"Felix, the fists!" Lyra cried out as she pointed behind his shoulder. "Look out!"

He glanced behind him to find Beast Boss preparing to crush them into paste, his green eyes bulging with an untameable rage. "I AM GORILLA BOSS, HEAR MY POUND!"

Felix didn't know where the sudden strength came from, but in a matter of two seconds he grabbed Lyra and tumbled back with her in his arms as Beast Boss' fists collided with her violin on the ground, her sweaty palms gripping her bow. "NO, I MISSED AGAIN!"

"Nice moves," Lyra hopped out of his arms, "wish I could say the same for my violin."

"…There's just no pleasing you, is there?"

Beast Boss howled and bared his canine fangs. "I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL! I WILL FIND THE QUANTIC WHICH WAS STOLEN FROM ME!"

Quantic? What's a Quantic?

"Yo, beast boy," Victor taunted from behind, "eyes on the prize, big fella."

Beast Boss turned as Victor stepped out from behind the cars, holding a glowing orange orb in his hand above his head. "This what you looking for?"

"THE QUANTIC!" Beast Boss thumped his chest. "I HAVE FOUND THE QUANTIC AT LAST!"

"Felix," Lyra whispered, "what's a Quantic?"

"I don't know. I've never heard of such an element or product…or large marble company."

Benjamin ran out in front of Victor and spread his arms out defensively. "Benjamin, give it up," Victor pleaded, "if we don't give him the stupid bowling ball he'll destroy the city!"

"LISTEN TO YOUR FRIEND, SILENT BOY, OR ALL WILL NOT END WELL FOR YOU!"

Benjamin had other plans. He grabbed the bowling ball and signed in your dreams at Beast Boss, though Felix doubted the big oaf understood.

"YOU DARE TO INSULT ME?!" Beast Boss snorted and kicked up dirt under his foot. "I AM RHINOSOROUS BOSS, HEAR MY RAM!"

"Ben! Victor!" Lyra waved frantically. "Get out of the way!"

"Time to skedaddle!" Victor booked it out of harm's way, but Benjamin stood his ground. Beast Boss charged forward with epic momentum.

"THIS IS THE END FOR YOU, BOY!"

"Benjamin," Felix's voice caught in his throat, "no-!"

Holding the orb against his chest, Benjamin braced for impact. Beast Boss rammed his skull right into the orb, sending Benjamin flying back, where he hit the road stomach up, the orb smashed to pieces all over his shirt.

I-Is he-?!

Before Felix could speak, four bright lights shot out of the orb remains into the clouds, blue, white, brown and gold. Beast Boss growled as he watched the lights vanish. "NOOO! THE QUANTIC HAVE DISAPPEARED!"

Was it…an egg?

The lights shot back down through the clouds, and like streaks began to spin around Beast Boss in a dizzying array of colour. He swatted his arms around but the lights simply veered out of the way. Felix, Victor and Lyra looked away as the light became blindingly intense.

"I CAN'T SEE, I CAN'T SEE!"

Felix listened until he heard the whooshing cease, where he looked back to find Beast Boss stumbling about, eyes closed and hands out. "WHERE IS EVERYTHING?!"

"Dude," Victor yelped, "aliens!"

From the array of lights flew out four tiny creatures, with big head and eyes and tiny arms. They shared high fives before the blue and white striped one with a miniature beret zipped over to Benjamin, who was helped to his feet by Victor.

"Is it time to transform?"

I think I hit my head too hard, Felix thought as he and Lyra ran around Beast Boss, currently stumbling into a hydrant, and over beside Benjamin, where the four small aliens gathered.

"Benjamin, I…what…who…"

"No time to explain," the small golden alien with two musical notes for pigtails exclaimed, "we have to transform and take out Beast Boss before he sees us!"

"Transform? What, you mean…into…into-"

"Into superheroes, of course!" The small brown, birdlike alien pecked the air triumphantly. "How else can you fight him?"

"Excuse me," the fourth alien, dark blue with white lightning mark etched into its skin, "but we're on a time limit here! It's either all four of you, or Benny on his own!"

This is crazy, this is madness, this is…

"…Really the only way to defeat him," Felix spoke the rest of his thought aloud, "we have no choice."

All three stared at Benjamin, who came up with the most sheepish grin.

What has he dragged us into?

"I'M COMING FOR YOU, QUANTIC!"

"Come on, guys," the pigtailed alien cheered, "are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Victor cracked his knuckles, much to Felix's annoyance, "let's do this."

"Fine by me," Lyra flipped her braid over her shoulder, "no one destroys my violin and gets away with it."

All eyes turned to Felix, and the small bird alien gave him big, round eyes. "So…?"

…Time to step up.

"Let's finish this," he held his hand up, where his father's old black eagle ring with the tiny ruby for a beak was worn, "suit me up."

The small aliens clapped. "Then let's go!"

"Us first," the beret alien and Benjamin stepped out front, "the name's Hushh, and it's time to shine! ALL EARS!"

Uh, what sort of catchphrase is that?

Benjamin held his hand out, where Hushh transformed into a blue eye mask, which Benjamin slipped on. Blue light began to surge around his neck, and Felix gawked as his regular clothes were replaced by a tight blue suit with white shoulders and chest, and three blue spots like buttons up along the right of his neck. He gave the others a quick pose before bowing.

"Sick!" Victor clenched his fists as the lightning patterned alien flew up beside him. "I'm ready for some superhero butt-kicking!"

"Great! I'm Whipp, and it's all or nothing! SPEED BOLT!"

Speed bolt? Really?

Whipp began spinning around Victor like a hurricane, starting from the head and slowly easing down. Victor's cap vanished, and as Whipp descended, Felix became flabbergasted at the transformation. His hair was white with lightning bolt bangs, his skin was blue, and even his eyes were a dark sapphire. A slick white electric pattern ran down his arms and legs, as though he were fully charged. "Aw, yeah, this is what I'm talking about!"

"Our turn," the pigtailed alien pointed to Lyra's bow, "how about it?"

"Fine by me!"

"Alright! Mello's the name, and the fight is on! TUNE UP!"

No, please, no.

Mello merged into Lyra's bow, and she held it above her head. It began to glow a bright gold, the light showering over Lyra. Her hair grew out into a longer braid, and a sleek, shiny suit patterned with black lines over her arms and legs resembling stretched out bass clefs replaced her attire. A large, almost full face mask of yellow covered the top tip of her nose. "Wow, this is amazing!"

"Our turn!" The bird chirped at Felix. "I'm Cheep!"

"Cheep? That's rich."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…No dumb catchphrase, okay?"

"It's not dumb! TAKE FLIGHT!"

Uh-huh, totally not dumb.

Felix threw his arm up into the air, where Cheep dove into his ring. From there his clothes were replaced by a white body suit.

I can do better than this, surely.

His shoes became large beige hiking boots, his hands gloved, and his mouth and nose were covered by a black face mask, red goggles popping up over his eyes. A brown trench coat with a hoodie featuring a black beak, bird eyes and a long white stripe running down the back flipped up over his head, held on by a thin black bag with two chest belts. As a small pack appeared on his left leg and tiny black spots materialized on the fabric of his sleeves, Felix looked around through the redness of the goggles, amazed and perplexed.

…So…this is how I die.