umball fell back down to Earth. Minutes later, he heard Mr Robinson doing voice exercises in his house. His voice sounded a bit strained and rasping.

‘Mee, mee, mee, meeeeeeeeee!’ Mr Robinson sang. ‘Well, Margaret, since you won’t take care of my precious instrument, I’ll go buy some cough drops myself!’

Mr Robinson walked out the front door, tripped right over Gumball and tumbled to the ground.

‘Urgh! What are you doing here?’ Mr Robinson sighed.

‘I’m here to save your life,’ Gumball answered happily.

‘Just get away from me, kid!’ Mr Robinson growled. ‘I mean it!’

Mr Robinson took off to the pharmacy. Inside, down the cough drop aisle, he stood next to a yellow hazard sign that sat in a puddle of water.

‘Here they are. Antiseptic action…’ Mr Robinson read from the label on a cough drop box.

Gumball had followed Mr Robinson to the pharmacy.

‘What’s this hazardous object doing in the middle of the floor? Mr Robinson could trip over it!’ Gumball announced with alarm.

He quickly removed the sign. Mr Robinson turned and his feet flew out from under him. He tumbled to the ground…again.

‘He’s out cold!’ Gumball said. ‘Now’s my chance to save him!’

A blue man in blue underpants appeared in the aisle.

‘Step aside,’ the man said. ‘I know how to do CPR.’

The man opened his wide blue mouth and bent his big head over Mr Robinson. He forced a lungful of air into Mr Robinson, who sputtered and coughed.

‘No, no, no, no, no!’ Mr Robinson shrieked furiously.

Gumball watched in shock as the man saved Mr Robinson’s life right in front of his eyes. (Not that Mr Robinson was happy about it.)

‘Ah-hem, errhah! I sure hope that hasn’t affected my vocal cords,’ Mr Robinson said.

He rushed out of the pharmacy.

‘A healthy glow will make me look my best for tonight,’ Mr Robinson, back in his car, said to himself.

He drove to a tanning salon and entered one of the tanning rooms. Then he hooked up his music player and lay down on the bed, closing the light-emitting cover.

Gumball scampered in and gasped. Mr Robinson’s arm hung lifelessly from the tanning bed!

‘Mr Robinson! Mr Robinson! Oh, no, I’m too late,’ Gumball cried.

‘Why wasn’t I here to save you? WHY? No, no, I refuse to let you go!’ Gumball said in despair.

Gumball raised the top of the tanning bed.

‘He looks so peaceful,’ Gumball sighed glumly.

Thinking quickly, Gumball grabbed a pair of heart-starting paddles. He rubbed them together and then placed them on Mr Robinson’s chest.

The current surged through the paddles and Mr Robinson’s body jumped wildly.

‘Ouch, what? Gumball! What do you think you’re doing?’ Mr Robinson shouted angrily.

‘I’m bringing you back to life,’ Gumball replied.

‘But I was alive!’ Mr Robinson said.

‘Better safe than sorry!’ Gumball added happily.

He placed the paddles back on Mr Robinson’s chest.

‘No! No! No!’ Mr Robinson shouted in pain. Fortunately for Mr Robinson, the paddles blew the salon’s circuits, and all the electricity went out.

Mr Robinson raced home. He had to protect his instrument, his voice, for the big show. He walked up to his front door. His worst fear was sitting on the porch waiting.

‘Welcome home, Mr Robinson!’ Gumball said. ‘I booby trapped your front door to protect you from intruders. All they have to do is ring the doorbell,’ Gumball added proudly, pressing the doorbell.

‘Wait, why would an intruder ring the…’ Mr Robinson started to say. Suddenly a bowling bowl slammed into him, knocking him off his porch.

‘Ugghh,’ Mr Robinson groaned.

‘Are you okay?’ Gumball asked.

‘Listen, kid. This is the most important night of my life,’ Mr Robinson pleaded. ‘I’m gonna shine like a star, and I don’t want YOU around to ruin it.’

‘But I’ve gotta be there to save your life!’ Gumball protested, desperate to repay Mr Robinson.

‘Just leave me alone, kid!’ Mr Robinson sobbed openly.

‘Just leave me alone.’

Mr Robinson hobbled into his house and closed the door behind him. Gumball sat on the front steps with his head in his hands. He felt like a failure.

‘I’ll never repay my debt to Mr Robinson,’ Gumball said glumly. ‘I’ve failed you, universe.’

Anais and Darwin watched from behind the fence.

‘Poor Gumball,’ Anais whispered. ‘What can we do to help him?’

Darwin asked.

‘I’ve got an idea!’ Anais said.

Seconds later, Darwin popped up over the fence and threw a brick at Gumball. It hit him square in the back. The brick had a note attached to it.

‘I said, “throw it near him”, not at him!’ Anais screamed.

‘Ohhh, that’s so painful! Man, that hurts!’ Gumball cried as he rubbed his back. Then he looked at the brick.

‘Ooo! There’s a note tied to it!’ he happily observed. He untied the note and read it aloud.

‘Mr Robinson will be assassinated at the talent show,’ Gumball read.

‘This is terrible! No, wait. This is what I’ve been waiting for!’

Gumball knocked on the door and Mr Robinson walked out onto the front porch.

‘Mr Robinson! You can’t go to the talent show tonight. You’re going to be assassinated!’ Gumball warned his hero as he stood on the porch.

‘Well, Margaret,’ Mr Robinson said, ignoring Gumball completely, ‘it’s nice that you finally decided to show your support for me tonight.’

Mrs Robinson scowled and the Robinsons walked right past Gumball.

‘But, Mr Robinson, you’re going to be assassinated,’ Gumball said again, holding the threatening note out for Mr Robinson to see.

But the Robinsons simply got into their car and set off for the Elmore Senior Talent Show.

‘He’s so brave,’ Gumball said proudly as the car pulled away.