Kipo was yelling as one of the flamingos was knocked away, followed by another one. The group watched nervously as she continued to fight, eventually knocking all but one away, which she swung up onto. She steered it down, and it landed in front of the group. Wolf wiped her eyes, smiling up at her as Mark looked up at her, tears streaming down his face. Kipo struggled against the flamingo a bit, making it turn to the side. "We're going after them." The flamingo looked at her, then attempted to grab her by the shirt, pulling her off balance. It continued to try and get her off. "Whoa! Come on! Don't be such a meanie!" The group watched as she wrangled one head in her arm. She panted a bit. "There you go." The other head looked at her. "Aren't you a little sweet" she was interrupted by the other head attacking her. "Oh!" It growled at her as she used her foot to keep it at bay.
"Nope." Said Benson. "Just slightly less mean."
"That thing's our only way to Scarlemagne." Said Wolf. She turned to Benson. "If it comes down to it, I'm willing to let it eat Dave." She looked at him.
"What's that now?" Asked Dave. He suddenly clutched at his chest, and died. His carcass split open, revealing his cocoon. Mandu sniffed the carcass a bit, then took a bite. Mark watched them, curious.
"They, they're going after Scarlemagne?" He wondered. He sniffled a bit, then realized what he had to do. He took a deep breath, and focused. Wolf noticed what Mandu was eating.
"Ew, Mandu! You don't know where that Dave has been!"
"Climb on!" Said Kipo, now with both heads wrangled. "The flamingo's fine!" It fought against her, biting at her leg. "Might, want, to, hurry!" The flamingo broke out of her grip, and went to attack her again.
"Heel!" Yelled Mark, standing up. Something about the way he said it made the flamingo immediately lay down. Everyone looked at him, and they all noticed how his own arm reflected Kipo's. Kipo gasped.
"You're the one that Jamack mentioned was working for Scarlemagne!" She said. "The boy with the wolf arm!" Mark sighed.
"Unfortunately." He said. He shook his head. "All my life has been betrayal after betrayal, and Scarlemagne was no exception. He told me that everyone would join his army willingly, or pay the price." He looked at Kipo, dead in the eyes. "But instead, he kidnapped everyone. And that I will not let slide! I don't trust any of you, and you don't have to trust me. In fact, it would be better if we didn't trust each other, less likely to be betrayed then. But that's besides the point. If you're going after Scarlemagne, then I'm helping you with that!" The group looked amongst themselves, then back at him.
"Yeah, no." Said Wolf.
"Sorry, but, you did work for Scarlemagne." Agreed Benson. "What's to say you wouldn't turn us over the moment we got there?"
"That's a fair argument." Said Mark. "But, I do have one thing that I can say to change your minds. If you want to go after him by using this flamingo, you're going to need someone experienced and trained in flying them. In addition, do any of you know where Scarlemagne actually is?" Silence for a few moments. "Look, like I said, we don't have to trust each other. But if I turn you over, you have my permission to do whatever you want to me." The group looked at each other, thinking.
"What do you guys think?" Asked Kipo. "He made some really good points."
"I don't trust him." Replied Wolf. "He worked for Scarlemagne. Anybody who willingly works with him cannot be trusted in any capacity."
"I don't know, Wolf." Said Benson. "He seemed pretty sure of what he was saying." They were interrupted by someone landing on Kipo's shoulder.
"I hate crawling out of rubble." Said Leo. "What'd I miss?" The group looked at him.
"Tick tock." Said Mark. "If we don't hurry, there's no telling what Scarlemagne will do to them." Kipo sighed, then turned to him.
"I get where you're coming from, and we do need to hurry. So, fine. Let's go!" Mark smiled.
"Let's go get Scarlemagne." He jumped up onto the flamingo and grabbed its harness. He held his wolf hand out for Kipo, who took it and jumped on. He held it out for the others, but Wolf ignored him, jumping on behind Kipo. Benson jumped up, and Dave suddenly jumped out of his cocoon into Toddler Dave. Benson reached out and grabbed him as Kipo reached down for Mandu and picked her up.
"Yes! Finally!" Said Kipo. "Everybody good?"
"Yeah." Said Benson and Wolf.
"Ready when you are." Said Mark.
"Ready to get Scarlemagne?" Asked Kipo.
"Yeah!" Declared Wolf and Benson. Dave suddenly exploded into Teen Dave, showering everyone in carcass and goop.
"Uh, what about them?" He asked, pointing to a familiar group of three.
"Uh…" Said the guy, hiding with Asher and Dahlia behind giant stones.
Fear of humans, fear of what they'll do
Fear of others, no matter where you go
Taken from your home, forever lost
One light in the distance,
But oh so far away,
Run towards the light,
Away from your fear
All the people from the burrow were being patrolled by flamingos and their riders, discussing amongst themselves what was going on. "Where are we?" Asked one.
"What do they want with us?" Asked another.
"Where are our children?" Hoag pushed through a few people, glaring at Lio.
"Ask Lio!" He said. "His daughter led them right to us! This is Kipo's fault!"
"No! This is my fault." Said Lio. "The Mute who took us, he has it out for me." One more flamingo came down, depositing Atom on the ground. He scrambled up quickly, looking around.
