Chapter 4
The street of Snackopolis had officially descended into chaos.
Cars screeched to a halt.
People ran in every direction.
Someone dropped an entire tray of nachos.
And in the middle of it all stood Penelope Pickleton — a freshly evolved humanoid pickle who still wasn't entirely sure how to use her legs.
Across the street, a gigantic machine shaped like a metal salt shaker rolled forward, grinding pavement beneath its massive wheels.
Standing inside the glass cockpit was a man in a white lab coat, wild hair sticking out in every direction.
He threw his arms into the air dramatically.
"I AM DR. SODIUM!"
The crowd screamed.
Penelope blinked.
"...Of course you are."
Beside her, Chippy pushed his sunglasses up his crispy little nose.
"Well," he said calmly, "that's definitely a villain."
Dr. Sodium slammed a button on his console.
"PEOPLE OF SNACKOPOLIS!" he shouted through a massive loudspeaker. "For too long you have lived your bland, flavorless lives!"
He pulled a lever.
The machine rattled violently.
"Today... I bring you SEASONING!"
A cannon on the side of the machine rotated toward a parked car.
Penelope squinted.
"That looks bad."
Chippy nodded.
"Extremely."
BOOOOM.
A blast of white powder exploded from the cannon.
The salt covered the car instantly.
Within seconds, the metal began corroding.
Rust spread across the doors.
The tires deflated.
The car collapsed into a crunchy pile.
People screamed.
"RUN!"
Penelope stared at the destruction.
"...Okay, that's definitely bad."
Dr. Sodium laughed maniacally.
"BEHOLD! My Hyper-Sodium Cannon!"
He spotted Penelope standing in the street.
His eyes widened.
"A PICKLE?!"
The entire crowd turned.
Phones raised into the air.
"IT'S THE PICKLE!"
Penelope awkwardly waved.
"...Hi."
Dr. Sodium's grin grew wider.
"Oh this is PERFECT."
Penelope frowned.
"Why do villains keep saying that?"
He pointed dramatically at her.
"You are the ultimate snack ingredient!"
Chippy leaned toward Penelope.
"That doesn't sound good."
Dr. Sodium slammed another button.
"PREPARE TO BE SEASONED!"
The cannon aimed directly at her.
Penelope's brain finally caught up to the situation.
"Oh no."
The cannon fired.
A massive cloud of salt blasted toward her.
Penelope reacted instinctively.
Her new legs bent.
Then—
WHOOSH.
She launched into the air.
The salt blast hit the street where she had been standing.
The pavement cracked and turned white.
Penelope soared above the street.
Wind rushed past her face.
Her eyes widened.
"...I'm flying."
Chippy looked up from the ground.
"YOU'RE FLYING!"
Penelope flailed slightly in the air.
"I DIDN'T MEAN TO FLY!"
Dr. Sodium shook his fist angrily.
"STOP FLYING!"
Penelope tried to control herself.
She tilted forward.
Her body glided smoothly through the sky.
"...Okay," she muttered. "This might actually be useful."
Dr. Sodium fired again.
A second blast of salt shot upward.
Penelope dodged it easily.
She swooped downward.
Her fist collided with the side of the salt machine.
CRUNCH.
The metal dented inward like a soda can.
Dr. Sodium screamed.
"MY MACHINE!"
Penelope landed on top of the vehicle.
"...That felt awesome."
Dr. Sodium slammed a red button.
The machine shook violently.
Panels opened on the sides.
Four smaller salt cannons popped out.
Penelope blinked.
"Oh come on."
The cannons fired simultaneously.
Salt blasts filled the air.
Penelope jumped and flipped between them.
But one blast clipped her shoulder.
The moment the salt touched her skin, Penelope felt it.
A burning sensation.
Her strength faded instantly.
She stumbled.
"Oh no."
Chippy's voice echoed from below.
"Salt! That's your weakness!"
Penelope groaned.
"Of course it is."
Dr. Sodium laughed.
"YES!"
He aimed the main cannon again.
"BEHOLD THE POWER OF SODIUM CHLORIDE!"
The cannon fired.
A gigantic wave of salt erupted from the machine.
Penelope barely managed to dodge.
She landed hard on the pavement.
Her legs wobbled.
"I feel... terrible."
Chippy looked around desperately.
There had to be something that could help.
Then he spotted it.
A bright red fire hydrant.
He grinned.
"Oh yeah."
Chippy ran toward it.
Dr. Sodium raised an eyebrow.
"...Is that a potato chip?"
