179 replies to this topic

[CraazyOne]

WOWEE!

Pigquet!  :o That was a post and a half! Rachel will be so pleased.

^_^

Snazzo
:huh:

Hey, that's how I do it.

But, I know! I was shocked myself after I sent it and it came up, scrolling down. It is long.
But, thanks.

You think so? I hope so. She deserves some credit.

B) Pigquet

P.S. Surprised someone actually took the time to read all that. :lol:

Surprised someone read all that?! Pigquet, I ADORE your reviews! When you reply, I always get excited. You always break the chapter down, posting all your thoughts and emotions as you read everything. That is the writer's DREAM. To know exactly how their readers react to their writing is such a treat! It also helps me know how to continue the story, because I know what everyone especially likes.

Ah, Pigquet, you always make my day! :D That was an awesome review!

I don't know what made me think of Ultralord actually training Sheen... At some point, that hit me and I thought, "Ah, it's genius!" It seemed perfect, and it provides a lot of comedy potential. Just IMAGINE how Sheen's gonna react to this! :lol:

Definitely score one for Jimmy. Er...two. Hehe. Funny how I have so much fun writing about their competition and arguments...but it really is entertaining. And funny.




~Rachel~

[CraazyOne]

As my status says, I won't be around my computer for a little while, starting tomorrow. I may be back before the 10, only to leave again, but we'll see. I'm really glad I'm getting this time with some of my family, since it'll probably be a while before I see most of them again.

Anyway, the point to all my rambling is that I'm going to post the next chapter for you guys before I go...


Chapter 16: Lost in the Night

Needless to say, Sheen rushed over to Goddard as soon as he heard Ultralord’s voice and stared in awe at the screen. “Ultralord! Jimmy, you’ve saved my life!”

“But Sheen,” Jimmy interrupted, “I don’t want you to just sit and watch Ultralord. I want you to copy every move he makes exactly so you can fight Yoo-Yee.”

Sheen stopped halfway into a sitting position, stared at the genius for a moment, and then fell over backward. “You mean…you want me to be Ultralord?!” he cried, ecstatic. “That’s my lifelong dream!”

“Oh, boy…” Libby muttered.

“Well, sort of…” Jimmy hesitated.

“Yes!” Sheen plopped down in front of Goddard’s screen and began drinking in everything Ultralord did or said with wide, eager eyes.

Libby studied Sheen a moment and then turned to his friend in conern. “Ya know, Jimmy, this might not be the best idea.”

“This is the only way Sheen will learn anything!” Jimmy protested.

“Yeah, now he’s going to go around acting like a spastic, mini-Ultralord!” Cindy put in dryly.

“Hey, at least he’ll be able to spar with Yoo-Yee,” Jimmy pointed out. “We just need him to survive a fight long enough for us to rescue Betty and get out of there. He’ll be our distraction.”

“Well, if ya put it that way,” Libby mused, “I guess he’ll make a pretty good distraction…But what if he gets creamed?!”

“Don’t worry, Libby.” Jimmy turned his head to glare at Cindy. “The only reason I brought Cindy was to make sure someone helped Sheen so he wouldn’t get hurt.”

Cindy responded by rolling her eyes. “Yeah, ’cause Mr. Know-It-All himself never needs any help!”

“No, I just don’t need any help from you!”

“Oh, yeah?!” Cindy leaned forward and raised her voice to a shout. “Well, what about the time I kept the world from being destroyed by a meteor when you were a drooling idiot?! Or the time I rescued you from Grandma Taters and her army of happy zombies?! Or the time I saved your sorry orange butt when the army was about to take you out for destroying Retroville?!”

“Well, those incidents are kinda overshadowed by all the times you’ve gotten us into trouble!” Jimmy shot back. “Like the time you sent Betty into another dimension, or the time you crashed my ship on Mars, or right now, when we’re in danger after you got Betty kidnapped by Yoo-Yee!”

“It wasn’t my fault!”

“Yes, it was!” Jimmy snapped. “You used the Mood Alternator on her!”

“Ugh! Just because Betty doesn’t like you anymore doesn’t mean she’ll listen to every crazy ninja on the street!” Cindy exclaimed.

“Well, it did make her listen to one!”

Seeing no end in sight to their argument, Libby decided it was time to step in. “Guys, stop fightin’!”

“Yeah,” Sheen agreed from where he sat staring at Goddard’s screen, “I’m trying to watch Ultralord!”

Frowning, Jimmy lay back on his sleeping bag and announced loudly, “I’m going to bed!”

Cindy stood to her feet and threw him an irritated look. “Good!”

“Fine!”

“Whatever!” Crossing her arms, Cindy marched off angrily. Just outside their camp, she plopped down on a rock to glare out over the asteroid’s bare landscape by herself.

Libby hesitated a moment, and then followed after her. Standing behind her friend in the dim starlight, she placed a hand on her hip and spoke half-gently, half-sternly.

“Girl, we need to talk.”

***

A lone shaft of silver light poured in through the small window open to the sky, relieving the thick blackness with its splash of color. The glow reflected on the smooth, polished wood floor of the spacious room and afforded just the faintest glimpses of thick pillars stretching to the ceiling. Overhead, through that square window cut in the ceiling, nothing was visible but a lone tree branch stretching against the sky, sparkling with a million stars. Everything was still and quiet and eerily unfamiliar.

Blinking her eyes in an attempt to accustom herself to the dimness, Betty slowly sat up. She ran a palm along the cold hard surface of the floor as if to bring memory back into her muddled brain, but nothing came. She had no recollection of entering this room; no previous knowledge of even where on the planet she could be. It was hard enough for her mind to process exactly where she was supposed to be or even who she really was. At the moment, groping through her head to find the facts felt as hopeless as trying to grope through this dark room and find her way through.

With a despairing sigh, she leaned her back against the wall behind her and stared up at the stars. A chill breeze sifted through the leaves on the branch above and washed over her. Pulling her knees up to her chin, she tucked the skirt of her dress closely around her body and hugged herself against the cold.

Wait. She’d done this before. Betty found herself unconsciously holding her breath as the memories all hit her like a tidal wave. The helicopter ride, the hasty transfer to a space craft, and the landing on the asteroid. Then there’d been a weaving, fast-paced journey on a hover machine through the city, in which Betty had been set in a back seat to hug her knees to her chin and shiver in the wind. She’d been brought here, to one of the long, low buildings within a city that looked like it had sprang up right out of Medieval Japan—and all in the hopes of spiting Jimmy Neutron.

The very thought of Jimmy sent a shudder through her whole frame, but at the same time it wracked her brain with confusion. Never had she found her emotions to be so…so illogical. Since when had she felt such a passionate hatred toward all of Jimmy’s attentions? When had his very name ever brought a grimace of disgust to her face? As much as she couldn’t stand to think about him, something in the back of her mind was nagging at her. Hadn’t there been a time when she had found that she enjoyed his attention? Something didn’t make sense, but her brain refused to process thoughts clearly; all that was lucid at the moment was raw emotion. She despised Jimmy Neutron, and she was here to do exactly the opposite of his wishes; because the very idea of doing anything remotely related to him or his interests was unbearable.

