So, I started a new poll. When the heroes go to Earth, should they end up in Anne's home in Los Angeles or Johan's home in Naples?

It was foggy that night and the fwagon was still on the road. Sprig and Anne were in the driver's seat with only a lantern as the only way to see. Hop Pop was in the cabin, napping. Nearby, Johan was listening to his music with headphones in his ears. "Vocal percussion on a whole 'nother level, coming from my mind," he sang along. "Vocal percussion on a whole 'nother level, coming from my mind..."

And as for Polly, she was staring out the window. "Oh. Sure is spooky out there. Oh, hey! Is that Mrs. Croaker?" The fog cleared, revealing it was just a log. "Ah, false alarm. It's just some kinda..." Suddenly, the log began to move. "What the..." A carnivorous worm popped out of the log and lunged for the window. Polly screamed and jumped back, but fear turned to relief when Johan, not even missing a beat, fired his gun at the worm, before he returned to his music.

Polly sighed. "Why do you have to be so cool, JoJo?" She looked at the large map of Amphibia hanging on the wall. "Man, look at how far we are from home." According to Hop Pop, they were only halfway to Newtopia now. "It's a big scary world out there. Kinda makes a little tadpole like me feel small and scared. Well, hey! Maybe some story time will help me take my mind off it!"

She hopped over to the bookshelf and picked out "Fergus Frog Finds A Friend". Then she jumped onto Hop Pop, startling the old frog and he babbled, "What's wrong? We driving off a cliff? I knew I shouldn't have let Anne drive."

"No, Hop Pop. Everything's fine. I was just thinking it's a perfect time for story time!"

Hop Pop let out a yawn. "Sorry, Polly, but no. I was up all night driving and I really need to sleep."

The little tadpole decided to use the "puppy eyes" technique on him. "Please, Hop Pop?" she asked in a cute voice.

He chuckled. "I guess one story couldn't hurt. Hop on up, little camper." Polly sat next to him. 'Here we go. "Fergus Frog finds a...'" He fell asleep.

Polly growled and slapped him with his tongue. "Hop Pop! Hop Pop!" But he did not budge. Frustrated, she grabbed the book and hopped off the bed. "Who's gonna read this to me now?"

"It's like a burning sunrise," she heard Johan sing. "It's like a burning sunset..."

Polly looked at him, then at the book. Maybe he could read it to her? Nah, why would someone like him do anything with her? Then she thought of Anne and Sprig. Perfect!

"Man, this road is treacherous," said Anne as she continued to drive the fwagon. "Thank goodness I got you, Sprig."

"Hey, don't mention it. Now, let's see here..." Sprig looked through his binoculars. "Looks like there's a sharp turn coming up on the..."

Suddenly, Polly jumped up and shouted, "Sprig! Guess what time it is? Story time!"

"Not now, Polly. This stretch of road is dangerous and..."

"But it's a pop-up book!" Polly opened the book and a figure came out hitting Sprig, causing him to lose the map and binoculars in the wind.

"Sprig, which way? Left or right?" shouted Anne.

Sprig looked at the other maps nervously. "Uh... Uh, right. No left."

Anne drove over a pothole, causing the fwagon to bump.

In the cabin, the bump caused Johan to bounce in his seat. "Ow! I bit my tongue!"

Polly let go of the book and it landed in Anne's face, causing her to lose control of the fwagon. Luckily, she managed to stop Bessie just in time, coming within inches of crashing into a bramble bush. Everyone exhaled in relief. Hop Pop, startled awake by all the commotion, popped out and shouted, "What in tarnation? This is what I get for letting you kids drive!"

"Wait, no! This wasn't our fault," said Anne.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. You three, inventory duty. I'm driving from now on."

"Oh, no, you're not! MUDA!" POW! A punch from Johan's DARE knocked Hop Pop back into the cabin. He dismissed his Stand as he said, "I'LL be the one driving! You sleep!"

"I hate Stands," the old frog said in a muffled voice.

