"As Nietzsche said, 'Man is something that hath to be surpassed,'" said the
rabbit man dressed in a scientist's smock. "We surpassed man when we created
Bionic Bunny. And now...we have surpassed Bionic Bunny!"
The man pulled open the curtain, revealing Arthur in red tights and wearing an eye visor. The actors in the audience, all of them dressed like scientists, looked at each other and muttered in bewilderment.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the rabbit man continued, "I present to you...Cyberpunk!"
Arthur/Cyberpunk flexed his muscles proudly. He bent over and pretended to pick up an object and lift it over his head. The audience members gasped in wonder and delight.
"Twenty-five tons, ladies and gentlemen!" exulted the rabbit man. "He is every bit as strong as Bionic Bunny, perhaps stronger."
"And it doesn't stop there," said Arthur/Cyberpunk as he put down the imaginary weight. "Watch this!"
He focused his visor on the rear wall of the auditorium. Suddenly the actors in the audience cried out in horror and turned their heads, as if a powerful force had blown away the wall.
Then Arthur/Cyberpunk stretched out his arms as if to fly.
"Wait! Come back!" cried the rabbit man, gazing into the air as if watching Cyberpunk fly away. "You must be trained to use your powers for good!"
"I don't need anybody to tell me what to do," said Arthur, who was still standing on the stage with his arms stretched out. "I can do whatever I want! Muwahahahahaha!"
"Hold it, hold it!" cried the director, Mr. Clifford. "What are you doing? There's no evil laugh in the script."
Arthur lowered his arms and pulled off his visor. "I'm sorry, Mr. Clifford," he said meekly. "It just came out. I couldn't help it."
"I like it," said Ms. Carver, who was lurking inside of one of the doorways to the auditorium. Spotlights and camera equipment were strewn all along the sides of the large room. "The laugh stays."
Mr. Clifford looked at Ms. Carver, flustered. "But he's not a supervillain, Ms. Carver. He's just a misguided kid. It wouldn't make sense to..."
"The laugh stays," said Ms. Carver more firmly.
Mr. Clifford rolled his eyes and sighed. "Okay, everybody, positions."
----
Later that day, Arthur and the Bionic Bunny production crew had moved from the auditorium to a completely empty sound stage. As Arthur took his position on the stage, he noticed the presence of two other actors. One was the aardvark woman who had played Gilbert Sullivan's mother during the screen test...and the other was Wilbur Rabbit, dressed in his Bionic Bunny costume.
As the cameras swerved into position, Wilbur winked at Arthur and gave him a thumbs-up. The aardvark woman blew him a kiss.
"Positions, everybody," Mr. Clifford called out. "Lights...camera...action!"
Arthur raised his arms as if supporting a heavy weight above his head.
Wilbur leaped onto the stage as if he had been flying. "Put down that bus, young man!" he barked at Arthur.
"Oh, you want me to put the bus down?" said Arthur defiantly. "Fine! I'll put it down!"
He then made a throwing motion. Wilbur extended his arms as if to catch something, then fell onto his back as if struck by an enormous fist.
"Great Scott!" he exclaimed as he struggled to his feet. "The boy is as strong as I am!"
"And I've got laser vision to boot," boasted Arthur/Cyberpunk as he focused his visor on Wilbur.
The Bionic Bunny actor spread out his arms and legs as if a bolt of lightning had hit him in the chest, then landed on the floor with a thud.
"Face it, Bionic Bobo," said Arthur petulantly, "you're no match for Cyberpunk! Muwahahahaha!"
Wilbur rose painfully to his feet again. "I think it's time for a little tough love," he muttered angrily.
Arthur and Wilbur assumed wrestling positions and prepared to go at each other...
...when suddenly the aardvark woman cried out in terror. "Help! Help me!"
Arthur pointed toward the ceiling, a shocked expression on his face. "Holy cannoli! That giant robot's got my mom!"
Wilbur looked up and pretended to see the nonexistent robot. "You're right! That means we'll have to stop fighting each other and join forces to save her. How convenient."