Faint footsteps brought Betty to herself. She shook off her confusion and pulled herself to her feet, almost instinctively straightening her dress and smoothing back her hair. Despite her notion that these ninjas were her friends, a faint warning in her mind compelled her to recede into the shadows and wait. The footfalls stopped in the passage right outside the entryway to the room, giving Betty one last moment to doubt before a figure stepped into the room.

“YOU!” Betty cried, her usually gentle face hardening in a frown. She pressed forward into the patch of starlight and stared at the form standing on its edge. “Don’t you have something better to do than ruin my life?!”

The figure waved her words off carelessly and took a further step into the light. “Look, if you’re thinkin’ I’m Whippy-Dip Genius Boy, you got it all wrong,” it said. “I’m his evil clone.” Evil Jimmy let a mischievous grin slither across his face as Betty searched it with a puzzled expression.

“What do you want?” she asked after a few seconds, still suspicious.

“To hurt Neutron; whaddaya think?!” Evil Jimmy shot back. “Listen, kid,” he continued after a pause, “I hate him as much as you do. So I’m thinkin’ you and me…we could really do some damage.”

“I wasn’t here to hurt him,” Betty responded. “I don’t even want to go near him!”

Evil Jimmy shook his head in annoyance and stepped forward again, pacing in a full circle around Betty as he spoke. “You came here to learn to fight, right?”

“I came here because Jimmy told me not to,” Betty smirked.

“So you were just gonna sit around here and not do anything?!” Evil Jimmy’s temper was clearly rising. Suddenly, he spun around to glare up at the girl as a new idea came to him. “He’s comin’ here to rescue you, ya know. You can’t avoid meetin’ him again, but you can take care of him for good.”

Betty’s smooth forehead creased in agitation. “He’s coming here?”

“If ya learn how to fight, you can beat him an’ his lousy friends to next week!”

“I think I’d rather go home,” Betty returned with a frown.

Evil Jimmy gave her a bone-chilling stare. “Either ya cooperate an’ help me take care of Neutron, or you’ll regret it.”

Betty bit her lip and once again tried to think things through. Jimmy. Ugh. Not Jimmy. And his friends? She couldn’t bear the thought of them either. Sheen had never been on her good side, anyway, and Carl had always been rather below her notice. He’d never paid any attention to her, and she’d never paid any to him. They shared nothing in common and she preferred it that way. He wasn’t exactly the most sought-after kid in school, after all. Libby? Jimmy wasn’t particularly close to her, but she was very close to someone Betty positively abhorred: Cindy.

Now there was a thought. Betty had a vague impression that she and Cindy hadn’t exactly gotten along even when she’d somehow enjoyed hanging around Jimmy. Recollections of jealous glances and angry words flashed through her brain in quick succession, finally helping her get a grip on her past relationship with the girl. She had overlooked the biting comments and hate-filled looks and focused mainly on Jimmy, but it had been impossible to be completely ignorant. Betty had always known she was a cause of pain to Cindy, and somewhere deep down she’d felt a pang of guilt over it all. Though she kept it carefully tucked away due to Cindy’s obvious dislike, Betty had even admired the girl’s courage and wit as much as she had despised the fact that Cindy didn’t look up to her as all the other girls did. It had only been recently that Betty had at last caved in and realized the way she had been disregarding Cindy’s feelings had been as cruel as the hatred Cindy had obviously been harboring.

There had been a constant tug of war between Betty’s kind nature and that human plague, selfishness. After all, Betty loved being noticed, appreciated, and admired as much as anyone else; and Jimmy had always noticed her in a way she just couldn’t ignore. But in the process of enjoying herself she’d completely ignored Cindy’s hurt, a fact she’d later regretted.

Yet now, whatever the past had been, all those regrets were dwarfed by the growing disgust she held toward Cindy. It wasn’t merely the fact that Betty couldn’t stand anything or anyone close to Jimmy; it was also the faint remembrance that somehow Cindy was the key to all of this. All of her current confusion and uncertainty was because of her—although exactly how Cindy had caused this Betty couldn’t figure out.

With another thoughtful look at Evil Jimmy, Betty realized that her desire for revenge and hope to become herself again outweighed her disgust of meeting Cindy again. Perhaps she could avoid Jimmy in the process, but Cindy…Cindy she had to take care of.

“Hello!” Jimmy’s clone interrupted loudly. “Are ya listenin’?!”

Betty snapped back to the present and stared back into Evil Jimmy’s burning eyes. A quiver of fear ran through her at the idea of attempting, with only a few short training sessions, to master a girl who’d already earned a black belt. But the mixture of strong emotions she felt and the terror of the threat in the evil clone’s eyes proved too powerful to ignore. “I…I’ll learn to fight,” she stammered.

“Good,” Evil Jimmy answered as he began striding complacently from the room. “I’ll tell your new master an’ he’ll start trainin’ you right away.” His figure was masked once more in shadow as he headed toward the door, and his footsteps soon faded away into nothingness.

Immediately after the clone left, Betty crumpled to the floor and dropped her head in her hands. She was afraid of this place and longed for somewhere safe and familiar. She had no idea what she was doing anymore, and the assorted feelings coursing through her being came at a rate too rapid to control or even fully comprehend. Rage, sorrow, terror, despair, satisfaction, and uncertainty all vied for control in her heart. Her mind was too foggy to even bother to think anymore or wonder much about the future. Overwhelmed, she clung to the one light she could see: her hope for revenge and an opportunity to set things right again.

With the starlight framing her lonely figure, Betty brushed away the glistening tears that had dropped from her eyes and prepared for her one chance at normalcy.

*****************************




~Rachel~

[Mara=^.^=]

Is this on ff.net? :huh:


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Beks]

ooo, purdy chapter!

I can tell this is getting all too confusing for Betty. I feel for her. I mean, liking someone and then, all of a sudden, hating their very presence and not knowing why? That's got to be tough.

Oooo, a girl chat! I can smell the confessions brewing!

And I love how Ultralord is the only way Sheen learns anything. I should give him Ultralord themed textbooks. That should do the trick.


Anyway, nice chapter!

[CraazyOne]

Hey, guys! It's so nice to be back! And thanks for the replies!

Is this on ff.net?

Yes, Mara, it is, but I haven't updated it over there in a while. I'm several chapters behind... :P Rachel= Lazy


@BEKS--Thanks! Yes, it is confusing for Betty. ): Yeah, the conversation between Cindy and Libby should be interesting. Hmmm... And haha, ya gotta love Sheen.

@SNAZZ--Hey, there! True, Jimmy and Cindy just canNOT quit, can they? :rolleyes: You'll just have to wait and see what Libby has to say... And yeah, that's kinda what I like about writing from Betty's POV. Since you don't know too much about her from the series, I have the chance to expand her character, as you said. Fun stuff for an author.





