All right, let's get this next chapter done and out! Anyway, enjoy!
About a few minutes later, Lee Lee was settled at her position hear the button as she looked up towards Dexter, who was already settling in his seat above the rest of the controls. "Hey Dexter, if we do open this wormhole, what do you suppose we'll see?"
"That's the beauty of science, my dear! We don't know what we'll see, but whatever we discover, it'll be a miraculous discovery made by soon-to-be-known people... a special genius and a rather, helpful lab assistant who happens to be friends with someone as helpless and idiotic as my sister."
Lee Lee blushed at the helpful part, but frowned as she heard the rest. "You could have just stopped at 'rather helpful lab assistant', you know!"
"Just push the button when you hear the words 'Press the Spectro-Button'. Once they say that, a countdown will commence from ten. Push the button before then!" Dexter instructed.
"Got you!" Lee Lee called back as she stared at the button.
"Lee Lee, are you ready?" Dexter called down.
"I'm all set down here!" Lee Lee called back.
"Excellent." Dexter chuckled as he started to look around. "Computer, engage test sequence."
"Engage josular switch." The robotic voice from inside the lab sounded out as Dexter pulled a lever next to him. "Release transputic pressure." Dexter responded by turning pressure valves before giving a nod and crossing his arms in confidence.
From down below, Lee Lee listened for the cue as she heard, "Press Spectro Button in ten... nine... eight..."
"Oh, that's me." Lee Lee said as she pushed the spectro button, simple as possible as she gave a smile, muttering to herself, "Personally, I don't know why you wanted these tests, Dexter."
"Sequence engaged."
The machine started to glow up as Dexter's eyes lit up in excitement. "It's working!" All of a sudden, he felt his machine shaking with him still in it as the boy looked concerned. "W-wait... something is w-w-w-w-wrong!"
Lee Lee looked up, looking rather concerned when all of a sudden, the top of the invention exploded, sending Dexter flying.
"Dexter!" Lee Lee gasped in horror as she held her arms out. "Hang on, I'll get you!"
"Sequence terminated." Computer sounded just as the lights were turned off, but not before Lee Lee had caught Dexter in her arms.
Dexter opened his eyes in the dark as he gave a frown. "My invention... failed? But how?"
"Are you okay, Dexter? That was quite an explosion." Lee Lee said in a rather, concerned voice.
Dexter lowered his eyelids as he locked eyes with his new assistant. "Ugh, I'm fine... thanks for catching me before I hit the floor. Computer, lights on!"
The laboratory lights quickly turned on as Dexter was now seeing more clearly the rather thoughtful, but cute face of his savior looking right at him, causing the young boy to blush a bit. Lee Lee gently put him down on the floor as the boy brushed himself. "Hmmm... maybe I was off in my calculations... I mean, we did everything we were supposed to... I activated the josular switch and released the the transputic pressure, you pushed the button, and my invention explodes. Quite a conundrum, quite a conundrum..."
"Anything I can do to help?" Lee Lee asked, looking down at the young boy.
"Well..." Dexter paused. "As my assistant, you are supposed to help guide me to a problem. Let's start by going over the calculations again..."
A few moments later, both Dexter and Lee Lee were standing in front of a chalkboard filled with mathematical properties as Dexter was standing near the chalkboard, examining every aspect. "Hmmm... well, most of the calculations are correct... but maybe there's something off I'm not seeing."
The Japanese girl paused as she herself examined the problem, humming to herself... before turning to Dexter. "Maybe it's the fuel?"
Dexter looked over at Lee Lee and frowned. "No, don't be ridiculous, it wouldn't be something as simple as that, I..." Dexter's eyes lit up. "Wait... something just clicked inside my mind. Maybe the fuel I am using in my Spectro Mechanotron is the wrong type!"
Dexter ran over and opened a compartment as he looked inside. Lee Lee walked over and joined the boy genius as they looked inside and saw a gas tank boiling with some sort of black oil.
"Hmmmm... I guess the motor oil from the garage didn't seem to be a suitable substitute. But if I were to create a new type of fuel that can safely run the Spectro Mechanotron without it exploding, then the machine will be stable." Dexter smirked. "Ahhhhh, good to see my boy genius mind hasn't gotten rusty."
Lee Lee gave a slight giggle. "Yes, your mind is quite an amazing enigma."
"Of course, I suppose I CAN give you SOME credit, Lee Lee, for that small suggestion. It just allowed me to expand on it, is all." Dexter said as he patted her in the back. "Thank you."
Lee Lee could swear she was melting inside as Dexter walked off to the table. "I'll need some silence while I concoct the new formula! So, mind keeping the lab quiet for at least a couple of minutes?"
"Okay!" Lee Lee said in a soft voice, but loud enough for Dexter to hear.
"I said quiet, please." Dexter frowned as Lee Lee closed her mouth, before grinning. "That's better."
