T.U.F.F. Mission X: Saga 2 - Chapter 12

T.U.F.F. Mission X: The T.O.O.R. Saga – Chapter 12

Snaptrap gets desperate… Again!


“So, Snaptrap…” said Bird Brain as he placed his hands in his pockets. “What did you think?”

“That was terrible!” replied Snaptrap in a cranky way. “You couldn’t tell a story if your life depended on it!”

“Hmph. You just wish you had ‘mad skills’ like me when it comes to narratives.”

“Well, for one, you didn’t have to be such a suck up to all of the people you mentioned.”

“Yeah,” stated Larry. “And why were you describing everyone in past tense? Does Malmsteen not have long, black hair anymore?”

“I was speaking in past tense to make the story sound more interesting,” replied Bird Brain with a stern expression.

“What a load!” complained Snaptrap.

“Like I care what you think!” Bird Brain quickly calmed himself down and fixed his collar. “Anyways, I gave you the information you wanted.”

“Oh man…” Snaptrap then felt very worried. “If only I was at this meeting and not spending time with JoJo… I could have convinced Wreckage to leave Petropolis alone, like I usually do...”

Bird Brain tilted his head. “JoJo? Who's that?”

“Snaptrap’s new girlfriend,” answered Larry with a smile.

This made Snaptrap quickly turn to Larry. “No-she-isn’t! She's just a nice friend!”

“Well, well, Snaptrap…” said Bird Brain with a sly smile, rubbing his chin. “I didn’t think you would care for someone ‘nice;’ let alone be it someone who can tolerate you.”

Snaptrap groaned. “What is wrong with having a friend who’s a girl?! Agent Puppy always spends time with agent Katswell, and their not together.”

“Really?” He scratched his head. “Huh. I always thought they were…”

“You don’t know white CRAP, Bird Brain!” He turned away, feeling anxious. “Now that Wreckage is heading for Petropolis… he’ll destroy it all before I can get the chance to rule it. How unfair…!”

“I feel similar about this situation, but it’s not like you could do anything to stop a warrior like him, now that he’s set his sights on a target…”

“…Maybe not alone, but with the other villains backing me up…!” Snaptrap then felt much more optimistic and formed a confident smile. “If I can get the others from the meeting to help me take him down, Petropolis can once again be ripe for the picking! Man, that sounds weird. Why would anyone what to pick a ripe city? They taste pretty bad, y’know.”

“No, I don’t, actually…” he replied dryly.

“That settles it then! I’ll go ask the others! Wait… They’re still here, right?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, good. I’ll go ask them!”

“Oh, this I’ve got to see…”

***

A few minutes later, Snaptrap was explaining to Cassidy in a corridor that he needed her help, while Bird Brain and Larry were standing next to him.

“Yeah right, Snaptrap…” said Cassidy smugly.

“W-Wh… Buh…?!” stated Snaptrap in surprise. “Why not? If Wreckage destroys Petropolis, then no one will be able to rule it!”

“I don’t even live there, so I could care less. It would certainly give Kitty a run for her money, so I’m glad he’s is going there to mess things up. Serves her right for being so tight with the law!”

Snaptrap quickly felt disappointed. “Yeah, but still! Didn’t you like to stop by there sometimes to steal some expensive things?”

Cassidy placed her index finger on her lower lip and looked up. “Sometimes… but when my armored friend has a goal in mind… nothing can stop him. Besides… it wouldn’t be right to interfere with his business. After all, he helped me out a few times when things got pretty rough…”

“Augh! Isn’t there…anything you can do to help?”

“Um… Nope!” said Cassidy with a smile. She then walked away, which made Snaptrap feel grumpy.

“She has a nice voice,” stated Larry.

“Shut up, Larry!” snapped Snaptrap as he bonked him on the head.

“Ow!”

***

Snaptrap and the others made their way to a punch table, where they met up with the Water Wolf. Once again, Snaptrap explained his predicament.

“Yeah… That ain’t gonna happen,” said the Water Wolf as he folded his arms.

“Oh, come on!” complained Snaptrap. “Why not?”

“There’s no way I’m dealing with Wreckage. His energy blasts can vaporize my water, y’know. I don’t like to back down from a fight, but when it comes to someone like him… that’s just too risky.”

“What if I…offer you a bunch of money (which I don’t actually have on me!)?”

The Water Wolf made a small grin. “Tempting, but I’ll pass. I have my own problems to deal with, and allying with you of all people would just get me into trouble. Perhaps if I was teamed up with someone else, but not you.”

“Ugh…!”