~Rachel~

[CraazyOne]

Rather lame-o, especially since I consider this a core chapter, but it'll have to do, I guess. It's been a while since I've updated, after all! I had all sorts of plans for this fic and what it could become, but I got distracted with life and my ideas and enthusiasm have faded. I'm hoping over the summer I'll find some more inspiration and really get cracking on this thing.

Anyway, here's chapter 17, with a little comic relief at the end to lighten up the mood.



Chapter 17: The "Libby Lecture"


Girl, we need to talk.

The words dropped like a bombshell exploding in the still air. A little alarm seemed to blare in Cindy’s brain: Warning: Libby Lecture set to commence in 10…9…8…

In no mood to listen to her friend, Cindy spun around to gaze through the darkness at Libby’s stern face. But before she could say anything, Libby spoke again.

“I still can’t believe ya did that to Betty,” she began firmly, crossing her arms.

“What do you mean?” Cindy demanded, her forehead wrinkled in a frown. How could her own best friend actually side with Betty?

“What do I mean?!” Libby repeated, as if she couldn’t believe her ears. “Girl, ya can’t just go around zappin’ people with Jimmy’s inventions!” She glanced back at Jimmy and suddenly softened her voice. “I know what you were tryin’ to do, but it didn’t work. That’s not how you’re gonna get Jimmy’s attention.”

Now it was Cindy’s turn to raise her voice. “What?!” she burst out. “Who said I wanted Nerdbomb to notice me? That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard in my life! Maybe I was just sick of him drooling over Miss Hot Pants all the time!”

Libby looked skeptical, as usual, but didn’t try to argue. “Well, whatever the reason, ya gotta let Jimmy switch Betty back to her old self, Cindy!”

Her eyes flashing, Cindy balled her hand into a determined fist. “No way! Then she’ll have Spewtron slobbering all over her again!” Realizing what she’d just implied, she quickly caught herself. “Not that I’m jealous or anything…”

“When are you gonna stop pretendin’?” Libby sighed. Frustrated, she looked up to study the stars. They dotted every patch of the night sky but one, where a mound of grey clouds was gathering. “Ya know, the only one you’re foolin’ is Jimmy.” She glanced at Cindy pointedly.

Even in the shadows, the fear that washed over Cindy’s face was still caught by her friend. But it was gone almost before Libby could recognize it and replaced with Cindy’s usual hard expression. “Who says I’m pretending anything?!” she exclaimed.

Libby rolled her eyes. “Whatever ya say.” She paused, becoming serious again. “But I think you did the opposite of what you were tryin’ to do! You only got Jimmy mad at you. And now ya gotta switch Betty back.”

“I can’t!” However firm Cindy had attempted to make her voice, it still held a hint of fear that wasn’t lost on Libby.

“Because you think your chances with Jimmy’ll be gone?” Libby guessed. “Trust me, girl, he might be too shy to show it all the time, but he likes you way more than Betty.”

“Yeah, right!” With a scowl, Cindy crossed her arms and let bitterness fill her voice. “It’s obvious he’s crazy about Betty and couldn’t care less if I was abducted by the Yolkians and sacrificed to their god Poultra!” She glared up at the sky, where the mass of clouds was spreading, swallowing the stars and deepening the blackness. “And it’s not like I want him to like me, anyway!” she finished defiantly, glancing sharply at Libby.

Libby shook her head. Cindy just didn’t see what she did, nor was she about to give in and admit the obvious. It was no use to keep on insisting when Cindy refused to listen. So she decided to try a new tactic.

“Even if you’re right, you know ya can’t stop Jimmy from gettin’ Betty back to normal. You gotta do the right thing,” she argued.

Libby expected another staunch objection from her friend, but, to her surprise, she realized Cindy’s will was snapping. The girl was gazing back at her desperately, perhaps because she knew Libby was right.

“But…but…you don’t get it!” Cindy stammered. “I can’t stand seeing him and Betty together! It…it makes me sick!” As her eyes pleaded with her friend, they betrayed everything—even what she didn’t dare confess out loud.

Libby’s heart overflowed with sympathy. She hated to see her friend hurt, but she also knew that she couldn’t relent. “I know ya love him, girl, whether you’ll admit it or not. But that’s all the more reason to let him switch Betty back.” Her voice was soft and kind, but convincing. She breathed a sigh before letting out the final words: “Even if that means lettin’ him and Betty be together. Sometimes you have to give up things if you want someone you care about to be happy.” She looked at her friend significantly, wishing she didn’t have to see the pain shining in her eyes. There was nothing more she could do; nothing more she could say to comfort her. Turning away, Libby left Cindy to think about what she’d said.

Time seemed to freeze for Cindy. The clouds, carried on a breath of wind, still inched their way over the stars; the asteroid she stood on kept spinning its way through space; and her pathetic little heart continued pumping her lifeblood through her veins. She was oblivious to it all.

Give up? The idea was foreign to the girl who’d spent her whole life vying for her five minutes of fame. And worst still, to give up to Betty? Every ounce of her being rebelled at the idea. It was hard for her mind to even grasp it.

Slowly, Cindy slipped her hand into her pocket and withdrew the oyster Jimmy had given her on the island. Opening it, she studied her pearl as it glittered in the cold starlight.

Jimmy really had been upset to see Betty hate him, even if it was just from the influence of his invention. He’d be delighted to have Betty back to herself. He’d probably continue to smile stupidly at her, to stutter dumbly in her presence, and follow her like a dog on a leash, Cindy mused bitterly. But…if he really was happy that way…then…wasn’t that the best? Sure, Betty wasn’t necessarily the completely innocent girl she appeared to be; she’d lied to Cindy when she said Jimmy was hers. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t a nice girl…and that she couldn’t be good for Jimmy.

That last thought sickened Cindy. She couldn’t quite convince herself of its truth; yet, whenever Jimmy and Betty were together, they did seem to like each other. Whatever doubts she had had about Betty, Cindy was sure Jimmy really cared for her, and that was what mattered, after all. Cindy swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked back the tears she felt coming. It wouldn’t be easy giving up. She’d never given in before—not for anything. But this was for Jimmy’s happiness…right?

She glanced back at the boy genius, stretched out on his sleeping bag and still frowning up at the stars. Did she really care enough to let go? Always thinking of herself was what had formed all the problems between her and Jimmy in the first place. Now a truly selfless act looked like it could tear them apart for good.

She closed the oyster, slid it back into her pocket, and headed back to camp to try to sleep. She knew Libby was right, although she didn’t want to admit it. And deep down, she also knew she wanted Jimmy to be happy. Maybe it was time to push aside her pride and selfishness. If she did, maybe Jimmy would forgive her for what she’d done and actually pay attention to her…someday.

But then again, it might only mean that he’d be too busy admiring a restored Betty to ever notice her.

And that would mean her “someday” would never come.

