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!)

7. Paradise Lost

"I… I don't get it."

Wrecker had been surprised many times in his life before, but this one was surely taking the cake: In front of him stood a "revolution", to quote, and the head of it was none other than his maternal figure, Mrs. Croaker?

His eyes were still wide and dazed as Mrs. Croaker ordered the other cloaked revolutionaries around, frogs, toads, salamanders and newts moving around in perfect synchronization. "All right, enough posing, get me a container for the Calamity Box!", she barked, clapping her hands loudly, causing an echo.

Wrecker held his ears in pain, while Valeriana simply whistled and checked out her nails, as if this was normal for her.

"Wait, she said she works for these guys. It would be normal for her. Huh.", Wrecker realized, but his attention was once more taken by the actions in front of him, as a prissy looking salamander wearing a sickly green cloak ("Us Duckweeds are above such menial action!"), a strikingly tall and muscular newt wearing a dark pink cloak ("Priscilla The Killer is a lot more suited to this than you prissy Duckweeds anyway!"), and a small green frog wearing a sunhat with a hayseed hanging off of his mouth and a purple cloak ("I grow tulips!") carried a towering brown wooden treasure chest into the middle of the room. Five toads then marched towards the box, hup hup hupping as they climbed on top of another to open the giant silver lock. The chest open, Mrs. Croaker climbed over the toads and tongued herself down towards the bottom of the large chest. Placing the box carefully, it's terrifying hum still echoing in the room, Mrs. Croaker tongued herself back up, and, climbing down, ordered for the chest to be locked once more, and taken back to its chamber.

"It is now safe.", Croaker declared, and the revolutionaries cheered, jumping up and down, shaking each other's hands, and some even kissing each other. Wrecker continued to stare, utterly lost.

"Exemplary work on the lock, Mr. Jones. Quite professional.", a somehow prissier than Duckweed looking newt lady courteously complimented the axotel in front of her.

"Oh, come on, Olive! Ya can show more enthusiasm than that, mi lady! And it's Dave, remember?", Dave teased, bowing exaggeratedly, making a salamander kid that rode his shoulders giggle.

Olive blushed furiously. "It is LADY Olivia to you, Mr… Dave. And my compliments don't just get handed out to any old person, so… so there!"

"Come on, Lady Olivia, don't fret! We all noticed your work too, by the way. How did you get such great wood?", asked Bloats the Toad, as he swept the floor with his broom.

"Same way you got the metal casing from under Captain Muck's nose. It helps to have a good partner in crime.", lady Olivia responded, nodding her heard towards Wigbert Ribbiton.

"Oh, pish posh, madam! I was merely a distraction! You committed the crime!", Wigbert shifted the praise, chuckling merrily.

"Oh ho ho! My Olive's a real rebel!", Dave raised an eyebrow flirtatiously, and Olivia, blushing once more, averted her eyes. "Frog up in heaven, save me."

"Dinner time!", Stumpy's voice bellowed across the halls, and everyone began to rush towards the lunch room.

Wrecker, of course, was still lost. "I… I still don't get any of this."

"It's quite simple, really!", Blubs explained helpfully. "See, when Stumpy says it's dinner, we eat food to satisfy our hunger because our cells need energy to…"

"He's talking about our missions, Blubs dear.", Croaker replied, shaking her head humorously. Blubs sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, that's EXACTLY what I'm talking about!", Wrecker shouted out, befuddled. He was getting frustrated with the lack of answers. "I knew the box was dangerous, and Muck wanted it, but there's a resistance group? And you're leading it? And what's all this about Calamity? I heard the name before…", Wrecker asked, running out of breath.

Mrs. Croaker simply laughed lightly. "Oh, son, it's a little hard to believe you carried this for so long without knowing of it's true nature!"

She then got serious, patting his shoulder. "But I am proud of how you've kept it safe. You did a real service to your world."

"But why is it dangerous? If… If I'm going to help stop this, shouldn't I know why?", Wrecker asked, and Valeriana nodded. "He makes a good point, Mother."

"Mother?!", Wrecker asked, shocked. Buggy eyed, he had leapt up in his spot and stared at Valeriana, who laughed.

"Not literally, dear.", Croaker replied, and she began to walk to the cafeteria, Wrecker and Valeriana slowly following from behind. "Mother" is simply the name of whoever is leading the resistance. I simply got it because… Well, we'll get there. What matters is the how and the why."

She turned grim. "But for that, we must start at the when. Specifically… Hundreds and hundreds of years ago. Back when there were no divisions among Toads, Frogs, Salamanders and Newts. Back… When there was one city for us all, a true utopia."

Her voice was barely above a whisper, as she thought with pain over what was once truly great. "Amphibia City…"

500 Years Ago…

Across the river bank, past the flowing, lush greens of the forest, there stood a metropolis like none other. Towering skyscrapers of brilliant glass filled the sky, structures so tall not even dragonflies could reach them. Paved roads led to all places, straight and true. Multicolored brick houses provided warmth for every kind of Amphibian.

For that was the point, the hidden meaning of this city, the only of it's kind, the center point of the land of Amphibia: To unify all the species in harmony and balance.

Amphibia City was it's name. And it was glorious.

Unlike most legends, this one contains no fallacy. For while ugliness and murkiness bubble under the surface, this city was not a failure.

For the most part.

But thanks to the actions of an evil few, an evil one rose from the ashes. Hurt, enraged, vengeful.

And his choice led to the destruction of what could have been repaired.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

This story, like most, starts with a mother, and her two children, and the bond that broke…

"And so, Amphibia City was formed, with the hopes of uniting all species of our land under one roof! And I hope that one day, I will give back to our great homeland! The end!"

A polite smattering of applause from the class, including a mostly disinterested applause from a black frog girl with her feet up on her desk was drowned out by the rabid applause of the teacher.

The light green toad boy blushed, embarrassed. Did she have to do that every time?

"EXCELLENT work, Slimes! Exemplary!", the teacher congratulated, ruffling his hair.

"Thanks, Mom.", Slimes replied, rushing back to his seat with a skip. He sat next to the black frog girl, who stuck out her tongue at him. He tried to laugh quietly, but didn't quite succeed.

"Settle down, children! Now, I know we talk a lot about our great city…"

"Yeah, teach, it's getting played out!", the girl protested, and The Teacher gave the girl a raised eyebrow. "Now, Thorn, what did I say about interrupting?"

"Not to do it.", Thorn recited with annoyance. "Mom…", she muttered under her breath.

The Teacher resumed her lecture to the assembled classroom of twenty two students, all of different species. Walking around the sea blue classroom, she pointed her ruler to the blackboard, which showed a picture of the capitol building. "But if all we do is talk, we'll never get anywhere. Once talking is done, one must take action. I want to show you how our city works, how it operates, and how it has led to us living in harmony!"

"Mrs. Croaker?", a yellow salamander girl named Jeannie raised her hand excitedly, her glasses bouncing up and down on the roof of her nose.

The class groaned as Mrs. Croaker nodded. "Yes, Jeannie?"

"Don't your children provide a great example of that? One's a toad, and the other is a frog!"

Mrs. Croaker clapped her hands, while Slimes and Thorn sighed. Even Slimes found it annoying that it was all people seemed to notice.

"Very GOOD, Jeannie! And while yes, we are quite the example of our delicate balance, I feel like a more appropriate method would be to take you all on a field trip to our capitol building!"

The class erupted in cheers, less for the building but more for the chance to stretch their legs and go on a trip. Half the class was out the door to prepare thanks to the bell, by the time Mrs. Croaker got another chance to talk. "And, uh, the trip is tomorrow, so get your parents permission, and snacks, AND HYDRATE!"

Wiping the sweat off her brow, the tall grey frog woman sat back on her chair and turned her eyes to her children. "So, what do you think? Should I sign your slips?"

Slimes giggled as he walked up to his mother, who began signing his slip. "Mom, you think we'll see any Toad senators? And Toad Representatives?"

Mrs. Croaker beamed at his question. "Of course, sweetie! All species are allowed to be all things in Amphibia City!"

"Yeah? Really? Then why are most of them dudes? And why are some people still poor? And why do people look at us funny when we cross the street? You got an answer for that, Mom?", Thorn retorted, causing Slimes to groan. Thorn always seemed to be contrary just for the sake of it.

Mrs. Croaker pursed her lips and sighed. "Well, those are all solid, strong points, Thorn. And you're right. Things could and SHOULD be better. People shouldn't look at us and wonder why we are a family, and no one should be discriminated against or treated poorly.", Thorn nodded definitely at Slimes, who rolled his eyes.

Mrs. Croaker's eyes lit up as she continued. "But, well, that's the thing about progress. It takes time, more than it should, but it's always worth it. For a long time, we didn't live in attempted harmony. Now we are. It will take time to buff out the flaws, fix the holes. But we ARE getting there. I promise you."

Thorn was less sure about this, but Slimes, even if he found Thorn's points to be exaggerated, brightened up. When his mother promised something, she meant it. "So… You think one day… I'LL help our city progress?"

Mrs. Croaker kissed her children's foreheads, resolving with her heart to keep it. "…I know you will, both of you. I promise."

When Grime opened his eyes, he didn't notice the bed he wasn't sleeping in last night, nor the walls he had never seen before. All he could see was Annie.

She was smiling peacefully, her eyes shut in the softest way possible. One could not detect any stress marks on her face. She had clearly slept well.

"And next to me. That is… Hard to believe.", Grime thought to himself, but he felt at peace too, and he lowered his hand slowly to caress her hair. His claws retracted as he did, as he tried his best to be gentle.

She snored lightly, and cuddled closer to Grime, which made him smile a little more. His heart beat was quiet but consistent, just a beat faster than normal.

As he caressed her hair, memories came flooding back of the last night, slowly and surely, almost like a song playing in the background of his head on low volume. They had gone on a date of sorts, and by the end they had confessed to their feelings and had… Kissed?

It didn't feel real, but it was true.

And then they had fallen asleep on the fence…

"Wait, fence?"

Grime suddenly realized he had never taken Annie back home, or vice versa. Yet somehow, they were lying in a bed. Grime shot his head around to check his surroundings, and sure thing, it wasn't the tower. In fact, it was like no house he had ever seen: The grey, asbestos walls had wallpaper that peeled to the floor, said floor was filled with small holes, and green sickly mold "decorated" the room.

There was also this odd scent. Grime sniffed. "…Lead paint.", he pronounced, and, deciding Annie should know they were somewhere else, carefully shook her awake.

"Annie. Annie!", Grime whispered loudly, and Annie opened her eyes slowly, before smiling softly at him, still half asleep. "Mornin'."

Grime had no time to admire how cute she was, though. "Annie, wake up! We're in some strange house!"

That made Annie's eyes widen, and she rose up a little, wiping her eyes from dust. "We are? Why?".

She stifled a yawn as Grime shrugged with his shoulders. "No idea, but we should leave."

"How come?", Annie asked, settling into the bed again. It was oddly comfortable and warm. Or perhaps it wasn't the bed, but who she shared it with.

"Because I don't know who took us! What if we were kidnapped by some maniac?!", Grime retorted in fear, looking around wildly now. What if some axe murderer had bunked them here? He'd never forgive himself if Annie died!

Annie shot up, totally awake. "Oh crap, good point! Let's skedaddle, dude!"

Creeping out of the bed, Grime and Annie looked at each other and formulated a silent plan: They'll sneak out the window. Nodding at each other, they began to walk slowly, but the floorboards began to squeak, making horrible, ear splitting noises.

Grime and Annie cringed and stared at the door. No one seemed to notice.

Moving again, they could barely keep the squeaking down, which made their hearts gallop. Reaching the window, Grime tried to open it, but it was stuck. He exerted harder, but it just wouldn't budge.

"Need a hand?", Annie offered, and Grime nodded. "Quite."

As she began to exert force too, she began to blush and laugh shyly. "So, um… Last night, that was something, wasn't it?"

Grime gulped. He too was quite red, and not just from how out of breath he was. "Yes, um… Something, it was."

"…Good something?"

Grime stopped exerting and looked at her. She actually seemed… Unsure?

Looking down at the floor for a moment, considering his options, Grime decided to take a leap for once.

He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips, only three seconds, but it was more than enough.

"…Great something."

Annie grinned wildly, like a cheshire cat. "Grime, you flatterer!"

She averted her gaze. "…I really liked it too. 10/10. Would do it again."

Grime didn't say anything, but he beamed inside.

But he couldn't help but wonder: How deep did his love go?

Because odd thoughts were filling his head. Thoughts he wasn't sure made sense.

Annie too was thinking. And she too saw it as weird.

But one thing was for sure: They were feeling very much in love with each other.

And there was a comfort in it. In loving someone so much. Made them feel…

Alive.

Suddenly, the door opened, creaking horribly, and Grime and Annie jumped towards the door, holding their ears in pain.

"Oh you're up! Hi! I'm Lizzie!"

A little tadpole, probably no more than four, excitedly bounced from foot to foot, as Grime and Annie were more than a little confused.

"…You think she's a little ninja assassin?"

"Exactly my thinking. Don't fall for her ninja tricks."

Lizzie apparently didn't take notice of that, as she turned around to face the rest of the house. "HEY FAMILY! THE CUTE COUPLE WOKE UP!"

Grime and Annie smiled sheepishly at each other and blushed.

Suddenly, three more frog kids rushed in, all talking at the height of their voices, poking Grime and Annie everywhere. "YOUSLEEPFORALONGTIMEAREYOUMARRIEDORJUSTKISSINGBUDDIESOOHYOUHAVEACAPETHAT'SSOCOOLMOMCANIHAVEACAPECANICANICANIHOWDIDYOUTWOMEETGUYSSHE'SAFROGAFROGANDATOADTHAT'SSOCOOL!"

Grime and Annie stared at each other in surprise. This wasn't exactly what they expected. Then, a loud whistle was heard, and the kids giggled and made way for their parents and grandfather.

The tired looking but pleasant parents greeted Grime and Annie. "Good morning, you two!", the mother said with a smile, her clothes torn and ragged. "The bed wasn't too hard, right?"

"This is our best room, I'm afraid.", The father said, leaning on the wall, his right leg clearly broken.

"Um… How come we ARE here?", Annie asked, while Grime couldn't help but feel like he recognized those people. He scratched his chin in curiosity.

"You were sleeping outside on the fence! It was cold, so mama and papa took you in!", Lizzie explained brightly, and the grandfather ruffled her hair affectionately.

"Correct, Lizzie! I hope you will accept our hospitality. We would have more to offer, but our living conditions don't exactly permit luxury.", the grandfather chuckled lightly, and he looked into Grime's eyes with recognition.

Grime couldn't help but ask. "I'm sorry, this is all… Very lovely, and I thank you kindly, but… I feel like I've been here before."

Annie's eyebrows raised. "How? You lived in the tower your whole life, no?"

"He did, yes. But his mother brought him here once. Remember, Grime?", the Grandfather replied, and Grime's eyes widened with recognition.

"Wait, so what is this place?", Annie asked, surprised from the revelation.

Grime sighed, shame filling his heart. "…We're in the Toad Town slums."

"Stay on your seats, you maggots!", the bus driver bellowed while the kids jumped up and down on the bus, hopping and leaping all over the place. The bus was bouncing all over the place, leaving tiny dents on the road.

Faye Croaker delicately approached the subject with a pained smile. "Um, children, if you could be so kind as to…"

"SIT THE FUCK DOWN!", the bus driver screamed again, his veins throbbing on his meaty neck.

"Travis!", Faye scolded in shock, covering her children's ears. Thorn grinned. "Fuck."

"A dirty mouth is not a pleasant sight, Travis.", Faye lectured, and Travis sighed and apologized sheepishly to her. The kids, of course, kept on bouncing, now all chanting "Fuck!".

Slimes laughed at the chaos, and then looked outside his window, his face smushed up to it excitedly. There it was: The capitol building. With its white dome, it's white body full of windows, it was towering and all powerful, and it sent a chill down Slimes' spine. Inside that building the laws were made and upheld, justice was dealt, liberty was preserved.

Inside that building there was equality.

And perhaps one day, one of those senators and representatives, making a difference, perhaps one day one of those people could be him.

"Please, oh please, oh please…", Slimes wished in his heart, while Thorn hid under her hoodie and groaned. She hated this show, this charade. If there was justice, why was her friend Georgina's father, Samuel the Salamander, still in prison for simply "walking around the neighborhood?". If there was liberty, why had her letter to the editor of the Amphibia City Correspondent about the surgery the principal couldn't afford and how perhaps health care should come without charge get "lost in the mail?".

And if there was equality, how come when she walked down the street with her family, everyone kept on staring.

Like it was wrong.

Like she was wrong.

"Isn't it exciting, sis?", Slimes asked, eyes wide with wonder.

Thorn zipped up her hoodie. "Yeah, bro. Thrilling."

After what felt like hours, the bus finally skidded to a halt, and, doors opening, the children stormed out to check out the surroundings. The chattering was so loud that Faye had to raise her voice as loud as she could without sounding angry. "KIDS! DO PLEASE FILE IN A SINGLE LINE! PRETTY PLEASE?"

Slimes and Thorn disembarked slower, Slimes oohing at every sight, Thorn simply kicking pebbles on the road.

"It's all here! There's the supreme court! And there's the newt Abraham Lincoln monument! And there's…"

"Gee, look, there's some roadkill. Oh wow, a leaf. Ho hum, this is so fun."

Slimes turned to Thorn and crossed his arms. "Stop being a killjoy!"

Thorn mocked him to his face. "Oooh I'm so disappointed in myself, bad sis, bad!"

Slimes shouted out for his mother, pointing at Thorn accusingly. "MOM! Thorn is making fun of the state again!"

"I wouldn't if it lived up to your hype!"

"Kids, please! This is supposed to be a fun trip, right?",, Faye reminded, and Thorn scoffed. "Sure, you'd take his side."

"I don't play favorites, Thorn. I love both my children equally.", Faye said with the utmost sincerity, and Slimes nodded. "Exactly, Thron! We're all equal here!"

"Correct! Now, run along inside the capitol, kids, you're "buddies" so keep each other safe! We'll start the tour very soon, make sure the other kids come too!"

"Sure thing, mom!"

"Yeah, whatever."

Thorn, hands in her pockets, followed Slimes as he skipped along the sidewalk towards the building, reciting his usual "When I grow up" speech.

"So, once I graduate with top honors, I'm gonna be run for city council, and once I level up to Mayor, I'll go for senator. I don't think I should go too far, but senator is good for me! Then I can pass rules, like… Like "No meanies", and, and "No more violence" and, and "People don't die anymore", and, and "No annoying sisters". You're gonna be against the law, sis!", Slimes joked, searching for a reaction, but Thorn said nothing. She just sighed.

"…Sis?"

Thorn kept looking down at the ground, grunting a "Yeah?"

"….Why are you so negative?"

Thorn was surprised by the genuine nature of the question. Looking up, she saw her brother's eyes search her soul. Thorn gulped and bit her lip, hesitant. She didn't want Slimes to be blind to the truth, but…

How long did he have left to be optimistic? To be hopeful?

