Susan Strong
Roxy, Finn, and Jake all followed behind Princess Bubblegum, the princess leading them to a large open area filled with nothing but tree stumps.
"And here at this site, my Great Uncle Gumbald cut down all these taffy trees in a single night." Princess Bubblegum spoke gesturing around the field of stumps.
"Cause those trees were evil. Right, Princess Bubblegum?" Finn said
Princess Bubblegum waved her hand. "Nah. Hey, but I bet they have a ton of stories about your human relatives."
"Um...not really. I've never even met any other humans. If I think about it too much, I get all soul-searchy and weeeeiiirrrd…" Finn spoke his voice trailing off.
"Roxy?" Princess Bubblegum questioned turning to the other human hoping Roxy's input would break the tension.
"I only have a memory that goes back a few months, and the only human in them is Finn. If I think about it, I get into this weird place in my mind searching for my lost memories and that quickly just diverts to the horrible crippling memory I have of that portal." Roxy clutched on tighter to her ax, a grim look overtaking her features. "That horrible terrifyingly dark abyss of nothing…."
Princess Bubblegum gave an awkward smile looking between the two humans.
"Ohhh, boy...I've made things awkward. Well, let's forget about that. I brought you guys here because I need you to rip out all these stumps!"
"Okay...I guess so…" Finn spoke still a bit dazed.
Jake popped up between Roxy and Finn. "Yeah, guys, it'll be fun!"
He shrinks down to the size of a goofball hopping into Finn's hand. "Toss the Jake-sploder!"
Finn raises his arm taking aim, he throws Jake, the yellow dog soaring across the field landing on one of the stumps.
"Nyeeeeh, boom!"
Jake inflates himself to the size of a house uprooting the stump sending it flying.
"SPA-MOW!" Finn cheered
"Whooo destruction!" Roxy cheered running to a stump her ax held high over her head.
"I'm glad to see you two are out of those funks...about being the only huma…"
Princess Bubblegum's voice trails off realizing that she was about to bring up the "Only Humans In Ooo" subject again.
"I mean…" The Princess gave an awkward laugh before slowly backing away. "Well! I'm gonna scram! No hard feelings right?"
Princess Bubblegum bolted from the scene saving herself from any further slip of the tongue.
Jake floated down from the sky landing back in Finn's arms.
"Again, man!' He cheered
"Huck!" Finn shouted, tossing Jake a second time.
Instead of a stump, Jake hits something inorganic, causing a loud resonating metallic clunk to sound.
"Ow!" Jake sat up rubbing his head. "Whoa...I don't think this is a stump."
"Huh?"
Roxy and Finn run over to Jake, they start removing shrubs and rocks, finding a metal hatch that's the same color as the tree stumps.
"It's a hatch,'" Finn exclaimed
"Ooo, secret hatch," Roxy said
Jake jumped atop of it opening the hatch door. "We should check it out, ya think?!"
Roxy and Finn have no time to respond as Jake jumps down the hatch, cannonballing into the unknown space.
"Waaah!"
Finn immediately follows suit leaving behind a mildly confused Roxy. The teen stares down into the empty dark abyss of the hatch, she then just shrugs her shoulders before jumping in as well.
When the trio reached the bottom of the hatch they found a door that Finn effectively kicked open.
"S'dark, huh?" Finn commented
He pulled out a flashlight flicking its switch turning it on. The underground area they were in showed remnants of a city pier, but now it just looked like a junkyard by the water.
"Whooooooaaaaaa!" Finn gaped
"What a dump!" Jake said, kicking something.
Finn's flashlight flickers a bit and stops working, he shook the thing in an attempt to turn it back on. Roxy holds her hand out for the device and Finn hands it over. She starts smacking the torch trying to force it on, when that doesn't work she starts examining the flashlight more closely, when the bulb was pointed at her face the flashlight decides to flicker on shining brightly into her eyes.
"Ah, my eyes!" Roxy cried
"Can you imagine the jerks that must've lived here?" Jake said
While Roxy was rubbing her eyes she gave Finn the flashlight back and he went back to trying to fix the thing. As the trio was still shrouded in darkness they failed to notice a large pile of junk behind them start to move. As the trash arose it parted ways a tall figure emerged.
"Huh?!"
Finn, Jake, and Roxy turn around and as they spot the figure they all scream.
"AAAAH!"
"AAAAH!"
