Author's Note: Wow, I didn't even realize that I hadn't uploaded chapters 2 and 3 of this story yet. I've been stuck on the fight scene for quite a while now.

Chapter 2

Back at the Rebel Rack, Fulgore and Yamcha were still awaiting Jenny's report while reading their Universal Code books. It had been over an hour, and they hadn't gotten anything.

"I'm a little worried, Fulgore," Yamcha said. "It's been several hours since Jenny left, and we haven't heard from her since."

"Jenny can take care of herself," Fulgore responded. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt to check on her."

He opened his communications channel. "Jenny, this is Fulgore. Come in, please."

Nothing.

"Come on, girl; speak to me!" Fulgore pleaded.

Still no response.

"Where is she?" Yamcha asked.

"I don't know…but I'm going to keep trying," Fulgore said. "Jenny! Come in, Jenny!"

Pepper stood in the kitchen looking up at the cabinets. She opened one of the lower cabinets and pulled out a pot, then set it down on the stove. But when she opened up the top cabinets, she found condiments, and nothing more.

"Pepper!" Garlic Jr.'s voice called from the throne room.

"Pepper? Does he want pepper for dinner?" Pepper began pulling out the condiments in search of the pepper.

"Pepper!" Garlic Jr. called again.

"Hold on, I'm looking for it!" Pepper thought as she sped up her search. Then she pulled out two condiments.

Then Spice entered the room. "Pepper, Lord Garlic is summoning you, and he's getting impatient."

Pepper paused. "Oh, he was calling me!" She looked down at the red and black peppers she now had in her hands. "I thought he wanted this stuff."

"Well, you'd better tend to Lord Garlic," Spice said. "Hurry."

Pepper dropped the condiments and rushed into the throne room. "Yes, Lord Garlic?" she asked between heavy breaths.

"What's taking so long with my dinner?" Garlic Jr. demanded.

"I don't even know what to cook; there's nothing but spices in there!" Pepper protested.

"Take a pot of water, and put the spices in it!" Garlic Jr. told her. "Then boil the soup to perfection! Is that too much to ask?"

"No, not at all," Pepper said.

"Then get moving!"

"Right!" Pepper raced back into the kitchen.

Garlic Jr. smiled. "That's the kind of housekeeper I like. Always in a hurry to get the job done."

Once in the kitchen, Pepper filled the pot with water and sprinkled various condiments into it. She let the soup simmer for a while, stirring it occasionally. Steam began to rise from the soup, releasing a mouthwatering aroma. Pepper took a whiff of the soup, then took a little taste for herself. Satisfied with the readiness, she poured the soup into a bowl and carefully carried it out into the throne room.

"Here you are, Lord Garlic," she said. "I hope you enjoy it."

"We'll see." Garlic Jr. took a spoonful of the soup and tasted it. His face was blank at first, but then his eyes lit up.

"Pepper, we need to talk," he said. "This is the best soup I've ever tasted."

"Well…I'm glad you enjoy it," Pepper replied, surprised at his reaction.

Garlic Jr. slammed the bowl down on the floor, shattering it. "Now clean this mess up! I need to go back into my chamber!"

Pepper gave him a look of shock as he got up and left the throne room.

When Spinal walked into the Rebel Rack bridge, Fulgore and Yamcha were still standing in front of the main computer terminal. They stared at the video screen, neither moving nor speaking.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Spinal asked.

No one responded.

"Hello?" Spinal protested. "What's going on here?"

Fulgore turned to him slowly, forming a smile in his eyes. Spinal recognized the smile; it was the smile Fulgore gave him whenever he was ready to torture him. Spinal began to back off. He turned and started to run, but Fulgore reached out and grabbed his headband.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm getting the hell out of here!" Spinal replied. "I know that look in your eyes!"

"Spinal, listen," Fulgore said. "Jenny went down to that planet a few hours ago, and we haven't heard from her since. We need you to go down and see what's happened to her."

"Why me?"

"Come on, we're a team. Now that the universe is plagued with evil, we need to really work together."

"Then what will you do?"

"We'll wait for your desperate cries for help."

Spinal glared at Fulgore. "You're just looking for me to get into trouble, aren't you?"

Fulgore grinned. "Damn straight."

