The Cooper X Gang
By Mutitoon90
Chapter 7: Rumble in the Jungle
In Little China Town, one month after the Australian adventure.
"Hey!" Justin yelled at Mar, "Give that back!"
"Make me, Just!" The rat said, holding up an object that was concealed by a white napkin, not looking where he was going.
Mar was about to escape, when he tripped over something, causing the object to fly out of his hand.
"NOOO!" Justin yelled as he saw the object fall onto the floor.
Then, a gloved hand caught the object.
"Thank you, Belle!" The husky exclaimed joyfully as he saw the object was safe.
The mouse grinned as Justin ran up to her, thanking her.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"No problem." Belle said as revealed the object. It was a box of cupcakes.
"Thank you again." The husky said as he grabbed the box, but the mouse would not let go.
"Hey, let go, Belle."
"Nope." The mouse responded, still holding onto the box of sweets.
"Come on!" Justin wined.
"What's going on?" Rad said angrily.
"It's over some cupcakes." Mar said, getting up from his fall.
"Justin, did your mom send you cupcakes?" The raccoon said.
"Yeah, through Dad." The husky admitted.
"Okay." Rad said calmly.
"What?" Mar asked a little shocked.
"Yeah, Justin's mom makes the best cupcakes." Belle announced.
Rad and Justin licked their lips at the thought of the taste of the sweets.
"What 's so great about some cupcakes?" The rat asked.
The three others started to glare at Mar, who felt the fury in the room. Sam and Luna entered the room and immediately felt the bad energies in the room.
"What's wrong?" The cat asked nervously from the bad aura.
The wolf sniffed the air and smelled the cupcakes.
"Cupcakes?"
"Cupcakes?" Sam repeated.
"I haven't had a cupcake since I was a kid." Luna said, her mouth watering.
"Me either." The feline agreed.
"Glad to hear that." Justin said; his fury converted into happiness.
"Have some?" Rad asked Sam, holding an opened box.
"Hey!" Belle exclaimed, realizing that Rad swiped the box.
"Sure." The cat answered, taking a cupcake.
Sam reached for a cupcake and grabbed it when she noticed something.
"What?"
"What's wrong?" The raccoon asked.
"There's a piece of paper under the cupcakes!" The cat said.
"A piece of paper?!" The mouse exclaimed in shock.
Luna, who had also grabbed a cupcake, confirmed Sam's announcement.
"She's right."
"It's possible that it's the bottom of the box." Mar said indifferently.
"Well, there's one thing to do." Rad announced with his shoulders shrugged.
"What?" The others asked, looking at the leader.
"Eat cake."
Sam, Belle, and Luna looked at each other and then, back at Rad.
"Thinking what I'm thinking?" The cat asked her fellow females.
"Yep." The others girls answered.
Sam walked to the raccoon, who happened to have become very nervous.
"What is it?" Rad asked with nervousness in his voice.
"Let's have cake." Sam announced. Then, she slipped behind the raccoon and grabbed him.
"What?!" Yelled a surprised raccoon.
"Let 'im have it!" The cat yelled.
Belle and Luna each grabbed a cupcake and smashed it onto Rad's face. Then, Sam slammed her cupcake into her captive's face.
"I deserved that." Rad said, licking the food from his face.
The girls laughed, while Mar and Justin tried to hold back their laughter. The raccoon, however, laughed with the girls.
"Next time, I have to be careful what I joke about." Rad said to his 'attackers.'
"Yeah." The girls laughed.
"Let's see what the note has to say." Mar suggested, hoping to be calm by that time.
"All right." Sam said, "Let's read it."
Belle grabbed the note.
"Hey, this note's from my father!"
"Your Dad?" The cat exclaimed.
"Yeah." The mouse confirmed.
"Read it!" The husky demanded.
"No need to yell, Just." Rad said while rubbing his ears.
"Sorry." Justin said quietly.
Belle shook and wiped off the cupcake crumbs and started to read the note.
Cooper X Gang,
There's trouble brewing in India. Rajan, an old foe, is hosting a racing tournament this month. It's no doubt about why he's hosing a race, ask Murry. I'll provide transportation for you guys and your team van.
Hope to see you soon,
Bentley and Penelope
"That was short." Luna commented.
"Rajan…" Justin said.
"What's wrong?" Sam asked the husky.
"Don't worry!" A voice boomed into the room.
The gang looked at the doorway and saw a pink hippo.
"Dad!" Justin exclaimed.
