(Open POV)
Townsville…
The city skyline, as it might appear in a video game.
"The City of Townsville...is under attack!" The narrator said, mechanical-sounding.
At ground level, where Bubbles and Fuzzy Lumpkins are nose to nose. Bubbles pounds on Fuzzy for a while, then deals him a flying uppercut that knocks him flat on his back. The next two lines also sound artificial.
"Fuzzy: the loser!" The narrator yelled.
These words appear on the screen; cut to Bubbles.
"Bubbles: the winner!" The narrator cheered.
These words also appear.
Zoom in on Bubbles; the words 'GAME OVER' appear.
"Okay!" Bubbles chirped.
This is, in fact, a Powerpuff Girls video game.
(Jared's POV)
Arcade / Judgement 177 Branch Office…
"Uiharu, thanks to you and Mikoto, we have a working Powerpuff Girls arcade game." I said, happily.
Ace plays; Snake watches.
"Yeah." Uiharu said, smiling. "Why are we watching the Gangreen Gang from behind the arcade machine screen?"
"Man, Ace, Bubbles sure kicked your…" Snake said, while Ace socks him before he can finish his sentence regarding Ace losing on the game. "Ow! I mean, it's good game, Ace."
"Because they're going to hurt the perfect little girls." I said, sadly.
"Come on, let's ditch this joint." Ace said, walking across the arcade with Snake. "Arturo, Big Billy, move out!"
"Don't tell me. They're going to hurt Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup." Mikoto said, having a drink in her hand. "How?"
Big Billy is holding something over his head, "Uh...just a second, Ace."
What Big Billy is holding is Lil' Arturo, whom he is using as the basketball in a free-throw game. He shoots and scores.
"By interfering with their school day." I said, frowning.
"Two points!" Lil' Arturo said, rolling to the front.
The machine spits out a string of prize tickets, which Big Billy holds up for the others to see.
"That's awful." Uiharu said, tears in her eyes.
"Why aren't we stopping them?" Saten asked, looking down at the monitor.
"Tickets!" Big Billy cooed.
"Yeah, yeah. Any of you goobers seen Grubber?" Ace asked.
Grubber is seated on a mechanical horse with a scene from a black-and-white Western playing behind him.
"Because they are in the past and not in our jurisdiction." Shirai said, letting out a sigh. "That's why."
The rest of the Gangreen Gang walks past Grubber.
"Quit horsin' around! Come on!" Ace said, angrily.
Grubber slowly climbs down, regards the ride for a long moment, then walks away from it. The Gang is slouching along up the aisle.
"So now what do youse wanna do?" Ace asked.
They stop suddenly with their eyes wide open at the sound of a voice: a gruff, no-nonsense, rapid-fire monotone.
"I'll tell you what you're gonna do, you're gonna listen and listen good!" The speaker barked.
Uiharu had the security camera turn around and moves up from the feet of the speaker on the end of this line. It's Jack Wednesday. He wears a gray suit, trench coat, and fedora. His face and the set of his jaw mark him as a law enforcement veteran.
"Who am I, you ask? Wednesday, Jack Wednesday. I'm a truant officer." The speaker said, leaning in closer. "What's a truant officer, you ask? Well, the only way to answer that is to be smart. And you boys aren't very smart, are you? Didn't think so. So how do you become smart? That's right, you go to school. And what would you learn if you went to school? Well, for one, you'd learn what a truant officer is. Now who can tell me what a truant officer does?"
Long silence from the Gang, who have no reply or answer to Wednesday's question. Grubber tries to raise his hand to answer, but gets cut off.
"Okay, I'll tell you once more, but this is the last time. A truant officer's job is to make sure punks like you go to school." Wednesday said.
"This ought to be fun." Mikoto said, rolling her eyes. "They won't learn. Jerks like them."
The Gang has a good laugh at this.
"Well, yeah. They did use the Powerpuff Hotline to prank call Mojo, Fuzzy, and HIM." I said, clutching the strap of my sling bag.
"Aw, man, we ain't never done gone to no school!" Ace said, smirking.
