Chapter Four

Capper Control Room

    The Cappers were bustling in and out of the control room. All were looking for the missing Opua1432. Gray Zombie walked into the room and looked over at LongLiveRock.

    "Anything?" he asked

    Rock shook her head, "Nothing yet, we did find something out. Earlier this afternoon, the main gates were opened. Someone came in. They used the Capper Code and everything. Nobody checked in, tho, so we don't know who it was."

    "Could be," Upstart said, walking up behind Gray, "DanZero, returning to grace us with his presence, and he's not sure if he wants to come in. Or......"

    "Or," Gray finished, "it could be another Capper, like one from the future. Nyssa said that another event like this happened back during the seventies."

    Upstart smiled, "So, maybe that person came to take Opus home."

    Nyssa walked into the room, "I doubt it."

    Gray looked over at Nyssa. "Doubt it? Then it's Dan, hiding on the grounds....."

    "No, I meant that I doubt that the future Capper came to take Opus home."

    "Upstart confused." Upstart said, "Upstart no like time travel."

    "PrezGAR claims that Jason talks that way." LongLiveRock said, "I don't recall ever hearing Jason talk."

    Gray looked at Rock, "You get an idea on what he's trying to tell you. Something about his eyes." he then turned to Nyssa, "Ok, you have an idea on who the future Capper is?"

Somewhere on the Capper Grounds

    "Chronos69" Opus said, hands tied behind her. "why are you doing this? You're one of the good guys. You're a Capper."

    Professor Chronos snorted, "My dear child, I merely pretended to be a Capper in order to gain access to the Cappers technology. My plan was to travel through time, and steal some of the great riches in the world. Then, just to be equally mean, I would prevent certain people from being born. Do you realize what this world would be like without The Gray Zombie?"

    Sid Weezul looked around, "Professor, we need to hide. The Cappers might have some sort of surveillance equipment and will use it once they notice that she's missing."

    "Quite right, Sid." Chronos replied, "We'll need to leave through the back way. Is the place ready?"

    Sid nodded, "Yea, but getting to Nowhere ain't gonna be easy."

    "What are you going to do?" Opus asked

    Chronos smiled, "Simple, I'm going to retrieve the information that you're parents implanted in you."

    "Say huh?" Opus asked

    "Your parents implanted very important information in you. Information that will be very important for my time travel experiments. Unfortunately, once I do, I'm afraid that you'll be nothing more than a vegetable."

    Opus looked at Chronos and then over at Sid, then directly behind them, "Oh, thank God you're here Uncle Gray."

    The two men turned suddenly, a look of fear in their faces, to find nobody standing behind them. Chronos shook his head and turned to address Opus, then looked over at Sid.

    "Sid." Professor Chronos said

    "Yea?" Sid asked

    "The girl's run off."

    Sid looked around to see that Opus, indeed, escaped.

    "Guess we should find her, then." Sid said

    "No? You think?"

Capper Control Room

    "Professor Chronos." Gray said, looking at the image of the gentleman on the screen.

    "Who?" LongLiveRock asked

    "Before your time." Nyssa replied, "He had been giving all sorts of freedom fighting authorities a hard time. He was able to manipulate time temporarily. Thing is, if he knew the passcode to enter the compound, why didn't he do that years ago?"

    "Simple," Upstart said, "he was waiting...."

    "For Opus to show up." Gray finished, "Meaning that either she's in league with Chronos, or it's something more sinister." Gray turned to Rock, "Have everyone check the grounds. I don't think that they're in the house."

The Capper Grounds

    Opus, hands still tied together, ran through the property, looking for a place to hide. She turned to see if she was being followed. Not seeing Chronos or Sid behind her, she turned back around to be startled by someone.

    "Shorry for shtartling you, missh." the man said

    "Who...." Opus started, then she realized who the elderly gentleman was, "You're Sean Connery, aren't you?"

    "That'sh right." the former James Bond replied, "And you are?"

    "My handle's Opus1432. It's an honor to meet you, sir."

    "I assure you, the honor ish all mine." Sean Connery replied, "I would extend my hand, but I see you are a bit tied up."

    As Sean Connery untied Opus, she explained all that had happened.

    "Sho," Connery said, after hearing Opus' tale, "Old Professhor Chronosh ish at it again, ish he. Well, lucky for you TinaW allowsh me to walk the groundsh. You're in safe handsh. Much shafer than with any of the other Bondsh. Well....that current chap showsh promish...even if he ish Irish."

    "Mr. Connery, if you could get me up to the Capper House, so that I can talk with Uncl....I mean, The Gray Zombie, I will forever be in your debt."

    "Perhapsh when Trebek ish in town. You and I can have shome fun with him."

    Opus cocked her head at the Oscar winning actor, "Do you always talk with a lisp?"

    "What lishp?"

Elsewhere on the Grounds

    Professor Chronos and Sid continued their search for Opus. Chronos had plans for conquering all of time and space and the Capper from the future was his key. They rounded a hedge to find their prey, and Sean Connery. Chronos and Sid raised their weapons.

    "Ok, Connery," Weezul sneer, "hand over the girl, and you'll live to see another film."

    "HA!" Connery remarked "Shid Weezul, TinaW shaid that you looked every bit like your nameshake. I had thought that she was over exaggerating, but now that I finally have met you, I can shee that she was undershtating the truth."

    "Does he always talk with a lisp?" Chronos asked Sid

    "What lisp?" Opus asked

    Chronos pointed his weapon at Opus, "Ok, Future Girl, it's time for you and I to leave. I have an important operation to perform."

    Connery stood between the villains and Opus, "I'm afraid the young lady ishn't going anywhere. Sho I shuggesht that you provide shome anshers."

    The voice that responded came from behind the villains, "That's a good idea."

