Quill in Hand: Yeah, everyone's about to meet up to fight off the Zygrans. Their plan isn't going to be seen for while, but "cooked" may be an apt word. As for character death, no one's health is going to be perfect... but I don't see any death at the moment.

Okay, we're rounding up the crossover intros with this one, ladies and gents. Our last additions are Juniper, Jody, Ophelia, and Marcus from The Life and Times of Juniper Lee. Now, let's be done with it.

"I HAVE two friends —two glorious friends —two better could not be, And every night when midnight tolls they meet to laugh with me."
Charles Godfrey Leland, "The Two Friends"

Shuster's, Orchard Bay City, California, Earth

Juniper Lee smiled to herself as she paged through the latest CD releases at Shuster's in downtown Orchard Bay. Sure, the mall had a wider selection, but these were sold at a comparative discount compared to it. She gave a quick glance to her bracelet; nice and quiet. The young Te Xuan Zhe was more than happy to take a day off from beating back magical invaders of the world of humans. No interruptions, no lies, no running off... no Ray Ray. Just her and the girls.

"Like, this is so cool," June's friend Ophelia said as she picked up a CD. "Coldplay: The Greatest Hits."

"You should totally get that!" squealed their friend Jody. "That's right up your alley! You must be happy you found that!"

"...I don't do happy," Ophelia replied. Jody rolled her eyes. June smiled at the usual imminent argument; Jody accusing Ophelia of being too dark, Ophelia complaining Jody was too bright. She was about to sit down when a slight, distant vibration shook the store. She checked her bracelet once more: Nothing. "Fine with me," she muttered.

"What!" Jody cried. "You think I should wear Goth for a day!"

"Um... sure?" June blushed. The vibrations continued, somewhat more pronounced now. No one else seemed to be noticing it; it was probably just the bass of the speaker systems. She was probably just over-reacting. "I'm not complaining about that," the girl said to herself.

"I am so not wearing pink, June," Ophelia rasped.

"Um, don't knock it 'til you try it?" she replied with a hopeful shrug. Her friends eyed her warily.

"Juniper Lee, sometimes I swear..." Jody scolded, shaking her head. This time, the store shook enough to rattle CD racks and make the music skip slightly. Looking over her shoulder, she noticed people on the street acting oddly. Some were pointing downhill or taking pictures. Others were agape. Still others seemed to be panicked. When she saw one man run by with singed clothes, she knew something was up. She got up, hoping she could sneak a--

"Where are you going?" two voice said in unison.

"Uh, for fresh air?" June gulped. "Kinda drafty in here."

"Oh, no you don't. Not this time," Jody scolded. "You're always running away from us for no reason."

"I am?" the girl asked.

"Jody's party, choir practice, the movies, after school stuff," Ophelia said as she ticked events off on her fingers. "Need any more?"

"I'm just... busy. Really, I gotta go..." June insisted as she ran for the door. Reaching the street, she saw palls of smoke hanging over the hill below. She was about to sprint downhill when the two girls barred her path.

"Going somewhere?" Ophelia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Um, yeah, I was just..." June trailed off as she watched a massive metal object rise into object rise into the air above her friends' shoulders. Make that two. Or three. Her friends had no idea what was behind them.

"Juniper Lee, I swear you are getting odder by the minute!" Jody snapped. June hemmed and hawed for the right words to say. Four blocks away, a building and several cars burst into flame, flung aside like toys.

"I am not letting you go until you tell me what's going on!" Jody continued. June, however, was much more concerned about the massive machines looming overhead. Her eyes widened as what seemed to be lasers from a Hollywood B-movie tore apart another block, not far from the one they were standing on. "Are you even listening to us!" Jody continued. "What are you looking at?"

"Birds," June muttered, a bit shaken. The two rolled their eyes.

"Since when have you been bird watching?" Ophelia asked. Annoyed, the girls turned to see what the matter was. Their jaws and eyes hung open. The machines were finally looking down upon them, weapons at the ready. Ah Mah would probably have her head for this, but...

