Kia floated up to the treehouses where many of the children Max and other Guardians rescued resided in. She tried to keep her ghastly breathing down not to wake them...yet. Being the Guardian's companion made her the second-in-command of Zeliria's chain of authority. She watched over the children, managed all exports and imports of islands as well as a few other items including training and keeping track of all the animals on said islands.
The previous Guardians often had animal or mystical companions and an object that acted as an oracle almost as both Max and Kia noticed though Antagonizer didn't speak awkwardly enough and was hardly a nice oracle at that. The last Guardian before Max had a red panda and mirror and the Guardian before her apparently had a damn Chimera and statue of Athena.
Whenever a Guardian died, the objects possessed to serve them lose their sentience and are often brought back to Zeliria into the Cave of Chronoho, Zeliria's shrine of all the fallen who had served it. There lied objects from ancient Mesopotamia to the most modern era reached thus far, the 1930's. Nobody had died yet from there into the present Earth time but there did lie new dangers that had not existed before. The animal and mythical companions were given a choice whether to stay on the Island or go back to Earth. If the choice was to stay, the companions would lose their status as second-in-command and relinquish it to the next Guardian's creature friend. If it was to go back, they would live out their remaining life on Earth however they wanted.
To be fair, Kia had encountered some of the previous companions who chose to stay. There was only one who didn't like her, Madu. Madu was a giant cobra it seemed who was not as big as a python but larger than a normal cobra. He hated her but from what the other assistants said, he hated every other companion after his master's death at the hands of Spaniard soldiers in a fit of jealousy. If anything happened to Max, she would probably become the same way, bitter and malicious.
As the dawn of day illuminated the tree line, Earth lit up just as beautifully as did the other planets Zeliria had rigged its sky to view. Cybertron, Kanjis, Aquatron; they all had their respective lights though some were different colors which could throw anybody new to Zeliria off. Knowing that was her cue, Kia hopped onto the nearest bed onto Ciriaco, a Brazilian boy and one of Max's earliest rescues.
"No! Off! Trying to get some damn sleep! I need my beauty sleep!"
Huffing mockingly, she scattered off and Ciriaco covered his head with his pillow. Kia then shot by the British soldier twins, Augustus and Aaron, and rang the bell that sat by their open door before sliding down the chute connecting their porch with Jaclyn's. Both boys shot up in unison with droopy eyes while Jaclyn threw the nearest object at Kia's quick form as she was one of the most aggressive of the girls and Kia knew better than to stick around.
After the sound of yawning kids and sleepy movement confirmed she had done her job, she hopped onto the tone maker, a large horn made of whale bone, and activated it. A bass-like rumble awoke the remainder of the kids if any were still asleep and she tapped her hand happily against the wood floor of the perch it stood on. She could have blown it earlier but where was the fun in that?
Awakening everybody was one of her many chores when she didn't go with Max to the past or present. But just as she was about to monitor the elephant herds of the Flatlands, the screens in the control room beside her lit up red and orange with a familiar profile highlighted in yellow.
Bendy was causing trouble in Chicago, robbing the Museum of Science & Industry. What for she couldn't imagine, but he was very technologically ingenious so there was that. Max was in 79 AD in Pompeii so who knows when he was getting back and nobody else was available to send in. Bumblebee and the Autobots were probably busy enough with Tigressa and the Metal Heads running amuck so...it was up to her.
Activating the portal off Zeliria, she crawled fast across the ground into it. When she spawned inside the museum, she barely managed to duck as an axe flew by her head nearly clipping her. It flew behind then came rushing back like a boomerang. As it passed her again, a black hand caught it by the handle and slammed it into the other palm.
"You sure are a long way from Zeliria, Kia...on your own," Sammy smirked. As he took a casual stance, three ink blobs formed and the Sheep each shot out holding various guns from handheld twin pistols to an actual mini-gun which Bellwether flaunted with a sinister laugh.
Another evil cackle rang out and Bendy himself appeared in his Cybertronian size through the floor, shooting out of it and latching onto a blue and white submarine with a backflip. The ship creaked under his weight as his tail wrapped around the exterior of the bridge. Posed like a gargoyle, he grinned menacingly and leaning his head forward to get a good look at his prey.
"Well, look what we've got here! Where's your master, Kia? Are you just checking up to see what we've stolen? Don't you worry, baby, I didn't steal nothing."
Kia's expression through her cloaked face appeared suspicious, grey-skinned fists cracking at the choice of words.
The ink demon raised a brow, "You don't believe me? Well I did steal something but it's not from here. I just thought I'd take a tour. It is a lovely museum, right Sammy?"
