7:00 PM – W.O.O.H.P. Containment Facility
"LIGHTS OUT!" shouted one of the WOOHP prison guards.
Jerry was right behind him making sure everyone was tucked away safely themselves.
"Everyone's in order, sir," the guard stated to Jerry.
"It seems our improvements to make this place harder to escape are working," Jerry remarked with a grin.
The two made it to Tim Scam's cell.
"Lights out, Scam!" that same prison guard announced.
Unknown to the guard, Scam had a thoughtful expression on his face as he thought about his eventual revenge of the spies.
Though he had very interesting plans for one of them in particular, as his thoughts drifted to a certain green-suited redhead...
At the end of the walkthrough, Jerry ran into super spy Dean.
"Good to see you again, Dean," Jerry proclaimed. "It has been quite a while."
"Well, I go where I'm needed," Dean answered. "I'm actually excited to see those girls again after so long."
"Oh, and, Dean," Jerry concluded. "There is something you should know about Sam and Alex... and the spy team for that matter."
"What's that?" Dean asked.
"Well, Sam and Alex, specifically, have boyfriends now," Jerry explained. "So please keep the charm to a minimum, if you can. There was some recent drama, and I'd rather no new drama pop up."
"Don't worry about a thing, Jerry," Dean laughed. "I know when to keep a lid on it."
"Let's hope," Jerry teased, the two having a good laugh at that.
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(The pages constantly turn, no matter how long the reader takes. When one story ends, another story will inevitably start. In the end, there is only a new beginning.)
Mat49324 and The Blue Time Ranger are proud to present:
Totally Spies!: Promises Kept
Story Rated: T for Teen
Story Created: March 20th, 2020
Story Summary: The tenth joint project between Mat49324 and The Blue Time Ranger, collectively known as Totally Spies: The New Adventures. Once again, an old foe of the spies is back for another shot at taking them down, but this time around, Tim Scam also has another plan. Specifically, making the leader of the spies his "queen". And he'll stop at nothing to do so, even if it means injuring Mat in the process. Can the spies band together to defeat Scam yet again, and can they manage to keep Sam and Mat together when Dean, of all people, reenters the fray?
Author's Note from Mat49324: Okay, our landmark 10th project is commencing now. This is to all the Sam/Tim Scam fics that popped up years later. Nick and I are not fans of it honestly, but if you are a Sam/Scam fan, Scam IS being portrayed as a VILLAIN here. Me personally, I am a fan of the Sam/David pairings because it's more authentic IMO. Unless you DO NOT MIND that Tim Scam is portrayed as a villain, PLEASE DO NOT get on our cases about the matter. Thank you.
Author's Note from The Blue Time Ranger: Ooh, boy, I've been waiting for this one. Episode ten of Totally Spies: The New Adventures has arrived, and... well, mini-rant time, but why in the absolute (expletive deleted) do you people like shipping Sam with TIM FREAKIN' SCAM, and why is it so popular on FF?! In case you missed it, SCAM IS A PSYCHOPATH WHO LITERALLY TRIED TO KILL EVERYONE ON EARTH BY EVAPORATING THE OCEAN AND... okay, okay, enough of the ranting, I don't want this author's note to drag on.
And Now, the Obligatory Disclaimer: Mat49324 and The Blue Time Ranger do not own anything related to Totally Spies or any of its affiliations. It belongs solely to Marathon Media Group, Image Entertainment Corporation, Vincent Chalvon-Demersay, and David Michel. The only things of this story we DO own are any characters created by us truly for the story (in this case, Nick, Haruka, Bridget, May, Nozomi, Dawn, and Melissa on my side, and Mathew on his side). Any characters or things we don't own, we are just borrowing with no intent of copyright infringement, only for the entertainment of our readers. Besides, if we did own Totally Spies, which we don't, why would we be writing fiction on a fan site?
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Episode 1: An Unexpected Mess
8:29 PM – The Spies' Beach House
On a Saturday evening, ten of the twelve spies were relaxing at home. Clover was flipping through channels looking for something to watch on TV. Nick and Alex were having a kissy-kissy moment on the couch after all ten spies had finished dinner by themselves.
"You're extra cuddly today, Alex," Nick quipped. "Any particular reason?"
"Maybe I just felt like being cuddly today," Alex giggled.
