Elmore Family Watterson
Chapter 7: The Dinner
Hello, everyone! For anyone who is still following my story, my deepest apologies for the long hiatus. Life has been super busy for me, but I promise I have not given up on this story at all. On the bright side, more special guest appearances are featured in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy!
It was 6:50 pm when the Watterson's were all dressed for the Captain's Dinner Night.
Nicole was adjusting the red bow tie on Richard's black suit after donning her own outfit consisting of a cream yellow dress with a yellow jacket, white pearl necklace, and white heels.
"Are you kids ready?" She asked her three children who were looking at themselves in the mirror. Gumball and Darwin wore the exact same suits as their dad (the former wearing black dress shoes while the latter wore brown dress shoes) while Anais had a purple short-sleeved dress with black flats.
"Yes!" All three answered simultaneously.
Nicole double checked to make sure her whole family was nice and neat in their formal attire. When she saw they were all set, she grabbed her brown purse and led the way through their cabin door.
"Let's go, everyone. Don't want to be late."
The dinner was to be held within the Sapphire Dining Room, which was located on Deck 4 of the Seven Seas cruise. The Watterson's took the elevator all the way down to the lower level and once they made it, the entire hallway was packed with other passengers in their formal wear heading to the same destination. Darwin found this as the perfect opportunity to capture the whole moment on video, focusing on the blue sign with the Sapphire Dining Room title in white lettering above the restaurant's entryway.
As they entered the restaurant, the interior was radiating with elegance; the carpet floor was of a beautiful navy blue color, circular tan wooden tables laid out with white cloths and booths with navy blue cushions, each surrounded by tan chairs. Two curved stairways decorated with LED lights were spaced apart at the far end of the room, connecting both the lower and upper levels, the latter blockaded by glass barriers. Blue crystal chandeliers hung from the white-colored ceiling, bathing the entire restaurant in beautiful blue light as mini flush mount lights surrounded them from the sides. Behind the upper level's glass barricade between the two stairways was a band consisting of Agustin Madrigal on the piano, Prince Naveen on the ukulele, and Louis the Alligator on the trumpet; they were performing a cover of "Beyond the Sea" by Bobby Darin. At the same time, a young Colombian woman named Isabela Madrigal raised her hands in the air, creating an array of blue flowers that sprouted across the banisters of the glass barricades and stairways. An alicorn named Twilight Sparkle observed the whole thing while her young dragon assistant/little brother figure Spike held a quill in one hand and a long piece of paper in the other.
"Nice work, Isabela!" Twilight commended her.
Isabela placed her hands on her hips, smiling proudly. "Thanks!"
"Flower decorations? Check!" Spike marked one of the last items on the checklist.
The Watterson family was completely blown away by the exquisite setting of the Sapphire Dining Room, taking in the sights of every corner. They managed to find an unoccupied table right next to a much larger one with small white signs that read "Reserved." They had a feeling who the table belonged to, and they were excited to be up close with the Main Staff again!
The Watterson's sat at their respective seats, observing the menus laid out before them. One was a dinner menu while the other featured desserts.
"Wow!" Richard's eyes sparkled. "They have everything here!"
His wife and kids most certainly agreed.
"I love some of the combos they have on here!" Nicole smiled. "I definitely want to try the steak and lobster tail with a side of gumbo!"
"I want steak, mac n' cheese, and spinach puffs," Gumball chimed in.
Darwin and Anais knew what they wanted as well.
"I want steak and mac n' cheese with a side of baked potato!"
"Steak, mac n' cheese, and ratatouille."
As for Richard, he was having a hard time choosing.
"Uhh…I can't decide what to get."
Nicole decided to help him out as she browsed through the menu some more. "They have a sampler platter which consists of cheese-stuffed mushrooms, spinach puffs, ratatouille, and baked potato. Do you want that with your steak, honey?"
"Yes!" Richard's face lit up.
"Great! Now everybody knows what they want!"
The Watterson's noticed the other guests around them holding up their cellphones and clapping their hands. When they turned their heads to the subject of everyone's attention, they saw the Main Staff and their family members descending one of the stairways in their elegant attire! The Watterson's were ecstatic to see them again, with Darwin taking out his own cell phone to capture the moment.
With the Main Staff, everyone was conversing amongst one another while waving to the guests.
"How was it running the Teens Turf, Max?" Goofy questioned his adult son.
"It was great!" Max grinned. "Everyone in there was having a blast! Right, guys?"
