The Wrecker

by SpongeGuy

10 Years Before Amphibia... A Frog Learns There's Still Hope... An Amphibia Prequel... (The Final Chapter is out! Epilogue coming soon!)

5. Homeward Bound

…

Sunlight.

Crickets chirped…

Birds tweeted…

Leaves crunched under his feet.

The daylight sun was high up in the air as The Wrecker treked through the forest floor, his footsteps peaceful, but direct. He had a possibility, he had a reason, and he was going to make it right, obstacles be damned.

But he still took a moment to look around. It was odd; he had travelled this path a million times, but it seemed like only today he saw it as well. The trees stood mighty and tall, the leaves cast a welcome shade from the scorching heat. The wind tickled at his feet, but it was a soothing breeze.

It was a soothing breeze.

He froze, and tried to comprehend that feeling. Soothing. Comfortable.

It was only a few moments, but the fact that he was feeling good was just… Striking.

Feeling lighter on his feet, he kept walking, but with a smile in his heart.

"Heh. Sure is peaceful.", he breathed in, taking in the forest air. If he had just been wiser, if he had just had guidance, if he had known what to do and what not…

He could have enjoyed this a long time ago.

But instead of moping Wrecker instead chose to see the bright side. "At least I am now. Not everyone gets what I have now."

His eyes narrowed as the only weight currently on his heart weighed down on his back as well. "…But they will."

The box had stopped humming a while ago but it still sent a shiver down Wrecker's spine each time its mere presence crawled into his mind.

But the shiver WOULD be dealt with, he reminded himself, as he kept on walking, beginning to approach an all too familiar opening.

Any minute now…

Captain Mire's harrowing grin flashed in his face.

Any moment now…

His parents anger reverberated in his ear drum.

Any step now…

A fire raged on, all because he had selfishly decided to live instead of be a slave…

"Stop it, frogdamn it!", Wrecker cursed himself, kicking a tree with his hurt leg and wincing. The walking stick made of wood from a Doom Tree resumed it's work, but it hurt.

But limping or not he would arrive.

And so he did.

It was nearly blinding, the sunlight, as he looked over them, clothes dramatically waving in the wind. Thanks to a dry season the town was more desert like than grassy, sand spreading everywhere, abandoned houses still abandoned since the disaster, some never repaired.

But it was the same: The fountain still spat out glorious pools of water in the middle of city square, the stores still hustled and bustled, the sounds of children playing and old friends greeting each other serving as ambience. A fly swooped down and caught a frog on a date, but he'd be fine.

They were all the same…

But he wasn't.

"Thank frog for that.", he said, as he took a deep breath. He had to move but he was rooted to the spot. He knew why, but there was no time for this! Still, he felt frozen. He looked at them from the forest he was standing in, leaves still casting a shadow.

For a moment he considered turning back…

But no. This town, this world, his daughter… They had suffered enough. This time he would stop the pain.

This time he would prove he earned this. This place, this…

"…Home…", he said shakily, battling half sad half happy tears. With all the pain, with all the doubt, with all the regret…

He was happy to be home.

THE WRECKER

CHAPTER 5: HOMEWARD BOUND

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…"

Grime had been a toad soldier for 10 years now, and he had encountered many challenges and obstacles, hurdles that he had had to leap over time and time again to reach the existentially horrible position he was in.

"Where is she, where IS she?!"

He had tangled wild plants, maniacal pirate/thieves, frogs out to end his bleak existence.

"Has anyone seen a 20 year old frog woman, yea high, perpetual skip to her step?"

But Grime had learned in the last 24 hours that looking after a frog his same age with the attention span of a goldfish was way harder than all that stuff.

"Maybe I should take a nice break and climb a mountain after this…", thought Grime as he stopped to catch his breath, having run down the tower stairs for what must have been the 500th time. Bending down, he could feel the sweat trickle down his face. It was hot that day, sweltering, really. Wartwood must have been hot like a frying pan!

Thinking of Wartwood, of course, led Grime to think of his friend (he couldn't believe he could say that), Wrecker.

For years Grime had admired the Wrecker: He was a loyal soldier, always having your back in battle. For a long time when Grime was little, Wrecker had looked after him to some sort of capacity, guarding him from threats, even at night when he had nightmares about his mother. He followed his father's orders better than he ever could, yet kept a strict moral code. The one time he had broken it was to protect a fellow soldier.

…And all Grime had done was break it in vengeful rage.

"Stop… Thinking about it…", he felt his chest harden and his mind buzz, before letting out a sharp breath. Grime winced: every time he remembered what he had done to Houdini, he felt seething pain, a minor panic attack of sorts occurring each time.

He would have liked to sit down and rest, but every time he laid down, it felt like he was lying on wood. Better to just keep going, he had to find Annie anyway.

Passing the training hall, an 8 year old toad in uniform, brandishing a dagger, waved to get Grime's attention. "She's outside near on the other side of the tower! You better get to her, though, mister! She's gonna be in BIG trouble!"

Grime tried to ignore how small the solider in front of him was and he practically bolted outside, the sound of steps on stone tiles soon being replaced with sand being kicked up into the air. The hot Amphiba sun was really doing a number on the landscape.

Grime took a sharp turn, and there she was, sun illuminating off her like the first time he saw her. That was odd, but not important; he found the graffiti on the wall way worse.

"Ms. Lilypad!", Grime exclaimed, panicking. He almost felt like a teenager in those funny smelling library books he would borrow about high school toads and their many life lessons. "We're… Or, well, you're, gonna get in so much trouble!"

He looked behind him, half expecting his father to appear out of nowhere with that frightening growl, but instead there was no one out there.

Annie simply proudly smiled at her most recent artistic statement: Once she would have just splattered blood over the wall, but with the new lease of confidence she had, AND the fact that for some reason she had been allowed to say and do whatever she wants with zero consequences at Toad Tower, she decided to go a little bolder.

Remember.

A simple word, perhaps, but next to the number of citizens from Marsh Pond who had perished, it was effective.

Grime stared up at the graffiti and got even more agitated. "Ms. Lilypad, I… I don't want to tell you what to say, I'm just worried that…"

Annie simply smirked at him, hand on her hip, sass personified at that moment. "Dude, your dad hasn't done ANYTHING to me, even though I trashed all his portraits, changed the training schedules and covered his statue with dung."

"…I'M SORRY, WHAT?!"

Grime was hyperventilating while Annie fell into a heap of giggles on the ground, wiping off a tear. "Dude, you should SEE your face! You're taking this way too seriously!"

"OF COURSE I AM! I don't need Wrecker coming back and telling me I failed him because you pulled all these pranks!", Grime explained, eyes shifting with fear.

Annie stopped laughing, but not smiling, as she comfortingly put her arm around Grime, the latter still shaking. "Grime, dude, relax! I'll stop if it's such a pain for you."

"No, don't stop! I'm here to look after you, not limit you! Why, frog voices must be heard as well.", he whispered, his eyes radiating a desire not to stifle the girl.

Annie couldn't help but smirk again, placing a finger on Grime's lips. "So why can't I hear your voice?"

"Well, I, uh…" Grime stammered at first, before hanging his head low. "I can't. Here."

"Well, let's go somewhere else, then! I don't want you to be stifled too!", Annie offered charitably, again flashing that winning smile, and Grime once more felt that odd tingle when someone was being kind to him. He wondered if it was a tingle of satisfaction or of shame at being offered it.

Still, if it meant Annie wasn't going to trash the tower further, thus hopefully saving her from his father's wrath…

"I guess I can keep you safe at toad town…", Grime thought out loud, wondering if he knew any nice spots to just walk and talk in. Toad Town was a modern marvel, or at least, so he was told.

Annie wasn't up for that tourist trap however. "Toad Town? Really?", she groaned, blowing a raspberry and pulling a thumbs down. "No offence, I know it's your home town and all, but we can't walk and talk freely there!"

Grime hated it, but she had a point: The brainwashing was almost as prevalent there as it was at Toad Tower. But where else could they go? There was no other city for about half a day's walk, and Wrecker surely wouldn't want his daughter off to some strange place with him.

"Guess we'll have to stay here, then. Only place close to here is Wartwood, and we're not going there.", Grime informed, and Annie's face drooped. "Especially not when it's Grubhog day, whole town comes there that time of year. At least, so I was told."

Annie perked up and began to jump up and down excitedly, rattling Grime. "GRUBHOG DAY? Are you kidding me?! That's, like, my favorite holiday!"

"…It is?", Grime asked, surprised. He didn't think he had ever heard of people liking Grubhog day THAT much. He never asked, of course, no time for ice breakers in his line of work, but still.

"Yeah, dude! We MUST go!", Annie said, and she began to pack her art supplies, Grime shaking his head again.

"Oh, no! No, no, no! Wrecker said stay here! Toad Town is far enough as it is, we CANNOT go to Wartwood!", he said, and he added in his thoughts "And she definitely can't see the frog slums in Toad Town, so stay put it is".

Annie sighed in frustration and rolled her eyes. "What are you so worried about? I can protect myself, you are more than capable, I mean, look at those arms! Swole AF, dude."

Grime blushed; he REALLY wasn't used to compliments. He felt his muscles. They WERE sort of built.

"And besides, I'm 20, not 6. I love dad with all my heart, but he can be a TEENSY overprotective.", Annie stated, and Grime laughed along.

"Yeah, I… Totally know that feeling. Dads, right?".

What was he doing? He was acting and talking like such a fool! "Damn, this social stuff is harder than with my men!", he thought, rubbing his red face sheepishly.

Well, embarrassment be damned, even if it did sound fun to go to that festival. It always sounded interesting, but it would have to wait! "I'm sorry, Annie, but we must stay here."

Annie stood up, her bag ready, and she motioned Grime to come along. "I promise you it'll be ok. Dad's supposed to be back tomorrow night, right? We'll go to the festival, stay away from him if he's there (which I doubt he will, he's not a party guy), and then we'll hightail it back here like nothing happened!"

Grime bit his lip; he couldn't shake the feeling it was gonna end up a disaster.

But… But who was he to give commands? Who was he to make decisions?

He had caused so much pain and suffering… Perhaps by giving Annie this, he could at least for once give back. And he could still protect Annie for Wrecker, so he'd have that as well!

It was better than nothing…

Grime stared up at Annie, and, with a resigned breath, nodded. "I'm not taking my eyes off of you."

"Roger that! But, like, don't say stuff like that next to dad. You have any idea how many jokes he'll crack about us dating or something?", Annie chuckled, and Grime turned red, hoping he'd forget that comment.

He definitely wouldn't forget her brilliant smile, however, as they began to walk out towards the forest.

The day before, deep in the secret halls inside Toad Tower, Captain Muck stood like an oak, staring at a painting of his greatest desire: The Calamity Box.

His clawed and withering hand shook as it caressed the canvas, the oils and pastes used to replicate the box as fading as he was. Like the autumn leaves on a tree, they had both changed colors, changed hues, and their luster of the past was but now an echo in their present ears.

Spring would come soon…

But Muck knew that only one of them would be restored. And he was gonna make sure that it would be him.

Finally finishing his introspection, he turned around and inspected the gathering in the most private of his rooms. The hired thief lazily glanced up at him, his newfound riches the only light not coming in from the dim lightblub of sorts. The two soldiers obediently saluted, one clearly trembling at his presence, the other inspired by his magnitude. And finally there was the weapon, less creature and more tool. It sat there, growling softly, restrained by chains, barely repressing it's animal rage.

"…Once there was chaos. Once there was strife. Once there was nothing but bloodshed.", Muck began, walking back and forth, as if he were their general and they were his army. Which they were, really. They were ALL his army. Each one fell under his command, each one had to obey, or the line would shatter.

It was simple logic. It was simple facts.

"This great land was ravaged by our enemies, by those who wished to destroy us. It was clear as day: The weaker species couldn't lead, only destroy. A superior race was needed."

Muck stared down at the lesser beings in front of him.

"The toads were needed."

His hushed, but commanding tone controlled the room, even the one who didn't believe a word he said had to admit that he was in charge in word and in spirit.

He kept on with his history lesson, his dark cape like the night sky, following the one that held its reigns. "So my forefathers decided to craft a solution. To create a device that, in the right toad's hands, would ensure Amphibia's safety and thriving. An end to the calamity…"

"In other words…", his eyes narrowed with meaning. "… A calamity box."

"And you want us to tail that Wrecker guy, right?", Tritonio, the terrible train thief, smirked at the captain, a golden coin glinting from in front of his eye.

"If you are a man of your word. But that requires for the box to be here as well.", Captain Muck made it clear to Tritonio, who nodded.

"And if you are a man of your word, then I'm leaving here with more than a few measly coins.", Tritonio replied, making sure not to come off as disloyal. He didn't like the toads, but he knew what happened when one messed with royalty.

"Captain Muck SIR, we will return with the box, or may our heads be used to warn our brothers and sisters of what failure entails, SIR.", Pepper vowed, while Smudge stammered in accordance "I mean, we're not g-g-gonna d-d-d-die, we're definitely succeeding! I hope."

"Ah, always good to see such loyalty! If only the rest of your lot were anything like you, soldier.", Muck complimented, and Pepper tried to control her emotions.

"Yes, SIR. I am at your beck and call."

The creature growled again, and Muck looked at Pepper once more. "Is the ballista ready?"

Pepper patted the beast, proud grin plastered across her face. "More than ready, SIR! It will crush his bones into dust, if the situation calls for it."

"And I hope it won't. Wrecker is a good soldier, a good tool. I would rather keep him, but when one fights for the greater good, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Our great land is under invasion. Every day they come closer to restoring chaos. They refuse to let those best equipped to protect them to do just that. But that's ok…"

Muck turned around, and smiled evilly, as he felt the fires inside him rage harder. His soul screamed for it's other half, but he would soon be complete and his destiny, the one his father could not fulfill, would finally be completed. He clenched his fist.

"…Soon they will all be out of the way."

"…Home…", Wrecker couldn't stop thinking it as he walked down the oddly sandy hill into the unusually desert looking town. His cane kept slightly sinking into the golden ground, so his limp looked worse than it seemed.

It didn't remove his smile however, as he gazed again upon the roads of his youth. It was strange, wasn't it? A place that bore him so much pain, and all it did was bring joy to his face. But it wasn't the place as much as the people in it that had hurt him so.

That he had hurt back.

Well, perhaps he was exaggerating. His recent escapades had proven to him that while he had made mistakes, he had not been nearly as bad as he thought he was. Perhaps this would go quite pleasantly!

