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Local Reporter Wins Pie

Summary:

WordGirl tries to change her look
All of Tobey's robuts have their own personalities
Scoops and Tobey are becoming closer friends, and Becky is suspicious

Notes:

Set in Jun-Jul between Grades 5-6

Pride Month Day Seventeen
bi-gen·der
[bi-gender]
ADJECTIVE
bigender (adjective)
denoting or relating to a person whose sense of personal identity encompasses two genders

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Title Card ♫♪

credited as “WORDGIRL! WORDGIRL! WORDGIRL…”

[desc. Camera zooms into WordGirl outline]

[scene: camera focuses on a view of the city]

 

Heroic music plays in the background.

 

In a city gone plumb loco… where evil lurks behind almost every corner… a new champion rises up to protect the innocent…

 

A silhouetted figure flies up with the moon as a backdrop. The scene then cuts to a close-up of the shadowy figure from Catch as Catch Can.

 

Right the wrongs…

 

Scene cuts to Dr. Two-Brains, trapped in his own mousetrap from Mouse Trap.

 

… and throw out a bunch of pretty impressive words!

 

Scene cuts to a silhouette of WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face standing, in heroic poses, on the surface of the moon with the Earth in the distance. Announcer flashes on the lights so they become fully visible.

 

WordGirl!

 

Strange being from the planet Lexicon…

 

WordGirl!

 

… stranded on Earth when her money pilot Captain Huggy Face crash-landed their spaceship…

 

Huggy awkwardly smiles and gives a little wave.

 

WordGirl!

 

Really, who thought it was a good idea to let a monkey fly a spaceship?

 

WordGirl!

 

I mean, come on, that should be on the first page of the instruction manual: do not let a monkey fl

 

WordGirl is getting annoyed and clears her throat; Narrator apologizes.

 

WordGirl!

 

Who, disguised as a mild-mannered fifth grader, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the use of the right word!

 

WordGirl! WordGirl! WordGirl!

 

The music fades out, and WordGirl finally slumps over from her pose.

 

How was that?

 

“Not bad,” she smiles. “And thanks for not revealing my alias.”

 

Of course, why would we do that? It’d ruin the whole show!

 

Not to mention make her life more troubling.

 

You mean troublesome.

 

“Troubling, troublesome. They mean the same thing: bothersome, difficult, or disconcerting.” Quietly and to the audience, WordGirl adds, “Another thing that’s troubling is having a little brother.”

 

I heard that!

 

WordGirl smiles sheepishly. She picks up Huggy and flies away.

 

 

Title Card ♫♪

credited as “WordGirl and the Butcher”

[desc. Camera zooms into WordGirl outline]

[scene: camera focuses on a building under construction]

 

WordGirl, Huggy, and the Butcher are standing on a girder. Behind the Butcher is a large slab of meat – roughly his height – with a timer attached. Butcher threatens to turn the whole city into beef, but WordGirl’s main concern is the vegetarians. Butcher mistakes them for a band, but WordGirl explains that vegetarians are people who don’t eat meat.

 

“What!?” He splutters, “That’s disgusting!”

 

WordGirl ignores his reaction and tells him they can do this the easy way or the hard way. After a few seconds tick by, he realizes she actually wants him to choose.

 

“Oh… well, I, I guess the easy way!”

 

WordGirl drops her authoritative pose and answers with shock evident in her voice. “Oh, um, could you turn off the switch then? you’re closer.”

 

“Yeah, okay.”

 

He shrugs and reaches over to cut off the timer. She thanks him, but he hovers his hand over the button as it reaches fifteen seconds. He realizes that she’s tricked him but, before he can confront her again, he loses his balance and falls off the beam. As a thud is almost instantly heard, the camera pans down to show they’re only about three feet above the ground. WordGirl easily walks over and presses the stop button at one second.

 

“Ugh!” Butcher groans from below. “I’ll be alright…”

 

 

Title Card ♫♪

credited as “WordGirl and Dr. Two-Brains”

[desc. Camera zooms into WordGirl outline]

[scene: camera focuses on Dr. Two-Brains’ lair]

 

He’s working on a large ray when WordGirl bursts through the door and lands on a giant X left on the floor. She demands he call off his evil plan, and he concedes. He claps twice with an ‘ah-a’, but nothing happens. WordGirl frowns but doesn’t move as he continues to clap.

 

“Ugh, this is frustrating…” He groans more to himself as he walks over to a control panel with a large hammer.

 

WordGirl looks up and sees the large weight dangling above her, but she seems unbothered by the trap. She asks if it’s plugged in, which it is, thankyouverymuch. It starts whirring after some more adjustments and the weight starts traveling down.

 

“Okay! WordGirl! Prepare to be… oh, come on!”

 

The weight stops moving again, and the doctor moves WordGirl out of the way to examine it closer. He claps again, and the weight falls completely, slamming on his feet, eliciting a scream from him.

 

“Hey, it worked!”

 

“Yippee,” he deadpans.

 

As she flies away, Dr. Two-Brains curses under his breath and pulls out his phone.

 

“Meatloaf? Come and get me unstuck…. I don’t care. Bring Charlie, too.”

 

 

Title Card ♫♪

credited as “WordGirl and Chuck the Evil Sandwich-Making Guy”

[desc. Camera zooms into WordGirl outline]

[scene: camera focuses on the inside of a grocers]

 

WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face are trapped in a circle of hotdogs, and Chuck looks triumphant.

 

“I’ve got you now, WordGirl! You’ll never escape my super-strong Atomic Hotdog Lasso! So, don’t even try to… um, like, when you, you know…” He trails off, making a wiggling motion.

 

“Struggle?” WordGirl suggests. “It means to try really hard to do something.”

 

“Okay, yeah, that works. Don’t even try to… struggle.” He sees Huggy eating the hotdogs and gets upset. “Hey, stop eating those! They’re expensive!”

 

He tells WordGirl to get her monkey to stop… though that also trips him up. He thought Huggy was a hedgehog, which trips up WordGirl. But their confusion doesn’t stop Huggy from eating faster.

 

“How long is he going to keep this up?” Chuck asks disinterestedly.

 

“How many hotdogs do you have?”

 

He looks between WordGirl and Huggy; he shrugs.

 

“I’m gonna go make a phone call.”

 

 

Title Card ♫♪

credited as “WordGirl and Dr. Two-Brains, Part 2”

[desc. Camera zooms into WordGirl outline]

[scene: camera focuses on the inside of Dr. Two-Brain’s lair]

 

The doctor is beside his large ray again. This time, he’s got it aimed at a few stolen pieces he sent his henchmen to find two weeks ago: bags of bank money, stolen jewels, and the Mona Lisa. She lands in front of him, and they exchange glances.

 

“So, we meet again.”

 

She orders him to call off his scheme, but he tries to distract her with compliments and a mixed fruit beverage.

 

“Are you sure?” He asks from the mini-fridge. “Because I’m gonna have one.”

 

“I said… what kind do you have?”

