Would you want to grow up here? I have to.
I'm Alex Mack.
I was just an average kid until my first day of Junior High.
One minute I'm walking home, the next, there's a crash
and I'm drench in some weird chemical.
And since then... nothing's been the same.
My best friend Ray think it's cool.
And my sister Annie thinks I'm a science project.
I can't let anyone else find out.
Not even my parents.
I know the chemical plant wants to find me
and turn me into some experiment.
But you know something?
I'm guess I'm not so average anymore.
When certain materials dissolve in water
they will dissociate into positively and negatively charged ions.
What do you call this solution?
Mr. Alvarado?
Um... I call this solution beyond my comprehension.
[students laughing]
[bell rings]
Projects in electricity are due tomorrow.
If it's late, you lose.
Electricity is so insignificant when you think about the big picture.
I can't believe Krantz carries a leather briefcase.
Just another soldier in the war against defenseless cows.
I thought projects were due Thursday.
- Tomorrow is Thursday. - Oh.
Do you guys know what you're doing yet?
- Yep, mine's almost finished. - Mine is, too.
- Nicole hates it. - Of course I do.
- It's a killing machine. - Hey, Don't tell them.
Ray, please tell me you're as lost as I am with this project.
Sorry, Alex, no can do.
I've got an idea just haven't decided on the presentation.
I wonder if Krantz grades on a curve.
- Krantz does not. - And why should he?
Oops!
Your sister Annie's first project was a phenomenon.
She created an electromagnetic field
and floated metal objects in midair.
[chemical solutions bubbling]
Big deal!
Your sister Annie did the same experiment only better.
Oh, yeah? Well, what about this, Mr. Krantz?
[whirring]
[bird squawks]
[crashes]
[stammering] I think I'm impressed.
Your sister's magnificent.
You can all learn a thing or two from Alex's sister.
- Thanks. - What?
- It's not my fault. - Yeah, right.
And the students are enjoying the microscopes?
That's great.
Oh, please, helping young minds grow is thanks enough.
Oh, you did hire my two friends.
Thanks so much.
Yes, they'll be here later this morning.
That's right. It's all set.
Very good, Ms. Atron.
- I agree with Vince. - Very good.
Vince, explain to me one more time why this man is necessary.
He drove the truck.
And he's the only one who can possibly identify the kid.
I'm hoping something will jog his mind.
He's talking to a fake plant.
- Mom? - Hmm?
If you had a choice between losing your job
and asking for help from someone
who will use it against you for the rest of your life...
- what would you do? - Hmm...
I'd ask Annie to help me.
Thanks.
My very first science book.
I haven't looked at this since I was in the sandbox.
Don't you have anything with bigger print?
Maybe a couple pictures...?
It's boring if you don't challenge yourself.
Getting this done by tomorrow is going to be enough of a challenge.
It's so typical that you waited until today to start.
Never mind.
Wait.
Let's take a look at some of my old projects.
For inspiration.
Um, hmm-- fourth grade:
it demonstrates that gravity is absolute.
And, uh, this... this is a mock-up of what atoms
thrown together during fusion would look like.
It's not real, mind you.
It's just what I think they would look like.
One day I'm going to prove it.
- These are all great, Annie... - Are you getting any ideas?
Yeah, maybe.
[Ray] Hey, Alex... you in there?
Coming. I got to go.
Thanks for your help.
- I'm going to the mall, want to come? - She can't.
She has to do her science project tonight.
- Well... I do need to buy supplies. - That's great.
You've decided which one you're doing?
Um, yeah... it's one of your... earlier ones.
Oh, that's so sweet.
My project is perfection in it's ingenious simplicity.
- Wait till you see it. - Ooh, I'm on pins and needles.
Don't stay out too long, Alex.
- You have a lot of work to do. - Yes, Mom.
Hey, I'm just warning you.
Don't sweat me, Annie. I'll be ready.
[dog barking]
[tape playing backwards]
You should be very grateful to Miss Atron, Dave.
Why?
Because she's given you this oppoortunity to redeem yourself.
That accident you were responsible for
caused her a great deal of anguish.
The fact that you're still here
is testament to her enormous generosity.
What is she going to do, kill me?
[laughs]
[stops laughing] Thank you, Vince.
This isn't a gift, Dave.
We're going to Atron Junior High disguised as janitors.
Once we infiltrate the premises
we'll go on watch to find the child.
To be honest, I don't know the first thing
about being a janitor.
You didn't know anything about being a truck driver
- but that didn't stop you. - That's true.
Okay, I'll take a shot.
This isn't a matter of choice, Dave.
What does a... janitor... do?
It doesn't matter!
Once we get there, just keep your eyes open
for something unusual
any display of extraordinary behavior or power.
This child that we are looking for
could possibly hold the secrets to our future on this planet.
Wow.
I didn't know being a janitor was such an exciting job.
Just... Get dressed, Dave.
- Look at that! - Do you see something?
I can't believe they'd do that.
Splendid, Miss Wilson.
But wouldn't, uh, wood be more aerodynamic?
I'm sorry, but I don't believe
that trees should suffer unnecessarily nor should cows.
I see. B-plus.
[electric humming]
And, uh, what have we here, Miss Russo?
It's an electrically powered insect death-trap.
Once the insects smell the grains of sugar
they enter through here
and when they cross the charged pad-- zap!
- They move on to their next life. - Creative use of current.
A.
It's a demonstration of static electricity.
- See. - [class giggling]
C-minus.
- They're light bulbs. - Are they really?
- Where's your project? - This is it.
Annie Mack's sister brings me a...
flashlight on wood?
What depth. What originality.
