Disclaimer: As always, I don't own Jimmy Neutron or any of the gizmos and people associated with Jimmy Neutron, except for the things in this story that never appeared in the show (such as the Neutexium).
Chapter 9: Gaining the Upper Hand
Time was running short for Jimmy. He had almost finished his creation, a large mechanized walker fully covered in Neutexium armour plating and armed with a Fusion powered gun that was located on the walker's right arm (the gun using the same type of technology that Goddard has, something large that folds into something much smaller and fits into a compartment) and a large sword, which fitted onto the walker's back, which would enable the walker to engage in melee combat as well as ranged combat. Both the hilt of the sword and the whole of the gun were covered with Neutexium as well to add strength to the weapons.
As for controlling the walker, it was a fairly simple design of sensors which would be attached to a suit that Jimmy had made. The sensors could detect any movement that Jimmy made and the walker would move the same, so if Jimmy raised his left arm, the walker would raise its left arm and so on.
"It's nearly ready Goddard, I just need to test the left arm to make sure the sensors are working properly, then cover it with the Neutexium armour plating and finally attach it to the walker. Calamitous and Strych will be in for the biggest surprises of their lives when they find out their weapons are worthless against the armour on my walker." Jimmy explained to Goddard and began to rub his hands together.
'What if the Neutexium is flawed and they find a weakness?' Goddard typed.
"Pfft. If a missile powerful enough to sink a ship couldn't even leave a mark on it, then those two won't have anything that can harm the armour at all. Victory will be assured before the battle had even begun." Jimmy replied, laughing off Goddard's concerns.
'Still, having a Plan B for once wouldn't hurt. I'm sure Cindy would be more than happy to help you.' Goddard suggested.
"One: Why start now. Two: I don't need Cindy's help."
'And three: You don't want to risk losing her.' Goddard typed, mocking his master's secret affection for Cindy.
"No I don't. Why should I place her in jeopardy over something where the outcome is already decided? It's an unnecessary risk." Jimmy thought as he turned away from Goddard.
There was a loud pounding on the door to Jimmy's clubhouse.
"Activate the main camera Goddard." Jimmy ordered.
Goddard walked over to the main computer and pressed one of the keys with a hand which extended out from his back. Jimmy turned and saw Cindy outside. Once she realised the camera was active she looked at it.
"Let me in Neutron, I've got something I need to show you." Cindy yelled at the camera.
Jimmy nodded at Goddard and Goddard pressed the blue button to activate the entry tube under the 'Welcome' mat. Once again, Cindy came falling down and smacked onto the floor, groaning about her spine.
"Seriously Jimmy, get a mat at least or people will end up damaging their spines, like I think mine is." Cindy complained as she got up and dusted herself off.
Cindy started to walk over to where Jimmy was when she saw the walker he was building.
"What did you want to show me?" Jimmy asked as he turned around to face her.
Cindy was about to reply when she got smacked in the face, and subsequently knocked to the floor by a giant robotic arm. Jimmy had forgotten that he was wearing the sensor glove and as he turned around, the arm turned around too only to smack into Cindy.
"Oops, I'm so gonna regret doing that." Jimmy said quietly to himself.
"Ow. Neutron! I'll punch your lights out for that!" Cindy yelled as she rubbed the side of her head.
"Please don't hurt me. It was an accident." Jimmy said nervously as he took the glove off.
"That's gonna leave a mark." Cindy said, still rubbing her head as she slowly walked over to Jimmy.
"So, uh, what was it you wanted to show me?" Jimmy asked, shrinking down a bit in fear of the possibility of Cindy smacking him.
Cindy thought about smacking him and was very tempted to do it. However she decided that it could wait as what she had come to see him about was of urgent importance. She took a letter out of one of her pockets on her jeans and put it down on the table. Jimmy looked at it and began to read what it said.
"He sent you a letter from Calamitous too eh?" Jimmy asked rhetorically.
"It's a trap Jimmy." Cindy said to him.
"I know, I know. But with the Neutexium, it won't matter one bit as they won't be able to penetrate the armour." Jimmy replied confidently.
"Are you sure? You haven't exactly done much testing on it." Cindy replied.
"I've done enough to be convinced that it's needed if I'm going to destroy Calamitous' EMP device before he activates it."
"And what happens if you aren't quick enough?" Cindy questioned.
"I will be quick enough so that won't happen." Jimmy replied arrogantly.
