Anderson, Bishop, and Lowry were already at the hideout by the time Derek arrived. The hideout was the same place Derek and his minions brought Big D. An old warehouse on the wharf. He carried Fluey inside, and put him in a chair sitting in the corner.
"One of you hand me those pieces of rope over there," he said, keeping his hands on Fluey's shoulders.
"What for?" Anderson asked, as he grabbed the rope. "And what'd you bring that brat here for? I thought you killed him already!"
"I told you, I was going to need him alive," Derek said, as he began tying Fluey to the chair. "Boys, I give you the tool that's going to get us into the museum and dismantle the security system."
"You're kidding," Lowry said. "One of them impossible Impossibles? Are you nutso, Derek?"
"Nutso nothing," Derek said. "This impossible Impossible is my great-nephew. My stupid brother's grandson. I figure we could use him. That super power of his will come in handy."
"Hey, yeah," Bishop said. "He can get in the museum undetected. Good thinking, boss!"
"Mmmph . . . ." Fluey groaned, as he managed to work his gag loose. "Fat chance, fellas! No way you're gonna get me to rob that museum for you!"
"Stubborn, just like your grandfather," Derek said. "Actually, you don't have much of a choice, kiddo, since I'm keeping tabs on your little transformer. You're going to do everything I tell you to do."
"What makes you so sure I'm gonna do that?" Fluey asked, glaring at Derek.
"Because if you don't do as I say, you'll never see your grandfather, or your sister, or your friends again!" Derek shouted. "I could arrange to have the shaft filled with quick drying cement, and bury them alive!"
"I can't believe you'd even do something like that to your own brother! How could you?"
"It's your choice, Fluey. You do as I say, or they die. What's it going to be?"
Fluey said there for a moment. He knew Derek had him where he wanted him. He didn't have any choice. He'd lose, no matter what he chose!
"Oh all right," he said, grudgingly. He didn't want to agree to this, but he didn't want any harm to come to Big D, Phyllis, or his friends. "I'll do whatever you say."
"Excellent decision, my boy," Derek said. Then he laughed, and put the gag back over Fluey's mouth, tightening it a little. "I knew you'd see it my way. Of course, I can't untie you just yet. You may just try to find your little transformer and go off to rescue your friends. And you might try to double cross me by leading the cops right to me. And I'm afraid we just can't have that, now can we?"
Fluey groaned, and rolled his eyes. It was about all he could do. He couldn't even struggle. Derek had tied him up so tight, he could barely breathe.
"That ought to hold you," Derek said. Then he turned to Anderson, Bishop, and Lowry. "Now then, you three get back to the museum. We'll make our move at midnight. I'll stay here and keep an eye on the brat, just in case he tries something stupid."
"Gotcha boss," Lowry said, and he and Anderson and Lowry left.
Meanwhile, the others were just standing around, trying to figure out how to get out of the mine shaft. Mike was fiddling with his cigarette lighter communicator.
"What are you doing, Rogers?" Big D asked.
"Tryin' to get a signal," Mike said. "The problem is I ain't gettin' nothin'."
"Do all you Texans have such bad grammar?" Phyllis asked. "Seriously, Mike . . . . ."
"I prefer to think of it as grammatically challenged," Mike said. "And no, all Texans are not grammatically challenged. I think the reason we ain't gettin' a signal is because I've got the older model communicator, and those don't get much of a signal from underground. Remind me to get an upgraded communicator from Reggie."
"Don't look at us, chief," Multi said, stroking his still-unconscious puppy. "We haven't received the wrist communicators yet. I think Reggie is still working on them."
"Yes, I'm fully aware those take time," Big D said. "And I know for a fact my brother has mine, and most likely Fluid's as well. That leaves you, Phyllis."
"Let's see," Phyllis said. She opened her purse, and took a compact out. But her face fell when she opened it.
"Oh shoot!" she shouted.
"What's wrong?" Coiley asked. "No signal?"
"Wrong compact," Phyllis groaned. "My communicator must be in my other purse at headquarters."
"I guess we'll have to wait until Skittles wakes up then," Multi said, shrugging. "And who knows how long that will take."
"Wait, I just got an idea!" Phyllis shouted. She took out her compact again, opened it, and held it close to Skittles. The others just looked at her as if she were crazy.
"What are you doing, Phyllis?" Big D asked.
"Waking up Skittles," Phyllis said. "I just hope it works."
