The story starts at The Loud House. It's Chore Day at the Loud House, and everyone is doing their chores. In a family as big as theirs, chores can be pretty intense. But they get through 'em because they all do their fair share.
Leni and Lola leaves the bathroom in cleaning outfits, "Chores all done!" Leni yelled.
And the room is sparking!" Lola added.
Luan, Lynn and Lucy were washing the dishes together.
Luan starts doing the dishes at breakneck speed.
Luan who is washing dishes and passes them to Lucy.
"Sigh." Lucy dries it off with her breath.
Lynn catches all incoming plates tossed to her by Luan, "Lynn Loud makes the snag!" She puts them away, "Touchdown!"
Luna is vacuuming the living room, turns it off and unplugs the device, "So long dusty bunnies." She dumps all the dust she vacuumed up into the bag.
Lincoln runs in carrying in the pooper scooper, "Little present from Charles!" He dumps it in, "Special delivery from Cliff!" He dumps it in.
Lana runs in too, "And airmail from Walt!" She catches Walt's incoming dung and tosses it into the trash bag and notices Geo rolling away.
"What about Geo, little dudes?" Luna asked.
The toilet flushes.
"Oh, I taught him to use the toilet." Lana said.
Water splashes.
"Uh-oh! Geo fell in again!" Lana yelled and busts out a net and runs to his rescue, "Hang on, baby! Mama's comin'!"
In The basement; Lori is doing everyone's laundry. There was a lot of underwear.
Lori rolls her eyes and becomes annoyed, "Ugh, thanks Dad. Good thing I've got a system." She starts washing and folding all the laundry while she works, and Lily is spinning on the top of the dryer; Lori adds the detergent and leaves the machine to do its thing and starts texting on her phone. Most of the washing stacked neatly in piles.
Lisa was her and Lily's room.
Lisa was currently on the phone using a headset, she was doing the bills, "Now, listen, I want that charge removed, Janice. I don't think anyone in this house bought a car in Saskatchewan."
We see the Loud siblings takes all the trash out next to the trash can.
Lynn was the last one to leave trash.
"Hey, Loud! Don't bother! There's no trash pickup this week! The garbage workers are striking for more money!" Mr. Grouse yelled from a window.
Lynn squints, hands on her hips, "Hold up! They actually get paid to take out the trash?! What is that?!"
After all said and done the chores were done.
The siblings meet up in the living room.
Lori stretched her neck and tossed her hair over her shoulder, "Alright, everyone! We've finished all our chores, so now you're free to chill! Go on, enjoy yourselves!"
Everyone went off to relax expect Lincoln, Lynn and Lisa they went to the couch.
"Yo, baby bro! You won't believe this wild thing I just heard! Mr. Grouse totally said that people actually get paid to take out the trash! Can you even believe that?!" Lynn exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement.
Lincoln was surprised, "Wait, seriously? Why don't Mom and Dad ever give us any money? That's totally unfair!"
Lisa raised a finger thoughtfully, "I trust you are referring to the matter of an allowance. It is common practice for children to receive an allowance in exchange for their household chores, serving as a valuable pedagogical tool. This approach not only imparts the essential understanding of the relationship between effort and reward but also fosters crucial life skills such as responsibility, budgeting, and financial literacy. By enabling children to earn their monetary rewards through diligent tasks, it cultivates their appreciation for the notion that financial resources are derived from effort rather than being dispensed indiscriminately."
Lynn Jr crossed her arms, "Lynn Jr. crossed her arms defiantly and said, "Okay, I totally didn't get a word of that, but you know what? We should just call Mom and Dad and tell them we're ready to start getting our allowances! It's about time they recognize all our hard work!"
"Hey, are we really gonna ask for allowances? I mean, come on, there's 11 of us! I don't think we're gonna get much dough, especially since we always seem to be in a pickle when it comes to money!" Lincoln said.
Lisa thoughtfully inclined her head, saying, "Lincoln has a valid point. As a family of thirteen, we already place substantial demands on our parents' income, particularly concerning essential expenses like bills and groceries. Furthermore, it would be imprudent to seek additional funds merely for trivial pursuits."
