Just a heads up, I'm fine. Just really bored and tired of everything going on. I hate being cooped up in my house for days on end. Anyway, here's the next chapter.
It was another day at Norrisville. Lunch had just finished and all the students were called to the gym for an important school meeting. Randy and Howard were walking through the halls with their fellow students. "Cunningham, you have to let this go. It's gonna drive you mad."
"I am mad, Howard," Randy told him with his hands raised then he put his arms to the side and made a fist with both his hands.
"And I would be, too, if somebody ate my lunch."
"Howard, you ate my lunch!" Randy nearly shouted then crossed his arms again.
They arrived in the gym and Howard was still trying to convince Randy that someone else ate his lunch. "Look, we don't know what happened for sure. When you went to the bathroom, there was a sandwich. When you came back, the sandwich was gone. It's a mystery." Howard laughed at the last part of his sentence as he and Randy sat down on the stands.
"Oh, yeah, then what's that on the side of your mouth?" Randy asked pointing at mustard stain on the corner of Howard's bottom lip.
Howard widened his eyes in horror and quickly licked it. "Nothing."
A microphone's feedback grabbed everyone's attention. "Attention, students," Principal Slimovitz said.
"Howard, this conversation is not over," Randy whispered to him still clearly annoyed with him.
"As you know, this week at NHS is "Get Off Your Butts And Do Something" week! Which is why for the next hour, you're going to sit right there and watch fitness model, butt-whoopsmith, and motivational speaker... Mac Antfee!" A banner with Mac Antfee's face and the words "Taste the 'Splosion" dropped down above Principal Slimovitz.
"MAC ANTFEE!"
Howard gasped then asked, "Who's Mac Antfee?"
"Seriously, Howard?! Seriously, my old friend, now enemy from the 1980s who stole my ninja mask, ran the former Ninja Camp, and the one who tried to kill you, all for my ninja mask?!" Randy asked in disbelief. Even he could remember people who tried to kill him even though he's immortal and is over 800 years old.
"Nope, doesn't ring a bell." Randy face-palmed himself in disbelief.
The sound of an explosion took them out of their conversation as they watch Mac Antfee rise from a platform made of cinderblocks with fire coming from the four corners of the stage shouting, "Get ready to taste the 'Splosion!" He jumped down and broke four piles of cinderblocks and landed on the stage with ease.
"That Mac Antfee. Yeah, I remember him. He's a jerk."
The Nomicon glowing took Randy out of his thoughts. He grabbed it and started to go down under the stands. "Howard, save my seat." Before he left he added, "Not like you saved my sandwich."
Randy landed on the ground and it seemed like he was in a temple. His clan's elders surrounded him and said, "Chīsana ninja, Makku Antfee no norisu shizoku to sono himitsu no kioku o shōkyo suru hitsuyō ga arimasu. Kare o nomikon ni tsureteitte kudasai. Sore wa kare no kioku o kesu yuiitsu no hōhōdesu." (1)
"Hai, masutā. Makku Antfee o Nomicon ni tsurete iki, kare no kioku o keshimasu." (2)
"Yoi. Kare ga tsurete ko rarenakereba, norisu shizoku no himitsu wa eien ni kiken ni sarasa rerudeshou." (3)
Randy got out of the Nomicon. "Okay, erasing Mac's mind easy. Getting him into the Nomicon. hard. How am I going to get him in the Nomicon without raising suspension? Still, I'm going to erase his memories of me and the Norisu Clan, permanently. Time to wipe his butt." Randy shook his head and said quickly, "Okay, correction, I'm going to mind wipe his butt."
Randy was taken out of his thoughts when he heard the students shouting, "'Splode to a better me!"
'What is going on?' Randy peaked from the stands and saw the whole student body screaming excitedly.
"I can..." Mac Antfee shouted.
"I can..." The students repeated.
"...'Splode to a better me!"
"...'Splode to a better me!" The janitor repeated with his fist in the air along with the other students. Everyone cheered loudly in excitement at Mac Antfee.
"Oh, boy." Randy came up from under the stands and asked Howard, "What the juice is going on? Why is everyone cheering?"
"I'm going to get real with you people. I used to be what you might call a "major league shoob". Then I lost it all: my Ninja Camp, my awesome bus." Banners of Mac Antfee's Ninja Camp and his bus came down and then burned up. "All I had left was my go-fast boat and my bro, Man Gong." Another banner with his boat burned up revealing his Man Gong behind it. Mac Antfee cried in the arms of his Man Gong.
