CHAPTER 9: INVADERS FROM IRK, PART 2
An alien invasion is coming to Earth, and only a few people can stop it.
This information has been relayed to Dib Membrane, a self-proclaimed defender of the Earth who has personal experience with one member of this incoming threat. For years, he has battled against an alien named Zim, sent to Earth on a fake mission to rid the Irken Empire of him, as he has caused enough trouble for his planet to ruin their first attempt at intergalactic conquest...
...but his nature has proved so destructive, it has invoked the wrath of his empire and brings them to Earth now, for the sole purpose of killing him and destroying the very planet itself, throwing the baby out with the bathwater in an attempt to ensure their plans can be thwarted no more.
Acting on a message sent from an Arnold Shortman from the future, who had sent a robot in his stead, Dib Membrane has brought along the Arnold Shortman of the present, who, unlike his alternate future self, is nowhere near as concerned for the rest of the world as he once was.
Living through many traumas too deep to feel his zest for good any longer, he had chosen to live out the rest of his life in the jungles of San Lorenzo, among the Green-Eyed People to have some semblance of a family. It is because of the kind words of Nigel Thornberry that Arnold has opted to join this mission, along with a personal goal:
Thaddeus 'Curly' Gammelthorpe, infamously known as 'The Freak', may be dead, but his body is still active, and it his remains that helped Zim achieve his power to take over the Earth. The war he has fought against this enemy continues to haunt him, along with the many failures he has had in that goal, forcing him to come along to see closure.
To see the next name on Dib's list, he is onboard the Comvee, the omniterrestrial mobile home of the Thornberry family, on a long drive for Ocean Shores, California. He has slept a quarter of the trip off, and, upon waking, he has decided to take advantage of one of the few commodities that he has come to miss from modern life:
A shower.
Allowing himself to soak in the hot water of the Comvee's shower, Arnold sighed as put his hands against the wall, indulging himself in a warm sensory indulgence that brought him much-needed relaxation and comfort. Light pants come out of his mouth as he let his body soak in the water, loosening his muscles and letting his pores open up under the steam.
Small scoffs that bordered on laughs followed as he felt the tension lift up from him, giving him levity that he has not felt in a long time. The very relief he received made him chuckle at the fact a simple shower can bring him more peace than the efforts of the Green-Eyed People, and starts to wonder why he bothered to return to them in the first place.
Once the water was turned off and the cool air hit him, his relief started to escape him, and he is reminded why he returned back to San Lorenzo and the Green Eyes.
He stepped out of the shower with a new change of clothes, provided by the Thornberrys who share his age and size. His pants are simple shorts, on loan from one of the boys, but his shirt, much to his annoyance, is a bright purple T-shirt bearing the name 'Boys-'N'-Berries' on it, representative of the band the three Thornberry boys play in.
But he is in far too sour a mood to care for his dignity, nor willing to protest against what was given by his hosts, leaving him to swallow his complaints and emerge from the shower with what clothes he was given. Interested only in staying in solitude for as long as he could, his first instinct is to go back to the couch...
...however, he finds Dib laying asleep on it, sucking his thumb as he dozed off.
Annoyed with a lack of seat, and disgusted with Dib's infantile habit, Arnold leaned against a wall, keeping his head low, not unlike a gunfighter of the old west keeping a cool composure until action calls him. It is not action that calls on the football head in the Comvee, but the next generation of Thornberrys.
"Hey Arnold. Need a seat?" Eliza asked.
Turning to look at the Thornberrys sitting at the table, Arnold eyeballed the empty seat laid out for him, seeing Eliza and Shane looking at him in anticipation and invitation. He sees the kindness in their faces and can feel their sincerity, and, though he cares little for it at the moment...
...he wants to sit back down, so he takes their offered seat across from them, seeing them look back at him. Initially laying back in his seat, Arnold's attempt at relaxation was foiled with the smiling faces of Eliza and Shane looking at him, their awkward silence forcing conversation to begin one way or another.
Shane is the one who does it, believing he can break the ice with a fellow male.
"Hey." Shane said.
"Hey." Arnold said.
Awkward silence reigns again, with Arnold's short response making conversation harder to achieve for the three. The smiles of Eliza and Shane begin to falter, leading them both to try to figure out another way to approach the ice-cold football head. Their eyes dart about the room for a conversation piece, soon finding one on Arnold's hand, noticing a wedding ring on it.
"You married?" Shane asked.
"Hmm?" Arnold asked.
"You're wearing a ring. You married?"
"It's a really nice ring." Eliza added.
Arnold immediately shut down the conversation by removing his ring, putting it in his pocket. The smiles on Eliza and Shane's faces now completely disappeared, with both knowing that they struck a nerve with a topic not for discussion. With the mood now a somber one, Eliza spoke, matching her words to the setting, with a message that she felt more than appropriate to make.
"I, uh, didn't get a chance to thank you for saving my life. I know my dad said it already, but I really am thankful." Eliza said.
"Sure." Arnold said.
"The, uh, clothes aren't a problem, are they?"
"No."
"Good. The, uh, pants were Donnie's, and the shirt's one of the ones they sell when they're on tour. But they don't sell that much."
"Aw, come on, babe, we sell a few." Shane joked.
"Not much."
The married couple shared a giggle together, sharing a lighthearted moment that Arnold bore witness to. Seeing a loving couple happy together, sharing even the smallest of emotions together as Eliza and Shane do, Arnold felt a sense of jealousy and sorrow, reminded of his own lost woman.
It is this emotion that moves him to speak, this time taking the initiative for conversation.
"You married long?" Arnold asked.
"Oh, yeah. Few years now. It's been great." Shane said.
"We met when we were kids. He was a hot, new pop star, and a kind of douchey one..." Eliza said.
"Babe."
Shane nudged Eliza in the side, making her giggle at her own tease.
"...and the foundation wanted somebody popular to get more people interested in the show and animals. He was sent to stay with us for a few weeks and do some music videos along the way." Eliza explained.
