Calm In The Storm (Bedtime Story)

Captain EJ has a special superpower...his incredible voice!

Captain EJ vs. The Knucklers [Episode 8]: We are left to our own devices without Mr. Honeybee's expert guidance, but luckily, our devices—and a little help from our robot friend Roger—are all we need.

We become aware of the Knuckler's latest scheme by catching them red-handed in the infrared light of our BattleBuzz helmet scopes. They attempt to get us by surprise, but we have them in our sights—not exactly where we want them; since they’re on our turf, we are still one important step ahead.

It seems the tides have turned for one of the Knuckler brothers. Without Mr. Honeybee, we can use all the help we can get…but we are surprised from where that helping hand reaches.

Captain EJ - over and out.

Voices by: Captain EJ and Amanda Fobbos

Transcript

Welcome to The Adventures of Captain EJ.

Today,

We will continue our most important mission yet.

You can do anything you set your heart to,

And I know that together we can defeat any foe.

I'm so grateful to have you as my trusted sidekick,

Hero,

And just in time.

In case you missed the last episode,

I'll give you the quick Captain's Recap now.

A celebration was in order when we returned from our stealth mission.

And celebrate we did.

As Mrs.

Honeybee always says,

All superheroes need their super rest,

So we let our defenses and ourselves do just that.

We kicked back,

We relaxed,

We fell right to sleep up on the roof,

Under a blanket of stars.

We woke up early in the dark morning to something sinister.

What started as one devilish drone antagonizing us,

Turned into a full-blown automated drone attack,

One that also seemed to influence the weather.

Pinky Knuckler was behind the drone attack and warned us to watch the skies above.

That proved to be more difficult than expected.

Fast-moving clouds poured rain down on us like we've never experienced in the Honeybee neighborhood before.

We tried,

And tried again,

To radio Mr.

Honeybee,

But he hasn't answered yet.

His newest creation,

A more-than-self-aware robot named Roger,

Answered instead.

Roger that,

Captain EJ.

Roger Robot said that Mr.

Honeybee is near,

But unreachable.

Near but unreachable.

What could that mean?

We have to find Mr.

Honeybee and figure out how we can fight for what's right against the Knucklers' latest wicked scheme.

This one blows the others out of the,

Well,

Water.

All you have to do is close your eyes,

Get cozy,

And listen to the sound of my voice.

Captain EJ will lead the way.

EJ,

Let's begin.

You are here,

Standing on Mrs.

And Mr.

Honeybee's porch,

Watching the rain pour down from the heavy clouds above.

The sun is blurred out in this gray,

Dreary day,

But you know that it's up there,

Shining just beyond the clouds.

That always keeps you going no matter the gloom you face.

Take a slow,

Deep breath in through your nose.

Feel the cool air coming in through your nose refresh and invigorate you,

Then slowly breathe all the way out through your mouth.

As you lean against the small railing on the porch to see out above the roof tile that shields us from this weather,

Drones fly like soldiers above the house,

Each going farther than the last and bringing more clouds and rain wherever they stop.

One zips through the leaves of a tree in the front yard and hovers in place with its engine rumbling.

Lasers flash out of the side and pull even more gray clouds in lower than you've ever seen clouds go.

A dense fog begins to threaten visibility.

You peek around the corner of the house into the backyard.

It's early.

The sun is just rising,

But it looks like Mrs.

And Mr.

Honeybee's best friend,

Melody Bee,

Is already up working on her garden.

She's just a little honeybee and is struggling to cover her plants with tarps and netting to protect them from this wind and rain.

Mr.

Honeybee usually helps her with that.

It's now abundantly clear that he's missing.

We need to knock on the door,

But before we can,

We hear a loud rustle and a crash behind us.

The rain has ripped one tree branch from the tree and then another.

The second tree branch flails from the tree and whips against a light post,

Almost knocking it down.

You and Captain EJ waste no time and pound on the door,

Screaming out to Mrs.

Honeybee inside,

Who answers quickly.

