179 replies to this topic

[CraazyOne]

Thanks, Zoey! ^_^

Oh, Katie, cliffhangers are just too darn awesome... They're a writer's best friend! XD I'm glad I got you laughing, hehe.

Thank YOU, Jessi!

Gracias, Noemi! ...Ooops, bringing up Spanish here again... :P

Aw, thanks, Rumorgirl. And don't we all miss JN? =(

Hehe, thank you, Laura. Yay, my fic plays with your emotions! Ha, that came out sounding cruel, but it's a writer's DREAM to get her readers to respond to her writing the way she meant them to. I guess I HAVE put a lot of emotion into this fic. Hurray for comedy to ease things up!



Bluh. After all the waiting, I hope this chapter's not incredibly crappy. I'm going to be busy with school and homework and work soon, though...so I wanted to update before I was eaten alive. Who KNOWS when I'll get to work on this again. :unsure: But I'm certainly not giving up on this fic. I have all these plans for it! Besides, I'm pretty attached to it. XD


Chapter 22: Sheen in the Eagle's Shadow

In the courtyard of Shangri Llama, Libby and Cindy watched anxiously as the monk stepped to the center to speak. Sheen, however, remained cool and confident in his position beside Ye. Obviously, all the attention was going to his head.

Silence settled over the monks as they gazed at the speaker. As the man swept his cold, dark eyes over everyone in the courtyard, the starlight flashed in them like a reflection in a bottomless, black pool. He made no other motion or sound, and everyone else, riveted in place by his stare, stood motionless as well. The quiet stretched on until it felt like an unbearable weight pressing down and stifling the girls. It was at that moment they both realized they'd been holding their breath.

Libby couldn't take it anymore. "If they’re gonna make Sheen fight all those ninjas, he’s doomed!" she whispered to her friend. Her voice sounded loud in the night, but none of the monks seemed to notice. "I don’t care how many Ultralord shows he’s watched; he’s gonna get creamed!"

Cindy, her eyes bent on the scene before her and her forehead creased in thought, didn't even turn her head. "Calm down, Libbs. We’ll figure a way out of this."

"Ya better start thinkin’ fast, girl!" Libby fidgeted with her fingers nervously.

At that moment, the monk in the center of the courtyard lifted his hands in a gesture calling for silence and finally began to speak.

"My despised brethren," he began, and his solemn voice reverberated off the buildings surrounding them, "we have had a great honor today. The Chosen One of Evil himself has blessed us with his own wicked presence. And as Chosen One, he must now perform a sacred duty. In order to keep the chaos in Shangri Llama, he shall meet in combat these ninjas, who have been convicted of crimes of decency." He let the last word fall off his tongue with a grimace, as if speaking it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

A few feet away, Sheen nudged Ye in the side with a grin. "Man, these guys are nuts!"

"Quiet yourself, Chosen One," Ye murmured. Cast in shadow, his face was inscrutible, but Sheen didn't take that as a need to be alarmed. In fact, he hardly noticed Ye's expression at all.

"Come, Chosen One," the monk in the center called out, extending a hand to him. A trace of malevolence flickered in his eyes, but Cindy couldn't decide if that was only because everything these monks did was evil or if he could see through the kids' facade.

Unfazed by the intensity behind the man's eyes, Sheen strolled over to him casually and cracked his knuckles. "Ah, man, this’ll be easy!" he boasted. "Get a load of this, Libbs!" He glanced over at her with a grin, not catching the horror on Libby's face. "I’ll send these ninjas packing with my ultra-moves!"

Cindy rolled her eyes at Sheen's attempt to show off, but Libby leaned her head in her hand and groaned. "I can't watch," she declared in a voice strained with worry.

The three ninjas across from Sheen assumed sparring positions while Sheen himself stood heroically with a hand on his hip, as if he really were Ultralord.

"Oh, boy," Cindy muttered.

Still shielding her face with her hand, Libby cringed. "Tell me he ain’t doin’ it, girl!"

Cindy's tone was dry. "He is."

Clang! Cindy and Libby both nearly jumped at the sudden noise bouncing off the walls and exploding loudly in their ears. A monk with cymbals on his thumb and forefinger stood across from them, relishing the din he'd just made. Immediately, all three ninjas charged Sheen at once. The boy's self-confidence melted away right then…but it was too late. The ninjas surrounded and overwhelmed him in a matter of seconds. Dazed, Sheen dropped to the ground and the ninjas raised their hands in triumph.

