Jimmy reached the basement's science wing and halted in front of Ms. Peck's classroom. Hanging on the unassuming gray door was a sign written in bright red letters.

WARNING

DO NOT ENTER

EXPERIMENT IN PROGRESS

In spite of the morning's chaos, Jimmy managed a bittersweet smile. Leaving the Neutronauts behind had been the hardest consequence of last month's war. With him suspended for two weeks and then spending every spare moment tutoring others, it had made sense to step away. But it sure feels good to be back.

Jimmy eagerly twisted the doorknob. Finding it locked, he switched to a firm knock.

A disgruntled voice shouted back, "Whoever you are, it does not take a genius to understand that sign." The voice was heavy with a posh British accent. "No visitors!"

"Charles, it's Jimmy."

A moment's pause preceded a befuddled, "Neutron? What are you doing here?"

"I have to speak to Carl. Can you just open the door?"

"I'm afraid this is a rather inopportune moment. Come back in the afternoon and we'll talk further."

Jimmy's eyes narrowed. When he had ceded control of his science club to Charles, he hadn't expected to be barred from the premises. "I need to get inside. If you won't let me in, I'll have Cindy come tear this door down."

After a silent moment, Jimmy heard the click of a lock being undone. Then Charles was standing in the hallway, closing the entryway behind him. The eighth-grader folded his arms over his navy blue cable knit sweater. "Threatening to sic your girlfriend on me? That's low after what she did."

"What she did?" Jimmy scoffed. "You told her that no one loved her and that she'd die alone."

Charles's flint eyes dropped to the floor. "Given how last month's mess started, your attitude seems a bit hypocritical."

Now Jimmy faltered, and the two stood in uneasy silence. At last Jimmy offered, "I didn't come here to fight. I just have to talk to Carl, then I'll go."

"Rather hapless timing, then," Charles answered. "He's key to our experiment which has just begun. I can't stop it now."

"What experiment?"

Charles clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace. "Ever since I was a kid, I've harbored a terrible fear of something happening to this world. Knowing that this rock is the only home humanity has - it's terrifying. All it takes is a stray asteroid, a Gamma burst, or a madman in power to end our species."

Charles hung his head and admitted, "After last month, the latter outcome seemed more likely." He flashed a palm to ward off any interruption and said, "And I'm not just blaming you. I hardly acted rationally myself.

"When you were suspended, everyone in there," Charles motioned beyond the closed door, "lost their purpose. I was reluctant to lead a group again, but I knew it was necessary. Not just for the Neutronauts, but for all of humanity."

Jimmy cocked his head. "What exactly are you trying to do?"

Charles offered a hint of a grin and opened the door. "Come and see."

Jimmy followed inside; his jaw dropped in shock. Ms. Peck's classroom was rearranged into a bustling mission control center. The desks were rearranged into four work stations, each housing a pair of computers. A dozen middle schoolers worked with chaotic fluidity amongst the crowded space. Eight sat were furiously typing at their workstations, while the other four milled about with headsets and clipboards. Jimmy's appearance earned fleeting glances and fewer smiles, but Charles cut any possible reunion short.

As Jimmy closed the door behind him, Charles loudly cleared his throat. "Stay on task, everyone. There shall be time for pleasantries later. Nicole, get us a live feed of the test chamber."

An enormous projector screen slid down from the ceiling. As it settled in place and powered on, Charles beamed at Jimmy. "I seek a second home for our species. Far from where a dying sun or local war may wound us. Earth may be humanity's cradle, but I shall not let it become our tomb."

Jimmy blinked in shock. "That is…incredibly ambitious for a middle school science club. Are you seriously launching an extrasolar spaceship?"

Charles huffed in amusement. "Perhaps one day. No, the first hurdle we must overcome is time itself," Charles explained while clasping one hand into a fist. "Your rockets enable rapid transport, but terraforming a planet could take decades. We've devised a way to survive that long in space."

Charles pointed at the projector as it flickered to life. Jimmy recognized the location onscreen as the supply closet attached to the classroom. Gone were any shelves and extra supplies. The only item taking up the space was a dented trio of lockers sealed by a sole steel door. A myriad of wires trailed from the unit, two thick steel pipes connected it to the walls, and the entire structure was bathed in a ghostly blue glow.

