After the victorious defeat of the alien robot, the government was grateful, while some were a little peeved at the collateral damage, especially the destruction of the Golden Gate Bridge, leaving it as nothing now, but the spoils of war. So now, the monsters were being transported in the aircraft to a yet-to-be-disclosed destination while inside, Susan was going excitedly about how she actually destroyed a giant robot and survived.
"Three weeks ago, if you asked me to defeat a giant alien robot, I would have said, "No can do". But I did it! Me!" Susan elaborated giddily like a schoolgirl at her achievement.
"I helped too, you know." Jack reminded her.
"Oh, right. Sorry. WE. We did it. Didn't mean to leave you out." She continued. "I'm still buzzing. Did you see how strong we were? There probably isn't a jar in the world I can't open."
"You don't say." said Jack.
"That's right. We make a pretty good team, you and me." Susan told him, smiling.
"Yeah. I guess we do."
Jack added, "I don't think I've ever met a woman like in a long time. Granted, that no one has been able to see me over the years."
"Don't flatter yourself much. You'll never meet any other woman like me." Susan confirmed.
"You were positively heroic, you two." Dr. Cockroach conceded with words of encouragement. He didn't know, because he wasn't looking, but B.O.B. was mimicking his hand and arm gestures. "I especially loved you saved all those people on the bridge. It was a nice touch. Weren't they amazing, Link?"
He asked the fishman, who was just sitting in the jeep with his back turned to the group, appearing to be sulking from looking bad out there in battle.
"Yeah, they were great." He answered sarcastically. "Really cool. Loved it."
"Oh, poor Link." Dr. Cockroach mocked his misery with a smug smile, making Link frown. "After all that tough talk, you were out-monstered by a girl. No wonder you're depressed."
"Hey! I'm not depressed. I'm just tired." Link denied.
"Why are you tired? You didn't do anything." explained B.O.B.
"Well, I haven't been sleeping well. Alright?" defended Link, annoyed as he tried to cover up his pitiful image. "I got sleep apnes...apnea. Whatever. It's not fun."
Jack shook his head with a playful smile.
"Everybody has bad days, Link. Not everyone can be perfect." He said.
"Yeah." Susan agreed with a nod. "So Link's a little rusty."
"I think the correct term would be sleep deprived." Jack acknowledged.
"Yep. And you'll be back to you're old self in no time. And so will I." Susan smiled.
She still had her thoughts about Derek and their honeymoon plans, which kept her going. But Jack was starting to feel jealous about this Derek person she talks about. It always brought a frown to his face and the aura that enshrouds him decrease in temperature to match the cold in which he was born in. It took all his bearing strength to not cry from the idea of being turned down himself. Just then, B.O.B. spoke up.
"What happened to the 'there isn't a jar in the world I can't open' stuff? Wait. Did you find a jar that you couldn't open? Were there pickles in it? Where's the giant jar of pickles?!"
"It was a figure of speech, B.O.B." Jack told him.
"What my associate is trying to say is that we all think that the new Susan is the cat's me-wow!" Dr. Cockroach joked and laughed before noticing that no one else was laughing, making him know who incredibly stupid that sounded.
"I'm sorry." His antennas drooped.
"Aw, thanks, you guys." Susan blushed, somewhat flattered. "That is so sweet. But I have a normal life waiting for me, you know?"
"So tell me, exactly, how this normal life thing works with you being giant." asked Link.
"I'm not gonna be a giant forever." Susan told him. "Derek won't rest until we found a cure for my...condition. We're a team."
Right when Susan mentioned 'team' in regards to her and Derek, Jack felt his stomach drop and heart break slightly.
"We could all do with a Derek. Perhaps, someday, we could make his acquaintance." said Dr. Cockroach.
"Really? You guys wanna meet Derek?" asked Susan, smiling.
Before Jack could answer, they all heard the aircraft's turbines start to die down and the entire plane make a perfect one-point landing in the middle of a suburban neighborhood. The doors opened while Monger stood on the catwalk above them which lead to the cockpit.
"First stop, Modesto!" He cried. "Ginormica, I called your family and let them know you're coming home. Now, I also called the Modesto PD and told them not to shoot at you."
"Thanks, general." She gave him a salute and walked out, bumping her head in the process. "Ow!"
"Watch you're head." said Jack.
"Thanks." She said, rubbing her forehead.
Once Susan and the rest stepped out, she got a good look at her family neighborhood with a huge smile on her face. She could almost squeal with girlish excitement. She was finally home, which means she was finally coming back to her family and Derek. But she hoped they were still gonna love her no matter what, even if she was a 50 ft. tall giantess. As they all walked, Susan gave them the low-down on how to behave in front of her parents.
