Other Fan Fiction ❯ Atomic Galaxy ❯ Chapter 13
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Atomic Galaxy: Solar System XIII
Planet 96: Cosplay
Maximus heard of a cosplay competition with a very rare card as the prize, the legendary Penguin Dragon and he decided to try it out. He knew every other being Lynxia and Splatty would be there, but he was determined to win. All it took was a good deck and turning himself into a clone of Argellian, the main character of the series Argellian 90218365839374-J. That wouldn't be too hard, he only needed black fur, blonde hair and a fire red tail.
Maximus' father got home to find black footprints all over the carpet. The footprints came from the bathroom. Fearing the worse, he went to see what it was and found Minimus trying to clean the, used to be white now black, tub. He knew Maximus must have something to do with it. He must be turning himself into a clone of that character from TV. Arg-something, again. "Maximus! Did you see that mess?"
Maximus came to see, tossing red dye everywhere when ever he moved his tail. "What? Minimus cleaned it up last time, he can do it again."
"Why must you insist in looking like that Arg-something?" Max Sr.'s disregard for the name triggered his son's speech about all the coolness of Argellian 90218365839374-J. About an hour later, Maximus stopped ranting to finish getting ready and Max Sr. was left quite dizzy from hearing so many things he didn't understand.
xoxox xox xoxox
The first elimination round of the cosplay competition was a test of knowledge of the show, which Maximus easily passed. In fact, he knew things he wasn't supposed to know yet, since he hired a professional spy to spy on the author. Then came the card showdown which Maximus won, by cheating, but no one noticed.
The few contestants that had been left were to pull two card out of a box containing many without looking. Maximus got Kuri Kuri and Chibi Galactic Magician Girl. The final round would take place the next day. Each Argellian cosplayer was to bring two other cosplayers dressed as the cards that were drawn.
xoxox xox xoxox
Back home, Maximus was thinking of his options. "Minimus, I shall give you the honor of cosplaying as Kuri Kuri."
"But I don't have enough fur, Kuri Kuri's a hair ball!" Minimus complained. "I want to be something cooler, how about I go as Argellian!"
"Argellian doesn't have two faces! Besides, the extra fur will cover your second face and I already know what to do." Needless to say, Minimus knew he wouldn't like the plan. Maximus had that look that he got when ever he was going to do something that he would enjoy but Minimus wouldn't. Such was the case when Maximus emptied a bottle of shampoo all over Minimus turning him into a hair ball of overgrown fur.
"I don't think I can walk like this," Minimus tripped over his own fur.
"I'll take you to a pet salon to make you really look like Kuri Kuri. You're supposed to be all yellow too."
xoxox xox xoxox
It was not a pleasant experience for Minimus. With that done now they only needed someone to go as Chibi Galactic Magician Girl. Looking at the card, Maximus thought she looked familiar. He remembered one time he almost crashed his father's ship against what he thought was a space rockm but turned out to be a semi-uncivilized planet. Trying to gain control of the shipm he accidentally activated the beam and brought an uncivilized little creature to the ship.
The strange creature had big green eyes and red hair. She appeared to think he was a living plushie. She was strange. "I know who's going to be Chibi Galactic Magician Girl! Let's take dad's ship and get her."
xoxox xox xoxox
Max Sr. didn't like the idea. "You can't take my ship. Besides, the bathroom isn't completely clean yet and there's spots of red and yellow dye on the walls!"
Hyper as he was, Maximus didn't stop moving his tail, which caused red dye to fall everywhere and he had to shake his head a lot to make sure he had enough hair spray and the star shaped hair style of Argellian would stay how it should, but clearly he didn't take off all the blond dye before he did that. He was in a hurry to get ready. "Minimus, can't clean it now, he'll ruin the Kuri Kuri cosplay."
"Someone has to clean it and you're not going anywhere until it's clean!" Max Sr. argued.
"This is important! The Penguin Dragon card is my life! I'll die if I don't have it! Are you going to let the one and only heir to all the evil die so young?" Maximus complained.
"Clean it!" Max Sr. yelled.
Not the sad kitten eyes nor an all out temper tantrum would work, so it was time for plan C, rebellion. "You wanted me to be evil, well I'm being evil! Evil villains don't follow the rules and they don't take orders from anyone, so I'll start by ignoring you! I'm stealing your ship and there's nothing you can do about it! Mwa ha ha ha!" Maximus ran off.
Max Sr. stood there for a moment in silence, then he laughed evilly, though not with the same skill his son did. "It's about time that kid grew up into an evil villain."
xoxox xox xoxox
Maximus headed towards Earth and tried to find the same place where he almost crashed before. That time he had taken the strange creature he called Maxine, after himself, as a pet. There were so many strange uncivilized creatures in that planet, she would be hard to find.
Suddenly, a ship appeared on the radar and he hid behind the moon to see what it was. It was none other than the Century Warbler, Beatrixo's ship. Curious to know what Beatrixo was doing in this space rock they dared to call a planet, which couldn't possibly be her home, Maximus followed the ship from a distance to make sure she didn't see him.
Bea had to take Betty to the Galactic Guardian Head Quarters while she was on a mission since she wasn't going to let the little three year old all by herself. At that age children are very curious and she might activate something she isn't supposed to activate.
By the time Betty would become a Galactic Guardian, these memories would be forgotten, but maybe deep down she would remember something about her grandmother being a Galactic Guardian in the past.
As Bea exited the Century Warbler hastily, Maximus' ship almost crashed in the yard. She turned around slowly, holding her granddaughter, who for some unknown reason appeared happy to see that ship. "Who are you and why are you on Maximus' ship?" He looked so familiar, yet at the same time different. "Wait a minute, you're his son aren't you? You just dyed your fur. Shouldn't you be in evil villain school or something?"
"It's spring break why would I be in, I mean that's none of your business Beatrixo! Return my pet immediately!" Maximus aimed a laser gun at her.
"I stole nothing from you." It didn't look like he knew this was Beatrixo's home and he was probably too busy thinking of his missing pet to realize it. "Is that hair ball behind you the pet you said you lost?"
"No, that's Minimus. My pet is the one you're holding. Well she was my pet, but she wouldn't eat pet food, so I had to return her to her uncivilized world so that her uncivilized parents could find her and give her whatever it is she eats. That's none of your business, give her back!" Maximus insisted.
He didn't know Betty was Beatrixo's granddaughter. "Plushie!" Betty cheered.
Beatrixo looked surprised, "you know him?"
"My plushie," Betty nooded.
"See she knows who I am, well kind of. Maybe plushie means supreme ruler of the universe in her primitive language. Give her back!" Maximus insisted.
"Oh, dear, you're saying she's been outside of her primitive world before?" Bea hid that she lived on Earth too.
"Yes!" Maximus was getting impatient. "Are you so old you didn't hear? I already explained it."
"Don't you dare call me old. You younger super villains have no respect." Bea realized this explained that odd collar she found Betty had. It was quite expensive but the jewels in it were not from Earth, so she thought it would be best to keep it hidden. "This little one needs to stay here."
"I need her to be Chibi Galactic Magician Girl so I can win the Dragon Penguin card!"
Bea knew about that and the competition. Betty watched a little of it in the Galactic Guardians HQ. She remembered Galactic Magician Girl, Chibi Galactic Magician Girl looked the same, but smaller. "Granny, let me go with Plushie."
"You know I can't do that sweetie," Beatrixo tried to talk her out of it.
"See, even she thinks you're old. She called you Granny." Maximus laughed and Bea decided not to answer that, because if she did, he might discover that she was her grandmother.
"Alright, she can participate in the cosplay competition, but I'll be coming along too and I won't let her out of my sight, understood?" Beatrixo agreed.
It was just a competition and Maximus IQ wasn't an experienced super villain yet. He was clearly more interested in TV shows and video games than in taking over the universe, at least for now. Besides, Betty really wanted to go and this could be a good experience for her.
