Chapter 18- the disgusting traits of Nigel
Dusk had come over the city of Rio and people were preparing to go home while those on nightshift jobs were preparing to take up their positions. The midnight blue-black of the night was slowly chasing away the brighter blue of the daylight sky as the sun slowly set. In Tijuca forest and the Blu Bird Sanctuary, the diurnal animals were preparing to turn in for the night while the nocturnal animals prepared for their activities. Back at Lysandre's base, dinner was approaching and some of the poachers were cooking food for their comrades and filling the food bowls for the pets. The pet food was mice and meat for the falcons, cat food and fish for the cats, various for the crows and nuts and fruit for Nigel. While the cooks were making dinner, the caged macaws and cockatoos were slumped together in their cages, miserable and despairing looks on their faces. In their own cages, Levi and Aurora gazed longingly at Lapis Lazuli and Zephyr and their chicks, but the barrier of bars made that impossible. Not to mention the watchful eyes of a number of crows and cats stationed around the group in order to keep an eye on them. The same was true for Carla, Bia and Tiago who gazed longingly at Blu and Jewel. The couple were gazing back at their three chicks, frustration at not being able to be with them boiling within them, especially for Carla who still had the half-healed scratch inflicted on her by Nigel on her side.
"I know how you feel, Blu and Jewel," said Aurora in a groan through the whirlwind of fright and stress of being shoved into a cage separate from her family, "Levi and I feel the same way."
"Yeah, but you feel even worse because of Nigel's presence," said Blu. He then shot the tatty cockatoo as he paced around with an acidic glare. In an adjacent cage, Aramis and his family were huddled together.
"This is even worse than the previous den of smugglers, Aramis," whispered Esmeralda as she tried to keep Chlorophyll and Petunia warm. Both chicks were still shaking with fear but also with cold for it was not very warm in this large place. Aramis scanned the pairs of corvid and feline eyes as they bore into the caged group, watchful and alert like prison guards. The air hanging over the caged birds was just as cruel. It was indeed cold, stuffy, dry and stale, like a room that had not been exposed to the flow of outside's fresh air for ages.
"This is certainly a miserable place, I can tell you," said Aramis. He then gazed at the others who were also miserable and trying to keep their chicks calm. Then suddenly, a grumbling sound reached Aramis's ears. Alerted, he turned to Esmeralda. However, he hadn't noticed that Chlorophyll was grasping his stomach, the source of the grumble noise.
"Was that you, Es?" asked the lithe male great green macaw.
"No, it wasn't me, Aramis," replied Esmeralda. Then Chlorophyll spoke up as his stomach growled again.
"Man, I'm hungry," he moaned, a wing placed on his tummy. Then Petunia joined in the moaning, agreeing with her brother.
"When was the last time we had something to eat?" she asked. Esmeralda and Aramis knew that meant one thing, but it was the one thing they didn't like; certainly not at this time.
"Oh, not hunger," muttered Esmeralda indignantly. Aramis did not know what to say. They were in a cage, trapped in a poachers' den and far away from any food source. Furthermore, they could not fly out to search for anything to eat. It was then that growls from the stomachs and groans from the other chicks began to escape into the stale air.
"I'm hungry, Dad," groaned Justin to Zephyr, "I'm hungry."
"I'm hungry too, Dad," groaned Charlotte. Then Matilda and Virgil and the other chicks including Carla, Bia and Tiago all groaned the same thing.
"Dad, we're hungry."
"We're hungry, Dad."
"We're all hungry."
"We want something to eat."
"I'm hungry, Dad."
Zephyr looked down at his four chicks and replied, "I'm sorry kids."
This made Justin and his three siblings groan in despair. Miranda, Jasmine and Annette said the same thing to D'Artagnan and Sapphire and begged for food as well, and Alexandre, Spinel and Poinsettia begged for food from Athos and Ruby as did Azul, Wilbur and Ariel with Porthos and Orquidea; Zebedee and Indigo with Phoebe and Cobalt; Tristan, Quincy, Trixie and Larimar with Lapis Lazuli, and Eustace, Milo and Rosa to Sunset and Travis as their stomachs also growled and begged for food. Blu and Jewel also apologised to Carla, Bia and Tiago who were also getting hungry, much to the three chicks despair. Then Athos heard one of Lysandre's grunts come by and order all the crows, the falcons, cats and Nigel to form a line. He looked up and eyed the poachers' pets as they obediently scrambled to form said line.
