I do not own Jimmy Neutron. And this story was just made for fun.
Chapter 2: Unexpected Company
Night had fallen upon Retroville and the local Boy Genius found himself in the bathroom wearing what looked to be a virtual reality helmet as he made gestures of brushing his teeth with a small rod. Almost anyone who looked at this scene would think that the boy had lost his mind, but in reality this device was best mouth cleaner ever invented and he was merely six years old when he did it.
It was eight o'clock and the Neutron family was gathered in the living room. Judy and Hugh were sitting in the couch as their son, who had just turned six last month, was standing in front of the coffee table showing them his latest invention. It appeared to be a motorcycle helmet with a visor and a few wires sticking out of it, there also was a small metallic rod, the size of a toothbrush, which had small red sphere sticking at the end of this one. He called it the Reality Tooth Care 2000.
"And thanks to this device, you will never have to buy another toothbrush for as long as I live!" Young Jimmy had proudly explained to his parents.
"I don't know, sweetie, you told us it uses a laser," His mother began. "You know what I think about you playing with lasers."
"Well yes mom, it uses a laser but it has a low intensity designed to only remove plaque. It is perfectly safe!" He quickly reassured her. " And it also removes 99% of bacteria that cause bad breath… Have I mentioned that it leaves a minty fresh scent?"
"Well Jimbo, no, but the laser- " His father began, not quite convinced.
"It can also leave your mouth tasting like pie…"
At this statement his father's eyes lit up as he stood from the couch and walked towards his six-year old son.
"Did you say pie?" He inquired looking intensely at his son's invention, which was set upon the table. "What kind of pie?"
"Any kind you like!" Jimmy said happily for he knew that his father was easily convinced when you used the right arguments: ducks and pie.
Hugh Neutron clapped his hands together as he turned to face his wife who was still sitting at the couch eyeing the device with uncertainty. Seeing her husband's reaction her eyes moved to where his was standing.
"Well Sugar Booger, I think our son has made a breakthrough in science with pie smelling breath!" He told her enthusiastically. "I think we should keep it! And look at it this way, will save lots of money now that we don't have to buy toothbrush or toothpaste any more!"
"Well…" Judy began.
It took a few more times but his mother had agreed to let them use the device. It also took quite a lot of test before she started using it too.
His multipurpose bracelet began to beep taking Jimmy by surprise. He had lost himself in his memories of the old days. He flipped the screen open, pressed the green button and saw that the ID caller belong to his mother.
Jimmy's parents were out of town visiting their relatives on his father's side. They wanted to be on good terms with them since aunt Amanda, who was fairly wealthy, was remaking her last will. Granted, she was around sixty and that's what most ten-year-old kids would consider old, but she still had her fair share of years to live, still she always wanted to be overly prepared.
When Jimmy was born, no one in his family suspected him to be a genius, for it wasn't until he was three years old that his talents began to surface. At that young age he modified some toys and created a few with exceptional abilities, like hovering or shift shaping. Of coarse his parents were mighty proud of him, even though some of his experiments didn't always work how they were supposed to.
It was Thanksgiving and the droid that he had built for aunt Amanda to help her around the kitchen didn't exactly work as planned. It created the weirdest concoctions ever, like banana and tuna stuffed turkey or blueberry and lard gravy. His aunt was mad at him after that, but she got furious once the droid completely destroyed her kitchen while attempting to cook cherries jubilee.
After that evening he wasn't in very good terms with his aunt and each time he tried to make her up to her with another invention, things always got worse. It was until that incident with cousin Eddie that he gained his family's trust. But going with them meant that he had to see his cousin again and only Edison knows what good would that bring, that's why his parents agreed to save him the trouble and after a clear set of rules, they let him stay behind while they were on their trip. Even though, they had been only gone for a day, his mom couldn't help but worry about him and therefore she told him that she would call him everyday during her and his dad one-week absence.
One of those rules was not to answer the phone, so instead they called him via his watch.
"Hi sweetie." Judy Neutron's voice was heard at the other end of the line.
"Oh how mom, how is everything over there?"
"The usual, your father is still talking non-stop bout how a duck shaped pie would be a perfect dessert." She groaned. "How are you over there?"