Captain EJ,

Hiro,

I was just going to call you.

Do you know where Mr.

Honeybee is?

Is he out on a mission?

We're here wondering the same thing,

Mrs.

Honeybee.

He's not answering from Command Center or any of his devices.

Suddenly,

Thunderclaps in the sky and lightning strikes.

Another tree branch flies off from the force of the rain.

Mrs.

Honeybee pulls you both inside where you can be safe from the rain.

Harold is so excited to see you,

But can tell that it's no time to play.

You can tell that something is wrong and he whimpers at your feet.

You pet his fluffy ears and that calms you a little.

He looks up at you with big brown eyes that trust you to figure this out.

Mrs.

Honeybee leads you into the house,

Rehearsing all the places she's already checked for signs of Mr.

Honeybee.

You notice that the living room seems to be in disarray and point it out to Mrs.

Honeybee.

She leads you into the living room where there's a fireplace and a big comfy couch with fuzzy blankets folded up.

I noticed that,

But I thought it was just the wind and rain getting in through the chimney somehow.

The logs are all dislodged.

We usually stack them in there and have the little glass doors closed.

Do you think it could be something else?

We are not discounting any angle at this point.

Let me take a look up there.

As Captain EJ kneels down to look up the chimney,

You remember that you heard a sound coming from around here last night.

This is the same area you can see from Captain's rooftop.

It woke you up,

But you didn't see anything causing the noise.

The drone attack started shortly after that.

You peek through the blinds out in the backyard to see if the drones are still coming and going.

They haven't stopped since they started.

Even though it's dark and gray,

You can see that it's clearly daytime.

These solar-powered drones are just getting started while the lunar-powered ones wait for silvery moonlight to do their bidding.

They do not need Pinky at the controls.

He effectively has a passive army at his disposal.

Captain EJ ducks out of the fireplace and wipes his hands of soot.

He cannot see anything.

It's much too dark.

We'll need to get something smaller to check up there.

Just then,

Little Melody Bee buzzes in through the back door holding a bundle of blue tarps and netting.

Oh,

Yikes.

It's pouring out there.

Hi,

Hero and Captain.

You're up early.

Is Mr.

Honeybee still sleeping?

He was supposed to help me put down netting for the new garden boxes he built this morning.

Melody Bee,

He's missing.

We can't find him anywhere.

Oh,

No.

Where could he be?

We don't know yet,

But we won't stop until he's safely home.

Melody Bee,

Can you help us with something?

Sure,

Anything.

Melody Bee sets down her traps and netting and agrees to buzz up the chimney to see if anything looks disturbed.

She inspects it up and down,

Then emerges coughing soot and fluttering her wings to remove a layer of ash.

She reports that the entire chimney is scratched up and down with cracks in a few places.

Something definitely came down the chimney last night and managed to get into the house.

Oh,

Yeah.

Now that you mention it,

I did notice some smoke coming out of the chimney last night.

I figured you had a fire going,

Mrs.

Honeybee.

You spin around to check for any more clues and carefully walk out from the fireplace looking up to the ceiling along the walls trying to see something that may be hiding in plain sight.

From behind you,

Captain EJ exclaims,

Hero,

Stop walking.

Look.

You look down to see that you're trailing soot and ash out from the fireplace under your feet.

You hurry to take your shoes off so you don't make any more of a mess,

But Mrs.

Honeybee stops you and points to the tiled kitchen floor in front of you.

There is a trail of soot and ash sprinkled from the fireplace and through the kitchen.

It leads out into the garage.

The only footsteps you see are your own,

So you know that feet didn't leave this trail behind.

So what did?

You follow along the sides of the trail,

Careful not to disturb the sprinkled soot that is your only clue so far.

When you get to the set of doors that open up to the garage,

Mrs.

Honeybee gasps.

You look over to see one door propped open and a screen door that you can see through still closed.

You and Captain EJ quickly look into the garage to see if she sees the intruder,

But Mrs.

Honeybee has seen something else entirely.