The figure screams too and the trio stumbles back knocking into another pile of junk. The trash falls away revealing two other mysterious figures hidden inside.
"AAAAH!"
The two humans and the yellow dog scream again running the other way.
"Wee meeb youp nuh hur!" One of the figures shouts as the group runs.
As the trio ran, more and more figures popped up from behind various piles of junk. Soon the three of them are surrounded, the figure's encircling them. Finn finally got his flashlight to work, and he shines it on the figures. They are immediately scared by the light and take off running.
The first figure the group had encountered was tiptoeing by and Finn shines his flashlight on them. The figure pauses their eyes wide, looking like a deer caught in a headlight.
It, or rather she, looks behind her and gasps as she sees her own shadow.
"SHAHOW!" She cries out jumping back and forth like the ground is on fire. "O my gra cup-ssah!" She dives away hiding behind an old refrigerator.
"These people are so terrified. Scared of their own shadows," Finn spoke putting away his flashlight.
"We could rule them...like gods!" Jake gets a devious look on his face as he rubs his hands together. "Angry gods…"
"No Jake," Roxy scolded, flicking him on the back of the head. "Remember the last time you tried to do that. You were almost sacrificed."
"It wasn't that bad," Jake said
"I found you on a spit roasting over a fire!" Roxy said
"Yeah...I smelled pretty good though," Jake said
Finn slowly started to approach the female who was using the fridge as a shield.
"Don't be scared, c'mon."
She slowly peeks from around the fridge and cautiously starts to walk towards the three.
"Yeah, it's okay."
As she gets closer Finn can finally get a good look at her face and it's revealed she looks just like a human.
"Your...your face!" Finn gaped
Roxy let out a loud gasp slapping her cheeks seeing the figure fully illuminated. More of the mysterious figures start to gather around revealing to be a tribe of human people wearing animal styled hoods and tattered clothing.
"You're...JUST LIKE ME!" Finn shouted
His loud voice scared the others causing them to run away and hide.
"Hey, wait!" Finn tried to go after them but Jake stopped him.
"Shh. They're startled. Ya gotta be gentle with wild animals," Jake whispered
"I don't think they're animals, guys. I think...this could be...a tribe of...humans!" Finn laughed
"Roxy's mind is blown!" She shouted
"What are these guys doing down here in this crummy hole?
Finn questioned
"I don't know, man. Maybe they just don't know any other thing," Jake said
"Hey, fellows! Don't you wanna get out of here?! I could take you to see the sun!" Finn offered
The tall female crawls out from her hiding spot tilting her head at Finn.
"I don't think they speak like you and I Finn," Roxy said
Finn opens his arms making a large circle. "Suuuun. Suuuun."
Mystery Girl starts to mimic Finn's movements. "Suhhhn... Ow la koo sow suhn."
Finn walks over to her kneeling next to her. "You poor things. Living down here has made you all weird, hasn't it?"
Roxy turns her head looking at a few of the people and the moment she makes eye contact then duck back down into the piles of trash.
"Yeah they do seem a bit weeeird," Roxy said
"Jake, I've got to save these guys! Roxy you with me? They're our people, and it's our duty to lead them outta this gross cave!" Finn said
"Sure man, Roxy's on board," Roxy said
"Awesome we'll lead them out starting with you, Miss, uh…" Finn trailed off trying to get the Mystery Girl's name.
"Suuhh...suhhhn…" She spoke, patting her face.
"Susan?" Finn guessed
Mystery Girl stands up at full height, showing that she towered over the trio a good three or four feet as she smiles down at them. Finn takes her nonverbal answer as a yes.
"Pleased to meet you!" Finn said
"Well, let's bring 'er up!" Jake said
Jake turns into a large couch and the two humans walk over taking a seat, on each end.
"C'mon." Finn patted the spot in between him and Roxy.
Susan walked over plopping down on the empty space and Jake started to walk back to the hatch.
Finn was the first to exit the hatch followed by Jake and Roxy. Susan hesitantly poked her head out covering her eyes from the rays of the sun.
"Aw, man, you're gonna love it up here, Susan!" Finn said
"Huh?" Susan squinted due to the new light.
"There're all sorts of wonders top-side!" Finn said
Susan leapt out of the hatch landing on the grass, as her bare feet met the ground she started to freak out.
"Aah! AAH!"
Finn put his hands up in a calming manner. "Susan, it's just grass."
His words don't help as Susan starts hyperventilating before jumping and landing on Jake's back. Roxy winced as she heard a loud crack come from Jake as his back bent inwards.
