Somewhere… In the jungle
Jimmy’s dad: Alright son, just one more specimen and your mother says we’ll have enough.
Jimmy: I had no idea mother was interested in this sort of thing. When did she start studying insects?
Dad: Well actually- (moth flies in front of them) There it is- quick!
(The chase the moth around in comic fashion before finally catching it.)
(Back at the lab they put the new moth into an enclosure)
Jimmy’s mom: James, you did a fine job collecting all these. I can’t wait to start studying them.
Crash: Why do you need a bunch of moths?
Dad: These aren’t regular moths, Crash. They’re a very rare kind called Retro-moths.
Mom: Their life cycles are very unusual. They are the only moth that builds a cocoon and turns into a caterpillar.
Eaglebones: That seems-
Mom: Backwards! Yes. Metamorphosis in reverse.
Crash: Memo-whatsis?
Eaglebones: She means usually caterpillars become moths.
Crash: I knew that.
Jimmy: Mother, if you have enough specimens, I’d like to head out in the morning.
Mom: That’s just fine James. I don’t know about the rest of you but I could use some sleep.
(Sleeping quarters, MCBC and Ricky are in sleeping bags on the floor. Mom and Dad Goodman are in their bunks.)
Mom: Now are you boys sure you don’t mind letting us sleep in your beds?
MCBC: We couldn’t think of letting you sleep on this cold, hard, uncomfortable floor, right?-? (looks for someone to contradict him) I mean, even if you insisted-
Mom: Oh thank you dear. These bed are just so comfortable. You really are a very sweet young man.
MCBC: Haha, ha, yeah… (Looks annoyed)
(In the lab Jimmy puts away an armload of chemicals. He drops one labeled ‘growth factor’ and doesn’t notice it spills into the moth enclosure. He turns out the lights.)
(Next morning in the sleeping quarters)
Jimmy: (running in) Father, Mother, Aquabats! One of the moths has escaped!
MCBC: So?
(Jimmy runs out and they follow.)
Ricky: What’s he so excited abou-
(they notice the lab is a wreck and the wall has a large hole in it. MCBC and Ricky head toward the battletram door. The Goodmans follow, with Crash and Eaglebones bringing up the rear. They shove open the door which is blocked by strands of white material. More is in the trees above. As MCBC stares up at it, some of it falls on him and Ricky. They are surprised but unhurt. Both begin giggling like children and throw fistfuls of the sillystring-like substance at each other.)
Jimmy: (scanning the white substance) Uh, Commander? You best keep back from that stuff.
Mom: What is it?
Jimmy: Retro-moth silk. But where could so much of it have come from?
(Cue giant moth followed by all of them screaming.)
Mom: (aside) James, none of the other moths ever grew to this size!
Jimmy: One of them must have been exposed to something that altered its growth.
(The Aquabats chase the moth around and it spits silk at them, encasing MCBC and Ricky. Eaglebones drives it off with a laser chord, but is repaid with a skein of silk that knocks him to the ground.)
Jimmy: Crash, help me get this silk off the Commander and Ricky.
(They work to peel MCBC and Ricky out of their ‘cocoons’ and are surprised to see they look younger, like kids.)
Jimmy: The Retro-moth silk!
Dad: Prolonged contact must affect humans-
Mom: in the same way it affects the moths!
Jimmy: That means-
Mom: Backwards.
Adolescent MCBC: What are you guys staring at?
(Jimmy produces a mirror.)
Adolescent MCBC: What the WHAAA?!
Faux-Mercial:
Facelet- a bracelet for your face!
(Adolescent MCBC and Adolescent Ricky sit on a bench, Jimmy runs tests.)
Jimmy: The giant Retro-moth silk seems to have anti-aging properties.
Mom: That’s why they appear younger after touching the silk.
Eaglebones: (voice only) But we all touched the silk.
(They turn and see that now both Crash and Eaglebones look about twelve years old.)
Mom: (voice only) Good gracious!
(Turning again we notice a pair of toddlers running in circles- MCBC and Ricky)
Mom: (trying to corral the toddler-bats) This won’t do at all!
