Boxer quietly followed Tyler into the damp, dark basement. Each footstep let out an ear-piercing squeaking sound as the creaky wooden panels were unable to restrain themselves from screaming in agony at the weight of the two Toons. "Just remember what you said. Nobody knows about this." Tyler whispered. As they made it to the bottom of the stairs, Boxer's eyes continued to adjust to the darkness, but without the assistance of a rail to hold on to, he was forced to tiptoe around as he waited for Tyler to turn on the light. "Here it is, prepare your eyes, its going to get bright real fast." just as promised, Tyler pulled a small string and the room flooded with florescent lighting. After the purple dog's eyes had re-adjusted back to the light, he immediately took notice of a large pile covered with a blanket. The pile was moving, and there was a muffled sound coming from it. Tyler walked over to the giant pile and inhaled deeply. "You didn't see anything..." ripping off the blanket, Boxer's wildest imagination screamed in shock as even it was pummeled by what he was seeing.
In a wooden chair, handcuffed down, mouth gagged, and blindfolded, was Hog McBuffson. What was he doing tied up in Tyler's basement? "Um, is that?" Boxer whispered horrified.
"Listen man, you said you needed something done. So I did it and now we're both in this. I don't know what to do man. I was just so angry and caught up in my emotions that I wasn't thinking y'know? I ran across him and it started off as a talk. You know, telling him to keep off your back. Well he got all angry and aggressive with me, and next thing I know I'm swinging a fist and clock him right in the jaw. Then I did it a few more times. Then he's out cold on the ground. Well I started to panic thinkin' he was dead so I dragged him back to my place. When I saw he was still breathin'. Well I couldn't let him run off and just tell everyone what happened. Who're they gonna believe? Me or some big shot celebrity? So I just been keepin' him here until I can think of what to do."
"I didn't want you to kidnap him! For cog's sake, this is a huge crime! You could go to prison for years!" Boxer exclaimed.
Tyler shook his head. "You mean WE could go to prison for years. You're just as much a part of this as I am. If it weren't for you I'd never be in this situation. Plus now you're an accomplish to things, right? Well you might as well help me out here, man."
Boxer was in complete shock listening as Tyler tried to justify his felony. "First off, it's accomplice not accomplish. Secondly, I never said I'd be part of a kidnapping. When you said you had a secret I thought maybe you had some illegal doodles or something. I can't just throw away everything because my agent decided to be an idiot!"
"Callin' me an idiot? Listen to me, kid. If it ain't for me, you'd be a nothin'. You'd be sittin' on the street beggin' fer jellybeans. Have the audacity to speak to me that way? You Hollytoon types are all trash, y'know? Now if you want to retract that statement and start thinkin' of a way outta here, I'll listen. Otherwise I guarantee you're gonna end up next to this fool." the white monkey pointed with his thumb towards a struggling Hog. "What's it gonna be, man. You gonna betray your friend like this?"
"Betray? You're the one who put me into this spot? Why didn't you just walk away? You could have easily have justified things. Heck, nobody probably would have known? You think this egomaniac would have gone to the Rangers about getting knocked out by you? Dude is supposed to be a world class celebrity. That would be embarrassing to know a normal Toon walloped him. Gosh, this is just insane..." Boxer paced back and forth contemplating how he was going to get out of the situation. If he left, he risked putting both himself and Hog in danger from Tyler. Plus he might still get in trouble, at least temporarily, and even just a short disruption from work with a director like Quentin could spell doom for his chance of remaining as the lead. "Just let me think here for a second."
Tyler grabbed the blanket and threw it back over Hog. "Well you better start thinkin', and it better not be about goin' to anyone. You think about it, and I promise you both gonna get real close. Can practice your lines together."
Boxer knew that he couldn't stay here. Tyler was becoming more and more unstable. "I think I have an idea. We're going to need to get him out of here. I'll go see if I can find a car."
"No, I'll go do that. You stay here. Can't risk you runnin' off." Tyler jumped in front of Boxer, blocking the path to the stairs. "We're in this together, right? Well what's the issue with me going?"
"Well you seemed worried someone would see you. Nobody would worry if I was by myself, right?" Boxer's terrible acting skills began to flash through as he tried to play off Tyler's worries. "I'll get a car and we can get him out of here. Maybe dump him somewhere far off and he'll forget all of this happened."
Swinging his arm around, Tyler shook his head even more aggressively. "No can do, man. Hate to have to do this to you, but I can't take any chances." before Boxer could react, Tyler swung a loaded fist, clonking him directly in the face, sending the purple dog flying backwards. Eyes blurred, Boxer felt his stream of consciousness fading as he eventually fell out of it to the basement floor...
