The box/spindly tam kanushu
It's was a new day at third street school and we find our group of seven hiding behind a wall. "Maybe it didn't work?" Questioned Vince as nothing was happening.
"It had to have worked." Said TJ as he looked around the corner to the door leading to the cafeteria. "It was a foolproof plan."
"According to my calculations, discovery should take place just about.....now." Said Gretchen looking at her watch, and just when she finished speaking a scream was heard from inside the cafeteria, the doors slammed open to reveal Hank the janitor.
"It's a disaster, a disaster I say." Hank said, falling to his knees.
"Hank, what's the matter?" Asked Ms Finster as she walked up to the door with some other teachers.
"The big freezers on the Fritz."
"But that means..."
"That's right, the whole semester's worth of ice cream is melting all over the floor, including principal Pricklys personal stash of frozen fudgies."
"Pull yourself together man." Ms Finster said, trying to pull Hank to his feet. "We'll just have to get that ice cream outta there."
"And then what Muriel? You can't just leave a hundred gallons of frozen dessert out in the open, by two o'clock we'll have a fudge disaster the likes of which this school has never seen. Oh what are we gonna do? What are we gonna do?" Hank cried, hugging Ms Finster legs.
"Uhh Hank?" TJ said as the seven friends were standing at the bottom of the stairs with the other teachers. "Perhaps we could be of assistance?" And with that the seven friends were sitting on the roundabout eating ice cream.
"Oh I don't think I can eat another bite." Mike said before burping and falling back to lay on the roundabout.
"Me neither." Spinelli said, leaning on Mikey before shooting back up. "Oh what the heck, hand me that double chocolate swirly."
"See, I told you guys it would work." Said TJ before he was grabbed from behind.
"You're in big trouble this time, detweiler." Said Ms Finster.
"What'd I do?"
"Someone unplugged the big freezer and that someone is you."
"But Ms Finster, I wasn't anywhere near the big freezer."
"Oh yeah? Well explain this?" Ms Finster held up a red and white sneaker and looking down anyone could see that TJ was kissing one of his.
"Uh oh." TJ said finally realising he was caught before Ms Finster dragged him away.
"Come on pally, it's the wall for you." With that she left TJ facing a wall but it wasn't long before his friends joined him.
"How's it going teej?" Dede asked.
"Oh pretty good, the view's not so hot but at least I've got company." TJ joked.
"Hey, a brick wall's easier on the eyes than Finster." Vince joked along making them all burst out laughing. The next day at recess all the kids were in the groups playing all sorts of games before a whistle blew out catching everyone's attention, they all looked over to see Ms Finster standing in front of a sheet.
"Fall in, here now." She pointed in front of her, indicating where she wanted all the kids to stand. "It has come to my attention that some of you do not take my playground punishments seriously. You seem to think that getting in trouble is a big joke, a game as it were. Well I say the jokes on you because the rules of the game just changed, discipline has a new name and the name is.." Ms Finster said walking back and forth before the children and coming to a stop next to the sheet before ripping it off, to reveal a painted white box on the ground. "The box. Any infraction of any rule no matter how slight will result in a trip to the box. Get caught running on the blacktop, go to the box. Take cuts in line, go to the box. Any horse play, joking around or unauthorised fun of any kind, the box. No questions asked, got it, good, that is all." And with that Ms Finster and Randall walked away while the other kids all walked close to the box before bursting into laughter.
"It's just a bunch of lines painted on the ground." Vince said between laughs.
"Yeah, talk about lame." Agreed Spinelli. Later on in recess TJ was holding on to a tetherball while Dede and Spinelli swung him around, when the rope got too little he stumbled off and tried to stand still but was too dizzy from going around in a circle.
"Oh man, that was great." He stumbled about before his shoulder was grabbed.
"TJ detweiler, I should have known you'd be the first to test my new punishment." Said Ms Finster. "Ten minutes in the box." With that kids all started talking before chanting TJs name as he was walked to to box, when inside it TJ turned around and started doing a little celebration/victory dance as all the kids cheered. "Have your fun while you can Mr Detweiler because you're not coming out for ten minutes." Ms Finster pointed to the clock. "As for the rest of you, stay away. Anyone that gets within thirty yards of this thing gets detention for a week." With that all the kids walked away.
