Sector MG, Part 5: Rataphilly

Motorville; five years ago

A stormy night plagues the sky of Motorville. Rain furiously flooded the streets as a simple mouse scampered to escape the storm, finding its way into a hole in the side of a house.

Young Oliver was tucked into his bed, provided a nightlight to keep calm during the storm. The boy heard a bump and gasped with a start. He looked to the dresser on his left, and the dark area underneath it. Feeling something was there, Oliver climbed out of bed and crawled to it. …A mouse peeped around one of the legs. "Ah!" Oliver backed up in shock. The mouse seemed startled, too.

Oliver carefully crawled forward again. The mouse cautiously peeped out at the human child's face. "…Are you hiding from the storm?" Oliver asked. The mouse nodded. "It's okay. I'm scared of storms, too. I'll let you stay. …You don't have rabies, do you?" The mouse shook. "Good. Would you like something to sleep on?" It nodded. "Okay. I'll let you have some of my socks." Oliver opened his dresser and pulled out two white socks, laying them down under his nightstand. The mouse crawled out and settled onto the socks. "Ha ha ha! You know how to make yourself comfy! …Well, good night. But please don't chew my socks, okay?" The mouse nodded. With that, Oliver returned to his bed, and the little mouse fell into slumber.

The next morning, Oliver awoke to a beautiful sky, the wet roads and plants glistening in the sunlight. His new mouse friend was still under the nightstand. "You're still here?" It nodded. "Well, the storm is gone now. You can go home."

…The mouse shook. "You don't… wanna leave?" Nod. "You wanna stay here?" Nod. "Hmmm… I'm not sure if my mom will let me keep a mouse. If you stay, you'll have to take baths and learn to use the toilet." It shrugged. "But if you can do all that… I guess it would be okay. Hmm, but what should I name you?… I got it! I'll call you… Pipsqueak!"

". . . ." The mouse looked dumbfounded.

Oliver picked him up. "Come on, Pipsqueak." He carried him downstairs.

Moonbase Gym; present time

Sind Diego propped his foot on the giant soccerball. "All right, the score is 4-4! Only one team is gonna take home the goal!" Sind was in a team with Romeo, Jinta, Anthony, and Chris, playing against Karin, Morgiana, Ruby, Maddy, and Sheila. Anthony and Maddy were both goalies. "Get ready because I ain't holding back this time!" Sind kicked the ball to Chris, who sent it at Jinta, who kicked it right to Maddy, but she easily jumped in its way and blocked the giant ball.

Sheila rushed over and sent it to Karin with a mighty kick, who in turn sent it to Ruby, who jumped and used both feet to kick it at Anthony. Romeo jumped in the way and stopped it with his foot, and Chris kicked it at Sind, who charged a greater kick with the intent to bowl over Maddy. Just then, Morgiana flew up and kicked the ball at the exact opposite side and same time as Sind. The Fanalis's kick was superior to the giant's, so Sind toppled over, and Karin dealt a double-kick to send it to Anthony and bowl him over.

"YEAH! GIRLS WIN!" Ruby cheered.

"WHAT THE CRUD, SIND?!" Jinta shouted at the embarrassed giant. "I thought we had an advantage with you!"

"S-Sorry! Those girls are just scarier than I thought."

"You boys are lucky that we didn't ask Mocha to join." Maddy remarked. "You wouldn't have gotten a single point."

"Grrrr! Alright, let's go again!" Jinta demanded. "This time, I say we use our hands!"

"That's not how it works, Jinta." Karin remarked.

Outside, some of their sectormates were sitting on the floor in a circle while Naoko Yanagisawa of Sector TD showed them a picture from a book, depicting smiling, colorful fairies with glass hammers. "It's said that Carpenter Fairies are responsible for the creation of every major building in the universe. And anything created by a Carpenter Fairy cannot easily be taken down."

"Hah!" Phil laughed. "These fairytale writers will think of anything."

"I wouldn't believe anything is impossible in this universe." Hibiki Lates replied.

"What do you think, Haylee?" Prince Raleigh asked.

