Chapter 14
Exod returned to his throne room with Flanzgo and Robin in arm. Xaldin came out of camouflage from the wall and clawed down it to the floor of the throne room grabbing the prisoners from his master. He climbed back up the wall with the prisoners in one hand and hung them by their arms from chains dangling behind his throne. "Leave the young one out of this!" Flanzgo demanded.
"Ha, not likely," Exod laughed. "He’s part of the bait for your uncle princess."
Xaldin returned to the floor and took the cape off of Exod’s back, draping it across the back of the massive thrown then returning himself to his master’s side.
"Part of the bait?" Robin asked.
Exod laughed loudly. "Yes, I have the landing base of the Gonzonian spacecraft rigged and filled with my followers and spies ready to intercept your uncle, is it? Yes, I believe that’s right young frog."
"Uncle Kermit? He’s coming here?" Robin asked timidly.
"Nice timing back there Xaldin," Exod said to his chameleon like assistant who cackled back. "But yes, more specifically young frog, your uncle is coming
here. As soon as my spies grab up him and his little friends and bring them to me."
"Why do you insist on torturing us Exod?" Flanzgo asked warily.
Exod shot the princess a glare. "All of my life, I have been told that it is I who would rule this universe, that it is I who would save preserve my species name, that it is I who would
destroy the Gonzonian race! And I intend to prove myself worthy."
"But...But you don’t have to prove yourself to anyone," Robin whispered. "You don’t have to, not if people believe. Don’t you even have just one person who believes in you? Or do they all
expect something from you?" Robin asked slowly and softly.
Exod stared straight into the young frog’s eyes. "
I expect something from
myself," the harsh ruler said sternly. "Be prepared."
Xander entered the throne room and into Exod’s eyesight, attempting to speak. "Prepared for what master?"
"For the death of a species, and the beginning of a
new era!" Exod extended his arms horizontally causing geysers of steam to erupt from the floor. "
I know that your powers of retention are as wet as a Gonzonian’s back side," he sang sternly. "
But THICK as you are, PAY attention!
My words are a matter of pride
"
It’s clear from your vacant expressions," he sang to Xander’s dumbfounded face.
"
The lights are not all on upstairs
But I’m talking kings! And successions!
Even YOU can’t be caught unawares!" the overlord sang, erupting geysers all across the floor of the room with his hands.
"
So prepare for chance of a lifetime," geysers from behind.
"
Be prepared for sensational news," geysers from the left, narrowly missing Xander.
"
A shining new era
Is tiptoeing nearer!"
"And where do
we feature?" Xaldin hissed.
"
Just you listen to teacher
I know it’s sounds sordid
But you’ll be rewarded
When at last I am given my dues," geysers surrounded Exod.
"
And injustice deliciously squared
Be prepared!" the geysers fell and Exod cackled as legions of Exodians filled the room. Their faces were shadowed and mysterious, all that could be seen were beady yellow eyes and glimmering fangs in most of their mouths.
"
It’s great that we’ll soon be connected
With a king who’ll be all time adored!" the Exodians sang in unison marching around their leader.
"Of course quid pro quo, they are expected to take certain duties on board, right?" Xander asked his master, who erupted a geyser beneath his feet.
"
The future is littered with prizes
And though I’m the main addressee
The point that I must emphasize is
YOU WON’T EVEN LIVE WITHOUT ME!" Exod shouted filling the room with geysers and steam.
Flanzgo’s tears fell to the ground, having the bravery of a princess was harder than she ever expected.
Robin usually loved elaborate musical numbers like this. But this one was an exception, this one brought despair into the hearts and souls of his new Gonzonian friends.
"
So prepare for the coup of the century
Be prepared for the murkiest scam," Exod sang in his deep undertone.
"
Oooh!" sang Xaldin, crawling to the his master’s shoulders.
"
Meticulous planning."
"
He will rule!" Xaldin shouted.
"
Tenacity spanning."
"
Our hidden jewel," Xaldin beamed.
"
Decades of denial-"
"
We repeat," all of the Exodians shouted.
"
Is simply why I’ll-"
"
He’s so neat!"
"
Be king undisputed
Respected, saluted
And seen for the wonder I am!"
"
Aaaaaaah!" Xaldin chimed in jumping off the shoulders of his leader.
"
Yes, my ships and my weapons are bared
Be prepared!" Exod sang alone.
"
Yes, his ships and his weapons are bared," everyone sang together.
"
Be prepared!" Exod and his followers held the last note as the leader of the pack shot geysers rocketing out of the ground, the steam causing sweat beads to roll down Robin’s face. Flanzgo shot a glance towards the frog and sighed, this could truly be the end.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Clifford pulled his black car up and parked it behind the Electric Mayhem’s psychedelically colored bus and stepped out. He stood out on the sidewalk while Sal drove up Johnny’s flooded red corvette. "See Sal, I told you," Johnny began. "You only had to push it halfway."
