The MARVELOUS Muppets: The Great X-Muppet Caper

[muppetwriter]

First off, I just wanted to point out that the clip that was shown last night of the new X-Men movie on Jay Leno's Tonight Show was just awesome! It included one of the most memorable (and coolest) moves ever pulled off by two X-Men members (Wolverine and Colossus).

For anyone that hasn't seen it, Youtube.com has it there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7aHf5rDwas

Anyway, back to more important business, this is one of the two fanfics that I'm really going to be focusing on during the summer. With the third X-Men installment being only a few weeks away, I decided to create a sequel to the first X-Men/Muppets story that I'd done. This one will include characters from a variety of shows and games that I've grown attached to over the past few months, as well as appearances from popular Disney characters, "Fraggle Rock" characters, and other memorable Muppet characters.

But, despite all of these characters that will appear throughout the story, let's not forget who is the main focus....!

Chapter One​

“Come on! Get this piece of junk started already!!” Gonzo yelled, as both he and the entire X-Men crew were near the controls of the Blackbird, inside the cockpit. Behind them were the children that had been captured by the forces of William Stryker, a military leader with a hatred for mutants, from Professor Xavier’s School for the Gifted; they were sitting patiently yet a little worried of the nearby dam that was on the verge of crumbling. “If we don’t get out of here soon, this jet is going to become our own personal submarine!”

“We’re trying, weirdo! We’re trying!” Logan exclaimed, and while the X-Men were shouting amongst themselves, coming up with different ideas, Gonzo moved away from them and over to Professor Xavier, who was sitting in one seat and relieving from the nightmare that he was put through under the captivity of William Stryker.

“You alright, Professor?” Gonzo asked, and Xavier gave him a weak smile.

“I’ll just be pleased once we get to Washington.” He said. “I fear that Erik might’ve been right…the war is coming a lot sooner than we anticipated.” Whenever the other mutants talked about “the big war,” it increased Gonzo’s worry; he didn’t want to fight with the people that feared them, especially when some of them were his friends. If a war was coming, then Gonzo knew he had to warn Kermit and the other Muppets as soon as possible.

“Gonzo…” Someone said, softly, and Gonzo turned to Jean Grey, who was standing at the rear of the cockpit, looking towards the exit ramp.

“Yes, Dr. G?” Gonzo said, and as he approached her, she looked away from the ramp and down at him, with her eyes watering up. “What’s wrong?” Jean carefully knelt down on one knee, making sure that the knee was not on the same leg that she had a sprained ankle on. She placed both of her hands on Gonzo’s shoulders, looking directly into his eyes.

“I just want you to know that you were very brave back there at the base.” Jean said. “It took a lot of courage to join us in our rescue.”

“It was my duty as a member of the X-Men team to see that they were saved.” Gonzo remarked. “When I first helped you guys back on Liberty Island to stop Magneto, I realized how good it felt to something to protect the world. Ever since I was little, I’d always dreamt of becoming a real hero. And thanks to the X-Men, I’m finally living that dream.” He looked back towards the other X-Men, who still had no success in starting up the jet. “I only wish it could’ve lasted a little longer.”

“It will, Gonzo.” Jean assured.

“It’s too late, Dr. G.” Gonzo said. “There’s no way we’ll be able to get this thing off the ground before that dam breaks.”

“I’ve always told you that nothing’s impossible, unless you force it to be impossible.” Jean said. “You have to believe that things will get better, Gonzo. Never give up hope.” If there was anyone on the team that always made Gonzo feel at home, it was Jean Grey. Her words were always so serene and comforting, even after a long, uneasy discussion about an unforeseen war.

“Thanks…Jean.” Gonzo said, just before he gave her a long, warm hug.

“COME ON! START!!!” Logan shouted, and Gonzo let go of Jean, heading back over to the others, as their patience was wearing thin. Gonzo thought hard about any of the millions of mutant powers he contained that could possibly assist them. With so many powers to think through, it was hard for Gonzo to determine which one to use; there was not much time to go through them all. “Weirdo!” Gonzo looked over at Logan, who was getting so upset that he was on the verge of another berserker rage. “You’re the one who can do everything! Do something!”

“I’m trying to, Wolverine!” Gonzo exclaimed. “It’s not easy when…”

“Jean?” Xavier interjected, and everyone turned their heads to see that Jean was no longer inside the jet.

“Wait! Where’s Jean?!” Logan yelled, just as Gonzo looked through the cockpit window to see her standing several feet away from the Blackbird, in the middle of the snow-covered area.

“She’s outside!!” Gonzo exclaimed, and that’s when Scott Summers (the love of Jean’s life) reacted frantically, running towards the exit ramp, which suddenly closed when he was a foot away from it. The jet’s controls came to life, and Storm, who was sitting in the pilot’s seat, was pinned down by the control stick.

“We’re not leaving!!!” Cyclops screamed, angrily. “Lower the ramp…NOW!!!!” Storm desperately tried to move the control stick away from her lap, but it wouldn’t budge. Some unseen force was controlling the ship, and from the way Jean had both hands aimed at the Blackbird outside, Gonzo knew that the force was coming from her.

“She’s controlling the ship.” Gonzo uttered, and everyone looked through the cockpit window, as a massive wave of water was flowing towards them, signifying that the dam had crumbled. When the massive wave was in close range, Jean moved her left arm away from the Blackbird and towards the wave, using her telekinesis to block the water. The water was flowing around the jet, courtesy of the protective field that Jean had over it; she was using her power on two things: the water and the jet.

“Why is she risking her safety like this?!?!” Cyclops exclaimed, as he was forced to stand by and watch his girlfriend put herself in a precarious situation. “We have to get her out of there somehow!”

“You!” Logan said, turning to Kurt Wagner (a.k.a. “Nightcrawler”), a blue-skinned mutant of German descent with six fingers and six toes; he had long canine teeth, yellow eyes, pointed ears, and a prehensile tail. “Go out there and get her!” Kurt was way ahead of Logan; he tried to use his mutant power of teleportation to go out and retrieve Jean, but something was keeping him inside the ship.

“She’s not letting me!” Kurt told Logan, who had a stunned look on his face, as he turned back to the window and watch Jean struggle to keep her hold on the jet and the water. Gonzo looked closely at her body and noticed something that the others were too worried to notice. Her body seemed to be glowing in a bright reddish-orange color, which puzzled Gonzo. Before he had the chance to figure out what the reason for the body glowing was, Xavier began speaking, only it was Jean’s subconscious coming through him.

“I know what I’m doing. And it’s the only way.” Hearing what Jean was saying through Professor Xavier, Cyclops rushed over to him and spoke to “her.”

“Jean…I love you…don’t…don’t do this, Jean!” Xavier/Jean smiled at Scott.

“Don’t fear, Scott. Everything will be alright.” Gonzo was the next one to rush over to Xavier; he was more scared over what Jean was attempting than Cyclops was.

“Jean, please! We need you!” Gonzo said. “I need you, Jean! Please don’t go!” His words were surely out of desperation, and outside the jet, Jean heard his voice and the thought of leaving him tore her more than anything else. It was that moment when she really hated herself for what she was doing; but she just reminded herself that it was the only way.

“Goodbye, Gonzo.” Jean murmured, just before she used her telekinesis to raise the Blackbird off the snow-covered ground. Once the jet was high enough, Jean turned to the wave that she still had a hold on; her eyes were literally fiery, and the bright reddish-orange glow over her body had increased, spreading five feet from her body. Soon Jean had released the hold she had on the wave; she closed her fiery eyes, as she allowed the water to drown her.

