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!)

8. See Them Soar

Wrecker's bed in the barracks was no stranger to Wrecker's frequent moods. In fact, it had been the seat for his thoughts for decades, and after all this time, it still preformed its job quite admirably.

But today it was proving that this latest series of ponderings might be beyond its capabilities: Wrecker had spent the last three hours wracking his brain for answers to two different but equally confounding problems.

The location of potential information on the Calamity Box, and the proposed wedding of his adopted daughter Annie to one of his only friends, Lieutenant Grime.

To an outside observer, the second problem would surely have seemed easy to solve. Grime, while not perfect, was a well meaning Toad who would cherish and protect Annie with his life. And Annie clearly loved him dearly, and was enthusiastic about the potential union. Why not agree to such a wedding?

But to The Wrecker, who when he woke up found the clouds laced with doubt, there was no such thing as an easy answer to a complicated problem.

There were too many factors to consider: Grime has a history of anger issues. For Frog's sake, he had killed his mother's killer, and while Wrecker had understood and forgiven that, he wasn't just going to turn a blind eye to that.

Grime was also the son of Captain Muck, who was now Wrecker's greatest enemy and biggest obstacle towards protecting the world and Annie from the horrors of the Box.

Wrecker let out a wry chuckle. "Can't help but sounding like a hypocrite though." Wrecker himself had killed once too, in order to save Grime's life, but still. Was he really going to pass judgment on someone who had killed to, and with understandable reasons?

And yet the hesitation persisted. Grime hadn't started being a complicated individual last week, he had been like that all his life, as Wrecker should know, considering he witnessed a majority of Grime's life.

And all that came without the earth shatteringly important consequences of handling the Box. Only the Toads would have the information needed to destroy the Box once and for all, but where, and how? Did Wrecker need a book, did he need an informant, did he need to find some sort of tapestry that showed him how?

Was there any way at all to destroy the box?

Wrecker sighed and stretched, his bones creaking under his costume. Age really was starting to catch up to him. He had a hard time walking, and found himself using a walking stick far more often than he would have liked. Wrecker knew what this meant: As a fighter, his days were numbered.

As a protector, even more so.

Wrecker shuddered at the thought and he protectively seemed to embrace the air, almost as if he could protect Annie that way. Now there was even more reason for alarm: If he couldn't protect Annie anymore, he had to make sure that Grime could do that better than him.

And right now, he wasn't sure enough to take that risk.

His concerns were heightened further when a messenger suddenly walked in, saluting the superior ranked soldier. Wrecker, rolling his eyes, followed suit. "At ease, Private. What is it?"

"Sir, Captain Muck asks for your presence at his quarters, Sir!", the messenger said, trying to sound as obedient and subservient as possible.

Wrecker's eyes widened for a moment before resuming their normal stance to not arouse suspicion: This was bad. "Muck's no fool. He's suspected my involvement with the Box since I left to Wartwood. He's probably gonna torture me or somethin' for information, and knowin' his methods…"

Wrecker gulped. His time table had now significantly shortened. "If I wanna save my baby girl… I need to find that information NOW."

Wrecker's fatherly instincts kicked in immediately. While he definitely wanted to save Amphibia, his love for Annie burned brightest in his heart, and right now in nearly engulfed him in flames. The Box had to be in a position to be destroyed by tonight, or she could forget about a wedding.

And whether or not he agreed to such a marriage taking place, Wrecker was not about to let it transition from a question to an impossibility.

"I have to survive this. I have to! I must find that info so I can still protect Annie once this is all over!"

For once in his life, Wrecker was hell bent on staying alive.

For her. For his angel.

Adopting his most serious voice and pose, Wrecker sent a reply to Muck through the messenger. "Private, go off to our Captain and tell him that I shall visit him this evening, once the sun is down."

The messenger seemed unsure. "The Captain would… Would surely rather your immediate audience, no, sir?"

"Private, remind the Captain I have given thirty whole years of my life to his service. A few hours of waiting won't hurt him. He knows he owes me much.", Wrecker replied definitely, and the Messenger, gulping, nervously walked back to deliver the news.

Wrecker cricked his neck and leapt off of his bed, speed walking out of the barracks instantly. Time was of essence, and he could bare to lose none of it. The mission would have to start now.

Annie and Grime were cuddling in Grime's bed in his quarters when Wrecker opened the door. Wrecker silently groaned: The Wedding problem had resurfaced against his will, as if it would refuse to leave until he had properly dealt with it.

"But how can I?", he thought, as he looked on at two young people he held close to his heart holding each other closely under a blanket. "I need to focus all my brain power on the mission, I don't have time for romantic drama!"

Wrecker shook his head. "Young people, always choosin' crappy times to fall in love."

"They also choose horrible times to sleep in.", Thought Wrecker, getting all father like, and he began to shake Annie awake. "Rise and shine, lazybones! We've got work to do!"

"Five more minutes, Dad. I don't live on a farm anymore, I can sleep in.", Annie retorted, digging deeper into her bed with Grime, her arms around his head.

Wrecker buried his face in his hands. He had only known Annie for about two weeks, yet he was already feeling that age old feeling of losing his little princess to some guy he wasn't sure was right. "This is like one of those plays we had to reenact every mating season! Now I get how that father of the bride feels."

Wrecker bit his lip: Was he being a jerk to Annie then by showing such uncertainty over the man she loves, loves enough to get engaged to THIS quickly? The last thing he wanted was her feelings hurt!

…And what if Grime were to do that? Grime, as much as Wrecker cared for him, still had many problems to deal with. Problems Annie shouldn't have to carry. Perhaps Grime had improved, improved enough to have a healthy relationship with his daughter.

But until he was completely sure of that, Wrecker would reserve judgment and observe how his friend treated his little girl.

Shaking Annie awake again, Wrecker spoke a little louder. "If we wanna get rid of that box we best get on movin', Annie! We don't have much time!"

"How come?", Annie asked, yawning and giving Wrecker a forehead kiss. Wrecker tried to hide how alive he felt when she showed him she loves him.

"Well, you see…", he cleared his throat and lowered his voice to a whisper. "I think Muck suspects foul play. We have to get our keisters in gear if we wanna destroy the box!"

Annie's eyes widened and she shot up from bed, waking Grime, who leapt out in a karate stance, staring wildly around. "Who's there? Show yourselves!"

"It's me, Grime.", Wrecker replied tiredly, and Grime rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Oh! Sorry, Wrecker! I thought you were an intruder."

"No time, Grime! We have to go now and get info about the Box!", Annie informed him, getting her sun hat and overalls on as she undressed. Wrecker turned around, grateful not to see either of them naked. That would be one trauma too many.

Grime, getting dressed as well, picked a flower he had found outside his window and handed it to Annie. "For your hair, not that you need it.", he blushed, and Annie, blushing too, placed it there and kissed him. "How thoughtful!"

"Frog above, I know I haven't been the best man, but surely this is too much for a father to handle in one day?", Wrecker radiated his thoughts to his maker. "Can't we at least deal with one life changing problem before we head on to the next?"

"Well, we're ready! What's out first stop?", Annie asked, grinning at her father. Wrecker, smiling proudly, ruffled her hair. "To the Toad Tower library! Only high ranking soldiers can enter, so we won't have a problem, and there SHOULD be some kind of book that could guide top level soldiers about the Box!"

"Good idea, Wrecker! I can see where Annie got her brains from!", Grime complimented, and Annie giggled. "Grime, stop! I had two dads you know!"

"…I'm smart.", Wrecker added, taking offence to that last statement."

Annie pretended to think, and Wrecker had a hard time not laughing. "I don't know, I mean, you DID take me in!"

"Oh, come here, you scamp!", Wrecker "ordered", and he gave her a little noogie, making her laugh.

Grime, meanwhile, stood aside and held his hands behind his back, looking down at the floor. Wrecker's… Reaction to their announcement had not been one he expected, though he of course respected where he came from. "I assume if someone I saw as a daughter were to get married so soon, I would be a little afraid too.", he thought, but still he felt bad. What if Wrecker wouldn't give them his blessing?

As the trio began to leave, Grime couldn't help it. His paranoia and guilt complexes were acting up, and he decided to rip the bandaid off. "So… Have you thought about the wedding?", Grime asked, hope rising in his voice.

Wrecker grumbled. "Grime deserves the truth, but I need to give him the short version until I have more time to talk to him.", he thought, and he sighed as he hobbled along, his leg hurting him again.

"I'm still thinkin' about it."

Grime, hoping not to sound rude, tried his best to phrase it right. "No disrespect intended, but… Why?"

Wrecker turned to him and narrowed his eyes. "Because I'm not going to allow Annie to make such a big decision until I know what Grime she's getting."

Grime felt his heart sink as he walked behind Wrecker, who was getting grumpy from all the pressure he had to deal with. "I don't blame him…", Grime thought as Wrecker walked up to Annie and put a protective hand on her shoulder.

"It's took me a long time to understand who I was myself…"

"Babysittin'? Your majesty, with all due respect, I'm no ding dong babysitter!"

Fourteen years earlier, The Wrecker found himself having to say this to the Queen of the Toads, Lily Toad, during a late hour guarding shift in front of her room. Due to his high standing with Captain Muck, Wrecker was frequently tasked with guarding the Queen, but until now it had been a relative breeze.

Babysitting, however? That was something completely different.

Lily looked apologetic as she tightened her black hood, nearly covering her entire face in shadows. Her eyes darted everywhere, and Wrecker couldn't help but notice she seemed… Scared. "I'm sorry, really, I know that you have your own life to live, but I REALLY need you to do me this favor, Wrecker."

"But why me? I'm… I'm no good with… Kids..", Wrecker stated, as if he was good with anyone else. He looked embarrassed almost, but mostly he felt shame at once more letting people around him down.

Lily had to hurry up, she had no time for this! Shaking her head, she held his shoulders firmly and said "Wrecker, you've been here longer than I have, and everyone knows you will work your hardest and be honest about any mistakes you might make!"

Wrecker couldn't help but blush a little at that. "Lil' ol' me?"

