DISCLAIMER: The following fanfiction contains content from the "Amazing World of Gumball" franchise owned by Ben Bocquelet and Cartoon Network. The story is more of an idea of what could've happened after the events of "The Joy." Therefore, it's a reimagined cut of the previously deleted "Everyone Loves Gumball" storyline. The reasons for this are cluttered content that needs to be relocated and deserves a better presentation. Some sentences are the same, but others are different. I also watch more TAWOG content to receive comprehension of the characters and the comedy. Just in case I didn't get their characterizations right and maintain accuracy,
In essence, it's been an eternity since I've visited a fanfiction site and I've been out of work for several months. For the past months, I have dealt with spirituality and gotten back to doing art and YouTube videos. not to mention the entire pandemic to deal with until faith arose and vaccines were established. Now, with all my dilemmas trimmed down and trying to face a clear path, I'm ready to go. I apologize if I haven't been around much since that time. Right now, I'm here to finish things off with the stories I intended to finish up. Anyway, enjoy the story!
Chapter #1 - The Inception
On the morning of Elmore City...
Inside the Watterson family home, all members slept in their perspective rooms. The room's filled with the essence of personality and nostalgia. From the picture frames on the walls, to the ribbons hung on the cardboard on the wall. It includes every decor that adds something unique and special to the room. Pictures showing memories of friends, family, and past adventures remind the college students of the experiences that got them to this point. Portraits of important figures or quotes remind students of the motivation they need to keep going. Newspapers document the changes happening around Elmore City and distant places and events. It also reminds students to stay informed. Memorabilia such as college diplomas and sports trophies provide a sense of accomplishment and pride. Music items, books, and board games lay around to provide entertainment and relaxation. Whatever quirks or decorations each student chooses to include, they all come together to create a warm and familiar environment that is comforting and inspiring.
The pictures across the table await a collection of photos of Gumball and Darwin throughout the years. Documenting their growth, an album of memories of their time together. Gumball is wearing a high school uniform, an orange prison suit, a sorcerer outfit with a frighteningly powerful mask, a Joy Burger outfit, a superhero getup, and even a fancy tuxedo. Darwin is featured in some of the pictures wearing a singer's costume, a wizard hat, a staff, a fake beard, and some gothic attire, and both of them together dressed in matching high school gowns. This collection of images serves to remember the moments they share together both as brothers and to look back on the memories that form the foundation of their friendship.
Once the sun rose in the boy's room, the clock began to ring loudly. As a result of the ringing, both sides woke up from their respective areas and yawned in the aftermath. Gumball went up and slammed the clock. The once frenzied schoolmates of Elmore City have now reached college, a time of new beginnings and opportunities. Gumball has now grown into a tall young adult with added muscles in certain parts of his body, and his once unruly hair has grown into four extends. His tail has lengthened considerably compared to when he was a small child. Darwin has also grown too. But not as tall as his stepbrother, and he now has longer legs. The goldfish transitioned into an older version of himself. His fin has grown considerably, and he looks like a young adult in his physical appearance.
Aiming to prepare for school, both brothers left their sanctuary and prepared themselves for a new day.
As the boys head to the bathroom, Anais wakes up from sleep with the famous Daisy Donkey doll. Anais has grown up to be tall and slender compared to her siblings. Her figure has grown to be average-sized with not too expansive breasts and butt, yet enough of a feminine frame to carry off her distinct style. She stands a bit taller than Darwin and shorter than Gumball, and her ears have grown slightly longer and more pointed. She's adopting a personal style that's unique and true to her own personality, and she enjoys the extra space that the extra inches in height give her. Inside the parents' bedroom, Nicole and Richard were already preparing for the morning. As Nicole and Richard grew older, they pretty much remained as they were in their younger years.
The two had known each other through thick and thin and had experienced life's greatest joys and saddest moments together. Nearby the two are pictures of their years growing up together, filled with both laughter and tears; their wedding day, surrounded by family and celebration; there is another picture of them with their family smiling, showing the love and harmony of a family that has grown in years; and a solemn photo of their parents' funeral, taken when the elder couples passed on. While Richard struggled with his outfit for a moment, the mother cat managed to set up shop for her business. As the whole family settled down that day, the brothers decided to use forks and food as tools to add creativity to their breakfast ingredients, and their parents laughed at their children's silliness.
After the family ate their meals, Nicole and Richard gave each other kisses, and the youths present him cautious hugs in case a particular event ever happened again. Afterward, Nicole exited the house and placed her belongings in the car. Using her keys, she opens up and back hatch.