"It's a good deal your evilness, you should take it" The yellow hairball that once was Minimus spoke.
"Making a deal with the enemy? I don't know about that, she is a Galactic Guardian after all," Maximus mused.
"You're going trough a rebellious stage, remember? It's the in thing," Minimus reminded.
"Dad will be so mad if he finds out and if he doesn't, I'll accidentally tell him because that's the in thing now, I'm glad I thought of it," Maximus agreed.
xoxox xox xoxox
They got on Beatrixo's ship, because she insisted on driving, and returned to planet Splatty. "Where is this competition taking place?"
"Here are the exact coordinates," Maximus handing her a flyer advertising the cosplay competition. "First something must be done about Maxine's hair. I don't know why her primitive race insists on cutting it like this." It was the work of Betty's mother who had always been quite bad at cutting hair.
"Alright, I suppose it's okay to make a stop." Beatrixo would have to think of an excuse for Betty's nice hair later. At least she had enough time, because when it was time to go shopping, Betty's mother took an eternity.
The trip was longer than Beatrixo thought. Maximus decided he wanted an Argellian candy bar on the way and threw a temper tantrum about stopping to get a few. With all that chocolate, caramel and sugar in his system, it made him quite hyper and to top it all up, Betty got a hold of some of the candy bars and was full of excess energy too. "Did you see that? She liked the Argellian candy bar, well of course she did, everyone likes them!" Maximus found it amusing that a strange creature who refused to eat pet food liked the candy and kept giving her more.
"Don't feed her so much candy, you'll make her sick!" Beatrixo protested.
"She won't get sick. I eat tons of Argellian candy bars everyday and I never get sick," Maximus argued.
"Maybe not, but you'll have to get rid of the extra energy and get all hyper and... Stop running around the ship throwing things! You're giving Be, I mean, this strange being a bad example! Put that down! Maximus IQ, you have to behave!" Soon but never soon enough for Beatrixo, they arrived at the salon for Betty to get her hair fixed.
"This is a people salon, shouldn't we be at a pet salon?" Maximus mused.
"She's special," Beatrixo suddenly she found herself feeling sorry for her rival Max Sr. to have to put up with his spoiled, bratty, hyper son every day.
xoxox xox xoxox
The situation took an interesting plot twist when in a small moment of distraction right after Betty's hair was finished Maximus and the hair ball, aka Minimus, ran off with Betty. "Bye Granny!" Betty was not scared at all, for someone who was being kidnapped by the son of an evil villain, who would grow up to be even more evil than his father.
"Betty!" Beatrixo called in alarm.
"Hey lady, you need to pay for the kid's hair," it was too late, she had already chased after them.
Beatrixo ran as fast as she could, but she didn't have the hyperness of a sugar high so she arrived too late. She watched as the Century Warbler took off unable to stop it. Her only choice was to find another ship and chase them.
xoxox xox xoxox
The Century Warbler crashed near Maximus' house. Max. Sr. thought it was Beatrixo and prepared for battle, but it was his son who jumped off the ship. Maximus IQ looked at the oversized laser cannon his father was aiming at him. "You must be really angry... awesome!" Then he ran inside as if nothing happened with a yellow fur ball following.
"How did you get Beatrixo's ship? Where's my ship? Maximus!" Max Sr. was ignored.
"Minimus, did you order the Chibi Galactic Magician Girl costume like I told you?" Maximus, threw random packages with all kinds of things aside.
"I ordered it right before we left with instant delivery, so it should be here," Minimus aka the yellow fur ball Kuri Kuri replied.
A few parts of weapons of mass destruction were broken being tossed aside. Finally, after throwing random deliveries aside, Maximus found what he was looking for. "Alright let's get ready," they ran off to his room to continue the preparations.
Maximus looked at little Betty, aka Maxine, she had some form of prehistoric clothing so she must understand the concept. "Look Maxine, pay attention. This is a costume, you're supposed to wear it, understand?" She nodded. "Good girl, here you go."
The next thing Betty knew, she was practically thrown into a closet and her door was closed. I was a little dark, but she managed to change into her costume despite the darkness and clutter. When she opened the door many, things fell out of the closet ,burring her under the avalanche of random objects.
"Maxine!" Digging in the mess of random items, Maximus pulled her out. "Look! She's wearing the costume. She looks just like Chibi Galactic Magician Girl!"
"Just don't get attached to her, remember you can't keep her," Minimus grumbled, though it was impossible to see which face spoke with all the long fur.
"Shut up Minimus! Maybe she can live on candy bars. Maybe she can stay." Now that Maximus found something to feed her, Maxine would stay and be his pet forever. "Let's go to the competition," back in the Century Warbler they went.
xoxox xox xoxox
The competition went well. People were supposed to vote on who looked more like the characters from Argellian 90218365839374-J. Everyone thought the Chibi Galactic Magician Girl was so cute that was what decided the victory. After some card trading and duels, easily won by the price card, it was time to return home.
"Sleepy" Little Betty yawned. It was rather late and the sugar from all the Argellian candy bars she ate was starting to ware off.
"You can nap while we fly back. I'll get you some pet toys too." Maximus admired the rare card, Penguin Dragon. It was an odd looking creature mostly a penguin with a breath of fire and a tail and wings of a dragon. "This is the rarest card, the only one that's one of the kind."
"Can I see?" Little Betty asked.
"I guess so... You learned a lot more words didn't you? When we first met all you could say was 'plushie' and 'mine'," Maximus handed her the card. "Be careful with it, it's very important."
"Hey how come you never let me touch your cards?" Minimus complained.
"Because I don't want you to break them! Obviously Maxine is a lot smarter," Maximus argued.
They had finally found the Century Warbler parked among, who knows how many other ships. What they didn't expect was to find Beatrixo already there. "Granny!"
"It's nice to see you're safe. I knew you could take care of yourself," Beatrixo was relieved. Maximus was still assuming that 'Maxine' called any older person granny or grandpa and it didn't mean they were related. After all, that space rock they called a planet was too primitive for Galactic Guardians. "You didn't keep your end of the deal!"
"I'm a super villain, what do you expect?" Maximus reminded.
"I thought so. Since I'm such a nice Galactic Guardian I'll let you remove that ship from that primitive planet. Let's hope the locals haven't damaged it," Beatrixo knew nothing would happen to the ship but she had to put up an act.
Maximus imagined a bunch of primitive beings dancing around the ship, claiming it was some sort of superior creature sent to protect them. Then he thought about what would happen if they recognized the ship as something evil, it was the ship of a super villain after all. They would most likely try to destroy it. Hopefully they wouldn't be able to do much with rocks and sticks. The four went inside the Century Warbler and took off towards Earth.
xoxox xox xoxox
During the trip, Betty fell asleep. They soon landed on Earth. "Looks like your ship's alright. You were lucky after all. The locals must be afraid of it."
"Yes, I'll be going now," Maximus hurried toward his father's ship but Beatrixo stood on the way.
"Aren't you forgetting something? She has to stay here. Her parents must be looking for her," Bea insisted.
"I bet they don't give her enough candy or toys and I've seen what they do to her hair, I'm taking her with me," Maximus argued.
Bea shook her head, "you know you can't do that."
"But she wants to come!" Maximus complained.
Betty woke up, "plushie?"
"I'm taking you home," Maximus voiced.
"Is dad home?" Betty asked.
"Your father? He must be somewhere in this planet I think," Maximus replied.
"Mom said he was coming back," Betty recalled. Her father had gone on a business trip and was to return that day. It was also the day of his birthday, which was part of the reason her mom went shopping. In fact, they should arrive soon, they planned to have a little celebration with just the closest family members at Beatrixo's house.
"You actually want to return with your primitive parents?" Maximus asked.
Betty nodded, "my plushie, come home."
