*I finally got around to publishing a new part of this episode! I'm almost done with this episode. Just two more parts and then I'm set for life!!! YAY! No...not really. I still have to figure out the next episode and plan it out. And figure out a name for it. This is going to be fun! How's everyone's day going? Good? I hope so. This is published on May 21, 2020. If you like this part, please do not hesitate to either vote and/or comment. That would be greatly appreciated. Have a blessed day, everyone! Enjoy! Warning: This will have dark themes about nuclear explosions. You have been warned.*

A knock came from the door to the mechanics' shop. Apparently, the mechanics' shop was closed but Dave, Guy's oldest brother, went to answer it anyway. He cautiously opened the door, knowing there's something wrong with the outside world. It revealed to be Sam, Gabriella, Karlos, Cat, and Guy, with the streets of Stovepipe behind them. Guy was leaning into Cat's side while Cat gave a wide plastered smile at Dave. Karlos stared up at Dave from his fishbowl, noticing his muscles with Gabriella holding the fishbowl.

Dave became wide-eyed when he noticed his little brother on the verge of passing out.

Sam stepped forward to him. "Dave, we need someplace to hide for a while. I don't know if we should involve your parents--"

"Come in," Dave insisted immediately and urgently while helping Guy into the mechanics' shop with Sam following them.

Cat and Gabriella walked in with them, their faces were written with confusion as Gabriella shut the door behind them. The group walked into the living room like a place while Dave placed Guy on the couch.

"You guys shouldn't be here...well, maybe you shouldn't be anywhere," Dave uttered while turning to face Sam, Gabriella, Karlos, and Cat.

"So, we shouldn't exist? That's a mean thing to say," Cat responded while crossing his arms with a pout.

"Why would you say that?" Sam questioned softly, raising his brow.

Dave scratched the back of his head while gazing at Guy, who's trying to stay awake. "You guys are in the news everywhere...apparently...you guys are criminals."

"Well, that's not a shock to anyone," Cat droned a bit. "Can we hear something new?"

Gabriella shook her head for a moment. "Wait, wait...but we haven't done anything wrong."

Jeffrey strode into the room urgently. "Dave, there's--"

Jeffrey froze when he saw Cat. Cat nervously waved at Jeffrey.

"Why...hello there," Cat responded awkwardly.

Jeffrey placed his head against his hand with a deep sigh. "Don't tell me that you guys are with the Cat in the Hat."

"You know, I'm right in front of you," Cat pointed out in a matter of factly tone.

"He's being hunted too," Sam added in the information.

"Let me guess, he robbed a bank," Jeffrey groaned while putting his hand down and staring at the group.

Cat pondered for a moment. "That would've been a decent reason to be hunted but...no. I'm being hunted because of my existence."

Jeffrey noticed Guy trying to stay awake. He strode towards his big brother to make sure he's okay. "Guy, are you okay?"

"We just fought a huge spider along with the army of spiders. It was fun!" Cat answered for Guy with excitement in his voice suddenly.

Jeffrey glanced at Cat with a furrowed brow.

Sam nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah. Guy used his powers to help us fight a huge army of spiders in a destroyed town."

"Yeah!" Karlos shouted while hopping onto the rim of his fishbowl. "The bomb killed my owner and her children along with everyone in that town!"

"I'm sorry to hear that," Jeffrey sympathized softly as he shifted his focus on Guy.

Guy immediately fell into a deep sleep.

"Oh no," Sam muttered underneath his breath.

"Oh no, what?" Dave questioned, hearing Sam's mutter.

Sam sighed deeply. "He's been having nightmares in his sleep. There are some that he wouldn't tell me...I don't know why he's getting nightmares frequently."

"He hasn't been getting as much sleep as he needs," Cat added the explanation.

Jeffrey and Dave glanced at each other with worried gazes and then shifted their attention back to the group.

"What should we do?" Dave asked quickly, his tone filled with concern.

"I don't know," Sam uttered, rubbing his arm sadly.

Cat pondered for a moment while looking at the dirt-filled pot that didn't have a seed yet. An idea sparked inside the Cat in the Hat's head.

