Disclaimer: See Chapter One!
Chapter Two
The Defenders of the Earth, James and Twyla met up with the Ronin Warriors and Lady Ronin Guardians at the Central City Park.
"So what this professor up to with his latest discovery?" Rekino asked Mandrake as her curiosity piqued at this evening's event.
"Yeah," Mia added, "What is his discovery that you mentioned over the phone?"
"Well my friends," Mandrake answered, "Professor Smythe made a interesting discovery that can help farmers in the future. That is all he said about this vitamin."
"So it's not a vitamin for humans to consume I assume." Josephine guessed.
"I would guess not, my dear." Mandrake shook his head.
"So where are we meeting Professor Smythe at?" Rick asked with some enthusiasm.
"We are meeting him at the science museum which is just a few blocks away." Mandrake answered.
"And he has his usual booth closed at the museum for the evening so that he can show us his latest discovery." Lothar added.
"It will be good to see my old friend again. He mentored me for some time years ago."
"That's interesting." Hana replied, "I guess we should go and check out this discovery."
-Weight-and-See-
The Defenders, the Ronin Warriors and Lady Ronin Guardians arrived at the science museum and saw the receptionist at the front.
"Good evening, my dear." Mandrake greeted the receptionist, "We are here to visit a Professor Edward Smythe for a special private presentation that he was going to show us."
The receptionist typed on her computer a bit before answering, "Ah yes, the Defenders of the Earth and the Ronin Group. Professor Smythe is waiting for you in the back room of the mueseum. He is very happy to see you, Mandrake."
"I trust that he is." Mandrake replied before the receptionist led the group to the backroom of the mueseum where they were face to face with Professor Smythe, a man in his late 50s with graying hair and brown eyes wearing a normal scientist uniform, and next to him was a younger man who was in his late 30s with brown hair and green eyes and also wearing a normal scientist uniform.
"Mandrake the Magician," Smythe greeted his long time friend, "it is good to see you again."
"Likewise, my friend." Mandrake replied before he went to introduce the rest of the heroes, "Professor Smythe, I would like to introduce to you my teammates: the Defenders of the Earth and our new teammates: the Ronin Warriors and the Lady Ronin Guardians."
"Nice to meet you." James replied.
"How do you do?" Rick nodded in respect, "We heard that you made an interesting discovery."
"We will get to that in a minute." Smythe noted the young Defender's tone, "I say this young man sounds like a genius."
"My son is a genius." Flash replied with a proud smile, "Rick Gordon was a straight A student in his school and he graduated with high honors."
"Wow. That is amazing." Smythe replied.
"I'll say." Rowen smirked, "Essentially a genius like I am."
"And my mentor admires geniuses like you and young Gordon." the assistant told Rowen.
"Well, as you guys know, my name is Professor Edward Smythe," Smythe greeted his guests, "and this is my assistant Dr. Archie Frye."
"A pleasure to meet you." Frye nodded, greeting the heroes.
"So what is this vitamin that you have recently discovered, Dr. Smythe?" Rekino asked.
"Ah yes." Smythe nodded before he proceeded to explain about his formula, "Yes. It is a brand new vitamin formula that I have recently discovered. It affects the thyroid glands of animals, fantastically doubling their weight overnight. Therefore, it will give farmers plumper livestock."
"For example..." Frye added as he had the group enter a corridor which had animals in separate cages. The heroes looked to see different animals, particularly rabbits in separate cages. Some were at their normal weight, while others were quite plump, which brought everyone by surprise.
"The rabbit in the middle left cage," Frye continued as he gestured to the plump rabbit in the cage, "after drinking the formula, this rabbit became as fat as a hog."
"That's interesting." Rowen noted.
"Indeed it is interesting." Rick added.
"How would you guys like to have some refreshments on the house?" Smythe offered, "A small dinner and drinks at the cafe here in this museum."
"That would be lovely." Mandrake replied.
-Weight-and-See-
The heroes, Smythe and Frye entered the cafe and they all got their orders. A waitress walked over to where the heroes were. She stood 4'9 and was slender and had shoulder length curly dishwater blonde hair and emerald green eyes.
"Hello my name is Jody and I will be your server today." the waitress greeted the group, "Can I get you guys anything to drink?"
"Just coffee for me." Smythe answered. Flash and Lothar also ordered coffee. The Phantom ordered water. Mandrake ordered tea. Rick ordered a Coke. LJ ordered a Mountain Dew. Jedda and April ordered a cappuccinos.
"Can you guys excuse me a minute?" Frye asked.
"Sure." Smythe nodded.
"Thank you." Frye sighed before he left the round table.
"So what's in the formula that causes the animals that taste it to double their weight?" Rick asked Smythe.
"Like I said," Smythe explained, "the formula affects the thyroid glands of the animals. It would have their thyroid levels to be abnormal if someone was to give them a blood test to check their thyroid."
"Like they would do to humans if the formula was given to a human?" Rowen asked.
"Oh heavens no." Smythe quipped in surprise, "The formula would bring even more trouble to the obesity crisis in America than we already have. So it is not supposed to be given to humans, only to animals to give farmers plumper livestock."
