Chapter 10
“Please! I swear I don’t know where they’re filming!” the large, newly limbless, bear creature yelled as I held it by the scruff of its fur, standing atop its chest.
“That’s what they all said,” I reply, gesturing over my shoulder at the many crying and screaming creatures, all wounded in various ways. “Come on, you’re telling me not a single one of you knows where the filming is taking place? You work here, right?”
“As a guard!” He yelled back, looking both shocked and in a panic. “They don’t tell everyone everything! I just watch the break room!”
“Likely story,” I say as I raise my hoof talons, causing him to squeal in terror.
“Scamp, can I speak to you?” Lance asked from behind me.
I sigh, then narrow my eyes at the once bipedal bear. “I’ll be back for you. Don’t go anywhere.”
With a kick, I flipped backward and landed next to Lance. “Yes?”
He looked around at the carnage, looking green, “When I said dont’ kill anyone, just hurt them. I meant like, knock them out.”
“Oh, Lance,” I say with a chuckle as I reach out and pat his shoulder. “Do you know how hard it is to knock someone out? And keep them knocked out? This is much more effective, removing legs so they can’t run for help, and hands so they can’t use a device to call for help. Plus,” I look at my Ego as it trails to each of the creatures around us. “It’s actually very hard to keep all their Ego turned off, so this is the best course of action.”
“It probably isn’t,” he challenged, but didn’t offer up a better solution. “Just, try and cool it a bit.”
Over his shoulder, I see a tall and skinny cat man run in, a weapon in his hands. “Yeah, I gotcha.”
Without a word, I appeared before the cat man, my blades flashing quickly. He yowled in pain as he collapsed to the ground.
“What did I just say?!” Lance asked in annoyance.
Looking over my shoulder, smiling innocently, “He had a bead on you, I saved you, so you’re very welcome.”
Ayla appeared on top of the large bear creature, looking over the area with a pleased look.
Returning my attention to the yelling cat man, I leaned down, lifting him up by his shirt collar, “Alrighty cat boy, riddle me this; where are they filming right now?”
He didn’t answer me, just kept hissing and yelling in pain.
Holding up a hoof, my talons popping out, got his attention as he looked at me, still squirming.
“I don’t know!” He insisted through clenched teeth.
Shrugging, I raise my hoof.
“Wait!” He screams out, causing me to stop raising my hoof. “They could be in building K!”
Looking around, I saw we were near buildings S and T. “Perfect, you’ve done good today, feline.”
With a grunt, I dropped him and turned to Lance. “Hear that?”
He just frowned as he nodded, “Yes, building K. It’s probably somewhere behind us.”
“Then let’s get a move on,” I say as we take to the sky and start flying past buildings.
As we flew, Lance looked at me, “You seem to be enjoying this more than you should.”
I can only shrug in response, “It’s different when you’re fighting monsters. Which they are, since they use slaves.”
Lance seemed to consider this, “I guess it’s like fighting Nazis. Can’t feel bad for the bad guy if they’re just pure evil.”
“I don’t know what a Nazi is, but exactly,” I say as I flip in the air, watching the buildings fly by.
It didn’t take long for us to reach the building labeled K.
Landing at the front door, I rub my hooves together. “You ready to see your friend, Lance?”
He didn’t look ready, but he nodded, “Oh sure, can’t wait. Just don’t maim anyone else like that please.”
“I can try,” I reply as I step through the doors.
Upon entering, a small lobby greeted us, a large red sign was lit up that said ‘FILMING’. Perfect.
We walked for the only door in the room that looked to lead anywhere and walked down a hallway. The walls were covered in posters for movies, not many catching my attention. But one made Lance stop.
“Uh,” he muttered as he looked at a poster that showed a pony holding onto a large bosomed lizard woman. The title ‘Forbidden Love: Star Crossed Lovers’ sat at the top of it. “They’re making him act in sappy romance movies. We have to save him.”
The poster next to it showed Zorrow swinging from some kind of flying contraptions, a large machine gun slung over his chest, firing away into a crowd of undead creatures, titled ‘Zorrow: Undead but not Dead’.
“And action movies,” I added after seeing the poster.
“Yeah, B rated movies, they’re torturing him!” Lance lamented, looking to feel intense pain for his friend.
With renewed purpose, Lance began to gallop down the hall, heading for the end of the hallway. I followed, looking at all the posters we passed featuring Zorrow.
Say what you will, but these Jakuz are pumping out movies faster than I’ve ever seen. It’s actually quite impressive.
Lance burst through the door and came to a grinding halt, followed by me as I slammed into him, knocking us both over.