"Ugh, come on! I wouldn't waste my cash on junk! I'm all about buying stuff that's gonna help me crush it in sports, you know? Being an athlete can totally land me a sweet job, and that means cash in my pocket! Right, Lisa?" Lynn said with a playful nudge.
Lisa shifted slightly on the couch and remarked, "Considering my role as the primary financial manager in this household, soliciting an allowance from our parents strikes me as rather imprudent."
"What's an allowance?" A voice was heard.
Lana ran up looking up towards her siblings on the couch.
"An allowance is when moms and dads give us some cash for doing chores around the house. We were thinking about asking Mom and Dad to hook us up with one!" Lincoln exclaimed with a grin, his classic enthusiasm shining through. "I mean, who wouldn't want some money for making their bed and doing the dishes, right?"
Lola burst into the room with her usual flair, hands on her hips, "Hold up! You can actually get paid for doing chores?!" She exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief. "I've been scrubbing that gross, stinky toilet for FREE this whole time? Ugh, no way! That's so unfair!"
"While your point holds merit, as I previously articulated, requesting an allowance could prove to be rather-," Lisa began to express, only to be interrupted by Lola.
Lola whips out a megaphone, "HEY EVERYBODY! MOMMY AND DADDY AREN'T GIVING US MONEY FOR DOING CHORES!"
Suddenly a stampede was heard as the other siblings came out of the Woodworks.
Rita and Lynn Sr. heard the noise in came into the living room from their bedroom.
"Alright, kids, what's with all the yelling? I know chores aren't exactly a blast, but they gotta get done! So let's roll up those sleeves and tackle it together!" Lynn Sr. said with his usual dad enthusiasm.
"Yo, Mom! Pop star! Little sis told me you've been keeping the stash under wraps—what's the deal? Spill it!" Luna exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over.
"Green? Oh, you mean money! What do you kids need cash for this time?" Rita asked, raising an eyebrow with a playful smirk. "Are you planning some kind of big adventure?"
Lynn Jr. hopped off the couch, her energy contagious. "Hey, Mr. Grouse was saying people actually get paid to take out trash! And Lisa said kids get allowances for doing chores, so like, why can't we earn some cash for our hard work too?!"
Rita and Lynn Sr. look towards each other then went back to looking at their children.
"Sweetie, we really would love to give you allowances, but, uh, we've got a bit of a tight budget at the moment, okay? Maybe one day when the money tree starts blooming!" Rita chuckled, trying to keep it light.
"Yeah, kids! With all the ding-dang bills we have to pay—groceries, stuff for you kids, and everything else that comes with raising a big family—we can't just open our wallets and hand out cash! You know how it is!" Lynn Sr. exclaimed, shaking his head with a chuckle.
Lisa delicately adjusted her spectacles and remarked, "As I previously mentioned, it is simply not within our means to receive allowances."
Leni pouted with her usual flair, "Aww, no way! I really wanted more cash for the mall. But wait, if we're not getting allowances, does that mean we totally can skip out on chores? Like, yay for no chores!"
Lynn Sr. crossed his arms, shaking his head with that familiar stern look, "No way, you still gotta tackle your chores! They're not gonna do themselves, you know!"
Lola crossed her arms and huffed, "Seriously, if other kids are getting paid for their chores and we're not, then why do we even have to do them? It's so unfair!"
Luan crossed her arms and shot her parents an exaggerated pout. "Hey, this is totally unfair! I mean, we bust our tails around here and get zip-nada for it! We totally deserve a little something for all this hard work, don't you think?!"
"Ugh, kids, our hands are tied! There's just nothing we can do right now." Lynn Sr. groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Trust me, I wish we could fix this, but it's out of our control!"
"So let me get this straight, you really expect us to clean your house and tackle that mountain of laundry—like, seriously, a mountain of underwear, Dad? And we can't even get an allowance that's at least $10? This is so unfair!" Lori huffed, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.
Rita chuckled, "Oh honey, I'm afraid not! But don't you worry, we'll figure something out!"
Lynn Jr. shot a fierce look, crossing her arms. "Oh, we'll figure something out alright."
Cut to Lynn Jr. holding up a sign with a "No Symbol" over a dishes, indicating she's on strike from her chore. The others join her as well the other siblings hold up signs as well.
