ALVINNN! and The Chipmunks:
Tamian Mysteries
Season 2, Episode 2 of 10:
Operation: Recharge
Deep underground in Santa Barbara, The Chipmunks and The Chipettes have found their friend Charlene. Through the dark drainage tunnels, she guides them to her hideout. A small maintenance room with pipes and valves running along the walls. Scattered along the floor are small pieces of coated wires of various colors, as well as a few electronics tools.
"Thanks for saving us from that raccoon back there.", Alvin told Charlene.
"Yeah. We were so worried about you, Charlene.", Theodore added.
"You are welcome.", Charlene replied. "Did you ever find the Tamians?", she asked.
"No, but we did learn a little bit more about them. That reminds me, we found our long, lost mother.", Alvin said.
"What is a mother?", Charlene questioned.
Brittany slowly tilted her head down. "Oh, that's right. You were built.", she said in a somber tone. "Well…"
"A mother is a woman who you look up to and guides you through childhood the way she went through it.", Alvin stepped in.
"Yeah.", Brittany said, shedding a tear.
"Brittany, are you okay?", Eleanor asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine.", Brittany replied.
"The closest thing in your case would be Leanne, but she's obviously a bad example.", Alvin said to Charlene.
"So you've been hiding in here ever since you escaped Leanne and Roger?", Jeanette asked.
"I have. They have been trying to locate me for days.", Charlene said.
"We saw. Roger was in the forest carrying some sort of device. I hope he gave up.", Brittany commented.
"He will not. But these subterranean walls have kept me hidden from their detection.", Charlene explained.
"They can track you?", Brittany asked.
"That explains why you chose this hiding spot. For the same reason I couldn't get cell phone reception down here.", Eleanor deduced.
"Yes. I have a transponder that I cannot disable. But that is only part of my problem.", Charlene said.
"What's with all these wires and tools?", Simon asked.
"That is the other part.", Charlene added.
Charlene lifted up part of her shirt to reveal a hole torn in her abdomen. The Chipmunks and Chipettes gasped at the sight of it.
"Who did this to you?", Brittany asked.
"Was it one of the raccoons?", Theodore questioned.
"No. I did.", Charlene answered.
Jeanette kneeled down beside Charlene. "Oh my. Charlene, I realize being forced to live like this can be very… emotionally stressful. But doing this sort of thing to yourself isn't going to-"
"No.", Charlene interrupted Jeanette. "I had to open myself to install this." Charlene reached into her abdomen and pulled out a small solar cell that was wired to her power supply.
"A solar cell.", Simon said. "You were trying to recharge yourself out in the sun, weren't you?", he presumed.
"Where'd you even get it?", Eleanor asked.
"I found it in a waste receptacle behind a building with the words 'Hobbyist Electronics' on it.", Charlene said.
"I have tried many times to leave and recharge, but I never have enough time before Leanne and Roger come after me. I am now very low on power.", Charlene explained.
"There's a spot to plug in a charger.", Alvin said as he pointed to an outlet on the wall. "I'm sure Simon has the right cable back at his lab.", he added. "Where's the charging port on you?", he asked.
"I do not have one. The only other way to recharge myself is by using the specially designed wireless power chamber.", Charlene said.
"Where's the chamber?", Simon asked.
"Leanne has it. In her office.", Charlene answered.
"Wait, you don't need a wire to recharge? What kind of sci-fi tech did they build into you?", Alvin asked.
"You think that's science fiction?", Eleanor questioned. "Dude, wireless chargers for phones exist today.", she said.
"They do?", Alvin wondered. "Wow. I really gotta check that out next time I'm at the tech store.", he said.
"Focus guys. We need to figure out how we're going to recharge Charlene.", Theodore stated.
"As if being tracked wasn't bad enough, how are we going to get her to that chamber, which is in the enemy base?", Alvin asked everyone else.
"Why are Leanne and Roger even going through all this trouble to get you back? Why can't they just build another one of you?", Brittany questioned.
"My central processing unit is specialized for the advanced programming I was given, and cannot be easily replaced. They will stop at nothing to make me one of The Chipster Sisters again.", Charlene responded.
"Don't worry, Charlene. We'll figure something out. We'll get you to that power chamber.", Jeanette said.
"But first we need a plan.", Simon added.
"Hmm… Maybe we can use these tunnels to our advantage.", Alvin suggested.
