Epic battle ensues here…
Chapter 18: My Failsafe
After defeating SpongeCogs 10 and 13, the Nicktoons hurried to the Chum Bucket to find Darry and Max. They walked down the halls with Jimmy leading them. "It's just down this way." Jimmy announced. "Straight ahead I think."
"We're lucky you remember the way, Jimmy." Tammy said with a smile.
As they walked past a left corridor, Tak stopped and said, "Hey, do you guys hear something?"
They all stopped and quietly listened to what Tak pointed out. They soon hear it as well and it almost sounded like a weeping child.
"It sorta sounds like crying." Dani pointed out.
SpongeBorg franticly beeped and went down the hallway where it was coming from. "Max," Jimmy realized and followed the robot.
They rushed down the hall and soon found Max with his face buried into something on the ground. But Max lifted his head when he noticed the Nicktoons approaching.
"Max!" Jimmy shouted as he happily walked over. "Thank goodness we found you, we-" but his smile vanished when he noticed that Max was crying over Darry, who was lying unconsciously on the ground in small puddle of blood running from underneath him.
"AAAH!" Tammy screamed at the sight of it.
Everyone was in just as much shock while Danny quickly went over and bent down, picking up Darry's limp body to see his blood-stain shirt on the left side of his abdomen where his wound was.
"Darry…" Tommy whispered in horror. "No…"
As Danny sat on the ground and held Darry in his arms, he placed his palm on Darry's forehead. "It's okay." He said with a small smile of relief. "The color hasn't completely drained from his face. He's still warm too."
Tak walks over and bends down in front of them. "Then it's not too late. Healing injuries has always been tricky, but I think I can do something."
Jimmy, Timmy, Tommy, and Dani all sigh and smile in relief. But Timmy noticed Tammy standing isolated from everyone with her back turned as she cried. "Tammy," Timmy asked as he walked over and knelt down to her. "What's wrong?"
"I don't want this to happen anymore." Tammy answered as she sobbed. "I can't lose my two best friends. I already lost SpongeTron, and now I'm losing Darry."
As Tammy continued to sob, Timmy placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her. "It's okay, Tammy." He gently said. "You heard Danny and Tak. Darry's gonna be okay. And we WILL get SpongeTron back, so no need to cry, alright?"
Tammy wipes her tears away and attempts to smile before hugging Timmy. "Thank you, Daddy."
As Tak lifted up Darry's shirt to examine his wound, Max slowly backed away and attempted to slip off from everyone unnoticed again. But when he turned around and tried to run, a white gloved-hand grabbed his arm. He looked up and saw Jimmy grasped onto him.
"Running away from your problems won't solve anything, Max." Jimmy sternly told him. "Trust me, I know."
Max turned his head away in embarrassment and yanked his arm out of Jimmy's grip. "What do you know?" he muttered angrily
Jimmy ignored his rude comment and continued to talk to you. "Max, we need you. Platform is very powerful at DarkEvil's hands, and your powers are the only thing that can help us."
SpongeBorg went over to Max's side and beeped something which Max understood. "I can't." Max said in sorrow, "I can't do anything with my powers. I couldn't even help Scottie, and it'll probably be the same with you guys."
"You shouldn't talk like that, Max." Dani said as she bent down to him with a warm smile. "We have faith in you, and you just need to believe in yourself too. We know you can do it. If you're just like your dad, you can do anything."
Max took in her words carefully and soon recalled Darry's last words to him also. SpongeBorg then beeped something to him, to which, Max made a small smile. "Yes, SpongeBorg." He responded, "I'll do that." Then he turned to Jimmy and Dani, and smiled in determination, "And I will show you the way to Platform!"
Dani smiles and Jimmy gets the same expression as Max before turning to the others, "Alright, Danny and Tak, you stay with Darry. The rest of you, follow me."
Jimmy, Max, Timmy, Dani, SpongeBorg, Tammy, and Tommy ran down the hall. When they reached the large doors blocking the room holding Platform, instead of just using the Neutronic Mech-Suit to just open the doors like last time; Jimmy already had enough and decided to just blast a ball of energy at the door and knocked them off the hinges and down to the ground.
