Disclaimer: I have not acquired PBS, Soup 2 Nuts, or WordGirl in the time it took to write this.
WordGirl in...
TO BE A HERO! (PART 2)
Narrator: PSST! Watch out for the words 'Impressive' and 'Funds.'
"…Are we back?" asked Professor Boxleitner.
Well, yes.
"Then shouldn't you do a recap or something? For those members of the audience that started watching late?"
Oh, yeah. I almost forgot about that.
(ahem) When we last saw our heroes, they had just gotten their superhero names (with the help of Professor Steven Boxleitner, an expert on super-powered individuals): WordGirl, and Captain Huggyface!
WordGirl looked at the fourth wall, and said: "Good one!"
Thanks…but we really should get on with the show.
"Yeah," said an excited Dr. Boxleitner; "Plus, the name isn't the only thing that makes a superhero. We need to know your limits, so you don't try and fight more bad guys than you can handle! Let's do a few tests…"
…
"OK, WordGirl, lift those weights."
…
"Now try it while flying!"
…
"Now, let's try out your super-speed-"
(ZOOM!)
"Hey! Where'd you go?"
…
"Got a good catchphrase?"
"How about…Word up?"
"Yes! That's perfect, WordGirl!"
...
After a few tests, Dr. Boxleitner compiled his notes, and then turned towards WordGirl; "Well, I must say all the tests I know of turned out real well! You've got yourself some real impressive attributes here!"
"Thanks, Dr. Boxleitner!"
"You're welcome. One more test before we go…" And then, the doctor pulled out his stopwatch, and said: "Define 'Colossal'!"
Before Dr. Boxleitner could even press the button (to measure the amount of time it took for her to come up with the definition), WordGirl exclaimed: "'Colossal' means 'really, really big!'"
"...Wow! 0.0 seconds!" exclaimed Dr. Boxleitner; "Your ability to just...define any word as quick as a flash...it's..."
"Impressive?"
"Yes, yes, thanks, WordGirl. It's impressive. Just like that impressive grilled cheese sandwich I had last night..."
WordGirl suddenly noticed that his mind was starting to wander; "Um, Doc? You OK?"
"Oh! Sorry about that, WordGirl. It's just… I get hungry when I'm excited."
The two of them shared a laugh for a second. Then, WordGirl said "Excited about what?"
"I've helped a superhero get started on her career! Finally I can say I've done something in my life!"
"What about studying me? Isn't that what you're supposed to do?"
Dr. Boxleitner responded (in a slightly depressed tone) with: "Actually, to answer the many questions I may have about your abilities, I'd need more advanced equipment. And for that, I need funds. Meantime, why don't you go out and fight some crime?"
WordGirl, hesitantly, started to say: "Uh, well…" when Captain Huggyface screeched at her, and pointed at the clock.
"Oh no! It's almost dinnertime! Sorry, Professor, but I really need to go!"
WordGirl grabbed Captain Huggyface, said goodbye, and-
"Wait! You need to shout your catchphrase!"
"Ummm…OK. WORD UP!" she exclaimed, and then she finally flew out through the window. Dr. Boxleitner waved after them.
"Wow," he reflected, "she's a natural! She's… oh, I hope there's still some pastrami in the fridge…"
Later, at the home of the Botsford Family, WordGirl and Captain Huggyface change into their civillian Identities: Becky Botsford, and the family pet, Bob.
WordGirl lands behind a tree, and presses the insignia on her chest, causing her suit to disappear in a brilliant flash of light, revealing a green sweater and burgundy skirt…with a red-and-yellow shield strapped over her chest. She quickly reached behind her, and unbuckled the strap that held it on her. Then, she gave it to Captain Huggyface, who was busy taking off his Lexiconian pilot's uniform.
"Captain Huggyface," she said as she handed her suit to him, "I didn't get the chance to tell him, but even after all those tests; I… just don't feel all that well about just jumping into being a superhero! I mean, I'm still just a nine-year-old, after all!"
"There she is! DA-AD! Becky's outside with Bob again!"
"(Sigh); with an annoying six-year-old brother named T.J. Come on, Captain…I mean Bob."
Bob hid the Lexiconian clothes behind the bushes, and followed her in. As soon as they entered the house, they were greeted by the unusual smell of…
"Homemade potato, egg, and tuna salad!" announced Tim Botsford; "Come and have some, Becky!"
