*Hey guys!!! I'm back with another chapter of Past Troubles Remake. This is published on July 1, 2021. If you guys are enjoying this book and this chapter, don't be afraid to vote and spam the comment section. That would be greatly appreciated. Warning: a tiny bit of blood. The song used is called "Hide and Seek" by Johnny T. I felt like this fits the chapter perfectly. Enjoy!*

Flashback:

"Look, guys! We can talk about this!" Mike shouted to the bears holding him hostage outside of the theater.

The lead bear rolled his eyes and put Mike in his mouth, earning a screech from the mouse. Before the bear could swallow the mouse, a door was prompted open, hitting him in the stomach.

Mike flew out of the bear's mouth with a yelp, shaking the saliva off of him. The car backed up and it revealed a familiar young woman mouse in a blue sparkling dress.

"Get in! Quick!" The young woman mouse, Nancy, shouted. Her hands were gripped on the steering wheel of her boyfriend's new sports car.

Mike, Nancy's boyfriend, sighed in heavy relief when she saved him from the clutches of the bear's mouth and got into the car quickly. The performance from the theater was bustling and loud in the background.

"Thank you, sweetheart!" Mike responded happily as Nancy drove away. The bear gangs, the ones who tried to kill Mike, jumped onto the car but Nancy was able to swerve them off.

Both of the mice breathed heavily as Mike gazed at his girlfriend lovingly.

"That was a close one," Mike said, letting out a small chuckle.

Nancy let out a small giggle back. "Yeah."

Unbeknownst to both of the mice, the lead bear perked up behind the car, gripping the back with his claws.

Nancy was the first to notice with a gasp. "Mike, look out!"

Before Mike could respond, Nancy shoved him out of his seat to dodge the bear's attack at him. The car swerved when Nancy let go to save Mike, crashing into the dark alleyway. Mike tumbled into the asphalt of the road, off of the car. His body was on the ground for a while as he lifted his eyelids to see the car in a still perfect condition except for the front bumper since it ran into the dumpster in the dark alleyway. The lead bear yanked Nancy out of her seat, earning a yelp from the distressed mistress.

"So, you're Mike's girl?" the lead bear replied while putting his claw right up against her chin.

Nancy's tears shimmered while being threatened with a claw in exchange for a knife.

"Guess you're just a little snack," The bear replied while getting ready to devour her.

Before Mike could stand up and fight the bear away from his love, a mysterious sleek black car drove over him in the street.

"Richard," A mysterious sleek voice called as Mike glanced up to see the lead bear respond and gazing into the black car above him. "You're eating mice now?"

"What? One of them stole my money from me. And this is his girlfriend," the lead bear growled as he held scared Nancy up in front of whoever was in the car.

"Your money? Richard, are you forgetting who you are paying?"

Mike blinked at the question while seeing his mistress in distress and scared.

Richard growled again. "I know who I'm paying. But if he ain't having my money--"

"Well, then steal some more money. It's that simple, Richard."

"Then what should I do with her?" Richard snarled with Nancy in his grasp.

Mike breathed heavily, too scared to step out.

"Ooh, pretty little mouse, isn't she?" A sleek voice replied.

Mike clenched his fist with a growl.

"Put her in a cage. She'll be a cool little trinket."

Richard growled while rolling his eyes. "Yes, boss."

"N-No!" Mike shouted as he got out from underneath the car. Before he could do anything to rescue his mistress, Richard slapped him away from Nancy. Mike flew back into the streets where he tumbled into the sewers again but he gripped the edge and lifted himself.

"Mike!" He could hear Nancy crying out as she's put in a cage.

"Nancy!!" Mike cried out as his lover was in the black car now and the car drove away. The bear, Richard was about to go after Mike, making the mouse flinch and fall right into the sewers. The disgusting sewer water got him away from the opening.

"You better be dead next time, pipsqueak!!!" He heard Richard shouting as Mike was screaming all the way down until he gripped onto the ledge on the side and pulled himself out of the water.

