After following the trail of pumpkin rot to She Wolf's Den, Yoshi, Remmy and Diesel cautiously entered. Immediately, Yoshi noticed a stark difference from when he was last there. "Ick... the pumpkin rot is coating the walls!" Remmy observed. "And what's with all these vines growing out of the..." he continued until seeing something growing from the vine. "These are pumpkin vines... we better hurry. Or else we will have lots of unwanted company." Diesel stated. Meanwhile, Yoshi was looking at the continuing cave tunnel. "This wasn't here before." He stated as he walked to it. Remmy had Diesel quickly scan the wall. "Freshly burrowed! But... what could burrow a tunnel like this so quickly!" The zurg spazzed a bit. A distorted growl echoed through the tunnel that sent shivers down Yoshi and Remmy's spines. Despite the unease they felt, they swiftly travelled down the tunnel until they encountered something. The sight was appalling. Grotesque vines were burrowed into the walls and met at an equally grotesque sight of what once might've been a giant pumpkin fluff. It was half melted with a glowing yellow eye. The other eye was an empty triangular hole also with the yellow glow. But it's most disturbing feature was the jagged grin carving its face and light wisps of orange and black from a severely rotted spot. "Wha-what is this thing?" Remmy questioned. Diesel scanned the thing as it turned its deformed gaze at the group. "Scans inconclusive." The mech said, even he showed a bit of fear at the sight of the thing. "I think I would call something like this..." Yoshi began as the thing snarled, its rot dripping to the floor as its eyes glowed a brighter yellow. "A Jack'O Rot Fluff." The pirate stated before the abomination let out a distorted screeching roar.
~ Ch. 3: Curse of the Jack'O Rot
"What if... someone... needs help though?" Neko pointed out with another few coughs. Despite that argument, he was beginning to think it was a bad idea as well. With a few more coughs, he starting to feel a bit light headed and very tired. Suddenly, he stopped advancing toward the sawmill. "Neko?" Nina asked concerned. Neko then began turning around... and his eyes and mouth had a faint yellow glow. Nina quickly backed away, gasping in shock. "N-Neko..." She faltered. The feline did not respond. He began to hiss as his fur stood on end and he approached Nina. The nightfright kept backing away in fear as her friend seemed to be possessed by the orange and black haze. Nina then tripped over a rock and Neko readied a claw to strike. As he lunged forth, something whizzed by and intercepted his strike. Nina was astounded to see it was one of the buzzsaws. It seemed bigger than the others though. Having caught the felines attention, the buzzsaw did it's best to keep it, although it soon began coughing as Neko had before. The saw looked toward Nina as its little scuffle with Neko neared her. "Lady, I suggest ya scat while I have this cat occupied." He then coughed more. "And before I become like im and mah kids." The saw stated. "Please don't kill him! He's my friend!" Nina begged the animated sawblade. It let out a sigh before coughing again. "I'll try not ta kill im. Odds are I'll be joining im soon anyway." The saw said. He gave another fit of coughs before glaring at Nina. "Now get!" He ordered. With a sad look at Neko, Nina gave a reluctant nod before bringing forth her wings and flying off. The saw then glared at Neko. "Ya one lucky cat, I gave ma word not ta kill ya, and Papa's a saw of is word." The saw stated before laughing. "But don't think I won't give ya and the damn fluffs hell!" Papa shouted as he charged at the feline.
As the Jack'O Rot roared, a bundle of vines dug out of the walls and darted at the group. "Dodge!" Yoshi shouted as he and Diesel jumped out of the way. The vines collided on the ground where the two once stood, smashing the rock on impact. "This thing's strong." Remmy observed. Snarling echoes gained his attention making him look behind the group. Several of the pumpkin minions were hopping in. "We got company! Lots and lots of company!" The zurg stated in panic. Yoshi gave a glance down the tunnel at the approaching fluffs. "Not good, we're surrounded." He said as he turned his gaze back to the large rotten pumpkin fluff. He turned his sight back down the tunnel when something lit it up. The fluffs turned in curiosity as well until one of them was hit by a burst of light, then they turned in anger at the newcomer. "Well congratulations..." Said a familiar voice as the labtech from before came into view. "You idiots got my boss involved thanks to your meddling." He said as he shot another fluff minion into smoke. "Aaand how is that our fault?" Remmy questioned. "Because you stuck your noses where they didn't belong." Said a raspy voice from down the tunnel. The labtech looked startled as he turned around. "D-Doctor Skull! You got here fast!" The labtech stated as the other person emerged from the tunnels darkness. He had an orange and brown labcoat like the labtech, but beneath the coat he wore a black suit. His most striking feature though, his head was a black skull.
