Chapter 6
Jacques opened the vent in front of them, which led into the cafeteria, and climbed out. Nemo followed him and had a little trouble climbing out, so Jacques offered him a hand and pulled him out. The cafeteria was a darkened room, with the only source of light coming from the top of a massive mountain, which was made up of piled up tables and chairs. As they started walking towards the mountain, Nemo could hear the tribal chanting more loud and clearly.
"Ha hwa he ha ho ho ho," went the chant. "Ha hwa he ha ho ho ho."
As Nemo approached, Bloat, Bubbles, and Gurgle appeared, from behind tables that were meant to look like barriers. Just like Jacques, they had added green grass skirts, necklaces made out of shells, feathers, grass, and jewels, and tropical hats made of grass, to their prison attire. They also had tribal face-paint on, and were carrying metal poles, which they were shaking vigorously as they chanted the tribal saying.
Seeing all this, Nemo felt he was in some kind of a surreal dream, and that he was going to wake up any second now. But, much to his surprise, he didn't wake up, even as he pinched himself. The two stopped in front of the mountain, where Deb and Peach were standing.
They also were wearing green grass skirts, and necklaces made out of shells, feathers, grass, and jewels. But their outfits were modified to look more feminine, they wore no tribal face-paint, and they wore flower crowns instead of tropical hats. Instead of metal poles, they carried large leaves, which were like the large fans that servants would use to fan their king on a hot day.
Jacques pointed up the mountain, which Nemo interpreted as instructions for him to climb it. Nemo obeyed and started climbing, but not before he was tapped lightly with the large leaves by both Deb and Peach. Nemo then continued climbing, and slowly, but surely, he was coming to the top of the mountain. As he came to the top, the chanting increased to a louder ferocity, and Nemo could clearly see that the light was coming from a large hole, carved in the table that acted as the main platform. Weirdly enough, there was also small spurts of water coming from the hole, kind of like a geyser before it was set to explode.
As Nemo climbed onto, and stood on the main platform, Gill was standing up there, waiting for him. He was shirtless, and decked out in tribal attire, looking like some kind of tribal chief from a faraway island. He wore a headdress made out of feathers, grass, and jewels, several necklaces with jewels, teeth of animals, and strands of different-colored fabrics, and tribal paint on his chest, stomach, arms, and face.
Bloat, Bubbles, Gurgle, Deb, and Peach joined on one of the lower platforms near the main platform, with the three still chanting the tribal chant. As Nemo stood before Gill, he suddenly threw out his right arm, stopping the three from continuing the chant. All was silent for a few seconds, until Gill finally spoke.
"State your name." said Gill, his tone showing little to no emotion.
"Nemo." Nemo replied, his tone confused.
"Brother Bloat, proceed." said Gill, stepping down from the main platform, while Bloat stepped up and onto it.
"Nemo, newcomer to the prison," Bloat announced. "You have been called forth, to the summit of Mount Getustheheckoutofhere, to join with us in the fraternal bonds of prison-hood."
"Huh?" Nemo asked, his tone still confused.
"We want you in our club, kid." Peach replied, simplifying it for Nemo to understand.
"Really?" Nemo asked hopefully.
"If…" Bloat replied, his tone somewhat dark. "You are able to step through… the Ring of FIREWATER!"
Nemo looked around, confused as to what Bloat was talking about - nothing was happening, and there was no 'Ring of Firewater' that was appearing before them. An annoyed look crossed over Bloat's face, and he looked down at Jacques, who was standing beside a large pipe that had been fed up and into the mountain.
"Turn on the Ring of Firewater," Bloat commanded, his tone annoyed. "The Ring of Firewater!"
Jacques quickly snapped to it, and started spinning a wheel on the pipe as fast as he could. Suddenly, a geyser of water erupted from the hole carved into the table, shooting into the air and spraying boiling hot water everywhere!
"The Ring of Firewater!" Bloat announced again, before the tribal chant started up again.
Nemo looked at the geyser with feelings of fear, which were starting to grow with every second that he looked into it. Bloat then stepped down from the main platform, while Gill climbed up and onto it, standing just a good length away so that he wouldn't get it by any of the water. The chant continued to go on, now coming to a feverish pace, as everyone watched tensely to see what Nemo was going to do.
