CHAPTER 10: INVADERS FROM IRK, PART 3
Childhood is a time when possibility is absolutely endless.
A human mind that has not yet reached maturity makes it most significant memories at the pre-pubescent years, subject to influences that could alter its perception of the world and spark interests that could lead to greater passions, forming into an adult mind more than capable of indulging in those passions and giving greater creations to the world to make it better.
Lincoln Loud has had the first and most important when he received his first comic book as a baby, which has led him to become the boy he is today.
He has engrossed himself in comic books and superheroes, one of the few of his generation that still does so, and had become so enamored with them that he decided, over a variety of different factors, to become one. He has done much good in his time as a hero, sparing his town from a conspiracy that would have served to bleed it dry of its money and resources...
...but, now that his 15 minutes of fame are up, and he has hung up his cape, he is without a goal, and does not know what to do with his life.
What passes as a life now is that of a celebrity's, having many appearances on various TV shows and podcasts to keep his name in the public consciousness. This brings him in a good amount of money, more than a child his age would normally accumulate, but it does not fill the void in his heart that heroism has left in it.
Laying back on his bed, he looked to his ceiling in contemplation, playing out silent fantasies in his head as he craved for action, adventure, and danger that he once faced as Ace Savvy. A playing card tumbles between his fingers, lightly charged with energy, and it flies back and forth between his hands, sending its charge back and forth in and out of his body with each revolution, never coming into contact with an enemy.
Lincoln is alone and without any company, but that changes with the door to his room opening, and Luna Loud, one of his elder sisters, being the one to enter.
"Hey, brah, you alright?" Luna asked.
"You didn't knock." Lincoln said.
"Oh, sorry, Linc. You got a call on the house phone, it's Ryan. He says he's trying to set you up for an action figure line, and you weren't picking up his calls."
"I'm not in the mood to deal with it. Let him do whatever he wants."
"What's wrong? Still upset about that thing with Ronnie Anne and Stella? I mean, I get it, but... C'mon, man. Livin' it up while she's goin' down? You gotta take some pride in that."
"It's not that, Luna."
"Well, what's wrong, then?"
Lincoln gave no reply; Luna, in response, sat herself on his bed, making herself available for a heart-to-heart with her brother.
"C'mon, little bro. Lay your weary head to rest, don't you cry no more. Just tell me what's on your mind." Luna said.
"Ah, it's just... Don't worry about it, you wouldn't understand, anyway." Lincoln groaned.
"Of course I would. You're my brother, Lincoln, and I'm your sister. Out of 9 more, but, still. I've always been there for you, haven't I?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
"So, what's wrong?"
"Well... You remember before the whole superhero thing started, and I talked to you about me not finding my special talent?"
"Yeah."
"Yeah, well, I found it."
"You did? That's awesome, man. What is it?"
"Take a guess."
Luna thought for a brief period before responding, pondering on what her brother could mean, before coming to a more somber realization with his implication.
"Oh... You mean... you know, being a superhero?" Luna asked.
"Yeah." Lincoln groaned.
"Okay, then what's wrong?"
"What's wrong? What's wrong is that I can't do it anymore. I can't fight bad guys anymore or save the day like I used to."
"Uh, brah, no offense, but you totally got your butt kicked a whole lotta times, too... and, uh... you didn't really always save the day. You kinda screwed up a few times. I hate to say it, but I'm just keeping it real."
"So? You screw up with your music sometimes, would you give up music because of a few mistakes?"
"Of course not, but my music ain't also responsible for people's lives."
"Maybe not... but... when I was doing it right, when I was fighting the bad guys and winning, I felt great doing it. I felt like I was actually good at something. Yeah, maybe I got a few things wrong this time around, but I can learn from my mistakes and get it right. But I can't be a hero anymore. There's no bad guys left to fight. The ride's all over."
"But you got a great thing going now, being a big celebrity, right? And you got me those sweet front-row seat tickets to SMOOCH because of it."
"Yeah, like some burned-out rockstar. Some hero I am. I mean, what? I talk bullshit with a few podcasters, share some gossip about Stella and Ronnie Anne with the tabloids, and for what? What am I actually doing to contribute to society in a positive way?"
"You've giving them some entertainment. That's always good, right? Just like comic books."
"Comic books do a lot more than entertain. They give us heroes that we can live up to, and learn from, to be better people in our daily lives. It's like... almost like a religion, in a way. And all I feel like is a televangelist scamming people, saying nothing but: 'Send Me Your Money'."
"Harsh, but good Suicidal Tendencies reference."
Luna sat closer to Lincoln on the bed, holding him in a side-hug to relieve his discomfort with a kind gesture.
"Well, look at it this way, Linc: How many times have you seen superheroes not fighting bad guys in a comic?" Luna asked.
"Justice League International. Major Bummer. Quantum and Woody. Empowered. Ambush Bug. Flaming Carrot Comics. Megaton Man. Normalman-" Lincoln listed.
"Okay, okay, let me rephrase that: Is there a superhero who doesn't have any bad guys at all?"
"Uh... No. Not that I can think of."
"And why do you think that is?"
"Because a superhero needs a bad guy to fight. Otherwise, there's nothing for him to do."
"Just like all the other people who tried to be superheroes, right?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
"And you beat your bad guy, didn't you?"
"You bet your ass I did."
"But there's no other bad guys to fight right now. That means your job's done."
"Yeah..."
"But that doesn't mean you're not a superhero anymore. It just means you aren't needed right now."
"Oh, I'm not needed, that's good to know."
"I don't mean like that, dude. Look, I love music, right?"
"Yeah."
"But I'm not playing music all the time, am I?"
"It seems like it."
"Heh. I wish, but I'm not. I got other things to do, like working through all my college applications. But my music's something special. If I was doing it all the time, then it wouldn't be as special, now, wouldn't it?"
"I guess not."
