Here we go once again with a new chapter. It seems that things are going to get interesting and worrying at the same time. Let's go at once.
Bubble Guppies Fanfic
The Amazing Spider-Guppy
Chapter 21: Octopus Madness!
There have been many changes in recent days. Gil Parker and Molly Jane Watson have been working together undercover in search of answers and to uncover the possible conspiracy behind Oscorp Industries. And not only that, also find out who this mysterious man calling himself "Big Man" was. Is this true or is it just a trick from the Green Goblin to manipulate and confuse our masked hero? That was not certain, but both teenagers did not want to take risks and began to work together.
While this is happening, we will look for a moment at the prison furthest from the city. Well, it was a special penitentiary center for the new supervillains. Some characters we know were locked up in that prison, such as some members of the fearsome "Sinister Six." In fact, we will look at the leader of this team of villains: Doctor Octopus. That boy prodigy who was once called Nonny Octavius. On that day, he was escorted to the visiting room. The boy's robotic arms were inactive thanks to an Oscorp device that prevented the mobility of the devices. The scientist had no choice but to receive his visit. And again, it was that girl who always waited for him.
"Hi, Nonny…..Here I am again" Oona said quietly.
"Seriously, you are miserably persistent. No matter how many times I threaten the city or how many times I endanger people... Do you still have the courage to come see me?" Doctor Octopus asked her confusedly.
"(sigh) I know very well the bad things you have done...I still think you just need help. Look, I know you weren't always a monster...And I still believe there is still good in you. Look, even Spider-Guppy wants to help you..." The purple haired guppy tried to convince him.
"Spider-Guppy?! Bah! The last time I faced that wall-crawler, he tried to kill me!" Nonny remembered well when Spider-Guppy almost killed him for the influence of the symbiote.
"That...surely was a misunderstanding...But you have to trust me. Look, I also doubted whether I should trust him...But he is the only hope I have...And I know that if only you would let yourself help..." Oona explained to him. The young scientist remained silent for a few seconds before speaking to his ex-friend.
"Well...you were right about something. It seems like I need help...Hehehe...But I just needed your help. With this visit, no one would suspect my plan" The ginger haired guppy smirked evilly.
"N-N-Nonny?" She asked nervously. The boy only showed the teenager a remote control that he had secretly made. He pressed the button and a vibration wave erupted, causing some electronic devices to not work in a short radius. That means the device that made his arms unable to move was no longer useful. This caused the tentacles to regain their mobility and aggressiveness. His arms destroyed the immobilizer and his arms destroyed the walls separating Nonny and Oona. That set off the jail alarms.
"HAHAHA! I am a genius! They shouldn't have used Oscorp technology on me. I know this technology like it was the back of my hand. I managed to make a signal neutralizer. Now then...I have work to do" Doctor Octopus said intimidatingly. At that moment, police officers appeared with their weapons ready.
"Give up, Doc Ock!" One of them threatened him.
"You are not going to shoot me...if I have a hostage with me!" Doctor Octopus shouted before one of his mechanical arms grabbed Oona and took her hostage. That way, the police couldn't shoot him. The girl struggled to free herself from it, but her tentacle was tough and she wasn't going to let go easily. Nonny pulled her so that they both looked into her eyes "Do you still think there is goodness in me? I could kill you right now if I wanted to"
"Hmmm-Hmmm…Graaah!" Oona screamed a little from the pain and struggle. But the boy wasn't going to finish her off...Not yet.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to kill you...At least, not yet...Tell me, tell me a little more about your friends...or "our" friends, as you would say...I heard that one of them knows things about...Spider-Guppy" Doc Ock smirked before starting his escape with his "human shield".
We return to high school, where our beloved characters were carrying out their school routines normally. It should be noted that rumors of the relationship between Gil Parker and Molly Jane Watson spread throughout almost the entire school body. It was to be expected, since the girl with pink hair was one of the most popular girls. Many found the idea of the popular girl being with a "nerd loser" ridiculous. Evidently, many were murmuring about it. But the couple didn't care about the opinion of their classmates. They only care that they both love each other (and share a secret life together because of Spider-Guppy's job). Furthermore, their families and closest friends approve of the relationship. Curiously, one person found out about this rumor and went to look for Gil. The blue-haired boy was walking alone through the school hallways before another boy, a little taller and more athletic, got in his way.