"What the?" He asked. "Where are we?" Gerard suddenly came up towards Hoag, and sprayed him with something. Hoag coughed a bit, then Gerard sprayed some more people. He looked at Lio and Atom, then pushed Hoag out of the way to walk to them. Lio gasped as Atom got in front of him, in the stance he usually used with his shield, but without the shield. "Right, that part slipped my mind." Gerard sprayed him then focused on Lio, pushing Atom out of the way. "That smells awful! What is it made of?" As Gerard prepared to spray Lio, he was interrupted.
"Ah ah ah!" Lio turned to Scarlemagne. "Not him." Atom glared at him, then charged.
"Why did you take us?!" He demanded, very upset about the situation.
"Stop right there!" Said Scarlemagne. Atom took a few more steps, before he found himself rooted to the spot.
"Wait, what?!" He tried to force himself forward, to no avail.
"Splendid! So my pheromones can affect you!"
"Hugo," started Lio, before catching himself, "I mean, Scarlemagne, this is between you and me. Let them go!" Scarlemagne laughed.
"It is between you and me." He said. "And that's precisely why I won't let them go." He grabbed Hoag by the face and brought him closer. Hoag was spun around slightly before being leaned back to the side.
"What are you going to do with them?" Asked Lio.
"So much dear Lio. So much!" Scarlemagne spun Hoag around quickly, before starting to dance with him. The other people around began to dance as well, as Atom looked at Lio.
"Think you could explain what's going on?" He asked. He struggled to move again, and couldn't even budge his legs. "I hate being controlled."
The two groups looked at each other, and Dahlia spoke up first. "Kipo?" She asked, looking at the others in her group. "What happened to your arm?"
"Oh, long story." Said Kipo, hopping down from the flamingo. "I'm part Mute." She thought for a few moments. "Actually, that's all I know about the story." Wolf and Benson hopped off as well, as Mark sighed.
"Seriously people?" He asked, groaning.
"Were you about to go after the Mute who took everyone?" Asked the guy. "I want in."
"It's too dangerous." Countered Kipo. Dave started to split down the middle, then stepped out in his normal form. The guy and Asher both gagged at the sight.
"Ha, this is normal for the surface." Said Dave. Mandu walked up and chomped down on a fragment of his carcass. "You'll get used to it." Mandu opened her mouth, revealing the chewed up bits. Both the guy and Asher gagged again.
"I got it!" Said Kipo. "Wolf, you, Benson and Leo can take them to the Timbercats! I'll take Dave with me." She reached down and grabbed part of Dave's carcass. "We'll leave a trail of Dave for Mandu to follow." She started splitting it up, making a short path to make an example. Mandu started walking along it, chomping down on each piece. "That way you can find us!"
"Uh, you guys are the only ones who know about me." Said Leo. "I'm not going to be much use."
"You can't just charge into Scarlemagne's and demand you people back!" Argued Wolf.
"Uh, hello, superpaw!" Said Kipo. "Do you not see superpaw?" Mark scoffed.
"Even if we both combine our strengths with whatever's happening to us," he gestured to his arm, "we can't take down the hundreds of primates Scarlemagne has working for him. Not to mention we can't risk harming everybody he took." The flamingo started getting restless. "Heel!"
"You don't even have a plan." Added Wolf.
"Please Wolf, I'm going with my gut here. I need you to trust me." Wolf looked away for a few moments, then back at Kipo.
"Ok." She said.
"Yes!" Said Kipo. "I'm gonna get everyone back." She grabbed Dave, then swung back up onto the flamingo. "I promise!" Mark shook his head.
"You're even more reckless than I am." He said. He jumped up, grabbing the harness. "If you're ready, then let's head out." He slapped the harness, and the flamingo took off.
"Wait!" Yelled Wolf. "What makes you think the Timbercats will take them?"
"Because they're my friends!" Called Kipo. The flamingo flew off, putting Kipo, Mark, and Dave out of earshot. Leo landed on Benson's shoulder.
"Ok!" Called Benson, laughing nervously. He walked up to Wolf. "There's no way the Timbercats are gonna babysit some human kids, right?" The two turned to the other group, giving reassuring gestures, and the three waved at them.
"No way." Agreed Wolf. "But Kipo asked us to do it."
"Quite a predicament here." Said Leo. "Is there perhaps something we could do?"
"Uh, who's talking over there?" Asked the guy.
"Well, uh," started Benson. Wolf sighed.
"Leo, go over there and introduce yourself while we figure this out."
"Got it." Leo hopped off of Benson's shoulder and floated over to the other three. "Hello." He said. All three gasped. "If you say anything about me being a talking marble, I will not hesitate to ram into your head to give you a slight headache. I've been called that too many times already by them." He turned to Benson and Wolf, who were brainstorming.
"Maybe we should give them some Timbercat lessons first?" Suggested Benson.
"That is," started Wolf, sounding like she didn't agree, then looked past him to see an axe on a wall, "actually kind of what I was thinking too."
Kipo pulled a chunk of Dave's carcass off, tossing it to the ground far below. Mark whipped the harness again, keeping the flamingo on track. "I bet we're getting close!" Said Kipo. Mark looked at her.
"We're still a little ways off." He called against the wind. "We should be there in about half an hour." The flamingo squawked.
