Kingdom Hearts: Web of the Dark Heart
Chapter 10: Escape from de Vil Manor
Author's Note: Got to be honest: I liked how Ventus' Cinderella adventure went in Birth by Sleep, so I'm using it here.
A couple honor later, they arrived at the next world. Peter went to the bridge to get the world's description but it wasn't exactly helpful. All that it showed was Big Ben in the middle of a city and all it said was London.
Luke: Sure you don't want me to tag along, Peter?
Peter: Nah, pal. You stay here and guard the ship.
Peter found Wanda helping Sora get ready.
Wanda: Any clues what World-inspired Movie we'll be in?
Peter: All I learned is that we're going to London. But the number of Disney movies and cartoons that are in London isn't exactly small.
Doom: (Checking Long-gun) Translation: We're going in blind.
Sora: (Enthusiastically) Well, we won't find out standing around.
Wanda: (Stopping him while using her powers to put her and Peter costumes on) Sora, wait. I know you're excited but we have to be careful, okay?
Sora understood as they disembarked. But something happened as they arrived. Opening their eye, Spider-Man, Scarlet Witch, and Commander Doom felt the snow and cold air on them. They looked around and saw a huge barn.
Scarlet Witch: (As Spider-Man noticed something) Either we ended up a beanstalk or we just shrunk in size.
Spider-Man: Never mind that, Sora's gone!
With her maternal instincts kicking in, Scarlet Witch frantically searched for Sora.
Scarlet Witch: (Hoping he was just playing in the snow) Sora?! Sora!
Sora didn't reply but someone else did.
?: Who's out there?
Spider-Man heard the voice and ran it through his memory of Disney Movies he's seen. Before he could say who it was, a normal-sized Sheepdog with a Tabby Cat on his back. These were the Colonel and Sergeant Tibbs. Spider-Man figured out exactly where they were and where they might find Sora. The trio decided not question how animals were talking given the differences in world.
Tibbs: Looks like some more small humans, Colonel sir. Like Agent Tiger, sir.
Colonel: (Getting a better look at the three) So it would seem.
Doom: (Saluting) Sir, Commander Doom at your service sir.
Colonel: A commander? Excellent! We were on our for an important recon mission. We could use the help.
Scarlet Witch: We'd love to but our child is missing and we have to find him.
Spider-Man eyed Scarlet Witch, blushing at she was implying she and Spider-Man were a married couple.
Tibbs: Only other building around here is the only de Vil place. Maybe your son took shelter there.
Seeing no other option, Scarlet Witch and the men climbed aboard. As the Colonel headed for de Vil, Scarlet Witch was worried sick about Sora.
Spider-Man: (Giving her a comforting hug) We'll find him. I promise.
Doom: (Quietly) Sir, where are we?
Spider-Man: (Quietly) I know this movie: 101 Dalmatians.
Scarlet Witch: (Quietly) Oh, I love Dalmatians.
The group soon arrived at manor that looked like something out of Dracula.
Doom: (Dismounting) Ugh, now I know what the boys in the Umbaran campaign felt.
Colonel: You're right to be nervous. They say the ol' place is haunted, or bewitched, or some such fiddle-faddle.
Tibbs: (Chuckling) Fiddle-faddle and rot, sir.
Colonel: Just the same, Sergeant, use extreme caution. No telling what sort of hocus pocus you might run in to.
Tibbs gulped nervously. Doom walked up to the Colonel.
Doom: Sir, allow me to accompany the Sergeant. Might help to have an experienced officer with him.
Colonel: Granted. Good luck.
Making their way across the lawn, the Tabby Cat and Clone Commander came to the windowsill which crumbled a bit. Tibbs wiped the window a bit and got a look inside. Inside was a large, dark, gloomy foyer. Everything inside sent shivers down Tibbs' spine.
Doom: See anything, Sergeant?
Tibbs: (Still looking) Just a moment, sir.
Tibbs spotted a glowing crack through the wall. Opening the window, both he and Doom went inside.
Tibbs: Permission to take point, sir?
Doom: Denied. You got a long career ahead of you, kid. (Drawing his DC-17 Hand Blasters) Stay behind me.
Doom went forward as the Tabby Cat followed. Cautiously, they went inside and inside the living room was a sleeping Dalmatian puppy without a collar. On it was Sora, fast asleep with a strange 3-Years old girl. She had black hair, wearing a black jumpsuit for her age, and had a gothic bunny plushie doll with an X for a left eye and heart with stitches on it's chest. Seeing the giant thugs, Horace and Jasper watching TV, Doom signaled Tibbs to keep his voice down.
