CHAPTER 14: AMBUSH!
"Are you guys chicken?!" Linus was trying to get his friends to help the Serpent Sisters. But Peppermint Patty and the others were hesitant to get involved in a fight between the Serpents and the Lizards.
"We care about Lucille as much as the next person," said Peppermint Patty, "but I'm not getting involved again. Knowing what happened last year to Python I don't want to relive that again."
"None of us do, Patty," said Linus. "But we don't want to have to answer to the Lizard Ladies, either. The police aren't doing anything to stop it, it has to be us!"
"But we're scared, Linus," said Violet.
"We don't want to end up like that girl, either," added Franklin.
"Okay, I'm going to help my sister, with or without you," Linus remarked. "So once and for all, who's with me?!"
"I am, babe," said Eudora, siding with her boyfriend.
"You know I'm coming to help Lucy," said Schroeder.
"Us too," said Dominick and Thibault in unison.
"You know what?" said Patty [Swanson], "I'm coming too."
"Patty!" gasped Violet.
"I'm sorry, Vi," said Patty, "but I don't want to have to deal with that nutcase. Even if it is Shermy's cousin."
"Speaking of which, has anyone seen Shermy lately?" asked Ox.
"Not really," answered Linus. "Anyway, is there anyone else that wants to come?"
"I'll go, Linus," Marcie piped in.
"MARCIE!" shouted Peppermint Patty.
"I know it's the Serpent Sisters fight, sir," argued Marcie, "but they are our friends. Sure they may have not started out like that, but we have gotten to know them since Python's death. We owe it to them to save them, sir."
"I go too," said Hans.
"Sorry, Patricia," said Franco, "but I go, also."
"Against my better judgement, I'll help too, Linus," sighed Franklin.
"Sure, sounds like fun," giggled Melanie.
"Violet and Peppermint Patty?" said Linus. "Are you two in?"
Violet thought about it for a while.
"You can consider this making it up to Margaux, posthumously," suggested Eudora.
"Oh all right, I'm in," relented Violet.
Peppermint Patty thought about it. She swore she wouldn't stick her nose in anyone else business after the Homecoming fallout from before. But this was different. Their town and their friends were under threat. Finally she said, "If anything happens to us, Linus, I'm holding you personally responsible!"
"Noted," said Linus. "Okay that's everyone."
"Good thing Claudia and her family are out of town visiting relatives," said Peppermint Patty to Marcie.
"I can agree with you on that, sir," said Marcie.
"And stop calling me 'sir'!"
"I just wish Charlie Brown and the others were here," said Linus. "We could use even more help right now."
"You don't have to ask us twice, Linus." Linus looked up to see Charlie Brown, Frieda, Sally, Michael, Snoopy, and Woodstock, along with Snoopy's brothers Andy and Olaf standing at the door. Snoopy was dressed as Rambo.
"Charlie Brown!" gasped Linus.
"When did you get back, Chuck?!" asked Peppermint Patty.
"A few minutes ago," said Charlie Brown.
"My parents felt that it was time to get back early due to what was happening here," added Frieda.
"We saw what happened to everything, including Ace's," said a sad Sally.
"We're ready to take on those Lizard Ladies and help your sister and her friends," said Michael.
"Come on gang," said a mad Charlie Brown. "Let's help the Serpent Sisters and take back our town!" And the kids all headed out to search for the Lizard Ladies' hideout.
"Here's the world-famous soldier of fortune on his way to do battle with insane amazons," said Snoopy through his thoughts.
"There goes our brother again on a fantasy tangent," said Andy.
"He should write a book about his adventures," suggested Olaf.
"I think he already does that, Olaf," Andy replied. "He's often at the typewriter writing something."
Meanwhile, the current Serpent Sisters and the original Serpent Sisters were in the area of where the Lizards were. They noticed that the neighborhood looked like a ghost town as there were no other people around. They looked to see any kind of sign of life.
"It's really quiet here," said Sidewinder.
"Too quiet," agreed Cobra.
"So what now?" asked Rattler.
"We keep going," Sidewinder answered. "Look for any kind of activity. Check any and all houses. And don't split up! We stick together. Agreed?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Now let's check these houses."
And one by one, the Serpents checked out all the houses. Komodo Dragon watched in the distance and went back in to the house where Tarantula and the others were. "Tarantula, we've got company," she said.
"Who is it now?!" groaned Tarantula.
"Believe it or not, I think it's the Serpent Sisters themselves," suggested Komodo.
"Cobra, Mamba, Rattler , AND Anaconda?" asked Tarantula.
"Them and some others," Komodo replied. "They look older than the others. I think they're teen girls."
"It can't be!" gasped Tarantula.
"Can't be who, boss?" asked Gertie.
"The original Serpent Sisters, Gert!" said Tarantula, getting angry. "Before Cobra took over as leader, there were five original Serpent Sisters who were Sidewinder, the leader, Viper, Diamondback, Puff Adder, and Boa. Cobra and the others must have recruited them to help. Any word on the Spiders' whereabouts?"
"None," said Gila Monster. "It's like Widow and the others disappeared off the map."
