Time: 2:14 PM
SPRING BREAK baby! Oh yeah! Finally, I have something to update for this story. I'm sorry people for such a long wait...this term was an absolute killer. I barely had time to sleep in between homework. Ugh. It sucked. So...here is the next chapter of "Don't Ever Look Back." Things are getting strange. Hope you guys don't mind. ;)
Anyways, thank you to everyone who has reviewed! You are my bread and butter! :D I personally want to thank Katie. You are such a wonderful friend, and without your support, I probably would have never gotten these last few chapters up. *sniff sniff* You are wonderful! And I got this review this week after not thinking anyone ever looked at this thing again. The review was from Athenafrodite. I want to thank you for that review, and the fact that it filled me with such happiness is wonderful. Thank you so much!
Disclaimer: Jimmy Neutron is real in my book! I don't own him...I would have to pay big bucks just to even get his autograph.
His eyes flickered back and forth across the vast darkness before him. He had always been out here with his friends when he was younger, but back then he couldn't concentrate on the beauty around him to save his life. Focusing was just not his thing.
But now. Oh now. He was more powerful and wiser than that hyperactive boy he had been those many years ago. He was a man now. An incredibly strong, fighter to be exact.
He crossed his arms, his snaky grin stretching across his face, tugging at the scars that had been given to him by his former master. The one he had killed for this job. The job he needed to be saved.
The darkness of space would bring him to the object that he needed. When he captured them, and offered them to the council, he would be free. Only then could he get back to the one he loved and forget everything that had happened.
Pressing his gloved hand to the windshield of his ship, he felt a glimmer of hesitation. But in an instant, it was gone. The feelings of regret would come and go, but he had to keep focus if he wanted to get back to his home. Back to her.
"Where are you?" He whispered to the darkness of infinite space outside his cockpit.
He felt the presence of his lieutenant behind him, and straightened his posture a bit.
"Captain," the voice came from behind him, "We have picked up a ship about fifty-four miles from here, just outside the ninth moon of Neptune. Scanners indicate there are passengers on board, one of them analyzed as one of the subjects we have been searching for." There was a pause as the lieutenant took a breath to lengthen the suspense. "With your word, we will head straight towards their path and meet up with them in a day or so."
The captain paused, his mind whirling. We've finally found them. Finally. After so long of searching, I can finally finish my job.
"Start the thrusters," he rumbled, his voice low and menacing.
"Yes Captain Sheen," his lieutenant spoke softly and turned, his heel squeaking on the metal floor and walking to the control room.
Sheen looked out the cockpit window once more, his rough reflection staring back at him, space light bouncing off his face. He took in the scars, the hard demeanor, sharp eyes. This was not the little foolish boy he had always known. But neither was Jimmy Neutron. An unsettling feeling rose in the bottom of his stomach, making him flinch.
They had had some good times didn't they? Well, everything had changed those first few days after high school. Sure, he had fought that day the intelligence system had come for Neutron, but when he had been thrown aside during the battle, wounded and discarded, Neutron had forgotten him as he fought to save his own life. Falling unconscious, Sheen had been kidnapped and woke up days later in a strange environment, much like a cage. Having lost a ton of blood made no difference to his kidnappers. He was put in a training room and hadn't seen the actual sun in over a year.
Gritting his teeth in frustration, he balled his hands into fists. Somewhere along those long, rough training days he had lost his soul. He had forgotten the difference between right and wrong, having them knocked out of him, just like all the rest of his dreams and hopes of ever getting back home to earth.
That is, until he was presented with the position to hunt Neutron down for the intelligence system. His former best friend.
"Here we go Jimmy," his voice rumbled in his chest, "Hope your trip was worth the prize."
Eyes closed and shivering, I groaned and reached for the blankets I dreamed were covering me. My hands roaming, my fingers found fabric and I pulled roughly, my mind muddled and swamped with images that seemed to flicker on the backsides of my eyelids.
Something shifted beneath me, and my eyes opened wide, the images disappearing and flying away. My eyes traced my arms to my hands that were pulling at the fabric…..of Jimmy's shirt! My heart stopping momentarily, I bit my lip as a wave of heat burst through my face.
