Hello all you awesome people on the internet. Allanarcher777 back with the next part of this episode of Guardians of Great Lakes. Now last time we left off, we were faced with a cliffhanger about these three mysterious individuals. Even more peculiar, one of them appears to be an older Carlitos.

Now, without further delay, all of you patient people are about to get some answers. And trust me, the stakes here are way higher than you could possibly imagine...


They're five kids on a mission
With powers and determination
Standing on the edge of an endless game
Their chaotic lives will never be the same
In a dangerous world they do all they can
They're Guardians
Guardians

The heart of their powers within them
No force will make them give in
When one's backed into a corner of
uncertainty
The rest will protect to the next degree
They are more than heroes, they're a family
They're Guardians
Guardians

(Guitar solo plays as their names are called out and their hero names appear on screen)
Ronnie Anne! (Relay)
Bobby! (Glacier)
Carlota! (Glamor)
C.J.! (Captain Command)
Carl! (Supernova)

They're Guardians
Guardians
Guardians
Guardians!

Chapter 4: Hard times ahead

[PART 2]

The family was gathered together in Arturo's living room with their three prisoners resting on the sofa, still trapped in icy shells. Ronnie Anne walked in front of the unmasked Hispanic boy, then looked him dead in the eyes. "Alright, you have exactly 30 seconds to explain why you look like an older version of my baby cousin." She threatened as she raised a fist in front of him. The boy didn't flinch from the threatening gesture, but still seemed to look nervous.

"Because I am him. I'm from the future. You have to believe me!" He pleaded. Ronnie Anne rolled her eyes and the others gave him disapproving looks. "Look, what if I showed you some proof? Would you believe I'm Carlitos Casagrande then?" He offered. Ronnie Anne paused for a moment and calmed down a little. Though she still kept glaring at them, not fully dropping her guard.

"What kind of proof?"

"There is a photo in my back pocket. Just take a look at it." He instructed. The family thought about it and then looked over at Carl. The youngest groaned as he walked over to the frozen prisoners, and lifted up the one that claimed to be Carlitos slightly. He then used his powers to carefully melt away some of the ice to get to their pockets. He dug around in them until he felt some sort of smooth paper. He pulled it out and his eyes widened. Without saying a word, he showed the picture to his family.

The photo showed The Santiago and Casagrande children, including Carlitos, who was also dressed in an outfit similar to their captive, all gathered together in their hero suits. With the exception of C.J., who was wearing a microphone headset. The setting of the picture seemed strange. It looked like the inside of an abandoned building, as evident by the dusty cobwebs and broken boards. Though the thing that really stuck out to everyone was the fact that everyone looked slightly older. Around two or three years by the looks of it. Carl became increasingly nervous the more he looked at the picture. "Guys? I've seen my fair share of fake and altered photos. I think this is real." He admitted. Bobby rubbed his chin and pondered it for a moment, unsure about what to think.

"Yeah, looks pretty convincing alright." The frozen prisoners began to perk up. Hope creeping up as the family started to believe them.

"Wait. What about Tio Arturo? Why did you attack him?" C.J. asked. Carlota then glared at the frozen pre-teens. Showing a large amount of skepticism with the point the questions her brother raised.

"Yeah. How do you explain that?" She asked. The second male captive, previously addressed as David, spoke up.

"We didn't go after your uncle to seek harm. We did it to organize a private meeting while you were all taking matters seriously." The female captive nodded in agreement.

"We need to keep this as secret as possible until we finish what we came here for. Meeting in a building with that many people would accomplish the exact opposite." She noted. The family all paused and thought about it, still unsure about what to say or do. The boy claiming to be Carlitos looked at the family with a gaze that looked like he was pleading for mercy.

"I know that this is all crazy. But you have to believe me. We're familia. I would never want to hurt any of you." He pleaded. Arturo ran his fingers through his beard and pondered it for a moment. He grumbled to himself and his eyes darted to his children, niece, and nephews. Eventually, C.J. broke the silence.

