Chapter 9: Lights Out
After escaping the pharmacy, the group drove around until near midnight when the bus they had taken ran out of gas. Thankfully they had stopped right next to a motor inn. Danny, Valerie, and Bucky went to investigate to make sure it was safe, and fortunately, it seemed someone had already been through as all they found were dead people or giant puddles of ectoplasm.
After clearing the area, everyone piled out of the bus and helped clean up the bodies and goo.
As Nicky added the last zombie to the pile of dead humans, some blood leaked onto her hands, and she wiped them on her already dirty clothes as Tootie looked on in sadness and disgust. Noticing her distress, Timmy walked over to her to talk to her, but it proved to be a challenge. After the bodies were gone the Dinklebergs unpacked the boxes on the bus.
Jimmy was standing near a car, listening to the car radio as Danny looked sadly at the family photo.
"Meanwhile, Atlanta and Califonia have been downgraded temporarily to an eight, with attacks and rioting being reported all around. Citizens are currently advised to stay in their homes or move towards the cities of Retroville and Atlanta. If citizens choose to stay in their homes, they are urged to be near their radios and await further instructions. Moving in the cities of Retroville or Atlanta may become necessary in order to ensure the safety of all citizens." The radioman explained.
"Will we ever go home?" Chester asked his dad sadly.
"I-I don't know son, I hope soon," Bucky replied in a defeated tone. Danny flinched slightly when he heard screams and gunfire in the distance. He looked over and saw Jimmy glaring at the radio. Growing concerned, Danny moved towards the boy genius.
"Hey, Jim." He smiled, but Jimmy held out his hand for him to be quiet, still listening to the radio.
"With uncountable severe emergencies in all counties, cities and their current level of disaster are as follows: Augusta, stage eight disaster; Columbus, stage six infection zone; Bikini Bottom, stage nine catastrophe; Athens, stage eight disaster; Dimsdale, stage seven outbreak; Amity Park, stage nine catastrophe; Retroville, stage nine catastrophe; Albany, stage nine catastrophe. Once again, Bikini is now a stage nine catastrophe."
"We should go to Retroville." Jimmy suddenly said.
"What?" Danny frowned.
"What if my parents went back there? I just can't stay here knowing that they could be trapped in that city!"
"It sounds like nobody knows what's happening there."
"But there could still be a chance!" Jimmy begged with pleading eyes, causing Danny's heart to ache; but the teen quickly regained his composure.
"Timmy, come here for a second!" He called to the pink hatted boy; though he was confused, Timmy obeyed and Danny knelt to the boys' lever, staring them dead in the face. "Do you two remember when I went into your house before I knew you were there? Well, I found an answering machine with three messages on it." He explained carefully. "Your parents left them for Vicky saying they were still in Bikini Bottom and it sounded like it was pretty bad over there, I don't think they managed to get out of the city."
"W-What?" Jimmy whimpered as tears welled up in both boys' eyes.
"Th-They could still be there hiding like we were!" Timmy said, trying to fight the tears.
"Timmy..." Danny started.
"NO!" The boy shouted, get the others' attention. "They're still there! You don't know anything you white-haired freak!" He cried and ran off to the other kids, Jimmy following close behind him. Danny wanted to go after them but decided they need some time to calm down and process what he had said. He noticed Bucky and the Dinklebergs looking and him so he approached them.
"Hey, guys." The teen sighed.
"Close call back there," Bucky said
"Thanks for picking me up."
"No problem." The former baseball player smiled and they shook hands.
"We have to take care of each other." Mr. Dinkleberg stated.
"Indeed we do." His wife agreed
"Hey, about Timmy and Jimmy." Bucky suddenly said, looking at the boys as his son tried to engage them.
"Yeah?" The teen asked nervously.
"Ya said you weren't the kids' brother once."
"I did, yeah."
"So you can't treat them like they are." He said. "But you can take care of them, hell, maybe better than that bitch ever could." He glared at Vicky, who was leaning against the wall, scowling at anyone who moved near her.
