Robodog had performed so spectacularly in the challenges that the chief decided he was ready to be put to the test on the dark and dangerous streets of Bedlam. So she and the professor took Robodog out of school for the day. This was much to the delight of all the other dogs, who roared their approval, none louder than the Lost Patrol who had been forced to share their shed with him.
“HOORAY!” they cheered as Robodog was whisked away in the back of the Chief of Police’s car.
“Good riddance!” said Scarper.
“I hope he never comes back!” added Gristle.
“Who’s gone?” asked Plank.
From the back of the car, Robodog saw the city of Bedlam for the first time. It was a gloomy and foreboding place, a city crumbling to the ground – a city that was about to be the scene of the greatest crime ever committed!
One billion dollars was being driven through Bedlam. It was being transferred from the government’s printing press, where the money was made, to the city’s main bank.
Bedlam’s villains knew all about it. Villains make it their business to know all about such things – that is why they are the villains.
It was such a colossal amount of money that the president had deemed it too much for the police to guard. So, in his wisdom, he had given the task to the army. It was humiliating for the Chief of Police, but she was also worried that something might go wrong. Someone was sure to try to steal those one billion dollars. No one knew these dark and dangerous streets better than the chief, so she wanted to be there in the thick of it with her brand-new secret weapon… ROBODOG!
Along the route where the armoured convoy was travelling, people had lined the streets to catch a glimpse of what was happening. The chief, the professor and Robodog installed themselves on a street corner. A tall general with a chestful of medals spotted the chief and marched right up to her.
“Shame the Bedlam Police Force couldn’t be trusted with this, eh, Chief!” he barked. “Thank goodness for the army!”
“Nice to see you too, General,” replied the chief.
“I have personally planned this manoeuvre!” he boasted. “The one billion dollars has been placed in a tank.”
“A tank!”
“You can’t take any chances in this city, Chief! And the tank is being escorted by not one, not two, not three…”
“Just tell us how many!” sighed the professor.
“Four armoured vehicles! They are left, right, ahead and behind the tank to create a wall of steel.”
“What about an attack from above? Some of Bedlam’s supervillains have been known to take to the air.”
“Already thought of that, Chief. Look up there!” The General pointed to the sky where a military helicopter was hovering.
“Mr General, sir!” chirped Robodog.
“Who said that?”
“Down here, Mr General, sir!”
The General looked down. “I thought you were a novelty trash can.”
“The cheek!” said the professor.
“ General, what about an attack from below?”
The General snorted and shook his head. “Who or what are you?”
“I am Robodog, the future of policing!”
The General burst out laughing. “HA! HA! HA! As if this metal box can take on the baddies of Bedlam! Have you gone bananas, Chief?”
The lady was too dignified to reply.
“An attack from below! What claptrap!”
“With my supersensory hearing,” said Robodog, “I have heard tapping under the ground.”
“This thing is hilarious!” snorted The General.
“I can still hear it,” said Robodog.
“Robodog might be on to something, General!” said the professor.
“And pigs might fly! Oh! Here comes the convoy now. Right on time,” he said, checking his watch. “To the second!”
The armoured vehicles and the tank turned on to the street where the group was waiting.
“Nothing and nobody can stop this convoy!” said The General.
But he was wrong. Wronger than wrong. Wrongwongywoowah!*
Now, let’s travel below ground!
The baddies were, as always, one step ahead of the goodies. A giant leap ahead was the master criminal known as Mighty Mind. He was so called because he was the cleverest criminal who’d ever lived. Mighty Mind’s body had died decades before, but he’d preserved his own mega-brain. That giant brain lived in a glass bowl on wheels.
* This word is even too silly to be in The Walliamsictionary.
THE PLAN
Mighty Mind’s plan was simple but brilliant. From below ground, Hammerhands had been put to work using her hammers. Only allowed the briefest of breaks to have a slurp of tea or use the bathroom, she had bashed the underside of the road until it had cracked like an egg. That was what Robodog could hear under the ground with his supersensory hearing.
1
2
The idea was to weaken the road so that when the incredibly heavy tank carrying the one billion dollars rode over it, it would collapse.
KERUNCH!
3
The tank would plummet into the sewer.
4
Then, using sticks of dynamite, Mighty Mind and Hammerhands would blow a hole in the tank and make off with the one billion dollars!
5
They even had a mini-submarine to escape through the sewers and out into the sea. It was the perfect plan. Or so the wicked duo thought. But they hadn’t bargained on Robodog!
6
Now, let’s travel above the ground. The General was still boasting.
“You see, Robodog, those one billion dollars are completely—”
But before he could say “safe” the tank containing the money completely disappeared.
KERUMBLE!
It had fallen through a giant hole in the road.
THOMP!
The armoured vehicles screeched to a stop.
SCREECH!
The chief gave a knowing look to The General.
“WHAT THE—” he thundered as he ran over to the hole through which his tank had plunged.
“Robbery in progress!” said Robodog, zooming towards the scene of the crime.
“Be careful, my baby!” called the professor.
The chief was flabbergasted. “Did you just call him your ‘baby’?”
“It just slipped out!”
Robodog peered down into the deep hole in the road. In the darkness, he could see sparks of light and could hear the sound of something fizzling.
The General had now caught up with Robodog. He was standing right behind him.
“OUT OF MY WAY!” he thundered.
“GET BACK, GENERAL!” shouted Robodog. “THAT’S DYNAMITE!”
But it was too late.
There was a huge explosion underground.
KABOOM!
And a fireball burst through the hole.
WHOOMPH!
