Chapter 22 (Search and Rescue)
"How did this all happen?. Why didn't I just quit when I had the chance?." Penny thought in her subconscious mind as she was still on the ground flat out on her stomach, while her head was laying down and as her left arm was stretched out while the other arm was on her side. "How didn't I seen this coming?. I knew that replacement dog will somehow end me literally." She said remembering how the whole building caught on fire and before it even happened yet. She remembered that she was hanging out with Vanellepe as she was the only person that was available to attend her last and final performance before sending her notice to her agent and to the people from Hollywood that gave her contract to fame and fortune.
Penny regretted that day when she signed that contract when she won the acting competition as the people didn't care about her or her family but the money that she will be making for them, since that's what her aunts and uncles said when it was shown by her greedy agent who truly showed that he didn't care about her health or what she wanted.
Flashback: Penny was seating down at the table having her eyes all over her lines in the script while Vanellepe was on the other side with her head resting on her hand, while the other hand was tapping the plate with a fork and beat a random tune.
Penny noticed the boredom written on the Japanese American face seeing when will the film of the last episode begin. "You didn't have to come if you don't want to, you know?." She told Vanellepe leaving her eyes off the script. Vanellepe stopped tapping her paper plate as she drop her and then stretched her arms up and said "No. I do want to be here with you Pen. This is your big finish and I don't want to miss it for the world." This made the soon to be former young actress smile after hearing the honesty from her and closed the book and sat it down, and then get up from the table.
"Where are we going now?." Vanellepe asked her getting up as well.
"We're going to meet my mom. She's at the film set practice room waiting for us so I can do a one last rehearsal before doing it for real." said Penny leading the way to the other side of the building. They met up with stage crew who was talking amongst themselves while preparing for setting up the real thing. Penny saw her mom drinking her freshly brewed coffee as she was texting someone on her phone and looked up and see her daughter and niece. "Good morning girls. I hope you slept well Penny?." Sierra asked her little girl while placing a kiss on her head.
"Yes mom I slept like a queen." Penny answered while noticing the dog care taker was petting the dog that replaced her pet that she had growing up. Vanellepe see what Penny was looking at and see a perfect resemblance of Bolt in which the dog was uncanny. She knows how much Bolt means so much to Penny to the point it made her cry to see her best friend/cousin like this. "Pen are you sure that you wanted to go through with this?. You can just drop your notice right now and we can go home." Vanellepe offered her opinion to her. Penny left her eyes away from the look alike dog and looked at Vanellepe.
"I can if I wanted too huh?. But, I want to live up to my contract that clearly says that I can get my full payment right after finishing up the season of my TV show. So that's what I'm going to do and then send my notice." She told her and give an effort to smile.
"You sure about that?." Vanellepe asked again. "Because you do have a choice to walk away and live off of your merchandise and commercials." She told her but Penny still wanted to live up to her contract agreement. What came next was her agent coming in smiling happily like he just won the lottery while having a cup of coffee in hand. "Hey there my little young actress." He greeted his client and then looked at the other girl. "And hey huh, huh, huh, huh." Vanellepe rolled her eyes in ignorance as she can't believe this guy doesn't know her name as much as he sees her when he comes down to Todayland to pick up Penny and her Aunt Sierra to Hollywood and then dropped them back off home and stay with them for like two through twelve minutes and bounce out.
"It's Vanellepe. Vanellepe Hamada." She told him a little bit frustrated. Penny's agent slapped his face as he remembered Vanellepes name and laugh about it. "Oh, man, I completely forgot!. Haha, I don't know how I even forgot as much as I fly down here." He said checking his phone to see if anyone texted him or left a message. Penny rolled her eyes as well as she too know that he doesn't care about her family or family members and just focus on making the money. "That's because you don't give a D.A.M.N what my name is." Vanellepe honestly said under her breath with a irritated look.
"Come again little girl?." Penny's agent asked as he could have sworn that she cussed right in his face.
"Oh, I don't say anything sir." Vanellepe quickly answers and gave her innocence smile that she can muster. "Asshole." She in her mind and walked away from the guy, preventing herself from saying any more cussing that might be said out loud on accident. Sierra eyed her niece knowing she had a good smart cocky mouth for her own good every now and then but, she doesn't say any curse words in front of her or the other Aunts as she knows that they will give her the old fashioned soap in the mouth. And so unless she wanted to enroll in the Navy and swear like a sailor, she won't be swearing period.
"Okay kid are ready to rehearse this part one more time?." asked by the directors assistant while holding the script in his hand. Penny turn around to see him and see this was the perfect time to rehearse this part of the show.