Slowly and painfully pulling himself to his feet, Sheen staggered about dizzily. "Déjà vu…"

Libby had moved her hand away from her face during the fight. Now her eyes practically bored into Sheen as she frowned, half-anxious and half-angry. "Sheen!" she yelled. "Whadda ya think you’re doin’? Pull yourself together!"

Sheen blinked and came back to the situation on hand at the sound of her voice. Puffing out his chest bravely, he waded back into the group of ninjas, who were still rejoicing over their early victory. With a valiant effort, the boy clenched his fists and prepared to fight again.

"C'mon, boys! I'm not done! Take your best shot!" he taunted.

Glancing at one of his comrades, one of the ninjas threw another punch at Sheen, shoving him on his back once more.

"Ow!" Sheen turned to Libby and reached an arm for her dramatically. "Don’t forget me when I leave, Libby!"

Libby glared. "You’re not goin’ anywhere!" she shot back matter-of-factly. "Get back up an’ take it like a man!" Then, with sudden inspiration, she added quietly but firmly, "Remember, 'What would Ultralord do?'"

Sheen perked up immediately. "Ultralord?" he repeated softly, and sat up with a look of determination. "They’ll face the wrath of Ultralord’s very own battle buddy!" he declared.

At the words "battle buddy", Cindy threw a confused glance at Libby. "What?" she asked, receiving just a shrug from her equally puzzled friend.

The monks, who'd been distracted by the ninjas' victory and had been watching them celebrate with slightly bewildered expressions, hadn't noticed this exchange. So it was with great surprise that they watched Sheen step toward the ninjas with renewed courage. But his opponents saw his approach and were ready in mere moments. One leapt forward, flipping in mid-air, and extended his leg in a flying kick that hit Sheen square in the chest. Again, Sheen collapsed on his back to find himself staring back up at three fierce ninjas.

The air rushed out of the boys' chest, and he lay there for a second trying to force oxygen back into his lungs. When it finally came, his eyes widened as the ninjas crowded around him with victory glinting in their eyes. "Sweet mother of Ultralord!" Sheen cried out.

The ninjas and monks all glanced at one another in shock.

"Ultralord?" one of the ninjas repeated in confusion.

As realization dawned, one of the monks stepped forward and shouted. "I know this Ultralord he spoke of! He is a fictional hero for all who are good! This boy is not the Chosen One; he is an opposter!"

"Fictional?" Sheen repeated in horror, but his voice was drowned out as the lone monk's cry was caught up by others.

"Imposters!"

As if they had been waiting all this time for a summons, dozens of other monks and ninjas poured out of the buildings and sprang toward all three of the kids.

"We gotta get outta here!" Libby cried in alarm, her eyes scanning the courtyard for an exit.

Cindy grabbed her friend's hand. "Come on!" She dragged Libby toward Sheen, who was still being surrounded. Hastily, Libby snatched Sheen up in her arms, swung him over her shoulder as she groaned under the weight, and charged toward the nearest exit.

The three of them had practically made it to the edge of the courtyard when a dark figure pounced out of the darkness and blocked their path. In the moonlight, the ninja looked more like a shadow come to life, with only his yellow outfit betraying him. As the girls came to a screeching halt and stared at the unpleasantly familiar figure, Yoo Yee glared back, his face furious with a passion for revenge.

Cindy and Libby hesitated nervously while Sheen, still flopped over Libby’s shoulder, struggled to turn his head and see why they’d stopped running. At last he caught a glimpse of Yoo Yee, who threw him a threatening look.

"Chosen One!" he barked. "You run in the way of the coward, but it is not over! I will defeat you and take your place!"

"I’d like to see ya do it!" Libby shot back.

With a smirk, Yoo Yee jumped several feet off the ground and propelled himself through the air. As he rushed at Sheen and aimed a punch for his face, Libby ducked quickly, letting Yoo Yee fly harmlessly past Sheen. Without wasting a second, Libby straightened herself and sprinted for the courtyard’s opening with Cindy on her heels. Infuriated, Yoo Yee spun around and shouted after their fleeing forms.

