TCB: Chapter 7: A Bell And A Prayer
[Nowhere Ruins]
(Mad Dog's Control = 1 Point) - (Katz's Control = Zero)
At the bottom of Mount Nowhere, where Mad Dog's gang of wardogs were setting up their catapult for their next possible victim of being crushed by fireball projectiles, a wounded wardog who was not with them came along crawling in pain and barely able to speak. His wounds were very bad exposed assuming it was one of the wardogs who survived back at the oil refinery. He whispered something into the wardog catapult commander's ear that perked him up and growl.
The wardog commander orders one of his buddies to go and send a message directly to Mad Dog, while the twitching and wounded wardog on the ground passes out. Now only three enemies were left at the catapult site. And there was nothing they could do about their injured comrade that gave his last breath, laying dead on the ground before their eyes.
We head up back at the top of the mountain crater which it was more likely a volcano. The Courageous Brigade was heading down visiting for the first time ever Hunchback's church fortified by Mad Dog's goons. Their mobile home controlled by Computer was left alone with Scarecrow right next to a huge boulder blocking the road they came from. Left with very low amount of resources again, their only option was to explore the cathedral. Scarecrow didn't like the idea of leaving his friends facing whatever danger it may be hidden inside the unholy place.
He trusted Bigfoot to look out after them, since the big guy is almost overprotective as he is. Computer however, received a nice 'upgrading' from Scarecrow after his driving attitude almost costed the brigade's life during the sandstorm. Meaning that Scarecrow unplugged the processor out through the vehicle's radio where he was originally plugged in. Leaving it on the seat, just so that Scarecrow won't have to hear the machine's arguments while fixing all the vehicle damage casualties again with his wrench. Computer of course resisted, but he was so lucky for being the only family member left for Courage, otherwise Scarecrow would have thrown the processor down in the lava. The machine had to obey for Courage's sake.
Computer was left alone in silence as a little innocent processor chip, until Scarecrow completes the repairs then he will plug the chip back. He doesn't expect anything nicely from the machine in return, but Scarecrow keeps ignoring and stands focused on their objective.
Hunchback wasn't so eager to return back home, judging by its dark and evil ambiance the place provides, it gives him and his friends a reason enough to be frightened and prepared. Courage's mind was rolling like a merry-go-round, there were so many thoughts and questions the dog seemed to had enough since the apocalypse brought only agony.
How much could a dog be put under stress by all of this unforgiving land of Hell? How long could his friends can bear this adventure of seeing the sight of freedom away from oppression? Will this be all worth it? Can't this inner rage emotion be cured even though it's impossible? What are the villains planning to do in the meantime? Are Kitty and Bunny still alive? And how will Courage cope his lost owners... Only the dog can find the answers as they progress with the journey. For now the brigade were about to open to doors of Nowhere Church.
The weather doesn't seem to be on their favor either, as the sky was all red after a wild sandstorm. It was hard to tell if the sun sets or something supernatural is already happening. At least they weren't anymore back at the Bagge Farm worrying about Windmill Vandals.
All of them four were standing and checking the construction integrity of the church, looking at every direction for possible surprise attacks by wardogs. Luckily that wasn't the case unlike the oil refinery's security.
"I'm not going in..." Hunchback said, as he stood still behind watching his friends attempting to open the doors. They don't seem to budge.
"Neither do we. But we can't go on without something to find." Courage replied. "It is your home, right?"
"It's not... my home anymore. Let's go." The old man knew he was captured when he tried to reach home first time around, he didn't want that to happen again. He wanted to return back.
"We can't go back. And even if we take a detour around this place, we will end up extra crispy." Shirley told showing the rivers of lava overflowing on the other side of the church.
Hunchback looked down in disappointment and scared as well. His mind was telling him to stay or go back but his instinct was telling him to not let his friends down or in danger either.
"I know you really don't like this." Courage came closer to him. "Let's go together, nobody should be left behind alone." The pink hound looked straight into the old man's eyes. He sensed fear which is understandable. "Scarecrow is with Computer already in the back in case things turn out ugly, and you have us. Please." Courage begged with his paw on Hunchback's cape.
Hunchback looked back at Courage in sadness then he turns his head up gazing the dark and evil church. Waiting for its uninvited guests to meet their doom by their first step through those huge doors. What other solution they had if they wanted to stock up on resources again to survive longer? Food, water, gas and salvage were critical for survival. Where there's high risk, there's high pay.
The old man finally nodded after a few seconds of thoughts, Bigfoot immediately joined him with a smirk of hope, Courage gave him a smile too and they turned their attention back at the locked doors.
Up high at the huge old bell tower something sparkled, and Courage could have sworn he saw something or someone moved in the shadows. He shook his head and then checks the front doors. They were indeed closed shut. After so many pulling attempts by Courage to pry it open, he panted and gave up until Bigfoot offered himself to kick the doors open with his mighty foot several times. And after one final effort kick...
BAM!
The doors were destroyed. Inside was nothing but darkness while there were some bits of light coming from the outside through shattered windows. Huge columns on each side were supporting the upper floor balcony of the church, while in front was the main altar with a holy cross covered in dust and sprayed in red. The walls were sprayed with grafitti showing Mad Dog's tag along with some skulls and bones impaled on metal spears to intimidate intruders.
