Author's Notes:
Well, here's another chapter! This goes in depth to the condition of the penthouse Rhonda and the gang visit and they come face to face with Mr. Piano for the very first time; however, they also meet his female, elderly, crochety assistant named Mrs. Vright, with whom Rhonda has a very difficult and strained relationship. It turns out that Mrs. Vright tends to act harshly and mercilessly towards Rhonda and she would hand down severe punishments whenever any of Rhonda's faults cause her to get out of line. This chapter also explores Mr. Piano's personality in length and also reviews many of his outrageous and radical views towards today's modern society, views that are no longer accepted; these ideas also range from very misogynistic to bordering on racist, xenophobic and even has some hints on some favoritism towards pedophilia, especially on boys and girls growing up to be pimps and prostitutes.
It wasn't until just now that I just caught another great example of Mr. Piano's pedophiliac tendencies and I am disturbed at how twisted and monstrous his ideas are now. He also seems to be a very ambitious and power-hungry man who will stop at nothing to gain one of the highest positions in the American government, even if he has to use some underhanded means. Mr. Piano also seems to hold great disdain and contempt for his rivals and will fight hell to keep his business running. Not to mention that he is still hell bent on taking Rhonda's hand in marriage and making her his bride; talk about sick. You will also get to meet his young son Payton, who is a very frightened and timid boy with AIDS and who is verbally, emotionally, mentally and physically abused by his own father, (you'll see how later in this chapter), and later on in this story you'll find out what happened to his mother.
Rhonda and the team soon grow very attached to young Payton and are very determined to do whatever it takes to protect him from his own father. I dread to think what will happen if Mr. Piano had managed to successfully impose his views on American society and put his plans into motion; it would be chaos! I think a reappearance by this dastardly devil is in order but I have not yet come up with a good story line for that.
******WARNING: Some mature and disturbing themes might appear in this chapter, including pedophilia and verbal and physical child abuse so be warned*****
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Chapter 4: Meeting Up With Mr. Piano
75 miles away from Washington, D.C., a man was standing in front of an old, broken down, decadent, dismal penthouse. The windows were cracked and glazy; chunks of the building kept on falling apart, and to make matters worse there was no working electricity and only one working toilet. The apartment rooms in the home were covered with spider comb webs, dusty, and had hardened excrement and waste all over the furniture. The closets are often piled up with clothes and outfits that smell like horse manure. The bathrooms also smell like rotting corpses. The bloodstained bed sheets were a very disturbing sight, and the bed itself was chopped up into two and its framework was breaking down.
There were dogs that were malnourished and stricken with ugly blisters and granger. Dried blood was accumulated in their noses and their breathing was wheezy and labored. They were so famished and starved that their ribs were poking out. Burn marks were branded on their necks and pink patches of missing fur were being exposed for infection and disease. Mucus was built up in their eyes and their eyes were bright pink with tears. The oppressed dogs struggled to survive in the penthouse as their companions die from starvation, illness, infections and malnourishment one by one. They howled their mournful songs and cries as their raw hearts broke and bled and as the tears cascaded from their eyes.
The 1975 Delta Arizona then pulled up to the unpaved driveway and stopped. The Legacy then poised themselves to hear the pitiful cries of the dogs. "SH! You hear that? Those are dogs," Abraham Hershel informed everyone. "We know that, Abraham," retorted Suzanne Carmichael. "Look! Who's that guy over there?" shouted Thomas Carmichael, pointing to the man standing in front of the penthouse. Karen peered at the man curiously. Surdy transformed into a black, milky, medium telescope and then Lois Whitley looked through him to examine the stranger.
The man was 5'4 feet tall, with a gruff and snide expression, a short, black, bushy moustache, chocolate brown, ghoulish, dastardly, insanely jealous and bitter, contemptuous, wrathful eyes, ironclad fists that meant business, and with an intimidating pose that can stare people down and make others feel small. He wore an expensive tuxedo with a stylish flamboyant white polka dot black bowtie and a rakish white polka dot bowler hat with a white band on it.
On his right wrist was a silver watch that ticked so loudly you can hear it faintly in the air. He also wore extra large Wellington boots and had a burning cigar lingering in his left hand. On his face were deep rimmed and wide glass transitional spectacles with golden frames. His high cheekbones were just below his eyes and he resembled the younger vision of Theodore Roosevelt, except that he had Alice blue sideburns. His assistant then came walking up to him. She was gawky and lanky, with beady, sullen, disapproving, icy, purple eyes, twiggy arms and legs, frumpy and fatty face, shriveled and crooked nose, and with a slouching back. Her radiant, glowing blue veins were marked all over her body, except her face. Her hairy, arching, puffy, wild, conspicuous eyebrows stood out of all of her features. When she opened her mouth there were almost no teeth; there was only one golden tooth.
"Those damned kids! What are they doing here?" she harked in her raspy, whispery British accented voice. "Hush now, Mrs. Vright. I was expecting Miss Rhonda," the man whispered soothingly. "Ah, yes. That little runt. She never did anything right. Always losing stuff and poking into people's business. I disciplined that little brat whenever I could. Let's see if her teenage years had made improvements to her character. I hear that the high school she goes to is supposed to be good," Mrs. Vright rambled. Rhonda then immediately turned her attention to Mrs. Vright and then squinted her eyes knowingly. Mrs. Vright… She always tried to do everything possible to make my life miserable and to make me look bad by manipulating my worst faults to her advantage so she can brag to people what a lousy worker I am… she thought.
Mrs. Vright then spotted Rhonda and then croaked. "It's that rotten little girl! Mr. Piano, throw her into the Punishment Area!" she yelled. "My dear Mrs. Vright. There is no reason to chastise this young vixen. Invite her and her entourage into the penthouse, hmm?" explained Mr. Piano eloquently. Rhonda and the Legacy exited the car with Abraham Hershel and then Mr. Piano and Mrs. Vright led them into the penthouse. As the crew toured through the house, the low quality and poor craftsmanship and house care was evident. The furniture and antique pieces were worn down and destroyed. A large percentage of the floor was eaten away by termites and chunks of the roof lay to waste. Some of the drawers were either rendered useless or missing. Paper balls were littered around and smoldering embers were lingering on the wooden floor. Black urine dripped from the boards that supported the roof, making it apparent that someone – or something – was suffering from kidney failure.