"Maybe those kidnappers of ours would feed us?" he asked as the scuttling of talons and cat paws filled the air as the poachers' pets got into position.
"Don't expect anything from those meanies, Athos;" growled Ruby bitterly, "You know what smugglers are often like with their captured animals."
Athos shot his mate a dreaded glare and realised she could be right. But he had three hungry chick beaks to feed and they were groaning more and more with empty stomachs that growled like a beast desperate for food. It was then that the stomachs of the adult birds began to sound, much to their frustration.
"Oh, no," muttered Porthos as his stomach grumbled, indicative of hunger, "This is all we need."
Blu and Jewel then glared down at their rumbling tummies as well.
"Do you think we should call for food, Jewel?" asked Blu.
"Don't bother," snapped Jewel bitterly, "I don't accept food from tacky poachers."
Blu sighed as Jewel then turned her back on the poachers to stare into space.
"Athos, do you think we could attract those poachers' attention to receive food?" asked Porthos.
"But what if we don't get any response?" replied Athos with a frown. He admitted defeat when he heard Alexandre, Poinsettia and Spinel moan about their hunger, so he tried his luck in calling for one of the falcons and crows to alert the poachers that they were hungry despite Ruby's protests.
"Excuse me," he called to one of the falcons, Cazador as he waited patiently for his meal. "We're getting hungry. Are those owners of yours going to feed us?"
No reply. Athos tried shouting louder but still Cazador pretended that he wasn't there. Then Porthos, Travis and D'Artagnan joined in to amplify the message.
"I hope those poachers will get the message," muttered Travis before he started squawking again.
"Athos," said Ruby irritably, "It's futile trying to get those falcons' attention about food."
But Athos ignored his mate's protests and continued shouting and squawking. His squawks and the squawks of Porthos, D'Artagnan and Travis reached Cometa's ears. When she heard these noises, she turned round and saw the male scarlet macaw, the male muscular blue-and-gold macaw, one of the Lear's macaws and the sulfur-crested cockatoo squawking and yelling about their group's hunger.
"Cazador," said Cometa.
"What!?" snapped Cazador irritably.
"Those birds are squawking, indicating that they and their chicks are getting hungry," said Cometa, "Do you think we should get our owners to feed them?"
Cazador shot a glare at Athos, Porthos, D'Artagnan and Travis as they continued squawking. The others except Jewel looked on expectantly. However, a mocking 'pfft' filtered through Cazador's beak.
"Don't listen to them irritating parrots, Cometa," said the lead falcon uncaringly, "They've caused us enough irritation for one day."
"But they haven't eaten…" began Cometa but Cazador cut her off.
"Just do as I say, Cometa!" snarled her leader. Cometa reluctantly obeyed and waited for her meal. However, hearing the macaws' and cockatoo's squawks for food made her stomach twist with guilt. Nigel and the cats then turned round and saw Athos and some of the others try to get the poachers' attention and sniggered at them.
"Poor, poor pretty birds," crooned Nigel mockingly, "Beggin' for food. Well I'm afraid they aren't gonna get any."
"Are Lysandre or any of his underlings going to feed them?" asked Moggy.
"I hope not," replied Nigel sadistically, "I always loved listening to pretty birds groan of hunger, especially Spix macaws, and I hope they die of it."
He then shot Blu and Jewel an extremely acidic hateful glare before turning round and waiting for his meal. Then food bowls containing the food for the evil animal gang came along and were placed before Nigel, each cat, falcon and the crows and ravens who had split into groups of up to eight. The humans that served the food heard the begging cries of Athos and some others but deliberately ignored them before returning to the large table to have their own tea. Lysandre also did nothing about the macaws' cry for food. When they saw that the poaching group wasn't definitely going to give them anything, Athos, Porthos, D'Artagnan ad Travis gave up squawking. As Athos slumped down in despair against the bars, Ruby came in, a glare on her face.
"I TOLD you they weren't going to listen," she muttered. Athos just bowed his head and didn't reply. Then Spinel's eyes locked onto the fruit and nuts in one of the groups of crows' food bowls as the corvids greedily shoved pieces of them down their throats like gannets.
