Chapter 24- Who Framed Alvin the Chipmunk?
Saturday
July 21st, 1990
7:11am
DJ opened his eyes a little and was surprised to see that the lights were on. The last thing he remembered was Jeanette finding out his true identity and his father returning home. As his sight was still adjusting, the surface he was lying on felt unfamiliar. And the air definitely didn't smell right either, and it smelled too much like a doctor's office. Once he was able to see clearly again, he was quite shocked to see he was in a hospital room. The clothes he was wearing had been replaced by a hospital gown, and he was hooked up to a heart monitor. When the monitor reacted to his movement, it promptly caused a nurse to come in. "Morning, Mr. Khalid" she greeted, "You're in the Liberty Hospital. I'm afraid to inform you that you have been suffering heart rate drops and a deficiency in brain activity. Your family sent you here the minute you fainted."
DJ gulped, he was no doctor, but he knew what the nurse described was serious. "Wait!" he started to panic, "How long was I out?!" The monitor then went faster.
"Please calm yourself," the nurse said softly, gently laying DJ back down, "With the condition you're in, sudden leaps in heart rates could lead to unimaginable damage. You have only been out for 12 hours. It's only 7 in the morning."
DJ let out a sigh of relief, "Oh thank god…" He was worried for a moment that he slept through the thunderstorm. Then it hit him, today was the day. July 21st, 1990, the clocktower on top of his school would get struck by lightning. In a panic, he tried to get up. "Thanks for the care" DJ remarked, "But I really must be going."
"Oh no no, Mr. Khalid!" the nurse stopped him, "You can't leave, you're in serious condition! We haven't even given you a proper diagnotion. Whatever you have, it seems to be life threatening!"
"Yep, and my life will continue to be at threat if you keep me here!" DJ snapped, struggling to break free, "So please, I really must go!"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Khalid" the nurse answered as she finally pinned DJ down, "But I can't let you leave. You just need to relax. So how about you watch some TV and the doctor will be with you in a moment."
DJ let out a grunt, "Fine." He wasn't able to fight back against one nurse, there was no way he would be able to escape if he went up against multiple.
The nurse smiled, "Good. Here's your breakfast, by the way." She then handed him a tray of hospital food (she was even considerate enough to give him no meat).
"Thanks" DJ nodded politely.
The nurse then turned on the TV, which was hanging from the corner of the ceiling, and handed him the remote. "If you need anything, then press this button here" She then pointed to the red button on the side of DJ's bed, "Now rest easy." She then left the room.
DJ let out a sigh as he leaned back and started to eat his breakfast, which was a carton of milk, jello, some asparagus, and peas. This could be the last day of his life and he was stuck here eating some illy prepared hospital food. The teen may have only been asleep for 12 hours, but at this point he wished he could sleep back to his time. He looked up to the TV to keep his mind off of things for a moment, and whatever channel it was on, seemed to be on a commercial break, as all he could see were the same looking blonde boy skateboarding and consuming some food product like it was the greatest thing he had ever tasted. "Is that Macaulay Culkin?" DJ wondered (And this was pre Home Alone, Macaulay Culkin). Just then it cut right into a very flashy commercial with eerily familiar sounding music, or at least, a familiar voice. "Guess what America?!" the announcer enthusiastically sang, "Huge superstar and new solo artist, Brittany the Chipette, is having her first live TV performance at the Hollywood Bowl!" DJ spat out his peas as he saw his mother on TV, posing in front of the famous music venue. "She is going to perform 12 of the hottest songs alongside 16 professional dancer, with the most advance lightshow so she party like it's 1999!" They then presented some examples, like lasers, strobe lights, smoke, and moving platforms. "So buy tickets fast, and don't miss Brittany's biggest show yet at 8:30pm Pacific Time!" It then cut to record to Brittany waving and winking at the camera, "See you real soon!" The commercial then ended.
DJ moaned as he covered his face. "Out of all the things my mom could be doing today, she's going to have the biggest concert in the country!" DJ helplessly thought. And to further his misfortune, it was going to start at 8:30pm, only an hour and a half before the lightning strikes. For a moment, he considered throwing in the towel and let himself disappear when he heard a person come in.
DJ turned around was shocked to see a doctor with a thin, lanky build. Their back was a little contorted, and their outfit was a little loose. They even concealed their face with a surgical mask and hairnet. On closer inspection, it seemed to be Eleanor standing on Theodore's shoulders, disguised as a doctor. "Hello Thanos, I mean, DJ! I'm Doctor…. Periwinkle!" Eleanor greeted with an attempted deep voice, "Yes, Dr. Periwinkle. I'm here to cure you!" The blonde teen was moving a bit too much, which gave Theodore a hard time balancing. Eleanor then removed her mask. "Mr. Thanos. It's me, Eleanor!" she whispered, "Me and Teddy are here to bust you out"
DJ stared blankly at the small teens shabby disguise. He wondered how the two of them even got this far into the hospital. "Thanks guys" he began to say awkwardly, "But I don't think that disguise is gonna…"
Just then, the nurse returned. "Oh Dr. Periwinkle, there you are!" she smiled.
Eleanor then quickly put the mask back on. "Yep, here I am!" Eleanor sweated.
The nurse then turned to DJ, "You're a lucky man, DJ. Apparently your in the hands of a Harvard valedictorian! Apparently he has found the cure for over 100 diseases! When we requested the best, we didn't know we would get the best! I wondered why I haven't heard of you, Dr. Periwinkle."
"Oh, I don't like to gloat" Eleanor lied, "I just want to help people."DJ just stared at the chipette with an annoyed expression, as it was obvious that she and Theodore went overboard with lying.
"How humble of you, doctor," the nurse nodded, "Well I'll leave you to do your magic, bye!" She then left again.
"Harvard valedictorian?" DJ scolded, "Really?"
"We really wanted to sell it" Theodore answered under the suit, "We promised to save you no matter what!"
DJ let out a sigh, "Well you did fool the nurse. But how are you planning on getting me out of here? I don't think we can simply walk out."
"Don't worry" Eleanor answered, "Jeanette and Simon are going to cause a distraction in the lobby." She then started to pull DJ by the arm. The three of them then exited to room. "Wait!" the chipette exclaimed, "I just remembered something. People leaving hospitals must leave in a wheelchair!" And there just so happened to be an empty wheelchair right next to them, "Hop in, Mr. Thanos!"
"Are you sure about this?" DJ questioned, "Isn't it going to be hard for you guys to push me while disguised?"
"We're sure" Theodore answered, "Me and Ellie onced pushed a shopping cart while disguised as Dave."
"What?!" DJ muttered, "You know what,I'm not going to even ask." He then begrudgingly sat on the wheelchair.
"Alright" Eleanor proclaimed, "Start moving, Teddy" Eleanor was pushing the wheelchair while Theodore walked forward.
