Darkness Prevailing (Part 2)
Meanwhile…
Nixon, Amfibios, Zapp, and Kif were sitting at a small round table in the DOOP headquarters. The place was empty, and the room was guarded on the outside wall. Amfibios held a vile of the Dark Plasma, as they called it for short. She looked at it as if she was inspecting it, moving it around in circles and sometimes tapping the glass.
“I still cannot believe that that young man found the secret to the fuel,” Amfibios said, shaking her head in disbelief, “It is almost a miracle!”
“Yes, yes it is,” Nixon replied, “a whole fuel problem solved by a damn hippy…”
“He is most definitely not a hippy, President Nixon,” she replied.
“Did you see that boy? He was almost like a caveman!”
“Yes, his looks were…different than normal scientists,” Amfibios said, “but he is a bright boy, Richard.”
“Whatever,” Zapp said, butting in. He stood up and pounded a fist on the tabletop. “He was definitely trying to impress Leela…I can’t let that happen.”
“Zapp,” Amfibios started, “worry about personal troubles later, please.”
Zapp sat down and put his chin on his hand, and he looked away from the table in anger. He motioned for Kif to get him a coffee and Kif went into another room, which was the building’s kitchen. Nixon suddenly shook his head.
“I don’t get it, Amfibios,” he said, “The fuel problem is solved and yet there is still war between countries on Earth. This is another problem!”
“Yes, I have seen that your planet has been having trouble with that,” she said, “Zapp, any ideas?”
“Why not just create another World War?” Zapp asked. “I mean, usually everything is fine after that.”
“Damn it, Zapp!” Nixon yelled, “We are trying to prevent war, not encourage it!”
“I’m just saying,” he said, “sometimes war is necessary, and you have to do anything to get what you want!”
“EXACTLY!”
The three turned to the back of the auditorium where the voice was heard. They all gaped. A sweet old lady with three sons walked down the aisle smoothly and calmly. Her hands were clasped together and she walked lightly.
“Mom?!” Zapp asked, confused.
“Yes, Zapp, dear,” Mom said, quietly, “It is me. And, I agree with your statement.”
“You agree that war is necessary?” Amfibios asked.
“Oh, dear, no…not necessarily. But I do agree that sometimes you have to do anything to get what you want, which is why I am terribly sorry to say that I must do this.”
“Do wha—“ Zapp started, but was interrupted. Mom had pushed a button on her dress and the fat exoskeleton that she had been wearing disappeared into her blue jumper. She pulled out a laser gun and her sons, Walt, Larry, and Igner did the same.
“This, you bastards!” she said in her gruff tone. She held the gun to them and pulled out another, now aiming two guns at them. She motioned to her sons to go over and each one put a gun to their head, leaving the three DOOP members helpless as Mom bound them.
Greg was lying on the couch upside down. He was playing with the television remote, flipping to random channels. He sighed and turned off the TV, then he dropped the remote.
“Why are you laying upside down, Greg…” Leela asked, tiredly.
“Helps me to think,” he replied, “the blood rushes to my head.” He smiled at her. She attempted at one but was too tired to do so. Then her expression changed to a frown.
“Greg,” she started, “I know you just woke up. But you need to tell us what you saw in that dream.”
“I’d…I’d rather not,” he said, as he started to sit upright.
“Please, Greg,” she pleaded, “It may be important.”
“Not now, Leela…” he said, sighing.
"Okay, but you do need to tell me eventually..." Leela said. "So, to change the subject, then, do you have a girlfriend? Or a wife?"
"Nah," he said.
"Well, I'm always available," Leela said, smiling.
"Uh, no offense, but no thanks," he answered.
Leela's expression changed yet again to angry. "Is it because of my eye?" she asked.
"No, of course not! I love your eye! It's just that...I guess I'm just not that into dating older women. I mean, you are like, what, 5 years older than me?"
"True...but that's never been a problem."
"It's also the fact that...hey...what’s that?”
Everyone became silent, except for Fry, who was snoring. Greg got up and made his way to the window. He opened the shade a crack to peer down. He quickly turned to Leela again.