Lily smiled maternally, which made Wrecker actually feel good about himself for once. He relented. "All right, but only because you really need me! And maybe also because of the compliment."

Lily gratefully nodded, and she hurried out the tower, off to a secret rendevouz of the Order. Wrecker, meanwhile, took a deep breath and marched towards the room of his current mission: Put Grime to bed.

Every soldier in the tower had already met Grime once, the young lad was precocious and extremely curious about the workings of the tower, but Wrecker really had only seen him once, skipping after his father as Muck talked of quelling another Frog rebellion, the two Toad's way of walking as distinct as night and day.

Wrecker wondered why Grime seemed so fascinated by the army around him. Truthfully, growing up around one would raise interest, but he heard rumors of how the boy would be calm and peaceful one second, then talk of smiting the invading enemies threatening Toad Town the next.

Wrecker gulped. Sure, the Toad Army was a good army, but six year olds weren't supposed to think of such things. He couldn't quite explain it, but he could feel in his soul this overwhelming need to protect the boy from such ideas, but it went away quite quickly. "What was that about?", he wondered, but it went away as soon as it came as he arrived at the room.

Knocking softly, Wrecker remembered his place and announced his arrival. "My Prince, Sergeant Wrecker, at your service, Sir!"

"What be your service here, Sergeant?", the young Grime asked, putting on his most serious voice, but still sounding high pitched and squeaky. Wrecker tried to suppress his smile before continuing. "I, uh, I am here to guard you, Sir! The Queen is… Unavailable at the moment, sir!"

Wrecker detected a groan, followed by the door being opened. In front of him stood a small Toad with a grumpy expression on his face, wearing his pyjamas. He apparently had dressed himself, as he had put on his shirt in the wrong way. "Oh, shoot! I wanted her to say goodnight to me! She tucks me in way better than father!"

Wrecker smiled uneasily, shrugging his shoulders. "'Fraid that won't be happen' tonight. That's fallen to me."

"Well, at least it's not father. He does it too hard.", Grime informed, and Wrecker was surprised at how open Grime was to talk about such private things. As the young Toad went to his sink to wash his face, Wrecker looked around the room. It was a lot nicer than the barracks, that was for sure: The golden ceiling was nearly blinding, the bed had silk sheets and lush covers, and there must have been hundreds of toys spread across the floor.

"Gol-ly, I pity the poor feller who needs to clean all this up!", Wrecker commented with a whistle, joking, and Grime let out a frustrated sigh and sat down, beginning to clean up his room.

"I always have to do everything!", Grime shouted, throwing one of his toys, making it break. Wrecker, who was leaning down to help, winced at the broken parts.

Grime, however, had a little laugh. "Another invader down."

Wrecker couldn't help but notice that invader was a frog. "My Prince…", Wrecker started, searching for the right words. Grime, however, was quick to interrupt him with a pleasant smile on his face. "Oh, no need for all that yucky formality. You can just call me Grime!"

Grime handed out his hand to shake, and Wrecker, surprised by the gesture, shook back cautiously before resuming his train of thought. "Um, thanks. But, uh, Pr… Grime, I couldn't help but notice that toy was of a Frog?"

"Oh, yeah, he's part of my invader set, alongside this newt named Nigel and this Salamander named Sam! I can get a new one, father buys me toys like this all the time! It's one of the few things he does that I like!"

"Very advanced kid.", Wrecker couldn't help but note as he helped put more toys in a large toy chest in the middle of the room. "But, um, what I mean is, the Toad Army DO handle invaders, but we're about protecting the people a lot more than outright hurting others. I mean, we don't even kill!"

"We don't?", Grime asked, confused. He seemed so sure of the opposite that Wrecker found himself questioning that too for a second.

"…Yeah, we… We don't, Grime."

Grime considered this for a moment and then smiled. "Ok! I wasn't big on that myself!"

Wrecker couldn't help but laugh for a moment. "What a strange boy."

Grime leaned on his toy chest and sighed. "But father does say that there are a lot of dangers out there. They worry me."

"I understand you, but we're doing our best to keep people safe!", Wrecker said with a smile, and Grime's eyes lit up as he walked up to him with his feet bouncing.

"Sergeant Wrecker, what's it like being a sergeant? What kind of knife is your favorite? When you stare into an invader's eyes, do you see what makes them tick?"

Wrecker gulped, finding the questions disturbing and odd. He backed off a bit, but still tried to answer them to the best of his ability. "Um… It's all right, I don't have a favorite, and I wouldn't say so?"

Grime had already turned around though to jump up on his bed, swinging an imaginary sword. "When I join, I'm gonna keep every Toad safe! I'm gonna be even better than my father!"

Wrecker, confused by the constant mood shifts, decided to encourage Grime just a little. Frog knows he could have used encouragement when he was young. "I'm sure you will, Grime! You definitely have the enthusiasm!"

"You really think so?", Grime asked, seemingly amazed at the prospect. Wrecker blinked his eyes and nodded slowly. "Sure! Why… Why not?"

Grime sat down, deflated, holding himself. "Father says I have to work really hard to come close to measuring up to him. It's a lot to live up to."

Wrecker bit his lip, rememebering his father. "I… I can relate."

"Really?"

"…Yeah. It's not easy."

"But I'll do it, right? I'll save all the Toads, right?"

Wrecker again chose to bring up the boy rather than shoot him down. "If you really believe in yourself, I'm sure you'll save everyone, Grime."

Grime smiled at that, and he bowed his head. "Thank you, Sergeant Wrecker."

"You're, um, welcome?", Wrecker replied, hoping he could leave soon. There was a constant uneasy feeling about the boy and his ever changing moods. He had been so angry before, and now suddenly he was peaceful and kind. Wrecker wondered if that would have changed if Grime knew he was a Frog.

Wrecker stepped up to him, preparing to bid him farewell for the night, when he remembered the shirt being the wrong way. Stopping, he wondered if that was ok for him to help with. He decided it was best to just tell him instead of helping. "Um, Grime, your shirt is on backwards."

"Oh, really?", Grime asked, not realizing. He checked and growled. "Toad damn it, every time! Such an idiot, stupid, stupid!", Grime cursed, his face getting very red. Wrecker flinched for a moment.

But then Wrecker saw something way worse: As Grime took off his shirt, Wrecker forgot to look away, and saw on his back something he had not expected: Bruises and marks.

Some people perhaps would have thought it to just be injuries from accidents, but Wrecker knew what those were. He had them himself after all.

But Wrecker didn't dare say a thing. He didn't think he could. Was it really his place to comment on such a thing? He would have to keep quiet, no matter how against he was the idea.

"Well, um… Sleep tight, Grime.", Wrecker bid, and he began to leave.

"Sergeant Wrecker?", Grime suddenly called, sounding very small. Wrecker realized it was hard to remember he was six.

"Yes… Grime?"

"Tell father I broke the toy and put my shirt on backwards."

"…How come?"

"Oh, I need him to hurt me for that. You know, so I won't do it again?"

Wrecker tried to not sound any surprise at that.

"Thank you.", Grime responded, ignoring the silence, and he turned around to sleep.

Wrecker left the room, meanwhile, but his mind hadn't. And for the entire night Wrecker couldn't help but wonder how some kid who seemed to want to protect others and be kind to them could hold such anger.

And why did the hero of Amphibia hurt his own son?

"Well, here we are! The Toad Tower Library!", Wrecker announced, opening the doors with a deft push.

"Shh!"

"Pardon me.", Wrecker apologized sheepishly, and he, Grime and Annie quietly walked in, staring around.

The library looked almost more like an armory than a library, akin to a dusty and grey war room with brown walls and brown floors that were never really cleaned. Maps of Frog Sectors and Newt Sectors were spread on every table, and a few disparate soldiers hung around researching on their enemies, reading from books with such titles as "The Frog Problem" and "The Newt Agenda".

Wrecker, however, had a wry smile on his face as he nostalgically sniffed the air. "Ah, nothin' like the smell of old books! You know, when I was a young'n we used to do nothin' else but read! When we weren't helpin' 'round the house, of course."

"Geez, Dad, how old are you?", Annie asked cheekily, and Wrecker rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "…Sixty?"

"Damn!", Annie exclaimed, and again a chorus of "Shush!" rose up, making the trio apologize in whispers.

This had caught the attention of the head librarian, however, a short and stout woman with black spectacles and a grey sweater that probably belonged in some museum. Her lips were a queasy shade of red, the kind that look like they gave really disgusting sloppy kisses, and her breath was like a cough drop.

She wasn't just a sore for sighting eyes, she was also a real jerk. "What's this frog doing here?"

"She's my w…", Grime started, but Wrecker interrupted him. "She's a permitted guest of Captain Muck himself."

"Is that so?", the librarian asked, voice full of suspicion, hands twiddling like she was knitting an accusation. Wrecker gulped: Last thing he needed was an early visit from Muck. They had just entered the library, there was no time for distractions, not with the ticking clock over their heads!

Looking back at Grime and Annie, who were holding hands in fear, Wrecker still wasn't sure what to do about their relationship, but right now he needed to trust them, hard as it was. "It's only for five minutes. They can't kill themselves during that time… Right?"

Wrecker had to bit his lip to convince himself he could leave them out of his sight. But he knew he would be hating himself for the rest of the day. "You go off on your own, you crazy kids! I'm sure you'll be… Safe, without me!", Wrecker choked out, making all three others raise their eyebrows.

"Wrecker, what are you talking about?", Annie asked, and Grime nodded in agreement. The Librarian began to head towards her desk, shaking her fist. "I had a feeling you were suspicious the moment you walked in with that freak!"

Wrecker sighed. He still didn't feel like he could leave the two of them alone, but insulting his daughter was too far. He would have to make the sacrifice.

"Now, uh, hold on there, madam!", Wrecker called out, scrambling his way to the reception desk, crashing into it with his stomach and gasping in pain. As the Librarian turned he attempted a quick recovery and smirked at her. "Time to bring out the ol' Wrecker charm!"

