The Amazing World of Gumball
The Rampage
Part 4 : Running for their lives, sequence 6234...
Note : Just a little apology for the wait I've been giving you all. Hope this chapter can make me get your pardon...
In front of the Watterson household, a yellow station wagon was parking. Nicole Watterson came out of it, looking fairly normal. It was worth being noticed, because any time she came back before six was usually in a hurry to prevent a catastrophe being caused by her family.
"The windows are still in one piece, the grass is green again, and no screams of terror or pain. Good day today." noted Nicole, treking to her house.
When she entered, she was only half-surprised to hear noises coming from the kitchen. Tools noises to be exact. She peaked her head inside, to find her husband trying to destroy the safe that held the kitchen tools.
By bonking on it. With an electric saw. Nicole only rolled her eyes at this... all too familiar sight.
"Richard, why aren't you using a hammer for this ?" questionned the wife to her husband.
"I tried, but it wouldn't just melt that thing down. I put it with the broken gas lamp, that can't cut a darn thing anymore. I tell ya Nicole, when we get back to that store, we'll have some complaining to do." was Richard's awnser, before he realized who he was talking to. "Wait, honey ?! What are you doing here ? Aren't you supposed to be at Elmore's own little private hell ?"
"Aw, you listened to me." said Nicole as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I was supposed to be at work, but inspectors have been roaming about today. And since my accident file is a bit too high, they sent me home earlier. I even bargained myself a little bonus with that crummy vice-director in the elevator."
"The one I hit with our car, or the one Anaïs bit to get her lollipop back ?"
"The latter. And may I know what you are doing right now ?"
Richard's face dropped to sadness, knowing he wouldn't get out of this one. "I just wanted to make myself some bacon. A baconless friday is a meaningless friday."
Normally, Nicole would be stern at this display, but she was in a pretty good mood today. "Come on, my grease magnet, I'll cook some for you."
It's all she had to say before getting brought in a tight pink hug. "Yes ! Marrying you was the best choice I ever made in my life !"
"I know, you say that each time I get you pancakes." mused Nicole. "Now go clean the couch, you'll be served in a moment."
As Richard ran for the living room, Nicole inputed the key code of the safe, and retrieved a frying pan and a spatula. But two seconds before she could turn the gas on, the telephone rang. She picked it up from the kitchen, hoping it wasn't Principal Brown. Again.
"Hello ? It's you, Anaïs ? Calm down, you are squeal-talking again. What's happening ? Your brothers ? What did they- nothing you say ? Huh... Uh huh... they- really ? How big are they ? Well I think it's- slow down ! Controlled, you're sure ? They are chasing the boys ?! Where ?! Oh dear. Okay, you contact the police. Tell them everything, and get them to hurry up. We'll get everyone rounded up. If their will can really change something, these poor girls will need all the help they can get. Wait for me before the school when you're done. I love you too sweetie."
With that, she hung up the phone, and went straight for the front door. Richard was confused by his wife's actions, as he was collecting half of a peanut butter jar from the couch's insides.
"Richard, we have to go, right now." said the Watterson mother/leader/bruiser.
"But what about Bacon Friday ?" asked Richard in distress.
"We'll get you some on the road."
Now Richard was very shocked by what his spouse just said. "Bacon to go ? On a week day ? Should I be worried ?"
"I'll explain in the car. All you need to know is that our boys are in grave danger, and it's not their fault this time." said Nicole, as the couple rushed away to the family car. 'Hold on kids, we are coming for you.' she thought, with the worry only a mother could muster.
Meanwhile, in a street of Elmore, cars were waiting at traffic lights. One of them was an actual living car, dear old Honda Fords as they called him. He was on his way for a little drive-in at Joyful Burger, then to park somewhere nice to enjoy his lunch.
But it all changed when two blurs, orange and blue, sped past all the cars, while screaming "RUN !" at the top of their lungs. The earth then began to shake, and people looking back began to scream and abandon their cars. Honda was getting nervous, not knowing what the *Honk* was going on. He adjusted his rear mirror, who worked as another eye, only to see an enormous pink object coming for him. Surrounded by cars, he was trapped. The pink object laced around him, and the car realized it was actually a huge sleeved arm, attached to a friggin' giant !