"Jimmy, don't let your arrogance get the better of you. You are taking on two madmen who, together, could stop you. You're taking a big risk by walking straight into their trap." Cindy warned him.
"Your concern is noted, but not needed. I know what I'm doing Cindy or perhaps you've forgotten that I'm the only one capable of stopping them? No-one else on this damn planet can stop them, I'm the one who has to sacrifice his many hours and days slaving away trying to make things to stop madmen from destroying the world. Do you not think for one moment that I haven't already thought this out? Walking into their trap is a necessity, even though it sounds stupid. It's the only way I can get close enough to that EMP device to destroy it. I've thought it all through from beginning to end Cindy." Jimmy sternly explained to Cindy, his face filled with frustration over the whole situation.
"I really shouldn't be hard on her as she's only trying to help but this is too dangerous for anyone without the Neutexium and I don't want to lose her. I really want to try and make something happen between us but I can't do that if she isn't around after this is over. I can't place her life in danger just for my sake." Jimmy thought as his eyes gazed over Cindy's tall, slim and athletic form.
"You're too arrogant for your own good Jimmy. How can you not have a backup plan if you've supposedly thought this through? I can't let you sacrifice yourself! I want you and I can't have you if you go and die saving the world!" Cindy thought as she turned away from Jimmy.
"I'm sorry Cindy but, I've got a lot to do to get this walker ready for the fight. Come and see me before I go if you really need to." Jimmy said to her.
Cindy sighed and nodded. There was no point in trying to argue with him now; he was too blinded by his own arrogance and faith in his armour that, what she perceived had not been tested under enough different situations. Perhaps she could convince him later, she had to or it might be the last time she would ever lay eyes on him.
"Blixx! Get in here now!" Eustace shouted.
Blixx came running in and stood before Eustace.
"Ya mein Herr, you shouted for me?"
"Have you done what was asked of you?" Eustace asked expectantly.
"Ya mein Herr. The shield on the old brainy guy's device is charging up." Blixx replied proudly.
"Excellent Blixx. Now get me something to eat." Eustace ordered.
"At once mein heir!" Blixx said as he ran out to the kitchen.
"Time is running out Jimmy, and you're in for a surprise when you get here." Eustace thought, sniggering to himself quietly.
"Right, all the weapons are online and are now just waiting for me to press the button to enable them to shoot down Jimmy when he arrives." Calamitous stated as he walked into the room.
"Excellent, the shield on the device is charging as we speak." Eustace replied.
"Most wonderful I must say. Not long to go now before Jimmy will be here, and we'll need to hold him off for long enough so the EMP device can activate once it's ready. I've also fitted our turrets and our own machines with the immunity device." Calamitous replied.
Jimmy looked at his watch, there wasn't long to go before Calamitous' EMP device was ready to plunge the world into chaos. Everything was ready for him, except for the fact that Cindy wouldn't cut him any slack and was holding him up, still trying to convince him to at least take her and Goddard along with him.
"For the last time Cindy, no. I won't risk you or Goddard against those two maniacs." Jimmy said to her sternly.
Cindy refused to back down, much to Jimmy's annoyance.
"I'm telling you, Neutron, it's going to be more dangerous than you think it will be. You know how much cash Strych has and with Calamitous' brains it's going to be impossible for you do destroy that EMP thing alone! Stop trying to be some kind of macho heroic guy and accept some damn help for once!" Cindy said to him furiously.
"Why are you caring so much about what happens to me? Since when did Cindy Vortex gain so much interest in Jimmy Neutron's line of business?" Jimmy asked her.
Jimmy was slightly confused as to why he had even asked that question. The question posed by Jimmy had caught Cindy off guard. Her mouth dropped as she searched for something to say other than revealing her desire for him. They stood there in silence for what seemed like an eternity, Jimmy patiently waiting for a response which was a bit surprising Cindy had to admit.
"Well…you're a friend James. I don't think I could live with myself if you got yourself killed there if I did nothing to try and stop you. I, uh, don't think many of us could." Cindy eventually managed to say.
"Well, you're the only one who seems to want to stop me." Jimmy sighed. "I'll be fine Cindy, don't worry about a thing."