"Yeah, let's rehearse this part before we do it for real." She answered while getting her acting in full effect. Vanellepe and Sierra stepped off the rehearsing stage to watch Penny do what she does as she turn her back that was written in the script, and waited for the people to say action. "Ready?. Set. Action." said the Directors Assistant. The start of the scene begin when Penny pretended to hear a noise behind her and slowly turn around to see who it was. "Bolt?." She said showing a hope look on her face. With that on cue she saw the dog appear and change her face expression from hope to joy and gave a fake happiness attitude as she really don't feel the same about the dog replacement. Sure the dog had the exact white fur coat and the right face but, that's not her Bolt for a long shot as this new Bolt wasn't Hollywood trained nor has any knowledge of knowing or thinking that everything that he supposed to do and see is staged, and don't think it's real.
Well her Bolt had the idea that everything around him including on what he does in fact real and not staged, as he thought he was a lab tested dog that had superpowers and their was a such thing as a evil villain named Dr. Cailco. To Penny's stand point her dog made the great pretended adventure atmosphere and make it feel so real but she rather had the real thing but, what can she do?. She wanted to put a hold on the season and search out to find Bolt when she got the word that he ran off thinking that one of the henchmens have actually kidnapped her, and wanted to print out some missing dog posters around the streets of Hollywood but like always her agent didn't care about how she felt or what she wants plus, the women who is one of the members of the network and is one of the people that analyze the ratings of the TV show, came to her on the same day when Penny was printing out flyers. She told her to let Bolt go and deal with her lost because the people who make the magic happen on the stage needed the money to feed their hungry family's and so on.
At least the last did care how she felt about the whole thing as she could tell that she had a daughter of her own, and a husband that was no surprise the board members of the network. Penny let go of Bolt and made knew that her family have told her the truth about cold world of Hollywood and how they never care about you but just the money over the years, and that's why she was quitting and that's was final. Just like what Momma Abuelita have always told her before leaving for Hollywood to film that, nothing is more better or important than your familia.
"Oh, Bolt, I thought I will never get to see you again." Penny said bending down to hug her K9 companion warmly. The dog barked with joy to be reunited with his master and never want to be ever separated. "Annnnnmd cut!. Good job Penny." said the Directors assistant as the dog trainer took out his clicker to call the dog back to him as he do so, with his tail wagging with happiness. Penny got up and walked over to where Vanellepe and her mom was as they gave her some praise just to cheer her up. "Good job honey." Sierra said hugging her only child and then said "This is your big finish of the day we can go home to our family for good. Want that be nice?." Penny smile a little to show her mom that she was happy while Vanellepe give a good soft nudge punch to her arm.
"You did outstanding cuz in fact I'm sure they are going to have your name written down on sidewalk of Hollywood's greatest stars!." She said making an effort to make her feel better and which it did. The next thing that Vanellepe knew was being hugged real tight and then let go. "Thanks V. And just for that I want you to pick out all the kinds of pastries for my early Hollywood send off party." said Penny as she saw how fast the young Hamada face brighten up in excitement and full of suger rush energy. "Cool!. And know what type of flavors what I want for your party too!." Glad to see the fast happiness in girl as it made the soon to be former young actress smile and continue on with the day. Time went by making things so much quicker for her to get things going much faster and head home with her family for good.
She walked to the actual film stage set and hopped on as this scene was her being captured by Dr. Cailco and tied up and hanged down in his lair hopelessly no way to get out. "This is going to give me another Oscar award again I just know it." Penny thought while letting the stage crew tie her up as she had a history for winning awards in Hollywood. She at first at the age of five loved getting awards for best acting, funny, silly, drama, and even horror and love it but, over the years get got very tiring and boring to the point it make go insane as when every she receives a reward, she takes a quick picture and walked out to the back stage and threw it away in the trash can or give the awards to her best friends when she came back home, so they can feel like movie stars and such.
Penny snapped out of her thoughts as it was less than two minutes until filming and then saw Vanellepe seating down in the VIP section and her mom beside the young girl. With that a few people sat down in the VIP booth to watch the recording and focus on herself and remember the lines in the script so they're won't be any cuts and retakes, as Penny really don't want to stay here for long than they have to as she see the Director in his chair and yelled action to begin rolling the film. The staged door slid open as Dr. Cailco stepped in his black suite and red tie while having a green cat like left eye as he chuckled evily and made his way towards Penny and begin saying his lines.
