We’re back to all-setup, all-the-time with this chapter…
It’s called “Creamed!” …the puns just get worse, don’t they?
>While agents from Global Command were taking Knightbrace into custody, things were happening at a factory not too far from the team's Treehouse. In an office, a figure in armor was busy typing away at a computer attached to a large modem.<
She cursed 56K connections as the load bar inched along at sub-glacial speeds.
>Some called her a Forsaken, some simply called her a traitor... and she encouraged both titles. Some called her names that few proper children said, but the Kids Next Door were not really "proper children."<
They were midgets with unusual pituitary disorders.
>Her real name was Cree Lincoln.
Some years ago, she was known as Numbah 11, and she was the greatest fighter that the Kids Next Door had. That was the story anyway.<
Don’t you love how Brian randomly throws in doubt about his villain’s combat capability?
>Trained in several martial arts, there was no adult opponent that she couldn't take down.
No one really knew why she had decided to turn against her teammates. Most believed that the wicked Father had simply made her an offer that had poisoned her mind and turned her to evil.<
In actuality, she just got tired of the KND not providing proper medical coverage.
>But whatever the case, when it came time for her to face decommissioning, she escaped, and a new form of training began. Armed with a weapon known as Battle Ready Armor, she turned her fighting skills more lethal, and prepared for the time when she would work towards destroying her former teammates...
Teammates that included, unfortunately, her own sister.<
Granted, she was slightly more depressed that she’d have to kill the guy who kept sending her Christmas cards.
>She punched in the RUN command on the computer, and the program ran. After about a minute, the words "FILE DONE" appeared.<
Wait, she had to punch it in? What is this, a Commodore 64?
>She hit the SEND command, and it hummed.
"The trap is set," she said. "By this time tomorrow, both Mojo and I will finally get revenge..."<
Not stated: that’s how long it’ll take to send the file. Life before broadband sucked on toast.
SCENE CHANGE back to the KND as they leave Townsville:
>Everyone had school tomorrow, and the team knew they had left the Treehouse alone for too long anyway.<
I’m surprised they’re still going to school, given that Brian has apparently handwaved away their home lives.
>As the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. flew off, Numbah Two spoke up.
"Well, I think that went pretty well," he said.<
“We only got our asses kicked once this time!”
The team wonders why Knightbrace was in town, and concludes that the Delightful Children used him as a pawn:
>"What do you suppose is next?" said Numbah Four in disgust. "Do you think they're going to make a Mach 3 Destructive Machine? Is Chad going to recruit his cruddy parents?"
"Don't say that!" screamed Numbah Three.
They still had nightmares about the time they had fought Mega Mom and Destructo Dad.<
…I honestly expected Brian to give us a blow-by-blow recap, but he leaves it at that.
>"Whatever the case," said Numbah One. "We'll have to face whatever it is. You all know the oath you took when you signed up."<
“Remember, any protestations and you forfeit your balls.”
SCENE CHANGE to the next day, as rain hits the city hard:
>"Ugh," said Numbah Four. "Ain't a fit day for man or kids!"
"Numbah Five hopes that if we have a mission soon, it's indoors!" said Numbah Five.<
Numbah Three’s body floated past them.
>"Well," said Numbah One, "maybe the bad guys will have enough sense to stay home, and..."
"PRIORITY MISSION ALERT!" yelled the mainframe. "PRIORITY MISSION ALERT!"
"I forgot," said Numbah One. "Villains don't have any sense."<
“That’s why they keep appearing in this fic.”
>"Wonder who it is this time?" said Numbah Three, as they ran to the central room.
"I think we can rule out the Common Cold," said Numbah Two. "Not unless he wants to change his name to Walking Pneumonia!"<
Being wet and cold does not cause disease by itself. I would give the line a pass for being said by kids, except no child has ever talked like this.
>They ran up to the monitor and it turned on. Numbah 86's face flashed on the screen.
"What took you so long?" she shouted.
"Give us a break, chief," said Two. "We're wet and tired and..."
"No excuses!" said Fanny. "Now listen! Do you know about the new ice cream factory on the east edge of your sector."<
I didn’t point this out last time, but Brian keeps flopping back and forth between calling her Fanny and calling her by her number. Also, that last sentence needed a question mark.
>Foreboding looks came over the whole team.
They knew about it, but they had been trying to avoid it.<
“Should we tell her we accidentally blew it up?”