Thorn disenchantment was slow, and brutal. But it was at least slow. She couldn't just rip that from Slimes in an instant.

Considering her options, Thorn in the end opted for a lie.

"…I guess I'm just… A little disappointed that… That it's taking so long for those rules you want to happen."

She couldn't look at him.

Slimes digested this statement and answered with a smile. "Well… Then I'll make sure they happen for you, sis!"

Thorn looked back into his eyes. He really meant it, didn't he?

"…Ok, bro. Thanks."

"All right, children, let's keep moving!", the tour guide clapped his hands, trying to move this hour's tour along.

The class followed along, still talking as loud as they could. They weren't too interested in what the guide had to offer, and a lot more interested in messing around.

Slimes, Thorn and Faye, however, stuck with the tour properly, Slimes still enjoying it all so very much.

The tour guide, a tired orange frog, yawned as he lazily pointed at a large replica of the Amphibia Declaration of Unity. "And here, as you can see, is the…"

"The Amphibia Declaration of Unity, drafted on July the 3rd, signed on July the 4th, and written mainly by Thomas Froggerson, John Toadems, and Benjamin Frankswim!"

"Who came up with these barely applicable puns?", the guide said, staring at the camera for a moment, before resuming. "Yes, correct. Didn't realized you had a prodigy, maam."

"Oh, my son is very special, but he's no prodigy. He did it the hard way!", Faye complimented proudly, making Slimes beam at her.

"…Oh. Well, I guess there would be a smart one of them here and there…", the tour guide muttered enough under his breath for the family not to notice, and shrugging, he walked on, Faye and Thorn following from behind.

Slimes, however, stayed back. Looking from side to side to make sure he was alone, he then looked up at the replica of the constitution and let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

There it was: The most important document in Amphibia history.

It was this document, that, when ratified, had brought together all of Ampihiba under one roof.

If it wasn't for this document, this wonderful city, this utopia wouldn't exist!

"And I wouldn't have been born.", Slimes couldn't help but think gratefully. Thanks to it's creed, his Mom married his Dad, and he and his sister were born.

They were all one big happy family thanks to this document.

"…I could make all the families happy when I'm there! Then maybe more Toads will be senators too!", Slimes said to himself with determination.

"…And make my sister happy again. She'd be happy if I made this place EVEN better!"

Determined to make his sister, his mother, his father, everyone happy, Slimes decided it was only fitting to make a vow too, like the founding fathers did.

Holding a hand to his heart and closing his eyes, Slimes began to recite the oath all senators must deliver before taking office. "I, Slimes Croaker, do solemnly swear to withhold the office of Senator of Amphibia City, and to preserve and uphold Truth, Justice, Liberty, and Equality, for it is self evident that all species are created equa…"

BOOM!

Out of nowhere, the wall holding the replica blew up, sending hurtling debris towards Slimes. Thanks to his quick thinking, he was just able to avoid the massive chunks of brick and wood with a roll. He panted heavily as he looked up at the gaping hole in the wall. He had been extremely lucky, and he had to hope he would still be…

BOOM!

Another wall, not far away from him, blew up as well. Slimes' eyes widened: He didn't know what was going on, but he clearly had to run.

His legs carrying his faster than he had even been before, Slimes heard more and more explosions behind him. Dust rose in the air, and the smell of gunpowder and fire permeated the surroundings.

Slimes, tears welling up in his eyes, began crying for his mother. "MOM! MOM! MOM, SAVE ME!"

Over where Faye, Thorn and the other students were, though, things were even worse. To their right, where they were headed, the path was blocked by mounting debris, and dangerous electrical wires. A raging fire was rising as well, meaning they had to head back to the exits.

But to go left meant to go to where explosions were happening at a constant rate. There was no safe exit. No right path. All one could do was wait and see.

Faye was trying to calm down the crying, whimpering children, but she herself was frightened beyond her wits. Her hands were shaking, and her heart was pounding like a drum. Her daughter, normally distant, was clinging onto her like glue, and her son…

She didn't know where her son was.

"It's all right, children, it's gonna be…", she started, gulping. She had to lie. She had to. No one deserved to die without hope, or love. No one.

"…It's gonna be ok.", she whispered, clutching them to her. "It's gonna be ok.", she lied, as the tears kept on streaming down her cheeks.

Thorn was shivering, as if she were alone in a snow storm. She had all the answers most of the time. But now she had no idea what was going on, and it terrified her.

She tried to settle her voice, but she stuttered as she spoke. "M-Mom, w-where is, where is, w-where is S-Slimes? M-Mom… M-Mom, where is S-Slimes?"

"I don't, I don't know, sweetie. I… I…", Faye choked down her sob, she had to stay strong for them.

"Who is responsible for this?!", the tour guide screamed, his legs buried under the debris. He would never walk again.

Suddenly, another section of wall blew up, making the group scream in terror. To their left emerged from the hole a bunch of strange men and women in white uniforms, in what seemed to be a ghostly appearance. They had eye holes, and a white cross on a red background symbol on their cloaks. Smoke flowed out of their guns as they looked at the group and wordlessly moved towards them.

"Look, it's some kind of class trip."

"We can hold them hostage. That'll teach them."

"Hey, some of our Frog brethren are here! If we're gonna do this, we're gonna separate the salamanders and the newts and the toads!"

Suddenly another group of similar looking people, only now they were newts, rushed in. "You dirty frogs better know what's good for you and leave! The Newts are claiming this building!"

"You really want to start a shootout here? We may disagree, but the point of all our struggles, fake as yours is, would be lost if we just kill each other!"

A newt grumbled. "They're right, shockingly enough. What matters is finding the senate meeting. Let's get out of here."

A group of Salamanders dressed in similar cloaks also rushed in, and the same debate rose and settled as fast.

The class was terrified, but Thorn was more so when she saw her brother run towards them. Her heart nearly stopped: He was a toad, and there was no toad group to save him from punishment.

She… She had to save him.

Thorn was only twelve years old. She was supposed to live for a long time. She had never even considered the possibility of dying at such a young age.

But seeing Slimes, her brother, her baby brother who she had held in her arms, who she had promised to protect forever…

Seeing him literally run to his death…

Instinctually, without thinking a millisecond further, Thorn leapt away from Faye and ran towards her brother, her heart beating like crazy.

Faye let out a blood curdling scream as she saw her daughter run towards the killers, and she too rose after her.

The groups all turned around to stare in shock at the scenario, as Slimes was knocked to the ground by Thorn, who tried to pick him up and run.

"WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE, SLIMES!"

"THORN, WHERE'S MOM?!"

"MOM… MOM IS COMING, I THINK, BUT FIRST I HAVE TO SAVE YOU!"

"NO, NOT WITHOUT MOM!"

Thorn looked behind her, knowing he was right. And there she was, running after them. "OK, SHE'S HERE, LET'S GO!"

But before they could move…

The three groups all held them forcefully, refusing to let them budge.

"LET US GO!", Thorn screamed, while Slimes began to suffocate from their grasp.

The nationalists all gazed at each other and grinned maliciously. "So what you're telling me… Is that you are related to that monster?"

"I'M NOT… I'M…", Slimes choked as he struggled for air.

"LET MY CHILDREN GO YOU MONSTERS!", Faye screamed.

A frog nationalist turned her around and slapped her, making Slimes and Thorn scream. "You're the monster! For making these… These sins!"

The other groups all smiled evilly as the Frog nationalist took out his blunt knife, his horrifying mask reflecting from the blade. "…And sins must be punished accordingly. You betrayed us frogs. And you… You're a toad. I think for once we are all in agreement as to what must be done."

The other groups nodded happily, and they held the children down, as the knife lowered towards their bodies...

Slimes begged them for mercy as another frog lowered the knife towards his eye...

"Open your eyes, Toad. Life is won by the strong.", the frog hissed, and Slimes vision went black…

"Slums? Like, poor neighborhood?", Annie asked, both surprised and not surprised at the idea that Toad Town would have Frog slums.

The Grandfather nodded his head melancholically. "Sadly, you are right, miss. In Toad Town, we frogs aren't, well, as financially well off as we would like to be."

"We only get hired for menial jobs, like janitors, or window washers.", the mother informed, and the father agreed. "It's a lot to ask us to get food on the table, especially nowadays."

"It's even worse now?!", Annie asked, outraged. She knew things were bad in Toad Town, but how could they possibly get worse?

"Unfortunately, yes. But we didn't come here to feel sorry about ourselves. Are you hungry?", the grandfather asked kindly, and while Annie wanted to keep protesting the mistreatment of her hosts, she did feel a little hungry. They never did eat back at the restaurant, did they?

"I guess I could eat. But I'm still angry!", Annie firmly stated, and The Grandfather laughed. "Good, good! It's good to be angry! If we pretend this is ok, we'll lose a part of ourselves, and that's what they want! Now, why don't we go to the kitchen?"

As they all started to disperse to the kitchen, talking about what they could possibly use from the very limited stock, Annie looked back to see Grime standing in the middle of the room, staring down at the ground, clearly distressed.

Annie frowned. Did Grime not suffer enough? What could it be this time? And how could she comfort him?

Walking up to Grime, Annie lightly touched his shoulders, and she buried her head onto his. "….What's wrong?"

Grime closed his eyes, and he leaned a little on her. "…This is my father's fault. And, in a way, my fault."

"You didn't start all this. And you're against it."

"I am, I am.", Grime reassured, feeling a pain in his chest. "I just… I just don't know what to do. And I hate to receive their kindness when my father is responsible for their state."

Annie kissed the back of his head, softly, sending a chill to his spine that made him feel better. "You're not your dad, Grime."

"…Then what am I?"

Annie sighed and she turned him around to face her, smiling to comfort him. "Well, you're brave, and courageous, and kind. You've already been so wonderful to me, and we only knew each other for, like, a few days!"

Grime smiled back, a little flustered. "W-Well, I mean, it's hard not to be kind to someone as beautiful as you."

Annie giggled in embarrassment and blushed. "Oh, Grime, stop! You're making me get all blushy!"

"I think it looks nice on you."

"…Thank you."

They stayed there for a moment, gazing into each other's eyes. They could feel the electricity in the air, the magnetism between each other.

"…What are we?", Grime asked her.

"I… I don't know. I just know that… That you mean a lot to me, Grime. And apparently I mean a lot to you too. I know you're afraid, and you feel guilty, but you really haven't done anything to these people! And who knows? Maybe we can even help them!", Annie offered, trying to cheer him up.

Grime did seem a little lighter. "I would like to do that. I just wish I knew how…"

"We'll figure it out!", Annie encouraged, and Grime chuckled at her can do attitude. "You and me, Grime. I promise."

Grime nodded, but a recurring thought that was in his head today got louder. "No, it's insane…", he thought, but it would not relent. Did he really feel like that? That strongly?

Annie, meanwhile, was getting really hungry. "Oh man, my stomach is gonna eat me if we don't hurry, come on, let's get some chow!"

"I hope they have some vegetarian options.", Grime commented, and Annie joked "You can have my greens, I wouldn't eat them anyway."

Grime smiled at her again, but still the nagging thoughts were there. This run down house, this family that is suffering, that is hungry, that is hurt…

All because he was born a toad and they were born frogs.

His mother had taken him here once. She showed him, showed him this horror, and he had agreed with her.

How could he have just sat down and done nothing? True, his father would never have listened, and he would never have been able to help all those families who live in this neighborhood, but he could at least have helped this one!

Why had he not helped them? Why did he sit by the wayside as they kept on living in poverty?

So maybe he wasn't his father…

Then who was he?

The silence was deafening, and it worried Faye that she was getting so used to it. Sitting on her mint green couch, in an empty living room, she looked at the mantelpiece clock for the eighteenth time to see that her husband was now four hours late from work. She would have to say goodnight to the children alone again, then.

"I hope you're all right, Pool. If I lose you… I don't know if I'll be able to go on."

But Faye knew that was a lie. She would never be able to stop, to collapse and become a walking shadow, because her children needed her. And Faye would do anything for her children.

Speaking of which…

Finding the power inside of her to disembark from the couch, Faye got herself back onto her wheelchair, painful as it was, and, with a deep breath, she wheeled herself to Thorn's room.

The lights were turned off, but Faye was so used to it that she could see the room's features, even with the black painted walls. A home entertainment gaming console with joysticks laid dusty on one end of the room, while the bed on the other side held her daughter up, as she felt down. Her hoodie seemed to be hiding her even more than usual, and she had wrapped the blanket around her like a protective barrier.

Faye didn't blame her daughter: It had only been a week, the trauma, if it were to ever heal, would still be as strong as it was when it happened.

All she wanted was to be a rock to lean on, to be someone her daughter could confide in, and at least express her feelings to.

She softly knocked on the door frame, a painful smile forced on her face. "I… I came to say goodnight."

Thorn didn't even turn. "Fine. Goodnight." She dropped onto the bed and covered herself over completely.

Faye sighed again, and she wheeled herself towards the bed, small creaking sounds coming from her chair.

"…I heard that they've begun repairs on the building."

"Great, now it can go back to being as pointless as it was before."

"Thorn…", Faye started, looking for the right words, for the silver lining. "…I know that things are bad right now…"

"Bad? Things are "bad"?"

That had pissed off Thorn, and she threw the blanket away from herself, revealing her tear stricken face and her furious frown. Faye was taken aback by it at first, but she resolved to calm her daughter down, to reassure her.

Thorn, however, was in no rush to be reassured. "Mom, I don't know where you've been, but I nearly died, you nearly died, my BROTHER nearly died because of those monsters!"

"And those monsters are in Jail now, honey, they're not coming back…", Faye started, but Thorn interrupted her, nearly growling.

"Yeah, Mom, sure! Those were the only bad people in the world, and they're totally gone! It's not like there are more like them! More who are ready to hurt innocent people for the stupidest fucking reasons!"

Faye tried to fight back her tears. "Thorn, please don't talk like that, you're too young to…"

"To young to what, Mom? To curse?", Thorn complained, getting more and more angry. "Yeah, you're right! I'm too young to curse. Too young to be disillusioned with the world. But guess what?!"

Suddenly, she raised her hands. Her prosthetic, metal hands, hands that looked like the hands of a robot. Cold steel that could barely feel any surface, any person. "I don't get to be young anymore!"

Faye let out a little sob as she saw her daughter with such hate in her eyes. "I'm… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken us there…"

"Yeah. You should be.", Thorn's words stabbed Faye in the heart, and Faye began to wheel away sadly.

"Mom…", Thorn suddenly started, and Faye turned a little bit, hope springing in her soul.

"…Don't go into my room anymore."

Faye sighed, but as her mother, she knew she would keep that rule. And so, she left without a word to bid goodnight to Slimes, hoping he would hate her less.

Slimes' room couldn't be more different than Thorn's: While she would have hung posters of Frog Green Day, he had posters of the founding fathers and his favorite senators, adorning his wall as if they were beloved teen icons. Maps, important state legislature, and details of his future plans also adorned the walls. By his bedside there was a globe and a desk where he wrote down his thoughts, but if he had written any, they were surely too upsetting to read.

And for good reason. Slimes had been hurt as badly, but unlike Thorn and Faye, there wasn't even a way to make it hurt a little less.

His eye had a scar going down through it, and the knife had blinded him in it. The other saw just fine, but thanks to the immense amount of dust, it had been severely damaged in a different way: It glowed a sickly green.

Faye could barely look him in the eyes as she rolled in, guilt flooding into her. Was Thorn right? Were her babies hurt because of her choice to take the trip?

"…How are you holding up, sweetie?"

Slimes took a moment to answer, but one could hear the tears in his throat. "I… I felt like getting out of bed at one point today. Like, to get out and actually do something."

"Really? What… What was it?", Faye asked, and Slimes turned to her and his lip quivered.

"I… I wanted to hug you, but I doubt I can."

"You still can, darling.", Faye reassured, and she scooped him up and placed him ever so gently onto herself, making sure to be careful. Slimes cuddled up to his mother and sobbed quietly.

"Will… Will I ever see again?"

Faye stroked his hair and spoke no louder than a whisper. "I'm sorry, my little man, but the doctors say you won't, not from the scarred eye."

"…It's not fair."

"No, it's not.", Faye replied, but she had no "but" that would make him feel better, not one.

But as she held his shivering body, and heard his cries, she knew she had to do something, before he lost all hope.

"They… They attacked me because I was a toad. They attacked us because I was a toad. I'm… I'm sorry, Mom.", Slimed apologized, sniffling and crying.

"Baby, you couldn't be further from the truth! That is a lie!", Faye scolded him, firmly placing a metaphorical foot on the ground. "They attacked us because they hate those who are not like them! There is nothing wrong with being a Toad! Toads are great, like Frogs, and Newts, and Salamanders!"

Slimes wasn't so sure. "Mom, I was looking through my books, and I didn't see a mention of a Toad senator. What if… What if Toads aren't that great? They would be senators if they were!"

Faye never had thought of that fact, but seeing it in front of her face made her very sad indeed. Slimes thought his race was evil simply because they weren't represented. How come they weren't? She didn't see the logic to it, in a city that claimed equality.

But perhaps… There was SOMETHING else Toads did that DID help the city…

Faye didn't know too much military history, it wasn't exactly her specialty, but Slimes needed a pick me up now, and…

She looked down at her son. His eyes searching, searching for hope, for an answer, for…

For a chance to be a hero.

"He's my hero… But that's never going to be enough for him. He needs… He needs hope.", Faye resolved, refusing to let her son give up to an unfair world.

Thankfully, despite her lack of knowledge in the subject, there was ONE military story she knew…

"Slimes… Have I ever told you about Captain Claws?"

Slimes looked up, surprised. "Captain Claws?"

Faye swallowed the ball of spit in her mouth and kept on stroking his face. "Yes… Captain Claws."

"No. Was he a pirate?", Slimes asked, and Faye smiled and booped his nose.

"No, my star. He was a military man. And before he was captain, he was a private in the Amphibia City Guard."

Slimes nodded in understanding, remembering the detail from his books. "They're the ones who sit by the border and look out for danger, right?"

"Correct.", Faye replied. "And one day, this man was standing guard on his own. His other soldiers had left their posts, because they thought that everything would be ok. But Claws knew better: He had heard word of an enemy force of grubhogs approaching, one that was planning to burn out city to the ground."

"Did he tell the others?", Slimes asked, frightened for the city.

"He did, but sadly, they didn't listen. In fact, they laughed at him, because they said that Toads weren't…"

"Weren't what?"

Faye hesitated. She wasn't stupid, she knew that racism had once permeated the city, even in its early days. She thought it was better now, but recently she had had a rude awakening. Should she tell him the truth?

"…Some people who are mean, and cruel… They think Toads can't be smart. That they're just strong."

"Those people are dumb."

"Exactly."

"I bet Claws didn't like that, Mom.", Slimes commented, and Faye smiled.

"You're right, my boy, he didn't. But don't worry: He didn't listen to them. No matter how they hurt him with their words and actions, he… He never gave up. He found a solution."

