Chapter Three- Escape
All was quiet in Niceland, nothing out of the ordinary happening.
The ducks swam in the river, the trees were filled with fresh apples as usual and the multicolored stars twinkled in the sky, as usual.
Everything was normal.
Well, at least on the OUTSIDE.
INSIDE however….
Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock.
The fancy clock on the penthouse wall ticked away loudly, the continuus motions the only thing heard as the group of transformed Nicelanders all sat about the penthouse, doing nothing.
Say nothing.
Looking at nothing.
Tick.
Norwood stroked his mustache.
Tock.
Nel adjusted her hair bow.
Tick.
Meg fluffed the flower on her head band.
Tock.
Nolan took off his glasses.
TICK.
TOCK.
TICK…..
….
TOCK.
"We gotta get OUTTA here!" shouted Lucy, jumping up from the couch as she looked around "There is NO WAY I'm gonna let myself waste this!"
"For goodness sake, child…" groaned Don "Plant your bottom back on that couch and just CALM DOWN!"
"Hey old man, it isn't MY fault that I actually LIKE doing EXCITING things in my life instead of milling around?" the woman huffed looking at Don and paying no mind to the angered glare he was giving her "Oh, wait! I TOTALLY forgot that all you like to do is sit around and do whatever it is forty-year old dudes like to do, WHICH IS NOTHING APPARENTLY!"
Don stood up, his newly defined form TOWERING over Lucy by what had to be nearly a foot. He puffed out his broad chest, his eyes cutting deep into Lucy much like a father would look at a misbehaving child but the younger Nicelander didn't flinch, instead standing up on her tip-toes as if she were ready to challenge the man.
"Say somethin' else an' I'm shovin' your cheeky butt into the COAT CLOSET, young lady!" Don growled, his posh accent dropping.
"Guys, GUYS!" shouted Meg as she jumped between the two and pushed them apart "If we MUST remain here we might as well find something better to do than FIGHT!"
The two Nicelanders GLARED at each other but Don was the first to move back, his anger gradually fading a bit.
"Sorry Meg, dear…" the sailor sighed, rubbing his temple "That was childish of me and I know better!"
"O-Oh…" the woman stammered, much too enamored with Don to even remember what he had just said "I….That's….did I do something five seconds ago?"
Lucy snickered as she looked at the two "Careful Donnie. Don't use your time bein' a heart breaker to poor ol' Meggie!"
The sailor knew EXACTLY what Lucy had implied and it was something he DIDN'T like, his anger quickly returning as he stomped over towards the girl.
"DAT'S IT!" the man shouted, his accent once again dropping as he LIFTED Lucy off the ground and carried her on his shoulder "INTA DA CLOSET YA GO!"
"YA OLD FART! PUT ME DOWN!"
*BAM BAM BAM!*
Everyone froze in place as they looked towards the door, fearing the worst.
"YA GUYS BETTER NOT BE FIGHTIN' IN THERE!" shouted Felix from the other side "I WILL punish ya! Somehow…"
Meg gave Don a worried look, as if to tell the man that it would be best to let Lucy go. Looking up, Don gave a growl and simple DROPPED the woman like a dirty rag on the couch.
"OOF!"
"Ya know, if you guys keep this up, Felix might keep us in here for WEEKS…" snickered Deanna, perhaps a bit too entertained by what she was witnessing.
"C'mon, Dee-Dee! Ya know this isn't fair!" whined Lucy "Something cool finally happens to us and here we are STUCK! When GENE was GIGANTORED, HE didn't have to stay in the apartments!"
"That's because his big ass broke OUTTA the apartments…" Chuckled Norwood, only making such a comment since he knew Gene was off doing who knew what.
"Honestly Lucy, I wouldn't want to be caught DEAD lookin' like this!" huffed Nel, the woman slouched back in the couch.
"Why not?" asked a surprised Meg "I think you look VERY pretty, Nel!"
Nel turned away, her cheeks blushing a bit at the comment "Th-thanks, but I think I'd feel more comfortable here. After all, unlike the REST of ya, I came up…."
Nel couldn't even finish what she was going to say. It was just too painful.
"Ya came up WHAT, babe?" Norwood asked, grinning cheekily at Nel and bothering her to no end.
"Ya wanna say it. I know ya do…."
The red-headed Nicelander let out a fake gasp, putting his hands to his cheeks "Why Neeeel, could it be you're upset because you're…."
"I swear to programmers…."
"PETITE?!"
The fluffy Nicelander wanted nothing more than to BOOT Norwood out of the penthouse as soon as those words FLEW from his mouth, the man still grinning like a fool in front of her but what hurt the most was that Norwood was correct.
Nel was now the smallest thing in the room…and she HATED it.
"An' here I thought GENE was the only one who had issues about his height!" Norwood laughed.
