The Attack of Bill

 

 In an alternate universe lives two cats named Dalton and Dorothy who have dedicated their lives to protecting those around them, especially each other. Their main mission is to stay away from a bad guy above all bad guys named Steve. Even the main line-up of bad guys, Bill (accompanied by his mother, Naomi, and friend, Stan), fear him, oftentimes settling their differences to send him back from whence he came. One day, Dorothy was walking down the street and gets attacked by Bill, triggering Dalton to spring into action and defeat Bill using his own unique counterattack. With Bill down, Dorothy kisses Dalton out of gratitude and they go about their merry way, while Steve retrieves Bill and brings him to his cave. After being revived, Bill finds his way to Dalton’s house and sneaks him back to Steve’s cave while Dalton takes a well-deserved catnap. After waking up, Dalton gets attacked by Bill, screaming so loud, Dorothy could hear it from a distance. Dorothy springs into action and makes it to Steve’s cave, only to get stopped by Steve. Dorothy eventually counterattacks by slapping Bill and Steve across the face, rendering them unconscious while Dalton kisses Dorothy out of gratitude. As they exit Steve’s cave, Dalton and Dorothy make plans with Dalton saying, “All this life-saving is such a drag. I need a vacation.”

“You said it!” responded Dorothy. A warp hole suddenly appears in front of Dalton and Dorothy with Trekker emerging from it.

“I know the perfect place for your guys’ getaway.” said Trekker.

“Who are you?” asked Dorothy.

“I’m glad you asked. I am Trekker, and I’m a hero just like you two.” answered Trekker.

“A hero? Really?” asked Dalton excitedly.

“Of course! I know how hard it is to be a hero. Trust me. Why don’t you two jump right into this here warp hole and get started on your well-deserved vacation already?” asked Trekker.

“But what about our home?” asked Dorothy.

“Don’t worry. It’s in good hands. I’ll watch over the place while you two are gone.” answered Trekker. Dalton and Dorothy look at each other with Dalton saying, “Wouldn’t hurt.”

“You’re right. What’s the worst that could happen?” asked Dorothy. Dalton and Dorothy make their way into the warp hole while Trekker says, “Have a good time!” The warp hole disappears with Trekker walking off while quietly saying to himself, “With those two gone, this place is as good as mine!” Trekker suddenly bumps into Bill, who turns around and angrily says, “Hey! Watch it, buddy!”

“YOU watch it, you broken bolt!” retaliated Trekker angrily.

“What kind of cat are you?” asked Bill sarcastically.

“I’m actually a troll.” responded Trekker.

“Whatever.” replies Bill while walking away.

“Now, where was I? Oh, yes! Without those lug nuts (and not a single sign of Micah anywhere), nothing will stand in my way of taking over this world! Ha ha ha ha!” laughed Trekker menacingly. Bill overhears Trekker and approaches him while angrily asking, “Who are you calling a lug nut?!”

“Oh, these two cats I’ve seen earlier.” answered Trekker.

“They wouldn’t happen to be Dalton and Dorothy, would they?” asked Bill.

“Beats me.” responded Bill.

“What did they look like?” asked Bill.

“One was gray and the other was brown.” answered Trekker.

“That’s them!” responded Bill.

“Why do you ask?” asked Trekker.

“They’re nothing but trouble! All they do is beat me up when I’m doing something wrong!” answered Bill angrily.

“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem because I just sent them off to another universe for vacation.” responded Trekker.

“You mean, Dalton and Dorothy aren’t here?” asked Bill.

“Not at all. They couldn’t wait to take some time off from the hero business.” answered Trekker.

“I’ve clearly misjudged you, Mr. Troll! I’m Bill!” responds Bill while extending his hand to Trekker.

“Nice to meet you, Bill! And please, call me Trekker!” replies Trekker while shaking Bill’s hand. Trekker and Bill walk off together with Bill asking, “So, what should we do first?” Dalton and Dorothy arrive in Arcanum and begin sight-seeing with Dorothy saying, “Wow! What a cool little town!”

“I agree.” responds Dalton while bumping into Micah. Micah turns around and says, “Oh. Sorry about that. I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings.”

