"The Wood Scouts are here!"

This was the first thing Max heard when he woke up at two in the morning. At first, he thought he needed some coffee to drain out any of David's (not Nikki's) hyperactive antics. But true to her every word, the dreaded elite scouting organization had indeed infiltrated Camp Campbell with very little difficulty. Of course, they actually managed to snag a few recruits in the time he was here, but it shouldn't surprise him as much as it did now.

Upon spotting Petrol stomping towards him with his hands out, he immediately grimaced and hurled his still hot coffee cup at him, causing it to shatter and splatter all over his face; he screamed and ran in the other direction just as Max did the same, but not before grabbing Mr. Honeynuts and a switchblade from his tent. Sprinting into the forest, he noticed all the frightened expressions of the awakening campers, who ran amok in an effort to evade their pursuers. Ducking behind a bushel of bushes, he watched as many of them were captured one by one. From Space Kid to Dolph to...Nikki, they were gagged and restrained as they were carried away from Camp Campbell, protesting loudly through their muzzles. All the while, he could only watch in terrified shock as Nikki (the closest to escaping) was unexpectedly knocked out by Pikeman.

He made a mental promise to make him pay for what he did to her.

After making certain that the Wood Scouts were gone, Max stood up from his hiding place and glanced around with his self-defense weapon at the ready. Breathing heavily, he continuously spun around as he checked his surroundings for any stragglers before relaxing and his deep breaths slowed down. Tucking away his security blanket and knife, he walked around just as Ered and Harrison popping out of their respective hiding places. For he was too focused on the spot where Nikki was bludgeoned into unconsciousness by the Wood Scout leader, he paid them no attention as his hands balled into fists.

"They took Nikki..."

The remaining campers exchanged concerned expressions before watching Max marching to the counselor's cabin and knocking on the door with little-to-no patience. When he received something along the lines of "Go away! It's two in the morning!", that patience was instantly diminished with ease. Case in point, he swiftly kicked down the door off its hinges, sending it crashing down onto the wooden floor and the counselors scrambling up from their beds.

"Max?! What are you doing? It's far too early to be waking up and waking us up!"

"Too early even for you?"

"David, Gwen! Please shut the fuck and listen to me! The Wood Scouts invaded Camp Campbell and kidnapped nearly all of the campers!"

That statement got the both of them ready and alert, "What? How do we know...?"

"It's true!" Harrison stepped forward and explained. "They got Nerris, Nikki, Neil, Nurf, Dolph, Preston, and Space Kid!"

David and Gwen exchanged nervous glances.

"This isn't good. We have to contact their respective families."

"David, if we do contact the kids' parents, they're not gonna let them stay here anymore."

"But if we don't, we could risk facing criminal charges on accounts of kidnapping!"

"David, Gwen!" Harrison spoke up, "You both are gonna face them anyway, considering that we were your responsibility to begin with!"

"Not to mention that my parents are most likely to start an investigation!" Ered crossed her arms, "And they'll probably take me away!"

"WILL EVERYONE PLEASE SHUT THE FUCK UP?!"

Everybody turned to an exasperated Max now, who was currently taking deep breaths and threatening to pull his hair out. Once he calmed down enough to regain his posture, he headed outside for some much-needed privacy, the left hand fiddled with the switchblade in his pocket.

. . .

. . .

. . .

Then he remembered something. Rushing toward Nikki's tent, he rummaged through the place in search of the gun stolen from Campbell. It took a few minutes or so, but he finally found it. Held inside a locked box for which the key was located nearby, he unlocked and opened it, looking inside to confirm what Nikki had claimed was true. Indeed, the gun in question was laid inside: untouched, unloaded, and unfired. It had raised adjustable sights, beaver tail grip safety, a combat hammer, extended ambidextrous slide stop safety, extended slide release, beveled magazine well, stainless barrel, and long type combat trigger. Judging by reading the slide, the identity of the pistol was a "Colt MK IV Series 80".

Max had never seen a gun up close before, let alone hold one up close before. However, he did know it worked to an extent: you load the ammunition, you pull the trigger, and you fire the gun. Plus, the three basic rules of firearm safety were etched into his mind: keep your finger off the trigger unless you were ready to fire, treat any gun as loaded (empty or not), and always point said gun in a safe direction at all times. Of course, there was the matter of proper ammunition, trigger safety, and gun modifying among other things. There was plenty of time to learn all that later, Max thought. Right now, I have to save Nikki...and the rest of the campers. Glancing back inside the box to find eleven(!?) cartridges and a concealed carry handgun holster, he took up said box and brought it over to his tent for more practice.

Afterwards, exiting his tent with his newly holstered handgun, Max came upon the garden of previously fired arrows sprinkled all over the grass. Spotting a particularly absurdly long arrow with a slip of paper wrapped around the shaft, he plucked it from the ground and unrolled said paper for him to read. His gradually diminished anger returned full force as his tightening hands threatened to tear up the paper. Marching over to the counselor's cabin, he noticed David and Gwen waiting by the phones while Ered and Harrison popped up from their respective hiding places behind the two recliners.

"Max!" The latter hopped over his recliner first, "We thought you were captured next!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," Max waved off his concerns before turning towards David. "Did they call back?"

"The Wood Scouts or the parents?"

"... Both, though I doubt the Wood Scouts have a phone to begin with."

It was Gwen who answered for him. "Well, their parents should be arriving in a few hours or so."

"Not soon enough," Max bitterly muttered under his breath. He sulked over to David's recliner and took a seat while sighing. He pulled out his phone and positioned himself to where nobody but him could face the screen. Secretly scrolling through the pictures of the campers (well, specifically the ones with just him and Nikki in them), he solemnly frowned in fear and disdain. What if...? What if we're too late? What if the Wood Scouts go too far? What if they hurt Nikki out of spite? What if...? Rubbing his forehead in alarming frustration, Max flinched as Harrison patted him on the shoulder and shot him a dirty look.

