Road Trip of the Heart

by ultima-owner

A unforgettable journey of crazy times, at least for the person doing it. It's a SIOC fic so if you don't like those, please don't flame.

28. Fallen World

Welcome! Finding lost cities and other surprises await!

Spoilers for the following: Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Kingdom Hearts, Kung Fu Panda, Courage the Cowardly Dog, KND: Kids Next Door, Powerpuff Girls, Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Dexter's Laboratory, My Gym Partner is a Monkey, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Samurai Jack, Gravity Falls,

Disclaimer: I own my stuff only

Chapter 25: Fallen World

Earth Atlantis (World based on Atlantis: The Lost Empire)

Local Year 1914

Preston Whitmore's home

Zane was watching, hidden, as Milo James Thatch, a shrimp of a human with oversized glasses and the 'crazy' grandson of Thaddeus (Preston's college buddy who found the Shepherd's Journal), say that he'd get to Atlantis in a rowboat with conviction. Preston activated the switch that brought up the scale models of the vehicles he was providing. That was Zane's que to come out of the shadows. "Zane, are you convinced he is ready for this undertaking?" Preston asked as Milo looked shellshocked. "Professor Laskaris! It's an honor to meet you!" Milo said shaking Zane's hand with earnest.

"He's got enough drive to cross the sea in a rowboat." Zane said with merriment dancing in his eyes, "that's crazy enough to get in a 'metal coffin' as my claustrophobic uncle Rob kindly dubbed any kind of Submarine." Preston laughed. "And how was his remains stored?" Zane laughed at the Irony as he said, "Cremated and stored in a jar the size of a water pitcher, made of bronze." It took Milo a moment to get the irony and he laughed a little too. "Professor Laskaris I had no idea were here? What's your secret?" He asked. Zane smirked and said, "magic."

Milo blinked pushed up his glasses. "What kind of magic? There are many documented kinds, none proven real but there is-" Zane muted him with a little magic, saying, "Save that talk for later. We have plans to make." Milo nodded then Zane whispered something to him that made him gasp, silently because he was still muted. All Preston could make out was, "beware the greed that hides" He grumbled to himself about Zane being cryptic again.

A day later

Ulysses (the name of the sub)

The Bridge

"Good to have you on board!" Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke, a tall square-chinned man with a pale complexion said, gripping Zane's hand hard. Zane returned the gesture. "Mr. Thatch is looking for his bunk at the moment and will be unavailable." Rourke had a 'friendly' voice that Zane found to be cardboard thin. He was dealing with mercenaries. Helga Sinclair, a blonde woman who was the second in command, was keeping an eye on things outside the sub as they traveled to the 'ship graveyard'.

"Sorry we didn't get to meet when we set off, I was double checking the sub for issues." Zane said in a nice way. "oh, and why would there be issues while I'm on the job?" Audrey Ramirez, a teen dark haired woman with work cloths, said as she had a heavy wrench in hand, ready to hit him with it. "No offence meant, Chief Mechanic." Zane said making her pause, as he guess her job right without being told, "There will always be one tiny issue that you miss until someone points it out to you, I know that from experience." Zane stated. "The boiler room door needed to be oiled." She blinks at the 'issue' he found. "That's it? I expected you to be rude as the other mechanics were. Gender does not equal talent. Disagree with me and this might meet you." She says wielding the large wrench like a club.

She looked him up and down. "You're wearing some kind of ritzy outfit." It was clothing that were not too outlandish for this time period, but on a fancier side because of how well made they were. "looks to be some prototype protective material." She said, taking off one of her gloves and rubbed the hem of the sleeve as Zane offered a hand to shake. "It's not really a secret." Zane says, "I work with spider silk. Hard to work with but if you have the right resources, you can make slice resistant armor." Audrey looked at him with respect and punched his shoulder. "You're not too bad, didn't even flinch." She puts her glove back on as left to oil the boiler room door.

"How much does this tech cost?" Rourke asked. "No one currently can recreate this tech without the special spiders I employ. I've given samples to people, but they send letters of defeat when they fail to recreate it." Zane said amused. "So, it's a dead-end, profit wise? That's a shame." Rourke said rubbing his chin. The dry voice of Wilhelmina Packard, a snarky old lady who was the communications officer, was heard. "the chit chat is nice but there is something you need to see." Rourke nodded saying, "Thank you, Mrs. Packard."

They looked outside the neared window/porthole and saw what could only be described as the World Serpent looking at them from the darkness of the sea. "we are ready to fire at any time." One of the soldiers said. "Don't fire. It came to use for a reason. It would have attacked us by now." Zane said. Rourke gestured for Zane's request to be followed. "Its head is big enough to swallow the sub whole." Helga said. "I'll going to have a chat with Jörmungandr." Zane said leaving the bridge. Rourke just nodded then spun around yelling, "are you insane? Even if that's the real thing, It's not safe to approach!" He needed Zane alive.

Ten minutes later

Outside the Ulysses

"Why have you greeted us, Jörmungandr?" Zane asked, inside one of the one-man mini subs. The World Serpent's voice shook the waters as it spoke in a tongue that barely resembled ancient Norse. "There will be a time when steel will fail you and bone prevails." The serpent spits a fang longer than Zane was tall. Zane used the minisub's robot arms to grab the fang as Jörmungandr sunk back into the depths. "Lovely, a foe immune to metal." Zane said as he returned to the Ulysses.

Fifteen minutes later

Ulysses

medical room

"You are as crazy as I remember!" Gaetan Moliére, a short obsess man with zooming googles and a grimy attire, better known as Mole, hugged Zane tightly. "You know this crazy fool?" Joshua Sweet, a bald dark-skinned doctor asked as he looked Zane over. "We first met in a cave system full of thermal vents. He collected a sample I needed for my collection." Mole paused then added "I have never seen someone survive being blasted in the face with a sulfur geyser without burns." Sweet looks at Mole hoping he was lying but sighed. "You are going to be an impossibility." He says, giving Zane a clean bill of health.

An hour later

Ulysses

Explosives storage

"Vinny, is it safe to enter?" Zane asked knocking door frame. The black haired mustached Italian demolition expert looked up from the dynamite stick he was checking over. "oh, as long as no one shakes the canister of Nitroglycerin, it's safe." He said in a flat voice, chewing on a match. Zane walked in and noted the tender care each explosive was given. "Heard you talked to a giant sea monster. Did you learn any secrets?" Vinny said. "All I got was some cryptic warning about a foe steel with fail to kill. Then he gave me fang I could use as a spear if I wanted." Zane said.

"That was generous of him. Do you think this foe could be felled with TNT?" Vinney joked. Zane smirked "as a pyro enthusiast, I believe that there will all ways be the option of using explosions. Only times this isn't true is when you are trying to limit the collateral damage." Vinney smirked at Zane's answer. "Oh, right! Cookie says grubs on in five minutes." Zane remembered. Vinney looked at the five sticks left to check. "Tell him I'm coming as soon as I finish this stack." He said and Zane left.

A few days later

Ulysses

The Bridge

"There's ships from all eras! What kind of beast this?" Milo said as he stared at the sunken wrecks the sub passed. Zane's eyes darted as a shadow came closer and closer. "Anything on the radar?" Rourke asked. "Negative. It's hidden from any of our sensors." The soldier said. They heard it before they saw it. A metallic wailing sound, a little like a whale song. A massive mechanical lobster like beast stared into the sub windows. Zane said something in a langue only Milo understood and the ancient war machine, known as the Leviathan, backed off, but not before releasing a patten of sounds.

"What did he say?" Helga demanded, gripping the front of Milo's shirt and lifting him up. "Stand down." Rourke said sharply and Helga set Milo down, cursing at her slip of control over her temper. "Tensions are running a little high, Mr. Thatch. Please translate what he said." Rourke asked with an edge of steel. Milo cleaned his glasses nervously. "He said he was royalty requesting a chance to talk with the Royal family with peaceful intentions and that we were his convoy." He said, "He said something else that I didn't quite translate."

"Not everyone will be going with us as we travel deeper." Zane said. "According to the protocol of visiting royalty, only so many may accompany them to the city or the war machine with blast us." Everyone looks at him. "It says it right here." Zane plucks the Shepherd's Journal from the console where Milo set it down and flipped to a page with a picture of two men meeting. Milo looked at the words on the page. "He's right. Aziz, the one that traveled into the earth made sure to ask that question of the king before he returned to the surface." Milo stated.

"Well, looks like you just help us big time. How many are we allowed to take with us, 'your highness'?" Rourke asked, with a mock bow. "twenty is the most that are allowed. There are other limitations, but I don't think we have energy-based weapons that it describes." Milo said looking at the details of the treaty.

A few hours later

Sea Cavern system

"Just as a reminder, the crew on sub has orders to leave if any trouble happens." Rourke told the group that was going on. "Mole believes there is volcanoes in this area and if there is so much as a mini earthquake, we will have to find a new way out." He took the bowl of slop from Cookie, the old man of a cook. "Remember why we are here and watch your step." He sits on a vacant rock and starts to eat.

"So, how did you know about the treaty?" Sweet asked. "And how did it work? What did the beast tell you?" Milo added "The sound it made was some coded message." Zane, downing Cookie's cooking and asking for seconds, said, "I told it the truth. The Atlantean word for 'royalty' can mean the leader of large groups, including clans." Mole got it. "and you are the Head of the Laskaris Clan, who number in the hundreds at least, direct descendant of the founder." Milo muttered to himself as he puzzled out this statement. "Professor Laskaris does your clan run on a non-age system? You don't look older than some members I've met."

Zane smiled at this question. "That is a good question to ask, Milo. My clan chooses the head by experience, skill, and knowledge. Age is only a same factor. There is a minimum age to be eligible but that's it." Zane looks up as the cavern roof and the large 'lantern' structure hanging from it. "So, a female can be head of the family?" Audrey asked. "There have been one or two female clan heads. My Patron god is Hestia, a female." Vinny's eyebrow rose as he asked, "you are a pyromaniac and your Patron goddess is fire based? Makes some sense." He shrugs.

hours later

A deeper part of the cavern

A stone pillar, wider than house and so tall the top was unseen, blocked their path. "I could blow this up, but I would be use most of the bombs we've got." Vinny said eyeballing it. Mole was jumping up and down with glee as a giant drilling machine was uncovered and rolled of the back of one of the truck flatbeds. Milo was about to try to stop them, but Zane spoke up. "this was a simple piler of at bridge that would have been here. I already took down all the details about it." Milo took the notes and sketches as Mole drilled into the base only for the drill to overheat.

"Here's your chance." Zane said taking back the notes and pushing him forward. Zane watched him put his janitorial knowledge to use and help fix the boiler of the drill, impressing Audrey. "I don't know what you are expecting. No one can live for centuries and it's been over nine millennia if the book is right." Rourke said. Zane just had a mysterious smile as he stated, "The Treaty states the rulers must meet before they can part ways. Even if I greet bones, I will meet them in person." Rourke looks at him oddly. "Why are you following the rules of the treaty?" he asked. Zane gave a quick explosion about how one of the Kings of Atlantis started the treaty after defending the empire from multiple enemy nations. They were defeated soundly, and the Treaty was a sign of faith that the King had for the chance of peaceful trade in the future. "a carrot after the stick method." Rourke summarizes.

A few hours later

Dormant Volcano Cone

"She slumbers for now." Mole said with his ear to the ground. Helga shot up a flare and noticed the opening of the cone lead to the surface. "Here's our plan b." She tells Rourke. Something unsaid passed between them as Zane listened to the volcano's 'voice'. "she is waiting for a strong enough jolt." Zane said. "No bombs or we will be taking magma swimming lessons." Milo looks at the truck Vinny was driving. "What? Just because I'm the bomb guy, doesn't mean I would set off a volcano at this range. I'm not that crazy." Vinny said. "Alright! Let's keep moving!"" Rourke ordered.

Ten minutes later

Not far from the Volcano

They had left the volcano behind to find masked warriors pointed spears at them speaking Atlantean. Milo started cycling through languages that had it as a root and the lead warrior removed the oversized mask. "You invoke the Treaty?" a woman with white hair, brown skin and wearing a simple blue bikini with a sarong-type skirt, asked in Ancient Greek. She had an odd blue tattoo under her left eye. Zane bowed and stated in the same tongue, "Greetings, I am Zane of the Laskaris Clan. As Clan leader I invoke the treaty to get past the War Machine that protects the water way in. I would be honored to meet the current ruler." He couldn't miss the blue crystal around her neck that was 'alive' with energy.

The woman, who looked to be in her 20s, nodded and stated, "I am Kidagakash Nedakh." Milo utterly fails at pronouncing her name, so she adds "Kida will do." Milo blushes at the smile she gives him. "Come the city is this way." She leads them to a cliff that overlooked the lush and green cavern with a crystal sun lighting the lost city they had been looking. A bridge lead to the city. "Welcome to Atlanteon." She states in a passable English. "We didn't plan for a city full of people." Helga hissed in Rourke's ear. "We just need to improvise a little." He whispered back, not knowing Zane heard him.

20 minutes later

Atlantis

Palace

King's Chamber

Rourke and the others were 'allowed' to greet the king before they were asked to leave so he could talk to Zane only. Once Kida, the princess and hair to the throne, left last, it was Only two kings in the room and no guards to overhear what would be said. The King of Atlantis was a man so old, 20,000 years old, his bones ached, his head was bald but had a beard that trailed down to his feet, and his eyes were failing. Zane looked at the more elaborate blue tattoos and rich blue robes. He also wore a blue crystal around his neck as did all his people. "Kashekim Nedakh, we meet again after so many millennia and, in your home, instead of the laser burnt remains of one of your battlefields." Zane stated.

Kashekim sat up straighter, leaning heavily on a wooden staff with a u shape on top. "you were right." He stated tiredly. "I was a fool to believe that having a child would not change anything." He smiles tiredly. "Not too many years after you helped me write that treaty, my wife gave birth to the headstrong daughter you met." Zane smiled knowingly. "so, she's anywhere from 8,500 to 8,800 years old. I'm not going to ask for exact numbers, don't want to get slapped by her." Zane said as they reminisce of ages past. "How are you so young looking? Is it truly time travel that let you visit those battlefields?" The King asked.

"with immortal aid I traversed time for a number of reasons." Zane stated, "Like convincing you not to destroy information." Kashekim wheezed a laugh. "not knowing what you wanted with that deal, I agreed to it. If I had known you would use the very treaty, that I got from your bargain for information, to visit, I don't think I would have agreed." He joked. In a somber, but steely, voice he stated, "I am dying but That man and his second in command does not fool me in the slightest. They are after the Heart of Atlantis. And you are aware as well, Deal Maker." Zane nodded at this assessment. "Rourke thinks he's got me in the dark but, I convinced six of his allies to betray him later. Sweet, Mole, Audrey, Cookie, Vinny, and even Wilhelmina understand Rourke is more than likely to 'cut them out of the profit'."

The King arched a brow at the weird names. "What of the young man? Is he not in the loop?" he was talking about Milo. "I tipped him off something was wrong before the trip started but he isn't aware yet."

A few days later

Atlantis

Outskirts of the city

Over the next few days, the crew took in the sights, and food, as Zane met with the King in private meetings that no one, not even Kida could ask about. Helga and Rourke were talking about that lack of results. "We've searched everywhere but the King's Chamber." Helga reported. "That's fine. Are the charges set? We will be doing plan b for escape. It's to round up the lovely couple (talking about Milo and Kida who hit it off instantly) and storm the palace." Rourke said.