 

Minutes later, he has a strawberry drink in hand, and she has a mango pineapple. They sip their drinks as though they aren’t on opposite sides of the law, and Huggy turns off the ray from behind. He climbs up and tackles Two-Brains to the ground, though the villain doesn’t seem to be bent on criminal activities anymore. He continues drinking his drink, so Huggy grabs a strawberry for himself and rejoins WordGirl.

 

“Well… thanks for the drinks!”

 

 

Title Card ♫♪

credited as “Becky and Scoops”

[desc. Camera zooms into WordGirl outline]

[scene: camera focuses on Becky and Scoops strolling down the sidewalk]

 

“WordGirl is definitely older than she looks,” Scoops is saying, “I’m thinking middle-aged.”

 

It’s a reporter’s instinct. As they pass by a construction site, Becky lags behind. She notices a large construction beam teetering on the top of a construction site, then beginning to slide off. Scoops keeps talking about ruling out the people he knows, not noticing when Becky springs off the ground to catch the beam and set it on the ground behind the fence. He only looks over a second after she lands behind him.

 

“… nobody I know is that good with words. No offense, Becky.”

 

“None taken,” she giggles with a blush.

 

Scoops nods and turns back around caught up in his speculations. He doesn’t notice when he’s about to step into a manhole, so he also doesn’t see when Becky dashes off at superspeed in the opposite direction. She returns with a slice of wood and slides it over the hole for her crush to walk over. She hears him say WordGirl is fast and strong, but she comes to a complete halt when he mentions she’s cute. Another construction beam on ropes swings down and crashes to the sidewalk behind them. Becky doesn’t notice, but Scoops merely raises an eyebrow. Seconds later, he turns back to ponder WordGirl’s identity, and one of Tobey’s robots picks up the beam. But Becky doesn’t notice at all.

 

 

Title Card ♫♪

credited as “WordGirl and the Narrator”

[desc. Camera zooms into WordGirl outline]

[scene: camera focuses on WordGirl standing on the surface of an asteroid in space]

 

WordGirl wants Narrator to call her by a new superhero name, but he says it’s bad for his reputation. A second later, he urges her to define the word, which she does so frustratingly.

 

“It means what people think of you.”

 

Ah. Thank you, WordGirl. He emphasizes her name.

 

WordGirl rolls her eyes and then strikes an adorable pose. She looks at him with big eyes and pleads; Narrator reluctantly concedes. She claps excitedly and assumes her superhero stance.

 

Welcome to another exciting adventure of… The Super-Sweet and Really Strong Princess… Who Also Knows Vocabulary!

 

“I like it!” WordGirl winks, landing in a normal position.

 

Are you kidding?

 

WordGirl frowns, and Narrator adds that it’ll never fit on a T-shirt. She deflates and seems to concede to that.

 

 

Title Card ♫♪

credited as “WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face, Part 1”

[desc. Camera zooms into WordGirl outline]

[scene: camera focuses on WordGirl sitting on the Botsfords’ couch while the family is out]

 

They need to be somewhere stopping crime, but Huggy refuses to leave the house how he’s dressed. He’s hidden behind the kitchen counter, squeaking at her.

 

“I know it’s a little different than your usual costume. I thought you needed a little more pizzazz!” He squeaks inquisitively, and she defines the word. “Pizzazz means an attractive and glamorous style!”

 

Huggy counters her, stating he doesn’t want to be glamorous. And he’s upset that she changed his costume. She urges him to come into the open: he’s wearing a colorful clown-like costume, with purple pants, a loose yellow shirt with a light purple ruffle. and a headband with stars attached to springs. While WordGirl tells him he looks fabulous, he’s disgusted.

 

“Fine,” she sighs, “maybe it’s a little overdone. Go try on the other one, and then we’ll have to go.”

 

Her monkey quickly dashes out of the room. He takes a while arriving back into the room. He’s now wearing an oversized monkey suit with a large head. He looks equally disgusted at having to wear this.

 

“You look adorable!” She gushes. “C’mon, let’s go!”

 

WordGirl races out the door while Huggy sighs and just stands there for a moment. The mouth of the monkey suit closes, and the beaded eyes roll back and forth for a while until they finally stop moving.

 

 

Title Card ♫♪

credited as “WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face, Part 2”

[desc. Camera zooms into WordGirl outline]

[scene: camera focuses on a bus stop]

 

Captain Huggy Face jumps out of the bus and assumes different fighting positions. He looks around, bypasses WordGirl, and sees that nothing is going on.

 

“You’re a little late.”

 

She has a conversation with Huggy about finding another mode of transportation. But he’s too short for a car and a hovercraft is too expensive. Huggy doesn’t know why WordGirl can’t just carry him, but she reminds him that they’re trying new ideas.

 

The next day, WordGirl takes off from her bedroom. And Captain Huggy Face is pedaling a bike down the street with his lunch in the basket attached.

 

 

Title Card ♫♪

credited as “Who is WordGirl?”

[desc. Camera zooms into WordGirl outline]

[scene: camera focuses on the Botsfords’ living room]

 

Becky is sitting in a beanbag chair next to the TV, reading Pride and Prejudice. Mr. Botsford sits on the couch across from her, working WordGirl's Super crossword puzzle in the newspaper. On the crossword page, there’s a picture of WordGirl with her head resting on her right hand… the same pose that Becky has taken while she is reading.

 

She easily – without looking up from her novel – assists him with a few clues. A six-letter word starting with "H" that means a shipping port is a harbor. A seven-letter word starting with a “B” and ending with an “O” that means ‘causes fear’ is a bugaboo. As the news ends, the anchor closes with a little talk about WordGirl. Who is she and what does she do when not fighting crime? Mr. Botsford isn’t too interested in the speculation and clicks off the TV.

 

“Ah, I don't think we'll ever find out who WordGirl really is.” He focuses back on the crossword.  “Now... a nine-letter word beginning with the letter "O" that means clueless... unable to see what's right in front of you...”

 

“Oblivious…” Becky sighs under her breath.

 

“Hmm? Did you say something, Becky?”

 

She sighs and shakes her head, returning to her novel.

 

 

Title Card ♫♪

credited as “Tobey or Consequences”

[desc. Becky and Tobey are competitive game show contestants]

♫♪Wordgirl!

Narrator: Today’s featured words are ‘enormous’ and ‘bicker’

[scene: camera focuses on the living room of the McCallister home]

 

Claire McCallister is about to go on a business trip and leave a babysitter in charge of her son… the mischievous boy genius, Tobey!

 

Claire hands the teenager, Tali, a few single-button remote controls. “This is the homing device for Tobey’s tracking bracelet, and here’s the one to short out his electrical defense shield down in the basement. And this is the nullifier to neutralize his robots if they go haywire. He’s got one of his own, but we have countermeasures.”

 

“Um, how old is he?”

 

“Eleven. Okay, bye!”

 

She walks out the door, leaving behind the very bewildered Tali. She nervously looks around the house and quietly sneaks to Tobey’s room. She opens the door and glances inside, worried about what she’ll find. Tobey’s sitting in a rocking chair, reading one of his books on robots. As she remains in the doorway, he looks over and smiles a little, and then goes back to reading without a word. Tali closes the door but having dealt with a lot of sneaky kids, waits for a few seconds before barging in again. He doesn’t even glance from his book or stutter in his rocking, and Tali laughs awkwardly.

