Zeronia

Chapter 13: Zeronia No More

Toby P.O.V

Laloc teleported me to Tak's underground ship. I was turned back into a boy and dressed in nothing but my boxer shorts. I had Debra's dress rolled up into a ball in one hand and holding her shoes in the other. I wasn't going to miss those.

"Toby, what happened?" Judy came running over to me followed closely by Debra and Tak.

"Why are you a boy?" Debra wanted to know.

I dropped the shoes and turned to Tak and said, "I think this belongs to you." I handed her back the magnetic pulse emitter.

"You didn't plant it?" Tak cried.

"I didn't have to," I said. "I made a deal with Laloc.'

Tak stared at me. "You mean to tell me..." she trailed off. "Toby, where is your Zeron Crystal?"

"I gave it to Laloc."

"You did what?" Tak cried in disbelief.

"Tak, is it true that the Zeron was the first to attack the Crillinarians?" I asked her. "That it was the Zeron who have made the Crillinarians into the monsters they are?"

Tak stared at me. "Yes, it's true?" she admitted. "We wanted power. We just never expected things to become so chaotic. We were trying to make an amend for our mistake ever since."

"It wasn't a mistake," I told her. " You knew exactly what you were doing." I turned to Judy and Debra. "The earth is safe now. Laloc promised that she wouldn't harm it if I turned my Zeron Crystal over to her. So, let go home."

We started to leave when Tak shouted, "Wait!"

We turned back to her.

"You have to get your Zeron Crystal back," she told me. "There are still millions of other planets in danger!"

"I don't care about the millions of other planets," I snapped. "And I don't think you do either! This had always been about petty revenge against the Crillinarians with you. Well, I am done with being your pawn. Do your dirty work!"

Despite Tak's pleads I got dressed and left her ship through the port-o-potty with Judy and Debra.

When I got home I decided to begin working on my comic book, hoping that Mr. Jenson from Created Comics would like the changes I made.

I sat at my drawing desk tracing my pencil sketching with dark ink when I heard my mom calling me.

"Toby, you have a visitor," Mom called.

I put down my black ink pen and stood up. I hoped it wasn't Tak trying to convince me to become Zeronia again because that wasn't happening. Zeronia was gone for good.

I went downstairs only to find Brian standing at the door. He was holding a folder and looking bothered about something.

"Toby, can I come into your room?" he asked. "There's something I need to show you."

"Sure, come up," I said.

Once we were up in  my room I closed the door and turning to Brian I asked, "What's up?"

"Do you remember Tommy Armstrong?"

How could I forget that guy? We both attended art school together in the hope of becoming comic book writers. The difference between us is that I write comic books to entertain while he writes comic books to cater to people's fetishes and wet fantasy.

"What about him?"

"He wrote a comic book about Zeronia," Brian said.

This was disturbing news knowing Tommy's brand of comics and how he likes to exaggerate the female body.

"He already wrote the comic and was passing out copies all over school," Brian explained. "See for yourself." He handed me the folder.

I opened the folder and was overcome with disgust when I saw the first drawing which was obviously supposed to be the cover of the comic. It was a picture of Zeronia or a more mature bustier version of Zeronia. Her breasts were ridiculously huge. Her bright red lips were parted, giving a saucy smile. She was doing a high kick and her skirt was so short that I could see sexy red panties underneath. When I was Zeronia I wore a short skirt, but at least it was long enough to cover everything. Her boots were turned into high heels that made the shoes Debra gave me look comfortable.

I started looking through the comic and each page left me cold. There wasn't a thing in this comic that wasn't perverted or sex-related. There was even a page where Zeronia rescued a muscleman in thong underwear, then they... Well, I rather not think about what they did.

When I was done looking through the comic I felt disgusted in a way I have never felt before. I don't know why I was so disturbed by that image in the comic. Maybe transforming into a girl made me more respectful of women.

I turned to Brian who was staring at me. "Tommy said he was going to publish it at Created Comics," he told me.

"No way," I said, handing back the comic. "Created Comics is a respectful comic book publishing agency. They would never publish such trash."

"I don't know about that," Brian said, doubtfully. "You know, Zeronia had become a big name around here. A lot of people would love to read anything starring her."

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

"I think you should write your own comic book starring Zeronia," Brian suggested. "Then publish it at Created Comics before Tommy Armstrong. I do it myself, but I can't draw too good."

I really wanted to work on my ImpossibleMan comic, but I guess I could put that aside for the greater good. I mean, even if Created Comics doesn't publish his comic he might go to one of those underground publishers.

"Okay, I'll do it," I told Brian.

Brian grinned with delight.

"I just need you to do one thing for me."

"Anything!"

"You still have that selfie you took with Zeronia?"

"I sure do."

"I need you to text me that picture."

"Sure."

Brian texted me the selfie of him and Zeronia, then left so I could begin working on my Zeronia comic. I needed the selfie of Zeronia to use as a model when I draw her. I wished I could have taken some pictures of myself when I was Zeronia. The only time I've ever seen Zeronia was in a mirror or shiny object, which didn't help me now

I thought Brian was great that he wouldn't want me--I mean, Zeronia to be in such a trashy comic book. Most guys wouldn't do anything about it for a girl they hardly know.

I found myself wishing that I could transform back into Zeronia one last time just so I could go over to Tommy Armstrong's house and terrorize him into not publishing his comic. I should sue him, but how can I without letting people know that I am Zeronia. Heck, the hard part would be getting people to believe that I was her.

Ever since I came back from the Crillinarian ship I kept asking myself if I did the right thing in giving Laloc my Zeron Crystal. Then I thought, of course, it was the right thing to do. I may have saved the earth.

I would soon learn that the trouble with the Crillinarian was far from over.