The Rockin' Rodents

To Rock or Not to Rock the Kasba

The next day, the rodents met for rehearsal and to decide what to do after David Meowie wanted them out of the way and didn't mind using any means possible including killing them. Agent Jake and Elwood came to speak to them.

"This craziness has to stop!" said Jimmy, "Alice Looper almost killed us."

The agents explained that Looper had been taken into custody but that he refused to give them any information.

"If you can provoke him at the next round of the battle of the bands, maybe we get him to give away his plans, we might even catch him red-handed if he has to do his dirty work."

"I'm getting tired of being the cheese in the trap, and the trap not springing. This is your last chance, the next time we won't play," said Jimmy on behalf of the band.

Alice Looper did let something slip, the rest of the fat cats will be there for some kind of banquet.

"What's on the menu?" asked Hammy, who was always hungry and was also thinking that "Cheese in the Trap" was at least album title material if not the new name of the band, this time he was going to put his foot down.

"We are!" said Jerry as he realized the horrible implications of what the agents were saying.

"We'll have the place surrounded with a special canine unit, and armed mice and rats. We'll put microphones on all of you so you'll be in no danger," said agent Jake.

"We'll be in the audience too, undercover, ready to get you to safety at a moment's notice," said Elwood.

Suzie was just about to ask "Where's the gig?" when in came the funkiest entourage that Jerry had ever seen.

Strangely, Jerry wasn't quite sure what an entourage was exactly. He'd seen the word mentioned in some music magazines and knew it was a group of fans that went with you or something like that, but as soon as Jerry saw them it was the only word that did the group justice.

There were two twins both, female mice and they were kind of dressed like the women that Jerry had seen outside of Uncle Eddie's place. There were several rats and mice, who only seemed to be concerned with answering their cellphones and putting people rather rudely on hold. Everybody was dressed in outrageous clothes in a rainbow of bright colors. They were laughing and talking too quickly to follow, like some kind of mobile party.

At the center was Mister Cheese, unlike the people around him, he walked with a serene calmness. As the two groups met, power entourage on one side, Rockin rodents on the other, that coolness, chilled out in waves of invisible energy. This created a little space for Mr. Cheese to step into.

"I'm looking for "lee Mouse", El petite souris" he said in a deep drawl. "Jerry, that is," he clarified.

Jerry stepped into the circle, "That's me, Mr. Cheese, we've met before, when you tried to teach me to..."

"Yeah, we met at the Hell club, shame it went up in smoke" Mr. Cheese interrupted and lowered his sunglasses and winked at Jerry.

Realizing that Mr. Cheese didn't want anyone knowing his secret identity, Jerry agreed. It made him a bit like a superhero, thought Jerry. Mild-mannered cheese-making teacher by day, a funky superstar at night.

"Well, young mouse, You and your band, you've got the touch, mmmm-uh-ughooo" Mr. Cheese said with some singsong in between. "and you Jimmy, it's good to see you back in the game, brother waaugh!" he said twirling

"We've gotta jam, mouse, that stuff right there, well, it's got soul," said Mr. Cheese indicating to the rest of the band.

"Thanks, Mr. Cheese, but we're kinda in the middle of something"

"Yeah, we're the cheese and in the trap and some fat cats are going to eat us" explained Tina.

"Nobody's going to eat anybody ma'am," agent Jake spoke up.

"That's right! Nobody's going to eat my new star act, that I am about to sign to my label" said Mr. Cheese.

"Star act?" piped up Suzie.

"Yeah, baaabbby! You've all got soul and soul has got to be brought to the world, to make it a better place; Amen! I said can I get an Amen!"

"AMEN!" echoed his entourage. If this was one of those animated movies for children there would be a musical number here, but it isn't, so instead there was a brief uncomfortable silence.

Jimmy turned to Jerry and the band. "So this is it guys, You've got a contract with a label, you can start making your first steps to being rock stars, there's no reason to finish playing the battle of the bands."

"But we signed the contract Jimmy if we don't play the gig, you'll lose your music and David Meowie will escape forever." Jerry pointed out what the rest of the band was thinking.

"Yeah Jerry, we're behind you one hundred percent," Tina said, "and the agents WILL be there this time," she said in an angry tone to Agents Jake and Elwood.

"What happened next?" asked Ariana, interrupting the story.

"That'll have to wait we've got a lot of work to do and tomorrow is another day," said Jerry.