"LASERPANTS!" Jimmy shouted in a furious tone.
Up on top of Platform, DarkEvil was unfazed by this as he sat in the operator's seat in front of the screens and controls. "Heroes don't knock." DarkEvil said in a cold cynical tone. "Do they?"
"I hope you enjoyed your hours of playing on the computer, LaserPants," Jimmy said in unwavering tone, "Because we're through playing kids games!"
"I'm afraid the games are just starting, kids." DarkEvil responded in the same cold tone. "You see, I'm unstoppable here and I can control everything and everyone."
"You're drunk with power!" Timmy pointed out to him. "That's what you are up there!"
"Then I prefer hard drinking!" DarkEvil madly shouted back.
"Enough of this, LaserPants!" Jimmy shouted. "You've hurt our friends for the last time!"
"Oh, I'm sorry." DarkEvil sarcastically said as he typed on the keyboard. "Would like to join SpongeBob in nonexistence? Or I can just alter yourselves to make you my servants. Would you prefer to be changed into robots that don't question my demands?" He intimidated them by tapping his finger on the 'enter' key.
"Go ahead," Max said, causing the others to stare at him in surprise. "Do it! I don't care anymore."
"Max, what are you-" Tammy was about to ask until Jimmy stopped her as he watched Max reaching into his back-pocket.
"Everything that happened was because of me." Max continued on in a saddened voice. "I put all the worlds in danger, made everyone fight my battles for me, broke my promise to my dad, gave you the code to unlock Platform, and endangered the life of one of my friends." He sighed deeply. "Well, I'm done with it! If you wanna destroy me, do it! But leave Jimmy and everyone else out of this!"
"Glad you see it my way." DarkEvil said with his finger still over the button. "Any last words before I change your life?"
Max nodded. "I really meant all that. I'm done with it all. Everyone was right. I need to stop running away and believe in myself!" he suddenly pulled out his ray gun and fired a blast of electricity at DarkEvil.
Right before it hit DarkEvil, another blast of light suddenly hit it and explode right in front of DarkEvil, leaving him unharmed. The Nicktoons were shocked by this, and see the second blast came from SpongeCog, who was standing in front of Platform with SpongeCog 8.
"I wanted to eliminate all of you anyway." DarkEvil said before pushing the button to fire a long ray at the Nicktoons, who just stood there motionless.
Out in the hallway, the crystal on Tak's staff glowed as he held it onto Darry's stomach as the ghost boy laid unconsciously in Danny's arms. Soon, Darry's wound suddenly disappeared and Tak pulled away his staff.
"I managed to stop the bleeding." Tak told Danny. "But he should still see a doctor after this."
"Thanks Tak." Danny said with a grateful smile. "I don't know what we would've done without you."
Suddenly, they heard Darry quietly moan and slowly open his eyes to see Danny's face looking down at him. "…Dad?" he said quietly.
"Darry," Danny said in relief as he smiled as he pulled Darry closer in embrace. "I was afraid I'd lost you."
Darry smiled, but then glanced around to see no one but him, Danny, and Tak around in the dark hallway. "Where…where's Max?" Darry asked, now looking worried.
"It's okay." Danny assured. "Max is with Jimmy and the others. They went to stop DarkEvil."
Darry was about to stand up until Tak pushed him back down in Danny's arms. "You shouldn't try to move around." Tak told him. "You're still pretty weak, so you have to relax for a few minutes."
"But we can't just sit here." Darry complained as he sat up again. "Max needs me and we have to help stop DarkEvil."
"We know, Darry." Danny agreed. "But we can't lose you again. You're not going out there…without us."
Darry seemed a little stun, but ultimately smiled. Tak did the same thing as he watched.
"How good are you with Ghost Rays?" Danny asked his future son.