"Hang on!" June cried as she grabbed Jody and Ophelia. Putting a shell shocked girl under each arm, she jumped onto a nearby building and began leaping whole blocks. Behind her, the quad-pods opened fire, annihilating everything behind them. A wall of fiery debris washed towards them, and June struggled to take them away from the roaring sea of destroyed cars, buildings, and bodies.

"Step on it, June!" Jody shrieked.

"I know, I know!" June replied, testy. She made a final, impossible leap, cleared the top of the hill, and slowed to a stop on the other side. She set the two down, and panted, catching her breath.

"...okay. How did you do that..." Ophelia asked her numbly.

"Do what?"

"The Superman jumping thing," the Goth replied

"Um, don't you think the fact something nearly fried us is more important than me jumping far? I mean, it's..." June trailed off as a small green creature raced up to her, panicked.

"June, June! What's going on?" he cried.

"I dunno, Larry. Just stay calm, okay?"

"Who the heck is 'Larry!'" Jody asked. Larry, realizing he had exposed June, blushed and ran off.

"Look guys, we should like, go home and see if our families are o--"

"Not until you tell us what's going on," Jody replied. Behind them, fire and police trucks raced up the hill towards the blazing swath, followed by army Humvees. "I mean, you clearing city blocks and talking away to yourself..."

"Guys, please!" June pleaded.

"Tell us," Ophelia repeated. The two crossed their arms.

"Think, June, think..." the young girl thought. Taking a deep breath, she spoke: "Okay, the reason I'm running around is there's this really, really cool gymnastics program in town, and the instructor's really picky about her classes, and I'm usually late, so I have to run off. As for when I'm jabbering away, that's how I think. You know, just, airin' out the old mouth muscles!" She ended with a grin and a bead of sweat "Please believe me, oh please believe me..." June thought to herself.

"We don't believe you," Jody and Ophelia said in tandem. June winced.

"Why not?" she asked, desperately.

"Because one time, when we were leaving the movies, we saw you bucking around in the middle of the air, like you were riding something..." Ophelia replied.

"Honestly, June, it's like you're fighting ghosts or monsters!" Jody added, exasperated. June turned a deep red.

"You're kinda right..." she muttered, scuffing a foot.

"What, about the riding or fighting?" Ophelia asked.

"Both." June heaved a huge sigh. "Okay, fine. I've been wanting to tell you this for a long, long time. The reason I keep running of is I'm the Te Xuan Zhe."

"The what?" her friends asked.

"Basically, I'm trying to keep monsters and magic away from humans. Sometimes I'm good, sometimes I stink. I mean, there was this one time where you possessed by Viking ghosts, and another where you were enslaved by the Sandman to build him this big building to conquer the world..."

Jody and Ophelia looked at each other.

"...and, well, I took over for Ah Mah, because she was too old, and that's why she's all weird sometimes and stuff. There. I said it. Happy? Sad? Doubtful of my sanity?" I hope they think I'm weird and drop it, June thought to herself.

"For some reason, it makes more sense to me than gymnastics," Ophelia drawled. Jody nodded. June muttered a curse in her head.

"Okay, now that that's squared away, I need to get to Ah Mah's to see what the heck is going on. I should take you with me... do you wanna walk, or jump around again? Up to you," June asked.

"I wouldn't mind walking," Jody admitted. Just as she said that, the flaming hulks of a Humvee and a fire truck rolled down the hill, crashing into a building and setting it ablaze.

"On second thought... Jumping's fun," she replied, wide eyed. June nodded, scooped the two up, and headed for Ah Mah's.

Ah Mah's House, Orchard Bay City, California, Earth

"... received reports that French forces have managed to down at least one of the alien invaders just north of Paris, and that land mines in Niger has taken down several. As of yet, we have no news from Southeast Asia or Indonesia at this time."

Ah Mah, ex Te Xuan Zhe,sighed as she watched the news. It didn't take a mystical warrior to realize the human race was rapidly losing their battle for Earth. Considering conditions in some areas of Africa and South America, it probably wasn't so much a battle as it was target practice now. A matter of time, some were saying. Ten thousands years of human progress, up in wisps of alien fire. Although they weren't magical in nature, the old woman believed her granddaughter could help beat them back. She had an item in mind to help her... Her musing was interrupted by the door being kicked open. In spilled Juniper, with two people Ah Mah didn't want here.

