Chapter 1: My Sword, My Shield

Story Author's Note: Here are the basics for how The Lost Chapters works. Each chapter focuses on a single major character from The Final Battle and Pushing Through, although many chapters contain more than one character. The exception is the final chapter, which will focus on the group as a whole. Every chapter will start with an author's note that will tell you when the chapter takes place and which character it focuses on. I want to stress that all of these chapters are 100% canonical to The Final Battle's and Pushing Through's universe. Each chapter is an independent story, and they all take place at various points in time. The chapters are ordered chronologically.

Chapter Author's Note: This chapter takes place roughly five years before the events of The Final Battle and focuses on Miranda Candor.

Ten year-old Miranda Candor sat cross-legged on her bed as the sun's first rays streamed through her bedroom window. She had been surrounded by complete and utter darkness for so long that even this most infinitesimal of light burned her eyes. Both of her eyelids slammed shut, and she immediately regretted the action. It had been nearly twenty-four hours since she had last slept, and opening her eyes proved nearly impossible. She felt her mind shut down as she seemed to melt into her bed, but sheer willpower brought her back. She snapped her head up, shook it hard from side to side, and gripped the knife in her hand tighter. A moment passed, and Miranda let out the tiniest of sighs. This started an irreversible chain reaction. As the breath left her lungs, she felt her strength dwindle as well. She began to shake; her fingers first, then both hands, then her arms, and then her entire body began to convulse as her eyes burned once more. Tears were the cause of her pain this time, and she could do nothing to stop the raging river that poured down her cheeks. She cursed herself for being so weak. An entire year had been spent this way, being a pathetic victim instead of a warrior. A year of sadness, a year of being an empty shell, a year of her life stolen. She tried to fight against the misery enveloping her. She tried to be hopeful that things would change, she tried to cling to happy memories of her mother, she tried to think of the days when she'd had a true family. That last effort brought his face into her mind, and it was her greatest source of pain that set her free. The image of her father terrified her at first, but then she remembered what had transpired the night before. She remembered lying on her bed as he walked away, curled into a ball and crying incessantly. She remembered feeling dirty and worthless, nothing but a pathetic toy to be used and thrown away by her father. She remembered wishing that she were dead, and then truly

pondering that desire. And then, more than anything, she remembered how that wish had changed her. Realizing that she no longer cared if she died had been the spark she'd needed. That one simple revelation had shown her why she couldn't let things continue this way any longer. It needed to end, and it could only do so in one of two ways. Either she would die, or her father would. Miranda felt the tears stop flowing and slowly rose off of her bed. She looked down at the steak knife clutched in her right hand and remembered how it had felt to place its blade against her father's neck. Her eyes involuntarily closed at the pleasure the memory brought. She savored the feeling and felt the joy grow as she remembered his beady eyes popping open and showing nothing but pure fear. Then, as soon as the joy had appeared, it vanished at the thought of how she had failed to slit his throat. She growled while tossing the knife onto her bed. She stared at the weapon and then at the tear drops on her blanket. She narrowed her eyes and swore that she would never falter again. From this moment on, she would do anything it took to survive. Miranda nodded in resignation. She had had a year of self-pity. Now it was time to change. What she had done to her father was a start, but only just a start. She clenched her tiny hands into fists and thought of what she needed to do to keep herself safe. Her father was much larger than her. The only reason he hadn't overpowered her the night before was because she'd surprised him. There was no way she would be able to defend herself against him if he ever truly tried to kill her. Miranda's eyes darted to the four colored belts hanging over her bed. She walked closer and studied them. She had always loved karate, ever since she'd started four years ago. She knew she was good, but nowhere near good enough to fend off a grown man. No more self-pity, she angrily reminded herself. If she wasn't good enough yet, then she'd have to improve. She gritted her teeth and nodded at the belts. From that moment on, she swore she would do everything she could to be the best fighter she could be. She would be sure that if her father ever wished to harm her, she would be able to stop him. Coming up with the first step of her plan gave her hope. She stared back at the knife lying on her bed and slowly approached it. It would take time to learn how to defend herself. Until she was ready, she'd need an extra edge. She cocked her head, slowly knelt down on one knee, and truly studied the weapon before her. It was small, only a few inches long. She ran her finger over the blade and noted how dull it was. "Pathetic," she angrily huffed. If she couldn't win a fight, then she needed to prevent one from happening. The only way to do that would be to scare her father. The steak knife had worked the night before because she'd caught him off guard. If she was to instill fear in her enemy, she needed a worthier weapon. She briefly considered a gun, but immediately shook the thought aside. It would be nearly impossible for a ten year-old to obtain a firearm, and she'd never been

fond of them in the first place. She glanced back at the four belts on her wall and studied them once more. She needed a weapon that would complement her training; a strong, terrifying weapon that she could fluidly wield. She didn't know exactly what she needed yet, but she was getting there. Miranda nodded once more. I need to train, and I need to find a weapon. Two steps of her plan were already laid out. She glanced at her closed bedroom door, then at her bed. She felt her eyes twitch in fatigue and angrily shook her head to wake herself up. After threatening her father, Miranda had stayed awake the entire night. She'd watched the door incessantly, never taking her eyes off where her father could burst through at any moment. She thought of how tired she was and knew she would never be able to stay up another entire night. "He can't get in," she angrily told herself. She needed to find a way to keep him from getting inside, or at least wake her up if he tried. She slowly looked around her room and finally settled her gaze on her bookcase. It was small, perhaps three feet tall and two feet wide. In spite of its size, it was still relatively heavy. She walked beside it and pushed against it. She found it difficult, but not impossible to move. She gritted her teeth and shoved it forward with all of her might. The piece of furniture began to slide across the floor, and she smiled in relief. It wouldn't be pleasant, but she could block her door with the bookcase while she slept and remove it when she awoke. Even if her father could manage to get the door open, the act would surely make enough noise to wake her. Miranda took a few steps back and realized all that she had accomplished. In less than twelve hours, she had nearly killed her father and come up with a plan on how to keep herself safe. She nodded in satisfaction and scooped the knife off of her bed. There was just one thing left to do. Miranda quietly made her way down the hallway and slowly opened her father's bedroom door. She could only stomach a quick glance in his direction, but that was enough to confirm that he was asleep. She gripped her knife tight and tiptoed towards his dresser. She saw his wallet lying on top of the bureau and quickly opened it. She took all the money out before angrily tossing it aside. She quickly exited his room, flipped through the fair-size roll of bills, and marched into the bathroom. Miranda gritted her teeth in agony as she entered the shower. The scalding water sent waves of pain coursing over her body, but she forced herself to stay under the cleansing stream. She wanted to burn every remnant of her father's touch off of her. She grabbed her bar of soap and raked it across every inch of herself. Everything that her father had tainted, everything that she had been for the past year; she wanted it gone. She wanted it burnt and scraped away and wished to see it spiral down the drain. She had no idea how long her shower had taken, but the sun had fully risen when she slowly stepped out of the tub. She glanced at her naked body and saw that it was entirely red. She allowed a small smile to cross her lips and quickly threw her pajamas back on before storming back to her bedroom. She could hear her father snoring behind his closed door and clenched her

teeth in fury as she passed it by. She quickly changed into a tank top and shorts, shoved her father's money and her keys inside a pocket, and then made her way downstairs. She hurriedly ate a bowl of cereal and a granola bar as she thought of where she could get the weapon she needed. The only place she could think of was a store in the Furrow Plaza. She furrowed her brow in frustration while angrily tossing her bowl and spoon into the sink. The plaza was at least four miles away, and it wasn't as though she could ask her father to bring her. Miranda angrily shook her head and dug her nails into her palms in disgust. Stop being weak, she chastised herself while grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. If she had to walk four miles, then so be it. She needed to get in even better shape anyway. As soon as she stepped outside, she noted the clear skies and realized the mild warmth would soon turn into a searing heat. "Get moving, then," she ordered herself while strolling away from her house.

Two hours later, Miranda gasped for breath as she approached the plaza's entrance. The sun had risen and now rested directly above her. Her legs were shaking wildly, her mouth felt as dry as a pile of sand, and her vision had begun to blur. Her wattle bottle had long ago been emptied and angrily flung aside. She struggled to make it another twenty yards and finally collapsed onto an unforgiving metal bench. She lay on her back and felt every muscle in her body throb in pain. She closed her eyes and tried to catch her breath before immediately regretting that action. Her already overwhelming fatigue had multiplied over the course of her journey, and she knew that she wasn't going be able to fight sleep any longer. She cursed herself for her stupidity before succumbing to the darkness. She had no idea how long she'd been unconscious when the nightmare woke her. She'd had hundreds of horrible dreams over the past year, but this was the first time she was grateful for their appearance. She felt her father's fingers force their way in between her own and she saw herself crying on her bed as he gave a meaningless apology, yet it was the memory of that first night, the first time she'd heard her bedroom creak open, that terrified her more than any other. As she watched her father sit beside her and gently stroke her hair, she heard the words that had accompanied the destruction of her life. "Miranda, trust me." Miranda's eyes shot open and her pupils shrunk to pinpoints as she rolled off of the bench. She hit the ground hard, but she knew she had to stop it from happening again. She forced herself to keep rolling and shoved her body off of the ground. She desperately looked around for a weapon, any weapon, as she could sense her father coming after her. As she felt the sun beat down on her and saw the stores all around, she slowly realized that she was safe. Her ragged breathing slowly steadied and she blinked as her pupils steadily expanded. She stared back at the bench and then the flattened grass that she had rolled onto. She kept her curious gaze on the ground as she realized that she had never woken up like that before. When

her nightmares came, she always awoke to find herself clutching her teddy bear and crying. Today her first instinct had been to fight back and survive. She considered this for a few seconds before allowing herself a satisfied nod and a small smile. Miranda shook her head hard to rid herself of sleep before walking across the plaza. She quickly bought a bottle of water from a lemonade stand and gulped it down. The cool beverage coated her dry throat and strengthened her resolve. She continued on her way and narrowed her eyes as she spotted her destination. She'd been inside Soul Haven only once before, three years prior. Her mother had begun to prefer incense over candles and had dragged Miranda and her father inside the strange establishment. Miranda scowled as she remembered how frightened she had been inside the store. Everything had seemed so strange and ethereal. As she stepped through the painted glass door, she couldn't help but shiver as she saw that nothing had changed. "Stop it," she growled while straightening her back and walking forward. Miranda kept her eyes narrowed as she glanced around. Strange rugs hung off of the walls. Suits of medieval armor filled one corner. In another rested religious supplies for worshipping deities she had never heard of. She passed by a counter of incense and quickly glanced at a glass case filled with tiny animal sculptures. As she neared the back of the store, she clenched her teeth tight and nodded. She'd come to the right place. The entire back wall and rear counters were filled with various weapons. Steel maces, samurai swords, ceremonial daggers, combat knives, and countless other deadly instruments lay in front of her. She blinked several times in awe before shaking her head and scowling once more. "Can I help you?" a friendly male voice rang out. Miranda's head shot to her right as a slim man of about thirty came out from a back room. He stared at her for a moment, looked around, and then gazed at her with newfound curiosity. Miranda couldn't open her mouth to answer. She felt her heart beat faster and harder and couldn't keep from staring down at the ground. Miranda had not always been so quiet. In the days when her mother was still alive, when her father had loved her in the proper way, she'd been normal. Yet after that first night that her father snuck into her room, after being treated like an animal, she couldn't help but feel as though she had become one. For a year she had spoken only to herself. Miranda clenched her hands into fists and remembered how she had spoken to her father the night before, how she had threatened him. If you can do that, you can do this, she angrily told herself. "Um, miss, are you okay?" the clerk gently asked. Miranda felt her hands shake harder and she slowly took in a deep breath. She felt her eyes widen and her throat burn as bile rose up. She forced it down, bit her lip, and opened her mouth.

"I'mfine," she whispered. She clenched her palms tighter and tried to steady her breathing. Stop acting like this! she screamed inside her mind. She gave a tiny nod and felt her right eye twitch. He's the animal, not you. Do this. Miranda forced herself to lift her gaze off of the floor. She saw the clerk stare at her in concern, and she tried to look into his eyes. The act proved impossible, and her pupils darted sideways of their own accord. "Where are your parents?" the man quietly asked. One's dead, and I wish the other was. The words raced through Miranda's mind, and she considered saying them aloud. She forced herself to keep her thoughts to silent and dug her nails deeper into her palms. Don't scare him. You need the weapon. It only took a second to think up a convincing lie, but it took much longer to say it aloud. She took in another deep breath and glanced back at the man's shoes. "Theythey're shopping," she struggled to say. She swallowed hard and tried to ignore the way her stomach seemed to be painfully twisting into knots. "Icame hereto wait." The man's gaze remained curious as he leaned against the wall behind him and crossed his arms. "I don't see too many kids in here." He shrugged and moved away from the wall. "Just don't break anything, okay?" Miranda nodded and heard the man walk away into the backroom. She let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes. She couldn't believe she had just spoken to someone. She felt another twinge of pride but forced it down. I still have work to do, she reminded herself while approaching the first counter. She looked at the items on the wall first. There were so many weapons to choose from. She eyed a two-meter long wooden staff and cocked her head curiously. She saw the words Authentic Japanese B written underneath it and scowled. If she'd wanted to threaten her father with a stick, she'd have walked the two minutes from her house to the park. The array of medieval weapons caught her eye next. The mace looked incredibly deadly and painful, but was too primitive for her tastes. She wanted a more exquisite tool, something that struck fear with its beauty. The battle axe was a slight improvement, but she doubted she could lift the thing over her head. She stepped closer as she spotted the shurikens and stared intensely at them. They were beautiful and no doubt deadly, but she was sure it would take a great deal of time to learn how to throw them properly. She needed a weapon that she could wield immediately. Miranda shook her head and stared at the long glass case in front of her. Several different exquisite swords rested inside. She looked at the broadsword and once again realized this was a weapon she wasn't strong enough to wield. She spotted the katana and moved her face closer. It was beautiful and didn't seem terribly heavy, but the blade was over two feet long. She gave a

small sigh as she realized she needed something still smaller. The next counter held a wide array of knives, and she glumly approached them. She stared at the dozen weapons before her. They all seemed so small and pathetic. They were exquisite to be sure, but nothing seemed to inspire fear in her. She spotted a trio of eight-inch knives and read the small sign in front of them. They were throwing knives. She looked at them for a few seconds, realized she found them immensely interesting, and then remembered why she had abandoned the shurikens. She sadly decided that she would come back for them in the future. Miranda was on the verge of giving up when she spotted it in the far corner of the display case. Her eyes widened and an amazed grin appeared on her face. The knife before her was undoubtedly the weapon she was searching for. It was small enough for her to easily wield but large enough to appear threatening. The beautiful brown handle made the knife a work of art. But it was the crooked blade that truly set it apart from everything else before her. It was so unconventional and mysterious that it sent a shiver down her spine. This weapon was to be hers. She looked up to find the store clerk staring at her. He gave an amused smile. "Find something you like?" Miranda swallowed and balled her hands. "I want that knife," she steadily said. The words came out so fluidly that she couldn't believe it was she who had spoken them. The man chuckled and walked over to her. He stared down at the display case and gave her another playful smile. "It's not a knife. It's a kukri," he corrected. Miranda scowled and stared back down at the blade. "Ku-kri," she whispered. She loved the way the word flowed on her tongue. She kept her eyes fixed firmly on the weapon as the man continued speaking. "It's a Nepalese weapon," he began to explain. ". The handle is pure water buffalo horn, and the blade is carbon steel." Miranda pondered his words as she continued staring at the kukri. "Whyis it bent?" she slowly asked. The man leaned forward and stared at the weapon more intensely. "The curved edge makes it fall faster when you swing it. Plus, you don't have to turn your wrist towards your enemy when you stab forward." Miranda gave a tiny nod, and the man pointed at two much smaller knives beside the kukri. "It comes with these. They're called a karda and chakmak. You use them to keep the kukri sharp." Miranda lifted her gaze upwards and found she was able to look the man in the eyes. "I'll take it." The man's expression once more belayed curiosity as he took a step back. "Kid, you've got to be eighteen to buy this."

Miranda scowled and immediately cursed her stupidity. She glared angrily at the man and felt her blood begin to boil. "I'll" she swallowed once more and struggled to form the words, "I'll give youall I have," she offered while pulling out her father's roll of bills. The man pulled back in shock and stared at Miranda incredulously. "Where did you get all that?" he asked. Miranda narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. "Itdoesn'tmatter," she stuttered out. "I want it." The man continued to stare at her before finally shaking his head. "Kid, where are your parents?" Miranda felt tears burning and immediately spun around. She ran out of the store before the man could say another word and didn't stop as she barreled across the plaza. "Stupid," she moaned while running. "Idiot!" she shouted while racing by a couple holding hands, who eyed her in concern. Her legs started to burn and it became harder to breathe, but she didn't stop until she'd exited the plaza. She realized that the sun was descending towards the horizon and that its rays were getting dimmer. She collapsed onto a bus stop's bench and buried her face in her hands as sobs racked her body. Miranda wondered how she could have been so stupid. Thinking that she could change her life, that she could escape her father's tortuous hold. All of her efforts, all of her hope, it had been for nothing. She couldn't get the weapon she needed. Her father wouldn't fear her. As soon as she got home and fell asleep, he'd make her pay for what she'd done the night before. He'd kill her. Or worse, he'd let her live and continue her torment. Miranda continued to cry as the sun kept falling. She was hungry, tired, and miserable. Her legs ached, and she still had four miles to walk in the dark. Her life was filled with nothing but pain and despair. She finally lifted her head up and watched the cars race by. Maybe it would be best just to step out in front of one, to let it all end in an instant. At the very least, it would deny her father the satisfaction of being the one to kill her. Miranda sighed and slowly walked towards the curb. She watched the vehicles race less than a meter away and realized how simple the act would be. Just one step forward and it would all be over. She clenched her hands into fists and lifted her right foot in the air. "I love you, Mom," she whispered as her eyes began to burn once more. Miranda struggled to move her foot forward and found it impossible. She squeezed her fists tighter and tried to move her shaking leg, but it just wouldn't budge. Her eyes shot open and she glared at the stubborn limb. She began to breathe fast and hard and finally slammed her foot on the ground before spinning around. "Fuck!" she screamed as loud as she could. She'd never said the word before, and she was amazed at how good it felt. She took a few deep breaths and roared, "Shit!" Her eyes darted

around and she felt her fists loosen. "Shit! Damn it! Son of a bitch in hell!" she roared while feeling fire race through her veins. Miranda felt like an uncaged animal, the same way she'd felt the night before when she'd held the knife to her father's throat. She liked the feeling a hell of a lot more than the ever-present sorrow she'd had to deal with for a year. She liked being in control. She refused to let the feeling fade. Miranda backed away from the curb and stared back at the plaza. She needed the kukri, but she couldn't buy it. That left two options. The first was to steal it. Miranda narrowed her eyes in frustration as she discarded that idea. The thought sat wrong with her, and more importantly, if she was caught all her work would be for nothing. Her father would become aware of her plans and forever put a stop to them. The only other option she could see was to find someone to buy the weapon for her. She bit her lip hard as she thought of the best way to accomplish this. She had quite a bit of money, but she'd learned the hard way that not everyone could be bought off. She needed someone desperate or stupid. Miranda nodded at her logic and stared up at the sky. The sun was nearly set. The store would surely close soon; she didn't have much time. She balled her hands into fists and turned back towards the plaza, only to freeze in place. For the first few months after her mother died, she had wondered why such a horrible thing could happen to a good person. Yet even through her pain, she'd carried hope that there was a purpose for her mother's death and her own misery. That hope had disappeared once her father's torment had begun. Miranda had quickly concluded that there could be no higher power, for if there were, how could he stand to watch an innocent girl suffer so? Stealing her faith had become yet another of her father's crimes. Yet as she saw the two idiots walking towards her, she felt a shift in the cosmic balance. After all of her misery, it appeared that something good might happen to her after all. The two young men couldn't be older than twenty. One grasped a bottle of beer, and the other held a suspicious brown paper bag. Both were laughing obnoxiously and heading her way. "Dude, there's no way Ashley would ever get with you!" the first man loudly shouted. The second drunk rolled his eyes and gave his friend a playful shove. "Wait and see, bro. Wait and see!" Miranda eyed the two morons with contempt and angrily marched towards them. She felt her heart race and her hands tremble as she realized that she would have to speak to them, but she managed to bury the majority of her fear. You can do this. Miranda gave herself a tiny nod and slowly cracked her neck. Be strong. Miranda swallowed and stopped in front of the teenagers. She slowly lifted her head up and looked into their eyes. "Ineedyour help," she managed to say.

The young men looked at each other in confusion. "Um, are you lost?" the first man asked. Miranda noted some genuine concern in his eyes and cocked her head slightly in response. "Mark, we've got a bus to catch," the second idiot huffed while wobbling on his feet. Miranda swallowed and looked deep into Mark's eyes. She squeezed her fists tight and straightened her back. "II need you to," Miranda narrowed her eyes and bit the inside of her cheek hard. You're better than this. Just talk! Miranda gave a tiny nod and squeezed her fists. "I need youto buy something for me," she managed to say. Mark raised an eyebrow and asked, "Um, what?" Miranda raised a slightly trembling hand and pointed at the plaza. "There is a," Miranda paused to take a breath, "store called Soul Haven." Miranda swallowed once more and slowly pulled her father's money out of her pocket. "I want you to," Miranda hesitated for a few seconds, "buy the kukri inside." The nameless imbecile widened his eyes as he stared at the money. "Holy shit, dude!" Mark stared at the money intently before staring at Miranda. He switched gazes between the two a few more times before asking, "What?" Miranda scowled in frustration. "The kukri!" she snarled. "Buy it for me!" She felt adrenaline course through her veins and found her words coming a little easier. "Keep whatever's left." "I'm on it!" the cretin shouted, and Mark shoved him back while keeping his gaze fixed on Miranda. "What the hell is a kukri?" he asked the girl. "A knife," Miranda shot back. "Just get it for me," she growled. "I'm not buying a knife for a kid," Mark said while crossing his arms. Miranda had had enough. She was getting sick of having her hopes raised only to have them continuously dashed. She didn't know what game the universe was playing with her, but she was done with it. She shoved the money back in her pocket, clenched her hands into fists once more, stormed towards Mark, and kicked him in the right shin as hard as she could. "Damn it!" Mark screamed while dropping to one knee. "What the hell?" he shouted in amazement. Mark's friend burst out in laughter. "Holy shit, you are freaking awesome!" he happily exclaimed while wobbling slightly.

Miranda turned towards the imbecile and pulled the money out once more. "Go to the store," she said through gritted teeth. "Buy the kukri. Give it to me." The man grabbed the wad of bills and flipped through them. "One, two, three hundred dollars!" he happily shouted. "Can we just get to the stupid party?" Mark angrily asked while standing up and glaring at Miranda. Mark's friend shook his head and smiled at Miranda. "In a minute, man. This is the easiest money I ever made." With that said, he spun around and walked towards the plaza. Miranda followed right behind him and watched carefully to make sure he didn't run off with her money. "Screw this," Mark said with a wave of his hand while heading towards the bus stop. "So get the...the..." the man began while approaching Soul Haven. "Kukri," Miranda growled. "Sure, sure," the man agreed while heading inside. Miranda stopped in front of the door and scowled before taking a few steps back. She cracked her neck once more and narrowed her eyes as she waited for the moron to return. Five minutes passed, then ten, and Miranda began to wonder if she'd made a mistake. Then the teenager burst out with a wide smile and a large shopping bag. "Kid, you are awesome," he said while handing her the bag. Miranda's only response was to snatch the bag from his hands and storm off. She felt her heart race once more, but now the cause was excitement instead of fear. She felt her hands begin to tremble as she opened the shopping bag and looked inside. She couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her lips as her kukri stared back at her. You did it. The words shot through her mind of their own accord as she found a secluded spot in the plaza and took a seat on the ground. She gently pulled the sheathed kukri out of the bag and examined the beautiful handle. She gripped it tight and slowly drew the weapon. The blade seemed to reflect rays of moonlight up at her, and she gently ran a finger across its razor sharp edge. She found that the slightest pressure drew a thin line of blood. Her smile grew at its appearance. Miranda grasped the weapon tightly in her right hand and held it out in front of her. The transformation was amazing. She felt in control, deadly, and confident. She rose to her feet and marched towards the plaza's exit. Miranda knew that her path wouldn't be easy. She would have to remain ever vigilant. She would need to train every second of every day to become the strongest woman she could be. A single mistake could spell death or worse, so she would not make any. She would need to replace her

fear with determination, her pain with confidence, and her sadness with fury. As Miranda began her long walk home and left her old life behind, she knew that she had what it took to survive. Now it was time to prove it.

Chapter 2: Direct Observation

Author's Note: This chapter takes place a little less than two years before The Final Battle. The focus is on Barak Neroma.

Barak Neroma couldn't keep the memories from assaulting him as he hovered over the grassy field towards the Center for Xenological Research. Seven cycles of his life had been spent inside that run-down building. Seven cycles of nonstop research, lectures, examinations, and papers. Seven cycles of too few rest phases, too little nutrient paste, and too much work. Yet as Barak entered the familiar building and ran his fingers over the large crack on the right wall, he knew he would give anything to go back to his life as a student for just one more day. Barak felt his eyes close as he remembered entering the building for the first time. Barak looked down at the holographic projector on his wrist and recalled how he had barely been able to access his list of classes on that first day. He'd nearly broken down in tears when he'd been unable to work the blasted thing. Barak tapped the device and effortlessly scrolled through the holographic screens until he accessed the letter that he had received three days prior, the letter that had brought him back home. Dearest Neroma, I pray this letter finds you well. It has been a long month without your presence beside me. All masters of scholarly distribution must deal with the constant flow of students, both into and out of their classes. Yet I never missed a soul as much as yours. Please return to the university on the forty-seventh day of this cycle, when the sun sits highest in the sky. I have wondrous news for you; I feel it best to explain whilst in your presence. And be sure to arrive in good cheer, Barak. There is someone very special who shall be waiting for you, and I guarantee you wish to make a good first impression. I look forward to our reunion. Forever a friend, Master Athera Yuntan Barak couldn't help but smile as he looked the words over. Barak had spent his entire life feeling as though he were an alien on his own world. Surrounded by xenophobic fury, adoration for a foolish king, and a thirst for blood instead of knowledge, he had never felt as though he belonged on Yolkus. All that had changed upon entering Athera's lecture hall. No Yolkian, no matter how powerful, would ever admit to respecting an alien species. Such talk was heresy, punishable by

imprisonment or worse. Due to this fact, Barak had always thought he was alone in his sympathies for other races. It was Athera who had proven him wrong, who had shown Barak that not all Yolkians were filled with hate. Barak strolled down the building's long main hallway and gave each door that he passed a small smile. He had come to know and love every inch of this building, this bastion of hope and love. He briefly stopped and hovered in place as he turned towards an open doorway. He looked inside the small lecture hall and slowly entered. At the front of the classroom rested an enormous video monitor. Barak leaned against the wall and crossed his arms while gazing upon the screen fondly. Barak could remember the course so clearly that it seemed a video was still playing on the screen. He could see every swing of a Gorlock's club, every rippling muscle and enlarged fang. He turned towards the five rows of seats and gave his head a sorrowful shake as he remembered how few of those chairs had been filled. He glanced at his own seat and remembered how hard it had been to scribble notes on his datapad while keeping his eyes glued to the screen. "Alien Combat, subsection Gorlockian Techniques," Barak whispered with a tiny grin. He shook his head at the name of the class he had attended in this hall. Barak had always been curious about the other races inhabiting his galaxy, so choosing xenological studies as his focus of study was an easy decision. Barak had initially been eager to begin his lessons, but that had changed once he had observed the listing of available courses. Barak gave a small sigh and hovered around the lecture hall as he remembered some of the classes he had taken. Anatomical Weaknesses of Needleheads. Technological Shortcomings Throughout the Galaxy. Every class seemed to be nothing more than a xenophobic rant. Barak would have dropped out of the university in disgust had it not been for Athera's guidance. "I do ask that students stay out of the classrooms when there is no master present," a joyous, high-pitched voice rang out. Barak's eyes widened as he stopped hovering around the room and spun around. His mechanical mouth formed a wide smile as he slowly blinked each eye. "Master Yuntan!" "Barak Neroma," the female warmly said. "Must I remind you to call me Athera?" Barak quickly hovered towards his favorite instructor and immediately let his shell touch the ground while bowing forward. "Athera, you have no idea the joy it brings me to see you once more." Athera looked down at her favorite pupil and touched the side of Barak's shell. "The joy is mine, Barak." Barak slowly rose up and smiled at his friend. He looked into Athera's kind golden eyes and asked, "How is your clutch?"

Athera smiled back warmly. "All have hatched and are steadily growing." Barak breathed a small sigh of relief. "I am filled with joy for you." Athera nodded back. "As am I." She stared around the empty classroom and allowed her smile to turn playful. "Stuck in the past, Barak?" Barak let out a tiny chuckle as he stared around the room. "It is hard to escape the memories. I still cannot believe it has only been a month since my commencement." Athera let out a small laugh as well. "I still remember the day you came into my office," she fondly began. "I have never seen a student so angry." Barak leaned back against the wall behind him and crossed his arms once more. "I felt betrayed," he explained with amusement. "To find that this university offered a focus on alien races, only to foster xenophobic fury? What was I to think?" Athera let out another low laugh and slowly hovered out of the lecture hall. "You were to think whatever you wished. You were not, however, supposed to say it." Barak smiled wider at his friend's words. Athera had been the one to teach Barak this allimportant lesson. It was she who had convinced Barak to give his classes a chance. It was she who had subtly revealed to him that although it wasn't possible to outright say it, nearly everyone in this building shared Barak's views. The class names were misnomers, meant to ward off suspicion of alien sympathies. The Center for Xenological Studies was funded by the Alien Research Committee, which was officially created to study alien species and gain valuable insight in case the Yolkians ever entered into a war with an alien race. This meant that the center had to maintain the illusion that its classes only sought to propagate a belief in Yolkian superiority. Yet Barak had learned that this was far from the case. The CXS had been the one place where Barak had met Yolkians such as himself, where tolerance and understanding had superseded hatred and prejudice. Barak had Athera to thank for convincing him to stay and become a part of this amazing community. Athera led Barak down the main hallway as she continued her conversation. "Barak, do you remember why I asked you to return here?" Barak nodded. "You said that I would have a visitor." Barak let a sly smile appear on his face. "And that you would explain further upon my arrival." "Always searching for answers, Barak," Athera muttered in amusement while stopping several yards away from the door to her office. She turned around and looked upon Barak with feverish excitement. "I have a wondrous opportunity for you."

Barak allowed his eyes to widen slightly at her words. "A position by your side?" he slowly asked. He hadn't dared to hope for such a wondrous opportunity, but for what other purpose would Athera have brought him here? Master Yuntan gave her shell a quick shake. "Far, far better, Barak." Barak's eyes widened further as he gave Athera an inquisitive stare. What could possibly be better than working by your side? Barak had known that his education offered little chance of securing a job. His studies were considered a joke by most Yolkians. The best position he could ever hope for was to teach at the Center. Of course, there's always the ARC itself. But that is Barak stopped himself before thinking the word impossible. His smile returned, and Athera happily nodded. "The ARC?" Barak asked in amazement. "Councilman Thimitch awaits you inside," Athera raced through her words. Barak's eyes were already at their widest, so he could only hover backwards in shock. An hour ago he had been without a job or any real hope of securing one. Now the founder of the ARC wished to personally meet with him? "Impossible," he squeaked out. Athera smiled wider and touched the side of his shell. "I can explain further, if you wish, but I suppose it may be best to keep the Councilman from waiting." Barak quickly nodded at her words. "Of course," he quickly muttered while hovering towards the door. His hand stopped just short of the control panel, and he glanced back at his friend. He nervously swallowed and stared gratefully into her eyes. "Athera" "After," she firmly said, although her tone held nothing but warmth. Barak nodded and quickly opened the door to her office. He struggled to keep his hands from shaking as he spotted Councilman Thimitch sitting behind Master Yuntan's desk. The councilor quickly blinked and offered Barak a small smile. "You are Barak Neroma, yes?" "Yes, indeed," Barak quickly answered while hovering towards the desk. The councilman motioned at the chair opposite him. "Please seat yourself, Neroma. We have much to discuss." Barak eagerly nodded and quickly sat down. He stared at the Yolkian before him and was filled with awe. Huras Thimitch was a legend to all who studied at the CXS. This was the Yolkian who had served nearly a hundred cycles on the Royal Advisory Council. This was the Yolkian who had single-handedly founded the Arc, who had served as a voice of reason amidst the sea of insanity that was the remainder of the council. "It is truly an honor," Barak offered while bowing forward.

Thimitch gently waved away the remark and then clasped his hands together. He drummed his fingers against each other and slowly leaned forward. "Neroma, I must apologize, but my time is brief. For this reason, I shall delve right into the purpose of our meeting." "Of course, councilor," Barak said. Thimitch nodded and leaned back while keeping his hands together. "The ARC, as you know, is critically underfunded. This in turn results in it having very few employees. Typically, we only have one or two scientists to study an entire species." Barak slowly nodded and sensed an opening to speak. "A true tragedy, councilor." "Indeed," Thimitch quickly agreed. Barak found himself impressed with how quickly the councilor moved and spoke in spite of his age. "Going along with this tragic theme, it often takes several cycles to garner enough resources to study a new species once it is discovered." Thimitch narrowed his eyes and stared curiously at Barak. "Butrecent events have changed that." Recent events. Barak slowly nodded at Thimitch's words. "You mean the crop's liberation." "Precisely," Thimitch confirmed. Barak leaned back in his seat and pondered the councilor's words. It had been a mere two weeks since the discovery of the humans. Barak had cringed at how his people had reaped the humans and prepared to sacrifice them to Poultra. He had found the practice barbaric and brutal, but had been powerless to stop it. The humans, however, had been anything but powerless. The entirety of Yolkus had watched in complete disbelief as the crop's offspring, mere children, had managed to defeat the Royal Guard, free the sacrifices, and escape back to their planet. "The events of the sacrificial ceremony were" Barak hesitated and noticed Thimitch eyeing him carefully as he struggled to choose the proper word. "Remarkable, councilor." Thimitch allowed himself a small smile. "That isan apt description," he agreed. "King Goobot is not one to accept defeat. He has approved my request to study the humans and" Thimitch noticeably hesitated, and Barak saw regret flash across the councilor's eyes, "find their weaknesses." Barak rapidly blinked several times. "You have been granted license to study the humans a mere two weeks after their discovery?" Thimitch nodded. "Indeed. Of course, I have been given far fewer resources than I requested. I have been allowed to induct one new researcher into the ARC, as well as having been given funds for a small research shuttle." Barak eagerly nodded as he wondered exactly what position he would be offered. Perhaps he would be given the chance to disseminate the researcher's data. Possibly he would be signed on as part of the shuttle's maintenance crew. Barak wasn't terribly knowledgeable about ships, but

he was sure he could manage. Barak knew his position would be unpaid and it would be difficult to balance this work with a second paying job, but he was confident he could handle it. There was no way that he could pass up such an opportunity. "How may I be of assistance, councilor?" Barak forced his voice to remain steady and his hands to keep from trembling. Thimitch smiled. "I was hoping that you might study the humans for me." Barak blinked several times as a blank expression took hold of his shell. "You meanas a research assistant? Or data organizer?" he slowly offered. Thimitch's smile grew slightly as he gazed into Barak's amazed eyes. "Perhaps I should have spoken more clearly. I wish for you to be in charge of our research on humanity." Barak tried to swallow but found the act utterly impossible. He tried to blink next, but his eyes seemed frozen. He finally settled on letting his eyeballs vibrate in their sockets. "Youare not joking?" he quietly asked. Thimitch found Barak's display amusing, and found the best way to keep it going was to continue speaking in a flat tone. "You shall be given the use of our new research shuttle, which is named The Inquisitor. Your first mission shall be to perform light direct reconnaissance while laying down a network of video probes. If preliminary findings prove satisfactory, I have been authorized to allow at least two more research flights before the cycle's end." Barak finally managed to swallow and used all his strength to keep his voice steady. "I would be allowed to directly observe the humans?" Thimitch nodded. "This would be strictly long-range observation, but yes. I shall go into more detail if you agree to the position, but those are the basics. You shall be paid ten thousand crylics per cycle." Barak smiled wider. Ten thousand crylics would hardly make him a wealthy Yolkian, but it would plenty to survive on. "Councilor, I fully accept and am unrelentingly grateful for this opportunity." Thimitch nodded and hovered out of his chair. "I am grateful for your acceptance, Neroma. I have had my eye on you for some time." Barak recoiled slightly in shock. "You have?" Thimitch immediately explained. "I do not deal directly with the ARC much these days. That leaves me time to examine possible new recruits. Master Yuntan has always spoken highly of you, and you have shown much promise. Your dissertation of Gorlockian communication via combat was very enlightening. After reading it, I knew you would be perfect for the ARC."

Barak smiled widely while bowing forward. It had taken half a cycle to finish his dissertation. He remembered the dozens of hours spent reviewing video footage on the Gorlocks and struggling to understand how their fighting style seemed to carry more weight among the aliens than words. "Councilor Thimitch, I am truly honored," he humbly spoke while rising out of his chair. Thimitch smiled and quickly placed his right hand on Barak's shell before pulling it away. "We must start immediately, Neroma. Goobot has requested we gather our data as quickly as possible." Barak couldn't help but notice the worried intonation of Thimitch's voice. He nervously swallowed and hesitantly asked, "The offspring that freed the crop. HasGoobot any plans for them?" Thimitch looked into Barak's eyes, and Barak had no doubt that they held true concern for the humans. The councilor waited a moment before slowly answering, "That isbest discussed later. Come, Neroma." Councilor Thimitch hurriedly raced out of Master Yuntan's office and flashed her a quick nod of respect. Barak only had time to look into his friend's eyes and offer the same gesture before hurrying out of the building.