Slimes liked this, and he brightened up a bit. "So what happened when the grubhogs attacked?"

"Well, that's the best part of this story: When the grubhogs attacked, Claws was all alone, facing down hundreds of enemies, all hell bent on killing everyone in Amphibia City."

Faye then smiled proudly, knowing this part was the crucial one. "But I'm happy to say that Claws fought and stopped them all."

"Every single one?!", Slimes asked, surprised.

"Yes. Every single one.", Faye confirmed.

Slimes was amazed, and he showed it with his eyes. "Wow! That is awesome!"

Faye laughed softly, making him smile. "Yeah, it is!"

She then stroked his face, putting him close to her. "So… So don't worry about what they say, Son. You're special, just like Claws. You'll find your way, one way or another. You're meant to do great things, I just know it!"

Slimes hugged her back, and slowly crawled back to bed. "You're right, Mom! I'm gonna work hard from tomorrow to find what I'm good at! I promise!"

Faye grinned back at him. "Excellent!"

She was almost about to turn, when Slimes suddenly said "Mom…"

She turned, a little afraid. "Yes… Slimes?"

"…I love you. I promise, no one will ever hurt you again. Or anyone else in this city."

Faye sighed. She was so proud of him. "I love you too, my beautiful boy."

She wheeled back to him and kissed his forehead, and she left him to dream his happy dreams of hope and heroism.

Meanwhile, in Thorn's room, she was just starting to drift off to sleep when she heard her door open.

Jumping up in terror, Thorn raised her arms defensively, and she nearly screamed until she saw who it was.

She then crossed her arms and frowned, eyebrows crossed. "Oh. Hello, Father."

Pond Croaker, a brown frog with a brown hat and brown suitcase, set it down and looked apologetic. "Pumpkin, I'm sorry, but…"

"I don't even want to hear it. I had enough of Mom's bullshit, I don't need yours."

Pond would have normally told her off for speaking like that, but he knew well how hurt Thorn was. "…I wanted to come back earlier today, I really did."

"Then why didn't you? Last time I checked, your work day ends a 17:00. It's 21:18. Gotta be a really early clock they have over there.", Thorn shot back with venom, and Pond nodded sadly. "You have every right to be angry, dear, but I promise you it's not what it looks like."

"Really?", Thorn asked, anger rising in her voice. She would have gotten up to look at him, but she didn't want to give him the time of day. "Cause to me, it looks like you don't want to be with your family when they're scarred for life!"

Pond stood there for a moment, and then slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, and sighed quietly. He wiped his brow, and spoke. "Thorn… I'm sorry about what happened."

"Wow. Thanks."

"And I'm sorry I came so late that day. But there's a reason…", Pond started, before stopping. She's twelve… Can she really know?

…She should. She deserves to know that… That there was change that could come. Change she could help with, even.

"Because what, Dad? What reason do you possibly have that would justify abandoning us for hours on end when we need you more than ever?!", Thorn asked, outraged. She was SO done with people hurting her family for no reason, for the world beating on those who don't deserve it. Was her father also bad? Was everyone bad? Was it all just pointless?

Pond looked in her eyes and saw hate, and despair.

He had to tell her. He had to save her.

"…I was late because I was sent to stop a different terrorist attack, and by the time we knew of this one, it was too late."

Thorn didn't say anything for a moment, and then scowled. "Wow. This is a new low, even for you."

Pond shook his head. "Thorn, I swear to you, I was! I can even prove it!"

Thorn rolled her eyes. "How exactly?"

Pond took a deep breath, and with that, he began to walk out.

Thorn got out of the bed and followed him. "I asked you a question, Dad!"

"I'm answering it. Follow me to the basement."

Thorn reacted appropriately. "Uh, we don't have a basement."

Pond went to the living room behind the couch, and signaling her to be quiet, opened a secret compartment that revealed a secret staircase spiraling downstairs.

Thorn tried not to show her surprise.

Pond began to descend, holding her hand as they walked down, Thorn struggling not to gasp.

She finally did when she saw the basement.

Maps were spread across the walls, alongside a multitude of guns, swords, and even bows and arrows.

On a coffee table laid a bunch of documents all signaling locations, people's names, and other kinds of covert intel.

Surrounding the table were a group of Frogs, Toads, Salamanders and Newts, all covered in scars, black eyes, and bandages.

"They came in from different entrances. Can't have your mother know, not yet."

Thorn could barely speak. Finally, she let out a question. "Who… What… What is this?"

Pond, staring at her with all seriousness, replied.

"It's the frontline against the people who attacked up, and others like them. It's the Order of Amphibia."

"I've lived in this house or twenty years, and I've never seen anyone enjoy maggot porridge like her."

The dining room was filled to the brim, which with it's closed space, made things quite tight. The kids had all eaten their bowels, and the grown up's not quite enough portions had also been dealt with. Inside the grey, pungent room that contained shoddy inferstructure, however, there was a positive mood despite everything, helped by Annie's enthusiasm for her food.

The Father shook his head in amazement as Annie ate everything in her bowl in ravenous excitement. It was quite a sight, and Grime too was impressed.

"I've never seen anyone like her.", Grime slipped out, before getting flustered. "I mean, um, cause everyone is unique, and all that."

The Father chuckled and patted his back, understanding. "Nothing to feel shy about. In fact, I know how you feel!"

Grime felt like he didn't deserve to talk to a frog, especially this frog, about this, but he decided to try to. "Um… Could you elaborate?"

The Father, putting his hand to his chin, reeled back the days. "About twenty years ago, back when the slums were mostly new, and they had to quietly get rid of the previous ways of containing us, I met Laura over there."

Grime didn't know what he meant by previous way, but he decided to not interrupt what the Father was saying, so he nodded to tell him to go on.

The Father got a sentimental smile on his face as he rolled back the years. "I wasn't as strong as they hoped I would be, so I was hired as a janitor at this gym. The pay was, well, practically non-existent, but it was a job, and I needed some sort of flowing income when I had no money to my name, you know?"

Grime bit his lower lip, feeling awkward and embarrassed. "I… I wouldn't know."

The Father took a moment to think about it, and laughed lightly. "Oh, right, of course! Sorry, I forgot you're the heir!"

Grime couldn't have possibly hated those words more than he did now.

"Anyway", the Father continued his tale, looking at his wife, who sat with the kids and told them a story. "Laura was also working there, she was the tea girl. I remember seeing her for the first time and thinking I must have inhaled some toxic fumes, cause how could anyone hallucinate someone that beautiful?"

Grime's thoughts turned to Annie, as she made a silly face at the kids. "…I know how that feels."

Grime then asked an unsure question, as once more his strange thoughts rushed back. "How did you… How did you manage to express your feelings, then?"

The Father let out a sigh of remembrance. "Let me tell you, it was NOT easy. We weren't allowed many breaks as it was, and we both had a LOT of work to do, so it meant if I were to talk to her, it had to be quick, and it had to be effective, or she'd never notice me. I had to show her that I was committed to her no matter what."

Grime gulped. His commitment problems were of a different sort than most, but he still felt a little fear. "So… What did you do?"

The Father grinned, looking a little playful as he did. "Well, I started buying her drinks, even though we weren't allowed to. I used my salary every time to buy her tea, and in the two minutes I had available, I talked to her. But, well, mostly, I listened to her."

Grime nodded, a little glad he was receiving some advice, 'cause he had no idea how he got Annie to like him enough to kiss him. "Listened."

"Yes. You'd be surprised just how important it is. Just how much we all need to have someone who gets us, who cares about our problems and not just about their problems. You're not really in love with someone until you care about them as a person, and not just as an attraction. When you're just attracted, you don't feel like risking anything. But for my Laura, I'd march right up to Captain Muck and punch him in the face! Uh, no offence…", The Father apologized sheepishly, and Grime waved it off.

"Don't apologize to me. I… Just don't."

"Sure thing, Mr. Grime.", The Father said, smiling.

Grime wished he could smile back.

But at least the conversation helped him a little bit. He felt like he understood his strange thoughts a little more.

Sort of.

He wondered, however, if he could really risk everything for Annie.

He wondered if he really could love her like he wanted to.

As the years passed, Slimes and Thorn's lives changed in ways they could never have predicted. The tragedy that had struck them had sent them on wildly different paths, thanks to the actions of their parents.

Slimes' changes were apparent from the start. Gone were the talks of legislature and senate votes: Slimes was fervently learning all he could about the Amphibia City Guard. The Amphibia City Military History Museum became his home away from home, and when he wasn't learning of the past, he was developing the future of defensive weapons. Elaborate designs of walls, forts, and protective armor filled his bedside desk now.

And it wasn't just a mental change. Slimes was determined to get fit too, after all, how could he put his plans to effect if he could merely draw them up? He began frequenting the Amphibia City Gym, and while at first it drew the unwanted attention of hecklers, Slimes slowly but surely grew into a strong young toad, with muscles, but most importantly, nerves of steel. Slimes refused to ever let anyone, especially himself, feel the fear he had felt that day ever again.

"Next time this happens…", Slimes would repeat to himself over and over as he trained, as he felt the aches, as he stayed up at all hours reading about tactical formations. "…They'll be the ones on the ground."

Faye, admittedly, wasn't sure about all this. Her boy was no longer hiding under his bed, but was it safer there? Was it better there? She didn't like to dictate his interests, but he seemed so invested in what was a violent affair.

"Baby…", She started one day, as she drove him to the Gym. The sky was getting a little cloudy, and It left a little shadow over their car.

"Yeah, Mom?", Slimes asked, nose deep in another history book. Faye took a moment to consider her words. "You've been… You've been training a lot recently. Maybe you should take a day off?"

Slimes shook his head, and Faye searched his eyes for what was in his soul. "Mom, I'm not taking a day off until I'm strong enough to protect this city, and you."

"Still, baby, I'm sure there are other ways…"

Slimes groaned. "Mom, contrary to popular belief, I know what I'm doing, ok?".

He looked into her eyes, as serious as he could be. "Trust me."

Faye hardened her resolve. "…I do, baby. I just want you to be happy. If this is what does it, then I'll drive you every day."

So Faye encouraged his new found love, finding every way she could to help him acquire more knowledge and more skills.

Thorn, on the other hand, was a lot less noticeable. In fact, according to Faye, the only change that had occurred to Thorn was that she hated her mother. Thorn never wanted to come with when Slimes was going to the museum or the gym, never wanted to have a girl's night just the two of them, never even seemed to talk to her, outside of answering questions in class or muttering thanks after a meal.

Faye didn't think Thorn was wrong for this: She had every right to be angry, furious at what happened to her. She didn't even mind that it seemed all directed at her.

But Faye wished she could do something to help, or at least show Thorn that she wasn't alone. That her mother was there, willing to listen to anything, even if it was complaints of her.

"You hungry?", Faye asked, when Thorn finally emerged from her room one evening. She had bags under her eyes, but there was this odd directness to her, like she saw a point and was just moving towards it and only it.

Faye tried to enter the bubble Thorn was in, as she added in a sing song voice "I'm making spaghetti!"

"I already finished my homework, Mom.". Thorn replied without even looking.

Faye hesitated, and then tried again.

"I can make it to go, if you prefer that."

"I'll put on a jacket, ok, ok."

Faye wanted to keep going, but she knew Thorn wouldn't listen, so she backed off. Maybe if she did that, Thorn would one day want to come back to her. But for now, she had to give up.

Thorn, however, was not ignoring Faye because she hated her. Sure, she still harbored some resentment, but her disconnection was not from malice: Thorn had to keep her mother in the dark about her Dad's resistance group.

Thorn didn't know what to think at first when Pond had revealed to her his secret. Her father had been hiding from this this secret all this time, and it was not just any secret, but such a major one too!

And she was mad for a while. Mad at a world that seemed to be out to get her. A world that sprung up horrible surprises, and left her scarred and hurt and alone.

But a change began to form inside her as she listened in to meetings, as she went with her dad to other people's houses to help out. The group wasn't just trying to stop terrorist attacks from the nationalist groups who were still at large.

They were helping people.

Sometimes they'd go around to the homeless shelter and make them a homecooked dinner. Sometimes they'd go at night when no one was looking or listening and repair the roads in the poor neighborhoods. Sometimes they'd just go to houses where people were unfairly arrested and bring gifts, food, help with the chores.

The group was full of honest, well meaning people: Lawyers trying to free those wrongly arrested people, construction workers trying to improve the poor housing conditions poor people had, statesmen hoping to block the shady dealings made to keep toads out of congress.

Thorn knew how bad things were, but she never knew there were people actively trying to change it, not just hoping things would get better, but actively seeking ways to help.

Seeing this, this kindness, this determination, this justice…

It set a fire in Thorn's heart, one that had seemingly been extinguished, but now flickered like a million fireflies.

So she spent her days doing all she could to help. She wasn't much of a fighter, so she couldn't really help with fighting the nationalists, but she was good at other things for now, like aiding those less fortunate, like searching for injustices to fix. She helped repair hospitals, she buy clothes for the needy, she provided care for victims of racist attacks.

And as she grew older, she trained herself to help with the anti-terror missions in a different way: She learned how to spy, to sneak, to find out information about the enemy.

Thorn, for the first time in her life, felt like she was causing real, true change. It was slow, which at times frustrated her greatly, but every day she made at least one person's life better, each day she did the city's job for them, and each day she felt she was gaining more allies for the cause. More people were getting aware of the injustices in the city, and soon there would be a reckoning, and the city would have to listen to those it had wronged.

It was slow…

But Thorn felt like finally things were getting better.

But her rage still hindered her, and at times she let it loose on those who didn't deserve it. Even seven years of work later, she was still so very angry.

"I heard what you did to that newt nationalist.", Pond got straight to the point with her. He didn't need to dance around with Thorn, he respected her too much for that. "He might never walk again."

Thorn, washing the blood off of her metal arms, scoffed. "Is that supposed to be bad news?"

Pond sat down on a chair in the hideout and stared at her back intently. "I know he deserved it. He probably deserves worse. But Thorn, you're getting more and violent in missions. We were keeping you at a spying position, remember?"

Thorn turned around and rolled her eyes. "And that did a lot of good."

"Thorn, you have managed to track down dozens of hideouts over the years! They're running out of places!", Pond reassured, smiling.

Thorn didn't care. "So what? What's the point if more keep popping up?"

"More will always pop up, Thorn. You can't wipe out evil, not really. As long as there is good, evil will challenge it, and vice versa."

"That's not good enough.", Thorn stated simply.

"You're right. It isn't. It shouldn't have to be like that. But the world isn't perfect."

"But we can make it perfect, I can! If I get more aggressive, maybe if you finally let me kill some of them…"

"Thorn, you are nineteen. You should be thinking of college, not of murdering people in cold blood.", Pond firmly replied, and Thorn protested, getting angry.

"THEY'RE NOT PEOPLE, THEY'RE MONSTERS!"

Her robotic arms whirred and she hit the wall, leaving a massive dent. "We can make a real change! But we're just denting the problem!"

Pond shook his head and stood up. "Thorn, you know how many families beg me to thank you for what you've done for them? How many prisoners have regained hope thanks to your visits, your efforts to free them? How many children lived another night thanks to your help with the soup kitchens?"

Thorn hadn't really known that, but she kept on with her anger. "And I could help them all even more if I kill those people!"

"Thorn, if you kill a killer, what does that make you?"

Thorn crossed her arms.

"…Thorn, I'm not just saying this. If we resort to their methods, to their ways, how does that make us better than them? Why do we get to choose who lives and who dies? Once we do that… No one should have that much power, not even the president."

Thorn still wasn't sure she agreed. She hated to admit he made some good points. But…

"…Mom and Slimes could have died, Dad. If you could kill the ones who did it… Would you?"

Pond hesitated.

"If you could stop it all, just by killing those monsters, would you?"

Pond felt the desire for vengeance in his soul, but he kept strong. "…No."

Thorn went up to him and stared into his eyes with a cold, hard look. "…Well then I guess we disagree."

Slimes, meanwhile, seemed set on a totally different path: He had joined the guard at eighteen years of age, and for the past two years had provided many amazing defensive weapons and new tactical ideas. Hundreds of toads had been rescued thanks to his inventions.

"The instant wall" is proving to be quite successful, Corporal Croaker!", his supervisor informed him one day. "A shield that instantly forms around a person and functions as armor… Brilliant!"

Slimes beamed at the praise. "It's nothing, sir! Especially not compared to my newest idea, sir! It's this box, kind of like a music box, that when opened, would allow us to teleport away from dangerous situations, and save wounded soldiers, sir!"

The supervisor clapped his hands, amazed. "You never cease to amaze me, Corporal! I don't know how you're not in some college, earning degree after degree!"

Slimes frowned and clenched his fist in frustration, staring down at the floor. "Sir, I was sadly rejected for my… Low grades."

"…And I assume they weren't low at all?"

"Sir, no sir.", Slimes replied, trying to hide his rage.

"At ease, son. We've all been through that. For what it's worth, in my eyes, you're a lot smarter than any of those college people."

Slimes smiled in appreciation, and he brightened up a little. "…Thank you."

Suddenly, a colonel burst in, a wild look in his eyes. "Sir, we… We caught a big one!"

"How big?", The Supervisor asked, while Slimes looked on curiously.

"…The head of the Frog Nationalists."

A stunned silence rose in the room. This was the biggest success yet, nothing could really compare to it.

"The information we could receive… It could finally end this bloody war!", The Supervisor replied, and Slimes gasped with hope. He could finally keep the city safe!

"We trapped him with your rope bullets, Corporal. The ones that unleash a rope that ties them up? Great work!"

"Well, I think that earns him a right to be there for this monumental event!", The Supervisor said, and winking at Slimes, they walked out of the room to see their prisoner.

Slimes could barely keep his excitement contained. This was a massive success, it felt almost too easy! Finally, Amphiba City, and his family, they would be safe.

But his excitement left him immediately, replaced by shock and horror, when he saw who it was they had captured.

His face was disfigured since that day, so he wore a strange black mask, not exactly a mask since it didn't cover his eyes or part of his face, but more of a breathing apparatus. His white uniform was still on, covered in blood, the rope wrapped around him tight.

When he Slimes, he grinned evilly. "You… It's you, isn't it?"

"What does he mean?", The Supervisor asked, and Slimes shuddered as he drew closer to the monster.

"…That's the frog who scarred my eye. His allies cut my sister's hands off. They put my mother in a wheelchair."

The anger, the hate in Slimes' voice was apparent, and the Supervisor placed a hand on him to calm him down. "Don't do something you'll regret, son. We've got him, that's what's important."

"Yeah, you have me. I must say, this rope thing was very impressive. I reckon that was your idea?", the monster asked, his voice filtering from the mask, sounding odd, and creepy. Like it was all so entertaining.

Slimes gulped and steadied his nerves. "…Y-Yes. It was M-My idea."

The monster laughed, a horrible wheezing sound that sent a shiver down Slimes' spine. "So it really does come around, huh? I created my own downfall. How fitting."