"Oh, I believe in them. But I also believe in the superior craft of the Legoans."

"Guys, watch out!" Sind yelled, and the soccerball burst through the doorway and crushed the sitting group.

"Oww… I guess Carpenter Fairies didn't build this one…" Naoko grunted.

Phil's wristwatch rang, and Wendy's worried expression appeared on it. "Guys, we have to get back to the treehouse! I've just been told some villains are attacking it!"

"What?!" Phil exclaimed.

Romeo ran out. "Come on, Phil!" He grabbed the boy by the collar and quickly dragged him away.

Sector MG Treehouse

Kiki rashly steered the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. into the hangar and retracted it into her broom. The kids raced into the living room with wands and weapons ready. "STOP RIGHT WHERE YOU- eh?" Wendy stopped, the six switching from fierce to baffled expressions. Not only was the living room clear, but it looked completely unscathed.

The teammates went around to their individual rooms. Wendy's room was clear, Romeo's room was fine, nothing was out-of-place in Phil's room…

"I didn't find anything, did you?" Oliver asked Hat Kid once back in the living room.

"Uh-uh." She shook.

"GUYS, I found a note!" Kiki yelled over by the TV.

The group hurried over as she showed them the note in question. If you want them back, drop the Hat Kid at the top of the Rocky Mountains. Signed with the Brotherhood logo.

"M-Me?…" Hat Kid nervously tipped her hat.

"But what did they take?" Romeo asked.

"Nothing seemed to be missing from my room." Kiki replied. "I can't imagine what they would've taken that's so important."

"What if they kidnapped our friends or family back home?!" Oliver asked in panic.

"You have a point." Wendy agreed. "If they attacked Motorville, the villains could know where the rest of us live, too. Let's split up and search our homes. But I think Hat Kid should stay with me in case someone tries to ambush her. Contact us immediately if you run into trouble."

"Phil, since you and Oliver are from the same town anyway, I think you should stay here in case they come back." Romeo advised.

"Gotcha. I'll look around and see if I can find any more clues."

"Okay, team. Let's hope we all make it back soon." Wendy said. With that, they all headed to the fireplace and took turns using the Floo Network. Soon, only Phil remained.

"Wait, what am I thinking?" Phil smacked his forehead. "I can just check the cameras to see what they took."

Phil headed to the camera room and played back the footage for the last hour. "Yeah, they were definitely here." An image of the outside of the treehouse depicted a swarm of Killer Moth's moths and Candy Pirates bombarding the treehouse with projectiles, only for defense lasers to shoot them away. "But they didn't even try to get inside. No one else is inside either… wait a minute." One of the monitors was static. "That's the camera outside… MY room!"

Phil raced to his room and searched around again. Gasping, he ran to open his top drawer. "My backup jar of vitamins is missing! Then that means…" His watch rang. Phil scrambled to grab the other jar from his pocket and tear it open. "Good thing I still have this one."

"YAH!" The villain Katnappé suddenly flew out of a portal and KICKED Phil from behind. His vitamins spilled all over the floor. "So, figured it out, did you?" Katnappé said with a smirk, pinning Phil under her feet. "That's right, we took your vitamins, and if you want them back, your friends better do what we asked."

"Nngh!" Phil tried to grab the fallen vitamins, but Katnappé's Super Kitties swatted them away. "But how did you find out?!"

"Easy. When Affright snuck into your house, he saw the delicious little form you had taken." Phil's heart raced with fear. "And he deduced that these vitamins were the reason. So, tell me: do your friends know? Or, is it just the boy."

Phil's wristwatch rang. "GUYS, HELP! I've been captured by-" Oliver's voice cut to static.

"OLLIE!"

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. But Affright had something special planned for you."

Phil's body began to glow, and his fear increased when he began to shrink into his clothes. "Oooo, I see it's happening. I wonder how your precious friends will treat you now? It's going to be purrrrfect. Hm hm hm hm hm!…"

Five years ago…

Alicia tapped her wand to the little mouse, who sneezed from the magic dust. "There. Now our new friend can talk to us."

