Chapter Nine: Cow Stampede! Part two.
Insert car brakes TV effect here
"Okay, okay, enough with the hugging. You're giving me some very uncomfortable brother-bonding flashbacks over here!"
All three of us don't even need to turn around to know that Kirk is behind us. I let go of Perry and Pinky and get to my feet so I can face Kirk. Kirk is a bit of a distance away from us although it could be because we're on a wider pathway than Perry had when he came here (2). Otherwise I know Kirk would get an earful of how you're not supposed to stand on the grass.
"Hello, Kirk," I say flatly. It's usually easy to keep my emotions out of a mission, except, of course, when it directly involves my brothers.
"Hello, Kane," he replies with the same flat tone.
"You gave us awfully short notice. Even for Archangel standards!" says Pinky, who has one paw griped on my left pant leg.
"It is an unfortunate necessity, because we at Archangel too were given short notice as well. But let me get to the point: Mavis has already travelled back, hasn't she?"
All our eyes go wide which is all he needs for confirmation.
"Then you better hurry. L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N. has not only kick started this plan again but is doing it on overdrive so they're sure it won't fail this time." He glances around us and then turns around and tries looking through the trees on the grass behind him. This makes me nervous. Is he being followed, or is he planning an ambush?
"Let's take a walk," he says suddenly and we follow; a few steps behind and on the other side of the path.
"About two days ago, Archangel received a transmission from a future agent who told us much of what the future is like: O.W.C.A. is now a movement driven underground by the combined powers of L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N. and Archangel, who have both taken over due to this plan after it was discovered to still be a feasible option. Our messenger went over some other things too but they relayed that its file was still kept intact and, well…" He stops at a small bridge and takes out a rather large file folder and tosses it so it hands in front of us.
Perry and then Pinky go and tentatively pick it up. Kirk tosses his head around so quickly I briefly think he's signalling or has spotted someone.
"I don't have a lot of time so if you have any specifics, you better ask now."
"Why was Thneedville chosen?" Perry begins.
"Higher-ups in both groups suggested places that were well-known but not to the extent of say, New York City, and Thneedville was one of them. After using a dartboard to choose, it was decided Thneedville would be our starting point. After all, it already has a strike against it."
"Was Elise's place chosen that way too?" Pinky frowns, crossing his arms and shaking his head.
"No. We first thought the northern end of town would be the best bet because it's so automated and technology-centred. So we sent two human and two animal agents…" He trails off and looks a little freaked out, which is freaking ME out because this is so unlike Kirk!
"And?" I say in disbelief.
"There is only one word they used to describe that town: Creepy, just plain creepy. Then we found Elise's plant and went with it because it was only other one we could find that was relatively close to town. The plan originally failed because most agents were intimidated by the FDA (3) and the consequences of what would happen if they got caught. Plus Elise had a superb attention to detail and would probably figure out what happened in an instance. Now the plan is to pretty much destroy the place's reputation, kick the Hilliards out, and THEN take over.
"Now I must get going. I can't be away from Archangel for long without it being suspicious." He turns to leave, but…
"One more thing," I say and he stops but doesn't turn around. "By the way you described the message, it seems like Archangel and L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N. are having growing pains. What gives?"
Kirk's right fist shakes a bit and he turns back to look at me. From the look on his face, he looks almost regretful.
"Yes," he sighs, "at the point in time we received the message, both groups are fighting—in fact, my group has broken off and has teamed up with O.W.C.A.."
"Wha?! Why?!" Perry asks.
"Well, that's a bit hard to explain. At that point, there are a lot of factories making robots and other machines to fight us. All that smog, among other things, has basically made an environmental cesspool-"
"You're joking," I say, "The reason you're teaming up with O.W.C.A. is due to ENVIRONMENTAL problems?"
Kirk shrugs awkwardly. "Yeah, pretty much… Our messenger has told us that all the smog has made difficult for many of our animal agents to do their jobs out in the field and in fact, two have already gotten really sick. It got bad enough to where even Kegan had to speak up as well. But L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N. got too big for their britches and they threw him out. He then joined up with O.W.C.A. and Archangel."
There's an uncomfortable pause. I'm not sure how I feel about this.
"Look, I know you don't entirely trust me," Kirk says, "and I wasn't so sure about all this either. Until I realized something: How could you rule the world if you don't have anyone or anything in it to rule over?"
"Hm, that makes sense to me." Pinky nods and looks up at me as does Perry. But when we look towards Kirk, he's already gone.
…
Mavis's very dishevelled POV
Clank!
The latch on the pen shuts and I at once put my back against it and slide down to my butt. Elise has already collapsed on her side in front of me.
Though I haven't been an O.W.C.A. for as long as some, I will still say that this COW STAMPEPE is the most hectic moment of my career.
A COW STAMPEPE!
I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! (4)
The WORST part was that in the confusion, my camera must've accidentally been put on the setting where it takes photos every five seconds.
So now whoever is on duty has me looking terrified and frustrated, others looking shocked, Elise trying to grab and jump onto a cow, and a LOAD of cow butts.
But that's not all! When we got back to the barn with all the cows, Elise and I noticed the small stall on the left end of the barn was open and the colt was gone. Of the inhabitants, all that remained were a pregnant heifer and one of the males who is 'too lazy to move' according to Elise.
I open my eyes and turn them slightly to the barn door and who should walk up but Elise's white colt Schneizel. We point in the direction of his pen and he simply wanders in.
"Hey, I noticed something," Elise says. "My locks look broken. And my cows don't typically run off…unless someone scared them off."
"Someone scaring cows? Mavis, what have you gotten yourself into?"
That's my brother!
"MARIUS MONOGRAM, I AM GONNA KICK YOUR BUTT," I yell, getting up to my feet. I then hear a small crack and slide back down again.
"Or, until I feel my hips…" I switch back to O.W.C.A., hoping to hear from Kane.
"Mavis, you have to hear this!" I hear Perry's voice coming in. "It sounds like Archangel has teamed up with-"
Elise grabs my wrist and pulls it slowly over to her. "Hey, man, we just got our faces full of cow butts, can't this till tomorrow?"
Perry must be getting an eyeful of the photos I sent, because I don't hear him offer a witty comeback.