"Yeah. And to her 'douchey' point, I was kind of a blowhard, and got us in a lot of trouble. But Eliza here, she's the real deal through and through. She saved my ass plenty of times, and, well, as much as I started to fall in love with nature... I fell in love with her, too. Eventually, my 15 minutes of fame went up, and I came crawling back for a job, and picked up where I left off." Shane said.
"We got married in Fiji. Dad was filming an episode on the monkey-faced bat at the time. Sometimes, he'll rewatch that episode along with the wedding footage just to try to relive the whole day."
"Cute." Arnold said.
"Thanks. I love being part of the Thornberry clan. Especially after learning her brother has a lot of musical talent, and her cousin just so happened to play drums in his spare time. Now, I'm part of an amazing family, and an amazing band. Amazing how life works out, isn't it?" Shane asked.
"Your music's alright. I'm into Dino Spumoni, myself."
"Dino Spumoni? Man, how old are you?"
"20."
"20? Damn, you're younger than us. You like the old classics, huh?"
"I met him personally, so I lean towards it, yeah."
Both Eliza and Shane scoffed in surprise, eager to hear the tales of Arnold and his connection to the old singer.
"Get outta town, really?" Eliza asked.
"Really. I was the guy who helped him and his songwriting partner get back together, and got him to call off faking his death. He was a tenant at the Sunset Arms, the boarding house my grandparents and parents owned in Hillwood." Arnold said.
"Cool, how are they doing- Oh, right, Hillwood... Shit... I'm sorry." Shane apologized.
The absent-minded question asked out of kindness and habit brought a cold air in the room, leading the group to silence again. Unlike before, with the previous attempts to bring back conversation, there seemed to be no more attempts to bring it back to normalcy, and Arnold felt no desire to meet them on friendly terms again.
"I'm... I'm just gonna sit somewhere else." Arnold said.
Getting up from his seat, Arnold began walking away, with Shane protesting in an attempt to undo his mistake.
"Hey, wait, man, I'm sorry, force of habit, I-" Shane tried to say.
Walking off in search of a new place to seat himself, Arnold ignored Shane's pleas, leaving him with the ire of his wife.
"Great going, Shane." Eliza scolded.
"Sorry, babe, I was just trying to be nice. Ask normal questions, you know?" Shane asked.
"Asking a man whose parents are dead how his parents are doing? Yeah, real normal question."
"I... I forgot. It's not every day you meet a superhero in real life, let alone one who went through half the shit he did. What are you supposed to do in that situation?"
"You give him time." Nigel said.
The young Thornberry couple looked to see Nigel standing by them, offering his sympathies to their failed attempt at an outreach to Arnold.
"I know you two are trying to help, but the boy's demons are his own, and he has to fight them on his own terms. We can help him by listening and trying out best to talk to him, but we'll take our time to help him get there. Rushing ever did anyone any good." Nigel said.
"He just seems real messed up. Are we really the best people to be handling this? Or getting him out on a mission away from his home?" Shane asked.
"Sometimes, getting out of your comfort zone is the best thing you can get. It's as good enough a start as any."
"Do you think he'll ever be okay, dad?" Eliza asked.
Nigel looked back at his daughter to see her showing great concern for Arnold, knowing that she feels the most afraid for him after his Herculean efforts to save her life. Sharing her concern for Arnold, for reasons just personal to him, Nigel held her in a hug to calm her fears.
"I hope so, poppet." Nigel said.
Nigel left the two alone once again, returning to the driver's seat to handle the Convee. The reassurance of her father lent Eliza no relief from her troubles, leading her to sink into her folded arms on the table. Still attempting to make up for his mistake, Shane spoke up again to apologize.
"You really care about him, huh?" Shane asked.
"Don't tell me something stupid like you're getting jealous, Shane." Eliza groaned.
"What? No, Eliza, it's just... I've only ever seen you that upset when you're dealing with animals, when you can't help them. I never knew you were able to talk to them, but I knew that you had a really deep connection with them."
"I've always loved helping animals. I've done my best to help them, and they've always helped me in return. I felt like I was part of the rest of the animal kingdom, like I was part of them. But I've never known anybody to do the same for me. Except my dad. He would do the most amazing things to help me, like getting me out of a blizzard, or even flying me to the hospital across miles of desert when my appendix burst, and that's after fighting off a giant bird."
"Your dad did that for you? Damn, Nigel's a badass."
"Shane, please don't be immature."
"No, no, I mean, that's really, really cool. Like, he's a great dad. I mean it."
"Thank you. But the Green Eye's supposed to be one of the greatest superheroes who ever lived. He helped a lot of people, just like he helped me... just like my dad helped me. Seeing him give up... I think about what would have happened if my dad never saved me. It's funny, I've worried about animals more than people a lot of times, but... I just kind of see a bit of my father in him. I don't suppose that makes a lot of sense."
"No... No, I feel what you're saying. He's got that sort of... feeling about him. Like... you can just trust him. Like he brings out something in you."
Shane reached across the table to grab Eliza's hand, holding it in his own.
"But, no matter what happens, you know I'm here for you, right?" Shane asked.
"I know, Shane. Thank you." Eliza said.
Once Arnold was out of sight of the Thornberrys, finding a place all to himself in the crowded Comvee, he reached back into his pocket to bring back out his ring, looking at it with sorrow and regret. Subtly feeling the metal between his fingers before he slid it back on his hand, he caressed it as though it were the person he pledged himself to it with, desperately missing her by his side.
And he wonders if she is thinking of him.
Thoughts of a would-be wife have saddened Arnold Shortman, reminding him of the most important person in his life, and how he cut her out of it. He is the owner of one of two rings, forged for the purpose of making vows of holy matrimony; they previously belonged to the departed couple of Phillip and Gertie Shortman, now belonging to Arnold Shortman...
...and Helga Pataki, the one that was left behind.
As the heroin starts to exit her system, Helga wakes once again to another unwanted day, closing her eyes again in the hopes that she would return to sleep. Her efforts to return to sleep result only in her tumbling about in silence, unable to make her brain fall back into unconsciousness.
