In Brightest Day, In Darkest Night

by Gary D. Snyder

Part 5:

"Look, I'll pay your way."

"Forget it, Nerd-tron. Summer is short and I have plans of my own."

It was the next day, and Jimmy, anxious to learn more about Ernest's seemingly superhuman abilities, had called to invite Ernest to see the new Jet Fusion movie with him, Carl, and Sheen. At first Ernest was hesitant, partly because he was unused to this amount of attention and partly because he was eager to learn more about his new abilities as well, but when Jimmy mentioned that Cindy and Libby were going as well he agreed to go. Jimmy then faced the daunting task of calling up the girls and getting them to go.

"I'll pay for both you and Libby," Jimmy offered.

Cindy yawned. "Nope."

"And," Jimmy continued, sounding like a game show host, "I'll throw in a large drink and popcorn for each of you."

Cindy laughed. "Save your allowance, Neutron. I hear the rates at the Heartbreak Hotel are going up." In fact neither she nor Libby had plans but she decided that it was time to start honing their skills of getting men to grovel.

It seemed to be working, as Jimmy was pleading now. "But Ernest was really hoping you'd be going."

"Ernest?" Jimmy could sense Cindy sitting up at the other end of the connection. "He said he wanted us to go?"

"Ye-e-es," Jimmy replied slowly, stretching the truth a bit. "And you and Libby did say that he should be drawn out of his shell. It wouldn't be fair to drive him back in now that he's starting to come out."

That was certainly true enough and Cindy softened a bit. "Well…"

Jimmy then played his trump card. "But…if you really can't go maybe I could get Betty Quinlan to go instead. Come to think of it, she's a big Jet Fusion fan." He paused for a few seconds as though thinking. "And she's closer to his age. Maybe she would be better company for –"

"Now wait just a minute," Cindy interjected, bristling. "If Ernest wants Libby and me along that badly then Libby and I are going. It's only fair to him, especially after what happened last night. Have your hovercraft at my place at 12:30 sharp."

Checkmate, Jimmy thought and was almost sorry that Cindy couldn't see his triumphant smile. "Okay."

"And don't forget – you're paying!" She ended the call and turned to Libby, who had been listening in. "What do you think, Libs?"

Libby pretended to think about it. "Let's see – free movie, free refreshments, and four guys for the two of us? Girl, what do you think I think?"

"Yep," agreed Cindy. "Score!"

True to his word Jimmy arrived in front of Cindy's house with Carl, Sheen, and Ernest at 12:30 PM. To avoid the seating issues of the day before he had extended the rear seat so that four could sit in the back comfortably. More importantly it ensured that Libby and Cindy wouldn't be alone again with Ernest, although he rationalized to himself that it was just for Ernest's sake. Sharing the seat with both Sheen and Ernest seemed to moderate Cindy and Libby a bit because while they still tended to flirt a bit they stuck mostly to relevant topics, such as the movie they were going to see.

"I just love Jet Fusion," Cindy gushed. "He's so…macho, but in a romantic sort of way, you know? I mean, it is so gallant the way he always remembers during the explosions and gunfire to save the girl from the evil villain."

"Like Ironhand?" asked Ernest, steadying his backpack on his lap.

"And Doctor Dunno," agreed Libby.

"Or Blofish," Sheen commented. "Not the first or second one that Jet killed him, but the third guy who nearly turned all the world's cable channels into reality TV programming. And make all the existing reality TV channels into infomercial channels." He shuddered at the thought.

"Or that man with the platinum pistol," offered Carl.

"Or Professor Calamitous!" Jimmy yelped, braking hard and spilling the occupants of the back seat forward into a tangle on the floor. Cindy was the first to extricate herself from the pile and vented her indignation on Jimmy.

"Where'd you learn to drive, Neutron?" she snarled as the others got themselves free and returned to their seats. "And just for your information there was never a Professor Comatose in a Jet Fusion movie."

"Calamitous," he corrected with irritation, as he pointed at something in the sky. "And not in a movie. There!"

Something in his tone made them all look. Sheen squinted, shading his eyes and saw what had alarmed Jimmy. "Look!" he cried, also pointing to a small speck that was growing steadily larger.

"Up in the sky!" Carl added as the speck grew to a small shape.