His girlfriend, Roxanne, and two best friends, PJ and Bobby, voiced their agreement.
Donald Duck walked alongside his girlfriend Daisy while his twin sister, Della Duck, followed behind him, along with his nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie. Even their best friend Webby tagged along.
"Please make sure you all behave yourselves," Donald glanced at the five individuals behind him with a worried expression.
Della gave her brother a teasing smile, "Come on, Donald, you know us!"
Huey's eyes sparkled with excitement, "I can't believe we're going to experience fine dining with the Mickey Mouse!"
Dewey couldn't agree more, "I want to try every single item on the menu!"
"Me too!" Webbysmiled.
"I love being one of the VIPs," Louie had a smug look on his face.
Daisy giggled at the family's interactions, "I'm sure they'll be fine, Donald."
Mickey led the entire group down the stairs, with Minnie on his right and Pluto on his left.
"Everything looks so lovely," Minnie observed the entire restaurant as her arm linked around Mickey's. Pluto barked in agreement.
"It sure does," The Captain gazed at his wife lovingly.
Pete was right behind Mickey, taking in the applause and camera shots.
"Feels good to be at the top. Doesn't it, Mickey?"
Mickey chuckled lightheartedly, "Oh, it's not about that, Pete. It's about making the people happy and showing them a great time!"
Pete was silent for a couple of seconds before smiling, "Then let's make this a night to remember."
Meanwhile in the Sapphire Dining Room Kitchen…
"Listen up, people!" The head chef, Princess Tiana, caught the attention of everyone in the kitchen. "This is the Captain's Dinner Night, so we need to step it up and bring our A-game tonight! Hundreds of hungry guests are counting on us, including the Main Staff themselves, so no slacking off!"
"Yes, ma'am!" The kitchen workers saluted her.
"Alright! Everyone to their stations!" Every chef and baker (such as Kronk, Mung Daal, Colette, Remy, and Applejack) went to their assigned cooking areas as Tiana turned her attention to the group of waiters.
"As for you all, make sure to be on your best behavior. Be as warm and welcoming as possible while taking everyone's orders."
"We won't let you down!" Linguine assured her.
Tiana nodded at the redhead before turning to the rest of the waiters.
"While you're delivering the food, there will be no eating it in secret…" Tiana gave a stern glare to the Minions and Dog (with his conjoined twin, Cat, giving him the same type of expression).
"…No fighting amongst each other…" Tiana glanced at Tom and Jerry, who both looked to the side as the latter stood on the former's shoulder.
"…And no messing with the guests." The Pink Panther was the last one to receive a serious glare. He laid a hand on his chest and shook his head.
"Do I make myself clear?" Tiana eyed all the waiters, who instantly nodded in response.
"Good."
Tiana went over to peek through one of the windows of the double doors. When she saw the full capacity of the Sapphire Dining Room, along with the Main Staff sitting at their table, she knew that was the signal.
"It's showtime!"
All the waiters entered the main area of the restaurant at exactly 7 pm, spreading out to every occupied table with glass cups and water pitchers. Linguine served the Main Staff their drinks and took their orders before moving on to the Watterson family's table in his roller skates.
"Good evening!" Linguine smiled at the Watterson's as he poured water into their cups. He took out his notepad and pen right after. "What would you all like?"
Each of the family members voiced their orders, which were all written down.
"Okay, your food will be here shortly!"
20 Minutes Later…
Linguine returned to the Watterson family's table, placing the food right in front of them.
"Enjoy your meals!" Linguine smiled before leaving.
The Watterson's mouths were watering as they gazed at everything in front of them, with Darwin taking a snapshot. Once they dug in, they were completely blown away by how delicious the cuisine was.
"This steak is amazing!" Gumball's eyes sparkled as he ate his meal, Darwin and Anais nodding in agreement.
"So is this mac and cheese!"
"And ratatouille!"
Even Richard was in a state of bliss, "Everything on this sampler platter is like heaven on my taste buds!"
"And I never knew this gumbo would be so divine!" Nicole smiled in glee.
For the remainder of their dinner, the Watterson's savored every bite. If they thought that was great, dessert was even better!
"I never thought I'd see the day where I would eat Princess Tiana's homemade beignets!" Darwin's eyes welled with tears as he ate one of the warm baked goods.
"You said it, buddy!" Gumball remarked as he tried one himself.
Anais was too busy dancing in her seat from the ice cream brownie sundae she was eating.