"Here we are," Thimitch said while leading Barak into the ARC's docking bay. Barak was still struggling to comprehend the magnificence of the rest of the ARC's headquarters that Thimitch had hurriedly shown him. "Incredible," Barak muttered in amazement while following Thimitch down a long pathway. On either side of the walkway rested half a dozen research shuttles. Although they all held the same basic design, some clearly had more weapons than others. Barak couldn't help but stop in front of one heavily weaponized shuttle and stare curiously at it. "Are these all research shuttles?" Thimitch spun around and noticed that Barak had stopped. He joined his newest employee and stared at the ship. "The Cloaked Dagger is used for high-risk reconnaissance." "High risk?" Barak asked while facing Thimitch. Thimitch nodded. "It is to be used if we must examine a species we are currently at war with. To procure data on weapons emplacements or troop movements, for example." Barak gave a nervous nod, and Thimitch explained, "It has yet to be used." With that said, he continued to lead Barak across the docking bay. "Here is your vessel," Thimitch said while motioning to the smallest shuttle present. Barak cocked his shell and moved towards the ship's entrance hatch. He gently ran a hand over the polished steel as Thimitch moved towards him. "The Inquistior," he quietly spoke.

"It is" Barak let a smile flicker across his mechanical mouth, "beautiful." Thimitch stared curiously at Barak before giving an approving nod. "I am glad you harbor such feelings. Many researchers would be displeased with such a small ship." "I do not need much space," Barak offered. "Excellent," Thimitch shot back. "Its design, as you can tell, is very basic. It was a miracle to secure funding for this mission so quickly, so we must be grateful for whatever supplies we could procure." Thimitch opened the ship's hatch and led Barak inside. "The holographic research interface should enable you to quickly disseminate your findings," Thimitch explained while motioning to the large table in the ship's main chamber. The councilor pointed at the two small doors flanking the cockpit. "The supply and maintenance closets contain spare parts for rapid repairs." Thimitch quickly led Neroma into the cockpit and motioned at the two seats. "I assume you have learned how to navigate a standard research vessel?" Barak eagerly nodded. "I have, councilor." "Excellent," Thimitch answered. "You should find this shuttle easy to pilot. The automated navigation system is top notch." The councilor pointed at a small cluster of buttons surrounding a control stick. "This ship has minimum defensive capabilities. A small plasma turret should offer protection against automated defense drones, but anything more dangerous should be avoided." Barak stared at the weapon's controls and nodded. "Of course, councilor." Thimitch looked into Barak's eyes. "The humans do not seem to be terribly advanced, but tread carefully, Neroma. It is up to you to secure our first real information on this species." Barak nodded once more. "I shall not fail, councilman." Thimitch offered a small smile and showed Barak the lounge and barracks before leading Barak back onto the docking bay. The two Yolkians stared at the Inquisitor in silence for a long moment before Thimitch spoke once more. "Your main job is to perform reconnaissance on humanity as a whole," he slowly explained while facing Barak. "But King Goobot has also specified that you procure as much information as possible on this human." The councilor activated his wrist's hologram and rapidly accessed a picture of a young brown-haired human. Thimitch rotated the image so that Barak could see it clearly. "Helooks familiar," Barak said while carefully eyeing the photograph.

Thimitch nodded. "This is Neutron. He was the one who led the crop's offspring to victory against our forces. Goobothas taken a special interest in him. Coordinates of his residence have been uploaded to your shuttle's navigation system. Have at least one of your probes monitor this child." Barak nodded but kept his gaze on the image of the small human before him. The creature's deep blue eyes seemed to stare back into Barak's own. The boy's smile seemed warm, and Barak couldn't help but smile back at the image. "I shall gather the information you request." "Excellent," Thimitch said while tapping his wrist. The hologram immediately vanished, and Barak blinked several times. "It is nearly nightfall, Neroma. Return home and make plans for your departure. You shall leave at morning's first light." Barak nodded and followed Thimitch as the councilor led him out of the docking bay and towards the building's main entrance. Once the two Yolkians stepped outside, Thimitch gently placed his hand on Barak's shell and stared into his orange eyes. "Barak Neroma, I have great faith in you. I wish you the best of luck in your mission. I must attend an advisory meeting in the morning, but I shall meet with you when you return from Earth. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me remotely. I shall do all I can to aid you." Barak nodded and smiled while bowing towards his boss. "I am humbled by this opportunity, councilor. You have my utmost gratitude. I shall not fail you." Thimitch smiled and withdrew his hand. "I do not doubt your words." Thimitch motioned to a small hover car coming to a stop in front of them. "This transport shall take you home and retrieve you in the morning. Rest well, Neroma. May luck be with you." "And with you as well," Barak answered. The Yolkians exchanged one last friendly nod before Barak entered the car. As the driver rose up into the sky and barreled towards his home, Barak couldn't help but smile widely in amazement. Barak had no doubt that he was the happiest Yolkian on the planet. His greatest dreams had been thrust right in front of his shell. Barely a month out of school and he had the greatest job he could ask for. He would be in charge of researching an entire species! Barak allowed himself a small chuckle as he stared out the hover cars window. He could not wait to get home and share his news with Karab. He and his brother rarely saw eye to eye, but surely his twin would understand how incredible this opportunity was. Barak smiled wider as he leaned back in his seat. He had his own ship, a position at the ARC, an opportunity to study humanity as a whole, and a chance to learn more about the incredible Neutron that had liberated the crop. "This," Barak joyously whispered while closing his eyes, "is to be the beginning of something great."

Chapter 3: Coronary Thievery

Author's Note: This chapter focuses on Ike Burke and takes place approximately six and a half months before The Final Battle. Of all the chapters in The Lost Chapters, this one probably focuses the least on its major character. I tried to focus on Ike as much as possible, but this is really Jimmy's story. I already have a plan for Jimmy's chapter, though, so I tried to tell the events of this chapter from Ike's point of view as much as possible. At any rate, you'll definitely get another glimpse into Ike's past and see the beginning of his friendship with Carl. I hope you enjoy.

The full moon's brilliant light shown down from the sky onto Retroville's empty streets. As Ike looked up at the beautiful white orb above him, he couldn't help but smile. It had been a year and a half since he had been in space, since he had saved his parents from being sacrificed to an alien god. In spite of the urgent matters Ike needed to attend to, he stopped for a moment and leaned against a nearby tree. He allowed himself a small smile as he pulled out a carton of cigarettes and lit one up. He took a slow drag and savored the smoke's taste before blowing it up into the sky. Ike gave his head an amused shake has he pondered why he was wandering the streets so early in the morning. For the most part, Ike was happy to stay out of the chaos that some of his classmates were a constant part of. Like nearly every other child in Retroville, he had helped Jimmy Neutron and his friends save their parents from the Yolkian menace. Beyond that, however, Ike had had little interaction with the boy genius. Yet here he was, roaming the streets of Retroville at two in the morning, on his way to break into Retroville Middle School in order to help Jimmy. Ike pushed himself off of the tree and took another drag from his cigarette while continuing on his way. Ike twirled the cigarette around in his fingers while giving a small sigh. As Ike silently walked down his street towards Jimmy's lab, he wondered why he had agreed when Nick had asked him to help Jimmy. Perhaps Ike had been in need of some adventure or had simply been in too good of a mood to refuse. Yet as the preteen took one final drag of his cigarette and flung it onto the ground, he knew there could be only one reason. Ike pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and flipped it open. The date stared back at him, glowing with a painful brightness amidst the darkened street. Thursday, February 13, 2003. February Thirteenth. Ike repeated the words in his head and couldn't help but squeeze his phone tighter. Just one day before Valentine's Day, one day before the day that had ruined his life. Ike felt his eyes began to water and immediately shoved his phone back inside his pocket. He whipped off his sunglasses and ran his right hand over his moist eyes. Stay cool, Ike. Don't do this again. Ike stood in place for a long moment as he pondered his thought. At long last, he gave a nod of resignation and resumed walking, though he could still feel the sadness building in the pit of his

stomach. It had been three years since the Valentine's Day dance, three years since the most horrific night of his life. Ike wished to sit on the curb and give his thoughts the attention they deserved, but he knew he couldn't afford to be late. So he let his mind wander as he walked. Sandy. The word shot through Ike's mind quicker than a bullet, leaving a picture of the young girl in its wake. Even after three years, Ike could still see every ringlet of her golden hair and every one of her twenty freckles. He savored the image and allowed himself a small smile. He remembered how amazing it had felt to ask her to the dance, and then recalled the unimaginable euphoria that had followed after she had said yes. He remembered holding her hand, hearing her quiet laugh, and staring into her beautiful brown eyes. For five long months he had hidden his love for her, kept his undying devotion a secret. And then, in a mere instant, that secret had been let out to reveal a joy Ike had never known. But nothing could ever be so simple. Almost immediately after claiming that joy, it had vanished. Ike tightened his hands into fists and clenched his jaw as he remembered how that magical night had turned to hell. He remembered being called up to the stage for winning a raffle, how Sandy had so gleefully taken his hand and walked beside him. He remembered realizing that it was a trick, and recalled with perfect clarity the bucket of punch spilling onto his and Sandy's heads. A shiver ran through Ike's body. He knew it wasn't from the chilly night air, but he still rubbed his hands against his arms and sighed. Ike shoved these macabre thoughts out of his head and picked up his pace. He pulled the carton of cigarettes out of his pocket and stared at them with an unwavering intensity as he crossed the empty street. It had taken too long to heal from the pain. Too many months had been spent being picked on by his classmates; too much time had been wasted in misery. Ike remembered how he had tried to cope with his pain. How he had tried ignoring the taunts only to delve deeper into loneliness. How he had attempted to repair his broken friendships only to be rudely rebuffed. How he had, in a fit of complete despair, stolen a cigarette from his mother's purse and desperately set it alight, hoping with all his heart that her old adage of "They calm me down," would hold true. Ike shook his head sadly at the memory before sliding the carton back in his pocket. His smile turned more genuine as he felt his necklace bounce off of his neck. He slowly grasped the golden cross and gave it a gentle kiss. When all of humanity had let him down, a special friend had stepped in and saved him. "Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever," Ike happily whispered while rubbing the necklace with his right thumb. He gave an appreciative nod and tucked the cross back inside his shirt. Ike's spirit continued to rise as he approached Jimmy's street. There was no doubt that too much of his young life had been spent in pain and sadness. But that was over now. Ike had moved past his misery. He could still feel a tiny remnant of despair in his stomach, but he knew it would soon pass. Helping Jimmy recover his art project would keep his mind busy and help pass the time until this wretched week was over. Valentine's Day would soon be behind him, and he would no longer be forced to remember that horrible night.

As Ike strolled down Jimmy's street, Ike's thoughts turned to the boy genius. Ike knew only the vaguest details of why Nick had asked him to meet at Neutron's house and aid him. Ike was aware that something had gone wrong in his art class; that Jimmy's project had gone missing the day before. Nick had assured him that their task was to get Jimmy's paper-mache heart back, but Ike had no idea why he was needed or why they were accomplishing their task at two in the morning. Still, Ike found it hard to complain. It was a beautiful night for a walk, and his spirits managed to buoy even higher as he saw Carl nervously exit his house. Ike gave an amused half smile as he quickened his pace. After being seated next to each other in Ms. Wolf's art class last month, the two had become friends. The boy was timid, highly stressed, and seemed to have rather severe issues with both llamas and older women. But Ike had quickly come to realize that the boy was genuinely kind and amusing. If Ike was going to be breaking into school, there was no other person he'd rather have by his side. "Hey Carl!" Ike happily whispered while approaching the asthmatic llama lover. Carl immediately jumped into the air and nervously swiveled his head around. For a moment, Ike was worried that the boy might hyperventilate and pass out, but Carl calmed down once he saw that it was Ike who had called his name. "Oh," Carl wheezed in relief while taking a puff from his inhaler. "Hi, Ike. You scare me," he said with a nervous laugh. Ike shot another half-smile while matching his friend's pace. "Sorry," he earnestly apologized as the two boys closed the short distance between Carl's house and Jimmy's lab. "So, I'm kind of new to this whole "crazy Neutron adventure" thing. Any tips from a pro like yourself?" Ike asked. Carl blinked several times and seemed to deeply ponder the question as the two boys stopped in front of Jimmy's lab. Finally, Carl opened his mouth and spoke while pressing a small red button beside the lab's entrance. "Umtry to roll when you land." Ike lifted an eyebrow in curiosity. "When we land where?" With that said, the ground underneath the boy's feet peeled back. Ike and Carl fell straight down, and Ike's eyes widened in fear as the floor of Jimmy's lab seemed to rise up and meet him. He landed hard on his ass and groaned in agony. He watched as Carl awkwardly attempted to roll forward once he landed, but the boy merely ended up falling on his stomach and slamming his face into the floor. "Spleen," Carl weakly whispered. "At least your scapula's okay!" Sheen happily screeched while dashing over to the lab's newest arrivals. He quickly hoisted Carl to his feet and then offered Ike a wildly trembling hand. Ike stared at the maniacal boy for a few seconds before gripping Sheen's palm. Ike's entire arm began to vibrate, and he immediately pulled out of Sheen's grasp and looked into his wild eyes. Ike was about to ask why the boy seemed to be having a heart attack, but Sheen beat him to it.

"You ever have coffee?" Sheen raced through his words in less than half a second and immediately nodded vigorously. "Because I have, and it's great. Great!" he practically shouted. "I didn't think I could wake up at two, so I stayed up all night. But then I got tired, but then I drank coffee, but then I was awake! I love it!" he shouted while staring deep into Ike's eyes and slowly pushing his face closer to Ike's. Ike began to recoil in fear, but Sheen merely increased the speed in which he was closing the gap. Sheen stopped when their faces were an inch apart and somehow managed to stare deeper into Ike's soul. "Sheen, stop it!" Jimmy's angry voice rang out. Ike would have sighed in relief as he heard Jimmy's voice, but he was too entranced by Sheen's hypnotic gaze. Sheen finally blinked and spun around to face Jimmy. "Ike and Carl are here!" he happily exclaimed. Ike stared past Sheen and realized that Jimmy and Nick were both walking towards him. Nick rolled his eyes and muttered, "Yeah, we can see that, Ultrafreak," in clear annoyance. "Drink this," Jimmy quickly muttered while shoving Sheen a steaming mug. "It will calm you down." Sheen shrugged and swallowed the beverage in a single gulp. Ike shook his head, stood up, and helped Carl rise to his feet as well. As soon as his friend was steady, Ike walked towards Nick and Jimmy. "Hey Nick," Ike said with a respectful nod. Nick returned the gesture and crossed his arms. "Hey, Ike. Welcome to the party." Ike then turned to face Jimmy, who was glaring at Sheen out of the corner of his eye. Carl quickly grabbed the maniacal teenager's arm and led him deeper into the lab. Once they were out of sight, Neutron turned towards Ike and gave a small sigh. "Thank you for coming, Ike. I'll need the help." Ike cringed as his rear end began to ache, and he narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "You ever think of maybe putting an elevator in this lab so you don't kill your guests?" Jimmy seemed to ponder the question for a few moments before shrugging. "I'll think about it. But right now we've got a job to do. You know why I had Nick ask you here, right?" Ike cast Nick a curious glance and shrugged. "I know it has to do with your art project. You lost it and we're getting it back, right?" Jimmy immediately gave Nick an annoyed glance. "That's all you told him?"

Nick rolled his eyes and glared back at Jimmy. "Even I don't understand why we're doing all of this, Neutron!" Jimmy huffed in annoyance and led the two boys deeper into his lab. He stopped in front of a workbench where Carl, Sheen, and Bolbi were sitting. Jimmy motioned for Ike and Nick to join the others. Ike complied and took the empty seat near Carl. Jimmy cleared his throat while staring at his five friends. "Alright everyone, we're all here. I think it's prudent to discuss exactly why I've gathered you all here and what we are going to accomplish tonight." Bolbi raised his hand and grinned wildly. "Bolbi understand mission! Girl steal Jimmy's heart, and we take back!" Everyone stared at Bolbi for a few long seconds until Jimmy blinked several times and gave a slow nod. "That'snot entirely inaccurate." Ike leaned back in his chair and asked, "Wait. Someone stole your project?" "Cindy did," Carl answered. Sheen, who was finally beginning to mellow out, spoke up next. "We spent all afternoon figuring out who took it!" Sheen smiled happily and leaned back in his chair. "I think it was one of our better escapades." "Regardless," Jimmy interrupted, "Carl is right. Cindy stole my art project" "Heart," Nick muttered with a chuckle. Jimmy immediately shot him an annoyed look, and Nick held up his hands in a defensive pose. "Hey, just stating a fact, Neutron. Glad to see you're embracing your sensitive side." Jimmy clenched his jaw and forced himself to ignore the remark. "Cindy stole my project," he began once more, "so we are going to steal it back. Art class only lasts for a quarter, guys. This is one of only three projects we have. If I don't turn it in, I'll fail art," he angrily explained. Ike narrowed his eyes as he concentrated on Jimmy's words. There was somethingoff about the way he was speaking. Ike didn't know Jimmy well, but he knew that the genius prided himself on his perfect grades. He had no doubt that Jimmy was indeed worried about failing art, but there seemed to be much more on his mind. Ike looked deep into Jimmy's eyes and could see rage burning inside them, but something else lurked beneath that. Ike couldn't help but recognize the source of his pain. It was the sting of betrayal. "Now, I know that Cindy is keeping the heart in her locker," Jimmy explained. "That means my project is in the middle of the school's main floor, right near the art classroom. We're going to get inside the school, open her locker, and get it back."

Jimmy began to walk away from the workbench and motioned for everyone to follow him to a small storage closet nearby. He opened the door and quickly pulled out what looked like a futuristic rifle. "This is a nonlethal weapon of my own design," Jimmy explained while showing the weapon to his friends. "I call it a sleeper rifle. It fires an electric pulse which causes immediate elevation of melatonin in" "Two in the morning," Nick angrily grumbled. "Short version, please." Jimmy stared angrily at Nick and quickly said, "It puts whoever it hits to sleep." Jimmy looked away from Nick and took a deep breath before continuing. "All you have to do is aim and pull the trigger. As soon as it hits the target, they should fall unconscious. There's no possibility for long-term damage. After a half hour the victim will wake up and feel perfectly fine." Jimmy handed the weapon to Nick, who eagerly grabbed the weapon and looked it over. "Nice, Neutron," he happily uttered. Jimmy managed a tiny smile and nodded while grabbing the remaining sleeper rifles and passing them around. "Now, these are only a prototype and I had to make them quickly, so they can only fire two shots. After that, they're useless." Carl's hands began to tremble as he accepted the weapon and held it as far from his body as possible. "Um, Jim? It's two in the morning, right? Doesn't that mean that nobody will be in the school?" Sheen blinked his eyes and stared at Jimmy in disbelief. "Wait, teachers don't live in the school?" Jimmy ignored the question and handed the last gun to Ike. "These are just a precaution, Carl. I'm not expecting there to be anyone inside, but better safe than sorry." Ike nodded as he looked over his rifle. After giving it a cursory inspection, he looked down the sights and aimed the weapon at a far-away wall. By the time he turned back to Jimmy, the genius was handing him a walkie-talkie. "I've also got walkie-talkies for each of us to use. Other than that, I think we're all set." Jimmy grabbed his rifle and walkie-talkie and brushed past the crowd of five children before him. "Come on, guys," he huffed while leading them out of his lab. "I'll explain the rest of the plan once we get in the hover car. We've got to move."

Ike groaned in annoyance as he struggled to shift in his seat. He ended up bumping into Carl, who quickly apologized. "Don't sweat it," Ike mumbled while slamming his sleeping foot onto the floor. "Jimmy, you ever think it's a little too cozy in this hover car?" Ike saw Jimmy tighten his grip on the hover cars steering wheel as he shot back, "It's not meant for eight. We'll have to make do."

"Bark bark!" Goddard happily shot back. Ike turned towards the mechanical dog, which was happily lying down on Carl's lap. Carl gently patted the creature's head, and Goddard let out a low howl of pleasure. Ike turned to Nick, who was sitting beside him and happily looking over his sleeper rifle. "Is that why you're helping Neutron?" Ike quietly asked. Nick looked up from his weapon and met Ike' curious gaze. "I thought I'd have to wait until Spring Break to use a gun," he happily muttered. Ike rolled his eyes and gave a playful grin. "Yeah, we know. I think we're all pretty tired of hearing about that hunting trip." Sheen nodded and leaned towards the two boys. "It's annoying when you talk about the same thing all the time," Sheen steadily offered, which earned him a furious glance from Nick. Sheen blinked several times before adding, "Just trying to help," he uttered before leaning back in his seat. "Idiot," Nick muttered in disgust. He rolled his eyes before turning back to Ike. "The gun's part of it. Plus Neutron promised he'd do my book report next month." Nick gave a wide smile and happily leaned back in his seat. "Ain't that right, Neutron?" Once more, Ike noted how angry Jimmy seemed to get as he answered. "I said I'd help," he shot back. "Not that I'd do it for you." Nick rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we'll see, Neutron. We'll see." It only took a few more minutes to reach Retroville Middle School. Jimmy carefully parked the hover car down the street from the school and quickly exited the vehicle. He knelt down on the ground and waited until everyone had done the same beside him. One they were in place, Jimmy whispered, "Goddard. Come here, boy." Goddard let out a nearly silent bark and hopped over to Jimmy. He powered on his chest's monitor and uploaded a blueprint of Retroville Middle School. Jimmy cleared his throat and pointed at the screen. "Everybody, this is the layout of our school. Goddard, overlay security camera placement." The kids watched as a dozen blinking red lights appeared on the screen. "Now add in vision cones," Jimmy commanded, and blue cones of various sizes extended from each light. "Cool effect," Ike said with a satisfied nod. Jimmy allowed himself a small smile before resuming his speech. "The red lights are the school's security cameras, and the cones represent the area that they can see. It is imperative that we disable the cameras along our path before they spot us."

Ike and Nick shared a nervous glance. "Neutron, breaking into school and a locker is one thing," Nick began. "Busting up security cameras is another." Jimmy quickly pulled his hypercube out of his pocket and reached inside. He pulled out a bag of small red plastic cups and tossed it to Nick. "We're not busting them up," Jimmy explained as anger seeped into his tone. "We just have to approach the cameras from the side and put a cup over them. Then they can't see anything. Not the most scientific approach, but it gets the job done." Jimmy turned back to Goddard's screen before anyone else could speak. "Goddard, display location of Cindy's locker." A blinking green dot appeared in the middle of the dog's screen, and Jimmy tapped it with his finger. "Cindy's locker is in the middle of the main floor. Reaching it should be easy. Once we get there, I just need to burn off its lock with my laser," he said while motioning at his watch. "Then we grab my heart and get out. Any questions?" Sheen immediately shot his hand up. "I have a question! Why don't I just ask Libby to get your heart back?" Carl nodded. "Yeah, Libby's pretty nice. She could probably just talk to Cindy, Jim." Jimmy narrowed his eyes and angrily shook his head. "Not a chance," he shot back. "Libby is Vortex's best friend. No way am I trusting her to get my project back." "But Libby" Sheen began. "I said no!" Jimmy harshly seethed. Sheen recoiled in surprise at Jimmy's tone. Everyone watched as the maniacal boy fell silent and stared at the ground. Ike narrowed his eyes at Sheen's visible pain and glared at Jimmy. "Neutron, take it easy, man." Jimmy stared at Ike and blinked his eyes. Ike could see regret wash over Jimmy's face, and he frowned while turning to Sheen and saying, "Sorry, Sheen." The words caused Sheen's face to light back up, and he happily uttered, "No problem, Jimmy." Nick crossed his arms and drummed his fingers against them while staring at Jimmy. "Neutron, why did you even make a heart for this class anyway?" Jimmy blinked several times and felt his mouth give a nervous twitch. "It'sit was a Valentine's Day project," he slowly explained. Ike stared at Jimmy curiously. "Ms. Wolf never said we had to make anything for Valentine's Day. She said we could make whatever we wanted."

"Well I'm sorry if I was feeling festive!" Jimmy shot back. His eyes shifted between the members of the group and saw that no one seemed convinced. Only Carl's expression belayed understanding. "Look," Jimmy quickly began, "let's just this done, okay? It's already" "2:37 in the morning," Nick immediately grumbled. "Right," Jimmy said while nodding and shooting Nick a smile. "So let's just finish this and go to bed, okay?" "Fine," Nick agreed. "So what exactly do we do now?" Jimmy sighed in relief and pointed at the monitor once more. "The first security camera is hanging over the main entrance. Sheen, you're the tallest, so" "Got it," Sheen said with a nod and wide smile. "I haven't told you what to do yet," Jimmy managed to say somewhat patiently. Sheen's smile fell and he stared deep into Jimmy's eyes. "You're also thin, so" "Got it," Sheen said once more. "Sheen!" Jimmy seethed. "So Nick will lift" Nick smiled widely and couldn't help himself from saying, "Got it." Sheen lifted his hand up for a high five, but Nick merely stared him down. "Are we done?" Jimmy asked in exhaustion. He waited a long moment, stared at both Sheen and Nick, and slowly continued on. "So Nick will lift up Sheen," he paused and angrily stared at the two boys, "and Sheen will put the cup over the camera. Then the rest of us will move in. Got it?" "Yep," Sheen replied. Jimmy traced his finger along Goddard's screen as he continued. "Carl, you're going to stay in the lobby and be a lookout. Let us know if anything seems to be going wrong." "Sure thing, Jim," Carl offered. Jimmy nodded and resumed explaining his plan. "The next security camera is at the end of the lobby and in a corner. It's aimed at the opposite corner, so if we sidle along the wall we should be able to stay out of its sight. We'll cover that camera too and then proceed to Cindy's locker. There aren't any other security cameras, so the rest is easy." Jimmy gave Goddard a pat on his head and said, "Thanks, boy." Goddard let out a happy bark and powered off his monitor. Jimmy then pointed at the sleeper rifle in his hands. "Now, I cannot stress this enough." He bore his eyes into Sheen's and explained, "The sleeper rifles will not erase memories. So if we come across anybody, we need to shoot them before they see us. Okay?"

Ike nodded and tightened his grip on his sleeper rifle. "Got it. We good to go, Jimmy?" Jimmy nodded back and clenched his teeth. "Yeah. Let's move." The group quickly darted down the street and hid behind a row of bushes beside the school. Sheen and Nick slowly approached the main entrance from the side, making sure to stay out of the security camera's sight. Nick cupped his hands and gave Sheen a boost. Sheen quickly slid a cup over the security camera and pulled out his walkie-talkie while hopping onto the ground. "Perilous Pigeon here. Camera's taken care of," he said while bracing himself against the school's door. Jimmy's face radiated confusion as he pulled out his walkie-talkie. "Sheen, we never picked codenames." "Suave Squirrel here. Get a move on, Captain Chaos!" Nick's voice shot back. "Let's move, Chaos," Ike said tightening his grip on his rifle and charging forward. Jimmy hesitated for a few seconds before shoving his walkie-talkie back in his pockets and doing the same. Bolbi, Carl, and Goddard followed suit. The six boys and mechanical canine braced themselves against the school's front doors. Nick quickly tried to open them and confirmed that they were locked. "Chaos, get these open." Jimmy shot Nick a curious glance before shaking his head and looking down at Goddard. "Goddard, activate lock pick mode." Goddard opened his mouth to reveal a long thin needle sticking out. Goddard gently shoved it inside the keyhole and carefully moved his head around. After a few seconds he shoved his head against the door and pushed it open. "Great work, boy," Jimmy gratefully said. Goddard retracted the needle and panted happily. "Alright everybody. Brace yourselves along the right wall and sidle forward. Nick, Sheen, go first and cover the next camera. Let's go." The boys fell in a line with Ike and Goddard bringing up the rear. Ike flexed his fingers and let out a quiet breath while resting his head against the wall. He turned to his right and saw Carl slowly edging his way forward beside him. "How you holding up, Carl?" Carl gave a small nod and appreciative smile. "Good." The joy vanished from his face as he looked down at the rifle in his hands. "You don't think we'll actually have to shoot anyone, do you?" Ike huffed out a small mouthful of air and shook his head in response. "I doubt it. There can't be anybody in school this early."

"Good," Carl muttered in relief. He stared at Ike and managed another small smile. "It'sfun hanging out with you. Outside of class, I mean." Ike smiled back and gave a tiny chuckle. "Same here, man." He paused and noticed that Nick was having trouble balancing Sheen while giving him another boost. "You know, I never really wanted to get involved in all the crazy shit you and Neutron always get into. Fighting the Yolkians once was enough. But I've got to admit, this is pretty fun." "Done," Sheen happily uttered while leaping off of Nick's hands and landing beside Jimmy. "What next, Chaos?" "Sheen, just call me Jimmy," Jimmy muttered in exasperation. "Lighten up, Captain," Nick said with an easy smile that caused Jimmy to frown in annoyance. "This is actually turning out kind of fun." "Thanks, Suave," Sheen gratefully answered, and Nick couldn't help but giving Sheen a small grin. Jimmy's temper seemed to be flaring once more as he pointed at Carl and Goddard. "Carl, you stay behind as lookout. Goddard, stay with him and monitor police chatter. Let us know if you get any calls involving this school. It's possible someone saw us enter." "Um, okay, Jimmy," Carl said while looking at Goddard, who uttered a friendly bark in response. "Everybody else, let's get going. Cindy's locker is in the middle of the first floor. There are no more security cameras, but keep a close eye out for any people. If you spot anybody, take them down before they see us." "Bolbi shoot fast," Bolbi happily uttered. Jimmy nodded and peeked his head around the corner. Satisfied that no one was in sight, he motioned for everyone to follow him. Ike, Sheen, Bolbi, and Nick headed down the hallway while aiming their weapons all around. Ike moved to the front of the pack and cast Jimmy a worried glance. The genius still seemed furious and was gripping his rifle tight enough to drain the blood from his knuckles. "Neutron, are you sure you're okay?" "I'm fine," Jimmy angrily shot back. Ike narrowed his eyes and said, "You know, I am doing you a favor here. Maybe you could tone it down a little." Jimmy registered some guilt and let out a small sigh before turning to Ike. "Sorry," he earnestly apologized. He took one hand off of his sleeper rifle and ran it down his tired face. "It's just"

"It's more than failing, isn't it?" Ike gently prodded. Jimmy hesitated as the group reached another corner. He poked his head out and saw no one, so he continued to lead the group towards Cindy's locker. Ike kept pace alongside Jimmy, who finally faced him once more. "Yeah," Jimmy quietly shot back. "What's got you so pissed?" Ike asked. Jimmy seemed to contemplate whether or not to answer the question for a few seconds before sighing once more. "We don't do this anymore." "Get in crazy adventures?" Ike tried to clarify. "Wasn't it last week you five ditched science class, went to Loch Ness, and proved that Nessie was actually a pod of highly intelligent seals?" Jimmy shook his head. "I mean me and Cindy," he answered. "Wewe don't play tricks like this anymore." The group rounded another corner and scanned their weapons in all directions, but found no traces of any people. The five children continued silently on their way with only Ike's and Jimmy's barely present whispers to break the silence. Ike nodded. "Yeah, we've noticed." Jimmy cast Ike a curious look. "Who's we?" Ike rolled his eyes. "You know. Me, Nick, Brittany, Oleander, Butchpretty much everyone from Ms. Fowl's class. We've all noticed the whole love/hate thing slid down the tubes last year." Jimmy immediately stopped walking, and Nick slammed into his back. "Neutron," Nick angrily mumbled, and Jimmy offered a quick apology before slowly resuming his pace. "Therethere's no love," Jimmy nervously shot back. "Uh-huh," Ike insincerely huffed. "We're just friends," Jimmy somewhat angrily shot back. "At least I thought we were," he quietly added. Ike pondered this for a few seconds before nodding in agreement. "Betrayal stings, alright." Jimmy held up his hand, and the group stopped walking. Jimmy looked around one final corner and nodded. "It's halfway down that hallway," he told everyone. "All we've got to do is reach it and I'll burn the lock with my watch. Then we grab the heart and go home." "Sounds good," Nick happily said while pulling out his walkie-talkie. "Porky Pig, how's everything in the lobby?"

Ike gave an amused smile as a despondent sigh answered Nick's question. "Couldn't I be Llama Lover? Both words start with the same letter and everything!" "Focus, Carl," Jimmy shot back while activating his own walkie-talkie. "Are we clear back there?" Jimmy heard a happy bark, and Carl dejectedly muttered, "Yeah, everything seems fine, Jim. Are you almost done?" "Almost," Jimmy answered. "Just give us a few more minutes." "Couldn't you have just gone through Cindy's locker after she left school?" Sheen suddenly asked. "Let's move!" Jimmy quickly shot back while heading down the hallway. Everyone hesitated before following his lead. They all slid to a stop in front of Cindy's locker and stared at it. "Let's end this, Neutron," Nick uttered while resting his rifle against his shoulder. Jimmy nodded and aimed his watch at the small lock in front of him. Just as he activated its laser, a brownhaired middle-aged woman in a pink bathrobe rounded a nearby corner. Everyone turned to face her and widened their eyes in shock. "Ms. Wolf?" Jimmy incredulously asked. Ms. Wolf recoiled in surprise and stared at Jimmy. "Soft Serve?" she asked in disbelief. Jimmy slowly raised a hand to his long hair and quickly touched its tip. Nick furrowed his brow in confusion and asked, "Ms. Wolf, what are you doing here?" "I'm not sleeping under my desk because I was evicted from my apartment, if that's what you're insinuating!" the group's art teacher angrily shot back. "What?" Ike asked. "Shut up," Ms. Wolf grumbled while casting Ike a warning glance. She turned her gaze back to Jimmy and sighed. "What the hell are you doing here, Soft Serve?" She glared at the burnt lock at his feet and then glared at Jimmy. A beam of light suddenly slammed into Ms. Wolf's face, and the teacher immediately crumpled to the floor and began to loudly snore. Ike, Jimmy, Sheen, and Nick stared Bolbi in terrified amazement. "Bolbi save lives!" he happily explained. "Holy crap we shot Ms. Wolf," Nick raced through his words, clearly frightened.

"Bolbi!" Jimmy angrily seethed. "I said don't shoot if they've seen us! She's going to remember that we shot her!" Nick glared at the strange boy as well before turning to Jimmy with fear etched across his face. "She's going to kill us." "She can't kill us," Jimmy nervously countered. "We'll justget detention or something." "Do you know Ms. Wolf?" Nick incredulously asked. "She's freaking crazy!" "Nick's right," Ike calmly uttered. "We're dead." Jimmy felt his heart began to race and struggled to keep his words steady. He reached into Cindy's locker and grabbed his heart while saying, "Everybody, try to relax. The important thing right now is to stay calm and" "Run!" Sheen screamed while running back towards the school's entrance.

More than anything, Ike wanted a cigarette. He clenched his jaw and forced his hands to remain steady as he silently sat in front of Ms. Wolf's desk. Jimmy, Carl, Nick, Bolbi, and Sheen were all equally quiet and sat in a row beside Ike. A lone empty chair sat at the end of the line, and Ms. Wolf was tapping her fingers against her desk and glaring at the seat. Just then, the door to her classroom swung open to reveal a rather confused Cindy Vortex. "Ms. Wolf, I heard the announcement. Why do you" "Sit down!" Ms. Wolf snapped while pointing at the empty chair. Cindy recoiled at her fierce tone, but her face morphed into one of anger as she spotted Jimmy. "Ms. Wolf, whatever trouble Neutron's gotten himself into, I swear I had nothing to do with it." Jimmy spun around and shot Cindy a look that could kill. "Just sit down so we can get this over with, Vortex." Ms. Wolf gave a slightly amused huff and nodded. "I like your attitude, Soft Serve. Blondie, take a seat. Now." Cindy glanced back and forth between Neutron and her teacher for a few seconds before crossing her arms and storming towards her seat. Ike saw Jimmy slide his chair a few inches away from her and was surprised to see some pain register on Cindy's face. "Alright, let's get a few things straight," Ms. Wolf growled while glaring at each of the children. "First of all, I hate every one of you."

All of the children waited in silence for Ms. Wolf to continue. She merely settled her gaze on Sheen and glared at him furiously for some time. "Really let that sink in," she finally snarled. Ten more seconds passed, and then she spoke once more. "Second, you boys are here for breaking into this school, vandalizing school property, and shooting your teacher in the face!" Bolbi grinned happily and clapped his hands together. "Bolbi aim good!" "Bolbi not aim good!" Ms. Wolf angrily shot back while angrily pointing at the strange boy, who merely smiled wider and stared emptily at the wall in response. Ms. Wolf then turned towards Cindy and scowled at the girl. "And Blondie, you're here for stealing Neutron's project and causing this whole mess!" Cindy's eyes widened and a hint of fear raced across her face. She immediately tried to cover this up with a scowl, but the damage had been done. "I didn'tI didn't steal anything!" Jimmy rolled his eyes and glared at his rival. "Vortex, just give it up! I know you stole it! We found in your locker!" Cindy nervously swallowed and bit her lower lip. "II" Ms. Wolf threw her hands into the air and loudly sighed. "Do you know what this is?" she loudly asked the group. "This is my one free period. And as much as I love spending it with you idiots, I'd love even more to not be sharing it with you! Brandy, Jimmy has proof you stole his project. What do you have to say for yourself?" Ike leaned back in his seat and braced himself for one of Cindy's long-winded tirades. To his shock, the blonde could only mutter, "II didn't..." Ms. Wolf narrowed her eyes and sighed loudly. "Very compelling argument." She turned towards the boys and stared into Jimmy's eyes. "Alright, Neutron. Obviously, I don't agree with you breaking into the school and shooting me in the face. But I admire your spunk. You boys will get a week of detention." "I object!" Sheen shouted out while shooting his hand into the air, but Jimmy scowled while yanking it back down. "Fine," Jimmy grumbled. Ms. Wolf then turned towards Cindy and crossed her arms. "Blondie, you stole from another student and caused this whole mess. I'm not sorry, but you get a zero for this project. And also detention."