"Guys! I have an idea!" Cat shouted excitedly.

Everyone focused on Cat, eager to know what his plan was.

~.~

Guy's Dream:

Guy fluttered his eyes open slowly as he glanced around his surroundings. He's in a cell again but this time, he's not chained up to the bed and the cell was bigger than what he remembered. His body was trembling as he approached the cell door, finding it to be locked.

"Going somewhere, Guy?" A dark voice spoke up from behind him. When Guy turned around abruptly, the dark hooded figure held out his hand to control Guy's veins. The orange-furred knox couldn't move a muscle as the hooded figure thrusted him against the wall. "You can't run from your fate, Guy."

"Who are you?!" Guy shouted his question, tears streaming down on his cheeks. "What do you want from me?!"

Guy felt something burning inside of him while holding out his palm to notice the familiar symbol engraved in his hand.

"You're a part of us," The figure spoke as Guy glanced up with broadened eyes.

"Us? Who's us?" Guy interrogated, trying to get up from the ground but he couldn't push himself up. His hands were flat on the ground while his arms were trembling. He's able to push his upper body off the ground but he couldn't move his legs to stand up.

The figure strolled towards him and knelt down to make the same level-eye contact with Guy, lifting his chin so he could look into the dark figure's hood.

"You don't know what you're a part of, don't you?" the figure inquired, causing Guy to move his chin away from the figure's grasp.

"I'm not a part of anything! I-I--AH!" Guy yelped in pain as he collapsed back on the ground. His hand was over his chest, almost like something was taking control over him. It became immediate that Guy was having a huge migraine, hearing whispers that weren't familiar to him at all. He squeezed his eyes shut while covering his head with his hands.

"You're a part of something greater than what you can ever imagine," The figure answered while watching Guy squirm in pain.

When Guy snapped his eyes open, he suddenly saw the world around him. The sky was blood red and the ground was nothing but ashes. His breathing became heavier while his heart raced rapidly.

"Look around you. Isn't it beautiful?" The figure stated as everything around them began to regrow with vivid trees and grass. The sky is back to the bright blue color it always had been with the sun beaming its light around them and the ashes on the ground disappeared. "We could rebuild a better life, a new life. Start over. This world can be reborn--."

"By killing people," Guy interrupted, seeming to not be convinced by this hallucination he's seeing.

"Well, death is inevitable, Guy. You of all people should know that."

Guy glared up at the assassin with clenched teeth in pain. "I will not participate in taking innocent lives. People are going to die if you do this and I can't be a part of that."

"Hmph, it looks like you still need a little more convincing."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you think we're going to take no as an answer?" The figure growled as the beautiful hallucination faded back to the grey cell both him and Guy were trapped in. "Come on, Guy. You had powers that could make you a god but...you decided to downplay as if it's nothing."

"I-I use these powers to help others...not hurt them," Guy snarled, trying to get back up on his feet but he kept stumbling back against the cold wall.

"Hmph, so much for Stovepipe."

"Wha-What? What do you mean?"

"Oh, haven't you heard? A bomb is supposed to be dropped here...the question is...will you stop it in time?"

Guy widened his eyes in complete shock. "Wait! Wait!"

The figure disappeared without a trace, leaving Guy alone in the empty cold cell.

"Wait! Stop!" Guy called out to the figure while standing on his feet. He whipped his gaze around the cell, trying to open the door. "Guys! If anyone can hear me, there's going to be a nuclear bomb dropping in Stovepipe! Can anyone hear me?!"

Before Guy could continue shouting, he heard voices whispering in his ears harshly as if someone's behind him and whispered something harsh in his ear.

"You belong here!"

"Rejoice, death is not the end!

"Who's going to save you?"

All the whispers were mixed in together and became louder in Guy's head as Guy collapsed on his knees on his ground and began to scream as loud as he can, covering his head from his migraine.

Reality:

Cat used a watering can he got from the garage of the mechanics' shop and watered the tiny seed that fitted into the dirt-filled pot, with the group staring at him with absolute confusion.

Sam heard Guy groaning in pain in his sleep as he turned his head quickly to look at his briefcase buddy. "Cat, whatever you are doing, hurry it up!"