"Oooohh!" Courage like always was down-right terrified. His friends walked in slowly exploring the inside layout. Temperature was even more warm than outside. Hunchback went in front of the altar with his friends following him. After they looked around once more to check if nobody was sneaking around them, Hunchback witnessed a black book on the floor. The holy bible with its cover damaged and clawed. When he picks it up, his eyes were hooded in sadness.
"Hey!" Courage came beside him. "Huh..."
Hunchback stood a few seconds in silence looking at the bible. Bigfoot and Shirley showed no signs of reaction as they noticed that Hunchback began to grip the book harder until his hands were shaking. Courage stepped back noticing the old man felt unpleasant.
"Uhh... the old one?" Shirley called him out.
"It's all gone..." Hunchback told. He took a deep breath and shouted as he closed his eyes, rising the book up above his head. "IT'S ALL GONE!" Luckily he didn't yelled louder enough to be heard from outside. But he begins to cough afterwards.
The trio stepped back away from Hunchback shocked knowing that they never heard him yell like that before. The old man drops it for he has ran out of air and tries to regain his breath back. It was hard to cry and breathe at the same time but Courage and Bigfoot quickly interfere to help him out. When the book hits the floor, a very old picture comes out of it. Shirley picks it up and on the picture it was showing a very young Hunchback along with a puppy pet next to him holding golden bells together in front of the altar.
"This was your dog, yes?" she asked showing the photo to him.
Hunchback turns around after clearing his throat and immediately snatches the photo from Shirley's paw. His eyes were widen after taking a closer look since he lost his glasses. His puppy was little white Teckel, cheerful and full of energy, wearing a collar with a golden cross attached to it and holding a bell in his mouth.
"T-T-Terry..." he spoke softly the dog's name.
"I didn't knew you hav-.. had a dog too." Courage told. "What happened to him?"
"..." Hunchback began to shed tears after looking at the photo. One tear landed on the dog's pose. Only he knew what was the deal between him and Terry. He couldn't find proper words to explain as he let his emotions take over only instead.
Bigfoot looks at him with concern until Courage quote: "Oh.. I.. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ask, it's just- "
"Terry abandoned me." The old man finally found the ability to speak. Something moved quickly in the shadows behind the church columns and that caught Shirley's attention as she took a peek behind her. She didn't knew what was that, but she can assume one thing in her mind.
'We're being watched.' She thought with her eyes hooded still looking behind her.
"The very first friend... i ever had. Now gone... ran away... when those bad people wanted... to destroy my home." Hunchback told. "I thought i would... find him. But i ended up... wandering forever. Looking for shelter... in the rain..." he coughes again.
"Ok we get it now." Courage came to him to calm the old man down. "Don't waste your energy. Please!" But Hunchback couldn't help it. Also where were the wardogs that captured Hunchback to be taken in Mad Dog's prison? The old man was bracing himself for that the moment when the doors were blown away by Bigfoot. Yet it was all spooky and quiet inside the cathedral but nothing is always the way as it seems.
Bigfoot began to talk again meaning that he wants to go now. Courage took notice and quote: "Let's go find anything useful around. It's a good thing there aren't wardogs here,
And maybe... we'll find Terry if he's alive or not." Hunchback was already assuming the worst.
The fact the he lost all of his bells except the one attached to his cane, his puppy Terry may not have survived even before the apocalypse, or he got captured as well by Mad Dog and moved somewhere else, Hunchback was buried in deep doubts.
"Let us go." Shirley spoke. "We haven't got much time before we start burning up in here by this heat." She took her blue hood off her head and wipes the sweat before putting it back on.
"Right." Courage began sweating too like crazy as well as his other two friends.
Bigfoot began to sniff for any possible food around and takes the lead, followed by his friends. Before they were heading upstairs to the upper floor, the team then noticed bits of bones and skulls wrecked to pieces on the floor. Some of them were human like, and some were of animal type. Courage gulped seeing this and he knew now that it was a bad idea exploring Hunchback's home.
The stairs were creaking with wooden noise about to snap any moment due to its fragile instability. Bigfoot was doing his best to not to break them while walking up the stairs but his toes were tough as heavy bricks. Once they reached the upper floor, they had found a water collector but its bottles were half empty. Hunchback took them nonetheless. On the walls were hanging very old portraits of different priests heavily damaged, clawed or sprayed with MD's tag on them. This entire church looked like a war zone. Busts of angels and eagles were smashed to pieces on the floor and not a single candle was lit up.
'How come i never found this place before?' Thought Courage.
"Was it always like this?" He asked.
"No, and now that i think of it... as far as i remember... even your owners were... married in here." Hunchback told, after remembering now Muriel and Eustace's wedding during his youth.
"You knew Muriel and the farmer!?"
"I didn't. Until i came to your home... then i knew right away who were the owners... i had witnessed many years ago."
"Why didn't you tell me before?" Courage perked.
Hunchback giggled, "You never asked."
"Perhaps, Courage, some things are better left forgotten now." Shirley spoke.
