Krause finally arrived, panting his lungs out and almost collapsing onto the dully-tiled floor. There were a few more people here than before, but that’s still not very much. Some seedy lounge music was playing in the background, an all five patrons and Jackie turned to the boy that had staggered in.

"Krause!" Jackie said, "Somethin’ wrong?"

"Of course something’s wrong!" he gasped, pulling himself to his feet, "But could we talk about it in private?"

"…‘Kay…"

Krause walked through the smoky bar, the patrons looking at him and sipping their drinks. He half-smiled and waved sarcastically at them, then stepped behind the bar.

"What’s goin’ on?" Jackie asked in a concerned tone when they got behind the safety of the drink mixer.

"My brother…Ricky…he was kidnapped by some freaky robot!"

"You sure?"

"Believe it! Why would I lie!" he replied irritably.

"Sorry…freaky robots ain’t common no more…That mug was after ya’, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they came back. Jiminy Christmas! Things are getting weirder than when I harbored that blasted statue here twenty years back…"

Everything seemed to be happening twenty years ago now, Krause realized.

"Uh…what happened to that man who tried killing us?"

Jackie fell silent and re-adjusted his eye patch. "Well," he said finally in a lower voice, "You can see for ya’ self…he’s awake and sayin’ strange stuff. But he’s not in this café. Now…you sure you wanna see him?"

"Well, he might have a few answers. They must be trying very hard to get us, sending two of their cronies on us during the same day!"

"If y’ insist…"

He turned to make an announcement to his five patrons that he was leaving for little bit and to behave. Then he led Krause out the back door into a place that was under a sign illuminated by a streetlight that read Dead End Alley.

"They call it that ‘cuz this is the place where they found this dyin’ thief a while back," Jackie explained to Krause as if he were explaining where the sun went at night. It came to a quick end at the back of a shabby brick building lined with dumpsters and miscellaneous litter. Slowly, Jackie opened a nondescript door that Krause missed and beckoned him through. The room inside appeared to be some kind of abandoned storage room crammed with big wooden crates and lit with a single bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling. Tied to a chair in the middle of the room was the extremely gruff bounty hunter that had earlier that day tried capturing the twins, only his hair was grizzled and his big shades were removed, showing two weary looking blue eyes.

"Uh…shouldn’t you turn him in to the police or something?" Krause asked.

"What’s the point? I’ve gotten ‘nuff trouble in the last two months just tryin’ to keep my café."

"Oh…"

"Ah! You’re one of the kids!" the bounty hunter grunted.

"Yes I am!" Krause answered as he closed in, trying to look intimidating, "And now I’m expect you start talking."

The bounty hunter snorted, "Well, well…somebody’s gotten too big for his britches…"

"Uh…what?"

"Never mind. I just find it humorous how a kid being hunted by the Pig King can think you can get anything out of the best darn bounty hunter in Eagleland!"

"So you were hired the Pig King? I thought so!"

"Hey! You’re jumping to conclusions," the gruff bounty hunter barked, "I have some honor…I don’t go side with somebody who just attacked a town in my own country."

"So then somebody else wants to get us now? And you know about the Pig King?" Krause said in stark realization that this was becoming more and more complicated.

"Um…forget I said that. Slip of the tongue, really."
Krause just grinned, "Quite a slip if you ask me! Do you also know about a gold robot that’s really sleek and curvy?"

"No…I mean…what’re you talking about?"

"My brother was taken by one at the pier. Just wondering…"

"Ha!" he laughed in his gravel tone, "Somebody has succeeded where I failed. I hate it when that happens…I better not go back to the swamp…"

"The Swamp?"
"Um…shouldn’t have said that. Too late now. Heh! I can’t stop you now…"

The apathetic bounty hunter threw his head back and laughed. Krause eyed him strangely and made the universal crazy gesture.

"Thanks…Now Jackie? You heard him say something about a swamp, didn’t you? Is there a swamp nearby?"

The bartender had retired into a corner, "If he’s talking about Dragon Forest, it’s ‘bout hundred miles north of here. Not a good place. Some people ‘fore the riot worried that monsta’s might come into the city via streams and such. From what I hear from travela’s, the middle’s a swamp with some town on poles. There be problems there, and it ain’t safe!"