"Well, you definitely won't hear me complain when my girlfriend wants to get cuddly," Nick laughed. "I love you, Alex."
"I love you, too, Nick," Alex replied as the couple leaned in for a kiss.
Meanwhile, Melissa, Haruka, and Dawn were enjoying some well-deserved time in the jacuzzi – to them, anyway.
"We definitely needed some relaxing time after all of these missions lately," Haruka sighed.
"I hear you there, girl," Dawn laughed.
"Excuse me," went another voice. The three turned behind to see Britney sporting a blue bikini. "Room for one more?"
"Sure," Dawn stated and Britney sunk herself in.
Bridget then came outside, but she didn't have a swimsuit on – a simple green blouse and shorts.
"Did you girls see where Mat and Sam are?" Bridget asked.
"Those two?" asked Haruka. "Those lovebirds tried going out to dinner again."
"They left about an hour and a half ago," Dawn added.
Bridget nodded and went back inside to join Clover in watching some TV. Nozomi and May were doing the same thing with Clover once Nick and Alex were done kissing.
"Sammy's really lucky to have someone like Mat," Clover remarked.
"I know," May stated. "I wonder where they went for dinner..."
8:44 PM – Downtown Beverly Hills, Italian Restaurant
Meanwhile, Sam and Mat were just finishing up dinner. Mat was waiting for his card to be returned. Sam was in her nice pink dress (Author's Note: same as season 2's "Matchmaker") while Mat was in slacks and one of his blue and white motocross shirts. This one had read "Reed 22" on the back to signify Mat's favorite rider, Chad Reed.
"You know, it's too bad your Motocross series isn't giving you much to cheer for," Sam stated to Mat.
"I know," Mat replied. "I just don't know how to explain it since Chad Reed had the first moto at the Hangtown opener robbed from him when James Stewart erased a 30-second lead and passed him on the last lap; the last race at Washougal, WA didn't help either with Chad Reed going down in moto 1."
"I thought you said you cheered for that Carmichael guy," Sam remarked, slightly confused.
"I do," said Mat. "I'm happy Ricky's still winning despite this IS his final full season, but I'm not happy James Stewart stopped his 6-race win streak because Carmichael crashed on the final lap of the second moto at Washougal."
"Yeah, I can't believe he escaped that with no serious injury," Sam commented.
"Totally," Mat quipped. "Ricky's still good in the points, so it looks like his 10th straight title in Motocross, barring no disaster of course."
"I think I understand what you meant when you said how hard it is to beat him," Sam replied as the waitress returned with Mat's card.
"Yeah," Mat said. "Thanks." He told the waitress before looking back at Sam. "It's okay, though, four more races and the torture will be over."
"Torture?" Sam asked. "That's an odd way to put it, but I do understand why you say that."
The two got up and left for the car, but the couple didn't feel like heading home yet, so the two headed to the park (Sam driving) for a walk.
After they hopped out, Mat and Sam walked hand-in-hand and enjoyed the nice warm night. Once they reached an area with water shooting up out of holes, Mat couldn't help but check it out for a bit.
"Let me guess," Sam stated to Mat. "You wanna go run there again like last time?"
"I wasn't thinking of it," Mat answered. "But if you're willing, I won't say no."
Sam gave him a kiss on the cheek and moved her head onto his shoulder. "We can do it again..." she answered and reached for her X-Powder.
Mat got his Nintendo DS out as well. Both he and Sam (like last time) switched outfits to not get their nice clothes all wet. Unlike their last walk when Sam went with her usual green swimsuit, she chose her pink bikini and towel (Author's Note: from season 1's "Eraser"). Mat and Sam grabbed each other's hands tightly.
"Ready?" Mat asked.
"Totally," Sam quipped.
With that, the two sauntered over to the shooting water. They had fun dancing around and getting wet here and there.
"Mat, are you really serious when you say Hawaii doesn't have stuff like this?" Sam asked.
"100% serious," Mat answered. "Last time was totally romantic, and looking at you all wet confirmed how you always look so perfect in my eyes."
"Oh, you sweetie," Sam giggled at Mat's compliment.
"Wow, that was a nice way to make me forget about Washougal," Mat stated when he and Sam were done.
"That's wonderful," Sam stated. "Ready to head home?"
Mat nodded and the two shared a nice hug and kiss.
When the two got home, Alex could see Sam pull into the driveway. "Welcome back," she greeted when Mat and Sam came to the front door.
