Disclaimer: Nick owns Jimmy and the other characters, but I own the plot, a couple of the inventions, and one day have plans to own the world.
Jimmy's POV
"To quote a girl we both know and love, 'Why don't you buck up, mister, and put that big brain of yours back to work?" Libby said, placing a hand on her hip. "We can't do this without you. We need your help."
I sighed again, but I knew she was right. I don't know what took them so long to finally come talk me out of my funk. Cindy would have been kicking my butt if I ever shut anyone out for longer than a day. I didn't want to think about what she would have done if I ever gave up hope like I had this time.
"Alright," I admitted.
"We know it wasn't Evil Jimmy now. That leaves only two other options, Eustace Strytch, the world's most spoiled rich boy, or Professor Calamitous." Libby simply stated.
"But we don't know where either of them are," I bemoaned. "Neither of them has been heard from in years."
"Actually guys," Sheen piped in for the first time, "Eustace has her."
"How do you know that Sheen?" I asked skeptically.
"Cause I was watching Ultra Lord last night and there was breaking news. I hate the news. I was about to change the channel when they flashed a picture of BG," he chuckled nervously looking at Libby at the mention of Beautiful Gorgeous.
"They said that she and her father were dead, and that for more information you check out their website."
"Boy you knew that Calamitous was dead and you didn't say anything?" Libby admonished.
"Whaaat?! I was gonna wait until we could tell Jimmy. We can't get to Eustace without his inventions. Anyway they didn't say much other than he was dead and something about something else. I don't remember anything…"
"Hold on! Let me pull up the news on Vox" I hurriedly said.
I ran to the computer. The broadcast was simple to find since it was the biggest news to happen in the area since our reappearance. Unlike most of the news clips available online this one made me agree that I was at least 18 years old.
'I wonder why it's making me do this' I mused.
"This just in," announced an attractive female reporter. "The U.S. government has finally got the warrants to search the orbiting spaceship belonging to the alien known as the Junkman to look for the notorious Professor Finbarr Calamitous.
"Officials say that obtaining permission to search the ship has been problematic, because technically the craft does not fall in any country's jurisdiction."
"Channel 8 News was live on location when Retroville police served the warrant. What they found will forever be ingrained in infamy."
"Be warned. What you're about to see is graphic in nature and should not be viewed by anyone with a weak stomach or under the age of 18."
The cameras cut to a scene that seemed like a still from a horror movie. Dried blood, both rust red as well as an unusual purple color that must have come from the Junkman, covered the walls. Mixed in with the gore were several bullet holes and scorch marks that could have only come from the Junkman's various laser guns.
As the camera panned across the room two humanoid objects could be seen lying on the floor. One draped across another large form that I immediately recognized as the Junkman's body.
"All three cadavers showed advanced signs of decomposition, but a positive identification has been made for each of them. Self proclaimed Professor Finbarr Calamitous, daughter Georgia ' Beautiful' Gorgeous, and the alien life form known as the Junkman are dead."
"Police confiscated the ship's internal security video footage, which Channel 8 has exclusive access to."
"Again, the footage you're about to see may be disturbing"
The scene showed the interior of the Junkman's ship again; whole and clean this time. Beautiful Gorgeous and the Junkman seemed to be a nice night at home. They were curled up watching a movie together. They appeared to be like any other couple spending time together, other than one of them being a disgusting alien.
The security cameras continued to roll as Professor Calamitous entered the room. There was no sound to the film, but it was obvious that he was angry about something. The happy couple turned to look at him. Concern was well etched into Beautiful Gorgeous' brow.
"Wow he looks madder than my dad when I painted his car Ultra Lord purple," Sheen confessed.
We watched in horror-stricken as the three began to fight. Calamitous took out what looked to be a revolver and started waving it around. At this the Junkman pushed Beautiful Gorgeous behind him protectively to keep her from her deranged father.
He shook both of his right index fingers at the scientist. Beautiful Gorgeous cowered behind the Junkman atypically. The Love Potion #976-J must have made some personality modifications. I made a mental note to log this later after we had found Cindy and things were back to normal.
