15 Minutes

15 Minutes is the seventh and eighth episodes of Mermaid Man: The Aquatic Avenger. They aired on March 10, 2013 as a two-parter. The previous episode was Atomic Plunder. The next episode will be Public Enemy #1.

Plot
Man Ray plants a bomb in the Bikini Bottom Ballpark while holding the son of Commissioner Johnson hostage, forcing Mermaid Man into an impossible decision.

Part One
(We open at the police station. Commissioner Johnson is answering telephone calls in his office.)

Commissioner Johnson: Yes, I know that we haven't been performing as well as usual ... You want to slash our budget by how much? Are you listening to yourself, mayor? Excuse me, I have another call.

(Commissioner Johnson presses a button on the phone's keypad.)

Commissioner Johnson: Hello? Calm down! .... What? May Ray escaped? This couldn't have happened at a worse time! Goldstrom's planning to cut our funding, and we can barely operate as it is! Hold on. I've got another call. (presses a button on the keypad)

(Cut to a shot of Man Ray's mouth, speaking into a pay phone.)

Man Ray: Hello, commish. I'm just calling you to let you know that I've kidnapped your son. Meet me at the dock to negotiate the terms of his release. Oh, and come alone. (hangs up)

(Cut back to Commissioner Johnson. He listens to the dial tone with a shocked expression on his face, then he throws the phone off his desk and runs out of his office.)

(The theme song plays.)

(Cut to the Mermalair. Barnacle Boy is playing Go Fish with a friend from his high school when Mermaid Man walks in.)

Mermaid Man: What did I tell you about bringing other people into the Mermalair? It's supposed to be a secret hideout.

Teenager: Hey, I'm good at keeping secrets!

Mermaid Man: Get out.

(As the teenager exits the Mermalair, a phone attached to the wall begins to ring. Mermaid Man picks it up.)

Mermaid Man: Hello?

Man Ray: (from the phone) Hi, Mermaid Man.

Mermaid Man: Man Ray! How did you get this number?

Man Ray: All it took was a bit of research. Isn't it amazing how a bit of reasearch can teach you everything you need to know about a person?

Mermaid Man: What do you want?

Man Ray: I just wanted to let you know that I'm about to kill the police commissioner on the dock.

Mermaid Man: Why are you telling me this? You know that I'll just stop you and have you locked away again.

Man Ray: Oh, but you won't be able to.

Mermaid Man: Why not?

Man Ray: Because you'll be too busy trying to deactive the bomb that I planted in the Bikini Bottom Ballpark!

Mermaid Man: You fiend!

Man Ray: It's set to go off in 15 minutes. Too-da-loo!

(Mermaid Man hangs up the phone and looks at the clock.)

Mermaid Man: Barnacles! The stadium and dock are on opposite sides of the city, and either one will take me 10 minutes tops to fly to! Barnacle Boy, are you up for a mission?

Barnacle Boy: You bet I am!

Mermaid Man: Go to the Bikini Bottom Ballpark and take care of the bomb. I'll be at the dock helping the commissioner.

(Mermaid Man and Barnarcle Boy fly out the Mermalair and go their separate ways.)

(Cut to the dock, where Man Ray is holding Timothy Johnson, Commissioner Johnson's son, in a tight grip. Commissioner Johnson drives up to the scene and approaches Man Ray with caution.)

Commissioner Johnson: I'm here. What do you want?

Man Ray: What do I want? Notoriety, that's what I want! Despite my history as a criminal mastermind, people continue to treat me like I'm some common crook. What I need is something big, and you're that something big! If I took out the police commissioner, everyone in the ocean would be chanting my name. I'd be a star!

Commissioner Johnson: You're demented!

Man Ray: And you're fishmeat!

(Man Ray shoots at Commissioner Johnson with his raygun, but Commissioner Johnson gets out of the way, pulls out his own gun, and fires.)

Man Ray: (dodges gunshots) Must you make this hard on me? (sighs) I guess you leave me with no other choice.

(Man Ray throws Timothy Johnson over the dock.)

Commissioner Johnson: No!

(Commissioner Johnson runs to the edge of the dock, but it's too late. Timothy sinks into the water. Man Ray points his raygun at the grieving Commissioner Johnson.)

Man Ray: Prepare to join your son, commissioner!

(Suddenly, Mermaid Man flies out of the water with Timothy Johnson in his arms.)

Mermaid Man: Not so fast, Man Ray!

Man Ray: Mermaid Man! What are you doing here?

Mermaid Man: Taking out the trash!

(Mermaid Man kicks Man Ray in the stomach, then he kicks the dazed villian in the face. Man Ray falls to the dock, seemingly unconscious.)

Commissioner Johnson: Timothy!

Timothy: Dad!

(Mermaid Man places Timothy on the dock, and Timothy immediately embraces his father.)

Commissioner Johnson: (sheds a tear) I'm never letting go of you again.

(Man Ray opens an eye and, finding that nobody is watching him, bites off the tip of a grenade.)

Man Ray: (singsongy) Oh, Mermaid Maaan...

Mermaid Man: Huh?

(Man Ray throws the grenade at Mermaid Man, and the resulting explosion knocks Mermaid Man out and sends him into the water, where he quickly sinks in.)

Commissioner Johnson: Mermaid Man!