The kids are now on strike demanding an allowance for their chores.
"Ha! You're really gonna go on strike, huh?" Lynn Sr. chuckled, a teasing grin spreading across his face.
Lori holds up a sign with a "No Symbol" over a washing machine, "That means no laundry, no clean dishes, no vacuuming..."
"We're all going on strike until you give us a allowances!" Lana yelled.
"One, two, three, four! I won't do your stupid chore!" Lincoln chanted.
"Alright, kiddos, let's be reasonable here!" Rita exclaimed, hands on her hips, giving her signature mom look.
"Five, six, seven, eight! Garbage Day will have to wait!" Lucy chanted.
"Listen up, kids! We're not backing down, not now, not ever!" Lynn Sr. yelled.
"Nine, ten, eleven, twelve! Take that poop out by yourself!" Luan chanted.
"Alright, you little rascals, can we knock off the chanting for a second?" Rita sighed, hands still on her hips, exasperated.
"Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen!" Leni giggled, her brows furrowing in concentration. "Uh... what could rhyme with... sixteen? Hmm..." She tapped her chin, thinking hard before blurting out, "Oh! I got it! How about... 'green bean'? That totally works, right?" Leni beamed, proud of her rhyme, even if it was a little silly!
"Your clothes? No way, I won't clean!'' Lori declared with a playful grin, wrapping her arms around Leni and giggling helping her sister rhyme.
"Chores! Huh! What Are They Good For?" Luna sung.
"ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! SAY IT AGAIN!" The siblings cheered.
"Alright, they aren't paying attention, what do you think, honey? Any bright ideas?" Lynn Sr. asked, his usual upbeat tone laced with a touch of frustration.
"I'm really curious to hear what kind of rhymes they can come up with!" Rita exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
"Rita…" Lynn Sr. said, crossing his arms and giving her a playful glare.
"Maybe we should let the kids see this strike won't lead to anything. They might learn something." Rita said.
"Good idea." Lynn Sr. said and busts out a jigsaw puzzle, "In that case, it's time for ol' Jigsaw Loud to get back in the puzzle game!"
Rita chuckles, "Didn't we agree never to use that name again?"
XXXXX
2 Days Later and the loud house was a total pigsty laundry piled up there was garbage littering the floor, leading up the stairs like a trail of breadcrumbs. A plastic container of ketchup from a to go order had exploded and now soaked into the carpet, one of Lily's diapers came open and spilled its, uh, offerings. and the place wreaked a disgusting smell that would put dump to shame.
It wasn't pretty.
Across the street Frankie was working in his lab as he was working on his latest experiment he tried to contact Lisa he wanted to see what was going on with her absence she had been missing for 2 days and was growing worried.
Johnny came in and handed Frankie his lunch, slow cooked cocktail sausages. You put them in a crock pot with BBQ sauce and grape jelly, and when they came out, they were so good they made you want to slap your grandma.
"Yo, brainiac! Guess who brought you some grub? What are you tinkering away on in this nerd cave?" Johnny quipped, a smirk plastered on his face.
I'm working on an experiment it's a scientific breakthrough." Frankie showed a jar holding a living breathing creature made out of trash, "I call him Homo Trashilius. Or Trashy for short."
"What's up with this mess?" Johnny squinted at the living, breathing dumpster fire of a creature made entirely out of trash. "I mean, is this a critter or just my evening snack gone rogue? Either way, I'm not cleaning it up. Someone better call a team of specialists or at least a janitor with a strong stomach."
"A sentient, bioengineered macroorganism dedicated to the efficient and environmentally sound consumption of waste products." Frankie said proudly.
Johnny looked confused.
Frankie chuckled, "It eats trash."
Johnny gave a little nod and smirked, "Oh! How about this? Trashy can chomp down on all that junk at the Louds! Seriously, those guys are on strike, and the place looks like a landfill after an all-you-can-eat buffet at Christmas! It's just begging for a superhero in spandex—or maybe just a trash-eating monster with a serious appetite! Talk about a load of garbage!"
Frankie, in a state of bewilderment, inquired, "They are participating in a strike? What are the underlying reasons for this action?"
