Darzeth Unleashed: the Beast Within

chapter seven: same as ever

the scene was tense as Darzeth the werebeast, Lucy, and chip stealthily made their way into Dr. Eggman' s hideout in mazuri under the cover of the night. the air was thick with anticipation as they approched a dimly lit room where professor pickle was being held captive. the trio cautiously entered, their eyes quickly spotting the Professor sitting inside a small holding cell.

**Lucy:** *"Professor Pickle! Are you all right? We got here as fast as we could!"* Lucy flew up to the cell, her voice tinged with concern. Chip hovered close behind, his small face full of worry.

**Pickle:** *"Hmmm..."* The Professor seemed lost in thought, not reacting to their presence.

**Lucy:** *[knocking on the cell door]* *"Professor?"*

**Chip:** *"Uh, hello?"* Chip added, trying to get the Professor's attention.

Finally, Professor Pickle stirred, but not in the way they expected. He held up a half-eaten sandwich with a look of utter disdain.

**Pickle:** *"How dare they call this culinary concoction food? Look here, do you see this sorry excuse for a sandwich? The bread should be no less than 3/4 of an inch thick. Upon it, one tablespoon of mayonnaise and a pinch of black pepper. The contents: FRESH cucumber sliced THINLY if you please! Am I quite right, Lucy?"*

Lucy and Chip exchanged bewildered glances. Here was Professor Pickle, imprisoned by one of the most dangerous men in the world, and he was more concerned about his sandwich than his captivity.

**Chip:** *"I know I learned something here today!"* Chip quipped, his tone a mix of confusion and amusement.

**Lucy:** *"P-Professor... It's good to see you haven't changed!"* She couldn't help but chuckle, relieved to see that the ordeal hadn't dampened the Professor's spirit.

**Pickle:** *"But tell me, what brings you here? The menu is hardly worth the trip, if you ask me."*

**Lucy:** *"N-no, Professor. We came here to rescue you!"* She quickly pressed a button on the side of the cell, opening it with a soft click.

**Pickle:** *"Oh? Oh! I see, how rude of me."* The Professor stepped out of the cell, adjusting his jacket as if he had merely been inconvenienced by a slight delay, *"Right, first things first! It's about time someone taught the chef here how to make a proper sandwich."*

**Lucy:** *[blocking Pickle's path]* *"You can file a complaint later, Professor!"* She gently nudged him away from the cell, anxious to get moving.

**Darzeth the Werebeast:** *"Let's get out of here before Eggman's welcome committee shows up."* His voice was firm, his eyes scanning the room for any signs of danger.

**Pickle:** *"Oh, yes. Quite."* The Professor suddenly pointed towards a nearby vault, *"But let us be sure to collect the contents of that vault before departing."*

Darzeth nodded and with a swift motion, stretched his arm towards the vault, delivering a powerful punch that shattered the door into pieces. Lucy wasted no time, flying into the vault and retrieving a set of ancient documents—the Gaia Manuscripts. She quickly handed them to Professor Pickle.

**Pickle:** *"Ah, thank you. Those documents are our only hope for surviving this crisis. Let's go. There's no time to lose. I'm half-starved after being fed nothing but those terrible sandwiches!"*

**Chip:** *[flying up to Pickle and pulling out a chocolate bar]* *"Want some chocolate, Professor?"*

**Pickle:** *"My, my! Don't mind if I do!"* The Professor accepted the chocolate bar with a grateful smile, taking a bite as he began to walk out of the room.

Lucy and Darzeth the Werebeast exchanged looks of amusement and relief. Despite the chaos, some things never changed—Professor Pickle's eccentricity being one of them. With a final glance at the room, they followed the Professor and Chip out, ready to continue their mission to stop Dr. Eggman and save the world.