Well, after one, fun Train vacation, the next chapter is up!
In the northwestern part of West Virginia, a fast freight train was speeding along the countryside at 90 miles per hour. Every kind of freight car, from the boxcar to the tank car, sported the various roadnames: Chicago and North Western, Pere Marquette, Santa Fe, New York Central, Pennsylvania, Chesapeake and Ohio, Wabash, The Burlington Route, and the Great Northern. Inside one of the boxcars were Doris Deer, Lucky Piquel (who was wearing pants again), Bonkers, Fall-Apart Rabbit, Toots, Broderick, Officer Light, Chance, Jake (who both were wearing pants again), Snipes, Patou, and Stubbs the Clown, while the squad car and Turbokat were tied down to a flat car. Now, our heroine knew riding freight trains was dangerous, but she was determined in her quest.
"So, what happens if you don't make it on time?" asked Patou. "Oh, that's something too horrible I never want to think about." replied Doris. "Well, think about it." said Jake. "Who would Peter marry?" "Icy!" said Doris. "Icy? Isn't she that bad guy from "Winx Club"?" asked Lucky. "Yes, she is." Replied Doris, sadly. "Well, don'tcha worry, baby! We'll get'cha there in no time!" advised Bonkers. Whistling loudly, the train rushed across the valley and into the night.
Next morning, the squad car drove through a small town followed by Stubbs' car, while the Turbokat flew across the sky. Doris felt worried. "We only have five days left, Lucky. We're running out of time." "Look, I'm going as fast as the speed limit lets me. Unless you wanna' break the law." said Lucky. "No worries, Doris. He's gonna be okay." said Bonkers to Doris. "Nah, maybe Icy has already married Peter." "No, that can't be true." Doris sighed. "I know Copy-boy; He'll wait." Lucky groaned at this. "And if I accept him, we'll be married."
"If you accept him? You mean you're not sure if you're going to accept him?" Lucky started chuckling. "You mean you're goin' through all this trouble and you're not SURE?" Lucky guffawed, out loud. "Oh, I'll accept alright." said Doris. "Don't be a goofball. There's no way you're gonna' marry him. He's pathetic. You always turn him down in every Pith Possum segment."
Then a signal started beeping. Lucky knew what it was and said, "Well, time to get some gas." He pulled into a Mobil gas station, stepped out of the car, opened the gas cap, and put the nozzle in. Bonkers and Fall-Apart gleefully hopped out of the car to get a couple of donuts as did Stubbs, Patou, and Snipes, Toots, Officer Light, and Broderick.
"What kinda' donut should we get, guys?" asked Bonkers. "Ummm… num, num, num…Chocolate glazed!" said Fall-Apart. "Naw, let's get the French crullers." said Stubbs.
"No! Lasagna-flavored!" shouted Snipes.
"Chocolate glazed!"
"Lasagna-flavored!"
"French crullers!"
"Sprinkles!"
"Honk-Honk!"
"Chocolate glazed!"
"French crullers!"
"Lasagna-flavored!"
"Sprinkles!"
"Boston Cream Donut!"
"Sprinkles!"
"FRENCH CRULLERS!"
"SHADDUP!" Patou had had enough. "I don't care if you want French crullers, or lasagna, or stuff like that. Why don't you guys get the donuts you want and then we'll share. Okay?" The toons and Stubbs quickly nodded as if to say, "Yes." "All right, then. I'm gonna' get some biscuits and some juice for all of us." And so, they bought a Baker's dozen for twelve dollars and went back to the squad car. "Hey, Doris, ya wanna donut?" asked Fall-Apart. "No thank,s Fall-Apart. Donuts contain a ton of sugar which is bad for your health." Fall-Apart, upon hearing this, fell into pieces (literally). "Oh, well, more for me!" And he was just about to eat them when Bonkers shouted, "Hey! Save some for us, Fall-Apart!" "Kay." He replied.
"If any of you need to stretch, just make it quick. We gotta go, now." said Lucky. They did so as fast as they could. Bonkers and Stubbs stretched their arms in the air; Patou stretched himself out on the pavement; Snipes, Toots, Light, and Broderick flexed their backs; and Fall-Apart was doing jumping jacks, losing bits and pieces along the way. He quickly reassembled himself as fast as he could and they all got into the squad car. They drove out of the gas station and started the rest of their journey.