"Look at him, he's like one of them tigers at the zoo." Mikey said as the six were sitting on and around the swings.
"Maybe the box is tougher than we thought." Said Gus.
"Hopefully he'll be alright." Said Dede looking at TJ sadly before her attention was grabbed by a beeping sound. "Uh... I'll be right back, keep an eye on TJ for me okay."
"Sure thing." Vince said watching Dede run off. When Dede got to a secluded spot on the playground she answered the beeping only for a massage to pop up.
"The Spindly Tam Kanushu has urgent need of your presence on the planet of Bane of Fragnog. The Spindly Tam Kanushu?" With hearing the name she hasn't heard for a while Dede started to remember her trying with a fond smile.
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A younger Dede can be seen fighting an alien sumo wrestler with six arms while spindly tam kanushu watches as she is defeated. Next we see Dede running in a forest with spindly on her back before starting the next training in fighting a punching machine which she wins against. Dedes final opponent was the alien sumo wrestler again who she was finally able to defeat and though she was very tired by the time the fight ended spindly tam still floated up to her to congratulate her.
"Ooh. Well done, Little Atomic One!" Spindly Tam Kanushu said as he and Dede bowed to each other.
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With a quick shake of her head Dede snapped out of her daydream before being beamed up to her ship, changing into her galactic uniform on the way. "Full speed ahead! We need to get to Bane of Fragnog as fast as we can!" Dede said jumping into her chair.
"I can't believe I'm actually gonna get to meet the Tam Man! I've been following that guy for years!" Sparky fanboyed.
"Really? Why don't you demonstrate what Spindly Tam has taught you?" X-5 suggests and Sparky does a backflip and tries to do a special power Spindly Tam taught him, but it doesn't work all while X-5 plays with a pink yo-yo. "Wow. That was impressive."
"Wow,'That was impressive' Your negative vibes are killing my concentration!"
"Stop it, you two! We have to help Spindly Tam." Dede interrupted, wanting to get to spindly tams home planet soon. When the three arrived at their destination they disembarked from their ship and started walking through the forest.
"Hey! I was first! You cut in front of me!" Sparky said.
"I was distinctively 0.03 meters ahead of you." X-5 replies as Dede pushes the grass out of her way and sees huge robots at Spindly Tam Kanushu's temple.
"Oh no." Said Dede.
"Spindly Tam is in trouble!" Sparky said.
"Wait, Sparky! Those robots are Mark 1 Maxie Devastation models. Not a Bot Redicul likely." X-5 said looking at the robots.
"Don't worry X-5. If Spindly Tam knows we're in trouble, those robots don't stand a chance. Let's go!" Dede and Sparky run out of the bushes. X-5 opens his body and a book pops out. He begins to read it while Dede and Sparky begin to battle the robots. They dodge their attacks until they run into the temple and the robots damage it. Dede and Sparky groan in pain. Dede then comes up with an idea. She grabs a chain rope and she spins it to reflect the robots' lasers. Soon, she sees Sparky flying above. "Let's give him the maple!"
"You're got it!" Said Sparky as he grabs the rope and wraps it around the robot's legs until it falls down. The other robot grabs Dede.
"Sparky!" Dede called as Sparky flies toward the robot to attack, but it flings him away. Just before it can shoot Dede, it shuts down. It's revealed that X-5 did it.
"Sorry for the delay. I had to go through a thousand pages of circuits dynamics before finding where the power switch was located. Typical, really." With that the three retreated back to their ship to figure out a way to save spindly tam.
"Something is terribly wrong. Spindly Tam would not allow himself to be taken away so willingly." Dede remarked while Sparky is practising his trick again and fails once more.
"Oh, now I'll never master this move!"
"Keep trying, Sparky. But I have one that's better." Dede gasped coming up with a plan before she presses a button in her chair and puts herself in a meditation pose to find where Spindly Tam Kanushu is. This causes Sparky and X-5 to float.
"Uh, Dede?"
"Not now, Sparky. I almost have it. Morbidia!" The screen shows the planet. "That's where he is!"
"Can we come down now?" Sparky cleared his throat before they set off on their way.
"We must be careful. This is the ancestral home of Maximus's elite forces: the Morbidian Blood Monks." X-5 said as the three were running to the fortress.
"Big deal! We've dealt with them before!" Sparky said unimpressed.
