Author's Note: I HIGHLY Recommend you should read the plot summary in the first chapter before start reading this second one.
To make things more interesting about this fanfiction with The Courageous Brigade, i introduced a control point system over the wasteland territories that will show up besides the main title of the chapter to give you an idea if the brigade has to face any danger or not.
These points means the maximum control over the occupied land, city, or region. Each point resembles an enemy high importance target building, camp, or any location controlled by different factions. If the control is reduced to zero by the brigade, that specific area is no longer hostile, and the remaining survivors can occupy it providing resources for the brigade and themselves.
Ally factions that MAY appear in later chapters, can be also included within the title system.
TCB: Chapter 2: Two Teams Are Better Than One
[Nowhere Ruins]
(Mad Dog's Control = 5 Points) - (Katz's Control = 2 Points)
The brigade van was driving fairly much far away from Bagge Farm, with Courage on the wheel. Shirley sitting on the passenger seat next to Courage looking at her right side through the window the nightmare of the badlands view that was formed within the range of Nowhere Ruins after the apocalypse. The sky above them was pretty dark in black and orange clouds even though it was daylight already but unknown if it looked like its going to start another sandstorm, or it was just smoke formed up still emanating from all over the world.
Courage turned his eyes from the road, looking at Shirley worried, then on the dashboard Computer screen showing the map history updating in progress as they drove. His eyes went back on the road. Computer suddenly spoke:
"I really would have preferred to be back in a computer whole again, rather than being your stupid GPS. This driving sensation is certainly not my thing." he said in his not-amused tone.
"What makes you think that i would not agree with you?" asked Courage. "Besides i told you that your real body is now a pile of scrap. I couldn't recover it regrettably in my condition."
"I understand that this is the end of the world, but you didn't tell me what happened to you while i was being shut down for approximately 2 years and a half without being switched on. Judging by your condition i'd say that sums up."
With that thought of timeout, Courage gulped with his eyes widen. Shirley remained silent. The pink hound passed out that longer since the meteor strike!? Unbelievable, but Computer made his math work while offscreen. Courage sighed and told:
"Well... i'm surprised you haven't lost your ability of doing math work, like it would even matter now." his eyes were darken on the road. "Last thing i remember... was a very big bright light.. it was hot as the Sun. The farm... was lifted up in the air as well as myself... Muriel... " the dog's memories before the apocalypse were enough to form up tears on his eyes, even though his left eye remained scarred from one of the wardog's claws.
"Very tragic indeed.. I shouldn't brought this subject up. But i am more than just a calculator, you know. Given that i have full control over this vehicle, i can stop right away or drive on my own wherever i- "
"Don't. Even. Think about it!" said Shirley with a slight growl on her face.
Courage felt a shiver hearing the medium talking in a horrific tone and attitude after hours of silence, therefor he tried to calm down the spirits.
"Please Computer, I'm so sorry i haven't rescued your body! But this isn't the time to play around. You should save your energy! When this is all over, then you can do what you want! Ermm.. With the exception of crashing our van of course.. but you're the only member of the family left for me, and i don't want to lose you too just like Muriel... and the farmer!" said Courage as his tears began to fell all over his muzzle.
"Twit, you absolutely really don't get the joke, do you? I must be really stupid to do such a thing when i have a very limited source of energy to keep going. Unless you have more fuel for me before it runs out, i'll be able to stay idle more as long as the engine won't die. The battery won't be a problem from now on as i have connected my own circuits to it from preventing to discharge. Now wipe out your eyes cause that's the last thing i would want to see. I could only hope this rust bucket won't fall apart until we reach our next destination discovered." Computer said so as he returned to idle mode, leaving the map progress opened up on the dashboard phone screen again.
Courage sighed again, sniffing and rubbed his eyes off from tears focusing on the road again. He turned his head to Shirley to excuse Computer's behavior.
"I'm sorry you had to hear him talking like that. That's just the way how he is."
"Don't worry about it. If he is truly your only family member left, i will consider your machine as the next "stupid one" if he dares to do something stupid." said Shirley while still looking at her right side of the window.
Inside the rear van that resembled Shirley's wagon, Hunchback was looking through the telescope mounted on the front window on the same side where Courage and Shirley are currently facing, as he sat on a tall chair due to his small size. He was amazed to see things at a long distance, while Scarecrow and Bigfoot tried to have a conversation together. But Bigfoot barely even spoke a word since he couldn't talk, he would most likely roar, nodding or waving with its small arms while talking gibberish language. Scarecrow on the other hand, was beginning to like their company despite their differences. And he began to spoke:
"Do you see anything unusual other than wardogs, Hunchback?"
"Uhmm... it's only nothing... i sure hope we get to... someplace with food and water... but it's... never easy." The Hunchback's accent sounded more like a very old man unlike Eustace. He had difficulties while speaking as he aged since last time he met Courage. But his agility remained unchanged thankfully. What Hunchback was trying to say was true that it's never easy to scavenge for resources from Mad Dog's wardog camps.
"Wait!... i see something! ... Something big and lots of smoke.. up ahead.. with wardogs approaching us!" Hunchback shivered in fear as he knocked a few times with his knuckles on the front van wall to warn Courage and Shirley.