And with that, Dexter immediately went to work as Lee Lee settled down in her seat, putting her safety goggles on as she watched Dexter mix in a few chemicals, some that were even impossible to obtain, like plutonium, mercury, lead, ectoplasm, and even a cup of sodium arsenate. In the beaker, the combination of chemicals seem to be bubbling, in spite of the fact that there was no heat under it. Dexter looked over towards Lee Lee as he whispered to her, "I just need to add one more chemical. Complete silence, if you please."
Lee Lee nodded as she pulled out a grey welding mask and put it on her face as she watched. Slowly, but surely, Dexter leaned the next chemical towards the beaker, intending to get one small drop. His hand shook nervously as he bit his lip. Lee Lee looked desperate to say something, but kept her mouth shut, not wanting to disturb Dexter when he was at his work.
After hesitating for one brief moment, he put the drop in...
KABOOM!
The newly made fuel that Dexter was making exploded on his face as he stumbled backwards, before getting up, and using his eyes to look up at the noticeable fire that had started on his hair. Panicking, the boy started to run around in circles.
"MY HAIR IS ON FIRE! MY HAIR IS ON FIRE! MY HAIR IS ON FIRE! MY HAIR IS ON FIRE!" Dexter screamed as Lee Lee grabbed a fire bucket full of water and doused him, stopping the boy in his tracks as he was now sopping wet, his hair all gone.
"Are you okay?" Lee Lee asked, her eyes looking at him all concerned.
Dexter felt frustrated. He wanted to yell at something or someone, but when he turned to yell at Lee Lee, he noted the sad, concerned look in her eyes, and once again, he couldn't help but note how cute they were. Dexter's former mood started to dissipate slowly as he gave a sigh. "I'm fine, but my hair..."
"It's okay, Dexter. I think you're pretty cute this way." Lee Lee gave a slight giggle. "Hair or no hair."
Dexter caught the cute part before shaking his head. "Thanks, but I prefer it if I came in with a head FULL of hair. Fortunately, I have some hair growth formula that I made myself in the event of such an emergency. My dear assistant, could you fetch a chemical for me while I try to apply the fuel to the Spectro Mechanotron... without it spilling on the floor."
"You can count on me. Where's the formula?" Lee Lee asked.
"Across the lab, cabinet with three sections. You want the one in the middle, you can't miss it." Dexter said as Lee Lee gave a nod as she started to run off, using her ballet shoes to tip-toe over like Dee Dee does, with Dexter watching.
Normally, Dexter would have been quite annoyed with the fact that Lee Lee would be running around the lab like Dee Dee runs, but for some reason, he felt a little different around her as he looked down. He then asked himself, "What is going on with me? I want to be mad at Lee Lee, yet I'm not. I know that something has gone wrong, yet when I look at Lee Lee's eyes, I seem to be... calm. And yet, she's Dee Dee's friend, another character that can easily cause as much chaos. And yet... she seems to be perfectly rational, despite the fact I see the chaos in her eyes."
He held his head as he reached for the completed fuel carefully, thankful that he had gloves on. "Get it together, Dexter. So what if she dressed rather nicely. So what if she does have a brain inside? So what if... you admire her and respect her politeness and help? I... I..." Dexter paused as he went to his machine and started to fuel it. "This might take some proper research..."
As Dexter finished spilling the fuel inside and standing back to make sure it didn't immediately explode, he closed the door to the fuel tank of the Spectro Mechanotron as Lee Lee came back with the formula. Dexter couldn't help but smile. "Just pour a little bit of it on my head, but don't get it anywhere else on your body... or mine, because hair will start growing in a place you'd rather not have hair."
"Okay." Lee Lee nodded as she opened the test tube and started to pour some of the chemical on the young boy's hair. Standing back, Lee Lee watched in amazement as the hair on Dexter started to grow back to its regular cut. Lee Lee couldn't help but looked awed as Dexter felt his newly grown hair. "You know, Dexter, you should really patent this."
Dexter chuckled. "I've been thinking about that for a while."
"All right, the fuel is up and the machine should be ready." Lee Lee said. "Do you think we should give it another test run?"
The bespectacled boy was about to respond, before pausing. "Actually, Lee Lee, if it's okay for a change of pace..."
"KIDS! Lunch!" Dexter's Mom called from downstairs as Dexter's face lit up.
Lee Lee gave a small smile. "Ooooooo!" Lee Lee giggled as she started to run off.
Dexter couldn't help but shrug as he put his machine aside. "I guess you'll have to wait for now..."
And that's the end of this third chapter! How'd you guys like it? Next time, shenanigans occur at the lunch table as Dexter's mom can't help but notice some changing tensions between Dexter and Lee Lee. What will become of it? Anyway, read, review, criticize and suggest, folks!