It's been a long while since last month, but at last, the final part of "The Mouse" is here. I've been waiting for this moment to write this chapter and I finally have the chance.
Once again, I wanted to thank Sal for his suggestion on the final part of "The Mouse", as well as Truth of Chaos for creating Principal Pauline.
I also wanted to say congrats to the readers as well. I've never imagined that this story would end up getting more than 50 reviews and for that, I really appreciate that.
Finally, check out KasualKoopa's "The Adventure of Joelle and Mia" when you have the chance.
With that done and said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
The Newcomer
An Amazing World of Gumball Story
By NeoNimbus
Chapter 14-The Mouse: Part 4
The principal's office was normally a quiet place for Athena Pauline to sign some documents and hand out discipline to unruly and disruptive students that have broken so many rules around Elmore Academy. But today turned out to be quite different than what she had expected.
Early this afternoon, the muscular gym teacher known as Big Mac bluntly claimed that four students, consisting of a purple fox, blue feline, a two-legged fish and a pink rabbit, were in fact, trespassing on Elmore Academy. Initially, Athena didn't what to make of the toad's claim, but seeing the shocked expression on the four was enough to confirm that Big Mac was telling her the truth. As such, she had the four escorted right into her office and insisted that Big Mac and Rhonda come along as well.
Now here she was, sitting in her seat in her own office and right in front of Athena are the four trespassers, now in their casual outfits, looking nervous due to her presence, while Big Mac and Rhonda stood right next to them, the latter still a bit shock by today's turn of events.
"Just in case any of you four kids are wondering, my name is Athena Pauline, the principal of Elmore Academy." the humanoid shark introduced herself. "I'm not one who tolerates such disrespectful behavior, so I'll cut right to the point. Can either of you explain to me why four kids from Elmore Junior High decided to sneak in a place like Elmore Academy?"
Both Brian and the Watterson siblings nervously looked at one another, uncertain how to answer the principal's question. The way Principal Pauline spoke left chills down their spines; it didn't help that the presence in her office left a cold atmosphere, making them incredibly uncomfortable.
"Well?" Athena asked, narrowing her eyes on the four trespassers, becoming rather impatient by their silence.
For a while, Gumball, Darwin, Anais and Brian looked at one another, hoping that at least one of them would summoned up the courage to answer the shark's question. After what seemed to be like a long time, Brian, looking at his friends with great concern, took a deep breath and finally stepped forth, ready to give an explanation to the principal.
"Um…Principal Pauline…" Brian finally spoke. "If it'll make you feel any better, I'll take full responsibility for today's event."
Athena arched an eyebrow in curiosity the moment the purple fox opened his mouth, while his three friends, as well as Big Mac and Rhonda, looked at him with astonishment.
"Brian, what are you-" Before Gumball could finish his sentence, Darwin put his flipper over his brother's mouth and nodded his head in disagreement, apparently insisting that they should allow Brian to at least talk, before letting go of the feline's mouth.
"Is that so?" Athena asked. "Before you could go any further, I want to at least know your name."
"My name is Brian O'Quinn, ma'am…" Brian introduced himself to the humanoid shark. "…And to answer your question, it all began since yesterday in the morning…"
5 Minutes Later…
"…And that's how it happened." Once Brian finished the entire story to the principal, Athena simply stared at the fox, intrigued by the fox's story, as well as his and his friend's decision to trespassed Elmore Academy to begin with.
"Let me get this straight…" Athena started to talk, as she began filing her nails. "Are you telling me that you and your friends have the audacity to trespass school ground just so you could befriend a girl you only just met yesterday?"
All Brian and the Watterson siblings could do is nod their heads, confirming everything the purple fox had said not so long ago. After a few seconds of silence, Athena resumed talking to the four, as she began filing her nails on her other hand and strangely smiling.
"I'll have to be honest, never in my entire life that I imagined four students from a second-rate school like Elmore Junior High would pull such a stunt such as today and I'll admit, you four have managed to impress me."
"Are you serious, Principal Pauline?!" Big Mac shouted, shocked by the shark's statement. "These four munchkins have violated several rules and you're just going to-"
"Save it, Big Mac." Athena sternly responded, cutting off the toad's word. "You've done your part already, so it's best if you left me do mine."