Later that evening, the C-Team were in the Seville brothers' bedroom. All of them minus Simon were attempting to formulate a plan.
"I feel bad that we had to leave Charlene all alone. Maybe one of us should go back and check up on her.", Theodore said.
"Theodore, she'll be fine. As long as she stays underground and doesn't use up all her energy, she'll be just as good as we found her before.", Alvin reassured his little brother.
"Assuming we get her recharged, it'll only be a matter of time before she runs low on power again.", Eleanor said. "What are we gonna do when that happens?", she asked.
"I don't know. But hopefully Simon will figure something out.", Alvin answered.
"What about that transponder? Can't we remove it from her?", Brittany asked.
"Simon has equipment to do it, but it's too large to get down through the tunnels.", Jeanette answered.
"Then let's bring Charlene to the lab.", Theodore suggested.
"We can't. Leanne and Roger would pick up her signal and catch us before we could make it back. And even if we did, that would let them know where we live.", Eleanor stated.
Simon walked out of his lab carrying a rolled up sheet of blue paper. "I have the blueprints for the network of underground drainage tunnels.", he said.
Simon joined two of the homework desks together and unrolled the blueprints. The others gathered around and looked at the tunnels like a map.
"So, we entered through the culvert next to Saroyan boulevard.", Simon said.
"Yes.", Jeanette said, pointing at the blueprints. "Then we took a right and exited into this larger tunnel, here. And then we went five tunnels down and entered here. Now, if my memory serves me correctly, that raccoon incident was… here.", she detailed as she dragged her finger across the blueprints.
"Then Charlene led us into another tunnel above, and… here it is. This' the room she's in.", Brittany said, pointing to a small square on the blueprints.
"Simon? Is there a tunnel that leads to the concert venue?", Alvin asked.
Simon took a moment and glanced across the blueprints. "Here's one. It goes right under it.", he said as he pointed.
"Good. I have an idea.", Alvin said. "Britt, can you wear red lipstick tomorrow?", he requested.
"What?", Brittany was confused.
The next day, Roger was driving an SUV with Leanne in the passenger seat.
"We've been down this street already. Someone's going to get suspicious if we keep driving around like this." Roger said
"I have to be sure. Maybe the detector will finally pick up C-982 this time.", Leanne said as she pulled out the handheld detector.
"Let's face it, Leanne. That android must have found some way to disable its transponder. It hasn't been detected since yesterday when I lost its signal in the woods.", Roger said.
Just then, detector beeped.
"Yes. We finally have her location again.", Leanne said. "Turn left.", she ordered.
Soon after, Leanne and Roger were driving down the road that passed by the culvert. Alvin, who was hidden behind a tree at the edge of the forest, spotted the SUV driving in his direction and gave a hand signal toward the culvert. Brittany and Jeanette, who were standing at the culvert entrance, saw the hand signal and went down into the tunnels.
Roger pulled over near the culvert, then he and Leanne got out of the car.
"Leanne. Look!", Roger said, pointing to the top of the slope leading into the forest.
Charlene was there. But as soon as they both saw her, she dashed beyond the treeline.
"After it!", Leanne shouted.
Leanne and Roger started to chase Charlene through the forest. But not that far in, Eleanor jumped down from a tree and kicked the detector out of Leanne's hand. As soon as it landed a short distance away, Theodore came seemingly out of nowhere and bashed the device with a large stick, rendering it inoperable.
With the detector destroyed, Theodore and Eleanor ran to catch up with Charlene, and soon after, Alvin joined the chase. While Charlene was still ahead, Alvin, Theodore, and Eleanor attempted to divert the pair of humans through narrow sections of the forest, where the mess of twigs and branches would hopefully slow them down. Once Leanne and Roger appeared to have gotten lost, the group of four stopped for a brief moment when they reached the other side of the forest. They met right behind some buildings and alleyways.
"Everybody here? Theodore? Eleanor?", Alvin asked.
Theodore and Eleanor ran up to Alvin and Charlene.
"Yeah. We're here.", Eleanor said.
The foliage behind them began to rustle. The C-Team's chance to catch their breath had ended, as they all knew they had to get running again in an instant.
"C-Team, keep going!", Alvin ordered.
The four of them ran along the path between the back of the small shop buildings and the forest. Until suddenly Roger came out of the forest, right in front of the team and quickly grabbed Charlene by the back of her shirt.
"Yes!", Roger exclaimed in happiness.