>The team, like most children, were big fans of ice cream. Numbah Five was sort of an ice cream fanatic. The only problem was, the Delightful Children From Down The Lane were also ice cream fanatics. They even had a whole squad of heavily armed ice cream men as henchmen.
Case in point, they knew from experience that any mission involving ice cream would likely be a dangerous one.<
If only because Yotsuba Koiwai would probably interfere at some point.
>"Yeah, we've... seen it once or twice," said Numbah One.
"Well, we recently picked up some bad vibes from it," said Numbah 86.<
“Made our mood rings go all wonky.”
>"There's some strange technology there, of the type that the Delightful Children use. So we want you to check it out.
"Proceed with extreme caution!
"And if that stupid Lotus shows up again, tell her I still hate her!"<
As do we all.
The KND embark, and we SCENE CHANGE to them flying over the factory:
>"Numbah Four, do you have a visual of the factory yet?" said Numbah One.
"Yeah," said Numbah Four, looking through the sensors. "Looks like it's closed... no lights, no guards... not even a janitor taking the trash out!"<
“Lots of homeless people, though.”
>Numbah Two was working a machine on the side of the cabin.
"I'm scanning the place..." he said. "Hmm... seems there's only one person inside. But I can't get a lock on where he is or who it is... maybe he's using some sort of stealth device..."
"Why does Numbah Five think this is all some sort of trap?" said Numbah Five.
"Probably because it is," said Numbah One. "We'll have to be extra careful."
The M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H. landed outside, and the team disembarked, with weapons drawn.<
“It’s a trap, so let’s walk directly into it!”
>They faced the loading bay doors, which were swinging open. Thunder and lightning flashed.<
And now we see why it’s raining in the first place: because Brian wants to milk drama. Terry Pratchett said more than I could about the subject in Reaper Man, so I’ll leave it at this: the effect is spoiled in text.
>"Okay team," said Numbah One. "Follow my lead."<
He began to strut, and after a moment, the rest followed suit.
>He took his weapon out of the holster, and they entered the loading bay.
The inside was huge. Machinery covered the area, but none of it seemed to be working. Crates and sacks filled the place. Hallways branched off in several directions.<
There were beer cans everywhere.
>They paused for a minute, half expecting the unseen inhabitant to show himself.
"Well," said Numbah One. "There has to something uncouth here, and we aren't going to find it standing here all day. This is a large building, so we'd best all split up. If you find anything important, radio the others at once. Whoever is in here might be deadly."
They all split up in separate directions, as a great rumble of thunder echoed.<
A tactical genius, Numbah One is not. Forget [[Warhammer40000 Ursukar Creed]], he’s not even Arnold Judas Rimmer.
>In the rafters overhead, Cree was watching. Through her helmet, she chuckled.
Numbah One, you fool, she thought. Haven't you watched enough horror movies to know that when you split up, the monster hunts you down and picks you all off one at a time?<
For not having sense and having “the brains of tapioca”, the villains seem to have a better handle on this sort of business than the heroes.
>And as for calling each other for support, I don't think so...
She pulled a remote from her pocket, and deep within the factory, a generator started to hum. A mild electric field emitted through the whole factory.
That will make your communicators worthless, thought Cree. Now to start phase one. And since you made the mistake of splitting up, I'll do this in classic slasher movie fashion – and start with the annoying comic relief guy!<
Doesn’t the comic relief guy usually survive the movie, much to the anger of the audience?
Cree heads out to begin her attack, and we SCENE CHANGE to Numbah Two wandering the factory:
>"So Delightful Children," he said. "What were you up to this time? Trying to replace coconut toppings with onions again? That really drove a lot of kids crazy. Maybe you're trying to make a rum-raison with real rum That would make me laugh. Maybe you've decided to make chunky-monkey out of real monkeys!
"No, that would be going a little too far.<
Hey, they make Girl Scout cookies with real Girl Scouts, don’t they? …They don’t? Then what the hell were the red flecks in my last box of Samoas?
>"What ever thing you're trying to do with ice, you're gonna get creamed!"
"Anyone ever tell you that talking to yourself is a bad habit, Hoagie?" said a voice.<
Hey, I do it all the time. Granted, people tend to cross the street to avoid me, but…
>"That voice..." said Numbah Two. "I know that voice...
"Show yourself Cree!" he said.
"Your wish is my command," said Cree.<
“In that case, I wish for an iPod.”
