Disclaimer: Don't own and never will.

AN: A response to WonderingSoulofTime's 'What if' challenge.

"Hand it over! Now!" Flotsam demanded, his huge clown robot opening and closing its hand impatiently. Max looked up, and despite the urgings of the mysterious red headed kid, he didn't think this little red stone was worth getting killed over. Pulling the stone off of his neck, he handed the stone over.

"You've got your stone. Now leave me alone!" he snapped. Flotsam grinned.

"But of course my dear boy." He said with a smirk. The clown machine jumped down and walked off. After a while, Max set off home, his legs still shaking.

DCDCDCDCDCDCDCDC

Donny sat up sharply as an explosion made his underground sanctuary rumble. Another explosion occurred and the ladder leading up to the town fell down with a clang.

"What the…" he exclaimed, lost for words. "Now how am I gonna get out of here?"

"You go through the sewers, out of the town of course."

Donny snapped round to come face-to-face with a strange looking, scruffy redhead kid that hadn't been there a minute ago.

"Who the hell are you?" he shot out. "And how did you get in here?"

The child smiled sadly at him.

"Donny," the child began, "I'm not actually here. I'm a projection." The child paused. "I will explain everything when you get outside, but trust me, someone needs to go."

Donny gave the child a look of disbelief.

"Very well then. Can't get out that way anyway." He finally said as he set off down the underground water channel.

DCDCDCDCDCDCDCDC

On the surface, high above Donny and his underground refuge, Max stared around in horror as the town burned. A magical bombardment had torn out of the sky, shattering buildings and people in all directions. He never saw the bolt that killed him.

DCDCDCDCDCDCDCDC

Donny stared in disbelief at the smoking remains of his hometown.

"I'm sorry." The redhead told him sadly. "I really am."

"Who did this to us?" Donny asked, a look of horror and disbelief on his face. "Who could poss-"

"His name is Emperor Griffin and he hates all humans. The only reason that he didn't destroy your town sooner was that there was a stone in it that he sought."

"He found it then?" Donny asked slightly listlessly. The redhead shook his (or her) head.

"He did." The redhead confirmed. "I'm sorry."

"No, HE'S going to be sorry. How do I fight him?"

"I will show you." The child said and a glowing light embraced the child. After a moment, standing where the child had stood only moments earlier, stood a tall girl with long red hair and beautiful red eyes.

"I'm Monica, and I've been fighting Griffin for some time.. Now let me tell you about a stone called an Atlamillia…"