"She's late for dinner, Dad!" shouted the freckle-faced boy right next to the window. "She should be sent straight to bed!"
"T.J.," said their father, "your sister may be late, but she's still a growing child, and needs to eat! Besides, I put a lot of time and effort into this meal, and I'd hate to see it go to waste!"
Becky thanked her father for allowing her to eat, and sat down at the table, while T.J. narrowed his eyes. He whispered under his breath: "You got off easy this time, but I won't rest until I have my revenge on you for what you've done..." (As he said this, he recalled the time he was struggling to read a book, and Becky helped him along.)
Becky put a spoonful of the strange mixture into her mouth... and as she swallowed, her eyes widened in surprise! "Wow, Dad, this is impressive!"
"Thanks, Becky!...but what does 'impressive' mean anyway?"
While Bob chowed down (rather rapidly and disgustingly), Becky answered her father's question: "Impressive means 'having the power to excite awe, admiration, or amazement.' For instance, the taste of this food was very amazing, more so than the kind of food you normally make! It's impressive!"
"...Thanks again!"
Just then, the door opened, and Sally Botsford walked in. Becky and T.J. immediately shouted: "Mom! You're home!"
"Honey!" exclaimed Mr. Botsford; "How did the day go at the District Attorney's office?"
Mrs. Botsford sighed, and said: "Not so good. I've gotten a lot of complaints about how our police force is doing with tracking down the Amazing Rope Guy."
T.J. commented: "What's wrong?"
A little discomfort in her face, Mrs. Botsford explained: "This guy is a new and unusual threat. What's more, the city doesn't have enough funds to train the police to handle this kind of stuff!"
Becky looked at her adoptive mother, confused; "You mean the police don't even have enough funds to learn how to escape being tied up?"
"Yep. After spending our resources on all those local projects, we don't have enough to reasonably improve our law enforcement capabilities! And no one who has the time to write a letter to the DA's office seems to know that!"
Suddenly, T.J. leaped onto the couch, and started posing in a manner resembling that of a ninja. "This 'rope guy' doesn't sound that tough! If I got my hands on him, I'd give him a hi-yah! And a hoo-wah! And finish it off with a-"
"That's enough, T.J." said Mr. Botsford; "You're not going to be hi-yah-ing anyone!"
"But Dad, somebody's gotta do something! And if I don't, who will?"
Suddenly, Becky saw herself reflected in the window, and thought about those costumes that Bob hid... And then said to herself, "No. I need to wait."
Everyone looked at her for a second, confused. Eventually, Mrs. Botsford broke the silence: "Why were you just talking to yourself, Becky?"
Embarrassed, Becky suddenly suggested: "Are we going to let Bob gobble up all the food?"
Nice save there, Becky!
"Thanks!"
The next day, at City Hall...
The mayor of Fair City stood on the front steps, flanked on one side by District Attorney Sally Botsford, and on the other by the court stenographer, Claire McCallister. They all stood before a rather angry crowd, carrying signs that said things like "We need protection!" and "Stop the Amazing Rope Guy!" In the front of the crowd, the Botsford children watched their mother stand there, next to the mayor.
T.J. crossed his arms and said: "Man, this is boring!"
Suddenly, the blonde glasses-wearing boy next to him said (in a British accent): "Somebody shares my opinion about this gathering. That's impressive."
T.J. looked at him, and said: "Oh, Hi! I didn't notice you standing there! My name's T.J. T.J. Botsford."
"Theodore McCallister. And I'm not interested in being friends, if that's what your wondering."
"How rude!" exclaimed T.J., who turned back towards the stage… where things were just starting to happen!
The mayor walked up to the podium, grabbed the microphone, took out a set of notecards, and began to speak: "Fellow Citizens, I stand before you a candidate for the position of mayor!"
…
An intern in the mayor's employ rushed up onto the stage, and whispered something in the mayor's ear. The mayor nodded, after which the intern rushed back off.
"Heh heh, Sorry about that," apologized the mayor, "I must've used my talking cards from my old campaign, instead of the ones I'd prepared for today."
Mrs. Botsford stepped up to the podium, said: "Let me give it a shot, Mr. Mayor" The mayor thanked her, gave her the microphone, and then sheepishly stepped off to one side.