It has been forced to carry out the entire day, but it is riddled with too much depression to find the strength to rise again. Unable to return to sleep and unwilling to rise, Helga chose to lay in bed, staring into blank space with drowsy, half-opened eyes, feeling no desire to move anything else.
However, the sound of the front door opening and closing send a message of panic to her mind, forcing her to rise up.
Jumping out of her bed, Helga quickly grabbed all the instruments of her drug habit, her syringe, spoon, belt, and remaining heroin, and immediately shoved it under her pillow, attempting to hide the materials as quickly as possible in a place least likely to be seen or checked.
Looking down to see she had on no pants or panties, Helga grabbed a discarded pair of jeans from the floor, putting them on with haste and without any underwear to go first, forgoing the garments in preference of speed. The cloth of the jeans give her an unwanted stimulation of her clitoris, making her shudder at the touch, and forcing her to compose herself as the rubbing continued.
"Helga? Baby sister? You awake? I brought lunch!" A voice called.
Forced to go on with her show, Helga stepped out of her room, walking to the living room of the house to find Olga, her elder sister, arriving back. Attempting to hide away her rush with her normal indifference, Helga's approach was made with her usual slow walk and death-like serenity.
The act works, leaving Olga, well-meaning and caring as she is, once again oblivious to her younger sister's ills.
"I brought home some Good Burger. Hope you don't mind, I had a long day and didn't have time to cook, nor will I again tonight. Lot of work to do." Olga said.
"It's fine." Helga groaned.
Seating herself at the kitchen table to find a bag of fast food resting on it, Helga reached in and grabbed a hamburger from the bag, opening the wrapper around it and biting into it. Her own hunger is something she barely notices anymore, and eating anything feels like a forced chore, but she shoves the food down nonetheless to keep up the show, forcing her body to receive its sustenance.
"Thanks for understanding, Helga. We're still working on the Hillwood Commission, we're very close to getting former president Arcudi on something. His lawyers are trying their 'official presidential acts' argument, but they're starting to run out of money. It's just a matter of time before he's behind bars for what he did." Olga said.
"Don't you ever get tired of all those different commissions and committees and whatever you go on?" Helga asked.
"Tired? Definitely. Tired of them? Never. This is all important work, you know. I want to make sure the country's a better place for everybody, especially you. That starts with holding criminals accountable, and passing legislation that helps the American people."
"You always were the showoff."
Helga's snark hit Olga on a deeper level than intended, meant to only be a passing shot, but instead led her to sit down, attempting a heart-to-heart with Helga.
"You... You still think of me that way, don't you?" Olga asked.
"Hey, it was just a joke. Don't get all serious on me." Helga said.
"Well, I'm being serious because I'm trying to show you that you're important to me, Helga. You're my baby sister."
"I never liked being called that. You wanna be a good big sister? Stop calling me that dumb name."
"But you are my baby sister. That's not going to change. I realize that we didn't have the best relationship growing up-"
"Because you hogged all the attention from my parents and never stopped to think about me."
Olga sighed in an emotional pain that displayed shame and self-disgust, leading her to change her tone with her sister.
"Look, Helga. I get you might hate me for that. But I hate myself for that all the more, believe it or not. And I sincerely wish I didn't have our parents raining down all their attention on me. Not just because of what it did to you, but also because of what it did to me. You think I liked having all that pressure on me? Being treated as the savior of the universe, and getting burned out without a direction? But I made the best of my situation and tried to do the right thing. And I'm trying again, for you. Can you please just accept that?" Olga asked.
Forced to confront the reality of their living situation, Helga held her head down to avoid eye contact, lethargically replying with a...
"Okay. I got it." Helga mumbled.
"Thank you. And I am here for you, Helga. I can be here to help you. I'm trying to help you by giving you some direction, like with the college applications. Did you send some out?" Olga asked.
"Yeah."
"Which ones?"
"All of 'em."
"That's good, that's good. You're really talented with your art, you could get into one of those places easily. Especially with my job in congress. You can have a good life ahead of you if you want it. Maybe find a cute boy to share it with."
"Arnold's gone, Olga."
"So, maybe it's time to find someone else."
"Arnold's gone."
Unable to make any progress with Helga in their conversation any further, Olga got up from her seat, hugging Helga's head and giving it a kiss.
"You eat up. I've got some bills to look over before I co-sign them. After that, we can relax on the couch and watch some TV together. Okay?" Olga asked.
"Sure." Helga said.
"Great. I gotta pee, I'll be back for my burger."
Leaving Helga to head to the bathroom, Olga's absence allowed her sister the chance to look at the ring on her finger in solitude, remembering the man who gave it to her. Lightly rubbing the diamond protruding from the metal, Helga's thoughts are on Arnold Shortman, wishing that he was back with her.
And soft cries come to her eyes, ruining what little there was of her appetite.
Closing the door to the bathroom, Olga reached for her pants to remove them and use the toilet, but a sight in the corner of her eye stopped her from her task. Looking in the sink, she noticed several black ashes in it, peering down to inspect the strange sight further and find out why it was in her sink.
In the ashes was a half-burnt paper with its ink still legible, and, upon taking it out, read that it came from Harvard University. Recognizing it as one of the college applications that she laid out for Helga, and realizing what the rest of the ashes once were, Olga removed her pants and panties to sit on the toilet, sinking further and heavier than normal upon sitting down.
Rubbing her eyes in frustration and anxiety, she fears for her younger sister, wondering what she had done wrong and what she could do different.
The rest of the drive is made with normal conversation between the Thornberrys, Arnold not even trying to make any, and Dib far too hated among the occupants of the Comvee to be spoken to unless absolutely necessary. The mobile home is filled with tension brewing from its two guests, aching for release as the drive comes close to its first stop.
And, arriving in the streets of Ocean Shores, it finally does.
[Soundtrack Cue: Jane's Addiction - Stop!; Starting from 0:20]
Driving into the surf town of Ocean Shores, the Comvee is immediately assaulted with a hard dose of sunlight and heat, with not a single cloud obstructing the sky. The bright day also gives the occupants of the Comvee a good look around the town, taking in the sights of the city.