***

Snaptrap was beginning to feel desperate… Again! He had no choice but to ask General Guar for help. Once he found him by some other criminals, he mentioned Wreckage’s name, which made all of the other criminals around them run in fear. Even the common scum knew that Wreckage and his T.O.O.R. army meant business.

“Please can you help me, General Guar?” asked Snaptrap.

“Now why would I do that?” growled Guar. “You do realize that I hate you, right? You turned D.O.O.M. into a joke, and you should be fortunate that I even left you breathing when I moved on from Petropolis…for now.”

“Uh… I just thought that you could…show who’s more powerful! You or Wreckage!”

Guar sighed. “I’ll have you know that I actually respect Wreckage’s commitment to terminating his targets and destroying everything in his path, and it takes a lot for someone to gain my respect. Until he decides to mess with me and my forces, I have no reason to challenge him; especially if it means helping you or the rest of D.O.O.M.. Now get lost, vermin!”

“I…I personally think I made D.O.O.M. great since you left!” said Snaptrap with a bit of irritation in his voice. He was starting to get fed up with everyone’s lack of willingness to help. He didn’t even care that he was in the presence of his former boss at this point. “If you don’t want to help me, fine! I’ll go get someone who can actually be useful!” As he tried to walk away, Guar roughly grabbed Snaptrap by the shoulder and turned him around. It was then that Snaptrap felt nervous again!

Guar didn’t look angry or annoyed as he stared at Snaptrap. “…I’ve never seen spark like that in you before,” he said quietly. He then narrowed his eyes. “This is because of how Wreckage has treated you, isn’t it?” Snaptrap looked down at the ground. “This is because of how much you’ve feared him, and now he’s finally making his move on a city you want to rule…”

“I just…can’t let him win anymore.” He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. “You don’t know what it’s like, because you’re a big, tough guy. Villains like me… we get walked all over by jerks such as Wreckage. He needs to pay! Pay for trying to ruin my city! If there’s anything I want D.O.O.M. to accomplish, it’s at least taking over Petropolis!”

Guar let go of him and rested his arms behind his own back. “I’ll admit, Snaptrap… this situation has surprisingly become quite interesting to me. I’ve never seen you so determined before… I look forward to seeing how this turns out. You may even gain the respect I’ve never had for you. It’s a stretch, but just maybe…” Snaptrap didn’t know what made Guar suddenly treat him a bit better, but he was glad that he didn’t get himself killed through his own stupidity and temper tantrum.

***

Finally, Snaptrap and his observers made their way to the throne room, where Malmsteen herself was sitting in the throne of her castle. Snaptrap pretty much begged for her help…

“Please! Please please please PLEASE help me out!” pleaded Snaptrap, who folded his hands together. “If Wreckage destroys Petropolis, everything I lived for will be for nothing!”

Malmsteen had her legs crossed and her hand on her chin. “So you’re telling me…” she said quietly, “that you want my help to stop Wreckage…?”

Snaptrap smiled. “Yes! That’s exactly what I want! I’ll do anything for you if you help me out! I know with our strength combined… we can take him!”

Malmsteen remained quite for a moment, which made Snaptrap lose his smile. It was then that she burst out laughing! “HAAA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAAA!!!” She was laughing so hard, that she almost fell from her throne. “Ha ha ha…!” She sat up straight and grinned at him with very sharp teeth. “Why on earth would I want to help you against him?”

“What is this? National pick on Snaptrap day?” he growled.

“You foolish rat… I want Wreckage to attack Petropolis.”

Snaptrap, Bird Brain, and Larry all got surprised from hearing this! “WHAT?!?” they exclaimed at the same time.

“Don’t you see? I’ve had my eye on this Dudley Puppy for quite some time…” She placed her hand on her chest and relaxed back in her seat. “Something about him intrigues me…”

“Really?” asked Bird Brain in disbelief. “That buffoon?”

“Yes. Because I find him so interesting… it made me curious; curious to know just how tough he is. He and the rest of T.U.F.F. have been able to take on everything thrown at them, so if they actually manage to defeat Wreckage of all people, well… that will certainly make my heart tick a few beats faster.”

Snaptrap felt alarmed. “You…persuaded Wreckage to attack Petropolis; just because you were curious about something?!”

Malmsteen then looked at him with a serious expression and placed her hand over her ear. “Tone, Snaptrap.”

“Oh… Sorry, my dark and evil lady,” he replied with a frown.

She groaned. “That was more so because your voice sounds like nails on a chalk board, and I have sensitive ears when it comes to obnoxious noises...” She got up from her seat and walked towards him. He felt a little flustered when she stood right before him with a smile. “I understand your plight; I really do! But I have no intention on stopping Wreckage. I really want to see if either he or Dudley are as tough as their reputations suggest they are.”