----------

“JEAN!!!!” Gonzo screamed, and his voice echoed throughout the forest, as he woke up from his slumber. It was daytime, and he spent the entire night sleeping in a pile of leaves that he made to keep him warm. Of course, if he got a little cold, then he could always use one of his mutant powers to raise his body temperature. “Oy! What a horrible nightmare!” Or was it a nightmare? Gonzo wasn’t sure what it was exactly, but he had been having “dreams” about the X-Men for the longest time.

He knew that it had to be because he spent a lot time thinking of the X-Men, ever since he helped them stop Magneto and his Brotherhood on Liberty Island. That was an experience to be remembered by not only him, but Kermit, Fozzie, and Rizzo as well (since they were there alongside him as Bobby “Iceman” Drake, Jubilation “Jubilee” Lee, and Peter “Colossus” Rasputin…respectively). Gonzo wished he could’ve actually been there at Professor Xavier’s mansion with the other mutants, but he didn’t want to leave his friends in Manhattan behind, which was why he used his mutant power of cloning to send a copy of himself to be with them and function as their very first “X-Muppet.”

However, something had brought him out of Manhattan to journey over to Westchester, where the X-Mansion was located. Two days prior to his departure, Gonzo had an eerie feeling that something terrible had happened up north, and he wanted to find out what it was. He knew that leaving Manhattan without telling anyone about it would get him in a world of trouble, especially with J. Jonah Jameson, who didn’t tolerate absences. But Gonzo decided to take that risk, only because his mutant heritage was a lot more important than finding an article for the Daily Bugle.

As he jumped out of the pile of leaves that he was in and gathered his duffel bag, he wondered if the “dreams” that he had been having were in fact memories that his clone was somehow sharing with him. He knew that had to be the case, since the dreams seemed so real and the feelings that he had about them were so strong. Gonzo gasped at the one “dream” he just had about Jean, wondering if it had any connections with the eerie feeling that he had. If it did, then he had to get to Westchester immediately.

Moments later, leaving a trail of “Oz Bar” candy wrappers behind in case he got lost, Gonzo was surprised when he finally came across a road. It was the first road that he came upon entering the wilderness regions of the upper section of the Bronx. He smiled when he noticed a road sign that indicated he was entering Westchester; the only problem was that the Salem Center was located in the further up north, which meant that he had more miles to travel.

“I knew I should’ve brought Fozzie’s Studebaker with me on this trip.” Gonzo murmured, and he sighed with misery as he began walking down the road. That’s until he heard the sound of a vehicle approaching, and he turned just in time to see a pearl white 1963 Volkswagen with red, white, and blue racing stripes, sporting a big racing-style number “53” on the front bonnet, doors, and engine lid. “Now that is a weird car.”

Gonzo’s eyes widened with impressiveness over the Volkswagen, as it slowed down on the deserted road and stopped right next to Gonzo. He could barely make out who was in the vehicle, since the windows were pretty dim. Suddenly, the passenger door flew open and out stepped a fifteen-year-old boy with spiky light brown hair and impressive, colorful clothes. To Gonzo, he seemed like the friendly type, and it wasn’t the bright smile on his face that gave him the idea; he just sensed it somehow (another mutant ability, perhaps?).

“Is your name ‘Gonzo’?” The boy asked, with a lively voice.

“Yes.” Gonzo replied, and soon after he responded, the boy turned back towards the Volkswagen and addressed his companions.

“It’s him!” He exclaimed, excitedly, just before the other characters in the Volkswagen jumped out. Out of the five characters that appeared, Gonzo only recognized three of them; he was able to because he and the Muppets have been connected with them for almost sixteen years.

“Hiya, Gonzo!” said a familiar mouse with a squeaky voice and large, round, unforgettable ears. “You know, you sure do have a lot of people back in Manhattan worried about you.” The mouse approached Gonzo with two of his very best friends (a goofy dog that was often noted as being part man and a temperamental duck who was very hard to understand at times) right by his side. Gonzo was happy to see them there; it had been the longest time since he had seen them in person. But he wasn’t too pleased over the fact that they knew about him being missing; that meant they were there only because Kermit beckoned them for a “search and retrieve” mission.

“I’m not going back to Manhattan, Mickey.” Gonzo demanded, and he gestured towards the other three teenagers that Mickey, Goofy, and Donald brought with them. “And I really hope these kids aren’t your bodyguards, because with my mutant powers, I can kill seven with one blow myself!” Mickey, Goofy, and the three teenagers chuckled, while Donald was rolling his eyes in exasperation; they each have known Gonzo for a long time, and the notion of him being a mutant was a joke to them.

“Kermit told us all about your, uh, ‘newfound abilities’, Gonzo.” Mickey said. “We won’t dare try to bring you back to Manhattan by force.”

“Unless you intend on giving us trouble.” said the other teenage boy who had long silver hair, clothes that made him look like he was attending a skateboarding festival, and seemed to be the oldest out of the three teenage characters.

“Oh, relax, Riku.” Goofy told him. “Gonzo’s a terrific guy; he doesn’t mean any harm.” Gonzo couldn’t pretend any longer that the three teenage characters weren’t there; he didn’t like meeting people that knew who he was, but he didn’t know them in return.

“Could you guys please tell me who these kids are?” He asked. “They look like something out of Hayao Miyazaki movie!”

“You don’t play many video games, do ya?” Goofy remarked, with a smile.

“These are some friends of ours that helped us in a pretty sticky situation not too long ago. They come from a place called Destiny Islands, a place where children could venture and explore all day with lack of parental supervision.” Mickey told Gonzo, as he moved in between the two teenage boys. “These handsome fellas are Sora and Riku.” He then moved over to the third character, a beautiful red-headed fifteen-year-old girl in a pink dress and a pair of sneakers whom most believed would be a princess, if it weren’t for the normal lifestyle. “And this is Kairi.”

“And they’re not here to help you guys bring me back?” Gonzo asked, and that’s when Donald got really upset and started yelling at Gonzo.

“You’ve got Kermit and the others really worried about you!” He yelled, and Mickey placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

“Now, Donald, let’s not go nuts here.” Mickey said. “I’m sure Gonzo has a good reason for leaving Kermit and the others without any notice.”

“I’ve been having these weird dreams lately.” Gonzo said, and Sora laughed a little.

“I know how that feels.” He uttered.

“I don’t know what’s happening, but I’ve got a feeling that something bad is either happening or eventually going to happen to Professor Charles Xavier and the X-Men.” Gonzo added, and that sentiment was what got Mickey and the others to start taking the situation a bit more seriously, despite whether or not they believed in the “rumor” that Gonzo was a mutant.

“And you believe that if you don’t get to Xavier in time that you’ll regret never being there to prevent things from getting worse?” Sora asked Gonzo.

“Listen, I realize that it was a bad idea to just leave Manhattan and not tell Kermit and the others; they’re probably wondering if I’m even alive.” Gonzo said, and the thought of the others thinking that he was dead made him a bit uncomfortable. “But…I-I have to go see Xavier…I just have to know if he’s alright or not. He…He has been so good to me in the past…he’s almost like the father that I never thought I would have.”

