Hey guys! Welcome back to the story today! Now with the intro settled, let's continue what we left off.
Chapter #2 ~ The Aftermath
"So let me get this straight," The mother spoke once she proceeds to calm her impediment and drives more faster than usual, trying to reincorporate for what she witnessed. "You boys made me late for discovering your classmate got ravished by this unidentified yet infected thief. As much as I sorrow for Vladus, that didn't give you the right to jump out without being cautious of the situation!"
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Mom! I was just worried about Carrie's whereabouts!" Darwin spoke with sincerity in his eyes. "Though, it was on me for jolting from the car in the first place!"
"Yeah, and I manage to follow you with Anais not far behind. Still, that gunk is on the ground gave me chills. Kinda looks familiar to the same stuff from a certain event I don't want to remember." Gumball added, feeling nauseated to bearing the memories of the previous incident.
It's been several years since the incident happened. Several years that the joy virus has spread across the school. Much to everyone's luck, all of them have got themselves together from the joy virus's clutches thanks to their teacher using sad music. Miraculously, everything has gone back to normal. Well, except for the particular blue cat and the family, though. He knew that a fatal infection was fortunately dangerous, so he kept himself cautious if it could happen again. Gumball continuously refused the opportunity for his father to present the hug to him and Darwin, episodically since throughout time, many happenings had occurred: Penny coming out of her shell, Darwin developing a genuine bond with Carrie, encountering a self-absorbed mayor, tampering with paranormal activity, getting scorned for his ill-advised endeavors, and facing Rob on several occasions during the misadventures. All that because Darwin and he was having a bad day. The idea of getting infected was the last thing in a cat's mind.
"You mean the Joy Virus incident? Ugh! Don't remind me." Anais said as shaken her head in disgust.
"Me neither, especially since I was invariably worried at the time! But right now, I'm going to rush things due to our shortened time! Buckle up!" Nicole shouted as she thrust the panel, causing the car to accelerate at tremendous speeds.
The superspeed made the siblings flung at the back of their seats, and they watch their mom drove the vehicle akin to a race car. Under the feline's control, the speeding transport dashed through the street left and right, leaving behind trails initially cast on fire. Some residents noticed this by surprise through the shockwave and the debris following it. Each sibling grew squeamish as the dashing continued, feeling like they're about to puke their innards out. Their heads began to rattle until Nicole spotted the school in the foreground and turn. As she drove closer, she instantly stomps the brake and parked nearby the sidewalk. Once cut off the engines, Nicole turns to see her children's condition, witnessing them began to feel doozy. Sighing in distraught as she wiped her head and checked her watch, the mother opened the hatch and brought three barf bags to the trio. The trio arranged to reposition themselves from the rushing and nearby punk in the aftereffect.
"Oh man, what a rush," Gumball stated as he almost vomited after placing his palm on his mouth.
"I'm so dizzy. Thanks for the bags, Mom." Anais said she put her hand on her forehead because her eyes were still swirling from vertigo before returning to normal.
"Welcome, sweetie. Okay, kids, retrieve your projects, and I'll be on my way. Good luck in the expo!" Nicole said as the three collected their items and placed their bags in their backpacks. Once all the materials are collected, the trio immediately navigates towards the twin door while Nicole drove away to the factory elsewhere.
The college building's identical to the junior high school. From the outside, it has been expanded and filled with more detail. It looks imposing and grand, with lovely grounds and lawns stretching into the distance. The architecture is modern and stylish, with tall maxiglass windows illuminating the classrooms. The strong and durable brick-and-mortar construction ensures lasting longevity. Intricate trims around the windows, giving it an old-world charm.
As they enter the college, there is a spacious lobby with white walls. It holds many trophy cases filled with achievements and awards the college has won. Further beyond, there's a great assembly hall, classrooms, and other sections for students to enjoy. The college also has its own library, which is very well stocked and often hovers near capacity with busy students searching for the perfect book. Outside the college grounds, many gardens and pathways. It gives students and faculty a chance to enjoy the outdoors. All in all, the college building is an impressive and unique sight.
