If Po Survived (ST3 AU)

Chapter 23: Lake Dipsy

"You really think so...?" Po asked Fiona, tilting her head.

"Yup! I know so. I watch enough human TV shows to learn about all this stuff." Fiona said with a smile.

Po then chuckled. She had indeed found out what this 'love' was and was now a little conflicted. Should she just walk up to her companion and straight up tell him that she knew his feelings? Was she feeling the same? She didn't know this love thing well enough to figure out if she too was feeling the same way.

"You ok?" Fiona asked.

Po nodded with a smile. "Yup! Just thinking! I'll be ok."

Fiona smiled back. "Alright! Call me if you need anything else, friend. Cya later!" She said, going back to the communications center.

Po stood up and then decided to head back to her room before overhearing voices. One sounded like Miles' and the other's sounded like Walten. She poked her head out and then saw the two talking.

"Look, I'll admit, you three are good, but I'm not sure you're ready for a mission yet. Especially one that could finally give us a bigger advantage." Miles said.

Walten frowned. "I think we should at least join this one. We've killed NewBorns way before we even became rookies. I get that we're not ready for bigger missions, but this one is simple!"

"...Alright, fine. Although you may wanna choose one of your friends. We can't risk all our rookies, you know?"

Walten thought for a moment before seeing Po walk over to him. He faced her. "Wanna go on our first mission-"

"DO I?!" She exclaimed before clearing her throat. "Uhh, I mean, I'm honored to do so?"

Miles snorted. "Keep smiling. Lightens up the mood." He said before grabbing his helmet again and putting it on. "Meet you two at the helicopter."

Po and Walten faced each other before smiling and then following Miles into the helicopter.

Hours passed flying through the sky and searching multiple places. They couldn't find a single rare New Born. It was the last one they needed in order to track and create a possible cure for any infected. Eventually, their last spot was a swamp of some kind.

Anne covered her nose a bit. "This place smells."

Po shrugged. "I think it looks kinda cool- OH, BLEGH!" She almost barfed into the swamp water.

Miles and Walten seemed very amused before the helicopter landed and everyone hopped out, guns and weapons in hand. "Alright, this may seem like something straight out of a horror movie, but let's split up. Contact any of us if you see anything." Miles commanded.

Everyone nodded before heading out. Anne looked around the swamp, and only heard the typical sounds of animals and only saw the sight of swamp water and moss. She wondered what New Born would go here before hearing footsteps that weren't her own.

She quickly turned around and pointed her gun, but saw nothing. She could still hear something. Then, the footsteps stopped, but the sound of something entering water was heard. She looked all around herself before seeing something, like some kind of antenna poke out of the water. She stayed quiet, and hid behind a tree.

The creature then hopped out. It was the green lizard creature and one of Shadow Tubby's generals. She gasped, but then covered her mouth.

'Dipsy' perked his reattached head and then looked from side to side, hissing. He then started to trudge around the water again. He wasn't looking for anyone or anything. He was looking for an exit out of the swamp to go somewhere. He must've gotten lost while going somewhere.

"I forget that these things have mouse turd brains." Anne whispered before grabbing her two way radio and leaning in. "Found one."

"Ok, what did you find?" Miles asked.

"The lizard one. Dipsy, right Po?" Anne asked.

"Dipsy's here?" Po replied with another question.

Walten gulped. "Oh, boy." He then shook his head. "Alright. We'll go and find you. Can you try to get him to stay over there?"

"I got an idea. He seems to be brain dead and lost." Anne said before grabbing a nearby pebble and skipping it across the water.

Dipsy growled and slashed his claws at the water. He looked around, but his red eyes couldn't see anything through the dark swamp. He then started to trudge around again before another pebble skipped across and he slashed at the water again. Another pebble flew behind him and he slashed the water. He roared and then started to try and slash at the water, as if it were a living being and he was trying to kill it.

The others then quietly showed up and Po sighed. "Dipsy didn't like swimming back home."

"He squealed at water." Walten whispered.

Miles then grabbed his rifle and loaded it with a tranquilizer dart. "Sleepy time, Loch Ness Dipsy."

Dipsy head the rifle being loaded and he turned around to see all four. But he didn't care about Po, Anne, or even Miles. His red eyes squinted when he saw Walten. He then saw the cowskin top hat on top of his head. HIS hat. He roared at Walten, unleashing his claws.

"...Anyone else think he's mad that I took his hat?"

Dipsy then lunged at Walten, roaring even louder.

Miles quickly fired the dart into Dipsy's neck, causing him to growl and then fall into the water. He grinned. "That takes care of that."

"Okay, let's get him back to-"

But then, Dipsy sprung out, but his eyes were now black. He then hopped out at them and then appeared in front of them. Miles tried to fire his gun, but the gun was caught and tossed into the water. Miles growled and then punched and kicked Dipsy. Dip stumbled backwards, but roared and slashed at his helmet and then punched him.

Anne grabbed her pistol and fired it at Dipsy's arm and leg.

Dipsy roared in pain, feeling the blood trickle down his limbs. He then raised his arm and swatted Anne into the lake.

"ANNE!!" Po screamed before her neck was grabbed and she was lifted into the air.

Dipsy cackled before unsheathing his claws again, but then someone kicked him right in the screen, cracking it and forcing him to drop the screen.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER." The Guardian then grabbed his chainsaw and revved it up.

Dipsy cracked his neck and then the two began fighting. Walten dodged the slashes of his claws and slashing into his scales. Dipsy eventually got the upper hand after minutes of fighting, he grabbed Walten by the arm and then threw him into the water.

Walten quickly got up, but he gulped when Dipsy grabbed him by the head and then forced his head underwater.

Po growled and then grabbed a gun and shot Dipsy in the back.

Dipsy roared in pain and let go of Walten. He then turned around and saw Po grab Walten's hat and shoot Dipsy with dart after dart.

The lake monster finally couldn't take it and passed out into the water, floating into it.

Walten took a giant breath and coughed and coughed. "Ow...I think water went up my nose."

"Are you ok?!" Po cried as she put his hat back on his head and went over.

"Yeah, I'm ok." Walten said. "Thanks for saving me back there."

Po felt something warm and pink appear on her cheeks. "You're...You're welcome."

After Miles and Anne chained Dipsy with handcuffs and then loaded him onto the helicopter, Miles faced the two. "Nice one back there. I seriously need to start hand to hand combat again. I'm getting rusty."

"Tell that to the 20 punching bags you broke." Anne said as she stepped in, Po and Walten following soon after.