The next day, to cheer up Ruby, Rita decided to have a day on the town, then some of her siblings and her family insisted on coming along, which they had to relent to not provoke any tantrums, especially from the little ones. It was especially a crowded day in the city since everyone was watching the playoffs in football
Ruby brought her little toy boat with her, pretending to sail it in the air. With his niece distracted, Liam smirked and let his foot out, tripping her in the process.
"Hey…" Ruby looked up and saw her uncle Liam chuckling at her. She looked at her boat, only to find it missing in the crowd
"My boat…" Ruby released her grip from her mother's hand and raced after it.
"Ruby…" Roddy and Rita called after her. Only to find her gone. After giving Liam a smack on the head, Rita's mother and father stayed behind and watched the kids while Roddy and Rita went to find Ruby
The young rat looked around for her little toy boat on the ground, even asking people if they saw it and they answered that they hadn't. Ruby then looked up and discovered that she was lost in the crowd and tried to smell out her parents, however, the smell of fish and chips and the sewer water was blocking out the scent. After a few minutes of searching. Ruby decided to hide in the shadows, covering her ears, terrified of her surroundings, despite being there many times. There were too many smells and sounds for her to handle on top of the fact that she was lost.
Ruby felt tears stinging her eyes as she lost one of her favorite toys that she had found and she lost her parents. Her lips began to quiver and tears began to roll down her face
"I'm lost…M-M-Mummy, Daddy…" she began to cry quietly. Then she heard footsteps coming toward her
"Hi…Are you okay…" She looked up and saw an early teen rat looking down, concerned for her well-being. He had brown curly hair parted on the left side, blue-green eyes, and wore a red Hawaiian shirt with a white t-shirt underneath, blue jeans, and black sneakers, carrying a dark green backpack on his back.
"No, I-I lost my boat and now I lost my M-M-Mummy and Daddy…" Ruby sobbed. Then the boy's face lit up, crouched down, opened his backpack, and pulled out the same toy boat that she sought after
"Is it this one…" Ruby uncovered her eyes and gasped
"I saw it on the ground and I thought someone must be looking for it…" then he gave her back the toy
"Thank you thank you…" she hugged the boy. Then more footsteps came
"Ryan…what are you doing…we should've been gone minutes ago…" Ruby saw another rat that was the same age as the one she was hugging.
She in contrast to him had short, shaggy strawberry blonde hair down to her shoulders with bangs nearly covering her blue-green eyes. She wore a gray button-down shirt with a long-sleeved dark green Henley shirt, dark wash jeans, and black lace-up boots. She also had a Union Jack bandana on her right bicep and carried a dark blue backpack
"I had to help her…have a heart will you…" Ryan explained
"Well nobody had a heart for us so why should we have a heart with the dumb kid…" the girl replied
"Rowan please…" Then Ryan turned his attention back to Ruby. "We'll help you to your parents okay…"
"And have them call us creeps, you're crazy…" Ryan ignored his comrade as he took Ruby by the hand and led her back toward the crowd. Then they heard
"Ruby, where are you…" Ruby happily sniffed and pointed the way as the duo led the girl to her parents who waited for her
"Mummy Daddy…" Ruby raced into their arms with her toy boat in her hands.
"My little princess…We were so worried about you…" Roddy sobbed lightly as he held his child in his arms along with his wife
Then Rita's parents looked at the two children that brought Ruby to them. Before Roddy and Rita attempted to thank them, Rowan tugged at Ryan's hand and the duo took off.
"I've seen those two lots around before…" Rita's mom pointed out
"Really…" Ruby asked.
"I don't think they have parents to look out for them…poor things…"
As the day went on, two familiar rats were wandering about the streets, something caught the smaller rat's eye
"Whitey…don't those two look familiar…" Spike pointed at the crowd and saw Roddy and Rita with Ruby in their arms with the little rat eating fish and chips
"Aww Spike…they have a little sister…" Spike facepalmed at his partner's naivety
"Look closer…they have a nipper…Let's go get the toad…" then the two rats made their way to the brick lair where The Toad resides.
Nearing the evening, The family of three decided to scavenge a few more items, in use of the Jammy Dodger Mark II. Ruby went a little farther than her parents when she spotted something in the water. Before she grabbed it, a fly flew around her. She tried to swat away until a tongue caught it and a toad dressed in plain clothing stood before the young girl
"Hello…darling girl…" All Ruby could do was look up and down at him with unease. No wonder her mum wanted her to stay away from toads.
"You look very familiar…" The Toad continued as he got a good look at her
"Familiar?" Ruby squeaked, not knowing what the word meant. Then the toad looked into Ruby's eyes and saw the same green eyes as his enemy
"You have beautiful emerald eyes…" he complimented her
"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers sir…" Ruby attempted to walk away, but he grabbed her and brought her back to him, making her sit beside him.
"But I am but a lonely toad and you've kept me company…stay a minute…" the toad manipulated
Ruby was nervous but didn't want to leave him alone. She glanced at the Jammy Dodger II and looked back up at the toad
"Why do you catch flies?" She asked
"Well that's what I eat darling…flies are a mere meal for an amphibian to eat…but I yearn for more…" He said as the toad looked down at her with an evil smirk. All Ruby could do was chuckle awkwardly.