Doom: (Whisper) Psst! Sora! Kid! Wake up!
Sora slowly woke up and saw Doom, who signaled for him to not alert the thugs. The puppy and girl woke up and saw the duo. The puppy growled in defend and the girl buried her head in Sora's neck.
Sora: It's okay, Rover. Mr. Doom is my friend.
Doom: (Holstering his blasters) Yeah, I am. Good to see you're okay, kid.
Tibbs: (Speaking to Rover) Are you one of the 15 stolen puppies?
Rover: We're not stolen. We're bought and paid for. There's 99 of us all together.
Tibbs rubbed his eye to see better.
Tibbs: 99?!
Tibbs and Doom got a better look and saw Dalmatian puppies sleeping all over the living room.
Doom: Are there any that are different from the rest of you: Sibling relationships, new arrivals… Anything?
Another Dalmatian walked over.
Spotty: There's a bunch of them by the TV. They got collars and names.
Doom: Tibbs, run recon. I gotta get Sora out of here.
Tibbs snuck over to the TV.
Doom: Come on, Sora.
Sora got up and helped the girl up.
Doom: (Leading them to the door) Where'd the girl come from?
Sora: I found her, all alone.
Doom: Okay. Stay close and stay…
Doom was interrupted by Tibbs screaming from being grabbed by Jasper, mistaking him for his liquor bottle. Sora and the girl hid as the Baduns chased Sergeant Tibbs around. Jasper grabbed the throwing darts he played with.
Jasper: (Laughing) How'd you like a Tabby Cat stew?
Jasper threw each dart, missing every shot. Doom saw Jasper grab an empty bottle. Thinking quickly, Doom drew his Long-gun and took aim.
Jasper: (Throwing the bottle) Or a cat casserole?
Doom fired and nailed the bottle before it hit the Sergeant. The duo ran out the crack in the door. The girl whimpered in Sora's arms.
Sora: They'll come back for us. Don't worry.
No one knew that in the manor lurked the Colonel trump card in this situation: Agent Tiger. A day passed as everyone waited for the next play. Wolf Spider arrived and sensed a dark heart.
Wolf Spider: (Seeing the individual through his web) Cruella de Vil… (Scoffing) She wouldn't be able to handle a fight. (Turning to the figure) Do we have a deal?
?: You sure the Tiger is here?
Wolf Spider: Yes. The rift brought your prey here.
?: And all you want is the boy?
Wolf Spider: (Infusing a rift into a spear) That's the terms.
The figure turned out to be Kraven the Hunter, not a day older than when he first met Spider-Man and his friend, White Tiger.
Kraven: Very well. (Taking the spear) You shall have your prey.
Meanwhile Wanda, having taken her visor off, was growing impatient. Peter spotted her leaving the barn with Kitetsu in hand.
Peter: Where are you going?!
Wanda: To get Sora!
Peter stopped her and looked at her frustrated face.
Peter: I want to save him, too! More than anything! But Horace and Jasper will be expecting trouble. We can't fight them when we're barely the size of a small dog. We wait till nightfall, sneak in, and get Sora, the girl, and those puppies. (Seeing her heartbroken face) I promise, we'll never lose him to anyone we don't trust.
Wanda had tears in her eyes, desperately hoping Sora was okay. Nightfall came and everyone was waiting for anything. Suddenly, everyone saw a car heading for the de Vil manor. Thinking it could be trouble, everyone climbed aboard the Colonel and followed. Sneaking inside, Doom and Tibbs saw a skinny woman with black and white hair wearing a thick fur coat scolding the Baduns. This was Cruella de Vil.
Doom: What's she here for?
Horace: But they, ain't big enough.
Jasper: You couldn't get half a dozen coats out of the whole caboodle.
Tibbs: (Shocked whispering) Coats! Dog-skin coats?!
Doom: (Whispered) Yuck! And I thought Trandoshins were sick.
Sora and the girl heard this and were sickened by it.
Cruella: (Breathing cigarette smoke into Jasper's face) Then, we'll settle for half a dozen! We can't wait! (As Jasper wheezed from the smoke) The police are everywhere. I want the job done tonight!
Horace: (Getting food while Doom and Tibbs snuck around) How're we gonna do it?
Cruella: Any way you like: Poison them, drown them! Bash them in the heads! You got any Chloroform?
Jasper: Not a drop.
Frustrated, Cruella hit the duo hard.
Cruella: I don't care how you kill the little beasts but DO IT AND DO IT NOW! (Leaving) Now, listen, you idiots! I'll be back first thing in the morning, and the job better be done or I'll call the police!
