TCB: Chapter 10: Enjoy Your Stay In Elsewhere

[Elsewhere Village]
(Mad Dog's Control = 3 Points) (Katz's Control = 1 Point)

It was at this moment where Courage was listening the entire story behind this settlement they have all reached from his friends's knowledge. As he, Hunchback and Scarecrow went to repair garage to check up on their vehicle, more precisely the Computer, he couldn't help but imagine what kind of bloodshed has Mad Dog ever done in Elsewhere which has crippled every peasant survivor in losing trust on dogs.

Despite the fact, that Courage has his own problems of self-control whenever rage takes over, it would've been a nasty situation right now to go full berserk in public. The Ravens however knew the brigade's dogs presence, but they promised to keep it secret from the villagers, as long as Bigfoot is around them when they believe in him as a mighty guardian. If Courage or Shirley were getting exposed by their own means of mistake, they'd have to deal the consequences. It is either public execution or getting the boot out and never come back.

The Ravens are keeping their word of the new order established just so it won't ignite a civil war in the village. Regardless of any food found or resources scavenged from taken down wardog camps, cans of dog food for instance were highly non-extinct even if dogs aren't allowed to live in Elsewhere. Including lost harmless puppies... Because they think they are used as spies. Other animals have grown used to dog food addict. The brigade could hear sometimes the peasant bystanders talking to themselves about hatred for dogs or curses towards the wardog lord for obliterating their friends or relatives.

Many pyres of fire were still lit on the other side of the village resembling the cemetery of those fallen in the massacre by Mad Dog's iron jaws. Hardly there ever was a peasant that can still show a bit of sympathy for lesser-evil dogs or not evil at all. Courage on the other hand, has all the right to agree with the situation, and if there's no mean to make the occupants think otherwise about canines, the brigade would have no choice but to remain undercover.

Villagers don't seem to get bothered by the brigade's company. They are not unfriendly to strangers not resembling a dog. Elsewhere's homes were made up as rural houses or huge rusty buses and trucks no longer desired. Almost like a junkyard. Still, it's not the same looking as the junkyard Courage used to come along with his owners to find anything valuable as the nutcracker only to be attacked by dancing rats. Courage hoped he will never see those annoying rodents again now thinking about this.

Some peasants claim the raven ruler, Viss and Vesha's father was an acceptable and better leader but that concludes only when small wardog raids happened often in the village, when the wardogs tried to take over the land. Mad Dog didn't turn the village into ashes personally because he liked it when his war parties failed, he was out for the greater purpose of finding Bunny. Even though he was unaware of his "loyalists" raids out for blood.

Once the massacre was finished three wardog parties have conquered checkpoints outside of the village's security perimeters.

As Vesha mentioned first up "The Jaw" which that will be the main gates heading to Bulletown. Rumors been told that the city holds up the most control the wardogs ever built in producing weaponry and ammo manufacturing. Essential to major wars, especially against Katz's control over the dusty rotten continent.

Second control point been talked about seems to be guard tower where a gunslinger stands on top always on the lookout for totem vandals. A big totem-like statue made out of scrap bearing Mad Dog's logo and a steering wheel along with some victim bones at the base of it. It has been built to honor MD's dominance and that would be the third control point throughout the area.

Courage gulped while sweating saying "I can't believe this..." as he was sitting on the bench outside of the repair garage talking with his friends. Still covered in cloak.

"Yes, all we know... is that this place was founded right after the apocalypse." Scarecrow told.
"These animals... had nowhere to go, nowhere to live... so the birds came in their aid..." Hunchback said.
"Bigfoot couldn't knew what he's about to get involved into." The pink dog told.
"It seems the big monster helped them getting rid of the cats that were threatening them. The stubborn bird said they would do the same thing about evil dogs, but... " Scarecrow stopped suddenly.

"... but it didn't worked out." Courage expected. "I wonder why the villagers didn't came after me after i screamed." He remembered his sharp awakening at Viss's hut believing his cover could've been blown up.

"That nurse has been dealing with plenty of peasants, screaming in pain seems to be a common sound. And the animals here are used to it." Scarecrow said. "Just as long as you don't bark, otherwise we will be in trouble." He told as he looked around making sure nobody was watching them talking.

