{"id":300,"date":"2014-12-30T05:18:08","date_gmt":"2014-12-30T05:18:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/?page_id=300"},"modified":"2021-11-15T17:57:00","modified_gmt":"2021-11-15T23:57:00","slug":"part4","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/episodes\/episode6\/part4\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 4"},"content":{"rendered":"

Episode 6: \u00a0It’s a Small World<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Part 4<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

K looked around idly. A lot had changed, but most things were the same. The happiest place on earth was still\u2026 well\u2026 the happiest place on earth. K had always heard you could never go back, but here he was, and it was a lot harder than he\u2019d thought it would be. He thought he\u2019d be prepared for this moment, thought he\u2019d stolen all of the moments he could to mentally go through everything that he needed to, so he could be here and be indifferent.<\/p>\n

He felt like a rookie.<\/p>\n

Not to mention that he had one walking next to him, bouncing around like a kid in a candy store.<\/p>\n

\u201cNick, do you think it\u2019s possible for you to calm down? Even a little.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am calm; this is me being calm.\u201d Nick grinned, his eyes widening suddenly. \u201cOooh look, mouse ears! Let\u2019s get a pair, K!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be such a sissy. EVERYONE gets mouse ears when they\u2019re here; it\u2019s an American tradition.\u201d<\/p>\n

K raised an eyebrow. \u201cNot everyone gets a pair, and I\u2019ve most certainly had my fill of wearing mouse ears to last a lifetime, thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick stared at him. \u201cYou won\u2019t be able to hold out for long, ya know. You won\u2018t be able to resist the pull, the\u2026 need. You\u2019ll succumb to the greatness known as \u2018The Ears!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmph, not on your life, pal,\u201d K grunted.<\/p>\n

K scanned the crowds of people, not really sure what he was looking for until he saw it, forcing him to come to a complete stop for a moment before he darted forward again.<\/p>\n

A quick splash of neon blue, that stupid yipping monkey sound, and then suddenly he was back, back to where everything had started for him. It was as if he\u2019d never left.<\/p>\n

If he closed his eyes, he could feel himself perched up on that float, waving at the smiling kids. He could see the young woman at his side holding his hand. Only it wasn\u2019t the character she portrayed that he imagined sitting next to him. It was her; it was always her. There had been a time when K would look over at the woman and pretend he saw the character, but that had changed once he met her.<\/p>\n

Kristin. The love of his life, as it would turn out. Sometimes he would see her in the crowd when he was in costume, and they\u2019d share their secret smile. He would\u2019ve been her Aladdin any day.<\/p>\n

Sighing, he turned to find Nick staring at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s with that goofy look?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing,\u201d K muttered.<\/p>\n

Nick looked over and then back at K, grinning again. \u201cIt\u2019s Jasmine, isn\u2019t it? She\u2019s hot, isn\u2019t she? Ya know what I think?\u201d<\/p>\n

K groaned. He didn\u2019t want to hear this; he knew he didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe needs more Carter in her life\u2026 more Nick Carter, if you know what I mean.\u201d Nick winked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh lord, Nick, will you shut up, please?! Keep your eyes peeled; we\u2019re supposed to be looking for anything out of the ordinary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick smirked, looking around as he whistled softly.<\/p>\n

Why was he here? He should\u2019ve just stayed home, stayed away from this place and all of the memories it invoked. He was a glutton for punishment. He couldn\u2019t help but let his thoughts drift back to his prior time here.<\/p>\n

It had been fun\u2026 at first. After a while, it was the same ol\u2019, same ol\u2019: new kids, same hot, uncomfortable costume. And the layers and layers of heavy make-up — he was surprised his skin was still okay. And the music — if he had to hear \u201cA Whole New World\u201d one more time, he was sure someone was going to pay.<\/p>\n

K frowned. As a matter of fact, he was sure he heard it now. It was soft at first, so soft that he thought it was part of the memory, but now he wasn\u2019t so sure. He looked around and finally turned his head toward Nick, who was humming \u201cA Whole New World\u201d incessantly and emotionally\u2026 well, as much as you could while humming.<\/p>\n

It was the final straw.<\/p>\n

Reaching out, he smacked the young man hard upside the back of his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cOuch!! Shit, what was that for?\u201d Nick yelled, rubbing the back of his head.<\/p>\n

K shrugged, grinning suddenly. \u201cI don\u2018t need a whole new world; I like this one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick watched as K strode off. He seemed preoccupied. K was one to always be off in his own world most of the time, but since they\u2019d landed, it felt like he was miles away, distracted, which was rare for K. He was usually so on, so focused. The minute he\u2019d stepped off of the plane, however, he\u2019d lost that focus.<\/p>\n

