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“I can’t believe they did it! George and Harold have saved all of us!” Melvin’s words were lost among the loud, crackling electricity as the Nanozero’s life fizzled out. He picked up the Youwantsizewiththat-2000, then returned his widened eyes back up the Nanozero.
If George and Harold came out of the Nanozero, they might lie about not wanting to go to Eliteinati Academy. They could steal his spot for themselves. They would think it was the perfect prank, wouldn’t they? Yes, that sounded like something they would do. Melvin gritted his teeth, then turned away as the Nanozero fell, solidifying George and Harold’s fate inside it. If they wanted that spot at Eliteinati Academy so bad, they could build their own Youwantsizewiththat-2000 and free themselves! Melvin had worked too hard, for too long, for George and Harold to take this away from him.
—
“I can’t believe they did it! George and Harold have saved all of us!” Melvin’s words were lost among the loud, crackling electricity coming from the dying Nanozero. He picked up the Youwantsizewiththat-2000 so it wouldn’t get stepped on and broken by the teeny Caps inside of Captain Underpants’ head. If that was broken, they’d all be stuck in here.
“Yeah, I guess they have. But let’s get out of here!” Melvinborg caught Melvin’s arm, trying to guide him away from the sparks of lightning.
Melvin lifted the Youwantsizewiththat-2000, aiming it at the Nanozero to bring George and Harold back, but Melvinborg snatched it out of his hand. “What are you doing? We have to get out of here!” Melvinborg said harshly.
“What about George and Harold?”
“What about them? They’ll only steal the spot at Eliteinati Academy from us, but that’s only for us. It’s easier to just leave them there.” Melvinborg looked terrifyingly cold as he spoke.
Melvin looked up at Melvinborg, disbelieving. “We can’t be responsible for that!”
“It’s fine! I’m from the future, remember? That’s what has to happen. They’ll take it from you.”
—
“I can’t believe they did it! George and Harold have saved all of us!” Melvin said, his words punctuated by the cracks of lightning coming from the Nanozero. He stepped back to avoid a shock that came too close to him and felt the Youwantsizewiththat-2000 bump against his ankle. He jerked his foot back, then leaned down to pick up the device.
“Sure they have.” Melvinborg interrupted sarcastically. He hesitated, looking at the Nanozero for just a second before his expression became neutral again. He grabbed Melvin’s arm. “Now come on, we have to leave them here.”
“We can’t leave them there, can we?” Melvin yanked his arm out of Melvinborg’s hand, looking back at the crumbling Nanozero.
“Yes we can. And we have to! If we let them out, they’ll take your spot at Eliteinati Academy. Is that what you want?” Melvinborg’s teeth were bared as he said this, his eyes wide with anger. He clenched his hands defensively.
Melvin stepped back from Melvinborg when the other extended his arm out exasperatedly. But Melvinborg only grabbed the Youwantsizewiththat-2000 from him, then used his other hand to clasp to Melvin’s and pull him along.
—
“I can’t believe they did it! George and Harold have saved all of us!” Melvin said, dodging the sparks of electricity coming from the Nanozero. He picked up the Youwantsizewiththat-2000 so it wouldn’t get trampled, clutching it close to his chest. If it was destroyed, he wouldn’t be able to get the four of them out of Captain Underpants’ head.
“Yeah yeah yeah yeah, whatever. Now let’s leave them there. Forever! It’s perfect, huh?” Melvinborg sounded giddy as he said this.
“What? They’ve been right about everything all day, and you want to leave them behind?”
“Of course! I’m from the future, I know what happens.”
Melvin looked down at the Youwantsizewiththat-2000 in his hands, rubbing his thumb over the trigger. Melvinborg narrowed his eyes. “It’s fate. We can’t change it. They will steal your spot at Eliteinati Academy.”
Melvin frowned. “They said they wouldn’t.”
“Do you believe them?”
Melvin hummed, but allowed Melvinborg to guide him out.
“They might be telling the truth though.”
—
“I can’t believe they did it! George and Harold have saved all of us!” Melvin said, smiling slightly at the Nanozero as it threw off lightning sparks, its life fizzling out. He picked up the Youwantsizewiththat-2000, finger on the trigger. He would need it to get the four of them out.
“Yeah, yeah, and now let’s leave George and Harold here, trapped forever in the Nanozero’s husk! Perfect, huh?” Melvinborg looked irritated, but giggly, as he said this. He grinned far too wide to look normal, almost baring his teeth really. His human eye twitched and he tapped his foot, looking at Melvin expectantly.
“What? You want to betray them?” Melvin said, stepping back from the other. He held the Youwantsizewiththat-2000 slightly away from the cyborg.
“Of course! I’m from the future, I know what happens. You leave them there.”
Melvin looked the older up and down, hesitating to agree, disbelief on his face. He felt the weight of a pseudo-grief, as if he really were responsible for the loss of two of his classmates. But Melvinborg just kept staring, that terrifying look on his face turning into a frown full of teeth. Melvin always hesitated.
“No.”
“What?” Melvinborg swelled, towering over himself.
“No!” Melvin shouted before the other could get started. He lifted the Youwantsizewiththat-2000.
“Stop! If you change the future, I’ll-” Melvinborg stepped forward in a panic, reaching out to his younger self. “I’ll disappear!!”
Melvin pulled the trigger before the other could take the device away. A blue wave of light burst from the invention, destroying the Nanozero and restoring George and Harold. Melvinborg lurched where he stood, feeling a strange pull in his center. He watched the other two kids cough and stand, brushing each other off. Melvin smiled at them unthinkingly, then turned to the cyborg behind him.
Melvinborg stared down at his hands, the tips of his fingers turning blue. He breathed erratically, trembling as the grid-like pattern spread up his arms and his body vanished slowly. He stepped back as if he could escape it. But he felt the pull of time on his body. It made him stumble a little.
“I refuse to become the monster you are when I grow up!” Melvin shouted. He moved toward the other. His little hands were shaking. “And that decision means you no longer exist.”
Melvinborg’s eyes widened as the pattern spread faster up his body. “No, no!” He reached out for himself, needing someone to save him, anyone. He looked at Melvin first of course, but when he received a glowering, yet pained look, he turned his eyes towards George and Harold.
They stood close together, both of them with wide and confused eyes. Melvinborg choked quietly. He felt real grief weigh on him, sudden and heavy. Something he had been ignoring his whole life. His George and Harold were dead and gone, but why did that mean he had to force his younger self to relive it over and over again? He blinked a few times, feeling the prickles of time move up his chest. He looked back at Melvin, who looked less angry than before.
“I’m you. I’m you!” Melvinborg cried out, the grid covering his vision. But with as much force as he could muster, he used his last few seconds of time to look at the three kids in front of him with his robotic eye.
“You were me.”