"Oh." Said Kipo, slightly disappointed. "But still, ready to kick Scarlemagne's butt?"
"Aw yeah!" Agreed Dave. "I'mma kick his butt so hard he's gonna be like 'where'd my butt go?' And" Dave was suddenly interrupted as Mark quickly directed the flamingo to the side, unable to dodge the Mega Monkey as it came out of nowhere and swatted at them.
"Whoa!" He yelled as he barely hung onto the harness with his normal hand, before his grip gave out. He and Kipo fell to the ground as Dave hung on. Kipo managed to swing around a tree with her claws, landing hard on her back, but not hard enough to cause permanent damage. Mark wasn't as lucky, hitting a couple of tree branches that broke under him. Kipo sat up quickly, hearing some beeping coming from the Mega Monkey, then looked at it to see a pink cloud surround its head. It clutched at its neck a bit, before it roared loudly.
"Whoa!" Called Dave as Mark slowly pulled himself up. "Isn't that Scarlemagne's pet Mega Monkey?"
"Pet Mega Monkey?" Asked Mark, shaking his head. "I don't recall Scarlemagne having a pet that wasn't human." The flamingo kept flying around the Mega Monkey, as it kept swatting at it.
"He's forcing it to guard his hideout!" Stated Kipo, getting back up. She ran forward as Mark watched her.
"Are you insane?!" He asked. "Stay away from it!" Kipo didn't listen to him.
"Hey!" She yelled. "Over here, this way!" The Mega Monkey looked at her. "Look at me! It's me, remember?" She smiled at the Mega Monkey, then began singing. "We may not, have sunshine, or starlight or weather." The Mega Monkey slammed its fist down, and Kipo barely managed to run out of the way in time. She ran past some trees, trying to avoid getting caught. "Come on! Listen!" She dodged to the right, avoiding another hand. Mark slowly stood up, then watched her go.
"You're beyond crazy." He said. He took a deep breath, then ran after her.
"We've got, each other," sang Kipo, "and that's even better." She glanced back at the Mega Monkey to see it slowing a bit, before it roared again. Mark ran up next to her.
"If you're intent is to beat that thing, I'm not letting you kill yourself for it." Kipo jumped past another attack as Mark slid under it.
"You don't need the sun to keep you warm when you've got arms!" Mark shoved her out of the way of another hand coming down.
"Kipo!" Called Dave. "As soon as I tame this thing I'm gonna come save you!" He pulled at the harness, and the flamingo didn't pay him much mind. It squawked at him. "You're on your own!" Mark glared up at him.
"He's going to get himself killed, along with our ride!" He huffed. "Dave!" He yelled. "Pull firmly down!" Kipo got up and continued running.
"Wishes come from you and not a random shooting star." Continued Kipo as the Mega Monkey slammed its fists down again, before scooping her up in one. Mark looked between her and Dave, then groaned.
"Without her, we can't beat Scarlemagne. Without the flamingo, we can't get to him." He sighed. "Why is it always a catch 22?!" The Mega Monkey brought Kipo up closer to its face, growling at her.
"We may not have storm clouds" continued Kipo, for lack of other options, "but the sky's always blue." The Mega Monkey shook its head, then looked at her, no longer aggressive. Kipo reached her normal hand out, and the Mega Monkey used one finger to rub her head. Mark gasped.
"How did she, what did she, what?!" He shook his head, refocusing. "No, I can't worry about that right now." He looked back to Dave, who was struggling to control the flamingo. "Listen up Dave! I'm going to guide you through bringing that flamingo down!" The collar began beeping again, and the Mega Monkey turned to the side before tugging at it, trying to get it off.
"Don't worry! I got you!" Called Kipo, running up the Mega Monkey's arm. She used her paw to slash at the collar, shattering part of it and getting it off. She grabbed a couple strands of hair on the Mega Monkey's arm and looked down at the collar as it crashed to the ground. "Yes! You're free!" She looked back up, and the Mega Monkey put a hand under her, letting her fall to it safely. The Mega Monkey nuzzled her a bit. "Aw." Kipo laughed a bit. "I guess we're both a little furry." The Mega Monkey pulled away, then started grunting excitedly, pointing at her then away. "Y-you want me to go with you?" The Mega Monkey nodded excitedly. "Aw, that's sweet." Dave flew by on the flamingo, still struggling.
"No! Don't pull it up! Yank it down!" Yelled Mark.
"But I can't!" Said Kipo. "We're on a mission." The Mega Monkey gestured to itself, then to Kipo. "Y-you can't come with me." Kipo stood up. "I'm going to Scarlemagne's. I-if you come, he'll be able to use you as a weapon again." The Mega Monkey made some sad noises, then looked away. "Aw, don't be sad. I, I have to go but" she reached into her back pocket, taking out a bracelet, "here. A little something so you know we'll always be friends." The Mega Monkey moved a hand to Kipo, and she wrapped the bracelet around a small tuft of its hair. The Mega Monkey looked at it closer, then nuzzled against Kipo again, who chuckled a little. Dave finally got the flamingo down on the ground, and Mark sighed.
