"Thanks for coming to the party, Father! Here's your pay, in Plant coins. Also, I want you to have these!" Crazy Dave said to Father.

Crazy Dave handed a bag of 1000 Plant coins and 5 seed packets to Father Pasture as a thank you for being the wedding officiant.

"Seeds? For my garden?" Father asked.

"I thought you might need some to protect your chapel. I hope they help!" Crazy Dave said with a sincere smile.

"Let me see. Sunflowers, I can never have too many of them. They are wonderful beings. Peashooters are always good to have. Oh, my apologies, but I cannot accept Cherry Bombs or Doom Shrooms. I do not wish to harm the soil with their explosions." Father said as he sorted through the seed packets.

"No problem. I understand." Crazy Dave said as Father gave him back the Cherry Bomb seeds and Doom Shroom spores.

"Are…are these Ghost Pepper seeds?" Father asked in disbelief.

"You better believe it!" Crazy Dave answered with a grin.

"I have been missing these from my collection! They are the only explosive Plants that do not harm the soil beneath them. Bless you, Crazy Dave!" Father thanked Crazy Dave.

"Uh, I didn't actually sneeze, but thanks anyway!" Crazy Dave said.

At that moment, Penny had arrived in a flash of blue light from her trip to Eden.

"User Dave, I have transported the newlyweds to Eden for their honeymoon. We must now bring Father Pasture back to his chapel." Penny beeped.

"Are you ready to go home?" Crazy Dave asked Father.

"Yes. Thank you once again for inviting me to the wedding. I had a wonderful time here!" Father said with a smile.

Crazy Dave climbed into the driver's seat of Penny, while Father Pasture sat in the passenger seat. Penny powered up once more and quickly ascended into the sky.

"Next stop: Chapel City!" Crazy Dave chimed.

"That's not actually where I live…" Father commented.

"This is just how he talks. Believe me…" Penny spoke up.

Penny instantly warped away from the Backyard Battleground, leaving the Plants to clean up after the wedding reception.


Fire Flower was busy packing some of her belongings into a small backpack for her trip. She had packed some small snacks, a washcloth, a bottle of water, and a ribbon. There was a soft knock on her bedroom door.

"Uh…come in." Fire Flower said.

The bedroom door slowly opened as Sunflower walked in. Sunflower had finished putting away her wedding gown and packing for the trip, and had decided to check on Fire Flower.

"Hi, Fire!" Sunflower chirped.

"Oh, hi Sunflower." Fire Flower answered.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing. Are you ready to go?" Sunflower said.

"Yeah, I just need to pack a few more things, that's all." Fire Flower said.

"Once Penny comes back, she can take us to Time Park! Are you excited?" Sunflower said with a smile.

"I am excited! But are you sure you don't need to rest after the wedding?" Fire Flower asked.

"Well, Sun Pharaoh definitely isn't coming. She's already out cold!" Sunflower answered with a chuckle.

"It's just you, Peashooter, Chomper, Agent Pea, Law Pea, and Commando Pea, huh?" Fire Flower said.

"We're all kind of tired from the wedding, sure. But the day isn't over yet! I promised that we would visit Time Park after the wedding, so we're all making sure you enjoy yourself over there." Sunflower stated.

"You'll like it there too. I know most of us like carnivals." Fire Flower said.

"We'll have fun while we're there. But most importantly, it's about you and Stuffy. Make the most of your time together, alright?" Sunflower said as she gave Fire Flower a gentle hug.

"We will…" Fire Flower replied.

"Good to hear that. Be ready when Penny comes back, ok?" Sunflower said as she left the room.

Fire Flower sat on her bed with many thoughts flooding her mind. What was it like in Time Park? How was she going to spend her time with Stuffy? These thoughts were quickly interrupted when Fire Flower looked at the framed picture of her parents on her nightstand. She picked it up, took a long look at the picture, noted the bright smiles of her parents, and smiled in return. She carefully removed the picture from the frame and put the photo in her backpack, wishing to show it to Stuffy.

"Mom…dad…I really wish you could meet Stuffy. This is the best I can do…" Fire Flower said.


