Chapter 15
After going through the vent, Arthur and Hat Kid jumped on some backstage boxes in DJ Grooves's side of the studio. They quickly looked up at the vent to make sure no one was following them. Thankfully, they were in the clear. For now at least...
"Okay, we're in. We don't got a lot of time though. This guy must have already called the security by now. So we do this thing and get out before anyone spots us," Arthur whispered to Hat Kid. The small girl nodded in agreement.
The two children looked up ahead and spotted the four moon penguins carrying the countainer with the Time Pieces stepping on a large conveyor. One of them flipped the switch. The conveyor was activated and it transported the penguins out of the duo's sight. Seconds later, the conveyor came back to its original position but the penguins and the Time Pieces were no longer here.
"Let's try to catch up with these guys and see where they're taking the Time Pieces," Arthur whispered, receiving a nod from Hat Kid. The small girl then formed a finger gun with her hand as if she was in an infiltration mission. Arthur sighed and shook his head unamused. Can't this girl take things seriously for once?
The duo began to make their way up towards the conveyor, sneaking past a penguin who was talking on the phone. They arrived behind the cameras filming a disco scene, with DJ Grooves sitting on a movie director chair.
"Alright, let's take it from the top! Action!" DJ Grooves said to a penguin actor on the scene.
The two children snuck past the disco penguin, making sure to stay low and avoid line of sight. If one of them gets spotted, they will be busted. They managed to reach the conveyor. Hat Kid flipped the switch and the conveyor took the duo to the Conductor's side of the studio.
Arthur and Hat Kid arrived before a western scene being filmed by other cameras, and the Conductor was also here on a movie director chair.
"Let's make this movie happen! Owls, in position! Action!" the Conductor said to the owl actors on the scene.
The duo spotted another conveyor in the distance behind a saloon-type building. However, the passage was occupied by the cameras, the Conductor, and the owls. No way to sneak through it without getting spotted. Looking for another way around, they saw a pipe on the side that could allow them to get past the owls. They walked on it and reached the other side. Hat Kid then spotted a yarn at the top left side of the building, though she couldn't reach it from her position. She made a mental note to find a passage to could lead to it.
The two children continued and had to knock over a cactus cutout that was blocking their path. Inside the building were different costumes on some hangers and a few owls patrolling the area – two of them were standing guard in front of an elevator. The conveyor was right after the building. Seizing the opportunity at the right moment, Arthur and Hat Kid were able to sneak past all of the owls.
After reaching the end of the building, Hat Kid saw a passage on the left, probably leading up to the yarn she saw earlier. She used it and, sure enough, she found the yarn. It was a blue one with snowflakes on it and it felt cold to the touch. A new type of yarn! She would have to see if she can make a new hat later on.
Before heading down, the small girl spotted another yarn on a platform nearby. She could probably reach it by using the conveyor and climbing up the ladder. She went back to Arthur's side and pointed up at the yarn she saw.
The young boy sighed in annoyance. He knew that she needed those yarns to make herself new hats to gain new abilities, but they were in a hurry right now. Who knows how long they had before security comes in and warns everyone about their presence.
"Fine... but make it quick! We're in a bit of a hurry in case you have forgotten!" Arthur whispered in an irritated tone. Hat Kid only rolled her eyes in response. Of course, she hadn't forgotten! He needs to stop worrying all the time.
The purple-hatted girl snuck past another owl and jumped on the conveyor. She climbed up the ladder and managed to grab the yarn. She climbed back down on the conveyor and motioned for Arthur to flip the switch to activate it. The twelve-year-old boy waited for the owl to have his back turned, then he flipped the switch and quickly snuck past him. He was able to get on the conveyor before it could be out of reach.
The duo were now back on DJ Grooves's side. They saw that the disco penguin had moved here to record another scene, and they spotted a few penguins patrolling the area. However, there were still no sign of the penguins who were carrying the Time Pieces. Arthur and Hat Kid decided to keep moving anyway and hope they would eventually catch up with them.
Moving on tightropes and sneaking by three penguins, Hat Kid found a chest containing a relic on the way. It looked like a small model of a mountain with a small village and rails on it. After that, she and Arthur had to use some hanging sandbags to jump across platforms. It took the young boy some efforts and courage to jump across due to his fear of heights.
