Stingy's house at the top of the hill could be seen from anywhere in LazyTown. Robbie glared at the opulent grounds as he followed behind Stephanie and Stingy. What business did the Spoilero family have installing such a garish fount out front, or erecting such overstated marble pillars for their house?
"It's in the backyard," Stephanie said. Stingy muttered something under his breath that went unacknowledged.
Robbie looked with a critical eye at the manicured lawn and croquet setup. The patio was set in more marble. A large shed built in a similarly tacky aesthetic as the main house stood near the back of the property with its doors propped open. They even had an ornate birdbath set in front of it. It was enough to make Robbie roll his eyes. He fixed his face as soon as Stephanie turned to look at him.
"Thanks for your help, Sportacus. We couldn't get this done without you."
"Yeah. Thanks a lot," Stingy grumbled.
The shed was packed with equipment, tools, and playthings. Robbie noticed a riding lawnmower and large propane grill. He had no use for such things himself, but they could be disassembled for parts in his own projects…
"Where should we start?" Robbie asked, rubbing his hands together. Stephanie pointed towards the back of the shed.
"Some of the things in the back are broken, they can go first."
"They can be fixed," Stingy protested.
"When's the last time you even went into the shed?"
Stingy didn't have an answer to that. Robbie pushed and sidled through the fancy equipment, seasonal decorations, and patio furniture to get to Stingy's old toys. The way became blocked by a large circular object.
"What is this thing?" Robbie wondered as he yanked it free. It had a dark vinyl mat stretched across a metal frame.
"Not my trampoline!"
"Yes your trampoline," Stephanie said. "Can't you see it's all bent out of shape? It's not safe to use anymore. Time to get rid of it."
The frame was dented in several places and Robbie added a few more dings as he hauled it out, further deforming its shape. In the struggle to get it free of the shed the vinyl mat snagged and tore, provoking a horrified gasp from Stingy. Robbie hid his grin. The mat didn't interest him as much as the heavy-duty springs anyway.
Robbie exhumed a few more things from the shed. Stingy's parents clearly denied him nothing. There were rusted out bicycles and splintered sleds, a plastic playhouse and empty sandbox. With each successive trip Stingy huffed and fussed more vehemently.
Robbie didn't mind so much acting as the children's work horse when he could observe Stingy's distress. He was able to lift and carry the heavy items without breaking a sweat thanks to Sportacus' strength. As an added bonus the more he "helped," the more Stingy would resent Sportacus after the fact.
Any enjoyment Robbie derived was short lived once he started trekking up and down the hill, hauling broken and abandoned bric-a-brac to the recycling station. Even if he had strength and energy enough to perform the task, it was taking longer than he'd anticipated. The pink girl was talking about moving on from the shed and into the basement next… Surely even Sportacus had limits to his helpful nature?
"Hi, Uncle! Are you going to see Bessie?"
The mayor had strolled across their path on what felt like the twelfth trip by Robbie's reckoning. Milford's arms were full with a loaf pan bundled up in what looked like a flower print apron. For a moment Milford's face held its usual expression of vague confusion. Something changed in the next blink of his eyes and he smiled at his niece.
"Hello there, Pink— Stephanie. What are you up to?"
"Me and Sportacus are helping clean out some of Stingy's old things."
"Is that so?" Milford's smile grew bigger than normal. "And who gave you permission to do that?"
Stephanie's brow crinkled. "Who...? No one, I guess."
"No kidding," Stingy said.
"Just as I thought," Milford said. "You can go straight to your room."
"What! Why?"
"Because I'm your uncle," Milford said with apparent relish. "Now hop to it."
Stephanie stared slack-jawed at Milford. She looked to Stingy and Robbie but neither one spoke. Stingy looked equal parts confused and vindicated, or maybe Robbie was just projecting. With no one coming to her defense Stephanie had no choice but to obey. Robbie tensed when the mayor turned that strange smile on him next.
"That takes care of her. Don't you get into any trouble… Sportacus." Milford chuckled and walked away.
Something about the mayor's farewell left Robbie's skin crawling, but he couldn't put a finger on what. Robbie looked down at Stingy. Stingy looked up at him.
"I get to keep all my things now, right?" Stingy asked.
