[Opening: Nujabes - Battlecry]

FusionFall Infinite

Season 3

Spiral Arc Part 4

Chapter 20: Reversing the Cleaved

[Neo-California]

California, the state of bright lights, movies, and sun. It still had those things but add a touch of the apunklyspce with festering corruption, street gangs, bigger building, and the other states limiting traffic between it and other states. Thus, life was hard for some of the people living, especially those from Echo Creek. Spinel took special efforts to put the squeeze on that place, but there was resistance from a ragtag group of misfits.

-o-

[Echo Creek]

Brittany Wong raised up the collar of her dark purple leather jacket against the cold night air. She hated the grungy streets that she once saw before as cleaner in the past. The whole town used to look nicer, she thought. She used to be the queen bee, but now nobody cared. As she down the steps into a hideaway in an alley, she looked to the door she was about to enter littered with graffiti. She pushed the door opening stepping in.

[Cues: Final Fantasy VI OST – Slam Shuffle]

Lemon Jade, the bartender, kindly welcomed her which was odd given the grunge of the place. Then again, Gems were always weird like that.

"Thanks…I'll have a shot of wine on the rocks." Brittany said before she felt eyes on her.

There on tables nearing the jukebox were the people she was looking for. The lone gang of hoods that were defiant in the face of Spinel, the Red Decks, lead by Marco. Marco turned away from the jukebox glaring at her as she walked up. Tom, Janna, Starfan13 (Bethany), Chloè, and Jackie all turned to face her.

"What brings you?" He asked.

"I need your help. I…well my father came across something. Something that can't fall into Spinel's hands." Brittany said looking a bit shaken as Lemon Jade delivered on the drink.

"I say we waste this bitch." Janna said reaching her for weapon only for Marco to catch her wrist. "Ah come on, she…"

"I know, Janna. She's a real pain, but why else would she come down here?" Macro said supportively before turning to Brittany. "Spill."

Lemon Jade triggered the soundproof barrier to shield the bar. She owed Marco her life, and she'd do what she could to help.

[Cues: Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans OST - Spinach Wastes / Yunzabit Heights / East City (Destroyed)]

"Whatever this thing is…it gives off this…power that can be traced. I had to seal it away…to hide it." Brittany explained. "I was hoping you know someone who could tell me what it is."

"We do know a person." Marco remarked. "But do be aware, we don't exactly trust you unless you can prove it."

"I'll take you to it." Brittany said seriously. "No bullshit."

"Trustworthy enough for me." Tom said slyly taking Brittany's hand.

[Music Ends]

"Fine." Marco said before slapping the back of Tom's head. "And stop thinking with your dick."

With that, the Red Decks left the bar with Brittany paying for her finished drink. Brittany's bike was parked right near the alley, a replica of the first capsule bike from Capsule Corp.

"Word of advice. Don't park your wheels in the open." Marco said as the gang unveiled the cloaking tech on their wheels.

Marco's bike was a replica as well, one that screamed intimidation. He got on as Janna slid on behind him curling her arms around his waist.

"Janna, we'll need you on your bike this time." Marco said as Janna shrugged.

"This better not be bullshit, Wong." Janna said sending out her bike out of a capsule before getting on. "Because you'll answer to me!"

The group sped away following Brittany.

"So, where did you hide it?" Marco asked.

"I made sure to hide it in the most unlikely of places. I couldn't hide it at home…not with Spinel visiting my father on occasion. I have a hideout…there's an abandoned motel on the outskirts of town." Brittany said as they all took a left.

"Smart move to make." Tom complimented.

"We got company!" Bethany said panicking as bikers were trailing them. "Those Blue Sharks never learn!"

"And we don't have time to fight them on the streets now!" Marco said flustered. "How many we're dealing with?"

"Just four of them…none of their lieutenants riding with them, though." Bethany said as Jackie had an idea.

"We split up. Marco, you, Janna, and Tom go with Brittany. We'll cover you and meet up with you later." Jackie said as Chloe got out a baseball bat. "Don't worry, we'll handle it."

"Try not to die." Marco said warmly.

Jackie had her bike slid around before revving it to charge at their gang rivals. Bethany and Chloe did the same allowing for the rest to escape. Jackie flips a switch on her bike as small turrets came out of her headlights opening fire. Bethany got out her lead pipe about to whack one only to get beaned by Blue Shark's bat causing her to skid out of control.

"You blue bastards never seem to learn, do you?! This is our turf!" Jackie said ducking to dodge a swing.

It was a matter of minutes, that they arrived at the place in question which wasn't appeared run down. They all parked their bikes in the garage as Brittany led them up to her room which had a punching bag, newspaper clippings, and weapon parts. Brittany yanked off a warn sheet to show a small sealed box to which she opened to show it to them.

"Ok, I can feel the energy coming off that thing." Tom said nervously.

"So, it was the real deal. Guess I won't stab you…yet." Janna said eerily.

"All I can tell you is this is just a piece of the main thing and there are most likely other pieces." Brittany said before closing the box. "And the sealwork I got into making the box…isn't perfect. It's fading…"

"And eventually everyone will be able to sense it. How long we got?" Marco asked.

"Few days at most. Anything who'd have something specifically for finding this would be able to find it…because I was only to make seals for the ordinary warper to be unable to sense it. I never should have used the shard to try it out." Brittany said worriedly.

"We take this to Hpoo." Marco said firmly. "She'll be able to keep it hidden a little while longer, but she isn't going to like this."

