Trouble on Toy Island

Author's note: Did you see "A Redhead's Lunch?" Mat seems to be my only reviewer, but as long as it's someone, I don't mind! ;-)
And one more thing. Even I don't know how long any of my stories are going to be until they're almost over, with few exceptions.
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Chapter 6: Head and Soldiers

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07:37 AM - EAST TOY ISLAND
Clover and I rushed toward the east corner of the park. We found a doorway guarded by two toy soldiers in this corner, which was in the giant toy store section.

First things first: I used my DS to contact Alex. Her image appeared on the DS touch screen. "Enjoying Toy Island, Leo?"
"I wish," I responded. "I think the place is brainwashing tourists when they go on Toy Tunnel. Try to get a lock on Sam; I sent her into Toy Tunnel with Arnold."
Alex blinked. "I thought Sam was with you."
"She was, but I pulled a switcheroo. She should be brainwashed or something by now. Get a lock on her and investigate."
"What? But I don't even know how to work all of the WOOHP equipment!"
I used the DS stylus to tap the screen right where Alex's eye was.
"Ouch! Okay, okay, I'll do it. No need to poke me in the eye." Alex signed off.

Putting on my heat-sensor 6000's, I scanned the area. "There's a large group of people - toy soldiers, I'm guessing - below here. A passage to them leads from that doorway."
We tried to enter the doorway, but the soldiers stopped us. "Now, just a moment. You're not Dan Ti, and you're not toy soldiers, so you're not allowed past here."

I sighed, but I had a plan. We both hid around the corner while I scanned the male toy soldier with my DS, and used it to change into a toy soldier outfit myself. Clover did the same with her X-powder and the female toy soldier.
We then attempted to get through again. "Hello," I ad-libbed, "we're toy soldiers, uh, #15 and #16. We were just passing through to see Dan."
"I'm pretty sure you two are impostors," one soldier countered.
Clover's temper took over. "What? What makes you so sure we aren't #15 and #16?"
"Because WE'RE #15 and #16."

Blush city. We immediately fled the area, but screeched to a halt as we hid behind two empty toy soldier packages. Two other toy soldiers approached us.
These two toy soldiers looked very much like Jerry and Dinah. They were singing the usual: "This is Toy Island, full of toys / For all the girls and all the boys / The carnival is lots of fun / So come together, everyone."

Clover thought quickly, and asked them a question: "Hello, you two. What numbers are you?"
"Numbers 323 and 324," the Dinah toy soldier told us.
"That's a nice number," I commented. "Were you made recently?"
"Very recently. Just yesterday, in fact."

Just yesterday? Just yesterday, Clover had seen Jerry and Dinah get on Toy Tunnel. That was all we needed to hear. We jumped the soldiers and stuffed them into the packages, tying them up as tight as we could.
I took out my DS once again, and Clover followed suit with her X-powder. We copied the uniforms of Jerry and Dinah, and approached the east corner once again.

This time around, we introduced ourselves as #323 and #324, and got through with no problem. We walked down the spiral staircase to the room downstairs.
We approached a toy soldier standing against the wall. "Excuse me, sir," I asked, "can you give me directions to Dan Ti's office? We're a bit lost."
The toy soldier responded with barely a thought. "Down that hall, to your left. Look for a door with a picture of a crown on it."

We walked down that hall, and found a door with a picture of a crown on it to our left. Through it was a cute-looking man shuffling some papers. This was Dan Ti for sure.
Dan Ti looked up. "Is there some problem, you two?"
"No," Clover responded. "We just wanted to stop by and say hello."
I nodded. "Yeah, and I think #324 has a bit of a crush on you."

A P.A. system broadcast a message to us. "Attention, Dan Ti. More brainwashed tourists are ready to be converted to toy soldiers. Report to the arrival bay at once."
Dan Ti got up. "Mind if we follow?" I ad-libbed. "#324 and I really enjoy watching the conversion process." He gave us the OK, and we followed him down the hall to a door with a picture of a toy soldier on it.

On the other side of the door was a waterway that was no doubt on the other side of Toy Tunnel. A boat came down with Sam and Arnold on it, and Dan Ti fetched them.
"#323," Dan Ti told us as he wrote something on a clipboard, "fetch me two size 2 soldier hats, and #324, fetch me two toy guns." We complied as Dan Ti said something to Sam and Arnold.

We heard part of what Dan Ti was saying. "… You get that? #351 and #352. That's who you are."
"#351," Arnold repeated.
"#352," Sam said.

"Excellent. I'm assigning you to popcorn duty in the main plaza."

After Dan Ti gave them their uniforms and toy guns (which we fetched willingly), he sent them off. Then, another P.A. announcement stopped our hearts cold. It went like this:
"Attention all soldiers. Soldiers #323 and #324 have been found tied up in the east quadrant. They say they were assaulted by a blonde girl and a brown-haired boy. Be on the lookout for a blonde girl and a brown-haired boy who may be impersonating these two soldiers."

Blush city, the sequel. Everyone's attention turned to us. "BUSTED," we said at the same time.
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BUSTED is right. Cliffhanger here!