***

Reentering their camp, Libby marched over to where Sheen lay sprawled out on his sleeping bag to see exactly how successful Jimmy’s idea had been so far. Nearby, Carl was engrossed in operating Jimmy’s Pie-O-Matic and devouring whole pies; while before them, Goddard sat with drooping ears, obviously growing tired of playing…and replaying…every Ultralord episode Jimmy had recorded for Sheen. Libby turned back to Sheen and studied him in concern. His eyes were still glued to Goddard’s screen as he dug his hand into a ridiculously huge bag of gumballs. When he stuffed a handful into his mouth, Libby cringed in disgust.

“Uh, Sheen,” she began, “ya know you’re not supposed to eat ’em, dontcha?”

Sheen still kept his eyes focused on the screen as he muttered in reply, “Don’t…know…what…says…you.”

“This is crazy!” Libby blurted out, turning and beginning to stomp away.

“Ow!”

Libby spun around to see Sheen pulling something out of his mouth. After a moment, he removed a huge lollipop, stick and all, and rubbed his mouth.

“That always happens!” he cried.

Libby’s expression held a mixture of concern and disturbance. “What always happens?” she asked, looking as if she wasn’t sure she even wanted to know.

“I start eating one kind of candy, but I can’t wait to taste the next kind, so then I decide to just eat both kinds at the same time!” He reached into his mouth, pulled out a molar, and studied it as something profound had just dawned on him. “I always end up losing a tooth.”

Libby stared at him for a moment without knowing what to say. Sheen, however, suddenly realized that his attention had actually been diverted away from Ultralord and didn’t notice her.

“Ah!” he exclaimed frantically. “I just missed the best part of that episode! Rewind it, Goddard; rewind it for your well-being!”

With a slight whine, Goddard rewound it to the episode’s opening credits.

Carl looked up just as the Pie O’ Matic turned out a perfect, steaming apple pie. “That’s the best part?” he asked.

“Every moment’s the best part!” Sheen shot back.

Libby raised an eyebrow at him. “You’ve got some serious problems.”

“I know!” Sheen grinned, as if Libby had just complimented him. “Which reminds me…when are you coming over to watch Ultralord on Friday? My grandma needs to know so she has time to get a new pair of dentures. Trust me,” he finished, “you don’t want to see her without them.”

Libby grimaced. “Sheen, I told ya, I’m not watchin’ Ultralord!” With a shake of her head, she began walking away.

“But, Libbs…” Sheen began to plead, when he discovered he was missing the Ultralord episode again. With a shriek of horror he turned back to Goddard. “Ahh! Quick, Goddard, REWIND! I can’t miss a second of this episode!” He threw up his hands and gazed at the stars dramatically. “Torn between my two great loves! How much can a man take?!”

From his sleeping bag a few yards away, Carl threw him a sympathetic look. “I know what you mean.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture of Judy Neutron with a huge, fresh-out-of-the-oven pie on the table beside her. “Oh, Judy…only your own sweet pies could ever come close to separating us.”

Sheen glanced in Carl’s direction. “Huh? What did you say?”

Carl shoved the picture behind his back. “Nothing.”





~Rachel~

[J/C AVA]

Awesome. Just superbly awesome. :thumbsup:

[rumorgirl1983]

This is beautifully done. Perfectly in-character and well versed! I've really enjoyed reading this story and look forward to more. :)

[CraazyOne]

Awesome. Just superbly awesome. 

Thanks, Pedro. Glad ya thought so. :D

This is beautifully done. Perfectly in-character and well versed! I've really enjoyed reading this story and look forward to more. 

Oh, thanks so much, rumorgirl! That's some high praise. I really appreciate your reading and replying to my fic. ^_^


Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up really soon, guys. I've gotta look it over again and make sure it doesn't need anymore smoothing out. Maybe, if it doesn't require a lot more work, I'll even be able to post it tonight. We'll see.




~Rachel~

[CraazyOne]

Chapter 18: Stranger

The asteroid basked in a dim, grey light that lent the terrain a dreamlike quality. There were no trees in sight, only a sea of grass stirring softly under the caress of a cool breeze. A few clouds slithered over the stars, but overall the sky was clear and sparkled with hundreds of lights. Cindy could pick out one shape in particular on the brightening horizon: the tiny, far-off speck called Earth. Her spirits sank and she let out a sigh, but she wasn’t homesick.

All night long she hadn’t been able to stop thinking of what Libby told her. Now, Libby was sound asleep, Carl was sprawled on his back snoring, and even Sheen had literally passed out on his sleeping bag. Cindy wasn’t sure if Jimmy was asleep, but he was lying on his side with Goddard close beside him. Now and then she thought she heard the rustle of his sleeping bag as he moved, though Carl’s snoring and Sheen’s occasional murmurs and twitches practically drowned out any other sounds.

Frowning, Cindy pulled the Mood Alternator from her pocket, where she’d kept it from Jimmy all this time. He had been so concerned with getting to the asteroid and finding Betty that he hadn’t asked her for it back…but she knew he would soon enough. She slipped out her oyster again, set it on the ground beside the Mood Alternator, and studied them both. Should she stand by and let Jimmy return Betty to her usual, irritatingly perfect self? Or should she try to stop him…and prevent Betty from ever taking first place?

The grey on the horizon was spreading now, heralding the approach of day. She’d been far too restless to sleep much, yet for all her pondering she was still no closer to a decision. With a small sigh, she glanced back at Jimmy’s sleeping bag, only to find his spot was empty. Jimmy and Goddard had crept off to the edge of the camp and were sitting with their backs to it, watching the light peek over the horizon. Cindy noticed Jimmy’s downcast appearance and swallowed. Maybe she should just tell him…everything…

The idea sent panic and relief through her at the same time. Panic, because part of her didn’t dare let Jimmy know the true reason she’d used the Mood Alternator on Betty; and relief, because, deep down, she’d wanted him to know for a long time. Admitting it all could be the first step to setting everything straight.

Now would be perfect: when no one else would hear…when Sheen and Carl couldn’t stand by, grinning stupidly…when one of their classmates couldn’t eavesdrop and then tease her later…when not even Libby could listen in and comment.

Cindy stood to her feet, replaced the Mood Alternator and the oyster in her pocket, and headed nervously to where Jimmy was sitting.

Look, Neutron, about the whole using your Mood Alternator on Betty thing…

With each step Cindy’s courage rose and she felt that at last, she could really do this. Finally, she could say what had been bottled up inside her for so long… She could set aside her stupid pride and stop hiding behind lies.

I’m sorry…honestly. I just hated to see you and Betty—you know—together…

Cindy stopped behind Jimmy and studied him for a moment, a bit of anxiety still fluttering in her stomach. But she was determined.

…Because I’ve kinda only pretended to hate you. Ever since I met you, I’ve actually, secretly…

Closing her eyes, Cindy tried to force a sound out of her mouth. Thoughts screamed through her brain, but her mouth was dry and her lips refused to move. She felt so weak, but worst of all she knew her words would expose her weakness to Jimmy. She despised the idea, but she couldn’t back down now.

