Someone in Trouble

Chapter 2: A Brilliant Idea

Above ground the kids were still playing, making noise, and eating sportscandy, but Robbie Rotten didn't care about that right now. Not to say that he liked all those things going on, but he had much bigger things on his mind. He paced around his lair with a crooked and toothy grin on his face, working out his most recent of revelations.

The problem of Sportacus was a simple one when Robbie really looked at it. He'd been going about it wrong all this time. Trying to take away all that gross and sweaty sports equipment never worked. And trying to get rid of all that disgustingly healthy sportscandy never got him anywhere either. But why should they? These things were just symptoms of that blue elf's influence. Robbie knew too, from too many failures, that he couldn't get rid of Sportacus directly either. No, there was something at the foundation of Sportacus' tenure here in the town, something that Robbie could take out from under him and leave him with no leg to stand on.

The question was thus: Why did Sportacus stay in LazyTown? And the answer: Because the people in it kept getting into trouble and needing their slightly above average hero to save them.

But what if it was Robbie who saved the day instead?

Thanks to his speakers and periscope Robbie already knew when the kids were getting in trouble around the same time, if not before Sportacus' annoyingly vigilant crystal alerted him to take action. He had plenty of experience snooping on everybody, all he had to do now was actually go up there and step in rather than wait and watch as that jumping blue kangaroo sprang to the rescue every time.

Robbie could beat old Sporta-FLOP at his own game. They wouldn't need Sportacus anymore, and naturally he would leave town FOREVER!

The thought made Robbie throw his arms open and laugh heartily. It was too perfect! He started to declare with absolute relish,

"IT'S DISGUISE TI—"

But he stopped himself short, the words tripping to a halt. Every time he wore a disguise something always happened to make it fall apart and blow his cover. If he tried to take over the job of hero disguised as some new hero, something would surely happen to unmask him and everything would be ruined. What if, then, he wore no disguise? Was it possible for him to pull this off as just himself?

Well, why not? It was undisputed that he was the master of disguise. Glancing down the row of tubes holding some of his costumes Robbie admired the one displaying his everyday attire. With a determined grunt he yanked on a lever and sent the spandex number shooting out to envelop him in a whirlwind of dress change— one that left him turning on his heel in an identical set of clothes that he had just been wearing.

This would be his greatest disguise of all: Robbie Rotten. It would be like hiding in plain sight! He was a genius!