"It's okay, Max. We'll get them back...eventually."

He could only grunt in feigned disinterest as he continued to scroll through his pictures...while simultaneously forming a plan in that little mind of his.

"Hello, Camp Campbell campers! I'm not going to sugarcoat my intentions, so I will be blunt. I have no further need for the ones I have captured, but Maxwell on the other hand will make a fine recruit. Send him here, and we'll trade you your dear campers unscathed by nightfall."

Later that afternoon, each of the parents arrived at Camp Campbell in a frenzied state. Most of them demanded answers that revolved around their children's whereabouts, with David and Gwen pleading all of them to calm down while they attempted to explain the situation as rationally as possible. When they received the message from the Wood Scouts, they seemed to hesitant in handing Max over, but also equally anxious over the conditions of their kids. Harrison wasn't paying much attention, and neither were his parents. Instead, he was focused on Max's tent, as the owner didn't seem to come out since this early morning. His concern matching his curiosity, the stage magician approached and entered to find...Max himself holding a gun towards his temple.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing."

Reluctance took him for a moment's notice before he continued packing up the remaining necessities required for his rescue mission. He then spat out, "I'm going to save them."

. . .

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"With just that?"

"No, I have plenty more."

"But why?"

"I got them at a good price."

"No, I mean... Why would you of all people try to save them?"

. . .

"Because we were all friends."

"Really?"

"Don't tell anybody, will ya?"

"On one condition. I'm coming with you."

"Why? So you can go save your girlfriend?"

"What the...? Nerris isn't my girlfriend!"

"Believe me, you two have been arguing like an old married couple more than usual, so that's grounds for people assuming the worst."

"Oh, really? So my situation with Nerris is exactly like yours and Nikki's?"

. . .

"Uh...Nikki's different."

"I seriously doubt it."

Max and Harrison turned to find Ered's shadow outside the tent. She opened it.

"What's up, pair of skinny jeans?"

"Ered, what are you doing here?"

"Duh. I wanna help you both save your girlfriends from the Wood Scouts."

"She's not my girlfriend!"

Ered barely flinched at the both of them yelling at her in unison, instead merely rolling her eyes in bemusement. "Uh-huh. Sure."

Max stepped forward, "Wait, why do you want to help us...specifically me?"

"Why not? I'm pretty sure the only three people in this tent at the moment are the only three people who know about your little puppy love romance with Nikki...or whatever the hell you two call it."

"Our relationship and whatever we decide to call it is none of your damn business," the Indian boy sneered as he crossed his arms, "I'm going to ask you again: why do you want to help us, specifically me, save Nikki...and the other campers?"

"And I'm going to answer you again," Ered mimicked him in succession, "Why not? I probably shouldn't admit it, but Nikki's like a little sister to me. She really cares about you...like a lot. And if you're happy, then she's happy, and that means I'm happy."

"So...I'm guessing the same goes for Nerris, too?" Harrison twiddled his fingers.

"That, and I owe her a favor."

Max thought it over before sighing in relent. "Well...what do we have to lose?"

Ered glanced down at the handgun in Max's possession. "A bunch, actually. While I appreciate your spirit and determination, your lack of a plan may end up costing up. Plus, you and the Wood Scouts are just kids, so any chances of a traumatizing event hitting you hard in the guts are very high."

"Wow," Max was clearly taken aback, "And here I thought you were just another adrenaline junkie."

"Believe me, living with two fathers who are FBI agents will do just that. Also...is that a Colt .45?"

As he nodded, she voiced her approval, "Hmm. You can shoot accurately even if you're a new learner because of the single-action trigger, but I still recommend target practice first."

"It's not even mine. It's Nikki's, who stole it from Campbell."

"Even better."

"I think I have an idea."

Max and Ered turned towards a visibly nervous Harrison. He was biting on thin air now before taking deep breaths. The both of them exchanging uncertain glances, the former approached the magician as the latter followed behind.

"You do?"

"But you're not gonna like it."

A few hours later into the evening, Max and Harrison emerged from the tent donning a tan, button-up, long-sleeved shirt, with a green sash and matching shorts, along with a brown belt. He (Max) tugged at the collar and groaned in disgust at the prospect of him wearing a variant of the Wood Scouts uniform while he (Harrison) looked on. Ered stood there fashioning a white long-sleeve shirt with a pink sash with fake (yet incredibly accurate) badges and a pink flannel skirt that was recognized at the Flower Scouts outfit.

"I feel naked."

"Relax, dude," Ered handed him back his Colt M1911 and holster, "You'll be fine. Plus, at least you don't have to wear the Flower Scouts outfit."

"Pfft. You don't know that."

"She has a point, Max..." Harrison shrugged before adding, "...even if that comment was uncalled for."

"So where is this boat of yours?"

"Yacht. And it's this way."

The trio headed over to said yacht and took a moment or so to examine. Its primary color palette was a combination of purple, maroon, blue, and yellow. An odd one to say the least, but Max understood: it was an tribute from her fathers to their daughter.

"Hop on."

They jumped aboard, and Ered instantly started the boat and sped off to the Wood Scouts campsite. Max looked on ahead as he repeated in his head: Hang on, Nikki. We're coming...

Gwen rushed into the Mess Hall in a frenzied state of terror just as David was devising a plan to rescue the children.

"Gwen, what's the–?"

"David, it's Max! He's gone!"

Up in arms, David snatched the letter from Gwen's possession and read it ever-so thoroughly. When he finished, uncharacteristic for him, his fists clenched up in unbrided rage.