Cosmic Boy Versus Mezmo Head! (5 page)

“But M-M-M … Mom!” stuttered Jeff.

Within seconds the streets were empty. The army was gone. The tanks were gone, the trucks were gone, the jeeps and jets were gone.

Mrs. Ryan was gone.

The kids were alone.

Klatoo stared down from the giant alien tower. He began to laugh. He tapped a futuristic watch on his green wrist.

“Ten minutes, Cosmic Boy!”

He laughed some more. An ugly, alien laugh, that drifted down slowly, along with the
weee-ooo-weee-ooo
sounds of his accordion.

8

Showdown!

S
ean turned to Jeff. “Can you do this? I mean, can you defeat the evil Mezmo-Headed dude?”

The lights on Jeff's plastic helmet blinked as he looked at Sean and the others. One after the other, each of his friends—Sean, Liz, Holly, Mike—gave him hopeful nods.

“I guess I can,” said Jeff. “I mean, I'll try.”

Sean beamed. “All right! The kid is turned on and ready for action!” He looked at the others. “See? What did I tell you?”

Mike frowned. “I still don't think we're going to make it this time. Those aliens are going to force us to listen to accordions all the time.”

“Listen, guys,” said Jeff. “We've got to short out Klatoo's head before he sends any more signals to the others.”

“Short out?” said Holly. “How? You saw how his helmet sucked in that huge explosion. He's super smart
and
super powerful. I think maybe we'd better do like your mom. You know, Plan D?”

Jeff took a deep breath. “There's got to be a way to short circuit that helmet. He's probably just a normal everyday alien without it.”

“Right!” said Liz. “Normal.”

Suddenly Jeff's helmet buzzed and blinked and whirred as he stared at the giant tower. “Stand back!” he shouted. “A plan is beginning to form in my brain!”

“Go, Cosmic Boy!” Sean cheered. “A plan!”

Jeff shut his eyes tight and pinched his temples. Blue sparks flew off his helmet. His face glowed. His fingers felt electric.

“Yes …” said Jeff. “Good … okay … really? Got it!”

He turned to his friends. “There's only one way to stop Klatoo. Let's put on a show!”

“A show?” said Mike.

Liz was staring at Jeff. Suddenly her face brightened. “In school. The stage in the auditorium. Jeff, you've got something up your sleeve!”

Jeff smiled a little. “On my head, really.” He adjusted the knobs on his helmet and straightened his antennas for the attack. “Yes, our school. Our turf.”

VRRR!
The top of the saucer began to open.

“Everybody back to school,” said Jeff calmly. “Mike, you go to the kitchen.”

“Cool,” said Mike.

“And get me a cabbage… .” Jeff stopped and looked at Sean's head. “Better make it two cabbages. Sean, I need a roll of duct tape. Holly, lights. Liz, music.”

Jeff's friends just stared at him.

“I'll explain it all when I get there,” he said. “Now go!”

They went.

And as they went, Jeff felt as if big music were pounding in the air all around him. Not accordion music, but action music. He looked at the giant alien tower with the saucer at its summit.

The top was completely open now. Jeff's friends were rushing away up Main Street to school.

He was alone.

Battleground U.S.A., he thought, his plastic helmet still buzzing on his head. Grover's Mill was the first line of defense against the alien invasion of Zalmo from Klamez. Doontoo from Mokla. Oozal from Zemom. Whatever.

“First battleground,” Jeff said to himself, turning his knobs to maximum. “Final showdown!”

Bong!
The giant donut chimed the hour.

Sssss!
The pancake pan hissed it, too.

Time was almost up.

9

Take That! And That!

S
uddenly there he was, floating down to the street. Klatoo the alien. His leafy head fluttered in the breeze.

Slap! Slap!
His large green feet slapped the ground. His large yellow eyes in his large green head stared at Jeff from under his large mind control helmet. “Now I will destroy you!” he growled.

Zzzzzt!
A spark flared from the cone at the top of Klatoo's finned helmet. It slowly massed itself into a giant purple ball of energy.

Jeff braced himself as dust swirled up on the empty pavement. Klatoo shot his fireball at Jeff.

ZANNNNNNG! BLAM!

Jeff reeled backward as Klatoo's first blast zapped his twin wire antennas. “Oh, that hurts!”

But that blast was just a trick! When Jeff staggered back, Klatoo swung and jerked his head at his friends running toward the school.