"Uh, are you sure about this, JoJo?" asked Anne. Johan glared at her. "Uh, you know what? You do. Come on, Sprig, let's take stock."

As Anne and Sprig went back inside, Polly sighed. "So much for story time. Well, there's always bath time. Hugs and scrubs at the same time. Whoooo!"

"All right, how many mushroom bars do we got left?" Anne asked Sprig.

"Uh, 28, 29..."

Suddenly, a filthy Polly came in with a tub full of bath water. "Boom! I'm filthy!"

"What the heck, dude?" asked Anne angrily.

"Hey, I was counting those!" shouted Sprig.

"Who wants to give me a bath?" Polly asked as she jumped up.

"No, not inside!"

Too late. Polly landed in the bucket and water sprayed everywhere.

"Ah, cremany! All our mushroom bars are mush," said Sprig as he held what was left of the food in his hands.

Hop Pop awoke with a start and shouted, "What's all the ruckus?"

"It's Polly," said Sprig. "She made a huge mess."

Hop Pop let out an exhale and said, clearly exhausted, "C'mon, kids. I'm too tired for this."

"If you're tired, Hop Pop, I know what'll wake you up." Polly rubbed herself all over the carpet, creating a static charge. "Zap-tag! Just got to build up a charge, and..."

"Polly, no! It's wet in here!"

"You're it!"

Johan felt the fwagon rock as electricity surged throughout. "Cosa diavolo?"

When the smoke cleared, everyone's hairs were standing up straight and their clothes were covered in burn marks. "POLLY!"

"But you guys loved zap-tag back home," said Polly sadly.

"Yeah, but we're not at home," Hop Pop said, very crossed.

Polly looked down and said, "Don't have to tell me twice."

"Stai zitto!" shouted Johan at them from the driver's seat. "Maybe Polly wouldn't be acting up if you all gave her some attention once in a while?"

"Oh, ho, you think it's that simple, huh, JoJo? Okay then..."

Hop Pop threw Polly into Johan's hands. "She's your responsibility now! Give her all the attention she needs!" He slammed the sky roof closed.

Johan and Polly stared at each other before he set her down on the seat next to him. "So..." he said as they drove on. "Do you have any hobbies?" Polly didn't say anything. "Come on, Polly, I'm trying to open up to you."

"Nah. It won't work," said Polly. "You're too cool for a little tadpole. I mean, you're the leader of a gang! You've got more important things to do than play with me."

"Now hold on," said Johan. "Just because I'm a gang leader doesn't mean I've got no time for fun. For crying out loud, my dad was always there for me and he's the real leader!" He put a hand on Polly's head. "But, I'm not able to have fun with you if you don't try."

Polly thought it over, then asked, "Can I listen to some music with you?"

Johan nodded, took out his phone, unplugged the headphones and played his favorite song. "Vocal percussion on a whole 'nother level, coming from my mind! Vocal percussion on a whole 'nother level, coming from my mind! Aaaahhhh, I want Golden Wind! Kono me amareri maroreri merare maro. Aaaaaahh, I want Golden Wind! Kono me amareri maroreri merare maro..."

"Hey, JoJo, you didn't answer my question from before. You always talk about your dad. What about your mom?"

"Hey look, a truck stop!" Johan pointed out.

"Stop avoiding the question!"

"Actually, there's something I need to do in there really bad," Johan said to Polly. "Where there's a truck stop, there's a bathroom."

"So?"

Johan raised an eyebrow at Polly. "What else could I use a bathroom for?"

Polly looked at him then her face blushed as she looked away in embarrassment. "My bad."

"Besides, the others can use this opportunity to clean the wagon."

"Fwagon!" Sprig, Anne, and Hop Pop's voices called out.

"WE'RE NOT CALLING IT THAT!"

Johan pulled into the truck stop and Hop Pop began to refuel Bessie with some nectar. "Sprig, Anne. You two start cleaning out the fwagon. JoJo, take Polly with you to do your business and bring back some paper towels."