What in the world is going on! Am I still dreaming? I looked sheepishly to my right, finding that we were both in the large, fluffy chair, both of us squeezed into it. Only, I was half sitting on top of him, my head laying dangerously close to his chest. Actually, my hands were gripping the loose ends of his long sleeve shirt, one of the many layers, I noticed. We must still be in the ice storm.
Releasing my grip, I pulled away and scooted to the edge of the chair. Behind me, he made a small noise, and turned his body, obviously still asleep.
Head pounding, I leaned over the edge of the chair and put my throbbing head into my hands. Why the poop was I snuggled up close to him! I don't even remember falling asleep!
My brain crashed to a sudden halt. Wait. I didn't fall asleep; I passed out!
My eyes opened again, my mind whirling. Somewhere in my brain, there were thousands of memories I had forgotten over a matter of days. I had unlocked something before I fainted, and now I couldn't remember it again. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sighed. Suddenly realizing that I was mimicking something I have seen Neutron do oh-so-often, I stopped myself and snorted.
Neutron.
I carefully glanced back over my shoulder at him. His thick, gorgeous hair was messy, having slept on one side. His face flickered with small emotion, looking young and innocent. Over all, he was one hunk of a muffin, and just thinking about how close he was to me was making my body tingle with delight. He said we had worked together before I had lost my memories, and I believed him. What I didn't understand were my feelings for him. Had we been a couple? Some of those photos would show otherwise.
Heart racing, I glanced at the large lab table we had been at earlier that day. The photos!
A grin spreading over my face, I had a strong feeling that the memory from earlier was somehow connected to one of those photos. Fingers clenching the chair beneath me, I licked my lips, determination sweeping through me. Jimmy said I shouldn't walk, since I had been confined to that place for so long, having barely walked. But this mission to the table was of utmost importance! I had to see what was in that box again!
Swallowing the thick lump in my throat, I flexed my calf muscles, mentally preparing myself for the short distance I needed to walk to get to the table where part of my past was being held. Finding this newfound strength sent a wave of confidence through me, I gritted my teeth as I stood up swiftly. Instant pressure flamed through my legs, everything feeling wobbly on my ankles. Eyes wide, knowing I was going to fall if I didn't propel myself forward, I lifted my foot off the ground and hurtled my weight in the direction of the table. My right foot coming back down, a sharp, electrifying pain broke out in my leg, and I felt it crumple beneath me.
My hands flailed around me, to grab onto absolutely anything I could find at the moment. Having found the wall near me, I quietly attempted to lean against it. Breathing a sigh of relief, I looked over my shoulder to where Jimmy was sitting, making sure I hadn't woken him. Nope, he was still breathing quietly to himself, head cockeyed against the back of the chair.
Taking a sharp breath in, I used the wall as support and made my way over to the table. My legs feeling a bit stronger, I took a step away from the wall and balanced myself in the open air. Biting back a laugh, I made myself try not to smile. To me, walking was like another triumph against the people who had stolen me and tortured me for so long. I would get better. I would make sure I got revenge. They were going to pay for what they did to me.
Upon finally reaching the table, I gripped the edges tightly as I leaned my tired body against it, the walk her having taken a ton of energy out of me.
The box was in the middle of the table, and I reached for it my tired fingers pulling it towards me slowly. Directly on top were the stack of photos I had been looking at before I blacked out. Pushing the box aside, I spread the photos out in front of me. I recognized my face among them, and tried to keep myself from staring too long at Jimmy's handsome face any longer than I should have. It was becoming more and more difficult each moment I spent with him.
My eyes skimmed lightly over the photos, nothing standing out to me. I shuffled them around a bit more and found one on the bottom. My fingers tingled as I touched it, my heart picking up speed a bit. This picture. Slowly, I ran my finger over my face in the glossy finished, old fashioned photo.