"Really? Can you speak now?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, I guess I can." Pipsqueak replied. "Now, let's get something straight here, Dum-Dum, the name's not Pipsqueak, it's Philip."

"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't know mice had names."

"Well, we do. And if nothing else, I'm smart enough to name myself. Heck, I can even give myself a surname. Like… Blakely!"

"Hm hm hm!" Alicia laughed. "Welcome to the home, Philip Blakely. We hope you enjoy it here."

Later in the day, Phil was watching Mr. Cartwright throw some old car parts in a local garage. Oliver spotted the mouse and walked up. "Whatcha doin', Phil?"

"Why are people always leaving stuff in that garage?"

"I dunno. They just can't think of a better place to leave their junk."

"It's such a waste! I sneak in there every day, and there ain't nothin' wrong with ANY of that junk! Heck, you can even put some of it together and make all sorts of cars! Believe me, if I was any bigger, I would be putting that garage to more use."

"Hmmm… Well, maybe we can both build something."

"What do you know about building cars?"

"Er, not much… but if you tell me what to do, I bet we can do it."

"Hey, that's not a bad idea."

Oliver and Phil would spend their free time building cars, namely small go-karts that Oliver would drive around town, Phil excitedly riding his head. People would smile at him, and they would always see Oliver chasing his new pet mouse around the park. Of course, there was one incident where Oliver chased Phil down a hill to the river and fell in. When his mom saved him, she had to be hospitalized due to her heart condition. She came out of it okay, at least, and Oliver never held it against Phil.

They had been friends from the moment they met and they almost never left each other's side. But when Oliver was 10, it was time for him to go.

"He's going to magic school?" Phil asked.

"Yep." Allie nodded. "Oliver starts his first day in Ilvermorny this August. He's going to become a full-wedged wizard!" She ruffled her son's hair.

"Haha! Moooom!"

"So, can… I go with you?"

"…" Oliver frowned. "Uh… I dunno, Phil. I mean, I would like for you to come… but I'm worried how other kids would treat you. Rats and mice are common guinea pigs for wizards. Even more than guinea pigs."

"Oh… well, you have a point there, Ollie. I wouldn't wanna be involved in that. But listen, don't come back wearing some goofy wizard's outfit, okay?"

"Haha, okay, Phil. Don't worry, I'll still be the same Ollie you know and love!"

Of course, three days without his master is enough to make a mouse feel lonely. His life felt empty without Oliver. Phil watched from the bedroom window as Denny was racing his dog outside, and other children were immersed in their own activities. But Phil knew what would happen if he tried to join them.

"EEK, A MOUSE! DADDY, THERE'S A MOUSE! GET RID OF IT!"

"GO AWAY, you filthy rodent! Leave, get out of here!"

Phil saw Alicia washing dishes and approached her nervously. "Hey… Mrs. Orson?"

"Hm?" Allie heard the squeak and turned around. She cast the Nature's Tongue spell on Phil. "Did you need something, Phil?"

"M…Mrs. Orson… I…I wanna be a human!"

"A human?"

"Yes! I'm sick of feeling so small and dependent on you guys. I'm tired of people treating me like a rodent. If I was a human like you, I could do things for myself! Build my own cars, get my own food, make friends with other humans… Allie, I know I'm asking a lot, but do you know any magic that could do that?"

"Hmmm… Well, Phil, an ordinary transfiguration spell would only last a few minutes… but I am familiar with someone who specializes with transformation. Perhaps if I told her about your dilemma, she might be able to help you."

"Thanks, Mrs. O. Really, it means a lot." Phil smiled with gratitude.

Just a couple days later, Alicia received something in the mail: a jar of purple pills. She dipped one into her hand and held it down to Phil. "Here, Philly. All you have to do is eat one. Don't worry, it's safe." Phil put the whole thing in his mouth and bit hard.

"WAAAAH!" In an instant, the mouse grew to become a human child with blonde hair. "H…Hey… it worked!" He felt around himself.

"Yes, that's great, Phil." Allie held her eyes shut. "Except for one flaw."

"WAH!" Phil quickly covered himself. "I'm naked!"

"That's okay! I'll fit you in some of Oliver's spare clothes."