 

“Sorry!”

 

Meanwhile, in the Botsfords’ front yard…

 

Becky and her dad kneel at a flowerbed while Bob trims a bush. Tim adds Enormo-Grow which immediately increases the size of the plants. Bob goes into attack mode when he’s suddenly intercepted by a child-sized robot that firmly pats the plant without destroying it.

 

“Whoa, hey there, fella. Did you come to plant some flowers, too?”

 

“I’m afraid GT 1000 was distracted by your lawn, Mr. Botsford,” Tobey informs him from the sidewalk.

 

“GT?” Becky asks suspiciously, eying the other nine robots standing at parade rest beside him.

 

“Green Thumb” he supplies. “I always give my robuts their own personalities. VVG 500 likes to draw, and LVB 300 and WAM 200 over here are musical prodigies.”

 

“Uh-huh…”

 

Tobey clears his throat. “So, Mr. Botsford, would you mind terribly for GT to join your little… garden party while I attend to business in the park?”

 

“Oh, the more the merrier!” He flashes a grin and gives the robot a thumbs-up. “Let’s get to work, GT!”

 

GT’s mouth lights up in lieu of a smile, and Tobey nods his thanks. He doesn’t get very far before Becky asks her dad if she can join Tobey, and he doesn’t mind. He, Bob, and GT have got it under control. As though to prove it, nozzles appear from the fingers of one hand, spraying water onto the bush.

 

“Don’t trust me, WordGirl?”

 

“Don’t start that up again, Theodore.”

 

He rolls his eyes. “How juvenile, Botsford. Is this how you spend your summers? Trailing after classmates?”

 

His disinterested grimace suddenly spouts a mischievous smirk that immediately has Becky on edge.

 

“What?”

 

“Well, you do trail after the reporter boy quite a lot. You have a crush on him, don’t you?”

 

Becky blushes feverishly. “I do not!”

 

“Uh-huh, sure you don’t.”

 

Once they arrive at the park, Tobey pulls out a remote.

 

“Alright, robuts. To your stations!”

 

Becky looks agitated like she wants to jump into attack mode, but Tobey barely pays her any mind. VVG removes an easel and paints from its chest cavity. A stool protrudes from its lower half as it settles down. LVB and WAM remove sturdy wire-like jump ropes from their cavities. They find an unpopulated area to start playing. Three robots walk onto the heated blacktop, and one of them removes a bucket of chalk from its cavity.

 

“You came to the park for jump ropes and chalk drawing?”

 

“UB 2000, WR 800, and WEC 200 are actually drawing hopscotch squares.”

 

Becky narrows her eyes. “Unrelenting Bot, Wary Robot, and Wary… Electric Current?”

 

Tobey huffs an amused laugh. “Very nice imagination. They’re actually named after Usain Bolt, Wilma Rudolph, and Wile E Coyote.”

 

She blinks a bit, “Wile E Coyote?”

 

“Mother is a fan of the old cartoon.”

 

She nods slowly and looks around for the other robots. One has just built a stage and VVG has abandoned its easel to help paint the stage. Tobey walks over to test the strength. Satisfied, he nods to his builder bot.

 

“Well done, FLW 500.” For Becky’s benefit, he adds, “Frank Lloyd Wright.”

 

VVG returns to its easel, and FLW joins it. It grabs a branch from the ground, and a stool protrudes from its lower half as it crouches – just like VVG. One of FLW’s fingers sharpens to a chisel as it begins to whittle the branch. The stage now reads Crash or Pie, and Tobey has his hand out. One of the remaining robots finds a magazine in its cavity and hands it over. Becky watches as her classmate flips through the pages and then rips out an article on Cash or Pie.

 

“MOD 800?”

 

The other bot steps forward and ‘eats’ the article by slipping it through a sort of paper scanner near its mouth. Becky watches in shock as MOD alters itself until it transforms into a near carbon copy of the Cash or Pie host.

 

“Short for Modifier?” Becky asks, taking a step away from the metallic humanoid bot.

 

Tobey shrugs. “It’s an acronym like most of my robuts. Master of Disguise. Although, Modifier could work. Good idea, Botsford.”

 

“Um, thanks? I’ve never seen such an enormous stage built so quickly.”

 

“What a painfully ordinary word,” Tobey complains. “I mean what about gargantuan?”

 

Becky crosses her arms. “Did you pass by my house to purposefully bring me to the park so we could bicker over words?”

 

“Bicker, tussle, brawl,” he drones. “If I recall, you followed me. I didn’t bring you anywhere.”

 

They’ve drawn a bit of a crowd, though that’s also due to MOD being a crowdpleaser. Tobey notices and clears his throat.

 

“Well. Now that we’re both onstage, what do you say to a little game of Crash or Pie?”

 

“… what is that? Some game that lets you destroy the park with your robots?”

 

Tobey facepalms. “It’s a game, yes. Obviously. On the game show, the winner chooses between cash or pie. Here, the winner chooses between pie or”

 

“Getting crushed by a robot?”

 

He levels her with a condescending glare. “Or a fireworks show. I said ‘crash’, not ‘crush’.”

 

“Fireworks don’t crash.”

 

Tobey sighs and calls for WEC. He presses a button, and WEC shows a little demonstration. It transforms into a see-through box structure with a head and arms. It lights a single firework and sets it inside. The firework shoots off, exploding in pretty colors inside the robotic shell. The crowd oohs, but Becky is still frowning.

 

“I am not playing a game you made, McCallister.”

 

“I will!” Scoops speaks up and emerges from the crowd. “Can I play?”

 

Tobey considers him silently but nods and holds out his hand to help him on the stage. Becky’s frown intensifies as Tobey leads Scoops to one of the two available podiums. Narrator’s brother, Announcer, returns to lend a voice to MOD since none of Tobey’s robots can speak.

 

Welcome folks, to the first-ever showing of Crash or Pie. Now, introducing our contestants. From the suburbs, he’s an eleven-year-old tech prodigy who enjoys building robots with personalities. Theodore “Tobey” McCallister! And originally from the city, he’s a ten-year-old news reporter for his school paper who has a passion for pirates. Todd “Scoops” Ming!

 

He pauses as the last of Tobey’s robots – one whose name hasn’t been revealed – holds up an ‘applause’ sign for the gathered crowd. They clap (aside from Becky, who continues to glare at the stage) as they’re told. When the robot lowers the sign, the crowd quiets down, and Announcer starts up again.

 

Here are the rules: MOD has a list of words. I will say one word, and the first person to buzz in with a synonym will get a point. The first person to five points will win! Is everyone clear on how to play?

 

Tobey and Scoops nod and grip their buzzers.

 

Word One is Understand.

 

“Comprehend!” Tobey calls out a couple of seconds later than he should have.

 

A point for Tobey! Word Two is Prepare.

 

“Practice?” Scoops buzzes in almost curiously.