A few hours later

Atlantis

Palace

King's Chamber

"Tell us where the crystal is, or your daughter will be breathing out of her neck." Rourke demanded as Kida was being held by Helga with a knife to her throat. The King pointed to the floor without a word. "Thatch! What does the book say?" Rourke demanded. Milo reluctantly decoded the riddle to find the Crystal Chamber. Rourke, Helga, Kida, Milo and Zane stood in the middle of the Atlantean letter for 'a' that cover most of the floor. They began to descend. "Thank you for your generosity." Rourke said, dropping his 'nice and friendly' mask.

A few minutes later

Atlantis

The Crystal Chamber

Rourke grumbled as the 'crystal' turned out to be a massive one floating 150 feet over a bottomless pool of water and had ten stone face of the past kings floating around it. "Around 100,000 B.C. a comet of great power passed by earth and left a fragment that landed in what would be know as Atlantis." Zane stated, feeling the Heart feel this information in his brain. "It is alive and knows your intentions." The crystal's light turned red and picked Kida as it's host, as it had her mother 9,000 years ago when the city sunk.

The whole process was quite a trip with Kida walking on water then becoming blue crystalline state. "Don't touch her, it's too risky." Milo said stopping Rourke from grabbing Kida. "Looks like we'll be using the box method for this." He sighs.

Ten minutes later

Atlantis

"It's been a pleasure but I 'm cutting you out of the deal." Rourke says as he drives off with Kida in a metal box build around her and Helga in the cab of the truck. "Whelp, Zane called it." Vinny aid as they were left behind as Zane warned them. "We need to go after them!" Milo said but was held back by Sweet. "Hold it." As Sweet said this, Rourke crossed the bridge and blew it up. "Now you can go." Sweet says letting Milo go.

"We have to get her back. Who knows what will happen?" Milo said trying to think of a solution. "If you wait too long, she will be lost to the crystal." Zane said calmly, leaning on a Ketak, a manned stone fish that was used for war as flying vehicle back in the prime of the empire. "WHAT! How do you know that?" Milo demanded punching Zane in his frustration. His hand hurt more than Zane's face did. "The Heart told me, just as it told me everything will be fine. It us to solve the problem." Zane said. "What did you learn the past few days?" Audrey asked, "and what is that fish?"

"It's a stone flying vehicle." Milo trailed off. "That's it! We can use the Ketak to get the her back." Some of the Atlanteans let them borrow crystals to active the Ketak.

Minutes later

Volcano Cone

They caught up to Rourke, only to find him and his men deploying balloons to escape via the volcano mouth. At first the dog fight was in Rourke favor, until Vinny figured out how to use the lightning mouth blast function of the Ketak. At some point Milo got on the balloon Rourke was flying and thing got interesting. Rourke threw Helga from the balloon to lighten the load.

Catching her, Zane asked, "No hard feeling if he gets 'flared'?" She with a savage grin aimed the flare gun at the very flammable balloon and fired, saying Rourke's own phrase of, "Nothing Personal." Zane set her down so she could watch him get turned into a crystal monster after Milo scratched him with a glass shard tipped with the Heart's energy. The fan blade of the balloon finished the job, destroying his fragile body.

Milo crashed with Kida's box, the balloon crashed to the left of Zane with load boom, as Mole yelled, "SHE AWAKENS!" Helga wrapped the box's chains to a couple of the Ketak. "Tell me how to fly this thing or she'll die." She demanded. Milo, putting aside his feeling for what she did, explained how it worked told Zane to hop on one of their Ketak. Zane shook his head. "I'll just low you down. Save Atlantis and I will meet you after the volcano is done." The rumbling forces them to leave Zane behind as magma burst around him.

The Volcano sung 'her' joyous return to life. Zane let the magma carry him to the city. He could see the stone giants around the city getting up and spreading their arms our to create the barrier, protecting the city from the magma flow. Then the Heart's energy cooled it, solid.

An hour later

Atlantis

"It's shame Zane had to died." Sweet said as they placed flowers on a patch of lava rock long cooled. "He gave his life in a fashion most ironic." Cookie added. Mole was crying a muddy river of tears, when Zane's fist burst out with of the rock. A muffled "I'm not dead yet!" was heard amid cracking noises. "Kida just stared in confusion as Zane uncovered himself. Her father had passed not ten minutes ago, and he had told her Zane was hard to kill but this was absurd. "What does it take to kill you?" Audrey asked. "More than this." Zane said as he dusted himself off. His shirt and his pants had disintegrating crystalline patches, making them holier than Swiss cheese. "Note to self: Energy from the Heart of Atlantis reacts to protective clothing." He tells himself.

Kida laughed as the crystal dust from his clothing came together into a spider, which ran away. this got everyone laughing at Zane's misfortune. "Sure, laugh it up. I'm not the one that will have to deal with crystal spiders later." Zane said in mock anger. "The king has passed." Kida told him after their laughter ended. Instead of being angry as they expected, he was just sighed. "I expected so. He said he'd make sure he gets the last laugh in the meeting yesterday. Must be revenge for that time I burnt his robe years ago." Zane said remembering that event fondly.

"so, when's the wedding, Milo?" Zane asked, Milo sputtered, red faced. "You didn't think he didn't notice you two hitting it off, did you?" Kida smiled and said, "Father found him to be the best suiter he has met and gave his blessing before he passed."

A few weeks later

Preston Whitmore's home

"So, Rourke and the missing men were lost in a volcanic eruption after they backstabbed you and Milo stayed behind because he wooed the princess of Atlantis?" Preston asked after persuading them to tell them the truth, instead of the cover story they gave the public. The public story was that the crew was lost due to dangers they faced finding Atlantis and barely returning alive. The public was calling Milo Thatch the who found the impossible. When asked where he was, they said he was teaching the 'descendants' they found the modern language in hopes they would come to the surface one day. No mentions of the backstabbing or the Heart, for now.

"It was rather fun for me. Got to meet the King again and we came back with treasure, that was not mentioned." Zane said, dressed in a suit. The group was is ritzy clothing, even Mole. Mole chose that moment to dive into a large potted plant, to coat himself in dirt. Preston opened the envelope Milo sent and found a photo of the group in front of the treasure they got and a glowing crystal that milo uses to pen a message thanking him for giving him a chance when no one else did. He put the necklace on and felt 'younger'. Zane had picked up a staff topped with an Atlantean crystal and blasted the firewood by mistake.

Preston just sighed at the pile of firewood turned into a living wooden inland taipan (type of snake). "You just had to touch it, didn't you?" He asked, watching the beast hissed at everyone but Zane. "It was begging to be used." Zane defended himself. Zane offered an arm to the wooden snake and it wrapped around his torso, under his shirt. "You had to make the most venomous non-magical snake known to man? You could have made a rabbit or something." Sweet said with a sigh. "I'll take that." Preston said taking the weapon from him. "I'm putting this somewhere blast happy people can't get." He said, "At least you only used wood instead of fire."

"Any idea why Rourke was so 'evil'?" Helga asked, "I've known him for years and he started to get nastier than normal since Iceland." Zane shrugged, "Some curse or evil spirit got to him in Iceland. Felt it the moment I talked to him. Real subtle but when you know what to look for, it's possible with practice." Zane said, telling the truth. "Slow acting and long lasting from the feel of it." They shiver. "I'm new to magic being real, but that sounds like a slow acting illness that attacks the organs, one by one." Sweet said, using his medical knowledge. "There are curses like that and are a pain to unravel safely." Zane groaned. "it's easier to give it a target like a rat that bad mouthed you as you get speared by arrows." They had a feeling Zane experienced that firsthand.

A few weeks later

Animal Earth (Kung Fu Panda world)

China

Valley of Peace

Jade Palace

Peach Tree Hill

An ancient Galapagos Tortoise, called Master Oogway, meditating under a peach tree, called the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, blinked as he felt a distinct aura lingering in the air. "how odd. Such rage yet control at same time." He grips his staff. (it has a striking remarkable resemblance to the King of Atlantis' staff.) "what is it that you sense, Master?" Master Shifu, a red panda wearing a green and brown chinse fighting garb, asked. "One who has mastered wrath is coming. I can feel it on the breeze." Oogway stated.

Shifu was worried and for good reason. "What is their intension? Are they going to attack?" He probed for more details. "No idea. He's too far away to tell. He's taking his time getting here." Oogway said with a mysterious smile. "I can't wait to meet a flame that feels so welcoming." Shifu filled this under cryptic things Oogway said, intending for others to figure it out themself. "I will ready the Fearsome Five for his arrival." Shifu stated, heading into the Jade Palace. Oogway looked amused.

A few months later

Animal Earth

China

Thread of Hope

A figure in a ragged clothing crossed the 1000-mile bridge that span the Mountain Pass in the Valley of Peace. The only things he carried was a burlap sack on his back, a staff/walking stick, a ring and a star shaped trinket that he seemed to lift up to look at. Master Crane adjusted his flight path and return to the end of the bridge, where the rest of the Furious Five was waiting. Crane fixed his hat and said, "there's someone coming but at the rate their walking, it will take days." "Are you sure it wasn't a snail you saw?" Master Monkey, a Golden-snub-nosed monkey who was a prankster as well as a Kung Fu master, asked, jokingly.

"No, he was too tall, about the size of a gorilla, maybe taller." Crane said. Master Mantis, who was standing on Monkey's head, nodded and zoomed off to tell Shifu about this coming visitor. Master Viper, a fangless viper whose skill with snake style Kung fu and ribbon dancing made up for it, tasted the air. "Odd, I sense some snake coming but it doesn't taste normal." Pausing to put it in words, "Like wood and sap instead of scale and flesh. Smells venomous too." The last member of Five was Master Tigress, a Chinese tiger wearing a red Chinese dress and has an aggressive mindset. She was fidgeting, it was getting worse with each week not finding the 'Master of Wrath' on the bridge.

"Called it a day had back to the Jade Palace." She ground out as she left. Viper stayed behind a little longer to taste the air again. "what sort of serpent are you?" She wondered as the setting sun glinted off her tail beads and lotus flower clips on her head.

A week later

Animal Earth

China

Thread of Hope

"how odd, I wasn't aware there would be greeters waiting for me." The stranger (it's Zane but they don't know that yet.) said as he stepped off the bridge. "what is your name and do have anyone with you?" Viper asked. Zane chuckled as the head of the wooden inland taipan drowsily came out of his hood. "What is this noise about, Master?" the wooden snake had a smooth female voice. "We arrived at the Valley of Peace, Ivy. Meet the Furious Five." Zane said doing a sweeping gesture with a blue skinned hand with sharp talons. Ivy ignores all save Viper.

"She has lovely scales and must be the female all the males fight over." Ivy said as Viper blushed. "why do you have a staff like Master Oogway?" Monkey asked. "it's all most an exact copy save for the blue one it. And it's a different wood." Zane chuckled. "I received this from an old friend who passed. It served him well over the millennia and it was by his request I take it." Zane said with a sad tint to his voice. "oh! Sorry if he brought up any grief." Crane said glaring at Monkey for being insensitive by mistake. "No harm done, he lived a long time and is survived by his daughter." Zane said, walking past them in a burst of speed, leaving them dazed.

"Did he just get past us?" Mantis asked. "I think he did." Tigress said then noting a note in her paw. It read as such, "Nice try but I am too hungry to talk any longer with you at this time. Will meet later. -Zane" They stared at the still drying ink of the note and looked to find Zane was gone. "Not it!" Monkey, Tigress, Viper, and Crane said, leaving Mantis the duty to explain to their teacher, Master Shifu, why Zane got past them.

Hours later

Animal Earth

China

Valley of Peace

Jade Palace

Training Hall

Shifu was berating them for hours as he forced them to do 'refresher training'. Oogway sighed. Shifu meant well but was harsh at times. Oogway then chuckled as he heard what Zane had done. (slipping notes about who they could have acted better when faced with an unknown being, be it friend, foe, or other). To move so fast and tied the scrolls to monkey's tail without being noticed. Maybe he should invite this 'Zane' to the Jade Palace. If only to see how skilled he was.

A week later

Animal Earth

China

Valley of Peace

Noodle shop

"Your secret ingredient soup is ready." Mr. Ping, a well-dressed goose with a noodle bowl themed hat, said to Zane, setting a large bowl of soup before him. "Thank you. I find this to be one of the best soups I've eaten." Zane said. Mr. Ping looking annoyed asked, "And who is better than me?" Zane ticks off on his claws. "My wife, my mother, my children, to name a few." Mr. Ping snorted, no longer annoyed. "Then you are lucky to have good cooks in the family. It took me forever to Po to be as good as he is now." Mr. Ping was talking about his adopted giant panda son, who was bring orders to customers balancing trays with skills that would make a tightrope artist envious.

"Even if he's on the plumper side, I can tell he's got graceful foot work." Zane pointed out. Mr. Ping laughed. "A skill I forced him to develop so he doesn't mess up the kitchen again." Mr. Ping returned to the kitchen as orders were coming in as the lunch rush started. Most of the residents of Valley of Peace were short, rabbits, pigs, geese, ducks, and few goats and sheep. As a result, the buildings were on the smaller side. Zane and Ivy were the subject of the rumor mill for the past few days and they got stares all the time.

Zane enjoyed the soup without complaint. A young rabbit tugged on his cloak. "Is she real?" Ivy answered the bunny's question. "I am real. Born of wood and sap instead of flesh and blood, I can see your mother is looking you." The little bunny bowed to her and ran back to his mother you looked a little frantic as she counted her dozens of children repeatedly, coming up short every time. Po came up to Zane and thank him repeatedly for preventing another 'Mama rabbit freak out' incident. "it's fine, he likely heard the rumors and wanted to know about Ivy from the source." Zane said calmly.

"Master is wise." Ivy stated, "Do you eat?" Po asked her. Ivy hissed a laugh and shook her head. "I require no food, only a little light and water every so often." Ivy stated. Po looked like he was told there was no food left in the world. "You don't eat? That's horrible!" He realizes something, "Oh you are a plant. Do you have a preferred water?" Ivy stated, "That are mineral waters I enjoy more than others." Po got called to serve more customers. "He is destined for great things, be it here or elsewhere." Ivy mused. "And you know this how?" Zane asked, knowing the answer but still asking. "He has the right mindset to succeed at whatever he chooses." Ivy said.

A few days later

Animal Earth

China

Valley of Peace

Bao Gu Orphanage

Zane walked up to the giant cylinder building and knocked on the door. An elderly sheep caretaker answered. "Hello, how can I help you?" He asked. "I wish to donate some items your charges may need. Blankets, toys, things like that." The caretaker, who was so old he was known as Elder to the residents of the valley, was taken aback and let Zane enter. The building had an open center room with five floors of rooms for the children to sleep in. Elder explained the 'basement' was for dinning area and storage. Children of all kinds were playing, watching, and being children.

"Children, our guest isn't here to take any of you, but he has gifts you will enjoy." Elder said in a voice that was warm but commanding. They watch as Zane puts his burlap sack down and reaches in up to his waist. His lower half was the only thing visible as he rooted around in what had to be a magic bag. This captured the children's attention. They watch in amazement as he came up with a stack of silk blankets of all the colors you could want. "These will keep you warm and comfortable no matter how cold it gets." Zane said before asking each one if they had a color preference then giving them a blanket stating, "This is yours to keep even when you leave this place."