Alvin, Theodore, and Eleanor stopped and gasped. Then Leanne caught up.
"Finally.", Leanne said in relief.
"Let me go!", Charlene yelled.
"Nah-ah-ah.", Leanne taunted. "You're going to get an electronic attitude adjustment. Then you're going to join your sisters on tour, singing across the na-"
Charlene spat in Leanne's face.
"Ugh! Why you little…", Leanne said angrily as she was about to grab Charlene. She then stopped herself. "Wait, androids don't spit.", she said.
Leanne came to the realization that she and Roger had been tricked. They had not caught their "C-982". But rather Brittany the Chipette, wearing Charlene's red clothing, lipstick, shoes, and hairbow.
"Oops.", Brittany said as she curled up her legs, tucked her hands back towards her torso, and slouched her neck in shame. All while having a nervous smile.
Leanne reached down to grab Alvin, who tried to run away. But Leanne swiftly moved her hand behind his hoodie and picked him up that way.
"Hey!", Alvin shouted as he tried to resist.
"Where is C-982?", Leanne demanded.
"Let us go!", Alvin said as he continued to struggle.
"I asked you a question." Leanne replied. "Where is my android?", she asked.
Meanwhile, at the concert venue, Simon was in the building's basement waiting next to a grate on the floor. The grate lifted up and moved to the side. Simon kneeled next to the opening, and helped pull Jeanette and Charlene wearing Brittany's clothes out of it.
"Let's hurry. We don't know how much time they're gonna be able to buy us.", Simon said.
"Do you think Alvin will succeed?", Charlene asked.
"Don't worry about the others. They can take care of themselves.", Jeanette replied.
Meanwhile, Leanne, Roger, and the rest of the C-Team are still arguing near the forest.
"You're too late! You'll never find her now!", Theodore declared to Leanne.
"Do you think I'm stupid?", Leanne rhetorically asked. "You managed to hide its signal.", she said.
"Yeah, well like that signal, you should get lost!", Eleanor insulted Leanne.
"Oh, sick burn, Eleanor.", Alvin commented.
"This was all a diversion.", Leanne deduced. "But why?", she asked.
"We're not telling you anything!", Brittany said.
"I must say, exploiting my android's resemblance to you was a clever move. But that won't stop me from finding the real deal.", Leanne said. "So where is it?", she forcefully asked.
"We already told you, we're never gonna tell you! Just face the fact that she's gone!", Eleanor said.
"I suspect this goose chase was to get us far away from the office.", Leanne stated. "It needs something from there doesn't it?", she postulated.
"You just watch yourself! We don't take kindly to riddles!", Alvin replied.
"What about all the riddles we're trying to solve about the Tamians?", Theodore asked.
"Okay, except for that.", Alvin admitted.
"What's a Tamian?", Roger asked.
"Well, it's a long story that starts off 20,000 years-"
"Enough!", Leanne loudly interrupted Theodore. "You've stalled us for too long! It's power! The android is low on power!", Leanne claimed.
"That's not going to stop us! She's gonna get all the power she needs!", Eleanor boasted.
"Ah ha! That was your plan. Come on, Roger. Time to take back my android while it's still helpless.", Leanne said.
Leanne and Roger drop Alvin and Brittany respectively, who land on their bottoms. Then the two humans run back through the woods to their SUV.
"Way to go, blabber-mouth!", Alvin scolded Eleanor.
The pig-tailed Chipette stepped up close to Alvin. "Maybe you should be the one watching yourself!", she said.
Brittany cut between Alvin and Eleanor and pushed them away from each other with her hands.
"Enough you two! We have to get to that concert venue before they do!", Brittany instructed.
Back at the concert venue, Simon, Jeanette, and Charlene entered Leanne's office. The office was dark, only being illuminated by the light coming through the wall of windows between the room and the hallway. On the table, the other two Chipster Sisters stood deactivated, with their heads tilted down, looking towards the floor. They seemed to give off an aura of menace as the two natural chipmunks and Charlene walked by.
Simon opened up the secret room on the back wall. In the back of the room there was a semi-cylindrical chamber that was tall enough to contain something chipmunk-sized. The chamber had a door with a mechanized lock and a blue transparent window that took up most of the door's area. Next to it on the wall, there was a control console with a large lever.
"That must be it.", Jeanette said.
"It is.", Charlene replied.
Simon used the control console to open the chamber and Charlene stepped inside.