What they saw was a perfect time capsule of the 2000s, captured in all its urban energetic glory; skater and surfers make up the primary populace of the town, none seen without a skateboard or surfboard under their arms, or with rollerblades on their feet as they dart across town.
Street food like hamburgers and hot dogs are seen in the hands of many hungry citizens, with others sitting by in groups to enjoy pizzas together. A sense of belonging and togetherness, along with the casual attitude all about the city, resembles something more like a rock concert and a summer break rather than an modern town.
There is an enthusiasm and sense of joy that would seem more in line with a theme park rather than a city, but, unlike the simulacra of a theme park that seemed to only replicate feelings of youth, summer, and paradise, this was an authentic love for the town, and it reflected well in its people.
In driving across the town, the Thornberrys saw various more activities and fun being had by the citygoers, with locals and tourists alike joining in fun.
"Well, this is a little more... louder than I thought it would be." Dib said.
"Great. You told me a superhero would be here, but all I see is a bunch of beach bums and skaters. All we need is a killer shark." Arnold snarked.
"I don't know about you guys, but this is my kinda place. Can we stay longer, dad?" Donnie asked.
"Now, this might make an interesting episode. Ocean Shores: Home to the cleanest and most beautiful beaches in the west coast of the United States, with native creatures such as the bottlenose dolphin, green turtle, pelican, and... the American college student, acting out a modern mating ritual known as 'The Wet T-Shirt Contest'." Nigel narrated.
As pointed out by Nigel, a group of female college students were seen standing on a stage, wearing nothing but bikini bottoms and white T-shirts, with several male college students shooting squirt guns at them, spraying water all over their shirts and showing revealing outlines of their breasts and erect nipples.
Eliza had no desire to see the immature antics outside, and what Arnold saw made him sigh in disgust, sitting back down from the window.
"Oh, goodness... I don't think the mammaries of the homo sapiens are supposed to grow that big. Perhaps could this be the work of plastic surgery?" Nigel asked.
"It's official: This place is the best place on Earth." Tyler snickered.
"You can say that again." Donnie giggled.
"Sorry, guys, ain't with you on this one. I'm a married man." Shane said.
"And so are you, Nigel. Would you like to stop gawking at those bimbos?" Marianne asked.
"Oh, believe me, Marianne, dearie, this is strictly academic for me. Although I remember back in my college years when I got a bit frisky. Put myself in makeup and leather in our production of The Rocky Horror Show, I did. I put on a much better performance than Tim Curry did." Nigel said.
Seeing the Comvee roll past them, the college students armed with squirt guns, in their still-adolescent minds, no longer paid attention to the wet female students behind them, temporarily abandoning basic reproductive instincts for childish mischief with a new distraction put before them.
"Hey, guys, check out the R.V.! Apparently we got some rednecks who like to get kinky, look at the tiger paintjob!" One student called.
"Let's shoot it!" Another student shouted.
Cheering in absent-minded bravado, the students began shooting at the Comvee, spraying the windows with water. The Thornberrys by the windows instinctively backed away at the impact of the water, even knowing they were protected. Marianne, however, was not phased at all by the antics of the college students, instead turning on the windshield wipers to compensate.
"Hooligans." Marianne sneered.
[Soundtrack Cue End]
The Comvee then pulled past the beach to end at the boardwalk, parking itself to put their first journey to a stop. Disembarking from the Comvee, the Thornberrys, joined by the two accompanying members of their party, Arnold and Dib. Dib is the one who leads the way, taking them to the destination of the hero they seek.
Their destination is an outdoor eatery on the boardwalk known as the Shore Shack, stepping forward into the establishment.
"This is where we're supposed to find this hero of yours? A burger shack?" Arnold asked.
"Yep. We're on the lookout for Otto Rocket. He's a surfer and a skater, said to be one of the best in his time." Dib said.
"Oh, great. A skater's gonna help us save the world. I feel confident already."
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving for a burger right about now. Why don't we eat up while we're here?" Eliza asked.
"Yeah, I'm starving. Can we eat here?" Donnie asked.
"Alright, I don't see why not. Might as well, and the food smells absolutely delicious, ngh-heh-heh." Nigel said.
Walking to the counter were Nigel, Arnold, and Dib, approaching with the shared tasks of getting food for the group while also locating Otto Rocket. Getting to the counter, they were greeted by a portly Hawaiian man, identifiable as 'Tito' from his name tag, happily greeting the customers coming to establish a sale.
"Welcome to the Shore Shack. You new here in Ocean Shores?" Tito asked.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, we are. How can you tell?" Nigel asked.
"The shoes."
The three looked to their feet, observing their shoes to try to discern what about them revealed their tourist status.
"Er... And what's wrong with our shoes, good sir?" Nigel asked.
"You're Shoobies, that's what's wrong. You don't wear your shoes on the beach. Gets sand all in them." Tito said.
"I've been up and down the Sahara Desert and plenty more sandy areas than you care to count, friend. I assure you, sand in shoes are the least of what I've had to deal with. But then again, when in Rome..."
Seating himself on the floor, Nigel reached for his shoes, removing them along with his socks and making himself barefoot. The childish enthusiasm to get in the spirit of Ocean Shores brought annoyance and disappointment to Arnold and Dib's faces, but amusement to Tito's.
"Ha-ha-ha! Now, aren't you an enthusiastic one?" Tito asked.
"Oh, yes, indeed, sir. Nigel Thornberry is a man who loves nature more than life itself, and I'll take any excuse to get a little bit closer to it." Nigel said.
Dib cleared his throat, reminding Nigel of the purpose behind their visit to Ocean Shores.
"Mister Thornberry." Dib said.
"Oh, yes, er... First of all, let's get an order of... eight Big Kahuna Burger combos with chips, and make one of those a veggie, please." Nigel said.
"Chips? We don't serve no chips with our burgers, brutha. We make 'em with fresh-made french fries." Tito said.