I’ve been living a lie, Jimmy. Do you understand? Everything you know about me is one big, stupid lie…

She closed her fingers into a fist and threw aside her last fear. With courageous resolve, she prepared to plow into her declaration head-on.

“Jimmy…I—I have to tell you something…” she managed to say.

“What would you have to tell me?” His words held a bitter hint that fell painfully on her ears. She tried to fight back the growing fear inside of her, though she could tell from the look he threw her he was still angry and didn’t really want to listen. But Cindy had made up her mind. She had to let this off her chest now, and it wasn’t like he could hate her any more afterward than he already did now. She drew a deep breath…

At that instant, Goddard leapt up from his spot beside Jimmy and began barking menacingly. The kids raised startled eyes just in time to see a tall, shadowy figure slip out from behind their space car. Fear cemented them to the spot. Cindy’s mouth dropped open in astonishment and her words were left unspoken. She and Jimmy continued to stare uncertainly at the vague form in front of them, but before either of them could say anything, the stranger spoke.

“At last I’ve found you, James Neutron!” came a man’s voice.

Jimmy’s expression grew puzzled at the mention of his name. As he stood and peered at the form in the shadow of his space car, Goddard’s barking sank to a low growl. The boy genius swallowed and stepped forward cautiously, trying not to look frightened. “Who are you?” he demanded.

Wordlessly, the shape stepped out from the eerie blackness that had enveloped it. As the form moved closer, starlight fell upon a long hooded robe just like those of the monks from Shangri Llama. Beneath the hood, the man’s solemn face, though still partially shrouded in darkness, took on a kindly expression. Clasping his hands together before him, he dipped his head respectfully to the kids, who still stood motionless.

“My name is Ye,” the monk announced. His voice was soothing, calming the children’s doubts a little. “I have been searching for you, James.”

Jimmy raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “Me?” he repeated. “What do you want?”

“I’ve come to aid you in your quest for Jia.”

Cindy spoke for the first time. “Jia?”

“She whom you seek,” Ye explained, and turned to Jimmy. “The one whom Yoo-Yee has taken from you; the one whom you love!”

Cindy rolled her eyes at his last comment, but Jimmy was obviously thrilled to hear of Betty.

“You’ve seen Betty?” he asked eagerly.

Cindy noticed the bright smile on his face and sudden sparkle in his eyes and her heart sank. He really did care for Betty, then…

“I have,” the monk confirmed.

A commotion behind them interrupted the conversation. Turning, they caught sight of Libby, Sheen, and Carl all stirring in the camp behind them. Sheen was swaggering in front of a tired, uninterested Libby and rambling about all he’d learned from Ultralord episodes, and Carl was stumbling sleepily toward the Pie-O’-Matic. He stopped before it, rubbing his eyes and fumbling in his pocket for his glasses. As he put them on and leaned down to start up the machine, he spotted Ye and immediately cried out in horror.

“Ahh! An evil monk! Could it get any worse?!” he shrieked.

Libby and Sheen turned worriedly to see what Carl was fussing about. Libby’s eyes hardened at the sight of the stranger near Jimmy and Cindy and her lethargy promptly melted away. Jumping to her feet, she ignored the fact that her braids had gone frizzy in the night and tossed them angrily over her shoulder.

“OK, I don’t know what you clone freaks want with us, but ya ain’t touchin’ my friends!” Libby spat out, stomping toward Ye boldly.

“No!” Jimmy cried. “He’s come to help us!”

Cindy shot him a look. “Or so he says,” she muttered.

Jimmy glared at her as Sheen, lost in his own world, rushed up to them without even noticing the monk. Carl followed cautiously, his gaze shifting between Jimmy’s trusting, carefree face to the expressions of doubt on Cindy’s and Libby’s.

Before Ye could explain himself to Libby, Sheen jumped between him and Jimmy. “Hey, Jimmy!” he exclaimed. “Can I watch more Ultralord?!”

“No, Sheen,” Jimmy replied softly, trying his hardest to control his irritation.

“But, Jimmy, you said—”

Jimmy couldn’t hold back his temper at that. “We have to save Betty!”

“Can I watch just five minutes?!” Sheen pleaded.

“No!”

“But…but…it’s Ultralord…” He stared wide-eyed at Jimmy as his eye twitched agitatedly.

Crossing her arms, Cindy watched Sheen through narrow eyes. “You know what?!” she broke in. “You either need some counseling or a punch to the face!”

“Cin, don’t hurt him!” Libby scolded from her spot beside her.

Sheen turned to beam at her. “I knew you’d stand up for me, Honey Bun!” He puffed up his chest in an attempt to look macho, but only succeeded in looking ridiculous.

Libby turned to her friend and said dryly, “OK, now ya can punch him.”

At that moment, Sheen finally noticed Ye, who had bowed down before him.

“Ah, the Chosen One!” The monk spoke reverently. “May blessings rain down upon the heads of you and your friends!”

“But rain causes pneumonia!” Carl pointed out worriedly.

With a huff, Cindy turned to Ye. “I can’t believe you guys think Ultra-dork is your Chosen One!”

Sheen shook his head at her condescendingly. “Cindy, Cindy, Cindy. I pity you in your ignorance! I’ve mastered fighting secrets that Ultralord himself knows! And besides, my awesome manly strength proves I’m the Chosen One!” He flexed an arm while the gang looked on skeptically.

“Don’t hurt yourself, Sheen,” Libby warned with a shake of her head.

Jimmy turned back to the monk in an attempt to bring the conversation back to the point. “Do you know where Betty is now?” he inquired.

“Yes. I can take you to her.”

Unconvinced, Cindy crossed her arms and studied the monk narrowly. “How can we trust you?” she asked. “From all appearances, you’re just an evil clone from this asteroid’s version of Shangri Llama. You were probably sent by Evil Jimmy to lead us into a trap!”

Ye smiled gently. “Ah, you are indeed blessed with wisdom. I shall tell you of myself, and then you will have to decide if you shall trust me.”






~Rachel~

[sunnstar]

Hahaha...at this rate, you'll be up to 3000 in no time!

~Rach~

LOL. I couldn't resist reposting this. Back then I had 2000 posts and now I almost have 5000!

Anyway, back to reading...

[rumorgirl1983]

Right as Cindy's ready to talk to Jimmy.....an interruption! lol, evil, but soooo effectively good. We all knew she couldn't tell him her feelings now anyway -- the plot's still thickening. ;)

“Ahh! An evil monk! Could it get any worse?!” he shrieked.

Awesomest quote ever in this chapter. You never know though -- he could be an evil monk!

This is good. The real episode feel about this story is awesome. I look forward to the next chapter. ^^

[sunnstar]

---------------Chapter 9: Surprises---------------

Back on Earth, Jimmy’s parents were proceeding with their everyday lives. As Judy Neutron hummed cheerily in the kitchen as she baked a pie, Hugh strolled out into the yard to clean up after Goddard.

