Colette Parfume (c) Me
All other characters (c) Butch Hartman
After hours of floating adrift amongst the dark ocean waters, the Phantom was at last on the move towards it's classified location. The lights aboard had been dimmed to prevent it from being spotted. Dr. Rabies and Madame Catastrophe were taking no chances this time. Security had been tightened, especially at the engine room entrance and vent gratings. They couldn't afford to have anything go wrong again. Dr. Rabies' mood had somewhat improved after an hour went by with no more interruptions. He and Madame Catastrophe decided to relax in the snack lounge, sipping tropical drinks as they made their plans for when they would meet their mystery benefactor.
Colette wasn't in much of a celebrating mood, even though Rabies and Catastrophe invited her to join them. The traitor skunk, instead, decided to go for a walk out on deck to clear her head. Her heart was a mixture of emotions right now. Soon, the Phantom would reach its destination and she would be handsomely rewarded. She should have been happy about this, and she was...in a sense.
But that didn't get rid of the constant tugging at her heart. The pang of sadness that constantly reminded her of the enormous price that had been paid for all this: the heart of the rat that had touched her own...and his little brother's life. Colette stared out at the sea sadly. She didn't intend to break Matt's heart, not on purpose. Why else would she have tried to get him and his siblings to leave while they were free? She never would have predicted that Dr. Rabies would send Snaptrap to a watery grave. Colette shut her eyes. She could still hear Matt and Pat calling out to their little brother desperately. She could still see the look of hurt and betrayal on Matt's face as he and Pat were led away to be locked up. Colette gave a small sigh.
"C'est...la vie..." she said in a hoarse whisper.
Matt and Pat had both been extremely quiet ever since they were roughly tossed into the yacht's brig, which was meant for unruly passengers. Two guards had been placed in the brig to ensure the two rats would stay captive, not that Matt and Pat had the desire to try and escape again. With the tight security around the dock, it was impossible now. Both rats just sat silently in the cell, lost in their own thoughts. Matt was sitting on the cell bed, hands folded upon his lap as he stared at the floor. Pat was leaning against the wall, staring straight ahead in deep thought.
Neither of the siblings would say it, but they knew Snaptrap was gone. No one could tread water for so long in the freezing ocean water. If exhaustion didn't get him, the frigid temperature would. Both siblings sat in silence, still trying to register the fact that their crazy little brother was now gone forever. The sound of the brig door opening,brought them out of their thoughts. They watched silently as Dr. Rabies and Madame Catastrophe strolled casually inside and up to the jail bars.
Dr. Rabies grinned superiorly at the captives through the bars, still wearing the coat, hat, and monocle that he had taken from Matt. "Well, my rodent friends, how are you adjusting to your new quarters? Granted, it's not as classy as your cabin room, but I think it suits you both quite fittingly." He tugged smartly at the lapels on his coat. "I must say, Matt, your coat is of fine quality. I now see why you wear it so much. Though I think I pull the look off much better than you. Your gangly frame didn't do it justice."
Neither Matt nor Pat responded. Dr. Rabies raised an eyebrow curiously. "What's this?" He asked, "No response? No witty comebacks? No threats? This is quite unlike you two. Especially you, Matt."
Matt just snorted in reply. Dr. Rabies put on a face of mock hurt. "Oh, are you still hurt by your girlfriend's betrayal, Matt? Now, now, don't take it so hard. There are plenty of fish in the sea, as they say. Besides, she never really cared for you in the first place, so you never really lost anything."
A brief flicker of anger flashed in Matt's eyes as he tried to ignore the evil dog. Dr. Rabies gave an amused chuckle. "Don't tell me you are actually upset about your brother. This whole thing could have been avoided if you all had just cooperated in the first place." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Besides, I thought you both hated Verminious."
Matt's turned to the dog with a stone hard glare. Dr. Rabies looked a bit surprised by the reaction. "My, my, if looks could kill..." he mused.
Matt finally spoke for the first time since he was locked up. "Why are you here?" He muttered.
Madame Catastrophe exchanged a wicked glance with Rabies as she stepped forward and held up an object. "We found this lying around in the engine room," she explained, "We thought you'd like it in remembrance of your brother."
The wicked cat tossed the object through the bars where it landed at Matt's feet. Matt and Pat both froze as they recognized the item: it was Vincent, Snaptrap's little skull "friend." Madame Catastrophe laughed in wicked amusement. "Only Verminious Snaptrap would be deranged enough to keep a skull around."
She smiled devilishly as the rats continued to stare at the skull. "You know, I think we did your family a favor by getting rid of that fool," she said smugly. Matt fixed the cat with an icy stare.
"Shut up," he said in a whispered growl. Madame Catastrophe's eyes hardened as she bared her teeth.
"What...did...you...say...?" She hissed threateningly.
Matt was unintimidated. "I said shut up you walking flea barn!" He barked.
Madame Catastrophe lunged at the bars screeching. "You insolent, germ-carrying, sewer dweller! How dare you! I'll give you a scratch ten times worse than the one I gave your brother! Guards! Open the cell, now!"
The guards were about to comply when Dr. Rabies interrupted. "No!" He ordered. He turned to Catastrophe. "We have more important matters to attend to. It won't be long before we reach the rendezvous point. Besides..." He paused and grinned evilly at the two rats. "They will get their just desserts when this is over."
Something about the tone in Dr. Rabies' voice made Matt and Pat's blood run cold. They grew even more uncomfortable when they saw a malicious grin form on Catastrophe's face, as if the two were sharing a morbid secret. With a purring chuckle, Madame Catastrophe drew away from the bars.
