Chapter 29—Angel's Deceit

The mtoto wa mbwa and parents gasped. Buster revealed himself from behind the trees, smiling devilishly at the puppies.
“Buster,” Tramp told him, growling. “Get away from us.”
    Buster smirked. “You don’t scare me… wewe Lost your touch when wewe turned your back on everything and settled down with Miss Powderpuff.”
    “Why are wewe here?” Lady asked worriedly. “Can’t wewe just leave us alone?”
    “Oh no, Miss Powderpuff,” Buster explained with a smirk. “I need revenge. I don’t like to be sent to the pound. And not only was I sent to the pound, but kwa kids who are traitors!”
    “Sent to the pound?” Perdita asked.
    “That’s right,” Buster stated viciously. “Those brats betrayed me, and then got me caught in the dogcatcher’s net.”
    “Did wewe really?” Peg asked Angel, amazed. “You know sweetie, that’s…”
    “Who’re you?” Buster demanded.
    “None of your business,” Peg curtly responded, glaring at Buster.
    “I’ve seen wewe somewhere before,” Buster muttered, thinking aloud. “I’ll figure wewe out later. Anyways… those brats betrayed me! They’re just like you, Tramp! wewe turned your back on me and quit my gang!”
    “Hey, Buster, I didn’t ever jiunge your gang,” Tramp told him exasperatedly. “Stop lying about it.”    
    “Who are wewe to talk?” Buster snapped. “You lie to everyone all the time. Everyone knows that.”
    “No he doesn’t,” Lady told Buster firmly. “I know him better than anyone else. He’s my husband. And he’s not a liar anymore.”
    “Buster, wewe knew I didn’t want to be chained down to a gang,” Tramp told him firmly. He was suddenly a lot zaidi confident than when trying to talk to the puppies. “I had a life to live. I wanted freedom and to make my own choices.”
“Well wewe made yours,” Buster glared at Tramp. “You abandoned me.”
“Hey, hey…Buster... I saved your life, and helped wewe learn to live on the streets. I thought you'd learn to become another helpful streetdog like me. But I saw wewe bully another dog in the dogcatcher's net. wewe laughed at him, taunted, and teased him. Just because he wanted upendo himself. And that’s when I saw what wewe had become. You’ve come a long way since when wewe were in his place. And wewe wonder why I wouldn’t want to jiunge with you.”
    Scamp and Angel listened intently to Tramp. “He didn’t tell us this,” Angel whispered.
    “So that’s why he didn’t join,” Scamp added.
    “Oh yeah, taking pity on Pinky,” Buster laughed. “But he deserved it. He was just jealous, that’s all. And he wasn’t dog enough to be with us. He wouldn’t have passed the tests. And he would’ve ruined our image.”
    Abruptly, Peg gasped. Tramp then growled to Buster, “I see wewe haven’t changed. He was a great mitaani, mtaa dog himself. He reminded me of you. wewe both rose to become juu mitaani, mtaa dogs. But wewe became obsessed with power and glory. And he didn’t. He was good and decent. He followed my paw prints. I’m proud of Spunky, no matter what wewe might say to put him down, even now. So just leave him alone!”
    Then Angel gasped. “That’s…that’s…”
    “Yeah, don’t wewe dare insult my husband!” Peg shouted to Buster.
    Everybody gasped at that moment.
    Tramp then looked at Peg… “You mean… Spunky was your husband?” he asked in surprise.
    Peg nodded.
Lady muttered, “I thought your husband’s name was Scruffs? I learned that at the pound.”
“Sometimes, the pound mbwa aren’t that great at names,” Peg told Lady.
Buster looked puzzled at Peg. Then, he grinned at her. “Oh, ho, ho!” Buster smiled in delight. “I remember wewe now. You’re Peg, that low-life pound diva. Nothing like trying to mgawanyiko, baidisha up Tramp and his powderpuff, is there?”
“Buster,” Peg spat at him. “I’m not there for that, wewe lying filth. And I just told you. I’m already married.”
    “Ha-ha-ha, what spunk,” Buster told Peg. “And don’t lie to me. I know that old Spunky is dead. Everyone knows he is. And you’re damaged goods. Nobody would ever want you. Except...”