“Well,” Hugh commented as he inhaled the fresh air, “I couldn’t have asked for a better day to clean the yard! The sun is shining…the birds are chirping…our big, vicious-looking flower is terrorizing the neighbors!”

Hugh took a few more steps before realization hit him and he turned back around suspiciously. Mrs. Vortex was shrieking hysterically and bolting down the street—away from a bright yellow blossom sitting right outside Jimmy’s lab. As his neighbor disappeared down the road, Hugh Neutron edged toward the plant to study it closer.

“That’s strange…” he mused; “I don’t remember planting a flesh-eating flower next to Jim-Jam’s lab!” Then, all of a sudden, his face brightened as an idea struck him. “It must be a surprise from Jimbo to Sugar-Booger!” he exclaimed. He patted the plant’s huge, golden petals appreciatively, an action that only caused the flower to snarl. Drawing his hand back quickly, Hugh let a momentary frown darken his face. “Hmm, I’ve never met a plant that could growl! This—this is amazing! I should tell Butter Biscuit about her new gift!” Starting back toward the house, he called out to Judy. “Sugar-Booger!”

Then one more idea ran through Hugh’s simple, childish mind. He stopped to glance back at the plant one last time as he let himself consider this new thought. “Or maybe that’s not a good idea,” he concluded slowly. “It would be much more thoughtful if I left it as a surprise!”

******************

As Jimmy carefully maneuvered the Antares close to Yoo-Yee’s position, the rest of the gang continued gazing out the windows, but they saw no sign of the other ship. Time passed agonizingly slowly for Libby and Cindy as Carl began an especially tuneless song about space travel and Sheen tinkered with his chair’s massage feature.

“Space rocks, space rocks,” Carl’s voice grated on their ears; “full of holes and blemish pocks—”

“O-o-o-o-o-oh, baby!” Sheen exclaimed over Carl’s song. He hit a button on his chair to stop the vibrations and a dizzy grin crossed his face. Right when he seemed about to collapse, he shook his head and snapped back to himself. “Man, that was awesome!” he shouted, and flipped the switch back to the massage setting.

Rolling her eyes, Cindy had just opened her mouth to yell at both Carl and Sheen, when an especially huge asteroid came into view. With mouths agape, she, Libby, and Carl stared in wonder until even Sheen noticed their fascination and turned to see.

“Who-o-o-oa,” he said. He switched his chair off vibrate and sprang from his seat to get a better look, but as he tried to cross the ship’s interior he stumbled dizzily and fell.

“That’s no asteroid,” Libby commented, shaking her head in sheer astonishment.

She was right: for rather than looking like just another floating rock, this asteroid resembled a small planet! Shades of deep green and blue were splashed over its surface, as if the asteroid were a miniature Earth, complete with land and water. Above those colors, swirls of pure white enveloped the asteroid like a shimmering mist. It was a shocking and beautiful sight.

“It looks just like the planet the ruthless cyborgs created as their into their own evil paradise!” Sheen proclaimed in excitement as he pulled himself off the floor. “Ultralord crash-landed on the planet in episode 997 and had to go incognito as a mass of metal with a heart of steel!”

Carl was gazing at a mass of grey clouds hovering over a portion of the asteroid. “Hey, Jimmy,” he spoke up, “is it going to rain on the asteroid?”

Still focused on controlling the ship through the maze of space rocks, Jimmy hadn’t even noticed the asteroid-planet. Now he fought to remain patient with his friend as he veered around another rock. “No, Carl,” he explained, “asteroids have no atmosphere, so it would be impossible for it to ever rain on one.”

“Is that why a bunch of clouds are collecting over its surface?” Cindy’s voice was drenched with sarcasm.

“What?!” Frowning, Jimmy spun around in his seat and stared out at the asteroid, his eyes widening in shock. “Leaping leptons!” he cried. “Someone must have formed an atmosphere similar to Earth’s on the asteroid!”

Cindy frowned in thought. “But how could anyone do that?”

“Well, I was researching possible ways to form an atmosphere that would make planets hospitable,” Jimmy replied, “but no one else has ever come close to my discoveries!”

“Maybe someone stole your research,” Libby suggested.

“But Yoo-Yee doesn’t have the resources or the intellect to use my discoveries!” Jimmy protested. “Who else could have done this?”

“Wait a minute,” Cindy broke in, breaking off Jimmy’s train of thought. “You’re saying that someone stole your studies, flew to this asteroid, and formed some sort of artificial atmosphere around it without your noticing a thing?” She raised an eyebrow pointedly.

“Hey, I’ve been busy!” Jimmy defended himself.

Before Cindy could hurl another insult at Jimmy, Sheen’s voice interrupted. “Well, I don’t know about you guys,” he remarked casually, “but I’m thinking we should get ready to land before we crash into the giant asteroid right in front of us.”

Recalling himself, Jimmy turned back to piloting the space car while the rest of the kids hurried to their seats and strapped themselves in securely. As they swung away from this last space rock, the cloud-covered asteroid suddenly loomed before them.

“This is incredible!” Jimmy breathed. Then his astonishment gave way to triumph and he broke out into a shout. “Ha! I did it! I discovered how to create a perfect duplication of the earth’s atmosphere!”

“You’d better hold off the party, Neutron,” Cindy muttered dryly. “Whoever did this could be dangerous.”

“Yeah,” Libby agreed. “He’s usin’ your own discoveries against you!”

Jimmy’s smile died away and the reminder. Tightening his hands on the throttle, he frowned thoughtfully as the Antares was pulled into the asteroid’s atmosphere by an unnatural source of gravity. Whoever had managed to create this, Jimmy mused, knew how to capitalize on his discoveries. And, if Yoo-Yee’s mysterious ally was this eager to help…well, then Jimmy had an uneasy feeling there was more behind Betty’s kidnapping than Yoo-Yee’s desire to become Chosen One.


~Rach~

This is the first chapter I hadn't read. It was nice to come back to a chapter so awesome! XDD "The sun is shining…the birds are chirping…our big, vicious-looking flower is terrorizing the neighbors!” PRICELESS!! And LOL. The Mrs.-Vortex-running-away delayed reaction is so Hugh. XD

Don't worry Hugh, I've never met a plant that could growl, either. **patpat** His simple, childish mind, LOL. More like Sheen every chapter! ;]]

SPACE ROCKS LOL. You "rock" so hard [HAHA BAD PUN] because as we all know, no space journey could be complete without a Carl song. ;) Sheen's reaction was hilarious. I thought he was going to kill Carl or something. XD

OOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!!! PLOT TWIST!!!!!!!!! I have to say, as soon as I read that it looked like Earth, I knew it was going to be the Evil Jimmy thing. But hey, maybe it's just our Rachel ESP thing. ;]] Haha, nice random Sheen comment. Keep 'em coming. XD And I LOVE Cindy's sarcasm. “Is that why a bunch of clouds are collecting over its surface?” POINT FOR CINDY.

Ha, Jimmy's so cocky. :thumbsup: Better hold off on the party, LOL.

