Challenger

Challenger is the second part in a two-part special on The Extremely Regular Show. It is preceded by Inception.

Plot
A week after Mobius, Nate, Marshall and Jacob are separated from the gang, the mission has taken a nosedive and is very unsuccessful. Sonic and the rest come back to convinve them to help again, and they accept. However, stopping the mastermind behind this plan will not be as easy as they think.

Episode

 * (Title card: "One Week Later...")
 * (Camera shows a small apartment block. Scene switches to inside one of the rooms. As music starts to play, the camera moves from a view of the ceiling to a view of Nate, Mobius, Marshall and Jacob watching the news)
 * News Reporter: Since the bomb attack a week ago, the city has fallen into peril. Suicide rates have skyrocketed, and along with the mech attacks that can't seem to be stopped, murders along citizens have increased as well. The future is grim for-
 * (Nate turns the TV off.)
 * Nate: And Sonic said that he didn't need us. They haven't done jack shit.
 * Mobius: Maybe they've tried to do something.
 * Marshall: Have you heard anything about them in the past week?
 * Mobius: They'll eventually come back to us.
 * Jacob: Nah, Sonic seemed pretty serious.
 * Nate: Look, let's just stop talking about him for now. I'll make breakfast.
 * (At the Park)
 * Sonic: (Sighs) What have we done?
 * (Sakan appears)
 * Sakan: Is everything alright? You've been like this since Nate departed us along with his group for a week.
 * Sonic: It's just that... maybe it wasn't Marshall's fault. In fact, we need to find the mastermind.
 * Sakan: But I thought the Exiled are responsi- (Gets interrupted as many Prototype Mechs attacked) What the?!
 * Nokicolmn: What are those things?!
 * Sakan: (Kills a Prototype Mech) Possible Prototypes of those machines! They're more deadly than the finals!
 * (As they fight against them, the Prototype Mechs later retreat from the park)
 * Selon: Ha! These prototypes are easily cowards!
 * Sonic: I don't think so. Look! (Points at many bigger Prototype Mechs) Where the hell are they coming from?!
 * Zim: Do you suppose they may be under Created control?
 * Tails: Who cares? Just kill them!
 * (They keep on fighting until the rest of the Prototype Mechs retreated)
 * Sakan: They're gone for now. But we may need to find Nate and the others.
 * Sonic: I don't know. He might reject us.
 * Theo: Well, that's why we keep trying. Come on.
 * Zim: They'll change their minds eventually.
 * (Scene changes to the door of Nate's apartment. The gang is standing in front of the door.)
 * Gumball: Well? Knock on it.
 * Sonic: Okay, okay!
 * (Sonic knocks on the door. A few seconds later, Marshall opens the door.)
 * Marshall: Oh. Guess who's back.
 * Sonic: Heh...hey there...
 * Marshall: What the fuck have you guys been doing?
 * Sonic: (sighs) Not much, really.
 * Marshall: Uh huh.
 * Nate: (off-screen) Marsh! Who's at the door?
 * (Nate walks on screen with a straight face. When he sees Sonic, his expression changes to a "not impressed" face.)
 * Nate: Oh. It's you.
 * Sonic: Hello to you too.
 * Nate: No, I'm not joining.
 * Tails: What?
 * Nate: Sonic here was going to ask me to join again. The answer is no.
 * Marshall: Wait, you were?
 * Sonic: (sighs and looks down) Yeah...
 * Marshall: (turns around) Hey, guys! Sonic wants us to join again! (turns back to Sonic) I'd definitely help out, you guys definitely need us.
 * Mobius and Jacob: (appear on screen) So will we!
 * Sonic: That's great! How about you, Nate?
 * (Nate groans and goes to the staircase)
 * Mobius: Alright, where the fuck is he going?
 * Sonic: Nate... (Follows Nate as he goes down the stairs) I wanted to apologize about the week ago.
 * Nate: Fuck off, please.
 * Sonic: I'll keep following you until you say yes.