"You are right, Darling," she agreed, "These two are hardly worth our time." As she walked away, Dr. Rabies turned to Matt. Reaching into his coat, he pulled out his blaster. Before Matt could react, Dr. Rabies fired off a laser blast at him. The thin rat gave a shout of surprise and pain as he was knocked off the bed.
"Matt!" Pat cried as she rushed over to her brother.
Dr. Rabies eyed them both sternly. "That will teach you both to hold your tongues," he growled.
Pat gritted her teeth as she watched Dr. Rabies walk out. Then she helped Matt up while scolding him. "Matt what were you thinking?!"
Matt, slightly dazed, held a hand to his head as he replied: "Someone needed to tell that stupid cat off!"
"Yeah, well Dr. Rabies sure told you off!" Pat snapped. "You're lucky that blast didn't kill you!"
"Oh, who cares?!" Matt spat out.
"I do!" Pat answered angrily, "Dang it, Matt! I don't wanna lose both my brothers in one day!"
The grim reality of Pat's comment struck both siblings like a rock. For a few seconds all they could do was stare at each other. Then with a sigh, Matt sat back down on the cell bed. As he did, his eyes fell upon Vincent, who was still lying on the ground. Matt bent down and slowly picked up the skull as Pat walked over and sat next to him. Both siblings continued to stare in silence at the creepy object that their sibling had held dear. It was some time before Pat spoke.
"Verm's really gone, isn't he Matt?" She asked quietly.
"No one could survive in that freezing water for long," Matt replied, still staring at Vincent.
Pat looked from her brother to Vincent. "He was really somethin' in the engine room, wasn't he Matt? Going at all those guards like that. Screaming like a lunatic." She gave a small smile."Verm really was crazy."
"More like borderline psychotic," Matt replied, with a half-hearted chuckle. "Only Verminious would attempt a fool thing like that..." His voice trailed off then Matt gave a small swallow as he finished:
"...to save us."
Pat said nothing as Matt fiddled with the skull. The slender rat then gave a small smile. "You know, when he was visiting this morning, Verminious told me something rather amusing...and creepy...about skulls." He held Vincent up and continued. "He said that they make good comfort objects, because they're always smiling."
"Heh, he would say something weird like that," Pat said.
Matt nodded then sighed. "I...I'm afraid it'll take more than a grinning skull to make light of this situation."
Both siblings became silent as they became lost in their thoughts once again. Thoughts that began to merge with memories from the past, memories that were once deemed forgotten: the fun they use to have with their brother. The little arguments they had back then that now seemed silly...even funny. Moments of laughter they shared as well as moments of sadness. How they grew older, and changed. The memories drifted all the way to the present. To that morning when their brother came to visit. The fun they had with him when he was in his "Von Marzipan" disguise. How they had yelled at him in the room after they were captured. When he had stood up for them and was forced to eat the large cake of cheese. All the years of hurt and bottled up anger he had spewed at them back in their cabin. The three of them reminiscing about that fun day at the beach and the feelings of longing and happiness it had brought. How Snaptrap unwittingly pointed out their way of escape. How he bravely fought through the guards in the engine room to rescue them.
And in an instant, he was gone. Snaptrap would not be attending the next family reunion, or future reunions, ever. The trio of siblings was now a duo. Neither Matt nor Pat could ignore the feelings all this brought up. Feelings of anger, sadness, loss, and guilt.
Pat turned to Matt. "Matt?" She spoke, "Verm stunk as a villain..."
Matt gave a nod. "Yes," he replied.
"And at everything else," Pat continued.
"Yes..."
"But..." Pat's voice shook slightly before she finished: "He was still our little brother, wasn't he?"
Matt looked away, blinking.
"Yes, he was."
Snaptrap's eyes began flickering as he drifted in and out of the realm of unconsciousness. Not wanting to leave the solace of his dreams, he struggled to stay within his dreamlike world until a small voice began echoing throughout his subconscious.
"Snaptrap? Snaptrap? Hey, I think he's coming to..."
Snaptrap could find his dreams starting to fade away as another voice was heard.
"Yes, it looks like he's waking up. Everyone back away, let's not crowd him..."
The grey rat's eyes fluttered open as he saw shadowy figures gathered about him. He slowly sat up and winced as his head throbbed. "Ooh, my head," he moaned, tenderly touching the lump on his head which was in bandages, "Wha...what happened...where...?"
A hand gently touched his shoulder and steadied him. "Easy Boss," an accented voice spoke softly, "You've had quite a rough time. Try not to move so much."
Slowly turning his head, Snaptrap saw a blurred figure standing beside him. As he became more awake, his vision cleared and he recognized who it was. It was Ollie, his British possum henchman.
Snaptrap blinked in confusion. "Ollie? W-what are you doing here?" He asked.
"You called us, Boss, remember?" Ollie replied, "Sorry it took so long, but we had a hard time locating your position."
"We?" Snaptrap spoke dumbly. He followed Ollie's hand as the possum pointed to the the small crew gathered about, all DOOM henchman. There was Francisco the alligator from Chicago, Larry the shrew who was also Snaptrap's brother-in-law, and Bad Dog, a large, muscular white dog in a black tank top. They were all standing around the makeshift bed that Snaptrap was recuperating on. While he was glad to see them, Snaptrap was still a bit shaky and confused.
"Where are we exactly?" He asked.
"In the new DOOM RV submarine," Ollie answered.
"Submarine?" Snaptrap repeated.
Then Francisco spoke. "Yeah, Boss. Remember when you converted that RV into a sub to steal the pieces of TUFF's giant laser? We just rented another RV and used the schematic plans you made to make it into a sub."
"It wasn't that hard actually," Larry piped up, unfolding a rolled up piece of paper he was holding, "All you drew on here was an RV, a propeller, and a periscope with the words: 'Put these on RV.'"