"Ooooh! Mah back!" Jake strainly groaned
"Grass can't hurt you," Finn crouched to the ground petting the grass. "See?"
"Graaaahhhss…" Susan sounded out before jumping down next to Finn.
She starts to pet the grass like Finn before falling forward face first.
"Well...that was unexpected," Roxy said
"Oop. Ya killed 'er," Jake said
"Wha?! I did?!" Finn panicked
"Yep. Felled by surface-world germs," Jake said
Susan started thrusting her legs pushing herself forward causing her face to drag across the grass as she kicked up dirt.
"Heh. Just kiddin'," Jake said
Finn gave him a flat unamused look.
Susan laughed as she rolled around on the ground playing with the grass. Her face finally lifts up revealing grass stains all over her front.
Susan let out a joyous laugh, "Two be cah reh ss...buh a thuh ahp fer ger...ss."
Finn frowned, "Aw, Susan…" He brought out a handkerchief. "You got grass blood all over your face."
Finn tries to wipe off Susan's face but the tall girl freaks out pulling away from Finn.
"YEEH! ITSA PA TUH MUP!" Susan screamed
"Susan," Finn sternly said the girl's name, waving the cloth in front of her. "A hankie won't hurt you."
He shoves the handkerchief in Susan's face, and she takes it.
"Ohhhh." Susan hummed out feeling the softness of the cloth.
She smiles, rubbing it gently against her face.
Finn gave out a frustrated groan, turning to Jake and Roxy.
"How'm I supposed to show 'er the wonders of Ooo if every little thing freaks her out?"
"Patience," Jake said, wiggling his fingers.
"Yeah what he said," Roxy said
"Very well. Then I shall introduce Susan to Ooo-" Finn held a hand up putting two of his fingers closer together "-by degrees!"
"Good luck brah," Roxy said, patting Finn's back.
The group was walking through the Cotton Candy Forest when they came across a large red beetle with purple wings. Susan froze and gasped, pointing at the beetle in fear.
"Manee mah nuhp lehp!" Susan shouted
"That can't hurt you!" Finn pointed at the bug. "That's a dancing bug!"
To prove Finn's point the bug got up on his hind two legs and started dancing.
"Aw yeah!" Roxy said as she started dancing.
Finn and Jake smile as they join in on the dancing.
Susan looks confused at first, but then she puts her hands up and starts to dance, her body bobbing up and down in a steady motion.
"Yeah! Hahaha!" Finn laughed
"Okay then."
Roxy continued to dance as she reached into Finn's bag pulling out a map. She held up a pen and marked off the Cotton Candy Forest.
"Where to next?"
The group's next stop was the cliffs of the Red Rock Pass. Susan gasped fearfully as she spotted a rock sitting atop another rock.
"That's just a rock," Jake told the startled girl. He raises a fist punching it down into the canyon. "A low-level enemy."
Susan smiles relieved. "Jus a rah."
She turns to another rock about the same size as her and jumps on it wrapping her arms and legs around the rock in a tight embrace. She squeezes, her muscles flexing, until the rock cracks and shatters exploding into mineral dust.
"Awesome," Roxy spoke, crossing off Red Rock Pass on the map.
The sun was starting to set so the group stopped in another forest.
Finn made a fire, Roxy chopped down a few trees to make some seats, and Jake pulled out his Viola, playing some music for the group. When they were settled Finn reached into his bag pulling out a package of marshmallows. Susan smiles watching everyone until there's a rustling behind her.
A beaver pops out of a bush scaring the tall girl. She jumps out of her seat pointing at the animal.
"What's wrong?!" Finn questioned standing up.
Roxy walks over to the bush picking up the beaver, holding the animal under its arms.
"Think this dude scared her." She held out the beaver like a stuffed animal.
"Hey, hey, hey, it's okay!" Finn walked over to Roxy and started to feed the beaver some marshmallows. "See?"
The buck-toothed animal happily takes the treat munching on it and devoured the marshmallow in a matter of seconds. The beaver wiggles in Roxy's arm causing her to let go of it. As it drops to the ground it snags three more marshmallows before running off. Finn gapes surprised by the beaver's actions but then starts laughing along with Roxy. Susan hearing their laughter joins in the three humans all laughing happily.
Susan retakes her seat and starts singing a song along with Jake's music, although her lyrics can't really be understood.