"Oh, I wish I could have a bit of that fruit and nut mix," she SAIDDDDed hungrily, her tongue hanging out of her beak and saliva dripping from it. Poinsettia and Alexandre also gazed hungrily at the food, but Ruby looked on in disgust, not at her kids' salivating but at the lack of care of the poachers. Blu also hungrily gazed at the fruit and nuts being gorged upon by the crows, as did Tiago. Jewel, however, was sourly loitering in the corner of her and Blu's cage with her back turned to the poaching group and wings folded while Bia and Carla in their and Tiago's cage were huddled together, weeping. The other chicks and adults were also either gazing hungrily at the fruit and nuts or were indignant.
"I should have seen this coming," growled Sapphire, "It's the uncaring nature of those poachers ALL OVER again. Oh, SHUT UP!"
She slapped a wing on her growling stomach and sat down sourly. D'Artagnan sighed and sat down beside her while Miranda, Jasmine and Annette continued complain of hunger. Levi and Aurora who were isolated from the others also sat down in despair, while Zephyr and Lapis Lazuli with Justin, Charlotte, Matilda and Virgil, Tristan, Quincy, Trixie and Larimar muttering in hunger, glared bitterly at the poachers and their pets as they ate their dinner.
"At least those wretched piglets are enjoying stuffing their stomachs over there," snarled Zephyr sarcastically. He then gazed at his rumbling tummy.
"I hope you are enjoying your meals, creeps while listening to and seeing us collapse from hunger," yelled Porthos bitterly while Wilbur, Azul and Ariel sat huddled together, very hungry, the latter wishing for her family also. Otis shot the burly blue-and-gold macaw a sneering look.
"As a matter of fact we are, thanks for checking, muscled parrot," crooned the black and white cat mockingly and cruelly and to rub in his mockery of the macaws and their hunger, greedily took another mouthful of cat food and fish and stared at the birds while chewing it, his cheeks bulging like a chipmunk and his mouth overflowing with it. Porthos winced in disgust at the food smeared across Otis's face and some of the food lumps dropped from his overfull mouth.
"Nigel doesn't seem to like his nuts and fruit," whispered Ariel, pointing to a certain bird in the poacher's pet group. Porthos then followed the blue-throated macaw's point and saw that Nigel wasn't eating his food, which were fruit and nuts. The sickly cockatoo wore a sour look on his face, obviously not wanting to eat the food set before him. He wanted to eat meat and fish, but he had his eyes on another type of meat. While Porthos had his gaze on Nigel, Orquidea (who still held her scratched belly inflicted on her by Nigel), Azul, Wilbur and Ariel watched the poachers and their pets eat.
"They're not gonna feed us, are they Dad?" asked Azul. Porthos replied 'no' with a shake of his head.
"They don't care about us, son," he said, "They're animal poachers interested entirely in making as much money out of us as possible, so they don't care about our condition."
"But watching them eat while we're famished isn't FAIR!" wailed Wilbur as his stomach growled and felt like an empty shell. "I want FOOD!"
His brother and Ariel also muttered about the same thing but Orquidea, despite the pain from her scratched belly, silenced them.
"I'm afraid we're not gonna get it, kids," she said sadly and angrily, "Now please be quiet or you'd attract the unwanted attention of those poachers' pets, and that is something we could do without."
The three chicks all groaned and sat down. However, Porthos returned his gaze to Nigel as he sat glaring at his bowl of nuts and fruit.
Next to the blue-and-gold family, Aramis, Esmeralda, Chlorophyll and Petunia also glared bitterly at the poachers and their pets as they ate; the crows and ravens eating especially greedily as they practically wolfed particularly large lumps of food down their throats, sometimes to the point of choking.
"Those crows aren't crows at all," growled Aramis sourly, "They're GANNETS!"
"Those cats are also gluttonous pigs," put in Esmeralda. Chlorophyll and Petunia gazed hungrily at the fruit and nuts being eaten by the crows and ravens but also the same stuff in Nigel's bowl, currently untouched by the cockatoo. However, it was not just the sight of the poachers and their pets eating that bothered Athos, Blu and company, but the sounds made by their eating as well. Aramis then slapped a wing against the bars of the cage in utter frustration before sitting down, a thunderous look on his face.
"I DESPISE poachers," he snarled, "They're SO uncaring and inconsiderate…"
"Join the perch," said Esmeralda.
In their cage, the hyacinth macaws Phoebe, Cobalto, Zebedee and Indigo continued bitterly watching the poachers eat or stuff their faces.
