It was a ringing in her ear, that's tge best way to describe it. After the sharp pain of what felt like an axe being driven into her skull, Becky felt the blow back of wind rush from under her side where the ledge of the second floor in the mall peeked to the first. She was so preoccupied with the stabbing pain she didn't even realize the chaos being recked into society below her. She must have made a yelp or a sound of some kind with her and others near the ledge were sent flying and skidding to a stop. Tobey was no exception, holding her head She slowly rose up from the cold tile floor now covered in glass, Becky blinked a bit to look around herself and see Tobey flopped on his stomache across from her closer to the Chinese food stall. Tobey seemed to look at her and yell something but what she couldn't discern, it just sounded muffled to her...muffled? Wait. What happened to her super hearing? Becky shook her head and put a palm to rub her forehead, taking care that there was no glass shards on it before applying minimal pressure, her senses quickly grew back but it felt, different. Becky felt a tug on her arm as a stranger seemed to bend down and pull her up just as Tobey was running over "the heck sre you doing kid hide!" The passerby in a corn dog hat yelled and began running himself, pushing Tobey aside as he ran for his life, but Tobey caught himself and ran for Becky.

"Botsford!" Tobey yelled "don't look down just move-"

"wh- what do you mean don't look do-" she was about to do just that now that Tobey said it but he grabbed her wristj as he tugged her along,

"just Don't Look. Come on" Tobey yelled. Practically dragging her by her arm at this point Becky wanted to look down, she wanted to see why Tobey said not to.

Becky was about to do just that before Tobey spun them around the corner and heard blasts behind her, that caught her attention "Tobey! Theres people back there!" "I know Botsford, but we cant focus on that right now so just move!" he pulled her again, using all his strength to sprint and run and pull Becky along, eventually they got far enough from the blast where it was distant screams and muffled booms, she couldn't take it anymore, Becky could hear every single voice calling out for her. Calling for word woman as if she was standing right next to them. Becky was about to yank her hand away and go running back but Tobey closed in on the emergency escape stairs near a movie theatre and pushed her in through the door.

"Hide in here for now, stairwells..stairwells are usually the safest place to be when a building collapses," Tobey panted, his lungs felt like ice trying to breath and talk as he bent on his knees "their reinforced..and we are on the top floor it should be safe.."

Becky looked around herself, the stairwell was almost solid concrete and mainly only lit by the automatic lights that flipped on when motion occurred, she frowned and tried to push pass Tobey back out but he moved to block her in the doorway

"Tobey move"

"no"

"what do you mean no?!"

"what Botsford do you want to hear it in Spanish?"

"no- Tobey just move out of my way!" "No"

Tobey locked himself in place at the doorway, his frame was stick thin in the passage but he had to actually bend his head down and hunch to stay where he was glaring at Becky who tried to push pass him

"Out of my way Tobey!" Becky snapped "there's people back there!"

"You don't think i know that?! Botsford look at yourself!"

"what?"

"Just- Look" He insisted. Becky growled a bit and looked down as he said, she was bleeding, obviously from the glass that was on the floor when she skid, but it wasn't much to panic ov- click

Becky snapped her head up, Tobey had seriously closed and locked the door on her.

"You sneaky litt- Tobey!" Becky banged on the door "Tobey open this door"

"Not happening Botsford! Take the stairs and go outside, I'm going to double back see if there's anyone i can help whos hiding"

Becky kicked the door

"Botsford Stop"

"Not til you open this door"

"Im not opening this door until i know your safe Becky"

Becky growled. This dumb genius seriously did not just say that. "Tobey open this door!"

...silence

"Tobey!"

...

"Hes already moved Becky" The narrator spoke up, making the heroine bang the door again

"Becky you can just word up and go you don't need that door open-"

"I know i don't"

"so why are you still trying?"

"Because i Should-" "you SHOULD be going in to help the people, Since when has a boy doing something stupid ever stopped you?"

"...ok that's a good point" the narrator groaned "now i remember why you needed Captain Huggy Face" Becky shot up a look "..oh don't give me that you know I'm right" Becky rolled her eyes and looked around herself for cameras...

"alright. WORD UP!"