"This Sweet Apple Acres Pie is incredible!" Nicole sat back in her seat. "Good thing I got it à la mode."
Richard nodded, "I want to come back here tomorrow night!"
The rest of the Watterson's felt the same way.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!"
Everyone's attention was brought to an orange tabby cat named Danny, who stood in the middle of the Sapphire Dining Room with a wireless microphone headset, donning an all-black suit under a sapphire blue jacket with layered ruffle sleeves.
"I hope you're all enjoying your meals on Captain's Dinner Night, which we can all thank our beloved hosts for!"
All the passengers gave a round of applause to the Main Staff when the spotlight shined upon them.
"To make this night even better, we decided to do a show-stopping performance for you all! So, sit back, relax, and put your hands together for our Coral Reef Choir as we perform some classics we all know and love!"
The beginning notes of the song that played throughout the entire restaurant was what everyone recognized as Rhythm of the Night by DeBarge. Fellow members of the choir, who wore matching outfits with Danny, flood through the entrance while clapping their hands to the beat. The members consisted of Sawyer, Pudge, Woolie, Tillie, T.W., Cranston, Frances, Arlo Beauregard, Rosita, Meena, Ash, Johnny, Gunter, and of course, the Trolls (who stood on the shoulders of their larger colleagues).
As always, Darwin pulled out his trusty cell phone to capture the moment as Danny stood on top of an empty table.
DANNY: When it feels like the world is on your shoulders,
And all of the madness has got you going crazy
ARLO: It's time to get out, step out into the street,
Where all of the action is right there at your feet
While some passengers clapped along, others got up from their seats to dance.
"Care to dance, m'lady?" Richard gave Nicole a flirtatious smile while holding out his hand. She placed a hand on her chest, flattered by his offer.
"Why, of course!"
Gumball, Darwin, and Anais watched them in amusement, with Darwin capturing the rare moment.
ALL: To the beat of the rhythm of the night
DANNY: Dance until the morning light
ALL: Forget about the worries of your mind
ARLO: You can leave them all behind
ALL: To the beat of the rhythm of the night
DANNY: Oh, the rhythm of the night, oh yeah
At this point, everyone in the Sapphire Dining Room was having a ball! It only got better when the current song transitioned to a second one, which was a cover of Rhythm Is Gonna Get You by Gloria Estefan.
SAWYER: Rhythm is gonna get you,
Rhythm is gonna get you,
Rhythm is gonna get you,
The rhythm is gonna get you, tonight
This was one of the best dining experiences the Watterson's ever had!
After the show was over, a couple of photographers (Photo Finish and Donkey) went around the tables to take pictures of all the happy families sitting together.
"Smile for the camera!" Donkey popped up right next to the Watterson family, who immediately posed for him as he lifted the camera to his face. "Such a lovely family you are!"
All the passengers left the Sapphire Dining Room at 9 pm afterwards, the Watterson's included. They retreated to their cabin to change back to their regular vacation attire.
"Hey, Mom! Can we go back to see our friends?" Gumball had an eager expression after reading the latest group text on his phone. Darwin and Anais instantly lit up when he mentioned that.
"Of course you can," Nicole smiled at her kids in amusement. "As long as you're all back at 11:15 pm."
"Two hours and fifteen minutes. That gives us plenty of time!" Anais grinned before grabbing her mini purse and placing her Daisy the Donkey doll inside of it.
"As for me and your dad, we'll be relaxing in the cabin while you three are out."
Richard was skimming through multiple TV channels until he caught sight of one of his favorite films.
"Nicole! The original Space Odyssey is on!"
Nicole rolled her eyes in amusement. At that, the Watterson kids opened the cabin door, waving to their parents before heading out.
"Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!"
Both Richard and Nicole waved back.
"See you later, kids!"
"Have fun! And make sure you text me when you meet up with your friends!"
Since Gumball and Darwin were going to meet with their own group of friends on the Lido Deck before they all head to the arcade, they decided to drop Anais off at the Kids Kove first, traveling from Deck 8 to Deck 5 via elevator. Steven was more than happy to see Anais return to the club.
"What would you like to do now, Anais?" Steven asked after Anais bid her brothers farewell and texted her mom a brief message. She saw some activity going on behind the glass doors of the Science Lab, which instantly intrigued her.
"I want to go in there."
"Had a feeling you'd say that."
