Fluxx | Issue 6 (Volume 1 finale)

[Time: 5:30 P.M.]

[Location: Outside the Professor's Lab]

 

Well that was a total waste of time. Today did not turn out as well as I thought it would. First, I get attacked by Sharp, then I get attacked by Stan, then I get attacked by an army of robots! Though, I suppose I instigated that last one. Just a little.

Anyway, I figured I could salvage the day by hanging out with the Professor. (Or, as I like to call him, Doc.) If you couldn't tell by his somewhat pretentious title, he's the FF's resident genius. Basically, he designs everybody's equipment and gadgets.

Lately, though, he's been helping me out with my tinkering. Letting me use some of his equipment and teaching me stuff. He's also been trying to figure out my powers, but that hasn't really gone anywhere.

 

-Phil’s phone pings and he looks down to check it as he walks into the lab.-

 

Fluxx: “Hey, Doc. Hope you don’t mind me dropping by.”

 

Professor: “Not at all. In fact, your timing couldn’t be better.”

 

Fluxx: “Huh? What do you mean by-”

 

-Phil looks up from his phone to see his mentor bound to a chair by some kind of energy bonds-

 

Fluxx: “Oh! Sorry, I didn’t--I just thought--I was...”

 

Prof.: "Philip..."

 

-The Professor tries to say something, but Phil is too busy tripping over his words to notice. After giving up on talking he rushes over to help.-

 

Fluxx: "Who did this?"

 

Prof.: "I'm trying to tell you-"

 

-Before he can even begin his explanation, more glowing ropes, like the ones around the Professor, come flying at Phil. They wrap around him like an evil hug and he falls over.-

 

Prof.: "It seems a friend of yours came to visit."

 

Who? Oh no, not him. The most irritating villain in my entire rogues gallery…

 

-A familiar figure walks up and removes his helmet-

 

Tech-king: "It's me. The Master of Matrices, The Binary Boss. Tech-king! The world's greatest genius! Uh, present company excluded..."

 

-He says that last part with more than a pinch of saltiness.-

 

Fluxx, after squirming to sit up: "Johnny, look. Today has been the longest of long days for me, I'm not in the mood for putting up with your… Uh… You."

 

Teck-King: "Oh, I know it's been a long day for you. I'm the one responsible for it! I'm the-"

 

Fluxx: "You're the one who hired Stan!"

 

Tech-King: "Hey! Don't you reveal my plans while I'm revealing my plans!"

 

Prof.: "Please, I pieced this all together hours ago. You had Stan attack him so he would assume Nancy was responsible and go after her. Thus enabling you to sneak in here without him interfering."

 

Tech-King: "You know something? I really don't like you. What's the point of gloating about my genius if everyone already knows it?!"

 

Fluxx: "What I can't figure out is, how did you break in without being caught?"

 

Tech-King: "Oh, Fluxx. I thought you'd never ask. It's elementary really..."

 

-Johnny begins to drone about his genius methods of penetrating the FF HQ's defenses. Meanwhile, Phil scooches over and whispers to the Prof.-

 

Fluxx: "Normally, I let him take all the time he needs to soliloquize 'cuz--"

 

Prof.: "Because he's quite the Narcissus and while he's caught up in his own delusions of grandeur you can devise a counter-attack."

 

-Okay, I can see why Johnny was annoyed. He literally just said what I was gonna say but with bigger words. The problems that come with being friends the smartest dude on the planet...-

 

Fluxx: "Uh, right. You sure seem pretty calm… ya' know, given the situation..."

 

Prof.: "And rightfully so, I'd say. In fact, I could have escaped on multiple occasions. But I figured I shouldn't be cleaning up your messes. Hm?"

 

Fluxx: "... You're kidding, right? Right?!"

 

Prof.: “You’re never going to grow if someone else is constantly fixing your problems for you, right?”

 

As much as I hate to admit it, he’s right. That’s all I’ve been doing all day. I needed Rongzero to save me from Nancy, I let Fant deal with Stan and I straight-up let Sharp walk all over me and the other trainees. Boy, this day keeps getting better...

 

Fluxx: “Yeah… yeah, okay. I think I have an idea. Can you at least help me out with these things?”

 

-Phil gestures with his head to their bonds.-

 

Fluxx: “I know you just said I need to do things myself. They seem like they’re specifically made so my powers won’t work on them.”

 

Prof.: “When will you kids learn that you don’t need your powers to solve problems? I don’t have any powers and I just do fine.”

 

Fluxx: “While that’s a great ‘lesson of the day’ line, not all of us have a bajillion IQ! Uh… All due respect.”

 

Prof.: "Hm, touché. See if you can get me that tool on my workbench."

 

Fluxx: "Got it. Which one do you want? The one that looks like a sonic screwdriver or the one that's kinda like a Miles Electric?"

 

Prof.: "Just give me the skinny, silver one!"

 

Okay, is Johnny still distracted?

