Chapter 0

Something poking Oswald in the shoulder pulled him from the warm blanketed sleep he had just fallen into. Slowly he opened his eyes to find Oswald Junior 12 kneeling on the bed in front of him, his blue paw poking Oswald still.

"Daddy? You awake?" 12 asked, just noticing Oswald's eyes opening.

"I am now. What is it?" Oswald asked in a whisper. He pushed himself up so he was sitting, giving Ortensia's sleeping form a glace.

"Pluto's scratching at the front door," 12 offered.

"Pluto?"

"What's going on?" Ortensia asked, sleep still in her voice.

Oswald threw the blankets off of himself and dropped his legs off the bed. "Go ahead and let him in, I'll be down in a second," Oswald said to his child. He watched 12 drop down from the bed and leave the room before looking at the clock. "What on Earth is Mickey doing at one AM?" Oswald mumbled more to himself as he forced himself to his feet.

"I heard some early fireworks, maybe he was testing some?" Ortensia said, rolling herself out of the bed.

A single bark sounded from downstairs before pounding paws hurriedly made their way up the stairs. Before Oswald could step to the doorway the hound skidded to a stop in front of Oswald and took a hold of his pajama pants leg, already pulling him back towards the hall.

"Okay, not even grabbing a shirt," Oswald realized as the dog forced him out of the bed room.

"Do you think Mickey's hurt?" Ortensia asked, running down the hall after them as she pulled on her green robe over top of her nightgown.

Oswald turned back to the dog, Pluto giving him his pants leg back so they could rush down the stairs.

"Papa? Pluto?" 11 asked as the girl walked up the hall from the basement stairs with a plush raccoon in her hands. "What's going on?"

"We don't know yet," Oswald admitted, following the dog to the door.

"11, get everyone back in bed. We'll let you know what happened in the morning," Ortensia ordered as Oswald pulled open the door and the three rushed out of the house.

Now outside, Pluto ran a few paces before looking over his shoulder and letting out a commanding bark. Oswald gave a worried glance at Ortensia, the street lamps showing his feelings mirrored in her face, before running after the dog. A stray firework sounded off in the distance as the warm night reminded them summer was here.

Pluto led Oswald around the back of Mickey's yellow house and to the back door, leaving the rabbit at the locked door as he dove through the doggy door. Oswald quickly reached up to the door ledge and pulled off the magnetic hide-a-key, unlocking the door as quickly as he could. He handed Ortensia the key as his wife stepped up behind him and pushed open the door.

"Mickey?" Oswald's voice called out into the dark house.

"Morris, is that you?" Mickey's voice called out.

"Morris?" Ortensia echoed in a whisper, following Oswald through the kitchen.

"Mickey, what is it?" Oswald asked, flicking on the kitchen light as they left the room. The light bled into the living room where pillows had been taken from the sofa and built into a type of trench, two round ears and the muzzle of a gun poking out towards the front door. Oswald quickly motioned for Ortensia to stay back, unsure what the danger was, before carefully making his way over to Mickey in the pillow block-aid.

"Alright Mick, I'm here," Oswald said, noticing Pluto crouching beside Mickey, putting a paw on the mouse's pajama covered leg.

Mickey gave him a quick glance before grabbing his shoulder and shoving him down to his knees. "Get down, are you crazy?" Mickey hissed, turning his eyes back to the lazy-boy and front door. "They'll see you."

"Who's there?"

"I know I saw a kraut's unit," Mickey informed, checking his gun over. "They were shooting at us while you found a bush."

"I thought I heard something," Oswald said. He thought it was better to play along as he noticed the gun in Mickey's hand was one of the kid's old pop guns, cork at the ready to fire off. Mickey pointed the toy gun towards the door, scanning his eyes back and forth for movement Oswald couldn't see.

Oswald gave a look back at Ortensia, her body shadowed by the kitchen light, before saying, "Hey Mickey, he's calling for me again. Don't let them get me."

"You know I hate when you joke like that," Mickey said, not removing his gaze.

Oswald froze in a half crouch, about to leave the makeshift trench, when he offered, "Sorry." He gave his brother one last look before quickly leaving the pillow construction. He led Ortensia deeper into the kitchen with a hand on her arm before saying, "Go get Minnie. I don't know what's gotten into him, but he seems to think he's in World War Two again."

"I'll be right back," Ortensia promised. She gave Mickey in the living room a glance before quickly turning around and rushing out the back door.