 * (Scene cuts to nighttime. Nate is walking slowly on a road, while Sonic and the gang are in a car behind him.)
 * Nate: Come on, guys, just give up!
 * (Camera switches to a view inside the car. Mobius opens his mouth, but Sonic stops him)
 * Sonic: I have an idea.
 * (Sonic flips a switch, which turns on the overhead lights on the outside of the car. Nate screams.)
 * Nate: Sonic! What the hell!? Turn that off!
 * Sonic: Only if you say yes.
 * Nate: Turn the fucking light off!
 * (Camera switches to inside the car)
 * Tails: Uh, Sonic? Don't you think you're just annyoing him at this point?
 * Nate: (off-screen) You've been annoying me!
 * Mobius: Nate! We're sorry, okay? I'll admit, we need you here!
 * (Nate sighs)
 * Mobius: Friends screw each other over, okay? Shit happens! You've been friends with these people for what, four years? You'll split off with them just like that? Come on, just give us a second cha-
 * Nate: (groans) Fine, fine, fine!
 * Sonic; Nate, calm down. We should just find the person who caused the mechs to kill people.
 * Nate: I'll join you guys, okay?
 * Sonic: Finally, we should go.
 * Nate: I'll be honest, I have a plan.
 * Sonic: What is it?
 * Nate: I'll tell you once we get a place to stay for the night.