"Stop," called the director. "Now, let's skip to the end of the big action sequence. Positions, everyone. Lights...camera...action!"
Arthur and Wilbur shook hands in a friendly manner.
"I've learned my lesson, Bionic Bunny," said Arthur/Cyberpunk. "From now on, I'll only use my powers for good, just like you."
"Then perhaps you'd consider being my, uh, sidekick?" Wilbur asked.
"Not in your lifetime," laughed Arthur. "But if you'd like to be MY sidekick, I'm cool with that."
"Let's discuss it over ice cream," Wilbur suggested.
"Cool!" said Arthur.
"Stop," said the director. "That's good. Arthur, you're doing great."
----
Still later on the same day, Arthur and his father had gathered with Wilbur Rabbit, Mr. Clifford, Ms. Carver, and the aarvark woman actor at a posh Hollywood restaurant. The aardvark woman, whom the others addressed as Meg, sat next to Arthur and took every opportunity to coddle him.
"Our next episode will have magical elements," Ms. Carver told the group. "We're introducing a new villain, an evil sorceress called Morgana la Fea."
"I'll be playing her," said Meg as she ran her fingers through Arthur's short hair.
"The plot will be a quest for the Holy Grail," Ms. Carver continued.
"It's a great script," said Wilbur, "although I'm not sure how many of the target audience will pick up on the references. Not a lot of kids are well-versed in Arthurian legend nowadays."
"Morgana la Fea is Spanish for Morgana the Ugly," Meg explained. "So you can imagine how much makeup I'll have to wear for the part."
"Bionic Bunny has never faced magic before," Ms. Carver commented. "This should take the franchise in an interesting direction."
As she spoke, Meg rubbed Arthur's shoulders with her fingers. Finally Arthur could endure it no more...
"Stop it!" he shouted at Meg. "Yeesh! Don't you have your own kids?"
Meg became crestfallen and removed her hands from Arthur's shoulders. The others at the table appeared a little surprised.
Mr. Read started to rise from the table. "Arthur, follow me."
Sure he was about to be punished, Arthur stood and walked after his father.
The two made their way to a deserted corner of the restaurant. Mr. Read bent over and spoke quietly to Arthur.
"I think you should try to be nice to Meg."
"Why should I?" asked Arthur indignantly. "She's always hugging me and kissing me. She's weird. It's like she thinks she's my mom."
Mr. Read put a finger over Arthur's mouth to quiet him. "I talked to Meg the last time we were here," he continued. "I learned some interesting things about her. She says she always wanted a little boy like you."
"Then why doesn't she get one?"
"It's not that simple," said Mr. Read solemnly. "Arthur, do you know what ovarian cancer is?"
"No."
"It means Meg can't have any children of her own."
Arthur became speechless as he tried to piece together what he had been told.
----
In the living room of the Frenskys' new apartment, Mr. Ratburn and Ms. Ropeburn faced each other lividly. It was clear to Mrs. Frensky and the many gathered children that they were barely restraining themselves from clutching each others' throats.
"What are you doing here, Nigel?" asked Ms. Ropeburn with thinly concealed hostility.
"I am the teacher of these children," Mr. Ratburn answered with all the calmness he could muster.
"I should have known," growled Ms. Ropeburn. "That explains why Francine is so intolerant and opinionated."
"I will not have you talk about one of my students like that," said Mr. Ratburn threateningly.
"I'm not talking about one of your students," Ms. Ropeburn corrected him. "I'm talking about all of them. You treat your students like robots. You crush the spirit out of them!"
"It's called education!" Mr. Ratburn roared. "You should try it some time!"
"Your methods may have worked in the past," said Ms. Ropeburn, "but society has evolved. Children have evolved. They need to be nurtured and guided, not programmed."
"Nothing has changed, Angela. Two and two made four a hundred years ago, and they still make four today. If you'd pull your nose out of your left-wing radical new-age propaganda books long enough, you'd..."
Mr. Ratburn's thought was interrupted when Francine came between the arguing pair.
"Excuse me for interrupting, but how do you two know each other?"