"Y-You're.. You're stalling. Tell us what you know.", Slimes ordered, voice still shaking. His heart was pounding. He could kill him… Right here… Right now…

Punish him for what he did to him, to his sis…

To his Mom…

"I should kill you. Kill you right here."

"But you won't."

Slimes nodded. "I'm… I'm gonna make this world a perfect place. Your type won't get in the way anymore!"

The Monster chuckled, shaking his head. "You poor, pitiful boy. No one ever really taught you, huh?"

"Leave him alone, son, he's trying to get in your head.". the Supervisor advised, but Slimes ignored him. "What do you mean?"

The Monster looked straight into his eyes, slowly breathing, and Slimes felt like he was looking into the abyss. "…You really think getting me stops the rest? Even if you were to arrest all of them, there'd be more… Popping up from the shadows, revealing their true colors…"

"You're wrong. It can be stopped."

"No. Only impeded. As long as there are filth like you, there will be men like me rising to finally rid the world of you. And we won't rest until there is one species, one race standing. It's a matter of who will be left."

He suddenly bit down on something in his mouth. "So choose wisely, Toad…"

The monster's mouth began to foam, making everyone jump. "He's got cyanide! Get a doctor!", The Supervisor shouted out, but it was too late.

The Monster was dead.

"Son…", The Supervisor started softly, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Don't listen to him. We can still fix this."

Slimes wanted to believe him.

But a voice nagged him in the back of his head.

And the mask remained, staring into his eyes…

Into his soul…

Would he save them…

Or would he fail?

Grime was standing outside of the house, inspecting the creases in his hands for the eight time, when Annie finally came out looking for him.

She stretched her arms and yawned, leaning on his head. "You ok?"

"…I am now."

Annie smiled and kissed his head lightly. "That's good to hear."

"You need to sleep?", Grime asked, almost hoping for it.

Annie shook her head, but she kept on resting on Grime's head, which made him feel a shiver. "Nope, just a little beat from playing with their kids. I like kids. They're smol bby's."

Grime gulped as he considered his words, his heart pounding in his ears. "Would you ever like to… To have some?"

"Yeah, sure, one day. Don't really have someone for that though.", Annie said, clearly not realizing Grime's implication.

Grime bit his lip, nerves bouncing everywhere. All day he had been trying to figure out the thoughts in his head, the strange thoughts that kept flying around. When he finally realized, he was surprised, and a little shocked. Surely it was too soon, surely it was a bad idea…

Surely she would say no.

Surely she deserved better.

But the more Grime pondered the more he felt an inescapable desire, a need he could no longer ignore. Ever since they had met Grime felt what he hadn't felt since his mother died: He felt glad to be alive.

He found joy in simple things again, comfort in other people, even pride at times from his own actions.

It was as if he had been reborn.

It was a sensation like no other.

And deep down, hard as he tried to deny it, he knew that he was helping Annie as well.

He had to suggest it, he had to ask, he had to know.

Even if she rejected him, that didn't mean they couldn't be happy together.

Grime gulped. He had to ask.

…He loved her too much not to.

Taking a deep breath, Grime decided to find a way to naturally ask what he wanted to ask, which wasn't easy, mind you.

"So… Those people are really nice, huh?", Grime stated non chalantly, trying to feign interest in the ground.

Annie nodded wildly, grinning from ear to ear. "They're wonderful! So kind, and thoughtful, and generous! Despite how little they had, they treated us so nicely!"

"They did, didn't they?", Grime said, hoping to get to the next step.

Annie suddenly pouted, feeling bad. "Grime, I can't help but feel bad, thought. I mean, look at how little they have! And we all know why."

Grime hadn't meant to get to this path of conversation, but he didn't let it phase him. "Oh, yeah, I agree. I mean, it's not ok at all."

Grime really thought that, he was just a little… Distracted by what he wanted to ask.

Annie, however, was completely focused on this. "I mean, just because they're frogs? Imagine that, your entire life being decided for you when you are born just because you're not a toad!". She waved her arms around in protest, feeling heat rise to her cheeks.

Grime was getting a little worried over where the conversation was headed, and tried to backtrack. "Yeah, the, uh, the father told me all about that. He also told me about how he met his wife…"

"Now that I think about it, my life was decided by that too!", Annie stated suddenly, realization sinking into her eyes. She began to pace, feeling her anger towards the injustice rise. "I mean, if it weren't for Wrecker, I would have been killed or something, just for being a frog! And if not that, I would never have been allowed to leave Marsh Pond!"

Grime was panicking. He had to do something and fast, or Annie would leave and he would lose his bravery. "Annie, um, there's something important I must ask you…"

"I have to do something for these people. They gave us so much, despite everything, all the pain they have, the little they own, and they would have been totally justified not to help us!", Annie pounded her fist into her palm, resolving to find a solution. But what could it be?

"If only I hadn't eaten so much of that Maggot Porridge…"

Suddenly, it hit Annie.

"That's it!", she cried, leaping into the air, making Grime fall down on his butt. "Grime, I've got a plan!"

"Does it involve allowing me to ask my question first?", Grime asked, a little annoyed humor from his side, but accompanied with an affectionate eye roll.

"A little later, Grime! I gotta tell you about the plan before it's too late!"

Grime hesitated. He really wanted to ask her now, before he turned chicken again, but he also saw how important this was for Annie.

He sighed. "Ok, what is it?"

Annie was giddy as all hell, and she was bouncing up and down as she announced her idea. "You and I are going back to that stuffy old restaurant with those jerks, and we're going to steal the food they're making for this family!"

Grime's jaw nearly dropped. "What?! Annie, you want us to steal?!"

"From assholes, which makes it ok!", Annie replied, innocently smiling. Grime shook his head vehemently, sweat running down his face already.

"Annie, are you crazy?! Do you know what could happen?! If we fail, my father could kill this family as punishment! And then he could kill you!"

Annie waved it off, confident. "Grime, you're a master of the battlefield, and while I lack some skills… Or a lot of skills… Look, I survived pirates and train thieves and gang members! The latter thanks to you! We can do anything if we work together!", Annie said, fist bumping Grime.

Grime, however, was still unsure. "But Annie, the risk if you get hurt! We can't do this!"

"And why not? Outside of me maybe getting hurt, why is this such a problem?"

Grime stuttered. What could he say to change her mind? She was already crossing her arms, disinterested. "Annie, look…", he searched for the right way to explain himself. "I want to help, really I do. But I'm not ready to risk you over some random family we met."

Annie's eyes widened, and she glowered at Grime. "Random?! Grime, they saved us! We fell asleep in the middle of the street, what if some sicko had attacked us?!"

Grime hadn't considered that option. Still, he pressed on. "While that is true, there's nothing we can do, Annie!"

"Why?"

"Because… Because there is just nothing we can do! Don't you think I would rather it wasn't like this for frogs? You think I agree with any of this?!", Grime suddenly shouted, his passion flaring up. He truly detested the whole thing. He had never ever seen himself as above frogs, newts, or salamanders, and he had tried to hide that while his father preached his hate. But there was no way of fixing this injustice, couldn't Annie see that?

Annie stared into Grime's eyes with disapproval, and a little shame. "Grime… You're the son of Captain Muck. You're literally the second in charge."

"…And?"

"And?! And what, dude? You could be stopping this madness!", Annie protested, failing to believe Grime's blindness. "Sure, he's in charge, but he'd never kill you because he needs an heir! And he's probably too old to get another!"

Grime had to admit that was true.

Annie continued, her voice growing more disappointed by the second. "I mean, you knew about this, right? About all this… This evil?"

Grime sighed with shame. "I did. But I would have stopped it if I could, I mean that!"

"And you CAN, Grime! All you need to do is make an order! It doesn't even have to be "Let's stop being racists to the frogs" because sure, it doesn't work like that, but all you'd need to do is say "Do this" and wappamo! All the families in this slum have fresh, warm food! Or even jobs!"

Grime opened his mouth a little. She had a point. A really good point.

"…But what if something goes wrong? What if… What if you get hurt? I… I can't risk you getting hurt."

Annie frowned at him, let down. "Grime, I'm hurt by you just chickening out. Why won't you believe me? You can make it a secret order, frogdamn it, just make one! You want change, right?"

"I do, Annie, you know that…"

"So how's it ever gonna happen if you just sit by the side and wait for it? How are you ever gonna redeem from your supposed sins if you just feel bad about them? Grime, you have to move on, and you have to start doing what is right! This family deserves to live safely! And you can at least make it easier, even if just for a little! If you can't see that…"

Annie took a deep breath. She didn't want to hurt him, but Grime was letting bad shit happen because he was afraid for her getting hurt.

…For the family's sake, and for Grime's sake, she had to say something mean. She couldn't just sit by with injustice, and deep down she knew Grime couldn't either.

This, this toad dictatorship had to stop. This evil had to stop.

And Grime had to do something about it.

"…Grime, it's too late. You already hurt me. You hurt me by not doing anything. We need to be better than this. It's not fair to these people, or to anyone."

She looked back at him with cold eyes. "You want to be a good person? You wanna be Grime, and not your father? Than act like it. Do what is right. I may not be special, but I know that when something bad is happening, you can count on me to help. But what about you?"

Grime looked about ready to cry. He wasn't a bad person, he wasn't! "…Annie, trust me. I hate this… I hate this advantage I have as a toad. I… I want this to end, too."

"…Then end it. I have faith in you. I… I really, really like you. …So show me that I was right when I kissed you. Show me… That you're a hero too."

And with that, Annie walked away, leaving Grime alone on the front porch, once more questioning his soul.

"It's been fifteen long years since the attack that started a civil war in Amphibia City, and reports suggest it might finally come to an end."

The widescreen TV was hanging over the heads of the Croaker family as they ate their dinner in silence. Thorn, Slimes and Pond had a lot on their mind, so conversation wasn't exactly at the forefront of their attention.

Faye, however, was secretly suffering from this, and as she stared at her plate, she wondered what she had done to lose her family. She must have done something, she was always ruining everything for them. If she could just figure it out!

The news report pressed on, in the meantime, resolutely ignorant of Faye's inner turmoil. "Speaking to the press, The Amphibia City Royal Guard Supervisor Warts laid out the intentions of his toads to crush the nationalists once and for all."

The camera cut to a press conference with Supervisor Warts, who had visibly aged in the last five years. His bushy grey beard and moustache nearly hid his sunken eyes, that seemed lost to time, tired of the never ending battle, seeking a final resting place.

"We are at the home stretch in this war. The groups are growing weary, and their numbers are dropping. Soon, we could remove this poison from our fair city. We have a plan, we just need to implement it."

"That's good to hear, no?", Faye decided to speak up, hoping anyone would answer her, but no one bothered to even look at her: Thorn seemed determined, for some reason, Pond seemed downright worried, and Slimes looked like he was a combination of both.

Faye kept on looking, begging for someone to even take notice of her, but it was for naught. She looked back down, sighing.

"…Are you enjoying your curry? I was trying something new today, to shake things up."

All that was uttered were the all too quiet sounds of munching.

Perhaps it was an accumulation of years of suffering, but today Faye really cared about this specific topic. "Do you like it? Any of you? Are you just eating it because you feel sorry for me?"

That made Pond look up. "Honey, what are you talking about?"

Faye tried to stand up, which was near impossible. She had to lean on the table, cause she had nothing else to lean on. This alerted Thorn and Slimes, who stopped eating. She was visibly shivering. "I don't know, I just wanted to see if you liked my food. It's about the only thing I do right anymore, at least, I think, you… You haven't told me. Am I getting this wrong too?"

Pond's eyes exhibited concern. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Dear, you're not getting anything wrong…"

"Are you sure? Because… Because I barely see you. And the kids, they don't even talk to me anymore… Did I hurt you? Did I say something? I don't know anymore, I've been so lonely recently, maybe I'm just imagining things, but I must have done something.", she was rambling, and it was getting a little scary.

"Mom, you didn't do anything!", Slimes reassured, and Thorn added "We didn't even say you did!"

"Then why do you hate me?!"

Faye gasped after she said that, and she began to sob quietly, shaking. Pain was shooting through her body, and she looked at her children, one half blind, the other with prosthetic arms. "I… I'm sorry. I… I know why you do, and honestly, I don't blame you."

She choked back on her tears, as she made peace with her fate. "I mean… I'm your mother. And because of the field trip… You're all like this. No wonder you've been keeping away from me…"

Thorn, Slimes and Pond didn't know what to say as Faye kept on shaking and shivering, tears running down. "I just… I'm sorry. If you have to hate me, hate me. This is all my fault. I… I deserve this."

She suddenly had a wry smile as she came across an awful truth. "You know… You love your children, your family, you love them so much… You do anything for them. You wish to protect them from getting hurt, and you try so much you never notice… That you're the one hurting them."

And with that, she went back to her chair, and wheeled off, silently accepting her fate.

"…I'm gonna talk to her.", Pond said to himself mostly, and he went to her, while Slimes and Thorn stayed at the dinner table, digesting what just happened.

"…We have to talk to Mom. We have to tell her why.", Slimes stated, but Thorn disagreed completely, shaking her head.

"Are you insane?! If she knew, she'd have a heart attack!"

Slimes hated to admit it, but she was right, Faye could die from the shock. "But then what? We never tell her? We let her think we hate her for the rest of her life? It wasn't her fault!"

"…I know.", Thorn admitted, trying to let go of years of resentment. Her revenge wasn't meant for her anyway. "…Look, we can't tell her now, but maybe once the operation is over, we can."

"Yeah, but that would still leave the Toad nationalists, Sis.", Slimes reminded, as he drank from his glass of water, his eyes struggling to stay open.

Thorn tried to keep her eyes open too, she had been training all night for weeks for this. "I know, but we have a plan for that too. We could realistically take them out the following day."

"And then it will finally be over.", Slimes said, his first smile in months crawling onto his face.

Thorn was quick to remove it, however. "Over forever. I'm going to end it, Slimes. Once and for all."

"Thorn, we mustn't!", Slimes protested, and Thorn rolled her eyes. The usual argument, the usual debate. Did no one see her side?

"Slimes, if we kill them they can't get back up!"

"How are we better than murderers if we murder too?", Slimes shot back, frustrated. Thorn always seemed to think he was the idiot in a conversation, blindingly optimistic to a fault.

"Don't you want revenge, Slimes? Don't you want them to suffer for what they did to me? To you? To mom?!", Thorn asked, getting passionately angry. Her fists clenched, making an odd sound.

"You think I don't? You know how many nights I've dreamed of giving them what they gave to us?!", Slimes shouted back, surprising Thorn. Slimes felt like her?

He settled down, taking a deep breath. He couldn't lose control, he had to be the good guy. This would work. It had to work. He'd finally keep them safe. "Thorn, five years ago… The frog, the monster who blinded me in one eye… We caught him."

Thorn's eyes widened. She had been hoping to hurt him, but she was overjoyed to hear he had been caught. "And what did you do to him? Did you at least throw him into some inescapable jail he could never leave?"

"No, Thorn. He killed himself.", Slimes explained, feeling a mixture of sadness and… Happiness.

He shook his head from the thoughts, and kept on. "What I'm trying to say is… We can't be like them. If we kill them, we're no better than them. And this city needs… It needs heroes to inspire them, to stop them from joining these… These monsters. They need an example. They need… They need symbols."

Thorn didn't react, but she did listen. She had never thought of it like that. Her father had told her that many times, but she had to wonder if Slimes made a good point.

"…Sometimes they bring in kids who joined. Teens. They say that… That they were angry, and seeing the nationalists kill who they hate… It inspired them to try and fill the hole inside with that."

Slimes looked up, serious. "…We can't be them. We can never be them."

Thorn took a deep breath, and she looked him in the eye. "…All our lives we've been… Opposites. On the same side, but on different shades. I don't know if I agree with you… But we both want the same thing. So if this is the way, I'll help. I want this to be over, no matter what the way is. I can only hope you're right. Because if you aren't…"

Slimes understood what Thorn meant. He didn't want her to, but he also knew he couldn't tell her what to do.

…He had to get it right. He HAD to. It all depended on him.

"I promised you once, Sis.", he stated, offering his hand. "I'm gonna make it better. No matter what."

Thorn, nodding resolutely, shook it back. "Right back at ya."

And as they shook, Pond, who had returned from talking to Faye, listened to their deal, and gulped.

…He had to do something, or Thorn would be a killer.

…And he had an idea.

Ever since that tragic day, the state capital had been abandoned, left to rot in the heart of the city. Vines and roots had grown all over it, making it seem more like the heart of the jungle than the heart of democracy. The repairs had never been made, so the torn down walls and debris were still lying around.

"It's a real bitch to walk around here.", a Salamander Nationalist whined, as his group, the Newt's group and the Frog's group with their new leader, traversed across the harsh landscape. Their swords, which they had brought along to cut down the vines, cleared a path to where they were headed: The wing where the attack had started.

"That Toad must be a real sentimental type to bring us all the way to here.", the Newt leader commented, and the rest murmured in agreement.

"Whatever he wants, it better work.", The new Frog leader said, breathing heavily as he walked. "They're starting to gain on us, and regardless of how much we all hate each other, we can't let them win."

"And they won't."

Everyone suddenly looked up to see a throne in the middle of the building, with a toad cast in shadows sitting on it, his voice deep and booming.

"So you're the Toad leader? You know, I've never seen him before. He seems to keep to himself. I wasn't even sure you were real!", The Frog leader asked, curious at the presence of what some saw as an urban myth.

"Oh, trust me, I am all too real.", the leader growled, his cape hanging over his throne as well as he sat. "As is the threat to our existence."

"You're newtdamn right! They're beginning to surround us! If we're not careful, those dirty toa… Those dirty guards, that is, will end our crusade!", the Newt leader agreed, and his men all shouted in agreement too.

"Which is why I have a proposition that will surely spell an end for their pitiful opposition.", the toad explained, nearly whispering. He then pointed at a knapsack that laid resting next to his throne. "However, to avoid any… Disagreements, I recommend you place all your weapons inside this bag. As you can see, my men have already placed theirs."

The toad's men suddenly popped up, all wearing their white uniforms, saluting their leader.

"Put away all our weapons? I feel like that could end up on your favor, Toad!", The Frog leader shouted, but the Newt leader calmed him down.

"The bag is clearly filled, and as you can see, they hold no guns, knives or swords. I say we follow his instructions."

"You have no authority over me, Newt!", the Frog leader shot a stare into his eyes.

"I hate toads like you. But I'd rather have their help than die."

The Newt leader snapped his fingers, and soon all their weapons were in the sack.

The Salamander leader clicked his tongue. "We too will dispose our weapons. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, after all."

Their weapons went in too.

"Frog… Surely you too see the logic in this?", The Toad asked, a little too pushy.

The Frog leader crossed his arms. "I don't know, Toad. I never thought I'd work with a Toad."

"…Your previous leader is dead, Frog. Dead because he refused to change with the times. To win this war you need to adapt. Whatever it takes to save Amphibia City from those who seek to destroy it.", The Toad leader said, and The Frog leader had to admit it made sense.

"…All right. For my friend, I'll do it."

Their weapons were finally in too.