They got the message as soon as Hunchback finished ringing his bell cane as a panic alarm as well for the entire brigade. Everyone all took positions of defending the van. Courage and Shirley looked up ahead that they were approaching towards an oil refinery guarded by wardogs. The enemies were about to do the "welcoming committee". Computer warned them returning from idle mode.
"I suggest you buckle up fellas. We've got some guests." as the van was now suddenly turned into auto-pilot mode by Computer. Courage wasn't able to control it for all he ever did was doing his own thing...
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Screaming at the incoming wardogs riding their bikes. They were 3 of them. The wardogs jumped off their bikes and landed on top of the van before they were hit head on. One growling wardog gripped the cabin with its claws while the other two on the wagon for stability. The brigade van ran faster than ever, with wobbly turns to left and right hoping it will shake off the enemies, but with no prevail since their claws got attached to the roof.
"You two, stay inside!" Scarecrow ordered.
Scarecrow jumped out of the van's window still in his Commando suit and reached for the roof maintaining his stability while the van rolled in high speed. The wardogs growled and barked in fury and they jumped on Scarecrow's face only to be punched away off the van one after another. Bigfoot remained inside with Hunchback. One remaining wardog was still on top of the cabin.
"This one is mine." said Shirley as she pulled out Eustace's big mallet.
"No, Shirley please!" Courage begged while clenching his teeth and his paws were tight gripped to the steering wheel. He didn't want her to get hurt.
"Shut it, dog! Just drive!" the medium clearly had business to attend to, given her determination of sending the dirty wardog a piece of her mind for what they did to her.
Shirley crawled on top of the van cabin keeping her paws gripped as well for stability. Computer was most likely wasting huge amount of gas while running in high speed, turns out that his joke was quite necessarily doing so otherwise the wardogs would have damaged more the van in normal speed. The wardog released its grip and aimed his claws towards Shirley...
WHAM!
The medium took a one heavy mallet swing, knocking out the wardog's head, which eventually it fell on the windshield.
"...Stupid dog!" Shirley smiled while imitating Eustace.
Courage seeing the unconscious wardog laying on the windshield, screamed once again and shivered in fear. He turned on the wipers to move the wardog out of the way. Scarecrow and Shirley were now both on top of the van holding each other for stability and wondering why the van isn't slowing down since the wardogs they faced off were gone.
"COMPUTER! SLOW DOWN IT'S OVER!" Courage yelled as her fur was risen up.
"I don't think so. Look behind you, twit." Computer replied.
"HUH?..." Courage confused and scared, he looked on the rear-view mirror and it revealed another two wardog bikers chasing them from behind as well approaching slowly. The brigade was more likely ambushed, and very soon they will reach the nearby enemy refinery.
"Oh no! What do i do?! WHAT DO I DO?!" Courage grabbed his ears in despair.
"Get up there and help your friends! I'll handle the road. Make it quick before i run out of juice, or i'll be the one who gets shut down, ramming the refinery too!" Computer demanded.
Courage howled and immediately crawled out of the driver's seat, reaching the top of the van he called out the other two allies to get back inside the van. But just as Courage was about to reach for them on all fours, he was unaware of being already locked on by the wardog sniper in the distance.
Computer redirected the van by making a quick sharp turn to the left, avoiding the sniper bullets and saving Courage from getting shot at. The sniper wardog on top of the refinery growled as he reloads his rifle. But that costed the trio's balance on its roof. Shirley almost fell off the van, but she was quickly grabbed hold by Courage and Scarecrow still gripped with one of each hand on the top roof.
"HANG ON! WE GOT YOU!" Scarecrow yelled as he and Courage were pulling the medium back up and they certainly did.
The two wardog bikers reached the rear-end of the van, only to be welcomed by Bigfoot's wide open mouth with sharp teeth growling at them. Horrified by that scene, the wardogs let it go until dirt was dragged along with them into their muzzles left behind on the road injured. Hunchback and Bigfoot laughed afterwards. The trio on the roof has seen the wrecked bikes along with knocked out wardogs left behind too.
Finally the van started to slow down to normal speed. The trio that was on top of the van were able to return back to their usual seats, as Scarecrow and Courage managed to prevent Shirley from accidentally getting ran over by the huge rear wagon wheel. Computer redirected the van driving off-road to a nearby rock bigger than the van itself for cover, away from the sniper's point of view.
It was the perfect place to lay low from more incoming "guests".
The refinery itself was still working producing oil and gas located at The Wrong Side of The Tracks in Nowhere Ruins. Next to the refinery it used to be located Mad Dog's little building with apartments where he brought Bunny years ago. Three smokestacks were on top of the refinery, one wardog sniper was on the roof. It was considered one of the most valuable places that Mad Dog controls it. Many of his faction tags were sprayed all over the walls resembling a red dog paw with two bones crossed.
But the building structure was most likely rebuilt by wardogs since it was heavily affected by the apocalypse. Too bad the brigade has to bring it down to lower Mad Dog's control over the land.
However Courage didn't seem to like Computer's strategy as the pink hound began to scold the machine. Not realizing his attitude starting to flame, he growls and asks:
"Are you... out of your mind!?" Courage yelled once more while his eyes were starting to fade into red a little bit. "YOU COULD HAVE RAN OVER SHIRLEY!"