Jimmy's scowl faded as he turned towards Cindy and smiled triumphantly. He expected her to scowl back, yell, or perhaps merely shoot him a look that could kill. Instead, her face fell and her lips began to tremble. "But" Cindy quietly began. "But this is a third of our grade." Cindy struggled to steady her trembling voice, but it was a mostly futile effort. "I'llI would fail." Ms. Wolf had been absent-mindedly glancing around the room as Cindy spoke, but she suddenly stopped and met Cindy's pained gaze. "Sorry, I wasn't caring. What did you say?" Ike watched as Cindy bit her lower lip and clenched her hands into fists. "Nothing," the normally feisty blonde quietly whispered while staring at the ground. Ike turned to face Jimmy and waited to see what the genius would do. Jimmy stared hard at Cindy and felt his anger slowly vanish as he understood how much this was killing her. Jimmy knew that Cindy fought tooth and nail for every single one of her grades. Even though it had been nearly a year since their rivalry had been fueled by true anger and resentment, they still enjoyed competing with each other. Beyond that, Jimmy had begun to understand that Cindy's mother did not tolerate failure well. The final thing Jimmy knew eating away at Cindy was her own pride. Perhaps the blonde could handle failing a truly difficult course, but art? Jimmy had never heard of anyone failing that before. Even Sheen was pulling a steady B. Jimmy could tell that tears were beginning to well behind Cindy's eyes. Jimmy considered his options of for a few long seconds before slowly nodding. I know I'll regret this, he glumly thought. "Vortexyou won't fail," he quietly whispered. Cindy kept her gaze on the ground for a few more seconds before slowly looking up at Jimmy. "What are you talking about, Neutron?" Jimmy clenched his teeth at the mention of his last name. It was a stark reminder of how far he and Cindy had fallen the past week. Ever since the tail end of fifth grade, he'd felt as though they were true friends. But since art class had started last month, he'd noticed that Cindy had seemed to grow distant from him. This had only intensified once he had begun work on his paper-mache heart. He considered taking back his words and allowing Cindy to receive Ms. Wolf's punishment, but ultimately decided to continue with his decision. "Vortex, you're not going to fail," he said once more. "Um, yeah she is," Ms. Wolf angrily muttered. "Do you all not understand that I'm in charge here?" "Ms. Wolf, ma'am, I think they're having a moment," Carl quietly offered. "We love to watch these!" Sheen whispered in excitement.

Ms. Wolf glared at the two boys, and Nick shrugged while looking into his teacher's eyes. "They can be kind of amusing. Like a bad TV show." "What?" Ms. Wolf asked in disbelief. Ike looked at his teach for a few seconds before turning back to Jimmy and Cindy. Cindy seemed to be regaining her composure, and in turn Jimmy's anger seemed to return. "Just tell my why, Vortex," Jimmy spat out. "Why the heck did you steal my project? I was going to fail, and you sure as heck weren't going to bail me out like I'm doing for you!" Cindy narrowed her eyes and slowly turned her frown into a scowl. "Don't blame me for this, Neutron! You know this is all your fault!" Ike glanced back at Ms. Wolf, who raised an eyebrow in excitement as Jimmy began to tremble with rage. "Good call, kids. Extra credit for you three." "Score!" Sheen exclaimed while lifting a hand up at Nick for a high-five. Nick stared at Sheen for a long moment until the boy sullenly lowered his arm. Jimmy paid his friends no mind as he dug his nails into his palm. He could feel rage coursing through his veins and jumped to his feet. "That's it, Vortex! I'm sick of you! All I do is try to be your friend, and you justyou're just mean!" he angrily shouted. Cindy jumped to her feet as well and fiercely poked her index finger into Jimmy's chest. "Screw you, Neutron! I stole your stupid little heart to help everyone in this class!" Jimmy's scowl intensified as he threw his hands into the air. "How does making me fail help anybody?" he nearly shouted. "Do you grade on a curve?" Ike whispered at Ms. Wolf. "Shut up, I'm trying to watch," Ms. Wolf said resting her chin on her hands and leaning towards Jimmy and Cindy. Cindy rolled her eyes and shoved Jimmy's right shoulder. "Did it ever occur to that big brain of yours that none of us wanted to watch you give Quinlan that stupid thing?" A long silence filled the room, and a puzzled expression took hold of Jimmy's face. "Vortex, what are you talking about?" Cindy gave a sarcastic laugh in response. "Oh, stop denying it, Neutron! We all know you were going to give her that stupid thing as a Valentine's Day gift. It's pathetic!" "Pathetic, huh?" Jimmy growled in response.

Cindy nodded. "Yeah, Neutron. We're all sick of watching you fawn over little Ms. Perfect every class. It's disgusting and, yeah, pathetic!" Ike and Nick shared a curious glance. Ike raised an eyebrow, and Nick shrugged in response. "Cindy, what are you talking about?" Nick tiredly asked. Ike nodded in agreement. "Neutron doesn't fawn over Betty." Cindy stared at the boys incredulously. "Uhyeah, right!" she sarcastically shouted. "We all see it!" She turned to Jimmy and glared at his confused face. "You dove across the room to pick up her pencil the first day of class!" Jimmy widened his eyes to show his complete lack of understanding. "I didn't dive across the room; she was sitting right next to me! I just picked it up for her!" Cindy shook her head in annoyance. "Sure, whatever. And you just gave her your extra clay last Monday because she needed it, right?" Nick stared at Cindy in disbelief. "Um, I'm pretty sure he did. She needed more for her unicorn, didn't she?" Cindy rolled her eyes. "And two days ago you carried her project to the back room for her like a lovesick puppy dog!" Ike stared at Cindy in confusion. "Cindy, her arm is broken from tennis! She can't carry anything!" Jimmy shook his head and glared at Cindy. "Cindy, I have no idea what you're talking about! I don't fawn over Betty, and I wasn't going to give her the heart for Valentine's Day!" "You're lying!" Cindy shrieked. She was breathing hard and fast, and it wasn't hard for everyone to tell that rage was overpowering her. "I heard you tell Carl that you were making the heart as a Valentine's Day gift." Cindy glared at Carl before turning back to Jimmy and shouting, "I heard you say it!" Jimmy gritted his teeth and stared at Cindy in clear fury. "Yeah, I did make it as a gift!" "Ah-hah!" Cindy wildly shouted with a triumphant smile while pointing at Jimmy. "But not for Betty!" Jimmy angrily shot back. Cindy angrily huffed and crossed her arms. "Yeah right. Then who was it for, Neutron?" Jimmy's angry face slowly faded, and Cindy stared into his eyes. Then, as if a switch had been thrown, all the anger vanished from her eyes as well. Her scowl was replaced by a desperate

frown, and her crossed arms hung loosely by her sides. She blinked several times and found it difficult to speak. She opened her mouth, waited a long moment, and quietly whispered, "Oh." Jimmy couldn't meet her gaze any longer and stared at the ground. Cindy took a tiny step back and barely managed to utter, "Jimmy?" Ms. Wolf rose out of her seat and loudly sighed. "I'm bored now!" she growled out. Everyone looked at her in shock. "Thank you all for wasting my one free period. Really," she angrily muttered, "I'm truly grateful." "You're welcome," Sheen happily replied and was immediately knocked to the floor as Ms. Wolf chucked a notebook at his head. "Detention for all of you. And Blondie, I'm your teacher, not Soft Serve here. You're still failing." Cindy's face fell and she took a step back from Jimmy. "Butbut" Ike allowed himself an amused smile. He slowly rose out of his seat and saw everyone stare at him. He looked into Ms. Wolf's eyes and crossed his arms. "Veronica, I think we're all forgetting something very important here." He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a carton of cigarettes. Ms. Wolf widened her eyes in disbelief as Ike lit his cigarette and placed it in between his lips. "Are you serious?" she wildly asked. "You can't be serious." Ike took a deep drag and pulled the cigarette out of his lips. "Now, I'm no genius, I'll admit that. That's more Jimmy's thing. But aren't there rules against people living in their classrooms?" Ms. Ike's eyes widened in shock before narrowing in fury. "Youyou can't prove I do that." Cindy stared at Ike curiously before pointing at the classroom's rear right corner. "Is that a sleeping bag?" Ike turned to Jimmy and gave the genius a small smile. Jimmy smiled back in relief and added, "Ike's right, ma'am. I believe section 14 of the Retroville Fire Code specifically forbids employees living in their places of work." Ms. Wolf gritted her teeth before angrily sitting back in her seat. She glared at Ike for a long moment before letting a tiny chuckle escape her lips. Ike raised an eyebrow in response, and Ms. Wolf amusedly uttered, "Guess Soft Serve's not the only one with spunk, kid." Ike gave a tentative smile back. "So how about we all just forget this ever happened, and you can keep your 'apartment'," Ike offered while enjoying the use of air quotes. Ms. Wolf contemplated the offer for a few seconds before sighing. "Fine. But I'm sick of all of you," she grumbled. "Get out of here, and I don't want to see you back until your art class starts."

A loud bell immediately rang through the school, and Sheen happily shouted, "Time for art class!" Ms. Wolf slammed her head onto her desk and pulled hard on her hair. "Out! Justjust get out! Class is cancelled for today!" she desperately shouted. The kids needed no more motivation. They all quickly rose from their seats and strolled into the busy hallway. The seven children stared at each other for a few seconds before Nick gave a small smile. "Well, guess things could have gone worse," he said with a shrug. "I'm still holding you to that book report, Neutron," he muttered. Jimmy gave a disinterested nod before turning to Cindy, who immediately shifted her gaze down to the floor and began to nervously rub her foot along the ground. "VorCindy," he quietly began. "I" "Hey guys!" Libby happily shouted while approaching her friends. She gave Ike, Nick, and Bolbi a curious glance before smiling at Cindy. "Did I miss something?" Cindy swallowed nervously before smiling in relief. "Notnot much," she answered. She stepped towards her best friend and said, "Class is cancelled. Want to go the library?" Libby blinked in confusion and muttered, "Okay," before Cindy grabbed her arm and dragged her away from their friends. Jimmy stared after Cindy for a long moment with a blank expression. Finally, he allowed himself a small smile and shook his head in amusement. He turned towards Sheen and Carl and said, "Come on, guys. Let's go to lunch early. My treat." "Really?" Sheen excitedly asked. Jimmy gave a friendly nod. "I really do appreciate the help. Sorry for being such a jerk." "Thanks, Jim," Carl said with a wide smile. Sheen also grinned and nodded at Jimmy. "Bolbi eat all food!" he happily said while leading the way to the cafeteria. Jimmy's face fell as he uttered, "Well, I was actually just talking to Sheen and ..." "Thanks, Neutron," Nick interrupted with an amused grin. "I heard they're serving lobster today. For a ridiculous extra fee, of course." Jimmy sighed and rolled his eyes. "Alright, fine. Let's go."

Ike gave smiled and fell in stride at the rear of the group besides Nick. Ike gave his stomach a gentle jab with his elbow and whispered, "You know, for a minute there I actually thought those two would get together." Nick gave a tiny chuckle and shook his head. "Keep dreaming, Ike. Some things never change, and one of those things is Jimmy and Cindy acting like idiots. They'll never get together." Ike gave a small smile as he watched Jimmy lead the way. The genius' steps came easy and he laughed at one of Sheen's wild remarks. All traces of his anger and misery were gone. "Maybe," Ike whispered. "But maybe not."

Chapter 4: The Calm Before The Storm

Author's Note: This chapter takes place in the hours leading up to The Final Battle's first chapter. The focus is on Jimmy Neutron.

Jimmy Neutron couldn't help but smile widely as he stared up from his clipboard at his mechanical canine. Goddard's head was extended deep inside Jimmy's hypercube, and Jimmy could tell by the way his dog's neck was moving that he was searching wildly. At long last, Jimmy heard a faint, "Bark bark!" Jimmy nodded and looked back down at his clipboard. He homed in on the words picnic basket and placed a checkmark in the small box beside them. "Alright, so that's all set," he muttered to himself while looking at the next item on his list. "Golf clubs?" A few seconds passed, and another, "Bark bark!" escaped the hypercube. Jimmy checked the item off of his list and set the clipboard down on his workbench. "That's the last of it," Jimmy happily said as Goddard yanked his head out of the hypercube. "Thanks for the help," Jimmy earnestly offered while tossing a handful of lugnuts into the air. Goddard extended his neck and snapped each one with his mouth before they hit the ground. Jimmy watched this show in amusement before asking, "You sure you don't want to come with us, boy?" Goddard let out a hearty, "Ruff!" before walking in a circle and lying down. Jimmy felt a smile pass over his lips as he gave his rocket one last visual inspection. "You know, Goddard, I guess deep down I always knew that Cindy and I would be real friends one day." Jimmy paused and shot his faithful pet an amused glance. "But you and Humphrey?" Jimmy gave his head a slight shake. "I honestly never saw it coming."

Jimmy smiled wider and walked over to his rocket. He gave the vehicle one last visual inspection before checking underneath the dashboard. He found the large steel box and slowly opened it. As Jimmy examined his emergency kit, he mentally checked off each item he found. First aid kit, flare gun, pulse rifle, spare ammunition, headsets, binoculars. All set. Satisfied that everything was in order, he closed the box and strolled back towards Goddard. He only managed to make it halfway before his lab's doorbell rang. Jimmy rapidly changed course and walked over to his laboratory's control panel. He quickly unlocked his lab's main entrance and spun around to face his newly installed elevator. Twenty seconds passed, and Jimmy was fairly surprised to see only Libby emerge out of the small compartment. "Hey Jimmy," Libby happily said with a friendly wave while walking into the lab. Jimmy couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in curiosity, but he managed to say, "Hey Libby." The two children stared at each other for a few seconds before Jimmy spoke once more. "So, uh, where are Cindy and Sheen?" Jimmy barely ever saw Libby without her boyfriend or best friend by her side. Libby shrugged. "Cindy said she wasn't ready yet, and Sheen's still at Carl's." Jimmy hesitated for a few seconds. "Oh. That'scool," he muttered. Libby's smile faded at Jimmy's tone. "II can come back. I'm a little early anyway," she quietly offered. Jimmy immediately felt guilty at how he had acted. He and Libby had barely spent any time alone together over the years, but that didn't mean he wanted to kick her out of his lab. "No," Jimmy awkwardly began, "II didn't mean to insinuate that. It's justwell" Libby heard the sincerity in Jimmy's voice and offered a small smile. She too was well aware of how little time they'd spent together over the years. "You're intimidated by my beauty?" The effect of Libby's words was instantaneous. Jimmy's worried frown melted into a smile, and he felt all of his muscles relax. "I was going to ask if you were intimidated by mine." Libby cocked an eyebrow in amusement. "Your beauty?" Jimmy's smile slowly faded. "The, uh, male equivalent." Libby gave an amused half smile and a small chuckle. "Have we broken the ice yet?" Jimmy smiled back. "Gave it a good crack, at least." Boy and girl stared at each other for a few more seconds before Libby slowly approached the rocket. She saw how empty it was and asked, "Need any help packing?"

Jimmy shook his head and joined Libby. He pointed at his hypercube and said, "It's all in there." Libby studied the small cube for a few seconds and asked, "If I asked you to explain how it worked, would I understand a word?" Jimmy flashed his friend a cocky smile. "What's your knowledge base on quantum mechanics and inter-dimensional mass transference?" Libby blinked her eyes a few times as her smile faded. "I could draw a picture, if it would help," Jimmy offered. "I'm good," Libby sarcastically uttered while pushing herself away from the rocket. She watched as Goddard sniffed her shoes and stared happily up at her. She bent down and quickly scratched the dog behind its ears. "Hey, Goddard," she happily said. "Long time no see." "Woof! Bark!" Goddard uttered while closing his eyes in contentment. Jimmy smiled as he watched Libby play with his dog. After a few more seconds Libby rose back up to her feet and stared at Jimmy. "So, think we'll get into any trouble on this latest adventure?" Jimmy rolled his eyes and took a seat in front of his laboratory's main monitor. Libby followed and sat across from him. "Even you and Cindy have to admit that things have gone smoothly this summer." Libby considered his words for a moment before slowly nodding. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I think we only nearly died twice in three months." She stared at Jimmy blankly for a few seconds before adding, "Much better record than the school year. We nearly died three times in Scotland alone." Jimmy rolled his eyes. "For the last time, it wasn't my fault Sheen jumped into the loch when he didn't know how to swim. You can't blame me for everything!" he desperately shouted. Jimmy managed to calm down as Libby watched Goddard pace in a circle before closing his eyes. Suddenly, Libby's face emanated deep thought, and Jimmy worried that their light-hearted conversation would take an unseen dark turn. But the dark-haired girl merely said, "Jimmy, I think I owe you an apology." Jimmy leaned backwards in shock. "For what?" Libby sighed and closed her eyes. "I never thanked you for taking me back to Egypt last month." Jimmy was confused by Libby's words. "It was a good idea, Libby. Exploring that tomb was a lot less scary with the right supplies." Libby gave a small sigh and nodded. "It's justit was pretty awesome to realize I'myou knowroyalty and all. After those mummies attacked us, I never thought I'd get to see that place again, but I always wanted to." Libby looked into Jimmy's eyes and offered a sincere smile. "So, thanks for taking me. I'd never have gotten back there if it wasn't for you."

Jimmy wasn't quite sure what to say. "It," he paused and rubbed the back of his neck, "was no problem, Libby. Really." The friends shared a smile, and Jimmy's doorbell rung once more. Jimmy unlocked the lab's main entrance, and it wasn't long before Carl, Sheen, Cindy, and Humphrey exited the elevator. "Libby!" Sheen happily shouted while sprinting towards his girlfriend, who widened her eyes and leaned back in fright. Sheen slammed into her chair and tightly wrapped his arms around her waist. "I missed you so much!" "I hope I find a man like him one day," Cindy muttered in disgust, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Me too," Carl added with a happy smile. Cindy shot him a worried look, and Carl immediately stared down at the ground. Jimmy rose from his seat and cautiously stepped around Sheen. "Hey Carl, Cindy," he happily greeted his friends. Jimmy was pleased to see Cindy smile at the use of her first name. "Hey Jim," Carl happily said while holding out a plate of what appeared to be brown bricks. "My mom's been teaching me to cook, so I made bran bars for the picnic!" Jimmy and Cindy shared a concerned look. "Um, thanks, Carl," Jimmy cautiously said while accepting the plate. "I'll try one!" Sheen happily said while snatching the plate and dashing away. "Sheen, they're for the picnic!" Carl shouted while dashing after his friend. Cindy, Libby, and Jimmy stared after the two boys for a few seconds until Libby sighed. "Who's dealing with this one?" she asked in exhaustion. She stared at Cindy and Jimmy, who were both pressing an index finger against their noses. She narrowed her eyes in frustration. "Now you get along," she muttered in annoyance while marching away. Cindy and Jimmy shared a small smile while heading towards Goddard. "Well," Cindy began, but was interrupted by a shrill scream. "Sheen!" Libby shrieked as loud as she could. "Get over here now!" Jimmy and Cindy's eyes popped open as they shared a concerned look. They both waited a few seconds, and then Cindy slowly continued speaking. "Um, thanks for letting Humphrey stay here while we're gone," Cindy slowly offered. She met Jimmy's eyes, which seemed to be entirely focused on her. "He doesnt' do well at home when I'm not there." Jimmy offered a friendly smile. "No problem, Cindy. Goddard actually likes the company."

Both humans looked down to see Goddard encircling the golden-haired dog. Humphrey kept his back arched and patiently waited until Goddard had finished his inspection. Eventually, Goddard pulled away and happily barked while staring into his friend's eyes. Humphrey met Goddard's gaze with unwavering strength and slowly uttered, "Bowwow." Jimmy studied Humphrey for a few seconds before staring inquisitively at Cindy. "What's he saying?" Cindy met Jimmy's gaze with slight confusion. "Who?" "Humphrey," Jimmy clarified. Cindy's perplexity grew as she said, "He's just a dog, Jimmy. I don't know." Jimmy blinked several times and pondered her answer until his three other friends strolled back over. Carl was firmly grasping his platter of questionable pastries, and Sheen was angrily glaring at his friend. Libby merely shook her head in disgust. The five friends approached each other. Jimmy stared at the group before offering a small smile. "Well, we're all here. Everyone ready to go?" Everyone nodded and followed Jimmy as he led them the short distance to the Strato XL. . Everyone save Sheen stopped as Carl asked, "Jimmy, what time are we getting back?" Jimmy spun around and stared at his friend. "Um, I don't know. Why?" Carl thought for a few seconds and opened his mouth to speak, but Sheen's voice interrupted him. "Jimmy, what's this?" Jimmy spun around once more to find Sheen sitting in the pilot's seat of his rocket. His emergency kit lay open, and everyone's eyes widened in fear as they realized Sheen was holding Jimmy's pulse rifle. Libby immediately stepped backward in fright, and Carl jumped behind her and clenched his trembling arms around her waist. Jimmy tackled Cindy to the floor while rapidly shouting, "Goddard! Non-lethal Sheen take-down alpha seven!" Several yards away, Goddard immediately hovered in the air and opened his mouth. A small dart spiraled through the air and slammed into Sheen's neck. Everyone stared in amazement as Sheen's entire body crackled and spasmed uncontrollably. He immediately released the gun, which clattered harmlessly to the floor. After several seconds, a smoking Sheen collapsed onto the ground with the stiffness of a plank of wood. "Again," he weakly whispered.

Jimmy realized he was lying directly on top of Cindy and stared into her eyes. Their faces were only inches apart, and Jimmy immediately braced himself for a loud, angry scream to pierce his ears. To his surprise, Cindy's gaze softened and she merely asked, "Thatmight have been an overreaction." Jimmy offered a tentative smile, which Cindy slowly returned. "It'spossible," he admitted while getting off of her. He extended his hand, and Cindy quickly took it and allowed Jimmy to hoist her to her feet. Everyone cautiously approached Sheen. "Sheen?" Carl asked. "Are you okay?" he loudly asked, the desperation evident in his voice. "Awesome," Sheen muttered contentedly muttered. Cindy shot a questioning look at Jimmy, who stood only a foot away. "Jimmy, how many volts was that?" Jimmy averted his gaze and mumbled, "Eighty thousand." Cindy's jaw dropped. "Eightythousand?" she asked with equal amazement and horror. "Forty thousand is almost always lethal!" Jimmy sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Sheenhe's built up an immunity." Cindy's looked turned incredulous as she stated, "You can't build up an immunity to electricity!" "Not with that attitude," Sheen happily muttered while slowly getting to his feet. Libby sighed as well and agreed with Jimmy. "Sheen did. He" she paused and searched for the right words, "has problems." Cindy shook her head in disbelief and slowly picked up the pulse rifle. "What the heck is this?" "A specially designed pulse rifle," Jimmy explained while gently retrieving his weapon. "I built it a few months after the twonkie incident." Carl blinked several times and asked, "You mean when Sheen raided the school's kitchen and locked himself in the storage room?" "Not the Twinkie incident, the twonkie incident," Jimmy patiently corrected. "After that fiasco, I realized I needed extra protection in space in case I ever got separated from Goddard." Libby finally helped Sheen to his feet. "Sheen, please dont' ever touch a gun again." "Yeah, Ultrafreak," Cindy chided the maniacal teenager. "Some of us actually want to live to see thirteen!"

Jimmy gave his head a quick shake and turned back to Carl. Cindy and Libby followed his gaze as Jimmy asked, "So, why do you want to know" "What's this?" Sheen asked while brandishing Jimmy's flare gun. Jimmy tried to tackle Cindy once more, but she sidestepped and watched as he flew onto the floor. "Termination beta-nine!" Jimmy shouted while slamming into the ground. Libby, Cindy, and Carl watched as Goddard's neck extended. The dog latched his jaw onto Sheen's leg, and the boy began to twitch wildly once more. He collapsed onto the ground, and Goddard carefully retrieved the flare gun with his mouth. "Notagain," Sheen painfully uttered. "Sheenjustjust stop," Libby quietly pleaded while hoisting him to his feet and holding him steady. Cindy offered Jimmy his hand and an amused smile. "Might want to work on your coordination, Neutron." Jimmy shot Cindy an annoyed glance but accepted the help up. "That's the last time I try to save your life, Vortex," he grumbled. Cindy merely smiled as Jimmy dusted himself off. A moment passed in silence as Jimmy grabbed his weapons and shoved them back inside his emergency kit. He cast Sheen an angry glance before facing Carl for the third time. "Carl?" he desperately asked. Carl shot Sheen a nervous glance before answering. "It's justI don't want to stay out too late." He hesitated and added, "Because of school tomorrow. I need to get up early." Cindy, Sheen, Libby, and Jimmy shared a startled look. Though they'd all known that this was the last day of summer vacation, they hadn't truly stopped to think about heading back to school tomorrow. A few seconds passed, and Libby uttered, "Carl's right. Summer's actually over." Sheen offered a wide smile and leaned back in his seat while resting his hands behind his head. "At least there wasn't any summer reading!" "Well, actually," Carl began, but Jimmy interrupted. "Cindy, could you help me with something real quick?" Jimmy smiled as he saw the shocked look in her eyes. "Um, sure," she slowly answered. "We'll be right back," Jimmy assured his startled friends while leading Cindy to the lab's lounge.

As soon as Jimmy left his friends' sight, he felt his stomach begin to turn in circles. For the past few months, this had happened whenever he was alone with the blonde-haired girl he was now happy to call his friend. He allowed himself a smile as he remembered the last time he and Cindy had been alone in his lab. They'd spent the day building a garden, laughing and talking while their friends were all busy. "Jimmy, what's going on?" Cindy slowly asked. Jimmy thought he sensed a quiver in her tone and wondered if she too felt nervous when they were away from their friends. "I just need some help," he said while approaching the lounge's fridge. "No argument there," Cindy shot back. Jimmy spun around and glared at her, but his anger quickly faded as he got a good look at her face. Her cocky smile was in place, but her eyes held no malice. Jimmy's frown was immediately replaced by a smile, and he knew that this last day of summer was going to be one to remember. "Just carry these, Vortex," he playfully uttered while handing her three cans of soda. Once she'd accepted the drinks, he grasped two more and slammed the fridge shut with his foot. "Come on," he happily said while leading her back to their friends. Once he approached the group, Jimmy tossed one of his sodas to Sheen, who caught the drink with a wide smile, clearly excited over the prospect of ingesting more sugar. Cindy handed Carl and Libby the remaining extra drinks, and Jimmy cleared his throat while offering his friends a wide smile. "Guys, you know I'm not one to make speeches or someone who likes the sound of their own voice," he calmly began. His four friends shot him a blank stare, and he quickly moved on. "ButI really want to say something." Jimmy hesitated as he gripped his can of soda tighter. He was sure that every one of his friends knew how important they were to him, but he suddenly had been overcome with an overwhelming urge to vocalize his feelings. Hearing that their summer was truly over, combined with his good mood, made staying quiet an impossible task. Jimmy swallowed and smiled a little wider. "I just want to say that this summer was the best I've ever had. And even though half of you are girls," he uttered while playfully glaring at Libby and Cindy, who narrowed their eyes in response, "there's no one else I'd rather have shared it with." Libby's and Cindy's faces softened at his words. Cindy stared at Jimmy, noticed the kindness and warmth in his eyes, and was also overwhelmed by an urge to speak. She gripped her can tighter and quietly said, "Jimmy's right." Everyone stared at her, and she began to speak louder. "Thisthis summer was really incredible." Cindy allowed herself a small chuckle and slowly shook her head while thinking off all that she and her friends had done. "I mean, we went to Egypt, the moon, desert islands," she rattled off the places they had all been over the past three months, "even Scotland to visit those seals."

`Tis a Beautiful country," Sheen happily said. "I wish I'd never tried the haggis," Carl lamented with a shiver. Cindy shot them both a warning glance, but her anger vanished as she faced Jimmy once more. Again, she found that his gaze was solely focused on her and felt a shiver run down her spine. She had already formed the words she wished to say in her mind, but actually articulating them seemed such a daunting task. But as she looked into his blue eyes and saw the smile on his lips, she found herself taking a deep breath and beginning to speak. "And we'd never have done any of that without you, Jimmy. Sothank you." Jimmy couldn't hide his surprise. His lips twitched before forming an even wider grin. "Nono problem, Cindy. Thanks," he managed to utter. The two friends stared at each other and smiled for a long time. After ten seconds they both chuckled nervously and began to blush. "Um, do you guys know that we're still here?" Libby asked while motioning at Sheen and Carl. "We know!" Jimmy and Cindy both shouted at the same time before glancing at each other once more. Their cheeks turned an even darker shade of red, and both immediately looked away. Jimmy took a few seconds to compose himself and then slowly raised his soda into the air. "Well, here's a toast. To the end of the best summer ever, and the start of another great school year." He smiled at each of his friends, saving Cindy for last. He kept his eyes on her and she on him as he said, "Cheers."

Ten minutes later, Jimmy was happily piloting his rocket out of Earth's atmosphere. He quickly glanced over his shoulder, looked past Sheen and Carl, and settled his gaze on Cindy. She seemed to sense his stare and looked away from Libby and into his eyes. He offered a small smile, which she happily reflected. He wished he could stare longer, but he wasn't quite willing to risk killing them all by crashing his rocket. Reluctantly, he stared ahead once more and focused on bringing his friends to the moon. "So," Carl began in the seat behind Jimmy, "there's something I never did understand about this ship." Sheen stared at his friend and rubbed his chin. "Do tell." Carl stared all around at the blackness of space. "Aren't we supposed toyou knowneed air? Jimmy said space doesn't have that." Sheen nodded. "Uh-huh." A few seconds passed before his eyes widened. "Oh! Jimmy explained that to me before!" he happily shrieked. "I know this!" He loudly cleared his throat. "So"

"Keep it down!" Cindy growled while glaring at Sheen, who shrunk back into his seat. Cindy rolled her eyes and turned back to Libby. "Libby, you can do so much better." "I can still hear you!" Sheen angrily shouted. "Good!" Cindy snarled back. Sheen stuck his tongue out at her before resuming his conversation with Carl. Cindy looked back at Libby and sighed. "You know that, right?" Libby crossed her arms and shot Cindy a knowing glance. "Girl, do you really think you're one to give relationship advice?" Cindy narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?" Now it was Libby's turn to roll her eyes. "Do I really have to explain?" Cindy considered this remark before leaning back in her seat. "Thingswill happen when the time's right," she slowly admitted. Cindy considered each word before speaking, knowing that she was treading in dangerous waters. Libby leaned back in her seat. "Tonight seems pretty good." Cindy's eyes bugged open. "Hah!" "You keep it down!" Sheen said while spinning around and glaring at Cindy. The feisty blonde immediately raised a fist and glared at Sheen, who promptly hid behind Carl. The pudgy llama lover immediately protected his face, and Cindy rolled her eyes once more before returning her gaze to Libby. Libby crossed her arms and gently sighed. "Cindy, it's not even remotely a secret anymore. Just get it over with and ask him out already." Cindy shot a quick glance at the back of Jimmy's head. She frowned as she turned back to her best friend. "Yeah, because it's all my responsibility! If Neutron wants me, he can ask me out himself," she whispered. Libby slammed her head against the back of Carl's seat. "Cindy, do you know what happens when two immoveable objects meet?" Cindy stared curiously at her best friend. "What?" Libby looked deep into Cindy's eyes and steadily answered, "Nothing." Libby's tone made it impossible for Cindy to ignore her words. The two friends looked at each other in silence for a long moment, and Cindy found her happy mood vanishing. She finally opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Jimmy.

"Brace for landing," he calmly but loudly instructed his friends. Libby gave Cindy a tiny nod, a silent gesture to consider her words, before holding tightly onto the door beside her. Everyone mirrored her actions and rose a few inches out of their seat as the Strato XL touched down. The rocket slowly skidded to a stop, and everyone heard Jimmy release a loud sigh of pleasure. "Hello Luna," he happily muttered while unbuckling his seatbelt. "Long time no see." Jimmy was the first to exit the rocket and smiled widely while strolling over to Libby's and Cindy's seats. He opened their door and graciously bowed while saying, "Ladies." Libby shot Cindy a serious look before smiling at Jimmy. "Thank you, James," she playfully scoffed before exiting the rocket. Cindy hesitated before vacating the vessel, but eventually followed suit. Jimmy looked into her eyes, and she was surprised to see a flicker of fear race through them. "Thank you," Cindy quietly offered. Jimmy slowly swallowed and gently closed the door behind her. "You're welcome," he whispered. Jimmy's tone was completely serious; all traces of his playful banter had vanished. Cindy found this simultaneously discomforting and touching. Their intense stare was only broken when Sheen's loud voice rang out. "What about us?" he angrily asked. "Equality!" Jimmy chuckled in amusement and smiled at Cindy before walking towards the front of the rocket. He quickly picked up his hypercube and walked a few yards away from his vehicle. Cindy watched him for a few seconds before vainly attempting to shake her head to rid her confusion. "Hello!" Sheen shouted. "Shut it!" Cindy warned while strolling away. "I guess chivalry really is dead," Sheen sadly muttered while hopping over the rocket's door. Carl slowly tried to imitate his actions and landed in a heap on the ground. Jimmy scanned the empty lunar wasteland and gave a small smile. "A good a spot as any," he mumbled while reaching into his hypercube. His friends gathered around as he pulled out a picnic basket. "Sheen, Libby? Why don't you set up the picnic?" "Sure thing," Libby said while accepting the basket. Jimmy reached into the hypercube once more and handed Sheen a large blanket. "Don't forget these," Carl said while handing Libby his platter of bran bars. Libby stared at the food in fright, but eventually accepted the plate before leading Sheen a short distance away.

"Carl, why don't you set up the tees for golf," Jimmy instructed while pulling a bag of golf clubs, a box of golf balls, and a package of tees out of the hypercube. "Um, okay," Carl slowly answered while struggling to grasp the supplies. "Thanks," Jimmy said while walking back to his rocket. Cindy watched him for a few seconds, wondering why he hadn't given her a task. Eventually, she shrugged and decided to follow Jimmy. Carl looked at the ground and then at the tees for a few long seconds. "How do I get them into the ground? It's all rock!" he desperately shouted. "I believe in you!" Sheen's shrill voice rang out. Jimmy took a seat on the rocky ground and leaned against his rocket. He fixed his gaze on Earth, which seemed to rest directly in front of him. Though he knew it impossible, he still felt that he could reach out and touch the beautiful orb. He'd seen his planet from such a distance hundreds of times, but the view never ceased to amaze him. His smile grew as he saw Cindy take a seat beside him. The two children sat in silence and admired the view. "It's really beautiful, isn't it?" Jimmy finally asked. Cindy gave a small nod and watched as the enormous patches of clouds slowly swirled across the oceans. "It is," she quietly agreed. Jimmy managed to break his gaze off of Earth and looked at Cindy. It only took a second for her to meet his gaze. He gathered his courage and finally managed to ask, "Did you really mean what you said in the lab?" Cindy struggled to keep from biting her bottom lip as her stomach began to twist into knots. "Yes," she finally offered. Jimmy managed a small smile and then turned back to his planet. He felt his right hand begin to tremble, and he slowly grasped Cindy's left palm. He felt her shiver, perhaps from shock and perhaps from pleasure; he couldn't be sure. Yet after a few seconds she intertwined their fingers, and Jimmy swore his heart skipped two beats. I love you. The three words appeared in Jimmy's mind without him thinking them. He immediately felt at peace once they appeared, but then felt his heart race as he realized that more than anything, he wished to say them aloud. He sighed without meaning to, and he saw Cindy turn to face him. "Jimmy?" she nervously asked. Cursing his faux pas, Jimmy gave his head a small shake. "Justjust the view," he lied.

Cindy nodded, fully believing his lie. She turned back to Earth and squirmed around to get comfortable. "How much time do we have?" she quietly whispered. Jimmy smiled once more at her question. "A while," he steadily answered. He gave a small laugh and explained his reasoning. "I'm sure it won't take long for Sheen to do something crazy, and then Libby will lose her temper." Cindy chuckled as well. "And Carl will freak out and start crying, and then Libby will have him to deal with." Neither Jimmy nor Cindy was surprised as they heard Libby began to shout something unintelligible, which was shortly followed by Carl nervously screaming. Jimmy looked to Cindy and smiled wider. "Do you think we're that predictable?" We don't have to be, Cindy desperately thought. Just kiss him. Cindy felt a strange quivering in her chest and felt an overwhelming urge to follow her thoughts. Two immoveable objects never get anywhere. So make a move. Cindy swallowed nervously and squeezed Jimmy's hand. Jimmy felt his entire body shake as Cindy squeezed his palm. How had he gotten to this point? Jimmy knew that was the wrong question to ask. The right one was how had he and Cindy ever not been like this? As he looked deeper into Cindy's emerald eyes, he found it impossible to understand how he ever thought he'd hated her, how he'd enjoyed tormenting her and wished her out of his life. Things had changed so much in the few years since he'd come to Retroville. He suddenly tried to envision his life without Cindy and realized he couldn't. That realization made the words race out of his mouth before he'd realized the consequences they would bring. "I want to kiss you," he whispered. Cindy couldn't believe what Jimmy had said. More accurately, she found it utterly impossible to process his words. There could simply be no way that Jimmy was saying those things to her. It wasn't feasible. So she simply stared at him blankly and watched as he averted his gaze to the ground between them. Say something, Cindy's voice quickly spoke inside her mind. Cindy's heart began to slam against her chest so hard she knew it was leaving bruises. She slowly swallowed and saw the hope drain out of Jimmy's eyes. Say anything! Her voice screamed. Cindy gulped once more and opened her mouth. "II" Cindy felt tears begin to burn her eyes. She didn't know whether they were forming out of frustration or fear or desire or all three, but she knew if she didn't speak she would break down, and she would not allow that to happen. "II want you to kiss me," she managed to whisper. Jimmy looked up and stared at the girl beside him. He scanned her face, searching for any sign that she was joking, that she was playing a trick on him, that this was some sort of black-hearted treachery. He found none. He saw only fear and desire, the same emotions he was sure were etched across his face. He and Cindy squeezed their hands at the same time and slowly leaned in.