"Can Theo see where he's going?" DJ nervously asked.
"Nope" Theodore answered, "But it's alright, Ellie can see for me."
"Turn right, Teddy!" Eleanor commanded. And as instructed, Theodore turned right once they came to the end of the hallway and started to head down the next. So far the two chipmunks had proven to be capable of the act, but that didn't stop DJ from feeling worried. Suddenly, three doctors each pushing a woman in labor on a bed came hurling towards the trio. All three women also looked identical. DJ covered his eyes, scared that they were about to crash, but Theodore and Eleanor managed to dodge them seamlessly. DJ let out a sigh, but then 4 fast unmanned pushing carts full of medical equipment were about to meet them in opposite directions. And once again, Theodore and Eleanor dodged them. DJ was starting to feel impress until he noticed that neither of them were paying attention. Theodore was dancing along while Eleanor was whistling a tune, which meant so far they were just lucky.
Down the hallway, a clown was exiting a room filled with sick children. "Bye kids!" the clown waved, not looking where he was going.
"Hey Mr. Clown!" one of the kids called out, "Show us one more trick!"
The clown shrugged, "Oh alright. This one I call 'The Banana Split'!" He then took out a banana peel and placed it on the ground. He was about to step on the peel until the chipmunks came rolling by, and DJ's wheelchair slipped on it. The three of them then went speeding down the hall as they screamed. The children started to laugh when they saw this happened. The clown looked nervous and looked both ways to make sure no one else saw it. He then took out his notepad and scribbled out 'The Banana Split'.
Meanwhile, Simon and Jeanette were waiting at the lobby. "What's taking Theodore and Eleanor so long?" Simon wondered as he was tapping his foot impatiently.
"I hope they're not doing another disguise" Jeanette added, "They always go overboard."
"Whatever, let's just start the distraction anyway" Simon shrugged. He then took off his glasses and handed them to the chipette next to him. "Oh no!" Simon cried, "I can't find my glasses, I hope I don't trip over anything." He then proceeded to move around the room with his arms out, as everyone else watched nervously.
"Simon, I got them over here!" Jeanette called out.
"Oh, thanks" Simon continued to act, "Stay where you are, I'll come over to you!" Simon then intentionally walked in circles.
"Simon!" Jeanette waved the glasses in the air, "I'm over here!"
"Where?!" Simon called out. Just then Jeanette saw the three other chipmunks speeding right towards them.
"Simon, look out!" Jeanette cried.
"Look out for what?" Simon asked, still thinking that Jeanette was still acting, "I don't see anything."
Jeanette realized this and ran over to the blue teen. She put his glasses right on just as Simon was facing in the direction of the incoming wheelchair. By the time Simon was able to see it, it was too late as the wheelchair crashed into them. Then all five chipmunks screamed as they rolled out the exit, surprising everyone who watched.
The wheelchair went zooming out the hospital, and for a moment it slowed down. They all sighed as they thought it was over, but it turned out that the hospital was on top of a hill. The wheelchair then started to roll down the hill. The chipmunks were going at 100 miles per hour all throughout the city. They ran red lights and nearly crashed into various people. But eventually they stopped right in front of the park. Each of them got off the wheelchair, feeling quite shaken. "I can see why that nurse told me to keep my heart rate steady" DJ remarked as he was clutching his nearly fell down but Simon and Theodore caught him.
"Are you alright, DJ?" Jeanette asked, who was now more worried for her nephew than ever after finding out the truth.
"I'm good" DJ wheezed, "Just… need… to sit down a bit" he then sat down on the ground, breathing heavily.
The two small chipmunks then walked over to the 21st century teen. "Oh man, Mr. Thanos" Theodore frowned, "If only we were Dr. Periwinkle, then we could make a cure for you."
Simon wasn't sure what his brother was talking about, but he wanted to chime in, "There is a cure, Theodore. But unfortunately it's getting Alvin and Brittany together."
"Yep" DJ sighed, "I'm incurable"
"Hey" Jeanette rubbed the boy's head, "That's not true."
DJ shook his head as he stood back, "Haven't you heard the news? Brittany is going to perform at the Hollywood Bowl tonight. How would we ever even get close to her?"
"We'll figure out a way" Eleanor interjected, "And if I know anything for sure is that Alvin and Brittany love each other."
DJ believed the same thing too, but that fact that he was disappearing made believing it impossible. Simon could see the doubtfulness in his nephew's face and approached him. "Hey, the future is not final" Simon said. He then turned to Jeanette, "That's what you told me, and you were right all along."
"But…" DJ stuttered.
"No buts" the bespectacled chipmunk exclaimed as he put a hand on DJ's shoulder, "Now let's save the future!" DJ finally managed to crack a smile, feeling a bit better. But then an arrow landed right next to him. All the teens teens jumped as they looked to where it came from. There were two large opposing groups of people facing each other in an open field in the park. One side wore red while the other side wore pink, and all their clothes were torn in some way. Each person glared at the other side while holding some weapons. It looked like a huge battle was about to break out. The teens looked onward in confusion as to what was happening.
Then suddenly a short balding man came out the red crowd with a megaphone.,"I think I can say on behalf of every music enthusiast out there that you people have ruined everything."
Next, a little girl came out of the pink crowd. "No, you all are just jealous of our queen and can't accept that you like dumb things" the little girl spat.
The man then turned as read as his shirt, "No you like dumb thing! That's it! EVERYONE CHARGE!" Then an all out war transpired. Simon and Jeanette covered their younger sibling's eyes as it was too violent for me to go into detail and for you to imagine.
Suddenly a reporter and cameraman appeared out of nowhere. "Hello, this is Nathen Nosey and we have one of many brutal battles happening across the nation" as said with an inappropriate smile, "Two opposing sides, with two conflicting ideals. It's the question that has been plaguing humanity for nearly a decade…. Is Alvin Seville or Brittany Miller the superior rock n' roller?"
"What?!" all the teens exclaimed.
"Wait a minute!" Simon exclaimed to the reporter, "You're telling me all of this depraved violence is because people have different opinions on which chipmunk sings better?!"
"That's right, Simon Seville, brother of Alvin Seville" Nathan smiled, "While you guys are here, why don't we hear your answers. Who's better, Alvin or Brittany?" Everyone in the battle then stopped for a brief moment to look onwards to the chipmunks, awaiting their answers.
"Hmm, you know that's interesting" Simon stammered while all of chipmunks sweated, "After thinking long and hard…. I think our answer is.." Then all the teens jumped back on the wheelchair and went speeding away.
Meanwhile, back at the Seville residence, Dave was examining the shiny cassette tape of his newest song on his desk. He had worked so hard on it all week, thinking for once that Ian would allow him to write songs for the kids again. He should've known that the producer was only leading him on, just so he could pull the rug out under him. Despite the fact that making the song was pointless, he was genuinely proud of this one. The music had a catchy sound to it, but the lyrics, though cheesy, brought out an important message. "Too bad no one will get to hear it" Dave sighed to himself. He didn't have the heart to throw out the cassette tape, or the lyrics that went with it, so he decided to keep them in his pocket for now.