"This is the same exact one I had in my cell," I whispered to myself. That's the memory I retrieved. Why didn't I remember I had this picture in my cell? I tilted my head to the side, and looked at Jimmy's face. Emotions flooded back towards me, as I remembered that day the psychiatrist had showed it to me. Blood pounding in my ears, I heard my small voice whisper to myself. "But why didn't I remember that it was me in this photo. I thought it was someone else. Why didn't I realize I was looking at myself?" Had I been in that place for so long that I had forgotten who I was?
My swallowed roughly, my head feeling heavy. Even before Jimmy had rescued me, I had forgotten who I was. I covered my mouth with my hand, and choked back a broken sob. I'm a mess. I can't even remember things I NEED to, and on top of that, I have forgotten exactly who I am.
Wanting to lie down and cry, I reminded myself that Jimmy was in the room, and if I cried I would most likely wake him…and I just couldn't deal with that right now.
Suddenly, I heard something. The quietest noise. It was a quiet humming sound, and it caught my attention. Looking up from the picture I was holding, my eyes flickered around the lab. It looked like most of the equipment was off. I wanted to shrug it off and forget about it, but the humming was insistent in my ears, rumbling through my arms and down to my fingertips. It almost felt….calming. I felt my muscles want to relax and listen to the humming even more.
But what was even stranger than that was the fact that I felt the sudden urge to leave the lab, and find the source of the humming. Licking my lips and looking cautiously at Jimmy, I pulled away from the table and started my shaky walk to the massive metal door that led me out of this mysterious area. Feeling myself being pulled forward, I opened the door quietly and shut it behind me, still taking slow steps. The humming rumbled through my body, guiding me into an elevator where I came up a floor and down a hall.
Walking in a daze, I passed by a few rooms, my body never stopping, but still looking in briefly. For some reason the images of all the crew members sleeping did not faze me at all. Walking down the corridor even further, I almost tripped on a few people who had fallen to the ground in the middle of the hallway. I stopped and looked down at them momentarily. They seemed to be sleeping as well.
My eyes glazed over, I lifted my head up, the humming noise becoming even more intense. I trudged forward, my mind fuzzy.
I came to an archway that was painted a light blue color, making me gaze at it affectionately. Walking through the archway I found myself in the cockpit area. The humming noise was pounding in my ears now as I looked around in wonder. It definitely was something to look at. The captain sure had luxury here. But….where in the world was the captain. I walked up to the controls, my eyes wandering over all the buttons and flashing lights.
The calmness washed over me, ordering me to sit down. I lowered myself into the captain's chair and instinctively reached for a button. My finger touched the cold metallic surface and for a moment, I hesitated, my brain trying to click on. But the humming was bearing down on me, and I gave into instruction and pushed it.
Instantly, the humming stopped, and my mind became free. Whipping my head around I listened carefully to the silence that wrapped around the ship. I couldn't even hear any snoring coming from down the hall. My heart beginning to beat again, I consciously looked around, my eyes widening at the screen that came over half the screen of the windshield in front of me. Startled, I scooted the chair back, and raised my hands in defense at the strange face staring at me. When nothing came, I opened my eyes curiously and looked at my hands. That's right; the bands around my wrists prevented me from using my powers. But what surprised me the most was that I had instinctively raised them, as if to use them. Perhaps my mind had forgotten memories, but my body obviously hadn't.
I lifted my eyes to the patient face staring at me. The man's eyes were dark, cold and lost. His face had multiple scars running down the sides of his face and across his forehead. His eyebrows were furrowed, as if he were trying to hide a deep secret beneath them.
My eyes widened in realization.
"You," I heard myself whisper.
The man raised an eyebrow, "It's good to see you again Cindy. It's been a while hasn't it?"
Tilting my head, as if it would give me a new insight on the guy, I studied his face a bit more. "Sheen?" I asked carefully.
The man leaned back in his chair slightly, as if not sure what to say now. But that only lasted for a moment, as he regained his control and looked at me darkly again.
"W-what's going on?" I asked carefully.
He shrugged his shoulders. "When my ship's indicators matched your DNA and found you on board, I decided call you for a little chat."
"That humming," I said quietly, "You made that happen?"