When the three entered the school, they witnessed their classmates in the hallway talking to each other. All the students had aged, grown wiser, and become more sophisticated, donning the most current styles in university fashion. Well, except for a few, as some stay akin to their lifestyles. As the siblings walking along, they overheard the students talking about the recent events from the news on their phones.
"Did you hear that? Carrie just got wrecked!" Tobias said.
"Yeah! It must have been terrible for her to suffer that way!" Banana Joe replied.
"My goodness, what kind of sicko would do that to an innocent victim?! Just disgusting!" Teri shrieked.
"Same here. Considered it a good coincidence that our teacher has the opportunity to set up security." Masami stated, pointing to the bodyguards down the hallway.
"I don't know what I do if I'm in coated that slime," Carmen shivered.
"Me too. I find it repulsive that Carrie has to go through that," Clare spoke, feeling nauseous about the topic. Next to her, Rachel Wilson got her backpack and took out a more extensive, empty bag, which she gave to her fellow college student.
"Here's my spare bag. You need this more than me."
"Thanks." Clare communicated as she took it.
"Hahaha! Sucks to be that ghost girl, am I right?" Scythe chuckled as and Julian shakes Anton up and down for lunch money.
"Whatever." The bomb bully returned once they collected the cash and dropped the student.
"Yes, Mom. I'll make sure I don't let my emotions get the better of me. I'll do my best at the expo." Hector said, talking on the phone with Mrs. Jotunheim.
"Eh. Still better rubbish from what I watched. What about you, Tina?" Jamie asked her fellow delinquent who's using a stick to see the phone.
"Same. Though, I can imagine how Darwin felt throughout the experience." The tyrannosaurus replied, feeling sympathetic for the aquatic classmate.
"Girl, please. With all the ridiculousness that idiot has done with his brother, I can only assume they'll suffer worse." The cow reckoned as she rolls her eyes.
"Mom-Bot, come in," Bobert said in the interlink with his mother. "I humbly requested for a maintenance system in place. I figured it would be useful in case a situation akin to my classmate ever happens. Thank you, Mother."
As they continued to walk, they witnessed several bodyguards settling on the wall near the gymnasium. Each bodyguard stands tall and vigilant, their jet-black armor gleaming in the sunlight. The design is simple and effective, leaving no doubt of their purpose of protecting those they guard. The armor covers the bodies from head to toe, with tactical extensions, guns, knives, and tasers as part of their equipment. Their black boots are a sturdy second layer of protection, allowing the bodyguard to move swiftly and surely to any part of the battleground. Attached to the armor are proud rainbow-like symbols that stand out. It provides to the bodyguards and those they protect, to whom they are ultimately loyal. In addition, the bodyguards wear gloves, protective helmets with a bright red visor, and a backpack-style gadget with applicable tools. Some even have a canine frame with furry ears and tails to complete the guard's look.
The only standing out of the group is the leader having silver extensions and mask. Some helped the workers prepare for the next event, some stood near the door, and others received an order from Ms. Simian in the foreground. Witnessing this, the Watterson siblings placed their backpacks in their lockers and headed to the gym filled with several tables across the floor. Noticing their name tags of a few tables, each set their covered projects up top under the guards' supervision. Once that's done, they left the area and headed to their separate classes.
Nearby the duo, a youthful fairy flew inside the hallway. Penelope stands taller, her hips slender, her chest and butt fuller, her wings bigger, her hair a dark yellow-orange gradient, and she is donning a cheerleader outfit. This caused the cat to be smitten and sighed in awe, while Darwin felt uneasy at the experience, still lingering about the ghost's disappearance.
"Hi, Penny!" They both said.
"Hey, guys! How's is everything going for you?" The fairy sought with genuine compassion in her eyes.
"So far, we're getting there. I mean, we're about to prepare ourselves for a date-blocking event until we saw what happened at Carrie's house." Gumball stated he opened the door to the classroom. "When the time comes, we should help out Vladus in the meantime. You got my message?"