Jimmy, Timmy, Dani, Tammy, Tommy, and SpongeBorg were all huddled together after DarkEvil fired a ray at them from Platform. But Jimmy suddenly opened his eyes to realize they were okay- and inside a blue orb of energy. He looked down to notice Max was the one who generated it with his psychic powers to protect them.
"Max!" Jimmy cried out as the younger boy deactivated his shield and fell to his knees in exhaustion. He knelt down and grabbed a hold of him. "You saved us."
Max scowled at him and asked, "Did you want me to let you guys get killed?"
Tommy glared at him as well. "Do you want us to not thank you?"
From atop of Platform, DarkEvil snarks, "So, Genius Boy Jr. wants to play rough, does he? Well, I'm ready."
He snapped his fingers, to which, SpongeCog and SpongeCog 8 jumped out and attacked the Nicktoons. "Look out!" Jimmy warned as he and the others split up to avoid the attack.
SpongeCog jumped in front of Tommy. "Where's your friendly robot buddy, squishy?" he asked mockingly, "Or your annoying half-ghost friend?"
At this, Tommy growled furiously for his fallen friends and swung his laser rifle at him which SpongeCog simply dodged. The robot then slid behind Tommy and tried to strike him from behind with his claws. But Tammy quickly wrapped her jump rope around his arm, and Dani flew downward and gave him a hard punch away from the twins.
Max was about to fire his spark gun at SpongeCog 8, but the robot rapidly swung his sword at the boy, knocking the weapon out his hand as he yelped in fright. Timmy tried to defend him with his giant hammer, but it was difficult with 8 thrashing two of his swords at him. Jimmy quickly rushed by and grabbed Max out of harm's way, letting Timmy jump away from SpongeCog 8's swing of his sword
"Jimmy…" Max said in a low tone as he stood in front of Jimmy while the genius crouched down to his height. "I can't keep putting everyone in danger for my sake."
"Don't feel that way, Max." Jimmy assured him. "We just need-"
"No! You protected me all this time, and now I want to protect you." Max said, catching Jimmy be surprise.
"I'll give you the kill code and I'll make sure you get to Platform in order to stop this mess."
Jimmy smirked in satisfaction. "That's what I like to hear."
But then, SpongeCog 8 approached Jimmy from behind with only Max noticing. "Neutron!" he cried out in warning.
When Jimmy turned around, SpongeCog 8 swung his sword at the genius and it turned into a bouquet of flowers. "What?" the robot questioned as his eyes widen.
Jimmy and Max turned their heads to see Danny, Darry and Tak who had his staff pointed out. "Four hands against two ain't fair." Tak quipped.
"Guys!" Timmy shouted in joy.
"Darry!" Tammy and Tommy cried out in joy to see their friend was okay.
SpongeCog chuckled cruelly at seeing this. "You think more of you meatbags would make a difference?"
"I think it would." Darry responded before grunting in pain and holding his side from where his injury used to be. Danny held him up until Darry felt well enough to stand on his own.
Jimmy glanced at Platform, and then at Max. "Max, I need you to cover me while I head to Platform."
"Me?" Max asked in surprise. "Cover you?"
"Yes," Jimmy responded. "I'll need all the power I have in my suit when I reach the top. But with your powers, I know for certain you can get me there safely."
Max looked uncertain for a bit. "You…you really think I can do it?"
Jimmy knelt down and placed a gentle hand on Max's shoulder. "I wouldn't want anyone else covering my back on this mission other than you. Son."
Max stared wide-eyed in astonishment while Jimmy stood up and shouted, "Danny! You and the others take care of the robots! Max is with me!" his friends nodded in agreement while Jimmy shouted enthusiastically, "Nicktoons…UNITE!" for the first time since they were brought back together.
SpongeCog 8 stuck his swords out and prepared to attack the Nicktoons. Danny stood his ground and shouted, "Darry, hit me with one of your ghost rays!"
Timmy heard this and shouted, "Are you nuts? He'll knock you off your feet!"
"He couldn't even if he tried."
"Trust my dad, Timmy." Darry assured as he charged up energy in his hand. "I do."
As SpongeCog 8 neared Danny, Danielle shouted, "Hurry, Darry!"