Breathing heavily and drenched in disgusting sewer water, Mike wrung out his hat while gazing up at the night sky. He couldn't stop thinking about his girlfriend...the people in the theater...he finally learned to accept them...and now...he lost them. He lost his lover, who was more than just some hot babe to have by your side. Mike thought about all of those times where he pushed everyone to their limits, angering them in the process. They were not his friends...not his family. But Nancy...she's the one who saved him and gave him a chance. A chance to redeem himself...but now...he lost her...just like everyone else. For the first time, in a long time, Mike sobbed and hugged his legs in the sewers, crying.

"What have I done? What have I done?" Mike questioned himself as his little body shook. And no one in the streets or in the theater didn't have a care in the world of where's he at or how he's doing.

~.~

Present:

"The number one rule that my dad always told me is to never wander around the city alone unless you're armed," Johnny, the gorilla, cautioned Nooshy as they were walking down the streets of Catalonia in the early dusk.

The young lynx couldn't help but look at all of the huge buildings in fascination. "He sounds a bit overprotective of you."

"Well, he's the one who taught me how to use a gun," Johnny replied with a shrug. "There's a lot of gang activity in Catalonia but it's mostly in the bad areas ya need to watch out for."

"You seem to be an expert in gang activity."

"I thought I told you I was part of the gang."

"Right, right. Then...are you even armed?"

Johnny took out a handgun, freaking Nooshy out a little bit. "I'm always armed. I'm surprised you didn't think a gangster could ever be armed."

"Well...I trust you more than most gangsters I've encountered," Nooshy replied, her tone shaky.

Johnny nodded his head in understanding. "That's fair. Well, now you trust me enough to use it to protect you and me."

Nooshy let out a laugh. "As long as it's for protection."

On cue, both of the animals heard glass breaking. They both glanced ahead of them to see a leopard tumbling onto the sidewalk. Johnny guided Nooshy into a hiding space in the alleyway while peeking around the corner to see the leopard getting beat up by something small with a cloak.

Johnny witnessed the leopard pushed back against the building with a dagger against his throat.

"Where is she?!"

The voice from the small cloak figure was too familiar that Johnny gasped in shock to recognize who it was.

"I ain't talking to ya, pipsqueak," the leopard spat back.

Johnny turned his head to Nooshy. "Nooshy, stay here. And don't come out unless I say so."

"Whoa, whoa, what if you get hurt?" Nooshy voiced her concern.

"Then call the ambulance. But until then, stay here," Johnny whispered to her as he emerged out of the shadows and behind the cloaked figure.

The leopard glanced up to notice the tall angry gorilla behind the small cloak figure, pulling out a handgun with brows drawn together.

"Well, who do you work for then?" The cloaked figure interrogated further, not aware that Johnny was behind him and scaring the leopard to talk.

The leopard was about to give another snarky response until he noticed Johnny behind the cloaked figure again, cocking his gun quietly. "I-I don't know who it is...but I can give you-you a name of someone who might know more than me. Chester Bellows. He's closer to the boss than me. I'm just an accountant for him," The leopard answered fearfully. "And I don't know where your girlfriend is. She's with the man I don't know but if you go find Chester Bellows, he'll be able to help to answer your question. N-Now please, let me go!!"

"Oh...okay," the cloaked figure responded and let go of the leopard, who just bolted away from them as fast as he could. "Dang...I didn't think I bring fear out of people--"

The cloaked figure turned to see Johnny standing over him.

"Mike?" Johnny recognized.

The cloaked figure took his hood off while revealing himself as Mike, the white mouse. "Johnny?"

Johnny glanced behind him. "Okay, it's safe to come out!"

The young Lynx stepped out of the shadows and approached by Johnny's side. "Who's that?"

"Who's the kid?" Mike questioned.

Johnny sighed deeply. "Nooshy, this is Mike. Mike, this is Nooshy."

"What kind of a name is that?" Mike probed.

"I do warn you that he can be a butthole sometimes," Johnny added with a whisper to Nooshy.

"Hey, I heard that," Mike pointed out with a withering glare at the gorilla.

Johnny leaned in again. "Just a warning."

Nooshy shrugged her shoulders. "What are you? An assassin?"

"I'm a vigilante," Mike clarified. "There's a huge difference, kid."

"Really? You punish people for crimes instead of going to the police about it," Nooshy challenged with a teasing smile.

"Hey, it's called justice," Mike said defensively.

Nooshy glanced up at Johnny with a smug smirk. "I like getting his goat."

Mike rolled his eyes at the kids.