Elder watched this with wonder. He looked at the blanket one of the children, a great horned owl, showed him. It was silk but carried a warm comforting feeling. This one had a scene of a starry sky with a full moon a little off center. "It's beautiful." Elder said giving it back to the child with a smile. Zane called out to the child that looked on from the fifth-floor railing. A young leopard cub, looking down with resentment. "What's with the glare? Come down here please." Zane asked patiently. The child glared harder and slinked off to his room. "I apologize about him, he was left here without warning a few years ago, and he hasn't gotten over the issue yet." Elder said

"The parents?" Zane asked, "Gone, left him here and vanished into the wind." Elder said with disgust. "He was skin and bone when he came here." Zane took calming breaths as he passed out stuffed animals and wooden wind-up toys (Same as the blankets, they were for the child to keep). "I'll go talk to him. What's his name?" Elder told him, "Tao. Be careful he lashes out if you try to get into his space." Zane nodded and looked through the piles of blankets. Finding the one he was looking for, he told Elder, "The rest are for future charges. I'll help you put the rest of the storage, then check on Tao." Zane started to move the blankets to the storage before Elder could say anything edge wise.

Ten minutes later

Animal Earth

China

Valley of Peace

Bao Gu Orphanage

Tao's room

The first thing Zane noticed was the claw marked walls. They were deep and jagged. Tao sat on his cot, brooding. "you missed out on a blanket." Zane says showing Tao a blanket with an eastern dragon coiled around a volcano on it. He takes it with a huff. "you just want to use me, like they did." He spat. Zane frowned at this. The cub looked to be only 7 years old at most. "were they not your parents?" Zane probed. "they picked me up after bandits slaughter my village, they told me themselves." Zane scowled. "Did they say why?" he asked, dreading the answer. "to con some pity money from animals." Tao said bitterly. "I once I learned what they were doing I refused to listen anymore, even if they topped feeding me."

"Then they left you here because you were no longer useful." Zane filled in the blanks. "You are smart for your age. Are you willing to accept my help in channeling your rage better?" Zane asked feeling the wall. Tao looked at him confused. "You want to know why I'm offering this opportunity." Zane said, reading him. "These marks are deeper than normal, meaning you have a talent for channeling your rage into your claws, making them longer and sharper." Zane demonstrating by doubling the length of his claws with flaming extensions.

Tao watched with interest. "but beware, uncontrolled rage leaves but a raging beast that knows not friend nor foe." Zane warned extinguishing the flames. "I will be harsh in my training, but it will be for a propose, not just to be malicious." Tao looked at him and asked, "Are you like the Kung Fu Masters? Why are you so covered up?" Zane smirked at this. "I do not use Kung Fu but know how to read it's styles in combat. The second answer is secret." Tao pouted at his answer. "tell you what. Impress me and I will show you what's under here." Zane does a sweeping gesture. This lit a fire in Tao. "I am ready to train at any time." Zane nodded then left to tell Elder he would be adopting Tao.

A few month later

Animal Earth

China

Valley of Peace

Pool of Sacred Tears

Zane and Tao were meditating at the top of one of the valley's highest peaks. The body of water was said to be the birthplace of Kung Fu for this world. As a result, it was place to gain understanding about yourself. Tao had taken to the Leopard Kung Fu style like a fish to water, if more aggressive than the standard version. When they weren't meditating, Zane would counter as Tao attacked. Tao was a fast learner. He found the 'openings' Zane made but hid. He didn't block. He was an ambush predator that struck when massive damage could be done. Sometimes he had to draw the foe into make those chances happen, but Zane assured him real life wasn't like training.

"Well, I finally get to meet you." Oogway says as he walked toward them. "And I final see the one who carries my staff's 'twin'." Zane greeted back. Oogway looked at Tao and seemed to know all he needed to know. "You have found someone that shares your ability for channeling rage. Was that what brought you here?" Zane shook his head. "I had a vision of myself traveling with staff in hand to a peach tree with it's 'twin' leaning against it." Zane stood up and stated "I know now I was called to help young Tao here. Even if the only family he has is a daemon of teacher, it's better than the cold-hearted con-artists that left him at Bao Gu."

"Ah, that is what you are. I wondered why you felt so odd. Your Chi is easy to read. Such rage yet love for life melded together harmoniously in chaotic way. You are a waking paradox." Oogway said laughing. Tao stops meditating and asked, "what does Master Oogway mean?" Zane just stated, "Train hard and the answers will reveal themselves. To tell you my answers would blind you to yours." Oogway nodded sagely. "Tao is welcome to stay at the Jade Palace if he can prove he handle our training." Tao looked at Zane expectedly. "I wish to try Master."

The next day

Animal Earth

China

Valley of Peace

Jade Palace

Training Hall

Shifu looked at Tao and asked, in a condescending tone, "Do you intend to waste my time, cub?" Tao bowed with respect and replied, "I wish to see where I stand and possibly receive training to improve." Shifu looked at Zane then back at Tao, "Does your father not train you?" Tao, still respectful but with steel in his voice, "Master is skilled but not in my style beyond the basics." Shifu arched a brow and asked, "What is he a master of then?" Tao stated with pride, "He is the master of Pankration. While not Kung Fu, it is a style I admire after seeing him show me it's hidden depths."

"It is a style used in Greece, a land to the west." Oogway stated. Shifu told Tao to hit him however he like. Tao spent the next hour trying to strike Shifu but the red panda was too skilled. The Furious Five watched the test with interest. "Not bad, for a cub." Monkey said "But he's getting angry. Anger leads to sloppiness." He eats those words when Tao briefly extend his claw strike, with rage energy, enough to shave off a chunk of Shifu's fur. Shifu looked at the fur and felt the bald spot, the size of a quarter, on his head. "You pass." He said leaving as he did calm breaths and muttering a mantra of 'He's just a cub, not HIM'.

"Shifu is not happy. Not in the slightest." Tigress said worried for Tao. "I'll say. That cub made Chi claws and shaved his head. The cub has good control too." Mantis said. "the flesh was not cut. Only the fur. That takes practice and someone willing to be a test dummy." The implications were not lost to them. "let's greet the newest members of the Jade Palace." Viper said, making her way over already.

"I am Tao Laskaris. IT is a pleasure to meet you." Tao stated bowing in greeting. They returned the greeting. "What was that trick at the end? It looks interesting." Crane asked, breaking the ice. "I channel my rage into a 'blade' that cuts only what I want, but I can get to stay on for more than a moment." Tao admitted, frustrated. "It's not for lack of rage. It's like I'm lacking focus or something." Tao reasoned.

Zane watch with pride as Tao talked to the masters. He didn't expect Tao to pass on the first try but it was a lucky break with the rage claw, which didn't draw blood this time. "He learned under you well. But there only so much you can teach him." Oogway stated. "once he learns what it takes to master his rage, that will be it and he will only have as his 'father' and no longer his 'teacher'." Zane said nothing as he held the staff firmly. "it is best he doesn't learn THOSE skills. It requires more than he has to offer." Zane said softly after a while. Oogway looked at him and wondered what hell would drive someone to learn such forbidden secrets that lay in the depth of Wrath.

"Let us hope he never needs more than he has." Oogway states as he hears Zane leaving to think on things.

Hours later

Animal Earth

China

Valley of Peace

Jade Palace

Peach Tree Hill

Zane was meditating under Peach Tree, pondering why he adopted Tao. It wasn't a bad choice, but it had felt important for some reason. He felt fulfilled, like he had, subconsciously, wanted to find someone that shared that trait with him. He settled on skilled needed to be passed on and users understood this need on a primal level, even if they were unaware. The desire to share information was normal. If everyone hoarded every scrape of information, no one would survive. Without meaning to, Zane fell asleep, leaning against the peach tree. His dreams were of Kida raising Atlantis to the surface using the spear that gave Ivy life and the Heart. Milo was there too, even had blue tattoos and there were eleven king stones. Zane smiled knowing she made the right choice for her people.

Few weeks later

Animal Earth

China

Valley of Peace

Jade Palace

Hall of Warriors

"before you are artifacts that represent heroes of the past who upheld the ideal of Kung Fu." Shifu said showing Zane and Tao the weapons, paintings and other things. "Why is there a trident that is insubstantial and untouchable by normal means?" Zane asked, pointing at an 'empty display. Shifu looks at him the display. "You can see the Invisible Trident of Destiny?" He asked. "A little. I have a feeling I not going to be its wielder. Like the amazingly crafted sword over here." Zane waked up to a Display titled 'Sword of Heroes'. He picked up the weapon and it let him use it. Zane shift it to a halberd then split the weapon into a dagger and short broadsword swinging at imaginary enemies with each form for a minute or two.

After a few minutes, Zane put the weapon back together and set back on its display. "Thank you for letting me wield you." Zane said bowing to the weapon. "How did I wield it?" Zane read from Shifu's face. "It's simple. It let me as I reminded it of its creator, a 'lowly' blacksmith." Zane walked past him to a large urn depicting wolf warriors, called the Urn of Whispering Warriors. "five hundred souls trapped in a jar, awaiting the day they are called to deal with ghostly threat." Zane said listening to the whispering that came from the mouth of the urn.

Shifu just stared as Zane as he looked at each display and commenting on each one. Tao followed him asking question. Shifu's plan was completely derailed and he had to catch up as they reached the reason for visiting this part of the Jade Palace. The Moon Pool sat at the back of the hall and Oogway was waiting for them. In the reflect of its water, with peach tree petals scattered over it, they saw the golden dragon statue, whose jaws held a scroll case.

"Behold, The Dragon Scroll. Written on it is the secrets of Kung Fu, but only the Dragon Warrior will receive it." Shifu stated, in a bitter mood. "Tai Lung will return." Oogway stated as he stared at the water. Shifu's mood got much worse. "HE must not escape." Shifu said. Tao wanted to ask but Zane shook his head. "It is time to find the Dragon Warrior." Oogway said, before prompting Zane to stir the waters. "Maybe you will see something important." Oogway said vaguely.

Zane stirred the water with his staff. What showed was a mishappen monster of a dragon in a colorful void being pieced repeatedly by an arrow that had no light and seemed to draw all color from around it. At the edge of the scene, was the archer's outline, multiple wings and a bow freshly fired. Like that it was over. "A Named Death Arrow." Zane breathed. "a what?" Shifu demanded. "you have heard of named something so it would for sure reach that the one that bore the same name." Zane said.

"What of it?" Shifu asked. "That was the origin of that tread in action. A projectile crafted by Death and Named with a Target that has defied it for too long. Once fired, it hunts its prey until it is dead and stays that way. Nothing can stop it, not even beings without the concept of death." The silence was deafening. "Master, has such a weapon been used in the past?" Tao asked. "No, that's why I'm worried. Death would only use it if everything else failed. The beast it hunts is not one I know but it might not exist yet." Zane said, troubled by what he saw. "Let it fall to the back for now. There is no use fretting over a vision that had not happened yet." Oogway said, not having expected this result.

A few days later

Animal Earth

China

Valley of Peace

Jade Palace

Hall of Warriors

Zane waited for the 'Dragon Warrior' to arrive. He let Tao and Ivy go to the festivities in and chose to wait at the Moon Pool watching vision of the past, to understand who Tai Lung was. The results were mixed at best. He got snippets of Oogway and all his students' lives but very few about Tai Lung. "Come one Moon Pool! Work with me!" Zane requested. The Pool showed him Po flying via a firework chair and landing in front of Oogway, then being declared Dragon Warrior. "This is happening in real time. Convenient." Zane said.

Ten minutes later

Somehow Oogway made it back to the temple before anyone else. "Your Pool has a sense of humor." Zane informed him. "oh, and what did it tell you?" he asked amused. "Everything but what I was looking for. There are no records about Tai Lung I can get at and everyone is tight lipped. Now I know all about the many members of this temple's pasts but not about him." Zane grumbled. "ah, Tai Yung was groomed by Shifu to be the Dragon Warrior, I warned him of the dangers of this choice but Shifu did not listen. Tai Lung lashed out when he was told the truth and was imprisoned." Oogway said stirring the Pool to show the events. "One, the Pool is Bias. And Two, that is snow leopard that needs refresher lessons." Zane pointed out.

"I'm sure you time watching the past will help you done the road." Oogway stated, leaving Zane to ponder his words.

An hour later

Po arrived, with Tao and Ivy, and gushed over the artifacts of the hall. He almost knocked over the Urn, but Tao dived, catching it. "please be careful, Po." Zane said as waited by the Pool. "Zane! I didn't know you were staying here." Po greeted. "This little dude was telling me you were training him." Po gestures to Tao, "Yes, I adopted him and training him to the best of my ability." Zane said calmly. Shifu proceeded to put Po in the start of the Wuxi Finger Hold, a deadly move that can send the victim to the Spirit Realm (it's a one way trip the afterlife basically), as he pointed out why he refused to call Po worth of the title he was chosen for.

At this time, Tao asked Zane a question. "Master, I don't mean to be rude, but I have an aunt who may be alive. She's a leopard with a white coat. I'm not sure who she is or if she's even related to my mother. I just remember her visiting a dozen times." Zane whistled, calling his army of Pipe Foxes. "I need you to search for a snow leopard, female, at least in her 30s. She may or may not smell related to Tao." Zane ordered. The Pipe Foxes smelled Tao and memorized his traits. Shifu and Po stared at the scattering yokai. "That is awesome!" Po gushed. "You have too many secrets." Shifu stated, still not trusting Zane.

Two weeks later

Animal Earth

China

Valley of Peace

Jade Palace

Peach Tree Hill

"Po has talent but Shifu doesn't seem to see it." Zane said, talking to Oogway under the tree. "Each has their own way. The truly enlighten can see these paths and help each find them." Oogway stated with a knowing smile. "You know something about Tao's family, don't you?" Zane asked, putting together the cryptic words Oogway had said to Tao over the past weeks. Small things like the flowers the grew in his old village, some names of folk that visited his parents, and things like that. "I keep tabs on past students and their families. Many 'disappear' for whatever reason but there are cases like Tao's where trouble finds them. Master Snow Leopard went 'ghost' four or five years ago, even my network hasn't spotted her." Oogway paused with a frown. "Is she hiding from some group?" Zane asked, "I crossed paths with some folk that were in hiding from war lords and the like. I respected their choice and kept my lips sealed."

Oogway nodded wisely then slyly smiled as he stated, "Then you dealt with said reasons for them hiding. You took a lot of detours before you reached the Valley. Bandits talk of a bat winged demon taking out criminals in droves then vanishes. You can't help but to give aid to those less fortunate." Zane sighed. "you saw what I look like under these clothes when you went undercover in a village that was going to be attacked." Zane laid out the details of how Oogway happened to be in one of the places that bandits attacked but were stopped by Zane in Daemon (Mantled mode). "Guilty as charged. I needed to see if the demon was like the ones faced in the past." Oogway said.

A few weeks later

Animal Earth

China

Valley of Peace

Jade Palace

Zane saw an amazing sight. Shifu being nice to Po and training him in a way he understood, mainly food related methods. But with the good came the bad, Oogway ascended to the Spirit Realm and Tai Lung had escaped. Zane sighed as he stared at the valley below. There was no news of Snow Leopard's whereabouts and strange rumors of bandits leaking green mist traveling to parts unknown. A Pipe Fox returned and whispered grave news. Snow Leopard was being hunted by a being that 'smelled like rot' and was making her way here but it'd take weeks. The Being hunting her was rather dogged in its pursuit. Even after being stopped by Shifu's former teammates, Master Elephant and Master Rooster, who she sought for aid, this being just kept coming back.

"Must be undead or possessing corpses." Zane muttered as the Pipe Fox described the being have been a crocodile, a tiger, a wolf, a bison, a snake, and rabbit at least once. All smelling of rot and hunting without rest. There was a delay from each time it was stopped, meaning it had a stockpile of corpses somewhere it could jump to. "Spread the word to find where it's coming from and everyone will get double the treats." Zane ordered. The Pipe Fox rubbed up against Zane's hidden face then zoomed off.