“What is it, Greg?” Leela asked.
“It’s that Amphibiosian, what’s his name…” he started. “He works for Captain Brannigan.”
“Kif?” Leela asked, surprised. She went over to the window and opened the shade all the way. She could see Kif, yelling and slamming on the front door of Planet Express. “How are we going to let him in? The doors are locked.”
“Leave that to me,” Greg said. He went over to the TV, where he found a screwdriver. Then he went over to the door’s access panel and pulled out a small laser. With the laser, he opened the panel, and unscrewed another panel on the inside. Greg started to hotwire different wires together, and in no time, the door slid open.
“Greg, you’re a genius!” Leela said, kissing him on the cheek. He blushed, and then went over to Fry. He hit him on the head and said, “Come on, Fry, wake up! The door’s open…”
“Ow…Greg?” he said, “How long was I asleep…”
“It doesn’t matter, come on!” Greg exclaimed. He pulled Fry’s arm and together they ran out of the room. They met Leela at the front, where she had already started unlocking the many locks the Professor set. She finally finished and slammed open the door. When it was open, Kif came barging in, falling on his knees. Kif was out of breath and wheezing, but managed to stand up and talk.
“Help, Leela! You need to help…” Kif said, breathing heavily.
“What? What is it, Kif?” Leela asked.
“She…she took over…I saw the whole think…oh…Leela, she has Nixon and Amfibios!” Kif said, shaking Leela’s arm in the process.
“Who? Who has them?” Greg asked.
“M…Mom!” Kif exclaimed.
“Mom?” Leela asked. “What does she want with them?”
“It isn’t them, well, it is, sort of,” Kif started. “Let me explain. Can I sit down?” Fry came over with a small chair for him to sit in. Kif collapsed into the chair. “Okay, so I went in the kitchen of the auditorium where the meeting was held, to get Zapp a coffee. So, when I was coming back, I heard voices. I opened the door a crack and saw Mom coming down the aisle. At first I was just wondering why she was there, but then I saw her dress…like deflate, or something…she pulled out a gun and her three sons pulled out theirs. She started talking about, ‘Sometimes you have to do whatever to get what you want.’ Then she and her boys tied up Zapp and Amfibios, and then they glued Nixon to the table…
“The next thing I saw was Mom, taking the Dark Plasma! She started saying on how she despised Professor Farnsworth for destroying all the Dark Matter, and needed to control the fuel business. She said that the plasma would make her rich…then, she started saying on how she was going to take over the world…ooh…she said that she would get back at Farnsworth if it was her last thing she does, and she would do anything to do it. She is going to control the robots again! It is horrible, Leela, horrible…”
Kif stopped, and started sobbing in his chair. Leela had her mouth wide open, as did Fry. Greg stood with his head down. Leela started to shake her head. “It can’t be true! She stole the fuel! UGH! Kif, are you sure that is what she said she was going to do?”
Kif continued to sob. Greg lifted his head, and tears streamed his face. “He’s right, Leela.” Leela turned to see him crying. Leela put her hand to her mouth and went over to him. She hugged him, although he pushed her away. Fry went over and hugged Leela, although she pushed him away. Soon enough, everyone except for Fry was crying.
“What are you guys crying about?” Fry said, angrily. All three of them looked up with tear-stained faces. Fry continued, “We have beaten Mom before! What makes this time different?”
“Fry, this is different than your previous encounters,” Greg said, quietly, “What Kif said was right. That is what I saw in my dream. Mom had taken over Earth, robots were enslaved once again, and my fuel solution belonged to her. I also saw countries at war with each other, bombs falling, fires blazing, loved ones dying…including you, Leela.”
“What?” Leela said, looking up.
“I saw you, you were taken by Mom,” he said, “And she killed you…she killed you as one of the ways to get back at Farnsworth.”
“How do you know that is true, I mean…” Fry started.
“It was just a dream,” Leela said.
