Chapter Five: Breakout
SpongeBob peeled himself off the ground, unharmed by Usagi's crushing him. He and his friends stood on an oval-shaped island. Yards away from them, other islands were raised above the goo, D1000s on each of those islands—three in total. Their environment was large enough to fight freely.
The goal was simple: destroy all the D1000s in Bikini Bottom, and all the robots would be destroyed. With Usagi and the other Guardians helping, it would be no problem.
The best part was, Usagi and her friends could fly. And they had superpowers, like his favorite superheroes, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy.
Speaking of his favorite superheroes, Mermaid Man was right next to him, with his gray hair that shone in the sun; his round, but tough, body; his red and black uniform; and his utility belt, which had the ability to shrink and incinerate others.
SpongeBob's heart fluttered. He was right next to his hero. He needed to get Mermaid Man's autograph.
Electricity crackled next to him. That's right. The robots.
SpongeBob jumped onto his feet, his shoes squeaking on the ground as he pivoted upon landing. He raised his bubble wand.
"What? Who?" Mermaid Man's legs flailed in the air.
Ami's expression blanked. "He doesn't seem like he knows where he is."
Usagi pointed at the mountain behind them. "Who could blame him after falling off a cliff? How'd he even survive?" She slapped her helmet. "Duh. I keep forgetting that this place has different rules than our world."
Usagi and her friends were caught up in "this world's rules." To SpongeBob, the world included Bikini Bottom and above ground, where the humans were from, mainly because that's where Sandy was from. He'd never thought much about what was above ground before Sandy arrived in Bikini Bottom and started talking about Texas. If SpongeBob ventured above ground, would he have as much trouble adapting as the humans had adapting to Bikini Bottom?
The robots laughed, a mechanical noise echoing throughout the clearing; their laughter was coming toward Mermaid Man. A Ham-mer clamped its pincers around Mermaid Man's arm and made the sponge's hero slap his own cheeks, back and forth, back and forth. When Mermaid Man had retired, he stopped crimefighting, but hadn't lost his powers. He wasn't fighting back against the robots, maybe because his superpowers would be devastating, and Mermaid Man was too merciful to crush the robots to smithereens. But the robots had terrorized Bikini Bottom. Must be the reason why Mermaid Man had left Shady Shoals Rest Home and come to Jellyfish Fields—Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy must have split up to cover more ground—to defeat the robots.
SpongeBob swung his bubble wand into the Ham-mer's torso, sending the robot into the distance and smashing it into pieces.
He rushed to Mermaid Man's side. "Mermaid Man, are you okay?"
"What?" Mermaid Man's eyes darted around the clearing until settling on SpongeBob. "Oh. It's you, that SpongeKid."
SpongeBob smacked his cheeks because this was real, not fantasy. "You remember me." Electricity spread throughout his body, making him shoot into the air, maybe from his giddiness. Fireworks exploded beside him. He landed, scurried back to his hero, glitter filling his eyes, remnants of a robot near where SpongeBob had stood before he had been electrocuted, Usagi near SpongeBob and Mermaid Man, Moon Kaleidoscope raised.
"Right, you're the kid that had something to do with the secret of Wumbo."
"Wumbo?" Usagi said. Rainbow light filled the area, blinding SpongeBob. When the light faded, all the robots, except the D1000s, were gone, scorch marks left in their places. The D1000s created ten more robots. Ami was rushing toward one D1000, fighting her way through by launching water from her hands.
"I didn't know there was a secret to Wumbo." SpongeBob smacked another Fodder into the goo, the Fodder breaking upon impact.
"Of course. The secret is to never put tapioca inside of it."
Usagi furrowed her brow. "Eh?"
"Oh, thank you, Mermaid Man. I'll keep that in mind." SpongeBob looked around. More robots wheeled toward them. "Anyhow, we could use your awesome powers to defeat these robots."
"Let's see here." Mermaid Man summoned a water ball into his the palms of his hands. He threw the ball, and it splashed on a Ham-mer. Electricity crackled around the Ham-mer and then fizzled. The Ham-mer laughed, swung its ham down. SpongeBob batted the ham sideways, but the Ham-mer didn't recoil. It swung its ham back down, SpongeBob catching the ham with his bubble wand, a shockwave rippling through the sponge.
Meanwhile, Ami's Shine Aqua Illusion pierced one of the D1000s. Ami jumped off the island on which the D1000 stood. The D1000 exploded, its explosion not reaching SpongeBob and his friends but destroying robots, including one that was in the middle of transitioning from a ball into a robot. Outrunning the explosion, Ami hurried toward the next D1000.