"But i want to know more. There's so many things i haven't seen or learned about- "
A crumble noise interrupted Courage's speech, and that startled the entire team. Bigfoot looks around for that noise and with full confidence, he goes for that sound source.
"Big boy, wait up!" Hunchback called him out to wait for them.
And they kept walking with Bigfoot leading, still sniffing to track down food and the noise. He also sensed something really fishy therefor he continued anyhow. They haven't had eaten anything since their barbeque night so they better had to hurry.
Let's not forget that this place was destroyed by the meteor impact but the wardogs rebuilt it. Some parts of the church like wall or floor holes were covered with solid steel from scrap. The brigade reached now the organ room.
It seems that noise was caused by a ceiling debris which it fell down on the floor, exposing the church's attic. The blowing pipes of the organ were damaged as well but the keys seem to be in good shape even though everything was covered in dust and spider webs.
"This place is about to come down." Courage witnessed the weak structural integrity while his expression was without a doubt about to go white. "Where are the wardogs? Are they hiding?"
Shirley took a closer look on the animal bones on the floor, and inside the skeleton ribcage there was a piece of cloth fabric with a tag on it. "Take a look, Courage."
"Huh?" The pink hound turns around to Shirley and sees the skeleton pointed by the medium. Courage then recognized the fabric this skeleton once wore. M.D.'s wardogs were dead long before they came.
Courage gasped with eyes widen. Bigfoot however smiled seeing the organ instrument and he went quickly to play with it as he thought he had nothing to worry about.
A few steps forward when approaching the instrument, he was about to hit a note key but instead... the key pressed by its own. This can't be happening. The team was startled by the organ noise now dominating the entire church interior. Lots of flying insects flew out of the blowing pipe and music was about to form all of a sudden. Bigfoot was confused at first but then he gasped with his jaws dropped, stepping back.
"Bigfoot! Please that's enough!" Courage plugged his ears, while not loving the music.
"He's not the one playing." Shirley corrected him.
The organ started to play a sinister music all by its own, and that gives the brigade a reason enough to stay alert. Could be ghosts now? Ridiculous!
Bigfoot and Hunchback was starting to feel unpleasant by the room interior arousal. It smelt like wet fur. The big monster still sniffs nonetheless his armpits to check if he was the one sweating worse than his team. With eyes widen he left a disgusting expression after inhaling deeper, but at least he knew it wasn't him.
The black shadowy figure again moved very fast behind past the team in just a millisecond.
Courage and his friends were startled by that unexpected wind speed. They all turned themselves around to see what was that. Still nothing. Whoever is sneaking around, it likes to play a little game before showing up. They assumed it could be an ordinary wardog who survived.
A spirit of a human was starting to form up on the organ chair. He was dressed like a priest. Then Hunchback immediately recognized the music he was playing, and the priest they all just witnessed. It was indeed a ghost. Courage shivered entirely while the others were stunned like a rock seeing who was playing the organ.
The ghost of the priest that Hunchback used to work for when he was alive back in his youth. It's music sounded like a mixture of Hunchback's dark version theme and a death warning song. The ghost disappeared but its music was still playing.
"This spirit... must be unsettled by something.. or someone that killed him." Shirley attempted to read its supernatural energy. "It tries to warn the old one... to get out." Bigfoot and Courage were holding tight together shivering with their eyes widen and teeth clenching.
"H-h-he's going to... k-k-kill us?" Courage barely asked in shock and frozen with horror.
"No, someone else will." Shirley then got her eyes widen by a noise that was coming from the top tower, where the huge rusty bell was still hanging. The other allies heard it too which it increased their worries even more. The organ music still won't stop.
"Let's get... out of here then." Hunchback suggested as he had enough having his past memories now haunting him.
"B-But we haven't even found any food, or some plan to get through that catapult outside." Courage told. "And i feel like something's going on in here." He turns his head to left and right suspecting that they are being watched indeed.
"D-d-dog... " The old man was about to say something to Courage but he immediately held his breath hearing a strange dog bark that wasn't coming from the pink hound. He couldn't believe it. After so many years he sworn he heard Terry's barking. His old eyes were widen and began to play with his bell cane, seeing if Terry can respond back even if the organ music was playing in the background.
Terry barked again once. Hunchback's expression turned into happiness believing now that his long lost pet have returned and survived the apocalypse too. He ran past his friends without hesitation reaching for the barking sound like they were never with him.
"He-hey, wait up!" Courage called him out, followed by Bigfoot and Shirley trying to catch up with him.
Hunchback as he ran faster even though he was aware that his age will slow him down eventually, quickly noticed the trapezes hanging up on the ceilings, and grabs them. Swinging up in the air helped him out boosting his speed to reach for the bell tower. Some catwalks and floors were already shattered or too unstable to reach it by just on foot.
Courage, Shirley and Bigfoot stopped their tracks since they couldn't catch an acrobatic expert like Hunchback. They all looked up seeing him already arrived at the top floor. The large bell that was still hanging by rusty chains above them made the brigade feeling unpleasant. They shouldn't even be there knowing that the bell chain may snap and fall onto their heads due to its fragile strength.
Hunchback could see everything from up there, even the brigade van which it was still there parked outside as they left. Behind him he could see the large volcanic crater emanating smoke but it doesn't seem like it's about to explode. Up on the dark red sky, the Moon was barely seen behind the dominating smoke clouds.
