Stan, the Nice Boss (Part 2)
Ford thought it would take them forever to find her, strangely enough she was standing at the tree line just outside the shack.
Fids sees her first. "Hu Ford."
"I can't believe it." He marches up to her angerly. "You here to watch the show you sick twisted lady!"
The old lady sighs, looking away from the forest. "All I wanted was a shirt." She said.
"What wasn't any in your size?" Fids asked.
"No!" The lady yelled. "It was for my son." Her tone softened. "I asked kindly, several times, but you and your family were too busy fighting." She informed Ford.
"Oh…" Ford realized.
"Family is…precious you don't really realize that until they are…gone." She looks sadden by her own words.
"Look we didn't mean to ignore you." Ford said. "And we're really sorry." He insisted. "But all this over a shirt?"
"It's not about the shirt." She explained. "The way they treated each other, not even considering the other's opinion, even as you spelled it out to them." She huffed. "Family should not treat each other like that, out doing each other with bet's instead of simply trying to see the other's perspective."
"So, this is a lesson?" Fids realized.
"Yes." She nodded. "Your family is in no harm, but there is a catch."
"There usually is." Ford sighed.
"If they do not learn their lesson by the time the sun sets the change will be permanent." She informed them.
"Sun set!" Ford yelled. "That's tonight! Why not 12:00 am or something."
"What do you think this is Cenedella?" The lady asked.
"Please!" Ford begged. "You don't know them like I do, they're suborn, even if they realize they are wrong they'll never admit it."
The lady looked at him and nodded. "Trust me I already have that covered." She assured him. She waved her hand and suddenly a large sack appeared before them, something wiggled inside of it.
"Uh do we want to know what's in the bag?" Fids asked.
The witch giggled. "Just a little something." She mused. "Present the bag to your brother as an attraction for the shop and fate will do the rest."
"And if we don't?" Ford dared to ask.
"There are other ways to for me to get my point across, more violent ways." She warned.
"Okay…okay." Ford sighed and heaved the heavy large wiggling sack back towards the gift shop.
Fids stopped beside the lady a moment longer. "I hope things work out between you are your son." He said.
The lady smiled softly. "You figured it out then?" She laughed. "I'm surprised your friend didn't."
"He gets distracted like this." Fids reasoned. "So, determined to solve the mystery, to know everything; that he's blind to everything else."
"Beware, his habit will cost you much pain." She revealed.
Fids smiled, brushing off her warning. "Trust me I know all about it." He laughed. "This isn't the first time I've had to help him clean up a mess." He said racing after Ford.
The Lady sighed, "That is not what I meant." She said.
"What?" Fids asked turning back towards her, but when he did she was already gone.
In The Meantime, while the nerds were gone; Cooper is humiliatingly standing in an exhibit area wearing a werewolf costume. "This is humiliating." He whines.
"Folks step right up and see the Wolf boy!" Mabel exclaimed. "half boy, half wolf." She lied. "And all real."
The crowd cheered and threw money at Cooper.
"I think there's flees in this suit." Cooper complained as he scratched himself.
Meanwhile, Stan is helping customers in the gift shop, helping them find shirts, reach items on high shelves, and offers the tourists free refreshments all while staying true to his discount.
As a result, the tourists are seen exiting buying more items well making up for any lost revenue the discount would have cost them.
"Thank you! See you soon! Tell 'em Stan sent you!" He says happily to one costumer after another.
Just then Ford comes up with the large moving bag. "Stan!" He exclaimed.
"You captured something for an exhibit!" Stan exclaimed. "That's great, Aunt Mabel could use the help." He said happily. "Look at all the money I've earned!" Ford was shocked to see just how much Stan had earned. "And you earned all that, by being nice?" Ford asked.
"Yeah, who knew right?" Stan asked.
"Well Miss Pines did say kindness can go a long way." Fids said as he walked in.
"Figures you two would take her side." Stan huffed sounding like his old self for a moment. "But that's fine once I turn out to have the most money you all will be apologizing to me."
"Your making money her way!" Ford wanted to shout at him but shook his head. He knows his brother, and Mabel enough that neither will admit they are wrong.
So, without another word he drags the bag over to Mabel.
"Any luck?" Heather asked as they walked by.
"Lady said all we need is in this bag." Fids told her.
Heather looks unsure the creature inside the bag suddenly reaches out of the top of the sack and grabs Ford's arm, he punches it repeatably, and the creature lets go.
"I have a bad feeling about this." She voices openly.