"Ah, yes, that's what I mean. Silly words you yanks have for food, ngh-heh-heh-heh."
"[Noelani! 8 Big Kahuna Burger combos!]"
Once Nigel payed for the food he ordered, Tito stayed to make small talk with the three.
"Hey, Nigel Thornberry? Aren't you the British man who travels the world, films all kinds of animals?" Tito asked.
"That's me! Here with the family, and a few friends. On a bit of a mission." Nigel said.
"What mission might that be, brutha?"
"We're looking for Otto Rocket. Where is he?" Dib asked.
"Bit rude, aren't we? Lots of people wanna meet Otto Rocket, cuz. Why you wanna meet him?"
"It's very important. And my patience is just as short as his, if not shorter. We'd appreciate a little help." Arnold said.
"Well, he ain't here, cuz."
"Where is he?" Dib asked.
"On a trip."
"Where?" Arnold asked.
Tito chuckled at the incessant attitude of Arnold and Dib, calling to Noelani in the back in his native tongue.
"[Noelani! You gotta see this! Three white men with weird, big heads are asking for Otto, and won't say why!]" Tito called in Hawaiian.
"[Because it's between us and him. And you might want to look down at that soggy belly before you call other people names.]" Arnold snarked in Hawaiian.
Turning back to the three, Tito looked to Arnold with surprised caution, not expecting him to speak perfect Hawaiian.
"Look, big guy. I really don't wanna be here right now. The only reason I'm here is as a favor to a friend. And, quite frankly, the whole reason behind this mission, I don't even buy for a second. So, why don't you just help us out and tell us where he is?" Arnold asked.
"And why exactly should we tell a bunch of suspicious-looking people like you?" A voice asked.
The three turned to see Reggie Rocket and Twister Rodriguez, both carrying hockey sticks and other sports equipment, with Reggie patting her stick in her hand in preparation to use it against them. Noticing the tense attitude the two displayed towards them, Arnold stepped forward to show his own.
In an attempt to broker peace, Nigel raised his hands, attempting to calm the standoff before it could begin.
"Now, now, why don't we all just talk this out like civilized folk? I'm quite a good talker, if I don't say so myself, I believe I can help here." Nigel intervened.
"These two would be Reggie Rocket and Maurice Rodriguez, two of the four we were looking for here." Dib said.
"Oh, and you also know our names, even though we don't know who you are. That makes you all totally not creepy." Reggie said.
"Also, nobody calls me 'Maurice'. It's Twister." Twister added.
"So, are you gonna tell us where he is or not?" Arnold asked.
"Are you gonna tell us who the hell you people are, or not?" Reggie asked.
"Yes, yes, I can explain everything. You see, the football-headed man with us here happened to save our lives during a documentary filming in San Lorenzo, and the big-headed strange man in the trenchcoat forced us to go back to San Lorenzo and take him along on a mission to stop the Earth from being invaded by aliens, and invite like-abled persons like yourself to help." Nigel explained.
Even with Nigel's cheerful manner to try to lighten the load, his rambling explanation did no good, and only served to confuse and provoke the mood further.
"I think we've all heard enough. Why don't you freaks get out of here before you make it hard on yourselves?" Reggie asked.
"Two things. First of all, I came all this way on a two-day drive as a favor. That doesn't mean I like it or wanna do it any longer than I have to. Right now, you're the only thing standing between me and my trip home. Second..." Arnold began to say.
Stepping forward to Reggie, Arnold grabbed her hockey stick before it could land in her hand again, putting himself face-to-face with her with angered eyes.
"...don't ever say the word 'Freak'." Arnold sneered.
[Soundtrack Cue: hed (p.e.) - Suffa]
Bashing Arnold in the chest with her hockey stick, Reggie forced him back, gaining back both full control of her stick, and the distance to strike. Swinging her hockey stick towards him, Reggie narrowly missed him, merely cutting through the air before Arnold and not making a strike.
Skating in front of him on a pair of rollerblades, Reggie raised her hockey stick once again, this time aiming straight for the ground. Upon striking it, the impact had caused a blast of energy so great that it sent Arnold flying back, landing on the railway of the boardwalk.
Feeling his back hit the boardwalk railing, Arnold fell to his knees to recuperate from his injury. Shock is what initially comes over him, overshadowing his temporal pain, his mind trying to comprehend how a simple sports tool could have possibly caused such a powerful blast.
Seeing both Reggie and Twister come for him on rollerblades, he does not take the risk to find out.
Rising to his feet again, Arnold jumped over the next swing of Reggie's hockey stick, coming to an imminent impact with Twister's. Falling to his knees, Arnold harmlessly slid under the stick, watching it slice over his head. Coming to his feet again in a spin, Arnold took a defensive stance against the two, raising his fists to fight.
Rather than make another blitzkrieg towards him, Reggie moved to allow Twister to take point, which he did by dropping several hockey pucks on the ground. Looking to the hockey pucks with confusion, Arnold watched as Twister swung his hockey stick towards the first, sending it flying towards him.
Just as Reggie's hockey stick carried enough force to blast him back, Twister's was shown to be able to do the same, and, combined with the hockey pucks, it proved to have similar deadly effects. Upon impact, the hockey puck shot straight towards Arnold with the speed of a bullet.
Possessing the mental processes to see the incoming hockey puck on a time frame that no other human being can, Arnold moved out of the way of the puck and blocked it with his forearm. The move spared him a painful impact of the hockey puck in any vital organs or bones...
...but it did leave a nasty welt on his arm, making him groan in pain as he felt the impact.
Skating alongside Twister, Reggie continued to slap hockey pucks towards him, sending more gravity-fired projectiles sent his way. His superhuman senses allow him to perceive the incoming pucks faster than any other man alive, just as he perceived the first, and, through the use of acrobatics and breakdancing-like moves, dodged each and every incoming projectile.
With their pucks depleted, the two sportsmasters came forward to swing their hockey sticks at him, with Reggie coming forward to make the first attack. Jumping over her incoming attack, Arnold, spinning to avoid the incoming strike of Twister's hockey stick, threw back both his legs in kicks, landing hits on both of their heads.
