Forging alliances
In Excalibur HQ, the discussion of building a suitable fighting force against the resurrected Bill had come to a close. All present agreed that what they had now was insufficient, they needed more. Albert had the idea to go to other dimensions to seek assistance, and he knew where to go first. Moon and Eclipsa were initially against the idea of going back to the Uncharted Realms, but given the severity of the current threat, they had no choice but to accept the decision. Kilstone, Albert's XO, was preparing the dimensional portal for the journey.
"I still don't get why Mewni hates these realms so much. What's their deal?" Kilstone asked.
"Mewni doesn't necessarily hate the Uncharted Realms, they just have different opinions on the subject of magic. More specifically, who gets to wield it. The High Commission sought to keep magic in check by making sure only the Butterfly family gets to use it, whereas, in the Uncharted Realms, magic is free for anyone to use, but is still heavily regulated," Albert explained.
"But magic is gone. Those opinions don't matter now," Kilstone argued.
"Maybe so, but that has been the way for a long time now. Even with the current threat, social engineering such as that cannot easily be undone," Albert responded.
"What about the sorcerers of these realms? Will they work with Mewmans?" Kilstone inquired.
"Most likely they've never heard of Mewmans or Mewni itself. Besides, from one magic user to another, they may help us," Albert reasoned. Albert was hoping that there would be more like Rosa Casagrande and her Sisters. The portal came to life with a flash, indicating that it was ready for travel.
"Co-ordinates set for Great Lakes City," Kilstone informed.
"You're in charge until I get back. You know how to reach me if anything comes up," Albert stated.
"Good luck, Captain," Kilstone wished, and Albert stepped through. As soon as he fully entered Great Lakes City, Albert felt strange. A mild, stinging sensation was permeating through his body. He had felt this before, in the Second Dimension, where Bill, in Doofenshmirtz-2's body, reforged his cheek marks onto his face. He found a reflective surface and saw that those same marks, which had vanished when he came back to the Institute after the dimensional fusion, had returned. On a hunch, he tried transforming into his Butterfly form, and to his surprise, it actually worked.
"OK, this is getting weird," Albert commented. There was little time to dwell on this since Albert had a more pressing concern to address.
Back at Retroville, Jimmy was being hounded by questions from Carl and Sheen on the hovercar ride over to his lab about the Loud family. Who were they? How did Jimmy know one of them? Why were they here now? As soon as they arrived, Sheen got a look at them and a huge grin could be seen on his face.
"Do thine eyes deceive me? Can it be?" Sheen wondered in child-like bemusement. He ran over to them and got on his knees. "Oh, great one! I bow before your royal magnificence," Sheen added. He then started bowing before Lincoln, who grew increasingly uncomfortable.
"OK, what?" Libby asked, not knowing if she really wanted to hear the answer.
"Don't you see? This is the Ice Prince Blizzarum from Ultra Lord episode #231, The Planet of the Snow People. Just look at his white hair, and these must be his many wives," Sheen answered, referring to Lincoln's older siblings. Lincoln groaned in half disgust, half confusion.
"My name is Lincoln and these are my sisters!" Lincoln clarified. Carl then started counting them all with his finger.
"All of them?" Carl probed. Lincoln nodded in response. "Wow, the bathroom line must get pretty long," Carl commented.
"I see, using a fake name and story because you're incognito. Don't worry, Your Highness, your secret is safe with me," Sheen assured while giving a wink. Lincoln's expression was one of extreme annoyance.
"Not that I'm not pleased to see you, Lisa, but I have to ask, what are you doing here, and why did you bring your many siblings?" Jimmy inquired.
"I think this is a discussion we'd best have in your laboratory. Suffice to say, this is not a social call," Lisa replied.
"I'd almost be disappointed if it were," Jimmy responded.
"Hold on a minute, some introductions would be nice," Cindy interjected.
"Oh, of course, now let me see if I've got this right," Jimmy guessed. "Lori, Leni, Luna, Luan, Lynn, Lincoln, Lucy, Lana, Lola, Lisa, and, oh, you appear to be short one. Where's Lily?" Jimmy introduced the Loud siblings in birth order.
"Given the circumstances of our arrival here, we thought it best to leave our baby sibling out of this," Lisa answered.
"I see, well, this is Carl," Jimmy gestured towards Carl, who waved nervously. "You've already met Sheen," Jimmy indicated in Sheen's direction.