KKKKK! VA-SHOOOM!

“Oh, no you don't!” Jeff cried out.

ZZZZ!
Jeff's light blue bolt shot across the street and met Klatoo's purple ray in midair.

KA-BOONG!
The two fireballs collided and exploded harmlessly in the air. But the blast sent both Jeff and the alien faltering backward. His friends disappeared safely around the corner.

WHAMMO!
Another alien blast came quickly. Jeff leaped up off the street as Klatoo's shot hit near his sneakers, scorching them.
Hsssss!
It scorched them!

VLANG! KA-JOOM!
The battle went on.

Jeff kept trying to dodge the purple blasts. The only thing stopping the total destruction of Grover's Mill was Jeff's plastic helmet. And boy was it giving him a headache!

He floated over Duffey's Diner and hurled another blast.
BLAM!
It exploded at Klatoo's large green feet.

Suddenly the alien stopped. His Mezmo Head sputtered softly. “You are powerful, Cosmic Boy. Why not stop fighting and rule together? You can be the last human. We will be your Zaldoonian alien friends.”

Jeff looked Klatoo right in his bulging yellow eyes. “I don't want to be the only human. I sort of like the way things are. My friends and stuff.”

Klatoo's head sparked. “Then prepare to die!”

VLAMMO!
A sizzling purple blast shot off the alien's helmet and screamed through the air at Jeff.

Jeff ducked and the beam whizzed past him. “I'm getting out of here!” He shot another blue blast, then tore across the street and down School Road.

“I'll get you!” Klatoo shrieked. “King Greblak commands that I succeed! And I shall!”

VOONG! SHOOM!
The sidewalk blasted apart behind Jeff as he raced through the doors of W. Reid Elementary. His friends were waiting for him.

“Did you get him good?” asked Sean. “Is he, you know, finished?”

Jeff chewed his lip. “Uh, not quite, but I think I slowed him down a little.” He turned to Mike. “Cabbages?”

Mike handed him two leafy bundles.

“Duct tape?” said Jeff.

Sean tossed him a roll of shiny black tape.

Jeff smiled. “Props,” he said, mysteriously. “Now to the auditorium!”

“Ahem! Not so fast!” boomed a voice from the shadows.

Principal Bell stepped out, his hands on his hips. His eyes were glassy. “Klatoo is our leader and our friend!”

“Uh-oh, I've got to override Klatoo's thought beam with mine!” cried Jeff.

Zzzzz!
He zapped Mr. Bell's brain.

“But …” the man protested. He blinked. “Klatoo is our enemy! We must stop him!”

“The whole alien cabbage-head army is coming!” Liz told him.

“Shocking!” Mr. Bell announced. “Grover's Mill is the loveliest of towns! It must survive!”

“I think we all agree about that.” Jeff smiled when he thought of the next part. “But we need your help, Principal Bell.”

The tall man folded his arms and stared down at Jeff.
“My
help, young man? Fighting the aliens? Hmmm. Yes, that would help my career. What can I do?”

“How musical are you, Mr. Bell?” asked Jeff. Then he beamed another thought beam into Mr. Bell's brain.

Everyone charged for the auditorium.

Suddenly—
KA-ZANG!
Klatoo the Mezmo Head blasted the front doors off the school!

“So, you've chosen the battleground!” said the raspy-voiced alien through his tight green lips.

Klatoo leaned forward and hurled a super-powered Mezmo energy bolt at Jeff!

KA-ZOW!

Jeff quickly tossed the cabbage and the duct tape to Sean. Then he stuck out his hands and created a force field around himself. Klatto's energy bolt bounced off and hit a water fountain instead. Water sprayed all over the hall.

“Heads
up, Klatoo!” Jeff snarled, hurling his own blue bolt of energy at the alien.

“There's a
brainy
suggestion,” Klatoo retorted, sending another beam.

“I hope you don't
mind
!” Jeff said, floating to the ceiling and zapping back.

“Watch where you're
headed
!” the alien cried. Another purple bolt shot from his head.

Sean stopped outside the auditorium. “How long can they keep this up?”

“Not much longer I hope,” said Liz, sliding down next to him. “It's making me mental!”

10

Klatoo the Destroyer

B
ut the two helmeted super beings
could
keep it up! As the school blew apart, Jeff—otherwise known as Cosmic Boy—matched Klatoo the Evil Mezmo Head from Zaldoon blast for blast!