Both jumped as Calamitous discharged the weapon into the ceiling. The bullet ricocheted off the ceiling and jettisoned into the camera's wall mount. The impact knocked the camera askew. The screen flickered black for a moment before returning to the back to the room. Calamitous was now off screen.
He must have shot the gun another time because both Beautiful Gorgeous and her husband, who were still visible on the monitor, jumped a second time.
With this shot Beautiful Gorgeous started yelling at her father. Her entire demeanor changed as she flew into a fit of rage that matched the one on Calamitous when he entered the room. She tried, in vain to reach him, but the Junkman held her back with one set of his arms.
While he held his wife, he looked like he was pleading for something. His face serene even under the pressure he must have been feeling, he spoke calmly to his father-in-law. He held up his free hands in a gesture of peace.
His attitude ought to have worked in calming the older man down, but it must have infuriated him. The couple jumped a third, fourth time. The Junkman pulled out a laser gun he concealed in his pocket.
Calamitous fired the gun a fifth and final time.
Upon the last shot, a purple stain appeared on the Junkman's chest. Still holding his wife, he clutched his chest with his free hands. He staggered forward, releasing Beautiful Gorgeous. He collapsed on the ground, shuddering.
On baited breath, we watched as he reached for his wife. She fell to her knees with tears streaming down her face. He cradled her head in a hand. She cupped her hand around his and shook her head. Though none of us could actually read lips we could determine he was telling Beautiful Gorgeous that he loved her a final time.
Like a scene from Romeo and Juliet, Beautiful Gorgeous knelt over the body of her dead husband. She kissed him one last time on his lips and stood.
She held the laser gun her hand. She screamed something to her father, her face distorted with rage. Beautiful Gorgeous fired three blasts with the Junkman's plasma laser.
In unison with her last shot, she fell forward. A bright pair of crimson patches bloomed on her chest where her father's shots hit her. Her body convulsed a last time as she too joined her husband in death's arms.
"Wow! I knew that Calamitous didn't like the fact his daughter married a filthy alien, but I didn't expect him to do that," Libby said.
"I don't think that he did," the words came impulsively from my mouth.
"Huh?!" they simultaneously exclaimed.
"Did you notice the time stamps at the bottom of the screen?" I inquired.
They both gave me blank stares.
"They're different,"
I dragged the cursor back to the beginning of the second clip.
"This one says that it was four months before…" I gulped not able to finish the rest of the sentence.
Fast-forwarding the clip to just after the camera was knocked awry, I pointed to the screen.
"This part is from three days before Cindy…" again I hesitated. "There's no way to know if it was Calamitous, but I don't think it is. He loved his daughter. I mean he even gave her away at her wedding. Plus did you see their bodies? Beautiful Gorgeous and the Junkman seemed to have been decomposing at least three months longer than Calamitous'."
"Excuse us if we didn't notice Jimmy, neither of us have an IQ of 210 and take in everything at once," Libby exploded.
"Chill out Libby," I said. "I was just pointing out inconsistencies in both timeline and victim psychology."
"Sorry," she hung her head. "I guess I'm just a little stressed from everything that's been going on."
"Tell me about it," I said rubbing the top of my head. "Hey what's this?"
When I pulled up the Internet story, my browser automatically pulled up my email inbox. Amongst the many emails I had received while we were away was one an email with the subject 'Save Cindy.' It wasn't from an email address that I recognized and was dated only a few days after we had entered the Dark Matter Dimension.
Opening the email, I read it aloud for Sheen and Libby.
To: BrainBlast
From: PrfFinCal
Jimmy Neutron,
It is I, Professor Finbarr Calamitous, once villainous monster, now attempted redeemer of horrible tragedies. If you are reading this email and your beloved Cindy is not at your side, it is because I have failed.
I am sorry to have played any part in this calamity.
Some time ago, that wretched boy Eustace Strytch kidnapped your Cindy, my family, and me, bent on seeking his vindication.
I cannot tell you where we are, for not even I know that, but I can provide you with schematics and the guard schedule for when you do find us. I have hacked into his mainframe.
Tonight I will attempt our escape. I pray that it goes well and both of us will be reunited with our loved ones soon.
The email ended there. It struck me that he still couldn't finish anything, but like he had said attached to the email were two files.