"Monsters?" Krause chuckled, "Some monsters aren’t gonna keep me away from my brother. If that’s even where he is…"

"I’m not gonna stop ya’, kid. You’re makin’ a stupid choice…maybe the military could-"

"Where’s Dr. Andonuts keeping his latest invention?"
Jackie sighed, "In hangar number 2 at that private airstrip just a few blocks to the right. Now if you’re gonna use the PORK Bean, good luck. Ah! What am I sayin’? I can’t make up m’ mind! Good luck!"

But Krause was already running out the door and to hangar number 2.

The plush office of Enrich Flavor was always the place of strange happenings from the brief but prosperous term of Montoli to now. Flavor was sitting on the big, luxurious couch rubbing his sweaty hands and biting his tongue. A tall pig wearing a smart business suit and carrying a briefcase flanked by two heavily armed hogs towered over him. The tall pig snorted and slapped down the large briefcase in front of the weary Flavor and popped it open. It was filled to the top with crisp one hundred dollar bills.

"Four million plus the three million advance," the pig grunted in surprisingly good English, "As agreed. You’ve done a good job, human. The riot has weakened Eagleland noticeably, and we will take action swiftly. In addition to the fresh cash in the dwindling treasury, Fourside will be spared and thrive when the Pig King reigns supreme."

"T-thank you…long live the Pig King." Flavor said. He felt ready to break down and cry in shame. He had become weak. Seven million dollars was not a fair trade for the crippling of a country and a city, but he did not even want to think about what may happen should he have refused their ‘generous proposal’ in that alleyway two months ago.

"Now just one more thing," the pig in the suit said, "Order the police officers to take any kids under custody that even look like the ones in the pictures I showed you. I need not remind you how dangerous they are, killing so many of the Pig King’s men and alleged bacon eaters."

"No! I refuse to condone any further acts to hurt my image!" Flavor squeaked desperately. I shouldn’t have said that…But the pig just blinked.

"I am one of the voices of the future PORK Empire. If you knew half of the power behind my back, it would stagger you. You are a weak man now, another figurehead to the Pig King. Useless! But you should know that by now. Your death will be as insignificant as your term in office!"

Flavor gasped, "No! The contracts! We legally-"

But the two guards had their broadswords out and ready. Flavor let out a scream and scrambled over the couch as they brought their blades down where he would’ve been, slashing the leather cushions into fluff. Panting, Flavor threw open his office door.

"Guards!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, which wasn’t very loud now. He staggered out the double doors and began running towards the elevator. Two days of sleeplessness was taking its toll. The sounds of clanking metal were right behind him. He gasped, staggered and fell, cursing his asthma. He turned just in time to see the two brutes thrust their swords into his ribs. Then he saw nothing.

Hangar 2 was a small place, and unguarded. Krause easily slipped through the door in the side. There were five PORK Beans along the walls, each looking very much as Flint described, only without the Pink Snout; a strange donut-shape replaced it. He hopped into the nearest one. They didn’t need any keys, as they seemed powered by will.

"Okay, turn on!" Krause ordered it. Nothing, "Turn on you stupid piece of crap!"

"Welcome to the Andonuts Bean!" Dr. A’s voice greeted him cheerfully, "Password please."

"What? I don’t need a stupid password!"

"Password accepted! Proceeding to open hangar door."

Krause laughed as the hangar door slowly opened. Dr. Andonuts must have a sense of humor, he thought. He rubbed his hands together and grabbed a hold of the forward shift. He screamed as it rocketed out of the hangar. Frantically, he turned the wheel and it barreled to the left, just avoiding a concrete wall. He pulled back on the throttle and he decelerated quickly to what the speedometer said was 90 mph. Andonuts had told him earlier about how loose the controls were and how he would make some final adjustments before releasing the final model. He looked out the side and gasped in amazement. He was hundreds of feet above the bright city. Laughing, he circled around, viewing the lights and cars moving below. Some buildings were still smoldering from last night’s riot and that the bright white military helicopters were all parked around the battered police station. He wanted to see more, but he knew that his brother was depending on him. Accelerating a bit, he zoomed around the EF Tower and passed over the nicer buildings of the North Side until the manicured lawns disappeared and he swooped down to the hilly plains, slowing down. Krause was sailing above fields of corn, herds of startled sheep and an occasional farmhouse. It was nice to be out of the city and not in that stupid desert. He then realized how hungry he was. He opened his pack and pulled out some beef jerky with a cheese stick while he revved and accelerated to the north. The land was dropping noticeably now, and he saw that a narrow river was now alongside the dwindling road. Trees were much more numerous now, and the headlights were losing their efficiency in the darkness. The fog that was rising around him didn’t much help.

