Chapter 2: Dullest Place On Earth

By Jessie G. AKA Dory

Author Note: Sorry this took so long - I didn't know what else to add for this chapter and I finally decided to end it like this. This chapter is shorter, and there isn't that much of the Jimmy and Cindy story at the moment- that'll change next chapter, don't worry. )


It was so like mom and dad to send us to Retroville for the long weekend – they do it every time we get in major trouble. To them Retroville is a nice, quiet little town that we couldn't possible get in any more trouble that we typically do. We're sent to live with our Aunt Fowl – well, she really isn't an aunt per say. She's like my mom's second cousin's cousin who married Ms. Fowl's step-sister. Yeah, a bit screwed up for sure but she seemed like a safe bet in my parents' eyes. A practically lifeless town – what bad could go on here, after all? There would be from little to nothing for my brother and I to want to save. Shows how much my parents research, Retroville has been under attack so many times there could be a TV show based on it! And for that matter, last I googled anyways, there was a resident genius. Sounds like exciting stuff to me – or so I think.

So there Dash and I sat, sitting in this pretty old and rusty car that was heading towards Retroville – a place, to us before we learned how wrong we were, thedullestplace on earth. Nothing fun happened when we went there, it was a fairly big city, but not like where we're from. When ever anyone reads about Superheroes or watches movies about them – a lot of their daily hero work takes place in a big city. Preferably New York City for that matter. Or perhaps we just were never there at the right time? Anyways, Dash was starring out the window, his face pressed up against it as he pouted. Aunt Fowl was in the front, she had just picked us up from the airport. No idea why we needed an airplane to get here, Dash could have easily gotten us here within minutes. I was slump in my seat, arms crossed, the usual cliché teenager look, and headphones in my ears attached to my CD player.

"You kids are going to love staying in Retroville –," she made this sorta chicken sound when she finished a statement, it was really annoying, "it's so nice during this time of year."

Nice? As if – it was hot, humid, and dry – what's it like in the bad times of the year?

However, I went along with it, "Yeah, very nice," though I doubt my voice tone was convincing, she didn't seem to notice.

"And the children in the neighborhood are such wonderful kids," she paused briefly and muttered in a low and hateful voice, "Except Sheen."

Dash peeled his face off the window and sat up, "Who's Sheen?"

"No one important," she hummed in a 'just forget it' tone.

My heel carelessly dug into the carpet of the car, "Ms. F – you said you're a teacher, right?"

"For years," she responded, obviously proud.

"Right," I nodded, "Do you know any nice kids, then?"

Ms. Fowl put a finger to her chin as she continued driving, "Well – I teach 5th graders, kids Dash's age, so I know a lot of nice kids his age," she paused again, "Except Sheen," she coughed and continued, "I think you'd get along with them though, Miss Violet."

She has this thing for calling me Miss Violet – I really don't understand it, but I nodded casually – great, little kids for me to hang out with. Granted they were only like three years younger than me – but they were STILL three years younger than me.

Dash gave a sly smile, "Well I won't be too bored," he glanced at me as if he had just read my mind – for God's sake I hope he doesn't possess a mind reading ability in that gigantic annoying scorpion head of his!

"If you can't find kids your own age Miss Violet, you can always hang with me," she gave a chuckle that was like a chicken squaking before it was about to have it's head cut off.

I of course grimaced with a fake smile as I slid down in my seat, Dash of course snickering at me the whole time. When Ms. Fowl wasn't looking I showed Dash my fist threateningly, and he instantly buttoned his yap.


"I can't believe you, Cindy – I know not everyone listens to me, despite my intellectual superiority," Jimmy rambled out loud, pacing back and forth, at his intellectual comment I snorted slightly, but he continued, "I just want to make sure you don't hurt yourself!" He insisted this so much I was wondering whether he told me this more than the others.

"You don't understand," I said in a low voice, holding the shoulder that had the gash but still covered by my clothing.

Jimmy gave a deep sigh and grabbed his green hair and held it forward to show it to me, "Don't make me mad, please Vortex, you know what happens when I get angry."

"I know Mr. Hulk-boy," Taking a hand and pushing his green hair away, "But as much as it may hurt me – the super powers I mean, it hurts me more thinking about all those lives in danger on a daily bases."

His head went down, looking at our feet and he looked back up at me, "I know – and it makes me sad thinking about it – but it's the natural order of things. We can't save everyone you know."

"Well I can try!" My voice rose higher, my face was turning slightly red. Maybe I should have cooled off, maybe I should have said sorry.

Suddenly we were both down on the ground– as odd as it sounds – a huge crash was heard and sent us spiraling to the ground in a rather awkward way. It was like the Earth had shifted beneath our feet and suddenly I was on my back, moaning slightly from the pain and shock, and looking up and seeing Jimmy laying on top of me. He groaned and held his head and slowly opened his eyes, only to give a bit of a squeal and jump off of me.

"Sorry!" He laughed nervously, instantly standing up.

Normally I would be prone to making some sarcastic comment, but I wasn't in the mood, "What was that sound? It seems like it was some sort of crash – somewhere in the city maybe."

Jimmy hesitated briefly and looked at me, "You don't think -."

He couldn't finish his sentence; we heard more crashes this time, somewhere far off and the horrid sound of screams.

TO BE CONTINUED