Back at the ground level of the mall, BOOm BOOm Bap, Boom Boom BAP

It was an almost rhythmic sound as various support pillars for tge second floor were zapped by a blue beam, it bubbled, puffed, looking like expaning foam for a moment- Bap, another explosion but this time seemingly just to a random pillar, the debry itself was goopy then solid after landing. it smelled like brie but then turned into rancid 3 month old laundry. A slow, amused cackle echoed in the still Mall as teenagers, kids, adults, all ages either coward behind something or were running as far away as possible, just infront of a wishing well, stood the ever so familar and ever so slippery apperence of Dr. Two Brains. Once a highten man of science, now reduced to what could barely even be called a man anymore. Dr. Two Brains held to his sanity best he could, but over the years the man has only cracked more, his eyes always unfocused, twitching and shifting at slight sounds, tch, just like taht sound. Two brains spun around grinning and looked up at the second floor where a young girl had grown curious enough to ignore calls for her attention to get back and looked ober the edge at the villian. He grinned widely, so much so it looked like it hurt, he raised his hand with the gun and fired at the girl, she gasped and turned to run upon seeing the blast come for her.

bubblling, expanding. BOOM

small bits of brie scattered around from above and landinh all around Two Brains, again becoming hard and solid like comcreat after setting and snelling of horrible cheese. Though few people held their mouths in their hands, those fhat couldnt were stunned, others letting out horrible shrieks as Two brains twitched and laughed hysterically.

"Hey Two brains!"

"hu-" THUD "gah! Hey! ooooow!" the scientist whined, his tone of voice seeming to shift between whiney and anger. looking up to see Word Woman, pissed, in her arms was the little girl from before with a rock in hand, seeming to mimic the heroines pose in her arms then throw the rock at Dr Two Brains but miss

"that one was for Dr. Sweetberry the panda you meanie!" Two brains growled, twitching once more as Word Woman narrowed her eyes "meanie would definitely be a fitting word..hold on" she said looking at the little girl. In an iconic red flash, she was gone and two brains had already pulled out a second ray from the inside of his pocket while clenching his other hand. for some reason, he seemed to fumble a bit as he did so. Behind him Dr. Two brains felt the familiar breeze and the iconic sound of his age old nemisis and smiled turning around "Word girl.." he smiled, forcing it so but his tone was venomous. Word Woman didn't correct him. Taking a moment so look over a man she once called her friend as a child.

Dr Two Brains clothes once prestine and starched, had the resideue of atleast the last 2 years of cheese driven hunger stains, wrinkled and actually missing thread in some parts of his shirt blue shirt while his tie looked yanked and close to undone around his neck. His face was always mouse like with his whiskers but now they appeared more rat like. it was subtle. But it was there.

That crooked buck tooth smile, and deranged look. Word Woman couldnt help but feel pity for the man most the time. This time however...

"you almost shot your ray at a child Dr Two Brains"

"pff..like it's something I haven't done before, word girl" he laughed "why would it matter anyway? cheese is so much Better then any child"

"...i dont know whats more messed up, you thinking that or the fact i know theres someone else out there that thinks exactly like you for different reasons"

"is the reason anything other then cheese?"

Becky thought for a sec "...maybe?"

Two brains aimed the gun chucking "eh small world" Word Woman readied to dodge the blast but was surprised when Two brains tossed what looked like small marbles at her and they landed on the floor with a small click click click. Word Woman looked up with a deadpanned face

"what was that?-" the blast went to her feet, and zooming up were two familiar figures

"ok i should have seen that coming" Word Woman frowned and barely dodged out of the way of the larger bald Henchman goinh for a grapple, the smaller one going in favor of trying to wack Word Woman with a long Pole while Two brains turned to look for where his lazer landed, taking a bit long howverr as he seemed to make a few random misteps along the way.

"Hey Chris," dodge

"hey DoubleW," the red-capped man grumbled

"is two brains alright? he seems...off?"

dodge

"ugh dont even get me started...even Charlie is getting a bit worried" a grunt of affirmation confirmed the mention as Charlie popped up behind Word Woman ready to slam his giant fists down on her but instead Word Woman zoomed out of the way and ended up getting Chris to wack Charlie's hand with the pole, making the large man groan in pain and whimper holding his hands as he doubled back in pain.