As Steven and Anais entered the room, they saw a good chunk of kids sitting at the tables (such as Sherman, Dexter, Blossom, Dendy, the Barnaby twins, and Lisa) while a bespectacled white canine and messy-haired scientist in a lab coat were at the front desk setting everything up with the help of two teenage boys. Lisa caught sight of Anais and smiled as the fellow 4-year-old took a seat next to her.
"A pleasure to meet you again, my roseus companion," Lisa greeted Anais.
"Same here."
Mr. Peabody noticed Anais enter the lab, "Another guest joining us?"
"Yep!" Steven nodded.
Flint Lockwood was even more elated, "Great! We were just about to get started."
Both Steven and Anais waved to one another before the former closed the door behind him.
"You guys are going to love this!" One of the teenage boys, who was donned in goggles with a blue streak in his raven hair, geeked out in front of the children. "Mr. Peabody and Flint created this amazing machine that can-"
"Woah, Varian!" Another raven-haired teen in a blue hoodie laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't want to spoil the surprise."
Varian realized his mistake and put a hand behind his head. "Oh, right. Sorry, Hiro. Got lost in the moment there."
"No worries."
Once everything was all set, Sherman raised his hand, "What are we going to do tonight, Mr. Peabody and Mr. Lockwood?"
Mr. Peabody smiled at his adoptive son's question, "I think what you mean to say is, where are we going?"
The other kids were instantly intrigued, which was Flint's cue to speak next.
"Boys and girls, we're taking you on a field trip with our trusty Anywhere Simulator!"
Flint pulled a white cover off a contraption sitting atop the front desk, which was a silver machine designed with red stripes, multiple light bulbs aligned on top of it while a black screen was on the front with silver buttons beside it. Mr. Peabody turned it on and typed in a certain location.
"Or should we say, a field trip under the sea?" Mr. Peabody smirked.
As a picture of ocean life appeared on the small screen, he pressed the 'Enter' button, which caused the light bulbs on top of the Anywhere Simulator to emit a glow and brighten up the entire Science Lab. The room had transformed into the ocean floor, a wide variety of sea life and coral reefs surrounding the scientists, young assistants, and children in the deep blue waters. Since it was a simulation, everyone could still breath and walk around.
"Fish," Steve, Flint's helper monkey with a translator, jumped on the messy-haired scientist's shoulder, mesmerized by everything he saw.
"Kids, we're going to learn some interesting facts about marine science," Flint proudly placed his hands on his hips.
All the children were eager to gain more knowledge, especially Anais and Lisa, who smiled at one another.
Gumball and Darwin had made it to the Lido Deck to look for their friends. Compared to the daytime, the deck was brightly lit on both the lower and upper levels, still giving off a festive vibe. The moon was shining down upon the passengers as they enjoyed the warm, nightly breeze while "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins started playing in the background. Darwin recorded the activities happening within the area while Gumball led the way. They took the stairs to the upper level when they saw Little Cato waving to them from a distance.
"Yo, GB and D!" Little Cato eagerly approached the two. "Glad to see you're back!"
"Same here!" Gumball and Darwin smiled.
"Everyone else is over there. Follow me!"
As the Watterson brothers followed after Little Cato, they caught sight of the remaining nine members of their friend group standing by the rail. Darwin made sure to text Nicole on their whereabouts.
"Alright! The gang's all here!" Frida cheered. Manny, Anne, Lilo, and Stitch smiled while Lincoln, Clyde, Mikey, and Sprig waved.
"So, why exactly are we meeting here on the Lido deck first?" Gumball asked.
"Oh yeah, a family friend wanted to join us," Little Cato informed him. "He's doubling as our chaperone too."
"There he is right now!" Lilo waved to someone, Stitch grinning widely beside her.
"Spider Cat! Wonder Girl! Blue Ranger!" A voice called out.
The other kids saw a 32-year-old Caucasian man with short, messy blonde hair, a red short-sleeved Hawaiian shirt with a white pineapple design on the right, blue jeans, and red sandals. What stood out about him the most was his cybernetic left arm. And floating beside the man was a small, round green alien with wide eyes, two antennae, and stubby appendages.
"Guys, this is our good friend, Gary Goodspeed," Lilo introduced him.
"Aka, Thunder Bandit!" Little Cato added.
"And Mooncake!" Stitch pointed at the little green alien.
"Pleased to meet the merry little crew of my three compadres," Gary smirked at the children, earning him a few chuckles.
"Chookity!" Mooncake greeted, floating over to them.
Mikey instantly cooed at him, "Aww! Isn't he cute?"
