To The Rescue Chapter 11

                                                                                 Lumber Mill
Toushiro and Mika had been traveling all day with little rest. Because of this they had covered a great deal of ground in their search to find a way out of West City and find Pilaf Manor to rescue their friends. But by midnight, exhaustion finally over came them and now they were fast asleep on a pile of logs. They had come across a lumber mill and made their way inside. Both Soul Reaper and cub were tired and looked for a quiet place to rest. They found it amongst a massive pile of logs ready for cutting in the morning and soon fell asleep. The two of them got plenty of rest before someone woke them up.
*******: "Wake up you two."
Toushiro was the first to wake up.
Toushiro: "Mika wake up."
Mika: "Huh?... What?"
Sleepy eyes locked onto the person who woke them. When they came into focus, they were pleased to see Sunrise.
Toushiro: "Hey Sunrise. What are you doing here?"
Sunrise: "I just wanted to make sure you got out of the subway ok. Besides, a relative of mine lives out back in the sawdust pile."
Mika: "Well thanks, Sunrise."
Sunrise: "You two picked a strange place to sleep."
Toushiro: "Well we were tired after traveling for so long."
Mika: "That and we're a little stuck."
Toushiro: "Say... Is there anything you can tell us about this place?"
Sunrise: "Hmmmm... You might want to try to turn on any equipment you find around here. They might reveal a way."
Toushiro: "Ok see you later!"
After giving our heroes some advice, Sunrise leaped over the high wall to wait for them in another area. With Sunrise here to guide them, Toushiro and Mika felt safe that they would be led in the right way. The first thing they focused on was getting over that very same wall that Sunrise just jumped over. At the other side of the room, they saw wha looked like a giant seesaw.
Mika: "Maybe we can use that."
Toushiro was thinking the same thing and they dashed over to it. As if reading each others minds, Mika climbed on first and waited for her friend. Once Toushiro was on they both stood at one side of the seesaw. Their end went down while the other end, that they needed to reach the top, went up. The second they stopped moving, Mika ran up to the higher end and jumped off and onto the wall. Being heavier, Toushiro went last. They looked for a way down the wall and came across a lift, which they used to get down. Since it was a lumber mill, it made sense that the place would be covered in sawdust which often left nice footprints. Following Sunrise's footprints, the two wondered through hallway after hallway before stopping at an impressive mountain of boxes. The raptor's footprints ended at the boxes so the young captain and cub knew that they had to climb up them. Fortunately the boxes weren't very tall so Mika had no trouble climbing up them. They raced each other to the top with Toushiro getting there first who only assisted the cub up onto the last box. Oddly, there was a steel platform at the top which led to the next room.
Toushiro: "Is this normal for a lumber mill?"
Once again, Mika played one of her mom's cards.
Mika: "Define 'normal'."
Toushiro: "Good point."
Knowing that this platform would take them where they needed to go, Toushiro and Mika followed it. The room it took them to was massive with lumber and machines all over the place. A huge crane sat in the middle and they saw the exit to the lumber mill. Only problem was, they couldn't reach the steps. Beside the crane they saw Sunrise waving at them, so they ran towards him hoping he would know a way out.
Toushiro: "So Sunrise, how do we get out of here? Do we have to use that crane?"
Sunrise: "Yes but before you can use the crane, you have to find the key. Once you've done that, you can use the crane to move that big log! That's how you reach the exit!"
Mika: "We get to operate a huge crane! Cool!"
Sunrise: "You'd better hurry. The workers will be arriving soon. I have to go now before anyone sees me."
Toushiro: "Ok, thanks Sunrise and be careful!"
Mika: "Bye Sunrise!"
And Sunrise hurried to exit the lumber mill before he could be seen. Toushiro and Mika split up to search for the key. Mika found it and met up with Toushiro at the crane. She gave him the key and he operated it. Moving quickly, the boy lifted the log and relocated it at the exit. Now that the log was there, they could reach it and without a second to spare. The workers had arrived and they could hear them coming. Toushiro and Mika raced for the exit and reached it just as the workers entered to room.
Worker: "Someone left the crane running again!"
Outside, Toushiro and Mika were catching their breath when they realized that they had made it. They were out of West City and in the country side!
Mika: "We made it!"
Toushiro: "And in one day. Look, the suns coming up!"
Mika: "Lets get moving Toushiro! We're at a good pace!"
Their spirits energized at their success, the young captain and saboron cub raced along a stone fence. But as they got further into the country side, they realized that they had a big problem. They didn't know where they were or where to go.
Toushiro: "Well we made it out of West City but now we don't know where to go next."
Mika: "We probably should have asked Sunrise when we had the chance."
Both of them were bummed out as they sat at the fence, lost.
Toushiro: "Too late to turn back now. Rrrrr! If only we had a sign that we were heading in the right direction!"
Boy did he get his wish. As Mika looked up, she saw something on the road at the top of the hill. Then, she panicked when she realized what it was.
Mika: "T-T-T-Toushiro..."
Toushiro: "What? What is it Mika?"
Mika: "L-L-Look... A-At the road!"
Toushiro turned around at glanced at the road where Mika was pointing at. His eyes grew wide and fear over took him when he saw what it was that had Mika so terrified. Forget being lost. They had an even bigger problem. Running down the road and heading in their direction... Was Goku and Vegeta.
