Rat Gang Crew and The Overgrounders, Chapter 3: The Overgrounders’ Warning
The Rat Gang Crew sat huddled in their hideout after their daring exploration of the tunnels. Scarlett was pacing back and forth, her whiskers twitching with determination, while Atlas and Ivy reviewed the map of the burrow system.
Amelie, however, was unusually quiet. She kept thinking about the voices they had overheard and the plan to flatten their home. “We need allies,” she said finally, breaking the silence. “If we’re going to stop those diggers, we can’t do it alone.”
Scarlett stopped pacing and tilted her head. “Allies? Like who? The squirrel scouts? They’re too busy collecting acorns.”
Amelie shook her head. “Not the squirrels. The Overgrounders.”
The room went silent. Ivy dropped her pencil, and Atlas nearly choked on a cheese puff.
“The Overgrounders?!” Atlas sputtered. “You mean those rats? The ones who live above ground and think they’re better than everyone else?”
“Not all of them are like that,” Amelie argued. “And they know the humans better than we do. If anyone can help us figure out how to stop the construction, it’s them.”
Scarlett folded her arms. “And how do you propose we convince them? Last time I saw an Overgrounder, he tried to steal my scarf.”
“Let’s at least try,” Amelie pleaded. “We don’t have time to argue. The diggers are coming tomorrow.”
Later that evening, the Rat Gang Crew emerged cautiously from their hidden entrance into the bustling streets of Ratropolis. The overground world was noisy and bright, with streetlights casting long shadows and humans bustling in the distance. The Overgrounders had claimed an abandoned pizza shop as their headquarters. The smell of stale cheese and tomato sauce wafted through the air as they approached.
Two large rats with shiny fur and polished claws stood guard at the entrance. They eyed the gang suspiciously.
“What do you lot want?” one of them sneered, his tail flicking like a whip.
“We need to speak to your leader,” Amelie said, standing tall despite the quivering in her paws. “It’s urgent.”
The guard chuckled. “Urgent, huh? And what makes you think King Basil will waste his time on tunnel rats like you?”
“Because if he doesn’t, there won’t be a Ratropolis anymore!” Scarlett snapped.
The guards exchanged a glance, and after a tense moment, they stepped aside. “Follow me,” one of them said. “But don’t touch anything.”
King Basil, the leader of the Overgrounders, was lounging on a throne made of discarded pizza boxes when the Rat Gang Crew was ushered in. He was a sleek black rat with piercing eyes and a golden ring hanging from his ear.
“Well, well,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “What do we have here? A group of scruffy tunnel rats looking for handouts?”
“We’re here to save your home as much as ours,” Amelie said boldly. “The humans are sending in diggers to flatten the burrows.”
King Basil’s smirk faded slightly. “Digger trouble, you say?”
“Yes,” Ivy said, stepping forward nervously. “And they’re starting tomorrow. If they destroy the tunnels, they could collapse the entire foundation of Ratropolis.”
The Overgrounders murmured among themselves. King Basil tapped his claws against his throne, his sharp mind clearly at work. “I’ve heard rumors about Smithies Construction,” he said finally. “They’re relentless. Once they start, they won’t stop.”
“That’s why we need your help,” Amelie said. “You know the humans. Maybe you can talk to them or… or scare them off!”
King Basil laughed. “Scare off humans? My dear, you give us too much credit. But perhaps there’s another way.”
He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming. “There’s a human boy—Tommy Smith. He’s the son of the company’s owner. Rumor has it, he’s a bit of a troublemaker and doesn’t always agree with his father’s plans. If we can find him, maybe we can convince him to stop the diggers.”
The Rat Gang Crew exchanged hopeful glances. “Do you know where to find him?” Scarlett asked.
King Basil nodded. “He likes to hang out at the park after school, near the old oak tree. But be warned—humans aren’t as easy to deal with as rats. You’ll need to be clever.”
“Clever is our middle name,” Atlas said with a grin, though his twitching tail betrayed his nerves.
King Basil waved a paw dismissively. “Then go, and don’t say I never did anything for you. But if you fail, don’t come crawling back here.”
The Rat Gang Crew left the Overgrounders’ headquarters with a renewed sense of purpose. As they made their way to the park, Scarlett whispered to Amelie, “Do you think we can really trust King Basil?”
“We don’t have a choice,” Amelie replied. “If Tommy Smith is our only hope, then we have to take the risk.”
Under the glow of the moon, the crew reached the park and spotted the old oak tree. Sure enough, a young human boy was sitting beneath it, fiddling with a slingshot. His messy hair and scuffed shoes suggested he wasn’t exactly a fan of authority.
“Alright, gang,” Amelie whispered. “Let’s make this count.”
As they approached the boy cautiously, Scarlett muttered under her breath, “I hope he speaks rat.”
To be continued…
©2024 Sarnia de la Maré
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