The hours passed. Morning turned into day and day turned into night. With its headlights shining, the car drove down through the countryside at 45 miles per hour. Doris, Bonkers, and Fall-Apart were getting sleepy and asked Lucky to take them to a motel. "Look Doris, no matter how it kills me, we're getting you to Possum City whether you like it or not." "Lucky, I know." said Doris. "I'm tired and I want to get some rest. Not to mention how tired the rest of them are." "Pushover." Lucky thought to himself.
Suddenly, a large, barren tree fell down onto the road apparently 50 feet ahead of them! Bonkers and Fall-Apart did a wild take as Doris shouted, "STOP THE CAR!" Lucky pressed down on the brake pedal as hard as he could. The squad car skidded to a stop just in time. "All right. Whose idea was to chop down this tree ONTO THE MIDDLE OF WEST VRIGINIA HIGHWAY-29?!" "I did." said a voice. Lucky gulped in terror. He looked up and saw the Grand Duke of Owls and his six minions. "Now... what have we here?"
Doris, who stepped out of the car with Bonkers and Fall-Apart, stammered, "Who-who are you?" "Icy sent out the Sapsucker of Dr. Paul Bunion to kill you, remember? It's gone through days on an empty stomach, you dumb blonde!" His talons tore off a branch in fury. "And that is just why... the Duke is going to assassinate you."
"You mean…kill me?"
"Oh, dear, now I've gone and spoiled the surprise, twice. Always doing that." But then, he perked up. "But you see, Ms. Doris Deer, Ace Reporter for a Great Metropolitan Tabloid, we Creatures of the Night have decided to find you and to make absolutely sure… that you and your associates never return." His minions glared at her, thinking up different ways to kill her. "And you… you, with a special love in your life, have the nerve to journey back home by car!" The Duke calmed down. "And besides… the Collector should have made a prized possession of you, Bobcat!"
"Who, me?" asked Bonkers.
"Yes, you!" said the owls together.
"First, we kill Doris Deer, the police officer, and the clown, and then, we shall eat you for supper!"
"Wanna bet?!"
T-Bone leaped into the air and kicked the Duke in the stomach that sent him hurtling into a muddy pond. The Duke raised his head above the muck and shouted, "I will not be undone by the SWAT Kats!" The owls were ready to go for the kill when Patou bit one of the owls' ankle. The minion screeched with pain. "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW! GET HIM OFF! GET HIM OFF!" The owl shouted. But none of them did, because Razor gave two of the owls a flying kick to the sides, hurtling them into the hollow of another tree.
Meanwhile, three of the smaller owls had tackled Doris, which triggered the wrath of Lucky, who shouted, "NO ONE HURTS MY FRIEND AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!" He grabbed the grey-bearded owl and threw him like a football! Two of the owls came charging towards T-Bone and Razor who aimed their glovatrixes at them. "Octopus missiles deploy!" shouted T-Bone. The missiles launched out on impact and hit them in the stomachs, hurtling them back into the same tree. The two, smaller owls were trying to fly away until… "Hang on, shortys." Bonkers had grabbed them by the tail feathers and he was just dragging them down to earth when the Duke shouted, "THIS SHALL END! NOW!" He used his magic breath to turn himself into a giant, ready to destroy Doris and her friends. "I wish we had some light here!" said Patou.
"I got an idea!" said Bonkers. He wrote a letter, requesting a spotlight and generator, and put it in the nearest mailbox. Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf (from Looney Tunes) drove up in their mail van, took the letter from the mailbox, and drove off. One second later, they came back with the spotlight and generator. "Thanks, guys!" said Bonkers. "Sign here." said Sam. He did so and Ralph Wolf responded by saying, "Thanks." And they drove off as Bonkers quickly hooked everything up. He pulled the lever and the light shone in the Duke's face.
He screamed in pain as he twisted around and around until he shrunk to the size of a chipmunk. "MASTER!" The owls shouted. "Take dis, you creeps!" He shone the light in the owls' faces as the Duke called out in a shrilly voice, "RETREAT! RETREAT!" With no time to lose, they quickly flew out of the countryside, avoiding any more light attacks from Bonkers.
"Patou, who was that?" asked Doris.
"That," said Patou. "Was the Grand Duke of Owls. The meanest, hunting machine in the country. He tried to destroy the farm in our movie, "Rock-A-Doodle"."
"Goodness, you…you all saved my life." praised Doris.
"Hey, don't mention it, baby." said Bonkers.
"Yeah." T-Bone looked at the eastern horizon. "If something else happens, we'll be there to kick some tail!"
So, since it was one heavy battle with the Duke, the next chapter's up in a few minutes!