Mrs. Botsford wasted no time: "Look, guys... I understand that we're not doing all you think we can to track down and arrest the Amazing Rope Guy. The truth is, we are! It's just that all we can do isn't enough! We just don't have the funds to do any more than that! If we had the funds, then we'd-"
Suddenly, a length of thin rope with a loop on the end shot down from above, wrapped itself around the microphone in Mrs. Botsford's hand, and lifted it up into the hands of...The Amazing Rope Guy, who was standing on the roof!
"So it's a question of funds, is it?" the super-criminal said into the microphone; "What a coincidence! I need funds too..." Then, before anyone could react, he threw down a length of rope, and slid down it to the stage, and finished his sentence: "And you're going to give it to me, Mr. Mayor!"
Shaking in fear, the mayor shouted: "GUARDS! Arrest him!" Then, as two security guards rushed towards the Rope Guy, the mayor; Mrs. Botsford; and Mrs. McCallister made a break for it. However, the Rope Guy threw two miniature lassos at the feet of the security guards, tripping them up! Then he threw a large coil of rope in the direction of the fleeing officials, trapping them all!
After laughing, the Rope Guy exclaimed: "So, here's the deal, Mr. Mayor: You've got all the time in the world to hand me five million dollars…but I won't untie you guys until you do!" Then, he turned to the crowd just in front of the stage; "As for you guys, feel free to come up and rescue them…if you can!"
And before anyone could attempt to meet him on his challenge, the Amazing Rope Guy pulled out a large length of rope, with a knot bigger than a baseball on one end, and started swinging it around in a rather threatening manner! He built up the velocity as he swirled it over his head… (Looking at the audience, and saying: "Kids, Don't try this at home. I practiced a lot." for no apparent reason,) and then suddenly brought the knotted end down on the mayor's podium, smashing it to pieces!
Panic ensued rather rapidly.
As everyone (including the once-brave T.J.) attempted to distance themselves as much as they could from the rope-wielding villain, Becky and Bob were separated from the rest of their family. Bob riding on her shoulder, Becky sought out her Father and Brother in the chaotic mess... And bumped into a very familiar person in a labcoat!
"Professor Boxleitner?" she was able to shout amid all the screaming; "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, Hi… whoever you are! Listen, can you help me find WordGirl and Captain Huggyface?"
Becky suddenly remembered that Steven knew her only in that costumed form she adopted the previous day. "Who are they?"
"Superheroes I met the other day! They're the only one who can stop this madness and save the city!" Then, Dr. Boxleitner ran away, shouting "WordGirl! Huggyface!"
Becky stood there for a minute (as still as she could with a crowd of people pushing each other around), and thought about his words. Then, she remembered T.J.'s words: "But Dad, somebody's gotta do something! And if I don't, who will?"
Then, she sighed. "Alright," she said, "But just for today."
Bob knew what she meant instantly. He pointed out an opening in the crowd, which led to a set of bushes. And Becky didn't waste any time exploiting it.
As soon as she reached them, Becky dashed off with her super-speed, and came back a second later with the things she needed: Bob's pilot uniform, and the little device that contained her safety suit.
"You have a plan, Bob?" she asked him as he started to place his uniform on. He screeched in response, and Becky responded by nodding, and saying: "Got it."
She strapped the device around her chest, and was about to press the button...when she heard Dr. Boxleitner in her head: "Wait! You need to shout your catchphrase!"
"Hm. To think, that thought just popped up out of nowhere! Oh well." And with that out of the way, she pressed the button, but this time, as she did, she shouted: "WOOOORRRRD... UP!"
The words reverberated over the entire fleeing mob, as they all suddenly stopped in awe. The next thing they noticed was a red-and-yellow object flying over their heads at rather high speed. Even the Amazing Rope Guy stopped threatening the mayor and his aides, in order to take a glimpse at this strange new event. What he saw was... a little girl!
After the initial shock, the Amazing Rope Guy regained his composure, and said: "Alright, who are you?"
"I...am WordGirl!" exclaimed WordGirl; "And I'm here to take you up on your challenge!"
The villain stood rooted to the spot for a second... and then laughed! "You? A little girl... take me on? Shouldn't you be playing with dolls or something?"
"What about you?" asked WordGirl: "Shouldn't you be obeying the law instead of forcing people to give you your money?"
