Hey everyone!
This is the second chapter I'm posting on the 18th, and this one focuses on a pivotal part of both this story and the Amphibia show: the Prison Break episode. I tried to use as much of the original material as I could, but made changes to fit Ethan's story. Enjoy!
Also, there's some language here, so beware.
Prison Break
A week later, a small bug crawled across the floor of one of the cells in Toad Tower. It cautiously headed towards an empty bowl, hoping to find a scrap of food. Reaching it, it looked around for something to eat, never noticing the brick that descended upon it, killing it instantly.
"Get your own food," Ethan muttered angrily, sitting with his back against the wall, waiting for dinner. He was in a foul mood, mainly because he had used up the last of his phone's battery watching the end of Season three of Suspicion Island. What added insult to injury was the fact that it cut off right before it got to the winner, so now he would never know if Celia or Nathan won.
He ran a finger absentmindedly over his scarred leg, which bore hundreds of tiny bite marks from his time in the Hole. More covered his chest, arms, neck and face, making him look just as bumpy and ugly as a toad. Plus, his clothes were torn from the pincers, offering him little protection from the cold nights. It hurt a lot, and he guessed that while the bites would eventually fade, the scars would not. He would have those forever, reminding him of those three minutes he spent in that room of horror. His left shoulder was also red, and still stung occasionally from the acid spit.
The door opened across the room, and Percy stuck his head in.
"Hey, Ethan," he said brightly, the green and spotted toad giving him a kind smile, holding up a bowl of food. "I brought ya dinner; it's Cricket Thursday!"
"Hey, Percy," the teen said, smiling and giving him a small wave, glad for the distraction from boredom. Percy was one of the only toads that treated him with some decency, and it was always a good day when he was on guard duty. "Sounds delicious. Tilly's really outdoing herself in the kitchen; breakfast and lunch were both delicious."
"We just got a fresh shipment of bugs last night." He hesitated, suddenly nervous. "How... How's the skin? Felling any better?"
"... Kind of," the human answered. "Braddock's salve really work miracles for the pain; especially on the acid burn. She's amazing."
"Yeah, she's something," Percy agreed, a faraway look entering his eyes. Moments later, he snapped out of it. "I've uh… been working on my act. Do you wanna see it?"
"Sure."
The toad walked in, blowing a small horn while a bunch of other instruments attached to his body played at the same time, mainly a bass drum attached to his back. He looked like one of those one-man-band street performers, dancing around with a small jester hat on. The music sounded quite good, and when he finished, the human could not help but clap.
"That was cool," Ethan said honestly. "You're really good at that!"
"Thanks," the toad said, smiling and handing him his bowl through the bars and taking the old silverware. "So you really liked my act?"
"Yeah! Too bad you can't do that all the time."
"I know… Captain Grime doesn't really like music," the toad replied, sighing a little as he took off his funny hat to put his helmet back on. "I wish I could just leave here."
"Thant makes two of us," the teen muttered. "...Why don't you leave?"
The soldier looked up at him with surprise. "I… I can't just leave! You... you really think I should quit my job and be a performer?"
"Yeah," Ethan said, smiling a little. "You're clearly not happy here, and if you're not doing something that makes you happy, then what's the point of work?"
"I dunno…"
"You won't have to see Grime ever again."
Percy's eyes widened with realization, and a broad grin crossed his face.
"Ya know what… you're right! I'm gonna leave!" He put his helmet on a nearby skeleton, putting his jester hat back on. "I can't wait to see the look on Grime's face when I tell him I'm-"
The toad backed into someone, falling over with a crash. He looked up, giving a short yelp when he saw Captain Grime standing there, glaring at him. Ethan was also surprised, having not noticed the captain come in, but he quickly hid his shock with a scowl.
"Tell me what," Grime growled, looking down at a terrified Percy. The soldier was shaking so much, the tambourine and cymbal were making noise. Finally, he leaped to his feet, running out the door.
"Sorry! I'm-quitting-this-place-and-I've-always-hated-this-job-BYEEE," he yelled, the sound of him running down the stairs as the instruments played fading into the distance. The toad captain and human looked at the door for a few seconds before turning to face one another.
"Am I in trouble," the teen asked sarcastically, glaring at him.
"Yes," the captain said, frowning at him. "Care to explain why that's the fifth soldier to quit this week because they realized they 'didn't like their boss' and 'had to follow their dreams?'"
"Not particularly." Ethan flinched at the toad's sudden cold stare, its eyes glowing with rage. "You're a smart toad; you figure it out."