His wheels quit the ground as the green-haired giant took him in the airs. The she-huge then reared her arm, and Honda knew what was her intention. But as he got a good look at her face, he did not see bestiality or coldness, only a whole lot of regret. He even heard an "I'm so sorry.", before he was launched forwards. Spinning wildly in the air, he uttered one last sentence.
"TELL DESIREE I LOVED HER !"
CRASH !
Gumball and Darwin stopped running as the living vehicle landed near them, battered but alive.
"Oh my gosh ! Mister, are you alright ?" asked Darwin in concern.
"Do you think we need to call the hospital or a garage ?" said Gumball, who then shrunk under the glare of his brother.
"How can you joke at a time like this ?!"
"You're right, it's more the time to RUN !" shrieked Gumball, as they resumed their intense jog to dodge another car, which landed on the exact spot they were standing a second ago. As they zizgzagged in the streets, they noticed and feared how precise were Clare's shots to their positions. In fact, they stopped at a crossroad just in time to not get squashed by two cars crashing just before them. It had been the matter of a second, as the projectiles had pratically grazed their skins.
Frozen in terror, they looked back to Clare, only for their fear to be reinforced considering that she was lifting a truck full of gas over her head.
"I'm sorry guys !" said Clare aloud, who could somehow see the terrified faces of her friends. "I used to be a champion of Darts and Shot Put, before I became – you know – a depressed drama queen." She then threw the truck in their direction.
"Today's the worst !" hollered Gumball, jumping on the right to avoid the big explosion.
"You're sure about that ?" coughed Darwin as he got back up, covered in soot.
"Well, it's at least making it to Top 20 !" said Gumball, dusting his clothes.
"Guys, I'm out of ammo ! Now would be a good time to get out of there !" resonated Clare's voice.
Gumball and Darwin obeyed, and got to running again. Well, before another giant landed in front of them, one with antlers this time, sweating and holding her throat.
"G-Guys. Something- *cough cough* Something weird's happening." hacked Penny, her orange face becoming redder by the second. "My t-throat. It feels like *wheeze* it's on f-f-fire !"
The duo began to step back, cold fear plastered on their faces. As they began to accelerate, Penny's face, and entire body, were now red as a tomato. Her cheeks puffed out, and...
FWOOOOOOSH !
A stream of fire erupted from the young titan's mouth, carbonizing everything in the street, who was thankfully empty. A relief, as anyone caught in it would have been reduced to mere ashes. That was also the two boys' thought, who had plunged in a street on the left, and witnessed how their lives could have met one fiery end.
Again.
As for Penny, she was amazed by her own power as she rubbed her sore throat. "What ? Since when can I do that on command ? Are you telling me I've could've made my way out of this darn forest from the very beginning ?!" She coughed some more, and looked warily at the blue and orange forms down the streets. "I think it was a one-shot. But I've been wrong before, so you two should scram. Sorry again. Love you Gumball."
"Love you too Penny !" said Gumball loudly, before catching up with his buddy, in direction of the main streets of Elmore. Almost nobody was there, and the very few staying most likely didn't know about the four rampaging giants. As they arrived, they noticed two things : a car on their left, and something else coming from the right.
In the car, a blue character with a black cap, resembling an older but less successful Billy Parham, was finishing his sandwich, radio blaring out some jazz. He turned it off as he saw the kids thumping on the window. "What do you kids want ?"
Gumball searched in his sleeve, to find 20 bucks Nicole had hidden for emergencies. "Here's a fee in advance. No destination in particular, just drive as fast as you can."
"What ? Hey, I'm on my lunch break !" said the driver in irritation, as the duo strapped themselves in the back seat.
"Well, turn your attention to your rear mirror, and realize you have no choice if you wanna live." said Gumball, in a bizzarely calm fashion as he fastened his seat belt.
Before he made them get out of his cab, the driver decided to look it up. And his frown instantly let place to windening eyes and a long hanging jaw.
Coming in his car's direction, was a colossal, rainbow-haired girl. And she was running. Very fast.
Darwin's head popped in front of him, looking at the mirror. He was smiling, taking a thinking pose. "Quite the sight isn't she ? Now, allow me to suggest that you get your hands on the wheel, your eyes on the road, AND YOUR FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR BEFORE THIS CAB IS REDUCED TO A CRÊPE À LA ROUTE !"