"Say, there, I didn't quite catch your name, I was just so lost in your eyes."

The Librarian couldn't help but crack the smallest smile, always up to lap some praise. She giggled that old lady giggle. "Oh, how forwards! I don't always see such big, strong men just waltz in here, you know!"

Four other big, strong men looked up, confused.

"Oh my Frog he's flirting with her!", Annie said, half laughing half disgusted.

"I want to look away, but I can't.", Grime commented, transfixed by the idea of Wrecker flirting with anyone, let alone that librarian.

It took all of Wrecker's strength not to gag at the "smile" he was staring at. "Oh, uh, well, what can I say? I see a rare beauty like you, I get speechless, and all that. The Captain speaks highly of you, you know?"

"Oh, does he? And yet I think I like your compliments a little more…", the Librarian purred. Looking behind him, Wrecker signaled with his eyes for Annie and Grime to get a move on. The two nodded, walking hand in hand into a row to find any information they could track.

"So what title are we looking for here? 'How To Destroy a Really Dangerous Weapon In Five Easy Steps?' 'Getting Rid of the Calamity Box For Dummies?' 'So You Want To Not Die From A Square-Esque Container?', Annie asked, totally lost.

Grime, who was leafing through books at a quick pace, shrugged. "I doubt it would be so obvious, but at the same time Father wants the army to be as efficient as possible, so maybe it's a sort of obvious title. Can you check out the 'C' row? I'll check 'B'."

"Roger that, hubby!", Annie saluted, and Grime blushed before getting concerned. As Annie pulled one book out after the other, Grime cleared his throat and spoke without looking at her. "Um… Annie?"

"Yeah, Grime?"

"Did Wrecker seem a little… Hesitant about the wedding to you too?", Grime asked, unsure as to how to phrase the question. He didn't want to sound critical, as well, since he respected Wrecker's thoughts.

Annie nodded, though Grime couldn't see it. "Yeah, but like, I don't think it matters that much."

Grime was surprised by this, and he expressed it in his question. "You don't?"

"Why would I?", Annie asked, as she moved onto another shelf. The floor was now a sea of books, and Grime tried to tread carefully and not ruin any of them.

"Well, I mean, it's customary for a wedding in Amphibia to be arranged, with both families sponsoring the union, usually from when the bride and groom are very young! At the very least, a blessing is expected!", Grime explained, surprised by the idea of another way. That's what he had been taught.

"Well, I mean, you and I both learned that just because something is one way doesn't mean it should stay that way.", Annie reminded, and Grime nodded in agreement, thinking of the restaurant. "I need to check on that restaurant today… And yeah, I see what you mean."

It didn't surprise Grime too much that something his father approved of was wrong. But there was still a niggling feeling in his bones that something was wrong.

He sighed, closing his eyes in shame. As if he didn't know.

"Well… I still don't feel good about Wrecker hesitating about us so much. I mean… His opinion means a lot to me."

Annie smiled, and she turned around and caressed his head. Grime felt a little lighter when she did that. Like it was ok to feel the way he did. Like it was ok to be wrong.

"I get what you mean, his opinion means a lot to me too! I mean, he saved me! I honestly see him as my second father! But, like, we don't need his approval! Our love is stronger than that, no?", Annie asked, and Grime nodded, still looking sad.

"Please don't misunderstand me, I love you more than anything, and I'm sure that it's as pointless as you say it is. I just… I at least want to know WHY he's not enthusiastic, you know?"

Annie had to admit, she could totally understand that. In fact, secretly, a tiny part of her really longed for his approval of the wedding too. She knew it wasn't actually important, but at the same time, the idea of Wrecker disapproving made her feel sad too. "…I'll talk to him. For the both of us."

"Are you sure?", Grime asked, worried for his wife to be.

"Totally! I can do it. As long as I keep saying that, I'll convince myself, no?", Annie said, half joking, and Grime, smiling, kissed her cheek. "You're the bravest person I know, Annie. You're a lot better than you think. I know you can do it."

Annie's heart swelled. Whenever Grime encouraged her like that she felt like she could at least come close to succeeding in something. Reinvigorated, she resumed her search for the book, resolving to talk to Wrecker once they were out.

But while Annie finished up her section, she suddenly heard faint giggling and hushing from the row to her left. Curious, Annie peaked in and spotted Percy and Braddock, tip toing around and putting books in their wrong shelves. Annie shook her head and laughed: She remembered the kind of pranks she pulled when she was young, and they were definitely that low level.

Still, the two of them were cute, and she didn't want them to get in trouble, so she cleared her throat and signaled for them to come. Percy and Braddock, looking worried, tip toed towards Annie and looked up in fear. "Are we in trouble?"

"Not at all! I thought you were quite funny, you lil gremlins! I just don't want you to get in trouble with that old hag over there!", Annie said, making a face, which made Percy and Braddock laugh. "Thankfully, my Dad is distracting her."

"That's a relief! I'm too noisy to sneak around.", Percy admitted, and Braddock nodded in agreement.

"So what are you doing here, Ms. Annie?", they asked, and Annie grinned as she leant down and whispered to them. "Well, maybe I'll be Mrs. Grime soon…"

They gasped, looking excited. "You and Mr. Grime?"

Annie nodded, smiling softly. "Uh huh. He proposed last night, and I said yes!"

One could hear the excitement in Annie's voice, the amazement. The idea of getting married to Grime sent chills across all her body, and she couldn't stop day dreaming of the special day. All the more reason to talk to Wrecker and convince him to at least not worry her and Grime about it…

"But for real, I'm here to find this… Um… Book…", Annie trailed off, wondering if it were safe to tell Percy and Braddock. What if they accidentally blurted it out?

Grime, who overheard the conversation and tried to hide his smile at the sound of 'Mrs. Grime', decided to cut in and reassure Annie. "You can tell them. They're new, and they clearly haven't been brainwashed."

"Huh?", the two asked, confused, and Annie decided to change the subject. "What he means is… We're looking for this book that could… Help us a lot with this thing called…", she lowered her voice to her quietest whisper. "The Calamity Box."

"Oh, yeah, we heard of that! And we've been here a lot, we know every book that is in this library!", Percy and Braddock replied, proud at their little accomplishment.

"Already? You two would make great soldiers!", Grime said, before feeling bad about telling that to a couple of ten year olds. "Um… Forget what I said."

Annie, meanwhile, lit up. Could it really be that easy? "Where is it, then?"

"Oh, um…", Percy and Braddock suddenly turned apologetic, struggling to look into Annie's eyes. They shuffled their feet. "There isn't one. My dad says it's so that less people know how to destroy the box."

Annie sighed, slumping her shoulders. Finding it was gonna be even harder now, and their time was running out. This had been a waste of time!

"Well, at least now we know for sure there's a way.", Grime tried to make Annie feel better, but that wasn't going to work.

"Sorry, Ms. Annie.", Percy and Braddock added.

"We only have a few hours, Grime! What if we don't find it? What if your dad… What if he…", Annie began to spiral, feeling a panic rise in her chest, going through what Braddock had said in her head like it was the worst sentence in the…

Wait.

"Braddock! You said your dad knows about the box?", Annie asked, hope returning to her face. Grime's ears perked up as he realized that Annie was onto something.

"Yeah, he said that's why I have to join the army, since he's like, an elder member or something… You need to be a certain age to enter.", Braddock informed, and Grime began to pace while Annie bounced a little, her brain working overtime.

"Braddock, this is perfect! If you ask your dad more so that you can 'be a better soldier or whatever', we can get just enough info to know where the box IS, so maybe we can find out HOW it can be… Um… Dealt with in a good way!", Annie spewed out, her optimism returning. She could still save her Dad!

Grime, meanwhile, kept on pacing, thinking of a plan. "We should be able to break in once we find it, and I have read a ton of toad war text books. I should be able to find and interpret a guide, especially if it's coded."

"Then it's settled! Once Braddock informs us, we track the room down and you use that big brain of yours to save us!", Annie said, making Grime blush again. "Annie, not in front of the kids…", he stammered, shy.

"Let them look…", Annie flirted, kissing him quickly, hoping no one spots them. Percy and Braddock tried not to squee.

Suddenly, Annie's stomach rumbled and she nervously laughed. "Can we break for lunch? Like, a really quick one while we wait?"

"Sure thing!", Grime agreed, and the two started to walk out. "They have some great cans of beans!"

"I hope they have other stuff.", Annie joked, and she tapped Wrecker's shoulder. "Book's not here, but we have a source of info that can help us!"

Wrecker turned around, the librarian feeling up his muscles. "Who's the source? I wanna make sure I trust 'em first."

Annie put her hands on her hips, unamused. "Da… Wrecker, I think you can trust me to find the right source. Grime, back me up."

"I find them trustworthy too, Wrecker!", Grime added, less sure, afraid of Wrecker's response.

Wrecker pursed his lips. "I don't know…"

"Wrecker, come on! You don't trust me?", Annie asked, half mock hurt, but half also just a little bit hurt that Wrecker didn't trust her enough.

Wrecker sighed and cursed his luck: He just couldn't bare to see his little girl sad. "All right, all right, I'll keep an open mind. But first I'm gonna talk to this guy in the Inn, before I check any new sources. Just in case."

Annie relented, and added "Well, good, cause I'm hungry!"

As she began to walk out, and Wrecker pretended to the librarian that he would call her again, Grime stayed back, unable to resist. He had to ask, it was biting too hard at his soul.

"Wrecker?", he began, as Wrecker began to leave the library. Wrecker grumbled again. How many more times could those kids not listen to him? "Grime, you know, I'd rather we didn't take risks."

"I understand, but Annie is smart, Wrecker! She knows what's the right thing to do!", Grime backed his soon to be wife up, and Wrecker shook his head in annoyance.

"Look, Grime, I think the world of her too, but I will NOT let my daughter get hurt, not when we're in such a small window of time!", Wrecker said angrily, pointing his finger.

"…Is that why you don't want me to marry her?"

