The Banners

It was roughly 7am on Monday morning in the bustling metropolis of Elmore City, California. It was this day that was usually the bane of every junior high schooler, for it meant the weekend was over and it was time to go back to school, however, for one student of Elmore Junior High, Gumball Watterson, today might as well be the best day ever. That's not to say the weekend hadn't been the best, it had been so enjoyable he, like all of his classmates, was sad the weekend was over, because he and his girlfriend, Penny Fitzgerald, had turned the whole thing into a massive date.

Going out to eat, hanging out, going to the movies, holding hands, Penny even threw in some kisses here and there; kisses full blown on the lips.

And it was because of this that not only did Gumball not mind having to go back to school, he was genuinely looking forward to it, for it gave him the opportunity to show Penny how much he enjoyed her company this weekend. Both he and his adopted brother Darwin could be found at their school at this early hour, and even though class didn't start for another hour and a half, the two were hard at work, painstakingly pulling on a rope that was attached to a pulley system that was steadily lifting a massive rolled up banner over the front of the school.

"You…sure this isn't…overdoing it…just a tad…?" asked Darwin, sweat dripping from the scales of his goldfish body and down his long legs and into his socks, soaking them. The banner better get into position soon or this endeavor might cause him to get athletes' foot.

"Of… course…buddy," said Gumball between pulls, sweat glistening off his face as well, his powder blue fur sleek in the early morning sun. "This ain't… anywhere near as…extravagant…as the last time…"

Gumball was also immensely grateful to his foster brother for not only helping him out with this, but for letting him and his girlfriend have last weekend all to themselves without getting jealous…again.

"Gotta…agree…with that…" said Darwin, remembering the fiasco with the treasure hunt and fireworks. At least this wouldn't put Penny in danger…as long as she didn't stand directly underneath it.

"Aaaand…there," said Gumball once the banner was in place, wiping sweat from his brow. "That wasn't too difficult. Now, how much time does that leave us before school starts?"

"Hmm?" hummed Darwin, ceasing ringing out his socks of sweat; which were releasing a complete deluge, looking at the watch strapped to the wrist of his left fin. "Rocky should be pulling up with everyone in about…thirty seconds…"

"THIRTY SECONDS!" Gumball repeated frantically, looking down at his sweat soaked form, BO wafting from his armpits in a nauseous green cloud. "What… oh no…she can't see this…"

Reaching off screen, Gumball pulled forth a portable showering station, drew the curtain around himself, hung his clothes on a provided hook, and began frantically scrubbing himself, all the while Darwin looked at him with an unamused look.

"Told you it was too big," he said, "Should have used smaller letters and less words."

Gumball didn't appear to be paying attention however, too busy scrubbing the sweaty smell off himself. Someone's else was paying attention, however. Up in the branches of one of the trees that was planted on the grounds of Elmore Junior High was a certain cycloptic individual Gumball knew well. Rob had a sinister grin on his face as he drummed his fingers together eagerly. It was once again time to enact his revenge on gumball, and this time he would not fail. This time he had a plan that would bring down the delinquent twelve year old once and for all, and if not, it would surely knock him down a peg or two.

He had been working on this plan ever since his most recent escape from the void; though, truth be told, he wasn't all that sure why the place had only plunged him back into its staticy depths rather than destroy Elmore like he thought it would (such is the power of fanfiction), but regardless, he was determined to destroy the little blue cat now more than ever. And after learning what he had planned for his little luminescent girlfriend he had come up with a plan so sinister there was no way it would fail.

"All that needs to happen now is for the bus to arrive," he hissed. "Then, Gumball, you will truly regret ever crossing me. Heck, you might be tempted to throw yourself into the void yourself. It will be the only place where you might be able to escape the pain you are about to endure."

Gumball had just finished pushing the shower station away and dressing when the school bus pulled up and began unloading the mismatched and misshapen students of Elmore Junior High. It wasn't difficult to spot Penny in the crowd, talking to her friends, Leslie, Molly, Carrie, Masami and Carmen. Gumball felt whatever insecurities about his appearance dissipate at the sight of her. He'd had a crush on her ever since they first met at the mall so long ago and back then he didn't think he could feel any more fondness for her. That is until the event where he inadvertently cracked her shell and encouraged her to be her true self. He'd always found her shelled self to have a charm of its own, but once he saw her majestic true form Gumball had felt he had never seen anything so beautiful in his life.