"He sure is!" Anne's eyes sparkled, Frida and Darwin nodding eagerly. Mooncake was enjoying the attention so far.
"What kind of alien is he?" Lincoln questioned.
"Oh, he's a planet destroyer," Gary threw out casually. The entire friend group (sans Little Cato, Lilo, and Stitch) fell dead silent, causing Mooncake to look guilty.
"B-But don't worry!" Gary tried to quell their fears. "Mooncake's a sweet little guy. He doesn't have a mean bone in his body."
Little Cato, Lilo, and Stitch nodded.
"Yep."
"Completely harmless."
"Ih."
The rest of the kids visibly relaxed.
"If you say so," Gumball glanced at Mooncake, who gave him a look of affection. Gumball's heart melted a little and he smiled back, much to Mooncake's delight.
Gary instantly sported a game face, "You kids ready to go? Because I am pumped for some games right now!"
"Oh! Before we leave, we need a picture!" Darwin insisted.
Everyone lit up at the idea, voicing their agreement.
"Who's going to take the group photo though?" Clyde looked confused.
"Did somebody say, 'group photo'?" A security guard rabbit named Judy Hopps popped out of nowhere. "If you want, I can take one for you!"
A second security guard, who was a red fox named Nick Wilde, shook his head in amusement.
"You sure get excited over the littlest things, Carrots."
Darwin gave Judy his cellphone, who stood back while he and Gumball got into position with their friends.
"Everybody say 'cheese'!"
"Cheese!"
Judy took a couple of photos before handing the phone back to Darwin.
"Thank you, Miss Security Guard!"
"Oh, call me Miss Hopps! You can call this fox over here Mr. Wilde too."
Nick snickered at Judy's teasing. As the two security guards went their way, Darwin shared the photo with his brother and friends via group chat, including Gary. Gumball studied the picture on his phone before looking over the rail.
"You all notice how the ocean looks like the dark abyss at night?"
The others saw what he was talking about, looking in the same direction as him.
"It's so pitch black that if I go over the rail, I don't know if I'll either fall into the water or eternal nothingness."
Gumball's remark made everyone laugh.
"You should see what it's like in outer space," Gary pointed up to the starry sky.
The friend group proceeded to head to the arcade, conversing and laughing at each other's antics, such as Gary pretending to do a drum solo during his favorite part of "In The Air Tonight." They went down a few flights of stairs to Deck 5, going around the corner of the kids clubs until they reached their destination. The Aquatic Arcade was brightly lit with every game imaginable, each console either laid against the greige walls or in the middle of the room atop the dark blue carpeted floor with aqua ripple accents, the black ceiling installed with flush mount lights. The entire place was filled to the brim with kids, teens, and adults alike.
"Hello there!"
"Welcome!"
Two workers came up and greeted Gumball and Darwin's friend group. One was a 16-year-old Japanese-American girl with purple-magenta ombré hair pulled into a back bun while the other was a 15-year-old Mexican-American boy with dark tan skin and puffy dark blue hair. Both teens were dressed in a dark blue shirt with the light blue 'Aquatic Arcade' logo on the upper left. The only difference was that the girl wore white pants and white-and-pink sneakers while the boy had a black elbow-length undershirt, dark gray jeans, and red-and-white sneakers with blue 'H' symbols on the flaps.
"I'm Miko!"
"And I'm Hector. But, you can call me Five."
"And a good evening to you both," Gary returned the greeting. "My little friends and I are honored to step foot into this enterprise of electronic wonders!"
Miko and Five were amused by the comment when they caught sight of Mikey within the group of youths surrounding Gary.
"Hey," Five got Mikey's attention. "Are you somehow related to those other three turtles in multicolored masks?"
Mikey's face instantly lit up, "My brothers are here?!"
Miko nodded, "If you'd like, we can take you all to where they are."
Mikey gave his friends an eager look, who all nodded.
"Lead the way!" Mikey's tail wagged excitedly. Miko and Five guided the group through the busy arcade, with Lilo and Darwin taking pictures and videos of the scenery.
"Hey, you guys," Five found who he and Miko were looking for. "We brought someone you know."
Two individuals who were occupying Skee-Ball smiled widely while a third one competing with someone at Mario Kart gave away a playful smirk.
"Mikey, you made it!"
"About time!"
"We were wondering when you'd- aww, man!"
"Hah! I am the Mario Kart champion! Greetings, Michael. And friends."
"Hey, guys!" Mikey waved to the individuals. Out of nowhere, a small blur rushed through and gave him a big hug.