"What? Do you fear the man-bird? Ha! That is because you do not even know how to fight! All you can do is run! I am like the eagle; you are like the prey that will be caught at a time that is near!" Rather than bothering to pursue them, the ninja seemed content to let his mocking words ring in the boy's ears.

"What?!" Sheen cried out indignantly. "Libby, turn around! I have to defend my dignity!" he insisted.

"No way!" Libby answered through her heavy breathing. Beads of sweat glistened on her forehead as she plowed through the valley, but she didn't dare slow down.

Behind them, Cindy glanced over her shoulder to see Yoo Yee watching them darkly. He might have been satisfied to let them escape for now, but the others were a different story. While she, Libby, and Sheen rushed through Shangri Llama’s grounds, the ninjas were pouring out of the courtyard’s entrance like an angry flood. "Hurry up! They're coming!" she called after her friend.

Libby could hardly speak she was panting so hard now. "Girl...there’s no way...we can outrun ’em!"

Cindy couldn't argue with that. Her friend appeared ready to collapse as it was, but with Sheen squirming to run back and face Yoo Yee, she didn't dare set him down. They were doomed...unless...

She came to a sudden halt, determination shimmering in her eyes. "You keep going!" she shouted after Libby. "I’ll hold them back!"

The worry was clear in Libby's voice and for a moment she slowed down. "How’ll you get out?!"

"I’ll figure out a way. Keep going; I’ll meet you outside Shangri Llama!" Turning to face the onset of ninjas, Cindy positioned herself and awaited the attack.

Though she hated to leave her best friend behind, Libby knew she was more capable than Sheen. She had to get him out of this place, that was for sure. With a grimace, she gasped for more air and sped up. She ran breathlessly through the grass, hardly paying attention to where she was going. Sheen had finally quit struggling and instead felt like a solid block of lead on her shoulder, but she was too afraid to stop to let him down. Meanwhile, Sheen, being Sheen, was enjoying himself: completely unconcerned, he was perfectly comfortable to be dead weight in Libby's arms and watch Cindy's tiny figure as she stood against the ninjas racing for her.

At last, the ninjas' cries faded away and were replaced with silence. Libby felt that she’d put enough distance between them and the ninjas to stop. Relieved, she plopped Sheen down in the grass. Rubbing her shoulder, she stared back in the direction from which they’d come as if she could see past the rolling landscape to determine her friend's fate. The silence, Libby decided suddenly, was far from soothing, but eerie. It only reminded her that they were all far from Earth, on a clone-made replica with almost no life besides the grass beneath their feet and the evil citizens hunting them down.

Frowning into the darkness, Libby brought her mind back to the present. Now what should they do? Ye was still back in the courtyard as far as she knew; Cindy was distracting the ninjas to protect her friends; and Jimmy was somewhere on the cliff overshadowing her. She hated to go any further with her friend still back in Shangri Llama, but at the same time, she knew that both she and Sheen had no chance up against the ninjas.

It was Sheen who snapped her out of her train of thought. "Hey, Libbs."

Libby turned her head to frown at him, feeling a bit ill-tempered after having to carry him such a distance. "What?" she demanded a little shortly.

Sheen smiled up at her. "You look even more beautiful under the stars."

Libby’s face suddenly softened as a smile brightened her face. "Ya look pretty cute in your clothes, too," she conceded.

Sheen jumped to his feet excitedly and puffed out his chest in an effort to look macho. "Well, you know, babe, we manly men can’t help but look good," he replied.

The girl couldn't help but giggle. "Come on, Sheen; we gotta go," she told him, starting off toward the cliff where they'd left Jimmy waiting. She looked pointedly at Sheen as he raced up to her side. "Ya know, Yoo Yee’s really got it in for ya now."

"Yeah, but he won’t have a chance against my Ultralord moves!"

He received a skeptical expression in response. "Ya mean the ones that left ya lyin’ on your back in front of those ninjas?" Libby questioned dryly.

"I was just getting warmed up!" Sheen insisted.

They walked on wordlessly for a minute, until the boy turned his face up to the sky, from which thousands of thousands of stars sparkle down on them. Turning to Libby, he smoothed back his hair and winked. "This is just like the episode where the lovely Ultralady agrees to be Ultralord’s girl forever!"

Libby shook her head, but still couldn't hold back a small smile. "Sheen, I’m kinda already your girlfriend, remember?"

"And that means you have to come over on Friday!" Sheen concluded. "My very life depends on it!" he added melodramatically. "You’re my Sorceress of Sass!"