Snapping out of his memorized state, Gumball licked his hand, smoothed his hair; giving himself an over-flamboyant cowlick, and called out to his girlfriend, "PENNY!"

Penny looked up from her conversation with her girlfriends and beamed at the sight of her boyfriend.

"GUMBALL!" she declared happily, running up and giving him a hug, which he returned. "You weren't at your bus stop! Where were you? I was worried."

"Ah, don't worry about me," said Gumball, separating from Penny and looking at an outstretched hand in an attempt to look casual cooly. "Just thought I'd pop by school early so I can set up a surprise for you to show you how much I enjoyed our weekend together."

"Oh Gumball, what did I tell you about grand gestures?" said Penny, the shapeshifting orange fairy pinching the bridge of her "nose?" in exasperation."

"Oh, don't worry, Penny. This won't get you attacked by sentient chemicals or chased by wild beasts," Gumball insisted, casually walking up the steps of the school's porch to a pull string attached to the banner he and Darwin had just put up. Penny, along with the other newly arrived students, looked at the massive rolled up banner with perplexion, though Penny eventually smiled and shook her head. It may still be classified as over the top, but a banner over the school was still a massive step down from a flashy fireworks display.

Up in his tree, Rob's sneer deepened as Gumball grabbed the pull string. It wouldn't be long now.

With one final confident breath, Gumball closed his eyes and pulled the string, unfurling the banner, which draped halfway down the entire front of the school, Gumball crossing his hands behind his back proudly. There was a collective gasp from the crowd and Gumball knew that all would appreciate his efforts to show how much Penny means to him. But upon opening his eyes, he was not met with expressions of admiration from the crowd and a look of appreciation from Penny, as he expected. Instead the crowd looked totally dumbstruck, and Penny…her expression had morphed from eager expectancy to completely livid. She had balled up her fists at her sides and was stomping up the concrete steps towards him.

"Huh…still too much…?" he asked nervously as she approached.

"Huh…dude…" mumbled Darwin next to him, and when Gumball looked, he saw his foster brother was just as dumbstruck as the crowd as he looked up at the banner too. Why? He helped make the banner with him.

One look at said banner clued Gumball in as to why Darwin had also taken aback.

The banner was supposed to say: Penny is the most beautiful girl in the universe who knows how to set up the bestest, most spectacular weekend dates ever. I love you. Gumball.

What the banner before him said: Penny, I love you, but I can no longer stand you having a pet tarantula. I hate spiders more than anything else in this world, so it's either me or that eight legged freak.

The tarantula in question, Mr. Snuggles, as Penny named him, was trapped in a pickle jar hanging below the banner by a rope, banging his legs against the glass and hissing violently.

Gumball felt as if the world around him had fallen away, his heart suddenly feeling as if it was caught in a vice. Sure, he hated spiders, but he would never ever make Penny choose between him and her beloved pet. He knew how much Mr. Snuggles means to Penny and would never do anything to endanger him, regardless of his personal feelings. As Gumball read and reread the banner that was most certainly not of his design over and over again he became aware of a presence arriving behind him. Gulping nervously, Gumball peaked over his shoulder to see Penny standing behind him. If the expression on her face was any indication, the banner was having the exact effect on her he suspected it did.

"N…now Penny…" said Gumball nervously, turning fully around and waving his hands up in a disarming gesture in front of him. "I won't deny I have no fondness for spiders, but I would never EVER make you choose between me or Mr. Cuddles. You gotta believe me."

Penny's only response was to huff aggressively through her nose, hiss at Gumball while briefly transforming into her intimidating gorgan form before walking past him to the dangling jar holding her pet, which she proceeded to yank down, Gumball wringing his hands nervously behind her. Up in his tree, Rob was overjoyed. So far so good, now all that was left was for the rest of the trap to be sprung. And Penny had already set off the rest when she pulled on the jar.

After the jar was in Penny's hand another rope fell from the banner above and dangled before her. Penny's eyes widened for a second before her enraged expression returned with several times the force as before, and it was the same in regards to Gumball's fear, for at the end of the new rope dangled a flyswatter, a sticky note which read "choose" stuck to the handle. Penny's scowl deepened further, her eye twitching, then her whole body started trembling.