“I guess I really am on my own here…” muttered Snaptrap.

Malmsteen grinned. “Well… I suppose you could try to work with T.U.F.F. again, if you really think you’ll make a difference.” She turned back around and began to walk away. “Try to chin up! It's not like you have anyone you care about there... Now, if the three of you don’t mind, I need to get back to some important business.” She made a gesture with her hand towards her throne, which magically made the throne covered by a dark red force field. She often did this when she left the throne room, just in case anyone tried to sit in her throne while she was gone. She left the room, leaving Snaptrap feeling conflicted.

“Jeez!” he said with a confused expression. “I can’t get any help around here! Everyone has some dumb excuse!”

Bird Brain rolled his eyes. “Very well,” he muttered. “I don’t like the idea of Wreckage destroying my home either, so I’ll help you out.”

Snaptrap turned to him in disbelief. “Seriously?”

“Yes, I’m serious. I figured if there was a time to be brave, it might as well be now. I don’t have any plans outside of Petropolis, so I’m giving this a shot.”

“And I’ll help too!” shouted Larry with a smile.

“Will you butt out?” groaned Snaptrap. He looked back at Bird Brain with a smile. “I can’t believe you’re actually helping out! This is gonna be wicked! And Malmsteen’s right. I need to get T.U.F.F.’s help as well.”

Larry folded his arms. “Oh, we have to get their help again?”

“Let’s not go through this again!”

Larry grinned. “Ha ha! I was just joking. I actually like them a lot more after they stood up for me against Purpose!”

He glared at the shrew. “You’re starting to tick me off today, Larry.” He frowned. "She uh... She also said something about... Ah, what was it again? I sometimes blank out when other villains talk for too long."

It was then that they noticed the Chameleon from a distance, waving at them eagerly with a grin. “Yoo-hoo! Did you guys say you needed help?”

“Not from you!” yelled Bird Brain.

“Aw…” said a disappointed Chameleon.

“We could use a distraction for those T.O.O.R. jerks…” said Snaptrap quietly. “Hey, Chameleon!” he yelled. “Would you like to help us out against Wreckage?”

The Chameleon quickly got frightened. “W-W-W-Wreckage…?!” He immediately began to scurry off. “S-Sorry! I’ve got an…an appointment! C-Can’t be l-late!” He was then gone from the room.

"Wow," said Bird Brain, who was not amused. "He usually jumps at the chance when it comes to helping us."

“It's just because he's a little wuss!” snapped Snaptrap as he began to walk towards the exit. “Okay, I'm outta here! This is place is full of nothing but cowards and lazy people! Let’s blow this ice-cream joint!”

“I believe it’s ‘Popsicle stand,’” stated Bird Brain dryly.

“Yeah, well I’m in the mood for some ice-cream, so we’re sticking with that!”

“Why did I agree to this…? Oh yeah. Because I hate my life…!”

***

On the road while in the T.U.F.F. Trailer, Dudley and the others were getting closer to Petropolis. At this point, Snaptrap and his “friends” would be close by as well. Dudley and Kitty remained quiet for much of the trip, since they were in the presence of a stranger. Keswick and the Chief kept on talking about their usual stuff, however.

“So,” said Prospect as he looked at Dudley. “How did you become a T.U.F.F. agent anyway, Dudley?”

Dudley rolled his eyes. “Oh, of course…!” he barked. “Everyone always asks me this because it looks like I don’t belong with T.U.F.F.. I guess you shouldn’t be any different.”

Prospect frowned under his helmet. “Oh, I didn’t mean that at all. I was just curious as to how you joined… Did you always aim to work there?”

Dudley shrugged. “Eh, it was mostly by accident. I interfered with Kitty’s mission when I was chasing a chew toy. The Chief noticed that I defeated all of D.O.O.M. when I was just trying to get my toy from them, so he made me Kitty's partner. That…sounds kind of funny now that I think about it!”

“Interesting!” he said in a cheerful tone. "You've got to watch out for those chew toys, but in your case, it turned out to be a good thing." He then looked at Kitty. “What did you think of him becoming your partner, Kitty?”

Kitty was originally looking out the window, but she turned around when he spoke to her. “Oh. Uh…. We actually didn’t really see eye to eye when we first met, but it certainly didn’t take long for us to become great partners. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

“Well, I suppose with many great things, not everything works out right away. But like you said; you two really do make a good team now, that’s for sure.”

