Ch. 3 Determined

Gumball was really surprised with himself. "Why am I so confident all of a sudden?" he asked himself. As he reached the town of Elmore, he couldn't believe what happened to it. Buildings still burned. Cars were on their sides or on their hoods. Loose business papers were all over the street. Gumball cautiously made his way toward the museum. 'If my suspicions are correct, those... things or whatever they are might be connected to that piece of rock.' he thought. He reached the steps and made his way in. The museum was quiet. The lights have been burnt out or busted. Most exhibits were destroyed. The floor littered with fragments of ancient fossiles. Gumball imagined people running in here and not making it to safety. Gumball shook the image clear of his mind and found the exhibit where the relic was being held.

Nothing was in the case. In fact, there was no case. It was shattered all over the floor and the pillow sat empty. 'Weird...' Gumball put a hand under his chin as he thought. His thoughts were interrupted by muffles in a janitors closet next to the exhibit. Gumball clenched the bat and carefully walked up, prepared to defend himself from what or who was behind it. He slowly reached for the handle and turned it. But it wouldn't. The door was locked. Gumball was rather confused by this. "I know!" he said. He drew one of his claws out and stuck it in the hole. He out his ear to the door and turned his hand, listening for the click.

CLICK

Gumball opened the door and his face fell. Two people were tied up and gaged. They started to muffle things when they saw Gumball. Gumball quickly ungaged them and went to cut the ropes.

"Run kid!" the female said. Gumball felt someone breathe down his neck. He rolled out of the way as something blunt and heavy took his spot. Gumball landed on his stomache.

"Hey, what's the big idea!" he said looking up. He gasped as a familiar face stared at him.

"What do you think you are doing untying these suckers?" Mr. Fingerprint said. He studied Gumball and realized who he was. "Hey, your that little twerp that wouldn't give me the dough!" he said. He picked up the heavy object. It was a pickaxe. Gumball gulped. "Time for a little payback!" Mr. Fingerprint said rushing him.

Gumball yelped as he avoided the pickaxe. Gumball ran and hid behind a giant T-Rex leg bone. Mr. Fingerprint's footsteps could be heard.

"Where are ya'?" he said glancing around the exhibit. Gumball put a hand over his mouth so his breaths wouldn't betray him.

What are doing? Don't be frightened...

'Huh?' Gumball heard it in his head. 'I must be hearing things.' he nervously thought.

Don't worry, everything will be fine... Here, I'll give you the energy you need to fight.

Gumball's vision became blurry. "Whoa..." he shook it off and peeked out from behind his cover. Mr. Fingerprint wasn't there anymore. Gumball sighed with relife.

"Found ya'!" a voice shouted. Gumball yelped and jumped out of the way as the pick axe stuck itself in the bone. Mr. Fingerprint tried to pull it out. Wouldn't budge. "Grrrr..." Mr. Fingerprint growled.

Don't falter. Now's your chance!

Gumball felt his courage rise. Gripping the bat, he rushed up and swung it into Mr. Fingerorint's gut. A loud metallic ponk echoed through out the room. Mr. Fingerprint's pupils weren't visible as he fell to the floor motionless. Gumball hit him so hard that it made the burgler looking fingerprint passed out. Gumball was close to hyperventelating. He slowly regained his normal breathing. He ran to the employees of the museum. Cutting the rope, the male one got up and went toward the passed out burgler.

"Let's make sure he never does this again." he said. He dragged him into the closet and tied him up. Locking the door, the employees embraced in a hug. Gumball adverted his eyes. His gaze caught his reflection. He looked... different. His eyes seemed to burn with determination, his mind calm and his body felt light, yet he felt strong like he could lift an entire building with one hand. In the corner of his eye, he caught something that glowed.

The Relic laid where the burgler passed out. It's ominous yellow glow lit the room ever so slightly. Gumball walked over to pick it up. As his hand touched it, he felt the icy feeling come back. It wasn't long though. Gumball hit the wall hard that it left a crater. A rumble filled the museum. Gumball groggingly looked up. The Relic was shooting out yellow tranparent smoke. In the middle stood a figure. Gumball was speechless.