"It's a bird," Cindy remarked, unimpressed.

Libby looked doubtful as the shape continued to increase in size. "It's a plane."

"No," Jimmy insisted, as the form became unmistakable. "It's Professor Calamitous!" As the others continued to stare the figure expanded into the form of a large and menacing mechanical man that Jimmy realized was heading straight for them. "Scatter!" he cried, scrambling over the side. The advice was unnecessary as the others were already abandoning ship. They were just able to get clear before the mechanized battle suit landed on the hovercraft, crushing it and cracking the street paving from the thunderous impact. The kids backed away as the head swiveled back and forth, seeking its objective. Suddenly it stopped and a coldly metallic yet annoying voice issued from somewhere inside.

"So, Neutron," it said. "We meet again at…umm...umm…" A large mechanical hand gestured helplessly as the occupant groped for the conclusion to its statement.

"'The break of day'?" suggested Carl.

"'Third and Main'?" offered Sheen, pointing at a nearby street sign.

"No!" the voice responded angrily, and continued struggling for the word. The mechanical form writhed in torment from the effort. "Umm…umm…"

"'Last'," said Jimmy attempting to put some distance between himself and the threatening mechanism. He bumped against Cindy, who was staring in disbelief, and instinctively put himself between her and the danger.

"Yes! We meet again at last!" The figure turned in triumph and continued to advance.

"I thought I'd put you in prison, Professor Calamitous," Jimmy sneered in defiance.

"Thanks to you, I did spend the last few months there. While it wasn't a particularly happy stay I'm happy to say that it gave me some time to think of a suitable form of revenge." A mechanical hand shot forward to seize Jimmy and Cindy, but Jimmy managed to shove Cindy away just before the steel hand closed on him.

"Jimmy!" she cried as Calamitous held the boy in a metal fist fifteen feet in the air. The head swivelled to fix her with its inhuman gaze and moved in on her.

"Leave her alone, Calamitous!" Jimmy warned, beating futilely against the mechanical grip that held him. Calamitous ignored the empty threat and reached for Cindy with his free hand. A second later she also was struggling uselessly in the machine's other fist.

"Well, well," Calamitous gloated. "This is better than I…umm…umm…"

"'Deserved'?" Cindy completed angrily.

"'Planned'," corrected Jimmy, also irritated.

"Yes! Planned! Now I have both you and your girlfriend." He gave them a sinister chuckle.

This enraged Cindy even more than before, if possible. The inevitable crowd had begun to form and to her horror and embarrassment she recognized a number of her schoolmates among the onlookers. "I'm not his girlfriend!" she yelled angrily. "Why is it that every psycho who sees me with Neutron says that?"

Calamitous paused to consider it.. "I'm not sure," he said thoughtfully. "I guess there's just something about you two. You seem to go together like ham and…umm…umm…"

"Eggs?" someone down below called.

"Beans?" another shouted.

"Rye?" suggested a third voice.

"All good choices!" Calamitous pronounced. "But now, Jimmy Neutron, prepare to be…umm…umm…" When no responses came he paused for a second. "Large word, starts with an 'A'," he prompted the crowd.

"'Adopted'?" Cindy recognized the voice as Carl's and groaned.

"'Aerobicized'?" That could only have been Sheen.

"'Annihilated'," Jimmy completed, still defiant. "You won't get away with this, Professor. I've beaten both you and your battle suit before, and I can do it again."

"Oh, I don't think so," his enemy replied. "I can't fail this time. You see, this time I made quite sure to put in…a bathroom. And it works quite well. I've used it a number of times just today." He laughed evilly while Cindy just gave Jimmy a questioning look.

"Long story," was all Jimmy could say.

"With a short and messy ending." The voice paused, either for dramatic effect or because Calamitous couldn't think of how to finish the thought. Finally he said simply, "Good-bye, Jimmy Neutron."

What happened next happened so fast that Jimmy wasn't completely sure of the exact events. All he could recall later was a red blur that shot past him and struck the head of the suit with so much force that it spun around several times before finally slowing to a stop. The blur swept around the mechanical monster and alit on the street in front of it, standing there imposingly with arms akimbo.

"This looks like a job," the crimson figure intoned, "for Dyno Lad."

End of Part 5.