"Behold the stasis chamber. Currently capable of lowering core body temperature to 92 degrees Fahrenheit, but we have plans for more significant hypothermia pending today's results. By reducing cellular metabolism, we will buy a ship's crew precious years while terraforming is performed."

Jimmy shook his head. "This is insane. There's no way that thing can work."

Charles snarled and strode to his desk in the middle of the command center. He yanked a six-inch binder out of a drawer and thrust it into Jimmy's palms. Jimmy nearly collapsed from its weight, then heaved it atop a desk and began flipping through the surprisingly well-organized notes. Charles explained, "Here you'll find a summation of all available research on artificially induced-torpor and therapeutic hypothermia. I also have detailed schematics for the stasis chamber and proposals for more advanced cooling systems."

Jimmy skipped through the dozens of research papers whose margins were filled to the brim by Charles' notes. He reached the stasis chamber's blueprints and cocked his head in awe. "Compressor-based cooling system, nutrient-rich bath modeled after amniotic fluid, electrical redundancy thanks to a solar generator. This is a solid design." Jimmy glanced up to find Charles's scowl gone. In its place was a proud smile. "Does it actually work?"

"It does," Charles assured him.

Jimmy closed the binder and stared back at the projector's screen. "Which animals did you use for your original trials? Rats?"

"Animals?" Charles scoffed. "I know how it works and we built it accordingly. There's no need to waste time on lesser creatures."

Jimmy's left eye twitched. "And Carl-"

"Is safe and sound in there," Charles pointed at the screen. "Neutronauts, give me a situation report!"

The four teams sounded off.

"Energy levels are nominal."

"Nutrient bath temperature is an even thirty degrees."

"Maintenance subsystems operating at 100% efficiency."

Jimmy turned to the nearest desk, where a steady row of green EKG readings graced the monitor. The Neutronaut manning this station wore thick headphones. "Auditory collection system shows a heart rate of 60 beats per minute. The subject is stable."

"See, Neutron?" Charles asked. "Everything is going swimmingly."

Jimmy peered closer at the vitals monitor, scratched the screen, and watched emerald flakes collect on his finger. "This electrocardiogram is painted on!"

"Well we're not graphic designers, sorry we couldn't visualize the data. We can hear Carl's heart, he's fine."

"Actually," the Neutronaut near Jimmy squeezed her headphones tighter, "pulse is spiking to over 100."

"What?" Charles marched over. "It should be going down to the thirties."

Jimmy ripped the headphones off the girl and placed them atop his head. "Carl's screaming for help!"

"That can't be right," Charles began wringing his hands together. He marched over to Jimmy as Carl's screams became grossly audible. "Ehrr…open the pod."

"Negative, commander," another Neutronaut responded. "The locking mechanism's busted!"

Jimmy ripped the headphones off and dashed towards the supply closet door. He ripped it open and approached the stasis chamber. The blue glue was blinding, the machine shook from Carl's frantic fists, and feral screams filled the room. Jimmy activated his watch's laser, swung the beam over the steel door's seam, and ripped it open.

Carl screamed while lurching from a pool of near-frozen Jell-o. Charles leapt near James and clutched the llama-lover by the collar. "Were you in stasis? How long did it seem to you?"

"Eternal!" Carl cried through blue lips.

"Okay, experiment over!" Jimmy shouted. He rubbed his eyes and said, "Carl, I need to talk to you about the Black Atom!"

Charles shook his head as the Neutronauts filed in. "Just hose him down."

"Wait," Carl blinked and asked through chattering teeth, "Wh-wh-what?"

Two Neutronauts activated a pair of hoses. Two raging streams of warm water homed in on Carl's scapulas and blasted him onto the floor.

Carl's teeth were still violently chattering as he sat in one of the control room's chairs. He clutched two blankets around his shoulders and struggled to wrap his blue lips around a steaming mug of cocoa.

"It was so cold," Carl moaned, "so dark."

"I'm gonna need you to stay with me, Carl," Jimmy sternly instructed from the seat across from him. "It won't be long before someone else gets an atomic wedgie."

"I saw God, and he was angry at our hubris," Carl moaned.

"Carl, focus! The Black Atom!"

"You're right, so-sorry," Carl whimpered.

"Okay," Jimmy nodded and opened his notepad. "Now don't tell anyone, but The Black Atom is using light refraction technology that I've been working on. Did you or Sheen take that out of my lab?"

"Of course not!" Carl answered after another sip of scalding liquid. "Wait, what's light reflection?"