The driver immediately complied, and the car zoomed down the street like no tomorrow. A mad chase scene was now in action. While screaming at the top of their lungs, the passengers had to dodge any car that had been left by fleeing citizens. Rachel, or rather the one controlling her, had no such problem, and let only flat vehicles and sneakers imprints on the way. The car tried to pick up speed, but the running giant just compensated every time. It was a known fact, especially to Darwin, that Rachel was one of the most sportive students of Junior Elmore High, and that some of what Tobias bragged he could do, his big sister actually could.
Being an extremely good runner was one example.
Clawing his seat in panic, Gumball turned to Darwin. "Dude, your crush is this close to actually crush us, and the irony is not as funny as it should be ! Of all the choices avaliable, you had to set your eyes on the one girl that can keep accelarating for 2 minutes straight ! Nobody other than Mom or Miss Yoshida should be able to do that !"
"That's it !" realized Darwin. "I know how we can lose her ! Taxi guy !"
"My name is Tom." said the driver.
"Taxi Tom ! Keep accelarating !"
"I've been doing just that, and there is not much speed I can still pick up ! This is a cab, not Vin Gasol's speeding machine !" said Tom in exasperation.
"Just keep going ! And the moment I tell you, turn right !" ordered Darwin
"Are you sure about this ? What difference is making her go faster going to make, besides the collateral damages ?" questioned Gumball, confused at their brother's idea.
"Trust me, it's gonna work." assured Darwin. He then focused all his attention to the approaching titaness, trying not to get lost in her imposant form. "Keep going..."
The cab kept going faster, but Rachel was going even faster...er.
"Not yet..."
"I can't go any faster than this !"
"Dude, we've gotta turn now !"
Darwin's fin was still in the air. "Not yet..."
Closing in, Rachel called out to them. "Guys, get out of my way ! I literally can't stop when I'm running like this ! "
A lone drop of sweat trickled down his forehead as the stomping got louder and louder. "Not yet..."
"Kid, come on !"
"Dude !"
"Darwin, Gumball, I don't wanna do this to you, please !"
Rachel was now a couple of feet away, tears beginning to fall from her eyes, as she was about to wipe out the cab containing her sweetest person in the world. But as she looked down, he wasn't afraid. He was smiling. At her.
"NOW !"
At the command, the taxi took a sharp turn on the right, entering another street and getting out of the exact spot where the giant right shoe crashed a second later. And amazingly, the giant girl kept going straight forward, a look of relief on her face.
The taxi slowing down and the pression evaporating, Gumball congratulated his brother. "That was awesome ! How'd you know she wouldn't turn ?"
"Bonus of being her close confident. She once told me that when she gets to a certain point of running, her body cannot slow down until she reaches maximum velocity." explained Darwin proudly. He sadly turned to the disappearing form of his close friend, then puffed in anger. "When I get my fins on that jerk..."
"Tight down old chum. We'll make him get our girls back to normal, violence very included." promised Gumball. But he then realised something. "Hot pink jacket... Orange antlers... Rainbow hair... Dude, we are missing translucid white ectoplasm."
And as if somebody had heard them (most likely the plot), a loud thunder clap resonated, signaling the apparition of the grand goth ghost girl herself.
"Heads up boys ! Bumpy road ahead !" shouted Carrie in distress, her arms up in the air, magic pouring from its tips. One magic blast was then shot down on the road ahead of the car. The concrete then began to extract itself from the ground, waving like a snake.
Without any escape, the cab was now driving the wild and untamed road, trying not to fall to a certain doom. Terrified didn't begin to describe how one driver and two passengers were feeling right now.
"THAT KIND OF DRIVING WAS WAY LESS SCARY ON "PABLO RACING 8" !" screamed Tom.
"WAAAAAAiiit, do you play online ?" said Gumball, ignoring the fact that his life was in great danger. Darwin's girly shrieks of terror were a good reminder though :
"SO ! NOT ! THE TIME !"
Finally, a burst of thunder struck the road, making the entire thing crumble into pieces, and sending the car plumetting a hundred feet down.
