I decided to get a jump on this story...but I'll still working on Legion's Shadow while I work on this. This one won't have as much chapters as Civil War or Legion's Shadow, It'll just have longer chapters. Theme song of the story: 'Lies Greed Misery' by Linkin Park.

In the words of the immortal Nigel Uno: 'Kids Next Door Battle Stations'. That phrase, however, has no place in this tale. No, this story does not follow the exploits of the Nigel Uno as he fights adult tyranny in the stars or the morally dodgy Teens Next Door where Abigail Lincoln and Rachel T. McKenzie find themselves working for. This is the story of the new bringer of dreams, the new Sandman, as he is pushed to his limits.

Quahog, Rhode Island: 2 ½ years after Civil War

Daytime. Nolan York sat at his desk, writing down history notes. His eyes slowly moved to the clock, noticing that the little hand was on the three and the big hand was but an inch from twelve. 'Come on summer vacation! Get here sooner!' Nolan inwardly yelled.

"Now remember class, the summer will fly by faster than you can realize, so I urge you to not forget any of the things you have learned in this class this year" the elderly teacher said as he sat in his seat.

The final bell rang, indicating the end of the school year. The students all jumped out of their seats and ran to the door. The teacher chuckled at the sight of a group of students all trying to fit through the door. "Heh…kids today."

Nolan managed to squeeze past the mass of students and ran to his locker. He quickly entered his combination and gathered his things. He flung his backpack over his shoulder and raced to the front of the school.

"There goes ol' Nolan" a teen wearing a football jacket. "He's running off as usual."

"I prefer this Nolan to the other one actually" a cheerleader with long brunette hair said earning the nods of many of her inner circle.

"Yep…better than that…"

Nolan ran out of the front gate of the High School. He stopped instantly in front of a wall with a girl leaning on it.

"You almost forgot, didn't you?" the girl asked.

Nolan turned to her and smiled. "No, not really."

"Seemed that way to me" she smirked.

"Like I'm going to forget you Kayla? The only way that would happen is if someone wiped my mind." Nolan said intentionally, earning a shaky laugh from said girl.

"Oh…yeah, as if mind wiping was real" Kayla laughed uneasily as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Well, sci-fi aside, shouldn't we be heading off now?"

"Oh, yeah and here I thought you'd forgotten." Kayla smirked once more before they left the grounds of James Woods High School.

The pair was silent for some time. "So…what's this about you getting a part time job working with Benedict Uno?" Nolan asked looking to his female companion.

"Oh, it's nothing really" Kayla said looking to her side. "He needs teenagers to help out his image in the public as he gets ready for the upcoming election."

Nolan inwardly cringed at the thought of Kayla working for the villain many of the KND had feared during his time. "Well…I think it's a good opportunity for you…it'll definitely look good on a college application." Nolan said smiling.

"Well now, I didn't know you were already looking into college, we've just barely gone from freshmen to sophomores." Kayla asked intrigued.

"Well...I can't say I'm not looking into it…but I am." Nolan looked down at the ground; taking notice of every crack and pebble they passed by. "So…this book signing thing worth it?"

"Hey, it's the only day he's here in Quahog and I'm getting him to sign my book" Kayla said handing Nolan a book from her bag.

Nolan read the title of the book, causing his eyes to shoot wide open in surprise. "The rode to stardom: The Ace story?" Nolan looked at the book questionably. "How does this make any sense?"

"What?" Kayla asked, finding Nolan's outburst questionable.

"No it's just…you like this guy's music? Wow…you know just how to make me feel inferior when you want" Nolan said handing back the book.

"Yes Nolan, it is all a part of my master plan to drive you nuts" Kayla said jokingly.

"Well there's the book store" Nolan pointed to the two story building with a line leading all the way to the front of a coffee shop three yards away from the book store. "I dislike lines."

"It's a long line, but fortunately we know the manager." Kayla smirked, nodding to the twenty-year old overseeing the book signing. "Come on." Kayla pulled Nolan's arm and ran past the line and into the book store. They made it to the book store manager and stopped before him.

"Hey Mario" Nolan waved to the manager.

"Hey Nolan" the manager said, not taking his attention away from the line. "I take it you two are here to get me to have Ace sign your book?"

"I'm here because I promised Kayla I'd go with her to this" Nolan then pointed his thumb at his companion "She's actually here for that." Nolan smirked as Kayla nudged him.

"Well, you're in luck that I can do that." Mario said as he leaned against a book shelf. "Just come back in an hour or two, then I could even let you get some one on one time with him."

"Wow Mario, I'm not sure if you're helping me out or just Kayla." Nolan said blandly.

"You've got an hour, do please spend it at tis store and purchase as many books to your heart's content." Mario motioned for them to go into the store.

They nodded and walked deeper into the store. "So…we've got time to kill." Nolan said turning to Kayla.

"Yeah, I'd ask you if you knew any good jokes, but you don't" Kayla laughed.

Outside, the sound of screams and wails of terror boomed earning Nolan's attention. "Kayla…stay here I'm going to check it out."

"Okay" Kayla said, watching Nolan walk to the main entrance of the Book Store. "Be careful."