"Hiya, Just!" The hippo said.
"Murry." Rad said.
"So, I'm guessing that you're here because you want to race?" Belle said.
"Yep. I just hope that Inspector Fox hasn't followed me"
"Huh?" Sam, Mar, and Luna asked.
"Fox was my mom's maiden name." Rad explained.
"Okay." The three said.
"So, what's up, Pop?" Justin asked.
"I'm starting to think that Justin got his smarts from his mother." Mar whispered to Sam, who giggled at the statement.
"Now for the important question." Justin's father said.
"What is it?" Rad asked.
"Got anything to eat?" The hippo answered.
After Murry ate, he told the gang that the airplane for India would leave the next week.
"You heard the guy." Rad announced, "Let's get packing."
"Right!" The others said.
The six young thieves ran off, leaving Murry by himself.
A week later…
"We're ready?" Rad asked Sam.
"Yep."
"That's good. Murry's been eating us out of house and home." Mar said, walking by the two.
"Okay, loan the van." The raccoon said.
"Done." Belle said, walking pass Rad.
"Okay, then check the van."
"Started and finished." Justin said from upstairs.
"Weapons?"
"Tuned and polished." Luna yelled from down the hall.
"Food?"
"Taken care of." Sam whispered to Rad.
"Why are you whispering?" Rad asked just as softly.
"Food?" Murry asked, poking his head out of a room.
"If that …" Sam started to say when Rad said, "Answers my question."
The cat giggled.
"I'm starting to think that I'm not wanted here." The raccoon said jokily.
"Same here."
Rad turned to Sam to find that, though he was joking, she was serious.
"Is it wanted or feeling needed?"
"Both."
"Let me guess…" Rad said with a grin.
"Don't." The cat demanded, wiping the grin off of the raccoon's face.
"Do you even what to talk about it?"
"Not now."
"We're ready!" Justin yelled before Rad asked another question.
Sam gave the Cooper heir a kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks for trying."
With that, she left Rad alone in the hall.
"Man, it's times like this that makes me understand my own mother better." Rad thought as he placed his hand on to the part of his face that the cat kissed.
"Hey!" Belle's voice yelled, bringing him back to reality.
"What is it?" The raccoon asked, somewhat annoyed.
"We need to leave very soon."
"Okay."
"Rad, what's wrong?" The mouse said, sounded determined.
"It's what I got from my mom."
"And that would be?"
"How I can blush so easily by a thief."
"What?!" Belle exclaimed loudly.
"It's nothing." Rad said, "Only one thief can get away with that, and she on our team."
"See ya in the van." The mouse said.
"See ya." The raccoon replied as he walked to the garage.
Belle thought, "What does Rad see in Sam? Good looks? Smarts? No way on Smarts! I got that hands down! Why does he think of me as one of the boys!?"
In the van, the gang, plus Murry, was ready to depart.
"Ready?" Rad asked.
"Ready!" The raccoon's five co-workers responded.
"Let's go!" Murry yelled.
The seven of them loaded up and drove to the airport.
After going though everything in the airport, the seven boarded the airplane.
"I never liked heights." The hippo wearing a business suit and a bad toupee said.
"Calm down, Dad." A husky wearing gothic clothing and makeup said to the hippo.
"Stop bickering!" A mouse in a school uniform demanded.
"Speak a little louder; I don't think Rajan could hear you!" A wolf in gangsta clothing nearly yelled at the mouse.
"Calm down, guys!" A hippie rat said.
A raccoon and cat couple looked at the fighting group.
"Did Belle and Justin act like this on your way to Little China Town?" The modestly dressed cat asked her well-dressed 'beau' as she continued to watch the argument.
"Only when Murry's around." The raccoon answered.
"Why?" inquired Sam.
"For Justin, it's like trying a break from being the grown-up of the group." Rad responded.
"So, Just's makes sure you and Belle stay out of trouble." The cat asked.
"Yep."
The feline giggled as she turned around in her seat.
"I heard that the three of you have been together for a while." Sam said.
"Yep, since kindergarten." Rad said with a smile, "I was there with you."
"Sorry." The cat said, embarrassed.
"Let's get some rest before we land." The leader suggested.
"I don't know." The feline said.
"Why?"
"By the looks when we came aboard, I'm guessing we're in for a long trip."
Rad remembered that the others were fighting.
"Ya know, I think you're right."
Sam dug into her purse.
"What are you looking for?" The raccoon asked the cat.
"Earplugs."
"Good idea."