Darry fired an ecto-beam from both his hands that flew straight at Danny. But the older half-ghost didn't even flinch and just stuck out his arm and absorbed the blow into his hand, which then began to glow brightly. He brought both arms together and his other hand began to glow green. He hastily turned toward SpongeCog 8 and threw the blast at the robot, hitting him hard and knocking him down.
Danny approached the fallen SpongeCog 8, who writhed and sparked from the blast at Danny's feet. "Hit me once and I'll throw it back twice as hard." He said, explaining his previous attack, "Only this time, I'll throw it at you…twice as hard."
Jimmy and Max ran toward Platform, and to pick up the pace, Jimmy picked up Max and used his rocket boots to fly them toward the machine. DarkEvil spotted them and typed on the keyboard, firing a ray at them from Platform. Max closed his eyes and generated a shield which absorbed the blast from the machine. The two reached the ladder to Platform and Jimmy quickly grabs it with one hand, swinging Max by his arm in his other hand until the younger boy grabs a hold of the ladder.
They wasted no time in climbing up, and were noticed by SpongeCog, who prepared to fire a laser at them until Timmy smashed him away with his giant hammer just as he fired. The blast missed its targets, but blew apart half the ladder, dividing Jimmy and Max from each other. Jimmy stopped to see what happened, but Max just shouted to him, "Keep going!"
Jimmy obeyed and kept climbing. Once he reached the top of the giant machine, he tried to pull himself on the ledge. But he suddenly felt his fingers crushed underneath a black boot.
He looked up to see DarkEvil standing over him, looking more threatening than Jimmy ever saw him.
"Sorry." DarkEvil coldly commented to Jimmy. "Only room for one."
He attempted to kick Jimmy off the edge, but Jimmy quickly grabbed a hold of DarkEvil's ankle. "Go back to trying to live a normal life." DarkEvil suggested. "You only have less than a day to try." He proceeded to shake his leg and kick Jimmy off the machine.
Thinking he had finally gotten rid of the nuisance, DarkEvil turned back to the computers. Before he could do anything a voice rang out. "What normal life?"
He turned and saw Jimmy swing down from the top of the dome and land next to seat beside DarkEvil. "As long as it took me to understand, I was never normal to begin with." Jimmy explained. "I'm a scientist, a genius, and a Nicktoon. I'm constantly inventing new things to aid in everyday life only for me to go on some dangerous adventure and deal with the consequences of said invention that in a five percent chance it has begun malfunction…That is my normal life."
DarkEvil responded by pulling out his beamsword and attempting to strike Jimmy down. The genius quickly reacted by grabbing the blade with his right hand. His glove began to singe as he gripped the blade. Jimmy, not wanting his glove to be burned through all the way to his skin, grunted as he used all the strength his mech-suit was giving him to lift DarkEvil off his feet while the sponge still gripped on the heel of the sword (though it wasn't hard, considering how much the villain really weighed).
"What?" DarkEvil questioned in shock before he was swung over to the ledge and Jimmy let go of the beamsword. DarkEvil began to scream as he plummets all the way to the bottom of Platform.
Jimmy watched as the sponge eventually hit the bottom until he heard Max's voice in his head, 'Jimmy!' He looked over the other side to see Max still hanging on to the ladder below. Max reached into his pocket and pulled out a USB drive which he tossed up to Jimmy. He realized it was the one with the very kill code he needed. He looked down to Max with a grateful smile, which Max returned with a smirk, 'You better finish this.' Max's thoughts echoed before he slid down the ladder to the bottom.
Jimmy sat in the seat in front of the computer and inserts the USB into the drive. He begins typing on the keyboard until a message appears on the front screen "accept code?"
"Previous commands listed over the last 24 hours: Disengage!" Jimmy said out loud before slamming the 'enter' key with his finger.
Platform began to power up again, and everyone stopped to see a large beam of light forming in the satellite on the tip of the machine. A bright ray of light suddenly fired into the air and began to engulf the entire room just like it did last time. Outside where the light began to fade, Bikini Bottom was suddenly restored to his former glory; the ocean was bright and blue and the city was back to its well-kept original state.
