Chapter 3

"Okay, this is my best chance," Spinal told himself. "I hope I don't blow it."

He and Pepper sat down on the steps in the courtyard.

"Okay…so what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Pepper asked.

"It's about your true identity," Spinal told her. "I want to help you remember who you really are."

"Really? You know who I am?"

"Yes! You're Jenny, the leader of our team, the Rebels."

"Okay. Then who are you?"

"I'm Spinal. I've been a Rebel for…longer than I can remember. But you're our leader, and that's why we need you to remember."

"What does this team do? And what am I supposed to do?"

"We've been fighting evil, namely the dark lord Black Shadow. But then he had us cryogenically frozen for 3000 years."

Pepper looked down at herself. "That would explain this obsolete clothing I'm wearing…"

"Yeah…" Spinal agreed. "Anyway, during those 3000 years, Black Shadow conquered the entire universe, assigning a general to every planet to rule on his behalf. Our mission is to defeat these generals."

"All of them? That's crazy!"

"Well…you're right. It is crazy, but we've got no other choice. Since we're Black Shadow's biggest adversaries, he'd be hunting us down anyway."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The main reason why we need you to remember your true identity is because you're not safe here. Garlic Jr. is one of Black Shadow's generals."

Pepper stood up. "What??"

"Yeah…he's just taking advantage of your amnesia and using you as his slave," Spinal continued. "That's why my friends and I are trying to save you."

Pepper sighed. "Look…even if everything you're saying is true, there's no way I can lead your team. I'm a totally different person now. So you guys will have to choose a new leader."

"But Jenny, we can't give up!" Spinal continued to plead. "I believe in you! I know you can remember who you really are!"

"But I can't!" Pepper nearly screamed. "I don't even know what happened to me! I don't know how I ended up here. Therefore, I have nowhere else to go. So if Garlic Jr. wants to make me his slave, then fine."

Spinal's bottom jaw fell off his face, dropping to the ground.

"Oh gross…" Pepper mumbled.

Spinal picked up his jaw and put it back in place. "Sorry, I didn't mean to do that. So you really don't remember anything? Do you remember the Universal Code book that Canis gave us?"

Pepper gave him a confused look. "Nah-uh."

"Well, I'll tell you something I read from it: A friend is one who knows who you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you become, and still gently invites you to grow."

Pepper gave much thought into these words of wisdom. "So…you know who I am?"

Spinal nodded.

"And you understand where I've been?"

"Of course I understand where you've been. In fact, I've been there myself."

"And…what have I become? And what was I before that?"

"Well…I heard you were a sad little girl in the past, but you turned out to be one of the greatest fighters of all time."

"Me, a fighter?" Pepper burst out laughing. When she calmed down, she returned to Spinal. "Listen…I can't do this. I can't see myself the way you're describing me. So for whatever it's worth…I'm sorry."

She got up and went back into the castle. Within seconds, Salt peered out through the door.

"Ha ha!" he sang, before slamming the door again.

Spinal let out an exasperated sigh. "That didn't go very well, did it?"

Pepper trudged across the throne room, until she saw Garlic Jr. standing in front of her.

"Is he gone yet?" he asked.

"Uh…yeah, I got rid of him," Pepper replied.

"Good. Now I have something for you, Pepper. Please follow me."

Taking her by the hand, he led her over to the throne, and then she sat down on the floor.

"I wanted to give you something as a token of my gratitude," Garlic Jr. said. "Here, take this."

Pepper took the cup of black water that Garlic Jr. handed to her. She took a small sip of it; it tasted disgustingly sweet. She could feel her stomach turning instantly. Nevertheless, she drank the rest of it in one gulp.

"Yuck!!" she yelled. "Thanks, Lord Garlic; that was really…sweet."

Garlic Jr. said nothing as he waited for the black water to take effect. After a moment, Pepper clutched her stomach and began moaning.

"Yes, it's going to happen at any moment!" Garlic Jr. thought.

Pepper continued to suffer from her stomach pains for another moment. Then carefully, she sat up as the pain ceased.

"What!?" Garlic Jr. seemed surprised.

Pepper looked up at him. "Huh?"

"Grrr. Spice, keep an eye on her. The rest of you, follow me."

Garlic Jr. turned and left the room, with Vinegar, Salt, and Mustard following. As instructed, Spice remained in the throne room with Pepper.

"What's going on?" Pepper asked. "Were you trying to poison me?"

"No, of course not," Spice told her.

"I feel sick…" Pepper groaned. "What was that stuff?"

"That was black water." But Spice didn't dare tell her what it was for.

Suddenly, Pepper gasped. Her eyes widened as she clutched her stomach and clamped her hand over her mouth. She jumped to her feet and rushed out into the courtyard.