“No worries.” replied Dalton.

“I’ve never seen you two here before. You must be new.” said Micah.

“We’re just here on vacation.” responded Dorothy.

“Nice.” replied Micah.

“We’re certified bad guys catchers, and we could use some time off.” says Dalton while presenting a badge with Dorothy.

“I hear you. Crime fighting is a never-ending job.” responded Micah.

“You’re a certified bad guy catcher, too?” asked Dorothy.

“I’m not ‘certified’ per se, but yes. I am in the same line of work as you two.” answered Micah.

“The name’s Dalton.” says Dalton while extending his hand to Micah.

“I’m Micah. Welcome to Arcanum!” responds Micah while shaking Dalton’s hand.

“I’m Dorothy. Pleased to meet you.” says Dorothy while extending her hand to Micah.

“Pleased to meet you too.” responds Micah while shaking Dorothy’s hand.

“Could you show us around for a bit?” asked Dalton.

“I’d be happy to!” answers Micah while leading Dalton and Dorothy off. As Micah explains the sights to Dalton and Dorothy, he eventually crosses paths with Wesley, Sarah, and Jessica.

“Oh! Hey, guys!” said Micah.

“Hi, Micah! We were just on our way to see you!” responded Wesley.

“Sorry for not waiting. These two tourists asked me to show them around, and you know how much I hate to disappoint anyone.” replies Micah while gesturing to Dalton and Dorothy. Wesley, Sarah, and Jessica introduce themselves and shake hands with Dalton and Dorothy, who return the greeting.

“Mind if we join the tour?” asked Jessica.

“Why not? I could use some help making our guests feel welcome.” answers Micah while leading his party off. Micah and his friends continue leading Dalton and Dorothy around Arcanum, explaining the sights and eventually running into Micah’s brothers, Matthew and Christopher.

“Oh! Boys! I’d like you to meet Dalton and Dorothy, crime fighters on vacation.” says Micah while gesturing to Dalton and Dorothy. Matthew and Christopher exchange greetings and intros to Dalton and Dorothy, subsequently joining the tour as Micah and the rest of the party continue their rounds. A week later, Micah and his brothers (along with his friends) meet up with Dalton and Dorothy as they stand before a warp hole to return home.

“It’s been nice meeting you, Dalton and Dorothy!” said Micah.

“Come back soon!” said Sarah. Dalton and Dorothy turn around and head for the warp hole with Dorothy saying, “It sure was nice of that green cat to send us here for vacation.” Micah overhears this as he walks away with his brothers and friends, approaching Dalton and Dorothy just before they enter the warp hole.

“Wait a second! What green cat are you talking about?” asked Micah.

“Oh, about yay tall, funny-looking nose, white belly?” asks Dorothy while gesturing with her hand.

“Is this who you’re talking about?” asks Micah while presenting a photo of Trekker to Dalton and Dorothy.

“Yep! That’s him! You guys know him, too?” asked Dorothy.

“Yes! Trekker! He’s bad news!” answered Micah worriedly.

“Bad news? What are you talking about?” asked Dalton.

“He’s OUR Bill, and I hate to say it, but…you guys left your home in HIS hands! We’re going to tag along and sort him out!” answered Micah.

“Oh dear! We’ve made a terrible mistake!” responds Dalton worriedly while looking at Dorothy.

“Don’t worry about it for now. Let’s take care of Trekker first.” replies Micah while leading his party into the warp hole. Upon arriving home, Dalton and Dorothy are devastated to see their home in ruins.

“I knew something like this would happen. Come on! We got to find Trekker!” says Micah while leading his party off. Trekker and Bill cause chaos everywhere they go with Bill saying, “This is fun, Trekker! I’ve never had any opportunity like this before!”

“And it’s helping me out, too! Win-win!” responds Trekker while continuing his destruction. Naomi and Stan eventually see the destruction and find Bill causing his ruckus with Trekker.

“Bill, come here!” shouts Naomi angrily while beckoning Bill. Bill gulps nervously and approaches Naomi with Trekker accompanying him.