"Mmhm," the toad said, arms crossed with a disbelieving look on his face. "Most likely this stems from me beating you in fair combat."
"That was not-"
"It definitely was," the captain snapped loudly, silencing his argument. "You agreed to the terms of the duel, and you lost; there is no ignoring it, and those scars will remind you to think the next time you think of challenge me."
"Why you-"
The door suddenly slammed opened, and Braddock rushed in, interrupting what was sure to become a screaming match.
"Captain Grime, sir," she yelled, saluting the commanding toad. "I have bad news!" She noticed Ethan, smiling at him. "Oh hi, Ethan!"
"Braddock," the teen answered, smiling at her. "How's your garden coming along? That salve you gave me was awesome!"
The female soldier blushed. "Oh it looks great! I'm so glad you remem-"
"Did you need something, soldier," Grime barked, making her jump and snap back to attention. He also gave the human a quick glare, and Ethan quickly turned back to his dinner.
"Oh… yes! We may have a small problem. Herons! Two of them, due North!"
Captain Grime's eyes went wide, and he raced from the room, closely followed by Braddock, running up to the top of the tower.
"There," she whispered, pointing into the distance. He walked to the ledge, spying the two giant birds stalking through the swamp.
"Kill the torches," he ordered the solider. "Fast!"
"Yes sir!" Ethan, whose cell window was right below them, looked out at the distant birds.
"A bird," he asked sarcastically. "You guys are scared of a bird?"
"Quiet," the toad captain hissed at him. "It's not just a bird; it's a heron. A murderous predator that happens to love the taste of flesh!" One of the birds made a screeching roar, which was loud, despite them being about half a mile away.
"Okay," the teen said. "So now we have Jurassic Park bird monsters."
"The most important thing right now is that we be very, very quiet," the toad whispered, and despite his dislike of the captain, the human shut his mouth.
Suddenly, a loud banging noise came from the courtyard below. Percy, still wearing his one-toad-band getup, was walking out the main gate, the cymbals and drum going off as he walked. The two monstrous birds turned their heads at the noise, looking at the Tower.
"PERCY," Ethan, Braddock and Grime whisper-yelled, waving and trying to get his attention. "Come back here! There's a heron! Stop walking!" The green toad finally noticed, turning to look at them.
"Sorry guys," he yelled, "but this toad's gotta follow his dreams!" A giant talon stomped down, the toes landing on either side of him. Freezing, he looked up, gaping at the two giant birds towering over him. One gave a shrill screech that echoed across the land.
"AAAH," Percy screamed as one of the picked him up by its beak. The other pulled at his instruments, and he fell to the ground. His broken instruments fell as he dodged one of the heron's beaks. He ran back towards the tower, screaming the whole time as the birds chased him.
"Don't lead them here, you fool," Captain Grime shouted, face-palming himself and growling with anger. He then grabbed a horn from his belt, blowing a loud note that echoed around the Tower. "CLOSE THE GATES!" The gates started to close, but Percy was fortunately able to make it right before the doors shut, the two guards giving him confused look.
"Wow," Ethan said, looking at the distant figure of Percy. "This is serious."
Suddenly, one of the herons appeared right in front of his window, bursting through the wall with its beak and knocking the teen back. Ethan slid into the bars of the cell, staring at the giant bird beak in front of its face. He could see that the creature had sharp teeth, and some red liquid was dripping from its beak. It opened its mouth and gave a loud screech, blowing his hair back.
"OH SHIT" he cried, trying to scramble away as the bird tried to peck at his legs. The human noticed one of his chains had become severed in the destruction, but the other one still held him down.
"This place is falling apart," he vaguely heard Grime yell from the corridor, along with the sound of toads running and screaming in terror. "Come on you cowards, fight back! Do SOMETHING!"
Ethan, not wanting to die and not expecting anyone to rescue him, quickly stood up and spotted his bowl of food laying nearby. Getting an idea, he raced for it, jumping over the creature's beak, flipping as he did so. Managing to land on his feet [which was impressive, given that he had not practiced in a month and was still chained with one leg], he grabbed the bowl and threw it at the bird's face, blinding it with stew and making it roar with rage.
"Bring it on, bird brain," he yelled, running forward and jumping onto the bird's beak, using it to vault himself into its face, where he punched it in the eye with the hope of disorienting it. It roared again, shaking its head as he held on like a rodeo rider, repeatedly poking its eyes. Eventually, it managed to shake him off, and he rolled onto the ground. In its anger, it ended up snapping the other chain that held him down, but now it was staring right at him, eyes red with anger, mouth open to eat him alive. The teen closed his eyes, not wanting to die, and then-
"AAH!"