"Hey, wait!" Spice followed her as she ran to the railing at the edge of the courtyard. Pepper threw up black vomit over the railing. Spice stopped before catching up to her, as he heard her retching noises.

After a moment, Pepper straightened herself. "Spice…I think there's more room down there. Why don't you come over her and puke with me?"

"Oh no, I couldn't…"

"Oh, come on!" Pepper took Spice's arm and led him over to the railing. Once again, she leaned over the railing, throwing up. Spice suddenly felt sick to his stomach as well, and he too vomited over the railing. Pepper spit up one more sludge over the railing, then turned and headed back into the castle. Spice wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before following.

When Pepper got back into the throne room, she sat down in front of the throne, then tipped to the side, having fainted dead away. Catching up to her, Spice knelt down beside her.

"Pepper? Wake up, wench!" he pleaded. "Hmm, the black water didn't work as it should. Lord Garlic isn't going to like this."

"Hey Spice, what's going on?" Vinegar asked, entering the room. "What's wrong with Pepper?"

"She just fainted," Spice told him. "I guess the black water was too strong for her. Perhaps the mist would have been better."

"So wake her up!"

"I already tried, but she won't wake up."

"Uh-oh, the boss is going to be angry. What are we going to do?"

"There's nothing we can do. Lord Garlic may not like this, but I'm sure he'll understand."

Garlic Jr. entered the room and approached them. "Pepper, I have another task for you."

"She's passed out, Lord Garlic," Spice told him. "The black water was a little too strong for her."

Garlic Jr. looked down at Pepper. "Perhaps I should have stuck with the black water mist. Spice, what happened after she drank the water?"

"She got sick to her stomach and threw up," Spice told him. "Then she came back in here and passed out."

"Hmm…well, there's nothing we can do until she comes around. Right now, we should go after the Rebel team. If this wench truly is their leader, they'll come for her again."

"Okay, let's go," Spice agreed.

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On the Rebel Rack bridge, Fulgore and Yamcha were overhearing Garlic Jr.'s plan.

"Uh-oh, that doesn't sound good," Yamcha said.

Fulgore switched off the video monitor. "Let's move."

They turned to leave the room, but the door slid open well before their approach. Spinal entered the room to report his results.

"Shh, don't say anything!" Fulgore said.

"We know what happened," Yamcha said. "We also know that Garlic Jr. is plotting to attack us. So we'd better strike first, and take him down by surprise."

The Rebels nodded in agreement and beamed down to the courtyard.

"Okay...how should we make the approach?" Yamcha asked.

"Should we even try to challenge Garlic Jr. without Jenny?" Arbin asked.

"We have to get her back," Fulgore said. "I'd like to wait for her memory to return before fighting Garlic Jr., but we already know that he's going to attack us. We may not have time to wait."

"So we have to make the first move." Yamcha took a deep breath, then exhaled. "All right, here goes."

He walked over to the large steel door and gave it a few hard knocks. The other Rebels kept their distance. Yamcha shot a quick glance back at them as the door opened.

Pepper's eyes widened. "Can I help you?"

Yamcha looked at her, also with wide eyes. When he couldn't think of anything to say, he grabbed Pepper by the shirt and yanked her outside.

"Hey!" Garlic Jr. and the Spice Boys stepped outside a moment later. "What do you think you're doing with my housekeeper!?"

"Uh..." Yamcha paused for a moment, then shook Pepper's shoulders. "Jenny, you've got to snap out of it! We need you!"

Then something odd happened. Pepper contained a laugh as she gently pushed Yamcha back. "Yamcha, calm down, will you?"

Yamcha paused, then stepped backwards. "Wait a minute...did you just call me Yamcha?"

The other Rebels blinked their eyes at her.

Pepper began laughing...it was a small laugh at first, but then it evolved into a blown out laugh. "You all suck! I always knew who I was!"

"What the...?" Salt gasped.

"What did you say!?" Garlic Jr. asked, infuriated.

Pepper walked right over to him, kneeling in front of him. "My name is Jenny. And I remember everything."

Spinal was both confused and angry. "So...so you just...you just..."

"Did she get her memory back?" Salt asked.

"No, you idiot!" Spice growled. "She never lost her memory! She was faking it the whole time!"

"That little bitch!"

Jenny stepped back. "Of course, I wish I could forget everything...forget why I'm here, forget why I'm alive. I'll admit, Lord Garlic, being your housekeeper would be better than the life I'm living now."

"What are you talking about?" Garlic Jr. asked.

Jenny shook her head. "Never mind. You wouldn't care anyway."

"If you'd rather live as our housekeeper, then come on in!" Vinegar called.

"No thanks. I'd rather forget my current life first."

Jenny looked back at her friends, who nodded in return.

"Help me forget, Garlic!" she said, assuming her basic fighting stance. "Help me forget!"