They were now back on the Conductor's side. The strange owl had also moved to record another scene here. Making sure to remain quiet, the duo were about to jump down on a platform below when suddenly...
"Hey! What do you think yer doing?!" the Conductor yelled angrily. Arthur and Hat Kid froze, fearing they had been spotted, but when they turned around, they realized the Conductor was just scolding one of the owl actors. "Cut! Cut! You weren't supposed to enter the scene just yet! What the peck are ye doing?!" He sighed before saying, "Take number #23. In position! Action!".
Arthur and Hat Kid sighed in relief. They quietly jumped down on the platform below and quickly hid behind some teepee cutouts to avoid being seen by an owl who was standing guard. They spotted another switch on the platform and figured it would call the next conveyor that would take them to another section of DJ Grooves's side.
Hat Kid waited for the owl to turn around, then quickly moved to the switch and flipped it, before going back to her hiding spot. The conveyor was called and it moved to their position. The owl who was standing guard seemed confused to see the conveyor moving here. Growing suspicious, he looked at the switch, then at the teepee cutouts. Arthur and Hat Kid noticed the owl's suspicion and they both began to feel nervous. It took some efforts for the boy to not start hyperventilating now as his anxiety started kicking in. Thankfully, he managed to calm himself down just in time after taking some deep breathes.
The owl decided to check behind the teepee cutouts just in case. Sensing that he was coming, the duo waited for the right moment and moved around the cutouts just as the owl checked their hiding spots. Arthur flipped the switch, and he and Hat Kid jumped on the conveyor as it started moving. The owl saw that no one was behind the teepee cutouts and shrugged. He turned around to go back to his original position, but was very confused to see that the conveyor was no longer here. Perhaps it was malfunctioning? He should talk about this to the owl engineers later so they can check it out.
The duo were once again back on DJ Grooves's side. They jumped on some big sound systems to avoid a penguin who was standing guard. Hat Kid opened a chest on the way and found another yarn. Sneaking behind another scene that DJ Grooves was recording, they reached another path. However, security cameras were installed along the way.
"Dammit... They've set cameras here. I don't see a way around them though... How are we gonna get past them?" Arthur whispered anxiously.
Hat Kid thought for a second. Nothing to hide from the cameras or go over. They will immediately be seen on the monitors if they walk in front of them. So the best solution was to shut them down somehow... The small girl turned around and noticed a power switch on the wall. She smiled. Shutting down the power will do the trick. She walked towards the power switch.
"Whoa, whoa! What are you doing?" Arthur asked her as he saw her head for the power switch. Hat Kid put her hand on the switch and the boy's eyes widened. "No no, don't-" Too late. She had already pulled the switch down, shutting off the electricty and sending the whole studio in darkness.
"Whadda what?!" they heard the Conductor yell from the other side of the studio.
"Hey! Who turned the lights off?!" DJ Grooves shouted in annoyance.
Arthur groaned and angrily said, "Nice going, you idiot! Now everyone will know something is wrong here!" Hat Kid crossed her arms and glared at the boy, not appreciating the way he was talking to her. Arthur ignored her glare and looked at the now disabled cameras. "Well, at least the cameras are off, so let's move before anyone comes over here!". With that said, they immediately started running past the disabled cameras.
"You no-good dirty peck necks! If you think ye can sabotage me movie by turning off the electricity... Hah! That's not gonna work!" the Conductor shouted to the penguins from his side.
"I would never do such thing, darling! I'm fairly certain you're the one who sent one of your Express Owls to tamper with the electricity to ruin my wonderful scenes so you can win again!" DJ Grooves retorted with a shout.
"No I haven't, ye peck neck!" the Conductor shouted angrily.
"Whatever you say, darling! Now can someone turn the power back on? Then we'll take a break to figure out what just happened," DJ Grooves ordered to his fellow moon penguins.
"Oh crap! Let's hurry!" Arthur said to Hat Kid while the two of them were still running past the cameras. Thankfully, they were able to get past the last camera just as a moon penguin flipped the power switch, turning back on the electricity and the lights in the studio. That was close...