Once Athena finished her sentence, Big Mac kept his mouth shut, allowing the shark to resume talking once more.
"As I was saying…" Athena began, putting the nail file in her desk, before facing Brian and the Watterson siblings. "I'm quite impressed by what you four manage to do, but that still doesn't change the fact that all of you violated many rules in Elmore Academy, including starting a food fight in the cafeteria."
As soon as Athena brought that incident up, both Gumball and Darwin nervously chuckled, earning them a glare from both Brian and Anais. Fortunately for them, it appeared that Athena didn't took notice by their expression, as she was too busy explaining today's incident.
"Even so, you and your buddies did manage to save Big Mac's life, despite his ungratefulness. Therefore, I am proposing an alternative solution to this unusual dilemma."
Both Brian and the Watterson siblings looked at the shark with incredulous and skepticism, uncertain how to react to the principal's last statement. Their expression didn't go unnoticed by Athena, simply smiling in amusement from the four kids' response.
"I know what you four are thinking, that this is some bluff I'm pulling off, but I assure each and every one of you, I'm genuinely honest with my words. Normally, I would escort you kids out of the premise immediately, but after a day like this, I decided that I'll overlook the incident, just this once."
"What are you getting at, Principal Pauline?" Big Mac questioned Athena.
"You'll find out soon enough, Big Mac." Athena replied. "Now, before I could go any further, perhaps its best if dear Rhonda would like to have a word with you, Mr. O'Quinn."
Brian gulped in response, as anxiety and fear sets in, his head sweating profusely, worried to see Rhonda's reaction to all of this. The purple fox didn't know what to expect from the mouse, but it wouldn't matter at this point. Taking a deep breath, Brian turned around to confront Rhonda, but what he saw wasn't anger on her face, but rather, of disappointment.
"Why didn't you just meet me up at the bike path, Brian?" the mouse asked. "It would have certainly saved you the trouble to begin with."
Brian hesitated for a moment, uncertain how to answer Rhonda's question. After a while, though, the purple fox eventually found the answer to give to her.
"I never thought of the consequence of my own action, Rhonda." Brian replied. "I know it's not much of an answer, but I just wanted to you know that I'm sorry for everything and I accept responsibility for my actions."
"It's too late for an apology, furball." Big Mac spoke rudely to Brian. "I'm looking forward to whatever plans Principal Pauline had in stored for you and your friends."
"Speaking of which…" Athena suddenly spoke. "I'm more than willing to turn a blind eye on the whole incident you four have caused, provided that all of you will accept the alternative solution."
"What's the catch?" Gumball asked, somewhat unconvinced by the shark's statement. Likewise both his siblings and Brian were just as skeptical about Athena's claim as well.
"It's nothing much, my young friend. All you and your friends have to do is just agree with it and I'll just pretend it never happened, simple as that."
As soon as Athena was finished, Brian and the Watterson siblings gathered around, discussing whether they should accept the principal's ultimatum or not. They weren't so sure whether Principal Pauline would keep her promise or not, but considering the situation they were in right now, it was clear they had no saying in the matter. With that in mind, the four turned to Principal Pauline, as she waits patiently for their answer.
"What is it that you're offering, Principal Pauline?"
Most of the time, the school gym at Elmore Academy would have been filled with students getting reading for another dose of grueling exercises at the hands of Big Mac. But today, Principal Pauline announced that PE was cancelled due to an unexpected renovation. Most of the students were understandably surprised by this, but many decided it was best not to question the surprise announcement and just go on with their day like it always had been.
In actuality, however, the school gym was closed for another different reason. Somehow, Principal Pauline convinced Brian and his friends to participate in a simple game of dodge ball, going up against at least four participants that Big Mac had specifically chosen for them. Unfortunately for them, those participants turned out to be Ivan and his gang and it was clear that they were itching for some payback.
Adding complications to their situation, Principal Pauline decided to exclude Anais from the game, on the grounds that she was too young and as a result, she, along with the principal and Rhonda, are watching the game from the sidelines.
Now, all Brian, Gumball and Darwin is simply stand in their position, their bodies becoming increasingly nervous, while Ivan and his friends were holding onto their dodge balls, ready for some action.
'I cannot believe we agreed to do this.' Gumball, Darwin and Brian thought simultaneously, as Big Mac marched back and forth in the gym, preparing to give out instruction.