Snaptrap tenderly touched the bump on his head again. "What are we doing in a sub?" He asked.
Ollie blinked in surprise. "Wow, Boss, you must've hit your head harder than we thought. You don't remember? You and Zippy were sinking down beneath the water, just as the yacht was floating by. We spotted you both with the RV's headlights. Good thing we did or you two would've been goners."
"Zippy...?" Snaptrap spoke in confusion, "Yacht? What are you..."
It all came back to him in a flash. Everyone scrambled back as Snaptrap leaped out of the bed, babbling inconsistently.
"Holy cow! Zippy! Matt! Pat! Rabies! Big trouble! On boat! Vincent!"
Francisco and Bad Dog both got a firm grip on Snaptrap's arms, trying to calm him down.
"Whoa, hey! Easy there, boss!" Francisco exclaimed. Snaptrap struggled in their grip, still muttering incoherently. Suddenly a small form darted right in front of him. It was Zippy.
"Snaptrap, calm down! It's okay!" She squeaked in concern.
Snaptrap ceased moving and stared dumbly at the little hummingbird. Then with a grin, he grabbed her and hugged her tiny frame to him.
"Zippy! You're alright!" He exclaimed happily.
Zippy grunted as she was pressed against his bulk. "Yeah, I was spinning around in the water when your friends showed up," she gasped. "After they tended to you, I explained everything to them." Snaptrap released her and she perched on his shoulder. "I'm glad you're okay," she said with a smile. Snaptrap smiled back at her when Francisco interrupted.
"So, should we head back for shore, Boss?"
Snaptrap turned to him. "Head back?" He asked.
"You said you wanted us to get you out of here when we got you," Ollie reminded him.
Snaptrap scratched his neck absentmindedly "Oh, right...get me out of here..." he mumbled.
Zippy looked at Snaptrap in dismay. You're gonna leave?" She asked in shock, "What about Matt and Pat?"
Snaptrap didn't answer. He just bit his lip as his eyes darted back and forth in uncertainty. Matt and Pat were in trouble, that much was certain. The yacht was moving closer to its rendezvous point, which meant the clock was ticking. Once Dr. Rabies completed his deal with the mysterious benefactor who knew what fate would be in store for his siblings? Snaptrap was not sure, but he knew it would not be good.
But sneaking back aboard the yacht would be a great risk. No doubt, Dr. Rabies would have the yacht under heavy surveillance. There was a chance Snaptrap would be caught before he could even find Matt and Pat. He shuffled his feet indecisively. Before, when he was locked in the closet, he would've ran away from this whole thing without a second thought about his siblings. But now...after all they had been through...
The big rat sighed in frustration. He never felt so torn. He didn't want to be caught, especially after Dr. Rabies pretty much tried to kill him. But he couldn't shake the concern he had for his siblings. He thought back to where they were in the engine room. When he couldn't remember where he had placed the Scrambler Device, instead of shouting at him, Matt and Pat surprisingly tried to help him. They actually made an attempt to get along with their little brother. Snaptrap's eyes then narrowed in determination. No. He could not run away. Not this time, anyway. He straightened up and turned to Zippy who was waiting for an answer.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said resolutely, "My brother and sister need me, whether they know it or not. It's time Dr. Rabies and Madame Catastrophe learned that the Snaptrap's are a force to be reckoned with."
Ollie exchanged glances with the other henchman then looked at Snaptrap. "Are you alright, Boss?" He asked, a bit confused, "I thought you hated your brother and sister."
Snaptrap rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "It's uh...kinda complicated," he muttered. Then he glared at his henchmen. "What're you yahoos, lookin' at?!" He exclaimed loudly, "Help me get my stupid siblings off that boat or you're all going in the shark tank!"
The DOOM agents immediately began scrambling around to get the sub moving. Snaptrap turned to Zippy. "Guess you're staying here, huh?" He asked.
Zippy shook her head. "Nah, I'm sticking with you guys, Birdbrain's on that yacht too, ya know." She ruffled her feathers somewhat sheepishly. "Besides," she continued, "I think I like you and your siblings."
Snaptrap smiled back, then a thought came to him. Zippy noticed the change in his expression.
"What is it?" She asked.
"I think...I got an idea," Snaptrap said, "It's risky...actually it's kinda stupid, but it's worth a shot." He headed to the front of the sub as Zippy looked on curiously. Snaptrap began to push some buttons on the sub, hoping that what he had in mind would work.
All was quiet aboard the Phantom. Other than a few guards making their rounds, the decks and hallways were pretty much vacant. All that could be heard was the hum of the yacht engine and the sound of the ocean waves gently lapping against the yacht's sides. Out on deck, a small form shot up over the railing and hovered about, scanning the deck. After some time, it zoomed over to the railing and called down:
"It's all clear!"
The little form darted back as a grappling hook shot up and caught onto the deck railing. There was some silence, then a few small grunts were heard as a pink hand grabbed onto the bottom railing, followed by pink ears, yellow eyes, and a large grey head. Snaptrap slowly pulled himself up and over the railing while nodding at the small hovering figure, which was none other than Zippy.
Following him were Ollie, Francisco, and Bad Dog(Larry had been left behind to pilot the RV sub).
"So what's the plan, Boss?" Ollie asked as he climbed over the railing. Snaptrap glanced about while trying to decide.
"First we're gonna find Matt and Pat," he finally answered.
"Uh, then what?" Francisco asked.
"Then I'll let Matt take it from there," Snaptrap replied as he cautiously walked across the deck. The others exchanged hopeless glances with each other before following.