"Thanks, Bucky." Danny chuckled.
"I got your back, kid." He grinned. Danny nodded and went to check on the others. He approached Valerie and Kwan, who were both near a table with boxes of supplies.
"How're you two doing?" He asked.
"I'm doing okay, you know, considering," Kwan replied.
"Yeah, same," Valerie added.
"I just can't stop thinking about Star." The Asian teen said. "We couldn't have saved her, could we?"
"I don't think so." Danny sighed.
"I know it's stupid...she was such a...it's just that... I think that I liked her before all this bullshit happened." He chuckled bitterly.
"She liked you too." Valerie suddenly said.
"Thanks, Val," Kwan replied weakly before walking away solemnly. Danny looked at Valerie but it seemed like she wanted to be alone as well so he walked away and saw Timmy and Jimmy sat on the back bumper of an RV, away from everyone else. Feeling the guilt creeping in his gut, Danny approached the boys, taking notice that Vicky was watching him hatefully but ignoring her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you." He explained as he knelt down. "It's possible that your parents might be safe, hiding in Bikini Bottom; but I just don't want you both to be disappointed or hurt even more."
"We get that." Jimmy sniffed, wiping away the tears.
"It's... I fell...and my walkie-talkie broke and Kwan broke the other one when he went to get the gas." Timmy said, catching Danny off guard; Timmy started sobbing again as fresh tears fell from his red eyes. "I know I need to be tough and I know it doesn't make any sense...but it's how I used to talk to my mom and dad...and now they're gone; it's gone."
"Hey, I didn't say they were gone." Danny quickly said as he placed a comforting hand on their shoulders. "If two ten-year-olds can survive all on their own in this nightmare then I certain their parents will be ok, I mean, you two had to get your survival instincts from somewhere, right?" He smiled and both boys nodded weakly, their spirits lifted slightly.
"Actually, I'm just over eleven and three quarters," Jimmy said, causing both Danny and Jimmy to chuckle.
"Hey Danny, come here for a second!" Vicky suddenly ordered.
"Let me go deal with this and we'll get you kids settled in some beds." He smiled and walked over to the angry redhead. "What do you want?" He glared, not forgetting what she did to him in the pharmacy.
"You like those twerps?" She asked, gesturing to Timmy and Jimmy, who had rejoined the other three kids.
"Cut the crap Vicky; why'd you tried to kill me?" He snarled.
"I did that because I know that Daniel James Fenton and his freakshow family are the monsters who caused all this death." She snapped, causing Danny's blood to freeze and she grinned, showing her teeth like a hungry predator. "And so will everyone else if you cross me again; you hear me?" She asked as she took a step forward and got in his face. "I know who you are and I don't give a shit about what happens to me, you watch your ass."
"Hey, Danny; do you have a second?" SpongeBob suddenly called from motor inn entrance.
"Sure." He replied and turned around to see Vicky glaring at him, before running to talking to the blonde man.
"I just wanted to say thank you." He smiled brightly. "Some of us probably would be dead if it weren't for you, Nicky definitely."
"I don't think some people agree," Danny replied, still feeling Vicky glaring daggers into the back of his head.
"We're lucky to have you," He stated more firmly as more gunfire was suddenly heard in the distance.
"I hope that's the sound of us winning this thing," Valerie said as she stood next to Danny, all three of them looking up the night road in the direction of the gunshots and screams
"Me too." Danny sighed.
"Y'know, this motor inn's pretty damn dependable." Bucky suddenly pointed out. "We block off the entrances with some cars and keep someone on watch, we could stay here until the military rolls through."
"I actually agree with that plan." Val smiled.
"Me too." SpongeBob giggled excitedly.
"We've got beds, we've got water, and most importantly, we've got light; there are worse places to call home." Danny grinned.
"You know, guys, I think it's going to be okay." SpongeBob beamed happily; when out of the blue all the lights on the street and at the motor inn suddenly turn off, engulfing everything to the darkness of the night...
