Adventure Time: The Quest for Freedom

Chapter 3

Fionna stared down at the ground as the demon boy carried her bridal style down to a cave. She couldn't help but notice two bite marks on his neck.

"We should be safe in here," the demon said watching sunrise.

"Are you one of them?" Fionna asked nervously.

"Technically yes and technically no," he said.

"What does that mean?" she asked hesitantly.

"Those vampires I killed were pure-blood vampires," he explained. "I on the other hand was turned into a vampire by the Vampire King before I staked him. So over the years, if I saw vampires trying to suck blood from humans, I would stake them because of what happened to me and what I lost."

"What did you lose?" Fionna asked.

"A lot," he muttered. "But the fact that I stake vampires is ironic considering I'm Marshall Lee the Vampire King."

"You're king of vampires?" she asked.

"I was given that title for killing the previous VK, "Marshall Lee explained. "But my mother's always trying to get me to rule over the demons in the Nightosphere."

"What's the Nightosphere?" Fionna asked.

"It's one of the most dangerous places in the land of Aaa," Marshall said. "The place I saved you from was vampire territory. It's been a while since they saw a human on their turf so we probably shouldn't go back there. But I can show you other parts of Aaa, if you're up for it."

"Let's do it," Fionna said.

***
P

rince Gumball walked into the Candy Tavern with a hood over his head.

Glob only knows what the citizens would think if they saw me here, the prince thought walking to a booth in the back. There was already someone sitting on one side, right on time.

"This is where you wanted us to meet?" the man asked. "This place doesn't seem like you're cup of tea."

"Sorry about the venue Phoebus," Gumball said removing his hood. "But we couldn't risk meeting at my castle. I didn't want my staff to know I was meeting with a bounty hunter."

"Of course," Phoebus said. "So why'd you hire me?"

"I need you to get me a girl," Gumball said smiling.

"You want me to bring you a girl?" Phoebus asked confused.

"The girl of my dreams," the prince said sighing.

"If you want a girl, shouldn't you try dating one?" Phoebus said puzzled. "Why do you need a bounty hunter for that?"

"That's not what I meant you idiot!" Gumball said snapping out of his trance.

"What did you just call me?" Phoebus said enraged. Suddenly the table caught on fire.

When Peppermint Maid recommended that he hire Phoebus to track down Fionna, she neglected to tell the prince that this particular bounty hunter was a fire elemental.

Meanwhile, the other patrons started looking over at their booth. The prince quickly doused out the blaze with his drink.

"Ow that hurt!" Phoebus shouted angrily.

"Simmer down Phoebus," the prince said jokingly. Then he offered his pack to the bounty hunter as a peace offering.

"I didn't know you smoked," Phoebus said lighting one.

"I've picked up the habit since Fionna's disappearance," the prince said glumly.

"You really have it bad for her?" Phoebus asked grinning. Gumball blushed at this.

"I've loved her since the moment I found her outside my kingdom," Gumball said dazed. Then he snapped out of it and got to business. "Fionna went missing this afternoon after she apparently went to Butterscotch Lake. But once the Banana Guards brought her to me, it wasn't her. So I reviewed the Candy Kingdom security footage. It appears that when supplies were brought in for my ball, someone kidnapped Fionna before she got there. So here's where you come in. I need you to bring Fionna back to me by the night of the ball. You'll be rewarded handsomely for your service."

"Do you want the girl back dead or alive?" Phoebus asked.

"Alive of course!" Gumball shouted, his face turning red. "If you so much as burn a hair on her pretty head, I'll see to it that...Never mind. I need her back by the night of the ball because I told all of Aaa's royalty that I have a special announcement: I'm going to propose to Fionna and she'll say yes!"

"What is she says no?"

"Why would she! I'm brilliant, handsome, and powerful. And the ladies love men with power." Gumball said confidently. Then he pulled a small object (fireproof) out of his pocket. "I've never had to use this since Fionna was always in close view, but as a precaution that she ever went missing, I had my doctors implant a small tracking device in her right ear. With this device, you can track Fionna's heat signature to wherever she is in Aaa."

"So you don't want me to kill anyone?"

"Not unless they get in your way. But I want the scoundrel who kidnapped my Fionna brought to justice!" Gumball said pounding his fist on the now charred table.

"Good," Phoebus said with an evil grin. They spent the next half hour joking around and smoking cigarettes.

Gumball would never admit this, but he enjoyed Phoebus's company. Before Fionna, the prince didn't have that many friends, with the exception of one... but that was in past.

So he committed himself to his experiments and to have the adoration of his subjects. It was nice to have someone around to just hang out with for once.

However, the prince knew all good things must come to an end, so he sent Phoebus off and the prince returned to his real life.