"Hey Shadow! Do you want to come with us to Time Park?" Sunflower asked Shadow Flower.

"Oh, uh…sorry Sunflower, I can't. I just got invited to a…job interview. They want to hire me for my experience in espionage and hacking." Shadow Flower responded, seeming very anxious and hurried.

"Job interview? When did you get this?" Sunflower asked further, tilting her head in confusion.

"Unfortunately, they're not allowing me to disclose any information about it. My guess is that they're a private organization that specializes in intelligence. Remember when Agent Pea used to work for that hitman agency? Maybe it's like that." Shadow Flower attempted to explain.

"Oh. Does that mean you won't be helping us anymore?" Sunflower said with a sad frown.

"No, no! I can still totally help you guys with intel and all that. I'm not just gonna leave my friends for a company I hardly even know. If I don't like it, I can always just turn down the job. It's nothing to worry about, I promise!" Shadow Flower quickly replied.

"Oh, alright then! That's not too bad! Good luck with that, I guess." Sunflower said in relief.

"Don't worry about it; I have a good feeling about this!" Shadow Flower said as she departed.

"See you later, Shadow!" Sunflower called to Shadow Flower.

Shadow Flower pulled out her smartphone as she briskly walked to her destination. She opened up the Grapevine app and selected her current private conversation.

DarkAlias: Ok, I'm interested in your "job offer".

Toxithorn: Excellent! We are greatly appreciative of your willingness to help us.

DarkAlias: Is it too much to ask what I'm getting myself into?

Toxithorn: Do not worry, we are not a SEEDY organization. See what I did there? XD

DarkAlias: I get it…I guess that confirms that you're a Plant and not a Zombie.

Toxithorn: I apologize in advance for being extremely secretive about our organization. All you need to know is this: we are on your side. We wish to assist you in these trying times. The same goes for all of your friends and comrades.

DarkAlias: So you're a military organization then…

Toxithorn: That describes a mere fraction of our organization. I promise you that there is much more to us than that.

DarkAlias: Ok, look. You've got me REALLY intrigued. But I need to see for myself that you are our allies.

Toxithorn: Not a problem. Where would you like for us to meet?

DarkAlias: Meet me? Here in the Backyard Battleground? Sounds like a deal! I'm walking towards…Chomper Pizza right now.

Toxithorn: Wonderful. Stay there and wait. An agent will be sent to meet you there. They will personally escort you to our HQ.

DarkAlias: Does that mean I get to meet you in person?

Toxithorn: Of course! I am far from reclusive. I greatly anticipate your arrival!

DarkAlias: Ok, see you soon!


Shadow Flower entered the Backyard Battleground's Chomper Pizza restaurant, a small pizza parlor that was part of a larger Chomper Pizza franchise. This restaurant used to be a popular hangout for many Plants in the local area, and would spend its working hours serving customers and hosting birthday parties. They served a large variety of foods, namely spaghetti, macaroni, tacos, hamburgers, salads, quesadillas, fried chicken, and of course, pizza. Their specialty dish was the world-famous Chomper Pizza, a pizza so large that it could serve a party of 10 and still have leftovers to take home. The chefs of Chomper Pizza would often hand out slices of their Chomper Pizza for free, since there was so much to go around. Truly, it was a great place to be with other Plants.

One day, however, the original owner of Chomper Pizza died in a Zombie attack, causing the restaurant to go out of business for a while before eventually reopening under new management. The chefs, waiters, and other staff would either die in a Zombie attack, or quit their job to work elsewhere. Eventually, only the new owner remained working in the establishment. The owner wasn't even a real Chomper, he was merely an animatronic with AI to help him manage the restaurant by himself. Long story short, Chomper Pizza remained open for business, even if business was slow.

Shadow Flower took a seat at the table closest to the entrance, and was promptly greeted by the animatronic Chomper. The robotic Chomper greeted Shadow Flower with digitized grunts and barks, similar to how a real Chomper would greet someone, and then beeped as he started taking Shadow Flower's order.

"I'll just have a regular slice of Chomper Pizza and iced tea." Shadow Flower answered.