You must have spent minutes on this.
How did you ever think of it?
Did it come to you in a dream?
Or did you steal it from a museum?
Oh, and, and look!
Class, it goes on, and off!
[chuckles]
It does more than that, Mr. Krantz.
[electric popping and snapping]
[class cheering]
Whoa, check that out!
- Which kid did that? - A kid did that?
[applause]
Well, very interesting, Miss Mack, and, uh, surprising.
How, exactly, did you make that happen?
How?
Well... how.
Yes. Well, it wasn't easy.
Yes, I'm sure.
Let me remind you that students who don't do their own work--
Say, by getting a sibling to do it for them--
Get an automatic F.
Let's go.
That's what's known in the business as a clue worth pursuing.
I just got to get this last piece.
It'll be here when you bet back.
But I've almost got... [yelling]
Vince, I got it! I got it!
- [school bell rings] - Vince, oh, Vince, Vince, Vince?
I'll expect a detailed explanation tomorrow in class, Miss Mack.
I'll reserve the first 20 minutes just for you.
Did you get the stuff?
You are going to owe me big for this.
I know. I mean, huge.
- Like what? - Like our room.
- What about it? - I want it--
To myself, for a week. But where will I sleep?
Not in my room. That's really not fair.
But who said life is fair?
Just help me get out of this mess.
[sighs]
You know, I wish I could have seen Krantz's face
when you shot off those fireworks.
I bet his little bow tie started to spin.
It was pretty funny.
It was still a stupid thing to do.
And my first grade project-- How original.
Ahh, don't you just love the smell of bunsen burners?
- They smell like knowledge. - Yeah.
Oh, boy, this takes me back.
Back when I still thought
electromagnetically induced force fields
had only a positive or negative component.
Was I ever that young?
Maybe we should get started.
Predictable.
- It electrocutes insects. - Hmm, I can see that.
Of course, at this voltage she's only confusing them.
I hate to rush you, Annie but we've got a lot of work to do.
Wrong-- you have a lot of work to do.
I'm just here to guide and supervise.
So guide me, supervise me.
What do I fo first?
First, you open the book, and you read.
Read? I don't have time to...
- Read. - Right.
- Lollipop? - Dave?
Yeah, Vince?
Do you know what our purpose is here?
To make the grounds look tidy?
[pops]
No! We're here looking for the kid
you dumped the Chemical on, remember?
The custodian thing, that's just make-believe.
Your entire reason for living is to help me find that kid.
Otherwise, you're totally useless to me.
- [electric buzzing] - No, try the other post.
I know, I'm doing it.
- [Vince whispering] Dave... - Shh!
...you're asking too many questions.
[Dave] Vince, is there something wrong?
My neck hurts and you're annoying me.
Now, let's go.
[whispering]: It's Vince and the truck driver from the plant.
- What are they doing here? - I don't know.
I'll get rid of them. Stay and finish up.
They found me. I'm dead!
- Forget about the science project. - Alex, calm down.
I'll be back, okay? Just do your work.
[Vince] I'm sorry, Dave.
I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.
- Did you guys just see that kid? - What kid?
Some kid, he just-- he just ran past here.
He was acting really weird.
His skin was changing colors and he was shaking
he didn't know what he was saying.
He couldn't talk. Probably something he ate.
- [Vince] Which way did he go? - That way.
[electric popping and humming]
I'm sure I saw him here somewhere.
- Wait, there he is! - [neck cracks] Oh!
[groaning]
[electric buzzing and snapping]
[keys jangling]
What the...?
Mr. Krantz! Hi.
[Krantz] If it isn't Annie Mack!
- [Vince] And who are you? - I'm Mr. Krantz
the head of the science department... Ron.
And somebody's in my room. I need you to open this door.
No problem.
Probably some kid stuffed chewing gum in the door jamb.
As custodians, we see a lot of this.
On three.
One... two...
three! Whoa!
- [buzzing] - [groaning]
Ah! Oh!
Kids. If it's not milk in the water fountain
it's water on the classroom floor.
- Be right back. - [Alex] Ow!
Ouch!
That-- that looked like it really hurt.
Very odd. Mr. Krantz?
Are you sure someone was in here?
I thought so, but, uh, maybe not.
Now, this will only take a minute.
Ow!
Dave!
What are you doing? Ow!
[splashing]
There we go-- all tidy.
- [sighing] - [applause]
No more questions?
Well, here's one question you didn't ask.
The principle of current transference...
Miss Mack, I think you've explained it enough
- to earn your A-plus. - Excellent.
It really was, Alex.
This project brings back fond memories.
I can see the Mack Torch
has been passed into very able hands.
I'll obviously expect nothing less from you in the future.
No, Miss Atron. We've turned up nothing here.
Okay, on our way.
We're going to Greenfields Junior High next.
My old school. I went to Greenfields, too.
Did you have Collins for shop? I was kick out of shop.
A difference of opinion I'd rather not talk about.
Greenfields, huh? I don't remember you.
There was this kid, Vinny, though
that was always getting beat up on.
Must have been somebody else.
Thanks.
And I left my milk on the coffee table.
By the way, Alex, how did your science project turn out?
A-plus.
Oh, not you, sweetie, I was talking to Alex.
Oh, right. Alex got an A-plus.
That's wonderful! Congratulations--
Uh, maybe we'll have a third scientist in the family.
Don't count on it, Dad. [chuckling]
Tell me again why Alex is sleeping on the couch.
- I'm not exactly sure. - [Annie] Alex!
Did you forget my glass of milk?
- [Annie] Alex! - Good night, Annie.
[buzzing]
Captioned by Grant Brown