The room is quiet except for old-school video game music blasting from 9-Volt’s TV. 9-Volt dances around his room dramatically, pretending he’s inside his favorite retro game while tossing game cartridges everywhere. Suddenly— FWOOOSH!! A strange blur zooms through the room at impossible speed. 9-Volt freezes. 9-Volt: Huh…? AAAAAAAAAAH! breathes heavily Before he can react— the bedroom door opens. 5-Volt walks in. She stops immediately. Complete silence. His helmet bulbs begin flashing bright red like warning sirens. 9-Volt slowly looks down— and realizes with absolute horror that all his clothes are gone. Everything. His shirt, his shorts, his gloves and even his shoes. All that’s left are his white boxers with red spots and the helmet. A long pause. Then— 9-Volt: W-WHAT?! He jumps into the air in panic and immediately crosses his arms over himself. 9-Volt: WHERE DID MY CLOTHES GO?! He frantically looks around the room while trying to hide himself at the same time. 9-Volt: THIS ISN’T HAPPENING!! TURN AROUND!! DON’T LOOK!! 5-Volt says absolutely nothing at first. Then her eyes widen slightly in visible shock, completely caught off guard by the situation. 5-Volt: …9-Volt?! WHAT THE HECK?! A single game cartridge falls off a shelf in the background. 9-Volt: I CAN EXPLAIN!! …Actually, NO I CAN’T!! His face turns completely red. Then— outside the open window— a mysterious shadowy figure can be seen sprinting away while carrying 9-Volt’s clothes like stolen treasure. 5-Volt notices immediately. For a moment she is still shocked, frozen by what she just walked into. Then she sharply snaps out of it and steps forward. 5-Volt: MAKE SURE NO ONE LOOKS! 9-Volt freezes instantly. 9-Volt: WHO?! WHO’S LOOKING?! IS IT STILL HERE?! He immediately dives backward onto the bed and disappears under the blanket. THUMP. Only a small helmet bump is visible under the covers now. 9-Volt (muffled): I’M NOT HERE!! THIS IS A SAFE ZONE!! NO VISUAL CONTACT!! 5-Volt quickly moves toward the window, still shaken but focused, clearly meaning she doesn’t want anyone outside or nearby seeing anything further. She pauses once more, glancing back at the situation in pure disbelief—still processing how this is her life right now—then continues after the thief. 9-Volt remains under the blanket, completely hidden, trembling slightly. 9-Volt (muffled): …okay… I’m still here… I’m still real… AFTERMATH Moments later. The front door opens. 5-Volt walks back inside holding a neatly folded pile of recovered clothes. 9-Volt slowly peeks out from under the blanket. 9-Volt: M-Mom… you caught the thief?! 5-Volt: Yes. She pauses. 5-Volt: And I still don’t understand what kind of situation that was supposed to be. She hands him the clothes. 9-Volt’s eyes light up instantly. 9-Volt: MY CLOTHES!! He bolts out from under the blanket and changes at lightning speed. ZIP! FWIP! SNAP! In a second he’s fully dressed again. He strikes a dramatic pose. 9-Volt: WarioWare… I’M BACK IN BUSINESS!! He exhales in relief. 9-Volt: Whew… I seriously thought that was the absolute worst moment of my life… He turns toward 5-Volt. 9-Volt: THANK YOU, MOM!! 5-Volt gives him a long, tired look—still slightly shocked from earlier, but calmer now. 5-Volt: Just… try to keep your clothes where they’re supposed to be. Long silence. 9-Volt laughs nervously. 9-Volt: Y-yeah… that sounds like a good rule.
9-Volt and 5-Volt are characters from the WarioWare series by Nintendo.
