Chapter 6: The Chase
The neighborhood was extremely upset. All the kids had disappeared.
Calvin's parents were in their house. You could never tell if they were happy or sad. It was hard to tell when your kid was Calvin.
Suddenly, they heard a humming noise from the sky. Then they heard someone say, "IT'S A UFO!!"
They rushed outside to see what had happened. They couldn't believe it. A flying saucer was flying above the neighborhood. It then dropped down on the road.
A crowd had surrounded the saucer. No one knew how to react to aliens. They all had brooms and bowling balls and bricks and anything that was within reach.
Suddenly, they all heard a noise.
"The aliens are coming out!" someone yelled.
They then noticed that there was no door.
"I think we're on the wrong side!" yelled Calvin's dad.
They all ran around to the front of the ship. The escalator came out of the already open door. All was quiet.
Suddenly, an all too familiar wagon came rolling down. In it were Calvin and Hobbes.
"Hey, everybody!" yelled Calvin, grinning. Hobbes was grinning, too.
Calvin's parents gasped. They grabbed Calvin away from Hobbes.
"Calvin," said his dad. "What the heck are you doing with a wild animal in a space ship??"
Calvin was confused. "Mom, Dad, how long were we gone? Don't ya remember Hobbes?"
His parents were so shocked and amazed that they accidentally dropped Calvin.
Hobbes smiled nervously. "Uh, remember me?" he asked.
Calvin's mom fainted again.
Just then, Susie came down, followed by Moe.
"Oh, Susie!" cried her mom.
"Mom!" cried Susie. She hugged her mom's legs. "Calvin and Hobbes saved us!"
Everyone stared at Calvin, who was still on the ground after being dropped by his own parents.
"What are you looking at?" asked Calvin.
All the kids ran out to their parents. There was a hug-fest for a few minutes.
Calvin and Hobbes led Spiff, Stupendous and Tracer to Calvin's parents.
"Mom? Dad? I'd like you to meet my three pals."
His parents turned around. They nearly screamed. They saw four Calvins.
"This is Stupendous Man."
"Charmed," said Stupendous.
"This is Tracer Bullet."
"Yo," said Tracer.
"And this is Spaceman Spiff."
"Hiya," said Spiff.
Calvin's Mom fainted once more.
"I guess she wasn't ready to know she'd suddenly had quadruplets," said Hobbes.
Just then, someone shouted, "It's the aliens!"
Galaxoid and Nebular had stepped down to see how things were going. They panicked when the crowd of parents started to charge at them.
"They stole our kids!" shouted Calvin's dad.
"WAIT!" cried Calvin.
He, Hobbes, Spiff, Stupendous and Tracer formed a ring around the two aliens.
"They didn't kidnap anyone!" said Hobbes. "Why, if it weren't for these armless little guys, we'd have never found the kids."
"Yeah!" said Calvin. "These guys simply wanted to buy Earth. It is prime real estate, you know. So, as Supreme Earthling Potentate, I let 'em have it in exchange for the location of these guys."
No one knew how to respond.
Calvin's dad spoke up. "So if they didn't kidnap all of you, then who did?"
Suddenly, in a flash of light, Spiff, Stupendous and Tracer disappeared.
"That would be me," came an all too familiar voice.
Calvin and Hobbes gasped. They whirled around to see Retro in the claw-car and the Imaginator.
"This thing can get rid of things just as well with or without the helmet," he grinned.
"What are you doing here?" yelled Calvin.
"Well, you see, Calvin," said Retro, "I'd originally kidnapped all the kids to put bring their imaginations together and rule the world, but after that speech of yours about what goes on in your head, I've realized that I could've just saved a lot of trouble by simply taking you! With your imagination, I can easily dominate the world!"
"Oh, yeah?" yelled Calvin, getting in the wagon. "You'll have to catch me first. Come on, Hobbes. Push!"
Hobbes pushed the wagon as fast as he could. They rolled into the woods.
"You won't get away that easily!" called Retro. He turned the ignition, and the car drove off after them.
The crowd watched them disappear.
Galaxoid and Nebular had taken advantage of the distraction to get away.
"Boy, that's a neat car!" said Calvin's dad.
Calvin's mom fainted again.
Calvin and Hobbes raced down the path.
Retro honked the horn. "Now I'll get you, shorty!" he called.
Calvin was mad. "No one call me 'Shorty'!" he yelled.
He steered under a fallen tree that had settled onto a hill. Retro's claw chomped straight through it.
"You can run, but ya can't hide!" he called. "Ya better look out!"
"Can't we this old wagon go any faster?" asked Hobbes, looking back. "He's gaining."
"I'm trying!" Calvin replied.
He steered the wagon into a log tunnel. They heard a sudden crash from behind them.
"What was that??" asked Calvin. Once they'd reach the other side of the tunnel, he looked up behind them and checked.
"Next time, lower the claw before entering the tunnel, you imbecile!"Calvin shouted.
Retro grumbled to himself as he lowered the claw arm. Then he went through it.
Calvin and Hobbes rolled down a steep hill. Retro was right behind them.
"I'll give you $20 if you'll help me!" he called.
Calvin thought for a minute. "Well, since you put it that way…"
"Calvin, we're talking the end of humanity as we know it!" said Hobbes.
"Okay, okay, fine!" said Calvin. "Still, it's not like humanity has done such a bang up jog here in the first place!"
Calvin steered them towards another hill.
Hobbes looked up and saw the claw was right over his head, threatening to rip it off.
"Ooh, get back you!" screamed Hobbes.
He spotted a rock ahead. He reached out and grabbed it. He then threw it at Retro. It bopped him on his bald head. It slowed him down enough for Calvin and Hobbes to draw ahead.
"Coming, Furball!" yelled Retro, rubbing his head.
Hobbes turned and growled and lashed at him.
"Easy, Hobbes," warned Calvin. "You don't wanna pull something."
"Hey, nobody calls me Furball!" yelled Hobbes.
"I call you Furball whenever we fight."
"Right. That's when it is fair and we're already calling each other names."
Calvin rolled his eyes.
Ahead was the steep hill from before.
"Hold on, Hobbes!" called Calvin. "We're going for the big one!"
"I'm holding!" Hobbes called back.
They shot down so fast that they were almost a blur!
"HOW'RE YA DOIN', HOBBES??" called Calvin.
"BETTER THAN BEFORE!" Hobbes replied. "I THINK MY STOMACH'S STILL ON THE INSIDE!" Hobbes looked back. He could see Retro coming on fast. "HURRY! HE'S GAINING!!"
"I CAN'T GO ANY FASTER THAN THIS!"
"SURE YOU CAN!"
"LET ME REPHRASE THAT: I DON'T WANT TO GO ANY FASTER THAN THIS!"
They saw the spot where the bridge had once been.
"HANG ON!" yelled Calvin.
They hit the edge. They flew into the air.
However, this time, there was a difference.
Before, either end of the bridge had been there, meaning there was more room for speed.
This time, there wasn't enough. They almost made it, but they didn't.
The wagon handle got caught on a branch sticking out of the ground. Hobbes managed to hold onto the backend of the wagon. Calvin grabbed onto his tail.
"Man, you're heavy!" called Hobbes.
"Shut up!" Calvin shot back. "Our lives are at stake!"
Just then, they saw Retro screech to a halt at the cliff's edge.
"Ha!" he laughed. "Seems I've won this round, Calvin!" he called.
He sent the claw down at them, grabbing them and the wagon. Then he closed the claw so that they couldn't get out.
"We shall now be returning to the hideout," said Retro, turning the claw-car in the direction of the underground tunnel.