"Abandon vehicle !" shouted Gumball. The three then jumped out of the car, but still falling to a certain doom. They shielded their eyes, preparing for impact...
… only to meet a very soft landing.
Having crashed on a pile of pillows mysteriously placed in a garden, Gumball and Darwin read the "Great Pillow Donation for Stray Kittens" sign, and breathed a much needed sigh of relief. Tom, on the other hand, had different plans.
"Welp, it's been traumatizing. See ya if you live through today. Oh, one last thing" said Tom as he took out a piece of paper, scribbled down on it, and handed it to Gumball. "My Mee number. You and me, all race tracks on Saturday afternoon." And just like that, he ran away.
Gumball and Darwin were quick on their feet, and ran back into the streets. They stopped at yet another crossroad, pondering where to go next.
"Which way should we go now ?" said Darwin in fear.
His response came in the form of resonating footsteps, and large shadows engulfing them.
"Let me take a wild guess and say... none." awnsered Gumball with a 'We-are-so-doomed' smile.
The two were now surrounded, each one of the giant girls covering the ways out. As they huddled, they could see a straining Clare avancing, unwillingness shining in her eyes. She then raised her boot above them, blocking their view of the sky. Apologies still came out of her, her eyes shutting up to prevent herself from seeing the horror she was about to commit.
In a certain acceptance, the brothers made their final vows to one another.
"Darwin, you were the best goldfish pet I ever got, and the best buddy I have." said Gumball truthfully. "I'm sorry for the time I used your fish bowl to catch an eel... and didn't take it out before you went to bed."
"Well, my dead skin was delicious." chuckled Darwin. "I'm sorry about the time I almost made you lose Penny after you finally managed to kiss her. It was very hypocritical of me, after all these times I encouraged you to go talk to her."
"Hey, bros forever right ?" said Gumball, holding his fist in front of him.
"And even after that." said Darwin, completing the fist bump. He then took the hand of his brother to pull him in a hug, which Gumball gladly returned.
And thus, the boot fell down. Girl screams echoed in the air, as the Wattersons prepared for their swift, but painful doom.
…
After ten seconds of not feeling their bones crushed into Granny Jojo's homemade marmelade, the boys opened their eyes to a surprising sight. The sole that should have killed them was hanging a few inches above them, just as if something was blocking it.
And wouldn't you know it, something actually was, in the person of the laziest person of Elmore himself.
" (Mister) Dad ?!" cried out the siblings, shocked to see their father standing next to them, smiling like nothing was wrong, even though his body was being flattned by the immense pressure exerced by the giant Clare.
"Hey kids. Some situation you found yourself in again, eh ?" said Richard. "Well, whatever is happening, I should thank you. I got bacon to go, from your mother nontheless ! Best Bacon Friday ever !"
"Mister Dad, isn't that kinda... painful ?" said Darwin, looking nervously at his father's compressed body. Richard only laughed at his kid's worry.
"Fret not my children. You are witnessing one of the effects of the R.A.D., the Richard Approved Diet. With my daily feeding of sugar-coated donuts, spicy take-outs, and everything at the top of the pyramid food, I have managed to have my spine swallowed in my own fat."
"Huh, impressive. Nearing you to an early demise, but impressive." said Gumball. "But how are you gonna get us out of there ? Or yourself for that matter ?"
"Leave it to the oily power of bacon my son !" said Richard, while taking as much bacon in his mouth as he could. As he munched, the sole-ceiling was coming closer, bit by bit. It seemed that Clare was being forced to increase the pressure. But Richard kept munching, his body becoming flatter by the second.
Then, he gulped...
And his body shot right back up like a spring ! The counter impact was so great that it made the giant assalliant lose her balance. She staggered back, before crashing down on a thankfully empty house, destroying it in an instant. "I'm okay..." she groaned.
"And that kids, is why you should always follow my nutrition advice."
"Yeah, sorry Dad. That was pretty cool, but living old sounds kind of neat too." deadpanned Gumball. "But, how did you know we were here ?"
His question was left unawnsered however, when they saw Carrie charging another shot of ecto-energy, and throwing it in their direction.