"Yes, and I too felt very bitter for what Ms. Simian did to you, but there's always another day." Penny sighed in disappointment before witnessing the fish feeling distraught as she takes her seat. "And Darwin, I'm sorry to hear about what happen to her."
"I'm thankful, Penny. I'm still troubled about it, though." The young fish replied as he sat down.
"Well, once this awaited day is over with, we'll go on and search for her. In fact, how about a little fun before our teacher show up?" The feline asked, feeling to quote lighten up the day by heading to the billboard and drawing funny writings. "And Penny, in case her dad and cops don't work out, you got spare time to help us?"
"Momentarily, depending on what's happening so far. Also, don't forget my favorite one!" Penny chuckled as she watched her boyfriend draw silly pictures centered around Ms. Simian. The result of the feline creating silly pictures caused some attention to the students, causing major to snicker.
Outside the classroom, the school's most notorious yet elderly primate has just entered the school, probably preparing herself for the day and with a pile of newspapers at hand. One of the latter is titled "ELDERLY APE SAVES SCHOOL FROM VIRUS WITH SAD MUSIC." She looks at the catalog and sees a picture of herself using sad music to turn her students back to normal. She sighed in dismay since nobody hasn't listened to her about the infested ruckus. Once the ape placed the pile elsewhere, the bodyguards watching her strolling stood tall. Starting to walk back and forth with a coffee mug in her hand, Lucy rose like a general giving clear instructions to the soldiers.
"Okay, boys! Listen up! I want you guys to be at your best performance today, especially since you know who is in the classroom!" The primate instructed the nearby bodyguards. "We cannot allow any incident to happened today, and the expo must go on without causalities. You have my permission to use brute force if necessary. That'll show that boy that this is the last place to cause devastation. Also, with info on his classmate's fate, use the security systems and gadgets if you wish. "
"Yes, Ma'am!" One of the bodyguards spoke triumphally. "We shall remain vigilant!"
"Good! I shall be on my way!" The elder responded before heading to the classroom and drank her coffee, only to stop mid-section once she noticed her husband waking by the hallway, observing the preparations. She immediately pressed her hand on her chest as he heart bounce genuinely and heard a couple of birds chirping a love song, resulting in her imaging the pair having a romantic date in the town's park. Suddenly, a bodyguard took the birds from the scene and placed them outside, causing the mandrill to stop fantasizing and readjust herself.
"Wow, Lucy. You sure know how to present a good morning." Principal Brown spoke as he walked towards his sweetheart.
"Why yes, beloved. I figured with the entire expo going today, so everything must go according to plan." The ape calculated, showing the schedule to the administrator. "And especially making sure that notorious feline doesn't cause any devastation. We already faced enough damages because of the cat's nonsense. Though, seeing him in a straight jacket sounds miraculous."
"Hehehe, you and your wicked desires." Principal Brown laughed.
"However, with info about Krueger's absence and this mysterious slime business, best to stand our ground in case anything happens." Ms. Simian stated, slowly shrinking her pupils and almost being cautious of the concept. "The last thing I want to see is another virus incident."
"So do I, but for now, we must get on with the day. If it goes well, I might spare some time and present a "secret" event between us." The administrator slyly spoked, causing the ape to quietly squealed. Once the two kissed, the primate and the slug departed into their perspective areas. Hearing the primate coming, Gumball immediately gasped and erased the chalk art at a fast pace. Chalkdust coated the room, causing the students to cough instantly. Aiming to help him, Darwin swiftly opened the window, and Penny shapeshifted her wings to blow the dust away. When he finished, the cat jumped off the board and dashed towards his seat. The feline abruptly swipes the dust particles off of him, trying to prevent getting caught messing around.
Once the primate walks in, she clears her throat and turns to the students.
"Good morning, students!"
"Good morning!" All the classmates responded.