She didn't notice this before,

But one of the doors is still open from last night when she propped it open with a small owl statue.

She picks up the owl statue and explains,

I joked with Mr.

Honeybee that this wise owl was watching him to make sure he actually gets some sleep tonight.

Sometimes he loses track of time and stays up all night tinkering with his prototypes or researching in the office.

When he's finally done,

Mr.

Honeybee closes up the garage every night and locks both doors.

The screen door locks and this heavy door has two locks.

If he ever came in from the garage,

This door should be closed and locked too.

But look,

The screen door is not even locked.

I don't think he ever came in from the garage.

Captain EJ thinks of something and dashes off in response to it.

He returns from the office seconds later,

Deflated of the little hope he had.

He thought maybe Mr.

Honeybee fell asleep doing research like he does.

There's no sign of him in there.

You lead the way into the garage and it looks so empty without Mr.

Honeybee here.

You would give anything to have him walk out of the stronghold excited about new suit technology.

You all look around the silent garage for another sign of disturbance.

The trail of soot fades as soon as you get into the garage.

From what you can see,

Whatever left the soot must have shaken itself clean by the time it got here.

As you all look everywhere you can think of,

Roger rolls out from his cubby where he recharges.

He's holding his head and adjusting the antenna on the top of his head.

He rolls right up to you and asks for help.

Can you please make sure my antenna is straight,

Hero?

My signal has been weak all morning.

I can't hear what he's thinking anymore.

That gets everyone's attention.

You all crowd around Roger Robot,

Adjusting his antenna to make sure nothing can visibly obstruct it.

Whoa,

Whoa,

Whoa everyone.

Give the robot some space.

Roger rolls out of your grasp and shakes himself off.

Then,

As if going through a procedure,

He points his head all around the garage without saying anything to anyone.

We all watch in anticipation before Captain EJ finally speaks up.

Roger,

What are you doing?

Shh,

Do not disturb me.

You didn't even know time wasn't real.

You can't possibly help me with this.

Shh,

Captain EJ,

Over here.

Roger can think what Mr.

Honeybee is thinking most of the time.

He was programmed that way.

I think he's trying to get some kind of signal.

He's done this once before,

When Mr.

Honeybee accidentally locked himself in the prototype cabinet.

Just as Melody B says that,

Roger rolls over to the cabinet and checks inside.

We all follow him,

Hoping against hope that maybe that happened again.

But it's empty.

Roger has the special ability to download Mr.

Honeybee's mind,

To read it,

And catalog his thoughts alphabetically.

But in order to do so,

They must have a clear line of sight and signal between them.

This technology works with a satellite,

Just like Mr.

Honeybee's satellite phone.

Roger rolls over to his cubby in the corner of the garage,

Under the bikes that hang over the concealed stronghold wall.

Roger cups his ears to cancel the noise and finally gets a transmission.

Stone wall.

Strong.

Stone wall.

Bare hands.

Hold.

Silence.

That's what Mr.

Honeybee is thinking.

He usually thinks in complete sentences,

So I assume it's choppy due to the signal.

I can usually download what he sees,

Too,

But all I can see is pitch black.

What is it,

Roger?

Roger rolls up to a pair of goggles hanging off the workbench.

He picks them up and hangs his head with sadness.

What if he only sees pitch black right now?

He doesn't have his night vision goggles.

What is he going to do surrounded by darkness without his night vision?

Oh,

No.

How did this happen?

I powered down too much.

Had I not spent the day trying to perfect my wheelie,

I wouldn't have to recharge.

Mr.

Honeybee,

Think louder.

Where are you?

Oh,

No.

What have I done?

Roger rolls into his cubby to recharge in hopes that his antenna just needs more battery.

From the other side of the garage,

You hear a faint tap,

Tap,

Tap.

At first,

It sounds like Roger readjusting and plugging himself in,

But the sound continues after he powers down.

Mrs.

Honeybee points to the garage door that opens up to the driveway.

