First and foremost, I apologized for the long wait. I actually completed this chapter last week but the proofreading took much longer than I had anticipated. Again, I really owe everyone who was waiting for the next chapter an apology.
Second, for those who aren't aware, I have put up a poll in my profile regarding The Newcomer. Basically, there are 7 choices to choose from and whichever gets the highest vote by the end of the year, I'll work on that chapter idea first before going on to the next 6 chapters.
Anyway, on to the basics:
Not much to say, but I want to thank EvelioandZgroup for providing me the idea for the two part Project story, as well as bda241 and Truth of Chaos for helping me out on this chapter.
Also, check out his story, "Memories of Tomorrow", along with UnknownSalvation's "The Homecoming" and Sobellice's "The Kitten". All are good stories that I felt deserved some recognition, so checked either stories out if you're curious.
Enjoy!
The Newcomer
An Amazing World of Gumball Story
By NeoNimbus
Chapter 9-The Project: Part 2
It was a Sunday afternoon at the O'Quinn residence, as Brian, his mother and Masami were in the backyard, standing right in front of a greenhouse. The purple fox was surprised that the cloud showed up at all, despite their arguments yesterday, leaving Brian to wonder whether it was out of respect for his mother or simply to avoid getting a failing grade in Miss Simian's class. But as much as he wanted to dwell on his thoughts, he wanted to focus on what his mother had in stored for them instead.
"Mom, are you finally going to tell us what this science project idea is that you have in mind?" Brian asked.
"Yeah, Mrs. O'Quinn, just tell us already and let's get this over with." Masami demanded.
"Well, now that both of you are here, I'll explain." says Mrs. O'Quinn. "Have you two ever wondered what would happen if two people from two different lives ended up in a natural environment and their only survival is through cooperation?"
Brian and Masami looked at one another, confused by Mrs. O'Quinn's question, before deciding it was best to continue paying attention to her explanation.
"Well, since either of you are quite curious, here's how this works." Mrs. O'Quinn then points to the greenhouse. "See this greenhouse in front you? Imagine that this is a natural environment that these two people, whom I would refer to as Subject A and B, ends up in and their only means of survival is with each other. Before I go any further, does anyone have a question?"
"Actually, I do, Mrs. O'Quinn." Masami replied. "Can you tell us who exactly is Subject A and B?"
"Isn't it obvious Masami?" Mrs. O'Quinn responded.
Masami looked at the light purple fox, confused by her comment. But after a few seconds, she realized what Mrs. O'Quinn was talking about. Likewise, Brian also managed to figure it out as well. Needless to say, neither is pleased by this.
"Are you serious, mom?! There's no way I'm going to cooperate with her! Not after what happened yesterday!" Brian protested.
"Yeah Mrs. O'Quinn, furball here is just going to mess things up!" Masami spoke up, earning her a glare from the purple fox.
"Would you two rather get a failing grade?" Mrs. O'Quinn asked, with a stern expression on her face and arms crossed.
Brian and Masami paused, looked at one another with uncertainty, before they look back at Mrs. O'Quinn. Eventually, they sighed, knowing full well what the answer was going to be.
"I thought so." says Mrs. O'Quinn, before resuming her explanation.
"As I was saying, imagine the greenhouse as a natural environment that Subject A and B, which is you two, ends up in and their only means of survival is through cooperation. Therefore, all you two have to do is to make your way to the end of the greenhouse and back, all the while taking some mental notes along the way."
Once Mrs. O'Quinn finished her explanation, there was a long, awkward silence in the air and neither Brian nor Masami made an effort to talk. Finally, the cloud was the first to talk.
"So, that's it?" Masami asked, a bit perplexed by the idea. "You just wanted us to go to the end of the greenhouse and back?"
"Not to mention that we need to make a few notes about each other at the same time?" Brian asked with a hint of skepticism.
In response, Mrs. O'Quinn nodded her head in agreement, confirming the duo's question. Brian and Masami looked at another, both disliking the concept of this science project, let alone working together as part of said concept. Still, they didn't want to disappoint Mrs. O'Quinn and that was one thing they don't want to do.
"Alright mom, we'll do it. But I highly doubt this'll work out." says Brian.
"As long as I don't get a failing grade in Miss Simian's class, I just want to get the whole thing over with." Masami spoke.
With that, the duo heads into the greenhouse, as Mrs. O'Quinn looked on, hoping that the two would at least give the idea a chance. At the same time, she couldn't but wonder if there was something very important to say to the duo.
'Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll come back to me.' Mrs. O'Quinn ponders, before heading back into the house. After all, what was the harm of letting two kids go into the greenhouse unattended?
The moment Brian and Masami got their first glimpse within the greenhouse, neither of them couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. Expecting to find nothing but rows of plants, gardening tools and equipments, they instead find themselves on what appears to be a genuine jungle on the inside, with exotic plants blooming all over the place. Needless to say, this isn't what they we're expecting at all.
"Wow, your mom sure has some interesting taste." Masami spoke to Brian, both amazed and awed by the scenery.
"No kidding." Brian replied. "I know she tends to this place often when she's not at her job, but I never expected this at all. Come to think of it, my mom never lets anyone, including me and dad, here at all. I wonder why she changed her mind."
"Does it matter? Let's just get to the end of the greenhouse and back before it becomes dark." says Masami.
Brian nodded his head in agreement, before he and Masami began their miniature quest within the greenhouse, pushing the bushes and branches aside to make a path along the way. While trying to form a clearing for either of them to pass, something popped up in Brian's mind.
"Hey Masami, I just realized something." says Brian. "Has it occurred to you that there's the possibility of running into any wildlife on our way to the end of the greenhouse?"
"What makes you say that?" Masami asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Think about Masami…" Brian began to explain. "This place is twice as huge on the inside then what appeared on the outside. As such, were bound to cross into any creatures at any given moment. So I suggest we should keep our guard up."
"Don't be so overdramatic." Masami replied. "I'll admit this is a huge place and even if we do encounter any wildlife, they'll probably be just bugs and garden snakes."
"I suppose you have a point…" Brian agreed, despite his reservation. "But still-"
"But nothing." says Masami, cutting off the fox's words. "This'll be a like a walk to the park. We'll be finish in no time."
Brian glared at the cloud in response, still annoyed by her previous actions. However, there was no use in arguing with Masami, so the fox sighed and resumed their path. But then, all of a sudden, a loud roar echoed all over the place, leaving both Brian and Masami visibly shaken.
"W-what was that?" Masami nervously asked.
"I-I'm sure it w-was nothing." a nervous Brian replied.
As if on cue, the duo could hear the rustlings of branches and bushes from the opposite direction, each movement becoming unsettling and wild, getting much closer to the frightened duo. But after a few seconds, the rustlings abruptly ceased, much to the confusion and relief of both Brian and Masami.
"See Masami, it was nothing." assured Brian.
Just then, something burst out of the bushes with lightning speed, startling both the fox and the cloud, before it turned around to confront the frighten duo. Staring right at them was a cat-lizard hybrid beast, covered in green fur, with white stripes, lizard-like eyes and a set of sharp fangs; it gazed at Brian and Masami with a lust for hunger, no doubt its obvious intent to make them its latest meals.
"Um…hi?" was all Brian could say.
The beast responded by ferociously roaring at them, prompting the duo to run as fast as they could, attempting to distance themselves from its wrath. Undaunted, the hybrid pursued them at a shockingly fast speed, startling the already frightened kids, desperately trying to avoid its grasp.
'Oh man! OH MAN! This is not what I have in mind for today!' Brian thought, despite his sheer state of panic. At this rate, he and Masami would end up as that beast's meal. Brian just hoped that a miracle could come by anytime now.
'Wait a minute! Where's that noise coming from?' Brian could hear running water coming from their direction. Wait a minute, that's it! There might be a way to outsmart this beast after all.
"Masami, I think I have an idea, but I don't have time to explain."
"What are you talking about?" Masami asked, puzzled by the fox's comment.
"Just trust me on this." Brian responded, before he grabbed the cloud's arm, making a right turn to the running water, passing through several bushes and branches, until the duo stopped at the edge of a huge lake. After taking a brief glimpse, Masami freed herself from Brian's arm, before confronting the fox about his action.
"You cannot be serious! There's no way I'm going to take a quick dive and get my hair all mess up."
"Masami…" Brian started to talk. "There's a ferocious monster behind us and you're concerned about your appearance at a time like this?!"
Before the cloud could say anything, the duo could hear the hybrid's roar right behind them. Not wanting to get into another argument, Brian grabbed Masami's arm once more, before he and the cloud took a big leap into the lake, completely submerging them. As soon as the beast showed up, it scans it surroundings, searching for its preys, attempting to find their locations; after what felt like a long time, the beast lost interest and left.