"So that doesn't mean my music isn't ever needed or it's worthless. That just means it's not 'music time' right now. Just like we don't need a superhero to save us right now, so it's not 'superhero time' right now. So, you'll have your time to shine again, Linc, you just gotta wait until your time comes again."
"But when is that gonna be?"
"I don't know, man. But what I do know is, you got a great heart, and, when the time ever comes again to be Ace Savvy, I know you're gonna be right there to do the job, and you're gonna do it great, just like you did last time."
The kind words of his sister warmed Lincoln's heart to movement, moving the rest of his body to reach out and grab her for a hug. Luna, always loving and kind to her younger brother, grabbing him back to reciprocate the hug, sharing a tender embrace that helped stave off his frustrations.
"Thanks, Luna. I guess this is the big pep talk that the hero always gets, from the the people who still support him." Lincoln said.
"Actually, I just wanted an excuse to step away for a bit. I have to make sure Leni doesn't flunk high school again." Luna joked.
The two laughed at the joke, sharing levity from the serious moment that now passed them by.
"Tell you what, brah, why don't you come give me a hand? Two brains are better than one, and that's two more that Leni sure could use on her studies right now." Luna said.
"I don't know how much help I'll be, but sure." Lincoln said.
"We're still trying to work through language arts, maybe that comic book mind of yours might come in handy."
Departing from his room with Luna, Lincoln is given a distraction from his troubles and a glimmer of hope away from them, off to help his half-witted sister hopefully pass her next test and make her way through high school to head to college. It is still merely a distraction that this serves, but Luna's words have nurtured the drive to be a hero in Lincoln once again, craving the glory and excitement he once felt.
And all the more, he is ready to seize his opportunity.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water on planet Earth, containing exactly half of the water in the entire world at a percentage of 50.1. It was named by the Portugese explorer Ferdinand Magellan during one of many Spanish voyages, calling it the 'peaceful sea'.
In more ways than one, this name has become more than an accurate description of the body of water.
The ocean itself is known for having the calmest waters on the planet, containing far less storms than the Atlantic Ocean, for which Magellan named the ocean, but the purpose of his voyage was for trade, which has been maintained by several nations across the Earth, keeping reasonable diplomatic terms with one another in the name of securing much-needed goods.
For now, it serves as a peaceful cruise for the Thornberrys, who ride across the ocean in their omniterrestrial mobile home, the Comvee. Sent on a journey against their own will by a paranoid conspiracy theorist by the name of Dib Membrame, also the son of one of the richest and most powerful men in the world, they are off to acquire new passengers, already having more in their home.
Two of the newest members aboard their journey are Reggie Rocket and Maurice 'Twister' Rodriguez, half of the four members of the skating group that calls itself Rocket Power. Having acquired an alien spaceship belonging to the Irken Empire, they have reverse-engineered the technology to create antigraviational weapons, appropriating it on sports equipment.
The first they have picked up is Arnold Shortman, formerly known as the Green Eye. He has come on this trip not by anything he would call his own will, but instead on a mission of his own to find closure to a potential loose end in his life. The mission is one he feels as though he has to do, but he does not feel obligated to like it.
Continuing to seclude himself from the rest of the group, Arnold was content to sit atop the Comvee as it sailed across the ocean, filling his ears with the serene sounds of the sea and the breeze flowing in the air, leaving a smell and taste of salt on his nose and his tongue.
His eyes and hands do not partake in the surroundings of the water around him, but instead focus on the ring that rested in his hands. Lightly does he still caress it, keeping his thoughts on what it meant, what life he would have led if he had fulfilled its purpose and carried out the ceremony behind it with the woman he loved.
However, those thoughts soon were stolen from him as the ring was swiped from his hand, startling him out of his daydream. Looking back to see the thief of the ring, he saw Donnie Thornberry holding it, victoriously jumping up and down while grabbing onto his shorts.
"What the-?!" Arnold stammered.
"Yagabodigity-yagabodigity-yagabodigity-whee-whee-whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo! My ring! It's my ring now!" Donnie jabbered.
Running along the top of the Comvee, Donnie invoked Arnold's wrath as he chased back after him, dedicated to get his ring back.
"Hey! Get back here!" Arnold shouted.
Successfully getting Arnold to get up and pursue him, Donnie continuously ran back and forth on the Comvee, enacting what he saw as a mere game as he once played, whether she was willing to or not, with his elder sister Debbie Thornberry. His childish nature has not left his side, and his naughty desire for fun antics are at play once again.
Arnold, however, is not Debbie Thornberry, and does not share what little patience she had for her brother, especially not with the security of his ring at stake. His pursuit of Donnie is more vicious and dedicated, and his pursuit is not treated as a fun game as Donnie would have liked...
...but ends with a tackle to the ground, pinning Donnie down, yet it is a result that he enjoys.
"Ooh! You like to play rough, huh? Debbie never went this far." Donnie laughed.
"Give me back my ring, you little son of a bitch!" Arnold growled.
Snatching the ring away from Donnie, Arnold walked back to the edge of the Comvee, seating himself as he once was to return to his state of meditation. The sudden and angry end to his attempt at play left Donnie feeling shocked and unhappy, slowly walking back up to Arnold in apology.
"Hey, man, I was just kidding around. I used to mess with my big sister Debbie all the time." Donnie said.
"I'm not your sister. And I'm not in the mood for playing. And I especially don't want anyone touching my ring." Arnold said.
The two sat in an awkward silence, brought about by Arnold disregarding Donnie, with the latter once again trying to keep the mood lively.
"I, uh, heard about your parents. I'm sorry." Donnie said.
"First, you steal my ring and run around like a dipshit. Now, you bring up my dead parents. You're a real ace at conversation, aren't you?" Arnold snarked.
"In all honesty, I didn't start talking in full sentences until I was about 12. But I just wanted to say, uh... Well, why are you up here, all by yourself?"
