Disclaimer: Garfield and all related characters are the intellectual property of Paws Inc. and Paramount Global/Nickelodeon at the time this story was written.


Chapter 12: The Rescue


*MMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM*

The blue canine whimpers as he leaps right into the professor's arms, showering his master with affectionate kisses without even a hint of hostility towards him.

"Yes." The professor repeats. "All these years of tireless research and tedious math equations…I've set the seal on Project K-9…at long last."

*MMMMMMRF MMMMMMMMMMRF* Odie's cries barely manage to escape through the muzzle…

…for he is already too late…

…the world is now doomed to be his slave…

…and it's all thanks to his own DNA…

…his loyalty to Garfield…

…that allowed any of this to happen.

"Who's a good boy, huh? Who's my loyal companion?" The professor asks, cuddling with his now fully compliant canine servant.

"Holy crap!" Garfield said in shock, gazing at a whole different scenario playing out than how it was only a minute ago. "That serum made that poor dog into another Odie! You MONSTER!"

"Alright, that's enough." The professor drops the dog onto the floor, who doesn't seem to mind the way his master carelessly handles him. "Now for my next subject."

*GULP*


With the rain finally gone, the drone has a much easier time locating its designated rendezvous with its mechanical brethren. Upon catching up with its fellow machines patrolling the area, the drone makes its way inside the building through a small opening specifically designed for them to either enter or leave the premises.

Little does the drone suspect, however, are a pair of humans who've quietly followed it back to its designated return point, both pairs of eyes gazing carefully at the machine from the bushes as it flies back inside.

"This has to be where they're being held." Liz whispers. "But, I still don't get what this person wants with Garfield and Odie."

"So, what do we do now?" Becky asks.

"Don't know. Drones and cameras are everywhere." Liz replies, steadily eyeing each and every apparatus patrolling the house. "One slip up, and we're screwed."

"Well, we can't just sit here and do nothing!" Becky argues. "They need our help now!"

"Well, what do you suppose we do!? Just knock on his door and ask him to give them back!?" The veterinarian argues back.

"Hmmm…" Becky gives herself another careful look of the area, eyeing each of the drones' patrol patterns very carefully…

…before spotting something very peculiar.

"Do you still have that screwdriver?" The girl asks.

"Yes? Why?" Liz curiously asks.

"If I time it just right, I should be able to sneak inside through that vent before any of those things see me." Becky explains.

"You mean sneak in by yourself!? No way!" Liz objects. "If your father finds out that I let you break into a heavily guarded building only for you to die-"

"Then you tell him I did it for a good cause." Becky interrupts her. "This isn't about me, this is about saving Odie! Please, let me do this…

…for him."

A moment of silence followed, the more the veterinarian ponders on what would be the right choice to make, the more she realizes that Becky is right

…for this is their only chance to save them…

…for Jon.

After a moment of hesitation, Liz reaches for her pocket.

"*SIGH* Alright." The veterinarian said, handing the young girl the screwdriver. "You be careful."

"I will…" Becky smiles. "...and thank you."

Liz smiles as the younger human waits for the right moment to make her move.

"And…awaaay weeeeee…go!"

Becky leaps into action as she sprints across the open side yard while the drones have their backs turned. With the screwdriver, she manages to quickly unscrew the cover out of the wall and crawl inside right as a drone flies by the yard.

"Good luck." Liz smiles, admiring the young girl's bravery…

…until she spotted a security camera having just recorded the whole thing.

"Oh, shit!"


*MMMMMMMMF MRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRF*

Odie desperately makes one last attempt to break free from the sticky substance apprehending his paws from knocking the syringe out of the professor's hand…

…right as the needle pokes inside Garfield's head, pricking a small hole on his face.

The professor keeps a firm grip on the cat's face as he pries the needle out of his brain. After a moment of silence, the feline slowly opens his eyes…

…a fresh, new perspective overtaking his consciousness.

"Oh, greetings, professor." Garfield smiles. "Is it time for my flu shot already?"

Odie can feel a tear dripping from his eyes…

…for he is too late.


Becky squeezes through the building's ventilation system, gazing through any opening she stumbles across for any sign of her best friend. Eventually, her nose picks up a peculiar scent…

…a nasty one at that.

Curious, the young girl follows the trail as if she were a dog herself, only barely putting up with the awful stench if it means finding Odie.


A drone flies into the lab right as the professor prepares the next batch of the serum for his remaining test subject.

"What is it?" The professor sternly asks, mentally reminding himself to fix the metal door so as to retain his privacy next time.

The drone relays a video…

…one that has the professor and his dog quite piqued upon witnessing it.

"Hmmmm." The scientist urges the drone to follow him out of the room, leaving the two confined animals alone in the ruins of a once pristine laboratory.

"That professor is such a swell chap, don't you think, Odie?"

"Odie?"

The dog doesn't respond to him, not even bothering to look him in the eyes…

…for even glancing at the tiny hole will only remind him of his second greatest failure…

…first Lyman…

…and now this.

"Buddy?

"Are…you okay?" Garfield asks, concerned for his best friend.

"Come on, buddy, you can talk to me."

Another tear drips down from the canine's face.

"Oh." Garfield looks away from him, the sight of his best friend quietly sobbing being too disheartening for the optimistic feline.

*BANG*

*HUH?* Odie looks up, his ears having just picked up an unusually loud sound coming from above.

*BANG BANG*

*BANG*

The grille falls off the pipe high above the table…

*BAM*

…almost landing directly on the dog's head.

Becky squeezes her way through the opening, carefully positioning her landing right onto the table.

"Odie!" Becky quietly exclaims.

