THIRD PERSON
"You will assist me in every way." a royal voice boomed towards a young girl. She fidgeted with her glasses, and puffed out her chest.
"Of course. You saved me," she replied. "And will I get my reward?"
"Yes," the royal voice said, its owner standing up. "My brothers- nor the other gods- are aware you're here. They will all be worried about that other brat. The mortal villains will to try earn immortality, a bounty for her that I posed up as a distraction."
"But why?" the girl questioned. "Why do you need her?"
"It's part of my big plan," the man answered. "I swore revenge on her, and she would be a good distraction. All they will care about is her, and they will not expect my real plan- which is where you come in."
"Oh, yes, of course, m'lord," the girl said, lacing her fingers together. "But don't forget your promise."
"I shan't," the man replied, with a sly smile. "As long as you do as I ask. One of my requests is that you will stay in this world. You will not go back to your home world."
The girl bit her lip. "But what about-" She ended her protest when she saw the man's piercing gaze. "Of course. I'll stay here, m'lord." The man slyly grinned; the girl let out a cry, trapping her in the world forever.
ALICE
We headed into PS 101, which is kind of similar to my school. It's made of stone brick, and the inside has all the regular things- lockers, smelly toilets, and sport awards. We skipped past those and headed into the River City science fair, which is in the school's gym. As much as I wanted to check out the science exhibits, we didn't have time, so we headed to the end. Mr. Silva, the antagonist (though we weren't supposed to know it) was at the end of the room, as well as C.J's- the protagonist- parents.
We spoke with C.J's parents, who were worried about their daughter. Despite being her parents, they didn't go out looking for her. Oh well. Her father told us to head on over to their apartment, which is on Avenue A. On the way, I told Fierce Fox a bit about the island.
"So, C.J is the star of the school because she's so smart, but she's gone missing for the science fair," I explained. "Our job is to find her."
"Well, shouldn't you already know where she is?" Fierce Fox asked, her brow raised.
"I do know where she is," I answered, suddenly feeling a tingle down my spine. "But I'd rather not say it right now…" Fierce Fox gave me another glance as we entered C.J's apartment. I haven't been to many apartments, but if they all look like C.J's, then I'm definitely going to avoid visiting another one.
The wallpaper is torn and covered in weird smudges, and there's also such smudges in other parts of the house. Mess is pretty much everywhere, like the house isn't well cared for. It also isn't very big, so I felt a little crammed being in there. Perfect environment for shrinking.
"Oops, we let a cat in the house." Fierce Fox piped up, eyeing a ginger cat.
"Wait," I said, holding up my hands. I remembered the words of the people from my school, and how they were talking about the shrink ray. "I… I don't think it's safe for me to be in here."
"What do you mean?" Fierce Fox asked, raising her brow. "It's just an apartment."
"Danger can be anywhere, Fierce Fox," I explained. "I just… don't think I should be in here. You go. Chase after the cat. Think small. I'll be back soon to help you, okay?" Fierce Fox's brow furrowed, but she left me alone. Again, I remembered the splitting up thing, but it was only for a minute, so I figured we'd be fine. I exited the unpleasant apartment, and came outside. My eyes scanned the sun, which was setting into the horizon. Staring at the sun brought back childhood memories, which settled over me like rays of peace. I almost smiled.
"Did you really think you could get away from me that easily?" a voice growled from nearby. A man- looking like a bandit with a black hat and appearing to be from Wild West island- approached me, holding up C.J's shrink ray.
"No…" I breathed, taking a step back. I bent my knees, ready to jump, but it was too late.
He shot me with the shrink ray.
THIRD PERSON
Fierce Fox was inside C.J's apartment, exploring, when she heard a cry from outside. Her eyes widened as she followed the sound, her legs slightly bent. She opened the apartment's door, coming out into the night. As far as her eyes could see, she couldn't spot anyone, and definitely not Alice. Strange, since the human had promised to wait for her. But she wasn't there.
"Alice?" Fierce Fox called out, lookinh around. "Where are you?" But there was no answer. Alice had disappeared. Fierce Fox shook her head, knowing that the girl would be around somewhere. She always had a sense of where Alice was, since she was her voice, after all. She hoped it would lead her to her friend.
ALICE
All I saw was darkness, and giant objects all around me. Before I could move, a jar slammed over me. The sound shocked me so much that I tumbled onto my butt. A hand slid underneath me, and I felt myself and the jar being lifted into the air. A lid was placed onto the jar, and I took the chance to gaze at my captor. It was the bandit guy, and boy, was he scary as a giant. I was so freaked out that I turned away, and my eyes shut on their own. The man let out a deep chuckle, which would've been scary even if I was my normal size.
He dropped me into a bag, and my vision was darkness again. The world around me shook like a volcano; my head banged against the glass; my body felt sticky. As usual, it was painless, but that didn't stop fear welling up inside me like a balloon. I cried out for help, but I knew the attempt would be fruitless. Not even Fierce Fox could hear me.