"Why are you up here bothering me?"
"Because it ain't good to be just sitting up here by yourself, man. There's a lot of people here that'd love to hang out with you."
"Too bad. I'm staying here."
Once again did the air go cold with silence, and Donnie once again was forced to take a more somber tone, attempting to reach out to Arnold.
"I wanted to say sorry about your parents because, well... I kinda lost my parents, too." Donnie said.
"What are you talking about? They're down below." Arnold said.
"No, I mean... My birth parents. I was adopted."
Arnold seemed to at last take some interest in Donnie's story, facing him in attention rather than turn away. Taking his eye contact as a signal of sympathy and openness, Donnie continued on with his story, hoping to find some connection with the former superhero.
The commotion that occurred previously led Nigel Thornberry to climb up and investigate, but stopped when he saw the two sitting together, keeping himself hidden just below the entry to the roof. Staying low and scarce, he carefully observed the two young men, watching in anticipation to see them bond.
"My, uh... My birth parents were killed by poachers in Borneo. They were naturalists that were studying orangutans, trying to talk to them, teaching them sign language. The orangutans took me in, and raised me like I was one of their own. It wasn't until dad and the gang showed up and took me in. I've always had that orangutan vibe in me, that's where my sense of humor and energy comes from. So, uh, if that helps explains the ring thing, there you go." Donnie explained.
"You call Nigel 'dad'." Arnold noted.
"Of course. He is my dad, after all."
"I know. But you still miss your birth parents, don't you?"
Donnie stayed silent before nodding in response, somberly answering Arnold's question.
"Yeah. I wish I'd gotten to know them. But I still love my dad and mom and sisters. and my cousin and brother-in-law. Especially since we make a good band." Donnie said.
"Well, I only got to know mine a little. I was raised by my grandparents for most of my life. They went off in the jungles of San Lorenzo and didn't come back. It wasn't until years later that I found them and brought them home. And only after that, I left a few months in back to San Lorenzo, and came back to get another year out of them. So, that's about a little over a year that I actually, really got to know my parents before they died." Arnold said.
"Man. That's really unfair. I'm sorry."
"Take it from somebody who screwed things up in the worst way possible: You didn't know your first parents? That also means you didn't have the chance to hurt them before they died on you. Ignorance is bliss."
"Hey, hey, whoa, man, don't talk like that. The Green Eye wouldn't say anything like that."
"I'm not the Green Eye anymore."
"Sure you are. Once a superhero, always a superhero, right? Isn't that what the code is? C'mon, man, don't you know how many people look up to you? Everyone in the Comvee sure does. And... Well, it's not everyday you meet someone else that was also raised in the jungle. You're really cooler than you think."
"The boy's quite right, Arnold. You are more important than you think." Nigel added.
Stepping up from the roof entry, Nigel walked over to Arnold and Donnie, putting his arms around their shoulders.
"And most certainly shouldn't ever dismiss the time you had with your parents like that. Your father was an anthropologist, you know. That's not a field where you find the most selfish of people. You need a big heart to be in that line of work, and it most certainly had you in it. Your mother, too, if he picked them as good as he knew them." Nigel said.
"There's a difference between knowing you're loved, and knowing if you deserve it or not. Did you say to them that you should've left them to rot in San Lorenzo?" Arnold asked.
Nigel and Donnie looked to Arnold with distressed looks, unable to believe that he would say such a thing to his own parents.
"Egad, no, boy. Why, whatever would make you say something so horrid like that?" Nigel asked.
"We had a fight. They lied to me because... because they were helping someone else that I cared about. And telling me the truth meant they would've broken that person's trust, too. But what the lie was, after finding it out, just tore me apart. They told me that I also made plenty of mistakes, too, and reminded me of what I lost as a result. And they were right." Arnold said.
Silence returned once more with a vengeance, with Nigel trying to think of a way to reassure him, only for his thought process to be interrupted by the sound of dolphins chirping. All three atop the Comvee turned to look at the porpoises passing by the vehicle, seeing them swim by in a pod.
In seeing the dolphins, however, Nigel's nature-oriented nature found a way to reach Arnold, doing so in his own way.
"You see those there, lads? Those are Tursiops truncatus, the bottlenose dolphin. That looks like a full pod of them, passing through these waters just like us." Nigel said.
With Nigel's attention put towards the waters and the mammals currently swimming in it, Arnold's attention went towards the pocket on his shirt, holding the elixir given to him by Luz to eliminate the threat of Curly. The thought of suicide has taken root once he was made aware of the elixir, and that has prompted Nigel to commandeer it to prevent him from doing any self harm.
But now provided a pristine opportunity to take it for himself, which Arnold proceeded to do by stealthily reaching for his pocket.
"The most interesting thing about bottlenose dolphins, lads, is about how they protect their young. All species have a desire to reproduce and spread their seed, and many care for their young at a crucial developmental stage, but none do it so closely as mammals. Dolphins, much like humans, are social creatures, who cooperate and communicate with one another. In the ocean, they face several predatory threats all around, such as sharks and orcas. In order to protect against these threats, the pod often congregates around the offspring, acting as a protective shield." Nigel explained.
Interested only in obtaining the elixir, Arnold initially paid no mind to Nigel's narration, blocking it out...
...but his calming voice and wisely choice of words were charismatic factors that demanded his attention, and his explanation of the bottlenose dolphin's protective habits gave him a reminder of the demise of his own parents, how they died in the destruction of the Sunset Arms Boarding House...
...how they fought to save him from the burning building, giving their lives for his.
"If any predator comes near the pod, they will fight to defend their young, to the death if need be. To me, this is one of the most beautiful instincts of parental protection that an animal can offer. Not to toot my own horn, but I've acted in many dangerous ways that called on my duties as a father. More often than not, it was for Eliza. But I'll tell you this: I love all of my family. Even if Eliza gets herself into trouble, I'll be there for her, and there's nothing she or anyone else in this family could do to lose my love. So no matter what you think your parents thought of you, Arnold, you remember that they loved you, no matter what." Nigel said.