"No matter," said Tarantula. "I'm sure Widow and the other Spiders will make their presence known soon enough! Right now, get all the Lizards together and prepare for the ambush!" And Komodo and Gila went to get the other Lizards.
"Gertie, let's go see my cousin for a bit before we meet up with the Serpents," Tarantula replied. And they went downstairs to where Gecko (Black Widow) and Shermy was. When he saw Tarantula come down, he stood up.
"Hilly," he said, "it's still not too late to do the right thing."
"Oh I'm about to do the right thing, cousin," Tarantula hissed. "Your friends the Serpents are here now. We plan to end this once and for all, but NOT in the way you intended. Hahaa! Gecko, continue to guard him until it's over. Understood?"
"Yes, Tarantula," said Widow, in her Gecko voice.
"Okay, Gertie, let's go meet up with our foes." And the two girls went back upstairs to face the Serpent Sisters. After they were gone, Shermy said to Widow, "Now what?! She's going to kill Lucy and the others!"
"No she won't, Shermy," said Widow. "Don't forget, 75% of those girls Tarantula has is my troops. Between them and the Serpents, they don't stand a chance. Now we will wait a moment, and then I'll let you out."
Back upstairs, as Komodo was about to head out to help with the confrontation, Tarantula stopped her and said, "Go down and keep Gecko company, Komodo. We should be good with what we have here."
"Are you sure, Tarantula?" asked Komodo.
"Definitely," said a venomous Tarantula. "Besides, there's something very familiar about Gecko. I can't put my finger on it, but I can't help the feeling that I know her somehow. Besides that, I trust you more than her, right now and I need someone I can trust to watch my cousin."
"I getcha, boss," said Komodo with a sick smile. "Besides, I'm starting to like your cousin there." And Komodo headed back in the house.
Back in the basement, Widow had let Shermy out of the cage. She said to him, "You try to head back and warn your friends, Shermy. Maybe they'll lend a hand, as well seeing it's Mamba's closest friends besides the Serpents."
"Sure thing," said Shermy. "And Widow?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks." And Shermy went out the back cellar door, which was convenient for him so he didn't have to go through the house again. As Widow got prepared to stop Tarantula, she was blind-sided by Komodo.
"It's a good thing Tarantula told me to come down here," she sneered. "Seeing's how you let her cousin escape."
"You won't stop the Spiders from stopping your destruction!" groaned Widow.
"The Spiders?!" laughed Komodo. "What do they have to do with this?" It was then that Widow took off her disguise after getting back up to her feet.
"Black Widow?!" gasped Komodo.
"Yes, it's me," said Widow. "And ¾ of your Lizards are actually my Spiders waiting to strike! And they have an indicator on them. If anything happens to me and I hit a secret button on my person, that would be the signal to take out the Lizards."
"Well you want to test that theory out now, Widow?" asked Komodo, who then pulled out a huge serrated knife.
"You Lizards and your weapons," laughed Widow. "Never one for hand to hand combat!"
"I could if I had to," said Komodo, with as much venom in her words as the lizard she was named after. "But this is much more efficient." Before she could strike, she was knocked out by a 2 by 4 someone was holding. It was Orbweaver still in her "Chameleon" disguise.
"Are you all right, Widow?" she asked.
"I'm okay, Weaver," said Widow. "Thanks for knocking the fat witch out. Now you want to help me put her big butt into the cage?"
"You don't have to ask me again," said Weaver. And the two pulled the large Lizard Lady in and locked the cage, trapping her.
"She shouldn't cause anymore trouble," said Widow. "Where's Wolfie at?"
"She's with the other Spiders waiting to ambush the Lizards," Weaver replied.
"Good, now let's go out there and help the Serpents defeat Tarantula and the Lizards." And the two girls went out to help the Serpents.
Shermy had managed to get away from the neighborhood. All of the sudden he crashed into someone else. When he saw who it was that he knocked over, he smiled big.
"Charlie Brown!" he beamed. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you! The Lizard Ladies had trapped me and…"
"Wait a minute!" said Charlie Brown. "You were at the Lizards' hideout?"
"I was trying to convince my cousin who was the leader to end this chaos and…"
"Okay, I'm confused."
"Shermy is Tarantula's cousin, Charlie Brown," Linus explained. "From what he just told us, he tried to play peacemaker. Is that right?"
"That's right, Linus," said Shermy. "But instead of stopping the madness, she wants to kill your sister and the other Serpent Sisters as well!"
"Good grief!" gasped Linus.
"Can you take us to where they're at now, Shermy?" asked Charlie Brown.
"I'm not going back there!" said a scared Shermy. "Not after what I've been through."
"We're going to save Lucy and the others and help them out," said Linus.
"I'm going too, Shermy," said Violet.
"You too, Violet?!" asked a bewildered Shermy.
"We need you, Shermy," pleaded Violet. "We need to know where the Lizards are so we can help Lucy and the others."
"All right!" relented Shermy. "But I'm asking Lucy for a discount on the psychiatric help after this, that is if she doesn't need it herself." And Shermy went with the gang to show where the Lizards place was.
NEXT CHAPTER: CLIMAX!