“I have one thing to say to you. …I’m so proud of you! Need some help?” asked Naomi.

“Sure! Me and my new friend, Trekker.” answers Bill while gesturing to Trekker.

“Pleased to meet you.” said Trekker.

“What should we destroy next?” asked Stan.

“We’ll plan as we go.” answers Bill while leading his party off. Steve watches everything unfold from his cauldron in his cave while angrily shouting, “A party?! Without me?! Time to give those no-good dumb-dumbs a piece of my mind!” Steve exits his cave and looks for Bill while Micah and his party continue searching for Trekker and Bill.

“Trekker’s got to be around here somewhere.” said Micah.

“Just keep looking.” responded Wesley. Micah and his party suddenly hear laughing and draw their attention to it, finding Trekker and Bill causing destruction while accompanied by Naomi and Stan.

“There they are!” says Dalton angrily while approaching Bill. Using his unique attack, Dalton stops Trekker, Bill, Naomi, and Stan, who all get grossed out while Dalton returns to Micah and his party.

“THAT’S your strategy of stopping crime?” asked Micah.

“Yep! Is something wrong?” asked Dalton.

“No. It’s…just not something WE’RE used to. But, as long as it keeps them out of our hair, I guess I can’t complain.” answers Micah while gesturing to Trekker, Bill, Naomi, and Stan. Trekker, Bill, Naomi, and Stan waft the smell away while gagging with Trekker saying, “That guy really needs to watch what he eats!”

“How could it get any worse?” asked Bill angrily. A hand suddenly lands on Bill’s shoulder, prompting Bill to turn around and find Steve before him, Naomi, Stan, and Trekker.

“Aaaaahhhhh!!!!! Steve!” screamed Naomi.

“Steve? Who’s Steve?” asked Trekker.

“I’m Steve! And you’re all coming with me!” answers Steve while grabbing and dragging Bill, Naomi, Stan, and Trekker away.

“Oh no! Steve’s here! We really need to…” says Dalton while looking next to him. Dalton gasps in horror as he notices Dorothy’s absence, suddenly hearing her screaming. He draws his attention to the source and sees her in Steve’s grip while shouting, “Dorothy!!!”

“Come on, guys! Time to…” says Micah while looking behind him. Baffled, Micah notices the absence of his brothers and friends while hearing manly groaning and female screaming, drawing his attention to it and finding his brothers and friends in Steve’s grip as well.

“Guys!!!” shouted Micah.

“We got to go after Steve. Out of all the bad guys here, he is THEE absolute WORST! I’ll explain on the way.” said Dalton. Dalton runs off with Micah following while Steve arrives back at his cave and ties up his hostages to a pole.

“Hey, come on, Steve! I’m a villain, just like you! Join me, and together…we could rule the world!” said Trekker.

“I work alone!” responded Steve.

“What’s this all about, Steve?!” asked Bill angrily.

“Doing bad things?! That’s MY job! Are you all out of your minds?! And what are these outsiders doing here?!” asks Steve angrily while gesturing to Micah’s brothers and friends.

“Who are you calling ‘outsiders’?! We’re not here to stay!” asked Wesley angrily.

“I don’t care. You can’t just waltz right into someone else’s world whenever you feel like it, and since you violated that principle, you’re going to have to pay.” responded Steve. Steve suddenly pokes all of his hostages in the face repeatedly, confusing Micah’s brothers and friends.

“How’s a poke in the face going to stop us?” asked Matthew.

“Don’t underestimate them, kid. You know, this is the all-mighty Steve we’re dealing with here. He is the baddest guy of all, which means his pokes are very, very effective. You’ll see.” responded Bill. After some time, Steve’s hostages begin to lose consciousness from his pokes as Micah and Dalton make their way into the cave.

“Ha ha ha ha! With these dumb-dumbs out of the way, the world is as good as mine. Huh?!” exclaims Steve while noticing Micah and Dalton standing before them.

“We’ve come to stop you, Steve! Surrender or fight! The choice is yours!” said Dalton. Steve runs toward Micah and Dalton while Micah pulls out his Power Micah Mask and says, “Fighting, it is!” After Micah turns himself into Power Micah, Dalton turns around and looks at Micah while saying, “Get ready! He’s coming for us! Whoa! Who are you?”