"Just the person I wanted to find, Parker"
"Huh? Dash? What do you want?" Gil asked him surprisedly.
"So are the rumors true? Are you seriously dating Molly? My ex?" The blonde guppy asked him. Gil didn't know what he was getting at. He didn't like that question.
"Hmm-Mmm….She and I are now a couple...Does that matter to you?" Gil crossed his arms.
"Wh-What?! ?! How could you? How could you conquer her if you're just a loser?" Dash was shocked.
"Hmpt….I was just myself. She loves me just the way I am. Molly is not a superficial person...not like you or everyone at school" Gil decided to face him. Under other circumstances, that would have provoked the bully and Gil would have ended up with a black eye. However, something strange was happening to Dash.
"(sigh)...So you think? You think I'm superficial and that's why Molly left me?" Dash asked. Gil was surprised to see that he was calm. But he saw him a little sad.
"Euh….Dash?" The captain of the football team made sure that no one could see or hear them.
"Listen, Parker...I don't know how the hell you made Molly fall in love with you...But...I...well...AGH...I admit it...I need your help!" Dash admitted bothered. He had to leave his pride and his stupid attitude for a few minutes if he wanted the boy to help him.
"You? Do you need my help?" Gil raised his eyebrow.
"I'm not going to beat around the bush... I...I'm in love with a girl. But that girl is different from all the ones I've conquered in the past. They all like my physique, my popularity and my economic status...But it seems that that girl is not impressed with any of that!" Dash explained his situation.
"So you finally fell in love with a girl with a brain, huh?" Gil mocked a bit. But Dash seemed like he didn't want to joke. If it weren't for him needing it, he would have already hit him. Gil decided to ignore his own joke and decided to continue asking "Anyways, Who is the girl?"
"Hmmm…Mmmmm…Her name ... .is Zooli Hardy" Dash confessed. Without a doubt, this surprised Gil (and us too)
"This is...convenient...Zooli and I are friends..." The blue-haired guppy commented.
"And that's why I looked for you! I never thought I would say this but...Please, Parker! I will do anything!" This couldn't get any weirder, now this guy was begging Gil for his help.
"Anything? Hmmmm….Okay, Dash...I'm going to help you...However, you're going to have to stop bullying me for the rest of our high school years" Gil said his only condition.
"Grrrr. It has to be a joke. Don't you prefer money?" Dash asked bothered.
"That's my condition. Take it or leave it" Gil crossed his arms. Dash wanted to intimidate him as always, but this time, Gil didn't let him and gave him a serious look. He stopped being so shy and submissive in the face of threats. The blonde boy, on his side, began to analyze things. He was really interested in the mysterious Zooli Hardy. If he wanted an opportunity, Gil was her best option since he knows her. So, leaving his pride and arrogance behind, he let out a defeated sigh.
"(sigh) Alright….I accept...You win" The bully finally agreed.
"Okay...I'm not an expert on love, but I'll be able to help you in any way I can...Also, we could look for a little help" Gil smiled at bit. Dash didn't like the sound of that.
After that, Gil tried to take Dash to his friends. Although the popular American football player wanted to go unnoticed. He wanted to continue maintaining his reputation. And if he is seen next to the "nerd and loser Parker", his social life would be in danger. So, with some discretion, Gil and Dash met up with some friends. Molly, Goby and Deema were present there. It should be noted that Molly felt strange that her current boyfriend brought her ex. And the motivations would be just as impressive.
"WHAAAAAAAA!" Molly, Goby and Deema were shocked for the new information.
"Please don't make a drama about it" Dash tried to hide his embarrassment.
"How do you think I won't make a drama about this?! Seriously you, Dash Thompson, are in love with Zooli!" Deema said loudly.
"But don't say it out loud" Goby tried to calm her.
"You must be kidding. And even if you told me the truth, you don't have a chance with Zooli. Because you are egocentric, conceited, arrogant and basically a cretin" Molly explained, a bit harshly.
"Thanks for the motivational talk" Gil commented sarcastically.