"That bad?" Word Woman asked in surprise, Chris groaned and swung around, narrowly missing the top of his partners head, Becky just leaned her head and it missed "yhea..Real bad.." the grunt grimanced a bit and mumbled softly as he took another swing "starting to get worried.."

he missed on purpose.

Chris had swung so hard he actually spun around with the metal bar in his hand and trip on his own feet to the floor. Just as Chris was getting to his feet the three heard Dr Two brains laugh, turning just as she heard the click of the dial on his new rat change Becky was about to dash towards the rat man before he fired off his ray.

"GAH!" Charlie grunted, Chris whipped his head around as did Word Woman in surprise, she doesnt know what dial the ray was set to but it was a continuous stream of harden cheese that expanded around Charlie rather then explode, soft and foamy at first then hardening, but it kept growing and expanding around the hemchman as he struggled. seeing the big man fight against the Chris scrambled on his feet "Charlie!" He didn't get far before-

Bam.

Charlie groaned as the bottom of his feet were zapped by the ray. now as he struggled, the foam expanded up and around d him, Word Woman held in a gasp...since when?

since when did Dr Two Brains start to shoot even at his henchmen? Soon as the question occurred to her, she felt it.

Bam!

The blast felt like a large basketball was thrown to her back, hard but not so much it hurt, but now she felt it expand around her, she turned instinctively but that was her mistake as Two Brains blasted her once more but from the front. Charlie looked over at Word Woman and his face dropped as he kept fighting the foam"..oh crap..."

Two brains laughed, twitching and rubbing his face as he pointed his ray at the superheroine, amused at Word Womans struggle only making the situation worse. "look at that...didnt know you liked cheese as much as I did Word Girl" "Two brains! What is this!?" Word woman yelled.

Two brains drummed his fingers "oh just...a little something. bit of that old memory juggled back in good old chemistry- God Mr Bust was a pain!" He laughed, shaking his head feeling like he was cut off by someone other then himself, Two brains raised his voice "ONLY. Only thing. I can think of stronger then steel to go agaisnt you Word girl.." Two brains slowly said, pacing aboy smiling "was you"

Chris grunted, the foam up to the henchmens shoulders from struggling so much."b-boss what about us?!"

Two brains waved him off "eh I'll get you out eventually. just have to hit the bri before it hardens on your face. you'll be fine" he laughed, though that didn't assure Charlie or Chris as much as the doctor thought it would, it did make him smile. a large. toothy. disturbing hollow smile towards Word Woman as he slowly turned his head to look at her.

that look...

it was terrorfying to know the creature infront of her was a man and not a monster with out wide the grin was.

Two Brains laughed waving his ray around "see? science wins!" he yelled to the empty mall, "the Might Word Girl trapped. all for brain overrrrr...over ...Over Brawn! Brain over brawn!" He laughed, smiling holding his head like it was burning.

"how's brain vs brain sound Dr?"

"hm?- Gah!" a loud clank was herd as something silver whipped across Two Brains face, but the ray remained clutched in his hands even as a pale boney hand latched into it and began to yank. "grrr You?!" Two Brains growled struggling as the hand that grabbed the ray dropped the metal pipe they held to use both hands to latch on "since when did you start playing the good guy?"

Tobey struggled as he yanked against the older man "awhile ago unlike a certain washed up scientist" the two went back and forth at this for awhile, Word Woman increasingly concerned as she watched Toeby go back and forth with Dr Two Brains. one blast in the wrong place or a dial change and it would have been over for the young man. Word Woman struggled harder agaisnt the bri and strained her neck as she just made it worse and grow up tp her chin. then over her ears. Word Woman glared over at the fit between two scientist. their yelling and banter was muffled to her even with her super hearing. Word Woman thought for a moment then an idea occured, pushing against the foam, just as it was about to expand over her mouth Word Woman took a deep breath, waited until two brains back faced her and let out an article breath angled at the mans feet, frosting them in place and blowing up his coat as a distraction.

"what the..Hey!" Two Brains yelled, looking down. Tobey looked at Word Woman, back at Two brains, and then leaned back.