Sal got out of the car and slammed the door. He and Johnny both staggered up to the sidewalk next to their co-host. "Hey Johnny look," Sal said. "Down there, on the ground, is that a five dollar bill?" the monkey asked.
"Huh, where?" Johnny turned around and looked down at the sidewalk. And as soon as he turned around, a loud sound of crunching metal caused Johnny to cringe. "Clifford, please tell me that was you stepping on a soda can..."
"Heh heh, sorry dude," Clifford pointed out to the street.
"Oh I was afraid of that..." Johnny sighed as he watched Bunsen and Beaker exit the half of their car that wasn’t partially fused with Johnny’s.
"Oh my Mr. Fiama!" Bunsen gasped. "It seems we had a slight fender bender!"
"Bun baby," Johnny put his arm around Dr. Honeydew’s shoulder. "Let me get down your insurance right quick..."
The group walked into the theater where Rowlf, Scooter, and now, a growing crowd of the other Muppets were gathering around Uncle Deadly who was telling the group something.
"Yo yo yo, what’s goin’ down ya’ll?" Clifford asked.
"Shh!" Bean Bunny put his finger to his lips. "Uncle Deadly’s telling us a story!"
Uncle Deadly shot a dead glare at the bunny. "It is no story you foolish rabbit!" he shouted. "It is undeniable fact!"
Clifford lost his patience. "What are you talkin’ about Uncle D.?"
"Kermit and the others, they are all in mortal peril! A race of aliens are plotting to destroy Gonzo’s species forever, not only will he be lost to us, but these brutes will take down anyone eve associating with the Gonzonians," the phantom said harshly.
"And just
how do you know that?" the dread-locked Muppet asked.
"Do you really find it wise to question me after all of the things we’ve seen?" Uncle Deadly asked reminding Clifford of more than one instance where Uncle Deadly had shocked, amazed or even saved them all with his mysterious ways.
Clifford took off his sunglasses. "Sorry dead dude. Now what do we need to do to help out Kerm?"
"First of all, call the frog, I know you have the phone Scooter, call him, immediately," Deadly ordered. "And the only other thing we can do is hold onto hope."
"Well we all know we can do that," Rowlf said.
"Yeah man, when it comes to hoping, we’re the tops!" Floyd said.
"Now did you say you wanted me to hop or...Mop?" Beauregard asked slowly.
"Neither you dim-witted fool!" Sam Eagle projected. "But the only even
remotely American about you
weirdos," he shifted his eyes. "Is the fact that you can keep hope alive in such dismal situations."
"Yeah the only thing more dismal than your situations," Waldorf started.
"Are the bear’s jokes!" Statler finished.
"Do ho ho ho!"
Scooter had his finger plugged into one ear and the interstellar cell phone in his other. "Hey, could you guys keep it down? I’m trying to call Kermit!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The Gonzonians inside the space station landing base control room opened the landing hatch for the Muppets’ ship to land inside. The ship touched down gently inside the base. "LANDING BASE TO ONZGO, LANDING BASE TO ONZGO. THE SHIP FROM EARTH HAS ARRIVED, REPEAT, THE SHIP FROM EARTH HAS ARRIVED," a voice rang over the P.A. system.
The stairs of the ship descended to the floor of the base. "I’m coming Robin!" a voice shouted before a green frog darted down the stairs in great haste and running all the way down the landing bay into the main room.
Gonzo and Onzgo met Kermit halfway into or out of the landing area. "Kermit!" Gonzo shouted.
"Gonzo!" Kermit hugged the weirdo. "Where’s Robin?"
Gonzo opened his mouth, but before he could say anything Onzgo let out a loud yelping noise and pointed his long blue finger towards the landing bay.
The ladder of the spaceship began to lift itself up back to its frozen position when the metal began to smelt onto the outside of the ship. As the
Gonzonian landing crew attempted to do something the hatch began to rip open, tearing the metal apart. Suddenly the spaceship’s rockets began to ignite and turn the ship around, shooting it back out into space.
Kermit and the alien brothers ran inside the landing bay. "Piggy!" the frog shouted.
"Oh no," Onzgo fell to his knees. "No no no," he wailed. "This cannot be happening!" he cried.
Gonzo got down onto his knees as well and tried to comfort his brother.
Kermit stared out into the vast blackness his best friends disappeared to. In the middle of all the panicking a faint ringing was heard. Kermit pulled out his interstellar phone and stared at it. It rang and rang, and Kermit just stared. Finally, he picked up. "Scooter..." was all the frog could muster.
"Boss! Oh boss, where are you? If you’re not at the space station yet, turn back! You’re all in danger!" Scooter’s voice shouted from the other end.
"Scooter..." the amphibian hung up on his go-fer.
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