All of you tiptoe over there and press your ears up against the metal door.

You can hear someone or something shuffling on the other side.

The windows are still covered with foil so you can't see out.

Melody B buzzes out through an air vent then comes back in and whispers that there are two pies out front.

She stretches her little arms out to say there's one big one and a not-so-big one next to him.

You and Captain EJ jump back away from the garage door.

You flick on the infrared scopes on your battle bus helmet and sure enough,

You see the outlines of Pinky and Thumb Knuckler pressing their ears up against the garage door from the outside,

Listening to you all in here.

The Knucklers have done the unthinkable.

Not only have they left Dormir for the first time ever to kidnap Mr.

Honeybee somehow,

But they are also out during the daylight.

You quickly gather Mrs.

Honeybee and Melody B and lead them to the door of the stronghold.

You swing open the bike rack as quietly as you can and find the key fob with the number sequence that will let you in.

The numbers 0-9-2-8-1-9 flash across the tiny screen.

You fold the battle bus helmet back into a beanie so your face shows and you enter that into the keypad.

Standing in front of the vaulted steel door with your head held high,

A red laser slowly scans your face.

Take a slow,

Deep breath in through your nose.

Feel the safety of this fortified place and slowly breathe all the way out through your mouth.

The numerous locks click open and the vacuum sealed door releases for Mrs.

Honeybee and Melody B to quickly hop in.

Captain EJ runs in carrying a very disgruntled Roger Robot who does not want to be thrown in the closet of a hidden room without his charger.

You and Captain EJ tell them to be as quiet as you can and close them all into the suit closet within the stronghold.

That is the safest place to be right now because the knucklers themselves are right on the other side of that door.

You and Captain EJ fold your battle bus helmets back down to keep a watchful,

Infrared eye on the brothers.

They are still listening to you with their ears pressed up against the other side of the garage door.

Captain EJ gets an idea and you follow along.

Hero,

It's obvious Mr.

Honeybee isn't here.

We've looked everywhere.

I think I've figured out a plan to defeat the knucklers but first we have to find Mr.

Honeybee.

I'll just leave my notebook on the workbench where no one can get it.

Remind me where I left it in case I forget like last time.

Come on,

Let's go gather a search party around the neighborhood.

You play along,

Pretending to go gather a search party.

You watch as the knucklers run along to the other side of the house opposite the front door where they assume you'll be coming out.

You know exactly where they are going so you and Captain EJ beat them there and lay in wait for your real plan to catch them once and for all.

You follow Captain EJ and the sud trail back to the chimney and wait on either side of the brick hearth.

If you two are right about this hunch then something should be coming down the chimney to gain access to the house and Captain EJ's notebook any minute now.

Take another slow,

Deep breath in through your nose.

Quiet yourself both inside and out.

Then slowly breathe all the way out through your mouth and sink into this moment of waiting second by second until you hear stirring above the chimney.

It's happening.

You were right.

Here they come.

You and Captain EJ brace for what could possibly come next and grab whatever you can find in the living room around you to use for whatever you will have to do.

Something crashes,

Scrapes,

And tinks all the way down the chimney until it falls heavy on the coals.

It's a drone with a scope on it that points forward.

The drone rights itself and slowly proceeds from the fireplace where it crashed.

You and Captain EJ are armed with two fuzzy blankets you picked up from the couch.

When the drone flies out the chimney you ambush it and tie it up in a double layer of blankets without saying a word.

The knucklers were using this drone to see what's going on in the house but now they can't see anything.

They'll be forced to gain entry some other way.

And from the sounds of it,

They're both trying to come down the chimney themselves like a pair of evil Santa Clauses.

You can hear Pinky and Thumb climb into the chimney and shimmy themselves down.

Captain EJ thinks quickly and grabs the pile of blue tarps and netting that Melody be left on the table.

This combined with your combined strength should be enough to at least immobilize the knucklers.

The moment of action is almost here.

Pinky yells at Thumb,

Screeching that he's squishing Pinky's hand with his foot.