A week later

Animal Earth

China

Valley of Peace

Jade Palace

Hall of Warriors

Zane was helping rebuild the Jade Palace after the battle with Tai Lung ended. Tao had participated in the battle even though he was asked to long move the more breakable artifacts, like the Urn, to a safer place. "The secret of the scroll is that there is no secret." Po told Tao showing him the gold mirror interior of the Dragon Scroll. "That sounds like something Master Oogway would say." Tao said satisfied that the Urn was perfectly center on the pedestal. "Dude, you work fast. Two days ago, this place was trashed." Po complimented Zane. "And you are crazy enough to figure out the Wuxi Finger Hold in time to use it on Tai Lung. Good work using your naturally heavy-set body to the fullest." Zane said. Po was immune to precise chi strikes and could springboard by using his gut and butt. Getting body slammed or treated like a bowling pin was another fate that befell Po's foes.

The work stopped as an exhausted Master Snow Leopard, dressed in a blue vest, white leg wraps, brown gloves, pants, and cuirass, entered the hall, the doors still needed to be replaced, panting a requesting Master Oogway's aid. "He is no longer with us." Shifu said stiffly, he had parted on bad terms with his teammates. She didn't need look at him because her priorities were not greeting him properly. "You!" She points to Zane. "Can you deal with a cave of cursed corpses?" She requested. "Master can deal with that. He's dealt with worse problems." Tao said turning to see who was talk. "Tao? What are you doing here? Why aren't back at the village with your parents?" Snow Leopard asked confused.

"We'll get back to that after you explain what you meant about the cave." Zane said. She told them about a cave that bandits were using as a hideout. She had attacked the hideout only for pandemonium to start when a green gas started to leak from deeper in the cave. The reason she called the place cursed was because of many sealing tags that were torn of the previously sealed entrance by the bandits. She showed them one of the sealing tags. Zane had look that was cold as he asked, "Where is the cave?" opening a map for her to point out.

"Master, what are we dealing with?" Tao asked, looking at the design on the sealing tag. It was made up of symbols so tiny and numerous it looked impossible to replicate. When she pointed to a mountain labeled 'Demon's Fall' Zane answered, "In the past, there was a demon by the name, Drazzunaath. No one knows where he came from, but he got trapped in his mountain shaped fortress and billions of sealing tags like that were placed along the tunnels to keep him trapped. Only one of the thousands that lured him survived to place the seals." Zane stated. "No one knows what his plan for the mortal plane was nor did they care after he released a cursed fog that you know the effects of already."

"Death followed by corpse puppets for him to send out and do tasks." Snow Leopard said, checking to make sure something in her hip pouch was still there. "You took something he wants." Zane said. "Show me." She reluctantly hands over a scroll. "You are hunted so doggedly because of this. The counter spell to the seal that keeps Drazzunaath trapped in a shadow version of his fortress. You found this where?" Zane said. "On one of the bandits I integrated to find the hideout. He was going to put it on the black market on their boss's orders." Snow Leopard said. "I sealed the entrance to the best of my ability, but they must have opened it up enough for one to get out at a time."

"Can we now talk about why my nephew is here?" She asked. "It's best if we talked elsewhere." Zane said leading Tao and Snow Leopard elsewhere.

An hour later

Animal Earth

China

Valley of Peace

Jade Palace

Peach Tree Hill

"And that is why he is here." Zane finished explaining. Snow Leopard was doing a calming exercise. "If only I had known, I would have been there to save his village." She said metaphorically beating herself up. "Or you could have died with his parents. You had no idea and he is fine now. He has all but mastered what I set out to teach him. I have breached the subject with him already but there will be a time when I have to leave. He will always be my son even if I'm not here to see the progress he's made in becoming a Master of Kung Fu." Snow Leopard looks at Tao questioning.

"Master told me a month ago. I'm happy he adopted me, but he has family back home." Tao said calmly. "so, he adopted you knowing he'd leave you behind?" She asked. "Master's family as a creed to never forget family no matter the lack of blood bonds or distance between them. They are also known to get extremely lost but find their way home." Tao said snickering. "How long until another puppet is released?" Zane asked. "A few days. The delay is because they are denser than granite and have to be given detailed instructions to get the scroll back without damaging it." Snow Leopard stated. "I'm sure he's got countless puppets ready to use. He seems to 'keep them fresh enough' within his fortress. I noticed after they leave, rotting takes hold and they expire farer away they get." She details. "the latest one was dust in the wind at the start of the Thread of Hope. So, this place is safe enough."

A few days later

Animal Earth

China

Demon's Fall Mountain

Fortress interior

"You picked the wrong opponent to face, Drazzunaath." Zane said in Daemon (Mantled Mode) as he destroyed corpse puppets in droves with each attack. The counter spell has two major clauses to it. Drazzunaath must face an opponent in a declared challenge and win. The second clause was that he would not be immortal for the duration of the challenge. The group that trapped Drazzunaath, made it so he'd be vulnerable if he wanted freedom. It reminded Zane of another prison, from Doctor Who.

Five minutes later

The heart of the fortress

"So, there you are." Zane said looking at Drazzunaath's 'body', a gargoyle looking demon with spiked arms and craggy body. "you may have cleared out my army, but you will not be able to defeat me and escape out the top. (The Fortress entrance is at the top of the mountain and the room they were currently in was at the second deepest part.) Give up and your death will be quick." Cursed mist flowed from Drazzunaath's mouth continuously as he spoke. He spoke in a voice that promised sweet nothings and would make the weak willed give in to the cursed fog.

"Your tricks won't work." Zane said as he strikes, shattering both the demon and the obsidian throne he was sitting on, with a devastating punch. Drazzunaath's voice just echoed around Zane. "Fool, I may not have immortality, but I am the Fortress itself!" It was Zane's turn to smirk. "You used magma to shape this black mountain then capped the magma chamber one floor below us. What happens if I destroy the fortress?"

Drazzunaath's voice turned fearful. "NO! You will die too!" He pleaded as Zane punched through the floor and started breaking the magical stones holding the soon to be volcano from erupting. "Do your research next time!" Zane yelled as the mountain cracked and melted from the super charged magma.

An hour later

Animal Earth

China

Lip of the Crater

Shifu, the Furious Five, Po, Tao, Ivy and Snow Leopard had watched as the mountain was destroyed and the crater in sat in filled with lava. "Did he win?" Po asked. Tao, who was holding Zane's staff, was looking for some sign. "Even if he's some ascended being, I don't think anyone would survive a dip in at lava." Monkey said. Zane had showed them what he looked like as Daemon (Mantled Mode) and they were impressed at the secret was worth the wait and all their failed attempts at getting a sneak peek.

"Master lives!" Ivy hissed as Zane did the backstroke toward them. "Always have plan b when challenging someone on their home turf." Zane said as he got closer. "If you weren't in lava, I'd punch you for making us worry." Shifu sighed. "Was that concern for me." Zane asked amused. "I know I'd get you to like me even a little bit." Shifu rolled his eyes. "You have good points and are a skilled warrior in your own right." He admitted as Zane floated over the lava and shook off the still clinging lava.

"The Demon is dead, and the world is saved, for now." Zane said, landing, leaving burning footprints. "Still too hot." He mutters before lounging on the grass leaving a scorched shadow on said ground. "Vote we rename this place Daemon's Spring." Mantis said as the lava refused to cool. They agree with this idea.

A few months later

Cartoon Network Earth

The middle of Nowhere, Kansas

Zane looked at the lone house with a chicken coop, barn, and creaking windmill. It looked that same as the last time he was here a few decades ago. He parks his moped in the barn, activating the anti-theft measures (a cloaking forcefield he had added recently), and walked on to the porch. One of boards broke making his foot get jammed up to the knee. "Eustace! I warned you about that board! Now someone's gone and broke it and may be injured!" The irate but concerned voice of Muriel Bagge, yelling at her husband followed by a yell of pain as a wooden rolling pin met flesh. "I was going to do it today! It's not my fault someone didn't read the sign I left!" Eustace argued.

The front door opened and Courage, a pink dog that was afraid of a lot of things and could pull of some toon tricks, checked to see who was at the door. He jumps from foot to foot as his front paw go to his mouth. "OH NO! I'll get help!" Courage said running back inside as Zane waited, the wood hadn't pierced the skin and Zane didn't see any 'signs' anywhere. He leaned to left and noticed a hole. "Where's my SIGN?" Eustace, a grumpy glasses wearing toothless bald farmer wearing a pale-yellow shirt, olive green overalls with black buttons, a dark brown hat and large black shoes, demanded taking off his hat scratching head in frustration as he grumbled about thieving rodents.

"I believe it was stolen before I got here. Help again, Eustace." Zane said as Courage returned with a saw and cut around Zane's leg. "Oh, it's you. What do you what?" Eustace demanded, being a total grouch as usually. "I was in the area and wanted to see how you folk were doing." Zane said. Eustace grumbled, but nicer this time, "It's nice of you to come by. My back hasn't ached in two decades. That sample you gave me worked wonders." He said before yelling into the house, "MURIEL! Zane came by to visit!" He goes to his pickup truck and drives off to get planks and nails to fix the porch. Courage removed the broken planks looked at Zane's leg critically, the pant lag had been pushed up and there was light bruising at best.

"Oh my! I hope you are alright, dearie." A gray hair glasses wearing woman, wearing a dark yellow dress, a bright yellow apron, and a pair of sturdy black leather boots, said as she surveyed the damage. "Come inside and I will put on the tea." Muriel was the nicest, sweetest, Scottish farmer's wife you would find on this world, even if her husband could be a real piece of work.

Once inside Zane sat down at the small kitchen table as she bustled about making tea. Muriel hummed as she works. "How have you been the last 20 year?" She asked. Courage sat down with a bone to gnaw on as Zane gave a simple version of the last two decades. Muriel seemed to pick up on something. "What's got you worried?" She asked. Zane sighed, "You are good at picking up on things." She gave him a look as she poured tea. "in the latest world I visited, the one where everyone is an animal, I saw a vision someone firing a Named Arrow at a beast that is vaguely dragon but too mixed up to be called one." Courage shivered in fear as Zane outlined what a Named Arrow was.

"I have a gut feeling it's Electra, my daughter, that I saw." Zane sighed, "I was informed by Death that it will happen. That beast will be shot with that Named Arrow by someone. Just to point out, I am total pants when it come to firing a bow." Muriel patted Courage and stated, "If she is as willful as you are, she'll be fine. You protect so many people and worlds, and you're more worried about your family. I'm not sure if I should compliment you or scold you." She said with rueful smile. They were aware of other worlds because of the crazy shenanigans that they've had to deal with. Zane just rolled with it.

"I'd love if you'd stay for dinner." Muriel said, giving him no choice but to say yes. "Lovely! I'm making a lamb stew for dinner." Courage perks up, "You can have the leg bones." She says knowingly. As Courage's tail wags. There was a knock on the door and Zane answered it. Standing on the porch was a short green furred gypsy Chihuahua. "Are you Zane Laskaris?" She asked. Her eyes were heterochronic and were a little odd looking. "Yes, may I have your name?" Zane asked. "I am Shirley, a Medium." She lets herself in and sets a crystal ball on the kitchen table.

"I have found him." Shirley says into the crystal ball as it got misty and glowed. "Deal Maker, I'm calling in the favor you owe me." A female voice said from the crystal ball. "Sally, you have been dead for 200 years, why haven't you passed on yet?" Zane asked. "Never mind that!" Sally snapped. "I need you to go to punch the head off that rude Jamaican's neck that killed me. He was bony and wore all black. Do that and I will pass on." Sally ordered, then stated, "I'm footing the bill to you." The crystal ball went dark.

"that will come to a total of 2 grand plus tip." Shirley stated. "ten grand in hundred-dollar bills, if you keep the name of the Deal Maker hidden." Zane said passing over a stack of bills. She counts it, checking to see if it's fake money. "It's a pleasure doing business with you., Deal Maker." She said taking the crystal ball and leaving. "Zane, who is the Deal Maker?" Muriel asked. "It's side business that I run that revolves around me offering deals looking like this." He shows them his Daemon (Mantled Mode). Courage screams in fear and hides. "Sorry about that. I forgot how scared you can get." Zane apologized as he returned to human form. "I offer fair deals where both sides are bond by a contract magic." Zane finished explaining.

That night

Cartoon Network Earth

The middle of Nowhere, Kansas

Courage was in the attic typing away at a boxy computer. "What is Contract Magic?" He said what he typed. The Computer in a crisp male British voice answered, "Well, you got into some troubling circles." Courage typed the question again. "Fine. Contract Magic is one of the nicer ways you can make a deal with a demon. All parts of deal are in 'black and white' or Red and white, in this case. Breaching the contract in anyway is ill advised for both the twit and the demon involved." Computer stated.

"Who is the Deal Maker?" Courage says as he types. "You really are in deep trouble." The Computer snarked, bringing up pictures of the Deal Maker, the summoning circle, and a dark red bottle of ink and a red feather pen. "The Deal Maker is the fairest 'devil' you could bargain with. He can grant almost anything for the right price but break his deals and it gets bloody. A small town was erased when they refused to hold up their end. Good riddance to those foolish cultists." Courage was almost having a panic attack as he types even faster. "How do you avoid angering him?"

"Play by his rules, you Twit. It's not like he's sleeping in your home." The Computer snarked. Courage typed out what he knew about Zane. He trusted Zane but he needed to know more, for the sake of his family. "Ah, I was unaware of this information. I will do the smart thing and not tell anyone. I prefer my circuits intact." The Computer said, "His Clan is older than dirt, and widespread." Courage jumped out of his skin (Remember this world has toon physics so it literally what happened) in freight as Zane spoke behind him. "You could have just asked." Zane waited for Courage to put his skin back on.

"I'm not angry. In fact, I expected you would search the web for information. But I didn't expect you had an AI aiding you." Zane said. "Can you tell me if there are any reports of a 'boney Jamaican' killing people in the last 200 years?" He asked typing the away at the keyboard. "I would recommend Endsville, a small town near Mexico, Townsville in North Carolina, Glendale in California, Genius Grove also in California, or Adultville a suburb in Virginia. These places have a high level of 'weirdness' happening very often. Whoever you are looking for, is doing a good job of hiding their tracks." The Printer next the Computer printed out important details about each place mentioned as Zane's eye twitched. "How names a town 'Adultville'? That has to be the weirdest name I ever heard. Yes, even weirder than Townsville." Zane types.

"I don't know what the founder was thinking. Good Luck on your search." The Computer said. "I'm going to bed. Se you in the morning, Courage." Zane said taking the stack of paper with him. "He has a long search ahead of him." Courage said then yawns and heads to bed himself.

A few days later

Cartoon Network Earth

Somewhere in the Midwest of USA

Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends

The deep, deep, basement

"You summoned me for what?" Zane in Daemon (Mantled Mode) asked looking at a small brown-haired child, around 8 or 9 years old wearing a red shirt, tan pants and black snickers, and a blue blob with an annoying smirk. "To prove demons are real! Madame Foster had this book in the library for who know how all." The Blob said showing him an extremely dusty and atlas (the book of maps) thick tome, causing a dust cloud as he flips past the warning sections in the first half of it. "It says here that you can grant requests for 'Compensation', whatever that means." The blob said as the kid had a fearful expression. "BLOO! You didn't tell me that was price! He could ask for our souls!" The blob, Bloo, just puts an appendage on the kid's arm saying, "Relax, Mac, I'll beat him at paddleboard and get him to wave the fee." Hi tone was smug and arrogant. Zane created a dozen fiery hands and provided to arm them with said toy as Bloo stared in shock. "Nice try but no one gets my service for free." Zane said as he finished showing off.