"I believe him." He confessed. The captives' faces seemed to light up with delight and relief. Everyone else seemed to give as Ronnie Anne let out a long sigh.

"Alright Carl, thaw them all out. We'll trust them for now." Carl complied with his cousin's orders and began setting the intruders free one by one. He started with Carlitos, giving him a nasty look

"If this is a trick, I'm throwing a giant barbecue with you as the main course." He threatened while poking his nose with one hand. Carlitos chuckled.

"Trust me, Hermano. I'm not plotting anything." He reassured as the ice melted and they were set free. As Carlitos got up off the couch and started stretching, Carlota crossed her arms and looked at him.

"So, brother from the future, how about you tell us about your friends there?" She inquired, still somewhat skeptical about the story. Carlitos cleared their throat and gestured to the other two pre-teens Carl was thawing out.

"The edge-lord in the black and red is David Canemore. And for the record, this whole thing was HIS idea." He stated sourly. David scoffed.

"I'd prefer to be called Heart Beatle. And I am not an edge-lord. I just take matters seriously." He defended. Carlitos couldn't help but laugh a little bit.

"Everyone knows that you only go with that name to protect your ego after your parents gave you your original hero name… Cuddle Bug." Immediately as Carlitos said that, David's face turned red and everyone started to laugh. Ronnie Anne in particular was on the floor, wrapping her arms around her stomach.

"Cuddle Bug? That is hilarious!" She laughed. Carlitos laughed a little alongside the others before calming down.

"Alright, alright, that's enough. The girl there is actually someone you know already." He stated. Carl had just finished melting the ice around the girl as they lifted up an arm and pulled off their mask. Greeting the family with a warm, yet strangely pained smile. She waved at them nervously.

"Heh heh. Please don't tell my family about this. Especially Lori." She pleaded. Bobby's eyes widened as he processed the request. More specifically, the words the girl used.

"Family? Lori? Wait a second. Lily is that you?" He asked in shock. The rest of the Santiagos and Casagrandes practically felt their eyes pop out of their head as the future Lily Loud made a small force field ball in the palm of her hand, made it float around for a moment, then made it vanish. C.J. then began to clap excitedly.

"Cool! It's Nursery all grown up!" He cheered.

"Actually, I stopped going by that when I was around five or six. Now, I'm known as Safeguard." She explained as Carl then began to thaw out David from the ice holding him in place. Lily then started looking at Ronnie Anne in a strangely wistful manner. But when the young Latina glanced in her direction, Lily quickly looked away. "It really is nice seeing you all again." She sighed. Ronnie Anne turned back towards her time travelling cousin and cleared her throat.

"So, how about you Carlitos? When did you become a super hero? Or, I guess DO you is a better way of putting it." The tomboy asked with a chuckle. Arturo nodded and began to chime in.

"Yeah, and what kind of powers do you get? Or are you one of those people with gadgets?" Carlitos couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Well, you guys aren't going to believe this. But technically speaking, I've always had powers." He admitted. As everyone looked at him with perplexed expressions, he raised one of his hands and made a few quick and sudden movements with his fingers. His hand began to glow a deep green and became surrounded with a sparkling aura. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he hurled a projectile of the same color at a picture on the wall. In a mere instant, the painting turned into a beach ball and fell to the ground. Everyone, save for his time traveling companions, were astounded.

"What? How did you do that?"

"One word: Magic!" Carlitos stated proudly. "Turns out our Abuela isn't just about fancy trinkets and charms. Her entire side of the family is descended from a long line of sorcerers. And in about a few months they are gonna start developing. A few years of Abuela and Mama Lupe teaching me what they know, and I'll eventually become…" Carlitos then did a flashy spin before stopping with a pose. "El Encantado!" He exclaimed before taking a small pause. "Word of advice: watch out when I turn three. I learn how to make voodoo dolls. Trust me, they work." He chuckled. A tense silence filled the apartment for a brief moment before Bobby spoke up.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing right now. This is so cool!" He squealed. Carl reached into his pocket and pulled out a yo-yo.