"June, I do not mean to be rude, but I asked that you not bring your little friends here," Ah Mah said quietly.

"Um, I didn't think you'd mind, considering it's the end of the world and all," June replied with a nervous laugh. Her grandmother shook her head.

"It is far too soon to think about that, June," she said. "After all, I'm sure certain... things will come together to help you..."

"Mrs. Ah Mah, is true June's the 'Tay Shwan See?" Jody chirped. Ah Mah's eyes opened wide and June acted like she'd been shot in the gut.

"Why, heavens no. What gibberish is that? Excuse me, I must speak to Juniper alone now," she replied as she pulled June into another room. Jody and Ophelia shrugged and sat down to CNN's coverage of the invasion.

"How much do they know, Juniper," Ah Mah asked, her voice tinged with concern and a touch of anger.

"They know I can jump around... that's how we're still alive. They also know I keep monsters away, that I can talk to them, and some of the things that happened to them. That's it." Ah Mah sat back and sighed, her eyes closed.

"June, this is very dangerous," she finally said. "As they did not find out because of magical means... there is no way to undo the damage. Your enemies have a new path to strike at you, and they will not hesitate to use it. But, for now, we have bigger matters. Come." Ah Mah led the shaken June back to the room. Her friends seemed to have not heard their discussion; they were too enthralled with newly released footage of panic in Sydney.

"June, I has something you could use," Ah Mah said as she picked up a small wooden box. The girl opened it to find a modest amulet inside.

"What's this?" June asked, confused.

"This... is the Amulet of Arazan. It is a powerful amulet that has been passed down through the Te Xuan Zhe of our family. It shall give you the powers of a dragon... so did another one, but that one makes you all evil and uncontrollable when angry. You don't want that one."

"Yeah, probably not. Thanks Ah Mah. C'mon guys," June called out.

"Oh, that's so pretty June! Where'd you get it?" Jody called out as the three ran out of the house. Behind them, Ah Mah waved with a sad smile; even aliens if weren't destroying the world of humans, her granddaughter's life had become much more complicated...

Streets of Orchard Bay City, Orchard Bay City, California, Earth

The trio of girls did not have to go far to find one of the massive machines ravaging their city.

"Okay, now what," Ophelia drawled.

"Now, I get to work," June replied as she slipped the amulet on. There was a blinding flash, forcing her friends to shield their eyes. When they looked back, June stood before them in a suit of armor with scaly skin, reptile eyes, a long tail and wings, and sporting a sword and shield.

"Okay, wish me luck!" June called out as she bounded towards the attacker. Drawing her sword, she lunged at the machine, only to be blown back by an invisible forcefield. She tumbled down the street, landing hard on her back. Her friends rushed over to help her up.

"You okay?" Jody asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine... I think." June shook her head, and tried dive bombing upon the quad-pod. Again, a painful shock ran through her, and she fell to the ground.

"Yeah, try it a third time, maybe it'll work," Ophelia muttered under her breath. Jody smacked her in the arm.

"What the heck is that!" a voice said behind them. The two turned to see a very shocked Marcus staring up at the battle taking place before them.

"Have you been, like, under a rock for the past hour or so...?" Ophelia asked incredulously.

"No, I mean that dragon thing," the boy replied. He squinted at it. "Is that... June? It looks like her hair..." Before the girls could reply, the figure landed in front of them, with a grunt. She looked up at the new arrival.

"Marcus!" she yelped, almost in fear. "Oh, uh, what are you doing here?"

"I think the bigger question is, what happened to you? You look like some kinda dragon!" he replied.

"Oh, um, this is for work. Yeah, I help out at a theme restaurant, I saw these creeps on my way back, and, you know, just had to fight 'em!" June shot a pleading look to Jody and Ophelia for them not to correct her; they nodded.

"Well, I, guess that makes sense..." Marcus sputtered, scratching his head. "But, I heard we're barely making a dent in these things. Why would you be trying to hit with a prop sword?"