Regardless the trio take the creature to Mabel.
"Grauntie Mabel! I captured something! This is gonna blow those tourists away!" Ford said, staying true to his part.
"Well, what are you just standing there for?" Mabel huffed. "I got to make sure Stan's discount does ruin are margins for this month."
"But isn't that what you would have done?" Heather asked.
Mabel waved the question away. "Once I win this maybe that boy will finally respect my ways of business."
Ford opens the sack fearfully to….nothing!?
"Wait what?" He asked.
"How is that possible?" A lady in the crowd of tourist asked.
Heather was thinking the same thing, she clearly saw something reach and grab Ford's arm.
"Ladies and gentleman the…invisible Wizard!" Ford said in a quick panic.
The crowd cheered and threw their money at Ford.
"Way to go Ford." Mabel praised. "We'll beat Stan in no time."
"Aunt Mabel I lied." Ford whispered.
Mabel looks confused. "Then what was really in the bag?"
Ford looks fearful. "I have no idea." He admitted.
"Well lets, go see how Stan is doing." Mabel said as she picked up wads of cash from around Ford.
Ford rolled his eyes but obeyed. "Man, sometimes I swear I'm the only adult in this family." This was a feeling he felt regularly, and the fact that his parents had sent them away to fight a lawsuit was heling this feeling at all. He had hoped that Mabel would be different. "I just wish there was someone out there that…was like me." He whispered to no one in particular.
Cooper walked up to him and hissed. "You owe me big time for this." He swore scratching at the wolf boy suit.
"How's a whole week's pay?" Ford asked hopefully.
And to his surprise Cooper held out a hand. "Half and we never speak of this again."
Ford smiled and shook his hand.
Afterwards theymade it back to the giftshop where Heather has started to help with the big crowd.
"Come to witness my success?" Stan asked as the last customer walked out.
Mabel sneers. "Please, I've come to rub my success in your face."
"Guys it's almost sundown!" Fids exclaimed.
"What happens at sundown?" Cooper asked?
"A witch cursed them to act like each other, and if they don't make up in…" Fids looked at his watch. "five minutes they will be stuck like this forever."
"So, it is a curse?" Cooper laughed. "Not a dull moment with you guys around, is it?" He joked.
"Cooper this is serious!" Ford lectured. "Looks let's just settle this stupid bet ok."
"Whoever has the most now?" Stan asked.
"What's the matter kiddo?" Mabel asked. "Scared you'll come up short?"
"You're on!" Stan yelled.
Ford took Stan's money as Fids took Mabel's; they both counted the earnings quickly.
"50." Ford said as he finished.
"Same." Fids added moments later.
"What?" Mabel was confused as was Stan.
"They can't be the same." Stan moaned.
"Of course, they can." Heather reasoned. "Don't you see this means you are both good businessmen, woman…people!"
"Yeah, both you guys have a great way of running things, you prove that by acting like each other, and still raising enough money." Ford added.
"In less you guys are just trying to trick us." Stan said snatching the money up from Fids and Ford. "I'll count it."
"Stop you're mixing the money!" Mabel yelled as Stan put them all in one pile.
"Oops." Stan said.
"Saboteur!" Mabel yelled.
"Guys two minutes!" Fids yelled.
"Guys just stop it!" Ford yelled. "It's a stupid bet! Can't you see this infighting is tearing us apart!"
Suddenly, a giant beast breaks through the wall of the giftshop raring loudly.
Everyone screams.
"What is that thing?" Cooper asked.
The beast looked like a giant goblin, one Ford had never seen before, but it's arms looked familiar.
"Hey, you think that's the thing that was in the bag?" Heather asked.
"No, it just magically appeared!" Cooper screamed as they all hid behind the counter.
Heather gave him a look.
"Sorry, I just can't handle this much crazy all the time." Cooper reasoned.
"We've got to round him up. Where's Danny?" Heather asked.
"It's his day off." Fids reminded her.
"Great, the one time we need a lumber jack!" Heather cried.
Ford flips though the journal for answer. "It looks like a Gremloblin." He said, finding the page he was looking for.
The Gremloblin roars and throws a Mayan calendar inches away from where Stan and Mabel are. They run past and hide in the living room. The Gremloblin starts putting stickers on his face.
"What do we do? He's awarding himself stickers that he didn't even earn!" Stan cried out.
"I can't believe I am saying this but." Ford looks at his brother and shakes him. "I want my real brother back!"
"Ford how do we stop this thing?" Fids yelled.