"That sure would be nice.", Wrecker thought, consoled by the thought that people would welcome him back. He HAD been nearly sold to slavery, surely they would be sympathetic!

Regardless, Wrecker simply enjoyed looking at all the sights the town had to offer to him once more. There was nothing new, but that was sort of the point: It was immensely comforting to see that it had all stayed the same.

Only he had changed.

Wrecker kept sight seeing, too gripped by nostalgia to notice the odd looks he was being given. There, there was the bakery, Mrs. Flour's bakery, the sweet smell of baked bread wafting in the air.

Over there was Mayor Frogsworth's city hall! He was always sitting on his easy chair, smoking his pipe, and happily greeting citizens when they came to discuss problems, or just talk! He always had this slightly too sweet bowl of candies.

And there was the Sundew Café! Mr. Sundew always had such a bright smile as he handed you your morning cup of coffee! Wrecker would have loved to sit there and chat for a while, it wasn't like he didn't have time.

Beginning to walk over there, Wrecker suddenly heard a delightful old sound of merriment: The singing of the town weirdo, Waldo. Wrecker beamed at the memory; Waldo had always cheered the children of Wartwood up when they walked past him, and while he was certainly no longer a child, he felt that a friendly greeting would go a long way.

Turning around, his dark, hole ridden cloak kicking up sand, his sword still hanging from his sheath, the faintest hint of blood still lingering on it, the foreboding warrior went up to shake the fool's hand.

"Waldo! By frog, it's been years! Am I glad to see you again!", Wrecker greeted, but the blue frog that turned to him was very different. The only eye that was currently open diluted and he let out a panicked scream.

"Oh, no! It's him! He's come for us! Hide! Hide!", the frog shouted out, dashing from one corner of town square to another, his legs tangling and distangling with every move.

Wrecker was thoroughly confused by the reaction, and by the stranger in front of him, but he decided to reassure him.

"Wait, stranger!", he cried out as he ran after him, the chase kicking up dust and pushing down random bystanders. Every time Wrecker got close Wally screamed from fear, and after a while, Wally leapt into Sundew Café.

Wrecker was right after him, but the blue blur that he had been chasing was already gone from his sight. The doors swung open, and the old tack piano stopped abruptly.

An uneasy silence floated in the air, as Wrecker realized that all the eyes were on him. Nervous, fearful, judging. Cards were placed down, waiters stopped in their tracks and stared and the doors finally stopped swinging back and forth.

Wrecker hesitantly stepped forwards, and sharp gasps echoed in the café. The silence broke him.

He lifted his arm, and again everyone gasped, with one gentleman saying "Put your sword down!" in an alarmed tone.

Wrecker hadn't even lifted it, and he wouldn't have. Not again. But he placed it down, hoping he could calm the storm. Everyone stared intensely as he placed the sword down, and more than a few of them sighed in relief.

But they still stared.

Wrecker knew that he had to clear this confusion. He hadn't done anything, so why were they addressing him like this?

Taking another few tentative steps, to the growing fear of the patrons, he opened his mouth finally, already feeling a familiar throbbing in his chest. "…I'm not quite sure why everyone is reacting to me like this… But whatever it is, I would be more than happy to stop this feeling."

Wrecker looked down at the floor, and he felt the eyes bore holes in his body. It hurt. "…Whatever it is… I promise… I'm not here to hurt you."

"You're a toad soldier. What else could you possibly do?", a voice rose from the café's serving bar, and looking at her, Wrecker observed a yellowish frog lady, thin, prim, and proper, with small and delicate green flowers braided into the longest red hair Wrecker had ever seen. Her green dress floated in the sky with grace as she stepped up to him, causing everyone to gasp once more.

She looked him straight in the eye, and now that she was approaching him Wrecker noticed another detail; she wasn't alone.

"…I'm not one of them. Not anymore.", he stated, nervous, scared, but sure of his improvement, even if it was only a little.

"But you WERE one of them.", she retorted, and Wrecker tried a different route.

"Look, I used to live here, honest. Ask Mr. Sundew, he'll tell you!"

The woman stopped short, and placing a comforting hand on her pregnant stomach, she fought to not shed a tear, instead answering the inquiry as if she were having her teeth pulled out. "My grandfather... Is no longer with us."

"…I'm sorry to hear that. Truly.", Wrecker said, trying to comfort her, a hand outreached, but she ignored him.

"I am the new owner, Felicia Sundew, and the reason everyone here is cowering on their seats is because they don't want to end up like Marsh Pond. Like that frog.", Felicia Sundew explained, and Wrecker shook his head.

"I totally understand, but I didn't do that! In fact, I was trying to stop that!", he declared, but his declaration fell on deaf ears.

"Perhaps. We have no evidence. But you know what we have evidence of?", Felicia stated, and, snapping her fingers, she brought forth another parent, carrying his yawning 1 year old pollywog, who had a creepy stare but an adorable smile, into the center of the room.

The parent, local baker Mr. Flour, retracted a newspaper clipping and handed it over to Wrecker, who saw the headline.

The first frog death in over 40 years…

Wrecker looked up with guilty but determined eyes. "It's not what it looks like. I swear."

"Did you kill him?", Mr. Flour asked, and Felicia stared daggers at him. The rest of the café woke up and asked the question too.

"Yeah, did you do it or not?", one asked.

"It's a simple yes or no!", another asked.

"Are you gonna kill all of us?!", the village fool, Wally his name, blurted out in panic.

Wrecker looked around them. He couldn't deny the truth, he didn't want to. He knew he had wronged. He knew he had sinned.

But… But he also knew he had changed.

Could he still be forgiven? Be given a second chance?

Wrecker didn't know, but he knew he couldn't lie.

"…Yes. I did.", he admitted, remorseful, shameful, eyes shaking but not flinching away.

For a moment, a gasp sounded across the crowd, before they all stared at him with derision.

Well, all but one…

"Well, then, that's settled.", Felicia said, and she turned her back on him.

Wrecker bit his lip. "Yes, but…"

"What but? You killed him. What more is there to say?", Felicia stated with finality, and Mr. Flour nodded his head.

Wrecker wasn't used to arguing for his sake. In fact, he would have once agreed, but he knew now that life, people, actions, they were more complicated than black and white. He had to argue for his defense for once.

"There IS more to it! I'm not saying it was ok, but…"

Felicia suddenly turned angrily and stomped her foot, before holding her stomach from dizziness. "It wasn't ok and that's IT. A frog died because of you, and you expect us all to just let that slide?!"

"We should just tell him to scram! This is no town of criminals!", Mr. Flour remarked, while his daughter Maddie played with his chef's hat.

Wrecker wasn't sure what to say. Even if he were to say he had done it to save a friend, would they listen? Would they care?

Should they?

Suddenly, a homely drawl rose above the crowd and took hold of the room, with a hint of leadership, which soon dropped once the voice went back to showing no confidence. "Excuse me, ladies and gentlefrogs, but… Well, but, I think, perhaps, we shouldn't j-j-j-judge so hastily."

Everyone turned to observe the owner of the statement and Wrecker was surprised to see a toad standing in the spot. He was a lot taller than most toads, but he was also thinner than most, and there was a sort of innocence to his face, a sort of frankness that was so rare in his line of work. His clothes, a white shirt underneath a black jacket, purple dress pants and a red bow tie, clearly didn't fit.

Felicia rolled her eyes. "Toadie, you're not mayor, you're only the assistant!"

"And we need no context! He killed a frog!", Mr. Flour reminded, and Wrecker felt a metaphorical knife twist harder. Said like that, Wrecker had to wonder if there was any way that was forgivable.

Toadie, to his credit, tried again. "Now hold on, p-p-p-please! Is a frog not allowed to d-d-defend himself?"

Wally's answer was met with much vim and vigor. "Back! Back, monster!"

It was that last word that truly struck Wrecker and made him realize that… That…

That they wouldn't forgive him. Perhaps… Perhaps no one but Annie and Grime would…

He lifted his hand, making everyone cower. He felt another crack in his heart. "I… I don't want anyone else to suffer because of me. I… I was only passing by, I'll stay out of your way and be gone by tomorrow night, I promise."

"You better.", Felicia remarked, and Wrecker looked down with shame. He turned around, only Toadie staring at him with sympathy. His legs weighed like boulders as he walked out, the box's presence in his bag reminding him of his mission, but the last few minutes reminding him of his guilt.

Wrecker sighed, trying to ignore the panicking, screaming and crying person inside his heart. Trying to ignore the implications, that people truly did think he was a criminal, a killer, a monster…

A monster a monster a monster a monster a monster a monster a Monster A Monster A MONster A MONSTER A MONSTER A MONSTER!

Wrecker held his head in pain, trying to ignore it. "I have to keep going, for everyone's sake…"

But he had to sit down for a second. So he did, feeling so very…

Tired. Tired and lost.

Just when things were looking up…

"Surely it can't get any worse.", he mumbled, eyes closed, a tear streaking down.

"Oh, well, it got better for us. Does that still work, old friend?"

Wrecker recognized the tone and accent, and looking up, well, he had already known that his day had definitely gotten worse.

For Muck's mercenaries had arrived.

One by one they stood next to each other: Tritonio, sticking his sword to Wrecker's nose, smirking cockily as ever, diamond rings on each finger; Pepper, two strikingly sharp daggers dangling from each hand, her eyes bulging out like a fly; Smudge, all shaking and fearful, barely keeping his stick up; and The Ballista, barely contained by Pepper's leash, huffing and puffing and growling like a towering dog.

Wrecker scowled. He should have known, should have seen this coming…

"What do you want from me? I am on authorized leave.", Wrecker said, holding on to the little hope that they were out on a different mission, slowly standing up, the sword still following him.

"With an unauthorized item.", Tritonio quipped, still grinning, the smell of payment alluring as always.

Pepper cleared her throat and declared with utmost importance "While this is a covert mission, I can announce that the supreme savior Captain Muck would prefer if you came quietly, rather than put up a fuss."

"Yeah, man, no one needs to get hurt, right?", Smudge added, looking very unsure indeed.

The Ballista kept growling, his eyes continuously shifting towards the horizon and growling even more.

"Well, I mean, I can't come in quietly until I know what does Muck mean by unauthorized item. I have nothing but essentials.", Wrecker was stalling, but for now it was the only way, until he could calculate an escape route from this corner.

"You shall address him as Captain, you heathen!", Pepper barked, and Tritonio gave her a stink eye.

"Not what's important right now, now is it?", he commented, and she glared at him too.

"And neither is this conversation. I am here merely on vacation. As this army's most experienced soldier, I believe I have earned the benefit of the doubt.", Wrecker hated using that fact as leverage, but the world, his daughter, they were more important right now.

"So, you don't have it. Ok, good talk, let's get grub!", Smudge began to turn around, but Pepper smacked him so hard he turned right back.

"YOU'RE NOT HIS FAVORITE!", Pepper suddenly screamed, mouth almost frothing.

Tritonio then resumed his gaze on Wrecker. "Look, Wrecker, let's make this easy on all of us. You have the Calamity Box. You are the only survivor from Marsh Pond that could have it, and you conveniently decide to leave as soon as you arrived. Logic trumps your word. And my will trumps yours. So why not make this less messy? Wouldn't want to spoil all this sand with your blood.", Tritonio laid it on the line, and Wrecker immediately rejected it, despite his current emotional state.

"I don't have it. Leave this instant."

Tritonio sighed, and he lifted his sword to strike. "Wrong choice, Wrecker."

SLASH!

The sword nearly stuck down on his head, but Wrecker had managed to dodge just in time, and off he was, his legs pounding down on the ground like a horse almost, adrenaline pumping.

Tritonio's sword had struck the café's doors instead, causing Felicia to finally open the door and shoo the squatters. "Off with you, you ruffians! This is no battlefield!"

Tritonio pulled his sword out and growled as the sawdust hit his face. "What are you waiting for? Get him!"

Pepper, still red faced from the insults directed at Captain Muck, climbed up the café and began leaping rooftop to rooftop, her daggers cutting the air with every step.

Smudge, meanwhile, had been left with the Ballista, which howled and howled. Smudge knew his orders, but it didn't make it any less harder to direct the Ballista with the secret code that turned it on.

"B-B-Boom.", Smudge whispered, and The Ballista's eyes turned blood red, and just like that, it began to pursue The Wrecker.

Wrecker's breathing got heavier and heavier as the footsteps following him did the same. He knew that he was a good fighter, but he was getting older and slower. Why, on the train he had only survived thanks to Annie and Grime! This was younger blood, and it could spell his, and the worlds doom.

"I can't let them get me, I can't, I can't!", he thought, as he took a sharp left turn after feigning a right to cause the Ballista to crash into an alleyway. He climbed the grub and go, observing Smudge cowering behind the fountain from the roof, but he couldn't see Tritonio yet, and he also couldn't see…

"Take back what you said about our dear leader, or taste my blades!", Pepper said, and she let out the ghost of a laugh. There was something about this that entertained her.

Wrecker turned around and began coming up with a solution to this part of the predicament. He really couldn't fight her, but jumping off meant he would be in the Ballista's sights, and in Tritonio's.

No, he'd need a distraction so he can slip into the surely now empty alleyway.

Thankfully, he knew Pepper's pet peeves…

"Well, what can I say? Anyone that UGLY doesn't deserve my frankly empty apologies!", he said, feeling a small stab of pain from associating that with the apology he had meant. Did that mean that one was also empty?

…Dear Frog, he was going insane, wasn't he?

At least it was working. Pepper took much offence to this, and she screamed gutturally. "HOW DARE YOU OFFEND OUR BE… OUR MAJESTIC KING?!". She took her dagger and chuckled. "Now you'll feel the pain your insults deliver."

She ran at him with her daggers, but Wrecker already had the advantage. Timing it just right, he hopped over her and rolled towards the alleyway, leaving a cursing Pepper behind him.

Dropping onto the alleyway now, Wrecker tried to collect his breath, but breathing heavily was a trigger, a trigger back to his sword sticking out of that frog, that poor frog, all because of him, he had chosen to save his friend, but he had let this frog die for that, and the face, the face, the eyes, shut forever, never to see the sun…

Because of him.

"Tut, tut. Daydreaming? And they said you were gonna be a problem.", Tritonio mocked, and Wrecker violently turned around and sword met sword for a bout of masters.

Sparks flew from every sword strike, as Wrecker's defensive parries countered Tritonio's offensive onslaughts, but at the same time Tritonio's attacks were slowly chipping away at Wrecker's strength. His leg had been hurting the entire time, but now it was feeling serious pressure from Tritonio, and then to add to the disaster the Ballista arrived and began biting at his cloak, restraining him further.

