And now, here's the new chapter for "Nicktoons: The Final Countdown". Last time, Max displayed an incredible power that saved the Nicktoons. But he was reluctant to tell them about it and ran off into DarkEvil's lair. Will the Nicktoons find him before the villains do?

Chapter 13: Dress for Success

In the dark hallways of DarkEvil's hideout in the Chum Bucket, Max was walking by himself with an upset frown on his face. "Why did that have to happen?" he said to himself disgruntled. "It's bad enough everybody saw, but I almost hurt Jimmy and Scottie."

He growled in frustration and fell to his knees. "Why does this have to happen?" he cried out, covering his eyes. "Why can't I do any of this right? I still can't even control my own powers!"

"Max?" a strange voice called out.

Max lifted his head and gasped quietly, recognizing the voice. He stared ahead to see a tall figure standing in the shadows.

"Max, is that you?" the voice from the figure called out once again.

"Dad…" Max said in astonishment as he stood up. "You're here!"

He smiled and laughed merrily as he ran over to Future Jimmy and embraced him in a warm hug as he closed his eyes in joy. His father bent over and returned the hug.

"Oh Max…" he said in a soft tone. "I'm so glad I finally found you…" with his arms gently wrapped around Max's back, his left hand began to turn into a red claw as he spoke, "…and that you're safe."

Meanwhile, the Nicktoons were walking down the halls, trying to find DarkEvil LaserPants and Platform. Jimmy followed the group from behind and seemed to be sulking. Dani was the only one who noticed and walked over with him.

"What's wrong, Jimmy?" she asked, "Upset about Max?"

"Yeah, a bit." Jimmy answered. "I guess I'm just a little nervous since he's by himself in an evil villain's lair, he can be in some serious trouble. I just hope where ever he is he's okay."

Dani smiled a bit. "Guess your fatherly instincts are taking over, huh?"

Jimmy blushed and chuckled sheepishly. "Is it?"

"But quit worrying so much. We all wanna help Max just as much as you do, but we can't do that if your head's not in the game. So use all that brain power you have and lead us to victory."

Jimmy turned his head from her and smirked. "Yeah…I think I will." He then whistled and caught the rest of the group's attention. "Darry, I need you to take everyone and look on ahead to see if you can find anything that might help us."

Darry smiled and nodded, "Sure thing, Jim. You can count on us."

He, Tammy, Tommy, SpongeTron, and SpongeBorg all laughed in excitement and ran down the hall to do as they were ordered. But Timmy walked over to Jimmy with a skeptical look.

"Alright, Neutron, what's the big idea?" Timmy asked with his arms crossed. "What's the point of sending the kids away?"

"It's only for a few minutes. If they get into trouble, they can handle themselves." Jimmy answered as he turned around and began reaching in his backpack until he pulled out his hypercube. "I just need to get ready."

"Get ready for what?" Dani asked, suspiciously. "You need to dress formally to take down a bad guy?"

"Something like that." Jimmy answered as he pulled out a familiar device from his hypercube.

Timmy's eyes widen as he sees the white helmet, gloves, and boots. "No way." he asked in shock. "Is that what I think it is?"

"That's correct." Jimmy responded solemnly as he put on the boots and gloves. "My Neutronic Mech-Suit."

"How long have you had that thing with you?" Timmy demanded to know.

Jimmy answered as he organized the suit. "I had Goddard deliver it to me before we left. I thought it might come in handy."

"But Jimmy," Dani began saying hesitantly. "Does that thing still have those side-effects?"

Jimmy stayed silent and placed the power pack over his back. Timmy yelled out, "Jimmy, you can't do this! We almost lost you the last time you used that thing!"

"I know, Timmy." Jimmy answered as he turned around and placed the helmet on his head. "The only time I ever really use this thing is for urgent situations, and this one certainly calls for it."

Dani got close to him and franticly begged, "Please take it off, Jimmy! We'll think of something else!"