"So how exactly does this thing work?", Jeanette asked.
"I just need to set the lever to the correct output. If we recharge her too fast, it could damage her battery.", Simon responded.
"What's the fastest we can recharge her?", Jeanette asked.
"If I had to guess, two hours, maybe more.", Simon answered.
"I sure hope they can stall Leanne and Roger that long.", Jeanette said.
"Alright, Charlene. I'm setting the power output to mid-level.", Simon informed. "Are you ready?", he asked.
"I am.", Charlene confirmed.
"Don't worry, Charlene. We won't let anything happen while you're in there.", Jeanette said.
The chamber door closed and locked. It powered on, giving off a pulsating blue glow and making a low humming sound.
Meanwhile, Alvin, Theodore, Brittany, and Eleanor ran through an alleyway to get to Alvin's hot rod.
"Did you have to park the getaway car so far away?", Brittany asked Alvin.
"I didn't expect them to catch us so soon. Everyone in, quick.", Alvin said.
They all scrambled into the hot rod and Alvin started it, driving off at maximum speed. He turned onto the sidewalk and weaved his way through walking people. The others screamed as they feared Alvin was about to hit someone or something with his constant swerving.
"Alvin, are you crazy?!", Eleanor asked.
"Sorry guys, but it's time for some stunt driving!", Alvin said confidently.
Alvin shifted gears on the car and accelerated.
Soon after, they spotted Leanne and Roger's SUV. Alvin drove onto the road and tailgated the large, black vehicle.
"We've gotta slow them down!", Brittany said.
"I've got an idea!", Alvin replied.
Alvin drove under the SUV. As they hid beneath the undercarriage, Alvin slowed down to match its speed.
"Simon stored a spare wrench under the back seat. See if it matches any nuts and bolts under here.", Alvin instructed.
Theodore pulled the wrench out from under his seat. "I got it.", he said.
Eleanor pointed to a pair of nuts behind the front left tire. "There. Try those.", she said.
Alvin slightly accelerated to get to the nuts.
"Hold it steady.", Theodore told Alvin.
Theodore stood up in his seat and began unscrewing the first nut. But suddenly, the SUV turned right at an intersection. And with hardly any way of seeing where it was going, Alvin did not have enough time to react before the hot rod went out from under the vehicle and kept going straight; off road and into a bush at a park. But not before Theodore jumped and clung to the undercarriage, leaving him stranded and hanging on for dear life.
Theodore, despite his perilous situation and fear, stayed determined and continued unscrewing the nuts. Once they were both off, the SUV started to jitter, then swerved at a slight angle. Leanne and Roger freaked out, not knowing of the mechanical problem inflicted on the front axle.
"What in the-?! Get it together! You're driving like crazy!", Leanne reacted.
"I'm trying.", Roger said.
Their driving became so erratic that they ended up sideswiping Officer Dangus' police cruiser, parked in front of a doughnut shop along the street. Soon, they regained enough control and continued on their way to the concert venue.
Meanwhile, Alvin was trying to get his hot rod unstuck from the bush by driving in reverse, but it wouldn't budge. "Aw nuts!", he exclaimed.
Brittany and Eleanor got out of the car.
"Just forget it Alvin, we'll have to go on foot.", Eleanor said.
"The venue's not far. But we gotta hurry.", Brittany added.
Alvin shut the car down and got out to run with Brittany and Eleanor the remainder of the way to the venue.
Soon after, the SUV arrived in the rear parking lot of the venue. Leanne and Roger exited their vehicle and rushed to the back door of the building.
Theodore dropped down from the undercarriage, shaken up by the experience, but soon pulled himself together and followed the humans.
Meanwhile, Officer Dangus was exiting the doughnut shop with a box of a dozen glazed doughnuts. When he went around to the driver's side of his cruiser, he was shocked to see that it had been damaged, with massive scratches along the front and rear doors, and the side view mirror dangling by a wire.
"Ah!", Danus exclaimed as he dropped his box of doughnuts, which spilled and rolled on the sidewalk. "My car! What in tarnation happened to my car?!", he asked himself.
Dangus got into the damaged cruiser and checked the surveillance dashcam. After rewinding it back several minutes, he saw the black SUV driving off after hitting his cruiser, and read the license plate.