"How was your dinner?" Clover asked when she saw Mat and Sam come back and saw the couple blushing and holding hands.
(Written by The Blue Time Ranger)
"Oh, it was wonderful," Sam answered.
"Sounds like you guys had a really good time," Nozomi quipped.
"We sure did," Mat replied. "Anything interesting happening here?"
A loud squeal cut everyone off just in time for May to rush downstairs, looking extremely excited about something in particular.
"Um, May?" Nick wondered.
May only let out another squeal before grabbing Nick by the hands and dragging him back upstairs at lightning speeds.
"Ooooookay, what was that about?" Dawn asked. "You'd think May learned how to use Sonic Mode with how fast she was moving."
Alex perked up when she remembered something May had said earlier in the day that also tied in to one of their recent capers. "Oh, I think I know what she's so excited about," Alex giggled.
"Okay, May, calm down," Nick stated once they were in May's room and she'd decided to let go of him. "What turned you into such a bundle of manic energy?"
Nick only had to glance at the laptop computer on May's desk to understand. The current page was showing the official website of Idol Opportunity, a popular J-pop band that the spies had helped a while back when their members had started disappearing. May was a self-admitted "gigantic fan" of Idol Opportunity and had chomped at the bit at the chance to meet her favorite band.
"The tickets for Idol Opportunity's show in Beverly Hills just went live!" May exclaimed. "I didn't think it'd be so soon!"
"Well, you know big bands and their rabid fans," Nick quipped. "Gotta start selling the tickets way in advance so people can get them early, but you gotta be fast before the rabid ones snatch 'em all up."
"Ooh, and that's the worst part!" May proclaimed. "Knowing you have to grab your tickets for these big events the absolute instant they go live, or they'll all be gone within minutes! I mean minutes, Nick! I don't know if you've heard the horror stories about the Penny Arcade Expo, but..."
"Done."
"...wha?"
May looked at her laptop screen, only to see a confirmation order displayed there.
"Got us tickets," Nick stated. "I know you're excited to see them, since they're your favorite band, so I figured why the heck not?"
May just stood there in disbelief for a few seconds before it finally clicked together, and she threw herself at Nick fast enough to knock them both off of the chair.
"Seriously, Nick, you are AMAZING!" May squealed.
"Hey, anything to make you happy, you know," Nick replied.
Unable to help herself now, May leaned over and kissed Nick full on the lips.
"Honestly, Nick, you're awesome," May giggled. "Thank you so much for doing this for me. ...I love you, ya know."
Nick couldn't help but chuckle at May's forwardness. "I love you, too, May."
It had certainly been an interesting time two days ago, when Nick, Alex, and May had revealed the results of their talk, and that Nick essentially had two girlfriends now. Despite May's worries, everyone was perfectly okay with it, once again asserting the same thing that Alex had, that May was a good person and would never do anything underhanded.
The most interesting reaction had come from Clover, who had fittingly referenced her "speed dating" craze and indeed noted those trashy novels Mandy liked to read.
"Doesn't that kinda thing usually happen in those..."
"Okay, Clover, I'm putting a moratorium on that right now."
"Hehe, sorry..."
"You went for Italian?!" Nozomi gasped. "Man, you two are lucky!"
"And you say that every time, Nozomi," Mat quipped.
"I'm dead serious, though!" Nozomi replied. "Seriously, you two have it bad for each other."
"Nothing but the truth," Sam giggled.
Just then, Nick and May walked back down into the living room to see what all the commotion was about.
"Okay, May, don't keep us in suspense," Melissa stated. "What got you so worked up earlier?"
May took a deep breath, and then...
"NICK AND I ARE GOING TO THE IDOL OPPORTUNITY CONCERT IN SEPTEMBER!" May shouted in sheer happiness.
"Yep, the tickets just went live, so I decided to snatch a couple up so May could go see her favorite band," Nick explained. "After all, this isn't something you get to do every day, and I'm pretty sure Marnie and the others are at least expecting her to come to the show."
"Wow, you got extremely lucky, girl!" Clover replied. "I remember I tried that once, but I just barely missed my chance to get tickets..."
"Even if we saved that particular band from a baddie and you got to go to the concert anyway," Sam teased, knowing what mission Clover was referring to.