But the shot never made it to its target, as the youngest Watterson had arrived, a strange weapon in her hand, that seemed to stop the shot from moving further. Anaïs then pressed a button, and the energy shot back to the launcher, who took quite a shock and collapsed too.
"Sorry !" called out Anaïs to Carrie, which was awnsered by a pained groan and a thumbs up.
"What the what is that ?" said Gumball, his eyes shining in wonder over the tall and badass weapon her sister was wielding.
"Eh, I've been making some of these since the time Carrie's dad took us to his hellish pocket dimension. And no, I'm not telling either of you where I keep these babies." said Anaïs, already knowing what her brothers had in mind.
Both seemed to deflate at these words. "But... but... super weapons ! So much power ! So much potential..." said Darwin longingly, almost touching the weapon, before his hand was slapped away by his glaring little sister. His face then morphed to fear when he looked behind her. "And, did you come with something to stop that ?"
Darwin was pointing to the double danger rapidly approaching, in the shape of Rachel's blue fist and Penny's morphed muscular fist, that resembled the ones she could sport while taking her minotaur form. But Anaïs and Richard were not fazed at all.
"Dear brother, you forgot one last figure of this family. The most important there is." said Anaïs with a smirk.
Suddenly, the two hands were stopped, blocked by a superior strength. And that strength was none other than the strongest (and scarriest) woman of Elmore, and possibly the whole country as well.
Fire blazing in her eyes, Nicole Watterson stood up and gripped at the flesh of the two gargantuan fists. The two girls winced, actually feeling pain from the lady measuring only a tenth of their size. In a deep voice, Nicole spoke. "I know you are nice girls, but nobody attacks my boys without consequences."
And with these words, Nicole brought her arms together, and spinned on herself, before bringing them down in a hammer fashion. Her family observed in wonder as these movements made the two giants get off the ground, fly over their heads, then crash down on concrete and propreties with a thunderous 'BOOM'. They clapped in admiration as she simply wiped the sweat off her forehead.
"Uh, still okay you two ?" asked Gumball to the fallen girls.
"Nice throw Mrs. Watterson." commented Penny, a bit dazily.
"When it's over, can you teach me that move ? I know a jock or two at school that would need a bit of a reminder about personal space." chuckled Rachel, trying to rub off the pain.
"Well, only if you are ready to find ways to get enraged all the time, while still being happy enough to not destroy everything around you. Starting a family is the fastest way to get there, though not the easiest." sighed Nicole. She then tightly hugged her two sons. "Oh kids, I was so worried. Thank goodness your sister called us in time."
Still in the hug, the two brothers high-fived their little sister. The sound of sirens then broke up the family reunion, as police cars arrived on the scene, led as always by the Doughnut Sheriff. Behind them, a crowd of inhabitants was forming, even people from Elmore Junior High.
"The boys are safe, I repeat, the boys are safe." said the Sheriff in his radio. "We'll proceed interrogation in a moment."
"Uh, aren't you supposed to be all evacuating ?" said Gumball, clearly confused to see all these people here.
"Well your little pink sister insisted for some of us to be here. The others just followed. I'm personnally here to see all the destruction." said Jamie matter-of-factly.
"But as I said before, the moment it goes awry, we have evacuation procedures waiting to go off." said Sheriff Doughnut. "Now, are the girls pacified ?"
He was awnsered immediately, as the four jumbo-sized students simultaneously got up once again in a semi-circle, any harm caused to them strangely fading. The crowd nervously watched the giants slowly marching to them, who looked back just as nervous.
"We can't control our bodies ! Get out of here before it's too late !" declared Penny to the crowd. But she was shocked when she saw three familiar figures avancing in her direction.
"Penny ! Hang in there sweetie, you can resist !" encouraged Penny's father.
"We believe in you honey. You've already accomplished so much on your own." declared her mother with great compassion.
"C'mon big sis. You can do it, I know you can." said the youngest Fitzgerald in a squeaky voice, her tiny hopeful eyes locked with the enormous ones of her big sister.
The sight made Penny shuffle in her steps. And more were coming out as well.
"Carrie, my little spirit, you have to stay in control. Don't become a mindless puppet like I did, I can't bear the thought of it happening to you." said Vladus Lokowitchki.