The two rat teachers stopped glaring at each other and looked down at Francine. After a long pause, Mr. Ratburn spoke.
"She's my sister."
(to be continued)
The man pulled open the curtain, revealing Arthur in red tights and wearing an eye visor. The actors in the audience, all of them dressed like scientists, looked at each other and muttered in bewilderment.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the rabbit man continued, "I present to you...Cyberpunk!"
Arthur/Cyberpunk flexed his muscles proudly. He bent over and pretended to pick up an object and lift it over his head. The audience members gasped in wonder and delight.
"Twenty-five tons, ladies and gentlemen!" exulted the rabbit man. "He is every bit as strong as Bionic Bunny, perhaps stronger."
"And it doesn't stop there," said Arthur/Cyberpunk as he put down the imaginary weight. "Watch this!"
He focused his visor on the rear wall of the auditorium. Suddenly the actors in the audience cried out in horror and turned their heads, as if a powerful force had blown away the wall.
Then Arthur/Cyberpunk stretched out his arms as if to fly.
"Wait! Come back!" cried the rabbit man, gazing into the air as if watching Cyberpunk fly away. "You must be trained to use your powers for good!"
"I don't need anybody to tell me what to do," said Arthur, who was still standing on the stage with his arms stretched out. "I can do whatever I want! Muwahahahahaha!"
"Hold it, hold it!" cried the director, Mr. Clifford. "What are you doing? There's no evil laugh in the script."
Arthur lowered his arms and pulled off his visor. "I'm sorry, Mr. Clifford," he said meekly. "It just came out. I couldn't help it."
"I like it," said Ms. Carver, who was lurking inside of one of the doorways to the auditorium. Spotlights and camera equipment were strewn all along the sides of the large room. "The laugh stays."
Mr. Clifford looked at Ms. Carver, flustered. "But he's not a supervillain, Ms. Carver. He's just a misguided kid. It wouldn't make sense to..."
"The laugh stays," said Ms. Carver more firmly.
Mr. Clifford rolled his eyes and sighed. "Okay, everybody, positions."
----
Later that day, Arthur and the Bionic Bunny production crew had moved from the auditorium to a completely empty sound stage. As Arthur took his position on the stage, he noticed the presence of two other actors. One was the aardvark woman who had played Gilbert Sullivan's mother during the screen test...and the other was Wilbur Rabbit, dressed in his Bionic Bunny costume.
As the cameras swerved into position, Wilbur winked at Arthur and gave him a thumbs-up. The aardvark woman blew him a kiss.
"Positions, everybody," Mr. Clifford called out. "Lights...camera...action!"
Arthur raised his arms as if supporting a heavy weight above his head.
Wilbur leaped onto the stage as if he had been flying. "Put down that bus, young man!" he barked at Arthur.
"Oh, you want me to put the bus down?" said Arthur defiantly. "Fine! I'll put it down!"
He then made a throwing motion. Wilbur extended his arms as if to catch something, then fell onto his back as if struck by an enormous fist.
"Great Scott!" he exclaimed as he struggled to his feet. "The boy is as strong as I am!"
"And I've got laser vision to boot," boasted Arthur/Cyberpunk as he focused his visor on Wilbur.
The Bionic Bunny actor spread out his arms and legs as if a bolt of lightning had hit him in the chest, then landed on the floor with a thud.
"Face it, Bionic Bobo," said Arthur petulantly, "you're no match for Cyberpunk! Muwahahahaha!"
Wilbur rose painfully to his feet again. "I think it's time for a little tough love," he muttered angrily.
Arthur and Wilbur assumed wrestling positions and prepared to go at each other...
...when suddenly the aardvark woman cried out in terror. "Help! Help me!"
Arthur pointed toward the ceiling, a shocked expression on his face. "Holy cannoli! That giant robot's got my mom!"
Wilbur looked up and pretended to see the nonexistent robot. "You're right! That means we'll have to stop fighting each other and join forces to save her. How convenient."
"Stop," called the director. "Now, let's skip to the end of the big action sequence. Positions, everyone. Lights...camera...action!"