“It’s me. Micah. This is just a form I take on in these kinds of situations. If you’d like, you may refer to me as Power Micah!” responds Micah while striking a pose.

“Brace yourself, Power Micah! This isn’t going to be pretty!” replies Dalton while Steve inches closer.

“You’re darn right it’s not going to be pretty! Nothing is for as long as the all-mighty Steve does everything!” says Steve while attacking Micah and Dalton. Micah and Dalton fight Steve while the hostages gain consciousness and watch the battle.

“Go Micah!” said Wesley.

“Go Dalton!” said Bill. Micah’s brothers and friends, along with Dorothy, look at Trekker, Bill, Naomi, and Stan with Christopher saying, “Well, at least we all have one thing in common.”

“Don’t get used to it, kid. We’re bad guys. But…with Steve around, we’ll make an exception.” responded Stan.

“If we get free, we’ll settle our differences and pitch in to bring Steve down. But after that, no more Mr. Nice Guys (or Ladies)! Deal?” asked Naomi angrily.

“Sounds fair.” answered Sarah. Micah restrains Steve while Dalton approaches him and turns around.

“Uh-oh…” said Steve worriedly. Dalton unleashes his unique attack like never before, rendering Steve unconscious while helping Micah free Dorothy, his brothers, and friends afterwards.

“Hey! What about us?” asked Bill angrily.

“Well…ok.” answers Dalton while untying Bill, Naomi, Stan, and Trekker.

“Dalton, you goofball! What would I do without you?” asks Dorothy while embracing Dalton. Dalton looks at Micah, who shrugs while Dorothy kisses Dalton.

“Don’t ever change, my friend. That’s quite an attack you got there.” said Micah. Micah and Dalton savor the moment with Dorothy, along with Micah’s brothers and friends, until Bill steps in and says, “I hate to say it, but…thank you for saving us from that dreadful monster.”

“I concur. He was worse than me!” said Trekker. Micah turns toward his brothers and friends while subsequently saying, “Guys, we’d better be getting back home. Our work here is done.”

“Don’t be a stranger, now!” responded Dorothy.

“Yeah! Come back soon!” replies Dalton while waving to Micah and his party. Micah parts ways with his party and warp back home with Micah’s Warp Machine, while Jessica asks, “I wonder what Bill’s going to do next?” With help from Naomi and Stan, Bill commands Steve to run around the world, making it back exhausted.

“Good job, Steve. Now, run another lap around the world!” shouted Bill.

“Aw, come on, you guys. I just did that.” responded Steve. Bill hurts Steve by grabbing and holding up his hand.

“Ok! Ok! I’ll do it!” shouted Steve agonizingly. Steve runs another lap around the world while Bill, Naomi, and Stan laugh, just as Trekker makes it back home to plot his next move.

 

The End

Rocking Austin

 

 With Serenity out of their lives, Micah, his father, and brothers (Matthew and Christopher) still keep in touch with Serenity’s son, Austin, who sees and treats Micah and his brothers like the brothers he’s never had. One day, while taking a stroll through Arcanum with his father (Dennis), Austin sees Micah and his brothers battling Trekker while powered up in their respective forms. With the day saved once again, Micah and his brothers revert back to normal and unknowingly bump into Austin while headed home.

“Hey, guys!” said Austin.

“Oh! Hi, Austin!” said Matthew.

“That was some pretty cool stuff you did there.” said Austin.

“Thanks.” responded Christopher.

“I wish I could be a hero like you guys. You think you could help me out?” asked Austin.

“Better check with your father first because it’s not as easy as it seems.” responded Micah. Austin turns to his father, who says, “Promise me you’ll keep it under control.”

“I promise.” responds Austin while raising his right hand. Austin and his father turn their attention to Micah and his brothers with Austin’s father subsequently saying, “Be careful, guys. He’s a bit of a wild one.” Austin gives his father a stern look while Micah responds, “We’ll heed your warning, Dennis. But rest assured, Austin will be straightened out once this is all over.”

