As the DeSoto came down the road back to their office, Sam nearly drove the trio off the road.
"Sam what was that all about?" Geek asked startled by the sudden jerk.
"Sorry, I saw something distracting. Namely that." Sam said pointing at a brass colored parrot flying through the sky with jerky mechanical movements.
"Ah! Shoot it!" Max said pulling his gun and firing a hail of bullets at the flying bird.
"Max stop shooting!" Geek said as the sound of gunfire was accompanied with the sounds of metal being shot.
"Yeah Max, you don't seem to be accomplishing anything." Sam responded.
"I can't help it, it's something flying, I have to kill it!" Max said taking more shots before finally, for once, running out of ammo. "It's still flying! Throw things!" The psychotic rabbit started grabbing a series of random object before accidently grabbing the key won from the carnival at the flying bird, this one seeming to get stuck in a part of the bird.
"Way to go chowder head." Sam said annoyed, "We gotta chase that thing down and get it back!"
"But why? I mean, it's just a key." Geek wondered.
"It was in my inventory. Gotta get it back."
"I didn't understand you guys to much back when, having a harder time now…"
The DeSoto roared back to life and screamed down the highway chasing the flying robot. The chase lead them straight back to the corner of Straight and Narrow. They watched in confusion as it flew into a building with the word "Stinky's" on the window via a small opening above the main door.
"Since when does Stinky have robots?" Sam asked confused.
"Who is Stinky?" Geek asked.
"Oh right, you wouldn't know him." Sam said, "Stinky is a cook for the restaurant right by our office. A crusty old man who channels all his hatred for humanity itself into creating new and unique barely edible culinary dishes that only the toughest of the tough can digest."
"Seriously, when did you start explaining everything like that?" Geek asked.
"I think it was 2006." Max answered bluntly. The three entered the restaurant. Inside they were greeted by a nautical themed restaurant with a gorilla standing behind the counter wearing a captain's hat. Meanwhile the bronze parrot landed on a perch allowing them to get a better look at it. It was a shined bronze with copper trim and painted feathers at the end of wings with a large glass chest filled with what looks like the Demon Broth with a brain floating in it. Meanwhile working the table was a blue haired woman with a fish based apron. And a larger ape came out from the back with a purple harness across him.
"Girl Stinky and Skunk Ape?" Sam asked in shock, "How are you two still alive? Original Max killed you when he self-destructed due to his psychic energy!"
"It's Skun-ka'pe you tiny brained buffoons!" Skun-ka'pe said angrily before going to a complaining whine "Why can't you ever say it right?"
"Okay, now I know you're just explaining things for my benefit." Geek said, "But, who are these two?"
"Ugh, it's Michelle and Samuel." Girl Stinky said. "And what is he doing here? I thought he blew up?"
"Once again I ask who are these two?" Geek asked.
"Oh sorry, that's Girl Stinky, she just showed up one day having taken over this restaurant"
"And did a terrible job at it!" The gorilla with the sailor cap shouted in
"Claiming to be Stinky's Granddaughter. Of course, she's really a cake, I think, not quite sure on that. And that's General Skunk Ape, and alien who came to Earth to attempt to get the Toys of Power. But the strange part is that the old Max sacrificed himself to blow them up with his psychic overload self-destruct."
"Ha! Of course, that fool couldn't have killed them. I protected them!" The parrot suddenly squeaked.
"You only protected us because you tried to protect yourself!"
"So, I raised the shields as a means of self-defense, but your lives still only continue to exist because of my quick action, regardless of the motives."
"So…who's the parrot then?"
"I don't know." Max said, "I feel he's a bit familiar, but I also don't care." Max started to tap at the glass container of the brain inside the parrot.
"STOP DOING THAT!" The parrot literally squawked. "If I still had your body, you would be forced to kneel before me and beg for your life from the great Sammun-Mak!"
"Sammun-Mak! I should have known!"
"Sammun-Mak? He died millennia ago!" Geek said, "Of course why am I bothering being surprised?"
"Yeah his brain was actually still viable when I took it from that jar in the museum." Sam said. "Then I put it in Max's body since his brain was taken. And well it would seem he's still alive."
"That's right I'm still alive!" Sammun-Mak squawked out.
"Alright! Enough talking!" The ape behind the counter said, "And get back to work! I'm still able to whip all of you even in this new body!"
"So Stinky, but the three back to work huh?" Sam asked the other gorilla.
"Okay, explain." Geek said.
"Don't you two dare try." Stinky said, "I'll do that myself! Aye, I am Stinky and this is my restaurant. But the average person is not able to stomach my food. I am a true master of the culinary dark arts. Only the strongest of the strong can digest my cooking."
"That's…that's really weird."
"You get used to it. Mostly." Sam said.
"Anyway, what brings you buffoons and this strange girl to my restaurant? No doubt using us as tools in your latest adventure."
"Pretty much. Look Stinky, I need the worst you can do. The darkest of your Culinary Dark Arts." Sam said.
"Yeah, but make it extra gooey too. I really want to see him like pass out into it and it go all SPLAT!"
"Hm…" The ape said stroking his chin. "You know, I think I know just the thing. But I don't have all the supplies here to make it."
"Well give us the list. If there's one thing we're good at it's collecting rare and specific items."
"Very well. There are three primary items I need. A sludge made from 19-year-old dust, the hairs from the chin of a fat woman, and Devil's Select Private Hot Sause. For flavor." Stinky said as Geek seemed to hold back the vomit.
"That barely sounds like food!" Geek said looking green around the gills.
"yeah that's why the likes of you would be taken out by my creations. As it should be."
"Well don't worry about it Stinky, we'll get everything we need for this creation." Sam said confidently.
"Before we do all that and I blow my guts, how about we check how the Sub-Basement of Solitude?" Geek said. "I mean, if all your adventures are like this, I think I'll be happy to be back there."
"Of course, Geek. Wouldn't be the first time we got sidetracked during an investigation."
Sub-Basement of Solitude…
The team landed in the Sub-Basement of Solitude, Geek's machine largely done in cleaning.
"Wow, that thing works a lot faster than I thought it would." Sam said.
"Yeah, me too. I mean, it's still not done, but it's still making a lot of difference already." Geek said hearing the small machine make a beep. "Oh, hang on, I have to change the vacuum bag."
"Wait, Geek, when was the last time you were down here?"
"April 29, 1998." Geek responded.
"Then that would make that dust…" Sam started counting on his fingers.
"Nineteen years old." Geek said so he could move along with his point.
"Great Granny galloping through gazpacho! Just what we need for Stinky's recipe!"
"Wow talk about dumb luck." Geek said tossing the bag of dust to Sam who tucked it away in his jacket pocket. "What would you do if I didn't have this for you?"
"Doesn't matter, we always get things like this lining up for us." Max said.
"Regardless, this still leaves you two items short." Geek said, "The woman beard hair, and the hot sauce. And I have no idea where we're gonna find those."
"We'll find some way to find them." Sam said.
"That reminds me, I actually had something for you guys from a while ago." Geek said going over to an area of her workshop. She opened a drawer and pulled out a spool with steel cable with a barbed dart at the end. "Made this before I went off to college. Meant to give it to you. Just kind of forgot."
"What exactly is this Geek?"
"A grappling winch. Fire it off from the front of the DeSoto, it latches onto something. Hit reverse, and you can pull most anything down or away from something." Geek explained.
"Thanks Geek." Sam said taking it, stashing it away to install on the car once they got back to street level. "We should probably get going, I'm sure Bosco has that hot sauce we need." And on that note, the trio got back into the elevator and headed back up to the corner of Straight and Narrow.