Cheese Connection

**The Cheese Connection**is the nineteenth episode of the Geronimo Stilton cartoon's normal broadcast.

## Synopsis

New Mouse City has hit a big cheese shortage, and the residents are after every scrap they can find. But could Mouse Caponi have something to do with this?

## Plot

(intro scene)

Geronimo is seen telling a staff member on the phone what to put on the newspaper, when Trap bursts in telling him that cheese is disappearing from all around the city. Geronimo was doubtful about this, but later believes it when Thea rushes in saying the same thing. Thea reports four restaurants that have missing cheese: The Cheesy Bistro, The Big Brie Barn, As Gouda As It Gets, and even Smarty Melt, which Trap is a big fan of. When asked about what happened to the cheese, Thea replies that nobody knows and people are starting to panic. Geronimo reveals that he sent Benjamin to get his lunch when asked where he is by Thea, being pretty sure he's fine, which was proven wrong, as many citizens were desperately chasing Benjamin for the cheese sandwich in his possession. The chase ultimately ends with Benjamin bumping into his uncle and the sandwich fell on the street and was torn apart by the cheese hungry residents, much to Trap's horror. Asking Benjamin if he's all right, Geronimo gains an apology about his sandwich.
As soon as Trap pulls out a small piece of cheese, it sends the citizens running after them, banging on the locked doors in demand for the cheese.

(the main article)

In the office, Geronimo gets on the phone, where it is revealed that the mayor has prepared a stockpile for cases like this. At the cheese warehouse, the mayor is bombarded with questions from the people, and Trap pulls out a string as the mayor gives his answer, getting a shock to see the warehouse empty, and causing panic to the citizens, who give chase to Trap as soon as they smell his cheese. Thea goes to save him and the mayor leaves to call a council meeting and set up a crisis plan. As Geronimo and Benjamin examine to scene of the crime, they are surprised by the the owner of the Smarty Melt restaurant chain, Marty Mimolette, who has a proposition for the Stiltons. According to his sources, the thief is a rat, and he recruited Geronimo because his skills as a journalist could help with the case, promising a big scoop when he opens his drive-through restaurant chain if the Stiltons help solve the case. Marty then reveals that he has a cargo ship full of cheese waiting off shore, but doesn't have it docked yet for the fear of it getting stolen. He later drops the 2 off at the Rodent's Gazette before Geronimo could finish a sentence about the offer, and both he and Benjamin join Trap in an escape attempt from an angry crowd.

The next morning, Geronimo checks for updates on the cheese situation and is surprised to find that Marty saved Trap from a crowd and dropped him of and Geronimo's house. Trap was pleased he still managed to hold on to he scrap of cheese, but it changed to a frown when Thea stole it and ate it, having been up all night looking for him. They later saw Marty's car waiting for them, and Geronimo was forcefully dragged to the car by Trap before he finished his tea.

A few minutes later, they arrived in a town full of rats, where Marty believes that they get a lead if they interview a rat. Arriving at a eatery, Thea and Trap keep watch outside, while the other three go in wit the rats, where there's a lot of messy eating. Suggesting the split up, Marty goes to interview a rat while Geronimo and Benjamin wait at a table, Where a waiter surprises them and pointlessly tells them about the cheese shortage. A few glares makes them nervous and Marty returns with some information that a suspicious ship was seen leaving the harbor: the Broken Club, which the rats recognise as the ship of Mouse Caponi, a heavyweight in the criminal world, with Geronimo figuring that he was the one behind the cheese thefts. Benjamin pulls up his file, but oddly finds it blank. Marty isn't surprised, as Caponi constantly changes identities, saying that those who have seen him describe him wearing a long coat and beret, leaving for more info later. Not long after he left, they hear a scuffle going on with Thea and Trap, and exit to find Thea tossed into the trash and Trap stuck in a dumpster. Benjamin pulls him out and Geronimo spots Mouse Caponi, and he and Thea give chase. After getting out of the dumpster Trap finds a wishbone, only to lose excitement after losing the wish to Benjamin.