Johnny gazed at the mouse. "Who are you going after?"

"There's this mob boss who...who just took my girlfriend out of nowhere. And...I couldn't see who it was. I've been chasing this gang for so long that it's gonna take more than a year to find them...I hope she's doing okay," Mike uttered, lost in thought. "You know, I need to find someone who's been in the gang before, I might be able to track down gangs easier."

"You're looking at him, mate," Johnny stated plainly.

Mike turned and gazed up at Johnny wide-eyed. "Wait, seriously? You're part of the gang."

"Yeah."

Mike blinked incredulously with a relieved smile. "Oh, thank goodness I found ya! Is there some place we can talk privately? You never know when someone is watching us."

Johnny and Nooshy glanced at each other and then back at the mouse.

"I know a perfect place," Johnny determined.

"Alright, lead the way," Mike responded.

Johnny led Nooshy and Mike through the city streets to a safe place he knew.

~.~

Buster tossed and turned in the desk drawer, breathing heavily until he snapped his eyes open with a gasp. He couldn't sit up abruptly as cold sweat was dripping all over his face. He didn't remember his nightmare other than his breathing accelerated and his heart pounding against his chest as if he's being chased by someone in his dream. He tried going back to sleep but he couldn't. His mind was now racing to remember what the nightmare was and why it scared him.

Maybe a little walk shouldn't hurt.

With that in mind, Buster put on his only suit in the desk drawer and opened it to crawl out of it. He gazed out of the window of his office from his chair, seeing the dark early night coming by. He took a deep breath as he climbed down the chair and exited the office, with keys in his pocket to get back in.

After he exited the theater, Buster strolled into the city night to enjoy the fresh air. Unbeknownst to him, a dark shadowy figure was watching him strolling out of the theater and through the city. Then...it followed him.

Buster sniffed in the fresh air as he looked all around Catalonia to see its beauty again. In all honesty, he missed Catalonia. He missed the air, the familiar feeling, and, most of all, his good memories of growing up. However, the koala showman couldn't help but felt a tingle of fear in his soul. Something wasn't right. Nothing felt right or at home. That's when the koala took a glimpse behind him and noticed someone following him, who had a dark hood and blended into the shadows perfectly but Buster could see the figure. Was this part of his hallucination?

Buster kept an eye on the figure, hoping that the figure wasn't following him around while crossing the street. But his fears were confirmed when the figure crossed the street along with him, following him at a safe distance.

The koala didn't feel comfortable in his own skin. Buster began to walk a little faster while taking glimpses behind him to see the figure coming closer and closer. With deep heavy scared breaths, Buster managed to turn a sharp corner into the dark alleyway, trying to find a hiding spot quickly.

The figure peeked around the corner to see that he's nowhere to be seen in the dark alleyway. However, without the figure knowing, Buster was hidden underneath the dumpster, watching the figure's boots stomping onto the concrete in a slow intimidating rhythm. His breathing picked up but he covered his mouth to suppress his volume. He watched the hooded figure's boots taking steps to pass by him. When the hooded figure disappeared, Buster took a moment to scan his surroundings before sighing in relief and crawled out from underneath the dumpster. He quickly got out of the dark alleyway, strolling faster than he would've when he was just taking a good walk out into the city at night.

The koala reached towards a street most familiar to him.

I might be able to get to Eddie's poolhouse before someone jumps me.

Not having his phone with him, Buster couldn't call his friend to say he's on his way to Eddie's poolhouse. The koala began to follow down the street, hoping to reach Eddie's place before whoever was following him finds him. Buster kept his shoulders tensed as he flicked glances around him. His beating heart made a sound in his eardrums as his blood began to rise. Something's coming. He kept turning and glancing around him until he became more paranoid than ever.

No. No, keep going, keep going.

His breathing became heavy as he felt a cold wind on his back. Buster's breath hitched as he stood on the sidewalk, frozen. Was someone jumping behind him?

Buster turned quickly and saw no one behind him. He gave a sigh of relief as he faced forward, his only mistake. A punch slammed into his lower jaw, shoving him against a brick wall. The koala stumbled to get back up as he saw the hooded figure with a knife out.

"You got to be kidding me," Buster said with a growl.