The feline pulled out two pairs of earplugs, gave a pair to Rad, and plugged her ears.
"Now for a quiet trip." Sam said.
"Whatever that means." Rad said before plugging his ears.
Once they reached India, the group had calm down to the point that some of them fell asleep.
"Hey, wake up!" Justin said to a sleeping Rad.
The raccoon groaned as he stirred from slumber.
"What is it?"
"It's time to get off." The husky answered.
"What?" Rad asked. Then, he pulled off the earplugs from his ears and asked, "Now, what was it you were saying?"
"The plane's landed."
"Good." The raccoon said, "Let's go."
"Just as soon as some of the others are awake." Justin said.
"Okay."
"Rad…" An annoyed Sam announced, "We have to help too."
"Hey! I just woke up." The raccoon protested, but the cat ignored it.
"So have I! Now, come on!"
Sam grabbed Rad's ear and pulled it to her.
"OW!!!"
"Are you going to help?" The cat asked her captive.
"All right! All right! I'll do it!" Cried the raccoon, "Just let go!"
Sam released the ear and got out of her seat.
"Ow!" Rad exclaimed, "Now why did she do that?"
"Maybe that's a sample of how rough life on the streets can be." Justin guessed.
The raccoon almost spoke out, but the gave some thought about Sam's lifestyle prior to meeting Mar and Luna.
"I guess so."
And with that, he started helping waking up his sleeping friends.
After going through the airport, member by member, the group drove off into the jungle where the race was held.
"I wonder want the race is going to be like." Murry said while taking the front seat next to his son.
"I'm not to keen about races, but I do have that nasty feeling that the race is a trap." Sam announced from the back.
"Ya know, Sam, you might be right." Justin said while driving.
"Why?" The cat inquired the driver.
"Because my dad pounded the daylights outta Rajan."
"Hey!" The hippo said, "No one, I repeat, no one calls me 'weak' and gets away with it!"
"Oh, boy." Belle complained.
"Here we go again." Rad announced, much to his annoyance.
"Why do I have a feeling that this is going to be a long trip?" Luna asked.
"And why do I agree with you?" Mar asked Luna.
"Earplugs?" The feline asked her friends, holding a pair in her hands.
"One pair here!" Belle said.
"I'll take a pair." Rad announced.
"Silence is needed." Luna said dramatically.
"Oh, yeah." Mar agreed.
Each of the backseat riders grabbed a pair and plugged their ears.
"Hey, Rad." Sam said, just before the raccoon plugged his ears.
"Yes, Sam?"
"If you … Never mind!"
And with that, the cat plugged up her ears, leaving Rad rather puzzled.
"Why would Sam try to asked me unless…"
"Hey, Rad." Justin called.
Rad knew what Justin was going to ask.
"Don't worry, I'll bear it with you."
"Thanks, bud." The husky said gratefully.
Meanwhile, a vulture flew over the van; it had a camera attached to it, sending footage of the Cooper X Gang to a secret room of four people.
"So, they're coming." The voice of Rajan said.
"That's news." Another male voice spoke. It had a clear Brooklyn accent, "Let's see if they can defeat you like Mz. Sapphire."
"Not likely." A female voice said. It also had a clear Brooklyn accent, " Mz. Sapphire was defeated with brains, not brawn."
"What's the use of brains?" The male asked.
"Everything you do involves brains." The female snapped back.
"Then, why do I get F's in school?" The male asked.
"You're just lazy when it comes to schoolwork." The female responded.
Defeated, the male said, "I give."
The female giggled.
"Why are you two here?" Rajan demanded.
"Orders." The female answered almost immediately.
"From the top." The male added.
"So, you're here to watch." Rajan guessed.
"Pretty much." The male said.
"And report your success or failure." The female added.
"How are you two so sure I will fail?" Rajan inquired.
"We don't." The male said.
"We're here to watch and report." The female announced.
"I will not lose!" The tiger exclaimed furiously.
"Don't forget this, 'People don't plan to fail, they fail to plan.'" A new voice entered the room.
"Want do you want?" Rajan demanded.
"Just to watch." The mechanical voice answered.
"Are all of you making bets to see if I fail or not?!" The tiger roared with pure fury.
"Don't be idiotic, Rajan." The female voice spoke, "We came to watch, nothing more or less."
"I promise that Murry will feel my wrath!" Rajan said as the video showed the Cooper X Gang's van entering the jungle.
Next Chapter: Rumble in the Jungle, Day 1