"Penny…I…I swear I didn't…" before Gumball could finish his plea Penny turned on the spot and shapeshifted into her dragon form.

She roared to the sky, breathing out a stream of fire, before scowling at the trembling Gumball. Rob had to suppress a laugh. If Gumball thought facing Penny in this state was scary, what came next would bring down the house. Possibly literally.

Another banner unfurling beneath the first, this one reaching the pavement of the porch. However, this banner has nothing to do with Penny. It was an enlarged picture of the local T-Rex student Tina, but in a way no one had ever seen her. The picture depicted her standing in the nest of metal beams she slept in at Elmore Wrecking Yard, standing before a giant chrome bumper propped vertically against the wall. Tina was apparently using it as a form of makeshift mirror, and her reason for doing so left everyone speechless. The Tina in the picture was rolling a paint roller over herself, which apparently was painting on the usual tans and browns she's known for, but this picture proves that isn't her natural color, for beyond the half applied dark colors, her scales were a vibrant, girly pink, there was even a white birthmark near her hindquarters shaped like a heart.

The speechlessness of the crowd lingered for a second, but then they began to giggle, until eventually they were full on laughing. Gumball was petrified, not even aware of Penny's presence anymore. She had apparently lost interest in him momentarily however, also looking at the newly unfurled banner. But Gumball wished otherwise. As fearsome as Penny could be in her dragon form, Tina was another matter. There was a reason she was the most feared student in Elmore Junior High, so if she saw this…

Again, Gumball felt a foreboding presence behind him, and since Penny was still in front of him…

"N…now Tina, let's not be hasty," said Gumball, slowly turning to face said T-Rex behind him, her lips twitching in the beginning stages of a snarl. "I swear this wasn't me. I…I'd have to be suicidal to…"

One final smaller banner unfurled in the corner of the previous, this one carrying a short autograph: Photo by Gumball Watterson.

(P.S. I think Tina is fat)

Whatever was holding back the dinosaur's rage broke at that point, Tina roaring to the sky, same as Penny had. She began stomping slowly and menacingly towards Gumball, who backed up timidly, slinking past Penny.

"Penny…back me up…please…" he pleaded to his girlfriend.

Penny, still in her dragon form, glared at him, looked at Mr. Snuggles, still in a jar that she held in her claw, then to Tina.

"Bite him good for me," she said in the deep, Baritone voice of her dragon form.

Tina smiled at her and winked.

Gumball felt his heart skip a beat.

Darwin was about to speak up on behalf of his brother, to insist Gumball had nothing to do with this and clarify he knows because he had helped make the actual banner Gumball wanted to display today, but Gumball gave him a sideways glance and briefly shook his head, running a hand across his throat and thrusting the pupil of his left eye at the banner. One look at the signature depicting Gumball's name "alone" and Darwin got the message. There was nothing indicating his personal involvement, so Penny and Tina's wrath would not fall on him unless he drew attention to himself. Darwin swallowed nervously and with sadness. His brother was going to take the brunt of this on his own, since Darwin had the opportunity to call disassociation. It left the walking goldfish feeling horrible, but what else can he do? At least this way he would be around to help Gumball get through what came next.

Gumball gulped himself as he turned back to Tina. She hadn't attacked yet, but was scraping the ground with her massive legs, indicating she wanted to give him a head start so she could give chase. Left with no other choice but to comply, Gumball turned on his heels and ran towards the entrance to the school. The doors may be covered by these offending banners, but it was part of Gumball's hope that, should he make it through the doors successfully despite not being able to see them, the banner's would hinder Tina somewhat.

The bell rang just as Gumball finished traversing the steps and the sound of the door opening drew his attention to a bulge that appeared in the fabric of the banner.

"Hey, what's this?" said the voice of Principal Brown as he rustled under the fabric.

Taking the opportunity, Gumball headed to that spot, speeding past the harry principal just as he lifted up the banner and into the building.

"Huh, that's odd," Principal Brown quipped with an arched eyebrow. "Why is Gumball, of all students, so eager to get to class…?"

*ROAR!*

Principal Brown looked ahead just in time to see Tina barreling towards the doors, letting out a girly scream as he dived out of the way, Tina smashing through the doors passed him, ripping the banner's from the school front and into the building with her. If they deterred her at all it was by a miniscule amount, for soon enough Gumball's cries of terror mingled with the sound of Tina's roars, the sounds of pummeling reverberating through the school, shaking the entire place. While this was going on the students began to flood the building, despite the violent happenings going on somewhere within.