"I don't judge Molly. She is right. I haven't been a good person. I have bothered Gil a lot and treated him and many people badly. Plus, I wasn't a good boyfriend to Molly. Listen, I know I'm the worst... and that's why I asked Gil to help me... Better said, for you to help me. Zooli seems like an incredible girl to me, but I know she's not going to like me because of all my attitudes. So...Grrrr...Can you help me?" Dash had to swallow all his own pride to admit his own mistakes. He really wanted to try it. Molly, Goby and Deema didn't trust his word. But Gil approached his girlfriend and spoke softly in her ear.
"Please, Molly. Let's give him a chance. He promised to stop bothering me if we helped him" Gil whispered to her.
"How are you so sure he is telling you the truth?" Molly asked him with disbelief.
"Molly, I've known some horrible, evil people...and Dash isn't that. He's just a cretin and a fool... But evil, I don't think so" Gil commented.
"Hmmm…How weird. Do you want to help him despite everything he has done to you?" Molly asked him surprisedly. Gil simply gave a small laugh and whispered something secret to his girlfriend.
"Isn't that something Spider-Guppy would do?" He commented with that smile. Molly understood what her boyfriend was thinking. He was willing to give it another chance. Plus, it was further proof of Gil's true heart and how he has begun to mature since the spider bit him.
"Okay, Dash. If you want us to help you win Zooli's heart, you must change many things" Molly finally accepted to help Dash.
"Thanks...Ugh I don't usually say that" Dash said nerovusly.
"You will have to get used to good manners" Goby said funnily. Despite that curious moment, something unexpected interrupted the meeting. Gil felt a vibration in his head. It signals that there is danger near them.
"Wow wow! I'm glad to see you again HAHA" In front of them the villain appeared! Doctor Octopus appeared in front of them. He managed to land in front of them, causing fear and panic in the other witnesses while Gil and his friends were in front of the boy with the robot arms. The worst thing is that he was not alone, he had another person trapped in one of his arms.
"Hmmm! Hmmm!"
"Oona?!" The guys said scaredly. The Asian girl had her mouth covered.
"The girl never shut up...Likewise, I have come for one of you" Doctor Octopus said evilly. He decided to face one of them, and that was Gil.
"Huh?...N-Nonny…" Gil tried to call him by his real name.
"Since you were an old friend of mine... It's been a long time... However, I didn't escape from prison just to see you. I know that you...and Spider-Guppy...You two know each other, right? It's the only explanation why you're the only one who can take good photos of that nosy wall-crawler" Doctor Octopus said evilly. Gil began to sweat from nerves and gulped "One way or the other. Listen carefully, my friend... I want you to tell Spider-Guppy that I'm waiting for him at the tallest tower in the city. Oh, and to ensure that he comes... If he doesn't come, I'm going to give them a slow and painful death"
"Th-Them?" Gil asked scaredly. Immediately, Doc Ock used his robot tentacles to grab more hostages. He caught Molly and Dash. In this way, he had three guppies in his possession.
"AHHHHH!" Molly and Dash screamed.
"Molly?! Dash!?" Deema and Goby shouted scaredly.
"Gil!" Molly called for help. Gil wanted to save her immediately, but it could be a risk. Because everyone will discover his secret.
"If you want them to live, call Spider-Guppy! I'll be waiting for him!" The supervillain said menacingly before leaving with his hostages, leaving chaos in his path. The students were running in panic.
"It just can't be! We have to do something" Deema said scaredly.
"But what can we do? Gil! Gil, you must find...Huh?" Goby wanted to tell him to look for Spider-Guppy. However, he lost sight of his best friend. He thought that Gil had gone looking for him before. What really happened is that Parker took advantage of the chaos of the people to sneak and hide so he could put on the Spider-Guppy suit. He knew that he must act soon.
The villain led his hostages through the streets of the city, causing destruction and chaos. Octopus decided to climb a huge tower, which would be his meeting point with his great enemy, Spider-Guppy. After reaching the top of the tower, Nonny released his hostages onto the roof. Molly, Oona and Dash were worried and terrified. They were many meters high next to one of the most dangerous supervillains in the city.
"Why are you doing this, Nonny? What do you want now?" Molly asked him bravely.
"My dear pink-haired friend, I have noticed something very important. I have thousands of plans to destroy this pathetic and insignificant city. However, it will be of no use to me if Spider-Guppy will be there to interfere with my objectives. So, if I kill that spider, no one will be able to stop my plans. The only way to attract him is to put people in danger. And you are the lucky ones to be the bait" Doctor Octopus explained his plans.