"I bet you thought that you will never get capture and be taken by my henchmens, and be sent into my lair of operations. Didn't you Penny?." Dr. Cailco said smirking at the young girl.
"Your scare tactic won't work on me Dr. Cailco!. I'm not afraid of you and your ugly smug of yours!." Penny respond back with a huge angry and fearless attitude.
Dr. Cailco sneered at that last comment but kelp his profession in contact as he straightened up his tie and had his arms behind his back. "Your words will not break my status little girl but drives me to live up to my motivation." He told her still holding on his evil smile. Penny lifted her eyebrow and ask him this question. "Oh?. Then why not Doc?." With that same moment in time the floor that was in between her and the evil Doctor as it elevated a scientist from the inside of the ramp tied down to the chair.
"Dad?!." Penny yelled knowing this man wasn't her actual father as her dad died in a car accident years ago, but mange to play along through the script.
"Penny?!. You let my daughter go you snake!." the middle age man demanded at the evil Doctor who chuckled evily again and rubbed his hands together with continue chuckling. In the VIP booth, Vanellepe was loving every second of it knowing this was a better than watching it on TV. She was on the edge of her seat as the atmosphere was getting good and better as the scene was squeezing out the juiciness. "Best scene of the season." said Vanellepe whispering to her aunt making her smile as she too thought the same. Back on the set, the same doors that Dr. Cailco went through was broken down flat to the ground as the one that was responsible was the Bolt replacement dog, who was growling at the evil villain backing away from the dog.
"Bolt you found me!." Penney cheered smiling and still keeping her acting in full play.
Dr. Cailco growled in rage as shouted out in command to handle his uninvited guest. "Henchmen's!. Attack!." On cue two henchmans dropped down out of nnowhere and stepped forward, and activated their shock gloves ready to strike at the dog. At that right moment was when things went down hill from there as instead of the dog heroically saving the day and saving his master and the father, he backed away from the two henchmens with his ears and tail down. Penny notice the dog was scared to the point he wanted to run away. She looked at the entrance where the door was and see the dog trainer using his clicker and encouraging the dog to go forward but that's not going to happen.
"Come on dog do what you were taught to do." Penny said in her mind having a chill feeling this is going to end badly.
And right she was as the dog started to panic not knowing what to do and ran off the set, while knocking down one of the stage props that was an actual torch stand holding real fire. When the fire made contact to the floor it quickly catch everything on fire. Everyone who was on the set bumped out as the guy who was tied up was fake tied and ran out with the actor who play Dr. Cailco. "Everyone evacuate the building immediately!. No exceptions!." screamed the Director making everyone run out of the building. Penny's security came down guiding his clients mom and friend out of the building but the two didn't want to leave Penny by herself.
"No wait my daughter needs me!." Sierra said in a scared voice fearing for her baby girls life.
"Sorry Mrs. Forrester but we have to go!." the all black Security said pulling away out of the VIP. Vanellepe manage to break free from the man's hold and run down to save her best friend from death. "Penny, I'm coming don't worry!." Vanellepe yelled in fear but another security guard ran down to pull her away and carry her out, not even caring about her kicking him or yelling her lungs out. Luckily for Penny she was a good export on tying and untying things especially when her arms are tied behind her back, and mange to get loose and drop down to the stage set and try to escape from the flames.
She tried to find the exit out of the burning building but her chances where gone, as the stage lights fell down blocking her entrance and making things worse for herself as of now she needed to find a way out before her oxygen will die out completely. End of Flashback
And now this is where she is now, laying flat and slightly passed out with her dog Bolt who some how find his way to her was getting ready to pass out and die in the Fire with his master. All seems lost for Penny and Bolt seeing theirs no one who was crazy enough to put their lives on the line to rescue them but, that doubt was about to be proven wrong. Outside from the burning building, Sierra was crying and praying hard to God that he saves her child while comforting Vanellepe who was doing the same. She looked to her left and see her brother and the guys running in Todaylands Studio with the quickness as four spotted her and Aunt Sierra.
"Aunt Sierra!." Hiro said getting her attention and see her nephews and niece here as they got the word on what happened here.
"Kids. Penny's still inside of the building!." Sierra said not controlling her emotions at the moment. Then Vanellepe who was able to hold her tears and crying mange to talk to her big brother. "I tried to run and get here but those stupid security guards prevented me from doing so." She explained to her big brother having tears running. Hiro pull his baby sister into a hug and said "Don't worry about anything." He broke the hug and looked in her eyes. "We're going in." With Hiro and the others ran out towards the burning building ignoring their Aunt shouting for them to come back. They ran around the building seeing the back door that was connected to the stage room and ran up to ramp to the door. With no questions asked Miguel automatically brake down the door handle as the door knob was poorly made as door opened wide, making them running in meeting the firey smoke and hot flames.