"Yeah, but not this many." Dede says as she sees many Blood Monks training for something important. "Uh-oh, boys. We've bad company. Duck!" They hide as Maximus and Minimus walk by.
"At this accelerated rate, the Blood Monks could be ready much sooner than expected, Your Irritating the Impatient One." Said the good minimus.
"Once Spindly Tam has finished training them, it'll be like having hundreds of Atomic Bettys at my disposal! Mwahahaha!" Laughed Maximus.
"Spindly Tam must be under Maximus's control. He would never train Morbidian Blood Monks willingly." Dede said standing back up.
"These methods do seem unconventional." X-5 said watching them train.
"We have to find out. Somehow, we've got to get to Spindly Tam." They hear Sparky whistle. He is dressed up as a Blood Monk. Dede and X-5 put on their disguises and train with the Blood Monks. They soon reach Spindly Tam and Dede pushes him away from the Blood Monks.
"Move over! And a 1! And a 2! I want to see you sweat, people!" Dede hides Spindly Tam Kanushu behind a crate.
"Spindly Tam! It's me, Atomic Candy." Dede said after bowing to spindly tam.
"Ah, my favourite pupil! It is good to see you. How go your studies?" Spindly tam asked.
"Well, Great One. And you?" They hear a megaphone telling the Blood Monks something in alien language. Dede pushes Spindly Tam to X-5 and Sparky.
"Ah, the new Blood Monks are ready for testing. Maximus wishes to see them smash the Ivory City of Termillon into tiny little bits." (The Blood Monks are seen running onto Maximus's ship.
"Is that why you called me? You said it was urgent. Tell me!"
"Ah, have you not seen what these before you? It is very simple." He goes onto Maximus's ship and it leaves Morbidia.
"I can't believe it! Has Spindly joined forces with Maximus?" Dede said devastated.
"Who cares if the old geeser is helping him? C'mon! We can take 'em!" Said Sparky.
"He's not an old geeser!"
"Chief, as Galactic Guardians, it is our duty to stop them. Even if it is Spindly Tam Kanushu." Reasoned X-5.
"You're right, guys. We can't turn our backs on evil. To the ship!" Back on the ship, Dede and her friends fly to find Spindly Tam Kanushu. They reach a planet with fancy buildings, They run out of their ship and see Maximus and Minimus performing a ceremony.
"Please join me in watching the Ivory City of Termillon reduced to nothing more than a pair of dice." Said Maximus.
"You'll have to get through us first, Maximus!" Dede said, making their presence known.
"So predictable. Well, have it your way. Let the battle begin! ATTACK!" An army of robotic minions run toward Dede and her crew. They fight them off.
"Bravo! Encore! Encore!" Good Minimus said, clapping as Maximus gives an angry look at him.
"I've seen better." Evil minimus grunts.
"You are all so tedious! Bring out my indestructible secret weapon: The new and improved Blood Monks! Mwahahahaha!" Maximus said. His ship lands and a huge group of Blood Monks come out.
"This is it, guys. Stand your ground and remember: We'll always be the best friends and crew a commander could ever ask for." Dede said getting ready for a big fight.
"I won't let you down, Chief." Said Sparky.
"Destroy them!" Orders Maximus.
"Ladies and gentlemen! May I present to you: Fresh from the swamps of Morbidia, the spectacular debut of the Spindly Tam Kanushu Dancers!" Said spindly. The Blood Monks change to pink and purple dance outfits and begin disco dancing.
"Wow! Check out those moves!" Sparky said, impressed.
"What have you done to my Blood Monks?!" Said Maximus before Spindly Tam does a move that imprisons Maximus and Minimus in white stars and takes them away from the stage. Sparky does the move Spindly Tam taught him and this time is successful. The stars change from white to green and it sends Maximus and Minimus flying away from them. Their screaming can be heard.
"Ah, you have learned well in the ways of the Spindly Tam, oh tiny with the big nose green one." Said spindly tam.
"Thank you, Old Master of the Moon Walk!" Sparky said happily.
"You had this planned all along, didn't you?" Dede asked.
"Oh, I've been meaning to teach Maximus an important life lesson for some time now." Said spindly.
"But why dancers?"
"It was time for a career change."
"But what about this?" She shows him the message on her bracelet. "You said it was urgent."