The gap wasn't halfway closed when Jimmy felt it. He'd expected a shiver to run through his body; he had long gotten used to that when he was around Cindy. But he wasn't prepared for the rumble that emanated from the ground. It was so faint he couldn't be sure if he'd imagined it, but it still sent a shock straight up his spine. His eyes had begun to close when he'd leaned in, but they immediately shot open. He yanked his head back and looked around in fright. "Jimmy?" Cindy desperately asked, her voice weaker than he had ever heard. Jimmy couldn't focus on her words. The rumble was gone, and in its place was a painful stillness. Jimmy narrowed his eyes. He hadn't imagined it, he was sure of that. "Did you feel that?" he asked while getting to his feet. Cindy blinked her eyes and couldn't keep herself from burying her head in her hands. "Feel what?" she desperately asked. Jimmy looked around once more. He saw Sheen, Libby, and Carl gathering around the blanket, which was now filled with plates of food. He ignored this and focused on every inch of ground, searching for anything out of place. There was nothing. "A rumble," he explained. He looked back at Cindy, who had snapped her head back up and stared at him with equal parts misery and anger. "I didn't feel anything!" she nearly shouted. The right corner of Jimmy's mouth twitched as he looked around once more. There was still nothing. "Ifelt something." Cindy slowly rose to her feet and stared hard at Jimmy. "Neutron" "Jimmy! Cindy!" Libby's nervous voice reached them. "Where are you?" "Here!" Jimmy shouted back while emerging from behind his rocket. He quickly ran over to his friends and asked, "Did you feel the ground shake?" Carl, Sheen, and Libby shared a confused glance. "I didn't feel anything," Libby answered. Cindy quickly strolled past Jimmy and stared angrily at him. "Just forget it and eat, Neutron," she angrily muttered. Jimmy cast one more quick look around and then slowly sat down. "Yeah," he quietly agreed. "Okay." The meal passed slowly for Jimmy. He could hear his friends talking beside him, but his mind was only able to process bits and pieces of their conversations. He made out Sheen eagerly discussing when the newest Ultralord movie was coming out. He managed to understand that Carl was nervous over his new homeroom teacher. Libby's frustration at her parents for not

allowing her a pet reached his brain. Yet the only thing that Jimmy was truly able to focus on was that something was terribly wrong on Luna. Jimmy spent the entire meal thinking of what had transpired as he had leaned in to kiss Cindy. The first thing he did was acknowledge that he had, without a doubt, actually felt a rumble in the ground. Once he had decided this, the next course of action had been to think of a logical reason for the vibration. Perhaps his distant robotic brother had been the cause. Another possibility was a meteor landing on the far side of the moon. Jimmy tried to convince himself that one of these things had been the source, but there was something he couldn't explain. That was the feeling of dread that absolutely refused to recede from every inch of his body. "Jimmy!" Sheen's voice screamed directly into his ear. Jimmy immediately yanked himself away from the source of the noise and collapsed onto the ground. "Neutron, you in there?" Cindy angrily asked while standing above him and glaring down. "Yeah," Jimmy slowly began while shaking his head and rubbing his ear. "What's wrong?" Libby offered Jimmy a hand, which he gratefully accepted. She hoisted him to his feet and said, "We're ready for some of that low-gravity golf." She looked into his eyes and whispered, "Are you okay?" Once more, Jimmy took a quick look around the moon. Once more, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. "Yeah," he quietly lied. "I'm fine." He looked at Cindy, who continued to glare at him. "Still think you can beat my three hundred yards?" he weakly asked. Cindy's stare softened a nearly imperceptible amount. "No question," she all but growled. Jimmy followed his friends to where Carl had set up their makeshift driving range. Stop it, Jimmy angrily told himself. It's nothingand you know it, he slowly tried to convince himself. Don't ruin this. "You're up, Neutron," Cindy said while handing Jimmy her club. She looked into his eyes and allowed her expression to soften. "Good luck. You'll need it." Jimmy forced a smile and accepted the club. "I doubt it," he playfully uttered, and felt his fears begin to melt away as Cindy gave a tiny smile. He took his place beside his ball and adjusted his grip on the club. He took in a slow breath, narrowed his eyes, and pulled his club back. His backswing was at its peak when he felt it again. An almost imperceptible rumbling in the ground beneath his feet. He immediately released his grip on his club and heard his friends gasp as it flew over their heads. "Neutron!" Cindy screamed. "Are you trying to kill us?" "You didn't feel that?" he desperately asked.

"Feel what?" Libby questioned. Jimmy gave them all a confused stare and shook his head. He knew he seemed crazy, he knew that it was possible he was imagining things. But his stomach was twisting into coils, and he could feel the fear spreading along every nerve. "I'll be back," he whispered while slowly walking towards his rocket. "What the hell is his problem?" Cindy growled while following him. "This isn't good," Carl whispered. "Catfight!" Sheen happily shrieked. Libby sadly shook her head. "That's between two girls, Sheen." "Catdogfight!" Sheen immediately countered. Jimmy could hear Cindy's footsteps as he bent over his rocket and pulled out his emergency kit. "Come on," he angrily muttered as he struggled to open it with his trembling hands. "Alright, that's it," Cindy snarled while stopping behind him and crossing her arms. "I should have known you'd find a way to ruin this!" Jimmy barely heard Cindy's voice. He swore he could hear his heart beating as he tried to find his binoculars. Cindy gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into fists when Jimmy didn't respond. "I did mean it!" she shouted. She could hear the sadness mixing with anger in her tone, and she hated herself for it. "I meant what I said in the lab!" Jimmy managed to grasp the binoculars and slowly pulled them out of the box. Come on, he angrily told himself while struggling to power them on. "And I meant what I said right here!" Cindy nearly screamed. "II wanted you to kiss me!" Got it, Jimmy thought as the binoculars hummed to life. "But I don't anymore!" Cindy shouted as her hands began to tremble. "I should have known this would happen. Every time we talk, every time we get closer, you just ignore me!" Jimmy was beginning to register that Cindy was furious, but he felt like his body was on autopilot. He merely straightened his back, spun around, and looked through his binoculars. Cindy couldn't take it anymore. She used every ounce of her self control to keep from punching the idiotic boy in his face. "I know there's nothing there!" she roared. "I know you're just

scared!" She snarled madly and began to see red spots dance across her vision. "So at least have the decency to admit it! Admit you're too scared to kiss me!" Cindy's tone was so desperate that Jimmy's worried mind couldn't ignore it any longer. He immediately understood the pain he was putting her through and, all at once, hated himself for it. Just as he was prepared to put the binoculars down and apologize, he saw it. Cindy squeezed her eyes shut and swore at herself to keep from crying. "I hate" "Cindy." Cindy couldn't believe that Jimmy's voice stopped her. No matter how mad Cindy got, there was always a small part of her mind locked away, a tiny remnant of her sanity she kept alive in case of an emergency. Cindy had known Jimmy for years, and so she knew that the fear and dread in his voice warranted that piece of her mind to break free. And so she stopped mid-sentence and felt her blood begin to cool. She took a few deep breaths and finally managed to ask, "What?" Jimmy felt nothing but fear as he handed Cindy the binoculars. She slowly accepted them and stared straight ahead. Two equally painful thoughts raced through Jimmy's mind as Cindy's face fell. The first was that Jimmy and his friends were in horrible danger. They had faced countless obstacles and faced death dozens of times, but never like this. The dozen robotic droids slowly advancing towards them were enormous. Jimmy didn't know much about weapons, but he knew that the guns grafted onto their arms were not designed to stun or disable. They were meant to kill. The second thought was more painful. As Jimmy managed to look at Cindy, he remembered how close he had come to kissing her, to forever changing their relationship for the better. He knew Cindy. He knew that, in time, she would understand why he had ignored her and forgive him. But he also knew that it would not happen quickly. Two steps forward, one step back. That was how their relationship always worked. And he knew it would be a long time before he retook that last step. "The pulse rifle," Cindy calmly said while turning to face Jimmy. Jimmy could so clearly see the emotions etched across her face. Pain from being rebuffed, fear of the battle that lay ahead, but more than anything, resolve that she could handle it. Jimmy knew that her expression would not soften anytime soon. Then he realized that he couldn't afford to think like that right now. All of his friends' lives were on the line. "I'll get it," Jimmy answered. Cindy nodded and lowered the binoculars. She gave a gentle sigh to release all her fears before asking, "Ready, Neutron?" Jimmy's heart sank, but he nodded. "Ready, Cindy."

Chapter 5: Trouble Back Home

Author's Note: This chapter takes place roughly 3/5 of the way through The Final Battle and focuses on Libby Folfax.

"We'll press on." The voice was Jimmy's, although it was nigh unrecognizable. Libby had never before heard her friend so weak, so defeated. For a long time, these would be the only words she could understand. She would hear her friends, both in space and inside the lab beside her, but their words were a garbled mess of sounds bouncing around inside her head. There was only one thought she could truly focus on after Jimmy had confirmed that they were leaving her boyfriend behind. Sheen is gone.

"Libby, I'm not in the mood to run a manual diagnostic procedure." Jimmy's voice again. An hour had passed since Sheen's demise. Libby still sat in her chair, unable to stand and walk away. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, seeing how she would react. She listened as Jimmy asked for a status report on his rockets. She blinked several times, willing that most painful of thoughts to recede. Sheen is gone. Libby slowly nodded, knowing that everyone was counting on her. Jimmy needed to know if his ships could fly. Carl needed to see that she was staying strong. The children in Jimmy's lab needed a leader. She pointed at Carl, who was still sniffling, but managed to weakly type on his keyboard. She then pointed to a quiet child she had just met two days prior name Ike Clarence, who mirrored Carl's actions. "It will take a minute," she quietly told Jimmy. Libby took this moment to rub her forehead and staunch the forming tears. Then she felt it, a pair of eyes drilling into her back. She spun around and saw a tall, blonde-haired boy a year older than she. His blue eyes bore into her hers for the briefest of moments, and then he looked down at the clipboard in his hands. Libby silently spun back around and clutched her forehead once more. Sheen is gone.

"Mike here. Hang on, I'll get Libby." Libby was still clutching her forehead, using every ounce of her strength to keep from crying. She knew she was fighting a losing battle. The burning in her eyes was growing; the flames licking away at her soul were intensifying. Pain was the only thing she could feel. It took everything she had to slowly pull her hands away and glance to her right. The blue-eyed boy who had stared at her, Mike, was slowly approaching her. He gently pointed at the headset lying on the control panel in front of her. Libby sighed and felt her entire body tremble as she slipped her communications device back on. "What is it, Jimmy?" she tiredly asked. "Do you know what planet we're on? Is it on my map?" Libby closed her eyes in disgust. She was failing everyone. Jimmy, Cindy, and the other children were deep in space on an unknown planet. She should have already looked up some basic information on the planet. "Checking," she answered while pulling up Jimmy's map. Mike's steely blue eyes remained fixed on Libby as she explained to Jimmy that the planet was named Minerva.

Sheen is gone. More time had passed. Libby blinked once more and ran a trembling wrist over her moist eyes. She realized her cheeks were now wet. Some tears had escaped. Another failure on her part. "Libby," Mike gently said from the seat across from her. Libby still didn't meet his gaze. He nervously bit his lip and then repeated "Libby," twice as loud. The beautiful girl before him snapped back to reality. "Yeah?" she whispered while giving her head a slight shake. Mike couldn't look into her eyes for more than a second. He glanced back down at the clipboard in his hands and pointed at a series of numbers. "Like I was saying, we just got back the last data from the DNA scans. Your hunch was right," he whispered with an air of pride. "The coordinates of the parents don't match those of Yolkus." Libby didn't answer. Mike waited a few more seconds before slowly looking back up. Her brown ears were coated in a new layer of tears; her gaze was unfocused. "I'll let Jimmy know," he comfortingly whispered while reaching up and activating his headset.

Libby's hand snapped forward and wrapped itself around Mike's wrist. Mike felt his chest tighten at the brief touch before Libby released her grasp. "Conflicting coordinates," she barely managed to mumble while nodding. "Got it." Before Mike could say another word, Libby had turned her headset back on. "Jimmy?" Libby waited for the pained yet calm voice of his friend to answer, but Cindy was the one to respond with, "He's giving a speech." Cindy's voice dropped noticeably, and there was a long pause. "Libby, are you okay?" "I need to talk to Jimmy," Libby quickly shot back, her voice suddenly infused with strength. She would not let others question whether she was okay. That would be tantamount to breaking, and Libby Folfax would not allow herself to break. Not when there was still a job to be done. There was another pause, and Libby's blank stare returned as she waited for Cindy to speak. "Okay, I'll get him," she quietly offered. Mike managed to look up from his clipboard once more and stared into Libby's lifeless eyes. Even as she spoke to Jimmy and explained that the parents were being held on an alien ship, her eyes never lit up with that steady fire he had come to admire. Even as her voice filled with a convincing imitation of strength, her eyes revealed her pain. "Libby, thanks for the heads up. We've got a bunch of work to do here. Neutron out." Jimmy's final words were followed by the click of his headset turning off. Mike blinked and struggled to understand what he had just heard. He studied the girl across from him once more and narrowed his eyes in fury. That was all the thanks Libby would receive for giving Jimmy this crucial information? Thanks for the heads up. We've got a bunch of work to do here. Was Jimmy insane? For over an hour, Libby had silently sat in his lab, struggling beyond all measure to be strong for her friends. Her boyfriend had just died, and Mike had watched her struggle to stay strong for everyone else, never taking a moment for herself. And that was all Jimmy could say to thank her? Libby slowly pulled off her headset with trembling hands. She gently set it down on the counter before her and gave an unsteady sigh. "Let's," she paused and swallowed hard, "Let's plot them a course for the ship." Libby reached forward to tap on her keyboard, but Mike's hand fell on top of hers. She stared at it for a long moment, her mind unable to process even this simple event. At long last, she looked into the boy's kind eyes. "I'll handle it," he promised before slowly pulling his hand away. "Libby, please go. Take a break, please." The idea that Libby could take time to herself caused her entire body to shudder. Her hands wrapped themselves into fists, and she felt her nose begin to run as her eyes filled once more

with tears. She swiped her right hand across her face and shakily whispered, "II need to be here." Mike shook his head. "Libby, I can handle this. You know that." Libby stared once more into the blue eyes before her. She had only known the boy for a few days, but she had to admit he was an utter whiz with computers. If he was in the same grade as she, there was no doubt he and Jimmy would be good friends. "II" she couldn't finish her sentence without breaking down. Mike's offer had sent her over the edge. The tears fell down her face, a raging river darting amidst the wrinkles caused by fatigue and pain. Mike gently grabbed her hand and forced himself not to try to interlock their fingers. He slowly led her towards the lab's elevator and was grateful that she didn't resist. "Go wherever you need to go," he softly whispered while coming to a stop at the end of the lab. "Take however long you need." "Carl," Libby moaned while collapsing against Mike's shoulder. Mike struggled not to pull back in shock. He lifted his free hand, let it hover over Libby for a few seconds, and then slowly rested it against the back of her head. "I promise we'll take care of him," he whispered. He felt his shirt grow warm from the growing puddle of tears and squeezed Libby's hand. "I promise." Libby slowly pulled away and managed to nod. She knew there was no way she could keep going any longer. She needed to get out of the lab, away from the crowd who was gratefully trying not to stare at her. She let go of Mike's hand, tried to smile, and ended up sobbing once more. She spun around, ran into the elevator, and slammed her fist against its controls. As soon as the elevator stopped ascending and its doors slid open, Libby ran forward. She crashed into the clubhouse's door, twisted the doorknob, and pushed forward as hard as she could. She fell forward and landed hard on the dewy grass. The tears, already flowing freely, rushed out of her as her entire body convulsed in pain. The moonlight washed over the ground; stars twinkling in the sky high above. She unclenched her fists and dug her fingers into the dirt, scraping them against the ground in a desperate attempt to control herself. It failed. Libby had never cried so hard. Sometimes the sounds escaping her could pass for sobs, other times they were animalistic roars of fury and pain. Once, she realized that she was heaving and clutching her stomach, suddenly overcome with silence. No sounds were escaping her, although the tears still rushed down her cheeks. She felt a burning in her throat as her stomach seemed to coil around itself, and she bent forward and cried as her empty stomach sent bile spewing from her mouth. Sheen. Libby tried to mouth the words, but every aspect of her face was beyond her control. She couldn't stop the tears, she couldn't keep her noise from running, and her face was contorted into a pained snarl.

The light in Jimmy's bedroom came on. Libby's eyes snapped to Jimmy's house of their own accord. The children stranded on Earth had all agreed it best to stay near the lab and fortify the area in case any Yolkians had remained on Earth to attack the control team. Jimmy's, Cindy's, Carl's, and other nearby houses were full of children. She had been anything but quiet; she knew that her cries had awoken them. She needed to move, she needed to get away before they came outside and tried to comfort her. She needed to be alone, away from the children who had no idea of what she was feeling. So she pushed herself off of the ground and began to run. She was halfway down the street, eyes blurred from the tears, unable to see where she was heading, when the rumble of thunder stopped her. She stopped dead in her tracks and looked up at the sky as a bolt of lightning turned night into day for the briefest of moments. She saw how dark the clouds were and closed her eyes while hugging herself tight. Let it rain. She wanted to be caught in a downpour; she wanted be washed away in a torrential shower. She wanted it to be as miserable outside as she was inside. She wanted to be covered in something other than her tears. Libby took a deep breath and waited for the water to wash over her. And waited. And waited. More thunder pierced her ears as another bolt of lightning filled the sky. She opened her eyes and looked straight up. In the distance, so far away she could barely spot them in the moonlight; drops of water were falling from the heavens. She slowly moved her hands around and still felt nothing. Her confusion only lasted a moment. It was the force field. Libby clenched her fists in raw fury. She felt her breaths quicken and narrowed her eyes at the sky before screaming as loud as she could. Every breath of air in her lungs was expelled in a furious roar that left her entire body shaking. As she gasped for air, the trembling intensified, and she crumbled to a heap in the middle of the street. She couldn't even open her eyes; she couldn't move a muscle as somehow more tears escaped her. What had she done to deserve this? To lose the person she loved, to be utterly alone, to not even have the smallest luxury of crying in the rain? Why was this happening to her? She couldn't take it. She couldn't sit there and do nothing any longer. She shoved herself off of the ground and ran as fast as she could. Legs trembling from hunger and sorrow and exhaustion, she tripped and slid across the unforgiving asphalt. She felt the skin on her left leg scrape away and cringed as it seemed to become set ablaze. Yet she didn't stop. She pushed herself back up and kept running. Her pained frown morphed into a menacing snarl that would have made Cindy proud. She never stopped running, not as her legs burned from exhaustion, not as her throat begged for water, not as her stomach's cramps turned into crippling waves of pain. The wall was invisible. She slammed into it face first and felt more blood pour from her nose. She narrowed her eyes at her unseen foe and knew she had to destroy it. She pulled both arms back, curled her hands into fists, and slammed them down as hard as she could. They painfully bounced off of the wall.

"I hate you!" she screamed, her voice scratched and hoarse from crying for so long. She kicked it as hard as she could with her good leg and felt a wave of pain race up from her toes to her knee. This didn't deter her, and neither did her next dozen blows. She would destroy the damned thing if it killed her. This force field, this invisible wall, was the source of all of her pain. Libby's mind raced as her hands and feet grew numb. If the obstacle before her wasn't there, everything would be different. She would be up in space with Jimmy and Cindy instead of being stuck on Earth. Or she could still be here, but could build a rocket and fly off to save Sheen herself. "Sheen!" she desperately screamed while clawing at the force field like a wild animal. She felt her nails crack and break from her desperate attack. The thought filled her with renewed vigor. She was right. If she could destroy the blasted wall, she could find him. She could build a rocket and traverse the asteroid field. She would search every valley and crater of every rock until she found him. And all her pain? It would be worth it to see the joyous look on his face. Libby took a dozen steps back and narrowed her eyes in hatred. She lowered her shoulder and charged at the wall. She rammed it with all her strength, used every ounce of muscle in her body to shove against the force field. It was nowhere near enough. She crumpled to the ground and moaned in agony as the grass' dew rubbed over her bloody face. She cried once more. Horrible, painful sobs racked her body as this latest hope splintered and died. She wouldn't save Sheen. Was he even alive to be saved? Her arms felt like dead weights and her fingers burnt at the slightest movement, but she managed to push herself off of the ground and stared at the invisible wall before her. She continued to cry as she crawled forward and rested her head against the force field. A new thought raced through her mind. If this thing wasn't in place, if the field hadn't blocked communications with the rest of the world, would any of this have happened? Would Sheen had even left Earth? "We're just kids," she moaned while struggling to breathe. She managed to open her swollen eyes and wiped the tears away. Why was she doing this? Why were any of her friends forced to do this? Gather weapons, build rockets, fly off into space to fight aliens? They were just children. If that force field wasn't there, sealing her town off from the rest of her world, perhaps Jimmy could have asked for help. He could have built the ships and let the army go save their parents. Sheen could have been sitting beside her, and she and her friends could have waited safely as their parents were rescued. She had run out of tears as she finished these thoughts. There was no use in wishing for things to be different. Sheen is gone. That was the only thing that mattered. He was gone and was never coming back. Libby slowly rose to her feet and looked around. She barely recognized where she was. How far had she run? Two miles? Three? She gave her head a solemn shake and forced herself to place one foot in front of the other. She needed Sheen. And though she knew that she

couldn't have all of him, there was one place where could at least obtain a tiny part of the boy she loved. Libby felt numb as she twisted Sheen's doorknob open. Despite the pain from her long walk, she felt nothing. Her mind was clouded, her brain unable to form a single thought except that which had haunted her for hours. Sheen is gone. Libby slowly ascended the stairs inside Sheen's home. She pushed open his bedroom door and immediately spotted the nearby laundry basket. She swiped a dirty shirt off of the top of the laundry pile and held it against her face. She inhaled deeply and felt her entire body quiver as Sheen's scent overpowered her. She collapsed onto his bed, closed her eyes, and fell asleep as soon as her eyelids closed. It didn't take long for the dreams to appear.

"Sheen, even if you do see Nessie, do you really think it's a good idea to dive in after her?" Libby asked while rolling her eyes. Jimmy kept his gaze straight ahead while piloting the hover car over the enormous body of water. "Libby's right, Sheen. Let me get a solid sonar reading before we" "Adventure time!" Sheen happily shouted while diving overboard. He immediately flopped onto the water's surface, and his four friends watched in horror as he struggled to keep his head above water. "I can't swim!" he desperately shrieked. "They why'd you jump?" Carl screamed in terror. Libby immediately stripped down to her bathing suit, earning a curious look from Jimmy. A quick punch to the arm from Cindy caused him to turn away as she jumped over the edge of the hover car and gracefully plunged beneath the beautiful blue water. Her eyes opened and then narrowed in frustration as she hooked her arm around Sheen's neck and struggled to lift him above the water's surface. "Awesome!" Sheen happily cried out while Cindy and Carl yanked him back onboard.

"I'm sick of this!" Libby screamed while struggling to keep from crying. Sheen stood across from her, the only two people present in Ms. Wolf's classroom. The bell had rung two minutes prior, and Libby knew that her tirade was causing both her and Sheen to be late. But enough was enough. Sheen cringed and looked down at the ground. His normally joyous eyes were filled with sorrow and regret. "Libs, I"

"Shut up!" Libby shouted. "Do you know how this feels, Sheen? You are two years older than me! So why am I the mature one, the one who takes charge, the one who actually remembers its Valentine's Day!" Sheen's gaze remained fixed on the floor, and his right shoe slowly moved from side to side. "But I" Libby slashed her arm across the air. "Nick gave Betty a card, and she's not even his girlfriend. Jimmy made Cindy a heart, and we all know what their relationship's like!" she shouted. "Even Carl wrote Elkie a poem, Sheen! And you? What did you do?" Sheen took a long moment to answer. He took in a shaky breath and tried hard not to cry. "I bought an Ultralord DVD." For the first time, he looked up and met her gaze with remnants of strength. "And asked you to come over after school to watch it." Libby rolled her eyes. "And if that's your idea of a date, then we're through!" Libby crossed her arms and spun around, refusing to stare at the fool in front of her for another second. A full minute passed as Sheen pondered his options. Finally, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace. A single golden quarter note hung off of it. "Thenthen you can have the surprise now." He let out a heavy sigh and placed the necklace on the desk beside him. Tears racing down his cheeks, he dashed past Libby while moaning, "And I'll just go." Libby stared after him before turning around. Her mouth fell and her heart cracked as she saw her gift.

The goodbye was brief, because what was there to say that hadn't been said a hundred times? Libby and Sheen stood across from each other, surrounded by dozens of rockets and hundreds of children. Two weeks of preparations were complete, and now it was time to do the impossible. Now it was time to say goodbye. Libby stared at the tall boy before her. For anyone else, for anyone who didn't know Sheen the way she did, it would have been impossible to take the teenager seriously. His fingers were twitching from too much sugar and his Ultralord T-shirt seemed completely inappropriate battle wear. But Libby could see past that. She saw the sorrow and resolve in his eyes. She noticed the way his arms were slightly curled towards her, silently asking for one last hug. As she complied, she swore she could smell the fear and worry on his breath. "Sobe safe, okay?" Sheen quietly asked while smelling her hair, sniffing deeply so as to remember every ingredient in her shampoo. Libby managed a weak laugh and buried her face onto his shoulder. "You're the one going off to battle." She gave his shoulder a quick kiss before pulling away and looking into his eyes. "I love you, Sheen Estevez. And I believe in you."

Sheen's trembling lips curled into a smile. "I love you too. AndI'll get them back. Your parents." He nervously swallowed and squeezed her hands tight. "I promise." Libby felt a tear fall and managed a nod. She opened her mouth to speak, but Sheen's head lunged forward, and she felt his quivering lips fall on top of hers. She barely had time to kiss back before he pulled away. "I love you," he whispered before turning around and walking away. Libby watched him hop into his rocket and turn towards Jimmy. She closed her eyes and sighed before heading back to Jimmy's lab.

Libby's eyes slowly opened. Quickly, desperately, she slammed them shut. Her lips still tingled from her last kiss with Sheen. Deep down, she truly believed that if she kept her eyes closed, if she hugged his shirt tight, that she would feel him on her forever. She squeezed her eyes tighter and held the shirt to her face. She inhaled deeply and trembled as she smelled her boyfriend. Sheen's not gone. Not until I open my eyes. She would never open them. She would lie on his bed forever and let her dreams become reality. She would become lost in the past, savor every memory, fall in love with every tiny detail. She would never again take the maniacal boy for granted. Her mind began to wrap itself around another moment, and she swore she could fill Sheen's body press against hers. And just as her agony was replaced with peace, as her sorrow began to fade and she was filled with joy, she was snapped back to reality. "Woof?" the dog quietly barked. Libby's eyes shot open of their own accord, and she cried out as the tingling on her lips ceased. She expected to be filled with sorrow, but it was rage that took over her body as she stared at the bedroom's entrance. Goddard stood in the middle of the doorframe, his body bending towards the ground. The dog slowly blinked and looked deep into Libby's eyes. "Woof?" he quietly asked once more. Libby leaped out of bed and stared daggers at the creature. "What?" she screamed. Goddard immediately lowered his head onto the ground and began to tremble. Libby felt her chest quiver and her throat go dry. "Why are you here?" she shouted as her voice cracked. The dog let out a tiny whimper, and Libby snarled at the creature. "Who needs me now? Carl? Jimmy? Cindy? All of them?" she spat the words out like venom, eager to rid her mouth of their sour taste. "Is that why you're here? Because they need me again?" Goddard slowly shook his head, but Libby was too furious to notice. "Well you know who needs me for once in my life?" "I need me!" she screamed while swiping the alarm clock off of Sheen's nightstand. She spun around, cocked her arm back, and threw it at the dog as hard as she could.

"You stupid animal!" she cried out while collapsing onto the ground. Goddard bobbed his head to the left and narrowly dodged the missile. He let out a pained whimper and took another step back. "Leave me alone!" Libby roared through the tears. "Justjust go!" Her body trembled, and she hugged Sheen's shirt tight. "Just leave," she whispered. Libby closed her eyes and leaned against Sheen's bed. This was how it would end. She would die of a broken heart here in Sheen's room. There was no possible way she could go on. She would lie on his floor, clutch his shirt, and wither away. Just as she had resigned herself to her fate, she heard a pained whimpering that wasn't her own. She slowly opened her eyes, stared across the room, and pulled back in shock. Goddard was lying on the floor, mechanical arms wrapped over his face, and crying. Libby's eyes widened in disbelief. Tears of oil were falling down the dog's face and making a small puddle beneath him. She had never known that Goddard could cry. The act was so utterly human that she couldn't help but ask, "Goddard?" The dog whimpered once more. Libby slowly crawled towards Jimmy's pet and studied the animal. Its entire body was trembling, as though it was wracked with sobs. For a few moments, Libby could not understand why this was. Then it hit her. Libby had known Sheen since kindergarten, but she had never truly talked to him until fifth grade. Only then did she begin to consider him a friend. It wasn't until he had professed his love for her under the effects of Jimmy's love potion that she had ever wondered if he might be more than that. But when the potion had undoubtedly worn off, when he had reacted so joyously to her keeping Meltyface close to her, that was when she had realized that she had come to truly care for the boy. That was a year and a half ago. Jimmy had been friends with Sheen since the day he had moved to town four years ago. That meant that Goddard had been friends with Sheen just as long. The dog before her had cared her boyfriend long before she ever had. "Oh, Goddard," Libby weakly moaned while wrapping the dog in a hug. The creature pulled back at first, surely expecting more punishment from her. But as soon as he looked into her eyes, he whimpered once more and curled up against her chest. Libby hugged the animal tight and shivered as his cold titanium body pressed against hers. Libby picked up the shaking dog and carried him across the room. She used one hand to lift up Sheen's comforter and slid underneath it. She wrapped her and Goddard underneath the blanket and rested her head against him as more tears fell. Libby had no idea how long they lay like this. For a long time, neither could do anything except cry. Eventually, Goddard nuzzled his head against her chest and fell asleep in her arms. Despite the steadily rising sun, Libby fell unconscious soon after. Eventually, they both stirred awake, and Libby slowly sat up and leaned against the wall beside the bed.

Goddard whimpered once more and lay down on top of her stretched legs. "Goddard, he's really gone," Libby quietly uttered. The dog managed a tiny nod in response. "Bark," he sadly uttered while glancing at Libby heart and then staring deeply into her eyes. "Bark woof." Libby stared at the animal and realized that he was trying to communicate. "II don't understand," she barely managed to mumble. Goddard repeated his movements and uttered, "Bark woof," once more. "I don't understand!" Libby cried out, tears threatening to spill over once more. Goddard stared sadly at the girl before him. He slowly rose to his feet and flipped open the monitor on his chest. Several seconds passed as he struggled to work the device properly. It had been over a year since he had used the contraption. Jimmy no longer needed any words to understand Goddard. The dog hesitated for a few more seconds before enabling the letters to scroll across his screen. He loved you dearly. Libby stared at the monitor for a long moment before bursting into tears. She had barely managed to wipe her eyes when she heard a soft bark. She sniffled, slowly turned back to Goddard, and found new words on his monitor. I am sorry. I did not mean to upset you. Libby ran a wrist underneath her nose and sighed. "It's okay," she painfully whispered. "II loved him too." He was aware of this. Libby struggled to form a grateful smile, but the expression quickly disappeared as she banged her head against the wall. "I yelled at him," she moaned. "All he ever did was love me and try to make me happy, but all I ever did was yell." A few seconds passed before another bark caused her to examine Goddard's screen. My records show that only 17% of your exchanges with Sheen incorporated a raised voice. "Not even Cindy yells that much," Libby shot back. That is incorrect. Libby slowly extended her hand, and the dog gave it a gentle lick. He stared deep into her eyes before displaying another message.

Sheen's level of maturation was low. He needed you to guide him. Libby wiped her eyes once more. "That'sthat's not true," she struggled to whisper, refusing to accept the small comfort Goddard's words provided. Goddard let out a heavy sigh before answering. I have studied the humans around me for a long time. Sheen grew in many ways since he began courting you. Libby managed a tiny sorrowful smile and squeezed the dog against her chest. "Did you love him, Goddard?" A silence filled the room for several seconds before Goddard gently escaped Libby's grasp. He backed up so as to allow her to see his monitor. He was often annoying. "In a cute way," Libby uttered as tears welled up once more. Jimmy cared for him. So I came to as well. Another few seconds passed, and Libby watched as an intense look of concentration washed over Goddard's face. Finally, a new series of words scrolled across his monitor. I love you all, so I loved Sheen. Libby struggled to wipe her eyes. "I love you too, Goddard." Goddard extended his neck and slowly lifted it up to Libby's face. He stared deeply into her eyes for a tentative moment before licking away her tears.

More time passed as the sun rose still higher in the sky. As the minutes turned into an hour, Libby realized how truly grateful she was that Goddard had come to her. Her pain, while still crippling, was at least being shared with another. Once she truly realized how thankful she was, she felt horribly guilty. "Goddard, I'm so sorry," Libby moaned while wiping her eyes once more. Goddard had grown accustomed to the silence and immediately lifted his head up. "Woof?" he quietly asked. Libby sighed and clutched her forehead with both hands. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, that I threw that clock at you, that Ithat I call you a stupid animal."

Goddard flipped open his monitor once more. Rage often accompanies sorrow. I do not blame you for this. Goddard watched Libby and realized that his words had little effect. The dog remembered what Libby had shouted in her fury when he had first approached her and quickly analyzed her words. Your analysis was correct. The group relies on you more than they realize. Libby's eyes scrolled across the dog's screen before widening slightly. "II didn't mean what I said," she weakly countered. Goddard slowly shook his head. A long response quickly filled his monitor. I have studied you all for years. It is curious to me how you each fill a role, how you all complete each other in ways you have yet to realize. You, Libby Folfax, provide the support everyone needs. More than any other, you keep the group together. Once more, Goddard's words touched Libby. She began to stroke the top of his head before shaking her own. "Jimmy's the one that keeps the group together." Goddard pondered this for a moment before answering. Jimmy indeed brought the group together. But it would fall apart without you. Of this I am certain. Libby rubbed the dog's cheeks and closed her eyes as he rubbed his face against her hands. The question came to her in an instant. "What did Sheen do, Goddard? What was his role?" Like the question, the response came back instantaneously. Comic relief. Libby blinked and tried to hide her disappointment. "Oh," she mumbled. Was that all her boyfriend had been good for? A laugh? Her eyes saw more text appear on Goddard's monitor, and she rapidly read it. There is more. Sheen and Carl are the group's heart. They are your moral center. Sheen Libby raised an eyebrow as Goddard's response cut off midsentence. At first she became concerned that he was having a malfunction, but then she realized that the dog was merely sad and struggling to speak. She began to pet him with renewed vigor, and he eventually continued. Sheen was kind. He was never vengeful, never judgmental, never vicious. Sheen was good. Goddard closed his eyes and let out a low whimper, and his next three words inched across his screen ten times slower than any previous.

I love Sheen. A pained whimper escaped the creature, and Libby once more hugged him against her. "I do too, Goddard." Libby felt her chest quiver and hugged the dog with all her strength. "I do too."

Libby stared into Sheen's mirror and saw Goddard behind her. The dog was indeed keeping his promise and looking away. Satisfied that he would not see, she took off her top and weakly tossed it aside. She closed her eyes and lifted Sheen's t-shirt up to her nose and inhaled deeply. As she slipped into Sheen's shirt and covered her trembling lips with a shaking hand, she finally spoke. "We have to go," Libby whispered. Only Goddard's heightened auditory collection system enabled him to hear her near-silent words. "Bark!" Goddard cried out. Libby frowned and stared at the ground. She didn't need to read his monitor to know that Goddard wanted to stay. More than anything, Libby shared in his sentiments. She wished to lie on Sheen's bed with her friend for all of eternity. But she knew that this was impossible. Though she had yelled them in anger, her first words towards Goddard had been true. People did need her. Sheen had died to keep the group's weapons so that his friends might survive. Libby would do all she could to honor his sacrifice. She would do absolutely everything in her power to bring the rest of her friends home safe. "We need to get back to the lab," Libby said while slowly turning around. Goddard blinked and titled his head at the traces of strength in her tone. "The others need us." Libby remembered who Goddard cared for most and quickly added, "Jimmy needs us." Libby could see the effect her words had. Goddard's stare was blank at first, but his eyes soon filled with strength. After a few seconds, he managed a tiny nod. "Bark," he quietly agreed while slowly walking towards the edge of Sheen's bed and hopping down. As soon as he had landed he looked into Libby's eyes. She met his gaze for a long moment and wondered what the dog was thinking. At long last, his monitor flipped open. You would do anything for your friends, would you not? Libby closed her eyes and thought of those that mattered most to her. Her sister, who had always stuck by her and never let her face any trouble alone. Jimmy, who had admitted he loved her although they barely knew each other. Carl, who was always there with an awkward joke or kind smile to dispel her pain. She loved them all, and she would indeed do anything for them. "Yes," she answered. Goddard's response appeared the second she had finished speaking. Jimmy left you in charge. He made the right choice.

Libby dropped to her knees and waited for Goddard to approach her. Once he did, she rapped both arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Goddard." Goddard hesitated for a long moment before allowing his monitor to close. He nuzzled his cheek against Libby's and quietly whispered, "Woof."

Chapter 6: Furry Friendship with a Feisty Feline

Author's Note: This chapter takes place hours after The Final Battle's epilogue and focuses on Sheen Estevez.