“I know. Good luck.” replies Dennis while parting ways with Austin. Micah and his brothers part ways from Austin and his father while Austin annoyingly asks, “I’m a bit of a wild one? Really, dad? Why do you got to embarrass me like that?”

“Because I’m your father. It’s my job to care about your safety.” answered Dennis.

“Don’t you think you’re overreacting? I can take care of myself, you know.” responded Austin.

“You think that, but they have a point. You don’t know what you’re up against.” replied Dennis.

“Oh, it can’t be that bad.” said Austin.

“Let’s not talk about it anymore, ok? Just go do your thing and listen to what Matthew, Micah, and Christopher have to say.” responded Dennis.

“Oh, now I got to listen to them?” asked Austin annoyingly.

“As long as they’re teaching you, yes.” answered Dennis. Micah and his brothers arrive home with Micah saying, “Guys, I don’t know if it’s such a good idea to train Austin. What if Dennis is right?”

“He’ll be fine. We’ll help show him the ropes.” said Matthew.

“Yeah! How bad could it be?” asked Christopher. After arriving home, Austin draws his costume design and writes down his desired powers while naming his persona “The Rhythmer”. Later on, Austin meets up with Micah and his brothers in Micah’s laboratory, handing Micah his costume design, powers, and persona’s name while Micah grabs a book titled “How to be a Hero”, presenting it to Austin while saying, “Before you begin your training, you must place your left hand on this book and raise your right hand.” Austin places his left hand on the book and raises his right hand, as instructed by Micah.

“Now, repeat after me.” says Micah while raising his right hand.

“This is so stupid.” whispered Austin annoyingly.

“I heard that. Do you want to be a hero or not?” asked Micah.

“Yes.” answered Austin.

“Then follow our directions.” responded Micah. Austin annoyingly sighs and rolls his eyes while Micah says, “I, Austin…”

“I, Austin…” said Austin.

“…do solemnly swear…” said Micah.

“…do solemnly swear…” said Austin.

“…that I will follow the teachings…” said Micah.

“…that I will follow the teachings…” said Austin.

“…provided by my teachers…” said Micah.

“…provided by my teachers…” said Austin.

“…and this book…” said Micah.

“…and this book…” said Austin.

“…and that I will…” said Micah.

“…and that I will…” said Austin.

“…use my powers…” said Micah.

“…use my powers…” said Austin.

“…to do what’s right…” said Micah.

“…to do what’s right…” said Austin.

“…and not for personal gain.” said Micah.

“…and not for personal gain.” said Austin. Micah puts the book away while subsequently saying, “You have just given us your word that you will keep everything under control. Backing out on this could have disastrous results.”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s get on it already.” said Austin annoyingly.

“And while you’re at it, work on that attitude. Heroes are not rude.” responded Micah.

“Easy, Micah. This is all new to him.” said Matthew.

“I know, but he’s got to learn how to act.” responded Micah. Micah and his brothers set up a scene with Micah saying, “Here is your first lesson. A villain, say Trekker, is destroying a town and is holding a woman hostage. What do you do?” Austin grabs the Trekker dummy and throws it at the prop building, destroying both models while grabbing the woman dummy and saying, “You’re safe, my lady! Kiss me!” Austin makes kissing gestures with his lips to the woman dummy while Micah and his brothers confiscate it.

“Wrong! You don’t just throw the villain into the building, unless the situation is dire.” said Micah.

“And you don’t flirt, either. Nobody likes a selfish person.” said Christopher. Micah and his brothers rebuild the Trekker dummy and prop building, setting the scene back up with Micah saying, “All right. Let’s do this again, but this time, try to control yourself.” Austin throws the Trekker dummy down, punching and kicking it repeatedly while saying, “Die, Trekker! Die!!!” Micah and his brothers confiscate the dummy with his brothers rebuilding it while Micah says, “No! You don’t actually kill the villain in a fit of rage. Your job, as a hero, is to stop him. You know…hold him at bay so the situation doesn’t escalate.” Micah and his brothers set the scene back up once again with Austin uncontrollably causing destruction to the props. Time and time again, Micah and his brothers train Austin to no avail with Micah gradually getting frustrated at Austin’s destructive actions. One day, after Austin goes home, Micah huddles up his brothers and frustratingly says, “Guys, this isn’t working. Austin’s just not cut out to be a hero.”