They are tangled in a knot of limbs when they both crash down the chimney into the fireplace with sore spines and bruised egos.

Before they know what hit them,

You and Captain EJ ambush them again wrapping them both up with layers of blue tarp and netting.

The knuckler brothers lie in a pile on the floor of the living room while you two catch your breath.

We did it!

You've done nothing!

You hear me?

Nothing!

You make sure the tarps and netting are tied tightly around the knucklers.

Then Captain EJ drags the knotted up brothers out like a sack of forgotten toys.

You grab the drone,

Still swaddled in the blankets tightly which prevents the blades from moving much.

Pinky and Thumb kick and scream the whole way out to the garage but you and Captain EJ are immune to them at this point.

They've done too much damage for sympathy right now.

We need to figure out where Mr.

Honeybee is.

We have the culprits here before us.

What did you do with Mr.

Honeybee?

Where is he?

Tell us right now!

Let me go and I'll tell you.

I promise.

Not happening,

Pinky.

Tell us what we want to know.

Well,

That's not going to happen either,

Captain EJ.

I'm just fine in this tarp with my wonderful brother.

There's enough ventilation for big breaths of nice,

Fresh air.

Can't really say the same of that room you all have there,

Hidden in the wall.

Those doors are vaulted,

Sealed like a safe.

Does that mean that there's limited oxygen in there?

That might be a little difficult for your beloved Mr.

Honeybee.

Captain EJ looks at you with the same shocked,

Worried look you have and you both run over to the stronghold door where you stashed the others.

What is Pinky talking about?

What does he know about the stronghold?

You can't get in here without facial recognition and a code.

You both get into the stronghold as quickly as possible and fling the door open.

You run over to the mirrored suit closet to let everyone out.

Roger bursts forth from the closet,

Desperate for freedom.

He waves his hands in the air as he rolls in happy circles.

I got a signal!

I got a signal!

Oh,

And I found Mr.

Honeybee.

He didn't think we could hear him,

So he stopped yelling.

But he's right here.

Roger rolls over to the stone wall that has just been rebuilt after yours and Captain EJ's latest practice.

Mr.

Honeybee was up late rebuilding it himself with the strongest cement he could mix.

Instead of walls in front of each other,

Four walls have been made into a stone wall box with a stone wall lid.

You and Captain EJ run over after Roger.

Mr.

Honeybee,

Can you hear me now?

Yes,

I can hear you,

Roger.

Get me out of here.

The Knucklers ambushed me with their drones and walled me in.

You are so relieved to have found Mr.

Honeybee that you feel like you can hug this stone wall.

But instead,

You must break him out.

Roger rolls out to get some tools,

And you follow him to check on the Knucklers.

They are still tied up in their netted tarps,

But you thump them both to make sure.

Roger leads the way back into the stronghold carrying not one,

But three sledgehammers.

Captain EJ runs to intervene.

Roger,

No!

What are you doing?

Hmm.

Um,

Keep up,

Captain EJ.

We have to break this wall.

Not with a sledgehammer,

You don't.

Ask Hero to free me.

Fine,

Fine.

Have it your way.

You were technically kidnapped,

After all.

Well,

Were you kidnapped,

Really?

Let me check that,

Legally.

Hold on.

While Roger busies himself with the minutiae of a legal definition of kidnapping,

You leap up to the wall.

Full of the same enthusiastic inspiration you felt last time you did this in here,

You must have been practicing for this very moment,

Without even realizing it.

You pull a single stone completely out of the concrete that is holding them together.

With one hand,

You gently nudge the heavy cinder block and it cracks as it rips away from the rest of the stone wall.

One by one,

You gently break apart enough of the stone wall box that Mr.

Honeybee was trapped within.

He is able to stand up and gives you all a big,

Squeezing hug once he's free.

I knew you had my back.

I knew you'd find me.

I'm so happy to see you.

Please remind me to drone-proof the Honeybee house,

Though.

Whether or not that counts as kidnapping,

It was very unpleasant.