"You are no match for me, Wrecker!", Tritonio smirked, and Wrecker glowered. He couldn't give up, he couldn't, Annie and the world depended on him, they couldn't check his bag…

Pepper then somersaulted down and began to raise her daggers towards him.

Wrecker couldn't… He couldn't…

"His daughter may know. We better talk to her after this…", Tritonio observed.

Wrecker's eyes opened.

And he snapped.

"AARGH!", he screamed, throwing them all off of him, leaving a cut on Pepper's arm, which began to spurt blood, kicking the ballista back which made it crash into a supermarket cart, and slashing away at Tritonio over and over, red rage roaring from his eyes.

"DON'T. YOU. DARE. TOUCH. HER!", Wrecker bellowed with malice, and he kept on cutting Tritonio's face, the salamander's body now full of scares and blood.

But his smile was still on, and Wrecker didn't get it. "So… Are you gonna kill me too?"

Wrecker froze. Sure, it would help with the mission, sure, it would protect Annie, but…

No. Not again. He had promised. He wasn't… He wasn't who they thought he was…

No. No.

"NO!", Wrecker shouted and he leapt off and ran as fast as he could towards the only place he could go to. As he did so, Tritonio was propped up by Smudge and Pepper, the Ballista also just now getting up. The foursome knew that they were right now in no shape to get him, but they knew how to get him back there.

"All right, Wrecker, run! But know this: If you don't come back by this evening, everyone in this café…", Tritonio announced, and he pointed the Ballista towards the café, all the patrons still staring in fear from inside. "…Will die."

"Because of you."

The people in the café gasped, and Wrecker hated himself as he ran away to safety.

He had to come up with a plan, but…

But how could he do it on his own?

And once more, the horrible thought returned…

Was he anything more than a monster?

He had seemed to be shown that he could be more, but now this had happened.

Was it too late?

…What was he gonna do?

"And we're here!", Annie happily announced, as she dragged Grime from the carriage they had taken and onto the strangely small yet quaint area that held the festival Annie was so excited about: The Annual Wartwood Grubhog Day Festival.

While Annie walked around with a huge grin one her face, her eyes swallowing it all up, Grime took a while to adjust to all the colors and the noises. He wasn't used to seeing so many people in one place unless there was a battle, too.

So many strange things with appliances he wasn't familiar with: Stands full of fried delicacies and almost totally rigged games, exciting rides, an awe inspiring rollercoaster and a lonely, wooden ferris wheel.

Grime just kept walking, feeling empty, feeling odd. As he kept looking around in confusion, Annie was having trouble deciding what attraction she wanted to go to first. As a Marsh Pondian she had been to a Grubhog festival at her own town, but a lot of the time she had spent there was selling her father's special corn on the cob, so for the first time she was really able to just enjoy the occasion. It had to be the best choice!

Turning around, her wild grin was nearly as bouncy as her feet. "Ok, so I just can't choose between the twist, the bumper cars, and the rollercoaster! What do you think will make me barf the fastest?!"

Grime coughed, and stammered, trying to keep up appearances. "Well, I… Um… I guess that the… Um… The one with the weird smell coming out of it?"

Annie gave him a funny look. "I mean, I guess if I ate too much Cotton Candy I would…", she remarked, and she skipped along to the stand, pulling Grime along with her.

Grime regained his balance as Annie ordered two webby candies and sheepishly smiled. "I doubt these will be as good as the ones they make in your fancy digs, but I bet they're still delish!"

Grime bit his lip and shuffled his feet. "Actually, I've… I've never had this thing. Is it some kind of fur? I didn't know you could eat that."

Annie let out a surprised laugh and she slapped Grime's back. Grime kind of liked how she didn't apologize. He didn't want her to call out that he was "important".

He felt invisible. In a good way.

Annie stopped giggling and remarked "Well, you guys must have weird festivals if they don't have webby candies!"

Grime sighed. He knew he couldn't keep this under wraps for long. He kicked at his feet, and cringed as a few kids stared at him with awe. "I… Well… I never really went to one, so…"

"WHAAAAAAT?!", Annie exclaimed, her face open like a huge "O".

Grime was flushed with embarrassment. It was hard enough to feel like just another normal amphibian with the sin he had committed against Houdini, but every reminder that he was at least royalty made him feel worse. "Yeah, I… I mean, I had a lot of studies and training, and my room was filled with toys, so going out wasn't much of a routine."

Annie violently shook her head in disapproval. "Grime, this isn't ok."

Grime immediately felt shame and looked down at the grass. "I know, I'm sorry…"

Annie immediately interrupted him by grabbing his side and beaming that smile that he couldn't stop noticing. "It's not ok that you haven't enjoyed one of the coolest things on Amphibia! But have no fear! I shall show you the greatest of times!", she enthused, and grabbing the webby candies, gave him his.

Grime wasn't sure. Besides his clear lack of agreement that he deserved anything nice, he had no idea if he'd like the taste of it. The smell was also very strong, overtaking him for a second.

He wondered if perhaps he could excuse himself out of it, but as he looked at her expectant eyes…

He couldn't kill that smile.

Edging nervously, he took a timid bite, and chewed thoughtfully. He had never had anything this sweet, but there was something sort of… Pleasant about it.

Though he wondered if the pleasure he felt was from the webby candy or from Annie's "Woop woop!" reaction to him trying.

"All right, you keep chewing on that, I'll show you another great thing!", Annie remarked, and she once more pulled Grime from one place to another, this time to a similar stand, but without food. This time Grime saw grubhog plushes hanging off the stand's walls, but for some reason there was a large mallet lying on the top of the stand?

"Someone seems to have misplaced their hammer. Should I contact the authorities?", Grime asked, looking around for signs a person without a hammer would radiate.

Annie laughed again, and Grime noticed that her laughter seemed to have this musical flair to it. "No, dude! You gotta hit these mechanical grubhogs with the hammer!"

Grime stared intently at the stand top, but he saw nothing. "What mechanical…"

Suddenly, one burst out, making Grime jump with fright, which made Annie laugh again. "I hope you don't think I'm making fun of you. I'm just laughing with you, if you know what I mean. I mean, you probably think I'm pretty silly too, what with all my bouncing in place!", Annie reassured, and Grime digested this.

Is that what normal people did? If so, he didn't hate it.

He stepped tentatively towards the stand again. He noticed that Annie was eyeing a particular Grubhog, and he decided to try his luck. "One game, please.", he asked politely, and the stand owner refused his payment. "Your… Your royal highness, Lieutenant Grime! I would never accept payment from you!"

Grime sighed, and Annie nudged him. "Just tell him to take it."

"I don't want to order him around! But I also want to pay… Oh, this is so stupid.", Grime muttered, and Annie, feeling bad, looked at the stand owner and said "Could you take his money and make the game harder than?"

The stand owner sighed and he adjusted the difficulty as Grime gulped. Now getting Annie that plush she liked seemed nigh impossible!

He wiped the sweat off his brow as he prepared. "I, uh… I hope I won't let you down."

"You can't when I guide you on how to do it! I saw my friends play it enough times to memorize!", Annie said, and Grime blushed as she wrapped her hands around him to direct his hands at first.

"All you gotta do is whack every grubhog that pops out. If you hit more than you miss, you win! It's simple to understand, but they move SUPER fast, so you gotta move fast too!"

Grime really didn't feel like he could do this. He could barely understand the point to it.

But then he saw Annie's smile again…

WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!

A minute of super fast whacking later, and Annie cuddled her new friend. "I LOVE HIM! I'M GONNA CALL HIM MOLEY, AND MOLEY WILL BE HIS NAME! MAMA LOVES YOU! MAMA LOVES YOU SO MUCH!", Annie exclaimed loudly, hugging Moley.

For the first time in a while, Grime smiled. For the first time in a while, his heart felt a little less heavy.

Two stones stood there in the middle of a hilltop, rigid and strong. The wind slowly drifted past, grass blades moving forwards as he stayed in place.

"…I'm taller than you now."

Wrecker was on his knees once more, staring at their names that were so small, so far away.

"…I'm sorry, you know? I should have just gone along with it."

His face twitched with the glimpse of a dream, a dream of pain, but somehow better than the reality he resided in.

"Imagine… Sure, I get treated like cattle, but… Being a slave would mean I would never have killed that frog. I would be good. I would be…"

He shivered as he felt their judgment from beyond the grave. "Who am I kidding? I would never have been good enough for you. And I don't know anymore if I can be good enough even for myself."

Suddenly, Wrecker heard a strange noise come from somewhere near the graveyard. He gulped: Did the mercenaries come? He had not yet come up with a plan.

He walked slowly towards the area, but as he did, all he saw was a house with farm land. A large snail was parked near the house, enjoying some grass, and two kids whose faces he couldn't see were running around, playing and laughing.

The leaves blew peacefully, and the smell of fresh food wafted to his face.

Wrecker smiled. It seemed… Peaceful.

But then he came out.

Old, orange, standing proudly, but holding a walking stick, the old frog was clearly tired, but he was happy. He took a deep, appreciative breath as he stared at what he had, at what he loved. He was tired…

But he was happy.

The smile dropped however when he witnessed Wrecker, and Wrecker felt shame immediately fill his thoughts as the frog stepped towards him quietly.

"Kids… I'm gonna talk to this stranger. Stay clear."

"Sure thing!", they said, and the frog stepped up to the remorseful Wrecker.

"So… After all these years, ya came back.", the frog stated, and Wrecker apologized.

"I… I just… I'm just passing through to get rid of this. I promise, I'm not…", Wrecker started, but the elderly frog interrupted him.

"Not what? Working for those toads? Killing? Is THAT what you're not doing?", The frog asked, rage visible in his tone, and Wrecker recoiled.

"I… I'm not like that anymore. I… I only killed that frog to…"

"To save him. I know. But you expect everyone to understand that? To brush past that?", The frog questioned, eyebrow raised.

Wrecker looked down, not sure what to say. "…It's not like that, just…"

The frog placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's funny, no? You go on for so long refusing to forgive yourself, but at the same time the idea that others won't either breaks your heart."

"…Yes."

"…Listen… I know that you're not like that. You can't deny your mistakes.", The Frog said, before turning sympathetic. "But… Well… You can't let them eat you up. If you can't forgive yourself, how will they ever have the chance to give you a chance? Believe it or not, you STILL have hope. I know it."

"…But how can I save them? I'm not strong enough to face those mercenaries. I have no help. I…"

Wrecker began to cry. "…I'm not good enough."

"…Not yet."

Wrecker looked up, and the man nodded his head. "Have faith, Wrecker. The light is still there. You're on your way. Just keep walkin'."

And with another curt nod, the frog walked off back home, the kids joining him.

"Who was that, Hop Pop?", the boy asked excitedly.

"Should I bring out my roller?", The girl asked excitedly too.

Hop Pop laughed. "You kids are gonna be the end of me!"

Wrecker smiled as Hop Pop walked in. Perhaps… Perhaps he could get there too.

"Excuse me! E-E-Excuse me!"

Wrecker turned around violently, not sure who to expect, but surprised all the same at the toad from the café running up to him, breathless.

"Wha? How did you escape?", Wrecker asked, puzzled. He placed a comforting hand on the toad's shoulders, and the toad regained his ability to speak.

"I… Took… The back door…", Toadie breathed out, and shook his head. "And I need your help!"

Wrecker's eyes narrowed. "Why me?"

"Those mercenaries want you after all, we need you there! And you're the only one I can turn to!", Toadie explained, his words tumbling out now from fear and alarm. "You see, I'm the assistant to our town's mayor, Mayor Frogsworth Jr! And he is letting the mercenaries siege the café for his life and for a handsome amount of cash!"

Wrecker steamed and his frown turned into a growl. "Why that good for nothing double crosser!"

Toadie nodded and wiped his forehead with a hankerchief. "So now we need you!"

Wrecker clenched his fist and his eyes went dark. He wanted to help, he truly did, but…

"Why come to me? Why… Why did you stand up for me?"

Toadie took a moment, and articulated his thoughts, as the wall between them slowly fell down. "…Everyone deserves a chance to tell their side of the story. And most everyone deserves a second chance. We all make mistakes. If you are ready to stand up and do what's right… Maybe you're not bad after all."

Wrecker felt the wind blow past him. He thought of the people at the café. He thought of his daughter. Of Amphibia.

"We're gonna stop them. We're gonna stop them because we can't let these people die, and we can't let them have this.", Wrecker replied with assurance, showing Toadie the box.

"What's this?", Toadie asked, nervous. You could hear the sweat trickle down.

"It's dangerous. Too dangerous to fall to the wrong hands. If we beat them AND keep this out of their hands, we'll ALL be safe."

"And how do you propose we do that? No offence, but you're only one frog, and I'm… I'm not a fighter.", Toadie countered, and Wrecker smiled hopefully.

"Well, we won't be, if we can get the whole town to fight back."

Back at the festival the next day…

"I… I don't think I can do this.", Grime professed, and Annie chuckled, eyes glowing with anticipation.

"Dude, it's just a spinny ride! Well, the technical term is The Twist. Anyway, all it's gonna do is maybe make you puke your guts."

Grime cocked an eyebrow. "Why would I want to do that?"

"Because you deserve it. You deserve to feel your insides twist and turn like his did. You deserve it…", that ever present voice in him moaned and he tried to ignore the twist in his chest.

He refocused on the ride. It was a large pole, with stations strapped onto it for people to go in and get spun wildly. It seemed unsafe, to put it mildly. The ride's controller was half asleep, so that inspired even less confidence.

Grime gulped, and felt something ALREADY rise from his stomach. This was a bad idea, suffering earned or not, it was a bad idea.

"This is gonna be so much fun!", Annie crowed, and she giggled as she ran inside.

…This was gonna be a good idea.

Grime wondered what was wrong with him: Sure, he liked Annie, and he wanted her to be safe, happy even, and maybe in a way making someone happy could sort of help him recover ("You can never…") from what he had done ("You can't") ("I can…") ("YOU CAN'T") ("I… can…")

But was it something else? He had felt his heart pound a lot today, and it wasn't always guilt. There was just something about seeing that frog girl smile, about her optimism in the face of everything.

Maybe he just wanted to be more like her.

Well, he wouldn't find the answer out here. Better just get in the ride and vomit for half an hour.

As he strapped himself in, he saw Annie stare around at the sky. It was so peaceful. She was so peaceful.

"It's nice. You know? To relax. To sit and not fear anything."

"…I knew that once. It is."

"…Thank you."

Grime nearly gaped. "What for?"

Annie beamed as the ride started. "For relaxing me."