“I've been
thinking
of you!” said Klatoo.

KA-BOOM!

“Here's a wave,” said Jeff. “A
brain
wave!”

BA-ZANG!

“I've got an
idea
for you!” blurted Klatoo.

KROONCH!

Jeff dodged the shot. “Your
mind
is a blank!”

BOOMF!

“I
think,
therefore I blast!” shouted the alien.

“STOP IT!” yelled Liz.

But they couldn't stop it. The energy was too great. Powerful fireballs blasted off the two great helmets. Whole chunks were being blown out of the school walls. It was a mess!

Skipping and dodging blast after alien blast, Jeff made his way to the auditorium.

“Jeff, get in here!” yelled Sean, dashing out into the hallway.

“Children everywhere!” Klatoo shouted, his head popping and buzzing. “I'll even up the odds.” A purple fireball of energy started to form on his Mezmo Head. He aimed it at Sean. The air sparkled and sizzled.

“No!” screamed Jeff. “My friends aren't for frying!” He flew across the hall and took the blast meant for his best friend. He took it right in the antennas!

KA—ZZZZZZZZ!

Jeff's head jerked backward as the purple fireball hit. His antennas were as hot as … as … something really hot!

“Whoa! Barbecued head!” Sean gasped, flat on the floor. “Thanks, pal.”

But the force of the blast knocked Jeff to the wall with a terrible crunch. He tried to fire one of his light blue beams back at the alien.

Fzzz-zzz. Sproing!
A wire from his Cosmic Boy helmet whizzed down and dangled in front of his nose.

“No!” Jeff groaned. “My powers! My powers! They're … gone!”

At that exact moment Klatoo charged out of the shadows and rushed toward Jeff. “Prepare to die!” he cried, his lips growling into a grim grin.

“No!” shouted Liz. “Prepare to be entertained!” The auditorium doors burst open and Principal Bell and Mrs. Carbonese strutted out, both with accordions strapped on them. And both playing terribly.
Weee-ooo-weee-ooo!

Klatoo turned to look at the two grown-ups. “Could it be? The sacred music of Zaldoon!”

In that half second, Jeff scrambled through the double doors and into the auditorium.

“Everybody!” he cried. “My helmet's busted. I need some help!”

Mike raced over and looked at the snapped wires on the Cosmic Boy helmet. “I can fix this. I just need some time.”

Jeff glanced at the auditorium stage. “It's show time!”

KA-BOOM!
The door burst open and Mr. Bell and Mrs. Carbonese raced in. “I don't think we play well enough for him!” cried the principal, dashing over and huddling in a distant corner.

“Sean, up here with me! Mike, fix my head!” Jeff called to his friends. “We've got to do this!” He jumped up on the stage and nodded to Holly and Liz. “Places everyone!”

The two girls dashed over to the light box and threw a big switch.

The auditorium was plunged into darkness.

Sean and Mike scrambled behind the box on the stage with the curtain in front.

Jeff grabbed the cabbages and the tape and dived through the curtains and onto the throne at the back of the box.

Mike stuck his hands through the back curtains, grabbed Jeff by the helmet, and began working on the wires. Sean poked his head through next to Jeff's. Everyone was in position.

WHAM!
The rear auditorium doors swung open with a bang and Klatoo entered. His helmet sizzled and sparked in the darkened room.

“Where are you, earthling children?” the alien uttered, walking slowly down the center aisle.

“Lights!” yelled Jeff from inside the box.

FLINK!
A bright hot spotlight shone down from the ceiling right on Klatoo's green face.

“Bweeeep!” he screeched. “I can't see!”

Whoosh!
The curtains in front of the box on the stage were pulled aside. Sitting there in the dim light was Jeff. On his shoulder, poking through from behind, was Sean's head. Both of them were covered with large green cabbage leaves stuck on with duct tape.

They looked just like an alien. Just like—

“King Greblak!” Klatoo's wide yellow eyes grew wider and yellower. “You're … here?”

“Yeah,” said Jeff. “I mean, yesssss!” he intoned in as deep a voice as he could.

Klatoo approached slowly. Liz and Holly kept the bright spotlight trained right on Klatoo. His big yellow eyes squinted at Jeff and Sean, trying to get a better look.