The animatronic Chomper nodded and went into the kitchen to prepare the order, leaving Shadow Flower to herself. A few minutes pass by when suddenly, a hooded figure walked into the restaurant. The figure glanced around the restaurant, appearing puzzled by its emptiness, before taking a seat across the table from Shadow Flower. In this moment, Shadow Flower knew that this was the agent that was sent to meet her.

"Are you Madam Shadow?" The hooded agent asked Shadow Flower.

Shadow Flower stifled a giggle before responding.

"No one has ever called me 'Madam' before! Just call me Shadow." Shadow Flower answered.

"Very well." The hooded agent said.

The animatronic Chomper approached the table once again, asking to take the agent's order.

"Er…water, please." The hooded agent answered.

The animatronic Chomper returned to the kitchen, leaving Shadow Flower and the agent to their company.

"Water? You know they serve other things, right?" Shadow Flower commented.

"I do not have time to indulge." The hooded agent responded.

"Well, they have lemonade, or iced tea, or root beer floats. Are you sure you don't want any of those?" Shadow Flower asked.

"Perhaps later." The hooded agent replied.

Shadow Flower observed the agent with intrigue. The agent was about as tall as she was, except they were fully cloaked and wore a large hood to conceal their identity. The cloak itself was held together by a circular badge with a leaf emblem imprinted on it. The only traits that were visible to her were the agent's leaves, since the cloak provided no sleeves.

"So, uh, what's your name?" Shadow Flower asked, attempting to break the ice.

"My name is unimportant. It is also sensitive information that I cannot disclose." The hooded agent answered.

"Well, it can't be unimportant if it's sensitive information." Shadow Flower pointed out.

"Hmm…you are correct. The truth is…I am not comfortable telling you." The hooded agent said, sounding disappointed.

"You? A shady, secretive agent like you is uncomfortable to say their name? Actually…yeah that makes sense." Shadow Flower quipped.

"Hoodie…" The hooded agent whispered.

"Huh?" Shadow Flower asked.

"My name is…Hoodie." The hooded agent reluctantly said again, slightly louder than before.

"That…that's like your codename, right?" Shadow Flower said in disbelief.

"No, that's my…legal…name…" Hoodie said quietly, growing more and more embarrassed.

Shadow Flower started to giggle before bursting into a fit of laughter, causing the agent to cover their face in sheer embarrassment. Shadow Flower quickly realized this as she attempted to pull herself together.

"Hey, hey, it's alright! I'm not *chuckle*, I'm not making fun of your name!" Shadow Flower said in between giggles.

"No, I understand. It is not a name befitting an agent." Hoodie muttered, still covering their face.

"No! It's a great name! I think it's cute!" Shadow Flower said with a smile.

"Do you…think so?" Hoodie asked, lowering their leaves.

"Yeah, I think so!" Shadow Flower answered.

"Well…er…thank you." Hoodie said, placing their leaves back onto the table.

"Hoodie…I like it." Shadow Flower said with a grin.

"Is service always this slow?" Hoodie asked, growing impatient.

"Well, there's just one Plant working here, cut them some slack." Shadow Flower answered.

"Where is everyone else? Is this not a popular restaurant?" Hoodie asked further.

"It is…but nobody really feels like eating pizza during a war like this." Shadow Flower answered.

"Hmm…" Hoodie said in contemplation.

"Your voice sounds interesting…" Shadow Flower commented.

"Is it?" Hoodie replied.

"It's hard to describe. Are you male or female?" Shadow Flower asked.

Hoodie anxiously tapped their leaves in response to this question, a gesture that Shadow Flower immediately noticed.

"Is something wrong?" Shadow Flower asked Hoodie.

"That is a…sore question, to be certain. I cannot see myself as either of those." Hoodie answered.

"Oh, I see. Does that mean you're genderless, third gender, or androgynous?" Shadow Flower asked further.

"Androgynous." Hoodie replied.

"Ok, that's cool. Your voice does kind of sound like a cross between a male and female voice. But it sounds a little more feminine to me." Shadow Flower said.

"That's because biologically, I am female. But it doesn't seem right. I am too masculine to be female, but not enough to be male. I don't fit into either category." Hoodie said begrudgingly.