"Hello, this is Rhonda Sarah Petrie, leader of Team Legacy. We are inside a penthouse located on a roadside just 75 miles from Washington, D.C. The room we are in is in very poor condition. It has paper balls scattered promiscuously on the floor and some of the drawers are either unusable or just disappeared. There are little embers still burning but barely. The roof is crumbling apart and there is a large hole in the floor because of termites. And a drop of warm black urine has just dropped into my hair. And the walls are also partly charred from previous firestorms or lightning strikes. And I also could smell horse crap coming in from a closet. I'm sorry, Judge Trudy, but this is really, really, really disgusting. Anyways, Mr. Piano has an assistant named Mrs. Vright, who used to terrorize me with her disciplinary methods such as making me write 100 times "I will not…" what stupid thing I did and with verbal abuse."
"She called me a stupid, spoiled, immature little brat and also said to me that a person my size and with my background will not amount to much. She also made fun of my glasses and also nicknamed me "Dorky Girl." She also used to make me do something over and over again until I got it right, even if I have to skip out on meals and stay up until midnight. Mrs. Vright even made me do stuff that I have no clue on what to do, and if I screwed up, which was most of the time, she would fume and shout and scream and yell and berate and criticize me and dump me into the Punishment Area and make me sit in the exact center of the room and I have to be quiet, stay still, and look straight at the mirror wall."
"The Punishment Area consists of a steeled screen door with a paddle lock on it and the interior has a variety of toys, books, and exercise equipment for people who want to exercise and for employees who want to put their kids in the Punishment Area for daycare service. There are building blocks, sleeping mats, a sink, a bathroom with double doors each reserved for boys and girls, three computers, stuffed animals, playhouses, and a miniature playground which is composed of twisting and straight slides, swings, a ball pool, ladders, and a pole designed for sliding down."
"It also has sets of spinning blocks that depict different pictures and also has letters, numbers, and images of animals. I would sit in the center spot for hours at a time, sometimes up to the time I was supposed to leave. The sign that tells me when I'll be allowed to be dismissed from the Punishment Area is the ringing of a hanging school bell that is adjourned to the screened door. The funny thing about the mirror wall is that if I stare at myself for an extended period of time, I can actually hypnotize myself and black out. There were also times when Mrs. Vright made me answer random questions in 5 seconds and if I fail to do so, I have to write 100 lines in the teaching room upstairs. She is also disgusted by my naïve mannerisms and by my kind and friendly manner and my tendency to be cowardly. When you think about it, it's almost like she's trying to turn me into evil or something. In fact, she hated everything about me."
"On cleaning days she would warn me if the shop wasn't spotless clean by lunchtime, she would have Mr. Piano do whatever he had in mind at that point and time. Well, this is it for this session. I think Mrs. Vright is watching me very closely so she can find an excuse to send me to the Punishment Area again," Rhonda quoted in the recording tape. She then slipped the tape to John Milton and then whispered by the side of her mouth, "Keep it safe and don't let anyone confiscate it from you." "What was that, bitch?" swore Mrs. Vright after turning her head towards them.
"Oh! Nothing Mrs. Vright. John was telling me a really funny joke, that's all. (Clears her throat) What did the alligator eat for his breakfast? A crock of dill sandwich! (Laughing maniacally)," Rhonda answered. May's face blanched and her eyes shrunk with disbelief while everyone looked at each other anxiously. "Hey, guys! How about this joke?" proposed Lena. Poodles snorted and cocked his ear to the side. "What does a donkey say to his burden? Hey, get off my ass!" she swore and chortled at the same time.
Most of the team started laughing. Timon slapped his knees three times while Pumbaa was lying on his back and couldn't stop laughing. Mrs. Vright was livid with her jaw dropped and Mr. Piano had to fiddle with his shirt collar in nervousness. Jane Walters was shifting her feet to and fro. Zira was banging her fists on the wooden floor while Suzanne's sides were hurting so much from laughing and she had to bend down. Ferdinand went around in circles while honking and choking in laughter. Judith Beasley was blushing a little. Grace was breaking into tears from so much laughter. Jack was cracking up so much that he had to cough a couple of times. Will was giggling while Karen was roaring and cachinnating with laughter. Sophia Lopez and Anne Margaret were chuckling while Jack Lennon and Walter Matthews were giving each other high fives and howling.
Finally Mr. Piano made a loud whistle that stopped everyone dead in their tracks and then he beckoned them to climb upstairs. So the whole entire gang began to ascend up the stairs, and they had just gone up four steps when Sophia Lopez slipped and fell on her elbow. Diane Bernstein and Mary Kate Leningrad helped her on her feet and then Sophia went to take a look at her elbow. It was bloody and scabby. The veteran Italian actress gasped with horror. "Don't panic, ma'am. I got the essentials for that injury," Abraham Hershel reassured her and then he took out his First Aid kit and rummaged through it. He then took out a roll of tape and then ripped out a long piece. Abraham Hershel then held Sophia's elbow while he strung the long piece of tape around her joint and then secured it in place. The Legacy then breathed a sigh of relief.
Sophia then turned her gaze to Abraham Hershel and then beamed. "Thank you, Mr. Hershel. That really helped," she thanked him graciously. "Anything I can do, I'll be happy to help," tooted Abraham Hershel confidentially. "Okay, you simpletons. Let's go to the master bedroom that is the highest room in the penthouse," cut in Mrs. Vright as they kept on going up the stairs. The stairs was a long, endless spiral and the steps themselves were unstable and loose. Every time the heroes and their hosts got to a floor, there was a long, shadowy, lightless hallway with rooms side by side and across from each other and one or two gargoyles would lurk in the widespread darkness. Other times in other floors dogs would peek out from the shadows and scratch themselves and lick their dry muzzles while they gazed at the mysterious strangers who were being given a tour to their shoddy home.