"I think they've gone over to DJ Grooves's side! Get them before they cause any more mischief!" someone shouted from afar. That voice... Oh crap! It was the receptionist with probably security guards looking for them!
"They're onto us... We need to pick up the pace, kid," Arthur whispered anxiously. Hat Kid nodded nervously.
The duo made their way to another conveyor and used it to reach another platform with teepee cutouts. They pushed a big red one over to make a bridge to the next platform. They snuck past two patrolling owls, then climbed up to a small gap in the wall to avoid being seen by a penguin who was walking down the narrow path. Once he passed through, the two children hopped down and went the way the penguin came from.
After jumping across a gap by using some sandbags, they found themselves on a long red carpet and walked up a ramp that had glowing star-shaped lamps hanging on each sides. Suddenly, they froze when they found themselves facing DJ Grooves who had his back turned on them.
"Magnificent! Stunning! This trophy is everything I desire... on the shelf of my living room!" the disco penguin said to himself dreamily, admiring a giant golden trophy. "Of course, this big trophy is just a plastic replica! The actual trophy is really tiny!"
Arthur lightly nudged Hat Kid and motioned his head back to quietly tell her they should get out of here before the disco penguin sees them. Hat Kid nodded in agreement. They turned around and were about to quietly walk away when...
"Now to figure out who turned off- Huh?" DJ Grooves began to say as he turned around, but he stopped when he spotted the two children.
Arthur and Hat Kid froze in their tracks. They slowly turned around, and to their horror, they saw DJ Grooves staring at them with a surprised and confused expression. Their eyes widened in fear, wondering how he would react to their presence. Was he going to yell at them? Call security and have them kicked out at once? However, to their surprise, the disco penguin's expression softened.
"Oh my! Oh my! What is that I see? Is it true inner beauty? Two innocent souls with a heart of gold?" DJ Grooves asked joyfully. Hat Kid gave him a surprised and flattered look, while Arthur simply raised an eyebrow at him in confusion. "Oh, no. It's just two little children. Hello!" he corrected himself, earning unamused looks from the duo. He then noticed that Arthur and Hat Kid were not birds.
"Oh wait, you're not penguins. That's good! I could use some non-penguin company around here, as all my penguins are frankly terrible actors!" the disco penguin said. Arthur and Hat Kid gave him a surprised look. This guy wasn't going to kick them out or tell on them? That's... good! Perhaps they had a chance to reason with him about giving them the Time Pieces back.
DJ Grooves noticed Arthur's cowboy hat and asked, "Oh, you're a fan of western movies, am I right?".
"I do. Is that a problem?" Arthur asked as he crossed his arms and gave him a skeptical look, remembering that the disco penguin didn't seem to like those types of movies. What was he going to say? Was he going to laugh at him? Make fun of him for liking western stuff?
"Oh, uh, no! Not at all, darling!" DJ Grooves quickly answered as he raised his hands in defence, not wanting to upset the boy. Arthur simply rolled his eyes in response. He didn't believe the disco penguin's words.
"There they are! Get them!" a voice suddenly shouted from behind. Arthur and Hat Kid didn't have time to react when two persons came behind them and restrained their arms.
"Whoa, hey! Get your hands off of us!" Arthur shouted angrily.
The children's captors forced them to turn around and the duo were facing the receptionist accompanied by a few security owls. The tall owl gave them a stern look.
"Destruction of property, trespassing, and many other mischief you've caused... You two are in big trouble," the receptionist said angrily. The two children gulped at the owl's tone.
"What's going on here?" DJ Grooves asked, confused by the scene happening before him.
"Oh, Mr. Grooves! Sorry about this. These little rascals broke the sunglasses dispenser, then snuck inside the studio without permission. Don't worry though, we'll have them sent to jail at once!" the receptionist explained, glaring at the duo. Arthur and Hat Kid gave him a fearful look. The jail?! That was just unfair!
DJ Grooves didn't seem happy to hear that. Sending them to jail? But they were just kids! Sure, maybe they did break the dispenser and enter the studio without permission, but they didn't deserve such harsh treatment. He couldn't just sit and watch. He had to do something! The disco penguin smiled as he had an idea.
