First night
Archeology was delicate work. No-one wanted to risk damaging a potential discovery like a fossilized skeleton or an ancient artifact. So Diego Alvarez took his time carefully brushing the dust of what he believed to be a stone box. Still, it took much of his self-control not to hurry up and get out of here. This mineshaft in the middle of the Nevada dessert had been abandoned for over a century, and the side shaft he was currently working in had been out of use even longer. Frequently, Diego could hear the wooden support beams moan under the weight of the ground above them.
Most people would call him crazy for coming here all by himself, with no-one knowing his current location, to a mine shaft that hadn't been maintained in a long time and thus could collapse any moment. But it was a risk he had to take. It had taken him 2 years of following clues, but he was positive he had finally come to the end of his search. He had been 90% sure when he found the mine, as located in the map he bought at an antique store 2 weeks ago. This rose to 95% when, while digging in the shaft, his shovel struck the box. And now that he had brushed away enough dust to see the Totem pole-like symbol on the box he was 100% sure.
Diego put the brush aside, gently grabbed the excavated parts of the box, and gave a small pull. It came free at once. This was the moment of truth; even though common sense told him to get out while he still could and investigate his discovery outside, his curiosity was even greater. As he lifted the lid, the light of his flashlight reflected on the 3 gemstones inside; one red, one blue, and one green.
"It's true. They do exist" he thought to himself, immediately followed by another thought; "Montague can never know about this".
He closed the box again and put it in his bag. Then he backtracked his way to the entrance of the mine, where his car was still parked. Before driving of, he made sure to put the wooden boards that had been used to seal off the entry to the mine, and which he had removed to gain access, back into place.
Convinced that he had covered his tracks and nobody had seen him here, Diego got into his car and made his way back to the highway. If he hurried up he could be back with his family by tomorrow, and make proper arrangements concerning his discovery.
Had he bothered to look up, he would have seen the small, robotic drone hovering above the entrance of the mine, filming everything.
The following day.
Even though it was the middle of summer, and there would thus be no school, the 6-year-old Latino boy named Connor got out of bed as early as 7:00 AM. Today would be an important day, since two people close to him would finally come home.
First there was his father, who had been away on one of his business trips. Last night he called home with news that he hoped to be back late this afternoon. His father was frequently away from home, his work as an archeologist and historian often meant he had to travel all over the world to faraway places. So naturally, Connor valued the time he did get to spend with him.
The second person was Greg, his next door neighbor and along with Amaya one of his 2 best friends. Being an only child, Connor frequently treated Greg as a surrogate little brother, even though the age difference between them was only 5 months. Every summer, Greg and his parents would go to Canada for a week to visit an aunt and uncle there.
For Connor, the past week had been one filled with boredom. Sure, Amaya was still there for him, but it just wasn't the same without Greg also being there. Tonight however, they would welcome him back home with a sleepover at Connor's house.
10:30 am, Amaya and Connor were outside Greg's house, eagerly awaiting his return. Connor was carrying a small glass cage containing Greg's pet lizard, Lionel, which he had looked after the past week. He also carried his backpack filled with everything Greg had given him to take care of Lionel, along with something Connor couldn't wait to show to his friend.
Five minutes later, their patience was rewarded when the car belonging to Greg's family finally pulled into the driveway. No sooner had it stopped, or Greg got out and ran towards his 2 friends.
"Connor, Amaya!". The two boys exchanged a high five while Amaya simply hugged him. Then Greg took the cage from Connor and opened it. "Hey there Lionel. Missed me buddy?".
The small lizard happily licked its masters hand. To Connor, it seemed Lionel sometimes acted more like a dog than a lizard.
"Well, did you have a good time Greg?" Connor asked.
"Absolutely. Just look what my aunt and uncle gave me for my birthday".
Greg's birthday was actually a month from now, but since his aunt and uncle lived so far away they couldn't come then, so they always gave him his present during his summer visit. Now, Greg eagerly ran back to the car and returned with his present.
"Is that the new Kick McGee action figure?" Connor asked. He sounded impressed, something Amaya could easily understand. Both boys were huge fans of the Master Fang show.
"That's right. Complete with original accessories".
Connor patted Greg on the back. "Well, they couldn't have given you a better present Greg, because you're not the only one with a new toy. Check this out!" Connor opened his backpack and took out his own latest toy from amidst the stuff meant for Lionel. It had cost him all of his allowance (including that of the next 3 weeks, something he practically had to beg his mother for), but it was worth it.
Now it was Greg's turn to be amazed. "Gasping Gekkos! A Master Fang action figure!".
Connor and Amaya both chuckled at Greg's choice of words. It was well known that their friend had a huge love for reptiles. One only had to look at his pet.
"That's right Greg. Now our team is complete. Baddies beware, here come Master Fang and Kick McGee" Connor shouted.
Amaya sighed. "I don't see what you boys like so much about an old Kung Fu master and his sidekick. Take Flossy Flash; now that's a hero".
Greg, wanting to prevent a 'which hero is better' discussion, quickly suggested they should help his parents unpack his suitcase so they could play in his room with their new toys. To this, both his friends agreed.
The rest of the afternoon Greg, Amaya and Connor spend in Greg's bedroom playing with the new action figures.
When asked by Connor which Master Fang story Greg would like to re-enact, Greg picked "Master Fang vs the Mountain Giant", one of his personal favorites. Amaya had the dubious honor of getting to play the giant, but for once she didn't protest much. She too had missed Greg.
They played until they heard a car stop outside. Amaya looked outside. "Hey Connor, I think your dad is home".
She didn't have to say anymore. Connor immediately dropped his Master Fang action figure and rushed out of Greg's room, followed by his two friends. "Dad!"
Diego had barely left his car when Connor crashed into him and wrapped his arms around his waist. Diego just smiled and returned the gesture. "He there Connor, happy to see you again too".
Connor let go of his dad. "Where have you been this time? Did you find anything?" Diego raised his hands. "Calm down Connor. Let's get inside first okay".
"Here Connor". Greg handed his friend back his toy. Connor noticed Greg looked slightly disappointed. He didn't expect Connor's dad to be here tonight too. "Does this mean the sleepover is cancelled?".
"Of course not Greg. We arranged for this before you left for Canada remember?"
"Well in that case, good luck catching up with your dad. We see you tonight" Amaya added as she and Greg went back to their houses.
"See you at 6 PM right?" Connor said. Then he ran into his house.
Diego had already gone inside, where he was greeted by his wife Maria. When Connor entered, the two of them just shared a kiss. The boy quickly turned his head away; he was still at an age that seeing your parents kiss was something to be embarrassed of.
"Connor".
The voice was barely a whisper, but Connor heard it clearly. "Connor". The boy looked around, wondering if they had a visitor. But no, there was only him and his parents. And the bag his father had put on the table. "Connor".
Slowly, without his parents noticing, the boy made his way to the table.
"So honey, how was your business trip. You left in quite a hurry".
Diego rubbed the back of his head. Even his wife had no idea what he just did. "Yeah… I know…. It was … urgent. But it went well. So, did anything happen here while I was gone".
"Not in this town. Nothing ever happens here. But there was that mysterious robbery in the museum in Oakland Woods two nights ago, which I already told you about remember? I kept the article, like you asked" Maria said.
Diego noticed the newspaper on the table and took it. The headline read "Fulgur Gemma stolen from local museum. Police suspects same thief responsible for previous heists". The article came with a picture of the stolen item; a large, blue diamond.
"Montague" he grumbled while clenching his fists. There was no doubt that this had to be his old boss' doing. The Fulgur Gemma was one of the last artifacts Diego had told Montague about before quitting his job. Maria noticed her husband was clearly upset about the theft. He always kept an eye on the news for stories about thefts from museums. She guessed it was all due to his work as an archeologist giving him a great love for ancient artifacts.
But Diego had other reasons to worry. The Fulgur Gemma, a name that literally translates as "Lightning jewel", was a relic said to hold great powers. Just like his latest discovery. And Diego could imagine all too well what a man like Montague would do with such power. If only he had proof so he could report Montague to the police.
"Cool! What is this dad?". Diego looked up from the paper. Connor had taken the stone box out of his bag, and was about to open the lid.
"Connor don't!" Diego snatched the box out his sons hands. "I told you not to touch anything I bring home. This is very old, and very valuable".
"Sorry dad". Connor knew his dad was right. But still, it was like the voice calling his name had somehow come from the box. As if it wanted him to open it.
"It's okay Connor. I better put this away for now" Diego said, then carried the box upstairs, making a mental note to call a trustworthy acquaintance to help him hide the box somewhere safe first thing in the morning.
"Why don't you go prepare your room for your guests" Maria asked. All three of them left the living room, not noticing the same drone that had been spying on Diego earlier now hovering in front of the window.
Douglas Montague was known all around town as quite a reclusive man. He rarely showed himself in public. What was less known was that he was a man of ambition. He had his family fortune, his lakeside lair on the edge of the city, and a secret laboratory. What he lacked however was real power. But he was working on that, every day.
He also considered himself a antiquarian, with a preference for legendary artifacts of power. Here, standing in his personal vault, he admired the various cabinets with at least two dozen treasures he had acquired so far, either legally or illegally (though mostly the latter): the famous Luna Magnet, the Shield of Ares, the Draupnir, the mask of Tengu, the ring of Gyges, the Uchide no kozuchi, the Manacle of Osiris, Nanteos Cup, and the Helm of Awe, just to name a few. And what he had here in his collection was just a handful of the relics in this world said to grand their wielder various powers, and Montague wouldn't rest till he had them all.
Of course, if anyone knew how to harness the powers of these various relics, it would be his son; Romeo. The boy was only 6, but already a greater genius that most adult scientists and inventors. And he shared his father's sense of ambition, something that Montague made great use of. The only downside was that, due to his young age, Romeo's plans could, at times seem rather silly. Which is why Montague often offered the idea's. With their latest artifact, the famous Fulgur Gemma, Romeo hoped to complete his master work.
Montague left the vault and made his way to his son's personal workplace, the laboratory. Right now, Romeo was working on their latest and most powerful creation.
The lab was filled with various machines, and a large computer taking up about half of the right wall. It had 2 big screens, and a control panels with dozens of different buttons that could operate not just the things here in the lab, but various traps and tools all around the mansion.
What took up most room however was the gigantic, humanoid robot in the center of the room. It towered at an impressive 80 feet. A glass dome containing the cockpit was located where it's head should be. 2 smaller domes containing powerful energy-guns capable of turning in any possible direction were attached to the shoulders.
Romeo was standing at the computers' control panel, pushing various controls. Multiple mechanical arms, descending from the ceiling, where putting the finishing touches on the robot. In front of the robot was the metal crate containing the diamond. As Montague approached, Romeo looked up from the screen.
"Welcome father, you are just in time to see the completion of The Juggernaut. Come up here" Romeo spoke. Douglas joined Romeo at the computer, and watched as his son directed one of the arms to open the crate, lift out the blue diamond, and put it inside a hatch in the robot's chest, which then closed.
Romeo gloated. "Done. With the Fulgur Gemma inside, the Juggernaut has an unlimited energy supply. With this we conquer the world in no time". He topped off his rant with his best attempt at an evil laugh, though since he was just a boy, it sounded more silly than threatening.
Montague patted Romeo on the head. "Great work son. And keep working on that laugh, you almost got it right."
Suddenly, an alarm went off on the computer, startling both the boy genius and his dad. Romeo raised his goggles. "Could it be?"
Both he and his dad turned their attention to the computer screen. At the push of a button, footage filmed by the drone at the Alvarez house appeared on the screen, clearly showing Diego take the mysterious box back from Connor. Now Montague's eyes widened as well.
"Tell me son, is that what I think it is?"
"Yes father. You were right to let me keep an eye on that archeolofool after he quit working for you. He was in Nevada yesterday, and look what he brought home". Romeo paused the screen and zoomed in on the box. After enhancing the image, both could see the totem pole-like symbol.
"Language boy" Montague corrected him, but he didn't take his eyes of the screen. "So Diego found the night totems". Montague's stoic face didn't show it, but the man was impressed. The Night Totems had been high on his wanted list, but most people didn't believe they were real. Only Diego Alvarez did, which was why Montague had hired him in the first place. Unfortunately, Diego quickly grew suspicious of his boss' true intentions and eventually discovered his criminal activities, which made him decide to quit. Good thing he wasn't able to get any proof of Montague's plans or else Montague could be in jail right now.
