Chapter 73: Rad's Alien Sickness
The following day, Nebula was heading into the back with extra boxes because she grabbed more boxes than she needed. "Rad honey, I have some extra boxes. Can you please take care of these so I get started on cleaning?" she asked. Rad stopped what he was doing and he took the boxes from her hands and kissed her cheek. "Well aren't you sweet" she cooed. "What can I say, I'm in a great mood!" he said happily. "Oh?" Nebula inquired. "I'm stacking one million boxes and I'm almost done!" he responded as he continued to stack the large pile of boxes. "Well then, I better record this momentous occasion" Neubla said and she took out her phone and she began to record Rad stacking the boxes.
A bell then rang and Enid and Ko were heard yelling "Break time!" and they then rushed into the back where Rad and Nebula were. "Break time you guys!" they said happily and this caused Rad to lose his focus and he stopped levitating the box that he was about to stack. The box then fell and landed on his head and a small 'ding' was heard. "Ow. I don't have time for break time. I'm right on the cusp of a treasured milestone in my stock boy career! One million boxes stacked! And as you can see from the convenient counter over here, I've got only one box left " Rad explained as he spun a box on his finger and Enid looked to Nebula as the box fell off of his finger. "Uh, what's so special about one million boxes?" Enid asked. "I dunno. I've just always liked that number" Rad said. "Do you like that number because Nebula always says that she loves you times one million?" Ko asked. Rad then blushed as he went quiet. "Well I guess this conversation's over now" Enid said awkwardly.
An alarm then blared and they rushed outside to see a Voxmore box fall out of the sky. "Who do you think it is this time?" Rad asked. "Must be Fink and probably Darrell again. When it's just the robots, the box says Boxmore but when it was Fink and Darrell, it said Voxmore. But I still don't get why the boxes fall out of the sky when Voxmore is across the street! I'm sure there are other dramatic ways they can make an entrance" Nebula commented. As they got ready to attack, the box opened to reveal a purple smoke that came out. "What the?" Nebula questioned as she covered her mouth and nose. "Everyone stay alert! We could get attacked at any second!" Enid said. "Or maybe not" she said as the smoke then cleared and Rad began to laugh. "An empty box? What kind of lame enemy was that?" Rad asked. "Who knows. But we should still be on guard. That was a Voxmore box so Professor Venomous must have had something to do with it. He is a bioengineer so he's bound to have made something. Maybe he made that smoke and it might actually affect us" Nebula said. Enid then began to cough. "Called it. If there is anything that I learned from my time at P.O.I.N.T. when I woke up, it's to always know your enemies and that smoke must have done something to us" Nebula explained as Ko then began to cough. "Woa, guys. WHat's with all the coughing?" Rad asked as he began to cough. A blue and green car then pulled up. "Snake bite? Venomous!" Nebula said angrily. The driver's window then rolled down to reveal Professor Venomous and Fink. "Hey plaza jerks!" Fink greeted. "I see you three are enjoying the special treat I prepared in my lab" Professor Venomous gloated. "Hey! How come she isn't affected?" Fink asked angrily. "Yes, why are you not affected?" he asked Nebula. "Probably cause just like that treat" she said as she used air quotes on treat. "And Fink, I was made in a lab!" she explained angrily. The three then began to cough more and Nebula looked at them worriedly. "Don't worry, we're fine" Enid said. "That weird purple stuff did this to us didn't it?" Ko asked. "Oh you're quick on the update Ko. But rather than worrying about what it did to you, you should be worrying about what you'll do him" he spat as he motioned to Rad. Ko and Enid could practically see the fire coming out of Nebula from her being enraged. "Don't talk to him Ko. He's just saying a bunch of random junk to confuse us" Enid said. "That's the ideaaaa" Professor Venomous said as he sped off while he and Fink laughed. "Remind me later to slash his tires" Nebula said darkly. "Well… It'd be pretty unreasonable for us to go back to work now that we're this sick" Enid said. "Eugh. You're right Enid. We'll just get germs on everything. Nebula, do you mind taking over?" Ko asked. "Of course not! You guys go home and get some rest" Nebula said and Rad scoffed. "You nerds can go to your little homes and get your little healthy. I'm gonna stay right here at the bodega and I'm gonna hit my one million box record while I'm at it!" Rad announced. He then coughed and wheezed and Nebula stopped him before he could enter the bodega.
