Having defeated the Wicked Witch of Oz and forming a team of heroic knights comprised of various characters from across the Literary Universe, Bastian Balthazar Bux now has the ability to travel to literary world of his choosing.

Upon returning Mike Teavee to his homeworld, Bastian and his friends realized that something wasn't quite right in the world of Charlie & The Chocolate Factory...

Knights of the Neverending Story #14

"A-Wonka-Lypse Now'

"This doesn't look anything at all like what the book described," Bastian said as he looked around the decimated city. It looked like something out of World War II, only gloomier. The skies were grey and every building looked dilapidated.

"Perhaps a powerful dark wizard did this," George Weasely suggested.

"I think I'd remember reading the chapter about Willy Wonka and Charlie Bucket's search for Veruca's Horcrux," Bastian told him.

"The city was always a little foggy, but it never looked this bad," Mike said as he looked at a poster of an older Veruca, with the tagline 'Obey'. "Who is this?"

"Probably the one who destroyed this city," Tiny Tim suggested. "Why does it look so different from my England?"

"There's about an 80 year time difference," Bastian told him. "Something must have changed when Mike was pulled out of the book before he went on that tour."

"You said I wasn't a major character," Mike said as he leaned against the wall. "You said that this was Charlie Bucket's story, and that I was just there to be a dick."

"A dick that got pulled out too early, obviously," George said as he saw the looks on his friend's faces. "I think I should rephrase that."

" Please, do." Bastian told him.

"The best place to start would probably be Mike's house," Tiny Tim suggested. "Maybe his parents know what happened."

"Good idea," Bastian said. "We'll use AURYN to find Mike's house. George, you and Tiny Tim try to question some of the locals about what's happened. We'll meet back here in an hour."

Moments later, Bastian and Mike were standing outside of Mike Teavee's house, which was now boarded up, and looked to have been abandoned for a very long time.

"I don't get it," Mike said as he pulled on one of the boards. "How long was I gone?"

"I think the bigger question is: How did you missing the tour change the story?" Bastian asked as he put his hand on AURYN. "I wish for a sledgehammer."

A large hammer suddenly appeared in Bastian's hands as a saw emerged from the top before Bastian took it to the boards.

in another story several literary worlds away, Tom and Huck were down by the river enjoying the peaceful day when someone put his hands over Huck's eyes.

"Guess who?"

"The cutest damned guy in the world?" Huck asked as he turned around to see Nibs standing there. "What are you doin' here?"

"I missed you after you left Neverland to come back here," Nibs told him as Huck stood up, staring into each other's eyes. "I've never felt like this towards anyone before."

"Don't be lockin' lips now," Tom warned them.

"Hey, we're datin', Tom, I thought you were okay with this?"

"Of course I'm okay with this, but that doesn't mean the people in town are," Tom said. "Guys bein' with guys is a sin, remember? Remember the last guy that was caught trying to get with another man?"

"They hung him," Huck said as he looked at Nibs. "But I can't ask him to leave."

"Then don't, but keep your hands to yourselves until you know there ain't gonna be someone nosin' around," Tom said. "And we need to get Nibs some new clothes, he'll stick out more than Bastian did when he first came."

"He's right," Huck said as he let Nib's hand go. "We'll wait until tonight after everyone's in bed to do the whole boyfriend thing. I'll give you the grand tour of the town then."

"None of the locals will talk to us," Tiny Tim said as he returned to the alley with George. "Think it's our clothes?"

"Well, your costume and my robes probably are a bit off-putting for the scene," George said as he lifted his wand and spoke the magic words to change their outfits into something more fitting for the world they were in currently.

"That's a pretty handy wand, where can I get one?" Tim joked as they kept walking.

"Maybe I'll take you to Diagon Alley someday," George promised him. "But first we must solve this mystery."

As the two exited the alley, they were instantly spotted by someone watching from afar, sitting on top of the brick wall of a condemned factory.

Inside the house, Bastian and Mike found the place was completely empty.

"Even the t.v. is gone," Mike said. "Whoever was here took everything. How the hell long have I been gone?"

"Not everything," Bastian said as he picked up a note. "It's a foreclosure notice. Mike, look at these taxes, they're way too high for anyone to pay."

"No kidding," Mike said. "My dad makes a lot, but not this much. I just wish I knew what happened."

"Hey, wait a minute," Bastian said as he looked down at AURYN. "If the story changed, then maybe the book has the answers. I wish for a copy of Charlie & The Chocolate Factory."

A paperback appeared in Bastian's hand as he started flipping through it. "Okay, okay, okay, oh no... oh no... OH NO!"

"Does it say why I affected Charlie's story this much?"

"It's worse than that," Bastian told him. "Way worse. Charlie's dead. And not in the malicious 'Oompa Loompas do a musical number' kind of dead. He's DEAD dead, as in there won't be any sequels. I'd better send a message to George and Tim."

Mike slumped down in the corner, running a hand through his hair. "This is all my fault."

"You didn't ask to be kidnapped by a deranged Peter Pan," Bastian said as he sat down next to Mike. "Look, I don't know how, but we'll fix this. We'll set things right here."

"What if... I don't want to set things right like they were?" Mike asked. "The old me was a violence loving jerk who didn't care about anyone but himself. Bastian, even if we could fix things... I don't want to be that guy. I want to be a good guy, like you. Please, don't make me go back to that."

An hour later, the two young men reunited with George and Tim in an alley not too far away.

"Mike's missing the tour threw off everything," Bastian said as he paced around. "Charlie tried to help Augustus out of the chocolate river and ended up falling in himself, drowning in the process. Wonka cancelled the tour right then and there, but Veruca's dad sued for a breach of the contract everyone signed. They got everything. The factory, the Oompa Loompas, everything Wonka owned.

Then they started peddling Wonka's candies even harder, using a mind numbing drug to subdue the public until everyone was too hooked on the candy to do anything when the Salts started rising to power. They took over everything in just a few short years with their army. And apparently it's not just England. They're slowly expanding to the rest of the world."

"Army?" Mike asked as red dot appeared on his head. George pushed him out of the way as a bullet struck the wall. They looked up to see a dozen fully armed Oompa Loompas standing in the alleyway, only taller and more muscular but still orange with green hair.

"Yeah, that army," Bastian said.

"Tell me they're not going to sing." George said.

"Actually, I'd pay good to money to see that happen with these guys." Mike told them.

TO BE CONTINUED...