"It's like I said to May, when it comes to the big names, you gotta act fast when the tickets show up," Nick responded.
"So, I guess we could consider this our official first date," May proclaimed. "I-I-I-I mean, if th-that's okay with all of you..."
"May, we talked about it, remember?" Alex giggled. "Just follow your heart."
"And make sure to snap some pics when you do!" Clover stated. "Treasure the memories of your first date, girl, because that's a special time in any girl's life!"
Before Nick could retort to that, he heard a loud beep, followed by the floor underneath the spies opening wide.
Nick just smiled and snapped his fingers, creating a psychic bubble around all twelve spies so that instead of falling comically down the tube, they slowly floated down in their bubble until they reached Jerry's office.
"You know you can't outfox a psychic, Jerry," Nick teased. "Usually."
"I can keep trying," Jerry laughed.
"Sounds like we've got a problem, huh, Jer?" Alex quipped. "Who's our returning baddie this time?"
"One of your most heinous foes, I'm afraid," Jerry answered as he pointed his remote towards the viewscreen to reveal the face of none other than...
"Tim Scam?!" Sam gasped.
"Oh, lordy, not him again..." Bridget groaned. "You'd think after we foiled all of his bombs before, he'd stay quiet for a while..."
"I was honestly wondering what happened to him," Nick quipped. "I still have a couple bones to pick with him for trying to ruin Mat's Extreme Dodgeball match."
"Hey, Mat, do you still play for the Armed Response?" Haruka wondered. "It honestly feels like, say, fourteen years since you've played a game for them."
"Even if it's only been a few months?" Nick replied.
"Exactly!" Haruka exclaimed. "It's so weird!"
"Well," Mat replied. "The commissioner called me up and told me they found someone else, but I'm not complaining. Sometimes once can be enough; I fulfilled one of my secret ambitions, after all."
"And it was extra special that you won," Alex pointed out.
"Considering how dangerous Scam is known to be, we've decided to enlist some extra help for this mission," Jerry explained, stepping aside to reveal...
...who else but Dean, the agent who had played an extremely elaborate game of double and triple-cross to help the spies win their first battle against Terrence and become super-spies.
"Hey, girls, been a while," Dean proclaimed.
Mat, naturally, saw the look on Sam's face once Dean had appeared. It seemed like Sam, Alex, and Clover still had remaining traces of their old crushes on Dean.
And when Mat saw Sam blush, he was suddenly assaulted by a dread feeling that he might lose Sam.
"STOP!" Mat shouted, surprising everyone present.
"Whoa, bro, what's the matter?" Nick wondered.
Sam's grin at seeing Dean again instantly vanished when Mat lunged forward to hug her tightly, as if he feared letting go would mean losing her.
"I... I don't want this to be the end!" Mat exclaimed. "I don't want you to leave me!"
Sam, honestly, was surprised that Mat would ever think that. She looked down at him after returning his hug.
"Hey, hey, don't worry, Mat," Sam replied. "I only acted like that because I still think Dean's a really cool guy, but trust me, I am not going to leave you. Not now, not ever. We made a promise, remember? And I intend to keep that promise to the end of my days."
That was all Mat needed to calm down as he leaned up to kiss Sam.
Nick held hands with both Alex and May, knowing exactly what Mat had been thinking.
(From Mat49324)
Mat still hugged Sam tightly. He didn't want his relationship to be over in a matter of two seconds, especially when he hadn't done anything wrong in a matter of public opinion. Dean appeared to be caught by surprise at Mat's reaction to Sam. Nick then turned to Jerry.
"Jerry, does he know...?" Nick began to ask before Jerry cut in.
"Not to worry, boys," Jerry stated to Nick and Mat. "I've already made Dean well aware of your relationships with Sam and Alex."
"Okay, good," Nick sighed in relief.
May was very tempted to tell Nick that he still had her for a girlfriend in case the unthinkable (losing Alex) happened, but she abstained, knowing it was hardly appropriate at this time.
"I really don't wanna lose you, Sammy," Mat stated to Sam while still hugging her tight.
"That's never gonna happen, Mat," Sam assured him. "You really have nothing to worry about. I remember our promise, Mat-honey."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Mat replied.
"Why?" Sam asked, confused.
"I think I know," Nick stated. "Sometimes, people do throw 180s on others; I think that's what Mat's afraid of."