There were also faint sounds of whimpers and whines, for Mr. Piano hated loud noises because they aggravate and irritate him easily and it also gives him a lot of stress, especially since he had to deal with aloof and snotty customers and with the mammoth pressures of running a shop in the capital of the United States of America that result from power hungry businessmen and foreign dealers that threaten to put him out of business. Winda's mother was not the only person who ran the penthouse; he was also the co-owner of the building as well, and he is also the official landlord.
"Humph! Those idiotic politicians and businessmen! They think they can solve America's problems with their master plans and ideals. What is the point of democracy if nothing is ever solved?" he muttered under his breath. Unfortunately, Rhonda overheard his remark and instantly knew the answer to that question. "Because in this type of government we are given a chance to live our lives as we see fit and we have to take what we are given. There will always be periods of recessions and booms; we just have to learn how to deal with them," she explained to Mr. Piano.
Mr. Piano was seething with brewing anger as he slowly switched his focus to the young teenager. He hated teenagers and kids who have a great understanding of complex topics. He also felt that adults were the ones who should be able to answer those kinds of questions. To Mr. Piano, the 21st century had unbalanced the traditional roles of nature. Men were supposed to be strong, and women were supposed to be weak. Men were supposed to have no feelings and women were supposed to be overly emotional. Men were supposed to be dominant and women were supposed to be subversive to their male peers.
Members of an ethnic group were supposed to stay and be loyal to their own people and live independently from other ethnic groups. That includes marrying someone that has the same background as them and having ethnically and racially pure children. Cities should be specially designed for people who belong to a particular race, nationality, ethnic background, or social group/background.
In actuality, Mr. Piano envisioned an America where everyone was once more segregated and living amongst themselves apart from everyone else and where women and men follow their traditional roles. He dreamed of women once more being slaves to their husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles and sons, and of being dutiful homemakers and housewives. He dreamed of children once more working in industries and fields and of child labor laws being repealed and revoked. He dreamed of child marriages and the foundation of kiddie porn camps where boys and girls are trained to be pimps and prostitutes.
He dreamed of the day where AIDS will be a complete epidemic and where most people will be very ill with the disease. He wished for the day that family friendly companies such as Disney became increasingly more adult until its monstrous transformation is finished. Mr. Piano longed for implemented laws that will require prisoners to fight each other in boxing-style matches on certain holidays, such as President's Day and Cinco de Mayo and for auditorium stadiums to be built for that purpose.
He yearned for drugs to be rendered legal so that anyone will have unlimited access to them without a hint of guilt. Mr. Piano couldn't wait for the day that the school system will have absolute control over students' lives, including their social lives, and allow the teachers to fail them at the slightest whim. He muses over disabling parental rights when their children are born and sending them to government houses in Washington, D.C. to live out their lives. Mr. Piano giggled with glee about the legalization of paid assassins to take out political opponents and to eliminate political parties altogether.
He also leered over permitting national Anti-Semitism in the country. Mr. Piano also thought of orphans attending military school and being trained to fight and kill foreign enemies without any thought of mercy or remorse, Spartan style. And worse of all, Mr. Piano had decided that he could set his plan in motion by taking advantage of the volatile and deceptive nature of politics and bid for the role of Senator. He was going to attempt to break into the Senate so that he could dupe and charm his fellow men by sympathizing with their ideals and gaining trust of the general public.
Mr. Piano was a natural Democrat, so he might as well try to run for the Senate and try to convince the Democratic Party, particularly Osama Berlin and Holly Camden, that he was on their side and he has the means necessary to aid them in their presidential campaign. He was even intending to make the political race even uglier than it has to by spreading rumors about all of the candidates available and pitting them against each other. Once the presidential race gets chaotic, he will have Winda's mother hack into the national security system and rig the primaries and of course come November the final electoral votes. Once it appears that everyone is tied, Mr. Piano will steal the entire votes from everyone and win by a devastating landslide. When four years roll by, HE will run for president and depending on what machinations he had devised during that period, he will use them to snag the role of President and right then will he launch his master plan for the United States of America.
Mr. Piano then looked from side to side and then revealed the most vile and despicable smirk in the world. Finally they got to the top floor and then ambled through the hallway. "This penthouse used to be a grand hotel many, many, many years ago. The hotel manager was a very generous and gracious woman. She let her employees sleep in the rooms normally reserved for guests and also let them eat in the barroom, which is now boarded up. She also gave her guests the same exact treatment and she always looked out for them. If there happened to be a terrible accident at any part of the hotel, she would call 911 right on the spot and assist that person any way she could. She also participated in many charity galas and parties and also gave money for good causes, such as cancer. But eventually she got old and had to resign. But one day she had a bad fall on the stairs you had just climbed up and banged her head very hard, causing a brain hemorrhage, dying right on the spot. She was only 93-years-old."
"The hotel eventually languished from negligence and was converted into a nasty penthouse for local drug dealers, thugs, thieves, con artists, fugitives, and orphans. And as for the rooms in the house, they are chained up as well but for some reason those mangy mutts manage to slip in. You are forbidden from ever setting foot on them, for they are off limits. This penthouse is merely nothing anyhow. The master bedroom is the only accessible room in the building. It was also converted into an attic. Its contents are a Siberian tiger rug, a cupboard and a refrigerator, a lantern, an empty fireplace, a mattress, a picnic blanket and basket filled with some items, and of course some stuffed animals. There is a treasure box containing blankets and pillows and nothing more. There is a mosaic oval window that depicts a picture of an Alkonost. On a hook stuck to a wall is a dark blue rosary," revealed Mr. Piano.