"Now, tell us the plan, before I change my mind.", The Frog leader demanded, staring at him with anger.

"Oh, don't worry…", a voice came out of nowhere, and everyone began to turn around, searching for the intruder.

"Who the fuck was that? SHOW YOURSELF!", the Frog leader screamed, the other groups concerned.

From behind them landed a figure in a black robe with metallic arms that shone in the dark of the room. She grinned in anticipation. "…You won't have time to change your mind."

"Whoever that is, kill them!", The Frog leader commanded, but his men shrugged. Their weapons were I the sack, the sack that was now on the hands of the…

Just before they could connect two and two, the Toad leapt off from the shadows, revealing his scarred eye and blind eye, and a remote he held in his hand. "I'm afraid the deal is off."

Pressing the remote, he unleashed a force field around the building to trap them all in.

Suddenly, even more men appeared, the Order to be specific, appearing behind Thorn to support her, all holding swords.

"Well… Do you surrender?", Slimes asked, his men ready to fight, as were Thorn's.

The leaders looked at each other, and nodded.

"CHARGE!"

And so a bloody battle began, one like no other in the history of Amphibia City. The nationalist had no weapons to their name, but due to the orders not to kill them, and their lack of limits, they were quickly able to get some of their swords back, which made them dangerous once more.

Limbs were flying everywhere, the swords all getting covered in blood. The nationalists may have been taken by surprise, but they were still strong opponents.

Slimes was struggling with his sword, having mostly worked with his inventions. He had to back off as fast as he could so he could have time to use what he had. Three newts and a salamander had already nearly stabbed him in the chest, and one had succeeded in grazing his side. Holding an arm to it, Slimes used his other hand to take out a round silver ball from his pocket.

"Oh, look! The toad has a little ball!", They joked, mocking him.

Slimes smirked. "It does tricks, too!"

Throwing it down on the ground, the ball emitted a gravity force field that trapped the men on the floor, making them unable to move.

Reaching into his other pocket, he threw more and more of the balls, trapping a sizable amount of the men. They struggled to move, and Slimes grinned at that, enjoying a little revenge. He then searched for Thorn, her group stuck with the swords, trying to wound the other nationalists.

Thorn, however, was trying to wound harder than the others. Her strikes were ripping limbs clean off, eye balls were throw out by the tip of her blade, and blood was spilling everywhere. Her expression was wild, feral, frightening. She was nearly spinning in the air as she stabbed every nationalist she came across.

"Sis! Remember what we said!", Slimes shouted, and Thorn shouted back "Then prove to me it works already, bro!"

To be fair, it almost was. A majority of them were already trapped or too hurt to keep going, and as Slimes joined in the battle with his sword, awkwardly trying to keep up, it seemed like the tide was on their side.

As the last remaining droves of nationalist troops ran at them, Slimes and Thorn knocked out each one, Thorn more skillfully, but still. The leaders were getting desperate. It was almost over!

"I'll run at them. You think of something." The Salamander leader said, and he charged at Thorn, stabbing her shoulder with his sword.

"You have a plan?", The Newt leader asked as the Frog leader looked around, wildly. "No! No I don't! They've… They've got us beat!"

Slimes grinned as the Newt leader ran straight at him. "See? We've almost got them taken care of!", Slimes said as he knocked out the Newt leader with his fist, getting desperate.

"And look at how many of ours have died!", Thorn shouted back, as more and more of her friends fell down and she struggled to sword fight the Salamander leader. To her left, fell the Joe the Salamander, who taught her how to fight, and always sang such lovely songs at the homeless center. To her right, Sara the Newt, who sewed clothes for the needy had her head cut off.

Important people, good people, with children, with lives, with love in their hearts, were being killed by monsters. She could stop it all if she just tried… If she didn't listen to her brother.

She smashed the Salamander leader's face, and as Slimes dragged him away from her, she growled at him. "Bro, this had to end, NOW."

"Sis, no!", Slimes cried, refusing to lose his sister to darkness. He held her back as she shouted and screamed.

"This monster killed our friends, hurt our family! I can stop him from hurting more people right now, right here!"

"He can't hurt anyone, he's defenseless!"

Suddenly, a sword lunged through the air and struck Slimes chest. He screamed in pain, and Thorn gasped in shock. It wasn't deep enough to kill him, but the wound was gushing red, and Slimes was struggling to breath.

"…"

Rage entering her heart, Thorn snapped and turned around, watching the Frog leader about to pick up another sword.

Her legs acting before her head, she began to bolt towards him, her heart pounding like a drum.

Slimes, still awake enough to see what was going on, shouted after her, despite the pain it shot in his lungs. "SIS! DON'T! PLEASE!"

Thorn ignored him. For years, she had sat by as these monsters hurt her mother, her brother, her friends, herself.

So many people had died because no one was willing to put an end to it. To this imperfect world, to this nightmare.

All they understood was violence. If she killed him… All that would be left would be the Toad leader.

Finally, the world would be like it was supposed to. Peaceful, kind, equal.

She could finally be happy. She could finally do what she wanted to do for so long.

She could finally save the world and her family.

So she leapt off the ground…

The Frog leader raised his sword to deflect…

She raised her sword over her head to strike him down…

Tears welled in her eyes as she made peace with her decision…

And as she lowered the sword…

She found her sword knocked off, and herself pushed off by…

"Dad?!", she exclaimed as Pond appeared out of nowhere.

His eyes were deadly serious. Staring at her, as he held the Frog leader by the neck, he nearly sobbed as he spoke. "Thorn… I should have done more to stop you from feeling like this."

"Dad, let go of him so I can kill him!"

"And then another will take his place. But we have almost all of his men arrested. We don't need to kill him, Thorn! You're not even doing it from saving others, no one is in danger! You're doing it from hate!"

In a way, hearing it from her father had more effect than from her brother. Thorn gulped as she began to internalize the thoughts she had had when she was about to kill him. She looked up, almost ashamed.

Pond felt his heart hurt. His daughter… His little princess…

How had he not seen this sooner?

His children, so obsessed with saving the city…

They were becoming monsters themselves.

"Let me go, you traitor! Your treacherous daughter must die! And that monstrous toad, too!"

Looking back at the leader, he realized he had to set an example. And so he made a choice.

The leader got out of his grip and began to run to Thorn, aiming his sword. Thorn, so shocked she could barely react, blocked herself with her hands, sure she was going to die.

But instead…

"Kill me."

The Frog leader, startled, turned around to see Pond raise his sword. "I raised her. I failed her. If anyone must be punished, then punish me. Don't kill her for the sins of the father. If I kill you, so be it."

"DAD WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!", Thorn screamed, and trying to snap out of it, looked for her sword, which had been knocked somewhere else.

"…So you're giving me a chance to escape? You're dumber than I thought, traitor."

"A father would do anything for his children. My daughter will not be a killer. She will see now that when you let yourself stoop to their level… You suffer the consequences."

"All right then. At least I'll go out with a bang."

The Frog leader maliciously grinned, and charged at Pond, who closed his eyes and raised his sword truthfully, firm in his sacrifice.

"DAD STOP PLEASE!", Thorn screamed as she searched for her sword, Slimes too shocked to move, feeling it happen all over again: His family got hurt because he wasn't good enough.

As the Frog leader neared closer, Thorn found her sword and dashed after.

"I have to save him, I have to save him, I have to save him!", Thorn shouted at herself, and she willed herself to get there…

And she was so close…

She lifted her sword…

But it was too late.

Two horrible stabbing sounds could be heard, and two bodies clattered onto the ground, dead immediately.

"NO!", Thorn screamed to the sky, as she saw her father's eyes closed, a sword right through his heart, blood covering the ground.

"Dad… Dad… All my fault… Dad…", Slimes whispered, barely able to comprehend.

Thorn sobbed and sobbed, dropping her sword. As the police suddenly burst in, ready to arrest the nationalists, one nationalist shouted out "I'll avenge him! You'll see, traitor frog! We still have allies outside, and they'll band together to avenge his death! The nationalist will be back and stronger than ever!"

Thorn realized what her father and Slimes had said were true.

It was all her fault…

All her fault…

As she kept on sobbing, the two Croaker children were on the floor, mourning their father, their friends, and their hope.

Was the war truly over…

Or was it just beginning?

They sat in Slimes' office at the military base, not saying a word, lost in their thoughts. The lights were dimmed, and the room was eerily cold, thanks to the A.C system.

Slimes had a thousand yard stare as he sat on his office chair, looking at the mirror on the wall to his opposite side. His hands were stiff, his body was stiff, he just sat firmly on the chair, not saying a word.

Thorn had opted to sit on the floor, her head in her arms, tears flowing down her cheeks. She had managed to pretend to be strong all the way back to the office, but the moment she stepped in, she began to cry deeply and profusely.

"My fault… All my fault…", Thorn thought, stopping her protective self hug to stare at her hands. The hands of… Of one who almost killed.

She breathed quickly but quietly, looking around in an almost paranoid state. "…That guy… He's gonna come back. The frog nationalists will be angrier than ever. If I hadn't been so stupid, their leader would be in prison, maybe they'd settle for life in prison. Now they'll want revenge."

Her face filled with shame, and she looked down, forlorn. "All because of me. Because I wanted revenge."

Thorn's heart stung as she remembered putting her father's limp corpse into a body bag. She could barely keep her body from shaking. "…Other people in the city, they're going to lose fathers, and mothers, and siblings, and children, and husbands and wives… Because of me."

Thorn frowned, clenching her fist, her anger rising once more. "All these years I thought my anger was helping me achieve my goals, but it just hurt others! I haven't helped anyone! Anyone! All I've done is make things worse!"

Thorn kept on spiraling, and she stared out the window, seeing the forest outside of the city. Perhaps… Perhaps she should run. Run away and never return. Find a new home, be a new person, never hurt another person.

She could be free from all this!

She didn't need to be here..

…

"No.", she suddenly thought to herself, feeling her resolve return, but different, less enraged and more…

Strong.

"I criticized the leaders of this city for failing us, and here I am ready to run away from my failures too. Like it or not, I'm the last line of defense now against the Toad nationalists and the other groups once they try to get revenge."

She felt her heart settle and her nerves steel themselves. She thought of her friends, her father, people who died for her, died for the cause. If she left now, she'd make their deaths all in vain.

"I said I want to make this world better. And deep down in my heart, I really do. I can't let this stand. I WON'T let this stand. I'll fix my mistakes, and make this city the symbol it's supposed to be."

Thorn nodded her head resolutely, and she stood up, preparing to ask Slimes a question.

During all this time that Thorn had spent pondering her future, Slimes too was thinking, spiraling inside his mind as he thought of how he had failed so badly.

"My fault… All my fault…", he repeated to himself, as he looked over the battle plans he had drawn. He had measured every detail carefully and slowly, accounting for all eventualities, but he had never expected his father to sacrifice himself, or his sister to ignore him despite their deal.

Actually, he could have expected that. "It feels like everyone ignores me, even though I clearly always know better. We almost won thanks to my inventions, and it was only my sister's recklessness and selfishness that cost us."

A frown formed on Slimes' face, one of frustration and disappointment. His fists were clenched, vibrating with anger, and his eyes kept replaying his father's death. "I could have prevented this. My sister could have prevented this. But she didn't listen. No one does. Because… Because I'm…"

Slimes knew why. And it was getting really overplayed. "I'm stronger AND smarter than all of them. All Toads are. Yet we're treated like trash, like a nuisance."

Slimes felt like his vision was getting blurry from how enraged he was. It was all coming together now. "My mother, my sister, my father, myself… All hurt because we were connected to Toads, or were Toads ourselves. Never in my life have I been hurt by a Toad, only by Frogs, Newts and Salamanders…"

A dangerous calculation began to roll around in his head, and his anger turned into hate. "Those monsters… You can't kill them for their sins against my family… For their failure of this city… A city we Toads have only tried to protect… But killing one wouldn't be enough, it would backfire like today…"

"But if you were to… And then there would only be… And they wouldn't try to hurt each other because they are all one and the same… Perfectly equal… A true utopia…"

It hit him, and he felt like he found the final puzzle piece to the mystery of his life. Finally, right here in front of him, lay the answer to his mission. He could save Amphibia City with this!

But for that, he'd need to do something.

He stood up just as Thorn began asking him a question. "So… Who's gonna tell Mom?"

Slimes had an immediate answer, as always. "I hate to impart this on you…", he said, sounding not too genuine, as he reached for his coat. "But I still need to digest what happened."

Thorn nodded slowly. She had to take responsibility anyway. She could do that. "No prob, bro. You just stay safe, ok? If we catch the Toads tomorrow, we can ensure at least that they'll all be in jail! Maybe we can solve it there!"

Slimes nodded, barely listening. "Sure thing, Sis. Sure thing."

As he opened the door to his office, Thorn suddenly spoke up, as if she had to say something she should have said a long time ago. "Bro!"

"…Yes, Sis?"

"…Thank you. All this wouldn't be possible without you. With your help, we might actually save this city!"

Slimes nodded resolutely, as he rounded back into the office to grab something very important from his drawer and hid it in his jacket. "Yes… You're totally right…"

It was but a few strokes away from midnight as Slimes, garbed in his brown jacket, eyed narrowed with determination, entered the secret hideout of the Toad Nationalists. It was located on the border of town, right outside the forest, dangerously close to the royal guard outposts.

A risky location, perhaps, but one not many would guess. Having found it only recently, Slimes' original intentions were to march into it victoriously, having finally removed their hostile intent.

But he saw things differently now.

His green blind eye flashed wildly as he walked in to the wooden room, whose walls were decorated with swords and knives, whose men laid around in bronze armors. All those Toads gave Slimes an odd look, not recognizing him, as he made his way to the center of the room, where a throne laid overhead, occupied by the leader of the Nationalists, who was talking of the events of the day that had befallen them.

"The situation is most puzzling, brothers and sisters. Our rivals are gone, for now, but we are now the last remaining nationalists with any semblance of membership and power."

Slimes looked around, seeing Toads with scars, Toads with wounds, Toads who sounded intelligent, and looked strong.

"That's more like it.", he thought.

"What should we do, your highness?", a toad woman asked, raising her sword. "Should we break out the other groups, plan an all out attack?"

"Perhaps we should force them into a forest fight! They don't know the woods like us!", Another Toad, a man, suggested, and others murmured in agreement.

Slimes shook his head. The beginnings of ideas, but not enough. As always, he had to come up with the plan.

Thankfully, he had one.

The leader rubbed his temple, wrestling a migraine. "I agree that there is a window of opportunity, but we are low on soldiers and low on supplies, while they're on an all time high. We should wait for the right moment to attack, lay low for now…"

"Or you could attack now."

Everyone gasped and stared at the toad in the middle, who lifted his hoodie to reveal who he is.

"…Who are you?", the leader asked, confused.

Slimes took a deep breath, hoping that for once, he would be listened to. "Doesn't matter who I am. What matters is our plan."

"Our? I do not recognize you.", the leader said, scratching his chin.

"I am a Toad, like you. One who has suffered for far too long from the injustices of the other species."

He stepped up onto the stage that held the throne, causing the entire room to gasp again, and point their swords.

"You show such insolence?!", the leader bellowed, and Slimes merely stared at him, resolute, cold.

"I do. I have spent my whole life, like all of you, brothers and sisters, being told I can't be smart because I'm a toad. Frankly, I'm sick of being told what to do. I'm sick of being told this city is perfect, when there are three imperfect species ruining our lives."

Despite their original shock, the crowd couldn't find fault with such sentiments, and they all nodded and murmured in agreement.

The leader sighed, finding this all to be unnecessary. "I'll entertain this hilarious notion that someone who hasn't spent a year in way can teach one who has spent 15 years fighting one."

"Oh, I have been fighting. For the enemy."

More gasps, and swords were once more pointed at Slimes, but he raised a hand to order them to lower their weapons. The power and confidence he exhibited made everyone question their actions.

"I have come to understand I was working for those who wish to destroy me and my family. They are fools who think they are saving this city. I am here to liberate it from them."

"…Continue."

Slimes turned to them, and he closed his eyes. Something about this… About speaking to people who were willing to listen, who knew his pain…

He felt at home.

"Brothers and sisters… The Frogs, Newts and Salamanders are all imperfect. The Frogs are strong, but not smart, and definitely not as strong as us. The Newts are smart, but useless in a fight, and definitely not smarter than us. The Salamanders… Well, they're just pointless, aren't they?"

He paced around the stage, voice getting deeper and angrier as he let out the internalized rage of years at a system that tried to destroy him. "It's a simple calculation: The Toads are smarter, stronger, and unlike the others, unwilling to hurt their own kind, no matter what. Toads of all kinds, even mixed Toads, are treated with respect."

The crowd all cheered, loving what Slimes was saying.

Slimes cleared his throat, enjoying the adoration for a moment before resuming. "Clearly, if we want a perfect society, we must have a perfect species. The Toads are the only ones who fit that bill. And as long as Frogs, Salamanders and Newts exist, we will never be allowed a moment in that glorious sun of a new world order."

"So what do you propose?", the leader asked, curious at the newcomer's arguments.

Slimes turned to him with utmost seriousness. "We kill all of them. Every last one."

The crowd was loving this, erupting into cheers, but the leader was a lot less convinced. "Are you mad?! How would we ever get about to such a thing?! Especially with our limited resources?!"

"What is limited to you is plentiful to me. I really only need a few guards, your magical adviser, and a bunch of scientists. And I seem to find that you don't fit any of those. Tell me: Why have you not taken over the city yet, when the leader of our enemies is merely an angry child?"

"Because… because we are not strong enough! Not yet!"

Slimes sighed, shaking his head. "Sadly, that is the wrong answer. I am done with waiting for a perfect world, and I am done with trying methods that clearly don't work. I spent fifteen years trying to keep everyone safe. But clearly to make a perfect world it must be done with force. They'll never learn otherwise. We can't be hurt if they're all gone from the face of the earth. United as one, we could make a better world. One where we are all finally able to live in peace."

The leader put his foot down. "I refuse."

"Well, then… I guess you've proven my point.", Slimes said, stepping closer to the leader, who began to grow uncomfortable.

"By force it is."

Putting his hands on the leader's neck, Slime snapped.

And the leader fell down, instantly dead.

The crowd erupted, but not in anger, in wild applause. A violent ascension to power was more than welcome in this group.

Slimes resumed his gaze at them, starting a new speech, as he raised his fist in salute. "No more will we be hated! No more will we be hurt! From now on, this world will be perfect! From now on…"

He closed his eyes, and felt the beauty of it all. "My family will be safe."

He opened his eyes and cried out "We are no longer the front line of defense! From now on: WE ARE THE LINE!"

"WE ARE THE LINE! WE ARE THE LINE! WE ARE THE LINE!", the crowd screamed, and as they did, Slimes finally felt like he could save his city and his family.

He then placed a hand in his jacket and removed it: The mask of the man who cut his eye. Who taught him that the world only works when you make it to.

He placed the mask on his own face, letting it envelope his head. When he spoke, his breathing was pained, and his voice was cold, calculated, and precise.