"I need that money, that's why!" the Rope Guy shot back, infuriated. "I need funds!"
Just then, one of the tied-up security guards suddenly spoke up: "Will someone please tell me what 'funds' are? You've been using that word so much,but no one's willing to tell me what it means!"
The Amazing Rope Guy attempted to answer him... but after a few seconds, he said: "I know what it means...I just can't put it into words."
"Don't worry; There's a reason I'm called 'WordGirl, after all! Funds are 'available money,' or 'ready-to-use cash.' Like the allowance I get from my parents: Those are my funds!"
"Thanks, WordGirl. Now if you don't mind, run along to your ponies, and I'll resume getting my funds, thank you very much!" And with that, The Amazing Rope Guy started to walk towards his captives again...only to find WordGirl standing in his way!
"I'm not going to let you off that easily, Amazing Rope Guy. You've obtained funds through stealing, and now you're planning on getting them through threatening public officials! Well, I won't let you get away with-"
"WROOOOOOOONG!" shouted the Amazing Rope Guy, all of a sudden.
And in the time it took her to recover from the shock of that remark, The Amazing Rope Guy pulled a lasso off his shoulder, and cast it over WordGirl, pinning her arms to her sides.
Meanwhile, Theodore pushed his way to the front of the awestruck crowd, unable to see what was going on with people in front of him. When he saw what she was doing, he said (in his aforementioned British accent), "Who does that girl think she is, getting into a fight? Everyone knows girls aren't strong enough to fight!"
"HAHAHA! No one can stand against the Amazing Rope Guy! NO ONE!" The Amazing Rope Guy continued laughing, pointing at WordGirl… when he suddenly heard her shout: "No one from earth, maybe, but what about someone from the planet Lexicon?"
She jerked her arms outwards, snapping the rope that was holding her, and sending shreds of rope all over the stage!
Theodore saw this, and after a second of surprise, said: "I stand corrected."
The Amazing Rope Guy regained his senses quickly, and exclaimed: "So you escaped one rope, but this one will hold you for good!" Then, he threw some of those mini-lassos at her…only to find that she wasn't there!
"Missed me!" she exclaimed… directly behind him!
"Whoa…she's strong and fast!" exclaimed Theodore.
Running out of ideas, the Amazing Rope Guy Grabbed six mini-lassos in his hands, and threw them all at once, hoping to catch her whichever direction she tries to run…but they all missed, since she jumped 10 feet in the air, and stayed there!
"No Fair!" shouted the Rope Guy; "No one can fly! That's…"
"Impossible? As in, it cannot happen?"
"…She's smart, too…" said Theodore, starting to feel a strange sense of admiration for this girl.
At last, the Amazing Rope Guy lost his temper. He said, "Alright, you've asked for it, 'WordGirl!'" and then pulled out the knotted rope he used to smash the podium (the one with a knot bigger than a baseball).
Surprised at the measures her foe was resorting to, WordGirl turned towards the crowd, and said: "Everybody stand back, this could get rough!"
As she did, however, it seemed to Theodore like she was moving in slow motion. He noticed every ripple in her cape, every strand of hair trailing her, every sparkle that danced in her eyes… He could hear his heartbeat tripling. He couldn't help but sigh.
Then, the Amazing Rope Guy swung the large knot towards WordGirl, but she just zipped out of the way. It hit the ground instead, with a resounding thump. He located her, and swung again…but the knot only struck the thin air where she was milliseconds ago!
WordGirl started flying around him in circles (at such a fast speed that she looked like a streak of light), and the Amazing Rope Guy started swinging wildly around him…but after a few seconds of this, it became apparent that WordGirl was too fast for him. Eventually, he became a little dizzy, and had to stop for a second.
"This isn't getting you anywhere, you know!" he shouted at her, "Keeping me busy won't help you free the mayor!"
WordGirl paused in her flight (hovering a few feet above him), and said: "Actually, while it may not help me free the mayor, it will help my sidekick, Captain Huggyface!" And with that, she pointed towards the mayor and his aides…who were now rubbing their arms, which were suddenly free from rope! And Captain Huggyface was holding that rope!
Upon seeing his captives freed, the Amazing Rope Guy started growling in anger. He rushed towards the little monkey in order to whack him with his giant knot…but quickly discovered that the knot was no longer in his hands! He looked back at WordGirl, and saw that she had it in her hands, working on untying it as he looked.
