal. But, he didn't do anything wrong! He's not a bad person but I can't help but continue to see him that way, as if he did something do me.
Is Rodrigo right? Am I being a total hypocrite about organizing this protest? Why am I so bent on it? I know it failed before and I have this gut feeling that it's going to fail again, but...I can't convince myself to get out of it. Something is pushing me to keep moving forward with this, as if my life depends on it.
Arnold just sighed, frustrated about how he was feeling.
Maybe I should just tell people; He continued to think. About the real reason why I am here. I mean, I already did kind of tell them, so why not take it a step further?
However, Arnold soon let out a sigh and pushed that idea away.
I can't. I'm just too ashamed to admit it. It makes me feel like an immature child! Besides, I don't know how people will react to this, especially Rodrigo and Helga, more so Helga. I honestly have no idea what she will say to me if I told them why I came here...
Arnold again just led out another, only this time it was a defeated sigh, and then just turned around to his side and tried to take his mind off of this. He didn't need this added burden on his shoulders. He had a neighbourhood to save.
Noon...
Once it was past noon, much to Arnold's relief, it was down to business. Arnold called his friends and asked them to meet up at his place as soon as possible. He was expecting Brainy to text him any time now and he wanted everyone to be ready when he did.
Despite being worried for Rodrigo, he was still bitterly angry at him for putting himself and their friends at risk like this. Even worse, he now had to divert his attention onto him in order to save him and his own plan, time he could have used to further organize everyone to stop Von Scheck. He could have tried going to City Hall again and attempt to see the Mayor in order to get his permit approved. But instead, he now had to sit in his own room, waste a whole day so as to confront Rodrigo.
Arnold had to use any ounce of his patience to not allow his anger get the better of him; especially now. If he was going to talk to Rodrigo, he had to do it when he was calm and clear headed. Otherwise, it would lead to another conflict.
Soon enough, Gerald, Phoebe, Eugene, Harold, Sheena and Nadine arrived.
"Hey Arnold." Gerald greeted him. "Any news yet from Brainy?"
"Hey Gerald. No, nothing yet." Arnold said. "But I'm hoping he'll let us know soon."
At Rhonda's mansion...
Brainy had managed to sneak his way into Rhonda's property again to listen in. Rodrigo and everyone else were also there, waiting for that call. While the group relaxed inside the room with the AC, Brainy had to endure the rising heat of the hot, summer sun. Luckily for him, he not only brought a water bottle with him, he also had the capacity to endure such heat. After all, given the amount of experience he had with stalking Helga, this was something he was used to.
Finally, after an hour of waiting, Curly's cell finally rang.
"Yello?" Curly answered. "You got it? Can we come now? Yes, we have your money. OK. we'll be there soon."
*Click*
"Oh ya, were in business baby." Curly said happily. "He's got the software program and the gadget that we'll need to get past Von Scheck's security system."
"Great. Let's go now and get this over with." Rodrigo said.
Everyone then gathered their things and headed straight for the door. Brainy, upon hearing this, quickly texted Arnold.
Back in Arnold's room...
Arnold's cell vibrated. He quickly grabbed it and opened to see Brainy's message.
"They're on their way." Arnold said to everyone.
"Are you planning on meeting up with them before they get there?" Gerald asked.
"No. They'll get there before we can talk to them." Arnold said. "We'll confront them after."
With that, everyone then quickly made their way out of the boarding house, onto the street and then went to confront their former comrades.
"Uh hey Arnold? You got a backup plan in case if Rodrigo refuses to listen to us?" Gerald asked as they continued making their way to Eddie's.
"Nope." Arnold said. "Everything depends on him hearing us out. At the very least, we'll think something up as we go long."
Gerald just groaned. He couldn't help it, but he got a bad feeling about this. Not only did he think Rodrigo was not going to listen, but he felt that this will turn into something much worse. Nevertheless, he and Arnold had always managed to squeeze their way out of trouble. He at least had the confidence that whatever happens, they'll have each other's back.
Meanwhile...
Brainy quietly and closely followed Rodrigo as they made their way to Eddie's shop. Throughout their trip, none had any clue he was behind them. Even when they got on the bus, the group was still oblivious to Brainy, although the wheezing teen had to use some newspapers in order to conceal himself.
Brainy texted Arnold again to let him know which bus they took and in order to give him a clue where they were going.
Upon arriving at their destination, the group got off. Brainy quickly again texted Arnold a message as to their whereabouts and just barely managed to get off the bus, right when the door was closing. As a result, he very nearly tripped, causing Lorenzo to look back. But luckily, Brainy managed to hide himself behind an adult who was just standing at the bus stop. Lorenzo didn't give it a second thought and continued walking.
Phew! Brainy thought, feeling relieved.
Once he had the all clear, he continued with spying on them. As he continued walking behind them, he quickly realized that where ever Eddie's store was, for some strange reason it was by the harbour. He could see the Skookumchuck River at the far off distance and he could see the storage facilities as well as the locking docks, although he was still some distance away.
Uh, this is such a weird place to have an electronic store. Brainy thought, feeling very suspicious if not worried.
Brainy had every reason to be feeling suspicious. They were on the side of the harbour that had not been in use for decades. It was completely abandoned. To add to the worry, they were in a place that had a haunting past.
"We're not even inside the place yet and it's already giving me the creeps." Rhonda shuddered as they approached the harbour.
The same concern and eerily feeling was not lost to Rodrigo's entire group. The only source of comfort was the Sun's rays that illuminated the entire area, pushing away any areas of darkness or shadows that would have otherwise driven the group into fear and paranoia, making it just bearable to walk through it.
"Same here." Patty remarked as she rubbed her arms, feeling really uneasy.
"Let's get this over with and get out of here." Rhonda nervously remarked.
"Yeah, I feel the same way." Lorenzo remarked, also feeling uneasy. "Especially after what happened here."
"What happened here?" Rodrigo asked.
"You don't know?" Park asked, surprised at this, to which Rodrigo just shook his head.
"Ever heard of the Pig war?" Curly asked him.
"Yeah." Rodrigo replied.
"Well, when we were fighting the British for Elk Island," Curly began to explain, "we managed to capture Fort Porcero and the Island from them. To retake it back, the Brits tried to cut the Island off from the mainland by making an amphibious landing on this very place. So long as the British had a foothold on this side of the river, we weren't able to reinforce the fort, so pushing the British back became crucial. Which is why this place then became the center of a very bloody battle."
After crossing the street that separated the city from the abandoned harbour, the group then suddenly turned into an alleyway. Brainy initially thought that it was a trap and waited for the group to make their way deeper into the alley. Once they were far enough, he quietly entered it and began to follow them. As he continued to walk inside, he realized just how quiet and narrow the alleyway was. Thinking that perhaps this was a good place for Rodrigo and Arnold to talk without any interference, he quickly texted Arnold the direction to get to the alleyway and wait for them.
"What exactly happened in that battle?" Rodrigo asked.
"We're not sure." Lorenzo said. "We don't even know who won. What we do know is that the battle lasted for hours and there were few survivors on both sides. I read somewhere of one soldier who survived, when he was asked what happened, all he was able to say was, 'it wasn't a battle; it was murder'.
"Oh." Rodrigo said with a stunned and uneasy tone. "That sounds terrible."
"It was." Curly remarked. "But, it gets worse. The area where the battle took place soon became a no man's land between us and the British. Because of that, neither side was able to help the wounded or bury the dead. They just lied there, rotting under the heat and sun and becoming food for the crows."