"You finally showed up!" Hazel gave him a toothy grin.
"Hey, Haze! I didn't know you were here too!" Mikey looked back at his group of buddies. "Everyone, meet my older brothers and big sister figure, Raph, April, Leo, and Donnie. And of course, some of you have already met my youngest sister, Hazel."
The first individual, Raphael Hamato, was a large, bright green 15-year-old turtle in a red mask and ninja apparel with black-and-red shorts, bandages wrapped around his hands and ankles. He appeared to have a snaggle tooth on the right side of his mouth, as well as spikes on his arms, shell, and long tail.
The second individual, April O'Neil, was a 16-year-old African-American girl with curly reddish brown hair in two puffs and red glasses, donned in a green-and-yellow varsity jacket over a long yellow T-shirt, black leggings, and yellow sneakers.
The third one, Leonardo Hamato, was a light green 14-year-old turtle in a blue-colored mask and ninja apparel with black shorts. He had red stripes over his eyes (which were partially covered by his mask) and yellow stripes on his arms, legs, and tail.
And the fourth one, Donatello Hamato, was a 14-year-old dark green turtle in a purple mask (doodled with thick black eyebrows) and ninja apparel with black shorts. He had purple rectangular marks on his arms, legs, and tail, silver goggles atop his head and a tech gauntlet on his left wrist. He also appeared to have a purple makeshift shell compared to his three brothers.
While Mikey introduced his thirteen friends to his siblings, Lilo observed each of the Hamato brothers carefully.
"You four are different types of turtles, right?" Lilo questioned.
"We sure are!" Mikey nodded, as did the other three. "As you already know, I'm an ornate box turtle."
"I'm an alligator snapper," Raph folded his arms proudly.
"Red-eared slider," Leo smugly pointed to himself.
"Spiny softshell," Donnie shrugged.
Gumball and Darwin slightly flinched when they heard the term 'softshell.' Unpleasant memories of their former pet turtle flowed through their minds, but they instantly shook the images out of their heads.
Hazel changed into her second form, sporting a toothy smile. "And I'm a turtle too!"
The friend group was fascinated while her four older brothers and sister figure were pleased.
"Aww!" Gary cooed. "Your little sister is a shapeshifter?"
"She sure is!" Leo ruffled Hazel's hair, which she tried to swat away with little success. "Little Miss Haze is truly something special."
"Okay. Enough messing around with her, Leo." Raph lightly chided in his typical eldest brother tone. April, Donnie, and Mikey rolled their eyes in amusement as Miko, Five, and the friend group snickered in the background. Once Leo stopped, Hazel transformed back into her human form.
"Oh! Might I suggest something?" Miko grinned, prompting everyone to look at her. "How's about you all get to bond with one another through some good ol' gaming? And I know just the perfect one! Follow me!"
Miko led the friend group alongside Five until she proudly presented a game near and dear to her: Sock-Em Rockers. The excitement amongst the friend group peaked, much to Miko's satisfaction.
"Why am I not surprised?" Five smirked.
"No way!" Gumball's eyes sparkled. "A dance revolution and fighting game mixed in one?! Count me in!"
"Yeah!" Darwin nodded eagerly.
"You know I'm down for it!" April pumped her fist.
The feelings were short-lived, however, when a basketball bounced against the screen of the game console, smashing it completely.
"Woah!" Gary jumped back, as did April, Raph, Leo, and Donnie.
"No way!" Gumball, Manny, Frida, and Mikey screamed.
The other friends were stunned silent, including some onlookers within the arcade. Miko was completely frozen as she saw the state of her childhood game.
"Aww yeah! I am the Bank Shot champion!"
They turned around and saw a brown raccoon celebrating his winning shot as the same basketball went through a hoop, high-fiving a tall blue jay. And they just so happened to be wearing the exact same Aquatic Arcade shirts as Miko and Five.
"Mordecai?! Rigby?!" Five raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, Five!" Mordecai waved. "Rigby and I were just playing Bank Shot during our break and-"
The smiles on Mordecai and Rigby's faces fell when they saw a small crowd of people surrounding the Sock-Em Rockers game, which had a fizzling cracked screen.
"Oh…" the horrific realization dawned upon Rigby. "Did I do that?"
Miko turned around, her eyes completely shadowed as she pointed a finger in cold rage. "You…"
The occupants within the vicinity could already sense a beat down coming, with some mischievous youngsters pulling out their cellphones.