Snaptrap's yellow eyes darted back and forth nervously, expecting someone to jump out at him any second. He wouldn't admit it to his henchmen, but all he wanted to do at that moment was make sure his siblings were alright. But where would Dr. Rabies keep them? Definitely not in their room after all that had happened. And certainly not in the engine room. A sudden noise made him instantly alert. To his dismay, the doors on deck that led inside were beginning to open.
"Darn it!" Snaptrap exclaimed, "We gotta hide!"
"Where?!" Zippy exclaimed. Snaptrap's eyes fell upon a door near the jacuzzi and pointed to it.
"Quick! To that conveniently placed door over there!" He called to the others. Everyone scrambled over to the door which luckily wasn't locked. They dashed inside and closed it just as two guards walked out onto the deck.
Behind the door, Snaptrap took a look around. "Where are we?" He asked.
Ollie turned on a flashlight he had brought along and checked out their surroundings. "It looks like some sort of storage closet," he observed. He squinted at the writing on some nearby containers. "These are chlorine containers," he spoke, "This must be where they keep all the pool supplies."
Snaptrap slumped against the wall. "A lot of good that'll do us," he muttered.
Zippy shushed him as she pressed her head against the door. "Someone's coming!" She chirped urgently. Everyone immediately became still as Ollie turned off the flashlight. Snaptrap held his breath as he could hear footsteps approaching. It was the two guards that had come out on deck, doing their rounds. As they walked by, the DOOM crew heard their conversation.
"Looks like things are alright out here."
"Yeah, no thanks to those rats. I thought the boss would never calm down."
"I really don't see the point of us doin' any more rounds. None of the other guests would be stupid enough to try anything after the boss took care of that Snaptrap guy. Besides, his siblings are locked up tight. No way are they gettin' out now."
"Yeah, the boss definitely ain't takin' any more chances. Heh, I'd hate to be in those rats' skins. I hear the Boss has somethin' "special" planned for 'em and the guests when this is over. Come on, let's go back inside. There's nuthin' out here."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they heard the voices fade. Snaptrap chanced a peek out then pulled his head back in. "They're gone! Let's get going!"
"Hold on, Boss!" Ollie exclaimed, stopping him. "We still don't know where Matt and Pat are being held!"
"But you heard those dopes!" Snaptrap replied, "Dr. Dummy's gonna do something terrible to them when this is over! No one does something terrible to my siblings unless it's me!"
"But how are we gonna find your sibs?" Francisco asked.
Snaptrap looked as if he were about to say something, then sat down on a crate with a sigh. "Darned if I know," he muttered.
Ollie rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Didn't you and your siblings escape by way of the yacht vents?" He asked, "Maybe we could crawl through them and look for Matt and Pat."
Zippy answered for Snaptrap. "Yeah, but they're sure to be watching the vents now after what happened. Even if we could get in the ventilation system, they'll hear us crawling around. We'd have to be as light as a feather to pull it off now."
"Yeah, light as a feather," Snaptrap mumbled. Suddenly, his ears perked up as the words he heard began to spark an idea. Light...feather...vents...the vents...wait a minute... Snaptrap's mind suddenly went back to what Matt had explained when they were planning to escape:
We can stop off at the vents over the cabins of the guests. We can loosen the screws on their vents and tell them to be ready. We can rally together a small army, so to speak."
Everyone jumped in surprise as Snaptrap leaped off the crate crying out loudly: "Or light as a hummingbird! That's it!"
He winced as the others shushed him and smiled apologetically. "Sorry," he said, lowering his voice, "But I think I just got an idea."
Everyone gasped in shock as they stared wide eyed at the rat. Snaptrap folded his arms indignantly. "You don't have to look so surprised!" He exclaimed.
"What's your idea, Boss?" Ollie asked.
"Well, I-" Snaptrap began to speak when suddenly the door swung open, revealing the two guards that had walked by earlier, blasters aimed and ready. Snaptrap and his men froze.
"I thought I heard somethin'!" Guard One growled.
"Alright, who are you guys?!" Guard Two demanded, "What-" The color drained from the guard's face as his eyes fell on Snaptrap.
"What the..." Guard Two began to stutter, his voice sounding hollow and hoarse, "No! It can't be! I saw you fall myself" Snaptrap just stared back at him, completely baffled.
Guard One however, quickly got over his shock and raised his blaster. "I don't know how you made it back..." he growled threateningly, "But this time you're gonna stay gone!" Snaptrap drew out a blaster that he had gotten from the RV sub, trying to put on a brave face.
"I'd l-like to s-s-see you try it!" He squeaked.
"As do we!"
The guards turned to find Ollie and Francisco aiming their blasters at them. The guards looked uneasy as they realized their predicament.
Snaptrap stuck his tongue out triumphantly at them. "Ha! You're outnumbered! Nyahh! Nyahh!"
Both guards gave a shout of surprise as they each felt a thick arm wrap around their necks. During the confrontation, Bad Dog had sneaked behind them and now had both guards in a tight headlock. Snaptrap twirled his blaster skillfully. "Nice work, Bad Dog! Now hold 'em steady." Snaptrap strolled up to the two guards, grinning cheerfully. Opening his mouth he bellowed in their faces:
"TELL ME WHERE MY SIBLINGS ARE OR PERISH!"
Both guards just glared at him defiantly. Snaptrap's look of anger then slowly turned into a grin...a crazed, psychotic grin that sent shivers up their(and everyone else's) spines.
"Looks like I found replacements for my skull, Vincent..." he said in a dark cheerful manner, his eye slightly twitching. The guards practically sang like canaries, speaking one after the other.
"They're in the yacht's brig!"
"Two guards are watching 'em !"
"We had nuthin' to do with their imprisonment. we swear!"
"Yeah, we didn't hurt 'em or anything!"
"Silence, infidels!" Snaptrap spat, causing both guards to shut up. He stared at them in a way that showed he meant business. "How do we get 'em out?" He asked.