"Relax, we just have arrived. Besides, it's not my fault she went out to remove that wardog." as the van was slowing even more to a complete stop and parked. "And i had to make a sharp turn to avoid sniper bullets coming out of the refinery to save you."
"Uhh.. Courage?" Shirley seen the pink dog was about to snap in rage.
"Do... You... Have any idea... how much gas... YOU WASTED!?" seeing the dashboard fuel meter was almost empty, Courage was now seeing all red while panting in hot steamy breathing.
"Enough gas to get us all safe at our location, i suppose? Oh dear..." Computer was now shut down with its phone screen turned black, as the van ran out of fuel completely. Courage screeched his teeth tight with his eyes closed as his head was boiling in an unimaginable rage. His paws with claws unleashed were on top of his head.
"COURAGE!" Shirley screamed with her eyes widen, she jumps in front of him to shake Courage by his shoulders harder to snap out of it, since the pink hound was tripping. Hunchback, Scarecrow and Bigfoot got out of the van, as soon as they heard the medium's scream to see what happened.
"Is everthing alright?" Hunchback responded worried as they all looked at the two dogs.
Eventually Courage finally was starting to breathe regularly to calm down and he shook his head a few times, his eyes were about to open slowly, his blood rage looking was fading away returning to normal looking vision. Courage's vision was blurry after that until it returned back to more clear looking. Shirley still had her paws gripped to Courage's shoulders looking worried and relieved at the same time.
The pink hound was starting to speak again with a slight headache.
"Oooooooh... what... " he didn't realize what his team was doing while being blinded in rage. "What... happened?" panted like crazy as if he ran a whole marathon.
"You lost it.." Shirley told. "It happened again." she noticed that was Courage's second time of letting insanity gaining control over the dog. First time being around was when he forced himself to help his friends repairing the windmill in his weak condition. However he managed to control it quickly unlike the second time.
"He what?" The trio asked simultaneously and shocked.
"I'm afraid the fact that his beloved owners Muriel and the stupid one being gone, it broke the dog's void in his heart that could trigger anytime a fury rage whenever he gets upset too much. And only the dog must control it from his inner pure soul. If not... " Shirley explained it to them, and turned her face back to Courage with serious looking eyes to complete her phrase. "... you will become a blood thirsty hound. There's no guarantee how to fix this otherwise. You must not get mad. At all!"
"Did i just.." panting a little bit "...lost my mind?" Courage asked with concern.
"The look on your face earlier that i have seen was similar to a creature ready to kill everyone on sight. No need to panic now, and i recommend you should stay here and rest. Think of good things." Shirley suggested.
Courage feeling a little bit better but whimpered in sadness for what he had become earlier, he apologized to his team as Shirley got out of the vehicle as well.
"I'm so sorry guys, i didn't mean to do that honestly... It was always gets me but i can't control it..." Courage was still sitting on the driver's seat looking at his team with tears on his eyes.
"It's not your fault, Courage. We do understand your pain very well." Scarecrow told. Bigfoot nods in agreement.
"We'll see what.. we can find in this... place and come back for you. Go sleep boy." Hunchback assured him.
Shirley stopped in her tracks and turns her head around looking at the dog "And besides, you already proved far too much your heroic deed. A courageous dog like you needs moments of recreation. You fight today for tomorrow." Her motivational speech didn't seem to cheer up Courage's sad mood, until she completed with:
"Don't think i do not remember almost everything i seen about you, courageous one." Shirley giggled, lighting up the mood at least.
Courage's ears perked up awkwardly, hearing that last sentence.
"Wait! You spied of me before?" Courage turned his expression from sadness to sheer confusion starting to form up a blush. The other trio were holding up their giggles as Bigfoot put a huge smile at his face.
That was enough to light up the mood from sadness, pain and hopelessness.
"Oh... Never mind. He will be fine." Shirley blushed a little bit turning her head away with a slight embarrassing smirk on her face and shook her head. "Let's go, guys." The medium turned around and left a few steps away from the van. She poked her head out at the side of the rock to get a better view at the refinery.
Hunchback and Bigfoot followed afterwards. Before Scarecrow was leaving as well to start their mission, he assured Courage that he will protect them and they'll come back as fast as they can, hopefully with more resources to bring back along the way.
"Courage, rest now i'll keep an eye on them." Scarecrow told and was about to leave with the trio until Courage stopped him to give him something.
"Oh wait! Here! Take this!" Courage turned himself around and pulled out surprisingly Eustace's big green mask he used to be scared of, rebuilt by Courage since it was heavily damaged. The pink hound acquired it during the Bagge's funeral hoping it'll be useful for scaredy wardogs.
"What's this?" Scarecrow asked.
"It's a mask. Give it to Hunchback. He doesn't have anything to defend with. I don't think his cane would be useful against wardogs. But i sure remember that he scared the farmer with his own white mask with the farmer's face. This one however... it scared me. I hope it works as a weapon, or as a shield at least... he'll know what to do." Courage explained.
Scarecrow smiled and took Courage's mask and words with ease. He returns to others and waves an arm back at Courage.
"P-please.. be careful!" Courage was desperately trying to help them in his mind as well, but due to his condition he had no choice but to listen to his friends. While still feeling awkward of Shirley's words, and unable to turn on the Computer now just so he can apologize for yelling at him, he leaned down on the driver's seat curling himself and trying to get some sleep until his team gets back.