"Refraction," Jimmy corrected. "It makes the user imperceptible."

"Oh," Carl's eyes shifted side to side. "You mean the invisibility spray? Um…I didn't take it."

"But Sheen did?"

"Well, you gave him that IOU for an invention after he saved you from getting expelled, remember? He wanted to borrow the invisibility spray, so we used your hair to get in the lab and take it. We thought that was okay."

"How would any of that be okay?" Jimmy asked. "The IOU clearly said that I would use the invention with Sheen, not just lend it to him."

"Oh…we didn't see that."

"I wrote it in glowing uranium letters!"

"Guess we missed it."

"And where do you two keep getting my hair?"

"The sink," Carl answered.

"What sink?!" Jimmy asked. He shook his head and said, "Forget that. What did Sheen want the invisibility spray for?"

"Some grand romantic gesture for Libby. He felt bad that she's been working so hard lately."

"What did he have planned?"

Carl shrugged. "He wouldn't say. He just promised that it didn't involve fire."

Jimmy glared at Carl for a long moment, then reluctantly wrote that down. "When did you two take the invisibility spray? And does Sheen still have it?"

"We took it Tuesday," Carl answered. "And as far as I know he still does. Maybe you should talk to him?"

"I will." Jimmy slammed his notebook shut. He rose from his chair and said, "I have to go. I strongly recommend that you don't help the Neutronauts again." He cocked his head and asked, "Why did you, anyway?"

Carl wrapped his blankets tighter and quietly said, "I guess…it was the closest thing to working with you."

"Huh?"

Carl sighed and admitted, "Even before you got suspended, I barely saw you this year."

Jimmy prepared to rebut this, but the truth was it wasn't easy to dredge up a memory of him and Carl alone together.

"It's not your fault," Carl added. "You have Cindy and I have Angie. You had this club and I have the Llama Love Society. Plus I was killed at Canterbury, so there went winter break together."

Jimmy sat back down and stared at his friend. "I should have realized we were drifting apart. I've just been so busy."

"Guess that's part of growing up," Carl lamented.

Jimmy shook his head. "It doesn't have to be. This is my last week of being grounded. We all had plans to go on an adventure together, but what do you say we push that back? This weekend it's just me and you, wherever you want to go."

Carl's cheeks flushed with life. "Even the petting zoo?"

Jimmy smiled. "You can go to the petting zoo with Angie. What about going to Peru to see some wild llamas?"

Carl's whole body shook with either excitement or a seizure.

"Carl," Jimmy snapped his fingers, and the boy struggled to cease his spasms. "I have to go, but seriously, don't come back here."

"Now I don't need to!" Carl beamed. Jimmy clapped him on the shoulder, headed towards the door, and realized that Charles wasn't in sight. He took a detour to the stasis chamber, where the lead Neutronaut sat sulking.

"You were right," Charles grumbled as Jimmy closed the door behind him and stood over the teen. "I never should have led the Neutronauts. This was a disaster." Charles craned his neck up at Jimmy, then dropped his eyes and quietly asked, "Could you just be club president again?"

Jimmy asked, "You're giving up after one mistake?"

"One mistake?" Charles scoffed. "I was a colossal tosser to Cindy and Ike. I failed to stop them even with an army. I couldn't keep you from leaving us. And now this. All I do is mess up."

Jimmy knelt down beside Charles. "Would you mind if I gave you some frank feedback?" Charles shrugged, so Jimmy said, "I get why you feel bad. Heck knows I've been in your shoes. I've acted like a jerk, I've been a terrible leader, and I've screwed up more inventions than I can count."

Charles flashed a skeptical glance. "You messed up inventions?"

"You did not know me at Lindbergh. I nearly destroyed the town dozens of times."

"But you're a genius."

"Doesn't mean I'm always right. I was devastated the first time I failed at an experiment. It took me a while to understand that science is more than reading and understanding how something works. A real inventor has failure after failure, but each time something breaks, you learn from what went wrong. Every explosion, every blown circuit, every miscalculation - it makes you better."

Charles considered this. "So you don't think I should give up?"

"Charles, you got an entire army to follow you. You gave Cindy the toughest fight she's ever had. You kept this club going for a month and you built a more than half-decent stasis chamber prototype, considering you're working with school supplies and Jell-o. No, you shouldn't give up."

Jimmy rose to his feet and offered Charles a hand. The teen stared for a long moment, then clasped it.