A handsome grin spread across his face, and for a moment I forgot his scars and angry demeanor and remembered his quirky smile from oh so long ago. "You like that? I added my own little flair I'm afraid. But I needed to get your attention one way or another, and since you hold exceptional powers, you were the only one who wouldn't be affected by its effects."
Well, that explains why everyone was sleeping. After a long pause I finally found my voice as I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. I remember that Sheen and I hadn't always been the best of friends, him being a strange hyper-active kid, desperately in love with Ultra Lord.
"Y-You look… different," I said stupidly, the rush of the strange humming having messed with my train of thoughts, making it impossible for me to say something smart it seemed.
He looked at me in mock surprise, "Well you're no beauty to look at either Cindy. It looks like the intelligence system hasn't been kind to either of us." My eyebrows narrowed as I felt a string of venomous words want to leave my mouth, but stopped suddenly as my ears held onto something.
"Wait, what? The intelligence system? Who are they? And what do you have to do with them?"
He sighed, as if talking to a juvenile person. "The Intelligence System," he said slowly and gruffly, "Are the people who captured you. You of all people should know that. You were working for them for a while before you betrayed them for…" he paused and narrowed his eyes. "Why am I telling you this Vortex? You know your past, you know what you have done."
My eyes locked with is. What the crap is he doing out here in the middle so space? And how come he looks so much older and worn out?
Could I trust him? Biting my lower lip, I wished Jimmy was here to help me make a decision, but I quickly pushed that thought away. I was a big girl, and could handle things by myself.
I sighed heavily to myself. "That's the thing Sheen. I can't remember. I seemed to have lost my memories, err…actually, they are sealed away somewhere where I can't reach them." I grimaced to myself, still locking eyes with him.
A strange look of disbelief crossed my face. "What? Is this another one of your tricks? The system said you had turned into a sly one, but this is kind of hard to believe."
I looked at him in utter astonishment. "You don't believe me? Well, it's true! I can't seem to remember anything beyond my days in the torture chamber I was trapped in for so long!" I could feel my heart beat rising with my temper, "And who are you anyways to judge me? And…and…why in the world are you even here in the middle of space? Shouldn't you be back home on Earth where you belong?"
He looked at me carefully, his dark eyes studying me.
"What the hell did they do to you in there Vortex? You're a complete mess," he finally said.
You're telling me, I grumbled to myself. I bit my lower lip in frustration and shook my head, wanting to scream out.
Finally, after a long pause, he spoke again. "You really don't remember anything do you?" His eyebrows lifted. "You've forgotten all about the Intelligence system?" There was another pause. "Neutron?"
My head whipped up at the sound of Jimmy's name. "What? You know Jimmy too?" My voice sounded small and meek.
Sheen's eyes widened beyond disbelief. "Know him? Of course I know him. I grew up with him Cindy. We grew up with him." Shaking his head, "I can't believe you have forgotten Neutron. You two were the entertainment of our little group."
My head was pounding at the information he was giving me. This could not be happening. Not only had I worked for Jimmy, I actually grew up with him! I gritted my teeth together and looked Sheen straight in the eye.
"Okay, so I've forgotten a few things, but that really doesn't matter at this point does it. What is really important is why in the world are you here? Why did you go through all the trouble to contact me and put the rest of the crew asleep?"
A snaky smile grew across his face. "Ah, that's the old Cindy I know. I'm glad you are still there, I kind of got scared there for a moment." When I didn't comment, but instead glared at him even harder, he finally sighed and rolled his eyes childishly. When he looked back at me, his eyes glanced down at my wrists, where my hands were gripping the captain's chair, having turned the knuckles white from frustration.
He tilted his head in thought for a moment, as thinking hard about something. "I see those bracelets you have on are magnetic waves." My attention span broke for a second and I reached down to rub one hand over my wrist.
"Yeah," I said cautiously, "They are to keep me from doing something dangerous apparently. It seems I have this…..this strange ability to create fire with my hands, and Neutron put these on for a precaution so that I wouldn't do any harm, since I don't know how to control them." I looked up at him, "Why do you care?"