"Sheen, do me a favor."

Holding a hand over his heart, Sheen proclaimed solemnly, "Anything you say, Queen of the Galaxy!"

Libby frowned and rolled her eyes. "Stop doin’ that."

***

Jimmy reacted as soon as he saw the weapon in Evil Jimmy's hand. As it shot toward him, he reached for Goddard, who sprang into the air and flew over to Carl, crouching in terror on the cliff’s edge. The weapon hit the ground and exploded in a fiery blast that spewed debris in every direction, but Goddard had already moved Jimmy and Carl a safe distance away. The robot dog released Carl from his mouth and set him gently down; Jimmy dropped down beside his friend a moment later. As the black smoke cleared, he caught sight of the evil clone starting up his jet pack.

"He's getting away!" Jimmy exclaimed.

Carl nudged a pebble at his foot. "Well, can’t we just let him?" he asked. "He’s kinda scary…"

His friend ignored him. "Come on, Carl! Goddard, flycycle mode!" he ordered urgently.

In moments, Jimmy’s mechanical dog had transformed and Jimmy had hopped into the seat. Reluctantly, Carl climbed up behind the boy genius. Goddard rose into the air and sped forward to follow the path of the clone, who was already some distance ahead. Carl shrieked and held onto his Jimmy so tightly the boy could barely breathe.

"Carl!" Jimmy choked out. "Carl!"

Carl refused to listen, so Jimmy was left to gasp in as much of the cool air as he could while it rushed by his face and rippled through his hair. With only the stars to see by, it was difficult to keep sight of Evil Jimmy. Only the jet pack’s flame and trail of smoke gave the clone away as Goddard pursued him over the rolling grounds of Shangri Llama.

"All Evil Jimmy does is steal and duplicate all of my inventions!" Jimmy murmured to himself, despite Carl's grip on his neck. "It’s almost like trying to beat myself."

Too distracted by the sickening blur of green far below, Carl only closed his eyes and clung tighter to Jimmy.

Evil Jimmy continued to follow a winding path through the air, forcing Jimmy to swing up and down, left and right. Carl yelled at every twist and continued to strengthen his grip on the genius; it was so strong, in fact, that Jimmy could just barely steer Goddard. He frowned and tried to extricate himself from Carl's grasp, but it was no use. Nauseous and terrified, Carl had clamped down mercilessly on the only thing he had to hold onto, and he wasn't about to let go.

All of a sudden, Jimmy's irritation turned to alarm. "C-Carl…" His words came out breathless and strained as he struggled to break free. With his friend's arms wrapped around him, he couldn't even reach Goddard’s handlebars anymore! Even as he spoke, the mechanical dog began plunging downward. Carl screamed and squeezed Jimmy tighter in response, but Goddard was quick to act. He transformed back into his original form, rushed downward to land, and reached his robotic hand from his back to catch the boys in mid-air. Still, that didn't stop Carl from screaming until Goddard had set them down on the grass. Then, at last, Carl quieted and let go of Jimmy, who staggered away, trying to catch his breath.

As the air rushed back into his lungs, Jimmy faced his friend angrily. "Carl! What were you doing?" he demanded.

"I’m sorry, Jim. It was scary!"

"Yeah, well your fear practically strangled me!" Jimmy responded, still glaring at the boy. He glanced back up at the sky, scanning it for any sign of Evil Jimmy. Wisps of smoke still floated through the air, but they were dissipating quickly. The clone was gone. "And you just let Evil Jimmy escape!" the boy added.

Carl stared at his feet. "I get motion sick."

Jimmy threw his hands up in exasperation. Sighing, he headed back over to Goddard. "Come on, Carl," he muttered.

The redhead's eyes widened. "You mean we have to fly again?"




~Rachel~

[Fire Pearl]

:kawaii: *.* :kawaii: AWwwww....An UPDATE!!! Yes! I am so excited, that you finally updated again! I had been wondering, how the heck Sheen would try to stand up to the ninjas... :lol: and the way they got discovered...just because of Ultra Lord....oh gosh, that's awesome :lol:


:unsure: But what's gonna happen with Cindy??? And Carl and Jimmy? And Sheen and Libby??? :wacko: I guess gotta wait again....