"Oh no you're not! You are going to go home and get some rest. I'll call your parents and tell them that you're coming home sick" Nebula insisted. Before she could take out her phone, Rad levitated her phone out of her pocket. She then gave him a death glare. "Radicles, if you know what's best for you, you'll give me back my phone" she threatened and Rad levitated her phone into her awaiting hand. He then walked into the bodega and Nebula turned to Ko and Enid. "Don't worry. I'll make sure he doesn't hurt himself" she said. She then ran after him into the bodega. A few hours had passed and it was finally time to close the store. "Come on Rad! Time to go home!" Nebula called as she walked into the back. "You go on ahead, I'll be home in a bit. I just have to finish this last box. Besides, someone has to tell my folks that I'm going to be home late" he insisted. "Okay" Nebula said uncertainty. "But I better see your butt in bed by sunrise" she called as she left.
The next day, Enid, Ko, and Nebula arrived the bodega. "You guys seem better. You look better too" Nebula commented. "I feel good as new!" Ko said. "Me too! I guess Professor Venomous' virus wasn't so tough after all" Enid said. "Well, it's like my mom always says… a hero's first line of defense is rest and plenty of fluids!" Ko said as the trio walked into the store. "Your mom is cool" Endi said as she slipped on a puddle of blue goo. "Sweet corn on the cob!" Nebula exclaimed. "What is this vile goo?" Enid asked. "Hm? Aw what?! It's all over the store!" she exclaimed and Ko gasped. "Could it be another one of Venomous' evil bio-attacks?" Ko asked. "I dunno but it's gross. Clean it up before Gar sees" Enid said as she and Nebula walked away. Nebula crouched down and examined the goo and she felt something in the pit of her stomach. "I have a bad feeling about this goo. The color… Rad!" she gasped. She then ran off towards the back. "Hey guys!" Nebula called in shock. Enid and Ko then ran into the back and they screamed at what they saw.
Rad was groaning and mumbling as he was still trying to levitate a box and he looked extremely weak. "Rad! No wonder why you never came home last night. Baby look at you! You're all sweaty and gross! You need to go home and get some rest" she insisted. "You smell like a wet hospital" Enid gagged. "Have you been here all night? You look even sicker than yesterday" Ko asked worriedly. "Why did we get better so fast but he got so much worse?" he asked. "Whatever virus Venomous gave us must be extra hard on alien lifeforms" Enid guessed as Rad continued to try and levitate the box. "Aw Rad. Sweetie, you're never going to get better if you keep working like this. You need to go home and rest" Nebula said softly. "Yeah, and replenish your fluids. Or whatever this stuff is" Enid said as she tried to get the goo off of her shoes. "I can't...rest until I've shelved… this… box" Rad said as he coughed and wheezed. "Awh, is that all? Let me get that for you buddy" Ko suggested as he went to take the box from Rad. "No! This is my one mbillionth box. It doesn't count… unless I do it" Rad explained as he motioned to the counter on the wall. "But sweetheart. You've been trying to stack that all night. You need to get some rest so you can be strong enough once again to shelve the box" Nebula insisted. "Wait! You stayed up all night trying to lift one box?" Ko asked. Every time Rad would levitate the box, the box would drop. "Okay I don't feel bad for you anymore" Enid said and she walked away as Rad continued to try and levitate the box. "Rad, you are way too sick to be at work! Go home dude. You're a health hazard! Ko, you clean up this toxic waste dump, and Nebula, make sure he leaves. Okay?" she ordered before she left. "Okay mom" Nebula called. "I heard that!" she heard Enid call back. "Okay dear. Let's" Nebula was then cut off by Ko. "If you're not leaving till you get that millionth box, then Nebula and I will help you get healthy enough to do it!" Ko said and he was changed into a doctor's outfit and Nebula was changed into a nurse's uniform. "You know what. I'm not even going to question this" Nebula sighed and she put her hands up in defeat as Ko microwaved a bowl of soup.
"I've got the perfect home remedy! It's what my mom makes for me when I'm sick! Chicken noodle soup and clear soda!" Ko said as he held out a tray with a bowl of soup and a can of Crystal Chug. Rad then retches and the blue goo got on the tray and all over the food. The goo then caused a green fire. "How is there copper in his system?" Nebula asked. "Let's get you bundled up!" Ko said and he made Rad lay on the ground with his head on Nebula's lap. "I told you that you should have gone home and gotten some rest. Bud did you listen? No! And now look at you, you're sicker than a parrot during molting season" Nebula commented while she ran her fingers through his hair. "There you go, like a little burrito" Ko said after he wrapped Rad in a blanket. The thermometer in Rad's mouth began to heat up and the blanket around Rad melted off of him and Nebula quickly placed his head on the floor. "Aw man. These were my good pants too" she commented as she looked at her half destroyed pants. "I'll be back Ko. I should have a spare in my locker" she said and she then left. When she came back, Ko on top of a box and he was dangling a crystal above Rad's head. "Um what's going on?" Nebula sked. "Hey Ko- Why is Rad still here?! You little enabler. You were supposed to make him leave! And Nebula! I thought that you of all people would make sure that he went home! Or do you not care about your own boyfriend's health? Just look at him. We're gonna have to quarantine him" Enid said as she entered the room.
