Once they were back at the palace, they immediately started to unload everything of Sorcerer Binky.
"What are we going to do?" asked Starlena.
"I don't know," said Emperor Jon.
"There's a big surprise," muttered Garzooka.
"We're going to need a plan," the emperor continued. "Abnermal and Compooky are very important to the team, and we need to find a way to get them back."
"How do we do that?" asked Sorcerer Binky. "The odds of only three member of Pet Force making it aren't very good."
"Maybe we could getthem replacements?"
Garzooka's head shot up. "Where are we going to get replacements? You said the five of us were the only one's that held traits similar to the original Pet Force."
"Actually," said Binky, "you held traits and looked a lot like the original Pet Force. Several beings in your universe hold those traits. It's just that you five had the highest amount of those abilities. We just need the next runners up to replace Abnermal and Compooky."
"Who could do that?" asked Starlena.
"Well, when we can't figure it out, we turn to the cauldron for the answers."
He lugged in the giant cauldron. He added the usual ingredients: water, carrots, radishes, sliced peaches, and the works. He tossed in a stick of gum just to be safe. After he'd mixed it all up with a giant spoon, an image started to become clear to everyone who looked in.
"I've found the next best beings!" he said.
Emperor Jon, Garzooka, Odious and Starlena peered into the cauldron. It was the same scene as before: a family sitting down to dinner. It was the same dinner that Garfield, Odie, Nermal, Arlene and Pooky had just been pulled from. Everything was moving slowly, due to the time difference. They could see Jon Arbuckle covering his eyes as he tasted more of the food. They saw a pair of adults eating the glob. And they also saw a six year old boy with spiky hair and a red shirt and next to him was a tiger.
"It seems that the boy and the tiger would be perfect replacements to Pet Force," he said.
"Really?" asked the emperor. He had been skeptical when Sorcerer Binky had chosen Garfield, Odie, Nermal, Arlene and Pooky to replace the original Pet Force, but this time he was a bit less hasty. "The tiger makes sense, but the boy? It's Pet Force! The name wouldn't make sense with a human being in it!"
"They're the best we can do for now, Your Highness."
"Very well. Bring them here at once!"
But Starlena wasn't too afraid of being skeptical. "Oh, come on! Those two? They couldn't possibly be any good at this! The boy is an insane brat, and the tiger is a stuck up know-it-all!"
"Well, they're good enough for me," said Garzooka.
Odious barked in agreement.
"It's four against one, Starlena," said Sorcerer Binky. "It's unanimous."
Starlena groaned.
Calvin and Hobbes' House…
Calvin sat lazily at the table. Neither he nor Hobbes nor anyone else for that matter had notice the disappearance of the three cats, one dog and one teddy bear. He poked his food, hoping it wouldn't hurt him again.
"Can I be excused now?" he asked.
"You haven't eaten anything yet," said Mom.
"I don't want to eat it. It smells like the trash can."
Mom looked behind herself and saw an overloaded trash can.
"Dear, I thought I told you to take out the trash," she said to her husband.
Dad squirmed. "No, you didn't," he said.
"Yes, I did! You were watching How to Build Character."
"So that's how he does it!" exclaimed Calvin.
Dad rolled his eyes. "Dear, you can't talk to me while I'm watching that show," he sighed. "It's complicated."
While this was going on, Hobbes leaned over and whispered to Calvin. "Hey, where'd the animals go? The other animals."
Calvin then noticed that Garfield, Odie, Nermal, Arlene and Pooky were gone.
"Huh. That's funny," he said.
He was about to ask Jon Arbuckle where his pets were, but before he could, there was a flash of light, and Calvin and Hobbes disappeared.
Mom and Dad didn't notice because they were arguing, and Jon didn't notice because he was still covering his eyes.
The Parallel Universe; Halfway to the Emperor's Palace…
Calvin and Hobbes found themselves tumbling through a long tunnel filled with brilliant white light.
"What's happening?" asked Calvin.
"I don't know!" replied Hobbes. "Maybe one of us is having a dream from eating your mom's dinner. I know we both tasted it at least once."
"Maybe we're being beamed up to an alien spaceship!" Calvin said excitedly.
Calvin and Hobbes finally stopped tumbling and landed with a thud. They looked around and found themselves on a rather cold, hard linoleum floor. They look up, and they saw Emperor Jon, Sorcerer Binky, and three members of Pet Force.
"Where exactly are we?" asked Calvin.
"Yeah and when did Mr. Arbuckle get a beard and crown and flowing robes?" added Hobbes.
"And why are Garfield, Odie and Arlene suddenly looking cooler?"
Garzooka grinned smugly.
"It's a long story, Calvin," he sighed.
"How long?" asked Calvin. "We're on a schedule."
Emperor Jon stepped forward. "I am Emperor Jon," he said. "You are currently on the planet known as Polyester. I am the ruler of this universe."
Calvin looked at him in shock. "Whoa there, Mr. Arbuckle. Did Mom's eggplant casserole screw up your brain too?"
"He's being serious, Calvin," said Starlena.
"Wow, I'm impressed."
"Thank you," said the emperor. "Allow me to explain what is happening. Sit down."
Calvin and Hobbes sat down in some plastic folding chairs.
"You have come through a dimensional portal into a universe parallel to your own universe. Your friends came through the same portal earlier. When they passed through this doorway they became Pet Force, the superhero team you see before you—Garzooka, Odious, Starlena, and the other two, Abnermal and Compooky, who are not with at the moment. Each of them gained a different body and incredible super powers."
"Cool!" said Calvin and Hobbes in unison.
"As Pet Force they fight for freedom and justice. They are the brave defenders of this universe and protectors of my throne."
"Interesting," said Hobbes. "So that would make you…"
"Emperor Jon."
