02x08 - Basic Training

[bunniefuu]

How are the energy cuffs?
Comfortable?

His name's trombipulor.

Whatever. I forgot.

He wouldn't.

It was too funny.

Anyway, your ride's here.

He's wanted for

level weapons-dealing.

He's all yours, officer.

Tennyson, Tennyson, and

Levin, right?

That doesn't look like

a medal.

"Because you received"

your plumber commendations

during a field engagement, your

required training is incomplete.

Please report to academy

for field-certification

"courses."

Wait.

We have to go to school?

What is the

plumber academy gonna teach us?

It's not like we haven't saved

the whole entire universe

already.

Give it a rest,

Tennyson.

If this is what it takes to keep

our plumbers badges, then this

is what we'll do.

Tennyson?

You are Ben Tennyson, hero of

the Highbreed wars, conqueror of

Vilgax?

Yeah. Hi.

It is because of you that I

go to plumber academy.

My name is tack.

Um, what are you doing?

Greeting you reverentially.

I thought it was a

really slow head butt.

Head...Butt?

This is awesome!

Look at the classes we get to

take!

Weapons and tactics,

interstellar law, cultural

sensitivity.

Started strong, but

then you lost me.

Starship maintenance.

And you got him right

back.

I wouldn't mind

learning about those sweet

foldspace engines they're

putting in the new cruisers.

Classes... too much like

school.

This is like no school any of

us has ever attended.

I heard that our drill

instructor is the meanest,

toughest plumber in the service.

Except for my grandpa.

All due respect to your

grandfather, magister Hulka is

the most decorated officer in

plumber history, and he expects

no less than excellence from his

students.

But surely he has never

had a pupil like the great

Ben Tennyson.

Surely.

I think our barracks are this

way.

I can't get a signal.

Plumber badges don't work on

campus.

It's against the rules to use

them.

Good thing they're not

grading on following directions,

huh, tack?

You are funny, Ben Tennyson.

Eyes forward, you larval

dipteroid!

"Larval dipteroid"?

Did cadet no-neck just call my

new buddy a...

Maggot?

Yeah... insulting.

Technically, he implied

he was sort of a space maggot,

so there's that.

Are you plebes giving me

attitude?

N-no, that is the great

Ben Tennyson.

He's new here, but he's hardly a

lowly ple...

I don't care who he is.

I'm senior cadet Brannigan,

commander of Alpha squad.

You are a larval dipteroid

who's here to learn plumber

work, so shut it!

We got off to a bad

start.

How about I buy you and tack

whatever passes for a smoothie

here, and we all start over?

There's been a null-void

breakout, so magister Hulka

wants all new recruits in their

bunks and accounted for.

You don't want to make him and

me mad on the same day.

Do we understand each other,

larval dipteroid?

Ooh. Big mistake.

Brannigan, you just

bought yourself a nose full of

Humongousaur.

We're going, Tennyson.

You're not getting us thrown out

of here on the first day.

Wait.

You're holding me back?

Any time, any place.

I'm in Alpha squadron!

"Look at me!"

I should've gone all Armodrillo

on him.

No... Fourarms!

You should have walked

away, which you did, thanks to

Kevin.

Yeah, way to have my

back, Kevin!

Keeping your plumber's

badge may not matter to you, but

it does to me.

Don't mess this up for

him.

]] You ladies settling in okay?

You must be

magister Hulka.

I'm Ben Tennyson.

Maybe you've heard of...

]] I don't care who you were

before you came here!

Now you are a larval dipteroid.

You aren't fit to shine my

boots!

But maybe, just maybe, if you

shut your hole and learn

everything I teach you, you

might become a plumber!

Any questions?

Sir, I wanted to ask

about the null-void breakout.

I was thinking we could help...

"thinking"?!

Did I order you to think?!

No, sir!

Then your mind is a blank

Slate!

Is that clear?!

Yes, sir!

Listen up.

This is the plumber academy.