Something in Nebula seemed to snap and Ko saw her hair growing darker and longer. "What. Did you. Just. Say?!" Nebula hissed. "Uh oh" Ko said as he slowly backed away. "I said that we need to quirenten him" Enid responded. "No. Before that" Nebula said getting extremely angry. "What? About how you clearly must not care about Rad's health because he is here and he looks even worse than yesterday" Enid responded. The room began to grow cold and Ko started to use the nearby boxes to trap Rad. As Ko cleaned up all the goo, Nebula then lowered her head and she formed a fist. Before she could say anything, the alarm blared. "We'll discuss this later Enid" Nebula said darkly and she then ran off. The box then dropped out of the sky to reveal Ernesto. "He came here in a Voxmore box. I wonder what the snake did to him" Nebula commented. Before she had a chance to say anything else, a green tentacle pushed Ernesto's eye out of it's socket. Two more then replaced his arms and Nebula pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay look. We're glad to see that they finally sent you. But now I don't have time for this. I have a sick boyfriend that I need to take care of and I need to put a certain ninja in her place" she said darkly and she formed an axe out of ice. She then began to chase Ernesto with it as he chased after Ko and Enid.
Unknown to them, two people were watching from across the street. Venomous took the binoculars from Fink and he smirked when he saw that the bluenette's hair was back to being long and it was now darker. "Interesting" he said as he watched the girl swing the axe made out of ice at Ernesto. He then noticed that there were hints of darkness in the axe made out of ice.
As Ernesto was trying to pry Enid and Ko apart from each other, Nebula then jumped up and sliced Ernesto down the middle. "Now ten Enid. What made you think that I don't care about Rad's health?" she asked and Ko and Enid gasped when they heard that her voice was slightly deeper. "Nebula, your hair" Ko pointed out. Unknown to her, Ernesto's tentacles put him back together and he was slowly rising up from the ground. Before he could attack, the familiar sound of the store's bell was heard chiming and Ko and Enid turned their heads to see Rad."Rad?" they asked in shock and Nebula turned her head. "I gotta help you guys fight!" Rad said determinedly. "But you're still sick. What are you gonna do?" Ko asked as Ernesto went to attack them, He was stopped by Nebula summoning a large shield made out of ice. He then broke her shield and she ducked to prevent him from harming her. Rad then sneezed on Ernesto and the robot was sent flying back to Voxmore… and onto Professor Venomous' beloved car. "Still want me to remind you to slash his tires?" Rad asked Nebula as she watched Professor Venomous freak out. He then put a hand on her shoulder and she took a deep breath and her hair went back to being short and it's usual blue. "Okay Rad, It's pretty cool that you saved us, but you gotta get better for real before coming back to work" Enid said. "Yeah! You can finish your one million box record later" Ko said. He and Nebula then gasped when they saw Rad in what appeared to be a cocoon. "Don't worry guys, I realized that I am the one millionth box" Rad said. "What the what? How the and why the?" Nebula asked in confusion. "Cocooning is part of the alien healing process. He does this all the time. Back in middle school he got mono and was cocooned for like a month. It was hilarious" Enid explained. The counter on the wall then dinged. "I'm just so happy" Rad said as a part of the cocoon covered his face. The trio then left the room.
Enid was then levitated to the break room. She was then harshly thrown onto the couch and Nebula stood here with her hands on her hips. "How dare you say that I don't care about Rad! I tried to get him to leave but you know how stubborn he is! You know how much I love Rad so would you think that I don't care about his health?! I forgave what you said before we went to New York to work on our movie but this I just can't forgive! You were supposed to be my friend and I thought that you supported Rad and I being together. I can see now that all of that must have been a lie! You better not try to get in between Rad and I, cause if you do, you'll be lucky if I let you live to even regret it" she threatened and once again her hair grew long and dark. She then stormed out of the room. "What have I done?" Enid asked clearly terrified.
*For those of you who don't know, the cause of a green flame is the presence of chemicals containing copper inside the fire.