"Carlitos, mi hermano, you think you can do your big bro a solid and turn this into a solid gold for me?" He asked in a sly manner. Before Carlitos could respond, David cleared his throat and got everyone's attention.

"Carlitos, I know that this little reunion is a breath of fresh air for you and Lily. But you have to remember we came here for a reason. Every second we spend in this time is one we could be using saving ours." He explained. The cold reminder caused Carlitos to fall silent and Lily to look down in sorrow. Ronnie Anne rubbed the back of her head, a little nervous.

"Yeah, about that. Why are you here? What's so bad that made you decide to time travel?" She asked. Carlitos looked at his now concerned family and sighed.

"Remember Epimetheus?" He asked bluntly. The mere mention of the mad scientist's name instantly caused everyone's facial expressions to turn sour and they all groaned. "Yeah, I thought so. Well, in exactly two and a half hours from now… He's going to get his sick twisted wish for a super power-filled world." Carlitos warned. Carl quickly interrupted by imitating a buzzer sound.

"EHH! No way that would happen. We would've stopped him!" He boasted, earning a scoff from David.

"Yeah, you would have. If anyone saw it coming." He quickly countered as he stood up and started pacing around the room. "Epimetheus didn't get away with it because he defeated you right away. He got away with it because he was quiet and slipped beneath your notice." He explained. The Latino family all felt a chill go down their spine over the implications of David's statement. The moody pre-teen saw noticed their unease and waved them off. "Don't go beating yourselves up over it. A quiet villain is one nobody expects. Plus, it's possible he had some help pulling his plan off." Lily nodded and continued the story.

"Approximately sixty-five percent of the world start getting super powers and mutations. As you can expect, it led to a bunch of confusion and pandemonium. And Epimetheus quickly capitalized on it by starting a movement for meta-humans to take over the world. Whether they wanted to conquer it or not." The last solemn part of her statement made everyone grow even more fearful. C.J. especially was beginning to tremble with fear as he reluctantly pressed on for more info.

"What do you mean?" Carlitos looked at his brother and sighed.

"Some joined his side of the war by choice. Others were captured and brainwashed." He confessed. "And yes, a bunch of them are people we know." Carlitos looked Ronnie Anne dead in the eye as he finished. "People like Sid." Ronnie Anne flinched upon hearing her best friend's name. "Though, it's not like it's really her anymore. We thought we got her back after she was abducted shortly after Epimetheus mutated everyone… Ay caramba, were we wrong when she started attacking everyone with those claws of hers. So emotionless and savage…" He solemnly recalled. Ronnie Anne was starting to shake at this point.

"Sid? No. No way. She's my best friend, I would never let this happen." Ronnie Anne stopped as the sound of crying nabbed everyone's attention. Everyone's eyes locked on Lily, who now had tears pouring out her eyes.

"If you think that's bad… I have it worse." Lily cried. "Epimetheus made sure to try and 'recruit' some of The Sound Barrier. And if he couldn't, then he just…" Lily stopped herself before breaking into sobs. "Even my parents are gone. I'm the only one left in my family that isn't evil or dead!" As Lily cried, David let out a small sigh and pat her on the back, causing her to turn around and wrap them in a hug. Despair and dread heavily hung over everyone. Ronnie Anne in particular was in a state of total shock, not daring to utter a single word.

"What about us?" Bobby asked suddenly. "Does anything happen to us?" Carlitos bit his lip and looked at the ground, seeming hesitant to answer. Fortunately for him, David explained for them.

"Bobby, Lori got captured and turned over to Epimetheus' side. You went off dying trying to rescue her from one of his strongholds." He confessed. Bobby's jaw dropped and he looked as if he had been stabbed in the heart. David then turned to Carlota. "Carlota, you often went out helping us get materials necessary for Carlitos to send us back through time. At one point, we were ambushed by Rock n' Roll, a.k.a.: Luna. You sacrificed yourself so we could get away." David regretfully informed as he turned his attention to the Casagrande brothers. "C.J. you were lucky. You work as the resistance's head strategist and rarely go on the front lines. You're still around. Carl, on the other hand, wound up in the crowd of brainwashed attackers."