"Gender isn't a category, it's an identity. If you can't see yourself as male or female, that doesn't matter. What matters is how you see yourself, and what you make of it. So do you prefer 'they'?" Shadow Flower said to Hoodie.

"Yes." Hoodie simply replied.

"I'm cool with that." Shadow Flower said with a smile.

Just then, the animatronic Chomper came to the table with their order: A slice of Chomper Pizza and a tall glass of iced tea for Shadow Flower, and a glass of filtered water for Hoodie. Shadow Flower began drinking her tea while Hoodie slowly sipped their water.

"Are you a sunflower, by any chance?" Shadow Flower asked Hoodie.

"What makes you say that?" Hoodie asked in response.

"Well, you have leaves, and the only two Plants that have leaves are Peashooters and Sunflowers. That rules out you being a Chomper or a Cactus. As far as I'm aware, there's only one Chomper left alive, and Chompers can't talk anyway. If you're a Peashooter, that would be really cool, since the Peashooter population is also running a bit low. But it's much more likely that you're a Sunflower, judging by the voice, the posture, the emotional energy…" Shadow Flower rambled until she saw Hoodie tilt their head, realizing that it was their way of saying 'stop'.

"You are far too intelligent." Hoodie commented.

"Is that bad?" Shadow Flower joked.

"It is…for the Zombies." Hoodie joked in response.

Shadow Flower giggled as she continued to study Hoodie. She swore she could almost see Hoodie grin from underneath their hood.

"What exactly does your agency do?" Shadow Flower asked.

"We are a special organization, tasked with the ultimate responsibility to save the universe. We travel through space and time to correct temporal errors, protect endangered and strategic eras, and find the most qualified individuals to help us fight in the name of Plant and Humankind." Hoodie answered.

"Does your organization have a name?" Shadow Flower asked further.

"Yes. We are the L.E.A.F agency." Hoodie answered.

Shadow Flower's eyes widened as she recognized the name, scarcely able to contain her intrigue.

"Based on your expression, you must have heard of us before." Hoodie noted.

"I have…many times when I was retrieving Zombie intel, I would often overhear the Zombie soldiers asking each other the same question: Where is L.E.A.F? When they were interrogating Plant prisoners, they kept asking the same question: Where is L.E.A.F? And only now, I am seeing a L.E.A.F agent in the flesh." Shadow Flower said.

"We must admit, we are partially regretful that so many Plants have fallen before we could take action. We stand idle no longer. This is where you and your friends come in." Hoodie stated.

"Alright then, where do we come into this?" Shadow Flower asked as she took a bite of her pizza.

"You have shown a lot of potential in sabotaging the Zombie forces. We were hoping you would consider working for us. Your skills and experience in technological warfare would prove to be invaluable to L.E.A.F." Hoodie explained.

"I don't know. I've been helping my friends so much through the war. I can't just leave them without warning." Shadow Flower muttered.

"When I escort you to L.E.A.F HQ, you can make your decision then. There are more authorized agents that can help you consider." Hoodie said further.

"One last thing. What does L.E.A.F stand for?" Shadow Flower asked as she finished the last bites of her pizza.

"It stands for 'League of Extraordinary Action Foliage'." Hoodie answered.

Shadow Flower stifles another giggle, believing that the name was somewhat silly.

"It was the best they could come up with." Hoodie said as they shrugged.

"Ok then, will you be my chauffer?" Shadow Flower joked.

"We have no need for a vehicle." Hoodie said as they stood up.

Shadow Flower stands up from the table and leaves a tip for the animatronic Chomper, following Hoodie outside the restaurant.


"So how will we get to the HQ?" Shadow Flower asks.

"We will take the same way I came. But we must be quick, so as to avoid being followed." Hoodie answered.

Hoodie lead Shadow Flower to a small park on the Plant side of the Backyard Battleground. Hoodie quickly looks around, checking to see if anyone was looking. Hoodie then held out their leaves and hung their head as they began focusing their energy. As Hoodie spread their leaves apart, they tore open the fabric of time to create a bright blue portal, akin to Crazy Dave's temporal portal. Before Shadow Flower could comprehend what she had witnessed, Hoodie had already stepped through to the other side.