Montague reached into his pocket and took out a handheld transceiver. "Henry, come to the lab please. I have a job for you".
Moments later, a tall, slim built man in his late twenties entered the lab. "You called for me boss?".
"Yes. Let Romeo give you some of his droids. It's time we pay a visit to an old employee".
Night in the city, and a fiendish villain is about to strike.
In the Alvarez house, Connor had moved his bed aside so he, Greg and Amaya could roll out their sleeping bags on the floor. All three were dressed in their pyjama's; Connor his blue cat pyjama, Amaya in her red owl pyjama, and Greg in his green lizard print pyjama.
"What do you mean 'it called you'" Amaya asked. Connor, who had just told his friends about the box, shook his head. "I don't know guys. It was like something wanted me to open that box and see what was inside".
"And did you see anything?"
"No. Dad took it from me again before I could."
"I can understand the part about your dad being upset when he heard that diamond was stolen" Greg said. "Stupid thieves. I bet Master Fang and Kick McGee would could get it back".
"Not if Flossy Flash beat them to it" Amaya added. All three lied down, staring at the ceiling. Sleep would come to them soon.
"Sometimes I wish I were a superhero" Greg stated.
"Who doesn't Greg" Connor added. Then he yawned. "But let's save that for tomorrow".
Downstairs, in the living room, Diego and Maria were watching tv, when the doorbell rang.
"Who could that be at this hour" Diego wondered as he went to the door. He was savvy enough not to open the door right away. Contrary to what his wife claimed, crimes like house robberies were not entirely unheard of, even in a small city like this. So he took a look through the door viewer. What he saw send a cold shiver down his spine. Standing on his doorstep was that sleazebag Henry, Montague's right hand man. Hovering behind him where 4 droids; robots the size of adult humans, with a cone-like body, 2 eyes and arms, but a hover unit instead of legs, allowing them to fly.
"Maria, call the police!" Diego nearly screamed while he bolted away from the door towards the back of the house. No good, there were another 5 droids positioned outside there as well. Maria simultaneously reached for the house phone and her cell phone. But neither turned out to work. "Diego… the line's dead. And I have no reception on my cell".
Diego cursed. He should have known Montague would give his henchman some device to sabotage the phones. Especially considering that mad scientist son of his.
"Honey… what is going on here?".
"Maria, try to find some place to hide" Diego ordered. His mind was working at top speed. Montague knew. That was the only logical conclusion. And now they were trapped like rats. He, his wife and… THE KIDS!.
"Open up Diego. We know you're home" he heard Henry yell. "I give you 30 seconds to surrender".
Upstairs, the 3 kids were aroused from their slumber by the shouts. "Who is making so much noise at nighttime?" Amaya complained.
Connor looked out the window and gulped. "A guy with a robot army".
"Say what?" Greg said. At that moment, the door of the room flew open. Diego ran inside and pulled Connor away from the window.
"Dad, what's going…"
"No time! Come with me!". Reluctantly, Connor, Amaya and Greg followed Diego out of the room. Once in the hallway, Diego opened the attic door and pulled down the fold-up ladder. "Upstairs, all of you!. And make no noise.".
Greg and Amaya didn't move. "Mr. Alvarez…. What's happening". The fear was evident in Greg's voice, and Diego couldn't blame him. But there was no time. "Upstairs, I say!".
As Amaya and Greg climbed the ladder, Diego quickly ran into the bedroom of his and his wife, and returned with the stone box. Downstairs there was a loud crash, followed by Maria screaming. Evidently, Henry and his robots had broken the door open.
"Connor, take these. Hide them in the attic somewhere. And again, make no sound, whatsoever. When the coast is clear, go to one of your friends' houses and call the police. I'm counting on you. And I'm sorry for this".
Connor had as many questions as his friends, but the look in his fathers' eyes made it clear there was no time to ask them. So he took the box and climbed the ladder. Once he was upstairs, Diego closed the attic door and made his way downstairs, his hands raised above his head.
"No need to get violent Henry. I surrender".
Henry was standing in the middle of the room, with 4 of the droids by his side. Maria was lying on the couch, her eyes closed. Diego opened his mouth to speak, but Henry cut him off. "Relax. She's only sleeping". He tapped the gun on his belt. "Sleep ray. Another toy the boss's kid made. Now, I guess I don't have to tell you what I'm here for".
"I know Henry" Diego sighed. "And you're too late. I already send them to a colleague of mine".
"Did you? Well, why don't you tell that to the boss yourself. He doesn't really like to hear bad news. Seize him!". Two of the droids flew forward and seized Diego by the arms, lifting him in the air and carrying him outside. Henry followed. "Say Diego, didn't you have a son as well?"
"Yes. But he's having a sleepover at a friend tonight". Diego tried to sound calm, but inside he nervous as hell. He prayed that Henry would buy the lie. That Connor and his friends would be kept out of this.
"Well, if you still want him to have a daddy when he gets home you better tell the boss what he wants to hear. Take him away". At this, the two droids flew off, carrying Diego with them. But much to his horror, Diego noticed Henry and the other droids didn't follow them, but instead went back into the house.
In the attic, the 3 kids sat on the ground, underneath the one attic window, staying quiet. They could clearly hear the conversation downstairs, and when Connor heard the man named Henry give the order to 'take him away', he carefully stood up and looked out the window, just in time to see his dad get carried off
"Dad" he whispered. Amaya and Greg were still trying to grasp what had just happened.
"This is the worst sleepover ever" Greg muttered before burrowing his hands in his face.
"Connor, get down" Amaya whispered. Connor ducked, just in time, as one of the droids appeared in front of the window, using his build-in searchlights to search the attic. Fortunately, the 3 kids were just out of its line of sight. After what felt like hours, the droid moved on.
That was when something caught Amaya's eye. It was the stone box. Connor had placed it on the ground in front of him. The lid was closed, but through the crack she swore she could see light.
Blue, red and green light.
"Amaya". A voice she never heard before whispered. "Amaya". Like the box itself was calling out to her. Just like Connor said it did to him earlier that day.
"Guys… look" she said. Connor and Greg both looked up, and likewise noticed the strange, 3-colored glow.
All three of them gathered around the box, mesmerized by the glow, the severeness of the situation temporarily forgotten. For a moment, Connor felt conflicted. He knew his dad wanted him to hide the box, but at the same time he heard that voice in his head again, calling to him. And the voice won. He grabbed the lid and tore it off, revealing the 3 gemstones inside. All glowing like lightbulbs, and with the lid removed they bathed the attic in bright light.
Which unfortunately was also noticed by the droid outside! It immediately flew back to the window, and noticed the 3 kids.
"Cool Chameleons" Greg said in awe.
"What are those?" Amaya asked.
Connor was lost for words, a rarity for him. Enchanted by the stones, none of the kids even noticed the attic door was being reopened…
"HEEEEREEE'SSS HENRY!" That broke the spell the stones had over them. All kids turned their head towards the now open attic door, and looked in the grinning face of Henry. Not wasting the element of surprise, Henry leaped off the ladder, through the door, towards the box. Amaya and Greg backed off towards the wall. In a reflex, Connor pulled the box away, with such force that the blue stone flew out of it.
"No!". While Henry landed face first on the floor where the box was just a second ago, Connor jumped up, and caught the blue gemstone mid-air. The moment he touched it, a shock went through his body, like lightning, while a blue light engulfed him, bright enough to briefly blind everyone. It started from the cat symbol on his pajamas and spread from there, shaping itself into a suit. When Connor could see again, he was on the ground of the attic, resting on his right knee and left hand. The stone was gone.
Amaya and Greg both blinked. Where Connor had just been was now a boy dressed in a blue cat suit, complete with tail and ears. And a symbol on his chest identical to the one on Connors pyjamas.
Even Henry seemed unsure what to make of the situation for a moment, but he quickly regained his senses and grabbed the sleep-ray gun. "Nice trick boy, but that's enough. It's way past your bedtime already, so goodnight".
But Connor didn't feel like sleeping. In fact, he felt more awake than ever. When Henry aimed the gun at him, time seemed to slow down for Connor. He could see everything; the window, Greg and Amaya, with the box in front of them (and the other 2 stones still inside), Henry on the floor, pulling the trigger of the gun, and the ray from the gun, coming towards him. Slowly. Connor simply ducted and the ray missed him. He then sprinted towards his friends, grabbed their hands while putting the box under his arm, and leaped through the window with them, out of the house and into the night.
From everyone else's perspective, Connor appeared to move with inhuman speed, easily dodging the ray, then moving like a blue streak of lightning , taking off with Amaya and Greg in mere seconds.
Henry could first only stare dumbfounded at the open window, his mind slowly processing the fact that he was now alone in the attic.
"What the…." He shook his head. "Find them!" he ordered the droids.
Connor had no idea where to go, so he took his friends to the first place he could think of; the park. When they finally stopped, Amaya and Greg both rubbed their heads. Their stomachs felt like they had just been on a rollercoaster ride. Greg had to swallow a few times in order not to throw up.
"What was that. And how did we get to the park so fast?" Amaya asked.
"I don't know" Connor said. He had to admit that the whole situation scared him a little. He walked over to the pond and looked at his reflection in the water. Looking back at him was a boy dressed in a blue cat suit that wouldn't be out of place in a superhero comic. Slowly, he touched the ears, and then the tail, to make sure they were there. "Is that really me?".
"You're a superhero!" Greg cheered. He picked up the box that Connor had dropped and opened it. "And that stone somehow did this. I wonder…." He reached inside, but Connor snatched the box out of his hands. "No Greg. It's too dangerous".
"Dangerous? Connor, your house was just attacked by some guy with robots, and they took your dad. How much more dangerous can it get?" Amaya argued. "Look at yourself. We only escaped because of… well, whatever that blue stone did to you."
"It was an accident" Connor replied. "My dad said we had to call the police".
"Too late, here they come again!" Greg shouted, pointing up at the sky. All 7 droids descended from the air, Henry riding the front one.
Upon seeing Henry, Connor gritted his teeth. An anger like he hardly ever felt overtook him. Amaya was right, this man kidnapped his dad. And he would pay for it. "Alright then, go ahead you two".
He opened the box, allowing Greg and Amaya to take the remaining stones. Connor shielded his eyes against the glare as the same thing that happened to him now happened to his friends. The next moment, Amaya was wearing a red and pink suit with a mask shaped like owl wings and wings attached to her arms, while Greg was dressed in a green, scaly costume with frills and a tail. Like Connor, the symbols from their pajamas had been incorporated into their new suits.
"You too, seriously? Is it Halloween already?" Henry asked. "Get them!".
6 of the droids shot forward, two going for each of the kids.
Connor simply leaped aside with catlike agility, causing the first droid to crash into a tree. Then he climbed the tree, jumped from the top branch, and landed on top of the second droid. Before the droid could even try to grab him, Connor had opened the hatch on his back and pulled out some of the wires. The drone crashed down. Connor leaped off it just before it hit the ground and safely landed in the grass.
Greg held his hands in front of him in defense and closed his eyes, bracing himself for impact. But nothing happened. He opened his eyes again, and noticed he had caught the droid. The droid was pushing with all his strength, but Greg stayed where he was, not moving an inch. Feeling his confidence rise, Greg tightened his grip on the droid, spun around, and threw the droid into the air like a frisbee. It collided head on with the second droid targeting Greg. Both crashed.
Amaya jumped up to dodge the droids coming for her, and suddenly found herself high above the trees, hovering in the air.
"I can fly? … I CAN FLY! Come and get me you metal heads!". She flew off, closely followed by the droids. The droids were fast, but Amaya was faster, and, as she discovered, she had no trouble seeing in the darkness. In fact, her eyesight was just as good as in broad daylight.
When they failed to catch up with Amaya, the droids split up, with one continuing the chase while the other approached her from a different angle. Thinking quick, Amaya made a sharp turn and went straight for the second droid, while slowing down just enough to let the first one catch up a little. At the last moment, she accelerated and flew up. The droids, caught off guard and unable to respond in time, collided with each other.
"Damn" Henry cursed as he saw his army get depleted to just one droid. On the island in the pond, the 3 kids regrouped and watched the wrecks of the 6 droids.
"Did … did we just do that?" Greg asked.