Sheen narrowed his eyes in frustration as he opened his refrigerator. The cold air may have stripped most of the searing heat off of his skin, but it did nothing to ease the pain in his heart. He angrily yanked out a gallon of milk and a can of soda. Both hands full, he spun around and weakly closed the fridge's door with his bad foot as he slowly limped towards his kitchen counter. "Meow." Sheen ignored the remark and opened one of his cupboards. He pulled out two glasses, set them down on the counter with a loud clank, and paused to wipe the forming beads of sweat off of his brow. Once his forehead was dry, he filled one of the glasses with milk and the other with his soda. Quickly, feverishly, he shoved the jug of milk back into the fridge. The longer he waited to begin this conversation, the longer it would be until it was over. Sheen wanted this done with as soon as possible. "Alright," Sheen slowly began while grabbing his glasses and slowly approaching his kitchen table. He took the nearest seat and stared at the tiny black and white kitten sitting atop the table across from him. He coldly slid the glass of milk towards the creature, which tilted its head before rubbing its cheeks against the glass. Sheen stared down at his own cup and frowned deeper. He never had cared for drinking soda out of anything but a can. It always seemed so much colder and tastier that way. But he would be darned if he'd let Chowder have the advantage with a fancy cup. No, they would be on equal footing during this conversation. Sheen took a large gulp from his drink and swiped his right wrist over his mouth. "Let's just get through this, okay?" he tried to say as calmly as he could. As he'd expected, Chowder didn't return his attempts at mature conversation. The animal was ignoring him, desperately trying to shove its head into the glass. Sheen rolled his eyes in disgust. And they think I'm the dumb one. "Chowder!" Sheen angrily snapped. The kitten immediately yanked its head out of the glass and stared directly into Sheen's eyes. Sheen neatly folded his hands and met the feline's gaze. "We're

going to have a talk, okay? Now, I know that cats are only as intelligent as an eight year-old child, so I'll try to go slow." Chowder seemed to narrow his eyes ever so slightly as he dipped his paw into his glass. He slowly began to lick the drops of milk off, never breaking his gaze away from Sheen. Sheen nodded. "Okay." He let out a deep breath and leaned back. "I suppose it's only fair for you to go first, since you're the youngest." A long silence filled the kitchen. Chowder stared at Sheen for the first few seconds, but then soon broke away to roll over and lick his stomach. Sheen felt his right eye twitch in frustration. Was the animal before him being rude or just plain stupid? Had he accidentally picked out a mentally challenged kitten? Sheen shook the thought straight out of his head. Such a creature would only demand more attention from his one true love, so he refused to consider that option. No, Chowder was simply being difficult. Sheen took another sip from his soda as he watched the kitten swat wildly at the air. How had it come to this? He had done everything right. He had fought tooth and nail to survive after crashing on an asteroid. Even after being gravely injured, he had chosen to save his friends instead of returning to Earth. Sheen stared at the pair of crutches resting against his front door and shuddered. He had returned from the dead, done the impossible, and been the hero his friends had needed him to be. Yet he had asked for nothing in return. Even after returning to Earth, he had still tried to help his friends. He'd known how devastated Jimmy would be once he discovered that he'd lost his pet cat, so he and Carl had gone to the Retroville Animal Shelter to find a replacement. When they'd realized that an adult was needed to purchase a pet, they had liberated the tiny kitten from its sadistic tormentors. At least, that's what I said to convince Carl to help me steal it, Sheen thought with a satisfied smile. And so he had gone to his first day of seventh grade, expecting to be heralded in the halls by Jimmy. Instead he had found that Chowder Prime, as Sheen had just now decided to call the imaginary kitten, was anything but real. No, it was a phantom, a ghost, an imaginary concoction made up by his best friend. And so Jimmy had passed the black and white kitten on to Libby, who had instantly fallen in love with the animal. Sheen shook his head once more and felt beads of sweat fly off of his short hair. He thought of how excited Libby had been when she'd held the kitten close, when it had playfully swatted at her necklace, the one he had given her. The animal had flagrantly attacked the token of his love! Oh, Sheen had initially found Libby's reactions endearing, but it soon became clear that her attitude towards the kitten was anything but passing fancy. Libby fully intended to keep the kitten, to shower it with the hugs and kisses that Sheen rightly deserved. Sheen gripped his glass tight and opened his mouth to speak. "So, you and Libby," he mumbled as calmly as he could. As soon as the word Libby had escaped his lips, Chowder stopped staring at the spinning ceiling fan and homed in on Sheen's eyes with a frightening intensity. Sheen was unnerved. "Guess you guys are pretty tight now, huh?"

"Meow," Chowder calmly uttered. Sheen's eyes bugged open. "Take that back!" he shrieked while pointing an accusatory finger at the kitten. Chowder cocked its head to the side and quickly uttered, "Meow." Sheen stared at the feline for a few seconds before nodding and settling back in his seat. He took another sip from his soda and gripped the cup tighter. He felt his hands begin to tremble and immediately focused on stopping the shaking. "I met her in kindergarten," he angrily began. He blinked twice and realized that he was now looking down at the glass before him. He slowly glanced back up at Chowder and saw that the kitten was slowly lifting its ears straight up. Sheen took a moment and nodded before continuing. "I didn't fall in love with her or anything," he said with a hint of despair. He took another quick sip from his drink and savored how cool his throat became as he swallowed. "Butwell, I thought she was really pretty." He hesitated and then clarified, "For a girl." He briefly closed his eyes and remembered the first time he had laid eyes upon his love. She had worn a bright green dress, her long black hair tied into poufy pigtails, her brown eyes emblazoned with excitement. Sheen savored the image and truly realized just how adorable she had been. After a few seconds, Sheen opened his eyes to find Chowder staring intently at him, ears still straight up. The cat's whiskers twitched, and Sheen thought he could make out a tiny smile on the kitten's lips. "Like I said, I didn't love her or anything. But the class was small, so I ended up talking to her a few times," Sheen said with another dreamy grin. "I was suave, debonair; the definition of elegance, class, and grace," he happily uttered.

"Hi!" Sheen ecstatically screamed while running up to the jump-roping girl. "What the-?" the girl shrieked as a tall, maniacal boy appeared to materialize out of thin air. "My name's Sheen, but you can call me Sheen," Sheen happily raced through his words. Libby widened her eyes as the nearly vibrating boy reached behind his back and seemed to pull an action figure out of thin air. "Wherewhere did you get that?" she asked while glancing around nervously. Sheen's eyes became even wider, an act that Libby would hitherto have deemed impossible. Her question seemed to invigorate the boy. "I'm so happy you asked!" Sheen shouted while jumping up and down. "My dad got me this as a first day of school present! It's from a show called Ultralord! You watch it, right?"

Libby let her jump rope fall to the ground as she took a step back. "My mom doesn't let me watch TV." Sheen's eyes seemed to shrink as the right side of his mouth twitched. "What?" "I said my mom" "What?" Sheen interrupted. Libby narrowed her eyes. "You're really weird." "I like your hair," Sheen quickly shot back. Libby slowly raised a hand to her pigtails and felt a tiny smile form on her lips. "Really?" she asked. "I thought it looked kind of silly." "Can I touch it?" Sheen happily asked. Libby's smile disappeared as she scowled at the boy in front of her. "No!" "Okay!" Sheen happily shrieked while spinning around and running away. He promptly tripped over his feet and slammed onto the pavement. "I'm okay!" he shouted while immediately jumping back onto his feet. "Nice to meet you! I bet we'll be best friends and go on tons of adventures in a few years!" Libby blinked her eyes a dozen times, trying to comprehend what had just transpired. "Iwow," she finally whispered. "He's a freak, isn't he?" Libby turned to her right to see a scowling blonde-haired girl with piercing green eyes glaring at the boy. Libby nodded, but then slowly reached her hand back up to her hair. Her fingers had just stroked a few soft strands before she yanked them back down to her waist. "Definitely," Libby uttered in disgust.

"So that's how we met," Sheen happily said. He opened his eyes to find Chowder's ears flattening to the side as he slowly backed away. Sheen frowned at this and finished off his soda. He quickly rose to his feet and slowly limped towards the sink. "We barely talked until Ms. Fowl's class," he uttered while placing his cup with the other dirty dishes. He stared outside his kitchen window for a long moment before sighing. "And thenJimmy made a potion."

Sheen spun around and glared at Chowder. "Jimmy's who you were supposed to live with." Sheen's words were clearly belaying anger, but he managed to keep his tone calm. "I got you for Jimmy, not Libby." Chowder immediately arched his back and hissed at Sheen. Sheen narrowed his eyes in response. Then, for reasons he wasn't entirely sure of, his mind flashed back to the asteroid where he'd nearly lost his life. For five seconds he remembered the pain encompassing every inch of his body, the knowledge that he would inevitably die, and the horrendous misery from knowing he would never ever see Libby again. That last thought, the memory of losing his beloved, sent his hands curling into fists. "It took five years, Chowder!" Sheen had expected to shout these words in fury, but his voice splintered and his stomach seemed to sink. He bit his lower lip and uncurled his fists. "I'm cute! I'm funny! I'm adorable!" he uttered with a weak laugh. "And it still took five years for Libby to even talk to me!" Once more, Chowder's face seemed to fall as the kitten slowly sat on its rear legs. Sheen lips trembled as he once more pointed a finger at the feline. "And she just met you today, and look how much she loves you!" Chowder stared intently at Sheen for several seconds before slowly walking across the table towards the boy. Sheen was shocked to feel tears welling in his eyes. "You're all she talked about all day! I like to be talked about too, you know," he weakly whispered. Chowder continued to slowly advance towards Sheen. Sheen wiped his eyes and nodded in resignation. Would Ultralord cry in front of a kitten? He watched the kitten stumble before continuing its advance. "Soso just know I had her first," he whispered. Chowder finally crossed the table and looked up at Sheen's glistening eyes. The kitten lowered its head down onto the table, and Sheen stared quizzically at the creature. Chowder waited a few seconds before lifting his head up and then lowering it. Sheen continued to stare, and an angry, "Meow," escaped the kitten's mouth. He repeated his actions one more time, and Sheen finally lowered his head. "Meow," Chowder lightly uttered while rubbing his cheek against Sheen's face. Sheen would have pulled back in shock, but the fluffiness of the tiny creature was irresistible. Chowder pulled back and snuggled Sheen once more, and this time Sheen heard a loud purring emanate from the kitten's throat. After a moment, Sheen pulled away and stared curiously at the kitten. The tiny cat rolled over onto its back and began to feverishly paw at the air. "I guess," Sheen thoughtfully uttered before pausing, "you are kind of cute." Sheen cautiously poked the creature in the tummy and then rubbed its soft skin. Chowder began to thrash around wildly as its purring intensified.

Sheen continued to play with the kitten for a few more minutes before sighing. "You owe me, you know," he calmly uttered with a playful grin. Chowder immediately rolled onto its feet and cocked its head at Sheen. "You know what they do to cats that don't get adoptedor stolenright?" Chowder took a tiny step backwards and quietly asked, "Meow?" Sheen shook his head sadly as he answered. "They put them to sleep." Chowder's head tilted at a more extreme angle as Sheen explained. "They make you take a really long nap in an uncomfortable bed before sending you off to a sleep clinic." Sheen wiped his eyes once more. "My dad told me that's what happened to my old hamster." Sheen paused to take in a deep, shaky breath. "Poor Robofiend Jr," he muttered while shaking his head and wiping a lone tear away from his eye. Chowder's eyes narrowed as it stepped forward, reared back on its hind legs, and smacked Sheen across the face with its right paw. "Ow!" Sheen cried out in disbelief. Chowder spun around and strolled back over to its milk. He stared at the glass for a long moment before bumping against it, sending the cup toppling onto its side. A large puddle of milk spread across the table, and Chowder happily began to lap it up. Sheen growled in response. "You're cleaning that up, you know!" "Meow!" Chowder happily shot back while continuing to lick the puddle. "I mean it!" Sheen warned. Sheen's cell phone suddenly rang, and he quickly yanked it out of his pocket. "Libby?" he happily screamed while flipping open the device. "Hi Sheen!" Libby happily shouted. "How's my little baby doing?" "Well your cat viciously attacked me, but I'm" "I meant Chowder," Libby interrupted. "Is he okay?" Sheen rolled his eyes as the kitten began to roll around in the puddle and purr loudly. "He spilled a whole glass of milk!" "It's nothing to cry over," Libby calmly shot back. "Me and Jimmy will be done in an hour or so. Love you!"

Sheen couldn't help but smile back. "Love you too, Libs!" He heard the call disconnect and gave a sigh of contentment while placing the phone back in his pocket. He watched as Chowder continued to clean up his mess and finally crossed his arms in resignation. "Okay," Sheen finally uttered. The seriousness in his tone caused Chowder to reluctantly look up from his meal. "Libby really loves you, and I love Libby, and Jimmy loves Cindy, so that means we're going to have to get along." Chowder stared into Sheen's eyes for several seconds before uttering, "Meow." Sheen nodded in agreement. "So here's what we'll do." Sheen opened the backpack at his feet and pulled out a notebook and pencil. "We'll have to alternate weekdays with Libby, starting with me and Libby tomorrow," he began to explain. "Meow?" Sheen nodded while beginning to make a chart in his notebook. "We'll split up weekends so that we each get a day, and the days will switch monthly. Holidays will obviously need to be figured out a month in advance, and we'll need to adjust their rotation depending on our religious beliefs. Now, do you want Chanukah or Christmas?" "Me-meow?" Chowder weakly asked. "Sorry, I forgot about Kwanzaa," Sheen earnestly apologized. "Meow?" Sheen stared in confusion at the complex algorithm before him and shook his head. "Forget it," he uttered in disappointment. "It would take some sort of genius to figure this out. And it's not like we know any of those!" Chowder blinked several times while staring disdainfully at Sheen. Sheen angrily tossed the notebook and pencil back into his backpack. "How about we just try to be friends, okay?" A wide smile spread across his face, and he held out his hand. Chowder stared at it for several seconds before approaching it and rubbing it with his head. "So brothers for life, then," Sheen happily agreed. Once more, Chowder took a nervous step back and asked, "Meow?" "You need a middle name, too," Sheen uttered while tapping his chin with his right index finger. "All good animals have middle names. You think Lassie went around without one?" he said while shaking his head in amusement.

Sheen closed his eyes in concentration as he pondered what to name his new furry companion. Once more, he remembered why he was having this conversation, why he was so desperate to keep Libby's love. He felt his heart sink, but nodded his head in resolve. "Chowder Dopsil Folfax," Sheen quietly whispered. He allowed the despair to encompass his body for a few seconds before sighing and thinking of how he would see Libby again in a mere hour. Once the despair had vanished, he asked, "You like that, Chowder?" Chowder immediately arched his back and hissed. "You'll get used to it," Sheen happily shot back. Chowder hesitated for a few seconds before slowly sitting back down. "Well, I guess there's just one thing left to do," Sheen said while rising out of his seat once more. He hobbled back over to his crutches and placed them under both his arms. Once he was able to stand with wobbling, he slowly made his way back over to Chowder. "Have you ever seen Ultralord? It's on in twenty minutes, and I just know you'll love it."

Chapter 7: Solid Advice

Author's Note: This chapter takes place one day before the beginning of Pushing Through and focuses on Carl Wheezer. This means that this chapter occurs two days before Carl's appearance in Pushing Through and one day before Nick and Jimmy's trip to the moon.

Carl Wheezer nervously twiddled his thumbs as he sat outside the school counselor's office. He had spoken to Ms. Mentis a handful of times the previous school year and had found her thoroughly kind and helpful, but he still couldn't keep from being unnerved about today's appointment. For the first time, he doubted whether the woman inside could help him. Carl's eyes widened as the door slowly opened. To his moderate surprise, Ms. Mentis failed to emerge. Instead, a short, blonde-haired girl with glasses slowly stepped out and sighed. She stared at the ground for a few seconds, but then looked up at Carl. In spite of the pain evident in her eyes, she still managed a small smile. "Hey Carl," she managed to say with an iota of happiness. Carl smiled back. "Hi Angie." Once more, he noticed the despair evident across her features and slowly rose to his feet. "Everything okay?" Angie managed a small shrug. "You know me. I have good days and bad since my hamster died," she sorrowfully said.

"Sorry," Carl earnestly offered. Angie managed another tiny smile. "I'll survive. So, you heading in next?" Carl nodded. "Yeah, I haven't even spoken to Ms. Mentis since we got back." Angie slowly blinked and then nervously bit her lower lip. "Um, Carl? Ms. Mentis quit." Carl slowly blinked back. "What?" he monotonously asked. Angie sadly shook her head from side to side. "She quit as soon as school started." "Then who's the new counselor?" As if on cue, a tall man with long brown hair stuck his head out of his office. Carl stared curiously at the counselor. The man couldn't have been more than twenty-five. He stared at the two children for a few seconds before allowing a weary smile to take hold of his face. "You must be Mr. Wheezer," he slowly began while looking at Carl, who offered a nod in response. "I'm Mr. Helper. Come on in." "Well, see you in history," Angie said with a wave before heading off. Carl waved back before following Mr. Helper into his office. "Take a seat," Mr. Helper said while motioning at the lone chair sitting in front of his desk. Carl struggled to get comfortable as the counselor leaned back in his own chair across the desk. Once they were both settled, Mr. Helper rubbed his forehead before offering another tired smile. "Alright, I suppose introductions are in order." Carl's gaze shifted around nervously. "Didn't you already tell me your name?" Mr. Helper ignored this. "My name is Mr. Helper, and I'm the school's new counselor. I want you to know that I'm committed to helping you with any problems you may have, and I'll do anything I can to aid you." Carl slowly blinked in response. "Soyour name is Mr. Helper and" Carl didn't get to finish his sentence. Mr. Helper's eyes narrowed and he let out a hearty sigh. "I am aware of the irony of my name, Mr. Wheezer. What was I supposed to do when fate gave me such an opportunity? Become a banker?" "I didn't mean" "Of course you didn't," Mr. Helper muttered with a wave of his hand. "No one ever means anything by it. But you all just love to keep asking, don't you?" Mr. Helper saw Carl shrink back in his seat and sighed.

"Mr. Wheezer," Mr. Helper paused to stare down at the clipboard resting on his desk, "Um, Carl, I'm sorry. It's just been a stressful day." Mr. Helper rose from his chair and began to pace back and forth across his small office. Carl could tell by the way he was simultaneously rubbing his head and stroking his chin that the counselor was very tired and very confused. "This school is weird, Carl," the man bluntly admitted after several seconds. Before Carl could respond, Mr. Helper collapsed back into his seat and rested his head in his hands. "The first student I saw today was sent here for freaking out when his history teacher suggested that some cartoon character named Ultralord wasn't the founding father of America." "Sheen?" Carl offered. Mr. Helper desperately nodded. "Yeah, Sheen Estevez. What kind of a name is Sheen, anyway? Guess I can't blame him for being screwed up with a name like that." Mr. Helper sighed once more and leaned back in his seat. "Then I get sent some chain-smoking thirteen year-old for being," Mr. Helper searched for the right words before shrugging, "well, a chain-smoking thirteen year-old. He spins me some elaborate sob story about Kool-Aid or Sunny Delight or something." "It was Hawaiian Punch," Carl quietly offered. Mr. Helper shivered in place. "The kid's freaky, man. Scared the hell out of me." He paused for a few more seconds before motioning at the door behind Carl. "Then that girl comes in here and cries for twenty minutes about her hamster dying. The thing's been dead for three months!" Mr. Helper spread his arms wide in a desperate attempt for vindication. "I mean, hello! Get over it!" Carl glanced over his shoulder at the door and gulped nervously. "Angie's nice," he quietly countered. "She went to my baby shower." Mr. Helper slowly blinked and pulled back in his chair. "Um, what?" He hesitated for a second longer before shaking his head and sighing. "Not to mention I showed up early this morning and saw some woman stealing food from the cafeteria before diving into the ventilation system. I think someone is actually living in this school." Carl sighed. "We thought Ms. Wolf had gotten her act together." "What, do you know everyone in this school?" Mr. Helper angrily asked. Carl shrunk back in his set and looked around the small room anxiously. "What happened to Ms. Mentis?" Mr. Helper rolled his eyes. "Apparently she had some mental breakdown as soon as school started. She freaked out and started complaining that she'd been kidnapped by aliens, only it

turned out to not be aliens but some sadistic pre-teen billionaire." Mr. Helper exhaled in disgust. "Weirdo," he slowly muttered while spinning his index finger around in a circle beside the side of his head. "Well, actually" Carl began, but Mr. Helper raised his hand to ward off Carl's words. "Alright, I'm tight on time here, kid. So, why are you here today? What's bothering you?" Carl stared at the counselor for a long moment. The man seemed to be calming down, and he clasped in hands in such a way as to show that his mind was set to work. Carl felt a bolt of fear race through his body and glanced downwards, but he swallowed hard and forced himself to speak. "Well, I guesslately I feel like I'm not as brave as my friends. Like," Carl paused and desperately searched for the proper way to explain his feelings, "like they're all more mature than me." Five seconds passed, then ten. Carl eventually looked up from the bottom of his chair and into Mr. Helper's blank face. Then, all of a sudden, the counselor let out a happy chuckle and placed both hands behind his head while leaning back in his chair. "Yes!" he joyously exclaimed while jabbing an index finger towards Carl. "That is a normal problem for a preteen boy to have!" Mr. Helper smiled widely and crossed his legs in contentment. "This is easy, kid. Give me twenty minutes and you'll be in love with yourself so hard. Just so hard." "Okay," Carl nervously muttered while pushing his chair a few inches away from the counselor's desk. Mr. Helper gave a satisfied nod. "Alright, Carl. Just lean back, relax, and start at the beginning. Really let me in here. When did you start feeling this way?" Carl awkwardly leaned back in his chair, took in a deep breath, and then slowly released it. He looked into Mr. Helper's eyes and was pleasantly surprised to find genuine concern in them. The counselor was no doubt strange, but he seemed to honestly wish to help. "I honestly wish to help," Mr. Helper calmly uttered. Carl pulled his head back a couple of inches in confusion, but decided to speak. "Well, I guess it all started about a month and a half ago." Mr. Helper slowly nodded while rubbing his chin. "During summer vacation." "Yeah, right at the end," Carl agreed.

Mr. Helper could see that Carl was having trouble speaking and leaned forward. "Carl, don't worry. Just take your time and let me know what made you feel this way. Are your friends dating when you're not?" he gently asked. Carl's already worried expression managed to fall even more. "Well, yeah. I'd kind of forgotten about that, though." Mr. Helper wasn't fazed. "Maybe you have an unrequited love?" The image of a brown-haired temptress claimed by another flashed through Carl's mind, and the young boy closed his eyes as he pictured the tiny beautiful mole under her lip. "Yeah, that too. But I was really talking about" "Perhaps you're a little too rotund? Hefty for your age?" "What?" "Maybe you should just do the talking." Carl stared at the counselor for a few long seconds before sighing once more. "Well, it all began when those robotic droids shot my friend Libby in the leg when we had that picnic on the moon." Several seconds passed before Mr. Helper raised his head to the ceiling. "Oh God, here we go."

"And then Dr. Brigham managed to fix Cindy and we got back to Earth. So a couple of weeks went by, and then we went to school. Sheen and I tried to give Jimmy a new cat to replace Chowder, but it turned out the he'd actually made the cat up. So then Libby took it. Sheen wasn't happy, but he had a long talk with Chowder and they're okay now. And that's pretty much it." Carl leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes in exhaustion. Thirty minutes had passed as he'd recounted the basics of his latest adventure as quickly as he could. His voice had grown hoarse from speaking so long, and he felt utterly exhausted. He patiently waited for Mr. Helper to respond, but thirty seconds passed in silence. Carl slowly opened his eyes and looked across the desk to find the counselor staring at him in disbelief, his jaw dropped so severely that Carl worried it had become dislocated. Another half-minute passed. "Stay right here," Mr. Helper suddenly spoke while jumping out of his chair. He lifted his right arm and pointed his index finger at Carl. "Don'tjust don't move. Stay there," he nervously spoke while cautiously sidling around Carl's chair. "Stay. Good Carl." With that said he flung open the door to his office and ran outside and down the hallway.

"I'm sit-ting and wait-ing!" Carl happily sang as he watched the minute hand twitch forward yet again. Half an hour had passed since Mr. Helper had sprinted out of his own office. Normally, Carl would have been at least mildly perturbed after such a long wait. Yet he was supposed to be in math, and Mr. Helper had instructed him to wait. He therefore had a perfectly legitimate excuse to miss his least favorite class. Carl spun around as he heard a nearly silent creaking. He watched as Mr. Helper slowly pushed open his office door and inched his way into the small room. His face exuded confusion and utter disbelief. Carl watched in silence as the counselor slowly made his way to his seat. He stared at the leather chair for a few seconds before gulping and settling down. He slowly gripped the knot of his tie and moved it from side to side as he ran his other trembling hand through his wavy hair. Once he was satisfied that his appearance was appropriate, he let out a heavy sigh before slamming his palms onto his desk. "Ho-ly crap," he muttered in disbelief. Carl recoiled in shock, but Mr. Helper found that the least of his concerns. He clasped his hands together, rested his elbows on his desk, and placed his chin on his hands. "Justwhat else can you say to this?" Carl nervously glanced around the room. "What?" Mr. Helper let out an amazed laugh and shook his head. "You were actually telling the truth!" Carl slowly nodded. "I never said I wasn't." Mr. Helper smiled wider in shock. "I lived in Houston until two weeks ago," he quickly explained. "I moved here because I wanted to get away from big city life. I thought it was a miracle I landed this job so quickly. I heard the teacher quit from being abducted from aliens" "Eustace," Carl corrected with a shudder. Mr. Helper raised a hand in indifference. "Whatever. I assumed she'd gone nuts. But I just talked to the principal and tried to convince him to send you to the loony bin. He told me everything you said was true." Mr. Helper hesitated before laughing once more, which greatly unnerved Carl. "This is freaking crazy!" "It's not that crazy," Carl weakly countered. A million questions suddenly raced through Mr. Helper's mind. "So you actually went up in space?" Carl slowly nodded. "We do it all the time." "Principal Kowalski said you didn't even need spacesuits!" Mr. Helper shouted in amazement. "How the heck did you do that?" Carl managed a tiny shrug. "Sheen never did explain that to me."

Mr. Helper was silent for a moment as he flashed another amazed smile and shook his head wildly. "This is unbelievable. How old are you?" "Twelve," Carl quickly answered. "You know what I did when I was twelve? I played stickball. You go up into space and fight aliens!" Carl shrunk further back in his seat. "Well, that's actually why I wanted to talk to you." Mr. Helper showed no signs of halting his interrogation. "So this Jimmy Neutron is the genius, right? And you're like his sidekick or something?" Carl looked down at his seat. "I guess so," he glumly muttered. Mr. Helper smiled wider. "Kid, this is crazy. Kowalski told me the other stuff you've been through. Turning the town into an ice age? Kids turning into hamsters? Evil clones?" Mr. Helper shook his head in amused disbelief. "That is awesome. We should turn this into a show! The Escapades of Jimmy Neutron and Friends!" Mr. Helper nodded at his words. "That's six seasons and a movie right there!" Once more, Carl glanced around the room nervously. "II don't think that's true." "So your parents are cool with all this? They just let you zoom off into light years or whatever and duel with aliens?" "Can we talk about my problems?" Carl desperately asked. Mr. Helper excitedly murmured, "Oh man, this school is awesome. I take back everything I said before. I love it here!" "I'm very depressed," Carl weakly moaned. Mr. Helper stared at the student before him and slowly sighed. Once more, a look of concern washed over his eyes. He sighed and leaned back in his seat. "Okay, sorry," he earnestly apologized. "So, you're feeling cowardly, immature, and plump, right?" "I never said plump!" Carl cried out before breaking down into tears. Mr. Helper nervously bit his lower lip. "Okay, I'm sorry," he said in his most soothing voice. "Hey, Mr. Helper's here. Calm down." Carl sniffled and finally wiped his eyes. "It's just that everyone either went up in space and fought the Yolkians or helped out here on Earth."

The sheer despair in Carl's tone caused Mr. Helper to abandon the last of his excited disbelief. He slowly picked up the box of tissues on his desk and offered them to Carl. "Well, didn't you say you stayed here to help with that team?" "The control team?" Carl asked. "Yeah," Mr. Helper agreed. "I thought you helped out with that. It sounds like you led your friends to that ship." Carl shook his head. "It was mostly Libby, Goddard, and Mike who did that. I barely did anything." Carl took in a deep breath and blew his nose one more time. "Jimmy and Cindy led everything and fought all those Yolkians. Libby was hurt and still led the kids here in town. And Sheen hijacked that ship and saved everyone! I didn't do anything," he sadly whispered. Mr. Helper raised an eyebrow. "Wait, that kid with the sugar seizures did what?" "I already told you!" Carl wailed out. "Half an hour ago!" Mr. Helper let out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, I kind of zoned out after that whole spiel about the training on Little Boy. Seemed like that section of your story went on a little too long." "It had tons of character development!" Carl shot back. Mr. Helper sighed. "Okay, so what exactly did this Sheen guy do again?" Carl lifted up his glasses and wiped his wrist over his moist eyes. "He crashed on an asteroid when Little Boy was destroyed." "And how was Little Boy destroyed again?" Carl somehow found the strength to stare daggers at the man across from him. Mr. Helper raised his hands defensively and said, "Hey, that was a really long story, man. Compared to the other stuff I usually hear, you can't blame me for spacing out a little." Carl sighed and quickly answered the counselor's question. "Little Boy went through an asteroid field, and its gravity pulled all the smaller asteroids towards it. The whole thing cracked apart." "Now hang on," Mr. Helper began while crossing his arms. "Shouldn't the control team have been keeping an eye out for stuff like asteroid belts on the rockets' path?" "We made a mistake," Carl weakly countered. Mr. Helper's already elevated eyebrow rose still higher. "It just seems like you guys had maybe two jobs tops. Plan a course for the rockets and keep an eye out for obstacles. And you screwed one of those up. And did you really need a whole team for those two jobs?"

"Jimmy said we did," Carl quietly answered. Mr. Helper huffed. "It's almost like he put this team together absent-mindedly and then couldn't think of enough stuff for them to do later on." Mr. Helper thought for a few seconds and leaned towards Carl. "And I'm noI don't know, xenogeologist or whatever, but how does an asteroid only twenty miles across pull in hundreds of smaller asteroids with its gravity? That'sthat's not how physics works." Carl threw his hands in the air as more tears welled in his eyes. "III don't know!" he screamed out in fright. Once more, Carl's pain caused Mr. Helper to hold up his hands defensively. "Alright, sorry, man. So your friend Sheen crashed on an asteroid. And then what happened?" Carl felt more tears welling in his eyes, but these weren't from anger or frustration. They were from guilt and despair. He remembered hearing his friends debate leaving Sheen behind, how Libby had disappeared for half a day. Carl looked down at the ground and let out a shaky breath. "Wewe decided to keep going towards Yolkus. The ships were damaged, and Nick and Cindy said they'd be destroyed if they went back to rescue Sheen." "Damn, that's cold," Mr. Helper quickly answered. "But you went back later, right? I mean, I just saw the kid this morning." Carl slowly shook his head. "Some Yolkians landed on the asteroid and Sheen hijacked the ship." Mr. Helper's eyebrow had descended back to its original position, but it quickly shot back up once more. "Wait, I thought you said the Yolkians didn't do anything. Why were they after Sheen?" Carl groaned in frustration. "They weren't after him! It was a mining ship looking for space rubies!" "Space rubies?" "You know," Carl weakly explained. "They're normal rubies butin space." "You kids sure are creative," Mr. Helper mumbled, clearly unimpressed. He pondered Carl's words for a few more seconds before pushing his chair back and rubbing his chin. "So wait. Sheen crashes onto an asteroid and survives. That's unlikely enough. But then an alien ship lands on the exact same asteroid, even though there's like a million other asteroids all around, just before he dies of thirst? I'm not buying it, man." "It's what happened!" Carl exclaimed, utterly exhausted from the conversation.

"And this one kid who never fired a gun until two days ago takes out an entire ship full of alien soldiers?" Mr. Helper held one arm forward and shook the hand from side to side. "And hold up. I remember you telling me about this now. You said that the ship had stairs. These Yolkian things hover around, don't they? Why do they even have staircases on their ships?" Carl buried his head in his hands and refused to say a word. "And if this kid Eustace just wanted to kill you all, why didn't he have his super team of mercenaries kill you all in your sleep? Why go through all this trouble?" "I'm very depressed!" Carl screamed out. "Can we please just deal with my issues?" "I'd suggest a low-carb diet and an extra period spent in gym class." Carl began to cry once more.

"Okay, let's finish this up." Mr. Helper sighed while glancing at his watch. "Man, these sessions are only supposed to be fifteen minutes." Carl finished up his lunch and looked up at the counselor, who was sitting atop his desk. His legs were dangling just over the ground. "How long has it been?" "Five and a half hours," Mr. Helper quickly responded while taking the last bite of his pizza. "Not counting the time we took to grab food from the cafeteria." Mr. Helper and Carl sat in silence for several seconds. The counselor eventually threw his paper plate into a nearby trash can and ran his hands over his face. "Alright, I think I finally understand everything that went on in this trip, including every little side adventure and those stories that you forget to mention the first time." "The Lost Stories?" Carl asked. "Again, very creative," Mr. Helper mumbled. "So let's finally get down to business here. Now, this is what I've been able to gather from our conversation." Mr. Helper stared down at his notes, which had accumulated to a fifty-page stack of papers over the course of Carl's session. He flipped through them for several seconds. "Okay. So you're worried that you're not as mature or brave as your friends, right?" "I told you that when I first came in!" Carl desperately shouted. Mr. Helper let out a long sigh and stared directly into Carl's eyes. "Okay. Carl, I'm going to lay some knowledge on you, so I really want you to listen. Alright?"

Carl watched as Mr. Helper's expression morphed into a deadly serious frown. Carl slowly nodded in response. "Good. What you need to do is believe in yourself." Thirty seconds passed, and throughout that time Mr. Helper never shifted his gaze, nor did the intensity of his piercing stare waver. Eventually, Carl found the strength to ask, "And what else?" "That's it," Mr. Helper calmly answered. He watched as Carl seemed to dance on the verge of either crying or screaming. The counselor quickly hopped off of his desk and began to pace back and forth across the small office. "Carl, there's nothing else I can say to you. You already knew what you had to do the second you walked into this office." Though the counselor's words were cold, his tone and demeanor suggested that Mr. Helper was indeed serious and caring. Carl reluctantly squirmed in his seat to get comfortable and listened to his speech. "You're unhappy because you feel like a loser. But no one's a loser, Carl. At least, they don't have to be." Mr. Helper briefly paused in front of his bookcase and scanned the middle shelf. "All you have to do iswell, do what you feel you need to. Right away, you said you felt like you weren't brave or immature. So you just have to be brave and mature." Carl slowly blinked as a look of desperate confusion overtook his face. "But how do I do that?" "How do your friends do it?" Mr. Helper gently shot back while pulling a hefty book off of the shelf and examining it. Carl pondered the question. "II really don't know," he sadly admitted. "They just know how." Mr. Helper sat behind his desk and rested the book in front of him. "Carl, you said that your friends Jimmy and Cindy formed a suicide team. When they were on top of that alien ship, I guarantee you that they were afraid, just like you would have been. So how did they act brave?" Carl thought this over for a few seconds. "Theythey went inside anyway?" Mr. Helper gave a proud smile along with a nod. "Exactly. The answers are always simple, Carl. Just think of your options whenever you have a problem and do what you know you should." "But I can't," Carl whined. "I know what to do, but I'm too scared to do it!" "Do it anyway," the counselor countered a little more firmly. "That's all you can do, Carl. Push through your fear and do what you know is right. It will be hard at first, but it gets easier. When you have something to say but are too afraid, talk anyway. When you want to tell a girl how you feel but your heart is racing, just do it anyway. When aliens are trying to sacrifice your parents to a giant chicken" Mr. Helper paused and pondered the absurdity of this statement before shaking his head, "fight to get them back even though you're scared." Mr. Helper smiled for a

moment before widening his eyes in fright. "But if at all possible, don't actually do that. Call the army or something." Carl pondered the counselor's words for a few long seconds. "So, just do what I feel like doing? It's that simple?" "Like I said, it will be hard at first, but just push through it and it gets easier." "So," Carl paused for a long moment before asking, "I should tell Jimmy's mom that I'm in love with her?" A loud ringing encompassed the office, and both Carl and Mr. Helper could hear the clattering of feet and a sea of excited voices in the hallway outside. Mr. Helper looked at Carl with equal parts pride and concern. "Okay, we definitely need to have another session to answer that last question. But for now, just take this." Mr. Helper slid a book across his desk, and Carl slowly picked it up and examined the cover. "You Can Be the Best You You Can Be." Carl blinked several times before monotonously asking, "What?" Mr. Helper smiled. "It actually makes sense once you start reading." The counselor looked down at his watch to confirm that school was indeed over. "Alright, Carl. Go get home and start reading. And if you need to, come see me in the morning." Carl slowly hopped out of his chair and slung his backpack over his shoulder. Mr. Helper strolled past him and opened his door, and Carl halted before heading into the hallway. He looked up at the counselor and offered a small smile. "Thanks, Mr. Helper," he sincerely said. "You really did help." Mr. Helper smiled back. "No problem, kid. Now get home, get a good night's sleep, and let your friends know that if those aliens come back, you'll be there to save the day!" "Okay!" Carl happily shouted while jogging out of the office and down the hall. Mr. Helper smiled after Carl before a terrified expression took hold of his face. He jumped out of his office and shouted, "But don't really do that! Call the army if they come back!"

Chapter 8: Then and Now

Author's Note: This chapter takes place one day before the first chapter of Pushing Through. It focuses on Nick Dean.

"Nick?" Nick Dean heard nothing as he stared out the side of the hover car. His eyes slowly moved from side to side, absent-mindedly studying the leaves falling off of trees. Yet his mind was wholeheartedly focused on one amusing thought. A year ago, I'd never have been in this hover car. Nick managed a tiny smile as he contemplated that thought. A year ago might as well have been a lifetime. It would have been the beginning of sixth grade, the start of his time at Retroville Middle School. Seeing as how it was after school, he would have been playing video games at Ike's house. Maybe doing homework with Betty if she'd worn something particularly pretty that day. "Nick?" The voice was a little more urgent now. Nick still heard nothing. Yes, he would almost certainly be doing one of those two things a year ago. What he would not be doing was riding in Jimmy's hover car. Nick's smile dropped as he felt a tiny pang of guilt. It's not like I made fun of him or anything. Nick narrowed his eyes and agreed with this thought. He'd never tormented the genius, certainly not like Butch or Cindy ever had. They'd just been in different circles. Jimmy was a dork, someone who was more interested in doing homework and watching the Discovery Channel than going skateboarding or catching a game. Nick was the opposite. He was king of his class. It wasn't that they were enemies or anything; it's just that they weren't friends. Jimmy finally took his eyes off of the road and stared at Nick curiously. "Uh, Nick? You okay?" Nick's dropped smile turned into a frown. Why hadn't he ever considered Jimmy a friend? They'd saved their parents together. They'd had a good time breaking into Ms. Wolf's classroom. And he trusted me. Nick gently bit his lower lip as that thought raced through his mind. A month ago, it had been Jimmy and Jimmy alone who had trusted him to lead their classmates. It was Jimmy who had made him their army's general, Jimmy who had come looking for him when he'd disappeared on Little Boy. It was Jimmy who had listened to his fears of never seeing his father again. Nick's teeth dug deeper into his lip. But it was me who shook his hand before the attack. Jimmy flicked on the hover car's autopilot and stared at Nick with clear concern. He opened his mouth and hesitated for just a moment. "Nicholas?" Nick blinked his eyes and shook his head before turning to Jimmy. He replayed the question in his head for a second before his expression turned curious. "James?" he hesitantly asked.