"Proud to serve as honour guard to the Ice Prince," Sheen stated. Lincoln sighed heavily and facepalmed, wondering to himself how long this was going to go on for.
"My girlfriend, Cindy," Jimmy continued.
"That's right, Jimmy's mine, and don't you forget it," Cindy asserted.
"You literally have nothing to worry about from us, Cindy. I have Boo-boo bear, Luan has Benny, and Luna has Sam," Lori assured.
"OK, calm down, girl. No need to blow a blood vessel," Libby soothed.
"And that's Libby, Cindy's bestie," Jimmy concluded.
"Seriously, Lori, you call your beau 'Boo-boo Bear'? That's so cheesy," Libby commented.
"It's cute," Lori rebuffed. Libby responded by making the 'finger down the throat' motion.
"Anyway, we should return to your lab. We have much to discuss," Lisa directed and they all went back inside.
Back at Calamitous' lair, Professor Calamitous was just finished giving Bill the scoop on Jimmy Neutron. From what he was told, Bill got the impression that Jimmy was just another 'genius' he could potentially trick into doing what he wanted, and that he could manipulate him the same way he did Rick Sanchez, Stanford Pines, Perry Flynn, and his son, Phineas. To Bill, deceiving those of supposed higher intelligence was child's play.
"You say this kid invents all manner of gadgets. Tell me, has he ever dabbled in inter-dimensional travel?" Bill inquired.
"As a matter of fact, he has. I know he has at least one gateway in his lab somewhere, but he keeps that locked tight," Calamitous answered. This got Bill's attention. If Jimmy had already created an inter-dimensional gateway, there would be no need for his usual trickery. Good thing too, because, if past experience was anything to go by, when the inventors did catch on, they usually destroyed their creations or hid them away before Bill could use them. He would have to play this hand a bit differently this time.
"What if I told you I wanted to acquire it?" Bill wondered.
"Whatever for?" Calamitous replied, his curiosity piqued.
"Let's just say I need it for an experiment of my own," Bill gave a rather evasive answer.
"Well, I am always up for sticking it to Neutron, but breaking into his lab will not be easy," Calamitous observed.
"Do we have allies in this dimension?" Bill inquired.
"Neutron has a lot of enemies. We tried the whole 'team up to take him down' thing once before, did not end well," Calamitous responded.
"That was because you didn't have me around. I can help you deal with the boy. All I want in return is his gateway. When we have Neutron at our mercy, you can do with him what you will, for all I care," Bill bargained.
"Gathering my old colleagues together will take time," Calamitous informed.
"I'm a patient being. Besides, I'll need to do some scouting around first. There is a lead I want to pursue," Bill stated. Unsure what he meant by this, Calamitous nevertheless got to work summoning the rest of the League of Villains.
Back at Jimmy's lab, Jimmy, Carl, Sheen, Cindy, Libby, and the Louds began to discuss the current situation and why they came to Retroville in the first place. To say Jimmy was sceptical and cautious would be an understatement. Before anyone could say anything else, Lucy was experiencing something strange. She started hearing a voice in her head, a voice she knew all too well.
"This boy's devices may be able to help you locate Bill. Fighting him is another matter entirely," Harriet commented.
"What the-" Lucy thought to herself.
"Don't be so surprised. You were always the one with the strongest connection to the spiritual plane. As you are now, you and your siblings stand no chance against Bill. Your powers need to be unleashed," Harriet guided.
"How?" Lucy asked mentally.
"It is no coincidence that Lisa and Jimmy ended up friends. He may be able to help unbind your powers. Fate has brought you together for this purpose," Harriet answered. Back to reality, Jimmy had doubts about what the Louds were requesting of him.
"Let me see if I understand this correctly. You came here to ask me to help you find and kill, not just defeat, mind you, but utterly destroy, the demon sorcerer who unleashed the plague on your home, friends, and loved ones?" Jimmy summarised.
"That's right, dude. Lisa told us you had experience dealing with villains of your own," Luna replied.
"OK, first of all, magic does not exist," Jimmy responded.
"This one believes in what he sees, as do all scientists. Maybe you should give him a demonstration," Harriet suggested in Lucy's head.
"Second, I don't seek out confrontations. I'm sure Lisa told you that my encounters with the bad guys are almost entirely reactionary, as in, either they come to me looking for trouble or I go off to stop their evildoing as it's happening. The last time I intentionally sought a confrontation, it didn't end well," Jimmy concluded.
"Actually, this is literally the first we've heard of you. Up until now, Lisa hasn't mentioned you once," Lori corrected.