"You want me to come? I can't do that, this planet is too primitive for me. I can't survive in this strange jungle. Everything looks so prehistoric," Maximus couldn't imagine it.
"See? I told you she had to stay. You wouldn't want to make her cry, right?" Bea insisted.
"She's my pet, she'll like living in a better planet," Maximus argued.
"Come home plushie," Betty insisted.
Maximus realized, there was nothing that could be done. Maybe she wasn't meant to be his pet. "I guess it's goodbye again."
"Don't go plushie!" Betty urged.
"I can't stay and you can't adapt to civilization." Maximus placed her on the ground. "Maybe I'll see you again. Maybe some day you'll find a way off this planet. If you do, come visit me."
"I will," Betty assured. It was goodbye, but she knew she would find him again, yet she never imagined how. "Pretty card," she tried to return the Dragon Penguin card.
"You like it? Do you want to keep it?" Maximus offered.
Betty nodded, "thank you plushie!"
xoxox xox xoxox
Maximus and Minimus returned to Splatty. The Penguin Dragon was the last card of the set, there were 90218365839374 cards in total and the main character would eventually collect them all in the series, one per episode. The J was for 'join', something special was supposed to happen when all the cards were joined together. It was part of the legend of Argellian. Maximus wouldn't be able to complete his deck now, but he would at least watch all the episodes.
xoxox xox xoxox
Years passed and these events were either forgotten or ignored, as if they never occurred.
"Betty, you need to clean your room!" Betty's mother called.
"I did and Purrsey messed it up again," Betty glared at the cat.
"Don't say such mean things about your little brother. You need to clean it, it won't clean itself," Betty's mother insisted.
Knowing it would be useless to argue, Betty went off to clean her room again. She picked up a very old comic book and something fell out of it. It looked like a card with a picture of a strange creature that was a cross between a penguin and a dragon. Without thinking too much of it, she picked up the card and a Maximus plushie which had fallen next to it when Purrsey somehow released the avalanche out of the closet.
She knew where the plushie came from. Her mother had given her that plushie because it reminded her of Purrsey. Betty had spend a lot of time thinking about how in the world a Max Land plushie ended up on a store on Earth. She didn't know that disguised as a human, Minimus had accomplished his mission of selling the Max Land merchandise to this pre-contact world, of course he didn't know Betty lived there and she wasn't sure this was merchandise really from outside of Earth. In the end she had decided that it must have been only a coincidence that the plushie looked like Maximus.
Looking at the card with the Dragon Penguin picture, Betty got a strong feeling of deja vu. She had no idea where this card came from but she had seen it before. It was as if she had it for so long, she didn't remember a time when she didn't. It was one of those things that was lost and forgotten in the closet, then found. She looked at the card and the plushie.
What was it about this card and a plushie? She couldn't remember. She placed the plushie with a few others and kept the card. She was still trying to remember what happened related to that card but nothing came. Finally she shrugged and placed the card in a drawer, hidden from Purrsey, she had a strange feeling that it was somehow valuable.
xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox
Planet 97: Betty My Dear
Betty's bracelet chimed, signaling an incoming call. She answered it wondering what could be the purpose to call her during a solo mission. But the one calling was not Admiral Degill to whom she spoke not too long ago. It was Sparky the one who called this time. "Hey chief, wanna come over and play video games and stuff?"
"Sorry Sparky, I can't. I'm on a mission right now, I have to go." Betty ended the communication and headed towards Chef Bernadette's new space restaurant.
xoxox xox xoxox
"I told you the Captain was busy," X-5 reminded Sparky on the Starcruiser.
"She can't be on a mission, why would she be on a mission without us and why was she all dressed up?" Sparky had noticed in the hologram, "that was not her Galactic Guardian uniform. I think she's on a date and doesn't want us to know about it."
"I think she's telling the truth," X-5 replied.
"She's on a mission to go on a date without us knowing, so yes she is telling the truth!" Sparky quickly typed a few things on the Starcruiser's computer and activated a radar to pinpoint Atomic Betty's location based on a tracking devise on her bracelet. "I found her, now we just have to follow the radar!"
xoxox xox xoxox
"For the millionth time, I'm Atomic Betty, the Galactic Guardian, and I'm here on a mission. Chef Bernadette was the one who requested my presence here to make sure everything goes well on the first day of business of the restaurant, because many important food critics will be here tonight. You have to let me in!" Atomic Betty tried to reason with him, but he didn't understand.
"I'm sorry miss, Atomic Betty," the alien at the door remained stubborn. "You cannot come inside without a reservation."
xoxox xox xoxox
Atomic Rodger and Sparky arrived at the restaurant at same time. "Look X-5, it's Atomic Rodger! He likes the Chief, he's the one trying to steal her away from us!" Sparky accused.
"I do not believe that's what's going on," X-5 differed.
"Atomic Betty," Atomic Rodger ran towards the entrance of the restaurant. Sparky and X-5 hid the Starcruiser in the back on the space packing and snuck closer, but they weren't close enough to hear them yet. "Admiral Degill said he forgot to give you this and sent me over to give it to you." Rodger handed her a card. "This will allow you to go in even without a reservation."
Sparky and X-5 watched from afar. "X-5 I think I'll need your help on this one. It's clear that neither of us is a match for this perfect specimen of hair," Sparky mused.
"You mean wig, he doesn't have real hair, remember?" X-5 reminded.
"Is it because I have helmet hair, is that it? She would take a wig over real hair because of that?" Sparky pouted. "As I was saying, it's clear that neither of us is a match for this perfect specimen of fake hair, especially not you. So we should put our differences aside and work together to save the Chief!"
"To save her from what? The Captain looks perfectly fine to me," X-5 reasoned.
"Yeah I know," Sparky stared at his captain.
"I didn't mean it like that. What I was trying to say is... Never mind, you're hopeless," X-5 gave up.
"Hopeless? You're just jealous because she likes me best. I'll show that Rodger!" Sparky snuck closer and hid behind a bush. Then when Betty wasn't looking, he tackled Atomic Rodger into the bushes.
Betty heard something and looked back, but Rodger was gone. 'I guess he was in a hurry,' she went into the restaurant.
xoxox xox xoxox
At Maximus's lair, "Minimus, Where's my dinner? Tell Chef Bernadette to hurry up before I die of hunger!"
"Your evilness, Chef Bernadette is not here," Minimus returned from the kitchen. "Look what I found in the kitchen," he held a note. "It was on the refrigerator with one of those little magnets that look like you."
"Let me see that," Maximus took the note. "I have to go to the opening of my new restaurant so I can't cook for you today. Order a pizza or something," Maximus read the note. "What? I'm more important than some new restaurant, I want my food!"
Minimus' ears were ringing and he was already starting to get a headache. "Why don't you go to the restaurant?"
"I have a better idea," Maximus decided, "I'll go to the restaurant!"
xoxox xox xoxox
At the restaurant, "what do you mean you can't let me in? I am Maximus IQ, the greatest super villain in the entire universe and if you don't let me in, I'll blow up this entire restaurant!" Maximus yelled.
The alien at the door refused to let him pass. "Like I said, no reservation, no entry."
As for Sparky and Rodger, they had an argument over who Betty likes best and since they refused to agree to disagree, as X-5 suggested, they decided to go ask her. However, that alien at the door wouldn't let them in and Rodger didn't have another entry card. X-5 thought about doing something to stop Maximus, but Sparky and Rodger disagreed, maybe he could distract that alien long enough for them to get in.
"You leave me no choice," Maximus aimed a laser gun at the alien at the door. "If you don't let me in, I'll use this!"
"You better believe it. He'll do it!" Minimus warned.
"You wouldn't dare!" The alien backed away.
"This has gone too far, we must stop him!" X-5 urged and this time Sparky and Rodger agreed.