Meanwhile, in the office, Simon and Jeanette were monitoring Clarlene's recharging progress in the secret room, when they heard footsteps coming from the hall. Simon went to the office doorway, peeked his head out, and saw Leanne and Roger running straight for the office. With an extremely fast reaction, Simon withdrew from the doorway, shut the door, jumped up to the handle, and locked it. When the two humans finally arrived, Leanne pounded at the door.
"Open up! What do you think you're doing in my office?!", Leanne demanded. "Do you have the key?", she asked Roger.
"Yes.", Roger confirmed as he pulled out a keyring from his pocket.
Before Roger could unlock the door, Simon and Jeanette pushed a chair up to it from their side and angled it against the floor to barricade Leanne and Roger out.
"Agh! Those ruinous rodents!", Leanne said.
From Charlene's position in the recharging chamber, she could not directly see Leanne and Roger, even with the door to the small room open. Hearing the commotion, she became concerned.
"Simon? Jeanette? What is happening?", Charlene asked.
"They found us.", Simon answered.
"Charlene, we promised you we wouldn't let anything happen. And we're going to do everything to make sure of that.", Jeanette said.
"I'm getting C-982 back one way or another. No matter what you try, or how long it takes me to get in there.", Leanne declared.
"Wait, we can open it up from the inside.", Roger said. "I still have a remote for The Chipster Sis-"
Leane angrily snattched the remote out of Roger's hand. She used it to activate the Jeanette and Eleanor androids, and they hopped down from the table.
"Oh no! There's no way we can beat them!", Jeanette said.
"We don't have to. We just need to keep them away from the door.", Simon replied.
Simon and Jeanette found a rolling chair next to them and pushed it at The Chipster Sisters. The Jeanette android got pushed back by it, but the Eleanor one evaded and kept heading toward the door. Simon and Jeanette fought it two-on-one with various kicks and attempts to restrain its arms and legs.
"Come on, Alvin. Where are you?", Simon asked into the ether.
The Jeanette android got back up.
"Simon! The other one!", Jeanette said.
"Keep it down! I got this one!", Simon instructed.
Jeanette reluctantly left Simon to restrain the Eleanor android alone. She ran at her robotic döppleganger and did a judo kick to knock it back before it could make a charge for the door. The android got back up and attempted to block Jeanette's attacks. Then the android tackled Jeanette and they rolled under the table. They both locked hands and tried to overpower each other. For a brief moment, the android managed to throw its opponent to the side, but just as it tried to make a break for the door, Jeanette leapt back at it. She grabbed it by the leg and pulled it to the floor.
"Wow. I really do have toothpick legs.", Jeanette commented to herself.
Theodore slid out of the air duct in the secret room, right next to Charlene's recharging chamber. Upon exiting, he saw Simon and Jeanette fighting the two androids.
Leanne grew impatient, and intensified the defense reaction setting using the remote. The androids began to fight more aggressively. The Eleanor android picked up Simon by the collar of his shirt and then slammed him onto the floor. Just before it was about to press its foot down onto Simon's rib cage, he grabbed the bottom of its shoe and kept pushing it up. Jeanette was also pinned to the floor, but once again had to lock hands in a wrestle with her look-alike. She mustered what little arm strength she had.
Charlene reacted with great shock, worrying that the other androids were hurting her friends. As did Theodore, whose courage was greatly diminished with the odds heavily against his favor.
"Simon! Jeanette!", Theodore shouted.
"Theodore! Keep that chamber safe, at all cost!", Simon pleaded.
Theodore turned and faced the recharging chamber beside him. "Charlene!", he said with concern. "Are you alright?", he asked.
"Theodore. You have to get me out of here. Leanne is hurting them.", Charlene said.
Theodore looks at the recharge progress meter. "But you're still low on power. And I can't let Leanne and those robots do horrible things to you.", Theodore responded.
"It is horrible for all of us. But I want to help you.", Charlene replied.
"No. We made a promise. This is what we're doing for you.", Theodore said in rebuttal.
"But you are my friends. A friend is someone who cares about your well-being. Theodore. You have to recharge me faster. Use that lever.", Charlene said.
Theodore looked at the lever and contemplated on the differing arguments made by Simon and Charlene.
"Don't do it, Theodore! It could damage her!", Simon shouted.
Theodore continued contemplating. He took a deep breath and decided. He reached for the lever and set it to maximum output. The machine started to hum faster as energy surged through it, into Charlene.
"Theodore! No!", Simon yelled.
"Charlene is right, guys. This is about all of us now.", Theodore said.