Ethan opened his eyes to find Grime standing over him, using both hands to hold back the heron's beak. The captain was growling with concentration, glaring at the beast. Looking around, the teen saw that the toad had bent the bars of the cage open, and he quickly ran through it, heading for the exit. He had just made it into the hall when he paused, turning back towards the cell door. He could run away easily in the chaos, but... he was not a killer, like Grime. A second later, he made a decision.
"Fine," he muttered to himself, grabbing a nearby barrel and running back into the room. The heron had knocked the toad captain back, ready to eat him alive.
"I do not fear death," he heard Grime say.
Drama queen, Ethan thought, lifting the barrel over his head. "Hey! Ugly chicken!"
Yelling, he threw the barrel at the bird, which shattered on its beak and sent some green liquid spewing all over it. The head fell to the ground before retreating through the hole, heading off to attack another part of the tower. Captain Grime turned to him with a shocked expression, then he started to laugh.
"So the creature returns," he said, getting to his feet. "And was that flip one of your gym-nastics tricks?"
"Yes," the teen said proudly. "And right now, it looks like I did a whole lot more than your 'army' put together. I guess you don't have drills for this kind of scenario?"
The toad's eyes narrowed. "You dare-"
"Listen up," the human interrupted. "If I help you get rid of these birds, you will give me provisions, and release me. It's the least you can do after I saved your life. Deal?"
Grime stared at him for a few seconds, then gave him a dark grin [or a regular grin; it was hard to tell when Grime was not being evil].
"Deal. Now grab every toad you can and head for the safe room!" A screech from the outside made the both jump. "Quickly!"
[][][]
An hour or so later, Ethan, Grime, Braddock, Percy and several other toads were in the safe room at the base of the tower. Around them, they could hear the herons pecking at the foundations, making some rocks fall from the ceiling. Three toads guarding the door were thrown back by a powerful thud, and most of the others were shaking with fear.
"You know what would lighten this atmosphere a little bit," Percy suddenly asked, still wearing his jester hat. "A jo-oke! How many herons does it take to storm a castle?" Captain Grime drew his sword, pointing the blade at the guard's neck. "Too soon?"
"You lot are, without a doubt," Grime said quietly, his volume increasing to a yell as he turned to the other soldiers, "the most USELESS GROUP OF TOADS I HAVE EVER SEEN!"
Ethan noticed a lot of the toads sigh at this, shoulders slumped with dejection. He turned back to the captain, wondering how someone could be so mean all the time, then remembered Sasha existed. While he didn't care about most of the toad soldiers, Ethan noticed Percy and Braddock's dejected expressions, and felt himself growing angrier.
"Maybe," their leader continued to yell, "if any of you had a SCRAP of courage, we wouldn't BE in here, cowering like a bunch of-"
"Oh my gosh, shut the FUCK up," Ethan shouted, eliciting a few gasps from the soldiers as the captain turned to him, too stunned to be mad. The human's face flushed with embarrassment, but he remained adamant in his statement; besides, it felt good calling out the guy who had him tortured, especially in front of his soldiers. The teen walked toward him, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him behind a tapestry for some privacy.
"Look," he told the toad captain, "if you keep acting like a dick all the time, yelling at them like that, they're gonna keep freaking out, and we're all gonna die! I'm not planning on dying here, of all places, so hurry up and grow a pair and start acting like a leader!"
Grime gaped at him for a few moments before his face turned into a snarl.
"And what would you suggest I do," he demanded. "Reward them for their pathetic behavior? Congratulate them for their mediocrity?" He spat off to the side, the small puddle of acidic saliva burning through the floor.
"No," the teen said exasperatedly, face palming himself. "It's like I told you before; treat them with respect, and they'll listen to you. Compliment them every now and then, just to let them know you appreciate them trying their best, and they'll do anything for you."
"Really," the toad asked incredulously. "That actually works?"
"Yes."
The captain scratched his chin, deep in thought. "... Fine, I'll give it a try," he finally conceded. He drew back the tapestry, looking out at the group of toads. "Uh… where do I start?"
Ethan gave a small sigh of exasperation, but decided to have mercy on the toad. "I'll help." Raising his voice, he yelled, "What? You think all of your guards are doing a great job but you're too scared to show your true feelings?"
Grime gave him a horrified look, and all the soldiers turned towards the two of them, muttering to one another and exchanging confused looks.