"I guess so." Amaya added.
"Focus guys, there's still 2 of them" Connor stated. All three turned their attention towards Henry and the last droid. Henry was about to fire his ray gun again when Amaya, who was still airborne, flapped the wings of her suit, creating a gust of wind that knocked Henry off the droid. At the same time, Greg disappeared.
Connor immediately dashed forward, leaped on top of the droid and disabled it just like he had done with the last one. It crashed in the grass, next to Henry. Henry barely had time to get up when something invisible pulled the ray gun from his hands and snapped it in half. For a moment both halves hovered in the air, then Greg materialized again, holding the broken gun. Connor and Amaya joined him.
That was the last drop for Henry. Now unarmed and outnumbered by 3 superpowered children, he staggered back, his previous smirk replaced by a mixture of fear and surprise. But mostly fear. "Alright, alright. Stay back. You win!"
When Connor took a step forward anyway, what little courage Henry still had melted away. He turned around and ran towards the exit of the park, screaming for his mother. On the bridge, he tripped and tumbled into the pond, climbed out again and continued to run, leaving a trail of water behind.
The kids watched Henry run out of the park, looking like he was trying to set a new world record. Then they all burst into laughter.
"Oh man, did you see that look on his face. Priceless" Amaya chuckled.
Greg looked at his reflection in the pond, just like Connor had done before. He flexed his muscles. "Superstrength. And invisibility. I'm like a superpowered gecko". That gave him an idea. "Yeah. I'm not Greg anymore. I'm GEKKO!"
Amaya joined him, admiring her new wings. "Then I guess I should call myself… Owlette!" They both turned towards Connor. Realizing his friends expected him to come up with a new name as well, Connor grinned. "Well, I guess I'll be the fearless…" he struck a pose "Catboy". Then the smile on his face faded. "But guys, we still have to find my dad. Who knows where those things took him".
"But how do we do that?" Greg asked.
Suddenly, the symbol on Connor's suit began to glow again. Those on Amaya's and Greg's suits followed. At the same time, the ground began to tremble.
"Earthquake!" Greg screamed.
"In our town?" Amaya asked. "Unlikely… wow!". She leaped into the air just in time as a fissure opened up in the ground below her. All kids gasped as a large, dark totem pole rose up from the fissure, big as a lighthouse, and divided in three sections. Once the Totem had completely emerged, the ground around it closed.
At first the exterior of the Totem was completely black, making the structure look like a giant shadow. But as the kids carefully approached the strange object, it began to change. First the main color changed from black to a shade of brown. Next, on each section, a symbol began to form.
All three symbols went through various shapes, resembling various animals. Among others Connor thought the recognized a scarab beetle, a snake, a bat, a toad, a tiger, and a falcon. Finally, they settled on their final form; symbols identical to those on the kids' new costumes; a lizard on the bottom, a cat in the middle, and an owl on top.
"What is that?" Greg asked.
Connor picked up the stone box, and examined the lid. "It looks just like this symbol".
On the bottom section, the green Gekko symbol swung open like a door. As if it invited them to enter.
"Should we go in?" Amaya asked.
Connor wasn't entirely sure, but he nodded. After everything that had happened so far, entering this mysterious, giant totem pole didn't even seem that farfetched. And somehow it felt like the right thing to do; like they were coming home.
As they entered the giant totem, the 3 kids found themselves in a dimly lit room, on the edge of a small pool. The rest of the room was decorated in Victorian style and clearly built in ditto architecture. There were multiple book cases, and a large grandfather clock next to a reading chair. A medieval armor stood on the other side of the room. Gaslights hung from the ceiling, lighting the room with their flames. And in the middle of the pool the kids noticed a green submarinelike vehicle that mostly resembled a mix between an Alligator and a small-scale version of the Nautilus from Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.
"Look at this. It's even bigger on the inside" Connor said.
"Yeah, but what's with the interior. This is at least a 100 years old" Amaya said.
As on cue, the room began to change around them. The gaslights transformed into electric lamps, bathing the room in a much brighter light. The chair and bookcases disappeared and made room for a comfy looking couch and a radio. The armor was replaced by a potted plant. A slide appeared next to the pool. Even the architecture of the walls changed shape. And in the pool, the submarine transformed into a green, amphibian vehicle with a dome-style window.
"This is crazy" Amaya said.
"Any crazier than what happened so far?" Connor asked.
Greg's eyes widened. "It's perfect. If I were a superhero, this is what I want my HQ to look like. Wait.. I Am a superhero!".
"Hold your horses Greg" Connor said while placing a hand on Greg's shoulder. He pointed to what looked like 3 elevator platforms in the colors green, blue and red. "Let's see what else this place has to offer".
The droids carried Diego out of the city, and towards the lake. Soon, he saw the one building he hoped never to see again, let alone visit; the Montague mansion. On the outside a normal looking mansion, but on the inside a supervillain lair. The front doors opened automatically as the droids approached. Once inside, they carried Diego through a maze of corridors until they came to Montague's office. Inside, Montague was sitting in his luxurious chair, drinking a glass of wine.
"Diego. Welcome back" he greeted as the droids put their prisoner down, but didn't release their hold on his arms.
"Montague" Diego growled.
"Come, come, you can drop the formalities. I'm not your boss anymore after all. Call me Douglas. Though, it was quite a pity you decided to end your employment. You were one of the best archeologists and experts on ancient relics I've ever hired, and I could still really use a man of your talents. After all…. You found them didn't you? The legendary Night Totems."
Diego just glared at his former boss.
"I take that as a yes. Good thing I decided to have my son spy on you all this time. It's also the only reason I accepted you resignation. I knew you would keep looking for them. And since Henry is not here with us, I guess you didn't tell him where you hid them, so he is no doubt still searching." Montague casually took another sip from his glass. Diego meanwhile felt his blood starting to boil. "My son is still in that house. I swear, if he gets hurt…"
"…The worst that can happen is that Henry sends him to bed. I admit, Henry is a great guy and all, does his work well, but he's not exactly the most tactful person. Hence why I didn't trust him with any weapon other than that sleep ray gun. So don't worry, I'm pretty sure your son is safe, just like your wife. Whether or not they stay that way though, that is entirely up to you".
He finished his wine and got up, gesturing the droids to follow him. "Although I've come a long way with my plans, even without you or the Night Totems, I still have use for them. And since you know more about them than I do, I require your expertise once Henry brings them here."
"Yes, your plan for world conquest. Couldn't you think of a more original goal if you want to be supervillain so badly" Diego snarked. "You'll never succeed you know".
"That's what most people tend to say. But I gladly prove them wrong. Behold…" They had reached the door to the lab. When it opened, Diego could see the Juggernaut. His eyes widened in shock and surprise.
"Impressive isn't it. It's called The Juggernaut. The fruits of me and my sons work. Titanium armor, armed with energy weapons, and powered by the latest addition to my personal collection, the famous Fulgur Gemma. But we can still do better Diego. With the Night Totems as well, I would be truly unstoppable. And unless you want your family to get caught in the crossfire when I conquer the world, I suggest you better stop being so stubborn. So I'm going to ask you politely one last time Diego. Will you help me?"
Diego stayed silent, part of him wanting to agree, if only for Connor's and Maria's sake. But that would make him an accomplice to this madman's plans.
Montague sighed. "Romeo, come here son". Immediately, the young mad scientist left his position at the computer screen and joined his dad. "Yes father".
"Our guest here is unwilling to talk, it seems. Power up your mind reader would you. We will have to do this the hard way".
The interior of the top floor of the Totem Pole at first resembled the inside of a native American tipi, with in the center an airship that mostly looked like a strange hybrid between a condor, a zeppelin, and a spaceship straight out of a turn of the century pulp magazine. But just like the ground floor, as soon as the kids entered the room, it began to change form to a more modern appearance, with the zeppelin/spaceship hybrid getting replaced by a red flying vehicle with a large glass dome, wings, claws, and two large headlights.
After examining this room for a moment, the kids made their way to the middle floor. This one was already in the process of changing to a modern appearance, though Connor caught a brief glimpse of a blue, steamtrain like vehicle before it changed shape into a blue, high tech car.
"Now this is what I would call a superhero HQ" Connor said. "Still, it would be nice if we actually knew what was going on here".
No sooner had Connor said this, or a light blue, spherical shaped forcefield formed around them. Near the bottom, a line of symbols appeared.
"Is this some sort of computer?" Amya asked. Connor carefully touched the symbol closest to him and swiped like it was the screen of a smartphone. A new line of symbols replaced the old one. I guess so, and one with a touch screen option.
"Cool, what is this for?" Greg touched a symbol that looked like a picture album. Immediately, several images appeared on the side of the holographic sphere.
The first picture Connor noticed showed an ancient Egyptian setting, with 3 people dressed in superhero costumes that looked like a mix between the standard outfit of Ancient Egyptian soldiers and an animal; a green crocodile, a blue scarab beetle and a red falcon. Behind them was the Totem Pole, but it looked notably different from its current appearance. The symbols on the three sections matched those of the animals the hero's costumes were based on, and the whole structure seemed to be made from the same type of stone as the Pyramids. Below the photo, a caption read "Warriors of Khonsu".
The picture next to it showed Ancient Rome. The 3 people on this picture were a man dressed in a blue centurion armor with a helmet resembling a lion's head, a man dressed in a green gladiator outfit with a helmet resembling a snake, and a woman dressed in a red dress, with a mask resembling the head of a eagle. Behind them was the Totem again, now build in a style more akin to Roman architecture. The caption below read "Lunar Gladiators".
Next came pictures of a team of 3 Vikings, a team of 3 Medieval knights, a team of 3 Chinese kung fu warriors, a team of 3 Japanese Samurai, and a team of 3 pirates. Pictures on the other side of the one with the Egyptian team showed other, even older teams from ancient civilizations. And finally, on the picture to the far left, there was a team that consisted of a man in a blue cowby/coyote costume, a man in a green Navy uniform/alligator costume, and a Native American woman dressed in in a red dress/condor costume.
And in every single picture, there was the Totem Pole, each time different in appearance to suit the current team and era.
The kids stared in awe. "Cool Chameleons. Ancient superheroes" Greg whispered.
"Yeah, probably the ones that came before us. And those on the left must have been the last ones. No wonder the rooms and vehicles in this totem looked over a 100 years old" Connor said.
"Lunar Gladiators, Night Knights, Star Samurai's…. so, what is our team name?" Amaya asked.
"Can we discuss that later Amaya. We need to find my dad" Connor said.
On the sphere, the pictures disappeared and the symbols came back, this time with a magnifying glass. When Connor pushed it, a video popped up on the side of the sphere, showing a large mansion on the edge of a lake.
"I know that place. It's just outside the city. We drove past it when we went camping last month" Amaya said. "And look whose there". On the screen the kids saw a taxi cab stop at the mansion, and a still soaking wet Henry got out.
"Well, if that Henry is there, then my dad must be there too. Let's go get him". Connor smashed his right fist into the palm of his left hand. He nog longer had any intention to call the police. They were superhero's now.
"How? Greg asked.
Connor pointed at the blue car. "With that of course".
"That car. Do you even know how to drive?" Amaya asked. Connor rubbed the back of his head with his hand. "Ehm… no. But I'll figure it out".
"Why not use that submarinecar we saw earlier. That house is at the lake after all" Greg said.
"Or that flying machine on the top floor, it could get us there faster." Amaya suggested.
"Even better. Why not all 3?" Connor said.
"Alright!" Greg and Amaya immediately ran to the elevator platforms while Connor entered the car, buckled up, and grabbed the steering wheel in both hands. Although he had never driven a car before (it would be at least 10 more years before he could get his driver's license after all), holding the wheel still felt familiar, as if he had done this countless times before. In front of him, the blue symbol on the totem pole opened up. Connor hit the gas, and the car sped away. It leaped out of the Totem and landed on the pavement. Above him, Connor saw the red flying machine take off, while in the pond besides him, the green amphibian vehicle emerged from the water.
"Gekko to Catboy, lead the way" Greg's voice spoke in Connor's ear. Evidently, their new suits had built-in communicators.
"Alright Greg.. ehm, I mean Gekko. And you to Owlette. Follow the Cat-Car!" Connor ordered.
"Cat-Car eh" Amaya said. "I'm going to call my vehicle the Owl Glider".