Wrecker paused and took a deep breath. "Of course not. I don't for a moment think you'd actually hurt her. You're better than that."

Grime's load felt a little lighter. "At least that.", he thought.

But Wrecker wasn't done. "However… I am worried about you."

"Why? I thought… I thought that you saw I changed…", Grime said quietly, feeling ashamed, like a son who had disappointed his father. Did Wrecker not see how hard he was trying?

"I've been gone for about a week, Grime. Before that, I know you were struggling with your father's thoughts. But I've barely talked to you in two weeks, and outside of you… Dealing with Houdini, I don't know what you've done.", Wrecker explained, trying not to sound insulting. He of all people should know what it's like.

He placed a comforting hand on Grime's shoulder. "It's not that I don't believe you. It's not that I want to block your wedding. I just… I need to be 100% sure that the BOTH of you will be safe and happy, all right? And for that I need to see actions, not just words."

Grime nodded, understanding. He had to admit, it sounded logical. He had a hard time believing himself, so of course Wrecker would have his doubts, especially when he cared so much about Annie, and apparently him too. "…Ok. I'll prove to you. I promise."

Wrecker didn't say anything, but he nodded and turned around, feeling a migraine coming on. Shutting Grime down hurt, since Grime reminded him a lot of himself.

But that was exactly the problem. It had taken Wrecker a LONG time to make good choices instead of none, to leave his past behind, to even begin consider forgiving himself.

If Annie and Grime were to marry, Wrecker wanted to be certain that Grime wasn't just good for her, but that the marriage would be good for him too. That if they WERE compatible, that Grime wouldn't end up making a mistake and losing the love of his life.

For a long time, Grime had been brainwashed, just like Wrecker.

The question was: Had Grime stopped being brainwashed?

The answer: Wrecker wasn't sure.

After all, it's not like finding his path had even been easy for Grime…

Wrecker stared up at the cuckoo clock, hoping the seconds would pass faster than they normally do. But of course, when one wanted time to pass faster, it deliberately slowed down. He sighed, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, trying and failing to find the right way to sit.

Looking around him, all he saw were other grownups, coats hanging by the dozen, and motivational posters that showcased victorious Toads smiting shadowy frogs who were scheming plots.

Wrecker had never really noticed how rampant such ideas were in Toad Town, but he was beginning to pick up on it. He wasn't a fan.

"I gotta learn how to say no to her highness.", Thought Wrecker, but a part of him knew he didn't mean that. Every time he considered saying no, he imagined Grime walking on his own, and who knows what dangers lurked in the streets, or what blood thirsty animals a curious boy might try to befriend.

Wrecker shuddered at the thought, wondering why he worried so much, but he shook his head. No time for worry, he had to get this done so he could go back to protecting Amphibia.

"Strange that she doesn't ask the Captain to accompany him, though."

Suddenly, a woman with curly brown hair and a cashmere sweater tapped his shoulder, startling him. He got into a defensive position, before realizing that it was just a middle aged mom. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Pardon me, ma'am. I was just…"

"It's all right, I can tell you're a Toad Tower soldier by your uniform!", The Mother reassured, and Wrecker breathed a sigh of relief. "I just wanted to ask you if yours is doing well?"

"Doin' well?", Wrecker asked, scratching his head. "I, um, I'm not quite sure I follow you, ma'am.", he apologized, feeling embarrassed. His parents wouldn't have liked how badly he was handling this conversation. He wondered if he should punish himself for that.

The Mother, however, laughed and waved him off. "No worries, I get things mixed up in a tizzy all the time! I was asking about your kid!"

Wrecker gulped, and looked around him to see everyone else looking as well. A part of him felt very very embarrassed at the concept, especially since they had no idea he was a Frog.

But another part of him felt a strange, intense need to praise Grime for the little he knew about him, which, in Wrecker's mind, was a lot of good stuff, not just concerning stuff.

"Why, um, he's the, uh, best dang swordsman in the whole class, I reckon!", Wrecker stated, hoping he didn't sound too unsure. It was mostly stuff he heard. "And, um, he's got great technique, too!"

"Is he fast? My daughter says speed is key when it comes to defending the homeland!", a father asked, and a few other parents nodded, having been told similar things.

"He, uh, sure is! He's very, very fast! Lightnin' fast! Faster than a jackrabbit on a frying pan road in July, or somethin'.", Wrecker stammered. He wasn't sure he was doing this right. Was he embarrassing Grime? Why did that worry him?

The Mother beamed at the Wrecker, which made Wrecker feel odd. He wasn't used to people smiling at him outside of Valeriana. "Oh, I bet you're so proud of him! Following his father's footsteps!"

"Yeah, I'm not sure anyone should follow in mah footsteps, honestly.", Wrecker thought to himself sadly, but then he thought of the past three years, and all the times he had taken care of Grime when asked to. And while there were still moments where Grime said pretty worrying things, one golden ideal still stood true in Grime's heart: He wanted to protect people most of all, more than anything.

Wrecker could relate, and he found it admirable that a child so young had such selfless thoughts. "Well, I'll say this, he's a lot better than his old pop!", Wrecker admitted, making everyone laugh. Wrecker's tone then changed into a more somber, more serious tone. "Yeah, his old man could be doin' a whole lot better. He's a very thoughtful boy, you know? He's not really a fighter, his nose is usually buried in books, his feet are usually swingin' on the grass. But…"

Wrecker smiled proudly as he thought of the many nights he had tucked Grime in, nights in which Grime explained to him his grand plans to make everyone safe and secure. He chuckled lightly and shook his head once, lightly. "…I know there's this… Golden part of his soul, that just wants to protect the people of this fair town. I reckon… I reckon one day he'll do exactly that. I can't explain it. It's just… Just a feeling. That one day he'll find himself, and…"

Wrecker closed his eyes, hoping he could one day do such a thing. "…Soar."

Suddenly, the bell rang, and all the kids rushed off to their parents, and, in Grime's case, his appointed bodyguard.

"You know, he's lucky too.", The Mother added, before Wrecker left. Wrecker raised an eyebrow. "How come?"

"He's got someone who believes in him like you do, how could he ever fail?"

Unfortunately, the walk home only reawakened Wrecker's concerns that Grime could one day fail, even if he himself tried his best to be a good influence and not fuck up like he always did.

"So… How was class today?", Wrecker asked, cautiously. He rarely tried to talk to Grime, a lot since Grime started talking anyway, but also because Wrecker wasn't sure if it was ok to. What if he accidentally made a mistake and Grime ended up being as much of a screw up as him?

"It was great, Sergeant Wrecker!", Grime enthused, waving an imaginary sword around and stabbing the air. The water splashed off his feet. "They taught us all about how to defend ourselves when we fight in battle!"

"That's good! It's important to know how to protect yourself, you never know when some MANIAC might try and attack you!", Wrecker explained, looking around for a moment to see if anyone attacked Grime.

"Yeah! But don't worry, Sergeant Wrecker, if any dirty frogs came by I'd slice them in half!"

Wrecker sighed again, feeling a migraine coming on. The Toad army didn't practice such beliefs, what were they telling these teachers to do? Muck surely didn't agree with all of this…

"Um, Grime?"

"Yes, Sergeant Wrecker?", Grime asked innocently, smiling at him with twinkling eyes.

Wrecker hated to bring the kid down, but he had to if he wanted him to be better. "Grime, um, I know it's not my place to say this, but the Toad army is one that defends and protects, we don't kill. And we don't only stop Frogs, we stop Newts, and Salamanders, and… I'm sure we stopped a few Toads once, I'm probably just a little rusty."

"Oh. They never told me that."

Grime seemed confused, like he was wracking his mind, and Wrecker looked at him in curiosity. He too was confused: HAD they ever fought Toads?

"It's weird, Sergeant Wrecker. I know you're a soldier, so you know better than me, and Mom says so too sometimes, but Father and my teachers say otherwise, that there are frogs, and newts, and salamanders who want to hurt us, who want to hurt my poor people!"

Grime seemed quiet worried, and Wrecker wondered if he had made a mistake raising the subject. The nine year old crossed his arms. "I hope you don't think I don't trust you. Mom speaks highly of you, as does Father. I know you work so hard to protect people."

"…Grime, it's…"

"That's why I want to be like you, Sergeant Wrecker! I want to help my people! I just… Don't know which way I'm supposed to do it. Everyone keeps saying different things."

Wrecker wasn't ready for a moment to deal with the idea that someone wanted to be like him. That was… Bizarre in ways he couldn't begin to describe.

But the last part, perhaps he could deal with.

"No, no, what are you thinkin', man? You're a Wrecker, remember? You'll only make things worse for the poor kid!", his mind shouted at him, but his heart couldn't relent, not when he saw how lost Grime was, as the poor kid looked at him, asking for some sort of advice.

He wanted to help so bad…

If Wrecker had ever received guidance, maybe he wouldn't have become a Wrecker…

"…Grime, to tell you the truth, I can't tell you what the way is. I know what I think, but I also know I've been wrong more times in my life than I can begin to count."

Wrecker placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder, trying to give him his nicest smile. "But I know that I made one good choice in devoting my life to protecting people, protecting you."

"You say you wanna do that too? That's great! But I can't tell you how to do it, I don't… I don't want to send you down the wrong path. If I've learned anythin' durin' my time on this world of ours, though, it's that if you truly are a good person, and I know you are, then you'll make the right choice, because it's written on the sleeve of your heart, Grime."

Grime nodded, thinking he understood. "So what you mean is… Is that I'll know what to do when I need to most?"

"Exactly!", Wrecker exclaimed, and he patted the shoulder affectionately.

"Why are you so sure?"

"…It's just a feeling."

Wrecker, now in the present day, sighed wearily, feeling guilty. He hated to bring down Grime like this. He knew he was trying…

But he wasn't gonna let Grime fail at his greatest hour. He wasn't gonna let Grime miss out on a good life by trying before he was ready.

He refused to let Grime be a wrecker.

A good father doesn't do that, after all.