 

A point for Scoops! Word Three is Cheat.

 

Tobey wins points for cheat (trick), captain (leader), and attention (interest). Scoops wins points for amusement (delight), accept (recognize), and glare (stare).

 

Word Nine is Bicker.

 

Tobey scans the crowd and smirks at Becky when he finds her, but Scoops has already buzzed in.

 

“Squabble!”

 

How interesting! Four points for Scoops and four points for Tobey. Whoever gives me a synonym for Word Ten will win the game. Are the contestants ready?

 

Tobey’s attention is back on MOD, and Scoops grins beside him.

 

Word Ten is… Enormous!

 

Tobey’s finger twitches, but it’s Scoops who presses the buzzer first.

 

“Massive!”

 

MOD lets the tension build before Announcer exclaims, Five points to Scoops Ming, our winner! As the winner of Crash or Pie Game One, how do you want to cash in your prize? Crash or Pie?

 

“Um… what kind of pie is it?”

 

Tobey shrugs and presses a button on his remote, signaling VVG over. When it arrives, Tobey asks it what pie ingredients it has in store. After a few seconds, VVG spits out a paper, and Tobey reads from it.

 

“Looks like today he can make blueberry, blackberry, or apple.” He notices the robot that had been holding the ‘applause’ sign has a blinking antenna, and he quickly adds, “But tomorrow, I can add more ingredients. You know where I live, right?”

 

“Sure do,” he chirps.

 

Tobey nods. “Then you can drop by in the morning. C’mon, JB!”

 

The blinking antenna walks closer and transforms into a go-kart. JB hands him a helmet before taking off down the street. The rest of the robots left in the park go about their own devices. MOD is still dressed like a game show host and allows two more contestants – TJ and Johnson – to step up to the podium.

 

JB arrives at the McCallister’s house, and Tobey speedily hops out so his helpful robot can alter itself back to a robotic status. JB rings the doorbell so Tobey can slip into the basement. He climbs into a dumbwaiter and starts pulling himself up. He hears JB enter the house and lets go so his robot can maneuver him upward quicker. The dumbwaiter opens behind Tobey’s closet. He pushes away the false wall and closes the door while stumbling over a winter boot. He hits the holographic switch just as Tali opens the door again.

 

“Oh! Hey, Tobes. I just ordered a pizza, and I was going to find a movie to watch. Do you have any preference?”

 

“Are you, by chance, familiar with On Her Majesty’s Secret Service?”

 

She grins excitedly, “Ooh, a James Bond operative, are you? A man after my own heart.”

 

Tobey quirks his lips and follows her out of his room.

 

Well, uh, join us again next time for the Amazing Colossal Adventures of WordGirl!

 

And thanks for playing Crash or Pie! Goodnight!

 

Goodnight.

 

 

Title Card ♫♪

credited as “High-Fat Robbery”

[desc. WordGirl faces off against The Butcher]

♫♪Wordgirl!

Narrator: Today’s featured words are ‘impressive’ and ‘diversion’

[scene: camera focuses on the City Park]

 

Eight-year-olds Johnson and TJ fly kites on a hill while other people relax and stand around. Scoops dropped by the McCallister house earlier to collect on his prize from Crash or Pie, catching Tobey on his way out of the door.

 

“H-hey, Tobey. Um, I, err, came to get my pie?” Scoops had stuttered, obviously unsure of what to say.

 

“Yes, I saw you on the sidewalk.” Tobey had answered, seemingly unruffled. “However, I haven’t got the supplies necessary for baking my regular variety of pies. Would you like to accompany me to the grocers?”

 

“Yeah!” He’d grinned. “Let’s go.”

 

Just another carefree day in the city as Todd “Scoops” Ming shares his childhood dreams with Theodore “Tobey” McCallister.

 

“Someday I'm gonna work for the top newspaper in the country!” Scoops exclaims as he and Tobey take a shortcut across the park. “A paper that's super-- Um...”

 

“Remarkable?” Tobey suggests. “Impressive?”

 

“Yeah! Impressive! Today, roving writer for the Daily Rag. Tomorrow, ace reporter for the Big City Times!”

 

Tobey’s unable to stop a small grin from quirking at the edges of his lips. Scoops asks if he’s read today’s paper – Scoops has been making a mockup of the school paper online so it’s a daily refresher. Today’s paper is titled Local Reporter Wins Pie, and yesterday’s paper was titled Second Street Traffic Light Fixed. Scoops misconstrues the face Tobey makes at its mention.

 

“You hated it.”

 

He says it with such dejection, and his entire body droops in place. Tobey winces and places a hesitant hand on the reporter’s shoulder.

 

Hate is such a strong word. You’re just blunt. Too factual.”

 

“But, but I’m a reporter,” he points out. “I’m supposed to report the facts. Right?”

 

“Yes… but you need to add some excitement. If you make eye-catching titles and put a little more interest within the facts, more people will read them. You’d get more subscribers.”

 

“… how?”

 

“Like… like mentioning the robuts or the game show for today’s paper. And you could do something with the colors of a traffic light on the one from yesterday. Like Green Means Go or On the Blink No More.”

 

Scoops is quiet as they keep walking, but the tension lessens in the air. Just two miles away, at Second Main Bank, a mysterious man passes out flyers for ‘free bobblecue’ in the parking lot. One of the guards looks up from the online version of The Daily Rag where it reads that the bank gives away free toasters with each new account opened. Said guard – and a lot of his coworkers – have no idea what he’s talking about until he holds out a cooked rib.

 

“Oh, bar-becue!” He understands and takes the bait.

 

While the employees and customers pour into the lot, the mysterious man – now revealed to be The Butcher – sneaks into the back of the bank. The alarm goes off, alerting everyone down this side of the street. Tobey and Scoops turn toward the sound, stopping on the sidewalk across from the grocers. Scoops grips his camera and bites his bottom lip.

 

“Can we buy the pie stuff later?”

 

Tobey cocks his head to the side. “Uh, okay. Let’s go get your… scoop.”

 

The young reporter laughs and races down the sidewalk. Tobey, being not very athletic, follows at a much more leisurely pace. Both boys notice when WordGirl flies overhead to the same bank. Inside the vault of the Second Main Bank, there are splotches of barbecue sauce spread out on the floor. One of the guards puts his finger in it and tastes it just as WordGirl and Huggy arrive.

 

“Bobblecue?” WordGirl asks confusedly, reading one of the flyers.

 

“He meant barbecue,” bank teller Jenna helpfully informs her, sauce around her lips.

 

“I see! So the barbecue was just a diversion to get everyone out of the bank!”

 

“Right! Uh, what's a diversion?”

 

“Diversion! It's a way to distract people. Get them to look someplace else.” She pauses to point in a random direction. “Like over there!”

 

The guard and bank teller both look in the direction she pointed, just past the doorway where Scoops has arrived on the scene. He interrupts the diversion, holding a notepad and pencil in hand, and grinning up at the supergirl.

 

“So, WordGirl. Who do you think did this?”

 

“Hmm... A barbecue bank robbery? I have some ideas.”

