Chapter 8

Escaping

Soon inside NegaDucks's trailer was Hotaru, Odd, Erts, Bia, Knuckles, Omi, Hazuki, and Jeanette all tied together while hanging upside down from the ceiling fan and their mouths were gagged with cloth.

Pete shut the door behind him and he laughed as he kicked away a trash can; Doodles was flying above and he noticed the big cat as he said, "No more panthers, cat boy or girl, goddess heros, echidna, monks, witchlings, or chipmunks!"

"Ah ha!" Doodles said as Pete walked off; the little toon guy started to fly at high speed toward the huge trailer.

Erts: Now I got admit, when bad guys go, Mr. Doodles, Collector's minion has a bark worst than his bite.

Doodles slid on top of trailer and the group watched the fire line from inside go by them and they saw Doodles land in the pool. There was a window that showed the inside of the pool so Doodles peeked through the window and smirked evilly.

"Oh boy…" He said evilly as Hotaru, Odd, Bia, Erts, Knuckles, Omi, Hazuki, and Jeanette stare at him all helpless.

Odd: Still he was a nuisance. And as we all were tied up at the moment, we weren't that happy to see him…

The group started to swing back and forth as Doodles swam out of the pool and went to the roof door; he started going through various objects but none of them was what he wanted.

"Oh come on!" Doodles growled as he saw the next object was a fork; finally he saw a can opener and he went, "Ah ha!" he started to open the metal roof door while singing.

Hotaru, Odd, Erts, Bia, Knuckles, Omi, Hazuki, and Jeanette all glance at each other before they started to struggle harder to get free before Doodles can get in. But it was no use. The ropes were too tight.

Doodles: Oh ma…I missed your apple pie

Ma, I missed your stew

Oh ma I missed you!

Doodles got the part open and he smiled, "Ah ha!" He took a stick and opened the WHOLE door. Doodles threw the door up and he tied a rope around his waist while tying it to a pot with a cactus in it; he then put the stick under the pot and on the rim of the door opening, "Look at that! Anticipation!"

The door suddenly slammed down right on not only Doodles's head, but the stick too, causing the pot to go up in the air. Doodles managed to get his head free, but since he was tied with the pot, it fell through the opening he made and he fell inside the trailer. The pot was shot back up through the hole by the couch. Doodles screamed in pain as the dead pelt Tiger's head went on his head. But he got free again and the pot crashed right on top of him.

----

Meanwhile…

Raimundo, Renee, and Erin were on a motorcycle and pretending they were driving through a neighborhood, although they weren't really. Raimundo was signing happily while Renee had a depressed guilty look on her face.

"Cut!" NegaDuck suddenly called, and everything stopped; NegaDuck got up from his director's chair and shouted up to a a duck dressed as a halerquin, "Quakerjack, what's with the snow?!" Quakerjack were on top of the stage and were making fake snow, "Take 5, everybody, and Miss Roberts, how about a smile, hmm? It's supposed to be summer!"

Raimundo helped Renee from the motorcycle while Erin jumps down and Renee walked back of the stage motioning Raimundo to follow, "Rai I need to talk to you for a minute."

Raimundo laughed as he followed his girlfriend, "Don't mind him, I think you're doing great."

Renee shook her head as she took out the note she took away from Raimundo before, "Yeah but…"

"Now, now," Raimundo grabbed the note as he continued, "No buts about it-"

Renee cut him off as she grabbed the note back, "Rai, I did something really... awful…"

"What is it, baby?" Raimundo asked confused and Renee sighed as she opened the note and handed it to Raimundo; he recognizes the signatures except the one Hotaru made, "Odd, Bia, Erts, Omi, Knuckles, Jeanette, Hazuki?" He turned to Renee who looked guilty, "Renee, where did you get this?"

"From you…the night when we first met…" Renee answered rubbing her arm.

"They were here?" Raimundo asked, frowning.

"They're still here…" Renee corrected, frowning while Erin nodded sadly.

Raimundo stared at the note and turned to Renee, "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Suddenly, a sword went through the screen, separating Raimundo and Renee which made them both gasped as they both jumped back, "Cause she wasn't suppose to!" NegaDuck said, coming around the corner; it was obvious he had heard the whole conversation.

Renee gasped as NegaDuck chuckled.