"So I see your source wasn't much help?", Annie asked, mouth spewing out bits of beetle jerky. Wrecker shook his head affectionately and pointed to her mouth. "Swallow first, honey."

Annie did so, and she inquired once more. "But, like, what went wrong with the source?"

Wrecker sighed as he looked back at the innkeeper, who was busy mixing drinks for a barrage of Toad soldiers. "Regis wanted to help, but he knows nothing. Not even rumors. Muck must be keeping it shut real tight."

Grime scratched his chin in thought, as his salad remained untouched. "Perhaps I should snoop around a little. With my degree of authority they might be required to tell me."

Wrecker brushed this idea off, however, not giving it a moment's thought. "We can't risk word of this going to Muck. What if you slip up and reveal too much? It's too risky."

"All right, then I guess we just have to wait for Percy and Braddock! I'm sure they'll be here soon enough.", Grime replied, checking the doors for any sign of the little ones.

Wrecker rolled his eyes. "Oh, sure! Two ten year olds are really our best bet." His sarcasm was not at all subtle, and it made Grime pout a little.

"I'm sorry, Wrecker, you're right, it's unlikely. Is there anything I can…"

"Grime, please! Can't you see I'm trying to think here?", Wrecker snapped a little, and Grime sighed, feeling like he had done something wrong. He must have done, since Wrecker still didn't approve of the wedding. If only he could make things better…

Annie, noticing this, stopped eating and decided to take matters into her own hands. She cleared her throat, pretending she was thirsty. "Methinks I am parched.", Annie said in the worst fake posh accent she could muster. "Grime, would you mind…"

"Ordering a drink for you? Of course, dearest! What kind? Wait, no, don't tell me! I can make these choices myself! I won't let you down!", Grime declared loudly, flashing thumbs ups as he scrambled towards the bar. Annie, seizing her opportunity, cut to the chase. "Why are you being so harsh on him?"

"Beg your pardon?", Wrecker asked, confused. What was she talking about? Harsh? Not even close!

Annie rolled her eyes, blowing a strand of hair from her nose. "Dad, I could hear all those talks you had with my honey bun."

"I will never get used to that.", Wrecker commented, wondering how Leap would have possibly handled this. Probably worse, as he knew Annie longer.

Annie snorted and kept on. "Look, I get it, we just met, it's super fast, I know, I know."

She shushed him immediately when he opened his mouth. "And I KNOW that it's a mixed marriage, but Grime is in charge, Dad, it won't be a problem!"

"You know me too well.", Wrecker smiled wryly, and Annie beamed. "I mean, you ARE my second Dad, I really should by now."

Resuming her serious look, though, she finished her point. "But Dad, jokes aside, I… I love him. I really do."

There were the beginnings of tears in her eyes, and she was searching his eyes for the belief in her inner truth. She wasn't desperate, but she wanted him to understand. "He's… He's kind, and caring, and loving, and he protects me, and he actually thinks I'm special."

"He's not the only one who thinks that, baby."

Wrecker sighed and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, looking deep into her eyes. He loved her so much, she had to understand! "Annie, sweetie, trust me, I don't want to say no! Not really!"

"You seem pretty up for it, though.", Annie snidely remarked.

Wrecker shook his head. "I know it looks like that, but it isn't. Believe it or not, I care for Grime a lot. Maybe as much as you."

Annie looked up from that, eyes widened a little. "That's a fuck load!"

"Don't… Don't cuss, sweetie."

Annie laughed. "Dad!"

"My baby's all grown up and saying "Fuck", it's weird.", Wrecker joked, and the two giggled a little before returning to their conversation. Wrecker caressed her hand, gently, lovingly. "Annie, please, hear me out. I want you to get married to the man you love, I… I would normally agree with tradition, but I don't think you NEED my blessing, and definitely not Muck's."

He sighed wearily. "No, no, my problem is that Grime is… Well, I don't know if he's ready."

"What do you mean?"

"Grime, well, he's complicated. I'm sure he's told you a little about it, and I know he's a good person, but I also know that like me there are mistakes that haunt him, decisions that destroy his insides, and doubt that refuses to cease. He's only recently realized how wrong his father was, baby!"

Wrecker sighed, feeling bad for bad mouthing the boy he held dearly in his heart. "I don't think he'd ever hurt you. And I'm sure you two are helping each other a lot. But if Grime rushes into this… I'm afraid of what could happen if you two lose each other."

"That's not happening.", Annie said with finality.

"I'm just saying. Grime… He's like me, Annie. He's haunted by his mistakes. And I don't know if those scars have fully healed. I've seen what happens to him when he acts with emotion rather than logic. It backfires…"

It had been a week, but the effects could still be felt all over the tower.

Some showed sadness, others showed relief that her influence was finally dimmed, but only one truly understood and felt the loss of Lily Toad.

And that was her son Grime.

Wrecker had never seen Grime this way before: At the funeral he was breaking down constantly, berated by his father for acting like a "baby". The tears would not stop flowing down.

Two days later, however, his mood had seemingly changed into something way different: Rage.

He began secluding himself, barely speaking to anyone, and flashing incredibly angry eyes at whoever merely glanced at him. For hours the only sounds anyone could hear from his room were those of sword strikes and slashes.

And Muck seemed to show no signs of concern, worry, or fear.

Now, Wrecker knew that it wasn't his place to check on the boy, especially now with his mother gone and no longer requesting him. Wrecker had no idea if Muck would be all right with this, if this was ok with Grime, if he was snooping around in business that was not his.

And once, Wrecker would have just moved on with his job, out of fear that he would end up hurting whoever he was trying to help. After all, that's all he ever seemed capable of doing.

But somehow, someway, something deep inside him compelled him to go, to go to Grime and just see if he's all right, to let him know he still had a friend.

Wrecker knew it was a mistake.

But he was willing to make it if it meant Grime felt just a little better.

He was willing to risk the rage of Captain Muck if it meant Grime would know he was not alone.

"Grime…", he whispered softly as he knocked on the door. There was no answer, of course, and Wrecker couldn't hear any sword strikes or slashes. Perhaps Grime was in his bed?

Looking right to left to make sure no one was watching him, Wrecker tried once more, despite the voice in his head shouting at him to stop before it was too late, before he made things worse for Grime. "Grime?", he asked once more, just a little louder this time, a little more urgent.

Still nothing.

Wrecker sighed, feeling cold and stupid. "I knew this was a bad idea. I'm sorry, I'll go."

He began to leave, feeling it a lot easier, a lot lighter on his chest than to stay.

But Wrecker found his feet stopping and his heart resisting. He looked back with guilt. He had told Grime he believed in him. He had told him that he could see the makings of a great man in him. Could he truly leave him in his hour of need? Was he really just a fare weather friend?

"Wrecker, no! You'll wreck things like you always do!", his head shouted, but his heart disagreed.

"We can't just leave him! Not when he needs someone! And right now, unfortunately, we're the only ones who can help!"

Wrecker hesitated, looking back once more.

He closed his eyes and thought of Grime's tear stricken face.

A moment later, he was sitting with his back to the door, sighing again, trying to make himself comfortable.

His head lightly hit the door, and he felt the pain of the collision. Pain. He was so used to it by now.

Grime wasn't.

And unlike Wrecker, Grime could have someone hold his hand and tell him it was ok.

Unlike Wrecker…

Grime still had a chance.

"Quiet night, huh?"

Wrecker paused, as if he was waiting for Grime to answer.

"…Yeah. Quiet."

Wrecker took a deep breath and wiped his brow. "I like quiet sometimes. It's nice to be able to slow down and just… Think. No noise, nothin' to do, just you and your soul havin' a little chit chat."

A dark chuckle followed that statement. "Of course, for things to be quiet, one must be alone."

The clock above Wrecker kept on ticking and tocking. Wrecker observed it, focusing on the wooden cuckoo that would come out and tap every second on the frame. "Bein' alone is like bein' the clock that houses a cuckoo bird. Every second your noggin wants to remind you that you are alone, and not that you're just alone because you happen to be, mind you, but that it's your fault you're alone right now, that you have led to this situation with your actions."

"…That you deserve to be alone, and always will be."

Wrecker turned a little bit towards the door, directing this specifically towards Grime. "Grime… I know we're not close friends or whatnot. I'm just a guy who your mother happened to trust enough to let me get to know you. And I'm sorry if I'm out of line here."

He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead on the door, hoping Grime could feel his care radiating from there. "But when I said I believe in who you can become… I meant it."

He smiled, thinking back to the last few years. "You've got a real noodle in that head of yours. And you certainly pack a punch, if your teachers are to be believed. And your heart, boy, your heart holds so much room it's basically a 5 star hotel in Newtopia!"

Wrecker felt a little embarrassed as he said the next part. "I… I have grown to care for you quite a bit, Grime. In… In fact, I… I can safely say that if I were to ever have a son, I would be darn pleased if he were anythin' like you."

Wrecker then backtracked, worried he had fucked up. "I, uh, I hope that's not weird or anythin'. I don't mean to be weird, I just…"

He sighed, apologetically. "All I wanna say is that if you need someone to talk to, I'm here, ya know? I didn't have anyone when I was a kid. I don't want you to suffer like I did. Truth is…"

Wrecker stared hardly at the door. "…You're better than me. Much better. And I know in my heart, that no matter what happens, you'll get through this."

"…I believe in you, Grime."

Wrecker finished his little speech, but still there were no words uttered. Wrecker felt a spike of bravery: Perhaps actions would speak louder than words. Perhaps walking into the room to check on him would confirm what he had just said.

Gulping, he slowly opened the door, bringing in a little light to the darkened room. "Grime, I'm here for you…"

But as Wrecker looked inside, he saw the covers spread all over the floor, the bed holding no one at all, and the window hanging open, with a rope tied from the edge of it.

Wrecker was there for Grime, but Grime as not there at all. He was anywhere but there.

Wrecker stood there, for a moment, frozen in shock and fear.

And without a second thought, he ran to Captain Muck's office, to hell with whatever fears he had had just moments before.