Toushiro: "Oh dear god!!"
Mika: "We have to hide!!"
Thinking quickly, Toushiro grabbed Mika and they hid in the bushes, hoping that the two saiyans hadn't seen, sensed or heard them... And in Vegeta's case, smelled them. They had covered so much ground in such a short amount of time, that they had actually beat Vegeta and Goku outside the city!
Mika: "If they find us we are going to be in so much trouble!"
Toushiro: "Shhh!"
It seemed luck wasn't on their side today when Vegeta stopped.
Goku: "Huh? What is it Vegeta?"
Vegeta: "I thought I heard Toushiro for a second."
That made Toushiro's heart skip a beat.
Goku: "I don't see anyone. The morning air must be playing a trick on you, it often does for me."
Vegeta: "Yeah you're probably right, Kakarot. I'm so used to having Toushiro follow me that I must be hearing things."
Goku: "Come on, Pilaf Manor isn't far from here! If we hurry, we can make it before noon!"
Vegeta: "How about we walk a little. We've been running since yesterday."
Goku: "I'm all for that!"
And the two saiyans walked off, heading east. Despite the close call with his second lieutenant, Toushiro saw this to be a lucky miracle.
Toushiro: "Come on. Let's follow them."
Mika: "Are you nuts!? They'll find us!"
Toushiro: "Not if we stay at a distance. If we follow them, then we'll get to Pilaf Manor in no time."
Mika: "Oh I get it. In that case, lets go."
And so quietly and stealthily, Toushiro and Mika followed Goku and Vegeta from a distance. But maybe at too great a distance. After a few minutes, the saiyans stopped at a fork in the road.
Vegeta: "Which way, Kakarot?"
Goku: "This way."
Vegeta followed Goku down the left path. However, Toushiro and Mika went down the right one. They had followed the two from such a distance, that they didn't see which direction they went and by the time they came to the fork Goku and Vegeta had disappeared from their sight. The road led to a bridge that connected a small island with melons growing in the middle of a round pond. It was a dead end and a trap.
Toushiro: "Wow! We must have taken a wrong turn back there! There's Pilaf again!"
Mika: "Yikes!"
Pilaf: "Shu, I have those pests trapped! This new vehicle of yours had better work!"
Shu: "Have no fear boss! It's my best work yet!"
Toushiro: "We're gonna have to figure out some way to stop Pilaf and fast!"
Mika: "Hey! Maybe we can use these melons!"
Toushiro: "Good thinking, Mika!"
As Pilaf drove around in his boat and firing more tomatoes at them, Toushiro and Mika came up with a plan. Toushiro picked up a melon and waited for Pilaf to stop. When he did, the boy tossed the melon towards Mika who kicked it at Pilaf with her back legs and made a direct hit.
Pilaf: "I hate melon!"
Toushiro: "Keep it up Mika!"
Mika: "Just keep those melons coming Toushiro!"
They continued their strategy which Pilaf failed to see. After two more hits, it looked like Pilaf was near the end.
Pilaf: "Oh I hate these two!"
Toushiro: "Haha! I think we've almost got him!"
One more hit was all they needed. With one final kick, Mika sent the melon flying and it landed right on Pilaf's head. It didn't faze him at all but it did make him retreat.
Pilaf: "This is a disaster! I'm soaking wet with... Ugh melon juice! I'm fed up with this mess and I'm getting out of here, but I'll be back! You'll see!"
And just like that, Pilaf retreated leaving Toushiro and Mika victorious once again.
Mika: "Wahoo! We defeated Pilaf again!"
Toushiro: "When is he going to learn that he can't beat us!"
With another victory over Pilaf under their belts, Toushiro and Mika celebrated.
Mika: "Wow that was totally fun!"
Toushiro: "I'll bet Pilaf will be spending weeks getting seeds out of his hair, if he has any!"
Mika: "Yeah, hahaha! I guess we'd better get going. Should we try and catch up with Uncle Goku and Uncle Vegeta?"
Toushiro: "Well you know I was thinking, Mika. Why don't we just catch up with Vegeta and Goku and join them."
Mika: "What? But you heard what they said!"
Toushiro: "Yes but that was at the beginning. Think about it, Mika. We've come this far, it would be pointless for them to send us back. Plus if we tell them that we've encountered Pilaf, Shu, Mai and General Tao and beat them, then I'm sure they'll be impressed!"
Mika: "You've got a good point, Toushiro! And it is too late to turn back now!"
Toushiro: "Then lets go!"
And they rushed off to try and catch up with Vegeta and Goku. Meanwhile...
Pilaf: "How could those shrimp defeat me, Emperor Pilaf?!"
Mai: "Don't take it so hard sir."
Shu: "It's not all your fault."
Pilaf: "Of course not you imbeciles! You dopes are entirely to blame! And General Tao... I expected so much more from you!"
General Tao: "A bit of bad luck but don't worry, I deal with those two in no time."
Pilaf: "Then why are standing there like the village idiot!? Just go get those kids NOW!"
The three henchmen dashed out in a hurry leaving Pilaf to cool off. Back to our heroes, they were unable to locate Goku and Vegeta again. However, all was not lost. Help was just over the next hill.