At that moment, Mickey and the others were beginning to feel for Gonzo deeply. Though the thought of him being a mutant was the funniest thing they had ever heard, the emotion that he showed was real enough to convince them that he might’ve been a mutant. They could not be too sure, since they weren’t with him, Kermit, Fozzie, and Rizzo when they fought alongside the X-Men against Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants on Liberty Island, where Gonzo had performed some of the most amazing abilities ever. They were certain about one thing: Gonzo was their friend, and he needed support. However, Mickey made a promise to an old FASA buddy; and when Mickey Mouse made a promise, he made sure that it was kept.

“Gonzo, listen…” Mickey said, and before he could continue, the sound of an energetic dog barking caught his attention. He glanced back at the Volkswagen to see his fateful dog, Pluto, smiling at him. Mickey sighed in despair; he felt like he was caught between two opposing forces and forced to choose a side.

“You know it’s the right thing to keep your promise to Kermit, Mickey,” whispered a small voice that could’ve been Mickey’s conscience, but it was really Jiminy Cricket, a character who was the closest thing to it, “But you know it’s humane to support Gonzo and his mission.” Jiminy stood on Mickey’s left shoulder, as the mouse lowered his head and rubbed the back of it. Pluto came to his side, and while he was gently stroking the dog’s head, he looked back up at Gonzo and smiled.

“Isn't Westchester known for their tasty cheesecake?” Mickey asked.

END OF CHAPTER ONE​

There's another chapter coming very soon.

 

[ReneeLouvier]

Awesome story, MW!

 

[muppetwriter]

A little bit more action in this chapter. And I'm hoping that a few "Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends" fans (if any) on the forum will enjoy the upcoming "cameos".

Chapter Two​

“Logan! Look out!” Gonzo shouted, and Logan turned to see a couple of darkly clad military soldiers appearing in the hallway and firing a few darts directly into his right shoulder. The darts were supposed to knock out Logan, but because of his powerful healing factor, they had no affect. Ignoring the small darts that were sticking out of his shoulder, Logan charged at the two soldiers, with his sharp, deadly claws sprouting out of his hands, and he slashed at them.

While Logan was slaughtering the two soldiers, Gonzo ran down the other side of the hallway; wearing his polka-dotted pajamas underneath a red robe, he felt a little awkward running from an army of heavily-armored soldiers that came out of nowhere and infiltrated Xavier’s mansion. As he rounded a corner and joined a group of young mutants that was following Peter Rasputin (a.k.a. “Colossus”), Gonzo wondered who could’ve been behind the attack. It was obviously not Magneto, because he wouldn’t trust humans to do his dirty work, and he was also locked away someplace.

“Gonzo!” cried the voice of a young woman, and Gonzo turned and noticed how Rogue was running alongside him. “Have you seen Bobby?” Gonzo knew exactly who Rogue was looking for; he met him during the time Kermit the Frog had taken over his body.

“Iceman?” That was what Gonzo had grown to address him as; he had been addressing every other mutant by their nickname (if they had one), ever since he had been staying at Xavier’s mansion. “The last place I saw him was in the kitchen, where Logan and I were talking.” Gonzo could tell Rogue was really scared; what he didn’t realize was that she had been scared of things greater than the unforeseen attack for the longest time. But Rogue wasn’t scared for herself; she was scared for the boy that she had become very attached with.

“We’ve got to find him, Gonzo! He could be in trouble!” Rogue exclaimed.

“Alright. Follow me.” Gonzo said, and instead of running in the same direction that Colossus and the other mutant children were running, he and Rogue went down some stairs and cautiously searched the first floor of the mansion. That was when they were cornered by five soldiers, who were flashing bright lights in their eyes and aiming their tranquilizer guns at them.

“Freeze!” One of the soldiers ordered.

“Who are you people?!” Gonzo asked.

“Lie down on the floor and put your hands on your head…NOW!!!” The soldier demanded, and Gonzo & Rogue were becoming increasingly nervous; neither of them knew how to handle the situation, because they had never been held at gunpoint before.

“We’re not going to tell you freaks again!” Another soldier yelled, just before something unusual happened to his gun that forced him to drop it. “What the…?” Gonzo, Rogue, and the soldiers watched with fascination, as the tranquilizer gun shattered to pieces once it hit the ground.

“Are they attacking us with ice sculptures?” Gonzo wondered, as the other four soldiers were forced to drop their guns, only to let them also shatter to the floor. Now defenseless, the freaked-out soldiers retreated, while a puzzled Gonzo and a baffled Rogue inspected the icy remains of the guns. Rogue picked up one piece and noticed how dreadfully cold it was; she knew that there was only one force on Earth that could chill-out anything that heavily.

“Bobby!” She uttered, just as Iceman and John Allerdyce (a.k.a. “Pyro”) came out from behind a tapestry and approached Rogue and Gonzo. As Pyro came up next to Gonzo, the weirdo was still a bit cautious of him; though Professor Xavier was able to wipe out any memory he had of Magneto’s dangerous Brotherhood team that he was once in, the weirdo still had his own memories.

“We’ve got to find a way outta here.” Pyro said.

“Colossus was leading the others someplace on the upper floor.” Gonzo said. “Maybe we should see if we can catch up with them.”

“Personally, I would like to stay and square off with these punks.” Pyro stated, with a hint of pure hatred in his voice that made Bobby and Rogue as cautious as Gonzo was of him.

“With what? A cigarette lighter and an uncontrollable mutant power?” Bobby said. “You’re liable to do more damage than these guys are, John.”

“He’s right, Pyro.” Gonzo said. “Let’s just get out of here and go someplace safe.”

“But what about Logan?” Rogue asked, and up until the moment Rogue mentioned his name, Gonzo had completely forgotten about him. “We can’t just leave him behind.”

“The dude can take care of himself.” Pyro remarked. “He seems like a pretty tough guy.”

That’s when the four mutants heard the sound of approaching footsteps; before they knew it, the soldiers that they thought they defeated had returned, with guns that did not have tranquilizers in them—but, in fact, real bullets. Gonzo, Rogue, Iceman, and Pyro figured that it was over for them, because the soldiers now considered them dangerous and needed to be eliminated as soon as possible.

“I got the feeling they made those guns ‘ice-proof’.” Gonzo assumed.

“Well, then how about we let them thaw out a bit.” Pyro suggested, and he was about light up his cigarette lighter, until Bobby held up his left hand at him in protest. John couldn’t believe that Bobby was refusing to let the group retaliate, especially when their lives were at risk. “You have been listening to Xavier way too much, Drake.”

“We’re not going to be responsible for any deaths, John.” Bobby retorted.

“That’s right, Iceman!” Gonzo exclaimed, and then he addressed the soldiers. “You can exterminate us in any way you choose; but just know that our deaths will not hold back millions of other mutants. We are not alone! We are not…” Gonzo stopped when a wild scream echoed throughout the mansion, and out of nowhere appeared Logan, who literally dropped in on the scene and toppled over two of the soldiers, digging his claws into their backs. Before the other soldiers could fire at him, he slashed at their rifles, slicing them in half.

Logan howled madly as he stabbed a soldier in the stomach and then hurled him over the air, throwing him against another one. With the dead soldier’s body smacking against him, the other soldier fell back and accidentally banged his head against a stone statue. After taking down the two soldiers, Logan focused on the last one, who he kicked in the face and finished off by sticking all six of his claws into his sides. When Logan removed his claws from both sides of the soldier’s torso, the soldier collapsed to the floor. Wolverine turned to the stunned Gonzo, Rogue, Bobby, and John, panting heavily.