“What are you two doing?!” a large hippo looking female asked as she rushed over to us. “Is that blood?!”
I slowly stood, eying her up and down. I could easily take her.
“We’re extra’s?” Lance offered lamely.
The hippo lady’s lips fell into a straight line, looking us over. “We don’t need the wounded background actors yet, so go ahead and head over to the buffet. We’ll call you when it’s time.”
Lance dragged me along as I stared up at her, still wanting to take her down. “Thank you!”
He drug us over to a large table covered in food. He looked around nervously as everyone around us seemed to just ignore us. I also saw many other creatures covered in fake blood and injuries. Those must be the real extras.
“Don’t do anything rash, we can find him this way easier,” Lance commented, looking around still.
“Yeah, till someone finds the mutilated people outside,” I reply as I look the table over and begin to pick up random food items, shoving them into my mouth. “Oh shit, this is good!”
“We don’t have time for that,” Lance said as he frowned. “They might be keeping him in a cage out back or something…”
I lifted up some kind of meat cake and took a bite out of it, my eyes rolling back in pleasure. “Where have you been all my life!” I ate more of the sweet treat, getting a glare from Lance.
“Scamp, we need…”
He was cut off as a very beautiful and makeup-covered gazelle-like woman walked up, her breast barely covered by her costume. “This is the main actors table, the extra’s is over there.” She pointed to a tiny table with a single plate of food on it.
I blinked as I looked that way, food still in my mouth and on my face. Gulping down what was in my mouth, I turned to her, holding a piece of a kebab in my wing. Looking her up and down, I snort, “Why are you dressed like a slut?”
Lance immediately punched my shoulder and turned to the gazelle lady, “I am so sorry about her, she has no manners.”
“Clearly,” was the woman's response as she glared down at me. “I could easily have you fired and removed from the set. I’m engaged to the lead actor, as you already knew.”
“Good for you!” I say with fake enthusiasm as I take a bite out of the kebab, letting out a moan at the amazing taste. “You need to try this.” I hold it up to her.
She just rudely slaps it out of my grasp and points to the much smaller table in the corner. “Kindly go to your designated eating area. Now.”
“Ooo, trying to sound dominant?” I asked, standing up straight and smiling up at her.
“We’re going!” Lance said as he bit my tail and began to drag me away from the fuming woman.
I pointed a wing tip at her, still smiling, “I got your number, gorgeous!”
“Are you trying to get us kicked out?” Lance hissed as he pulled me to the extra’s tiny food table.
Rolling my eyes, I stepped up to the table and lifted up a pathetic piece of food, just a little ball of meat and cheese. “It’s just something about those uppity attitudes that rubs me the wrong way.”
Slipping the ball of meat into my mouth, I chewed for a few seconds before coughing violently and spitting it out, spraying it all over the table and food before me. “What the hell?! That’s fucking disquesting!”
“Welcome to the life of an extra,” a cute minotaur female said as she stepped up to us. “Who did your costume? Those specks of flesh and blood look so good!”
I looked down at myself, the gore from my carnage covered my body. “This? I did it myself.”
“Amazing! You should become a makeup artist instead of trying to be an extra! You’d excel at it!” She encouraged.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say awkwardly, smiling as wide as I can.
“Actually,” Lance began, looking around. “Have you seen a pony named Zorrow?”
“The lead actor?! Of course, he’s around the corner on set.”
Lead actor, didn’t that woman say… huh.
“Thank you so much!” Lance said as he started trotting that way.
“You can’t just go to the set!” She warned him. “They’re filming! You’ll be fired if you interrupt!”
“Don’t worry about us,” I say as I walk past her, kicking the tiny table over with my back leg as I pass it. “We can handle ourselves.”
“What?” she asked in confusion as we walked away from her. But neither of us responded as we walked towards the set.
After rounding the corner, we were met with a very strange sight. A large group of many different styles of creatures surrounded a large stage, cameras all around it. The stage itself was made up to look like a dark city street.
A pony attached to wires was flying around the set as the camera’s followed him.
“Stand down, Gilantis! I have you out skilled!” the pony, who could only be Zorrow with that hairdo, yelled as he flew past a strange dog-like creature in a ridiculous costume. Zorrow himself was dressed up in a brightly colored superhero costume, looking even more ridiculous than she thought possible.
“They are torturing him,” Lance muttered, watching his friend fly around on the wires. “Just look at that costume.”
I nod in agreement. “Well, let’s get him out of here.”
The two of us walk towards the stage, no one looking at us till we start pushing our way through them.
“Hey!” Someone snaps, but we keep walking.
“No extras!” Another yells and reaches out to grab my mane. But as his hand neared me, I suddenly jerked my head towards him and bit his hand hard, drawing a bit of blood. “AHHH! WHAT?!”