"The cell door is operated by a control panel," Guard One explained, "You need the code to open the door."
"So what's the code?" Snaptrap asked, impatiently. "W-we don't know," Guard Two admitted, "Only Rabies, Catastrophe and the guards assigned to the cells know that."
"I see," Snaptrap said thoughtfully, then smiled, "Well, thanks for your help, Guys. Because you cooperated, I'm gonna let you go."
"Really?" Both guards asked.
"Psych!" Snaptrap exclaimed. In a flash he whacked both guards over the head with his blaster, knocking them out cold. Everyone sighed in relief as they lowered their blasters.
"Nice goin', Boss!" Francisco said with a grin.
"Thanks," Snaptrap said. He watched as Bad Dog sat the unconscious guards against a crate. Then he began to remove the jacket of Guard One and put it on.
Ollie walked up to him smiling in approval. "Oh, brilliant, Boss!" He spoke, "Disguising ourselves as guards will make it easier for us to search for your siblings unnoticed!"
Snaptrap stared up at Ollie and blinked. "Uh, yeah! That's exactly what I was doing!" He said unconvincingly. "I wasn't putting this jacket on just cause I thought it looked cool! Heh, that'd be stupid!"
It was decided that Bad Dog would be the one to wear the other guard outfit. It wasn't long before he and Snaptrap were decked out in complete guard gear, with a visored helmet that hid their identity. Zippy eyed them up and down approvingly. "You two look like real guards. This might work!"
"That's good and all," Ollie spoke up, "But what are the rest of us going to do? We can't just sit in here waiting. Say, Boss, weren't you about to say something important before we were interrupted?"
Snaptrap lifted the visor on his helmet. "Oh, yeah! I remembered an idea Matt had when we were planning our escape. See, he had wanted to warn the guests about our plan while we passed by their room vents. We were going to loosen the vent grates so they could escape and help us fight Dr. Rabies and Madame Catastrophe." He folded his arms angrily. "But then stupid Colette had to blab it all to Rabies! Anyways, with everyone thinking I kicked the bucket, now would be the perfect time to loosen the vents and carry out Matt's plan!"
"But this time they would hear us coming," Francisco pointed out.
"That's where Zippy comes in," Snaptrap answered as he turned to the hummingbird.
Zippy's feathers fluffed out in surprise. "Me?" She squeaked.
"You said it yourself you need to be as light as a feather to go through the vents now," Snaptrap reminded her, "And you're all feathers! You can fly through the ventilation system, unscrew the vents with your beak, and warn the guests to be ready. While you're doing that, the rest of us will get my brother and sister!"
Everyone stared at the rat in dumb amazement. "Wow, Boss," Ollie spoke, "That's...actually a pretty good plan...which is rather out of character for you."
"Gee, thanks," Snaptrap replied.
"And just our luck, there's a vent in here," Francisco said, pointing to a vent over a shelf. Zippy looked up at it determinedly.
"Let's do it," she answered.
Although the lights dimly lit up the hallways inside, that didn't make them seem any less foreboding than before. Eerie shadows caused by the lights ran across the floor, walls, and ceilings, as if they were reaching out to grab anyone who dared to venture down the halls.
Around the corner of one hallway poked out the face of Snaptrap(in his guard disguise). Seeing the coast was clear, he walked around the corner, followed by Bad Dog pushing a towel cart they found in the pool storage closet. They both walked down the hall until they came to a spot that branched out to the right and left. After they stopped, Francisco poked his head out from beneath the covered cart, where he and Ollie were hiding.
"Now what, Boss?" He asked.
"You guys go up to the steering room and get the guards out of there," Snaptrap replied, "When you do, lock yourselves inside and don't let anyone in for anything. I'm gonna go get Matt and Pat."
"You mean we just stay inside there then?" Ollie asked. "Shouldn't we try steering the yacht away from here? Or at least radio for help?"
"No!" Snaptrap said resolutely, "You see-"
Bad Dog grunted and pointed down the hallway where a guard was coming towards them. Everyone immediately ceased talking as a guard strolled by. He nodded to Bad Dog and Snaptrap who silently nodded back. Once he was gone, Snaptrap smiled smugly.
"Ha! That loser didn't even suspect anything! This'll be easy!"
"I just hope Zippy gets done before somethin' goes wrong," Francisco spoke doubtfully.
"Hey, have I ever let you guys down before?" Snaptrap asked.
Ollie unwittingly began to answer. Well, actually, Boss-"
"Shut it!" Snaptrap ordered. "Let's get going already!"
Bad Dog nodded and took off down one hallway, pushing the cart. Snaptrap watched him leave then, taking a deep breath, trotted off in the opposite direction. He remembered where the yacht brig was during his exploring as Victor Von Marzipan. All he had to do was rescue his siblings. Simple.
At least that's what he hoped.
Snaptrap felt more confident upon reaching the yacht brig door. So far, no one seemed the least suspicious of him, thanks to his disguise. Gathering what little courage he had, Snaptrap entered through the door which led to a small stairway. He began to walk cautiously down, his heartbeat quickening with every step that took him closer to his destination. He paused as he came to another door which no doubt would open to the cell room. This was it. Snaptrap could feel beads of sweat forming on his neck as he grabbed hold of the doorknob and opened the door.
He found himself staring straight across at two guards standing in front of a small cell. Inside the cell, he could see Matt and Pat. Both of the guards stared back at him curiously. Knowing he had to say something, Snaptrap gave a grin and cheerfully greeted the guards.
"Greetings, Brothers!"
Both guards exchanged confused glances with each other before one spoke: "Uh, greetings. What are you doin' here? Is something goin' on?"
