Black Key

**Black Key** is the eleventh episode of the show *Squirrel and Hedgehog*.

## Summary

As Jogjebi's rocket draws close to Geumsaegi's pod, the pod explodes and Geumsaegi, the Chief of Staff and Geumsaegi's bodyguard weasel drift to the ground with parachutes.

Jogjebi's forces drive up to their landing point but stop upon recognizing him as Jogjebi's Aide.

Jogjebi is overjoyed to see his friend and congratulates him on a job well done, and when presented with the Chief of Staff approaches his old enemy.

The Chief tries to inform Jogjebi that Geumsaegi is a Flower Hill spy, but Jogjebi refuses to entertain the accusation. As Geumsaegi advises Jogjebi to delay his execution, the Chief tries once again to plead his case that Geumsaegi is a spy. Geumsaegi notices a key hanging from the Chief's neck.

The Chief is cut from his binds and Jogjebi orders him to be taken to a hospital before asking Geumsaegi to accompany him.

Meanwhile, in Mt. Rock, Scout Commander Aekku assumes command in the Chief of Staff's absence. He speculates with Mulmangcho that Geumsaegi took the Chief in order to uncover the identity of Tokgasi.

They decide they must rescue the Chief before that information is extracted, and if rescue is impossible,to kill him before they can get the information. Mulmangcho is instructed to get the key that the Chief wore.

Jogjebi is celebrating Geumsaegi's return and drinks champagne with him, venting over his frustration regarding the loss of the Ice Canons, but points out that the capture of the Chief more than makes up for the loss.

As a pair of female mice servers refill their glasses and applaud Jogjebi, he stands and drunkenly dances, expressing his happiness as the mice dance with him.

A mouse soldier approaches and informs Jogjebi that everything is ready and Jogjebi instructs Geumsaegi to change into his brand new uniform and come to accept his awarding of the position of Special Aide.

Geumsaegi is introduced to his new underlings, Furry Weasel, the Commander of the Tank Regiment, Mangko, who is taking over the role of Special Corps Commander, and Small Eye, the Gun Regiment Commander.

Geumsaegi announces he expects them to pull their weight, before Jogjebi further rewards him with a brand new car.

He is able to privately send word back to Flower Hill, informing them that he has been promoted to Special Aide in return for the capture of the Chief of Staff. Juldarami has also sent word that those remaining on Mt. Rock are concocting a new plan using a network of spies currently in Flower Hill.

Geumsaegi is given a new mission to uncover the spy chain in Flower Hill.

To the tune of "Let us Fortify Our Hill" Flower Hill is shown readying it's defences as Geumsaegi returns to his office. He ponders where the key to the list of spies might be, rifling through the Chief of Staff's personal belongings.

Meanwhile, Mulsajo is fishing in a lone cave before being disturbed by an emotional Oegwipali who informs him of the Chief's capture and Geumsaegi's promotion to Special Aide. Oegwipali complains that they must surely be doomed. Mulsajo seems not to care and returns to his fishing which further antagonises Oegwipali when suddenly the line snags only to pull up a weasel in scuba gear.

The two mice panic and flee, turning back to aim their weapons, warning them to keep their distance before Mulmangcho reveals himself to be with them. The mice are overjoyed but ask why he allowed the Chief's capture to happen. Mulmangcho announces he is here to rectify that incident and calls everyone around to make their plan.

Geumsaegi thinks on the whereabouts of the key and recalls the Chief's key necklace. Before he can investigate, he hears the sound of gunfire and demands an explanation. He is told that they have been invaded and the Chief of Staff has been taken.

Mulmangcho's crew have indeed taken the Chief and flee in an ambulance, and Geumsaegi hops into his car and gives chase, determined to retrieve the Chief.

Mulmangcho and his brothers watch the chase from a clifftop and and are dismayed that the plan seems to be going south, especially when crows use ropes and hooks to snare the ambulance. Seeing that his recapture is inevitable, Mulmangcho sees no other choice than to have the chief killed and remotely detonates an explosive, blowing up the ambulance.

Geumsaegi orders everybody on board the burning vehicle be rescued only to be told that only a lone soldier still lives. Everybody else on board, the Chief included, has been killed. Geumsaegi is distraught as he can no longer obtain information about the spy chain from the Chief.

However, the lone survivor curses Mulmangcho for blowing up the vehicle and murdering them, and Geumsaegi orders him to clarify, bringing forth a doctor to keep him conscious. He tells Geumsaegi their mission was to rescue the Chief, but he doesn't know why they where blown up before passing out at last.