"And mine is the Gekko-Mobile" Greg cheered. All three vehicles sped away through the deserted streets of the sleeping city, towards the Montague mansion.
In the lab, Romeo had locked Diego up in a cage while he waited for his mind reader, a sinister looking device consisting of a dentist chair, computer and helmet, to fully charge up. Montague patiently waited with the two droids by his side.
"Done. Put him in the chair" Romeo ordered The Droids. "Don't worry Mr. Alvarez, this won't hurt. Though, you may suffer permanent amnesia as a side effect". He let out another evil laugh. Diego braced himself, he wouldn't go down without a fight.
Then the door of the lab swung open and Henry came in.
"One moment son" Montague said. "Henry, back from your mission I see". Then he noticed the shape Henry was in. "Would you care to explain why you are soaking wet? Or where the other droids are? Or the Night Totems?"
"Those brats. They did this to me" Henry grumbled.
"Brats? Explain yourself Henry" Montague demanded. So Henry told him all about his humiliating encounter with the 3 young superhero's. How all of them had taken one of the stones and transformed into animal themed superhero's, after which they trashed the droids and send Henry running, forcing him to take a taxi cab to get back.
Montague's face remained mostly stoic, but his cheeks nonetheless turned red and he narrowed his eyes. In the cage, Diego's mouth fell open when he heard Henry's story. Romeo grinned. His father was getting angry; this wouldn't end well for Henry.
"So let me get this straight" Montague spoke, trying to maintain his usual calm voice. "You let the night totems fall into the hands of 3 first-graders, and now they have their powers and they kicked your butt. And then to think I just told Diego here what a great employee you are. You disappoint me Henry. And I don't like to be disappointed".
Henry clenched his hands into fists. "Well, boss. Maybe you should have told me about what those stones could do before sending me to get them and abduct him" he pointed at Diego.
Montague snatched his fingers. The 2 droids grabbed Henry and lifted him in the air. "You should know better than to talk back Henry, especially after such a big failure. Son, fire this incompetent fool".
Henry's eyes wend wide in shock. "No boss, please. I can make this right".
"With pleasure dad" Romeo gloated. He pushed a button on the wall. A hatch in the floor opened up and a giant cannon slowly rose up from the ground. Another hatch opened in the ceiling, revealing the night sky. At Romeo's orders, the droids pushed the struggling and screaming Henry in the cannon. Diego put his hands over his ears, but mostly out of reflex because he saw Romeo and Montague do the same thing, since his mind was still processing what Henry had said.
With an ear deafening bang, Henry was shot out of the cannon and through the hatch in the ceiling. Having ditched his father's right hand man, Romeo lowered the cannon back into the ground. "Now father, shall we continue interrogating Mr. Alvarez?"
"No son". Montague noticed the disappointment on Romeo's face. "I know you were looking forward to use your machine, but I'm afraid the plans have changed. If Diego's son and his friends have the Night Totems now, we may need Diego as a hostage. And I'm sure he's more useful to us that way with his mind still intact. Now, do me a favor and try to track down these young would be-superhero's."
Romeo sighed and turned back to his computer screen. Diego meanwhile sat down against the bars of the cage. "Connor…. please be careful son" he thought to himself.
Greg followed Connor until they reached the lake. There he steered the Gekko-Mobile into the water and continued his way to the mansion from there, while Connor followed the road. In the air Amaya used her enhanced vision to scan the surrounding area.
"Guys, I see a fence and multiple security camera's. Catboy and I better leave our vehicles and continue on foot. Gekko, I see a boathouse at the back of the mansion. You should be able to get close enough if you stay under water, and make your way in from there".
"Got it". The Gekko mobile dived under. "Are you sure we should just sneak in? Isn't that breaking and entering?"
"Yes Gekko. Whoever lives in that mansion, he took my dad and send those robo-things after us. He can't be good".
That was when a loud bang came from the mansion, followed by a man screaming. Amaya steered the Owl Glider aside just in time to prevent Henry from smacking against her windscreen.
"Owlette, was that that Henry-guy?" Connor asked.
"Affirmative Catboy." Amaya turned around and saw Henry disappear on the horizon. "What do you think happened to him?".
Connor didn't think anything about Henry aside from 'Good riddance to bad rubbish'. He steered the car into the woods next to the road and parked there. Amaya followed with the Owl Glider. In the lake, Greg reached the boathouse and examined the closed doors. "Catboy, I should be able to break these open and get in from here".
"Hold your position Gekko" Connor said. He and Amaya had left their vehicles and observed the mansion from behind a bush.
"I see an open window at the top floor. I could reach that. And you could sneak in through the ventilation ducts" Amaya suggested. "If only we knew how many people we're up against".
Connor hushed her to be silent. Something caught his attention. Voices, one of them very familiar.
"Guys, I think I can hear people talking inside".
"From this distance?" Amaya asked.
"Why not, you can see things from far away now right?" Connor responded. "Now let me listen…there's 3 people I believe, one of them being my dad. And one sounds like a kid ….. They're looking for us!".
"All the more reason to hurry up" Amaya said.
Connor nodded. "We're going in".
At the boathouse, Greg left the Gekko-mobile and, summoning his new strength, managed to push the doors open just enough for him to slip through. Inside he stopped for a second to admire Montague's huge yacht. "Guys, you should see this".
"Stay focused Gekko. And better stay invisible too, who knows how many cameras there are inside" Connor said. "You're next Amaya".
Amaya spread her wings and flew to the open window, landing on the windowsill. The window turned out to give access to a bedroom. A large and luxurious bedroom. The one thing that immediately got Amaya's attention was the painting above the extravagant bed. It showed a man dressed in a tuxedo, with a wine glass in one hand and holding a small scale Earth in his other hand. Standing next to him was a young boy dressed in a lab coat and wearing goggles. Both had the same evil smirks on their faces.
"I think I know who those people you heard are Catboy. And they don't look too friendly"
"Try to reach Gekko. I'm going in too" Connor answered. He took one good look at the fence, decided that the left corner offered the best chance, and sprinted towards it. Once at the fence he leaped into the air and over the fence, landing gently in the yard. Then he carefully made his way towards the ventilation grill, making sure to stay behind bushes or lawn ornaments to avoid being detected, when suddenly he heard something growl behind him. Connor turned around, and noticed an aggressive looking Doberman Pinscher.
He gulped. "Nice doggy". He took a step back. "Look, I'm not a real cat, I'm just dressed as one".
The dog however couldn't care less whether this strange cat was real or just a boy in a costume it seemed. With a loud bark it leaped forward. Connor spun around and ran, fell, and continued on all fours, chased by the dog. In the lab, Montague and Romeo both heard the commotion.
"Dad look. Does that look like a cat to you?" Romeo was watching the security footage on his computer screen, noticing the chase going on in their front yard. Montague didn't respond, but Romeo knew enough. He paused the image and enhanced it. "Well look at that. I think we can stop searching dad. They're already here".
"At least one of them is, it seems. And just the one we need too. Turn on the defenses, the others can't be far" Montague ordered.
Outside, Connor was still running for his life while trying to summon the super speed he used in his fight earlier. Being new to all this superhero stuff wasn't easy.
"Come one" he muttered. "Super cat speed!". That did the trick. The markings on his suit began to glow with a blue aura, while Connor rushed towards the ventilation grill, leaving the confused dog behind. He quickly pried the grill open and entered the airway passage. It was cramped, not nearly the size of airway vents in all those spy movies, but being a child Connor was small enough to fit in. Once safe, he contacted the others.
"Sorry guys. I hope they didn't see that….. oh dang it, they did!". With his new super hearing, he could clearly hear Montague give Romeo the order to 'activate the defenses'.
Upstairs, Amaya heard the window slam shut and lock behind her. "Yeah, I noticed. There goes my way out".
"Alright, let's try to reach each other. And stay alert". Connor continued to crawl through the ventilation ducts. Amaya left the bedroom and entered the hallway, looking for the stairs that would take her down to the others. Downstairs, Greg had left the boathouse, staying invisible like Connor had told him to.
"This place is a maze" Amaya complained after multiple wrong turns that only led to dead ends. She passed another painting, this one showing only the boy in the lab coat. But as she flew past it, the eyes of the boy in the painting shifted in her direction, like pretty much every painting in an old Scooby-Doo cartoon. Down in the lab, Romeo saw her on his monitor and chuckled. "Hello there birdy".
He switched to another image, this one showing the hallway on the ground floor, seemingly empty. Being invisible, Greg didn't bother to try and avoid any potential camera's here. Unfortunately for him they were equipped with an infrared lens, so when Romeo switched to infrared vision Greg was clearly visible.
"And here's another one. Peek-a-boo lizard boy".
Montague shook his head. "Entering without invitation. I think these youngsters need to learn some manners. Go ahead son, but remember. I want them alive… for now". Behind them, Diego gritted his teeth.
Romeo pushed 2 buttons. In the hallway, a trapdoor suddenly opened under Greg. With a scream the boy fell in the metal shaft beneath. It wasn't very deep, barely 15 feet, but that was too high for Greg to jump out, as he soon discovered. Above him, the trapdoor closed again. "Oh no. Guys, I'm stuck".
"Hold on Greg, I'm coming. As soon as I figure out how" Connor answered. The ventilation ducts were as much of a maze as the rest of the house.
"And I'm a little busy right now" Amaya said, while she barely dodged a net coming at her. One moment the upstairs hallway had been quiet, then all of a sudden, multiple guns had appeared from the ceiling and were trying to capture her by firing nets. She managed to dodge them so far, but the assault made it impossible for her to keep track of where she was going. Soon, she found herself at a dead end again, with a net gun ready to fire right behind her.
Realizing it would be a while before his friends could get to him, Greg punched the wall of the shaft in frustration… and found his hand stuck to the surface. With great effort he pulled it free again.
"Gasping Gekko's. I wonder…" He pushed his hand against the surface again, and it stuck. Carefully he tried his other hand, then his feet. They all stuck to the wall too, like glue. Greg tried to climb, and it worked!
"Guys, you don't believe this. I just found out I can climb on walls!". In no time Greg had reached the trapdoor and pushed it open, reentering the hallway.
Upstairs, the last gun fired it's net at Amaya. With no way out, she instead hovered in the air, facing the gun as it fired. "Owl Wing Wind". For a moment the wings on her suit glowed with a red light, then a gust of wind struck the net midair and blew it back against the wall.
Amaya waited for another net, but none came. Apparently each gun could fire only once. Feeling safe, she left her position and continued her search. After 2 more turns, she finally found the stairs and flew down, where she bumped into Greg.
"Owlette!" Greg hugged her. Amaya hugged him back. "Catboy, you hear us. We're okay".
In the ventilation ducts, Connor had heard everything. "Yes. Good job guys, and congratulations with your new powers Greg". Then he heard something else. The man and the boy. "And I think I know the way out of here. I'll just follow my ears".
In the lab, Romeo screamed in frustration. The bird girl and the lizard boy had escaped his traps, and the cat boy was nowhere to be seen.
"Calm down Romeo" Montague said. "Anger is hardly a good advisor". He looked at the computer screen. "It seems they are near the vault. Don't bother with any other traps son. I think it's time I start acting like a proper host, and personally welcome our guests. Keep looking for the third one. This won't take long".
Montague left the lab. Romeo tried several more camera's positioned around the house, but found nothing. Out in the front yard, the dog had retreated to his dog house.
Not in the yard and not in the hallways. So that only left one place. That was when Romeo noticed the sound of something, or someone, crawling through the ventilation ducts.
"There you are. Come in here kitty, I have a surprise for you" he thought.
Following the sound of Romeo's voice, Connor navigated the ventilation ducts. Finally, after what felt like hours, he reached a cover and peeked through it. It didn't offer much of a view, but enough to tell Connor he was above some sort of workplace. And there, locked in a cage, he saw his dad.
Excited, Connor no longer bothered with stealth. He kicked the cover loose; it landed on the floor of the lab with a loud bang. Then he jumped out of the ventilation duct, and landed on the ground with the grace of a cat.
"Dad!". Connor ran towards the cage and examined the lock. Diego was for a moment too stunned to talk. Hearing about your son becoming a superhero is one thing, but actually seeing it is something else entirely. Then he remembered Romeo and his droids. "Son, you have to get out of here quick".