"Okay, remember, these people aren't used to seeing anything like you..." She points to B.O.B. "...or you..." Then to Link. "...or you..." Then to Dr. Cockroach and finally Jack. "They'll probably be fine with you, but still. So just be, you know, cool. Just be, you know...follow lead."
She should've been looking where she was going for she had accidentally stepped on the fence around her house. Then Link, Dr. Cockroach and B.O.B. suddenly went wild, smashing more fence boards, misinterpreting her instruction by literally doing what she just did. Jack just stared dumbfounded with no words. Just as the three were about give a car heck, Susan stopped them before they could do any more damage.
"Guys, stop! That was an accident! Don't destroy anything!" Susan yelled in panic, hoping they won't give a bad first impression to her family.
B.O.B. nonchalantly tossed his so-called weapon away, breaking something accidentally, forgetting what Susan just said, making her drop her head in annoyance.
"Susan?" She heard a familiar voice and saw her mother standing there on the front porch with her father, along with her friends.
"Susie Q!" Carl chirped, overjoyed at seeing his daughter at last.
It filled Susan's heart with glee that she was reunited with her family again.
"Mom? Daddy?" She squeaked with a large smile as she got to her knees and lowered her head and hugged her parents with her large hands. Jack smiled, feeling happy for Susan.
"Did they experiment on you?" Wendy asked with concern in her voice, hoping that her daughter wasn't made any dangerous that she appeared.
"No, Mom. I'm fine." Susan assured soothingly.
Wendy and Carl both stared fearfully at Link, Dr. Cockroach and B.O.B. who all shared sheepish smiles while waiting for them to scream or run away when they saw them. Then Wendy and Carl saw Jack, but didn't look as scared at him. In fact, Jack looked perfectly normal to him.
"It's okay. They're with me." Susan reminded them. "These are my new friends."
"Oh, Derek!" B.O.B. cried and rushed to give Wendy a big hug and swirled her around, mistaking her as Derek. "I missed you so much, thinking that we'd someday be together again! It's the only thing that got me through prison. I love you! I love this man!"
When he hugged her, he pushed Wendy into his giggly body.
"No, B.O.B.! That's my mother! You're suffocating her!" screamed Susan.
He slowly spat her back out onto the grass, leaving her covered in slime.
"Are you alright, honey?" asked Carl.
"I taste ham." Wendy gasped.
"Sorry, mom. He's just a hugger." She winced at her friend's dumb behavior in front of her parents. She then noticed one other person missing. "Where's Derek?"
"He's at work, sweetie." answered Wendy, still covered in slime.
"You know how he is about his career." Carl stated.
"We're not gonna celebrate without him."
Susan began to leave to go find her beloved, when her mother stopped her.
"Susan! What do I do with all your little friends?" She asked, sounding worried about being left to care for monsters.
"Just put out some snacks! They'll eat anything!" Susan's departing voice responded.
Dr. Cockroach immediately started eating out of the garbage, grossing out Wendy. While Susan's friend left inside the house to call some people for the celebration.
"Ambrosia!"
Jack sighed, before approaching Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, hoping they won't have a bad impression of him.
"Uh, hi?" He started out delicately.
They both turned to see him.
"Oh, hello." Wendy responded.
"I'm...sorry about them." He gestured to the trio. "They just haven't adjusted to life outside of the prison."
"Prison?" Carl repeated.
"Yeah, they put us in a monster prison to keep up from the outside world and wrecking havoc or whatever. I guess they just don't trust people like us. Can you blame them?"
"I sure can!" jabbed Wendy. "They put our little girl in captivity, just because of her new size!"
"I know." Jack nodded. "But what do you expect from those that really are monsters?"
"You don't look very...monstrous." Carl said.
"That's because I'm not. I'm a spirit that's been around for 300 years. I bring winter, snow days, icicles, you name it. I'm Jack Frost, by the way."
This brought confusion to the parents' face when he said this.
"Jack Frost?" asked Carl.
"You mean to say you're the Jack Frost from the stories?" asked Wendy.
"You actually exist?" asked Carl with disbelief.
"Yes." Jack rolled his eyes.
"Uh, you're a bit younger than I remember." Wendy said gently.
"Would you prefer that I'd look old? Because of the hair?" Jack said ruffling his silvery white locks.
"Oh, no, no, no." Wendy denied. "Well, yes."
Jack let out a deep sigh.