"…I am the line."

The sun was starting to set when The Grandfather found Grime sitting on the front steps, head in his hands, clearly distraught.

"You are troubled.", he stated matter of factly, looking down at the Toad.

Grime didn't bother to look up. "Hard not to be."

The Grandfather shrugged, and, sitting down, placed a comforting hand on Grime's shoulder.

"It's that girl, isn't it? I've seen the way you look at her."

Grime cringed at the gesture, and grimaced. He turned to look at the old frog, feeling guilt as he expressed his thoughts. "Why are you being nice to me? You're here because of me!"

The Grandfather firmly shook his head. "No. I am here because of your father. You, up until now, have had no chance to question those decisions."

Grime seemed to doubt that, and he closed his eyes in pain. "Well, I saw you that day, when I was young, when my mother brought me here. I remember my shock. I should have done something."

"And if you had, your father would have killed you."

Grime slowly opened his eyes as he realized that that was true. His father WOULD have killed him.

…That was a lot to digest.

"Well… Well you're still here, aren't you? You should be angry, you should be disappointed!"

The Grandfather chuckled lightly, further confusing Grime. "Young people. Always so confident, yet so ashamed at existing. Thinking every mistake they make ends the world."

He patted the Toad's shoulder. "I remember that day. I remember how frightened you were. You wouldn't have been if you didn't have a capacity for kindness, for good. And you are still appalled at all this. That's good, Grime. That means you are not lost."

The Grandfather stared right into his eyes. "But you are now presented with a choice. This time, you have the say. And what you say will define you in many ways."

Grime had to admit, there was logic to that statement. "…Well, I just gave up on helping my Annie, so I probably failed."

"Well… It's not too late. She just set off. You can catch up. The window is still open. Will you go through it, is the question?"

Grime was about to nod when he realized what Annie was gonna do. "No, no! She's gonna try to steal all that food! The security in such a place… It won't to, she'll end up hurting you rather than helping you!"

Grime shot up, rearing to go, his breathing rapid and panicking. The Grandfather smiled proudly. "So you are willing to make the choice?"

Grime stopped and looked back at him. He felt shame once more, but also hope. "I… I never agreed with all this. But Annie was right, I was standing aside, letting this happen. If I truly believe in helping, then surely I must do it."

He strengthened his heart. "…And I will. I promise you: No frogs will suffer by my hand again. I will be who I want to be. And you will get to live, as that is what… What everyone deserve."

The Grandfather smiled proudly once more. "…Yes. I see it now."

"See what?"

"…You have your father's face, but your mother's heart."

Grime didn't show it, but he had happy tears on his face as he set off after Annie, ready to do what is right once and for all.

The plan was simple.

The Toad base had been found, near the border, near the city guard's posts.

All that had to be done was to march down on the base, and with Slimes' superior tech, and their numerical advantage with the guard, they would win in mere seconds.

And then, for now…

It would be over.

"Everyone remember your positions: We're surrounding their base, so cover all the exits. We have more men, we can easily contain any attacks they make.". Thorn instructed, her voice firm and true, as the guards all listened to her in their armored truck that slowly made its way to the location.

Their heavy armor shook and shivered, making clinking sounds, as Thorn kept on issuing instructions, and Slimes drove. As he drove, the forest to his right showed up, and Toad nationalists head popped out to await instructions. He signed for them to get ready.

"Once we have the place surrounded, Slimes, me, and a bunch of you will storm in with the gravity balls and pin their leader down to the ground. Once he's down, they'll be desperate to save him. We can use that to our advantage."

The guards all made sure their gravity balls were in their pockets, and they tightened their gear. Slimes, meanwhile, patted the mask in his jacket. Soon he could stop pretending. Looking down at his phone, he saw the text that popped up.

"Liftoff."

He nodded appreciatively. Another text appeared right after, stating "Trains and Buses boarded."

"All according to plan.", Slimes thought as he swerved left to park the car near the base.

Thorn tightened her gear, her black cloak and hood now on. She took a deep breath and addressed the men one last time. "Remember… No one dies today."

Slimes was less sure about that.

Finally, the truck parked, and Thorn and the guards exited from the back end, and began to sneak around to cover the exits, Thorn staying in place with 3 guards, awaiting Slimes. They all had their swords up, and they all had gravity balls ready in their hands.

The sun was up. The time for change was now.

"Everyone in position?", Thorn radioed to the regiment.

Before anyone could answer, Slimes nodded at someone behind him, and the entire guard got silently taken down, replaced with the Toad Nationalists, all already geared up to look like the guard, armed with guns and gravity balls, excepting the ones next to Thorn, who still had swords.

"Roger that.", a Toad Nationalist radioed back, a little malice in his voice.

Thorn nodded with approval, and she gave a thumbs up sign to Slimes and the three toad nationalists behind her.

"We're moving in.", she ordered, and she raised her hand to show a finger.

"On the count of three."

She narrowed her eyes. "One…"

Slimes prepared his gun, knowing exactly where the first bullet would go.

The other Nationalists went over the plan in their heads, each one knowing exactly where they would be positioned.

"Two…"

The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. This was it, the moment that would save Amphibia City.

Thorn let herself smile, just a little. Dad wouldn't have died in vain.

"Three!"

She kicked the door down and ran in, letting out a battle cry, pointing her sword and throwing her gravity ball at an…

Empty throne?

The throne got trapped under the pressure, and Thorn stood there for a moment, completely confused. As she looked around, it got worse: No one was there. The entire room was deserted.

"W…What?", Thorn asked no one in particular, failing to comprehend her current situation.

"Not what. Who."

Thorn turned around to the sound of her brother's voice…

And met the sound of his gun blasting a bullet through what was supposed to be a bulletproof vest provided by him.

The seething pain of the bullet lodged in her stomach, taking her breath away and making her already bleed heavily, but it was nothing compared to the shock of seeing her brother shoot her with his gun. She was agape, and before she could say another word…

"Get her, boys!", a Toad Nationalist cried, and the men ran in and aimed their guns at her, shooting the rope bullets Slimes had invented, restraining and binding her in an instant. The ropes strangled her body, and she couldn't even budge.

She could barely talk too, but from shock rather than the ropes. She was still struggling to piece together thoughts as Slimes walked up the throne, pressed a button on his remote to depower the gravity ball, and, once he put the seat right up, sat on it and sighed contently.

"You must be wondering what this is all about, Sis."

Thorn sputtered out her words, eyes wide and scared. "Wh…Wh… What is… What are you…"

"That's easy to answer. I didn't know for a long time myself. But now I understand: I am the solution."

"…To what?!", Thorn demanded, still failing to get it.

Slimes smirked at her, shaking his head. "You refuse to understand. Close minded, like all of your kind to mine. Is it not obvious, even to you, dear sis? This is the revolution."

When she connected the dots, Thorn's heart shattered into a million pieces. She felt the tears flood out immediately, and her throat struggled to voice her pain. "I… No… No… No, Bro, no…"

Slimes sighed, a hand on his face, as his men guarded him with their guns. "How predictable. You think I'd just join the Nationalists with no reason?"

"I didn't… I didn't believe you could even consider that idea.", Thorn choked out, betrayal lacing her words.

"But I do, and I must. I've spent fifteen years figuring out this crisis our city is under, and I've finally understood the root cause of the problem."

Slimes stood up, pointing outside, now towering over Thorn, who laid on the ground, still bleeding heavily. A doctor suddenly came in, and began to remove the bullet. "Out there, the frogs, newts and salamanders treat us like beasts and brutes, mere cattle to protect them when necessary. We are your shields, deflecting the consequences of your own crimes."

Thorn grimaced, her eyes narrowed, hate beginning to enter her voice. "This isn't you. This… You know that's not true."

"I'm the only one who knows. The only one who can save this city. My whole life, I've been told I'm not smart because I'm a toad. But it was your inferior species making up for it's shortcomings."

Slimes walked up to her, kneeling down and placing her head on his hand, seemingly sympathetic. "You nearly killed the frog nationalist leader, because you're not smart. The Newts couldn't win a fight to save their lives. The Salamanders have little to no use. Toads are stronger, smarter, and unlike your conflicted people, we are of one mind."

"What about the guards? Are they not Toads?", Thorn asked, hoping to pierce his armor, to get through to him. She had to. This must be a dream, or a mistake, or brainwash…

"No. They have betrayed us. They're allied with you, and your filthy kind. Once I'm done… Only the real toads will live."

Thorn had to distract him. Long enough to escape her ropes. Then maybe she could knock some sense back into him. She began to subtly loosen her binds as she spoke. "Last time I checked, BROTHER, you're a half toad."

Slimes shook his head, as if to a child messing up a simple addition problem. "They don't mind. A toad is a toad."

"And yet you want us to protect this mongrel?"

Slimes turned towards the voice in the crowd that spoke up. Thorn sighed in relief. This won her some time.

Slimes' condescending smile left, replaced with a frown. "What do you mean?"

The Toad Nationalist, realizing he was the only one thinking this way, kept on anyway. "We… We are only accepting of pure breeds, yet here you are, a mixed, walking around like you own the place. You're bad enough. Why shouldn't we kill her on the spot?"

Slimes barely bothered to look at him. He had no time for this. "Silence."

"No, you… You won't silence me! I've been here for years! If anything, I should be in charge! I'm a real Toad!"

The Toad stopped talking, breathing heavily, and Slimes kept on walking to him, slowly, surely, confidence emitting from him like a blinding light. He had worked out a lot over the past five years, and thanks to having always been a sort of large child, he was now towering over the Toad like he was but an insect.

Placing a firm yet soft palm on his shoulder, he stared into his eyes and asked "…Do you feel in charge?"

The room grew silent. The Toad couldn't say a word as he realized just how afraid he was, just how determined this Slimes was.

And then Slimes choked him to death.

"NO!", Thorn screamed, sobbing uncontrollably, as Slimes dropped the body onto the ground and turned to the terrified crowd.

"Anyone else?"

Not a toad stirred. They all looked at him with fear and awe.

Slimes turned to Thorn, his jacket collar pointed up. "Finally. Like minded people, who see the world as it is."

Thorn, tears still streaming down her face, disagreed. "I thought like that once, and I was wrong, Bro! I was wrong! Killing them… It's not our job."

"No. It is our responsibility. It's a simple calculation, Sis. Kill one, and you only ask for chaos. But kill all of them…"

He leaned down again and looked into her eyes, madness emitting from them, horrifyingly sure of his own way. "…And no one can ever hurt our family again."

"You're… You're wrong."

"I'm necessary. This city needs to be reborn, under my guidance. It will be a city of truth, of justice, of liberty."

"For those who deserve it.", he added with venom.

He stood up again, and took out his radio, while Thorn, red faced and broken, tried to free herself from the ropes. She was almost out, she could stop him.

Slimes, without looking, pointed to her, and two toads shot her in the legs.

"AAAAA!", She screamed in pain, her vision getting blurry.

"Prepare the gravity balls. T-Minus two minutes."

Thorn, barely able to speak now, finally reached her last straw. All she could do was beg for her brother.

So she did.

"Brother… This isn't you. I don't care if you were brainwashed, or… Or manipulated, or whatever. This ISN'T you! This isn't you!"

She kept screaming it, as if perhaps doing that would will it into existence. That perhaps it would bring back her little brother, who she held in her arms so long ago and vowed to protect.

"THIS ISN'T YOU! YOU'RE MY BABY BROTHER, SLIMES CROAKER!"

"MY NAME…", Shouted Slimes out of nowhere, as he reached into his jacket and placed the mask on his face and took a heavy deep breath.

"…Is Captain Claws."

He stared down at her, as she gazed with fear at his new appearance. "And I'm going to save Amphibia City."

Walking off, he left Thorn trapped with a doctor tending to her, screaming his name over and over, before finally collapsing into darkness.

The truck took no time to reach the heart of the city. A flair for the dramatic, Captain Claws asked the bombers to wait another few minutes.

When the doors opened, Claws disembarked, and began walking down the street towards the new capitol building. It was a busy Monday morning, and everyone was staring at his strange appearance. That is, while they could. Anyone who was a frog, newt, or salamander was instantly shot by the dozens of guards he had, who were firing bullets like crazy every which way.

Panic started in the streets, people screamed and fell and ran, cars honked constantly, and you could barely hear a word being spoken, except for Claws'.

"The police will be here soon. Time for the cavalry."

Taking out his radio, he contacted his men. "Are the gravity bombs in the planes? Good."

Claws spoke with steely determination. "Bring them down to earth."

He then contacted the other team, and ordered "Start the fire."

The police arrived as soon as he said that, hundreds of them pointing their guns at him, dozens of cars blaring their sirens as loud as possible. A SWAT team had even appeared, and they completely covered the capitol.

"Hands up, you freak!"

Claws, as relaxed as possible, raised his arms and began talking. "Ah, you've arrived! Excellent!"

The police and SWAT's all looked at each other, unsure and scared. "…What do you mean?"

You couldn't really see it, but Claws was smirking. "You're just in time for your judgment from above!"

The Police and SWATS slowly looked up, and careening towards them were the airplanes, dragged down by the gravity balls, approaching at top speed.

"GET DOWN!", a Policeman shouted, and they all dove to the ground and ran off, hoping to escape, but six commercial airlines were hard to dodge. Claws, meanwhile, raised his shield, as did the other Nationalists.

"Shields on, gentlemen!"

The shields turned into protective armor, armor Claws had perfected the night before to finally survive nearly the hardest of explosions.

They wouldn't be able to stand the heat of the explosion. But that was fine. The armor would keep them alive, and that was what mattered.

The planes finally crashed onto the ground, sending an explosion of dust and hellfire into the sky, creating a deep crater in the middle of the earth. Houses were on fire, and the capitol steps were nearly all broken, tainted with the dirt of the ground.

The armored men had been sent back by the explosion, but thanks to the durable shields, they just managed to survive. Claws, brushing off the dirt off of his pants, simply walked towards the building, with no one trying to stop him.

As he ascended the steps, a small group of citizens, who had just come out of their houses to understand what the hell had happened, were all staring at him with shock as he grabbed the microphone from the podium. Apparently, the President was supposed to deliver a speech. He hadn't even come out until now, and he too was now staring with utter shock and alarm.

Claws addressed him for a moment, and then gazed back at another group of his men, who had hijacked the news truck so they could film this moment in history.

Back in her house, Faye had the TV on, but she wasn't paying attention. She had spent her night mourning her husband, and she had spent her morning living with the guilt that it must have been her fault, that she drove him to this because of her injuries.

And she would have kept on thinking about this, her black mourning dress embracing her tightly, if the TV hadn't begun showing someone she could recognize, mask or not.

She had no words as he spoke. There were only so many times one could exclaim after having their heart broken.

"People of Amphibia City! Lend me your ears!"

Claws closed his eyes, taking in the moment. After all these years, here he was, speaking at the capitol to the people, saving them from their own sins.

Finally… He was the city's hero.

Finally he was his family's hero.

"You must be wondering why I have crashed your planes. Why I have my men at this very moment crashing your trains, your subways, your buses. Why your streets are on fire."

The people didn't know what to say to this, all they could do was stare as Claws kept on talking, presenting his grand plan as some sort of… Divine intervention, as if he were imparting a gift rather than hell.

"It is merely your reward! For you see… You deserve far worse than death. But I have taken pity on you! Instead of torturing you all slowly and painfully, you will all die instantaneously, thanks to a little project I'm working on! Think of it as your holy damnation before you enter the fiery pits of hell."

"I'm sorry, but who do you think you are to just walk in here and take over my city?!", the President demanded to know, getting angry.

Claws turned to him, making the President flinch. He turned back to the people and pointed at the man. "You see what we Toads must put up with? While you live out here in the sun, we must protect it for you, and never enjoy it for ourselves!"

The people didn't agree with Claws, but they had to admit that what he was saying sounded logical. Toads had always been discriminated, it was just being shoved under the rug.

"This man…", Claws, announced, pointing at the President. "This filthy frog… I gave seven of my life for his guard. But he didn't care who I was until I put on the mask."

Claws cleared his throat as the President backed down, and he resumed his speech. He looked down at all of them, and he found the view intoxicating. Any time he moved, they all flinched, fearing what he could do. Finally, they were suffering like he had. Finally he was the one delivering the pain.

It felt…

Good.

"I used to walk among you. You used to walk all over me. I am a Toad, a mixed breed, and for that digression, you kept trying to bring me down. Well, I'm here to bring you down to your knees."

Claws pointed to his eyes. "Fifteen years ago, a frog, a salamander and a newt attacked my family at the capitol building. They removed my sister's arms, they handicapped my mother, and me…"

He chuckled lightly. It all felt so right, and he was enjoying how it had all turned out. "Ironic. He blinded my eye, scarred the other one, yet he is the one that opened them for me. Nothing makes sense unless your force it too. Nothing works unless you make it to. You… Inferior species, you refused to accept my kind. It's time to return the favor! By next week, you will all be dead, outside of the Toads I deem worthy of survival! And we will build a new city, a better one!"

He closed his eyes and whispered with a tone of glory in his voice. "A Toad Town."

Claws then looked at them again and finished. "You have one week until the fire consumes you. Use it wisely."

Suddenly, as Claws turned, The President lifted a sword and pointed it right at him. "No… I won't let you! I AM THE PRESIDENT!"

Claws merely tiled his head in humor. He deflected the sword, and, grabbing it, sliced the president's head clean off.

The crowd screamed, beginning to run off, and Claws presented the head to the camera. "This was your president. He failed to protect you, Toads of Amphibia City. I, on the other hand, will not. I am Captain Claws. And Amphibia City is finally yours."

He grinned maliciously. "Take your venegence."

And as the transmission ended, Faye stared in shock, gaping at what she had seen.

Her boy…

Her little boy…

Her baby…

Her eyes narrowed and her fists clenched.

She had to go. Now. Talk to him. He would listen to his mother. He had to!

She started to wheel off towards the door, but as she reached it, two Toad Nationalists blocked her way, holding large spears.

"What are you doing in my house?", she asked, enraged. She tried to move past, but they kept blocking her off.

"Orders of Captain Claws. His mother must be kept here at all costs, until he calls upon her."

Faye grimaced, the vivid images of what her son had done crossing her mind. "Please… I must see him."

"You will, Ms. Croaker. Claws has plans for you."

Faye sighed in defeat. She'd have to wait to save her son.

The question was: Was it too late?

"…How did I not see this? Why didn't I… It's my fault…"

Tears streamed down her cheeks. "My boy… I killed my boy!"

And as Faye sobbed her soul out, Claws stared at the capitol building, the new one, but one that looked just like the old one, where he dreamed of being, and where he had been reborn.

He slowly approached it's marble white columns, and felt the workmanship. So smooth, like silk almost, the purest white tint.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "…I promised you, Mom."

Stepping away, he took a torch and set a flame, and the building was soon engulfed. The building began to turn black, and the smell of burning wood filled the air.

Gazing at the fire he started, Claws smiled softly.

"…I have saved my city."