"Maybe I should stop here for the night," he said aloud as he slowed himself down and stopped under a huge willow tree. Yawning, he shifted around, trying to find a comfortable position but failing. He drifted off nonetheless. He continued the next morning with a stiff neck, and soon enough he found himself in a thick, dark deciduous forest. Vines hung from the mighty trees above him and fog swirled a few feet above the ground. Krause chuckled to himself, because this place looked almost exactly like the setting for a typical Scooby-doo episode. The air inside was getting hot and despite this, every now and then a sharp chill ran down his spine. The forest was getting darker and darker as he slowly went on. Sunlight couldn’t penetrate the thick canopy now, and became reliant on his headlights and an occasional patch of light. The path that he was following was growing narrower and narrower now, but he must be getting closer to that town on poles that Jackie had told him about. He should’ve gotten into the sky while he still had the chance…The path finally gave way to nothing and Krause realized he was hovering several inches above some misty, stagnant water in which tall hardwood trees rose out of. He hadn’t seen anything like it before! Lunch time was approaching and Krause’s stomach was growling loudly. Slowly, he steered the Andonuts Bean over to a nearby tree with big roots and slowly climbed out and nearly gasped for breath. Summers in Einesville were sometimes very humid, but Krause swore he could almost drink the muggy, stale air. Not a good taste at all. Then he realized mosquitoes were already swarming towards him!

"Maybe not!" he said aloud. He quickly hopped back into the Andonuts Bean and shut it up tight. He took off, faster this time. Slowly maneuvering in between the huge trees, he looked ahead desperately for any signs of human civilization. Suddenly he came to a large clearing in the trees and saw the sunlight. Strangely enough, the muddy water seemed devoid of any debris. Krause opened the hatch once again, stood up, and looked around. It was quiet here. Far too quiet to be natural. There was a sudden ripple in the water, then before Krause could raise an eyebrow an ear-rending howl tore through the serene air. From out of the ripple’s source flew what looked like a sticky brown ball on a slimy rope. Krause screamed and jumped back in, pulling down the hatch. Alas! The hideous ball of gunk had smeared all over the bug-covered windshield and Krause felt the whole Andonuts Bean lurching downwards. Krause pulled back on the throttle and he jerked as he went flying backwards at dangerous velocity. Before he knew what was going on this time, another gunk ball splattered on the windshield. It was pulling him down into the water, even with Krause frantically trying to pull himself to safety. He heard a splash and the Andonuts Bean was under the murky water. He tried veering to the side, but another muffled splat was heard and he was descending faster and faster.

"This sucks more than straws!" he shouted to nobody in particular. Those may be my last words, he thought cynically. Suddenly the world around him was fading...

A beautiful young woman was looking down at him, smiling. She had large blue eyes, alarmingly like his! Standing beside her was a young man with slightly messy black hair and a rather plain face, grinning even broader.

"Yes, they are beautiful aren’t they?" the woman said in a soft, eerily distant voice.

"But what to name them?" the man said in a similarly distant high-pitched voice, "I mean, the only name that comes to mind is Krause, my dad."

"That’s not that bad of a name… the happier one looks sort of like a Krause to me!" the woman said.

"Don’t know how you can tell now…but he will grow brave and strong, just like…well…me!"

"And what about the other?"