"Alright, as we all know, one of our students is absent due to a new report confirming her disappearance. Nonetheless, we still got business to settle! Now, today's the day your projects will face massive examination. I also hired insurance nearby to take a lookout in case if anything happens to the establishment." Miss Simian bellowed while giving Gumball a sickening glare, causing the cat to drop a sweat drown his head.
"With that in mind, let's start with us opening our math textbooks!" Ms. Simian turned around and started to draw once the formulas, only to notice the chalk itself has shortened. Seeing this while bringing out his schoolwork, the feline's ears started to drop in fear. Much to his chagrin, the ape spots cat hair on the chalk. The eerie clue follows the elder transmitting a slightly irritated face look at the cat.
"Oh gee, uh, how did that get there?" Gumball asked guiltily.
"Don't worry, Watterson. I'm saving energy for the event today, and when it comes, your project's going to be my first." The primate answered calmly with a smug face, causing the cat to drop his jaw and feel like there's a stake thrown in this chest. His pupils turn small, causing him to sweat faster. Several students stopped chuckling for a moment or two as they witness the feline getting possibly the first set of judgment from the ape sooner or later.
"Oh, crud. Gumball spoked as tension got the best of him.
"Uh oh, sounds like Gumball's gonna get it." Tobias said quietly in the background, only to be given a nasty glare from Penny.
"I hypothesize that our friend is not going to get an easy score," Bobert stated, with his eye showing an expression of concern.
"If that happens, that'll eventually brighten my day." Jamie grinned ferociously nearby, overhearing the two.
Back in the neighborhood, the enigmatic creature flew to the Watterson House while keeping itself hidden from sight now that the police and Vladus are after its presence. It gently hovers down to the ground, slowly getting the house's nearby window, starting at Richard on the couch.
It sees the lazy bunny chilling, not minding what's happening in the world. However, the bunny has to taken deliberation with the news report, sometimes taking a lookout in case anything happens. Richard maybe not be the brightest tool of the shed, but even he doesn't mess around when a tragedy occurs. Seeing that the bunny is holding down the fort, the creature hovers upwards to the boys' bedroom, getting an idea of attack. It teleported inside the area, open the gateway with its claw. The sound was heard by the rabbit downstairs, causing him to jolt in a caveat.
"Ahh! Who's there?!" Richard screamed in surprise, using the broom in a similar stance of a knight's sword. He slowly walks out of the kitchen and looks around the house, keeping caution in case anything happens to him. In case he gets attacked, the rabbit placed a box over his head and grasped a trash can lid, bravery walking upstairs in the habitation's upper tier. As it observes the bunny approaching, the monster slowly hovered to the familial room, quietly waiting for its prey as he heads to the Gumball and Darwin's room. Richard checks the room to see if anyone's there, only to see nothing but emptiness. He opened the door, looking everywhere he sees. His guess that he must be hearing things, only to hear a drop of something slimy attached to the handle behind it. Richard looked and saw the mysterious slime coating the doorknob itself, causing the rabbit to frantically stood back in fear and cleaning the knob. Afterward, he heard another door opens eerily, turning around in a fighting stance.
"Is someone here?" Richard asked as he proceeds to the parent bedroom. Now taking an opportunity to attack its prey, the creature came out of its hiding spot. Its misty sounds caught the bunny's attention, gulping as he now knows the cause of the disturbance. Aiming to attack first, he swung the broom, only to meet a block, and the broom snaps in two. Terrified that the one who caused the event is in the house, Richard threw the trash can, giving him a chance to dash downstairs to the phone. The creature threw the cover away and developed tentacles, thrusting them into the rabbit. The appendages caught the bunny before he reached the phone, causing him to struggle out of horror.
Richard frantically tried to free himself does the creature clutches, shrieking for help only for its tar-like slime to coated the gluttonous father's anatomy. The creature pulled the rabbit back into the master bedroom, shoving him to the floor as it closed the door behind it. Once the virus joined itself with the bunny, Richard shrieks immediately from fear to shouts of intimacy. An eerie gas exploded out of his mouth, mimicking the same outburst of smoke from the previous infection. Instantly, the creature began to attach itself to the rabbit, enjoying the activity with the latter. In a short glance, it gazed at the picture of him, Nicole, and the rest of the family, commencing its next target once achieving that father's aspirations. After over half an hour, the behemoth instantly teleported out of the house and raced towards the Rainbow Factory while getting a few glimpses of the school, setting it as its following location after the next victim.