 

“Where do you think he'll strike next?”

 

“Um... I'm not sure.”

 

When she admits this, Scoops’ eyes widen, and the employees walk away. His pencil scratches on the paper.

 

“What do you mean, you're not sure?”

 

“That I'm... not sure.”

 

“What's your secret identity?” He grins as Tobey appears in the doorway.

 

“Nice try!”

 

Scoops shrugs good-naturedly and flips his book shut. He drops it in his satchel and picks up his camera to take photos for his paper. WordGirl hovers by the door.

 

“What are you doing here?” She asks suspiciously.

 

“We were going to bake a pie, but the alarm caught his attention.”

 

She narrows her eyes but takes him at face value. She collects her monkey sidekick who’s helping himself to a piece of the barbecue, and they fly away. When Scoops is satisfied with the next day’s headline article, he rejoins Tobey. They eventually go shopping, and Tobey later bakes a very tasty boysenberry pie. It’s Scoops’ favorite, and Tobey talks about how the only fond memory he has of his dad stems from baking in the kitchen. Scoops obviously has questions about the inexplicable man, but he has enough tact not to ask them.

 

🤖🤖🥩📸📸

 

Three days later, at Ye Olde Fancy Schmancy Jewelry Store…

 

Reginald reads through the Daily Rag – considering Fair City stops the Big City Times press during the summer – reading about the hot stories of this week. Yesterday’s story was about the new window cleaner, and today’s headline makes him smile. Hoboken Thrown Open: Impressive Display Diamond Finally Sold. The bell above the door jingles as his close friend Geneviève struts inside.

 

“Positively delighted to see you, dear!” He calls to her as though they were on opposite ends of a crowded room. “And here's the Hoboken diamond. A gem for a gem.”

 

She laughs playfully, “Oh, I hope you don't mind if I pay in pocket change! Of course, I have very deep pockets!”

 

It’s an ongoing joke between them; they laugh joyfully as she pulls out stacks of money and hands them over to him. The Butcher arrives with flyers for free ‘bobblecue’, and Geneviève excitedly follows him. She will always enjoy getting anything she can without paying. When Reginald doesn’t budge, The Butcher frowns – not that he can see it; he’s still cloaked in the shadows.

 

“Uh, didn’t you hear me?”

 

“Yes. However, I am allergic to barbecue and therefore will not partake in the complimentary meal you have provided.”

 

“Uh…”

 

“Do you, by chance, have any steak tartar that has not been encased in the same sauce?”

 

Butcher stares at the man but produces steak tartar and hesitantly offers it to the pompous man. Reginald shakes his head slightly but accepts the slab of meat.

 

“Much obliged, Butcher.”

 

He joins his friend in the parking lot, giving Butcher free reign in his store. Meanwhile, a block away, Scoops and Tobey are walking out of the library. Tobey has a few errands to run, now equipped with three more books, and Scoops wanted him to see his new headlines. In the barbecue story, he writes how the employees eat the evidence and WordGirl remains clueless. Tobey likes the interesting change and Scoops beams at the praise. The smell of barbecue wafts in the air, and Scoops is pulled toward it. Tobey just tags along.

 

As Scoops grabs a plate with an offered barbecued pork chop, Tobey makes a comment that has him pause, “This is just like the diversion at the bank.”

 

“Do you think the same person who robbed the bank is robbing the jewelry store now?”

 

Tobey nods, and the boys walk into the store, keeping to the side. An alarm goes off from within, and they cover their ears. Sure enough, The Butcher is busy stuffing jewels and money into the bag.

 

“Ah, WordGi… who are you?”

 

“Scoops Ming, ace reporter. And Tobey McCallister, uh, robot builder.”

 

Tobey huffs in slight annoyance at the butchered introduction but, before he can say a thing, WordGirl flies in. The Butcher nods to the boys and then faces the flying girl.

 

“WordGirl! Finally, we meet for the third time!”

 

WordGirl looks away in confusion, inadvertently trading glances with Scoops and Tobey. She shakes her head and resumes her fighting position.

 

“So, Butcher, thought you could steal the Hoboken diamond, eh? Well, this time your diversion failed!”

 

“Diversion?! You mean barbecue!”

 

“Kind of. Your barbecue was a diversion.”

 

“But I didn't serve any diversion at my barbecue! Only ribs and pork chops with that sticky red sauce! And some steak tartar for the fancy rich guy behind the counter.”

 

“No, I mean… wait, you made something special for Reginald?”

 

“Well, yeah. he said he was allergic. I didn’t wanna hurt the guy.”

 

“Aw, that’s sweet. No, wait, you’re diverting me now. You used the barbecue as a way to distract people from the crime you are committing. They went outside to eat barbecue, and you went inside to rob them.”

 

Tobey can sense another diversion coming as they talk. He silently tugs on Scoops’ arm and leads him just around the corner of the store. He pulls out a remote with a touchscreen and scrolls through a few robots. Scoops watches curiously as Tobey selects one listed as JG. As he does, Butcher attacks WordGirl with pot roast and escapes through the back.

 

“Go get your interview, Reporter,” Tobey instructs. “I’ve got a robut to meet.”

 

He raises an eyebrow but nods and goes to where WordGirl is trapped. Minutes later outside, a lithe adult-sized robot comes bounding down the sidewalk.

 

“Joseph Grizzard 9500, we’ve got a Hoboken diamond to steal back.”

 

He climbs onto the back of the bot akin to a child receiving a piggyback ride, though he wears magnetic gloves to better stay on. He shows an image of said diamond – taken on his phone from the Daily Rag – then holds tight.

 

Inside, Scoops gives WordGirl an idea after flexing how the Butcher robs the places where he previously writes articles. Free toasters at the bank and the bank is robbed. Jewelry store’s diamond is bought and the store is robbed.

 

Scoops later tries to find Tobey, but he’s unsuccessful. He writes a headline to establish WordGirl’s plot: Vic's Vegetarian Restaurant Makes Millions Off Wheat and Barley Ice Cream!

 

The next day at Vic's Vegetarian Restaurant, patrons are seated at different tables when Butcher arrives. He calls out for free barbecue, but he’s confused when no one follows. He’s even more confused when the patrons show him “squishy-looking white stuff” called tofu. He doesn’t understand why people would willingly eat the soybean curd and brings out some ribs dripping with barbecue sauce. Rather than growing excited, some customers look ill.

 

“We don’t eat meat,” an offended customer tells him. “We’re vegetarians.”

 

WordGirl flies onto the scene with Huggy and Scoops in her arms while Butcher is disgusted by the vegetarians. Scoops steps to the side with his camera at the ready. Butcher sends a cyclone of sausage at WordGirl while Huggy defends with a cube of tofu. Huggy continues the barrage when Butcher is unable to focus enough to create the meat products.

 

“What's in this stuff?” He asks as he falls to his knees.

 

The offended man from before replies, “Delicious soybean curd, coagulants...”

 

Butcher groans in displeasure as Huggy fights back until he calls Uncle.