"Very! I wish I had my camera...or Norman if he ever decides to join us," the music director frowned.
"Eh, he's settling in reformed Bertrum in the new and improved Bendyland so he's not available anyway," Bendy glimmered. "So-o-o, I think we should play a game. Do you want to play, Kia?"
Kia shook her head but it was disregarded by the devil who suddenly took something from behind him. The structure and symbols engraved on it gave it away easily. Sari's Key. She pointed angrily at the Key as he swung it from its chain tauntingly.
"Oh this? I just figured Sari didn't really need it anymore since she's a young adult now and she has unlocked practically all her abilities. I think it's my turn to use it, don't you think?"
Kia lowered to the ground before immediately sprinting in a blur to the side and up the hull of the ship. Using the momentum of her climb, she sprung from the railing up in front of Bendy and grabbed the Key, all the while as Bendy's facial expression changed from overjoyed to utter annoyance. Before he could snatch her out of the air, she landed in a roll that didn't affect her stamina and she converted back to running on her arms with the Key now around her neck.
"Get her! Bring me back that Key!"
Spawning in front of her, she slid quickly into a different direction as Casey exploded from the museum floor and mashed his body against the exact location she was in a second prior. She ran down the hall towards the Imagining the Museum section which held beautiful artworks. She began to run past the heart sculpture when she reeled back in surprise.
"Here's Bendy!" Bendy spawned from the side of the heart with only his upper torso visible managed to hit her with his mallet, sending her through three walls before she stopped next to the giant pinball machine.
Not wishing to linger in her downed state, she scrambled up the stairs and headed right into the Future section. She heard a twisted laugh before Alice slammed down from the ceiling wielding her own axe. Boris followed suit but he held his pipe wrench instead. Deciding what to do as the toons drew closer, she huffed. They wanted to play rough? Fine, she'll play too.
In a split second, she ducked as they charged which resulted in both butting heads painfully. Boris snapped at her with vicious jaws. Alice only punched him and he made a motion of a half shrug in disbelief before wrestling her down onto the ground. They yelled and kicked as Kia carefully slipped into the Pixar room.
She was a bit taken back at the Pixar character statues when she noticed one completely out of place. Sammy! The music director hopped off his stand and swung his own axe at her, striking the wall and the floor as her quick movements rendered her hard to hit.
"I'm wondering does your head float if detached from your body?"
She managed to catch the weapon by chance and used all her strength to throw him around into the Sully and Mike statues. He let go of the axe and she twirled it in her hand, almost begging him to try and come at her again. But it was short lived as Casey sideswiped her, zooming from one wall into the other. The axe scattered near the aviation and transport area, unreachable as Searchers and the toons respawned, leaving her surrounded.
Bendy, now human-sized but still larger than most, growled, "Do you really think you can escape us?"
Kia shook her head. She had overthought what she was dealing with, not thinking on the same level. She wasn't a toon, she couldn't teleport or break the laws of physics. In order to defeat a toon, one had to use the toon's powers against them in the rule of comedy.
Peering up slightly, she noticed Casey must have rubbed his chimney stack against the ceiling because a large portion of it had ventilation sticking out. An idea formed in her mind. Stomping her hands like a bull challenging its opponent, she knew it wasn't going to fly past Bendy.
The ink demon froze as she used Morse code and frown when he deciphered it. "Why you little-!"
All of the toons and ink monsters lunged at her and at last second, she darted beneath Bendy's legs which made all of them slam into each other and dog pile the toon leader. They all fell like bowling pins, knocked flat on their asses before Kia grabbed Alice's axe and threw it high. It hit the ceiling and the loose paneling came crumbling down with various ventilation pieces following.
Still a bit loopy from their head on collision, Sammy was the only one to see it in time before muttering, "Oh sh-!"
She heard the boom of the rubble but continued into the transportation section of the museum. Slowing a bit, she saw a beautiful silver plane and contemplated how she could use the aviation technology to her advantage. With a plan at hand, she moved past two trains as she dragged a rope taken from one of the exhibits and hooked it to the silver plane. After a few instances of tinkering, she crawled into the middle of the room and sat dog-like for one of the toons to come. She kept the end of the rope behind her.
Boris growled and stretched, brushing off pipe residue and ceiling rubble. He continued on until he strode past Kia without registering it then he backtracked, pausing his movements and turning his head slowly. Kia merely tilted her head in response, yipping a little in a low baritone. With one last brush, Boris adjusted his jaw angrily.
Once again he lunged towards her, clawed paws gaining deadly momentum. When he got close, Kia grasped the rope behind her to prepare her attack. He hit less than twenty feet from her when she pulled it. Boris was only two feet away when the silver plane swooped down and brutally crashed into him. Kia barely moved an inch, simply turning her head in the direction the wolf was thrown.