"W-W-Wait!" Rigby put his hands up in defense, Mordecai doing the same. "We can explain!"
"What's going on over here?!"
All eyes were on a large, muscular man with messy brown hair, donned in the dark blue Aquatic Arcade shirt and black pants while completely barefoot. His name was Ralph, aka Wreck-It Ralph, the manager of the arcade. His eyes went wide when he saw the broken Sock-Em Rockers game.
"Oooh, boss man is here," Leo whispered amongst the friend group.
"Jiminy jaminy!"
Another worker stood beside Ralph, placing a hand atop his head. He was smaller in stature with smooth brown hair under a light blue cap, dressed in the standard Aquatic Arcade shirt and blue jeans with brown work gloves, tool belt, and shoes. His name was Felix, aka Fix-It Felix Jr, the assistant manager.
Vanellope glitched right next to Ralph and Felix, shock written all over her face. "Sweet mother of monkey milk!"
"What happened?!" Ralph demanded.
"Ask them," Miko kept her finger pointed towards Mordecai and Rigby. Ralph, Felix, and Vanellope looked their way, with Ralph giving them a steely gaze.
"What did you two do?"
Mordecai placed a hand behind his head, "Well, you see, Rigby and I were taking a short break to play basketball…"
"And I may have thrown the ball too hard while making a trick shot…" Rigby looked to the side.
Ralph let out an exasperated sigh, "We can't have a single moment without you guys messing things up, can we?"
"So, you two stinkbrains left me to run the prize counter by myself!?" Vanellope stomped her foot. "You told me you were taking a quick bathroom break!"
Gumball and Darwin's friend group looked at one another while Five pinched the bridge of his nose. Miko was still fuming.
"We lost track of time!" Mordecai explained. "We're really sorry!"
"Honest!" Rigby nodded profusely.
Felix folded his arms, "We're not the only ones you should be apologizing to."
Mordecai and Rigby faced Five, Miko, and Gumball and Darwin's friend group.
"Sorry, everyone."
"Yeah. It wasn't cool that I ruined the game."
While Gumball and Darwin's friend group accepted the apologies, Five and Miko were a bit skeptical.
"I sure hope you guys mean it this time."
"And it better not happen again."
Of course, Ralph wasn't done yet. "Until I can trust you two not to slack off again, you'll be on bathroom duty for the rest of the night."
That was the last thing Mordecai and Rigby wanted to hear.
"Aww, what?!"
"You can't be serious!"
"I can call Benson so he can give me permission to fire you," Ralph threatened.
"Oooo!" Some of Gumball and Darwin's friends watched in amusement as Mordecai and Rigby froze. Even Vanellope got a kick out of it.
"Bathroom duty it is then."
"Yep."
Mordecai and Rigby rushed off, causing some onlookers to erupt in laughter.
"Man, I'd hate to be those guys!" Frida pointed in their direction.
Felix shook his head, "You'd think those two would learn by now." He walked over to the broken Sock-Em Rockers game, pulling out his trusty hammer. "Don't worry, everyone. I can fix it!"
"Hey, Darwin," Gumball whispered to his younger brother. "Is it just me, or does he sound a lot like Wander?"
Darwin raised an eyebrow, placing a fin on his chin. "Now that you mention it…"
With a tap of Felix's hammer, Sock-Em Rockers was as good as new. There was much rejoicing amongst Gumball and Darwin's friends.
"Alright, Felix!" Five was completely grateful they had someone who can instantly fix things.
"You're a lifesaver!" Miko's eyes welled with tears.
Felix put his hammer away, placing his hands on his hips, "It's what I do best!"
"Have fun, you guys." Ralph waved before he, Felix, and Vanellope walked off to return to work.
"It's all yours now," Miko grinned as she and Five stepped aside from Sock-Em Rockers for Gumball and Darwin's friend group.
The problem was there were only enough platforms for two players.
"How will we decide who'll go first?" Sprig questioned. Everyone looked at one another until Leo raised a hand.
"Might I throw in a suggestion?" Leo smirked when the entire group's eyes were on him. "How's about a multiple way rock-paper-scissors? Last two standing get to compete with each other on Sock-Em Rockers."
All the friends listened intently, prompting Leo to continue.
"And whoever is the last one standing from the next rock-paper-scissors challenge will compete with the winner of the game."
All of Gumball and Darwin's friends voiced their agreements to give it a try.
"I like the way you think, kid!" Gary commended Leo.
"This is one of the few times I'll say this," Donnie expressed. "But Leo's idea sounds practical enough."