Johnny shrugged, "All those kiddos are clamoring for their allowance like it's the last slice of pizza at a party, but guess what? Their parents are strapped for cash! Classic situation, am I right? But hey, it's the Louds we're talking about! Maybe our buddy Trashy can swoop in, clean up the joint, and save the day! Who doesn't love a good cleanup? It's like a superhero movie, just with fewer capes and more chaos!"
"That could indeed ameliorate the situation, and it presents a splendid opportunity to assess the merits of Trashy." Frankie remarked thoughtfully.
As he maneuvered his wheelchair toward the door, he added, "I shall bid you farewell for now, dear brother; I am en route to The Loud House."
Upon arriving at The Loud House, Frankie could not help but notice the disarray that seemed to envelop the place. When he reached the front porch, he rapped his knuckles against the door, which was promptly opened by Lincoln, who was clad in a garbage bag.
"Lincoln, might I inquire as to why you find yourself adorned in such an unconventional garment? Whatever has transpired to your clothing?" Frankie inquired with a blend of curiosity and concern.
"Well you see my family is on strike right now, which means Lori's not doing the laundry. It's like, chaos over here! We've run out of clean clothes, and it's getting a little wild! I mean, who knew running out of socks could be this hard, right?" Lincoln said, laughing a bit nervously.
Frankie cast a concerned glance, remarking, "Fear not, Lincoln; I possess the solution that will rectify this predicament." With that, he wheeled across the threshold, observing his fellow Loud siblings adorned in refuse bags.
"Princesses cannot live in this filth!" Lola complained.
"It's disgusting, and I know disgusting." Lana complained.
"I totally agree." Lucy said.
"This literally can't go on. We can't just sit around and do nothing about this!" Lori exclaimed, hands on her hips.
Frankie glided across the floor, the unpleasant sound of squelching beneath him a testament to the myriad of refuse littered about. It was only then that he discerned the oppressive darkness of the unlit room.
His attention was soon drawn to Lynn, who was playfully engaging with an object on the ground.
"What on earth is that?" Frankie inquired, his tone laced with mild distaste.
"Bunch of hair from the sink drain. Makes a great footbag." Lynn said boisterously kicking hair ball up into the air. She then, shouted a "Think fast," and kicked it at Frankie.
The object struck him squarely in the face, eliciting a wince. "Ouch," he muttered, taken aback.
"Ten points for Loud." Lynn said happily.
"What has transpired with the lighting in this dwelling?" Frankie inquired with a hint of apprehension.
"We have discontinued the power and the water supply. Until the strike concludes, we are opting to live off the grid." Lisa replied matter-of-factly.
"Ah, that elucidates my inability to reach you, Lisa. Now, Trashy, kindly dispose of all this refuse at once!" Frankie commanded with an air of authority.
Frankie opened Trashy's jar and the green mass with eyes and a mouth surged out the jar like sludge. The Loud siblings screeched in terror and scrambled out of the way, Lynn shoving Luan, Luan pushing Lori, Lori crashing into the end table.
Frankie watched as it grew and swelled, an obscene slurping sound rising from its quivering form. In moments, it had finished the task Frankie had asked of it and withdrew like a polluted tide. All of the Louds had gathered around and gaped at what they had just seen.
The garbage was gone. Even the stains. It was like the trash wasn't there.
"Whoa!" Lynn marveled.
"It's all gone." Lola said, puzzled.
Frankie grinned, "I refer to him as Trashy. With his presence, you shall be liberated from the onerous task of maintaining cleanliness."
The Louds siblings looked at each other, they wanted this in way. Money or no chores.
Everyone cheered. Except for Lynn Sr. and Rita.
'Cause now, they knew the kids were gonna abuse it.
XXXXX
If he was honest with himself, Lynn kind of hated Trashy's guts. True chores wasn't the most fun thing in the world, but it had to be done, and now, thanks to that green heap of goop, their children were gonna use it to not do their chores.
3 Days passed, Lisa invited Frankie over for a demonstration of their new "waste management system." She did it just to gloat: Lisa Loud's ego was legendary, also, she was dating Frankie and would make up any excuse to get him to come over that she could.