"Wow. This room really needs work," breathed Simba as they entered the master bedroom. "I'll say," replied Nala. "Are the cubs here?" asked Ariel. "Yes, Ariel. And boy, aren't they as cute as ever?" answered John as he ushered in the yellowish-orange cub, the maroon/red cub, and the periwinkle cub. Zira carried the midnight blue cub with her jaws grasped on his neck. Maria was strolling in while cradling the white cub in her arms. The blue jay glided in through the doorway and then floated onto the ground while tweeting. "Wow. Nice work, Mark," Dr. Rachel Walters praised him. "Thank you, Rachel," accepted Dr. Sloan graciously. "Yeah, he seems to be healing nicely," noted Audrey Marlin.
Aunt Voula was surveying the master room. "This room needs refurnishing, and we got to construct a bed for this mattress. It conveys an appearance of some bum living here," she declared. "First of all, where are we going to get paints for this room? And what about bed materials?" pointed out Suzanne. "Do you have any bright ideas?" snapped Aunt Voula, looking at her straight in the eye.
Pilar then trotted to the picnic basket that Mr. Piano had described and then lifted its lid. No sooner than she had opened the contents that snakes, cockroaches, mosquitoes, flies, lizards, lions, tigers, panthers, cougars, owls, rats, mice, alligators, crocodiles, gorillas, orangutans dressed like Rambo and armed with machetes and AK 47s and flare guns, and Dobermans flowed out of the picnic basket and then lined up in formation and then stared down the team. "Holy crap! What the fucking hell is this?" Peter yelled at the top of his lungs. "Oh no! This is not happening! This is not happening!" panicked Bob Newton. The animals then took out axes and sabers and then pointed their weapons at the team.
Mr. Piano was outraged, but Mrs. Vright was scared out of her wits. "My Lord! What is this abomination?" she cried. "Don't worry, Sue Ellen. I'll handle this," Mr. Piano reassured her with wrath heating up inside him. He then quickly morphed into a grand old black and white piano! Rhonda's breathing quickened and her stomach tightened. She recognized that form, although she never learned how or why Mr. Piano gained the ability to transform into a piano in the first place.
Mr. Piano then started to play "Hungarian Dances No 5" and then gargoyles that were being decorated all over the house started to come alive and then fluttered into the master bedroom. One of them collided into Bob Newton and then he fell on his face flat on the floor. Abraham Hershel took photographs of the gargoyles as he went. The gargoyles then swooped down on the animals and then battled then fiercely. The smallest animals were instantly killed while the largest animals were effectively resisting the gargoyles. Finally the massive number of gargoyles overcame the larger animals and swiftly defeated them into a bloody, squishy pulp. Once the animals were killed the gargoyles then feasted on their newly created meal. Mr. Piano chuckled in a malicious matter as he changed back into human form. May was breaking into sobs as she tried to process the horrendous, grisly scene in her mind. "How could you? How could you, Mr. Piano? You're a monster!" she wept.
Mr. Piano then took out a lighter and a cigar and then lit up the cigar and smoked. "You who! Shadow, dearie! Come out; come out, wherever you are!" "Shadow? Who's Shadow?" May inquired quizzically. In a flash a black form whizzed by and then scampered up to Mrs. Vright. Mrs. Vright then picked up the creature and then was cooing over it. This creature was actually a black and white Havanese, with soft downy, smooth and frizzy fur, and with frilly, flat and small knotted ears. She also had big, wide, olive-like night eyes that had a hint of sapphire and maroon irises if you look closely. This dog was only 3 feet and 5 feet wide with a short, limply, leafy, feathery tail. Shadow seemed to be wet from some naval activity. Poodles glanced at Shadow and growled viciously. Claire von Blairstone's dog, Sherry, was one thing to deal with, but Mr. Piano's tiny, feisty and energetic heck of a dog was another story. Plus, the dog had a red bowtie tied around her neck and a ruby bowtie on top of her head and another red bowtie tied around her tail.
Poodles then lunged at Shadow and then Shadow made a huge jump over everyone. Using her feet, she then ricocheted on the wall and then leapt at the Shih-Tzu with her bare claws. "So, how long have you had that dog?" May questioned Mr. Piano. "I had her for 5 years. She came to me when she was merely two months old. That poor creature. Her mother got run over by a dog and her father was absent. She was taken to a local shelter and would have been put to sleep had I not intervened. Shadow is like the daughter I never had. She actually understands me," was Mr. Piano's answer.
"Wait, wait. What do you mean by, 'Shadow is like the daughter I never had'? Are you implying you might have a living son somewhere?" interrogated Emily Hartley. "DAMN!" swore Mr. Piano. "Of course I do, you meddling bitch! My son's name is Payton. I had an affair with one of my secretaries and she was impregnated with him. However, she left him with me after he was born. She was disgusted by how I had treated her and she also claimed I only used her for a sex slave and so I could get a male heir. Payton's just a young boy, mind you. He's only 7-years-old."
"So if I marry you, I'm going to be a stepmother to a 7-year-old?" retorted Rhonda, surprised. "Wait just a moment," added Mr. Piano, and then he walked up to a walkie-talkie hanging on a wall and then activated it. "PAYTON, PLEASE COME INTO THE FUCKING DAMN MASTER BEDROOM IMMEDIATELY OR YOU'LL BE SPANKED THOROUGHLY!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "FUCK YOU, YOU FUCKING DAMN GODDAMN ASSHOLE MOTHERFUCKING JERK-OFF!" roared Lena Rosenberg. A shaken young boy tiptoed into the room. He was trembling and quaking deeply and greatly and his lips were contorting into a frown. Rhonda was heartbroken and crestfallen for this boy.
The boy had a red dotted freckle face and twinkling, shy, pleading, teary eyes. He had a vulnerable and dejected deposition and he was no more than 4"5. Payton had clammy, sweaty doll-like hands and tiny mousy legs and feet. When his mouth opened, he had only one-buck tooth. His cheekbones were very low and he had a rounded face. His ears were shaped like those of a gray furred mouse and Payton also had salt and pepper, croppy, short, surfer hair.