"Nonny! Please listen to me! You don't have to do this. You are better than this. Please...Remember who you are" Oona kept trying to convince him to return to his true self.
"Poor naive girl. Do you still think I'm still that stupid, naive boy? Hmmm it's complete nonsense. After finishing off Spider-Guppy, you will be the next to die. You, then Norman Osborn, and then...That damn Big Man will pay me" Doc Ock said bothered.
"Hey! Did you say Big Man? So, do you know who he is?!" Molly asked him surprisingly. That word caught the pink-haired girl's curiosity. Everything indicated that this Big Man was someone real.
"It was Big Man who broke me out of prison the first time and with his help I formed the Sinister Six. However, I decided to separate from that man...And now I want to kill him...He...He...He WAS THE CAUSE OF MY ACCIDENT!" Doctor Octopus said angrily.
"What are you talking about?" The brunette guppy asked him.
"Do you think what happened that day was an accident? Whoever Big Man is, he wanted to kill this Nonny guy... When his friends left him alone, the doctors planned to euthanize him. Because Big Man ordered them. Whatever it was, Big Man wanted Nonny dead...What he never expected was for Nonny to become what I am now: Doctor Octopus..." The villain explained his recent discoveries. This caused the three guppies to be astonished and shocked. Oona began to cry when she realized that everything her loved one suffered was not accidental: It was a failed murder attempt!
"Please, Nonny...Remember who we are...We are your friends...We can heal you!" Molly tried to convince him.
"GRRRRAAAAH! There is no cure anymore! I do not need it! Nonny was weak! But Octopus is strong! I will get my revenge on all the bastards who have made me suffer!" Doctor Octopus shouted bothered.
"Leave them alone!" Dash ran towards him with the intention of punching him in the face.
"Dash, No!" Molly tried to stop him. The orange-haired boy simply caught the football player with one of his robot tentacles without a problem.
"Oh! And right here is one of the people I want to kill. You always picked on me and hit me when I was just a failed nerd, didn't you?" Nonny smirked at him sadistically.
"Listen, Nonny...I know deep down you're still there. I just want to tell you one thing: I...I...I'm very sorry. I admit that I was an idiot and nothing justifies all the bullying that I caused you. But still, I want you to know that I'm sorry. I know you won't forgive me, and I don't deserve your forgiveness. But...but please...If you want to vent all your anger and revenge, let it be against me...Please, just finish me and leave the girls alone...They were your friends and they don't deserve any of this. So...what are you waiting for?" .Dash said bravely while still looking into the villain's eyes. Neither of the two girls could believe the words of that conceited boy. Nonny just laughed.
"Hahaha! Do you think you can fool me? I know you're a scumbag of a person! I'm not going to spare your life...After finishing you off, they will be next. After all, I have to get revenge on you for so many years of humiliation... The last one laughs best, right?" Doctor Octopus thought about ending the boy's life easily. However, a mysterious figure quickly appeared and managed to get Dash out of danger.
"So the victim wants to become the victimizer, huh? Nothing new, Doc Ock!"
"Spider-Guppy!" Molly, Dash and Oona said happily.
"SPIDER-GUPPY!" Doctor Octopus shouted angrily.
"You again, Doc Ock. Don't you get tired of always losing?" Spider-Guppy said with a smirk under his mask.
"Just the person I was waiting for. Don't think I'm going to leave aside what you did to me last time" Doctor Octopus commented bothered. He remembered that the last time they faced each other, Spider-Guppy was about to kill him.
"Oh...I see you still remember...I must confess that I almost crossed the line that day" Spider-Guppy talked with a quiet tone of voice. This time, he didn't joke with him.
"One way or the other! With a black suit or a red suit, I will finish you. If I want my plans to succeed, I must get you out of the way" Nonny started to prepare himself for the battle.
"Listen to me...I'm not going to get tired of continuing to insist...But...You must stop...I can still help you" The masked hero tried to calm him.
"I think it's too late for that. Your attempted murder is not something I can take lightly. Get ready, because today will be your last day of throwing away cobwebs!" Doctor Octopus shouted before starting a new fight. He attacked the hero aggressively. It was time for another key battle.