>She leapt down out of the rafters, brandishing her spear.
"Now let's..." she said.
Numbah Two fired his jalapeño gun, but she blocked it with her weapon.<
“WHOA! Put that back in your pants, now!”
>"Surprised?" said Numbah Two, reaching for his communicator. "I'm not the jerk who had a crush on you anymore, traitor!
"So them you're just a normal jerk now, then," she said.<
“No, I’m a jerk with a glandular disorder. There’s a difference.”
>"Find yourself a new boyfriend yet?" he said. "I'll bet boys are just lining up to go out with a psycho assassin wearing dark armor!"<
Isn’t she dating Maurice?
Numbah Two calls for help, but the communicator’s jammed. He keeps firing at Cree:
>Numbah Two yelled and fired at Cree. She screamed as the blasts hit her.
"No! No! Stop!" she yelled. "Mercy! No!"
Numbah Two halted and looked down at Cree, who was crouched on the ground with stream pouring from her armor.<
…this dope’s done a lot of stupid things, but he’s about to cross a line into outright inanity.
>"Atsa spicy meatball!" he said.<
And he knows that line HOW? Most ADULTS don’t know that line anymore.
Of course, it’s a trick – Cree jumps Numbah Two, and if this were an actual episode, we’d cut to the window as he screams. Since it’s text, it just doesn’t work.
SCENE CHANGE:
>As Numbah Two lay on the floor groaning, Cree picked up his weapon and his communicator. She deftly crushed them with her bare hands, and then grabbed him by the collar.
One down, she thought. And now that the annoying comic relief guy is taken care of, the next on the horror movie victim list is the smart one who realizes what's going on...<
Don’t you usually kill the smart one second-to-last, so that the Final Girl loses that source of information at the moment she most needs it?
SCENE CHANGE:
>Indeed.
Ten minutes later, Numbah One was in a room with a good deal of machinery, and some robotic arms.
He looked around.
Now why on earth does an ice cream factory need robotic arms? he thought.<
Because it’s automated enough that the arms might be useful? I’ve never set foot in an ice cream factory, but I can see at least three ways it could use them.
>He looked at the other machinery.
An expression came over his face. Then a look of horror as he remembered something.
"Of course..." he said. "The whole reason we're here... someone is planning to..."<
“…replace the ice cream with ICE MILK! Those monsters!”
Numbah One goes for his communicator, but it doesn’t work, and Cree attacks:
>"You don't scare me, Cree!" said Numbah One.
"I don't, huh?" said Cree.<
“Then explain the stain on your crotch.”
>She threw her spear at Numbah One (or so he thought) and he dodged aside.
"Ha, you missed!" said One.
"Did I?" said Cree.
"What do you...?" said One, turning around.
He saw that the spear had landed on a lever, switching it on. The robotic arms in the room whirred to life.
"Oh, I get it," said Numbah One.<
He then limply submitted, since the faster he gave up the faster he’d get out of this chapter.
>As Cree laughed, the one nearest to Numbah One grabbed him by the waist. Two more rolled over to him, armed with ropes. They pinned his arms to his side, and started to loop the ropes around him.
"Yup, he got it," said Cree.<
After fifteen minutes, she regretted setting the machines on “truss like Christmas ham”.
>Numbah One struggled, but the machines quickly tied him up. A fourth one lifted him from behind and carried him to Cree, who was holding a roll of duct tape.
"So, Nigel, now do I scare you?" she said.
"Yes!" he said.<
I expected him to spit in her face, in a burst of Corvello heroic stupidity.
>"Good," she said, taking a piece of the tape. She slapped it over his mouth. Then she picked up his communicator and smashed it.
Well, she thought, as she dragged Numbah One away, now that the smart one is down, the next one on the list is the naïve airhead. And this should be fun...<
I can’t argue with the positioning, though since this is a T-rated fic, we won’t get the requisite nude scene.
SCENE CHANGE:
>Numbah Three wandered into a large mixing room, with her teddy bear rifle in hand.
Cold in here, she thought. Why are ice cream places always so cold?<
…she’s an airhead, but she’s not mentally handicapped.
>She saw on the floor a large gift-wrapped present with a tag on it reading "To Kuki."
"Ooh!" she said, running up to it. "Who's this from? It isn't my birthday..."
She quickly opened it, <
And lost three fingers and an eye in the explosion.