Then, the rumbling calmed down, and I saw light from above, like I was entering Heaven. An enormous hand reached down and grabbed the jar, letting a new room come into my peripheral. I felt the jar get placed down lid-first onto a wooden desk, next to an Albert Einstein statuette (though, because of my size, it was more like a statue). Certificates cover the walls, and I saw books piled up in corners, as well as in a cupboard. I was in Mr. Silva's office.
"At last, I have the hero." my captor said slyly, taking off his mask. It was indeed Mr. Silva, with evil in his eyes. Not even the teacher at my school who runs detention could even come close to how terrifying Mr. Silva appeared. He smiled wickedly.
"Let me go!" I demanded, pounding my small fists against the jar, despite my controlling fear. Mr. Silva's cruel smile just grew.
"Never!" he replied. "I'm the first villain to finally capture you! Now that I have you, I'll not only make millions, but I'll never die! HA HA HA!"
"What do you mean, 'never die'?" I questioned frantically. "Why's everyone talking about immortality?" The more I asked the question, the more frustrating it got.
"Oh, I'd love to tell you, but I'm afraid a secret must be kept a secret." Mr. Silva answered, with a shrug. I felt anger prickle my skin. Of course he'd say that, I grumbled. No one gives me answers anymore.
"So… what're you gonna do now?" I asked, my courage starting to shatter. "Kill me?"
"Nope!" Mr. Silva replied gleefully. Then his brow furrowed. "No… Goodness, I have forgotten what I need to do. I believe I need to send you somewhere…" He bit his lip, and rummaged through a pile of books. He picked up a small poster, and a smile spread across his face. "Ah, perfect! Wait… Hmm…Oh dear, how do I do that?" He tapped his chin, then faced me. "Well, it turns out the sending process is going to take some… configuration. But don't get so worked up, hero, because it won't take that long. I will be back for you soon, trust me. In the meantime, enjoy your last moments under that jar. HA HA HA!" Then he exited the room with a slam of the door.
I let out a groan, and sunk to the floor. How am I going to get out of this mess? I thought. Fierce Fox was still back at Avenue A, and there was no way I was going to be able to contact her. I gazed at my necklace, and savoured the idea. It sounded very tempting, but I decided against it for three reasons:
1. I didn't really want to call the gods unless it got completely out of hand (like, no chance whatsoever).
2. They were probably busy and I might've annoyed them if I called.
3. Since they're so huge, seeing them with my tiny size could've given me a heart attack.
There must be another way out of this jar, I thought. I gazed at the jar wall, and held out my hands. I felt myself gulp, and suddenly retract back. Come on Alice, I told myself. It's just a little fall. You're not gonna die. So I reared back as far as I could (which wasn't that far) and jumped, shoving every ounce of strength onto the wall.
However, it didn't work. No matter how hard I pushed, it just wouldn't work. Of course it isn't working, a voice in my head scoffed. It's because you can't push jars, that's all. I ignored it, and tried again, but had no prevail.
"Need some help?" a voice asked nearby. A girl, who was my size, walked over to me. She has dark skin; shoulder length, dark brown hair which has beaded locks; a striped, blue hoodie; black pants; a pink-lipped smile. The girl I was staring at is none other than C.J.
"Um… yeah." I said dumbly as a reply, though C.J simply smiled.
"Alright," C.J instructed. "Just shove the side as hard as you can, and I'll help." So, with her instructions in mind, I shoved the side of the jar, while C.J pushed on the outside. As Athena once said, two forces surpass the power of one, and we knocked over the jar. It fell onto the side- and somehow- C.J removed the lid. I climbed out, never feeling more relieved to breath in fresh air.
"Thanks," I thanked C.J, with a smirk. "Wait… how did you-"
"Find you?" C.J interrupted. "Yeah, it wasn't hard. I snuck in here before, and overheard Mr. Silva's weird plans. Then, he put you in here, so I rescued you."
"I see," I replied. I bit my lip. "Do you-"
"Know about you?" C.J asked, being the know-it-all. "Yeah, heard about it from Mr. Silva. You're some kind of hero that decides Poptropica's fate, right?"
"As much as I don't like it…" I didn't need C.J- or me- to finish my sentence. We already understood. I sighed. "So, what do we do now? Mr. Silva still has the shrink ray, and heaven knows where he is- or what he's doing."
"Well, we can use our small size to our advantage," C.J replied, with a smirk. "It's way easier to sneak around now that we're tiny." With that note, she leaped off the desk, and landed swiftly on a pot plant. She gestured to an open window, which was open wide enough to fit us. With sweat building on my hands, I leaped after her, landing on the pot plant, which gave me uncomfortable memories of Planty from Steamworks Island.
We exited Mr. Silva's office and stood on his windowsill, getting a view of the street. It stretched out in front of us- I could see houses, roads, skateboards and various other things you would find on a typical street. I sat down on the stone windowsill, while C.J gazed around, like a meerkat would.