Raph, April, and Mikey nodded.
"I'm in!" Anne grinned.
"Yeah!" Sprig, Manny, Frida, and Little Cato agreed.
Lincoln, Clyde, Lilo, and Stitch were eager as well.
"Think you're up for it, buddy?" Gumball smiled at Darwin.
"I'm more worried about you," Darwin raised a brow in amusement. Gumball scoffed lightly in response.
Gary, Mooncake, and Hazel stood by Miko and Five to observe the little competition.
"Who do you guys think will be the final two standing?" Five asked.
Miko simply shrugged, "I just want to see how this plays out."
Gary, Mooncake, and Hazel nodded.
"Couldn't agree more."
"Chookity."
"Mm hm."
Leo counted off each of the participants within the friend group. "So, there's sixteen of us, right? We'll split into four groups of four to make this go quicker."
All of the friends got into their respective groups and waited for Leo to give the signal.
"Ready, go!"
The first ones to be out were Raph, Mikey, Manny, Frida, Lilo, Lincoln, Clyde, and Sprig.
The next ones were Donnie, Little Cato, Darwin, and Stitch.
Then it was April and Anne.
Leo and Gumball were the last two standing.
"Looks like it's you and me, Cat Boy," Leo lightly taunted Gumball.
Gumball was stunned before sporting a daring smirk, "May the best man win."
Mikey placed a hand on Gumball's shoulder. "Wish you well. Leo is crazy competitive."
Gumball nodded, "Thanks for the heads up."
The rest of the friend group cheered as Leo and Gumball slid their cruise ship cards into the slots and stepped onto their respective platforms of Sock-Em Rockers.
"Show him what you got, Gumball!" Darwin cheered.
"You got this, GB!" Little Cato offered his own words of encouragement.
"You can do it, Leo!" Hazel rooted for her second eldest brother.
"Hey, April!"
Five teens and a preteen boy approached the friend group.
"We just got your message," a 15-year-old redhead named Tulip Olsen held up her phone. "Is Leo actually about to compete?"
"He sure is!" April nodded eagerly.
A metallic 15-year-old named Lake turned to her best friend, Jesse Cosay. "Jesse, we need to capture this!"
"On it!" The 16-year-old Native American boy pulled out his phone.
"Sock-Em Rockers, huh?" A 14-year-old Hawaiian girl named Hailey Banks checked out the console. "I heard this game was really good."
Her best friend, a 14-year-old Korean-Filipino named Scott Denoga, completely agreed. "Video games couldn't get anymore revolutionary than this!"
Jesse's 10-year-old brother, Nate Cosay, went to go stand next to Gary, Mooncake, Five, Miko, and Hazel since the area where Jesse and the others were standing was getting crowded.
"Hey," Nate greeted Hazel. "I'm Nate."
Hazel happily greeted him with a wave, "I'm Hazel."
Nate caught sight of a dull green '337' on Hazel's right palm, sparking his curiosity. "How did you get that number on your hand?"
Nate's question caused Tulip, Lake, and Jesse to turn their heads.
"It's kind of a long story," Hazel rubbed the back of her head.
Of course, all the attention was back on Leo and Gumball as they selected their avatars.
"Colossusaurus versus Lobstructor."
"Get ready to get your kitten whiskers blown off!" Leo ribbed Gumball.
"Not if I ice your game first, Stripes!" Gumball remarked in return.
As the selected music from Sock-Em Rockers blasted throughout the Aquatic Arcade (which was "I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas), others came over to watch the competition, including Sonic, Tails, Mario, and Luigi.
"Game on!" Miko declared to the entire crowd.
Quick Info:
- The Watterson family's formal attire is the same one they wore in TAWOG Season 3 Episode 40 "The Egg."
- As I mentioned previously, The Team Squad from Final Space succeeded in saving the Earth in this AU. They currently reside in Hawaii with Lilo and Stitch's family.
- Sock Em Rockers is the video game featured in Glitch Techs Season 2 Episode 8 "Settling the Score."
Depending on how long Chapter 8 takes, I believe I should have it out by fall at the latest if I'm not too busy. Take care, everyone!
I do not own any of these characters. They respectfully belong to Ben Bocquelet and Cartoon Network, as well as Disney, Nickelodeon, Dreamworks, Warner Bros., Illumination, Netflix, HBO Max, Zagtoon, Blue Sky Studios, and Hasbro. This fan-made story is created solely for entertainment purposes.