Inside the Chum Bucket, the light disappeared and the heroes lowered their hands from their eyes when they noticed it was over. There was nothing around them to let know whether the machine had succeeded or not. But suddenly a pixilated light appeared next to them and began to take shape. It had formed into none other than SpongeBob SquarePants, whose existence was brought back by the machine.
"SPONGEBOB!" they all cried as Timmy, Danny, and Tak ran over to their restored teammate. SpongeBob smiled gleefully and wasted no time in hugging them for joy. Jimmy watched the event from the top of Platform as he smiled in content.
But at the bottom, DarkEvil was waking up on the ground after losing consciousness (as well as his mask) from his high drop off the machine. He noticed SpongeBob's return and stood up in shock. "No!" he yelled out. "It can't be! Everything I worked for ruined by you little brats!" he takes out his beamsword and activates it. "Just wait till I get up there!"
Jimmy glared down at him and faced the monitors on Platform before he began typing rapidly on the keyboard. "I don't think so, LaserPants." He responded with a smirk. "In fact, I think it's time you went where you belonged." He pushed the 'enter' key and a ray shot out of the machine, right at DarkEvil LaserPants. "…out of the timeline…and out of existence."
DarkEvil stood still for a moment until he noticed his right hand becoming pixilated and beginning to fade away. "No." he then noticed his lower body doing the same as it traveled upward. "NOOOOO!"
The rest of the Nicktoons stare in awe and shock as DarkEvil's body disappeared and faded away into nothingness. They weren't the only ones witnessing this however. From behind the group, SpongeCog looked in despair and horror to see his creator leave existence.
"Master!" SpongeCog cried out until his body suddenly began to power down. He glared up at Jimmy and began to use the last of his energy to draw his laser rifle and aim up at Jimmy.
"Hey!" Timmy noticed as he ran over.
But SpongeCog had already fired a laser right before falling back on the ground in deactivation. The blast flew through the air and straight toward the operator's seat. Jimmy only noticed too little too late and the blast struck him, knocking him right from the top of the machine.
"NO!" Dani cried as she watched him fall.
Max watched in horror as Jimmy hit the ground and lied there unconscious. He rushed over and stood a few feet away, expecting Jimmy to instantly wake up as soon as he got close enough. "Jimmy?" he squeaked nervously.
He panted nervously until the others approached him. "Jimmy!" Tammy cried out until she noticed how disturbed Max was. "…Max."
SpongeBorg placed a gentle claw on him, only to be swatted away by Max, who suddenly cried out loud and ran away from the group. "AAAH!" he stopped near the middle of the room and doubled-over. "It can't be this way- no, it's not! Why can't anything ever turn out right? WHY?"
He held his head in agony, and the discarded objects around him suddenly began to lift on their own accord. The Nicktoons saw this, and Timmy tried approach him, "Max, stop!" but before he could go any further, a weapon suddenly flung forward, nearly hitting him.
Other random objects in the room suddenly began to fling in various directions, smashing against the walls. As Max continued to cry, the ground beneath him began to crack and crumble until a type of electric force-field surrounded him, cutting him off from everything as he sat there, holding his head in despair.
"Max?" Tommy asked as he watched everything in shock.
"Can you hear us?" Darry called out to him, but Max did not respond or even acknowledge him.
Suddenly, they hear groaning and turn to see Jimmy coming back to consciousness in the arms of Dani.
"Jimmy!" Tammy cried in joy as she hugged him tightly. "You're alive!"
"Wha…" Jimmy moaned as he held his head.
"How do you feel?" Danny asked.
"Just a little banged up, I think." Jimmy answered weakly until his eyes widen when he notices Max.
By now, Max suddenly began to levitate in his own force-field, crouching in the same position, as his powers began to break apart the ceiling and floor tiles. SpongeBorg lifted his arms up and wailed at the sight of his best friend.