Mermaid Man flexed his hands. "I'm sorry, kid. My powers aren't strong enough."
"You can't give up, Mermaid Man. You've never given up before." SpongeBob grit his teeth, shoving the Ham-mer into the goo, where it exploded. "Because these robots are evil incarnate."
Mermaid Man's eyes flashed. "Evil?" His face hardened. "Evil." He summoned a water ball that was the size of two beach balls combined. "Evil!" he screeched, his cry echoing.
He threw the water ball, and it hovered over the field, split into several smaller water balls, surrounded the robots and the D1000s. Electricity crackled around the robots until they burst. SpongeBob ducked behind his arms. Even though he was a sponge and could absorb physical blows, he wouldn't fare as well against explosions. Heat surrounded him. When the heat and smoke faded, SpongeBob peered up. The robots' pieces were scattered on the ground.
SpongeBob's eyes twinkled. His hero still had it in him.
"Who would've thought that a simple world would unlock his superpowers?" Usagi said. "Then again, I guess I should be used to things like this happening by now."
"You have some nice powers, Mermaid Man," Ami said. "They remind me of my own powers. If we combined our powers…" She cleared her throat, averted her eyes to the ground.
"What's wrong?" SpongeBob said.
"Well…um…"
"You can say it, lass," Mermaid Man said. "I'll understand."
Ami tapped her fingers together. "You're an older man. Could you keep up with us?"
SpongeBob nodded rapidly. "We would love it if you helped us defeat these robots." How cool it would be to fight alongside his favorite superhero.
"I'm afraid I can't, youngsters." He crouched, massaging his feet. "My bunions are bothering me today."
"That's a perfectly valid reason. Barnacle Boy must be protecting the Mermalair."
"For now. I hope the lad is doing okay. Besides, the darn robots took the T.V. signal out. Until the repairman can get to Shady Shoals, I've been trying to get a little fresh air."
SpongeBob cocked his head. "So, you're not here to save Bikini Bottom from the robots?"
"Robots?" Mermaid man snapped his head in all directions. "What robots?"
"The robots that were everywhere a second ago," Ami said. "That you destroyed."
"Oh, those robots. Yes. I guess I am."
Of course he was. He was a superhero, and superheroes saved the world.
Usagi stepped closer to Mermaid Man, looking him up and down. "But you're human. How are you breathing down here? How are you surviving without one of these on?" She gestured over her suit and helmet. "It'd be so helpful if Ami and I didn't have to run around in these."
"Allow me to answer, Mermaid Man." SpongeBob's eyes grew distant as he opened the file cabinets in his brain, where he had compartmentalized each episode of The Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. "According to episode 200 of the T.V. show, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy once lived on land but, after a freak accident, drowned. Mermaids gave them powers, shrinking them and giving them the ability to breathe and live underwater."
Usagi and Ami looked at each other again. They did that a lot.
"Should I ask questions about this?" Ami said.
"The answers probably won't make sense, either." Usagi put a finger on her chin. "Y'know, I shouldn't be surprised by this, considering our own origin stories."
Wow, Usagi and her friends had origin stories, too? "You have got to tell me sometime," SpongeBob said.
"I'll stay here," Mermaid Man said, "nursing my bunions."
"Uh, right," Usagi said. "Stay safe, Mermaid Man. Just remember the—" She coughed.
"The what?" Mermaid Man leaned toward Usagi, putting his ear near her mouth.
"The…the…tapioca."
"Right, the tapioca. Thank you for reminding me. The tapioca is the key to unlocking the ninth dimension and unleashing the monkey man."
Usagi's jaw dropped. "Really?"
Ami placed her hands on Usagi's shoulders. "It's probably ramblings, Usagi-chan." She steered Usagi away. "Let's keep going. As you said, SpongeBob, Squidward's nose depends on us." She giggled.
"Thank you, Mermaid Man." Before SpongeBob could turn away, Mermaid Man fished a Golden Spatula out his pocket and gave it to SpongeBob.
"Here, kid. For you." Mermaid Man slung an arm around SpongeBob and drew him close, pounding a fist on his chest. "For fighting bravely against the robots."
SpongeBob's insides filled with jelly. He was going to melt with glee. "ThankyouMermaidManIdunnohowtothankyouenoughohyou'remyhero!"
"Keep going, kid. Your friends will leave you behind."
"O-okay. Thanks again, Mermaid Man." SpongeBob sprinted, catching up with Usagi and Ami, the Fields nearly silent since his hero destroyed the robots.