"Okay, kids! Bring the projects in here!" She shouted as she witnessed Gumball, Anais, and Darwin bring in their covered-up materials. Once the children placed the work into the trunk and sat in the car, the siblings noticed police cars dashing beside them, with their alarms blaring in the streets.
"Hmm... I wonder what's that about," Darwin questioned as he raised an eyebrow.
"Who knows?" Gumball responded as he rolled his eyes and placed his backpack while Nicole started the car. "Let's start the day once by heading to the center of migraines."
"What's wrong? Are you angry about today's Science Expo?" Anais asked as she raised her eyebrow.
"Yes, that's the same day I'm supposed to set a special date with Penny later," the cat protested as his pupils shrunk and teeth sharpened instantly before turning back to normal. "Still, our teacher announced this and stabbed it in my face before. Well, the weekend is approaching, so I think I need to change my schedule."
"Maybe it has to do with all the trouble we had at school. I heard in advance that Ms. Simian might hire bodyguards to monitor you. But don't worry, man. Once the event's over, we'll have time for our girlfriends." Darwin said as the siblings placed themselves in the backseat.
"Yeah. It was a difficult experience to set up with my dad's help, so I hoped it was worth it," The young cat said as he tapped his fingers and gave a message to Penny on the phone.
""And me too, considering I helped you out the most since neither of you two got some research done and played games together." The bunny spoke bitterly to her brother. "Needless to say, I got an overview apart from that, so you own me."
"Hehehe, right." The blue cat said as sweat dropped from his head as he remembered enjoying father-son time with Richard. A flash appeared from within the feline's head as his father and the latter sat on the couch together with controllers moving the joysticks rapidly. Unbeknownst, Anais appeared and glanced down from upstairs, growling quietly. Eventually, the flash resumed back to the present day.
As the Wattersons drove on the street and Richard holding down the fort, Nicole encountered a traffic jam in front of the car, helping the drivers turn around with few police officers in the foreground. The mother cat slowed down and sighed incredibly because of the barrage in the middle of the road.
"Oh my goodness, this is gonna make me late," Nicole sighed as the Hamburger and Dog Cops direct the cars to different locations. Suddenly, the Wattersons noticed a familiar phantom in the distance, with fliers attached to his hand. For a better visibility, both Gumball and Darwin looked through the window.
Once the car drew closer to the intersection, the boys noticed Vladus Lokowitchki speaking to Donut and Coffee Cops while Soda and French Fry Cops finished covering the doors of Carrie's house with barricade tape. Nearby the mysterious occurrence was Mike the Microphone Guy and Ken broadcasting the news to Elmore while some detectives with Dog Cop collected evidence inside. Most citizens nearby the terrain took pictures of this event, which caused the Dog and Hamburger to blare their whistles to get them to pay attention to the road. With both of them witnessing this from a distance, both siblings' eyes widen in shock at the discovery, especially Darwin. The tragedy made him anxious and sweaty, wondering what had happened to his girlfriend. His pupils shrunken and grapeseed the pully downward. As she turned her head and saw her sons pop their heads in the window, Nicole immediately grew irritated by the outcome.
"Hey! Both of you get back to your seats! We about to pull up!"
"Mom, you might want to see this before you go," Anais suggested when witnessing the event.
"What?" The motherly cat asked as she observed what the duo noticed in the event. Once she looked to her right, Nicole became appalled as she witnessed the situation on the street. The feline watched as the event caught much attention, which she figured was why the traffic jam occurred. Abruptly, the goldfish strives to exit the windowpane and collapse to the ground. He rose from the floor and jolted himself forward to the event, commencing to run towards the happening. As he rushed to the scene, his heart began to throb as he reached out his arms and shoved a selection of people out of the way as if they were bamboo. Sweat rolled down his skull as his arm and legs went back and forth. A rampant thought came across the fish's head as the latter struggled to reach for the area.
'Please be okay! Please be okay!'
"DARWIN!" Gumball screamed as he began to eject himself from the seat and open the car door, slamming it behind him as he followed his stepbrother's pursuit.
"Hold on, Mom! I'll get them!" Anais spoke as she got out of the seat, following the trail her brothers left behind. Distraught that all of her kids were out of the car and looking at her watch, Nicole grudgingly decided to park her car in a nearby parking space and halted the car's engine. Shutting the door behind her, the workaholic started chasing after her children.
"Officers, I'm worried sick! I haven't seen my daughter since last night! And the cretin who caused it is nowhere in sight!" Vladus spoke to the cops with an anxiety-filled look on his face.