Nolan and many other Book Store patrons peered through windows to see what exactly was going on outside. Nolan averted his eyes to the left, catching a glimpse of purple. Then to his surprise, an adult with red hair wearing a purple outfit slammed into the window, causing Nolan to jump backwards. Nolan quickly recognized the man, "Teen Tornado" he mumbled angrily.

"Hey!" the man yelled, noticing Nolan. "You're that brat from down the street!"

"I have no goddam clue what you are referring to" Nolan said, remembering to keep up with appearances.

"Oh! Right that whole decommissioning thing, my bad!" Teen Tornado apologized before spinning around and punching through the glass and wall. "I'm not sorry for that though!"

"You're insane" Nolan muttered as many book signing attendees and regular book store customers ran towards the exit. Nolan quickly walked away into the crowd and flung his backpack to the side, he opened it up and took out his gas mask, fedora and trench coat. He put on his trench coat, making sure to bring the zipper all the way up to cover his shirt. The gas mask followed next and the n the fedora.

As the crowd diminished, soon only Nolan and Teen Tornado were left in the front of the Book Store. Nolan, in his Sandman outfit, noticed that Teen Tornado was currently walking towards Ace at his desk.

"Listen up you! I don't like your music!" Teen Tornado yelled in his face.

"Then why do you listen?" Ace asked unmoved by Teen Tornado's outburst.

"I don't! But every day at the asylum! They would play your stinking music every second of every day!" Teen Tornado punched the desk, breaking it in two.

"Hey!" Teen Tornado turned to see Sandman.

"Ain't it a little early for Halloween?" Teen Tornado laughed maniacally.

"I am the harbinger of dreams, the link between the dream realm and the physical plain, envoy of the god of dreams Morpheus. I am Sandman, and I will show you a new meaning in dreaming." Sandman rose his gas gun and took aim. "I suggest you move out of the way Ace."

"Sure thing Holmes" Ace said as he calmly got up from his chair and walked away.

"So what? You're just some geek who's read one too many Spiderman comics! I'm the real effing deal, super powers the whole package. Heck, I've killed a guy! You think I'm frightened by you? Please!" Teen Tornado yelled menacingly before cracking up laughing.

Sandman glared behind his gas mask, all to knowing who Teen Tornado had killed. "Tell me…do you like dreams?" Sandman asked in a creepy tone.

"Uh…no…" Teen Tornado took a step back.

"Then how about nightmares!" Sandman shouted, pulling out a grappling hook gun and pulling the trigger. The hook and cord erupted from the barrel of the gun and shot forward at Teen Tornado. Teen Tornado countered by spinning rapidly, causing the hook to become lodged in the ceiling of the first floor.

"Ha! You don't have anything on me!" Teen Tornado laughed. His eyes the shot wide open as he noticed Sandman shooting forward from retracting the hook and cord.

Sandman stuck his legs up and kicked Teen Tornado off his feet. The crazed adult crashed through a book shelf and into a wall. The hook sprang out of the wall and finished retracting back into the gun. Sandman holstered his grappling hook gun and walked up to the injured Teen Tornado.

Sandman grabbed Teen Tornado by his collar and pulled him off the ground. "One more thing double T, you aren't a teen anymore, I suggest a new name…possibly one that reflects how much a deranged sociopath you actually are." Sandman said angrily. Sandman dropped Teen Tornado onto the ground and began to punch him repeatedly.

All his built up rage from years past, all vented on beating the man responsible for the death of one of his oldest friends from his former life half to death. Sandman stood up, still holding Teen Tornado by the collar. He dragged the unconscious villain and threw him outside of the Book Store.

Sandman walked back into the Book Store as the sound police sirens echoed off in the distance. Sandman quickly changed, throwing his outfit back into his back pack, returning to being Nolan York, former KND operative who by official records was decommissioned.

Nolan walked back into the book store in search for Kayla, remembering he'd told her to wait for him in the store. "Kayla?" he called out to her. Nolan turned a corner and to his surprise, he saw Kayla talking with Ace.

"So, you're a fan" Ace asked slyly.

"Well, yes I'm a fan of yours" Kayla said looking away and rubbing the back of her neck nervously. "Hey…could I get your autograph?" Kayla handed Ace her copy of his book. Ace quickly signed the cover of the book and handed it back to Kayla.

"So…by any chance could I know your name?" Ace smirked.

"…Kayla, Kayla Valera." Kayla barely managed to say.

"Well Ms. Valera, how would you like a backstage pass to my next show?" Ace said pulling out a plastic yellow badge from his back pocket.

Nolan watched this play out, suddenly feeling his anger rise. 'No seriously…when the hell did Ace become a teen pop star?'

Benedict Uno's Mansion

"Do you know why I've called you in Mr. Johnson?" Benedict Uno asked a teen in a tuxedo.

The teen smiled. "I believe it has something to do with my expert marksman skills."

"That and you're a hired gun who won't be a liability to me." Benedict handed the teen a manila folder. "Those are your targets, all ex KND operatives who are all suspected of being active TND operatives.

The teen opened the file and smirked, recognizing the six names on the list, he closed the file. "Same price for each one?"

"Yes, Mr. Popular, two grand a hit."

"Good" the teen turned around a began to walk away.