Landing squarely back on his feet, Arnold looked between the two, singling out a target to pick off and reduce his number of enemies. Sensing a particular absent-mindedness from Twister, Arnold selected him as his target, bum-rushing him in a football tackle before he could recover.
With all the breath knocked out of him, Twister not only lost his ability to stand once again, but lost his grip on his hockey stick, letting it fall to the ground. Preparing to make use of his accidentally discarded weapon, Arnold took it for himself, rising it in defense against Reggie.
Seeing her recover and stand ready to fight again, Arnold paused before reengaging in the fight, looking at the hockey stick in his hands. Knowing of what destruction it was capable of, he inspected it to find various electronic components and circuitry, most of which he could not recognize its purpose or origin.
Neither is relevant to him at the moment, and more important is the clear and present danger of Reggie Rocket. Raising his commandeered hockey stick, Arnold watched Reggie start to skate towards him, prompting him to approach her as well, both enemies charging towards each other.
Their sticks collide as if the two were gladiators, bashing the middles of the sticks against each other rather than use the gravity-enhanced paddles. Reggie does so as not to have the sticks' gravitational abilities mix, and Arnold repeats her actions, sensing a similar urgency for that safety.
Even with Reggie having the familiarity with the weapon she wields, Arnold is still the superior fighter, as demonstrated with him managing to push her back. With only rollerblades on her feet, Reggie is unable to effectively stop him from continuing to push her, getting closer and closer to the end of the boardwalk.
Her salvation comes when Twister rejoins the fight, grabbing Arnold in a chokehold. Superhuman he may be, Arnold still requires air just as any other human, and grunts and chokes as his air supply is cut off. His fight with Reggie is put to a pause with his second opponent coming back for a second opportunity, saving his own teammate.
With Arnold now at her mercy, Reggie skated back forward to attack, raising up her hockey stick to strike him. Releasing his commandeered weapon, Arnold caught the hockey stick with one of his raised feet, balancing it on his toes. Grabbing Twister's arms around his own neck, Arnold threw him forward, sending him on a trajectory with Reggie.
The collision brings down both fighters, both falling to the ground in a tumble. Kicking the hockey stick up, Arnold caught it in his hands, once again wielding it to strike back. With both enemies down, he does not give them the chance to recover, raising the hockey stick to bring down on them both in a final blow.
Unable to make any other move other than to counter his swing with her own hockey stick, Reggie raised up as quickly as she could, swinging her own stick towards Arnold's, bringing the paddles of both weapons together, and putting a demonstration of what happens when their gravitational technology is put together.
The results are even stranger than before.
[Soundtrack Cue End]
When both paddles of the hockey sticks collide, two gravitational pulses fired against each other, the forces meet in a blast that blow both opponents back several feet from each other, and Twister, caught in the middle of the blast, thrown to the side, landing before those still occupying the Shore Shack.
The group all looked down on the defeated Twister with concern, who looked back at them with a smile attempting joy.
"You, uh... You guys think you can help break this up?" Twister groaned.
At opposite ends of the boardwalk, Arnold and Reggie laid back in defeat, neither able to move from the blast. Even with his accelerated healing factor, Arnold found the effort to get up a struggle, uneasily standing on his feet, spending most of his energy trying to figure out what had happened.
Reggie managed to get up soon after, struggling to balance herself on her rollerblades after what she had just gone through. Yet still, there is a force in her that does not let her surrender or give up, inherent in the Rocket family and apparent even in its most cool-headed member.
Skating forward yet again, Reggie watched Arnold start to step forward, both approaching the other with nothing but their bare fists to fight with.
The battle becomes a hindrance to the greater mission, and it is eventually broken up by the Thornberrys and the rest of the Rocket family. Tito, Noelani, and Twister hold back Reggie from fighting, while the Thornberrys all share the task of holding Arnold back together.
And his physical strength proves that to be a great challenge for the group, as well as his own mental abilities, the latter of which he flexes.
LET GO OF ME! Arnold shouted mentally.
The psychic message sent by the football head, made with a strength that did not know itself, was heard by everyone in the vicinity, spread to the Thornberrys and Rockets alike. The strength and volume of the message create a silent shock among the group, and grant Arnold the space he demanded.
Reggie Rocket no longer makes an attempt to fight, and the message itself reveals his true identity, instantly changing her demeanor.
"You're the Green Eye." Reggie gasped.
Arnold let out a sad sigh after the utterance of his former alter-ego, taking shame in it as though she mentioned a mistake he had made in life.
"I used to be." Arnold said.
What started as a tense standoff and battle becomes a more civil and amicable discussion at the dining tables of the Shore Shack, with the entirety of the group eating freshly-made burgers and fries. Reggie, Twister, Tito, and Noelani are all brought up to speed regarding the dire threat posed to the Earth...
...and, in turn, Dib, Arnold, and the Thornberrys are given more information about the Rockets and how they acquired their technology. Their conversation has given them more information on the basis of their anti-gravitational technology, regarding the origin of the ship that was reverse-engineered to create their weaponry.
To hear it explained to hi in such simplicity, Dib looked back with confusion when coming to a full understanding, unable to grapple with the reality.
"So, let me make sure I understand you correctly. You had access to a piece of alien technology, something capable of breaching the atmosphere and reaching distant planets with an ease that we haven't even been able to achieve by ourselves... and you used it to... build hovering skateboards?" Dib asked.
"Actually, the crazy millionaire skate park owner who tried to buy our city used it to build hoverboards. Sammy just figured out how to do it more intelligently." Reggie explained.
"Yeah, he also built us these cool add-ons for our hockey sticks, they work great." Twister added.
"We figured that much." Arnold dismissed.
"So, where's the ship now?" Dib asked.
"Safe." Reggie said.
"Safe where?"
"We'll show you after you finish your burgers, and ours. That fight made us hungry."
"Yeah, those karate kicks you did were pretty cool, man. If it wasn't for the fact that we were fighting each other, the fight would've been kind of fun." Twister said.