Phyllis took a deep breath, and blew some of the powder from her compact right into Skittles's face. Almost immediately, Skittles reacted.
"Ker-chew!" she sneezed.
"That did it," Multi said, as Skittles shook her head out to regain her composure. "Okay, girl, think you can get up there and get our transformers?"
Skittles barked, and saluted. Then she started spinning her tail, and she flew up the mine shaft.
"Just when I think that dog of yours can't surprise me anymore, she surprises me," Big D said.
"That's Skittles for you," Multi said. Within seconds, Multi's and Coiley's transformers suddenly came down the shaft. Immediately, they pushed the buttons on them, and converted to their superhero alter egos.
"Rally ho!" they shouted in unison.
Mike and Phyllis hung onto Coiley as he sprang upward, while Big D went with Multi's "human ladder" approach. Once they were all out of the shaft, the group raced out of the mine toward the Impossi-Jet. They had to get to the Megatropolis Museum and fast!
Midnight rolled around, and Derek and his gang drove up to the service entrance of the museum in their van. Derek opened the back of the van, and Anderson, Bishop, and Lowry got out to survey the place. While they were doing that, Derek walked over to Fluey, who was still bound and gagged. Derek took out a pocket knife, and cut the ropes around Fluey's ankles. Then he pulled the dark-haired Impossible to his feet, tied another piece of rope around his chest, and pulled on it, like it was a leash.
"Let's go," he said, practically dragging Fluey out of the van, and over to back doors. Once they were there, Derek pulled Fluey's transformer out of his pocket.
"All right," he said. "Here's the deal. I'm gonna untie you, and give you your transformer. Then I want you to change into your superhero self, get inside through that vent up there, dismantle the security system, and then unlock the door to let us in. And you'd better not think of double crossing me, or making a break for it, because if you do, your grandfather, your sister, and your friends have had it! Do you understand me?"
Fluey nodded. It was about all he could do. Derek then untied Fluey, and gave him his transformer.
"Get to work," he said.
Fluey took his transformer, pushed the green button on it, and converted to his superhero form. Then he went into a full liquid conversion, and streamed into the vent, making his way toward the room where the jewel collection was. It was blocked by laser beams, and not just motion detected laser beams, either. These beams would barbecue a burglar in no time at all!
"Boy, it's not gonna be easy trying to go through this!" he shouted.
Fluey knew dismantling the cameras wasn't going to be easy. He couldn't simply short them out via sprinkler system. The security cameras were probably waterproof. And he knew he wouldn't be able to take them out one at a time. At least one camera would catch him in the act for sure. He had to take them out all at once, but how?
"Hmmm . . . . ." he said, thoughtfully. "Maybe if I short out the entire electrical system, that'll take care of both the security cameras, and those lasers."
Fluey streamed through the vents until he reached the basement. He shot out of the vent, and converted back to solid. He grabbed a flashlight sitting on a shelf, and found a manual for the museum's security beam system. He quickly read through it, and found out that the entire security system had to be turned off with a special code, but Fluey didn't have time to try to figure out what it was, and he didn't have time to look for it around the building, either. But he also read that the system was hooked up to the museum's electrical system.
"Okay," he said. "All I have to do is short out the electricity. I hate to do this, but I don't want that creep of an uncle of mine to bury Phyllis, Big D, and the guys alive in cement!"
Fluey sighed, went into a full fluid conversion, and doused the fuse box. After some crackling of electrical wires, the lights went out, and with it went the security system. Then, Fluey went upstairs, via the stairway, and unlocked the back door for Derek and his henchmen.
"What took you so long?" Derek asked.
"Cut me a break!" Fluey shouted. "I had to find out what was the best way to take out the security system without accidentally setting it off!"
"You have the makings of a first class crook, my boy," Derek said, smiling sneakily. He grabbed Fluey by the arm, and practically dragged him inside the museum.
The quintet went into the room where the "World's Largest Gems Collection" was on display. There were five gems in the collection, a large sapphire, a large amethyst, a large ruby, a large emerald, and a diamond that was five times larger than the other four gem. Bishop took what looked like a drawer handle with two suction cups attached to the ends out of his coat, and stuck it to the display case, testing it to make sure the suction cups would hold. Lowry then walked over to the display case with a glass cutter and slowly cut a large hole in the display case. Then, he grabbed the handle, and removed the piece of glass he cut. Anderson took a satchel he was carrying, reached into the display case, grabbed the gems, and stashed them in the satchel.