"Receptionist, how about you let me take care of this?" DJ Grooves said as he stepped forward. The tall owl seemed surprised to hear that.
"W-What? Mr. Grooves, are you sure? These two are real troublemakers, and you're quite busy at the moment. We can deal with them, no worries," the receptionist insisted.
"It's okay, I can take it from here. You must have more urgent tasks to do right now," DJ Grooves said as he slightly pushed down his sunglasses and discreetly winked at the children to reassure them. Arthur and Hat Kid noticed that and they formed a perplexed expression on their faces. Was he... trying to help them? But why? The receptionist sighed and nodded.
"Yeah... I have to close off the vent and order a new sunglasses dispenser, thanks to these two," the tall owl said, sending a glare at the duo. The two children glared back at him.
"You go take care of all that, and I'll deal with them," DJ Grooves said with a serious expression. The tall owl nodded.
"Alright, Mr. Grooves. Just be careful around them, they're a piece of work," the receptionist warned. The disco penguin simply nodded. "Come on, boys! Let's head back."
With that said, the two security owls who were restraining the children released them and followed the receptionist out of the room with the other guards. Arthur and Hat Kid were now alone with DJ Grooves, and the latter's expression softened.
"Don't worry, darlings. You two are safe with me," he said with a reassuring smile.
"Why did you help us?" Arthur asked surprised.
"I couldn't let them send you to jail. It's just not right! I'm certain you didn't mean to cause all of this mess," DJ Grooves explained.
Arthur sighed sadly and said, "Aside from sneaking inside and turning off the electricity? Yeah, the rest was accidental."
The disco penguin nodded, before asking, "So... you were the ones who shut down the power earlier?".
"Yeah, sorry about that... We were trying to get past some security cameras, and then... you know..." Arthur explained, sending an annoyed look to Hat Kid. The small girl smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head nervously. DJ Grooves nodded before smiling at the duo.
"Let's just put all of that trouble behind us, darlings. Here's the biz: I need your help. I'm on a terrible losing streak, and I just HAVE to win this next annual bird movie award. There's no doubt; I absolutely MUST have you both as the stars!" the disco penguins said enthusiastically. The two children were surprised to hear that.
"Us? Why us?" Arthur asked confused.
"I can just see it, darling! Those stylish sunglasses, the eyes behind them, and your amazing outfits tell a lot! You both have what it takes to be movie stars!" DJ Grooves said confidently. Arthur was dumbfounded. Him? A 'movie star'? He wasn't sure if the disco penguin truly believed it or if he was just making fun of him.
"Now, do you happen to have a fine on you? If you trespassed, the receptionist must have given you one," DJ Grooves asked the duo.
"Actually, yeah. He gave us one after we broke-" Arthur began to say, pulling out the fine from his pocket. However, a shocked expression formed on his face when he read the paper again. "What the hell?!" he shouted in total shock, startling both Hat Kid and DJ Grooves. The purple-hatted girl was confused until she read the fine too and her jaw dropped.
Somehow, the fine had literally increased during their time in the studio. They were now billed 17,500 pons for trespassing, destruction of property, tampering with electronics, owl harassment, assault on cactus, and teepee T-KO. Impossible! How are they going to repay such a huge amount of cash? They were screwed...
"Here, let me take care of this," DJ Grooves said, taking the fine from Arthur's hands. To the children's surprise, the disco penguin tore the paper in half, cancelling their debt. The duo weren't sure if it was even legal, but they were relieved they didn't have to repay all the damages they had caused inside the studio.
DJ Grooves walked behind a toll booth cutout that had a camera on the side and said, "We need to give you a bird passport each, darlings! Step right over here." The two children walked in front of the cutout.
"So what's a bird passport exactly?" Arthur asked curiously.
"It will allow you to legally enter the studio at any time you want. Everyone working here has one, and you will also need one for recording sessions," DJ Grooves explained. "The most important part of a passport is the picture, darlings! You have to look flashy and stunning! You go first, uhm... Sorry, I didn't catch your name," he said, looking at Arthur.
"Arthur Jones," the twelve-year-old boy answered.
"Alright, Arthur darling! Step right over there. Let's take the pic," DJ Grooves said with a smile. Arthur did as he was told and walked in front of the camera. "OK, put on a smile, and stand still, please! Don't move!".