"I hope Nigel's enjoying this," muttered Cobalto.
"He doesn't look hungry, actually," said Phoebe as she watched Nigel look down at his bowl of fruit and nuts disdainfully. "What a waste of food. That fruit and nut mix could go to at least some of us."
Zebedee and Indigo gazed hungrily at Nigel's food and licked their beaks. Miranda, Jasmine and Annette also gazed at Nigel's food from the Lear's macaw cage while D'Artagnan and Sapphire looked on bitterly.
"What's the point of stealing us if they aren't gonna care for us?" growled D'Artagnan.
"They're poachers, D'Artagnan," snapped Sapphire, "What do you expect?"
D'Artagnan did not reply and let loose a sigh. Travis, Sunset, Eustace, Milo and Rosa also continued to watch the poaching group eat, the latter three pressing their beaks against the bars of the cage, tongues hanging out, eyes wide with hunger and saliva dripping from their beaks.
"Talk about neglect," said Travis sourly. Sunset nodded in agreement as her stomach rumbled again. Then the group of caged birds continued watching the poachers and their pets as they continued eating their dinner, more and more food continuously disappearing down their throats, sometimes in large amounts in the case of some of the crows and cats. From her hiding place amongst the pile of empty cages, Catina kept watch on the poachers and the caged birds, waiting for the right moment to put her rescue plan into action.
The macaws and cockatoos continued either watching the poachers eat or laze around lamenting on their empty stomachs and the poachers' cruelty when suddenly, disgusted groans and yelps flared into the air above the poachers' pets. Hearing these sounds, the macaws and cockatoos turned to the sounds' source and to their utter shock, they saw the ragged grey-white form of Nigel plunge his head into one of the falcons' food bowl, much to the others' disgust.
"Nigel, you're supposed to eat from your OWN food bowl, not Xerosic's," shouted Cazador. The cats and crows around the group winced in utter revulsion as Nigel looked up at Cazador, his cheek full of Xerosic's food.
"But these rodents are delicious," he crooned disgustingly. Revulsion and horror tore through the macaws and Travis and his family when they heard what Nigel was stuffing his beak on. The adults covered the chicks' faces to prevent them from seeing the gross cockatoo from shoving another mouse down his throat like a pelican a fish. Travis felt his stomach turn.
"Oh, that's disgusting," he growled, "I may sometimes eat the occasional lump of meat but NOT THAT TYPE!"
Sunset did not say anything for her face was plastered with revulsion as her eyes gazed at Nigel eating more mice from Xerosic's bowl while her wings were covering Eustace, Milo and Rosa to prevent them seeing the nauseating scene. When Nigel saw the disgusted looks on the caged bird group's faces, an evil and vile smile crept in his beak, so he snatched some more mice from Xerosic's bowl and sauntered towards the caged group, a new idea of torturing his detested prisoners having formed in his head.
"Whassup, pretty birds?" the cockatoo crooned in the grossest voice he could muster, "Don't like the sight of me eating mice?"
The caged macaws and cockatoos backed away from the revolting cockatoo. From her hiding place, Catina looked on, revulsion smeared on her face.
"Get your disgusting eating habits away from us," growled Zephyr, his wings covering Justin, Charlotte, Matilda and Virgil's faces. Blu and Jewel had told Carla, Bia and Tiago to look away from the vile cockatoo while they kept a fierce eye on him.
"Don't tell me you've taken to eating even more disgusting stuff, have you?" shouted Ruby. Athos, Alexandre, Spinel and Poinsettia had their backs turned to Nigel, not wanting to see him eat whatever he was about to eat, Athos already feeling nauseated. Then Nigel, a disgusting smile on his beak, raised a mouse carcass in a talon, held it in front of the macaws and cockatoos and began to wolf it down in the most disgusting way possible. Repulsed groans and shouts exploded from the macaws and cockatoos as they watched Nigel eat the mice directly in front of them.
"Oh, Nigel, you're making everybody here FEEL SICK!" shouted Cobalto. Phoebe wrapped her wings tightly around Zebedee and Indigo to prevent the two from watching Nigel's VILE and REVOLTING performance.
"You feel sick?" crooned the cockatoo as he took hold another mouse carcass, "Good!"