Phil squinted his eyes. "Mrs. O, everything seems kind of… blurry."

"Oh, dear… well, she did say that nearsightedness might become a side-effect of changing forms. I'll have to take you to the eye doctor."

Later in the day, school was out for Oliver, and he came riding home on his magic school bus. When he entered the house, he was shocked to see their visitor. "Well, good to see ya, kiddo."

"Huh? Who are you?" Ollie asked the kid who was about a year older than he was.

"You don't recognize me, Ollie? That's a shame, 'cause even with your blurry form, I could still tell it was you."

"Wait a second… Philip… is that you?"

"In peach flesh and red blood! …Well, it was already red, but still."

"PHIL!" Oliver grabbed his friend in a hug. "I don't believe it! How did you…"

"Your mom got me these." Phil held up his vitamins. "I take one every hour so I can stay like this. But if I eat too many in one hour, I'll get sick. And according to your mom's source, if I take enough, this form will stay permanent. I'll be able to grow up and age like a real human!"

"That's incredible, Phil! …But… how are we going to explain this to the neighbors?"

"I may have to work a bit of magic on their memories." Alicia mentioned. "Make them think Phil is a boy who's always lived with us. After all, it's not really a lie."

Needless to say, Phil enjoyed his new life as a human, and he still stuck with Ollie whenever he could. He even joined his friend to Arctic Training, and later to Sector MG.

"Phil, why don't you wanna tell our new friends your secret?"

"Because I don't wanna be thought of as… some animal or a rodent. I wanna be treated like a person. Besides, whenever I go to sleep, it takes a little longer for me to change back when the hour is passed. I think before long, I can actually stay this way forever."

"Even so, I don't think they would treat you differently. You're still a person at heart."

"Just don't tell them, Ollie. Please?"

"Okay, Phil. But sooner or later, they'll find out. …And it could lead to an awkward situation."

Moonbase; present time

Katnappé threw Phil into a portal once his transformation was done. The little mouse was gazing down a massive metallic hall. "I'm in the Moonbase… but why would she bring me here?" He about-faced and spotted a pair of boots, gazing up with shock at the surprised female guard.

"IT'S A RAT!" The girl rapidly shot at him with her S.C.A.M.P.P.. "SHOOT IT!"

"I'm trying!" the male guard shouted.

"WAAAH!" Phil frantically ran about and dodged their lasers, scampering down the hall. "WAIT, STOP! I'm not a mouse, I'm a person! EYAAAH!"

"Darn, it got away." the girl said.

"I was kinda missing on purpose. I mean, would YOU wanna pick up a dead mouse?"

"What? We're wearing gloves."

Phil hid around the corner to catch his breath. "Man, that was close. I've gotta contact the others somehow. …Scratch that, I've gotta get one of these operatives to help me contact them. There's gotta be someone in this base that doesn't have musophobia." With that, Phil scampered out into the main room.

Currently, the Moonbase was packed with visiting sectors, as well as its own guards. Phil didn't recognize a majority of them, but the way they towered over him was terrifying. Well, being a mouse was better than a bug because at least no one would try to step on you. That didn't make Phil's life any easier, though.

"EW, A MOUSE!" a young girl leapt back in fright.

"It's a Moon Mouse!" a boy shouted. "I TOLD you they were real!"

"No, guys, listen!" Phil shouted at the cowering operatives. "I'm not a mouse! W-Well, I am, but I'm actually-"

"Squeak, squeak, squeakity squeak, squee-squeak!"

"Is it angry at us?!" the girl asked.

"GET LOST, MOUSE!" a boy kicked it away with vigor.

"Waaaah-!" Phil landed on something fluffy and soft. "Ow… oooo." He rolled around in the golden fluff. "Hey, this feels pretty good… I wonder what…" He looked over the side to see Carol Masterson's face. "Uh-oh."

"AAAAAAHHHH!" Carol frantically shook her head. "GET IT OFF GET IT OFF GET IT OFF!"