“No, it wasn’t,” Greg said. He sighed. “You see, I’ve been to the future. I know when, how, and why this war is going to start. And I think I know how to fix it…I just need some help.” He looked up as Fry, Leela, and Kif stared at him in disbelief.
“…you are all fools,” Mom sneered. She walked around grasping the container of Dark Plasma. She turned away from them and held it up to the light in the window at the back. “You kept the solution to fuel that unguarded? I practically walked in here.” She turned around again.
“You will never get away with this, Mom!” Amfibios said.
“If you haven’t noticed, I have tied you up. I have already gotten away with it. No one knows I am here, and no one cares,” Mom said, “There are no threats! I have won.”
“I can’t believe…” Zapp mumbled. Mom got in his face.
“Believe…?” she said.
“Nothing,” Zapp snapped. His brow was almost covering his eyes.
“Oh, continue, Zapp,” she said, “I know what you are going to say. You can’t believe that I tied you to a chair, stole the fuel, and got away with it. You can’t believe that the “Zapper” couldn’t win.” Zapp stared at her in silence. Behind his back his fists were tightly closed. “Well start believing it, Brannigan, because it is happening right now, in real time…” Zapp suddenly got angry and attempted to break lose of the ropes by wobbling the chair like a maniac. Mom simply stepped back and watched, twirling the plasma in her hands. She chuckled.
“A rebel, I see…” she said, laughing. She turned to Walt. “Walt, get the serum.”
“Yes, Mother,” Walt said, going to a bag that was on the front of the stage. He took out a large needle, gloves, and a bottle of blue fluid. He walked over to Mom and handed it to her.
“Thank you, Walt,” she said. She then slapped him and he stepped aside.
“What is that...” Zapp cautiously said, narrowing his eyes.
“Oh, just something I like to call animus-imperium serum.” She poured the blue, gooey liquid into the needle and tapped it a few times.
Zapp looked confused. “Anus-Imperial cereal? What the hell is that?”
“Animus-Imperium serum…Holy craps, you are dumb!” She squirted a tiny bit out of it and started to walk towards Zapp. Zapp began to get uncomfortable and squirmed in his chair.
“What are you doing?! Stay away! I don’t like needles!” Zapp screamed, attempting to nudge his chair away as quickly as possible. In the processs, though, he fell down and was left helpless. All he could do was sit there and wait to see what the old lady would do to him. During the whole time, Nixon and Amfibios stared. And they stared in horror as Mom crept in and jammed the needle into Zapp’s arm, where he then went limp.
Greg stood in one corner of the lounge while Fry, Leela, and Kif huddled around the table. He had his lab coat on again and he stared out the window. Fry had his head on the table while Leela talked.
“Should we believe him?” she asked, looking his way, “He is nice…but…he could be lying and may be a part of Mom’s group. That could be another reason why he would know what is going on…”
“I think we should trust him,” Kif said, “we need to save them. Mom was serious…ugh…this is going to be so hard…”
“I think he is telling the truth, too,” Fry said, “Although I don’t like how he is hitting on you, Leela.”
“Fry, he isn’t hitting on me,” she said, “He said to me that he didn’t want to date me.”
“Really?”
Leela rolled her eye. “Yes, Fry. Now, I think we should trust him. He’s done so much for us…the future though? I guess they perfected time travel…”
“I guess so,” Fry said. “Let’s bring him over here.” He turned to Greg. “Greg, come here.”
Greg walked over with his arms crossed and stood in front of the table. He looked down. “So, do you believe me? Or do I just sound like a crack pot?”
Leela stared at him. “Yes, Greg, we believe you,” she said, smiling.
“Sweet,” he answered, “So, are you going to help me defeat Mom and her plans, and help me get my formula back?”
“Yes!” Kif answered, “Anything…”
“Okay,” he said, laughing.
“Wait,” Fry started, “why do you need to get the fuel back? Don’t you know how you created it?”
“Well, yes,” he answered, “but the war started because of world conflict. I came back to help stop that by giving you the answer to fuel. The problem is…Mom wasn’t supposed to get the fuel…the government was. If Mom continues to own the fuel, people will get angry, because it will be a monopoly. The prices will get higher, people will get mad, and who knows what can happen.”