And then, Buster got a devilish smirk. "You could become my girl."
    “Never Buster," Peg told him flatly. "And my Spunky was wonderful, and I still upendo him, even if he is dead,” Peg told Buster flatly.
“So,” Buster growled at Peg. “Why are you…”
    Then, Buster looked at Peg and Angel, and just smiled. “Ha ha ha, I should’ve known… your suave, sassy natures, that puffy tail, that blonde fluffy coat, and those big blue eyes…ooh, those eyes give it away! I should’ve known wewe were related.”
    Peg nodded proudly, staring at Buster intently. “That’s right, Buster,” Peg told him viciously. “She’s my little angel.”
    “It’s so obvious now,” Buster laughed to Angel. “You wound up with the lamest excuses for mitaani, mtaa mbwa I could think of for parents. No wonder why wewe weren’t cut out to be a junkyard dog.”
    Angel was about to respond, but she held back. She began to form an idea. Scamp then shouted, "Don't wewe dare insult Angel's parents!"
Lady then added, “All of us know better than to jiunge up with you. Now, why don’t wewe just stop being horrible to us?”
    Buster growled. “Enough talk! I’m going to get my revenge! Scampster, Angelcakes, Patchy, you’re puppy chow!”
    The parents hurriedly swarmed over the mtoto wa mbwa as Buster circled in, trying to break through the ranks. Perdita, Pongo, Lady, Tramp, and Peg all growled at Buster fiercely as Buster circled them.
    “Hey, I’m not after wewe guys,” Buster snarled at the parents. “Hand those babies over, and no one will get hurt.”
    “No one,” Lady told Buster in disbelief. “You just alisema yourself that you’ll murder our puppies!”
    “Aw, I was just joking, powderpuff,” Buster told Lady. “Come on… hand them over, au I’ll get wewe first.”
    “We’re not moving,” Pongo told Buster firmly.
    “They’re our children,” Perdita told him.
    “I thought wewe had ninety-eight others,” Buster told Perdita. “Just give me Patchy, and no one will be hurt.”
    “Never,” Pongo told him.
    “You better leave us alone,” Tramp warned Buster.
    “Or we’ll fight you,” Peg told Buster.
    The seven mtoto wa mbwa stood in the middle of all the parents, carefully huddled in between them. The parents continued to growl at Buster threateningly. Buster then announced, “Hey, if wewe keep on resisting, I’ll just call your old friend Cruella.”
    “How do wewe know about Cruella?” Pongo asked.
    Buster smiled. “I’ve been helping her out. Remember those barks that announced that those mtoto wa mbwa escaped? That was me. It was so beauty-ful. Those idiot mtoto wa mbwa fell for it! They thought it was Tramp!”
    “Don’t insult our children!” Perdita told Buster.
    “Yeah, stop it, Buster,” Lady added. “Just leave them alone. wewe don’t need to be this hateful.”
Ignoring Lady, Buster declared, “So get going au I’ll fight wewe all! And I can beat all of wewe meek, little housedogs and turn wewe all into kibble. Don’t get any ideas.”
Scamp, Angel, and Patch watched their parents defending them. Then, Angel whispered, “I guess… they really do upendo us.”
“Yeah, I know,” Scamp added. “Even Tramp does.”
“I didn’t know he’d stand up for both Mom and Dad,” Angel whispered, smiling.
Patch then whispered, “I think we’re hurting all our Moms and Dads… we’re letting them fight Buster for us.”
    “What should we do, though?” Penny asked.
     “We have to distract him from all of our moms and dads,” Scamp answered breathlessly.
    “But how?” Danielle asked curiously.
    Then, Angel smiled. “We’ll lure him away ourselves,” she told them.
    Penny gasped. “That’s so dangerous!”
    “Scamp, Angel, and I can do it,” Patch told Penny. “He’s after us specifically because we walked out on him. And he wouldn’t dare fight the Tramp… I don’t think. So let’s lure him out.”
    “Where should we meet you?” Puffball asked as the parents continued to growl threateningly at Buster, who was circling to find an opening to attack the kids.
