DISCLAIMER: I don't own Penn Zero Part Time Hero nor Walter Melon Hero for Hire.
Over in the country of Ratveria, the armored despotic ruler Dr. Gloom stood over his long time foes. "Ha Ha, you failed Mr. Phenomenal. Once again I prove to be the superior mind!" Dr. Gloom gloated over his greatest enemies.
Standing before him where 4 people in light blue uniforms with a 'f' insignia; two males, a female, and some kind of rock monster (actually the rock monster was only wearing pants) trapped inside some kind of energy field in the middle of Dr. Gloom's throne room/evil lab. The heroic team known as the Fantastic Family. "We'll stop you yet! We always do!" the younger of the men declared.
"That's right, Leed will figure a way out of this trap!" the woman added.
"Of that I have no doubt, Translucent Woman." Dr. Gloom agreed. "That is why I'm sending you all to Anti-Zone while I complete the last phase of my plan!" Dr. Gloom revealed as he pulls the lever of his device. A black hole appeared in the throne room sucking the four away.
Over in the blackness space the four contemplated their next course of action. "Leed what do we do?" the Rock monster asked.
"Don't worry, I'll find a way back. But until then, I'm going to need to make a call to stop Gloom." Leed reaching for his phone.
"YOU CAN'T MAKE A CALL HERE IN THE ANTI-ZONE! OUR PHONE BILLS IS GOING TO GO THROUGH THE ROOF!" Translucent Woman objected grabbing the phone.
Meanwhile over in Middleburg
The former Part-time hero Penn Zero along with his part-time sidekick Sashi and part-time wise man Boone were staring at the empty lot that used to be the old location of the Odyssey theater and Fish Stick on a Stick restaurant. "You know every time I come here I keep hoping they'd still be here," Penn said longingly. "Heck I'd be happy to see Rippen again."
"I know, but they're gone and we've got to move on with our lives." Sashi said lovingly holding his hand.
"Yeah but I miss the excitement, and looking for lost pets and doing yard work isn't really cutting it for me." Penn complained. It has been two weeks since he got his parents back, two weeks since the last battle between good and evil, two weeks since all of reality was nearly destroyed, two weeks since he lost his job of being a part time hero. Since then Penn has felt at a loss of what to do with his life. So far the only thing that's keeping him going is his growing relationship with Sashi. Even so he feels empty without purpose.
"How about we try this ad for hero for hire job?" Boone suggested holding up a newspaper.
"Let me see that!" Penn grabbing the paper. "Wanted freelance heroes, free travel, exciting adventures, good pay, see Walter Melon. Boone this paper is dated one week ago!" Penn exclaimed.
"Yeah, I though it would be worth checking out. So I saved it." Boone said.
"Why did you wait so long to show us this?" Sashi questioned.
"Who reads newspapers anymore," Boone scoffed. Both Penn and Sashi rolled their eyes in annoyance, but have come to expect this kind of skewed logic from him.
Later the trio found themselves at the address in the ad. "I sure hope this job is as good as it advertise," Penn muttered.
"I just hope they hire us," Boone added. The group entered the office and found a skinny man sitting at the desk with the nameplate 'Bitterbug'.
"Um excuse me," Penn addressing Bitterbug.
"Just state the nature of the emergency an Mr. Melon will be right with you," Bitterbug responded.
"Actually we're here for the job," Penn holding up the ad.
"Really?" Bitterbug jumped up with excitement only to be disappointed to see a bunch of kids. "Wait how old are you guys?"
"Bitterbug, who's there?" a voice came from behind a close door.
"Just some kids answering our ad," Bitterbug reported.
"What?" this overweight man with a melon nose came crashing into the room.
"Hi there. I'm Penn Zero and these are my friends Sashi and Boone." Penn introducing everyone. "We're here for the job," Penn and friends handing him the resumes that Phyllis gave them.
"I'm Walter Melon, Hero for Hire, and while this is impressive." Walter looking over their resumes. "But I'm afraid I can't hire you." Walter said sadly.
"But why?" Penn asked.
"Sorry but being a Hero for Hire is dangerous work. I can't endanger kids, plus there's also the child labor laws." Walter argued.
"Hey old man, we've traveled to the most dangerous worlds imaginable and made it back alive. So don't tell us that we can't handle it!" Sashi threatened.
"Look I admire your gusto but..." The phone started ringing. "Excuse me but I need to take that," Walter apologized as he answered his phone. "Walter Melon Hero for Hire. You're where? He's what? Why didn't you call me sooner? Oh you're wife took your phone. Understandable. You need how many? Alright I'll see what I can do." Walter groaned as he hanged up the phone.
"What is it boss?" Bitterbug asked.