Roger rolls back into the stronghold from his stint of legal research so fast that he launches off a little accidental ramp right into the middle of Mr.

Honeybee's hug.

Oh my goodness,

Mr.

Honeybee!

You were kidnapped!

You were totally kidnapped!

Legally!

Do you need a medical diagnostic test?

How are your lungs?

Did you get enough oxygen?

Humans need to maintain their oxygen levels,

You know.

I know all about needing oxygen,

Roger.

Thank you.

I feel fine.

Just so,

So,

So happy to see everyone again.

Pinky shouts to get everyone's attention and you lead the way back to the garage to make sure they're still secured.

Hey everyone,

I hate to break it to you,

But I think I'm technically kidnapped too right now.

Did anyone think of that?

Mr.

Honeybee,

Should I go think about that?

No,

Roger.

That's not worth your electrical charge.

He ambushed and built me into a stone wall box.

He can stand to be wrapped up in a couple of tarps and some netting for a minute.

Oh,

That's right,

Melody Bee.

We were supposed to install the netting this morning.

This is a much better use of the materials.

My carrots and beets will understand.

Wait,

Whose voice was that?

Me?

It's me,

Melody Bee.

No,

The other one.

Oh.

It's me,

Thumb.

Mr.

Honeybee.

I recognize your voice,

But I can't place it.

Pinky,

Is this who you trapped with the drones?

Yes,

Thumb.

What kind of partner in crime are you if you can't even remember who we're kidnapping?

You all leave Pinky and Thumb to argue amongst themselves and lock ourselves back up in the stronghold so they can't hear you talk.

Mr.

Honeybee goes on to explain exactly what the Knucklers did.

Last night,

He got a sudden burst of energy,

And instead of going to sleep,

He decided to rebuild the practice walls in the stronghold.

Mr.

Honeybee thought building the stone walls into a four-sided box shape would make them more challenging to break,

So it would help you and Captain EJ hone your skill of strength.

He was coming back and forth between the garage and the stronghold all night.

When he had finished all four of the walls that formed the edges of the box,

He came out one more time and was ambushed by a fleet of drones with propeller blades that swung wildly on all sides.

The drones rushed him,

Forcing him deeper into the stronghold and into the stone wall box.

There were so many drones and so many swinging blades that he couldn't fight back or fight at all.

That's when they all unfolded little robotic arms that were able to finish the lid of the stone wall box with cement that Mr.

Honeybee had already mixed.

They cemented him in and shut the soundproof door to the stronghold.

There was nothing he could do.

What are we going to do about those Knucklers?

That's what we can figure out now that we found you.

Finding you was our most important mission.

They're doing something with these solar and lunar-powered drones that are somehow affecting the weather.

Could they really affect the weather?

The clouds seem to gather densely around those drones wherever they appear,

And they're popping up everywhere,

Systematically.

They've automated them somehow,

And they run off rechargeable batteries that do not require electricity.

What I don't understand is how they even found our command center.

It's not like we have a big sign that says,

Captain E.

J.

Command Center,

Outside.

The garage is plain for a reason.

Hey,

The garage is not plain,

It's minimal.

There's a difference.

The Honeybee house is beautiful from the outside,

Just like it is from the inside.

Of course.

Of course,

My dear.

That's what I meant.

You all mull over the question of potential solutions to this growing Knuckler problem.

Rain slaps against the garage door and rattles it.

Puddles are beginning to form where the gutters are flooded.

How did they find you here?

You open the door to the stronghold and go out into the garage.

You don't want to let the Knucklers out of your sight,

Even for a moment.

Walking out of the door,

Mr.

Honeybee poses the question you're all wondering still.

So how do you think they found us here?

Did you ever think to ask the big,

Bad kidnappers kidnapped inside the tarp how they found you?

I'll gladly tell you.

Fine.

Kidnapper,

How did you find us?

Free me and I'll tell you.

No,

The safest place you can be,

For everyone else's sake,

Is in that tarp.