The kind words of Nigel Thornberry struck into Arnold's heart, and took away the desire for death that he felt for but a moment, making him remember the times he had with them, brief as they may have seemed, and recollect them with warmth and joy. A sigh comes from his mouth, with his eyes slowly blinking as he looked down, missing them even more than before.
Regardless of his sadness, the happiness his parents brought him made him abandon taking the elixir, and he retracted his hand, leaving the vial in Nigel's pocket.
"Yeah. I guess you're right." Arnold sighed.
"Of course I am, lad. If there's two things I know best, it's dads, and life. And I've seen plenty forms of it around the world and all its beauty." Nigel said.
Letting in the ocean breeze through his large nostrils, Nigel Thornberry let out a relieved sigh, basking in the pleasant feeling that the sea gave.
"Ah, what a beauty the open sea is. Imagine, if were in different times, we would be adventurers, sailing the seven seas, perhaps in search of buried treasure, like old Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island." Nigel sighed.
"Last I checked, Long John Silver was the bad guy." Arnold joked.
"True, but I feel like he almost passed as the protagonist, the charisma he put out through his parts of the book. Lively enough you could put him among a group of animated puppets, and he'd blend right in, I think that'd work great as a film adaptation."
"I wouldn't know. I'm not much of a reader." Donnie joked.
The setting calmed down as peacefully as the ocean itself, and the three relaxed atop the Comvee for much of the trip, enjoying the scenery coming with the trip.
Hawaii is not only the last of the territories admitted into the United States as a state, made as recent as 1959, but it also is the only state that is not connected to any part of the mainland of North America, resting on its own in the Pacific Ocean as a series of islands.
The largest of these is an island also named Hawai'i, also referred to as Moku o Keawe in the native Hawaiian language, translating to 'The Bearer' or 'Southern Cross', in reference to a lost native chief. Its most largest town is Hilo; it is not a city in that it has its own local government, but a single territory out of many under Hawaii County, also the home of county seat.
It is here that the Comvee makes landfall from the Pacific Ocean, with the amphibious raft and rudders retracting into the mobile home as it began driving into the sandy beaches, turning into the roads to join the other vehicles on the road. Continuing its drive towards its destination, the change in terrain proves to be no hinderance to the Comvee, a testament to its build and equipment after decades of service.
Entering another state that offered great sights to the passengers, the majority took to the windows to observe their surroundings.
What they see is the bluest of skies above their heads, matching only the blue seas that they just drove out from. The metropolitan areas are simple, resembling more a foreign country in the Carribean in the typical Americana that most are used to, opening a window into a corner of the United States rarely seen aside from tourism.
The Thornberry family are the most astounded to see it, but Reggie and Twister are familiar with it all, though they are no less enjoying the sight.
"The sight of Hawaii never gets old." Twister said.
"You can say that again." Reggie said.
"The sight of Hawaii never gets old."
"Twister, that was a figure of speech."
"Oh, sorry."
The drive is enjoyed by many, but it is not so much the case for Marianne Thornberry, who has grown tired from driving, and requires a rest.
"Ooh, I'm starting to feel sore... Tyler, would you come up here and take the wheel?" Marianne asked.
"Sure, Aunt Marianne." Tyler said.
Given a break from driving, Marianne, setting the Comvee to cruise control, unbuckled her seat belt and stood up to allow Tyler take her seat and buckle up, deactivating cruise control to drive manually, seamlessly transitioning between two different drivers without a hindrance in their quest.
Staying on her feet, Marianne allowed herself a chance to move about the Comvee, stretching her body as she enjoyed the sights of Hawaii.
"Oh, Nigel, this is just beautiful. I can't recall the last time we were in Hawaii together." Marianne said.
"I do, dearie. It was when we were filming the Branta sandvicensis, or, the Hawaiian goose, referred to as the nene by the locals." Nigel said.
"I don't think I've ever seen skies that clear before." Shane said.
"I've seen Hawaii once, a long time ago. It was another time I had help some animals." Eliza said.
"Oh, really? What'd you do last time?"
"I, uh, accidentally dropped a boom box into the ocean, and it messed with the whales we were filming as they were trying to sing to each other. I had to go in and get it."
"Hmph. For someone who says they love helping animals and can talk to them, you apparently do a lot more harm to animals than good, don't you?" Arnold snarked.
The quip from Arnold brought angered sneers from all but one of the passengers, with the exception being Eliza, taking self-reflection at his words.
"Yeah. I kinda did. But I was a kid, I didn't really know any better. I mean, you've got powers, too, right?" Eliza asked.
"I had training. Apparently the guy who stuck you with your powers didn't give you any kind of instruction manual, didn't he?"
"Not really. But I always made up for my mistakes."
"How cute. And what exactly did your mistakes include? Putting everything back the way it was?"
"Uh... Yeah. That's pretty much it."
"Maybe that's a lesson in and of itself."
"Huh?"
"In trying to help the world out, you only made it worse."
Eliza's self-reflection now brought about a lowered sense of self-esteem, looking down in shame as she awkwardly rubbed her arm.
"Well... I... I didn't think it would..." Eliza stammered.
"No, no, I get it. I understand completely. The old childish thought that you can make the whole world better. Especially when you're smarter than everyone else, when you know more than them, all the more obvious when everyone under you that you're trying to help are just animals, right?" Arnold asked.
"Um..."
"That's the same mistake I made. At least, now, you're older and wiser. The world's all the better if you just leave it alone, let it rot by itself. Maybe that's a little lesson to learn about the world: It's going to all go to shit, no matter what. Everything we do to it just speeds up the process. Maybe humans are just nature's form of accelerationism. We just exist to make the planet worse. So, welcome to the club, kid."