He then noticed how uncomfortably quiet the house was. Normally he would be glad for the lack of noise, as his sons would make it constantly. Theodore was always cooking something in the kitchen, Simon would be working on some crazy experiment, or Alvin would be simply causing a ruckus. But now there was none of that. Simon and Theodore had left early to see DJ in the hospital. The minute he found his guest knocked out on the floor, he called 911 immediately. For some strange reason, all the children were quite against DJ getting medical attention. It was pretty obvious that there was something seriously wrong about the maroon chipmunk, why wouldn't they want him to help? Now only one of the children had stayed, Alvin, and the usually disruptive teen didn't even make a peep from his room. The boy was grounded, but it was off putting to Dave to how there was zero protest coming from his son. Heck, he wasn't absolutely sure Alvin was even still in his room. So having nothing else to do, Dave decided to check in on the red chipmunk. He walked up the steps and knocked on his door. "Alvin?" Dave called out softly, "Are you there?" There was no answer. Dave opened the door a little bit and peaked inside. Alvin was indeed there, but he was just sitting on his bed in the dark. "Alvin?" the man called out again.
The red capped teen turned away from him. "Can you leave me alone?" Alvin asked in a somber tone, "I'm not in the mood to…. Interact with anyone right now…"
Dave was now quite worried for his son, as he never seen him so depressed. He let out a sigh as he flicked the lights on, to the dismay of the chipmunk. "Do you want to talk, Alvin?" Dave asked, "I'm assuming it has to do with Brittany."
"Dave?" Alvin began to say in a shaky voice.
Dave entered the room, "Yes?"
The teen stared down to his thighs, "How come… you keep me around?"
Dave nearly fell over from shock. That was the last thing he was expecting to hear. "Alvin" he chuckled, "What are you talking about? You're my son, I can't get rid of you."
"Why not?!" Alvin yelled before coming down, "I mean, I'm always causing you trouble. Why do you still deal with my bullshit?"
"Language" Dave scolded, he then sat down next to the boy, placing a hand on his thigh. He looked straight into his eyes, "Alvin, you may cause trouble, but that doesn't make me love you any less. You have great spirit, you're really talented, and the most courageous person I know. But most of all, you have a big heart. Over the past week I've seen you grow into more of a mature and caring adult, and I'm so proud of you of that. You and Brittany even stopped fighting, and you're closer than ever."
Alvin appreciated his father's praises, but that last one hit him hard. "No Dave. I broke Brittany's heart" the teen frowned as he stood up, "Because of my stupid ego, I insulted her. I made her cry, Dave. And now, because of me, she's…." He nearly choked up when he was about to leave the room, "After all these years, I finally see myself who I really am: a huge jerk." He then walked out of the room.
Dave didn't know how to respond. He had never seen Alvin so self loathing before; it caused his heart to ache. "Alvin" he tried to speak up, "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to get some fresh air" Alvin answered from the stairs, "I need to clear my head."
Dave shrugged, initially seeing nothing wrong with his son's decision. But it wasn't until shortly after Alvin left through the front door did he realize that it was a bad idea for the teen to be spotted. He ran to go get Alvin, but when he opened the door, he saw he was too late. Officers Griffin and Officer Simpson had pinned Alvin down on the sidewalk and proceeded to handcuff him. "Alvin Seville, you're under arrest for suspected first degree grand theft of 5 million dollars from the Olivia orphanage."
"You have the right to remain silent" Officer Simpson added.
"What?!" Alvin cried, "You honestly think I stole 5 million dollars? I even helped raise that money for crying out loud."
"Well you were the only person who went missing when the crime was committed" Officer Griffin explained, "So by default, you're our biggest suspect."
"You better be convincing once we bring you into questioning" Simpson spat as she sat Alvin on the back of the police car, "Or else you'll be paying a visit to the judge!"
"Hey!" Dave snapped as he ran up to the officers, "My son is no crook! You can't arrest him if you have no evidence!"
"We can if we have a warrant, Mr. Seville" Griffin stated blankly as he sat down on the driver's seat, "Which we do. If we find your son to be innocent, we'll let him go. We could even drive him home for you."
"But if we find him guilty" Simpson sneered as she sat down in the passenger's seat, "You better save up for a good lawyer!" They then began to drive off.
"No, wait!" Dave cried as he tried to chase after them. But the police car continued to drive off with Alvin inside. So Dave slowed down and helplessly watch his son be taken away. Just then he heard a bunch of high pitched screaming behind him. The man turned around and saw the other chipmunks riding in on a wheelchair. It bumped against the sidewalk and the teens went tumbling all over. They all moaned in pain as Dave ran up to them. "Oh my god, what's going on here?!" He cried, he then spotted an unsuspecting face, "DJ, what are you doing?" He then noticed the teen was still wearing his hospital gown. "Don't tell me you guys busted him out of the hospital!" he groan as he face palmed.
Eleanor laughed easily, "Okay, we won't."
Dave let out another sigh as he walked straight up to DJ, "I don't have time for this. DJ, you need to go back to the hospital now!"
"He can't Dave!" Simon exclaimed, "It's vital that he stays with us!"
"Yeah" Jeanette added, "We can't explain why, but it's absolutely necessary."
"Not this again" Dave moaned, "Whatever, we deal with this, later. Right now, I need to drive down to the police station and get Alvin back." He then headed for his car.
"What?!" all the teens cried.
"What is Alvin doing there?!" Theodore asked.
"They think he stole the money from the fundraiser" Dave answered, "Which is complete nonsense. I'm going to give the station a piece of my mind." He then entered his car.
"Wait!" DJ called as he and the others ran up to him, "Bring us along, too!"
Dave hesitated for a moment before giving in, "Okay, but promise me you won't pull anymore crazy stunts."
"Oh we'll try" Simon said sarcastically as they all entered through the back. Dave was about to get on the road when Eleanor cried out, "Stop, we can't leave Ms. Miller!"
"Fine" Dave grunted, he then honked his horn, "Ms. Miller, come outside!"
The old woman came running out of her house, "What's going on, David?!"
"Alvin got arrested!" Dave answered back, "Come on, let's hurry to the police station."
"Oh my lord!" Ms. Miller gasped, "What are we waiting for? Let's get a move on!" She scurried over to the passenger's seat, and once she buckled herself in, Dave stepped on the gas and the car went speeding by.