"G-Going on?" Snaptrap gulped nervously, "N-no nothin's goin' on! Definitely not an escape attempt! Just business as usual, heh!"
"Wait, what escape attempt?" Guard One asked.
Snaptrap shifted a bit, feeling even more nervous. "Did I say escape attempt?!" He babbled, "There's no escape attempt! W-Why would there be an escape attempt? I mean we already took care of that incredibly brilliant and handsome Snaptrap guy and locked up his ugly siblings! So we shouldn't even be worried about an escape attempt!"
The two guards just stared at him stupidly. Snaptrap gave his collar a nervous tug before continuing. "Uh, anyways, I was just uh, checkin' to see how you guys are doing. Yeah! Actually, uh, the thing is Dr. Rabies wanted me to tell you that he's relieving you guys and I'm to take over here!"
Guard One scratched his head, "Huh, the Boss didn't mention anything to us about a relief guard."
"He told us to stay here no matter what until he told us otherwise," Guard Two added, a note of suspicion in his voice.
Snaptrap gulped, "H-Hey, it's not my job to question what the Boss does." He then made as if he were to turn around and head back up the stairs. "But, if you like, I can go and ask him myself. I'm sure he won't mind taking time out of his important plan because two of his guards are doubting his leadership."
Both guards looked at each other nervously. Snaptrap grabbed the door handle. "I'll just pop back upstairs and tell him that you two are just questioning his authority. No big deal."
"No, wait!" Guard Two exclaimed urgently. "Uh, no need for that. You go ahead and take over. I mean, if the Boss says so, than he says so."
"Darn right, you yahoos!" Snaptrap replied, marching over to them. Matt and Pat exchanged quizzical looks at the mention of the word " yahoo." Was it just them or was there something familiar about this strange guard? The two guards began to march off when Snaptrap halted them.
"Hold on there, Nerds! You forgot to tell me the code!" He exclaimed.
"Oh, right," Guard One replied. He walked over to Snaptrap and whispered in his ear. "It's 11065." Snaptrap cupped his hand over his ear and leaned closer.
"Say again?" He asked. The guard whispered a little louder.
"11065!" He repeated.
Snaptrap smiled. "That's all I needed to know," he answered.
The guard suddenly gave a yell of pain as an electrical charge ran throughout his body and collapsed on the floor. Matt and Pat both stared in shock as Snaptrap(Still in disguise) held up a taser which he had picked out of the guard's pocket when he was telling him the code. He turned triumphantly to his siblings. "Told you I was good at pickpocketing," he said. Matt and Pat said nothing. They were more confused than ever. The other guard rushed over, brandishing his blaster.
"What the heck are you doing?" He shouted angrily. He fell back and struck his head against the wall as Snaptrap fired his blaster at him.
"Saving my brother and sister," the rat growled. After making sure both guards were unconscious, Snaptrap headed over to the bars. "Matt! Pat! You guys alright?"
Matt and Pat stared at him skeptically. "Who-who are you?" Matt asked.
"What's going on?" Asked Pat.
"Don't worry, Guys, it's-" Snaptrap stopped as he noticed Vincent in Matt's hands. "Vincent!" He cried happily. "You're alright! Thanks, Matt! You saved Vincent again! You know, I think you're starting to get attached to the little guy."
"Don't be ridiculous I-" Matt paused as realization struck him. "H-How did you know this skull was called Vincent?" He asked fearfully. "The only one who knew that besides me and Pat was..."
Snaptrap removed his helmet, revealing himself to his siblings. He gave them a small smile.
"Hi guys."
Matt and Pat stared back in slack jawed shock as if they had seen a ghost. Given the circumstances, they probably did think they were seeing one. Snaptrap stood smiling at them, feeling slightly weird at the awkward silence. He spoke again reassuringly.
"Guys, it's me, your psychotic little bro, remember?"
"Verminious?" Matt finally choked out. "We...You're alive?"
"I think so," Snaptrap answered, patting his own face as if making sure. "Um, yep! Still here."
"But...how?" Pat asked, "We saw you fall..."
"Tell ya later!" Snaptrap interrupted. "Let's get outta here before any more dumb guards show up."
Matt and Pat watched warily as Snaptrap headed over to the control panel. He then paused as something dawned on him.
"Darn it! I forgot the code!" He grumbled loudly. "Okay, wait. I can figure this out. Just give me a minute." He stared at the panel in great concentration, then his face then lit up. "Oh yeah! That's it!"
Snaptrap whipped out his blaster and fired at the panel, frying the circuits. He watched approvingly as the cell door opened with a whoosh. Matt and Pat stood still. Both still in slight shock. Snaptrap walked into the cell speaking casually to his siblings.
"There see? I'd like to see a dead guy do that!"
Matt stared at his brother,as if making sure it was really him, then gave a small smile. "It really is you." He said softly.
Snaptrap smiled then yelped as Matt punched him in the arm. "Ow! Hey! What was that for?!"
"That was for all you've put us through today!" Matt answered with a frown. "First you ruin my birthday then you make us think you're dead! What could I have ever done to deserve you for my brother?!"
Snaptrap scowled while tenderly rubbing his to his surprise, Matt smiled. "But if I had to have a pain the neck little brother...then...I don't think I would've wanted anyone else for the job. He reached out and ruffled Snaptrap's ears."Good to see you're still with us, Verminious."
"Same here," Pat added, giving Snaptrap's shoulder a squeeze. "It'd be kinda boring without your weirdness, anyway."
Snaptrap blinked in surprise at his siblings. Though they didn't say much, their smiles said it all. They were glad to see their little brother was alive and well. Snaptrap swallowed and returned the smile feeling a bit embarrassed. "Yeah well, if I had to have two older, annoying, snobby siblings then...well, I don't think I'd want anyone else either...except maybe candy."
