Home Alone in Pure Heart Valley

Chapter 5

It took some time, but at last, the aero-transport carrying the sheriff's group had finally landed in Lunarton City.

As though if it were no different from the rush back in Pure Heart Valley, Mao Mao was already dashing past the entry gate and towards the nearest public area in the aeroport, looking for the first available phone. Eugene was flying right behind him, following closely for the same reason as the sheriff was. Badgerclops was struggling to keep up with the former two's mad dash, considering he wasn't a runner and he was carrying the other five Sweetypie kids under one arm. By the time Mao Mao and Eugene did find a phone, he was panting and gasping for air.

The phone Mao Mao and Eugene approached happened to already be occupied by another user who was in the middle of their own conversation with whoever they were talking to. At the very least, Eugene's and Mao Mao's approach got their attention, making them turn to face the two.

"Excuse us, but we really need to use the phone..." Eugene hurriedly but politely told the other person. But before things could go any further, aside from the stranger's brief confused expression, Mao Mao radically had a different approach.

"Just hand over the phone!" the black cat crowed loud enough for other people around him and his group to hear, snatching the phone's receiver from the stranger's hand. Mao Mao's unbridled aggression was enough to make the person back away and run, unwilling to escalate things further. Once Mao Mao had the phone, he wasted no time getting right to talking. "Hello? Hello, hello?" he enunciated more normally into the receiver, "I have an emergency! It's –" He paused when he heard the unfamiliar voice speaking gibberish to him, making him change his course of action. "Sorry, they'll have to call you back," he finished just as rapidly and hung up. "Here, Eugene," he told the older bat, handing him a coin for him to put into the phone. Mao Mao then spun over to Badgerclops, tossing him a little pocketbook filled with written contact info. "Badgerclops, get right to calling everyone in Pure Heart Valley! Call up as many houses as you can!" Badgerclops got right to dialing the numbers on his robot arm.

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Adorabat was still in the kitchen, peeking out the window from just under the countertop.

"This is ridiculous," she complained to herself. "What am I doing hiding like this? I fight monsters and other bad guys every day. Only a wimp would be hiding from burglars, and I'm not a wimp." She puffed up her chest and took on a stern expression. "I'm the sheriff of the house!"

Adorabat immediately went back to the front door and slid it open to march out (after closing it behind her). She would have flown, but she opted to just tread on the layered snow. It may have been deep, but she was light enough to walk on the surface without sinking down to her ears.

"Hey!" she yelled, "I'm not afraid of you!" She looked left and right for whoever tried to invade the house earlier, hoping they would come out in response to her voice. No such response came.

Adorabat tried again. "Hey jerks! I said I'm not afraid of you!" No one showed in her line of sight.

Adorabat tried being even louder. "You hear me? I said I'm not scared of you! Come out and face me, you big dummies!"

*CRUNCH* Right on cue, a massive shadowy figure landed right on the snow from above, like he had just jumped from a tree. The meteoric landing was powerful enough to disperse the snow around him like they were just clouds.

Adorabat widened her eyes, staring right up at the figure's head to face who she thought would not show up any time in the winter. Even in the darkness of the night sky, she could still recognize the guy's face, even if it were just an outline.