"Hm, hah, prety go-ah-suh pattah!"
Finn joins in on the singing creating his own little tune. When the little jam session was over Finn hands Susan a marshmallow on a stick.
"Hey, Jake, how's your marshmallow, man?" Finn asked
"Golden as a wheat sunset! How's yours Roxy?" Jake asked
"Perfectly crispy on the outside just like mama likes it. Your's Finn?" Roxy asked
Finn looked at his marshmallow which was covered in flames. "Hmmm…" He blows out the fire before eating his marshmallow. "Perfect! How's yours, Susan?"
Instead of eating her marshmallow, Susan starts to gnaw at her stick.
Jake chuckled, "Heh. That's adorable." He picked up a marshmallow and tossed it at Susan, "Hup!"
The marshmallow landed perfectly in Susan's mouth.
"MMMM! Ohhh...Tha is goo!" Susan said before she pounced on the marshmallow bag.
"Dang...She is way into candy," Jake said
"Ravenous she is," Roxy said
"Hey, yeah! Susan! We should take you to the Candy Kingdom! Everything is candy there!" Finn said
"You know, she may be too excited about candy," Jake said
"Yeah," Roxy patted her stomach, "I'm getting that weird feeling in my tumtum that says that ain't a good idea."
Finn waves his friends' worries off shrugging his shoulders. "Nah…"
They all looked at Susan who was now hyperventilating, drool just flowing out of her mouth.
"CAAANDY KING-DOOOM!"
Unlike how Susan flipped out with that bag of marshmallows, the large girl seemed perfectly normal when the group visited the Candy Kingdom.
"I've enjoyed your visit immensely, Susan Strong," Princess Bubblegum said
The four wave goodbye to Princess Bubblegum as they start to exit the castle, Peppermint Butler walking them out.
"Finn!" Susan whispered
"Yeah, Suze?" Finn asked
"Finn, where's all the candy yuh werp talk ah bout?!" Susan asked
"Oh, well, it's...everywhere!" Finn threw his hands up. "The buildings, the lamp posts, even the people!"
"We're all candy here!" Peppermint Butler said
Susan pauses for a moment before she excitedly starts to chant. "CANDY! CANDY!"
She grabs Peppermint Butler, licking him, covering him in Susan slobber.
"Susan!" Finn shouted
"No! Drop him!" Roxy shouted
She ran over pulling Peppermint Butler out of Susan's hands.
"Susan! No! You can't eat the ones that talk! They're special! They got aspirations," Finn said
Susan looks down sadly. "Ohh-ho."
But then her dejected frown quickly turns into a scowl.
"It's okay. You're learnin'. Here." Finn grabs a chunk of the candy sidewalk off. Have some sidewalk brittle instead."
He shoves the candy into Susan's mouth, and she gladly eats it.
"Mmm!" Susan hummed happily smiling at Finn. "Now, I gonna get friends. We eat all of Candy Kingdom."
"What?!" Finn exclaimed in shock.
"Oh. No, no, no, no, no. We won't eat red stripe man. Only everyone else." Susan started to run off. "Bye!"
Finn ran after her, "Susan, no!" He made it to the Candy Kingdom gates watching Susan bound off. "No! You can't eat the Candy People! Oh, boy…"
Jake and Roxy step up next to Finn.
Roxy let out a low whistle, "Look at her go. Probably hopped up on all the sugar. Won't be too long before she reaches the others."
"So now what? Fight the humans to the death when they attack?" Jake questioned
"No, man! They're my peeps! We have to save the Candy Kingdom without hurting them," Finn said
"Princess Bubblegum is not gonna be happy about this," Roxy said
"They're gonna what?!" Princess Bubblegum shouted
"Called it," Roxy said
The trio rushed to Princess Bubblegum's castle telling her about the hordes of humans coming to devour all of the Candy Kingdom. The Princess' reaction was not a positive one, that was for sure.
"Don't worry! We have a plan! We just have to scare the humans away!" Finn said
"Very well. I shall gather my citizens in the courtyard and you shall see how terrifying the Candy People can be! Ah-bloo-bloo-bloo!" Princess Bubblegum giggled pretending to be scary.
"They're doomed," Jake whispered to Finn and Roxy.
Princess Bubblegum brought them down to the Candy Kingdom armory. The walls were lined with cute candy-themed weaponry, that looked more like toys than actual weapons of destruction.