Cruella left and slammed the door hard. Horace and Jasper went back to watching TV, planning to do their job after the show. Doom and Tibbs got out from their hiding spot.
Tibbs: (Whisper) Hey, kids! We're gonna get you all out of here!
Puppy #1: (Whisper) How?
Tibbs: (Whisper) There's a hole in the wall by the door. Get out through that.
Doom: (Whisper) Tibbs, you make sure these kids get out of here. I'll go find Sora.
Doom looked around and found Sora sleeping with the girl and Rover.
Doom: (Whisper) Time to wake up.
The trio woke up and saw Doom.
Sora: Are we leaving, Mr. Doom?
Doom: Yeah. Let's get you two out of here.
They flinched when they heard Horace and Jasper got excited, only because a friend of theirs was on the show they were watching. As quietly as they could, the puppies escaped through the hole.
Doom: (Whispering) That all of them?
Tibbs: (Whispering) Last one went through.
Doom: (Whispering) You go ahead, I'll be right behind you.
When the show ended, Horace and Jasper got up and got ready to do their job. Arming themselves with a chair leg and fire poker respectively, they got ready to kill the puppies until they saw they were gone. Grabbing their flashlights, the duo went looking for the runaway puppies.
Jasper: Here, puppies! C'mon. Now, don't go hiding from ol' Uncle Jasper.
Searching a bedroom, Jasper looked under a bed and saw Sergeant Tibbs. Doom fired his rifle and nailed Jasper's forehead. Due to the shrunk size, the weapon only burned Jasper, but it still hurt.
Jasper: (As the puppies ran off) Oh! It's that mangy Tabby Cat! (Spotting Doom and the kids) And a trio of odd-looking mice!
Scattering across the manor, Horace and Jasper tried to kill some of them. Cornering Rover and his passengers, Agent Tiger decided to reveal herself.
Agent Tiger: You boys shouldn't be picking on kids!
Pouncing onto Jasper's head and scratching his face, Agent Tiger revealed to be none other than Spider-Man's old friend, White Tiger, now older but still strong.
Colonel: Ah, Agent Tiger! Excellent timing!
White Tiger landed by the kids as Jasper covered his scratched-up face. As the carnage went on, Spider-Man and Scarlet Witch waited outside just after the Colonel left, asking them to stay put.
Scarlet Witch: We should be in there.
Spider-Man: Just wait.
Scarlet Witch: Where did the Colonel go?
Before Spider-Man could answer, the Colonel came back with two adult Dalmatians, one male and the other female. Scarlet Witch flared her powers but Spider-Man calmed her down.
Spider-Man: It's okay. They're on our side. This is Pongo and Perdita. Their puppies are in there.
Pongo: (Eyeing them) Pretty small for humans.
Scarlet Witch: We're just trying to find Sora.
Perdita: (Stunned) She took your child, too?!
Spider-Man and Scarlet Witch blushed embarrassingly.
Spider-Man: Not necessarily "Our Child". Scarlet and I aren't a couple.
Scarlet Witch: A dangerous man is after him.
As Horace and Jasper cornered Tibbs, Doom, and the kids, Sora did the only thing he could think of.
Sora: HELP!
Sora's scream for help rang through Scarlet Witch's ears. Without even thinking, Scarlet Witch used her powers on herself and it caused her to grow back to full size. Smashing through the window, Pongo and Perdita followed ready to fight. The light from the fireplace caused the Dalmatian Parents to look different.
Jasper: (Ready to fight) Hey, what do we got here? A couple of spotted hyenas and a she-demon?
Swinging Kitetsu, Jasper parried with his fire poker. Pongo and Perdita attacked Horace hard and fast. Spider-Man ran in and saw White Tiger.
Spider-Man: White Tiger?!
White Tiger: Spider-Man?!
Colonel: Agent Tiger, what are you doing standing about?! Join the fight!
Doom: (Leading the puppies away) Delay that order. Evacuate, everyone!
Sergeant Tibbs: (Running) He's right, sir. Retreat is needed!
White Tiger: They're right, sir! Civilian casualties must be avoided!
Colonel: (As everyone ran by him) Retreat? Oh, right! Civilian safety first!
Scarlet Witch kept fighting but saw she was starting to shrink. Using her powers, she pulled the rug from under Horace, making him stumble and knock his brother down. She got back to dog size when she got to the window.
Perdita: (Kneeling) Hop on!
Scarlet Witch hopped onto Perdita and Spider-Man got onto Pongo. As the heroes escaped the manor, Kraven looked at the fleeing heroes.
Kraven: The hunt begins.