Over at a prodigious dance studio in Hollywood, Brittany and some other dancers were wearing aerobics clothing while doing some choreography. Ian was watching them with his arms crossed while Crystal and her goons were answering business calls. For hours, Brittany has done nothing but sing and dance to prepare for her big performance at the bowl. She had heavy bags under her eyes as she didn't get much sleep last night, both because she was restless with fear and Ian waking her up early. She wasn't trying so hard pretending to smile, as she wasn't in public. But she still wanted to keep the bald man pleased, or else he might threaten her with the pictures again. The pink teen tried her best to stay focused on the dancing, but she was starting to feel light headed from tiredness, which caused her to trip over her feet. The music and dancing stopped and Ian marched over to the fallen girls feeling quite annoyed.
"Come on, Brittany" Ian snapped, "The whole country is going to watch you perform, so you need to get this right!"
Brittany tried to get herself up while wincing in pain, "Well excuse me for being sloppy, maybe you shouldn't have booked me a huge performance so darn soon!"
"Time is money, sweetheart" Ian argued, "And the faster we get you become the number one music artist, the faster we'll be given millions of dollars!"
"Don't call me sweetheart!" Brittany spat.
"I call you whatever I want!" the bald man shouted, "Because I'm just three phone button presses away from ending your entire career."
Brittany immediately shut her mouth, not daring to antagonize the producer any further.
"Yeah, that's what I thought" Ian glared, "Now go back wanting to dance with somebody!" He turned the music box back on and Brittany and the dancers returned to rehearsing. He leaned against the wall and lit a cigar to calm his nerves. He was then approached by Crystal.
"She does point, Mr. Hawke" the hostess commented, "I mean there might be nasty storm tonight, and the Hollywood Bowl is outdoors. Are you sure we shouldn't push it to tomorrow?"
"No way!" Ian angrily answered, "You out of all people should know what bad publicity cancelling Brittany's first solo concert can bring! Plus the tickets are selling like hot cakes. I'm sure that storm will go right passed us."
Crystal still didn't feel confident, but she didn't want to argue with Ian any further, "If you say so, Mr. Hawke."
"By the way, where's that squirrel guy?" Ian asked, "He should've been here with my coffee 5 minutes ago."
Then right on cue, Dr. Frankenstein returned with a coffee in hand. "Here's your stupid coffee" the scientist grunted.
"Finally" Ian rolled his eyes. He took the coffee out of Frankenstein's big mascot hands and took a sip, which he immediately spat it out. "What is this?!" Ian shouted angrily, "I asked for 2 teaspoons of sugar, this is just one! Go back and buy me another!"
Though it was hard to tell with his constant smiling face, Dr. Frankenstein was starting to bowl up. "That's it!" the doctor shouted as he put his foot down, "I helped you with the contract, I aided in building the effects for the performance, I even assisted with the money, and all you do is treat me like a servant! I'm an evil genius, I shall not be treated this way!"
"If you're such a genius, how come you screwed up my coffee?" Ian snapped, "God you're even worse than my butler. At least he remembers to add another teaspoon."
"Well I'm no cursed buttler, I'm Dr. Frankenstein" the madman exclaimed, "I agreed to help to get my revenge on those stupid rodents, and that's what we did. Now give me my share!"
Ian scoffed, "How many times do we have to say this to you? You're not ! You're just some weirdo in costume."
"That's it, I quit!" Frankenstein yelled, "Some day, mark my words, I shall get my revenge! Good luck having no genius on your team!" He then stormed out.
Ian was quite unfazed by this, as he didn't really care. How could he take a guy in a Sammy costume seriously? He shrugged as he continued to drink his coffee, though mildly displeased.
Dave and the others continued to race to the police station. It was positioned in the bad part of Los Angeles, right where crime was highest. Dave threaded carefully through the neighborhood, making sure to not run into any dangerous people. But just then they passed by a familiar sight, the Olivia Orphanage, which was currently being tapped off by the police. They could all see Gwen and the orphans standing outside, talking to the police. "Please don't close this place down" Gwen pleaded, "It's our only home!"
"Sorry miss" one of the cops answered, "But due to y'all running out of money, the city has ordered us to close the place. I reckoned that they're going to knock it down in place for some plaza or something."
"No!" Gwen broke down as she fell to her knees. The orphans went over to comfort her.
The cop shook his head and took his hat off with shame, "If it means anything, I'm awfully sorry your money was stolen. I just got word from the station that they're bringing tin that Alvin kid. With any luck, they might be able to find the money."
"What?!" an orphan boy snapped, "There's no way Alvin stole it!"
"Yeah!" the other orphans agreed.
"Stop wasting time, and find the real criminal!" the boy demanded. The orphans then got really routty.
"Hey hey, calm down" the cop asked, but it didn't stop the children.
The whole time Dave and the others were listening in from the car, quite upset about what they had heard. But then an idea popped into Jeanette's head. "Dave!" she exclaimed, "Let me, Simon, and DJ out! I think I might be able to figure out where the money is?"
"What?" Dave question in disbelief, "There's no way I'm letting you three go into restricted area!"
Simon then decided to assist the bespectacled chipette. "Times are desperate, Dave. I trust Jeanette that we'll be able to find evidence to clear Alvin's name and save the orphanage!"
Dave was still feeling conflicted, but probably trusted Simon and Jeanette the most out of all the children, as they are the most responsible. "Alright" Dave reluctantly obliged as he unlocked the car doors, "But be careful, and if you find yourselves in trouble, got to the police immediately."
"Okay, Dave" the three of them replied as they exited the car. Simon went around and took out a suitcase from the trunk and shut it back.
"Good luck, guys!" Theodore waved with Eleanor. Dave then stepped on the gas again and went speeding off to the police station.
"Alright" Simon said, "Before anything, I think you ought to change your clothes, DJ" He then pointed to the hospital gown the other boy was still wearing.
"Yeah" DJ awkwardly nodded, "But what do I change into? I think my clothes are back at the hospital."
Simon shook his head, "I was going to wait until later, but I think now's the time to give these back." He then handed his nephew the suitcase. DJ opened it up and saw it was his old clothes, his flannel, Beat headphones, and everything. "I was hiding them in Dave's trunk for safe keeping" Simon noted.
A smile emerged on the 21st century teen's face. "Alright" he nodded. He then went over to a nearby ally and changed back to his normal appearance. Once he put his favorite headphones back on his head, he felt complete bliss. It almost felt like he was back in 2020 already. When he returned to his aunt and uncle, he walked rather confidently.
"Wait" Jeanette raised an eyebrow, "That's what you guys wear in the future? Plaid shirts and cordless headsets? Sigh, I'll never get fashion trends."
"Me neither" Simon added.
"Alright alright, that's enough of you guys being not chill" DJ answered, "Now Jeanette, what's the plan?"
The purple teen then straighten her glasses, "Well now that the orphanage is empty, I think we should investigate and find clues."
"Really?" DJ questioned as they began to walk over, "The police weren't able to find anything, what makes you think we can find clues?"
"Hey" Simon wagged his finger at DJ, "Don't underestimate your aunt, she knows what she's doing. I'll let you know that she read every single Sherlock Holmes book at least three times."