The vision slowly faded away into weird distortion. Krause awoke, finding himself back in the Andonuts Bean and still being pulled by that disgusting tentacle down into the depths. He was getting a terrible headache, and colored spots were dancing around in front of him, but he knew he had to do something. The muddy water out in front of him was opening up into what looked like a massive whirlpool going down a very out-of-place concrete hatch as bath water goes down the drain. Fumbling around on the control panel, he noticed a button flashing red in the darkness that read in big black letters PRESS ME FOOL! He grunted and slammed the button. He gasped as the cockpit slid back and the lukewarm and murky water flowed in. Then Krause felt the sensation of being launched upwards very, very rapidly through the muddy water. Finally, he broke the surface, continued into the air and screamed the last remaining air out of his lungs as he plummeted towards a large cedar pine…

Krause slowly opened his eyes. He was sputtering and coughing out thick, muddy water. His eyes began to focus and he found himself out on the hot open air lying down on something hard and metallic. A blurry girl’s figure bent over him.

"Drink this. It tastes like crap, but it’s your key to survival," her voice sounded slightly distant over Krause’s ringing ears. He suddenly felt the terrible sensation of something very hot and disgusting pouring down his throat. He yelped and jerked upwards.

"What the heck did you just pour into me?" he demanded. He felt like vomiting up the little food in his stomach. The girl was right. He could see much better now, and he felt significantly stronger, if not in his stomach. He was standing up on a metal box-shaped boat with a muscular man working a little motor in the back. The girl that had poured the stuff into his mouth was snickering.

"Well, if I told you, you’d hate me forever!"

"Too late," he grumbled, his stomach churning like heck, "Now would you tell me what in the name of all things sacred and holy happened?"

"Well, we’re not exactly sure what it actually is, but we sort of call it the Quagmire. Those who wander too close to that area are never seen again. I’m very impressed you made it out alive, even if you did come flying up in your seat!"

"What?" Krause said angrily, "You saw it attack me and you did nothing about it?"

"And how? I mean, we would’ve just gone down along with you had we gotten any closer."

Krause’s stomach gave up. He leaned over the edge just in time to throw up. Suddenly he remembered what he had seen at the bottom of this ‘Quagmire.’

"Um…you…I saw something really weird down there. In the Quagmire I mean."

"I have a name," she snapped, "It’s Mera!"

"Well sorry! Now did you hear what I said?" Krause was beginning to hope that the rest of the swamp people had better manners.

"Yes, you saw something."

"It was this…big concrete hatch thing opening up. It looked like it was sucking down water, and me!"

Mera eyed him very skeptically. Krause blinked in stark realization that her eyes were not normal at all. Her small pupils were slit much like a cat’s, and the iris around it was a dull yellow. But the rest of her face was perfectly human.

"Oh…my eyes? They’re a recessive trait amongst us. Our centuries of isolation have given us unique genetics," She sounded like she were reading from a textbook, "Are you sure about what you saw, or are you making it up?"

"Of course I’m sure. I can take you down there if you want to see it for yourself."

"Hey you guys," the guy in the back said in a gruff voice, "Not to butt in on your conversation, but we’ll be home in about a minute."

"Oh, that reminds me, what’s your name?"

"Krause."

"Krause? Weird…"

The trees overhead began to give way and the afternoon sun was streaming through the branches. The faint sounds of creaking and the din of voices were beginning to be heard. Suddenly, the eerie mists cleared and Krause looked up, amazed at what he saw. Dozens of wooden ramshackle houses towered at least fifteen feet above the water held up by thick wooden poles, rickety bridges with dangerous amounts of people on them connecting the platforms around the houses. Boats milled around them, hauling boxes, sacks, and barrels and stopping at the docks at the bases of the poles.

"Wow…" was all Krause could say. But what he saw next made his heart leap into his throat. Standing on either side of a big overhanging sign reading STILT TOWN were two fully armored pigs with shield and spear, watching the boat traffic come in and out.

"Mera…why are there are pigs guarding the town?" he asked softly.

"The pigs?" she said, "Yeah, I know it may sound a bit weird, but about two weeks ago they came here and said that bad things were going on outside of Dragon Forest. I heard everything from famine to war! They said that they were refugees from a battle and would agree to help us if we looked out for a man in a tenchcoat and cowboy hat with two kids and a dog. They said they were the ones causing all of this trouble. I can hardly believe it myself, but I didn’t believe pigs could carry weapons and stand upright either!"

Krause gulped. The whole town must know what he looks like and be keeping at least a causal watch out for him. This would be much harder than he anticipated…