"Calm down, sir." Coffee Cop replied while writing. "We'll do whatever it takes to find your child. Not the first time dealing with criminals like this one."
"Okay, Mr. Lokowitchki. What does this crook look like, and what are the motives?" Donut Cop asked, taking out his notepad for writing.
"Well, from what I know, this figure has a cloak that helps it blend in the dark, and it doesn't look like the fellow undead I encounter." The spirit described the person as he scratched his head. "The criminal broke into my house and took our items. It also bears this mysterious fungus I don't recognize, and my beloved got engaged in a forced commitment before it disappeared."
"Oh, dear." Coffee Cop sighed in distress, comforting the phantom once she placed the document down. "That must've been horrible."
"MR. LOKOWITCHKI!" A young voice shouted his name, and the phantom and police turned their heads to see who roared his name. They saw Darwin heading towards them at high speed with the others behind his back, causing the police to put their hands in front and preclude the young fish. Darwin froze, and his legs halted as his feet dragged across the floor. Dirt flew over his shoes, and a diminutive smoke appeared from his feet. He lifted his head to the cops as his pupils shrank.
"HALT!" Coffee Cup shouted to the aquatic stepbrother. "Do not cross this area! It's off-limits!"
"Never mind that! What's happened to my girlfriend?!" Darwin shouted in concern as he waved his arms up and down frantically.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Calm down, kid!" Donut Cop said as he knelt his left leg to his level and placed his hands on his shoulders. "Before you know it, you could've gone across this tape and flung into that massive gunk on the ground."
"Okay." Darwin sighed as the fish curved downward and placed his fins on his knees as he inhaled and exhaled. He raised his head and moved it towards Carrie's father. The father put his hand on his shoulder.
"Mr. Lokowitchski, what happened to her?"
"She faced a dire fate because of what I collected," Vladus replied.
As the two looked down, the sounds of footsteps and panting came closer, and they turned their heads to see who triggered it. They saw Gumball reaching for the two as sweat and clothing strings attached to his claws.
"Finally, I managed to catch up with you! And hello, Vladus, Donut, and Coffee. What's going on?" The young cat asked as he wiped his claws and the strings fell to the ground.
"Carrie disappeared, and I couldn't find her whereabouts," The phantom replied to the feline.
"Oh, man. I'm sorry for your loss," Gumball answered when his ears fell.
"And that's not the only thing. Judging by what this ghost is saying, it's clear that a criminal loose with burglary charges and maltreatment towards an innocent victim. Once we clear out, we'll find the ghost and perpetrator." Donut Cop concluded. Vladus looked down in shame, disgusted at what the officer gathered done to his daughter. Hearing this, the boys gasped in horror at what they heard from the sheriff. A sensation grew within the fish, and Darwin felt his heart torn and tears slowly dripping from his eyes. Gumball, who felt sad for his brother, patted his back with a smile. Hearing the sobbing, Vladus opened his eyes and turned his head to the right. He let out a sorrowful sigh as he drifted to the aquatic mammal, placing his hand on his back.
"Don't worry, Darwin. We'll find her eventually." The feline responded.
As Darwin wiped his face, Gumball felt his ears start moving and heard something strange. 'What was that?'
He looked at the area and found it oozing onto the ground. Gumball noticed that it was shining brightly nearby when the cat observed.A striking chill crawled onto his fur in the aftermath, as if he felt some familiarity with it. These experiences disturbed him. It probably cramped his eyes a little because of the lighting. Before further questioning the mysterious slime, he heard his sister's footsteps come behind him.
"Guys! We need to get back in the car! And Mom isn't happy with what you did!" Anais shouted that she came to the scene and reached her arms out to her brothers.
"Uh oh." The cat and the fish talked together as they witnessed their mother fuming in the background with desperation and rage in her eyes.
"Dude, I think we just made Mom late, especially because of what you did," Gumball shouted in horror.
"No kidding." Darwin agreed.
"Farewell, children. "Enjoy the rest of the day until we meet again for Carrie," Vladus said when he lifted his hand and hovered with the police. Afterward, the Watterson brothers widened their eyes and raised their eyebrows. Each sibling's limbs instantly shivered as they began to come up with a good excuse for why they had dangerously left the car and raced towards a dangerous place.
Unbeknownst to the Watterson family, a mysterious figure emerged from the shadows in an unknown location and watched them before heading to their house.
And that's the end of this chapter! Consider this as my welcoming chapter after a previous blowout.