Giving a sound that was her version of a giggle, the dementor hopped away past the three trains again...three? She stopped and jumped back as she was greeted with Casey's twisted smile and he lingered between the two trains almost barely as if he was too big to fit and he kind of was. Knowing versing him head on was a crapshoot, she ran away as he pushed himself from between the locomotives, hitting the nearest wall to make himself turn towards her for the chase.
The other toons spotted her too, the Sheep firing on her position. Some technology and vehicles were destroyed as the mini-gun shredded their exterior. Bendy pointed his mallet at her from afar and an ear-damaging demonic roar assaulted her senses. Well, now she knew she had his attention. All five toons targeted her and followed too close for comfort. Casey bellowed almost three feet from her, teeth bared with intent to kill.
To dislodge him, she flew between two planes in a narrow space and stupidly did he decide to follow her in there. While she got back on her hands in an instant, Casey went under but suddenly made an "umph" noise as he was forced to halt. Shaking and pulling, his head managed to squeeze through because of the speed he had acquired prior but the rest of his body didn't budge. He peered back at his stuck form in disbelief before snarling at Kia's retreating form. He kept pulling and pushing himself until he realized he was made of ink. Frowning with a dull expression, he defused his molecules to liquefy and phased through. He didn't look too proud of himself.
Kia rounded another corner and had to slide under Bendy again as he brought his mallet down, surprised when he missed and peered under his legs to watch her keep running. "Where will you go, ghoul?"
De-men-tor. There was a difference. When she reached a dead end in the museum, she breathed heavily and searched for an exterior route. In the corner, a metal door was visible to her and with no other options, she eagerly examined if it was a way out. It seemed as if someone was looking out for her after all. Opening it, she immediately had to glance back as the Sheep entered the room in high speeds.
They ran like bulls determined to break rock. Using the same tactic as she did with Boris, she waited until they got close. Bendy appeared behind them and Casey after him. He shouted, "The Key is mine!"
They were all going to storm her. Grumbling, she shut door as the Sheep were about to enter, locking it and listening as all three slammed into the door painfully. Bendy found he could slow down in time and followed suit, crushing the Sheep between him and the wall. Casey's pied eyes narrowed to slivers before he rammed into Bendy, his cars concaving like an accordion. From the five splatters on the wall, Casey protruded the most, his teeth breaking comically as he remained stunned from the force of impact against his fellow toons. Bendy and the Sheep had various limbs twisting and crooked while the ink demon's tail was zigzagged.
Kia had heard the entire thing from the other side, from bumps to what felt like a sudden earthquake that actually propelled her and several pieces of furniture in the air. After seconds of silence, she opened the door just out of curiosity and all three Sheep face planted with damaged faces. Bendy was too large to fall into the door but his body slid down lifelessly and Casey just sat there with a goofy but broken grimace with one eye exaggeratedly huge and the other incredibly contracted just like a scene out of a real cartoon sequence.
Sneaking around their unconscious forms, she snickered to herself. Making her way into the Christmas area then down to the Coal Mine section, she pranced cockily. Finally, she entered a room that almost made her have a heart attack, if she actually had a heart. Blue pillars turned purple and she gulped. This was the Mirror Maze, a dreaded labyrinth. She heard a growl behind her and knew one of the toons had regained their selves. Entering, she stepped lightly.
The major problem of this was...she couldn't see glass. Humans may be able to register it by slivers of light and weird angles but her species? It didn't register in their vision so it wasn't surprising when she hit a multitude of them, turning another way before bumping into one again. A sudden reflection of a masked figure ran past several of the mirrors and she panicked.
"Sheep, sheep, sheep, it's time to sleep. Rest your head, it's time for bed."
That wasn't good. A female voice she knew had to be Alice's echoed, "In the morning you will wake, or in the morning you'll be dead."
Alice's laugh rang out, Sammy's following almost like he was chasing her. Their dancing forms passed by several mirrors it seemed before they disappeared again. A few times she saw them, one of which Alice kissed Sammy briefly as they held the same axe like a wedding gift.
Debating what she could do, she got a brash idea. Normally, she would avoid damage to a museum but considering that they wrecked several objects already, her infliction wouldn't be as bad...it would just make the glass makers angry as hell. Cracking her head, she sprinted towards what she could configure was the exit. She broke through the glass and continued in a straight line, shattering one after the other. She eventually was beginning to feel a massive headache come on but the last glass barrier collapsed and she sprinted across the hall to the main Christmas lot and down the stairs.