Phil flew off and grabbed onto Weiss Schnee's dress, sliding down the smooth fabric and hanging on the edge. "Don't give it to ME!" Weiss smacked the mouse to the floor, and Phil ran when the heiress started to chase and slash her sword at him. The mouse took cover behind a reddish-purple shoe.

"HYAH!" Weiss swung a great slash that cut Apis's golden robe at the knees, exposing her legs.

"YAAAAH!" cried Apis, trying to hide herself. "What did you do that for?!"

"S-Sorry!" Weiss reddened. "I-I was chasing a-"

"Do you know how much this costs?!"

"Really, that old thing?" Weiss cocked a brow. "I mean, it's pretty, but…"

During the transaction, Phil looked up at Apis. Wait! That girl can talk to animals, can't she?! Perfect! "Hey, Priest Girl-"

"GYOOOM!" Gonbe was looming over Phil with ravenous eyes.

"AAAAAH!" Phil scampered off again as Gonbe chomped his mouth with each pounce. "GO AWAY, YOU STUPID RABBIT! You think you're a cat or something?!"

"OI, don't spoil your appetite, Gonbe-chan!" Chimney shouted.

"Hmmm… what a curious creature…" April was painting an image of a mouse curiously trekking the moon.

But Gonbe was determined to have himself a healthy snack. Phil ran up the sloped side of a staircase, causing Gonbe to make operatives slip and fall off the stairs. On the second floor of the Moonbase, Phil hopped on a Frisbee, just as Sheila ran by and snatched it. "It's comin' back at ya, Fybi!" She threw it up at the flying angel.

"WAAAAAH!" Phil hung on for dear life.

Fybi caught the Frisbee. "To thee, Lola!" She threw it at the bat, who caught it in her teeth.

"Nnn?" The bat girl noticed the tasty mouse.

"EEEK!" Phil immediately leapt off, his size allowing him a soft landing as he raced to an elevator. He ran in the elevator at the same time as Mike Strongarm, taking cover behind his shoe.

The elevator began its gentle ascent as Phil gazed up at the colossal biker. In this quiet room, he could easily squeak to get his attention… but Phil took notice of how massive his sneakers were. He had little room to maneuver if the giant decided to kill him. So, Phil stayed quiet as the mouse he was.

The elevator let off on the top floor. Mike walked the other way while Phil ran in the direction of the bridge. The mouse saw Jinta from Sector JP talking to Syaoran of Sector TD, accompanied by their friends Ururu and Meiling. "I'm tellin' ya, you would be PERFECT for our soccer team!"

"I have no interest in your silly rivalry." Syaoran replied.

"Don't you know anything?! Rivalry is life! It gives us power! It gives us courage! And if we let the girls keep beating us, we're not gonna have any-"

"Jinta-kun!" Ururu hid behind him. "It's a mouse!"

"Huh?" The four spotted Phil.

"Guys, please listen!" Phil tried using sign language. "I'm actually a human, and I can understand you, and I need your-"

"Is that some kind of mating dance?!" Meiling shouted.

"Gruuuh. I'll take care of this." Jinta drew his giant bat from his Infi-Cube. "Who's up for mouse flapjacks?!"

"That's WAY too violent!" Syaoran stated. "I'll just stab it and be done with it!" He drew his sword.

"EEEEK!" Phil immediately ran around them.

"Get back here!" Jinta smashed a dent in the floor.

"Move aside!" Phil nimbly leapt Syaoran's slashes.

"GO, SYAORAN!" Meiling cheered.

"Be careful, Jinta-kun!" Ururu yelled.

"HO HO ho! That bat's weighing him down."

"Syaoran-kun is much too weak." Ururu smiled.

"WHAT?!" Meiling fumed.

"Jinta-kun can crush him easy."

"RAAAAH!" Jinta swung his bat.

"Hrrrrr!" Syaoran slashed his blade.

"OWUH!" Jinta whacked Syaoran's face and the latter slashed Jinta's stomach.

Phil finally made it onto the bridge, the Supreme Leader's office in sight. "Cheren is the best chance I got now… let's hope he's reasonable enough to listen to a rodent."