Jeanette giggled happily, "Thank you, Simon." They then approached Gwen and the orphans. "Hello guys" she greeted somberly.
The orphans' faces immediately lit up. "Oh my god!" cheered a girl in glasses, "It's Simon and Jeanette."
"Awesome" shouted another boy, "They're smart, I bet they can find the crook. They even got their Alvin clone with them!"
Gwen then stood up. "Oh hello you three" she greeted, eyes still red from crying, "I'm sorry we lost the money, we know how hard you worked to get it for us."
"You have nothing to be sorry about" DJ interjected.
"Precisely" Simon added on, "Some depraved criminal is responsible for it, and we're here to figure out who that criminal is."
Jeanette then took out a pen and notepad, "Please tell me everything that happened last night, when the money was stolen."
Gwen dusted herself off and stood back up. "Well alright" the woman reluctantly went along, "I'll just tell you everything we've told the police." Jeanette then began to write in her notepad as Gwen continued,"You see, I send the children off to bed at 10, then I would usually go to sleep around 11. Nothing was different from other nights, we slept soundly having the idea that we'll be able to pay off all our bills in the morning. But when we awaken, some of the children went to check the money in the basement and it was all gone! I called the police after investigating myself."
Jeanette nodded along while writing it all down, "And from what I heard, the police were unable to find any traces of the culprit?"
"Yes" Gwen nodded, "I have no idea how they could move 20 bags of money without making a noise. These walls aren't particularly thick."
"Yeah, you could hear a pin drop on the other side of the building," one of the older girls noted, "It's so annoying, honestly."
"Interesting" Jeanette commented, "And where's the entrance in the basement?"
"All the way at the back" Gwen answered, "So the culprit would have to go quite deep into the building to get the money, and walk all the way back to the entrance."
"And they managed to do this without waking anyone up" Simon scratched his chin, "And that's quite a feat, considering how squeaky your floors are, no offense."
"None taken" Gwen assured, "It's unbelievable, the one thing I didn't need to worry about when running this orphanage was getting robbed. This neighborhood is full of crooks, but none of them dared to steal from here. I thought getting rob was virtually impossible, but I know see that I'm sorely mistaken."
"Hmmm" Jeanette began to brainstorm.
"Maybe it was ghosts" DJ commented, "Is the basement haunted?"
"That's ridiculous DJ" Simon scolded, "This is a real crime we're talking about, this is no time for superstitions."
"Oh says the guy who met Frankenstein" DJ shot back.
Oh the basement is definitely haunted" a boy answered, "There's always creepy noises coming from down there."
"And things are always moving on their own" another girl noted, "And it smells like something died in it. It has always given me the creeps, that's why I never go down there."
"Me neither" another orphan added.
"No way" said another.
"Wouldn't go down there for a million bucks" a boy stated, "But I would for five million, which is why me and Tom went down there for the first time in forever."
"Yeah, I hate that place" Tom himself commented, "I always knew there were ghost down there, and now they are gone and took our dough."
"Now stop that children" Gwen scolded, "I've told you a million times, there's no ghost or monsters in the basement."
"If that's true, how come you never go down there, Ms. Gwen?" Tom argued.
The caretaker then blushed, "Well… to be honest the basement makes me nervous as well."
"Wa wa wait a minute" Simon stuttered, "Are you telling me no one has been down in the basement since yesterday?"
"Well… we haven't" Gwen answered, "But Mr. Hawke and his assistants went down there to store the cash on the night of the fundraiser. The assistants even came back later with even more of the money to put down there. But they were quite strange, I swore one of them looked like Crystal Cameron."
The three chipmunks then looked at each other with wide eyes. "Guys" DJ stammered, "You don't think…"
Jeanette then let out a big gasp, "Simon, DJ, follow me!" She then ran into the alleyway. This caught the boys off guard so it took them a moment to catch up. They ran into the alleyway themselves and found Jeanette looking at the ground with a magnifying glass.
"What is it, Jeanette?" Simon asked.
"Remember the night of the fundraiser when we went to throw out the trash?" Jeanette answered.
Simon let out a gasp himself. "Right, and some of the money was left outside!" he exclaimed, "But we've returned it! We would have to be the last one down there before it got stolen the next night."
"But Gwen said Ian's assistants when down there shortly after we left" Jeanette noted.
"Wait" Simon began to say, putting the pieces together, "Are you implying that the money was actually stolen the night before?"
"That's exactly what I'm implying, Simon" Jeanette exclaimed.
"Of course!" DJ slapped his head, "The reason the police were unable to find any evidence of a robber because the robbers were actually the ones who brought the money down there in the first place!"
"And that's also why no one heard anything the night after" Jeanette added on, "Because there really was no one lurking about."
"It makes absolute sense, physics wise" Simon noted, "But logic wise is makes no sense. Why would the assistants store the money here just so they could steal it later? I mean they could've store it somewhere else and claim that they were robbed."
"I'm not exactly sure why they did it," Jeanette answered, she then knelt down and picked up something small off the ground, "I but I think we now know who did it." She then showed the boys what she had in her hand. It seemed to be grey fur.
"I don't get it" DJ scratched his head, "Are saying the rats took it?"
"No silly" Jeanette humphed rather non aggressively, "Take a closer look."
Simon then examined the fur even closer. He then came to a strong realization, "It's fake fur! It seems like the kind they use on costumes."
"And who do we know that wears a grey costume?" Jeanette smiled.
DJ and Simon looked at each other. "Dr. Frankenstein!" they both cried.
"The police never caught him" Simon exclaimed, "It might be possible that he helped export the cash out, as some sort of revenge on us!"
"Heck, maybe he's the one who thought of the scheme!" DJ added.
"Exactly!" Jeanette cheered. But then the purple chipette's mood dropped a bit, "But if that's true, then that means it's our fault the money got stolen. Getting these poor people involved in our troubles." She then frowned and hung her head.
Simon went his best friend on the back. "Don't be silly, Jeanette" he stated softly, "It's not our fault that Frankenstein is so vain and heartless."
"Yeah, Auntie Jean!" DJ interjected, "That creep is to blame for this mess."
The tall chipette felt a bit better after her friend and their nephew comforted her, so she shook the negative thoughts out of her head. "You're right guys" Jeanette responded, "Let's go get that no good doctor!" The three of them then proceeded to leave the alleyway.
"But wait" Simon paused, "Where in the world are we going to find him? How do we even know if he's still in Los Angeles?"
Just then they heard the cop pick up his walkie talkie. "What is it? Over." he asked.
"We got a situation over by the convenience store down at Plot street" the operator answered, "A man in a Sammy costume is harassing the owner. Over"
"Not the Plot convenience store" the cop shook his head, "Roger that, I'll take that squirrel down. Over." He then took out his handcuffs and jumped on his motorcycle.