We hop up on stage, causing all eyes to fall on us.
“CUT!” Someone, the director probably, yelled in anger. “Who sent the extras up there?!”
“No one!”
“Not me!”
“That horse bit my hand!”
A little smile played on my lips as we walked closer to Zorrow, who was dangling above us.
He looked down at us very confused before his eyes widened as Lance removed his hat, looking up at him.
“Lance?!”
“Hey buddy, we’ve come to save you,” Lance said with a large smile.
Zorrow made a gesture to someone off stage and he began to lower, “Hold on everyone! I know this guy!”
There were murmurs all around us, but no one said anything.
With a flick of his legs, he climbed out of his harness and walked up to Lance, looking very overjoyed. “I thought I’d never see you again, man!”
He went in for a hug, but Lance only held up a hoof and stopped him. “It’s all good, bro. We went through a lot of trouble, but we’re here to get you out of here.”
“Get me out of here?” Zorrow asked, cocking his head. “Why?”
“Because you’re a slave and they’re forcing you to make movies for them,” Lance said, gesturing over his shoulder at the crowd around us.
“Slave?” Zorrow asked, then laughed loudly. “I’m not a slave, I’m a actor! THE actor actually! They love me here!”
“But the Jakuz use slaves, which means you are a slave,” Lance countered matter of the factly.
“The Jakuz?” Zorrow looked confused, then chuckled again. “Oh, the Jakuz. No, those guys are just security here. We hire them to keep the peace. I co-own this company with a few other mainstream actors.”
Lance seemed to consider this before shaking his head, “They’ve done a real number on you, buddy.”
I looked around, not being as dense as Lance, and realized what was going on. Oh boy, probably SHOULD have shown some restraint on those guards after all.
“Lance,” Zorrow said with a genuine smile as he placed a hoof on his shoulder. “It’s really all good. I really have a lot to tell you! I have a fiancée too! Diamond!”
The barely dressed gazelle lady from earlier suddenly exploded out of the crowd, knocking people aside as she stepped up onto the stage and stomped towards Zorrow. She even knocked Lance aside as she approached. As soon as she reached Zorrow, she leaned down to his height and the two began to vigorously make out.
“Ew,” I mutter as I lean away from the display.
“Get off of him, succubus!” Lance yelled as he took up a fighting stance in front of the pair.
“Hey, Lance,” I started, but Zorrow’s laugh cut me off.
“Chill, Lance. This is my wife to be, Diamond! The best damn actress in the industry!” He said as he broke the kiss, but they remained in an embrace.
“Oh you’re too kind, darling,” Diamond replied, then gave Lance a sideways glare. “Your friends are a bit rude, I don’t want them here.”
Zorrow only rolled his eyes, still smiling, “It’s alright, love. They just… Who are you by the way?” He asked, looking at me.
Before I could reply, Lance jumped into the air and pulled his Ego hoof gauntlet back, and yelled, “Girokon PUNCH!”
A loud boom filled the room Diamond was sent flying away from Zorrow, who was still standing there holding the air she’d just been standing, and slammed into a wall. But instead of breaking through it, she just crumbled to the ground, as the wall was heavily reinforced, apparently.
“Diamond?” Zorrow said aloud in a daze as he looked down and saw he was holding her arms in his hands. “Diamond?!”
Lance landed in a dramatic way next to him and put a hoof on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, buddy. I vanquished the evil succubus.” He pulled out a piece of paper and wrote ‘brainwashed, please help’ on it, and slammed it onto Zorrow’s forehead.
Zorrow just blinked as he turned to Lance, shellshocked. “Lance? My wife…”
“You mean succubus!” Lance said as he pulled a pokeball from his pouch and reared back. “Don’t you worry, Zorrow! Ominus will break the spell!”
Zorrow just looked back to the arms in his grasp, looking to be unable to comprehend the sudden change in events. A pokeball slapped against his head, bouncing off and opening, seeming to suck him into itself. The little ball then disappeared in a blink.
I facehoofed. “Fuck, Lance. Really?”
“I got him,” Lance said, pulling a list out and marking a name off of it. “That’s a win for us.”
This was ridiculous. LIke, so far from rational, that I can’t even comprehend it either!
“What did you do with our star?!” the director yelled in surprise as he and others hopped up on the stage.
Lance stepped forward, flaring his wings. “Let me handle the Jakuz, Scamp. We don’t need to mutilate any of them.”
I just blinked at him, thinking about telling him what was actually going on. But to be honest? I don’t have it in me. So I just sigh and give him a wave.