"You're kidding!" Wednesday said, sarcastically.
"Naw, we, uh…"
"Zip it! I was being sarcastic." Wednesday said, looking at a frightened Ace. "Which is another big word you'll learn in school. But you wouldn't know that, considering you've never attended one of this country's great educational facilities, which is a thought that just sickens me!"
Judgement 177 Branch Office…
"Jared, you said that the Gangreen Gang interfered with the Powerpuff Girls' school day. How?" Shirai asked.
"Dodgeball." I said, looking down at the floor.
"Dodgeball? Don't tell me they're going to beat up innocent kids." Mikoto said, electrical shocks coming out of her body.
"That's exactly what they're going to do. With the dodge balls."
"But why?" Uiharu asked. "Why would they do that?"
"To have a good laugh. That's why." I said, clutching the strap of my sling bag.
Exterior of Pokey Oaks Kindergarten…
"And when I'm sick, the only cure for my ailments is for me to do my job." Wednesday said, as a voiceover.
Pokey Oaks Kindergarten / Judgement 177 Branch Office…
Wednesday's silhouette is seen through the window of the front door. Now he is haranguing Ms. Keane.
"What kind of kids did I bring to your class today, you ask? Well, you'll find out soon enough." Wednesday said, stepping out of view.
A moment later, Ms. Keane opens the door and enters the room.
"Oh, children…" Ms. Keane said, happily.
The class is all beaming.
"We're going to be having some new students with us, and I'd like you to help me welcome them." Ms. Keane said, looking over her shoulder. "Come in, boys."
The girls are in the background, looking dumbfounded. Silhouettes of the Gang's feet clomp into view.
"Please tell me if this gets resolved." Mikoto said, looking at me.
Zoom in on the girls.
"It does." I said, smugly.
"How?" Uiharu asked.
"The Gangreen Gang!" The girls said, gasping.
"Class, I'd like you to meet the first of our new guests: Sanford D. Ingleberry." Ms. Keane said, looking at Snake.
"Everyone calls me S-S-Snake, got-s-s it?" Snake asked.
"Arturo de la Guerra." Ms. Keane said, looking down at Arturo.
"Don't mess with me! Okay? Okay." Arturo said, smiling.
"Grubber." Ms. Keane said.
"Pbbpppbbbbbppt!" Grubber chirped.
"Uiharu, we're looking at his gut." Shirai said, looking at the monitor.
"Sorry. Sorry." Uiharu said, moving the security camera up towards Billy's face.
"William W. Williams." Ms. Keane said.
"Hi!" Billy said, excitedly.
"And last but not least, Ace." Ms. Keane said, looking at Ace.
Ace introduces himself with a belch. The whole Gang is laughing at this, and Ms. Keane is looking at them worriedly.
"Hmmm…" Ms. Keane said.
The girls fly into view on one side of Ms. Keane.
"Ms. Keane! Ms. Keane!" The girls cried, at the same time.
"This is the Gangreen Gang!" Blossom said, angrily.
"They're one of our worst enemies!" Buttercup yelled.
"Yeah! They're bad!" Bubbles said, worried.
"You sure we can't interfere?" Mikoto asked.
Ace slides into view on the other side and puts his arm around Ms. Keane's shoulders.
"As I said, the girls can handle it." I said, looking at the monitor.
"Ms. Keane! Ms. Keane!" Ace said, imitating the girls, in a pleading tone. "Why, we're not bad guys. We're here to learn. Just give us a chance. I promise we won't let you down."
"Aw, see, girls?" Ms. Keane asked, looking at the girls. "You just have to give people a chance." Ace grins at them behind her back, to which the girls grit their teeth at him. "Now why don't we get ready for snack time?"
We see the class react favorably to this announcement.
"Who would like to pass out the milk and cookies?" Ms. Keane asked, nearby.
The Gang has all five guys start shouting and waving their arms eagerly.
"Okay. Boys, go ahead." Ms. Keane said, happily.