 

Tech-King: "...and it all goes to show I'm superior to Fluxx in every way. No, greatly superior! No, vastly superior! No--"

 

Yeah, I probably got a good five minutes.

 

-Phil proceeds to drag the tool of the workbench little by little. Having to jerk his head to pull it towards him.-

 

Ugh. It's hard to use my powers like this without my hands. Looks like I'm almost theeerrrre…

 

-He finally gets the tool to the point where it's teetering on the edge.-

 

I better be careful here. I don't want it to--

 

-The tool falls off the edge of the table. It hurtles toward the ground where it threatens to clatter, alerting their captor. Yet, it only makes a faint clink noise as Phil catches it in his mouth, clenching it tensely between his teeth. Sweating from the pressure of not dropping the device, he carefully places it in the Professor's hand.-

 

Prof.: "Thank you. So, what’s this idea of yours?"

 

Fluxx: “For the record. I still think it’d be better if you came up with a plan… But I was thinking I could finally field-test ‘Project Force’.”

 

Prof.: “A little obvious, but given our test-runs it should be more than effective.”

 

Fluxx: “My thoughts exactly. Could you come up with a distraction while I get to it?”

 

Prof.: “Hm… That I can do.”

 

-The Professor points the tool at the energy ropes, presses a button and they fizzle away.-

 

Yup. It's totally a sonic screwdriver. Now, I wonder what the Doc will come up with for a distraction…

 

Computer: "Laboratory self-destruct sequence: Activated."

 

-Phil looks at the professor who's now nonchalantly sitting back in his chair as the screen behind him begins a countdown.-

 

Huh, didn’t expect that. He's either very brave or very smart...

 

Tech-King: "Hey! What the--Are you crazy, dude?! Shut it off, man!"

 

Prof.: "Why? If you're so smart, you should be able to do it. Right? Or are you not that smart?"

 

Tech-King: "Buh--I'll show you who's smart!"

 

-Tech-King puts on his helmet and begins furiously typing on a wrist-mounted keyboard. Dozens of lines of code fly past his perspiring face as he hacks further into the system.-

 

Computer: "...Four, three, two, o--Self-Destruct sequence: Deactivated."

 

Tech-King: "Hah. Nice try, Einstein. But it's going to take more than that to outwit my intellect. All that you've accomplished is--Wait, where'd Fluxx go?"

 

-Tech-King looks over his shoulder, spotting Phil, who is doing a horrible job of sneaking.-

 

Fluxx: “Uh… Meow?”

 

Ugh, of all the quotes I could’ve used...

 

-With an almost amused expression, Johnny raises his arm and fires another set of restraints at Phil.-

 

Tech-King: “Too easy.”

 

-But, before Fluxx can get caught for the third time that day, a metal object collides with the projectile, destroying it. Johnny watches, mouth agape as the flying thing circles back, returning to the Professor’s hand.-

 

Fluxx: “Did you just throw a batarang?”

 

Prof.: “You should know Batman didn’t invent Shurikenjutsu.”

 

Fluxx: “Shurike-what-now?”

 

-Johnny turns back to Phil and sighs in an exaggerated manner, rolling his eyes.-

 

Prof.: “Shurikenjutsu. The ancient Japanese martial arts of throwing shuriken. Try to keep up.”

 

Don’t you love knowing you’re the dumbest person in the room? Me too.

 

-Johnny’s hot air soon dissipates as he’s hit from behind by the Professor’s not-batarang.-

 

Tech-King: “Hey, no fair! You wanna’ go old man?”

 

-Tech-King flies at the Professor but misses as the “old man” anticipates the attack and steps out of the way, going as far to work Johnny’s momentum to his favor and flip him over and pin him down.-

 

Prof.: “Speaking of Japanese martial arts...”

 

Tech-King: “Yeah, yeah, Judo. The technique of adjusting to a stronger opponent’s attack in order to knock him off balance. ”

 

Prof.: “I suppose you are smart. However, wise… Mm, not so much.”

 

Tech-King: “Don’t have to be,”

 

-Back-mounted thrusters lift Johnny off the ground. He grabs The Proffesor on the way up and tosses him down. He then presses a button on his wrist, causing a pair of laser cannons to sprout from the back of his shoulders, already preparing to fire at both Philip and the Professor.-

 

Tech-King: “...I got lasers!”

 

Fluxx: “Well then it’s a good thing I got these.”

 

Tech-King quickly turns around. Fluxx is floating there behind him, now rocking some sort of hi-tech bracelets.

 

Tech-King: "Ooh, look who's finally got some big boy clothes. Sorry, Fluxxy, but I'm afraid that's too little too late!"

 

-Tech-kings lasers whine as they finish charging.-

 

Whuh-oh, no time for banter.

 

-Phil frantically presses the “on” button on his new accessories. But it would seem he wasn't fast enough. Tech-King's weapons fire, and crackling bolts of energy leave the barrels, careening at our heroes. Then, they stop.-

 

Tech-King: "What in the--How are you doing this?"