*caw**caw**caw*
Just then, a few crows then suddenly appeared from above and landed on top of the buildings the created the alleyway, seemingly waiting and looking down on them. The group in turn watched with worrying eyes as they passed them. The whole spectacle only further antagonized them and made them as much more uneasy.
Rhonda said nothing but just shuttered under the heavy mental strain of the seeing dead bodies rotting in her mind. She caressed her arms, trying her best to comfort herself.
"But, we eventually managed to kick the Brits out, so I guess it all worked out in the end." Curly continued.
"Not really." Park then said. "This side of the harbour used to be very busy during the Second World War. About a decade after, with the war now over, this place closed down and many people lost their jobs. Not surprisingly, this place quickly became the epicenter for criminal organizations to use to make their businesses or to 'take care' of some people. Luckily the police eventually shut them down."
"Jeez." Rodrigo said, now growing even more uneasy. "I didn't realize this place had such a bad reputation."
"Oh yeah." Curly then spoke again. "That's why given its history, and also that the river's current has a tendency to bring in cold water, the people who live close by have given this place a rather appropriate name."
"What is it?" Rodrigo asked.
"Cold Harbour." Curly answered.
That name made Rodrigo shiver in fear and sent a cold chill down his spine and he wasn't alone in that sensation. Practically everyone else felt the same dreadful and eerily feeling.
"You guys are right." Rodrigo then said. "Let's get what we need and get out of here."
Pretty soon, the group made their way out of the alleyway and to the other side. It was a short cut and the tall buildings provide much needed shade and relief from the Sun's rays.
Once they emerged from the alleyway, the abandoned harbour revealed it full decaying ugliness. No one was around, even though the area wasn't locked, nor was it restricted to the public. The lack of people and the deathly silence only served to increase the nervousness and uneasiness among the teens. The facilities, train tracks, abandoned vehicles and other big equipment that were still around were rusting and dilapidated. There was garbage everywhere.
"How much further?" Rhonda asked with highly uneasy, if not fearful tone.
"Not much further." Curly said, noticing her fear. "It should be right about...there!"
Finally, they made it to Eddie's.
"Alright, you ladies stay here while Rodrigo and I go inside." Curly said. "I don't want make the guy nervous if all of us go inside."
Everyone else just agreed and waited outside of the shop while Rodrigo and Curly went inside.
Brainy went to the other side of the road and using the wall of the building, hid himself from view. He quickly texted Arnold again to let him know that Rodrigo made it to the shop and went inside.
It didn't take long before Rodrigo and Curly came back outside, only this time, Curly had a black bag with him. No doubt those were the software and hardware programs and other equipment they just purchased.
"Alrighty." Curly said. "We got what we came here for. So, let's get back to Rhonda's house and see if these babies work."
Rodrigo and everyone else then began to head back.
Brainy again texted Arnold to let them know that they were heading back.
Rodrigo and his group quietly walked back virtually the same way they came. Brain had to stay closely behind them to see if they were going to go back into that same alleyway. If not, Brainy then had to inform Arnold about it. However, much to his relief, Rodrigo and his group did enter the same alleyway again. Brainy sent his final text to Arnold before then running around the entire way in order to rendezvous with his group on the other side before Arnold confronted him.
"Dude, those gadgets weren't cheap." Sid remarked when Curly told them the price.
"I'll say." Rhonda frowned as she was the one who paid for them. "These things better work."
"Oh, they will. Trust me." Curly said as he grinned. "These are high-tech gadgets and they will make short work of Von Scheck's security system. We just need to be careful with them. They are a bit delicate and could easily get damaged."
"Make sure you don't drop them, Curly." Rhonda firmly said to him. "We're not going back to buy other ones."
"With any luck, we won't need to, Rhonda." Rodrigo said. "By tomorrow, we'll gather all the evidence we need to put that guy back in pri..."
"Rodrigo!" Arnold then shouted, just as he turned a corner inside the alley, revealing himself and coming into full view.
"What the...? Arnold?!" Rodrigo exclaimed shockingly.
"Arnold! What's he doing here?" Curly, also shocked, exclaimed.
Everyone else remained virtually silent as they were just as stunned on seeing Arnold right in front of them. However, before they had a chance to even say anything, Gerald, Phoebe, Harold, Eugene, Sheena, Nadine and then Brainy came into view, thereby blocking their path.
When Arnold revealed himself, he took a deep breath and exhaled out, preparing himself to face off with Rodrigo in the most calming manner that he was always known for.
OK Arnold, just take it easy and be calm. Arnold thought to himself. You're not here to fight or argue with him. You are just here to get them to stop what they are doing.
"What is this?" Sid remarked, looking increasingly worried.
"It's a trap, that's what it is!" Curly exclaimed in a panicking tone. "We need to make a break for it."
"No it's not a trap, Curly." Arnold calmly said to him. "We just want to talk."
"We've got nothing to say to you." Rodrigo firmly said to him.
"But I do." Arnold countered. "Look, I know you're still angry with me over what happened at City Hall, but you're going about this the wrong way."
"What are you talking about?" Rodrigo asked.
"You know what I'm talking about." Arnold said. "We know you are planning on sneaking into the FTI building."
The news quickly shocked Rodrigo and everyone else in their group.
How does he know about that?! Rodrigo thought angrily. Did someone tell him? OK, just keep calm. It's not so bad. Just deny it and say we are going to try and sneak into City...
"How do you know about that?!" Sid shockingly exclaimed and demanded out of the blue. "Who told you?!"
Rodrigo just frustratingly sighed and groaned.
Well, so much for that. He thought.
"It doesn't matter, Sid." Arnold said. "The point is we know what you are up to and we can't stand by and allow you to do it."
"It was Rhonda, wasn't it?" Sid said, still demanding to know who told him. "I knew it!"
"Hey!" Rhonda exclaimed annoyingly. "We're not doing this again, you little twerp!"
"No, it wasn't Rhonda." Arnold said. "We're not getting into how we know. It's pointless now."
"Rodrigo," Arnold then faced him and with a calming look, "you can't break into that building; it's too dangerous. You know how much of a risk it would be if you do that. That place is guarded like a fortress. Von Scheck will no doubt have that entire place on full alert, especially after the stunt you pulled at City Hall."
"Thanks for the warning, Arnold." Rodrigo said. "But, it has now gotten to the point where this is the only option. I have you to thank for that. Because of your little intervention, there is now no choice but to do this."
"You don't even know how to get around the building!" Arnold countered. "How do you expect to find what you are looking for when you don't know your way?"
"Come with us." Rodrigo said.
"What?" Arnold asked, surprised.
"You know how to get around that place; you and Gerald. It would help us a lot if you can act as our guide. You know how some of their security system works. Come with us." Rodrigo offered.
"Rodrigo, that was several years ago." Arnold said. "I don't really remember how to get around that place, let alone how sophisticated their security system is now."
"Better than nothing." Rodrigo suggested.
"No!" Arnold said firmly. "Even with my and Gerald's help, it's still very risky. Whatever we remember about that place won't help you get past their security system. Rodrigo please, stop this."
"Alright, let me get this straight;" Rodrigo said, ignoring Arnold's plea, "you want me to stop my plan to break into FTI? If that's the case, I'm assuming that would mean you have another plan?"
"I do." Arnold said, albeit cautiously. "We're organizing another protest."
"Where?" Rodrigo asked, trying not to yet scoff at him.
"In front of the FTI building." Arnold answered.
Oh brilliant! What a brilliant plan, football head! Rodrigo sarcastically thought.