“Maybe we should try a different tactic.” responded Matthew.

“Whatever it takes for him to quit being so destructive.” replied Micah frustratingly.

“I have an idea! If we could figure out what he likes, we could implement it into our training.” said Christopher.

“Crazy, but it just might work.” responded Micah. At a later point in time, Micah and his brothers show up at Dennis’ door with Micah ringing the doorbell and Dennis answering.

“Hey, guys!” said Dennis.

“Is Austin home? We’d like to speak with him.” asked Micah.

“He’s in his room.” responds Dennis while leading Micah and his brothers. Dennis knocks on Austin’s bedroom door while saying, “Austin! You have some visitors!” Austin answers the door with Micah asking, “Hi, Austin. May we talk to you for a bit?” Austin invites Micah and his brothers into his bedroom with Micah subsequently saying, “We’ve been going about your training the wrong way. But…we have a plan! Christopher?” Christopher steps in and asks, “What do you like?”

“What do I like?” asked Austin.

“Yes. Whatever it is, maybe we could use it in our training. Help get you on your feet.” answered Christopher.

“I don’t know…” responds Austin embarrassed while looking around.

“Don’t be bashful. It’s between us, and only between us.” said Matthew.

“Well…” responds Austin while looking at a video game.

“Is that one thing you like?” asked Micah.

“The series, yes.” answered Austin.

“Great! Tell us more.” responds Micah while sitting down with his brothers. Austin talks about everything he likes while Micah and his brothers listen and take notes. After gathering up the information they need, Micah and his brothers head home and make changes to the training scene. Austin later comes over and resumes training with Micah and his brothers helping him implement his interest. At first, Austin is hesitant, but after some time, grows more and more comfortable and gradually makes progress. After successfully completing training on another day, Micah and his brothers clean up the scene while Micah subsequently says, “Well, Austin. I think you’re ready. Matthew? Christopher? What do you think?”

“I’ll say.” responded Matthew.

“Same.” responded Christopher.

“Ok, then. It’s time!” says Micah while leading his brothers and Austin to a machine. Micah places Austin’s costume design on a scanner, which scans the drawing and creates Austin’s suit. Micah then watches with his brothers and Austin as the suit makes its way through a conveyor belt, getting worked on by machines powering it up to Austin’s liking as stated on his costume design. Once the costume reaches the end of the conveyor belt, Micah picks it up and hands it to Austin while saying, “Here you go, Austin. You’ve earned it.”

“Thanks, guys! I can’t wait to try this out!” responded Austin.

“Just remember to only use it when you need to.” said Christopher.

“Right. I got to go now. Thanks again!” responds Austin while rushing off with the suit.

“Great idea, Christopher! Leveraging Austin’s interests in his training! I’m glad you thought of it!” said Micah.

“No problem.” responded Christopher.

“I just hope Austin knows how to use the suit, let alone his powers.” said Matthew.

“I’m sure he does. He completed his training and successfully worked his way up into the next step. I think he can handle things on his own now. What’s the worst that could happen?” asked Micah. Austin makes his way uptown and puts on his suit, powering up into The Rhythmer while looking for crimes. He sees a man bump into a woman as he walks by her, causing her to drop her purse.

“Oh! My apologies, ma’am. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” says the man while picking up the woman’s purse and handing it to her.

“That’s ok. Thank you very…” responds the woman while grabbing her purse.

“Stop right there!” shouted Austin. The man and woman draw their attention to Austin, who angrily approaches the man.

“I don’t want any trouble, young man. I was just…” said the man nervously.

“I know what you were doing! You were trying to steal that woman’s purse!” responded Austin.

“Was not!” replied the man.

“Tell it to the judge, you thief!” says Austin while attacking the man. The woman and other bystanders scream in horror and run for their lives as Austin attacks innocent people out of misunderstanding their accidents. Micah and his brothers head uptown with Micah saying, “I can’t wait to see what Austin’s doing. He’s bound to be…” Micah’s jaw drops in horror as he witnesses Austin’s destruction.