"Go on, Spinal," Yamcha said. "We'll cover you in case something happens down there."

Spinal sighed. "At least someone actually cares. Well, see you later."

"Ciao," Fulgore said.

Spinal pressed on his ring and teleported away.

Once again, Garlic Jr. knelt down in his forbidden chamber worshipping his father.

"Father, this is terrific," he said. "The wench, whom I've named Pepper, is an excellent housekeeper. She made the most delicious soup I've ever tasted. I only wish that you could taste it, Father..."

Suddenly, a thick fog appeared in the air in front of Garlic Jr., forming a rectangular shape, and Black Shadow's image appeared within it.

"Hello, Garlic Jr.," he said.

Garlic Jr. stood up, startled. "Black Shadow…you interrupted my consultation with my father."

Black Shadow frowned. "I'm sorry, but I need to speak with you. It concerns a certain young wench you found earlier."

"She makes the most delicious soup," Garlic Jr. said.

"That's not the point. I know who the wench really is. She is the leader of a misfit team called the Rebels. Her best strengths are seduction and cunning."

"She's suffering from amnesia. She's harmless."

"Only while she's amnesiac," Black Shadow said. "But sooner or later, she'll regain her memory. Then she'll take you out. And you mustn't forget about her friends either. They can't be very far. They'll surely come for her."

Meanwhile, Pepper stood outside the forbidden chamber peering through the door. Her eyes widened and her lower lip trembled as she heard the warning about her true identity.

"All right, Black Shadow," Garlic Jr. said. "I'll take proper precautions."

"Great. Just remember to watch your back." With that final warning, Black Shadow's image faded, and the fog disappeared into nothingness.

Pepper turned away from the door and placed a hand on her chest. She lowered her head, trying to fight back her tears. If only she could remember the truth…

She began to walk away, but crashed into something. As she stepped back, she looked up to see Vinegar leering over her.

"The supplies are all set," he said. "Let the therapy begin!"

He reached down, wrapping his arms around Pepper's waist, then stood up, draping her over his shoulder. Then he started walking away from the forbidden chamber.

"Hey!" Pepper exclaimed as she struggled in his grip. "Put me down! I can walk, you know!"

No sooner than Vinegar was out of sight, Garlic Jr. exited the forbidden chamber. Stopping in the doorway, he began to sniff the air. He then placed his hand on the edge of the door, rubbing it firmly. Then he sniffed his palm.

"She was here," he thought. "She must have overheard."

Spice entered the room and joined him. "Is something wrong, my Lord? You look disturbed."

"I just got a transmission from Black Shadow," Garlic Jr. said. "He says that Pepper is actually the leader of a misfit fighting force who have come to this planet to challenge me. When Pepper regains her memory, she'll surely call on her team to start attacking us. But then again, the others might not wait."

"So should we prevent Pepper from regaining her memory?"

"That's won't be necessary. I'll just give her a taste of black water."

"Black water?" Spice asked. "That's with the same ingredients as the black water mist, isn't it?"

Yes, except you drink it instead of breathe it," Garlic Jr. told him. "Come, Spice, let us go to the kitchen."
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"Vinegar…are you sure you know what you're doing?" Pepper asked.

She was asking this because Vinegar's idea of therapy involved tying her to a chair. Vinegar stood about twenty feet in front of her with a blackberry pie in his right hand. He had a table with more pies right next to him.

"Sure, I know what I'm doing, darlin'," Vinegar replied. "I'll throw this pie at you, which will prompt you to think about who you really are. If you still can't remember, I'll throw another one. Get it?"

"Somehow I don't think it's going to work," Pepper protested.

"We'll see." Vinegar threw the first pie at her, which splattered in her face. Pepper froze for a moment, then shook the tray off her face. She shook her head some more, trying to get as much of the filling off her face as possible.

"Now do you remember anything?" Vinegar asked.

Pepper shrugged as best she could.

"Pity." Vinegar picked up another pie and threw it at her.

"Leave her alone!!" a voice demanded.

Vinegar turned to see a little skeleton warrior standing in the doorway. He grinned.

"Well, it looks like we have ourselves a little intruder," he said.

He planted his feet and charged at Spinal, who held his hands at his right side, gathering energy. As Vinegar got closer, Spinal thrust his arms out, launching one of his large screaming skull blasts at him. The blast hit him dead on, sending him flying across the room. Pepper gasped as she watched him hit the floor behind her.