Chippy jumped and kicked the valve with both feet.
CLANG.
Nothing happened.
He kicked it again.
CLANG.
Still nothing.
Chippy sighed.
"Okay... one more time."
He jumped higher.
Then kicked with everything he had.
CRACK.
The hydrant exploded.
Water blasted into the air like a fountain.
The spray soaked the street.
The salt on the ground dissolved instantly.
Penelope felt the difference immediately.
Her strength returned.
"Oh!"
She jumped back onto her feet.
Dr. Sodium shouted in panic.
"NO! WATER!"
Penelope grinned.
"Oh you are in SO much trouble now."
She rocketed into the sky again.
Then dove straight toward the salt machine.
Dr. Sodium fired every cannon.
But Penelope was too fast.
She dodged each blast effortlessly.
Her pickle fist slammed into the machine again.
BOOOOM.
The entire vehicle tilted sideways.
Dr. Sodium clung to the control panel.
"THIS IS UNFAIR!"
Penelope grabbed the cannon barrel.
With one powerful twist—
SNAP.
The metal tore off completely.
She threw it into a nearby dumpster.
Dr. Sodium stared in horror.
"...That was expensive."
Penelope cracked her knuckles.
"Science punch."
She slammed her fist into the center of the machine.
The engine exploded.
Smoke poured from every panel.
The vehicle tipped over.
Dr. Sodium tumbled out and landed face-first in a puddle.
Silence fell across the street.
People slowly peeked out from behind cars and buildings.
The crowd began cheering.
"THE PICKLE SAVED US!"
Phones flashed everywhere.
Reporters ran forward.
One shoved a microphone toward Penelope.
"Ma'am! Are you the mysterious hero LADY BRINE?!"
Another reporter pushed forward.
"No no — she's SUPER PICKLE!"
A third reporter shouted.
"I heard she's called MADAME PICKLE!"
Penelope stared at them.
Then sighed.
"I haven't decided on a name yet."
The reporters blinked.
"What?"
She shrugged.
"I'm still thinking about it."
Chippy climbed onto her shoulder.
He waved dramatically at the cameras.
"Citizens of Snackopolis!"
Everyone looked at him.
Chippy struck a heroic pose.
"The pickle has spoken!"
Penelope whispered to him.
"Please stop encouraging them."
Police officers arrived and surrounded Dr. Sodium.
He sat on the curb, sulking.
"My machine..."
One officer approached Penelope cautiously.
"Uh... thank you, Miss Pickle Lady."
Penelope rubbed her face.
"That's not my name."
The officer nodded awkwardly.
"Right. Sorry."
Chippy leaned closer to her ear.
"You should totally pick Captain Crunchy."
Penelope glared at him.
"Absolutely not."
Across the street, a massive news van had parked.
A camera crew was broadcasting live.
The reporter stood in front of the camera dramatically.
"This is the first confirmed sighting of the mysterious pickle hero!"
The camera zoomed in on Penelope.
"Snackopolis may have a new protector!"
Penelope's eyes widened.
"Oh no."
Chippy grinned.
"Oh yes."
The reporter continued speaking excitedly.
"Whether she is Lady Brine, Super Pickle, or Madame Pickle..."
Penelope sighed.
"...please stop."
"...one thing is certain!"
The reporter pointed toward her.
"Snackopolis has a hero!"
The crowd cheered loudly.
Penelope scratched the back of her head.
"...I guess I helped."
Chippy looked proud.
"You saved the city."
Penelope looked around at the people smiling and cheering.
For the first time since the accident...
She smiled.
"...Okay."
Chippy crossed his tiny arms.
"So what now, hero?"
Penelope looked up at the skyline of Snackopolis.
Police lights flashed.
News helicopters circled overhead.
The city buzzed with excitement.
"...Now we figure out what happened to me."
Chippy nodded.
"And maybe pick a name."
Penelope sighed.
"I'm still thinking about it."
High above the city...
In a dark laboratory filled with glowing green jars...
A man watched the news broadcast on a screen.
Professor Fermento smiled slowly.
"So..."
He leaned closer to the monitor.
"...the pickle survived."
Behind him, machines hummed loudly.
Inside the jars floated strange mutated food creatures.
Fermento's grin widened.
"Excellent."
He turned toward a massive device in the center of the room.
The Fermentation Reactor.
"And now..."
Electricity crackled across the machine.
"...the real experiment begins."
Outside, the city of Snackopolis celebrated its new hero.
But far away...
Something much bigger was coming.