"I... i thought.. i was going to kill her." Courage trembled still left with the fact of his emotion instability.
"How did she snapped you out of your trance?" Scarecrow asked.
"She splashed me with hot water." The dog answered with an embarasing expression.
"Hmm... we used all of our water... to wake you up too. You were like... almost dead.." Hunchback said extremely worried, while remembering about their last awakening attempts.

"I guess, it wasn't boiled enough." Courage smiled while giggling. "What matters now is that we still made it in one piece. You saved me." Courage looked at his friends very grateful. They did the same thing if that's what friends are for.

"Shouldn't we be worried about Bigfoot or Shirley?" Courage asked whatever his other friends are doing in the meantime.

"I'm sure miss medium can handle herself, but its the big monster that i am kind of worried." Scarecrow stood in thoughts looking at their van still in repairs.

"They took him... away. Said its a surprise.. We wanted to go along... but Vesha... didn't let us."
The old man told looking at the hound.

Courage whimpered. He was already imagining that Bigfoot being himself as a Guardian must be a heavy task for him to not let the Ravens down this time. But it wasn't a problem for him to scare off threatening animals before without his will, being told to do so is what he may not like. Being used as a giant meat shield as the village's last resort. Definitely not that. This is what Courage was expecting now, having his full right to be worried as his friends.

As for Shirley, she wouldn't be stupid enough to blow up her cover but heading down to the black market? Old habits it seems, of searching something valuable or studying whatever peasant brought from the wasteland to sell for scrap.

"Can i go see Computer?" The dog felt an urge of at least checking up on his old mechanical friend too. The mechanic himself was a fat wild hog, covered in blobs of oil, as if Jean Bon the pig ever had a twisted cousin they never met before. His expression remained dull but very concentrated on every bit of damage was underneath their van.

"Not until it's fully repaired. I talked with the mechanic. He doesn't like being disturbed." Scarecrow told. "But don't worry, i kept my eyes on the vehicle and him. Making sure he doesn't do something regretful about your friend."

"How do you... feel now, dog? Are you cold?" Hunchback asked, noticing something about Courage's paws. They were shaking.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just.. trembling. Been inside at that hut was quite cozy. Being outside now i feel a bit of chill." Courage crossed his paws. The weather was indeed a bit of cold, the skies were covered in grey clouds as if it was starting to rain but it's not. Or ever won't rain.

"You can go back inside... if you wish." Hunchback suggested.

"Don't think that'll be the case." Scarecrow spotted in the distance that somebody already barged into Viss's hut. The stranger covered in cloak revealed its arm to open the door knob as it looked like a feathered white wing. Courage raised an eyebrow and scratched Hunchback's option.

"How are these animals protected by sandstorms?" Courage asked taking a closer look at the public streets. "These houses don't seem to look like they would last longer."

"Heard there's an underground system of tunnels beneath the village. Once occupied by warcats. After the wardog massacre, it has been cleared out and turned into sewers." Scarecrow explained. "So they're hiding down there."

"Blleeaaggh!" Courage was disgusted by the sound of it. Still it seemed quite effective. "Where did you hear that from?"

Scarecrow pointed that it was the dirty mechanic. Courage sighed and his eyes rolled. "Figures." The dog was in many nasty situations before it wouldn't be a surprise anyway.

"Doesn't seem to be a problem for them, here there's enough materials and resources to rebuild what was destroyed." The hay-made soldier told.

Meanwhile...

Beneath the village, down in the sewers that were once the warcat's bunkers, Bigfoot and Vesha along with her guards went straight into some sort of a secret dungeon. The stubborn bird wanted to impress her idol, after short while they have cleaned up of any remaining warcat sneaking upon the village. Only Bigfoot would understand better to himself if he liked to volunteer in escorting the ravens, or he felt like being used otherwise. The sewer tunnels smelled worse than an army of skunks, but thankfully they all were wearing gas masks.

"Mighty Guardian." She called him. "You have no idea how long have we been waiting for your arrival. Our clan is very grateful you showed up in just a nick of time to witness our creation that inspired us from your deeds. Dedicated for your means of protection towards us. But may i ask why you risked your life for us?"

But Bigfoot kept scratching his head unaware of this little trip he was forced to come with the birds. Behind that gas mask, sounds of groan or unclear speaking was all he could ever provide.