    Everyone turned to find The Gray Zombie and a squad of Cappers standing nearby, all with weapons raised at the villains.

    "So, as Mr. Connery has said," Gray continued, "I shug.....I suggest that you provide us with some answers, Professor."

    "Well, Gray, if you must know," Professor Chronos replied, "I have come for my assistant. She's a bit hyperactive, and extremely dangerous. I have to keep her hands tied. Why if I haven't come when I did, you and the other Cappers would be killed."

    "That's not true." protested Opus, "Uncle Gray, please, you have to believe me. Yes, I was a troublemaker in the future, but you have to remember, my parents died when I was very young. I didn't know what to do, I mean, everyone became an authority figure. I mean, one Capper being an authority figure is one thing, but think about when I have to be raised by several Cappers."

    "That could be dangerous," Batqueen noted to Gray, "I mean, not every Capper can't be Parent of the Year."

    "Uncle Gray," Opus continued, "all I ever wanted was to feel needed. To be loved."

    "Ok, Opie," Gray said, handing a hankerchief to a sobbing Lanzman.

    "Thanks, Gray." Lanz said

    "You are such a softie." Gray then turned to Chronos. "And I'm supposed to believe you? Didn't you try to kill us three years ago."

    Sid was the one that responded, "How can you believe her? I mean, you know nothing about her. You're just taking every thing she says at face value."

    Sean Connery looked at Gray, "Gray, the shame can be shaid for the Professhor, ash well."

    "Well," Gray said, smiling, "there's only one thing to do."

Swamp Habitat, Elsewhere on the Property

    "Ok, Edgar" Gray told his pet, "you know what to do."

    Edgar the Alligator walked over to Opus and sniffed at her ankles, he then turned and trodded behind some bushes. Chronos and Sid looked at Gray and gave an evil smile.

    "Wait for it." Gray told them.

    As he said that, Edgar came back from behind the bushes, pushing a soccer ball. He then nudged it to Opus, who looked at the ball, then at Edgar, who seemed to be smiling. Opus picked up the ball and tossed it. Excitedly, Edgar scurried after the ball.

    "Better than the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval," Gray said, patting Opus on the shoulder, "Welcome to the Cappers, Kid."

    The rest of the Cappers all applauded, as did Sean Connery. Sid started to, but was stopped by Professor Chronos.

    "So, Gray Zombie," Chronos said, sneeringly, "you think you won, well, think again."

    Chronos reached into his coat pocket, finding nothing. He then started searching his other pockets, then started searching Sid's pockets, which did no good, as Sid was extremely ticklish and jerked around.

    "Stop." Sid said, laughing. "That tickles."

    "Hold still, moron." Chronos said, "I have to find my time device."

    "Oh, you mean this?" Opus asked, holding up a small device.

    "How did you......"

    "Hey, old habits die hard."

    The Cappers surrounded the villains, weapons raised. Sid and Professor Chronos held up their hands, surrendering.

Capper Conference Room

    The conference room was empty except for Gray Zombie, Animebabe and Nyssa23

    "So," Animebabe asked Gray, "Chronos posed as a Capper in the future?"

    "According to Opus," Gray replied, "he went by the handle Chronos69. Seems he was using our technology to build a time device. It, naturally, went kerplooey, causing him to be sent to the late seventies, and Opus to be sent to the present. There is something more."

    "Really?" Nyssa asked, "Do tell."

    Gray looked at the two lady Cappers, "Seems that in the future that Opus was from, Sub Pop Rock City was still standing. We never split up. When Chronos landed in the late seventies, the timeline changed. Which means he may have some connection with DeadlyRinger obtaining the nuclear missiles."

    Nyssa sighed, "So there's no point in asking Opus about the future. Everything's changed from what she knows."

    Gray nodded, "Ayup. The only thing that's bothering me is....well, Chronos said that Opus had, embedded in her, knowledge of time travel. As of now, he's in the Elsewhere Super Penitentiary, hopefully, he's the only one who knows."

    "You want us to scan her?" Animebabe asked

    Gray shook his head, "No, I think that kid's been through enough. Right now, I'm going to get her used to being in 2004."

The Zombie Household, Sometime Later

    Gray and Opus walked to the front door of the house. Opus showing that she was a bit nervous.

    "Why are you nervous?" Gray asked, "I explained everything to Charisma. She's more than happy to have you here, and Jason will like you, too."

    "I hope you're right." Opus replied, "But still, this is THE Charisma Carpenter-Zombie."

    "Around here, she's just plain old Charisma....uh..you might want to drop the 'old'."

    Gray and Opus walked into the house and were greeted by Charisma. After Charisma and Opus exchanged introductions, they walked into the family room, to find Jason already in there, sitting between a woman and.....

    "Saddam Hussein?!?" Gray exclaimed

    "So," Saddam Hussein said, pointing at Jason, "are you the one who's responsible for this...this....menace."

    "Saddam," the woman said, "now, behave. Jason has just been trying to be friendly."

    "Oh, but Martha." Hussein pouted

    "Honey," Charisma said, smiling, "meet our new neighbors, Saddam and Martha Hussein."

    Not responding, Gray sat down in his chair. Opus walked over to him, a quizzical look on her face.

    "Uncle Gray," she asked, "are you ok?"

    Gray looked at her, "My wife is a famous actress. My pet is an alligator. My foster son is a former serial killer, who is also one of the undead. I'm the leader of a peacekeeping taskforce consisting of a bunch of smartasses. I just adopted a girl from the future. And now, now I have a neighbor who is a former dictator who may or may not be hiding weapons of mass destruction in his basement.'

    Opus smiled, "Well, it's like I was always told when growing up. 'Being a Capper brings some of the most interesting events to ones life'. I mean, would you rather be normal."

    "Oh HELL, no." was his response

The End