 

-Tech-King looks to the Professor, but the Profesor just points back at Phil.-

 

Tech-King: "No way."

 

Fluxx: "Ohohohoho, yes way."

 

-Tech-King shields his eyes against the lightning-bright glow emanating from Phil. Everything within a couple feet of him has begun to levitate and his hair and eyes are piercingly white.-

 

Now this… This is something else. I couldn’t have told you what energy feels like before, but now I'm telling you, this is it. I feel like there's nothing I can't do! It's like there's nothing holding me back, which is almost scary to think about… But enough of that jazz, time to take care of business.

 

Fluxx: “I’ve got the power!”

 

-Following Phil's direction the immobilized laser bolts are returned to their sender, striking his armor.-

 

Tech-King: "Ow! Watch it!"

 

-Retaliating, Johnny rushes at Phil, firing a hailstorm of lasers in front of him. But none of them even come close to hitting their mark, instead dissipating against an invisible barrier. Soon Johnny himself is stopped in his tracks as Philip seizes him.-

 

Fluxx: "Look who's got every advantage now? Looks like you can't boss me around anymore, Johnny."

 

-Frightened, Johnny tries to escape with his jet boots, but Phil's unseen grip on him only gets tighter.-

 

Fluxx, his voice getting deeper: "Time for you to see what it's like to be pushed around!"

 

-Now fully scared out of his wits, Johnny struggles even harder to escape.-

 

Prof.: "What are you doing, Philip? Let him go!"

 

-Snapping out of his apparent power-trip, Phil looses his hold on Johnny. Unfortunately for Johnny, he was still running his engines at full power. As soon as Phil lets him go he is sent crashing through the ceiling and off into the sky, a distant twinkle signifying his entrance into Earth's upper atmosphere.-

 

Fluxx: "Oops."

 

-Phil hastily un-latches the cuffs and lets them clatter to the floor.-

 

Fluxx: "Well, heh, that got a little intense. What did you put in those things anyway?"

 

-He tries to be light-hearted but he's clearly shaken up.-

 

Prof.: "Silvaridium crystals.”

 

-Despite the blunt statement, his voice is full of concern.-

 

Prof.: “Stones that contain a lot of power… Quite a lot, apparently."

 

-The Professor retrieves Project Force from the floor, looking from them to Phil.-

 

Fluxx: "Yeah… Sorry, you, uh, had to see that. I just felt really confident all the sudden. It was a, uh, bit of a new feeling. Heh..."

 

Prof.: "Right..."

 

-The Professor trails off as he stares thoughtfully at the technology in his hands.-

 

Prof.: "Well, that fellow did have it coming, breaking into here and all. Besides, I have a premonition that he'll be back again sooner or later. Why don't you go spend some time with the other 'Fighters, I need some time to clean up this mess."

 

Fluxx: "Uh, okay. I'll see you later, I guess?"

 

Prof.: "Sounds good. Good-bye, Philip."

 

-Phil considers saying something more, but decides he's already wasted enough of his friend's time and simply exits without a word.-

 

Prof.: "You are a real enigma, Philip… And when I don't know something, there's reason to worry..."

 

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Aaaand roll credits: youtu.be/F3gdrDqZpKM

[Location: Earth’s Thermosphere (AKA Space)]

 

(Wait, what?! There’s more? Get ready people, there’s an end credits scene!)

 

Empty space. Earth rests below. There is nothing else to be seen but stars. The tranquil scene is interrupted by an immense spacecraft lurching into the atmosphere. The craft’s lone crewmember surveys the familiar planet before him, taking in its vibrant colors.

 

???: “It’s good to be home.”

 

Suddenly, a glint catches his eye. At first he thinks it might be a small satellite, but a closer look reveals it’s, in fact, a person, just floating there.

 

???: “Look alive, MOBI! We got a floater!”

 

The ship’s onboard computer intelligence blinks on and begins to carry out the necessary protocols.

 

MOBI: “Aye, aye, sir.”

 

The unknown space-farer puts on his helmet and grumbles.

 

???: “I just got here and I’ve already got problems to solve…”

 

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Aaaand roll the rest of the credits: youtu.be/0UnnkFlYwKg

 

Special thanks to Totally Awesome for letting me use his Flickr Fighter and for aiding in the writing of this issue.

 

And a quick thanks again to the other Flickr Fighters who appeared in this series.

 

Speaking of, sorry this took so long. Though, I kinda' kept with the schedule of the rest of the series. :P It just took time for me to get the right inspiration.

 

As for my future plans with Fluxx. I have a few ideas, but they're only if I find both time and inspiration. Sorry to say, that's a pretty big "if".

 

But, hey, I got through a whole volume! That's better than some of my projects. xP

 

Big, big thank you to everyone who read this, especially those who faved and especially, especially those who commented! Your feedback is really what got this series finished. I hope you enjoyed it!

Done