Again, Spider-Guppy vs Doctor Octopus in a complicated battle several meters above the ground. The evil scientist had the advantage of being able to move around the building easily thanks to his robot arms. The spider hero used his webs and agility to be able to move around the building in full combat. The villain used his tentacles to break parts of the tower structure to throw at Spider-Guppy. The boy managed to dodge those attacks and prepared his counterattack. During the fight, Molly, Dash, and Oona sought to exit the tall building via the stairs. They had to do it carefully because Octopus was destroying parts of the building from the combat. Which compromised the safety of the building. It didn't take long for emergency bodies to arrive at the scene and people began to evacuate the place. All this while Spider-Guppy and Doc Ock clashed harshly.
"You have to stop, Nonny! You are putting the lives of many innocent people!" He tried to convince him.
"I don't mind. I don't care how many people die as long as I manage to finish you!" Doctor Octopus said insanely as he continued destroying debris to finish off the hero. Spider-Guppy managed to hit him effectively. However, as the hero fought, he heard his ear device start to make noise. That meant Molly was calling him.
"Molly? What happened? Have you, Dash and Oona left the tower?" Gil asked her without stopping his fight.
"Listen, Gil...We're stuck on the stairs. Some debris blocked the exit. We are on the 30th floor. Come soon" Molly said worriedly.
"I'm on my way. Make sure neither Oona nor Dash hear you" Spider-Guppy commented. The hero decided to throw a web on Nonny's glasses to temporarily blind him. This way, he could go to the rescue of his friends.
"UGH! You won't escape from me!" Doc Ock managed to get off the web. Finally, Spider-Guppy quickly arrived at the floor where his friends were.
"Very good. I'm going to get you out of here one by one" Spider-Guppy said bravely. He quickly pulled Molly out first. Deep down she knew why. He used her web to propel himself off of her and put her on the ground safely. Then, he did the same with Dash who was next. And finally, only Oona was missing. When Spider-Guppy was about to get her out of there, the villain reappeared.
"Got you!" Doc Ock managed to land a strong blow on Gil's stomach with one of his tentacles.
"Grahh!" He complained of pain as the blow knocked him several meters later. At that moment, the ground where Oona was standing broke and she began to fall towards certain death.
"AHHHHH!" Oona screamed in fear.
Spider-Guppy was worried. He couldn't save her in time. That blow left him too injured to be able to get up again. Molly and Dash were distraught and helpless. Oona thought that would be the end of her. However, there is something that no one expected. At that moment, Doctor Octopus saw what was happening. For him, that scene lasted for many hours. He saw how that Asian girl was going to fall to the ground without the possibility of surviving. But, something strange happened to him. He began to move on his own and ran directly towards the young woman using her robot arms. He managed to catch her in time and put her on the ground safely. Spider-Guppy, Molly and Dash watched the scene stunned. Oona was breathing hard and saw that her savior was the villain. Doc Ock was paralyzed when he noticed his own actions. He was like in a trance state, nothing coherent passed through his head.
"Huh? N-Nonny?...Is that you?" Oona asked him surprisingly. At that moment, the subject looked into her eyes... We don't know how to describe what his facial expression was.
"...Oo…Oo….Oona…." For those seconds, that voice was Nonny's. The good science guy. But that did not last long. He screamed in pain and covered his head with his hands as his tentacles began to go crazy and make mechanical screeching sounds of anger "GRRRAAAAAAHHHH!" Doc Ock couldn't last long and decided to flee the scene before the police officers arrived on the scene. Only Spider-Guppy, Molly, Dash and Oona witnessed that unusual event. Why did he save her life? What was that erratic event? None of them had a clear answer.
A day after the events, we meet again at our protagonists' high school. There we see Gil, Molly, Goby, Deema, Oona and Dash talking to each other about the recent topic.
"So...Nonny saved your life? That...That sounds impossible. I thought he was totally evil now with his new identity" Goby asked with doubt.
"It sounds hard to believe, but that's what happened. I don't know what that was either" Molly commented.
"Surely...Nonny I'm still in there...The boy I love is still hidden inside that villain. It means there is still hope" Oona said with a tiny smile.
"I hope so" Dash said quietly.
"Also...We can't ignore Dash's bravery. He was about to fight Doctor Octopus to save our lives" Molly told them with a smile.
"Did you really do that, Dash?" Gil raised his eyebrow. Evidently, he knew about that. But he had to feign ignorance to avoid suspicion.