Sam, Clover, and Alex certainly remembered Dean and his double and triple-crossing on them before.
"I promise you, Mat," Sam stated to Mat. "You don't have to worry about anything!"
Mat accepted Sam's word; he looked at Dean, and he just looked on with a smile as if he were happy Sam found someone – and Alex, too for that matter. Mat had no idea how to respond back to Dean, but he didn't want to open a proverbial can of worms.
"So, anyway, Jer," Haruka spoke. "Where is Tim Scam after all?"
The alarm went off and Jerry's office flashed red. On cue, the spies used their X-Powders (and Mat his DS) to change to their spy jumpsuits; Mat's jumpsuit was a mix of red and white and read "Laninovich 132" on the back to signify 2005 125cc San Francisco Supercross winner, Billy Laninovich.
"I hope that answers your question," Bridget replied to Haruka.
"He must have gotten his cell door open," Jerry stated, checking his computer.
"Well, we're not letting that happen," Nozomi proclaimed.
"I'll bet he's looking for revenge," Britney stated.
"Our sensors indicate that Tim Scam is still here at W.O.O.H.P., Haruka," Jerry then answered.
"He didn't make a break for another location?!" Clover exclaimed, almost as if she'd expect that to happen. "That's a first."
"Either way, it's bad news," Sam remarked.
Jerry was quick to give the spies their gadgets.
"Don't worry, agents," Jerry stated. "I've already locked down the building, so Tim Scam can't get out. Now go and find him immediately!"
The team of thirteen spies set out for around W.O.O.H.P. to re-arrest Tim Scam.
"This is one big-ass building, so this is working against us," Mat stated.
"I was thinking the same thing," Melissa quipped.
"It's totally less creepy than the first time," Clover remarked. (Author's Note: Remember S1's "The New Jerry"?)
"I don't know if I'd want to hear that," May replied.
As Dean led the way around WOOHP, Sam, Clover, and Alex fawned over him, which turned Mat's stomach and shake his head in disbelief; it nearly made Nick do the same.
"I guess since Sammy and Alex have boys of their own, Dean belongs to me," Clover stated to herself; unfortunately for Clover, Sam and Alex could hear her.
"In your dreams, Clover!" Sam remarked.
"Sam, may I remind you that you and Alex aren't on the market, but I am?!" Clover retorted.
"Saw that coming," Nick sighed.
Nick and Mat shook their heads in disbelief when Alex got involved, too; Dean was no different. In addition, Mat was getting more uneasy feelings that the worst-case scenario might happen and Sam might break the promise they made and leave him after all – especially after she'd told him he had nothing to worry about; Nick started getting those feelings about Alex, too.
"You better tell me you're not serious about that, Sam," Mat remarked, grabbing Sam's arm and feeling his hold on Sam's heart slipping away. "I REALLY don't want to look at you any differently than how I've looked at you as my girlfriend all this time..."
"I guess my old crush on Dean never really faded," Sam admitted, only to turn right around and hug Mat. "But I promise, you're still number one in my heart, Mat. That won't ever change no matter what I say about Dean."
"Same from me to you, Nick," Alex stated, leaning over to kiss Nick on the cheek. "I know you'd say the same about me."
"And you know I never break my promises," Nick quipped. "Besides, I'm sure the others would have a field day if that did happen. Remember back when we first met Bridget, and Haruka gave me and her the look?"
"Oh, lordy, you still remember that?" Bridget sighed. "I almost thought Haruka was gonna pin my keester to the wall before she recognized me..."
"Back on topic, is there any sign of Scam?" Haruka asked.
"Maybe Jerry was wrong," Alex stated after a while. "Maybe Scam DID find a way out of this place."
"Who knows," Bridget replied.
"Either way, we better stay on it," Britney replied.
The spies looked around in every direction. Bridget was caught by surprise at a laser shot at the very tip of her boot.
"Oh, gosh," Bridget stated. "SCAM'S FOUND US!"
"And so it begins..." Nick and Mat stated in unison.
(Written by The Blue Time Ranger)
"Well, well, spies," Scam proclaimed. "It has been quite a while, hasn't it?"
"Not anywhere near long enough, if you want my opinion," Sam responded, shifting into a fighting stance. "What's your endgame this time?"
"Hmmm..." Scam replied, pretending to think. "Honestly, I don't really have one. After all, I still have other things I want to accomplish before I come up with another plan."
