Chapter 2: The Mission

"OK, tell 'em, Carl!" Sheen exclaimed, slapping Carl on the back.

"Ow! But, Sheen…"

"Just tell us why we're here!" Cindy cut in.

"Well, uh…you know how Sheen said Jimmy went to that…um… planet with the really long name?" Carl started hesitantly.

"It's Quarvilsnoditch!" Sheen offered.

Libby gave Sheen a strange look, then slowly answered Carl without moving her eyes off Sheen. "Uh-huh…"

"Well, he didn't," Carl said.

"What a surprise! I was sure he'd left to battle the space monkeys!" Cindy interjected sarcastically.

"He went to an uncharted island in the Pacific Ocean," Carl explained.

"What's he doing there?" Cindy asked.

Carl began twiddling his thumbs nervously. "Um…I think he's rescuing Jet Fusion…from Beautiful Gorgeous. IT'S NOT MY FAULT HE WENT ON A DANGEROUS MISSION BY HIMSELF!" he burst out.

Sheen held his hands together and gazed up at the sky dramatically. "Ah, Beautiful Gorgeous! The most beautifully gorgeous villain that ever lived! The most loveliest—"

Libby interrupted again. "Sheen, you're gonna get it if you don't CUT IT OUT!"

Once more, Sheen was silenced.

"Why is he rescuing Jet Fusion again?" Cindy demanded.

"Because Jet Fusion was captured again!" Sheen raised his voice melodramatically. "Why must the good become hostages to the forces of evil?!"

"You're hopeless," Libby muttered.

"So, what does it matter to us if Nerdtron's on some unknown island rescuing Jet Fusion?" Cindy questioned.

"He said if he didn't come back in two days to go help him!" Sheen replied.

Cindy smiled gloatingly. "You mean Neutron needs OUR help?"

Libby placed her hand on her hip and raised one eyebrow. "So why aren't you guys helpin' him?"

Carl looked down at his feet. "Well, we didn't know how to start his new invention."

"Carl!" Sheen reproved. "You're just scared!"

"Am not!"

"What makes you think we'd go out into the middle of the ocean with you two idiots to help King Cranium?" Cindy broke in.

"Girl, ya know ya can't just walk away," Libby pointed out, then turned to Sheen. "OK, Sheen, show us Jimmy's invention."

"TO THE LAB!" Sheen cried.

"Are ya ever gonna stop doin' that?" Libby asked impatiently.

Sheen bowed to her. "If you want me to, my sweet."

"Let's just go," she responded.

In the lab, Sheen approached a machine similar to the hovercar, except that it was larger, was completely enclosed in glass, and didn't look like a giant inner tube. Libby and Cindy studied it while Sheen rubbed its shiny surface.)

"Wow, that's amazin'!" Libby exclaimed. "What is it?"

"It's like Jimmy's submarine; only it's a hovercar too! He calls it the Hover-Sub 9000," Sheen explained.

"So, he's still coming up with those stupid names," Cindy commented.

"Why didn't he take this with him?" Libby wondered.

"He said it wasn't done yet," answered Carl.

"And we're going to ride in an UNFINISHED machine?!" Cindy cried. "Neutron's COMPLETED inventions almost kill us every day, and now we're going to use THIS?!"

"Relax, what's the big deal? I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle!" Sheen leaned against the Hover-Sub, tipping it to one side. With a giant crash, the whole machine fell over and smashed into the floor! Cindy and Libby stared wide-eyed at the destruction Sheen had just wreaked.

"He left instructions on how to finish it," Carl offered. "They're programmed into Goddard."

"He left Goddard too?" Libby asked in surprise.

"He had to in case we had to help him," Carl said.

With a clank of his metallic paws, Goddard trotted over to the four kids and, with his ears perked, sat in front of Libby.

"He told us he left a recording," Carl went on. "We have to access File 282."

Cindy turned to Goddard. "Goddard, access File 282."

The robotic dog immediately pops open his screen and began displaying an image. It was a recording of Commander Baker of the Big Top Secret Organization standing in front of a huge screen in one of BTSO's secret bases and apparently briefing Jimmy on his mission. The kids crowded around to listen.

"As you know," Commander Baker was saying, "Beautiful Gorgeous was once let out of prison early for good behavior. Well…she did it again. And that's not all. This time she's enlisted the help of our very own Jet Fusion!"