The poor boy was a tiny, discontented, and frightened mouse being overshadowed by his towering and dominant father. His small, narrow nose had a medium sized bump on it and it disguised itself as a nasty, dreadful pimple. Rhonda was being so torn up by the boy's depressing presence that she wanted to run to him and hug him. To her, he was the most beautiful boy in the world, the kind of boy that goes to Sunday school every day and is obedient and always has a juicy apple to offer. Suddenly Hugo broke down and cried, and Laverne and Victor sobbed and wailed along with him. Emily Hartley was grinding in tears as well. Mr. Piano then glanced at his son. "Payton, I would like you to meet someone. I am intending to marry her as soon as possible. Young man, look to your north, for the woman you're about to meet is my former secretary," he told Payton in a gruff and business-like manner.
Payton then turned to his north and sighted Rhonda. "Papa," he uttered in his squeaky, growling voice, "She is no woman. She is a teenager." "Oh, but my dear boy. She is one of the finest girls in the country. She is a rare gem to look at," Mr. Piano attempted to persuade Payton. "I'm a lookin', Pa. I'm a lookin'," insisted Payton in his Cockney accent. Mr. Piano chortled quietly. Although his son's accent and voice amuses him to no end, he clandestinely thought that his voice was plain pathetic. He also desired his son to be as macho as possible. Mr. Piano then gave Payton a snide look and sneered at the same time. Payton started when he saw that. Rhonda then stepped up to face Mr. Piano. "You think you could get away with intimidating and bullying your son, but I won't let you!" she protested angrily. "Why don't you go forth and multiply, kid. Or should I have my assistant here lock you up in the Punishment Area again, hmm?" snarled Mr. Piano callously. "How about this? SCREW YOU, DANG YOU!" Rhonda howled.
"How about this, Mr. Piano? We refurnish your place and then that way you and your henchwoman could make millions from this penthouse. Guests could come in again," suggested Anne Margaret. "Yeah, we could call up someone to fix this dump," added John. "What do you say to that, Maria?" Max asked his wife. "I think it'll be wonderful. I think this penthouse is overdue for a makeover," Maria agreed. "Oh, John. I think this is an excellent idea," beamed Ariel. Mrs. Ragetti scoffed while making a hand gesture indicating that she could care less. "Does someone want to call Extreme Home Makeover or Divine Design?" inquired June Mathis. "June!" laughed Adult Kiara. "Kiara and I could paint," announced Kovu. "You're nuts," remarked Kiara, turning to Kovu. "Hello! I've been stuck in this stupid container forever!" interrupted Winda impatiently and Jeffrey Dodgers unlatched the container lid and then Winda slid out. She then circled around Kovu, making him nervous and anxious and unnerving Kiara at the same time.
"Hello, handsome face. The name is Winda Demur. I'm the daughter of a rich corporate boss and businesswoman. I'm also a 10-time champion of tennis and track. I can also paint. Would you like to be my hunting partner?" Winda introduced herself. "Uhh… I don't know, really," answered Kovu uncertainly. "You better not mess around with my son, or you'll have Sam Hill to pay," warned Zira threateningly as she approached Winda. "Oh, don't worry, Miss Zira. Kovu won't be harmed. In fact, I'll be taking him to see my mother," Winda assured her. "If I find out that Kovu is hurt or endangered in any way, I will pursue you and murder you, WITH MY BARE NAKED CLAWS!" offered Zira, enraged.
Then suddenly, Zira charged at Winda, with hate and anger consuming and blinding her. Winda then bounded into the air and then kicked the bigger adult lioness twice in the face. She then made four punishing karate chops on her skull and then somersaulted over her back before snatching her tail. Winda then lifted Zira up just by using her tail and then flipped her upside down before throwing her out of the master bedroom by having her crash through the wall and falling through the air.
Zira then managed to grab an exposed board stick for support and then clung to it. "Help!" she croaked. "Help me please!" Lena then poked out of the hole Zira had just made. "Don't worry, Zira. I'll get some help," she soothed her friend. Then she turned to her team. "Guys! Form a chain. We got to get Zira out of there!" Lena Rosenberg shouted. Nuka, Vitani, her son James Peterson, Henry Rosenberg, Kitty Champagne, Yzma, Frances Carmichael, Jacob Carmichael, Hailey Carmichael, Agnes Morgenstein, Norma Alexander, Minnie Rogers, Walter Matthews, Jack Lennon, Shirley Lane, Darrin Moore, Vincent Marvin, Barbara Sullivan and Blaire Dane volunteered to help.
Marie and Helen peeped through the hole and positioned themselves to catch Zira in case she falls. Soon the volunteers lined up in order and then Nuka hung on to Lena's legs. The hotelier then pushed herself to Zira and then clasped her paws. "Hang on, Zira. Whatever you do, do not let go. You hear me? Do, not, let, go!" Lena instructed.
Mr. Piano smirked and then chuckled to himself. This is pathetic, absolutely pathetic. What a bunch of loonies. Someone should book them to a mental institution, was his thought. "Come on! Pull, guys! Pull!" Max urged on. "Yeah! Use your muscle and strength! You can do it! I know you can do it!" John cheered on. Blaire Dane stepped back as she reeled in the line of volunteers with all her strength. Pamela Harriet then stepped in to assist her friend and teammate and then pulled her in as well. Poodles barked wildly. Come on, you fools! Pull; pull with all your might! He thought.
Then, all of Team Legacy started to chant, "Pull! Pull guys pull!" Little by little, Zira was being pulled back into the master bedroom thanks to the encouragement by her teammates. Finally Zira was catapulted out of danger and then thrust herself into a wall. White, heavenly light flashed right before everyone's eyes and then Marie and Helen were appalled to see three police cars parked before the house. Soon the sound of police car wails echoed in the atmosphere. "Oh, heck no," muttered James Peterson. "Well, looks like Mr. Piano is in huge trouble now," concluded Henry.
