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Loop 257 - Part 16: Gretel & Stan
🕑 Added 2024-11-22 17:19:36 +0000 UTCGretel paced the trailer, debating if she should get the capybaras out sooner or later. She really hoped Albert and Bill were here; the more help she had, the better their chance of making it through this was. Whispering a prayer to several dog paladins long gone, she felt her claws grow sharper and began to work the top of crates off. Shortly she had over a dozen freed capybaras, with twice that to go, and so far, no Albert or Bill in sight. What worried her even more was that this only accounted for around a tenth of the capybara population in the void house. She deeply wanted to know where the rest of her friends were.
Either way she had needed to get all of who was here free and get them to safety the moment the truck stopped. There was no way she would leave them any longer in the Agency’s hands. By the time she had felt the truck come to a complete stop, she was surrounded by mostly alert capybaras, and very angry capybaras. The last thing any of them remembered was their caves being flooded with a strange smell.
“Yes, it was the Agency. They made their move on a lot of us. This is the second loop in a row we’ve been fighting them. The first, they even managed to capture Cal, Stan, and Bug. We only got this far, thanks to Trashcat and Bart. Speaking of which, the moment those doors open, Bart, get as good a look around as you can and get back to Alfred. Make sure he and Harold know everything. As for you capybaras, I want to scatter, far and wide, go into hiding once you’re out of here and do not come back unless you are sure we’ve secured the place. Try to work your way to Cal’s, but stay in the deep woods outside. We can find you there,” Gretel explained.
“Shh,” Lou, one of the capybaras, hushed her. There was movement outside.
She readied to attack, wishing she weren’t alone in defending the others. The door opened. Gretel sprang forward, knocking down the two men who stood outside the truck. Bart followed behind her and vanished within seconds of exiting. “Go,” Gretel yelled back to the capybaras while she looked around herself.
She was inside a walled-off parking lot but doubted that would do much to stop the capybaras. The real problem was the gate to the giant complex had opened and hundreds of men were pouring out towards her. She was far outnumbered, and she was still very much alone. “You sure you want us to go?” Lou yelled back to Gretel, stopping briefly.
“Yes, there is no reason for us all to die here!” she ordered, hoping desperately that Bug and the others would be here soon. Two blasts of lightning knocked her off her feet. As she saw the ogres emerging from the back of a different truck, she realized her mistake and why neither Albert nor Bill had been there. The capybaras were bait and she was now in a trap.
“Bart, this was a trap; I know you probably won’t be able to reach Bug before she gets here, but make sure Alfred and Harold know. They are going to have to stop Cal!” Gretel shouted in her mind while her feet ran in the opposite direction the capybaras were moving. She would buy them time for their escape.
*
Stan had just appeared on Titan alongside Twonger and Bug when the owner of the only house on the moon appeared, walking annoyed towards them. “Look, we are only here for a few minutes. Things took a bad turn, and we need to use your moon as a way to hide our plan. The ship will be here again shortly,” Stan said to the frog.
“I would really prefer if you didn’t make this a habit,” Glurm said.
“And we’d really like it if you actually helped!” Bug said back, managing to sound nice and angry at the same time.
“Yes and as I’ve informed, in multiple timelines from what I’ve been told, I have no interest in that, and good, I believe that’s Twonger’s ship out there. Please leave,” Glurm increased his glare as he said this.
Stan fighting back an urge to pull out Excalibur and remind the frog of his old friend, instead nodded at Twonger. A slight disorientation later, and they were headed back to Earth. “I really do not like Glurm,” Stan said.
“He isn’t so bad, I actually believe he is enjoying our company right now and just pretending he isn’t. I couldn’t tell you why, though,” Excalibur explained.
“And we’re back. The ship’s programmed to grab and drop off Cal and Frank as soon as it can. Let’s go, idiots!” Twonger said, doing nothing to help Stan’s mood. The scene that greeted him as they appeared at Gretel’s location snapped him past his breaking point.
They were already surrounded, and Gretel was, at best, unconscious, dangling limply over the shoulder of one of the ogres. He pulled Excalibur free and slashed forward without a word. There were no tactics to win this. Bug was likely already telling Bart to keep Cal away. They had no escape. The best they could do was keep Cal alive for now.
All around them, a barrier of bluish light appeared, centering around Bug. “I can’t hold this for long against those numbers. If we can get Gretel free and awake, she can help. We need to hold until Cal gets here!” Bug yelled
“Cal should not come here, Bug. We are not going to win this fight!” Stan yelled back at her.
“He won’t listen, it’s already been tried, Bart was able to warn Alfred. So Cal knows what he’s walking into. Now we just need to make sure he has a chance to survive it!” Bug yelled, determination clear in her voice.
“Bug’s got a point. I don’t like last stands, but not much of a choice, let’s kick their ass!” Twonger added.
“Alright, if there’s no other option, let’s get that dog back!” Stan leaped forward as he said this, cutting two people in half in a single swing. Excalibur released a beam of energy straight at the ogre holding Gretel as Stan reversed the thrust.
“For Gretel!” an unexpected cry went up from the far wall.