A few steps away from the van, the brigade was analyzing the refinery before their plan of attack. However Hunchback felt sorry for leaving Courage behind and asked the team:
"Was it... really wise to leave... that poor dog alone?" he asked while pointing his bell-cane towards the van.
"I trust him completely." Shirley replied while watching the refinery. "Somebody has to guard the vehicle while we are off, yes? If anything happens, the courageous one will alert us with his scream from many miles away." she made a point though given how Courage has very strong lungs to rip apart the whole ground is more than enough to give the brigade time to react.
"Here." Scarecrow handles the mask to Hunchback.
"What? Ooh..! I remember this." Hunchback immediately recognized it and took it with him. "This sure.. comes in handy! Hehehehe.."
"Okay. What do you see?" Scarecrow asked the medium while turning around his head.
"I see... I see... " Shirley barely noticed from the distance the perimeter defenses around the refinery. " Two dogs at the front door. One sniper on the roof looking the other way around. And a bunch of bikes parked inside 3 small camps around the building." That was a relief having a very low security since they wasted their welcoming committee on the road, giving them space to storm the place.
"Let's get on then!" Scarecrow demanded. And Bigfoot nodded in excitement.
"Wait! There is more than it meets the eye." Shirley added.
"Like, there can be... more wardogs inside too?" Hunchback remained stunned as well as Bigfoot shivering in fear.
"We need to split up. This way we will cover more ground. If something goes wrong, you are on your own." the medium suggested.
Bigfoot started his gibberish talking pointing at Shirley and the refinery with his arms waving in air.
"I think Bigfoot... means that he wants to go... with you." Hunchback trying to describe his mimicking. The Bigfoot nodded that was exactly what he wanted.
"Fair enough. But don't expect me to understand you better, big guy." Shirley agreed, while Bigfoot gulped and nodded.
"Then it's 2 by 2. I'll take Hunchback with me then. Good luck, Miss Medium!" Scarecrow smiled as he picked up Hunchback on his back and ran towards the refinery already with extra care.
"Wait, i didn't-!" she sighed. "...-said charge." Shirley facepalmed. "Come on, big guy." mild annoyed the medium ran as well together with Bigfoot stomping huge footprints behind trying to keep up with them. But Bigfoot picked her up since she was too small and running slow than him. Luckily the sniper wardog on the roof wasn't paying attention to his new incoming "guests" as the brigade were extremely cautious about sneak in with ease.
Meanwhile, Courage felt asleep. His closed eyes and ears were twitching in an unsettled way as if he was about to have nightmares.
FLASHBACK DREAM SEQUENCE ON - WITH BLACK AND WHITE SCENARIO:
Bagge Farmhouse...
Courage was seen in front of the house porch with Muriel eating pie and drinking lemonade after a day's work in the garden from collecting vegetables. They spotted a meteor that was merely the size of a plane far away in the sky heading straight across Nowhere, not directly at the farm. Courage was confused at first wondering how did that end up in the sky. After he finished eating, he along Muriel went back inside believing that was nothing to worry about.
Eustace was changing TV channels in the living room, until he stopped and listened to the newsman reporting breaking news about an incoming meteor. Newsman giving all the details that the military is struggling to destroy the incoming space rock with all the missiles they had given by the General to prevent a possible impact. That left Courage in shock and trembling, but Eustace changed the channel again, not buying the newsman's attention. Muriel looked with concern on her beloved dog.
Not a moment too soon, the meteor covered the entire sky eventually blocking the sunlight, followed by an earthquake meaning the meteor was coming close. The military failed to rescue the human mankind and that left Courage screaming in horror as he immediately picked up Muriel and Eustace out of their chairs and heading towards the basement but... it was too late. Before he could open the basement door, the entire farmhouse was lifted up in the air by the shock wave blast with them inside. Seeing all white breeze, The Bagge couple and Courage's horrific screams faded away.
COURAGE! Muriel screamed.
FLASHBACK DREAM SEQUENCE OFF
Courage suddenly snapped his eyes open back to reality unleashing his generic scream again, but this time it wasn't loud enough to alert his allies thankfully. After doing so he looked away on both directions to make sure nothing bad happened in his sleep, besides the sound of passing by vehicle with cats wandering around thankfully not noticing the van. The dog still hasn't got through this. His past moments were beginning to haunt him.
"Muriel..." Courage mourned her owner's name as he was desperately trying to sleep. He misses her so much. Even Eustace was in his mind. He hated to admit it but Courage wished at least to be scared by Eustace's OogaBooga mask once again by his grumpy old man voice. Despite the farmer hated the dog so much, Courage still cared about him.
Courage's mind went idly back to Shirley. She owes now an explanation for making the dog feeling awkward in front of his other friends. But Courage thought she may lie, knowing her attitude of not showing any sign of emotions towards the dog before, would have confirmed that. Although she is a fortune-teller, it could've been possible she may took interest in Courage eventually without the dog's knowledge since Courage often visited her for help.