Anyways it was another great chapter! Can't wait to see the next one :wub: :kawaii: *.*

[N!no]

OMG OMG OMG!!!
This is so interesting!!! geez Rach this time I had candy while reading ^_^

AWESOME!!
10/10 keep it up!!

^_^

o:) Don't worry we'll be patient to keep waiting for another update :wub:
I'm already wondering what's gonna happen now as Betty hasnt show up yet and Jimmy trying to follow his evil clone! is he planning to fool Jimmy again???? :grr:
Aw I dont know!!!!!
UPDATE!! UPDATE!! UPDATE!!

of course no pressure


^_^

[RocksmySocks]

Great job, Rach! Awesome new chapter! Sorry I didn't see it until just now...

But yeah, wow! Haha, what a fight! Poor Sheen...

And there you go leaving us with another cliffhanger. Le sigh. Oh well. I guess I'll have to be patient again.


Excellent chapter!


-Katie :ahoy:

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

OMG!!!! What's gonna happen to Cindy?!!! I gotta know!! Will Jimmy catch his clone w/o Carl almost strangling him again??!! What about Sheen & Libby?? What's gonna happen to them?!! I can't take the suspense!!! Please post again soon!!! Your story's so AWESOME!!! I can't wait to find out what happens next!! :o The suspense is killing me!!! :grr: lol Not really! Keep it up! You're great!!!! Sheen's so funny!!
Yours Truly,

[CraazyOne]

Blah, I haven't updated since school started! I hope this new chapter is satisfactory...you sure had to wait for it.

And thanks, as always, for all your wonderful feedback. You really encourage me to keep it up. Heh. It's been over a year since I started posting this on ff.net, and I started working on it months before I even began posting it for anybody to see...so, good grief, this has taken longer than I anticipated, lol. I'm still not quite sure how much longer this could go on...I know where I'm headed but some of the details are a bit vague in my mind...



Chapter 23: Deception

Cindy flipped backward and landed perfectly on her feet to face a dozen angry, bruised ninjas. She’d managed to hold her own this long against the skilled fighters, but she knew she couldn't keep it up for long. Outnumbered as she was, it would only be a matter of time before even her seemingly inexhaustible endurance wore out. She wasn't one to give up, but her common sense was screaming at her: it was time to run. All she'd meant to do was distract the ninjas long enough for Sheen and Libby to escape, and a quick glance past the figures approaching her proved they were out of sight. Time to make her getaway.

Before the ninjas could shorten the gap between her and them, Cindy spun around and sprinted in the opposite direction. Taken by surprise, the figures behind her hesitated a moment before starting to pursue her. That moment was all Cindy needed. Winding around the corner of Shangri Llama’s courtyard wall, she swung onto the lowest branch of a nearby tree--one of the only trees she'd seen on this asteroid. Then she pulled herself up into the next branch and sat back in the darkness. The ninjas rounded the corner, but, not expecting her to be perched right above them, rushed right past. As soon as they passed out of sight, Cindy shimmied along her branch until she reached the top of the wall, then practically hurled herself over it. She hit the ground with a thud before picking herself up and leaning back against the wall to catch her breath and take in her surroundings.

From where she stood, everything seemed empty and silent, even the buildings. With anxiety clutching at her heart, Cindy decided it was time to press forward before the monks found her. She crept across the courtyard, hardly breathing. Dim starlight still poured into the courtyard’s center, but deep shadows clustered at its edges, so Cindy clung to those. Every moment she expected a ninja to emerge from the darkness and catch her unaware--a fear that made her continually scan her surroundings for even the slightest movement.

She set her eyes on the wall ahead of her. All she needed to do was climb that wall and head out into the grounds, heading in the opposite direction all the monks and ninjas anticipated her to go. Once she had set a good distance between herself and Shangri Llama, she could find her way back to her friends...somehow.

Moving in closer to one of the buildings, she continued to keep to the shadows as she slipped toward the wall, now only a few yards away. She was almost free! But even as this thought ran through her mind, she heard approaching footsteps thudding against the stone floor of the courtyard. Immediately her heart shot into overdrive. Leaning against the side of the building and standing motionless, she peered into the darkness, fearing what she’d see.