Johan nodded and took Polly with him to the truck stop diner. "Alright, wait here," he said as he placed her next to a rock that looked similar to her.

"Whoa! A new friend! Twinsies!" Then she frowned and said, "And I'm talking to a rock."

Johan entered the diner and asked the barkeeper, "Hey, is there a bathroom around here?"

"Right there, sir," said the barkeeper before handing him a stick. "Take this with you."

Johan looked at it with confusion. "Perché avrei bisogno di questo?" He shrugged his shoulders as he entered the bathroom. Ten seconds later, he let out a scream and ran out with his pants around his ankles. He looked like he had seen a ghost and his face was paler than normal.

"Sir, is something wrong?" asked the bathroom attendant.

"DON'T 'IS SOMETHING WRONG?' ME!" Johan pointed to the bathroom and shouted, "THE TOILET! THE TOILET!" The bathroom attendant looked at what he was pointing at. "THERE'S A PIG STICKING IT'S HEAD OUT OF IT!"

The bathroom attendant gave him a "So what?" look. "That's not a pig, whatever that is. It's a grubhog."

"Huh? Like the one Sprig lost at the fair?" Johan asked to himself. "Never mind! Perché c'è un maiale nella toilette?!"

"No need to be scared, he's actually quite friendly. They made the grubhog sty down below a little too high than normal. So when the grubhogs get hungry, they stick their heads out."

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M ASKING! WHY DO YOU HAVE A..." Johan stopped when he realized, "Hungry? You mean the grubhog eats..." He looked at the grubhog in revulsion. "That's what it's there for? Don't you have indoor plumbing?"

"Grubhogs can eat just about anything and are actually cheaper to maintain than plumbing," said the bathroom attendant as he picked up the stick Johan dropped. "Besides, there's a way to remedy this." He smacked the grubhog in the face, making it retreat into the toilet. "There. Now you can do your business while the grubhog is knocked down. Although some of our guests like the grubhog. Our manager lets the grubhog lick his buttocks and always sings the grubhog's praises. He gets it so clean!" The attendant made a creepy smile and laugh while Johan made a disturbed look. "Well, I'll leave you to it."

"Wait! Don't leave me alone!" Johan called out, but the frog had already left. Johan looked back at the toilet and said, "Signor Polnareff, sento il suo dolore." He decided to do his business in the bushes behind the building.

Anne tapped her foot impatiently. "What's taking JoJo so long?" She looked at Polly, who was sitting in the bucket. She felt bad about the way she and Sprig and Hop Pop yelled at her, so she decided to read her her favorite story. "Psst! Polly. I know Sprig said not to wake you, but I thought you might like a little story time." The pollywog did not respond. "Polly?" She tapped Polly, only for the bow and sleep mask to fall off, revealing "Polly" was a purple round stone. Anne screamed, "Sprig! Hop Pop! Code purple!"

Sprig and Hop Pop came in. "What?" They asked. Anne held up the stone frantically. "But...where did she go?! I thought she was with JoJo!"

"I don't know, I..." Suddenly, the stone cracked and Anne saw a glowing eye in the hole. "Well, that's mildly concerning."

"Polly, whatever you do, do not go into the bathroom," said Johan as he pulled his pants up. "Polly?" The little tadpole was sitting at the bar with the truckers, looking downhearted and wearing a trucker cap. "Polly, what's wrong? Wait. Where's your bow?"

"I returned to the fwagon with the paper towels," she said. "And I overheard them talking about how much of a troublemaker I am and that it would have been better if I'd stayed at Wartwood."

"What?"

"I know! If they didn't want me to come at all, they should have said so! Well fine! If they don't want me on the trip, then I'll live here!"

"Sounds to me like you were homesick, and trying to compensate by recreating a homelike environment through familiar activities," said one of the truckers, who turned out to be Soggy Joe, much to Johan's surprise.

"Without taking into consideration the inability of your family to provide comfort at this juncture," said a female trucker.

"Also sounds like you have a problem revealing vulnerability, even to those closest to you," said a third trucker.