"Come to think of it, Jim, you haven't mentioned Lisa either," Carl said.
"How did you two meet?" Leni wondered.
"Yes, I'd like to know this as well," Cindy added.
"Our purely platonic partnership began approximately six months ago," Lisa recalled.
Flashback begins
Lincoln was approaching the dining table and sat down to eat breakfast as per usual. Lisa noted that he looked like he hadn't slept that much. Normally, she wouldn't bother with such trivialities, but considering that when the sisters went into his room after they heard him screaming from a nightmare, he then started saying things like 'I'll never complain about having sisters again' and proceeded to smash Lori's watch, she was curious.
"Rough night?" Lisa probed.
"You could say that. Really bad nightmare," Lincoln responded.
"Care to tell me about it?" Lisa asked, half out of scientific curiosity, half sisterly concern. Lincoln then told her about the dream where all the sisters were brothers instead, and how Lisa herself invented a watch that could enable the wearer to travel between dimensions. When Lincoln finished telling his tale, Lisa was intrigued.
After school that day, Lisa went to her bunker to try and recreate the invention Lincoln described. While he wasn't able to tell her any specifics or how she came up with it in his dream, the theory was sound. The challenging part was being able to compress interdimensional travel technology into a package as small as a wrist-watch. After several failed attempts, Lisa opted instead to build a regular gateway. She then began to take recorded notes.
"After many trials and tribulations, I have succeeded in developing a portal between dimensions. However, since I am unsure if it is safe for organic tissue to pass through, I have constructed this probe to make the trip and send over telemetry," Lisa noted. She then deployed the probe and directed it through the gateway. Visual feed on her workstation was coming in. Based on Lincoln's description, she expected to see a copy of her own house, in what Lisa called the 'genderbent' universe. Instead, she saw a laboratory very much like her own, except way bigger and more elaborate.
"OK, not what I was going for, but I like what I'm seeing so far," Lisa said to herself. Her first instinct was to recall the probe and declare this experiment a failure, but she couldn't help but wonder who this laboratory belongs to. Whoever worked here was clearly a genius on the same level as Lisa, if not more advanced. She was eager to make contact. Her wish was about to come true when the probe detected a single life form, a boy, with ice-cream shaped brown hair, who had entered the laboratory. He was accompanied by what could only be described as a robotic dog, very well designed.
"His pet certainly has a lot more charm than Charles does," Lisa observed. She further studied the boy's movements. Lisa watched him as he worked on his latest invention.
"Just need to put the finishing touches on my Study Buddy Mark 3. Need to get this thing done in time for Carl's math test," the boy urged himself. His robot dog barked a few times. "Sheen? Please, this thing's a robot tutor, not a miracle worker. Besides, it won't be taking the test for Carl, it'll just help him to better retain the knowledge he needs to pass," the boy assured. Lisa couldn't help but want one of these things. The time she spent tutoring her siblings, Lisa thought, could be put to better use, and this invention would certainly be a big help. While the boy was working, the robot dog turned its head and discovered Lisa's probe. It barked even louder than before to get the boy's attention.
"What is it, Goddard?" the boy asked. When he turned to look, he too saw the probe. "What is that thing, and how did it get in here?!" the boy inquired, panic in his voice. Lisa then turned on the probe's communication equipment.
"My apologies for the intrusion, fellow scientist. This probe was built to determine whether or not it would be safe to travel across dimensions. There is no need for concern. I mean you no harm," Lisa assured. The boy then studied the probe with scientific curiosity.
"This thing is very advanced. Did you build this?" the boy probed.
"Yeah, along with the interdimensional gateway it came through," Lisa answered. The boy then noted the portal in his lab.
"How did I not notice that coming in?" the boy asked himself. He then had Goddard analyse the portal. "According to this, it should be safe for you to pass through," the boy concluded.
"You don't mind me popping over in person?" Lisa probed.
"Not at all. This lab is always open to us kids of science," the boy invited. Lisa then passed through the portal and emerged unharmed. The boy was surprised to see her, to say the least. "Forgive me, but I pictured you as somewhat older in my head," the boy commented. Lisa brushed this off.
"I get that a lot. Sadly, most people either underestimate or are unappreciative of my intellect. Being the family genius has its share of problems," Lisa said.
"Don't I know it. The name's Jimmy Neutron, and this is Goddard," Jimmy introduced.
