Chapter 4: MiBs And Bucketheads

"Location: Richmond, Virginia, July 5th 2109"

Candi opened her eyes. She was lying on the floor of her room, the morning sun shining through the window. For a moment, she tried to remember how she got there.

Then she realized that she was lying next to Citrusella. And her arm was wrapped around her.

She quickly pulled her arm away, making a mental note never to speak of that moment again, before climbing to her feet.

"What happened last night?" Candi asked.

The bedroom door opened, and two castle servants walked in. One was a girl named Nell, and she had pale skin, brown hair, and green eyes. The second was a girl named Destiny, and she had pale skin, red hair, and blue eyes. Both of them were looking somewhat confused.

"You fell asleep on the floor after the racers, Cinndon, Candace, Toxika, Damon, and Crepe left for the palace in Enchantia." Nell replied.

"Well, I don't think that was all of it. I remember... something was happening with the portal key and... oh, right, Candlehead!" Candi thought.

Candi reached down and shook Candlehead's shoulder. Candlehead woke up and rolled over.

"Uh, what time is it?" Candlehead asked in a whisper.

Destiny tilted her head, looking confused.

"Wait, what's going on? Who is that?" Destiny asked.

Candi turned to Destiny.

"Destiny, did you forget who she was?" Candi asked.

"No, she's right. Princess, why is there a girl we've never seen before in your room?" Nell asked.

Candi blinked.

"Your kidding, right?" Candi asked.

Candlehead looked at them.

"You know me! I'm Candlehead! You know, Candi's friend? A Sugar Rush racer?" Candlehead asked.

Nell and Destiny shook their heads.

"Doesn't ring any bells." Nell replied.

Candi laughed.

"Yeah, very funny, guys. Who put you up to this? Was it dad?" Candi asked.

"We're serious! We don't know who that is, your majesty! We've never seen her before in our..." Destiny started to reply.

"Candi, there's some angry looking men in black here to see you!" Timothy called out from downstairs.

There was a brief silence.

"Okay, men in black, electric shock, and my own servants don't remember Candlehead. Today is going to be a long day." Candi thought.

"Princess Candi DiCaramello Owens This is Agent Monty Hux, CIA! Come out with your hands up! We have you surrounded!" Monty shouted through a megaphone outside of the castle.

Candi turned to Candlehead.

"We have to get out of here. If we can get to Enchantia, Vanellope might be able to tell us what's going on. Is your portal key working?" Candi asked.

Candlehead pressed a button and a portal appeared in front of her.

"Good. Now get in there. I'll be right behind you." Candi ordered.

"But it's not set for Enchantia." Candlehead said.

All of the sudden, the window shattered as several black uniformed soldiers rappelled through. The door burst open and a suited man rushed into the room, a strange-looking weapon drawn.

"On the ground, now!" the man ordered.

"Go!" Candi yelled, shoving Candlehead into the portal.

She tumbled through and the portal closed behind her. Candi looked behind her and saw that Nell and Destiny had left, and she suddenly realized that she was alone and surrounded.

"Uh, what is that?" Candi asked, looking at the secret agent's weapon.

"It's a tranquilizer gun. It fires tranquilizer darts. Now you are coming with us." the agent replied.

There was a sharp sting as a dart hit Candi's arm. For a second, the world in front of her seemed to ripple like water, before she blacked out for the second time in twenty four hours.


"Location: Litwak's Arcade, The World Of Disney, July 5th 2109"

Candlehead emerged from the portal, landing flat on her face in the dirt.

Wait, dirt?

That was a bit strange. Her portal was set to her house, wasn't it? She pulled her face out of the dirt and looked up. She was standing on an empty plot of land, with several tall buildings in the distance, where Sugar Town was supposed to be. The sky above was red.

"What... what's going on? Where am I?" Candlehead asked, fearfully.

She looked down at her portal key. The screen displayed her location.

123 Racers Street, Planktopolis.

"Planktopolis? No, that can't be right! Spongebob and Patrick stopped Plankton from..." Candlehead started to say in shock.

She heard footsteps behind her and slowly turned around. Simon and Chip were standing in front of her. Both were wearing drab grey military-style uniforms and helmets that obstructed their eyes and had a short antenna on the top.