Leaving Shirley wondering what's the big deal about this dog being so scared and at the same time, so "special", every time he requested help for? However Courage returned to the fact that he shouldn't underestimate Shirley. She helped the brigade recovering the Bagges bodies, even in the end, and therefor Courage considered her a valuable friend next to Computer of course. Without that sarcastic machine of his, used to be back in the attic, not even Courage or the Bagge couple would have survived through many catastrophes.
As for Hunchback, Scarecrow and Bigfoot, the pink hound met them only once despite their differences and one-time encounter. Courage would more likely wish to know more about them one day since they are all reunited for now. However since Bigfoot cannot talk properly at all besides gibberish language, he'd have to get used to read his mimicking. Or better yet, not forcing his luck too much which Courage assumed that some things may better be left forgotten.
Without too much complicated thoughts, Courage shook his head from all this, and finally fell asleep again with full confidence now.
Meanwhile, both teams were separated on different directions of the refinery undetected. Hunchback & Scarecrow to the right side, while Bigfoot & Shirley to the left side. Each team reached at their spots and positions against refinery exterior walls. Scarecrow seen an opened window at the top above him and Hunchback. He lifted up the old man climbing up to the window until Hunchback finally reached it. He looked out inside the refinery through the window and seen a bunch of worn out poor survivors pushing the levers of a machinery extracting oil, while the wardogs were guarding them.
The refinery's interior was more looking like a construction site as the ground was deeply dug in forming up a huge crushing pit with survivors working hard. They were afraid of wardogs obviously. Nobody dared to raise an arm to protest otherwise they'll be turned into dog food.
On top of the crushing pit, there was a bigger and more frightening grey bulldog monster with a chainsaw for right arm... a freakin' chainsaw! Most likely commanding his enslaved workers, and he was one of Mad Dog's loyal sidekicks. Shirley was right that not everything may seem to look simple.
Hunchback gulped and decided to sneak in after assuring that nobody sees him, he helps Scarecrow to get up as well with him, and they both entered the building. Bigfoot and Shirley, on the other hand they were focusing on the front door 2 guards. No open windows for them to sneak in this time. Bigfoot was ready to attack while clenching his big sharp teeth, but Shirley stopped him since she had an idea, even though she wasn't going to like it.
"Tell no one of this. Got it?" the medium asked with sheer determination and annoyance.
Bigfoot nods with confusion. Shirley remembered he cannot talk properly and she was preparing to make her move.
"Get ready, you will have your lunch in no time." Shirley taking a deep breath, stepped out right around the corner, and whistled.
Catching the guards attention, both wardogs witnessed the medium Chihuahua flirting with them as she raised up her green dress showing up her left leg. With fake, yet passionate looking eyes, she blinked giving them a sign to come over. Both wardogs howled at the same time in pleasure and whistled seeing the beautiful figure and rushed towards Shirley. As soon as she made quick turn around, the wardogs followed her quickly on all 4 limbs. Then a loud roar with chomp and thump was heard around the corner, revealed to be Bigfoot chewing the wardogs in his huge mouth. Their fluffy tails were stuck in between Bigfoot's teeth. Shirley smiled at that sight. The entryway was now clear. The medium went ahead, but Bigfoot spat out the injured and unconscious wardogs cause they tasted like wet socks. That left the big monster in disgust as he was rubbing his tongue off of dog fur, following Shirley.
Hunchback and Scarecrow were sneaking in tip toes as they were located at the second floor of the refinery looking for possible resources or any ways of helping the survivors escape, while the other team breaks through the entryway still unnoticed. A random survivor caught the attention of Scarecrow and asked very silently without catching the wardog's attention who was looking away from their sight:
"Wh- wh- who, are.. you?" the survivor asked nervously.
"Shhh! We're here to help you. But do you happen to know how to bring that machinery thing down?" Scarecrow asked the survivor while pointing at the oil well in the middle of the crushing pit.
"B-B-B-Big Grivus..." the survivor mentioned the chainsaw armed bulldog's name. Both Scarecrow and Hunchback looked at him.
"T-t-take him out... and we can be... freeee!" the poor survivor was giving it out its tears seeing a possible salvation after a long time in this unforgiving Hell but the courageous brigade had to do it somehow without risking of injuring any survivor when the whole place will be locked down.
WHAM!
Another wardog was knocked out by Shirley's mallet while Bigfoot just finished rubbing his tongue. They were heading towards the basement. The medium turns around and apologizes to the monster.
"I am so sorry you did not like that, but i am sure there has to be decent food around here. Even these wardogs cannot live without eating something at least." as she points out the knocked out wardog next to her.
Bigfoot accepts her knowledge and nods in agreement, until he points out something he had gazed over something he never thought he'd see. Bigfoot talks in gibberish again while pointing with his tiny arms, Shirley tries to understand him:
"Now what is it, big guy?" she asked.
Bigfoot ran over quickly to a slight opened ajar door. Next to the door was an opened can of dog food laying on the ground but it was merely empty. The big monster picked it up sniffing and licking the can, but when he opened the door wide, he and Shirley just located the wardogs's bunkers. Without wardogs even guarding them! Surprisingly the lockers were filled with a couple of unopened cans of dog food still fresh and dead lizards. There were more than enough for the whole brigade on their next journey and for survivors. The bunkers were still looking damaged with a crack hole on the ceiling in the main hallway.