>and pulled out a large blue stuffed animal – a Rainbow Monkey dressed in a baseball uniform carrying a glove with a toy baseball in it.
"Ooh, Happy Little League Rainbow Monkey!" she said. "Huh?"
She noticed that there was a note pinned to it. She read it.
Kuki – Beware – Do not look up!<
So Cree went to all the trouble of buying a Rainbow Monkey and setting up this trap instead of, say, jumping down and knocking Kuki out with the butt of her spear?
>"Why not?" said Numbah Three, looking up.<
To be fair, I think we’d all do that.
And now, a prime illustration of why this is a really stupid plan:
>As she looked up, a loud rattle, like that of a chain, started to shake, and suddenly a large cage fell on her! She shrieked.
Laughter echoed through the room. Shadows started to dart in the corners.
"What do I do? What do I do?" said Numbah Three.
Numbah Three quickly looked from side to side. She saw that the cage was connected to a chain, and the chain was connected to a large winch on the far wall...
...operated by a lever! She had an idea...
She took the toy baseball out of Happy Little League Rainbow Monkey's glove. She stuck her hand out of the cage, and threw!
Come on, she thought.
Bull's eye! The baseball hit the lever and it fell down! The cage started to lift!<
So: Cree set up the cage, placed the Rainbow Monkey with a note, and set herself in position to drop the cage on Numbah Three… and yet she gave her the one Rainbow Monkey that would allow Numbah Three to escape. This goes beyond “contrived” and into “sheer authorial fiat”.
And after she gets out, Cree jumps her and neutralizes her anyway!
SCENE CHANGE:
>Numbah Three was on the floor moaning. Cree quickly destroyed her rifle and her communicator and grabbed her by the sweater.<
Nobody told me this was a yuri fic.
>Next character on the villain's list, said Cree, the tough one. This is almost too easy...<
No, the tough one dies first to establish that the villain is a threat.
SCENE CHANGE:
>As Numbah Four wandered the empty corridors of the south wing with his mustard gun out, fear started to climb into his bones. He didn't know if it was the storm, the darkness, or just the foreboding nature of it all.
"Whoever down here isn't going to scare me!" he said to himself. "This Kid Next Door might be short, but he ain't no coward!"
A skittering noise sounded ahead of him. He blasted the area where it had been.<
“Okay, maybe he IS a coward!”
>There was nothing there.
"Okay, Numbah Four, get a hold of yourself," he said. "Who took down a whole movie theater full of super villains? Who won the Moonbase's martial arts competition last year? Who holds the all time record for most consecutive sit-ups in your school's gym class?"<
“And why didn’t you pay him to come here in your place?”
>"Who made the stupidest mistake of his life by coming here?" said Cree's voice.
"What?" said Numbah Four, aiming his weapon.
Numbah Four didn't see it coming. Cree swung down from a balcony on a chain, and with one kick, the mustard gun flew out of Numbah Four's hand.<
Do the Kids Next Door grease their hands before they go on missions or something?
Cree swings back down as Numbah Four fails to contact anyone, and they go into a fistfight:
>He flipped to his feet, and threw a punch at Cree's ribs. She was probably lucky – if she hadn't been wearing her armor, that punch might have knocked her out. She knew that she couldn't underestimate this one. Still, there was no sense in bringing out the spear. She hadn't been in a good fight in ages.
The two fighters exchanged blows. It was unreal – one fighter was barely four feet tall and dressed in an orange sweatshirt, while the other was over five feet tall and wearing evil-looking black armor. No-one ever accused Numbah Four of being smart, but he was actually holding his own for a while.<
But then Cree put a hand on the top of his head, and the fight turned into a comedy routine.
Cree pulls a Cyber Ninja and blasts Numbah Four with a forcefield before pummeling him into unconsciousness.
SCENE CHANGE:
>After destroying his communicator, Cree started to drag the unconscious Four towards the center of the factory.
Let's see, she thought. Horror movie checklist. Comic relief, smart one, naïve one, tough one... the only one left in this sort of scenario is the heroine.
Usually in these movies, the heroine wins, but I'll make a small plot adjustment to that.<
In this sentence, “plot adjustment” sounds awkward. “Adjustment” would have done fine on its own.
>But before I do, it's time to start phase two...
She took a remote out of her pocket, and hit the button. The generator she had turned on early, deep inside the factory, turned off.