The young chipmunk ran over to help Simon by tugging on the arm of the Eleanor android to try and pull it away from nearly stomping on him. He tugged and tugged, but the android still resisted moving, though it did lessen Simon's struggle.
"I think that's enough, Leanne. I think they'll give up soon.", Roger said.
"I'm the one who decides what's enough! These chipmunks have tested the superiority of my androids for too long! I created them. And I created them better than the real thing!", Leanne ranted at her underpayed employee.
Leanne commanded the Jeanette android to pick up Jeanette and toss her to the side. It did so, and Jeanette ended up near a corner of the room, exhausted from her struggle and unable to get up.
Charlene reacted with even more shock this time. Her fist clenched, her eyes began to glow light blue again. The chamber began to overload, and Charlene started to punch at the glass on the door.
The Jeanette android removed the chair blocking the door, letting Leanne and Roger inside.
"Finally.", Leanne said with satisfaction.
The Jeanette android pulled Theodore away from the Eleanor android and threw him onto the floor. He looked up at the vengeful woman, who stared back down on him, striking much intimidation.
"You thought I wouldn't catch onto your little scheme?", Leanne asked. "You sure had some nerve sneaking into the dragon's lair.", she added. She then looked at the recharging chamber and saw it going critical. "What have you done to C-982 this time?!", she asked demandingly.
Charlene broke the door to the chamber clean off its hinges and stepped out of it. The inside of the chamber exploded behind her. Her eyes pierced blue with energy as she was now overcharged, and scowling in anger.
"Leave my friends alone.", Charlene told her human creator.
Charlene dashed toward the Eleanor android, and with just a single hand, pulled it away from Simon, and threw it into the air. It landed on the office table. Then the Jeanette android went in to fight her, but was soon overwhelmed by the lightning fast attack pattern of the electrically empowered Charlene.
Leanne tried to grab Charlene, but she leapt onto the table and Leanne stumbled to the floor. The Jeanette android leapt onto the table as well, as it and the Eleanor android prepared to fight Charlene again. Even with two on one, Charlene managed to hold her own and inflicted some critical damage on her opponents.
Alvin, Brittany, and Eleanor came out of the same air duct that Theodore had earlier to get to the lab. When they arrived on the scene, they saw Simon helping Jeanette onto her feet and Theodore rushing to tell them what happened.
"Guys, you made it.", Theodore said.
"We would've been here sooner, but the car got stuck.", Alvin said.
Simon assisted Jeanette in walking over to the group with an arm slung across his shoulders.
"Jeanette. Are you alright?", Brittany asked.
"I'm fine.", Jeanette responded.
"Charlene looks to be taking care of herself.", Eleanor commented.
Charlene beat the other two Chipster Sisters until they were immoble. Leanne stood up and looked at her rebellious creation right into her glowing blue eyes.
"C-982. How could you do this?! I am your creator! I wanted you to be better than these pests!", Leanne ranted.
Roger nervously stepped up behind his boss. "Actually, I was the one who built-"
"Shut up, you! Take those two androids to get repairs and get out of my sight!", Leanne ordered.
"Yes ma'am.", Roger obeyed, as he retrieved the Jeanette and Eleanor androids and left the room.
"My name is Charlene. And I am not better than them.", Charlene told Leanne. She then hopped onto the floor and joined the Chipmunks and Chipettes. "I am one of them.", she said.
Charlene began to malfunction and clutched her abdomen in pain. She lifted up her shirt around the hole she had cut into the left side of herself. Her battery burst inside with a loud pop, and a small amount of smoke came out. Charlene fell limp to the floor. The entire C-Team gasped.
"Charlene!", the six team members exclaimed!
Alvin and Brittany fell to their knees beside Charlene's body. Brittany shook Charlene from side to side. "Charlene? Charlene?!", Brittany begged.
Charlene remained motionless.
"No.", Alvin said in sorrow.
"Theodore started to tear up. "We failed her.", he said.
"I hope you hate yourselves for this as much as I do.", Leanne insulted. "Why must you always go as far as to break my things?", she angrily asked.
"You're the one who went too far. You can try to put our music careers out of business, we'll stop you for that too, but no one treats our friends the way you are.", Eleanor preached.
"But why?! It's just a machine! It was made to serve me, and me alone!", Leanne ranted.
"No. Charlene's just as much chipmunk as us.", Alvin said as he stood up.
