Ignite444: The story, or the fruit chewy? Lol!

TheCheezHead: Paranormal has been the center of a lot of JN episodes. How else could Carl get impregnated by aliens? Lol! (I'm still hostile towards him for that!)

Sassy08: It's not exactly a "psychic connection" so much as the kind of "bond," let's say, in which they are able to be aware of what's going on in their dreams (at least when it comes to each other!)...Does that make sense?

ProminenceFlare: Oh, don't worry. (eerily) It'll come soon enough. (Ms.Fowl's voice) Coconut Haystack?

Surfgirl15: In the words of Spongebob (episode Idiot Box): "30 more seconds, Patrick." That means just wait and see. ;)

ReddistheRose: (I knew I'd misspelled it before!) I know; I love it, too! That's actually a line from "The Princess Bride." I should have figured a romantic like yourself would pick up on the subtle, cutesy lines like that one. Good eye, RR! And please do update "White Crystal" soon. I'm hopping up and down! CINDY! (Slap me, please...Thank you.) And to your review of chapter 3: No. She didn't actually know he was tracking her; she just had a feeling he might. I mean, why wouldn't he? I know I wouldn't put it past him. Hee, hee!

Incidentally, how many people like Alex? (Show of hands, please?)Because any fans of Alex are going to have to really show some sympathy at the end. Enjoy!

Chapter 5: The Rescue

As Cindy lay unconscious in her chair pod, the red-head named Alex walked into the dark lab and turned on the back-up lights.

Outside the building, Goddard disabled the security system and followed his master inside with the "Mission Impossible" theme going in the background (or the music they played in "Win, Lose, Kaboom").

Though he couldn't explain it to save his life, Jimmy somehow knew exactly where Cindy was; he'd distinctly heard her voice in his head cry his name as clear as if she'd used a megaphone. His heart was strongly drawn in her direction, and guided him from the lobby to the third floor where she lay asleep.

"Goddard," Jimmy said quietly as they walked down the hall, "Ready the plasma cannon, in case we run into trouble." They found Cindy's door at the end of the hall.

"This is it, Goddard," he whispered, "She's in here."

In the room, Alex stood by Cindy and touched the window.

"I'm sorry I helped to do this to you, Ms. Vortex," she said softly, "I hope that by doing this, you'll be able to forgive me." She pulled an ID card on a lanyard out of her shirt to unlock the hatch, when a plasma shot made her jump back in shock! Jimmy was 10 feet in front of her.

"Step away from the blonde," he threatened, "and no one gets hurt."

"Listen," said Alex, shaking, "I don't know who you are or how you got in here, but I swear I'm on your side. I don't want to hurt her!" as Goddard back her away from the pod.

"Then what were you about to do to her?" Jimmy demanded. Alex held up her hands, one of which held her card.

"I was about to release and awaken her," she said clearly and calmly, "This is a key card that will unlock her pod. My friend, I know you distrust me, but I swear by all science that I'm on your side; otherwise, may Einstein's theory of relativity be (gulp) disproved!"

(Audience gasp!) Those were strong words for a science genius, as Jimmy well knew. No kid of science dared speak like that except under dire circumstances (and they were!)

"You know what you're saying, don't you?" Jimmy asked. When she nodded, he said "I feel dirty just standing with you."

"I feel dirty just saying it," Alex answered, "but it's true."

"I believe you now," said Jimmy, getting over the shock of taboo, "So...are you gonna let her out, or what?"

"Yes, sir," Alex said politely. Under the button that opened the hatch was a card slot. Alex inserted and quickly withdrew her card (like at an ATM or a gas pump). She stepped back with Goddard as Jimmy rushed forward and pushed the button. The hatch went up (like a car trunk) and Cindy's eyes squinted, then went back to normal. Jimmy touched her head.

"Cindy?" he said gently, "It's me. I came to get you." Cindy breathed deep and opened her eyes. She looked a little to her left and saw Jimmy!

"Jimmy," she said weakly as her eyes started to well up, "You're here!"

"Of course I'm here," he said as he helped her out, "How do you feel?" (He had to ask.)

As he used his laser watch to slowly eat through her manacles, Cindy said, "How do I feel? I was snatched from the safety of my home, handcuffed, spent the night in what must have been a hospital bed, ran for my life from a psycho-nice doctor, was captured again then shot like a wild animal, and carried away on a stretcher to be brainwashed to induce thermo-nuclear fusion on mankind!"

After the manacles fell, she rubbed her wrists and more calmly and humbly continued, "Then I had a dream. I saw April the Gorlock. She told me to call for you...not with my voice...but my entire being." She looked at Jimmy as her tears welled up again, tenfold.

"And you came!" she said as she embraced him, "I called for you with everything I am, and you came! You must have heard me, 'cause here you are!" And she cried on him as Jimmy held her.

"I know," he smiled, "I did hear you." Then an alarm went off. Jimmy pulled her back just enough to look at her and quickly say, "And we can finish this later. Come on!"

"Follow me!" Alex shouted, "I know where we can hide!" They hid in an empty room along the hall as a computerized voice repeated "Code Purple. Code Purple. This lab will implode in 10 minutes."

"I don't know your name," Jimmy asked, "but what did you do?"

"I activated the lab's self-destruct system," she replied as she watched for clearance, "Come on. It's safe. (They ran down the hall.) Every person here has an escape pod that will unbrainwash them and send them home as if nothing had happened; that way, we'd never get in trouble with the authorities. But I have my own mode of transportation." Alex led the eleven-year-olds and the dog to the same elevator that had temporarily sheltered Cindy in her mad dash. Once they were in, Alex pushed "G" for Garage.

"From the sound of it," Jimmy said, "You must have been, like, second-in-command of this thing! Why are you helping us now?"

Alex looked guilty as the computer announced eight minutes to implosion.

"I don't have time to elaborate," she said quickly, "but in a nut shell, I was lost and a social outcast, I didn't know what I was getting into, I regretted every brain I helped wash, and I'm finally coming clean for it!"

The elevator opened, and into it jumped the least welcome party to the three children: Four guards with two people in front.

"Tricie?" Alex was dismayed, "Doc!"

The doctor gazed stonily down at Alex as her face paled. His expression did not seem so fatherly now. She sank as far against the wall as she could. To her, no one but her and the doctor were there. She trembled in the corner as Jimmy and Goddard got in front of her and Cindy. The doctor never took his gaze off of Alex's terrified face, nor could Alex (as much as she tried) tear hers away from his. The computer's voice seemed a mile away:

"Six minutes to implosion."

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Author's Review:
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Sorry, guys. I'll tell you the truth right now: Those last two paragraphs were NOT in the original writing. When I wrote it, I couldn't come up with a good action happening. Then inspiration struck in the middle of my typing! So action-lovers, get ready to see as much action as I can come up with! (Which really isn't much; I'm not that great at fight scenes. Just read my Teen Titans stories!)

Okay, I am seriously freaked out for Alex. I don't know where that came from, but all of a sudden, we have a conflict. The reason she's so terrified of this man is because she knows what he can do, specifically, to her. I'd be just as scared, too! Oh, Macgyver fans: (if any) This reminds me of an episode of MacGyver where he and Pete were trapped in a lab's elevator, because everything was shut down, and the building was going to explode, but they got out in the nick of time! (sigh, nod) Good times...Good times. Anyway, I'm going to try and come up with the next chapter over the weekend, but keep in touch, 'kay? (peace sign) L8R!

-samuraistar

P.S.-
Jimmy's "I feel dirty standing with you" line? Got it from "Ned's Declassified" something or other about Middle School.