(To Be Continued)

Part Two
Narrator: Previously on Mermaid Man: The Aquatic Avenger...

Man Ray: (on the phone) Hello, commish. I'm just calling you to let you know that I've kidnapped your son.

(Cut to the Mermalair.)

Mermaid Man: (on the phone) You know that I'll just stop you and have you locked away again.

Man Ray: (on the phone) Oh, but you won't be able to. You'll be too busy trying to deactive the bomb that I planted in the Bikini Bottom Ballpark!

Mermaid Man: (hangs up) Barnacle Boy, go to the Bikini Bottom Ballpark and take care of the bomb. I'll be at the dock helping the commissioner.

(Cut to the dock. Man Ray and Commissioner Johnson are in a gunfight, and Man Ray throws Timothy Johnson over the dock.)

Man Ray: Prepare to join your son, commissioner!

(Mermaid Man flies out of the water with Timothy in his arms. Timothy embraces his father.)

Man Ray: (singsongy) Oh, Mermaid Maaan...

(Man Ray throws a grenade at Mermaid Man, and the resulting explosion sends Mermaid Man into the water.)

Commissioner Johnson: Mermaid Man!

(The theme song plays.)

(Cut to a shot of Mermaid Man. He's sinking deeper and deeper into the water.)

(Cut to a dream sequence. 8-year-old Ernie is sailing on the Pacific Ocean with his parents when the ship gets caught in a storm and breaks in half. Ernie tries to grab his mother's hand, but it's useless, and he falls into the ocean. While holding his breath, Ernie sees a mermaid swim past him. He opens his mouth to call for help, and his lungs fill with water. The mermaid catches sight of the drowning boy, then she swims over to him and puts her hand on his neck, giving him gills. Ernie takes a deep breath, and we cut back to Mermaid Man, who does the same thing.)

(Cut to the dock. Man Ray approaches the frightened Commissioner Johnson and Timothy.)

Man Ray: Now, where was I?

(Mermaid Man flies back out of the water.)

Man Ray: You again?

Mermaid Man: In the living flesh!

(Mermaid Man punches Man Ray with a force so powerful that the villian's mask flies off, revealing a human underneath.)

Mermaid Man: (gasps) There's another one?

(Man Ray, holding his breath, drops his raygun and scrambles for his mask. As he puts it back on, he turns around and finds Commissioner Johnson pointing his own raygun at him.)

Man Ray: (raises arms) Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Commissioner Johnson: (on walkie-talkie) Butch, send a police car to the dock. Over.

(Commissioner Johnson handcuffs Man Ray, and Mermaid Man begins to fly off.)

Commissioner Johnson: Wait, Mermaid Man!

(Mermaid Man stops.)

Commissioner Johnson: I-I was wrong about you.

Mermaid Man: (rolls eyes) Really?

Commissioner Johnson: Listen, it's no secret that we have a crime problem, and your methods of dealing with it have worked, though I still don't completely agree with them.

Mermaid Man: Your point, commissioner?

Commissioner Johnson: (sighs) Bikini Bottom needs a hero, and if you want to be that hero, I'll be more willing to look the other way from now on.

Mermaid Man: Thanks, commish. It'll definitely make my job easier.

Timothy: Bye, Mermaid Man!

Mermaid Man: (chuckles) Bye, kid.

Timothy: Will I ever see you again?

Mermaid Man: I'm sure you will. I'm definitely not going anywhere.

(Suddenly, an explosion is heard from the distance.)

Commissioner Johnson: What was that?

Mermaid Man: (gasps) The ballpark! Barnacle Boy!

(As Mermaid Man flies to the source of the explosion, the police car that Commissioner Johnson ordered arrives at the dock.)

Commissioner Johnson: Take this piece of garbage to the highest-security prison you can find.

Policeman: (from inside the car) You got it, boss!

(Commissioner Johnson throws Man Ray into the back of the police car, and it drives off.)

Man Ray: (thinking) Barnacle Boy? It seems that my bit of research didn't teach me everything I needed to know about Mermaid Man. I shall remedy that as soon as possible.

(Cut to the Bikini Bottom Ballpark. Mermaid Man hovers above the stadium and sees Barnacle Boy enjoying the game in the audience seats. Mermaid Man joins him.)

Mermaid Man: Where did that explosion come from?

Barnacle Boy: Oh, it was the bomb that Man Ray planted here. I found it right when it was about to blow up, so I just threw it up into the sky. I hope you're not angry. The baseball fans loved it, if that's any consolation.

Mermaid Man: (laughs) I'm not angry. You did good, Barnacle Boy.

Barnacle Boy: Why do you keep me holed up in the Mermalair, anyway?

Mermaid Man: I guess I was just afraid that something will happen to you. This isn't the safest job out there, you know.

Barnacle Boy: You shouldn't worry so much. (eats a hot dog) I'm not a kid anymore.

Mermaid Man: Yeah, you're not. I guess we're all growing.

(One of the baseball players hit a home run, and the audience stands and cheers, including Barnacle Boy. Mermaid Man remains sitting.)

Mermaid Man: I guess we're all growing.

(The End)

Trivia

 * This was the second two-parter, after Bubble Trouble.
 * This was the second appearance of Man Ray.
 * This was the second appearance of Barnacle Boy.