They cheer, Ace grabs the plate of cookies, and they slide left, chuckling wickedly. The girls fly into view from that side, looking over their shoulders with great suspicion, knowing that the Gang are going to be causing trouble as soon as Ms. Keane's back is turned. At a girl's desk, Ace walks up with a cookie in hand, and she reaches for it.
"Hey, kid! How's about a cookie, huh?" Ace asked, spitting on the cookie and drops it on the floor. "Aw, look, I dropped it. But don't worry. A little dirt never hurt nobody, huh?"
Ace stomps on the cookie and walks away, leaving the girl staring sadly at the crumbs. Blossom flies onto the scene and assesses the damage.
"That's horrible!" Uiharu cried.
"Yeah…" I said, letting out a sigh. "I want this adventure to end."
Snake is holding two cartons of milk.
"How's-s-s about some milk?" Snake asked, looking down at two kids sitting by him. "Drink up, babies-s-s!"
Snake pours the milk over their heads, follows with the crumpled-up cartons, and walks away. Bubbles flies up and glares after him.
"Can I…" Mikoto said, as electrical sparks came out of her body.
"No. If Jared says the Powerpuff Girls can handle it. They can handle it, sissy." Shirai said, frowning.
"But…"
Uiharu changed the screen to another security camera which landed on another kid.
"Hey, kid!" Ace yelled, nearby.
The kid has to throw his arms up to protect himself from a barrage of cookies. At Ms. Keane's desk, the girls fly up in front of Ms. Keane.
"Ms. Keane! Ms. Keane!" The girls cried, at the same time.
"Why is their teacher giving in to the truant officer?" Mikoto asked.
"Maybe it's because she doesn't have any choice." Uiharu said.
"That can't be it, can it?" Saten asked.
"The Gangreen Gang is doing something bad! Look!" Blossom said, worried.
They move aside. Uiharu used the security camera to zoom in on the Gang, gathered around yet another poor kid. Snake is holding his mouth open, and it is jammed full of cookies.
"Huh? What'd you say? You want another cookie? All right. Here!" Ace said, stuffing one into the kid's mouth, then realizes he is being watched. "Oh."
"That's it." Shirai said, starting to lose it, and she looked over at me. "Jared. Give me and sissy some vortex manipulators."
"No. Not yet." I said, happily. "Ms. Keane doesn't allow any fighting in her classroom."
"To hell with that!" Mikoto said, with more electrical energy coming out of her body. "Jared. Vortex manipulators."
"Nope."
Uiharu switched the security camera to another view. Ms. Keane is shocked, but the girls look satisfied.
"Oh, my!" Ms. Keane said, terrified.
"See what we're talking about?" Bubbles asked.
"Let's get 'em!" Buttercup said, angrily.
The Powerpuff Girls zip away.
"Wait! Girls!" Ms. Keane cried.
Uiharu switched to another security camera on the screen. The girls are about to give the Gang what for.
"You know the school rule: No fighting in class! Now go back to your seats." Ms. Keane said.
The Gang and the girls are now separated.
"Yeah, you heard the teach!" Ace said, pointing at the girls. "Go back to your seats!"
The girls float sullenly away.
"Jared, why are you letting this happen?" Saten asked. "Don't you care about the Powerpuff Girls?"
"Tough luck-s-s, s-s-sissies-s-s!" Snake said, excitedly.
The Gang laughs.
"I do. Argh. God…" I said, clenching my first. "Put the vortex manipulators on, girls. I've had the coordinates preset to the time and the place of the dodgeball scene. All of yours are linked to mine."
I went into my sling bag and pulled out four vortex manipulators out of there. I tossed a vortex manipulator to Mikoto, a vortex manipulator to Shirai, a vortex manipulator to Saten, and a vortex manipulator to Uiharu. My vortex manipulator is already on my wrist and I watched them put their vortex manipulators on their wrists.
At their desk, the girls are not pleased with what has just happened. Ms. Keane and Ace are at the front of the room.
"Now, I think it's about time for some show and tell." Ms. Keane said, and the class cheers - all except the girls. "Why don't we have our new students come up so we can learn something about them?"