"That, was, touching." Said Dave. The Mega Monkey lowered Kipo down, and she jumped onto the flamingo. Mark ran up and hopped on as well, taking the harness from Dave. "Wow, I got chills." Kipo waved at the Mega Monkey as Mark got the flamingo flying again. "If I could give my heart a tissue right now, I would." Kipo looked back at the Mega Monkey as they left, to see it looking very sad.
"Next time, Dave, follow my instructions." Scolded Mark. "You would've been down way faster if you had listened!"
"Hey! You try doing it when the flamingo is fighting against you!" Mark glared at him. "Oh right. You probably did." Kipo turned back to them.
"Is it just me or is that Mega Monkey, I don't know, special?"
"Definitely." Said Dave. "Most Megas are big and stupid. Dumb as a bag a rocks."
"From what I've learned, they function on instincts, like feral animals before they became Mutes." Said Mark. "But that one can think on its own. It's definitely special." Kipo growled a bit.
"I'm coming for you Scarlemagne!" She declared. "Because of what you did to her and, because of all the, other bad stuff you've done."
"Keep that rage cooled until we get there." Said Mark. "We're still a ways out."
The Mega Dogs were running around as the group stumbled upon Pierre, snoozing away. Benson turned back to the group. "The only way the Timbercats will protect you is if they respect you." He said. "And they'll respect anyone who can wrangle Pierre."
"Wait, you want us to do it?" Asked Asher, scared.
"It'll be fine." Said Benson. "We just gotta lure him in with his favorite dessert." The way he said it made both Asher and Dahlia very uncomfortable and frightened. They both glanced away. "Maple syrup!" Finished Benson, pulling out a bottle of it. Both the girls let out a sigh of relief.
"For a second there, I thought you meant we were the dessert." Said Asher. Wolf snatched the syrup from Benson then walked up to the two girls. She squeezed the bottle, coating both their faces. Then, before anything could be said, Wolf pushed them both out into the open.
"A little quick there, don't you think Wolf?" Asked Leo. Pierre sniffed the air as the girls picked themselves up, then suddenly jumped up and looked right at them. He then charged, and they both screamed.
"Hey!" Yelled the guy, getting between them and Pierre.
"Whoa!" Called Benson, tackling him. Pierre walked up to the two girls, and they both looked up at him terrified, then Pierre shot out his mandibles and started licking their faces.
"Oh, oh, ok." Said Asher. "That's enough that's enough." Wolf tossed the leash over to them.
"You're doing great." She said. "Now leash him." Benson picked himself up off the guy, and the two looked at each other, blushing.
"Uh, sorry." Apologized Benson. "But you do not wanna get between Pierre and syrup, so." He got up, then helped the guy up. Pierre continued to lick at the two girls as he walked back over to Wolf and Leo. "Bold approach. Good call."
"Much more effective than I thought." Agreed Leo.
"Thanks." Said Wolf. "We're not a terrible team after all." Benson held his hand out for a fist bump, and Wolf looked at it for a few seconds before quickly tapping it with her finger.
"Whoa!" Yelled Kipo as Mark steered the flamingo right at a tree. "Slow down!"
"Nope!" Called Mark.
"Ah!" Yelled Kipo and Dave. "Tree tree tree!" Mark smiled, then piloted the flamingo into the tree. He ducked low, but Kipo and Dave got battered by a couple hundred leaves before they got through. Mark landed the flamingo a bit hard, knocking Dave and Kipo off immediately.
"Come on you pansies." Said Mark. "Show some backbone. It's not like I'm trying to kill all of us. I'm not suicidal." He hopped off the flamingo and it stood up. "Heel!" The flamingo laid back down quickly. Kipo pushed herself up.
"Well forgive me for being scared about rushing right at a tree!" She replied. She looked around. "All right Scarlemagne!" Dave hopped up. "Give me back my people or I'm going to introduce your face to my fist!" There was no response, anywhere. She leaned down to Dave. "Where is everyone?"
"They're away." The entire group turned to see Atom walking up. "There's maybe a dozen primates left here of Scarlemagne's army."
Flamingos were squawking as they flew towards a very particular destination. Down below, Amy and Brad looked up at the approaching army. "He's back." Said Amy, terrified.
"Atom!" Called Kipo as he walked up, ready to run to him.
"Don't get closer!" Warned Atom. "Scarlemagne had something used on me, and now I'm forced to follow his commands. He tasked me with guarding his, 'palace', from any and all intruders." Atom drew a sword. "I can warn you how I'm going to strike, but it's up to you to knock me out." He started walking forward. Mark drew his own blade, but it was still unwieldy with his wolf arm.
"What are you talking about, Atom?" Asked Kipo. Mark got in front of her.
"What I'm saying is," started Atom, closing his eyes, "you need to run." He reopened them, showing them changed. "Down the hall to your back left. Scarlemagne locked your dad up there. Now go!" Atom suddenly charged forward, swinging his blade. Mark brought his sword up to try and block the blow, but lost his grip on it. It clattered to the ground. Mark jumped back as Atom slashed at him again.
"Go Kipo!" Said Mark. "I'll hold him off."
"But I," started Kipo. Atom took another swing, slicing Mark's outfit a bit.
"Go!" Yelled Atom. Dave grabbed onto her hand and pulled at her.
"Come on Kipo!" He said. "We can't save your dad if we get beaten by Atom!"
