TUGS: A Tale of a Star Chapter 3 - Surprises

As Ten Cents chugged his way through New York City, all he could think about was getting the money. "If I don't get dat money, I could be sold to a scrapyahd, and dat would nevuh do at all," he said to himself: sometimes, even preserved boats have a chance of being sold for scrap. However, he was oblivious to a black tug resembling the one he saw on the poster staring at him. "Ah, Ten Cents," he said in a thick German accent, "vee meet again. Soon, you shall pay for vhat you did to me in 1949, 58 years before today! Ah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah!"

Unaware if that tugboat, the Star Switcher continued sailing through New York, not caring to take a look at all the wonderful sights in the area, not even the harbour itself. Eventually, he came across Zak, who was out dredging. "Excuse me Zak," he said, "I know we aren't friends, but I need yuh 'elp wif someving." Zak stopped dredging. "What is it Stah, I'm busy!" "Well Zak, are you aware of a criminal tugboat dat's been 'ieding in New Yohk foh several yees?" "Sorry Ten Cents, I'm afraid not, and I'm being 100 puhcent honest." "Oh, danks anyway," said Ten Cents sadly, and with that, he steamed on. Zak sighed and retuned to his dredging duties.

Ten Cents later encountered Zorran towing in a large cruise ship with three other tugs. "Excuse me Zorran," he said politely, "I know you're busy, but I 'av got a quick question foh you." Zorran hooted his whistle to signal to the other tugs to stop towing, then turned to Ten Cents. "Ok Stah, 'it me." With that, Ten Cents bumped into Zorran's bow. "Ow, what was dat foh, Stah?!" Zorran scowled angrily. "Well," said Ten Cents with a smile, "you told me to 'it you, didn't ya?" He and the other tugs started laughing. "Hey Zorran, he's got a point," one of them said. "You told him to hit you!" Zorran blasted his hooter crossly and everybody went silent. "Alright, dat is enough," he scowled. "Ten Cents, what did you want to ask me anyway, eh?" "Well Zorran," Ten Cents began, "'av you evuh 'ad a feeling dat some criminal might be 'ieding in New Yohk City?" "A criminal 'ieding in New Yohk," Zorran considered. "Sorry Ten Cents, I'm afraid not." He then turned to the other tugs.

"What about you guys?" "Well," said a large one, "he might be referring to Halbert." The others stared. "George, who is Halbert?" a small tug asked. "Good question Barry," George replied. "You see, Halbert was a tug who worked for the Moran Fleet long ago."

(Flashback, 1949)

"He was a hard worker in those days, and was well known for being kind and friendly, refusing to turn down an offer for help, not did he refuse a rejection for help. He was a true role-model for other tugboats. That was, until one day, while on loan to another harbor, he got humiliated very badly: one tug asked him for help, claiming that his engine failed. Halbert agreed, but found that he had been tricked into doing that tug's job" involving explosives. Unfortunately, by then, it was too late, the explosives, lit up by sparks from his stack, caught on fire, and while attempting to get away he crashed into some rocks! Upset and embarrassed, not to mention, his reputation was in tatters, he lost his desire to help others and went into hiding."

(Flashback ends)

"Ever since then," George continued, "Hal has been doing nothing but steal stuff. That is why he is wanted around New York. Unfortunately, he is so sneaky he always evades capture." The other tugs gasped. "Wow," said Zorran in amazement, "if I 'ad know dat, I would've stopped dat tugboat right away." "Ah, nevuh mind, Zorran," said Ten Cents, "you can't 'elp it if you can't catch 'im, right?" "I guess you 'av a point, Ten Cents," Zorran replied with a smile. Ten Cents then tooted goodbye, and left, while the tugs went back to docking the cruise ship. "Alright, 'old 'uh study, will you?" Zorran called. "Right away Zorran!" the other tugs responded.

