Disclaimer: Garfield and all related characters are the intellectual property of Paws Inc. and Paramount Global/Nickelodeon at the time this story was written.
WARNING!
The following chapter contains graphic content not necessarily suitable for certain readers.
Viewer discretion is advised!
Chapter 13: Liberation from the Plague
*BANG BANG BANG*
Liz sprints as fast as her feet will allow, having just been spotted by an array of the professor's drones patrolling the building following her accidental, fearful shout. The sheer celerity of her sprinting causing everything around her to appear blurry, and her tiring breath to be the only sound her ears can discern.
*BANG*
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
A sharp wail echoes across the normally quiet, suburban neighborhood, for a bullet has just barely flew right through the veterinarian's leg, causing her to slam directly onto the firm, wet concrete. On the cusp of swooning, Liz persists on with her escape from the flying vessels…
…for if she loses consciousness now…
…it's over.
Clinging onto her swollen leg, the veterinarian only narrowly dodges more fired shots before managing to evade their sight and take cover behind a tall tree. Catching her breath, she desperately attempts to not let out an agonizing shriek of pain, so as to not give away her hiding spot. The drones scour the area, stopping at nothing to find the intruder and killing her, for none of the professor's goals or experiments can be compromised, especially at his moment of triumph over humanity.
*MEOW*
Turning their attention upwards, the drones spot a gray cat crying for help at the top of a tree…
…the same tree Liz is hiding behind!
Upon hearing its cries, the veterinarian wants nothing more than to climb up the tree and help bring the poor animal back down to safety…
…but given her current circumstances, it is impossible without risking her own life. Conflicted, she ponders if being heartless is worth being alive for…
*BANG*
*REEEEEEEEEEOOW*
…but she wouldn't be able to ponder for long, for the drones are already firing right above her head. With her window of opportunity being now or never, the veterinarian makes a limp for it while the soulless machines waste their bullets on an innocent, helpless animal…
…an unfortunate victim in the fight to save another…
A single tear joins its liquid brethren on the ground as Liz desperately limps out of sight from the drones while they remain distracted.
The remaining drones inside the professor's lab patiently await the signal from their master to open fire at the young intruder and his specimens should they attempt to escape from his sight. Upon finishing the preparations needed to conduct the final test, Professor Smith firmly grips the cracked syringe as he steadily approaches his two unwilling participants.
"URRRRRRRRRRGH!" Becky desperately struggles to free herself from the feline's firm grip. "Come on, Odie, do something!" She pleads.
The dog simply responds by closing his eyes, not wanting to risk any harm befalling the girl as he prepares himself for the inevitable discomfort of the needle poking into his head…
…and the agonizing pain from his failure to save anyone…
…especially Garfield.
"Odie?" Becky repeats his name in a more somber manner, feeling regretful for her brief spute of anger.
"Poor Odie." Garfield also laments. "If only there was some way to help him feel better."
"Gee, maybe letting me go and helping us escape!?" The girl suggests in a very obvious manner.
"I can't do that, you'll ruin the professor's plan!" The cat points out. "I can't just betray him like that."
"And yet you're willing to betray your best friend!?"
"Of course not!" Garfield rebuttals. "But my loyalty to the professor will always come first."
*MMM HMM* The blue dog affirms.
"Even before the one dog who stuck up for you every time you're in a pickle!?" Becky asks.
"Hey, cease the chattering, kid!" Professor Smith said, using his free hand to keep the girl's head firmly in place. "I swear, your narking lack of social skills is enough to drive anyone cross in your presence!"
With the needle looming only an inch over her head, the young girl quickly purses her lips…
*PTUI*
…and spits right into his face!
"Argh! Goddamnit!" The professor angrily shouts, desperately wiping the saliva off his nose. "Why do I keep falling for that!?
"Here professor." Garfield offers his hand out to him. "Let me help you clean that-"
*BAM*
"OOF!"
Becky slams her elbow right in Garfield's face, causing him to accidentally release his grip on her other arm.