The figure almost stabbed him with a knife but missed his head by a few inches. Buster found an opening to escape and bolted away from the hooded assassin.

Buster began to run up the road to Eddie's poolhouse, convinced that he won't be safe unless he reached his friend's place. He heard footsteps chasing after him before he got tackled and his small body was pounded against the wall. The koala faced the hooded figure as he breathed heavily.

"Who are you?!" Buster shouted his question as if the figure could even answer it.

The figure was silent, listening to Buster's fearful pants. Before Buster could talk further, he was thrown off the street he's going on, tumbling into the dark alleyway. The koala got up but the figure was quick and kicked him in the gut harshly that his stomach did circles. Buster felt like he's going to puke as he felt another punch in the side of the head.

He fell over on his back onto the floor as the figure stepped on his neck, crushing his vocal cords while Buster tried to breathe. He glanced up in fear as he saw the figure pulling out a gun that looked too familiar to him. Buster shut his eyes to avoid the visions of whenever he sees the gun.

"Hey!!" The figure turned to a familiar voice. Buster glanced over to see Eddie with his headphones wrapped securely around his neck with an angry glare at the figure. Before the figure could do anything, Eddie charged at the figure to shove him off of Buster, who finally gained his breath back.

Eddie was fighting with the figure with a gun until the gun was able to point at his stomach and the figure pulled the trigger out of quick reaction. Buster gasped once he saw his friend shot in the stomach, causing him to collapse onto the ground and bleed.

"Eddie!" Buster cried as he crawled towards his friend to see if he's awake.

Eddie was losing consciousness as Buster glanced up to see the gun pointed at him. This was it. It's the end. He must accept his fate with his eyes closed. The gunshot sounded but it wasn't from the figure in front of him.

The blood splashed onto Buster's face as he opened his eyes and gasped to see the figure's chest bleeding. However, it didn't go for his heart. As the figure turned, the familiar gorilla punched the assassin in the face while gripping his cloak and threw him away from Buster and Eddie.

"J-Johnny?" Buster uttered in recognition.

Nooshy and Mike came besides Johnny, seeing the figure was bleeding out. The figure dropped his gun while Nooshy picked it up.

"Moon?!" Mike noticed Buster with a gasp.

"Mike?" Buster uttered as Johnny examined Eddie to see if he's okay.

Mike turned to the figure with a glare and hopped towards the figure to pull off his hood, finding a tiger under the hood. With brows narrowed, Mike pulled on the collar of the tiger assassin with a growl.

"Alright, pal!" Mike barked at the tiger. "Who are you and who are you working for?"

"Yeah!" Nooshy joined with a gun pointed at the figure. However, Mike glanced back to see her fingers were on the trigger.

"Whoa, whoa, kid, hold on," Mike replied as he helped Vivace pulled her fingers away from the trigger. "There, don't pull the trigger unless I say."

"Oh, okay." Nooshy cleared her throat and yelled, "WHO ARE YOU, AND WHO ARE YOU WORKING FOR?! AND WHY ARE YOU HUNTING MR. MOON AND EDDIE?!?"

"There ya go, kid!" Mike gave her a thumbs-up as he turned back to the assassin with a glare. "Okay, pal, answer her questions. Now!"

The tiger assassin chuckled at them. "How typical. A mouse and a child threatening me with a gun."

"Just answer the questions or my little friend here will pull the trigger. And she seemed a bit too trigger happy to not shoot you," Mike referred to Nooshy behind him.

Nooshy smirked a bit.

The tiger growled at them. "My name is meaningless to the high society."

"Okay, Meaningless, it's nice to meet you. Now, who are you working for, and why are you hunting Mr. Moon?" Mike interrogated.

The tiger spat at the mouse and the lynx. It scared the lynx as her finger accidentally rested on the trigger and shot the tiger but on the outer ring of his ear.

The tiger cried out in pain as Mike tensed up a bit and turned to Nooshy.

"This is why you don't rest your fingers on the trigger," Mike cautioned Nooshy as she got her fingers off of the trigger.

Nooshy blinked. "Oops."

"That's fine, now he knows you're being serious," Mike responded abrasively as he saw the tiger looking up at both of them in fear and anger mixed in his face.

"Does she even know how to handle a gun?!" The tiger barked at Mike and Nooshy.

