Wicked Comet part 11
Rich cursed loudly to himself as he finished replacing parts of the hydraulic lines on the Comet's flight controls. He had to abandon the flight to Munchkinland with Elphaba after an indicator light alerting Rich to a fault in the Hydraulic system had lit up. Rich could fly the Comet without the hydraulics but it would be much harder to fly so he had returned to the Camp and found a hydraulic line had burst, taking out several electrical components with it. Rich had gone as quickly as he could but the repairs still took several hours to do.
As Rich closed up the inspection hatch, he strode back over to the Cockpit and after pumping aboard some extra fuel; he fired up the Comet's engines and took off for the second time that day. But as he took off, he heard Elphaba's voice through the radio,
"Rich, are you there?"
"Roger Elphie, what's up?" Rich replied.
"Things took a turn for the worse at Colwyn Grounds. My dad's dead and Nessa is in control of Munchkinland. I tried to get help from Nessa and I enabled her to walk but it all went wrong! Boq was there and when he said that he loved Glinda, Nessa got so mad, she cast a spell on him which went wrong and I had to turn him into a creature that could live without a heart to save his life! Nessa probably hates me even more now and Boq will be after revenge now." Elphaba said to Rich, she was obviously very upset from what Rich could hear over the radio.
"You alright now?" Rich asked.
"Physically yes, but emotionally No." Elphaba replied.
Both flew on in silence for a long moment before Rich asked "So, what's the plan now?"
"I'm going to set the monkeys in the Emerald city free" was Elphaba's reply.
"NO! Elphaba, you can't do that! The gale force will find you, capture you and do Oz knows what to you!" Rich said to Elphaba in shock.
"I know, but at least I will be able to do some good" Elphaba replied calmly.
Rich soon realised that Elphaba was right and he made a quick decision.
"Alright, but I am coming with you. I'll circle round the city at high altitude and warn you of any trouble that I see" He said to Elphaba through the radio.
"You sure?" Elphaba asked.
"Yes. I am sure. Don't worry; the Comet won't have another hydraulic leak. I hope." Rich replied.
Elphaba didn't sound convinced when she replied with,
"Ok, but just be careful Rich"
"I always am" was Rich's reply before he turned the Comet towards the Emerald city.
It took just under an hour for the Comet to make the flight to the Emerald City and when it arrived, Rich guided it into a high altitude circling pattern over the Emerald City.
As the Comet circled over the city, Rich thought he could see Elphaba as she snuck her way into the Wizard's palace.
"Ok, I'm in" Elphaba whispered into the radio.
"Roger, I hear you" Rich replied.
Elphaba snuck her way into the Wizard's throne room and came across the Wizard head, which was powered down and facing away from her. Elphaba immediately made her way over to the head and started searching for the lever which would release the flying monkeys.
"Do you have any idea which lever it is that releases the monkeys?" Elphaba asked through the radio, after a few minutes of searching.
"My memory is as good as yours after 5 years" Rich replied.
"Thanks for the help" Elphaba said sarcastically.
"Any time" Rich replied sarcastically.
As the cousins were exchanging sarcastic banter (and Elphaba being distracted), the wizard snuck his way past the head and spoke directly into the microphone which made the wizard head's booming voice!
"I knew you would be back!" the voice boomed.
Elphaba whirled around in surprise and Rich had to tear out his radio earpiece to stop himself getting hearing damage from the sharp feedback of Elphaba's radio earpiece microphone being close to the Wizard's head.
When Rich put the earpiece back in again, he could hear the Wizard trying to convince Elphaba to join him!
"Can you believe this loon?" Rich heard Elphaba whisper into the radio.
"Makes me want to barf" Rich replied.
Elphaba had to stop herself from cackling at Rich's comment.
But as time wore on, Elphaba felt like what the wizard was saying was actually quite logical and she was actually beginning to think that joining the Wizard wouldn't be such a bad thing after all!
"I'll accept your proposition" Elphaba said to the Wizard.
"Don't do this Elphaba!" Rich warned through the radio but Elphaba ignored him.
"Wonderful!" the Wizard Exclaimed in joy, but was quickly cut off by Elphaba's next statement.
"ON ONE CONDITION" Elphaba said in a serious tone.
"Yes?" the Wizard asked.
"Elphaba's actually going to join that scoundrel?!" Rich thought to himself.
"You set those Monkeys free!" Elphaba said to the Wizard in a commanding tone.
The Wizard took a moment to consider this ultimatum from Elphaba as he strode over to the Wizard Head's controls.
"Done!" the Wizard said to Elphaba as he pulled the lever which released the monkeys from their cages.
Cage doors immediately unlocked and from Rich's high position in the Comet, he could see a cloud of flying monkeys flying out of the Wizard's palace.
"The Monkeys have left the building" Rich said to Elphaba through the radio.
There was a moment of silence before Elphaba's shriek of pure anger was heard on the radio and Rich asked in a worried tone,
"Elphaba, what's going on?"
"They have Doctor Dillamond, he…. He can't speak anymore. He's an animal now." Elphaba replied.
"Sweet Oz!" Rich exclaimed.
The Wizard, whilst Elphaba was talking to Rich on the radio, sprinted to the Wizard's head and activated its powerful voice mechanism.
"GUARDS! GUARDS!" the head's booming voice roared.
"ELPHABA, GET OUT OF THERE!" Rich shouted into the radio.