"Quickly, take my leaf! The L.E.A.F agency awaits you!" Hoodie called out to Shadow Flower.

Shadow Flower grabbed Hoodie's leaf as she stepped through the portal. Hoodie then quickly closed the portal behind them in a blinding flash of light.

"Ok, hang on a minute! Did you just rip open a temporal portal?" Shadow Flower said in surprise.

"L.E.A.F agents can only do so in designated locations. But yes, that is what I did." Hoodie answered.

Hoodie brushed down their cloak before speaking again.

"Shadow, welcome to L.E.A.F HQ!" Hoodie proclaimed with outstretched leaves.

Shadow Flower gazed around in complete awe at the spectacle before her. The L.E.A.F HQ was a large cylindrical facility, constructed similarly to a library archive, complete with walkways and staircases to travel to each floor. The facility appeared to ascend and descend indefinitely, in a way that could potentially induce vertigo. Many agents, cloaked or otherwise, walked along the walkways with only a single railing to support them. Some agents were walking into temporal portals, while some were entering the facility through temporal portals, as Shadow Flower and Hoodie had. In the very center of the facility was a control panel with a large holographic monitor that displayed all sorts of data and information. Everything seemed unreal and dreamlike, but it was indeed reality.

"This is amazing! Where is this place?" Shadow Flower asked.

"The HQ is stationed somewhere outside of boundaries of time. Time and space behave mostly the same in this facility, except our time will never run out here. We consider the facility as an origin point on a graphical grid, allowing us to travel through space and time with little difficulty." Hoodie explained.

"So does that mean you can go anywhere you want, at any time?" Shadow Flower asked further.

"Certainly, though we can only specify our destinations to an extent. As a result, we may end up at our intended destination a few minutes too late or too early. We are working on reducing the amount of error down to seconds. Come with me now, a higher agent is waiting to meet you." Hoodie said, leading Shadow Flower across a bridge leading to the center of the facility.

Shadow Flower resisted the urge to look down as she followed Hoodie across the bridge. When the two arrived at the center of the facility, they saw a masked female agent seated at the control panel, giving communications through a microphone.

"Status update on Timeline Omega…status confirmed. Timeline Omega has been protected. Status update on Timeline Sigma…status confirmed. Timeline Sigma is still endangered. Status update on Timeline Alpha...status pending." The female agent said as she received and delivered communications.

Hoodie walked up to the female agent and knelt down before speaking.

"Madam, I have brought the recruit." Hoodie said.

The female agent turned around in her chair, becoming delighted as she saw who it was.

"Ah, excellent work Agent Hoodie." The female agent chimed as she stood up from her seat.

Shadow Flower went up to the female agent and shook leaves with her.

"Hello miss! You must be Toxithorn." Shadow Flower greeted.

"It is no longer necessary to refer to me by that name. I am Druid Rose, one of the top agents of L.E.A.F. It is a great pleasure to finally meet you!" Druid Rose said with a smile and a curtsy.

Druid Rose was a mysterious looking rose, donning a dark purple cloak and a large wooden mask that concealed her entire face, aside from the eyes. The mask itself appeared to be decorated in tribal markings, giving the mask an intimidating look. Druid Rose also wielded a magic wand that contained toxic magic energy, making her one of the most powerful magicians in existence.

"Druid Rose, huh? That's a cool name. Your voice sounds pretty awesome too." Shadow Flower commented.

"I am Irish, as I am certain you have concluded. Would you like me to speak more stereotypically? Top o' the mornin' to ya lass! How do you fare? I'm havin' a whale of a time!" Druid Rose spoke in a very over-the-top manner, causing both her and Shadow Flower to burst into laughter.

"Ok, well, I'm here now. Why exactly am I here?" Shadow Flower inquired.

"You have figured it out by now, haven't you? You have been recruited to help the L.E.A.F agency fight back the Zombies and bring back peace and justice to all eras. You were recruited due to your expertise in intelligence hacking and retrieval. Your skills would be greatly beneficial to our cause." Druid Rose explained.

"Oh…um…that's great and all…but…" Shadow Flower stuttered.