Cindy shook her head and turned away; knowing that Jimmy's mind was made up and she couldn't stop him. Jimmy squeezed one of her shoulders and she turned around to face him. She looked into those almost magical deep blue eyes of his, and she began to melt inside. She couldn't help it and really, she didn't want to stop it in any way as her desire for him started to take hold. Almost without realising, she put her arms around Jimmy and held him close to her. The rush of emotions flowed throughout her body, being this close to him especially when Jimmy put his arms around her and hugged her tightly. She longed for the moment to never end but, unfortunately and disappointingly, Jimmy broke the embrace and turned away from her and made his way down to his newly created walker.
"I'll be back, I promise." Jimmy shouted to her as he got into the walker and powered it up.
"Never make a girl a promise, if you know you can't keep it." She whispered.
Cindy watched as the walker turned to face her and waved goodbye as it ran off in giant strides, heading off to the Strych estate on the other side of Retroville. She silently cursed to herself as she reflected on the hug they had shared.
"Cindy you moron! That was your big opportunity to tell him how you feel about him! It was set up on a plate and you missed it! Way to go you big fool!" She mentally scorned herself.
Goddard approached her and sat before, tilting his head to one side.
"Do you think we'll see him again?" Cindy asked him.
'I do not think we will if we don't help him.' Goddard replied on his screen.
"He doesn't want our help."
'Sometimes the best way to serve the Master is to go against what he asks of you.' Goddard typed.
"What are you suggesting?" Cindy asked, looking at Goddard questioningly.
'There is still time to see if the Neutexium is flawed…and help the Master destroy the EMP device.'
"Didn't he use all the Neutexium in building that walker?" Cindy asked.
'No, one of the things he tasked me with while making the walker was to fix the ship you managed to crash land in Retroville Lake. I have repaired the ship, albeit with no weapons and it cannot make another journey into space, but I have replaced the three quarters of the wing that broke off upon your re-entry to Earth with Neutexium.' Goddard replied on his screen.
"So there is a chance yet…well, what are we waiting for? To the lab!" Cindy yelled in hope.
After a good fifteen minutes, Jimmy eventually arrived at the Strych estate. He looked at his watch which was showing how long there was to go before the EMP device was ready to activate.
"One hour and twenty seven minutes. I've got plenty of time but I can't afford to get held up too long." Jimmy thought to himself.
Using the sensor gloves, he used the walker to grab the locked gates and yank them off their hinges and then hurl them with all his might at the EMP device. The buckled gates flew through the air but didn't connect with their intended target. They bounced off a shield that became visible when they hit it.
"Oh for goodness sake, how lame is that. A shield to protect their precious EMP device." Jimmy mocked.
The walker moved into the Strych estate grounds slowly before stopping when Calamitous' voice was heard over a number of loudspeakers.
"So good of you to finally come Mr. Neutron. I see you've made yourself a new toy to bring along for our game and I've also seen that you know about our little shield. I also see you've come alone which is good as we wouldn't want to put any of your little friends lives in danger now would we?" Calamitous sniggered.
"Hello again James! I must say, I'm looking awfully forward to our battle which will begin in a few moments." Eustace said over the loudspeakers.
"Activating defences now!" Calamitous shouted.
Jimmy looked around as a number of laser cannons, machine guns and missile launchers popped out of the ground and from walls. They all targeted Jimmy's walker and were ready to fire.
"Ready to die, Jimmy?" Calamitous asked before laughing manically.
Jimmy grinned as Eustace's walker appeared as well as the ship, presumably flown by Calamitous that Jimmy and his friends encountered in space weeks ago.
"They talk big but they are in for a bigger surprise than they thought they would have for me. Let the game begin!" Jimmy said to himself as he activated his walker's Fusion cannon.
The cannon extended to full length and Jimmy raised his right arm, the arm of the walker doing the same and Jimmy took aim at one of the missile launchers and shot at it, the fusion power ripping the missile launcher apart in one hit.
In retaliation, the other defences fired at the walker. Machine gun rounds pummelling the walker, laser cannon blasts hitting it too and missiles exploding upon impact. There was silence for a number of moments as the smoke blocked any visible sight of Jimmy's walker.
"It's all over now." Eustace said confidently.
But as the smoke cleared, Jimmy's walker appeared, still functioning and seemingly intact.
"What?! How?" Eustace blurted. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"It's not possible! Attack again; hit him with everything we've got! We've got to hold him off until the EMP device is ready!" Calamitous ordered.
To be continued…
Things are heating up now! Will Jimmy be able to destroy the EMP device? Find out next week!