Kitty formed a grumpy expression. “Who is this guy?” she thought to herself. “Why is asking this stuff and acting so casual? Most people call me agent Katswell, and that’s the same for Dudley when he’s called agent Puppy, but this man is calling us by our real names.” She then decided to speak up. “Let me ask you something, Prospect: Why does it seem like you know a lot about us?”

Prospect laughed quietly. “What makes you say that? I was just asking about how Dudley joined T.U.F.F., after all.”

“Yeah, but by the way you’re talking to us, it’s like you know us. Have you been…spying?”

“Well…” He twiddled his fingers and looked away. “Maybe a little.”

“A little?” questioned Dudley. “How much did you see?”

“Just bits and pieces. Enough to see how effective you two are when you’re united.”

Dudley let out a breath of air. “That’s a relief! I guess you didn’t see me when I had a cone on my head.”

“No, no, I saw that too, but I’m glad you were willing to tell me about it. Nasty cones, indeed...”

“…Darn it!” he growled. He wished he would think more before he spoke.

Kitty folded her arms and glared at Prospect. “Okay, who the heck are you? Spill it.”

“I’m just a man who wants to help stop those who would harm others,” he replied calmly.

“If you really wanted to help us, you would have done so whenever you were spying on us.”

“I actually had drones watching you two, just in case anything went really wrong.”

“…Why do you care so much about us and what we do?”

Prospect looked down at the ground. “I care quite a bit for anyone who wants to protect others. I truly respect such commitment…” He looked back up at her. “Your father was an incredible agent.”

Kitty felt very surprised. “You…knew my father?”

“A little. We once helped each other out during a bad predicament, but we managed to come out on top. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t even be sitting here… with cuffs on my arms, no less.”

She felt a bit saddened from hearing this. “My mother never told me about this.”

Prospect shrugged. “It’s possible your father didn’t tell her. He had a pretty secluded life, being a secret agent and all. I’m very sorry for your loss. I didn’t know him too much, but from what I’ve seen of him, I'm sure he would have been proud of you. You've earned your title as the best T.U.F.F. agent, that's for sure.”

Dudley noticed how glum Kitty looked. Not once did he ever ask about her father, as this was the first time he heard about him. He felt bad that she was willing to listen to him about his own father, but he never bothered to ask about her father’s fate. He realized through her expression that there were still a few things the both of them haven’t shared with each other.

Kitty tried not to get too emotional. “That's...good to know. I may not know who you are… but something tells me you’re telling the truth. Thank you…”

“You’re most welcome.” He then decided to lighten up the mood. “I have to say; you two have quite the chemistry together!”

Dudley grinned. “Well, I do try my best…”

“That you do, Dudley. I'll have you know, you’ve been doing very well as a T.U.F.F. agent.” Dudley was quite happy to hear this. “I’ve never seen such a committed team when it comes to stopping crime.”

Kitty smiled, feeling more comfortable in Prospect’s presence. After what he said about her long lost father, she gained more trust in him. She didn’t feel that that was something he could make up. “Well, I guess you could say we’re purr-fect partners,” she said as she playfully rubbed her hand on the top of Dudley’s head.

“So laaaame, Kitty…!” complained Dudley.

“Yeah, I know, I know. Sorry…”

“How nice…” said Prospect with a smile. They both looked at him, in which he awkwardly turned away. “What? Something wrong with liking how people interact?”

“Only when it’s for embarrassing stuff like this!” growled Dudley as he moved Kitty’s hand out of his hair.

“That was not embarrassing,” stated Kitty.

“Was too!”

“Was not...!”

Prospect looked back at them. “The way she rubbed his head like that…” he thought to himself. “It reminded me of how Samuel and Danny used to act...” He quickly formed a frown and began to look out the window. “I can see Petropolis from here," he said in a low tone. "We need to get prepared for Wreckage’s attack.”

“Is there anything you can tell us about him?” asked Kitty. “Do you know who he is?”

He turned back towards them with a serious expression. “Oh yes… I know him quite well.

“This could really help us out!” said Dudley. “If he’s trying to hide his identity, then we might be able to get the drop on him. I mean, he might be someone we actually know, just like Purpose! Unless his name actually is Wreckage, which would be really weird…”

“He’s nothing of the sort…” Dudley and Kitty both became silent as they looked at Prospect. They noticed that his mood had changed. “Wreckage doesn’t hide in the shadows like some other criminals do. He always shows himself in the open, as he likes to get things done personally.” He paused for a moment. “Knowing his identity won’t help you, as he’s someone you’ve never heard of before. He lived in a far off land, on the other side of the world from here… His real name is Samuel Thorndyke.”