"Don't worry she'll learn. You're lucky she just got your ear. Maybe next time you won't be so lucky when she pulled the trigger again by accident. Now, answer the questions--"

"I rather die than tell you freaks!" the tiger snarled.

"That can be arranged," Mike responded with a glare. "After you tell us what's going on."

There's a pause as the tiger sighed deeply. "Fine."

Mike and Nooshy had their eyes widened until Mike saw a dagger. Before either of them could probe on or noted the dagger, the tiger slit his own throat, ending his own life once and for all.

Mike and Nooshy gasped in horror as the tiger assassin just smiled evilly at them and eventually exhaled his last breath.

Mike blinked. "Well, that happened."

Nooshy noticed something in the stranger's pocket as she looted him and noticed a box that she could fit into her green hoodie pocket.

"Eddie!"

Nooshy and Mike turned to see Johnny trying to wake Eddie up while Buster was trembling right next to him.

Mike and Nooshy gasped in worry as Nooshy put down the gun and gave it to Johnny to put away.

"We should call the hospital," Nooshy determined.

"Wait, no. The mob boss might have the doctors and the nurses wrapped around his finger," Mike theorized.

"Okay, now you're just being paranoid," Nooshy said with a laugh.

"I have every right to be paranoid," Mike responded defensively.

Johnny lifted Eddie up a bit while looking at the small group of people with him. "Follow me."

The koala, the mouse, and the lynx followed their gorilla friend, who's carrying an injured sheep, out of the dark alleyway.

~.~

Johnny opened the red door to his garage and flipped on the switch to light up the place. The garage was huge with just two cars while work-out equipment was in the middle of the garage and a couch to lay on was right by the workbench.

"Okay, Nooshy, I'm going to need you to close the door and locked it," Johnny requested with injured Eddie in his arms.

Nooshy closed the door and locked it.

"Mike or Mr. Moon, I need towels, he's bleeding really badly," Johnny informed Mike and Buster.

Buster went right away to get the towels out of the drawers and carried them over to the couch.

Johnny noticed Buster holding the towels and unfolded them to have the spread on the couch as the gorilla set Eddie's bleeding body on it. Johnny walked away to wash his hands and took out the first aid kit. The gorilla came back to the couch to find Buster trying to keep his friend awake with tears in his eyes.

"Why was he going to kill you?" Eddie managed to ask, trying not to focus on his wound so much.

Buster blinked. "I-I don't know."

Johnny set the first aid kit aside with a few tools that could help him pull a bullet out of the sheep. "Okay, Eddie, this is gonna hurt. Just hold still and don't focus too much on your wound."

Eddie nodded his head as Johnny got out the tourniquets and used his big fingers to apply pressure on Eddie's wound a bit more to stop the bleeding.

Eddie threw his head back with teeth clenched and eyes shut tight.

"It's okay, it's okay, I'll get it out as quickly as I can," Johnny reassured the sheep as he glanced up at Buster. "Mr. Moon, do you mind distracting Eddie while I help with his wound?"

"No, I don't mind at all," Buster responded as he glanced down at Eddie. "Hey, Eddie, do you remember that one time we were kids and we messed with a beehive?"

"I thought it's a wasp nest. You got stung," Eddie responded with a small smile.

"You did too," Buster added with a small giggle. "Yeah, I think you're right. It's a wasp's nest because they sting us more times than bees so, it's probably a wasp's nest."

Eddie nodded while feeling the tourniquets getting inside of him, shifting uncomfortably and painfully. "Ow."

"Sorry," Johnny apologized. "I think I'm grabbing the bullet. Just keep going."

Mike noticed a bruise around Buster's neck. "You need help with the bruise, Moon?"

"Nah, I'm fine, Mike," Buster uttered while focusing on Eddie. "Do you remembered a time where we used to pick oranges from your mother's garden?"

"Yeah, they were delicious," Eddie replied with a smile, trying his best to distract himself with his conversation.

Johnny managed to pull the bullet out, earning a few pain grunts from the sheep, and placed the bullet away from him. "There." Johnny wrapped up the wound with a bandage from the first aid kit.

Eddie breathed deeply as he stared up at the ceiling. "Wow...that's incredibly painful."

"Yeah," Johnny replied.