For several seconds, she didn't see anything but shadows. Then something stepped out of the blackness: a figure whose deep red kimono was illuminated by the silver glow saturating the air. The vivid color stood in stark contrast to against the dull background of the building behind it, making the sudden appearance all the more startling. But, contrary to what she'd expected, the form wasn’t tall and imposing, but only a little taller than Cindy herself. As it stepped further into the light, Cindy gaped in surprise.

"Betty?" she whispered.

It wasn't Betty’s appearance that surprised Cindy the most; it was her own reaction. As opposed to her usual overwhelming disgust and jealousy, she was, for once in her life, happy to see Betty Quinlan. It was only now she realized just how remorseful she felt over getting Betty into this mess, far away from home and in the company of villains; and, most of all, how much pain she'd experienced seeing Jimmy dejected. She couldn't deny the part of her that wanted to mend all of the trouble she'd caused.

"Come on; let’s get out of here," she murmured, gesturing to the girl across from her almost eagerly.

Blinking, Betty studied Cindy in confusion. Even with that puzzled expression on her face, Cindy had to admit the girl was pretty. Her dark hair, pulled into a bun and adorned with hair sticks, shone beautifully in the night, especially against her crimson outfit. Her sparkling brown eyes and lovely face held a sweet, innocent look. Obviously, “Jia” had received much honor from the monks and ninjas as well, for her silk kimono was traced with shimmering gold threads while a hint of scarlet lipstick and pink eyeshadow brightened her face. The idea that Shangri Llama's newest member was held in such high esteem was rather mystifying, but Cindy was too distracted by the girl's stunning appearance to ponder that much. Inwardly, she was sighing. She couldn't blame Jimmy for being captivated by Betty, for what boy wouldn’t admire her beauty? Cindy had a sinking feeling that she was destined to always be lost somewhere in Betty’s shadow.

At last Betty interrupted her thoughts. "What are you doing here?" she demanded, her brow furrowed.

"I came to get you out of here," Cindy replied, unsuccessfully resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Don’t you want to go home?"

Right away, Betty’s face lit up, and she followed Cindy toward the wall wordlessly. Whatever disgust she'd felt earlier seemed to have vanished with the prospect of freedom.

But before the girls could get far they were startled by a noise to their right. Cindy paused and spun around, only to be taken by surprise once again.

"Neutron?" she said, a bit confused. She could do little else but stare at the form creeping toward them.

Jimmy had been moving cautiously through the darkness, but as soon as he caught sight of Cindy he hurried to her. Brushing back his windswept hair with one hand and clutching the strap of his backpack with the other, he studied them both, half-anxious, half-shy.

"Cindy! You found Betty!" he exclaimed. "You OK?" he added, frowning in concern.

Cindy simply nodded, biting her lip just to hold back the smile that was sure to come otherwise. "What are you doing here?" she wondered.

Before he could answer, a thudding sound rang out in the night and Jimmy's eyes widened with alarm. "Quiet!" he whispered, grabbing Cindy's arm and pulling her against the nearest building. He reached for Betty, who hurriedly tore her arm away from him.

"Ugh!" she cried, glaring at him with an intensity in her eyes Cindy had never seen before. "Keep away, Freaktron!"

Jimmy cringed, his face full of hurt; and as she watched, Cindy experienced a strange mixture of emotions. The noises that had caught Jimmy’s attention seconds before snapped her out of her thoughts this time: inhabitants of Shangri Llama were coming their way! Still frowning, Betty stepped back from Jimmy, while Cindy, in her fear, slid closer to his side.

"Come on, guys," Jimmy ordered softly. He crept alongside the building they were standing next to and toward its open doorway, and, seeing no one within, slipped inside. Cindy began to follow, but Betty just crossed her arms and glowered at her. Irritated and impatient, Cindy snatched her arm and dragged her inside with her. She peered outside to make sure there was no one else in sight; then carefully shut the door.

Jimmy was standing a few feet away, studying the room. It was long and low, with flickering candles lending a dim, eerie light to the center while leaving everything else in shadow. Slender wooden pillars formed two rows running the length of the room, and a few mats were spread out on the floor, but otherwise the room was empty.

Cindy swept her eyes over the room in a few moments. "Now what?" she questioned, unable to keep the hint of impatience out of her voice.

Jimmy was still staring into the shadows. "We stay here until they leave."

As she listened, Cindy could hear the ninjas close by, bickering amongst themselves. She turned back to Jimmy suddenly. "Why did you come, anyway?"

Jimmy glanced down at the floor in embarrassment.