Wolf looked at her reflection in the axe. "Ok, time for your next lesson." She said, looking at the three. She jumped up, then sliced down at a small log, chopping it in half in one shot.
"Wolf's right." Agreed Benson. "We can't send you to the Timbercats without any wood chopping skills. Now chop!" Wolf held the axe out for the guy, who took it in his hand. He gave it a quick spin, then chopped down with it, making a small dent in the log he hit. He pulled it out.
"Decent." Said Wolf.
"Perhaps try a two handed swing next." Suggested Leo.
"But your showmanship gets an A." Said Benson. Asher took the axe next, then made her swing. She followed Leo's advice on a two handed swing, and made a bigger dent than the guy did.
"Now bad?" Asked Wolf.
"Better form though." Said Leo. Dahlia took the axe next, then gave it a mighty swing. She cut through the entire log in one swipe, then brought the axe up again, and swung it back down. She just kept going, blowing off some steam.
"Take, that, log, you, stupid, piece, of, wood!" She continued chopping at it, sending wood chips everywhere. Benson reached forward a little.
"Give her a minute." Interrupted Asher. "It's been a day. I, I think she needs this." Dahlia grunted her frustrations as she massacred the log, turning it into sawdust.
Atom took another swing at Mark, who dodged to the left. He picked up his sword again and held it tightly. Atom noticed his grip. "Try a backhand grip." He suggested. Mark just looked at him. "Look, I know what you're going to say, but trust me on this. Your form isn't bad, but it is very sloppy. You'd be able to get more power from your attacks if you use it with a backhand grip." He charged forward, taking another slice at Mark. He leaned back, using his wolf arm as support.
"And why should I trust you?" He asked. "You're working for Scarlemagne!" Atom sighed, then looked away as he sliced at Mark again.
"Because right now, I can't hold back." He looked back at Mark. "If you don't take me out, I'm going to take you out." He suddenly charged and jumped at Mark, bringing his sword down hard and fast. Mark tried to block it, but he couldn't hold onto his sword again. Atom lifted his sword back up, but Mark suddenly swiped at him with his wolf arm, raking his claws against Atom's chest. He gasped at the pain, then smiled at Mark. "You're better with those claws than you are with a sword. Keep it up!"
Kipo peeked around a corner, and gasped at what she saw. "Dad?" She asked. In front of his cell was Gerard and another primate. Kipo looked at her paw, and her claws came out. She suddenly charged forward, yelling.
"Kipo?" Asked Lio, looking up. Kipo charged at the two primates, who jumped to either side of her to avoid being hit. Kipo slammed her back into Lio's cell. "No!" Kipo charged forward for another strike, but the two primates pulled out bottles and sprayed her "No!" She began coughing in the pink cloud.
"Ugh, that stinks." She complained.
"Wha, why isn't this working?" Asked Gerard. Kipo suddenly swiped the bottle out of the other primate's hands. The two looked at it for a moment.
"Uh, why is her hand a paw?" Ashed the smaller primate. Kipo charged forward again, swiping at the smaller one, who was picked up by Gerard. He put her down, then howled at Kipo, charging at her. She jumped over him, and he quickly turned around and charged again. She jumped to the side, and Gerard turned back around, but slipped on the spilled jar. The smaller primate attempted to run away, but he fell on her, knocking them both out. Kipo took a few breaths, then walked up to Lio's cell. She used her claws and cut part of it off, before bending the bars through.
"Dad!" Exclaimed Kipo, jumping onto Lio in a big hug. Dave walked in after her. Lio let out a sigh of relief, then looked at Dave. He gestured for him to join as well.
"Aw." Said Dave as Lio and Kipo knelt down a bit. He ran into the hug. "Feels like it should." They broke the hug.
"We totally took those guys out!" Said Kipo.
"They never stood a chance." Agreed Dave. "Not against Captain Jaguar and Mr. Gorgeous." He turned away, then looked back. "I'm, working, on our names still." Kipo and Lio looked back at each other.
"You got lucky." Stated Lio. "You were very brave, but very lucky."
The group walked into the forest, and the guy put his hand on Benson's shoulder. Benson turned to him. "Be honest." He asked. "We don't stand a chance with these Timbercats, do we?"
"What?" Asked Benson. "No! I mean, you do! It's just"
"Outside of us," interjected Wolf, "humans and Mutes usually do not go together." Mandu ran up to her and began nuzzling her leg. "Stop!" Wolf shoved Mandu to the side with Stalkie.
"And even then," said Leo, "we still have things like this."
"Well, how did you and Dave become friends?" Asked the guy.
"We bonded over food." Said Benson. He gasped as he suddenly came up with something. "That's it! Flapjacks!" He took his backpack off and set it on the ground, rustling through it.
"Flapjacks?" Asked the guy.
"Yep." Said Benson. "Timbercats love them. Lucky for you, I have the best recipe in the world." He stood back up, holding a pan and the bottle of syrup.
"Does your recipe have flour, milk and eggs?"
"Yes!" Said Benson. "Do you mix it all together in a bowl?"
"That's my favorite way to mix it!"
"Me too! But the secret"
"Is in the flip!" They both exclaimed. They laughed a bit at the hilarity of the situation.