Could it be!? The dog thought to himself, his eyes widening upon seeing the little girl in front of him pulling the muzzle off his…

…wait a minute…

…she just called him Odie…

"Pardon me for asking, young lady, but how exactly do you know my friend's name?" Garfield asks as the girl finishes peeling off the last bit of tape on Odie.

"And you're Garfield, right?" Becky turns her attention to the orange feline, taking particular notice of his large belly. "You really need to start exercising."

"I mean no disrespect whatsoever, little one, but that doesn't exactly answer my question." Garfield said as the girl quickly peels the tape off his paws. "OW!"

*MMM HMMM* Odie nods his head in agreement, now particularly curious about her sudden knowledge of his real identity.

"I'll explain everything later, guys." Becky assures them, helping Garfield get back up on his feet. "Right now, I need to get you out of here!"

"And how exactly did you plan to escape with my specimens?"

*GASP*

The three turn around to find the professor standing right in front of them, not amused by the girl's lack of a proper escape plan.

"Like I'd have another vent just lying around for you to crawl under." The professor said sarcastically. "Yeah, you really didn't think this through, did you?"

*GRRRRRRRRRRR* Odie viciously growls at the older human, wanting nothing more than to rip his body apart limb from limb!

"Oh, glad to see your back so soon, my good professor." Garfield happily greets him.

"Wait, how did you know I was here?" Becky asks.

The professor doesn't respond. Instead, the drone relays the video of her unannounced entrance into the building.

"Oh, darn!"

"I have eyes everywhere, young lady." Professor Smith said. "There's nothing I don't know about in Indiana."

Before she could make a run for it, Garfield grabs the girl by the arms, firming them behind her back.

"I got her, professor!" The cat exclaims, showcasing his newfound loyalty to the mad scientist.

"Let me go! What are you doing!?" She angrily shouts, struggling to escape his grip.

*BARK BARK* Odie prepares to fight off his indoctrinated friend to free the innocent girl…

*BANG*

…only stopping upon hearing a bullet whiz right above his head, the drone holding him by gunpoint.

"Careful, you idiotic machine!" Professor Smith angrily shouts. "That dog is still a vital asset to the project!"

"What do you want with him!?" The girl demands.

"HA! Like your immature brain can comprehend what must be done to save the human race from its own demise!" The professor scoffs with utter scorn.

"What are you talking about!?" Becky asks, confused. "What does saving the human race have to do with kidnapping these poor, innocent animals!?"

"*SIGH* If you must know, humanity is slowly regressing back to its primal phase." The professor reluctantly begins to explain. "We are becoming more violent, narcissistic, always vexing over the most trivial matters. I mean, have you even seen what people bitch about on Chatter these days?"

"Eh, I just ignore it." Becky shrugs. "Like you adults should."

"Not important! What matters is that our race is barely holding itself together! There is no trust, no loyalty amongst one another, for even the concept of friendship is becoming nothing more than a convention of a former time. It has become clear to me that the end of civilization is near. I had no reason to continue my scientific career now knowing that the populace will only use it for their own selfish desires, like that traitor Thom when he stole my formula for the invisible paint*!"

*Garfield Quickies - Season 2 - Chapter 1: The Invisible Feline*

"Is this going anywhere!?" Becky asks, wanting so badly to just escape already and be done with having to listen to this incredulous nonsense.

"Yes, for amidst my dubious outlook of humanity's future, I began to recognize the one thing that has proven to be better than that of people…dogs."

"What?"

"Dogs? But don't you like us cats, too?" Garfield asks, his question blatantly ignored.

"You see, unlike our prideful, savage species, dogs are among the humblest species to ever grace the planet." The professor continues explaining whilst petting his loyal blue canine. "They remained loyal to me, 'till the day I had to, inevitably, put them down."

*GASP*

"This dog is the last amongst its pack, for the fumes emitted from my previous experiments were too much for them to handle. Anywho, my time with his pack has proven to me that dogs demonstrate far more loyalty amongst one another compared to that of humans, to which I've come to a simple conclusion…

…that the only way to bring about the cessation of humanity's downfall…

…is to make them as loyal as dogs

…thus, Project K-9 was conceptualized."

"Now, normally I'd list out a lot of things wrong with this plan, considering your view of dogs is really off the charts, but I really don't want to come across as being offensive towards you." Garfield said.

Odie stares at the orange feline, who's kind gestures towards the professor aren't helping in the slightest.

"For years, I've attempted to create the perfect formula that will allow my plan to come to fruition, but every previous attempt has resulted in all my friends becoming even more feral than they were before."

"Oh, so that explains that crazy man-dog." Garfield said.

"No matter which canine I've used from his pack or the shelter, the results were still foundering! That is, until I discovered him while these two were being pursued by my former best friend" The professor points at Odie.

"Wait, is that why you've-"

"Yes." The professor interrupts the young girl. "I've sent my drones to capture this particular canine, for his undying loyalty towards that cat is far greater than with any living creature I've ever seen."

Odie lowers his eyes, mortified that his loyalty to Garfield would be the catalyst to this plight.

"And now that I have the final ingredient to complete the recipe, I can now initiate the final phase of my plan to save humanity before it's too late. *SNAP*"

At the sound of his fingers, more drones swarm into the lab, their weapons at the ready should the girl or the dog make any attempt to escape.

"But, I suppose a couple more tests wouldn't hurt." The professor sneers. "And quite conveniently, I already have my first human specimen."

*GRRRRRRRR* Odie growls, for he would've immediately swooped in and shoved the young girl out of harm's way…

…had it wouldn't instigate a bloody massacre immediately afterwards.