You are here to learn how to do

your job, not to help me do

mine.

So while you're under my

instruction, you will study

hard, sh**t straight, fight to

win, and above all, follow

orders.

Got it?

Yes, sir!

I can't hear you!

Probably busted his

eardrums with all the shouting.

Test me again, Tennyson, and

I will wear you like an

overcoat.

Sorry, sir.

One question, sir?

I heard you've got more medals

than anybody.

I notice you only wear one.

]] Report to me on the f*ring

range at !

Every second you are late will

equal an eternity of suffering!

He needs to cut back on

the caffeine.

]] This is a top-of-the-line

Mark Techadorian

Multiblaster.

It is capable of delivering a

maximum energy burst of three

petawatts.

]] You will learn to assemble it

blindfolded with one hand behind

your back.

You will keep it cleaned and

maintained.

Used properly, it will save your

life and the lives of those

you've sworn to protect.

A plumber's blaster is his best

and only friend.

Hello, old friend.

Did you hear that?

]] Your best and only friend is

in pieces!

What are you waiting for?!

Assemble your best friend!

Go! Go! Go!

Fourarms!

]] What do you think you're

doing?

Helping my

squad mate, sir.

His power pack fell under the...

]] did you read the general

orders in your orientation

materials on your flight in?

Skimmed them, sir.

]] This is a learning facility.

There is to be no use of

superpowers during training...

none.

You should know that.

I've got bad reading

habits, sir!

Swampfire!

S-sir.

I should probably

practice with the blaster more,

huh?

I'll go do that.

]] The key to using fusion

grenades is to reverse the

polarity of the magno-catch.

So instead of being attracted to

your hand, it repels.

You first, cadet.

What's the glitch?

We've been studying this all

week.

Reverse polarity and get rid of

it!

]] It will not come

off!

It's on overload!

Get back! That's an order!

Ben!

You saved us!

You are the greatest plumber of

all!

He's a larval dipteroid!

He disobeyed orders!

I was supposed to let

the grenade get you?!

You were supposed to do what

I tell you!

You'd know that if you were ever

listening in class.

You don't think this

was an accident, do you, sir?

Tack's glove was tampered with

to stay magnetized, wasn't it?

I get it.

This is some kind of test to get

us to solve the mystery, right?

This is no test.

Is someone trying to hurt tack?

]] W-who would want to hurt me?

Get real, you guys.

It was just a bad grenade.

What, the magna-lock

went bad and it was set on

"overload" instead of "stun"?

Gwen's right.

Go back to your barracks.

Someone's out to get

you, sir, aren't they?

Or you wouldn't let tack be out

of your sight, would you?

Mind...Your own...Business.

Someone tampered with

that grenade.

Hulka knows who it was.

He doesn't want our

help.

Let's take the night off,

explore a little.

We've been stuck in these

barracks all week.

Whole place is on

lockdown.

Breaking curfew is against

orders.

It's like I don't even

know you anymore.

Being a plumber isn't

something you mess around with.

If you screw this up, you and I

are gonna get into it.

Come on, tack.

Let's see what this place is all

about.

We'll bring you a souvenir.

Y-yeah, I'm not sure this is

such a good...

I can't help it.

I'm exhausted.

Relax.

We can sleep in until

tomorrow.

Or not.

On your feet, cadets!

Let's go, let's go, let's go!

Late night?

How did he know?

Full gear and ready for

dust-off in minutes.

Your inability to follow orders

yesterday and last night bought

you a combat exercise.

Nice.

Way to go, Tennyson.

You are the plumbers on duty.

Alpha squadron has taken a

hostage.

Your mission is to rescue that

hostage using your plumber

training and not your powers!

All multiblasters are set on

"stun."

Go!

Bad news, plebes... the

alphas never lose.

They may be jerks, but

they're good.

Not as good as us.

Ben, no powers.

We have to do this the right

way.

]] What is the right way?