“You kids alright?” He asked, and they slowly nodded in reply, as Logan’s claws went back into his hands. “Let’s go.” Logan led the four mutants away from the area, which now had five bodies (four dead and one barely conscious) lying all around. The mutants went to a section of the mansion that the intruders hadn’t reached yet; when they had come across a dead end in the hallway they were running through, four of them found the situation becoming hopeless.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I’d like to have a body count of my own.” Pyro uttered, obviously referring to Logan’s most recent attack on the soldiers.

“Hey, kid, I only had to do what I did to those jerks because they were about to pump you all with lead.” Logan told Pyro. “Don’t go startin’ a fight that you can’t get out of!”

“So what are we going to do?” Pyro asked. “They’re going to find us in a matter of seconds.” While the others were panicking, Gonzo calmly walked over to a section of a wall that he seemed very familiar with. He pressed his hands against that section for a brief moment, and then there was an electronic noise that caught the attention of Logan, Rogue, Bobby, and Pyro.

“What the heck was that?” Logan asked, just as the section of the wall that Gonzo pressed against slid away to reveal a secret passageway. Logan, Rogue, Bobby, and Pyro were very impressed by Gonzo’s knowledge of the mysterious exit. “Weirdo, you’ve only been here for at least a month. How were you able to uncover all these secrets so quickly?”

“You’d be surprised at what you can learn about a place in a month, Logan.” Gonzo said.

“Yeah, well, you can tell me about some other secrets later.” Logan remarked. “Let’s just get out of here, before those soldiers find us.” Rogue was the first one to start crawling through the secret passageway; she was followed by Pyro and then Bobby. As Gonzo started to crawl through himself, he noticed how Logan was looking back towards the hallway; he stopped and attempted to urge for him to hurry.

“Come on, Logan!” He exclaimed, and Logan looked back at Gonzo for a long moment, seeming to be making some kind of decision. Without any kind of warning, Logan kicked a solid part of the wall, and Gonzo was caught by surprise when he realized that the secret passageway was sealing back up. “Logan? Logan!” Before the passageway had closed completely, Gonzo caught a glimpse of Logan’s hands, as all six of his claws sprouted out of them. It was then that Gonzo figured that Logan was going back to take down the rest of the intruders. “LOGAN! NOOOOO!!!!!!”

-----------

Gonzo mumbled Logan’s name as he slept in the backseat of the Volkswagen; however, when the little car began rocking wildly to its left and right, Gonzo had awoken and realized that he was alone in the car. But what he found most strange of all was the fact that the car was driving itself, making sharp turns that nearly sent it off the road. Gonzo looked back and noticed how Mickey and the others were chasing after him and the Volkswagen, while screaming for it to stop.

“Herbie!” shouted Mickey, and Gonzo was a little puzzled, wondering who exactly was the mouse talking to. “Wake up! Wake up!”

“I…I am up!” Gonzo shouted back to him, assuming that Mickey was addressing him. “And why are you calling me ‘Herbie’?!” Mickey and the group saw how Gonzo was awake, and they were quick to use him as a way of “calming down” the car.

“Gonzo! Put on the brake!” Mickey yelled, and Gonzo immediately went to work, climbing up to the front seat and attempting to put on the Volkswagen’s parking brake. Unfortunately, before he could’ve reached the brake, the car made another sharp turn that sent it flying off the road and down a steep rocky hill. Gonzo grabbed the wheel of the Volkswagen and desperately yanked it to the left and right, avoiding several large trees that came in its path.

“I’m beginning to think this car has a mind of its own!!!” Gonzo cried, just as a huge unavoidable log appeared in front of the car, which it eventually bumped into and caused Gonzo to crash through the windshield. The weirdo began tumbling down the rocky hill, getting his bizarre clothes ripped and dirtied in the process, until he came right up to a cliff that he fell forty feet from. “This would be so much fun, if I was doing it on purpose!!!!!”

Gonzo fell right towards a lake; hoping that he would land safely in the water, the weirdo ended up falling in the rocky regions of the lake and knocking himself unconscious. As his inert body floated in the shallow water, two small figures approached him: a two-foot-tall door-shaped, blue blob with no legs or arms (however, he could produce them at will if he wished) and a square-headed, eight-year-old boy. They had both watched Gonzo as he had taken his big dive off the cliff, and they were a little intrigued by his appearance.

“Is he some kind of…imaginary friend?” The boy asked, and the blue blob glided his way over to Gonzo’s inert body, picking it up out of the water and examining every part of his face, from his bulbous eyes (which were closed at the moment) to his hooked nose.

“I dunno.” The blob uttered. “He looks more like an alien to me.”

“Maybe he’s one of those mutants that we’ve been hearing about on the news.” The boy assumed, and the blob was a little confused.

“What news?” He said, and the naivety of the boy’s companion exasperated him. “Anyway, whoever or whatever he was, he’s obviously dead now.” The blob dropped Gonzo’s body back to the water, causing water to splash everywhere, and he started gliding away from the scene. “C’mon, let’s see if Frankie’s got those wieners ready.”

“Bloo!” exclaimed the boy, who seemed to be the smarter and more sensible of the two. “We can’t just leave him here! He could probably still be alive for all we know!”

“Mac, did you see the gigantic leap that guy took off that cliff?” Bloo said, pointing to the cliff itself. “No human being can survive a fall like that! No way!”

“Well, it’s obvious that he isn’t human.” Mac indicated, as he picked Gonzo’s body back out of the water again and carried him over to the surface. “We have to tell Frankie and the others.” Bloo just scoffed at the idea.

“Okay, Mac.” He said. “But don’t come crying to me when she finds out that he’s not an imaginary friend and starts freaking out, crying ‘Oh, no! It’s some kind of freak of nature! Get him away! Get him away!’.”

“Frankie’s not like that and you know it, Bloo.” Mac said, just as Gonzo started mumbling the name of a powerful character that he thought for sure would never come across his mind again.

“Mag…neto…Ma…Magneto…neto…Magneto.” He uttered, and Mac & Bloo both shared the same awkward expression.

“What’s that all about?” Bloo asked.

“Beats me.” Mac replied, as they started heading into some nearby woods.

END OF CHAPTER TWO​

 

[ReneeLouvier]

...I LOVE Foster's Home!! This is just so GREAT!!

 

[muppetwriter]

...I LOVE Foster's Home!! This is just so GREAT!!

Yeah, I've been debating with myself a lot on whether I should incorporate (I love that word) those characters into the story. I heard from someone that the show's creator was inspired by Jim Henson, and that rumor must be true, considering how the design of the characters is strangely similiar to that of Henson and his team.

I'll be getting more chapters in by next weekend. Right now, I've got to study for finals.

 

[muppetwriter]

Well, I'm finally done with my finals (didn't realized how redundant that sounds). Now it's on with the fun!!

Chapter Three​

“Magneto! We’ve got to go out there and find him!” Gonzo suggested, as he stood in Professor Xavier’s office with Logan, Storm, Hank McCoy (a.k.a. “Beast”), and a depressed Cyclops (who just stood by a window and looked out it, cringing as his sunglasses glared from the sunlight). “We’ve got to find both him and Pyro.”

“I don’t know about you, Weirdo,” Logan uttered, “But Pyro has already made his decision about where he stands in this war.” A month might’ve passed since the Alkali Lake incident, but the team was still distraught over the events, especially Jean Grey’s death.