As he looked, Captain Huggyface screeched in a manner resembling a battle-cry, and leaped on top of the villain. He desperately tried to pull him off…but before he knew it, his arms were pinned to his sides! He'd been tied up! He struggled…but to no avail.
"Looks like you're out of rope, and out of luck!" exclaimed WordGirl, triumphant. "Now, you can finally go to jail!"
"NOOOOOO!" wailed the criminal, as the now-freed security guards grabbed him, and dragged him off to jail.
Theodore, inexplicably swooning at her, said to himself: "She's more than impressive. She's amazing."
"I know, right?"
Theodore turned around to see T.J. Botsford standing next to him, also swooning at WordGirl. Then, both of them realized the awkwardness of the situation, and walked away from each other, giggling nervously.
Back on the stage, the Mayor walked up to WordGirl and Captain Huggyface, and addressed them: "Well done, WordGirl! You and your dog have saved the entire city from that menace!"
An offended Huggyface screeched in anger, prompting WordGirl to correct the mayor; "He's a monkey, and his name's Captain Huggyface."
"Oh...I'm sorry about that."
Then, Sally Botsford's voice spread over the entire area: "You know, this entire press conference was about the Amazing Rope Guy's impressive crime spree? Well, since that spree has been ended, do we even need to be here anymore?" This caused a lot of talk among the crowd, which started to disperse...
"WAIT!" shouted the mayor, gaining the attention of the citizens. Then, he took the microphone from Mrs. Botsford, and spoke into it; "Before we go, there is something I want to say to WordGirl."
The people turned towards the stage, where the mayor stood before the floating girl with a monkey on her back.
"WordGirl," the mayor began, "thanks to your efforts, the city is safe from a threat we didn't have the funds to stop ourselves. To repay you for your help, it is my great honor to present to you...a Key to the City!"
Upon saying so, the mayor pulled a large golden key out of his suit, and handed it to WordGirl, accompanied by a rousing cheer from the crowd. (Theodore didn't join in, but that was because he was speechless.) WordGirl stayed on the stage for a while, waving to the crowd.
Eventually, the crowd resumed dispersing, as the mayor continued to thank WordGirl. Theodore stood there, still unable to stop sighing… Until, that is, his mother came and started dragging him home.
"Wait-Mom," complained Theodore (inexplicably dropping his British accent), "WordGirl-I must meet-"
"Theo," said his unimpressed mother, "You should've thought about wanting to have a playdate before you tried to destroy the city with a Giant Robot."
Theodore grumbled all the way to his room.
WordGirl, meanwhile, suddenly remembered that her Parents were probably wondering where Becky Botsford was. As such, she was forced to interrupt the mayor's extended gratitude; "Uh, sorry to interrupt, Mr. Mayor, but me and my sidekick have really got to get home. That still sounds like an impressive party, though!" and then, having said that, she flew off.
She hid herself and Huggyface behind a bush, where both of them changed back into Becky and Bob Botsford. Then, they ran out and scanned the scenery for cries of "Becky" and "Bob." Eventually, she found her Father and brother, and (with a barely-visible application of her super-speed), dashed to their side.
"Whoa, that was a chaotic situation!" she said, before asking "What happened?" (a question she already knew the answer to, since she was there.)
T.J, who was somehow happy (considering his dislike of his older sister), said "Oh, nothing much…except an awesome superhero called WordGirl coming in and rescuing Mom and the mayor!"
Becky feigned surprise, and exclaimed: "Wow! A real life superhero?"
"Yep," remarked Mr. Botsford, "Now the city doesn't need to complain about not having the funds to catch the Amazing Rope Guy…he's already caught! And it's all thanks to WordGirl!"
"Yeah..." said Becky, still pretending to not know who WordGirl was, "I guess we all owe a big thanks to WordGirl."
Satisfied with the conversation, the family picked up Mrs. Botsford, and started to walk towards the car... while Becky whispered to Bob: "We also owe a big thanks to Professor Boxleitner, since he's the one who convinced WordGirl to fight the Amazing Rope Guy. Maybe we should pay him a visit after school tomorrow..."