"Did you hear that?" Jeanette smiled.
"Yes" Simon answered, "That has to be him! And the Plot convenience store is only a few blocks away!"
"Then what are we waiting for?" DJ cheered, "Let's go get that crook, before my dad gets thrown into the slammer!"
Not far off from where they were, Dave and the others finally arrived at the police station. Dave slammed on the breaks and immediately ran out while Ms. Miller and the green teens ran behind. "David, wait!" Ms. Miller cried, "Let's not be hasty!"
"Why not?!" the man grunted, "My boy is stuck in the police station!"
"Right, but you can't go barging in and demand him back" Ms. Miller argued, "Or else you want to be jailed up as well."
Dave looked onward at the station before sighing, "Alright. But what are we supposed to do? If we don't get in there, Alvin might be thrown in prison."
"Wait!" Eleanor cried, she then turned to her boyfriend, "Teddy, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Theodore's face then lit up. He then turned to his father, "Dave, don't worry! We got a way to get to Alvin!"
Dave scratched his head. Theodore and Eleanor didn't seem to be the scheming types, but he was willing to hear them out. "Okay" he complied, "What's the plan?"
Inside the dimly lit interrogation room, Alvin was handcuffed to the table while Officers Griffin and Simpson paced around him. "Come on, Seville. Are we really supposed to believe that a too cool for school teen like you went to your principal's house in the middle of summer?" Simpson glared.
"I'm telling the truth!" Alvin exclaimed, "I wanted to punish myself."
"You keep saying that, but you won't tell us why" Griffin noted, "I have to admit, that's pretty suspicious."
"I didn't do nothing!" Alvin shouted aggressively.
Simpson then slammed her fist on the table, "That's a double negative, that means you did do something!"
"No it doesn't!" Alvin cried fearfully, "I'm just bad with grammar!"
"Stop grammar policing, Simpson!" Griffin scolded his partner, "How many times do I have to tell you not to do that!"
"But Griffin!" the hot headed cop argued, "I will not have scum like him put a mockery on America's national language!"
"Not this again!" Griffin moaned, he then turned to Alvin, "She's always like this. English is abstract and constantly evolving, officer! As long as you're understood, it's just."
"But there's still rules!" Simpson argued, "If we broke willy nilly, we would never be able to communicate anything!" The cops then continued to argue the ethics of spoken language while Alvin sat there awkwardly between them.
But then there was a knock at the door. Then a new face entered, and the officers gasped. It was a much older man in his 70's.
"Commissioner Barbara!" they both exclaimed. The two of them then saluted.
"Are you two arguing about grammar again?" the commissioner glared, "I thought I put an end to that."
"We're very sorry, Commissioner!" Griffin stammered, "It'll never happen again!"
Simpson however, didn't look intimidated. "Grammar is an important element of society" she stated boldly, "And I shall not go lightly of those who use it poorly."
"You're out of line, Simpson" Barbara glared, "You have always been a loose cannon. That's why I'm handing the case to someone else."
"What?!" Griffin cried, "But sir, you can't hand the case to someone one else, we're your best!"
"I don't need the best. I need the best of the best!" Barbara said, "That's why I'm handing the case to Officer Periwinkle." He then pulled in another cop. It was a strange looking cop with a bent back and loose fitting clothes and a pair of shades. Of course, it was actually Eleanor on Theodore's shoulders again.
"Who's this clown?" Simpson snapped.
"Watch it, Simpson! I'll not have you talking to California's finest crime buster like that!" the commissioner shot back, "I'll let you know Officer Periwinkle has arrested over 400 criminals, and he does it without breaking the rules. The agency has sent him over to take the case, so I'm ordering you two to drop it."
"But sir!" Griffin pleaded.
"I said drop it!" Barbara commanded as he pointed to the door. Griffin let out a sigh as he dragged Simpson out with him, who didn't seem to please.
Barbara then turned to the disguised duo, "The case is now in your hands, Periwinkle. Godspeed."
"Yes, sir!" Eleanor saluted. The commissioner simply nodded before leaving the room himself. The disguised chipmunks then began to apouch Alvin.
"Wait, please!" Alvin cried, "I didn't do it, I'm innocent!"
Eleanor then removed her police cap and shades. "Alvin, don't worry. It's just me and Teddy" the blonde whispered.
"We're busting you out!" Theodore muffled under the outfit.
"Wow guys, great disguise!" Alvin complimented, "You nearly had me fooled!"
"Thanks" Eleanor smiled as she grabbed the key from the wall and freed Alvin from the table, "Okay Alvin, we're going to escort you out of the station but you have to keep the handcuffs on. Try not to look happy, or else we'll look suspicious."
"Roger that" Alvin gave a thumbs up, "Now let's get out of this pig sty."
Meanwhile, DJ, Simon, and Jeanette found the convenience store the cop was ordered to visit. The cop himself was peeking through the front door. The chipmunks decided to look inside as well. In the store, Dr. Frankenstein was holding a can of Dr. Pepper. "Just let me buy the drink!" the scientist demanded.
"No, I don't do business with you mascots!" the old looking clerk snapped, "Now get out of my store!"
"How dare you disrespect me! I'm the cunning Dr. Frankenstein," the madman yelled.
"Yeah and I'm Count Dracula" the clerk spat, "I already called the cops, so you better scram!"
This was when the cop decided to make his entrance. He came barging in aiming his taser as the doctor. "Put the Dr. Pepper down!" he demanded.
"Are you kidding me?!" Frankenstein whined, "I just wanted to buy a soda!"
"Taze that sucker!" the clerk shouted.
Then the chipmunks came running in. "Stop right there, Dr. Frankenstein!" Jeanette interjected.
The doctor gasped. "Rodents!" he angrily pointed.
"We know what you did, you evil egghead!" DJ spat.
"Yeah, he won't leave my goddamn store!" the clerk yelled.
"I SAID PUT THE DR. PEPPER DOWN!" the cop screamed.
"Sigh, fine! Fick…" Frankenstein the placed the soda down.
"Arrest this man!" Simon exclaimed to the officer, "Not only has he tried to kill us multiple times, but he's also the one who stole from the orphanage."
"Shut up!" Frankenstein spat, "I mean… I have never seen these children before in my life."
But the cop wasn't having it. "Oh you're going down, squirrel man!" the cop quipped. He then bit his tongue and turned to the teens, "Sorry, was that offensive?" But while he was looking away, Frankenstein saw his chance and ran out the door. "Hey" the cop yelled, "Stop in the name of law!"
The cop and the chipmunks then chased after him. They ran outside and saw Frankenstein push a man off his motorcycle and sped off on it. "He's getting away!" Jeanette cried.
"Not on my watch!" the cop sneered. He then jumped on his own motorcycle. "Hop on!" he called to the teens. They all got on the motorcycle as well (They were small enough to fit) and then the cop went after the mad scientist.