“Bring him back!” Someone yelled in anger.
“He’s not yours anymore!” Lance yelled as he dived forward, tackling the director. With no grace whatsoever, Lance began to punch and kick all those around him, his Ego hooves sending them flying away with each punch.
A screaming biped came flying towards me, so I stepped aside letting them pass and hit the wall behind me.
“What is going on?” the large dog creature said from behind me, still standing where he’d been during filming.
I sigh and look over at him, “To be honest, I’m not sure anymore. He’s just working through things, I think.”
“Where’d Zorrow go? Is he okay?” the dog asked in a worried tone.
Looking towards the large dog, I saw genuine worry in his eyes. “He’s okay, I promise. We’re friends of his.”
“He’s my friend,” the dog said, looking to the ground in sadness. “When will he be back?”
“Uh, maybe soon?” I lied, not wanting to tell him the truth. “How’d he become an actor?”
“Oh!” The large dog smiled as he scratched his ear with a back paw, his costume shaking as he did so. “He saved a little kid from a kidnapper and someone recorded it. He said some really corny lines as he did, and the owners of this company found him. After a while, he became a partner! He’s really famous in this part of the Plains! He doesn't’ just act in movies, he has a lot of charities and other things he does to help others! Will he be back by tomorrow at least? I know for a fact he’ll be needed at the new children’s hospital to do a meet and greet with some terminally ill kids.”
“Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,” I make a sucking sound as I look around, rubbing the back of my head. “Sure, he will.”
“Oh thank the UAD, I didn’t want to go alone, I’m the villain in all our stuff we do,” the big dog said in relief. “What’s your name, ma’am?”
I smile awkwardly as I hold out a hoof, “Scamp.”
The dog reached out for my hoof with a paw, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms Scamp. My name is…”
The large dog suddenly flew away from me and slammed into the same wall that Diamond did. Lance landed in front of me, looking worn out.
“Keep your filthy paws off of my friends, beast!” he yelled after the dog, who was now unmoving next to Diamond.
I frowned as I lowered my hoof, looking at Lance with a displeased look on my face, “Get it out of your system?”
He looked back at the crowd of groaning people, some looking worse than others. “Yeah, I got all of em. That dog almost got the upper hand on you, Scamp. It’s a good thing I was here.”
“Did you whack your head?” I ask, shaking my head at him. He was acting stranger than usual.
“We need to get out of here,” Lance replied, ignoring the question. “We saved Zorrow, so we need to catch up to Bronwyn.”
“I can at least agree with that last part,” I sigh as I flare my wings and fly for the entrance, flying over the extra’s.
“Run, slaves!” Lance said as we flew over them. “You’re free now! Run for the gates!”
“Are we still getting paid?” A guy yelled after us as we entered the main door and flew down the hallway.
We burst back out into the daylight, people running around us. They were carrying the wounded that I’d left behind.
“Oh holy UAD, it’s them!!” The bear I’d tormented screamed from a stretcher as he rolled off and began to try and crawl away.
“I got this,” Lance said, but I reached out and grabbed his mane.
“No time, we have to get to Bronwyn,” I yell, trying to save them from further damage.
“You’re right,” Lance replied with a nod as he took to the sky and flew for the tower in the center of the compound.
I looked to the wounded and helpers, all staring fearfully at me. I offer a shrug and weak smile, “Sorry about that, all a misunderstanding.”
“A MISUNDERSTANDING?!” one of the limbless people screamed as I took to the air and left them all behind.
ooo000<^>000ooo
It didn’t take long for us to reach the tower, bodies all around its base.
“Looks like Bronwyn didn’t listen to the whole ‘don’t kill anyone’,” Lance mumbled as we flew to the top of the tower.
As we neared the glassy top, I saw Bronwyn on the other side, sitting on a table.
I flew up to the window and knocked on it, getting her attention. She looked out, seeing me covered in blood, and laughed.
Extending my hoof talons, I prepared to cut the glass, but Lance suddenly slammed into the window, bouncing off and tumbling backwards.
“OWW! That’s tough glass!” He yelped, holding his head as he hovered behind me.
Rolling my eyes, I slice at the glass, causing it to fall away with ease. Carefully, I flew through the new hole and landed in front of Bronwyn.
“I’m assuming you’ve figured it out,” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Chuckling, I nod, “You mean this being a real movie studio and we attacked it as if it was a slave operation?”
She stifled more laughter as she nodded, “Yes, turns out the Jakuz are just security, not the head of the operations here.”
Looking past her, I saw a few dead people in suits.