A small patrol of cog law enforcement officers had shown up to Kuma's hotel room at the behest of Edward who had told Wacky to stay where he was and leave the rest up to the cogs. The yellow monkey watched as a Bottom Feeder and a Penny Pincher carefully grabbed a small hair off the ground and carefully placed it into a plastic bag. "Sir, are you sure there is nothing else that you remember about the subject?" a Mover and Shaker asked Wacky.
"No, I'm sorry. I just know they were a cat. They were quite spry too. They managed to hop out of the window, slide down that piping and take off. Even for a Toon that is pretty impressive." Wacky had been thinking about things since they saw the cat. Kuma's words had really burnt into his mind. "Only seven individuals knew of Kuma's arrival. Edward, Wacky, Kuma, Matt, and three of Edward's highest ranking officials. A few other officers had met Kuma, but they didn't have much of an idea who he was, not did they care. Could it possibly be? It couldn't be, right? There was simply no way. "Hey, did any of you hear from Edward? He said he was going to follow up with me when he got to the office but it's been almost an hour and not a peep from him."
The Penny Pincher turned his head and raised an eyebrow. "We haven't been notified of any changes yet. We were told to keep you two here safely until all threats have been neutralized. I'm sure he is busy. The President is a busy cog."
"Yeah, Wacky. I'm sure he's probably dealing with a lot. Anyways, no matter how bad this Toon is, there's no way they're getting into his office. That place is filled to the brim with security. Everyone gets a thorough security check, there are cameras everywhere, and most doors are badge-only. His office is too high up for even the most skilled Toon to climb. Trust me, I have looked into all of this. They would have to already be on the inside to get there. He's gonna be okay." Kuma continued rubbing the back of his head where a small lump had formed. "Just let the cogs worry about this, and we'll act on things when we're told to."
"They would already have to be on the inside..." Wacky whispered to himself. A light bulb began to flicker over his head as he processed everything he knew. He had an idea, but it made no sense. Could this really be it? "Oh my cog, I need to go!" before anybody could stop him, Wacky had flown out of the front door. Feet slamming the ground, he tossed out a teleportation hole but it quickly disappeared. "Ugh the order, damn it." he bleated to himself. He was going to just have to run there.
The President's office was about a fifteen minute run, and Wacky was feeling all of it as he sucked in air. He definitely wasn't getting any younger. Ripping out his whisper device he rang for Edward again, and once again there was no response. Why wasn't he responding? Wacky tried to calm himself by reminding himself that there was a whole security team assigned to Edward, but then again, this was a Toon who had killed dozens of cogs. If they wanted to take out Edward, he imagined that a few cogs wasn't going to stop them. With the lower cog levels, it would take a massive horde to take down an elite fighting Toon. "Pick up your phone, Edward!" the yellow monkey yelled out. Around him, the few cogs that ignored the order to stay inside panicked at sight of him and usually propelled away or did their best to "hide." A light drizzle had begun to fall, and by the time he reached the capitol building, the rain was pouring. A bright yellow spot in a field of brown and gray pushed through, running up the dozens of stairs until he hit the front door. Yanking open the front doors, he leapt inside to get out of the wet and cold. The lobby was eerily quiet. The receptionist was not at their desk, and nobody was walking around. While it was a state of emergency, he still expected to see SOMEONE here. Shaking himself dry, Wacky jogged up the stairs, ignoring the elevator. He didn't want to take any chances. Up onto the top floor, Wacky looked left, and then right until he saw the familiar office doors. To his horror, but not his surprise there were gears, likely from destroyed cogs, littering the hallway. Heart screaming out for air, Wacky pushed on as a mix of adrenaline and horror pushed him to his absolute limit. The blinds to Edward's office were unusually shut. Something was wrong. Wacky just had to hope he wasn't too late...
Head pounding, Boxer opened his eyes to pure darkness. Rustling around, the realization that his hands were tied up had dawned on him. Blindfolded and gagged, he was stuck. Tyler had done to him what he had done to Hog. His mind began to overflow with different anxieties. What would happen to him? Was he going to die? Would anyone ever know what happened to him? What about his career? His family and friends? How could Tyler do something like this? A few feet away, the muffled sound of another Toon alerted Boxer that he was not alone - a fact he had managed to forget. Shaking himself he did his best to undo anything that could give him some sort of leeway to freedom. He poked at the gag with his tongue, trying to push it out. He nodded and shook his head to remove the blindfold. He hopped up and down in the chair, but none of it to any use. As he struggled, he heard another sound. It was the sound of creaking stairs. Tyler was coming back. Sitting still, he pretended that he was still unconscious as to not make his kidnapper aware. "Sorry Quentin, I haven't seen him at all. I'll keep an eye out. Yup. Goodbye." the clicking sound of a whisper device closing reverberated through the damp basement. "Damn it, Boxer. Why you gotta go and mess things up for me. This was our big chance. Stupid dog, you made me look bad." Tyler kicked out and knocked over the chair holding Boxer, sending him sprawling across the floor on his side. Searing pain shot through the dog's arm as the full weight of his body landed on it, yet he remained quiet, doing his best to keep quiet. "We coulda been rich. Coulda been famous. But no, you had to play the goody two shoes. Well, if it's between you and me, I guess I have to go with me. First though, I need to deal with this scum."