Kevin, advance to that

Boulder.

I'll cover you, then follow as

tack covers me, et cetera.

Ben, you stay here as backup.

Why do I have to stay?

Because you're a lousy

sh*t.

No offense.

Or I turn into

big chill, phase into the

ground, and come out behind

them.

I hate this!

Kevin! Hang on!

What did I say?

The alphas never lose.

Okay, that's it.

Alpha!

What's the matter with you?!

Take him down!

You gonna handle these

clowns, or should I?

Don't blame

yourselves.

She's devious.

Diamondhead!

Nice try, but you still lose.

Stay back!

In case you were

wondering, this is what it's

like to lose.

The exercise is over.

Stand down.

How could you let yourself be

taken down?

You're supposed to be the elite

squad.

Maybe you guys should

add my moves to the lesson plan.

Not only did you disobey a

direct order and use your

powers, look what your smart

moves did for the hostage.

Oh, come on.

If the hostage had been real, I

wouldn't have...

you failed. Case closed.

It doesn't matter how

you handle a situation, as long

as it gets handled!

If you can't see that, you're

crazy!

Perhaps you should not have

called him crazy.

What are you complaining

about?

I have to use this tomorrow.

Anyone know if he was in

there?

Who?

Magister Hulka!

These are his quarters.

If Hulka is in there, he

doesn't stand a chance!

Yes, he does!

Terraspin!

All clear.

No sign of magister Hulka.

Somebody likes fusion

grenades.

And doesn't like

magister Hulka.

So, where is

grouchy McRulebook, anyway?

What's happening here?

Plumber-issue.

You know who it is,

don't you?

When your quarters are clean,

you can get started on mine.

Plumber weapons and

tactics, someone with a grudge

against Hulka.

Long list.

But brannigan looked pretty

ticked when Hulka called him

out.

That's not proof.

]] So, what do we do?

Stakeout.

]] Hulka sure hasn't taught you

much about surveillance.

He did, actually.

We sort of put our own

spin on it.

Where is he?

Why are you trying to hurt him?

What are you talking about?

I'm shadowing him because he

doesn't want a guard.

I knew it was you all along.

I see you didn't learn anything

in the null void.

I learned enough to break out

and come here to pay you back!

But not enough to avoid

getting lured into attacking me

in an equipment depot.

You ruined my life!

You ruined it yourself,

Kolar.

Plumbers have honor.

You've got nothing.

I may not have gotten

smarter...

But I'm a lot stronger!

Stronger than

fourarms?

Oh, yes!

Let's try that

again.

Nobody move, or I'll tear him

in half.

Hands off my cadet!

Happily, magister.

But first, you're gonna do

something for me.

You're gonna step into this

space warp.

]] And the other end lets out

where?

]] A small sun in the null void.

You won't feel a thing.

Tack, greet Kolar.

]] What?

You know... "with

great respect."

]] Ah! Head butt!

You...Pushed him into

a sun?

]] I did not.

I changed the arrival address to

a null-void penitentiary.

Plumbers are law enforcement,

not judges.

Don't ever forget that.

Not bad.

We saved our instructor's life

and used plumber tactics and

weapons.

But you still used your

powers.

You just can't resist

improvising, can you?

I hope this class is

pass/fail.

I can't believe I only

scored a !

Out of , Gwen.

Try and unclench.

It only takes a to

pass, which I exceeded.

How about you, Ben?

.

People think I'm not paying

attention, but I am.

My is starting to

feel really weak.

This is me not paying

attention.

]] To my considerable amazement,

you all completed the course, so

it's official.

You're plumbers.

But we knew that

already.

So what you really came here for

was to thank me for saving your

life, didn't you?

Go on. It won't hurt.

Your shuttle home leaves in

five.

Wait. What's this for?

"For demonstration of a"

plumber's most essential

attribute... the ability to

exercise latitude and creativity

"in problem-solving."

Sounds like a

thank-you to me.