    “At the railroad, how about,” Scamp suggested.
    “The railroad?” Angel asked. “But why…”
    “I have an idea,” Scamp smiled, smirking.
    “Great,” Patch told them. Then, Patch hurried through the gap between Peg and Perdita. Angel and Scamp followed, running out.
    “Children, come back!” Perdita cried.
    Buster stopped. He smirked devilishly, and then stated, “Beauty-ful.”
    And he instantly followed Scamp, Angel, and Patch down the path.
    “Oh no!” Lady gasped. “They’ve… run away again.”
    “Sorry Pidge,” Tramp told her. “I…shouldn’t have done that stuff. They’ll never forgive me.”
    “It’s not that,” Puffball explained to Lady and Tramp. “Scamp, Angel, and Patch want to save wewe guys from Buster.”
    The parents gasped.
“You mean… they really forgive us?” Lady asked excitedly.
Puffball nodded. “Except if they’re trying to trick us again.”
“I hope they’ll turn out all right,” Perdita moaned in worry.
    “They think they’ll get kwa just fine, and they’ll stop Buster,” Puffball explained. “They say they’ll meet wewe at the railroad tracks.”
    Tramp smirked. “You know, I think they might be able to pull this off. Remember we promised not to be overprotective. Let’s give them the chance to prove themselves. Follow me.”
    “Let’s hide,” Pongo suggested. “We can protect them in case of emergency, and hide from Cruella.”
    “Keep close, children,” Perdita told Penny and Lucky. “Cruella’s still after you.”
    Meanwhile, down the railroad tracks, Scamp, Angel, and Patch stood. “So what’s your plan?” Patch asked.
    “Remember how I got my paw stuck in the boards?” Scamp asked Angel.
    Then, Angel smiled. “Of course,” she smiled. “Patch… these boards are insecure. We’ve got to trick Buster into forgetting that.”
    “Let’s try to weaken up the boards,” Scamp suggested, and he and Patch walked on many boards, pressing hard on each of them. Fortunately, some of them cracked.
    “We’ll be able to get kwa on these,” Patch told Scamp. “But probably not him… he’s too big!”
    “Yeah, I know,” Scamp smiled. “It’s a big drop. Maybe we’ll lose him.” Then, Scamp and Patch walked up to Angel. “It looks perfect to us.”
    “Let’s pretend to be scared of him,” Patch suggested.
    “Yeah,” Scamp agreed. “What are wewe doing, Angel?” he asked Angel, who was sitting down slyly.
    “I’m preparing for my part,” Angel smirked. “I’ve been thinking it over for a while… I’m going to have some fun with him.”
    Scamp and Patch looked bewildered at Angel. But then, at last, Buster arrived. He smiled. “Aha! There wewe guys are. And no parents to protect you!”
    “Oh no! Run!” Scamp gasped. He and Patch hurried across the railroad tracks. A couple of pieces of wood cracked with the sound of their crossing.
    “Haha, scaredy puppies,” Buster mocked. Then he saw Angel, who was just sitting there, pretending to ignore Buster. “Hey, Angelcakes. How come you’re not scared?”
    Angel then smirked to Buster. “I was just… pretending to be with them,” she smiled. “But why would I want to be a meek, little housedog? I decided that I want to be your girl after all. I just didn’t understand how charming and attractive wewe were.”
    “Yeah, she expects to fool me,” Buster laughed. “Hey kid, hate to break it to ya, but it ain’t going to work.”
    “What isn’t going to work?” Angel smiled to Buster deviously. “I’ve been cooped up and trapped in that prissy little home. I’ve ran away from nyumbani to try and jiunge up with you. I just haven’t had the chance. And I’m longing for the old days,” she smiled.
    “Yeah!” Buster announced excitedly. He continued, “The old days!”
    “I’ve talked to Ruby about it, too,” Angel continued slyly. “She feels the same way. So does Francois, and Mooch, and all of your other old minions,” Angel laughed. “You can rule us all again… and have all the power wewe ever dreamed of.”
    “Power… power!” Buster shouted excitedly. “Yes… junkyard mbwa will rule this town, and Buster would rule the junkyard dogs!”
