"Seriously? Is embarrassing me all my dad is good at?" Wailed Pearl, as she heard the news.
"Pearl, pull yerself together!" Sandy reprimanded. "I just need some extra hands-uh, fins- to help me get this lot under control until I can find an antidote! Please? If I handle this lot on my own, I'll go crazy!"
Pearl noted the squirrel's desperation and sighed. "Fine- I'll try," She said at last in annoyance.
"Thanks, Pearl!" Sandy said brightly. "Meet at the KK as quick as ye can, okay?"
"Okay, whatever. I'm not doing this by myself, am I?"
"No, no- I got a couple others helpin', but I need all the help I can get- we're talking about an entire restaurant of babies, here." Sandy explained. "Larry and SpongeBob's grandmother are helping- but the latter's not going to do a large amount. That's why I need you. See you there!" Sandy hung up. She had to wait ten minutes for Larry to get here- but SpongeBob's grandmother could make it in five if her car was working.
So, she looked around for any clues as to what did this to her friends and acquaintances.
"Goo gah!"
"Huh?" Sandy looked to see SpongeBob pointing under a nearby table. Looking closer, Sandy spotted a small gas gun nestled by the table legs.
"Ye did it, little square dude!" She said quietly, so as not to scare him. "Hey, between you and me- even when you're an infant, you're still more helpful than most people here when they're adults." She whispered. SpongeBob giggled, probably not aware she insulted nearly everyone in the town apart from him.
Sandy picked up the gun and eyed it analytically. It still had the tiniest smidge of green gas left- just enough to run a test on back home.
She scooped her friend up and held him carefully.
"Hey, Sandy!"
Sandy almost jumped as Larry and SpongeBob's grandmother arrived. "Oh, hey, guys," She said sheepishly.
"My goodness, what happened?" SpongeBob's grandmother asked in horror, carefully taking her grandson from Sandy and rocking him gently.
"Plankton." Sandy answered grimly, lifting the gun.
"Where'd he go, anyway?" Larry asked, scratching his head.
"I don't know," answered the squirrel, grimly. "All I know is he was behind this- and this is the only solution to getting everyone back to normal."
Everyone was silent and sombre for a moment- and then Pearl dashed in.
"I'm here!" She announced.
"Right- we need the babies taken to someone's house and y'all need to watch them. I'm going back to the Treedome to figure out what this stuff is and get some reversal gas made up."
...
Transporting a cache of babies- on low equipment to boot- to Mr. Krabs' house was no joke. SpongeBob's grandmother and Larry transported the babies in the former's car to Mr. Krabs' house, where Pearl was posted as babysitter to keep an eye on things.
Sandy remained with Pearl until the duo were nearly finished- then drove back home with the ray gun to fix this mess once and for all.
...
Sandy carefully ran the gas through her 'Gas Analyser' and found it had been created with baby powder. On its own, it was harmless, but combined with chocolate chip cookie dough...it would react to create a powerful compound capable of de-aging someone both inside and out.
The scientist smiled as she read over the notes of the chemical structure and components on her computer.
This should be an easy fix...
...
Meanwhile, back at Mr. Krabs' house, Pearl and Larry felt run down and ready to collapse.
SpongeBob's grandmother had taken responsibility for SpongeBob, Patrick and Squidward. Pearl was left with half the townsfolk (plus her dad) and Larry had the other half.
The house reeked.
"Man, I hope Sandy gets that antidote soon," Commented Larry wearily.
"Me too, Larry," Agreed Pearl- and squeaked as she felt something pinch her toes. "Daddy!" She huffed glaring down to see her infant father with her wallet in one claw and her foot in his other. Mr. Krabs had somehow stolen so many wallets during their odd little adventure that now they had given up trying to get them back from him.
Besides, the police would just laugh at the idea of a baby stealing wallets, let alone 25 in one day.
"Y'know, it's a bit weird hearing you call a baby your father." Larry added, unhelpfully.
"It is," Lamented Pearl. "I never thought I'd say this now, but I miss him being an adult." She ducked as a baby Nat started crying and threw a bowl of rice pudding at her- missing and hitting the wall instead.
"I just miss being a carefree beach lobster." The lifeguard agreed miserably, wincing as he felt something warm and smelly course over his foot.
"Ewww!" Pearl squealed in disgust.
...
Sandy drove through the streets of Bikini Bottom, the antidote swirling inside a specially built gas gun- which was like Plankton's one, but of her own design.
She was perturbed to see how much...quieter, the town was without half of its citizens there. She resolved to put this right soon.
She missed her friends so much- especially SpongeBob. He was a sweet little guy, and like the little brother she never had- Randy was her twin and didn't really count as a 'little brother'. He was as smart as her, anyway.
Besides, SpongeBob missed karate practice, for Neptune's sake!
She smiled as she pulled up outside the anchor residence of Mr. Krabs and Pearl. Never mind- soon everything would be back to normal.
Earlier, when they were meeting up, Sandy had requested that Pearl bring some form of clothing for everyone to change into. For their friends (especially Mr. Krabs) this was easy enough to get, but everyone else was much harder, so they just grabbed spare clothes that would last for their purpose.
...
Sandy was extremely glad she couldn't smell anything through her helmet- the house was chaos. Larry and Pearl both looked extremely relieved to see her- and like grotesque, childish art sculptures. Sandy winced at the mess, before holding her prize aloft. The other two began cheering.
...
Within half an hour, Sandy had transformed all of Larry's group- and most of Pearl's group- with her gun, and sent them on their way again- but she ran out of the antidote before Nat, Tom and Mr. Krabs could be changed back.
"Um, Sandy, we still have...hang on..."
"Six more to do!" Pearl added impatiently. "SpongeBob, Patrick and Squidward are still upstairs!"
"Alright! Keep yer blowhole on!" Sandy huffed impatiently. "I made another bottle of the antidote- figured I'd run out eventually."
"I'll get it!" Larry exclaimed, eager for some fresh sea air.
"Careful, Larry!" Sandy shouted after her friend. "It's the only dose I've got left!"
"Is everything all right down here?" SpongeBob's grandmother asked in concern, coming downstairs with SpongeBob, Patrick and Squidward.
"Yes- we're just about done with this lot," Sandy nodded. "Did you cope with them three alright?"
"Oh yes, dear! They were delightful! Your friend Squidward's such a sweet baby!" SpongeBob's grandmother cooed.
Baby Squidward emitted a sweet giggle, which caused a wrench of guilt inside Sandy for reacting so badly to his appearance. If it never mattered to his mother or SpongeBob's grandmother, why should it matter to her?
"I've got it!" Larry shouted, running back into the living room- but he slipped on some mashed-up food and skidded across the room.
Pearl deftly retrieved the antidote before it could come to harm, and thrust it at Sandy.
"Do it." She said.
...
Soon, Sandy sent a grown-up Tom and Nat on their way, and fixed the gun at Mr. Krabs.
"Wait!" Pearl said suddenly. "I... before you change him back, could I... take a picture?"
"I'll allow it," Agreed Sandy, lowering her gun and stepping back.
Pearl took a quick snap of her father- still as a baby, and with a stack of 20s and 50s- and smiled as it came up on her screen.
"Um, excuse me, dearie," SpongeBob's grandmother said politely "Could I get you to take a photo of SpongeBob, Patrick and Squidward?"
"Um, sure!" Pearl answered, surprised. "I'll make sure you get it." She promised. "Do you want to be in it with them?"
"I don't know... oh, alright," She conceded. and Pearl took the photo on her phone. Before long, the two were exchanging email addresses.
"Right, here goes," Said Sandy, and she fired at Mr Krabs.