"I...thought you might’ve gotten hurt..." He shrugged.

Betty's voice rang out unusually sharp. "I’m leaving," she cut in firmly, stepping back toward the door.

"Betty, you can’t go!" Jimmy cried urgently.

"We’re taking you home, remember?" Cindy added.

"I’m not going home with him." She gave Jimmy another disdainful glance, and again his face twisted in pain. Cindy felt her hopes crash to the floor when she saw how much Betty meant to him, but she had too much to worry about right now to let those emotions get in the way.

"You can ignore Neutron all you want," she informed Betty in a business-like tone. "Just come with me."

"Ew! You? No way! If I can’t stand him, what makes you think I could stand you?" Betty shot back, causing Cindy to blink in surprise. Before she could react, Betty turned and reached for the door as the voices outside grew louder.

Cindy cringed while Jimmy continued to plead with Betty, but it was clear trying to convince Betty was a hopeless cause. Reaching into her pocket, she felt the cold, hard surface of the Mood Alternator. Her mouth felt dry and her heart pounded loudly in her ears. She hated to even think about using reversing its effects, but that was just it: there was no time to think. There was only time to undo what she had done to Betty...what she had unwittingly done to Jimmy.

Everything else seemed to freeze as she drew the invention out, swallowed hard, and pointed it straight at Betty. As her finger slid over the button, Jimmy glanced over at her and reacted quickly.

"Cindy, stop!"

The girl stared at Jimmy in shock. "What?"

Even Betty backed away from the doorway to see what was going on. Abruptly and without a word of explanation, Jimmy spun around and strode further into the room, toward the shadows.

"Jimmy? What are you doing?" Cindy demanded.

There was no answer.

"Neutron, have you lost your mind?" the blonde snapped.

All of a sudden, the sound of chuckling burst out from the other side of the room. Shoving the Mood Alternator back into her pocket, Cindy stepped forward worriedly. In the dim light, she could see Jimmy leaning against one of the pillars...laughing. She halted and stared at the boy bewilderedly, trying to make sense of everything.

"You fell for that, all right!" The voice came from Jimmy, but it wasn’t his voice. Somehow, though, it was vaguely familiar... Then it hit Cindy. Jimmy’s clone!

"I could’ve kept up the ruse, too!" He faced Cindy with a cruel smile twisting his lips. "Did ya really believe your sweet little Jimmy would be worryin' his big head over you? He’s too busy freakin’ over Betty, remember?"

Cindy swallowed and glared at the clone. It wasn’t often she was left speechless, but his last words stung too much...perhaps because she knew, deep down, that the evil clone was right. Jimmy was far too concerned about Betty right now to give her a single thought. She clenched her hands into fists furiously, wondering how she could ever have fallen for the clone’s act. She’d been an idiot; she should have known right away that something was wrong, but she’d swallowed it all anyway. Probably because she'd wanted it to be real.

Shoving aside these painful thoughts, she spoke up bravely. "You still can’t keep me here, Captain Crazy! I already fought my way through your nutcase ninjas; what makes you think I can’t do it again?"

The clone waved it off. "I’m not dense; I think I can figure that out. I just wanna talk to you about some things before ya scram. That's why I brought ya here. How’s that sound?"

Cindy eyed him suspiciously, arms crossed. "What do you have to say?"

"A lot, actually." He paused to study her thoughtfully. "I know how you hate Betty and want all of Jimmy’s attention."

If anything, the girl's glare only intensified. "So?" she shot back.

"You’re not bad looking, sweetheart. Get rid of Betty and bingo!" --the clone snapped his fingers-- "Jimmy notices you; your problem’s solved. Not complicated."

The blonde narrowed her eyes. "I think I can take care of my own problems."

"Look," Evil Jimmy began, "you appreciate Jimmy’s smarts, even if you bash ’em all the time. Now appreciate mine. I mean, come on, Jim and I are practically related! My brain can work just as well as that oversized one of his."

Cindy raised an eyebrow. "And you want to use your so-called genius to help me...why?" she demanded skeptically.

"’Cause, I help you, and you’ll help me. That’s just the way it works. I know ya wanna get rid of Betty."

Cindy's heart skipped a beat and she forgot to breathe. The clone's offer was so tantalizing it was overwhelming. Get rid of Betty. Make her vanish for good, out of her life, out of her hair.