"Isn't there another way?!" asked Peach, her tone worried. "He's just a boy!"
Deb looked away from the sight, and even covered her reflection, not wanting 'Flo' to see what was about to ensue. Jacques started letting out wails, while Gill just stood there, still and emotionless, waiting to see if the kid had the courage that he was looking for.
Despite feeling massive amounts of fear, Nemo took a step back, screwed up as much courage as he could muster, and quickly ran into the geyser! To his surprise, as he ran through it, the water felt warm, but not to the point where it could burn him. He then came out the other side, and accidentally ran into Gill, knocking him back somewhat. Nemo looked worried for a few seconds, but when Gill let out a small smile, he realized he wasn't in trouble, and smiled back.
Gill then took off a necklace from around his neck - it was colored brown, and it had a large shark-tooth attached to it.
"From this moment on, you will now be known as 'Sharkbait'!" Gill announced, putting the necklace around Nemo's neck.
"Sharkbait, oo-ha-ha!" The other inmates chanted.
"Welcome, brother Sharkbait!" Gill announced.
"Sharkbait, oo-ha-ha!" The other inmates chanted again.
"Okay, enough with the sharkbait," said Gill, his tone annoyed.
"Sharkbait!" Gurgle yelled out, before embarrassedly muttering out, "Ooh… ba-ba-do."
"Okay, Sharkbait's one of us now, agreed?" Gill asked.
"Agreed!" The other inmates all replied at the same time.
"Which means we can't just send him off to his death," Gill continued. "Darla's coming in five days to select a new test subject, so what are we going to do?"
The inmates looked at each other, and thought real hard, but they couldn't find the answer to Gill's question.
"I tell you what we're going to do," Gill replied. "We're going to get him out of here - we're going to help him escape!"
"Escape?" Nemo asked, his tone hopeful. "Really?"
"Yes, we're all going to escape." Gill replied, his tone affirmative.
Gurgle let out a small groan and said in a defeated tone, "Gill, please - not another one of your escape plans."
"Sorry," Deb added, her tone apologetic. "But they just never work."
"Yeah, why should this be any different?" Bloat asked.
"Because we've got him." Gill replied, pointing to Nemo.
"Me?" Nemo asked.
"You remember the vent you got sucked into today?" asked Gill.
"Yeah," Nemo replied.
"That vent leads to the filtration system, and you're the only one who can get in and out of that thing," Gill continued. "What we need you to do, is take one of the rocks we've gathered from the prison yard, inside there and jam the gears. You do that, and the air's going to get stale and murky, which'll lead to the prison getting filthier and filthier by the minute. Pretty soon, they'll have to call in the hazmats to clean and disinfect the place. And when they do, they'll take us out of the prison, and put us into the processing cell outside, then we'll open the passageway I was able to carve out the last time I was there, and we'll make a run for it - straight to fence, climb over the wire at the top, run down the pathway, throw ourselves into the drainage system, and swim to freedom - it's foolproof! Who's with me?!"
"Aye!" Bloat spoke up.
"Aye!" Jacques added.
"Aye!" Deb added.
"Aye!" Bubbles added.
"Aye!" Peach added.
"'Aye' think you're nuts!" Gurgle replied, which made Gill groan a little bit. "And, no offense, kid, but you're exactly the best at moving around, since with your leg and all that…"
Nemo let out an inward groan - shades of his father's overprotective nature were around all him, even in the prison, miles away from wherever he was.
"He's fine, Gurgle - he can do this!" Gill replied, his tone somewhat annoyed, before saying to Nemo, "So, Sharkbait, what do you think?"
Nemo smiled, nodded his head, and replied, "Let's do it."
Marlin and Dory were walking along the deserted and empty landscape, aimlessly heading in the direction that Marlin remembered the airship took off in. Despite the blue sky above them, the landscape was barren, with almost no trees, massive hills and plains of grey sand, and a few sparse rocks and rock formations here and there.
Unfortunately, Dory was making a massive nuisance of herself, driving Marlin crazy by repeating 'P. Sherman, Squad Forty-Two, Discberg' over and over again in different sentences. She was extremely glad that she finally remembered something, but Marlin could care less - he needed to find his son, and Dory was not helping him with her constant babbling.