The nihilism expressed by Arnold now brought Eliza even lower in mood, noticeable by the rest of the Thornberrys, and mostly by Shane. Devoted to his wife, and looking up to the image of the Green Eye, he can stomach the words out from Arnold no longer, and spoke up in protest.
"Alright, that's enough. We don't need to hear that crap anymore." Shane said.
"Just sharing a word to the not-so-wise. I learned from experience so you don't have to." Arnold said.
"Well, thanks, but no thanks. Last I checked, the Green Eye was supposed to be somebody people could look up to. Now, all I see is a joke."
"And I thought I told you I'm not the Green Eye anymore."
"I don't care what you are now. You treat my wife like that again, I'm gonna kick your ass off the Comvee. You understand?"
"Shoulderblade."
"...Huh?"
"You're going to try to punch me in the face. I'm going to catch your fist, twist your arm, just to the point before it breaks, and hold you down until your shoulderblade hurts."
"Is that a threat?"
"Ignoring the fact that you just threatened me a second ago, no. People think I'm telepathic, but the truth is that I just see things faster than any other human being. I can see a little bit of the past and the future, just by sensing what was there or how it's going to move. I'd also tell you that you can prevent that just by swallowing your pride, but we both already know what you're gonna do."
Shane responded by throwing a punch to Arnold's face, which he quickly caught as predicted, twisting his arm to leave Shane at his mercy in fulfillment of his warning. As Shane laid forward, groaning in pain, the action drew the response from the rest of the Thornberry family and two members of Rocket Power, intervening to break up the fight.
"Let him go, son. Let him go!" Nigel ordered.
Once fully making his strength established, Arnold released Shane, sending him into the arms of Eliza to seek shelter and comfort from his injury. Having hurt a member of the Thornberry family, Arnold's action drew disgust from the members of the Comvee, even from the new additions of Reggie and Twister.
Marianne's disgust came with anger, fully expressed by shouting at Arnold.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Marianne yelled.
"You saw him. He threw the first punch. I warned him." Arnold said.
Infuriated with Arnold injuring her son-in-law, Marianne grabbed him by the hand, dragging him to the bedroom for further discipline, with Nigel tagging along.
"Marianne, what are you doing?" Nigel asked.
"We tried it your way, Nigel. Now, we do it my way." Marianne smoldered.
Dragging Arnold into the master bedroom, Marianne slammed the door, locking the three together for a private conversation away from the others.
"Alright. Don't you play games with us. Do you honestly think that low of people? Are you trying to tell me that you really gave up on the human race?" Marianne asked.
"It was self-defense, he threw the first punch!" Arnold deflected.
"Shut up! Yes or no, do you really not care anymore?!"
"I care enough to make sure Curly's dead for good!"
"WILL YOU ANSWER THE GODDAMN QUESTION?!"
"WELL, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO HEAR, LADY?! That I saw nothing but the worst that humanity has to offer, but I also had to feel it, feeling the exact pleasure they all got as they did the most horrible things you can imagine?! Have you ever seen an army of neo-Nazis wipe out entire families without any sympathy? Or Christian terrorists raping little girls to make them their wives?! Or how about cannibal warlords eating kids and babies ALIVE?! Knowing what drove them to those actions, what all the feelings you get out of that are, and how much pleasure you can feel from it? What kind of sickness is in other people's heads when you're trying to save them?!"
Arnold's traumatized response brought horror and sympathy to Marianne's angered face, her emotions conflicting at what thoughts existed in his head. Nigel's face was one containing no anger whatsoever, but instead the utmost sympathy, attempting to hold back any potential tears.
"All of that garbage, I was surrounded by for over a month. All while I was forced to watch almost every single person I knew and loved die, the few people who didn't, I pushed away, and my city get completely wiped off the face of the Earth. A city of people I knew and grew up with, I watched them all become monsters. I can't get it out of my head. Every single day, it weighs down my brain, and I can't get a good night's sleep, even if I wanted to. So you tell me: If you were in my shoes, wouldn't you try to do whatever you could to get it out of your head?" Arnold asked.
Another moment of contemplative silence is given to the Thornberry parents to understand Arnold's position, gaining more understanding and sympathy for his plight.
"Do you wanna know what's really funny, though? I could've gotten my hands on that elixir and gotten my little 'undo' button to my powers, and maybe made it all stop. But I didn't. You wanna know why? I can't tell you why, because I don't know, either. Maybe it's from hearing your husband talk for a bit, he got me to forget about it all for a moment. Maybe a little distraction here and there can make me forget for a bit, but not forever. I want it gone forever." Arnold said.
Reaching into Nigel's shirt pocket, Marianne removed the vial of Spirit Master antidote from it, walking up to Arnold with it.
"Marianne, what are you doing?" Nigel asked.
Marianne then handed it to Arnold, prompting him to take it.
"Alright, then. If you want to take it and throw in the towel, here's your chance. No excuses to get out of it." Mairanne said.
Swiping the vial away, Arnold popped the cork to the glass, opening it.
"You really shouldn't tempt me. I will drink it. That's all I've wanted since I knew this existed." Arnold said.
"Then stop talking about it. Do it if you mean it." Marianne scowled.
Without a beat to miss, Arnold downed the elixir in a single gulp, consuming its contents and damning away his own powers.
The sudden swig of the elixir brought Marianne's look of anger to shock and regret, looking back at Arnold with widened eyes that expressed regret and shame. The emotions are picked up by Arnold, who repeated her own thought process back to her to show the error of her ways.
"Yeah, I figured out your game. You thought a little reverse psychology would make me realize that it's not worth giving up my powers, or I'd find a reason to keep them. Now, you're feeling pretty stupid and angry at yourself for what you did, thinking you just condemned the world to death, or took away one of its idols. Nice try. I still got what I want." Arnold said.