"Holy cow!" Phil was suddenly snatched in the hands of Emily Garley. "Just when I was about to look for more lab rats! Well, today's your lucky day, little mousy."

A dark vision flashed in Phil's mind:

Emily rubbed lipstick on Phil's mouth. …She shot him with a laser and he exploded. "Darn it! This laser-proof lipstick is never gonna work!"

The color drained from Phil's fur. He heard a quick pattering of footsteps and watched as Wendy, Romeo, Kiki, and Hat Kid ran by. "GUYS!!" Phil bit Emily's finger and escaped her grasp. "YOW!"

The mouse quickly raced after his team on their way to Cheren's office. Wendy was the first to enter. "Cheren, we have bad news! The Brotherhood of Evil kidnapped Oliver and Phil!"

"What?!"

"We received a call from Oliver, but it went dead!" Romeo explained. "Then we went to check Phil's room, and all we found were his clothes."

Kiki was shuddering. "What kind of sick villain would strip a boy and then kidnap him. . . I can't imagine anything more horrifying." Then, she felt something on her foot. She looked down and spotted a cute little mouse with a positive smile. "KYAAAAH!" She quickly kicked the rodent off.

"No, Kiki! It's me, listen!" Phil ran back up.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Kiki tried to smash it with her broom, and when the mouse began running around her feet, the witch impulsively danced around. "I don't wanna catch rabies!"

"Kiki, it's me! Please listen! Please!"

"How does this thing even fly?" Phil asked, studying Kiki's broom. "It doesn't even have an engine or nothin'."

"It flies using magic, silly!" Kiki stated in a huff. "In fact, broomsticks existed before cars OR airplanes."

"Eh, I believe ya. But give me two hours with this baby, and I can make a REAL broom out of it."

"I'm not going to let you mess up my broom!"

"Come on, Kiki, what if you have to fly from one side of the planet to the other, or what if it starts raining really hard? Imagine if this broom could materialize a S.C.A.M.P.E.R., or if it had an engine? And you would be able to use magic to make it alternate between settings. Come on, please?"

"Siiiigh… Okay, Phil, I'll give it a shot."

That same broom is what was used to swat Phil away right now. "Ugh, troops, just get rid of that mouse so people stop panicking over it." Cheren ordered in annoyance.

The guards all drew laser rifles and began trying to blast the fleeing mouse. Phil began to feel only hopelessness and despair, along with regret. If he hadn't been so afraid of what people would think of him, if he had just told his friends, they would have helped him. But all they see now is a rodent, not a human, and they wouldn't care until it was too late.

"Get that filthy thing out of my shop!"

"Ew, gross! Mommy, that mouse is going to eat me!"

"Can't we keep him, Mommy?" Ollie asked. "He's so cute…"

"Okay, Oliver, dear. But you're responsible for him. You know that, right?"

"I promise I'll take good care of him!"

…Ollie… If only he could see his friend one last time. Thanks for being such a good friend…

At that moment, a gigantic hand engulfed the mouse within its darkness, saving him from the wrath of the Moonbase guards. "You should be ashamed of yourselves!" Ally Mitchels of Sector GT stated. "Attacking a poor defenseless animal." Ally slightly raised her hand and held a pinky down, signaling Phil to climb on. The giant stood fully and raised Phil to her eyes for a better view. "Hey… is that you, Phil?"

After Ally had divulged her secret to Phil on Field Day, Phil stuck his head in her ear and whispered his own. "You know those vitamins I've been taking? The truth is… I'm actually a mouse, and I eat them to stay in human form."

"Really? Does anyone else know?"

"None except you and Ollie. But in case you see a mouse with a little blonde puff of hair, you'll know it's me."

Phil beamed and nodded. Ally returned the smile and walked over to Sector MG and Cheren. "I believe this mouse is your friend." She lowered her pinky to them.

"Our friend?" Wendy asked in confusion as they looked closer at the mouse. Kiki cast Nature's Tongue on the mouse.

"Now will you listen to me?"

"Phil!" the four gasped.

"I hope this won't count as me spilling your secret." Ally blushed.

