Chapter 5: Everyone's Lost Their Minds:
Jackie's POV:
We were all in a lab in Section 13, witnessing a scientist working on their latest invention. His name was Dr. Hieronymous Neugog.
"With ziss helmet, I should be able to increase my own mental ability!"
"Mental is correct," says Uncle.
"Could it also make you psychic," asks Jade.
"No such thing as psychic abilities," says Uncle.
"Tell that to the X-Men," says Dil.
Even Uncle had to agree that it was a good point.
We didn't know it at the time, but a spider was crawling up Jade's leg. Jade then notices it and grabs it.
"Unless you can give me Spider-Man like powers," says Jade, "you better leave."
Jade then throws the spider, but she throws it right at Dr. Neugog. Then everything started going crazy and we all had to leave as there was an explosion.
After the explosion, Captain Black goes to check on Dr. Neugog, but when he comes back...
"There's no sign of him," says Captain Black.
"I wonder what happened," says Tommy.
Jade was not eyeballing anyone.
Dr. Neugog's POV:
I ahm not dead. But vhen I opened my eyes, I couldn't beliefe vhat has happened. I ahm no longer human. I seem to now hafe some similarities to a shpider. I started crawling through der fents, vhich are a lot bigger zan I zought. anyvay, I started defeloping a hunger I hafe nefer felt before. Vhat vas it? Vhat fas I hungry for? I zen continued ahnd zen I found a mysterious shcent. Vhatefer it vas, I vas ahddicted to it. I had to follow it. Perhaps ziss fas connected to my hunger. I zen found der source, kepler. Zen, I realized I had a second mouth, ahnd a strange tongue came out of it, ahnd it ahttached itself to kepler. Zen, I had a strange feeling ahnd now I know zat it is. I vas taking his mind. Zat's zat I'm hungry for, brains ahnd I must hafe more!
Jackie's POV:
We were all in the med bay, checking on Kepler.
"How is he," asks Captain Black.
"This may sound strange," says the Doctor, "but it seems he literally lost his mind."
"Duh, guh, uh," that was all Kepler could say.
"That's... disturbing," I said.
"What could have done this," asks Captain Black.
"Maybe it was the Big Man," says Jade, "or the Grundel."
"First of all," says Captain Black, "the Big Man couldn't be able to get in, and second, there is no such thing as a Grundel."
"Something happened," says Uncle, "Uncle will do research!"
Uncle's POV:
Aiiee-yaaaahh! Uncle can't seem to find anything! There is nothing about a creature that turns you into a babbling idiot! Nothing in the books! But what else could it be? Uncle then heard something from the vents. Uncle looked and saw the big bug man.
"Hello," it says.
Uncle then gasps. "DR. NEUGOG SURVIVED THE EXPLOSION AND HAS TRANSFORMED INTO A GIANT BRAIN EATING MUTANT SPIDER!"
"Vell, good guess."
Neugog was about to take Uncle's brain.
"You want a piece of Uncle?"
"Ahs a matter of fact, I do."
Uncle fought off Neugog's tongue as best Uncle could, but the tongue managed to grab Uncle, so Uncle tries to write a note...
?'s POV:
I watch as the creature I created feeds on the Chi Wizard. Bah, Chi Magic. My identical older twin sister was a Sorcerer Supreme who trained both Steven Strange and Reginald Hex.
I purposely led the spider to that girl and watched her throw it to the spider and watch the machine transform and mutate Dr. Hieronymous Neugog.
And soon, I shall have him feed on the mind of the granddaughter of my 'dearest' twin sister.
Jackie's POV:
We all found Uncle in Section 13's library.
"Duh, guh, uh," just like Kepler.
"Check out this note I found," says Jade, "it says 'Neu'."
"What could that mean," I asked.
We were all walking out, but then I heard a voice.
"Jackie." I looked around and saw no one. "Don't be ahfraid. I'm your friend. I need you to do a little fafor for me. I vould like you to get me... a brain!" I tried to resist. "Just find me someone vith a good amount of intelligence. I ahlready got kepler's shcientific knowledge ahnd your uncle's knowledge of der ahncient vays, but I must hafe more! come on, be a pal." I couldn't fight it off any longer. Whoever or whatever it was, my mind now belongs to it. "Good Jackie."