As they continued on their path, they passed by a massive troupe of people, who were walking around in a circle. The way they looked was weird, as they all wore the same black cloaks, black pants, and black boots, along with the same white theater masks, which covered their entire faces. The way they moved was also weird, as they moved and flowed like water, like one massive entity combined out of all them, like a hive mind that shared the same singular thought. Despite their rather peculiar way of moving, they were the only other people out there aside from himself and Dory, so beggars couldn't be choosers in this situation.
"Excuse me," said Marlin, as he approached the troupe. "Hi, do you know how to get-"
Suddenly, the troupe began moving away at a rapid pace, as Marlin chased after them, trying to stop them so he could ask them some questions.
"Wait, can you tell me-" Marlin started, but the troupe sped away again, moving and flowing like water in a river, climbing over rocks and whatever else was in their path. "Hey, hold it - I'm trying to talk to you! Wait a minute, fellas, I need to ask you a question - I need to- and they're gone again."
Marlin let out a defeated sigh, as Dory followed after him, still going on and on about 'P. Sherman, Squad Forty-Two, Discberg'. Finally at the end of his patience, Marlin decided that it was time to dismiss Dory, and send her on her way.
"Okay, all right," said Marlin, getting Dory's attention.
"Huh?" Dory asked, her tone confused.
"Here's the thing," Marlin replied, his tone tired. "I think it's best if I carry on from here by… by myself."
"Okay." said Dory, not understanding, but still maintaining a cheerful attitude.
"You know, alone," Marlin continued. "Without- I mean, not without you, but I just don't want you… with me."
"Huh?" Dory asked, her tone growing worried.
"Am I…" Marlin asked, before saying, "I don't want to hurt your feelings."
"You want me to leave?" Dory asked, sounding somewhat saddened.
"I mean, not- well, yes," Marlin replied, trying to keep both of them calm. "I just can't afford any more delays, and you're one of these people that causes delays - you're not alone here, and sometimes it's a good thing - there's a whole group of people who cause delays, and they-"
"You mean?" Dory asked, looking like she was about to burst into tears. "You mean you don't… like me?"
She then turned away and started crying quietly, while Marlin let out an inward groan of embarrassment at himself, and now started trying to rectify the situation he had created.
"No, of course I like you," Marlin replied, his tone friendly. "It's because I like you I don't want to be with you - this journey might get dangerous, and I don't want you to get hurt, since you're my friend after all - it's a complicated emotion. Come on, don't cry - I like you, I really do."
"Hey, you!" A voice called out, causing Marlin and Dory to turn, and see who the owner of the voice was.
It was the troupe - they had come back, after seeing the interaction between Marlin and Dory. There must've been over two-hundred members of them, all standing there and looking at them.
"Lady, is this guy bothering you?" A voice asked from one of the members in the front, signifying that he was the leader.
"Um… I don't remember," Dory replied, before turning to Marlin and asking, "Were you?"
"No, no, no, no, no," Marlin replied quickly. "We were just having a discussion here, and I said something the wrong way, that's all. Hey, do you guys know how I can to get to-"
"Look, pal, we're talking to the lady, not you," said the troupe leader, his tone somewhat offended. "Hey, hey, you like impressions?"
Wiping away some tears, Dory nodded her head, and the troupe took it upon themselves to cheer her up. With fluid and quick movements, the group formed together into the shape of a swordfish.
"So, what are we?" asked the troupe leader. "Take a guess!"
"Ooh, I've seen one of those." Dory replied.
"We're a fish, with a nose, like a sword." said the troupe leader.
"It's a swordfish!" Marlin replied, his tone annoyed.
The troupe groaned, and the leader said in annoyed tone, "Hey clown boy, let the lady guess." They then switched their shape into a lobster, and the troupe leader asked in a sing-song voice, "Where's the butter?"
"Ooh, that's on the tip of my tongue!" Dory replied, her tone now excited.
"Lobster!" Marlin coughed out, disguising his voice as a cough.
"Saw that," said the troupe leader, before the troupe changed their shape into an octopus, "Lots of legs, lives in the ocean!"
"Clam!" Dory replied.