He finally noticed something was shaking on the floor under a dirty blanket. Skeletons and blood stains were the most impressive 'decorations' for the bell tower room. You can barely breathe at this height due to smoke coming from the outside through wooden holes. Hunchback was desperately trying to get out of there as fast as he can by the priest's warning, but he had to take that chance if those barking sounds haven't lost in the old man's mind when remembering about his pet.
"Ohhh..." The old man not only was already terrified, but noticed his old drawer where he kept his bells was empty and dusty. It was hard to tell if he felt like, back home again after wandering as a hobo, although Hunchback prefers in a more decent environment just like in his youth time obvious.
He gulped and braced himself if whoever was shaking under that blanket was indeed Terry or the mysterious creature who was sneaking upon them was feasting upon the poor dog like it did with the priest. Just seeing the unsettled and continuous shaking made Hunchback nervous to reach it.
The old man was approaching slowly with his cane in his hand and his mask underneath his cape. Preparing to defend himself as he finally touches the blanket.
He closes his eyes while taking out the blanket, ready to get attacked, however that wasn't the case. It revealed to be Terry after all... all grown up and showing battle scars.
The white dog felt scared and continuing shaking almost matching Courage's personality. But when his eyes were fixed on Hunchback, he barked once again confused. The old man threw away the blanket seeing his dog laying on the floor trembling.
"Terry? Is that.. you!? Where have you... been all this time?.." He leaned down on his knees before his dog. The hound sticks out his tongue in a happy way this time and touches the old man's hand.
"I thought... i lost you." The only time a person is relived to take the wrong assumption about everything being literally gone. Or so he thought. Just as he was hugging his long lost adorable companion all matured and wounded, Terry was beginning to snarl.
The organ music suddenly stopped. That couldn't sound good...
The other allies were thinking of how to reach Hunchback to check up on him and an idea has lit up by Bigfoot. He picks up Shirley and Courage to sit them on his shoulders as he begins to climb up on the walls. Of course he had to break through the wall with his gigantic feet to form up steps for better grip stability. Courage could have climb up as well but Bigfoot insisted in helping.
"Hang on. We're coming." Courage said with his paws on his chest very worried. He was also afraid if Bigfoot would accidentally slip and fall but that wasn't the case since he used to climb up mountains as well.
"And hurry, our friend is in danger!" Shirley spoke.
"What?!" Courage and Bigfoot got all perked up.
"Music has stopped, the spirit has left to witness the killer's next victim." Her eyes got widen giving a serious look on her friends.
Suddenly Hunchback's dog, Terry was about to go slowly for the old man's ear to bite it off. He released the dog from his hugging and got stoned about Terry's sudden change of personality.
"T-T-Terry?" Hunchback was crawling backwards on the floor, away from his pet.
The white hound was approaching him, spilling blood out of his mouth and its eyes were turning bright orange. Turns out that all the bones and blood around the church were... his victims. Including the priest and the wardogs. Hunchback's eyes wide open stood still looking at his poor puppy now turning into a monster.
Bigfoot, Courage and Shirley finally reached the bell tower room. Along with Hunchback they have just witnessed Terry feeling quite unusual once his wild animal instincts take effect. His jaw suddenly grew while his paws unleashed its sharp claws. His white fur begins to shed exposing signs of mutation on his skin. Drooling blood instead of saliva he quickly jumped for Hunchback's head.
The old man also quickly pulled out Eustace's green mask for protection but that didn't worked out while Terry... no the White Tyrant didn't get scared at all by it. Sitting on the mask clawing over and over until bits of scrap were shedding off the mask, Courage jumped in action. He picks up the drawer and throws it onto the Tyrant, knocking the monster away from Hunchback.
The trio ran quickly towards their old friend laid on the floor.
"COME ON! We gotta get out of here!" Courage lifts up Hunchback, while Bigfoot and Shirley stood focused on the Tyrant.
"No! He needs help!" Hunchback cried letting go of Courage without thinking he may be killed.
The Tyrant sits back up growling in fury and speeds up towards the brigade. This time Bigfoot jumps in front of him preparing to defend the old man. As soon as Terry approached to slice down Bigfoot, Shirley pulled out her mallet, climbs up on Bigfoot's head and as she jumps in the air, she tries to whack Terry's head down.
But she fails, the Tyrant immediately grabbed the mallet with his big jaws as soon as Shirley was about to land on him. He swings it in every direction making the medium losing control of her grip.
Eventually Shirley lets it go off her mallet and she was propelled into the air hitting herself up against the wall. The impact was harder enough to crack down the wooden wall.
Courage screamed by the sight of Tyrant's mutation strength.
Shirley laid down unconscious, the Tyrant turns his head on to his big meal instead, Bigfoot. Seeing the medium was out, the monster with huge feet begins to viciously roar with his huge mouth open unleashing his sharp teeth. Courage desperately picks up Hunchback out of the way, as soon as the Tyrant rammed Bigfoot with such a slamming force. Bigfoot grabbed Terry's head just so he won't let the white monster feasting on the other allies.