"All hail Plankton." Simon and Chip said in unison.

"No! Simon, Chip, not you! This... this isn't right! This can't be happening! It can't..." Candlehead started to say.

"Hey, bucketheads!" a voice yelled.

Candlehead looked where the voice had come from. A female blue gumdrop was standing nearby, waving a stick. She was wearing a camouflaged jacket and a red bandanna. She turned to Candlehead.

"Get to the penthouse in Niceland! I'll hold them off!" the gumdrop shouted.

Candlehead hesitated for a moment before running. She looked back and saw the gumdrop using Chip to bludgeon Simon while screaming incoherently as other mind-controlled slaves closed in on her. Eventually, Candlehead rounded a corner and the screaming stopped.


Vlad and Calamitous walked down a hallway in Vanellope's castle, both looking a bit concerned.

"You don't think this power is going to his head, do you?" Vlad asked.

"Give him time. He's only been in charge for a few hours. I'm sure he'll mellow out." Calamitous replied.

They reached the end of the hallway, where the door to the throne room was. They opened it and entered the throne room. Plankton was sitting on a giant stone throne where the usual throne had been, which only served to make him look smaller, and the throne room windows were open, showing giant monuments and Aztec-style pyramids throughout the game. He was flanked by Crocker and Tamora, who was wearing a black and red mind-controlling headband, instead of a bucket helmet. Plankton and Tamora both wore very flashy military uniforms with large peaked caps, which made Crocker stand out a bit.

"Plankton..." Calamitous started to say.

"That's Generalissimo Grand Marshal Emperor Sir Sheldon Plankton the Magnificent to you, peasant!" Plankton thundered.

"He's going to mellow out, is he?" Vlad asked sarcastically in a whisper, eyebrow raised.

Calamitous tugged at his collar.

"Yes, uh, Emperor Plankton, I was just going to ask when we can expect your forces to subjugate Retroville?" Calamitous asked.

"Field Marshal Calhoun?" Plankton asked, crossing his arms.

Tamora stepped forward, while Calamitous stepped back.

"Our forces are currently preparing to invade Fairy World. Once Marshal Crocker finishes his campaign, they will be available for further operations." Tamora replied.

"Wait, Marshal Crocker?" Vlad asked.

"He swore fealty to me in exchange for Fairy World. You got a problem with that, Masters?" Plankton asked.

"Just remember who put you there. You were a member of the Syndicate before you were an Emperor." Vlad replied angrily.

"No I wasn't. We changed history, remember?" Plankton asked.

Vlad glared at him. Plankton rolled his eye.

"I won't betray you. Cross my heart, hope to die, blah blah blah, can you go now?" Plankton asked.

Vlad scowled, and he and Calamitous left the room. As the door shut, Plankton snorted.

"They are so naive." Plankton muttered.


"Location: Retroville, The World Of Nickelodeon, July 5th 2109"

"Candi's been what?" Vanellope asked.

She, the other Sugar Rush racers (except Candlehead and Candi), Cinndon, Candace, Toxika, Damon, and Crepe were in Jimmy's lab in Retroville, standing in front of the VOX screen. After being told what had happened, Jimmy had allowed them inside, and he had let them stay there while he went to talk with Spongebob, Timmy, Danny, and Tak.

"She's been taken by the CIA, and I heard that Nell and Destiny, two of my servants, don't remember Candlehead. Do any of you still remember her?" Crumbelina asked.

Everyone glanced at each other before nodding.

"Well, yeah. She's one of our closest friends and teammates." Swizzle replied.

Vanellope sighed.

"Hmm... some people don't remember Candlehead, Planktopolis is on our portal keys instead of the arcade, and Candi's been kidnapped by the US government. We need to get to the bottom of this." Vanellope said. She turned to the VOX and ordered "VOX, locate Candi!".

The computer screen changed to show a map of the world. It zoomed in on the eastern USA in the real world.

"Washington DC, the Pentagon." Gloyd said.

"Then that's where we're going." Vanellope said. She scratched her chin and asked "I have a hunch as to what might be going on. Crumbelina, was there anyone else in Candi's room last night?".

"Yes, Nell and Destiny were still in the room before I left." Crumbelina replied.

Vanellope frowned.

"Then we're making a quick detour." Vanellope said.