"I'm trying to summon him! I don't know why we haven't done that earlier but we must summon him!" Cat shouted as he continued to water the seed.

"Who are you even summoning?" Jeffrey questioned with an arched brow.

Gabriella set Karlos's fishbowl on the floor away from everyone and climbed up to look out of the window. She noticed a plane flying over the city with something falling from it. "Um...guys...something is falling in the sky--"

"It's a nuclear bomb!" Karlos shouted with pure panic. Sam gasped as he pulled Gabriella away from the window to have her not look at the nuclear bomb blowing up. Cat immediately took off his hat and flicked it to create a brick wall with his hat behind Karlos, Sam, and Gabriella as both Sam and Gabriella held each other tightly. The wall was wide enough for Jeffrey, Dave, and Guy to fit in as well. Dave and Jeffrey did not hesitate to move Guy off of the couch and crouched behind the wall with Sam and Gabriella. Cat picked up the pot he's been watering and hid behind the wall with them.

The bomb was set off, creating a mushroom cloud towards the sky.

"Everybody, cover your faces!" Cat urged as he handed out masks to cover everyone's face with and provided covering over the opening of Karlos's fishbowl. With their faces covered, they ducked their heads down to avoid the debris hitting them. The glass shattered in the mechanics' shop as the building was torn to shreds. Sam was holding Gabriella as tightly as he could while she held onto him for dear life. Cat was protecting both Sam and Gabriella along with Karlos from the debris while Jeffrey and Dave hugged Guy close to them so that their brother wouldn't get hurt.

The explosion finally ended while the gang was still breathing into the masks given to them. They all lifted their heads up except Guy, who's still asleep.

Guy slowly fluttered his eyes open to notice the grey clouds above them. It's sudden that he realized that he had a mask on and was about to throw it off until Cat stopped him.

"Whoa, wait! Don't take it off yet!" Cat instructed quickly, talking through his mask. Cat glanced down at his pot to realize that a bright blue-furred Truffala Tree was growing in the pot. "Finally!"

"What's so important about that plant?" Karlos questioned the cat with an arched brow.

"It's supposed to summon someone we know...apparently, he's taking too long to get the signal," Cat uttered with a low growl.

Guy immediately sat up with wide eyes, whipping his gaze around. "No...NO!"

Guy stood up on his feet and ran through the destroyed city, with his brothers following after him.

"Guy! Wait!" Dave called out as Guy headed towards his parents' house, hoping that they're still alive. Sam took Gabriella by the hand and led her towards his best buddy. Cat picked up Karlos's fishbowl and placed it on top of his hat, striding after the others.

When Guy approached his parent's house, he noticed that the house was nothing but wood and bricks. With a growl and a light flashing in his eyes, Guy used his mind and hands to shove the debris off of whoever was underneath it. He found that his parents were sprawled on the ground.

"Mom! Dad!" Guy cried out as he slid on his knees on the cement. He put his hands on both of his parent's chest, focusing really hard to heal them. "Come on...come on. Please."

Dave and Jeffrey stood behind him, anxiously waiting for the healing process to get better. Sam and Gabriella approached the scene along with Cat standing behind them and holding Karlos.

Guy's hand didn't glow and it wasn't healing his parents at all. "Come on...please...Mom...Dad."

In the intense pause, the Lorax arrived at the scene with a mask on.

"I've been summoned by the trees. What's the--?" The Lorax broadened his eyes to look around Stovepipe. "Oh dang."

"You came pretty late," Cat responded while having his hands on his hips.

The Lorax furrowed his brow at the Cat. "You're the one who summoned me? I thought only the Oncelor can do that--"

"I--well...I stole his seed," Cat explained the situation with a stutter.

"CAT!" The Lorax barked at the Cat in the Hat.

"Will you both shut up? Guy is trying to focus," Jeffrey growled at both the Lorax and Cat, tears edging out of his eyes.

Guy ignored everyone's comments while trying to heal his parents. But...it didn't prevail. "No! Mom! Dad! Come back to me! Please!"