“So this all starts when Mom plays Monopoly and bets the fuel?” Fry asked.
“No,” Leela said, “Mom takes over. Like when she had the Dark Matter.”
“Oh,” Fry mumbled.
“But we can stop it,” Greg said, “I think I know how.”
Leela lowered her brow. “Just how will we do this? Mom is the most powerful person on Earth, maybe the universe. It isn’t easy to defeat her. We know. We have done it a few times.”
“More of the reason to try,” Greg said to her, “If you could beat her at least once, there is a chance.”
“Okay,” Kif said, “But how will we do this? It seems impossible.”
Greg rubbed his head where he was hit the night before. “Well,” he started, “We will need to get together a rebel army, of course. Then we can figure out a good strategy.”
“An army?” Leela asked, “Who will be willing to fight in an army?”
“Anyone who wants to stop war, to be able to fuel their ships, and be a hero,” Greg said.
“So who exactly would that be?” Leela asked.
“The average underpaid worker,” he said, “And anyone we tell what will happen.”
“Well, we are now enlisted, Leela,” Fry said, humorously.
“Ha ha, Fry,” she said, frowning. “What if they don’t listen?”
Greg smiled. “They will have to!” he exclaimed. “We have a Lieutenant right here. I am sure we can pass him off as a general, with Zapp captured at the moment.” Greg turned to Kif, as did Fry and Leela.
“Wha? No, no!” Kif said, waving his arms, “I can’t pretend to be a general and tell people to join a rebel army! I can’t do it!”
“Kif, I know you can,” Greg said, putting his hand on his shoulder, “I have faith in you. You can do it. To save the general you despise.”
“I don’t despise him,” he said, “He can just be a pain…I have to like him. He is one of my only friends.”
“More of the reason to do this, Kif,” he said. “You need to do this to save him, to save the world, and bigger yet, the universe. They need you.”
“Not to put any pressure on you, Kif,” Fry said, sarcastically, staring at Greg.
Greg looked at him with an angry look and mouthed the words ‘shut up.’ Fry snickered and Leela hit him in the back of the head.
“I…I don’t know, Mr. Mason…err…Greg. I have never done anything like that in my life…” he said.
“Don’t you have a girlfriend? Or a wife? Anyone you can fight for?” Greg asked. With that, Fry and Leela stared at each other and put their heads down. “What?” Greg asked.
Kif sighed. “I had a wife, oh my wonderful Fonfon Ru…but then she slept with Zapp…after I, well, died. I overreacted, and I basically left her…I don’t know if she’ll take me back.”
“Who was that, Kif?” Greg asked.
“Amy Wong…” Kif said.
“Oh, Amy? I met her today,” he answered. “I am sure you two will get back together.”
“Really?” Kif asked, “You really think so? Or did you see it in the future?”
“I won’t say,” Greg said, “because not saying may make you want to help even more. It all depends how much you want her back, Kif.”
Kif sat silently. He stared at his hands, which were drumming the table. The room became still. Then he sighed. “Greg…I’ll do it.”
Greg slapped him on the back and Kif laughed as a reaction. Greg laughed as well and he smiled. “Kif,” he said, “You won’t regret this.”
“I am sure I will,” he said, “but only if we lose…which I don’t think we will do.”
“That’s the spirit!” Greg said.
“I am sure Amy will join us,” Leela said, “so she will be even more proud of you, if you help to become a leader. And you know she is always ready for a good fight.”
“I don’t know about leading,” Kif said, “Maybe just getting people to join. I think you and Greg should lead.”
Fry crossed his arms. “What about me?”
“Fry,” Leela said, “I guess you could help, but you aren’t the best at leading.”
“I am too,” Fry said, “I led a whole universe, remember?”
“Fry,” Leela said, “That was with the help of a giant perverted alien from a different universe...”
“Whatever,” Fry said, looking down.
“Fry,” Greg said, “I think you could lead. I will even make you a leader of a whole troop.”