"When?" Rodrigo asked, again trying to remain calm.
"I...don't know." Arnold said sheepishly. "I submitted the permit...but it hadn't yet been approved. My last permit got approved only because I gave it directly to the Mayor."
For a few seconds, there was virtual silence between the two groups. Rodrigo just stood there, staring at Arnold, while the football head anxiously waited for him to respond.
"Hahahahahahaha!" Rodrigo then suddenly burst out laughing, much to everyone's surprise and to Arnold's annoyance.
"You have got to be joking! Hahahahaha!" Rodrigo said while continuing to laugh while his group looked at him weirdly.
"This is not funny, Rodrigo." Arnold sternly said to him while frowning at him.
"No, it's not." Rodrigo then seriously said as he instantly stopped laughing. "This is actually very sad. What hope do you expect to gain from this? You're permit is never going to be approved. Whomever is working at City Hall works for Von Scheck and they will surely block it, just like the last time. You either have gotten more naive than when you were a kid, or just plain stupid. Perhaps spending all that time in the jungle blinded you from the realities of living in a big city."
"At least I'm not putting my friends at risk, like you are!" Arnold angrily shouted back. "You're so obsessed with putting Von Scheck to prison that you don't care who gets hurt in the process! You don't care about your friends, or the people that live in our neighbourhood!"
"I can't be in two places at once." Rodrigo said calmly. "I either care about our friends, or put that psychopath to prison and save everyone's homes. That is the risk we all agreed to take when we took up this mantle.." Rodrigo said without flinching. "Again, no thanks to you."
"What about Helga?" Arnold then calmly said to him.
"What about her?" Rodrigo asked, trying not to act surprised.
"How do you think she would feel about all of this? How would she feel if her own boyfriend was behind bars?" Arnold asked. "How would you be able to be there for her then?"
Rodrigo angrily snarled at Arnold for having the nerve to bring Helga up, but went quiet and began to ponder about what Arnold said. He took his hat off, rubbed his long, black hair, and then put it back. Finally, after thinking it over,
"OK, fine." He groaned to Arnold, much to his groups' surprise.
"What?!" Sid exclaimed in shock, but Rodrigo ignored him.
"We'll cancel our plan." Rodrigo softly confirmed..
"Are you serious, Rodrigo?!" Patty angrily, softly exclaimed, but again Rodrigo ignored his peers.
"Really?" Arnold asked, surprised, but starting to feel relieved that he finally got through Rodrigo.
"Yes." Rodrigo responded back calmly. "We won't go there to break – Rhonda, Curly!" Before he then quickly turned to face Curly and Rhonda. "Run!" He yelled at them.
Rhonda and Curly at first didn't respond, nor did they move as they were still comprehending what was happening.
"What?" Rhonda confusingly asked.
"Get back to the mansion with all the stuff we bought!" Rodrigo yelled at them. "Run, I said!"
That finally made them snap out of it.
"Oh right, right." Rhonda said as she and Curly then began to run back from where they came.
"Make sure none of them pass us." Rodrigo directed to the rest of his team, to which everyone else nodded and prepared themselves.
"Rhonda, wait! Please don't do this!" Nadine called out to her, but it was too late. Rhonda had already left the scene with Curly.
Determined to stop and talk to her,
"I'll stop them." Nadine said, as she ran the opposite way in order to catch them.
"I'll help Nadine out." Phoebe then said and ran after her, leaving a bewildered Arnold behind them with no time for him to react or say anything.
Everything happened so fast that Arnold barely had any time to register what had just happened. By the time he did so, the events were now out of his control. He never gave Phoebe or Nadine instructions to follow them. That was something that they took upon themselves to do, leaving Arnold with no choice but to accept the outcome.
As Nadine and Phoebe chased after Rhonda and Curly, Arnold faced Rodrigo with a glaring face, now more frustrated than ever at how things were quickly getting out of control.
This was the exact opposite of what he wanted to do; get into a physical alteration with Rodrigo. Now, he was starting to feel there might be nothing else for him to do...
Curly and Rhonda...
Curly and Rhonda quickly made their back onto the main street, but did not stop. Turning a corner, they continued running as fast as they could.
"Ugghhh, if I had known I was going to be sprinting today, I would have not worked out this morning!" Rhonda complained while breathing heavily.
"You're the one to complain!" Curly said to her. "At least you're physically fit. I'm not cut out for this."
"Roddy had me worried there for a second." Curly continued. "I thought for sure he was going to back down for Helga. Lucky for him, he didn't. Now I don't have to take over this operation myself, hehehehe."
The duo then made another turn, then ran across the street and kept heading towards towards the nearest bus stop.
"I see the bus stop!" Rhonda exclaimed happily. But, her euphoria was short lived.
Nadine and Phoebe then suddenly burst out from the other end of the alleyway, crossed street and stopped right in front of Rhonda and Curly, blocking their path.
"Gotcha!" Phoebe declared.
"Rhonda, we need to talk." Nadine said while panting.
"I've got nothing to say to you." Rhonda angrily retorted back.
Both Rhonda and Curly look around to find an escape route.
"Quick! In here!" Curly said as he pointed to the entrance of another alleyway. Both teens then started running right into it, much to Nadine's and Phoebe's frustration.
"Oh boy. Here we go again." Phoebe remarked as she and Nadine started running after them.
Curly was not exaggerating when he said he wasn't cut out for this type of physical endurance. Not having really been to the gym in a long time, his lack of physical fitness started to show. The heat wasn't helping him. No sooner had they entered the second alleyway when Curly starting panting more and more heavily, all while starting to lag behind.
"I...can't...keep going." Curly panted, but still continued to run. However, he soon turned and saw both Phoebe and Nadine catching up.
"Oh crud." He groaned.
Rhonda at first didn't notice Curly lagging further and further behind. But when she finally did, she suddenly stopped and ran back to him.
"Curly, what are you doing?!" She exclaimed. "Keep running. They are gaining up on us!"
"I...don't think...I can." He said while panting. "It's the heat...It's too much. Here, make the bag and make a run for it."
"What?" Rhonda said in shock. "Fat chance, Curly. We're in this together. I'm not leaving you."
Did...I just say that? Rhonda thought to herself, surprised by her own words.
This wasn't lost to Curly either. Although probably just due to the adrenaline and suspense, her words nevertheless made him smile. This was one of the few times Rhonda was ever actually concerned for him and he was not going to dismiss it.
"Thanks sugar." Curly said while still breathing heavily. "But, there's no time for this. They'll soon be upon us and we need to make sure these get back to your house safely. Otherwise, this while operation goes down the rabbit hole."
"No!" Rhonda said firmly, much to both teens' surprise. "Come on, run faster." She said as she grabbed his hand and pulled him in order to get him to run faster.
What is it with me? Rhonda thought. Why am I so concerned for him? It's only Phoebe and Nadine that are chasing us. It's not like they will torture him if they catch him. More like the other way around.
Curly however, was now reaching the end of his ropes. He couldn't run as fast as he needed to in order to lose their chasers. Realizing that unless he did something drastic, Phoebe and Nadine would end up catching them both.
"Hey." Curly said to Rhonda, prompting her to turn around. The second she did that,
*Mmuuaahhh*
He leaned in, grabbed her by the arms and placed a passionate kiss on her lips.
"Pour bonne chance." (For good luck.) He said swooningly. Rhonda however, was not at all impressed.
"Uugghhh! You little freak!" Rhonda angrily shouted at him before she slapped him right across his face.
"Don't you ever kiss me again!" She yelled at him with glaring eyes.