And with that, he shoved that one into his mouth, even more disgustingly than before, and he chomped on it in the process. Blu then felt his stomach turn violently while Aurora and Levi's beaks flew to their mouths, their cheeks puffed and they rushed off to the furthest point of their cages, away from the others, to throw up. Zephyr and Lapis Lazuli, who had Tristan, Quincy, Trixie and Larimar in her wings groaned in revulsion while Porthos, Orquidea, Azul, Wilbur and Ariel looked away, the female blue-and-gold macaw shielding the two blue-and-gold sons and the blue-throated chick with her wings from the disgusting cockatoo as he shoved more mouse carcasses down his throat.
"Seriously, Nigel," shouted Porthos, "You're making the rest of us lose our appetites."
"You're honestly the most disgusting cockatoo we had ever met," shouted Aramis while Esmeralda held Chlorophyll and Petunia close to her. Phoebe and Cobalto's faces then formed flushed looks as nausea was kicking in but Indigo and Zebedee kept their eyes turned away from Nigel as he ate another mouse. D'Artagnan, Sapphire, Miranda, Jasmine and Annette were huddled together; the skin under D'Artagnan's teal-tinged dark blue face feathers turning a deathly pale from nausea. Nigel let loose his signature laughter as he continued watching the macaws and Travis and his family wince and groan in revulsion and continued the torture by eating two more mouse carcasses in the most disgusting way possible when suddenly, three pairs of cat paws appeared behind him and hooked onto his body and wings.
"Come back here, Nigel," snarled Otis as he and two other cats, the male black cat and Adriana, dragged the cockatoo back. "You've caused us enough revulsion and trouble for one day!"
Nigel fought back against the three cats' attempts to pull him back to the group when more cat paws, crow talons and two pairs of falcons talons appeared and locked onto him. Then John, one of Lysandre's underlings, came in and seized Nigel when he refused to go along with the other pets.
"Come on, you sickly cockatoo," he shouted as he carried the struggling Nigel away, "Back to your own food bowl and eat your own meal!"
The cats, crows and two falcons then returned to their food bowls to continue eating. However, the appetite loss caused by the VILE cockatoo eating the mouse carcasses had not only affected the caged macaws and the cockatoos. Some of the poachers' pets including Cometa had also suffered this effect from watching Nigel and his disgusting performance.
"Ugh, I think I've lost my appetite altogether," said Blu as he ran a wing over his shuddering stomach, his eyes half-shut. Jewel just shot him a sour glare and said nothing. Athos then looked at the cockatoo as he was heavily placed before his food bowl, a flushed look smearing his face like a freshly done painting that had water splashed on it, resulting in the still-wet paint on it drooping.
"I hope we don't EVER see that sort of thing again," he groaned. The others also all groaned with relief but their stomachs still shuddered in their bellies. From her hiding place, Catina had left somewhere to throw up. Watching Nigel eat those mice in the most disgusting way possible has also impacted her greatly.
Soon
After the vile incident involving Nigel had been dealt with, the poaching group and their pets finished their dinner. However, Nigel had still refused to eat his dinner and had left in a huff. As the humans that had made and prepared the food began to take away the plates, the cutlery and food bowls to wash, Lysandre called together his group with a clap.
"Right, everyone, to upstairs please," he said, "We're going to go over our plans once again and what we need to do, and then we're going to go to bed."
The others all shouted obediently and left for upstairs. The caged macaws and cockatoos looked on. For the majority of them, hunger had returned once again but the poachers did nothing about it. Cometa shot the macaws and cockatoos a sympathetic gaze.
"We forgot to feed those birds over there," she said to Aliana and Bryony but the latter two just turned their beaks up at this statement.
"Look, just leave those birds," growled Bryony, "They're not worth worrying about now."
"And besides that, we've got more important things to focus on," put in Aliana, "Now come on, Cometa, Lysandre's itching to get this preview briefing of our plans done and dusted."
Cometa hesitated but then went along. However, she stole another glance at the macaws and cockatoos placed on cages on the floor before disappearing through the door. Nigel sneered at the macaws and cockatoos as he left.
"At least I enjoyed making them feel ill," he crooned sadistically.
"Yeah, I'm sure you did," said Otis sarcastically, "Now come on. We've got a meeting to attend."
Nigel nodded in agreement and left with the others, the other cats, crows and falcons in tow.