Fine then.

I'll give you a hint.

It was one of your dear,

Sparkling friends in Dormir.

Um,

Sally?

She'd never tell you where in the Honeybee neighborhood we lived.

Sally knows you're up to no good.

You could always try calling her.

No.

She left on a trip with a group of dentists because she does good for the world instead of destroying it town by town.

Did she leave on that trip?

Yes.

We tried calling her,

But she was already gone.

Her holophone froze just as the dentists arrived at her ranch,

I think.

You sure it was the dentists?

Putting it together piece by piece,

Captain EJ furiously shakes the knucklers in the tarp.

Through his teeth,

He asks a question that sounds like he only wants to ask once.

What did you do to Sally?

Tell me now.

I don't think I like your tone,

Captain EJ.

And also,

I don't know what became of poor Sally.

But I do know that she was otherwise occupied when the dentists arrived.

I do know that they went on their merry way with what silver they had.

They didn't even really need her.

I just hope she's not trapped in something outside in this horrible storm.

It could flood.

She could.

.

.

Be.

.

.

How should I put this?

In.

.

.

Way over her head.

With that evil statement,

The netted tarp begins to writhe around the garage floor like a wild beast fighting against itself.

It's difficult to see what's happening,

But you all stand back and watch as years of pent-up rage explodes within the tarp.

Thumb has had more than enough with Pinky.

He has taken so much torment from his brother that he cannot stand it a moment longer.

What did you make me do to Sally?

You take things too far,

Pinky.

Will Sally be okay?

We are smart people and are capable of great things.

We need to use those gifts for relentless good,

Pinky.

Mr.

Honeybee recognizes those words.

They're specific.

Familiar,

Even.

Then he remembers.

Those are the exact words he spoke directly into Thumb's unconscious sleeping mind.

They must have sunk in and convinced Thumb,

At his core,

That they could be true,

If Thumb let himself believe they were.

Mr.

Honeybee steps closer to the tarp for an unimaginable breakthrough with Thumb.

His voice is the only thing that seems to calm Thumb down.

That's it,

Thumb.

That's it.

Do you remember the rest?

Say it with me.

There's a hero waiting to be discovered inside me.

The world needs my gifts.

And.

.

.

And we need your best.

You are loved,

Thumb.

Your brother,

Pinky,

Doesn't understand.

But you do.

What are you talking about,

Thumb?

What kind of mumbo-jumbo is that?

Shut it,

Pinky.

You don't get it.

I get it!

Thumb,

I always get it.

You're the one that doesn't have the time.

You really slow us down,

You know.

Stop being mean to me.

You're a bully.

That's why no one ever visits us.

No.

Wrong again,

Thumb.

No one visits us because we're freaks who only come out at night.

Hey,

None of that.

You're not freaks.

You're geniuses.

Albeit,

You are a bit lazy about it.

But you're lazy geniuses nonetheless.

If you applied yourself,

You could do great things.

I know it.

And people will desperately want you around.

Thumb,

They're lying to you.

They live boring lives.

We live fun lives.

Just look at all the fun we're having.

Though Sally's probably not having as much fun.

That I'll admit.

That throws Thumb back into a rage.

He wants to squash his brother down to size to make him feel as small as Thumb has felt all these years.

Fueled by that kind of deeply felt betrayal,

Thumb did the unthinkable.

Pinky clamored to cover Thumb's mouth to stop him from uttering the words.

But Thumb overpowered him easily.

From within the tarp,

Thumb says,

I'll tell you where Sally is.

And better than that,

I'll help you save her.

You'll have to trust me.

Let me out,

And we'll go to her.

You have my word.

That concludes our adventure.

I can't wait to see you again.

Captain EJ,

Over and out.

Reviews

Mr.honeybee is right about thumb!if only pinky hadn’t convinced thumb to get back on his team.

Action packed! I really love the Reminders to breathe and ground in the face of intensity— need those in everyday life even! And Thumb is coming around… thank you!🙏🏼❤️