'Phew! That was a close one.' Brian thought, before he and Masami re-emerged from their hiding spot, quickly swimming their way to the nearest shore. Once they reached land, Masami shook herself, attempting to dry herself as quickly as she could.
"Look what you did." Masami complained. "You got me wet all over the place. It's going to take forever to get myself clean."
"You know Masami, you should be grateful that you're alive, instead of being concerned about your appearance." Brian responded, irked by the cloud's ungratefulness.
"I would be, if you didn't cause that monster into chasing us in the first place!" Masami talked back, shaking some of the waters from her arms. "Seriously, what were you thinking saying "hi" to it to begin with?"
"First of all, your majesty, I was nervous at the time." Brian started to talk, all the while trying to be as calm as possible. "Second, it wouldn't matter whether I had said something or not. It would have chased us regardless."
"Whatever." says Masami. "I knew you were going to mess things up again, just like yesterday."
Brian cringed the moment he heard those comment from her mouth. The last thing he wanted to hear was yesterday's incident being mentioned again and she just had to bring it up. Unnerved by this, the purple fox confronted the cloud, glaring at her, before he started to talk.
"You know what, Masami? I thought today was going to be different and honestly, I was hoping to see another side of you, just to prove me that you're not just another rich kid. But after being here for a while, I'm guess I was wrong about you."
"So what are you going to do about?" asked Masami.
Brian continued to glare at her, not bothering to say another word. Before Masami knew about it, Brian walked past by her, leaving her dumbfounded by his action.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?!"
"Isn't it obvious, Masami? I'm going to the end of the greenhouse and back, with or without you." Brian responsed.
"You can't do that!" Masami shouted back at the fox.
"Well I just did. Besides, you said it yourself: this'll be like a walk in the park." Brian then continued to walk until he was out of Masami's sight, leaving the cloud all alone. She couldn't believe what had occurred just now.
"You know what?! Be that way! I'll show you I'm not just another rich kid! In fact, I'll make it to the end before you do!"
Masami knew that Brian was already long gone, but she was still upset by his action. Not wanting to dwell in her situation, Masami headed to the opposite direction. She was determined to prove that fox wrong.
It had been a few hours since Brian and Masami first entered the greenhouse, as the sun was starting to set. The cloud didn't know how far she was to the end of the greenhouse and quite frankly, she didn't care at this point. She was determined to get the last word and put Brian in his place.
"Stupid fox thinks he's so high and mighty. I'll show him whose top dog when I get there." Masami muttered, pushing the vines aside, as she tries to make a clear path towards her destination.
As she continued onwards, Masami took a quick glance over her surroundings, become quite nervous about the area she had stumbled on. The place was quite frightening, covered by mists that gave the environment a creepy tone. She could hear frogs croaking and crickets chirping around her. Needless to say, Masami was clearly frightened by these factors.
"J-just calm d-down." Masami nervously spoke to herself. "I-I'm sure there's n-nothing to worry a-about."
Masami slowly made her way forward, despite becoming increasingly unease in the area she found herself in. The sooner she finds an exit, the faster she leaves.
Just then, Masami noticed some of the bushes rustling like mad, leaving her very worried. Had that monster somehow found its way into this area and sensed her presence? Masami prayed that wasn't the case, but whatever is hiding behind those bushes can't be good at all.
'Oh no, I can't believe this is how it's going to end.'
As Masami closed her eyes shut, expecting the worst, she noticed that the rustling has gotten quieter, before it popping out right in front of her, revealing to be nothing but a harmless little frog, much to the cloud's relief.
'Thank goodness it was only a frog. I thought for sure it was-'
Suddenly, a ferocious growl roared loudly out of nowhere, shaking the entire area, prompting frogs and crickets alike to flee for safety. Likewise, Masami fled from the area as fast as she could, screaming for dear life. She didn't care where she was going nor did she care about reaching the end of the greenhouse. She just wanted to get away from this place as soon as possible.
The sun was slowly fading away, as the evening soon took its place, much to Brian's dismay, making it difficult for him to reach the end of the greenhouse. He had been wandering around this area for a long time since he ditched Masami back at the lake. Still, though, it was quiet and peaceful for a change; at least he wouldn't have to hear the cloud's complaint all day long.
'I wonder how Masami is doing right now.' Brian thought, before he stopped in his track, realized what he just done.
The purple fox couldn't believe what he was thinking. Why would he be so concerned for the cloud's wellbeing? She didn't treat him that well since their first meeting and she continued to treat him like dirt. Even saving her from that beast didn't change her impression on him.