Following my gaze, she shrugs, “I mean, I didn’t believe them at first. It took going through their files to realize that. You know, your friend Zorrow is…”
“An actual actor here who is actually really beloved and a huge part of this city?” I interrupt, getting a smile from her.
“Did you find him?”
“Oh we found him alright,” I replied, looking back as Lance tried to get through the window, getting caught on the glass.
“And we saved him!” Lance announced as he finally fell into the room. “And dealt with the Jakuz!”
Bronwyn started to say something, but I just shook my head at her, causing her to look confused.
“I’ll tell you later,” I say, letting Lance live in the fantasy.
She just nodded in response and pointed to some files on the table. “The good news, I found two more of your friends. One of them is actually in this building.”
“Who is it?” Lance asked in excitement. “Who’s in the building?”
“The dog named Louie. It seems Zorrow was looking for your friends as well, and found two,” Bronwyn said as she picked up the two files. “The other is the one called Seth, and we have his location.”
“Where is Louie?” Lance asked as he looked under the table. “Come on, Lou!”
“I need to warn you,” Bronwyn begins, “You can understand him here on the Plains, and he needs our help.”
“Sure sure, where is he?” Lance asked happily.
Bronwyn looked at him for a moment before walking to the door and opening it. “Young Louie, this way. Your friend is here.”
“Lance?!” A small voice yelled as a little brown dog ran in, skidding to a halt in front of Lance and myself. “OH my God! Lance! It’s actually you!”
“Lou! I can understand you!” Lance yelled as the two began to jump around each other. “We’re here to save you, pal!”
Louie pants in excitement, “I know! She told me you were!” He then stops and looks serious. “But before that, I need your help.”
“What kind of help?” I ask, looking at the little dog.
He smiles up at me, “I found a way to get my human body back! We just have to go to a special location!”
I look at him, thinking, “If we send you to Ominus, you’ll be in your human body. So there’s no need.”
He shook his little head, “No, I’ve spoken with Ominus in the past, I have a special kind of curse or spell or whatever on me, I will always remain a dog, no matter what dimension I’m in. This is my only chance to return to normal!”
“Hmm,” I thought for a second. “We will help you, right, Lance?”
“We will save you, buddy,” Lance said as he dug around in his trench coat pockets.
“Oh thank you, Lance!” Louie said happily. “I’ve always wanted to talk with you, and this will be a great time for you to finally hear my story and all about my past! Oh! I don’t even know where to start!”
A pokeball bounced off his head, causing him to look very confused.
“I got you, bud!” Lance called out as the ball sucked him in and disappeared. “That’s two!” He pulled out his list and marked another name off.
“Lance,” I said, facehoofing again. “You need to stop doing that and just let us talk before sending them away.”
“We don’t have time for that,” Lance replies, putting away his list. “The faster we save them, the faster we finish this.”
Bronwyn looked at me in worry, but I just shrugged. Lance pulled out a few of his cards, checking them over, taking away a few he seemed to want to replace.
“Where’s Seth?” I ask, looking back to Bronwyn.
She blinked, seemed somewhat lost for a moment before she threw Louie’s folder over her shoulder and held up Seth’s. “That’s the problem.”
I took the folder and opened it, frowning at what I saw. “I’m guessing this man next to him is someone you know?”
“Heildan, a close friend of Lorenzo’s,” she replied grimly. “His Ego allows him to temporarily mind control others.”
“That’s not good,” I commented as I looked at the man, who was dressed like a friendly jester. “But I’ll be able to cancel that with my Ego.”
“We still have to be careful. They know how to deal with Ego, and will simply cut yours with one of their weapons if they see it trying to connect to them,” she said as she crossed her arms. “If he is here, with one of your friends, then that means Lorenzo is connected to this now. If he appears, we need to deal with him together. Alone, he will kill us.”
I nod, looking at Lance, who was still messing with his deck of cards. “What is Lorenzo’s Ego exactly?”
She furrows her brow, “He can teleport, but it's not that simple. He can create portals of any size in an instant, and uses them to block and return attacks. Not only that, he can open portals to other places that connect his soul too, which is how he always gets away from us. If you let your mind wander while facing him, he could even open a portal inside of you. I’ve lost a few friends to that.” With a sigh, she continues, “If we face him, stay focused, watch where your attacks go, and do not let him distract you. If you take your attention off of him, his Ego will be able to freely do as it pleases with you.”
Now this guy sounds actually dangerous, as in, I don’t think I want to face him.
“I can handle him,” Lance announces as he finishes his deck and puts it away. “So, let’s go save Seth!”
Bronwyn and I look at each other, both looking unhappy with Lance, but neither saying a word.
I need to have a chat with Lance, very soon. This behavior he’s adopted is going to get one of us killed!