"I'm sorry, but what exactly are we doing?" I asked, surprised at my sass. C.J let out a chuckle.
"We're going to find Mr. Silva," she explained. "We're going to take back the shrink ray, and use it to grow to normal size. Then, we'll call the cops, and have him arrested."
"Nice plan, but what if he catches us, or shrinks us again?" I asked, with apprehension. C.J's face darkened.
"That's why we need to be extra careful." she replied.
"But do you know where he is?" I asked, feeling myself shiver.
"Not exactly," C.J answered honestly. "But I saw that poster. It said you have to get the attention of some… God of thunder, whatever that means, then you will be rewarded with immortality."
"Some God of thunder?" I questioned. Then, suddenly, I felt the pieces being placed together- it was so obvious! Zeus was granting immortality to whatever villain that could bring me to him. I'm a prize. "I know! I KNOW WHAT THEY ALL MEAN!" I hadn't felt so pleased for figuring something out apart from when I did algebra.
"Huh?" C.J asked, raising her brow.
"Um… it's a long story," I replied. "But let's just say this thunder god and I have some... history, and he wants me captured. In other words, keep me away from Mr. Silva."
"Got it," C.J said, gazing around. "Speaking of Mr. Silva, I see him coming now." Right on cue, Mr. Silva walked past, so we hid by the side of the window. The shrink ray was clutched in Mr. Silva's hand, as well as a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Sacrifice," he mumbled. "What could I sacrifice?" He gazed at the shrink ray. "No, no… not this." He peered into the office. "Maybe that statuette," Then he narrowed his eyes. "Wait a second…" He raced around to the school's entrance, still holding the shrink ray. We saw him enter the office and gasp in horror at my escape.
"Uh…" I whispered to C.J, as Mr. Silva bared his teeth.
"That hero thinks she can get away so easily, doesn't she?" Mr. Silva growled. He began scouring his office, searching for me. I noticed he placed the shrink ray on his desk as he searched through a pile of books.
"Now's the best and worst time to go after the shrink ray…" I grumbled to C.J. "But it's also the only time. What're we gonna do?"
"I think sometimes the best thing you can do is think small." C.J answered, tapping her chin in thought. I groaned, not really willing to take quotes as an answer. Then, I decided to do what you would do in science- analyze the words. Think small? She must mean… don't go overdose with your plan. Then I got an idea. I only needed one, small thing.
"Fierce Fox!" I gasped, piping up. C.J gave me a look.
"Who's Fierce Fox?" she asked, her brow raised.
"My friend. We have to get in contact with her… somehow." I answered, tapping my chin. "She's only one small thing. One thing that can save us."
"I'm afraid it's too late for that," a voice boomed nearby us. Mr. Silva was there, and he was holding up the shrink ray threateningly. "Don't take one more step, ladies." I glanced at C.J.
"Run for it!" she cried, despite Mr. Silva's threat. He growled and fired the shrink ray, but C.J and I jumped out of the way. The shrink ray ended up shrinking the window; it fell off the wall and smashed onto the ground. This did not make Mr. Silva happy in any way and he fired at us again, rage covering his face. Fierce Fox, please! I telepathically screamed. I'm your voice! You have to come to me!
"STOP RUNNING!" Mr. Silva yelled, firing again at me. I rolled out of the way like an idiot. To be honest, I wasn't sure what I was doing, but I knew I needed to avoid getting hit. And I needed Fierce Fox to come.
Mr. Silva raised his foot above my head, when a voice called, "HEY! YOU!" It was unmistakably Fierce Fox's voice. Her red hair flowed in the wind; her hand tightened around her lighting staff.
"Oh? So have you come to the party?" Mr. Silva jeered, aiming at Fierce Fox. She leaped over his blast, which instead hit a lamp post. Her feet landed onto Mr. Silva's body- it turned out he wasn't good at karate, so he tumbled over. Fierce Fox picked up the shrink ray, while Mr. Silva yelled insults at her. I felt myself gulp, as I braced against the stone wall. I didn't know where C.J was, but I hoped she was alright.
"FIERCE FOX!" I called out, as loud as I could. I prayed that she could hear me. It turned out she couldn't, but she did hear someone. She faced the ground, and fiddled with the shrink ray. C.J suddenly shot up to normal size, which made me very apprehensive now that there were three giants.
Fierce Fox and C.J found me, and I was returned to normal size. We tied up Mr. Silva and brought him inside, where the police took care of him. Meanwhile, C.J used her shrink ray as her science project, and of course, won first prize.
"Thanks for all the help," I said to her, with a grin. "I couldn't have done it without you. And plus, it was… interesting, having a different partner."
C.J chuckled, "No problem!" Then her smile shrunk. "Hey, I never got to know your name!"
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, we heroes sometimes are known as 'hero' rather than our names. I'm Alice."
"Nice to meet you," C.J replied. She handed Fierce Fox the medallion. "Keep in touch."
"Of course." I said, as the screen turned white.