Smile? Arthur wasn't the smiling type. He pratically never smiles in real life, and when it comes to photography, he always has to force a smile and it looks terrible on the photos. He sighed sadly. He knew the picture won't look good, but he had no other choice.
Arthur removed his sunglasses, forced a smile, and made sure to stand still for the picture. DJ Grooves then took the photo, causing a flash to go off. The camera printed the photo out.
"Let's see how the picture turned out..." the disco penguin said, taking the picture and looking at it. However, he grimaced as he realized Arthur's smile looked unnatural and forced. "You're, uh, not really the smiling type, are you, darling?".
"Yeah, well, you ain't the first one to say that..." Arthur muttered sadly as he put his sunglasses back on. DJ Grooves's expression softened upon seeing the depressed look on the boy's face. Perhaps that was a bit too harsh of him to say...
"Oh, b-but it still looks good enough, darling! I'll slide it in your passport right away," the disco penguin said nervously. He slid Arthur's picture in a passport and wrote his name in.
"Here you go, darling," DJ Grooves said, handing out the passport to him. Arthur took it and read it.
'So I'm legally a 'bird' now? Heh... A weird one if you ask me,' the young boy thought, putting the passport in his pocket.
DJ Grooves turned his attention to Hat Kid and said, "Now it's your turn, darling." The purple-hatted girl excitedly made her way to the front of the camera.
"You know the drill! Smile and stand still!" DJ Grooves said enthusiastically. Hat Kid removed her sunglasses and smiled at the camera. However, nothing happened for a few seconds.
"Uh... What's the hold up there, DJ Grooves?" Arthur asked puzzled.
"There seems to be some... technical difficulties with the camera. Don't worry, I'll fix it very quickly. Keep standing still, darling," the disco penguin said as he tried to figure out what was wrong with the camera.
A minute passed, and still nothing happened. DJ Grooves was starting to get frustrated as he tried to fix the camera in vain. Hat Kid stopped smiling at this point. Perhaps she could go over and try to help too? She stepped forward, but the camera suddenly started working again and took the picture, as the flash went off.
"Ah, there we go! Now let's see about that picture..." DJ Grooves said, taking the picture and looking at it. His smile turned into a look of horror.
"WH-WHA?! Darling, you moved! The picture is ruined! How could you?!" the disco penguin exclaimed in a frustrated tone. Hat Kid flinched, before putting her hands behind her back and shuffling her foot on the floor shamefully.
"Real smooth, buddy..." Arthur said to DJ Grooves angrily and sarcastically. The disco penguin's expression softened upon hearing this.
"Sorry, darling. I got a bit carried away here," DJ Grooves said, rubbing the back of his head guiltily. "Don't worry, there's a way to fix this with some old-fashioned photo doctoring." He pulled out a few markers, and handed them and the picture out to Hat Kid.
"Here, take these markers and turn yourself into the most stylish, fashionable young lady!" the disco penguin said enthusiastically.
Hat Kid smiled, and took the picture and the markers. She began to change a few details on the photo, such as adding a flashing smile and her sunglasses back. Once she was done, she gave the picture back to DJ Grooves, and the latter took it.
"Perfect! Let's slide this picture into your passport, and... there we go! Now I just need to know your name, darling," DJ Grooves said as he slid the picture in the passport and waited for Hat Kid to tell him her name.
"Hat Kid!" the small girl said happily. The disco penguin nodded and wrote her name on the passport.
"Here you go! One passport for you!" DJ Grooves said with a smile, handing out the passport to her. Hat Kid took it and slid it in her pocket. "Wonderful, darlings! Just wonderful! Meet me at the movie set tomorrow evening, and we'll make you two into stars!"
"Alright then... See you tomorrow, I guess..." Arthur said hesitantly. He was still unsure if he wanted to become a movie star. It looked like a lot of pressure with the audience and everything else. His anxiety wasn't going to like it.
DJ Grooves noticed his uneasiness and said, "Don't worry, darling. You'll learn the ropes very easily. And you'll see, the audience will love you! It's gonna be okay," in a reassuring tone. Arthur slowly nodded. He still wasn't convinced, but at least the disco penguin seemed to have faith in him. That was the first time someone actually believed in him...