"Ahh, these candy weapons are too cute to be scary," Jake said
Roxy picked up a hammer similar to her own, but the handle was a chocolate dipped pretzel rod and the mallet of the hammer was a marshmallow.
"Good news, Finn! I've managed to make my people horrifying!" Princess Bubblegum said
"But how?!" Finn gasped
Princess Bubblegum took Finn, Roxy, and Jake outside showing the Candy people.
"I've disguised them as gruesome creatures, like witches, and ghouls!" Princess Bubblegum Said
Starchie popped up wearing a tail and little devil horns, he was even holding a little pitchfork.
"Starchie's a beelzebub!"
"Aw, so cute! I just wanna give them candy!" Jake gushed
"Yeah, this is like major adorbs," Roxy said
While Jake and Roxy gushed over the Candy peoples' cuteness Finn looked racked with worry. That's when a horn sounded in the distance, a signal that the enemy was approaching.
"Quick! Show me your scary face!" Finn pointed at a gumdrop girl.
"Oh, uh…" She pulls out a flashlight shining it in her face. "Rawr."
"Awwww…." Roxy gushed
"I don't think that'll scare anybody," Jake said
"NO DUH!" Finn shouted, grabbing onto Jake. "She's...um...! She's…"
He trails off looking at Gumdrop girls' shadow which took on the shape of a gruesome-looking monster.
"Hey! Princess. I need a little wagon and your biggest roll of wax paper."
Finn got quick to work, and they had everything set up just as Susan and her people arrived. Several Candy people were stationed at the entrance of the Candy Kingdom along with Finn and Roxy.
"Now, Princess Bubblegum!" Finn shouted
Princess Bubblegum released a rope and a sheet of wax paper dropped over the Candy Kingdom entrance.
"Now, Jake!"
Jake throws some logs into a wagon with fire causing the fire to illuminate brightly.
The Candy people along with Roxy and Finn, start to chant and dance behind the wax paper, their shadows creating menacing figures that scare the incoming tribe.
Finn peeked around the paper. "It's working…"
Susan stepped forward. "Wah! Just shadows!"
"Aw, man! They've learned how to learn! Roxy take the Candy People and hide! I'll try to make Susan see reason!" Finn said
"Scoot your boots, my delicious comrades," Roxy said
As she corralled the Candy People back into the Kingdom, Jake was trying his best to put out the fire by blowing on it.
"Hey, wha-? Stop!"
Roxy shouted as several marshmallow kids ran past her.
"The Marshmallow Kids never run from a scrap! Come on, fellas! Today...we are man-mallows!"
"Ah no wait! You're too cute and squishy!" Roxy cried out
Jake inhales deeply before blowing out, creating a giant gust of wind taking the fire with it, igniting the Marshmallow Kids.
"Please, fellow humans! The Candy People are no threat to you!" Finn shouted
The moment the words left his mouth the wax paper catches on fire and out comes the flaming Marshmallow Kids.
"CHARGE!"
"WAIT! STOP!" Finn shouted
"DUCK!" Susan shouted
She drops down but the others don't. The Marshmallow Kids land on the people setting their animal hoods on fire.
"MY PEOPLE!" Finn shouted
"Stop drop and roll! Stop drop and roll!" Roxy shouted
The people start to pull off their hood revealing fish-like heads, gills, and fins decorating the sides of their faces.
"Huh?! Wha?!" Finn gaped "They're...they're not humans?"
"No they are not," Roxy said
"Susan…" Finn called
Susan was the only one who hadn't taken her hood off.
"Susan what are you?" Finn asked
Susan stared at Finn before she ran off after her tribe.
"S'okay man," Roxy said, patting Finn's shoulder.
Coughing echoed behind them as the fire died down revealing charred Marshmallow Kids.
"Is everyone okay? Marshmallow Kids?" Finn questions
The Marshmallow Kids pull off their charged skin revealing plump sticky marshmallow bodies.
"We'll just be gooey for a while."
Jake ran over smiling at Roxy and Finn.
"Hey, guys! We did it! Finn? You okay?"
"Finn's having a little crisis. Those humans weren't human," Roxy whispered
"Guys, do you think she was human or just another wild animal?" Finn asked
"We're all wild animals, brother," Jake said
"Yeah...I guess we are…" Finn said
"Awww, Finn, s'okay." Roxy threw an arm over Finn's shoulder pulling him in close. "They might not have been humans, but I am, and you always got me."
"Yeah...I guess I do."