"Right." Arnold dismissed.
Chowing down on the rest of their hamburgers and fries with haste, their meal concluded, Dib stood up from the table first, ready to be shown the ship.
"Now, the ship. If you will." Dib said.
"No need to be rude. We'll show you." Reggie said.
Returning to the Comvee, the group brought along Reggie and Twister, making them their guides to the Irken ship. Their destination is a rental storage facility, and their drive is a mere 5 minutes away from the Shore Shack, making the detour short and quick, but important nonetheless.
As they arrived at their allotted storage unit, however, Arnold did not share the importance of the trip, questioning it still as they arrived.
"Tell me again why we're not getting the rest of your team to get this over with?" Arnold asked.
"This little detour is wrapping up another loose end in the yarn. Besides, you said you're not fully sold on the existence of aliens. If this is what they say it is, I'll give you proof." Dib said.
"Hang on a sec. You're a superhero who can telepathically sense people's emotions and stuff, but you don't believe aliens can exist?" Twister asked.
"I can believe aliens existing. His aliens existing, I can't, because this crackpot hasn't said a single believable thing since I met him."
"Well, if you won't take his word for it, you won't have to. Here's all the proof you need." Reggie said.
Using her key to unlock the door to the storage unit, Reggie pulled the garage door up, revealing the contents inside to the group.
What was revealed was a spaceship of unconventional design; the ship was shaped similar to the lure of an anglerfish, with a dark red color scheme. Most of its body was intact, but several pieces were removed from it, having been disassembled and examined inside out.
The Thornberrys looked on the ship with gasps and shocked eyes, but Arnold looked to it with elevated interest, showing it with only a single raised eyebrow.
"Are you convinced of my aliens now, Mr. Shortman?" Dib asked.
"Getting there. What's the story behind this ship?" Arnold asked.
"It belonged to another Irken who arrived on this planet with the intent to take it over. Her name was Tak."
"So, now, there's two of these things out there?"
"No. Tak we previously defeated, and she's off into space somewhere. She's not a problem. Zim is our primary concern."
"Alright. So... what? She left behind her ship,.and these skaters just happen to get their hands on it, and make hoverboards and gravity-defying hockey sticks?"
"No, that was Alex Gravity that got the hoverboards, we just did the rest." Twister corrected.
"Whatever."
Curious about alien life as he is all life, Nigel is the first to explore the ship, walking up to it and examining it up close in an excited, childlike manner.
"God save the queen! I'm no rocket scientist, but the design on this machine is outstanding! It maintains an organic shape and outline, keeping a very aerodynamic form. Almost like a sperm cell in its shape, it is, interesting design for an alien species." Nigel commented.
"That metal also doesn't match anything on the periodic table of elements, according to Sammy. At least, as far as he could determine. We don't exactly have a whole lab on our hands to test this thing, he's mainly been poking around inside it to come up with more ideas." Reggie explained.
"Yeah. I was kinda iffy getting close to that thing for awhile. This thing kinda reminds me from the Markers from Dead Space. I used to have nightmares about this thing carrying some kinda alien STD that was gonna make me into a zombie." Twister said.
"Is your friend normally this stupid? If so, please tell me I'm not gonna have to rely on this gnat-I.Q. stoner to help save the world, if this Irken nonsense checks out after all." Arnold sneered.
Twister responded by laying a passive-aggressive hand on his chest as he walked past him
"The hell's your problem, man? You know, no offense, man, but you seemed a lot friendlier from how people described you. We catch you in a bad mood or something?"
"Er, you'll have to get used to his current attitude, friend. He's been through quite a lot, and he's mostly interested in keeping to himself for the moment." Nigel interjected.
"Yeah. That means I'm not in the mood for dumb pot shots from stoners." Arnold said.
"Yo, sorry, man. No offense intended." Twister apologized.
"And you'll have to excuse Twister. He's not exactly what I call the brightest of bulbs. Just be thankful you're not dealing with his psycho dumber brother Lars." Reggie added.
The mention of Lars' name caused an eyebrow to raise on Arnold's face, recognizing it from a time not too far in the past.
"Wait a second. Lars Rodriguez? The psycho with the robot arm? That's your brother?" Arnold asked.
"You know him?" Twister asked.
"He was in Hillwood during the Fall. He was under 'Little' Nicky at the beginning, then fell under The Freak, until he eventually switched sides and followed us. To his credit, he helped out in a couple of big fights when we needed him."
"Really? Never took Lars to be the heroic type at all."
"He wasn't. He was just less bad than what we were up against. He was still an asshole."
"Sounds about right. What happened to him?"
"Dead. He was on Hillwood when it got nuked. I'd say sorry for your loss, but I already know you don't care. But you do feel a little disappointed."
"He killed my best friend's dad. Which kinda made him like a dad to me, too. I just know Otto would've liked to have seen Lars get blasted to shit, and he won't be too happy to know he's gone."
Dib cleared his throat, putting the conversation to an end to confer on more serious matters.
"If it's all the same to you, may we please move on? We've got several more teammates to recruit before we get to Zim. Mr. Shortman, you said this was evidence enough?" Dib asked.
"For now." Arnold said.
"Good. Mr. Thornberry, is there any way we can bring this along with us?"
"Hmm? Er, that'd be a question for Marianne. Dearie? Any chance we could bring the alien ship along?" Nigel asked.
"No chance. That thing's way too big to fit in the Comvee, and we've got plenty more passengers incoming." Marianne said.
"Fine. We'll have to come back for this another time." Dib said.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What do you mean, 'come back for this'? This is ours." Reggie said.
"No. It belongs to Membrane Labs, and it was stolen. That means you are sitting on stolen property, which is punishable by law."
"It doesn't belong to you either, asshole. You said yourself it belonged to an alien that's not here anymore. That means it's ours, finders keepers." Twister said.
"What are you, 5? Who plays finders keepers with alien technology?"
"I don't care who this thing belongs to. Right now, I'm more concerned with making sure Curly is gone forever. You all can fight over this thing another time." Arnold said.