"Alright, you munchkins, listen up! I'm going to say this once, so you better pay attention to what I have to say!" Big Mac then turned his attention to a training dummy, before he grabbed the nearest dodge ball from the basket.
"The rule of the game is simple: engage, locked and throw the dodge ball at the nearest target!" says Big Mac, before he threw the dodge ball towards the dummy, removing its head in the process, much to the shock of Brian and the Watterson brothers.
"What the flip was that?!" Gumball shouted.
Big Mac, however, ignored the blue feline's comment about his throw, as he resumed his instructions once more.
"As I was saying, whoever could knock the other team down is the winner. Does anyone have something to say? No? Then, in that case, let the games begin."
With that said, Big Mac heads right towards the bleacher to sit down on, planning to gleefully watch the game unfold, while Brian, Gumball and Darwin nervously watched Ivan and his friends, their faces giving off a smug expression, as they prepared to make the first move.
"I've been waiting a long time for this, furball." says Ivan, before him and with his friends threw the dodge ball right at Brian, Gumball and Darwin.
Startled by the red bear's throw, Brian, as well as Gumball and Darwin, managed to dove to the right, barely avoiding the dodge balls thrown right at them. But their lucky maneuver was short lived, however, as soon as the dodge balls bounced right back to Ivan and his friends and before long, they prepared for another throw right at the trio. Soon, panicked and fear began to express itself, as Brian and the Watterson brothers began to run around the gym, screaming for their lives, all the while dodging a barrage of dodge balls from Ivan and his gang.
While the trio where trying to survive with all of their might and luck, back on the bleachers, Principal Pauline, Rhonda, Anais and Big Mac watched the game unfold right in front of them. Rhonda and Anais, in particular, were clearly worried for the boys' well beings.
"Principal Pauline, you need to stop this right away!" Rhonda demanded. "They're going to suffer serious injuries if Ivan and his friends keep this up!"
"Rhonda's right." says Anais, agreeing with the mouse. "Brian and my brothers are getting creamed right there. At this rate, they'll get more than a concussion on the head."
"I wouldn't be too worried about it." Athena responded with indifference. "Besides, your fox friend and your brothers did accept my term and as such, I won't go back on my words."
"But-" was all Rhonda could say, before Big Mac cut her off.
"But nothing; it was his fault that got him into this mess in the first place. If he and those two munchkins want to get out of this, they'll have to earn it."
As soon as Big Mac finished his statement, he returned his attention towards the game, watching it with a smirk, while Athena looked on with indifference. Rhonda and Anais, on the other hand, continued to watch the game with helplessness and prayed that Brian, Gumball and Darwin could somehow survive and win this game, despite the odds stacking against them.
'Come on, you guys. I know you could do this.' Rhonda and Anais thought simultaneously.
Back at the game, Brian, Gumball and Darwin, despite suffering some bruises and minor injuries, somehow managed to evade most of the dodge balls from Ivan and his gang, before diving behind a couple of trash cans for defense. As Ivan and his friends continued to clobber the trash cans with no end in sight, the trio looked at one another, clearly frightened by their experiences, uncertain about their next move.
"Oh man, this is nuts! That Ivan guy is like Tobias, only he's big and he could really cream us!" Gumball exclaimed. "We really need to take him and his pals down, Darwin!"
"How are we going do that, Gumball?" Darwin questioned his brother. "There's no way we could take them head on and at this rate, we'll never even make it out of here alive!"
"That's why we need to outsmart them instead, Darwin." Brian pointed out. "The only question is how do we pull it off? I've got nothing at the moment, but we need a solution and fast."
As Brian pondered on what to do, his thoughts were quickly interrupted when one of the dodge balls knocked the lids down, with one landing on top of the fox's head. As Brian rubbed his head from, both Gumball and Darwin noticed the trash lids lying on the floor. Then, it hit Gumball.
'Wait a minute…that's it! Perhaps there was a way to turn the tables on Ivan and his friends after all!' Gumball then whispered his plan to Darwin, before focusing his attention to Brian.
"Brian…" Gumball whispered to the purple fox. "I think there's a way we could beat them at their own game."
Brian looked at Gumball, a bit surprised to hear such a claim from the blue feline. At the same time, though, he couldn't help but smile, glad to know that to have some good news for a change.