"And that's how it's done, my young friend," Derek said, taking the satchel from his minion. "Now, let's get out of here!"
"What's your hurry, my dear brother?" Big D asked, suddenly coming into the room. The others were right behind him.
"Wha . . . . . . how in the world did you . . . . " Derek asked, completely dumbfounded.
"Trade secret," Big D said. "Now then, Derek, I'd advise you to put those gems back in the display case, and give yourself up."
"I have a much better idea," Derek said. Without another word, Derek then belted Big D right in the stomach as hard as he could.
"He shouldn't have done that," Fluey said. "Rally ho ho!"
With that, Fluey went into a full liquid conversion, and splashed himself over Derek, sending him flying into the wall.
"Aaaggghhh!" Derek shouted when he crashed. "Wait'll I get my hands on you, you little . . . . ."
Fluey's response was a partial conversion, and he flew toward the chief's evil twin, punching him in the jaw as hard as he could.
"That did it," Derek grumbled, and he turned to his henchmen. "Don't just stand there, you lunkheads, go get them!"
Anderson, Bishop, and Lowry charged, ready to tear our heroes to pieces. Multi stared at them, and began to assess the situation.
"Rally ho!" he shouted, duplicating in one straight line, and clobbering Anderson as his duplicates went by him.
"Okay, chubby," Bishop said, taking a lead pipe out. "This time, you ain't getting off so easy!"
"Says you," Coiley said, winding up his fist. "Rally ho!"
Coiley stretched his arm out and slugged Bishop right in the nose, sending him flying backwards, crashing directly into Lowry. Both crooks crashed to the floor.
"Okay, no more Mr. Nice Guy!" Anderson shouted, holding a gun toward Mike. "I'll take out one of ya that doesn't have super powers first!"
"Wait a minute," Mike said. "What's that up there?"
"Up where?" Anderson asked, looking toward the ceiling. While his attention was diverted, Mike slugged him, knocking Anderson out cold.
"That takes care of him," he said.
"Give up, you crooks!" Multi shouted, duplicating again. "You're surrounded!"
"Not for long!" Lowry shouted. He pulled out a gun, and began firing at the Multi Men, until they had all disintegrated.
"You've got to be around here somewhere, Multi Man!" Lowry shouted.
"You're so right," Multi said, coming up behind Lowry. The minute he turned around to look, Multi punched him in the nose as hard as he could, over to Coiley.
"This'll help you spring forward!" Coiley shouted, giving Lowry a good punch to the stomach.
"I wouldn't let you go without a goodbye wave, Lowry," Fluey said, and he went into a liquid conversion, tidal wave style, splashing into Lowry, and slamming him head first into the wall, knocking him out cold.
Bishop decided to try something else in order to get the upper hand. He moved in on Phyllis, and grabbed her by the arms.
"Okay, blondie," he said. "Let's see you try to get away from me."
"Aaaahhh!" Phyllis screamed, shrilly. "Oh, oh my arm! Please, please . . . . . you're crushing my arm!"
"Oh, sorry," Bishop said, loosening his grip. The minute he did, Phyllis grabbed his wrist, and flung him over her shoulder, and to the floor.
WHAM!
"Anybody get the license number of that truck?" Bishop asked before he lost consciousness.
"I think that takes care of that," Mike said.
"Not quite," Big D said. "My brother obviously took off with the jewels while his minions kept us busy."
"We'd better split up and go after him," Fluey said. "He still has my transformer."
"And the gem collection," Multi pointed out.
"Phyllis and I will stay here with Impossi-Pup and keep an eye on these goons 'til the police show up to take care of 'em," Mike said.
And with that, the group split up to search the museum.
"He couldn't have gone far," Fluey said, looking around one of the corridors. "If he thinks he can get away from us, then he'd better . . . . . ."
Before Fluey could finish that sentence, a hand clamped over his mouth, and he was yanked backwards into a dark corner. Before he could go into a liquid conversion to escape, his powers were suddenly deactivated.
"Think again, Fluey," Derek laughed sinisterly, pocketing the dark-haired Impossible's transformer. "You're coming with me, whether you like it or not."
Fluey struggled, but it was no use. He couldn't break out of Derek's grip. Then he noticed Derek was wearing Big D's wrist communicator, and it was within Fluey's reach. He knew Derek would notice if he tried to take it, but he had another idea in mind. He continued to struggle, and as he did, he hit the tracking button on Big D's communicator. Derek didn't even notice. Fluey just hoped the others would be able to track him down.