"This isn't good." Blossom said, sadly.
Arturo, Billy, and Grubber are gathered by Ms. Keane's desk.
"Well, who would like to go first?" Ms. Keane asked, looking at Grubber. "How about you, Grubber? Do you have anything you can show us?"
"Pbbbppt!" Grubber chirped.
Grubber steps to center stage and goes to work. First he grabs his head in both hands and hauls upwards, straightening his neck and back; then he stretches his arms. The kids watch, disbelieving, and we hear Grubber pull and twist and stretch. Grubber is standing upright, his eyes do not bug out, and his tongue is completely in his mouth. He could almost pass for a normal person, except for his green skin, enormous chin, and ragged clothes. His next words are, for once, completely intelligible.
"How much longer do we have to wait?" Mikoto asked.
"Not long." I said, happily. "I promise."
"Jared, you've been saying that all day." Shirai said, annoyed.
"Shirai does have a point." Saten said. "We could teleport into the school. Why haven't we done that yet?"
"Why, hello there. I'm Grubber. Very nice to meet you all." Grubber said, reverting to his normal appearance and voice. "Pbbbbppbbbt!"
Ms. Keane is looking very uneasy.
"Why, uh...thank you for sharing that with us, Grubber. Who's next?" Ms. Keane asked, looking at Billy. "Ah, how about you, Billy? Do you have anything to show us?"
Billy thinks for a moment.
"Yeah!" Billy cheered, lifting the hair away from his face to reveal a single big blue eye.
The class screams in terror. Back to him and Ms. Keane, now even more uneasy.
"Why, uh...thank you, Billy. We had no idea you were a Cyclops." Ms. Keane said, frowning.
"Yeah, I've got one eye." Billy said, smiling.
Uiharu has the screen of the girls at their desk.
"This can't get any worse!" Blossom yelled.
"It can." I said, looking down at the floor. "I'm sorry I let you girls backseat that."
"You could have done better with your approach to it." Shirai said, annoyed.
"I know. I know."
Arturo steps up to the front of the room next to Ms. Keane's desk.
"Arturo, you're last." Ms. Keane said.
Arturo clears his throat. Uiharu used the security camera to zoom in slowly on Arturo.
"Today I would like to present to you with someone very, very close to my heart. She was given to me by my Papi, Macho Arturo, just before he went up the river. She always make me look good when I'm in the battlefield. Friends, I'd like you to meet…" Arturo said, whipping out a switchblade. "...Maria Conchita Teresa Rosalita! But you can just call her…" He looked down at the knife. "...Maria!"
The girls do not take this well.
"That's it! Come on!" Blossom yelled.
They fly to the front of the room and knock Arturo to the floor as Ms. Keane watches.
"Girls! Girls, girls! No fighting, no fighting!" Ms. Keane said, angrily.
"But, Ms. Keane!" Blossom said, as she finishes, Bubbles and Buttercup are holding Lil' Arturo on each side. "Arturo's holding a deadly…" Arturo pushes the release catch. "...comb."
His prize possession is a comb that folds into the body of a switchblade.
"Isn't that dangerous?" Saten asked. "Bringing a blade like that in front of kids?"
"It is." I said, looking down at the floor.
"See, girls? You have to be more trusting of our new students. Now go back to your seats." Ms. Keane said.
Angry and dejected, they float past her at ground level. Arturo follows, combing his hair.
"I'm sorry, Arturo." Ms. Keane said.
"S'aright." Arturo said.
Ms. Keane paces in front of the class. The girls look warily over at the Gang.
"Now, boys and girls, it's craft time, so get your supplies out. Let's all have fun, okay?" Ms. Keane asked.
The Gang laughs to themselves. They now have jars of paste.
"We'll have fun, all right!" Ace said, excitedly.
Globs of paste begin to fly all over the room, and one kid after another takes a hit. The girls, at their desk, have yet to get nailed.
"The Gangrene Gang's at it again!" Bubbles said, worried.
"Let's fight back!" Buttercup said, determined.