Polly looked at the truckers with anger and asked, "What the hey hey? I thought you truckers would be all grumpy and agree with me. What's with all this maturity and biz?"

"Well, when you spend a lot of time on the road alone, there's not much to do but better yourself," said the male trucker.

"I just got my PhD," said the female trucker.

"Up top, sister!" The two truckers high tongued.

Johan made a disgusted face. "Still find that gross." Then he said to Polly, "Well, they do have a point. I mean, you have been acting a little hyperactive lately." Polly pouted. "But, can see why you would think that. I mean, with all their focus on getting me and Anne back home, they haven't been paying much attention to you lately. Tell you what? Why don't we explain to them how you really feel about them and they'll understand. And if they don't, you can beat the crap out of them with your mace."

Polly hugged Johan. "I love you."

"By the way, you didn't answer my question about the bow."

Polly chuckled. "Oh, you'll love this. I took that purple rock outside, put my bow on it and put it in my bucket, and when they realize the me in there is actually a rock, they'll freak out! Isn't it the greatest prank?"

"Hmm, I think Sasha did something like that with Anne and Marcy, but with scarecrows."

At that moment, a frog wearing a cowboy hat and vest came in. He looked desperately around, "Hey! Did any of ya'll take the big, purple stone that was by the door here?"

"Uh, maybe," said Polly. "Why?"

"'Cause it weren't no stone. It was the egg of a Roc, a giant, flesh-eating, ravenous bird. Was just about to sell the bugger to the circus down the way. Someone must've pinched it. Too bad for them, though, 'cause that bird's gonna devour the first frog it sees once it hatches. Which should be in about five minutes now."

Polly and Johan stared in horror. "Oh, God," said the latter.

The sounds of shrieks and the Plantars and Anne screaming made Johan and Polly look outside. And what did they see? Something that resembled a vulture hatchling crashing out of the fwagon and chasing after the frogs, human girl and snail. Polly freaked out when she saw this. "What have I done?! I was mad at them, but I don't want them to get eaten!"

"Stay here, Polly!" Johan said as he ran out, taking his gun out of its holster.

"Wait! JoJo!" He was already gone. "Oh, man! There's gotta be something I can do!" She looked around and then her eyes laid on Stumpy Joe's beetle driven pickup truck. More specifically, the seats. "Soggy Joe! Are those wool truck seat covers?"

"Bee wool, actually. Thanks for noticing. Why?"

"I got an idea!"

By the time Johan ran out of the truck stop and faced the Roc, the bird had already pinned the Plantars, Anne and Bessie down with its talons. "Oy, bird brain! Get off my family!" He fired five rounds at the Roc, wounding it and making it angry. It abandoned its prey and charged at the boy. The Roc reared its head back and prepared to bite Johan in half. At that moment, he summoned DARE who punched the bird in the beak, making it shriek in pain. Then DARE punched it in the stomach repeatedly.

"MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA!"

The Roc screeched in pain again, then fell to the ground, crying. Johan rushed the Plantars and Anne. "Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine," said Anne.

"JoJo, where's Polly," demanded Hop Pop. "She was supposed to be with you!"

"Oh, NOW you decide to pay attention to her. Relax, Hopediah, she's back at the truck stop diner."

"ALL BY HERSELF?!"

"No. Soggy Joe is with her."

"Are you crazy..." Hop Pop paused his rant and said calmly, "Really? Soggy Joe, all the way out here?"

"I know! I'm as surprised as you are."

"Uh, guys?" said Sprig with a terrified stare. "I THINK MAMA'S COME!"

A bird the size of a New York City skyscraper came crashing down in front of the hatchling. She looked at it and took note of the blood on its body. Then it saw Johan, covered in her baby's blood and let out a growl of anger.

"So this is how my bizarre adventure ends," deadpanned Johan. "Eaten by a bird."