"Alright Gumball, I'm listening…"
Ivan, along with Joey, Lloyd and Ray, continued to pummel the trash cans that Brian and his friends were hiding behind with joy and glee, as they attempt to wear its sturdy defense as much as they could.
The red bear and his friends were having the time of their lives. Ever since he learned that purple fox, along with his pals, were in fact trespassers, Ivan was more than happy to accept Big Mac's offer, just so he could take him out without getting into trouble. Likewise, his friends also accepted the toad's offer, just so they could serve as his backups and were just as eager to have some payback as well.
But several minutes had passed since the game had started and all four had yet to succeed in taking down the trio. Lloyd, in particular, was becoming increasingly bored from repeatedly hitting the trash cans.
"Duh…this is getting us nowhere, Ivan. Why don't we just call it draw?" Lloyd's suggestion, however, only succeeded in irritating the red bear.
"There's no way I'm accepting that, Lloyd! Besides, you know the rule of the game: whoever knocks the other team down wins and I intend to finish this game." Ivan then returned his attention to the garbage cans that Brian, along with Gumball and Darwin, were using as their protection.
"Come out and show yourself, furball!" Ivan shouted. "Sooner or later, you and your friends better accept your punishment like men!"
"Why don't you come here and make us?!" Brian shouted back, still hiding behind the trash cans.
Ivan couldn't help but shake his head in response at the fox's remark. If he and his friends were going to be defiant until the end, then so be it. With that in mind, Ivan, with the dodge ball gripped tightly on his paw, threw it as hard as he could towards the trio. In a matter of seconds, it will be game, set and-
"Not this time!"
Unexpectedly, Brian popped out from behind the trash cans, with a lid on one paw, shoving the dodge ball as hard as he could, aiming it squarely at Lloyd's stomach, knocking him completely out. Brian's surprised move caught everyone's attention, especially Athena, as she becomes intrigued by the purple fox's counterattack.
'This is suddenly becoming interesting.' Athena thought.
Before long, Gumball and Darwin also came out from behind the trash cans, also armed with a lid of their own. Ivan, Joey and Ray remained a bit shocked from Lloyd's swift defeat, before suddenly bursting into laughter, much to the trio's confusion.
"This is the best you could think of?!" Ivan shouted, as he wiped a tear from his eyes. "Either you guys are really stupid or really desperate!"
"Either way, luck's not going to help you and your friends out the next time." says Joey.
"It's not luck that's going to help us win the game. It's strategy that's going to help us out." Brian insisted.
"Whatever." was Ivan's response, before he and his two pals resumed throwing their dodge balls right at the trio.
This time, though, Brian, Gumball and Darwin were prepared for the onslaught facing them; armed with nothing but trash can lids as defense, the trio were able to deflect the oncoming projectiles coming right back at Ivan and his friends, all the while performing evasive maneuvers at the same time. Surprised to see these tactics from the trio, Ivan, Joey and Ray threw their dodge balls as fast as they could, a look of desperation formed on their faces and their heads sweating like mad.
Back on the bleachers, Rhonda and Anais cheered on, both relieved and happy that the boys are now suddenly turning the tables.
"Alright you guys, you can do it!"
"Keep it up! Show them what you're made of!"
Meanwhile, Principal Pauline continued to look on, somewhat impressed by the trio's combine effort, while Big Mac watched the game in horror and disbelief. He couldn't believed what's happening just now; those little munchkins are suddenly having the advantage in the game and Ivan and his pals are having no luck in knocking one of them down.
'This was to suppose to a simple and quick game! How could Ivan and his pals not land a single blow at them?! They should have won by now!'
By now, Ivan, Joey and Ray are worn out from constantly throwing all those dodge balls, as the trio was now able to fend off their attacks with all of their might. Joey and Ray, in particular, were completely exhausted: their bodies had finally reached their limits, their muscles completely ached all over the place and they could barely stand still. With all of their energies depleted, the two of them fell to the floor unconscious, much to Ivan's shock.
'This is ridiculous! I'm being made a fool by a bunch of wimps who aren't half my size! There's no way I'm getting let them humiliate me like this, especially in front of Rhonda!'