Eventually, Ten Cents felt really tired, so he decided to park himself next to an old dock and he took a little nap. But no sooner had he closed his eyes, a grey tugboat with yellow hair and the face of an 8-year old snuck quietly upon him, with a harpoon. She looked like she was about to strike, when Ten Cents opened his eyes and saw the harpoon. "Say, are you trying to go fishing, young lady?" he asked cheekily. The tug stopped where she was and put the harpoon away. "Uh, yea, I was actually," she said in a voice of an 8-year old girl. "Well, an 'ahpoon isn't actually de best way to catch fish," Ten Cents said. "Also, dis isn't really de puhfect spot foh fishing. If you want, I can 'elp you mastuh yuh fishing skills." "I would actually like that," the tug replied. "Alright, den let's 'ed off." With that, Ten Cents tooted his hooter and set off, the tug following behind.

Eventually, he came across another fishing boat. "Uh, excuse me," he called to the boat. The fishing boat stopped. "Yes?" he asked. "Well, uh, see dis 'ere tugboat? She would like to go fishing too. I was going to show 'uh de best spots foh fishing and 'ow to fish, but since you know moe about fishing and de Poht of New Yolk dan me, can you please teach 'uh?" "Ok, sure thing," the fishing boat replied. "Danks, I owe you one." With that, the fishing boat set off, with the tug following the fishing boat. She tooted goodbye to Ten Cents as she left. "Well, I guess I won't be seeing 'uh evuh again," Ten Cents said to himself. He gave a toot and returned to where he planned to take a nap before the tug interrupted him. When he arrived, he found that the spot was taken up by another boat, a cargo ship for those who wanted me to be exact. "Oh well, I'll just sleep next to it," he said to himself. With that, he parked himself on the starboard side of the ship and fell asleep.

He woke up a few hours later. Surprisingly, that ship was gone. But Ten Cents didn't worry too much about it: he knew that it probably left port already. He simply lifted his anchor and departed the area, still wondering how to catch Halbert. As he did so, a small black tug that looked like the small one in the poster, even wearing the same Darth Vader mask, watched him from the shadows. "Boss," he said in a voice similar to Darth Vader's into a radio, "I think I found the tug you were looking for." "Vell done, my boy," a German accent replied. "I shall make sure he comes to me. Natalie hasn't returned yet, so I assume something vent vrong during her task to harpoon Ten Cents." "Alright, I'll see you later," said the small tug, and with that, he hung up and stayed out of sight.

As Ten Cents steamed through the port, he asked any other boats he knew if they've seen Halbert, but none did, and some didn't even know who Halbert was. A few even zoomed away without an answer after hearing the name, causing Ten Cents to suspect something was up with them. Eventually, he encountered a motorboat painted red. "Excuse me," he said politely, "'av you seen oh 'ed of a tugboat named 'Albet?" But instead of answering, the motorboat zoomed away. However, the switcher was in no mood to go without an answer this time and attached a line to the boat. He then towed it to a nearby pier and tied it to a pole. "Alright boat, speak up!" he demanded. "No!" said the boat with dignity. Ten Cents knew that he needed answers, so he decided to do one thing: he licked the motorboat with his tongue! "Ugh, that's nasty!" the boat said crossly. "'Ow many licks will it take to get to yuh centuh?" Ten Cents asked. "Take it to my grave," the boat said crossly. "Alright, fai enough," said Ten Cents, and with that, he kept on licking the motorboat. Eventually, the motorboat couldn't take it anymore and shouted, "Alright, Halbert is my master!" Ten Cents stopped licking. "Really?" "Yes," the boat replied. "Years ago, I was having engine troubles, but my owner didn't have  the money to repair them. Fortunately, in return for loyalty to him, Halbert helped me pay for a new engine. I've been working for him ever since, since I owe him."