The clacking sound of Tyler's shoes against the smooth basement floor were drowned out by the muffled screams of Hog as Tyler approached him. Through a small slit where his blindfold had fell, Boxer could see Tyler lifting the entire chair with Hog and carrying it towards the stairs. The purple dog watched with bated breath as he watched Tyler place him down and start dragging him up the stairs. Where was he taking him? What was he going to do? What was going to happen to him? Boxer had never been this scared in his entire life. After a few minutes the sound of a door slamming shut let him know that he was alone. He didn't know how much time he had, but he knew he had to act quickly. Wrangling his hand, he reached for his pocket to get his whisper device. Unfortunately, they were too tight. He was going to need to get his hands free. Using his nose as a hook, he squeezed his face, causing his nose to rise and lower, reaching up into the lowered blindfold. After several attempts, he could feel the blindfold falling off as it loosened, and eventually it draped off, providing Boxer with free sight. "Okay. Okay. There we go. Need a way out. Need a way out." he continued to repeat himself, unable to form a coherent sentence as he scanned the room. Tyler had forgot to turn the light off, so he had a better view of everything. Finally he saw it, off in the corner was a wooden table with pointed edges. If he could just get over there, maybe he could saw through the rope and break free. Dragging himself along the floor he quietly approached the table. As he was getting close, the dreaded sound of a door opening caused a new panic. Boxer would be unable to put the blindfold back on. Now he was across the floor. What if Tyler was coming to grab him? Hyperventilating, he closed his eyes and once again acted as best as he could and listened to the creaking stairs. Now all he could do was hope for a miracle.
Standing outside of Edward's office, Wacky put his ear against the door and listened. For a few moments there was no sound. Was anybody in there? Maybe Edward wasn't here. But why was there cog gears scattered outside? The mayor began to let his worst fears come to the forefront of his mind as he wondered if the pieces belonged to his comrade. Then suddenly there was a voice coming from inside of the room. It was Edward! "I can't believe you would do such a thing. To think we took you in and trusted you. How could you do such a thing?" Without thinking, Wacky burst through the door which he expected to be locked. The momentum from his charge sent him stumbling across the office and falling face forward onto the floor. "Mayor Banana, what are you doing here?" Edward cried out in a mix of relief and fear. "Get out of here, go get help!"
A familiar voice cooed out as a foot stepped on the back of Wacky's neck. "Ah, Wacky, my old friend. You just had to get involved didn't you. I guess it doesn't surprise me though. You always were like this, trying to be the hero. Thinking that Toontown and Cog Nation could ever be anything other than enemies. You're a fool, Banana. A fool, and you will suffer a fool's fate."
"Matt... Matt... How... How could you do this? How could you betray me, betray your town, and everybody else?" Wacky immediately recognized the brown cat's voice. Shaking with anger, and overwhelmed by his own emotion, Wacky realized that one of his oldest friends had betrayed him. Someone he had trusted almost more than anybody had taken so many lives. It was nearly incomprehensible. How does one compartmentalize the idea that a friend is a terrible Toon. "All those cogs..."
"Oh stop with the moral dilemma. These are our enemies, Wacky! How the mayor of Toontown could not only forget, but to forgive for the terrible tragedies these scrap heaps inflicted on us! Our families! Our friends! Dead because of their actions. I'm just supposed to forget? I'm just supposed to forgive what they did? I know I'm not alone. There are many who would agree with me. Now they must suffer for their sins!" Matt's voice cracked as he tried to get through what appeared to be a pre-planned speech. "You're my friend and I don't want to hurt you. But if you insist on getting in the way, then I will be forced to do something I really don't want to do!"
Edward stood up and slammed his palms onto his desk. "Toontown has already placed enormous sanctions onto Cog Nation. We have paid for what we have done and have done everything we can to try and make up for the actions of a previous regime! You think you are the only one who has lost someone? You're ignorant and a fool if you believe that! Now surrender or suffer the consequences!" the Big Wig barely dodged a cream pie that was launched at him from the furious cat.