OOOOH, SUSPENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As I said, I had a feeling that I already knew who it was, but still. SUSPENSEFUL. (:





Yes, I'm going to do this for all your chapters, and yes, it will take awhile. Pig, you have some competition!!!!!! :D

[sunnstar]

----Chapter 10: Welcome to Asteroid City----

An abrupt jerk from the ship tore Jimmy from his thoughts and forced him to put every ounce of his concentration into maneuvering toward the asteroid’s surface. Strapped tightly in their seats and wide-eyed with anticipation, his friends watched silently as they dove through each layer of the artificial atmosphere. Jimmy clung to the throttle, muttering under his breath as they sped downward. “Homosphere… Mesosphere…Stratosphere…Troposphere!”

The billowy white and grey clouds beneath them quickly became larger as they drew near, until suddenly the Antares plunged right into them. Blinding white light surrounded them for a brief moment and then they were out, still dropping at a tremendous rate. The asteroid surface magnified right before their eyes: trees seemed to practically spring from the ground, indistinguishable shapes became buildings, lines formed roads, and specks of motion transformed into flying machines buzzing through the city. At last, Jimmy pulled up and the spacecraft curved skyward, swooping down beside the huge asteroid city as it sparkled in the orange glow of sunset.

Libby stared through the glass in awe. “What is this place?” she asked as soon as she found her voice.

“It looks like a civilization even more technologically advanced than ours!” Jimmy answered, his tone equally astonished.

“I have a bad feelin’ about this place,” Libby muttered, and Cindy shot her a look of agreement.

Sheen, however, unfazed by Libby and Cindy’s fears or Carl’s sudden dash to find a place to throw up, was busy scanning the asteroid city with glee. “This looks just like Ultralord’s home planet!” he announced. Then another idea hit him, and the boy spun around and literally attacked Jimmy in his seat by shaking him until he went limp. “Jimmy, Jimmy,” he exclaimed, “we hafta look for Ultralord! I NEED to meet him; it’s my lifelong dream!”

“Ugh, Sheen!” Jimmy pulled himself out of his friend’s iron grasp, and, frowning, returned to piloting the ship. “We’re here to find Betty, remember?”

Sheen trudged rather disappointedly back to his seat. But when the Antares began soaring over the skyscrapers, he once again joined the others as they studied the city in wonder. Flying cars zoomed through the air below, dodging around buildings at breakneck paces and not stopping for anything. On the streets, people the size of ants hurried about their activities. Many citizens had their own jetpacks and hover boards, boots, and bikes.

“I have to find a safe place to land away from civilization,” Jimmy announced to his friends. “Then we have to find Yoo-Yee…and whoever created this place.”

“It’s amazin’!” Libby breathed. “Just like what Earth would look like in the future!” Lifting her eyes to the sky, she drank in the mosaic of brilliant colors with admiration.

“Yeah,” Jimmy agreed. He swept the space car away from the city and over the gently rolling grasslands on its outskirts. “But you’re right: I don’t have a good feeling about this place, either. I think it could be dangerous.”

The land below gradually grew flatter and more barren, until there was only grass as far as the eye could see. Here Jimmy brought the space vehicle to rest. The gang eagerly stood from their seats and stretched, but crept more hesitantly to the door. As they stepped out cautiously, they peered up at the sky, down at the grass, and all around themselves as if expecting an alien being to attack at any moment. With ears perked and eyes alert, even Goddard appeared apprehensive as he trotted close to Jimmy.

“Goddard, scan for any human presence,” Jimmy said at last, breaking the eerie silence.

Goddard did a quick scan, but his tracking device picked up nothing in the area.

“There aren’t any humans in the vicinity.” Jimmy rubbed his forehead in frustration. “Goddard’s radar must be out of range. Betty could be anywhere on this asteroid!”

“What about all those people back in that city?” Cindy wondered. “Can’t Goddard’s radar pick them up too? Or are you saying they’re all aliens?”

“But they looked human!” Libby pointed out.

Sheen took this chance to burst in dramatically. “They’re the morphing alien subspecies Nick was talking about in school!”

Carl screamed in horror. “Jimmy, let’s go back home!” he cried. “I don’t like it here, and I think this strange atmosphere is giving me hives…”

“Guys, calm down,” Jimmy interrupted. “I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation…”

“Yeah!” Sheen interrupted. “We’re all gonna be eaten! Just like in ‘Ultralord Vs. the Brain-eating Aliens’!” He gazed up at the sky dreamily. “This is the best day of my life!” he sighed.

Jimmy stopped Carl before he began to panic again. “Guys, we have to find Betty!” he reminded them, obviously growing frustrated.

“Why don’t we go back to the city an’ see if we can find out somethin’ there?” Libby suggested.

“But the aliens are there!” Carl protested. “And it’s all big and scary…and…and futurey!”

Jimmy’s brow creased in thought. “I think Libby’s right,” he said after a moment. “Let’s head back to the city and ask the native population about Betty. We just have to be careful.”

***

Back in Retroville, Hugh and Judy Neutron were sitting at the dinner table.

“Jimmy’s been ignoring me all day!” Judy exclaimed in annoyance. “I told him to come in and get some dinner before it gets cold, and he’s still in the lab!” She picked at her food rather angrily.

“Now, Sugar-Booger, don’t get upset,” Hugh soothed. “I’m sure he’s just busy inventing some mind-boggling new technology that’ll save the world, or…endanger it again,” he added.

“Well, I don’t approve of him going without dinner or staying up late on a school night!” his wife declared. “Go out there right now and tell him to come in.”

Hugh paused as he dug his fork into a slice of pie. “Oh…but I was just getting to the extra-scrumptious layer of this delicious pie!” he whined.

Sighing, Judy stood and headed outside herself. “Jimmy!” she called, stepping off the front porch and striding purposefully across the yard. But as she approached the lab, she caught sight of the Girl-Eating Plant and stopped to stare.

“What in the world…?” Her voice drifted off as the flower sniffed the air, then turned toward her with a snarl. Crying out in fear and surprise, Judy dashed back to the front porch. “Hugh!” she yelled.

Hugh Neutron appeared at the door. “What is it, Butter Biscuit?”

Trembling with fear and anger, Judy pointed a finger toward the back yard. “Go back there right now and find out what Jimmy’s up to! I think he’s planted some sort of vicious plant!”

Realization dawned in Hugh’s eyes. “Oh, that’s just Jimbo’s surprise! It appears to be sort of…life threatening, but it does add a certain charm to our yard, don’t you think?” he finished, stepping out to admire the flower from a distance.

Judy set a hand on her hip and gave her husband a look. “Hugh! Get rid of it right away!” she ordered firmly. Marching back to the safety of the house, she left Hugh outside to deal with the Girl-Eating Plant.

“I’m on it!” Hugh exclaimed. He strolled over to the plant, lifted it up by its pot, and plopped it down on the curb. It sat within its pot looking completely docile the entire time, causing Hugh to glance down at it curiously after dropping it at the side of the road. But he didn’t bother to wonder about it for long. Rubbing his hands, he turned to the house. “And now back to that pie!”