I switched to one of my laptops just in case it contained another encrypted virus. Opening the first attachment I sighed in relief. It wasn't a virus. Like the email had said, it was schematics to a fortress.
"Awesome!" Sheen cried out, "It looks just like the impenetrable fortress from Zombie Hunter 5! Only it wasn't as impenetrable as they thought and some of the zombies got in and ripped all but the hero and his lady to pieces."
Libby gave him funny look. My own face mirrored hers.
"What? I was bored and there weren't any episodes of Ultra Lord on."
"Actually, it does look like there are two ways to get into the building, but one of them is crossed off. There's a note at the bottom," I said.
"If we haven't escaped by the time you're reading this, don't try this way," it read.
The diagram showed the entire compound, including the barracks, mess hall, and Eustace's living quarters, which were in a separate wing from the rest of the building. My hand stroked the screen longingly on the location of the chamber labeled 'Vortex.'
I opened the other file as well. The first thing I noticed about the schedule is that it was completely male. It seemed that the only female in the vicinity was Cindy.
The guard roster seemed to be divided between the inner and outer complex. No guard listed among the outer complex seemed to have access to the interior of Eustace's base, nor did the inner crew have access to the outer portion of the headquarters.
"We still don't know where the fortress is though!" Libby moaned.
"Actually, I can trace this email back to its originating server. We could have her location by lunch time," I declared.
"Jimmy… it is lunch time," Libby sighed.
"Oh. He he," I laughed nervously. "Well then by dinner time
"Cool! I'll call Carl! He'll be so excited. Jimmy can we break out the N-Men packets to celebrate?" Sheen exclaimed.
"Sheen," I calmly explained. "We used those years ago."
"Aw C'mon Jimmy, didn't you synthe-ma-size more?"
"We used everyone packet but mine in the battle against the League of Villains. All I have left is the sample from my own mutation, and that won't help. If I took it I would be too enraged to do anything productive. Look at what happened last time. Cindy was the only one who could calm me down enough to change back to my normal self. There's no telling what could happen if I took it now."
"Anyway there's nothing to do right now, except wait for Vox to run diagnostics on this email. I'm kinda hungry. You guys wanna join me for some of my mom's cooking?"
Libby put her arm around my shoulder.
"See you didn't even need a brain blast there, Jimmy," she said as we walked up and out of the lab.
Dinner Time That Night
My mom was so relieved that I was up and about that she made all my favorites. Sheen, Libby, and I were stuffed. Carl had come over for dinner too. She must have been feeling guilty about the length of time we had been missing because she kept trying to force us to eat more, piling large helpings of food onto our plates. Finally I had to be dogmatic about it.
"Mom, we're going back down to the lab," I stated.
Seeing the worried look on her face, I quickly amended, "Don't worry. We'll be up in a bit for desert."
We made a break for the lab. There blinking on the screen was what we had longed for, what I had ached for, for so long, Cindy's location. Hacking into one of NASA's satellites I gained access to a real time view of the concrete village. It was almost ten miles off a little used back highway to the nearest big city. Most travelers chose to use the new highway constructed with a direct line to the city rather than use the windy back road. The countryside was deeply forested and highly secluded.
My insides screamed with elation. Sheen spun Libby around and swiftly kissed her.
"We found her! We found her!" Carl cried with delight.
Watching the couple kiss gave me an idea.
"Sheen, we're going to need your car," I said a malicious glint in my eye.
"Uh ok Jimmy. I'll have to go get it… We rode the bike here," he said grabbing the keys to his motorcycle and deftly planting another kiss on Libby's lips as he left.
"Carl?" I asked turning to him. "Can you go tell my mom that we have to go, but that we'll be back for breakfast, and to make sure there's enough for five? Oh and while you're in the kitchen can you snag a couple of pies from the fridge. We're gonna need 'em."
"Ten-four good buddy," he said saluting me.
"Libby, I need you to do something when we get there, but I didn't want Sheen to hear. He may not like it," I told her while I rummaged through a drawer.
"Anything to get Cindy back," she said, a similar manic glint in her eye.
A.N. My original title for this chapter was too long so I had to change it. The original title is: In Which Jimmy Gets His Act Together.