 * (Title card: "The next morning...")
 * (Camera focuses on a road. Suddenly, a car passes by. Camera cuts to inside the car, with Nate driving and Mobi in the passenger seat)
 * Nate: Are you guys okay back in the hotel?
 * Sonic: (on transmission) Yup.
 * Nate: Alright. Here is the plan you can do.
 * Nokicolmn: (on transmission) We're listening.
 * Nate: So we'll drive through the city, and head to the docks. They're probably shipping more mech parts on boats or something.
 * Sonic: (on transmission) Okay, and when do the rest of us come in?
 * Nokicolmn: (on transmission) And the most important, what happens if the plan backfires?
 * Mobius: We'll be on the middle floor of the boat, that's probably where they'll be hiding the secret plan. You guys will stay on the bottom floor and keep people away.
 * Nate: Hmm, I'm not sure if we have a backup plan.
 * Nokicolmn: (on transmission) Great, hopefully our mission shall be a success.
 * Mobius: Also, you really think the plan will backfire?
 * Sonic: (on transmission) You never know. When it comes to Nate's plans, they're pretty much random chance.
 * Nate: (chuckles) You must really love to underestimate me, huh?
 * Mobius: Dude, we're almost there.
 * Nokicolmn: (on transmission) Careful while doing this though, I fear that the fugitives set up an ambush.
 * Mobius: Relax. We came prepared.
 * Nate: A little too prepared, in fact. The weapons we have are actually slowing down the car.
 * Tails: (on transmission) Good luck, you two.
 * Nate: Who needs luck when you have skill?
 * Mobius: Dude, don't get cocky about this.
 * Nate: Whatever.
 * (Later)
 * Mobius: Well no sign of the traps yet, but we obviously still need to be awa- (An arrow suddenly charged at the car, but it missed) Seriously? Just an arrow?!
 * Nate: Dude, we're close enough. I think this is an ambush, we should just get out now.
 * (Nate and Mobius jump out of the car and run to the entrance of the boat)
 * Nate: (speaks in a transmitter) Okay, guys, we're on the boat.
 * Sonic: (on transmission) Any traps at all?
 * Mobius: Just an arrow for now.
 * Tails: (on transmission) Should we head there now?
 * Nate: Yeah, I think now would be a good time.
 * Mobius: Then let's drive the boat.
 * Nate: Hang on, this boat won't be leaving anytime soon. We have time to kill before a second ambush.
 * Mobius: Then make it quick, because I can't stand criminal traps.
 * Sonic: (off-screen) We're here!
 * Nate: Wait what?
 * Sonic: Do you know how fast I am?
 * Nate: Yes, but...what about everyone else? How'd they get here so fast too?
 * Nokicolmn: Because we used Forerunner teleportation.
 * Mobius: Oh, I should have expected that.
 * Nokicolmn: Also I feel that we may make it in time.
 * Nate: We'll be heading up to the middle floor. Hopefully we'll find what we need.
 * Sakan: Probably some Forerunner artifacts.
 * Nate: I don't think its possible, but we shall see.
 * Knuckles: Well at least these criminals won't know the way.
 * Nokicolmn: What do you mean?
 * Knuckles: Just a meme.
 * (Nate and Mobius head up to the middle floor of the boat. Multiple parts of the dog mechs are shown, as well as actual dog mechs, that are sleeping. Lots of Exiled blood samples are shown going into the bloodstream of the dog mechs)
 * Mobius: Holy shit. So this is how it all happens. The Exiled is behind this.
 * Nate: Quite morbid, huh?
 * Mobius: This is honestly scratching the surface of the whole thing.
 * (A shadowy figure appears)
 * ???: I fucking knew you people would try and stop me.
 * Nate: Who the hell is that!?
 * ???: You know how I said a few months ago how I would look into the dog-mech situation?
 * Mobius: Kieran! What the fuck!?
 * (Kieran is revealed to have a pistol in his paws, staring at the duo)
 * Kieran: That's Officer Kieran to you.
 * Nate: Not anymore! (Nate runs toward Kieran, and Kieran shoots him in the stomach, causing him to fall over and breathe heavily. Nate gets his radio out) Guys, we've found him!
 * Mobius: I knew you had something to do with this! You won't get away!
 * Nokicolmn: (appears from his Forerunner teleportation with the rest and aims his Plasma Pistol at Kieran) Commander Kieran, for a sin against your allies and responsible for reprogramming most of the machines by using the blood of my kind, you are here by to be from living to execution!
 * (Kieran simply shoots Nokicolmn, causing him to fall on the floor as well)
 * Kieran: You guys will be too late in a few minutes.
 * Mobius: Why are you doing this!? We trusted you!
 * Kieran: What's the point of explaining why I did this if you'll die anyway?
 * (The gang runs up to the middle floor.)
 * Sonic: What the hell!? You did this?
 * Nate: Who do you think has the gun, dude!?
 * (Sonic runs toward Kieran, and kicks the gun out of his hand. The gun lands near where Nate is lying down)
 * Tails: Watch out!
 * Gumball: (whispers to Nate) Dude, hurry up!
 * (Nate starts to reach his arm out for the gun.)
 * Kieran: (chuckles) You're going to regret that. (Unleashes his claws and attacks Tails in the cheeks)
 * (Nate finally gets the gun in his hands.)
 * Gumball: (whispers) Shoot him already!
 * Nate: (whispers) I'm trying!
 * (Nate pulls the trigger and shoots Kieran in the back, causing him to fall over, cough and breathe heavily. Gumball grabs Nate's hand and helps him up)
 * Sonic: You guys okay?
 * Nate: (panting) I think I'll be fine. (Coughs)
 * Mobius: We might have to take him to the hospital.
 * Nate: You know how much I hate hospitals, man. Stop fucking around with me. We can simply bandage it up when we get back home.
 * Marshall: (off-screen) Heh, if there is one. (Camera shows him on-screen) That bomb was pretty powerful.
 * Gumball: I'm sure we'll find it.
 * (The gang walks out of the boat. The camera shows an outer shot of the boat, and then it switches to the gang walking out.)
 * Nate: I gotta say, this whole thing is the first time we've had to save the world in a while.
 * Gumball: Yeah, it's quite fun.
 * Sonic: I dunno. We probably won't get this opportunity for a while.
 * Mobius: I mean, what if we do?
 * Nate: Easy, then we'll have to work 10 times as hard to stop it.
 * Marshall: Which reminds me, where did you guys live when we left?
 * Sakan: It took too long to search for the Park, so we just lived in an apartment building.
 * Sonic: I would have found it if they weren't so slow.
 * Gumball: Sonic, not everyone is as fast as you.
 * Sonic: At least try!
 * Nate: (sighs) It feels good to be back.
 * [End of Challenger]

Trivia

 * This episode is slightly shorter than its predecessor, Inception.
 * The "One Week Later..." title card is only used during broadcasts when Inception and this episode are played simultaneously.
 * This is true for most broadcasts of these episodes, and they are rarely played alone.