However, before they could do anything, Maximus used the laser gun but not in the way they expected. He hit the alien on the head with it and knocked him out. "Who says laser guns don't work when they're not charged," Maximus walked into the restaurant, followed by Minimus.
"Now's our chance," Sparky ran inside the restaurant too, followed by Atomic Rodger and X-5, who was still trying to stop them, but there was no talking any sense into them.
xoxox xox xoxox
Inside, Maximus searched for Chef Bernadette to demand that his dinner by served immediately. He went to the kitchen, ignoring everyone who told him he was not supposed to go in there, and found Bernadette. "I want my food!"
"Just a moment, sir. The restaurant is full, I'll have your food ready in no time if you would please wait at your table," the very stressed chef was decorating an alien dish, but that voice sounded familiar and she turned around. "Maximus? What are you doing here? I can't work today, I need to be here at my restaurant. This is my life long dream!"
"I'm more important than anyone's life long dream!" Maximus pouted. "I'm hungry and I want my food!"
This was not looking good for Bernadette. Maximus could ruin everything with his complaints and this restaurant had to have a perfect review. "Alright, I'll let you eat here just go sit at a table that's not reserved for a critic and keep quiet until the food arrives." Bernadette pushed Maximus out of the kitchen and walked to a table. "Now you sit right here and read the menu. Then tell the waiter what you want."
"Fine, I already know how restaurants work so you don't have to explain," Maximus grumbled, then he noticed Betty, "Atomic Betty? What's she doing here?"
"Don't point, it's not polite!" Chef Bernadette said.
"I'm here to make sure everything goes well," Atomic Betty replied, not pleased with having Maximus join her table.
"Your first assignment is to make sure he doesn't complain and give the critics bad ideas," Bernadette ordered.
Maximus complained, "do I have to eat with her? I don't want to, she has Galactic Guardian germs."
"I don't have germs!" Betty glared, she thought her mission would be easy, but it was too good to be truth, she should have expected a twist like this.
"Just eat without complains for once in your life! This is my life long dream, have some mercy" Chef Bernadette was convinced that Maximus would one way or another ruin everything with his bratty attitude.
"I'm a super villain, I'm supposed to be evil," Maximus reminded.
"Make an exception this time or I'll never make your favorite brownies ever again," Bernadette threatened.
Maximus quickly nodded. "Fine, fine, I'll make an exception just this once, but do I really have to eat with her? Just because she looks all pretty in a dress, doesn't mean I want to be around her."
"The brownies Maximus, think of the brownies," Bernadette warned.
"Alright, I get it," Maximus pouted. Chef Bernadette finally returned to the kitchen and left Betty and Maximus to look at the menu.
"Did you just say I'm pretty?" Betty was obviously trying to annoy him, because he was annoying her.
"Yes you look very beautiful and-" Maximus realized what he was about to say and stopped. "No, I didn't! I said you looked pretty ugly, that's what I said!" He hid behind the menu. Betty found it so amusing she couldn't help it but to laugh.
Unknown to them, Sparky, Rodger and X-5 were watching. "What's going on, are they on a date?" Sparky feared the worse.
X-5 hopelessly shook his head. "I'm certain that there is a reasonable explanation for this."
"You're just jealous because out of all of us she likes you least," Sparky reasoned.
"Yeah and you don't have hair," Rodger added.
"He's a villain, maybe she likes evil men now," Sparky theorized.
"I hope you two are not thinking about turning evil," X-5 was worried as the other two nodded. "What if it's not that, what if there's actually a logical explanation for the Captain to be having dinner with Maximus?" Rodger and Sparky were not going to accept logic, so X-5 decided to play their game. "What if it's the sidekick, Maximus has a sidekick and you don't."
"Will you be my sidekick?" Sparky and Rodger asked X-5 at the same time.
"I saw him first!" Sparky claimed.
"But I have better hair!" Rodger argued.
Sparky took away Atomic Rodger's wig and threw it. An alien woman with long black hair was walking by and it looked as if the wig was going to hit her, but it instead knocked her wig off and took its place on her head. She touched the top of her head and felt hair, so she kept walking as if nothing ever happened, oblivious that her wig had been replaced.
"My hair!" Atomic Rodger watched the alien walk away with his hair.
"This gives me an idea," Sparky pickup the black wig and gave it to Rodger. "We should put our differences aside and work together to save the chief!"
xoxox xox xoxox
Betty and Maximus were eating, rather Betty was eating and Maximus was poking his food with a fork, wondering if it was still alive. "Eat up, you don't want to give people a bad impression of the food," Betty reminded.
"I can't eat this," Maximus complained.
"Why did you order it?" Betty asked.
"The name sounded cool, but I didn't know what it was," Maximus poked the octopus like creature on his plate. "I think it moved!"
"It's like gelatin, it's supposed to shake a little," Betty observed. "You ordered that thing so you have to eat it, don't cause trouble for Bernadette; I'm here to make sure of that."
"I have an idea." Maximus had told Minimus to hide under the table and come out at his signal.
Flashback
"How come I can't stay and eat and what is the signal?" Minimus had asked him.
To which Maximus had answered. "Because sidekicks don't get to eat in fancy places like this and you'll know what the signal is when it happens."
Minimus had crawled under the table his angry face muttering. "You just want to have dinner alone with Betty," which earned him a kick.
"That is the signal," Maximus growled.
End Flashback
Now it was time for the sidekick to assist Maximus by eating this strange creature so he kicked.
"Ouch, you kicked me!" Betty glared.
"Oops, I was trying to kick Minimus..." Maximus was about to kick again, but Betty stopped him.
"I'll kick Minimus for you," she kicked Minimus, who had fallen asleep under the table.
Minimus PU stumbled out from under the table. "Did you call, your evilness?"
"Yes, I want you to eat something," Maximus pretended to be nice, but it came out suspicious.
"Really? That's great because I'm really hungry," Minimus realized something, this was Maximus so there had to be a catch and there was. He knew that for sure when he saw what he was supposed to eat.
Maximus stabbed a fork into the octopus creature and forced it into Minimus' mouth. "That's it, now chew and swallow like a good little sidekick." After the ordeal, Minimus snuck away and went to hide under another table.
Maximus ordered something normal to eat and was about to eat it when he paused seeing Sparky arrive wearing a hastily made fake black mustache and Rodger with a choppy black wig. "Hello Betty," Sparky tried to fake his voice.
Betty looked around and spotted X-5, who shook his head and shrugged. "Sparky, Rodger, what are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry, you must be mixing me up with someone else. I'm," Rodger tried to think of a name.
"Ridiculous," Maximus laughed.
"Everyone sit down and be quiet or you'll ruin my mission. Everything was going well until now and it's almost time for the critics to leave," Betty urged.
"Yeah everything was going well until you arrived," Maximus hissed and Sparky ate his food. "That was mine!"
"So what? You're trying to steal the chief away!" Sparky accused. "Don't date him chief, he's evil!"
"Yeah, date me instead!" Atomic Rodger suggested.
"I'm on a mission not a date," Betty clarified. "Besides, I don't want a boyfriend at the moment; I'm too busy for a man anyway."
"I'm not a man, I'm a Martian," Sparky reminded.
"I'm not a man, I'm a, wait, I am a man," Rodger's argument fell.
"I'm a lynx," Maximus caused everyone to look at him in surprise, "just saying!"
"Oh man," Betty shook her head and glanced at a fancy clock on the wall. "The critics will leave soon, so you three better sit still and quiet, got it?"
They nodded and sat down quietly, scared to death by her glare. All in all, the mission was a success. Chef Bernadette got excellent reviews and the restaurant was instantly named the best in the universe.
End of Solar System XIII
Disclaimer, I don't own Atomic Betty. Special thanks to Barry I. Grauman, who gave me the idea for this story in a review. It's a Yu-Gi-Oh! parody, which seem to be everywhere lately. Planet 97 was based on the Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends episode "Franky my Dear."