"You named your dog after a famous roboticist? Impressive. The name's Lisa Loud, my world's only 4-year-old Nobel Prize winner," Lisa returned the introduction.
"Why don't I show you around? There's a lot I think you'll like," Jimmy offered.
"I'm not one for being overly sentimental, but I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship," Lisa replied.
Flashback ends
"Like the discovery of penicillin, this was the result of a happy accident. We've kept a dimensional comm line open ever since," Lisa finished her story.
"So, you went looking for a world where we're all male and instead found Jimmy? Talk about bonding with chemistry. You are like two beakers in a lab. Yeah, it's hard to come up with science puns," Luan joked, to everyone's annoyance.
"Is she always like that?" Cindy wondered.
"Be grateful you don't have to live with it," Lola replied. Just then, an alarm sounded in Jimmy's lab. His computer started showing images of a persistent problem Jimmy had been facing.
"Not another one. They're increasing in frequency," Jimmy noted.
"What seems to be the problem?" Lisa asked.
"This is the third reason I can't help you. I have my own problems. These rifts have been appearing all over town and I've been sealing them up while also dealing with whatever's come through," Jimmy answered.
"Did we cause this?" Lisa asked.
"No. I've been dealing with this for a week now," Jimmy assured Lisa.
"These rifts are a symptom of a much larger problem. I fear your mission here has become that much harder. Still, it would be worth your while to look into this," Harriet advised Lucy in her head. Lucy chose this moment to speak up at last.
"Can we help?" Lucy offered.
"I would like to get to the bottom of these rifts, and a second scientific opinion would be invaluable, but my hovercar doesn't have room for all of you," Jimmy took up Lucy's offer of assistance.
"Plus, there's a chance your rift problem and our Bill problem are connected," Lisa added.
"Less chat, more action. Let's get on with it, brainiacs," Lynn urged. Cindy, who had been eyeing Lynn for some time now, decided to approach her. Then, out of no-where, the two girls started sparring against each other. Both being proficient at self-defence, neither could land a hit. Jimmy was more concerned about them breaking something in their bout. Fortunately, they chose an empty space to do this. The Louds knew from experience not to dive in. Then, as suddenly as they started, they stopped, both girls gasping for breath when it was over.
"I like this one," Cindy complimented. Lynn smiled, returning the sentiment non-verbally.
"Can we go now?" Libby asked impatiently, and off they went. They decided to go on foot, because, as Jimmy noted, there was no room in the hovercar and there was no time to make adjustments. That could be handled later.
Back at Great Lakes City, Albert found himself in the Casagrande home. He was speaking to Rosa, the Mother of the Sisterhood of the Shining Light, about the proposal he had, the idea of a multi-dimensional alliance that would fight Bill and his forces.
"We're going to need all the help we can get. Bill doesn't usually stay silent like this unless he's biding his time, gathering his army together. He's planning something big, I can feel it," Albert briefed.
"Need I remind you that the Sisterhood is charged only with the defence of our own world. We cannot leave our borders undefended," Rosa asserted.
"Nor would I ask you to. With magic gone in our world, your sisters would be powerless the second they stepped through the portal. What we need now is any insight you could offer that may help us restore the Realm of Magic," Albert requested.
"I'll see what our collective magical knowledge can yield, but I make no promises," Rosa agreed.
"Thank you for your time, Mother Rosa," Albert ended the conversation. He was just about to leave when Ronnie Anne came bursting into the living room with her laptop in hand, a distressed look on her face which Rosa noticed.
"Mija, what is wrong?" Rosa inquired.
"Lincoln's gone, and so are his sisters!" Ronnie Anne replied.
"Gone where?" Rosa asked. Ronnie Anne showed Rosa and Albert the email she had been sent from Lincoln. The two could not believe what they were reading.
'Dear Ronnie Anne
If you're reading this message, then my sisters and I have left this dimension to find the one responsible for the Michigan Flu crisis and bring him to justice by any means. I will not lie to you, this will be dangerous, and chances are, not all of us will make it. If the worst should happen, then I just want you to know that you were the best thing to ever happen to me, yes, even though you used to shove sandwiches down my pants. There is, however, one more thing you should know. I love you, Ronnie Anne. Goodbye.
Lincoln'
"What were they thinking?!" Albert wondered.
"Yes, that is what I want to know as well," Rosa agreed. Albert then turned to address Ronnie Anne.