The Tyrant slams Bigfoot against the wall as well. Just when Terry was about to take his first bite while snarling in a horrific way, Bigfoot kicks him out with both of his huge feet sending the other monster away from him. Bigfoot got injured but he still had a bit of strength left. Turns out that the Tyrant was almost as powerful as Bigfoot. Courage and Hunchback ran towards Shirley to help her out.
"Shirley! Please wake up!" Courage cried while rubbing her cloth, but that didn't last long as the Tyrant got up again from his little brawl with Bigfoot. He then charges to Hunchback with his mouth open and Courage could see their death already if he didn't act. The pink hound picks up the unconscious Shirley and Hunchback the same way he used to pick up Muriel and Eustace to get out of the way.
For a weak and soul-broken dog, it's a miracle that his actions haven't flawed in the slightest. Even though he found it harder this time to pick up his friends quickly to avoid a close call. Bigfoot still limping from that hit, he picks up Shirley from Courage's paw.
"Get her out of here, please! Call for help!"
Bigfoot nodded but the big boy was worried about Courage and Hunchback. He cannot leave his friends in danger. Hunchback sets his eyes instantly on Terry with horror and fully heart-broken.
"GO!" Courage yelled.
"BEHIND YOU!" Hunchback screamed and It was too late..
Terry quickly strikes violently Courage's back harder than ever, dragging the pink dog on the floor until his whole body was pinned down. After that all that ongoing fight the entire room was filled with layers of thick smoke and dust. Bigfoot with Shirley in his grasp and Hunchback coughed feeling now exhausted for it became too much for everyone. They were now panicking, losing every courage they had and waiting for the Tyrant to finish what he started...
The brigade was obviously dealing with a mutated dog acting like a vicious bull more fearsome than Big Grivus. If Mad Dog ever knew about Hunchback's ex-pet he would more likely hire him, but since he murdered the wardogs too, the Tyrant would have to be locked in a cage with very strong chains for extreme occasions.
And the last thing Courage would need is losing his friends. He was definitely not going to let that happen! Not after he lost his sanity.
Courage all injured and laid he slowly opens his eyes in pain gazing Terry the White Tyrant slowly encircling Bigfoot, Hunchback and Shirley, who was about to wake up again. All of them were shaking in fear not daring to make a move anymore upon Terry. Suddenly Courage's eyes were widen after he saw that his friends's injuries have gone worse when they started to... bleed.
The pink hound's sad eyes were slowly fading into anger. He couldn't take no more of this. Not this time! Not again! Not his friends too!
Courage started to growl in fury letting his rage once again to take control over his whole body. Fur turning ruffled, teeth and claws got sharpen and his eyes were all red in an inexplicably flaming fury! He doesn't seem to care anymore if he would act up against his friends either without his will, but anything to bring down that mutated mutt was truly welcomed. He got up and barked getting the Tyrant's attention.
Courage strikes down on Terry's neck biting as hard as he can, just so that this monster can bleed as well. Seeing this opportunity, Hunchback and his friends were able to escape from Tyrant's clutches and stood still to a corner with Bigfoot protecting Shirley. And the old man was trying to think of something quick to save Courage!
Bigfoot and Hunchback knew now they were dealing with two unstable canine monsters in the middle of the bell room. An exchange of bites, slices and crying whimpers came from both enraging dogs. Eventually the Tyrant realizes that Courage was able to do more damage to him that he ever did with its victims. Courage chewed on Terry's limb making the white Tyrant limping.
He retreats quickly when he was able to escape from Courage's jaws.
Terry suddenly changes back to his own normal self. Hunchback was left in awe. His little white dog quickly runs in fear and pain towards the old man. He quickly got behind his legs away from raging Courage cowardly shaking. The old man could not believe this! What is this dog?! A friend or foe?
"Terry!" Hunchback lifts up his dog to his arms. Seeing the heavily bruised white dog trying to breathe again by Courage's bite, the old man's eyes fixed upon raging Courage. The pink beast wasn't going to let him live like that, only for Terry to transform back and attack again.
"Courage, wait!" He yelled. Bigfoot stood still in his place protecting the medium. He could hear her groaning.
Hunchback suddenly played with his bell cane forming up music in case if Courage remembers it. The pink beast while racing towards Hunchback and Terry, he stops suddenly since a part of his memories was triggered by that bell sound. Courage's mind started to form an illusion. An image actually back when he and Hunchback used to play together in the barn.
And by that sound, it worked, just as Shirley confirmed when Courage doesn't remember anything in his raging state until something from his past memories is triggered within present time. Courage's head was still tingling looking at all direction without self-control. His brain cannot tell the difference between violence and courage. But his inner raging emotion begs to differ.
"EAT HIM!" Raging personality demanded.
"NO, I CAN'T!" Coward personality cries.
"YOU LET THAT ANIMAL LIVE, IT'LL DO WORSE TO YOU!"
"IF I DO, YOU'LL MAKE ME HURT MY FRIENDS TOO!"
"YOU HAVE NO FRIENDS!"
"YOU'RE NOT MY FRIEND EITHER!"
"THEY'LL BETRAY YOU!"
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
"THE MORE YOU LOVE, THE MORE YOU LOSE!"