The three came across a Throw Fruit, a watermelon that was more suited for Patrick to use. Together, Usagi, Ami, and SpongeBob picked up the Fruit and threw it onto multiple buttons, opening gates so that they could continue.
After a few minutes, they reached Plankton.
Mr. Krabs' rival stood on a rock, hard to notice since he and the rock were both gray. Was he trying to blend in with the rock, make himself less noticeable to the robots?
"What are you doing here?" Usagi said.
"It might have something to do with me trying to get away from these gosh-darn robots." Plankton looked from Usagi, to Ami, to SpongeBob. "Seems like you two still don't trust me."
Usagi shook her head.
"Understandable, I suppose." Plankton looked around. "I was expecting to see the big pink idiot with you, but no matter." He rubbed his hands. "Vaporizing him would have been a lot of fun. It'll have to wait for another time."
"We're standing right here," Usagi said. "Don't you think you should keep your evil plans secret?"
He shrugged. "Maybe that was my real plan, maybe it wasn't. You'll never know…unless it actually happens." He chuckled. "Now, not only did I come here to escape those robots, but I also came here to tell you where to go next—specifically, my big, pink future minion."
Ami's expression darkened. "Patrick's helping you now?"
"He did cross over to Plankton's side during the Fry Cook Games." SpongeBob stroked his chin. "Thankfully, those were only games and didn't involve a world-destroying plan, like these robots are trying to do. But Patrick's a good guy now, and he'll always be a good guy, no matter what." Patrick had never betrayed SpongeBob—at least, not on purpose.
Plankton scowled. "Stop thinking that every thought that runs through my head is about taking over the world. I assure you, they aren't." He said more softly, "Most of the time." Then, in his regular voice, he said, "Believe it or not, I came here to he…hel…heeee…" He gasped with effort and then hyperventilated.
"What's wrong, Plankton?" SpongeBob said. "Can't breathe?"
Plankton wheezed, coughed, stopped hyperventilating. "Let me try again. I'm here to he…hel…" He growled, thrust his hand toward a cave a few feet from them. "Just go in that cave. Read the signs that you see. Those signs were mostly there for anyone who had a lot of brute strength, like Patrick, which is why I was hoping that he would be with you. If you get through that cave, you can get rid of more of those robots and the duplicating machines that keep creating them, getting me one step closer to getting back into the Chum Bucket."
Usagi narrowed her eyes. "You could be tricking us."
A vein exploded above Plankton's eye. "I'm. Not. Tricking. You," he ground out between clenched teeth. "I'm hel…" He growled once more.
"Helping us?" Ami said.
"Yes. That sickening action that makes me want to puke all over myself." He shuddered. "Look, I shudder at even the mention of it. You might learn a few new skills while you're in there, enough to let me get back into the Chum Bucket. Understand?"
"Easy enough," Usagi said. "Just keep doing what we've been doing. So we really didn't need your help."
Plankton blinked. "I suppose so." His scowl deepened. "You mean I tortured myself, went against every evil bone in my body, to try and say that vile word for no reason?"
"Seems like it."
Plankton pointed at Usagi. "You may have outsmarted me today, but you won't outsmart me again." He shooed them away. "Now go before I get the urge to wash out my eye with soap."
Plankton snarled at SpongeBob's and his too smart human companions' backs, SpongeBob waving his bubble wand over his feet and creating large, bubble feet and then jumping on a button on the ground, lowering the gate that barred the caves. The blonde one turned back, glaring at him, and he replaced his snarl with a smile. She glared at him for another moment before disappearing into Jellyfish Cave alongside the sponge and the other human.
Plankton snarled again as soon as they were gone. Taking help from SpongeBob, of all fish, and the humans made his stomach roil.
He gazed into the distance, in the direction of the Chum Bucket. Karen…
What were those robots doing to his wife?
Despite the robot takeover, the potential of his food formulas and his plans for stealing the Krabby Patty's formula going missing, he had thought of Karen the most.
What if Karen was being hacked into, brainwashed by the robots?
That would mean he didn't have a friend left in Bikini Bottom.
Shamefully, the man in the relationship, couldn't protect his significant other.
How weak Plankton was.
He sat on the rock, caressing one of his antennae. How weak indeed.
SpongeBob, Usagi, and Ami entered Jellyfish Cave. Compared to the brightness of the Fields, the cave was dark, dank, scary. Water dripped from the ceiling.