"Eh, I'm sure the fairies will show you mercy. Thanks, Ally, you're true to your name!" Phil jumped to the floor. Ally nodded and left the rest to his friends.

"Phil, I'm so sorry!" Kiki shouted. "I don't know what I was thinking, I-I just…"

"Look, we can save the emotions for after we save Ollie. Do you think he's at the Rocky Mountains?"

"The Rocky Mountains?" Cheren queried. "Why would he be there?"

Wendy gave Cheren the note. "The… Hat Kid? But why do they want you?"

Hat Kid nervously touched both sides of her hat. "I… might have a… small idea…"

"It doesn't matter, we can't just hand her over." Romeo stated. "Either we go home with all our friends or…or we ALL get captured!"

"What do you think, Wendy?" Kiki asked.

". . . ." Wendy nervously clasped the sides of her dress. There were some parts about being the leader she just wasn't good at.

"Well, don't forget, you have other friends, too." Cheren informed.

Phil gasped. "THAT'S IT!"

Rocky Mountains, that night

Sector MG was en route to the designated location. "So, the top of the mountains?" Romeo asked. "Which mountain is the tallest?"

There was an arrow sign made of lights pointing at the peak of a mountain. The tallest mountain!

No, it's this one! another sign on another mountain read.

I'm pretty sure it's this one. a smaller sign under the first one read.

Dagnabbit, I am The Riddler and you will not outsmart me!

"We'll try the left one." Kiki decided, going to park on the mountaintop. The teammates stepped off the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. with worry.

"Well? Is anyone here?" Wendy called. "Show yourself!"

The Ghost Hunter Skulker and Nicolai Technus phased out of the ground, bringing up Oliver (tied up in ghost chains) and Mumbo Jumbo respectively. "About time you showed up." Skulker said. "Before we begin the trade, our boss would like to speak with you." He opened a TV on his chest. The terrifying visage of a scarecrow displayed on it.

"Well, I see you've found your little mouse friend. Quite a shame, because I hoped you would have a bit more fun."

"So, you're Affright…" Romeo deduced with a glare.

"But why did you warp Phil to Moonbase instead of kidnapping him, too?" Kiki demanded.

"I deduced that the boy was afraid to be seen in his true form, and I wondered how the 'noble' Kids Next Door would treat an ordinary, pathetic rat. Well, Phil? Did they treat you kindly? Or were they disgusted?"

"Why don't we just get it over with, Aflac?!" Hat Kid shouted.

"Very well. Hat Kid, walk over and enter Mumbo's hat." The magician smiled and took off his hat, making it bigger and holding it open. "Then we will hand Oliver and the pills over to you." Skulker extracted the jar of vitamins from his mechanical hand.

"Tell us why you want her first." Wendy demanded.

"Obviously, she doesn't want you to know, either. Well, we won't spoil the surprise. But rest assured, we will not harm her. But we will say that someone would like to see her."

Hat Kid quietly gasped. She straightened her hat more firmly and declared, "Guys, I have to go."

"Hat Kid…" Kiki said.

"Don't worry. It'll be alright." She smiled. "Although bringing a hat into a hat is PRETTY weird! But hey, weirdness is what the KND's all about." So with that, the Hat Kid bravely walked up and entered Mumbo's hat.

Skulker kicked Oliver over to them as Mumbo twirled his hat and placed it on his head. "Pleasure doing business with you." Skulker threw the vitamins over as Romeo scrambled to catch them. The ghosts phased into the ground and escaped while Mumbo disapparated.

The ecto chains and gag on Oliver disappeared. Phil squeaked, signifying Romeo to open the jar and give him a pill. With a flash, Phil changed back into a human, and Oliver flicked a spell to give him his clothes back. "Philip!" Oliver embraced him in a hug.

"Ollie!" Phil hugged back. Their friends smiled warmly at their reunion.

Oliver gasped back to reality and broke apart. "What are they going to do with Hat Kid?!"

"We don't know, yet." Kiki shook. "But they might find out soon."

"'They'? They who?"

"Your team, of course!" Wendy winked.

"Yeah, and I bet they're gonna be needing us, too." Phil winked.