Following Saturday's miracle on the stairs, Lisa had Lana build Trashy a pen in the backyard, and that's where they place him. He had grown a little since Frankie last saw him, and while he was there, he saw why: Every so often, one of the girls would open her bedroom window and throw a bag of trash at the pen. Trashy leapt excitedly into the air to catch it, then devoured it like a dog with treat.
Rita chuckled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Alright, I admit it! Trashy is kind of adorable!"
Lynn Sr. crossed his arms and frowned, "But come on, he's just making the kids lazy!" He turned to Frankie, a worried look on his face. "Does he even eat anything?"
"If you're asking whether or not he consumes living matter." Frankie said, "I assure you he does not. He eats only inorganic materials such as compost, foodstuffs, and lumber. Things of that nature."
"So he doesn't munch on people?" Lynn Sr. questioned, raising an eyebrow with his trademark mix of curiosity and concern.
Frankie bestowed upon him a serene countenance and replied, "No, he does not consume humans."
Upstairs, Lynn Jr.'s voice rang out. "Got another diaper for ya, Trashy."
"They're going overboard with it." Rita said.
XXXXX
More days passed there wasn't a speck of trash in The Loud House. Every time something was thrown away, one of the Loud siblings grabbed it and rushed it to Trashy like they were feeding a favorite pet. One would think they made trash on purpose just to have an excuse. Hey, if they found tossing empty boxes and cans at a living mound of trash fun, more power to them.
One afternoon, while Frankie was experimenting on making a portal feature in his chair, Lynn came over and asked him to take a look at her laptop. She offered to take him out for ice cream. He agreed immediately. When they got there, Frankie was a little surprised to see that Trashy's pen was bigger...along with Trashy himself. Have you ever seen Star Wars? There's this bad guy in one of them named Jabba the Hutt. He's basically this big, fat slug. Trashy reminded him of that only bigger. He towered ten feet above his enclosure and rippled liked wind-swept jelly. Lisa walked around the parameter of his cage with a clipboard. "I'm putting you on a diet," she mumbled to herself.
Trashy rumbled.
"Lisa! Pray tell, what culinary offerings have you been providing him?" Frankie inquired, a look of astonishment on his face.
Lisa returned his gaze with an expression devoid of emotion, "His name is Trashy. What do you think, genius?"
"Observe him," Frankie remarked with a touch of exasperation. "He indulges excessively in his meals. Should we continue to overfeed him, he may come to regard such behavior as the norm."
"Dude, relax," Lynn said, "You heard Lisa. She's putting him on a diet. That means he'll be fine."
After helping Lynn with her laptop, Frankie went home for dinner. He stilled worried about the growth of Trashy.
XXXXX
Friday, Luis and Frankie met up with Ronnie Anne after school. Ronnie Anne needed her board wheels replaced and repainted. When they got home, they went directly to the clubhouse and got started. Ronnie Anne sat on beanbag and looked around, "Hey, what's this?" she asked and held something up.
Luis cast a lingering gaze at Ronnie Anne, a shadow of melancholy flickering in his eyes. "It's just... one of my brother's Game and Watches," he murmured, the weight of nostalgia hanging heavily in the air, like a forgotten memory lost in the abyss.
"Game and Watches? Seriously? What's that all about?" Ronnie Anne said, raising an eyebrow, her confusion clear.
"Nintendo's inaugural foray into the realm of handheld gaming was the illustrious Game & Watch, aptly named to signify its dual capabilities: a singular game experience harmoniously combined with the functionality of a digital clock, all elegantly displayed on an LCD screen." Frankie remarked as he meticulously attended to the wheels of Ronnie's skateboard.
Ronnie Anne perked up, a playful smirk on her face. "Wait, so it's basically like a 3DS or what?" she teased, raising an eyebrow as she leaned back in the beanbag chair, ready for a fun conversation.
Luis snickered, "It's like the grandpa to the 3DS."
"That serves as an astute analogy. It is, in fact, due to the Game and Watch series that we came to inherit the entirety of Nintendo's esteemed lineage of handheld devices." Frankie remarked.
Ronnie Anne raised an eyebrow, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "So if this is the 3DS's grandpa, what's the Nintendo Switch's grandpa? I mean, every cool console's gotta have a legendary ancestor, right?"