"Well well, look who is here. Catwoman's little brother. Should I call Batman?" Romeo emerged from behind the leg of The Juggernaut, with the 2 droids that had abducted Diego behind him.
"Who are you, and what have you done with my dad" Connor asked.
"Romeo Mecano Montague. And I assume this is what you want" He reached into his pocket and produced the key to the cage. "Come and get it, if you can". The two droids now positioned themselves in front of Romeo.
"Connor, be careful" Diego said.
"Don't worry dad. We already defeated 7 of those things, I can handle 2 more".
Romeo laughed. "Did you really think these are the only ones I have left kitty litter?" He pushed a large button on the control panel of the computer. In the back of the lab, the entire wall moved aside like a huge door, revealing at least 30 more droids.
"Get him!"
Greg and Amaya meanwhile found themselves outside a large, metal door. At Amaya's suggestion, Greg used his new super strength to break it open, hoping this would be the room where Connor's dad was being held captive. What they found instead however was a room that could have come straight out of a museum, filled with cabinets holding various objects.
"Wow" they both said in union as they entered the vault.
Greg admired the golden ring with rune markings on it. He had seen it before somewhere, but where?
"Just look at this. An axe, a shield, a.. ninja mask?" Amaya said.
"I see you like my personal collection" a voice spoke. A man Amaya recognized from the painting the bedroom had appeared in the open door. "Most kids these days wouldn't be interested in old relics".
"Who are you sir?" Greg asked.
The man smiled. "Didn't I introduce myself, how rude of me. I'm Douglas Montague, the owner of this humble house. But who are you young superhero's? Didn't you learn it's rude to snoop around people's homes without permission?".
Greg and Amaya looked at each other, and then back at Montague. He seemed nice enough, but there was something about him Amaya didn't trust. Especially not after barely escaping capture upstairs.
"Never mind. I should thank you two. I admit I was afraid the night totems would be lost to me when Henry said you and your friend got them and used them to become superhero's, but here you are, delivering them to my house in person".
"Night totems? Is that what those stones are called?" Amaya thought.
"Henry? You know him?" Greg asked. Montague chuckled. "He worked for me young man. But I fired him earlier tonight."
Amaya narrowed her eyes. "So those bots where yours? And you had them kidnap Connor's dad?"
Then Greg remembered where he had seen the golden ring before. "This ring is stolen. It was on the new".
Montague rolled his eyes. "Stolen, such an ugly word. They wouldn't sell it to me, but I just had to have it. It would only be wasted in a museum, when it can do so much more. Everything in this room can do so much more, if you know how".
Montague gently took the crescent moon-shaped device out of its cabinet. "Like this here. It's called the Luna Magnet. Atlantean technology. Very strong, and complicated. Even I don't know all its powers. But I do know it can do this!"
Greg and Amaya were caught entirely off guard when a purple ray shot from the Luna Magnet and knocked both of them out of the vault. Amaya was the first to get back up.
"Kids should stay out of the business of adults" Montague said as he opened a second cabinet and took out the bronze shield.
"Owl Wing Wind" Amaya shouted as she unleashes a gust onto Montague, who quickly held the shield in front of him. Although Amaya's attack was strong enough to knock over a car, Montague didn't even flinch. Greg came next. He leaped up from the floor and karate-kicked the shield, but again Montague remained where he was and Greg simply bounced off.
"Pretty neat right? The shield of Ares. Protects the wielder against anything his opponents can throw at him. Very useful against impulsive young hero's like you".
He pointed the Luna Magnet at Amaya again. This time, the ray didn't knock her back, but trapped her in a forcefield and pulled her towards Montague. Amaya struggled against the field, but to no avail.
"One down, one to go." Montague turned towards Greg, who gulped and hastily turned invisible. "So we're going to play hide and seek? Alright, I play along." He reached into his pocket, and took out a special pair of glasses. "My son made me these, in case I ever have to go up against an invisible opponent."
"Run Gekko!" Amaya shouted. Greg didn't have to be told twice.
There was no escape the assault. No matter what way he ran, at least 5 droids would block his path. Connor had managed to disable one of them, but the others would gang up on him if he tried to focus on another droid. Soon, he found himself driven into a corner. Romeo laughed. Diego could only watch in horror.
"You really didn't think this through did you kitty litter? You get superpowers, and immediately think you can handle everything. The night totems are wasted on you and your friends" Romeo mocked him. "And speaking of your friends; don't expect any help from them. Right now, my dad is dealing with them, as you can see". On the screen behind Romeo, Connor could see Montague chasing Greg while holding Amaya captive with the Luna Magnet.
Connor didn't reply. Romeo was right, he, Greg and Amaya had come here with no plan or backup. And now he led all of them straight into a trap. What kind of hero was he? He took another step backwards, and his back the wall. The droids closed in further.
"Connor, don't listen to him. The Night Totems choose you and your friends, I should have known right away when you tried to take them this afternoon" Diego shouted.
"Shut up!" Romeo ordered. He pushed another button, and an electric shock went through the cage. Diego screamed and fell to his knees.
"Dad, no!". Connor narrowed his eyes, his anger rising. Again, like in the attic earlier, time seemed to slow down while the markings on Connor's suit began to glow. He saw the droids closing in on him, the cage containing his dad, Romeo at his computer, and in the back of the lab the secret compartment that the Droids had come from. And on the wall….
"Any last words Kooky Cat?" Romeo asked.
Connor went down on his knees like an athlete getting into start position for a sprint. "It's Catboy. And just 3: SUPER CAT SPEED!".
What happened next could only be properly seen with a high speed camera. Connor dashed forward like a blue lightning bolt, leaving behind a trail of electricity. He leaped onto the droid closest to him and from there continued to leap from droid to droid, making his way past his attackers. They didn't even have time to respond. In mere milliseconds Connor had reached Romeo, knocked the boy scientist to the floor, took the key, and unlocked the cage. Then he sped towards the droid containment room, and the thing he had seen there; a lever on the wall marked "Master Switch". Behind him he could hear Romeo shout "No" (to Connor it sounded like a comically slow "NOOOOOOOOOO"). Connor had reached the lever and pulled it before Romeo even finished expressing his disagreement with Connor's plan. No sooner had Connor pulled the lever, or all the droids fell to the ground, motionless. Connor himself felt his legs go rubber and he slumped against the wall, exhausted.
"You pay for that!" Romeo was about to push another button on his computer when Diego's hand seized the boy's wrist and pulled him away from the control panel. "That's enough you science brat!".
Romeo pulled himself free, but Diego blocked his way to the computer. Seeing no way out, he turned around and ran, shouting for his dad to come help him. Diego waited till he was sure Romeo was gone, then he ran towards Connor and pulled his son into a hug.
"You did it Connor. I'm so proud of you son".
Connor was still catching his breath, but returned the hug nonetheless. "I'm sorry dad. I wanted to call the police like you said, but then that Henry found us and…" Diego put his finger against Connor's lips. "Don't worry about it. Remember what I just said about the totems choosing you? We can talk it over later. But now, we have to safe your friends. You think you can walk?".
Connor tried to stand, fell, tried again, and succeeded this time. As they walked to the door, Diego noticed an open toolbox.
"One moment son". He took a large hammer from the box, walked back to the master switch. It only took him two hits to break it off. He then proceeded to smash the screens and control panel of the computer to bits.
"There. Even if Romeo comes back here, none of this will be of any use to him anymore". Diego took one more look at The Juggernaut. Montague had already come closer to his plan for world conquest than Diego feared, but there was nothing they could do about this monstrosity now except keep Montague from activating it. Which meant they had to find the vault, and hopefully the Fulgur Gemma.
"Marco….. Polo" Montague playfully said as he scanned the room, holding the Luna Magnet in one hand and the Shield of Ares in the other. Amaya hovered behind him, still trapped in the forcefield.
The chase had taken them from the vault to Montague's office. Along the way Greg had thrown a potted plant, and a glass cabinet at Montague, but both harmlessly bounced off the shield. Right now Greg was hiding behind Montague's favorite chair. He was not invisible, but even if he was it would make little difference now with Montague wearing his special goggles. Greg was scared; so far becoming Gekko had made him feel older, like he was one of the big boys, but right now he didn't feel any older than he actually was.
"Come on Greg, think!" he thought. If only he could free Amaya. The two of them together would stand a better chance.
"Give it up boy" Montague said.
"No, Gekko" Amaya shouted. "Master Fang and Kick McGee would never give up either!" ("Or Flossy Flash for that matter" she thought).
Montague ignored her, but the mentioning of his 2 favorite hero's got Greg thinking. What was it Master Fang always told his sidekick about fighting? If your first plan doesn't succeed, improvise. And always keep the high ground.
The high ground! Greg looked up at the ceiling and recalled his escape from the trapdoor. It was a gamble, but he would have to take it. Feeling his courage return, Greg took a deep breath and summoned his strength. In correspondence, the elbow and knee patches, symbol, gloves and frills of his suit began to glow with a bright, green light. Montague noticed the glow coming from behind his chair. He used the Luna Magnet to lift the chair into the air and move it aside, revealing Greg, who quickly ran to Montague's desk and stopped there, facing the villain.
"Done running? I appreciate that. We've had fun boy, but it's getting late and I have better things to do". Montague aimed the Luna magnet, but Greg was faster. He grabbed the side Montague's desk, lifted it, and swung it at the madman, forcing Montague to seek cover behind the shield again. The desk struck the shield and bounced off without harming Montague, but it distracted him long enough for Greg to climb the wall to the ceiling, turn around, and position his feet against the wall. He clenched his right hand into a fist which began to glow even brighter, and with the scream "SUPER GEKKO MUSCLES" he launched himself off the wall towards Montague.
Greg's superpowered fist struck the shield with the sound of a loud gong. The force of the impact did what all previous attacks failed to do; it created a shockwave that simultaneously send Greg flying against the wall, and make Montague stagger backwards. His goggles were knocked off his face, and the Luna Magnet fell out of his hand, causing the forcefield keeping Amaya trapped to disintegrate.
Not wasting any time, Amaya spread her wings, flew towards the light switch, and turned it off, plunging the room in complete darkness. Without his goggles, Montague was completely disorientated in the darkness, but Amaya could see just fine thanks to her Owl Eyes. She flew past Montague, picking up the Lunar Magnet along the way, and snatched the shield out of his hand. Then she flew over to Greg. "Good job Gekko."
Greg was still sitting on the floor, rubbing his right hand. "Thanks, but I'm afraid I'm going to feel that in the morning".
Montague desperately tried to find the light switch. Amaya could see him blunder around the room, tripping over his favorite chair. It was quite funny actually, but there was no time to get distracted. She noticed a door just behind Montague, flew towards it and opened it. It turned out to be a small walk-in closet.
"Get ready Gekko" Amaya said. She waited for Montague to get up so he was in the right position, then shouted "Owl Wing Wind!". Montague briefly saw Amaya's suit glow bright red before the gust of wind lifted him up and carried him into the closet. Amaya closed the door, and turned the light back on. "Now Gekko!".
Greg, now able to see again, moved the desk in front of the door, then put the chair on top of it. Inside the closet, Montague banged his fist against the door, demanding to be let out. His normally polite tone clearly starting to crack.
"Come on Gekko, he's not getting anywhere. Let's find Catboy and his dad". Amaya picked up the Luna Magnet and the shield, after which she and Greg left the room.
They only made it halfway back to the vault when they ran into Connor and Diego. The 3 friends immediately got into a group hug, while all talking simultaneously about what they had just done. Diego smiled; superpowered or not, his son and his friends were still kids at hearth. Still, even with Romeo on the run and Montague trapped, they weren't out of danger yet, so he scraped his voice to get their attention.
"Mr. Alvarez. We were send by your son to…."
Diego held up his hand. "No need to put up an act Amaya. I know it's you guys. And I see you already got the Luna Magnet and the Shield of Ares. Good, we have to get the rest too. These relics are too dangerous to be left in the hands of that would be -world conqueror and his son, and most of them were stolen anyway."
The group made their way back to the vault. "So, how are we going to transport all this?" Amaya asked.
"I saw something in the boathouse. Be right back" Greg ran off. While they waited for him to return, Connor had time to think about what his dad said earlier. "So dad. You know more about these Night Totems right?"
Diego confirmed this, telling Connor how he had found them just the day before after years of studying the legends surrounding them. "How much do you know already son?"