"Er, exercise?" June shrugged. "Seriously, I have no idea what I'm doin' here. Kinda running on desperation right now. They have some sorta shield thing, I can't get through it..."

"Not through... but how about under?" the boy replied.

"Under?" June blinked. "How would that help?"

"Well, the TV said the French and Nigerians brought down a few with land mines a few hours ago... maybe if you got under it..."

"That's a great idea, Marcus!" Jody said with a grin. The boy blushed.

"Well, I didn't think of it..."

"But... how can I get under something like that?" June asked herself with a shrug.

"How about that?" Ophelia replied, pointing to a sewer grate.

"Ew, I don't want to go down there," June replied in disgust.

"Um, I meant waiting on the ladder until they walk under it, hello?" the Goth replied with a raised eyebrow. June gulped.

"Oh, right. Thanks, Ophelia." With that, June dashed down the street and down a manhole. Marcus suddenly boggled, as if he were waking up.

"Why was June flying... and why is she going after those things alone!" The girls stammered.

"Restaurant stuff," Jody replied.

"Equipment test," Ophelia claimed at the same time. They shot the other a quick glance.

"Restaurant stuff," Ophelia said.

"Equipment test," Jody added simultaneously. An even further confused Marcus was about to ask for clarification when a warrior yell sounded. The three whirled around to look.

June propelled herself out of the manhole and stabbed at the machine from its underbelly. She tore through it easily, and proceeded to make pass after pass. Finally, she lopped off one of the legs.

"Wow, June sure is brave..." Marcus breathed as she destroyed another. Already ablaze, the wounded leviathan groaned, and then tumbled down the street; a ball of blazing debris tearing down the hll. Gracefully, June snatched the three and flew them to safety just as the wreckage rolled over their vantage point.

"June... this was incredible!" Marcus cried. The girl blushed.

"Yeah, well, you know... I try," she replied.

"So... what was in there. A prize?" Ophelia drawled. June shook her head.

"No, it was really strange... it looked like me, kinda. These big, scaly things with wings and a tail, and they were all ticked off and trying t--" June was cut off as a tingling sensation spread through her body. Judging by their sudden tensing, Jody, Ophelia, and Marcus were feeling the same thing. Another one of those creeps must have gotten us with a heat ray or something June thought to herself as the world faded away...

Elsewhere...

Blinking, the four realized, to their confused relief, they was not dead. Or alone, for that matter. They were surrounded by a motley crew of other humans. One was a tall, thin redhead in a green sweatshirt. Another, younger redhead wore a green T-shirt and black pants. Two young teenagers with white hair and monochrome jumpsuits floated next to a pink-body suited girl on a silver board with, armed with a large laser. The final one was a glowering, gently hovering gray girl with a long blue cloak. None of them looked aware... or happy... they were here.

"Hey, where are we? And who are all of you?" the taller redhead snapped.

"This isn't my apartment! My dad's a sitting duck!" the pink one cried. The female white-haired teenager was opening her mouth when she caught sight of June. She yelped and hid behind the boy, who grumbled "not the dragon thing again..."

"I don't have time for this! I have to find Tootie!" the shorter redhead cried.

"...uh, 'Tootie?'" the cloaked girl replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I didn't name her," the redhead growled, crossing her arms.

"Look, I understand there's a lot upset feelings going through you right now, but this really isn't the time for it," a female voice suddenly said. The assembled group whirled around, searching for the speaker.

"W-who's there?" Jody gulped.

"Yeah, and what's with the kidnapping? That's so 1980s," Ophelia sneered.

"June, really, what's going on?" Marcus whispered in ear. June shrugged and started to whisper a reply when a form materialized out of the gloom. She was of average height, with a small tiara, a flowing black, white, and blue dress, and a thick coat of gold fur. She had a long, flowing tail, graceful wings, and blond hair. What made everyone look, however, was her three glowing cat-like eyes.

"I'm sorry for the rude and confusing introduction, dudes, but we don't have time to argue," she said as she clasped her hands behind her back. "We have something very pressing to discuss."