"Hey! HEY HEY!" shouted Nolan, his brows furrowing "Lay off her or it'll be YOU in the closet instead of Lucy!"
"HEY!"
"Chill, Nolan! Ya know full an' well I don't mean anythin' bad by that!" Norwood smiled "After all, Nle just wouldn't be Nel if she weren't fun-sized!"
"An' YOU wouldn't be the massive butthole without your midlife crisis sweater-vest!" Nel shot back, poking the man in his stomach. She could see the man's brow twitching a bit, a clear indicator that she had indeed landed a direct blow to the man's ego but knowing Norwood, he wasn't about to give up, not by a long shot!
"Oh but baby, ya know ya love 'em!" the man said, placing his hands behind his head "I rock these bad boys better than anyone else in the arcade!"
"That's because you're the only person who still years stuff like that…." mumbled Nolan.
Norwood walked around gracefully, his hands still on his head "Oh! Aaah! They look so much better BLISSED! In fact, I feel like breakin' outta here too! Show da world the marvels of Norwood!"
"Norwood. Don't you dare…."
The man seemed to bend down a bit, his back still towards Nel.
"But Neeeeel!"
"Norwood, I swear!"
"I just gotta-!"
"NORWOOD!"
Nel could do nothing to prevent the following events from happening. Standing on his toes, Norwood then began to SWING his hips around as if the man were performing with some invisible hula-hoop, his catty grin still plastered on his face as he moved and twirled closer to Nel.
"Mmmmm! YEAAAAAH! Gotta rock this bod, BABY! Taste the Irish charms! OOHN!"
"You are a sick FREAK, ya know that Norwood?"
Norwood continued his little performance, his brows arching as he looked back at his fuming neighbor "Don't lie to yourself, Nelly. Ya know ya like it! AH KNOW YA DO!"
Luckily for the santity of everyone left in the room, Nel HURLED one of her shoes at the man, clocking him upside the head with just the right amount of force to get him to stop his little 'dance'.
"I need a bath…" groaned Don "A scalding hot one…"
Nel growled as she stood up, marching right for the door of the penthouse.
"And just where do ya think YOU'RE going?" asked Lucy.
The small woman PUSHED the doors open, not even caring if she nearly knocked Felix out of his chair "ANYWHERE where I'm not within FIVE FEET of Nicelander Butt-Monster!"
"Aw, I was just kiddin' Nel, ya know that!" Norwood smiled innocently, taking off after Nel with her missing shoe. Taking a second to recover, Felix tried to go after Nel a little surprised that she was much quicker in her Blissed form than he had first thought.
"Ms. Nel! I TOLD ya ta-!"
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Nel screamed, scaring Felix where he stood. At first, the little repairman thought that his neighbor's anger was directed towards him but as he looked back, he realized that HE wasn't the one who was the recipient of the woman's outburst.
Norwood caught up with Nel, a smile still on his face "But Nelly!"
Nel opened the door of her apartment, glaring daggers at the man "An' ya wonder why everyone says you're going to live alone with your CATS!"
"I-!"
*SLAM!*
Norwood could do nothing as the door slammed in his face, seeing the images of his beighbors looking at him from the side of his eyes. Even though Nel apparently wanted nothing to do with him, the red-head was undeterred, running his fingers through his hair as he turned towards the others, grinning smugly.
"She'll come around. She always does!"
Saying nothing more, Norwood turned on his feels and began to head toward the stairs.
"Whoa, I told ya NOT ta leave the apartment!" shouted Felix, growing all the more aggravated by the second.
"M'not goin' out…" Norwood answered "Just getting' my pipe. I promise."
Felix huffed, part of his mind telling him that as soon as Norwood had rounded the corner he was more likely to take off than to go to his own apartment.
"C'mon Felix, don't think like that…." The man thought to himself, rubbing his forehead. He sighed, trying his best to be as stern as possible towards the Nicelander "Fine. Ya can go home but don't think I'm not gonna check on ya! If I don't see your behind there-!"
"Ha, Re-LAAAX, Felix!" Norwood chuckled "I'm not THAT stupid!"
With two less Nicelanders in the penthouse, Lucy's patient was starting to wane. She KNEW she had to get out but it was going to take a LOT to convince the others to side with her.
"Hmmm, I was certain I would get Nory on my side…but he'd gone now." The young woman thought to herself "Tony and Dee-Dee should be pretty easy to say! But the others? Hmmm, I'll have to work DOUBLE-TIME to get through with them!"
She thought, she planed…..
DING!
An idea came.
A smile crept on the woman's face as she looked around, making sure that the penthouse doors were shut tight. Moving along gracefully, Lucy went over to Tony, the young man looking out the window dreamily.
"Heeeeey, Anthony!" Lucy cooed as she sat next to her neighbor "What's got ya down?"
"Hmm? Oh nothin'…." The man replied, a sad tone in his voice "Just wondering when Ralph an' Ms. Calhoun are comin' back."