That made Luis chuckle because Ronnie Anne's question sounded pretty cute to him, "Well, if we're diving into comparisons, I'd say the Neo Geo X is like the grandfather of the Switch!"
Ronnie Anne was totally into the convo, with a playful grin on her face. "So, you told me your big brother's a gamer, right? Does he have any fighting games? 'Cause I can totally take you down, Luis!"
"Well, Yes he -"
A loud rumble went through the earth, and the floor shifted like the deck of a boat at sail. Luis and Frankie trailed off, and everyone looked at the window. "What was -?" Ronnie Anne started, then heard a screamed. They ran to the front yard just in time to see Trashy, fifty feet tall and an eighth of a mile wide, squeezed through the gap between the Louds' house and Mr. Grouse's. Trashy roars voraciously and its eyes seethed with rage. Its body bubbled and spat like a witch's deadly brew and its arms flailed madly around in mindless hysteria. Lisa, Luan, and Leni ran from him, screaming in terror, and Mr. Grouse, on his way to his mailbox, dove out of the way with surprising agility.
Luis's heart dropped into his stomach and the air left Frankie's lungs in a rush.
"Oh my God! What in the world is that thing?!" Ronnie Anne exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock.
"Trashy. TRASHY! BAD!" Frankie yelled angrily to Trashy.
He and Luis ran next door just as Trashy started down the street, setting off car alarms and sucking up garbage cans as he went. Lisa, Leni, and Luan collapsed onto their hands and knees, panting for air, and Luis and Frankie hurried to their side, Ronnie Anne close behind.
"What transpired, if I may inquire?" Frankie posed to Lisa, a note of curiosity in his voice.
Luis knelt next to Luan and worriedly checked her for injuries.
She was unhurt.
"You alright?" Luis inquired, offering his hand to lift her from the shadowy ground, his voice dripping with a melancholic tone.
"I'm all good!" Luan panted, a grin spread across her face. "Instead of *me* taking out the trash, it almost took *me* out! Talk about a real stinker!" Luan joked, "Get it?"
When Luan let out a laugh, Luis couldn't help but roll his eyes, though a faint smirk betrayed him. This was precisely why he found himself drawn to her. She had faced the abyss—almost meeting her end at the claws of a towering fifty-foot behemoth—and yet, she retained her darkly twisted sense of humor. It's almost as if the shadows had infused her with a resilience that left him in awe.
"He's gotten too big," Lisa said and dusted herself off. "I tried to restrict his diet but he's ravenous. If my suppositions are correct - and I know intrinsically that they are - he's heading for the dump."
A shadow of uncertainty crossed Ronnie Anne's face as she frowned, her arms crossed. "Okay, but seriously, what's could happen if he gets to the dump?"
Frankie looked worried, "He'll grow exponentially and move onto consuming other things. Such as buildings and, eventually, entire cities."
Ronnie Anne throw out her arms, "What about the poor folks who just get caught in the path of that trash eating monster?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "It's like a munching tornado! They need a warning sign or something!"
Frankie didn't reply.
"What about people?" Luis pressed.
"He won't seek them out specifically." Frankie said, "But if they get in his way…"
Luis's stomach turned at the implications, "What do we do?"
"I've been working on a contingency plan for just such an emergency." Frankie said.
Frankie "contingency plan" was a bazooka he dubbed The Detrashinator 3000 as 'an homage' to his fictional idol Dr. Doofenshmirtz. It was loaded with shells packing, among other things Ronnie couldn't understand, plastic eating microbes that would, according to Frankie, dissolve Trashy into nothing. "So...we're gonna kill him?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"No." Frankie said, "We will simply be returning his matter to its original state. We must hurry, though. If he gets to the dump and consumes the refuse therein, we may never be able to stop him."
Ronnie Anne, Luis, Luan, and Leni stayed behind at Lisa's insistence. "You'll be under our feet and cause the ultimate destruction of the human race through your ineptitude." Lisa said.
Lisa sat on Frankie's lap both of them riding his wheelchair hugging him from the side and staring at him with lovestruck eyes and the bazooka was grabbed but one of the chairs metal arms.
