Dirt filled the air behind Mustache Girl as she sped down the alleyway towards her top secret hideout, Time Piece tightly wrapped in her little arms. The smile on her face rivaled the brightness of the afternoon sun, which was now setting. A brilliant array of pinks and purples shot across the sky and danced on top of the ocean, radiating a brilliant glow that could blind anyone who marveled at it.

Mustache Girl skidded to a halt in front of what appeared to be any old, abandoned shack. She set the Time Piece down at her side carefully and reached into the pocket of her hoodie and pulled out a rusty old key.

"I still have this thing?"

She flung it carelessly behind her and kicked the front door open.

It fully swung in then crashed to the floor.

"Huh, maybe I should've used the key instead…oh well."

With Time Piece in tote, the little girl marched into her hide out and reached for the door knob behind her.

It wasn't behind her.

With a grunt, she heaved the broken door from the floor and rested it against the gaping hole that allowed everyone within sight to see inside her secret hideout, which included the rotting corpse of what was once a couch. With a satisfied dusting of her hands, she turned on her heel to face her precious treasure.

It was gone.

"Where the finger bangin' fuck did it go!?"

She took one look to the left. Another to the right. There just outside the door stood a lone Mad Crow with the Time Piece secured within it's beak. The little girl moved the cumbersome door to the side and tip toed towards the winged creature, putting on her best creature-loving smile.

"Hello there, little birdie! Aren't you the cute critter!"

The Mad Crow paid no attention to her as it tried to break through the glass and taste whatever it was that sparkled inside. Mustache Girl's eyes grew wide as rage began to seep in.

"You little rat with wings," she muttered through gritted teeth. "If you don't give that back this second, I will personally take you to God and have Him uncreate you and your entire putrid kind!"

The Mad Crow bit down on the Time Piece and produced a crooked sliver of cracked glass.

Mustache Girl's eyes grew wider. "Have at you!"

The determined little girl laid out for the creature, but her efforts were fruitless as the bird dodged her attack and ran inside her hideout. She quickly rose to her feet and zipped inside the hideout, making sure to block the entryway as much as possible with her broken door. she turned to face the crow, a scheming smile on her sweat ridden face.

"That was a mistake, my friend," she rumbled in a deep, raspy tone.

For every step forward she made, crouching at the knees like a famished bear, the crow backed away until it's rear feathers touched the wall, causing it to freeze. It's small chest rose and fell rapidly as she inched ever so slowly closer.

"Now then, I will give you one chance to give that Time Piece back to me, and maybe…just maybe, I will lose the craving for roast crow…"

The Mad Crow looked at his assailant square in the eye and changed it's cowardly face into a convicted glare. He rose his beak as high as he could and, with a caw of retaliation, he flung the Time Piece down so that it shattered into a million little pieces.

"YOU STUPID GIT! WHY DID YOU-"

Before she could finish her insult, Mustache Girl felt as if life had it's rewind button pressed as she involuntarily had her movements for the past five minutes reversed. Before she could even comprehend this familiar yet still unnerving experience, she was outside facing the Mad Crow once again with her hands clasped together near her face.

"Hello there little birdie…wait…"

She brought down her hands and looked at the befuddled creature in front of her. It had set the Time Piece down as if to recollect it's thoughts which she quickly took advantage of to snatch the relic away from it.

"Ah ha! Foolish animal! What you sought to cause me harm has in turn harmed you!"

Her victory was short lived as an angry mob of Mad Crows suddenly appeared behind their confused friend, every pair of eyes a burning glare in her direction.

She laughed. "What's this? The rebel squad?"

Follow me Rebel Squad!

The memories of finding Hat Kid and enlisting her to help with the removal of the Mafia flooded her mind, her smile slowly fading away until she was neutrally pensive.

Then, it hit her.

"Wait a minute…you, crow!"

The crow was awoken from it's confused state and looked up at her.

"You…you recognized the power of this Time Piece?"

It nodded. It's friends behind him relaxed their stance and witnessed the exchange.

The preteen prankster scratched her chin as neurons went ablaze in her brain. "You know, I could use a team of annoying winged pests such as yourselves…for a price."

The birds scrunched their brow in a collective display of resentment.

"Okay, hear me out. The Mafia have been nothing but an unflushable shit stain on this island, correct?"

The birds nodded.

"And it's about time we got them off the island, am I right?"

The birds cawed in agreement.

"With my brains and your numbers, and with the help of this Time Piece, we can do that. In exchange for your help, I will grant you half the island."

The birds all looked at one another, cawing quietly with inflections indicative of weighing the pros and cons. Finally, the Mad Crow that started the whole thing hopped forward towards the hooded child and stopped right in front of her.

He lifted a wing.

"Very well," she said, taking his wing with her hand and giving it a hearty shake. "It's a deal."