Back at the police station, Theodore and Eleanor were carefully escorting Alvin out. So far, everything was going pretty smoothly. They could even see the exit. Alvin felt pretty relieved, being so close to being free.
"Hey!" shouted a voice behind them. The three of them turned around and saw it was Griffin and Simpson. "Periwinkle, isn't it" Simpson glared. She then got right into Eleanor's face. "Where are you taking the suspect?" she sneered.
"Um…." Eleanor sweated, "I want him to get some sunlight, so he can answer my questions better…"
"That doesn't make much sense" Griffin raised an eyebrow.
Alvin quickly felt dread again. He began to laugh nervously, "Well you see officer, it does make sense because…" And then in panic, Alvin booked it out the door.
"Hey!" Simpson yelled.
"Alvin!" Theodore and Eleanor cried. They flinched as they turned around to face the cops, who were glaring straight at them. The two of them then decided to run as well.
Dave and Ms. Miller were waiting outside, waiting for their children to return, until they saw Alvin running out.
"Stop right there!" Simpson shouted as she and Griffin ran after the red teen. Theodore and Eleanor then came running out as well. Alvin ran right into the street. Coincidentally, Frankenstein came rushing in on the motorcycle. The scientist then fearfully slammed on the breaks once he saw the red capped teen in front of him.
Alvin gasped, "Frankenstein!"
The doctor recognized him as well. Everything was falling apart for Frankenstein. He just quit his alliance with Ian and Crystal, and now it seemed that he was going to be sent to prison. So in his petty desperation, he grabbed Alvin, who was still handcuffed, and continued to speed off.
"Alvin!" Dave cried. He was mortified to see his son escaped the clutches of the law just to be kidnapped by a strange man in a Sammy costume. Shortly after, the other cop and chipmunks arrived. "Guys!" Dave ran up to the motorcycle, "A strange squirrel man just took Alvin!"
"We know" Simon responded, "That was Dr. Frankenstein, he's the one who stole the money!"
"What?!" Dave was absolutely flabbergasted.
The other officer then arrived. "What's going on, Smith?" Griffin asked.
"It's Dr. Frankenstein" Smith (the third cop), "He stole the five million dollars and Alvin of the chipmunks!"
"My god" Simspon muttered as she took off her sunglasses.
"What are you all standing around for?!" Dave yelled at the cops "Go get my son back!"
"Right" Griffin flinched, "Smith, go after them! Me and Simpson will follow behind." Smith nodded as he, DJ, Simon, and Jeanette rode off.
"Come on, Simpson!" Griffin exclaimed, "We got a case to close!"
"I should've known it was Frankenstein" Simpson frowned, "Let's see if he's ready to meet the monster that is me!" The two other cops then hopped into their car and drove off as well. Dave started to panic as he ran back into his car as well, with Ms. Miller and the remaining chipmunks following. They then went speeding off as well. "Wait, Dave" Theodore cried out from the backseat, "There's someone we should get to help!"
It was an all out car chase across Los Angeles. Smith was right on Frankenstein's tail, but the doctor was much faster. "Where are you taking me?!" Alvin cried.
Frankenstein briefly gave him a death glare, "Thanks to you escaping my trap, I had to run away from the theme park and move my lab somewhere else."
Alvin's eyes then widen, "Wait, you're not gonna…"
"That's right, you annoying red rat!" Frankenstein sneered, "I'm going to dissect your brain!" He then began to laugh evilly, frightening Alvin even further. Afterwords, he glued his eyes on the road once more. Then a sinister grin spread across his face. "We're here" the madman sang. Alvin turned around and saw they were heading towards an abandoned warehouse. Frankenstein brought the motorcycle to a stop and then proceeded to drag Alvin inside against his will.
Smith and the others soon arrived. DJ was the first to run in, as his life was at stake as well. Once the maroon chipmunk ran inside, he was surprised to find the entire house in complete darkness. All the science equipment that was in the castle was now here, in all of its creepy glory. DJ decided to tread lightly, not sure what was lying around the corner. When he got deeper into the creepy lab, he found Frankenstein strapping Alvin down on a table. "Dad!" the headphones wearing teen bit his lip.
The doctor continued to laugh maniacally as he prepared his machinery. "Prepare to lose everything, little chipmunk" he snickered, "Don't think your so tough now, do you?"
Instead of having a comeback, Alvin slouched over. He shook his head, "I think you're too late to teach me that lesson…"
"Ohhhh…" Frankenstein pretended to feel sympathy, "Is this about your pink girlfriend leaving you? Ha! Ironic, isn't it? You turned down the contract with Mr. Hawke because you love your family, and the one you love the most went and took it instead!" He then continued to laugh.
"What are you talking about?" Alvin raised an eyebrow, "Ian didn't offer me any contract."
"Don't you lie to me!" Frankenstein snapped, "I knew you went to his house a couple of days ago. You even ripped the contract into little pieces!"
"No I didn't" Alvin objected, "I was at the beach with Brittany all day!"
Frankenstein scratched the chin of his costume. Alvin was starting to convince him, as he seemed pretty serious. "If it wasn't you who ripped up the contract, then who…" he then paused, "Of course! That doppelganger of yours must have pretended to be you. That would explain the sudden shift in behavior form Ian's meeting."
"What?" Alvin scoffed, "Why in the world would DJ do that?"
"Because I knew Ian was bad news" DJ answered as he emerged out of the shadows, "When I first met Ian, I saw him throw away Theodore's drawing into the trash can. That's when I knew he was not to be trusted. So when he called and thought I was you, he told me about the contract. Knowing how he really is, I pretended to be you and got rid of the contract. I even told him to leave you guys alone. But I should've known he wouldn't listen."
Alvin was absolutely speechless. Ian, someone he had known for years, whom he saw as an uncle, was really two faced the entire time. Now Ian went and took Brittany away from him and everyone else. The red capped chipmunk was both heartbroken and absolutely furious.
Frankenstein let out another holler, "Well you weren't wrong to do that." He then turned to Alvin, "Mr. Hawke was going to make you work to the bone and blackmail you from leaving."
"Blackmail" Alvin scoffed, "What could Ian have on me."
"Well do you remember finding those bags of money outside the orphanage?" the scientist chuckled, "Ian got a couple of goons to take pictures of you and the other rodents getting your dirty fingers all over the money." Alvin and DJ eyes widened, realizing what this meant, "But I guess now he'll just have to use it against the pink girl. So you better hope she doesn't throw in the towel, or else all you brats will be locked up."
Alvin shook his head in shame. "Brittany…" he muttered. DJ was also distraught by the news.
"But I guess you won't have to worry about that" Frankenstein smiled, "Because now it's time I take your brain." He let out another evil laugh as he switched on the sawblade above Alvin. The red capped chipmunk wiggled around to free himself, but he wouldn't budge.