“Logan’s right.” Xavier said. “In fact, I believe John Allerdyce made his decision long before the first time that he’d joined Magneto’s brotherhood. His hatred for the human race is stronger than Erik’s, which is why—no matter how much we try and ‘cleanse’ his mind—he will always be the same Pyro.”

“You can never take away a tiger’s strips from him no more than you can take away his will to hunt.” Beast stated, and the more they had sat around that room and talked, the more Gonzo’s impatience and anger increased.

“Enough with the metaphors!” He shouted. “We are on the verge of war here! We have to do everything we can to try and stop it, before things get totally out of hand!” For the first time in a stressful moment, Logan seemed very calm about the situation. He knew exactly how Gonzo felt, which was why he didn’t scream at him or demand for him to shut up. Instead, Logan walked right over to him and calmly placed a hand on his shoulder—something that Xavier or Storm probably would’ve done.

“Easy, Gonzo.” Logan said, and Gonzo looked up at him in surprise; that was the first time since he met Wolverine that he addressed the whatever by his name. “We all feel a little upset about Jean’s passing, and we all would like nothing more than to take it all out on Magneto and his ****** Brotherhood. But I don’t think she would’ve wanted you to go out on a killing spree, because of her death. She made her choice; and now it’s time for us to make ours. And we can only make the right ones, if we just work things out carefully.” Logan’s words were calming Gonzo down some; Xavier, Beast, and Storm were impressed over his ability to do it. Xavier was most impressed of all, sensing something in Logan that could make him a great X-Men leader.

“All of you have been really been good to me, especially you, Professor.” Gonzo said. “I don’t think most of my friends would’ve accepted my abilities as much as you guys have. One of my friends, a gofer named Scooter…it was only a few days ago when I called him and asked him if he still had hard feelings about mutants.” Xavier, Logan, Storm, Beast, and Cyclops were listening to Gonzo closely; other than Kermit, Fozzie, and Rizzo, they never heard much about the life and friends that Gonzo had “left behind” before becoming an X-Muppet.

“What did he say?” Storm asked, and Gonzo was quiet for the longest moment.

“Well…let’s just hope that S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t decide to target mutants anytime soon,” Gonzo said, “Because I think Scooter has that much power—or anger—to get them to do so.” The mutants were a little jittery from the revelation that Gonzo had given them; they knew all about S.H.I.E.L.D. and how they dealt with threats, which was why they’d always hoped the organization would never see them as one. “I can’t understand why he detests us so much.”

“Have you ever revealed to him that you were a mutant yourself?” Storm asked.

“I couldn’t find the courage to tell him.” Gonzo replied. “I’ve been afraid that he would shut me out of his life. And now that I find out he’s in league with S.H.I.E.L.D., I’m afraid that he’ll try to find a way to wipe me out for good.”

“Surely you don’t believe that.” Xavier told Gonzo. “If you’ve known Scooter your entire life, then you should know that he’ll accept you no matter what you are.”

“He’ll accept me for anything but a mutant.” Gonzo said. “He doesn’t trust them. He really doesn’t trust the X-Men.”

“Has this kid ever met or even encountered a mutant before?” Logan queried, and Gonzo shook his head. “Then what does he know about them or us? You’re the first one that he’s encountered, and he doesn’t even know it.”

“Maybe you can help him understand, Gonzo.” Storm suggested. “You can let him know that there are good mutants out there, if you just tell him that you’re one yourself.” Gonzo felt really confused and uncertain; if there was anything that scared him more than the upcoming war that people had been talking about, it was the thought of losing the respect of a friend.

“I don’t think I can do it.” He said, and Xavier looked closely at Gonzo, as if he was using his mutant ability to look deeper into the weirdo’s thoughts. In Gonzo’s mind, he saw a vision of Scooter, dressed in S.H.I.E.L.D. combat gear, squaring off against Gonzo in the famous Muppet Theatre. It was a battle like no other: a skilled mutant going up against a heavily-trained soldier, one fighting for survival and the other fighting for hate. Unfortunately, neither of the two combatants live to see who wins, because Magneto forced his way into the scene and eliminated Gonzo and Scooter. From this vision, Xavier knew exactly why Gonzo had feared so much of the brewing war.

“You have no place in this war, Gonzo.” Xavier said, and Gonzo & the others looked bizarrely at Xavier. “You fear that if a war does come, then you’ll be forced to challenge your greatest friend and your greatest foe, all on the same battlefield. You don’t want to fight in a war that Scooter will get involved with and die in.” Gonzo figured that Xavier must’ve read his mind again, which was why he was lowering his head in shame.

“I didn’t want you to find out.” He said. “But I should’ve known that I couldn’t hide anything from you, Professor.”

“Why would you want to hide a thought like that, Gonzo?” Storm asked, very concerned.

“I don’t know.” Gonzo said. “I just didn’t want you all to think that I didn’t care about the cause that we’ve been fighting so hard for.”

“I believe it is the cause itself that has made you so afraid, Gonzo.” Beast stated. “You believe in peace and harmony between mutants and everyone else as much as Jean had. You don’t want to see anything ruin the peace that you already have with your friend.”

“And I also don’t want anything to ruin the peace that I have with you all.” Gonzo said, just as Storm walked up to him and put his hands in hers.

“Nothing will ruin our feelings about you, Gonzo.” She said. “You have been one of the most dedicated members of our team. We will always respect you, no matter what kind of choice you make.”

“That’s right, Weirdo.” Logan said, saying his nickname for Gonzo in a respective manner. “If you feel that the friendship that you have with this Scooter kid is what’s holding you back from fighting any longer, then go back to him and your other pals and try to keep them safe from whatever will happen in the future.”

“But what about my abilities?” Gonzo asked. “I’m the mutant with the millions of powers, remember? And there are still a lot of them that I haven’t been able to control yet.”

“They’re only uncontrollable when you think about them.” Xavier said. “Before you discovered you were a mutant, your powers could never be unleashed, because you never thought you had any. Try not thinking about your abilities. I’m certain that’ll keep them from getting out of control.” Gonzo nodded; he then sighed, never realizing that morning would be his last in the X-Mansion.

“Well…I guess this is it.” Gonzo said, and the other mutants felt worse than they already were; they were about to lose another member of their team, and as much as it upset them, they knew it was for the best.

“Just know that you can always come to us when you need help, Gonzo.” Xavier said.

“Thank you, Professor.” Gonzo said, just before Storm knelt down and gave him a small kiss on his hooked nose, while hugging him warmly.

“You take care of yourself, my little blue friend.” Storm told him. “Send us a letter sometime and let us know how things turn out between you and Scooter.” Gonzo nodded, as he let go of Storm and walked over to Beast, shaking his hand (which was not only bluer than Gonzo’s, but a lot larger as well).

“Godspeed, friend.” Beast said, before Gonzo approached the highly depressed Cyclops, who was still staring out the large window behind Xavier’s desk. Gonzo knew that if there was anyone who was more distraught over Jean’s death, it was Cyclops, mainly because he and Jean were an item and were going to marry until she died. Cyclops felt Gonzo’s presence near him, and he looked down at the blue wonder, showing somewhat of a smile on his face. Gonzo didn’t say anything to Cyclops; he just looked at him and smiled right back.

“Good luck, Gonzo.” Cyclops murmured, as Gonzo began walking away from him and came up to Logan.