"Garcon?", a snooty sounding overweight woman with a powdered wig signaled for the waiter to come by. She didn't bother to look at him, fanning herself exaggeratedly.

"Yes, madam?", asked the Garcon, attempting to hide the clear disdain in his voice with a fake smile as fake as his toupee. Hands behind his back, he flipped her off.

The madam let out a troubled sigh, the kind that says "Woe is my life, and woe is me", and she asked "I do believe I am hearing strange noises coming from the roof. I would hope this place is free of any pests, Garcon. I have no time for such trivialities."

"Madam, I can assure you that any and all pests have been exterminated from the premises a long time ago. You could lick the floor, so to speak.", The waiter said, trying not to curse under his breath as what an annoying pest she was.

The madam laughed haughtily, shaking her head and continuing to fan herself. "I have my doubts, Garcon, what with that vermin frog girl that was here yesterday! Toads talk, garcon!"

"Perhaps a little too much…", the waiter muttered and he excused himself. "Will that be all?"

"Quite."

The waiter went back to his post, and Annie, up in the ventilation system, rolled her eyes in disgust. "I won't regret stealing from her."

Slowly crawling towards the opening to the main dining floor (since stealing from the kitchen wouldn't be as effective), Annie gagged at the conversations she could hear. What a bunch of pompous pricks! Waxing poetical about how horrible it is that the champagne isn't quite chilled, or that the country club won't be open on Friday. There were far more important things in life, and they were hoarding those things from Frogs who needed them a lot more.

"Someone should do something! So I guess it'll have to be lil' ol' me!"

Loosening the bolts, Annie removed the vent opening, happy it didn't make some sort of weird noise. Now all she had to do was tongue a section of the floor or the wall, and, with a little luck, she would slip by unnoticed.

"Hopefully they'll keep looking up in the air with their closed eyes.", Annie begged, and she began to position her mouth to unleash her long tongue.

Out it went, splatting a little too loudly onto a part of the floor. Annie shuddered. "That floor could be a little cleaner, waiter."

Brushing aside the horrible taste in her mouth, Annie began to lower herself quietly, hitting the floor, but still unnoticed. Her nose was a little busted now, and she had some red marks on her face. Looking up, she made a thumbs up. "Nailed it!", she cried, before silencing herself and ducking under a table.

Looking up, she saw that no one had noticed yet. Perfect. She was getting too lucky, though. Quite sloppy. She had to be more careful.

Peeking from under the table, she spied the meal that was about to be daintily devoured by some diva. It was a roast maggot, and it looked delicious. Annie could barely stop herself from licking her lips, but this wasn't for her. She refocused, and tried to come up with a distraction for the diva.

"But I need something clever enough to fool that Toad long enough to steal the food.", Annie thought to herself, before accidentally speaking outloud. "It's not like I can just say "don't look" and she…"

The diva closed her eyes. "Ok, mystery guest! I'll keep my eyes closed!"

Annie blinked in confusion and she waved her hand in front of the diva. She kept her eyes closed, not wavering.

Annie looked at the food and then back at the woman. She waved her hand again.

"Take your time! Surprises shouldn't be rushed!"

Annie looked back at the food. She slowly but surely took the dish and again looked at the diva.

Not being able to resist, she stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry.

Giggling, she tongued back to the vent and placed the dish deep inside the vent so it wouldn't fall. "The way this is going, this will be a piece of cake!"

"Speaking of…", she thought, wiggling her eyebrows as she noticed a large strawberry cake, ten whole layers of heaven, all for one plump banker Toad.

"Look at how fat you are, good sir! I think you can spare a little!", Annie thought to herself, as she crawled to the other opening and tongued herself right down next to him. Thankfully, he was so distracted by his cake that he didn't even notice. He also had dozens of packs of beetle jerky ("Odd mix", Annie thought), so Annie scooped those into her pockets as she circled the table, trying to figure out this conundrum.

"I mean, they're not all going to be as dumb as the last one. This could take some thinking.", Annie commented, and she scratched her chin, searching her brain for a solution.

Suddenly, a crumb dropped from the banker's plate, and he lunged at the floor to eat it up, looking like a flailing whale.

"Bingo!", Annie thought, and she took a pack of beetle jerky and threw it into the kitchen, hoping it would distract the cooks long enough to steal some other things.

It worked, of course. The banker dashed into the kitchen, crashing into everything, causing an uproar and distracting the other patrons. Annie, recognizing her opportunity, ran as fast as she could, stealing the cake and shoving firefly egg rolls into her pockets.

Back in the vents, she was grinning at her supply. This would only be enough for a day, probably, but it was SOMETHING and that was a lot better than nothing.

"I should probably leave now. Take no chances at being found…", Annie thought, only to spot something really delicious: a sea monster special.

The meal was so large it took three tables to hold it, and even then it was dipping over the sides, wafting a smell so good Annie began to drool.

"I can't wait to only eat a quarter of this and throw the rest away!", the pompous madam who had spoken to the waiter earlier announced to all, laughing haughtily once more.

Annie narrowed her eyes. The risk was worth it.

Opening the vent once more, she tongued herself down to the madam's table, hiding under the table cloth, eyeing her asshole victim. How was she gonna distract this one? Perhaps she should wait for her to eat a quarter of it, and get the rest to the family?

"…No. People like her don't deserve rewards.", Annie thought, and she thought back to the conversation between the madam and the waiter. "You don't like pests, huh?", Annie thought, a naughty grin spreading on her face.

She crawled towards the Madam just as she began to take a bite from the sea monster special. Clearing her throat, she knocked on the bottom of the table, and said "Pest noises, pest noises."

Annie, of course, wasn't sure this would work. She didn't really know how to imitate pests, so she hoped that the madam was at least stupid enough to be distracted by the mere utterance of the words, maybe enough to go to the kitchen and ask…

"AAAA PESTS!", she screamed, leaping onto the chandelier and squealing loudly.

Annie emerged from the table and looked up at her. She picked up the sea monster, barely keeping it in her hands it was so slippery. Laughing, she whispered "Got em!" and she bolted towards the vent.

But just as she began to tongue her way in…

"WHAT ON AMPHIBIA ARE YOU DOING, FROG?!"

"Crap! Busted!", Annie thought, and she turned to see the waiter staring at her with buggy eyes, clearly pissed. This wasn't good. He could take her to the sheriff, Grime would have to bail her out, and no one would gain anything. How could she have fucked up so bad?

Annie thought of the family she was letting down. Why had she not been just a little more careful? Why hadn't she stopped at what she had? She didn't NEED to bring the sea monster, but…

For once it felt like she was helping. Like she could really do something for someone else.

But of course, she had to fail.

Because she was Annie Lilypad.

She stared at the floor, forlorn, as the waiter carried her towards the exit, hurting her arm as he did. "You're lucky I don't feel particularly violent today, frog, or I'd happily leave you with a permanent reminder of your insolence…"

"EVERYBODY STOP!"

Annie looked up in surprise, recognizing the voice but struggling to believe it was…

"Lieutenant Grime!", the waiter said, and he bowed slowly, as did the rest of the restaurant. Grime scowled, and he pointed at Annie, who grinned sheepishly at him. "What are you doing with this fair lady?"

Annie blushed. Fair lady? He said it like he meant it. That was just… Amazing.

"Um… You may not have noticed, your princeliness, but that's… That's a frog."

"Um, like, go fuck yourself.", Annie shot back, and the waiter tightened his grip. Grime wanted to punch him, but he knew he couldn't do that, not without putting Annie in trouble.

But he had to put a stop to this! He had come to help Annie with her plan, and also save her, but it seemed like only the latter was now possible.

But as he thought of what to do, he noticed the waiter was visibly flinching from his angry look.

He remembered how that farmer's market once all bowed to him. He remembered how horrible it felt. That position.

That power.

The authority to make people quake in front of you.

It terrified him. The idea that he had such power over others.

But perhaps…

Annie had talked earlier about how he had that authority over those people. How he could, theoretically, do whatever he wanted to do to help those people.

Perhaps… There was a way to use this power, this fear…

For good.

Grime was still a little hesitant, but when Annie winced in pain for a second, his doubt died instantly.

No one would hurt innocent people anymore under his watch.

And NO ONE hurt his angel.

"Put her down.", he ordered.

"…What? My prince, are you ok?"

Grime took a deep breath. This was his chance to prove. To prove that he truly cared about those less fortunate. That he truly wanted to change. To be a better person, a person who doesn't just stand by while people are hurt.

To prove that he truly cared about Annie.

He stepped closer, staring with silent rage into the waiter's eyes. "Let. Her. Go."

He placed a hand on the waiter's shoulders, sending a chill down the waiter's spine. "Now."

The waiter let go of Annie, who immediately ran to Grime's side.

"What has… Come over you?", the waiter asked, shocked.

"I've finally opened my eyes." Grime replied simply, and walking to the middle of the room, he decided to take the plunge.

"As your future Captain, I order all of you to leave this restaurant. I own it now."

The patrons gasped, dropping forks and knives onto their plates. The waiter nearly fainted. Annie gasped too, surprised at where this was going.

Grime, feeling more powerful, more honorable by the second, kept on going, thinking of all the suffering those families had been going through, their bad living conditions, their little food, their little warmth.

"This ends. Now."

Pointing at the kitchen Grime told the waiter "I own this place now. That means you work for me."

"Lieutenant Grime, with all due respect…"

"I am your prince, no? I can order you to do anything… Right?", Grime asked, nearly growling. Annie nodded defiantly, loving this. "Yeah, he can tell you whatever he wants, bitch!"

"Annie, ix nay on the itch-bay. I've got this.", he winked, and she nodded, zipping her mouth up excitedly.

The Waiter still looked shocked, failing to understand. "I mean… I guess that IS true…"

"Then you work for me. From now on, this restaurant will be a soup kitchen/homeless shelter for the frogs who live in the Toad Town slums."

"I'M SORRY?!", the waiter said, and Grime placed a hand around his throat, beginning to tighten.

"Unless you want to end up like what you were planning for that girl, I suggest you get on with the cooking. And if I hear a single word about how Frogs are lesser than you… Death will be the least of your concerns. I am your future Captain. Pray I do not alter this deal further."

The Waiter saw it in his eyes: He was serious.

Grime, meanwhile, felt… Good.

Finally, he was using the negative parts of his life, his position, his personality, to help those who needed him.

Maybe he really was better than his father…

Maybe he really was changing…

Annie looked at him as the waiter began to order the patrons to leave with a proud smile and a warm heart. "So not only did you save me, but you totally helped all the frog families? Grime, how do you get hotter by the minute?"

Grime blushed, suddenly getting sheepish again. "I wasn't too angry, right? I don't want to hurt anyone again."

"I think you just passed.", Annie winked, and she kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."

Grime shook his head. "No. Thank you."

"For what?"

Grime beamed. "For reminding me who I really am and what I really believe in. I promise you: No frogs will ever be hurt again."

He kissed her cheek too. "You ok?"

Annie smiled softly and hugged him. "…You're you again. Of course I am."

"You're up. Good."

Thorn shook herself awake, finding herself stuck in a cage, no longer tied up. She found a cup of coffee and a breakfast tray with orange juice, fried eggs, beetle jerky and toast laid right next to her. She ignored it, however, for someone… Something a lot more important was staring right at her.

"Slimes…"

Claws sighed, standing up, his heavy breathing sending a chill down Thorn's spine. He sounded so monstrous…

He was monstrous…

She lunged at him, grabbing the bars of her cage, growling with righteous rage.

"I missed you too, Thorn."

Claws began to circle her cage, sounding oddly… Worried.

"Did they remove the bullets properly?"

"Wouldn't have had to. But you made a choice, didn't you?", Thorn shot back, venom spitting from her words. Her palms were hurting from how hard she held her bars.

Claws stopped in front of her and looked into her eyes, making her step back for a moment, but still keep her stare. "I did. And the city is better for it."

"I don't know what happened outside, but I don't need to hear from you. You've killed this city.", Thorn accused, still so full of anger. They were so close, but Slimes… Claws had blown them all to kingdom come.

"Not yet, Thorn. Not yet."

"How can it ever happen? I already told you you'd never be able to kill them all!", Thorn protested, hoping that somehow deep inside him a part of Slimes still lived, and her real brother could hear her, hear logic.

But she was wrong.

Claws suddenly grinned maliciously, reaching into his jacket. "Once more, dear sister, I am right and you are wrong. Must get tiring being such a failure."

Thorn shook with anger, tears flowing down. "You used to love me. We were best friends. Despite our differences… You were my world, Sli… Claws."

"…We still can be. If you go back to being who you used to be. You used to understand that these people didn't listen to reason. Just to blood."

"And once more I ask: How?"

Claws took out something from his jacket, and while she couldn't see his grin, she could feel it.

And it terrified her.

"Thorn, allow me to introduce to you my greatest invention!", Claws said, almost sounding like he used to when he showed her his inventions.

She used to love the pride in his voice.

She used to love him.

Claws circled her again, explaining the invention's uses and origins, while Thorn tried to settle her stomach. "Originally it was going to be a teleportation device to other worlds, and it can still do that if I find the need to do so. But it is going to be so much more in six days."

Ominous words. Thorn wasn't sure she could escape without more time. Not without Claws distracted, at least.

"How?", Thorn asked, trying to get any and all information she could receive.

"Simple. With the help of some scientists and warlocks, I am going to infuse this device with dark magic, strong enough to allow me to make any wish I should desire."

Thorn's eyes widened and her heart raced. With such a device…

Claws laughed, enjoying her reaction. "What I could do with this, Thorn! What… What we could do with this!"

"There's no we.", Thorn immediately stated, but Claws pressed on.

"Despite your clear blindness to reality, I still am very fond of you, sister. You were there for me, and I am doing all this for our family! Imagine what we could do! We could heal my eyes, your arms! We could help all those poor toads, like you always wanted to! We could shape the heavens themselves!"

Suddenly, after getting so excited, Claws' tone changed, and it seemed like Slimes broke through, if but for a moment. "I… I already lost Dad. Please… Please don't make me lose you too. Don't you see? You can save the world like you always wanted to! You'll finally be happy, like I promised you all those years ago!"

He grabbed her hand, encouraging her with his eyes, full of hope. "I want you to be happy, Thorn!"

Once… Once perhaps, Thorn would have entertained the notion, at the very least of an instant solution.

And just for a moment, she wondered…

What if? What if she could take the box before he did, and fix the world, with no death?

But as soon as it came it left.

"…That Thorn is dead. Like you, Slimes. I know now that change doesn't just happen like that. And especially not by killing entire species."

She turned around, her back facing him. "There's a better way. I'll find it. No matter what."

"…You disappoint me, Thorn. I thought…", Claws started, before turning angry. "Always, ALWAYS TELLING ME I'M WRONG! THINKING I'M SOME IDIOT! YOU DON'T WANT TO SAVE ME, TO SAVE OUR FAMILY, YOU WANT TO SAVE THE PEOPLE WHO HURT OUR FAMILY!"

"THOSE PEOPLE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO YOU! YOU CAN'T KILL AN ENTIRE SPECIES FOR THE ACTIONS OF A FEW!"

"THEY'RE ALL GUILTY! AND I WON'T REST UNTIL ONLY THOSE WHO ARE TRULY PERFECT LIVE! THEN MOM WILL BE SAFE!"

"You, on the other hand…", Claws whispered, and suddenly he grabbed her by the throat, choking her.

Thorn, shocked, struggle to breath as Claws squeezed her neck, enjoying her pain. "Now you can get a taste of what I felt like every day. If you won't join me… Then you can die with the rest of your frog filth when the box is ready."

He dropped her to the floor and began to leave, as Thorn coughed for air. Growling, fire in her eyes, she screamed after him "You're not going to get away with this! I'll stop you!"

Claws swiveled his head and shook it. "No. Not this time. I am the only one who can save this city. And when I'm done… I'll gaze upon a grateful Amphibia. One where monsters like you are gone… One where I'm finally in charge."

He showed her the box one more time. "You can't stop The Calamity Box, Thorn. You can't stop me."

Leaving the room, Claws ignored Thorn's screams.

And he smiled.

"Oh my Frog, Grime, that was so amazing!"

They had been walking back to the slums to deliver the news now for about twenty minutes, and Annie was still expressing her amazement at what Grime had done over at the restaurant, seemingly hovering in the air from her bounces from her constant state of excitement.

Grime too was a little excited, but not just because of what he had done, or that for once he had done something truly good and he was actually feeling ok with himself for once.

The thoughts that had been racing in his head and heart were back, and it felt like THIS was the time to finally do it, to finally ask.

"Yeah… I guess that was pretty amazing.", Grime replied, and Annie stared at him like he had just said something crazy.

"That's crazy talk!"

Ah, yeah, I was right.

"Grime, that wasn't pretty amazing, that was super amazing! You were so brave!", Annie enthused, making Grime blush as she bounced around, clapping her hands. "There's more to be done, obviously, but you just made those Frog's lives so much better!"

"Well, you would know. You make my life better.", Grime complimented, a little shy. He was still a little wary about telling her, but he was getting braver by the second.

Annie blushed hard and she tried to hide her face with her hands. "Thank you…", she said, sounding muffled.

Grime stared at her. The moonlight bounced off of her. Her smile made him feel like he could soar through the night sky. He had to tell her. It was now or never.

He loved her. He had to tell her.

"Well, you know…", he started, closing his eyes in fear. "You were brave too. Braver, really."

Annie stopped in place and looked at him again as if he had something crazy. She raised her hands in question. "What are you talking about, Grime? I wasn't brave, I nearly got caught and ruined the whole thing! If it weren't for you…"

"Well, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have done this. Or at least, I wouldn't have been able to do it successfully.", Grime reaffirmed, clasping her hands, making Annie's cheeks heat up. He was so soft…

Grime roused his bravery and stared right into her beautiful eyes, eyes like diamonds that sparkled in the night. "You could have died. But you took that risk for those people you barely met. Because… Because you're brave."

He clasped tighter, as if to make his point sharper. "And you're beautiful. And smart. And funny. And you make me…"

He stated it with such assurance, to make her see it was a fact. "Annie… You make me want to live."

Annie was already tearing up a bit, and she smiled widely at him as he showered her with praise. "Grime, you're making me blush, I'm not that…"

"No. You are.", Grime said, putting his foot down metaphorically. "You keep saying that you don't know who you are, that you're just Annie. But you're not just Annie. Not just Annie… To me, at least. Cause to me… Annie… You're the best."

Grime pointed to his heart, getting more and more emotional, struggling to pace his breathing. "I… I… You make me feel… Feel good. I don't want to lose this feeling. I… I want to feel like this forever. I want to feel you forever, and maybe, just maybe… Make you feel the same."

Annie was full on crying now, she had never felt so loved, it was almost like she could also be someone.

And then Grime suddenly went down, and Annie's eyes widened.

Grime looked up, his eyes earnest and true, love spilling from his words. "Annie… I know… I know we just met… I know… I know this is fast… But I… I love you too much. I want to make you feel… The way you make me feel… I want to… To love you until the end of time."