Ford gets a hold of himself and looks back at the journal "Uh, got it! When fighting a Gremloblin, use water..."
Mabel suddenly grabs a water bottle and splashes it in the creature's face, and he roars.
Ford turns page; "...only as a last resort as water will make him much, much scarier! AH! Who writes sentences like that!?"
The Gremloblin roars and grows spines. Cuckoo Clock chimes and he breathes fire on them.
"This thing has got to have some weakness." Heather reasoned.
"It does." Ford said reading the rest of the journal.
"Well don't keep us in suspense what is it?" Cooper demanded.
"His targets must…admit they are wrong?" He ended the statement with a question.
"I wonder who that could be." Fids said out loud.
"Mabel…Stan Pines!" The Monster screamed.
"Why am I not surprised?" Ford moaned.
"Seriously?" Fids asked. "This is what that witch is calling less violent?"
"Well, he hasn't really hurt anyone." Heather said. "Maybe he'll get bored and leave."
Suddenly the creature nocks the counter aside like it's nothing and roars louder.
"Stan apologies to Aunt Mabel." Ford yelled.
"Not until she admits I'm the better Boss!" Stan yelled.
"As if!" Mabel yelled. "This creature is most likely a trick any ways, some fat man in a suit."
The beast picks up Ford then and roars.
"Wait…no…NO!" Ford screams as he is swallowed whole.
"FORD!" Mabel and Stan scream.
"Look at what you have done!" Heather yelled. "Your fighting has gotten Ford eaten."
The monster picks up Stan and Mabel next.
They struggle to get free.
"Grauntie Mabel…" Stan looked at Mabel fearfully. "I'm sorry."
The Gremloblin stopped.
"No kiddo I'm sorry." Mabel said. "I'm the adult, I should have been the bigger person and let it go."
"I don't care who the better boss is." Stan cried. "I just want my annoyingly nerdy brother back!"
The beast drops them and doubles over in pain, before puking out Ford.
Ford looks traumatized but shakes it off. "Please tell me it's over." He rasped.
Fids pointed towards Mabel, who was helping Stan to his feet.
"I'm sorry Stan." Mabel said, sounding like her old self again. "I guess I just wanted you to respect me a little."
"I do." Stan said. "I just wanted to prove that I could run a business." He reasoned.
"Well, I did earn a lot doing things your way." Mabel admitted.
"Your way works too." Stan told her.
"Maybe we can stay partners." Mabel told him.
"Awe they made up." Heather said, looking relieved.
"The curse is lifted." The witch said as she took off the Goblin head of the Gremloblin costume.
"Wait you were the monster?" Fids asked.
"Look, see I told you it was someone in a costume." Mabel said.
"You ate me!" Ford yelled at the lady. "She ate me!" Ford yelled at Mabel.
"Oh, Stanford It means so much to me that you would go through all this trouble just to get us to make up."
"Kind of cheesy if you ask me." Stan joked.
"You're both back to normal!" Ford exclaimed. "Stan hurry and say something selfish and belittling."
"I do get to keep the money I earned right?" Stan asked.
"Yes!" Ford screamed. "Aunt Mabel say something kind and sparkly."
"Sure Stan, you earned it." Mabel laughed.
Ford sighed. "Everything is back to normal."
The Witch nodded. "Yes, now about that shirt."
Fids nodded "Right this way ma'am." He guided the witch to what was left of the cashier counter.
"Man, this is going to take a lot of repairs." Mabel said looking around the wrecked Shack.
"Well at least we got some money." Stan said happily. "It fixes everything!"
"OH Stan!" Mabel laughed.
Suddenly a man who looked pretty beaten-up stubbled in. "Please, my car broke down." He coughed. "I need some money to get 'er going again."
"Sir you don't look so good." Mabel told him. "Please sit down."
"I can't." He said. "My poor sick wife needs me at home." He looks out the window. "It will be dark soon."
Stan looked at his money and sighed. "Here." He held it up to the guy. "Take it before I change my mind."
The man smiled gratefully and took the money. "Oh, thank you kindly." He said leaving. "SUCKER!" He yelled and ran.
Everyone just stared in shock.
"Did that guy just swindle Stan out of his money?" Heather asked.
Mabel looks just as shocked. "Wow Stan I guess you were right, not everyone can be blindly trusted."
"Well don't just stand there!" Stan yelled pulling out his golden knuckles. "That swindler is getting away!" He races after the thief.
"Stan wait!" Mabel races after him with Ford not too far behind.
-To Be Continued