The Adventures of Negropolis and Mason - Episode 4 - In the Jungle

 

Scene opens with Mason confidently strolling through thick jungle foliage, Flippers perched happily in his arms. Negropolis trails behind, swatting at mosquitoes and muttering to himself, looking utterly miserable.

Negropolis: (swatting at the air) “I knew it. I knew this was a bad idea. Stuck in a jungle with no supplies, no clue where we’re going, and your feathered sidekick over there thinks he’s Christopher Columbus.”

Flippers wiggles out of Mason’s grip and waddles in a determined direction.

Mason: (grinning, scooping up Flippers again) “Maybe Flippers knows the way out. He’s got a good sense of direction.”

Negropolis: (raising an eyebrow, crossing his arms) “A good sense of direction? He’s a penguin! For all we know, he’s leading us straight back to the South Pole!”

Mason shrugs nonchalantly, while Negropolis huffs dramatically and stomps off in the opposite direction.

The duo wanders for what feels like hours (to Negropolis, anyway). Along the way, they encounter a series of mishaps: Mason almost picks up a giant spider, thinking it’s “cute,” which results in Negropolis fainting into a bush. Later, a large snake slithers across their path, sending Negropolis scrambling up a tree while Mason casually shoos it away with a stick.

Negropolis: (hanging onto a branch, trembling) “I hate nature. I hate spiders. I hate snakes. I hate you, Mason!”

Mason: (smiling, calmly) “You forgot Flippers.”

Negropolis: (groaning) “And Flippers!”

Suddenly, a faint voice calls out through the jungle.

Voice: “Oi, lads! Over ‘ere!”

Negropolis freezes, eyes wide, while Mason perks up, grinning. They push through the foliage to find Ace MacDougal leaning against a tree, his leg in a makeshift splint and a crutch under one arm.

MacDougal: (grinning, waving) “Took ye long enough! I sent Flippers to lead ye back to me, but I guess the wee lad’s as bad with directions as he is with flyin’.”

Negropolis: (muttering under his breath) “I knew it. A penguin leading us. Genius plan, Mason.”

Mason: (ignoring him, delighted) “Ace! Great to see you! What happened to your leg?”

MacDougal: (waving it off) “Ach, a wee mishap with a log and gravity. Nothin’ serious. C’mon, lads, I’ll get ye outta here. North’s the way to go.”

MacDougal leads the group northward, leaning heavily on his crutch, while Mason happily chats with Flippers perched on his shoulder. Negropolis, meanwhile, trudges behind, looking like he’s nearing the end of his rope.

Negropolis: (grumbling) “This isn’t north. This is torture. It’s been days!”

MacDougal: (chuckling) “Days? It’s been an hour, lad. Buck up.”

Negropolis: (muttering) “An hour? Feels like I’ve been wandering this jungle since the Jurassic.”

They eventually stumble upon a clearing, revealing a makeshift camp with a few ramshackle huts. Mason’s face lights up with relief, and he strides straight into the center of the camp, Flippers waddling behind. Negropolis hesitates, glancing at MacDougal.

MacDougal: (calling after him, warning) “Wait, Mason, don’t go barrelin’ in—”

Too late. Mason is stopped dead in his tracks by a man wielding a machine gun. The man looks confused at the sight of Mason, Flippers, and the rest of the gang but keeps his weapon raised in a threatening manner. Mason freezes, Flippers tilts his head, and Negropolis steps back, wide-eyed.

Negropolis: (whispering, panicked) “Oh no. Oh no. OH NO.”

The scene ends with a tense silence, Mason grinning awkwardly at the armed man while Negropolis’s expression says it all: This is not going to end well.