Good news: I bring you chapter 7! Yaaay! -claps hands-
Bad news: School is near, and I don't know if how long I'll be able to finish the story, Waaaah!!!
But don't worry, I'll try to finish it, and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. More chapters to come soon!
Flushed away is owned by (c)Dreamworks and (c)Aardman
Okay! Ready...set...READ!!!
Chapter 7: It's a Deal
All is noisy and crowded at the kitchen in the Malone residence. The hungry children all gathered around the table and ate their hot porridge, especially hungry Sid who ate a lot and asked for seconds. There were a lot of commotion in the kitchen, but the highlight of it is the conversation of their guest.
"...so when Sid told me that Roddy went to the sewers, I came here to find him along with Sid so he could help me..." Duchess' story got the attention of the whole family, though they find her interesting, Rita was annoyed by Duchess' innocent actions towards her family. While Roddy, who sat between them, felt uneasy.
"Oh Roddy darling, you haven't eaten your porridge, here let me help you" Duchess took a spoonful of porridge and brought it towards Roddy's mouth "here comes the train" she sang like a parent trying to feed her child.
"No, no that's okay--" Roddy almost choked when Duchess shoved the spoon into his mouth.
"So Duchess," interrupted Mrs. Malone "you're saying you came here for Roddy, right?"
"Why yes," said Duchess with an innocent look on her face "but we need to get back home soon"
"You're a lucky girl," said Mr. Malone "we have a boat that will get you back Up Top" he paused for a while, one of Rita's brother fed him a porridge and gulped it, he then continued. "My daughter Rita here will be happy to help you"
"What?" exclaimed Rita and Duchess at the same time
"Is there a problem girls?" asked Mr. Malone
"Oh no, I was just thrilled" lied Duchess "what a surprise!" she added. In fact, she didn't want to ask Rita for help, she hates her after all. But it's her only choice to get her and Roddy home.
"Oh yes, what a surprise!" said Rita sarcastically. She obviously didn't like Duchess, too. "Eventhough she's a pain in the neck, I can't leave her here wandering in the sewers. But the sooner she gets back Up Top, the better." she grinned when she thought about it, but when she glanced at Roddy her grin disappeared. "But that means Roddy will go, too. But he wouldn't, would he?" she thought and ate her porridge.
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After breakfast, Rita and Sid went to the attic to get the maps and the other equipment to prepare for their journey, while Roddy and Duchess waited outside the house for them.
"This is great news darling, we're going home!" said Duchess excitingly and hugged him. But Roddy didn't want to go back to his old home. He wanted to stay in the sewers with Rita's family. In fact, he can't stand her. Duchess is not actually Roddy's girlfriend. She just claimed that she is, but Roddy didn't have a chance to stand up to her, until now.
"Duchess" said Roddy bravely "I'm not going"
"What?" said Duchess surprisingly
"I'm not going." at frist Roddy was nervous standing up to her, but he felt better when he let it out. "I want to stay here, and I'm not your boyfriend, it was just a playdate, Duchess. A one-day play date."
"Are you sure you want to live in this...this rubbish?" asked Duchess "You're crazy"
"Yes, yes I am" replied Roddy, Duchess thought about what Roddy had said, she didn't say anything for a while.
"Alright then" said Duchess
"Really?" Roddy's spirit lifted and was thankful when he heard the answer "Right then, let's get you and Sid back home, I'll tell Rita and--"
"No!" interrupted Duchess "I'll tell her" But she lied to him. She has other plans to convince Roddy to go back with her, but she has to wait until Rita comes out of the house. Roddy went to the boat with joy but then he tripped on a board, but he got up eventually and jumped on the boat.
Then Sid went out of the house carrying the equipment to the boat, followed by Rita carrying a map. "Ah, great timing" Duchess was still standing outside the house, when Rita passed by her, she blocked her way to get her attention.
"What now?" asked Rita with an annoyed tone
"Listen, I'm sorry what I said earlier" said Duchess, Rita was surprised when Duchess apologized to her. "can we just forget about it, and maybe we should, start over?" Duchess gave her an innocent look, yet Rita still didn't trust her.
"Look Duchess" said Rita "I know you hate me so don't pretend to be nice."
"I see where this is going, you don't trust me do you?"
"Apparently, yes"
"Well I don't trust you, too."
"Okay, let's start by sealing the deal." Rita spat on her hand and brought it out.
"What are you doing?" said Duchess in disgust
"Sealing the deal"
"So if I spit my hand that means you'll get me and Roddy back to Kensington?"
"And never come back"
"No turning back?"
"We Malones never go back on our word."
"Fair enough" Duchess spat on her hand and shook hands with Rita. Duchess was disgust by it which made Rita smiled a little. "So that means you're giving up on him" said Duchess with a sly look on her face. Rita ignored it and the both went to the boat. "This is better than I expected, it's too perfect" she thought and smiled menacingly.
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In the floodgate control tower, Spike and the Toad were having a conversation using a cellular phone.
"Did you finish the job?" asked the Toad
"Yes boss" said Spike and turned the phone towards the radio for the Toad to listen.
"Last night, posters were found on every house and shop in Ratropolis. The mysterious cheese caught the attention of everybody in the city, and hopefully we would meet the bringer of this myterious cheese in two days..."