As Geronimo and Thea chase Caponi (with Geronimo almost tripping because of water), he manages to trip them up with water jugs, getting away while Benjamin and Trap arrive shortly. After Thea and Trap explain what happened, Marty appears revealing the mugger they encountered earlier worked for Mouse Caponi, who Benjamin quickly reports having just got away. After a minor debate, Geronimo points out with Mouse Caponi on the run, Marty can dock the ship and serve the cheese. Trap was exited to get a smarty elt, but was disappointed to only get 2. Marty later ditches them.

Thea later gives an update, the gang hangs out at one of Marty's restaurants, Trap scarfs down some sandwiches and gets cheese on Marty's lapel, who quickly gives him a cheese slicer, saying he gives him to all of his really big customers Trap was delighted, until he implied Marty was talking about his weight. Geronimo becomes suspicious when Marty doesn't seem concerned about Mouse Caponi still on the loose, which Thea snaps him out of temporarily. However, Benjamin spots the waiter from the rat restaurant, something that gives Geronimo a new thought and a reason to check out Marty's ship, where just like he thought, it was a decoy. It never held any cheese at all. Thinking that Marty made a deal with Caponi, the inspected the reserve supply warehouse and found a sewer hatch inside. Thea and Benjamin head in the sewer, while the other take watch topside. Geronimo was proven correct, as Thea and Benjamin found muenster cheese in the sewers, though when they head back to tell the news, the door is locked and Geronimo and Trap are captured by thugs. As Thea and Benjamin try to get out, Benjamin tries to call them, only to get no signal. Eventually, they're forced follow the tunnels.

Somewhere else, Geronimo and Trap come to their senses, blindfolded, until they were removed. Seeing the thug that tossed him in the Trash, Trap angrily used Geronimo as a ticket to freedom, only to find it didn't work. Mouse Caponi enters the room, but though Trap was told to be quiet, he blubbered out everything that happened so far earlier, but was shut up. Geronimo spoke to him next, and the villain reveal himself, though only Trap thought he wasn't Marty. Geronimo later revealed what he figured out of his plan, with Marty thanking Geronimo for making it possible, And Geronimo admits he should've known that there was an oddity when he vanished just when Caponi appeared, and Trap shows off his idiocy once again. Marty later reveals that they were in his main cheese supply tank, which they believed once it starts to fill up with it. Marty later leaves the to drown, setting off to let the mayor make him NMC cheese supplier. Trap sends some rights or wrongs and Geronimo reminds him to look for an escape route.

In the tunnels, Thea and Benjamin find another one and emerge in one of Marty's restaurants, figuring that he uses the sewer as supply tunnels. They soon call Geronimo, who only manages to report his location before being cut off by the cheese. Trap remembers the cheese slicer and they soon cut themselves free, only to find the door was stuck and the tower soon fills up. Thea and Benjamin head to the water tower and Geronimo and Trap break free, causing the town to be flooded and interrupt Marty's meeting. Marty is soon arrest and sent to prison after he and his thugs clean the entire city. After the report ends, a delivery man arrives with Geronimo's lunch, though recent events lead him to had enough of cheese for and while, and he is left with Trap still guessing about the relationship of Marty and Mouse Caponi, as Thea and Benjamin have already left the room.

## Notes

* This is one of the few episodes where the adventure happens in the city.

* The reserve warehouse was shaped like a cheese wedge.

* Trap has been involved with both of the running gags in this episode.
	+ The first one was after every time he took out a cheese chunk, he gets chased by others wanting it. The gag ended when Thea ate the piece.
	+ The second one was even though he saw Marty reveal himself, he just thought Marty was dressed as Mouse Caponi during that time, complete oblivious that the latter was his alter ego.

## Errors

* Trap's cheese bits constantly change form.
* The benpad rings like a phone when it gets connected.

## Order

1. Stop Acting Around
2. Attack of the Killer Whale
3. **Cheese Connection**
4. Starring Geronimo
5. The Bad Luck of Team Fromage
6. The Great Jellybean Adventure
7. The Creepy Cowboy of the Cactus Gulch
8. The Legend of Big Toes
9. The Incredible Shrinking Stiltons
10. Pole Rat
11. Magic Mice