The Gourd Returns

Evil Returns (and with friends)...

“Just look at them Timber,” Johnny said menacingly as the kids were playing. “All is well in their little world, until I come crashing down on it!”

Johnny, in his new Gourd costume, crept up closer to his enemies, just waiting for a chance to get his vengeance…

“You’re doing what Rolf?” Eddy asked.

He, Kevin, the Eds, and Rolf were having a conversation about Johnny, who hasn’t been seen since about a week ago. Rolf was also discussion something that could very well change his group, the Urban Rangers.

“Rolf is searching for more Urban Rangers,” he said. “Several people have already joined, and already they are gathering more.”

“And what are you planning to do with them?” asked Edd. “Why would you need more?”

“It has occurred to Rolf that we need an army,” Rolf answered. “An army who handle will intelligence gathering, interrogation, combat, engineering, and lawn mowing.”

“So your saying these guys will help us find Johnny?” Kevin asked.

“Yes,” Rolf replied. “They will

“How many did you get so far?” Eddy asked.

“Two dozen, thirty more on the way.”

“Too bad they won‘t get”

Their conversation was interrupted by an all to familiar figure wearing a gourd for a helmet, and holding a mop with a plank attached to it.

“So we meet again my enemies!” the figure screeched.

“Johnny?” Ed exclaimed. “Are you out of your mind?! Where were you?”

“Plotting my revenge!” he said, covering himself with his black cape.

“Johnny calm down,” Kevin said. “Just chill out.”

“Chill out, CHILL OUT!” Johnny yelled. He laughed a terrible sound, and pulled out something out of his pack. “Does this look familiar to you?”

It was the suit of Johnny’s old persona, Captain Melonhead. They all understood now. Johnny, after being injured by the kids, went completely insane and now wants his revenge.

“Johnny just calm down,” Edd pleaded. “Can’t we just talk about this?”

“It’s too late Double-D. Now meet your fates.”

Snapping his fingers, that was all it took. a group of kids wearing what appeared to be crudely made swat armor surrounded them, armed with wooden katana and BB rifles. But what interested them most about the suits were the logos on them, a lemon.

“Lemonbrook,” Ed whispered. “Lemonbrook‘s working with Johnny!”

“You‘re damn right Rolf,” Johnny said. “They’re much more tougher than you, and operate from their base Outer Heaven.”

“Metal Gear series fans huh?” Ed said.

“Yeah can’t be helped.” he shrugged. “And they have an old project of Double-D‘s.”

“You mean…” Edd said.

“Yes,” Johnny said. ‘Your old Metal Gear Rex replica, and they perfected it.”

Johnny donned his combat vest, which also bore the insignia of Lemonbrook. “From now on, call me The Gourd!”

He laughed as the Lemonbrook kids took them to a waiting bus, made from an old scam the Eds did, a bus that was supposed to take them to the candy store. But now it will take them to Lemonbrook, where the county’s commander will give them “special treatment.” The Gourd took shotgun, and drove off.

From the shadows, Nazz, Sarah, and Jimmy were watching with sadness in their eyes, sadness that their friend would go so far as given them to Lemonbrook. But they too also shared the blame, turning Johnny into a beast.

“What do we do?” Sarah asked.

“I don’t know,” Nazz answered.

There was a long silence that soon followed, like a dark cloud raining over you.

“Didn’t you hear what Rolf said?” Jimmy said. “Rolf said that there were new Urban Rangers.”

“Yeah but how are they going to help us?” Nazz asked.

“Hello, remember me,” Jimmy said, pointing to his Urban Ranger ID. “I’m an Urban Ranger too.” “That’s right,” Sarah said, with hope in her voice.

“So what difference does it make?” Nazz moaned.

“I know the guys Rolf recruited,” he said. “They’ve already started recruiting tons of people, and have some pretty important friends. Like the cul-de-sac leaders.”

Jimmy got out his cell phone, dialing a number.

“Hey Holly, It’s Jimmy.” He waited for a response. “Yeah, Rolf’s in trouble. Call off the Johnny search, we found the guy. Say, just how many guys did you recruit…”

“I can’t believe they managed to make this, and it‘s based on my design!” Edd said, as they approached Outer Heaven. It was a large towering fortress, based on their own Edtroplis. Dozens of search towers were placed all around the complex, buses also based on his design were carrying troops and resources into the base. It was both a marvel and a horror, clearly showing Lemonbrook’s superiority over the other counties.