Nooshy took out the box from the stranger she looted earlier and opened it in curiosity. Her eyes went broad as she pulled out the photos stacked on top of one another. "Uh...guys, I found something interesting on that weird assassin's body."

Buster, Mike, Eddie, and Johnny glanced over as she was able to reach out enough for the men to see the pictures with her.

The first picture they noticed was a picture of everyone getting off the bus in Catalonia.

"Bloody Mary, that must've been taken earlier today," Johnny pointed as Nooshy flipped to the next picture, which was of Buster and Rosita talking. Then, she flipped the next photo for everyone to see Buster with Johnny and Ash. Then the next photo was of Buster and Gunter, laughing at each other's jokes near the theater. Then...there's a picture of Eddie and Buster playing video games in Eddie's poolhouse.

"Uh, Mike...I think your little paranoia is on to something," Nooshy uttered with a shiver down her spine.

"Good, you noticed," Mike responded.

Johnny gasped as he noticed a pattern in these photos.

Buster blinked while tilting his head. "W-Why are they after everybody here?"

"Buster," Eddie managed to squeeze out while adjusting his position on the couch despite being injured. "I don't think they're after everybody."

Johnny glanced up at Buster. "I think they're after you, Mr. Moon."

Buster blinked, taking in the information.

~.~

In an old apartment where old folks live, the front door became unlocked and the knob was pulled down. It was pushed open by a kind friendly old lizard with light green scales and light brown eyes, wearing a red plaid shirt covered by overalls.

"I'm home," he announced in a gentle tone as he shut the door to lock it.

"Herman," he heard his name being called by a familiar raspy voice.

"Karen?" Herman, the lizard, uttered as he followed the sound of her voice. Herman arrived at the kitchen and switched on the lights as his eyes went wide in shock at what he discovered.

"Karen!" Herman called out as he ran up to the familiar Ms. Crawly laying on the floor, bleeding out with a shattered glass from the glass sliding door around her. Her legs were bleeding while her breathing became more anxious.

"I-I can't feel my legs, Herman," Ms. Crawly replied with fearful tears shimmering in her eyes.

Herman breathed heavily in fear. "Hang on. I got you."

Herman dialed the emergency number, his body trembling to see his elderly girlfriend hurt and in pain. "Yes, my girlfriend is badly hurt. She can't feel her legs and--yes, yes, uh, 143 North Muldove Avenue. Yes...Yes. She's badly hurt. She can't feel her legs and she's scared. What do I do until you guys get here? Uh-huh...uh-huh. I'll do that. When are you--? Ten minutes? Okay, thank you."

Herman hanged up the phone as he picked Ms. Crawly up by her feet and carried her into the living room. He placed her on the couch and let her rest on the couch. Before he could leave to get ice for her legs, Ms. Crawly stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"Please, call Mr. Moon. Please," Ms. Crawly begged.

Herman nodded his head. "I'll get ice for you first then I'll call your boss for you."

Herman scampered into the kitchen, grabbed a couple of bags of ice cubes, and returned to place them on Ms. Crawly's leg, earning a painful hiss from her.

Herman dialed her boss's number quickly, breathing heavily. But all he heard were rings. He shook his head. "He's...He's not answering."

"He must be asleep. Try Johnny," Ms. Crawly urged her boyfriend as he called Johnny's number.

~.~

Johnny felt his phone vibrate in his jacket as he pulled it out and answered it automatically.

"Hello?"

Johnny's face brightened up a bit when he heard a familiar voice. "Herman! How's it--?"

His question got interrupted instantly, his face scrunched up from confusion. "Whoa, whoa, Herman, slow down--"

When he got the caller, Herman, to slow down, Johnny's eyes went wide in horror. His breathing stopped for a moment and then it picked up again, breathing heavily.

"Bloody Mary...yeah...we'll be there. Just keep her safe," Johnny instructed with a firm nod. "Okay...bye."

Johnny hanged up the phone, gazing off while his pupils shrunk in terror.

"Johnny," Buster called, staring at him. "What happened?"

Johnny blinked once and then turned to Buster, Eddie, Mike, and Nooshy. "Ms. Crawly's hurt."

The group's eyes went wide in shock.

A few minutes later, Johnny and his friends got into his black truck, driving down the streets of Catalonia like a crazy man running from the cops.