Soon, the macaws and cockatoos were left alone as soon as the last of the poachers and pets had disappeared. As soon as they were left alone, some of the macaws and Travis began to fiddle with the padlocks. Athos slumped down against the bars of his cage, the look of nausea still smearing his face.
"We've got to get out of here," he whispered with desperation. Alexandre, Spinel and Poinsettia all groaned while Ruby began to examine the padlock. As she did that, she shot a sympathetic gaze at Aurora and Levi, who looked around timidly, and then at Carla, Bia and Tiago.
"Those five especially, Athos," she said, "That Nigel certainly has absorbed sick entertainment out of tormenting us, hasn't he, especially with that falcon's food."
"That cockatoo's an utter vulture and worse, honestly," muttered Athos, "I'd never known him to be so VILE AND DISGUSTING."
Porthos, Orquidea, Aramis and Esmeralda all nodded in agreement in their cages. While the macaws and cockatoos talked among themselves, Catina, as soon as she saw that the coast was clear and after getting her nausea and throwing up from seeing Nigel eating mice under control, made her move and began to creep towards the macaws and cockatoos. Phoebe gazed out into the dark and gloomy air of the ramshackle building's downstairs room.
"I hope our cat and dog friends are planning on a rescue of us," she said. "After all, they were involved in this mess when the intruders attacked them and Carla, Bia and Tiago while we were out."
"With an injured Broccoli and Esperanza and the carnage of the house to tend to, plus Ginger's unborn puppies, and the dangers of getting caught by this new group of poachers, the chances of Dash and Veggie and company coming after us are pretty slim," said Blu, "Around 0.00000000000001 by probability of success based on my calculations."
"Now's not the time to be yapping mathematical probabilities, Blu," growled Travis as he fiddled with the padlock holding him and Sunset and their chicks into their cage, "Now's the time to focus on escaping…"
He continued fiddling with the padlock but eventually gave up. After punching the cage door with a talon in frustration, Travis slumped down by Sunset and his chicks.
"We're gonna need a key to unlock that thing," he said. He then shot Blu a look and said, "Blu, do you think you'd be able to unlock this by picking it with a claw?"
"After all, you are used to unlocking padlocks that way," said Sunset. Blu shook his head. "I can't," he said, "Our cage door's padlocked ten times over."
"Is it?" asked Sunset. Jewel bitterly showed them what Blu meant.
"See for yourself," she growled. Travis and Sunset looked and saw the number of padlocks on the cage door.
"That will take me a good while to pick all of those," said Blu, "Too long in so little time in getting out of here."
"Looks like those cats have remembered that you know how to pick locks," said Phoebe with a growl.
"Very clever solution to the problem of your skill indeed (!)," muttered Cobalto sarcastically.
"Now we'll never get out," groaned Zebedee despairingly.
"We wanna go home," moaned Indigo. Phoebe looked down at her son and daughter.
"Look, don't worry, you two, we'll find a way out," he said in a comforting and encouraging voice. The two hyacinth chicks sighed when an idea entered Sunset's head.
"Hey, Phoebe, do you think you'd be able to use your beak to break the padlock?" she asked. Phoebe looked at her and then at the padlock.
"We haven't tried that yet," said Blu. Jewel looked on impatiently while the others looked on hopefully. Phoebe gazed at everyone.
"Well, I can try that," she said, "Though my beak is very strong, I'm not sure if I'm able to break the padlock. I'll give it a try anyway."
"Well do get on with it please," snarled Jewel, "I'm itching to get out of this miserable place and claw that wretched cockatoo's face in for attacking one of our daughters and other things!"
"Jewel," snapped Cobalto, "You'd get yourself killed if you attempt to attack Nigel."
"And besides that, you'd end up captured again," said Travis. Jewel bitterly rolled her eyes and then gazed back at Phoebe as she clamped her beak on the padlock locking her, Cobalto, Zebedee and Indigo into their cage. However, none of the macaws noticed that their calico friend was approaching the group from behind.
Catina was now metres away from her caged bird friends when suddenly, her keen ears picked up small patters on the floorboards. Immediately, she dived back into hiding behind the nearest object: an overfull trash bin. The patters which were of a pair of talons and of a few cat paws also reached the ears of the macaws and cockatoos, turning their attention to the sources of the sounds and making Phoebe stop clamping onto the padlock. When their eyes landed on the owners of the patters, the chicks all whimpered in fear while disgust, fear and, in Blu and Jewel's case, acidic hatred and detestation, manifested on the macaws and cockatoos' faces. Then a slick and slimy voice emanated from the bird at the front.
