Chapter 5
The next morning in Snackopolis began like any normal day.
Coffee shops opened.
Food trucks rolled into place.
People hurried to work.
Except today, something was different.
Every single TV screen in the city showed the same thing.
A green pickle hero flying through the air and smashing a giant salt machine.
Penelope Pickleton groaned.
She sat on a park bench, wearing oversized sunglasses and a hoodie pulled over her head.
Unfortunately, it was extremely hard to disguise the fact that she was still a green pickle person.
Across the street, a television in an electronics store replayed the footage again.
"ROLL THE TAPE!"
The news anchor pointed dramatically at the screen.
Penelope launching through the air.
Punching Dr. Sodium's machine.
The crowd cheering.
The anchor leaned toward the camera.
"Snackopolis has a new hero!"
Penelope covered her face.
"Oh no."
Beside her, Chippy sat proudly on the bench armrest.
"Oh yes."
Penelope peeked at the screen.
The anchor continued talking excitedly.
"But the biggest mystery remains..."
The screen zoomed in on Penelope's face.
"...WHO IS THE PICKLE HERO?"
Clips of reporters shouting played again.
"Is she Lady Brine?!"
"Or Super Pickle?!"
"Some witnesses are calling her Madame Pickle!"
Penelope sighed deeply.
"I told them I haven't decided yet."
Chippy nodded.
"And now the entire city is debating it."
Penelope looked around the park.
People were literally arguing.
A group of teenagers stood near a hotdog stand.
"I'm telling you, it's Super Pickle."
"No way! Lady Brine sounds cooler."
"Madame Pickle sounds fancy."
Penelope sank deeper into her hoodie.
"This is a nightmare."
Chippy grinned.
"This is fame."
Penelope pointed at herself.
"I'm a vegetable!"
"Correction."
Chippy adjusted his sunglasses.
"You're a celebrity vegetable."
Across the park, a newspaper vendor shouted loudly.
"EXTRA! EXTRA!"
Penelope froze.
The vendor held up the front page.
A giant photo of her punching Dr. Sodium's machine.
The headline read:
THE PICKLE PROTECTOR SAVES SNACKOPOLIS
Penelope groaned.
"Oh come on."
Chippy hopped down and grabbed a newspaper.
He scanned the article.
"Ooooh this one calls you The Dill Defender."
Penelope rubbed her temples.
"They're making more names."
Chippy shrugged.
"That's the internet for you."
Penelope sighed.
"We need to focus."
Chippy looked confused.
"On what?"
Penelope pointed toward the skyline.
"Professor Fermento."
Chippy scratched his crispy chin.
"Right."
Penelope stood up from the bench.
"If he stole that brine formula..."
She looked serious.
"...he could create more accidents like me."
Chippy tilted his head.
"Or worse."
Before Penelope could respond—
"HEY!"
Both of them turned.
A reporter sprinted across the park toward them.
Microphone in hand.
Camera crew behind him.
Penelope's eyes widened.
"Oh no."
The reporter stopped right in front of her.
"It's her!"
The camera zoomed in.
"LIVE on Snackopolis News!"
Penelope tried to run.
But the reporter blocked her.
"Miss Pickle Hero!"
Penelope sighed.
"...Yes?"
"Can we get a statement?"
Chippy whispered.
"Say something cool."
Penelope looked directly into the camera.
"...Please stop filming me."
The reporter blinked.
"That's not very heroic."
Penelope pointed at herself.
"I didn't sign up for this!"
The reporter smiled.
"Citizens want to know more about their hero."
He flipped through a notepad.
"First question: what is your official hero name?"
Penelope sighed.
"I haven't decided yet."
The reporter looked disappointed.
"Still?"
Chippy whispered loudly.
"Captain Crunchy."
Penelope elbowed him.
"No."
The reporter tried another question.
"Where did your powers come from?"
Penelope hesitated.
"...Science accident."
The reporter scribbled quickly.
"Fascinating."
Suddenly, people began gathering around them.
Phones pointed everywhere.
A little kid ran up.