And then Grime got tumbled around and around.

It was wild, but not like the knots in his stomach, clashing with every movement.

"Killer!"

"Of the one who killed his mother!"

"Executioner!"

"You would do the same!"

"He'll ruin her life too!"

"Or maybe she'll save his!"

In the end, Grime puked, but not because of the ride.

The sun scorched the ground, an old acoustic guitar could almost be heard playing, as Wrecker took a step into town square. The sand was blowing into his eyes, and he wiped the sand away and blinked rapidly. He could be hindered, but not blinded.

Toadie was right next to him, wearing a hat to cover from the burning orb above them, not that it helped. He sweated a lot as it is, but today was something else. His clothes were hot and sticky, and he would need a cool bath after this. If there was an after this.

Wrecker's fingers twitched as he held onto his sword, his only weapon. His breath hitched, as he spotted the mercenaries over the horizon: Tritonio was resting his back on a wall and absent mindedly swinging his sword JUST out of Smudge's reach, the terrified toad too busy with the sleeping but growling ballista's leash to actively try and dodge the sword. Meanwhile, Pepper was "singing" the Toad National Anthem, and one could tell she had been doing it for quite a while.

"I think we found their real weapon.", Wrecker joked, and Toadie cracked a smile before resuming his stark mood.

"Well, Wrecker? How do we get in?". He was unsure of his sneaking abilities, and he was even less sure of his physical prowress in case a fight were to erupt. He counted his lucky stars that he had health insurance.

Wait, he didn't have family.

…He would have to cancel it then if he did survive. Paperwork. That was even more daunting!

Wrecker pointed up at the rooftops and whispered, just in case. "How good are you at jumping?"

"I flunked hopping in college, so not too hot."

Wrecker nodded, took hold of Toadie, and hopped up to the rooftop in one fell swoop, Toadie trying his darndest not to scream.

"How do you frogs do this?", Toadie asked, gasping for air, while Wrecker surveyed the next rooftop and prepared to hop once more.

"Like this. Alley oop!", Wrecker exclaimed (but not too loudly) and he and Toadie landed on the next rooftop, making Toadie double over and nearly barf.

"Do please make the next hop less… Turbulent."

Wrecker nodded and they continued making their way towards the backdoor, a little slower as to make things easier for Toadie.

Finally, they reached their destination, or, well, the rooftop before the backdoor. The goal was right there in front of them. In a sense, there were no obstacles.

But Wrecker's heart, that is.

"Oh my Fr… Toad! Where the fuck is Wrecker? I want to see him squirm while our glorious leader berates him for his betrayal!", Pepper shouted, peppering fancy words into her speech for no real reason. Cough.

Tritonio continued to rest his back on the tree and was now using his sword as a toothpick. His voice radiated absolute nonchalance. A meteor could fall and he wouldn't care, that is, if it didn't inconvenience him. "He'll get here when he gets here, short fuse."

"DO NOT JOKE ABOUT MY HEIGHT! I AM AS TALL AS A TOAD!", Pepper screamed, and Tritonio chuckled as he whacked Smudge's head.

"I'll say this: You're a lot more toadish than this guy! What is your deal, jumpy? You didn't even help us when Wrecker almost had me down for the count!"

Smudge gulped, and his eyes dashed from left to right: He was no coward, not really. It was just…

"Well, um… I won't do it again?", Smudge offered lamely, and Tritonio shrugged.

"Gotta say, jumpy, that didn't inspire confidence."

Smudge looked down with guilt, and then suddenly a voice rang out from inside the café. It was Wally, and he was outraged.

"Will you ruffians just leave us alone? Me and me mates 'ere have nothing to do with that Wrecker fellow! He's probably gone and run off while you stand here bickerin'!"

Wrecker didn't mind the insult. What he minded was what came next.

"You don't know him very well, do you? That noble hearted fool would probably risk his life for a fly, and not even eat it when he had the chance…", Tritonio stated, before his eyes suddenly darkened with realization. Perfect.

He sneered and lifted his sword, and Pepper was more than happy to assist by grabbing Wally by the throat, the poor frog gagging for air. "Now… 'old on… Why… Me?..."

"Simple. We need The Wrecker to come out from wherever he's hiding.", Tritonio explained way too calmly, before suddenly shouting out "And if he doesn't, every single person in this café will die!"

Now, Wrecker knew that confronting them could spell the end of the plan.

But…

"He has nothing to do with this. The only person you want is me.", Wrecker announced as he leapt between Wally and Tritonio, knocking Pepper out of the way and hitherto releasing Wally's throat from her grasp. He choked for air and starred wide eyed at the scene as Wrecker lifted his sword and stink eyes the mercenaries.

"See? What did I say?", Tritonio gloated, before entering another sparring round with Wrecker.

Toadie, still lingering on the final rooftop, cursed. He had been begging this wouldn't happen, but it did. Wrecker could die now and the whole plan would blow up in their faces.

Well, he would have a better chance if he had someone on his side fighting too…

Toadie was about to laugh that notion off, but he also felt a pang of guilt. Wrecker had risked everything now for someone he didn't know that saw him as nothing better than a cold blooded killer. He would have done the same to him, then, surely.

Toadie took one last look at the back door, at safety…

And he huffed and puffed down the rooftop, accidentally smashing the just now arising Pepper.

"Come on!", she cried, and Toadie wiped his brow and joined the fight, holding a stick he found on the sand.

"Sorry for the late arrival!"

"Better late than never!", Wrecker responded, as he and Tritonio exchanged equal blow after equal blow, back and forth on the sand, while the café watched in horror.

"Which might be our plan's chances of succeeding.", Toadie responded as he barely held off Pepper's barrage of crazy attacks. Wrecker, knowing he could hold Pepper off with his hands, swapped positions and weapons with Toadie, causing both opponents to disorient for a second.

"Not if we get into the café!", Wrecker countered, and he and Pepper fought hard, Pepper's wild, maniacal attacks shattering more and more of Wrecker's stick.

"It would be nice if you focused on us. I'm feeling left out!", Tritonio complained, and Pepper cackled. "Who cares? As long as our captain has the box and two dead bodies to torture, they can ignore me all they want!"

Wrecker looked aside and realized he had the perfect plan, 'cause his injuries were catching up again and he could use a breather. "Good idea! Toadie, ignore her and follow my lead!"

"HEY! DON'T IGNORE ME!"

While Pepper kept slicing off pieces of Wrecker's cloth, tearing through the really realistic flesh of his costume and starting to reveal the layers underneath, Wrecker pulled Toadie with him towards the Ballista, that hadn't been released yet due to Smudge cowering again.

"Mind if we borrow this?", Wrecker asked, and Smudge merely whimpered in response.

"B-B-Borrowed?", Toadie stuttered in shock. This couldn't get worse.

Wrecker turned to him and smiled slightly, enjoying the banter. "You ever ride a wild bull frog?"

It just got worse.

"This is a b-b-b-bad idea!", Toadie shouted, but Wrecker hoisted him up as Tritonio and Pepper ran up to them.

Wrecker knew they had seconds to spare. He looked up at Toadie. "Do you trust me?"

Toadie thought of the risk Wrecker had taken for Wally.

"…Yes."

"Then hold on, cowboy.", Wrecker said, and he slapped the Bullfrog's back, making it roar in anger and run around in fury, not enough to kill anyone, but just enough to distract Tritonio and Pepper, now forced to contend with that beast.

"AAAAAAA!", Toadie cried, hanging onto dear life, his hat in his hand, his heart in hysterics.

The bullfrog leapt back and forth, trying to kick Toadie out, but Toadie was oddly sticky, just enough to stay lodged onto the beast, who, grinning, decided to get some payback.

"Gotta get there…", Wrecker determinated as he hopped and hopped towards the café's back door, hoping they would let him in. Meanwhile, Tritonio and Pepper found themselves being chased by their ballista.

"Can't you control that infernal animal?!", Tritonio complained as he had to dance an Irish jig almost to avoid being trampled.

"Smudge is supposed to control it! But that coward just keeps hiding! I should have killed him years ago!", Pepper screamed, and the thought of Smudge's blood on her knife was enough to make her salivate.

"Sorry, sorry! I'll talk to him!", Smudge declared, and he tried to mount the Ballista, which meant that Toadie's ride was almost over.

Toadie gasped and panted and his teeth chattered: he was scared shitless.

"But how will I get back to the café? Oh, we should have thought of that!", Toadie thought, and Wrecker was having similar thoughts, which made him shout "Launch yourself here!"

Their window of time was limited: Any minute now The Ballista would calm down and he and Wrecker would be sitting ducks. He had to get it right. Thankfully, Toadie was smarter than he seemed.

Positioning himself and the Ballista, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and allowed the wind to carry him.

Slamming into Wrecker, the two allies lifted each other up and narrowly entered the café, bolting the backdoor just in time to disable the mercenaries chances of entering. The front door, of course, was already locked by Felicia Sundew, who held her pregnant stomach in frustration and fatigue. "Locked in, and it's only the hottest day of the year… Do please make it worse, dear lord, do please make it worse, I am clearly not suffering enough!"

Wrecker was busy comforting the very exhausted Toadie, in the meantime. The toad's cheeks were red, and his heart made his ribcage sound like the world's largest drum. "Are you all right, partner?", Wrecker asked, regret in his eyes. "I'm sorry that…"

"No need. You got me out of it in the end. Besides, we reached our destination. The plan is a success so far.", Toadie stated, earning a smile from Wrecker. The two shook hands for a moment, and Wrecker then turned towards the front door and its window that had been closed after the Wally incident. Tritonio and Pepper stared in with rage and frustration.

Gulping a little, Wrecker knew he had to nail this or they were all doomed. The problem wasn't the mercenaries: they would totally go in on his plan.

The problem was whether the café patrons, the citizens of Wartwood, would accept his plan.

Wrecker took a deep breath and he began to walk towards the window. As he did, he eyed the patrons uneasily. They stared at him with… Uncertainty. Better than judgment, he had to admit.

"GET OUT OF HERE THIS INSTANT!", Pepper screamed, and she seemed ready to leap in through the window and grab Wrecker right there and then.

Tritonio wasn't about to do that, but he too was angry, and his tone was that of reserved fury and curiosity. This Wrecker had managed to evade him each time. He was… An interesting foe, to say the least. "What game are you playing, Wrecker? Saving these people does not surprise me, but considering your cargo…"

Wrecker looked back momentarily. They all still stared at him with unsure faces. Toadie urged him on with a supportive face.

Wrecker knew what he had to do. He had to appeal to their egos.

"I'm not playing any game. Yet."

Tritonio and Pepper raised eyebrows, but both were already approaching his trap. Wrecker adopted his most salesman like voice.

"You know, my friends, we can play this game of cat and mouse till the cows go home, but I feel like we all have deadlines. Perhaps… An arrangement can be met. One which, shall we say, honors you more?"

"Your tongue is never this sharp. What's the deal?", Tritonio said, but he was lapping it up, Wrecker could tell. Pepper looked particularly intrigued, as she kept sharpening her knife.

Wrecker pretended to file his fingernails on his sword. "Oh, well, it's just… Say you kill me, or stop me, or whatever. Wouldn't it be all just a little… Boring?"

The other café patrons were confused, but they kept secretly hoping that Wrecker knew how to get rid of the mercenaries. Felicia had started stress eating, as did Mr. Flour. Wally started praying, and Toadie was sweating more than a sinner in church.

And then Wrecker turned up the heat. "What I'm saying is… What if I had an army?"

Everyone gasped, and Pepper began to scream. "YOU TURN YOURSELF IN OR I'LL DRINK YOUR BLOOD!"

Tritonio calmed her down and raised an eyebrow. "Your offer intrigues me, but if by army you mean these sad excises for cannon fodder, then I see no advantage for you. And that is even less honorable."

Wrecker painted the scene with his gesticulation. "But don't you see? Picture it: The Terrible Train Thief Tritonio and the best the Toad army has to offer took on an entire town and WON. They cut down all defenses, and when the coward Wrecker begged for mercy, you showed him none. Imagine the stories they'd tell! An entire town… And they lost to you two."

Tritonio and Pepper were officially sold now. Their egos could not resist such temptation.

"The fame… The glory…", Tritonio muttered, his eyes reflecting dollar signs.

"The captain will have to notice me then…", Peppet muttered, blushing.

The two stared at each other and nodded. "Time and place?"

"Tomorrow morning. I need a few hours to prepare, after all, as do you."

"Agreed. Let us reconvene at dawn. Victor gets the spoils. And that INCLUDES the box.", Tritonio stated, and the deal was done.

Wrecker turned around, wiping some sweat off his brow, while the café stared at his bug eyed and mouths open.

"Well, that went well!", Wrecker said, half joking.

Felicia answered for nearly everyone when she slapped Wrecker. "I deserve that, but hear me out…", Wrecker began, but Felicia slapped him again, a ringing sound echoing across the café.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?! I mean, what did I expect of a killer and a traitor, but are you such a coward you're gonna take us all down with you?!", Felicia asked, outraged, and the other patrons nodded in agreement, Toadie the only one willing to hear Wrecker out.

"We're not an army! We're barely a town!", Mr. Flour shouted, his baby pretending to stab the air with her pacifier. "Careful, Maddie, you'll drop your binkie."

"Those mad men are gonna kill us all! I should never have left Ribbitvale… I mean, we're all gonna die!", Wally shouted, nervous and anxious and guilty about his double life.

"What is so important that you have to sacrifice us with you?!", Felicia prodded Wrecker in the chest, and Wrecker fell down on the floor, feeling his chest lit on fire. He had to explain to them… He had to save all of them…

To save Annie…

"BECAUSE OF THIS!", he screamed, revealing the box.

A hushed silence rose in the crowd, uneasy looks and nudges spreading in the room. No one knew what the box was, but there was something in Wrecker's tone, something in the fire in his eyes…

Something about the box and the eerie hum and glow it emitted…

Toadie wiped his brow again. Just seeing that thing freaked him out.

Felicia raised an eyebrow in the meantime, protectively clutching her stomach.

Wrecker slowly got up, his legs weak, his body broken. He was nearly hunched, like a figure of the dark. He was the stranger in town, and for a moment you could see why they feared him; for the anger inherent, the rage that drove him to make up for his sins flashed in his face. He held the box high, sweat trickling down his face, for he too feared the box. Feared it more than any punishment they could exact on him.

He had to convince them…

He had to save Annie.

"What… What is it?", Mr. Flour asked, his worry piqued. No one just endangered a town for no reason.