"I'm fine, tomorrow I'm gonna meet Sheen and Carl at the Candy Bar. So when are you coming back?"
"We'll be there next Friday and -" A loud crash was heard at the other end of the line. "Sorry sweetie I got to go, your father has dropped aunt Amanda's roast and he has made a mess in the kitchen."
"Okay, bye mom. Say hi to everyone over there for me!"
"Will do honey, see you next week!"
Once the conversation ended, he turned off the light of the bathroom and headed towards the lab. He felt somewhat guilty for not telling his mom about the mass that had fallen somewhere outside Retroville, or as Sheen named it: 'the Evil One'. But he didn't want her or his dad to worry.
He quickly descended the fight of stairs. Then, he grabbed a snack from the kitchen and locked the house's main door on his way out.
Even thought it was summer, the air outside was quite chilly. He looked ahead and saw that his neighbor's, Cindy Vortex, lights were still on. Then, he remembered the discussion they head earlier that day.
"As you said it, it could be anything, Nerdtron!" She spat. "What tells you it won't attack the Earth?"
"You don't know that!" He contradicted her. "We should find it and take it to the lab for scientific research!"
"You don't know otherwise either, Spewtron! And what's with the 'we should find it!" She asked incredulously. "We should leave it alone! By now you should know better than that! There are things that you can't handle! The world doesn't spin around you, Neutron!"
"Why can't you just trust me, Vortex! With one of my invent-"
"'Trust, you and inventions' on the same phrase? Neutron If I had a dollar for every time one of your nerdy gizmos has failed and put the town in jeopardy, I would be rich!"
"I've always fix things when one of my inventions has gone wrong!"
"Key words: 'my invention goes wrong'"
"If I remember correctly, I saved your butt when that meteorite was going o hit Retroville!"
"Well, if I remember correctly, you turned Miss Fowl into a fifty foot plant-like woman, with anger issues."
"That's beside the point!" Cried Jimmy who was clearly embarrassed. "Think of all that we could learn from this creature!"
"Haven't you learned not to talk to intergalactic species, Neutron?" By this point Cindy was clearly annoyed. "Don't you remember what happened two weeks ago?"
"I'm sure that I don't know what you mean."
"That alien 'Grandma Tater' hypnotized the town into becoming smiling zombies with her 'Happy Show'!"
"She's got a point there Jimmy," Said Libby who had remained quiet during their argument. "I mean there is also the time when those space bandits tried to kill us and take our 'aster-rubies' and they also tried to sell us as intergalactic pets when you shrunk the town."
"You're with me on this, right guys?" Jimmy said as he turned to face Carl and Sheen.
"Well, Jimm…" His Mexican friend began looking down at his feet. "There is also that time when the Junkman captured us and tried to sell Goddard…"
"What! You too? Sheen!" He exclaimed outraged and then turned to his chubby friend. "You trust me right, Carl?"
"I do, Jimmy." He said confident but then he looked down crestfallen. "But there is also that time when the Yolkians kidnapped our parents and tried to feed them to Poultra."
"You see, Neutron!" Said Cindy who looked quite proud to win the argument. "After all our experiences, no one wants to talk to the aliens anymore!"
"Well, this time it could be different, Vortex! This time, that thing will be peaceful!"
"You know what?" She said annoyed as she began to massage her temples. "As much as I'm enjoying this conversation, I have piano lessons in less than an hour." Cindy then turned around and bid them all goodbye but before she left, she turned to the Boy Genius.
"You should really listen to the opinion of someone else once in a while." And with that she left.
He stood a little while longer, glued to his spot in front of his house going over and over again the events of that afternoon. He still couldn't believe that neither Carl nor Sheen stood at his side during that argument. Pushing those thoughts aside, he made his way to the Clubhouse, plucked one of his hairs and put it before the DNA scanner.
It didn't take him long to reach the main control center of his lab. Once he got there, he found Goddard waiting for him next to Vox's screen. When the robotic pet saw its master, it waged its tail and ran to him.
"Hey, boy!" Jimmy greeted him happily.
'At least there is still someone who always sticks by my side…' He thought bitterly as he petted the dog's muzzle.