"In that case," Flash replied, "it would be bad if the formula was given to humans."
"That it would." April quipped.
"However," Smythe assured the group, "I am certain that my formula only affects animals. Even if a person happened to drink the formula, especially by mistake, it will most likely not affect humans."
"That's a relief." Rekino sighed with relief, "It would have sucked if Ming found out about the formula affecting humans and then he'd somehow use that to his advantage somehow."
"Like that would ever happen." Hana quipped.
"Don't be so sure about that." Jedda said.
"What makes you say that, Jedda?" Mia asked.
"Ming had planned to use plants that paralyses people for his plans for Earth once," Rick answered, "the same plants that Kshin accidentally breathed when it sprayed him that got him temporarily paralyzed from the waist down."
"Yikes!" Josephine exclaimed, "I bet that hurt."
"You can ask Kshin." Rick replied, "LJ and I only accompanied him and his class that day on a field trip."
"Along with an honorary Defender by the name of Marty." LJ added.
"I wish I wasn't sick so I could have witnessed the event for myself." Jedda stated.
"You couldn't help it, Jedda." Rick replied, "It was the flu."
"We should be getting our drinks soon." Lothar stated.
"And then order our dinner!" Josephine exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Kento added, "I'm starving!"
"That's typical of you two." Rekino muttered.
Before Josephine or Kento could think about say anything, Frye returned with the others, "Sorry about that, everyone. I had to...use the restroom."
"It's okay, Archie." Smythe replied, "I just told these people that my formula only affects animals and it doesn't affect humans."
"Oh okay." Frye nodded before he looked down as he thought to himself, Ah, but we shall see about that. If my theory is right, my mentor will be so proud of me with my own personal discovery with the weight gaining formula.
Jody returned with everyone's drinks, "I got your all's drinks. Is everyone ready to order?"
"I believe we are." Smythe answered. Jedda ordered only a salad as she wasn't hungry, and so did the Phantom. The others went to order dinners such as a burger with fries, fish and chips, chicken tenders with fries and Mia would go to order what she was craving at the moment.
About ten minutes later, Jody returned and gave everyone their dinner, "Here's your all's dinner. Hope you enjoy."
"You betcha we will." LJ grinned as he was attempting to flirt with the waitress but clearly to no avail.
As the heroes were enjoying their drinks and dinner, Frye was eyeing them, Rick in particular. The assistant looked as if he had done something to him and was making sure that the young man or any of the other heroes were suspicious about him. When the assistant figured that none of the heroes were eyeing him with suspicion of any kind, he let out a silent sigh of relief and then gave a small sinister look as if he was up to something.
Good. They do not suspect a thing, Frye thought to himself, What they don't know is that I have slipped some of that formula into Rick Gordon's drink. If this formula is successful like it is with the animals, by tomorrow, the son of Flash Gordon will be as fat as a hippo.
-Weight-and-See-
The Defenders and James returned home from meeting the professor while the Ronin Warriors and Lady Ronin Guardians returned to their own home for the night.
"So what did you guys think of the discovery?" Rick asked with curiosity.
"I think it was quite interesting." Jedda answered as she was looking over at Rick, trying not to show alarm at his sudden change of appearance. The young man hasn't changed much as he had a slight paunchier gut and his face was slight pudgy too, but she was certain that he was not aware of it yet.
"I think what the professor is doing may be the solution for world hunger if this formula is doing what I think it is." James stated as he crossed his arms.
"Is that right, dear James?" a voice chimed in from behind.
Everyone looked to see Twyla standing with Kshin in tow.
"That is correct, Twyla." James replied to his wife, "the vitamin is intended to give farmers plumper livestock as it affects the thyroid glands of animals that drink the vitamin and causes them to double their weight overnight."
"Well, that's interesting." Twyla replied.
"So that's how the trip went?" Kshin asked.
"Exactly, Kshin." Rick answered, "It brought up an interesting trip for us."
Kshin was surprised upon seeing Rick, noticing that he looked slightly bulky mainly in the stomach, contrary to what he looked like when he last saw him before the heroes left for the professor's discovery. He looked away to avoid causing a scene.
Commentary: "Ming had planned to use plants that paralyses people for his plans for Earth once," Rick answered, "the same plants that Kshin accidentally breathed when it sprayed him that got him temporarily paralyzed from the waist down."
"Yikes!" Josephine exclaimed, "I bet that hurt."
"You can ask Kshin." Rick replied, "LJ and I only accompanied him and his class that day on a field trip."
"Along with an honorary Defender by the name of Marty." LJ added.
"I wish I wasn't sick so I could have witnessed the event for myself." Jedda stated.
"You couldn't help it, Jedda." Rick replied, "It was the flu."
This reference was from the DoE episode "One of the Guys" where Kshin was temporarily paralyzed from the waist down and he learns that being paralyzed doesn't always leave one helpless as he learned from the aforementioned honorary Defender Marty. It was a rather interesting episode in my opinion, one of Kshin's better moments. I prefer it over the "Book of Mysteries" crap that was aired. That's all I got to say about that.