In the middle stood a red cat that looked exaclty like Gumball. He wore a black trench coat and black jeans. The cat stretched and cracked his neck.

"Aww, feels good to be out of there." he said. His accent was strange to Gumball. It sounded like a formal tone yet with a slight hint of venom in it. The cat looked around the room and spotted Gumball. Their eyes met as the silence grew more intense. The cat bared his fangs at him and his claws drew out. Gumball slipped out of the wall and stumbled a bit. Gumball was tackled. The red cat was ontop of him trying to swipe at his stomache with his claws.

Gumball kicked the cat in the gut and hurriedly reached for the bat. Grabbing it, he held it up in front of him. "Who are you?" Gumball said standing his ground. The red cat let out a low growl and got up, walking towards him. Gumball swung the bat but felt it stop. The red cat had caught it.

"Worthless coward!" the red cat said as he bent the bat and threw it out of Gumball's hand. "You arn't even worth my time! Learn how to fight properly!" the cat said and turned his back to him. Gumball just stood there speechless. The red cat walked up to the Relic and picked it up. He growled at it. "Stupid prison." he said. He brought up his claws and held it there. Gumball thought he was gonna destroy it. But no, the red cat thought better and grinned evily.

"Hey, faker... what's your name?" the red cat asked directing the question to Gumball.

"I asked first." Gumball said standing his ground. The red cat hmphed.

"The name is Flint." the cat said. "Now yours?"

"Im Gumball Watterson. That Relic is coming with me!" Gumball said. Flint chuckled.

"Gumball eh? I was right... you are a faker." Flint said holding the Relic up and shaking it. "I know you're in there, Steel. Soon... it'll be your turn." He wasn't looking at the Relic when he said that. His gaze met Gumball's. With this, Flint ran and jumped through a window shattering it. Gumball ran to look out of it. Flint was ontop of a building. He grinned unfriendly like and vanished into the shadows.

Gumball tried to process what just happened.

"Hey kid?" a voice said. Gumball turned and saw the museum employees. He forgot that they were there. "Who was that?" the male asked.

Gumball looked back up to where Flint vanished. "I don't know..." he said. "But I'll find out later. First, let's get you bakc to safety." Gumball walked out of the museum with the employees and made their way back to the school.

"How dare you just run off out there on your own!" Nicole fretted. Gumball sat on his knees with his hands on them and looked down as his mother lectured him. Darwin and Anais watched from the side lines. "You are just 12 years old! You could have gotten hurt out there, or possibly worse!" Nicole continued. Nicole was always scary to talk to when she was angry. When she gets angry, you will feel the full wrath of it. Nicole kneeled and hugged him tightly.

"Do you know how worried we were?" Nicole said sniffling know.

"I know... but I am satisfied with my desicion." Gumball said. Nicole hugged tighter.

"I don't want to lose you..." she sobbed. Gumball felt majorly bad now. Not only has he went out on his own in a dangerous world, he hurt the two people who he cared about. Richard came up and held Nicole gently close to him.

"There there, honey. At least he's safe and sound right?" he said soothingly. This calmed Nicole down.

"Thanks, dear." Nicole said looking hopeful.

"Kids, you stay here while me and your mother get some water. Officer, keep an eye on them." Richard said.

"Not a problem, Mr. Watterson." the doughnut officer said.

That night, Gumball couldn't sleep. He looked toward the vent. The officer sat there in a chair infront of it.

"You are sleeping with me tonight!" Nicole said in his flashback. Gumball sighed. Then, Flint came into his mind. The mysterious red cat's insults ran through his mind over and over again.

'Who is he really?' Gumball thought. 'Who was Steel? And what is he planning to do with that Relic?' questions kept appearing in his mind. Gumball had to know who Flint was. And in order for him to do that...

He carefully slipped out of his mother's arm and tiptoed toward the vent. The officer was asleep. 'Not very reliable, is he?' Gumball thought as he slipped by and into the vent.

I will have a new chapter up soon. Wow, alot of things happened! Not only that Gumball's suspicions were correct, there is a cat that looks exactly like him. Flint is one of the many OCs you'll see in this story. And for those of you who are confused on the shadow creatures... read the next chapter to find out, when i have it up. ;)