Ten Cents took pity on the boat, so he let him go. The switcher then continued to search for Halbert, unaware of another tugboat sneaking up on him. The tug had a harpoon and was aiming at Ten Cents. But when it fired, Ten Cents moved out of the way of firing range. As a result, the harpoon missed and landed into the sea instead. "Dammit, I missed!" the tug muttered. It returned to the harpoon and fished it out, to avoid any false-suspicious activity of whaling based on the single harpoon. It then left the area, going back into hiding. Eventually, Ten Cents encountered the same female tug he met at the old dock where he took a nap. "Say, I nevuh did catch 'uh name, did I?" he asked himself. He decided to find out what it was, so he steamed over, blowing his hooter as he approached. "A'oy dare," he called, "remembuh me?" The tug looked over. "Actually, I do," she replied. "And trust me, fishing was so much fun!" Ten Cents rolled his eyes: he knew how girls were, always taking excitement over minor things.

"Right," he said. "Anyway, I nevuh did catch yuh name. What is it?" "Natalie," the tug replied. "Me name is Ten Cents," the Star Switcher responded. "Ten Cents? What kind of a name is that?" asked Natalie, giggling. "Look, it's me own name, just like Natalie is yuhs." Natalie stopped giggling. "Uh, ok," she said. "Anyway, what exactly do you do foh a living?" Ten Cents asked. "Uh, I tow in ships and carry barges around New York," Natalie replied, but Ten Cents suspected something else. "Anyving else you do, Natalie?" "Uh, no, that's it," she replied hastily. Ten Cents still felt suspicious, but said no more. Instead, he just tooted goodbye and left the scene to continue searching for Halbert.

Once he was out of sight, Natalie disappeared into an old warehouse. She went over to a large, brown shed inside. "Vell, it's about time you got here, Natalie," said a think German accent. "Did you do your task correctly?" "Actually sir, no," Natalie replied. "You see, I tried to harpoon Ten Cents, but then he saw me and thought I was fishing, so he offered to show me how, only for another fishing boat to agree to teach me instead. Then later on, we met again and caught each other's names." The voice sighed heavily. "Natalie," he said, "you know that I vant rewenge on Ten Vents for vhat he did to me in 1949. VHY DID YOU FAIL YOUR TASK?!" "I was distracted boss, honest!!!" Natalie squealed. The voice sighed. "Alright fine, I'll forghiw you this time, but next time, you may not be so lucky, you hear me Natalie?" "Yes boss, I understand boss," she said sadly. "Good," said the voice, "now get back out there and return to your task. Report to me once again vhen you are finished vith your job." With that, Natalie whistled and left the warehouse. When she was gone, the voice said to himself, "Vhile I do trust Natalie, she seems to be distracted by Ten Cents' kind-hearted behaewior. I better ghiw her some help vith the job to speed things up a bit." He then turned on a walkie-talkie. "Alright, Beezboy and Billboy," he said into the walkie-talkie, "I order you two to capture Ten Cents the Star Svitcher and take him to our secret hideout. I vill deal vith him personally vhen you being him to me." "Unduhstand boss," said a young, New York accent. "Good Beezboy," the German voice whispered. "I shall be vaiting for you." With that, he turned off the walkie-talkie and sighed happily. "Ha-ha-ha-ha!" he laughed. "Ten Cents, prepare to meet your doom!"

Meanwhile, Ten Cents was still steaming around New York, keeping an eye out for Halbert. He then heard two whistles. He looked around,but saw nobody. "Ello?" he called. "'Oo's dare?" Nobody replied, but Ten Cents heard it coming from an old dock. Cautiously, he steamed over. "'Ello, anybody 'ere?" he called. He then heard the whistles again. Suddenly, out of the shadows, two small grey tugboats zoomed over to him, holding bats! Ten Cents was alarmed. "Wait, what are you two doing???!!!" he called. Suddenly, one of them hit him hard on the head! "Ow!" Ten Cents squealed. He then saw the other tug move in front. This tug hit him on his face! Suddenly, for Ten Cents, everything went black!