Connor told his dad how the stones had called out for them, and how after they fought off Henry, the giant totem pole had appeared and changed shape, both inside and out, plus the pictures of various superhero teams from different era's that they had seen.
Diego nodded. "That is the master totem. It always appears there were the Night Totems are active, and adapts to any time and place to serve as a headquarter for the current team using the totems' powers. Your powers are tied to it, and vice-versa. As for those other hero's you saw; you were right, they the previous wielders of the Night Totems.".
"They looked quite different from us though Mr. Alvarez" Amaya remarked.
"Yes, the totems grand superpowers based on animals, but what animals and thus what powers depends on the wielder. They use the animal that best suits you. Your so called Totem Animal. And they incorporate whatever the wielder is wearing at the time of the first transformation into the costume. Judging by those symbols, I guess that in your cases they used your pyjamas as a template".
Connor examined his suit. "Wait, so we're basically fighting in our pyjamas?" Suddenly, his suit didn't seem so cool anymore to him.
Diego laughed and padded him on the back. "Sorry son. I still think you look cool though".
"Where do these night totems come from?" Amaya asked.
Diego shrugged. "Nobody knows, they date back to times unknown."
"Here I am guys, sorry it took so long". Greg came running back, carrying a large piece of tarpaulin. He spread it out on the floor. "Put everything in here".
Using his super speed, Connor emptied the vault in just 10 seconds, putting all the relics on the tarpaulin, which he then folded up and tied into a knot. With his super strength, Greg easily lifted the makeshift bindle. "Now let's get out of here".
Romeo had tried to find his dad after fleeing the lab, but when he found him in his office he discovered Greg and Amaya had trapped Montague in the closet. Being unable to move the heavy desk and chair himself, Romeo went back to the lab (pausing once to hide when that lizard boy ran by with a piece of tarpaulin), only to find the place trashed. Now, he kicked one of the droids in frustration. Why had he even created that master switch? In case his droids would rebel against him? As if that would ever happen.
Anyway, they were useless now. And so was his computer. But fortunately, they had neglected to sabotage the other inventions here, including his anti-gravity machine.
As he ran back to the office, he could hear the others make their way towards the front door. Curious, he made a small detour to check the vault, and discovered it was empty. "Dad's gonna hate this" he thought.
He returned to the office and zapped the desk and chair with the machine. Both floated up from the floor and Romeo easily pushed them aside and stepped back just in time to avoid getting hit when the door flew open. His hair a mess due to Amaya's Owl Wing wind, and his hand red from banging against the door. He had to take a few deep breaths to calm down. "Thank you son. Now, where are they?"
"Outside. And they took the relics. All of them. They also trashed my lab!" Romeo stomped the ground in frustration, acting very much like a typical angry 6-year-old.
For Montague, that was the final straw. In spite of his wise words to Romeo earlier, anger began to cloud his mind. Forget world conquest. Forget getting the Night Totems. It was time for revenge first, even if it meant letting the whole world know he had a giant robot.
"Get to the lab Romeo. It's time to take the Juggernaut for a test drive".
The 3 hero's and Diego reached the front door without encountering any other trouble. Once outside they ran into the Dobermann Pincher again, but Greg easily scared him off. Then they made their way to where the Owl Glider and Cat-Car where hidden.
"Put the tarpaulin down Greg. I can carry it back to the city with the Owl Glider" Amaya said.
Greg did as told. Diego meanwhile examined the 2 vehicles. "So these came with the Master Totem you say? Incredible. Now that is one aspect of the Night Totems even I didn't know about".
Connor nodded. "They used to be different vehicles when the previous team had them, but they changed along with the Totem. There's also the Gekko-Mobile, but it's in the lake right now".
"Superpowers, super vehicles, super HQ…. best night ever!" Greg cheered. "Just think how much we can do now that we're superhero's". Connor and Amaya agreed.
This remark made Diego feel uneasy. He had to admit that Connor and his friends had done a great job here tonight saving him and stopping Montague, and he knew the Night Totems choose them, but Diego wasn't too keen to let them continue their lives as superhero's. Still, he found it hard to tell them this and crush their dreams, seeing how happy they all were. "Well… let's just talk about that when we're home alright?"
"What do you mean? We can keep our powers, right dad? You said they choose us" Connor protested.
Diego sighed and kneeled down so he could talk to his son eye to eye. "Connor, being a hero is a great responsibility and at times a very dangerous job. You already experienced that tonight. You kids shouldn't have to worry about putting your lives at risk."
"But…." Greg began, but Diego gestured him to be silent. "Like I said, we can discuss this at home. Right now, we have other matters to take care of. Now, did any of you bring your cellphones? Montague took mine".
All three kids just shook their heads. Their phones were still in Connor's room. "Too bad. We will have to call the police later then. At least Montague can't use the Juggernaut now even if he escapes from the closet".
"Juggernaut? Is that that giant robot we saw in the lab?" Connor asked. Diego nodded. "Yes, but it's useless to him now that we have the Fulgur Gemma".
Amaya's eyes widened. "Fulgur Gemma? That giant blue diamond from the newspaper? But… we don't have it here!" she tapped the tarpaulin.
"What?"
"She's right dad. It wasn't in the vault" Connor agreed.
Diego slapped his hand against his forehead. He had been so caught up in answering Connor and Amaya's questions about the Night Totems that he had failed to properly check the vault, and then when Greg came back Connor had packed up everything. Diego only assumed the Fulgur Gemma was among the relics. That meant Montague still had the diamond somewhere, probably already placed it in the Juggernaut! They had to get back to get it, or at least check if Montague was still locked up.
But it was too late. A loud bang shook the ground, hard enough to make Greg and Connor lose balance and fall. Behind them, the entire right wing of the mansion detached from the rest of the building and moved aside, creating a large gap in between. And rising up from the floor between both halves appeared the robot Connor had seen in the lab, with Montague at the controls.
All four gasped at the sight of the metal giant.
"By my cat's whiskers!"
"Fluttering feathers!"
"Gasping gekkos!"
Diego's choice of words to express his dismay at seeing the Juggernaut was not an unusual euphemism, but something he would normally never say in front of his son (or children in general). Fortunately, Connor didn't seem to notice, or care.
In only 2 steps the Juggernaut reached the group, each step shaking the earth. From the dome, Montague spoke over the robot's external speaker "Congratulations, all of you. You made me launch my ultimate weapon ahead of schedule. Well, we had fun so far, but I have the last laugh!"
The Juggernaut lifted it's right leg and brought it down in an attempt to stomp Connor and Greg. Greg, summoning his super gekko muscles caught the foot and barely managed to keep it from crushing them. Drops of sweat formed on the boys forehead. "Guys… I …. can't … hold …it!".
Amaya shot forward, grabbed both boys, and dragged them away from underneath the Juggernaut's foot before Greg's strength gave out.
"Owlette, get the relics. Gekko, take my dad out of here in the Gekko-Mobile." Connor ordered while he jumped into the Cat-Car. "I'll distract him!".
"Connor, don't" Diego protested, but Connor had already started the engine and the car sped off, drove two circles around The Juggernaut as if to taunt Montague, and then sped away over the road.
"So those brats have machines of their own. Oh well, it doesn't matter" Montague hissed as he turned the Juggernaut around and ran after the Cat-Car. Behind him, Amaya started the Owl-Glider, used it's claws to pick up the tarpaulin, and flew off, mentally wishing Connor good luck. Diego refused to leave his son behind; Greg had to use his super strength to drag him to the Gekko-Mobile. In the house, Romeo watched his father chase the Cat-Car.
"Get them dad. Finish them!".
Connor put the pedal to the metal, but the Juggernaut easily kept up with the Cat-Car. The boy kept one eye on the road while using the other one to glance over the various buttons, hoping his car had anything he could use to defend himself. There were some weapons installed in his car it seemed, but if they would do any good against this giant was doubtful.
There was flash, and a white ray struck the road in front of the Cat-Car, blowing away a large portion. Connor yelped and steered sharp to the right, narrowly missing the hole in the road. From the Juggernaut, Montague aimed and fired again, with both guns this time. The two rays struck the road and tore a large section of it away. There was no way to steer around this hole, so Connor hit the brakes and turned the car around.
Going back was no option, the Juggernaut would crush his car if he tried. Connor's options were down to either abandoning the car and try to flee through the woods on foot, or try to fight back, even if the latter would be a David vs. Goliath scenario.
"Fire Furballs" Connor shouted as he pushed the corresponding button. The car's grille opened up and two furball like projectiles shot out. They struck the Juggernaut in the chest, but bounced off without inflicting any damage.
Montague chuckled as he aimed the Juggernaut's weapons. "You've been a thorn in my side all night boy. Now, say goodbye!".
Desperate, Connor tried the button next to it marked "Cat-roar". Just as Montague was about to fire, the Cat-Car unleashed a sonic wave at the metal giant. Unlike the furballs, this attack actually managed harm the robot. Inside the cockpit several of the dials suddenly went haywire while the guns, previously aimed directly at the Cat-Car, both changed position. One fired its energy ray off into the distance, while the other hit the road next to the Cat-Car. The explosion launched the car into the air. It crashed 20 feet further into the woods, and the impact activated the ejection seat. Connor was launched out of the cat-car, into a tree.
Montague pushed several buttons, trying to regain control of the Juggernaut. Fortunately for him, the effect of the Cat Roar was only temporarily; the Juggernaut's systems could handle a lot of punishment. Still, he made a mental note to himself to have Romeo install a defense against sonic weapons and other devices that could scramble electronics once this was over.
"Find me that cat" Montague ordered as he activated the Juggernaut's scanners. In no time he located Connor. The boy had just climbed down the tree and tried to get back to his car, when the Juggernaut planted it's leg between him and the vehicle, cutting of his way. In his panic, Connor fled, variating between running on two and four legs. The Juggernaut followed, cutting its way through the woods, sending trees flying left and right.
Connor had never been to these woods before and thus didn't know his way around. Soon the woods opened up and Connor found himself on the edge of a gorge. Before he could turn around, the Juggernaut had caught up with him.
"Oh my. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide" Montague gloated. "I don't even have to waste my guns on you". At the push of a button, the Juggernaut raised its left leg and brought it down with full force, shaking the earth and causing a large chunk of rock on the edge of the gorge to break off. The part that Connor was standing on. The boy screamed as the plunged into the depth. Soon, he disappeared into the darkness below.
"They say cats always land on their feet. But I doubt if that also applies to boys in catsuits." Montague said. He would come back to find Connor's corpse later, and hopefully get the Night totem back from it. Right now, he had two more pests to take care of. And to take back what was his.
The Owl Glider reached the city first, closely followed by the Gekko-Mobile. Amaya tried repeatedly to contact Connor, but the boy didn't respond.
"Catboy, come in please!". In the Gekko-Mobile, both Greg and Diego hoped, and prayed for their friend/son. Diego also mentally cursed at that monster Montague.
"It's no good, either our communicators don't work over long distances or something bad happened to him" Amaya said.
"Now what?" Greg asked. They were close to their homes again, but neither of the kids wanted to go there. If Montague followed them with the Juggernaut, leading them straight to their homes would mean putting the lives of their parents in danger.
"I suggest we go to the Totem. That computer-thingy might have the answers" Amaya suggested.
"We really have to think of a better name for that" Greg stated, but he knew now was not the time. Diego said nothing, he just nodded as Greg looked at him for comformation.
The entire way to the totem both hero's tried to call Connor, but to no avail. Diego had given up on his plan to call the police. Sending them to Montague's house so they could find his lab would be one thing, but they wouldn't stand a chance against the Juggernaut.
Connor opened his eyes and quickly examined himself. No injuries, it seemed. He had survived the fall, but wasn't out of trouble yet. He had landed on a branch sticking out of the side of the gorge, with still a deep fall below him.
He tried to contact Amaya and Greg to warn them about Montague, but neither responded. They must be out of reach. Realizing he had to get back to his car and rejoin his friends, he scanned the cliffside for a way up, but found none.
"If only I had Gekko's powers right now" Connor sighed. This was the second time tonight he found himself in a tight spot, and how his super speed could get him out of this one was beyond him. He couldn't possibly built up a momentum on this small branch. And meanwhile Montague was on his way to the city. Even if Connor were to escape, how could they possibly stop that machine of his? Connor realized his dad was right, being a hero was dangerous. And difficult.