But right below the crack there was some sort of water collector, with bottles strapped to it. Of course! The apocalypse causing sandstorms with thunders and lightnings could have at least made the land more wet right after, not technically raining. But due to huge humidity and cold air left by those storms, it could have moistened the ground and it eventually left droplets of water sliding down right into the collector. So that the collector would store water inside the bottles.
Both Shirley and Bigfoot were delightful of their discovery. The medium patted Bigfoot's back.
"Splendid job." she proudly looked at him, while the big guy looked back down at her with the same glare of happiness. However Shirley's glare of happiness turned back to frown.
"Don't eat them all... Wait until we get back to our van." she knew the Bigfoot's reaction therefor the big monster huffed but eager at the same time to eat once their job was done here. It was the medium's choice of how much food and water they should get for themselves but leaving some for poor survivors too and started to scavenge the bunkers.
They weren't exactly going to "demolish" the whole building cause the survivors have nowhere place to live. So the courageous brigade was going to liberate the refinery for them to occupy, and defend it. Making themselves feeling like home again and not in a concentration camp.
The wardogs being dumb as ever didn't even bother to use their rifles since the brigade took them out by surprise. And luckily the survivors were still doing their own thing without blowing the brigade's cover.
Scarecrow was prepared to climb up the machinery to face Big Grivus on the platform he was standing above the crushing pit and commanding. Due to his buffed up looking in Commando jacket, it gave him enough strength and will match Big Grivus's size. But he has to avoid the chainsaw. He turned around and asked Hunchback:
"Hunchback... can you to take out that sniper on the roof? I'll take care of this troublesome dog." Scarecrow talked in a determined and silenced tone.
"I'll try..." Hunchback replied.
"Take those stairs up to the roof, when you're done, go back to Courage without me."
"But... aren't you gonna.. get hur-" he got interrupted.
"Go now." Scarecrow started to climb up ignoring Hunchback's concern.
Hunchback didn't argue anymore with that and listened to his friend. He went up alone to the roof. Scarecrow obviously wanted somebody to check on Courage at least since they have been long gone. The old man peeked out through the roof's trapdoor opened ajar to look out for the sniper very carefully.
The wardog sniper was looking at the opposite direction. Hunchback seeing this, he took his heart out and walked slowly on the roof approaching the sniper with caution. The wardog was too concentrated on his reticle aim through his sniper scope to hear any footsteps behind him and then...
"Uhmm.. excuse me, sir?" Hunchback caught the attention of the sniper.
The wardog turns around quickly with his rifle about to aim for the old man, but at the same time when he caught the gaze of his sneaky intruder, the Hunchback had Eustace's mask up ready to scare him off.
"OOOGA-BOOGA-BOOGA!"
The sniper wardog fired a shot towards the mask while being startled and fell off the roof, landing on the pair of chewed dogs by Bigfoot. Hunchback looked down and laughed with joy. Eustace's mask did worked after all as Courage would have hoped! Thankfully the pink dog reinforced it with scrap plates forming as a bullet proof mask, otherwise the sniper bullet could have pierced through it, injuring Hunchback.
Bigfoot and Shirley went out of the bunkers with bags of food and bottles with water, but they stopped right away to see the ingoing fight that was coming from the top of the oil extracting machinery. The enslaved survivors were now revolting with the remaining wardogs. Scarecrow has engaged already a fight with Big Grivus on the top platform. The bulldog told in his vicious loud tone:
"HOW I DREAMED OF HAVING MY VERY FIRST CHEWING TOY!" Big Grivus was a big baby monster of a brainless bulldog as he was about to swing his chainsaw arm. How did Mad Dog end up with a weirdo like him, was unimaginable.
Scarecrow didn't said nothing and dodges his several melee chainsaw attacks. Big Grivus tries to catch him with his other normal paw with claws too, but fails. Scarecrow seeing the big bulldog was beginning to feel exhausted by plenty of failed attempts to cut him into pieces, he starts to make his move and punches him on the back a couple of times. But Grivus wasn't taking any of it, as he turned out and suddenly grabs hold of Scarecrow's neck, lifting him up slightly. He tosses Scarecrow in the air where the ongoing gears from the oil extracting machinery still works. Luckily he landed right next to it. If Scarecrow gets sucked into that, he'll be turned into oil covered haystack. Bigfoot and Shirley were terrified by the scene, suddenly Bigfoot jumps into action to help his friend. He drops the bags with food leaving Shirley with them, and climbs up on the machine until he reaches the top catwalk platform, and he did.
Big Grivus was about to use his chainsaw again on the laid down Scarecrow next to the machine without noticing Bigfoot behind him. The bulldog quote before sawing Scarecrow to pieces:
"NOW BE A GOOD DOGGY TOY AND LET BIG GRIVUS CHEW ON YOU!"
"Chew on this!" Scarecrow grabbed Big Grivus's chainsaw with both of his arms and put it above Scarecrow's head where the spinning gears of the machine was, the razor sharp spinning blades of his chainsaw were now conflicting with the machine's gears causing malfunctioning and smoke out with flaming sparks. The machine was now jammed and the survivors didn't had to push the levers anymore to keep the extractor going.
Grivus screamed in agony trying to release his chainsaw arm as it was now sucked into the machine. Scarecrow immediately evaded out of his way, and now it was Bigfoot's chance to act.