"HEY!" Polly jumped in between Johan and the mother Roc and said, "You want a piece of me, Birdzilla? Behold!" She took a deep breath and activated her Ripple. Then she held up the bee wool seat cover she borrowed from Soggy Joe and rapidly rubbed it all over body, creating a static shock, but this one was powered by Ripple, creating what was basically an electro-static bomb. "ZAP TAG RIPPLE OVERDRIVE!" She flew at the mother Roc and there was a huge explosion the moment she touched the bird's body.

When the smoke cleared, the Roc and its hatchling were unharmed, but missing their feathers. Scared out of its wits, the bird grabbed its baby and flew off. "That's right! You better run! Nobody terrorizes my family, but me!" shouted Polly as she shook her fist and put her bow back on.

"Polly!" Johan ran up to her and gave her a hug. "That was so-" ZAP! "AAAAAAHHHH!" He screamed as residual static electricity shocked him and he fell flat on his back.

"Uh-oh. I think I stopped his heart."

"Polly Petunia Plantar!" shouted Hop Pop, who was now in full-blown angry grandparent mode. Anne and Sprig gave the little pollywog looks of disappointment and worry.

"Uh-oh, full name. Not a good sign. Uh, JoJo, would you mind giving me a minute?"

"Non riesco a sentire le mie gambe."

"Thank you." Time to face the music. Polly approached the three and said, "So... sorry about the killer bird."

"Forget the killer bird," scolded Hop Pop. "Don't you ever run away from us again! You hear me? We were worried sick! What if something happened to you? What if you'd gotten hurt, or lost, or worse?"

Each word made Polly more and more ashamed of herself. "I really am just trouble, aren't I? You were right. Maybe you should've left me back in Wartwood."

When she said that, Hop Pop, Anne and Sprig knew right away that she heard their conversation back at the truck stop. Hop Pop sighed. "Heard all that did ya?"

"Y-You know," said Johan, still feeling the occasional residual shock. "P-Polly is a tough girl, but even she still needs some love." He shook off the effects and said, "Whoo! That'll put hair on your chest."

"What?" exclaimed Sprig. "We do love her!"

"Really? Is that why you three passed her on to me after you couldn't stand her?"

"Hey, I have an idea. Let's pretend we already feel bad so you don't have to rub it in."

"No, he's right," said Hop Pop. "I should never have brushed her off like that." He picked the little tadpole up and held her affectionately. "Polly, I'd never leave you behind. Not ever."

"We shouldn't have been so harsh," said Anne.

"You're such a tough little tadpole, we forget you need a lil' loving occasionally," said Sprig.

"You're a troublemaker through and through," said Johan. "But that doesn't mean we hate you."

Polly sniffed and said, "Thanks, guys." She gae them all a hug.

Johan looked at the fwagon and said, "Uh, so, we have no means of transportation right now. What are we gonna do?"

"Ahem," said Soggy Joe. "Sorry to interrupt, but do you guys need a tow to the next stop? Betcha they'll have everything ya need to fix up your wagon."

"Fwagon," said Anne and the Plantars.

"We're not calling it that," snapped Johan.

"Yes, we are. Shut up," said Polly.

Minutes later, Soggy Joe carried Anne, Johan, the Plantars, Bessie and the entire mobile home in the back of his truck. He promised to have it repaired when they find a garage.

After everyone got safe and snug in bed, Hop Pop said, "Well, now that we got a breather, who's ready for story time?"

Sprig and Polly cheered while Anne said, "I'm 13, but okay."

"You know what," said Johan. "After dealing with giant birds and electric shocks, hearing a children's story doesn't sound all bad right now."

"All right, now where were we?" asked Hop Pop as he began to read. "'Rain poured from the sky as Fergus Frog faced his wife's killer in the deserted alleyway. "Taking me out won't bring her back," growled the assassin. "Ain't that a shame," said Fergus as he drew his knife!'"

"Ho, ho! Get 'em Fergus!" cheered Polly.

Anne and Johan made a disturbed look. "Man, this book is dark!"

"You're right," said Johan. "Che tipo di libro per bambini è questo?!"

To be continued ➟