"Get yourself together Rachel !" shouted Mrs. Wilson, backed up by the 'Hoot Hoot' of her husband.
"Yeah, come on sis ! You're a Wilson, you can't lose some loser maniac !" said Tobias with a big smile.
"Clare, don't let that person get to you. I know you are better than that." said Mr. Cooper to her daughter.
Members of the crowd began to cheer for the girls, encouraging them to resist. The giantesses were shocked at first, misty-eyed then, and determined at last.
They wouldn't harm anyone ANYMORE !
With all the energy they could muster, they forced their bodies to stop budging all at once. It was a battle of will that was raging on, as the nanobots tried to force movement, only to be countered by the share willpower of the bodies' owners. Pain was ringing all over, but the four ladies wouldn't give up, hearing their friends and families supporting them.
"The giants are immobile ! I repeat, the giants are immobile !" said the pastry-shaped officer in talkie-walkie. "Mrs. Jötunheim, you and your son have the go !"
Suddenly, out of thin air, someone appeared behind the girls. This being managed to stand out, as he was just twice as big as them. Only one known inhabitant of Elmore attained such grandeur. The young colossus, Hector Jötunheim.
With blue magic glitter parcouring his body, the biggest of the giants reached quickly for the smaller ones, and locked them all in a tight hug grip, while being careful not to hurt them. The four began attempts to struggle free, but Hector's strong arms held firm.
Next, coming from the sky on her flying broom, arrived Elmore's local witch, Mrs. Jötunheim. "Hold them good sweetie ! It'll just take a minute !" she said, holding on a cauldron full of more magic glitter, red this time.
She then went on pouring the stuff all over her son's arms and the giant girls. They coughed at first, then realized in joy that their bodies were finally relaxing, as if the now red glow of Hector's arms was putting the nano bots to sleep. For the first time in the last hour, they felt at peace.
"Hector, we can't thank you enough for what you just did." said Penny gratefully, as all the girls were smiling in relief to the haired colossus.
Hector gave a deep chuckle. "No problem girls. I've gotta say, it's nice for once to hug someone without the risk of breaking them entirely."
Back on the ground, the crowd was cheering, both relieved that the mayhem was over, and happy that the girls were safe.
"My plan worked perfectly !" said Anaïs. "I knew that Hector's mom would have something powerful enough to stop them !"
The witch landed near the Wattersons, panting. "Actually, it's only by combining this magic with my son's body that it did the trick. As long as my Hector holds on, they can't move or be forced to move, even being this big." Her hip cracked a bit. "Oh boy, that was one heavy cauldron. Who knew that glitter could weigh so much ?"
"Okay, things are under control for now, so allow us a moment." said Gumball, before he and Darwin melted into goo, breathing an immense sigh of relief. They then turned solid again, looking fresh again. "Nothing like losing physicality after a rough time."
"As much as it would please me to agree with you, we still have rough times ahead of us." said Anaïs, rationalizing the situation. "We still don't know who's behind all this. We only partially know how, and we know that they have their eyes set on you two."
"But who could we have bug off so much that they would want to get rid of us ?" asked Darwin.
"I think a lot of people wants some payback out of you two; me included." said Anaïs. "Enough to get rid of you, I can think of a few, most of them being in prison. But using four innocent girls to annihilate you ? I don't think there is someone who despises you that much. Except Mrs. Robinson, but she is evil to everyone, she wouldn't have used them to only destroy you two."
Gumball was about to respond, but he then felt a tug on his tail, and looked behind him. It was Penny's little sister, and she was looking at him with teary eyes. "Mr. Blue Cat, you can fix my sister and her friends, r-right ?"
Gumball turned to Darwin, who returned his unsure stare. They looked around to see many expecting faces, especially from the families of the victims, before looking up to the victims themselves, who offered doubtful, but encouraging smiles.
Gumball then turned back to the young peanut-shaped girl, and patted her head affectionally. "We'll fix them, I promise." The girl brightened up, gave him a hug, then rejoined her parents. Gumball turned to his own family. "Guys, I just made a promise, so we are now 100% forced to do this."
"But you made the promise, not us." cleared out Darwin.