They didn't care what the conditions were inside the building weather it was condemned, ice cold, or having a one minute time bomb. They were determine to rescue their best friend no matter what even if it costs them their lives. The four broke up to find their friend better and faster while looking at their surroundings due to falling ceiling pieces that were on fire. Among the others, Hiro was the most person searching and calling Penny's name trying to find his lover in time, before the whole building itself coming down. Bolt perked his ears up hearing someone in the same building searching for his companion and felt hope coming back inside the dog, and stood up to bark loud as his lungs were able to function under this condition.
"Wait...you guys heard that?." asked Wilbur making the others stop their search to listen. They heard the barking coming from the very front, from where they were and indicating that Penny must be where dog was as Bolt barked as hard as he could muster. "It's this way!." Violet shouted as Hiro quickly ran past her, and running straight to where the barks where coming from. Hiro ran fast to where the barks were hearing that he was getting closer in every step. Bolt barked one last time for good measure as he heard fast foot steps getting closer and closer, up until the owner of the noise came forward and dog couldn't be any more happier to see Pennys crush. "Penny!. She's over here!." He yelled to alert the others to come fast and help get her out of the firey building.
Hiro ran over and bent down to a halfway unconscious Penny to shake her. "Penny?. It's me, Hiro. We're here get you out of here." He told her as he saw her eyes slightly open and gave a very weak smile. "H... H... H... Hiro?. Y... Y... Y... You came for m... m... m..." Hiro put his finger on her lip to silence her as she needed to rest and can't take the risk of her loosing anymore oxygen. "Penny!." cried Miguel as he and Wilbur ran over and help remove the huge pipe off her their cousin, while Violet helped Hiro with helping to get Penny on her feet, and took her arms around their necks. "Let's get out here. This place isn't going to stand still for long." Wilbur pointed out as he see the structure of the building was slowly began to become fragile. With that in mind he picked up Bolt who was unable to walk and put around his arm, as the four started to rush out to the back door where they came in from.
Hurrying up quick with time running down against the young wanna be supersheros, while doing their best to ignore the crash sounds behind them. Suddenly a huge sound put a immediate hold in their running as above them was a huge ramp that was the light setting section as it fall right on top of them in full speed, but thankfully in a quick reaction, Violet pull Pennys arm off her neck and lifted up both hands in the air and created a force shield, as the ramp made contact with the purple bubble thus making the ramp sat on top. The ramp was giving a whole lot of pressure on Violets force shield while her arms were starting to bend and not standing straight.
"Crap...this thing is freaking heavy like a huge bolder." Violet said struggling to keep up holding her force shield.
"Can you try using your power to power push the ramp off of us V?. ...Well?." asked Wilbur with eyes still glued to the ramp that was crushing their protection bubble. Violet looked at Wilbur as what he said didn't sound not too shabby idea at all. "Huh, let's give that idea a spin shall we." Violet answered as she focused her concentration on her powers not letting the situation overwhelm her, she fired up her hands with purple energy and push off the ramp from their heads as it landed over to the side. With the opportunity that they got, they use it to their advantage and run out to the exit door just in time as everything crumble down behind them, making them jump out of the place as the entrance was blocked in full of debris and rubbles.
The Medics rushed over with a stretcher as they lifted and lay Penny down on the bed, and then put on a oxygen breathing mask on her face as the Medics quickly rushed her to the ambulance while accompanied by Sierra and the kids. The set her inside while letting the family hope in and while calling in the hospital to be ready when they arrive, Sierra had her hand with Pennys hand close tight as Hiro had the other close to his chest, as he mentally don't know what to do if anything happens to his beloved crush while Wilbur sat Bolt down on Pennys legs as he rested tiredly. Violet and Miguel were glad that they made it in time to save their best friend from death and thanked God that he gave mercy on her soul to live on. They were getting ready to live and head out to the emergency hospital until, Pennys Agent stepped in with them with a sad worried face as he put his hand on Sierras shoulder while wiping a tear away from his eye.
"Mrs. Forrester." He began "I'm terribly sorry that this has happened to your one and only child. That, and, and, and wait until we get the high ratings when this get on the news!." The whole family looked at this sick jerk as was going on about more show appearances, interviews, and having more high superstar ratings then anyone else in her generation. Everyone in the back of the ambulance all had fast angry looks as their loved one was close to being a memory and this guy was thinking about making a buck on her tragic incident. "Think about it Mrs. Forrester. The whole world will remember your daughter as the superstar who survived a huge deadly fire accident, when filming her last episode of America's hottest TV show of all time!. Can't you just see the huge headlines?!." He asked Sierra.