When he awoke a few hours later, he found himself in an old warehouse. He looked around: he was tied up to a pier and out of the water. No doubt he was being held hostage, but why? At that moment, a large black tug, followed by the two grey ones who knocked him out, came into view. "Hello there Ten Cents," the black tug said in a German accent. "Vee met again." "Wait a minute, 'oo are you?" Ten Cents asked. "Don't you remember?" the tug said. "That incident back in 1949, vher you humiliated me by tricking me into carrying explosiws?" "Wait a minute, I've 'ed of dat incident," Ten Cents replied. Then he remembered what George had said. "Wait a minute, you're 'Albet?!" "Aye, that is right, Ten Cents, and you var the one who humiliated me by tricking me into carrying explosiw deewieces, vhich sparks from me stack set on fire and caused me to crash into those rocks vhen I tried to escape!"

"Oh, 'Albet, I'm honestly sorry," Ten Cents said, feeling ashamed. "Too late now," Halbert said. "I am not going to kill you Ten Cents, but I am going to do something very bad to you. I hawn't thought of vhat it vill be yet, but vhen I do, it vill be so bad, you'll be screaming in pain! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!!!" Ten Cents gulped in worry. "Anyvay, I best be off. Another associate of mine vill look after you Ten Cents. He vill keep an eye on you and make sure you don't escape his sight. Heh heh heh." He then turned to the smaller tugs. "Beezboy, Billboy, come," he said. "Vee haw some business to take care of." "Aye aye, sir," Beezboy and Billboy both called, and with that, they followed Halbert out of the warehouse. Ten Cents knew that he was going to suffer, having missed his chance to catch a criminal. Not only that, but now Bruce would never be able to pay off his bill, for if he was gone, there would be no way his owner could sell himself, unless his remains were found.

As he sat there thinking, a small black tugboat the size of Sunshine came into the warehouse and shut the door when it was inside. The tug was black all over and wore a Darth Vader mask which covered everything, even the hat. Ten Cents looked at the tug. "I suppose you're de one 'oo will be looking aftuh me, right?" he said sadly. "Yes," said the tug in a voice that sounded like Darth Vader. "You've guessed correctly, Ten Cents." Ten Cents was a little surprised, as well as worried. "Wait, 'ow did you know me name?" he asked. "That is simple," the tug replied. "We met before." "We 'av?" "Yes Ten Cents, do you want to know who I am?" Ten Cents softly said, "Yes, I actually do." "Well, I apologize, I honestly do, but my name can never be said to anybody, not even other tugboats. It's all part of the orders of my master, Halbert." Ten Cents understood. "Can ya at least take off yuh mask please?" he asked. "I would at least like to see yuh face, so I can recognize who you are." "I see your point," the tug replied, "but unfortunately, while there is nothing  physically wrong with my face, unlike the guy in Phantom of the Opera, if I showed it to you, you would be really, really, shocked, confused, and upset." "Look, I don't care what's be'iend dat mask," Ten Cents said. "Just, please take it off!"

"Alright, fine!" said the tug angrily. And with that, he slowly started to take off his mask. Ten Cents watched anxiously, hoping the face wasn't actually horrible. When the mask was finally off, Ten Cents got a good look at the face and gasped. The paint was still black, but its face was all white, the same color as his own, with a familiar red cap, along with only one tooth in its mouth. This meant that the tugboat was... "SUNSHINE?!" Ten Cents asked in shock. "Aye, it's me," the tug replied in a familiar Geordie accent. Ten Cents had a reason to be shocked, for the tugboat wasn't any ordinary tug, it was his old best friend Sunshine! But why would Sunshine be with Halbert? What did Halbert do to Sunshine that made him join up with him? Ten Cents started to have a bad feeling, and he knew that for every question he had about Sunshine's current situation, there was always an answer, and something told him he would not like the answers Sunshine had in store...