“That’ll show you! Crime doesn’t pay!” said Austin. Austin removes his suit and heads back home while abruptly stopping in front of Micah and his brothers, who all give him a stern look.

“What was that?” asks Micah angrily while gesturing to the destruction with his hand.

“I was just protecting the peace, like you guys taught me.” answered Austin.

“That’s not even remotely protecting the peace.” said Matthew.

“It’s not?” asked Austin. Dennis suddenly peaks out from behind Micah and his brothers with a stern look on his face, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Give me the suit.” says Dennis while holding out his hand. Austin remorsefully hands his suit over to his father while Christopher angrily says, “Looks like you’re not hero material after all.”

“And to think you’ve changed.” said Matthew angrily.

“Go wait in the car. You’ve done enough.” says Dennis while pointing out his vehicle. Depressed, Austin looks down at the ground and walks over to his father’s vehicle while Micah says, “Sorry, Dennis. I thought we’ve really turned him around. I mean, he did so well in his training after we utilized his interests and all.”

“It’s not your fault, guys. Austin just needs to learn to take these things seriously. Come on. I’ll take you all home.” responds Dennis while leading Micah and his brothers to his vehicle. A net suddenly drops onto Micah and his brothers, along with Dennis, and rises up into the sky.

“What’s going on here?!” exclaimed Dennis. Micah, his brothers, and Dennis are all lifted into Trekker’s Trekkercopter with Trekker Jr. subsequently saying, “Here you go, dad! Three broken bolts and one man who wasn’t part of the plan, but now is!”

“Excellent! Ha ha ha! You broken bolts, and man who now suddenly is part of my plan, are going to be held captive while Jr. and I take over the world!” responded Trekker. Trekker and Trekker Jr. fly off with Micah, his brothers, and Dennis in the Trekkercopter while Austin sadly waits in his father’s vehicle for prolonged periods of time.

“Where are you, dad?” asked Austin annoyingly. An image of Trekker suddenly drops onto the front windshield of the vehicle.

“Trekker!” said Austin. Austin exits the vehicle and flees to Trekker’s mansion on foot while Trekker and Trekker Jr. cuff Micah, his brothers, and Dennis onto concrete slabs.

“Empty their pockets, Jr.! You never know what they may have with them.” said Trekker. Trekker Jr. goes through Micah’s pockets, which come up empty, and then go through the pockets if his brothers, which also come up empty.

“These broken bolts have nothing on them, dad!” said Trekker Jr.

“What about our guest?” asked Trekker.

“Oh! I forgot about him.” responds Trekker Jr. while going through Dennis’ pockets. Trekker Jr. finds and pulls out Austin’s Rhythmer suit while saying, “Well, there’s this.”

“What’s that supposed to be?” asked Trekker.

“The heck if I know.” answered Trekker Jr.

“Whatever it is, just put it in a drawer or something.” responded Trekker. Trekker Jr. stashes the suit in a drawer while subsequently helping Trekker set up a machine. Once getting the machine fully functional, Trekker prepares his experiment while saying, “The world is as good as ours!” Trekker presses some more buttons while Christopher worriedly asks, “What do we do now?”

“I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do, except hope and pray for a miracle.” answered Micah dispirited. Trekker places a ray gun in front of Micah, his brothers, and Dennis while saying, “Ready the death ray, Jr.!”

“Readying, dad!” responds Trekker Jr. while pressing some buttons on a machine. After getting Trekker’s configurations set up, Trekker Jr. joins Trekker, who asks, “Any last words, you broken bolts?”

“And man who suddenly became a part of our experiment?” asked Trekker Jr. Dennis opens his mouth while a distant voice shouts, “Hey!” Micah, his brothers, Dennis, Trekker, and Trekker Jr. all draw their attention to the source and see Austin at the front doors of the mansion.

“Who are you?” asked Trekker.

“The guy that’s about to kick your butt! That’s who!” answers Austin while approaching Trekker and Trekker Jr.”

