A/N: Alright, I'm back once again. This is the second-to-last chapter of the epic. I hope these long breaks for the final chapters isn't throwing anyone off. I would have put these last ones up much sooner but things have been really crazy for me the last couple months. I hope this hasn't been a burden for anyone. OK, rambling is done; enjoy Chapter 27!

27.

It had begun. Corey was attacked from all sides by water balloons. Twitty made a direct hit and so did Tom. Beans threw one that narrowly missed. Then he scurried off, abandoning his post to take refuge behind Louis and Twitty. Louis hurled one more balloon at Corey and hit him again. Twitty had been busy putting up some posts for a big slingshot that could throw water balloons with more force and accuracy. Corey froze when he saw the fixture in place with Louis bringing the rubber back with a water balloon. Louis released, and wham! Another direct hit. Now Corey was VERY angry. "You little twerps!" he shouted.

Then Louis pulled out a trusty paintball gun and fired. Another hit. Louis' aim was impeccable that night. Four more shots fired and there were four more hits. Then Tom ran over to take over Louis' position at the slingshot. Louis took position where Tom was and took with him a sack full of paintballs and anything that he could find athis house that would fit and be able to be fired. He missed him a few times on this round, but there was several more direct hits that were beginning to take its toll on Corey. For someone that was unprepared and unaware of all that was awaiting him, he was still holding up. A water balloon came flying across the yard and nailed Corey right in the head, knocking him momentarily to the ground. Louis took off running again. He went back to the station where Twitty and Tom were. He threw down the paintball gun. Louis pulled out a remote control. When Corey returned to his feet Louis pushed the button. The station located across the street was Louis' catapalt that hurled a huge cottage cheese balloon at Corey, absolutely covering him. Fuming, Corey wiped the cottage cheese off his face and announced, "Fluffy Stevens! This is it! You will die tonight!"

Corey started to make his way towards Louis and Twitty and Tom. And out of hiding appeared a long potato gun that Louis had constructed. Corey stopped in his tracks and his eyes were bugged out. "Oh no," he mumbled.

Louis grinned when he saw that Corey was finally the one that was scared. "Corey, I gotta thank you for this, man. I've waited my whole life to say this: Say hello to my little friend!" Louis loaded a potato down the barrel of the potato gun. Corey, now very tired and weary, tried to turn around and make an escape. However, Beans, who maneuvered around quite a bit, ran and locked the front door on Corey so that he could not return to his house. Louis was still pointing the potato gun at him when Corey looked back. When he ran away, Louis tossed the gun on the ground and said, "Sucker." He then pulled out another remote control, pushed the magic button and a cage releasing dogs came out and chased after Corey. It was reminiscent of graduation, not even two months earlier. The hungry, ravenous dogs were running after a very scared and beaten down Corey Richmond. He ran down the street with about 12 dogs running after him. When he disappeared from sight Louis, Twitty and Tom all exchanged hi-fives, but the still-chubby Beans appeared from out of nowhere and they all surrounded him and gave him a great big hi-five as well. The mission was a complete success.

The guys were all congratulating each other when Tom asked Louis, "Say, where did you get those lights that we used?"

Louis grinned. "Oh, I got some extras that were at the football stadium. I mean, they're not the big ones they keep over the stands to light the field, but they're just some back-ups. They did the job tonight. Now, lets get outta here."

"Why?" Twitty asked.

"We've caused just a little bit of noise here tonight. You don't think somebody called the police on us?"

"Good point. But what about Tawny?"

"I told her to run and get outta here. She's gone for sure."

However, Tawny never left the house. She stood in front of a window in the house and watched the whole thing. She started to open the door to go see the guys and thank them for her rescue. But as she turned the knob, the guys could see some police cars coming from up the street, so they ran as fast as they could to the car and sped off. None of them even saw Tawny.

One police officer approached Tawny and began asking some questions. "Ma'am, did someone here call for the police?"

"Yes, sir, I did."

"What's the commotion?"

"Well, it was because of my boyfr-er, ex-boyfriend. He was going to hurt me, but he didn't."

"What's his name?"

"His name is Corey Richmond."

"Corey Richmond, huh? Ma'am, is this gentleman about six feet four inches tall, about 220 pounds, blonde hair, a few scattered freckles?"

"Yes, sir."

"Ma'am, I hate to inform you, but Mr. Richmond's real name is Austin Redeye. He's a con artist. We've got a warrant for his arrest in five states. How do you know him?"

"From high school."

"Are you aware that he's 24 years old, ma'am?"

"No sir."

"Where did you last see him?"

"He was covered in paint and cottage cheese and water and was being chased by a bunch of dogs, sir." The officer looked at Tawny as if to say, are you kidding me? "No really, sir. Some of my friends came through for me and got him away from me and really let him have it."

"I see," he said. "Ma'am, I don't believe we need any further information from you tonight. We'll go looking after him now. Certainly if this guy is covered in water, cottage cheese and paint and being chased by dogs, we couldn't possibly miss him. Would you like a ride home, ma'am?"

"Yes, please," Tawny answered. She sat in the squad car and they delivered her home. She went right to bed.