Guy laid his head between his two dead parents, beginning to sob while covering his head. Dave knelt beside his little brother while hugging him from the side. Jeffrey began to tremble, his tears streaming down on his cheeks.

Jeffrey gazed down at the debris while Sam began to sniffle.

Guy's parents were like parents to Sam...they treated him as if he's a part of the family but all that was lost now. For both Guy and Sam, as well as Dave and Jeffrey.

"I-I could've saved them...if I woke up earlier...I would've stopped that thing," Guy muttered through his tears.

"Guy," Dave began soothingly. "It's not your fault...it's not your fault at all."

Guy perked his head up to glare at his brother with his eyes red and puffy from tearing up. He ripped the mask out of his face with rage. "I knew it was going to happen! They said that they are going to bomb Stovepipe Junction! If I don't join their whatever thing they want me to join, they're going to bomb Stovepipe Junction! I tried waking up but there's something in me that wouldn't let me wake up from that stupid dream! I should've woke up sooner! I would've saved them! I would've saved everyone! I would've saved our parents! I would've saved the innocent people who are now lying dead in the streets! Now, I can't even heal my own parents from this! I could've saved them--!" Guy's voice began to crack from screaming out loud with rage but it wasn't intentionally at his brothers.

However, when Guy saw the looks of his friends and family with extreme fear and concern over him, he knew he was about to go too far.

Guy clenched his fist while pounding his forehead with it softly. "I-I'm sorry for--I-I'm so sorry...I-I just let them down."

Dave was the first to embrace his little brother while Jeffrey hugged Guy from the other side.

"It's going to be okay, Guy. It's going to be okay--"

"I-I let them down-"

"Shh, you didn't let them down," Dave uttered softly.

"It's okay, big brother. It's going to be okay," Jeffrey whispered while clutching both of his brothers. Guy sobbed into Dave's red flannel shirt while Sam watched with tears streaming down on his face. Gabriella put her hand on his shoulder and then hugged him to comfort him.

Cat shifted his attention to the Lorax. "Guy has been having recurring nightmares and I was wondering if you could help us with it."

The Lorax cleared his throat. "Well, we could put him into a deep sleep--"

"NO!" Sam interrupted the Lorax, overhearing the conversation. "No...don't make him go through that again...please."

Cat raised a brow at the Lorax. "Is there an alternative way we could find out what's going on with Guy?"

The Lorax pondered for a moment. Something in his mind sparked but he gave a deep sigh, as though he's hesitant to say his idea. "I know someone who might be able to help us without putting Guy into a deep sleep."

"Alright, who?" Cat questioned with his arms crossed.

"He lives up in the village... a very nice fellow. I could take you guys to him," The Lorax offered quickly.

Overhearing the conversation, the three brothers glanced up at the Lorax.

"What about us? Where should we go?" Jeffrey inquired of the Lorax.

Dave nodded his head in agreement with his younger brother. "Everyone we love here is dead...where do we go?"

"Here, I'll take you guys to the safe place," The Lorax responded while taking his hands out.

"Uh...what are you--?"

Suddenly, both Dave and Jeffrey disappeared without a trace.

The Lorax glanced at Guy, who looked at him baffled.

"I took them to a safe place in the Truffala Forest. I know a friend who will help them if needed," The Lorax explained before Guy could utter a question.

Gabriella swept her gaze around Stovepipe Junction, her heart sank the more dead bodies she spotted. All those innocent people didn't deserve to die. They're living normal lives until somebody decided to end them all. Cat caressed his daughter's shoulder with a sympathetic sigh.

However, both of them spotted a couple of robots with red beaming lights to scan the area.

"Guys...I think it's best if we go," Cat called out to Sam, Guy, and The Lorax.

The Lorax held out his hands. "Come on! We got to go!"

Everyone began to form into a circle, including Guy. Guy whipped his head back at his dead parents, his heart shattering into a million pieces.

"They're in the better place, Guy," The Lorax uttered softly, who sympathetically gazed at Guy.

Guy turned back to his group, tears streaming down on his cheeks while shutting his eyes tightly.

They teleported out of Stovepipe Junction and disappeared without a trace.

To Be Continued...