Jimmy: Alright Aquabats. (pauses, then addresses only Crash and Bones) Your anti-aging has stabilized for now. But we still have to stop that moth.
Adolescent Crash: How are we gonna stop it…like this?
Adolescent Eaglebones: We can do it, Crash.
Dad: We’ll help son.
Jimmy: No Dad. I need you to help me figure out how to fix- this (gestures at the toddler-bats) and Mother seems, busy.
Adolescent Eaglebones: See, Crash, it’s up to us.
Adolescent Crash: Well, I, I- can still get big!
Jimmy: No Crash, not this time. You have to stay small enough to wear this protective gear (holds out raincoat) so no more silk gets on you. We don’t want you transforming into a giant baby. Here Eaglebones you take one too. Take this tracker, it’ll help you locate the creature and recapture it. I’ll stay here and work on a way to restore you to your normal appearance.
Adolescent Eaglebones: You can count on us. Come on Crash!
(Adolescent Eaglebones and Adolescent Crash track the creature.)
Adolescent Eaglebones: The trail stops here. So that means-
(The look up and see a large cocoon suspended between two trees.)
Adolescent Eaglebones: I’ll climb up nearer to it and you hand me my guitar so I can cut it down.
Adolescent Crash: Be careful, Bones!
(They accomplish this and the cocoon falls into a pile of leaves.)
Adolescent Eaglebones: Ok we can push it to the battletram now.
Adolescent Crash: But Jimmy said not to touch the silk or we’ll get even younger.
Adolescent Eaglebones: Jimmy’s not the boss of us.
(Eaglebones starts trying to push the cocoon but it’s big, he’s small, and he slips in the leaves. When he comes up he’s gotten even smaller, appearing six or seven years old.)
Adolescent Crash: Stop! You’ll shrink. Stop Eaglebones!
Child Eaglebones: (looks at his hands and looks up at Crash, seeing the height difference) But, but…
(Eaglebones pouts, dangerously close to tears. Crash looks like he’s near crying as well.)
Adolescent Crash: (pulling himself together) Bones, we still have to get this back to the battletram like Jimmy said!
Child Eaglebones: (sniffling) But how?
(The cocoon starts shaking and we hear cracking sounds)
Both: Uh oh.
(Back in the lab)
Jimmy: Ok using the crystals we got in the Time Sprinkler’s dimension I’ve made these time bars-
Mom: (she holds Ricky on her hip, MCBC runs around her causing mischief) Oh! Commander! No, put that down, it’s breakable!
Jimmy: A few bites should age them properly.
Mom: I hope so. These two certainly are a handful.
(Back to the outdoors. Crash and Eaglebones are running from a large caterpillar. Eaglebones falls)
Child Eaglebones: Crash!
(Crash scoops up Eaglebones.)
Child Eaglebones: My, gui-taaar!
(Crash also grabs the guitar, and they continue, Crash carrying both. They near the battletram.)
Adolescent Crash: JIMMYYYY!
(Crash deposits Eaglebones on the battletram steps. He tries using the guitar on the caterpillar but it’s no use.) Child Eaglebones: Bring it here. Hold it up. The other way, quick!
(With Crash helping, Bones manages to laser the caterpillar, which retreats a little ways.)
Grown MCBC: Get inside you two!
Adolescent Crash: Commander! You’re all better!
(Once they are in the door Jimmy fires missiles at the caterpillar, destroying it.)
MCBC: YES! Alright, nice work robot!
Jimmy: Thank you Commander, but, it wouldn’t have been possible if Eaglebones and Crash hadn’t lured it here then backed it off to a safe distance.
(Crash and Eaglebones look at each other grinning and Crash lifts Eaglebones in a hug)
Jimmy: Now are you two ready to go back to normal?
(Crash, Ricky and Eaglebones are back to normal, each finishing a time bar.)
Crash: These are really good Jimmy. Can I have seconds?
Jimmy: NO! Uh, sorry Crash but you only need a few bites of these. Any more will age you too much.
MCBC: (voice only) These things are delicious. Are there more?
Jimmy: Commander? Commander!
(We see the Commander finishing a second bar, having aged noticeably.)
MCBC: What?