"Ah, we both like flapjacks." Said Benson. The two stared at each other for a few moments, until Wolf interrupted by clearing her throat. The two looked at the others to see Asher and Dahlia laughing. The guy walked up to them, smiling, then Benson followed, walking up next to Wolf. "They're ready for the Timbercats." He said, holding his fist out with the pan.
'Let's hope it's enough." Wolf brought her fist up, then gently tapped Benson's with it. He was stunned for a moment, then smiled. Leo hopped over to his shoulder as Wolf turned away.
"What was that look you two were giving each other?" He asked.
"Attention Ratland patrons!" Said Amy through a megaphone. "Please remain calm and find the nearest exit!" She whispered the last of her message. "Especially if you're a human. Thank you! Merci Beaucoup!" She was interrupted by maniacal laughter, and forced to jump out of the way as Scarlemagne's flamingo landed. She landed on Brad, and the two held each other close.
"Scarlemagne, you didn't pay the entrance fee." Said Brad. Scarlemagne made aggressive, unhinged howling sounds, and bounced around his ride a bit.
"And I never will!" He yelled. His flamingo reached out and grabbed a Ratland sign showing a human and a Mute together. "Because I don't pay to commingle with human filth." His flamingo tore the sign in half, then threw it to Amy and Brad. The two looked up at him, terrified. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll just take whatever I please for my new empire."
"What empire?" Asked Amy.
"So glad you asked!" Said Scarlemagne. "You see, I have a vision, to transform the ruins of a failed society into this!" He reached down and pulled up an illustration of a golden city. Two flamingos suddenly came up, carrying two primates who vocalized angelic harmonics. "Lovely, isn't it? I call it Aurum."
"A golden city of dreams!" Sang the two primates.
"Where Mutes will unite and reign supreme."
"Reign supreme!"
"Under me, of course."
"Reign supreme over what?" Questioned Brad.
"Humans." Stated Scarlemagne, turning away. "The vermin you are so fond of granting safe haven to." Scarlemagne turned back to them. "A city like this will require a lot of blood, sweat and tears." He jumped back into the front of his ride, sitting down in the driver's seat. "I'll do the sweat, humans will do the blood and tears." He pressed into the steering wheel, honking the horn. Several flamingos began heading around, starting to take things apart. Many things started crashing, and tears formed in Amy and Brad's eyes.
"You're ruining our park!" Cried Amy.
"Unfortunately, in order to create, one must first destroy." The flamingos continued to pull things apart.
Mark backhanded Atom with his wolf arm, sending him flying. He crashed into a wall, panting. "Yes, that's," he groaned, "good." He wobbly got back to his feet, very unsteady. "One more, good hit!" He stumbled forward, nearly losing his grip on his blade.
"Heh, gladly." Said Mark. He ran forward and smacked Atom with his wolf arm, sending him back into the wall. Atom collapsed.
"Thank, you." He said. "Now, I can't, hurt them." Mark scoffed.
"You're definitely not one of those scientists." He said. "So I'll spare your life. Now, tell me, what is going on?" Atom took a deep breath.
"When I was brought here, I was sprayed with something. I think Scarlemagne said something about his pheromones being able to affect me." Mark gasped.
"So that's what I was sprayed with when I woke up." He realized.
"I can only assume that anybody sprayed with it will be affected." Said Atom. He growled. "It makes me so frustrated, knowing that I no longer have control over my own actions!" He felt his arm tremble a bit, as the pressure in it grew. "Huh?" Scales extended down his right arm, then it suddenly swelled in size and length. "What the?!" His arm was now draconic in form, tipped with a hand with three oversized claws.
"It seems that all three of us are affected by the same thing." Noted Mark. Atom sighed.
"Go help Kipo." He said. "I can't right now, so you need to." Mark nodded.
"I don't like you, but for some reason I agree with you. Kipo wants to take Scarlemagne down, so I'll help her with that task!" He stood up, then ran down the hall.
Two Timbercats led the group into the main hall. Asher, Dahlia, and the guy gasped at the sight of all the Timbercats, just hanging around, having fun, and the occasional fight. There was even a hamster that was tied to a wheel of wood that was laughing as axes were thrown around it. The group waked forward, drawing the attention of the Timbercats as they did. They stopped before Yumyan, who strummed his guitar a bit more before looking up. "Pierre!" He exclaimed. "You've returned!" He snapped his fingers, and Pierre made a little noise before nuzzling up to Asher. Yumyan kept snapping, but Pierre didn't respond. "He's acting strange. What have you done to him?!" A Timbercat suddenly shoved Wolf and Benson forward, making them stand right before Yumyan.
"Nothing Mr. Hammerpaw sir." Said Benson. "He just made a new friend?"
"With this, human?" Asked Yumyan. Benson laughed nervously.
"Yumyan Hammerpaw, meet Troy, Dahlia, and Asher." Benson gestured to each of them in turn. "We were actually, wondering, if they could, stay with you for a while."
"They're not even useless." Added Wolf. "Dahlia can use an axe, Asher can help take care of Pierre, and Troy makes amazing flapjacks." Every single Timbercat booed and hissed at that.
"Never again!" Yelled one.
"Dusty was never the same!"