 

“Now that was impressive!” Scoops grins, taking a photo of the fallen Butcher and Huggy standing at his side, armed with tofu. “This is gonna be the most incredible story I’ve ever written!”

 

WordGirl and Huggy grin at his enthusiasm, each believing they’ve got the starring role in tomorrow’s headlines. Tobey and JG arrive just then, holding the bags of bank money and jewelry, including the Hoboken diamond. Scoops starts taking more pictures and interviews Tobey. When asked how this specific robot was able to uncover the stolen gems, Tobey pats his robot’s arm.

 

“JG is modeled after the glamorous Edwardian jewel thief, Joseph Grizzard. Jewel thievery is in his motherboard. So, I referred to our mission as stealing rather than recovering.”

 

“Impressive!” Scoops jots down Tobey’s words. “How’s this for a headline: Daring Barbecue Bandit Foiled by Brave, Quick-Thinking, Charming Duo…”

 

Behind them, WordGirl and Huggy pose proudly. As he finishes, though, they stare in shock.

 

“… Todd “Scoops” Ming and Theodore “Tobey” McCallister!”

 

Tobey’s jaw drops as well, though he covers his surprise remarkably well, with only a stifled cough.

 

“Well put, Todd.”

 

“I’ve told you to call me Scoops,” he smiles, no real reprimand in his voice.

 

“Would you like to accompany JG and me as we return our loot to our hideout?”

 

In a low whisper, Tobey adds that he means the store and the bank. Scoops agrees, and Tobey hands over an extra set of magnetic gloves.

 

So, chalk up another impressive victory for WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face! All thanks to the power of the press! And the power of… um, robots and tofu!

 

Tobey, Scoops, and JG take off. A few patrons approach Huggy since he now owes them money for the tofu he took from them. Huggy chatters then looks up to the narrator)

 

Um, sorry buddy, I'd lend you the cash, but I... umm... left my wallet at home! I guess you're on your own! Tune in next time for another exciting episode of... WordGirl!

 

 

Title Card ♫♪

credited as “You Can’t Crush City Hall”

[desc. Chuck laughs maniacally]

♫♪Wordgirl!

Narrator: Today’s featured words are ‘doomed’ and ‘dash’

[scene: camera focuses in front of City Hall]

 

On a beautiful morning in Downtown Fair City…

 

“As the local district attorney, I say that these fresh-baked muffins are guilty... of being delicious!” Sally laughs at her own joke.

 

The DA’s office is out of pens, so naturally, they’ve decided to throw a bake sale. Each attorney mans a table, and kids swarm the tables for baked goods. Adults, too. Since Becky, TJ, and Tobey are children of district attorneys, they were brought out early to help set up. Johnson was one of the first customers, and he bought a muffin from TJ; they’ve been sitting on the steps for a long time. Sally ushers Scoops and Violet up the steps when something darkens the sky, and a woman in the crowd lets out a horrified scream.

 

While it’s not necessarily a robot, it is a gigantic metallic sandwich press situating itself above City Hall. Sally stands frozen and, while Claire reaches for Tobey, the latter grabs Sally’s hand. He calls for Scoops to help him turn Mrs. Botsford around. The crusher is obviously affecting her robophobia, and she needs to not only get out of the way, but she needs to remove it from her sight. Scoops doesn’t need to be asked twice, and they help her while Becky runs off to change into WordGirl.

 

“Attention, citizens! It's me, Chuck the Evil Sandwich-Making Guy!” His voice is broadcasted through loudspeakers. “City Hall is right underneath my giant sandwich press! Unless you meet my demands, City Hall is... Oh, you know... What's the word...?

 

WordGirl arrives at the entrance to the crusher control room and answers, “Doomed! Which is what your plan is about to be!”

 

“WordGirl! How did you find me?”

 

“Um...” She helplessly gestures at the crusher.

 

“Oh, oh right. I'm not hiding.” He chuckles at himself. “Silly!”

 

She tells him to give up, and he easily stands to allow her to take him in. She can’t believe it to be this easy, so Chuck shows her the timer behind him.

 

That’s pretty smart!

 

“I know, right? The press will keep dropping slowly as the timer counts down! When it gets to zero... WHAM-O! It smashes to the ground, and City Hall is-- Oh, um...”

 

“Doomed,” WordGirl deadpans. “City Hall is doomed.”

 

Chuck notices Huggy trying to punch the timer, though it only hurts his own hands. Chuck still triggers an ejector on top of the timer that flings Huggy aside; WordGirl catches him.

 

“There must be some way to stop it!”

 

“Oh, there is! But I'm not telling you about the secret code!” He begins to laugh but his eyes widen when he realizes he's said too much. “I didn't say that last bit out loud, did I...?”

 

“Oh, yeah.”

 

Frustrated, Chuck replies that it doesn’t matter since she’ll never guess what it is. Instead, she and Huggy fly to the outside to tear it apart. The crusher plate has no effect, and she merely bounces off the side despite her headstart. The heroes run through roughly ten plans, and Chuck laughs at her attempts.

 

“Clock is ticking, you'd better... Um...”

 

WordGirl yells up at Chuck, “Hustle!”

 

“Wh-wha-- Please, one more time?”

 

“Hustle! I'd better hustle!”

 

“Okay. Chuck the Evil Sandwich-Making Guy, signing off!”

 

Then, unaware of the mic still being on, he looks at himself in the mirror, calling himself Mr. Handsome. Those citizens remaining around City Hall giggle at the villain's antics, happily calling him Mr. Handsome when he realizes the fact and rolls up the window.

 

“That's it! Either meet my demands, or City Hall is, uh... Oh, what was that word again?”

 

Irritated, WordGirl replies, “Doomed!”

 

“Oh, yeah. City Hall is doomed!” He pauses, “Doomed means something bad, right?”

 

“Yeah, it means something that's going to end in disaster. For example, your chances of actually succeeding with this evil plot are doomed!”

 

“Oh, I get it!” He exclaims then realizes what she said, “Hey! More like how doomed your attempts were at destroying my giant sandwich press!”

 

He got you there.

 

“Face it, WordGirl! The only way you're gonna stop me is by meeting my demands!”

 

“Fine! What are they?”

 

“Well... Ah... Um, I...” He falters, “To be honest, you've usually stopped me by this point.”

 

He decides to take a walk and think about what demands he wants from the city. WordGirl agrees to wait for him while he’s gone. She needs to figure out how to stop him, after all. The timer is now at six minutes, and Huggy has the bright idea to check his records inside City Hall. WordGirl sends him inside while she keeps trying to beat it from outside. Huggy salutes and starts to leave then stops and chatters something. WordGirl is pressed to define dash, it being the word she used: to hurry, move quickly.

 

Meanwhile…

 

Inside a nearby building, Sally sits with Tim, TJ, Violet, and Johnson. Sally has calmed down substantially when Huggy spies her through the window. He grabs her hand and runs through pantomime with the Botsfords and Heaslips, trying to urge her to follow him inside City Hall since he needs her help to find Chuck’s file. While he struggles, though, Tobey and Scoops have already snuck inside with the same idea.