There, now communication is possible, she thought. And my prey can radio for help. And seeing as there's only one group of allies available within reach, this will all go according to plan...<
Ugh… another stupid plan. If the KND happen to have another group within reach (something you can’t rule out), then everything just went in the toilet.
SCENE CHANGE to Numbah Five, who realizes the others haven’t checked in. She tries to radio them, but gets nothing, so she calls for backup:
>"Oh, that did it," she said, punching in a number. "I'm calling for backup. Sector G will be happy to..."
A male voice came over the communicator:
"This is Numbah 52 of Sector G. My team and I are away. You are being directed to the next available headquarters to..."<
That’s one team that Cree couldn’t guarantee would not respond.
>"Nuts," said Numbah Five pushing in another number. "Let's try Sector F then!"<
And that makes two teams that Cree couldn’t rule out. See what I mean about this being an idiotic plan?
Cree gets lucky, because Numbah Five just gets their machine:
>This time a girl's voice came over the communicator.
"You have reached the Sector F Kids Next Door headquarters. If this is an adult, please hang up, because you have the wrong number.<
Okay, that’s just hilarious. So much for deep secrecy, they put it on their fricking answering machine!
>Dang though Numbah Five.<
This chapter is narrated by Boomhauer, apparently.
With no other options, Numbah Five takes out the PPG number, and we SCENE CHANGE to five minutes in the past:
>Dinner was going smoothly at the Powerpuff Girls house. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and brussel sprouts. That was one thing about Professor Utonium – he could even make brussel sprouts good.<
They’re actually all right by themselves, if you don’t go with frozen ones and ignore the smell.
The girls ask if the Professor’s owned a cat before, and he confirms Snowball’s story before leaving the table in a depressed funk:
>"We've got to tell him!" whispered Bubbles to her sisters.
"Tell him what?" said Buttercup. "That his old pet is now a mutant crimefighter? He'll think we're nuts! <
After he created you? He’d probably be overjoyed.
>And even if he does believe us, what good would it do Snowball?"
"Buttercup is right," said Blossom. "Snowball and the Professor should meet, but Snowball has to agree to it first. We can't just find her and drag her here. Besides which..."<
I smell overbaked subplot.
?A buzzing noise went off.
"The hotline!" they all said.
Blossom went and answered it.
Buttercup cursed at losing the phone race for the third time that week.
"Blossom, listen!" said Numbah Five's voice. "I think the team and I are in some hot water in a cold place!"
"Say what?" said Blossom.<
She found that bit as incoherent as we did, apparently.
Numbah Five gives as many of the details as she can, but gets cut off midway through giving directions. The girls head out to save their friends, and we SCENE CHANGE back to the factory:
>Numbah Five's communicator and S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R. were smoldering piles of ashes on the floor, and she was standing face-to-face with her Forsaken sister. It was times like this when she regretted ever getting out of bed in the morning.<
She knew she should have donned her lucky underwear.
>"So, sis," she said. "Whatcha been doing with yourself? I mean aside from the whole dark assassin thing?"<
“Hooked rugs. You should see them!”
The two battle:
>The two leapt up and exchanged blows in mid air.<
You can’t really do a “Matrix” in text, Brian.
>Numbah Five landed... she could tell that she took more damage from that exchange than Cree had.
"Is that the best you can do?" she said to her enemy.
Seconds after she said that, Cree kicked her hard in the gut.<
“I… ow… guess not…”
>Numbah Five slowly gut up, and motioned for Cree to come get her. She was trying to hide how scared she truly was. She was talking tough, sure, but she could never beat Cree in a head-to-head battle.<
You sure? The author’s on your side.
SCENE CHANGE to the PPG flying to save the day, and the only thing of importance in this paragraph is that the rain’s starting to die down.
SCENE CHANGE back to the fight:
>"Oof!" said Numbah Five, as she toppled into a large crate.
That does it, she thought. Now Numbah Five's angry!
She leapt up at her enemy and landed a sock to Cree's face. Cree staggered back.
"You picked the wrong day to get on Numbah Five's bad side!" said Numbah Five.
She punched her in the gut, between the armor.
"Gonna pry you outta that tin can and cook you!"<
“Fry you or bake you, I’m not sure yet!”
>She karate chopped between the shoulder blades.
"I mean, for two cents, I'd..."
Then, Cree caught both of her arms.
Numbah Five struggled, but Cree was too strong. The assassin lifted up her right foot, and kicked her hard! Numbah Five was sent flying backwards and hit the wall.