"This time, no hairballs!" Said Benson, making exaggerated movements to emphasize. "We promise." The Timbercats settled down a bit. "Look, we know this is a lot to ask but they have a Timbercat's courage. These kids lost everything. They were from Kipo's burrow and Scarlemagne destroyed their home and took their parents." Benson gestured to them, then looked back at Yumyan. "They've never even been to the surface before today. But they didn't melt down into a puddle of tears. They" Benson was interrupted by Yumyan breaking out into tears.
"They're so brave!" He wailed. Molly looked at him, then walked up to Benson and Wolf.
"Whether they live like Timbercats or not, we will happily take care of Bot, Talia and Dasher."
"Uh, that's not their wait, really!?" Asked Benson.
"Of course." Replied Molly. "We would have done it just because they're friends of Kipo."
"Thank you." Said Wolf, surprised. She looked back at them. "We'll come back for them as soon as we rescue their parents." She looked back at Molly.
"We promise to keep them safe!" Cried Yumyan, sniffling.
"Good luck." Said Molly. "Scarlemagne isn't an easy foe to defeat."
"We know." Said Benson. "He has a mind controlled human army now. You might want to have your axes on guard."
"We always do." Stated Molly, pulling out her axe. Two Timbercats walked up to the other half of the group, brandishing their axes. "But now we'll have our backup axes on guard as well." Molly pulled out another axe. She used it to gesture to the other half of the group to follow, and the two Timbercats next to them gave a polite bow and follow gesture. Asher and Dahlia walked up with Pierre, followed by one of the Timbercats as Troy walked up to Benson and Wolf.
"Thanks." He said. "For everything."
"No prob." Replied Benson. "And when we get back, you and I are gonna talk flapjacks versus pancakes. Different or the same?"
"Uh," started Troy.
"The same." They both said.
"I guess, we'll have to find something else to talk about." Said Benson.
"It's a date." Said Troy, before giving Benson a quick kiss on the cheek. Troy walked towards Asher and Dahlia, and Benson slowly put a hand up to his cheek. "Be careful out there." Yumyan jumped down from his chair, standing before the three.
"Aw, come here you guys!" He crushed them together with a giant hug. "Yumyan hugs you all!" He walked off with them. Benson smiled widely, and Wolf looked at him, highly confused.
Mark ran down the hall, and nearly ran into Kipo and Lio. "Mark?" Asked Kipo.
"He's been taken out." Said Mark. Kipo gasped. "No, he's not dead. Just barely conscious. It was actually pretty easy with him telling me how to fight him." Kipo let out a sigh of relief.
"What do we do next?" She asked. "I'm basically invincible!"
"How so?" Asked Mark. Kipo gestured down the hallway to the two unconscious primates. "You took out Gerard and Lemieux?" Lio looked Kipo in the eye.
"You're not." He said. "And you need to be careful." He grabbed her hand. "There's something I need to tell you. I should've told you a long time ago."
"Tell me what?" Asked Kipo.
"Your, mother and I, we infused your DNA with a mutagen so you could become a mega. That's why Scarlemagne's pheromone doesn't work on you. It only works on primates and you are more than human. You'll become a Mega Jaguar."
"W-w-what?" Asked Kipo. "I, I'm going to be a Mega Jaguar? Because you and mom infused my DNA?" She put her hands to her head, looking like she was freaking out. "T-th-that is, so cool!" She turned to her dad, excited. She took a deep breath. "Tell me how to do it! I mean, then I can get us out of here!"
"We could ride Kipo to safety." Agreed Dave.
"That explains her arm." Said Mark, looking at his.
"You're not ready yet." Said Lio. "Before I lost your mom, we learned that if it's not done properly you could get lost in the transformation and never come back. As soon as we get out of here, I'm going to take you to the Chevre Sisters. They can help train you to control this." Kipo gasped.
"Hero training!" She said excitedly. "Wait, who are the Chevre Sisters?"
"Does it really matter?" Asked Mark. He shook his head groaning. "It's not going to matter who they are if we don't get out of here." He looked at Lio. "And after we get out of here, I'm going to be questioning you as well." He held up his arm. "Because this was not my parents, and I doubt it was the scientists that kidnapped me."
"I can take a look," said Lio, "but we didn't do anything with wolf DNA."
"Right." Said Kipo. "Anyways, back to getting out of here." The group suddenly heard some squawking, and saw the flamingo get led down a hall.
"There goes our ride!" Said Dave. Lio looked up.
"Up there!" He whispered. "We can climb out!"
"Or, I can get our ride back." Said Kipo, brandishing her jaguar paw. She started moving.
"Kipo!" Said Lio. "No!" Mark reached out for her and barely missed her shirt as she charged. He took off after her, followed by Lio and Dave.
"Step away from the flamingo," said Kipo. All the primates taking the flamingo stopped and turned to her, "and no one gets hurt!" She unsheathed her claws, and some of them charged at her. Mark got in front of her as Lio grabbed her.
"This is not the training I was talking about!" He said. Mark swatted at one of the primates, sending it back into the others before turning tail and running with Lio and Kipo. As they ran, Dave suddenly stopped, and exploded into his muscled form.
"I did it again!" He said, taking off. He grabbed onto everyone and started pulling them out, but one of the primates grabbed onto Lio's leg and pulled him off.