"Hey, I'm unexpectedly moved by this," Bash said after he and his friend let go of Bucky after giving him a wedgie.
"That's when I realized, all I had to do was 'Splode to a better me! And you can, too!" He sat down on a red recliner.
Everyone cheered loudly but Randy was in disbelief. "How are people buying this?"
Howard blew his nose into a tissue and said, "It's just so beautiful."
"Howard, he threw out of a pagoda! Do you even know what they are used for?! Not hurting or killing people, I can tell you that much!"
An eagle screeching took him out of his thoughts. The eagle flew over the boys startling them and then the eagle landed on Mac Antfee's arm. "If I can go from jerkwad to nicewad, anyone can!" He jumped out of his chair and he eagle flew away. "Prepare to harness the power of You-Splosion!"
Posters fell from the air and Randy caught one. He began to read it, "You-Splosion: a Mac Antfee Motivational System. Experience 'Your' to the power of 'Self'?" I still don't trust this."
"Dude, come on. He seems to have changed," Howard told him.
"My clan's elders warned me about him. He could reveal my clan's secrets and I can't let that happen."
"Dude, he's a great guy. Leave him alone," Howard told him.
Later, everyone was in line to get Mac Antfee's autograph and get a taste of the You-Splosion. Bash was in the front of the line. Mac Antfee put his hand's on Bash's head and shouted in his face, "Feel the You-Splosion!" Man Gong lit a fire with his torch in the background.
Bash started to cry as he fell to the ground. "I feel funny. Like I want to hug a dork!" Bash grabbed Bucky and the two started to cry in each other's arms. "We're best friends forever!" Bucky told him.
"I still don't trust him. This is all a ruse so he could come after my ninja mask."
"Cunningham, please let this go. You are seriously harshing my You-Splosion," Howard told him then he moved forward in line.
Randy growled in annoyance. 'This cannot be happening. I don't understand how everyone could trust him after what happened.'
Randy and Howard continued to move up the line until the last student in front of them left the line with tears in her eyes after Man-Gong lit a fire with his torch in the background again.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the nicewad and my old Mac-olyte."
Randy and Howard gulped nervously as Mac Antfee jumped off his stage after doing a few kicks in the air. 'Oh, great. He recognizes me as Ryan from the 1980s. We're dead.'
"Get over here, you two!" Mac Antfee shouted as he gave them a hug confusing them both.
Howard laughed and said, "You're awesome, Mac."
"No, we're awesome!" Mac Antfee told him after grabbing his hand for a handshake.
"Mac, quick question. Last time, you wanted to steal the Ninja's mask and kick every butt in Norrisville," Randy told him after doing a few kicks himself. "That still on the menu? Hmm?"
"Kick every butt? More like inspire every butt!"
"There, see? Let it go," Howard told him.
"So, you don't want the power of the ninja suit? And its ability to make anyone a ninja quickly?"
Mac Antfee saw small images of the suit and his old friend Ryan and himself wearing the suit. He rubbed his eyes and the images went away. "No, I'm good," He said in a strained voice.
"Admit it, Mac-daddy." Randy put a hand on Mac Antfee's shoulder. "You want to feel the power of the Norisu Clan again. The magic that was fused by the clan's elders' knowledge over 800 years ago. The beautiful black and red suit with access to any ninja weapon and any skill you can only dream of. I can feel it! I mean, everything about the Norisu Clan's ninja mask is awesome!"
At this point, all Mac Antfee could see was everything about the ninja, his weapons, smoke bombs, suit, and the Nomicon then Mac Antfee realized something. "Hey, you sure know a lot about being the ninja?"
Now Randy realized that he was in trouble. "Of course, this is all speculation on my part. After all, I'm just a fourteen-year-old high school student living with his aunt."
"Really, then how'd you know my nickname was Mac-daddy?" Mac Antfee asked as he got closer to a nervous Randy.
"Again, my aunt grew up here so she probably mentioned it in conversation. I'm just an ordinary, average fourteen-year-old freshman who goes to Norrisville. I'm gonna go. Goodbye!" Randy quickly grabbed Howard and ran as fast as he could as Mac popped his knuckles.
"But I didn't get my You-Splosion." Howard shouted as he was reaching out to Mac Antfee.
In the hallway, Howard was scolding Randy about not leaving Mac Antfee alone. "You just couldn't let it go. You pretty much told Mac Antfee that you were the ninja."