"Oh, it is urgent." He snaps his fingers and a plant appears. "Take good care of Freddy here. I've got to take the show on the road. Well, I'm off. Come on, boys." He leaves and Maximus's ship flies away.
"I'm humble by his infinite wisdom." Dede said sitting criss-cross on the ground with the plant on her lap before going back to earth. By the time Dede arrived back at school had just ended so she ran to class to join her friends, only to find TJ not there. "Hey guys, where's TJ?"
"Hey left already." Replied Spinelli as they all turned to look at Dede.
"What?! But we had plans to go to Kelsos to see if they had the new señor fusion comic."
"You'll have to do it some other time, TJs been acting really weird since he finished Finsters new punishment." Said Gus as they all gathered their bags and started walking out the school.
"Weird how??"
"Stuttering and stammering, saying how he'll be a good boy from now on, you know, things that's not TJ like." Replied Gretchen.
"That doesn't sound good."
"Hey, this is TJ we're talking about. By tomorrow morning he'll be fine." Said Vince as they all parted ways to go to their separate homes. By the time Dede arrived home she saw that her parents' cars weren't in the drive and upon entering her home she also didn't hear a peep out of Lapis.
"Lapis, you home?" When she didn't get an answer Dede walked upstairs to her room and saw no one there. "Lapis must be at HQ training with the others. Best get started on my homework then." And that's what she did until a small thump caught her attention, turning around she saw Lapis was back and sitting on her bed. "Welcome back, how was training?"
"Great, I'm starting to learn how to control my transformation, they even said they might let me join you for a mission soon as some training out on the field." Lapis had jumped into the desk to be at more of an eye level with Dede.
"That's wonderful news, I can wait for you to be a permanent member of the team and I know Sparky and X-5 feel the same." Dede said, patting Lapis' head.
"I can't wait either, it's been ages since I saw those two last, not since you all saved me from Maximus." Lapis grinned before her stomach growled.
"I think any missions will have to wait until we've eaten." Dede laughed before the sound of the front door caught both their attention.
"Sweets, you home?" A man's voice rang out making Dede gasp as she ran out her room and down the stairs, hugging the newcomer.
"Dad, you're home. Is mum coming home tonight?"
"Unfortunately not sweets, there was a mess up with an order so she's got to stay over and fix it." Keith, Dedes father, said, patting her head before bending down to pet Lapis as well.
"Again?" Asked Dede disappointed about not getting to see her mother again.
"Hey, don't look so down kiddo, parent teacher night is soon, she'll definitely be there for that. Besides you get another fun night with your old man." Keith gloated, puffing his chest out.
"I feel very honoured." Dede laughed.
"You should, anyway what'd you say about pizza tonight?"
"Sounds great." And with that Dedes night was full of laughs with her dad and Lapis before she turned in for the night.
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"Ooh. Well done, Little Atomic One!" Spindly Tam Kanushu said as he and Dede bowed to each other. "Your physical training is coming along splendidly, once you're finished well then move onto mental training."
"Mental training?" Asked the young Dede as she looked up at her teacher. "Why do I need mental training?"
"One needs to train both their mind as well as their body in order to be strong, as the body is easily healed compared to the mind."
"Why is that?"
"The mind is very fragile, you see. Something as simple as a psychological situation can also be seen as an intimidation form of conditioning."
"Psychological situation? Intimidation? Conditioning? What are those?"
"We'll get to those when you are ready, young one, until then, focus on your other training."
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The next morning Dede arrived at school to see the gang already there, but TJ seemed different, so Dede kept a close eye on him throughout the morning and noticed any time something to do with a square or box came up or around him he'd finch and hide away. This continued all the way to lunch where the seven friends all sat at a table to eat.
"TJs a good boy, good boy, good boy." TJ muttered to himself, wearing a bib.
"Here you go TJ, a nice ravioli." Gretchen said trying to feed him, however instead of eating the ravioli TJ just screamed.
"What's wrong with him?" Asked Vince.
"Don't you see, the ravioli is a square and the square reminds him of-" said Dede as she put her arm around TJ, trying to comfort him
"The box?" Said Mikey.
"AHHH the box! The box!" TJ screams, hiding his face in Dedes shoulder.
"But he's gotta eat something." Said Gus.
"Here, have some of my sandwich." Offers Mikey but it just makes TJ scream again.