The two boys stared at each other for a second before Jimmy flipped the autopilot off and turned back to the dirt road. "Are you okay?" he slowly asked. Nick ran a hand through his hair and huffed in amusement. "Yeah, fine. What's up?" Jimmy turned the hover car onto a real street and merged in with traffic. "We're nearly there. What's the name of this place again?" "Lazer Bolts," Nick quickly shot back. "The best laser tag arena and arcade in Texas," he quoted the business' motto from an old commercial. He caught sight of a street sign labeled Metus Avenue. "It's like a mile from here. On the right. Can't miss it." Jimmy nodded and slowed to a stop at a red light. He could feel a dozen glances from nearby drivers as they stared questioningly at his hover car. He ignored them. "So, uh, thanks for inviting me," Jimmy offered while rubbing the back of his neck. The uncertainty of Jimmy's tone caught Nick's attention. "Thanks for the ride," Nick shot back. The light turned green, and the hover car lurched forward. Jimmy drummed his fingers along the steering wheel before glancing at Nick out of the corner of his eye. "Nick, can I ask you something?" Shoot. The response appeared in Nick's mind, and he immediately shook his head to rid himself of the word. He settled for a nod. Jimmy gave the road his attention once more as he kept his eyes peeled for their destination. "Why did you invite me along?" Nick's voice hardened. "What do you mean?" Jimmy didn't let the silence drag out. "Don't get me wrong, Iappreciate the invitation. And I'm far from a master on social etiquette, but isn't it unusual to invite a friend to your little cousin's birthday party?" Nick noticed they were pulling into the parking lot and closed his eyes. If it were Butch or even Ike, the answer would have been out of his mouth in an instant. Just needed a ride, dude. Looks like I owe you one. Nick hesitated for another second and waited until the hover car was parked. "II kind of need your help," he slowly got out. Jimmy stared at Nick curiously. What kind of help could Nick need at a birthday party? "What do you mean?" Nick glanced at the building's front doors and then back at Jimmy. "I like Mikey, Neutron." Jimmy stared curiously at Nick. "That's your cousin, right? The one the party is for?"

Nick nodded. "He's a good kid. But his brother, Damian, is an asshole." Nick scowled and his hands curled into fists. "He's always had a problem with me, and I'm not in the mood to put up with his shit today. So I asked you to come to keep me from punching his ugly face in, okay?" Jimmy studied Nick. He rarely saw his friend so angry. He slowly nodded. "Um, okay, Nick." Nick unclenched his fists and sighed. He rubbed his forehead before meeting Jimmy's gaze. "Sorry. It's just; you'll see when you meet him. I don't want to ruin Mikey's party. Just keep me from attacking Damian, okay?" Jimmy studied Nick for another second before nodding. "No problem." Nick managed a small smile. "Thanks, Neutron." Jimmy gave another nod, and the two boys got out of the hover car.

The private room was full of dozens of second-graders. Nick and Jimmy stared at each other with a mixture of smugness, intrigue, and disdain. Two boys barreled past them with imaginary laser guns in hand. They fired off pretend bolts with a loud, "Pew pew!" and collided with a third child. "We were never this bad, were we?" Nick dreadfully asked while leaning against a wall. He scanned the large room for his cousin and came up empty. Jimmy slowly shook his head, first in negation and then with amusement as he saw a young boy and girl arguing. "I hope not." Jimmy caught site of a half dozen empty pitchers of soda on the large central table and smiled. "The sugar might be to blame." Nick followed Jimmy's gaze and shook his head. "I should have brought Estevez. He'd fit right in." A few seconds passed, and then the door opened to reveal a heavyset man in his early forties. In spite of the smile on his face, his eyes were sunken and he seemed on the verge of collapsing. Jimmy eyed the man with worry, but Nick merely smiled and pushed himself off of the wall. "Uncle Ray!" he happily shouted. The man caught sight of Nick and desperately smiled back. "Nicholas, thank god," he wearily muttered while approaching his nephew. The two shared a very brief hug as Jimmy followed his friend. Nick smiled wider. "Where's Aunt Clarice?"

A flash of worry raced through Ray's eyes. "Sick with the flu." Ray stared at the horde of children and sighed. "She can't even get out of bed. I think she's the lucky one." Jimmy awkwardly twiddled his thumbs, and Nick suddenly remembered that his friend was standing beside him. He motioned to Jimmy and introduced him. "Uncle Ray, this is my friend Jimmy. Is it alright if he stays?" Ray eyed Jimmy with curiosity before pleading filled his eyes. "If you don't mind earning your keep. Can you at least try to keep some semblance of order in this place, please?" Jimmy offered a smile back. "Sure." Ray nodded. "Michael's in the bathroom. I was just checking on the cake; it'll be here in a few minutes. Then these kids can go to war. Are you two going to play laser tag with 'em? I'm sure Michael would be glad to have you on his team." Nick's right hand trembled as Jimmy's eyes saddened. Both boys stared at each other for a split second before breaking their gaze. A single image shot through Nick's mind; Cindy lying in a puddle of blood. He shook the thought aside and slowly met his uncle's gaze. He didn't have to answer. The door opened once more to reveal a tiny brown-haired boy. The child looked at his classmates before catching sight of Nick. His grin tripled in size and his eyes lit up. "Nick!" Nick's fears slowly dissipated as he caught sight of his cousin. The young boy walked up to him as Ray smiled and headed to the table to grab a drink. "Hey, Mikey," Nick happily uttered while crossing his arms and staring down at the boy. Mikey smiled even wider and looked around the room. "I'm so glad you came! Can you believe this place? I had no idea Dad would do all this!" Nick leaned back against a wall. He coolly crossed his arms and smiled down at the boy. "Sure, rub it in," he playfully muttered. "You know what I would have given to have my party here when I was your age?" Mikey grinned wider and noticed Jimmy. Nick followed Mikey's gaze and motioned at his friend. "Mikey, this is Jimmy. He gave me a lift here in his hover car." Mike's eyes shot open in delight. "Jimmy Neutron? The one who fought all the aliens?" Jimmy was shocked at the recognition. "You heard of that?" he asked. Mikey nodded exuberantly. "Nick told me all about how you two went in space a couple years ago! He said you fought some evil egg-aliens and saved your parents! And Nick beat a giant chicken single-handed!"

Nick's smile dropped as he stared nervously at Jimmy. Jimmy responded with a knowing smile before nodding at Mikey. "Yeah, it was definitely a fun fight to watch." "I'll bet!" Mikey shouted. He suddenly looked at his partying friends and sighed. "I'm in second grade, and all we get to do is play dodge ball." The boy kicked the floor in agitation before staring at Nick with a hint of betrayal. The look in the boy's eyes sent a small wave of pain through Nick's chest. "I heard you went back up in space last month," Mikey uttered while crossing his arms in disgust. He noticed that Nick was doing the same and quickly let his limbs dangle by his sides. "Why didn't you take me along?" Nick's face fell at Mikey's words. The boy had no way of understanding the absurdity of his request; his face showed only confusion and betrayal. "Mikey, you don't" "When you came back from space the first time, you said you knew I could have helped you fight the eggs! Why didn't you take me?" Nick slowly raised his right hand up to his hair, but the usual tremor made him stop halfway. He clenched his fist instead and hid it behind his back. "Mikey," he let out a weary sigh and tried to explain himself. "Up there, you, you don't" Jimmy suddenly stepped forward. "Mikey, unfortunately we couldn't get anyone to help last month. There was a giant force field covering the entire town. No one could get in or out." Mikey stared at Jimmy curiously. Nick soon followed. "Like, a wall blocked you in?" Jimmy offered a smile like a teacher might offer his pupil. "Exactly. So that's why Nick couldn't bring you." Mikey slowly nodded in understanding. He looked up at Nick and offered a tentative grin. "But next time, right?" Nick forced a smile on his face. "Next time." The three boys stood in silence for a mere second before a boisterous voice filled the air. "Like they'd bring you instead of me." Nick's head shot to the side to see a tall fifteen-year old strolling his way. The boy had a cocky smile plastered on his face and huffed in amusement when he saw Nick. Nick merely clenched his second hand into a fist. "Damian," Nick all but growled as the teenager joined their group. Nick could feel Jimmy's curious gaze shifting between Damian and himself as Mikey took a small step backward.

Nick kept his gaze on Damian as the boy sneered wider. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Mikey mirroring Jimmy's gaze, although the boy's eyes were filled with worry instead of curiosity. "I'mI'm going to go see when the cake's ready," Mikey nervously stuttered. He smiled at Nick before running off. "See ya, dude," Nick quickly shot back before glaring at Damian once more. "So you did end up coming, huh?" Damian asked while crossing his arms and glaring at Nick. "No reason not to, Damian," Nick shot back. Damian turned to Jimmy and smiled in amusement. "So, finally come out of the closet, huh? Good for you, Nick." Nick all but growled as he clenched his fist tighter. "Still jealous I got a girlfriend before you?" Damian shrugged. "Yeah, I'm so impressed by your ability to date someone for a week and then be dumped." Nick's scowl was all the bully needed to continue. He sized Jimmy up before nodding. "This one seems cute, though. I'm sure you two will last." "We're not gay," Nick angrily uttered. "In fact, he's got a girlfriend." Though Jimmy had faced a hostile alien race and maniacal teenager not a month prior, he still was growing anxious over this confrontation. Nick's defense gave him the courage to smile at Damian. "Yeah," he happily uttered. "And she's pretty hot," Nick aggressively added. "Yeah," Jimmy shot back with more confidence. He then pulled back and eyed Nick in shock. "What?" Nick's eyes bugged open as he glanced nervously at Jimmy. "What?" he innocently asked. Damian laughed before spinning around and walking away. "Enjoy your first fight, guys." Nick glared after the teenager for several seconds before unclenching his fist. "Asshole," he muttered under his breath. He let out a deep breath and uncurled his fists. The presence of Jimmy's gaze was palpable, so he asked "What?" a little too harshly. Jimmy didn't flinch. "What's his problem, anyway?" Nick scoffed while marching to the table and grabbing a cup of soda. "How should I know, Neutron? Maybe some people are born jerks. Maybe he's jealous he doesn't get to go save the world. Go ask Libby if you want answers."

Jimmy poured himself his own cup of soda and eyed Nick curiously. "Libby?" Nick downed his cup and shook his head. "She's like your group's shrink, right?" Jimmy began to ponder that thought, but Nick didn't give him time. "Forget it. Uncle Ray looked worn out. Let's try to get things under control."

Nick's stomach growled as he took the last bite of his cake. The pastry before him was the first thing he'd eaten all day. Whenever he was nervous, his stomach always seemed to twist itself into knots. He savored the creamy frosting in his mouth before tossing his plate into a nearby trash can. Across the room, he locked eyes with Mikey and smiled. Nick could hear the eager whisperings of the children. They had all sucked down their cake; the few with food left on their plate were being scolded to finish. None of Mikey's friends could wait to play laser tag. Nick bit his lip as he watched a trio of boys chase a girl around the room while pretending to shoot at her. "So, this is pretty fun," Jimmy uttered from behind Nick's back. Nick couldn't tell whether or not Jimmy was sincere without seeing his face. Nick spun around and examined his friend. The genius didn't seem sardonic, but he wasn't grinning in ecstasy either. The boys stared at each other for a long moment; so many emotions etched across their faces. Joy, anxiety, fear, and relief all showed in their eyes. Nick finally managed a half grin. "Sure is. This place has more than laser tag. Up for some air hockey?" A steady smile spread across Jimmy's lips. "You do realize that game is nothing more than computing angles, right? Imay have an advantage!" Nick rolled his eyes and pulled a dollar bill out of his pocket. "Never took you for a shark, Neutron." Nick jutted his head towards the door and led the way. He stopped ten feet short when Damian crossed their path. "Where do you think you're going?" he snarled while crossing his arms. Jimmy held his position and slowly tightened one hand into a fist. He was scared but not paralyzed with fear, ready to fight if necessary but truly did not wish to do so. Nick's reaction was far less muted. Nick couldn't keep from shoving Damian against the door. His jaw clenched shut, and his hands curled into fists as soon as they were taken off of Damian's shoulders.

Shit, Nick angrily thought as Damian shot daggers at him while bouncing off the door. No harm had been done, but Nick couldn't deny that he'd been the one to instigate this confrontation. You're supposed to be better than this, he scolded himself. "Nick," Jimmy gently warned while uncurling his fist. Nick nodded. "I know," he shot back. The calmness in his voice surprised him. "What's your problem, dickhead?" Damian snarled while shoving his face in front of Nick's. Both of Nick's hands trembled. He wasn't sure if it was due to anxiety or the effort it took to keep from striking Damian. Nick breathed through his teeth before slowly shaking his head. "No problem," he got out. He took a second and felt himself calm down. Damian glared at Nick a moment longer before pulling away. "You didn't answer." It took Nick a moment to remember the question. Ordinarily he still wouldn't be interested in satiating Damian's curiosity, but he didn't want to escalate things any further. Not with some of Mikey's friends still watching, not with the party still going. "The arcade," Nick answered. His voice was flat; neither threatening nor inviting. "Air hockey." Damian laughed. "You shittin' me? This party's finally about to get bearable. Dad went to check if its laser tag time." Nick hesitated a beat, just long enough for his racing mind to come up with an excuse. "Notice that the three of us are twice the size of everyone else here?" he muttered while motioning at the sea of little kids surrounding them. He hesitated when he stared at Jimmy. The genius' frown kept Nick from stating the exception to his statement. "So?" Damian grumbled. "So it wouldn't be fair," Nick quickly answered. Mikey had caught wind of the argument and come over. He smiled up at Nick. "Don't worry, Nick! I want everyone to play." "Very generous, little bro," Damian chuckled while glaring at Nick once more. "What's the matter, you scared? Worried you don't have the skills to beat me even with all that training," he used air quotes with disdain, "you got in space?" Nick forced his mind away from Goobot's ship. "No, I just," he answered. His voice wavered ever so slightly. It was more than enough for Damian to pick up on. More kids were watching now, and Damian fed off their interest.

Damian took a step closer to Nick and Jimmy. He glared deep into Nick eyes. "Oh, I get it," he said with feigned comprehension. "Why wouldn't you play laser tag when you've fought in a real war? Because you lied about everything you did last month!" An excited murmur picked up among the children. Nick and Jimmy were too confused to respond. "I bet you didn't do anything up there," Damian growled while giving Nick a shove. "I bet you hid in your rocket while the real men did the work. And I bet all those little scrapes and bruises you kids got were your fault!" Nick reared his arm back and, held it a fraction of a second, and thrust it forward with all his might. His fist was halfway to Damian's face when Jimmy desperately shoved his arm aside. Nick ended up missing his target by a half inch. "Neutron!" Nick seethed while spinning around. Damian cracked his knuckles and narrowed his eyes. Jimmy's eyes were wide with shock. "You said to stop you!" Jimmy swallowed and nodded. "Nick, don't do this." Nick stared at his friend for a long moment. His teeth still clenched, he managed a nod. He would listen to reason, but that didn't erase any of his anger. He spun back and faced Damian. "You think I'm nothing? You have no idea what the hell went on up there. But I'll show you. I'm kicking your ass in laser tag. And when I do? No excuses, no do-overs. You lose and you'll know that I'm better than you. And you'll have to deal with it." The cousins stared menacingly at each other. Damian wasn't moved by Nick's words. Nick narrowed his eyes further. There were few things more infuriating than someone who couldn't understand how pathetic and wrong they were. "And when you lose," Damian seethed, "you'll have to deal with the fact that you're nothing but a gay little kid who's alone and" Damian glanced down and grinned at Nick's slightly trembling right fist. "Scared," he finished before spinning around and leaving the room. Nick breathed deeply before facing Neutron, who looked shocked, frightened, and a little sick. "Nick," he slowly explained, "this is a bad idea. There's a reason we didn't play paintball with Sheen two weeks ago." Nick's blood was still boiling. "It's laser tag, Neutron," he angrily muttered. "It's bolts of light. We'll be fine." "We?" Jimmy asked.

A tall twenty-something man wearing a Lazer Bolts t-shirt happily strolled into the room and clapped his hands. He flashed everyone a wide smile. "Alright, kids! We're all set for you guys to gear up. Who wants to play laser tag?" The children's excitement dwarfed their sizable interest in Nick and Damian's feud. They happily followed the man as he led them towards the laser tag arena. "My name's John, and I'm going to help you get set up. Now what you kids will be playing is our 'Squad Elimination' game," he explained while leading the mass of children around a corner. "It's our most popular game type and is a heck of a lot of fun," he cheerily went on. The man hesitated to open a door marked Armory. As soon as it opened, the children gasped in excitement. The area was filled with dozens of laser tag vests and rifles. A dark blue light bathed the entire room. "Awesome!" Mikey shouted out to everyone. The employee chuckled and let everyone go inside. He closed the door behind him before leaning his back against it. "You'll form a team from two to four players. Each team has ten lives that you share. So make sure to help keep your teammates from getting tagged." The man pulled a vest out of its cubbyhole. A short tube connected the vest to a rifle, which the man let hang above the floor. "This is your vest," John explained. "The laser gun is attached to it," he pointed out. "You put it on by slipping it over your head and putting your arms through like this," he explained while slipping the device on. Once he'd adjusted the vest, he motioned at a map of the large arena on a nearby wall. "The object of this game is to be the last team standing. If you shoot an enemy player in any part of their vest or gun, it will beep. That means you lost a life and locks the gun from firing and the vest from being hit until you go back to one of the barracks stations," he explained. He helpfully pointed out the four barracks stations in the corners of the map. "Once you step inside one of these stations, the gun and vest will start unlocking. You'll have five seconds until you can shoot and get hit, so I'd get running if I were you," John said with a hint of menace that delighted the children. "Maybe your teammates will go back to the barracks and cover you when you respawn, or maybe they'll stay where they were and keep fighting. It's up to you guys. There are plenty of places to hide in and behind when you're inside, but there will be lots of enemies too. Keep moving and stay sharp," he told them. He looked over his gun and pointed at a small button beside the trigger. "Your gun can fire ten shots at a time. When your shots are up, press this button. It will reload your gun, but it takes a few seconds until you can fire again."

Nick immediately shot up his hand. His eyes were locked on the instructor with an intensity that frightened the man. "How long? What's the reload time?" The man hesitated under Nick's unnerving stare. "Um, it's less than five seconds. Three, I think." Nick absorbed the answer and nodded. John broke away from Nick's gaze and smiled at the other excited children. "That's about it! Now, there are some rules, and we ask that you do follow them." His voice was filled with a new seriousness that made the children pay close attention. "There's no lying on the ground, because someone might trip over you. We also don't want anyone climbing on the barriers. We ask that you don't run around, please. At most, just do a quick jog from cover to cover. Make sure to keep your gun firmly held in both hands at all times. And lastly, absolutely no physical contact. None," he warned. "Everyone understand?" The crowd voiced their affirmation before the man's easy-going smile returned. "Alright then! Everybody pick your teams and get suited up. If you need any help getting the vest on or have any questions, let me know. Come get me when you're all set up, and I'll sync your gear with your teammates. Have fun!" Nick marched towards the nearest wall and grabbed a vest. Jimmy slowly followed him and watched as he quickly slipped it over his head and adjusted the straps until it was snug. Nick grabbed the rifle hanging near his hip and felt its weight. He aimed it at the map across the room, closed his left eye, and stared down the sights. Satisfied but far from happy, he grabbed another vest and all but shoved it in front of Jimmy. Jimmy stared at it with sorrowful eyes for several seconds before meeting Nick's glowering stare. "Nick, this is still a bad idea." "Neutron, I told you," he growled, "it shoots light! We will be fine." Jimmy swallowed and mustered some confidence. "You told me to keep you from fighting Damian!" "And you did!" Nick shot back. "How many times do I have to say it? It's laser tag, it's plastic guns, it's a game!" he angrily whispered. Jimmy recoiled at his tone. Nick hesitated and clenched his jaw. Eventually, he sighed. He lowered the vest and stepped closer to Jimmy. "I hate him, and I can beat him," he quickly whispered. "We can beat him," Nick sincerely added. "He has no chance, none, against us." Jimmy shook his head. "Nick, that's not the point! I don't, I don't want to" he let his voice trail off as his eyes caught sight of the rifle. Nick's eyes dropped at Jimmy's tone. Guilt began to wash over him. I can't make him do this. He looked around the room and felt his stomach sink. There wasn't an option to play alone. Nick had

no doubt he could handle Damian one-on-one, but there was going to be fire coming from every direction. He'd need someone to cover him, someone he trusted. Besides, having a little kid on his team would drain his lives. He sighed once more and faced Jimmy. "I need this," he whispered. Jimmy's resolve cracked at Nick's broken tone. Jimmy had only heard his friend sound like this once before, back when they were alone on Little Boy's firing range. Jimmy's face fell as he looked down at the gun once more. "Please, have my back," Nick desperately added. A second passed, and Jimmy slowly nodded. He hesitantly grabbed the vest and slid it over his head. Once it was in place, he grasped the rifle with trembling hands. "Thanks, Jimmy," Nick offered with a weak smile. Jimmy nodded once more just as Mikey and one of his friends came up. "Nick, this is going to be so cool!" he practically screamed. "We're finally fighting together!" Nick's stomach twisted once more as he stared at his little cousin. He looked across the room and spotted Damian grinning at him. Nick's gaze hardened as his gaze flitted back to Mikey. He knelt down and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I, uh, I've got to do this one solo," Nick struggled to say. Mikey's joyous voice dropped. His brown eyes fell to the floor. "You mean with Jimmy." Jimmy's face drooped lower in response. Nick shook his head. "It's not like that. Hey, there are two matches during a party, right?" Mikey nodded. "Let me and Jimmy take care of this one, show your brother who's boss. Then I'll show you the ropes and help you win next game. How's that sound?" Mikey looked up at Nick. "Sure," he muttered, but it was clear to Nick he wasn't satisfied. Nick didn't know what else he could say. He merely squeezed Mikey's shoulder and got back to his feet. "Cool," he uttered as Mikey and his friend walked away. Nick watched the boys approach another two kids without a complete team. For a long moment, Nick couldn't bring himself to look away. All he'd wanted was to keep from ruining Mikey's birthday, and he'd failed. He began to hate himself. "Nick," Jimmy gently said, "are you okay?"

Nick sighed and grabbed his gun. "No." He spun around and forced a joyless half-smile on his face. "Let's get our stuff synced."

Nick and Jimmy stood side-by-side, rifles in hand. Nine other children stood beside them. Some of them formed battle strategies that Nick would have laughed at had he been in the mood. Some eagerly looked over their guns and aimed them all around. Still others all but squealed in unbridled glee. Nick and Jimmy stood silently, waiting for the door to open. Three other doors like the one in front of them existed in the arena's other corners. They would open at the same time. The players would have ten seconds to get into position before their guns and vests would come to life. Nick and Jimmy stood and waited, each lost in their thoughts. Until the doors opened. The deep booming voice filled the arena as the two friends breached the entrance. "Ten!" it ominously shouted. "High cover," Nick growled as and Jimmy jogged towards the ramp that led to the balcony. Most of the children around them ignored the rule about running, but Nick was playing by the book. He had no intention of losing due to his stride being too quick. It took seven seconds to reach the balcony. "Three!" the voice roared. Nick and Jimmy vaulted over a two-foot high cushioned wall in their way. "Two!" The boys dashed between two columns jutting from floor to ceiling. "One!" They slid into place behind a chest-high wall. Nick felt his blood cool and heart race as his gun hummed to life. "Begin!" It all came rushing back.

"We have Goobot pinned down and need you to bring your entire army here on the double. Swarm, swarm!"

Jimmy's voice filled Nick's headset and breached his ears. The half hour of waiting was over. A half hour of sitting alone in his rocket's cart. A half hour of wincing at every exclamation of pain and sighing in relief at every battle Jimmy and Cindy survived. A half hour of being helpless. That was done. Now it was time to prove to Jimmy, himself, and their army that he had trained them well. It was time to keep the suicide team alive. It was time to finish the fight. "You heard the man!" he roared into his headset. He grabbed his pistol off of the seat beside him and narrowed his eyes. "Betty, Ike, Brittany, take us to that ship! Move! Move!"

Nick shoved the memories to the back of his mind. They kept playing and nipped at his brain. He tried to ignore them. "Hostile right!" Nick shouted while popping out of cover and catching sight of a clueless seven year-old. In half a second he'd aimed down the sights and fired his shot. The boy cried out in frustration before hurrying towards the barracks zone to respawn. "He's down!" Nick added while sidling towards the wall of the balcony. Jimmy noticed this. "Take shots, I'll cover you!" he instructed while peeking out of cover. He caught sight of two more kids charging across the balcony and dispatched them in four shots. "Come on, come on, come on," Nick hurriedly whispered through gritted teeth. He scanned the arena, firing a shot at every child he saw. He hit every target, but couldn't find the one he was looking for. "Come on, you son of a bitch."

Nick raced across the ship's hull with his entire army in step behind him. His eyes spotted the hatch that Jimmy and Cindy had used to board the vessel. "Dead ahead!" he roared. He slid to a stop in front of the hole and pointed the gun straight down. He scanned the room beneath. There wasn't a hostile in sight. "On me!" he shouted while tucking his pistol behind his back. He lowered himself down the hole and dropped straight down. He hit the floor hard but unhurt. He whipped his gun out and took cover beside the open door. He heard thump after thump as children jumped down the hole after him. He took a deep breath to steady his aim, crouched down, and popped out of cover. Two Yolkians holding spears raced towards him. "Yolkians!" he shouted while firing two shots. Each hit a control panel and sent the aliens crashing to the floor. "Any more?"

Nick spun around and saw Betty peek out into the hallway. With her brown hair tied into a ponytail and her pistol aimed beside his, Nick was struck by her beauty for a precious moment. He forced it to pass and shook his head. "Let's grab whatever weapons they had on them and move!"

"Nick!" Jimmy shouted. Nick pulled away from the overhang and faced Jimmy. He saw a kid out of the corner of his eye and spun to his left. He dropped the target. "That's ten," he muttered while thumbing the reload button on his rifle. "They're coming up on both sides," Jimmy warned him while taking another shot. Nick's rifle beeped, and he aimed over the balcony once more. Three shots took down two more kids in the arena below. "Let's get down there!" he ordered. "Against the wall, under the balcony." Jimmy considered this for a fleeting second before nodding. "We'll have cover above and behind." "That's what I was thinking," Nick agreed. "Ready?" "Hang on," Jimmy uttered while reloading his rifle. Nick swiveled back and forth to keep their area clear of hostiles. "I'm set!" Jimmy shouted. "Then let's go!"

Nick jumped down the last three steps with Betty in tow. A shot from Nick's pistol knocked out a control panel, and a round from Betty's gun blasted out the bottom half of a second alien's eye. The creature roared in pain while dropping its spear. Betty lunged for it and made the catch before it hit the ground. "Remember us?" Nick roared while pinning the injured creature against a wall. He held the shell in place with his left elbow and smashed the visor in with his pistol. All of Nick's rage bolstered his blows as he bashed the pistol again and again into the alien's brain. "Nick!" Ike shouted while pointing ahead. Over a hundred children filled the stairwell and the beginning of the ship's fourth level. They all stared at the enormous space before them. All that filled the kilometer-long floor was computer banks, machinery, and dozens of Yolkians. Nick narrowed his eyes at the creatures. Some were trapped motionless, previously disabled by Jimmy and Cindy. Many more weren't. Frightened and unarmed crew members dashed around in

chaos, but others spotted the humans and held their ground. Nick noticed at least twenty soldiers, each clutching a spear. They began to bark orders, and the crew members slowly joined the warriors. Nick gritted his teeth in hatred. He turned around at his own warriors. Betty tossed the working spear behind her, and a tall boy Nick's age grabbed it. That made him the second with a working spear. Some carried rocks from their brief stay on Ergo 22. Nick, Betty, Ike, and one other child had pistols. Most were unarmed. The opposing armies glared at each other and readied their few weapons. Silence filled the air as the last of the Yolkians fell into formation. Nick locked eyes with one of the lead soldiers. They each moved forward at the same time. "Charge!" Nick screamed while running forward and firing a bullet into the creature's visor.

The memories mixed with reality. Sweat poured down his body. His blood felt tainted with ice. Time simultaneously slowed down and sped up. This wasn't a game. This was war. "Cover!" Nick roared while vaulting over the edge of the ramp. He dropped the few remaining feet and landed in a crouch. Targets flitted by, undisciplined hostiles waiting to be mowed down. Taking them out was child's play. His gun had no recoil, his opponents no skill. Child after child fell. "Reloading!" he roared while reaching for a magazine that wasn't there. Instinct took over and he tapped the small reload button before he could comprehend his mistake. Jimmy could hear the change in Nick's voice. "Nick?" he shouted in concern while ducking behind a barrel.

Gunshots roared through the ship as bullet after bullet tore into the aliens. They shredded control panels, shattered glass, ripped eyes apart, and embedded themselves in green viscera. The space between the armies was down to ten meters, and forty aliens still charged. Four spent magazines clattered to the floor. There were only three spare clips for the four guns. Nick, Betty, and Ike slammed their new rounds in, but Nick took his finger off the trigger. "Melee!" he roared as loud as he could. They outnumbered the aliens more than two-to-one, and they might need the bullets later. Chaos filled the floor. Only three soldiers had withstood the gunfire. A spear slammed into a young girl's leg; another slashed a band of skin off a teenage boy's arm. Rocks shattered visors and crushed brains. Blood, both green and red, fell onto the floor in a steady rain.

Nick slammed a fist into a crewman's visor and spread cracks throughout. The alien wasn't deterred and pinned him to the ground. Nick grappled with the beast, groaning in fury and terror. The alien grabbed his neck and squeezed. Nick gurgled as his throat was coated with fire. A knife flew through the air and shattered the monster's weakened visor. A second blade came immediately after and lodged itself in the alien's brain. The creature toppled onto Nick, dead before it connected. Nick shoved it aside and climbed to his feet. He spun around and saw a black-haired girl throw a blade in another direction before Betty ran up and blocked his view. "You good?" she asked in fright. "Good!" Nick shouted back while looking around. He saw another one of his friends get punched hard in the face; another teenager tore open his hand while shoving a fist through the broken glass of a Yolkian's visor. Yet it wasn't the humans who were hurting. Yolkian after Yolkian dropped to the ground. Nick stared around at the carnage and saw no hostiles left to fight. He let out a few ragged breaths as his headset crackled to life. "Nick? Nick! What's going on?"

Nick's eyes darted from side to side, catching sight of hostile after hostile. There's still more, he nervously thought. "There's still more!" he shouted as his gun finished reloading. Jimmy fired his last shot and stared at Nick in confusion. "There are over thirty kids and three hundred lives, Nick! This will take a while!" There are over three hundred of them! Jimmy's augmented voice swam through Nick's mind. Nick's heart slammed the wall of his chest. He needed cover, cover on more than one side. "Let's go!" he ordered Jimmy. Nick vaulted over his cover and sprinted across the arena. Jimmy hesitated and then set off beside him. "Nick, what are you doing?" he shouted. "We can't run!" Nick shook his head while firing a trio of rounds, taking down a pair of third-graders. "We're not running!" he shot back while sliding behind a wall. "We're finishing this!" Jimmy got in cover beside Nick and stared worriedly at his friend. "What are you talking about?" Nick spotted a good piece of cover twenty yards away. It was a small fort, a ten-square foot building made of cushioned walls. A firing window sat in one of its three walls. "There, we'll hold there!" Nick roared. "Cover me!"

Jimmy stared desperately at Nick. "Nick, are you - "Cover!" Nick roared while jutting out from behind his wall. He took another kid down and then set off. Nick knew his only chance was to reach the target. He could hold there, have Jimmy cover the open wall while he finished the hostiles from the firing window. He just had to survive the run. Things were slower now, the adrenaline saturating his blood. A Yolkian filled the corner of his eye. He saw his arms raise inch by inch, watched as he raised the rifle and took aim. The shot connected and hit its control panel. Another alien burst out from behind cover and charged. It poised its spear as it came too close. Nick sidestepped the blow and shoved the alien hard. "Nick!" Jimmy's terrified voice shouted in the distance. Nick couldn't pause to shoot the Yolkian. He had to trust that Jimmy would keep it off his back. He jumped over a low wall and landed without missing a stride. Two aliens stood before him. A shot from his gun took one down. The second he shoved aside with his rifle. The creature slammed onto the ground and roared in pain. "Nick, stop!" Jimmy's scream was desperate now. It was too late to stop, too late to turn back. Nick was nearly there. He reached the wall of the fort and swung around to the back. He'd caught the two creatures inside by surprise. There were still hundreds of Yolkians still out there. He didn't have the ammo to lose. Nick slammed the first alien visor-first into the wall. It collapsed as the other two Yolkians spun around and stared in fright. "Nick, stop right now!" Jimmy's scream pierced his ears. The voice was closer. The lights around him brightened. The alien knew its fate and stared at him in horror. Nick slammed his rifle into its visor. "General Dean, I order you to stand down!" Nick froze. He could not understand why Jimmy would give him that order in the middle of hostile territory, surrounded by aliens. He blinked, and it all came back. Mikey was lying on the ground, blood spilling from his nose. He was wailing in pain. Nick stared in confusion. He glanced down and saw the red spots on his gun.

"You bastard!" Damian screamed while slamming into Nick. The boys bounced off of the cushioned wall and collapsed onto the floor. "You sick fuck!" he roared while slamming his fist into Nick's face. The blow snapped him awake. As his head bounced off the floor, Nick remembered the children he'd shoved. He replayed pushing the kid into the wall he'd just bounced off of. He felt the tremor shoot up his wrist as his gun slammed into Mikey's face. Blood mixed with tears on his cheek.

Nick's eyes slowly moved from side to side, absent-mindedly studying the leaves dropping from the trees. "Nick?" Jimmy's voice was barely a whisper. "Don't," Nick could barely get the word out. "Just don't." He could sense Jimmy's eyes on him. He could feel the undeserved compassion. A silence filled the air. "Okay," Jimmy finally offered. Nick sighed and felt the large cut on his cheek. A single punch was the only retribution he'd been given. The employees had broken up the fight. Jimmy had feverishly tried to explain Nick's 'episode', as he'd called it. Nick's uncle brought Mikey to the hospital for his broken nose. The party was ruined, Mikey was hurt, and Nick was ashamed. He'd ruined everything, gone well beyond what he'd promised himself he wouldn't do. Five minutes passed with no words spoken. Finally Jimmy sighed and slowed the hover car. He pulled to the side of a dirt road and landed the craft. Nick turned farther away from his friend. "It wasn't your fault," Jimmy told him. Nick wanted to get angry at Jimmy's stupidity. He wanted to yell at him, to tell him that of course it was his own fault. The only thing he could do, though, was wipe away the tears that burnt his eyes. "Nick, believe me, I know you feel guilty. II understand that," Jimmy slowly offered. "II get it." Nick took a shaky breath and forced himself to stop crying. "This happens all the time to people who've," Jimmy paused and desperately searched for the right words. "Who've been through what we've been through." "Neutron," Nick croaked out.

"Nick," Jimmy desperately interrupted. "If I'd done what you did, what would you do?" Nick hesitated. "If you broke my cousin's nose? I'd punch you in the face." "You got punched in the face," Jimmy countered. Nick didn't know what to say. He wiped a hand down his sore face and sighed. "I screwed up, Jimmy," he mumbled. ""I screwed up so bad." "He knows you didn't mean it," Jimmy offered. "Mikey. He knows that. And you're uncle understood." Nick couldn't help but sniffle as he wiped the last tears away. He breathed deep and said, "They, they" He hesitated, unsure if he could say what came next. You can say it to Jimmy. "They'll hate me." Jimmy slowly reached out and put a hand on Nick's shoulder. Nick slowly faced him. "No they won't." "How do you know?" Nick weakly asked. Jimmy waited just a moment before offering a small smile. "I'm a genius, remember?" Nick waited and then slowly nodded. "Guess you are," he quietly offered. They sat in silence for a long moment. Nick eventually looked at Jimmy, whom he could tell was deep in thought. When the boy spoke, his eyes had clearly saddened. "Nick," Jimmy slowly began, "I'm handling aproject tomorrow." Jimmy took a slow breath and nodded in self-affirmation. "I'm putting a monitoring device on the moon." Nick wasn't in the mood for vagueness. "What are you talking about?" Jimmy sighed. "It's a side project I've wanted to work on for a while. I'm putting a device on the moon that will let me know if anything approaches Earth. Anything like a, you know, like an asteroid or something." Nick stared at Jimmy. "Why?" he flatly asked. "Because," Jimmy licked his lips and paused once more, "it's just something I've wanted to do for a while. But when I'm up there, I'll see where this all started." It took a few seconds for Nick to understand. "Where you were attacked." Jimmy nodded. "Yes. I prefer to have a partner when I go on trips like this. You should come with me."

Nick looked at the floor and rubbed his forehead. "Neutron," he began. Jimmy shook his head. "It will help. And I need the help." Nick could almost hear desperation in Jimmy's voice. He looked up and studied his friend's expression. There was something hidden in his eyes. "And it's for asteroids?" Jimmy slowly nodded. "Asteroids, other debris, just anyunforeseen incident," Jimmy slowly offered. Another silence filled the air. As Nick accepted this, he thought of what it would be like to see where their adventure had truly begun, to witness the remnants of the only battle he hadn't been part of. On cue, Jimmy spoke once more. "It will help," he assured Nick. Nick slowly nodded. "Fine," he flatly agreed. "I'll go." "Okay," Jimmy quietly answered while starting up the hover car. He lifted it off the ground. "Thanks." Nick rested his head in his right hand and stared at the trees once more. It will help. Jimmy's words repeated themselves in his mind. He didn't know if he believed them. After what he'd just done, he didn't know if he could be fixed. He felt the cut on his cheek and thought of his little cousin lying in his own blood. No, Nick wasn't sure if he could be fixed. But he knew that he needed to be.

