I haven't written for this fandom in about 2 years, but I always come back. I posted a Stranded AU story a few weeks ago. Now, I have a few different ideas to try out before I'm headed for another 'vanishing act.' Here's the angst and banter you didn't ask for!

Every one of the one-shots in this collection is based on a word from a different letter of the alphabet. They will all be unrelated to each other. Mostly doing this for fun and for some writing practice!

A: "ALLIANCES" (Set during the end of King of Mars)

Cindy looked incredulously at the two boys sitting side by side in the spaceship. "I still can't believe it. Eustace Strych actually helped us save the Earth."

Jimmy and Eustace had formed an unlikely alliance on Mars. It was likely to be short-lasted, for sure, but it had rescued them all for the time being.

Libby had chimed in with a smug, "I can't believe Jimmy admitted he likes Cindy."

Jimmy, returning to a defensive stance, crossed his arms over his chest and huffed, "I said she distracts me, there's a difference!"

Ever the instigator, Cindy had immediately quipped, "Sure there is."

It took a grand total of a minute for them to begin a yelling match again, much to Cindy's pleasure. She felt quite at home in her quarrels with Neutron. Verbal sparring almost always guaranteed close contact and furtive glances, both of which gave her a deep thrill.

In addition, she now had ammo in the form of his concession that she was "pretty, smart, and smelled nice." Even if it was a concession borne out of her betrayal, and her own volatile five-second alliance with that utter fink Strych, she still held the words close to her heart.

She'd always been mired in self-doubt over whether her crush on Jimmy was one-sided. Now, she had the tiniest bit of confirmation that maybe, just maybe, he felt something too. He just had to be pushed in the right direction.

The next time Strych tried to outwit them, he'd be out of luck. Cindy knew that an alliance between a Vortex and a Neutron, when and if it happened, would be unstoppable. The only thing sharper than their tongues was their combined brain power.

But for the moment, she simply reveled in the glory of arguing academia and getting up in each other's faces.

B: "BETTY BORING"

"Cindy-" He followed her out into the grand lobby of the hotel.

"Here's an idea." She balled her fists. "Leave me the hell alone."

With that, she brushed past him angrily.

Everything about this night was terrible. Worst of all, her feet were killing her wearing these stupid shoes.

She balanced on one leg as she tried to take off a heel. She was struggling with the strap of the second one when she lost her balance and tipped over. He rushed forward and caught her gracefully, bringing the two closer than they'd been in quite a while.

He'd simply intended to steady her, but it seemed he'd done exactly the opposite. She looked flustered for a change, coming up short on the usual catty remark.

"Cat got your tongue, Vortex?" He was playing with fire, he knew. But he couldn't help but be playful with her.

She huffed ungratefully and wrested herself from his grip. "I don't need your chivalry Neutron, save it for the doe-eyed bimbo you've been ogling all night."

"I haven't been ogling anyone." He said defensively. "And since when do you care where I'm looking?"

"I could care less, but it's pretty pathetic." She shot back.

"You're third-wheeling with Sheen and Libby at our senior prom while I actually have a date, I think it's safe to say I'm not the pathetic one in this situation."

"Better quit while you're ahead: you not only have your dream girl, you've also won the award for most pompous, arrogant, prick!"

Cindy barreled ahead, trying to conceal the tears glittering in her eyes.

Jimmy paused for a moment, wondering if he had, in fact, gone too far this time. Betty was waiting for him back in the ballroom, and she was not going to be happy to see him chasing after another girl. Cindy, no less.

But he found that he didn't really care what Betty thought, in that moment.

He ran through the revolving doors as fast as he could to catch up to Cindy. He could just make out her distant silhouette against the light of the full moon. She looked as gorgeous in her elegant jade gown today as she'd looked years ago when she'd worn an alluring purple-gray spacesuit on their trip to Mars. Wisps of her silky blonde hair were coming undone from her meticulously fashioned updo.

"Cindy-wait!"

She stopped mid parking lot and turned around to face him.

"I thought I made it pretty clear that you're the last person I want to speak to right now, Neutron."

"I'm sorry." He offered, a little bit out of breath.

"What did you say? Do my ears deceive me?"

"I said I'm sorry." He mumbled.

"Let's hear it a little louder this time, James." A smirk pulled at the corners of her mouth.

"I'm not going to say it again." He said adamantly.

"Isn't Betty-boring waiting for you inside?"

He rolled his eyes. "She's not that boring."

"She only took two AP classes this year, and one of them was AP Stat, which everyone knows only the people not good enough for AP Calc take." Cindy pointed out. "How intellectually stimulating could she possibly be?"

Jimmy had to concede to her on this point.

"It's okay, Neutron, I know you didn't go to prom with her for her positively enormous intellect." She gibed. There was a hint of bitterness to her tone. "She's supermodel material, unlike the rest of us mere mortals."

"That's not the reason I took her to prom." He said quietly.

"Oh come on! You used to have stashes of her...hmm, what were your words exactly? Soft focus headshots!"

"That was ages ago, Cindy! I told you I would throw those out and I did."

"That makes sense." She nodded in mock understanding. "Who needs headshots when you have endless Instagram pictures to scroll through?"

"Cindy, I don't care about Betty's Instagram!" Jimmy looked very pissed off now. "Why can't you just admit that you're jealous?"

"Why can't you admit you made a mistake by pursuing Miss I'm So Beautiful and Perfect?"

"I did make a mistake!" He was utterly exasperated now. "I wanted to go with you! But when you said you might take Strych, I'd just about had it."

Cindy stepped a tiny bit closer to him. "Sounds like you were the jealous one." A smile played at her lips. She couldn't quite control it.

"When I have to compete with buck-toothed losers, can you really blame me?"

Cindy had to let out a laugh at that. "Strych is a loser all right. I would never have actually gone with him."

"Well, knowing you-I couldn't be too sure-"

She whacked him over the head with her purse.

"Ouch, what the hell was that for?" He cried out.

"You're so clueless Neutron." They stood there a bit awkwardly for a half-minute.

"So where does this leave us? Shouldn't you get back to her?"

"Yeah, we probably should get back." He took her hand. "Let's go."

"She won't like it." Cindy warned, though she was secretly thrilled.

"We've dealt with worse." He said.

They shared a smile.

A/N: I've used Strych in a lot of my stories because I'm a fan of the J/C/S triangle. It's fun to write. Sue me. I paired these one-shots together because they both involved our favorite cackling villain.