Randy chuckled nervously and said, "That was part of the plan, besides I think it's gonna be OK. Yeah, I mean, I look like a teenager and it seems like he doesn't remember what I used to look like in the 1980s."
"Really? Then why did you call him "Mac-daddy"?" Howard asked as he opened the locker that Randy was hiding in.
Randy face-palmed himself. "That was the nickname that I used to call him. He called me R-Dawg and I called him Mac-daddy."
"Wow. Those are the lamest nicknames I have ever heard of."
"It was the 1980s! That was the best we could come up with. They were cool during that time. Besides, it seems like Mac Antfee cares about the other students here so I think everything is gonna be fine... unless he does something crazy like tear apart the who school to find me or go to Susan's house and use her as a hostage to get the mask."
Music came from the TV as Heidi was giving the school an update with Mac Antfee behind her. "Status update, Weiner Nation. Prep your peepers for an H-clusive with motivational guru, Mav Antfee." She behind the camera and turned it toward Mac Antfee with his Man-Gong behind him, still holding a torch from earlier. Mac was cracking his knuckles and had a crazed look in his eye. "So, Mac, what's the dilly?"
"The dilly? You want to know the dilly?" Mac Antfee laughed crazily then punched his fist into his hand. "Here's the dilly. R-Dawg, I'm coming after you and believe me when I say that I will never stop coming after you. So, save yourself from all the trouble and give me what I want!" Mac Antfee shouted with his face fully in the camera. He took the phone from Heidi and started to crush it with his foot. "You have until the end of the day!" Heidi screamed in horror as Mac Antfee continued to crush her phone.
"Hey, that's my..." Before Heidi could finish her sentence, the footage cut out leaving a crack screen on the TV.
"Oh, nice work, Cunningham. Mac Antfee was a full-on nicewad, until you un-sploded him back into a jerkwad."
"I didn't mean to do that! Howard, you don't understand. Mac Antfee knows things about my ninja clan that not even Susan knows. Stuff that only I can know about. I've gathered so much knowledge in the past 800 years that I can't even tell you about but I told it all to Mac Antfee. I told him everything. He'll come after Susan, you, and everyone else I know." Randy banged his head against the locker.
"Sometimes I wish I wasn't everyone you know."
"I have to erase his memory of me and all my secrets! If I don't then who knows what he'll reveal about me or my ninja clan. Howard, I need your help," Randy told him after getting into his face.
"Oh, no. Mac'll recognize me the second I walk in the room."
Randy thought to himself for a moment. "Or, will he?"
"Yes. He will."
"Howard, have I ever told you about the ninja art of disguise?"
"The ninja art of what now?"
Later, Howard walked into the gym dressed as a girl with pigtails and a pink dress with red heels and he was holding the Nomicon. He walked onto the stage where Mac Antfee was punching watermelons on a table. "What're doing, Mr. Antfee?"
"Punching melons, little..." He looked at Howard, who giggles and played with his fake hair. "Lady, is it?" Mac Antfee wasn't sure if this was a girl but didn't say anything.
"Oh, yes, I'm a girl, all right." His hair was about to fall off but Foward fixed it quickly. He giggled then asked, "Can I get your autograph?"
"Don't I know you?" He asked he got up in her face.
He pushed him away and said, "Not unless you enjoy such activities as sewing, painting your nails, and driving a race car, which are just a few of the things girls can do these days." He giggled again. "Sky's the limit."
"Kinda busy getting pumped for a smackdown!" He shouted as he punched the air.
"Then how 'bout you sign my math book and I'll skadoodle on out of here!" He giggled.
Mac Antfee growled in annoyance as he got a pen out. "Fine, let's get this over with." Howard opened the Nomicon and Mac Antfee got ready to sign it. "Hey, this is the..." Before he could finish his sentence, his consciousness was sucked into the Nomicon.
"Huh... I cannot believe that worked," Howard said to himself.
Just then, Man Gong entered the room and one good look at an unconscious Mac Antfee, the Nomicon, and Howard dressed as a girl, he was able to put the pieces together. He chased after Howard he began to run like the wind.
In the Nomicon, Mac Antfee landed in a dojo. He stood up and said, "Wow, the ninja Nomicon. This takes me back."
"So, not only stole my ninja mask, but you also went inside the Nomicon?"
