Chapter 7: The Grand Finale

Calvin and Hobbes sat down in the claw. They were miserable.

"Well," said Hobbes, trying to look on the bright side, "at least we've saved the kids."

"Yeah," said Calvin, "and now they're going to get killed along with the rest of the world thanks to my imagination."

"Well, excuse me, but we could at least let the last bit of happiness we have left be happy, right?"

"Nice try, Hobbes, but I'll never be happy knowing that the world will be ruled by some nut because of me and my head. Why can't I just be normal?"

"Normal?" asked Hobbes. "You wanna be normal?? Good heavens, man, what is wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Calvin, if it wasn't for your 'weirdness', we would never have had all the adventures we've had. If you weren't weird, you'd have never of thought to build a Transmogrifier/ duplicator/ time machine. You'd have never thought to make a snowman come to life, only for it to become a Deranged, Mutant, Killer Monster Snow Goon. If it wasn't for you, G.R.O.S.S. wouldn't exist. Stupendous Man, Spaceman Spiff and Tracer Bullet wouldn't exist at all if it weren't for you. Calvin, your weirdness has made many lives to become more interesting. If there's one thing I can count on to get me out of boredom, it's to drag me on some sort of adventure that I'll hate at first but love later on."

Calvin was taken aback. He'd never thought of that.

"You're right, Hobbes!"

"As usual."

"We've gotta do something. My imagination got us into this mess, and my imagination can get us out of it."

Calvin peered out of the hole in the claw. He saw a tree branch approaching. At the right moment, he grabbed it and brought it into the claw. Then he stuck it through the teeth and got hold of the helmet on the Imaginator. He managed to pull it through the teeth. He put the helmet on his head.

"Okay, Hobbes, you hit the button."

He handed Hobbes the stick.

"Roger will do."

"How about you do it for Roger."

Hobbes stuck the stick through the teeth and managed to reach the button.

"Here goes."

Calvin thought and thought.

Suddenly, in a beam of light, Spiff, Stupendous Man and Tracer returned!

"What'd we miss?" asked Spiff.

"The chase scene," replied Hobbes.

"Darn it!" moaned Tracer. "That's always the best part of an adventure!"

"Uh, hello?" said Calvin. "How's about we try getting out of this claw."

"Agreed," sniffed Hobbes. "It's beginning to smell in here."

"Plus, it's too crowded," added Stupendous. "I'll use my stupendous strength to get us out."

He was about to go for the teeth, but Calvin stopped him.

"We can't go without a plan!"

"Why not?" asked Stupendous.

"It's not heroic-like!" said Calvin. "I think you would know that!"

"Hey, it's your fault. You created me."

"Boys, please!" interrupted Hobbes. "Tracer, you're the brilliant thinker. Any ideas?"

"I'm at a blank," sighed Tracer.

"Wait a minute," said Calvin. "I've got an idea."

Everyone leaned in close and listened.

"First, we have to wait for it to get darker…"

Retro was humming a happy tune to himself. "I'm going to rule the world!" he sang. "I'll show them all! I'm not nuts! They all think so, but I am not!"

He rolled into the dark tunnel. He continued to sing.

Inside the claw, Calvin was counting down. "10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1! NOW!"

Retro was taken by surprise. The claw was opened up. Calvin, Hobbes, Spiff and Tracer jumped out of it. Stupendous pulled the wagon out before jumping out, too.

"YOU SKANKS!" yelled Retro.

"Do it now!" yelled Hobbes.

There was a click. Then suddenly, Retro saw the silhouettes of the group in the wagon with the Imaginator heading towards the entrance.

"GET BACK HERE WITH THAT!" he yelled, turning the car around. He raced after with them to the outside.

Retro was catching up easily with what he thought was the Calvins and Hobbes.

"Ha!" he yelled triumphantly. "I can finally use you to… huh?"

He had sent the claw down to scoop them up. It wasn't working. The claw went right through them!

"What the…"

"Sorry," said Calvin. "But we holograms only last for a minute and a half."

Suddenly, they all disappeared.

Retro growled. "Darn that kid!"

Stupendous Man had flown them to the top of the hill.

They all sat in the wagon, waiting.

"He should be here in five… four… three…" Calvin started.

"YOU!!"

They all looked down to see Retro in the claw-car.

"Wow," said Hobbes. "Two seconds early. Not bad."

"What about us?" asked Calvin.

"You have tormented me since Day 1!"

"Well, technically, you started it," said Calvin.

"Yeah," added Hobbes. "You should have known better than to become a complete idiot bent on using a machine to make imaginary friends real to become ruler of the world in the first place!"

"That sentence could use some shortening," said Spiff.

"Oh, well, then how about 'You should never have been an idiot to begin with'?"

"Ahh, its close," said Calvin, "but could stand improvement."

"This from a kid who got a 'D' in Grammar," shot Hobbes.

"Oh, well, excuse me!" Calvin shot back.

"Enough!" yelled Retro. "The thing is that I will be the winner here. I will rule the world. I have the advantage. I have the cool car!"

"He's got a point," whispered Tracer.

"Now then, on to business," said Retro.

Retro charged at them, the claw snapping.

Calvin turned around in the wagon.

"HOLD ON EVERYONE!" he yelled. "WE'RE GOIN' FOR A RIDE!"

The wagon rolled down the hill.

"Faster! Faster!" yelled Stupendous Man.

Spiff looked back. "He's coming on fast!"

"Are you sure this'll work, Calvin?" asked Hobbes.

"It sure had better," said Calvin. "It took me at least five minutes to think up."

Up ahead was the log that had been jammed between the two cliffs.

The wagon approached it with Retro right behind it with his jagged claw snapping.

"Okay, Blondie!" he called. "This is it!"

Suddenly, instead of going the log, Calvin steered off the cliff.

Retro was surprised.

He lost his train of thought and careened off of the cliff, too.

He quickly snapped out of it and sent the claw up onto the log. He dangled in the air.

"Well, this is just perfect," he groaned. "I've lost my subject."

He looked down. Then he did a double-take. He couldn't believe it.

The wagon, with Calvin, Hobbes, Spiff, Tracer and the Imaginator on board, was flying into the air. Stupendous Man was lifting it into the air.

Stupendous Man lifted the wagon so that Calvin was level with Retro.

"Never underestimate the power of Stupendous Man," Calvin grinned.

Retro growled at him. "Why, you little…" he began.

Spiff pulled out his Death-Ray blaster.

"…kid," he finished nervously. He put shielded himself with his arms.

Instead of shooting Retro, Spiff fired at the connector that kept the claw arm on the car. It loosened the bolt.

"Ha!" yelled Retro. "You missed!

"Actually, Mr. Retro," said Spiff. "I just hit the bull's eye."

"That's Dr. Retro, kid."

"I'm not a kid!" Spiff said defensively. "I just happen to have his good looks."

"Oh, puh-leeze," groaned Hobbes.

Retro looked at the bolt connecting the car to the claw. It suddenly dissolved. He then looked at Hobbes and the four Calvins. He gulped, did a little wave and covered his eyes.

While the claw still clutched to the log, the car, with Retro in it, suddenly fell with it. He screamed all the way down. Instead of a river, he fell in a gorge with sharp rocks.

Everyone in the wagon cheered.

"We did it, Hobbes!" cried Calvin.

Don't worry, folks. It ain't over yet!