All the revelations were overwhelming for everyone. The atmosphere of the whole room was practically suffocating everyone as horrible fantasies of the ruined future came to their imaginations. However, Arturo managed to pull himself out of it as he began to question something. "Wait, what about Ronnie Anne? Is she okay?" He asked desperately. There was a slight pause as Carlitos rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"We don't know." The three simple words seemed to bring Ronnie Anne out of her grief stricken trance. "The Louds were getting overwhelmed with loss after loss in their family. And Royal Woods started becoming a total warzone they couldn't afford to stay in. So they fled here to Great Lakes City. Ronnie Anne was also going through a lot, so she and Lincoln were constantly supporting each other. They had the occasional disagreement about how situations should have been approached. Other than that, you two were inseparable." He recalled nostalgically. "They basically become some of the fiercest fighters we had on our side. You were practically fighting across the whole country trying to take Epimetheus down. Then one day, he and his army led a full on invasion on the city. At the end of it, you two were gone." Carlitos confessed. Lily finally stopped crying and wiped away the last of her tears.

"But we don't know what happened to you exactly. Some say you were captured but are resisting all the mind control stuff. Others say you're dead." Lily trailed off for a moment. "But there have been reports that you are still out there somewhere, trying to fight back against them all in secret. I hope and pray that it's the last one." She moaned. Ronnie Anne blinked as she eventually finished processing everything.

"So that psychopath just creates World War 3 while tearing my friends and family apart?" She asked rhetorically as she narrowed her eyes. "That is the final straw! We are taking him DOWN! Where is he now? How does he pull this all off?" She roared furiously in an attempt to take charge and fire everyone up. David pulled out a small piece of paper and began reading off of it.

"On the very edge of the city, he's hiding in an abandoned warehouse. Inside is the machine that causes the world wide mutation. They call it the Evolutionary Radioactive Pulse generator. Or the ERP for short." As David explained, Arturo began to feel a lump form in his throat, which he forcibly swallowed.

"I'm going to guess that if he uses it, things are going to snowball into that horrible future you described?" The three time travelers gave a solemn nod, and Arturo let out a nervous groan. As he did, Carl's face lit up.

"Wait a minute. Why are we all worrying so much?" He asked in a rather cocky manner as he gestured to his brother from the future and their friends. "I mean, yeah this will be pretty serious if we don't do anything at all. But these three can time travel, right? We don't have to panic about a life or death situation when we can just try again whenever we want. We've practically won already." The reasoning seemed to resonate with Bobby as he pondered it further.

"Hey, you're right Carl. We can totally just keep going back to make sure we win right?" The question was met with silence and the trio of time travelers averting their gaze nervously. "You… You can do that, right?" Bobby repeated, only to be met with even more silence. At this point, panic and desperation were begging to flood his voice. "Please tell me that is an option!" Bobby begged as he got on his knees and joined his hands together, practically begging to hear the word 'yes'. Carlitos let out a defeated sigh, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a pocket watch that was a blue cobalt color.

"We traveled through time by using a spell I learned to enchant certain kinds of clocks. But I was only able to pour so much of my magic into it." He explained. "It only has enough energy for a one-way trip to and back home. So technically speaking, we could get one extra try."

"At the cost of our ticket back home." David finished abruptly. "And I personally have no intention of living with my past self. So we only get one shot." David's words were met with pure silence. Ronnie Anne took a deep breath before breaking it.

"Well, if this is your only shot. Then you're going to hit the target." Ronnie Anne turned to her family and put her hands on her hips as she started to give an inspiring speech. "You heard what they said, guys. This isn't just some petty crime or crazy thug. Today could decide the fate of the whole world. We lose here, then it's all over." She proclaimed. Carl furrowed his brow and jumped up on a coffee table.

"Yeah! I'm not letting some quack take my life me!" He roared in defiance. Carlota and Bobby's expressions became focused and determined as they nodded in agreement. C.J. pulled out a smart phone and sat on the couch, causing Lily to jump off.