"Ha! I did all sorts of things behind your back, Ryan. I snuck into your room and used those awesome weapons of yours! I stole smoke bombs to impress the ladies! Oh, man, I did all kinds of things when we were friends! So, why'd you shlooped me in here?"
"To end things, once and for all!"
"You know, I didn't come here looking for you, but you stupidly came to me. High school? I thought you didn't want to be a student here, in case someone thought that the ninja was a student," Mac Antfee said as he walked around.
"Times change and so have I." Randy landed behind Mac Antfee turned to him. "But now, it's time for you to change." Randy kicked Mac Antfee into a wooden pole, which broke it.
Randy did a few ninja poses and Mac Antfee ran to him and they started to fight. Mac Antfee tried to punch Randy but he dodged every attack. Mac Antfee was able to land a punch on Randy and even make a hole in the dojo but Randy doubled back and started his attack sequence. The two were evenly matched.
Mac Antfee jumped into the air and tried to punch Randy but he dodged the attack quickly by rolling away. Randy tried to punch Mac Antfee but he was able to punch Randy back causing him to slide at the wall. Randy soon gathered the wind. "Ninja air fist!"
Mac Antfee was ready for this attack. He made a blue sword out of thin air and cut the air fist in half.
"What?! How did you do that?"
"You taught me everything you know, Ryan! I know everything about this place, you can make whatever you want here." Mac Antfee made samurai armor appear on his body. He laughed evilly at the knowledge that he could now defeat Randy. Randy scowled at him.
Back in the gym, Howard was still being chased by Man Gong. "I knew I should've worn flats!" Man Gong jumped in the air to land on Howard but Howard was able to get away but his wig landed on Man Gong. He stood up, threw the wing off him, and continued his pursuit for Howard.
Randy was running away from Mac Antfee for two reasons, one Mac Antfee was proving to be a challenge for him and two, he may be over 800 years old, but Mac Antfee was stronger than him.
Mac Antfee threw the blue sword at Randy but he dodged it and the sword was impaled in the wall. Randy ran up the wall as Mac Antfee threw many daggers at him but he was able to dodge all of them. "Just give up, Ryan! Let's vloomp out and give me the mask and you walk the Earth in shame. After all, you're immortal, it's not like you need it."
Randy jumped in the air and Mac Antfee summoned spikes from the ceiling and threw them all down at Randy. Randy was able to successfully dodge all of them without a problem. "How about this? You surrender and I won't do what my elders would have done centuries ago. Ninja Tengu Fireball!"
"Ninja Hydro Hand!"
In an instant, Randy's fireball was turned into smoke. "How did you learn that move?! I never thought you that!"
"No, but I watched you for six years! I learned most of your skills from just watching you fight monsters! I snuck in here when you weren't looking and learned everything about this place! Point is, you may be older and more skilled but I will never stop until I defeat you!"
Mac Antfee soon summoned ninja rings, daggers, fire-breathing dragons, and more to chase after Randy and he laughed evilly to the thought of him finally get the ninja mask back.
In the gym, Howard was still being chased by Man Gong but this time they were going up the stands. It was very obvious that they both were exhausted with the sweat dripping from their faces. "We can... take a... break... if you want."
Man Gong was panting hard until he finally collapsed on the stand. "Yes!" Howard said excitedly now he could take a break and wait for Randy to beat Mac Antfee but less than a second later, Man Gong was back up and was chasing Howard once again. "Cunningham!" Man Gong jumped into the air to once again stop Howard but he dodged that attack and Man Gong landed on the stands breaking them. "Hurry it up in there!"
Randy was dodging attacks from Mac Antfee's fake arms that he summoned from his suit of armor. Eventually, he grabbed Randy by his leg and threw him to the ground. "Look at me! Four arms... I've missed this," Mac Antfee said as he removed a tear from his eye.
Randy tried to kick him but was stopped but a tail that Mac Antfee summoned. "Didn't know I had a tail, did you? Neither did I! I just did that!" Mac Antfee turned his fake hand into hammers and tried to attack Randy but he did a slide kick which knocked Mac Antfee to the ground.
Randy ran off in a different direction to think of a better plan. 'This is all my fault. I should have listened to the Nomicon, I should have listened to Susan and her parents when they told me to not trust Mac Antfee. If I had done that, then now of this would be happening.'