"Dad!" Yelled Kipo. "No!"
"Kipo, do not let go." Said Mark. "Do not" Kipo let go and dropped down. "What did I just say?! Are you suicidal?!" Kipo grabbed one of the primates carrying her dad and tossed him off, straight into another one. Dave lowered down with Mark.
"We're not leaving you!" Said Kipo, tears in her eyes. Lio looked at her, then looked back at Dave and Mark.
"Get her out of here!" He yelled. Another primate grabbed onto him, pulling him out of Kipo's grip as Mark and Dave descended onto her. Mark grabbed onto her tightly and swung her up into Dave's other arms. He started flying up.
"Dave, Mark, don't listen to him!" She said. "Dad!"
"You know where to go!" Called Lio as he was dragged away.
"Dad! No!"
"As much as you don't want to leave him," said Mark, "we can't leave you." He looked at Kipo. "That guy told me one thing before I went after you two. He can't help you, so I have to. So you can either take my help willingly, or I will force you to accept my help. We're both trying to take down Scarlemagne, and we need you alive for that. Understood?" Kipo looked at him, tears in her eyes.
There wasn't much left of Ratland to look at, most of it was destroyed, taken, or both. A flamingo took the last little bit it could before flying off with almost all the other ones. Amy and Brad looked out across the devastation, devastated. "Your contributions to Aurum are much appreciated." Said Scarlemagne. "Oh, and one more thing." He snapped his fingers, and his flamingo took off. It landed by a large wood panel, before lifting it up, revealing two humans. They darted off in different directions, screaming, but were both easily grabbed by the flamingo. They were lifted up and brought back to Scarlemagne, who turned to them. "Humans had their chance." He said. "They ran the world into the ground when they were on top!" He pulled out a bottle of his pheromones, then sprayed the two humans. They stopped struggling and smiled. "And they've been oppressing Mutes and animal kind for thousands of years!" He started panting ferally, before regaining his composure. "Boo yourselves." He commanded.
"Boo, humans!" Said the girl.
"They're the worst!" Agreed the guy.
"As for you two," said Scarlemagne, turning to Amy and Brad, "turning your backs on fellow Mutes to provide humans with a safe zone?" The two rats looked at each other, scared. Scarlemagne jumped up into his car. "That I cannot abide. You will serve as an example to any Mute who disobeys me." His flamingo turned and took off, hovering a bit to make Scarlemagne seem that much more imposing as he pulled out a glass container filled with a very dangerous liquid.
"Is that, explosive nectar?!" Asked Brad as Amy covered her mouth.
"I'd run if I were you." Suggested Scarlemagne.
Mandu sniffed around, before running forward and chomping down on another piece of Dave's carcasses. "Mandu, can you at least pretend like you're not enjoying it so much?" Asked Wolf as she and Benson walked up.
"Hey, she enjoys it." Said Leo. "At least one of us has something to enjoy today." Mandu looked forward, then squealed as some bushes rustled.
"Look out!" Called Dave as he suddenly burst through them, carrying Kipo and Mark. They flew over Wolf and Benson, and crash landed. Part of Dave's wing broke off as they picked themselves up.
"You need to work on your landings." Groaned Mark. Kipo sat up and curled into a ball as Benson and Wolf ran up.
"What happened back there?" Asked Benson.
"I just charged in there with my stupid paw." Said Kipo. She looked at it. "I was so sure I could get everybody out and, I barely got out myself." She curled up tighter. "My dad wants me to become a Mega Jaguar and save everyone." She pressed her head into her arms. "How can I do that when it seems like every instinct I have is wrong?" Mark pushed himself up as Benson and Wolf looked at each other, before looking back at her.
"That's not true." Said Wolf. "You were right about the timbercats. They took in Troy, Dahlia and Asher, no questions asked."
"Your friends are safe because you made the right call there." Agreed Benson.
"And freeing the Mega Monkey?" Asked Dave. "You didn't have to do that. But you did. And it was the right thing to do."
"Don't forget." Added Mark. "You have people that believe in you." He looked away. "People who are counting on you to be you. You won't make the right call every time, but sometimes the mistakes are more important than the successes." He looked back at Kipo as she wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up. She looked at Benson and Wolf, then brought them into a hug. Dave hugged them from behind as Mark stood there awkwardly.
"Get in here." Said Kipo, suddenly reaching out for him. He pulled away, then let out a breath.
"Sorry, instinctive reaction." He slowly forced himself closer to the group.
"Thanks guys." Said Kipo, releasing the hug.
"No prob." Said Benson. "Now, what's this you were saying about turning into a Mega Jaguar?" Before anybody could say anything, the area was rocked by a massive explosion in the distance. The group turned to see a massive smoke cloud rise up, then a wave of heat went over everybody, making them all cover themselves from it. When it passed, they all looked back up and Kipo gasped. Up above were hundreds of flamingos, carrying all kinds of things. "Ratland." Stated Benson. They flew overhead, back to Scarlemagne's palace.
"Those are me people." Realized Kipo. The tension hung high in the air as the flamingos flew off. But, across the town, another group was watching them go. Someone in a plague doctor's mask stood, silently, as two people with gas masks walked up.
"We have to stop him." Said the one in the plague doctor mask, glaring at the flamingos.