"And more human than you'll ever be.", Brittany added as she did the same.
Outside of the office, coming from far down the maze of hallways, everyone heard running footsteps.
"I'm looking for Leanne in the name of the law, and my car!", Officer Dangus yelled from a distance.
"C-Team, fallback!", Alvin urgently whispered.
"Oh no you don't!", Leanne said.
Alvin and Brittany grabbed Charlene's body. All six chipmunks retreated into the secret room and shut the mechanical door before Leanne could catch up to them.
"Ugh!", Leanne said angrily.
Dangus entered the room. "You! You think you can just hit my car and keep drivin'?! I gotcha on dashcam footage!", he said furiously.
"But, those chipmunks-", Leanne pleaded.
"Nope! I don't wanna hear it! I've put up with those Seville boys enough times to care about them in this completely unrelated crime! I'm shuttin' them out! You're comin' with me!", Dangus ranted.
In the secret room, Alvin and Simon had their ears up to the door, having heard Dangus' tirade. Once they finally heard that the humans were gone, they breathed a sigh of relief.
"What're we gonna do?", Jeanette said, standing over Charlene's lifeless body with the others.
"There may be a chance I can repair her, if the right components are still intact.", Simon said.
Later that day, Charlene woke up, lying on the worktable in Simon's lab. She was wearing her original red outfit again.
"Where am I?", the naive robotic chipmunk girl asked as she sat up. "Chipmunks, Chipettes, you are all alright.", she said upon noticing them surrounding the table.
"Of course we are. We were worried that Simon wouldn't be able to fix you.", Jeanette responded.
"It was difficult. I'm not that familiar with your advanced mechanics. But I removed the transponder, replaced the power supply, and added a few modifications.", Simon said.
"Like what?", Charlene asked.
"Look at your right arm.", Eleanor said.
Charlene looks at her right arm, but didn't notice anything.
"Sorry, I meant left arm. Sometimes I forget my left from my right.", Eleanor corrected.
Charlene looked at her left arm and rolled back the sleeve. She saw two panels that opened apart to reveal a solar cell.
"Now you don't need to use a chamber anymore. All you need is the sun.", Theodore chimed in.
"Thank you.", Charlene replied. She then looked down at her outfit and noticed a cursive "C" on the upper right. "What is this?", she asked.
"I stitched that on. I figured it would complete our matching style.", Brittany answered.
"What happened to Leanne?", Charlene inquired.
"Hopefully going to prison. Apparently she damaged our local police officer's car on her way to the venue.", Alvin explained.
"Yeah. That may've been my doing.", Theodore added.
"Am I safe now?", Charlene asked.
"Yes, but I would like to keep you in the lab for a few days for diagnostic checks, so we make sure you're fully funct-"
"Simon.", Alvin interrupted. "She's spent enough time in confined spaces. Let her explore.", he said.
Simon sighed. "Alright. But she has to be back in the lab by the time Dave gets home.", he stipulated.
Charlene and the three Seville brothers exited the lab. She was immediately mesmerized by the colors of The Chipmunks' bedroom, brightened by the sunlight through the windows.
"Oh my.", Charlene said with wonderment.
"You like it?", Theodore asked. "This is where we live. And you can stay here as long as you'd like.", he added.
The Chipettes exited the lab too.
"I'd rather she stay with us.", Brittany said, gesturing to herself and her sisters. "Our place is even more beautiful. And there's a lot I wanna teach her about being a girl.", she told The Chipmunks.
"Remember. The diagnostics.", Simon replied.
"Alright, she can move in after that.", Brittany agreed.
"We're gonna have to be careful though. Wouldn't want anyone seeing two Brittanys at once.", Eleanor commented.
"I dunno. They would easily win top prize at school on dress-like-twins day. Actually, having Charlene pose as Brittany could come in handy for a lot of other things.", Alvin started rambling.
"No Alvin, we don't want to get carried away with that. We can't risk anything that would let anyone in town know about her.", Simon said.
"Right.", Alvin replied to Simon. "But she could still help you work multiple jobs.", he insisted to Brittany.
"Alvin.", Simon warned.
"Or go on publicity tours while you're still working on music.", Alvin continued.
"Alvin.", Simon said with slight aggravation.
"Or she could go to school so you can take the entire year off.", Alvin concluded.
"Alvinnn!", Simon, Theodore, and The Chipettes yelled.
The End