"GAAAAAAAAARRRHHH!" Courage's inner mind went truly nuts.
Eventually Courage regained back what's left of his sanity, fainting before his friends eyes but his raging form was still in effect. Innocent Terry jumped from Hunchback's lap hiding back under his blanket leaving a trail of blood behind him.
"C-C-Courage?" Shirley called, after awakening while rubbing her head.
Bigfoot releases her, and they both are going for the pink hound, while Hunchback was walking slowly back to his pet. That is until the medium turns around stops the old man.
"No!" She shouted. "Don't get closer. Not after what we have already seen that creature is capable of."
"But... He... didn't mean to do this... Can't i just get him... out of here too?" Hunchback asked looking at Terry still laid down while underneath his blanket pools of blood were forming.
"Old one, you don't understand." Her eyes got widen by old man's attitude.
"I do understand! That he's... changed. But now he needs... our help."
"Wrong. That dog helps himself." Shirley points out.
"Huh?" Hunchback turns around confused.
He now has witnessed that Terry's tongue was all over the floor licking all the blood that was leaking from himself under that blanket. And not for long it was about to emerge back to his own beast mode again, by the sound of growling.
Bigfoot picks up Courage recovering from his raging state as he was panting very fast. However the whole brigade stepped back as soon as Terry gets out of his blanket again. Sharp teeth and claws were about to unleashed again. It was Hunchback's choice now. Letting his pet devour them for he cannot hurt his companion despite his mutation, or he would save his friends instead but that'll cost a sacrifice.
The white Tyrant was ready for another meal as it approaches slowly towards the team. The old man was shaking in unimaginable fear for he couldn't know how to help his pet. He never liked to hurt him either, but standing still won't save his life and his friends. He looked up above Terry... the giant bell!
"I'm so sorry boy..." he was about to cry about to do the unimaginable, he closed his eyes in pain and throws his cane in the air hitting the giant bell's chain. It snapped causing the bell to fell on top of the white monster.
Terry's orange eyes got widen seeing the giant bell fell on top of him, the giant bell's weight was able to smash through the tower floors reaching the altar with Terry in it. The upper tower floor where the bell was originally hanged left a very huge floor hole.
The giant bell hits the altar floor eventually, crushing down on Terry instantly by the sheer numbers of steps and floors destroyed together with the bell's incredible weight. It crushed him like a pancake!
Hunchback looked down shedding tears for he had truly liberated his long time friend from a cannibalism life.
More likely Terry had survived the apocalypse, but without finding better food, he began to eat whatever and whoever he could find, regardless of taste. Returning to the church where the white dog spent his entire life with Hunchback, he was ambushed by wardogs. But his unexpected transformation caused by the meteor shockwave, changed the course around in Terry's favor. The remaining wardogs who escaped out of the church alive have moved to the catapult site, leaving the white beast occupying the building.
In case if Terry was about to come over to them, they were prepared. And they weren't going to inform Mad Dog about their lost outpost either cause they knew that'd be stupid to let Terry gain all the attention and not them.
Due to bell's weight, it also destroyed the support pillars from underneath the church, making the entire building leaning even more. From this event, Courage let out a horrific and generic scream. The destruction and the scream also caught Scarecrow's attention outside.
"Courage..." He muttered.
"Here we go again. Don't we have to do something?" Dashboard Computer asked.
But the entire church leaned down to a point where its about to slide on the side of the volcano along with the lava rivers.
"Yes we do!" Scarecrow hoped in the vehicle, revs the engine and ... nothing. He completely forgot they had almost no gas to continue on.
"For crying out loud!" He smacked the steering wheel in frustration. He got out and screamed the pink dog's name, with no response in return.
Meanwhile inside the building, the entire team was desperate to get out of there even though Courage has yet again fainted from his raging transformations. He was becoming very exhausted and it is a miracle that in the past events of raging moments hasn't resulted him a massive headache or heart attack judging by his crazy heartbeat and condition. Their quest of looking for more resources has failed with no sign of food or gas but they still collected some bottles with water.
The bell tower started to collapse and there was no time now to think of an escape plan. Bigfoot quickly picks up Courage and Shirley for them to stand on his shoulders. Just when he was about to pick up the old man up too, the floor cracks right away and Bigfoot was about to make a jump out of the tower's window.
Bigfoot heavy breathing, when they all knew they might land accidentally right into the lava rivers, he had no choice, rather than staying to be crushed down by hundreds of crumbling wall pieces, he was praying for a miracle.
"JUMP!" Scarecrow screamed outside. He has seen his friends standing right on the tower window's ledge.
"WE'RE HERE! JUST JUMP!" He shouted more.
Bigfoot looked down on their vehicle standing below him, he was ready to jump nonetheless. However he was blocked in thoughts, cause if he was about to land right on the vehicle before the church slides down, it would result a huge roof hole damaging the vehicle. Or he would jump now and land onto their death swimming in lava rivers.
Before he could do anything as the big guy became scared, the entire building couldn't hold up much longer and the entire structure began to slide down heading towards the catapult site. Suddenly... the ceiling hole exposing the church attic above the bell tower, fell a few gas canisters. This place had fuel after all stocked by wardogs! But no food, presuming that Terry ate them all.