"Renee Robert…I am disappointed with you and your friend…I told you to entertain him…" NegaDuck put his hand under her chin causing her to look back up at him, "Not educate him…"

"Entertain me?" Raimundo repeated, and he glared at NegaDuck in suspicion, "What's this all about?!"

"Calm down, Wind kid…your friends are just fine," Negaduck assured Raimundo.

"No they're not, Rai!" Renee suddenly said, "He's got them tied up in-"

NegaDuck became angry and yelled at Renee to the ground as he cried, "Shut up!"

"Renee!" Erin yelled, running towards her.

"Wha-!" Rai cried out as Renee tries to get up with Erin's help and she shook her head while her long purple hair covered some her face.

Raimundo jumps on NegaDuck and pined him to the ground; he was both angry and upset since NegaDuck struck his girlfriend AND that his friends were in danger.

"Where are they?!" Raimundo demanded, but he was forced off of NegaDuck by Pete and Bushroot, "What have you done with them?!"

"Don't hurt him, boys," NegaDuck said as he sat up, "He's got a movie to make…"

"I ain't making NOTHING with you!" Raimundo snapped trying to get out of the minions' grip on him.

Negaduck chuckled as he got to his feet, "Oh but Wind…I put a lot of money into this movie…I don't want to lose my money…" He walked over to Raimundo with a smirk, "And I'm sure you don't want to lose your friends…"

"That's blackmail!" Raimundo retorted.

"That's show business, kid!" NegaDuck snapped back, "Make up!!"

---

"Here ya pretty kitty, kitty…" Doodles laughed; he managed to recover from his early accident and he got on top of a TV which was near Hotaru and the others.

"No way…" Hotaru said, since she managed to get her gag off.

Doodles just laughed as he leaned back with the knife in his hand and didn't notice the cord behind him until it struck it and electricity went through him, "OW!!" Doodles screamed and tried to get his knife free of the cord, but it got tangled.

Doodles was thrown back into a bunk bed and then he gripped a vacuum cleaner; because of the electricity, it started to run and Doodles let go of it and went onto Odd's leg which caused the fan they all were hanging from started to go at high speed and the rope gave away. The group fell onto the bed below and onto a couch. Doodles landed on the bed and the fan's blades fell toward him; he screamed as the fan's blades fell upon him and the bunk bed went back into the wall.

---

Back the studio, Raimundo, Renee, and Erin were getting back on the motorcycle.

"Stand by…" Pete said.

"Stand by!" Quackerjack mocked.

"Quiet on the set," Pete continued.

"Quiet on the set!" Quakerjack said again.

"Hey! Shut up!!" Pete shouted annoyed.

"Rai…I'm so sorry…" Renee whispered, and she meant it since she loved this boy with all her heart.

"Don't talk to me right now, honey…I'm thinking…" Raimundo ordered and Renee nodded; as the scene started to work again, Raimundo whispered, "Where are they?"

"In NegaDuck's trailer outside…" Renee whispered back.

"Marker…The Wind Goes Crazy Take 2!" MegaVolt said.

Raimundo glanced at Renee before glancing in front of him and he saw the door that led inside the studio was open, "Oh yeah…" He smirked; he glanced down at the motorcycle and said to Renee and Erin, "Hang on, girls!"

Raimundo then started the motorcycle for real and Renee and Erin screamed while they manage to hang onto tight as Renee, Erin, and Raimundo speed off the stage, "That's not in the script!" NegaDuck shouted as the teens manage to get through the door before the minions who were pushing the doors shut so they wouldn't go through, Negaduck cried seeing Bushroot and MegaVolt were both acting stupid, "Stop those teens!"

"There it is!" Renee pointed as Raimundo drove toward the trailer.

Inside, Odd was dragging them around while trying to avoid Doodles with only a baking pan, "Hold still!" Doodles ordered as Odd rushed over toward the door that led outside, "Ah ha!"

"Ah!" Renee cried, as her hair went into Rai's eyes from seeing, "Watch out, Rai!"

"Whoa!" Raimundo cried as he moves the hair away and the three teens crashed through the window, pushing Doodles into a ticked off fish's bowl.

Odd closed his eyes shut and started to swing down the pan.

"Odd! Wait!" Bia tried to warn seeing Raimundo was there now; but too late, Odd hit Raimundo with frying pan and the wind collapsed to the ground. Odd gasped seeing Raimundo on the ground.