"Well, you're not to like this." Janna said checking her out her phone to see texts. "The fight went fine with our girls winning, but the cops are swarming. Harder than usual. They're on their way but…they're hurt"

"Looks like we're struck here until the heat dies." Tom said sitting down on Brittany's bed. "I'm game to wait. Brittany, got a first aid kit?"

"I do." Brittany said getting one from under her bed.

"I'll call Hpoo." Marco said getting his phone.

-o-

With the state of Neo-California, homelessness still was an issue. One that governments and Spinel herself, didn't even care to fix. Loads of the downtrodden wandered the streets, and the cheap solution was to have them hauled to a prison or just outright shot and killed. A rise of criminal behavior had the street run with blood at night. It did give Heckapoo an advantage to remain in hiding. If there was one benefit to Spinel's regin was the influx of alien mask which got her an ID Mask to change her appearance to appear a dark-skinned redheaded human to blend into the masses of other homeless. It was another night of squatting in the park under the bridge sitting around an oil drum with the other homeless women to call this place home. A Spanish guitar solo and Heckapoo took out of her phone walking off to side.

"Marco, make it quick." Heckapoo said in a whisper.

"I found something. Something big. You need to get to us, pronto. We'd get you, but the cops are swarming Echo Creek. We're holed up in a motel right on outskirts of my neighborhood." Marco explained.

"I can portal to you, but I just need a bit of focus. As long as you have that pendant, I gave you, I can get to you. Just stand outside." Heckapoo said hanging up.

She went back and got her bag together along with her coat.

"You leavin'? Look, I ain't stopping you, but be careful." One of the homeless women giving Heckapoo a white scarf.

"Thanks." Heckapoo said wrapping it around her neck. "We probably won't see each other again, so this is goodbye."

Heckapoo took off into night glowing white before vanishing before appearing right in front of Marco. Marco was relived to see her as Heckapoo took off the ID Mask.

"I really wish you'd join my gang." Marco said.

-o-

"So, someone's got their hands on one of the shards." Maylene said concerned looking at the radar as they were both laying back in beds.

"Think it's Spinel's people?" Enid remarked.

"I don't know, but I got a pin on whoever does. Not too far outside Echo Creek, Neo-California." Maylene said.

"We could split up." Enid suggested.

Maylene put down that idea considering that the situtiation and made the call to turn to go to Neo-California. With that decision down, they both dozed off to sleep. As for the Luckless, Eclipsa was debating trying to get into contact with Marco considering she was sitting on valuable information. She looked up at the night sky wondering the fate of her "expert" family. It weighed on her soul that Moon and Star are suffering under Spinel. She had full well known that her family was revived and enslaved under her. Guilt racked her mind and ate at her through her dreams.

"Hey, sweetheart. You've been staring at the moon like it's going to crash into the planet." Globgor said.

"Globgor, I…I think I may have step out of hiding. I can't just sit and do nothing. Not when others are fighting and risking their necks against Spinel." Eclipsa said tearing up. "But it just feels so hopeless. I feel powerless even with my magic. We need a miracle."

"I think that can be arranged." Jaune said coming up. "Sorry to interrupt but remember that shifty guy that sells stuff from his flying van?"

"That perverted deviant who said I had a nice pair of tits. What about that wretch?" Eclipsa said crossing her arms.

"Well, he was fishing not too far from Spinel's castle when Spinel threw something out of the window in a rage. Apparently, she was on coke. He caught it, and well…he figured it rightfully belongs." Jaune said producing the item in question. "I'm not going to really say what he wanted in returned."

For the first time in a long time, something came up and stayed up in Eclipsa…hope. She got out her phone and finally made the call to Marco telling him the words he wanted to hear.

"We are ready to help in the fight."

-o-

The next morning, Castle Spinel would receive a new visitor, a little jester that Spinel was enamored with her cute outfit. She had wanted to trade items and made the request of one item in exchange for five fuel rods of pure warper energy. When the child jester made the request however, Spinel called Moon to fetch it.

"I'm sorry, Queen Spinel, but while you were on a coke binge, you threw it out of a window." Moon said as Spinel went pale.

"I don't suppose I can offer anything else, Miss Dymmi." Spinel said sheepishly.

"I suppose I can accept a DNA sample of a Mewman in exchange for one fuel rod." Dymmi mused.

"Can't I offer you some cocaine in exchange for more rods?" Spinel asked sweetly.

"Pass." Dymmi said shaking a bit. "My body can't handle that."

Dymmi cursed inwardly. She had been warned that while she was well wise beyond her years, her physical body had its limits. Her sealwork was barely holding her body together. While she was on at any risk of death considering she can simply transfer flames into some unlikely soul. However, she did not want to resort to that. Thus, she opted for going one of the many worlds that had springs with a fountain of youth and one for aging. She just wanted access to Mewman magic to use for mutation, but the DNA would do.

"Rhina, get in here!" Spinel roared as Rhina shuffled.

"My queen, how can…" Rhina sputtered before Spinel whacked her with a try hard enough to break her nose.

"There's you're DNA." Spinel said as Moon went for the first aid kit.

(A/N: A bit more dialogue heavy then I hoped, but this ended up being for the best to delve into the characters instead of being an AKIRA parody. Funny enough, originally, I had considered Marco/Brittany, but I realized Marco/Janna makes a lot more sense given this world has gone to shit. The gang members were easy picks and Heckapoo's human form is a bit of reference to an artist out there giving her a human redesign. Next chapter, we skip ahead a few days later.)