The fight was snuffed out before it could begin, staving off a larger argument for later to focus on the greater priority.
"He's right. Where's Otto now?" Dib asked.
"Hawaii. Testing new stuff with Sammy." Reggie said.
"Alright. You'll help us find him."
"What? First you want to steal our stuff, now you wanna drag us out on your bullshit mission? Who do you think you are?"
"Listen. I don't like this guy anymore than you do. He has a knack for pissing people off. But if there's even a slim chance of what he's saying is possible, and he says we need you, then we need you." Arnold interjected.
"And what if what he's saying isn't true? Yeah, there's an alien ship, but that doesn't prove anything about time travel or the future or anything else."
"What I know for certain is that the reason behind this supposed future is somebody who single-handedly destroyed my entire city and killed everyone in it in less than two months. On that risk alone, I can't ignore the threat. And... as much as I'd like to just go home in the jungle... I need help. I can't let another Hillwood happen again."
Reggie stood in contemplation at Arnold's humble request, noting the sincerity within it, and taking his own status as a former famous superhero into account. In her indecisiveness, Reggie turned to Twister for his input, receiving a shrug that communicated the age-old excuse for any insane decision:
'Why not?'
"It's the Green Eye. It's gonna be fun time no matter what." Twister said.
Accepting the rationalization given, Reggie turned back to Arnold to give her reply.
"Alright, we're in. But only 'cause it's you. We gotta get to the airport pretty soon, though." Reggie said.
"Whatever for?" Nigel asked.
"We gotta go get Otto and Sammy, then come right back to your R.V. to get a move on. It's gonna be almost a full days' worth of flights."
"Or a few hours' drive." Marianne said.
Questioning the words that came to her ears in a confused squint, Reggie repeated the final word she heard in an inquiry to confirm she heard it correctly.
"'Drive'?" Reggie asked.
Enthusiastically running to the driver's seat, Donnie pressed the switch on the Comvee to convert the vehicle to its aquatic mode. In response to the electronic command, an inflatable raft appeared around the Comvee, with a boat's rudder coming down the back.
Seeing the vehicle transform in real time, Reggie and Twister looked to it with a shared sense of amazement.
"We gotta get ourselves one of those." Twister said.
In the city of Madison, Wisconsin, there rests a skyscraper belonging to a company known as VladCo, owned and operated by multimillionarire Vlad Masters. It it a tower that lords over all the city, its height surpassing the once-tallest building in the city, and that title formerly belonging to the state capitol.
For all intents and purposes, VladCo tower may as well serve as the state capitol, as it serves as one of the largest businesses in the U.S., and primary job creator for the city. Money is power in American politics, and none has surpassed more wealth and power than Vlad Masters.
In another life, he was known as a villain, intent only on getting more money and power, and the woman who married his once best friend, living a life spent on coveting.
In this life, he has been given a second chance, reborn through nothing short of a dream, and uses his power and money more responsibly and benevolently.
At this moment in time, however, he spends his efforts working on a personal project, burying his head in a piece of paper and snuggling up with a pencil while humming along to his work. What he currently works on, he wishes for no one to see, but what he draws, he considers to be very important, and believes it will serve as a necessary step to his path of redemption.
He does not consider himself an artist, and has only taken elementary courses on how to perfect his vision, but his determination is undoubtedly that of a true artist's. Nonetheless, it does not serve to clarify the vision he has in his mind, and his draft only ends with frustration, with his hums turning to a discontent grunt.
"No." Vlad groaned.
Crumpling up the paper, Vlad threw it in a wastebasket, damning it to purgatory with several other unsatisfactory drafts.
Just as the paper fell in the wastebasket, the door to his office opened, with Rhonda stepping in. Acting as his personal secretary rather than apprentice ghost hunter, her attire is that of an expensive suit and tie, keeping up her own standards for fashion, but not feeling feminine enough for a dress.
"I think Greenpeace is gonna start boycotting us if you keep trashing all that paper." Rhonda snarked.
"It all goes to the recycling plant, they'll have nothing to complain about." Vlad said.
"You working on something personal, or business?"
"A little bit of both."
Rhonda reached for the wastebin, trying to inspect the wasted paper to see what he had drawn...
"Mmm-mmm." Vlad declined.
...but, hearing Vlad refuse to let her see his wasted efforts, Rhonda held her hand up, submitting to his wishes.
"So, what have you got for me? An update on our deal in Singapore?" Vlad asked.
"No, this is something... 'second job' related." Rhonda said.
"We're not supposed to discuss that here unless it's very important."
"It is."
"Tell me."
Rhonda laid a folder on Vlad's desk, leading him to pick it up and open it, seeing details on a report from the United States Customs' office.
"This was from yesterday. You ever see Nigel Thornberry's Wild World?" Rhonda asked.
"Love that show. Nigel Thornberry's a great host, and he's got a great family." Vlad said.
"He had an episode taking place in San Lorenzo, and, after stopping somewhere on the way to their next location, they came right back, and started heading for California."
"Maybe they forgot a cell phone and went back for it."
"While crossing the U.S. border, Customs officers identified a couple of guests that were with them, but aren't part of the show or Thornberry family."
Vlad flipped through the folder to find picture of the two individuals Rhonda spoke of, taking greater concern when recognizing them.
"Dib Membrane, son of Dr. Angel Membrana, better known as Professor Membrane... and Arnold Shortman." Rhonda said.
Vlad looked back and forth at the folder and Rhonda, thinking carefully on the implications of the new information given to him.
"Keep a close eye on them." Vlad said.
Nodding in compliance, Rhonda left the office to attend to her other duties, leaving Vlad to himself.
Vlad Masters is well aware of Arnold Shortman, and he knows that he has been in a self-imposed exile for several months following the Fall of Hillwood. What he does not know is why Arnold has chosen to leave now, and accompanies the Thornberrys on a trip across the country, or where Dib Membrane fits into the clockwork.
Looking in the sky through his office window, Vlad carefully pondered on what might come next.