Planet 96: Cosplay
Maximus heard of a cosplay competition with a very rare card as the prize, the legendary Penguin Dragon and he decided to try it out. He knew every other being Lynxia and Splatty would be there, but he was determined to win. All it took was a good deck and turning himself into a clone of Argellian, the main character of the series Argellian 90218365839374-J. That wouldn't be too hard, he only needed black fur, blonde hair and a fire red tail.
Maximus' father got home to find black footprints all over the carpet. The footprints came from the bathroom. Fearing the worse, he went to see what it was and found Minimus trying to clean the, used to be white now black, tub. He knew Maximus must have something to do with it. He must be turning himself into a clone of that character from TV. Arg-something, again. "Maximus! Did you see that mess?"
Maximus came to see, tossing red dye everywhere when ever he moved his tail. "What? Minimus cleaned it up last time, he can do it again."
"Why must you insist in looking like that Arg-something?" Max Sr.'s disregard for the name triggered his son's speech about all the coolness of Argellian 90218365839374-J. About an hour later, Maximus stopped ranting to finish getting ready and Max Sr. was left quite dizzy from hearing so many things he didn't understand.
xoxox xox xoxox
The first elimination round of the cosplay competition was a test of knowledge of the show, which Maximus easily passed. In fact, he knew things he wasn't supposed to know yet, since he hired a professional spy to spy on the author. Then came the card showdown which Maximus won, by cheating, but no one noticed.
The few contestants that had been left were to pull two card out of a box containing many without looking. Maximus got Kuri Kuri and Chibi Galactic Magician Girl. The final round would take place the next day. Each Argellian cosplayer was to bring two other cosplayers dressed as the cards that were drawn.
xoxox xox xoxox
Back home, Maximus was thinking of his options. "Minimus, I shall give you the honor of cosplaying as Kuri Kuri."
"But I don't have enough fur, Kuri Kuri's a hair ball!" Minimus complained. "I want to be something cooler, how about I go as Argellian!"
"Argellian doesn't have two faces! Besides, the extra fur will cover your second face and I already know what to do." Needless to say, Minimus knew he wouldn't like the plan. Maximus had that look that he got when ever he was going to do something that he would enjoy but Minimus wouldn't. Such was the case when Maximus emptied a bottle of shampoo all over Minimus turning him into a hair ball of overgrown fur.
"I don't think I can walk like this," Minimus tripped over his own fur.
"I'll take you to a pet salon to make you really look like Kuri Kuri. You're supposed to be all yellow too."
xoxox xox xoxox
It was not a pleasant experience for Minimus. With that done now they only needed someone to go as Chibi Galactic Magician Girl. Looking at the card, Maximus thought she looked familiar. He remembered one time he almost crashed his father's ship against what he thought was a space rockm but turned out to be a semi-uncivilized planet. Trying to gain control of the shipm he accidentally activated the beam and brought an uncivilized little creature to the ship.
The strange creature had big green eyes and red hair. She appeared to think he was a living plushie. She was strange. "I know who's going to be Chibi Galactic Magician Girl! Let's take dad's ship and get her."
xoxox xox xoxox
Max Sr. didn't like the idea. "You can't take my ship. Besides, the bathroom isn't completely clean yet and there's spots of red and yellow dye on the walls!"
Hyper as he was, Maximus didn't stop moving his tail, which caused red dye to fall everywhere and he had to shake his head a lot to make sure he had enough hair spray and the star shaped hair style of Argellian would stay how it should, but clearly he didn't take off all the blond dye before he did that. He was in a hurry to get ready. "Minimus, can't clean it now, he'll ruin the Kuri Kuri cosplay."
"Someone has to clean it and you're not going anywhere until it's clean!" Max Sr. argued.
"This is important! The Penguin Dragon card is my life! I'll die if I don't have it! Are you going to let the one and only heir to all the evil die so young?" Maximus complained.
"Clean it!" Max Sr. yelled.
Not the sad kitten eyes nor an all out temper tantrum would work, so it was time for plan C, rebellion. "You wanted me to be evil, well I'm being evil! Evil villains don't follow the rules and they don't take orders from anyone, so I'll start by ignoring you! I'm stealing your ship and there's nothing you can do about it! Mwa ha ha ha!" Maximus ran off.
Max Sr. stood there for a moment in silence, then he laughed evilly, though not with the same skill his son did. "It's about time that kid grew up into an evil villain."
xoxox xox xoxox
Maximus headed towards Earth and tried to find the same place where he almost crashed before. That time he had taken the strange creature he called Maxine, after himself, as a pet. There were so many strange uncivilized creatures in that planet, she would be hard to find.
Suddenly, a ship appeared on the radar and he hid behind the moon to see what it was. It was none other than the Century Warbler, Beatrixo's ship. Curious to know what Beatrixo was doing in this space rock they dared to call a planet, which couldn't possibly be her home, Maximus followed the ship from a distance to make sure she didn't see him.
Bea had to take Betty to the Galactic Guardian Head Quarters while she was on a mission since she wasn't going to let the little three year old all by herself. At that age children are very curious and she might activate something she isn't supposed to activate.
By the time Betty would become a Galactic Guardian, these memories would be forgotten, but maybe deep down she would remember something about her grandmother being a Galactic Guardian in the past.
As Bea exited the Century Warbler hastily, Maximus' ship almost crashed in the yard. She turned around slowly, holding her granddaughter, who for some unknown reason appeared happy to see that ship. "Who are you and why are you on Maximus' ship?" He looked so familiar, yet at the same time different. "Wait a minute, you're his son aren't you? You just dyed your fur. Shouldn't you be in evil villain school or something?"
"It's spring break why would I be in, I mean that's none of your business Beatrixo! Return my pet immediately!" Maximus aimed a laser gun at her.
"I stole nothing from you." It didn't look like he knew this was Beatrixo's home and he was probably too busy thinking of his missing pet to realize it. "Is that hair ball behind you the pet you said you lost?"
"No, that's Minimus. My pet is the one you're holding. Well she was my pet, but she wouldn't eat pet food, so I had to return her to her uncivilized world so that her uncivilized parents could find her and give her whatever it is she eats. That's none of your business, give her back!" Maximus insisted.
He didn't know Betty was Beatrixo's granddaughter. "Plushie!" Betty cheered.
Beatrixo looked surprised, "you know him?"
"My plushie," Betty nooded.
"See she knows who I am, well kind of. Maybe plushie means supreme ruler of the universe in her primitive language. Give her back!" Maximus insisted.
"Oh, dear, you're saying she's been outside of her primitive world before?" Bea hid that she lived on Earth too.
"Yes!" Maximus was getting impatient. "Are you so old you didn't hear? I already explained it."
"Don't you dare call me old. You younger super villains have no respect." Bea realized this explained that odd collar she found Betty had. It was quite expensive but the jewels in it were not from Earth, so she thought it would be best to keep it hidden. "This little one needs to stay here."
"I need her to be Chibi Galactic Magician Girl so I can win the Dragon Penguin card!"
Bea knew about that and the competition. Betty watched a little of it in the Galactic Guardians HQ. She remembered Galactic Magician Girl, Chibi Galactic Magician Girl looked the same, but smaller. "Granny, let me go with Plushie."
"You know I can't do that sweetie," Beatrixo tried to talk her out of it.
"See, even she thinks you're old. She called you Granny." Maximus laughed and Bea decided not to answer that, because if she did, he might discover that she was her grandmother.
"Alright, she can participate in the cosplay competition, but I'll be coming along too and I won't let her out of my sight, understood?" Beatrixo agreed.
It was just a competition and Maximus IQ wasn't an experienced super villain yet. He was clearly more interested in TV shows and video games than in taking over the universe, at least for now. Besides, Betty really wanted to go and this could be a good experience for her.