"Close enough!" The troupe leader replied good-naturedly, before they changed into a battleship, and he sang out, "Got a whale of a tale, to tell you lads, a whale of a tale or two…"
"Wow, they're good," said Dory, her tone impressed.
Marlin, however, was not having as good a time as her, and he yelled out angrily, "Will somebody please give me directions?!"
In response to this, the troupe formed into Marlin's face, and the troupe leader asked in a whiny and mocking tone, "Will somebody please give me directions?!"
Dory began laughing at the sight, while Marlin looked offended and yelled out, "Dang it, I'm serious here!"
The troupe leader continued to mock him by saying 'blah blah blah, me, me blah', which only led to Marlin getting fed up, and deciding to leave.
"Thank you," Marlin snarled out, before walking away.
"Oh dear," said Dory, running to catch up with him. "Hey, come on, what's the matter?"
"What's the matter?" Marlin asked, his tone exasperated, while the troupe followed behind him, silently mocking him by moving the mouth of the face. "What's the matter?! While those freaks are doing their silly little impressions, I'm miles from home, with a lady who can't even remember her own name!"
"Gee, I bet that is frustrating." Dory replied, her tone sympathetic.
"Yeah, and meanwhile, my son is out there, lost and alone," Marlin continued.
"Your son Chico?" Dory asked.
"Nemo." Marlin replied.
"Right, right," said Dory.
"But you know what?" Marlin asked, his tone annoyed. "It doesn't matter, 'cause no person in this entire world is going to help me!"
"Well, I'm helping you," Dory replied, her tone kind, which made Marlin stop in his tracks. "Wait right here - I'll have a chat with those guys."
Dory then went up to the troupe and called out to them, which made the leader ask in an annoyed tone, "What, is he bothering you again?"
"No, no, he's a good guy," Dory replied. "Go easy on him - his son was captured by mechs, we're trying to find him. Any of you guys ever heard of 'P. Sherman, Squad Forty-Two, Discberg'?"
"Discberg? Oh, sure!" The leader of the troupe replied. "That's the city!"
The troupe then changed to look like a city, to which Dory called over to Marlin and said, "Hey, they know where Discberg is!"
Marlin let out a gasp of excitement and raced back to them, as Dory asked, "Can you tell us the way to get there?"
"Yeah, what you want to do is follow the Eastern Current," The leader replied. "Surfers and fishermen and travelers use it to get in-between places - it's kind of like a shortcut. You'll be able to catch a ride, if you hitchhike with some friendly folks, or if you have a boat of your own, that'll work too. The current is south, you can't miss it - and then you'll want to follow it for about… I don't know, what do you guys think, three leagues? And that little sucker'll put you right past Discberg."
"Great, that's great," Marlin said happily, before giving Dory a quick hug. "Dory, you did it!"
"Oh please…" Dory replied, her tone playfully sheepish. "I'm just your little helper - helping you along, that's me."
"Well listen, fellas, thank you." Marlin said to the troupe, as he walked away from them.
"Don't mention it," the troupe leader replied, before they turned back into Marlin's face, but this time, it was smiling. "Just loosen up, okay, buddy?"
"Oh guys, you really nailed him," said Dory, her tone friendly. "Bye, and good luck with your shows."
"Oh hey, ma'am, one more thing," said the troupe leader, before Dory could leave.
"Yes?" Dory asked.
"Soon you and your friend are going to come to a river and a forest," the troupe leader replied, as the troupe flowed and turned into what looked like a river and a forest. "Whatever you do, go through the forest, no matter how bad it looks - do not go into the river, and do not follow the river."
"Got it," Dory replied, walking through the trees they made up. "Forest, not the river - I'll remember, thanks! Hey partner, wait up!"
Dory started running after Marlin, who was now moving at a determined pace, now that he had directions to follow. If he just kept to those directions, he will find Nemo in no time.
Maybe it was a good idea to have Dory with him - he'd never know when he would need her help, like with what happened right now. So, he was going to keep her with him, just in case.
Author's Notes: Sorry I haven't posted a new chapter in a while - been busy with life and other projects, both in and out of FanFiction. But hey, I'm back, and I'm posting a new chapter for my friend and fellow user, Dinoman213, as it is his birthday today! So Happy B-Day, Dinoman213, and hope you enjoy this chapter!
R&R,
Heroboy005