Bursting through the door, Wrecker was panting by the time Muck disinterestedly glared at him, an annoyed tone to his voice. "I do not care for unwanted guests, Wrecker. What is your business here? News from the search for the key?"

Wrecker shook his head frantically, struggling to keep his wits about him. "N-No, Sir! It's about Grime, Sir! Your son!"

"I am unfortunately well aware of our relation, Wrecker, carry on."

Wrecker swallowed his ball of spit and resumed his frightened explanation. "Grime, I, I went to check on him because there were no sounds coming from his room, and, and the window is open, and he's not there, and I think he escaped, Sir!"

Muck listened to all of this attentively, and after taking a moment to consider it, waved Wrecker off. "That will be all, Wrecker."

"…What?"

"I said, "That will be all". Have you forgotten how to take orders, Wrecker, or should I remind you?"

Wrecker was incredibly confused by this reaction. "Sir, if he's in the forest, he… He could die! There are wild animals there, and I don't know why he's going there, what if he's running away, or what if he's…"

Muck slammed his hands on his desk and gave Wrecker a silently angry stare, one that sent a shiver down Wrecker's spine. "The boy needs to grow up already. If this is what we need to kickstart that process, then so be it. Will that be all?"

Wrecker breathed rapidly as his mind raced with thoughts, while Muck waited for his response. He wasn't sure what to do, he flinched at Muck's rage, and he still felt like he was out of line.

But images, flashes of Grime getting hurt, getting taken, getting killed…

Only one person could save him. And even if that person was the worst possible for the job…

It was better than no one.

Grime deserved at least that. At least a try.

"…Yes. That will be all."

And mere minutes later, Wrecker raced through the forest, only one name pulsating in his head.

Through coarse leaves and stinging nettle, through sharp branches and rough brambles, Wrecker didn't pay attention to the wounds he was collecting, he just kept running and running, screaming Grime's name out, though it felt like he wasn't speaking at all.

So many horrifying scenarios ran across his head, each one more traumatizing than the last. The pain he could be in… The danger surely lurking around the corner…

He would never forgive himself if something happened to Grime.

He couldn't bear the idea of the boy being hurt even a little.

After what seemed like hours and hours of traversing, Wrecker finally heard a familiar growl emanating from a praying mantis. Turning around slowly and strategically, his suspicions were sadly proven true: Grime was caught in its grip, fighting to survive.

"LET ME GO YOU STUPID BUG!", Grime screamed, flailing and scratching, more like a beast than a little boy. His eyes were blood red, and every time he struck the tomato plant it screeched ferociously.

Wrecker had no time to dwell on those worrying observations, though. Grime had to be saved NOW before he was tomato chow. "Don't worry, Grime, Imma comin'!"

Reaching for his sword, he was however met with the disturbing realization he had forgotten his sword.

"DIE! DIE! DIE!", Grime kept on screaming as he bit and swiped at the tomato monster, but it was losing its effect, and the boy was getting tired.

Wrecker felt his heart pound like a drum: Grime was in danger, mortal danger, and he had no sword. What could he do? How could he help? There was no way to save him that didn't involve jumping into the belly of the beast with little to no chance of survival or success.

But it was then that Wrecker realized: He didn't care what happened to him.

Even if it was only a 1% chance of success, if it was the only way to save Grime, then the only answer was "Yes".

Closing his eyes, Wrecker abandoned all doubt, and with a brave leap, he put it all on the line for the boy he had grown to care for as a son.

It was brutal, bloody, and ugly. Wrecker's costume, which for so long had survived wear and tear, was reaching a point where it's artificial skin and wear and tear were beginning to wane, and the costume would be torn to shreds, and Wrecker's pain would increase tenfold. Every part of his body screamed with pain as he used only his hands and legs to attack the tomato monster, Grime hanging onto dear life.

Picking Grime up with his hand, Wrecker tossed him gently to the ground, and screamed "RUN!"

"What? But you'll die!"

"JUST RUN!"

Grime, reverting to the ten year old he was, scuttled off in the direction of Toad Tower while Wrecker kept on punching the tomato monster, his knuckles bruised, his face full of scars.

The Tomato Monster was getting tired of this, and in an attempt to finish it off, opened its mouth to consume The Wrecker.

But The Wrecker was made of sterner stuff after all. Tired as he was, as close as he felt to death, as easy it seemed to just fall in the beast's mouth and finally die…

Wrecker couldn't leave just yet.

"No. One. Hurts. My. Boy!", he screamed, every period punctuated with a punch, until the Tomato Monster lived no more, and all that was left was the gasping for air lump that was The Wrecker, as he struggled to stay on his feet.

Grime, peaking from behind a tree, slowly approached the man who had saved his life, the man who was now covered in blood from head to toe, the man who…

"…I'm sorry. I know what I said wasn't ok. Please… Don't misunderstand. I just… I came to check on you."

Wrecker turned to him, tears in his eyes. "I was… I was afraid that you felt alone. I know what that's like. I don't want anyone to feel like that, least of all you."

Grime gulped uneasily and he held The Wrecker's tomato juice and blood covered hand. He scooched closer. "I… I don't think it's wrong, what you said. I… I noticed how kind you are to me, Sergeant Wrecker. I didn't know that… That anyone could ever care for me like that."

"…"

Wrecker didn't know what to say, so he merely squeezed the boy's hand.

But an important question still had to be asked.

"Grime… Why did you leave? You could have gotten killed! I was so afraid!", Wrecker admitted, struggling to hold back his real emotions. The poor kid, no child should ever face such danger!

"I'm sorry, Wrecker, I… I…", Grime started, not knowing how to explain it, when suddenly Wrecker saw a glint from Grime's pocket.

Grime looked at the glint and back at Wrecker and instantaneously he felt massive shame rise in him. "I… I…"

"…You wanted to find them."

"…Find who?", Grime asked, as Wrecker's face grew dark and disturbed.

"…Don't lie to me, Grime. You're no liar. And, even if you came close, you're no killer either."

"Tell that to Alexander.", Grime muttered, feeling intense guilt rise as well. He wasn't really going to… Right?

Wrecker began to raise his voice, more from alarm than from anger, more from concern than disappointment. "Grime, how did you even think you'd find the one who killed your mother? Did you just think you'd go around and ask who did it? And then what? You'd take revenge?"

"Maybe! Maybe… Maybe I should! Maybe they deserve it!", Grime suddenly shouted back, feeling his rage at his mother's killer return. It wasn't fair! It wasn't fair!

Wrecker face palmed, getting exasperated. "Grime, you're only ten years old! You wouldn't have made a dent in that bastard's body!"

"They killed my mother, Wrecker! And Father… Father says it was a Frog! If I had looked long enough one of them would have been proud enough to confess, and…"

Wrecker's eyes widened as he heard what Grime had said. Grime too began to realize what he was saying.

"…No, Wrecker, it's not like that, I don't really think that…"

"You said it, though."

"I… I'm sorry, I…"

Grime began to cry. "I'm just so confused, Wrecker, Mom says that it's not like that, but Father says it is, and… And I don't want to think one of them is lying! He keeps saying they're monsters, what if… What if they are?"

Wrecker clenched his fist as he turned his back on Grime, who kept on weeping, begging for forgiveness. "Wrecker, I… I'm sorry, I got so angry, I wasn't thinking! I… I wouldn't have actually done it, I mean it!"

"Grime, the fact that in your head you actually thought for a moment that it was a Frog not because of proof, but because you are told to hate them… That's bad. That's… That's almost as bad as it gets."

Wrecker turned around, giving Grime his most serious expression, silencing the boy. "If I told you that I was just going to kill a Toad because… because I was told all Toads were bad, how would that be ok?"

"It… It wouldn't…"

"So how come Frogs, and Salamanders and Newts get this treatment? Grime? Does that make sense to you? Even if it was a Frog who killed your mother, you can't punish a whole race for the crime of just one!"

Grime couldn't believe he had actually considered the idea. His heart ached as he felt the knife in his pocket. He didn't really think that, he just… He was just so confused. His mother said one thing, his father another. Why? Why did they say such things? He didn't really hate Frogs… But his Father kept insisting…

"Wrecker… Wrecker I'm sorry… Please… I didn't… My father said… I don't actually think that…"

"Then what do you think, Grime? What DO you think? Do you hate Frogs? Do you think that that's bullshit? What? What do you think?!", Wrecker asked, and Grime shivered and sniffled.

"I… I don't know, Wrecker. I don't know which one of my parents was lying. Everyone but Mom told me the Frogs are dangerous. That they want to kill me, my Father, everyone in our town! They told me that every Frog would rather have me dead! That if they had the chance they would kill me on the spot!"

Wrecker stared at him, as he cried from his heart, and deep down Wrecker knew that Grime truly was lost.

But Grime had to find that path again. Grime had to choose his way.

Grime needed to finally make a choice.

"…I'm a Frog, Grime."

Grime looked up in shock.

"I'm a Frog, and I risked my life to save you, and I would do so again, and again, and again. And I would do so because I care for you."

Wrecker looked down at him, firm and true, telling him how it is. "Grime, I know deep down you're a good person. I know that deep down you don't really believe all this superior species bullshit they're driving in your head. But you need to begin to answer the important questions: Who are YOU? What do YOU believe in? What are YOU going to do? What is YOUR path?"

Wrecker began to walk away, waiting for Grime to follow him. "Find your path, Grime. Choose. Choose to be the good person I know you are. Because right now, with these… These "beliefs", these horrible "beliefs" on other species…"

"You're no hero or protector. You're just an oppressor."

Wrecker finished recounting the event, and feeling somehow heavier than lighter, he rested his head in his hands and sighed. All the pain and the worry flooded back into his heart, and he stared back at Grime, who had his back turned to Wrecker, but was talking an awful long time with the drinks. Wrecker sighed. He hated to speak like this about Grime, because he knew that he wasn't really like that, and not anymore.

But what if he relapsed? What if something went wrong?

Wrecker wasn't a betting man. Unless he was truly sure, he wasn't gonna take a gamble.

So if he had to choose between to potentially painful futures, he'd choose the least painful.