Shaking his head in confusion, Nick hurried to catch up.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Pearl tried to adjust her dress for what seemed like the hundredth time since she and Shazam had left the others to track the machine. She hated the way the tight satin bodice clung to her body, constricting her rib cage.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think the weather machine is going to be found in that dress of yours.\u201d Shazam snickered as he passed his partner.<\/p>\n

Pearl rolled her eyes; she swore to herself that she was going to smack the pompous ass upside his head the next comment he made that didn\u2019t pertain to actually being helpful in their search. \u201cWell, I don\u2019t see you looking very hard for this machine; it certainly is not in that mirror.\u201d It was Pearl\u2019s turn to snicker as she watched Shazam fluff the fringe on the shoulders of his costume.<\/p>\n

A noise in the hallway pulled Pearl\u2019s attention away from Shazam before she could see him make a mocking face at her. \u201cLet\u2019s move; the quicker I can change, the better. I still don\u2019t see why we couldn\u2019t have dressed in uniforms\u2026\u201d Before she could finish her statement, she saw a rush of employees walking towards them. \u201cQuick, we need to get moving; we have to look like we belong.\u201d She grabbed Shazam\u2019s arm and looped hers through his, plastering a wide grin on her face in an attempt to look as if she was actually happy to be dressed in her skintight satin garb. I had more room to breathe in that damned Playboy Bunny outfit,<\/em> she thought to herself as she and Shazam maneuvered around a large group of food court employees.<\/p>\n

\u201cShazam, where are you going?\u201d Pearl shouted out at the \u201ccharming\u201d man as she rushed down the long, red corridor after him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe aren\u2019t going to find the thing standing around and thinking about how awful you look in your outfit.\u201d Besides, I want to be the one to save the day on this mission and prove once and for all that I am better than Carter,<\/em> he thought to himself. The clicking of Pearl\u2019s heels following him down the corridor distracted him from figuring out how he would find the weather machine and disable it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI swear on all that is holy\u2026\u201d Pearl had already reached her limit with 006. \u201cShazam?\u201d she called out from behind him with no response. \u201cJC! STOP!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d he shouted back, irritated. \u201cGlass slippers giving you blisters?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I found a room that may help us.\u201d Pearl pointed to a closed door labeled Digital Animation Control Systems<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Shazam approached the door and looked around before he turned the handle. \u201cDamn,\u201d he cursed when the door did not budge. \u201cLooks like I\u2019m going to have to break it down.\u201d He quickly moved towards the opposite wall and positioned himself to ram the door.<\/p>\n

Pearl rolled her eyes and, spying the card swipe next to the door, pulled out the ID badge K had given her earlier and ran it down the reader. The light turned green, and the door clicked. \u201cShazam, I think we can\u2026\u201d Before she could finish her statement, a loud yell caught her attention; nothing could be done before 006 slammed himself into the door, which gave away easily. He fell flat on his face inside a room with computers standing in lines throughout the whole of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cJackpot,\u201d Pearl said, laughing at his current position. Ignoring her impulse to step on Shazam, she stepped over him instead to take a closer look at the computers inside the room. \u201cThere has to be something here to help us locate this weather machine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pearl started maneuvering her way through the aisles of computers. Thankfully, the room monitor appeared to be on his break, and there was no one there to ask questions. Several computers monitored the different areas of the park, but it would take Pearl at least an hour to make any sense out of what all the blinking lights really meant. She had a feeling the technician who monitored that room would not be gone long enough for her to learn what she needed to know.<\/p>\n

Noises coming from the other side of the room pulled Pearl\u2019s focus away from the blinking lights. She managed to move her dress around the aisle to find out what was going on. \u201cShazam!\u201d she shouted as she caught her partner playing with one of the older machines, making beatbox noises and pretending to be a DJ. \u201cSeriously? What are you doing?\u201d Quickly, she pulled him away from the computer. Before she could speak her mind further, voices outside the door attracted her attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn.\u201d She pulled her prince across the room, and they ducked behind a bank of computers, attempting to hide.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Lou, I can\u2019t take another fifteen minutes for a cigarette break. That new machine for Fantasyland has to be calibrated by the end of the day, or Steve is going to have my head.\u201d The voice entered the room, and the agents began to sweat. They looked at each other as the door shut. The man started to whistle as he positioned himself at the chair behind the keyboard Shazam had just been standing at.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing\u2019s messed up; it hasn\u2019t even been calibrated yet,\u201d<\/em> Shazam bragged in a whisper, now that Pearl\u2019s earlier comment had been called invalid.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the hell!\u201d the man at the desk called out as he began to look around the room. \u201cThis is not how this board was left. Crap, Steve is gonna go ballistic if he finds out that the Country Bears program has new moves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pearl looked at Shazam and rolled her eyes, re-validated in her comment about him screwing with the park mechanics. \u201cMove towards the door,\u201d<\/em> she mouthed to Shazam. They started to sneak along, Pearl finally falling to her hands and knees so that her heels would not clack against the hard floor.<\/p>\n