An idea formed in his mind, based on a memory from something he had seen on tv. Connor doubted he could have thought of it under normal circumstances, but it was like his new powers also made his mind sharper. At least when it came to ideas of how to use his powers.
Carefully, Connor grabbed the branch with both hands and let himself slide off. Then he began to swing back and forth, like a gymnast on a bar. Faster, and faster until he was doing full 360 degree swings around the branch. When he finally believed he was going fast enough, Connor let go while swinging up, and used his feet to give himself an extra push up.
"Super Cat Jump!" Like a lightning the boy shot into the air, out of the gorge. He landed at the edge of the gorge, still a bit dizzy from the swings, but at least out of his predicament.
Finding the way back to the Cat-Car was easy enough, considering the trail of destruction the Juggernaut had left behind. Connor got behind the wheel again and carefully steered the car out of the woods back to the road. Then he hit the gas.
"Hold on guys, I'm coming".
Diego couldn't believe his eyes. The inside of the Master Totem seemed to come straight out of a superhero comic book (which he still like to secretly read, without his wife's knowing). He knew how the Totem would adapt to the new wielders of the Night Totems, but he never expected this. Still, it couldn't take his mind of his son.
Amaya meanwhile was browsing the computer, looking for anything that might help. The first thing that came up were files about the Cat-Car, Owl-Glider and Gekko-Mobile.
"Check this out. Our vehicles have quite some tricks up their sleeves it seems". She opened another file. "Wow, and so does this totem".
"Still, will it be enough to fight back against that thing?" Greg asked.
"The diamond".
Both kids looked at Diego. "The Fulgur Gemma. We have to get it out somehow. That robot is powerless without it".
"Any idea where it is located?" Greg asked. Diego did not, but it seemed the computer did. A new image, taken from what the Owl-Glider had observed, popped up on the holographic sphere, showing the Juggernaut with the jewel where a human's heart would be.
"I believe there's a hatch in the torso. It must be behind it" Diego said. He had enough time to observe the robot while being trapped in Romeo's lab after all.
That was when the ground began to shake. Not much, but still enough to get their attention. The image on the holographic computer changed again. It now showed the skyline of the city, as seen from the top of the Totem. Staring at the screen, Greg, Amaya and Diego could clearly see a dark shape appear on the horizon that was beyond a doubt the Juggernaut.
"Oh no. He's here!" Amaya said.
"What do we do now?". Amaya tried to think, but nothing came. Diego also said nothing. If the Juggernaut was here, that could only mean something had happened to his son.
The Juggernaut had already entered the suburbs. Fortunately, in a small town like this there were hardly any people out in the streets at this hour, but still a few parked cars got crushed underneath the giant's feet.
Many people woke up when the metal giant marched passed their houses, and looked outside to see what was making so much noise, but most where too late to catch a glimpse. For those who did see the Juggernaut, reactions varied. Some were convinced they were still sleeping and this was some sort of weird nightmare. Others believed aliens were invading. And others thought of a terrorist attack.
Now, Diego wouldn't have to call the police, even if he still intended to, because plenty of other people did so. The Juggernaut had just reached the industrial district, with Montague actively looking for the 2 hero's that took his treasures, when the first police car arrived at the scene. The two officers inside could at first only gasp at the metal colossus. Still, they had to do something.
The police officer sitting behind the steering wheel got out first, a bullhorn in his hand. His partner followed, with drawn gun.
"Attention, pilot of the giant robot. Stand down and come out with your hands up".
Montague was actually amused by this, even though he considered the police interference an unwelcome distraction from his attempt to find the 2 hero's. How were they planning to force him to leave the Juggernaut?
He pushed a button and the Juggernaut kicked the police car away like a football. The officer holding the gun opened fire, but the bullets didn't even scratch the surface of the Juggernaut.
4 more police cars followed now. Annoyed, Montague aimed the Juggernaut's weapons and fired. The first shot forced the cars closest to him to swerve left and right. One hit a lamppost. The other came to a stop just short of crashing into a warehouse. The other 2 cars stopped and backed up just before the Juggernaut could hit them. Instead, the second shot blast a hole in the road.
Now, the Juggernaut grabbed the two police cars closest to him and lifted them in the air. The officers inside barely made it out in time. Montague made his machine smash the cars together into a metal ball, and throw it away.
Convinced that he had made his point clear, Montague activated the speaker again. "Listen officers. I advise you to stay out of my business, if you don't want to risk any lives. And to the hero's that stole what was mine, if you're listening; I suggest you show yourselves and give me back what you took…".
He then aimed the Juggernaut's guns at a nearby warehouse and fired. The energy rays completely disintegrated the lower part, causing the rest to collapse. "…Or the next building I aim for will not be an abandoned one".
In HQ, Amaya, Greg and Diego had seen everything on the screen. And heard Montague's threat.
"Come on Gekko" Amaya said.
Diego grabbed her arm. "Amaya, Montague won't stop if you give him what he wants. If he gets those relics and the night totems, it will only give him more power".
Amaya was having none of it however. "We have to do something Mr. Alvarez. If we can keep him in the industrial district, he can't do much damage. And he won't shoot at me if I'm carrying the relics. He values them too much for that".
Greg crossed his arms. "I agree with Owlette here. We may be the only ones who can stop him".
Diego could see the determination in their eyes. Along with a level of maturity he had never seen in any other children their age. No doubt another effect of their new superpowers. Reluctantly, he agreed.
Both Greg and Amaya returned to their vehicles, the Owl-Glider once more carrying the makeshift bindle with the relics, and they made their way to the industrial district. Along the way, both checked out the features of their vehicles that the computer had informed them about.
"Turn invisible Gekko. According to the computer your vehicle can do that" Amaya suggested. Greg agreed.
The police had retreated, though Montague knew they probably didn't go too far and were already calling for more backup. Possibly the national guard. So he had to hurry things up.
Just as Montague was about to pick his next target to make it clear he meant business, he saw the Owl-Glider approach him. Moments later, Owlette was hovering in front of the robot, but well out of its reach.
"Wise choice, young lady". Montague made the Juggernaut stretch out it's hand. "Now, hand those relics over please, along with the Night totems you and your friend have".
Amaya however stayed where she was, hoping to stall time, and praying she was right about Montague not wanting to shoot her as long as she had something he wanted. "First, what did you do to Catboy?".
Montague grinned. "Oh, he put up a fight, but it was only a token effort really. If he's lucky, that fall in the gorge killed him instantly. It would be less painful that way".
Greg, who had been sneaking up on the Juggernaut from behind, hit the brakes upon hearing what Montague said. Connor, gone? No, it couldn't be. In the Owl-Glider, Amaya was equally lost for words.
"Sorry for your loss, but if you cooperate now I will make it quick for the two of you" Montague said.
Defeated, Amaya lowered the Owl-Glider so the Juggernaut could reach it. That was when Connor's voice spoke over the communicators in their suits. "Gekko, Owlette. Come in please!".
"Catboy. You're okay!" Amaya cheered.
"I bet you have 9 lives, just like a real cat" Greg remarked.
Connor was racing back towards the city at top speed. Greg's remark actually made him smile in spite of the situation. "Well, I'm down to 8 now I'm afraid. Anyway, I'm coming to you. Try to keep Montague busy. We'll regroup once I get there".
"Got it!". As the Juggernaut reached for the tarpaulin, Amaya prepared to unleash the Owl-Glider's equivalent of the Owl Wing wind, hoping to knock the giant robot over so they could get to the hatch and the jewel. Unfortunately Greg, unaware of this plan, tried to attack the Juggernaut on his own. He drove the Gekko-Mobile at the giant at full speed, made a sharp turn, and smashed the Juggernaut's left leg with the tail of his vehicle.
Although the impact failed to knock the robot over, it did cause it to suddenly swerve to the side, just as Amaya pushed the button. Worse, it's hand struck the tarpaulin, and tore it open, releasing all the relics mid-air. The gust of wind from the Owl-Glider missed the Juggernaut but struck the relics, and blew them in all directions.
"No!" Greg, Amaya and Montague shouted at the same time.
For a moment nobody moved, as they all processed what just happened. Amaya scolded Greg for what he just did, while Montague finally lost the last of his patience. His face turned red as a tomato and if this were a cartoon no doubt steam would have come out of his ears.
"Alright…NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!". Montague turned the Juggernaut's energy guns each in a different direction and fired. Owlette barely dodged the ray fired at her, while Greg put the Gekko-Mobile in reverse and hit the gas to dodge the other ray.
"That guy needs to cool down" Greg said as he pushed a button marked 'Water Jet'. A stream of water shot out of the front of the vehicle and struck the Juggernaut, but the robot was completely unfazed by this. It simply walked towards the Gekko-Mobile, not hindered at all by the water, forcing Greg to back off. He struck the wall of the building behind him, but to his surprise and awe the Gekko-Mobile simply continued to drive up the wall instead of coming to a stop.
"Cool Chameleons! My car can scale walls too…. YIKES". He notice the Juggernaut's fist coming towards him and sped away just in time. As Greg drove the Gekko-Mobile over the building, the Juggernaut chased him, repeatedly smashing it's fist against the wall to try and hit the Gekko-Mobile. Owlette tried to attack the Juggernaut from behind, but each time she got too close the guns fired their energy rays at her, forcing her to retreat back into the air. She once tried the Owl Wing Wind, but at this distance it had no effect on the metal giant.
Finally, the Juggernaut's punches weakened the structure of the building and it collapsed. As the wall crumbled underneath the threads, the Gekko-Mobile fell to the ground, landing on its roof. Fortunately for Greg, the glass didn't break and the Gekko-Mobile immediately rolled back on its threads. Before Greg could get away however the Juggernaut stepped on the vehicle's tail, preventing Greg from fleeing.
"Gekko, get out of there!" Amaya shouted as she tried once more to attack the Juggernaut, but again Montague fired the guns at her and forced her to back of, while he made the Juggernaut raise its right arm to crush the trapped Gekko-Mobile.
Faced with the choice of either giving up his vehicle or getting crushed along with it, Greg was about to abandon the Gekko-Mobile, when suddenly further down the street the Cat-Car appeared from around the corner, still driving at full speed. Montague paused, his eyes refusing to believe what they saw. Surely, that boy couldn't have survived his fall?
Connor, having followed the battle through their communicators, didn't hesitate. While speeding towards the Juggernaut, he first fired another furball, then immediately unleashed another cat-roar. The furball, given extra momentum by both the Cat-Car's own speed and the Cat-Roar, smashed against the Juggernaut's leg, causing the robot to step off the Gekko-Mobile's tail.
"Guys, quick. We have to regroup!" Connor ordered as he turned the car around. Greg and Amaya followed, both dodging several more energy rays from the Juggernaut.
"Glad you're back Catboy. Now, what do you suggest we do?" Greg asked.
"Can't we lure him to the Totem? We have more weapons there, I saw them on the computer-sphere" Amaya suggested, but Connor shook his head. "No Owlette, then we have to lead him straight through the city center. People will get hurt that way".
"But our vehicles alone aren't strong enough" Greg said defeated.
"Not individually, but together they are" Connor said. "Think of this as Master Fang vs. The Mountain Giant. Now let's see, we better take out its weapons first. Gekko, you think you can reach them with the Gekko-Mobile?"
"I guess, if he stands still long enough" Greg said.
A plan already began to form in Connors mind. So far the only thing that had any real effect on the Juggernaut was the Cat-Roar and its ability to scramble electronics, but even that wasn't good enough. Unless….
"I have a plan, are you with me?" Connor said. To this Amaya and Greg simultaneously said "Of course we are".
"Alright then, it's time to be a hero!" Connor shouted. Amaya and Greg both cheered.
All three vehicles stopped and turned around to face the Juggernaut as it closed in on them again. The final showdown could begin.
"Gekko, get in position. Owlette, I need you to use the Owl-Glider to lift the Cat-Car up".
"I hope it's strong enough for that" Amaya replied. As the Gekko-Mobile turned invisible, the Owl-Glider firmly grabbed the roof of the Cat-Car and flapped it's wings. Slowly, the car was lifted into the air, until it was on the same hight as the Juggernaut's cockpit. Connor could see Montague, his face filled with pure rage. On each side of the cockpit, the energy guns were charging up for the next shot.
"Alright Montague. You thought the cat roar from my Cat-Car was bad before? Try it like this".