As the red bear tried to fathom this unexpected outcome, his thoughts were interrupted by Brian, Gumball and Darwin cheering in joy, as victory was finally in their reach. All Ivan could do at the moment was growl in disgust by this. As much as he hated this, he was at a big disadvantage and there was nothing he could do about it. That is, until he noticed a dodge ball right next to him, giving him a very good idea.
'If I'm going to loose, I'll at least have the satisfaction on knocking furball out!'
With that in mind, Ivan grabbed the dodge ball off the ground and concentrated solely on Brian, making sure that his aiming was right on target. He was determined to give the purple fox a headache he'll never forget. But as he prepared to throw the dodge ball right at Brian, his action went unnoticed by Rhonda and quickly realizing what he intended to do.
"Brian, look out!" Rhonda shouted.
Confused by the mouse's shouting, Brian turned around to see an oncoming dodge ball heading right towards him. The sight of the projectile coming right at him caused the purple fox to freeze in fear, unable to move his legs, or his entire body, as the dodge ball inched closer towards him. But just when it finally about to hit him, Brian suddenly found himself shove to the ground at the last minute by Darwin, as the projectile barely brushed the tip of his tail and the fish's fin, before smacking hard into the wall, much to everyone's shock.
"Brian, are you alright?!" a concerned Darwin asked.
"I'm fine Darwin, thanks to you." Brian replied. "What about you?"
"I think I'm good, but I sprained my ankle when I shoved you at the last minute. I'm so sorry about that."
"Don't worry about that, Darwin. It's not entirely your fault." assured Brian, before he focused his attention on Ivan. "If there's anyone that should be held responsible, it's that moron who decided to play unfair!"
Brian could feel his anger boiling up like a cooking pressure, as he helped Darwin up to the bleachers. But no one couldn't have been very furious than Gumball; how dare Ivan pulled off such a move like that, just so he could win this game. He could have seriously injured his friend and brother and it was clear that the red bear show no guilt for it. There was no way that Gumball was going to let Ivan get away with this. It was then that there was only one thing both he and Brian could do.
"Brian!" Gumball shouted. "Do you recall the time I talk about the cell phone incident?"
"What about it?" Brian asked.
"I got no time to explain, but just trust me on it!"
Once Brian helped Darwin up to the bleachers, the purple fox almost immediately went to his friend's side, curious to see what the blue feline had to say. Soon, Gumball whispered the plan into the fox's ear and after a while, Brian slowly understood what the blue feline had in mind, before the duo turned their attention to Ivan, still eager to take them down.
"I don't know you boneheads are planning, but it's not going to help you two out." Ivan then picked up another dodge ball and proceeded to throw it right at them. Unexpectedly, Brian simply sidestepped, allowing the projectile to head straight towards to Gumball. Armed with the trash can lid, Gumball proceed to deflect the ball back at Brian, who, in turned, deflected the ball right back at Gumball.
Right before everyone's eyes, both Brian and Gumball proceeded to deflect the dodge ball back and forth, each hit increasing the ball's speed. Ivan, stunned by the duo's unusual method, could only stand still and watch, unable to make a single move. It was at this point that the dodge ball was reaching its climax.
"Combo Breaker!" Gumball and Brian shouted simultaneously, before Brian quickly sidestepped, allowing the blue feline to launch the projectile right at Ivan. The red bear didn't have any time to react, as the dodge ball hit hi directly in his face, sending him down for the count.
The moment Ivan went down, there was long, eerie silence all over the gym. After what seemed like forever, though, Rhonda, Anais and Darwin cheered on, while Athena clapped her hand, impressed by the boys' efforts. Big Mac, on the other hand, remained completely shock, stunned by the outcome.
"I can't believe it, Gumball." says Brian. "We actually won!"
"No kidding." Gumball noted. "I thought for sure we were goners!"
Once they were done giving each other their praises, the duo made their way to the bleachers, joining up with Rhonda, Anais and Darwin, as well as Athena. The four kids, as well as Rhonda, waited to hear what the principal had to say.
"That was a very excellent move you two managed to pull off!" Athena said, praising both Gumball and Brian of their performances, much to the kids' relief. "I have to say, I didn't see that one coming at all. As promised, I will overlook today's incident as if it was nothing."
Athena then turned her attention to Big Mac, who managed to recover from the shock, as he noticed the shark's presence.
