CHAPTER 058: Midnight rendezvous, pt. 3

For the three new musicians, this place appeared surprisingly normal. Perhaps it was because they weren't looking for anything, but the corridors did not turn weird.

"So, what kind of music should we make? I'm told the teenagers are alternative rock, should we try something similar as their opening act?"

Octo-vine, however, soon found his band mates had different priorities.

"I think we should come up with our band name first, don't you think?"

Truckzilla, the last to speak, seemed off in his own world of song creation.

"Maybe we can make a song called 'Fart Parade,' and we'll use a fart machine in place of drums for it! Ha! I am a genius at song writing, you all can praise me now!"

Octo-vine suddenly stopped in his tracks, asking the group,

"Did you hear that noise?"

"Oh, sorry. I think I need to swap a brake caliber."

"No, not you Truckzilla. This sounds more like a bunch of feet stomping the ground at once."

"Could it be those things," Mexican Candy said while pointing behind them.

There, they could see a chinchilla riding atop the back of a cat monster. The two creatures appeared to be fleeing from a horde of fruit.

"RUN!" SQUEAK!

Listening to them, the three musicians followed in fleeing.

"That's it," Mexican Candy exclaimed.

"Don't stop and fight, there are too many," Octo-vine replied.

"No! I'm talking about the band name; we can be 'the Fruit Chasers!'"

"Great, now I'm hankering a whiskey soda..."

"See, Truckzilla gets it! Its a name that just begs you to order more drinks."

Perhaps unaware of his perceived position as leader, Octo-vine responded casually.

"Sure, I have no issue if everyone else is cool with the name. I think we should focus on escaping, though!"

"Oh, right..."

"There!"

Mister Whiskers exclamation focused everyone's attention. They cut off into a side corridor, then hid in an observation room. Everyone held their breath, waiting to see if the mad fruit ghosts had followed their trail. When the tense silence lasted a minute without interruption, the two groups finally relaxed.

"Whew! I was about to leak motor oil, there."

"Shush! Waxy hears something else approaching!"

They all took ambush spots in the room. Gradually, the sound became audible to everyone else; it was the sound of a person's footsteps mixed with heavy breathing. The door swung open, and Mistress Stunlock appeared.

"Why are you all hiding like that? Is there a surprise party?"

"What? Don't tell me you two didn't see all those fruits!?!"

"Oh, those things. Were they supposed to be scary?"

This response garnered giggles from La Tejóna. But, seeing Stunlock's glare, she quickly silenced herself.

"Wait! Waxy hears something else!"

The two sidekicks joined in the ambush, waiting to see who came next.

"Looks like I got you beat in the clue finding department."

"Ha! Just wait till my side bet comes through, babe."

It was Dusty and Sandra, both having hands full with stacks of old documents. The ambush group, midway through jumping out, stopped halfway.

"Oh, that looks like fun! Are you guys playing a prank on someone?"

"What? Did you not see those fruit ghosts everywhere?"

"Those things? My bus can flatten those ghosts, easy! What's there for my fiancé and I to fear, huh?"

"Waxy hears something again! Quick, hide!"

Despite his earlier bragging, Dusty hid just like the rest of them.

"Here button, button, button..."

With the sound revealed to be Cosmo and the John, many prepared to leave hiding.

"Wait," Mistress Stunlock suddenly called out.

"See what they have to say, first."

"Is there a need to spy on our own teammates," Sandra asked.

"Yes, definitely," she responded in as flat a tone as always.

Cosmo stopped in front of the observation room door, before abruptly turning into the patient's room directly adjacent it.

"Oh, here's a button! Let's see what you do."

He pushes the button, and elevator music begins piping through the speakers.

"Aw, boo. This game is hard."

"Yeah, I am surprised you haven't touched a dangerous button yet," the John commented while following behind him.

"Indeed, I have the worst luck... Speaking of, are you sure you have nothing else you wanted to tell me?"

"Wha, what do you mean?"

SLAM!

Cosmo sandwiched the John between himself and a wall, the reverberation from his kabedon sending chills down to the spines of those spying. For the veteran hero, though, it just made him blush more.

"I think I've waited long enough, Dmitri. Ask me your question!"

"Fine! Do you like me!?!"

"Yes!"

MUAH!

His kiss sucked the air out of the John's lungs, and sent his head spinning. His eyes dilated, lost in a haze of romance.

"That's it! That's the name of our first song! 'Old Man Love!'"

"I could dance to that. What do you think, Vine?"

Meanwhile, La Tejóna sensed something terribly wrong with her idol.

"Are you okay?"

"... Going home," Mistress Stunlock declared with tears rolling down her cheek. She ran out of the observation room, paying no heed to passing ghosts.

"Lynn!?! What are you doing here," the John asked, face full of embarrassment. Her response was to run even faster.

"Wait! Don't go," he said while trying to shove past Cosmo. In the process, his hand accidentally pushed a small green button on the wall.

"Self destruct sequence, activated..."

"Damn it!"

"HA HA! I won! You didn't think I could do it, but I showed you wrong Drummer!"