“You? Is this some kind of a joke?” asked Trekker humorously.

“No.” answered Austin. Trekker and Trekker Jr. burst out laughing while Trekker Jr. says, “Oh no! Some other random guy’s here to stop us! What ever shall we do?”

“Remind me to get some bandages afterwards! This could get messy!” said Trekker.

“Go ahead. Laugh. Because you made a big mistake kidnapping my dad and teachers!” says Austin angrily while punching Trekker in the face.

“Ow! That hurt!” shouts Trekker while holding his face. Austin stands his ground and shows his fists while Trekker angrily continues, “Well, don’t just stand there! Get him!” Trekker Jr. lunges at Austin and pins him to the ground, punching and kicking him while Trekker joins the brawl. After restraining Austin, Trekker and Trekker Jr. drag him to another concrete slab while Austin struggles to break free, inadvertently getting his foot caught on the handle of the drawer holding his Rhythmer Suit. Trekker and Trekker Jr. pull Austin with all their might and break him free while the drawer gets pulled all the way out, flying over Trekker’s and Trekker Jr.’s heads and landing on the floor upside down after Austin notices the suit inside.

“What’s that?” asks Austin while pointing with his foot. Trekker and Trekker Jr. draw their attention to the scene with Austin kicking them both in the face and knocking them down to the ground, causing them to release Austin from their grip.

“Made you look!” taunts Austin while running for his Rhythmer Suit. Austin picks up the suit, but second-guesses before putting it on.

“Put the suit on, Austin! The fate of the world depends on it!” said Micah.

“But, my actions…” responded Austin.

“Don’t worry about earlier. Just do what you need to do right now.” replied Dennis. Austin starts to worry about the potential harm he could do to others while Matthew says, “Listen to us, Austin. What you did before doesn’t matter. What matters now is the situation we’re all in. If you don’t rescue us, no one will.” Austin looks at the suit and starts to worry more while Trekker and Trekker Jr. recover from Austin’s kick.

“That does it! I’m going to destroy that broken bolt if it’s the last thing I do!” says Trekker angrily while charging towards Austin with Trekker Jr. following. Just inches away from Trekker and Trekker Jr., Austin powers up into The Rhythmer and blows Trekker and Trekker Jr. out of sight with his guitar while shutting down all machines and freeing his father, along with Micah and his brothers.

“Well done, Austin! We are all in your debt!” said Micah.

“Hey! I did what I needed to do. Putting others’ needs before your own is part of being a hero, right?” asked Austin.

“That’s right. I’m so proud of you.” responds Dennis while embracing Austin. Austin embraces his father back and removes his suit, handing it back to him while saying, “Here. Make sure it stays safe and hidden.”

“Why don’t you hang onto it?” asked Dennis.

“Are you sure?” asked Austin.

“Yes. You’ve proven yourself to be a selfless and responsible young man. There’s always going to be trial and error, but I believe you’ll know what to do when the time comes, just like you did now with Trekker and Trekker Jr.” answered Dennis.

“Thanks, dad.” responds Austin while smiling. Austin and his father savor the moment with Christopher subsequently saying, “Let’s all go home now!” Micah and his brothers head home with Austin and his father while Trekker and Trekker Jr. break out from underneath a pile of rubble with their hands, emerging fully and planning their next move.

“I’ll get you, Austin! You’ll rue the day you defeated the evil troll genius, Trekker!” said Trekker angrily.

“Yeah! We’ll plan something so wickedly evil, so diabolical…that even you wouldn’t stand a chance!” said Trekker Jr. Some time later, Austin meets up with Micah and his brothers in Arcanum, walking around town with them until they hear screaming. After finding the villain causing the scene, Micah and his brothers pull out their respective superpower transformations while subsequently looking at Austin confidentially and nodding their heads. Austin pulls out his Rhythmer Suit and looks at it, contemplating while subsequently looking at his father from a distance, who also nods his head confidentially.

“Let’s do this!” says Austin while powering up into The Rhythmer. Micah and his brothers power up into their transformations and go after the villain with Austin following, successfully saving the day.

 

The End