“You sure had a good run, Weirdo.” He said. “It’s a shame that it has to come to such an early end.” Gonzo was going to miss Logan more than anyone else in that mansion; he wondered if it was because Logan reminded him so much of his old rat buddy (Rizzo) that the two had bonded so well. “You know, you’ve always been the one who has kept our little team here together. We’ve survived a lot of fights, not just because of your talents…but because of your strong spirit. Your spirit has given us the strength to go on fighting and keep hope alive. The Professor knows it, the others know it, and…and Jean knew it as well.” Gonzo was honored to hear those words. The X-Men were his second family; he had grown as equally attached to them as he did with the Muppets.

“I don’t have to leave.” Gonzo said, turning his attention back to Xavier. “I can keep these feelings of mine from affecting my part in this fight.” Xavier smiled at Gonzo; he was pleased to hear how much he wanted to stay, but he mustn’t forget what he had taught his students.

“There is no power in the world that can keep your true feelings away.” He told Gonzo. “You must always follow them and never avoid them.” Those were indeed words to live by, and Gonzo realized how much truth was in them. He sighed again, as he walked to the door that led out of Xavier’s office; before he left, he took one last look at the group he was leaving behind, because that might be the last time he would see them.

--------

When Gonzo finally regained consciousness, everything was totally out of focus; everything was also still black as well. His eyes were able to focus themselves, and he realized that the only reason things were still black was because nighttime had arrived. The excruciating sensation in his head was driving him crazy; he couldn’t remember when he felt so much pain. In fact, he couldn’t remember anything at all!

Gonzo sat up and looked around at the area he was in; he had been lying down on a sleeping bag, with both his head and nose bandaged up nicely. His clothes were still tattered and weathered from the fall that he had taken. There was a light that had shined in the corner of his left eye, and he turned to see his rescuers (Mac and Bloo) sitting near a campfire with a peculiar group of characters: a horned, fanged, purple-furred seven-foot-tall, 542-pound, Spanish-accented creature named Eduardo; an eight-foot-tall, red creature with a stubby left arm and crooked eyestalk named Wilt; a feminine creature with the head and neck of a palm tree, the body of an airplane, the beak of a bird, and human legs and feet that went by the name Coco; and a giant rabbit that wore a top hat, a monocle, a vest, and a mustache named Mr. Herriman.

Accompanying these peculiar characters were a couple of more human ones: Madame Foster—an elderly woman with a lot of spunk and a love for trickery—and her easy-going, 22-year-old granddaughter Frances “Frankie” Foster, who’s really into punk rock, though she sometimes denies that fact.

“Boy, whatever planet I’m on, it sure does have some real weirdoes.” Gonzo said, just before he attempted to stand up slowly. He groaned as he got to his feet, attracting the attention of the peculiar group of humans and what most people would call “imaginary friends.”

“Hey, he’s up!” Bloo exclaimed, excitedly, and the group moved away from the campfire and approached Gonzo, who had his right hand over his bandaged head, seemingly in pain.

“You’ve got some pretty nasty bruises there.” Frankie told Gonzo. “Just relax now. You’re among friends, Magneto.” When Frankie addressed him by that name, Gonzo was a little puzzled; he felt disgusted by that name, though he wasn’t exactly sure why.

“What…What did you say?” Gonzo asked.

“I said you can relax now.” Frankie said. “You’re among friends…well… you’re actually among ordinary and imaginary friends now.”

“No, I mean…what did you call me?” Gonzo queried.

“You mean ‘Magneto’?” Frankie said, and Gonzo nodded. “Well, Mac and Bloo told me that you were mumbling that name while unconscious, so we just assumed that was your name.”

“That is your name, right?” Mac asked, but Gonzo wasn’t one hundred percent certain if it was or not. Not only did his head suffer a several blow from the fall he had taken, but his memory suffer one as well. He wanted to tell his “friends” that he didn’t know whether or not his name was “Magneto”; however, something about that name sparked his interest.

“Yes…i-it is.” Gonzo uttered, just as Bloo walked up closer to him and looked closely at the weirdo’s hooked nose.

“I’ve seen some strange imaginary friends in my day,” Bloo said, “But you’ve got to be the strangest that I’ve ever seen.”

“I-Imaginary friend?” Gonzo remarked.

“That’s what we are.” Wilt said. “Well, all of us except for Frankie and Madame Foster.” As he stared at Wilt, Gonzo was impressed by the massive size of the red-colored character. “My name’s Wilt and the ‘wild thing’ over there is Eduardo.”

“Hola.” Eduardo said, as Coco came up to Gonzo and stuck one of her legs out to him, which was her way of shaking hands.

“Coco! Coco! Coco!” She uttered, with a smile, and Gonzo—bewildered by her appearance—wasn’t quite sure how to respond.

“Uh…what?” He said.

“‘Coco’ is all that she says…and is,” Mac said, “But she’s really saying ‘hello’.” A strange smile crept across Gonzo’s face, as he raised a hand and grabbed Coco’s foot, shaking it as if it was an actual hand.

“Um, nice to meet you, Coco.” Gonzo said, before Mr. Herriman hopped his way over to the blue whatever.

“It is always an honor to meet a new imaginary friend.” Herriman said. “I am certain that there will be a place for you back at Foster’s, Master Magneto.”

“Foster’s?” Gonzo uttered.

“It’s where we take in any imaginary friend whose master either given up or gotten rid of.” Madame Foster, the founder of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, stated.

“What creative genius created you?” Bloo asked Gonzo, who wasn’t too familiar with the concept of creating imaginary friend.

“I…I think…I don’t know.” Gonzo said, and the Foster’s gang seemed a little shocked.

“You don’t know who created you?” Frankie asked, with concern.

“Oh, come on!” Bloo shouted. “You’ve got to know who created you! No imaginary friend can just come out of nowhere for no reason whatsoever!”

“Sometimes that can happen, Bloo.” Mac said. “Remember the belief I had about Cheese, before it turned out he was in fact someone else’s imaginary friend?”

“Ugh!” Bloo cringed. “Don’t remind me of that yellow freak of nature!”

“Master Bloo has a point…I never thought I would hear myself say that.” Herriman said, and he addressed Gonzo. “You must have a boy or girl that created you, Master Magneto. And you must know who he or she is. It is unethical to not know who your creator is.”

“No, it’s not.” Frankie contradicted. “There are a lot of imaginary friend out there who have no clue who their creator is. Some are so clueless of their existence that they sometimes wonder if God even created them!”

“God has imaginary friends?” Bloo asked, truly interested.

“Yes, Bloo.” Mac replied, with a sarcastic tone that Bloo failed to catch. “They’re called ‘people’.”

“COOL!!!” Bloo screamed, while Gonzo began to groan again over his aching head, which was a sign to Frankie that the weirdo probably needed some more rest.

“Lie back down, Magneto.” She said. “It’s best if you relax and not put too much pressure on your mind.”

“All of these questions…” Gonzo uttered, “And I don’t have many answers to them.”

“Don’t worry about it. We understand why you can’t remember who your creator is.” Frankie said, and she turned to the others. “Don’t we, guys?” The other members of the Foster’s gang agreed in unison.

“I just don’t know myself as much as I thought I did.” Gonzo said. “Maybe…Maybe if I just sleep…I’ll remember…something.” Slowly, Gonzo began to slip into unconsciousness again, and before the Foster’s gang knew it, the weirdo had fallen back to sleep. They just gawked at him for the longest moment, until their attention was back to a still impressed Bloo, who had asked…

“So how many imaginary friends has God created?”

END OF CHAPTER THREE​

 

[ReneeLouvier]

XD!!! "So how many imaginart friends has God created?"

