I can't think of anything clever to type. :(

Chapter 13: The Escape

"That voice. That awful pun," Skipper said to no one in particular. "I'd recognize them anywhere..."

We turned around and saw a man standing behind us, an evil smile stretched across his face. I gasped. "It's Officer X!"

"That's right," X said. He grabbed us by our wrists. He looked at Skipper. "Finally! I'll finally get my revenge on you, Anderson!"

My brother growled at him. "You'll never take us alive!"

"Don't give me any ideas."

I gulped. "Please don't hurt us!"

"Didn't I just say not to give me any ideas!?" The officer slapped me.

Skipper gasped, and he glared at Officer X, his blue eyes glazed with fury. He spoke through gritted teeth. "You. Should not. Have done that."

Officer X laughed. "What do you plan to do about it?" Skipper kicked him in the groin. X yelped and collapsed.

My brother grabbed my arm. "Move, move, MOVE!" he ordered as he yanked me away from the officer.

We ran. I didn't know where we were going. I just wanted to get away from that horrible man, and I could tell Skipper felt the same way.

"Skipper!? What if he catches us!?" I asked, panicked.

"If that happens," he answered, "and that's a big if, I won't let him lay a finger on you!"

I heard Officer X behind us. "You can't run, forever!"

He was right. We ended up crashing into someone and plummeting to the ground. We looked up at the person on the ground in front of us. It was a woman, probably in her thirties, wearing a zoo keeper uniform. She had red hair that was tucked underneath her hat and brown eyes.

"What in the world!?" she exclaimed, rubbing her head.

"Sorry!" I quickly apologized.

Skipper and I hastily stood up, but we weren't quick enough in fleeing. Officer X forcefully wrapped his arms around our chests. We struggled to escape, but the man was too strong.

"I knew I'd catch you boys!" he snarled. "Now, you runaways are comin' with me."

The woman stood up and said "Woah, woah, woah! Time out! What's going on, here?"

X faced her calmly, tightening his grip on us. "Ma'am, these two teenagers have runaway from their home. As a police officer, it is my duty to make sure that they never do something like that, again."

"Ran away from home, you say?" she asked slyly. Her gaze hardened. "You seem to be mistaken. These boys live with me and two other kids at the Manhattan Orphanage!"

"No, ma'am. I'm afraid you're the one who's mis-"

Officer X was cut off by the woman pulling me and Skipper away from him. I looked at my brother and realized that he was just as confused as I was.

X glared at her. "Now, listen here-"

"No, you listen!" she spat at him. "You call yourself and officer, and yet you'd dare harm two orphaned citizens!?" She tapped her chin. "I wonder what your co-workers would think..."

X gulped. "Uh, s-sorry for the confusion, ma'am, boys." He ran away, and me and Skipper laughed.

We looked up at the woman. "Thank you, ma'am," I said, smiling.

She shrugged. "Hey, as long as you boys head back home-"

"But we can't!" I said, cutting her off. My voice cracked as tears blurred my vision. "We really are orphaned!"

I cried into my brother's shirt, as he explained who we were and what had been happening to us.

I felt someone pat my head, and I looked up to see that it was the woman. She looked at me with gentle eyes. "Don't cry, little fella. Why don't you and your big brother come with me? I think I might have a solution."

"W-what do mean?" I sniffled.

"Well, if you boys don't have parents, then why not come live with the other kids who don't?"

Skipper let go of me. "Are you suggesting that we live at the orphanage?"

She smiled. "There are some spare rooms, there. By the way, I'm Alice. Alice Benson."

I recognized the name. "Are you that grumpy zoo keeper at the Central Park Zoo?"

"Technically, yes," Alice chuckled. "But after that ridiculous job, I'm actually-you know-happy."

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