Geumsaegi deduces that he must have been killed to protect the identities of the spy chain, before realizing that the key necklace may be on the chief's corpse or in the wreckage. Finding the key necklace, he decides he will need Mulmangcho to extract the necessary information. Aware that he might be being observed, he loudly exclaims that the chief is still breathing and he be taken to hospital.

Oegwipali had indeed been monitoring the situation and reports the Chief's "survival" and the recovery of the key to Mulmangcho, who doubts the story but must be sure and sends Oegwipali to confirm the alleged death.

Jogjebi isn't too put out by the Chief's murder, but is interested to know why he was killed. Geumsaegi vows to find out.

Oegwipali is spotted immediately as he stakes out the area and Geumsaegi hopes to use him to bring out Mulmangcho. Instructing his troops to ignore Oegwipali, Geumsaegi meets with the sentry leader, the mouse Maldduck, who reports that there is nothing out of the ordinary. It is loudly discussed that a special crow doctor is being brought in and should Mulmangcho know the Chief is alive, he will surely try and kill him again.

Oegwipali returns to confirm that the Chief is not only alive, but will be receiving treatment from the crow doctors. Mulsajo suggests they kill the Chief whilst Geumsaegi is fetching the Doctor, but Mulmangcho would rather have Geumsaegi killed while he is alone, especially considering he has the key. Mulmangcho divides his small crew into two groups.

One will approach the Crow Doctor's clinic under cover of water, whilst the other will lay in wait.

However, the group are spotted approaching the hospital and Geumsaegi realizes he must take his chance to capture Mulmangcho. Choosing to go alone, in spite of the risk of being overpowered, he reasons the risk to Flower Hill with active spies is too great.

As he heads to the Crow Doctors clinic, Mulmangcho watches him approach. Entering the clinic, Geumsaegi recoils to see the doctor murdered and weasels laying in wait. He is able to dodge the gunfire and use his own pistol to kill one of his would be attackers.

Mulmangcho, hearing the commotion, fears his plan may be going awry and goes to investigate, leaving his brothers to watch the road in case he attempts to escape and the remaining weasels accompany him.

The fire fight ongoing, Geumsaegi is helped by crow soldiers who grab his attackers and toss them from the clifftop to their deaths.

Geumsaegi returns his car only to be surprised and overpowered by Mulmangcho who demands he hand over the necklace. Geumsaegi loops the mouse's tail around his boot and floors him, the two entering unarmed combat. However, Oegwipali and Mulsajo open fire, forcing Geumsaegi to make his escape.

Knowing he cannot leave without Mulmangcho, he tries to drag him by the tail into the vehicle, but the mouse struggles valiantly. Unable to risk being shot, Geumsaegi simply slams Mulmangcho's tail in the car door, locks it and drags him alongside the car.

Oegwipali notes the car is bulletproof and immediately arms himself with a rocket launcher. Mulsajo is shocked, pointing out if he fires the rocket, Mulmangcho will be killed. Oegwipali replies that Mulmangcho killed the Chief and if the Chief was expendable, so too is Mulmangcho and fires the rocket.

Geumsaegi and Mulmangcho cry out in alarm seeing the rocket speed towards them and Geumsaegi tactfully evades it by opening his car windows and allows the rocket to pass through one window and out of the other.

Mulmangcho finally manages to wrench his tail free and escape the vehicle, forcing Geumsaegi to stop. As the mouse attempts to cross a rope bridge, Geumsaegi shoots the opposing ties and the bridge topples towards Geumsaegi's end of the ravine.

Faced with either a fall to his death or facing an armed Geumsaegi at the top of the broken bridge, Mulmangcho is trapped and Geumsaegi demands to know why the Chief was killed. Realizing the Chief really is dead, Mulmangcho taunts that Geumsaegi can not discover the spy chain. Geumsaegi realizes he has made a mistake by confirming the Chief's death and instead resorts to threats, firing at the mouse.

Mulmangcho finally admits the murder was to preserve the spy chain and that Aekku gave the order. That the list containing the spy identities are held in a villa at Mt. Rock.

Content with the answers, Geumsaegi destroys the bridge and watches Mulmangcho fall into the ravine.

Relaying the findings to Jogjebi, it is decided they must move on Mt. Rock as soon as possible and deploy the Special Corps. Geumsaegi and the Corps soldiers board helicopters to take the fight to Mt. Rock, the episode comes to a close.

## Characters

### Heroes

* Geumsaegi
* Juldarami
* Commander Darami
* Commander Goseumdochi
* Commander Mulori

### Villains

* Mulmangcho
* Oegwipali
* Mulsajo
* Scout Commander Aekku
* Commander Jogjebi
* Chief of Staff
* Mangko

## Songs

* Let us Fortify Our Hill
* We're Little Scouts