***

On the outskirts of the futuristic city, Jimmy and the gang stopped to stare uncertainly at the skyscrapers overshadowing them. In the dying light, they had an imposing appearance.

“This place gives me the creeps,” Libby remarked as she examined a darkened alley suspiciously.

“What do you mean?!” Sheen shouted with excitement. “Check out all the technologically advanced, highly dangerous machinery! It’s awesome!” He reached out to touch a glowing electric shield surrounding a building like a fence. When it shocked him, he jumped a whole two feet in the air before falling back to the ground. He blew the smoke off his finger, and, with a grin, poked the fence again.

“And I thought he couldn’t get any weirder,” Cindy muttered to Libby.

“Oh, that’s nothing. He does it all the time,” Carl explained casually. “You should see him after a 24-hour Ultralord marathon.”

Ignoring his friend’s antics, Jimmy scanned the city closely before turning back to the rest of the gang. “Come on, guys. Just because it looks big and dark and dangerous doesn’t mean it’s that bad.” He stepped forward and Libby and Cindy began following reluctantly.

“Wait!” Carl insisted, freezing them all in their tracks. “We should stop for snacks to build up our strength!”

“Carl…” Jimmy began.

“Yeah, I’m hungry,” Sheen put in. Realizing his hair was standing on end, he smoothed it down. Libby raised an eyebrow when she saw him, but since he seemed fully recovered from the electricity and not about to shock himself again, she let it slide.

“Did you pack your Pie-O-Matic Machine, Jim?” Carl wondered.

“Pie-O-Matic?” Libby repeated.

Removing a cube-shaped invention from his pocket, Jimmy forgot all about pushing onward into the city with this opportunity to brag. “Oh, it’s nothing. I just used the technology behind my Slumbertron 9000 and the Hypercube and combined them to form the ultimate pocket-sized, instant pie assembler,” he explained with false humility. “It has enough storage to carry the ingredients for just about any pie you can imagine! I was going to give it to my dad, but I figured we might need it for the trip.”

Cindy rolled her eyes, but before she could snap out a rude comment about Jimmy’s ego, Libby shot her a warning look that closed her mouth. With a frown of frustration, the blonde crossed her arms and studied Jimmy’s invention irritably. Libby found herself shaking her head and wondering what to do with her best friend.

But her thoughts were cut short, for at that instant, the sound of crashing glass rang out in the night. The kids whipped around as a boy flew out of a nearby ground-floor window and fell flat on his face on the sidewalk. From within the building came a man’s angry voice.

“…And STAY out!”

Throwing the building an indignant glare, the boy pulled himself to his feet, brushed himself off, and headed down the street toward the gang. Rather than simply going around, he marched straight up to them and thrust them rudely out of his way. “I’m trying to walk here!” he snapped. “You got a problem with that?!”

Taken aback, the kids just stared after the boy in surprise as he stomped down the street. Suddenly, another piercing noise forced them to look up at the sky and jerk away just before a hovercar, swooping low to the ground, sped right through the spot where they’d been standing. More blaring sounds came from overhead, where furious citizens honked their horns and shouted at one another. A few even rammed other hovercars and then zipped away, laughing evilly at the damage they’d caused. The kids gazed at the havoc in growing astonishment and fear.

“Talk about road rage,” Sheen commented.  

As the hovercars poured in from another section of the city, they darted through the air like so many angry bees. The earlier quiet was shattered, and the gang was left standing rather bewilderedly in the middle of the street. In fact, they were so befuddled by all the noise and confusion that they almost didn’t notice when several more hovercars dipped straight toward them.

It was Jimmy who happened to see them. “Watch out!” he shouted.



~Rach~

Veeeery good way to start off the chapter, with vivid descriptions of the ship/scene. OoOOooOOooooooOOoh, classic movie reference, NICE! :thumbsup: Yay, more descriptions! Sweet. You described it sooooo perfectly, it's not even funny. LOL. XD I could totally imagine everything you were writing!! Haha, WOW, Sheen. He's hilarious. Ultra-Lord's home planet? Hahaha, where'd you come up with that? XD He is so well-captured in this fic, lol.

YAY MORE SUSPENSE. (: Libby's awesome, lol. I love that line.

HAFTA GO NOW. ): MORE LATER!!! More now! (:

Ooooh, ARE they the thingamabobs Nick talked about in his report? :o Haha, not that I really think Nick's ever right, but THAT WOULD BE AWESOME. :thumbsup: Great line from Carl, by the way. “I don’t like it here, and I think this strange atmosphere is giving me hives…" Such an in character thing to say! XD ROOOOOOFL SHEEN. The best day of his life is being eaten alive? Again, SO IN CHARACTER. :D Oooh, they have to be careful. Like THAT'S gunna happen with Jimmy. :lol:

“I’m sure he’s just busy inventing some mind-boggling new technology that’ll save the world, or…endanger it again.” DEFINITELY something Hugh would say! I could just hear it coming out of his mouth. (= Aww, Hugh and his pie. LOL, will he ever get to eat it? XDD OooooOoOOooh, mini-plot twist!!!!!!!!!!!!! I TOTALLY thought the plant was going to eat Judy, but there you go again. ;) LOL JK. But I bet it's going to eat Mrs. Vortex, though. Right? Right? **nudges** Haha, Hugh finally gets his pie. XD

WOOOOOOOW. Sheen is AMAZING!! That was totally him from that shocking candy episode. Ooh, I definitely don't want to see him after a 24-hour UltraLord marathon! ;]]] Haha, isn't his hair always standing on end? ;) But I love Libby's reaction to that. OMG, a Pie-O-Matic!!! :o I SMELL A BRAIN BLAST INVOLVING THAT IN A FUTURE CHAPTER. **sniffs** Or maybe, you know, it's just the pie. :lol:' And woooooow, that planet is seriously the coolest thing I've ever seen. I LOVE all the descriptions about the hovercars and their evil riders! And Sheen's line. Such a good "bad pun." XDDD Except, it's not really bad. But, y'know. ... Or do you?

CLIFFHANGER!!!! Amazing!

[CraazyOne]

Thanks so much, rumorgirl! I'm really glad you're enjoying my fic. =D Yes, yes, that was an evil interruption, but you KNOW it would happen in the show, LOL.

Hehe, I loved the evil monk line. Glad you did too. ^_^

_________________________________________________________

LOOOOL! Sun, your replies are so entertaining! (:

YES, yes, I told ya, we share brainwaves now. LOL. ;D

And thanks! Especially saying I captured Sheen perfectly! Hurray! I feel special now, haha.

Lookin' forward to your other replies. Sheesh, I didn't know you were going to reply individually to each and every chapter you'd missed since you left! You are too kind. :P


See ya!




~Rachel~

[Elraine]

Ahhhh I was supposed to go to bed an hour ago... but I had to keep reading this highly entertaining story.... @_@ Congratulations on your sleep-depriving wonder of a fanfic! :D