Chapter VIII: A Must-See Invitation
Libby had fallen asleep, but Cindy was still awake, driving the hoverboard. They had several packages of Mora Flora with them, and Cindy had already drunk half of them. Goddard was alert at the front and was in charge of passing Cindy any soda she asked for.
"Thanks, Goddard," said Cindy, receiving an opened can. "I can't believe your owner loves getting involved in these things."
The dog barked in response.
"And I can't believe I'm talking to you… I must be losing my mind. Well, now that we're practically alone and on our way to rescue Neutron, tell me, Goddard, any interesting gossip about Jimmy that will keep me awake?"
Goddard closed his mouth and screwed it shut with a robotic hand that emerged from his back.
"Oh, come on, Goddard. I need to stay awake. How about you tell me… what does Jimmy say about me, huh? Does he think I'm the smartest girl he's ever met?"
Goddard remained silent.
"Or maybe that… I'm too pretty, smart, and popular for him?"
Goddard remained motionless.
"Oh! Don't tell me he only talks about Betty Quinlan!" she said desperately, and Goddard began to bark. Cindy turned her head towards the dog with annoyance. "What?! Are you serious?!"
But then, Cindy saw how Goddard pointed forward, and she turned back. In front of them was an island with a huge cliff rising in the middle. Startled, Cindy lost control of the craft, and it began to sway, waking up all the passengers.
"Cindy! What's happening?" shouted Libby.
"I-I don't know! We're losing altitude and the controls aren't responding! Turn on, stupid thing!"
"Cindy! We're going to crash!" screamed Britney.
"No, we're not!" Cindy said, although in reality they were very close to the cliff and she couldn't control the craft: the impact was imminent. Suddenly, they saw a ship quickly emerge from a secret gate on the cliff's slope, and in an instant, the girls stopped advancing. They all closed their eyes, and when they opened them, they saw they were floating a few centimeters from the wall.
"What's happening?" asked Britney.
"We've been captured!" cried Nissa, on the verge of tears. Then, the hoverboard began to ascend without anyone touching the controls.
"I think they're… towing us with a laser beam," said Cindy. "It's the same principle as Neutron's Gravitrack."
"And what are they going to do to us?" asked Amber fearfully, as the tractor beam dragged them up the cliff and, for some reason, they were feeling increasingly hot.
"I think I know!" said Libby with a trembling voice. They all looked down and screamed. The cliff was not so but an enormous volcano, and they were hovering over the crater, about to be immersed in the boiling lava.
Cindy couldn't believe what was happening. Her entire mission, and with it Jimmy's life, was now lost. All her efforts had been in vain. Cindy decided she was too strong to cry but not strong enough to seek her friends' embrace. All the girls closed their eyes, and then they felt a jolt on the floor. The hoverboard had touched solid ground. They opened their eyes abruptly and realized that the craft hovering above their heads had saved them from the collision and taken them through a secret entrance in the volcano's crater.
The laser beam turned off, and the girls could see everything clearly. They were in a large room of metallic gray, decorated in a minimalist style with some exotic plants in the corners. Behind them, the walls, made of some glass-like resistant material, resembled lava fountains because they had been built right in the heart of the volcano. They felt like they were in the lobby of a luxury hotel. Goddard hurried to land, but they took their time, marveling at their surroundings. Then, large doors opened in front of them. Cindy positioned herself in front of all of them with Goddard by her side. The others, following Cindy's lead, also assumed a combat stance.
"Welcome, dear friends!" said the woman behind the doors. "But why such faces? Oh, of course, we haven't properly introduced ourselves. I'm Beautiful Gorgeous."
"Yeah? I don't see it" Cindy scoffed, and her friends laughed in response. Beautiful Gorgeous changed her pleasant expression to one of anger. At that moment, one by one, the ninjas began to enter and stood behind the villain. All the girls began to tremble with fear, except Cindy.
"We know who you are," Cindy said. "Hand over Jimmy, and no one will be harmed."
Her friends nodded, but Beautiful Gorgeous burst into laughter.
"You must be Cindy. Hmm… He was right, you do seem like a strong kind of girl," said Beautiful Gorgeous, condescendingly, causing Cindy to become nervous. "And a born leader, I see. Now I understand why Neutron dares to compare himself to you."
Cindy was stunned by the comment but didn't let her attitude betray her. However, Beautiful Gorgeous, who was also quite clever, guessed Cindy's thoughts.
"Oh yes… Neutron has told me a lot about you. And precisely because of that, my dear, I think you and I have a lot to talk about," she said, approaching her and placing a hand on her shoulder. Goddard growled but did not attack, remaining alert to what might happen.
"He… Has he talked to you about me?" asked Cindy, not hiding her weakness regarding what Jimmy thought of her.
"Of course he has. Girls!" Beautiful Gorgeous commanded her team of ninjas. "Take these young ladies to the Entertainment Room. They must be very tired from the journey. Make sure the servants treat them well! I will stay with this brilliant young lady. I believe I have information that you will find useful."
The ninjas began offering apple juice and gourmet snacks to the girls as they led them out, and all started accepting gladly. However, Libby, distrustful, remained there.
"Cindy, don't go with her!" she whispered in her friend's ear.
At that moment, one of the ninjas approached her and asked, "Excuse me, miss, what kind of music do you suggest to improve your stay and that of your friends here?"
Libby's eyes lit up, and she said, "You know what? I don't think they're that bad. Come here, ninja friend! I have a few things in mind," said the girl. Then she turned to Cindy and adopted a more serious tone. "Cindy, will you be okay?"
Cindy hesitated for a second, but before answering, she turned to the villain. "Okay, Beautiful. If I go with you…"
"Beautiful Gorgeous, if you do not mind," corrected the villain with a diva-like attitude.
Cindy rolled her eyes and then, with a challenging attitude, continued, "Anyway. If I go with you, you have to give me your word that 1) you won't lay a SINGLE FINGER on my friends, and 2) that as soon as we're done, you'll take me to see Jimmy. Oh, and Goddard is coming with me."
Libby felt relieved knowing that Goddard could help Cindy if anything went out of hand.
"Believe me, your friends will be just fine," the villain replied with annoyance. Then, with a strange smile on her face, she explained, "As for the second… I assure you that's what I plan to do."