He hated to admit it, but for once in her life, Cindy Vortex was right. After all this his encounters with alien life, he should have learned not to contact them. Still, he believed that that way of thinking belonged to the thirteenth century and was determined to get answers from that thing. That of coarse I he could find it and it was capable of speech.
"Ready to find this space visitor?" The dog nodded enthusiastically in response.
The boy began a simulation of the impact that took place earlier that day using the data gathered by his device before this one was destroyed. He created different scenarios, always changing the speed of the wind or the velocity of the impact. With each test a completely new answer appeared and none of the seemed to have much in common.
The coordinates that he received with each test were completely different ones from the others and even though he tried, he couldn't find anything that either of tem had in common.
His eyelids began to close and he was way beyond the point of frustration.
"Argh!" He exclaimed as he banged his head on the desk in which he was working on. His pet growled sympathetically. "This might take longer that I thought…"
It didn't take long before the Boy Genius drifted into sleep muttering something about lime beans and cold fusion under his breath.
Meanwhile…
The trip to Retroville would take longer than the boy had expected and he was on the verge of loosing his patience, for the driver whose name was, apparently, Larry, wouldn't shut up as he kept bombarding him with foolish questions. It didn't help either that he had to maintain his façade of a sweet innocent ten-year-old kid.
After night had fallen, the driver pulled his truck to a rest stop and told the kid that he was calling it a day and that they would arrive to Retroville the next day. The boy tried, with all his might, not to hit the driver or steel his truck during the wee hours of the morning, for the fall had drained a lot of his energy and he was still feeling weak. So he just quickly nodded his head and hid his irritation, after all, sleep needed if he wanted to execute his revenge upon Jimmy Neutron.
They left the rest stop an hour after dawn and Larry had bought a small breakfast for both. They still had a long way to go. They didn't reach Retroville until noon.
The first thing they saw upon arriving at Retroville the rich zone or as the French would call it: le quartier riche. The joke made by Larry only caused an irritated smile to appear at the boy's face as he tried to fake some laughter. Fortunately, the driver was to busy admiring the scenario and blabbing something about how he wished to live in a place like that to notice.
Each house was bigger than the last. Every lawn was adorned with exotic flora or it had crazy statues. Flags of different countries adorned some of the houses, but the one that caught the kid's eye had a golden fence, 'probably made with real gold' had said Larry, and on top of it, in big fancy gold letters was written the word: Strytch.
'Strytch, huh?' The boy thought. 'Let give this old pal of mine a little visit, if my memory serves me right, he and I have something in common. We both hate, Jimmy Neutron.'
At this though, a wicked smile graced his lips and his eyes glinted with malice.
"Sir, this is actually my stop." The driver looked at the boy incredulously which me him, in return, frown in annoyance. "A friend of mine lives in that mansion." The boy explained.
"Oh." He removed his cap and scratched his head as he looked at the mansion again. Then, he sighed as he carefully parked in front of it.
The boy thanked Larry, as politely as he could muster without sounding like a complete fake, and bid him farewell as he made his was towards the house.
The driver revived his vehicle's engine and he drove to the end of the road. The kid's gaze followed the truck's every movement until this one disappeared from sight. Then he turned around and rang the bell of the fancy house.
Eustace Strytch was in the main dinner lounge calmly sipping his cup of tea and with a book in hand. The house was abnormally quiet as his father was on a business trip in Europe and only Lord knows when he was going to get back. He and his father didn't exactly see eye to eye and the moments of piece and quiet like this one, were quite rare.
Normally, the rich boy would be with his trusty assistant, Blix forming some complot or buying a new and ridiculously expensive weapon to get rid of Neutron. But, today he chose to have a nice evening and read one of his favorite books: 'The young and Wealthy'.
"Master Eustace?" His butler called as he made his way to the lounge. Eustace removed his green eyes from his book to look at him.
"What Blix?" He asked slightly annoyed due to the interruption caused by his assistant.
"Someone is there at the haustür," He stopped for a moment to look if the kid understood what he had just said his expression told him that he didn't. "I mean at the font door, ja, and he wants to see you."
"Well, who is it Blix old-bean? Who is so important that you had to interrupt my lecture?"
"Well, Master Eustace, it is Jimmy Neutron."
"WHAT?" He exclaimed as he spilled his tea and dropped his book.