"There they are!" Phoebe then shouted, grabbing Rhonda's attention.
"Go! Run!" Curly shouted at her and gestured to leave him.
Despite being angry for that kiss, Rhonda was still hesitant to leave him. However, realizing that the crazy teen was right, she grabbed the bag from him, looked at him one more time, a stare that had both anger, but also remorse for leaving him, before she then made a dash for it.
Curly just snickered as he saw Rhonda running. He then got up and tried to run as well.
Yup, still got it. He thought to himself confidently.
"Offf!" Curly grunted when he suddenly felt someone just grab him, forcing him to fall down to the ground again.
"I got you!" Phoebe shouted when she grabbed him. She quickly looked around for that bag that she saw Curly had a moment ago. But to her disappointment, it was not with him.
"Looking for something? Hahahahahahahaha!" Curly chuckled maniacally with a grin.
"Nadine! Rhonda has the bag." Phoebe shouted.
"Got it." Nadine acknowledged and continued running after her former best friend.
As Curly was being apprehended, Rhonda turned a corner and continued to run, but then suddenly stopped when she saw what was right in front of your.
"Ohh, you've got to be kidding!" She exclaimed exasperatingly when she saw that there was a big, tall metal fence that barred her way...unless she climbed over it.
Not wasting any time, she ran up to it. Seeing as how there was trash, cans, and filled garbage bags on both sides, she ran to the middle where there was a clear path and began her ascend. This fence wasn't like any other fence. For some stupid reason, it was way higher than it usually is; almost three stories high.
Although not being a stranger to climbing fences, Rhonda was having a hard time. The flat sandals that she was wearing were not made for climbing. Having a flat and somewhat slippery bottom, Rhonda had to mostly use her arms and hands in order to pull herself up, which slowed her down.
"I picked the wrong day to wear these sandals." She bitterly complained. "I just had to wear them. Could have wore more appropriate footwear, but nnoooo, I had to go for the ones that matched my top!"
"Rhonda!" Nadine called to her when she reached the fence. Rhonda looked down but didn't say anything before then resorting to continue her climb.
Seeing as how she wasn't stopping, Nadine resorted to climbing up after her. Unlike Rhonda, Nadine had shoes which had a firmer grip, allowing her to climb faster.
"Rhonda, please!" Nadine pleaded, but Rhonda didn't bother to respond.
I'm almost there! Rhonda thought to herself when she saw the top.
Encouraged, Rhonda climbed faster, trying to get over the top before Nadine got to her. Using all of her arms' strength, she continued her ascend, despite now being tired, thirsty and sweaty. Finally, she grabbed the top of the fence. She made it! Rhonda smiled that she was very nearly there, until she suddenly felt someone grab on to her foot, nearly forcing her to let go.
"Rhonda!" Nadine said while panting, having reached her before she could go to the other side.
"Nadine, what are you doing?" Rhonda shouted at her. "Let go!"
"No more running, Rhonda. Let's just climb back down so we can talk." Nadine firmly said.
"I've got nothing to say to you!" Rhonda angrily yelled at her.
"But I do!" Nadine firmly shouted back at her. "I'm sorry for betraying your trust. I never should have done it."
"It's too late for that now." Rhonda said back. "I don't trust you anymore. You put this whole thing before our friendship. Fine. I'm just returning the favour. Now, let go!"
"I will if you climb back down with me." Nadine said back. "Let me make it up to you!"
"No! I said let go!" Rhonda angrily shouted at her and using her other foot while still grabbing on, found Nadine's torso and pushed her away hard, forcing her to let go.
Unfortunately, the force was too great and it caused Nadine to slip, much to Nadine's horror.
"Aaaahhh! Rhonda!" Nadine frantically shouted at her as she fell right back down, crash landing right on top of ripped garbage bags, broken pile of bricks and rocks.
*Crash*Thumb**Cling*
Rhonda, still heavily focused on trying to make it to the other side, did not realize what just happened, other than feeling that Nadine had let go of her foot. Using that opportunity, she climbed up, went over to other side of the fence, and started to begin climbing down when,
"Ugh, dang it!" Rhonda angrily shouted when her top got stuck on the metal tip of the fence.
Rhonda then frantically began to pull or tried using one of her hands to get her top free. Finally, she lost her patience.
"Grrr, get off!" Rhonda angrily growled as she yanked herself hard, causing that piece of her top that was stuck to rip, freeing her.
However, the force made Rhonda bolt suddenly and she slipped, nearly falling, had it not been for her strong grip that allowed her to hang on. However, her other was arm was free and dangling, which just so happened to be where the bag was. It then suddenly fell from her shoulder and made it's way down. By the time Rhonda realized what was happening, it was too late. She tried to make a grab for it, but the bag was already away from her ability to grab it and it fell, hitting the ground with a loud crack.
"Oh no!" Rhonda shouted with dismay.
Rhonda then used her free arm to grab on to the fence and then started to make her way down, feeling completely frustrated and embittered that everything she had just gone through was for nothing.
She managed to climb down faster than she did trying to climb up, probably not really caring at this point if she fell. Once safely on the ground, she quickly went to the bag and opened it, remaining hopeful that the devices were OK.
"Oh...my...god..." Rhonda said softly with dismay as she peeked in. Rhonda examined the software program CD and realized that it was OK. But, the hardware equipment was either cracked or completely shattered.
While Rhonda was examining the hardware, Phoebe and Curly appeared in the scene. Phoebe had managed to tie Curly up with a lasso rope, so he for now, was immobile, other than being able to walk. Both teens looked around and saw Rhonda on the other side of the fence, but Nadine was no where to be found. Just then, something moved on their left side and they heard a groan.
"Nadine!" Phoebe gasped in horror when she realized where she was. No longer caring if Curly ran away or not, she quickly ran up to her.
When Rhonda heard her former best friend's name, that finally made her ponder what had happened to her. She was so preoccupied with trying to get down that she completely forgot about her. She turned to see where she was...
"Nadine, are you OK?" Phoebe worryingly asked her. She knelt down next to her.
Nadine just groaned. Her eyes were closed. But slowly, she came to, slowly opening her eyes.
"Phoebe?" Nadine finally, but softly spoke as she slowly turned towards her.
"Yes, I'm here." Phoebe said to her, relieved that she seemed to be OK.
Curly curiously walked a bit closer to them to get a better look.
Nadine slowly tried to get up,
"Ouch!" But she yelped in pain when she tried to use her left arm, only for her to feel a sharp pain.
In serious pain, she lied back down on the garbage and groaned.
"What's wrong?" Phoebe asked her.
"It's...my arm..." Nadine softly responded with a whimper. "I think it maybe broken." She said tearfully due to the pain.
"Do you hurt anywhere else?" Phoebe asked her.
"Just my left arm and head." Nadine whimpered.
"Can you get up?" Phoebe asked her.
"I think so." Nadine responded as she tried to sit up by using her other arm for support. Phoebe helped by placing pressure on her back, and slowly pushed her to sit up.
Apart from her arm, Nadine's head was bleeding on the left side. Her left knee was badly scrapped, and also bleeding. She had dirt all over herself. Her shirt was now wet due to landing on something liquidy.
Phoebe made no attempt to get her to stand up. She allowed her to sit there for a while.
"What happened?" She asked her.
Nadine took her time to register what had just happened. With a shocking and hurtful look on her face, she answered Phoebe.
"Rhonda...she pushed me from the fence." Nadine sadly responded with a whimper.