"Bloo, Master Mac, what are you doing down here?" Mr. Herriman, a posh gentlemanly Rabbit as tall as a man, asked as he hogged into the room. The monocle dropped from his eye as his eyes went from the book, circle with the offering and lit candles, before landing on Zane. With a thump he fell forward as his eye rolled back into his head. "We are so busted." Mac sighed. "Where are we right now?" Zane asked. "in the deepest part of Madame Foster's mansion. She takes in Imaginary Friends that don't have a place to stay." Bloo said, trying to lift the out cold rabbit. "So, you and this posh hare were thought into existence?" Zane asked as he walked past the edge of the circle and threw the rabbit over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "I made Bloo, Madame Foster made Mr. Herriman." Mac said as they headed for the stairs.

Many flights of stairs later

Cartoon Network Earth

Somewhere in the Midwest of USA

Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends

The foyer

"Bloo where is that book you took from my private library?" a tiny old woman, with gray hair in a bun, wearing a green sweeter, glasses, and holding a cane threateningly, demanded in a scolding voice. "Don't be mad, but it worked." Bloo said as Zane walked up that last of the steps. "Zane?" Madame Foster asked, shell shocked. "Martha?" Zane asked at the same time, just as shocked. "I haven't seen you decades. How have you been?" Madame Foster asked with a smile. "Oh, you know, making deals, dealing with people that don't get logic, things like that." Zane said. "You were just turning five when you stole the book from your mother's library. One of my first contractors and nice about the limitations at the time." Zane reminisced.

"You helped me steal the cookie jar for the same fee of one of the cookies. Best deal I made at that age." Madame Foster says as she and Zane walk off. "Dude! I had no idea that was her first name." Bloo said. Frankie Foster, Madame Foster's 22-year-old red-haired granddaughter, walked by in her usual outfit, white shirt with bunnies on it, bright green zippered hoodie, navy blue shirt, orange socks, and blue snickers. She was the caretaker of the household. At this moment, she was trying to reassure Eduardo, a big faced purple furred minotaur imaginary friend who wore gray pants with a skull belt buckle and had a Spanish accent, that Bloo wouldn't summon a Chupacabra.

"Bloo, tell him you didn't summon a goat eating beast." She requested as Eduardo was crying a river, blubbering about the poor goats. "We summoned the Deal Maker. He much cooler than that creature." Bloo said, making Eduardo blink confused, the water works stopped for now. "Who is the Deal Maker?" Eduardo asked scratching his head. "Is he nice?" Bloo shrugs "He helped Mademe Foster steal cookies when she was five. He must be at least friendly enough to talk to." Frankie looked at Bloo and asked "You summoned the Deal Maker? The demon that Great Grandmother bashed in the head with a rolling pin repeatedly."

"was it for helping her steal the cookies?" Mac asked. "Yup. Great Grandfather was laughing as Zane left after she splintered it over his head. I'm not sure if he was even hurt. Grandmother told me he was taking the fall and putting show to tell her kids down the road." Frankie said amused. Coco, an Imaginary Friend that was the combination of a palm tree head, a squiggly red mouth, airplane body and legs, walked up and asked "Coco?" World, an Imaginary Friend that was just a face that could control things without faces (currently possessing a patchwork doll), looked surprised at her question. "What do you mean you know him?" World asked crossing his arms. "Coco." She said. "one of his minions saved your creator from the deserted island she was stuck on, but you stayed behind as payment?" World asked shocked.

Coco laid a large plastic egg and out of it hatched a copy of the contract. "Wow, he's got airtight wording to his contracts." Frankie said reading it. Bloo remembered something. "I never asked for anything!" He stated, "Good thing he can't leave until a deal is made or I let him leave." Bloo says rubbing his 'hands' together with an evil grin. "call everyone, we've got a contract to plan." He says.

A week later

Cartoon Network Earth

Somewhere in the Midwest of USA

Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends

One of the many hallways

Zane walking with Wilt, a tall and twiggy basketball theme Imaginary Friend with red skin, only one arm (the other was a stump), and one working eye stalk (the other eye was busted). "So, you fulfill contracts via magic?" Wilt asked looking down at Zane as they walked. Wilt's Shaq (the real-life player) sized snickered footed squeaked with each step. "yep. It's a nice gig. They summon me and I write up the contract. Once they agree to the terms and sign, it's binding and legal. Then I fulfill it then or later, depending on the wording, and leave." Zane explained. "It doesn't seem fair for Bloo to keep you here a week just so he can get the best deal possible." Wilt said, conflicted.

"Don't worry about it. Bigger the deal, more my Contract Magic will grow. Everyone will be chipping in of the cost." Zane said. still conflicted, Wilt said, "if you are sure." It was silent save for his shoes, then he asked, "How was Madame Foster be one of your first contract if you had much older contract?" Zane sighed. "Others have asked this question and answer is simple, I know couple beings that can 'bend' time." Zane creates an image of the 'Embodiment of Time' in Electra's world of spirits. "This being was interested in the project and you don't say no to the chance of a Lovecraftian being that is willing to bend over backwards to be apart a project." Zane said.

"That makes enough sense." Wilt said. "There you are!" Duchess, the snobbiest Imaginary Friend Zane has ever met, interrupted in a rude German accent. She was 2-D and her heavily perfumed yellow skin burned Zane nose. She wore super ritzy fur clothing and had a tapir trunk like nose. "You smell like money." She said. "I request you give me a silk blanket." She said. "Any color preference? And are you aware it won't free?" Zane asked writing up a contract for her. She gave a long-winded explanation of her tastes that Zane wrote word for word.

"Your payment will be an honest compliment about me." Zane said, letting her read it over. She narrows her Picasso-like eyes. And signed. "Do a good job and we'll see." She said as Zane signed, the contract glowed, and a blood red wax seal appeared in the corner, proving it was binding. She walked off as Wilt balled a fist. "I really don't like her and that's saying something." He said. Zane reads the name she signed. "Her Royal Duchess Diamond Persnickety, the First, Last and Only?" That was a mouthful of a name.

An hour later

Cartoon Network Earth

Somewhere in the Midwest of USA

Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends

Duchess's room

Zane entered her room with the silk blanket that was the perfect shade of pink, as she requested. She looked so angry that he outplayed her. She could find nothing wrong and had to comply with her end. "you are a nice flowing handwriting" She says. Zane smiles and makes the bed with the new blacket before leave.

A few days later

Cartoon Network Earth

Somewhere in the Midwest of USA

Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends

Sitting room

"And that's everyone." Zane said, handing Bloo a copy of Hollow Knight, three days before the Team Cherry this world was planning to release it, "Sweet! You even include the promised DLC when it releases next year!" Bloo said. Madame Foster smiled and said, "You didn't have to take some much of your time on the other contracts you wrote up." Zane just smiled as he passed her a present. "One custom made knife set and wood block storage in return for a dozen of your famous cookies that you only make once a year on the anniversary of the 'Great Cookie Hoist'." Zane said taking a box of cookies from her.

"You're welcome to visit at any time in the future." She said as Zane returned to where had been before he was summoned.

A Day later

Cartoon Network Earth

Adultville, Virginia

Zane was stopped at a park in the outskirts of 'Adultville' and was finishing the last of Madame Foster's cookies. "Better than her mother's cookies, and that a praiseworthy feat." Zane said. in the background, a battle between five kids that spoke at the same time in droning voice and another group of five kids, they were 'normal' compared to the first group, that had improvised weaponry, like ketchup and mustard guns. "Delightful Children From Down the Lane, you will not keep this park all to yourselves!" A bald kid with dark shades, red sweater, gray shorts and brown hiking boots declared.

"Nigel Uno and KND, how wonderful it is for you and your friends to come and play." Delightful Children From Down the Lane (Will be shortened to Delightful Children from this point on) said as they sent play set robots to battle the KND. Zane noticed that the Delightful Children were blinking in code. "we are trapped, help. plans at house." Zane decoded. He dove off to their house, called Delightful Mansion From Down The Lane on the iron gates.

An hour later

Cartoon Network Earth

Adultville, Virginia

Delightful Mansion From Down The Lane

Father's office

"You will let me out of these chains at once!" A man with black pompadour, glasses, suspenders, white shirt, and bowtie, bellowed, bursting in flames, as he rolled around the floor like a baby having a tantrum. "Oh, shut up you failure of a parent." Zane said. Father's real name was Benedict Uno, making him Nigel's uncle. "I already dealt with your father in a more permanent fashion after I found out what he did to children." Zane snapped as he read documents. Ben was shocked, "You killed him?" Zane threw a book at his head saying, "No you fool. I made sure he'd never go super evil ever again. He's a dotting old man that love his children. Messing with his soul was not in good taste but it was the only way to stop him from coming back to his evil self."

Ben fumed as his ultimate plan was stopped. "Here we are, The science behind the Delightfulization Chamber." Zane cracked up the book and began to read. "You can't undo what I did to them! It's permanent." Ben said, only to get another book to the face. "Maybe for you, but I've got skills that work on a deeper level than your science works." Zane said. Zane gagged him and put him in a trunk before posing as him, complete with the all black skin suit that made Father look 'more mysterious'.

The five children returned and greeted him unaware of the switch-a-roo. "Children, I found a way for you to get the perfect Father's Day gift for me without too much hassle as the last few years have been for you." Zane said doing Father's voice perfectly as he lit a pipe. "how is that?" the Delightful Children asked. "summon the Deal Maker and ask for whatever gift you think I'd like." Zane hands them an old book with a bookmark in it. "Be careful with the wording of the contract. Make sure to read the chapter about the warnings." He stated and they nodded leaving the room.

"now to see what this 'KND' is about." Zane sat down after looking at the calendar, a few days until Father's Day.

A few days later

Cartoon Network Earth

Adultville, Virginia

Delightful Mansion From Down The Lane

The Dungeons under the house

"Sign here and I will make sure the gift you described is given." Zane, as Deal Maker, said offering them the quill. The Contract stated they had to give up a negative event that happened to them. "Father will be Pleased." They say as they sign. Zane watched as the magic happened. The football helmeted kid was the first to notice some wrong. They started to glow and vibrate. Then in an explosion of energy they were throw in five directions. Zane returned to human form as an armchair with bow on it appeared in the gloom room, the contract completed.

"welcome back, Sector Z." Zane said looking at the five groaning kids in heavily clothed military and samurai fatigues with a Z on their hats. "That stung worse than that beehive weapon we were asked to test." Bruce, a short blonde boy, codenamed Numbuh 0.1, leader, groaned. Weapon of choice, Carrot nun chucks. "you mean the one that Constance thought was a good idea?" David, a tall brunette boy, codenamed Nunbuh 0.2, second in command/Tai-Chi Operative, pointed out as he lay on the ground in pain. Weapon of choice, Eraser-tipped Spear.

"Didn't we all brainstorm that weapon?" Lacy (she doesn't have cannon name, so I gave her one.), a tall blonde girl, codenamed Numbuh 0.3, Umbrella Swordsman, inquired as she hung from a rafter limply. Weapon of choice, Umbrella. Lenny, an African American boy, codenamed Numbuh 0.4, Hand-to-Hand fighter, just laughed, even as it hurt, because he had been the only one not to test said weapon. Weapon of choice, boxing gloves. "Shut up Lenny! Just because you had an exam that day doesn't mean you can say 'I told you so.'" Constance, a brunette girl with pigtails, codenamed Numbuh 0.5, 2x4 Technology Officer and Combat Chef (Unknown what her role was but this is what people speculated.), snapped as she was tangled in chains. Weapon of choice, Kitchen utensils.

Zane was just watching amused at their banter. "who are you, adult?" Bruce asked, noticing Zane. "I am someone that decoded you blinking message and orchestrated Father getting to 'retire' in way." Zane said. Benedict Uno was too afraid of Zane to dare to be evil ever again after Zane showed him what lay in the darkness. "Wait, what?" Lenny asked, his laughter interrupted. "He really is just a coward that was ready to see what's out there in the deeps of 'darkness'." Zane said. "Now to get you checked over for any lingering issues." Zane commented as he scanned each member, pausing only to get them on their feet and dust them off.

An hour later

Cartoon Network Earth

Adultville, Virginia

Delightful Mansion From Down The Lane

Father's office

"It worked?" Father asked as Sector Z gave him the new armchair. He was looking at Zane with fear. "You were a bad father after you converted us into that form, but you still were nice enough to get a Father's Day gift." Constance said as they stared him down. "Thank you?" Ben said as he sat on the new chair. "it's perfect." He said melting into it. "Now that here's the issue we need to talk about." Bruce said. "We are from an orphanage. (once again, not cannon but true for this fic only) And seeing as you are no longer evil and officially adopted us, that make you our primary caretaker in eyes of the adults."

Ben caved without Zane even doing anything. "Please I'll do anything! Don't let Zane show me that place again!" He begged. "Wow, you really worked him over." Lacy said. "the Documents are already taken care of and he is willing to house you for as long as you want to say." Zane said as Ben nodded rapidly. "We need to lay low for a few weeks." Bruce stated. "Um, there's a family dinner planned next week with father and my brother's family in attendance." Ben said, "I was going bring it up, but he shoved me in a trunk, bound and gagged, for a day or two." He points at Zane shakily.

"As far as any adult remembers, you always looked like that and not your 'delightful' forms." Zane pointed out. "It was an effect of the Contract you signed." The elder man known as Grandfather came into the room hobbling, back bent and cane gripped tight. "I'm sorry I'm late to the gift reveal." He said hobbling at a snail's pace. "Take it easy, gramps." Lenny said helping his adopted grandfather to Benedict's old chair by the fireplace. "You are such nice grandchildren. Always helping me around the house. Nicer than by cowardly son, Benedict." Grandfather said. "But he does have his good points. A sharp mind for profit and wonderful taste in armchairs." Ben had been ready to get angry but then he heard the nice things Grandfather had said. "I was so busy planning for the upcoming dinner I didn't get you a gift." Ben told Grandfather. "Would you be willing to take my old chair as a rushed gift?" Grandfather just patted him on the back. "That's alright, I know how much you put into that dinner even if you don't like your brother. This old chair will do this year. Try to do better next year." He said.

The next day

Cartoon Network Earth

Adultville, Virginia

Sector V Treehouse

"Team, the Delightful Children are up to something big." Numbuh One said, talking to his team. "What did they do this time?" Hogarth, an overweight American boy in blue and brown, wearing an aviator's hat with the number two on it, codenamed Numbuh Two, 2x4 technology specialist, said as he was tinkering with a model spaceship set. "make it impossible to walk on sideways?" He joked. Kuki, the happy-go-lucky Japanese American girl in an oversized green long sleeve shirt, codenamed Numbuh Three, Diversionary Tactics and Medical Specialist, was playing with one of her Rainbow Monkey animals.

Wally, the brash blonde bowl cut Australian kid in an orange sweater and blue jeans, codenamed Numbuh four, Hand-to-hand combatant, looked up from the video game he was playing and said, "They are ways up to something. Numbuh Five why are you glued to the screen?" He was asking that last member of this KND Team. Abigail, a slender African American girl known for wearing her blue shirt with a white stripe down the sides and a red cap, codenamed Numbuh Five, second-in-command/spy. She was watching the KND Nightly News.