Matt gave Snaptrap's ear an gentle cuff, though Snaptrap could tell it was in good humor. "Shut up, you little wretch," he said trying not to smile, "Now let's get out of here."
At that moment the door opened, causing the siblings to freeze. Walking into the brig was none other than...Colette. The pretty skunk froze at the sight before her: Matt and Pat out of their cell with two unconscious guards. And with them...their supposedly "dead" brother, Verminious Snaptrap. She blinked at them, dumbfounded.
Snaptrap waved awkwardly at her. "Hi, Colette."
"Y-You all got out," Colette spoke, finding her voice. She turned to Snaptrap, looking a bit pale. "Snaptrap...you're alive?"
Matt's eyes hardened as he stared back at her. Grabbing the blaster from the knocked out guard, he pointed it at her. "Yes, and I wouldn't try anything if I were you," he said threateningly.
Colette drew back as she saw the anger in Matt's eyes. "Matthew, please," she spoke pleadingly, "I never intended for you to get mixed up in all of this. You must believe me."
Matt laughed dryly. "Believe you. Like how I believed you when you were lying to me all this time? That maybe you had feelings for me? No, I won't make that same mistake again."
"But it's the truth!" Colette cried, "I found out at the last minute what boat Dr. Rabies was going to use for his delivery! There was nothing I could do!"
"You could've warned me somehow," Matt pointed out.
"I wanted to," Colette said, "I did. But...I..."
"Yes, I know, you needed the money," Matt muttered, "Did you need the money so badly you'd kill my brother for it?"
Colette frowned, seeming a bit offended by his remark. "You know I never intended for your brother to die...or nearly die! I tried to help you, I did! Why else do you think I tried to get you and your siblings to leave when we had the chance?! I begged for you to go, but you didn't listen! After hearing you three in your room, I couldn't let you walk into Dr. Rabies' trap! But I couldn't give myself away either!"
Matt's eyebrows raised in surprise. "What do you mean you heard us in our room?"
Colette brushed her hair away from her face, a bit embarrassed. "Before I went into your room, after the cheese incident, I heard shouting inside. I decided to listen in a bit, before entering. I think it was Snaptrap that was yelling. About how badly your family treated him and how you both hated him and he hated you."
Snaptrap fiddled with his helmet, embarrassed that Colette had heard him. Matt still had the blaster aimed at Colette, only now he seemed a bit more interested in what Colette was saying. The lady skunk continued.
"I heard a great crash followed by silence. I waited to see if anything else would happen. Then I heard more talking. It was a bit quiet, so I took out a listening device that Dr. Rabies had given me. I placed it against the door and listened in." She looked straight at Matt. Despite her position, she looked at him with a sort of fondness which made him feel flustered for a moment. "I heard you all talking about that day at the beach," she said softly. "I heard you speaking fondly about the memories you had of that day. You all sounded so happy...like real siblings. As I heard you converse, I then realized, well, I had thought that you and Pat hated your brother and that he hated you. But after hearing what you all said in that room, I saw I was wrong. You three do care about each other...in your own strange way. It was rather sweet."
She smiled at Matt. "I-I never saw that familial side of you before, Matthew. I liked it." Matt strangely felt his face grow slightly warm as Colette continued. "After hearing all that, I wanted you and your siblings off of this yacht. Away from all this trouble. I couldn't let you get hurt." She rubbed her arm sadly. "And I didn't want you to find out about me being a spy. The only reason I came down here, was to see if there was a way I could free you."
Matt stared at Colette, skeptical yet a bit amazed. Was she really being sincere? Or was it another trick to throw him off guard? He glanced at his siblings who seemed just as uncertain as he was.
"I don't blame you if you don't believe me," Colette continued. Matt scratched his head, his thoughts conflicting with each other on whether he should believe Colette or not.
"I'm not sure what to think at the moment," he admitted.
"Well, you'd better think of something," Pat spoke up urgently, "Cause someone else could come in at any minute."
"The thing is how do we get out unnoticed?" Matt asked.
Pat look at the two unconscious guards on the floor then at Snaptrap. "I think Verm's actually provided the answer," she answered. "Matt, you and I could wear these guards outfits. The three of us can sneak out of here unnoticed."
"Right, sounds good," Matt approved.
"Uh, so what do we do about your girlfriend?" Snaptrap asked.
Matt looked at him in annoyance. "She is not-ugh, never mind. Hmmm..." Matt looked towards the cell. "Well, we can't keep her in the cell with the control panel fried. I suppose she'll just have to come with us."
"Say what?!" Snaptrap exclaimed. "We can't take her! She'll rat us out, if you'll pardon the expression."
"No I won't," Colette spoke, "I won't give you away, if it means you getting out safely."
The rat siblings looked at each other in uncertainty. Matt sighed hopelessly, "I'm afraid we have no choice. Come on, we've wasted enough time already."
Snaptrap, back in his disguise, casually walked out the brig door with Colette right behind him, followed by Matt and Pat, both wearing guard outfits. Matt walked beside Colette, keeping a watchful eye on her. They walked away as quickly as they could from the brig, not wanting to be near it when their escape would be discovered. As they walked, Snaptrap explained to his siblings how he escaped from the frigid waters. Pat shook her head in amazement.
"You've sure got a case of dumb luck today, Verm," she said.
"And you say your henchmen are somewhere on the yacht?" Matt asked.
"Yeah," Snaptrap replied, "They're gonna try to hold down the steering room. And right now Zippy is in the ventilation system carrying out your "rally the guests" plan."
Matt smiled. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride for his little brother. "Well, Verminious, it looks like you're finally starting to put some thinking into your plans. So what's the next step?"