"It's a good deal your evilness, you should take it" The yellow hairball that once was Minimus spoke.
"Making a deal with the enemy? I don't know about that, she is a Galactic Guardian after all," Maximus mused.
"You're going trough a rebellious stage, remember? It's the in thing," Minimus reminded.
"Dad will be so mad if he finds out and if he doesn't, I'll accidentally tell him because that's the in thing now, I'm glad I thought of it," Maximus agreed.
xoxox xox xoxox
They got on Beatrixo's ship, because she insisted on driving, and returned to planet Splatty. "Where is this competition taking place?"
"Here are the exact coordinates," Maximus handing her a flyer advertising the cosplay competition. "First something must be done about Maxine's hair. I don't know why her primitive race insists on cutting it like this." It was the work of Betty's mother who had always been quite bad at cutting hair.
"Alright, I suppose it's okay to make a stop." Beatrixo would have to think of an excuse for Betty's nice hair later. At least she had enough time, because when it was time to go shopping, Betty's mother took an eternity.
The trip was longer than Beatrixo thought. Maximus decided he wanted an Argellian candy bar on the way and threw a temper tantrum about stopping to get a few. With all that chocolate, caramel and sugar in his system, it made him quite hyper and to top it all up, Betty got a hold of some of the candy bars and was full of excess energy too. "Did you see that? She liked the Argellian candy bar, well of course she did, everyone likes them!" Maximus found it amusing that a strange creature who refused to eat pet food liked the candy and kept giving her more.
"Don't feed her so much candy, you'll make her sick!" Beatrixo protested.
"She won't get sick. I eat tons of Argellian candy bars everyday and I never get sick," Maximus argued.
"Maybe not, but you'll have to get rid of the extra energy and get all hyper and... Stop running around the ship throwing things! You're giving Be, I mean, this strange being a bad example! Put that down! Maximus IQ, you have to behave!" Soon but never soon enough for Beatrixo, they arrived at the salon for Betty to get her hair fixed.
"This is a people salon, shouldn't we be at a pet salon?" Maximus mused.
"She's special," Beatrixo suddenly she found herself feeling sorry for her rival Max Sr. to have to put up with his spoiled, bratty, hyper son every day.
xoxox xox xoxox
The situation took an interesting plot twist when in a small moment of distraction right after Betty's hair was finished Maximus and the hair ball, aka Minimus, ran off with Betty. "Bye Granny!" Betty was not scared at all, for someone who was being kidnapped by the son of an evil villain, who would grow up to be even more evil than his father.
"Betty!" Beatrixo called in alarm.
"Hey lady, you need to pay for the kid's hair," it was too late, she had already chased after them.
Beatrixo ran as fast as she could, but she didn't have the hyperness of a sugar high so she arrived too late. She watched as the Century Warbler took off unable to stop it. Her only choice was to find another ship and chase them.
xoxox xox xoxox
The Century Warbler crashed near Maximus' house. Max. Sr. thought it was Beatrixo and prepared for battle, but it was his son who jumped off the ship. Maximus IQ looked at the oversized laser cannon his father was aiming at him. "You must be really angry... awesome!" Then he ran inside as if nothing happened with a yellow fur ball following.
"How did you get Beatrixo's ship? Where's my ship? Maximus!" Max Sr. was ignored.
"Minimus, did you order the Chibi Galactic Magician Girl costume like I told you?" Maximus, threw random packages with all kinds of things aside.
"I ordered it right before we left with instant delivery, so it should be here," Minimus aka the yellow fur ball Kuri Kuri replied.
A few parts of weapons of mass destruction were broken being tossed aside. Finally, after throwing random deliveries aside, Maximus found what he was looking for. "Alright let's get ready," they ran off to his room to continue the preparations.
Maximus looked at little Betty, aka Maxine, she had some form of prehistoric clothing so she must understand the concept. "Look Maxine, pay attention. This is a costume, you're supposed to wear it, understand?" She nodded. "Good girl, here you go."
The next thing Betty knew, she was practically thrown into a closet and her door was closed. I was a little dark, but she managed to change into her costume despite the darkness and clutter. When she opened the door many, things fell out of the closet ,burring her under the avalanche of random objects.
"Maxine!" Digging in the mess of random items, Maximus pulled her out. "Look! She's wearing the costume. She looks just like Chibi Galactic Magician Girl!"
"Just don't get attached to her, remember you can't keep her," Minimus grumbled, though it was impossible to see which face spoke with all the long fur.
"Shut up Minimus! Maybe she can live on candy bars. Maybe she can stay." Now that Maximus found something to feed her, Maxine would stay and be his pet forever. "Let's go to the competition," back in the Century Warbler they went.
xoxox xox xoxox
The competition went well. People were supposed to vote on who looked more like the characters from Argellian 90218365839374-J. Everyone thought the Chibi Galactic Magician Girl was so cute that was what decided the victory. After some card trading and duels, easily won by the price card, it was time to return home.
"Sleepy" Little Betty yawned. It was rather late and the sugar from all the Argellian candy bars she ate was starting to ware off.
"You can nap while we fly back. I'll get you some pet toys too." Maximus admired the rare card, Penguin Dragon. It was an odd looking creature mostly a penguin with a breath of fire and a tail and wings of a dragon. "This is the rarest card, the only one that's one of the kind."
"Can I see?" Little Betty asked.
"I guess so... You learned a lot more words didn't you? When we first met all you could say was 'plushie' and 'mine'," Maximus handed her the card. "Be careful with it, it's very important."
"Hey how come you never let me touch your cards?" Minimus complained.
"Because I don't want you to break them! Obviously Maxine is a lot smarter," Maximus argued.
They had finally found the Century Warbler parked among, who knows how many other ships. What they didn't expect was to find Beatrixo already there. "Granny!"
"It's nice to see you're safe. I knew you could take care of yourself," Beatrixo was relieved. Maximus was still assuming that 'Maxine' called any older person granny or grandpa and it didn't mean they were related. After all, that space rock they called a planet was too primitive for Galactic Guardians. "You didn't keep your end of the deal!"
"I'm a super villain, what do you expect?" Maximus reminded.
"I thought so. Since I'm such a nice Galactic Guardian I'll let you remove that ship from that primitive planet. Let's hope the locals haven't damaged it," Beatrixo knew nothing would happen to the ship but she had to put up an act.
Maximus imagined a bunch of primitive beings dancing around the ship, claiming it was some sort of superior creature sent to protect them. Then he thought about what would happen if they recognized the ship as something evil, it was the ship of a super villain after all. They would most likely try to destroy it. Hopefully they wouldn't be able to do much with rocks and sticks. The four went inside the Century Warbler and took off towards Earth.
xoxox xox xoxox
During the trip, Betty fell asleep. They soon landed on Earth. "Looks like your ship's alright. You were lucky after all. The locals must be afraid of it."
"Yes, I'll be going now," Maximus hurried toward his father's ship but Beatrixo stood on the way.
"Aren't you forgetting something? She has to stay here. Her parents must be looking for her," Bea insisted.
"I bet they don't give her enough candy or toys and I've seen what they do to her hair, I'm taking her with me," Maximus argued.
Bea shook her head, "you know you can't do that."
"But she wants to come!" Maximus complained.
Betty woke up, "plushie?"
"I'm taking you home," Maximus voiced.
"Is dad home?" Betty asked.
"Your father? He must be somewhere in this planet I think," Maximus replied.
"Mom said he was coming back," Betty recalled. Her father had gone on a business trip and was to return that day. It was also the day of his birthday, which was part of the reason her mom went shopping. In fact, they should arrive soon, they planned to have a little celebration with just the closest family members at Beatrixo's house.
"You actually want to return with your primitive parents?" Maximus asked.
Betty nodded, "my plushie, come home."
