Chapter 9
"Where is it? I swore I saw it on the kitchen countertop this morning." SpongeBob said as he tapped his chin as he scanned the counter as if he had misplaced it.
"Well? Where the heck is it!" Mr. Krabs yelled as he followed him into the kitchen.
"What do ya mean ya can't find it!" He shouted at the sponge. SpongeBob began to panic internally, "it was right here this morning, we didn't touch it." SpongeBob defended before he started to throw things out of his cabinets.
"You mean to tell me ya lost it! No she stole it from ye! You good for nothing- After her!" Mr. Krabs shouted as he ran out the door, dragging SpongeBob behind him.
There was no possible way she could have stolen it. Why would she? It had to have fallen off the counter and gotten lost.
There was no way Libby would do what she is accused of.
However his doubts were soon dismissed as they approached the Chum Bucket and he could see her walking ahead towards the Chum Bucket.
Mr. Krabs pushed him behind a boulder to hide, forcing him to watch as she got closer to the building.
"Look at her lad! You see what I've been tryin ta tell ye! If she doesn't work for Plankton then tell me, what is she doing there!" Mr. Krabs pointed at her.
Mr. Krabs words went unheard as the world around him slowed, flashbacks of the days prior flooded, everything, there was no way, this was a misunderstanding!
His heart stopped when he saw her reach for the door, and it broke when he watched her open it and walk in.
"There's just no way.. she can't. It has to be a misunderstanding!" He trembled as tears started to fall.
"Understand this, she was playing you this whole time! And understand this, if she gives him that formuler it will be the end of all of us!" Mr. Krabs jabbed SpongeBobs chest.
"I refuse to believe you." SpongeBob pushed him out of the way before he made a run for the Chum Bucket.
Meanwhile
"Did you get it?" Plankton asked as he ran to the door as his greatest plan yet entered the restaurant.
"Did you get it!" He jumped on a table, unable to hide his enthusiasm.
Libby grinned as she reached for her purse, "oh, I've got it." She said as she started to pull out an envelope.
"Is that it! It can't be, you did it!" Plankton shouted with glee as he held out his arms to receive the prize when the door suddenly burst open.
"Libby! How could you!" SpongeBob shouted as he stood in the door. Libby gasped as she heard his voice, she turned around to find him standing there.
It was as if everything went silent, the world crashed around her as he stood over her; crying from the betrayal.
"SpongeBob!" She quickly stood up before she looked towards the paper she had in her hand.
"It's not what it looks like, Sponge I swear!" She began to try and defend herself.
"Oh yeah! Then tell me, What is that in your hand? The formula, Libby, how could you, I trusted you!" He cried to her, feeling his heart shatter into a million pieces.
"SpongeBob, no wait please listen I can explain, please!" she tried approaching him. Spongebob snatched the paper from her, not bothering to look at it.
"So you mean to tell me that, Everything Mr. Krabs said about you was true?" he asked, trembling.
Libby didn't respond, she only looked on feeling stuck. No matter how she put it, it would all come out wrong.
How could she explain this so that he could understand, before she could say anything the Chum Bucket began to shake violently.
A claw shot out from the kitchen doors and captured Spongebob and his friends and dragged them into the laboratory where they were thrown into giant glass containers but not before Plankton snatched the envelope containing the formula from Spongebob's hand all while Plankton laughed.
"What a great performance, my wonderful assistant." Plankton said as Libby ran into the kitchen after them.
"Plankton! Let us out of here! You no good-"
"You really shouldn't be talking to me right now while you're in there, Eugene." Plankton said as he walked over to a control panel that housed a few buttons where he proceeded to press on a blue button.
The room shook as the power activated. In the center of the room in front of the glass container contained a small orb of what looked to be electricity, after the power had been switched on Plankton pressed a second button that navigated the power towards the glass chamber which had metal flooring and roofing.
Libby watched in horror as the three men inside the glass container were electrocuted, including the man she claimed to love. power surged through the men as they screamed in agony before it stopped. Plankton began laughing, "it's funny how they dance." he laughed before he turned towards Spongebob who was struggling to get on his knees.
He looked up to find Libby standing beside Plankton, and if he didn't get it before, he understood completely now.