"It's more dangerous than Captain Muck himself. He wants it. I've seen what it can do, first hand.", Wrecker informed, before looking down sadly. "A… An old friend of mine, who was stronger than anything or anyone I knew… And it snapped him like a twig."

The uneasy silence got louder, concerned stares being shared in the darkness.

"…So why not just run?", Felicia asked, uncertain frustration in her voice. She already knew it was more complicated than that when she asked it.

"They were gonna attack you no matter what. I've bought us a chance. I could almost beat them on my own and with Toadie here. If we all band together… Even if you're not trained… We can stop them, keep this town safe, keep this world safe!", Wrecker explained, his voice rising in passion, before remembering how they saw him. He lowered his voice. "…I'm not asking for forgiveness. But I can't let you all die. Please… Help me. Maybe, if we keep this out of Muck's hands… The world will be safer for your children. For my daughter."

He adopted a hopeful but guilty smile. "Anything is worth one chance… Even me."

The other patrons all stared at each other, still unsure but well aware and acknowledging the complex situation they were in. They couldn't just let all of Amphibia fall in danger, and there wasn't much of a choice. But they still could have chosen to offer Wrecker as a sacrifice, still trade him and the box for protection.

It all came down to honor. Could they really trust this killer's intentions?

But seeing as to where they were, and to her respected position in the city, all eyes fell on Felicia, who took a deep breath, her hand on her stomach, feeling her tadpole kick.

Her tadpole…

"I still don't trust you. At least… I don't know if I should."

Another kick… She was coming soon… She had to fight for her. Fight for her till the death. Her and all tadpoles.

"But a mother must always protect her young. Even your young one. So go ahead: Train us. We will fight until the last frog standing.", Felicia announced, and the rest of the town, firmly convinced, cheered in agreement.

Wrecker took a deep breath too, clenching his fist. So many more people to let down if he failed…

But that was what redemption was all about, wasn't it?

It was time to prove Annie right.

"All right. Let's begin."

Grime was sure of one thing so far: His stomach was not made for all these rides.

"Dude, this is like, the 7th time. Are you sure you don't want to stop?", Annie asked, patting Grime on the back as he coughed up a little more vomit.

Grime wiped his face, the moisture sticking to his hand, his breath heavy. "Of course! I'm fine, just getting used to it! What's next?"

Annie looked around at the rides. They had already gone on the rollercoaster…

"AAAAA HOW HAVEN'T WE FALLEN YET?!", Grime screamed and Annie roared with laughter. "We're tied up!"

The ropes burned off.

"Whoopsie doodles!", Annie exclaimed, and Grime prayed to Toad that they would be safe. The rollercoaster car crashed into a bog pit.

"…Free food, all right!", Annie shouted and she started to eat the flies, Grime half shocked, but still managing a chuckle at her enthusiasm…

They had also gone on the carousel…

"This mantis won't eat me?", Grime asked, remembering how that had happened to many members of his past platoons.

"Totally not! I think… It's not still alive, right?", Annie asked the supervisor, who shrugged.

"Good enough for me!", she said, and she leapt onto the mantis, while Grime slowly embarked his. The ride started, lifting them up and down in a sort of calming if wild way.

"Like her…", Grime thought, as he saw Annie ride her mantis vibrantly, giggling all the way.

What was this effect she had on him? It was like every time he felt down, every time he was reminded of another horrible thing he had done or experienced, she just sucked all the fear out. She stared life in the eye with nary a blink.

Grime let the rocking calm him down. It was… Soothing. "Thanks, Annie…", he thought…

And they had already done the haunted house…

"AAA!", he smashed the cardboard ghost.

"BEGONE!", he pounded the cardboard vampire.

"THE POWER OF TOAD COMPELLS YOU!", he commanded the human looking cardboard "monster".

"That thing is hideous! Who could like a creature like that?", he thought, shuddering, hoping this didn't count as murder.

"Woah, Grime, this stuff is freakin' you out, huh?", Annie asked, and Grime worried that he had once more gone too far. He could see it: The disappointment, the judgment. He was too different, wasn't he?

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you…", he started, but Annie then punched another one of the cardboard monsters.

"BOOM! IN YO FACE!", Annie shouted, laughing, and she began to punch their way out, Grime following with a look that mixed awe with reverence.

She was stunning… Thoughtful… So utterly different to anyone he had ever known…

She was a spitfire, and he was just enjoying the show…

"Well, I guess all that's left is the Ferris wheel and the bumper cars.", Annie said, pointing at the wooden contraption and the now vacant racing area.

Grime wasn't sure what they did, and he scratched his chin. "What do you prefer?"

"I don't know, what do you prefer? I wanna know!", Annie said cheerfully, and Grime gulped.

"I mean, what if my choice sucks? I think you know more about these things…", Grime tried, but Annie hushed him.

"Nope! You're choosing, it's final! I want you to have fun too!"

Grime wanted to tell her that he had been having the time of his life when he wasn't being torn apart by his guilt, but he decided to leave that alone and carry on. Still… She wanted him to have fun…

"If she knew… She'd hate you too…", his voices whispered but he tried to ignore them as well and, looking at the wheel and the cars, decided the wheel looked too lonely and slow. Annie liked exciting things, she deserved the most exciting he could see.

"I think we could, maybe, um, give the cars a try?", he asked, confused by his stuttering. He never got this tongue tied, why was it happening?

"OOH YAY! I LOVE THE CARS!", Annie joyfully squealed, and she grabbed Grime's arm and ran over there, Grime blushing all the way.

"Two tickets, please!", Annie asked enthusiastically, and having paid for them, the two entered separate cars, both different shades of pink.

"Where are the seatbelts?", Grime asked, taking out a booklet and a pair of spectacles. "The rules of the road clearly state that one must wear a seatbelt at all times."

Annie laughed at Grime's nerdiness. "Dude, these are bumper cars. We don't need any rules!"

"That explains the lack of traffic lights and street signs. But what if we crash?", Grime asked, and Annie laughed again. Grime hoped he could hear it again.

"That's the point!"

"…Oh."

Annie then veered straight into Grime's car, cackling maniacally. Grime, panicking, hid behind his booklet and said "CAREFUL ANNIE! YOU COULD BREAK YOUR PRETTINESS I MEAN YOUR HANDS!"

SMASH! Annie smashed into Grime's car, and a "GOTEM" sound bite rang out from the car. Grime, after yelping, saw that he was barely hurt. "Oh… It's just for fun? I… I won't hurt you with this?"

"Of course not, silly!", Annie said, and Grime nodded. It seemed like this made Annie happy, and it didn't hurt her.

"All right… I will bump your car, then! Careful, though… I might go too hard!", Grime warned, and after Annie backed up a bit, Grime revved his engine.

"Come at me, dude! Give me your best shot!", Annie challenged, giggling, and Grime kicked his car into boost and…

Slowly slowly touched her fendor lightly with his. "Oh, Toad, that was scary! I hope I didn't go in too hard!", Grime worriedly exclaimed, and Annie face palmed.

"No, no, no. You can go as hard as you can, I promise!", Annie said, but Grime was unsure. He twiddled his fingers. Even when he was trying to be careful…

He thought of Alexander the Heron, of the beetle mother he had met in the forest.

"I just… I just don't want to hurt you. I…", Grime started, but Annie, who had now taken a more sympathetic look, reassured him with a gentle squeeze.

"I know we haven't known each other that long, but… Do you trust me?", she asked, earnestly.

Grime stared into her beautiful face, with eyes that made him feel so weirdly calm.

"…Yes."

Annie leapt back into her car. "Then crash into me!"

"...Ok!", Grime roused up his courage, and he bumped into Annie's car, which made her spin to the other side.

Grime gasped and reached out his hand. "Are you ok?", he asked, terrified as usual, but Annie cheered wildly. "OK? I'M PUMPED! THAT WAS AWESOME, GRIME!"

Grime blushed again and looked away, shy. "Well, I mean, coming from you that's really…"

BLAM!

Annie's car knocked into Grime's car, and he nearly toppled over before rebalancing the car. She wiggled her eyebrows.

Grime chuckled, enjoying the challenge. "Oh, so it's a battle you want?", he revved the engine, feeling his adrenaline hit.

Annie laughed too. "Bring it on!"

And so, the two began to crash and collide over and over again, laughing and smiling and enjoying each other's company. Grime content where he was. It was strange: There was no battle, no threat, no worry at all.

The sun had begun to set, but Grime still felt light.

Especially when he saw her face. The face of… He couldn't deny it longer, the face of an angel. Her eyes that sparkled like the stars that followed him on his nightly patrols. Her laugh that sounded like the chime of bells from the base. Her smile that made the night seem less dark. How could one so beautiful…

How could someone so beautiful enjoy his company?

For once, he didn't feel like asking the eternal question of his life. Just for once, he felt content observing her beauty.

But sadly, the moment didn't last much longer. With the night came a group of low lives…

And Grime's inner turmoil was about to spill out.

"Hey, hey, what's goin' on 'ere?", a slimey voice greeted them suddenly, and Grime and Annie looked up from the cars towards the path before them. Night had fallen quickly, so the place was sparse, even the supervisor had disappeared.

And instead the sound of switchblades filled the night.

Grime and Annie stood up, both offering protective hands in front of each other. They could smell the danger, but they did NOT want a fight. "G-Gentlefrogs… H-How can I help you?", Grime asked, trying to calm himself and the tension.

The frog gang, all wearing jackets and tattoos of lilipads, laughed quietly, enjoying the terror stricken faces. "You know, it's unusual to see toads around these parts anyway. They don't like to roll around in the filth with us."

The leader, stepping closer, his switchblade shining in the night sky, winked. "But I see that some toads didn't get the message. We don't want to get down to your level either, all right?"

"What are you talking about? This dude is just hanging out with a friend, nothing in the law against that!", Annie protested, and Grime worriedly glanced at her. Did she have no fear?

"It's just… Unnatural. Frogs and Toads don't mix.", the leader continued, and the rest of his gang stepped closer. "So why don't you find yourself a real amphibian, and my boys can make sure this elitist bitch doesn't bother you anymore?"

Grime knew where this was going, and he knew that Annie would start a fight because it was just in her spirit. But he had sworn to protect her, and that was what he was gonna do.

Stepping towards the leader, keeping Annie behind him, Grime said "Look, we don't want any trouble. I am only here to protect the girl. If this has to get physical, at least leave her out of this, she didn't do anything."

Annie gave Grime a "What are you doing?!" stare, and would have leapt to attack if the leader hadn't attacked first. "I'm gonna beat your toad ass to the ground!"

Lifting Grime off the air with both of his hands, the leader struggled to keep him up for a moment before slamming him face first into the ground. Dirt and gravel already covered Grime's face, and he felt two cuts on his cheek. "That was fast…", he thought, but he wasn't about to struggle, if it meant Annie would be safe.

"Grime!", Annie called, almost frozen from shock at the brutal attack that was undergoing, as Grime was lifted again and knocked out with a punch to the jaw by the biggest frog in the gang. Two other frogs began to kick Grime in the chest with sharp, fast precision, making him struggle to breath and causing his chest to heave. Blood began pouring slightly out of his nose, and his vision was already a little blurry. His refusal to fight made his defenses weaker, and so he was already almost beaten.

"Run, Annie! Run back to the carriage, I'll catch up!", Grime called, before another kick to the abdomen made him cough up some blood on the pavement, but Annie refused to. She couldn't just leave Grime behind, just like Wrecker she had to protect him too!

"I'm coming, Grime!", she called, taking a run up and leaping over the gate, aiming her sword at the gang leader, who was busy stepping on Grime's face with his boot.

SLASH!

"Fuck!", the leader cried, as his shoulder was bleeding heavily now from the gash left in it from Annie's sword. The blood dripped from the sword's tip, and Annie, crouching, observed her surroundings, hoping she could fend them off.

"What are you doing? Get out!", Grime cried, his voice betraying the insane amount of fear he felt for her now. These guys meant business, they could kill her… No, no, he couldn't think such thoughts. His mind was already clouding as it is, and the mere concept of those words brought forth this fire in his chest, he had to ignore it…

THUD! Grime was hurtled back onto a wall, the back of his head bleeding from more cuts thanks to the sharp bricks he destroyed now, cement dust painting his head white.

Annie, to her credit, was holding her own, and she managed to stab two of the guys who ran towards her before ducking and letting them smash their heads together. "Didn't see that coming?", she bragged, before blocking each one of the big frog's incoming punches with her sword, his brass knuckles now red.

Grime coughed up more dust and blood and tried to get to his feet, but they were weak from the severe beating, and he wasn't sure how long he could stay up. "Annie (cough), please… (cough) Get out!"

"No!", Annie replied as she kept on blocking hits with her sword from the big frog and the two guys. "You need my protection!"

But while Annie was only getting better with her sword, she still made mistakes. And she was about to make a big one.

"Annie, he's behind you!", Grime called, and Annie turned around just in time to block the hit from the leader.

She smirked, as 3 frogs struggled to stand up around her. "See? I told you I'm sa…"

SMACK!

From behind her, a brass knuckle sent Annie flying into a different wall, and her eyes were nearly shut thanks to the force of the hit. She was lucky it wasn't on her temple, or she would have been in serious trouble.

Grime, who had been struggling to speak, was now speechless. Blood pooled down from a gash in her head now, not as bad as other gashes, but it was serious. Her body seemed to almost go limp. Just like… Just like…

"Well, she's got a fight in her! I like that in a woman!", The leader said as she got to his feet. They turned around to see that Grime had stood up too. But he said nothing.

He just stared down at the floor, not moving.

"I think we broke him, boss.", the big frog said, and the leader laughed. "I guess we did! What's the matter, toad? Caterpillar got your tongue?"

Grime breathed slowly and sharply. Not again… Not again… Not another person he…

"…Wrong move.", was all he could muster. Then he looked up.

Then he moved.

The leader had barely gotten his switchblade up when Grime punched his jaw and slammed him on the ground, causing the pavement to shake. The big frog aimed his brass knuckles at Grime's face, but Grime caught the knuckles, and somehow, through sheer force, squeezed the knuckles 'till they began to bleed.

Twisting the hand, he twisted back and dropped the big guy, while the two other frogs went for his head. Grime ducked in a split second and, turning around, spin kicked both in the heads, breaking their noses.

The leader was up again, and he attacked with his switch blade but Grime blocked it, twisted the leader's arm, breaking it, and then took the switchblade and cut the frog's nose off.

"HOLY SHIT THIS GUY'S CRAZY!", the leader said, but Grime wasn't done. Blood still spurting everywhere, he took the big frog and, somehow lifting him, smashed him through the wall, giving the frog a concussion.