Mac Antfee roared in anger and got from the ground. "Ninja comet sprint!" He ran to Randy at an incredible speed and punched him so hard, he broke through several pages until he landed in a red hallway. He stood up and noticed the room he was in. There were two doors, one read exit and the other was a memory wiper that was used for emergency purposes only. That room was the only room that Randy couldn't enter with losing his own memories of his ninja clan.
"Wait, Mac wants to be the ultimate ninja. Even better than me, but I didn't teach him everything. Heck, he can't even hide in this shadows that easily but if I were to trick him..." Randy thought to himself for a moment and summoned a small dagger but Randy uncapped it to reveal a marker. He got to work quickly. 'Mac thinks he's smart than me but now it's time to show him that you don't mess with the Norisu Clan.'
Mac Antfee eventually ran into the hallway where Randy was. He grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and pinned him against the wall. Then he noticed the door that said "The Ultimate Lesson". "What's that door?"
"Mac, you can't handle that lesson. Only ninja masters can enter that room, I can't even enter that room."
"I know you know more ninja skills than me, but with that lesson, HA, I'll be better than you!" Then he noticed the exit sign. "I'm going to become a more powerful ninja than you and then, I'll take my mask back."
He tried to throw Randy into the exit but Randy tried to stop him. "Mac, I can't even handle that lesson! What makes you think you can?!"
"Oh, Ryan. I'm from the class of '85! There's no shame to losing to someone much younger than you." He threw Randy into the exit. "Now time to get what truly belongs to me!"
"NO!"
It was too late. Mac Antfee had already closed the door on Randy. Mac Antfee dusted his hands off in success and walked towards the ultimate lesson. "Now, it's time for to become the best ninja of all time." He opened the door to reveal a samurai head coming at him. "Teach me the ultimate lesson!"
Randy walked up towards the door and said, "Oh, one thing I forgot to teach you." Mac Antfee turned to Randy. "Well, I did teach you but it's something I've always had the ability to do which is lie and trick people like you." The markings on the door disappeared to reveal a memory wiper.
"You tricked me!"
"Sorry, but you know too much about the Norisu Clan, about me, about things I wasn't even supposed to tell you but now, those secrets will remain safe forever. No shame to losing to someone much older than you." Randy slammed the door, closing the friendship and his guilt between him and Mac Antfee forever.
"No!"
Beams of lights shined went into Mac Antfee's eyes as he screamed.
Howard and Man Gong were on the top stand just barely pushing themselves across. They were sweating bullets and it was clear that they were both tired. "Seriously... When... are you... gonna give... up?"
Man Gong grabbed Howard legged and was ready to fight when Mac Antfee's voice stopped him. "Man Gong what are you doing?" He stood up and looked at him while holding Howard upside down, who quickly pushed the dress up to hide his underwear. Howard blushed in embarrassment. "Help me tear the stage down. We gotta get to Flackville for a 4:30 You-Splosion and River Cruise!" Man Gong dropped Howard as he and Mac Antfee left the stands to leave Norrisville high.
Randy got up from his hiding spot, which was under the stands, and Howard tossed the Nomicon back to him. "Here's your stupid book."
Howard crossed his arms as he and Randy watched Man Gong whisper to Mac Antfee. "Me? Friends with the Ninja? I think I'd remember something like that."
Randy sighed with relief. "We did it, Howard. We Mind Wiped Mac Antfee."
"You know what we could do, MG?" Mac Antfee asked as he was cleaning up the crushed watermelon. "Make a fruit salad. Drop it by the orphanage on the way."
"Yep, he's a permanent nicewad. So, what secrets did you tell Mac before?" Howard asked.
"Sorry, buddy. I can't tell you. There are just some things that people just aren't ready for. Besides, let's go to the Bucket. I'm starved."
"Well, I know you're hungry if you want to go there. My treat!" Howard pulled out a $20 bill and ran off.
"You took that from my wallet while I was shloomped out, didn't you?!" Randy shouted as he chased after Howard.
"Let it go, Cunningham, let it go!"
Man Gong just watched in confusion as Randy and Howard left and he turned to Mac Antfee who just waved happily at him.
Don't forget to fav, follow, and review, please! BYE! Stay safe and healthy please! :)
Japanese Translations
1. You must erase Mac Antfee's memories of the Norisu Clan and its secrets. Bring him into the Nomicon. It is the only way to erase his memories.
2. Yes, masters. I will bring Mac Antfee into the Nomicon to erase his memories.
3. Good. If he is not brought in, then the secrets of the Norisu Clan will forever be in danger.