"NO!" Scarecrow screamed seeing his friends mobilized inside the tower as they slide down.
"Now what?" Computer asked. Scarecrow witnessed the canisters that fell outside out of the building's attic containing fuel. He ran quickly and picks them up to refill their vehicle. That was indeed a miracle.
Scarecrow remained silent after he hoped inside back in the van...
He sees his friends trapped inside of a church going down the hill...
The trail left by the building made out of dirt and mud formed up an actual road heading towards the Sledgehammer catapult...
"Oh, you're not going to do what i think you might do?" Computer reads his serious face expression.
"Watch this."
He shifted gears and smashed harder the accelerate pedal making the wheels to do a fuming burnout. The van quickly bursted into high speed, chasing after his friends.
Down at the bottom the wardogs watched the unholy church beginning to dismantle brick by brick by the sheer amount of bumps. Inside the building everything was all messed up. Their eyes got widen and the wardog commander orders to fire the catapult at once before the incoming building could crush on them! Still their aim was awful. All the fireballs shot by the catapult landed around the building or on the sides, not hitting a single wall.
The other allies had enough, and Courage was able to finally woke up as well on Bigfoot's shoulder. His eyes didn't opened quite wide enough and he felt his heart being sliced by a sword after seeing their location now turned into a sleigh sliding on the volcano.
Hunchback was holding up tight against Bigfoot's fur, while Shirley grabbed his furry beard for stability, everyone was bracing themselves for an impact as soon as their ride is over.
Suddenly Hunchback felt extreme pain by his right leg! Like a thousand knives just pierced through his leg. It was Terry! He came back biting off the poor old man. He screamed in agony until his lungs were exploding. Bigfoot turns out seeing the white mutt won't give up without another fight. Shirley had enough as well seeing his friend devastated.
"You... Stupid... DOG!" In full fury she pulls out her mallet one last time and throws it. It hit his head indeed and lets it go off Hunchback's leg. With a painful head bruise, The Tyrant losses stability and its about to fall through the window straight into the lava river up ahead. Since when did Shirley inherited a little bit of Eustace's behavior, was kind of strange.
Before Terry could ever fall into his death finally, his white paw was suddenly grabbed by Courage. His allies could not believe what a stupid decision Courage was about to make.
"Courage, No!" The medium screamed.
"He needs help! It's not his fault!"
"Don't be like the stupid one! HE IS MUTATED!" She clenched her teeth not believing that Courage was about to save a monster.
Courage was desperate to keep his paw grip tight to Tyrant's paw. But their ride filled with bumps makes it harder for Courage and his friends to keep themselves steady on the window ledge. He was about to lose it.
"Dog.. it's alright." Hunchback looks at Courage with unending rain of tears. "He's not my... friend anymore."
"But! BUT! You can't do this! I don't want you to lose someone you loved just like i did!" The pink dog cried out loud.
"Terry would... not want this." Hunchback told.
"If you let him go, he will be free forever from this nightmare." Shirley told and looked on Courage with a worried expression this time.
Courage whimpered in sadness looking straight into the Tyrant's evil eyes. Behind that face wall of horror and mutated skin it still remained the old innocent Terry, begging to do what is right.
He began to growl with open mouth to chop down Courage's head instead. Seeing this, Courage got startled and loses his grip. The Tyrant felt straight into the lava river only to be ran over by the ongoing building still sliding down the hill approaching the catapult.
"T-Terry..." the old man was crying a waterfall below his old innocent eyes after a painful experience. His leg was now heavily injured. Seeing now that his dog fell to his death, he closed his eyes waiting for everything to end already.
"JUMP!" Scarecrow yelled again. The brigade looked back behind the building seeing the van racing trying to keep up with the church-sleigh. Courage was confused how did he regained fuel but he was unaware about the attic filled with fuel canisters falling outside.
Bigfoot finally jumped with Shirley, Courage and Hunchback out of the building and lands right on the van's roof. Surprisingly it didn't destroyed the roof with his gigantic feet which it was a start. Cause the roof was heavily reinforced with steel armor.
"Thank goodness you repaired the roof before this." Computer told.
With the brigade finally reunited back, they went inside the vehicle, watching the gigantic church hitting the catapult site. The wardogs failed to destroy the incoming building, and they didn't had much time to escape out of the way. They braced themselves to be knocked out and eventually...
CRASH!
It seems that the Sledgehammer catapult wasn't that very resistant especially when a two tons of heavy metal, cement and wood crippled down to pieces, destroying the entire site. The wardogs were more likely being defeated as well, leaving Nowhere Ruins undefended and liberated!
The Courageous Brigade van pulled to a stop as they finally reached the bottom of the mountain. Everyone got out of the vehicle inspecting the wreckage.
Some time later...
"No food?" Scarecrow asked.
Courage shook his head.
"No water?"
Hunchback pulled out some bottles still filled with water.
"And how did you get gas all of a sudden?" Shirley asked.
"I found them falling out of the building before i went to chase up after you." He explained.
"I see."
