Post by crosswise on Oct 28, 2007 20:40:06 GMT -5
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Crosswise's Bright Idea
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“The boss isn’t going to like this.” Crosswise thought with a moan as he limped his way back to Tic-Tac’s tool shed. Tac had finally entrusted him to an important task that DIDN’T revolve around playing with Dipstick for him. And he blew it. Utterly.
Crosswise hung his head, his ears flattened against his head as he knocked at the door of Tac’s shed. There was a pause and then a “Come in.” Crosswise gulped as he went inside.
Tac was busy pouring over some data on his computer. What, Crosswise couldn’t begin to fathom. Without taking his eyes off the screen he called to him; “How did your mission go? Did you manage to plant the mind-control device on Lt. Pug?”
“Yeah, that mission.” Crosswise coughed. “Um, you see—” Crosswise started to explain his failure but Tac, continued to explain the details of his plan. Happy to—for once—have an audience who could actually understand it (unlike poor Dipstick). “—There was a problem…”
“—once I have the Bark Brigade under my control I can move against Mayor Ed, declare Martial Law and take care of Lucky and his little cohorts once and for all and—eh? ” Tac said, registering Crosswise’s report which did NOT contain the crucial words ‘mission accomplished.’ “What happened?” Tac growled as he turned around.
Crosswise gulped. “Um, well, thing is sir that it turns out that mind control doesn’t really work if the subject doesn’t have a mind to control.”
“What are you saying?” Tac sighed. Crosswise decided that being open and honest about his failure would mollify Tac’s anger. He hoped.
“The mind-control device exploded when I tried putting it on Pug’s head when he was sleeping. Pug—amazingly—wasn’t harmed, but the device…” Crosswise cringed as Tac got off his chair and started heading towards him.
“So.” Tac stated and then paused, dragging the moment out. “You failed.”
“I’m sorry.” Crosswise whimpered piteously. Tac stared him down, his eye (the one behind the X) narrowing dangerously. Then, just as suddenly, he whirled off.
“I promised to go spend some time with Dipstick.” Tac announced not bothering to look at Crosswise. “Thanks to you, I’m currently without a plan. You have until I’m finished playing with Dipstick to have a new one for me.” Tac didn’t say ‘or else.’ He didn’t have to. Lesser villains did. Not him though. Still, the underlying threat was there—spoken or not.
“Yessir! I’ll get right on it! I won’t let you down!” Crosswise babbled.
“That’s good. I hear Spades is on the look-out for a new weekly game partner.” Tac smirked as he left. Crosswise gulped. He had no desire to lose his fur to the infamous con-artist.
Shaken, Crosswise stumbled out of the shed. “Okay. I need an idea. Fast.” This was going to be hard: One of the reasons he worked for Tac was because Crosswise wasn’t an idea pup himself.
“You don’t look so good.” A smug voice called from Crosswise’s left. Crosswise shut his eyes and counted to ten. He so didn’t need this right now.
“Beat it Lucky.”
“Let me guess.” Lucky smirked. “Tac had you do something, it didn’t go the way he wanted it and now he’s blaming you. Some friend. I just wish that someone had warned you about Tac before you started hanging around him…Oh wait! Someone did.” Lucky rubbed it in.
Crosswise growled at him. “You know Luckless, you try and paint Tic-Tac as this evil creep who turns on everyone who doesn’t do his bidding, when you were ready to write me off just for spending time with him. So honestly, how are you any different? Aside from, you know, not being even a quarter as smart as him?” Crosswise smiled a bit at seeing Lucky’s superior grin being wiped off his face as he stormed off.
“Lucky doesn’t like having his ego punctured.” Crosswise smirked as he thought about a plan. “He keeps trying to tear down Tac before my eyes. I wonder if I shouldn’t return the favor...But what does Lucky look up to the way I do to Tac?” Then it him. Crosswise smiled as he started formulating the plan that would save his hide.
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Crosswise's Bright Idea
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“The boss isn’t going to like this.” Crosswise thought with a moan as he limped his way back to Tic-Tac’s tool shed. Tac had finally entrusted him to an important task that DIDN’T revolve around playing with Dipstick for him. And he blew it. Utterly.
Crosswise hung his head, his ears flattened against his head as he knocked at the door of Tac’s shed. There was a pause and then a “Come in.” Crosswise gulped as he went inside.
Tac was busy pouring over some data on his computer. What, Crosswise couldn’t begin to fathom. Without taking his eyes off the screen he called to him; “How did your mission go? Did you manage to plant the mind-control device on Lt. Pug?”
“Yeah, that mission.” Crosswise coughed. “Um, you see—” Crosswise started to explain his failure but Tac, continued to explain the details of his plan. Happy to—for once—have an audience who could actually understand it (unlike poor Dipstick). “—There was a problem…”
“—once I have the Bark Brigade under my control I can move against Mayor Ed, declare Martial Law and take care of Lucky and his little cohorts once and for all and—eh? ” Tac said, registering Crosswise’s report which did NOT contain the crucial words ‘mission accomplished.’ “What happened?” Tac growled as he turned around.
Crosswise gulped. “Um, well, thing is sir that it turns out that mind control doesn’t really work if the subject doesn’t have a mind to control.”
“What are you saying?” Tac sighed. Crosswise decided that being open and honest about his failure would mollify Tac’s anger. He hoped.
“The mind-control device exploded when I tried putting it on Pug’s head when he was sleeping. Pug—amazingly—wasn’t harmed, but the device…” Crosswise cringed as Tac got off his chair and started heading towards him.
“So.” Tac stated and then paused, dragging the moment out. “You failed.”
“I’m sorry.” Crosswise whimpered piteously. Tac stared him down, his eye (the one behind the X) narrowing dangerously. Then, just as suddenly, he whirled off.
“I promised to go spend some time with Dipstick.” Tac announced not bothering to look at Crosswise. “Thanks to you, I’m currently without a plan. You have until I’m finished playing with Dipstick to have a new one for me.” Tac didn’t say ‘or else.’ He didn’t have to. Lesser villains did. Not him though. Still, the underlying threat was there—spoken or not.
“Yessir! I’ll get right on it! I won’t let you down!” Crosswise babbled.
“That’s good. I hear Spades is on the look-out for a new weekly game partner.” Tac smirked as he left. Crosswise gulped. He had no desire to lose his fur to the infamous con-artist.
Shaken, Crosswise stumbled out of the shed. “Okay. I need an idea. Fast.” This was going to be hard: One of the reasons he worked for Tac was because Crosswise wasn’t an idea pup himself.
“You don’t look so good.” A smug voice called from Crosswise’s left. Crosswise shut his eyes and counted to ten. He so didn’t need this right now.
“Beat it Lucky.”
“Let me guess.” Lucky smirked. “Tac had you do something, it didn’t go the way he wanted it and now he’s blaming you. Some friend. I just wish that someone had warned you about Tac before you started hanging around him…Oh wait! Someone did.” Lucky rubbed it in.
Crosswise growled at him. “You know Luckless, you try and paint Tic-Tac as this evil creep who turns on everyone who doesn’t do his bidding, when you were ready to write me off just for spending time with him. So honestly, how are you any different? Aside from, you know, not being even a quarter as smart as him?” Crosswise smiled a bit at seeing Lucky’s superior grin being wiped off his face as he stormed off.
“Lucky doesn’t like having his ego punctured.” Crosswise smirked as he thought about a plan. “He keeps trying to tear down Tac before my eyes. I wonder if I shouldn’t return the favor...But what does Lucky look up to the way I do to Tac?” Then it him. Crosswise smiled as he started formulating the plan that would save his hide.
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