"You want me to come? I can't do that, this planet is too primitive for me. I can't survive in this strange jungle. Everything looks so prehistoric," Maximus couldn't imagine it.
"See? I told you she had to stay. You wouldn't want to make her cry, right?" Bea insisted.
"She's my pet, she'll like living in a better planet," Maximus argued.
"Come home plushie," Betty insisted.
Maximus realized, there was nothing that could be done. Maybe she wasn't meant to be his pet. "I guess it's goodbye again."
"Don't go plushie!" Betty urged.
"I can't stay and you can't adapt to civilization." Maximus placed her on the ground. "Maybe I'll see you again. Maybe some day you'll find a way off this planet. If you do, come visit me."
"I will," Betty assured. It was goodbye, but she knew she would find him again, yet she never imagined how. "Pretty card," she tried to return the Dragon Penguin card.
"You like it? Do you want to keep it?" Maximus offered.
Betty nodded, "thank you plushie!"
xoxox xox xoxox
Maximus and Minimus returned to Splatty. The Penguin Dragon was the last card of the set, there were 90218365839374 cards in total and the main character would eventually collect them all in the series, one per episode. The J was for 'join', something special was supposed to happen when all the cards were joined together. It was part of the legend of Argellian. Maximus wouldn't be able to complete his deck now, but he would at least watch all the episodes.
xoxox xox xoxox
Years passed and these events were either forgotten or ignored, as if they never occurred.
"Betty, you need to clean your room!" Betty's mother called.
"I did and Purrsey messed it up again," Betty glared at the cat.
"Don't say such mean things about your little brother. You need to clean it, it won't clean itself," Betty's mother insisted.
Knowing it would be useless to argue, Betty went off to clean her room again. She picked up a very old comic book and something fell out of it. It looked like a card with a picture of a strange creature that was a cross between a penguin and a dragon. Without thinking too much of it, she picked up the card and a Maximus plushie which had fallen next to it when Purrsey somehow released the avalanche out of the closet.
She knew where the plushie came from. Her mother had given her that plushie because it reminded her of Purrsey. Betty had spend a lot of time thinking about how in the world a Max Land plushie ended up on a store on Earth. She didn't know that disguised as a human, Minimus had accomplished his mission of selling the Max Land merchandise to this pre-contact world, of course he didn't know Betty lived there and she wasn't sure this was merchandise really from outside of Earth. In the end she had decided that it must have been only a coincidence that the plushie looked like Maximus.
Looking at the card with the Dragon Penguin picture, Betty got a strong feeling of deja vu. She had no idea where this card came from but she had seen it before. It was as if she had it for so long, she didn't remember a time when she didn't. It was one of those things that was lost and forgotten in the closet, then found. She looked at the card and the plushie.
What was it about this card and a plushie? She couldn't remember. She placed the plushie with a few others and kept the card. She was still trying to remember what happened related to that card but nothing came. Finally she shrugged and placed the card in a drawer, hidden from Purrsey, she had a strange feeling that it was somehow valuable.
xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox
Planet 97: Betty My Dear
Betty's bracelet chimed, signaling an incoming call. She answered it wondering what could be the purpose to call her during a solo mission. But the one calling was not Admiral Degill to whom she spoke not too long ago. It was Sparky the one who called this time. "Hey chief, wanna come over and play video games and stuff?"
"Sorry Sparky, I can't. I'm on a mission right now, I have to go." Betty ended the communication and headed towards Chef Bernadette's new space restaurant.
xoxox xox xoxox
"I told you the Captain was busy," X-5 reminded Sparky on the Starcruiser.
"She can't be on a mission, why would she be on a mission without us and why was she all dressed up?" Sparky had noticed in the hologram, "that was not her Galactic Guardian uniform. I think she's on a date and doesn't want us to know about it."
"I think she's telling the truth," X-5 replied.
"She's on a mission to go on a date without us knowing, so yes she is telling the truth!" Sparky quickly typed a few things on the Starcruiser's computer and activated a radar to pinpoint Atomic Betty's location based on a tracking devise on her bracelet. "I found her, now we just have to follow the radar!"
xoxox xox xoxox
"For the millionth time, I'm Atomic Betty, the Galactic Guardian, and I'm here on a mission. Chef Bernadette was the one who requested my presence here to make sure everything goes well on the first day of business of the restaurant, because many important food critics will be here tonight. You have to let me in!" Atomic Betty tried to reason with him, but he didn't understand.
"I'm sorry miss, Atomic Betty," the alien at the door remained stubborn. "You cannot come inside without a reservation."
xoxox xox xoxox
Atomic Rodger and Sparky arrived at the restaurant at same time. "Look X-5, it's Atomic Rodger! He likes the Chief, he's the one trying to steal her away from us!" Sparky accused.
"I do not believe that's what's going on," X-5 differed.
"Atomic Betty," Atomic Rodger ran towards the entrance of the restaurant. Sparky and X-5 hid the Starcruiser in the back on the space packing and snuck closer, but they weren't close enough to hear them yet. "Admiral Degill said he forgot to give you this and sent me over to give it to you." Rodger handed her a card. "This will allow you to go in even without a reservation."
Sparky and X-5 watched from afar. "X-5 I think I'll need your help on this one. It's clear that neither of us is a match for this perfect specimen of hair," Sparky mused.
"You mean wig, he doesn't have real hair, remember?" X-5 reminded.
"Is it because I have helmet hair, is that it? She would take a wig over real hair because of that?" Sparky pouted. "As I was saying, it's clear that neither of us is a match for this perfect specimen of fake hair, especially not you. So we should put our differences aside and work together to save the Chief!"
"To save her from what? The Captain looks perfectly fine to me," X-5 reasoned.
"Yeah I know," Sparky stared at his captain.
"I didn't mean it like that. What I was trying to say is... Never mind, you're hopeless," X-5 gave up.
"Hopeless? You're just jealous because she likes me best. I'll show that Rodger!" Sparky snuck closer and hid behind a bush. Then when Betty wasn't looking, he tackled Atomic Rodger into the bushes.
Betty heard something and looked back, but Rodger was gone. 'I guess he was in a hurry,' she went into the restaurant.
xoxox xox xoxox
At Maximus's lair, "Minimus, Where's my dinner? Tell Chef Bernadette to hurry up before I die of hunger!"
"Your evilness, Chef Bernadette is not here," Minimus returned from the kitchen. "Look what I found in the kitchen," he held a note. "It was on the refrigerator with one of those little magnets that look like you."
"Let me see that," Maximus took the note. "I have to go to the opening of my new restaurant so I can't cook for you today. Order a pizza or something," Maximus read the note. "What? I'm more important than some new restaurant, I want my food!"
Minimus' ears were ringing and he was already starting to get a headache. "Why don't you go to the restaurant?"
"I have a better idea," Maximus decided, "I'll go to the restaurant!"
xoxox xox xoxox
At the restaurant, "what do you mean you can't let me in? I am Maximus IQ, the greatest super villain in the entire universe and if you don't let me in, I'll blow up this entire restaurant!" Maximus yelled.
The alien at the door refused to let him pass. "Like I said, no reservation, no entry."
As for Sparky and Rodger, they had an argument over who Betty likes best and since they refused to agree to disagree, as X-5 suggested, they decided to go ask her. However, that alien at the door wouldn't let them in and Rodger didn't have another entry card. X-5 thought about doing something to stop Maximus, but Sparky and Rodger disagreed, maybe he could distract that alien long enough for them to get in.
"You leave me no choice," Maximus aimed a laser gun at the alien at the door. "If you don't let me in, I'll use this!"
"You better believe it. He'll do it!" Minimus warned.
"You wouldn't dare!" The alien backed away.
"This has gone too far, we must stop him!" X-5 urged and this time Sparky and Rodger agreed.