"Guys, we've got a problem." She said. the headline that was crawling sent a chill down that spines. 'decommissioned KND agents of all ages remember everything'. Everyone stared as Numbuh 10 and KNN Anchorman, said the following. "yesterday morning a wave of energy swept over the planet and undid the Decommissioning that former KND agents get when they become teens. There is pandemonium but the parents of the current KND Agents seem to be 'acting normal' for now." KNN Anchorman, an African American kid in a suit and tie, (He doesn't have a real name, so I'm calling him Ted) said clearly rattled. Numbuh 10, a ginger haired girl, named the current most beautiful KND female agent, continued with, "IN other news, the existence of the Delightful Children Down The Lane seems to no longer exist in the mind of any adult."

Numbuh Five turned off the TV as it sunk in what happened. "So, what did they do?" She asked Numbuh One. "Invited my family to dinner in five days. At their Mansion" Number One said as his shades hung from one ear. "So just you, your parents, alone in enemy territory for hours." Numbuh Four said, "sounds like you have your work cut out for you. We can be on standby to bust some heads." He offered. Numbuh one shook his head. "No, I need to get them to gloat about what they did, if they are behind this event." He stated. Numbuh Three started screaming out of nowhere as stuffing leaked out of ripped stitch on her stuffed animal. "Don't Die 'Tea Party' Rainbow Monkey!" She was crying a river at this point. She ran out of the room and they heard her running outside and down street, screaming and crying the whole time.

"Let's not go after her." Numbuh Four said, knowing from experience how deadly she was when you mess with her stuffed animals. "Where is she headed?" Numbuh One asked. "some pop-up odd job shop." Numbuh Two said looking at a business card. "It's called 'Zane's Odd jobs! Crafting fixing, delivering, and more'. He sells all sorts of stuff, like this modal spaceship set." Numbuh two showed them the incomplete model made up of colorful piece. "It looks more like gumdrop than parts of a spaceship." Numbuh Five said, looking at a piece. "He called it 'a gummiship'. Must be a Scifi/fantasy type spaceship." Numbuh two said. "My parents bought the complete collection for cheap so he can drum up business. They had to sign a contract and hand spread the word, but I got over a hundred new models to put together."

Numbuh Five looked at him sharply. "Your parents might have met an agent of the Deal Maker." She said in serious voice. "He's a Daemon with the ability to grant anything, for price." They hung on her every word. "He uses Contracts to enforce the terms of the deal. From the legends, I believe he's ok if a bit strict on what he won't do. Immortality is big no-no and when he tells you not to do something, heed his words." She made sure they were listening as she told them of a demon faced Urn that would give you a home baked dessert once a month if you feed it a nugget of coal or charcoal each day. "I've been looking for the rest place of the Urn of indulgence been no luck yet." She finishes with a grin.

"There has to be some draw back to that." Numbuh One said. "Oh, there is. You must always, without fail share the sweet gift it spews with other or all you will taste is ash." Numbuh Five says as the gasp in fear. "That's horrible! How would make something like that?" Numbuh Four asked. "The Deal Maker, of course, he was asked to make the greatest of sweets by a selfish king and he did so. The king didn't heed the warning and died with an ashy tongue." Numbuh Five said.

Elsewhere

Cartoon Network Earth

Adultville, Virginia

Zane's pop-up shop

Zane heard her before she slammed the door up, wailing. "Can I help you?" Zane asked, more like yelled over her wailing. Kuki showed him 'Tea Party' Rainbow Monkey, a monocle wearing tea green furred monkey with a mini rainbow on an antenna on top of its head. She explained its seams ripped and he needed to save it. She called it a him, but Zane just rolled with it because he had meet toys that were alive. "You read to read this then sign it before I can fix your monkey. It's policy." Zane said handing her a Contract. She stopped crying a blow her nose on the handkerchief Zane offered her. "By signing this I, the recipient, agree to the payment of delivering the Flame Compass to Abigail Lincoln, in return for All my Stuffed Animals getting a look over and possible repairs as needed." She read not seeing Zane burn the snotty cloth with a little magic.

"So, I sign this, and you will check all my Rainbow Monkeys over?" She asked. "I'm not allowed to let visitors come to the tree house." She said worried. "I am obligated not to reveal any secrets I find during the job to anyone if you don't want me to. It's in the contract." Zane pointed out said clause to her. "Ok! Nigal won't mind if that's the case." She states signing. Zane signs it and tells her, "Keep this as proof of the deal. And I'll fix this one up now." Zane takes the stuffed animal to his worktable and looked at the damage. "this wasn't your fault. The thread they used had a weak patch and this is the poor monkey that got the bad thread." Zane said as he stitched it up in moments. "And done. I'll come by tomorrow to look at your collection." He slides the monkey to her along with a stone disc, the size of a record, with makings and holes in it. "Thank you, Zane!" She said hugging her monkey skipping away with the stone disc under her arm.

An hour later

Cartoon Network Earth

Adultville, Virginia

Sector V Treehouse

"You were asked to deliver this so you could get your monkeys looked at?" Numbuh Four asked after Numbuh Three explained why she was bringing an adult over tomorrow. "That's the Deal Maker for ya. Pulling strings for his goals." Numbuh Five said as she looked at the 'Flame Compass' with interest. "It the second half of the Map to the Urn!" she declares with a snap. "Looks like I'll be hunting it down after all." She was smiling.

The next day

Cartoon Network Earth

Adultville, Virginia

Sector V Treehouse

"nice base." Zane said as he walked around. "don't get too comfortable you are here on a job at that it." Numbuh Four said annoyed. "Numbuh Four, please keep in mind he is a guest, even if he is an adult." Numbuh One commanded. "And why is he a guest?" Numbuh 362, supreme leader of the KND, a blonde girl wearing an aqua-colored jumpsuit, an orange sweatshirt with purple stripes, and gray and brown sandals, asked. "Um, Supereme leader. You didn't say you were going to call from the Moon base." Numbuh One said flinched at her glare. "you didn't give me an answer." She stated, waiting.

"Now, now, Rachel T. McKenzie, this is a simple transaction with the Deal Maker." Zane said as she froze at his words. "I believe you made a deal with him a few days ago. Something about a gift for Father's Day." She backed down. "may I have your name, agent?" She asked. "Zane Laskaris, handy man and proud father of at least two daughters. I've adopted too many beings to list." Zane said. "Just do what came for and don't blab to anyone." Numbuh 362 sighed. When Zane was guided to Numbuh Three's room she asked.

"why are you involved with his agents? We have enough trouble with the remember wave that has rendered our Decommissioning tech spotty at best. It works on the true traitors but does nothing on anyone else!" She ranted. "Do you think it's the effect of a Contract?" Numbuh One asked. She goes to say something, pauses, flipps through some stacks of paper and settles on "I'll have R and D look into that angle." She ends the call, kicking herself for not thinking of that. "Smart thinking there, Numbuh One." Numbuh Two said, still tinkering with the gummiship model sets, "We were toast for sure." He pauses and asked, "Do you think she knows about the other effect of the wave?"

"What other effect?" Numbuh Five asked, looking up from the TV. "A bunch of kids and teens got brain fried for some reason. Turns out they were a part of a splinter group no one knew about. No idea what their crazy ideas were but there were members everywhere in the KND and Teens." Numbuh Two said. "I also heard the Teens are have an intergroup conflict because of the 'remember wave'." Numbuh Four commented as he booted up his handheld game. "How did you hear those things? There haven't been any reports to the Tree House about that." Numbuh One asked arching a brow in confusion. They both show memos that stated what they had said, in the official KND code but lacking the stamp saying it was set.

"I have the feeling the Deal Maker fast-tracked the memos before the KND Mail division got around to sending it out." He mused looking at the Moon base seal in the corner and signature of the Supreme Leader. It was real as you can get but no time stamp from the mail room. "I'll bring this up with Numbuh 362 when she calls back." He said, going to his room to do some research. "I told ya. The Deal Maker has been pulling stings here and there for eons. He does it to complete Contracts that are more difficult to uphold. Some are left open ended because they can't be completed for years." Numbuh Five laughed.

"How do you know so much about him?" Numbuh Four demanded. "Ya, you seem to know a little too much about him and his agents." Numbuh Two added. Numbuh Five goes to her room and returns with photos of old walls. "Look at these and tell me what they all have in common." The two boys look at the photos and not the different languages but all depicting the Deal Maker, a scroll or tablet, and someone signing in some form. "He gets around?" Numbuh Four says, unsure. "These were taken at several place around the world dating back to different eras. To spare you the headache, that is dozens of languages here, some that have been dead for more than 5,000 years." Numbuh Five said. as she showed them a cave painting of Deal Maker with a strange weapon pointed at a keyhole shape. "I found this gem of early history that must be over 20,000 years old. Time is not an issue for the Deal Maker." She finishes.

"He's older than the adults!" Numbuh Four declared. "He's an alien!" Numbuh Two declared at the same time. Numbuh Five sighs. They didn't get her point. "The point is he's planning for the long haul. Even if we don't know what his plan is, what I do know is that this cave painting proves he doesn't want to destroy the Earth." She points to the keyhole shape. "That mysterious thing he's 'locking', it was uncovered with a warning on it." She waves a hand as she says the rough translation. "black things eat it, life gone." She gathers up the photos saying. "My gut says it better off sealed."

Meanwhile

Cartoon Network Earth

Adultville, Virginia

Uno Household

"are we really going your brother's house? He is an enemy of the KND?" Jenifer (She doesn't have a cannon name) Uno, a British American lady with auburn hair, former KND agent Numbuh 999. Her husband, a large man wearing red plain and suspenders, Montgomery "Monty" Uno, founder of the seventh age of KND as Numbuh Zero, pated her back. His mustache and balding head reminded the spying Pipe Fox of Eggman. "He's changed, from fear, but still he's changed." He stated. "The Deal Maker is involved. And you know I need to get to the bottom of things when HE is involved."

Jennifer sighed then grabbed the Pipe Fox in an Iron grip, faster than a viper. "I knew someone was spying on us." She says as the Pipe Fox tried to act innocent, but she gave a mom glare. "Nice try. I have a kid who can't fool be wit that look." She said as the Pipe Fox shivered. "Honey what do you make of this?" She asked. Monty looked at it. "This is one of Zane's Pipe Foxes. HE tends to be around when the Deal Maker has a stake in things. Who knows how old he is now? I met him in the temple of the fourth flavor. He promised via a Contract he'd recreate it and that was decades ago." The Pipe Fox pleaded to be let go. "Listen here and listen good." Morty said. "Tell Zane to meet me at my brother's dinner party or I will tell everyone about the Gumbo Bot Incident."

The Pipe Fox had a clueless look as it tilled its head cutely. "Honey, I don't think he told anyone about that. You never told me." Jennifer said. Sighing Monty just told her to let the Pipe Fox go. It zipped off the moment she did. "I never wanted to be recommissioned." Monty admitted. "It was easy to be Montgomery the dad that tries his beat to be a good day." He looked at a sousaphone shaped mug that said '#1 dad'. "You are, just with your KND self in the mix." She said. "Never really like the rule about Decommissioning agents at 13. Maybe things will be different with the Deal Maker's muddling."

Days later

Cartoon Network Earth

Adultville, Virginia

Delightful Mansion From Down The Lane (Renamed to the Uno Mansion)

Dining room

The dinner started a tense note as the adults stared down each other. Nigel broke the silence by asking, "So, you are my grandfather. Why hasn't my parents told me about you?" Grandfather stirred his mash potatoes on his plate as he said, "I wasn't the nicest person when I was raising them. I imagine Montgomery wanted to rise you away from a toxic environment." Monty and Jennifer stared at Grandfather shocked. "I told you he's changed." Benedict said pointedly, "After the cobwebs were cleared and the fall he suffered, he's been 'nice' for once." He didn't mention the wave, but they knew he was implying it.

"Was this before or after the power surge hit us?" Jenifer asked. "Before." Benedict stated, "He Signed up for a new treatment and he's been more aware than he has for decades." Even the kids noted the emphasis on the word 'Signed'. "Hey! The Deal Maker has nothing to do with that weird wave that tasted like Purple." Zane said when everyone looks at him. "How can you taste the color Purple?" Bruce asked that the seemingly random comment. Nigel and Sector Z had talked before dinner was ready and what up to speed who they were and what had happened to them. Nigel's parents haven't revealed who they were to him yet and Sector Z wasn't going to reveal it to him on Monty's orders.

"When chaos is involved, things get 'out there'. tasting colors is just the tip of the infinite iceberg." Zane said with a fond smile. "Anyways, the point of origin of the wave was Eris, Greek goddess of Chaos, Strife and Discord." He shows them a stone apple that had the words "Play my game or 'bad things' with happen". They looked at the stone fruit with worry. "Where did you find that?" Benedict asked. "At your doorstep in full view of all the cameras that she winked at when she left it for me to find." Zane said, showing them a screen snap of a blonde woman wearing a white toga, sandals, gold bands on her wrists, and a crown on her head.

"You have got to be kidding me! She's the brat that nearly killed us in the Jumbo Bot Incident!" Monty said ticked off. They both shudder that the mention of said event leaving everyone else confused. "Not going to explain it." Zane said flatly. "Just know she finds mayhem to be the only entertainment in life. If she's bored, she entertains herself at everyone else's expense." Zane explained this version of Eris (that is multiple versions of the gods for the multiple worlds that exist at the same time.). This version of Eris was the most annoying in Zane's opinion.

The gears were turning in Nigel's head. "You're Numbuh Zero?" He asked his father. "You got a smart kid, Numbuh 999." Zane said to Jennifer with a smirk. Nigel's shades slipped off as he realized the truth. "But, How?" He said, speechless. "Bringing up that event tipped him off." Zane said. "IT's the only file in KND that is redacted to the point the only ones that can see the file name is sector leaders." He helpfully points out. Monty just shrugs. "We would have told him after dessert. It's not that easy explaining your parent aren't who you think they are." His wise words rung true. "Would now be a bad time to reveal that Zane has the legendary Uno family cake recipe that KND fought and failed to get at the battle of the Alamode?" Constance asked.

Benedict looked at Zane with a withering look, asking, "How do you have it?" Zane smirked as he said, "It's a Laskaris family recipe before it was an Uno family recipe. Your many times great grandmother got it from my family with the promise never to share it with anyone other than family, even if the 'tradition' of not letting other people have said cake is not what we meant, you can change that, Benedict." Benedict cowered in his seat. "Crystal." He whimpered. Monty laughed, "So, that's why you aren't evil anymore." He turns to his wife and says, "My foolish brother got on Zane's bad side and was shown something so terrifying he's got a new worst fear." Benedict gives his brother a glare. "How can you be so calm when there is beast so angry even darkness itself fears it?"

Monty looks confused. "You mean the Mad Rocker? Zane told me the legends. I wasn't crazy enough to want to view the Realm of Darkness to see said legend in action. That would be traumatizing." Monty said, proving he was wiser than his coward of a brother.

A few weeks later

Cartoon Network Earth

Somewhere in Africa

Zane stumbled out of a time portal with a book wrapped in cloth. Eris was waiting for him with a golden apple in her hand. "Did you do as I said?" She asked. "Yes, I followed every step to the letter, switch this book for the crystal with the message you made me do in it. Put a chaos glitter bomb fake book after destroying the fake that was in the case already, primed as you instructed. And returned with the real book via the time portal you provided me for this dimensional time hoist scheme." Zane ground out. Eris smiled evilly. "Good. Hold on to that book for a while and meet up with Henrietta von Marzipan at the temple 500 miles that way, on foot, walking only." She points to the east, the thickest part of the jungle as far as Zane could tell.