"How could i ever forget?" Vesha facepalmed. "Words mean nothing. It's the will that counts!"

They all have finally arrived at the front door. It was impressively covered with spikes, planks and chains as if something dangerous was happening behind that door. It was huge enough for vehicles to get through as well, but they had business to the side door where peasants only can go.
Vesha knocked on the door harder to call out her guard. "Hey it's me! Open up!"

The raven guard on the other side of the door replied back with "What's the password?"

"Passwo-... YOU DEAF? It's me! Do you want to face the guardian's wrath or mine!? Open up at this instant!" She yelled angrily, even when being a bird of a higher rank cannot match with the stupidity of her guards.

The guard opens up the door visor to peak and sees only a bunch of birds with a big monster wearing gas masks. The guard still doesn't recognize them and insists on a password. "Har-har, no password, no entry. Bugger off you filthy cat spies!"

Bigfoot stood calm until he notices a transport has gone through the huge doors opened already, he could've heard the sounds of screaming animals and humans as if they were like entering in a torture chamber. What kind of atrocity was going on behind this gate aside from screaming in terror coming out of that transport truck? The big monster points out to Vesha that they could enter where the truck has passed through.

The little raven with smoke coming out of her beak nostrils noticed and they all went that way instead. They finally entered after Vesha stopped the closing gate quickly before it was closed shut. She went immediately to her door guard and grabs hold of his chest.

"Hey who do you think you- !" The guard was about to alert the entire sewage complex, until his voice came to a halt when Vesha took off her mask. As well as Bigfoot and the others for it was less stinky and the air was breathable in the very least, than the other side they came through.

Vesha growled as her eyes were flaming in rage about to kill his subordonate.

"Ohoho... He-hey boss! I didn't knew-" Before the guard ever had a chance to defend himself, Vesha impaled the post table with the guard's sharp beak until his head was all the way down through the table, now the guard was seeing stars afterwards. Calming herself now, she returns back to Bigfoot.

"Forgive me, work does really carries everybody away." She said merely annoyed as she they all continued their trip further more leaving the other ravens shocked looking at their comrade knocked down cold.

"Welcome to our prison." As soon as she opened the windows, it revealed a massive circled structure undoubtedly extended by working miners. There were plenty of cell doors each guarded by ravens "Here is where we punish the outsiders, traitors, humans, anyone who treats dogs like they're the men's best friend." Vesha cringed. As they continued their tour through out the complex, again the screams of pain and metal clanging can be heard within these prison walls covered also with banners showing Bigfoot's mighty footprint emblem.

Bigfoot however could have sworn he heard a familiar voice also screaming by the sheer torturing until Vesha interrupted his attention. "Do you like it!?" She asked with a big scary grin on her face obstructing Bigfoot's view. But the big guy shrugged and showed no emotion answer.

"It is what you wanted, right!? I know you'd love it! Just wait until you'll witness the sheer blood and agony of those who were eager to await our demise." Vesha pulled a lever that next to her which opened the torture chambers. Now this was no way in hell being just a prison. It looked worse than a concentration camp. The stubborn bird took it way too far in terms of bringing justice to hostile or average outsiders. Including innocent survivors who came in contact with dogs.

Bigfoot cannot express his immense fear of what he had just witnessed, but undoubtedly it will take a long time to forget all this. Tables with bloody chains, torture chairs with sharp blades attached to sides whenever somebody sits on it, they'll receive nice abdomen cutouts. Different tools used in auto-repair or melee-type weapons were all around making this place an excellent source of salvage and gear for their vehicle. The big monster truly wants to get out of this hellhole at least in one piece even though it was just a tour with a guide having a diseased mind.

Back on the surface... Elsewhere Black Market.

This was the most populated part of the village, where merchants from all around the wasteland tries to rebuild the economy back. Of course they were only allowed to enter the village only under the restriction of not being a dog or human. Hence the term's "men's best friend" has been taken the wrong way by Ravens. Some cats were allowed, since they weren't possessing much of a deal like wardogs. Warcats were a low-type threat anyway, unless Katz would have something else in mind.

But selling scrap for scrap? Only they knew better. Between merchants and buyers around the market, the chihuahua, Shirley covered in cloak was wandering around inspecting the goods for what she or her friends could use for the road. Her face, more so her eyes were barely exposed leaving her muzzle out only as for her expression, it remained dull.