"It's gonna be tough having adults see me in person." He said to himself.
"Don't you worry. I suppose it'll be fine once you get to know everyone for tonight. If you don't mind them." Carl jabbed a finger towards the trio who gave bemused stares.
That night, a party was being held in the backyard in honor of Susan's return from prison, but the appearance of the monsters left everyone unnerved about having them around. Link turned on a radio to an upbeat song as went around the guess, looking cool and sassy, while they recoiled in terror and backed away from him.
"How's it going? Qué pasa, girlfriend?" He smirked, like a high school jock showing off to his friends. "Way to cut up a rug, Insecto!"
Insectosaurus was also at the party in some way. The giant bug was just standing in the middle of the neighborhood, growling happily and dancing in a way. Link got up on the diving board to the swimming pool.
"Whoo! Who wants to go for a swim with the Link?" He jumped high into the air, performing a flip and dove down, but ended up landing painfully on the end of the board before falling into the water.
Jack just sat idly in a lawn chair, bored out of his mind while still thinking about Susan.
"Penny for your thoughts, Jack?" Wendy came over and sat down next to him.
"How much?" He exhaled.
"You look puzzled. What's it about?" She persisted.
"It's just that Susan-"
"What about Susan?" Her face made a look of realization. "Are you in love with her?"
"In love?" Jack said with surprise. "But I've only met her like a couple days ago."
"It's written all over your face. I know love when I see it." Wendy remarked. "I'm sorry to break it to you, but Susan's heart belongs to someone else."
"I am fully aware of that." He grunted.
"Sorry if I sounded rough. I didn't mean to bring that on you, but it's the truth." She explained. "When a couple are married, they are devoted to each other. They are to be together till death to them apart. Love is a powerful thing, but marriage seals it forever. If you ever want to be with someone and have them by your side, that day will come for you too."
Jack wasn't even paying attention for at that moment, from out of the corner of his vision, he saw what he could've sworn was the shadow of a Nightmare creeping past some houses just a block down. In his mind, he knew exactly what this meant. The Boogeyman was up to no good and the Guardian needed his help immediately. He knew what he had do to. He needed to go see North right away.
"I need to go somewhere. Bye." He quickly said as he shot up from his seat and ran towards the fence.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Carl shouted in confusion.
"There's something I gotta do. I'm sorry, but I have to go now." Jack said.
"But you can't leave us here with them!" Wendy complained.
"It's fine! Trust me. They're not gonna hurt anyone! It was good meeting the both of you. Tell Susan I said 'goodbye' when she gets here and hope her Derek doesn't dump her." He ended his sentence with a somewhat annoyed tone before he hopped on top of the fence, then onto the roof of a neighboring house before he summoned the wind to float him into the air and out of sight, leaving Wendy and Carl speechless.
"Okay, that was kind of amazing." Carl responded, impressed.
Meanwhile, B.O.B. was trying to put the moves on a plate of green Jell-O.
"Hi. I'm Benzoate-Ostylezene-Bicarbonate. Or you can call me B.O.B., whichever's easier." He chuckled. "Did I come on too strong? I'm sorry. I'm a little rusty. I've been in prison my whole life. Why did I mention prison?"
He pounded the table in frustration, making the Jell-O jiggle.
"Oh, I didn't mean to scare you." He groaned before leaving. "I'm just gonna go. Uh, I feel so stupid."
At this point, the guest were becoming to afraid of the monster's presence that they all hid under an umbrella, in the hopes of protecting themselves.
"Alright, everybody just stay calm." Carl instructed them. "Whatever you do, don't provoke them."
"Anyone care for an Atomic Gin Fizz?" asked Dr. Cockroach, who was having his own little juice bar, making alcoholic beverages the old fashioned way, but with science. "It's got quite a..."
Whatever concoction he was shaking up, suddenly exploded in his face, which left him and the others covered in ash.
"...kick." He finished with a wheezing voice.
"AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGHHHHHH!" Link suddenly arose from the water, growling and roaring in pain with reddened eyes.
"Chlorine! Chlorine in my eyes!" He shrieked, marching out and looking like Frankenstein's monster, since he was having trouble seeing.
That was the finally straw. Everyone panicked, screaming and running away, believing they were trying to attack them.
"They're turning on us!"
"Everyone run for your lives!" Wendy screamed.
All of the guests, including Mr. and Mrs. Murphy broke through the fence and took off running away from the trio after all that, leaving them the only ones left in what was left of the party.
"What are they running away from?" asked B.O.B, holding his eyeball out with his hand.