Adventure Time: The Quest for Freedom

Chapter 12

Fionna and Cake split up to cover more ground. Cake searched outside the castle and Fionna searched inside.

As Fionna passed through a deep corridor she heard a distant voice.

"Help me somebody!"

"Marshall?" Fionna said hopeful. "Don't worry I'm coming!"

Fionna followed the voice until she came across a room with a large tank that was filled with water. Someone was trapped inside.

Upon closer inspection, Fionna saw it wasn't Marshall Lee, but in fact Phoebus, the bounty hunter that brought her back to Gumball.

"Help me somebody!" Phoebus yelled. "Let me out of here!"

"Why should I help you?" Fionna asked angrily. "You tried to hurt my friend."

"I know you don't like me," Phoebus said, "But I'm not the bad guy here."

"I don't know," Fionna said as the tank filled with water.

"Please," he said. "If the water touches my gem long term, I go out."

"Fine," Fionna said releasing him.

"Thank you," Phoebus said hugging her.

"You're welcome, not get out of here," she said. Fionna watched him go and wondered who would do this to him.

She was about to leave to look for Marshall, but instead she saw the last person she expected, an angry Prince Gumball.
***
Prince Gumball," Fionna could only say startled.

"Fionna," he asked. "Why aren't you at the ball?"

"I got l-lost and I f-found this room and-"

"I see you stumbled onto my little secret," Prince Gumball said with an evil grin.

"You trapped Phoebus in that tank!" Fionna yelled surprised. "Why did you do this? He could've died!"

"That's the point!" Gumball exclaimed. "Phoebus tries to take my girl, so I tried to take his life."

"He liked me?" Fionna asked surprised.

"Precisely," Gumball said angrily. "But no one's taking you away from me again. Not Phoebus and certainly not Marshall Lee."

"H-how do you know about Marshall Lee?" Fionna said nervously.

"Let's say we have history and leave it at that," Gumball said looking down.

"Gumball, I'm telling you this now because I didn't want to upset your party guests," Fionna started. "I don't want to-"

"Fionna I know," Gumball said nonchalantly.

"You know," Fionna said confused.

"Yes I heard," Gumball said calmly, "I HEARD YOU TELLING THAT FELINE HOW YOU WANT TO BE WITH THAT INGRATE VAMPIRE MARSHALL LEE!"

"You were spying on me!" Fionna said infuriated.

"I'm PG," he said, "I spy on everyone. What's the big deal?"

"It is a big deal," Fionna said. "You're too clingy and overprotective. That's why I ran away from the Candy Kingdom. You put a tracking device in my ear. You sent a bounty hunter after me. You never let me leave your kingdom!"

"I did all that to watch over you," Gumball argued. "To keep you safe. It's a ruler's job to keep his people safe!"

"Yeah but there's a difference between protecting someone and keeping them from truly living!" Fionna shouted.
"Marshall was right about you! You put on this act that you're the perfect prince, but really a horrible person who does whatever it takes to get what he wants. How could you deprive me of so much life?"

"Because I love you," Gumball said exasperated. "I know you love me too deep down."

"I did love you once, but not anymore after seeing you attempt murder," Fionna said, "I want to be with Marshall Lee. I want to have a real life, but not here as a privileged prisoner. As soon as I get out of here, I'm never coming back!"

Fionna was about to walk out the room when Gumball with surprising strength pulled her down.

"Fionna, I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice," Gumball said with a blank face.

"Do what?" Fionna asked confused.

"This," Gumball said hitting her with a pink-striped dart.

Fionna pulled out the dart and her head hurt. She looked at Gumball and his face morphed into a monster.

Suddenly Fionna felt afraid. Very afraid.

She tried to run from the room, but her hands and knees started shaking. She started sweating and her breathing was hard until she passed out in front of Gumball.

"You were always meant to be with me forever Fionna," Gumball said walking towards her unconscious bod. "And no one is going to take you from me ever again."