Mr. Piano then grasped Payton by the shoulders and shook him roughly. "You traitor! Did you rat me out to those cops? I'm warning you, you puny mouse boy. If I find out that you contacted those policemen, I swear by your mother's ass that I will chastise you severely. I will fetch my 20 feet long birch rod and pull your pants down and spank you well," he exploded while scolding him. Shadow then bit Payton in the leg, making him yelp with pain. Rhonda then went for Mr. Piano and George and Martha had to hold her down while she struggled and wrestled to break free. "Rhonda, no!" bellowed Penny. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! You haven't changed a bit, Miss Petrie. I torture my son and you still lunge at me in order to kick my ass. And that reminds me…" taunted Mr. Piano scornfully. He then brought in an ironing table and then slipped out a birch rod from his breast pocket. Mr. Piano then lifted up Payton and then unzipped his pants.
He then pulled down his pants and exposed his underwear. "Are you nuts? You're going to discipline your son in front of everyone!" Suzanne objected. "Who cares? That makes Payton feel all the more ashamed," hissed Mr. Piano and then he started hacking Payton with the birch rod. Payton screamed and wailed and begged his pa to stop, but his own father wouldn't. The speechless and dumbfounded heroes were hypnotized and frozen in their tracks. Rhonda couldn't believe what she was seeing. She felt totally helpless and powerless. Lena was outraged. This was the most disturbing scenario she had ever witnessed. Despite of the fact that she was the Queen of Hell, she wouldn't even think of doing this to her own son. Lloyd Dodgers was shaking with wrath.
"Enough bullshit!" boomed Yubaba and then she dashed at Mr. Piano with a revolver in hand. Then everything transferred to slow motion from that point on. Yubaba cocked her revolver and then aimed it at Mr. Piano. Mr. Piano breathlessly backed up on a wall with his birch rod still in hand. "Black-hearted bastard!" bellowed Yubaba in slow motion and then she began to fire. Bullets burst out like firecrackers and smoke belched out from the barrel. BAM! BANG! BAM! BANG! BAM! Went the revolver. Cock, and then another BANG! Just then Rhonda rushed into the scene in the guise of a lioness. She then pushed herself up into the air and then let out an ear splitting roar. Capt. Janet Hamilton then charged at Mr. Piano with her shotgun in hand. Rhonda then tackled Mr. Piano and then buffeted him with slashes and smacks. Mr. Piano pushed her off him and then Rhonda skidded on the floor lying on her back. Capt. Janet Hamilton then spun around while shooting from her shotgun and several bullets grazed Mr. Piano barely.
Mr. Piano then knelt down while a rocket broke out through the wall. Capt. Janet Hamilton was taken aback from this. Rhonda then took a big jump and then pushed the brave police captain out of the way just seconds before the rocket glided through the master bedroom. As the rocket finally burst through the wall and making its exist, the pressure of the flames behind it and fast jet speeds finally made it dart high into the air. As the rocket went higher and higher into the atmosphere, the extreme heat started to burn on it. The rocket was increasingly melting in the high altitude as sparks and embers were being produced and then just as it was about to enter the exosphere, it exploded. Mr. Piano then stood up and then held the birch rod in his right hand. He then tapped the invisible air with it and the time portal materialized. The Legacy was stunned and was greatly afraid; their suspect was about to get away! Mrs. Vright then joined him, with Shadow in the crook of her arm.
Capt. Janet Hamilton then pointed her weapon at them. "Drop your weapons, you coldhearted bastards," she commanded. Just then the police invaded the master bedroom and surrounded the villains. "Freeze! This is the police! You are charged with felony child abuse, animal abuse and negligence, and plotting on taking a child bride," rasped the police captain. Mr. Piano then cackled maniacally. "Fools! You can never catch me. I'm Mr. Piano the Magnificent. Master of music and magic. Surely you have a plan to get me?" he mocked them viciously. "I order you to stop where you are and drop to the ground and that is an order!" growled the police captain. Winda held her breath. Her body quivered with trepidation and her heart rattled against her chest. Mr. Piano then decided to defy the police captain and flee. He then plunged into the time portal and just as Mrs. Vright was about to leave one of the police officers tasered her and then Shadow shot out of her arms and then fell to the ground with a squeak.
Mrs. Vright was then handcuffed and arrested right on the spot, and after the police escorted her out of the master bedroom, the time portal dissipated and died out. Shadow was convulsing on the floor and then Abraham Hershel picked her up and caressed her. "Don't worry, girl. Everything's going to be okay," he crooned. "Whoa. That was freaky," commented Nuka. "Shut up Nuka!" snapped Vitani. Then she turned to Zira. "Mother, what are we to do now?" she asked her. "Well, we might as well spend the night here," replied Zira. "I hate this room. It's crap," complained Lena. "The only thing that's disgusting in here is the mattress," Rhonda spoke. "Exactly," Lena agreed. "So why not do something about it?" questioned Jeffrey Dodgers. "What about making a bed frame?" suggested Beau Dodgers. "Great idea! Why don't we start today?" chirped Cindy Dodgers. "Heck no. It's too late. We might as well start tomorrow," disagreed James Peterson.
May then glimpsed at Henry and smiled. "Wait! We have to name the cubs and the blue bird," Jack Lennon reminded everyone. "That's true. (Gasp) I got it, everyone! I'm going to name the periwinkle cub Henrietta," addressed Anne Margaret. "The maroon/red cub should be christened Kefir," suggested Zoe Chandler. "Kefira for the white lioness cub," declared Maggie Sloane. "Hari for the midnight blue cub," spoke out Thomas. "And Finn for the yellowish orange cub," mumbled Payton. Everyone then turned to him. "What? Finn would be a nice name for a cub like her. Besides, I think this is the one cub that might change the course of world history someday," retorted Payton. "You're pretty resilient for a young kid. Especially after what your father did to you," Jackie Hansen informed him. "Sorry about the animals coming out of the picnic basket. That's not the only thing that is in this basket. There are a lot of delicious things to eat," apologized Payton.