They managed to reach the door unseen, unheard, but now they had to think about how to get out of the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got an idea,\u201d Shazam whispered.<\/p>\n

Quickly, he moved to the door and flung it open. \u201cHey, what are you doing in here?\u201d The technician looked up and saw Shazam standing in the doorway.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am new here. I really need to use the john. Some guy in a monkey suit told me it was down this hall and to my right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo your right about three more doors down.\u201d The man rolled his eyes. \u201cNewbie,\u201d he grumbled and turned away from Shazam.<\/p>\n

Shazam motioned for Pearl to move through the door quickly, but Pearl\u2019s attention was hooked on something else. The light board for Tomorrowland looked different than the others. Most of the boards had similar blinking lights, showing the amount of electricity the areas were using, but Tomorrowland appeared to have more lights blinking than the others.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you still doing here? You certainly can\u2019t whiz here,\u201d the man grumbled at Shazam, who was still standing in the doorway waiting for Pearl.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry,\u201d Shazam responded. \u201cIt just looks interesting to work here, is all.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man started to rant about how hard his job really was and that no moron off the street dressed as Prince Charming could just waltz in and perform his duties, no matter what his boss Steve told him. While ranting, the guy stood up and started moving towards a back bank of computers, leaving the doorway completely open for Shazam and Pearl to make their escape.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Pearl!\u201d<\/em> Shazam grabbed hold of Pearl\u2019s large satin hoop skirt and pulled her through the door. \u201cMind telling me what that was?\u201d he snapped at her when they were safely back in the hallway.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt looks like something could be up in Tomorrowland; let\u2019s head that way.\u201d She looked at the wall; they were still in the red corridor, indicating they were near Fantasyland. \u201cWe need to keep moving until we find the blue corridor.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two started to move again, Pearl\u2019s heels clacking against the floor. \u201cLook. Blue.\u201d She smirked and started to move faster.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d a voice called from behind.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow what?\u201d Pearl groaned and glanced at Shazam. \u201cDo you think the bathroom scheme would work again?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou two are late,\u201d the old man huffed as he reached Prince Charming and Cinderella. \u201cThe parade started ten minutes ago; you\u2019re lucky the Cinderella float isn\u2019t at the beginning of the route.\u201d The man grabbed both Shazam\u2019s and Pearl\u2019s arms and started to pull them back the way they had come. \u201cIf you want to keep working here, you best pay attention to your timetable and don\u2019t go wandering into worlds you don\u2019t belong. Cinderella and Prince Charming should NEVER go into Tomorrowland.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pearl grimaced, tripping on her dress as she was pulled along. They did not have time for this, but she knew that K would kill her if she blew their cover and kept them from being able to disable the weather machine. Quickly, her mind started formulating a plan to get off the float and make their way to Tomorrowland.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, get on your float.\u201d The old man pushed the two dazed agents onto a float shaped like the pumpkin carriage. Pearl looked terrified as the float started to move out onto the street, where eager children were waiting for a glimpse of Cinderella.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor God\u2019s sake, smile,\u201d Shazam muttered as he plastered a stupid grin to his face and started to wave. Pearl gulped and smiled as the pumpkin carriage pulled them down the street.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Emerald could feel the tail of her giant, padded duck butt wagging from side to side as she walked — waddled, really — silently cursing K with every step. How was she supposed to scope out undercover FANS agents when all her concentration focused on not tripping over the enormous orange feet covering her own? They were like clown shoes! If she wasn\u2019t careful, she was going to fall flat on her stupid, duck-billed face.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I thought dressing like a Playboy Bunny was bad,\u201d she huffed to The Rok, who made a far better cartoon duck than she did.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, you\u2019re a bunny; now you\u2019re a duck — you\u2019d think it was Easter,\u201d he joked. \u201cWhat\u2019s next, a chicken?\u201d The CIA guy almost seemed to be enjoying himself. Emerald just felt ridiculous.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo offense, but I\u2019ll kill your cousin before I put on a fucking chicken costume for him. At least I looked sexy as a Bunny\u2026 now I just look like fucking klutz,\u201d she complained as her feet scuffed against the pavement, which was still strewn with drifts of snow, despite the Florida heat.<\/p>\n