But, upon saying his words out loud, Arnold realized that his powers were not gone, changing his smug, victorious look for a look of confused anger.
"I can still read you. Why can I still read you?" Arnold asked.
"Because that wasn't the elixir, my boy. That was pink lemonade." Nigel said.
Looking back to the vial, Arnold took a remaining drop and tasted it, confirming it to be the sweetened beverage.
"I had a feeling you might try that, and took a precautionary measure. I transferred the vial's contents into something else, and cleaned out that vial for good measure. If not for to make sure this is given to the correct person, I don't want to see someone throw away a gift they were given." Nigel said.
"A gift? Is that really what you think this is, after all I told you?" Arnold asked.
"Oppenheimer had a gift for science. It may have given us the atomic bomb, but he had a gift nonetheless, and it could have been put to better use. One mistake you made is not enough to justify throwing out the baby with the bathwater."
"Where's the real elixir?"
"It's safe."
"Safe where?"
"Where I can get it when we need it. But until then, I will be keeping it well-hidden. I know that you can only read emotions, not truly read minds, so I'm guessing that means you won't be able to tell where I put it."
Arnold sneered back at Nigel, seeing his protective habits as a betrayal.
"You can be mad at me all you want, son, but I'm not going to let you do this to yourself. You are far too important to the world. And you would've been not only throwing away your powers, but a person that the entire world looks up to. Are you really selfish enough to steal from the world?" Nigel asked.
Continuing to scowl at Nigel, Arnold gave no answer, instead deflecting in an attempt to show dominance.
"I'm hungry. I'm going to get a snack." Arnold fumed.
Walking out of the bedroom, Arnold left the Thornberry elders on their own, who each processed the tense moment. Still does Marianne have an expression of shock on her face, and her emotions were turned onto Nigel as she approached him slowly, eventually coming into his arms for comfort.
"Nigel... I almost destroyed the Green Eye. I almost made that boy throw himself away." Marianne shuddered.
"Dearie, I understand what you were trying to do, and I admire it. But it's not as simple as it was raising Eliza, Donnie, or even Debbie." Nigel assured.
"I know that, I should've known that, but... I don't know, I just... did what I knew worked."
"An understandable mistake. We're used to raising children, not helping a superhero. Bizarre as that sounds to say out loud. Listen. We're all a bit tense because of this whole trip. Let's not think of this as trying to save the world. Just remember that these people we're picking up are still people. Let's imagine this as a regular old trip across the world, shall we? Maybe that's all we need to get through this together."
Marianne nodded in agreement, finding some calmness in the face of her own regret.
"You're right. This isn't anything we're not used to. Except for the football-headed superhero, stoners with antigravitational skateboards, and a delusional, big-headed weirdo in a trenchcoat, on a quest to stop an alien invasion... Nigel, I think that may be easier said than done." Marianne said.
"Always the worrywart, you are, Marianne. All you need's a little faith, is all." Nigel said.
The Comvee's trek across the island of Hawai'i takes them to literally from one end of the island to another, coming to the Hualalai volcano.
As a series of islands in the tropics, volcanic activity is one of the staple features of Hawaii, and a constant concern and reason for caution among its inhabitants. There are at least 20 volcanoes in the Hawaiian archipelago, most of which are extinct or dormant, but 6 remain active.
The Hualalai volcano is one of them.
However, its last eruption was recorded at the very beginning of the 19th century, no projected to erupt again until the 22nd century. This makes it a popular attraction for tourists, who go on hikes to explore the volcano and witness the magma boil down below in its crater, witnessing Mother Nature at her most powerful.
A long walk away from the crater is a small campsite with scientific and electronic equipment laid across, most of it handmade. At work in this small campsite is a young man with an unnaturally high intelligence in all things electronic and mechanical, despite having no formal education outside a high school diploma.
Brilliant as he is, he is also on the line with a man brilliant in his own way, mastering every wave in his path, on a walkie-talkie.
"How's things looking down there, Otto?" Sam asked.
"Great, Squid! This beats the time we tried this out in New Zealand by a mile and a half!" Otto said.
"Oh, we're getting way better results here than we did in New Zealand. The volcano provides a lot more stress testing, the extreme heat conditions being one, and the magma doing a number on the magnetic components a challenge in and of itself, and-"
"Squid, man, do you gotta make a big science game out of everything?"
"Well, that's the point, Otto. We're trying to make sure everything works, and see how we can do the job better. Otherwise, what's the point?"
"For fun, that's what! You oughtta come down here and try this yourself!"
Initially focused on the readings of his equipment, Sam looked to his side to see a mobile home painted with a tiger stripe pattern drive near him, parking just outside his campsite. He took to this arrival as the meaning of visitors, prompting him to end the conversation with Otto.
"I got some guests, I'll call you in a bit." Sam said.
Ending the conversation, Sam approached the arriving Comvee, looking on with confused anticipation as to what awaited him. When the door to the Comvee opened, out came Reggie running straight for him, happily approaching him in to embrace her beloved significant other.
"Sammy!" Reggie called.
Running towards Reggie as she approached him, Sam grabbing her and held her up in a spin, kissing her after.
"Oh, god, Reggie, babe, I missed you." Sam laughed.
"I missed you, too, Sammy, it's been over a week." Reggie laughed.
"Well, what brings you up here? What's with the RV?"
Twister joined the two as soon as Sam asked his question, coming forward with far more enthusiasm.
"Squid, man. You're not gonna believe this." Twister said.
The explanation comes from crudely from Twister, and more precisely from Dib, bringing Sam up to speed regarding the situation at hand. Knowing that he is in the presence of the Green Eye, as well as being closer to understanding the origin of the technology he has worked on, he finds a childlike excitement at the news.
"So, a robot from the future comes to warn us about an alien invasion, and the big-headed edgelord's gathering up all the people we need to stop it. Sounds cool to me." Sam said.