Courage together with Bigfoot were smelling on the floor trying to sense any sign of life from Terry in case his mutation saved him somehow. They rummaged through rubble afterwards and Courage has found a broken down necklace collar. Its holy cross was still intact but dirty and a little hot. The pink dog dusted it off even though he flinched from touching it and muttered "Terry..." The dog was lost, however he couldn't help but give it to his old friend at least as a memo.
He quickly ran back to Hunchback and gave it to him. "Here."
The old man stood in shock after recognizing the collar. Bigfoot, Scarecrow, Shirley and Courage looked at him as he squeezed the collar tight on his chest while closing his eyes. He looks at it for a few seconds and a smile formed up on his face. Hunchback has something now to remember about his precious pet, as he puts the holy crossed collar in his pocket.
"Thank you... Courage" Hunchback hugged the pink dog while sniffing and sobbing. He hugs him back in return. The entire team were standing before them letting them for a moment of relief after a wild goose chase.
"I guess, you all have now something to talk about, what happened back there." Scarecrow looked at Bigfoot and Shirley.
"You have no idea." The medium muttered looking at her friends with a little smile on her face as well seeing that they survived once again.
Hunchback and Courage went back inside the vehicle, following by the rest of the team after they have scavenged more scrap and wood. Computer suddenly started to talk again:
"Please, don't tell me that this was your idea of using that building as a sleigh." The machine addressed to Courage.
"You saw it happening, but you didn't see me doing it." The dog replied back in frown. "I hope you were alright all this time. I was worried too about you and Scarecrow" Courage hoped back on the driver's seat. Shirley came as well on the passenger seat, while the other trio went inside the van just so that Hunchback could tell to Scarecrow what happened back there.
"I wasn't able to do anything or react while i was unplugged." Computer said.
"Shall we?" Shirley inquired, to move on.
Courage sighed and started the engine with his stomach growling. The pink dog however went lost in thoughts again about the events of today. From his inner rage reacting again, to a possible salvation turned into sacrifice. What if Courage was in the same condition as Terry the white Tyrant? Would his friends hurt him too for an easy way out? The meteor shock wave could have mutated some animals or humans in the process unless they have survived, that could have tragic consequences or side effects. Unfortunately all the medicine and drugs are no longer existing in these wasteland parts. It is fight for survival after all, no matter what conditions you are granted with after the apocalypse.
He felt really sorry about Hunchback but giving him a 'souvenir' in return to remind him about Terry was truly heart warming and welcomed. Courage wished he had his own pictures back if he was that lucky enough to find Terry's collar.
By the mark of this incident, Nowhere Ruins was liberated! The wardogs or felines are no longer patrolling this region. The remaining survivors can do whatever they like to reconstruct back their lives without too much oppression on their way.
As the brigade van drove away from the mountain, we head back to the church ruins. Two ghosts have appeared staring at the vehicle in the distance. It was the priest again with little Terry on his lap.
"Thank... you... Have a safe... journey. My old friend." The priest smiled refering to Hunchback. Little Terry barked as well before both of them would vanish in thin air. That also caused a black raven to fly away from a tall brick it was standing on.
UNHOLY NOWHERE CATHEDRAL DESTROYED
[Nowhere Ruins]
(Mad Dog's Control = Zero) - (Katz's Control = Zero)
[LIBERATED!]
This area is no longer hostile. ...for now.
[Katzville]
Heading back to Katz's underground HQ, the red feline felt an unpleasant pain on his back. He was trying to rub harder, but the more he was struggling, the more it gave him pain.
"Ugggghhh... mmmmhhh.." he grunted. "I swear this will be the end of me." He laid down on his chair with his mind going through many thoughts.
"Courage... i wonder if you are indeed... a monster." He gripped his metal paw into a fist. "Hehehehe..."
His yellow eyes were now focused on his bandages covering his torso. After all this time he was fearing that his injuries from the meteor blast could get worse, but instead he kept the bandages just in case his body cuts could get infected. The environment he was living in certainly wasn't comfortable but it was more safe than on the surface.
Even with heavy security, Katz still felt unsafe of himself more than wardogs. He was one of the survivors fearing about the world's atmosphere gone crazy by the shock wave.
"I better not remove these. Come now my loves." His spiders joined him on his chair, as they began making new spider webs for his body since his bandages were starting to wear off.
Katz sighed, starts talking to himself. "Even big leaders have their own weakness."
That's when a warcat busted in his room without a warning and wants to inform his boss about something.
"Where are your manners, man?" Katz asked in a frown look.
"Chief, you won't believe this!"
"This better be good."
"Back in Nowhere, the mountain outpost occupied by dogs was destroyed!"
That perked up Katz widening his eyes staring at the ceiling. "Are you sure of what you have spied?"
"We can attack now, since those so called heroes left the area exposed!"
"No." Katz ordered. " Not until i see Mad Dog buried in his own pile of bones."
"But boss!" The warcat shouldn't provoke his leader more.. That was unwise.
Katz sits up and goes straight into the warcat's eyes even though his face was covered with mask and goggles.
"You say 'but' to me one more time and i'll feed you to my lovelies! Got that?" His spider was crawling on his shoulder expressing a vicious look on the spider's face.
The warcat nodded not daring to say anymore a word. Katz went back to his chair as his loyal warcat left the room. "You did well, Courage." He giggled.
THE END of Chapter 7.