Unlikely Friends: Volume Two

Chapter Nine

Turtles was quietly sitting by a small campfire in a far corner of the moonlit field. He'd been alone and away from everyone for most of the day, growing increasingly anxious. There was this feeling of unease the small boy couldn't quite shake. Turtles pulled his shell backpack off his shoulders and placed it in front of him. His hands shook as he pulled out the broken nunchucks. The warm fire casted an orange glow on his face as he gazed down at the damaged weapon. He had a feeling he was going to need these soon and he wasn't sure why. 

The boy wasn't much of a fighter. His first attempt didn't go very well and he was better off staying in the safety of the herd like BranChan told him to. But still that feeling didnt let up. He zipped up the shell backpack and pulled it over his shoulders before turning to face the center of the field. Bran should have been home by now but there was still no sight of the scavengers. Turtles sighed, holding the nunchucks in his small fist, and began walking towards the strange creature.

Outside the herd in a nearby neighborhood, BranChan and Mike Tyson hid in the shadows of thick oak trees. The rest of their group had been lost. Some too slow to keep up when the rabid dogs took chase while others too weak to hold their own against attacking mutants. "We can't fight all of them," BranChan fretfully whispered from their hiding place. Mike Tyson nodded, guilty that they had brought more innocent people to their deaths.

Most of those who had survived the bombs and toxic smoke had been grotesquely transformed.  Their features were twisted in pain. One man, whose neck had been snapped, was helping the mob in search of the hidden duo. His lifeless head hung loosely against his chest, held on by an obscenely stretched flap of skin.

Growing from his neck was his spine, exposed, climbing up towards the night sky. And atop his spine sat a new head, hardly resembling the former, held high and sniffing the air. The mutant sneezed, having inhaled a cloud of glitter. He whipped his head towards the trail of scattered sparkles leading directly to BranChan and Mike Tyson. The mutant opened his mouth and growled, calling for his fellow disfigured friends to follow. His eyes glowed a sick yellow in the dark with no discernible pupils as he stared down the terrified pair, charging straight at them. "Do we kill them?" BranChan frantically asked as they ran, helplessly aware of the wind blowing more glitter off his vibrant skin.

"They're people," Mike Tyson protested but the oaf wasn't so sure. Besides, how else were they to stop them? There were too many, some even possessing abnormal amounts of strength.  The retreating men were outnumbered, there were no other options. Meanwhile at camp, Turtles hesitated. The strange creature seemed to already be busy, engaging in a heated conversation with Lua. Lamby turned to greet the boy, welcoming him. "What's going on?" Turtles quietly asked, looking from Lamby to Lua.

The question caused Lua to spin towards the curious boy and tightly embrace him. "Oh, Turtles!" the dainty boy wailed dramatically, "Mike Tyson cheated on me with Potato." Turtles looked towards the strange creature with his brows raised in confusion. Didn't the peace treaty state that Lua would share Mike Tyson?

"Uhhh...I'm sorry?" Turtles awkwardly replied, gently patting the weeping boy on the back. Lua sniffled against Turtles' shoulder, wiping his snotty nose on his shirt. "We were supposed to go on a date tonight," Lua hiccuped between sobs, "but he's late! He's probably fucking BranChan in some abandoned house right now." Turtles pulled away from Lua, remembering why he was here. "Can you fix these?" Turtles asked, stepping towards Lamby and holding up the broken nunchucks. Lua wiped his eyes and chimed in, "and can you make my suitcase do something other than vomit my cheating boyfriend?" The magical sheep silently observed the two boys for a moment before speaking.

"I will grant you both your wishes if you can complete a quest for me."