“Pretty big on development eh?” Eddy said. “Hey Double-D, look over there.”

Edd looked to where Eddy pointed, and felt a tug at his stomach. It was his Metal Gear Rex, transported via helicopter.

“What the hell man?” Kevin said. “Johnny, are you out of your mind?!”

But Johnny didn’t answer, instead getting off the bus and walking toward the main gate, and entered the base.

Ed looked at his surrounding with horror, and tried to get up., intending to destroy everything in sight. But one of the guards aimed his rifle at him. That was enough persuasion for Ed, as he sat back down.

“What are we gonna do guys?” he asked his friends.

“This son of a sheppard don’t know ed-boy,” Rolf said.

“Just where the hell are they?” Sarah asked. She, Nazz, and Jimmy were searching every cul-de-sac in Peach Creek for Rolf’s new lieutenants, who were recruiting more for some kind of army. So far, there has been no sighting.

“Nothing,” Nazz said. “Michelle and Jack just called, they think they found them.”

“Where,” Jimmy said excitedly.

“Lime Bay.”

“It’s close by, it won’t take long.”

On the way to Lime Bay county, Nazz can’t help but think who the other urban rangers are like.

“A bunch of freaks like Rolf,” she mentally thought. Although she thought of him as a friend, she can’t help but think of way too many kids like him. One Rolf was enough for the world, she decided.

As for Sarah, she thought there would at least be some normal people in the group, but with skills of some kind. She went through Jimmy’s files on them, and found some surprising results on their members.

For example, Laura Perez, called Wolf by Rolf, was a marksman. He and Jimmy found her in Melonbluff county, as most of them. She was one of the first of the new ones, and showed great potential.

Michael Jones was a mechanic from Lemonbrook, giving Rolf info on their activities, including something called “Outer Heaven.”

"Laura...Mike," Sarah thought. "Just what are you doing?"

There was something else here, about one of Edd’s old projects. Metal Gear Rex, a mech from one of Ed’s games. Apparently, someone was seen stealing it from him. All that’s known about the assailant is that it’s a boy. Nothing else.

“Hey Jimmy?” Sarah asked.

“Yeah?” Jimmy answered.

“What can you tell me about Double-D‘s old project?”

“You mean the robot? We think Lemonbrook stole it.”

“What for?”

“To put us and the other counties in their place, what else is there?”

“Rex wasn’t the only thing that was taken you know,” Nazz said. “I think they also took some scams the Eds built.”

“Such as…” Jimmy asked.

“Well the Edzilla suit, Jawbreaker satellite, stinkbomb remains, and something called…Arsenal.”

“Did you just say ‘Arsenal’?” Sarah asked.

“Yeah, why do you ask?”

“Well, in one of Ed’s games,” Sarah said. “in mgs2, Arsenal Gear was this massive warship. An it was crawling with mechs and troopers, and filled with way too many heavy weapons.”

“So,” Jimmy said. “The Eds never built such a thing. Rolf kept track of all their scams, and they never built or designed a warship.”

“Not really,” Nazz whispered.

Nazz stopped to think, searching through her memory. She now remembered Ed searching Google and looking up Arsenal. It around the time of the “Evil Tim” failure, and Ed was trying to make a scam, but without the other two. He managed to make the specs, but lost them in when the Kankers attacked them.

“They must have sold them to Lemonbrook,” she continued. “And are probably finished with it.”

“Well Arsenal or not, we’re here,” Jimmy said.

Bellow them was a massive fort, and they could see uniformed kids going from here to there. Buses based on Edd’s design were either moving or being built. The fort itself was large, and a massive flag waved on the large pole. The flag bore the symbol of the Urban Rangers.

“Just stick close to me and you’ll be fine,” Jimmy assured, donning his urban ranger uniform.

Nazz and Sarah kept near Jimmy as they passed through checkpoints. When the guards saw Jimmy’s ID card, they asked what rank he was.

“One of the earliest,” Jimmy replied. “One of Rolf’s.”

“Sorry sir,” said one of them.

“How can we be of assistance?” asked the other.

“Get me who ever is in charge here,” Jimmy ordered.

Twenty minutes later, The commander came to the checkpoint. He was wearing a stylized version of the uniform, had long blonde hair, and seemed to be about sixteen.

“I’m Paul Michaels,” he said. “You’re Jimmy right?”

Jimmy nodded.

“Good, we’ve been waiting you…”