 

“You don’t think we’re going to be crushed, do you?”

 

“Ninety percent.”

 

“… those aren’t good odds.”

 

“Ninety percent we’ll be okay.” He amends his statement. “If we fall in the ten percent, I have JB outside, and he can rescue us.”

 

|| the screen splits into threes. 1 has WordGirl trying different passcodes. 2 has Huggy struggling with the two families who are terrible at charades. 3 has Tobey and Scoops shuffling through the permanent files. ||

 

  1. Crusher

 

“I think I finally know what I wanted to demand!” Chuck announces upon arrival. “Are you ready?”

 

“Shoot!” She grins falsely, turning away from the controls.

 

“I want... a footlong sandwich! Yeah! Take that!” When WordGirl just stares at him with a confused look, he’s offended. “What? You're not writing this down!”

 

  1. Huggy

 

The monkey motions with his hands and looks back toward City Hall.

 

“The circus!” Johnson guesses.

 

“WordGirl’s super-secret hideout?” TJ asks hopefully.

 

“The Tuscaloosa County Asparagus Festival!” Sally answers confidently.

 

  1. Records

 

Tobey has found the files for all the criminals that have been booked in Fair City. The place is ordered a bit haphazardly rather than alphabetically, and it irks the tech boy. Scoops just sticks by him, even as the ceiling shakes.

 

“What are the odds now?”

 

“Eighty-seven percent,” he answers without looking away from the folders.

 

  1. Crusher

 

“This feels harder than it should be…” Chuck groans.

 

Ask for a speedboat!

 

“D-did he say speedboat?”

 

Yeah, they're really fun! They make them in all colors now!

 

“All right! I want a speedboat!”

 

Atta boy!

 

  1. Huggy

 

“The tie factory!” Tim calls out.

 

“An art museum!” Violet says dreamily.

 

Huggy groans and simply grips Sally’s wrist. Tired of playing this game and getting nowhere, he tugs on her, and she finally stands up and follows him out of the store.

 

  1. Records

 

“Aces!” Tobey exclaims, discovering the correct folder.

 

“You found it?”

 

“Filed under ‘F’ for food-themed criminals,” Tobey nods with disdain.

 

The boys head outside, Tobey quickly reading through the pages.

 

  1. Crusher

 

The timer has dropped to just under two minutes, and the area around City Hall is mostly sparse by now.

 

You're running out of time.

 

“I know!”

 

You should hustle!

 

“I am!”

 

  1. Huggy

 

The monkey sidekick has brought Sally – and the tagalong families – to City Hall, though she refuses to move from the courtyard. Her robophobia has kicked in, and Huggy facepalms. He hadn’t thought of that. He screeches for the others to take her away as he spots Claire McCallister. The woman looks frantic, and he bounds up to her, hoping she can help.

 

  1. Records

 

“Have you found anything?” Scoops asks worriedly as the foundation begins to shake.

 

“As a matter of fact…” Tobey finds something very interesting and whips out his mobile.

 

  1. Crusher

 

Chuck has just discovered WordGirl trying out codes despite her earlier assurance that she wouldn’t.

 

“If you can't trust a superhero, who can you trust?! And I was all excited to tell you. I was gonna ask for ten million dollars!”

 

“You were?”

 

Impressive!

 

“Thanks! But since you couldn't wait, WordGirl, I'm not gonna ask for anything! I'm gonna crush City Hall right now! You are all doomed!” He laughs evilly as he holds up a remote-control detonator.

 

Before he can set it off, though, WordGirl receives a phone call from an unknown number, and Chuck allows her to take it before they continue.

 

“Uh, hello?”

 

“Chuck's first pet was a little bunny named Fluffy!”

 

“… Tobey?”

 

“Just type it into the blasted machine!”

 

He hangs up, and WordGirl types in the name. It stops the crusher with one second left just before Chuck presses his remote. It needs to be recalibrated now, so nothing happens, and Chuck sinks to his knees in defeat.

 

Down below, Tobey and Scoops step out of the Hall unscathed. Claire still runs up to the boys and looks them over. Tobey hands the file to his mom, sheepishly admitting to breaking in so he can help.

 

“Honestly, I’m surprised I didn’t see an army of robots. I hoped you were okay.”

 

“I didn’t want to trigger Mrs. Botsford’s robophobia,” he admits, gesturing to the slightly frozen woman ambling away from City Hall.

 

And so, City Hall is saved from doom by the swift thinking and explosive kung fu of WordGirl… and Tobey! Tune in next time for another thrill-packed episode of WordGirl!

 

 

Title Card ♫♪

credited as “Two-Brain Highway”

[desc. A face-Off between WordGirl and Huggy versus Two-Brains and a ray gun, with Tobey, Scoops, and the Henchmen in the background]

♫♪Wordgirl!

Narrator: Today’s featured words are ‘coincidence’ and ‘guarantee’

[scene: camera focuses on a press conference in front of the city maximum security prison]

 

Outside the city maximum security prison, Warden Chalmers is holding a press conference.

 

“Today is a historic day in history! On this historic day, history will show that we have indeed made history! I give you the newest innovation in prison security: the Giant Maze! It is absolutely escape-proof! And that's a guarantee!”

 

In the crowd, Scoops writes what the warden says in shorthand. When he gets to the end, he looks between his classmates on either side: Tobey and Becky.

 

“Hey, what does guarantee mean?”

 

“It's a promise,” Tobey starts.

 

“That what he says is true!” Becky finishes.

 

She ignores the dual stares from the boys and focuses on her mom cutting the ceremonial ribbon. Turns out, they’ve never tested the maze, so they’re going to do so live! The doors of a police transport open, revealing Dr. Two-Brains accompanied by two guards. He laughs maniacally and starts sniffing the air, but the warden is nonplussed.

 

“You see? Under control. Now, in order to prove to you that this maze is totally escape-proof, I will set Dr. Two-Brains free!”

 

The guard slams the door, locking the doctor inside. Unknown to the warden and guards, his henchmen are on the scene. They guide him to the exit, and he escapes in the van, driving past the crowd as Chalmers keeps talking. Squeaky had a massive ego, though, and she maliciously laughs as they pass.

 

The crowd disperses and a demolition crew moves in. Sally asks the kids if they’re ready for lunch; Scoops, Tobey, Violet, TJ, Johnson, and Bob raise their hands. Only Becky stutters through an excuse.

 

“Oh, um, I can't. Uh, I have to take Bob to, uh... obedience school! Uh, sit, Bob! Roll over!”

 

When Bob ignores her out of degradation, Sally assumes she’s telling the truth and sends them on their way. She doesn’t notice Tobey staring at her suspiciously.

 

Meanwhile, in the lair of Dr. Two-Brains…

 

The doctor has changed out of his prison uniform, and he appreciates the new digs. Meatloaf anticipates Two-Brains’ need for cheese and has a pamphlet for the museum’s rare cheese exhibit in his hand.

 

“And just when I was having a craving! What a coincidence!”

 

He notices Meatloaf and Charlie whispering to each other and calls them out on it.