"Uh, no idea," Snaptrap admitted with a shrug, "To be honest, I was gonna let you figure out that part."
Matt halted and sighed. "Well, that certainly didn't last long."
"Hey! I got onto the boat and freed you guys! The least you could do is contribute!" Snaptrap argued.
"Maybe we should try finding your DOOM friends," Pat suggested, "They might need help."
"Sounds as good a plan as any," Matt muttered, "Actually, I was wondering about something. Verminious, shouldn't you have told your friends to radio for help if they made it into the room? Or at least call for help from your uh...sub?"
"Well, actually-" Snaptrap began. Suddenly, an alarm went off that made them all nearly leap out of their skins. Guards began to rush down the halls and out to the deck.
"Do you think they found out we're missing?!" Pat whispered in fright to her brothers.
"I-I-I don't know!" Matt admitted, equally nervous.
"Hey you!" Snaptrap called over to a guard. "What's the dealio?!"
"We're arriving at the rendezvous point!" The guard answered. "The boss wants us out on deck!"
"We're there already?!" Colette exclaimed, "But I-I..."
She looked as if she was about to leave when Matt grabbed her arm. "You're staying with us!" He hissed.
"You three!"
The group stood stone still as Madame Catastrophe came over to them. "Don't stand there like idiots! Get moving! We're about to meet our benefactor!"
"Ma'am! Yes, Ma'am!" Snaptrap saluted. Catastrophe did a bit of a double take when at the familiarity of his voice then turned to Colette. "Colette, come! We'll need you out there too!"
Matt held onto Colette as Madame Catastrophe walked out to the deck. He turned to Pat and Snaptrap. "You two see if you can make it to the steering room and see if the DOOM men need help," he ordered, "I'll go with Colette and see what's going on."
His siblings nodded and headed off. Matt then turned to Colette. "Well, let's get going," he said.
The deck was filled with guards, all ready and attentive. Dr. Rabies and Madame Catastrophe stood at the front with Colette and Matt nearby. Matt surveyed their surroundings. Although it was foggy, he could see there were no recognizable landmarks around them to judge where they were. In fact, there weren't any landmarks at all. All he could see for miles around was water. It seemed to stretch out endlessly towards the horizon.
Dr. Rabies is certainly taking extra precautions on this deal, Matt thought. We seem to be the only vessel out here.
A sudden noise soon proved him wrong. The whole yacht became silent as a dark shape appeared in front of them, like a foreboding apparition. Matt held his breath as the yacht ventured closer to it. He gave a side glance to Colette and noticed a sort of anticipating expression on her face. As the yacht got closer, the dark form seemed to take shape. The fog cleared away from it, revealing it to be...another yacht. It was a classy one like Matt's but larger...much larger. Matt eyed it curiously, wondering who could own a vessel that was even finer than his. Dr. Rabies smiled in anxious anticipation as the Phantom slowly drove up to the side of the other yacht until both were parallel to each other. For a while there was nothing but silence. Matt kept staring intently at the yacht, watching for signs of movement. He was rewarded with the appearance of some shadowy figures at the railing. They turned to each other making hand movements and pointing at the Phantom, obviously conversing with each other. The sound of static was heard on Dr. Rabies' wrist communicator. Matt listened intently as the evil dog pushed a button and a voice emanated from it.
"Dr. Rabies?" Spoke a gruff voice.
"Yes, it is me," the Doctor replied.
"You're late. We were about ready to pull out," the voice spoke disapprovingly.
"I uh, had a vermin problem to take care of," Dr. Rabies replied, "But I have your order as promised."
"Everything?"
"Yes, I took inventory. Everything on the list is here."
There was some silence then the voice spoke again, approvingly. "Well done, Doctor. Stand by."
Matt and everyone else watched as a platform stretched out from the mysterious yacht until it touched the railing on the Phantom. More figures appeared as it did so. The voice spoke again from Rabies' communicator.
"Permission for us to come aboard."
Dr. Rabies looked at Madame Catastrophe who gave him a nod then turned to his communicator. "Permission granted."
As soon as he finished a line of guards began walking across the platform from the mystery yacht to the Phantom. They all lined up in front of Rabies and Catastrophe, stretching across the yacht deck. Matt started to feel uneasy. There was quite a number of guards and these only seemed to be just a hint of how many were on the mysterious yacht. After the last guard joined the line, one stepped forward.
"We were starting to worry. We thought something had happened to you," he spoke.
"Oh we had some problems, but we are quite alright I assure you," Dr. Rabies replied. The guard looked at him and spoke almost condescendingly.
"I beg your pardon, Sir, but I wasn't speaking to you."
Matt could feel his heart sink as he saw Colette walked towards the guard. She smiled sweetly. "I am alright now," she said. She turned to Dr. Rabies and Madame Catstrophe. "Thank you both for bringing my order safely. I was beginning to have my doubts."
Dr. Rabies and Madame Catastrophe's eyes nearly popped out of their heads. Matt's uneasy feeling was now an alarm of panic.
No, it can't be...
Colette smiled a bit smugly, enjoying the looks on the evil duo's faces.
"Well now," she spoke, "Shall we get down to business?"
Yeesh, I say I won't take long in updating and look how long I took.-_-;
Yes, Colette was the mystery benefactor this whole time. Poor, poor Matt. Guy will need time to recover from this.
A sweet in a strange way moment between our rat sibs. Aw, they do care about each other. But isn't that just like siblings? You can't live with 'em and you can't live without 'em.;)
Snaptrap was surprisingly clever here. Well, he did show some cleverness with his plan to get back at his family in Rat Trap, so I guess he can be somewhat clever when he really puts his mind to it. Course, being Snaptrap, he's probably too lazy to do
Next chapter will be the final one! Hang in there!