Everyone, including Curly, then looked at Rhonda. Curly was just giving her a shocking glance, but Phoebe looked at her with shocking, but also accusing eyes and a disappointed stare.
Rhonda, who was still there, just continued to stand there, completely immobile at the sight she was seeing. With utter shock to her system, she was rendered completely silent. It had taken her a while, but she finally managed to come to the realization what she did to Nadine. The impact initially rendered her numb, but it soon withered away, allowing a huge swap of remorse and guilt to take over her.
Rhonda probably would have been able snap out of it, perhaps even going back over the fence to help her, had she not looked right in Nadine's eyes. There, she saw what her former best friend really thought of her; inside those eyes, she saw the glaring stare of anger, sadness, hurt and even betrayal. All Nadine wanted to do was to just talk to her and apologize. She didn't even care about the gadgets. Instead, she pushed her away, literally, and ended up hurting her. Then, a tear appeared on one of Nadine's eyes and then dripped down her cheek. To Rhonda, that tear was like a bitter bullet that was travelling inside her, ripping her insides to shreds. Each time it continued to fall down Nadine's cheek, it tore her heart right apart.
Then, the socialite could no longer stand it. Horrified by what she did and too ashamed to even get close to Nadine, Rhonda just quickly turned around and fled the scene, leaving Curly, Phoebe and her injured former best friend there.
Back in the alleyway...
*Caw**caw**caw*
Those few crows that had originally landed on top of the building were still there, looking on with curiosity at the intense standoff, waiting and biding their time...
While Phoebe and Nadine ran off to chase after Curly and Rhonda, Arnold stayed put, doing a standoff between himself and his group and Rodrigo's. For a while none said anything to each other, other than just stared or glared at one another. The entire alleyway became completely silent, with the occasional cars and other vehicles that would scantly be heard running through the main road. Not even the occasional breeze dared to venture its way into the alleyway.
Despite the silence and the determined stare that he was giving Rodrigo, Arnold was at a loss on what else to do. No, worse than that, he was fuming! He had tried reasoning with him, only for that to go nowhere. Now, Rodrigo was essentially testing him, waiting to see what move he will make. For Arnold, he felt he was now backed into a corner.
Even Gerald was not finding this amusing at all and was just now frowning hard at Rodrigo for this latest stunt. Like Arnold, he too began to realize that the only possible way to stop him was to get physical.
"I can't believe you." Arnold then frustratingly said at him. "I'm trying to reason with you here, but instead you just do a 180 degrees about turn?! I thought you were supposed to be the rational person here."
"The time for debate is over." Rodrigo responded back, unflinching in his stance. "There is now only action that will determine things from here on in."
"What are you hoping to accomplish by doing this?" Arnold asked him. "Is being the hero that much more important to you than being there for Helga?
"Don't bring Helga into this!" Rodrigo angrily snapped at him. "You have a lot of nerve even mentioning her name." He snarled at him. "She's not your concern."
"She does concern me because she is my friend and I care about her!" Arnold shouted back.
"Pfft! Ya right!" Rodrigo scoffed. "What kind of 'friends' don't spend any time together hanging out? She's practically been avoiding you this whole summer; and for good reason. You guys are not friends. I don't know what you two are, but you are not that."
That last statement rattled Arnold to his very core and he instantly began to feel rage surfacing again. As much as he seriously wanted to argue against it he knew it would lead to a physical confrontation with him. He also could see it in Rodrigo's eyes; there was a lot of anger the second Helga's name was mentioned. Yeah, touching Helga was a bad move on his part and not wanting to make this any more personal than it already was, he opted to get back on topic.
As Arnold tried to calm down, he just groaned in utter frustration as he saw that he was getting nowhere with him. The way he saw it, he had two options; either he let Rodrigo have his way and move forward with his plan, or physically stop him. Unless...
"Arnold, just move aside and let us go about our business." Sid said.
"Can't do that, Sid." Arnold responded back.
"You've got a lot of nerve standing in our way after what you said to us." Patty said with a frown.
"Look guys, I'm really sorry what I said to everyone back there." Arnold said to everyone. "It came out the wrong way. I never meant to put into question your intelligence."
"Sure you are." Park said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. "By standing there and blocking our path, you're doing the exact thing what you said to us."
"I wouldn't have to do this if you guys weren't planning on putting yourselves at risk." Arnold countered. "I care about you guys. How can you expect me to just sit by and do nothing while you put yourselves in danger? I mean look at where we are! You guys are making deals with shady people in the worst part of town with an awful history."
"Arnold, Arnold. Always trying to be the hero." Sid said with a scoffing tone. "What makes you think we need your help? In fact, what makes you think we need to be saved? We never asked you to save us."
"Did it ever occur to you Arnold that we are more than capable on taking care of ourselves?" Peapod Kid added. "While you were gone, we were more than capable of handling things on our own. It seems to us that you seem more concern on regaining control of the group than for our own safety."
"That's not what this is about!" Arnold exclaimed almost furiously, feeling insulted.
He could not believe his friends would actually think he was some sort of a control freak. Uncharacteristically, he could instantly feel anger rising up again. He wasn't sure why, but he found Peapod Kid's insinuation so infuriating. All he knew was that he needed to calm down before he resumed his 'talk'.
"Come on you guys. You know me better than that. I'm the same guy as I was before I left Hillwood." Arnold tried to remind them..
"Are you? Are you really?" Sid asked him.
"What do you mean?" Arnold asked him.
"You don't look like the same Arnold that we once knew." Sid said.
"He's got a point there, Arnold." Stinky said. "You seem different, and not in a good way."
"What?" Arnold said surprisingly.
"He's right. We've only just noticed this, but you seem more concerned on influencing everyone to your point of view than actually saving the neighbourhood." Lorenzo said. "I mean, you didn't even want to invite Rodrigo to the first meeting that we had. I know Gerald, Rhonda and Helga objected, but you made no effort to argue against them. If anything, I think you agreed with them. The real Arnold would have never sidelined anyone like that, at least not without a fight."
"Not to mention that you seem more concerned on stopping Rodrigo then stopping Von Scheck." Peapod Kid added.
"Ya, what's your deal anyways with Rodrigo?" Sid said. "So what if he has a different opinions than you? He's not stopping you from putting your plan into action. He just doesn't agree with you."
Arnold could not believe what he was hearing. He was actually stunned and getting increasingly uneasy at what his friends were saying about him. He never thought he had actually changed, if at all. OK sure, he did physically change, but personality-wise? He didn't think so. Even his own parents recognized the fact that he had changed very little. Especially of him acting all high and mighty and selfish, that can't be true…can it?
"Does this have anything to do with Helga?" Sid then blurted out, much to Rodrigo's and Arnold's shock and uneasiness that such a sensitive topic was again becoming at the center of this... confrontation.
"You can't possibly be angry at Rodrigo for dating her." Sid continued, either oblivious to the sensitivity of the topic, or he simply didn't care. "You broke up with her, remember? She's single and she now likes Rodrigo. That was your choice."
Now it was Rodrigo's turn to get incredibly uneasy, if not extremely agitated by the mere mention of Helga's name again. He didn't want to discuss it, especially in front of everyone. He was actually going to drop this conversation, when Arnold beat him to it.
"No, absolutely not!" Arnold firmly responded. "I've made my peace with that. That's not why I am doing this. None of what you guys just said is true."
Everyone in Rodrigo's group simply rolled their eyes, annoyed that Arnold wasn't yet willing to admit what was so obvious to everyone. Rodrigo meanwhile remained completely calm while just staring at Arnold with a serious eye-piercing look.