The next day, at Dr. Boxleitner's laboratory…
A yellow streak zipped in, stopping at the front of the door. Quickly, WordGirl and Captain Huggyface noticed it was slightly open, so they leaned close, and asked for professor Boxleitner. Within seconds, the door opened, and there stood… A person in orange samurai armor!
"A samurai?" was all WordGirl could think of to say, as she wasn't expecting it.
Just then, they heard Professor Boxleitner's voice: "Hi, WordGirl!"
The samurai showed them in, where the professor awaited them eagerly. WordGirl quickly asked: "Why is there a samurai in your lab?"
"Oh, that's our mate, Psy-murai! He's here wit' us blokes from the Global Superheroes Association!"
WordGirl turned towards the source of the voice, and saw a middle-aged man in a leather vest, pants, and hat, standing next to a younger man in gray clothes, and an odd necklace with a large tusk strung on it!
The professor walked up to WordGirl, who couldn't think of anything to say to these strangers. Dr. Boxleitner gestured towards them, and said: "Allow me to introduce to you, Psy-murai, from Japan…"
As he said this, the samurai pressed his hands together and focused. Very quickly, the decoration on his helmet glowed, and a few nearby boxes opened themselves!
"…Hāthī ādamī, from India (that name means 'elephant man' in Hindi)…"
The gray-clothed man's necklace suddenly glowed in a brilliant white light, and he grew bigger, his skin grew thicker, his nose grew longer…within a few seconds, he had turned into a large bull elephant!
"… And finally, Jungle Jack, from Australia."
The man in leather pulled out a large knife with a decorated handle, and sliced a pattern through the air. Very soon, a small tree popped out of the floor!
"Impressive, aren't they?"
WordGirl was definitely impressed.
Psy-murai bowed towards WordGirl, and started to speak: "I can sense you are uneasy, young alien girl from Lexicon. Do not fear. We are simply here to welcome a fellow superhero to earth."
WordGirl was shocked for a second…but then remembered: "Oh yeah, I mentioned I was from Lexicon during the fight. You did see that, right?"
Hāthī Ādamī returned to his human form, and said: "Yes, we all did. And we were all impressed."
Jungle Jack stepped up, and said: "The way I sees it, there's not a skerrick a' doubt that you'll be a fine Super yerself…once ya learn the tricks o' the trade, of course."
WordGirl, still struggling a little bit to keep up with everything, stammered: "Ummm...I'd love to, but... I just don't have time to learn the 'tricks of the trade!' I've got chores... school... family..."
Jungle Jack laughed, interrupting her; "No worries! The Doc's already workin' on a solution to that problem right now!" he said, pointing to a small pile of papers on Dr. Boxleitner's desk.
WordGirl went over to the desk, and took a look at the top sheet, reading the pencil marks: "Superheroes and You; A...Practical Guide?"
"The ideal reading material for every budding superhero!" proclaimed Dr. Boxleitner, proudly. "Plus, with these guys contributing, I'll have it finished within the week!"
"I'm helping with the Martial-Arts section." Psy-murai elaborated.
WordGirl quickly realized what this meant: in her down time just before bed, she could leaf through this book Professor Boxleitner is writing, and learn about being a superhero on her own time! "This is amazing!" she exclaimed.
"Y'see?" Jungle Jack placed his hand on her shoulder; "She'll be apples."
Professor Boxleitner arranged the sheets of his project, and continued: "The book is also supposed to be about dealing with superheroes, not just how to be a superhero. If enough people buy it, I might even get the funds I so desperately need for my research! And then-"
"You'll be able to study me?"
"Oh no! You'll be too busy protecting the city (and lining your closet with Keys to said City)!"
"Say what?" asked WordGirl, confused again.
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough. (he snickered here, causing WordGirl even more confusion.) In the meantime, I'll keep myself busy by studying the unique metal in Psy-murai's telepathic helmet! With it, I'll figure out how it allows humans to peer into the cerebrum of another creature!"
Everyone quickly realized that only WordGirl understood him.
"…It allows humans to read minds. Like Psy-murai can do."
"Ooohhhhh…"
"Just think; in a very short time, a new superhero joins the fight against evil, I'll have some funds to spare, the mysteries of mind-reading will be revealed… Oh, things like these that are best contemplated over a large bowl of Spaghetti and Italian sausage. Anybody coming with me?"