"You really are working for him, you- this doesn't feel real." he shook his head, unable to comprehend what happened. All the love and his time he had given her. All those kisses and.. last night.
"Did you Really think that she actually loved you? Really, I mean, a girl as hot as her, loving a loser like you, please. Spongebob you are unloveable, no girl in their right mind would ever love a loser like you! She was Playing you this whole time, her only goal was to get the formula, and by Neptune, she did it!" Plankton laughed as he held out the paper before he sat down and began to open the paper.
As he opened the paper Libby ran over to Spongebob, "Spongebob, don't listen to him, I didn't-" "What the Heck is this!" Plankton shouted from the top of his lungs as he threw the paper, "A resignation letter? Seriously?!" Plankton shouted at her as he stood up seething with anger.
Spongebob gasped as he looked towards Libby, "Libby Run!" he shouted at her but it was too late, Libby was shoved into a separate container next to SpongeBobs.
"I had a feeling something like this would happen." Plankton said as he approached the group, looking towards his latest failed plan.
"You good for nothing girl, you actually fell in love with him didn't you?" Plankton scolded her before he turned to Spongebob, "one way or another, I will have that formula, even if I have to tear it out from you." he said as he turned to Mr. Krabs.
"Tell me what the formula is, Eugene and no one here gets hurt, I will let everyone go, I promise." Plankton said.
"Like I'd tell ye anything. Our crew can withstand anything you have to throw at us." Mr. Krabs hissed.
"Alright, suit yourself, but just ask yourself, what would you do to protect your precious formula, would you let your friends perish?" He pointed to both Squidward and SpongeBob.
"Unlike you, I'll do whatever it takes to get what I want, and I always get what I want, one way or another, and we'll start off with you." Plankton pointed to Mr. Krabs.
Mr. Krabs laughed, "do yer worst." He said right before a metal hand reached into the container from the top, grabbed Mr. Krabs and transferred him into a separate container.
The three watched in horror as the older man was tossed into a separate container in front of everyone.
"Plankton! You have gone far enough, leave Mr. Krabs alone he won't tell you anything!" Spongebob shouted from behind the glass.
Plankton looked back and forth between the crab and the sponge, "No, I don't think he will but I think one of you might if it'll save his life." Plankton said as he turned a dial on the control panel before pressing the blue button again.
SpongeBob and Squidward screamed as their boss was electrocuted in front of him, his tired old screams filled their ears.
"Plankton stop! He's an old man, you'll kill him!" Squidward shouted.
"Mr. Krabs Noo! I'm sorry!" SpongeBob cried before he turned to Libby with angry tears.
"This is all your fault! If I had been able to see through your games, none of this would be happening!" He shouted at her.
Libby was shocked by the tone in his voice, he had never looked at her in such a way or had even raised his voice towards her.
"I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt you in the end." She held onto the glass, all she wanted to do was hold him even if it were for just a moment.
"Please, you knew this is how this would end this entire time. You could have said something anytime we were together, and you weren't even going to tell me. I had to find out for myself!" He shouted back at her.
"You wouldn't understand, SpongeBob I'm sorry!" She cried to him.
SpongeBob shook his head before he approached the side of glass closest to her.
"You must've thought I was an idiot, I think I would have understood! If you had said last night, hey your boss was right but I love you and changed my mind, I would have probably reacted differently but you.." he pointed at her.
The pain he expressed, she'd never felt guilty for breaking someone's heart before now.
"I loved you, you meant alot to me. I wanted to marry you. I was willing to throw everything away for you, and this is how you repay me? You took my innocence!" He cried into his hands.
"SpongeBob, I don't know how else to tell you, but I am sorry! Listen, I know I messed up, but please don't hate me, I don't think I could take you hating me, but if you have to I understand." Libby's lips trembled, upon seeing her saddened face Spongebob turned away from her.
He couldn't hate her no matter how much he should.
"If anyone is to blame Spongebob, it's you." Squidward butted in, "You always seem to be in the center of everything, if you listened to us in the first place we wouldn't be here. Did you really think that fine piece of ass would actually ever care about you? You're too naive." Squidward shook his head as he turned to look towards Mr. Krabs who he had known for almost all of his adult life.