"Put it down Mikey, it's a square." Dede said, covering TJs eyes.
"Oh." Mikey said.
"Detweiler." A new voice said, looking over at the cafeteria doors they saw Ms Finster standing there. "I've got a little job for you." The next time the six see TJ is through the cafeteria window as he bangs two chalkboard erasers together.
"Eraser duty." Said Spinelli.
"He's sunk as low as a kid could get." Said Gus.
"We gotta do something you guys, before we lose TJ forever." Said Vince.
"Maybe if we just never use the word square again." Mikey suggested.
"Yeah right, what are we gonna do, play four circle?" Asked Spinelli.
"There's only one thing to do." Said Dede, making the others look at her.
"What's that?" Asked Gus.
"TJ needs to go back into the box." Dede looked at her friends as they all gasped.
"What? Are you crazy?" Said Vince.
"There's no way TJ will go back in that box, he's scared to death of it." Agreed Spinelli.
"I know he is, but trying to take his mind off of his fears is just playing into them. The only way for him to beat this fear is to face it."
"And how do you know it'll work and not make TJ worse?" Asked Vince.
At this question Dede thought back to the dream she had last night. 'Seeing spindly tam again has given me a refresher on all my training, but they can't know that'. Dede looked up at her friends and focused on Gretchen. "I read about it once when we went to the library."
"Dr Freud, of course, I remember reading that while you were studying about the solar system last year. She's right." Said Gretchen.
"But how are we gonna get him back in the box?" Asked Gus.
"Finster." Said Dede as she explained the plan to the six.
We next see TJ sitting on a bench in an empty hallway just minding his own business as Finster walks past him. When she was past him the six popped up from behind the bench. "I don't like this, not one bit." Vince shook his head as Gretchen held up a straw.
"We gotta do it Vince, it's for his own good." She said putting the straw on TJs right, so I'd be in view of Finster when she'd turn around. When it was planted Dede nodded to everyone to take the shot, which they did perfectly as the spitballs hit Finster on the back and head.
"Hey!" Finster yelled, turning around to see the straw by TJ. "Detweiler." TJ however just waved at her innocently. "Mock me will you, back to the box." Finster grabbed him and dragged him away, back to the box, ignoring his screams along the way.
"Are you sure this was a good idea?" Asked Spinelli."
"Absolutely, it will cure him completely." Said Gretchen. "Either that or push him over the edge so that he'll be nothing but a blubbering mess the rest of his life."
"Our part's not done yet." Dede said standing up. "I'll be back soon."
When Dede got to the playground she saw TJ sitting on the floor of the box, rocking back and forth. She looked around and found what she was looking for, a few first graders playing ball not too far away. "Hey, first graders, I need a favour."
"With what?" Asked a blonde boy.
"You see that boy over there in Finsters new box punishment, all I need you to do is throw the ball at him. Here, I'll even give you my marbles to do it." Dede bargained taking out her cat eye marbles and handed them to the first graders, making them smile and agree, as Dede watched from far away as the brunette threw the ball at TJ knocking him over as the blonde went over to him. Dede watched as TJ looked at the boy that just walked into the box to get the ball and walk out, leaving TJ to put his foot outside the painted lines before laughing in celebration, making Dede smile as she knew TJ was going to be okay before she left to go and find her friends.
"Poor TJ." Dede heard Mikey say as she walked up to them. "He looked so sad when she took him away."
"I feel like such a traitor." Said Vince.
"Why did I ever read that stupid Freud." Said Gretchen.
"Hey, anyone up for a little dodgeball." The all heard a voice say and looked over to see TJ standing there, making the other five run over to him as Dede walked slowly. "I'll take that as a yes."
"You're okay?" Spinelli said putting her hand on his shoulder.
"But of course."
"We thought we lost you man." Said Vince.
"I'm really sorry we got you into trouble TJ, but it was the only way to help." Dede said standing in front of TJ. "The whole thing was my idea."
"Forget about it, if you hadn't done that I'd still be banging erasers together and polishing Finsters shoes." Said TJ.
"So you're not mad?" Asked Mikey.
"Hmmm, heck no. You guys were right, sometimes the only way to get over your fears is to face them head on. Fact is, I couldn't get outta the box, until I went back in." And with that the seven friends all ran off to go and play a good game of dodgeball.