"Excellent!" shouted the Toad with joy and laughed menacingly. Then a beep interrupted him. "Hold on I've got another call" he then transferred his call, it was Le Frog who called him.
"Bonjour, cousin" said Le Frog
"Le Frog it's so nice of you to call me" said the Toad
"I call you to tell you that my accomplice will be visitng today"
"Excellent! Could this day get any better?" said the Toad with joy. Then he heard a commotion going on over Le Frog's phone. "What are you doing?"
"Liberation of frogs!" said Le Frog "Did you know that frog legs is a French delicacy? It's madness I tell you, madness!" then the sound of banging pots and pans got louder "I have to go now, au revoir!" Le Frog ended the call. The Toad transferred his call back to Spike's phone.
"Boss, there's someone here who wants to talk to you" said Spike and hands over the phone to the French rat beside him.
"Bonjour" said the French rat
"You must be Le Frog's accomplice" said the Toad
"Call me Fromage and I came here to settle the deal"
"Did you bring it?" asked the Toad. The tall rat gave the cellular phone to Spike and reached into his pocket and took out a black bottle of rat poison.
"I hold in my hand, the key to your sucess" said Fromage with pride
"Shiny" said Whitey standing beside Spike
"It's not shiny, it's deadly" scolded Fromage "but it's not fatal"
"How can it be deadly if it's not fatal?" asked the Toad
"The deadly part is that they don't drink the antidote, I have here" Fromage reached into his pocket again and took out a green bottle "the not fatal part is they drink the antidote, which I doubt" he then put back the bottle in his pocket. Curious, Spike wanted to touch the bottle of rat poison, but Fromage slapped his hand. "but in exchange, you have to give me something worth my taking" he then took out his magnifying glass, which served as binoculars, and looked out the window. He looked at every store and rat that strolled in the streets, but nothing interests him. He then saw a boat about to passed by the tower. It marked 'Jammy Dodger II' and spotted a female rat steering the boat. His attention was caught by the trinket she's wearing. "It can't be" he gasped, wiped the glass on his shirt and looked again "but it is". He took the phone from Spike and gave him the magnifying glass "My amphibian friend, I have found what I have been looking for"
"Where?" asked Spike
"The one steering the boat" said Fromage. Spike looked at the window using the magnifying glass and spotted Rita.
"Rita?" said Spike
"You want that vermin?" asked the Toad
"Aww, that's sweet" said Whitey
"No you idiots, the one that she's wearing" scolded Fromage
"Why would want it from her anyway?" asked the Toad
"That necklace is the rarest and the most expensive Lady Victoria accessory, my friend" said Fromage
"Lady Victoria? Who's she?" asked the Toad
"Only the greatest doll ever, I have all of her accessories" Fromage took his bag and opened it. It was full of gold and silver trinkets, others were covered with precious stones, and some were fake but they were beautifully designed.
"Shiny" said Whitey
"Yes my albino, pinked-eyed friend, shiny" said Fromage, Whitey wanted to touch them but Fromage slapped his hand "Nice to look, nice to touch, but once broken, it is considered sold" he then closed the bag and put it aside. He then turned to the phone "Anyway, I want that necklace if you want the poison" demanded Fromage
"Very well" said the Toad "My boys will take care of everything"
"You can count on us boss" said Spike, the Toad ended the call.
"What are you waiting for? Vite! Vite! Allez-y! shouted Fromage
"Hey, hey you're not the boss of us" shouted Spike
"How silly of me to forget" said Fromage and grabbed a piece of strong wood and clenched it on his fist "Fromage doesn't like waiting, and if Fromage doesn't like something, he gets angry" his clench grew tighter, not for long, the strong wood snapped into two "and you don't like it when I'm angry" said Fromage with an intimidating tone and it made the both panic.
Spike and Whitey quickly went down to call the other henchrats. When they were about to go to the door, Whitey quickly closed the door and it hit Spike and fainted. Whitey opened the door to look for his partner and found him lying on the floor.
"Sorry Spike" he then grabbed him and closed the door, but Spike's leg was caught between the door and the doorpost. "Sorry" Whitey again apologize and carefully closed the door.
Weee! Another new character, I owned Fromage, okay? Now that you have met my two characters I'll give you a short bio for them.
Duchess- Nicole, Tabitha's cousin, owns this spoiled, pampered pet mouse. But she is not clumsy as Roddy, she's actually smart and resourceful as Rita, but despises sewer rats. She was once Roddy's playdate when Nicole came to visit Tabitha. She thinks that Roddy likes her, but he doesn't. So she claimed herself to be his girlfriend and will do anything to be with his side. Fortunately, Duchess lives far away from Roddy, but Nicole visits Tabitha every year. Poor, poor Roddy...
Fromage- A poison dealer, doll accessory collector (his hobby), and Le Frog's accomplice and friend. Le Frog and Fromage used to be partners and they were the greatest spies ever, but a calling made Fromage become a poison dealer. They were a team again when the Toad gave Le Frog a mission to get rid of the rats in Ratropolis, and he needs Fromage's help. Fromage went off first to settle the deal with the Toad, while Le Frog is still in France liberating the frogs in a French restaurant. This tall, French rat can fight, and you don't want him to be angry, trust me...