Jimmy moved her away and responded acutely, "I'm sorry, but I can't. This is the only chance we have of standing against DarkEvil when he has Platform." Then he smiled, "Besides, now that I'm older, the effects of the suit shouldn't have a serious toll on me like it did last time."

The two still didn't look convinced until Tammy's voice was heard, "Jimmy!" They turn to see the kids running from down the hall, looking excited about something, "Jimmy, I think we found it!"

But they all stop when they see Jimmy, wearing his Neutronic Mech-Suit. "Hey…" Tommy said with a smile. "Awesome suit!"

"Is that the Mech-Suit?" Tammy asked in the same manner.

Jimmy sheepishly smiled and answered, "Uh- yeah, this is the one."

"Wicked-gnarly, my dad told me about it." Darry said excitedly. "But…he did tell something about it that he didn't like…what was it again?"

None of the kids seemed to notice that SpongeTron was the only one not admiring Jimmy's suit. But Dani soon interrupted them. "Okay, okay, what was it that you wanted to tell us?"

"We found a large door up ahead." Tammy explained. "We think DarkEvil may be behind it, but we didn't wanna check without you guys in case it was."

"Don't worry, guys." Jimmy said with a nod and smile. "We'll take this together. Let's go."

Jimmy led the others down the hall while SpongeTron elbowed Timmy to get his attention. The teen bent down and the robot whispered in his ear, "That mech-suit. It's not THE Neutronic Mech-Suit that can drain the user's life-energy from exertion of power, is it?"

"Yeah…" Timmy responded callously. "Let's just hope that Neutron really is tougher than he used to be."

They soon reached the large steel door that the kids were talking about, and it was closed tightly shut. Darry knocked on it and said, "This is nothing. Dani and I can phase you all in, no problem."

"Wait a second, Dar." Jimmy called out to stop him. "Why don't you let me give it go? It has been a while since I used this thing."

"Aright." Darry said as he excitedly stepped out of Jimmy's way. "Go for it!"

Jimmy walked in front of the door while Dani shouted, "But Jimmy, are you sure?"

"I'll be fine." The genius assured as he placed his gloved-palms on the surface of the doors and closed his eyes. Suddenly, the pack of his suit beeped and door slowly began to budge.

When the doors was now opened a crack, the others stared mystified when the doors suddenly flung open at lightening fast speed, banging against the walls with the hinges almost coming off.

"Whoa!" Tommy shouted in astonishment while his sister smiled. "That was awesome!"

"Totally!" Darry shouted with the same reaction.

Jimmy turned around and moved his arm around to stretch it. "See? Nothing to it."

Timmy, Dani, and SpongeTron all gave a sigh of relief to see their leader and friend was still okay. The group walked in through a small tunnel that led into the room, and once they stepped inside a large room, a familiar cold malicious voice rang out.

"Nicktoons…long time no see."

They look up to see DarkEvil sitting on top of a red chair that was sitting in front of five monitors that was attached to a large device in the middle of the room.

He stared down at the group and continued speaking, "Jimmy Neutron from the past, have you gotten taller? It's been so long I could barely tell." Then he noticed the Darry, SpongeTron, Tammy, and Tommy. "And I see you're with them."

Darry cleared his voice and shouted, "We've got you outnumbered, LaserPants! So tell us where Platform is!"

"'Where Platform is?'" DarkEvil questioned with a laugh. "I don't need to tell you. It's right in front of you."

It now that the group had noticed that the large device that DarkEvil was sitting upon resembled a raygun that looked like the picture Max had drawn of Platform.

"That's Platform." Jimmy realized as he stared at the device in awe.

"Correct." DarkEvil said as he held out the instruction book. "A powerful device created by your own future self. Capable of altering a whole universe to whatever the operator desires. Quite a wonderful toy you made."

"I'm still wondering how he was able to hide something that big down here." Tommy mentioned.