'Even if I do go back, what good would it do? She'll just give me nothing but contempt.'
Brian then attempt to continue his trek, but he couldn't help shake this uncertainty that is starting to cling on to him. What exactly was it? It was a little something called guilt and it clung on to him like a bug.
Slowly but surely, Brian's disdain for Masami eroded away, replaced by concern, panic and fear. He couldn't believe what he just done to her back there: leaving her all alone in this forsaken jungle and at any given moment, that beast could track Masami down and make her its latest meal. He can't let that happen at all.
"Oh man! I need to find Masami before it's too-"
Suddenly, Brian could hear screaming coming from far behind him, getting louder by the moment. As Brian turned to the direction of the noise, the fox found himself tackled to the ground, along with the individual. Dazed but otherwise fine, Brian notice Masami right on top of him, clearly startled and shocked.
"Masami…are you alright?" a concerned Brian asked.
Masami looked at Brian in response and for a while, there was a long silence. Before he knows it, the cloud proceeded to hug him, tears dripping from her face.
"Oh Brian, I'm so glad to see you for once! I wasn't certain if I was going to make it out alive! I really didn't what to do!"
"It's alright, Masami, it was my own fault to begin with. I'm just glad you're fine."
As Brian assured the fearful cloud, he just realized what she had just said to him right now.
'Did she just call me 'Brian' for the first time?'
Before he could say anything to Masami, the purple fox could hear a ferocious roar heading to their directions. Both Brian and Masami have no doubt that monster must have found out where they are and it'll be a matter of time before it comes right towards them. Outrunning it wasn't an option and hiding certainly wasn't going to help them either; what they need to do is to outsmart it, but how?
"Think Brian, how you deal with something that has fangs and could outrun us?" the fox mutter to himself.
As Brian attempts to create a plan, Masami made a quick look of their surroundings: a few dozen vines, scattered twigs and leaves all over the ground. Wait a second…perhaps she was on to something.
"Brian, I think I know how we could pull this off." Masami began to talk.
"Are you sure, Masami?" the fox asked with uncertainty.
"Please Brian, just trust me on this and I'll trust you in return." Masami pleaded.
Brian ponders about this, leaving the cloud rather nervous about the answer she's about to receive. Before she knows it, the fox slowly smiled back to her, much to the cloud's joy, before giving her a response.
"What do you have in mind?"
The beast prowled through the jungle, sniffing out its preys cautiously, in the hopes of coming upon the two and eating them. The evening finally settled down after a few long hours, but it didn't interests the beast one bit; it was not the time to sleep off another day. Not until it finds what it was looking for.
As the beast continued to stalk, there was still no sight of its prey at all. Where have those two disappeared to? No matter, one of them would have to show up eventually and the hunt will continue.
Right on cue, someone, or something, was rustling behind the bushes and almost immediately burst right through it. Standing in front of it was a familiar face: the purple fox this early afternoon.
"Hey ugly! You're looking forward to one savory meal? Come and get it!" he taunted, before dashing off to the opposite direction.
Though stunned by such words, the beast shrugged it off and began its pursuit. He had no idea who he's dealing with, unaware of where he's actually leading it to.
Brian ran with all of his might, passing through the bushes and vines in his path, with the beast right behind his tail. There was no doubt that it was faster than him, but there was no other choice. Not until he reached to his destination and made sure that Masami's plan would work.
As he continues running, taking a few shortcuts along the way, the purple fox could feel his stomach cramping, his legs growing tired and his breathing becoming heavier by the moment. As painful as they are, Brian choose to ignore them and continue running. There was no way he's going to let Masami down.
'Just ignore the pain and keep running. You're almost to your destination.'
Brian could hear the beast's roar right behind him, but the fox ignored this and pressed onward, finally reaching the end, completely exhausted from his running. Not long afterwards, the beast showed itself right in front of the fox, having its prey cornered at last. There was nowhere for him to go and could finally achieved its intended goal.
"Come on…give me…your best…shot." an exhausted Brian taunted back.
Undaunted by this, the beast prepared itself to attack, getting onto its hind legs to pounce, its eyes set sights on the purple fox. Once it was certain that he was going nowhere, the beast was about to launched towards him until…
"Now!"
Startled by this unexpected action, the beast stopped in its tracks and looked up, noticing a large cage dropping towards it. Before it could do anything, the cage successfully trapped it, cutting off any attempted escapes. As the beast looked around in the makeshift cage in disbelief, Masami came out of the bushes, floating right next to Brian. Both are surprised but happy to see their plan worked out.