"What are you doing," the captain hissed at him.
"Don't worry. Follow my lead." The human raised his voice again. "And you think Braddock is the bravest soldier because she doesn't take crap from anyone?"
"What," the female toad asked, straightening up a little as everyone turned to her.
"I…" Captain Grime turned to Ethan, who gave him a small nod. "Uh… Yes," he said loudly, trying to give what he hoped was a believable smile of encouragement. "She is one of the best soldiers Toad Tower has ever had!"
"Aw… gosh," Braddock said, blushing a little as the other soldiers smiled around her, a few congratulating their friend.
"And what about Gary," the teen continued, pointing to a heavily-bandaged toad on crutches. "Do you have anything to say to him?"
"Uh… he's never taken a sick day," the captain said, grasping at straws as he tried to think of something kind to say.
"What can I say," the blue toad said, grinning happily while balancing on his crutches. "I'm just dedicated!" Grime could not help but grin, watching his soldiers start to liven up, looking at him with smiling faces.
"And Percy," Ethan asked, deciding to have one last jab at the captain.
Captain Grime gave him a murderous look. "I don't want to do Percy," he muttered.
"PERCY," the human repeated with gritted teeth.
"Percy's a grubbing IDIOT," the captain finally snapped. The group of soldiers gasped, and Percy's eyes went wide, starting to tear up. The teen face-palmed himself again, wanting to strangle the toad if his neck was not so fat. Grime, noticing how upset everyone became, quickly tried to back track.
"BUT… when he makes a mistake, he owns it, and he doesn't stop until he makes things right. And because of that…" The toad guards gasped, waiting for him to finish. "He… has…"
"C'mon, c'mon," Ethan muttered.
Captain Grime, swallowing his pride and not liking the taste, finally said, "EARNED MY RESPECT!"
The collective gasp that followed was almost deafening. Everyone stared at the captain in shock, some wondering if he was under some kind of spell. Percy, meanwhile, stopped flinching and looked up at the captain.
"I have," he asked, a hopeful expression on his face.
"Uh… yes," the toad leader questioned.
Percy looked like he was about to cry, but suddenly straightened up, a hard expression on his face.
"Captain Grime, Sir," he said, giving him a perfect salute, "we're taking this tower BACK! Even if we have to fight through TWENTY herons!" He turned to his fellow soldiers. "Now c'mon, you toads, no one wants to live forever!"
Roars of applause and cheers started before he could even finish his sentence. All the toad soldiers were cheering, raising their weapons in triumph over their heads. Percy lifted his own, and with his jester had sitting proudly on his head, he led the charge out of the safe room, all of them calling for the birds' blood. Seconds later, they were gone, leaving only Grime and Ethan in the room.
The captain was shocked, to say the least, that the human's plan had even worked. He looked up at the human, who gave him a thumbs up and a small smile. Then, remembering the Hole, the teen quickly turned it into a frown, looking back at the stairwell. There was a few seconds of awkward silence before they then hurried after the soldiers, not wanting to miss out on the fun.
[][][]
The battle that followed was short and sweet.
With their renewed courage and vigor, the toads stormed out of the tower, taking the two monsters by surprised. They attacked the legs, avoiding talons and beaks as the monsters looked around in confusion.
"FOR GRIME," Percy yelled, still leading the charge against the birds.
Ethan and Grime made it upstairs moments later, surveying the battlefield. Some toads now lay wounded, but most were still fighting, grouping together to attack at once. They spotted the two birds, necks bent low, cornering Braddock and Percy against a fallen wall. As if getting the same idea, the two of them raced up the nearest stairs, standing on a broken outcrop over the two bird's heads, lifting a club he had found.
"Hey, up here," Ethan yelled, catching their attention. Then, yelling a war cry, both Captain Grime and he jumped onto the birds, knocking them into the ground. Running up its neck, the teen did a front flip through the air, using the momentum to bring his club down on the heron's head. Jumping off, he turned to face the bird, the captain at his side. Both of them ran forward and attacked their respective bird, occasionally switching monsters to land a kick or a punch. The human had never felt more alive than he did in this moment, punching a giant bird in the eye before doing a back flip off its beak. Eventually, the two bird monsters, tired of the beating, took off into the sky, the battle cry of the fighters still in their ears.
"WOAH," Ethan heard, and turned to find the toad army gaping at him and Captain Grime, clearly impressed by their fighting skills. Well, his were not really skills; he was just hitting that bird like a Whack-a-Mole at an arcade.
