It didn't take long for them to notice.
Biggie asked, "Is there something wrong?"
Branch answered, "Uh, no. Poppy, Barb, Trollex, and I are just going down the elevator now."
They then made it sound like they were doing that and tiptoed to the back of the bunker.
Poppy asked, "What did you do?"
Branch answered, "I didn't do anything, but Mr. Dinkles might've initiated a full system lockdown."
Trollex frantically asked, "We're locked out?!"
Branch said, "Look, I can still get him."
Barb asked, "Oh, really? How?"
Branch turned towards the shaft.
Poppy gasped, "The Evisceration Shaft?"
Branch removed the vent.
Trollex said, "Well, it doesn't look so bad."
Branch threw in a rock that was immediately sliced to pieces by many booby traps.
Poppy said, "Ok, it looks bad."
However, Branch said, "The only way through is a series of precise movements, but my secret is..."
He checked to make sure no one else was listening.
"...I timed them to a song from my childhood."
Poppy asked, "Really? Which song?"
Branch went, "Uh..."
Barb asked, "Dude...which song?"
He started.
He was able to get through half the traps as he sang flatly,
"This is my big boy dance
Little Branch wears the big boy pants
He pulls them up, up, up
He pulls them down, down, down
Oopsie-daisy goes the baby
As you tiptoe through the grass
Whoops, my pookie, whoops, my darling
You're all grows up."
Poppy, Barb, and Trollex looked at him weirdly.
Branch just said, "Look. I spent 10 years alone down here. Things got weird, ok?"
Poppy said, "No one said anything."
Mr. Dinkles was still hanging with the remote, which led to another button being pushed.
"Self-destruct sequence initiated."
Trollex shouted, "You have a self-destruct function in your own house?!"
Branch shouted back, "Of course! If I go down, I'm taking them with me."
Barb shouted, "Who the heck is 'them'?!"
Meanwhile, the countdown had gone down to 25 seconds.
Branch knew he would have to hot-foot it.
Poppy asked, "Are you sure you wanna do that?"
Branch answered, "I have to do it. I'm his babysitter."
Luckily, Branch was able to get through every last trap.
He was even able to get to the remote and cancel the self-destruct sequence.
Back outside, Biggie said, "Poppy, Branch, Barb, Trollex, I heard sirens. Is everything ok?"
Branch answered, "Uh, yep. False alarm."
He then handed Mr. Dinkles to Biggie, who said, "There you are. I knew I could trust Branch to look after you 'cause he's one of the most honest, reliable Trolls I know. Actually, the most honest, reliable Troll I know."
Branch felt guilty and knew he had to tell the truth, "Look, Biggie, I know you trusted me, but I got to be honest. I lost Mr. Dinkles and spent the whole day looking for him and lied about it."
Biggie was slightly surprised, "You lost Mr. Dinkles?"
Branch made a shameful look.
Poppy said, "Branch, he can't see your shame."
Branch then said, "Oh, right. I mean yes. I'm sorry."
However, Biggie said, "Oh, that's all right, Branch. I lose him all the time."
The others were surprised, "You do?"
Biggie replied, "Oh, yeah. He's a slippery one. But, now you know to look out for that when you watch him the next couple of days while I'm still healing."
However, Branch said, "Biggie, it would be my honor. But...I know someone who would love to babysit Mr. Dinkles."
Poppy got excited.
Biggie said, "You're right, Branch, and I know she would do a great job."
Poppy got ready to take him.
But...Biggie said, "Smidge?"
Smidge took him, "Ha ha! Mr. Dinkles! Ha!"
She then ran into a rock, "No regrets!"
"Meep."