"Oh this is gonna hurt" Tobey groaned and rammed his head onto Two Brains.

The two collided with a loud Twack.

Even the people still in the mall hiding who were watching collectively whinced at the painful looking skull crack. Two Brains reeled back in pain and let go off the ray gun, Tobey was still holding it but Man did that fucking hurt. Tobey also reeled back in pain and held his head as he took a few steps away. "Now would be an excellent time please!" Tobey yelled "you got it!" a second voice yelled back as he stumbled over to the almost completely foam covered Word Woman.

The foam covered her peripheral vision, but she'd recognize that yellow jacket anywhere, "Hey doc"

"..hey?"

"say cheese!" Two brains perked up "ooh where?" flash. "AH" flash flash flash.

Scoops chuckled, making use of his speed and old trusty camera to work as a flash bang exclusively for Dr Two Brains. Blinding him from every other angle.

"lovely for you to show up kid- get us out!" Chris yelled, Charlie whimpering with the foam over his mouth and nose nodded, Tobey groaned holding his head nodded "I'd rather get back to what I was doing to so hold your damn horses" Tobey growled. Using the butt of the ray he began to wack the foam from the outside, it was extreamly off but just as two brains yelled out earlier. external force and the thing began to crack and break with each wack. Eventually enough so Word Woman strained against it and broke out of the foam, gasping for air.

Tobey chuckled, moving from her to Chris next "see I knew I'd leave you breathless someday!" Chris just gave him a deadpanned look to which a cheery Tobey ignored.

Word Woman didn't say a word as she stood up, Scoops looked up and smirked "welp I'm out" he said and practically tossed himself out of the way while Two Brains saw stars. Two brains rubbed his eyes, stumbled around a bit, blinking for his vision back and faintly seeing the heroicly pissed, face of Word Woman charging for him.

"..damn it" Two Brains said as he braced himself

Once Word Woman had finished bending the metal bar that Tobey had picked up around Two Brains, she took a moment to look over the out cold man. He was looking..strange...she looked at the bushy messy unkempt white hair that hadn't been washed since she was a child and squinted at the small pink brain. She was never close enough tp remove it, hardly ever close enough tp see it. but now looking at it up close the rat brain had obviously seen better days. Being attached to the good doctor had preserved it longer then raw meat in open air should have been preserved, but now it was starting to grey, rot, bits of green fuz and mold layered over years of cheese residue caked over the small and controling brain...she knows it was attached to him but could she?...

Word Womans hand was slowly reaching towards the annoying grey matter "Hey Word Girl!" Scoops called.

She sighed, taking back her hand and frowning over at Scoops behind her as he came back with a large camera, "its Word Woman Scoops" she corrected "where did you come from anyway?"

"ah Tobey found me and told me to flashbang DTB" he said very nonchalantly, just aiming his attention at the camera as he untangled a cord

"did you take that from the 4 you news studio?"

"Just borrowing it" Scoop shrugged "come on, i wanna get a bit of an interview with you and Tobey. Old enemies working together to defeat major vilian? OH You will not BELIEVE the amount of people that will read that" he excitedly exclaimed, almost giddy with excitement. Thelanky boy genius in question was standing off to the side still wacking away at Charlie, he kept moving so the foam kept expanding where Tobey broke it, much to the blondes annoyance. "right...Scoops?" "yep?" "can you actually interview Tobey only today?" Scoops paused his untanglment and looked at Becky confused, not Word Woman, Becky. "uhh what?" "come on you saw what happened, even if i probably would have beaten Dr Two Brains someway or another, you and Tobey still did act like a heroes today. Thats something new, i mean i save the day almost every Tuesday" Scoops frowned at her a bit, narrowing his eyes as the superheroine glanced between Two brains and Tobey and then him.

Scoops shook his head "i mean i get that, but Why though?"

Word Woman crossed her arms, looking a bit off to the side and around her before leaning down slightly and hushed her voice "its a bit hard to explain...but. I'm going to find a way to help Boxleitner"

YESSSSSSSSS CHAPTER 9 I AM FEELING HIIIIIIIGH

not actually but ya know. Anyway. i am happy with this once a week schedual cus now i know for sure i can upload these at a quality i prefer at a rate id prefer aswell.