"The Fantastic Family. They're trapped in the Anti-Zone and need us to stand in and stop Dr. Gloom." Walter informed his partner.
"I'll get the costumes," Bitterbug said.
"Wait there's more," Walter stopped his friend and partner. "They need four."
"But there's just the two of use," Bitterbug pointed out.
"Um we're here," Penn volunteered.
"I guess I have no choice," Walter conceded. "Alright, I'll take you three but only as a test. Bitterbug you stay here and watch the office." Walter ordered.
Later at the Family Skycar landed at the border of Ratveria. With Walter dressed as Mr. Phenomenal, Penn as Bonfire Person, Sashi as Translucent Woman, and Boone wearing a rock costume of the Rock-Thing. "Sashi check the specs," Penn ordered out of habit.
"Um Penn, I don't wear specs anymore." Sashi reminded him.
"Oh right, well this is going to take some getting used to." Penn blushed with embarrassment. "So what's our objective?"
"Here," Walter using the Skycar's computer. "Dr. Gloom invented a giant laser and is going to fire it at Mainhattan. We've got to stop it at all cost."
"This should be easy," Penn said confidently.
Walter glared at him cynically "Now here's my plan..."
"I have a better plan," Penn jumps in before jumping up into the air and bursting into fire.
"PENN WAIT!" Sahsi cries out but it's too late as Penn flies straight towards Dr. Gloom's castle only to be overwhelmed by a swarm of flying robotic drones. Walter, Shashi, and Boone quickly rushed to Penn's aid but that ended up getting the entire group captured. Soon they found themselves trapped inside the same force field that the Fantastic Family were in prior to being sent to the Anti-Zone.
"I don't understand what went wrong?" Penn muttered to himself.
"Well for starters, you ignored my orders, ran off on your own, forcing the rest of us to try and save your butt, and worst of all you IGNORED MY ORDERS!" Walter screamed. "How'd you'd ever survived as a part time hero I'll never know!"
"Penn," Sashi said softly wanting to comfort her boyfriend. "I know that you charging head first into things is how we normally operate, and that you are used to being the leader; but this is Walter's show now, and maybe we should have followed his lead."
"Maybe, but I thought you'd support me on this." Penn commented.
"I'm always on your side," Sashi said caressing him lovingly. "But that doesn't mean I won't knock you down a peg if your ego gets a little bloated," Sashi teased in her usual tough voice. While Penn is intimidated by her when she talks like that, Sashi's honesty is one of the things he loves about her. Penn was about to lean over to give her a kiss when...
"Oh that is disgusting!" Dr. Gloom gagged as he entered the room. "I know you're a player and all Bonfire but seriously she's your sister for god's sake!"
"Oh right Bonfire Person and Translucent Woman are brother and sister," Penn recalling the roles they're playing.
"That certainly made this awkward," Sashi agreed.
"Mr. Phenomenal, I don't know how you were able to escape the Anti-Zone so quickly...Wait did you gain weight in there?" Dr. Gloom noting the huge belly on his rival.
"Yeah that's it, because this is clearly the same guy." Sashi said rolling her eyes. Finding it hard to believe that anyone would mistake Walter Melon for anyone else.
"Never mind, you're too late. My laser is almost fully charged and soon I will destroy Mainhattan! And since I can't afford to waste any power sending you back into the Anti-Zone, you can stand there and watch my triumph." Dr. Gloom ranted. "Now I just need to redirect power from the rest of the castle to speed things along." Dr. Gloom explained as he began rerouting power.
"Oh man what do we do?" Penn asking Walter.
"I don't know," Walter said shaking his head. He may be dressed up and have the powers of one of the smartest man in the world but he definitely doesn't have Leed's high IQ.
"You know if he's redirecting power to his laser, then doesn't that mean he won't have power for all his TVs?" Boone wondered looking at all the monitors in Dr. Gloom's lair.
"That's it!" Walter and Penn exclaimed.
"What?" Sashi and Boone not getting it.
"If he's rerouting power from the castle..." Penn started saying.
"Then that means he'll be drawing power from this force field as well," Walter finished.
"I get it," Sashi nodding in understanding. "That means if we hit it hard enough we might be able to break through! HI-YA!" Sashi karate kicking the field only to find that it is just as strong as before.
"Um why don't you try using your invisible shield power instead," Walter suggested.
"Oh right," Sashi almost forgetting that she has See-Through Woman's powers. Sashi focusing all of her powers, Sashi projected and invisible shield to counter Dr. Gloom's force field. Soon she was able to create a small opening the size of a nickle. "I can't make it any bigger!" Sashi huffed barely able to hold it open.
"It's good enough," Walter said as he squeezed his finger through. He then stretched his finger across the room, and pressing the off switch on the force field. "We're free!" Walter exclaimed as the force field deactivated.