Meanwhile, Annie, who had listened the entire time with a sad but not forlorn face, took a deep breath and clasped her hands together as she looked straight at Wrecker. "Dad… I know that Grime isn't perfect. I know he's made mistakes. And I don't think for a moment that anyone can just change like that, I know he's still recovering."

She kept on, pointing at him, as he kept on just standing there. "But I know that what Grime needs is help. He needs people to believe that he can do it, that he can make it!"

"But to marry him? You've only known each other for about a week!", Wrecker reminded, perhaps a little too critical.

Annie scoffed, brushing him off. "Dad, like, we only knew each other for a week and look at us! And isn't that MY choice?"

"Of course it is!", Wrecker reassured, his voice like an alarm blaring in his head. "I… I wouldn't normally ignore tradition like this, but I don't want to block it or anything! I just… I just want to think before we make such life changing decisions! I just…"

Wrecker sighed. He interlaced his fingers with hers and he gazed into her eyes, a real and pure sadness emanating from them. "Annie, every time I thought that things were gonna be ok, life came and kicked me in the ass. I… I can't let that happen to you, or to Grime. I just… I want to be sure that you two will be safe, that you…"

Wrecker shed a tear and wiped it, and Annie squeezed his hand. "…That you don't lose your happiness like I did."

Annie smiled softly, shaking her head. "Dad, I appreciate this. Really, I do. But you have to at least keep an open mind. You're… Well, you're being very close minded to it so far."

"Just… Give me a chance. Maybe I know what I'm doing for once.", Annie asked, and Wrecker squeezed her hand back and replied "You're a lot smarter than you think, sweetie. But ok. I'll try. I promise."

Smiling at each other, Wrecker and Annie resumed their lunch. Wrecker looked up and saw Annie eating wildly. He suppressed a smile. Annie looked up and tilted her head. "What?"

"…I missed you."

Annie giggled and beamed. "Ditto!"

Grime, meanwhile, hadn't heard the whole conversation as he was ordering.

But he did hear ENOUGH to feel horrible about himself once more. He had never forgotten the mistakes he had once made in the past, the backwards opinions he once held. He was ashamed of them to his core, and he wanted nothing more than to make up for his past.

He really HAD been trying, really really!

"But… Perhaps Wrecker is right. I have been trying for years, but it's been slow. I'm finally taking action, but maybe it's time to do more."

Grime closed his eyes, and he could see the man he once was. Oh how he hated him. Oh how he wished for a chance. Not just for himself. Not just for Annie. But for all the people who should have had his help so long ago.

"Please… Please give me a chance…", he prayed, his eyes wet with tears.

And it was then that a chance presented itself.

"Move, men, move! Step in time! Forwards march!"

From the corner of his eye Grime could spot a regiment marching past the Inn. "That's odd. I don't remember sending out any regiments to patrol the border."

Departing his stool, Grime approached the regiment with a raised eyebrow, curious as to what was going on. Perhaps something was afoot? He'd have to warn Annie and Wrecker if that was the case.

The moment he stepped out the entire regiment, excepting the sergeant heading it, bowed down in fear and respect, some visibly shaking at the image of the son of Captain Muck. Grime frowned at this show of "respect".

The Sergeant, seemingly as annoyed as Grime, crossed his arms and put on airs. "Oh, why, good afternoon, my lieutenant! What brings you to the inn?"

"I was, um, just having some lunch, but I was puzzled at the deployment of a border patrol, Sergeant, if I am being honest.", Grime replied, scratching his chin. The weapons carried by the patrol were not army regulations. "And I see you have made a mistake, we don't carry spiked clubs, or bayonets in patrol! We rarely do in battle, if memory serves…"

The Sergeant seemed to be sweating profusely now, and he began to stammer and sputter. "Uh, oh, well, there is news of some… Dangerous, yes, DANGEROUS terrorists coming in from, um, the south! We want to make sure that we're properly armed, is all!"

Grime's face expressed much doubt. "Sergeant, I may not be my father, but I DO know my army regulations, AND news of such importance. If there WAS a terrorist brigade coming in, I would not only have heard, I would have issued a lot more than one single patrol."

Grime stepped closer, eyeing the Sergeant's face. He could see the fear in his eyes. Grime hated it, but… Perhaps he could use it in his favor for once.

Perhaps, like at the restaurant, he could use the bad lemons he received to make some good lemonade.

Puffing up his chest and crossing his arms, Grime made himself into an imposing figure, and he stared down at the Sergeant with the authority he truly held, making most of the soldiers shake in their boots. "What is your true mission, Soldier?"

"…I am not… Not in a position to tell…", The Sergeant mumbled out, but Grime ordered again, adding a little bark to his voice. "I will not repeat myself, WHAT is your true missions, Soldier?!"

"I… I…"

Grime, realizing he had to put in some extra, stomped his foot and demanded once more. "THAT is an order, Sergeant! Unless you want to know what I'm TRULY capable of…"

That made the Sergeant spill the beans. The son of Muck would surely not be merciful. "I… We… We are…"

Resigned to his fate, the Sergeant closed his eyes and confessed. "We are going off to Newtopia to wipe out parts of the Frog population there."

Grime tried to hide the surprise in his face. If he showed some sort of weakness, he would lose his chance. "In all honestly, I probably shouldn't be surprised. My father, his men, the people of this town, they will do anything to hurt the Frogs."

"Well… I guess I'll just have to stop that, now won't I?", Grime thought to himself, and he placed a hand on the Sergeant's head, and looked into his eyes with a fire that burned bright and true. "As your Commanding officer, I order you and all your men to go home and never return to this tower. You are hereby relieved of duty."

"But… Captain Muck specifically said…"

Grime stared deeply into the Sergeant's soul and nearly growled. "But Muck isn't here, now is he? In his absence… I am in charge. And I order you to get out of my way…"

"Before I get you out of it permanently."

That was it. Fearing for their lives, the entire regiment abandoned their weapons and dashed towards Toad Town, leaving only Grime, who for once, felt just a little bit proud of himself.

"There's still much work to be done… But it's a start.", he whispered to himself, and he let himself crack the smallest of smiles.

Finally…

A little progress.

Suddenly, as he turned around, Grime saw that Annie was signaling him to come. "Be still, my beating heart.", Grime said to his heart as he walked to her. How could she make him feel like that just by smiling as he came?

"Grime, great news! Percy and Braddock have the information we need!", Annie informed excitedly, clearly pumped for adventure. She pretend to box the air. "No bad guys are getting past THIS girl!"

"My hero.", Grime quipped, but truthfully he thought that. He held her hand delicately. She was so strong, and so soft… How could anyone be so perfect?

How could anyone make him feel like this?

"Maybe they have our information. Let's not raise our hopes up, cause they just might CRASH AND BURN AND MAKE US QUESTION OUR EXISTENCE!", Wrecker suddenly shouted, and Grime and Annie stared at him quizzically.

Wrecker chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "…Pardon my minor nervous breakdown."

Wrecker turned away and took a deep breath to calm himself down, but the anxiety still screamed for attention. This was usually the part where it all went wrong. Would it once more?

How could he stop what he didn't know?

Percy and Braddock, meanwhile, were seated at Wrecker and Annie's tables, wearing sunglasses and trenchcoats.

"…Subtlety. It's a lost art.", Wrecker quipped, Annie and Grime chuckling.

"Listen, man, you want your info or not? I have places to go, people to see!", Percy replied in a grizzly fashion, and Braddock sheepishly smiled.

"I apologize for my partner's behavior, he has a tendency to go method."

"They took my family, Braddock! And they will know pain."

"And I thought I was a crazy kid when I was young.", Annie said, and Wrecker raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you tell me you used to hit flies with bats to make graffiti?"

"That's perfectly normal, ask anyone, and by anyone, I mean me."

Percy slammed his hand on the table. "Can we get a move on?"

"Of course, of course.", Wrecker replied, and the trio sat down as Percy and Braddock began to explain.

"All right, so my says that if you go into the hallway, there's a painting of the Captain himself. If you remove it from its place…"

Braddock looked left and right to make sure no one else was listening, and leaned in to whisper in their ears. "There is a secret passage, and in that secret passage there's a dungeon, a treasury, and a red room. That's the one you want."

Wrecker's eyes widened, as did Grime's. "Father never told me about any such thing!"

"This runs deep, Grime. This is serious. If you've been left out, he's hiding something."

Grime nodded, but he was clearly a little scared. His father's behavior had become more transparent as of late now that Grime was thinking clearly. He showed zero concern for his men, and he was sending a regiment to wipe out frogs in Newtopia, and that's just the one Grime found out about!

How dark was this secret?

Annie, meanwhile, was optimistic about their chances. "Ok, so we just need to go in there and there should be something about the box?", she asked, rearing to go.

"Exactly!", Replied Braddock with a smile. "I think it might be some kind of book!"

"All right then, let's go!", Annie exclaimed as quietly as she could, and she began to walk out of the inn and towards the tower.

Wrecker and Grime followed suit, one still afraid of what fate could befall them, the later now feeling better about himself.

But all three prayed that the intel was right, or else everyone would truly be in danger.

"Coast is clear."

Wrecker looked back at Annie and Grime, who were now quite far away, three hallways back, to be clear. Annie tried to whisper in a way that someone three hallways forwards could hear, which was no easy feat, mind you. "Um… What?"

Wrecker face palmed and pointed at the area around him. "Coast is clear.", he whispered again, a little harshly.

"Toast is here? Did we order any?", Grime asked, and Annie shrugged with her hands.

"Coast is clear! Frogdamn it!", Wrecker shouted, frustrated. He had to be more covert, but his patience had run out a little.

Annie and Grime, startled, tip toed quickly towards him, shushing each other and Wrecker.

Wrecker grumbled. "Finally. Now stay back a little."

"Dad, come on!", Annie protested, sounding tired of this shit. "There is NOTHING ahead of us! It's literally just hallways!"