For a second, the corner of his mouth tilted up in a evil grin, but quickly disappeared. "I just noticed that you don't have one around your neck as well. Apparently Neutron doesn't consider your other power as much as a threat." He chuckled to himself darkly.
I snorted most un-lady-like, "What in the world are you talking about Sheen?"
He shook his head, "Wait a second, I forgot that you have lost your memory. It seems as if Neutron forgot to mention you other little power you have, one that you control with your mind." He laughed to himself, "It really is a pity that happened to you."
I stood up from the captain's chair. "What are you saying Sheen? I don't have any other powers. I still don't believe I have any in my hands to begin with! I was tired and obviously delirious that day, and I find it hard to believe that any one person can create matter out of thin air."
He sobered up and lifted an arrogant eyebrow, "Is that so Cindy? Well, why don't we just put it to the test then? I understand Neutron is on board with you on this ship. It is taking all of my power right now not to go on a rampage and kill the man, but I have something else in mind for him at the moment." He paused as I watched his face on the screen with large eyes. I wasn't understanding what was going on.
He continued. "I'm sure Neutron has all of his notes on your powers somewhere in his lab. Tonight you are to meet me here again, at exactly 11:47 PM. You should have found his notes and learned all about your precious powers and how to use them. When you arrive tonight, you better have figured out how to teleport again. If you don't," he paused momentarily, his eyes blazing fire, "I will be forced to go to extremes and I will board that ship you're on and I will kill Neutron." He tilted his head slightly, "Understand?"
My mouth was open slightly. What in the world had just happened? Powers? Teleporting? Was he insane! He had always been a little extreme, but I don't think he would ever hurt anyone. But this Sheen wasn't the boy I knew when I was smaller. This man had changed drastically. I vaguely wondered what caused him to become this way.
I tried to shake my head in the "no" manner, but his eyes blazed even more than before. "Meet me here tonight at that time. Figure out how to teleport. That's an order. If you want to save everyone aboard that ship, you will be wise to start learning and not tell anyone of this little discussion we had. I'll see you then."
The transmission broke off and the vastness of space came up through the windshield again. I fell back into the captain's chair.
My mind was muddled beyond compare.
"What the crap just happened?" I said loudly, staring out the window.
The silence around the ship ceased, and suddenly noises of all kinds were coming from all directions. Scampering out of the captain's chair I stumbled towards the door, hoping I wouldn't get caught and thought of as a mutant-ist or anything. Throwing myself against the door, I flew out the door, and down the hallway, clips of Sheen's voice playing over and over in my mind.
Stopping in the empty hallway, I leaned up against the wall and noticed people had obviously woken up and went back to work. Catching my quick, hazy breath, I tried to force Sheen's scarred, angry face from my memory. I leaned my head against the wall. I didn't understand anything he had said. Teleporting? He must be clinically insane. People couldn't teleport; that was a proven fact. And even if there were such a thing, why would Jimmy have notes on it? He wouldn't know anything about it.
…..Unless he's the one that gave them to me. My eyes opened wide at the realization. He gave me these powers. He experimented on me.
A sickening feeling rose in my stomach and felt the realization sink in.
I heard footsteps running down the hallway, and I turned my head against the wall to see who was running and why. A flash of blue came into view and I felt myself being rammed from the front. My face buried into something soft and warm. Jimmy's scent wafted up to my nose, and I inhaled deeply, suddenly forgetting what I had heard and everything that had happened today. His arms wrapped around me protectively, he lifted me up off the floor, the wall against my back.
He lifted me so that our eyes were level with each others. My breathing hitched as I realized how close his face was to mine, and the fact the my feet were no longer touching the ground.
His breathing was heavy from the running he had expressed and he locked eyes with mine, those bright sapphire eyes sparkling. They were filled with worry and angst, so much like a child.
"Don't ever disappear on my like that Cindy. Never." His grip tightened on my waist, and his body moved closer, steadying me up against the wall. "I thought I…I had lost you again."
My eyes widened at his words, and I opened my mouth to say something, but in an instant, his mouth covered mine, and silenced me.