"Pretty much, Squid." Twister said.
"And how'd you convince the Green Eye to come along?"
"I came in case the paranoid werido's right." Arnold said.
"Are you guys ever gonna give me a break for the way I look?" Dib asked.
"No." Everyone said in unison.
The Comvee made its way to the top of the Hualalai volcano, coming just short of the crater. Disembarking from the Comvee, the group approached the crater of the volcano, stepping dangerously close to the entrance to the volcano and near a deadly drop to the magma within.
"Wow... Mother Nature never ceases to amaze me, seeing her orfices and crevices up close and personal. The magma flowing below, broiling up so much steam and sulfur, what a distinct smell." Nigel commented.
"Yes, how nice a narration, Mr. Thornberry. But, in case you all may have forgotten, time is of the essence. Where is Otto Rocket?" Dib asked.
"Relax, big head. We're heading towards him now." Sam said.
The group stopped just before the crater, with Sam peering down and talking in his walkie-talkie.
"Hey, Otto, I got some interesting people here who wanna talk to you. One of them's the Green Eye." Sam said.
"The Green Eye?! How the hell did that happen?!" Otto asked.
"Long story. We gotta cut the test run short. You wanna finish it off with a bang?"
"What kinda bang?"
"How about a passenger?"
"Hell, yeah, send him down!"
"Coming right up."
Turning away from his walkie-talkie, Sam turned to the Thornberry family, looking for a subject for his plans.
"Okay, quick question: Which one of you is the most scared of heights?" Sam asked.
The rest of Rocket Power looked to the Thornberrys with mischievous excitement, and the Thornberrys immediately singled out Sam's target.
"That would be Tyler." Eliza said.
"Tyler's the one." Donnie said.
"Yeah, that's Tyler." Shane said.
"Hey, whoa, whoa, guys, why are you throwing me under the bus?" Tyler asked.
Putting his arm around Tyler, Sam escorted him to the crater in a friendly manner, leading him right to the edge.
"Alright, Tyler, I need you to do something for me. Look down there, you see that?" Sam asked.
"See what?" Tyler asked.
"Right there, you see it?"
"What am I looking for?"
Giving Tyler a push on his back, Sam sent him falling down into the volcano, successfully tricking him.
Tyler fell down the volcano with a scream, coming out of earshot as he fell, which immediately brought panicked reactions out of the Thornberry family. Running up to the crater to see Tyler fall, all screamed and feared for his life, with Rocket Power assuring them of his safety, despite the evidence to the contrary.
"What the hell are doing?!" Eliza screamed.
"Blimey! What in god's name, man?!" Nigel yelled.
"Relax, relax, relax, guys. It's cool. He's in for a real cool time." Twister assured.
Continuing his freefall into the volcano, Tyler continued screaming, watching the magma of the volcano get closer and closer as his apparent death approached him. As with many forced to face their own mortality, his panicked screams come with utter delirium, yelling nonsense that passed as final words and regrets.
"Oh, god, oh, god, oh, god, oh, shit, oh, god, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die...! I never got to tour with the big bands...! I never got any groupies...!" Tyler yelled.
[Soundtrack Cue: Avenged Sevenfold - Beast and the Harlot]
Then, just before coming into contact with the magma, a figure jumped up and grabbed Tyler, taking him along in his flight.
Once closing his eyes to brace for the impact, Tyler opened them when he realized he was no longer falling, finding himself on a skateboard that floated above the ground, just as he witnessed with the rest of Rocket Power. Looking to who rode this board, he laid eyes on the final member of the skating team:
Otto Rocket.
Looking back to Tyler with a smile and a pair of goggles covering his eyes, Otto remarked on his passenger's fearful state.
"How you doin'? I'm Otto Rocket." Otto said.
"H-Hi!" Tyler squealed.
"You afraid of heights?"
"Yes!"
"Well, no sweat. Just hold on tight. You're in for a ride!"
Leaning down on his hoverboard, Otto continued surfing across the magma, noticing a waterfall of lava running over the river he was riding across. Fearing the imminent plunge he would soon take, Tyler looked on his next upcoming fall with a frightened look, clinging onto Otto tighter...
...but Otto only chuckled as the challenge approached, eager to embrace it.
Leaping off the edge of the lava, Otto and Tyler fell straight for the flow below together, with Tyler screaming over the repeat of his previous traumatic experience, and Otto laughing maniacally as he rode the flow. Freefalling in the air, Otto performed various spins and twists in the air, adding an extra flair to his fall.
Moving his hoverboard to the falling lava, Otto rode the flow down to the ground level it reached, surfing it as though it were any normal body of water, without an ounce of fear. The ride is all that Otto Rocket has lived for since he was a child, eschewing basic responsibilities and education for another adrenaline rush...
...but, for a man with the privilege of surfing through an active volcano, none can say his life has become a waste.
Kneeling down to balance himself better, his hand, covered by a heat-resistant glove, lightly brushed against the lava beneath him, lightly running his hand through it no differently than he would the ocean. Standing back up straight, his surfing continues without a hitch, free to enjoy the waves of lava beneath his board.
Waves and splashes of lava sprout up in his path, again as the waves of the ocean would, and they once again inspire Otto to have fun with them.
What harmless fun he would have riding the waves of the ocean, he does in the much more dangerous waves of the Hualalai volcano, riding waves of lava with ease and expertise. Tyler ducked down in fear that the lava above their heads would come down on them, condemning them to a fiery and painful death...
...but Otto surfed straight out of the wave before they could come into contact with the lava, free from any harm.
Above the volcano, the Thornberrys no longer mourn Tyler once they know of Otto's gamble following an explanation, but still are they fearful for his life.
"Otto, where are you taking our new friend?" Sam asked.
"Down by the northeast side. I'm gonna make my own entrance." Otto said.
"Got it, we'll meet you there."