"Is your last name Arbuckle?" asked Calvin.
"Hey, that's a good point!" Garzooka suddenly said.
"Yes, it is, but I prefer Emperor Jon," he said. "I am the ruler of this universe, and as ruler, I welcome you."
"Um, thanks," Hobbes said unsurely.
"Now, is there anything in any of that that you didn't understand?"
"Nah, we got it," said Calvin.
"Does Jon Arbuckle know about this?" asked Hobbes.
"He did for a brief time," said Garzooka. "He only came here once, but traveling between universes caused him to forget."
"So why are we here?" Calvin went on.
"You have been brought to help Pet Force with a mission," said Emperor Jon.
"Really?" Calvin asked. "Way cool! Will we have super powers like them?"
All eyes were set on Sorcerer Binky, who apparently had forgotten about that part.
"I'm afraid not," he said. "You see, let me explain something to you. Each person or animal has a parallel being in many other universes. You two have parallel beings elsewhere in this universe. You see, Garfield and the others replaced the original Pet Force, who are no longer in this universe. But because you two have similar beings in this universe somewhere, you two stayed the same."
"So it's like you and Binky the Clown?" asked Calvin.
Binky winced. "Right."
"Well, that stinks! How can we be of any help if we don't have any powers?"
"Well, if I know Vetvix, she'll do something sooner or later, and you will obtain the abilities of Abnermal. Hobbes here will gain the abilities of Compooky."
"What can they do?" asked Hobbes.
"Abnermal has the power to freeze people in their tracks. He can extend a nuke-proof force field that can extend to protect the entire ship of Pet Force, the Lightspeed Lasagna."
"Cool!"
"Compooky is part-computer, part-teddy bear. He is basically the mental giant of the team."
"Can he do anything else?" Hobbes asked hopefully.
"He gets to ride in a really cool hover-craft and has a TV on his head."
"All right!"
"Pet Force," Emperor Jon said, "you'd best be going!"
"Right," agreed Garzooka. "We've got to save Compooky!"
There was a pause.
"Ahem!" said Starlena.
"Oh, all right. We'll save Abnermal too."
Calvin winced. "Wait, I have to become the guy no one likes? That's not cool!"
"Not all that different from real life, though," said Hobbes.
"HEY!"
They boarded the Lightspeed Lasagna.
Calvin and Hobbes looked all around.
"This place is so cool!" Calvin shouted.
"How many times has he said 'cool' since they got here?" Starlena asked.
"Oh, you need to lighten up," Garzooka whispered.
Hobbes looked at a control panel. He went to push a button when Garzooka zoomed to block him.
"Do not touch that button!"
"Why not?" asked the nervous tiger.
Calvin zipped forward. "Does it set off a giant, thermonuclear bomb that'll destroy the planet?"
"No, it turns on the folk music that Emperor Jon installed into the system. I will not allow that annoying song to enter my ears. It never leaves my mind until a giant battle."
Garzooka got behind the wheel of the ship. As they took to the skies and left Polyester, Calvin stood beside him and watched.
"This is so cool!" he said.
"Just out of curiosity, how are we going to find Abnermal and Compooky in deep space?" Hobbes asked.
"We'll just need to find Vetvix's ship. Some time ago, we set a special attachment to it. It's a special satellite that will be able to draw us closer to Vetvix."
"Cool," Calvin said again. "Say, what's a Vetvix?"
"Vetvix is an evil veterinarian who's out to steal the throne from Emperor Jon," Starlena explained. "She uses her dark magic to try and take over his universe. If she ever took over the throne, we would all become victims of her horrible plan to create a universe of mindless mutants under her absolute control. She would combine humans and animals into foul creatures who live for no other reason than to do her evil bidding. She must be stopped at all costs."
Calvin and Hobbes gave her a bewildered stare. Odious did too, but that's nothing different.
"Wow," Calvin said. "It's hard to believe that someone as snippy as you could know that!"
Garzooka and Hobbes burst out laughing as Starlena growled at him.
"I can't believe he's the one Sorcerer Binky decided to bring here," she snarled.
"Me neither!" said Garzooka through chuckles. "He's better than Abnermal! I say we just rescue Compooky and we'll have two super geniuses, and keep the kid in Abnermal's place."
"Yay!" cheered Calvin and Hobbes.
Starlena groaned. She was surrounded.
Vetvix's Floating Fortress of Fear…
When Abnermal came to, he found himself in a giant cell.
"Ooh, where am I?" he asked.
"You're with me," said a familiar voice.
Abnermal turned around and saw Compooky hovering nearby.
"Compooky?" he asked, regaining his strength. "Where are we?"
"We're being held prisoner in Vetvix's Floating Fortress of Fear," he explained. "You were knocked out by Odious' stun-tongue, and you ran out of energy on the way back to the Lightspeed Lasagna. I went back for you, and we were captured."
"Oh. What's going to happen to us?"
"Allow me to tell you!" said a voice. It sounded familiar, but it also sounded stuffy.
Abnermal and Compooky looked up and saw Vetvix. She looked pretty worn out, as she had a tissue in one hand. She blew her nose and then tossed it away.
"Vetvix?" Abnermal asked. "What happened to you?"
"You happened to me. That ice encasement gave me a cold."
"I see. What are you planning to do with us?"
"I plan to drain you of your powers first thing tomorrow morning," she said evilly. "Then I shall send you back to the universe from which you came, never to return. Knowing your teammates, they'll come to rescue you. Then I'll do the same to them!"
Abnermal, now having all of his strength back, fired a blast of ice at her. Once again, she was imprisoned in another ice block. Two mutants carried her away and took to be defrosted. Two more stayed behind to guard Abnermal and Compooky.
"At least we didn't have to hear the laugh," Abnermal sighed.
"Indeed," agreed Compooky.