"Nice going, Masami." says Brian. "It looks like you pulled it off."
"Oh, it was nothing." Masami replied, scratching her head sheepishly. "You did a good job yourself."
"It's unfortunate we didn't make it to the end of the greenhouse." Brian started to talk. "On the other hand, we did manage to put our differences aside and worked together."
"Maybe that was the whole point of this science project to begin with." Masami inquired.
As the two came to this conclusion, they suddenly heard rustlings behind a pair of bushes and after a while, they saw Mrs. O'Quinn bursting out, much to their surprise, with a look of sheer panic on her face.
"Are you two alright?!" she asked, clearly worried about the duo.
"We're alright mom, thanks for asking." Brian responded, much to his mother's relief.
"Thank goodness you and Masami are both safe. I am so sorry for letting you two enter the greenhouse in the first place. I came here as soon as possible when I realized I forgot that Elsie roams around in this area in the first place."
"Elsie?" Brian and Masami simultaneously asked, prompting Mrs. O'Quinn to point out the beast in the cage. The duo was completely stunned to discover that it was a female all this time, something that Mrs. O'Quinn noticed.
"I'll explain about that for another time." Mrs. O'Quinn responded. "As soon as I get Elsie out of this cage and feed her, I'll lead you two out safely from here."
While Mrs. O'Quinn headed to the hybrid, Brian and Masami took the time to reflect on what had just occurred in the last few hours during their time here, before facing one another.
"Look Masami, sorry I called you a spoiled, rotten brat yesterday. You really showed me that you're not such a bad girl after all." says Brian, rubbing his arm sheepishly.
"Likewise, I'm sorry for insulting you and made you do everything on your own. I mean, no one deserved to be treated like that and I should have been a better partner to you." Masami replied. "By the way, how are we going to present our science project by tomorrow?"
Brian paused for a moment, pondering on their next move. Then, Brian smiled, as he managed to figure out a way to do it.
"Leave everything to me."
It was Monday afternoon at Miss Simian's class, the day that everyone's assignment was due. When it was Brian and Masami's turn, the fox presented a simple diagram dubbed "Co-Op", comparing and contrasting Subject A and B's personality, lifestyles and actions, before he and the cloud made a speech on how, in spite of their differences, they were able to help each other out in a dire situation.
"So as you can see, even though Subject A thought Subject B was stubborn and thickhead…" Brian spoke before Masami took over.
"And even though Subject B thought Subject A was clumsy and cautious…" Masami added.
"…In the end, they managed to put their differences aside and worked together like a team."
Once Brian was finished with the last part of the speech, he and Masami anxiously wait to see what their teacher had to say, who expressed some doubts about this project.
"Hmm…I'm not so sure what to make of this. But, since your science project didn't involved a model of a volcano…" Miss Simian turned around and glares at Gumball and Darwin, both partially covered in cheese, as they chuckled rather nervously, before she focused her attention back to Brian and Masami. "…I'll give you two a B for best effort".
Brian and Masami looked at one another, both happy that they were able to get a passing grade, before both of them head back into their seats, with Brian taking the diagram with him. As he sat down, the fox notice Gumball and Darwin looking at him, their faces expressing confusion.
"What was that about?" Darwin asked.
"Yeah Brian, it looks like you and Masami were getting along just fine." Gumball pointed out.
Brian couldn't help but chuckled in response. He had a lot of explaining to do for his friends and it's going to be a very long one for them to comprehend.
Next time on The Newcomer
Chapter 10-The Bill
A simple errand becomes a complicated obstacle for Brian as he attempts to deliver a bill for his mother.
Tidbits
-I honestly don't know why I put a jungle inside a greenhouse to begin with. Then again, "The Job" wasn't quite normal either. XD
-Originally, I was going to reveal Mrs. O'Quinn's first name (yes, she has one and so does Mr. O'Quinn) but I ultimately went against that and decided to revealed it in a future chapter instead.
-Been a while since the story's debut, but I proudly introduced to you guys Elsie (my first OC since Brian) a cat-lizard hybrid beast that roams inside the greenhouse, who has a strong aversion towards strangers (with the exception of Mrs. O'Quinn).
-First time to put some actions in the story, but it was quite tough and challenging, but a bit fun. Still, I could use some improvements for this story though.
-I said it before and I'll say it again: Brian and Masami will not fall in love with one another anytime soon. In fact, I already have plans to create a love interest for Brian in the future.
Hope you guys enjoyed reading and see ya next chapter!