The two other frogs went for Grime again but he just banged their heads on the metal railing that separated them from the cars, and, using the railing, removed their arms from their sockets. All the while, his face was an empty, blank slate. He saw and felt nothing.

Nothing but a world on fire.

The leader, after getting three sharp kicks to the chest, spat out more blood and shivered. "Ok, man, you win, we're out of here. Just leave us alone, please. Please, I'm giving up."

Grime didn't hear it though. "You hurt her."

"No, look, I'm sorry, just…", the Leader begged, but Grime kicked him again before settling on his chest.

"I'm tired of the ones I care about dying because I didn't do enough.", Grime continued, and twisting the arms he broke both of them.

"I'll never do it again, I swear!"

"I'll make sure of that.", Grime said, an almost twisted grin on his face. Seeing such evil suffer… This man, like Houdini, like Bog, like his father… Men who feasted on fear, men who wanted to hurt the good people of Amphibia…

All it would take was one choice, and this land would be safe… Annie would be safe…

"I… Oh Frog, I swear to Frog let me go!", The leader cried and begged, as Grime lifted a dagger… The one he had used on Houdini not long ago.

"Swear to me.", Grime stated with a growl, and he almost lowered it when…

"GRIME, STOP!"

Snapped out of his stupor, Grime turned around to see Annie, shock and alarm across her bruised face. She shivered and shook in the night air, and she was struggling to move, but that's not what ailed her.

Grime saw her fear, but what was she afraid of? The frogs weren't gonna hurt her, not anymore, not once he…

Grime dropped the dagger, realizing what he had almost done. What he would have done if it wasn't for her. His face twisted with pain, with guilt, with rage. He felt his heart almost stop, the voices returning in full volume.

"I… I…", he began, but there was no continuation. He just ran off into the night, Annie starring wide eyed at his departure.

Over the course of that day in the café, the citizens of Wartwood trained for the battle they never expected. It was a proud trait of the town that they were slow to accept and even slower to respect, but the urgency of the situation coupled with Wrecker's motivational training woke something in them.

All day long it had been practice, practice, practice. Practice for these farmers, shopkeepers, fathers, mothers, even grandparents (the children had been spared for obvious reasons). Each one was cautious and unsure about this, and each one received Wrecker's best care and attention. The lack of weapons had forced them to improvise, so instead of swords swinging it was walking sticks, canes, umbrellas, gardening tools.

It would have looked silly to an outsider, but inside, seeing all those people come together for each other, for the rest of Amphibia, for a girl…

"This town really has changed.", Wrecker breathed next to Toadie, who was serving some refreshments and enjoying a lovely cheese cake.

"Well, you have been gone a while! Things are mostly the same, but deep down these people care about each other. It's reassurin'.", Toadie replied, using a napkin to wipe the crumbs off his chin.

"You seem to be one of the better ones. Considering that mayor, I bet you'd make a much better one!", Wrecker complimented, and Toadie blushed. "Oh gosh, Wrecker, you're makin' me as red as a tomatah! Thank you, though."

The day passed on, and Wrecker's faith kept rising. People were not only trying, they even seemed to regard him slightly better. At the very least, no one was afraid.

How long that would last he did not know, but that wasn't the point. What mattered was saving Amphibia.

But it was that evening, as the training ended for now, that Wrecker found himself at a turning point.

Everyone had dispersed to other corners to rest, troubled but hopeful thoughts prevailing in their minds. Blankets (wherever they were) were being shared, frogs used each other as pillows, and a communal sense of unity permeated the area. It was loud, and crowded, but it was home.

Home…

Wrecker, sitting by the window, staring at the moon, wondered if there was such a thing.

All his life he had searched for a home, having never truly had one. His parents hated him, he accepted that now, and Toad Tower and Swamp City and The Acting Troupe had all let him down one way or the other.

Home was where the heart was, true, and with Annie he felt safe, but Annie needed a roof under her head. Could he share it with her? Raise her like his own?

But could Wartwood let him back in?

"What are you thinking about?"

Wrecker turned around sharply, the reaction of a soldier, and he startled Felicia, who gasped and clutched her stomach.

Wrecker, eyes wide and apologetic, supported her. "I am so sorry, it's just…"

"It's ok. It's ok. It happens a lot as it is. Café owner, remember?", Felicia reassured. There was humor to her voice. She seemed… Less antagonistic? He wasn't sure why.

Not one to look a gift snail in the mouth, tho, Wrecker simply nodded and helped Felicia sit down on a chair. He took a seat next to her, still clasping her hand protectively, but she gestured to him that he could let go.

They then sat there in silence for a little, before Felicia repeated the question. "So… What were you thinking about?"

Wrecker looked at her face and hesitated for a moment, before answering. "Well… I was thinking of… Home."

"…You said you were from here.", Felicia questioned, taking a sip from a cup of tea she had ready. Wrecker sort of bobbed his head. "I am. But my parents didn't really agree."

"Were they the Petersons? They clearly want to kick their daughter out for the goth phase, and…"

Wrecker couldn't help but chuckle at the gossip. "They were always a rough bunch, but it's not them."

He then sighed sharply. "No offense, but… I don't tell that to anyone. I… My name… I don't deserve it."

"…Why?"

Wrecker raised a puzzled eyebrow. "Well, you know why, I…"

"No, I mean why did you do it. Why… How could you? I'm… Look…", Felicia struggled, before composing herself.

She placed a protective hand on her stomach, and Wrecker swore he could see a tear in her eye. "My… My mother left after father died. She needed some time. I've been alone since then, because my scumbag husband left me to raise my baby, my bankers are squeezing me dry because I own a café instead of staying in the kitchen over there, and the mayor nearly sold my baby's life for cash. You come in, having killed a frog, the first murder in 30 years, and yet you risk your life for this girl, for this town, for everyone else. It doesn't add up."

She clenched her fist. "People… Frogs, toads, newts… They're not good. Why… Why are you like this? Are you good, bad, both, neither? I can't figure you out!"

She stopped herself from crying and sighed morosely. "Sorry, I'm… I just… I need to know if I can trust you. Because I'm betting her life on you."

Wrecker waited for her to calm down, before replying. "To be honest, I'm not always sure myself. I've… I've made a lot of mistakes. The one that haunts me is the murder."

"Why?"

Wrecker looked her in the eye. "I am prepared to listen. I know that I wasn't before, but explain to me. Prove me wrong. Please."

"…Because if I didn't, someone else would have died."

Wrecker painted the scene. "It was another revolt. Freedom Fighter frogs, off to stop me and my fellow men from exacting our rule. By then I had figured out that I was wrong about the toad army. I thought that perhaps they had changed for the better, but I finally saw through the cracks."

His eyes narrowed with the memory of past mistakes, and his heart clenched. "I… I was fighting with Grime. You've heard of him, right?"

"Of course, Grime is the prince."

"Well, we were fighting side to side, to take down but not kill. No one had been sent to kill, at least to my knowledge. It was simply a defensive mission. We had fought them to exhaustion, most had surrendered, but one, one frog would not give up."

Wrecker shifted in his seat, and he looked at Felicia, who was fully invested, but also listening. "Go on.", she urged gently.

"He… He shouted. Shouted about the crimes we had commited against frog kind. He was right, and I wanted, I wanted to tell him that, to help. But he was about to shove his sword straight through Grime's head. He was gonna kill him. And Grime…"

Wrecker began to cry, emotions breaking through as he spoke aloud his sin. "I… Grime was someone I took care of as a baby. I had been asked to protect him for years. He's a good toad, he really is. I… If I had let that frog kill Grime, I would have been a killer. Maybe there was a better way, maybe I could have taken him down. He probably would have killed me, and then Grime. I don't know, I don't want to make excuses…"

Wrecker took a deep breath, a sob escaping his lips. "…I… I chose to kill him. I killed a Frog to save another man. I see it in my eyes every time I wake up and every time I go to sleep. I wish… I wish I could take it back, stop myself, find another solution. But I can't. All I can say is that I will never kill again. But rather that's good enough is up to you."

Felicia, who was also in tears by that moment, waited for Wrecker to finish. Seeing him calm down, she slowly but surely reached out her hand onto his.

"…I don't know what I would do if I was in that situation. Killing someone… It's a big thing. And… I can't say that that doesn't make me worry."

She then smiled reassuringly. "But… You saved a life. It's complicated, but… Maybe that's how things are. Perhaps… Perhaps we are both judging you too harshly. I don't know, but… But I am willing to listen."

Wrecker had not expected this reaction. He smiled in return. "I… Thank you, Ms. Sundew."

"Felicia. You can call me that."

Wrecker gladly shook her hand in return. "Ok… Felicia."

Annie had looked all over the festival, top to bottom, so when she arrived at the Ferris wheel she felt that she wasn't only sure, but was also surprised it hadn't occurred to her first.

After all, what better place to be alone at night in a festival?

Annie's steps were cautious and carefully calculated: Grime was in a hard place, and she couldn't just bust right in and talk to him about…

Annie shook her head. She would deal with that in a moment. First she had to see if he was ok. First she had to reassure herself he was ok.

Grime hadn't even bothered to pay for the ride or ask for it to move, he had just taken a seat at the bottom, his knees up to his chest. Annie felt a twinge of sympathy, and she walked over to the ride operator first, an old frog who was always in the middle of a yawn, it seemed.

"Mister, how long has he been there?", Annie asked, unsure of the time. Her mind had been clouded with the fight from before, so she had no idea how long she was just walking around in circles for.

"About 10 minutes, I'd reckon. Didn't say nothin' either, just sat down in that there seat.", The old frog informed. Annie nodded, and said she would pay for the ride in a minute, she just needed to talk to Grime.

Turning around, she saw that Grime had already noticed her. His eyes spelled his inner turmoil loud and clear, and he turned away again, as if he were afraid of a monster.

"…Grime, it's me. It's Annie.", she tried, calmly, quietly.

No response.

Annie edged closer, near the door of the Ferris wheel seat. She could hear small whimpers. Yellow paint that had been added recently to the seat's door coated her nails now. "That was… Something back there. You… You wanna talk about it?"

Grime still said nothing, and he seemed to turn away even further from her.

Annie sighed, feeling strange to be on the delivering end of a pep talk/morale boost/whatever this was. "Look, I'm not angry. Really. I know you were just trying to defend me…"

"I could have killed him."

Annie silenced up, and gave Grime her undivided attention. She hadn't expected him to talk so quickly, so compliance was of essence.

Grime, meanwhile, still couldn't look at her, but he looked at his hands, hands that were once more bloodied and bruised. "And not just could have. I… I wanted to."

"Why? I… I just want to know. He was attacking me, but you didn't have to kill him.", Annie said, voice quiet and affecting. She didn't believe Grime to be that ruthless.

"I didn't. That didn't stop me from doing it before.", Grime said grimly, and Annie stepped into the seat, not judging but digesting this new info.

Grime couldn't look at her, but if he would have he would have seen the other woman he had failed in his life. "…My mother… She was the only person who loved me, except for Wrecker, I guess. She… She taught me all my good qualities. Well, the few I have."

Grime's heart fastened its beat and his hands shook and shivered. "She was killed. By a frog named Houdini, he lived in Swamp City."

"I was there once. Scary place."

"He made it better. He… He was so nice to me, and it blinded me. So… When I learned that he killed her… Someone who actually seemed to care for me…"

Tears rolled down Grime's cheeks. He wasn't usually this… Open to others. Somehow he felt like he could with Annie though. Perhaps that was because she seemed to listen.

"…I should have saved her. She should never have been killed, it's my fault, somehow, I should have done something, but she's dead… And he's dead… And that guy could have been dead. I was trying to stop myself, I vowed I would never do that again, but I almost did."

Grime clenched his fists, the wounds in his hand opening up and soaking in his own blood. "Because I'm a monster. Everything I touch… Everyone I love… Gets hurt."

Now finished, the orange night lights reflected off Grime, and he sighed in pain, his breath short. There. Now she knew. Now she knew how horrible he was.

But instead of screaming, or running away, or even just getting angry, Annie simply placed a comforting hand on Grime's shoulder. "…I don't judge people on their worst mistakes. At least, I don't judge those actively trying to fix them."

"…That's not good enough. I nearly snapped."

"Well, duh!", Annie said, and for a moment she made Grime smile. "This was a life or death situation, and you are clearly suffering from some sort of PTSD problem."

Annie then scooched closer. "Besides, as you said, you're trying. I can believe that. You were trying to defend me, is all! You're gonna need help, but… I wouldn't say it's too late."

Annie then turned grim herself, and a melancholic tone took over her voice. "And honestly, if I were in your position… I don't know if I wouldn't have done the same."

Grime turned to her sympathetically. "No, you're too beautiful… That is, I mean, um, you're… You wouldn't…"

Annie giggled, and Grime blushed. "It's ok, I get what you mean! And look… I think that anyone can understand that. And if we work hard on it, we can make sure that will be the only time you went there."

Grime looked at her with amazed eyes, touched by all this. "You would… You would do that, for me?"

Annie nodded. "That's what friends are for!"

Grime liked that. Friends. He couldn't believe someone would forgive him, give him another chance. Annie had a point, what he had done was not ok, but it WAS understandable. Perhaps if he did give himself a chance, searched for help…

He embraced her with a big smile. "Thank you, Annie, thank you! I… Thank you."

"You're welcome, dude!", Annie said, before the two realized they were hugging, and, both blushing, parted.

But Grime, as he looked at the moonlight bounce off her, smiled brightly, and felt true safety for the first time. All day it had been building up, and now there it was:

He still had a chance. With her. With life.

He still had a chance to do one good thing.

"How's the food, bud?"

It was dawn, but not the battle. Not quite yet. In these early moments, the first embers of sunshine, it was then that men were allowed to be men, and not the weapons of monsters with plans.

In such a moment Smudge would normally be found doing what he was doing today, which was feeding the Ballista. The Ballista was a terrifying beast, one that would send a shiver down anyone's spine: It had fangs as large as clubs, it had eyes that seemed wild, unfocused, untamed. It's paws carried talons that could rip your flesh in an instant.

But it was being fed now, being more than fed, being taken care of. So the Ballista, if you looked in a different way, seemed almost normal. Like…

Like it wasn't just a weapon.

"I couldn't get the stuff you like from Toad Tower, we ran out last night, but there was an empty store over there and I thought you might like a change of pace.", Smudge informed, sitting down next to the Ballista. Only with Smudge did the Ballista drop it's ever present vigil, and a soft approving purr could be heard from it.