*GASP* Odie gasps, shocked after just witnessing his best friend getting smacked directly in the face by his other friend.
"Shoot her! Shoot her NOW!"
Before the drones can even respond to his orders, Becky shoves Odie and herself off the metal table…
*BANG BANG BANG*
…the two barely managing to take cover right underneath said table as the drones proceed to fire their weapons in rapid succession. Hovering down to ground level, the drones are dumbfounded by the absence of both their targets underneath, for they logically only had milliseconds to evade their field of vision by crawling down there.
"Geez! And I thought Binky was loud!" Garfield shouts, covering his ears.
*SQUEAK*
"Huh?" The cat's ears pick up what sounds like a pair of shoes squeaking across the floor behind him. Spotting the young human girl and the yellow dog making a run for it, the orange feline leaps off the table and grabs hold of said dog's tail.
*YIPE!* Odie yelps, feeling immense pain at the end of his vertebral column right as the drones catch up to them.
"Odie, please!" Garfield pleads with him. "Let's not make any of this harder than it needs to be! Just give the professor what he wants and-"
*SIGH* Odie sighs, feeling extremely guilty about having to do this.
*SLAM!*
"YEEEEEEOWWWWWW!"
Slamming his foot right onto his, the dog wraps his other foot around his other foot and…
*BAM*
slams him down to the ground.
"Oooohhhhhhh." Garfield moans in immense pain, unable to move any part of his body.
"Impressive, Odie." Professor Smith compliments the dog's skills. "But even that won't help you and your friends escape."
The canine, finding himself, yet again, surrounded by these annoying drones, quickly attempts to cerebrate an escape route…
*GRRRRRRR*
…and swipe his jacket back from that blue-furred thief.
"I don't have time for any of these petty games!" Professor Smith shouts, his patience already wearing thin. "Keep these nuisances at bay while I finish preparing the bomb!" He orders his drones as he grabs the formula and storms out of the lab. "Kill them if you have to!"
"BOMB!?" Becky screams.
*ARF!?* Odie repeats.
"Anything you say, chief." Garfield salutes the professor, getting himself back up. "You heard him guys, keep these pesky intruders at bay!"
The drones firmly hold their positions as the girl and the dog remain cornered, ready to open fire if they make any sudden moves.
"Garfield, you can't let him go through with this!" Becky pleads with the feline.
"And why not?" Garfield asks. "The professor is the only one who can save humanity from their own hubris. Besides, this will help bring an end to the Claws and Mondays!"
"More like enslave everyone in order to take over the world!" The young girl argues.
"Lady, this isn't a cartoon!" The cat argues back. "This is reality! Not everything is as black and white as your parents make it out to be! Look at what's happening to society, it's tearing itself apart from the inside! But I know you won't, cause you're just a naive little kid who thinks she can play the hero and save everyone, all the while refusing to look at the bigger picture!"
"What about Jon!?"
…
Odie's eyes widen upon hearing that name. How in the hell could she possibly…
…
…
"What about Jon!?" Garfield asks, biting his lips whilst turning around.
"Liz told me everything." Becky reveals.
Liz.
So that's how she knows who they are. Course she just had to blabber about their lives to a complete stranger.
Typical that bitch would be out to ruin his life even more than she already has with that stupid diet.
"Of course she would." Garfield said bitterly, crossing his arms. "As if she hasn't already ruined my life by putting me on that goddamn-"
"They were both looking for you." Becky proceeds to explain. "Then they got into an accident and-"
"WHAT!?"
*ARF!?*
Both animals stare at the young girl in utter shock.
"Jon's in the hospital." Becky said. "It was Liz that brought me here, and we both tried to rescue you guys."
"She did?" Garfield asks, only slightly turning his head.
"Yes, she trusted me to get you two out of this evil place." The girl explains. "And if we don't stop that madman from releasing that chemical, they'll both become his slaves along with everyone else!" She reaches her hand out to the disinterested feline. "Please…help us."