Jade's POV:
I walked into Dr. Neugog's lab. I wonder if I should tell someone I caused that explosion. If I do, I'll be grounded until I'm Uncle's age. I probably shouldn't mention it. I then saw Jackie looking like a zombie. He was talking to Susie.
"You found the thing that's doing this," asks Susie.
"Yes," says Jackie, "follow me."
"Okay then."
Susie then follows Jackie.
"Okay, something's going on," I said.
. . .
I secretly followed them then. We were in Section 13's gym. Then I saw the thing. It was a big spider thing that was on the wall, looking like it was sitting on a throne.
"What is that thing," asks Susie.
The thing then got out its tongue and it looked like it was sniffing Susie.
"Yes, you are quite a bright girl," the thing says. Where have I heard that voice before?
"Who... what are you," asks Susie.
"I vas Dr. Neugog, but now I ahm more! You can call me, Long Tongue-Brain Eating-Mind Controlling-Shpider-Sing!"
"How'bout we just stick with Neugog," suggests Susie.
"Ahlright."
"So, the explosion didn't kill you, it just turned you into this... thing!"
"You seem to be taking ziss vell," says Neugog.
"With magic talismans and kid manipulating demons, this is just another weird thing."
"Vell, I'm going to let you in on a secret. I'm going to eat your brain."
"Not on my watch," I said.
"Vell, if it isn't Jackie's niece. Vhat are you going to do to stop me?"
"Hey, you should do what I said... because I... I kind of created... you."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm with Neugog on this one," says Susie. "Jade, what did you do?"
"Funny story, I kind of threw a spider right at you while you were wearing your helmet."
"You couldn't have just pushed it away," says Susie.
"Vell, isn't ziss interesting. Zat explains der shpider like traits. I must'fe merged vith it."
"Doesn't explain the tongue," says Susie.
"Probably just a mutant sing. Oh vell, now, let's get back to business!"
I tried to stop Neugog, but Jackie grabbed me. It's like he was under Neugog's control.
"Jackie, you gotta fight it! Don't let this thing control you! He's going to eat Susie's brain if you don't stop him!" Jackie looked like he was struggling. "Jackie?"
"Too late, child! Your dear uncle is my puppet!"
Jackie then puts me down and jumps and kicks Neugog. Jackie then grabs Susie and me and runs. "I'm sorry, I can't bring Susie's brain back. Thank you!"
Neugog then chased after us.
Jackie's POV:
Well, I'm back in control and Jade, Susie, and I were in the vault. Jade told us everything.
"I'll ground you after we get rid of Neugog," I said.
"But how," asks Susie.
"Simple," I said, "we outsmart the Brain Eater."
. . .
Here's what we did, first, I lure Neugog into a trap.
"Neugog, I can see why you want brains," I said, "because you have very little yourself!"
"How dare you, Mr. Chan? I ahm der smartest shcientist section 13 has efer had! Why, der others are jealous of me. Get back here!"
Neugog then chased me into the vault, where Jade was waiting with the Monkey Talisman.
"Parrot," shouts Jade.
Neugog then became a literal bird brain.
"Refenge," Neugog squacked, "refenge!"
. . .
Neugog was back to his mutated spider self while Kepler and Uncle had their brains back... kind of.
"Why do I smell like garlic," says Kepler in Uncle's body.
"Garlic is good for you," says Uncle in Kepler's body, "one more thing, WHY IS UNCLE NOT UNCLE!?"
"So, does this convince you magic's real," asks Jade.
"A monster born from science is supposed to convince me magic is real," asks Captain Black.
"But we turned him to a parrot," says Jade.
"We turned him back before the Captain came in," says Susie.
Neugog was then taken away, and the scientists were trying to figure out how to help Uncle and Kepler.
"By the way, Jade, you are grounded until you are Uncle's age," I said.
"Well, guess Neugog and me are both prisoners," says Jade.
?'s POV:
That child is smart. Even though she's just a child, she managed to free her uncle from his mind control. I have a feeling that we'll become adversaries in the future.
In the next chapter, Phil decides to play around with the Rabbit Talisman.