"Are you going to tell us like a good villain, or is that just not happening?" May proclaimed.
"Well, I suppose I could... expound on those," Scam laughed.
And the way his gaze turned to Sam...
...and the look on his face...
Nick and Mat were immediately on the offensive when they made the connection.
"Don't you even," Nick growled, his psychic aura flaring to life instantly. "You even touch one hair on Sam's head, and you're going to wish you stayed in your cell."
"Hey, don't get on my case for the painfully obvious," Scam retorted. "After all, every good ruler worth his salt needs a partner to rule by his side, right?"
"You're not taking her away from me!" Mat shot back. "I'll kick your creeper ass myself if that's how I have to prove it to you!"
"Don't think you intimidate me, boy," Scam laughed. "And, other boy? Don't think you can bedazzle me with your light shows anymore."
Nick, in response, just grinned. "Oh, I've learned a lot more since the last time. Want me to demonstrate?!"
Nick floated a bit higher into the air, then took off for Scam. Naturally, Scam reached for his belt to project an energy barrier to protect him.
Nick skidded to a stop just short of Scam, then raised his right hand and fired off a Final Shine Attack that blasted the barrier apart.
"Sorry, wanna try again?" Nick taunted.
Scam responded by retrieving a futuristic-looking laser weapon and aiming for Nick, who simply raised a psychic barrier to deflect each blast that came his way.
As focused as Scam was in trying to hit Nick, he failed to see Sam and Alex sneaking up behind him until it was too late. The two spies lunged forward to pin Scam to the ground, allowing Nick to grab Scam in his psychic hold.
"You're a psycho, you know that?" Nick proclaimed.
"Better a psychopath than a fool," Scam laughed.
Once Sam and Alex had gotten clear, Nick swung his right hand to the left to slam Scam into a nearby wall.
"You wanna do us all a favor and give it up?!" Nick shouted.
"Oh, but boy, I'm just getting started," Scam laughed as he picked himself up and rushed for the spies, only to be knocked backwards by way of May's foot in his face. "Well, you're a new one, aren't you?"
"I may be new to W.O.O.H.P., but I'm well aware of how much you're off your rocker," May shot back. "You're just lucky I don't have an anchor to hit you with right now, so I guess my fists are gonna have to do."
May didn't waste any more time and charged in to attack Scam, who naturally defended and tried to lash out with a forward kick, only for May to grab his foot and toss him into the air. While this was happening, May threw a Tornado in a Can of Hairspray after Scam, and Nick fired a quick psychic shot to pierce the can and unleash a violent whirlwind that threw Scam around it for a short time.
When Scam fell back down, Sam and Mat were already on the offensive, driving their fists into Scam from both sides, then unleashing a perfectly synchronized series of attacks that juggled Scam in the air before finishing with a double flying kick that sent Scam tumbling across the floor.
"Did... did they just gank my Accel Dance attack?" Haruka gasped.
"Hey, if anyone else could pull it off, those two could," Nick laughed.
Scam quickly righted himself and retrieved his laser weapon to fire more blasts towards the spies, only for Nick to counter each shot with an attack of his own.
"Stop rehashing the same crap, you wingnut!" Nick shouted.
"Oh, you want me to step it up, huh?" Scam laughed, reaching for something in his pockets. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Stay alert, everybody," Sam stated as the spies waited for whatever Scam had up his sleeves now.
(From Mat49324)
"Nick, I hope you didn't egg him on," Dawn remarked with a bit of nervous look on her face.
Britney, Melissa, and Nozomi were no different.
"Believe me," Nick stated. "This guy took mom and dad away from me, and it's time we settle another score and then some with this dumbass!"
"Totally!" Clover exclaimed. "As if stealing Sam's talent and turning our moms against us weren't enough!"
"So, somebody remembers my past," Scam sneered at Clover. "That's flattering."
"That flattery is gonna get you nowhere!" Mat exclaimed.
"Totally!" Alex exclaimed. "And I'm gonna prove it!"
"Allow me, too, Alex!" Britney shouted.
Scam reached into his coat pocket and threw what appeared to be a large pen, only for it to start spinning and split apart into a double-bladed boomerang. Alex and Britney dodged to either side to avoid the flying projectile, then rushed in before Scam could find another weapon, delivering a double uppercut to Scam's face (knowing now wasn't the time to be shouting "SHORYUKEN"), then finishing with a double flying kick to his chest that sent Scam tumbling down the hallway.