"Is something the matter?" Druid Rose asked.

"Well, it's just…I'm already part of an army. My friends are all part of the team, and I can't just leave them to work elsewhere." Shadow Flower explained.

"Yes, we know this. We were hoping we could come to some sort of compromise if you were to be conflicted with our job offer." Druid Rose said with a nod.

"Well…hey wait! Isn't that…" Shadow Flower began to say.

"Hm? Does something catch your attention?" Druid Rose asked.

Shadow Flower looked up at the walkway to her left to see a very familiar face. It was a sunflower named Happy Flopsy, who was formerly a combat medic for the team. Happy Flopsy lived a very similar life to Solara, having married an Ice Pea and having a daughter with him. Ever since her husband died in the battlefield, Happy Flopsy left the team, as she had become too grief-stricken to fight. Yet here she was, walking among other agents.

"Hey, Happy! Over here!" Shadow Flower called out.

Happy perked her head up and looked toward the voice calling her name.

"Shadow?" Happy said, running down a stairway to meet up with Shadow Flower.

Shadow Flower and Happy gave each other a big hug, joyful to see each other after so long.

"Happy, what are you doing here?" Shadow Flower asked Happy.

"I was going to ask you the same thing!" Happy said.

"You explain first. It's been WAY too long, girl!" Shadow Flower said with a grin.

"Alright then. Well, I was at home, living by myself. It had only been a few days after Ice Pea died, so I was still very sad. Then there was a knock at my door, and when I answered it, one of the hooded agents recruited me to join L.E.A.F! 5 years later, here I am!" Happy explained.

"That's awesome, Happy. How come you never told us this?" Shadow Flower asked.

"Same reason most L.E.A.F agents have. It's just too risky to reveal our identity." Happy answered.

"It's OK, I understand. How has your daughter been?" Shadow Flower asked.

"Snow Flower has been wonderful! She's a brave soldier, just like her father." Happy said with a smile.

"Snow's still stationed in Antarctica right now. We haven't really been contacting her. Sorry about that." Shadow Flower said.

"Oh, don't worry about her. She's doing great out there!" Happy reassured Shadow Flower.

"Well, considering the fact that she can walk through sub-zero temperatures like it's nothing, I'm sure she is." Shadow Flower said with a grin.

"It takes a lot more than some cold to stop her!" Happy chimed.

"Hey, I'm really sorry about Ice Pea. We all miss him." Shadow Flower stated.

"I miss him too. It's good to hear that his memory lives on. Both me and my daughter will continue fighting in his honor!" Happy responded boldly.

"Great. Thanks Happy!" Shadow Flower said with a smile.

"Ah, Agent Happy! I was just about to give you a mission." Druid Rose spoke up.

"Yes Madam! What is my mission?" Happy asked as she approached Druid Rose.

"Come closer. I will have to whisper…" Druid Rose said.

Happy followed Druid Rose's instruction, allowing Druid Rose to whisper to her.

"We have finalized your daughter's audit. She passed." Druid rose whispered.

Happy stepped back in surprise.

"Does that mean…you're recruiting her?!" Happy exclaimed.

"Well, I suppose there is no reason to whisper anymore, but yes. We are recruiting your daughter, Snow Flower." Druid Rose said with a smile.

Happy jumped up and cheered at the good news, causing Shadow Flower to smile as well.

"Now you must go to Antarctica and tell your daughter the news. Make sure to bring your parka!" Druid Rose stated.

"Right away Madam!" Happy said.

"Congratulations Happy. This is great, isn't it?" Shadow Flower said to Happy.

"It's wonderful! Now she can go wherever and whenever she wants to! That means more quality time with mommy!" Happy giggled, causing Shadow Flower to giggle as well.

"Well, guess it's goodbye again." Shadow Flower said, sounding somewhat sad.

"Oh Shadow, I'll see you again soon. I promise! Tell the others I said hi!" Happy stated.

"Ok then. See ya Happy!" Shadow Flower said as she waved goodbye to Happy.

"Bye Shadow!" Happy said as she ran up the stairway and into a temporal portal.

Druid Rose twirled her wand in thought as she attempted to come up with a plan for Shadow Flower.