"Let him go, you jerk!" DJ spat. He tried to attack Frankenstein, but the scientist kicked him away. The maroon teen hit the wall in pain. Frankenstein then rubbed his hands together in anticipation of the saw blade meeting Alvin's head. But then he felt the ground began to rumble. The doctor looked around in confusion, wondering if it was an earthquake. Then out of nowhere, a big green flash hurled towards him and grabbed him by the neck. DJ and Alvin turned to see it was Frankie! Frankenstein choked under his creations own grip until was was thrown against the wall himself. Frankie then went to Alvin and ripped the straps off.
"God bless you, Frankie" Alvin smiled, "I totally owe you one." Frankie simply smiled and patted his red friend on the head.
But Frankenstein wasn't finished. He tried to pounce on Alvin, but Frankie was able to catch him and angrily threw him over his shoulder. The doctor screamed as he nearly hurled right into the saw blade. But instead, the blade only cut off some of this costume. When he landed on the ground, he actually fell out of the hole the blade left in his costume. He got up and soon realized that he was finally freed from the costume after all these years. DJ, Alvin, and Frankie cringed as Frankenstein looked even worse than a mess. His skin was all purple and his hair was nearly all gone. Not to mention the scientist was in his unchanged underwear. "Oh I'm free" Frankenstein sangin bliss, "I'm finally free!" He then started to scratch himself all over, as he hadn't taken a proper shower in forever.
The madman was in such absolute bliss, that he didn't notice the cops and the rest of the family arriving. Smith pounced on him and handcuffed him. "Dr. Frankenstein, you're under arrest for first degree grand theft, attempted murder, illegal biological experimentation, probably just plain murder as well" Smith nearly puked when he smiled the crook, "And violating my nostrils." He and the other cops then proceeded to lead Frankenstein to prison.
The mad doctor continued to laugh madly, "You'll never get to your precious girlfriend, rodent! After the concert, Mr. Hawke is going to make her tour around the world!" Frankenstein's laugher slowly fizzled out as the cops lead him outside. To say the least, the family felt rather freaked out.
Dave turned to the monster, "Thank you for saving my boy. But how did you get here so fast?"
"You wouldn't believe how fast he is" Theodore answered.
"Did you hear what he said?!" DJ exclaimed, "Ian is going to drag Brittany around the world if we don't get to her soon!"
Ms. Miller gasped, "There's no way I'm letting my baby girl around the world! Not after last time!"
"Then let's go!" DJ cried. He started to run until he noticed Alvin wasn't moving. "Alvin, what's up?" he asked worriedly.
His father let out a sigh, "Go on without me. I know Brittany doesn't want to see me. I mean why should she?"
DJ gulped, there was no way he wasn't going to get his mom back without his dad. "But Alvin" DJ responded, "She needs your help more than ever."
"No she doesn't!" Alvin snapped, he then went back to frowning, "Brittany doesn't deserve a friend like me, taking advantage of her, and hurting her feelings. All I do is cause trouble for people around me. I'm just a nuisance."
"Alvin" Dave interjected, "Stop thinking like that. I already told you how proud I am for you, for everything you ever achieved."
"Yeah Alvin" Theodore added on, "You're always dragging us into fun adventures. And when you do something nice, you go up and beyond! You're awesome!"
Simon then joined in, "Alvin, you're certainly a handful, but… Never had I you were just a nuisance. I've never met anyone as ambitious as you, and when you put you heart in the right place, you can really make a difference. And I'm always grateful to have you for a brother."
"You're a great friend too!" Eleanor exclaimed, "Even though we're not related by blood, me and Jeanette see you as a brother. You even help us when you have no incentive too."
"And Alvin" Jeanette stammered, "Don't say Brittany doesn't love you. I see her when she's around you and she looks so happy. Simon and DJ wouldn't have helped you so much if they didn't believe you couldn't get together with help."
Alvin was speechless, he was surprised with all the compliments being thrown at him. Each one tugged harder on his heart strings than the last. He then felt Ms. Miller kneel down and pat his head. "Alvin, if there's anyone I want Brittany to be with, it's you" the old woman smiled softly, "Because I know how much you care about her, and how much you make her happy. You two go together like peas in a pod."
Frankie then went over and poked at Alvin's heart. He then poked his own, giving a little smirk.
Finally, DJ looked at his dad face to face. "Alvin, I thought I knew everything about you" he then added a bit of an explanation, "From hearing stories about you and seeing you on TV. But what I learned this past week is that you're a really cool guy. You like video games, you're funny, and great performer. You're the coolest dad in the world" DJ covered his mouth when he said that last part. Simon and Jeanette were absolutely mortified. Alvin raised an eyebrow at him. "I-I meant, you're going to be the coolest dad in the world. You know, when you have kids…"
Thought it was a pretty strange compliment out of context, it did touch Alvin deeply. He looked over to his own father, who smiled and gave him an assuring nod. "Thanks, guys" Alvin smiled, "I'm really lucky to have you." He then got more serious, "Alright, Brittany is in the hands of Ian, and she needs our help to save her! If we fail, she'll be hurled around the world!"
"I'm happy to see you back to your old self, Alvin" Dave interjected, "But we're going to need a plan. We don't even know where she is."
"I do" DJ answered, "She's going to perform at the Hollywood Bowl tonight" he answered.
"Oh jeez" Dave ran his fingers through his hair, "That's going to be hard to get into."
"Don't worry Dave" Alvin responded, "I know a way we can in!" He then continued to walk, "Come on, we got a short amount of time!" Everyone nodded as the began to follow the red teen.
DJ was also following his dad, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. When he turned around, he saw Simon and Jeanette weren't moving. "DJ" Simon gulped, "I think me and Jeanette will stay behind."
"What?!" DJ gasped, "Why?!"
"Well look around you" Simon gestured, "Frankenstein may be evil, but he's still a genius. He has the perfect equipment to send you back home."
"Yeah, Simon told me how we're going to do it" Jeanette added, "And the experiment needs to be ready by tonight. So I think I'm going to help Simon prepare at the school."
DJ felt uneasy, "Wow, this is really happening. I guess this means I'm going to have to proceed getting my parents together without your help."
"Don't worry, DJ" Simon patted his nephew on the back, "We believe in you. I know you can do it."
"Yeah" Jeanette smiled, "So go down there and get Brittany and Alvin together!"
DJ nodded somberly, "Alright, wish me luck." His aunt and uncle waved him goodbye as he caught up to the rest of his family. The sun was setting, and caused the city to glow triumphantly. He only has one shot, but he's going to give it all he's got. He was ready to take Hollywood and save the future.
I'm not going to say anything snarky this time. I'm not even going to dare hint what's going to happen next. But know that the next update will be the last, as I will be publishing the final chapters all together. It might take longer than usual, but I've been planning these next chapters since the very beginning. So, I'll see you next time.