Despite the subject being dropped, both male teens began to feel an increasing anger against the other over this very issue. Rodrigo especially was on the verge of losing control, having been reminded of his precarious relationship that it now found itself in, all because of Arnold's return. Arnold in turn was also fuming over this, especially what Rodrigo had said earlier.
"Rodrigo," Arnold then directed his attention back to him whilst trying to calm down, "stand down. You don't need to do this. There can be other ways to beat Von Scheck."
"Ya, there is," Rodrigo said "by doing what you and Gerald did last time; expose the guy for what he really is and send him back to prison. I really don't know what your problem is with us sneaking into that building; citing moral reasons why it is a bad idea, when you and Gerald had no issue doing it last time. Peapod Kid brought up a good point; do you want to lead this group by yourself? Is that you what want? Is that what this is all about?"
"What?" Arnold asked.
"Are you jealous that this 'outsider' just came in and stole your thunder?" Rodrigo asked him, referring to himself. "Is that why you are stubbornly hanging on to a plan that is doomed to fail from the start, just so you can continue to lead this group? If that's what this is, then I'll be more than happy to move back to the sidelines, so long as you lead the entire group into breaking to the FTI building."
"Didn't you hear me earlier? That's not what this is about." Arnold calmly countered. "This is about not getting those you care about get hurt."
"I don't believe you." Rodrigo said.
"Believe what you want to believe, Rodrigo." Arnold sternly said back. "I'm here to try and prevent you from putting our friends in danger. You remember what I said before, about the police not going to be lenient with us if we attempt to do something like this again. We were warned the first time."
"Yes, I do remember that." Rodrigo said. "But I think it was you that forgot it. You're 'intervention' at City Hall forced us to sneak inside the FTI building. I was trying to avoid from doing this, but seeing as how I have no choice, this has to be done. And besides, no one other than me will be going inside that building. The police only warned you, Gerald and Helga. That warning did not apply to me."
"Do you really think the police will overlook everyone else' involvement?" Arnold asked, now starting to lose his patience. "Everyone will be arrested for in someways helping you sneak into that building. They'll be just as guilty as you."
"What choice do we have, Arnold?!" Rodrigo shouted at him, now getting irritated for going in circles. "You want me to stop with this plan, but what is your Plan B?"
"I already told you." Arnold retorted back. "We can protest outside of the building and show Von Scheck that..."
"That's not going to work!" Rodrigo snapped at him, cutting him off. "Your permit hasn't even been approved and without the Mayor's help, it won't get approved. Are you that blind or just that stupid that you can't even see that?! Do you even have a Plan C when your plan fails?"
"No..." Arnold grudgingly admitted, to which Rodrigo just groaned in utter frustration.
"But if my plan fails, we can always come up with something else to stop Von Scheck." Arnold quickly countered.
"We already did; my plan." Rodrigo said. "I'm done arguing with you about this. We're going with my plan. You and everyone else are more than welcome to join us; the more the merrier. But if not, then move!"
"No!" Arnold firmly stated. "I can't do that."
"Really? We shall see." Rodrigo said as he then began to walk toward him.
"What are you doing?" Arnold asked, aware of what he is trying to do, but Rodrigo didn't answer back. He just continued walking toward him.
"Stop it!" Arnold exclaimed. "I don't want to fight you!"
"Then move." Rodrigo then said sternly.
"No!" Arnold exclaimed. "I can't allow you to leave here, knowing what you are going to do."
Rodrigo continued to move towards with no indication that he was backing down. Arnold, with no way out, now prepared himself for the upcoming clash that was about to take place and got into a defensive posture, sticking his fists up. However, Rodrigo then suddenly stopped walking, much to Arnold's confusion, but then later relief.
"Move." Rodrigo said.
"No." Arnold answered back.
Rodrigo then took just one step forward. Again, he asked Arnold and his group to move, to which again Arnold refused to budge. Rodrigo again took another step forward. Then, Arnold took a step forward as well, surprising Rodrigo a bit.
This kid is really not backing down. Rodrigo thought. Is he willing to get into a fight with me? Is he really willing to go that far? He wondered. So be it...
"Rodrigo, just please cancel your plan." Arnold pleaded.
"Can't do that, Arnold." Was all Rodrigo said.
Just then, Lorenzo, Peapod Kid, Park, Patty, Sid and a reluctant Stinky also moved forward and stood right beside Rodrigo in support, which completely stunned Arnold.
"Guys!" Arnold exclaimed. "Please, don't do this. Can't you guys see that he is putting you in harms' way?"
"You maybe correct there, Arnold." Peapod Kid admitted. "But then again, so are you by with your feud with Rodrigo over the very soul of our neighbourhood and the people that live there. You're unwillingness to bend even just a bit, not to mention what you previously did, is having detrimental affects. I really can't understand why you are clinging on to holding protests. I mean, did your first one even do anything?"
"It did!" Arnold frantically exclaimed. "It got people's attention. Not just on the street, but those who were watching the news. We received a lot of positive comments online."
"It's true." Gerald added. "After we came back. We went online and saw that a lot of people watched us on the news and were in support of us."
"And?" Rodrigo asked.
"And what?" Arnold asked.
"And what did you do with all of that support?" Rodrigo asked.
"Well, nothing really." Arnold grudgingly admitted. "We couldn't do anything with it because the support was limited. We were only protesting there for a few hours, when the goal was to be there for the whole day. We never got the chance to show everyone just how big we are!" He quickly added.
"Thanks to you guys and your 'brilliant' plan; our protest was cancelled before it had the chance to really take into effect." Arnold continued
"Look, I'm sorry we ruined your protest, Arnold." Rodrigo admitted, "but that doesn't you have the right to come here and stop us from trying to put our plan into action. And besides, no one asked you to send Gerald and Harold to go inside and stop us. You didn't even bother to come and see us at the back of the building."
"Would you have listened to me?" Arnold asked. "If I went to the back of the building to talk to you, would you have listened to me?"
"Not really." Rodrigo shrugged.
Arnold said nothing and merely lifted his arms and shrugged his shoulders up in the air, proving his point.
"What would have been the point to go and talk to you when it is clear that the only person you listen to is yourself?" Arnold rhetorically remarked. "I knew you were not going to listen to me to back down, so I asked Gerald and Harold to go inside and stop you from ruining our protest."
"Well, you succeeded." Rodrigo sarcastically remarked. "You not only foiled my plan, but also yours. I guess you deserve a big medal for that."
"It's not funny, Rodrigo!" Arnold angrily shouted at him.
"No, it's not funny." Rodrigo agreed. "And I'm getting tired of this. Now move!"
Rodrigo then prepared to start walking again and hoped that Arnold would back away. However, much to his frustration, Gerald, Sheena, Lila, Harold and then Brainy stepped forward to support Arnold. None of Arnold's teammates were taking lightly at Rodrigo's provocation.
"Ugh, you gotta be kidding me!" Rodrigo groaned in utter frustration.
"Harold, just what do you think you are doing?" Patty softly said to her boyfriend. "We don't have time for this. We have a neighbourhood to save. Now move."
"I'm not moving until you get it into your thick skull that what you are doing is wrong!" Harold firmly said to her. "I'll back down if you'll back down." He offered.
"Not on your life." Patty said with a smirk. "This isn't a game, Harold. This is life. And in the real world, you do what you must in order to survive."
"At what cost?!" Harold frantically shouted at her. "You're playing with fire Patty, and not only are you going to get burned, but also my friends. It's bad enough that you got suckered into this, but you are now involving my friends into this sick plan. Well, I'm not going to take it anymore. I'm going to stand up to you!"