Grivus's chainsaw was destroyed, and now he was left with one arm. Bigfoot grabbed his shoulder, turns him around and kicks Grivus with his huge mighty foot off the catwalk platform.
The big bulldog falls off into the abyss of the oil pit where there was nothing but darkness below. His screaming faded away as the oil extracting machinery ceased to work after that conflict.
Shirley looked down into the pit and quote:
"How you couldn't dream of drowning yourself in oil..." she shook her head.
The survivors all cheered up seeing Big Grivus's demise along with Mad Dog's wardogs defeated. Scarecrow and Bigfoot were lifted up by the crowd of enslaved survivors, but it was suddenly interrupted when a huge explosion was emanated from within the pit. The little sparks from the machine combined with inflammable oil caused that, but everyone stood out of the way from the explosion destroying the oil extractor as well. Luckily it didn't collapsed the entire refinery, but all of the windows from every part of the building were shattered. That would most likely have caught Courage's attention. The broken down extractor fell as well into the pit, but not all the way down. The scrap plates formed from the explosion fell and covered up the giant hole.
Scarecrow quote afterwards:
"I don't think he'll be coming back after that..." he smiled while meeting up with Bigfoot and Shirley, however the medium noticed that Hunchback was missing and she asked him:
"Uhh... where's Hunchback?"
"I sent him back to Courage, i was worried about the dog for we have left him for too long." Scarecrow replied.
"Okay. Good." The medium nods in approval. "Oh, before we go..." Shirley stops her sentence, she turns around herself and pulls out 3 packs of dynamites, leaving Scarecrow and Bigfoot shocked.
"...let's blow up those bike camps." Shirley smiled with vengeance on her face, but her teammates agreed to go along. Not only they found food and water in the bunkers, but explosives were very welcomed, in case if any remaining wardog was about to use their bikes parked in front of the refinery.
The survivors waved their hands of goodbye after they thanked the brigade for saving them, however one of the survivors called out to stop as he wanted to give something for the team. The survivor quote:
"Wait! Wait! Here! Take these! As appreciation for saving our souls! You are truly the chosen saints!" the survivor gave to Shirley, Scarecrow and Bigfoot, a few cans of gas. The team absolutely forgot they ran out of gas when they have stopped here. They all smiled with Scarecrow thanking them:
"Thank you... but we are not saints. We are just like you."
"Never let wardogs enslave you, consider this place now your home and defend it, you'll see for yourselves the true meaning of a saint down in your broken hearts." Shirley concluded.
"Bye-Bye!" Finally Bigfoot said something besides gibberish language while waving that left Shirley and Scarecrow stunned.
Meanwhile...
Back in the van behind the huge boulder, Courage was long awake attempting to contact Computer on the truck's dashboard thinking it would have at least battery juice if not gas, but no success. Until Hunchback came, startling the dog.
"Hey!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Courage screamed until he put his paws to his muzzle recognizing who startled him.
"Oh sorry!" Hunchback apologized.
"What.. what are you doing here? I heard the explosion! I can't get out of here! Where are the others?" the dog asked with concern looking at all directions.
"Don't worry... we're alright. How... are you feeling?" Hunchback smiled.
"I'm fine now! Thankfully, but something's wrong! I woke up when i heard a big boom and i wanted to get out, but the doors are jammed! And i don't want to break something!"
The two both witnessed 3 explosions sounds simultaneously coming from the refinery. The wardog bike camps were been destroyed when Hunchback looked around behind the huge boulder to see what happened. Much to his surprise, the trio of brigade were coming back to the van.
[Slow-Motion-Sequence-On]
Scarecrow, Shirley and Bigfoot were carrying the bags of goods resting on their shoulders back to the van while flames were lifting up behind them in the distance, with survivors cheering sounds.
[Slow-Motion-Sequence-Off]
Courage had its eyes widen and stunned like a rock seeing his friends coming back safe. The van's doors suddenly got unlocked. Courage was truly now confused of this, as he finally opened up the door and got out.
"Hey Courage!" Scarecrow smiled seeing the dog again and waved while he went to the rear of the van placing all the goods in its place.
"But- But- But!..."Courage had lost his ability to speak.
Bigfoot rushed towards Courage with groaning in joy and lifted him up in the air for a squeeze hug, as he smiled. Courage was out of words struggling to get air in his lungs. Bigfoot released him and went after Scarecrow to help him inside the van. Shirley came towards Courage as the pink hound asked:
"What happened back there?" I thought i would lose you, guys." his ears drooped waiting for an answer. But Shirley simply replied with:
"Err... " she rolled her eyes and said "Let's just say that the oil price was too much to bear." as she smiled at Courage and went inside the van too. Scarecrow went out with a gas can in hand to refill the engine. While he does that, Courage went inside of the rear van as well seeing the trio was now finally feasting on dog food they have scavenged. Courage's worries lifted up in no time like a feather, as the dog immediately joined them when his stomach begun to growl after seeing all that food. They deserved a well meal after a day's work.
"Shirley?" asked Courage while digging into his can of food.
"Yes, Courage?" she was eating as well.
Courage smiled awkwardly remembering what she said before they left him, and went ahead to say "Don't think i have forgotten your spying speech of me."
He had to say that..