Chapter 9: Recruitment

Author's Note: This chapter focuses on Betty Quinlan and takes place during Chapter Eight of Pushing Through.

There wasn't a sound in her room. No happy chatter between her mom and dad. No background noise from her television. There wasn't even a single chirp from a bird outside. She'd expected the silence to be relieving; that it would enswathe her mind and shield it from all distractions. Instead it coddled her brain; assured her now was the time to let the stored memories break free. They bubbled up from the surface and played before her mind's eye. There was so much to dwell on. Even a month later, she could still remember it all with perfect clarity. How it had felt to pilot a ship through the void of space. The nail-biting agony of listening to James and Cindy fighting their way through Goobot's vessel. The raging icy river of adrenaline coursing through her veins while boarding the cruiser. Watching in agony as Cindy

bled onto the floor from a hole in her waist and the relieved smiles from dozens of children when she'd regained consciousness. The feel of her mother and father's embrace, clutching her tighter than she'd ever been held before. They all deserved her attention; they all merited mental rumination. Yet it wasn't those thoughts she focused on. Right now, lying alone on her bed and staring at the ceiling, all she could think about was the boy with the brown eyes. "Stop it," she angrily grumbled while slamming a fist down onto her bedspread. Her eyes narrowed on their own as she dug her nails into her palm. You are not weak. Betty sighed as the thought flashed through her mind. She wouldn't be this girl; the hormoneravaged teenager who sulked in bed over a boy. She wouldn't be the person so many of her classmates imagined her to be. I flew us to Goobot's ship, she angrily told herself. I fought the Yolkians onboard. I risked my life to save my family. All of those statements were both true and obvious. Yet she knew that most of her classmates had a different picture of her. They saw a girl. They saw a tall, pretty girl who should be a model, not a pilot. In space the children had worked in perfect harmony, a well-oiled unit led by Nick and Jimmy. But back on Earth, away from the warzone, she was back to being the pretty girl. She could feel the boys staring at her, appreciating everything but her mind and skills. She heard the girls' painful remarks. First out of jealousy for her being Nick's boyfriend, then the rumors about her callously breaking his heart. Of course, that sent her thoughts around full circle. They settled back on the brown-eye boy, and she groaned in frustration. She felt her eyes begin to water, cursed herself once more, and then clenched her fist tighter. "Oh shut up!" Betty cursed herself while sitting up on her bed. She let out a deep breath and nodded. Next came a slow unclenching of her fist as she forced herself to calm down. "You're not that girl," Betty whispered while getting to her feet. She wasn't weak; she wasn't a love-torn princess. The sad utter truth was that she missed her friend. She missed doing homework by Nick's side with the TV on in the background. She missed shoving his head away when she caught him sneaking a peak at her answers. She missed him teaching her how to skateboard, she missed sharing shakes at the Candy Bar, she missed having someone to talk to who actually understood her. She strolled to the window and rested her head in her hands. The sun wrapped her in its warm embrace. They'd been friends for more than a year. It had started when rehearsing for that ridiculous play in fifth grade. Macbeth in Space, she thought with a chuckle that sent a tiny grin crawling up her

lips. Who else but Willoughby would dream that up? She remembered her previous principal fondly and felt a pang of regret at leaving him and his school behind. It had only been natural to get to know one another over those days. It had started with a few laughs over flubbed lines. Then it evolved into shared complaints over homework and tests. When the time came to practice their kiss, they'd gotten friendly enough for it to be more than awkward. And when their lips connected, she'd felt her lips go numb like she'd been injected with Novocain. They'd been twelve at the time; her mother would never have let her date. And truth be told, she wasn't ready to. And for all of Nick's suave charm and confidence, she didn't think he was either. So they'd grown closer and learned they were two peas in a pod. Two attractive, popular people who felt like there was more to them than anyone else saw. They'd opened up to each other, learned things that neither had shared before. And then, just when another summer vacation was coming to a close, their parents had been kidnapped. And when Nick had gone missing on Little Boy, she'd realized just how much he truly meant to her. "Idiot," she mumbled with a pained grimace. She shoved herself away from the windowsill and marched out of her bedroom. She descended her stairs and paced around her house while cursing her stupidity and the situation they'd found themselves in. How could they not have gotten together? They'd fought by each other's side, seen Jimmy and Cindy finally declare their love, watched as Sheen and Libby were impossibly and miraculously reunited. They had all survived; all been given a second chance at life. They would have been foolish to waste it. And so they'd taken the plunge. Betty took a seat at her kitchen table and interlocked her hands. Then she rested them against her forehead and stared at the table beneath her. And we learned not everyone is like Jimmy and Cindy. Some friendships couldn't withstand that evolution into romance. It didn't take long for them to realize it was a mistake; that they weren't ready for such a change. And though they'd promised to not let it affect their friendship, that they would be sure to keep from losing that which mattered most, she now knew they were mistaken. They were wrong, and now she was alone. She'd lost her best friend; they hadn't spoken a word to each other since it had ended. Nick was gone, she was alone, and now she was the girl she'd always been afraid of being. She was sitting at her kitchen table crying over a boy. And then the doorbell rang.

Betty lifted up her head and blinked twice. She felt akin to a deer in the woods hearing a branch snap. She had no idea who could be waiting for her. Middle school was a dangerous jungle, and allegedly breaking the heart of the coolest kid in school had left her with few friends. As the seconds dragged on, she began to believe she'd misheard the musical tone, but then it rang out once more. She got to her feet and approached the door. Her hand was about to grasp the handle when she gave pause, remembering that she was home alone. Betty let her eye hover before the peephole and felt it widen in shock. She pulled back, hesitated another second, and then slowly opened the door to see Nick standing before her. She'd rarely seen him so serious, so worried, so pained. He looked deep into her eyes and slowly said, "Betty, we need to talk."

She had no idea how much time had passed with the two of them in her parlor. They sat across from each other, their tiny frames barely fitting in the enormous armchairs. Nick leaned forward in his char. He stared steadily at her as she rested straight back in hers. Two untouched glasses of lemonade sat on the coffee table between them. They'd been quickly served by a flustered Betty once she'd invited Nick inside and before he had fully explained his appearance. "So they're back," he finished explaining. His voice was cold, methodical. Her friend Nick was gone, and in his place was General Dean. Betty's mind was hazy. They're back. She replayed the highlights of Nick's speech. A Yolkian was waiting in his lab. I shot it. It said it could help us. They trust him. We need to leave tonight. We need to kill their king. We need, her mind replayed that slight hesitation as a glimmer of softness had danced across Nick's eyes, we need you. There were so many questions to ask. Where could she possibly begin? She could feel Nick's stare drilling deep into her eyes, seemingly watching the thoughts form in her mind. He was waiting for her to speak. "They," her voice was croaky and dry. She gulped and took a deep breath. "They didn't do it before," she slowly offered. She paused once more and felt her voice return. "It was that Eustace kid," she spoke more normally. Nick nodded. "It was. But we still killed their king, and they're not too happy about that. And I don't think we can just explain our mistake to them." Betty sat in silence. Her mind considered this answer and slowly accepted it as she remembered how many Yolkians they had killed the month before; all the damage they had done. As the truth of the situation began to sink in, as she began to truly understand and accept that her world was in danger, another question popped into her mind.

"You said you shot it," she said while finally meeting Nick's unrelenting gaze. They looked into each other's eyes, and for the first time the strength in his eyes wavered. "How could you shoot it?" Silence filled the room as Nick slowly looked down at the floor. Betty could hear the seconds ticking away on the grandfather clock in her parlor's corner. Enough time passed that she began to appreciate its perfect symmetry. There was never the slightest asynchronicity between pendulum swings. Just a perfectly balanced tick, tick, tick. The stream of noise was interrupted by a soft clack on her coffee table. She blinked away the fog in her mind to find a pistol resting between the sweating glasses, its barrel pointing away from her and her guest. The sight of the weapon changed her. She felt the uneasiness in her stomach began to wane, the knots begin to uncoil. Her gaze flitted to Nick's somewhat ashamed face and then back to the weapon. She squinted and made out the letters stamped above the trigger. AR-24-15C. "Your dad's," she spoke while looking back at Nick. He let out a small sigh and met her gaze, the strength back in his eyes. "You didn't know the Yolkian would be there." It was half a question and half a statement. Nick answered anyway. "No," he offered with a shake of his head. "Then why did you have it?" Nick only took a second to give his answer. "Because I knew I'd need it." Betty nodded. There was just one last question she needed answered. "You said we're only taking one ship," she began. "A small one. And we can't take everyone. How many people exactly?" "Nine, including the Yolkian. Jimmy's crew, the alien, me, Ike, and you." Betty's gaze turned curious. "Why me?" She stared at him, genuinely interested in his answer. She could see that her tone was melting Nick's defenses; she could see some of Nick breaking through General Dean's demeanor. "Why did they want me?" Nick took a long time to answer the question. His face was strained, his eyes pained. It seemed to Betty that he was debating whether or not to give her the true answer. Finally, after her mind had once more begun to settle into the rhythm of tick, tick, tick, he spoke. "They didn't," he uttered. His words hurt her more than she dared show, but she couldn't keep her face from falling. His immediately followed suit.

"No," he desperately corrected while reaching out apologetically. "I meant they didn't know who to bring. They asked me to choose. Ichose you." The cracks inside her stopped spreading. She and Nick looked into each other's eyes, and she felt her stomach coil once more. It was a different kind of nervousness this time. "Why?" she whispered. Nick bit the inside of his cheek and slowly offered her a tiny smile. "Because you're the best." A week's worth of pain and regret began to disappear. Betty felt her lips curling upwards. Then, just as the moment became truly serene, a thought flashed through her mind. It nipped at the corners of her brain; a desperate animal yearning to break free. She granted its wish and opened her mouth. "I've missed you," she whispered. For a dreadful few seconds, the sentence hung unanswered in the air. Then, just as she felt her elation drain away, she heard his response. "Me too," he whispered back. They shared a smile, and Betty felt like she was unearthing the ancient remains of a long-buried friendship. Finally, stared back down at the coffee table where Nick's gun rested. She bit her lower lip, contemplated whether to say what was on her mind, and then nodded. "Nick, come upstairs. I want to show you something." Nick hesitated and raised an eyebrow as his smile turned playful. "Don't be an idiot," she shot back, and she felt the last of the wall between them crumble away. She rose from her chair and led the way as he scooped up his pistol and slid it back into place in his waistband. It only took a moment to ascend the stairs and enter her bedroom. Betty stared at her rumpled blanket, at her open window from which a cool breeze wafted through, and then finally at her dresser. "Over here," she quietly spoke while leading him to the bureau. Nick followed silently as she knelt down on the floor. She opened the bottom drawer, which revealed a collection of yearbooks and photo albums. They were meticulously arranged to fill the drawer perfectly, leaving not an inch of space between the stacks. Betty stared at the left-most column, which seemed slightly off balance. She bit her lip as she lifted a trio of yearbooks away to reveal a nine millimeter pistol.

Betty set the books down on the floor and looked up at Nick. The boy eyed the gun intensely and curiously before turning to Betty. He seemed to measure his words before asking his question. "Why do you have it?" There was no judgment in his tone. They were one and the same, she and he. Two souls damaged in different places, but using the same medicine. She laughed. "A trophy?" she offered in amusement. She stared down at the gun and felt a tiny smile appear on her face. It was a reminder of the one time she'd felt truly useful, truly appreciated, truly respected. The time she'd felt most alive. She met Nick's gaze once more. Still no judgment, but not much understanding either. Damaged in different places, she reminded herself. Yet he still nodded. Betty remembered what Nick had told her in the parlor moments before. And though she had answered truthfully, though the gun was a reminder of her time in space, there was perhaps another reason she kept the pistol. A reason why she'd hesitated over the sewer drain with a fistful of bullets, why she'd been unable to toss them away. Why she couldn't keep the thing purely as a relic from times past. There was a reason why she'd had that nightmare a week prior, dreaming of a Yolkian breaking into her home and stabbing her in the heart while she slept. "I also knew I'd need it." Once more their eyes met. A clear understanding shot wordlessly between them. "Guess we were right," Nick solemnly whispered. Betty nodded and placed the books back over the pistol. She rose to her feet and stared hard at the boy before her. She crossed her arms and licked her lips. "There's just one more thing I don't get." Her words flowed easily, no awkwardness to bar the exchange between him and her. "I know you don't trust the Yolkian you shot. So why are you doing this?" Nick's eyes narrowed; a defensive response he couldn't control. Betty didn't shy away. She kept her arms crossed and her gaze fixed on him. Nick slowly strolled past her and leaned against her windowsill. "Jimmy and the rest trust it," he answered. "They said they wouldn't do this without me." He turned over his shoulder and looked Betty in the eyes. "You're right. I don't trust that thing. But I trust our friends." Betty approached the window, and he sidled over to give her room. They stared out at her yard together, their view obstructed by the large tree separating her room from the house next door. "You mean you trust Jimmy," Betty offered.

A moment passed, and Nick nodded his head. "He needs us, Betty." Nick turned away from the window at the same time as Betty. "He's always been there for us." It wasn't hard for Betty to remember the times when Jimmy had risked his life for the greater good. "Yeah, he has." "So we owe it to help him," Nick finished. "He'sa good friend." "He is," Betty agreed. She took a deep breath and nodded in self-affirmation. "I'm in." "You sure?" Nick asked. "This won't go smoothly." "It never does," she countered. "And sounds like you need the best." Nick stared proudly at her and stepped away from the window. "Yeah, we do." Betty watched as he strolled across her bedroom. She prepared to follow him when she heard a rustle from the tree outside. She looked out her window and swore she saw a flash of black hair swish through the leaves. She blinked and squinted her eyes, but whatever she thought she saw was gone. "We meet at Jimmy's lab at midnight," Nick explained while leaning against the doorframe. His voice snatched Betty's attention, and she spun away from the window. "I'll meet you here before then." Betty glanced at the clock resting on her nightstand. It was nearing five. Seven hours before we go. "I'll be ready," she promised.

The knots in Betty's stomach tightened as she flipped her backpack over. She watched her folders and notebooks tumble onto the floor and felt a wave of nausea wash through her body. A quick glance at her clock confirmed that she could wait no longer. It was time to go. She knew what to pack, she'd done it before. A few days' worth of clothes, a couple thin paperbacks, a fold-up checkerboard. When they were all secure and her backpack was stuffed to the brim, she stared at her dresser's bottom drawer. She let her bag fall to the ground and approached the bureau. She sighed while lowering herself to one knee. The yearbook looked up at her, a sunny day highlighting a crowd of children smiling in front of Lindbergh Elementary. She moved it and the others aside before staring at the pistol. She remembered the last time she'd fired the weapon. Betty could still feel the trigger digging into her finger, hear the gunshot blast through her ears, and see the bullet shred through a Yolkian's glass visor. She slowly picked up the weapon and held it in her right hand.

She studied the gun for a long moment before thumbing the magazine ejector. The clip fell into her left hand. It wasn't even half full. Six rounds, she counted. She stared back at the pistol. And one in the chamber. She nodded, quietly slid the clip back in, checked the safety, and slid it into her waistband. Betty rose to her feet and stared at the last item to pack. The framed picture stared back at her; three happy faces frozen in a single joyous moment. She could do nothing but stare at it for a full minute before she slowly grabbed the frame and brought it towards her. A sad smile crossed her lips as she looked into her mother and father's eyes. She held her breath, strained her ears, and found she could hear them snoring in the next room. Two quick clinks ruined the moment and drew her attention to her open window. She waited a second and caught sight of a third pebble bounce off of the glass. Quickly, she opened the frame in her hand and took out the photograph. She carefully folded it and slid it into her pocket before leaning out the window. She found Nick staring up at her. She motioned for him to wait, and he silently nodded. She pushed herself away and narrowed her eyes. This is it. She strolled to her bedroom door and clasped her backpack's strap with her right hand. We do it again. She slung the bag over her shoulder and reached behind her back. The pistol was in place. She was ready. Her door silently closed behind her. Betty stared at the bedroom across the hall. Her left hand slowly reached towards her pocket without her mind willing it to. She gave a solemn nod and approached her parents' room. As usual, the door was open a tiny sliver; just enough for the people inside to hear if anything merited their attention. Gently, slowly, she pushed it open a few more inches and caught sight of her parents. They lay there, wrapped in their blanket with closed eyes, completely unaware of their daughter's intent. Betty felt her eyes begin to burn. She remembered freeing them from their prison in space, how they had held her so tight and refused to let go. Betty loved them; more than she loved anyone. For all of their rules and embarrassments and quirks and fights they'd caused, she still loved them. And now she had to leave them. Standing in that doorway without stepping inside, without kissing her mother's cheek and hugging her father; it was the hardest thing she ever had to do. She knew she couldn't risk waking them. They needed her, even if they were so blissfully ignorant of that painful fact. The entire world needed her now, her and her seven friends. Eight kids to save the world, her mind silently mumbled in disbelief. She blinked away the forming tears, remembered the girl she strove to be, and gave the slightest of nods. Her fist clenched the doorknob tight, her grasp firm and unyielding. To do the impossible. The images raced through her mind: careening through an asteroid belt, scores of children huddled together and listening to their friends nearly die, boarding an alien ship, bashing enemies' brains in. Cindy

and Estevez coming back from the dead. They all replayed themselves before her, leading to one inescapable truth. We've done it before. Her grip on the doorknob loosened as she forced a sad smile onto her face. She opened her mouth and whispered what might be the last thing she'd ever say to her mother and father. "I'll love you, forever and always." She reflected what they'd said to her so many times, and then she closed the door behind her.

"You ready?" Nick gently asked as she closed and locked the front door behind her. Betty turned around and faced her friend. In spite of all of her worry, a tiny glint of joy came to life inside of her. Nick's eyes were filled with concern, his voice confident yet gentle. Her friend was back. "Just one thing," Betty asked. "Our parents." She hesitated, struggling to decide how to phrase this one last question. Nick nodded; he understood her once more. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gleaming metallic sphere. "Gift from Jimmy," he offered while handing it to her. Betty eyed it curiously before grabbing the device. "He said it's a hologram that should fool our parents." Betty brought the sphere closer and examined it. It was the size of a baseball but had to be thrice the weight. She rolled it over and saw a single black button raised above its perfectly smooth surface. "It would never work," she replied. She met Nick's gaze. "We'll be gone a week. They're not fooled that easy." Nicks' expression saddened as he shook his head. "It won't work forever, but it will let us get far away before they find out. Jimmy wants to make sure we're too far gone for them to do something stupid like follow us." Betty could see the pain in Nick's eyes; she knew she wasn't the only one who hated to abandon her family. "And when they do find out?" Nick sighed. "Then it's Goddard's job to explain." Betty rolled the device over in her hand once more. She knew her parents would cry, be terrified, and blame themselves. "We have to do this, right?" she asked. She knew the answer, but that didn't mean she didn't need to hear it from someone else.

"Yeah, we do," Nick solemnly whispered. Betty took a deep breath and gripped the sphere tight. "Okay then." She led Nick to the side of her house and stared up at her open bedroom window. She tossed the device a foot in the air, caught it, reared her arm back, and held it for just a moment. "Then here we go." She thumbed the button and felt the device hum to life. She threw it towards the window, watched it arc into her room, and faced Nick. He nodded at her, and they set on their way.

Chapter 10: Renewal

Author's Note: This chapter focuses on Cindy Vortex and takes place ten days after the humans' epilogue of Pushing Through.

The bedroom was silent as Cindy stared into the mirror. She had no idea how long she'd been holding that position, looking into her own eyes. What she did know was that like so many other times in the past few months, the coming moments would forever change her life. Perhaps not to the same degree as saving the planet or volunteering for a suicide mission, but there could be no doubt that the next conversation she held would have an enormous impact on her future. Cindy slowly blinked and tilted her head ever so slightly. Her reflection followed suit, and Cindy felt a twinge of surprise. Of course she knew that the young woman staring back at her was a literal mirror image of herself, but that didn't change the fact that she was unrecognizable. Cindy slowly returned her head to its old position and struggled to figure out how to describe what she saw. I'mI'm... Cindy slowly chewed on her bottom lip and allowed herself a grin. "Stunning," she whispered. In this instance, the line between cockiness and truth was razor thin. Cindy had of course dressed up before, but she knew this was something else. She took in every inch of herself. Her blonde locks were daintily curled and dangled past her chin. It was perhaps a twinge too cold out for her flowered summer dress, but that was of minor consequence. Her emerald earrings reflected the sun's light into the mirror, which in turn shot back into her own eyes. The effect was dazzling. Cindy held her smile a second longer before taking in a deep breath. Enough selfcongratulations, she silently chided herself. You haven't done the hard part yet. As the enormity of her task crept back into the forefront of her mind, she took one last look at the girl in the mirror. The young woman inside looked like she would scarcely be able to handle carrying a purse, let alone be a foe worthy of respect. Cindy's smile turned into a scowl as she yanked the

dangling earrings off and placed them on her drawer. Still not satisfied, she grabbed a tissue and angrily wiped off the makeup decorating her face. Cindy sighed and ran her hands through her hair. She scowled at the mirror and was pleased with the person staring back. The woman was still beautiful, but no longer looked helpless. A quick nod shot between them, and Cindy spun around. She stared at the tiny blue purse sitting on her bed. Cindy took a step toward it and managed an amused half-smile. Betty had been right when she'd loaned it to her; it certainly would complement her outfit well. But she had nothing worth carrying, and so for the same reason as the earrings it was left behind. Cindy flipped the light switch off and closed her bedroom door behind her. It took ten seconds to descend the stairs, and then she was staring at her temporary foe. She took a deep breath to steel her nerves, squeezed her nails into her palms, and spoke. "Mom? We need to talk." Cindy stood five feet behind the couch and her mother. Mrs. Vortex was leaning back in her seat, smiling absent-mindedly while staring at a magazine. It took a moment for her daughter's voice to register, but then she slowly raised her right hand. "One moment, Cynthia," she mumbled while letting her eyes flit across the page. "You wouldn't believe" Cindy took in a deep breath narrowed her eyes. "We need to talk now." Cindy's strength didn't falter as her mother's head perked up and she spun around. Two sets of green eyes locked onto each other. It took a moment for Mrs. Vortex to comprehend the image before her, but when she did she couldn't help but pull back in shock. "Cynthia?" she quietly asked while composing herself. She raised an eyebrow and took in a quick breath. "Why are you dressed like that?" her tone was steady once more; her eyes suspicious and gleaming. "That's why we need to talk," Cindy quickly answered. She straightened her back and let out a slow breath. She felt her stomach begin to contort itself as she rounded the sofa to stand in front of her mother. She wished she could plunge her hand inside her waist and straighten it out. All she could do, though, was clench her hands into fists and slowly speak. "I need to tell you something," she hesitantly began. Her mother stared back at her; her eyes a mixture of amused intrigue and silent contemplation. Cindy was nervous about this conversation, so she tried to shove the fear down. The inability to do so brought more anxiety, and the cycle repeated itself. She was caught in a vicious loop, and her inability to halt it disgusted her. She knew that the only way to end it was to just say the five necessary words. "Jimmy and I are together," she blurted out.

Silence overtook the living room. Cindy felt peace wash over her. Her eyes closed and she could hear herself exhale dreamily. Tough part's over, she assured herself. Telling her mother the truth was the excruciating part of this ordeal. What would come next was easier. It would follow a simple formula. Her mother would become furious, and Cindy would do the same. They would argue as they had so many times before. This time, Cindy would refuse to yield. The quiet didn't last as long as Cindy had expected. Mrs. Vortex placed her magazine neatly on the cushion beside her and crossed her arms. "Just to clarify," she slowly began while drilling her eyes deeper into Cindy's soul, "we're talking about James Neutron?" "Yes," Cindy shot back. "The boy next door?" "Yes," Cindy practically growled. "The boy you've always said that you hated?" The question took Cindy aback. Memories flitted by her mind; pictures and sounds of her torturing Jimmy. She forced them aside. "When I was little, yeah." A smile instantly appeared on Mrs. Vortex's face. Cindy titled her head in surprise as her mother huffed in amusement. "Do you mean a year and a half ago?" Cindy's momentum was gone. She had expected her mother to lay siege with baseless arguments. Jimmy makes you weak. You'll never be your best with him. You're a disappointment. Facts were harder to dispute. Mrs. Vortex sensed the pause and didn't let it drag out. She motioned at Cindy's dress as she looked her daughter up and down. "And that's why you're dressed like this?" Cindy glanced down at her dress and nodded. "We're going on our first date." The statement left no room for alteration. Cindy was not asking permission. She was stating a fact. And facts were hard to dispute. Mother and daughter locked eyes once more. Cindy could feel her mother's emerald eyes boring into her soul and taking stock of what lay inside. As the seconds wore on, Mrs. Vortex's gaze softened ever so slightly. "Your first date," she blankly whispered. Once more, Cindy scowled. How was she supposed to deal with her mother if she had no idea what she was thinking? Was confusing her part of her mom's strategy? Cindy settled on crossing her arms. "Yes." Mrs. Vortex stared at her daughter for several more seconds before bringing a hand to her chin. She squeezed it gently and her eyes hardened. Cindy narrowed her own gaze as she felt herself being analyzed.

"You've been back home a week," Mrs. Vortex slowly spoke. "You wouldn't be dressing up like this if you just got together. It happened before." Cindy pulled back slightly; she was unsure of what her mother was getting at. "It happened in space, you two getting together. Am I right?" Mrs. Vortex asked while lowering her arm. Cindy was unsure of the purpose of this discussion, but she saw no point in lying. "Yes," she answered. Mrs. Vortex nodded and took in a deep breath. Cindy watched as her mother closed her eyes and once more became wrapped in thought. Cindy couldn't take it any longer. Just get this over with, her mind growled. "I'm going on the date," Cindy forcefully uttered. Impressed at her tone, she found no difficulty in continuing. "I saved your life; I saved the world. I earned it." Mrs. Vortex finally opened her eyes. Mother and daughter stared at each other, and Mrs. Vortex slowly took in a deep breath. She held it one final moment and then released it in a quiet sigh. "You certainly did." Cindy didn't respond to that at first. She merely kept staring at her mother with that same tenacious scowl. Yet as her mother's words sank in, confusion crept across her face. "What?" she asked in disbelief. "It happened in space," Mrs. Vortex slowly repeated. "Why did you wait a whole week to tell me?" Cindy shook her head. "What do you mean?" "Why didn't you tell me after you got home?" Mrs. Vortex asked. She leaned back in her seat. She was still calm, still in control. But Cindy thought she heard something in her voice, a twinge of some miniscule emotion she'd rarely caught wind of before from her mother. If Cindy didn't know better, she might have thought it was regret. "It didn't happen a week ago," Cindy slowly explained. "It happened last time. When you were kidnapped." For the first time, Mrs. Vortex appeared shocked by Cindy's words. Her eyes widened slightly as her arms became limp. She stared at her daughter for a long moment before meekly asking, "What?" "It happened almost two months ago!" Cindy nearly shouted. What does this even have to do with anything? The thought raced through her mind, and she shook her head in frustration before splaying her arms out. "Why does this even matter?" For a few more confusing seconds, Mrs. Vortex appeared hurt. She stared sadly at her daughter, and Cindy could clearly spot pain in her eyes. It was a difficult thing for Cindy to comprehend,

and her own face slowly fell in response. Then her mother's pained frown was replaced by a mirror imitation of her daughter's famous snarl. "You've been dating that by for two months and you never told your mother?" she practically shouted. Cindy felt her blood slowly chill and clenched her fists tight. A crooked half smile spread across her lips. This is what she had been prepared for. "That's right!" she snarled. "You will not date a boy behind my back!" Cindy's smile widened in amusement. "I'm not!" she happily said with a malicious laugh. "I told you, so you know. And it doesn't change anything. I'm going on the date, he's staying my boyfriend, and that's all there is to it." Cindy watched as her furious mother was shocked by her tone. Cindy had never stood up for herself like this to her mother before. She liked the way it felt. "Goodbye, Mom," she mockingly growled before spinning around marching towards the front door. Her hand had just gripped the doorknob when her mother's voice rang out. "Cynthia!" Cindy froze. The anger had seeped out of her mother's voice. In its place was something different. Something new. Sadness. Cindy slowly turned around. Her mother stood halfway across the room, staring desperately at her. Her mouth slowly opened, but it took a long moment for any words to escape it. "Why," Mrs. Vortex swallowed hard and seemed to struggle with her words. "Nearly two months," she slowly managed to speak. "Why didn't you tell me?" "Why didn't I tell you?" Cindy earnestly repeated the question. She chuckled sadly. "Why would I tell you?" A long silence filled the room as Cindy took a step towards her mother. She frowned as her foot hit the ground. "So we could yell like this?" Cindy felt the adrenaline washing away. The iciness in her blood seemed to accumulate her heart. "Do you think I looked forward to this?" Cindy sadly asked. Cindy's face fell. "Do you think I want this?" Cindy felt the pressure building behind her eyes, the stinging as she blinked. She couldn't help but step back in horror and disgust. No, she warned herself while digging her nails into her palms. You are not going to cry over this. You are not. Cindy squeezed her eyes shut and willed the tears away. They were gone when her eyelids shot open. Her mother still looked hurt, but Cindy's pain was receding. There was only one thing that could rival her agony, and that was anger. Cindy felt her blood begin to boil and forced it to heat up

faster. "I'm not a disappointment," she slowly growled. "I'm not a mistake, I'm not weak, I'm not a failure!" she shouted while marching towards her mother. Her breaths were labored, her lungs aching. She craned her neck and stared red-hot daggers into her mother's shocked gaze. Then those shocked emerald eyes flamed in anger. "Did I say any of that?" her mother snapped. "Did I call you a disappointment? Did I ever once say you were a failure?" "Did you have to?" Cindy desperately screamed. The burning flamed once more behind her eyes, and this time it was harder to douse. "You never had to say it!" Cindy desperately tried to shout, but her voice was cracking. "I always knew you thought it." The tears were building up. She could no longer blink them away. She chose the lesser of two evils and ran her wrist over her eyes instead of crying. Mrs. Vortex watched her daughter struggle to keep the tears at bay. "I neverI never said any of that," Mrs. Vortex struggled to whisper. "I never thought it," she desperately uttered. "Yes you did," Cindy barely managed to whisper. "How can you think that?" Sasha croaked out while slowly reaching out for her daughter's shoulder. Cindy pulled away. Sasha repeated the gesture and made contact. "Cynthia," Mrs. Vortex's voice trailed off as she struggled to form the right words. "Cynthia, you are everything to me." Cindy had been staring at the floor, refusing to meet her mother's surely false gaze. At these words, these ten syllables that had so long evaded her, she tentatively looked up. And spotted the sincerity in her mother's eyes. "Then why?" Cindy's voice creaked under the strain of these two words. "Whywhyjust why?" she desperately asked. Sasha stared in agony at her daughter, fully understanding the question. She looked into her beautiful daughter's eyes, saw the justified pain and longing in them. Sasha raised a trembling hand to her lips and painfully struggled to explain the answer.

The beautiful black-haired woman sat in the living room of her new house. Twenty-five year old Sasha Vortex was nestled in the middle of her couch, staring in amazement at the three year-old child on the ground in front of her. The blonde-haired toddler's face was contorted in concentration as she stared at the five blocks before her. Sasha knew that that look didn't belong on a child so young. She watched in amazement as the young girl kept staring at the blocks her mother had arranged for her. "Mahmah" Cindy slowly mumbled while narrowing her eyes and staring at the five blocks.

Sasha felt her heart flutter as she watched her daughter. She could actually feel her chest lighten, as though her heart's beats were weakening and disappearing. She held her breath and brought her hand to her mouth. "Mommommommy!" Cindy shouted out. She smiled widely and stared happily at the five blocks. "Mommy!" she shouted out easier. She spun around and faced her mother. "The blocks say mommy!" Sasha Vortex could feel the tears brimming as she nodded in amazement. "Yes! Yes they do, honey!" She felt a gentle pressure on her left shoulder and looked over at her husband, who had an equally amazed look on his face. They smiled at each other. "She can read," he said in amazement. "Three years old and she can read." Sasha desperately nodded as Cindy ran up to her. She wrapped her daughter in a loving embrace and then looked into the young girl's glowing eyes. "Honey, Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you!" Sasha excitedly said while kissing her daughter's forehead. She stared back at her husband and smiled widely.

"Why?" her daughter desperately asked one more time. Mrs. Vortex closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. She steading herself and finally looked at her daughter. "You were never a disappointment," she desperately whispered. She squeezed her daughter's shoulder and stared into her eyes, begging her to understand. "Your father and I, we have always been nothing but proud of you," she went on. "You were always so smart, so amazing. And we knew you could do anything, anything you wanted to do. So I tried to help you do that," Sasha desperately explained. Cindy stared hard at her mother, not understanding. Sasha slowly got down on one knee and clasped her daughter's hand. "I just wanted to help you be the best, the best you could be," she tried to explain. "Help you hone your talents, use your skills, reach your potential. That's all I ever wanted to do." Mother and daughter stared desperately at each other. "You," Cindy struggled to speak. Her throat ached and her body shook at finally dealing with what had troubled her for her entire life. "You made it seem like I wasn't good enough." Mrs. Vortex sighed sadly and shook her head. "You were more than good enough," she whispered. Sasha squeezed her daughter's hand and met her gaze. "You're only twelve, and look what you've done," she quietly offered. Her voice began to quiver with pride. "Look at who you

are. You're so brave, Cynthia. So brave, so smart, so selfless. You've already done more than I ever could; you're already the person I knew you would be." The tears finally fell down Sasha's cheek as her daughter took in her words. "I tried to push you, to keep you on a path that would make you great. But I guessI guess you never needed me to do that. You didn't need to be pushed so hard. Youyou were good enough to do it on your own." Sasha's voice quivered as she barely uttered, "I'm so sorry I failed you." Mrs. Vortex rose to her feet before Cindy could speak. "You saved me, you saved the world. You're mature and perfect and grown. Youyou don't need me," she painfully admitted. "You never did." "Mom," Cindy desperately whispered. "I guessI guess I didn't need someone to push me. Not the way you did. But I need you." Cindy hesitated for just a moment and then leaned forward. She slowly wrapped her mother in a hug. She could feel her mother twitch in surprise, but then she felt her mother's arms wrap around her. "I love you, Mom," Cindy said while resting her head on her mother's shoulder. "I love you too, Cynthia," Sasha immediately answered while squeezing her daughter tighter. They stayed like that for a long moment, perfectly content in each other's arms. At long last, Cindy's mother placed a kiss on her daughter's cheek and slowly pulled away. "So," she happily uttered while wiping the last of her tears away, "you really did end up falling for that boy next door." Cindy ran her own wrist over her eyes one more time and nodded. "Yeah, I did." Sasha took in a deep breath and offered a smile. "I always knew that might happen," she admitted. "I worried that you'd end up content with yourself, that you'd stop pushing yourself to be the best because you'd think you couldn't match him." Sasha sighed and shook her head. "That's not what happened, is it?" Cindy shook her head. "We better each other," she easily admitted. Sasha nodded and smiled. "My mom never let me date until I was sixteen. I figured I'd do the same with you. After all, no one really finds love at your age, right?" she amusedly questioned. Her face turned serious as she stared at her daughter. "Cynthia, do you love him?" Cindy took in one more deep breath and nodded. "Yes, I do." "Then I guess it would be stupid to stop you." Sasha studied her daughter and offered one last smile. "Enjoy your first date."

Cindy stared at her mother and wearily smiled. "Thank you," she sincerely answered. She and her mother stared at each other for a few final seconds before wrapping each other in another hug.

Cindy closed the door behind her as she stepped foot outside her house. As she walked towards the sidewalk, she couldn't help but feel a complete sense of serenity wash over her. Cindy stared across the street and caught sight of Carl and Sheen tossing a football across Carl's front lawn. The boys both noticed her and happily waved. She didn't hesitate to smile and wave back. Yes, Cindy's world was finally filled with peace as she crossed the street. Her mother was no longer an issue. She was going on her first official date with Jimmy. She and her friends were closer than they had ever been. And though there was still the lingering sadness over their latest adventure and the people they'd lost, it was beginning to wane. She and her friends had ended this chapter of their lives and could finally begin the next one together. And that one beautiful thought, more than anything else, brought her peace. So Cindy stepped foot onto Jimmy's lawn just as a bird's gentle singing reached her ears. She smiled at its beauty and found herself grateful that its beautiful whistling grew louder. She stopped in place and looked around, eager to spot the source of the noise. Her eyes drifted up to the crystal clear sky, and a tiny twinkle caught her eye. She smiled; it was as if God himself were winking at her. The noise grew, as did the sparkle in the sky. They continued to blossom until the twinkle of light turned into a glowing orb. And as it began to race across the sky towards her, Cindy's sense of peace began to wither and die. Her heart slammed into her chest, her breaths came hard and fast, her mind raced as the object screamed towards her. She knew she should be running, she knew that whatever this thing was would destroy her, but she couldn't bring herself to move. So she merely stood there, unable to fully comprehend what was happening, as the streak of light grew closer and closer and closer. And then, just as it prepared to slam furiously into the ground beside her and vaporize her in the impact, a brilliant purple light shot out from beneath the vessel. In the blink of an eye the device's speed was slashed, and it slammed into the ground with an ear-splitting crash instead of a vaporizing strike. Cindy's ears rang and she wobbled on her feet as her mind swam. She blinked away the blurred images dancing before her eyes. The ringing in her ears was replaced by doors opening, footsteps approaching, and confused shouts. Slowly, she rose to her feet and appraised the scene before her. She saw the hole and scorched grass of Jimmy's lawn first, and then she spotted her boyfriend emerge from his lab. And as their eyes connected, all traces of that beautiful sense of peace withered and died inside her.

Chapter 11: Dum Vita Est Spes Est

Author's Note: This chapter focuses on the eight surviving children and takes place twelve days after the humans' epilogue of Pushing Through.