Scam managed to get up, wheezing a little, which surprised Britney and Alex.
"I don't believe this!" Alex exclaimed.
"Oh, I've got a lot of resistance this time," Scam wheezed.
"Then I'll be glad to take that level down to zero!" Nick exclaimed.
"You better call yourselves lucky today," Tim Scam stated to Britney and Alex, then turned to Nick. "And you, too, with your psychic bologna, pal."
"...the hell are you talking about?!" Haruka exclaimed.
"You are of no interest to me, either," Scam sneered at Haruka. "But one of you is..."
"I think we got a pretty good idea who," May proclaimed. "And no way in hell are you laying a finger on Sam!"
May lunged for an attack on Tim Scam; this time, she shouted the "SHORYUKEN" battle cry and landed a blow on Tim Scam.
"D-Did... did she...?" Haruka gasped.
"She actually did it," Nick laughed. "I guess May isn't the type to save that phrase for other times."
"Hey, it actually seemed appropriate this time," May giggled.
Shockingly, Scam landed a blow back to May and sent her sliding back to the group, flat on her back.
"I don't know what your deal is with Sam," Nozomi replied while she helped May up. "But if you knew any better, you'd better back off!"
"Uh-huh," Bridget agreed and held her Wind Tunnel 9000 at Tim Scam as if she were holding a .38 Magnum at point-blank range.
"Too bad I have no time for this, spies," Scam remarked, then centered his eyes on Sam.
Mat saw this and immediately defended her.
"Back off, you..."
Dean came to the spies' aide, but Scam made short work of him and centered his attention back to Sam.
"Back off, I told you..." Mat demanded and protected Sam again.
"I don't know what your plan is, Scam," Sam proclaimed. "But if you had half a brain cycle, you'd listen to my sweetheart and back off!"
"You heard the lady," Mat remarked.
Scam just sent a look Sam's way again, only for Nick to blast him backwards with a Final Shine Attack.
"Yeah, you heard the lady," Nick repeated. "We're only giving you one more chance to back off before we pop your bulbous ego like one of those cheap carnival balloons."
"You're stubborn, aren't you, boy?" Scam laughed. "That gung-ho attitude is only going to get you killed."
"Sorry, but I'm not dying today or ever," Nick shot back, his aura flaring. "After all, I've still got an annoying long life to live."
"I'm through messing around," Scam proclaimed.
He then fired two laser shots – one at Sam, the other at Haruka.
"I got you, Haruka!" Melissa shouted.
Mat made a diving save on Sam, but little did he know that was what Scam was counting on as Scam turned his attention back to Sam.
"Why keep up this pointless façade any longer... my queen?" Scam stated. The way he pronounced those last two words sent shivers up Sam's spine, and not in a good way.
Naturally, Mat immediately moved to defend Sam.
"Last warning, Scam," Mat growled. "I'm not playing around anymore!"
In response, Scam...
...just laughed, before dashing towards Mat. Nick prepared to fire off another Final Shine Attack, but Scam threw another razor boomerang that forced Nick to dodge, and this gave Tim the time to get in close to Mat.
"That's good," Scam cackled, "Because neither am I."
The remaining spies heard a loud, sickening crack that seemed to echo in the metal-lined hallways, followed by Mat's scream of pure, heart-rending agony. Of course, Scam took this opportunity to make his escape.
"Scam's getting away!" Britney exclaimed.
"That's the least of our problems, unfortunately," Clover stated as the spies turned around. "Mat's hurt!"
(Written by The Blue Time Ranger)
"Mat!" Sam screamed, moving over to check on her downed boyfriend. "What did he do to you?!"
"Agh... I think that son of a bitch broke my leg," Mat gasped, trying to fight through the pain.
Nick jogged over, raising his hand to envelop Mat's wounded leg in his psychic hold to keep it steady. "I think it's just dislocated, bro," Nick replied. "I've seen a broken leg before back in my old karate classes, and it's not pretty. I'd say you got lucky."
"Regardless, it doesn't look like Mat's in any condition to stomp on bad guys right now," Britney concluded.
"I'm really sorry, everyone," Mat sighed. "I shouldn't have let my guard down..."