Jimmy hoisted him up and Charles said, "You know, we are called the Neutronauts. I get what you said, but it makes sense for you to come back and lead us." When Jimmy stayed silent, he added, "But I guess those days are gone, huh?"

"Believe me, I'd love to work with you all," Jimmy promised. "But I still have so many wrongs to right. If I became president again, I wouldn't be able to give it my all. So I need you to take the reins."

Charles offered a sullen nod. Jimmy added, "But if you ever need a consultant or just want to run something by me, I'll be there."

"Really?"

"Us geniuses have to stick together."

Charles smiled, opened his mouth, and hesitated when a chorus of gasps emanated from mission control. He and Jimmy joined the rest of the Neutronauts, who were staring at the TV mounted in the corner.

"If you're just tuning in," Libby sat behind an anchor desk with a grave expression, "we are heartbroken to confirm a fourth Black Atom attack. If you are near the basement, do not go near the eastern wing. We will update you…"

Libby's voice trailed on as Jimmy wrapped his scarf tighter. "I've gotta go," he told Charles before sprinting into the hall. And Sheen will have to wait.

Jimmy's eyes shifted left to right as he traversed the run-down eastern wing of R.M.S.'s basement. This was where the Second Foam War's raging river had caused the most damage. The faint scent of mold hung in the air and the lights flickered every few moments. Jimmy passed vandalized Spring Fling posters, sporting hateful slurs that Jimmy did his best to ignore.

Jimmy passed a stairwell, and then a moment later approached the scene of the crime. Yellow caution tape blocked a closed bathroom door. A pair of hall monitors guarding the entrance marched forward as Jimmy approached.

"Whoa," the taller of the two eighth-grade girls said while raising her palm. "Hold it right there, Neutron. This is a crime scene. "

Jimmy raised his hands in acquiescence. "That's why I'm here." He slowly dug into his right pocket and pulled out Clarke's golden hall pass. "I'm here on the principal's orders. I need to be let inside."

The shorter officer took the permit. She turned it over and faced her partner, who shrugged. "Wait a minute," she ordered while unclipping a walkie-talkie from her belt.

"Captain, we've got some sort of detective out here. He has a golden hall pass. Should I let him in?"

"Negative," a crackling voice answered. "I'm coming out."

A moment later the bathroom door swung inwards to reveal Bennett Stone. The tall ninth-grader spotted James, let out a weary sigh, and ducked underneath the crime scene tape. He stopped in front of his subordinates and demanded, "Let me see it."

They offered him the hall pass, and he unclipped a blacklight from his belt. He clicked it on, found a hidden seal on the document, and glared at Jimmy. "Follow me," he growled while leading the genius into a nearby classroom.

Jimmy had expected to be let into the bathroom, but did as Bennett ordered. Once they were both inside the empty space, Bennett pushed the door closed and glared down at the boy. "Did you steal this?"

"No," Jimmy answered. "Clarke asked me to help find the Black Atom."

"Really?" Bennett scoffed. "She chose you of all people?"

"I am a genius. My IQ is-"

"Mm-hmm," Bennett flung the hall pass into Jimmy's chest. "You're also an irresponsible hoodlum. Why in the world would I trust you?"

Jimmy remembered that other than Cindy, Bennett had the most cause to be furious with him. "Look, I am really sorry about-"

"Mailing a bomb that exploded in Ethan's face?" Bennett offered. "Executing me while I begged you not to destroy the school? Nearly losing R.M.S.'s accreditation, which is the only reason we gave up three months of no homework? Shall I keep going?"

"You don't have to," Jimmy mumbled. "I remember."

"Good, because I don't have the stamina to recount all of your malfeasance. Let me be clear on this, Neutron." Bennett took a step closer and jabbed a finger into Jimmy's chest. "You were not my king. You are not my friend. And you will never be someone that I trust. So why should I let you into that crime scene?"

Jimmy wavered a long moment, then said, "Because how you feel about me doesn't matter. The Black Atom's not going to stop. The only way we protect this school is if we all work together."

"That's all you've got to say?"

"That's all you should need to hear."

Bennett mulled that over. "You really want to stop the Black Atom?" When Jimmy nodded, Bennett marched past him and opened the door. "Then come see what you're up against."

Jimmy watched Bennett head back out into the hallway and quickly followed. They both ducked underneath the yellow tape. Once Jimmy breached that barrier, he was greeted by a barrage of flashing lights.