Spinal rushed over to her and began undoing the ropes that held her to the chair. "Don't worry, Jenny; I'm here. You may not remember me, but you have to trust me."

Once Pepper was freed, she stood up and used the bottom of her shirt to wipe off the excess blackberry filling from her face. Then she looked at Spinal in total confusion. Spinal returned the expression for a moment, then came to his senses.

"Come on, we have to get out of here!" Spinal took Pepper's wrist and started to run to the exit.

However, Pepper resisted. "What are you doing, bonehead; get away!" she cried, wrenching herself free.

"Well, well, the little guy has some fight in him," Vinegar said.

Spinal turned and gasped. Vinegar stood exactly where he fell, grinning. Spinal screamed and rushed out of the castle and into the courtyard, while Vinegar pursued at great speed. Pepper paused for a moment, then followed to see what was happening.

When Vinegar got into the courtyard, the skeleton warrior was nowhere to be found.

"What the-" Vinegar began. "Where'd the little squirt go?"

Pepper slowly stepped outside. "Vinegar?"

Vinegar snapped his head backwards. "Be careful, Pepper! That little devil has to be around here somewhere."

"What's going on?" Pepper asked.

"It looked like he was after you for some reason," Vinegar told her. "Come on, let's get back inside."

He led Pepper back into the castle and closed the door.

Spinal hadn't disappeared from the courtyard; he was merely hiding right above the entrance. He hopped down when it was safe.

"Jenny doesn't remember me at all," he thought. "The only way we'll get her out of there is to show her the truth. She has no idea how much danger she's in."

Spinal opened his communication ring. "Fulgore, come in!"

"Hey Spinal," Fulgore responded. "Any good news?"

"Well, I have news, but it ain't good," Spinal said.

"Okay, what is it?"

"Jenny lost her memory. These goons took her in and made her a slave with a new identity."

"Uh-oh, that ain't good."

"I tried to get her out, but she refused to come with me," Spinal added. "What should I do?"

"Well, try to be a little less forceful," Fulgore suggested. "See if you can arrange a heart-to-heart with her. Hopefully, she'll be willing to remember her true identity that way."

"Okay, I'll try it." Spinal closed his ring and proceeded to enter the castle again.

"Ha, I knew you'd be back, you little pipsqueak!" Vinegar yelled.

Spinal gasped as he saw the Spice Boys in the throne room, apparently waiting for him.

"What!? An ambush!?" he cried.

The Spice Boys surrounded him and aimed their palms towards him. Suddenly, Spinal felt an invisible force closing in, squeezing him hard. The force only became tighter as he tried to push it out.

"There's no use struggling, bone boy," Spice said. "The more you struggle, the tighter the hold becomes."

Spinal found this to be true when he struggled again, and the force tightened even more. Finally, he gave in to the hold, and he fell to his knees.

"Jenny…" he cried out. "No, wait…Pepper…please…"

Pepper watched in horror for a moment. "No, stop! Don't be so rough!" she cried.

Spice shot her a look, then returned to Spinal. "Who are you, and what do you want?" he asked.

"I just want to talk…with Pepper," Spinal said. "Just for a minute…I'll never come back. Please, let me talk to her…please…"

"I don't trust him!" Vinegar said. "Let's kill him now!"

He thrust his hand forward, tightening the constraining force even more. Spinal screamed in pain.

"Vinegar, no!" Pepper shouted. "It's okay; I'll talk to him."

Spice turned to her. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," Pepper said. "Let's just give him what he wants and be done with it. Please, whatever you're doing, just stop it. Let him go."

The Spice Boys exchanged looks, apparently in thought.

"Very well then," Spice said. "Ease up, boys."

The mutants lowered their arms, releasing Spinal. With a groan, he slumped forward on the floor.

Vinegar grabbed Spinal and hauled him into the air.

"And remember, make it quick, or we'll kill you!"

As he threw Spinal to the ground, Pepper approached and punched Vinegar across the face.

"Damn it, I told you not to be so rough!" she shouted.

Spinal picked himself up, and he and Pepper walked out into the courtyard.

"Boys, we'd better keep an eye on her after this chat," Spice suggested.