"Remember, I can set of the 'big one' and it's be devastating if something happened to those cities." Eris said in a mocking valley girl voice. Zane grumbled about her nastiness as he walked east.

A few hours later

Cartoon Network Earth

Somewhere in Africa

Temple of Ash Tongue

"So, want to go for milkshakes?" Numbuh Five asked a blonde-haired girl in explorer's outfit complete with monocle. "We can ask the Urn for some when we find someone to share it with." Henrietta von Marzipan said, carrying a demonic looking urn in her arms. "Are you Henrietta von Marzipan?" An annoyed Zane asked as he burns the bullet ants off his body. "Because I've the most annoying day doing the whims of Eris, half of which were just chores she thought up to because she could." Henrietta looks at Numbuh Five and asked, "Do you know him, Abigail?"

Numbuh Five explained to her German Candy Hunter friend who Zane was as far as she knew. They felt the ground shake as a pirate ship, that was partially made of candy, plow its ways but leaving no damage as it traveled. "Is that the Sweet Revenge?" Zane asked. The girls didn't get to answer as Stickybeard, a 'candy pirate' with a peppermint hook hand and peg leg, a ginger haired beard with lollipops and small candies in it, and his ship's jolly roger on his hat, leaned over the side of the ship and yelled. "You best be willing to share that booty or you will be ash mouthed." Zane waved back at him. "Hey! Stickybeard! How is that curse of ours?" Zane yelled.

"Is that you, Zane?" Stickybeard said, dropping them a licorice ladder to climb. The girls shrug and follow Zane up onto the ship.

Ten Minutes later

On board the Sweet Revenge

"So, you cursed yourself to get a ship of the Deal Maker. And it was Zane that did the writing of the Contract?" Numbuh Five asked as they talked over triple chocolate milkshakes. The Candy Pirate crew was having milkshakes too, avoiding the ash mouth curse. "aye. The Deal Maker can be contacted with two different ways. The first is to summon one of the Deal Maker's crew. They could be the lowly cabin boys all the way up to the second in command, Zane." Stickybeard explained, "The other method is much more elaborate and much dicier." He paused to take a drink.

"How so?" Henrietta asked. "I think he's implying the second method is the Deal Maker's private phone number." Numbuh Five said. "Exactly." Stickybeard said pointing his hook at them. "You need to weigh if your request is important enough to even bring before the Deal Maker. One wrong move and he could blacklist you from his services for life. Or worse, he could give you a bad deal just to spite you." Stickybeard warned them. "Seeing as I only wanted a magical ship, I chose the first method. I made the circle and chanted after putting a chocolate bar as an offering in the middle of it."

"I was expecting someone lower on the chain of command, but low and behold, Zane appeared looking a little tired." Stickybeard chuckled. "He summoned me after I finally got a bunch of paperwork done." Zane added. "He didn't ask for much, so the cost wasn't too intense." Stickybeard stroked his namesake with a chuckle. "Ok, you got your ship and your namesake. How did you find out about the Urn of Indulgences?" Numbuh Five asked. "Zane told me about it as thanks for the hot chocolate I made him as we were ironing out the Contract. He looked like he needed it." Stickybeard stated. "This is for you." He hands an invitation to a private event at the Townsville Museum.

"you are cordially invited to the grand opening of the Age of Aki exhibit party. Suit and tie are not required." Zane read out loud. A second note fell out, a yellowed handwritten one in Japanese characters instead of English. Zane unfolds the second note and a fond smile appears as he silently reads it. It read as such, 'Old friend, I, and my wife, Ashi, are eternal grateful for what you did after Aku was slain. The last five hundred years have been the best year we could have asked for. If are reading this than we have passed and our great grandchildren have done as you requested, sharing want the world almost was under the rein of Aku. We would be honored if you attended the event as the guest of honor. Farewell brother (As in a battle brother).' Zane gently folded it back up and put in somewhere safe.

"What does it say?" Numbuh Five asked. "one of the last letters from Samurai Jack." Zane said. "I got thrown into the Aku era when I was tinkering with runes and we talked from time to time. Between Aku wanting him dead and me getting into my own messes. We were Battle Brothers. I even got to stab Aku in the eye in the battle to save Jack. Got thrown back Jack's era for my troubles but it was worth it to hear Aku's screams of pain." Numbuh Five had a burning question. "How was his wife still alive if she was Aku's daughter in the future? Aku was killed in the past, stopping her birth from happening." Zane has a short answer for that. "Chaos, yes that one, took pity or something and made her his daughter replacing the missing half that was Aku. (Not cannon). And as you know, when a Primal does something, logic can see itself out the door."

A few days later

Cartoon Network Earth

Townsville, North Carolina

The middle of traffic

Zane was idling in the middle of a traffic jam, a common problem for Townsville, with helmet visor lifted, watching the ongoing fight between a giant robot pointed by a mutated chimpanzee named Mojo Jojo and the trio of little girls with super powers (Flight, higher durability, laser eyes, super strength, super speed, and extreme temperature tolerance were some of the basics they had.). Zane turns to the limo next to him and found it was the extremely short white-haired mayor with a bushy mustache. "Hello there. I don't think I met you. Are you a traveler?" The Mayor said, tipping his top hat. He daftly readjusts his monocle as the ground shakes from the battle happening.

"Sir, that's Zane Laskaris. He's the VIP that was invited to the party in a few days." Ms. Sara Bellum, his red-haired lady secretary in red dress and heels, said with a sigh. "Oh right! I forgot." The Mayor said with cheerful tone. "Since we'll be here for a while." Zane was interrupted when the highway ahead of them crumbled, the falling cars with saved by a black-haired little girl in green flying quite fast. "Care to explain what's going on?" Ms. Bellum in grateful voice said, "Certainly. The Powerpuff Girls are the local superheroes. The one in green is Buttercup, stronger and faster than her sisters but a little on the brash side." Buttercup waves at them as she zooms back to the fight.

"The blonde-haired girl in blue is Bubbles, the more caring and understanding one of the sisters. She has shown linguistic skills and 'sonic screams', for lack of a better word." Zane sees the last one, a red-haired girl in red wearing a big bow on her head, freezing the robot with her breathe. "And Last but least, Blossom, the leader, has super smarts, frost breath, Fire breath, extra senses, and the best grades of all of them." Ms. Bellum said with a smile. "Their father, Professor Utonium, raised them well." Zane could hear the monkey swearing revenge as he was being punched out of his robot and into the town jail.

"How long until the road is fixed?" Zane asked. "Less than an hour. We have very efficient workers." The Mayor said as construction crew started to rebuild at extreme speeds. "Are they superhuman?" Zane asked. "Nope, just people trained to the extreme." The mayor said with a goofy smile. That made a little sense, unlikely but possible if they were determined enough to get a job down right at a good pace. "Could open this pickle jar?" The Mayor asked. Zane popped it open and took a pickle before handing it back. "Mmm, that's a crisp pickle." He said between bites. The Major smiled. "Why thank you. I had them (the company that made the product) jar with only the best cucumbers in the best brine. Aged to perfection and shipped to my office by the crate. Darn lids are a pain to open."

"They were made to last so, small price to pay." Zane says with a shrug. "Mr. Mayor, are you alright?" Blossom asked she and her sisters flew over with steaks of light in their colors trailing behind them. "OH my Gosh! It's Zane Laskaris!" Buttercup said with big grin. She and Zane fist bump. "Who?" Blossom asked. "a famous musician that is known for his emotional loaded song. He does covers of other artists as well." Buttercup explained like it was the gospel. "what cute snake!" Bubble said as Ivy peek out of the saddle bag she was napping in. "That's an Inland Taipan, made of wood?" Blossom said sharply but trailed off confused.

"So, are you here for a concert or something?" Buttercup asked. "No, I'm here of the Age of Aku event party. I was invited because I'm an old friend of the family. Time portals can pop up anywhere at any time." Zane said with chuckle. "wait you experienced life I n the Age of Aku? How bad was it?" Blossom asked. "a runner up for one of the worst places I've visited, in terms of things trying to kill me. Had some interesting folk that were quite helpful in their own ways. Being eaten dozens of times was one of the more annoying events from my time in that era." Zane said.

"UGGG! I know what you mean. The monsters try to eat me, and I have to punch my way out, smelling awful." Buttercup complained. "I have to that multiple baths if the smell doesn't go away." Her sisters grimace, clearly remembering how bad she'd smell at times. Ivy hissed and only Zane and Bubbles understood what she said. "Master, why are you talking to these sugary smelling hatchlings." Bubbles giggled. "your voice is as lovely as your Bark? Or is it scales?" She wondered. "It matters not hatchling." Ivy hissed in a motherly tone. "What is she saying?" Buttercup asked. "She called us sugary smelling hatchlings." Bubbles explained.

"that's a weird way of describing what we smell like." Blossom mused, "Maybe the Professor can explain this."

An hour later

Cartoon Network Earth

Townsville, North Carolina

Professor Utonium's house

Professor Utonium's Lab

"Interesting. This snake appears to have otherworldly senses." The black-haired professor said looking at the results of the test he put Ivy through. "I'm no expert on magical beings so I'm not sure what the baseline is for cases like this." Bubbles asked Ivy why she described the things as she did. This was what Ivy said, "Master is sharp and spicy with a blend of flavors. you and your sisters smell sweet but different from each other. Your father smells like a smooth rich coffee." Bubbles relied this to Professor Utonium.

"I think I get it. She can 'taste' the soul of the beings around her. I made you girls with sugar, spice, everything nice and Chemical X." He said. "Sounds like you used the conceptual method of creation. Most men of science don't even touch it because it's too 'unpredictable' for that egos to handle." Zane said. "It was a spur of the moment choice, and the chemical X was not planned to be added." Professor Utonium said. "makes sense. I didn't think you planned to make a trio of little girls with Superman power set." Zane said amused. "I had noticed the similarities after giving Buttercup my comic book collection a few weeks ago." Professor Utonium said.

A few days later

Cartoon Network Earth

Townsville, North Carolina

Townsville Museum

Event Hall

Zane walked up to the podium as Ageha, Samurai Jack's great Granddaughter and looked like the spitting image of her Great grandmother did in her twenties, introduced him. "As you know by now, I witnessed the Age of Aku firsthand and documented everything I could. The exhibit will have photos drawings and copies of the scrolls I made of that time along with copies of Jack's perspective, among other things." He paused for a breath, "secondhand experience will never match firsthand, but I hope you at least understand why sharing this information is important. Knowing the what could happen has a chance of preventing it. And no, the locations of the time portals are not described fully for safety reasons." He gets chuckles from the guests.

Zane sat back down with sigh. The exhibit would be moving to different cities and the many children Jack and Ashi had before their death would be there to present it to the public. Ageha slipped him a letter that told him to go to The Guardian's portal.

A few days later

Cartoon Network Earth

Undisclosed location

"About time you got here." The Guardian, a bald blue skinned man in a black suit and had red round shades on, said as if he had been expecting Zane. Behind him was a pillar of light, a Time Portal that many have tried to use, many died and littered the battlefield Zane had passed to get here. "Guardian. Why was I asked to come here?" Zane requested with a bow. The Guardian had defeated Zane in battle in the Age of Aku, doing his one job for the eons. It was simple, protect the portal and only let the destined one use it.

"at least you are more polite than how the 'future' meeting happened." The Guardian said. "As I recall we pummeled each other until the portal told you that I didn't intend to land near it." Zane stated. He had been spat out by a rogue time portal near the Guardian and things went bad fast before the Portal intervened. "You put up a good fight too. The reason why you are here is simple. There is something you need to see." The Guardian said as the portal showed Eris standing before a giant tree, that felt wrong, laughing madly. "You need to kill that tree before it's too late." The Guardian said as the shot panned out to show the world ruined. People fleeing from beasts of chaos being 'grown' on the tree like fruit.

"That is what she's planning? End the world because it 'boring'?" Zane asked. The Guardian shrugged, "Hard to tell. This has a 97% chance of happening across all the possible outcomes the portal read. The Tree can't be cut by metal but it's too strong to be pierced by anything else." He said and Zane didn't like those odds at all. "It's already planted somewhere and hidden by her power, so that path is blocked." The Guardian stated, "Then how can I deal with it?" Zane asked annoyed. The Guardian grinned "Jack used the portal to travel to a time period where he could find a Gummiship and found an answer."

Zane realized what happened. "He asked the World Serpent on Earth Atlantis to give me a weapon strong enough to piece the tree but not made of metal." Zane laughed. "The man destined to use the portal behind me used it not for himself, but for others. That is why he was destined to be the one to use it." The Guardian explained. "He did a round trip, knowing you were this world's only hope. Bide your time and strike the tree when the moment is right. That brat of goddess can't see or hear anything that happens here, not that she cares, so the surprise in on your side." Zane sighed. Maybe killing this facet of Eris would be a good idea after all.

A month later

Cartoon Network Earth

Unknown location

"Yes, absorb the mayhem, my masterpiece." Eris said crooning to a tree whose roots were sucking up the 'chaos' she was creating. "it took over 10,000 years for you to grow but it doesn't matter! I will throw this world in chaos and become powerful enough to be the 'true' Eris, not the one that they mock and ridicule. I will do what Bill Cypher fail to do and bring about the TRUE weirdmageddon!" Eris laughed, sounding completely unhinged as an aura of Darkness crept off her body and her eyes turned yellow. Heartless appeared around her ready to obey her commands. The Keyhole of this world was sealed but just maybe, with the power of the tree, they could take the heart of the 'Mad Rocker'.

A few days later

Cartoon Network Earth

California

Genius Grove

Dexter's house

Zane was visiting at 'consultant' of Professor Utonium. He wasn't sure what he was expecting. "Can I help you?" A blonde man, that looked like a stereotypical golfer dad wearing glasses, asked. Zane looks at the name on the paper he was holding. "I'm looking for a 'Dexter'? Professor Utonium sent me to help him with a project. Something to do with the increase in 'increase of unexplained mayham' to simplify Dexter's wording." Zane shows the man the extremely complicated wording of the letter. He stares at it then opens the door saying, "I have no idea what that means but come on in."

Zane followed the man to the kitchen, where an orange-red haired woman that looked like a cleaning obsessed housewife, given she was eating lunch with yellow rubber gloves on. "Honey, that professor sent someone to help with Dexter' school project. You know, the one I have no clue how to help with?" Dexter's dad said. Zane looked at their kids eating at the table as the dad sits back down. A tall girl with blonde pigtails and wearing a pink ballerina outfit, eating noisily. The other was a short kid with his mother's curly hair, same color too, wearing a crisp white lab coat, black boots, purple gloves and glasses, eating politely and efficiently, making little noise.

"Dexter, who's this guy? Some biker nerd?" The girl said with her mouthful of food and sounded a little annoying. "Deedee! He is not a 'Biker nerd'! He is Zane Laskaris! A respected warrior, inventor, and historian among other things." The kid, Dexter, said in annoyance with a Russian accent. He looks at Zane and says in a respectful voice, "I apologize for my ignorant sister. She only cares about boybands, unicorns, dancing." Deedee rolled her eyes and went back to eating, even louder to annoy him. "I understand completely your frustrations with her. She has much different priorities in life than you." Zane stated taking a seat when Dexter's mother told him not verbally to.

"I noticed you're married. do you have any kids?" Dexter's father asked. "Two daughters, one who's married and the other who is going to be 17 this year." Zane said. "That's wonderful." Dexter's mother said. "what's the project Dexter is working on about?" Zane mused how he would explain it. "There had been environmental oddities lately and Dexter thinks he can find the source by triangulating like you do with an earthquake." Zane dumbed down. "You can use a triangle to find something?" Dexter's dad asked. "Dad, I know the math is above your paygrade but if you know at least three points effect by the same wave, you can get a good idea where it started roughly." Dexter explained.