Instantly, everyone followed…except WordGirl, who opted out on the basis that she still had things to do at home. She called for Captain Huggyface…only to find that he was going out with the rest for spaghetti.
WordGirl tapped him on the shoulder, gaining his attention, and said (in a friendly manner): "You know, I'd think a top-notch Lexiconian Air-Force pilot would think with his brains, rather than his stomach."
Huggy screeched in disappointment, but knew what WordGirl was talking about: they still had places to be as Becky and Bob Botsford.
An unspecified day later, on the school playground after class was dismissed…
Becky Botsford (a.k.a. WordGirl) walked towards her favorite reading spot, under a tree…only to find her younger brother, T.J., already there, surrounded by quite a crowd of Becky's peers!
She asked him what he's doing away from home, and he responded by saying: "Haven't you heard, Becky? I'm forming a WordGirl Fan Club!"
"Wow! You're…can I join?"
"No!" said T.J., very firmly.
"You know, I should've seen that coming." Becky said to herself, as she started to walk away.
Suddenly, someone broke off of the group to follow Becky. "Excuse me…" said a soft voice, "but I never got the chance to thank you for saving me from those bullies."
Becky turned around, and saw the little girl from a few days ago, who was threatened to be tied up (Amazing Rope Guy style) by two very rude boys. Slightly flustered, she said "Hello…my name's Becky Botsford, by the way."
"Thanks, Becky. I'm Violet. Violet Heaslip. Pleased to meet you!" and the two of them shook hands. Very shortly afterwards, Violet looked at her hands, twiddled her fingers a little, and asked:
"Ummm…since you're not joining the WordGirl Fan Club… would you like to join me in Mrs. Champlain's after-school art tutoring sessions?"
Becky was just about to answer when: "HEEEEELLLP! A GIANT ROBOT IS HEADED FOR DOWNTOWN!" shouted a panic-stricken man in a green jacket as he rushed down the street.
Becky watched him from behind the fence, as he suddenly stopped, took a deep breath, and asked a passersby: "Could you…tell me where the police station is?"
"Down that road and to the left. Can't miss it."
"Thanks!" he said, and he continued running, shouting "HEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLP!"
Ooh, sounds like WordGirl is needed again. You up for it? After all, Professor Boxleitner still hasn't published his book…
"I'll give it a shot. After all, I do have a little experience now…"
"Becky? Who are you talkng to?" asked Violet, who didn't hear the narrator.
"Nobody!" Becky exclaimed, guiltily. Then, she started to walk away, saying: "Listen, I…gotta go home now. I need to know if my Dad'll let me hang out with you…See you tomorrow!"
"See you tomorrow!" Violet called back, smiling.
Becky smiled back as she disappeared into the trees across the street…where she called for Bob. Bob came over, his Captain Huggyface uniform in his hand, and screeched something quietly in her ear. She responded with: "Don't worry about the suit, I hid it under my shirt. If I'm going to be WordGirl, I should be ready very quickly. Anyway, are you ready?"
Bob nodded, donned his helmet, and grasped Becky's arm. Becky placed a hand on her chest, and shouted: "WOOORRRRD UP!" In a bright flash of light, she and Bob were gone, and a yellow streak zoomed through the sky, towards the massive metal robot about to bring a hand down on a skyscraper…
POW!
WHACK!
CRUNCH!
One minute afterwards, cleanup squads were dismantling the fallen robot, and a small crowd was chanting "WORDGIRL! WORDGIRL! WORDGIRL!"…all while a small figure watched from a nearby house.
"Oh, you've done it again, WordGirl. And very soon, you will be mine! All mine! BWA-HAHAHAHA-"
"THEO! WAS THAT EVIL LAUGHTER?"
"No, mom!"
"GOOD!"
And so, the saga of WordGirl gets off to an impressive start! And it looks like another villain's due to make an appearance soon!
Tune in next time for another exciting adventure of WORDGIRL!
The End.
At last, my imagination is converted into PIXEL FORM!
Oh, and for those who were anxiously awaiting this, I had some distractions, like school.
Please Review!
P.S. the three supers at the end were just added because, since i made Boxleitner a superhero-studying scientist, i needed some reason for him to be studying telepathy, and having a telepath in the story seemed needed. I needed a reason for him to be there, so i made up the Global Superhero Association, and said: "I need at least two more, if it's supposed to be a welcome committee!"