Jimmy Neutron did not know what to think. James' tiny form was huddled in a chair before his laboratory's main screen. With most of the lab's lights off, with no hum or whine of experiments in the background, with Goddard asleep huddled in a faraway corner, Jimmy felt utterly alone. More than that, he felt insignificant. In this lab of his, so filled with towering machinery and cavernous space that dwarfed him, he felt like an insect. As the loneliness filled his being, travelled along every nerve to every cell of his body, his mind began to churn. His thoughts turned to the world he had fought to save, then to the galaxy he had barely explored, and lastly to the trillions upon trillions of worlds and stars that lay beyond that galaxy's boundary. A thought occurred to James; a single sentence spoken by a friend what seemed ages ago. By the time we both are dead, the state of knowledge will be the same, for space is infinite. It was a chilling a summation of the unsettling state of Jimmy's mind. A heart-breaking reminder of how insignificant he truly was, of how meaningless the totality of human existence might very well be. Jimmy's eyes drifted downward to the alien device resting before him, the tiny tablet sitting on top of his monitor's keypad. A sharp intake of breath filled his lungs, and Jimmy shook his head. He rid himself of such depressing thoughts, of those chilling ideas that plagued the mind of any true scientist. His gaze settled back upon datapad in front of him. He gently picked it up with his right hand, rotated it slowly so that he might study every inch of the thin device. Jimmy's mind wandered back to two days prior when he and Cindy had opened the capsule which had crashed onto his lawn. He and she had been shocked to find not a bomb, not a weapon of any kind, but merely the tiny machine that currently hovered before his gaze. The two of them had called their friends, and one by one they had shown at his lab to share in the device's secrets. The memory of his friends brought back the feeling of loneliness that had enswathed him moments before. His gaze shifted to Goddard, still resting silent and motionless in the corner. He couldn't bring himself to wake his loyal companion. Instead, Jimmy took a deep breath and began tapping on his keypad. It didn't take long before his monitor came to life, and the familiar sounds of Fr Elise began to play. The beautiful melody was like an old friend to Jimmy, and it set his mind at ease as his attention returned to the small datapad before him. James knew that he shouldn't be giving the device any more attention. He and his friends had come to a unanimous decision regarding this thing. They'd agreed to have hope, to believe, to trust in what it said. Yet here Jimmy was, sitting alone in the dark, powering the machine back

on. The screen was instantly filled with a purple light, and white lines of text appeared soon after. Jimmy took one last deep breath as he examined the words before him.

James Neutron, I truly know not where to begin this correspondence, my dear human. There can be no adequate place to begin such a discussion among you and I. Would an apology bear merit without a clear admission of guilt prior? Should I begin with a summation of the events which has led me here, crafting this message? Would such a course even have purpose; for surely we both understand the paths that we took to reach this moment. My name is Huras Thimitch. I have taken the place of Veras Conone as the holy leader and king of the Yolkian Empire. I pray that Barak Neroma, whom I know aided you in your valiant effort, mentioned me prior to his unfortunate demise. I hope that he explained our history and my past, that he gave you some earnest reason to trust the words that follow. For I know that if he did not, then you have no reason to have faith in me and in this declaration of peace. If whatever deity that watches over us, that has born witness to the bloodshed and horror of this war between our two species, has not blessed me by fulfilling this request, then I hope he at least instills with you the faith that gave you the courage to save my capital city. Human, you know not the gratitude I have for the course you took that fateful day. My species was a proud race once, a race that valued honor. As the near-countless cycles wore on, I fear we lost sight of what made us who we were. We became angry. We became spiteful and vicious. In spite of our failures, I could still see glimpses of the beauty of what we once were. I saw moments of kindness and mercy among our people, and I held faith that one day we might return to that noble race I so admired. I believe that day might be upon us, that the suns might be shining on a new era for Yolkus. I have faith that things are changing, and it is all because of that courageous and miraculous decision you made to spare Animus, to spare millions of lives. You granted mercy when you had been shown none, you showed faith in what must have seemed a hopeless race. I write you with gratitude, James Neutron. Gratitude for sparing Yolkian lives, for letting millions live out their days. I write with the dearest regret, for I cannot begin to express the sorrow and shame I have for the actions our previous kings took upon you and your race. I write you in pain for the lives lost amidst this war. Most importantly, however, I write you with the utter resolve to fulfill your request. You indeed made a choice that fateful day, James Neutron. You made a brave and magnificent decision to have faith in our species and spare our world. In so doing you have lit a spark that slowly spreads as a flame amidst my people. A wave of change slowly encompasses Yolkus, a steady resolve to return to that which we once were, to the values we blindly claimed to have yet never displayed. Honor, compassion, understanding. We shall have all of these again, thanks to you.

I know you may have no reason to believe in me. I know you may consider this a trick, a mere play to lower your guard until our next attack. I know that we have not earned your trust. But though you may not heed this declaration, I still proclaim it proudly. This war between our two species is over. We have heeded your cry for peace, and I intend to lead my people with humility and grace so that both of our worlds may prosper once more. And so I thank you, James Neutron. I hope beyond hope that you and your allies can recover from the pain we have inflicted upon you. I wish that you live your lives to their fullest. I pray that those honorable souls lost from this war find peace wherever they may be. Most of all, I beg that you believe in this letter and allow this peace to continue. And so I leave with my thanks and apologies once more. And as a dear friend of ours would have said, may luck be with you. With Sincerest Regards and Regret, Lord Huras Thimitch Holy King of the Yolkian Empire

Jimmy stared at the screen for a long moment after he finished reading. The words seemed so heartfelt, so honest, yet they had been correct in their most depressing regard. Jimmy had no way of knowing for sure whether or not this was a trick. Jimmy angrily turned the device off and tossed it back onto his keypad. He and his friends had spent hours poring over the letter and discussing all that they had been through. As the sun set, they had agreed to have faith in the document, to believe that their adventure was truly however. Yet here Jimmy was, back in front of the device, questioning its merit. What did that mean? Jimmy had been prepared to believe that things were truly over that night a mere week and a half ago. He had still been hopeful, still optimistic before the vessel had crashed onto his lawn. Yet when he had seen that alien vessel, his heart had sunk and his stomach had twisted into knots. Was his gut telling him to distrust the Yolkian king? Or was it merely too hard to simply accept that things were finally over, that all of his wishes were being realized? James had no idea. Suddenly, Beethoven's melody was interrupted by the buzzing of an alarm. Jimmy blinked away his thoughts and ran a hand down his weary face. Leaning forward in his chair, he turned the music off and pressed another button on the monitor's keypad. A clock showed up on screen, and the time 5:30 p.m. flashed over and over. He tapped the button one more time, and the buzzing ceased.

Jimmy rose to his feet and slowly cracked his neck. He took a few steps towards his lab's garden and stopped as he heard Goddard happily bark at him. Jimmy turned around to find his pet sauntering over. Once the dog was close enough to get a good look at Jimmy, it tilted its head and yelped in confusion. Jimmy managed to crack a weary half-smile. He stared down at himself and took notice of his dress shoes, black pants, and sweater. While a far cry from his tuxedo, Jimmy was rarely clad in anything more formal than a t-shirt and jeans. Goddard had been sleeping since he'd entered the lab and was thus unaware of Jimmy's semi-formal attire. Jimmy let out a tired sigh. "Is it good?" he asked, a pang of anxiety lacing his voice. Goddard looked Jimmy up and down, hesitated, and then nodded his head while flashing an approving grin. "Glad to hear it," Jimmy quietly answered. He turned back around and caught sight of his lab's garden. With a nervous sigh, he approached the patch of plants encircled by a border of grey stones. He could hear Goddard's footsteps clanking on the floor as he followed. Jimmy knelt down on one knee in front of a small group of eleven roses in as many colors. For just a moment, he was blinded by their flawless beauty. Then he slowly reached out and gently plucked two of the roses; one green and one black. Jimmy stared hard at both flowers as Goddard's steady panting breached his ears. He glanced at the watch on his wrist and realized that he didn't have any more time to waste. "I've got to get going," he sadly said while staring at his friend. Goddard let out a pained whine as Jimmy patted his head before rising to his feet. "I'm sorry, boy," Jimmy earnestly apologized. "I'd bring you to the school if I could. I'll see you later tonight." Jimmy rubbed his dog's chin before grabbing the keys to his hover car. He stepped into the elevator and watched the darkness of the lab recede as the door closed shut. The ride took only a handful of seconds, and soon James found himself in his shed. He took a deep breath and opened the door to his front lawn. The first thing Jimmy noticed was how crisp the night air was. It'll be Christmas soon, Jimmy thought in disbelief. November was nearly halfway done. He began to slowly walk across his lawn, pausing as his feet connected with the scorched grass where the Yolkian vessel had landed. He stood there for a long moment, staring at the blackened blades. They were difficult to spot in the darkness; the sun had set a few minute before. Then his attention turned to a nearby tree, its branches devoid of leaves. They swayed as the wind howled by and stripped more warmth off of Jimmy's exposed skin. James could scarcely believe that it had been summer a mere three months ago. He thought back to that time, so full of innocence and joy. Never in a million years would he or his friends have

suspected what lay ahead for them. Stop it, he told himself while resuming his pace across the lawn. Just focus on tonight. Jimmy nodded at his silent words and put the key in the ignition. As the hover car rose off of the ground and got on its way, Jimmy let his mind wander to his ultimate destination. After he and his friends had agreed to believe the Yolkian's message, it felt necessary to symbolize that this stage of their life was over. Perhaps they were not all consciously cognizant of this fact, but they had nevertheless perked up when Sheen mentioned he was taking Libby to their school's end-of-the-quarter dance while leaving the lab. They had all agreed to join their friends for the event. Jimmy glanced down at his unusual attire and allowed a flicker of a smile to cross his face. He and Cindy had agreed to postpone their dinner and allow this dance to be their first official date. James had one stop to make before he reached the school, however. He forced himself to shove his thoughts down and focus on navigating. He had rarely been in this part of Retroville and kept stealing glances at his hover car's navigation system. Another blast of wind filled the streets, and Jimmy clenched his teeth at the annoyance. It didn't take long to reach his destination. He pulled over to the side of the road and gently lowered the vehicle onto the ground. After yanking the key out of the ignition, he stared at the two roses lying on the seat beside him. His eyes took in the brilliant emerald flower for a single moment before settling on the black rose. The color chilled Jimmy to his core. James knew that the rose before him was the only naturally grown black rose in existence. Altering the natural pigmentation had been child's play compared to halting its telomere degradation. Finally, he gripped the stem tight and stepped foot on the grass before him. Jimmy felt his heart sink deeper with each step. The clouds above covered most of the moon's light, and he could feel the back of his burning with tears. He blinked them away and took a deep breath to steady his quivering chest. He scanned each block of stone until he found the one he was searching for. He came to a stop in front of the empty plot of earth and stared at the tablet before him for what seemed an eternity. Miranda Candor Born May 17, 1988 Died October 26, 2003 A true warrior, a brave soul, a kind friend. We shall never forget you or your sacrifice. Tecum vivere amem, tecum obeam libens. Jimmy's vision kept blurring until he could no longer read the inscription. He took in a shaky breath and brought his free hand to his face. He held it to his mouth as he remembered the girl he

had barely had time to know, and then wiped his eyes free of the tears. Finally, he placed the rose on the ground. "Miranda," he barely managed to whisper. He stared down at the plot of earth and ran his shaky hand through his hair. "Iwe all miss you." Jimmy paused and took a deep breath. He willed his voice steady and swallowed nervously. "We never would have survived without you," he began. Jimmy shook his head and sat down on the ground. He stared at the empty grave and slowly reached out a hand. He ran his fingers along the dirt before squeezing them into a fist. "I'm so sorry," he choked out. He yanked his arm back, clasped his hands, and rested his head on them. "I'm sorry forfor everything that happened to you. I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I'm sorry" Jimmy's voice trailed off his eyes finally spilled over. The moments passed by as Jimmy let the tears fall. He thought back to that night aboard the Inquisitor, the night he and Miranda had shared. He remembered letting her cry on his shoulder. He remembered how life had sparkled in her eyes as they had said goodnight. Then he remembered that life being extinguished on the battlefield. "I never had a sister," Jimmy finally whispered. He stared at the tombstone once more; the Latin inscription he had chosen stared back at him. "Or a brother. Not really, anyway. And I know," Jimmy took in a slow breath, brought his clasped hands back to his face, and bit down hard on one of his fingers. "I know we barely knew each other. But when you told me what happened to you, about youryour father, I" Jimmy slammed his hands against his forehead and angrily wiped the tears away. "I thought maybe I could help you. You said I couldn't, that no one could, but I thought I found a way right before you died. I thought you could stay with me. My parents would have let you if I'd asked, if I'd explained. And you'd be part of the family, like the rest of us." Jimmy's voice trailed off and he stared down at the dirt before him. "That we'd survive in spite of the odds, like we always did before. That we'd have just one more miracle. That everything would be okay." James sighed and watched his breath fog up in the crisp autumn air. His eyes caught sight of the green glow of his watch. He silently cursed the device as he realized what time it was. Jimmy shook his head and stared back at the tombstone. "It worked, you know," he quietly whispered. "We ended the war, saved our world. We saved theirs, too. We did it all, and it's thanks to you." A moment passed as Jimmy's eyes shifted once more to the dirt. He felt as though he could see through the solid ground to the nothingness that lay beneath.

"I don't know where you are. I don't know even know," Jimmy struggled to find the right words, "if you areanymore. But if you're still out there, if there is a heaven, no one's earned it more than you. So enjoy it. And know that weknow that your family is thinking of you." Jimmy slowly got to his feet and dusted the dirt off of his pants. He stared at the flower in the center of the grave and nodded. "Rest in peace, Miranda." James wiped the last of the tears away and was about to turn around when he heard the loud crack of a twig snapping. This was followed by loud footsteps. Jimmy slowly turned around and pulled back slightly in shock. "Nice speech," Ike Burke sadly uttered. As Jimmy stared at him in confusion, Ike took another step towards the grave and knelt down. He hesitated as he caught sight of Jimmy's flower, and then lowered himself onto the ground. He sat in silence for a few seconds before Jimmy slowly took a seat beside him. "Ike, what are you doing here?" Jimmy asked. Ike huffed in joyless amusement as he stared at the headstone. "You know I could ask you the same." He turned to Jimmy, and James noticed that his usual sunglasses were missing. "We agreed to move on. It didn't feel right to start that without seeing her." Jimmy took this in for a moment as Ike gazed at the tombstone once more. Jimmy followed his gaze and took a seat once more. The two boys sat by side in the darkness. "Why would she live with you?" Ike asked after a moment. He faced Jimmy once more and stared at him curiously. "What did you mean?" Jimmy's heart sank further as he remembered that he alone knew Miranda's secret. He spent a few seconds contemplating how to explain before slowly shaking his head. "I'll tell you," he painfully uttered, "justplease not now. Not tonight." Ike stared hard at Jimmy, measured agony in his friend's voice, and finally accepted this. He turned back to the gravestone and sighed. "She is still out there," he whispered after a moment. He felt Jimmy's gaze upon him and stared up at the stars. "Barak too, probably." Jimmy followed Ike's gaze, and both boys watched as a faint shimmer of light raced across the blackened sky. "I guess you're right," Jimmy agreed. Ike's right hand curled into a fist, and he gently slammed it against the ground. "She was so close, Jimmy." He took in a shaky breath and locked eyes with his friend. "She survived the first attack. We reached the elevator a few minutes after she died." Jimmy's eyes saddened as Ike's voice began to crack.

"The fight in Veras' chambers was a piece of cake," Ike struggled to say. "And there's no way in hell she would have died on that cruiser. We were too organized. It wasn't like on Yolkus." Ike steeled his gaze and bore it onto Jimmy's eyes. "She just had to last a few more minutes and she'd be here with us." Ike quickly ran an arm over his eyes and squeezed his fist tighter. He spoke again before Jimmy could respond. "And why her, anyway?" he desperately asked. "There were nine of us fighting. Why'd she get hit? Why was she the one? Why not me, why not any of us? Why her? And Barak. He washe was a second away. A second, Jimmy, from being safe. He just had to close that door and he'd be here too." Ike reached for the cross around his neck, and his fingers brushed over the five shark teeth beside it. "Do you ever just wonder why things are the way they are? Howhow things can be fine one day and then your whole world is screwed?" It didn't take long for Jimmy to nod and answer. "All the time." Jimmy hesitated for just a moment, and then placed a hand on Ike's shoulder. Ike didn't shy from the touch. He stared at the flower on Miranda's grave for a short time, and soon Jimmy squeezed his hand and gently pulled it away. As the night air chilled their bodies and hearts, Ike studied the last inscription on the gravestone. "Tecum vivere amem, tecum obeam libens" he flawless whispered. He turned to his right to find Jimmy staring at him with surprised pride. "With you I would love to live, with you I would be willing to die." Ike gave a solemn nod. "It was a good choice." James and Ike sat in the cold night air for some time. Neither boy knew how much time passed as they stared at the headstone. Eventually, they turned back to each other at the same time. Ike let out a gentle sigh. "Guess it's time to go, huh?" James nodded. "I guess so." They both rose to their feet at the same time, and Ike gave Miranda's grave one final stare. "Dominus vobiscum," he quietly whispered. Then he spun around, and the two boys began the short walk towards the cemetery's entrance. A few seconds passed in silence before Jimmy spoke once more. "Is your mom waiting for you?" he quietly asked. Ike shook his head. "I walked." Jimmy stopped in place, and Ike followed suit. "You live a mile from here. And the school's across town." Ike shrugged and resumed his pace. Jimmy reluctantly followed. "It's a nice night."

Jimmy shook his head as they reached the street. "I've got the hover car. I'll give you a ride." The two young men stopped in front of the parked vehicle, and Ike gazed sadly at the hover car. He sighed one last time before slowly stepping inside. Jimmy joined him and grabbed his keys as Ike pulled out a carton of cigarettes. He lit one up and stared at the sky as the hover car set off. "Just like old times," he wearily whispered.

The school's parking lot was nearly empty in spite of the hundreds of people inside. Most of the children had been dropped off by their parents, and only a handful of teachers chaperoned any one dance. Jimmy lowered his hover car into a spot near the building's back entrance and stared at Ike as he grabbed his emerald rose. The teenager hadn't said a word during the ride. "You okay?" Jimmy quietly asked. Ike huffed in disdain and yanked the stub of his cigarette out of his mouth. "Yeah. I'm fine," he grumbled while flicking smoldering remains onto the asphalt. He hopped out of the hover car and jammed his freezing hands into his pockets. Jimmy gave his friend a concerned look but said nothing else as they entered the building. The steady but faint pounding of music reached their ears as soon as they were inside. They passed by rows of lockers in darkened hallways before reaching the open double doors of the cafeteria. Inside a couple hundred children were happily dancing, eating, and talking. Ike and James took in the scene before turning to each other once more. "Well, have fun on your date," Ike offered while pulling his sunglasses out of his pocket. He took a deep breath and slid them over his eyes. He seemed to contemplate whether or not to say anything else, but then marched off without another word. Jimmy watched as Ike disappeared into the crowd. He replayed their conversations, their time spent in the graveyard, and then inhaled deeply. Remember why you're doing this, he told himself while smoothing out his sweater and making sure his hair was in place. He stepped foot inside and tried to change his mood, tried to alter his mindset, but found the task impossible. That was until he spotted her. She was a hundred feet away, sitting at a table with Carl, Libby, and Sheen. James froze in place when he spotted her. Her blonde hair was curled, her green dress a reflection of her brilliant eyes, her smile warm and inviting. James watched as she laughed at some joke of Libby's that he had no chance of hearing. Her lips curled farther upward, her eyes lit up in joy. James felt his chest tighten, contracting in a fit of ecstasy. Jimmy eventually caught his breath and swallowed nervously as he approached her. He hid the flower behind his back as memories raced through his mind, dozens of snapshots of moments from their past. At first the early memories played, and he couldn't believe that there was a time

when he and she had fought, had protested their love, had instead proclaimed their false hatred of one another. But as he drew closer those memories faded, and he relived the times they had cried on each other's shoulders, confessed their fears, and admitted their love. She turned to face him when he was a few steps away. Her already sparkling eyes lit up further, and the two young lovers stared at each other and smiled. She quickly rose to her feet, and they stood mere inches from each other, both relishing the familiar quivers of electricity that seemed to dance throughout their bodies. Neither knew what to say, so it was Libby who eventually spoke. "Look who finally showed up," she playfully teased. "Sorry," he earnestly apologized. "I hadsomething to do. But I'm here now. And, um, this is for you," he whispered while pulling the emerald rose out from behind his back. He offered it to Cindy, and she slowly reached out to accept the gift. "Awww," Sheen happily muttered while cocking his head to the side. Cindy barely flashed him a warning stare before smiling back at Jimmy. "It's beautiful," she thankfully whispered. She twirled it in between her fingers for a few seconds before carefully placing it in her blue purse. Suddenly, Sheen's smile twisted into a frown. "Hey, isn't that -" he was stopped by a harsh jab from Libby's elbow and pouted. "It was my idea," he grumbled before snatching a sugar cookie off of the group's plate of food and taking an angry bite. A momentary lull in the music filled the room, and the sound of footsteps reached the group. They turned around to see Betty and Nick walking over. A half-smile crept onto Nick's face as he approached his friends. "Hey guys," he happily uttered grabbing a cookie off of their plate, much to Sheen's chagrin. He eyed Jimmy as he took a bite. "Chief," he respectfully added. "Nick," Jimmy answered with a friendly nod. Betty smiled at Cindy and Libby and then at the boys. "Can you guys believe our first quarter's done already?" She shook her head in excited disbelief. "We're nearly halfway through middle school!" Carl groaned while shivering in fright. "Don't remind me! I heard that in high school you have to write five essays a night just for gym class!" Cindy raised an eyebrow. "Who the heck told you that?" "Sheen did," Carl quickly answered. Cindy glared once more at Sheen, who happily nodded in response. "I did," he said with a wide grin.

Libby rolled her eyes. "I'm going to the restroom. Sheen, don't eat all the cookies." "I'll come too," Betty said while following Libby. Cindy hesitated for a split second before following. The four boys stared after them, all but Sheen's eyes brimming with curiosity. "Why do they all go at once, anyway?" Jimmy quizzically asked. "It's where they talk about us," Sheen immediately answered, his voice filled with disgust at the obviousness of the question. "No it's not," Nick shot back.

"So how'd the date with Jimmy go?" Betty asked while leaning against a paper towel dispenser. Cindy shook her head and crossed her arms. "It didn't happen. We kind of got sidetracked, remember?" Betty sighed and nodded in understanding. "Guess the whole 'ending of a war' does take precedence." She stared sadly at Cindy. "Well, it'll happen sometime." She stared at the loaned purse hanging off of Cindy's shoulder. "You can hang onto it until it does." Cindy remembered that she was carrying Betty's bag. "Oh," she muttered in surprise while taking the purse off of her shoulder. "I brought it to give it back to you." Betty smiled and raised a hand to ward it off. "You know what? Keep it. It matches your eyes way more than mine." Cindy hesitated, and then offered an appreciative smile. She put the purse back in place and bit her lip. "Hey Betty?" "Yeah?" "I know I said it before," Cindy paused and brushed a few curls of her hair away from her eyes. She took a deep breath and lowered her voice. "But you need to hear it again. The stuff I said to you that first night, the night we left? It..." Cindy clenched her hands into fists and stared at the ground. "I never really apologized. I said I was sorry, but youyou deserve -" "Cindy," Betty sternly interrupted. Cindy lifted her gaze up and met her eyes. Betty was surprised to see no anger, no malice, just genuine shame and sorrow. Betty slowly reached out her hand and touched Cindy's shoulder. "We're good." There was another moment of hesitation, and then Betty squeezed her hand. "Okay?"

Cindy felt yet another weight lift off her chest and managed a small smile. "Okay," she thankfully whispered. Betty took back her hand, and Cindy looked away into the mirror. "Nick's lucky, you know," she admitted. Betty chuckled and stared into the mirror in front of her. She patted down a few stray hairs. "We're not together, Cindy." The girls locked eyes once more. "We can't all be star-crossed lovers." A second passed, and the friends shared a grin.

Jimmy, Carl, Nick, and Sheen watched as all of their classmates happily chatted amongst themselves and danced to the fast-paced music. Suddenly, Sheen's eyes lit up as he spotted his English teacher berating a girl for wearing a pair a skirt of improper length. "Guys, I'll be right back!" he happily shouted. "I have to tell Ms. Jones that I finally finished my summer reading!" Before any of his friends could react, he dashed off after his instructor. "It's freaking November," Nick mumbled in disgust. Carl watched Sheen dart off and then turned to his two remaining friends. "Where's Ike, anyway? Do you think he stayed home?" Nick's frown deepened at Ike's name. He stared at Carl sadly. "I don't think he's going to show, Wheezer," he gently explained. "He's stillnot himself." Jimmy raised an eyebrow at this. "He came with me," he hastily offered. "He did?" Nick asked in surprise. Jimmy nodded. "I ran into him on my way here. Gave him a ride in the hover car. He should be around here somewhere." Carl stared down at his shoes for a moment, gave himself a nod of affirmation and then stared at Jimmy. "I'm going to find him. I have to talk to him." With that said, Carl marched off with clear determination. Nick stared after the pudgy boy for a few seconds before staring curiously at Jimmy. "Ran into him, huh?" he quietly asked. Jimmy met Nick's suspicious gaze. "Yeah." Nick sighed and crossed his arms. "You were late coming here." He waited another few seconds and then added, "You went to see Miranda, didn't you?" Jimmy was shocked Nick at how easily figured this out. "How did you know?"

Nick looked away. "I saw her last night." He let out a deep breath and squeezed his arms closer to his chest. "Itit didn't" Nicks voice trailed off, and Jimmy finished his thought. "Feel right to move on without seeing her?" Nick let out an empty chuckle. "Nail on the head, Neutron." He reached for the cup of soda behind him and took a long sip. "We didn't make a grave for Barak." The statement saddened Jimmy, but it wasn't enough to bury all of his surprise. "I didn't think you'd want him to have one." Nick shrugged. "He screwed us over, but at least he made it right. And I guess dying's punishment enough." Nick gave Jimmy a sad gaze. Jimmy could see Nick's mind working behind his weary eyes, could tell that his friend was struggling over whether or not to articulate his thoughts. Jimmy patiently waited until he spoke. "We agreed to move on, to believe that thing the king sent us. So," he hesitated and ran a hand through his long hair, "so should we stop? Stop talking about them, thinking about all of this? Stop seeing her?" Jimmy only considered the question for a moment. "No," he steadily answered. "We just keep living in spite of those things." Nick stared at Jimmy and contemplated his answer. Then he sighed one last time. "I guess you're right. But that's assuming we're right about believing the king." He steeled his gaze and measured Jimmy's expression. "Still think we made the right call?" Jimmy stared out at the dance floor, trying and failing to spot Carl and Ike. He sadly shook his head. "I really don't know."

"Ike!" Carl nearly shouted over the growing music. His friend was hidden in the corner of the cafeteria near the stage. Carl watched as Ike raises his gaze off of the floor and give him a blank stare. "Carl," Ike flatly said while slowly taking a sip of his drink. Carl waited; sure that Ike would have more to say. His friend didn't speak another word. "Ike, I, uh, I didn't think you were going to show." Ike shrugged and tossed his empty cup into a nearby trash can. "I wasn't. I ran into Jimmy. I didn't want to get into something with him, so I came." Carl stared at Ike curiously before anxiously looking around. After realizing that there wasn't anyone else in earshot, he quietly asked, "Are you okay?"

Ike glared at Carl. "Am I okay?" he painfully repeated. "What do you think, Carl? My life sucked, I got over it. Then my friend dies, and now it sucks all over again. So no, I'm not okay. And I don't know how you all are." Carl's face fell and his already quiet voice dropped even lower. "II'm sorry," he awkwardly apologized. "But, we're all here. Here for you. And, well, all of us." Ike stared back at Carl, first quizzically and then angrily. "Yeah, you all love to say that, don't you?" Ike whipped off his sunglasses and narrowed his eyes. "We have each other," he mockingly began. "We're in this together. We're all one big family." Carl could feel his face fall further as Ike's words slashed at his heart. "We are, though." Ike huffed in anger. "Sure, you all are! You, Jimmy, Sheen and the girls? You've been friends for years. Nick and Jimmy are basically best friends now. And Betty's got Nick." Ike hesitated, angrily realizing how much he had said. He stared down at the ground and waited a long moment, silently considering whether or not to finish what was on his mind. Eventually, he realized there was no point in holding the rest back. "You guys are the family, the ones that have each other. Not me." Carl stared desperately at his friend. "Ikecome on. You know that's not true." "Yeah it is," Ike shot back. Carl kept his gaze on his friend and began to lose hope that he could help. He felt the familiar fear and anxiety returning as he began to realize this was a situation that he couldn't fix. He was about to walk away in defeat he clenched his hands into fists. No, he angrily told himself while facing his friend once more. You can do this. You have to. "Ike, we're all your friends," Carl's voice was unusually steady, strong enough to warrant a glance from Ike. "Especially me. Now stopstanding there being sad and start," Carl's voice trailed off, and Ike slowly raised an eyebrow. "Start, standing there andbeing happy!" he ordered. "Carl," Ike slowly began, but Carl stamped his foot on the ground. Ike stared down at his friend's feet and then back at his face. "No!" Carl forcefully uttered. He took in a deep breath and forced himself to come up with the words he so desperately needed to say. "It was scary up there, and I thought we would all die. Andsome of us did," Carl's voice dropped. He hesitated a moment and forced the sadness away. "And I miss Miranda and Barak. But the rest of us are here now, andand I don't want to ever lose anyone else."

Carl stood straight up and stared at his friend. He saw the pain in his eyes and slowly lowered his voice back down. "Ike, we miss you. We're allsad and, well, hurt. But we need you, and you need us," he summed up. "So come hang out with us," he finished. For a long, excruciating moment, Ike stared silently at Carl. Carl stood there, holding his breath, desperately hoping that he had gotten through to his friend. Then, at long last, Ike sighed and pushed himself off of the wall he'd been leaning on. "Fine," he whispered. "Really?" Carl asked, shocked that his speech had worked. Ike let out a deep breath and slipped his sunglasses back on. "Guess I owe it to you anyway. With the six of them paired up, I wouldn't want you to feel like a seventh wheel." Carl smiled. "That's great! Because I really wanted to give you this," he happily uttered while pulling a small carton out of his pocket. Ike watched quizzically as Carl handed him the package. He stared down at it and frowned. "Nicotine gum?" he asked in disgust. Carl eagerly nodded. "I started health class today. They were talking about cigarettes and stuff. Did you know that they can give you cancer?" Carl asked in frightened disbelief. Ike stared at Carl in silence for a long moment. "No," he finally and flatly uttered. "Well they can," Carl quickly added. "And I think it would be crazy to survive all of the stuff we have just for you to getcancer," he whispered in fright. Ike stared at the box in his hands, then at Carl's worried face, and finally back at the package. Then, to his utter surprise, he felt his lips curl up into a smile. "Alright," he said while staring back at his friend. "I guess if I can defeat an alien race I can quit smoking." "That's the spirit!" Carl happily cheered. Ike surprised himself yet again by letting out a small chuckle. He stared across the cafeteria and caught sight of Libby, Betty, and Cindy rejoined their group. Ike looked back at Carl and motioned for him to follow. "Alright, let's get back to this party. I'll buy you a soda." "But it's all free," Carl shot back. "Then I'll get you two," Ike happily muttered.

"So with five points off per day late, she said I was going to get a negative five. But I managed to get her to give me a zero!" Sheen yelled triumphantly to his friends. "You should be a lawyer," Cindy sardonically offered. "I'm seriously considering it," Sheen shot back with an eager nod. "Hey guys," Ike whispered as he and Carl joined the group. Everyone shot Ike a surprised look, but they all quickly adopted a friendly smile. "Good to see you," Nick offered. Ike saw the sincerity in Nick's gaze and nodded at him. "Same here," he answered after a moment. Before Jimmy could acknowledge the return of his friend, he heard a familiar voice from behind him. "Mr. Neutron," Ms. Creek calmly began. Jimmy turned around and stared at his old teacher. "Ms. Creek," he uttered in surprise. "I, uh, didn't know you were chaperoning tonight." Ms. Creek offered a nod. "Indeed I am." She stared at Jimmy's group of friends and smiled at them. "I was wondering if I might borrow your friend for a few moments." Cindy smiled back. "Sure. I think we could use a little break." Jimmy shot her a playful glance and rolled his eyes as Ms. Creek nodded. "Thank you. And nice to see you again, Cynthia." Jimmy and his teacher walked out of the cafeteria and closed the door behind them. "Um, is this about all the classes I missed?" Jimmy nervously asked. "Because almost all of those were due to...you knowsaving the world." Ms. Creek let Jimmy wallow in fear for a few seconds before shaking her head and offering a kind smile. "I actually just wanted to let you know that when you were in class, I really did enjoy having you as a student. You and Cynthia both." Jimmy let out a sigh of relief and then an awkward smile of appreciation. "Well, uh, thanks, Ms. Creek," he happily offered. "But we only have reading for a quarter. Cindy and I will be back after winter break." "Oh I know," Ms. Creek said with a hint of mischief. "And believe me; I intend to have you make up for all of those absences."

"Heh," Jimmy awkwardly chuckled. "But until then, enjoy the dance. You know, I've seen too many hormone-ridden preteens call themselves boyfriend and girlfriend," she began, "but you and Cynthia seem" Ms. Creek let her voice trail off as she struggled to come up with the right word. "You seem real," she proudly uttered after a moment. Jimmy was taken aback by the utter sincerity behind her complement. "Thank you," he managed to utter back. "We, um, this is our first date, actually." Ms. Creek smiled wider. "Is that so?" Jimmy nodded. "I guess maybe we thought this dance might be a little more romantic." Ms. Creek and Jimmy became silent as they listened to the upbeat music play behind the closed doors. "I suppose this is a far cry from a prom," the teacher wistfully spoke. She stared at Jimmy with a hint of sadness, and then replaced it with her warm smile. "Well, enjoy yourself the best you can. And of course, thanks again for, as you put it, saving the world." Jimmy nodded. "Our pleasure." Ms. Creek chuckled and opened the door to the cafeteria. Jimmy went in first and made his way back to his group of friends. "Anything important?" Cindy asked. Her eyes sparkled, a clear sign her curiosity was peaked. Jimmy shook his head. "She just wanted to say we were good students. And that when we're done with reading class we'll be making up for those missed days." Betty sighed. "If saving the entire planet doesn't get you out of homework, what the hell does?" "It's an inescapable travesty," Sheen angrily muttered. Jimmy allowed himself a chuckle and took a seat beside Cindy. He sat there quietly as the music kept playing and his classmates kept dancing. He heard his seven friends continue their conversation. Sheen offered to negotiate Cindy's assignment with Ms. Creek, and Carl quickly agreed that he would aid Sheen. Nick shut the suggestion down, and Ike did Carl the favor voicing his approval of their offer. That led Betty to roll her eyes, Sheen to spastically shout out in triumph, and Libby to rein her boyfriend back in. By the time the chaos was over, Jimmy caught sight of Ms. Creek approaching the stage. Jimmy leaned forward in his seat and watched as she talked to Mr. Helper, who was happily controlling the music. Jimmy watched as the guidance counselor nodded and pressed several buttons. The dance music gracefully faded out, and the gentle notes of a piano and drums filled the cafeteria.

Libby's head perked up instantly and she motioned for Sheen to be quiet. She soaked in the beautiful melody and smiled widely as the deep voice began to sing. "Now this is old school," she happily uttered. "But the really good kind." The rest of the children spent a few seconds listening as Can't Help Falling in Love filled the dance floor. Most of the children present stopped dancing and looked around in confusion, but Libby turned to Sheen with nothing but excitement in her eyes. "Sheen, dance with me now!" she happily chirped before grabbing his hand and dragging him onto the dance floor. Betty smiled at Nick, but then caught sight of Ike sitting behind him. His back was to her, but she could tell he was in pain. She gestured at him, and Nick followed her gaze. It took him a second to understand, but then he offered a small smile and nodded. Betty approached him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and looked up at her. "Want to dance, Ike?" Ike stared into her kind eyes. Once again, he was surprised to find himself form a smile in response. He took her outstretched hand and walked her onto the dance floor. Jimmy met Ms. Creek's gaze and watched as she desperately motioned at Cindy. He immediately smiled and nodded. He turned to Cindy, who was staring back at him. He took in a deep breath. "Cindymay I -" "Stop wasting time, Neutron," she gently chided while grabbing his hand and leading him onto the floor. They came to a stop beside Sheen and Libby. Libby forced Sheen to maneuver herself closer to Jimmy so that she could whisper in his ear. "Hands on her waist, and be confident. It's easy," she offered. Jimmy nodded and took one last deep breath to steady his nerves. He and Cindy stared at each other before smiling nervously. They each took one step forward and closed the gap between them. Jimmy placed his trembling hands on Cindy's waist, and Cindy let hers rest on his shoulders. They took one more step to the side, and they began to sway to the music. Jimmy smiled wider as he stared into Cindy's beautiful eyes. The seconds dreamily passed by as they fell into rhythm and moved as one. Jimmy eventually managed the courage to pull her closer, and Cindy rested her head on his shoulder. He closed his eyes as the scent of her jasmine hair overpowered him, and he relished the feel of her soft hair on his cheek. The song went on, and Jimmy caught sight of each of his friends. He saw Libby and Sheen stare dreamily into each other's eyes, Ike and Betty happily talk to one another as they danced, and

Carl and Nick smile as they watched their friends. Then he looked into Cindy's beautiful eyes, and all of these things combined to fill him with peace. He quickly leaned in and gave Cindy a brief kiss. The song ended, and the eight friends met back at their table. Jimmy grabbed Cindy's hand, and the two of them took a seat beside Nick and Betty. The two boys stared at each other, and Nick offered a cautious smile. "About that call we made. You thinking what I'm thinking?" he slowly whispered. Jimmy took one last look at his friends and then faced Nick once more. "Yeah, I do." A second passed, and then James gave Nick a nod. "We're going to be fine."