"Whoa, Johnny, slow down!" Eddie yelled in concern but Johnny just went faster.

He swerved through the corners, almost hitting the cars around them.

"Johnny, look out!" Buster pointed at the car in front of them but Johnny dodged the car swiftly without a scratch.

"Whoa, kid, you're going to get us into a crash!" Mike warned Johnny but Johnny didn't listen.

Nooshy smiled widely, laughing for the thrills. "Whooo!! Faster!!! Faster!!!"

Johnny pressed the gas pedal hard as he finally arrived at the hospital, speeding in the parking lot and headed towards the emergency room. He swiftly slid into the empty parking spot without hitting anything except a small bump from the curb right in front of them.

The animals breathed heavily as Nooshy pumped her fists up.

"Whoo! Who's up for round two?!" Nooshy cheered as Johnny unbuckled his seatbelt.

The group ignored Nooshy's cheer while unbuckling theirs, letting Nooshy joined in as they got out of the truck and ran into the emergency room. Inside of the emergency room, Herman was just sitting in the waiting room, noticing them with wide eyes.

"I tried calling you, Mr. Moon--"

"I left my phone in my office," Buster explained quickly as Herman noticed a bruise around Buster's neck and a wound on Eddie's stomach.

"My, my, what happened?" Herman gasped in shock.

"We just got jumped. Is Ms. Crawly okay?" Buster questioned.

Herman nodded his head. "The doctors are just looking over her to make sure she's okay. I think she's in 208 if we need to see her."

Buster got ahead of everyone and entered Room 208 with the other animals behind him.

They saw Ms. Crawly laying on the hospital bed with her legs prompted up slightly for examination.

"Ms. Crawly!" Everyone exclaimed as Ms. Crawly glanced up at her group with a soft smile.

"Oh, Mr. Moon, I thought you're asleep--"

"No, I was with Johnny the whole time," Buster answered while climbing up beside her. "What happened? Who hurt you?"

"Yeah, what's their name?" Mike interrogated, earning a withering glare from Eddie.

"Whoa, what happened to your legs?" Nooshy gasped in shock.

"Who hurt you, Ms. Crawly?" Johnny jumped in out of concern for his former piano teacher.

"Whoa, whoa, guys. Give her some air and let her speak," Eddie calmed everyone down. "Go ahead, Ms. Crawly."

Ms. Crawly scratched her head as she stared up at the ceiling to think. Then she glanced back at the group. "I-I was just moon-bathing when it happened. I didn't know who hurt me or what the person looked like. The only two things I can recall was...someone just shot me in the leg and my body just froze up and...I saw someone there. I don't know who it was but...I think it's a man...with a hood. And he had a sniper rifle from what I can recall. When I saw him, I limped for the glass sliding door until he got me on my other leg. I fell, opened the door, and crawled inside. The third bullet broke through the glass and I was so scared out of my wits. Thank goodness, Herman came home before it got more intense. And...that's how he found me on the floor."

Buster turned his head to the old lizard. "Herman, were you able to hear those gunshots?"

"No...I didn't hear them," Herman uttered in fear.

Ms. Crawly edged a small reassuring smile. "It's okay. He wouldn't have because...I think the rifle had a silencer on."

"Right, since both Herman and Ms. Crawly couldn't hear them until they felt it, it's hard to hear them when you walk in," Johnny reaffirmed Ms. Crawly's theory.

The alligator doctor entered the room as the group glanced up at him.

"How is she, Doc?" Mike questioned the doctor.

The doctor sighed deeply. "We took her x-rays and removed the bullets from her legs...but the bullets broke her legs. So...she's gonna be stuck in a wheelchair for quite a while."

"For how long?" Buster asked worriedly.

"For a few weeks at best. Her femurs were both broken so...it'll take about six to eight weeks to heal," The doctor explained.

Buster breathed heavily as Ms. Crawly rubbed his arm to soothe him.

"It's going to be okay, Mr. Moon," Ms. Crawly replied.

"But...if Ms. Crawly's out for a while...who's going to be the one doing the files, stagehand, and helping with the soundboards?" Mike asked while everyone glanced up at Buster.

Buster pondered for a moment. "Honestly, guys...I don't know." 

To Be Continued...