Arthur and Wilbur shook hands in a friendly manner.
"I've learned my lesson, Bionic Bunny," said Arthur/Cyberpunk. "From now on, I'll only use my powers for good, just like you."
"Then perhaps you'd consider being my, uh, sidekick?" Wilbur asked.
"Not in your lifetime," laughed Arthur. "But if you'd like to be MY sidekick, I'm cool with that."
"Let's discuss it over ice cream," Wilbur suggested.
"Cool!" said Arthur.
"Stop," said the director. "That's good. Arthur, you're doing great."
----
Still later on the same day, Arthur and his father had gathered with Wilbur Rabbit, Mr. Clifford, Ms. Carver, and the aarvark woman actor at a posh Hollywood restaurant. The aardvark woman, whom the others addressed as Meg, sat next to Arthur and took every opportunity to coddle him.
"Our next episode will have magical elements," Ms. Carver told the group. "We're introducing a new villain, an evil sorceress called Morgana la Fea."
"I'll be playing her," said Meg as she ran her fingers through Arthur's short hair.
"The plot will be a quest for the Holy Grail," Ms. Carver continued.
"It's a great script," said Wilbur, "although I'm not sure how many of the target audience will pick up on the references. Not a lot of kids are well-versed in Arthurian legend nowadays."
"Morgana la Fea is Spanish for Morgana the Ugly," Meg explained. "So you can imagine how much makeup I'll have to wear for the part."
"Bionic Bunny has never faced magic before," Ms. Carver commented. "This should take the franchise in an interesting direction."
As she spoke, Meg rubbed Arthur's shoulders with her fingers. Finally Arthur could endure it no more...
"Stop it!" he shouted at Meg. "Yeesh! Don't you have your own kids?"
Meg became crestfallen and removed her hands from Arthur's shoulders. The others at the table appeared a little surprised.
Mr. Read started to rise from the table. "Arthur, follow me."
Sure he was about to be punished, Arthur stood and walked after his father.
The two made their way to a deserted corner of the restaurant. Mr. Read bent over and spoke quietly to Arthur.
"I think you should try to be nice to Meg."
"Why should I?" asked Arthur indignantly. "She's always hugging me and kissing me. She's weird. It's like she thinks she's my mom."
Mr. Read put a finger over Arthur's mouth to quiet him. "I talked to Meg the last time we were here," he continued. "I learned some interesting things about her. She says she always wanted a little boy like you."
"Then why doesn't she get one?"
"It's not that simple," said Mr. Read solemnly. "Arthur, do you know what ovarian cancer is?"
"No."
"It means Meg can't have any children of her own."
Arthur became speechless as he tried to piece together what he had been told.
----
In the living room of the Frenskys' new apartment, Mr. Ratburn and Ms. Ropeburn faced each other lividly. It was clear to Mrs. Frensky and the many gathered children that they were barely restraining themselves from clutching each others' throats.
"What are you doing here, Nigel?" asked Ms. Ropeburn with thinly concealed hostility.
"I am the teacher of these children," Mr. Ratburn answered with all the calmness he could muster.
"I should have known," growled Ms. Ropeburn. "That explains why Francine is so intolerant and opinionated."
"I will not have you talk about one of my students like that," said Mr. Ratburn threateningly.
"I'm not talking about one of your students," Ms. Ropeburn corrected him. "I'm talking about all of them. You treat your students like robots. You crush the spirit out of them!"
"It's called education!" Mr. Ratburn roared. "You should try it some time!"
"Your methods may have worked in the past," said Ms. Ropeburn, "but society has evolved. Children have evolved. They need to be nurtured and guided, not programmed."
"Nothing has changed, Angela. Two and two made four a hundred years ago, and they still make four today. If you'd pull your nose out of your left-wing radical new-age propaganda books long enough, you'd..."
Mr. Ratburn's thought was interrupted when Francine came between the arguing pair.
"Excuse me for interrupting, but how do you two know each other?"
The two rat teachers stopped glaring at each other and looked down at Francine. After a long pause, Mr. Ratburn spoke.
"She's my sister."
(to be continued)