"Hello, pretty birds, I hope you lot are preparing for your sleepless nights and nightmares ahead," crooned the cockatoo, Nigel. Behind him were around eight cats, among them Tom, Moggy and Paws and they had been sent back downstairs by Cazador to check on the caged birds while the others in the poaching group prepared for bed. However, Nigel had decided to take this as another opportunity to further taunt and torment the caged group like how he had always done with any of his most hated species of birds on the planet during his time as a smuggler's pet.
"What do you want now, Nigel!?" growled Athos bitterly as Ruby glared on hostilely and Alexandre, Poinsettia and Spinel with frightened faces.
"I hope you're not gonna make us feel sick again," put in Zephyr as Justin, Charlotte, Matilda and Virgil hid behind him. Aurora and Levi also timidly looked on. Then Nigel sauntered towards Zephyr, making the four chicks cower behind him.
"Yep, but this time it's with fear," crooned the cockatoo sadistically. Jewel looked on with a highly corrosive look on her face, the urge to pounce onto Nigel and brutally claw him boiling within her. Blu also looked on bitterly while Carla (who winced from her healed scratch which was still painful), Bia and Tiago shuddered. Then Lapis Lazuli shot Levi and Aurora a concerned glare as they began to shake like leaves again. Tristan, Quincy, Trixie and Larimar cowered behind their mother.
"Don't you think you've caused us enough fear for one day?" Lapis Lazuli asked. Then Moggy trotted toward her and sat down.
"You know Nigel," she crooned mockingly; "He can't get enough of the entertainment he gets from tormenting you birds."
"That's right," said Tom behind Moggy, "It's like an addictive chocolate treat to him though actual human chocolate is toxic to us but… you get the picture."
"Toxic?!" repeated Aramis sourly as Nigel continued taunting Zephyr and as Esmeralda continued to huddle Chlorophyll and Petunia close to her, "It's toxic stuff alright, the pleasure Nigel gets from taunting exotic birds like us. Whatever happened to the nice Nigel before he turned into this horrible, psychotic vulture of a cockatoo that we know nowadays?"
"Surely he must have been nicer," said Porthos. Orquidea, Azul, Wilbur and Ariel angrily or fearfully gulped and said nothing.
Nigel snapped from Zephyr to the burly male blue-and-gold macaw. Orquidea backed away for fear of a talon flying at her from Nigel and clawing her again. The scratch on her belly has healed up now but it was still painful.
"For your information, blue and yellow pretty bird with muscles and a green forehead," growled Nigel as he sauntered towards Porthos, making the latter puff his feathers out, "I was NEVER a nice cockatoo at all."
He then shoved his face into Porthos', making the blue-and-gold macaw wince in revulsion from the stench that tainted Nigel's breath, for it did indeed stink, probably from what the cockatoo ate.
"But… I will explain to you and your little friends," Nigel's gaze then moved to Blu and Jewel, the pH of it lowering drastically as his brown eyes landed on his two most hated Spix macaws, "And remind those two sewer slime worms in blue feathers over there of how I became nasty."
He then turned and nodded to the eight cats that had come with him. Moggy, Tom and Paws and the other five unnamed cats nodded and prepared as Nigel ran away from Porthos and his family and Ariel the blue-throated macaw chick who was clearly petrified of the revolting cockatoo.
"I know I'm not a pretty birdie," crooned Nigel, "I never have been in fact, but I used to be… a handsome and attractive looker…"
The caged macaws and cockatoos just gazed at him bitterly. Then Nigel took up his position, the cats behind him. From her new hiding place, Catina watched but there was also another watcher as well. One of the falcons, Cometa, had come down to watch Nigel and the eight cats as they prepared to enter a dance and a song, but it wasn't a nice song. It was an ugly song.
Nigel (song starts up): I was stri-kin' suave, ambitious, feet, to, beak, so birdi-licious…
He then jumped before the group of caged birds and gave them an acidic stare, his crest raised. Behind him, the eight cats danced like breakdancing street dancers.
Nigel: Now, I'm vile, I am villainous, and vicious… oh, an malicious.
He then jumped back before the dancing eight cats and began to break dance.