In the meantime, Penny shifted back to her fairy form, a massive scowl on her face as she too entered the school, Mr. Cuddles in her hands, still in the jar. She wasn't the only one glaring though. Darwin walked in behind her, fins crossed, an irritated scowl on his face. He knew, without a doubt, this ultimatum was not Gumball's idea at all (he'd helped him make the original banner for God's sake). Sure, Penny didn't know that and Gumball didn't have a good track record for making quality decisions, but she should know he would never do such a thing to her.

For her sake, Darwin hoped no indisputable proof that Gumball didn't do this came to light, or Penny, for once, was going to have a lot to answer for.

Up in his tree, Rob was elated. His trap had worked, for once. Not only was Gumball in extremely hot water with his girlfriend, the ire of the most feared bully in school was centered on him. Hopefully Tina or Penny would destroy him, but if not, he had several other ways to mess with his foe. After all, if he couldn't destroy Gumball and everything he cares about, he could turn everyone he loves against him. And what could be worse than that?

"First his girlfriend, then his little fish pal, then the parents, he won't have anyone when I'm done," said Rob sinisterly as he leapt from his branch to the ground below.

However, when he landed, his feet didn't impact the grass, they sunk into his own shadow like it had suddenly become quicksand.

"What?!" he cried, already sinking in past his waist. "What is this?"

He tried to grab at the ground but the second he did he realized that not only was he sinking into his shadow but something was pulling him in, and with such force he couldn't possibly get a strong enough hold. With a final yelp Rob sank into his own shadow, which vanished in after him.

—

Rob took in his sudden surroundings with a wide eyed…eye expression. He had assumed he was being pulled into the void, again, but this place put that place to shame. Rather than static and mistakes, there was nothing here but swirling dark masses of what could only be described as liquid shadow, distinguishable from each other only from their different shades of darkness. They swirled and twirled around each other, forming a most nauseous sight. And to make matters worse, Rob couldn't feel any foothold beneath him. He was floating aimlessly. But before Rob could contemplate on what was happening some of the swirling shadows coalesced in front of him into an orb the size of a soccer ball, and within it images began to play like a TV, or a crystal ball.

It displayed what had just transpired in front of Elmore Junior High because of him.

"Nice scheme…"

Rob practically jumped back from the replaying of his handy work at the sudden voice.

That voice…

It was a voice to chill the blood, to send tremors through your soul. It was deep and foreboding, cold and threatening, and possessed an eerie echoing quality.

"Inspiring. Insightful. FOR A FOUR YEAR OLD PLAYGROUND BULLY!"

"WHO'S THERE!?" called Rod, unable to suppress fear in his voice, staring into the abyss around him, in search of the source of the voice. "WHAT IS THIS PLACE!?"

" You call yourself a villain? You're pathetic."

Suddenly, Rob felt something seize his arms and legs by the wrists and shins, yanking him spread eagle. Looking, what saw binding him could best be described as solid shadow that had taken on the forms of double pointed stalagmites that wedged his limbs between their points. He tried to struggle free but he couldn't gain an inch.

"You've tormented that boy with your unimpressive shenanigans long enough…"

Rob glared into the nothingness, having finally been aggrieved enough by this voice to be insulted, despite his circumstances. "Hey, who do you think you are? That kid couldn't have a better nemesis!"

Rob would soon wish he hadn't spoken.

A serpentine form was seen coiling through the multi-hued shadows, and whatever it was it appeared massive. Then, before Rob, a ginormous flash of green light illuminated the darkness, Rob squinting a second before he saw a form silhouetted in the light that made his singular eye widen in horror so great he never knew such terror could be felt.

"What…what are you?" he asked breathlessly.

"Hahaha," the form in the light chortled. "Me?" It inquired, lifting a four digit claw with spindly fingers who's shadow fell over Rob's face, pinching the thumb and index finger together. "You can refer to me as…Gumball's new nemesis.

"Green…"

Green snapped his claws, the sound reverberating through the swirling shadows…

Which was swiftly joined by Rob's painful cries as what appeared to be electricity arched through his body.