"It doesn't matter anyway!" Tammy shouted out. "Because Platform can only be activated by a code, and without the code, he can use it!"

"A code?" DarkEvil questioned sarcastically. "Oh yes, the only reason I can't get it to work is because it's locked with a security code, and it's only something the creator knows. However…he isn't the only one who knows the code."

Timmy glared at him. "You're not getting your absorbent yellow hands on Max ever! So you might as well give yourself up!"

"I love to break it to you…but I already have." DarkEvil pointed over to the left, and the group followed his finger to see Max laying down unconscious on a table with his body chained up and was unconscious.

"MAX!" they all shouted.

Jimmy tried to rush over to him with SpongeBorg, but SpongeCogs 8, 10, and 13 jump out in front of the table and block him from taking another step. SpongeBorg shivered behind Jimmy's legs.

"That's right, squishies!" SpongeCog taunted as he too stepped out in front of them. "The Target is ours now and Platform belongs to my master!"

Jimmy gritted his teeth and stepped forward. "Give him back or you'll be sorry!"

"Oh really?" SpongeCog asked skeptically. "With what? Your battle suit? I'm not gonna let that thing defeat me like last time."

But SpongeTron quickly ran in between them and held his arms out to defend Jimmy from his evil twin. "No! I won't let you cause Jimmy to over-exert himself!"

"SpongeTron, what are you talking about?" Darry asked, confused by SpongeTron thinking someone like Jimmy could tire himself out by fighting SpongeCog.

But SpongeCog simply laughed and turned his right arm into a raygun and fired at the two. Jimmy quickly rushed in front of SpongeTron and generated a shield from his gloves. SpongeCog growled in frustration, but with lightning fast speed, Jimmy zoomed over and punched the evil robot across the room.

SpongeCog sat up and rubbed his head while Jimmy's hands charge up with electricity. "Time for a blast from your past, Sponge…Cog…" But before he could fire the attack, it powered down and Jimmy suddenly fell on his knee weakly.

"Jimmy!" Dani, Tammy, Timmy, and SpongeTron cry out as they rush over to him.

"What's wrong?" Tammy asked franticly as she held him.

"It's the suit, isn't it?" Timmy realized as he ran over. "You have to take it off!"

"The suit?" Darry questioned until his eyes widen in realization. "Wait a minute, Dad didn't mean that…"

"Don't worry." Jimmy weakly said as he held his head up with a weak smile. "I just have to get used to wearing it."

DarkEvil watched the whole thing from atop Platform and commented, "What a nice performance. You can still stand a chance against my pathetic robot, yet your suit still drains you like a battery. This should be interesting."

Just then, Max began to open his eyes and he looked ahead to notice his past dad and the Nicktoons. "Jimmy?" he asked in a low tone.

"We're not leaving without Max!" Darry shouted to the villain. "So let him go!"

"Oh, I'll let him go." DarkEvil calmly responded. "Once I get that code!"

"I'll never tell you the code!" Max shouted out as he sat up on the table. "I'm keeping my promise to Dad and I'll never break it!"

DarkEvil turned to him and retorted, "I think you will…with a little convincing."

Once Jimmy heard this, he immediately stood up and fiercely reacted, "If you hurt one hair on his head, I'm gonna-" but once he took a step forward, he fell flat on the ground.

"Don't fret, Neutron. I'm not gonna kill him." DarkEvil pointed out. "After all, I can't get the code if he's dead. Plus I can't get the code if you're all in the way." He snapped his fingers and said, "8 and 13, take them to the prison hold." He pointed to SpongeCog, "You and 10 stay here and help me."

Timmy and Darry pull the semi-conscious Jimmy up over their shoulders and SpongeCogs 13 and 8 push the group out the door. But as he went out, SpongeBorg turned his head backwards and stared at Max, trying to look strong, despite knowing what he was about to face.

If there's one way to make a person confess, it's torture mwa-ha-ha-ha! But not on Max! NO! Please review what you think so far.