"Oh no! I killed him!" Odd cried slapping his face as Hotaru, who is still tied to Odd and upside down said, "Raimundo!"

"Hey fellas…" Raimundo moaned before falling unconscious.

Omi grabbed the folds of Odd's suit while crying, "He's dead! He's dead!"

Renee hugged Raimundo, "Rai, my goodness…"

Jeanette opened one of Rai's eyes as she said, "Oh my…"

"He's not dead…untie me, please!" Hotaru said; Odd took the rope, stretched it out, and she fell to the floor.

Suddenly the group heard the sound of approaching motorcycles and they gasped to see NegaDuck and his minions coming, "Oh no!" Renee said.

Hazuki started to pull on Raimundo's shirt. "Let's get him out of here!" Hazuki ordered and noticed the window, "Through there!"

The minions on the motorcycles stopped outside the trailer as the group sneaked through the window on the side as quietly as they can. Pete got off his cycle and glanced around. Hotaru, along with Odd, Bia, and Erts who were carrying Raimundo, Renee, Erin, Hazuki, Jeanette, Omi, and Knuckles went over to car that was attached to the trailer. Renee gasped and rushed over to the door.

"No way…not NegaDuck's cap…" Renee said, shaking her head.

"We've got no choice..." Knuckles growled as he opened the door.

Bushroot, having sharp ears, glanced toward the sound of a door opening and he smirked.

While Odd, Bia, and Erts put Raimundo on a couch in the back with Renee and Erin, Hotaru, Hazuki, and Jeanette went to the front, "Can you drive a car?" Hotaru asked.

"Piece of cake," Jeanette laughed and turned to Hotaru, "Hotaru, YOU steer!"

"Me?! I can't!" Hotaru shook her head, "I've NEVER drove a car before!"

"Hotaru-chan! Just do it!" Hazuki ordered.

"We'll crash!" Hotaru asked as she nervously took the wheel.

"Don't be such a 'fraidy cat!" Jeanette retorted as Omi closed the door and MegaVolt called out, "Hey!"

Knuckles started the engine as Hotaru drove, "Whoa!" The car was still on break, so Hotaru shifted to drive and she drove off. Hotaru laughed when she looked back in front of her and screamed to see NegaDuck driving with QuackerJack, and with some other minions.

Hotaru managed to avoid them and drive on with her eyes close, "Hotaru-chan! Open your eyes!" Hazuki cried and Hotaru obeyed but her eyes first fell on the rearview mirror to see Doodles on the trailer behind them.

"Uh oh…look!" Hotaru, Hazuki, and Jeanette glance back as Doodles used a toilet plunger to hang onto the side of the trailer.

"Come on, Hotaru!" Hazuki said, taking Hotaru's hand as Odd took the wheel, and the girls rushed to the back of the car, "We'll lose that trailer!"

"How?!" Hotaru cried.

"Just climb down there!" Jeanette ordered pointing to the hook that held the trailer to the car.

"I can't! I'm a human girl!" Hotaru argued.

"Don't be such a sissy!" Jeanette shouted.

"I'll fall!" Hotaru whimpered.

"You're a panther! You won't fall!" Hazuki said, impatiently.

"I will!" Hotaru retorted and Hazuki and Jeanette sighed in frustration.

"OH, we'll do it ourself!" Jeanette said, angrily, "You're such a scardy cat!" Hazuki and Jeanette rushed to hook and they both try to pull it; Doodles took out a knife and poked one of the wheels of the trailer which caused the hook to come loose and Hazuki and Jeanette nearly falling off, "Ah!! Hotaru!"

"Hazuki! Jeanette!" Hotaru cried and went to the edge of the back of the car, "Odd! Bia! Erts! Help!" She shouted, but she knew the three wouldn't hear her.

Hazuki hung onto the chain while Jeanette held on to her, "Ow!" She cried as Hotaru held out her paw.

"Hold on!" She cried and Hazuki strained to reach over, but the chain broke free and Hazuki and Jeanette along with the trailer went backwards into the water tower with NegaDuck's head on top.

"Help!!" Jeanette and Hazuki cried out.

"HAZUKI, JEANETTE!!" Hotaru screamed out for her friends as she suddenly in her thoughts.