 

“Me and Charlie were talking, see, and well, while you were in prison, we worked for this other guy for a little bit, and we got to wear these really nice uniforms!”

 

He nervously holds up a photo of them dressed in tuxedos with top hats. Boxleitner points out that it’s a little formal, but Meatloaf and Charlie just want to try new uniforms.

 

“Eh, I'll see what I can do. No guarantees though! But no time for that now, boys, because we have a robbery to plan!”

 

Meanwhile, searching the city…

 

WordGirl and Huggy have been scouring Fair City for the van or any sign of Two-Brains. Below them, someone in a cheese costume dances in front of the grocers. She flies down and takes a brochure from him, reading about the rare cheese exhibit.

 

“Wow, that seems like a bit of a coincidence!”

 

“Uh, what?” The cheese man asks without stopping his dance.

 

“A coincidence! It's two events that seem unlikely to happen at the same time, but do, almost as if they're planned. For example, the fact that there's a rare cheese exhibit at the museum the very same day that Dr. Two-Brains escapes from prison is a coincidence.”

 

He nods, and WordGirl takes off with Captain Huggy Face.

 

Later that night, in the museum…

 

At the Museum of Art and History. A mysterious figure is moving through the halls with a flashlight. The figure walks up to a door with a control panel next to it, and keys 1337 into the panel. The door opens, and the figure walks through. WordGirl, who has been waiting inside with Captain Huggy Face, turns on the lights. The mysterious figure turns around and is revealed to be Dr. Two-Brains.

 

“Nice-looking pile of cheese, isn’t it, doc? Did you plan this before you escaped from prison?”

 

“No!” He laughs. “Sure seems that way though, huh? Just a coincidence. Crazy old world...”

 

“Sure is, yeah…”

 

WordGirl sighs, feeling like she’s talking with Professor Boxleitner again. Meatloaf and Charlie walk up, flanking the doctor, so he assumes a fighting pose.

 

“Well, my backup's here, should we, uh, pick this up?”

 

WordGirl frowns tiredly; she and Huggy assume similar poses. “Yeah, might as well.”

 

“Aha, WordGirl! It looks like we have you outnumb—”

 

He gets hit by a flying cheese wheel, knocking him over, and the henchmen raise their hands in surrender. WordGirl hovers in slight confusion. That was much easier than she expected. The chandelier above rattles and creaks, so WordGirl ignores the criminals at her feet; she flies up and grabs the chandelier to keep it from falling. Captain Huggy Face pulls out an electric screwdriver and swings to the ceiling to secure it. When they return to the ground, Two-Brains and the henchmen are gone.

 

“Are you kidding me?!”

 

What?

 

“Why'd that lighting fixture fall out of the ceiling at the very moment Dr. Two-Brains needed to escape?”

 

Just a coincidence, I guess.

 

It’s too late to stop him, though. It’s past Becky and Bob’s bedtime. At Two-Brains’ lair, the henchmen are playing cards when Squeaky takes over to gift them some new uniforms: mouse costumes, complete with whiskers.

 

“You don’t like them,” she sighs dejectedly, pushing Steven back in the reins.

 

“No! It's just that... well... they seem a bit... big?” Meatloaf speaks for the two of them. “I mean, you gotta realize…”

 

“Look, that's the new uniform, okay? If you're gonna work for me, you're gonna have to wear it!” They snap, voices shaking. “Now go put it on!”

 

The next morning, Becky is exhausted, falling asleep at the kitchen table. She glances through the newspaper before her dad Tim comes in. There are so many cheese events across the city: the Cheese on Ice show over at the arena, the premiere of that new musical "I Love You (But I Love Your Cheddar More)", the Days of Gorgonzola Festival in the park, and Warden Chalmers showing off his 140-year-old Limburger, the world's rarest cheese.

 

At the Days of Gorgonzola festival, Two-Brains arrives by his mouse blimp and uses a large vacuum to suck up the cheese from the table. WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face arrive as he flies away. At the premiere of the musical, Two-Brains and the henchman leave the theater carrying bags of cheese. WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face race toward the scene, but Two-Brains sprays cheese on the ground, causing them to slide past as the criminals make their escape.

 

At the Cheese on Ice show, the henchmen (dressed in their new mouse uniforms) skate on the ice pushing carts filled with cheese, with Two-Brains behind them in an acrobatic pose. They find themselves skating toward WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face, but Two-Brains pushes a button on a remote control, causing a large slice of Swiss cheese to drop onto the superheroes, allowing them to escape. Finally, the Warden is about to present his 140-year-old Limburger cheese. He lifts the cover to reveal the cheese sitting on the podium. He asks if anyone has any questions, and Meatloaf walks up wearing a disguise.

 

“Hi, sorry I'm late.”

 

“Oh, that's okay, no problem.” He brushes it off. “You didn't miss much, I'll recap. What newspaper are you from?”

 

“I am from the New Cheddar Review,” he replies with practice.

 

WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face show up just as Meatloaf produces a remote, and all the power goes out. People naturally panic, and Huggy launches himself toward the henchman. Only seconds later, the lights come back on. Captain Huggy Face is attacking the Warden, then quickly lets go. Next to him, the cheese has been stolen off of the podium.

 

Nearly missing dinnertime, WordGirl follows a series of coincidences that lead her to Dr. Two-Brains’ lair. He’s surprised, and they have a little chat on the topic. As the henchmen crowd around, WordGirl coos at them.

 

“What are you, henchmen or henchmice!?”

 

He sends them after her, but Huggy knocks them over, and a light fixture falls on Two-Brains before he can fire a ray gun at her. She and Narrator speak simultaneously.

 

Coincidence!”

 

And so, with a little help from a big coincidence, WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face once again defeat the evil Dr. Two-Brains. Tune in again next time for another exciting episode of... WordGirl!

 

Notes:

DEFINITIONS:

Troubling, Troublesome: bothersome, difficult, or disconcerting
Vegetarians: people who don’t eat meat
Struggle: try really hard to do something
Reputation: what people think of you
Pizzazz: an attractive and glamorous style
Harbor: shipping port
Bugaboo: causes fear
Oblivious: clueless, unable to see what’s right in front of you
Enormous: gargantuan, massive
Bicker: tussle, brawl, squabble
Understand: comprehend
Prepare: practice
Cheat: trick
Captain: leader
Attention: interest
Amusement: delight
Accept: recognize
Glare: stare
Impressive: remarkable
Diversion: a way to distract people
Doomed: end in disaster
Hustle: hurry, move quickly

 

TOBEY’S ROBOTS:

GT 1000: Green Thumb (planter)
VVG 500: Vincent Van Gogh (artist)
LVB 300: Ludwig van Beethoven (music)
WAM 200: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (music)
UB 2000: Usain Bolt (athletic)
WR 800: Wilma Rudolph (athletic)
WEC 200: Wile E Coyote (athletic, indestructible)
FLW 500: Frank Lloyd Wright (architect)
MOD 800: Master of Disguise (drama)
JB 7000: James Bond (spy)
JG 9500: Joseph Grizzard (jewel thief)