\u201cShh\u2026\u201d Brian lowered his soft, Southern drawl to a whisper, and Donald leaned close to Daisy. \u201cWatch the F-bombs, alright? Daisy Duck doesn\u2019t swear, ya know.\u201d<\/p>\n

In spite of her suffering, Emerald managed to laugh. \u201cI dunno, Rok; I\u2019d say a cursing Daisy Duck fits in pretty well with a Mickey Mouse who flips the bird. It\u2019s the dark side of Disney.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStill\u2026 let\u2019s not traumatize any more kids than Mickey already has.\u201d Brian\u2019s voice was light but serious. Begrudgingly, Emerald resolved herself to keep her language in check.<\/p>\n

It was a good thing. For as they waddled further from the concealed entrance to the sanctuary of the utilidors below and started their first lap around Mickey\u2019s Toontown Fair, a group of small children quickly ambushed them. A few feet away, the smiling parents hung back with cameras ready. \u201cDonald Duck!!\u201d the kids cried in excitement. \u201cDaisy!!\u201d<\/p>\n

Beneath the stifling Daisy Duck mask, Emerald groaned, but her partner sprung into character. \u201cHello there!\u201d he chirped in his Donald Duck voice, which he had clearly honed. \u201cMy name is Donald Duck! What\u2019re your names?\u201d<\/p>\n

The children all recited their names, shouting over each other so that it was impossible to decipher most of them. Even so, Brian quacked to his companion, \u201cOh boy! Did you hear that? What beautiful names!\u201d<\/p>\n

The kids crowded around him, hugging him from every angle. They also flocked to Emerald, who settled for waving and patting heads with her plush, white-gloved hands. She had no idea what Daisy Duck\u2019s voice even sounded like, let alone any confidence that she could mimic it.<\/p>\n

Luckily, The Rok\u2019s imitation was good enough for both of them. He hammed it up while the parents snapped pictures, twisting his padded gloves into thumbs up as he put his arms around various children and wagging his duck tail for the cameras. The kids shrieked with laughter, and the parents chuckled, too. Even Emerald had to smile underneath the head of her costume. Admittedly, she\u2019d found the CIA officer charming before, but now, he was just downright adorable. And \u201cadorable\u201d was not usually a part of Emerald\u2019s vocabulary.<\/p>\n

The smile lasted until Donald grabbed Daisy\u2019s hand and forced her into a clumsy do-si-do, then spun her under his arm. Dizzy and wobbling, Emerald wanted to kill him, but the children clapped and whooped, enjoying the antics. Donald bowed. To her great surprise, \u201cDaisy\u201d found herself pulling a curtsy. The kids\u2019 parents herded them away to the next attraction, and the two large ducks were alone again for a moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, is that what you CIA guys do with your time — practice your cartoon impressions?\u201d Emerald leaned close to him to mutter.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?!\u201d Brian quacked in Donald\u2019s voice, feigning shock. \u201cI\u2019m hurt you think I need to practice. Don\u2019t you know? I\u2019m a duck of many talents.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I hope targeting enemies is another one,\u201d Emerald shot back. \u201c\u2019Cause don\u2019t forget, that\u2019s really what we\u2019re supposed to be doing here. This isn\u2019t play time. We have to be on the lookout for any suspicious characters. See any?\u201d She looked around, noticing the various rides and cartoonish buildings that surrounded her.<\/p>\n

Brian leaned back in. \u201cI see Mickey.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere?\u201d Emerald asked hastily. She remembered what K had said about the Disney icon\u2019s strange behavior.<\/p>\n

Brian pointed. \u201cThere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her eyes followed his gesture; her heartbeat quickened with the rush of adrenaline a mission always triggered. \u201cGreat. Let\u2019s follow him.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Part 5<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Episode 6: \u00a0It’s a Small World Part 4   K looked around idly. A lot had changed, but most things were the same. The happiest place on earth was still\u2026 well\u2026 the happiest place on earth. K had always heard you could never go back, but here he was, and\u2026<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span><\/i><\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":132,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"templates\/template-onecolumn.php","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-300","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P5xaHX-4Q","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=300"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/300\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":877,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/300\/revisions\/877"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}