Inside the Rainbow Factory...
"Oh, come on, Mr. Yoshida! I was in the middle of a traffic jam and just got back from a notorious event! How would you feel if that caused you to be late?!" Nicole grunted with sharp teeth at her boss at the office and was frustrated by his strict personality.
"Calm down, calm down, Nicole. I get your reasons, but we cannot have late timing!" The cloud boss stated, seeing the frustration in her eyes. "Now, I let that slide since by what you're saying, you tried to stop your children from trying to intervene in a dangerous situation where their friend is lost. But no more late situations! All we need to be on time and keep this company uptight!"
"UGH! You don't even reconsider the fact that a child's gone missing, and she has a parent who's worried sick! And yet, that's less important than a job! What would happen if yours was in her position?" The feline asked after facepalming in anger, which instantly angered the boss. His normal dark grey skin immediately turned black as small thunderbolts sprouted from his head. The manager gently bends his hands into fists, and the motherly cat's sharp teeth disappear as her ears flop downward.
"Soko ni ikanaide, NikÅru!" (Don't go there, Nicole!) The cloud man replied, only to immediately calm down afterward as he turns back to normal and bolts disappeared. "Now, all you need to do is head back to your station, and I'll worry about that later. Those papers cannot settle themselves, can they?"
"Oh, alright!" Nicole sighed in disappointment, rolling her eyes, and she proceeds to her desk, beginning to start her workday. As the feline starting typing for her business, the thoughts of the event still lingers in her head. In her mind, the boss had no idea that she has to push things due to the limited time she has, but she'll eventually get over it through time.
Despite not have the best relationship with Carrie due to past inconveniences, she can imagine the ghost suffering a terrible fate. She figured by what Gumball and Darwin spoke, and the event has shown, the cat bet Vladus is searching throughout Elmore to find his daughter. Thus, she wonders what would happen if something like that led to her family. If one of her children or more is missing due to the actions of an unknown criminal Nicole knew nothing about with a Joy virus-like substance, Nicole has every right to be remarkably concerned for the safety of her kids. Knowing how much the family suffered, she couldn't bear the idea of others facing worse than they did.
As she continues, Nicole noticed has slipped up some words during the writing, causing her to flinch as she corrects them.
Outside the factory, the creature instantly slowed down, taking a moment to think before going inside. It conceives carefully in its first move, as it knows it's filled with many people that could suspect something wrong from a distance. It looks around, wondering if there's an opening it can use to get inside. The behemoth spotted a couple of windows in front of its eyes, and it views the workers inside. It spots security cameras on the horizon and several guards nearby the workstation. Smoke detectors are presented, attached to many walls, causing the creature to examine its mist-like structure. It figured that's if it went inside without caution, the operating systems will activate and detect an intruder either way.
Because of this, it gives the enigmatic being an idea. It looks down at any bystanders nearby and spots a construction worker nearby the machinery, setting up operations for the morning and heading to the restroom. With a sickening grin, the creature slithers down from the window, keeping itself out of sight as it presumes for its host. Hearing something in the bathroom, the worker turned around and saw nothing, indirectly giving the monstrosity a chance to strike.
After the mechanic used the can and washed his hands before turning back to the machinations, the creature shoved itself into the man, causing him to fall on his back. The fungus attached to the abnormality enveloped the bystander, resulting in the same situation as Richard. As seconds passed, the mysterious being began possessing the worker's anatomy, preparing itself to blend in, hoping to spare enough time to track Nicole inside the factory.
And that's the end of this first part of the chapter! I figured to break down certain parts of the story so it can flow naturally later. Massive stuff is coming along soon, so consider this a taste before the real action begins.