"I've never been in here before," SpongeBob said, his voice reverberating. "According to the Jellyspotters' magazine, there aren't many jellyfish in here. And it leads to Spork Mountain, where King Jellyfish lives."
As he spoke, Usagi and Ami looked around. SpongeBob kept forgetting that they weren't from around here. If he went above ground, he'd look at everything the way Usagi and Ami were looking at every nook and cranny. The underwater world was amazing. He had never known anything different, though, so what was amazing to Usagi and Ami wasn't that awesome to him.
But Jellyfish Cave was pretty awesome. Despite it looking like a regular cave, it had its quirks. And the cave was a test for those who wanted to see King Jellyfish. One that SpongeBob, Usagi, and Ami would pass.
SpongeBob skidded to a stop, Usagi and Ami stopping beside him, a mini-volcano sitting in front of them, one of the cave's quirks. Smoke rose from the volcano and then blew out rocks that were filled with lava. The three scrambled backward, the rocks falling on the ground around the volcano, where they remained for several seconds until breaking into pieces.
The three waited. Ami timed the pattern of when the volcano released rocks to be six seconds, enough time for them to jump over the volcano, which they did. They jumped over several other volcanos. Usagi's foot became caught in one of the volcanos, and she bit her tongue, eyes watering (how tough she was, taking the pain silently. SpongeBob would've cried), but SpongeBob and Ami worked together to pull her out, grabbing one another by the shoulders and pulling, landing in a heap and then scurrying away from the lava rocks jetting out from the volcano.
Usagi put her hand on her heart. "That. That was very close." She dunked her foot into a nearby lake, smoke rising. The suit hadn't been damaged. "I really, really hope that we can figure out how to get these suits off. The least I can say is that this suit protected my foot from being burned off."
"I've been thinking about these suits for a while," Ami said. "I could create a type of chip, like a computer chip, to insert into our noses—not the most comfortable place, I realize, but it's where we inhale and exhale—that will allow us to breathe. The chip will hold oxygen from Sandy's treedome, and we'll have to go inside Sandy's treedome periodically to refill it with oxygen. The chip will also have the ability to let us be here, underwater, without succumbing to the pressure." She averted her gaze to the wall. "Something like this hasn't ever been invented, so it'll be a scientific breakthrough if I could invent it."
Usagi grinned. "That's awesome, Ami-chan. I hope you can start designing it soon."
"Yeah, you and Sandy can work together," SpongeBob said. "She invents stuff all the time, too."
"Like the rocket," Ami said. "I can't forget about that."
The three pressed two buttons to open a gate, ignoring the Throw Fruit that was near the gate. Jumped over needles that jutted out from the ground and then retracted, over another mini-volcano, across a river with platforms floating inside it that were placed from other jellyfishers.
In front of another gate, a pressure plate was embedded in the ground, like the one that they had seen in the fields that had revealed bowling pins, giving SpongeBob his idea for a Bubble Bowl attack. His new attack needed refining, but he'd keep practicing until he got it right.
Together, SpongeBob, Ami, and Usagi heaved the Throw Fruit and placed it on the plate. Once the gate retracted, they ran past it. As soon as Ami stepped past the gate, the Throw Fruit wilted, and the gate shot up, touching the ceiling so that the three couldn't go back, even if Usagi and Ami flew.
"Time will tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing," Ami said.
"You guys can fly back down from Spork Mountain so we don't have to go back through this cave." SpongeBob could fly with them. Another chance to fulfill his dream.
"Or one of those weird teleportation boxes will be up there," Usagi said.
"But the teleportation boxes aren't as fun."
"For me, they were," Ami said. "Sort of. It was more interesting than fun."
The three continued, stacking Throw Fruit on top of each other and then climbing up to higher surfaces, the three panting. Once they reached the top surface, a slide awaited them.
"What is this?" Usagi said. "It looks slippery."
"That's because it's a slide," SpongeBob said. "Not like the slides on playgrounds. The slides down here are long and have a lot of obstacles on them. There was a slide in the fields, but we missed it when the duplicating machine exploded, and we flew right over it."
Usagi and Ami stared at the slide, Usagi pursing her lips.
"It's not scary or anything." SpongeBob stepped in front of them. "Here, watch me." He lolled out his tongue and said, "I slide wit' my tongue."
Ami raised her eyebrows. "Doesn't that burn your tongue?"
"Slides are smooth. Of course it doesn't hurt or burn. I mean, why would it?"
Ami regarded SpongeBob, her expression staying neutral. "No reason, I guess."