"Big Mac, would you be so kind to escort these four kids to the entrance? Also, please allow me to escort Rhonda to her next class."
As soon as she was finished, Athena, along with Rhonda, headed to the entrance of the school gym, while Big Mac glared at Brian and the Watterson siblings, pretty annoyed that today didn't turned out as he had hoped. But what Athena says goes and there's nothing he could do about it.
"Alright you little munchkins, come with me." Big Mac grudgingly spoke, before he escorts the four to the school's entrance.
For the next few hours, the rest of the afternoon went on without any further incidents at Elmore Academy. While Gumball, Darwin and Anais took the transit bus to head back home, Brian, at his insistence, stayed behind, assuring them that he'll be fine, as the purple fox waited outside the entrance. The only thing Brian could do was give Rhonda a proper apology for everything that had happened today. He just hoped that she would stick around to hear every word he has to say to her.
'Alright Brian, you can do this. Just tell Rhonda what you did and pray that she at least understands why I-'
Brian's thoughts were interrupted by the opening of the gate, as every student started pouring out all over the place, heading to their homes until tomorrow comes around the corner. As Brian looked on, hoping to spot Rhonda from the crowd, he noticed a certain red bear heading right at him, his faces wrapped with some bandages and his right eye was bruised up. Judging from his expression, it was clear that Ivan wasn't in a good mood at all.
"Don't think that what you did today is going to convince me to let you off the hook." Ivan warned. "If I ever crossed path with you or one of your friends, you'll wish that you've never met me in the first place."
Once Ivan finished his threat, he turned to the opposite direction and angrily walked away from Brian, leaving the purple fox visibly shaken and frightened.
'Yikes! Looks like I have to be careful when I go to this area from now on!'
"Excuse me, but did Ivan threaten you again?"
Brian yelped in response, before noticing Rhonda right in front of him, much to the fox's relief. It was good to see someone like her, which reminded him of something…
"Oh, hey Rhonda…" Brian greeted the mouse. "You're still not upset about what me and my friends did hours ago, are you?"
"I'm not upset or anything, but I was disappointed." Rhonda replied. "Still, there's no reason to stay mad at you after what you guys did at the gym today."
"I see…" Brian says. "Listen Rhonda, I just wanted to apologize for everything. I just wish I had met you up at the bike path today instead of sneaking around Elmore Academy. I didn't mean to-"
Rhonda raised her hand up, prompting the purple fox to stop talking, curious to see what the mouse had to say.
"Apology accepted, Brian. I'm just glad that neither you nor your friends got hurt too badly. Plus, you were very honest with your words and you did take full responsibility."
Brian couldn't help but smiled and blushing lightly, touched that despite what had happened, Rhonda decided to give him another chance.
"Anyway, would you promise me that you won't pull off another stunt like that again?"
"Don't worry, Rhonda, I promised." Brian assured the mouse, as she smiled in response.
"That's very good to hear, Brian. One more thing, before I go, I have something to show you."
Rhonda then hands Brian a piece of paper, prompting the purple fox to take a look at it. Much to his surprise, the paper contained Rhonda's phone number, leaving him very ecstatic, before he turned his attention to the mouse once more.
"Call me if you want to hang out anytime. Anyway, I have to go home right now. Bye Brian."
"Bye Rhonda."
With that, Rhonda got on her bike and left for her home, as the purple fox stood near the school entrance and looked at the piece of paper with a smile.
Next time on The Newcomer
Chapter 15-The Alien: Part 1
Gumball's sudden obsession with science fiction is driving Brian, Darwin and Anais crazy and decided that the only way to get rid of his obsession was to stage an alien invasion.
Tidbits
-It's been a long while, but I'm finally done with this arc. It was quite fun, if not challenging, though I am taking a break from doing long arcs for now. It'll be a matter of time before I do another one.
-Just in case anyone is wondering, Rhonda and Ivan will be recurring characters for future chapters. The same goes with Big Mac, Athena and Ivan's gang (depending on which chapter they'll appear in).
-This is my second attempt to put some action sequences as best as I could pull it off. But to be honest, it turned out much differently than I had hope for.
Once again, I wanted to thank everyone who has been reading "The Newcomer". That really meant so much to me and I appreciate that. Please let me know what you think of the story so far.
Thanks and see ya next chapter!