Jimmy waited for his retinas to recover from the cameras. Two seventh-graders were garbed in oversized hazmat suits, taking photos of the chaos before him. Yen Ito, Bennett's partner, crouched in front of one of a half dozen evidence flags.

Bennett crossed his arms and let James take in the scene. "In all my weeks on the force, this is the most brutal crime I've ever witnessed."

Jimmy stared at the flags and felt his stomach twist.

A broken mirror smeared with a grimy handprint.

Shards of glass amidst drops of blood.

A hole in the drywall.

The stall door hanging by one hinge.

Ten claw marks on the floor.

A torn waistband, trailing white fabric splotched with red.

Jimmy spun away and felt bile lurch in his throat. "This is sick."

Yen rose to her feet and joined the boys. "Welcome to the east wing, kid. If you're gonna work here, you better steel your stomach."

"Or you can go," Bennett offered. "If Clarke's making you do this, I'll tell her you gave it an honest try."

Jimmy stared once more at the blood-stained waistband, grit his teeth, and shook his head. "This can't happen again. I'm not leaving."

Jimmy swore he saw the ghost of a smile on Bennett's lips, but it disappeared in a flash. "Then listen up. The vic was a sixth-grader, one Damien Rift. No witnesses, but we believe-"

"Wait," Jimmy raised a gloved hand. "Damien? From-"

Yen nodded, "Yeah, it's him. The traitor."

Bennett crossed his arms and added, "I always thought he got off too easy. But no kid deserves this." Bennett drummed his fingers and then locked his steely gaze on Jimmy's. "What do you make of the scene?"

Jimmy closed his eyes and breathed deep. He focused on the cool air and envisioned it barreling down his throat, pushing the bile back where it belonged. After a long exhalation, he opened his eyes. The nausea was gone and clarity took its place.

"A struggle," Jimmy approached the sink. It was still moist and smeared with dirt. "Damien was washing his hands. The Black Atom came from behind and started their attack." Jimmy's gaze flitted from the dirty sink to the mirror.

"He kept his wits about him; Damien knew the Black Atom was on the prowl. More than any of the other victims, he was prepared. So he gripped the sink, pushed backwards, and sent the Black Atom into the wall."

"Good," Bennett nodded. "Then?"

Jimmy walked backwards to the hole in the drywall. "The assailant hit the wall hard, but Damien didn't get away. That means the Black Atom knows how to fight," Jimmy took out his notepad and scribbled this down. "They must have kicked him forward. He stumbled and braced himself against the mirror."

Jimmy glanced at the mirror, then at the stall door. "They grappled, causing more damage. Until at some point the Black Atom got the upper hand." Jimmy knelt down beside the claw marks. "This is where it happened." Jimmy looked away and closed his eyes. "With him sprawled helplessly on the floor."

Yen arched an eyebrow. "Not bad, kid. Not bad at all."

Jimmy rose up and asked, "Do you have any leads?"

"We know the Black Atom is targeting bullies," Bennett answered. "And so far, every victim went to Earhart Elementary. We assume the assailant is from there, but don't have a clear suspect yet."

Jimmy soaked that in - it seemed everyone was overwhelmed by the hundreds of possibilities that Earhart boasted. "Where's Damien now?"

Yen answered, "A good Samaritan stumbled on him and shouted for help. Two teachers brought him to the nurse's office. I assume you want to head over there to get a statement?" When Jimmy nodded, Yen unclipped her kit belt's radio.

"Yen," Bennett warned.

The girl ignored him and handed the device to Jimmy. "A quarter of our force is too scared to work their beats," she explained to both of the boys. "The rest have to patrol in pairs to watch each other's butts. We don't have the manpower to deal with this and you know it, Bennett. Besides, he clearly knows what he's doing."

Jimmy accepted the radio and stared at Bennett. The captain ground his teeth before agreeing, "Fine. We'll let you get the statement. Just let us know every detail. We're channel seven."

Jimmy ensured the radio was set to the right frequency. "I'll keep you posted."

"Just hurry," Yen urged. "We don't have long before the Black Atom strikes again."

"Agreed," came a new voice from behind the group. In spite of the horrible scene around him, Jimmy smiled as he turned towards the doorway.

Cindy Vortex stood there, hair tied back in a waterfall braid. "Hope you all don't mind me dropping in, but I think it's time I get my hands dirty."