"I have a proposal…" Druid Rose finally stated.

"What is it?" Shadow Flower asked.

"Continue to fight on your friends' behalves. However, we will also support your friends with our L.E.A.F agents. They have no qualms about assisting third party militias." Druid Rose explained.

"You're going to send L.E.A.F agents to help us? That would be great! We need as much help as we can get!" Shadow Flower exclaimed.

"It is decided then. I have one condition, however. Any intelligence you currently have and will discover in the future must be given to L.E.A.F, so that we may be able to discover our enemies' weaknesses." Druid Rose stated.

"So you just want me to give you whatever intel I have now, and then give you more intel when I find it?" Shadow Flower clarified.

"Yes." Druid Rose replied.

"I'm cool with that. You're going to be our allies, right?" Shadow Flower stated.

"Together, we are stronger." Druid Rose said with a nod.

"Great! I'll send you the intel when I get back home. Does this mean I can go back now?" Shadow Flower asked.

"Certainly. Safe travels, Shadow Flower. As an affiliate of the L.E.A.F agency, you are always welcome here." Druid Rose said as she waved goodbye to Shadow Flower.

Shadow Flower waved goodbye to Druid Rose as Hoodie lead her back to the temporal portal that they arrived from.

"Here, take this." Hoodie said, handing a card to Shadow Flower.

"What's this?" Shadow Flower asked.

"It is my calling card. As you are not an official L.E.A.F agent, you will not be able to travel to HQ by yourself. Contact that number, and I will be there to escort you to HQ if need be." Hoodie explained.

"Thanks. I was going to ask for your number anyway!" Shadow Flower joked.

"What? W-Why is that?" Hoodie stammered.

"Uh, no reason…" Shadow Flower said with a knowing grin.

"You just want to contact me for your own benefit, don't you?" Hoodie said, sounding annoyed.

"Mmm…good guess." Shadow Flower said with a playful smile.

"I will see you on your way. Take care of yourself, Shadow Flower." Hoodie stated.

"You too, Hoodie!" Shadow Flower said as she stepped through the portal, returning to the Backyard Battleground.

Hoodie closed the portal, generating a flash of blue light. As Hoodie began walking towards Druid Rose to receive further instruction, their smartphone generated a notification sound. Hoodie pulled out their smartphone and opened up the Grapevine app.

DarkAlias started a video chat

"Um…hello?" Hoodie said.

"Ok, the number works!" Shadow Flower chimed.

"Do you need anything else?" Hoodie asked.

"Nope, I'm good!" Shadow Flower answered.

"*sigh* Alright then. Continue with your day." Hoodie said.

"See ya!" Shadow Flower chirped as she ended the video chat.

Hoodie pocketed their smartphone and sighed again.

"Disregard it, Hoodie. Emotional involvement will only lead you to heartbreak, and will compromise the greater good…" Hoodie muttered.

Hoodie approached Druid Rose and asked for further instruction.

"What shall I do next Madam?" Hoodie asked Druid Rose.

"For now, you should rest. You have been doing a wonderful job today, Agent Hoodie. I will summon you when it is necessary." Druid Rose said with a smile.

"Very well Madam." Hoodie said as they walked toward their bedroom.

Druid Rose sat back down in front of her control panel and resumed work.

"Today was a wonderful day. I look forward to what lies in the potential futures." Druid Rose said to herself.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Surprise update! I have been working on this chapter in my spare time, after finishing college work, and I am quite satisfied with the results. It's a much longer chapter, not only because of the introduction of L.E.A.F, but also to keep everyone tided over until I finish Fall Quarter so I can get back to updating more regularly. As a reminder, I will still read PMs if anyone wants to send them. Don't worry about me being in college, I will always find time to read them! Also as a reminder, a poll is posted on my profile page (it should be near the top) for anyone to vote on. Your vote will greatly help me in the future, so feel free to vote if you want to. The profile itself also has new character bios for the newly introduced characters, so remember to check that out as well. Once again, thank you to everyone for your continued support. I will be able to post chapters regularly after Fall Quarter ends (which is about December 14th). ~Timeman63, logging out!