"Toads of Toad Tower," Grime yelled, clearly on an adrenaline high from the fight, "today was a great victory! If it weren't for your bravery, the fortress would be lost! You're all HEROES!"
"Did Grime," one soldier asked.
"Just call us," Braddock continued.
"Heroes," Percy finished.
There was a beat of silence, then everyone started cheering at once, hugging one another and raising their weapons in celebration. The captain couldn't help but smile either, but he noticed once again that the human was still stony-faced.
"Alright troops, listen up," the toad finally said.
Immediately, the soldiers were silent, all falling into line and saluting him. "SIR, YES SIR," they yelled in unison.
"Wow… um… head down to the mess hall for some food and a round of beetle mead! You've earned it!"
"SIR, YES SIR," the toad warriors yelled, marching away in perfect step, which was something they could never do before.
"Unbelievable," the toad captain muttered, turning to face the human. "This 'compliment' stuff is amazing!"
"Yeah, so I upheld my end of the deal," Ethan said, tossing the now broken club aside. "So give me some rations, a map, maybe a cool cloak or two so I don't freeze to death, and I'll be on my way."
Grime suddenly and quickly drew his sword and pressed it to the human's neck.
"Not so fast," he said, grinning at him. "The last I checked, you were still my prisoner, and I don't make deals with those I've captured."
The teen's face went red, and he looked ready to attack the captain. "Why you warty little sh-"
"But, you have done me a great service today, including saving my life," the toad continued, sheathing his sword. Taking out a key from his pocket, he knelt and unlocked the bits of chain that were still around the human's ankles. Ethan stared at him in shock, not expecting this turn of events from the guy who had him tortured by centipedes a week or so ago.
"So you're free to go," the captain said, standing back up. "Become a vagabond, wandering the wilderness to your content while searching for a way home. Even if you don't die right away, I doubt you'll survive a day."
The human looked out past the ruined walls of the castle, the red moon visible in the sky. He saw mountains, forests, swamps, and could even still see the two herons flying away in the distance. While he wanted to leave, he probably wouldn't survive on his own, and given the captain's tone, he ventured a guess that there was an-
"Or," Ethan asked, turning back to the toad.
Grime again gave him an evil grin. "Or… stay here, become a soldier, and given the promise you've shown today, maybe my second-in-command if you prove yourself. Help us rebuild the tower. And... when we're done here, you, me, and the entire garrison will march on the Valley, restore order, and help you find your way home, if it's possible. Now, do we have a deal," he asked.
Ethan stared back at him, mulling the offer over in his head. Compared to living on his own and possibly dying in the wilderness, a promotion sounded nice. Not being a prisoner anymore and being locked in a cell was also appealing, though the whole Hole incident was still fresh in his mind. Seconds later, he knew his reply.
"Definitely."
Captain Grime grinned. "Excellent" he said. "Now come, Soldier; we have much to discuss!" He walked away, another toad soldier running up to tell him that someone named Bog had returned from Wartwood with news. Ethan looked around the fallen ramparts of the tower, surveying the alien world before him.
"Soldier," the teen muttered to himself, a small smile on his face. "Looks like I'm moving up in this world..." Then, he turned and walked towards the mess hall, the sunset turning the sky a fiery red.
Meanwhile, far away in Wartwood...
"How's your arm, Anne," Sprig asked.
"Feeling better," she said, taking a bite of stew, her arm no longer bandaged. "Who knew toads could be so tough?"
"I did," Hop Pop said. "I warned you two about toads; you shoulda stayed out of it."
"Lighten up, Hopadiah," Sasha said, blowing on her stew to cool it, being the only one to call the elderly frog by his real name. "The way I see it, we found the town's stolen taxes and earned their respect to boot. I say it was a very good day."
"Yeah," Polly agreed, once again siding with the blonde human, who she had taken an instant liking to. "Now they're not freaks anymore!"
"Though where did you learn those moves," Sprig asked Sasha.
"Cheer leading, believe it or not," Sasha answered, looking over at Anne. "Though that was cool, using that tennis racket to knock them back."
"Thanks. We make quite a team."
"We all do," Sprig agreed, leaping up between the two girls and hugging them. They all laughed, the cozy home in Wartwood full of family.
It was fun writing this chapter; most of the dialogue comes from the 'Prison Break' episode, but with some changes, of course. And we now know that Sasha is in Amphibia, but ended up with Anne in Wartwood instead of ending up at Toad Tower, so it should be exciting to see how things will change because of this.
Note: I do NOT own Jurassic Park or Amphibia.