"Girls, you know we can't…" Blossom said, and she is hit in the face. "Let's get 'em!"
The Powerpuff Girls charge.
"Finally!" Shirai said, groaning.
At the front of the room, Ms. Keane works as the paste globs fly over her head. She only notices the fight when one of them lands on her papers.
"What?!" Ms. Keane explained.
The Gang is ready to let another volley loose.
"They started it!" Ace said, terrified.
"They didn't start it!" Uiharu cried.
The girls are also loaded for bear - Ms. Keane's perspective.
"It's not like she's going to believe them." Shirai said. "Not while the truant officer is here."
"Girls! What did I say about fighting in class?" Ms. Keane asked.
"But we didn't start it! The Gangrene Gang did!" The girls said, pleading.
"How much longer?" Mikoto asked, when Uiharu switched the camera view to the front desk.
"Two to three minutes. Tops." I said, smugly.
"Well, it doesn't matter if you didn't start the fight. It's just as bad that you fought back." Ms. Keane said, sighing. "When are you girls going to learn?"
Back to her perspective; the girls hang their heads.
"I am disappointed in you, girls." Ms. Keane said.
The school bell rings. Back to the front desk.
"Now, everyone, it's time for recess." Ms. Keane said, at the front desk.
The kids' heads swarm by in front. Back to Ms. Keane's perspective of the girls; they start to head out, but stop at the sound of her voice.
"Uh, girls, you stay. You're not going anywhere. You need a time-out!" Ms. Keane yelled.
"But the Gangreen Gang!" The girls said, at the same time, with a side view of them floating in front of Ms. Keane.
"No buts, girls! You've been very rude to our new students, who you keep saying are bad. But I have yet to see them do anything wrong." Ms. Keane said.
(Open POV)
The playground…
There is a horde of frightened kids, with the Gang's shadows looming over them.)
"Well, well, welly, welly, welly, welly, well, class. Looks like it's just you guys…" Ace said, standing with his gang. "...and us guys!" He is rubbing his chin in thought. "Hm, what shall we play during recess, hm, hm, hm? Oh, I know! How about a well-rounded game of DODGEBALL?!"
All five produce balls from behind their backs and start hurling. Kids fly everywhere. During the melee, Ace nails a kid in the back, Grubber spits a ball at another, a throw by Big Billy knocks out a row of four, and Snake throws Arturo - carrying a ball - into the face of yet another sitting duck.
(Jared's POV)
Pokey Oaks Kindergarten / Judgement 177 Branch Office…
The girls watch from the classroom window, "Ms. Keane!"
Ms. Keane is reading at her desk, not looking up, "Quiet, girls. You're in time-out."
A ball crashes through the window and bounces off her desk; now they have her attention. She rushes over.
"What's going on out there?!" Ms. Keane exclaimed, looking at the playground, which is littered with victims of the Dodgeball Massacre.
The Gang is laughing over it all and holding the balls.
"Oh, girls, what are we going to do?" Ms. Keane asked, still looking out of the window.
"Come on! Let us fight 'em!" Buttercup yelled.
"I'm sorry, girls, but I just can't allow you to do that. You know there's no fighting in scho…" Ms. Keane said, cutting herself off; something has just occurred to her as if she just got whacked by a two-by-four to give her an idea.
"What is it, Ms. Keane?" Blossom asked.
"Girls, I want you to go outside and play dodgeball." Ms. Keane said, as if hypnotized.
"This is no time for us to be playing a game!"
"Girls, you know there's no fighting, so go outside and play dodgeball instead. Understand?" Ms. Keane asked, winking at them to show what she is referring to.
Ms. Keane's meaning dawns on them.
"Uh-huh!" The girls said, nodding.
"Good! Now hurry up. Recess is almost…" Ms. Keane said, zipping out through the roof. "...over."
"Let's go!" I said, excitedly. "Come on, girls!"
Mikoto, Shirai, Saten, Uiharu, and I teleported away from their office in a flash of blue light.
The playground…
The Gang has a kid cornered. Ace has a ball.