"I can't help but ask." A smile spread on Usagi's face. "Does the slide taste like anything?"
"It tastes like a slide. Salty, like sweat."
Ami opened her mouth.
Usagi interrupted Ami with a laugh. "I think that's enough questions for today. Let's slide. I'll lose my courage and my appetite if we keep asking questions."
"Watch and learn." SpongeBob jumped, sticking out his tongue, and landed, tongue-first, on the slide. He slid down, leaving a trail of saliva.
Soon, Usagi and Ami followed, both curled into balls, drawing their knees to their chests. They turned around curves, the Guardians slamming into the wall a few times.
Usagi winced. "We should've gone first."
"Thankfully, these suits will protect us from his saliva," Ami said softly. "I'm glad they're being useful for something other than keeping us from being crushed and for slowing us down." SpongeBob wouldn't mind mixing with their human saliva, though. Their superpowers might rub off on him.
"A'oid the Thunder Tikis," SpongeBob said. "Dey e'plode when you touch them."
Thunder Tikis, yellow and red tikis that were inches shorter than SpongeBob, were lined on the slide. Must've been the robots that put them there.
SpongeBob swerved around the tikis. He twisted, looking at Usagi and Ami behind him. They slid on their bottoms, splaying their arms. Usagi yelped, pushing herself away from the Thunder Tikis, crashing into the wall opposite, where more Thunder Tikis stood a few feet ahead of her. Usagi's eyes bulged. She slammed her hand on the wall and pushed, sliding in the opposite direction. Ami gripped Usagi's hand, pulled her away from the Thunder Tikis.
All this avoiding the Thunder Tikis—
An explosion rocked SpongeBob, sent him flying.
"Not again!" Usagi's voice rattled. SpongeBob crashed into walls, the ceiling, the slide. He flew through air.
All that watching Usagi and Ami distracted SpongeBob. He should've been watching where he was going.
He splashed into goo, thrashed about. "I'm drowning." He surfaced, Ami spinning like a log into Freezy Fruit, careening the Fruit into the goo. Ice spread. SpongeBob flailed faster, but to no avail. He was frozen in mid-flail.
At least he could move his watering eyes, but the tears weren't melting the ice.
"Don't worry, SpongeBob, Ami-chan." Usagi. "I'll save—" She screamed. SpongeBob was facing the surface. Ami must have been submerged under the goo and frozen. Unless…
Two Ham-mers lifted Usagi off the ground, threw her onto the iced-over goo. Cracks spread from where she had landed.
Usagi stayed still, glancing at the cracks. Dared not move nor breathe.
The robots were still, Usagi was still, SpongeBob was still because he had no choice, and where was Ami?
The robots laughed, like they were challenging Usagi to outsmart them.
Usagi looked from SpongeBob, somewhere to her right and behind her—must be where Ami was—to the robots. Glanced at her weapon. Bit her lip.
She launched herself from the ice, flew above them. The cracks spread more, to SpongeBob. A Ham-mer wheeled to another Freezy Fruit that had grown on the patch—they grew back every few seconds—swung its head of ham, sent the Freezy Fruit into the goo, and refroze it again, the new ice spreading over the cracks. Leaving SpongeBob trapped.
He couldn't do anything to help Usagi.
Another Freezy Fruit grew. The Ham-mer swung its head of ham once more, knocking the Fruit toward Usagi. She flitted to the right, and the Fruit shattered against the ceiling.
The ice would melt thanks to the cave's warmth, but not as long as these robots kept knocking the Freezy Fruit onto the goo.
"Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"
Hearts filled the area, piercing the robots. How beautiful. Warmed SpongeBob's heart. And his arms. And his legs, and his entire body.
The goo had melted.
SpongeBob was stuck in that awkward moment when he floated in the air, about to fall the foot into the goo.
Arms hooked under him, pulled him up. He looked over his shoulder. Ami was carrying him. She smiled.
"Not their best plan," Ami said, the hearts smashing through the robots. As delicate as the hearts looked, they had a lot of power.
A D1000 was huffing and puffing yards away. It created two more Ham-mers, which landed on the ground nearest Usagi, Ami, and SpongeBob.
Usagi aimed her Moon Kaleidoscope toward the robots. "No problem."
Shards from the broken Freezy Fruit fell from the ceiling, where they had become stuck in stalactites.
Onto Usagi, Ami, and SpongeBob.
Ice encased the three.
They plummeted into the goo.
The robots laughed.
Now all three of them couldn't move.
Note to self: never use a conch shell to make a wish.