"Just shut up, both of you! My entire family was killed by cogs! In the middle of the night they came and took them all! Now I'm supposed to sit back and be like "oh, well they received punishment, that makes it okay?" you didn't suffer nearly enough I will make sure Cog Nation burns! I will make sure that you will be the first one! The fall of a nation begins with the leader!" Matt sounded more and more psychotic as he spoke. Wacky knew that there was nothing he could say to get through. The sole of Matt's foot was pressing down even harder, squishing the monkey's face into the floor. "This entire building is lined with TNT. Funny how Cogs kept hundreds of tons of confiscated gags. It will end up being their downfall wont it. In a few minutes, this entire place will become a smoldering mess of gears and fire. It will be the symbolic end!" laughing manically, Matt threw his arms up. "Then it will all fall! I will destroy it all!"
"Listen, Matt. I know you hurt. You know I have lost too. We have all lost someone we love, but we have to put things behind us. We can't let this cycle of violence continue. What happens after this? Cogs attack Toontown? Then Toontown retaliates? Just more lives lost. I understand that you want to feel some sort of validation for your pain, but doing it this way is selfish, and will just cause more pain for everybody. Think about what you're doing." Wacky kept his eyes closed and held his breath, he just had to buy time. He couldn't let Matt follow through. Sliding his hand slowly into his pocket, he reached into his pocket and grabbed his whisper device. "Matt, just listen to me. We're going to get you help, okay? You don't need to suffer alone."
Taking cues from Wacky, Edward chimed in as he watched the yellow monkey reaching for a whisper device. "Matt. Listen to me. You've worked in Cog Nation for over a year now. You have become close with many of us. We have considered you a friend. You know that cogs are not inherently bad. We feel, just like you. Most do not want violence. Most just want to live long, productive lives, just like Toons. Please reconsider this. You don't need to do this."
"Whatever you say, boss!" Matt stepped off and pulled out a squirt gun from his pocket. Taking aim at Edward, time seemed to slow. Wacky, now freed, leapt up and jumped onto Matt's back, tackling the brown cat. Unfortunately for Wacky, Matt had gotten off a shot. A stream of water aimed at Edward who stood paralyzed by what was happening.
"No!" Wacky screamed as the pair of Toons fell to the floor. A splatting sound of water as it made contact with the Big Wig's blue pinstripe suit. Wacky watched with bated breath as Edward hopped back and started dusting off his suit. His health indicator draining from a bright green to a... bright yellow.
Edward looked down and shook his head. "ow." was all he muttered.
"Wait, what the heck! That was supposed to have an acidic liquid in there that melts cogs! No! I used the wrong one!" Matt slammed his fist into the ground as he tried to wrench himself from Wacky's grasp. "Wacky, please! Please you have to let me do this! Think of everyone back in Toontown! These bastards are going to kill them all! If you don't do this the blood will be on your hands!"
Wacky shook his head and frowned. "Sorry, Matt. But You're wrong, and I'm not going to let you harm anybody ever again." Matt let our one more frustrated scream as he realized that everything was over. There would be no downfall of Cog Nation. No revenge for the terrible pain he had endured. Just the cold realization that it was over.
Reaching into his pocket, Matt pulled out a small capsule and slipped it into his mouth. "I guess this is how things have to end then." Matt bit down on the capsule and almost immediately started to pulsate, shaking tremendously on the ground. Foaming at the mouth, the brown cat slowly stopped struggling and eventually fell lifeless. Matt Dipplo, the fear inflicting killer of Cog Nation, was dead.
Clenching his eyes tightly, Boxer prepared himself. When Tyler grabbed him, he was going to have to fight, bite, scratch or do whatever else he could do. He couldn't leave things up to chance. As the final squeak turned to slow plotting against the floor, Boxer waited for a few moments as the room was silent. Afraid to open his eyes, he listed as the figure reached around and began to speak. "Hey, I'm going to need a Ranger down here. We have another one. Purple dog." Boxer perked up his ear. Whoever this was they weren't Tyler. Wait, did they say Ranger? Opening his eyes, about five feet in front of him stood a middle-aged lime green dog wearing a dark green Ranger's uniform. "Hey, wait a minute. I remember you. You're Boxer, right?"
It was the Ranger that Boxer had spoken to just a few weeks earlier. The dog walked over and lifted Boxer in his chair and undid the ball gag. Sucking in air, Boxer began to burst out. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" tears welling up as it finally hit him he was safe.
"No need to thank me, kid. We should be thanking you for leading us here. We've been following you for two days. Can't say its what I expected, but sometimes you just have to get lucky." the Ranger chuckled as he untied Boxer's hands, releasing the blood back into his arms and gaining a rushing, tingling feeling. "Don't worry about Tyler or Hog. They're both upstairs. Tyler is currently in custody and we have released Hog barring questioning."
"Wait, you guys followed me? How come? What did I do?" Boxer asked, slightly hurt at the accusation.
The dog shrugged. "To be honest? We were just out of leads. We had someone following Quentin too if it makes you feel better. Just kind of a wing and a prayer, you know? Anyways, it worked out! Anyways, let's get you out of here."