"Now it is my turn to ask a question…what is your mother's name?" Ruby widened her eyes at the question
"Uh…"
"Certainly you must know…"
"Why is he asking me about Mummy…" Ruby thought.
On cue, Rita and Roddy called for her.
"Ruby…it's time to come home…"
"My mummy's name is Eleanor, sir…" The toad sighed in disappointment and decided she was no longer of use to him
"Well I must be getting back to hunting for flies and you need to get back to your Mummy and Daddy…"
Before Ruby left, she smelled the toad and recoiled
"Your perfume is stinky…" then Ruby took off back to her parents, leaving an offended toad to head in a different direction.
As Ruby was sitting on her bed playing with her toy boat and teddy bear she began to think about the stranger that asked about her mother and sighed in confusion and curiosity. She glanced at her toy bear.
"Why would anyone ask about Mummy Teddy…that toad was strange and he's very very stinky…" Unbeknownst to Ruby, her parents overheard her conversation and they glanced at each other with concern
They were worried that the toad might be onto them and they planned on keeping Ruby indoors with the rest of her family to keep her safe. Ruby may not like it but the duo hoped she knows that it'll be for her own good.
Later that night, an old rat roamed about the street. He was in a well-dressed suit and carried a suitcase in one hand and folders in the other. He was off from work and decided to head home. He glanced at a locket, opened it saw a picture of his equally aged wife, and smiled.
The brief bliss was interrupted by a loud banging sound. He glanced around, frightened by the feeling of not being alone. Then he heard a swishing sound as he saw a ship with a diving mask passing by as it honked at him. The old rat gently waved as he turned away to head home.
Unbeknownst to him, the ship stopped and two large individuals came from behind with a large black bag, scooped him up, and returned to the ship. It took a while for the travel but the boat was able to make it to the floodgate. Next to it, was the floodgate control with the golden gate.
When the rats took the large black bag into the lair, The Toad turned to his minions who dumped the old man out of the bag. He shredded his plain disguise and dressed in his fancy robe. The old rat gasped in fear, seeing his kidnapper
"The Toad…But you were in prison years ago…"
"Such a sweet time everyone remembers…Now I heard you investigate the backgrounds of the city's citizens…" The man's eyes widened at the question. "Answer my question, old man…"
"Yes, I do sir…B-But the information is classified…" Then The Toad glanced at his suitcase and folders and an idea came to mind
"Well, I would like to research a person in mind…She is a family friend of mine"
"And who may that be sir…" the old rat asked
"Rita Malone…"
"Oh, Rita…Her mother is a dear friend of mine-"
"Has Rita Malone had any children lately…"
"N-Not that I heard of…All I heard of is Rita and Millicent being married." The toad grimaced
"Of course the marvelous pairing of my two nemeses…Now have they conceived a child…"
The man froze in place. He was terrified of what was going to happen if he said no to the toad. But also he wanted to say yes and get off scot-free but he knew that he would be ill-fated both ways.
"I…am not certain…"
The toad looked at him up and down with suspicion. Then Spike came up to him
"What shall we do to him, sir…Shall we get the persuader…" then The toad placed a hand on Spike's mouth and glanced at the papers and briefcase he was holding.
"Get those papers and briefcase…" as the old man tried to escape, Whitey held him in a chokehold as Spike and the rest of his minions searched for information
"All of that information is classified…I oughta have you all locked in jail and you back into prison for life…" the man yelled
"As far as I am concerned, you withholding information from someone is also a felony which you could be locked in jail or a DEATH sentence…"
"I found it boss. I found it…" Spike happily trotted to his boss and passed the information on to him. The toad read the paper and glanced at the man, who was secretly shaking in Whitey's arms
"Ruby Malone-St-James…Now that has a ring to it…and a horrid taste on my tongue. Then the toad saw the picture of Ruby, He was so mad that he began to inflate. Realizing that Ruby lied to him. He glanced at the old rat and planned his punishment
"Shall we take him to the fridge boss…"
No…I have something better, follow me…"
The crew followed the toad to a dark room with a grim light as the old man began to scream for help
"Please I have a wife at home who is waiting for me…My boss needs me back at work…I'm 2 days away from being an employee of the month" The old rat begged for his life but it was no use. Instead, the toad instructed Whitey to toss the man in an exhibit-sized cage filled with water and algae-filled around it and shut the door behind the old man as he attempted to swim out of the tank
"UH…What's gonna happen to him, boss?" Spike asked nervously with the whole crew looking fearfully at the toad
"Never mind the old man…I want you all to keep an eye on this little girl…" then The Toad shoved the picture of Ruby in their faces. "She may be the key to Rita Malones undoing…" Then the toad laughed hysterically and evilly
The crew looked at each other with worry as they were reluctant to bring harm to the child but decided to follow the toad's orders as they followed him out of the room
Meanwhile, the old rat struggled to swim out of the tank and paused as soon as he heard croaking. He paused and slowly turned around. His eyes widened with terror as soon as he saw hundreds of eyes staring at him and the creatures began to lunge at him all at once as he screamed. Then… everything went black.