"What? NO! Gloom Bots attack!" Dr. Gloom ordered. Soon dozens of Gloom Bots entered the room.
"It's Rockin' Time!" Boone said. Pulling out a guitar and started rocking out. The Gloom Bots all started jumping up and down cheering Boone's playing. That is until Sashi pulled the plug on Boone's guitar.
"Wrong Rocking," Sashi reminded him.
"Oh right," Boone chuckled with embarrassment. He then started punching the Bots with his stone fists. Sashi used her invisibility powers to play the 'I'm behind you' game to trick the robots into shooting each other. Of course to satisfy her blood lust, she would sometimes make herself visible so that she can trash the robots by hand. Penn started flying around the room, throwing fireballs at the bots, while Walter uses his stretching power to punch out the remaining bots.
"It's over Dr. Gloom!" Walter declared after destroying the last bot.
"Not by a long shot!" Dr. Gloom defied. "You see by turning off the force field, you saved me enough power to power my powerful laser. Say goodbye to Mainhattan!" Dr. Gloom laughed as he pressed the fire button. The team watched in horror as the laser beam fired into the air.
"We're too late," Walter cried.
"Not yet!" Penn said with determination. "LIGHT UP!" Pushing his fire powers to the limit Penn, flying faster than physically possible, crossed over the ocean in record time, somehow arriving at Mainhattan a few seconds before the laser. "Alright fire powers that I shouldn't really have, don't fail me now!" Penn fired a burst of fire to intercept the laser. However the laser is incredibly powerful almost overpowering him. Penn had to channel more and more flames to push the laser back, soon reaching supernova levels of heat! Resulting in a large explosion over the sky!
Back in Ratveria, Dr. Gloom and the remaining members of the replacement Fantastic Family watched what had just transpired. "No! I was so close!" Dr. Gloom cried seeing his plan failing at the last second.
"Penn, no," Sashi cried fearing the worst.
"He's alright, he always makes it through." Boone said holding back his own tears.
Just then a fire being came rocketing back into the palace. "Remind me never to do anything like that again," Penn breathing a sigh of relief as the flames around his body began to die down.
"Penn you jerk!" Sashi cried punching him in the arm before hugging him.
"I knew you'd make it," Boone hugging both of his friends.
As the three friends celebrate, Walter walked over to Dr. Gloom. "It's over, surrender now." Walter demanded.
"You won for now, but I'll be back!" Dr. Gloom promised as escaped via trapdoor under his throne.
Later back at Walter's office, Walter sat at his desk staring over annoyingly at the three kids across from him. "Mr. Melon, I'd just like to say that what happened back there..." Penn started saying before Walter raised his hand, silencing the boy.
"I've been in the Hero for Hire business for a long time, and this is not an easy job. You never know what role you're going to have to fill or what's at stake. Sometimes it can be as low as winning a dancing competition or like in this case, an entire city." Walter lectured. "Ever since you kids came into my office you've been disrespectful, impulsive, and even prone to violence." Recalling how Sashi had threatened him earlier.
"Yeah we're really sorry about that," Penn apologizing on behalf of his girlfriend.
"But," Walter interrupted him. "You've also proven to be brave, levelheaded, determined, and quite imaginative. Qualities that makes you perfect Heroes for Hire. Without which we could not have completed our mission and saved all those lives." Walter praised.
"Does that mean we get the job?" Penn asked hopefully.
"Well yes and no," Walter said cryptically. "Yes you get the job, but due to child labor laws, I can't take you on full time. So for the time being, you'll be working as assistant Part Time Heroes for Hire."
"Sweet!" the kids cheered.
As they celebrated Walter handed Penn a check. "Here's your first paycheck for a job well done."
"Thanks," Penn said accepting the check.
"Just be ready, you never know when we'll be called upon to save the world." Walter warned them.
"We will," Penn promised as he and his friends headed for home.
"Huh who knew that there was a perfect job for former part-time heroes like us," Boone said as they walked down the street.
"Yes indeed," Sashi agreed.
"Well gang all I can say is that the future is looking brighter," Penn smiled feeling a huge weight being lifted from his shoulders. In fact they are so overjoyed by this turn of events that they did not even notice that they were passing right by the former location of the Odyssey Theater and the Fish Stick on a Stick restaurant.
When ever good is threatened, heroes rise up to meet the challenge.
Except when they can't.
That's when I go to work.
So long as my boss Walter Melon has the suits,
I can cover for any hero.
With Boone and Sashi by my side.
I am Penn Zero, Part Time Hero for Hire.
A/N: This is my little one shot of what happens after Penn Zero Part-Time Hero finale. Noticing the similarities with Penn Zero and Walter Melon show, I thought it would be amusing if Penn ended up working for Walter. I hope you enjoyed it.