“Really?” Fry asked raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah, I trust you, and believe you can,” he said.
Fry turned to Leela and smiled at her. Leela rolled her eye again.
“It is almost 8 AM,” Leela said, “the Professor and the rest of the crew should be here soon. The Professor is usually up once Hermes comes, so we should talk it over with them when they get here.”
“Yeah, definitely,” Greg said, “We need all the help we can get. And with the Professor having tons of inventions and stuff—“
“How do you know he has inventions?” Fry asked.
“He is a professor. I am assuming a lot of professors have inventions. I have a few myself, you know.”
“Ah,” Fry said.
“Yeah…so, what’s for breakfast? I am starving. I was in a coma, you know,” Greg said, laughing. Everyone else laughed with him and Leela led them to the kitchen.
Mom tapped her fingers on the table as she watched Zapp, who was still unconscious. Amfibios had stopped struggling, and now stared at Zapp’s limp body. Her glasses were down to her nose and almost off. Mom’s sons took Nixon and put him on a chair instead of the table, and he was now next to Amfibios.
“What have you done to him?” Amfibios asked wearily. "Have...have you killed him?"
Mom laughed. “No, stupid...He will be awake soon, just you wait, Amfibios. He will be much more…calm…when he comes to.”
“I know that he won’t just be calm, Mom,” Amfibios stated, sternly. “What did you do? He is lying limp in his chair, and he has been like that for at least half an hour. Is. He.
Dead?”
“Of course not!” Mom answered. “I need him. I can’t kill him. The serum just takes a little while to sink in.”
“Have you given him drugs? Is he just going to be quieter?” she asked.
“In a way, yes,” Mom answered.
“How exactly?” Amfibios asked.
“Well, the brain controlling serum will sink into his brain, and he will be calmer, more awake, and ready to obey.”
“Obey?” Nixon asked. “What is this, a hippy hypnotizing potion of some sorts?”
“Shut up, Nixon!” Mom said.
“I won’t shut up! I am the president of Earth!” Nixon growled, and he struggled in his jar to jump out.
“Shut up, we get it already,” Walt sneered.
“Walt, you shut up too!” Mom snapped. Walt instantly kept quiet. “Anyway, back to my explanation. Zapp will wake up, he will listen to me, blah, blah, blah. He will do anything I will say, and he won’t care about what I tell him. If I told him to kill you, for example, Nixon…he would.”
Nixon gasped. “But—You can’t tell him to do that!”
“I won’t, Nixon. I need you too,” Mom said.
“For what?” Amfibios asked.
“To get bazillions of dollars…” Igner said.
“Shut up!” Walt said.
“Walt!” Mom yelled, slapping him, then Igner. “He is right, you know. Who cares if they know? They can’t go anywhere. They are helpless. The leaders of the universe are gagged, tied up, and helpless.” She turned to Amfibios and Nixon. “Do you two feel so powerful now? I am the most powerful person anywhere. Now you know for sure.”
“You are horrible!” Amfibios yelled.
“I know,” Mom said. She snapped her fingers and Walt took out a magazine from a bag. She started to turn the pages. Amfibios gave up and put her head down, letting her glasses fall to the ground. Nixon’s face still showed his anger, but he soon turned away.
They sat there for another ten minutes in the same way. Mom was halfway done with her magazine. Walt, Larry, and Igner were sitting in seats in the auditorium, ready to serve their mother if needed. Amfibios and Nixon had fallen asleep.
Suddenly, a groaning sound filled the auditorium. Mom looked over at Zapp, who was stirring. Mom slammed the magazine on the table and the two leaders woke up immediately. Amfibios looked around, then finally met Mom. Amfibios then looked from Zapp to Mom, seeing that he was waking up.
“What is happening?” she looked to Zapp again, who was starting to sit up.
“He is waking up, dumbass…” Mom said quietly. She turned back to Zapp. He sat up completely and opened his eyes. Mom untied the ropes that bound his hands and feet and he stood up. Mom stared him down from head to foot.
“Zapp…how do you feel?”
“Rejuvenated and ready to serve.”
|