"Can i have one of those, please?" Shirley bought a strange pipe and small pack of some sort but it didn't show what was it for. She quickly put them in her pocket. The merchant however looked on her with a very strange expression as she left afterwards.

As she moved along further more, she finds a broken down saxophone on the stand, but she knew it wasn't hers. The medium continues on, until something catches her eye. It was there a shiny intact crystal ball which of course it could be expected as a very expensive item. Shirley comes closer to it, she couldn't help but put a little smile on her face.

Before she could even stretch her paw to touch it and feel it after a very long time of no readings, the merchant noticed her and quickly "serves her".

"He-hey no touching the products! Fragile as they seem, damaging them will cost you more! Hur-hur-hur!" The merchant was a disheveled squirrel with large teeth and white bandana on his head covering his wounds for some reason.

"Sorry." The medium apologized.

"Are we buying or just starring at each other like in a picture show?!" As crazy as the squirrel sounds, his eyes barely sees what products he has on the booth due to his blurry vision. "You'll have to excuse my sight senses, they are screwed, little kitty. You're a cat aren't ya!?" He gave a weird smile at her.

Shirley on the other hand was going along with this merchant weirdo for the purpose of not blowing up her cover. "Uuhh yes." she gave a frown look. "How much is this crystal ball you have there?"

"Oh this ain't crystal! It's a bowling ball!" The squirrel pointed out.

"I think you are mistaking. Bowling balls are not made out of crystal glass and- " Shirley gets interrupted.

"Look kitty, i may be blind but i'm not stupid!" The squirrel jumped on the booth table between his merch items. "If you want a... reeeeal crystal ball, i have just what you want!" He jumps back down going under the table to rummage in his "storage". The medium stood confused and wondering what does he pull out this time.

"Here... it... is! Boy... this is heavy!" The squirrel merchant was struggling to put something heavier unlikely to be a crystal ball on the table and just to Shirley's disappointment, he puts a giant steel ball with a chain attached to it, used to chain prisoners. "You want this?"

Shirley took no response and immediately leaves away. There was no point in wasting time with a blind merchant moron. Before she could make a great distance between her and him, the squirrel called her out. "Oh Wait! I could give you the bowling ball then, for only five hundred scrap if you don't want this glass ball!" He continued on.

"I managed to steal it from Mad Dog's goons when they invaded the no man's land or noway.. or whatever place is behind that smokey mountain." The squirrel told about his adventurous deed in scavenging. However that statement made Shirley's heart to skip a beat in shock.

'So, that was mine!' The medium said in her thoughts with an angered expression and unbelieving to think that one of her stuff gets stolen again and went for selling. Even if its in perfect shape.

But to get it back, the only option was to buy without facing the wrath of the squirrel and cause panic in public. Five hundred scrap was too much and she didn't had enough, stealing is something she wouldn't dare either, and having an urge to curse the squirrel would have been something she done already but without her saxophone, it's a no-go.

"How about 250? Half price is the lowest i can go!" He offered a deal.

Shirley then sparkled an idea pulling up a smile on her face, it wasn't guaranteed to work, but testing out this rodent's brain would see who wins this negotiation.

"50 scrap." She offered too.

"Are you trying to mock me!?" The merchant grew angrier.

"75?" The medium continues.

"250!" Merchant fights back.

"100."

They both were fighting for a price and that caught at least attention to some other villagers going by. Still that didn't stopped Shirley to achieve something back that belonged to her.

"150." She told.

"One hundred...!? Uhh what comes after 150?" The merchant lost count.

"125." Shirley played dumb.

"100!" He continued to drop down now.

"75." The medium goes lower too.

"15!"

"10." She was almost about to laugh.

"A BOTTLE CAP CENT! Take it or leave it before i lose my marbles, you stinky cat!" The merchant truly grew mad without thinking what a "generous offer" he just made.

"My, oh my, thank you for your well kindness..." She grabbed the crystal ball finally while throwing a bottle cap on the table for payment. The merchant squirrel thinks now that she had lost and grabs the bottle cap with a victorious smile.

"...and your stupidity." The medium completed her sentence in silence while placing the ball in her bag.