Smudge sighed wearily, staring down at his sword, one he tried his hardest not to use. "I'd love a change of pace, personally. Just… To get away from all this. I know you would too."

The Ballista nodded slowly, as if it understood.

"I'd… I'd send you home. But I can't. They'll kill me. I'm… I'm not strong enough."

Smudge stared apologetically. "I'm sorry."

The Ballista merely stared back, signaling, it seemed, that it understood.

"…I might die today. So… Thanks for listening to me."

The two took another moment to stare at the rising sun, before the familiar sound of Pepper's knives striking against the ground could be heard. Smudge sighed.

It was time.

Tritonio, slipping in his pocket a golden pocket watch, smiled smugly to himself. "Who's the big shot now, huh?"

He raised his sword and imagined slicing through The Wrecker, and getting set for life with the theft of the Box. Getting on Captain Muck's good side could make him the richest Salamander in Amphibia.

Well, he probably already was, but now he'd have real money, and not just a little.

He smirked, imagining the throne he would possess, and how all those who wronged him would bow down to him.

It was time.

Pepper, knives at the ready, stared at the secret she kept in her breast pocket. She smiled, but she smiled lovingly for once. There he was. Her leader. Her captain.

Her love.

What she would do for such a man, for such a titan as Muck! She would do anything to please him, kill anyone to pleasure him.

One day he would see how devoted she was, and then she would be his bride. And together they would ensure only the fittest would survive.

Pepper placed the picture of her beloved back in her breast pocket, and, smiling maliciously, began to march to her destination.

It was time.

"Now stay here, where it's safe, sweetie.", Mr. Flour said, hoping Maddie would listen and stay put. She tended to walk off into danger so often…

Maddie nodded, as she painted the walls black and laughed. Mr. Flour felt a tear coming on. "That's my girl."

He would keep her safe. He had to. He had to.

The bell rung. The meeting was beginning.

It was time.

"Jeff… If you could deliver this…", Wally began, handing a parchment in shaking hands to the mailman.

His voice shivered but he kept on. "…To my father at Ribbiton… In case I don't make it back."

"Of course, Wally.", The mailman nodded firmly, keeping the newly shared secret safe.

Wally turned his head to the bell.

It was time.

Felicia stood next to Wrecker, holding her stomach. She had been feeling an odd pain, but she wasn't sure it was that. At least, not yet. For now, though, she had to keep up appearances. No one could look weak. Not yet. Not now.

Toadie also stood next to Wrecker, waiting for the motivational speech to start. He offered his hand. "It will be an honor to fight by you."

Wrecker shook back, but took on a solemn expression. "Toadie… If I don't make it out of this, I'm counting on you to take the box to the bizarre bazzar, and to give my daughter a home here in Wartwood."

Toadie was touched. "You… You would trust me with that?"

"…I would."

Toadie, taking this to heart, looked up at Wrecker and nodded firmly, before adding "Well… Then you should know that my name is not Toadie. That's… That's the demeaning nickname we assistant mayors get from our bosses. My real name is…"

He smiled, feeling pride for once at uttering it. "Toadstool."

Wrecker smiled back. "Pleasure to meet you, Toadstool. With that skunkbag of a mayor, I'd bet you'd make a way better one."

"Mayor Toadstool? What a concept!", Toadstool laughed, but the time for talking was over.

It was time.

Time for the battle.

Wrecker turned to the gathered assembly, of old and young frogs, of tired fathers and worn out mothers, of farmers and shopkeepers and simple folk. They held rotten fruit, pitchforks, kitchen equipment.

They all held nervous, but hopeful expressions.

Wrecker looked at them with pride. "None of you are soldiers. Thanks to fate, we are forced to be. None of you are warriors. Thanks to the toads, we must be."

He took a deep breath, thinking of Annie. "You must all be very afraid. I am too. And I know that this battle seems impossible. But you mustn't forget why we are doin' this."

He smiled. "We are doing this for Felicia's baby. For Mr. Flour's daughter. We're doing it for your son, for your baby, for your little ones, for your twins and triplets and quintuplets."

"We are doing this for every single child in Amphibia, for every single parent, for every single frog and newt and salamander, and even toad, that will be hurt by Captain Muck."

Wrecker raised his sword, and seeing people truly listen, he took the reigns. "We are not an army. We're a family. And we're gonna save what we love, from the ones who want to kill what they hate."

Tears coated his eyes, as he said what he thought he could never say. "FOR WARTWOOD!"

"FOR WARTWOOD!", they all cried in response, fully motivated.

And thank Frog they were.

It was time.

"It's time!", Felicia realized as she felt it. The first contraction.

Wrecker stared around wildly. "Is there a doctor in the house?"

"I'm a doctor!", said a random frog woman.

"Take her to the kitchen and make sure the baby comes out right! She's not pre-mature, right?", Wrecker asked, and Felicia shook her head. "It was supposed to be in a few weeks."

Wrecker bit his lip. "…Then take double care of her. My birth was also premature… And the doctors weren't gentle."

Felicia shook her head. "I… I can't let you all fight, I'm supposed to be there."

Wrecker shook his head too. "No. You're doing this for her. This will all be for nothing if you die now. Keep her safe."

Felicia begrudgingly complied. "…Stay safe, Wrecker."

Wrecker gave her his truest look. "No one will die today."

"Not so sure about that.", Felicia replied.

"…Your baby won't. That I swear."

And with that, Wrecker ran off to the front line, Mr. Flour and Wally in tow.

The frogs got into position, on the roof of the café, in the barrels that sat on the café's entryway, on the tables and chairs, behind the glass door. Their weapons raised, their hearts ready.

Three swords rose in unison, and Wrecker closed his eyes and opened the door.

The sand hit his eyes. The sun scorched his skin. His cloak floated in the wind. He took the first few steps, to confront the enemy first, to give his allies some confidence.

Opening his eyes, they were already there.

Tritonio, Pepper and a reluctant Smudge raised their swords, while the Ballista, already prepped for the battle, roared loudly.

Wrecker, bracing against the sand and the sun, kept his ground.

"So, you've come to die with your town and your world.", Tritonio boasted.

"I've come to do what's right for once.", Wrecker responded firmly. Pepper laughed maniacally. "You really think anyone would ever see you as more than a monster?! A traitor?!"

Wrecker closed his eyes, stinging from the familiar feeling of guilt, but knowing all those he had to save, he took another step forwards, a mental leap of faith.

"This… Is where I belong."

Tritonio, Pepper, Smudge and the Ballista stepped forwards, the battle beginning in any moment.

"Don't forget your positions.", Wrecker whispered to Mr. Flour and Wally, who nodded.

Wrecker then opened his mouth one more time. "No one dies today."

"We'll see about that.", Tritonio retorted, and with a battle cry from Pepper, it began.

"Now!", Wrecker ordered loudly, and some of the frogs on the rooftop lifted up camoflagued ovens and refridgerators and, with just enough force, threw them on the ground between Wrecker, Flour, and Wally and Tritonio, Pepper, Smudge and the Ballista. The sand kicked up and settled in the air like a storm, blocking nearly everyone's vision.

Nearly everyone but Wrecker, that is.

Following the plan, Wrecker tripped up both Pepper and Smudge with his sword jumping from one hand to the other, narrowly avoiding the Ballista, who was running off in pain, away from the battle for now.

Wally and Mr. Flour, taking their positions, began fighting the already rising Pepper and Smudge, Pepper slashing at Wally over and over again with her knives while Wally barely deflected with his thin sword, and Smudge's sword getting bent all over the place by Mr. Flour's enraged but calculated strikes.

Wrecker, meanwhile, pointed a sword at Tritonio, who was on the ground, the sand having begun to lose its effect. "Stand down.", Tritonio smugly replied, despite his position.

"Never again." Wrecker declared, and Tritonio bounced back to his feet and unleashed a flurry of attacks, which were met with a flurry of parries from Wrecker, the two expert swordsman equally matched as always.

Mr. Flour and Smudge's battle had moved back towards the front porch of the restaurant, but despite Smudge's forward movement, it was really more his running towards the safety of the porch than towards attacking it.

It was too easy for Mr. Flour, really: every strike of his sword had Smudge scream for mercy, and the baker almost felt bad.

Almost.

"Listen, sir, I'm sure you are very reasonable. Maybe we can figure out a compromise, maybe one where I don't die?", Smudge begged, as pieces of his sword got sliced until all he had was a handle.

Mr. Flour, smirking, pretended to take a moment to think and scratched his chin. "A compromise? Let's see… Boys, what would you compromise for your daughters?"

"Nothing!", voices rang out of the barrels, and Smudge got smashed by 5 different plates, his head now spinning.

"Help… Please…", Smudge pleaded, and Mr. Flour chuckled, before suddenly feeling a shadow fall over him.

Turning around, he noticed the Ballista, growling at his face.

"…Sorry?", Mr. Flour said with a sheepish smile.

Pepper, meanwhile, slashed away at Wally with speeds rarely matched by living things. Wally could barely register the hits, but he could definitely feel the pain and the cuts that were starting to bleed on his arms and hands. He yelped at every hit, while Pepper kept on laughing and laughing at his misfortune. "Look at the wittle baby frog, he can't keep up with the fight! Ain't that CUTE?!"

Her eyes flashed a bloodthirsty red as she struck and struck, Wally really hoping the backup plan would work as he approached the ladder to the roof.

Pepper, meanwhile, began singing out loud. "ROCKABY FROGGY, ON THE TREE TOP! WHEN THE SWORD SWAYS, YOU WILL FUCKING DIE!"

"THAT DOESN'T EVEN RHYME!", Wally shouted, as he knocked on the wooden wall 3 times.

"Superstitious?", Pepper asked with a malicious grin, lifting her knives.

"No. Just lucky.", Wally smirked, and he ducked as rotten fruit and vegetables rained down on Pepper.

"MAGGOTS!", she screamed as she got knocked back, and Wally, regaining his composure, started to strike at her with his sword.

Meanwhile, Wrecker and Tritonio kept up their fight, near the town square and fountain, the water splashing them both heavily. As usual they were matching each other, Tritonio's cleaner style only slightly contrasting the passion exhibited by Wrecker, who fought with his heart.

"I see you are as strong as ever. A pity you were no fun like this in the train!", Tritonio bantered, and a little anger seeped out of Wrecker as he struck a little harder, a downwards thrust.

"Do you realize what taking the box will do? You could be executing the lives of your own brothers and sisters, of children!", Wrecker shouted, before calming himself down. He couldn't lose control, he couldn't go too hard in defending someone.

Never again.

Tritonio took advantage of this loosening of strength and cut Wrecker's cheek, exposing another hole in his costume. "I'll have a good cry about it on my golden throne!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!", Wrecker cried, and in the fountain they went, barely keeping their composure as they sliced and diced at each other, blood mixing in with water.

Inside the café, Felicia gasped hard, the contractions getting harder and harder. Her baby wasn't supposed to come like this, but it wasn't like she had another choice.

"It's ok, dear, just keep pushing, we're starting to see some progress.", The doctor reassured, Felicia doing her best. The pain was nearly overwhelming…

From the corner of her eye, she could see through the window, she could see the battle raging outside. "Everyone is doing their part. The sooner I get my daughter out, the sooner I can help."

She began to push with all her strength, eyes narrowing. "Let's do this!", she cried, tears running down her face.

The Ballista scratched and slashed at Mr. Flour, who got splinters from the wooden patio being smashed by the creature. The men in the barrels leapt out and threw their utensils, but they barely left a mark on the Ballista, who roared in anger again. Smudge, cowering on the same patio, tried to wiggle out of a frog's arms.

"Please, let me go, I don't want to fight you!", he screamed. "That thing sure does!", Mr. Flour growled as he leapt out of the way and found the kitchen sink he had waiting in the final barrel.

"Somewhere out there a writer is laughing.", he thought, and he ran up to the Ballista, whose teeth gnashed at the wooden floor with vim and vigor.

"No, wait, don't hurt him!", Smudge begged, but Mr. Flour didn't listen, as he narrowly dodged the beast.

"You think you're so tough, huh? Attacking people who can't defend themselves?", Mr. Flour shouted as the Ballista tried to headbutt him, but again he proved too fast, as if he were gaining energy from his mission.

"You think you can just hurt without there being consequences?!", Mr. Flour shouted again, as the beast knocked the barrels away and left a pulsating bite mark on Mr. Flour.

Running up, Mr. Flour leapt into the sky with one person in mind.

"That's for my daughter, you son of a bitch!", Mr. Flour declared, cracking the sink in half on the Ballista's head, sending proceline and blood everywhere.

Breathing heavily, he stared at the screaming beast while Smudge, who had a chance to run away, a chance to escape, took a deep breath and ran back to the Ballista's aid.

"He's not a beast!", he cried protectively and Mr. Flour raised an eyebrow.

"Then what the fuck is he?"

"He's a bullfrog!", Smudge cried, and Mr. Flour's eyes widened.

"Why won't you die?!", Pepper screamed, as she wiped off the rotten fruit and vegetables off her body and whisked up the ladder after Wally, who was still shivering from her presence.

"I guess I have a lot to live for?", Wally tried lamely, and Pepper stuck again. "LIES! NONE OF YOU ARE FIT TO LIVE, YOU FLIFTHY SLIMY FROGS!"

Pepper's knives narrowly missed Wally, who had fallen to his feet. Hoping to use his new location to his advantage, Wally tried to trip Pepper up. The other frogs on the roof would have helped as well, but they were busy throwing things at the wounded Ballista and at Tritonio, who was still fighting with Wrecker in the fountain.

Wally's legs made Pepper fall, and her helmet fell alongside her, revealing her head. She screamed in panic and searched wildly for her helmet, but it was too late and Wally could see that she was…

"Hold on a blasted minute: You're a frog?!", Wally exclaimed in surprise, and Pepper growled.

"No; I'm better.", and she leapt at him, biting and scratching.

Wrecker and Tritonio meanwhile kept striking each other, drawing more and more blood, more and more wounds. Each attack grew more ruthless as Tritonio's greed and Wrecker's desperation and rage and fatherly instincts prevailed and possessed their minds.

"You are truly a worthy opponent, but I cannot let you win. I have worked all my life for this!", Tritonio stated, hacking at Wrecker's cheek.

Wrecker spat out some blood into the water and stabbed Tritonio's shoulder, leaving a gash. "You're just a thief! And when you hurt these innocent people you'll be a killer!"

"I already was! And so are you!", Tritonio shouted back, backslapping Wrecker into the water.

The statement had it's usual effect, and Wrecker found it hard to get up as Tritonio stabbed him over and over in the arms and legs before aiming for the chest, causing a hole in the costume's middle that truly revealed it was a costume.