Getting off his walkie-talkie, Sam ran back to the Comvee, encouraging the others to join him.
"Otto'll be out of the volcano shortly with Tyler. We'll meet up with him, I'll point you where to go." Sam called.
Quickly running back on board the Comvee, the group all took their positions aboard, with Marianne driving with an urgent haste.
Continuing to ride waves of lava, Otto stole several moments in time dedicated to his fun, going beyond the purpose of a test of his equipment. The lake of lava he rode on has had his presence ride across it, leaving no corner of this firey pit of magma untouched by his desire for fun.
Though he is still safe and sound, Tyler can do nothing but cling to Otto like a koala bear does to its mother, frozen in fear from his unwitting participation in Otto's fun.
"Hey, relax, big guy, we're gonna make our own way out of here." Otto said.
Otto reached into his pocket to retrieve a baseball, outfitted with electronic components by Sam. Reaching to his back, he slid out a baseball bat, juggling the ball in his hand as he prepared to use the bat against it. His eyes scanned about in search for a target, as well as a means of reaching it.
Before him, he saw a piece of solidified rock that resembled a ramp, and a wall to the volcano just past it.
Throwing the ball up in the air, Otto hit it with his bat, sending it towards the wall of the volcano. Upon impact, the ball exploded in the same manner as Sam's gravity pucks, blasting an antigravitational force that blew through the wall, hitting harder than most high-explosive devices.
Aiming for the solidified rock, Otto skated off it like a ramp, aiming for the hole in the wall he had left, all while Tyler began screaming again.
Through no means other than by Otto's skills, the duo breached through the hole, making their way to the outside of the Hualalai volcano, safe from any lava or magma. riding down the volcano, the duo began heading for the ground once again, putting the entirety of the volcano behind them.
[Soundtrack Cue End]
Reaching the ground at last, Otto stepped off the hoverboard, kicking it up to catch it. Tyler still remained attached to him, frozen in fear to react to his safety.
"Hey, dude. We're on the ground now. You can get off." Otto said.
Snapped out of his shock, Tyler giggled in nervousness.
"Oh. Right. Sorry." Tyler stammered.
The Comvee arrived at the bottom of the Hualalai volcano, meeting up with Otto, and seeing Tyler safe and sound. Disembarking from the Comvee, the Thornberry family ran up to the still-shaken Tyler, all surrounding him to see to his safety, and the children expressing the utmost regret for contributing to his fall.
"Tyler! Are you alright?" Elia asked.
"Tyler, bro, what happened?" Donnie asked.
"Tyler, talk to us. What happened?" Marianne asked.
"I... I... I..." Tyler shuddered.
Spontaneously breaking out of his shock, Tyler victoriously jumped up with a shout, expressing a joy that confused the Thornberrys.
"...had the most awesome time of my life! I was surfing on lava! I wasn't scared at all, it was awesome!" Tyler shouted.
"Ahem. I was surfing on lava. And you looked pretty scared to me. But it's cool, I had fun taking you for a ride." Otto said.
The Thornberrys embraced the now-elated Tyler, sighing a relief over his safety.
"Egad, you boys like to live dangerously, don't you?" Nigel asked.
"You know it. So, what's the deal?" Otto asked.
A local restaurant is the next location that the group made their way to, enjoying a full course of Hawaiian cuisine. Their main meal is a roasted pig, laid on the table for the group to enjoy together, though it is the Thornberry boys (save the vegetarian Donnie) that devour the majority of the swine in minutes.
Rocket Power are a close second behind them, with Otto and Sam consuming the most.
"So, all our tech comes from this alien race called Irkens, and one of them was sent here to take over the Earth, and, in the future, it gets the Green Eye's powers and takes over the whole planet?" Otto asked.
"That is correct." Dib said.
"Damn, that's heavy stuff."
"You were involved in something pretty heavy back a few years ago, Mr. Rocket. Stopping a corporate takeover of your whole town."
"Look, big head, 'Mr. Rocket' is my dad. Just call me Otto. But, yeah, I guess we did kinda solve that. But a whole-ass alien invasion? That's a big deal. What's a bunch of skaters like us know about that?"
"That's what I asked him. Apparently, you and your team were part of the resistance in the future, led by me. If what he's saying's true, then I suppose you must have some important value here." Arnold said.
"I hope so. Still, man, there's still a whole alien invasion coming right after we deal with the one that's already here."
"Mr. Dullard has already demonstrated a proficiency at reverse-engineering Irken technology from what he's achieved with your anitigravitational boards. And, after that little demonstration today, you've definitely got the physical means to use it effectively." Dib said.
"Uh, hey, human Reddit bot, can you possibly talk in English for us?" Otto asked.
"Or at least Spanish?" Twister added.
Silently fuming over his mockery, Dib scoffed in arrogance towards Otto and Twister.
"Now I'm starting to share your concern, Mr. Shortman. These knaves speak in such primitive tones." Dib snarked.
"Yeah, right. Like you ain't sitting there, looking like J.P. from Grandma's Boy, talking just as weird as him. Who still wears trench coats?" Otto responded.
"Alright, alright, now. We've still got the matter of the aliens to deal with, both domestic and intergalactic. That robot Membrane recovered said we need to find all our people in order to prevent it. I suggest we stop lollygagging and get to it... after we finish dining on this delicious member of Sus scrofa, of course. Can't go saving the world on an empty stomach, ngh-heh-heh-heh." Nigel laughed.
As Nigel began chowing down on the pig, serious discussion returned to the table, with Otto more seriously considering the matter.
"Well, you already got Twist and Reggie in. I guess that doesn't leave much other option for me. Besides, if the Earth's taken over by aliens, I can't skate anymore, so I got no other choice on that alone. How many guys you got so far?" Otto asked.
Arnold responded by pointing to himself, frowning at the slow success they have achieved so far.
In response, Otto gave a smile, lifting up two fingers.