"I can help too. Good thing I brought this with me." He cheered while waving it around. All of the heroes wasted no time in putting their suits and masks back on. Once they were in costume, Glacier walked over to his cousin from the future.

"So, you said that Epimetheus had a secret warehouse. You think show us where to find it?" El Encantado smirked and raised his hand, which was emitting a small white flame.

"You bet I can." Encantado closed his eyes and a magic circle appeared below his feet. Everyone took a step back as a faint glow surrounded the young sorcerer. He let out a breath as the flame grew brighter. Then, he began to speak an incantation. "Flammae e septem sapientibus, audit vocem meam. Ne quid mihi est cupio." Almost instantly as he finished, the fire ball became as bright as the sun and flew out through the door. "Follow that flame!" Encantado barked as everyone sans C.J. and Arturo prepared to chase after the light.

"Wait!" Everyone stopped as Arturo called out to them all. He then walked over to his two children, got on his knees and pulled them into a hug. "You ninos come back safe, okay?" Ronnie Anne and Bobby returned the gesture with a smile.

"Don't worry, Dad."

"That psycho is not getting away with this." The hug was broken and Ronnie Anne pounded a fist into her other hand. "Alright everyone. Let's go save the world!"

Meanwhile, Epimetheus was watching his men put the finishing touches on The ERP. It was a large brown orb, surrounded by cyan rings and held up by five metal legs. As he chuckled at the progress his men were making by attaching satellite dishes to the sphere, he heard his phone ring with a catchy ring-tone. Naturally, he pulled it out of his pocket and answered. "Hello?"

"Epimetheus, its Ratatoskr."

"Ah, hello boss. How are you doing this fine day?"

"Cut the pleasantries, doctor." The criminal leader barked from the other end of the line. "I have been sending you and your division supplies for weeks. Not even mentioning how difficult it was for the deliveries and drop-offs to be unnoticed by any authorities. And since that's MY property, I have a right to know what it is your building." She argued. Epimetheus couldn't help but cackle. "What are you laughing about?"

"If this device works, then there will be meta humans and mutants a plenty across the whole globe. Imagine the possibilities." He cheered. Ratatoskr let out a groan in response.

"I can't invest large amounts of resources into things that stand on the grounds of 'if', Epimetheus. I need results." Epimetheus' grin faded as the argument weighed on him. He stroked his chin as an idea formed in his twisted mind. He looked at a pair of subordinates that were helping construct the machine. Then, he dug in his pocket and pulled out a gray, rectangular remote with a large amount of buttons. At the top of the remote was an orb similar to the ERP.

"Oh, Conrad? Maurice? Could you two please come over here for a moment?" He asked in a sing-song voice. The men glanced at their leader before stopping what they were doing and walking over towards Epimetheus.

"Is there something you need sir?" One of them asked. Without saying a word, Epimetheus simply pointed the remote at them and clicked one of the buttons on it. The orb on top began to shoot out rings of green energy at the two minions. They screamed in pain and crippled down onto the floor in pain. The rest of the warehouse's workers stopped to look on in shock and horror as both men began to shake and convulse. Then, one of them groaned and started to grow larger and tear through their clothing. Black fur began to slowly rise out of his skin, and finger nails sharpened to fine points. His nose stretched out a bit as well as his groans turned into growls.

After the transformation of the first was complete, everyone watching was mumbling amongst each other in shock. Except for Epimetheus, who simply smirked. He glanced around the room, eyeing all of his other workers. "Well, what are you waiting for? Back to work!" He shouted, snapping everyone out of their trance and resuming their previous tasks. Epimetheus then raised his phone back up to his ear. "I've just run a test on an alternate model, Ratatoskr. I'm certain that my main one will work just fine." He reassured.


...

You know now that I think about it. I seem to have given Epimetheus more immediate villain roles than his boss. Maybe I should keep that in mind next time I write a Sound Barrier chapter.

Regardless, our heroes now have a clear mission. It's a literal race against time to save the future from an awful fate.

Stay tuned for the thrilling battle for the future.