Tritonio stopped to remark on it. "How… Curious. You hide your true form?"

Wrecker tried to stand up. "You can't… I won't let you get away with this…"

"The last few days have tired you out. You're strong but I know your weakness.", Tritonio grinned, and he kicked Wrecker in the chest, making him heave and swallow for air.

Tritonio laughed as he looked around him. "They struggle. My allies can't beat a pack of mules. But I'm not. You know why? Because unlike you, I accept who I am with pride. I am gonna steal that box…"

He kicked him in the chest again.

"I am gonna get my money…"

He kicked him in the back.

"And then I am gonna be safe for the rest of my life while you suffer."

He kicked him in the head, and Wrecker seemed knocked out, trying so hard to get up but failing to.

Tritonio laughed, turning around, before whispering gleefully. "You know… Maybe I'll tell your daughter how easy you were to beat before I kill her. Now THAT would be something."

And like that, the moment those words were uttered, Wrecker's eyes turned red…

And he snapped.

Shooting up like a bullet, Wrecker slashed away at Tritonio again and again, sword ripping through flesh and cloth, while Tritonio went on the defense and smiled. "Now IT'S INTERESTING!"

"Push! Push! Push!"

"Felicia, it's customary for the doctor to say that.", The doctor warned, but Felicia, fighting through the pain by biting a chair leg, disagreed. "This baby is coming out as soon as possible, doctor! Come on, put your fucking back into it! PUSH!"

"He's… He's a bullfrog? But they can talk, and walk, and they transform back from their outbursts.", Mr. Flour asked, and Smudge, with teary eyes, patted the now tranquil beast.

"This one can't. Muck… Did something to him. I've been taking care of him since I first got to the force, but I… We both want to leave.", Smudge informed, a tragic tone to his voice. "I was afraid of doing it until now, though. I'm… I'm not brave."

Mr. Flour digested all this and stared back and forth between Smudge and the Bullfrog. He could see now that Smudge was just a kid.

And kids had to be protected.

"No one will hurt you. Ditch the armor, and get out of here. You're not a part of this war.", Mr. Flour said, and Smudge was surprised but extremely relieved. Could he…

Turning to the bullfrog, he whispered the words he had wanted to whisper for so long. "You're free…"

The bullfrog snapped back, snapped back after years of hypnosis, and, looking at Smudge gratefully, gave him a nose kiss and ran off into the wilderness. Smudge ran after him, looking back at Mr. Flour with a smile.

"…Well what do you know.", Mr. Flour thought, a soft smile on his lips too.

"I can't believe you would turn on us like that! Surely you know what the toads do!", Wally said in shock as Pepper laughed maniacally.

"Know? I love it! We frogs are inferior! Only our dear leader can truly save us!"

Wally shook his head as he looked for something, anything to help him.

"And I am NOT A FROG! I removed my webbed toes for a reason! See? Now I'm… Beautiful.", Pepper bragged, showing off her feet.

Wally now knew what he had to do. Grinning, he remarked "Well, they do have one advantage."

"And what could that possibly be?", Pepper asked, mockingly.

"THIS!", Wally shouted out, and his legs kicked back and knocked Pepper all the way into the forest, her screams filling the air.

"Not bad for a frog, eh?", Wally said with a smirk.

"And… It's a girl, Ms. Sundew…", The doctor informed, but Felicia had no time to smile at this. Standing up immediately, she picked up the sword she hid in the cabinet and began to dash out of the room.

"Ms. Sundew!", The doctor cried out, holding the newborn baby and gaping. "You just gave birth!"

"It's called multitasking.", Felicia called back, and she ran outside, searching for the final remaining battle.

BAM!

Wrecker and Tritonio struck each other's swords again and again, sparks flying, Wrecker's rage matching Tritonio's speed. The Salamander smiled maliciously. "Isn't this great? You're finally acting like yourself!"

Wrecker didn't bother listening. All he heard were the threats against his daughter, his Annie. He kept striking and striking, before throwing his sword away and socking Tritonio in the jaw, which sent the thief into the now muddy sand.

Tritonio took this quite well, standing up and inviting Wrecker to continue. "Bring it on!"

Wrecker jumped out and the two resorted to a barrage of punches and kicks, each one harder than the last. Wrecker decked Tritonio's nose. Tritonio kicked Wrecker in the chest. Wrecker elbowed Tritonio in the stomach. Tritonio twisted Wrecker's arms. Wrecker left the grip and headbutted Tritonio.

Tritonio, spitting a tooth out, grinned as Wrecker picked Tritonio up and hit him again and again.

"Why are you so angry, friend?", Tritonio asked, and Wrecker bellowed his response.

"NO! ONE! THREATENS! MY! FAMILY!"

He lifted Tritonio up, and punched him over and over again in the head. But suddenly, Tritonio, still grinning, coughed out "Or what?"

Wrecker stopped in his tracks. Wait…

"Yeah, Wrecker. Or what? You… Kill me? Wouldn't that help? All the people I can hurt… Especially if I get the box."

Wrecker still held Tritonio, but his resolve grew weaker. What… No…

"I know it's still there. The anger. The rage. The fear of failing once more. Now you can truly make yourself a hero. Kill me, and you will have saved them. Saved her."

Tritonio grinned. "Come on. Kill me."

Wrecker stared hard at him.

"Kill me."

The two figures stared at each other, the sun shining bright, the fate of so many hung on the balance.

"KILL ME!", Tritonio screamed.

Wrecker's fists clenched. He could feel water running down his face. He breathed heavily. He lifted Tritonio again, looking him in the face, and after a moment's thought…

"No.", he said firmly, and dropped Tritonio onto the ground.

"I… I promised. I swore. I am not who I was. Never again. I'm better now. I'm better.", Wrecker stated, as if he were turning the words into an official law, a statement.

He was renewing his vow, strengthening it. He would not fall to temptation.

Tritonio nodded slowly, his hand reaching somewhere. "I see… Honorable. Honorable indeed."

He then grinned, as Wrecker turned around. "Too bad there's no honor among thieves."

Leaping into the air, Tritonio lifted his sword and raised it, preparing to strike right through Wrecker's back. Wrecker almost had no time to react, so he could only slowly turn around as Tritonio began to lower the sword, laughing maniacally, and any moment now he would…

SLASH!

A pulsating sound erupted, and Tritonio, his face twisting with pain, looked down at his chest. A sword had ripped through, stabbing him in the back and through his heart, or what heart he had left.

Looking at Wrecker, all Tritonio could say was "…Oh…"

Before falling down onto his face, the sound of trains the last he would ever hear.

Wrecker, shocked, stared at the one who did the deed, and was surprised to see…

Felicia Sundew, holding a bloody sword and looking as pale as a ghost.

For a minute, no one could say anything. Finally, Felicia breathed out "I… I… He was gonna kill you, and… I…"

"You saved my life.", Wrecker said with finality. "…There is nothing to be forgiven for."

Felicia stared at Wrecker, at his instant acceptance…

And she embraced him, tears flowing down.

Wrecker hugged back, smiling softly.

"…You're forgiven too."

"…Thank you."

It was nighttime, and Grime and Annie were watching the moon shine as their carriage made its way back to Toad Town.

Grime stared at Annie and smiled. She had such a beautiful smile…

Realizing he was staring, Grime turned away, flustered.

"…Thank you for today. It was fun.", Annie suddenly said, not looking. Grime giggled nervously. "Um, yeah, you're welcome!"

Annie giggles too, and flirtatiously punches his arm. "Hey, uh, I like, your, um, muscles."

"Oh! Um… Thank you?", Grime said, confused.

Annie blushed and panicked. "I mean, like, I don't know, it's cool how strong you are."

"Well, you're strong too! If it weren't for that jerk I bet you could have stopped them all by yourself!", Grime complimented, and the two blushed, before again looking away from each other.

"…I had fun too today. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Grime closed his eyes. "I wonder if she could ever… Like me. Like that."

Annie closed her eyes. "I wonder if he could ever… Like me. Like that."

They both sighed. They just had to fall in love, didn't they?

"Would you like to see her?"

Wrecker knew that when it came to forgiveness, he had struck gold. Despite his past actions, most of Wartwood had seen the frog he was becoming and gave him another chance. Not everyone did, of course, and a few frogs gave him side eyes and suspicious looks, but no one ever got 100% forgiveness. Wrecker knew how fortunate he was.

And he knew that thanks to his heroism (yeah… that was true, wasn't it?), Felicia saw him now as an ally, even a friend.

But he had not expected such an honor.

He had been drinking with Mr. Flour (who was bouncing Maddie in his arms) and Wally (who was laughing up a storm) when Felicia, holding her baby, had asked the question.

Mouth slightly agape, Wrecker hesitated. "Are… Are you sure?"

Felicia smiled and nodded her head. "Wrecker, you saved our town, saved my daughter, and you even… Well, you know.", she said, a slightly sad smile now on her face. Wrecker placed a comforting hand on her and Felicia's spirits rose.

"…You've earned it.", she finished, and she held up the child to Wrecker.

Wrecker's arms shivered. He had always been afraid of dropping a baby, which is why he'd avoided it anytime a child was born in the town. But now it was time. He slowly moved forwards, making sure not to let the child slip.

She didn't. She had a strong grip, nearly hurting Wrecker. "Woah! Girl's tough, just like her mom and her… Well, yeah.", Wrecker trailed off.

Felicia laughed slightly. "She is, isn't she? And she's so delicate too. Like a flower."

Wrecker looked at the baby. She seemed to glow like a special light, a light in the darkness. Her smile made him smile. It was a moment like this that made Wrecker realize he had a life in his hands. A life that only got to ive thanks to him.

This baby, this child… She would live a life, making people happy, joking, singing, playing, learning, creating. She would influence people, love people, make a family, add a unique flavor to the universe.

All that, possible because he had not given up. Because he kept going.

Wrecker hugged her, and felt…

At home.

"What are you gonna call her?"

"Haven't chosen a name yet. I want something that truly represents her. Something beautiful and tough."

Wrecker gave it a moment's thought, before he said "Well… Ivy's a nice name."

Felicia scratched her chin. "It sure is. It sure is."

She took her baby back, and smiled at her. "Welcome home, Ivy."

Wrecker grinned.

Home.

It really was home, wasn't it?

"So the box is still missing."

Pepper nodded as Muck paced the room, his face twisting with thought.

"Unfortunately. But I'm sure we could find him if we kept looking! The bizarre Bazzar is today, perhaps a spy of yours over there…"

"An excellent idea! I'll contact one immediately!", Muck replied, and Pepper nearly exploded. Her beloved had said that? HE SAID THAT?

A huge grin not leaving her lips, Pepper saluted. "An honor to help, my king!"

Muck turned to her, and smiled. He knew of her… Attraction to him.

Walking up to her, he scooped her up. "Now, Pepper, I would like to ask you another question: Do you know why I am doing all this?"

"Why, of course, my captain! You are removing the inferior frogs!"

Muck shook his head, almost as if he were talking to a student. "Why, no, Pepper dear! I am doing this because Amphibia must be saved from the weak, from the sinful!"

He placed her down and stared outside. "And not just frogs. Newts, Salamanders… Even some toads are not making the cut. All those years ago my forefathers made the box to make this land perfect. And yet we are infested with filth, with maggots not fit to cover this land."

"Most agreed, sir!", Pepper saluted, hoping he would pick her up again.

"Amphibia must be perfect. It must. I won't rest until the strong, the ones who can truly protect this land will be the only remaining."

"Oh my king! You are so wise!", Pepper complimented.

Muck turned to her. "And of course, every King needs a Queen. Someone to give an example of strength."

Pepper nearly died from blushing. She puckered her lips immediately. "OH MY LOVE! MY ETERNAL LOVE!"

Muck simply smiled. He leant down…

And Pepper felt a twist in her guts, but not the kind she expected.

The knife cared a fatal wound. Muck grinned. "If only… You weren't so weak."

A thud on the floor, and Muck resumed his watch over the land. "So many weaklings… So many failures… Even I grow weak. I need the box. I need… Strength. But until then… I will remove all the blemishes until my world… Is pure."

A solider walked in. "To send another death squad to Hoppingvale, your highness?"

Muck smirked. "Go right ahead, corporal. And make sure that the toad town slums are tended to again. But keep it quiet. I know that we "broke" the murder code, but that was only recently."

He laughed coldly, as his eyes flashed red. "Imagine if they knew that we never stopped."

Wrecker sat outside her house that night. He had skipped the grubhog day festival for that reason.

The bazzar would open soon, but he had to know, he had to know if…

"So I'm gone for one day and the whooole town goes to shit?"

Wrecker couldn't help but laugh as he turned around. There she was.

"Mrs. Croaker, I…", Wrecker began, before getting embraced.

"I've missed you."

Wrecker was surprised, and he got out of the choking embrace. "How… How did…"

Mrs. Croaker grinned and her eyes sparkled. "I'd recognize you anywhere."

Wrecker placed his hands in his pockets. "I'm… I've changed. For bad, and… Lately… For good."

"You always struggled. Bad… I wouldn't say.", Croaker said, sitting on a tree stump. Wrecker sat next to her on a different stump.

"I joined the toad army. I thought… I thought they changed…"

"Everyone makes mistakes."

"I killed someone! In self defense of another, but…"

"Boy. I didn't come here to guilt trip you. I heard what you did today. I know you're trying. The real question is… Why are you here talking to me?"

Wrecker sighed, smiling. "I… I missed you."

"I missed you too."

She stared lovingly at him. "Take your mask off. Please."

Wrecker's eyes turned wide. "I can't. I… Sorry, but… I can't. I…"

"Why?", she asked simply.

Wrecker bowed his head, tears pouring down. "I… I'm not who I want to be. Not yet. I… I haven't shown it to anyone in 30 years. I… I haven't earned it yet."

"…I'll still love you."

Wrecker shivered. He turned to her. Wiping a tear, he hesitated, then sighed.

"…Do you really think I can?"

"I know."

Wrecker slowly but surely took the mask off.

His hair flopped down, unruly and unkempt. His face sagged, the age showing. His scars, his wounds, they sparkled in the night.

"…Well… What do you see?", Wrecker asked, ashamed.

Croaker embraced him. "I see my son."

And she continued "And I see you on your path. Just keep going."

A fond farewell later, and Wrecker kept walking, leaves crunching under his feet as he made his way towards her house, to prepare for the Bazzar.

In his heart he smiled, and his face did the same.

He was on his way.

He could protect her. Protect this town. This world.

He still had a chance.

He was homeward bound, at last.