However, before they could do anything, Maximus used the laser gun but not in the way they expected. He hit the alien on the head with it and knocked him out. "Who says laser guns don't work when they're not charged," Maximus walked into the restaurant, followed by Minimus.
"Now's our chance," Sparky ran inside the restaurant too, followed by Atomic Rodger and X-5, who was still trying to stop them, but there was no talking any sense into them.
xoxox xox xoxox
Inside, Maximus searched for Chef Bernadette to demand that his dinner by served immediately. He went to the kitchen, ignoring everyone who told him he was not supposed to go in there, and found Bernadette. "I want my food!"
"Just a moment, sir. The restaurant is full, I'll have your food ready in no time if you would please wait at your table," the very stressed chef was decorating an alien dish, but that voice sounded familiar and she turned around. "Maximus? What are you doing here? I can't work today, I need to be here at my restaurant. This is my life long dream!"
"I'm more important than anyone's life long dream!" Maximus pouted. "I'm hungry and I want my food!"
This was not looking good for Bernadette. Maximus could ruin everything with his complaints and this restaurant had to have a perfect review. "Alright, I'll let you eat here just go sit at a table that's not reserved for a critic and keep quiet until the food arrives." Bernadette pushed Maximus out of the kitchen and walked to a table. "Now you sit right here and read the menu. Then tell the waiter what you want."
"Fine, I already know how restaurants work so you don't have to explain," Maximus grumbled, then he noticed Betty, "Atomic Betty? What's she doing here?"
"Don't point, it's not polite!" Chef Bernadette said.
"I'm here to make sure everything goes well," Atomic Betty replied, not pleased with having Maximus join her table.
"Your first assignment is to make sure he doesn't complain and give the critics bad ideas," Bernadette ordered.
Maximus complained, "do I have to eat with her? I don't want to, she has Galactic Guardian germs."
"I don't have germs!" Betty glared, she thought her mission would be easy, but it was too good to be truth, she should have expected a twist like this.
"Just eat without complains for once in your life! This is my life long dream, have some mercy" Chef Bernadette was convinced that Maximus would one way or another ruin everything with his bratty attitude.
"I'm a super villain, I'm supposed to be evil," Maximus reminded.
"Make an exception this time or I'll never make your favorite brownies ever again," Bernadette threatened.
Maximus quickly nodded. "Fine, fine, I'll make an exception just this once, but do I really have to eat with her? Just because she looks all pretty in a dress, doesn't mean I want to be around her."
"The brownies Maximus, think of the brownies," Bernadette warned.
"Alright, I get it," Maximus pouted. Chef Bernadette finally returned to the kitchen and left Betty and Maximus to look at the menu.
"Did you just say I'm pretty?" Betty was obviously trying to annoy him, because he was annoying her.
"Yes you look very beautiful and-" Maximus realized what he was about to say and stopped. "No, I didn't! I said you looked pretty ugly, that's what I said!" He hid behind the menu. Betty found it so amusing she couldn't help it but to laugh.
Unknown to them, Sparky, Rodger and X-5 were watching. "What's going on, are they on a date?" Sparky feared the worse.
X-5 hopelessly shook his head. "I'm certain that there is a reasonable explanation for this."
"You're just jealous because out of all of us she likes you least," Sparky reasoned.
"Yeah and you don't have hair," Rodger added.
"He's a villain, maybe she likes evil men now," Sparky theorized.
"I hope you two are not thinking about turning evil," X-5 was worried as the other two nodded. "What if it's not that, what if there's actually a logical explanation for the Captain to be having dinner with Maximus?" Rodger and Sparky were not going to accept logic, so X-5 decided to play their game. "What if it's the sidekick, Maximus has a sidekick and you don't."
"Will you be my sidekick?" Sparky and Rodger asked X-5 at the same time.
"I saw him first!" Sparky claimed.
"But I have better hair!" Rodger argued.
Sparky took away Atomic Rodger's wig and threw it. An alien woman with long black hair was walking by and it looked as if the wig was going to hit her, but it instead knocked her wig off and took its place on her head. She touched the top of her head and felt hair, so she kept walking as if nothing ever happened, oblivious that her wig had been replaced.
"My hair!" Atomic Rodger watched the alien walk away with his hair.
"This gives me an idea," Sparky pickup the black wig and gave it to Rodger. "We should put our differences aside and work together to save the chief!"
xoxox xox xoxox
Betty and Maximus were eating, rather Betty was eating and Maximus was poking his food with a fork, wondering if it was still alive. "Eat up, you don't want to give people a bad impression of the food," Betty reminded.
"I can't eat this," Maximus complained.
"Why did you order it?" Betty asked.
"The name sounded cool, but I didn't know what it was," Maximus poked the octopus like creature on his plate. "I think it moved!"
"It's like gelatin, it's supposed to shake a little," Betty observed. "You ordered that thing so you have to eat it, don't cause trouble for Bernadette; I'm here to make sure of that."
"I have an idea." Maximus had told Minimus to hide under the table and come out at his signal.
Flashback
"How come I can't stay and eat and what is the signal?" Minimus had asked him.
To which Maximus had answered. "Because sidekicks don't get to eat in fancy places like this and you'll know what the signal is when it happens."
Minimus had crawled under the table his angry face muttering. "You just want to have dinner alone with Betty," which earned him a kick.
"That is the signal," Maximus growled.
End Flashback
Now it was time for the sidekick to assist Maximus by eating this strange creature so he kicked.
"Ouch, you kicked me!" Betty glared.
"Oops, I was trying to kick Minimus..." Maximus was about to kick again, but Betty stopped him.
"I'll kick Minimus for you," she kicked Minimus, who had fallen asleep under the table.
Minimus PU stumbled out from under the table. "Did you call, your evilness?"
"Yes, I want you to eat something," Maximus pretended to be nice, but it came out suspicious.
"Really? That's great because I'm really hungry," Minimus realized something, this was Maximus so there had to be a catch and there was. He knew that for sure when he saw what he was supposed to eat.
Maximus stabbed a fork into the octopus creature and forced it into Minimus' mouth. "That's it, now chew and swallow like a good little sidekick." After the ordeal, Minimus snuck away and went to hide under another table.
Maximus ordered something normal to eat and was about to eat it when he paused seeing Sparky arrive wearing a hastily made fake black mustache and Rodger with a choppy black wig. "Hello Betty," Sparky tried to fake his voice.
Betty looked around and spotted X-5, who shook his head and shrugged. "Sparky, Rodger, what are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry, you must be mixing me up with someone else. I'm," Rodger tried to think of a name.
"Ridiculous," Maximus laughed.
"Everyone sit down and be quiet or you'll ruin my mission. Everything was going well until now and it's almost time for the critics to leave," Betty urged.
"Yeah everything was going well until you arrived," Maximus hissed and Sparky ate his food. "That was mine!"
"So what? You're trying to steal the chief away!" Sparky accused. "Don't date him chief, he's evil!"
"Yeah, date me instead!" Atomic Rodger suggested.
"I'm on a mission not a date," Betty clarified. "Besides, I don't want a boyfriend at the moment; I'm too busy for a man anyway."
"I'm not a man, I'm a Martian," Sparky reminded.
"I'm not a man, I'm a, wait, I am a man," Rodger's argument fell.
"I'm a lynx," Maximus caused everyone to look at him in surprise, "just saying!"
"Oh man," Betty shook her head and glanced at a fancy clock on the wall. "The critics will leave soon, so you three better sit still and quiet, got it?"
They nodded and sat down quietly, scared to death by her glare. All in all, the mission was a success. Chef Bernadette got excellent reviews and the restaurant was instantly named the best in the universe.
End of Solar System XIII
Disclaimer, I don't own Atomic Betty. Special thanks to Barry I. Grauman, who gave me the idea for this story in a review. It's a Yu-Gi-Oh! parody, which seem to be everywhere lately. Planet 97 was based on the Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends episode "Franky my Dear."