Underdog 2
Disclaimer: I own nothing pertaining to Underdog, only the characters I created.
"Shoeshine, come and get it!" said Elizabeth the next morning. "Breakfast!"
She smiled to herself as she heard the little beagle bound down the stairs from her room.
"You know, I'll admit it I didn't like you at first", he said, gobbling up the food in his dish, "but now I'm starting to think I can't live without you!"
Elizabeth chuckled and carried a bowl of cereal to the living room. She flipped on the news.
"...where authorities are continuing to search for escaped criminal, Conrad Conger."
Elizabeth nearly choked on her cereal.
"Uh-oh", said Shoeshine.
Elizabeth grasped the remote and turned it up.
"Conger was last seen at Florence Square Penitentiary. Security footage revealed that Conger managed to subdue the guard who was escorting him back to his cell and is believed to have escaped through the prison's laundry service three days ago. Conger's whereabouts are, as of this morning, still unknown. Anyone with information on this developing case should contact-"
Elizabeth clicked off the TV and stormed up to her bedroom, where her Uncle Jack was getting ready for his shift. He smiled at her as she stood in his doorway, until he saw her hands balled into fists at her sides.
"What is it?" he said, concern in his voice.
"You knew, didn't you?" she said, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Knew what?"
"Oh, what am I talking about? Of course you knew, that's why you didn't want me watching the news!"
"Elizabeth, I-"
"You knew my dad had escaped from jail, and you kept it from me!"
Dan jumped as she slammed her hand on the doorframe, her knuckles white from holding onto it.
"I was trying to protect you", he said.
"You lied to me", Elizabeth said darkly. "You told Shoeshine to keep the truth from so you could, what? Be a hero? Save the day with Underdog?"
"So I could keep my family safe. That's all I've tried to do ever since I decided to become a cop."
Elizabeth snorted.
"So what else are you not telling me, hm? Is he here?"
Dan refused to meet her gaze.
"So he is here. And he's looking for me, isn't he? That's why you tried to hole me up in the mayor's office, surrounded by cops."
Dan nodded.
"Well, you can forget it. I don't want a job here. I don't even wanna live here."
Elizabeth spun on her heel and went back to her room. Dan sighed and followed after her. Shoeshine tentatively came up the stairs and saw Elizabeth hastily packing her things.
"Elizabeth, what are you doing?"
"What does it look like? I'm packing. I don't wanna stay here anymore."
"Where are you gonna go, then?"
"Home."
"You can't go back home, your dad is still out there!"
"Sure I can. The house hasn't been sold yet. Mom left the deed to me, I'll live there, far away from here."
"Elizabeth, that's the first place your dad is going to look for you, please."
"Then I'll handle it!"
Elizabeth angrily shoved the last of her stuff in the suitcase and unlocked the handle.
"I'll handle it myself, like I did when Mom died."
"You can't go there. Who's gonna look after you?"
"I am 24 years old, I'm a grown woman and I've lived on my own for the past ten months. I think I can handle myself."
She pushed past her uncle and pulled her suitcase down the stairs.
"Elizabeth, wait-"
Shoeshine started to follow her.
"STAY!" she demanded, and the dog whined. "Don't try to follow me. I never wanna see either one of you again. Have a nice life."
With that, Elizabeth walked out the door, slamming it behind her.
…
Conrad Conger surveyed the room, looking at his new recruits.
"Alright, gentlemen", he said. "Are we clear on the plan?"
"Yeah, boss", said one of them.
"We'll cause a distraction for both the mutt and the police", said another, "while you go home and grab your little girl."
"Then, the real fun begins", said Conrad. "We're gonna take out the police station. I ain't goin' back to jail, boys. None of us are."
"Boss!"
A third thug ran in.
"What is it?" said Conrad. "We're busy plottin' our strategy."
"Well, I was watchin' the house like you told me to, boss", said the thug.
"Yeah, and?"
"And it's the girl, she-"
"What? Spit it out!"
"She left 'em, boss. She's all on her own. And it looks like she was headed this way, towards the bus station."
Conrad Conger's face broke out in a broad grin.
"Change of plans, boys", he said. "Now bring me my daughter."
…
Elizabeth walked with a fast pace down the sidewalk, wiping angry tears from her eyes. She couldn't believe her own family could keep that big of a secret from her. For three whole days, she hadn't known-
Suddenly, she froze.
"Three days", she thought to herself. "That's exactly when the Electric Eel showed up."
Elizabeth remembered having overheard a story at the grocery store one day about a laundry truck that had been caught in a terrible storm just outside of town.
"If my dad was on that truck, and he was in an accident, then maybe-"
"Hello, Lizzie."
Elizabeth gasped sharply and turned to see her father smiling at her.
"It's been a long time."
Elizabeth turned and ran, dropping her suitcase. Conrad sighed and picked it up, walking after her.
"Come on, sweetheart", he said, "I just wanna talk."
"Stay away from me!" she yelled, and continued to run.
"Okay, fine", said Conrad. "We can talk in private."
He released a stream of electricity which hit a powerline that fell directly in front of her path, causing her to run down an alleyway. Elizabeth gasped as she saw a white van waiting for her. Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind by a man who seemed to come out of nowhere, and she screamed.
…
Underdog frantically flew through the skies, searching for Elizabeth. But she was nowhere in sight. Just then, he heard someone scream, followed by the faintest hint of electrical crackling. He flew down to the source as fast as he could and saw the fallen powerline.
"HELP ME!"
"Lizzie!"
Underdog flew into the alleyway, where he saw someone dragging a screaming and kicking Elizabeth over to a white van.
"Let me go!"
She tried everything she could to get away, but the person holding her was too strong.
"Elizabeth, hold on!"
"Underdog!"
As Underdog prepared to leap into action, Conrad came up behind him, and Elizabeth gasped.
"UNDERDOG, LOOK OUT!"
But it was too late. Underdog cried out as volts of electricity passed through his body.
"NO!" Elizabeth cried, and a cloth came over her mouth.
She struggled violently, trying to hold her breath, but she couldn't hold it for very long and eventually her lungs gave out. She succumbed to the effects of the drug and fell limp in her attacker's arms. Through blurred vision, she saw Underdog fall to the ground. Conrad walked over to the van and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Hi, sweetheart", he said, his voice distorted to her, and slid the van door shut. "We've got a lot to talk about."
Underdog groaned and tried to get up, but he was too weak. He could only watch helplessly as Conrad's men subdued Elizabeth with a chloroform-soaked rag.
"No…" he said. "Elizabeth…"
The white van's door slid shut and it pulled out of the alleyway just as a police car drove up and parked just outside. Dan slammed the door shut and ran over to the fallen hero.
"Shoeshine!" he cried. "What happened? Are-are you okay?"
"They got her, Dan", Underdog groaned. "Elizabeth's been kidnapped."
Carefully, Dan scooped up the dog and carried him back to the car. Just then, his cell phone rang.
"Unger."
He froze.
"Jack?"
I hope I didn't scare anybody with that last part. But if it makes you feel any better, I promise I'm not going to kill any animals in this story. Underdog will be fine, and now Jack is back! Wanna see what happens next? Keep reading to find out!
-Imagigirl20