I totally cracked up over that line, MW!!! This is an awesome story!! I can't wait for more of it!

I feel bad for Gonzo though. So worried about Scooter going against him, because of his hatred for mutants. What happened to him that he just hates mutants so much!?

 

[The Count]

Whoa... Yeah for X-Muppets2: X-Muppets United... Or Great X-Muppet Caper, whichever.
Gonzo: Don't you mean whatever?
No, that's you.
Gonzo: Oh...

I rully liked your first one and I'm liking this one. So much detail and descript, rully helps me know more about the actual Marvel films.
So... You've got W.I.T.C.H., Kingdom Hearts, Herbie the Love Bug, and now Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.
Are you watching and into the same shows I'm watching? Ooh, now that's creepy.
Hope more gets posted soon.

 

[muppetwriter]

I rully liked your first one and I'm liking this one. So much detail and descript, rully helps me know more about the actual Marvel films.

Thanks, Count.

My plan is to work up a storyline that'll lead into the events of the upcoming X-Men film. Some of what I put in may not follow the film's continuity exactly, but I can always find a way to change things around.

So... You've got W.I.T.C.H., Kingdom Hearts, Herbie the Love Bug, and now Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.
Are you watching and into the same shows I'm watching? Ooh, now that's creepy.

lol. Looks like we've got something in common, Count.

Basically, I'm just encorporating shows, movies, and games that I've grown fond of over the past few months and find a way to put them into the story. Of course, some may only make an appearance in one story, such as W.I.T.C.H. They were awesome to write about in the first X-Men/Muppets tale, but I guess I've gotten a little bored writing them into other stories, which is why I turned to the gang from Foster's (a great show).

The whole thing with Kingdom Hearts was just an excuse to get some Disney characters in. But I think I can write them in without having to use characters from the Kingdom Hearts games as a plus.

 

[muppetwriter]

This next chapter may defy the continuity of the "Web of Heroes" story that I'd started a month ago, because I'd decided to go back and revise that story while writing this chapter.

Enjoy.

Chapter Four​

Things were surprisingly calm at the Happiness Hotel, now that all of the residents had gone to San Francisco and helped get the KMUP station back in proper order. The only residents left behind were Kermit, his nephew Robin, and one other that moved in just a couple of months ago. Kermit and Robin got to know their new tenant very well and even work with her on patching things up in the ragged hotel. However, what Kermit and Robin didn’t know about their new occupant (whose name just happened to be Angelica Jones) was that the 19-year-old girl was actually a mutant with the ability to generate and manipulate microwave radiation, which allowed her to generate intense heat and flames. There were times when she felt as if she could fly, but she figured those times were only silly dreams.

Because of her own abilities, Angelica nicknamed herself “Firestar”; before meeting Kermit, she never had any friends at all. She was a very beautiful young woman, but no normal man could hold a lasting relationship with her, since her powers were so strong. Although, her powers did come in handy during an incident that involved Kermit, Fozzie, Miss Piggy, Robin, and the Amazing Spider-Man, when they went up against the dangerous Otto Octavius (a.k.a. “Doc Ock”). Mickey Mouse and his pals were also involved in that incident as Daily Bugle reporters, competing with Kermit and his friends for the story.

The next day, while Kermit and Angelica were refurbishing the kitchen, the phone at the front desk started to ring; Kermit answered it and Mickey’s voice came over the receiver. That was the second time that Mickey had contacted Gonzo; the first being an update on how close to Westchester they were, and the second on finding Gonzo near the entrance to that section of New York. Kermit hoped that Mickey’s next update would be on how far they were from Manhattan (with Gonzo), but he was struck by unexpected news.

“We’ve lost him again, Kermit!” Mickey exclaimed, and Kermit jumped in surprise.

“What?!?!” He yelled, startling Angelica, who had accidentally set fire to the paintbrush in her right hand. She immediately used her powers to settle down the flames, before the flames could’ve reached the paint inside a nearby bucket. “How could you’ve lost him?”

“It was an accident, Kermit. Honest.” Mickey said. “Herbie dreamt that Lindsay Lohan was behind the wheel again! You know he hasn’t been the same since Herbie: Fully Loaded!” Kermit just shook his head in disbelief.

“How could a dreaming Volkswagen make you lose Gonzo?” Kermit asked.

“The little car just drove off the road and went down a huge hill, until it ran into a log.” Mickey said. “The windshield’s shattered, so Gonzo must’ve crashed through it on impact. I just hope he’s not hurt…or worse.”

“Don’t sweat it, Mickey. Gonzo has survived worse cases than that!” Kermit remarked, just as he wiped away a small bead of sweat off his forehead. “Whew! Speaking of sweat, it sure is hot in here.” Angelica heard the frog say that as she was only a couple of feet away from him, grabbing another paintbrush to replace the one that she had burnt. She realized that her powers were reflecting her emotions; she felt so embarrassed and angry over the brush that her body heat was affecting the atmosphere. Angelica quickly calmed herself down, before she ended up engulfing the whole hotel in flames.

“I just can’t believe we lost him just as soon as he’d found him!” Mickey exclaimed, and that’s when Kermit heard Goofy’s voice in the background, shouting to Mickey.

“Hey, Mick,” Goofy said, “We’ve found him…again! A-hyuck! He’s right by the lake!”

“Hot dog!” Mickey cheered. “I’ll call ya right back as soon as we get him, Kermit. Chat with ya real soon.” After that, Kermit heard a dial tone and assumed that his old FASA buddy had hung up. He hung up the phone and was approached by Angelica, who had a smile on her face.

“What’s it like having Mickey Mouse as your best friend?” She asked, getting rid of some yellow paint off her left hand by wiping it on her blue overalls.

“It’s great, I guess.” Kermit said. “Most people would think we compete with one another at times, because we are two of the most iconic fictional animals of America. But if there’s anything that the FASA has taught us, it’s not to treat fellow icons as competitors.”

“That makes sense,” Angelica said, “Especially considering how you two used your journalistic instincts to help Spidey defeat Doc Ock, not so long ago.” Angelica grinned as she reminisced over that particular night, when she donned her fabulous costume and helped the Amazing Spider-Man save the day. Ever since that moment, she was careful not to let Kermit, Mickey, or any of the other characters that were involved know about her secret. “I just wish Peter and I could’ve been there to see it all happen.”

“Uh…yeah…Peter.” Kermit uttered, seeming to be keeping a secret of his own. Angelica was quick to notice the fretful expression on his face, and she was curious as to what might’ve been troubling the kind frog.

“You look a little greener than usual, Kermit.” Angelica said. “What’s up?” Kermit knew that his expressions had gotten him caught, so he covered it up by sharing his more recent problem with her.

“Oh, I’m just worried about Gonzo.” He said. “It’s almost been completely four months since he’d disappeared from Manhattan, and that has to be the longest he has ever been away.” Kermit looked back at the phone; he had been staring at it a lot lately, hoping each time it rang that it would’ve been Gonzo himself talking. “I just hope Mickey and the others can bring him back home safely.”

“I’m sure they will, Kermit.” Angelica said, comfortingly. “I know it’s gotta be hard on you and Robin, being here in this damp hotel by yourselves, while everyone’s in San Fran, ready for the grand reopening of the KMUP station.”

“Not really.” Kermit said. “I can’t remember when Robin and I got to spend so much time together. Before I started working at the Daily Bugle and was running the Muppet Theatre, I was a serious workaholic back then. Just ask Scooter…he worked more than I did…and he still does today!” Angelica chuckled; she couldn’t recall the last time she had so much fun with a friend, since she never had one as great as Kermit.