"It's because of you that we are here, and it's because of you that we might die here." Squidward said as he crossed his arms.
"Don't be too hard on him Mr. Squidward." Mr. Krabs choked as he laid on the floor, struggling to pick his head up.
"She was a good actress, ye can't blame the boy fer wantin love. I know we would do the same if we were given the chance." Mr. Krabs said as he sat up.
"Mr. Krabs." Spongebob held onto the glass, crying for him.
"You guys are so sweet, I wish I had a family like that." Plankton wiped a stray tear from his eye before he started to laugh, "How pathetic. Listen, unless you want to see the old man cook, I suggest you start talking." Plankton encouraged.
Spongebob bore his teeth, "Do your worst Plankton! Mr. Krabs can take it! You on the other hand wouldn't last a minute! We will never talk!" Spongebob shouted at him, which caused Mr. Krabs to laugh.
"Hmm, you might be right, maybe we need to change it up." Plankton said as he looked between the group, "Which one of you is next, hmm I could fry up Big Nose but, let's face it, he doesn't know squat, maybe we should switch the two of you." Plankton pointed at Spongebob.
"Do you really think that Mr. Krabs cares about you? Let's put it to the test, shall we?" Plankton said as he pressed the control panel once more, another arm sprung out of nowhere and picked up Mr. Krabs and chucked him back into the container before picking up the sponge.
"Spongebob! No! Mr. Plankton please, don't do this!" Libby begged as Spongebob fought but failed and was thrown into the chamber.
"Oh shut up. Unless you have something important to tell me, I don't want to hear it." Plankton rolled his eye before he turned to face Spongebob.
"Tell me what I want to know, Spongeboob and I'll let everyone go." Plankton said as Spongebob stood up, shaking his head.
"I won't tell you anything!" Spongebob hissed before he looked towards Libby who kept pounding on the glass and begging for Plankton to release him, Spongebob only smiled at her before a wave of painful electricity shot through his body.
It burned through every nerve in his body, unable to control himself as lightning shot from his pores. It felt like an eternity of torture but it only last a few seconds. Through all of the pain he still remained standing.
"Tell me what I want to know, Squarepants and it will all be over." Plankton encouraged, but the sponge just looked at him and smiled, "Is that all you got? I won't tell you anything." Spongebob said with determination, but who was he kidding, that hurt like hell. If Mr. Krabs could do it, then he could too.
"Oh, you want more? Ok, if you say so." Plankton said as he turned the dial up one more before pressing the button and an even stronger surge of electricity rampaged through his small body, his screams were uncontrollable and he fell to his knees.
"Plankton, You monster! Let the lad go, yer killin him!" Mr. Krabs shouted as Squidward helped him up.
"I'll let him go, once one of you spill the beans." Plankton said before he pressed the button which turned the energy off.
Spongebob fell to his hands, "I won't say it." Spongebob said as he sweat, he sat back on his knees, struggling to catch his breath, pieces of him burnt and charred.
The only thing that hurt worse than the electricity was hearing her cry for him, and there was nothing she could do to help him.
"Spongebob! I'm sorry!" she ugly cried on her knees, watching the love of her life being tortured in front of her, had she known this would happen she would have never come here.
"Mr. Plankton, please. Whatever that recipe is worth, it's not worth killing him over." Libby shook her head, unable to understand how a simple recipe could make a man do something like this.
"You wouldn't understand, it's more than just a recipe, it's the key to world domination. Any bozo can make a burger, but not everyone can make one that can rule the world." Plankton shook his head.
"Listen, all I am asking is for the ingredients, tell me what they are and this can all be over." Plankton said.
Spongebob shook his head, "Don't tell him, I can take it." Spongebob said as he struggled to stand, just as another wave of electricity shot through his body.
After what felt like a few minutes of torture that lead to know where, Plankton gave up and tossed his limp body back in the container with Squidward and Mr. Krabs. Libby ran to the side closest.
"Spongebob! Please tell me he is alive!" she cried as she pushed on the glass that opened to the other side to allow her to join them. Quickly she pushed Squidward and Mr. Krabs out of the way and flipped him on his back where she realized he was a lot more damaged then what she could see before.