When she reached the bottom, there was nowhere to hide. She had to slide to stop herself. Every toon, Searcher, Lost One, and other stood in front of her including the pentagram on the nearest wall that signified the Machine was there spiritually. Even the Projectionist now was there, his improved form the closest to her just as imposing as Sammy. Casey grew back all his teeth and gave a sinister, hungry smile.
Bendy lowered his hand with a strained grin, "The Key please!"
She shook her head and grabbed the Key around her neck protectively.
"Ha, don't you get it!? You can't outrun us, you can't kill us, and you can't win against us! Why do you still resist? You'll tire yourself out and lose either way so why make the effort? Just give us the Key or-"
Bendy was suddenly cut off. "Or you deal with me!"
Everybody looked to the museum entrance and the recognizable sound of a sword unsheathing from its hold echoed while everyone widened their eyes. Max stepped into the scene and the portal to the past closed with a smaller form grasping his coat tail in uncertainty. "Don't make me fight you in front of the kid."
Sammy and the Projectionist backed away a little as Bendy stepped in front of them. "And you're going to kick all our asses how exactly?"
Max whistled and the doorframe of the museum was breached by a huge shadow. He also held up his amulet, his beacon to call Zeliria between both worlds. "I may not be able to stop you but I can make you suffer by blowing you sky high for all eternity."
On cue, the walls of the museum were breached and crab-like wooden and metal legs stormed through. The front two spikes perched on the highest step and with her wooden beak twisted to mimic a real mouth with sharp fangs, her lamp lit eyes turning from blue to red and burning out of control. She furrowed the bumpers that acted as her brows and came gave a chilling roar just behind Max which blew his coat forward but did not faze him a bit. He had brought his giant, living pirate ship to the conflinct.
Bendy and his crew had their chins almost all the way up to meet her terrifying lights for eyes when she drew too close to intimidate them. "You brought Antagonizer? Damn."
"You still want to cause trouble?"
Even Casey reeled back a bit when he was nearly snout to snout with the ship that dwarfed him a good size amount. His eyes relatively contracted and blinked when she blew smoke in his face through implied nostrils located under her main deck side, daring him to try and fight her. When he reversed on his wheels like a cat scorned, her eyes never left him and she narrowed them dominantly while giving a grunt of victory.
Bendy sighed with a smile, "You win, Max. The Key is yours. Tell Sari that Key won't always be able to be recovered as I plan to keep it one day."
"Not likely as long as I'm around," the Guardian scowled.
Antagonizer snorted, still keeping an eye on Casey as she stomped her legs down threateningly. Kia swung the Key between her fingers and gave a prolonged, rough noise that sounded like a mocking chuckle. Max only stood with his arms crossed.
Several Searchers disappeared into the ground as Sammy, Norman, and Susie ran into the pentagram gleaming that was the Machine's presence. The other toons and monsters followed suit slowly until only Bendy remained. Even Casey gave a fearful squeal and darted into the pentagram when Antagonizer did a fake jolt towards him to scare his paralyzed form off.
The ink demon laughed, "You did well, Kia, better than I expected. I look forward to versing you again, my dear. Until then, au revoir!"
The pentagram emitted a roar as Bendy jumped into it and vanished in a flash, leaving the ship and her two crew members behind. Antagonizer peered at the mess that was the museum and gave a soft, concerned growl.
"I know, old girl. We've got some cleaning up to do. Kia?" Max frowned.
The dementor adjusted awkwardly to the side in response, her head bowed slightly.
"I don't know what you were thinking but taking on Bendy alone isn't exactly what I would call a smart move. Despite being immortal, you aren't an ideal match for his caliber of power...and neither am I. But I'm glad you're alright and that you got the Key back," he suddenly smiled.
She pranced in a full circle eagerly at Max's praise. She sat in obedience when he clasped his hands on his hips.
"Now we just got to think about fixing this mess before dawn tomorrow so they can reopen meaning we're going to be here all afternoon and night. I'll call the construction crew on Zeliria to come to Earth and help but in the meantime, can you go bring the Key back to Sari? I think she'll be very appreciative to meet the one who stole it back," Max winked.
Kia didn't spare a moment as Antagonizer dragged rubble into a pile and Max began assessing the damage done, speaking to the kid in the child's native tongue. She ran with her arms before gaining enough momentum to fly off towards Detroit, happy with her success. She was never really a field operative like Max but she did like being on Earth where the action often was. She was more than pleased to help.
AN: I figured it was time to explore Max and his job as the Guardian a bit more. He fights monsters, steals treasure, and is a pirate at heart. But I also figured it was time to give Kia a little spotlight too.