As Numbah Five tried to get up, she heard a tinkling noise, and two coins fell next to her.
Two pennies.<
…that might be a worse joke than “The defense rests” from North. I am in awe.
Cree knocks Numbah Five out, and we SCENE CHANGE to her coming to:
>When next she woke up, her head was pounding. She was chained to the floor by thick shackles.
She saw that her four teammates were right next to her in the same situation. At least they were alive. How long Cree intended on keeping it that way, she had no way of knowing.<
“This is the weirdest porno shoot ever.”
>Looking around, she saw that they were in a colossal room. Huge tanks with levers, winches, pipes, and tubes dominated the center, all of which seemed to be connected to an even bigger tank standing in the center of them all, which was the size of a small house. It was freezing in here, like the inside of a refrigerator.<
I wonder what it could be!
The KND compare notes, and just as Numbah One starts figuring out what’s going on:
>"You always were the smart one, Nigel," said Cree, as she walked out of the shadows.
Her helmet folded off of her head, and she smiled an evil smile.
"What now, you fiend?" said Numbah One.
"Well," said Cree, walking up to the tanks, "I could just slit your throats right now if I wanted to..."<
>She started to turn the gauges and winches, and the machines sprang to life with a humming sound. The huge pipes rattled, and the tubes started to move.
"...but, seeing, as we've been through a lot together, and one of you is family after all, I've convinced the Delightful Children to make your demise as pleasant for you as possible."<
Oh, right. Idiot Ball.
>"Meaning?" said Numbah One.
"Remember the ice cream beast?" said Cree. "The one that the Delightful Children created so long ago to destroy you?"<
If you don’t, Brian promptly recaps it.
>Cree finished setting the last of the controls.
"Anyway," she said, "using the superior chemistry skills of our new ally, this machine is all rigged to create a new and improved ice cream beast. It will have forty-two flavors, all the trimmings, and enough resilience to take on anything thrown at it. Fifteen minutes from now, you'll be eaten alive! A delicious way to die, wouldn't you say?<
Cripes, even his original VILLAINS are designed to be superior to the base shows!
>"And don't think we haven't learned from our mistakes. There's no heater in this ice cream factory, and even if you got free and managed to find a source of heat, this monster is very heat resistant.
"But I'm not totally heatless..."<
It should be “heartless”, but I’ll give him this one, because I’ve made similar mistakes. I call it literary inertia.
>She picked up the Rainbow Monkey that she had baited the trap she had set for Numbah Three. She walked over to her and placed it under her arm.
"There Kuki," she said. "You can have Happy Little League Rainbow Monkey to keep you company until you get eaten.<
This bit might as well have a giant flashing “Notice This” over it.
Since the Beast has no loyalty, Cree exits the scene. Numbah Five tells the rest that the PPG are en route, and we SCENE CHANGE to Cree on the roof:
>On the roof of the factory, Cree took out a pair of binoculars and scanned the horizon. The rain had stopped, but it was still a bit cloudy.
She saw three streaks of light coming towards the city.
Excellent, she thought. Phase three has now begun! They think they're coming to rescue their friends... but they'll be no more than candy colored finger food when that thing bursts free!<
Somehow I doubt it.
SCENE CHANGE to the PPG hunting for their friends. They reach the factory, and while they search:
>Inside, the huge tank was starting to rattle, and the five operatives were getting scared.
"Um, Wally?" said Numbah Three. "There's something I have to tell you..."
"Wait," said Numbah Four. "Kuki, I have to tell you something too..."
"Well, okay," said Numbah Three. "You first..."
"Well, you see, I..." started Numbah Four.
A burst of timbers fell from the ceiling, and the Powerpuff Girls burst through!
"GIRLS!" said Numbah Four.<
“Five more minutes, that’s all I needed! What, are you PAID to screw up my love life?!?”
>The Girls landed beside the operatives.
"Don't worry guys," said Blossom. "We'll have you out of those chains in a minute!"
"Um, Blossom," said Bubbles.
They saw the huge tank, which was now shaking like crazy. Something fierce was getting ready to burst free.
"Let's hope we even have a minute!" said Numbah Five.<
DUN-DUN-DUNNNNNNNN! If this were suspenseful at all, it would be a cliffhanger.
We’re just over halfway through this story. I hope the momentum gets us through the rest.