"Hey, bro, don't worry about a thing," Nick responded. "Just add this to the long list of reasons that Scam's going to pay for this."
"I can fill in for Mat until he's back on his feet, if you guys want," Dean stated, having just picked himself up. "That's the whole reason I was assigned to this mission, too, because Scam's not your average psycho."
Mat mustered up enough strength to glare at Dean. "Just promise me you won't make any moves on Sam," Mat proclaimed.
"Hey, man, I understand," Dean responded. "I'm not going to get in the way of your relationship."
"I'll take you back to Jerry so he can look at your leg, Mat," Nick stated, enveloping Mat's whole body in his psychic hold so he could lift him off the ground. "You all go after Scam, and I'll join you as soon as possible."
"Roger that!" Bridget exclaimed.
"Please stay safe, Mat," Sam pleaded, on the verge of tears.
"Hey, don't worry about me, Sammy," Mat replied as he leaned over as best he could to kiss Sam. "I've got good people looking out for me."
"Don't you worry, Mat!" May proclaimed heroically. "We shall avenge your defeat and take down this marauder!"
"Just sock him one for me where it hurts the most, got it?" Mat teased.
"Acknowledged!" Sam exclaimed, and the other ten spies raced off in the direction that Scam had escaped down.
As Nick psychically carried him back to Jerry's office, Mat couldn't help but think about what would happen if he wasn't there to help Sam. Would she fall prey to Dean's... "temptations" despite the promise they'd made?
Despite knowing that Sam would never ever break that promise (she had said so to him how many times now?), being injured by Scam had put reasonable doubts in his mind.
Nick seemed to know what Mat was thinking, however.
"Listen to me, okay, bro?" Nick proclaimed. "Sam loves you, and I know you love her. You two have something really special, and I don't think any amount of teenage crushes is going to take that away."
"I... I just worry," Mat admitted. "Despite everything, the way she looked at Dean just got to me. Even if she said that it was likely just a remnant of the old crush she had on him... ugh, I don't know why my mind is dredging up these worst-case scenarios now of all times!"
"The mind can be a cruel thing sometimes," Nick responded. "I had the same worst-case things going through my head when that clone of Kevin stabbed Alex, and even way back when that clone of Jeremy stabbed Bridget. We all fear the worst when it comes to these kinds of situations, but the best way to conquer them is to not give in to those darker impulses. I... I learned that lesson the hard way, after all."
Despite his own concerns, Mat couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, man."
"Always happy to say some words," Nick replied, fist-bumping Mat with his free hand.
"Back so soon, Nick?" Jerry asked, only to see Mat and tense up. "Is Mat okay?"
"Scam tried to break his leg," Nick explained. "Thankfully, it looks like Mat's leg is only dislocated, but I brought him here as fast as I could so he could get treated."
"Don't you worry," Jerry proudly proclaimed. "W.O.O.H.P. has some of the best medical facilities in the world. We'll take good care of Mat, we promise."
"Um, Nick?" Mat asked. "Even if Dean promised he wouldn't make any moves on Sam... can you keep an eye on him, just in case? At the very least, it'd put my mind at ease."
"Hey, bro, it's the least I can do for you," Nick responded. "Don't you worry about a thing. We're all going to stomp Scam again, and we'll make sure you and Sam stay together. That's a promise."
After getting a confident smile from Mat, Nick floated upwards, then took off down the hallway he'd came from to rejoin his friends in pursuing Scam.
To be continued...
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Next time on Totally Spies: Promises Kept...
Sam: All right, Scam, where the hell are you?!
Dawn: It's like he's doing this on purpose or something.
Nick: Oh, just wait. I'm sure he'll show up eventually. And when he does, we're GOING to make him pay in spades for hurting one of our own.
May: Damn right, Nick! You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!
Scam: I don't know why you wretched spies feel the need to continue this pointless fight. Why delay the inevitable? Sam will be my queen, and there's nothing any of you can do to stop it from being so.
Alex: Um, mister loony? We've heard that line a bazillion times already, and we always come out on top anyway!
Clover: Yeah, what makes you so special?!
Nick: I guess we'll have to wait and see what kind of hot take Scam's got for us this time on the next episode of Totally Spies: Promises Kept, "The Back-and-Forth Battle"!
Alex: All right, Scam, now we'll really see who's the queen on this... wait... OH, COME ON!
May: At least they didn't put it in my script this time...