Wait...what was she thinking? He probably meant to eliminate Betty from the picture. For good. A cold feeling washed over her at the terrible thought. Her knees grew weak and her mind seemed to spin as the multitude of questions, ideas, and emotions plagued her all at once. She could hardly think straight. She might be desperate, but that...that was... Cindy couldn't even manage to finish the sentence running through her mind.

Still, finding a way to get rid of Betty... That was worth consideration...




THE CLIFFHANGER. STRIKES AGAIN.


~Rachel~

[RocksmySocks]

CLIFFHANGER INDEED.

You are really good at being unfair, lol.

But wow, great chapter! We really got into the mind of Cindy Vortex here...excellent job! I can't wait to see more! And find out what Cindy decides to do!

[Fire Pearl]

Gosh you're killing me with those cliffies... :'(

But they're worth it everytime :thumbsup: I loved this chapter...the clone's appereance was really cool^^ and I can definitly see Cindy getting in such a conflict....ahhh....the waiting will be really hard, but anyways thanks for this chapter! It was just amazing :thumbsup: *.*

[Kaz]

There really is only one way to describe your writing here, Rach - You are a writing God!

I loved it. It was so in character, as always. And you sure do love your cliffhangers!

Don't keep us waiting for the next chapter too long, ok?

[curiochibi]

:thumbsup:

Thank you SO MUCH, Rach.
I bow down now.

-Jessi

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

Totally awesome!!!! This is such a cool fic!! Plz write more!!! B)

Yours Truly,

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

Hurry up, already!!! I gotta know how this turns out!!!!!! I hope Cindy will take a chance & not try to destroy Betty... & risk EJ's wrath for her not doing what he asked, knowing that Jimmy will rescue her in the end, as always! :D *dons a superhero cape & stands heroically as the theme music for The Incredibles plays*

Hahahahaha!!!! Just update soon, 'kay?? Thx!

Yours Truly,

[CraazyOne]

Awww. You guys are awesome. I know I left you with an eeevil cliffhanger, and I'm afraid to say I haven't even TOUCHED the next chapter since I posted this one, but I promise I will keep going with this. Even if it takes me forever to update, this story WILL keep going. I have too much fun with it to quit. I'm just kinda having a hard time with writing with school and work and doctor appointments and stuff. :unsure: Plus, Rachel is lazy. :P

But I wanted you to know the next chapter is coming!! Thanks for sticking by me even though I take forever to update!

And, Toki, I actually don't know how many chapters this fic has. Nor even how many pages it will be...or is now for that matter. The conflict's still building and I have plans...but the details haven't completely fallen into place yet. And of course I have no idea how long or short my ideas will become when I actually type them out. I'm afraid your guess is about as good as mine.

I just hope I won't still be working on this fic this time NEXT year. :blink: I doubt it. Although, I've been working on it for over a year already and never thought it'd take me this long. :lol:

Anyway, bug me all you want guys. Talk about it, whatever. When you're excited, I'm excited, and inspiration comes easier. That way, when I actually do have time, I won't get lazy.

Wow, I'm rambling. I hope you guys get what I'm trying to say here. :rolleyes:



~Rachel~

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

:grr: :grr: I sure will keep bugging you about it!!!!!!!!

:Cindy: Yeah, you'd BETTER get your lazy butt UP & write & post, or ELSE!!! *threatens w/ fist*

Listen to her; she knows what she's talking about!

:Cindy: You BET I do!!!! :angry: :grr:

Cya!

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

Rachel, could ya PLZZZZ hurry up?? I'm real anxious as to what's gonna happen in this fic! Trust me, I'm as excited as Sheen was when he got that Teenage UltraLord DVD in PaN!! PLZZZZZ???? I GOTTA know what coming next in this fic!!!!!!!!!!!!! Plz update ASAP!!!!

:Sheen: For the love of UltraLord, HOW LONG??????!!!!!!

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

Awww, DARN! *snaps fingers in frustration* I was SO looking forward to seeing how that fic turned out! Oh, well... I guess these things happen. :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

[RocksmySocks]

Sigh...

  I would HOPE she wouldn't leave it unfinished forever, since so much went into it. But, probably not on here. If I hear anything about it though...eventually, lol, I'll let you know, Amelia. Its one of my favorites too, so I'm really sorry.

Yeah, me too.