He then skipped over to the picnic basket and then opened it and then searched through it and then finally taking his hand out of the picnic basket. Many of the team members were annoyed. "For crying out loud, Payton. This is no joke," scolded Lena. Payton grinned sheepishly and then stuck his hand into his throat and then took out an apple. Everyone was shocked and his or her jaws dropped instantly. Payton then picked into his ear and then took out a spider. "W-W-W-W-W-W-WHOA!" May stammered. "Anyone want an apple?" offered Payton with a smile. Several of the Team Legacy members refused. "No thanks," rejected Tom. "No thank you. We're okay," replied Jerry while shaking his head. "No thank you, Payton. But thanks," added Kyle. "That is a great ass trick," said Cartman in awe. Just then, an actress stepped into the master bedroom. She was Lupe Oliverios. Payton offered her an apple and she accepted and then bit into it.
The Legacy members then whispered among themselves in hushed voices as Lupe Oliverios continued to munch on the apple. Finally, she had her fill. "Uh, ma'am. I think you just ate something that came out of a boy's mouth," piped in Stan. "That comes from cool magic!" screamed Cartman. "Magic? That's harmless," snorted Lupe. "(Laughing) What I'd tell ya! That boy is cool!" crowed Cartman giddily. "Would you like me to toss that disgraceful mattress for you?" Lupe offered. "Thank you!" was Lena's rejoinder. Lupe then lifted up the mattress and then Paul Swimmerton opened the door for her, and garnering a "thank you," from the Mexican-American actress in the process. She then threw the mattress out of the master bedroom and then the mattress plunged into the first floor. Lupe then wiped the dust off her hands and then danced right back into the master bedroom. She then faced the heroes. "Now who's hungry?" she made an inquiry of them.
30 minutes later, Rhonda and Team Legacy were sitting around on the wooden floor with the fireplace flickering and raging smoothly and harmlessly. Abraham Hershel was building a bed framework and wiped the cool sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief. "Abraham! Come and eat the chicken pot pie Lupe has made!" hollered Tess McNeal. Abraham Hershel then discontinued his work temporarily and turned to face the voluptuous French actress. What he saw took his breath away. Tess McNeal was clad in a dark blue, soft, furry, simple dress in which its polo necklace was decorated with tiny, twinkling, sparkly, radiant pearls. Her bun was tied in a blue ribbon and the actress also wore a pearl amulet and a pair of square diamond earrings that had belonged to her mother. There was also a purple tulip design imprinted on the dress. Her dress was also adorned and ornamented with aquamarines.
Tess McNeal was basically stunning. She called it her "Tulip Dress". The sleeves also were sewn with blue ruffles. Abraham had a white polo shirt with black suspenders and his favorite Wellington boots, which was a change from his slovenly attire. He had on his ancient cowboy hat. "So, what do you call that dress?" inquired Abraham Hershel. "My Tulip Dress," answered Tess McNeal while leering sweetly. "Where did you get it?" persisted Abraham Hershel. "What? You want an autograph of my dress?" sassed Tess McNeal with a frown. Then she burst out laughing. "O-h-h-h-h-h! I'm sorry. I'm just screwing with you. My husband got it for me on my birthday. It was shortly after my sister died, and it still devastated me very much. My heart was aching for her. When I received it from Mick, I was overjoyed. Nessie loved tulips very much, and when we were kids she would wear one on her hair. So I thought that for my birthday I would wear my dress in honor of her," Tess McNeal explained.
Then she fell silent and then ran off into the balcony, leaving Rhonda and her team stunned. When Abraham Hershel quietly entered the balcony, he found his new friend sobbing and crying on the column fence. He then went up to her and then caressed her hair. Tess McNeal quickly reacted by striking him across the face and pushing him away. Her stricken and pained visage and her steamy, hot, and infuriated breathing were apparent. Tess McNeal sniffled before pointing her .18 caliber Tommy gun at the middle aged journalist. "YOU GODDAMN DICKHEAD ASSHOLE! You don't know what it's like to be in so much pain. You don't know what it's like to be stuck with a no good, jack head, ill-tempered, violent, drunken husband for 7 dang years! You don't know what it's like to have a crazy, manipulative, vile, seductive, evil niece whose brother follows her around like a dog! I can't escape from Mick, even with my death. He's in my thoughts and in my conscience. If killing myself won't rid me of him, then I don't know what will," she raged at him.
"Listen to yourself, Tess. You sound pretty desperate. I know how you feel. I know what it is like to undergo so much suffering and sorrow. Sure I didn't have to deal with a belligerent spouse or deal with a crazy niece, but I faced far worse things than that. My colleagues were murdered by a bunch of nuts or met unfortunate ends such as accidents or drug overdoses. They were stabbed, shot, drowned, and broke their necks, poisoned, electrocuted, fried to death, and even run over. My sons were involved in a number of scandals including money laundering, fraud, and sexual affairs with high profile people, mismanagement of funds, murder, rape, etc. And they blamed everything on me, every time. And even though I went through a series of trials and was acquitted, my reputation was already long tarnished. Those greedy, ungrateful dogs. They should burn in hell. And especially since I made a lot of money being an investigative journalist, burglars used to break into my home and rob me of my money and prized possessions."
"Some of my colleagues and bosses did the same to me. They would ask me favors and then when I helped them, they would take everything I gave for granted and steal a large portion of my savings. Some of the people I turn to for help also turn out to be con artists. And some of my girlfriends were also con women! All they want was my expensive lifestyle and my fortune. Other girlfriends just used me so that they could climb up in the social world. Of course there were some people that were jealous of me and some of the criminals whose stories I reported on swore revenge on me."
"One time when I was walking on a bridge down in New York shots rang out in the dark and I felt bullets pierce through me. It was actually a very dangerous criminal who was responsible for kidnapping and enslaving young children for his dirty work and if he grew dissatisfied with some of them, he would slay them. He even recruited some of those kids to pick up a kid that was walking down the street and then beat them up and slay them before encasing their bodies in an apple barrel and dumping them into the Hudson River."