"Don't tell me you're THAT worried about all of this!" Lucy said, feigning concern for the man "That is so UNLIKE you, Tony! You always manage to look on the UPSIDE of EVERYTHING!"
Tony looked at Lucy, some of the sadness washing off his face. After hearing Lucy's kind words, he was starting to feel a wee bit less hectic, though not that much.
"I-I guess I should be doing that….but what if Demitri decides NOT ta turn us back! What would happen then?"
"Oh, I don't think it would be THAT BAD…." The cheeky Nicelander grinned, twiddling her fingers "But think about this Tony! What if we turn back an' turn back REAL soon! We would have missed out on havin' some FUN!"
"Fun?"
"Yeeeeeeah! I mean, I'm sure YOU have always wanted to know what it feels like to be high-def an' do somethin' new! What would YOU wanna do in this form?"
Tony thought for a moment, his usually scattered brain trying to come up with the best ideas he could. After a moment of so, a smile broke on his face.
"Ya know, I've always wanted ta see if I had what it took to go against some of those soccer players from XTreme Football! Ya know, the ENGLISH football!"
"Oh, really?" Lucy asked coyly.
"Yeah! I would be AWESOME!" Tony smiled, starting to get lost in his fantasy "I couldn't kick worth BEANS in my old form but now-?"
Tony stood up, looking happily at his longer legs.
"Hehe! I'm sure I can do it! Besides, I'm BUILT for soccer anyway!"
"Ya bet your ducks ya are!" grinned Lucy "But what about the others? They can't spend their remaining time in here!"
"No, they can't, can they?" Tony said with a nod and not a second later he quickly bounced over to Nolan "Hey, Nolan!"
It had begun. Lucy had gotten Tony excited so all she had to do was wait.
"Yes?"
"Wouldn't it be cool to see how well ya could do against the Mario Tennis guys like this?"
"Young man, I've beaten them before even in my NORMAL form. What makes you think THIS would make any difference?"
"But Nolan!" Tony said, growing all the more excited by the second "You can move faster! You can hit harder! Heck, I'm sure you can make better serves now since your arms are longer!"
Nolan thought for a second. The idea was tempting enough but he knew the trouble he could get in if he went against Felix's words.
But there were so many things he could do now!
"Nooooolaaaaaaan!" whined Lucy, moving closer to the man and putting her hands on his shoulders "You don't wanna stay here. I know ya don't!"
"Hey Dee-Dee! Meg! What about you!" Tony smiled as he looked over at the women "I know you'd have plans, wouldn't ya?"
"Lucile, I know what you're tryin' ta pull here." Deanna said, poking her younger neighbor on the forehead "I wasn't plugged in yesterday…"
Lucy let out a little meek squeak, feeling a tad intimidated by Deanna which was nothing new but now? Just by looking at her, EVERYONE knew it was best not to fool around with a Blissed Deanna. The younger woman began to rethink her plans as the taller woman looked down at her but to her surprise, Deanna began to smile.
"I want in on this too…"
Something in Lucy's eyes began to light up as she looked at Deanna, her excitement so large at this point that she hardly contain it!
"I knew you'd pull through, Dee-Dee!" Lucy said happily "But what about the others! Ya know Don is gonna be IMPOSSIBLE ta move!"
"Don't worry about him, sweets." Deanna said in a smug tone "Just play along with ME and we'll be out of here soon enough!"
Lucy was starting to like where this was headed.
Outside the penthouse, Felix continued to sit and keep guard at the door but by now the little man had found himself engrossed in a novel, the twist and turns of what was on the page drawing him in closer.
"Jimminay! I never heard of a break out like this!" the man gasped, turning the page.
*BOOM!*
"GAH!" Felix shouted as he sprung to his feet, a little *PING* sound following him "What in the arcade-?!"
Before the man could even move, who should come BUSTING through the penthouse doors but LUCY, the little woman looking around frantically as she jumped and hopped about!
"OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHFELIX!"
Felix let out a yelp as Lucy nearly knocked him over to the ground "What!? WHAT IS IT?!"
"SOMETHINGHAPPENEDSOMETHINGHAPPENEDSOMETHINGHAPPENED!" the woman babbled, shaking Felix in her hands "ITS AWFUL! ITS TERRIBLE! ITS SO VERY, VERY BAD!"
Felix had a feeling something funny was going to happen and to his dread it finally broke through. His hands clenched on his hammer, Felix jumped up and RAN into the penthouse armed and ready to fight whatever it was that he THOUGHT had appeared in the building.
"Don't worry guys! I'LL-"
"GET HIM!"
The repairman didn't even have a chance to REACT as he saw a veil of darkness loom over him. He looked up, everything seeming to slow down as he did so. The look on his face revealed everything though.
"I knew this was going to happen….."