He held her hand, since he did not have the customary item, and, with a shaking voice and shivering lips, he asked.

"Annie Lilypad… Will you… Will you marry me?"

Annie didn't say anything, but she went down and looked right into his eyes and clasped his face, vibrating with happiness. "I… I know we just met… But yes. A million times YES!"

Grime and Annie laughed excitedly, kissing passionately with their eyes closed and their hearts open. Parting, they looked around and saw they were still alone. It was nighttime, and no one could see them.

Annie grinned at Grime and winked. "May I have this dance?"

Grime grinned too and he held her hand. "Always."

And they danced the night away, finally not alone together, but together alone.

"Carefully… Carefully…"

Captain Claws looked upon his work with pride his hands rubbing with glee as the scientists and the warlocks surrounded the box, the warlocks ready to cast the darkest magic in all of Amphibia into the box.

A scientist looked at Claws with concern and he advised "Perhaps you should take a step back, Captain."

"Thanks to this… I can only take steps forwards.", Claws stated, staying rooted in place. The scientist shrugged, and stepped back himself.

The Warlocks all nodded at each other, and, taking the right distance from the box, their wands shot out hot red flames that engulfed the room and the box, filling the place with the sounds of evil laughter, of mad voices, of darkness. Every bit of destruction and chaos possible entered the box, making even the most hardened of Toads grimace, quake and fear what they had created.

Except for Claws, who had experienced so much pain and hate, lost so much, that it couldn't possibly hurt him anymore. Perhaps that was why he wasn't afraid.

Perhaps that was why he had stopped feeling.

He drew nearer to the box, its flames all over him but leaving not a scratch. He lifted the box as it finalized its transformation, and he saw his artificial heaven made of titanium and smiled.

"My Calamity Box… Is done."

The dust settled, the storm cleared, and all that was left was the hum that would terrify a million Amphibians.

Holding it in his arms, the box seemed to whisper, seemed to present the future he dreamed of.

"It's… It's beautiful.", he stammered, breathtaken.

His back was still turned to the scientists and the warlocks as he spoke up, his voice vibrating with excitement at the possibility of it all.

"…Has the egg been laid?"

"Yes, Captain."

"And…", Claws' voice broke for a second, as he felt the moment approach. "Is… Is my mother here?"

"She's just arrived, Captain."

Claws turned around, holding the box carefully as to not break it, and he left the room, before turning back. Full of gratitude, he said "Thank you, gentlemen."

When Faye had finally been allowed to see her son, she had had to wait a whole week, a whole week full of updates from her boy himself, as he spoke of his atrocities as if they were generous gifts.

Perhaps from the man he was now, they were gifts. Perhaps this was as close to mercy as you could get with him.

So Faye, standing in what was once the hideout of the Toad nationalists, but was now the base of her fallen angel, was understandably afraid.

And then he walked in.

She wanted to gasp, but no sounds could come out. She could really only stare at the face of… That thing, that thing that wasn't her son. But while she was horrified, she could still see his face, the face of her baby, the one she carried with her, the one she had vowed to protect.

Her beautiful boy…

"Sli…Slimes…"

Claws went up to her and embraced her, but she couldn't return it. She was still in shock, and she was still processing all of it. The golden guest room she had entered was also quite distracting, weapons hanging all over, and about a dozen soldiers looking at Claws with a mix of fear and awe.

"Sir, what are your orders, sir?", they suddenly shouted, and Faye jumped from the sound.

Claws calmed them down. "At ease, men. Go back to your posts. If you see any enemies, shoot to kill."

"Sir, yes sir!"

Faye tried to somehow settle herself as she began to try and speak. Her hands were shaking, and she shivered. Claws put his arms around her.

"I hope the trip wasn't too hard. I've been trying to make it easier for handicapped people to arrive here."

Faye still couldn't say anything. Claws, desperate to please, looking into her eyes, waved his arm around the room. "Do you… Do you like it? I tried to clean up the place, make it more presentable."

Faye bit her tongue. She had to say something.

"…By enemies, you mean… You mean Newts, and Salamanders, and… And Frogs, right?", she asked, ignoring him. She couldn't ignore the mask however.

Claws nodded. "They won't hurt you."

Faye turned her chair around to face him, her breathing conflicted. "…I'm a Frog."

"The only one that matters.", Claws answered with a smile, as if he were reassuring her.

"And your sister?", Faye asked, covering up her shock.

"As good as dead to me, which she will officially be in… about ten minutes.", Claws said, checking his golden wristwatch. Faye turned white, and she took a deep breath and tried to reach out to her son once more, tried to find his soul, begging for it to still exist.

"Slimes… You don't really mean that. This… You aren't going to do that.", she voiced, hoping she could will it into existence by uttering it.

But it was too late. Claws shook his head, trying to move on from this small buffer. "Mother, those monsters did this to you. Thorn… She wasn't willing to take the right actions! But I am!", he grinned, intoxicated, showing off his box. "I can… I can reverse all of it! I can erase what happened to you, give you your life back!"

"…What do you mean?", Faye asked, confused, and Claws pointed at the box, like a child showing off his drawing.

"This… This is the Calamity Box! With it, I can cause untold destruction! I can wipe out all those horrible, horrible other species, and leave us with only perfect people!"

Faye just kept on starring at him in shock.

Claws clearly didn't notice her reaction, however, as he kept on excitedly. "When I… When I open this box… I can… I can do anything, ANYTHING! Do you understand, Mom? I can…"

He was crying from happiness, and he made a decision. Looking in her eyes, he grinned, and she could see it through the mask.

It scarred her that seeing her son smile scared her now.

"I'll show you. Close your eyes."

Faye was too afraid not to comply, so she did.

Claws, nearly giggling, placed his hands on the box, and, hands shaking, opened the box and made a wish for the first time, his heart roaring in his chest.

A melodic arrangement played, blinding rainbow colors surrounded them and Faye felt an odd sensation around her. She felt like her body was changing, but… For the better?

Looking down, she felt her spine repair itself, and while she stared behind her wildly, her legs also repaired themselves, feeling the best they'd felt in fifteen years.

The colors left, the sound died, and Claws grinned at her as she felt herself wobble.

Wobble from the imbalance of standing upright.

Claws had tears running down as he held her to straighten her. He held her gently and looked into her eyes, laughing wildly, drunk with joy.

Faye was still disoriented as Claws nearly bounced up and down. "I… I did it! I did it, I did it, I did it! Finally, after all these years…"

He hugged her tightly, whispering with pride. "I… I saved you Mom. I did. I… I saved you."

He parted from the hug, tears still rushing down, and he searched her eyes for what he so desperately craved. "Are… Are you proud of me?"

Faye stared into his eyes, eyes that pleased for her pride, for her love, for her approval.

A mother was never supposed to give up on her babies.

But…

Faye began to break down, crying her heart out, and she nearly fell over. Claws panickingly held her up, looking frightened. "Mom! Are you ok?"

Faye looked at him…

And she knew what she had to do.

"…No. I'm not proud of you. I'm… I'm sorry…", she sobbed, sitting on the floor, hugging herself, feeling nothing but hatred for herself.

Claws heard it, but he couldn't quite believe it. It was like all his systems had crashed. He couldn't budge and he couldn't speak.

He stood there, in the middle of the room, as his heart shattered into a million pieces, each one jagging his soul with its edge.

Meanwhile, back in her cage, Thorn was able to listen to all of the conversation, the echoes carried, after all, and she found herself proud of her mother, but even angrier at Claws.

"You can fix Mom. You can do anything. Why not just wish for things to be better? Not that it works like that, but it would be better than this shit!", Thorn thought to herself, and then sighed.

It was too late. How would she ever get out of here in time? Even with new legs, Mom wouldn't have the heart to stop Claws.

Only she did.

Only she did.

Thorn growled, her anger beginning to bend the bars. She was the ONLY one who could help. It was her fault that this happened… She had to fix it.

She had to.

"All my talk about saving the world… All those people counting on me… Mom…"

Thorn knew, in her heart of hearts, that she couldn't just sit down. She had to try. She had to TRY.

"If I'm going down… I'm going down swinging."

Using her robotic arms, Thorn put in all her strength, thinking of all the people who needed her…

And she snapped the bars like twigs.

The guards suddenly woke up from that, and, seeing their prisoner was escaping, pointed their guns at her.

But Thorn was faster.

She knocked them all out, smashing heads together and throwing guns away.

Breathing heavily, she zoomed out towards the guest room, ready to stop her little brother. Her eyes narrowed.

It was time to save the world.

Claws, meanwhile, was still shocked to his very core, barely able to articulate. His arms were stuck to his sides, his mind seemingly frozen in time.

When he did speak, he sounded broken, like a child, like he was Slimes again, if but for a moment. "…I thought… I…"

Tears ran down like rivers on his face, and he felt truly lost. "I… I thought… All this… I did this… For you… I wanted to save you…"

He fell to his knees, pounding the floor in rage, Faye shivering at his sight. "I DID THIS FOR YOU! I TRIED TO SAVE YOU MOM!"

Standing up, he growled at her, true rage replacing his hurt. He lifted her by the neck, choking her. Faye's surprise was only beaten by the pain she felt. "I… I thought you loved me… But you're just like all of them! None of you deserve to live! None of you!"

Roaring, he threw her to the wall, causing a giant crack in it. Faye, bleeding from her mouth, looked at her son, heartbroken, sobbing uncontrollably.

Claws, breathing heavily, looked at the Calamity Box. It's hum called for him. He looked mad, his eyes all over the place, his voice distant, like the wind in the woods on a winter day. "A perfect world… It can only perfect… When I'm finally safe. Only I… Only I deserve to make that world. Never again… Never again will I be hurt."

Faye looked in horror as Claws reached towards the box, his fingers shivering, the hum growing ever louder, the magic about to commence. "I… Am… The Line…"

But just as he began to open it a crack, just before the wish could commence…

BLAST!

The bullet struck his shoulder, and then his other shoulder, and Claws dropped the box, screaming at the intense red hot pain erupting from his body, the flesh incinerated, the blood flowing.

Looking up, who else did he see, but…

"Thorn…", he growled, as she went to the box and picked it up, staring at him as strongly as before.

There they stood: Brother and Sister, once united, now separated by a million miles of perspective. Faye stood up and stared in despair at her two children, as they prepared to fight.

"Claws. It's over.", Thorn stated, as Claws continued to struggle with pain. He could barely move thanks the wounds, and he would struggle to wrestle the box off of her.

"You fool! You think this is over? You think that you can just… Just change them without force?!", Claws shouted loudly as Thorn kept strong in her stance. She refused to bend, to even hesitate.

"Yes. Yes I do."

Claws' eyes sent daggers to hers. "You know my men won't just give up. They'll attack you, and whatever allies you have left."

"I do."

"And you know I won't stop until I win."

"…I do."

"Then kill me."

Claws meant what he had said, and Faye tried to not scream her protest as Thorn lifted her sword over him.

"You know you'll win by doing that. Kill me… And you can save this world."

Claws waited for her to strike, but Thorn looked at him, sword raised. She took a deep breath…

And she dropped her sword.

Not this time.

Not ever again.

Claws was shocked. "What are you doing?! Don't you want to save the city?! Aren't you furious?!"

"You think I'm not angry? You think that this doesn't outrage me?", Thorn asked him, her tone calm but fiery, like a phoenix. "Change shouldn't take so long. But that's reality, Cl… Slimes. I think you forgot that."

"I am not…"

"You're my little brother. That will never change. I wish… I wish I could say it's not too late for you. But it is."

Thorn fought back tears, as she looked at her lost brother, still staring at her with such hate. It hurt her so much. "I was wrong, Slimes. I thought… I thought that anger, hate, violence are the ways. I lost faith. But… Once we become them, once we lose our faith… We're no better than the bad guys. I'm not saying not to be angry. I'm saying…"

"…Persevere.", she finished. "We are the line. We can't waver."

She closed her eyes. She was at peace at last.

"Well… Guess it's up to me, as always."

Thorn opened her eyes, but it was too late: Claws knocked her down with his feet, and, struggling to stand up, he grabbed the box, scrambling to regain balance.

Thorn began to fall, and she felt like it was the end. He had fooled her. She was going to let the entire world down. It was all her fault.

The floor, and her death, approached at super speed. Claws laughed maniacally as he held the box. "IT'S TOO LATE, THORN! I HAVE SAVED AMPHIBIA!"

But just when all seemed lost…

"NO!"

Thorn had fallen, but she was able to look back just in time to land on her back. And when she did, she saw it, and her mouth dropped open: Faye, her mother, screaming in protest, had leapt into the sky and was careening towards the box, just as Claws began to open it.

It was like everything was in slow-motion: Claws had barely even noticed, but once the exclamation reached him he looked up in confusion, distracting him just long enough to give Faye time to reach the box. She stared into his eyes and blinked away tears as her finger tips reached for the opening part.

Reaching the box, Faye thought of how her entire family had seemed to not forgive her. In her heart, she hoped that Thorn would.

In her soul, she hoped she could make up for it in her death.

"I wish.. I wish that my son's wish won't happen.", she said firmly, and resolutely, wishing with all her might.

"I wish for all the frogs, salamanders and newts to die, and for my people to be in power.", wished Claws at the exact same time.

"Please!", he demanded.

"PLEASE!", she pleaded.

And the strangest thing happened: The box was made for evil, true.

But Faye's love, forgiveness, kindness and charity, Faye's purity of soul was equally as strong as Claws' hate, anger, rage and vengeance. The darkness of the box couldn't overtake the light of Faye's soul.

The two wishes weren't just as equally strong: They were wished at the same time. The Box couldn't handle such a contradiction of demands, such a paradox, such a divide of love and hate.

So…

The box compromised.

BOOM!

When the dust settled, and the music stopped, and the blinding lights left, Thorn finally woke up, and stared at an empty room, devoid of life.

There were no bones, no blood, no signs of anyone but her.

All that remained…

Was the Calamity Box.

Thorn didn't have time to digest it.

To accept that she was the last Croaker.

All she knew was that the Box had to be dealt with.

She didn't dare wish for the box to destroy itself: She doubted it was a real possibility, and even then she didn't think she was as strong of heart and mind.

She'd have to find another solution.

For now, though: She had to hide herself and the Box.

And restart the resistance.

Scooping it up into her arms, Thorn placed her black hoodie on her face, and walked out to the steps, where a news crew had been gathered by Claws from before.

But there would be no announcement of doom this time.

Fighting off the guards with one hand, Thorn spoke to Amphibia as quickly as she could.

"Captain Claws is dead. His mission isn't. Frogs, Newts, Salamanders, and Toads, real Toads, who aren't like these trash… If you truly believe in justice… Resurrect the Order. Find me where the earth and the sky meet. We will save Amphibia. We will bring back the sun. It will get better. I promise."

And with that, she ran off into the forest, Toad nationalists chasing her for days but never finding her.

Thorn Croaker couldn't be caught. Not again.

She still had a war to win.

And she fought to her last breath.

"With how fragile the Box clearly is, we never dared make a wish. Of course, Thorn's perseverance didn't mean success was instant. Claws still had a wife, and she changed the tactic from genocide to control. She exiled the Newts to their great cities, the Salamanders to the mountains and swamps, the Frogs to their farms, and to slavery, and she turned Amphibia City into Toad Town.", Mrs. Croaker explained, nearly done with her story.

"Toad Tower? That's the base of the Nationalists. After all this time, they still control it."

Wrecker nodded, still amazed and alarmed by the tale. "So… What happened to Claws' child?"

"…He grew. And heir after heir came. Until… Until Muck."

Wrecker gasped. "Grime… Grime is your family?"

"Distant cousins, but cousins all the same. Grime has a long legacy. He'll struggle to move out of its shadow.", Croaker informed, and then she sighed.

"So now you know. We still don't know how to destroy the box. For years we did our best to keep it out of Toad hands, giving it to friends, warriors, unlikely allies… Even the dread pirate Mugs. Finally, a section of our group in Marsh Pond took it, but we didn't expect them to use it. And now it's ours once more."

Wrecker scratched his chin. "I wonder… Perhaps the Toads know how to destroy it?"

"Most probably, but we've never been able to get that close. We can steal from them, but that room… It's guarded heavily."

"…I can.", Wrecker offered.

Croaker and Valeriana looked at each other in surprise, as Wrecker stared at them with utmost seriousness. "Wrecker… Son… That's a dangerous mission. Far more dangerous than anything you've ever done!"

"I thought you wanted to protect your daughter. This would be too big of a risk!", Valeriana warned, real concern in her voice.

"…If your story has taught me anything… If my life has taught me anything… I can't let them have the box. It must be destroyed. It's… It's the right thing to do."

Wrecker's voice was steady and true. He was sure. One could see he knew the risk.

But his heart knew what the way was.

Croaker digested this, and finally relented. "…I trust you. Just… Be careful."

"I will. I have to."

Croaker stood up, before kissing his forehead. "I told you so."

Wrecker blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"…I told you that you're good.", she replied, and she winked.

Later that day, as Wrecker was preparing to leave, Valeriana stared at him with fear. "Are… Are you sure about this?"

"What, you wanna do it?", Wrecker joked, but looking at her, he realized she was serious.

"…I can't lose you."

Wrecker smiled, unused to such affection, and he hugged her tightly. "I won't die. I promise."

Valeriana smiled uneasily, but she relented. "Ok."

Suddenly, a member of the order walked up to them, old but still full of life. "Good luck, Wrecker!"

Wrecker stammered, unused to so many well wishes. "Th-Thank you! That… That means a lot, everyone believing in me!"

"Well, we Sundews are a hopeful type!", Sylvia Sundew said, and she waved him goodbye.

Waving goodbye back to her and Valeriana, Wrecker set off, thinking of what Thorn had felt when she finished her journey.

He couldn't help but relate: After all he had been through, Wrecker hadn't lost his faith. If anything, he had regained it.

And he wouldn't fail. The world needed him.

Annie needed him.

"…I promise you. I'll stop this evil. I will."

Wrecker took a deep breath and clenched his fist.

"I'll be a protector."

And so he walked, every step surer than the last.

After about three days, he finally found himself in Toad Tower again. The box wasn't there, but it sure did leave a weight on his soul.

"I better get to work immediately. The faster I learn the secret, the faster I can "retire", and get the suspicions off my back.", Wrecker told himself, and he walked down the hall, hoping he could snoop a little before someone…

"Wrecker!"

"Dad!"

"Oh crap.", Wrecker thought. He wanted to say hi to them, of course, but he had something very important to deal with too.

"I guess I could say Hi, and then excuse myself. I doubt it would be much more than a hello so they can go back to doing what young people do. Whatever that is.", Wrecker thought, and he turned around to say hi, only to stare at what he couldn't begin to understand.

"…Why are you holding hands?", Wrecker asked, and Annie giggled while Grime blushed.

"Um… Yeah… See…", Grime started, and Annie piped in excitedly.

"We're getting married, Dad!"

Wrecker blinked twice.

And then fainted.

"Oh boy.", he thought, as he began to see black.

"How the hell am I going to save the world and deal with this?!"