The orange feline gives himself a brief moment to ponder her beseeching plea. On one hand, his brain is continuously belabored with intrusive adjures telling him to do whatever it takes to assist the professor with his plans to save humanity. On the other hand, something…
…deep down in his mind…
…is telling him otherwise…
…telling him to stop the professor from achieving his unjustly scheme…
…and to forgive Liz…
…and Jon…
…especially…
…Jon.
…
"Sorry." Garfield said, turning his head back around. "But my loyalty is to the professor…
…no one else."
Odie can't even bear to even look at what the serum has done to his best friend…
…for it will only continuously remind him of his failure…
…failure to save him…
…Becky…
…Lyman…
…and now, the world.
"*SIGH* Well, I'm sorry to have to do this, but this is for your own good."
"What are you talking abou-AAHH!"
Having pulled the tranquilizer dart she'd been keeping in her pocket, Becky thrusts it into Garfield's neck.
*GASP* Odie gasps, shocked as the sedative liquid takes its effect on the feline's body, causing his body to collapse onto the ground once more.
All the present drones focus all their attention onto Becky, their weapons ready to gun her down should she make any further attempts to escape.
"Go! Stop him!" She urges the canine.
Realizing a very small window of opportunity has just been opened for him, Odie dashes out of the lab…
*BANG BANG BANG*
…all whilst being pursued by the blue dog and his pack of drones.
Unlocking and setting foot inside the most secured room of the building, the professor heads over to the controls of one of his proudest creations, a flying vessel three times as large as the average drone…
…complete with a bomb strapped inside!
Upon completing the flight preparations, the professor carefully places the formula inside of the vessel.
"Finally, the process can truly begin."
All according to…
*BANG BANG BANG BANG*
"Huh?" The startled scientist turns around, the sounds of gunfire echoing from the other room…
…until it suddenly stopped.
"Must've killed the girl." Shrugging it off, the professor heads back to the controls and…
*POW*
…suddenly gets his wiener thwacked by a fist…
…more specifically, a canine's fist!
"OOOOOHHHHHHHH!" The mad scientist kneels down while gripping onto his swelling genitals…
*BAM*
…right as Odie lands a direct kick into the professor's face, pinning him down to the ground.
"AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!"
…and gets a good bite of his disfigured nose for good measure.
"Why…you LITTLE…"
Fed up with these constant interruptions, the professor pulls out a hidden gun from his white coat and…
*BANG*
…fires directly at Odie…
…who just barely manages to leap out of the bullet's path, thanks to the professor's impaired vision from the explosion.
"AAAAGH!"
Growling in absolute frustration, the desperate scientist gets himself back up and points his weapon all around the room, peering for any sign of the blasted canine.
"Come out wherever you are, you annoying little-"
*CHOMP*
"AAARGH!"
Sneak attacking from behind, Odie takes a bite of the professor's leg, causing him to lose his balance and fall right back down to the floor. Prancing on top of him, the dog struggles to wrestle the gun out of the scientist's hand, eventually snagging it out of his grip and…
…
…
The last thing Professor Smith hears…
…is a loud bang…
…as he begins to feel…
…blood…
…blood pouring out of his…
…
No…
…it…can't end like this…
…right at his moment of triumph over…
…NO…
…must…
…see…this…
…thr…
…
…
…
*PHEW* Odie lets out an immense sigh of relief, having just saved humanity from the enslavement of a monster…
…a monster that his own actions nearly allowed to succeed in his psychotic, terminus plan for the fate of Muncie, Indiana…
…and eventually, all of mankind.
*OWOOOOOOOOOOO"
The blue dog lets out an agonizing howl, having just witnessed his beloved master murdered before his very eyes.
*OWOOOOOOOOOOO"
The howl echoes across the entire building, altering the canine's pack to regroup within the private room, the remaining ones in the lab following soon after.
"Huh?"
Becky, whilst curious as to what's causing all the drones to suddenly leave the room, seizes this opportunity to make her escape…
…all the while trying to carry this fatass cat out of the vicinity.