"What's going on?" Jimmy asked as he struggled to stand up with the aid of Dani. "What's happening?"
"His powers are going out of control." Tak explained. "He must've activated them somehow when he freaked out about what happened to you."
As Max's powers began to grow in destruction and become hazardous to those nearby. Jimmy called out to him at the top of his lungs, "MAX!" he yelled, cupping his mouth. "IT'S JIMMY! YOU GOTTA CALM DOWN! WE'RE RIGHT HERE! AND SO AM I!"
But like last time, Max didn't respond to the sound of anyone's calls. Max's telekinesis lifted up a metal table and threw it towards the group. Danny and Darry quickly turned those at harm's way intangible. Darry looked toward Max and began running toward him. "We gotta help him!" he said as he ran.
"Darry, wait!" Danny tried to warn.
But as soon as Darry reached the force-field, the minute he ran into it, he received an electric shock and screamed in pain as he was flung backwards to the group.
"Darry!" Tammy and Tommy shouted as they went over to them.
"You okay?" Danny asked as he bent down to him.
But Darry didn't respond and instead grunted as he held the sides of his head. "Jimmy…" Darry muttered. "Please…" his voice began to grow louder. "…help me."
"Darry?" Jimmy asked in confusion. "What are you saying?"
"I'M NOT SCOTTIE, YOU IDIOT!" Darry suddenly shouted in anger and frustration. "WHAT ARE YOU? BLIND?"
Jimmy immediately recognized this anger, and quickly realized that he wasn't talking to Darry, but Max- telepathically through Darry.
"What?" Jimmy asked in shock as he bent down and grabbed Darry's shoulders. "Max? Is that you?"
Darry began to sniffle as if he were about to cry. "Please Jimmy. You gotta help me. I didn't mean to do any of this. I can't stop. So please…help me."
Jimmy narrowed his eyes in determination and responded, "Don't worry, Max. I'll save you no matter what it takes."
Darry suddenly opened his eyes and noticed Jimmy gripping his shoulders. "What are you talking about?" he asked in confusion.
Jimmy stood up and flexed his fingers as he eyed Max trapped within his own powers. "You're gonna use your suit to get through, are you?" Danny realized.
"It's the only way." Jimmy solemnly answered.
"Just promise to come back, okay?" SpongeBob requested with a smile. "Both of you."
Jimmy smiled and nodded, and began walking toward Max. When he reached the force-field, he poked it once and received a small shock on his finger. He shook the electricity off his finger, and the pack of his suit beeped once. He shoved both his gloved-hands through the force-field, and slowly began to tear through the psychic force-field. Once he tore open a hole big enough, he leapt through it before it closed up behind him.
The minute he was inside, a psychic force began to lift him off his feet. Jimmy yelped as he was flung up into the air, but thinking quickly, he grabbed a hold of Max's shoulder.
"Max!" Jimmy called as he gripped to his future son. "Max, it's me, Jimmy!"
"J-J-Jimmy?" Max muttered as Jimmy pulled himself close to Max and wrapped his arms around him.
"It's okay, Max." Jimmy gently said as he held Max closely in embrace. "I'm here. You'll never be alone."
After hearing these words, Max removed his hands from his head as his sadness and despair seemed to settle down. Jimmy and Max descend back to the ground and the force-field disappeared with everything around them becoming still. The Nicktoons ran over to Jimmy and see Max lying in peaceful sleep in Jimmy's arms.
"Jimmy, you did it." Tammy said happily. "Max is okay."
"Yeah…I guess I did." Jimmy said with a worn out smile until his eyes slowly close and he fell back.
Danny and Tak quickly caught him, and Timmy began to franticly shake his shoulders. "Jimmy! Jimmy, can you hear me?" he asked franticly. "Jimmy? JIMMY!"
But Jimmy was unresponsive and continued to lie there just as motionless as his future son- if not more. Will his fate be the same as the last time he used his mech-suit to full capacity?
Oh, don't worry. There's another chapter to go. Do you think Jimmy will die like last time? Please review what you think and watch out for the last chapter.