Nigel: I had, it, all, a TV show, wi-min too, I was tall, over one, foot, two…
And then they got a pretty parakeet to fill my shoes, that's why I am EVIL and do what I do.
The audience of caged birds looked on bitterly or timidly. Catina also watched from behind the trash bin and Cometa from the door as the eight cats began to sing as a backing chorus.
Eight cats: He was a su-perstar
Nigel: So young and vital
Eight cats: Now he's nast-teee
Nigel (imagines his fame across South America) A South American idol
Moggy (evil look on her face): He's a suspicious bird!
Nigel: who said that about me?
Tom and Paws (evil looks on their faces): A very vicious bird!
Nigel then jumped over to Blu and Jewel, Carla, Bia and Tiago, Aurora and Levi.
Nigel (face against Blu and Jewel's cage): I'll have you rotisseried (Jewel screeches like a cat and lashes a talon at Nigel's face but he dodges).
Nigel (goes over to Zephyr, Lapis Lazuli and their chicks): I am a feathery freak, with a BEAK (jumps over to Levi and Aurora who react in fear) A bird murderer. You think you're badder than me? I've never heard o' ya!
Nigel (Goes over to Porthos, Aramis, Phoebe and their families): I'm evil, I'll fill your cheese balls with weevils (Esmeralda flinches in utter revulsion), I poop on people and I blame it on the seagulls (Phoebe makes disgusted face with tongue hanging out of beak while Cobalto covers Zebedee and Indigo's ears).
Nigel then leaped away and back before the dancing cats.
Eight cats: He's a nasty bird
Nigel: I'm invincible
Tom and Paws: He's GHASTLY
Nigel: I'm unminceable, I'm unwashable, unwrinceable. Like an abandoned school (taunts caged birds with scary leering face) I have no principle!
Then Nigel began to add a new verse of lyrics to his sickly song to describe what happened to his flight thanks to two certain Spix macaws. He sauntered towards the caged birds once again, acidic eyes on Blu and Jewel.
Nigel: I used to fly, you know, fly high in the sky. Like a graceful bird, I soured very high. (Jumps over to Blu and Jewel) But now, because of you, you two, includin' you, Blu, I'm grounded! To see that you can fly, Blu, I'm astounded.
Nigel then backed away and continued singing the new verse to his song.
Nigel: But I won't let THAT make me root to the spot in awe, no! If I did that, stand on the ground watchin' you soar; it would only make my heart bitter and sore.
Nigel then leaped over to Blu and Jewel once again.
Nigel: And because of the utter loss you caused me, you are gonna pay Blu, dearly. I'm…
Suddenly, a loud voice sounded from behind the dancing group of cats and cockatoo, interrupting the song.
"Nigel, you eight cats; get back upstairs!" shouted the voice. Taken by surprise by this shout, Nigel, Tom, Paws, Moggy and the other five cats looked up and saw the voice's owner, Cazador. The lead falcon stood there on the table with an angry look on his face.
"I only sent you nine down here to check on the caged birds," said the annoyed lead falcon, "Not entertain them with some stupid song."
"But Cazador," said Nigel.
"No 'buts'," snapped Cazador, "We have an important meeting to attend. Now come back up here. Lysandre and the others are waiting for you."
Moggy, Tom and Paws exchanged glances before running off towards the door. They then disappeared through it with the other five cats in tow. Nigel followed but before he left, he glared back sadistically at the caged birds, especially Blu and Jewel, one last time.
"To be continued," he crooned.
"To be continued NOT!" bellowed Zephyr but Nigel didn't hear him as he left. Cazador then shot the caged birds one final glare to check them before leaving himself. From her hiding place, Cometa left as well. As soon as Nigel and the others had disappeared with Cazador following them, the caged birds were left badly shaken.
"I did NOT like his song one bit," snarled Sunset as she held the shivering Eustace, Milo and Rosa.
"The song was well put together," said Travis, "But the lyrics were utterly awful."
Phoebe then resumed trying to bite down on the padlock to break it and free herself and her family.
"Those lyrics were as disgusting as his eating habits, honestly," muttered Aramis.
"We've seriously got to get out of here, like I've said," said Athos, the song having added more fuel to his desperation to get himself and his family and group out of this dilapidated place. The others nodded in agreement. Behind them from her hiding place, Catina also began to make her move. She too, was repulsed by Nigel's song and could not wait to get her feathered friends out of this place... and away from the disgusting cockatoo.