"Of course if you're a scardy cat…" She saw a faded image of Hazuki and Jeanette mocking her and Hotaru covered her face as images of the villains went around her, mocking her.

"Hey. lay off the girl!" Odd yelled.

"Give me the boss…" The waiter said.

"You're such a scardy kat…" Jeanette and Hazuki's voice rang as NegaDuck and Collector all laughed.

"No!" Hotaru screamed, "STOP!!"

Hotaru suddenly gasped to see she was back in the real world and she got a determined look on her face, knowing WHAT she had to do. She rushed back into the car and rushed back to the wheel taking it from Odd.

"Guys, we're going back and get Hazuki and Jeanette!" Hotaru steered the car right back around and the minions gasped in surprise as Hotaru crashed right through them.

NegaDuck gasped seeing his car coming and said, "So, they wanna play chicken huh?"

"Don't worry, boss, I'm not turning!" Quackerjack laughed.

"Idiot! That's my car!" NegaDuck cried and grabbed the wheel from Quackerjack and manage to get out the car's way.

Hotaru gasped seeing they were now toward the water tower, "Knuckles, the breaks!" she cried and Knuckle slammed on the breaks. They skid to halt in front of the water tower and Hotaru got out toward the ladder that went up, "I think she landed up here!" She screamed, "HAZUKI, JEANETTE?!"

No answer, so Hotaru started to climb up, "Come on, we godda find them!"

Hotaru, Odd, Bia, and Erts (who is carrying Raimundo), Knuckles, Omi, Renee, and Erin started to climb up just as NegaDuck and minions come driving up; NegaDuck rushed over and started to cry as he hugged his car, "Oh my baby…my beautiful baby…" The minions stared at him and NegaDuck took notice of this; he glared at them, "What are you looking at?! Get up there!"

"Hazuki, Jeanette!" Hotaru cried again as she, Odd, and Bia tried to help Raimundo get to the top with Erts.

"Raimundo, wake up…" Renee begged, when she gasped at feeling her cross necklace fall off, "My necklace!"

The necklace hit MegaVolt in the face and he fell on top of Bushroot who in turned fell on top of Pete, and Pete forced them off him as he shouted, "Bozoos!"

Suddenly the water tower started to lean toward the right and the group gasped as they fell to the edge. Odd manage to grab a hold of one of the rails while holding Raimundo with his legs, Knuckles, Omi, and Erts grabbed Raimundo's left leg as Bia held Erts's hand, and Renee and Hotaru held onto his right leg while Erin held Renee's waist.

One of the beams let loose and the water tower started to fall slowly down, "This is guys…we're going down…" Odd groaned, trying to hold on to the rail.

"Knuckles, Omi!" Hotaru cried as she hugged the hand. "Do something!"

"Hang on Erin!" Renee shouted.

"I really hate HEIGHTS!" Erin yelled.

Odd tried to climb up, but it was no use everyone was too heavy. Erts looks at Bia and said, "Bia, I'm sorry about before!"

"Erts-kun, I'm sorry too..." Bia whispered.

"I want to say if we don't make it..." Erts spoked. "I love you!"

Bia gasped wiuth tears as she held his hand tightly.

They didn't notice NegaDuck's helicopter heading toward them.

"Don't let go!" Hotaru yelled but Odd's grip gave away, causing them to fall toward the ground below. But the helicopter caught them just in time! NegaDuck smirked, "This is great!" He laughed and talked into the radio thinking Quackerjack was in the copter, "Bring them in, Quackerjack!" NegaDuck turned and saw Quackerjack smiling at him, "Quackerjack?"

"Quackerjack? Who's Quackerjack?" Hotaru and the others looked to the front and gasped to see HAZUKI and JEANETTE was steering the helicopter.

"Hazuki, Jeanette!" Hotaru cried.

"Hotaru! Let's get some help over here! This helicopter is too complicated for me to control! And these things are CRAZY!" Hazuki laughed as she threw the radio away since NegaDuck talked to her and started to fly off.

"The Wind and Renee Roberts! They're gone!" NegaDuck cried out in disbelief, "And I'm ruined!!!" NegaDuck then cried like a baby.

Hazuki and Jeanette smiled as they started to fly the helicopter back toward their home which was still infested with pouring rain…