As Nina flew in the air, she noticed something strange in the surroundings. Several vines seemed to be growing around the trees north of the sawmill. From the vines, she saw more pumpkin fluffs growing. She sent an energy wave from her wings at one of the growing fluffs and as it hit, the vines began moving and swiftly darted out toward her. With a yelp she swiftly dodged the vines and flew a distance away.
The man called Doctor Skull gave a swift empty stare at Yoshi, Diesel and Remmy. Then he turned to the labtech. "Labtech Nine, did I not say to watch them from a distance?" The man said making Labtech Nine flinch back. "Y-yes but sir... I was about to capture..." the labtech stuttered. "You were about to get yourself killed. I can feel it... the power this fluff contains." The man said with a wicked grin. "The power within all pumpkin fluffs that we worked to unleash. The power of Jack himself!" Doctor Skull stated with a grand laugh. "Hold it old man. You telling me this thing is supposed to be some sort of a recreation of Jack or something?" Remmy questioned like the man was crazy. "Heavens no, not a recreation. We are not foolish like that group who attempted to clone Jack, creating that Shadow Jack abomination. With our research of pumpkin fluffs, we have isolated what we believe to be traces of Jacks power left behind from when he created them! And with science, magic and failures, we have finally managed it. The unleashed potential, the unleashed power, the unleashed secrets of the pumpkin fluffs!" Doctor Skull ranted with a grand laugh. He then began wheezing as a coughing fit hit. Yoshi grit his teeth in anger. "You're messing with forces you can't control! This is no different from that Shadow Jack incident!" He then drew forth Brim. "And I'm gonna make sure nobody else gets hurt!" He said before running toward the Jack'O Rot Fluff. With a quick scan of the thing, Diesel noticed something bad. "Yoshi, stop!" The mech warned, but Yoshi already slashed the rotten pumpkin. A thick haze of orange and black burst out of the gash as the Jack'O Rot screeched.
Flying over Bass'ken Lake, Nina Heard a sudden screech. Descending from the air, she spotted a cave in the cliffside and made her way toward it.
Everyone but Diesel and Remmy began coughing as the haze of orange and black was unleashed. "Diesel, what is this?" Remmy asked. "Unknown toxins, presumably the same toxin that affected those outlaw pups earlier." Diesel informed. Remmy's face paled a bit as he processed the situation. With a quick glance at Yoshi, he saw the pirate's eyes and mouth begin glowing yellow. "Nonononono... this cannot be happening." The zurg said shaking his head. "Snap out of it Remmy." Diesel said as he jolted his head, making the zurg hit his on the cockpit glass. "Ok, what the hell do we do?!" Remmy panicked. Everyone, with eyes and mouths lit yellow, began turning toward the zurg and mech. Diesel looked to the Jack'O Rot. "Take out the one in control." The mech stated as he raised his shotgun arm up and opened fire. "Wait won't that release more of the toxin?!" Remmy shouted. "It's a controlling toxin, without the controller it will be rendered harmless." The mech informed as he kept shooting. The Jack'O Rot let out a distorted roar before sending vines at its attacker. Diesel barely managed a dodge and kept moving as Yoshi, the labtech and Doctor Skull moved to attack as well. "Hey ugly, try and catch us!" Remmy taunted as he had Diesel rocket off down the tunnel. The rotten pumpkin let out a growl before retracting its vines from the walls. Using the vines as feet, the thing crawled after the mech.