Cookie instantly windmilled away but even the minion could tell it wouldnt be fast enough. Then, something furry smacked the Jacques in the side, speeding it up just enough to escape the dogs razor-sharp teeth.
It turned out that the cat had reacted at the same time as the dog and had leaped to the side to avoid the deadly animal. However, the cat predicted incorrectly, and their dodge put them right in the path of Cookie. The two landed in a heap on the ground as the dog sailed overhead, the cat hissing up a storm in terror.
Cookie smacked the ground as it landed, quickly rolling to the side and standing. The cat was somehow in the minions other hand, but the Jacques wasnt about to question things. The Jacques bolted away from the dog in a random direction.
The animal quickly gave chase, its metallic feet digging into the road underneath. It gave a nasty snarl, which prompted Cookie to run faster.
The minion rounded the corner to a back alley and leaped over the garbage cans blocking the road. The cat hissed up a storm, scratching the minions suitcoat in terror. Cookie ignored it in favor of looking back. Just in time to see the cyberdog barrel through the garbage bins like a toddler through building blocks. Trash splattered across the alley walls, their smelly contents emitting a foul odor.
Cookie turned out of the alley onto another road, this one lined with withering bushes and trees choked by the rusty metal around it. The minion debated for a moment about climbing one of the trees but chickened out when it remembered how the dog punched through the garbage bins. It would be better to find some other way to escape the dog.
The animal in question rounded the alley, howling as it skidded across the sidewalk. Cookie continued to dash down the street, looking for anything that might help the minion.
The cat, now somewhat calmed down, yanked at Cookies suitcoat. The Jacques glanced down to find the cat pointing a paw at a nearby tree. Cookie shook its head, knowing that climbing wouldnt help. The cat rolled its eyes and point above the tree. A balcony sat near the dying branches, just close enough for the minion to climb.
Seeing the opportunity, Cookie bolted to the tree and shimmied up. The dog, only moments behind, slammed into the trunk.
The tree gave an unsettling shake and bent down, but it stayed upright. The dog howled and backed up to try again, prompting Cookie to move faster. Now that the tree was at an angle the minion could stand and run.
The Jacques arrived at the branches as the dog again crashed into the tree, this time upending the trunk entirely. Cookies stomach flopped and the minion felt the world spin.
Desperate, the minion jumped from the branches toward where it felt the balcony was. The world rocked unsteadily, and then Cookie slammed into something metallic. The cat yowled, more from surprise than pain, as Cookie latched a hand onto the balcony railing. The animal jumped with feline grace and landed squarely on a small end table sitting near the edge.
The minion hated it when Mabel was worse than normal. She made the Jacques do all sorts of demeaning things. Like stand guard!
However, Cookie still held a lack of knowledge. The minion had no clue what a cup of flour was. It knew what a cup was, and what flowers were. But how was he supposed to find a cup of them?
For example, there was a mug sitting on the end table, filled with dirt and a spindly green plant. Cookie knew exactly what that mug was, though why someone would want a mug of dirt confused the minion. Then Cookie blinked, the programming inside its head firing and making connections. Perhaps the minion didnt have to borrow the flowers from a neighbor? Maybe the minion could just steal the flowers and stick them in a cup. It wasnt like Mabel would know the difference.
Cookie clapped its hands together. What a perfectly dastardly plan! Worthy of Dr. Zlos minion for sure!
Excited, the minion grabbed the mug, dumped the dirt out, and plucked everything that looked like a flower from the balcony. All of it went into the mug, and once the Jacques finished it crawled down the building to find more.
It had to find another part of the neighborhood with a lot more greenery, but Cookie eventually did it. If the minion had a mouth it would smile. Mabel was sure to love how smart he had been!
Wait he got Mabel a cup of flower petals? Jack said with a smile.
Yeah, and he looked so proud too, Dylan laughed. But boy, was Mabel not happy. She went off on a tirade, grabbing every minion she could think of and forcing them to march around the mansion as punishment. The poor Jacques didnt even know what the did wrong.
Thats incredible, Jack said. Like something out of an old cartoon.
I know right, Dylan replied. Sometimes I wonder if the AI for this game knows more than it lets on.
Doubt it, Jack countered. Just a quirk of programming.
Yeah, probably, Dylan answered. A great quirk though.