Parts of him were blackened and burnt, and there was blood under his nose and a little dripped from his pores. Panic ensued as she looked over him, trembling and shaking her tears clouded her vision.
"Spongebob! I'm so sorry." she cried as she lifted him to her lap, despite how he yelled at her earlier she couldn't care less.
Spongebob slowly opened his eyes as he felt her wet tears on his face, "Libby." he croaked her name before he chuckled, Libby gasped as she heard him speak.
"You're ok! Sponge, I am so sorry I-" she cried as she hugged him.
Mr. Krabs and Squidward both exchanged glances.
Meanwhile
Plankton had decided to take a break in the back to recuperate.
"Darn they are good, none of them are talking, I've gone this far and I can't give up!" Plankton said as he smashed his fists on a desk before looking at the computer screen where he kept surveillance.
The longer that he looked, the more he began to think, "There is one thing I haven't tried." Plankton said as he turned to face his computer Wife.
After a few minutes of explaining to Karen his next plan, Karen warned.
"I don't think that's such a good idea, Sheldon." Karen said as she stood behind him before she looked at the surveillance, watching as the woman she met at the mall cared for the injured sponge.
"I don't care, you will do what I say, and if you don't, I'll send you back to your motherboard." Plankton pointed at her.
A Few Minutes later
The group were startled as Plankton reentered the room with doors slamming behind him.
"Ok, you sorry sad sacks of- tell me what I want to know!" Plankton shouted as he stood in front of Mr. Krabs who was still trapped behind the glass.
"Why don't ya make me, or right, it's because ya can't!" Mr. Krabs laughed, "Oh I bet I could make at least one of you talk." Plankton laughed.
"Do what ya have to do, but none of us will spill it." Mr. Krabs said, "There's no one left for you to fry, So you might as well let us go." he crossed his arms.
"Oh, I think you are mistaken Krabs." Plankton laughed before he looked back towards the two lovers.
"What are ya gonna do, put him back in the fryer and kill em? He won't talk, he's already proven that much." Mr. Krabs laughed.
"We will see about that." Plankton said before he pressed another button, the floor beneath them began to shake, separating the group from each other before another hand sprouted out and grabbed Libby.
Spongebob gasped, he quickly stood up despite being injured he ran to try and catch her from the hand but another hand sprouted and held him down, forcing him to watch as she was taken away and tossed into the shock chamber.
"Plankton! You wouldn't dare, that's a lady, you wouldn't! She has nothing to do with the formula, let her go!" Spongebob shouted.
"I don't discriminate between men and women, we are all created equal after all. You can either tell me what I want to know, or you can say goodbye to your little girlfriend." Plankton said as he gestured towards Libby.
"Don't Do it, Spongebob. Don't tell him, if you can do it, then so can I!" she said, Plankton looked towards her before he started to smile.
"Isn't she brave, but can you stand to watch her suffer, Spongeboob?" Plankton asked as he approached the glass, standing in front of him.
"Then again she did betray the both of us, I think she screwed both of us in some way." Plankton laughed as he looked back at Libby, "All of the money we put into her, and she just breaks our hearts, yes she fucked both of us, of course not in the way that she fucked you, say how was it? Your first time with an over paid escort?" Plankton asked.
Spongebob blushed from the question asked as Libby's jaw dropped from the insult, "Are you calling me some sort of-" "A prostitute? Basically yes, I mean you did take my money to sleep with him, and you did, right? I mean of course you did, I mean how could you not with the looks he was giving you." Plankton laughed.
"I bet she felt really nice." Plankton teased.
"Whatever, ok, what's your point, you can make fun of us all you want but we still won't talk." Spongebob shook his head.
"Oh I think you will." Plankton remained calm, seeming in control.
"Congratulations by the way." Plankton said as he looked over the control panel before he looked up at Spongebob.
"Congratulations on what? Beating you at your own game? You won't win." Spongebob shook his head.
"Well, congratulations on the baby of course. Oh, and I think I will win, I mean, you seem like a family man." Plankton smirked as he began to clean a smudge of the panel box.
"Baby?" Spongebob questioned, "Oh, you didn't know? She's pregnant." Plankton said as he gestured back towards Libby.
To be continued.