Cut to the Chase is the thirteenth book in the Bad Guys series and the third book of Season 2.
Description[]
The Bad Guys have entered a whole new world--like, literally--a VERY nasty new universe awaits. Oh Mr. Snake, what have you done...?!
Plot[]
The book begins with a memory from Snake's childhood, showing him being bullied by a couple of students. Another student scares the bullies away, introducing himself as Moe, when the memory then transitions to Shadow Squad G falling towards a floor of spikes. Instead of landing, the team floats just above due to a difference in gravity. While discussing the variety of dimensions, the sky suddenly goes dark, with light being restored less than a minute later. The team is also injured with a variety of glass blades, and they eventually continue their journey being lead by The Oracle. Snake is then shown talking to the underlord ruling the dimension, Underlord Shaärd.
As the B-Team endures turbulence while in space, Nathan comments the team will reach their destination within three days, to the team's dismay. Doom asks for alternative ideas, to which Nathan offers to travel to Planet :( and request a faster ship from the king. The rest of the group starts to disagree, until Papa Piranha begins levitating and telepathically speaking to his son. Piranha tells him that the team must go to Planet :( before finding The Others. Papa Piranha returns back to normal, and the team reluctantly sets off for the planet.
Piranha ceases his communications as well, and Wolf questions how Piranha was talking to his dad. However, Piranha has no memory of such event. The team then finds the next doorway, below a cannon spraying broken glass and a massive column of shards.
Once arriving near Planet :(, the B-Team is promptly shot at by a few alien spaceships. Nathan tries to reason with the king, though he is treated as a traitor to their species. Legs also tries to ask for assistance, though Marmalade convinces his dad that there is no danger possible. Their ship is finally struck with a blast, and the team must find a new one due to extensive damages. Milton points out a garbage freighter shaped as a butt, which is the only safe option left, to the team's upset.
The A-Team begins assessing their situation, and Hogwild offers to divert the cannon away from the team's leeway. She does so, though night arrives once again. Once daytime returns, Fox falls right above the spinning blades, stopping them with telekinesis. The rest of the team begins descending down the pit, stopping once night comes back. During this time, Snake begins manipulating and brainwashing Hogwild, and lets go of the cannon. In order to protect the rest of the team, Shark covers them with his back, though he quickly falls down the pit out of pain. As Fox struggles to bring Hogwild back to normal, Shortfuse successfully assists her, and the two descend the pit after. Snake forces Fox to dive as well, though Wolf safely catches her. Kitty then plucks the shards out of everyone one by one. Gravity returns to normal at the bottom of the pit, and Kitty grows suspicious at the lack of security near the doorway. As they begin approaching it, Shaård and Snake confront the team.
The B-Team realize their new ship is in poor condition and requires more fuel, with a space service station coincidentally picking them up. A bull breaks through the ship, having been piloting the service station. He then starts repairing the ship while the aliens continue attacking them. Doom becomes annoyed at his anonymity, though Tiffany shows interest in him. He finishes the ship repairs, and the ship gains a boost in speed, escaping the aliens in the process. By this point, everyone except Tiffany is suspicious of the bull, and his sudden assistance. The bull swiftly takes a leader role and introduces himself as Buck Thunders, though remains vague about the rest of his identity.
Fox weakly starts protecting the A-Team once again, but Kitty and Shortfuse start to confront Shaård instead, to Fox's opposition. Kitty asks for Wolf to confront Snake, which him doing so causes Snake to have a flashback and breakdown. He confesses he's being forced to hunt down the team against his wishes, but the Underlords are too powerful for Snake to do anything. He frustratedly offers Wolf to join them once again, though Wolf would rather die than do so. He tries convincing Snake that too, though Splaarghön reveals himself to be possessing Snake. He then orders the team's annihilation, leading to Shaård knocking Kitty unconscious, along with Wolf being brainwashed. An overwhelmed Fox releases a massive explosion of power, rendering everyone unconscious. Everyone except herself wake up moments after, and the team proceed to the next dimension. They painfully land in the next dimension, and find out the next doorway is inside a basement. While analyzing the next dimension, the book pans out to a large collection of helicopters and a honeycomb skyscraper, ending the book.
Trivia[]
- The book was previously titled The Sever-Ending Story on Amazon, but was later changed to its current title.