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ððð) ðð. 24
"Come to steal the
formula again, have ya?"
Krabs asks, his grip on
the cash register tight.
Plankton's eye widens,
his lie evident. "N-no!"
he says, his voice
shaking. "I just- I just
came for a visit!"
But Krabs' gaze is
thoughtful, his mind
spinning with the
knowledge he gained
the night before. "Well,
Plankton," he says, his
voice gruff but not
unkind. "Why don't we
have that chat?"
Plankton's antennae
twitch, his body tense.
"Chat?" he repeats, his
mind racing. Krabs
nods. "Sure," he says.
"Let's go to me office."
He leads the way,
his heart pounding.
Plankton follows, his eye
lingers on the Krabby Patty.
"W-what do you w-want
to talk about?" Plankton
stammers as they enter
the office.
Krabs sighs, sitting
behind his desk. "Look,
Plankton," he says, his
voice gruff but sincere.
"I know it's hard for
ye to understand, but
sometimes, people have
things they can't control."
Plankton's eye widens,
his grip on the chair
arm tightening. Plankton's
expression is a mix of
fear and confusion. "What
are you playing at?"
he asks, his voice shaky.
Krabs leans back, his
expression serious. "I'm
not playing at anything,"
he says. "I just... I want
ye to know that I get
it now." Plankton's antennae
quiver, his eye darting
to the Krabby Patty
formula safe behind
glass. "Get what?"
Krabs sighs, his hand
rubbing his chin. "Your...
situation," he says,
avoiding the word 'autism'
for fear of upsetting
his rival. Plankton's body
stiffens, his gaze
snapping to Krabs. "What
do you mean?" he asks,
his voice sharp.
Krabs clears his throat,
his eyes flicking to the
formula behind the
glass. "I mean," he says,
his voice gruff, "that I
know ye got challenges.
And I ain't gonna make
fun of ye for it." Plankton's
expression remains
guarded, his antennae
twitching rapidly. "What's
gotten into you?" he
asks suspiciously. "What
challenges? What do
YOU know?"
Krabs looks at him,
his eyes serious. "I
know you're unique,
Plankton," he says. "And
I know that sometimes
you do things that don't
make sense to me, or to
anyone else." He pauses,
his voice gentle. "But I
promise you, I'll try to
underst--"
Plankton's eye narrows.
"Unique?" he says, his
voice laced with sarcasm,
when Squidward opens
the office door. "A customer
wants to 'speak with the
manager' apparently," he says
as said customer enters the
office. Squidward leaves the
room, closing the door. But
Plankton recognizes the guy.
And his breath hitches.
The customer's one of
Plankton's professors
when he attended college
long ago. One of his most
ableist teachers he's had!
And the teacher recognizes
Plankton as well.
"My burger is lukewarm
and I... Sheldon Plankton
what are you doing here?"
Plankton's antennae quivered
as he stood up, his face
flushing a deep red. "I-it's
a coincidence," he stuttered.
"I-I just came for a Krabby
Patty." His voice was
shaky, a stark contrast to
his usual bravado. The
professor's gaze was cold,
his arms crossed over his
chest.
Krabs' eye twitched. He
could see Plankton's distress,
but he couldn't let him lie
right now. "Plankton," he said,
his voice firm. "What's going on?"
The teacher's eye darted
between the two, sensing the
tension in the air.
Plankton's lie was evident,
his eye darting around
nervously. "I-it's nothing,
Mr. Krabs," he said, his voice
higher than usual. "Just a
misunderstanding." Krabs
raised an eyebrow, his gaze
unwavering. "I'm sure
it's more than that," he said.
The professor's stare was
like a spotlight, exposing
his lie. "You never understood
anything when I had you in
my class," the professor said,
his tone icy.
Plankton's throat tightened,
his heart racing. "I-I've changed
since then," he said, his voice
small. "I-I've learned?" The
professor's smile was cold.
"Is that so?" he said, his voice
dripping with disdain. "Then
tell me, what's the Pythagorean
theorem?" Plankton's eye went
blank, his mind racing. "Proves
my point." He says.
The room felt smaller,
the air thick with tension.
Krabs watched, his fists
clenching. He'd never seen
Plankton so... vulnerable.
The professor's gaze
was like a knife, slicing
through Plankton's already
fragile defenses. "Why do
you keep pushing?" Plankton
whispered, his voice shaking.
The professor's smile was
cruel. "Because you know
your place isn't here,"
he said, his voice
deliberately harsh. "You
never belonged." Plankton's
body trembled, his antennae
waving erratically. "But
I've changed," he repeated,
his voice strained. "I have
a family no-"
The professor scoffed. "A family?"
He leaned closer, his eyes
bore into Plankton's. "How
do you think they'd feel
knowing they've been fooled
by a profoundly severely
mentally re--- being like
you, whom Neptune himself
has cast asâ"
Krabs snaps, his claws
slamming down on the desk.
"That's enough!" he roars,
his voice thunderous.
The professor jumps back,
his smug smile wiped clean.
"What did you call him?"
Krabs asks, his eyes
blazing. Plankton's gaze
flits to Krabs, shocked.
The professor sneers.
"I called him what he is,"
he says, his voice cold.
"A mistake." Krabs' fist
clenches, his eyes
never leaving the professor's.
"Get out," he says, his voice
low and dangerous. "Get out
of me restaurant. I don't
want your kind here." Plankton's
eye widens. "K-Krabs?"
The professor laughs,
his eyes cold. "You're
defending him?" he asks.
"After al-"
But Krabs cuts him off,
his voice like steel. "I'm
defending a man, a man
who's had to fight harder
than anyone I know
just to be understood."
Plankton's antennae
perk up slightly, his
face a mask of shock.
"Apologize," Krabs says,
his eyes narrowed.
The professor's smile
dwindles, his gaze
shifting from Krabs to
Plankton. "I... I'm sorry
your parents decided to
keep you," he says, his
voice dripping with
condescension. Plankton's
face falls, his eye
filling with hurt.
Krabs' claw shoots out,
his grip on the
professor's collar tight.
"You'll leave now," he says,
his voice deadly calm.
"Or I'll show you the
exit meself." The professor
sputters, his face reddening.
"You can't-"
But Krabs cuts him off.
"I can, and I will." His
eyes are hard as diamonds.
"Get out." Plankton watches,
his heart racing. He's never
seen Krabs this protective
over him.
The professor's eyes widen,
his arrogance faltering. He
quickly leaves the office, his
cheeks burning with humiliation.
Krabs looks at Plankton.
"He had no right to speak to
you like that. You're not
a mistake, you're a fighter.
And I'm sorry, for not
seeing that sooner. Now, I
gotta get back to counting
me money. You go on and
get some rest; take care.."
Plankton nods before
running back home.