    “Yes,” Angel told Buster craftily. “You’ll have loads of power. And… wewe can make me your girl.”
“Hang on there,” Buster told Angel suspiciously. “You need to pass a test. My test for wewe is to kill your meek little housedog friend Scampster,” Buster announced devilishly.
    “Oh, that will be easy,” Angel purred.
    Scamp and Patch, waiting at the other end of the railroad tracks, shivered nervously.
    “She won’t do it, would she?” Patch asked, slightly nervous.
    “Hey, it’s part of the act,” Scamp told Patch confidently. “Or… I hope.”
    Angel then rushed down the track. With fury, she tackled Scamp, and pinned him to the ground.
    “Angel, what are wewe doing?” Scamp gasped. He knew he had to act surprised.
    “Killing you, what else!” she laughed devilishly. “You’re dead meat, Scampster. wewe betrayed the junkyard dogs. Now wewe will have to suffer the consequences.”
    “Let him go, Angel,” Patch told Angel worriedly.
    “Angel… Angel… but… what about Peg? au Mom and Dad… and hey, what about us? Aren’t we friends? And I thought… you’re my girlfriend!” Scamp asked, sounding increasingly worried.
    “I don’t care about any of those sniveling parents! au you! Forget those fireflies and Tony’s… those days are over!” Angel growled to Scamp and pressed hard onto him. “And don’t ask for pity. Scamp’s trouble is Scamp’s trouble, just like Angel’s trouble is Angel’s trouble!”
    “Get off him!” Patch shouted to Angel, agitated.
“Beautyful,” Buster purred as he walked to the edge of the railroad track. “That’s it, Baby. Now let me finish the job.”
    “Oh don’t,” Angel cooed slyly. “I want do to the honors.”
    “Hey, hate to break it to wewe kid, but as I rule the junkyard dogs, I’m going to finish him off,” Buster told Angel.
    “Oh, then, very well, Buster,” Angel told him craftily as Buster began to run across the bridge.
    But then, there was a crack. A railroad board fell out from under Buster.
    “Ugh… what’s this!” Buster yelled as he fell down into the river, furious.
    “Ha ha, fooled ya!” Angel declared in delight. She took her paws off Scamp as Buster fell.
    “Wahoo!” Scamp announced. “Bye Buster!”
    “I’ll get wewe for this!” Buster proclaimed in outrage. “You’ve not seen the last of me yet!”
    “Slick move!” Scamp shouted as Buster floated down, screaming threats from a distance.
    Then a rustling came from the bushes. Behind him, the five parents emerged.
    “Patch, Scamp, Angel,” Lady cooed to them. “Why, wewe were amazing!”
    “Hey, thanks,” Scamp smiled to Lady.
    “That’s my Angel,” Peg told her. “You made your daddy proud. wewe put on a wonderful show.”
    Scamp sighed, and looked at his parents. He smiled slightly as he told them, “Thanks for finding us.”
    “Yeah,” Patch sighed. “I’m sorry for running off...”
    “Oh, it’s all right,” Perdita told them forgivingly.
    “Tramp,” Angel whispered. “I… I’m happy to see that you’ve changed...”
    Tramp smiled at Angel. “Thanks Angel… it means a lot to me that wewe forgive me,” he told her.
    “Of course I do!” Angel told him brightly. “You… wewe really care about my Mom after all. And I didn’t know wewe stood up for my dad, either!”
    “I didn’t know he was your dad,” Tramp stated proudly. “But… your father was one of the greatest mitaani, mtaa mbwa I knew.”
    “We’ll promise to treat wewe better, all right?” Lady asked gently, embracing Scamp slightly. “We’ll try to understand you… and let wewe be who wewe really are.” Scamp nodded.
    Lucky then asked, “Does anyone know where we are?”
    “Hey, we’re not too far from the other bridge,” Tramp announced.
    “Oh, yeah, that’s right,” Peg told the others. She looked inexplicably back for some reason.
    “The other junkyard’s not very far back,” Tramp told Scamp and Angel.
    “We’ve just got to get there to get your collars back,” Perdita told them.
    The mtoto wa mbwa and parents were ready for the final journey.