"Euh…Yeah?...Kinda…." Dash touched his neck.
"I see you finally care about someone other than yourself" Deema smirked a bit.
"Hey, what are you implying?" The football player asked bothered.
"But that's a good thing. Maybe if you keep this up, you'll have a chance with Zooli" Goby added.
"Oh! Really? So…Huh…That´s good I guess" Dash said a little confused. The others giggled. At that moment, Gil and Molly saw each other and both knew they had to leave. They decided to say goodbye to their friends and left alone. When they were finally able to be alone, they decided to finally talk.
"So a lot happened yesterday, huh?" Gil asked her.
"Gil, there are more things you should know. I'm glad to know that there is still hope to get our friend back...But there is something more to all of this. Gilly, what happened to Nonny...wasn't an accident" Molly decided to share with him the new information.
"H-Huh?!" Gil was shocked. She began to explain what Nonny revealed to them on the day of the incident. It seems that the accident that turned Nonny into Doctor Octopus was just an attempted murder gone wrong "It isn't true. That means that Big Man is real. So he wanted to get rid of Nonny... But why?"
"I don't know. But I have a bad feeling. Big Man is definitely related to Oscorp in one way or another" Molly commented. Gil was silent when he heard his partner saying that.
"Yeah. Uncovering Oscorp's secrets is becoming my priority. Although I also have to show you something, Molly" Gil decided to take his girlfriend to his private laboratory in a very safe place. That's where he improved his web shooters and performed certain devices and even laboratory studies. There he showed her his latest works.
"Wow" She was surprised to see the lab.
"In addition to continuing to investigate the mystery of Big Man, I have also been working on saving our friends. For Nonny, I'm working on a technological neutralizer. With this, I plan to reset that damaged chip that makes the arms control Nonny. If I can perfect it and make it work well, along with Nonny's willpower that he has been displaying, it is possible to cure him of the influence of the robot arms" Gil explained his future plan to save his old friend.
"And what is this other formula about?" Molly asked curiously.
"I'm also working on a gene cleaner. Thanks to the files that Oona gave me, I will be able to create a formula to clean Lizard's DNA...And by the way...I will be able to clean my own DNA...To eliminate my powers once and for all" Gil confessed his true intentions.
"Remove your powers?! Why?" Molly was shocked.
"These powers have become a curse. Like Gil Parker, I continue to let down everyone I care about. And as Spider-Guppy, I'm only creating more problems. Before I appeared, supervillains had never come out like now. How do I think I can have a normal life with this responsibility? It is impossible. I just want...for everything to end. When we solve the mystery of Oscorp and ensure the safety of this city...Spider-Guppy will be history...I just...can't...I can't go on...I don't want to continue...No…." That was a breaking point for Gil. He began to cry for everything he had kept for himself. He never had anyone who could be there for him because of his secret. But now, Molly was there. She decided to hug him and comfort him. Being a hero always hides a side that no one knows. But she could be there for him. They've been through a lot and she could understand it a little more.
"It's okay, Gilly. Please take it all out. For a moment, don't be Spider-Guppy..." Molly simply comforted him so he could vent. They both knew that they had to start with a complicated stage. The dangers of this Oscorp conspiracy will soon appear
HOHOHO! MERRY CHRISTMAS! I never thought I would update this story during the holidays. But I'm glad I can write more of this story. It has been difficult for me to move forward with my stories, but here I continue working hard on them. So don't worry about it.
Leave your reviews as always, I will be attentive to them. For now, time to respond to the reviews from the previous chapter.
PrimroseRaspberry: Hi there, my friend! It was very nice to plan a double date with both couples. I honestly find them very adorable. There are definitely still people who love and support Spider-Guppy. Regarding the mystery of Big Man, there are many things still ahead and we have discovered some of them. This investigation into Oscorp has been going on for a long time. Be careful.
RainbowFoxy1987: Hellor there! It's great to see someone new here! I'm glad you're really liking this story. I have never forgotten this story. It is true that it has been difficult for me to move forward due to several factors (such as personal issues and that I am also working on two more fanfics). However, I will continue working on this great fanfic even if it takes a little longer. I hope you continue supporting this story.
For now, that's all for now. ReaderandWriter9000 says goodbye for now and we will see you in another chapter of this story or another. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!