"ARE YOU SUPER PICKLE?!"
Penelope crouched down.
"I haven't decided on a name yet."
The kid gasped.
"You're so cool!"
Another person shouted.
"LADY BRINE!"
Someone else yelled.
"MADAME PICKLE!"
Penelope sighed.
"This is getting out of hand."
Chippy climbed onto her shoulder.
"Look on the bright side."
"What bright side?"
"You're the most famous pickle in history."
Penelope paused.
"...That might actually be true."
Suddenly—
CRASH.
Everyone turned.
A loud noise echoed from downtown.
Smoke rose into the sky.
Penelope frowned.
"That can't be good."
Chippy looked serious.
"Definitely not."
People started screaming again.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"
Another explosion followed.
BOOOOM.
Penelope's superhero instincts kicked in.
"Well."
She rolled her shoulders.
"Guess the city needs its pickle again."
The reporter shouted excitedly.
"She's responding to another emergency!"
The camera zoomed in.
"Snackopolis' mysterious hero prepares to act!"
Penelope bent her knees.
Then launched into the sky.
WHOOSH.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
Chippy held onto her shoulder.
"Still cool every time."
They flew toward the smoke.
Below them, the streets filled with chaos again.
People running.
Cars honking.
Sirens wailing.
Penelope hovered above the scene.
"...That's a lot of damage."
Chippy squinted.
"I think something's robbing that bank."
Penelope looked closer.
A group of criminals wearing sandwich costumes burst out of the building.
One carried a bag of money.
Another waved a bottle of mayonnaise like a weapon.
Penelope blinked.
"...Are those sandwich criminals?"
Chippy nodded.
"Yep."
The leader shouted.
"NOBODY MOVE!"
Penelope sighed.
"Alright."
She dropped from the sky.
Landing right in front of them.
The criminals froze.
One whispered.
"...It's the pickle."
Another gulped.
"THE PICKLE HERO!"
Penelope crossed her arms.
"Put the money down."
The leader pointed dramatically.
"You can't stop us!"
Penelope raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
The criminal puffed out his chest.
"We are the Sandwich Syndicate!"
Chippy whispered.
"That's actually a pretty good villain name."
Penelope cracked her knuckles.
"Last chance."
The criminals charged.
Penelope moved faster than they could see.
WHOOSH.
Three seconds later...
All five sandwich criminals lay tied up with their own bread straps.
Penelope dusted off her hands.
"That was easy."
Chippy nodded.
"Very satisfying."
Police sirens approached again.
The criminals groaned.
"You ruined our sandwich heist..."
Penelope shrugged.
"Try a different career."
Reporters were already arriving again.
Microphones everywhere.
"Hero! Hero!"
"What's your name?!"
"Are you Lady Brine?!"
"Is it Super Pickle?!"
"Maybe Madame Pickle?!"
Penelope sighed for the hundredth time.
"I still haven't decided."
The reporters groaned.
Chippy leaned toward her ear.
"You should definitely pick Captain Crunchy."
Penelope glared.
"Never."
Far away, in a hidden laboratory...
Professor Fermento watched the news coverage again.
His smile grew wider.
"So..."
He adjusted his goggles.
"...the pickle hero grows stronger."
Behind him, the giant Fermentation Reactor hummed louder.
Green energy pulsed through giant tubes.
Inside glass tanks floated strange mutated food creatures.
Fermento clasped his hands together.
"Perfect."
He turned to the machine.
"Soon..."
Electric sparks danced across the reactor.
"...Snackopolis will evolve."
Back in the city...
Penelope landed on a rooftop.
She looked out across the skyline.
The city lights shimmered.
Chippy sat beside her.
"You're getting good at this hero thing."
Penelope thought for a moment.
"...Maybe."
Chippy nudged her.
"So what's the plan now?"
Penelope looked determined.
"We find Professor Fermento."
Chippy grinned.
"And stop whatever he's planning."
Penelope nodded.
Far in the distance...
The Fermentation Reactor glowed brighter.
Something big was coming.