"Don't think I won't take you all down with me, you know I will." said Gumball darkly. "Problem is, we are back where we were before. Loads of facts, but no darn shadow of the hint of a clue on this whole affair. Except, you know, that they want Darwin and I to go bye-bye."
"Huh, I feel like I should remember something right now..." said Richard pensively. He then took out a handful of bacon and stuffed his mouth with it. He then realized ! "I didn't take the barbecue dipping that goes with this bacon ! How could I have forgotten ?! I bring such shame to this family !"
Nicole patted her weeping husband's back, smiling nervously to the people that were eyeing them. Discussions were coming from everywhere, debating on this not unusual, but still worrying state of the city and their safety. As words rung out everywhere, Sheriff Doughnut sighed tiredly.
"Gosh, what a lousy month. First an escapee, then a theft, and now this." said the cop while taking a sip of his coffee. "I can't even take a nap anymore ! How am I supposed to sleep at night without my six hours of napping ?!"
This thread of information did not escape Gumball's feline hearing, who cut himself short.
"Wait, what did you just say ?" said Gumball to the Sheriff.
"I know, right ? Nobody values the effects of resting as a method to encourage sleeping. It's actually a theory I'm myself writing down. Ha, and those eggheads calling themselves smart !" laughed Richard, who was feeling much better.
Gumball pinched the bridge of his nose. "Not that ! Something about an escapee !"
"Oh yeah, it happened two weeks ago, but it didn't make the news due to this whole operation about banning video games from Elmore, then stopping an actual book burning on the school yard." said the policeman in disbelief. "I still can't believe that you people listened to a woman who already has a criminal record that includes theft and extremely dangerous driving of an ice-cream truck through public propreties."
"She was on a stage, any bozo can get followers when they are on a stage." said Gumball cynically. "Now, back on the escapee."
"Two weeks ago, one of our prisonners escaped from Elmore's good-enough security prison. He actually managed to take us by surprise, by striking during Bingo Night. I mean, it is the sole moment of the month when there is nobody guarding the doors, but all prisonners love Bingo Night ! Why would someone use this opportunity to slip away ?!" said Sheriff Doughnut. Gumball and Darwin kept themselves from facepalming hard, and urged him to continue. "Me and the boys have been looking for him the last two weeks, but no trail at all, like the guy's a ghost or something ! All we have is the stealing at the labs, but we aren't even sure it's the same guy !"
"Okay, but... who did escape ?" said Darwin, feeling something was awfully familiar in this description...
"Oh, it was... hum, hang on a moment." replied Sheriff Doughnut uncertainly. "It was... oh come on ! His name was super short, how did I forget it ?! He was kinda lanky... one eye I think... yellow shirt... oh wait, you two must know him ! The reason we arrested him was because he was trying to blow you and other people up on a school bus, while trying to swipe a million bucks ransom."
And just like that, a cold realization fell on the two boys. They emitted such a gasp that the entire crowd fell silent, even making the giants looking down at them.
"What is it ? Did you find out who did all of this ?" asked Anaïs, voicing the thoughts of everyone present.
"Gumball... he could have done it. There is no one else who wants us gone that much." said Darwin in apprehension and fear.
"Sweetie, who are you talking about ?" said Nicole, concerned to see her sons so scared.
Gumball didn't respond immediately, thinking it over. It all came together.
Someone who wanted his buddy and him gone...
Someone ready to involve people they knew and loved in the mayhem...
Someone discreet, someone... forgettable.
"Rob." murmured Gumball, but loud enough to be heard.
"While I've already said it was Dr. Wrecker for you, I am flattered that you still remember my name. Could have learned it a bit sooner though."
Author's note : Dun dun duuun ! Did you see that one coming ? I certainly didn't ! (*Laughing Track*)
But seriously, sorry for the whole wait. With College and my slight writer block sometimes, I can get pretty distracted. I'll try to pick up speed, to try and finish this story as a whole.
Oh, and before you think about it, these events take place before "The Disaster" and "The Rerun". So, our villain is yet to have found a certain limit to his mad quest for revenge. He will also benefit of certain... upgrades, that don't exist in the show. I had the idea about the fic before I even got a sneak peek of the Season 4 Finale.
Now that's out of the way, I think it's time to conclude this chapter. This is SuperDimentio77, hoping to be back in action very soon.
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