The Royal County Dump was north of town on US10, its rear fence backed up against a steep hillside dotted with pine trees. They followed a trail of trash the whole way. "He has already made his entrance." Lisa remarked, an expression of concern etched upon her features.
They got there just in time to see Trashy surging through the main gate. Lisa cried out for Frankie to go faster, and he increased the speed of his wheelchair and they reached the main gate two minutes later. Lisa jumped off his lap and grabbed the bazooka. She unstrapped the bazooka and stumbled backwards, dropping it to the ground. The trigger depressed and blue fire leapt from the muzzle. The round struck a heap of scrap metal, and it instantly melted.
"Blast it," Lisa lamented, her tone tinged with frustration. "It appears we have lost one shell. How many remain?"
"At present? Merely one," Frankie replied.
Ah, just a solitary shell.
"I find myself unable to aim it," Lisa confessed. "You must take on that responsibility."
Frankie nodded solemnly; he had brought Trashy into existence, and now he bore the weight of ensuring its demise. He would not be the architect of the end of life on Earth. "Very well, let us proceed."
Frankie picked the bazooka up, and followed her into the heart of the dump. They found Trashy in a clearing where Steve, the owner, lived in an Airstream trailer. The man himself, tall with long black hair held back in a ponytail and three days' worth of stubble on his chin, stood before the monstrosity and waved a shotgun back and forth like David before the epic bulk of Goliath. "You feeling froggy? Leap!" he cried.
Trashy bobbed and weaved back and forth like a giant pugilist. "Shoot him!" Lisa yelled. "For the love of God, now!"
Frankie hefted the gun onto his shoulder and took aim. "He keeps moving!"
Letting out a hungry bellow, Trashy surged at Steve. Steve jumped out of the way, and Trashy sucked up his trailer, truck, and patio furniture.
"NOW!" Lisa screamed.
Frankie took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. He had one shot and if he missed, Trashy would eat everything in the entire world.
Including his parents, his siblings and his friends the Louds.
That spurred him to action. He squeezed one eye closed, took a deep breath, and centered himself. He lined up the shot and, praying to God, he jerked the trigger.
The shell left the breech with a hollow thunk. It hurtled through the air, whistling as it went, and at the very last minute, Trashy turned. A flicker of intelligent understanding went through his eyes, then the round tore into his massive gut. Instantly, he began to sizzle and quake. He threw back his head and tried to scream, but he was already melting, his face lumpy, misshapen, like green candle wax.
In seconds, he was reduced to a little puddle of goo. Frankie lowered the bazooka and blinked his eyes. He'd seen some wild stuff in his day, but this took the cake.
He and Lisa walked over (in Frankie's case wheeled) and looked down. Lisa sighed heavily and Frankie looked sad.
"Would someone like to explain what that was all about?" Steve asked as he stood next to Frankie.
"Nothing," Frankie said, "Just one boy's hubris getting the best of him and leading him to play God. Again."
Steve's brow furrowed.
"I got too big for my britches." Frankie said.
"Oh." he said and laughed, "For a second there I thought you was saying you was God."
As they stepped through the grand entrance, Frankie remarked, "I can confidently assert that my explorations into the realm of bioengineering have come to a conclusion, or at least will remain on hold until I rectify certain issues."
Lisa responded thoughtfully, "I believe I have come to appreciate the importance of recognizing the moments we return home. I shall endeavor to persuade my siblings that we must acknowledge the limitations of our endeavors, irrespective of the fervor with which we pursue them. With any fortune, we will return to a semblance of normalcy and ultimately transcend this incident."
With a playful glint in his eye, Frankie gestured towards his girlfriend with a charming finger gun. "How delightful to hear, Lisa! It seems that you and your siblings may find yourselves unable to rely on parental allowances, yet I encourage you to explore alternative avenues for income. Each of you possesses a wealth of talents and abilities that, I am certain, could be harnessed for profitable ventures."
Lisa beamed at his suggestion. "What a splendid idea! I shall certainly share this with my siblings. However, before diving into such endeavors, I must confess that I would prefer to indulge in a moment of relaxation."
From that point forward, the two child prodigies made their way home having their chins risen upward for a bright future.
THE END.