"Oh! Like knowing where fish will be based on where they were sighted." Dexter's dad said, getting it in his own way. "Close enough." Dexter sighed as he finished eating. "May I be excused?" Dexter Asked. His mother nodded and Dexter lead Zane upstairs, to his room. Then he goes through a complex security system to open the door to his lab.

Dexter's lab

"Thank you for coming. The mayham is getting worse by the day." Dexter said as they walked through his lab that was as large as a city (Spatial expansion tech had to be at work for it to fit in the house.). "Computer, bring up the data on the 'chaos beasts' that were sighted." Dexter said to the jumbotron sized computer. "It can't be! I sealed the Keyhole. There should be no point for the Heartless to be on this world." Zane said staring the footage of heartless doing property damage across the globe. "Heartless? Hmm, I theorized they were aliens, but you seem to know their name." Dexter stated as Zane took out a thick tome on every Heartless that was known, Zane added quite a sizable share of the entries because of his 'insider sources' (Hannah).

"This will help narrow down what we are dealing with." Zane said. "The magic musical themed floating top family." He comments looking at sightings of all the emblem Heartless that were related to the Red Nocturne Heartless. "A bunch of Ghosts. The Plant Family, that's going to be annoying." Zane comments. He groans as images of Bomb Heartless teaming up with Cannon Heartless were next. "Great. How is the world still functioning for the past week with these attacks happening?" Zane asked. "The 'Heartless' seem intent on causing mayhem, not destroying lives. The Locals of each area push them back, but this thing appears at every place, sucking something up before vanishing underground." Dexter states bring up an image of some flytrap eating energy from the air.

An hour later

They hand found that Eris wasn't picky and had practically all the non-boss Heartless wreaking havoc, both pureblood and Emblem, and like clockwork, that strange plant popped up and sucked up energy. Just as Zane closed the book when 'Mandark', Dexter's tall and dark-haired rival, called. "Dexter, I something weird is happening." He looked at Zane and blinked. "Oh, they actually sent help." Dexter looked angry. "Boys, can we please focus on the mayhem issue?" Zane interrupted. "Oh right. An hour ago, in Endsville, the invaders were getting eaten by something." Mandark, who's birth named was Susan Astronomanov (his parents are hippies), reported bring up footage of a Large Body being pulled into the ground by a black tendril.

"NO! NO! This can't be happening!" Zane said flipping through the book looking in the 'extreme danger to a world' section. "Are feeling ok?" Mandark asked. "what you are looking at is a Tentaclaw Heartless. If that is there than a Leechgrave isn't far behind. It uses the Tentaclaw as limbs to cannibalize other Heartless. Best strategy is to find the source of the Tentaclaws ASAP and be ready for toxic pollen the Leechgrave is know to use." Zane showed them a drawing of a pink flower with a face and below it was chained coffin, it's main body, with something looking out a hole in the lid.

"That's done to scale, right?" Dexter said looking at the six-foot figure that was barely a tenth of the height of the Heartless. "It's a rare Heartless that even Heartless don't like. If left alone it can grow even bigger." Zane said, dashing out of Dexter's lab and out of his house, driving at top speed for Endsville.

An hour later

Cartoon Network Earth

Endsville

Zane stared at the scattered bones, black robe, and scythe, laughing. "Watch where you're driving!" The skull yelled in a Jamaican accent. "Sally the cat sends her regards." Zane said smirking as he took off his helmet. Grimm, the local Grimm Reaper blinked. "Sally the cat? Wasn't that the name of that half blind cat I had to reap 200 years ago?" He looks at Zane's face. "Don't I know you from somewhere?" A little girl with blonde hair wearing a pink dress with a yellow flower in the center, black Mary Jane shoes, white socks, and blonde hair accessorized with a black headband, looked at Grimm's current state then at Zane.

"Strike." She says with pleasure. "Mandy! I am not bowling pins to be knocked down." Grimm whined. "Mandy, have you found Grimm yet?" A kid with a big nose and the stupidest look on his face, asked he walked up. He was wearing white short sleeved t-shirt with a thin horizontal blue stripe, a pair of blue jeans, a red baseball hat and white and red sneakers. "Grimm got bowled over like bowling pins. Billy, would this be a strike or a spare?" Mandy asked. Billy looked like his brain was cooking itself as he final answered. "If a strike is where you get all the pins in one go, I'd call it that." Billy had his rare moments of intellect.

"Some best friends you are." Grimm said as Mandy snaped her fingers, getting Billy to collect the robe and bones. "I'll hold on to this, if you don't mind." Zane said taking the Scythe before Billy stabbed himself with it. "Grimm, how do you deal with coffin swinging monster?" Billy asked. "because Heartless are battling it by the school and are losing." Zane quickly assembled Grimm and said, "There is a Leechgrave and it need to die quickly."

A minute later

Cartoon Network Earth

Endsville

Endsville Elementary School

"How dare you define me!" Eris screeched at the titanic Leechgrave as it devoured every one of her Heartless army she had sent after it, like it was a snack. "That's not going to work." Nergal, a black demon in a suit, who may or may not be a Babylonian fire god, said as he watched the goddess screw up big time. His son, a pale skinned dark-haired little kid with jagged teeth, lime green eyes behind glasses, named Nergal Jr was watching and eating popcorn. "Dad, why did you not warn her not to use that 'seed' she found in the Realm of Darkness?" Nergal laughed sadistically. "But I did. I said it was a Heartless army killer. It's not my fault she did hear me capitalize Heartless." Nergal Jr got it. "Good one Dad."

Put me down this instance!" Eris shrieked as she was dangled over the maw of the Leechgrave's coffin. I hope Dad gets here soon." A giant Underworld Spider, that Billy named 'Jeff', said as his wife, an arachnoid (looks like Arachne but is an alien from The Spider Planet in Galaxy Omega 9) with dark hair, pale skin, poison green spider body, wearing dark blue skimpy cloths and golden spider crown (She is the Spider Queen), named Velma Green, laughed as Eris' Apple of Discord got eaten.

"This is entertainment. I never like her anyways." Velma Green said as the 'chaos tree' reacted to the Leechgrave's latest meal in a way that no one saw coming. IT burst from under the school, destroying it and 'attacked' the Leechgrave with branches and roots. Eris was dropped as the Leechgrave was 'eaten' by a maw that opened on the trunk and closed as the Heartless beat at the inside of the trunk.

"Eris where is the Leechgrave?" Zane asked as his group arrived. Eris was coated in Darkness as she lost it. "This is your FAULT! If it wasn't for the Laskaris Clan, I would be a respected member of Misfortune spreaders! But NO! Your ancestor had to make that deal that was so PERFECT! That Eris couldn't resist and agreed to the terms!" Eris tried to attack him, but Ivy lunged at her neck from Zane's jacket. "YES! The fight is really starting!" Velma Green yelled from the sidelines as Ivy and Eris were trying to kill each other and Zane engaged the rapidly mutating 'Chaos Tree', now baring the emblem of the Heartless.

"This is getting out of hand." Mandy said as Zane dawned his army and slashed with his Keyblade at the Heartless tree after spearing it with the oversized fang, nicking Eris as it flew true. "now I remember where I've seen him. Zane Laskaris, current top ranked mortal turned Grim Reaper Bounty hunter division member according to Death's records." Grimm said the sounds of battle raged in the ruins of the school grounds. "He's also known at that man that made Darkness fear him." Mandy arched a brow. "and he drives a moped?" she asked. "Everyone has their preferred ride." Grimm shrugs.

A few, but intense, minutes of fighting later

"You're done!" Zane channeled all magic he had in the maw of the monster roaring "TERAFLARE!" (Zane's magic reserves had improved a lot since the last time he cast this spell) at the same time activated runes he placed during the fight that seal said maw shut. Zane kicked of the beast and ran as it bloated. "Run!" He yelled to the watchers, who scattered asap. The explosion sent Zane tumbling through the air until silk ropes reeled him in like a fish. "That was the best fight I've seen in ages." Velma Green said as she and Jeff, the ones that caught him, pulled him to safety.

A half an hour later

Cartoon Network Earth

Endsville

Ruined Endsville Elementary School

"Ivy! Are you alive?" Zane yelled are everyone was searching the rubble for her or Eris. "I found Eris's corpse, but no snake." Nergal Jr said looking at a rapidly rotting corpse of Eris. They come over, most looking confused at this turn of events, save Nergal and Grimm. "You don't think 'THAT' happened, do you?" Nergal asked. "Possibly. But for a mortal, even if it's magical snake, to kill an immortal, the chances are nearly impossible." They look at Zane, then at each other. "It is the Laskaris Clan." Nergal reasoned. The mountain of ruble they hadn't gotten to yet shifted at a giant snake, as wide as Zane was tall, uncovered herself.

"Master, Chaos says hello." The Snake hissed in voice that everyone understood. "The legend of the Chaos eater has come true." Nergal said with laugh. "A mortal who against all odds slain a disharmonic immortal, ascending to take their place as an agent of Chaos. All HAIL IVY, Goddess of Chaos, plant life, poison, healing, and serpents!" He declared bowing to the new goddess. Everyone else, save Zane, followed his example. Zane on the other hand was mesmerized by how beautiful she looked. "Well done Ivy. You beat a goddess and helped save the world. Did she taste as nasty as her personality was?" He asked. "Like rancid sewage water on a hot day." Ivy quipped with a disgusted look. "You looked just as I had hoped when I made you. Much bigger, but your larger size lets people see what your scale pattern really looks like." She uncovers herself completely and coiled up to get comfortable. "You can stop bowing now." She stated. They stop.

"Death won't be happy about this mess." Grimm said. "Millions of heartless eaten by a Leechgrave only for the perpetrator who unleashed it, being a facet of a goddess, to be killed. The system will be slow for days with all these hearts to be sorted and the new goddess to be registered." Zane waved it off, "Don't worry. Things will work themselves out." Billy pulls on Grimm's robe asking, "Grimm, what that weird feeling in the air?" Grimm puts a finger in to his mouth (he's only bones but he can make spit, somehow) and holds the wet finger up. "That's just the new temple forming from the leftover energy. It's next step in the Immortal Ascension Ritual, at least I think so. It's never been done on this world because of the difficulty to get it right."

Lifted by unseen forces, the rubble, be it earth, metal, plastic, plant, or animal parts (Bone, flesh, etc), swirled around them. "nice work with that fang." Nergal complimented Zane. "Not only did it screw with the tree's stability (Hence why it was mutating to rapidly), but you nicked Eris enough to weaken her for Ivy's kill. What kind of fang was it? Basilisk? Lovecraftian Wyrm (A term used for serpents of great respect and age)? Or something exotic like The World Serpent?" The last guess was said jokingly. "The last one. Jack bargained for me to be gifted the fang, using his one-time round-trip use of The Guardian's time portal." Zane said.

"Not how I would use that opportunity, but it worked out in the end." Mandy commented with a shrug. As the temple finished building itself, they talked about the interior, a lot of plants and snake décor with a life size statue of Ivy coiled up majestically. On the bone alter was the Fang. "Not bad but the real thing looks better." Jeff said looking at Ivy then at the Statue of her. "Makes sense. If lacks 'life'." Ivy mused. "MY SCHOOL!" Principal Goodvibes, a gray-haired man, yelled before falling to his knees weeping a large puddle of tears in moments, just outside of the temple's massive front doors.

"Cheer up mon. You can get a better school." Grimm said going over and patting the poor Principal on the back. "Really?" Principal Goodvibes asked. "I know someone that can have it built in two weeks tops." Grimm said giving Zane as wink. "There is a small catch for this favor." Grimm continued. "name it." Principal Goodvibes said, looking like he could win the lottery at any moment. "Seeing as goddess was just 'born' and her temple was constructed here. You need to be willing to tolerate her followers attending the school. Can you do that?" Grimm asked. Principal Goodvibes had a megawatt smile as he said, "I'd let a gorgon be a student if it gets my school back."

Grimm smiled and pointed out Zane. "This is Zane Laskaris. He had connections with builders who can work fast and very reasonable price wise." Principal Goodvibes stood up, smoothed out his cloths and acted like he didn't just have a mental break down over his school being gone.

The next day

Cartoon Network Earth

Endsville

Sacred Temple of Forest Serpent

"Billy, why is there a trio of boys in red robes worshiping that alter?" Gladys, Billy's red haired sometimes manic mother, asked, eye twitching dangerously. "Oh, that's 'The Secret Snake Club'. They are a school club that like snakes and Role-playing games, they're harmless so far." Billy said leading her past the main chamber to side chamber that had a peaceful feel to it.

Resting under a magical sun was Ivy. "Mom, this is Ivy. She's the new Chaos goddess after protecting us from Eris, killing her in mortal combat." Billy said as Ivy looked at Gladys. "It's nice to meet you, Ivy." Gladys said internally freaking out. "Calm yourself, no harm will come to you in my temple." Ivy hissed forcing her nerves to relax with a little godly power. "You have lovely Scales." Gladys complimented, shivering at the aura of power Ivy conveyed. "Billy said your followers will be attending his school when it's rebuilt?"

Ivy nodded, stating. "it's inevitable but I can at least make sure everyone understands the rules." Ivy sighed, "If I had known being a goddess was this annoying, I wouldn't have bite that hag so many times." She was referring to a pile of scrolls, letters, stone tablets, and other things that were being carried in by 'tree snake people', tree people with snake heads instead of human heads, that cared for the temple. Seeing something in common with Ivy, Gladys asked, "Is it as difficult as running a household."

Ivy hissed a laughed, "in some ways. Master has told me I have it lucky because I can tell them to solve their own problems. Raising hatchlings, according to him, is much harder." Gladys smiled knowingly. "But it can be so rewarding." Ivy floated on of the scrolls and opened it. "A 'Slips Python' is inviting me to visit Charles Darwin Middle School in Glendale, California." Ivy mused out loud. "I think you should go. It'd be nice for the students to meet you and understand your views." Gladys advised. "You could get away from the stress of those strange kids by the alter." Ivy smiled. Ivy had a 'tree snake person' pen a letter in reply on freshly grown scroll. "Dear Slips Python, I will see if I can come by within a month." The 'tree snake person' made sure to include her titles in the closing signature before putting it in a tube and sealing it so only the recipient could open it.

Elsewhere

Cartoon Network Earth

Endsville

Construction site

"And you are sure they are safe to be around?" Principal Goodvibes asked Zane, both wearing hard hats and bright orange reflector vest, as Zane's subjects got to work on the school. "They built me a castle because they wanted to. A school is only a little harder because of the requirements the state has for what qualifies as a 'educational site'. I'll make sure to triple check everything." Zane said. he the yells, "Be careful with the foundation! We need it done right, without anyone getting stuck." Principal Goodvibes was blown away as the foundation was poured and a bell rung, break time. He looked that the blueprints and read the dimensions a bunch of times. "Are you sure these numbers are right? There aren't normal numbers."

Zane looked it over. "those are right. Your new school will be among the magically adjusted building to fit the size challenged visitors. Be they too big or too small for the normal spaces, the runes and other magics will provide to their needs without exceeding the land I could get to build on. The Moogles left a help line if any issues come up because of someone not minding the rules." Zane said as Principal Goodvibes listened to every word with wrapped attention.

Author's Note: That concludes that chapter and sets up for the next one. Ivy being a goddess will be useful later.