One of the kids was getting ready to do something that needed to be done but their Aunt Sierra, had beat them to it as she grabbed the man by his suite jacket and roughly threw his butt right out of the ambulance, making him land down flat on the pavement. He manage to look back at Sierra as he had a scared feeling that this wasn't going to fly well for him. "Mr. Right for years you have never cared or have concerns for my daughters well being not safety." Sierra said in high angry and authority as the kids had grins on their faces, seeing their aunt finally giving that jerk a piece of her mind. "My family was right about you and only regret that I have, is that I haven't done this sooner." She told him as she pull out a piece of folded up paper from her pocket.
"W... W...W... Wait. W... W... W... What are you planning with that contract?." Mr. Right asked seeing the paper in Sierras hand.
"Mr. Right, consider yourself unemployed. Vanellepe if would do the honors sweetie?." Sierra asked the young one who grinned from ear to ear and grab the paper from her, and then looked at Mr. Right who was had his hands together pleading for not to do what she had in her mind. "You heard my Aunt Sierra. You are officially F. I. R. E. D!." With that she ripped up the contract into pieces and blew it out of her hands as if the paper was plucked dandelions, as it flew away and fell down at the Agents feet as he sat their and cried like a girl as he know that after word gets out about how unfairly he treated his client, he was going to need a cardboard sign and find himself a street corner because that's where his heading in the next three months.
Miguel took great pics of the man crying his eyes out as Wilbur filmed the whole things and planning on posting it on the schools funny of the week hash tag. Few hours later laying in her hospital bed, Penny regained full consciousness as she halfway got up from her pillow, and see her dog sleeping peacefully on her bed making her smile. She then looked to her right and see Hiro sleeping in his chair knocked out cold. She giggle to how cute he was snoozing as she lean over to wake him. "Hiro?. Oh, Hiiiiiiiirrrrrrrroooooo?." Seeing this didn't wake him up the next thing she did was grabbing his left ear, and yanked a good pull as it did the trick. "Owwwwwwwww!." Hiro shouted holding his sore ear as Penny can't help but laugh at his agony.
"Hey, I tried to wake you up the right way you know?." said Penny leaning back on her pillow with a smile still on her face.
"Well thanks Pen." said Hiro while rubbing his ear. Hiro stopped crying about his sore ear and focus on Pennys needs.
"How do you feel Pen?. Besides the fire incident." He started out with a blush on his cheeks.
Penny looked at herself to see if anything was wrong or out of place but, their wasn't and so that's was the good news for her. "I'm feeling outstanding Hiro, now that I can finally stay home in Todayland with my whole family for good." She looked at Bolt who was still sleeping and then said "For Bolt and I. Now if things start to stop this moment that we're having, I want to...you know." Hiro smirked on what the red head was talking about as he thought this subject will never surface. He got out of his chair so he can reach over to do it as he and Pennys lips got closer and closer and finally, their lips touched as they kissed with passion and much energy. Hiro wrapped his hands around her as Penny got up to deepen the kiss and did a little tongue touch.
They broke apart as they needed air as the two looked at each other catching their breaths, and both had silly smiles on their faces as Hiro finished what she tried to say but got choked up in her love trance. "I'm guessing you mean, you want us to be official it couple." Nodding her head to answer him and went back to kissing him one more time and take another breather as the second time was a oxygen killer. After separating once again, Penny searched and look at Hiro with her eyebrow raise. "Where's everyone."
With his mind out of being blown as he finally made the love of his life be his girlfriend and responded back to her. "Oh, well you see Aunt Sierra is out in the Cafe grabbing herself something to eat with the whole family, while the guys are in the hallway binge eating the snack machine like crazy." Penny nodded and lay her head back down her pillow as her mind process the question that took a slow time to come in mind. "Did anything crazy happened when I was at Studio?. If so don't leave anything out." She told him as he scratched his hair and mess with hair, and chuckled.
"You won't believe the two stories that I'm about to tell you, about me and the boys and what happened to Violet, Dash, Aunt Helen and Uncle Bob." said Hiro as he sat in his chair as this was a long one in truth. At the beginning of his side of the story, Penny had her mouth drop when Hiro mention about the time machine travel and the superhero action that occurred in Metropolis.
"Shut up, really?." Penny asked having all ears open to listen more.