"This criminal looked me down straight in the eye. He was short, pudgy, a huge black beard, bushy unibrow, dimples, white sweat stained shirt, black suspenders, and big, fat arms that could be used for a pillow. This brute spat on the ground and then said to me, 'Well, this is the end for you Mist-a-r Hersh-a-l. Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!' and then stomped away into the night. I could hear the earth shake and the street below me vibrate. I could also feel the rocks bounce up and down. I never forgot that night. I was airlifted to a hospital and put on life support for three days before I fully recovered and went home. Every time a lowlife villainous character tries to destroy me, I never forget their faces, their evil laugh, their expression, and the chilly atmosphere that shrouded them…"
"It was only after the scandals that befell me that I became an amateur detective. It was my way of helping people solve mysteries that are distressing them, and on each case, I make darn sure that their life does not end up like mine. It was also a method of retaliating against my prodigal sons. They are filthy rich, live in a five story mansion with hundreds of waiters, servants, maids, dogs, cats, tigers, lions, and many other exotic animals, an outdoor swimming pool, ducks, you name it… and they also own a corporation that deals with the regulations and functions of hotels and travel agencies. The news corporations that I worked for betrayed me too when they promised me a 20% increase in my salary every time I hit a good story and they give me only half of what they promised. When I go on vacations, I would have a destination in mind and I read a corporation-sponsored brochure that gives a tableau description of all of the luxurious hotels and of the most popular attractions."
"And every time my plane lands, I get off, thinking I have landed on, let's say Paris, and instead I am stranded on a deserted island. It's actually fun living with the natives and learning about their culture, but still, I would like to do work on the big cities of the world," Abraham Hershel attempted to quell her rage. It seemed to work. Tess McNeal puts her gun down and then stares at him while hiccupping from her tears. "Do you do stories on the natives?" she whispered. "Oh yes, I did. I took notes on them whenever I could. But when they started to happen again and again, I soon became very bitter. And when my father lay on his deathbed, he denied me his estate. It was a crushing blow in my life, and I did everything that pleased him and yet I was disinherited. I want to start over here, with you," explained Abraham Hershel.
"Excuse me?" responded Tess McNeal. "You're the liveliest person I have ever met. I have never met a woman who has more spunk, more fire, more ardor, and more sensuality than you do," continued Abraham Hershel. Tess McNeal then smiled while laughing. "Are you proposing something?" she inquired. "Why not? After all, I'm seeing a very sexy lady right in front of me," flirted Abraham Hershel. Tess McNeal felt very giddy. She has not felt this aroused since she had courted Mick. Sure Mick had given her compliments and had flirted with her just to get her sexually interested, but that was when he was not being abusive or intoxicated. But Abraham was different. Much different. Everyone has eaten their meals and was now sleeping in their inflatable beds. Tess McNeal and Abraham Hershel then started to slow dance. Abraham's hand was on Tess's back while Tess laid her head against Abraham's head. They pressed their chests together and Tess felt her heart beat with her friend's heart. She then let herself melt into his arms.
Tess knew she was falling prey to lust for Abraham. She then collapsed on him, and then Abraham cradled her in his arms and then walked back into the master bedroom with her. Then they found a lone inflatable bed on the unfinished framework and then got on there and lay there. It was a moonlit night and the two lovers were masked in the shadows. Suzanne then sat up from her bed and then viewed Tess McNeal and Abraham Hershel in bed together. She made a blushing simper and a wink before lying down again and falling asleep. Tess McNeal could hardly believe she was in bed with a well-to-do journalist. She was in pure ecstasy. Now, she can finally put Mick behind her and start over with her new boyfriend. Tess McNeal then pecked Abraham Hershel in the lips and then the two started making out.
Meanwhile, Winda nudged Kovu awake. "Ugh, what is it, Winda?" he muttered sleepily. "Dear Kovu, can you take me home to see my mother?" pleaded Winda. "All right. Where's her house?" relented Kovu. "It's at 5090 SE 67th Lane. I'll show you," explained Winda. She then happened to glance at the balcony and noticed that it was open. "C'mon, Kovu. Now I know how to get out of here," she informed him. Winda then headed for the balcony and then got through, and Kovu had no choice but to follow her. Winda then leapt through the column fence and then was tumbling to the ground, and Kovu did the same. The two cubs then crash-landed on an old springy mattress and then splat to the soil. Then they darted out of the penthouse and then sprung into the streets and into the confusing and perilous darkness.
Author's Notes:
Well! I thought I was never going to get this chapter done! Anyways, it now appears that Mr. Piano is quite a ladies' man and a very cruel and cold-hearted character at that; it also appears he has a big of conceited arrogance in him, such as when he addresses the police who broke into the master bedroom by taunting them to try and catch him. Thankfully they caught Mrs. Vright and Shadow in time before they could escape. I think Abraham Hershel and Tess McNeal are a very cute couple, especially since Tess has been through quite a lot; I believe she deserves some sort of happiness. No one knows if this new relationship will even last but it seems that Tess has a positive effect on Abraham's life since they both have shadowy and difficult past lives and they both know what is like to go through pain and suffering. I think considering what Abraham has been through, it's no wonder he's so damn bitter. But I'm sure the privations Tess went through in life did not stop her from being optimistic, even though Mick had tried to ruin her life and career several times, including that time when he spread a rumor that she was a lesbian. I would hate to see the two break up; I can't even begin to imagine what Abraham would be without Tess...
It also appears that another pairing is in the works: Winda is apparently infatuated with Kovu, Zira's son, and now she wants to put some moves on him in order to impress him. What would Kiara think? Is she going to be jealous? We'll see, since I don't think Kovu will accept these amorous advances either way. Oh and by the way, if I had not mentioned this already, Kovu and Kiara are referred to as their cub versions while Adult Kovu & Kiara is pretty much self-explanatory, so don't get confused because that is not a case of pedophilia, believe me. I think Winda has a strong crush on Kovu, and he's just too nervous to acknowledge her. I think in the next chapter we'll find out just who Winda is and whether or not she is Zalira's daughter. Just who is Winda anyway? And where is she taking Kovu exactly? Will the cubs end up getting into more trouble than they bargained for?
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