"I must be leaving now. See you on the movie set, darlings!" DJ Grooves said joyfully. Arthur nodded at him, while Hat Kid smiled and waved him good bye.
The disco penguin walked away, leaving the two children alone in the room. Arthur was about to say something to Hat Kid when a familiar voice suddenly yelled out, "HEY! WATCHA THINK YER DOIN?!"
Arthur and Hat Kid flinched and quickly turned around. They grew nervous when they saw who it was. It was the Conductor, and he looked extremely furious. He stomped over to the children and glared angrily at them.
"Yer can't just jump in and fiddle with the annual bird movie awards! That's fraud! FRAUD! Hey everyone, we've got FRAUDSTERS OVER HERE!" the Conductor shouted angrily. However, nobody came to the strange owl's call. "WHERE MY OWL GUARDS AT?! Why are the owls so darn useless?!" he grumbled. He then put his hand on his chin in thought and smirked as he suddenly got an idea.
The Conductor took a step closer to the children and said, "Alright, listen here, you two! Yer in big trouble. If you're helping crooked DJ Grooves rig the awards, and I can't take yer to jail, then yer gotta help me even the score!". Arthur and Hat Kid's eyes widened. This guy wasn't serious, was he? Oh yes, he was...
"You mean..." Arthur began to say carefully.
"That's right, yer gotta be the stars of my movies, too!" the Conductor said with a smirk. The strange owl pulled a Time Piece out of his pocket. "Here, hold our newest prop, practice showing it off, and bring it to my movie set tomorrow morning! Yer got that? Don't be late!"
He tossed the Time Piece at Hat Kid and the small girl caught it. Though he had tossed it a little hard, and Hat Kid almost dropped it as a result. Thankfully, she managed to catch it before it happened and she held it tightly against her chest. No way she was going to repeat what happened in the Mafia's HQ with Mustache Girl.
"And yer better not fail me too! The owls do that enough already!" the Conductor said in a stern and angry tone, before walking away.
As he watched the strange owl leave, Arthur suddenly felt a knot in his stomach. It was the same uncomfortable feeling he had whenever his father was around. Indeed, the Conductor had a temper similar to his dad's. He was the kind of person who would get angry when things don't turn out the way they want and would lash out at anyone who were unfortunate enough to be around at this very moment. The young boy grew a fearful expression on his face and his anxiety rose up. He was on the verge of hyperventilating.
Hat Kid noticed the boy's panicked look and she grew worried for him. She first thought of giving him a hug to comfort him, but she had a feeling Arthur wouldn't be too fond of it. Instead, she put a comforting hand on his shoulder. The young boy jolted a little, but relaxed when he saw it was just Hat Kid. The girl's touch actually seemed to calm him down slightly. Though it was strange for him to receive comfort from someone, as no one ever did that for him before. Aside from his mom of course...
"I-I'm okay. Just... Did we just get hired by both directors to star in their movies?" Arthur asked dumbfounded. Hat Kid slowly nodded.
The twelve-year-old sighed and said, "Fantastic... Getting caught in the middle of a fuss between two birds obsessed with winning... Just wonderful..." sarcastically.
Once again, Arthur was dragged into a situation he never wanted to be involved in...
A/N: Hey everyone! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter is about Murder on the Owl Express. Hope everyone is ready for some detective action and case solving being thrown at Arthur and Hat Kid!
Now, it's review time!
To Mr (Sorry, I forgot you in the previous chapter... ^^;): Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying my story! ^^
To Mad King C: Thank you! ^^ Yeah, I wonder what would be the interactions between my characters and the ones from Megacharge.
To Katoptris12: Yeah, I figured more dialogues and actions from the receptionist would bring more life to his character and would work well in my story. Glad I did. And yeah, Arthur is definitely more level-headed and careful.
To PatoMayo: Thank you! There's a few chapters to wrap up before getting to Subcon, but we'll get to it soon. ^^
To Mr. Mega1423: We'll soon discover through the chapters how Arthur and Hat Kid will work alongside both directors. I've got a few surprises up my sleeves for that. ;)
That's it for today, folks! See you all in the next chapter!