"Oh Harold." Patty remarked as she rolled her eyes. "Stop playing around. We both know you're too much of a wimp to stand up to me. And we both know that you'll never hit a girl."
"You wanna bet?" Harold challenged her with a stern and determined face, even cracking his knuckles.
Patty initially was unfazed, but after seeing that Harold was not backing down and looked very serious, she became surprised.
"Really?" She asked him. "You would actually fight your girlfriend?"
"If it means stopping you from going to prison, then yes!" Harold declared.
Patty was not really sure how to react to this and for once, fell silent. On the one hand, she was angry that Harold would challenge her like this, but on the other hand, she couldn't help but be somewhat wooed at his determination to see that she would be kept safe, even if it meant going up against her.
Lorenzo meanwhile intentionally positioned himself right in front of Gerald. Gerald noticed this and prepared for round two. The two teens looked at each other with determined, but glaring looks. Neither had really forgiven the other over their last wrestling match. Lorenzo was especially still ticked off for the injuries that he sustained from Gerald and, believe it or not, was looking for some payback.
The two groups squared off against each other in silence. Each was waiting to see who would make that first move, who would take that inevitable and crucial, no going back, step. To say that each teen was nervous and racked with conflicting emotions was an understatement. Everyone was nervous and sweating, and it wasn't just because of the heat. Neither was willing to throw the first punch and neither certainly wanted to get into a fight. At the same time, no one was willing to back down. Arnold's group was especially adamant on stopping Rodrigo. His unwilling to listen to reason, or even listen to the obvious risks of entering that building only served to fuel their desire to stop him. Even Rodrigo was hesitant. Yet, he knew that unless someone came and interfered, it was down to him or Arnold to make that fateful decision.
"Um, Ms. Lila?" Stinky nervously addressed her. "Would you mind please stepping aside and letting us pass?"
"Stinky, I'm ever so certain that I cannot do that." Lila responded back to him without hesitation. "Drop your plan and then we can let you pass."
"Oohh." Stinky just groaned, not being happy on having to face off against Lila.
"Arnold," Rodrigo said to him, "this is your last chance. Stand aside and no one needs to get hurt. The ball is in your court now. Choose."
"I'm sorry Rodrigo." Arnold said to him. "But, I can't allow you go back to Rhonda's house to put your plan into action."
"Fine." Rodrigo said, "Have it your way."
"I've been told you have a black belt in karate, is that not so?" Rodrigo asked with a grin.
"Yes, I do." Arnold replied, a bit suspiciously. "Why?"
"If you are really going to fight me; a word of advice; don't hold anything back." Rodrigo warned him. "You're going to need it."
Rodrigo then got his defensive posture ready and began to walk again, this time with his group following him.
Arnold, without flinching, also got ready and started walking towards his opponent, with his group right side him. As much as he didn't to want to do this, Arnold realized that he now had no choice. Throughout this whole time, he was battling with his conscious, trying desperately to get through to Rodrigo to stop what he was doing so he wouldn't have to get fight him. But now, after seeing that a fight was now inevitable, Arnold had to succumb to the reality that this was one of those problems that he couldn't fix using words. Rodrigo was right; now was the time for action and as much as Arnold tried to avoid it, he couldn't any longer. To save his friends, even if they didn't want his help, as well as his plan to save the neighbourhood, he had to stop Rodrigo, by any means necessary. Everyone else also saw this and braced for it.
The two groups continued to walk towards each other, making the gap between them get smaller and smaller. Then, when they were just a few feet from each other, both groups started running and bracing for the inevitable clash, everyone got themselves ready, lifting their hands and creating fists. With determined looks, both groups began to close the remaining small gap between them, then ran towards each other until,
"AAAAHHHH!" Lorenzo then cried out and when he was just within ranged, launched himself against Gerald and tackled him right into the ground.
"Whoa! Of!" Gerald grunted as he was surprised by Lorenzo's sudden charge and landed on the floor with Lorenzo on top of him as the two began to struggle.
Holding nothing back, Lorenzo tried to punch Gerald, but the African-American teen managed to grab his hand just in time and tried to either get him off of him or throw his own punch.
Patty then began to square off with both Sheena and Lila. The trio danced around a bit, trying to test each other's weaknesses and see where they can strike first.
"AARRGGHHH!" Both Sheena and Lila then let out a sudden scream and launched themselves against Patty, managing to grab her arms and pull her down.
Patty grunted and tried to free herself from them, but recognized the two female teens were stronger than she anticipated. Undeterred however, Patty then began to swing around in circles in the hopes of forcing them to let go, but the two teens stubbornly held on and then tried to push her down onto the floor. Peapod Kid suddenly came from behind Sheena and grabbed her waist from behind and tried to pull her off of Patty.
"Aahh!" Peapod Kid then let out a painful cry when Sheena instinctively, without even thinking, kicked him in the torso hard, but he refused to let go and continued to try to pull her off.
"Let go, Peapod Kid!" Sheena cried out.
"I will, once you let Patty go!" Peapod Kid yelled back. "Ow!" He cried out again when Sheena kicked him again.
Harold tried to make his way towards Patty but Stinky and Sid instantly blocked and stopped him right in his tracks. The three long-time friends now nervously squared each other off and tried to see who would make the first move against the other.
"Guy move!" Harold frantically exclaimed at them.
"Make us!" Sid retorted back at him.
Stinky, despite now having serious reservations about this, nevertheless remained quiet and continued with his stance against Harold.
Seeing that he had no choice, Harold then ran towards them in the hopes of pushing them away in order to get to Patty. However, the two teens merely grabbed on to him and absorbed the initial shock from his charge and managed to restrain him and tried to tackle him onto the ground. Harold tried to push them off of him, but being football players themselves, were able to hold tight and eventually tackle him to the ground whilst trying not to hurt him.
Harold continued to struggle with his two friends, focusing more on pushing them away rather than fighting them. However, when he glanced over at Patty, he instantly saw that she was in trouble. Seeing that Sheena and Lila were becoming more aggressive as time went on, Patty was on the ground, seriously struggling with Lila who had somehow managed to over power her and was on top of her, while Sheena by some miracle was still holding onto Patty's other arm with one hand and pulling Peapod Kid's hair with the other. On seeing his girlfriend in trouble, and being prevented to help her, Harold flew into a rage.
"Gggrrr! Let go!" Harold furiously yelled and with all of his strength, managed to push Sid away forcefully enough to get him to let go of him.
Stinky however, continued to hold to his other arm and without even thinking, Harold swung his freed arm at Stinky and punched him right in the nose.
"Ow, Harold! That really bites!" Stinky exclaimed in pain as he immediately let go of Harold and took a few steps back, all while rubbing his nose. But when he released it, he realized that he suffered a nose bleed.
On seeing this, Sid gasped in horror at what Harold did.
"You monster!" He angrily yelled at him and no longer caring if he hurt him or not, grab hold of him again and this time, forcefully tried to bring him down.
Stinky, in pain and now angry, also went over and grabbed Harold again and with Sid, managed to tackle him to the ground while twisting his arm.
"Ow, guys! You're hurting me!" Harold yelled in pain.
"Serves you right you big oaf!" Sid unsympathetically said to him.
Meanwhile, Park squared off against Brainy, but both were reluctant to be the first to land the first blow. While neither of them were ever aggressive people, they were nevertheless both equally determined to stop each other.