"Look, without any clue as to where they've gone, I cannot authorise a search, but if Lincoln and his sisters show up in my world, then I will do all I can to keep them safe and see to it they return here. I'll drag them back kicking and screaming if I have to," Albert assured Ronnie Anne. Ronnie Anne nodded in response, clearly too distressed to speak any more. Albert then handed Rosa a comm device.
"You should take this. It will allow us to communicate between dimensions. I have a feeling we'll need it," Albert said and then left the Casagrande home to portal back to his own realm. As soon as he set foot back in Excalibur HQ, Albert felt another sensation. This time, his magic had been drained again and, when he looked into a reflective surface, his cheek marks had once again vanished.
"Oh, really?" Albert remarked.
At Calamitous' lair, the professor had managed to round up the League of Villains once again. All were in attendance. They had decided to use Calamitous' lair as the meeting place because the Junkman's ship had recently been repossessed, something about unauthorised transactions. There was another change in the status quo, Goobot was no longer King. Turns out the local populace really hate it when you get their god Poultra killed and saw fit to depose the monarchy. They are instead ruled by a President and a Senate of all things. Goobot, naturally, blamed Jimmy and was eager for revenge. Bill had also seen to it that the love potion Jimmy used on Beautiful Gorgeous and the Junkman had worn off. The two were back to hating each other and wanted to get Jimmy even more than they did already for what they had to go through. Others had their share of misfortunes as well. Baby Eddie was disowned by his family, and Eustace Strych, after having gotten in trouble with the law, was also cut off from the family fortune. Professor Calamitous started the meeting in earnest.
"I'd like to thank you all for attending at such short notice. I take it you all know why we're here?" Calamitous probed.
"To destroy Neutron? We tried this once and failed miserably," Eustace chimed in.
"We had traitors in our ranks. We won't make that mistake again," Calamitous rebutted. It was true that Zix, Travoltron, and Tee betrayed the League. Calamitous knew not to call them hoping for a change of heart.
"If I may, what makes you so sure we'll succeed this time?" Grandma Taters asked.
"Because I have a secret weapon, one Jimmy will not see coming," Calamitous responded. The others were intrigued.
"Do share," Goobot replied in anticipation.
"That I will," came a voice from the shadows. Soon enough, Bill had emerged. Goobot was unimpressed at this late arrival.
"I must say I hoped for better," Goobot ridiculed.
"Look, buddy, the convention's that way," Eddie derided.
"Perhaps this will change your mind," Bill said menacingly. Suddenly, Goobot's dome started heating up to an insane degree, essentially boiling him alive. Goobot screamed in agony. The others gasped in horror.
"Do you like your eggs poached or sunny side up?" Bill inquired rhetorically.
"OK, OK, we're on board!" Goobot begged for it to stop, and it did.
"May I introduce my latest partner, Bill Cipher," Calamitous clarified.
"So, you've partnered up with tall, dark, and scary over there. What's his beef with Neutron?" Beautiful Gorgeous asked.
"I need something that he has, and I have an idea on how to retrieve it. All I need is Jimmy out of the way while my associate steals it," Bill briefed.
"Forgive me, but what associate?" Calamitous probed.
"He means me," came another voice from the shadows. From them emerged a sight no-one in the League saw coming. The voice came from none other than Jimmy himself.
"This is ridiculous! Why would Neutron help steal his own invention?" Eustace remarked in disbelief.
"Quiet, brat! I wouldn't want to spoil that nice outfit. Actually, I really would, so keep talking, see where it gets you!" Jimmy goaded. The League just sat there in silence.
"I had a theory, who better to help destroy Jimmy then Jimmy himself. You see, a while back, the Jimmy you know and hate decided to clone himself. When his doppelgangers proved too much, he decided to ice them all. Thankfully, one survived," Bill clarified.
"Yeah, and he also sealed me in a dark dimension for all eternity. But, thanks to Billy here, I've been freed and now I want sweet juicy revenge," Jimmy added.
"League of Villains, may I introduce you to Evil Jimmy," Bill concluded. Evil Jimmy smiled menacingly.
Author's note: I have found myself with even less time to write stories now. I will be starting a new part-time job soon which will take up at least three days a week, so expect updates to be even more infrequent than they already are. Let me assure you, readers, that I don't forget about a story, it just takes time for me to come up with coherent ideas. Plus, the outline I have for a chapter can change mid-way through writing it, so I'm always adapting. The usual disclaimers, I own nothing, Jimmy Neutron and the Loud House belong to Nickelodeon. Enjoy! I still want season four of Jimmy Neutron, dang it!