“Well, speaking of work, we should see how much of this kitchen we can get finished, before Peter and Robin get back from their lunch at Pete’s.” Angelica said. “There’s nothing worse than smelling paint, after eating a salami sandwich.”

“I should really wait for Mickey to call back.” Kermit remarked. “He said that they had spotted Gonzo near a lake, before he hung up and went after him.”

“Don’t worry yourself about that, Kermit.” Angelica said. “They’ll get him, and he’ll be home sooner than you realize it.” Kermit was fretting again, desperately wanting to wait by the phone and answer it as soon as it rang. But he knew that stressing himself would only make him worse than he already was. “C’mon, Kerm. Some painting ought to do ya good.” Kermit nodded over that notion.

“You’re right.” He said. “I really shouldn’t doubt Mickey like that. He hasn’t let me down yet.” As Kermit and Angelica were about to head into the kitchen, the front door suddenly busted open, knocking down the ladder that was standing in front of it. Peter Parker and Robin rushed into the hotel, approaching Kermit and Angelica with tired and breathless bodies; they seemed to have ran a long way from Pete’s to the Happiness Hotel.

“Uncle Kermit!” Robin exclaimed. “You won’t believe who we saw down at Pete’s!”

“From the way you two look, I’d say it was Captain America.” Angelica joked, making Kermit snicker a bit.

“This is serious, Angie!!” Peter snapped, angrily.

“Okay. Okay.” Angelica said. “Who did you boys see?” Peter and Robin just looked at each bizarrely, before answering the question in unison.

“GONZO!!!” Kermit and Angelica were taken aback by their response, yet they found it a little hard to believe.

“Listen, guys,” Kermit said, seeming to get what was going on, “I know what you’re trying to do, and I appreciate it…really I do. But, I think I’d better let you know that Mickey’s found Gonzo somewhere in the Westchester wilderness, so there’s no need to cheer me up.” Peter and Robin were very confused over what Kermit just told them.

“Wait a sec…” Peter uttered, “If Mickey found Gonzo somewhere near Westchester, then…who did we see at Pete’s?”

“Maybe you saw Grover.” Angelica assumed, not trying to sound sarcastic. “You know how their little furry and blue dude looks just ours.” Peter rolled his eyes in annoyance, thinking Angelica wasn’t taking his and Robin’s information seriously. Ever since she came into his life, she had become one of his most amazing friends, though there were times when Angelica Jones proved to be too much of a joker for him to handle.

“We didn’t see Grover, Angelica. It was Gonzo.” Robin said. “There was no way we could mistake that hooked nose of his. A-And he was also eating his favorite dish: peanut butter and sardine sandwiches.” Angelica’s stomach nearly turned from the name of that dish.

“Robin, I just talked with Mickey Mouse, only five minutes ago, and he told me that Gonzo was standing near a lake in the Westchester wilderness.” Kermit informed. “Now how in the world could Gonzo be at Pete’s, eating a peanut butter and sardine sandwich, and standing by a lake at the same time?” That’s when Kermit remembered the trick that Gonzo played on him and his friends, shortly after their adventure with the X-Men. He had used one of his many mutant abilities to duplicate himself and fool them into thinking he had joined with the X-Men, becoming their first “X-Muppet.” Although Gonzo did joined the group, his actual self remained in Manhattan; and yet it was that same Gonzo who left the hotel and went to Westchester. Realizing now what was happening, Kermit muttered to himself, “Looks like your prank has gone a bit further than you expected, Gonzo.”

“What did you say, Uncle Kermit?” Robin asked, and Kermit snapped himself out of thought, just as he noticed he was being addressed.

“Uh, nothing, Robin.” He said, and he turned to Angelica. “M-Maybe we should head over to Pete’s and check to see if they’re right about Gonzo.” Angelica was a little surprised over how fast Kermit had changed his mind. It wasn’t that long ago when the frog said that he would never doubt Mickey Mouse, and now it seemed to Angelica that he was starting to. Kermit had never shared his knowledge of Gonzo’s mutant abilities with Peter, Robin, and Angelica; and he didn’t plan on doing so anytime soon.

“Okay, Kermit.” Angelica said. “Whatever you say.”

“It’s a good thing Fozzie left behind his Studebaker,” Robin said, “Otherwise, we’d have to run that long way back to Pete’s like Peter and I did a second ago. Right, Uncle Kermit?” Kermit was still lost in thought, wondering which Gonzo it was that was at Pete’s that moment. If it was the original Gonzo and not his clone, then he could possibly get some answers as to why the weirdo had left Manhattan. “Uncle Kermit? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Robin.” Kermit said. “Let me get out of these work clothes, and I’ll meet you kids out in the car.” Angelica, Peter, and Robin headed out through the front door, while Kermit began to slip out of the white overalls he had been wearing. Just after he had taken off his cap, the phone rang; before it could make its second ring, Kermit already had the receiver in his grasp. “Hello, Mickey?”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” said the voice of an elderly man that sounded very familiar to Kermit. “The mouse and his friends are not in right now. May I take a message?”

“Magneto.” Kermit uttered. “Where’s Mickey?”

“You know, Mr. Frog, you mustn’t send a mouse to do a mutant’s job.” Magneto said. “It only takes the power of one mutant to find another.”

“I believe I asked you a question, Mr. Lehnsherr.” Kermit said. “Where is my friend?”

“The mouse and his companions are with us now.” Magneto remarked. “The only thing that’s keeping us from destroying them is Gonzo himself. We do not wish to frighten him with our dreadful acts of violence, if we are to make him one of our own.” Kermit was shocked by the revelation; he knew how Magneto’s Brotherhood functioned, because he witnessed their dreadful acts first-hand months ago. The thought of Gonzo being a member of that team made him quiver.

“There’s no way you can bring Gonzo to join that little club of yours.” Kermit said. “You think he’s forgotten how reckless you clowns are?”

“It’s funny how you should say that, Mr. Frog.” Magneto said. “Just as I’d encountered the Great Gonzo, upon capturing your mouse friend and his companions, I happen to notice how he referred himself as Magneto. At first, I thought it was some kind of silly joke—something that you Muppets are known for—but then I realized that he has completely forgotten about everything that was important in his life. You…myself…the X-Men…the Brotherhood…and, yes…even Liberty Island.” Out of everything that Kermit knew about Magneto, what he didn’t realize (until the mentioning of Liberty Island) was how much that the magnetic mutant knew about him.

“Since when did you get so telepathic?” He asked him.

“Bobby Drake still has memories of how you and him worked together to stop me.” Magneto told Kermit. “He has shared the experience with so many friends of his, including John Allerdyce, who we call ‘Pyro’.”

“And through this Pyro is how you learned about Iceman’s memories, eh?” Kermit said.

“And through Iceman’s memories is how I learned about you…Kermit.” Magneto added. “And I have a feeling that I’ll get to know even more about you, once our newest member regains his memory.”

“But the joke will be on you, Mages,” Kermit remarked, “When Gonzo remembers how much of a pompous jerk you are.”

“My regular friend,” Magneto said, “The moment he starts remembering, it’ll be you and everyone else who will cower at the feet of the Brotherhood.” And with that, Magneto hung up the phone, leaving Kermit wondering what he meant, what would become of the other Gonzo, and many other questions that only one person he knew could answer.

END OF CHAPTER FOUR​