"Hey, kid, watch out!" Ace said, bouncing the ball off the kid's face. "Whoop! Sorry." He does it again. "Whoop! Sorry." Again. "Whoop! Sorry."
A ball flies into view and hits him in the face, smashing his sunglasses and blacking his eye.
"Whoop! Sorry." The girls said, at the same time.
The Powerpuff Girls are floating in mid-air; all three are ready to throw. I appeared next to the girls with Mikoto, Shirai, Saten, and Uiharu. Shirai teleported away towards some dodgeballs on the ground and teleported back, handing Mikoto, Saten, Uiharu, and I a dodgeball. Now it is an eight vs five battle.
"Uh-oh!" Ace, Snake, Arturo, Billy cried at the same time.
Grubber blows a raspberry with them.
The Powerpuff Girls, Mikoto, Shirai, Saten, Uiharu, and I get into the game and send them flying.
"Blossom!" Shirai said, while Blossom catches Ace in the kidney.
Shirai then tossed her darts around Ace, rendering him immobile.
"Buttercup!" Mikoto said, shocking Snake, knocking him out. "Your turn!"
"Aw, yeah!" Buttercup said, landing a well-placed hit to Snake's nose.
"Bubbles!" I said, hitting Arturo with a ghost ray. "You're up!"
"Okay!" Bubbles said, nailing Arturo, knocking him into Grubber; the two in turn slam into Billy's gut and bounce back.
They are then stopped when Uiharu shoves a ball into their faces. Outside the window; Ms. Keane watches as the balls keep rocketing back and forth.
"Go, girls, Jared, go! Go, girls, Jared, go!" Ms. Keane said, with mounting enthusiasm.
Ms. Keane continues to chant as the Gang gets another helping of overinflated red rubber stuffed down their throats. It ends with an eight ball whammy to Ace's face, and he collapses on top of his buddies.
Mikoto, Shirai, Saten, Uiharu, and I are now walking towards Ms. Keane, with the heap there. I looked back at the heap to show the girls floating above them as the rest of the class cheered.
Ms. Keane is holding a ball, "Girls, Jared, I'm so proud of you! Job well done!"
"I'll bet." Wednesday said, nearby.
The nine of us turn around; Ms. Keane is not thrilled at hearing that voice again.
"You ask why I take care of these boys? That's right, because someone has to. And it's not an easy job taking care of children, making sure they're not getting into trouble, watching out for their well-being. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" Wednesday asked.
The Powerpuff Girls, Mikoto, Shira, Saten, Uiharu, and I and Ms. Keane, looking slightly fed-up.
"What do we do now?" Mikoto asked, looking over at me.
"I don't know." I said, looking over at Ms. Keane, who is looking at Wednesday and the Gang. "Maybe someone should knock some sense into him. Because innocent kids got hurt."
"Didn't think so." Wednesday said, turning to leave with the Gang. "Let's go, boys. Time to go home." His back turned as he walked away. "Oh, and Teacher, before you tell me how to do my job, maybe you should figure out how to do your own."
The ball sails into view and hits him in the back of the head. From the front, we see that he now looks as bad as Ace did. He crumples to the ground. I now have a smug look on my face as I am standing next to Ms. Keane, the Powerpuff Girls, Mikoto, Shirai, Saten, and Uiharu.
"You're right, Jared." Ms. Keane said, her eyes turned up, the picture of innocence, and is no longer holding the ball. "Well, girls, Jared, I think Mr. Wednesday taught us a valuable lesson here today."
"Education is the progressive realization of our ignorance?" Bubbles asked.
"No. Don't turn your back in the middle of a dodgeball game!" Ms. Keane said, excitedly.
"Yup." I said, crossing my arms. "We didn't say which side won."
We all laugh.
"Oh, Ms. Keane! Under your rule, school is cool!" The narrator said, laughing.
(Open POV)
The standard end shot comes up.
"So once again the day is saved...thanks to the Powerpuff Girls!" The narrator chirped.
The End!
We'll see you again soon!