Finally, Rodrigo and Arnold ran towards each other, ready to finally settle this. Arnold, wanting to quickly end this without hurting him too much and after hearing how Rodrigo managed to hold his own ground against three male teens at the park during their battle against Caesar, took his advice seriously; he was going to hold nothing back.
"Hiyah!" Arnold then shouted as he jumped and tried to land a blow against Rodrigo with a karate kick.
Rodrigo however, not only managed to dodge it, but then also immediately grabbed hold onto Arnold's leg and using his own force against him, swung him around and threw him back to his starting position.
Arnold grunted and groaned as he went flying and then rolled onto the floor, but then stopped himself and glared at Rodrigo.
Rodrigo let out a yawn, taunting Arnold for his inability to impress him with his 'karate'. Angered by that, Arnold grind his teeth and then charged against him again.
On seeing this, Rodrigo also began to charge against him, only this time, he tried to land a blow against him with his fist. But, Arnold managed to grabbed it. Rodrigo then immediately tried to use his other hand to punch Arnold, but the football headed teen also managed to grab it. Temporarily neutralizing him, Arnold then pulled him towards him and tried to knee him on his stomach, but Rodrigo blocked it with his own knee. Arnold tried to kick him again, only for Rodrigo to continually block his attacks. Frustrated that Arnold still held his hands, Rodrigo then leaned forward and using his forehead, hit Arnold on the side of his face. Due to the pain and seeing that he was going nowhere, Arnold then let Rodrigo go and both teens took a few steps back, only for them prepare themselves for another round.
"Aaargghhh!" Both male teens then cried out and began to charge and just when they got close to each other,
"STOP!" Eugene then suddenly cried out, prompting everyone to immediately stop. "STOP, JUST STOP IT!"
Unlike the rest of Arnold's group, Eugene didn't move forward to support him. No, he remained behind, watching with utter shock and disgust at how everyone was behaving, at how things were unfolding. Even with Sheena and Lila he was angrily disappointed when both female teens positioned themselves to charge against their own friends. Eugene knew that Lila, if severely pushed, was no pushover, but he was horrified at Sheena. Ever the pacifist, he was shocked at how Sheena was willing to brush aside her own principals of nonviolence just to stop Rodrigo. I mean, she did it when she had to confront Caesar, but that was a whole other ball game!
"I can't take all of this infighting anymore! This has to stop!" Eugene hysterically cried out. "It is stupid and childish!"
Everyone instantly stopped fighting and just stared at the red-headed, clumsy teen with shocking looks. This was the first time anyone had ever seen him this upset.
"What are we doing?!" Eugene began to emotionally appeal to everyone. "W-We shouldn't be fighting each other. None of us here is the enemy. Are we really going to let our petty differences in opinions and grudges blind us from the fact that the other person is not the enemy, but our friend? Are our friendships really that weak?"
When no one responded back, Eugene continued.
"We...have known each other since preschool. We played together, we helped each other out when one of us was feeling down. We hanged out at each other's homes, got to know each other's parents. Whenever someone came and threatened our livelihoods, we always rallied behind each other to face off against any threat. We essentially grew up together."
"Even Rodrigo," Eugene continued, "who's only been with us for less than year, has had a hugely positive influence on everyone, especially on Helga. Even though he's only been in this group for a short period of time, to me at least, I feel like he's one of us. He just fits in so well within our group that it felt like he's been our friend for years."
"We shouldn't be judging Rodrigo." He continued. "How many times did we do things that were ethical blurred or just down right wrong? At least we can say that Rodrigo has his heart set in the first place. How often can we say that about our own plans? Not ever much, I presume." He continued.
"I only joined Arnold because I didn't like Rodrigo's plan." Eugene sighed. "But, not because I think he is a bad person. He never was. That's why I still consider him as a friend; because he did these things for the right reasons, even though his methods, in my view were wrong. He is still my friend, just like everyone else is here."
"Actually, I would even argue that we are much more than that." Eugene continued with a blushing smile. "We're not just friends, we're...family."
That last statement caught everyone by surprise, but it struck no one harder than Arnold, who just looked at Eugene in utter shock. Although the clumsy teen did not yet know it, his words shook Arnold deeply, right down to the core.
"And that's the thing;" Eugene continued, "families don't break apart, especially during a time of need. OK sure, family members sometimes fight and there may even be times when they don't talk to each other for days. But at the end of it all, they stick together, through thick and thin."
"Von Scheck is the one who has been tearing this family apart and instead of banding together to face him, we played right into his trap." Eugene continued. "He is the one who is dividing us, ripping our strong social bonds. He is the source of all of our division, not each other."
"I initially felt bad for abstaining." Eugene continued as he then started to slowly walk away, passing Arnold and his group and then walking past Rodrigo and his group. Everyone else just continued to look at him as walked by.
"I thought I initially made the wrong decision. I thought that by abstaining, I had something to do with our group splitting up. But I then realized that I didn't take things far enough and ended up making an 180 degrees about turn. Instead of sticking to my decision to abstain, to not choose a side, I ended up supporting Arnold."
"I'm not saying that I regret supporting you, Arnold." Eugene said to him. "I'm just saying that, if there was anyone who is close to being right, it's Helga. I didn't understood why she just took off like, refusing to help us. But now I understand why she did it and I think that was the best decision for everyone. She knew this was going to happen and didn't want to pin herself against her own friends. By refusing to pick a side, she refrained from pinning one side against the other. Unlike the rest of us, her slate is clean. Mine however, has been blackened by my own decision."
"Well, no more!" Eugene declared as he continued to make his way out of the alleyway and back onto the main sidewalk. Everyone else, taken in by his every word, continued to follow him and listen in. "I'm doing what I should have done long ago; I'm no longer choosing a side. I'm sorry Arnold, but I can't support you if it means going against those whom I consider to be family as well. And I'm sorry Rodrigo, but I also can't support you either if it means going up against those who are my next of kin."
"I know you guys may think of this as a betrayal, but let me assure everyone that it's not. I care about all of you, not just some of you. It took me a while to admit this to my self, but I see it now, just as Helga saw it earlier, even though she'll never admit it." Eugene continued to speak, just as he was crossing the road in order to get to the other side and catch the bus that will take him home.
"I hope you guys realize this soon too and to always remember who you are and the people who care about you that made you into..."
*HHOONNKK**HHOONNKK*
A car then suddenly came out of nowhere and honked his horn and applied the brakes, screeching its tires across the road as the driver desperately attempted to stop when he saw Eugene. The teen himself saw the incoming car, but was unable to move away in time.
*CRASH**thump**thud*
Despite how everyone was looking at Eugene this whole time, everything happened so quickly that no one really grasped what was happening right in front of their eyes. All they heard was a loud honking sound, tires screeching and then thumping sounds, as if a body was just hit and was bouncing around on top of the car and then rolling down to the road behind it. It was only when everything went quiet, that they snapped out of it and saw Eugene lying on the floor, that it finally registered.
"EUGENE!"
Alright, so I decided to use an actual American Civil War battle name for this chapter because, you know, this is a civil war story. I decided to use the battle of Cold Harbour during the Overland Campaign in the final stages of the war. I chose this name due to its eerie and dreadful feeling that I and probably most Civil War enthusiast would get when reading that name, given the slaughter and horror that occurred. Also, I thought it was something fun to use as part of Hillwood's history in the Pig War.
I was initially going to use the battle of Shiloh and I even incorporated it, but I thought Cold Harbour would create that high suspense and worry while you guys read this chapter. I hope it wasn't too hard to read it.