Connor turned the dial of the Cat-Roar to max, and hit the button. A huge sonic wave shot from the grille, and struck the Juggernaut directly at the cockpit. This time the dials in the cockpit didn't just go haywire; some of them outright exploded. The Juggernaut came to a complete stop, all it's systems temporarily shut down.
"Alright, he's weakening. Your turn Gekko!".
The Gekko-Mobile, still invisible, raced towards the temporarily immobilized giant. "Come on Greg, don't get scared now" Greg told himself. He steered the invisible Gekko-Mobile towards the Juggernaut's right leg, and using the wall-scaling option he drove the vehicle up against the giant robot. When he got close enough to the right shoulder, he made the Gekko-Mobile spin around and smashed the tail against the gun with full force.
The anger on Montague's face was replaced by dismay as the right gun dome suddenly broke off and fell onto the pavement below. Not wasting time, Greg drove over to the left shoulder and repeated the process, knocking the other dome off too.
The Juggernaut's left hand clenched into a fist. Connor noticed. "Gekko, get out of there, he's moving again. Owlette, put me down quick."
The Gekko-Mobile safely made it back to the ground before the Juggernaut could fully move again. It rejoined the other 2 vehicles.
"Now, time to end this" Connor said. As the Juggernaut took another step forward, Connor launched a furball from the Cat-Car's grille. It landed in front of the Juggernaut's foot, and just as Connor hoped the robot stepped on it, causing it to lose balance.
"Now!". Simultaniously, the Gekko-Mobile fired it's water jet and the Owl-Glider it's wind gust. The two attacks finished what the furball had started and the giant robot toppled over, crushing another warehouse in the process.
Greg and Connor both left their vehicles. Connor grabbed Greg and ran with him to the fallen giant, while Amaya closed in with the Owl-Glider. She got there first, found the hatch using her Owl Eyes, and sank the claws of the Owl-Glider into it. Greg joined her, using his Super Gekko Muscles. Together, they managed to break the hatch open, revealing the Fulgur Gemma.
As the Juggernaut tried to push itself back up, Connor grabbed the diamond and pulled it out of the robot. Immediately, the Juggernaut fell back to the ground. In the cockpit all the lights on the control panel went out. Montague desperately pushed several buttons, to no avail.
"Looking for this?". Through the glass Montague saw the 3 hero's stand on the Juggernaut's torso, with Connor holding the Fulgur Gemma.
"Give that back!" Montague tried to open the dome so he could get out of the cockpit, but without power even that part of the Juggernaut no longer worked. Montague was trapped in his own machine.
Connors ears picked up the sound of police sirens, lots of them. Evidently, the backup the police had asked for had arrived. "Sorry Montague, we have to go".
He placed the Fulgur Gemma at the foot of the robot, where the police would surely find it. Then the hero's fled the scene just in time before the police arrived. From a safe distance, they watched as 3 dozen police officers surrounded the now motionless robot and it's prisoner.
"We did it" Amaya whispered. "We saved the day"
"But it's night" Greg remarked.
"Well, then in the night we saved the day" Connor said. "Sounds good, we should remember that line. Come on, let's pick up my dad and go home".
Inside the Totem, Diego had followed everything on the screen. And even though it's commonly believed that a man should not cry, right now he could not hold back some tears of joy. Never before had a father been more proud of his son. And his son's friends.
It was 2 Am when Connor, Amaya, Greg and Diego finally returned to the Alvarez home. Maria was still asleep on the couch.
"Man, I'm tired" Greg said. "So, how do we take these costumes off? I don't want to go to bed dressed as a lizard".
He grabbed the sides of the mask and tried to pull it off his head. Immediately, there was a green flash, and one second later Greg was dressed in just his pyjama's again. Connor and Amaya likewise tried to remove their masks, and just like Greg they transformed back.
Greg tried to lift up the couch, and found he couldn't do it.
"Bummer, looks like I'm not strong anymore".
Connor tried to run, but found he likewise no longer had his superspeed. Amaya didn't even try to fly.
"Sorry kids. Your powers only work when the Night Totems are active." Diego said.
"Speaking of those, where are they? And why am I suddenly wearing this bracelet?" Connor asked. Amaya and Greg likewise noticed the bracelets that had appeared around their wrists. Each decorated with the same symbol as on their pyjama's.
Diego laughed. "They are in there" he pointed at Connor's pyjama "and in there" he pointed at the bracelet. Their power now resides in your pyjama's and these bracelets, and with them both you can transform into superhero alter-ego's, just like all the heroes who had them before you did. But only at night of course, since they don't work during the day".
"So, we're stuck with them Mr. Alvarez?" Amaya asked.
"No, if you are willing to give up your powers the totems will reform into the stones they originally were and you can give them to somebody else. Or hide them somewhere, like the last team did. But you don't have to do that. Keep them".
Connor's mouth fell open. "Really, you mean it dad?
"Yes. I know I said we had to talk it over, but after how you defeated Montague and his Juggernaut, I can say they are in the right hands. And besides, other than me, Montague, Romeo and Henry, nobody knows I found the Night Totems so nobody will come and question me were they are".
"Speaking of Romeo and Henry, what about them?" Amaya asked.
"I'm sure the police will handle that now that they got Montague in custody. Especially when I go to them tomorrow to testify against Montague. So why don't you kids go to bed? I know the Night Totems reduce the amount of sleep their wielders need, but you're still young".
None of the kids protested. 5 minutes later, they were back in their sleeping bags in Connor's room. Tired from their first night as heroes and their victory against Montague, all of them slept well into the day.
"And so, reclusive millionaire Douglas Montague has been arrested on charges of domestic terrorism, property damage, owning a weapon of mass destruction, theft of the Fulgur Gemma and most likely many other valuable artifacts, and a long list of smaller crimes. When searching his mansion, the police found evidence of this madman's plan for world conquest, remains of a secret laboratory and a list of 2 dozen artifacts that have been reported stolen all around the world over the past 4 years, although the artifacts themselves were not found in the mansion."
Watching the afternoon news Diego and Maria both saw footage of Montague being escorted into prison. Behind them Greg, Amaya and Connor pretended to be playing, but secretly they too watched the news.
"He'll be lucky if he gets only a life sentence" Diego remarked.
"You still didn't tell me how you escaped honey" Maria said. Diego just smiled. "Wait and see".
The anchorwoman continued: "In a statement earlier today the police made it clear they had no hand in taking down Montague and his giant robot. We also spoke several witnesses who claim they saw 3 rather unusual vehicles fight off Montague's robot. Simultaneously, there is this mysterious totem pole that has suddenly appeared in the park".
Now footage was shown of the totem pole, with 2 police officers examining the strange structure, trying to determine what it could be.
"Finally, we spoke with local archeologist and historian Diego Alvarez, who used to work for Montague and claims to have been abducted by his former boss last night, but thankfully was saved by 3 superhero's who, according to him, were the ones that took Montague down."
It was a good thing his parent's backs were turned to them, since Connor blushed upon hearing this. Greg and Amaya's cheeks likewise turned red.
Maria of course wanted to know everything about these heroes, but Diego only told her he didn't know who they were or were they came from. When she asked him about the stone box he brought home the day before, Diego claimed he gave it to the police as evidence.
"Your hiding something for me honey" Maria said, but decided not to press the matter any further. After what happened last night, she was happy that her family was still safe and sound. After she left the room, Connor, Greg and Amaya joined Diego on the couch.
"So, how did things go at the police station Mr. Alvarez" Greg asked.
Diego silenced the tv. "Well Greg, with what I told them on top of the evidence they already found, I wouldn't worry about Montague anymore for a long, long time. And don't worry about him knowing your true identities. A man like Montague is way too proud to admit he got beaten by 3 kids, even if they were superpowered kids. He'll keep this information to himself. The police also found Henry. He has some broken bones, but is otherwise fine, and from what I understood he too is going to testify against Montague in return for a lighter sentence".
"And Montague's kid, Romeo?" Amaya asked.
Diego frowned. "Unfortunately, he's too young even for juvenile hall, and I don't think any jury would believe a 6-year-old boy could build such dangerous weapons as the Juggernaut. He will probably be send to live with other relatives or in a foster home".
He turned the volume of the tv on again, just in time to hear the anchorwowan conclude her story about last night's events. "Of course, the one question that remains. If these heroes are real, who are they?"
"Yes, who are they?" Amaya mimicked. Connor and Greg laughed. "Good one Amaya".
"No Connor, I'm serious. We still haven't thought of a name for ourselves" Amaya said.
"How about the Lizardvengers" Greg suggested.
"Greg, only your powers are based on a lizard" Connor remarked. "That also rules out my suggestion of Night Cats".
"Let's see, our powers only work at night, our costumes are based on our pyjama's, we wear masks…" Amaya began, then paused. She looked at Connor and Greg, and realized they were following the same train of thoughts.
All nodded. "We are… THE PJ MASKS!".
Far away from the Alvarez' home, Romeo was in his new room. The guest bedroom of a distant aunt he had been send to live with.
The boy was angry. No, that was too light a word. He was furious. His dad was in jail. Their house has been confiscated by the authorities. He lost his lab, and his dad's fortune so he would be severely hindered in comming up with new schemes. The only thing Romeo had been able to save before the police arrived was his mobile laboratory, which he had stored in the garage of the mansion.
"I'll get them. That kitty litter, that lizard boy, and that bird brain. All of them" he thought as he examined the blueprints he had been working on for the past 3 hours. They were for a robot, with a large oval shaped body, arms and legs that could stretch to many times their usual length, and a purple eye on top of its head. When completed it would be Romeo's new helper. A far more useful one than those droids he build for his dad.
"I will avenge you dad. And conquer the world. For the both of us".
Night in the city, and a brave band of heroes is ready to face fiendish villains to stop them messing with your day.
In their respective bedrooms, Connor, Greg and Amaya eagerly waited for the sun to set. When it finally did, all of them used the bracelets to transform for their second night as the city's new heroes.
Amaya and Greg had decided not to tell their parents about their new powers, at least for the moment. And Connor's mother was likewise still in the dark, so only his father was there when Connor once more transformed into Catboy.
"I'm not sure if I will ever get used to seeing that" Diego said. "So, what villain are you after this time son?"
"No villain dad. But we still have to find those artifacts Montague stole and that Owlette and Gekko accidently scattered. We can't let them fall into the wrong hands".
Diego couldn't agree more.
The rest of the night, the 3 heroes went on a scavenger hunt through the city. With the computer, which they dubbed the PJ Picture Player, they managed to locate and recover pretty much all the artifacts. When morning came, the first 2 police officers who went to work to relieve the night crew found the artifacts neatly stacked up outside the police station, along with a note. By that time, the PJ Masks had already returned home.
But to call the mission a complete success would sadly be an overstatement, since two artifacts remained missing. The Luna Magnet, of which Greg and Amaya had already experienced what it could do, and the Ninja Mask that Diego, when Connor told him about it that morning during breakfast, identified as the Mask of Tengu.
"Just to be curious, what can that mask do dad?" Connor asked as he finished his cereal.
"I'm not sure Connor, but I believe it grants the wearer instant martial arts skills comparable to those of a well-trained ninja, and the ability to summon an army of smaller ninja's to back him up" Diego said.
Connor sighed. That was definitely not something you would like a villain to have. Just like that Luna-Magnet with all its powers. Still, they got most of Montague's loot, and sure those other two relics would turn up somewhere, someday.
Just like some new villains would likely come to town now that there were superheroes. That's how it always seems to go right? But Conner knew that when they did, he and his friends would be ready to face them.
They would save the day…. during the night.
The end? No, this is just the beginning.
A/N: Well, it's done. My first story for this fandom.
Sorry to anyone who doesn't like long oneshots. I was planning on dividing this story in chapters and publish them one by one, but as I soon found out that waiting with publishing anything until the whole story is finished has its advantages. That way you can easily go back and make some revisions if you come up with a new idea, which happened a lot while writing this story. My original idea was at several points notably different from the version I assume you just read (or are you one of those people who first scroll to the bottom of the page to see if the author has anything to say? If so, shame on you, this section is at the bottom for a reason). Plus, your readers never have to be afraid that a story is left unfinished.
I'm not sure if I will write more for this fandom, this one was hard enough already.
Reviews are welcome. So is constructive criticism.