Both Bigfoot and Hunchback choked on their food after hearing that, knowing this may turn into a hail of a storm inside the van, expecting the worse from Shirley. Courage was also expecting a snap from the medium as he shivered in fear but fortunately it didn't happened.
Her ears and two-colored eye were twitching but she finally said "What i said earlier... " attempting to control her words and sighed "...was to cheer you up from your raging issue. I only seen your deeds every time you came after me for help. Not your daily-basis."
Courage was now left stoned but accepted that point, she wasn't entirely a stalker as he thought in his sleep but that didn't seem to bother him either. Shirley of course had other customers to look after, before the apocalypse, but on the other hand, seeing that Courage was her most valuable customer, the pink hound was playing the odds.
Scarecrow finished refilling with gas and tossed out the empty gas can away. And hopped in the driver's seat, starting the engine once again and began their next journey, while the others were eating. Computer's green screen appeared on the dashboard again who quote:
"Oh thank goodness. I wouldn't know how long i could have kept that dog safe from getting out. I was afraid he might lose it again!"
Scarecrow smiled and thanked the Computer for not letting Courage getting out in further danger. It turns out that Computer was more likely to keep Courage trapped inside the cabin. He still had battery juice to react but was afraid of doing it so in front of Courage. The Computer knew the dog might jump out in action in his condition after how he snapped early that day in rage therefor he finally quote again:
"I'll consider the dog's apologies, accepted." the machine seemed to heard everything Courage said to him in the first place, while he went back to idle mode with the map updating progress showing on screen.
And so the Courageous Brigade went onto their next adventure of wandering the wastelands of Nowhere Ruins. With Scarecrow on the wheel, and the night was almost setting up, who knows where they'll end up, as they began liberating the wastelands of Mad Dog's control points.
The vicious wardog lord was more likely far away ahead from Nowhere Ruins. The brigade cannot leave the place until they clear the path allowing them to move to their next location. Of course Courage informed the brigade of Mad Dog's final destination over at Washington D.C. where his citadel is located. The brigade drove in the night time finding some place elsewhere away from the refinery, where they all could rest knowing the wardogs won't be patrolling no more in the region they have been.
NOWHERE OIL REFINERY DISMANTLED - WARDOG CAMPS DESTROYED
Mad Dog's wardogs no longer patrols this region.
[Nowhere Ruins]
1 Refinery + 3 Camps = 4 Points Lowered Out of 5.
(Mad Dog's Control = 1 Point) - (Katz's Control = 2 Points)
...
Somewhere far away from the refinery, a ravaging war-cat was done looking through his binoculars, and quickly entered in his car and drove many miles away. He stopped in the middle of nowhere with its headlights still turned on waiting for something. Suddenly a trap door was opened beneath the ground revealing a secret garage entrance to an underground passageway. The cat continued to drive and entered through underground tunnels until he stopped and turned off the headlights. The cat got out of the car and ran towards a spiky covered door guarded by other cats. Their logo on their door was a yellow cat paw with red outline and eight spikes around the paw resembling a spider. The felines let him in as he called out his boss:
"Boss! Hey Boss!"
"Yes?..." it was obvious Katz's voice hidden in the shadows.
"He has awakened."
"Who?"
"The pink dog you told us about."
"The same dog that always haunted my dreams...?" Katz's voice was suddenly pitched up.
"The one and only... and he's not alone. Big Grivus is dead." the random cat answered.
"Pity... and convenient." Katz opened his yellow eyes glaring through the dark.
"Should we track him down and eliminate him?"
"NO!" Katz yelled startling all the cats around him, as they never heard him yell before at all.
"Now i don't care what you do with his... friends, but the dog will live until i say so that it's time." the red feline ordered.
"Time for what?...Man, i don't know about this plan but-" the random cat was interrupted by Katz's left metallic arm with razor sharp-claws almost shredding the cat's neck fur.
"Did i just hear... a betrayal?" his yellow eyes were glowing even more like they were piercing through the random cat's eyes.
"N-n-no sir! Absolutely not at all! No sir! I'm fine by that! We'll leave that mutt alive!" the random cat was merely meeting with death in just a few seconds if he dared to protest more.
"Very good." Katz released him. "I have other plans for him." The random cat turned around and immediately ran out to the surface driving away back to his hiding spot.
"Courage... you don't know how much i can thank you for making my job much easier." Katz spoke to himself while hiding back to the shadows as his spiders were joining him afterwards.
THE END of Chapter 2.
Author's Note.. again:
I'll go ahead and say that as much as i said that i don't write stuff much, i said screw it, i'll try my best since i started already to get a hang of FanFiction thing with the story i started here. For those of you who don't know who Big Grivus is, well it's a random character that came out of my mind for a boss fight which i had to include. It's not an official character out of the cartoon. If you ever tried out Mad Max game, then you know that almost each camp occupied must have a big dumb wardog in charge of the respective location while the main antagonist villain doesn't make an appearance again right away.
I truly wanted to give Courage's allies more action than the pink hound himself for the first time here to see what are they truly capable of, in their first mission of travelling around the post-apocalyptic wastelands. I sure hope that this was pretty much challenging for me to organize all the sceneries and dialogues while keeping everyone's personalities unchanged. Even though the mark of the events may change them a bit slightly.
Thanks for reading and let me know the feedbacks!