When she was out of the way, the merchant alone looks again at his bottle cap and his smile starts to fade realizing that something was not right. "Oohh what? How did i... ?" He was left speechless for a few seconds, until he started screaming the heck out of his lungs calling out that he was scammed catching the Ravens attention.

The medium however, was already far away of their sight but could hear the alert anger sound coming from the distance and wasted no time but to increase her speed to get back to the brigade van.

Returning back to repair garage, the other trio allies were eager to see their vehicle finished and as they were chatting each other, the mysterious stranger finally exited Viss's hut, carrying a big sack of stuff behind this time. Courage immediately took a peek from the distance watching the stranger going away heavily loaded. With fully suspicions, the dog decides to check it out.

"Excuse me." Courage goes back to Viss.
"Courage?" Scarecrow inquired not knowing what he's up to.

Courage looks away back and forth before he jumps for the hut's window. As soon as he takes a look through the window his eyes merged bigger in shock! Rushing towards the door and goes back in, he finds Viss laid down on the floor snoring. Her hut was practically empty this time, but a heavy scent of smell was dominating the room. Sort of like sleeping gas.

The pink dog rushed towards Viss to wake her up but she was down right heavy sleeper as well, not even paw slaps worked on her face. Courage couldn't hold his breath much longer and finally decides to get out of the hut before he gets knocked out too.

As he got out while gasping for air and shakes his head to stay awake, Hunchback and Scarecrow came to his aid. "What happened!?" Scarecrow asked.

"It's Viss! She got knocked out! Heavy sleeping!" Courage tries to control his words. "Somebody robbed her place!" He didn't stood longer explaining to his friends and runs away in the middle of the village to catch the culprit! The stranger's strong scent can be still sensed by the dog. His friends of course ran after Courage. Their vehicle was now left unattended except for the mechanic.

Returning back to dungeon entrance, Bigfoot made strange gestures meaning that he wants to take a leak. He pointed out the exit to Vesha meaning he really has got to go. "Ok go, and don't forget to come back!" The bird waved at the monster running back to the surface. When he finally went outside, he couldn't been more relieved to see again a different perspective view out of that nightmare.

However Bigfoot tricked Vesha, as his true intention was to return back to his friends in the middle of Elsewhere.
In the middle of street, the stranger runs as fast as his legs could do, pushing the bystanders aside to make way followed up Courage chasing him while still wearing the robe. It was hard for the dog to prevent his head exposure as the hood tends to lean back from speed wind, but he kept a paw on his head while running. The other allies did as well to catch Courage. All of them were heading down to Black Market.

Bigfoot has arrived at the auto-shop, and his worries increased when nobody was around their van. He did notice however the mechanic was now snoring, meaning he felt asleep. Probably from the sleeping gas still emanating out of Viss's room. Until Computer finally decided to speak up.

"They went that way." The machine told while indicating the direction of their friends with a windshield wiper.

Bigfoot talks again gibberish language not knowing what to do and waves his hands as well.

"I would've helped, but then i would just run over this big sack of ham now sleeping underneath me." Computer told while still being suspended up. Bigfoot scared, listened to the machine and went forward to reunite with his friends.

As the chase continued on in the Black Market, the stranger with Viss's stuff did not paid attention to the road ahead of him as he kept looking behind to watch out for Courage's allies, he accidentally hit Shirley pretty hard as she was running as well avoiding the guards pursuing her in a dark back alley where no other villagers could see them.

Both the stranger and the medium got knocked out each other and their stuff were scattered around the alley. Unfortunately Shirley's crystal ball got wrecked in the process too. The only thing left intact from her precious stuff was gone forever. When both of them were groaning in pain, Shirley wakes up again and gasped seeing the ball now shattered into pieces.

The stranger tries to get up barely, but his chest was immediately grabbed by the medium's paws to get him closer to her face filled with eyes on fire and growling.

"You... you shouldn't have done that!" She told in a very upset tone. Just before the stranger was about to face Shirley's wrath, Courage, Scarecrow and Hunchback finally catches up in time to expose the stranger. Taking off his hood, it revealed to be...

"Oh-La-La!" The French duck thief, LeQuack!

Courage's mouth hit the ground and his eyes could not even believe how did this criminal even survived the apocalypse and his memories came back to him! The other allies of course wouldn't recognize him, but one thing's for sure this situation wouldn't end up nicely in LeQuack's end.

THE END of Chapter 10