"Well, not literally, there are also paintings, and wallpaper, and there's a suit of armor there…", Grime corrected, only for Annie and Wrecker to raise their eyebrows at him. He chuckled awkwardly. "Um… Never mind."

Wrecker scoffed and shook his head, a migraine coming on. He could just see everything going to shit. "Look, you can stick closer, but be careful! There could be booby traps everywhere!"

"Heh. Booby.", Annie thought, laughing to herself, and they began to get a move on.

The tower's hallways were really as empty as Annie described: Sure, there was a pretentious and grandiloquent painting of Muck here and there, a rusty, dusty suit of armor "guarding" the halls, but outside of that, there was nothing but grey walls and metaphorically blood stained floors.

It wasn't even that long of a trip, but it felt like it as they approached their destination: The second biggest portrait in the tower, the official family portrait.

As they reached it, Grime took a moment to stare at what was supposed to be a moment in time for a family that lived and loved: Muck, the father, standing tall and proud, an imposing figure even when he smiled; Lily, the mother, wearing a smile that Grime could now see was uneasy, unnatural, the only genuine bone in her body situated in her hand as she caressed her son; And of course the son, Grime, standing as he was requested to, but wearing a smile that was clearly genuine. Grime wondered if perhaps it was because for once the family was all together and no one was shouting or hurting the other.

"But that too was fake."

Wrecker and Annie stared at Grime for a moment as he took a deep breath and stared at the painting with regret of years reflecting in his eyes. "I guess it's only fitting that this painting hides a dark secret and a mountain of lies."

"After all, this painting holds the biggest lie: That my Father ever loved me."

Annie squeezed his hand, and Wrecker placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and, making sure no one was coming from their right or left, they all lifted the painting together to uncover the…

"Safe?!", Wrecker exclaimed, struggling to believe their misfortune. Instead of an entrance, they were met with cold, hard steel, and a daunting code to crack.

"Oh, Frog! That could be any combination! We don't have that kind of time!", Annie exclaimed, feeling a panic rising too.

Grime looked at his two alarmed friends, and then back at the safe. "Annie's right, we can't bank on luck here. We have to crack this safe right away."

That word, crack, gave Grime some inspiration. He wasn't just a good thinker when he put his mind to it, but he had some power in his corner. Perhaps… If he tried hard enough…

"Maybe it's something egotistical, like his birthday, or the amount of muscles he has…", Annie offered, as she paced around the hall to figure out the puzzle.

"Well, until Grime enlightens us about that asshole's exercise regimen, I'm trying every combination I can! If I can do it fast enough, maybe, just maybe…", Wrecker started, already placing in 0-0-0, 0-0-1, and 0-0-2, when suddenly, Grime ran headfirst into the safe, making Wrecker jump out of the way and gasp.

"Grime!", Wrecker shouted, rubbing his sore hand. "You could have hurt yourself! Are you ok?"

Grime shushed him, and pointed at the safe, that looked properly dented. "My father may have not loved me, but he made me strong. He's gonna see what happens when that's turned against him."

Wrecker, still concerned, nodded with uncertainty. "I'm taking over if it takes too long."

Annie was also worried, and she was quick to kiss his already hurt head. "For luck.", she added, blushing slightly.

Grime looked at the two of them, and then at the painting that was lying on the floor.

And slowly he smiled, as he realized that his family wasn't fake.

It had just taken him a while to find them.

Feeling his resolve solidify next to his strength, Grime ran again and completely demolished the safe this time around, uncovering the entrance.

Wrecker and Annie quickly ran in and placed the painting back in place with the hope that it would cover them for now.

Turning to Grime, they assisted him up, as he breathed heavily, but smiled easily.

"Are you all right? Are you hurt? Do that again and I'll… Pout really hard!", Wrecker stated, while Grime laughed it off.

"I'm more than all right, Wrecker! Now, come on! Let's keep going!", Grime cried, and he and Annie began to advance quickly down the hall, carefully leaping over any possible obstacles and trip wires they could find.

"Wait, hold up!", Wrecker called after them, concern rising like the waves in the sea. He could see a million horrible possibilities, and he had to ensure none of them happened. "You know that this place is full of…"

Wrecker then tripped on one of the trip wires and fell on his face. "…Traps…"

Annie and Grime quickly turned back, fear stricken, and right on time, two booby traps activated in the middle of the stony dungeon they were traversing through: From the left, where Wrecker was, a flap door on the ceiling opened, and a giant boulder came out, rolling towards Wrecker at top speed.

On the right, the floor ahead of Annie and Grime had opened up, revealing a serious of sharp spikes and seemingly bottomless pits. Even the simplest mistake could lead to a fall, and most probably death. There was seemingly no way to get through.

"Oh, great, great! Just swell! NOW how are we gonna get outta this mess?!", Wrecker complained, heaving as he tried to keep the gargantuan boulder up. His patience was worn thin as it is, but now he had fucked up once more, and his family was once more in danger.

Grime looked around the dungeon, but all he could see were walls with chains attached to them. "We can't be stuck, we can't!"

"…And we won't!", Annie, who had been measuring the distance, suddenly announced, and with an agile leap, she shot her tongue at the roof, sticking to it and hanging over the halfway point to death.

Both Wrecker and Grime exhibited concern, which didn't help Wrecker, who could feel the rock gaining ground on him. "Annie!"

Closing her eyes to focus, knowing the distance by heart, Annie began swinging back and forth. Annie's common sense and quick thinking on the spot had always helped her, but with her added agility and her new found confidence, she was unstoppable.

For once not grounded by her lack of confidence, Annie swung back and forth, and, with a smile, stuck the landing, now safe and secure on the other side of the room. She took a little bow. "Abra cadabra, take THAT Gabby Ferrara!"

Wrecker and Grime blinked, confused.

"…Gabby was a bitch where I'm from."

"Ah, that makes sense.", Wrecker replied.

"Valid.", Grime nodded.

"But how are we… Oh fuck this is hard, how are we gonna get all the way over there, Annie?", Wrecker asked, worry flaring once again. Annie was smart and strong, but if she got hurt…

"No problem!", Annie replied, and she opened her mouth and shot out her tongue at Grime.

Grime looked at her tongue, that was now stuck to his hand. He was sweating, and looked back at Wrecker and then at her. "Annie, shouldn't we wait until your Dad goes?"

Annie shook her head and tried to speak through her now muffled voice. "Dude, no! Like, hold onto my tongue and I'll send you back here to me!"

"That's mighty risky, Annie! Can you handle that kind of weight? No offence, Grime, I don't mean it like that.", Wrecker raised a doubt, and Grime waved him off. "None taken!"

"Dad, I worked on a farm my entire life. This tongue could pull a boat if it wanted to!"

Wrecker hesitated again, but he didn't have much of a choice right now. The boulder was still putting pressure on his arms and legs, and after the last few battles, Wrecker's age was catching up to him. "All right, but make it snappy! No lollygagging, sweetie!"

"Roger that, Dad!", Annie saluted, and, with Grime how holding onto her tongue tight, she sent him flying towards her, landing mostly safely on her body.

Looking at each other face to face, Annie smirked flirtatiously. "We should meet each other like this more often."

Grime shyly smiled. "Yeah…"

"If you two love birds don't mind, I'm sort of getting crushed over here!", Wrecker cried out, as he felt his knees begin to shake heavily. His arms couldn't hold on much longer…

Grime got off of Annie, and Annie leapt back to her feet and readied her tongue. But there was a problem. "Dad, I need you to come closer, my tongue can't go that far!"

Wrecker looked back and forth in fear. She was right, but how could he? He wasn't strong enough. His knees buckled to the ground, and he felt the boulder come closer and closer to killing him.

"I… I can't… Quite…"

Grime and Annie both looked at him with massive anxiety. Annie could feel her heart pounding in her ears, Grime could feel his skin go pale. Wrecker wasn't as strong as he was, and if he couldn't push it back.

"We should go back to him!", Annie cried out, perhaps a little too loudly. One could hear the nerves shooting in her brain, her fight or flight response triggering. "If we all push the boulder…"

"No!", Wrecker shouted defiantly. "If you do that, you might fall into the spikes or pits next time! We can't take that risk!"

"So how will you get out? You're being smashed!", Annie cried, already feeling tears entering her eyes. No… Not him… Not her father…

Wrecker could hear it in her voice. He could see the fear in Grime's eyes.

He knew that other kids, other poor families were depending on him.

He couldn't… He couldn't give up.

Not this time.

For once, The Wrecker had to succeed.

Just once, The Wrecker had to persevere.

To be a determinator.

Feeling a second wind coming, Wrecker began to slowly stand up. His knees bent in the right way, and his arms began to slowly lift the boulder higher and higher.

"He's… He's doing it!", Grime commented when he realized what was happening, and Annie brightened up.

"Of course he does! He's my dad!"

Wrecker, breathing heavily, felt the love in his heart surge, and with another burst of power, fully in control, he turned around and began to roll the boulder towards the holes in the floor.

It could only cover half of them, but it meant that Annie could easily tongue him over to her side, and so she did, Wrecker taking a moment to catch his breath again.

"…Thanks, baby."

Annie hugged him as he regained his composure. "I'm just happy you're safe, Dad!"

Shaking his head, Wrecker pointed forwards. "All right, let's hurry up! We can't lose any more time!"

"He's right! Let's finish this!", Grime agreed, and the trio ran down the dungeon, making sure not to fall for anymore traps.

Competently reaching the end of the hall, they saw two doors: One to the right that was painted yellow, another painted red.

"If one is the treasury, than it must be the yellow one.", Grime pointed out, and Annie and Wrecker stroked their chins in thought.

"It can't be THAT easy, can it?", Wrecker said, and Annie nodded. "I feel like there's gotta be more. Like some spooky ass monster, or an SAT test."

"Or a spooky ass SAT test. With teeth and stuff.", Grime proposed.

"Seems likely. We better brace ourselves.", Wrecker stated, and, raising an arm to block their faces, they opened the red door and let out a battle cry to face the…

Books?

"Wait, what?", Wrecker exclaimed, confused, and Annie and Grime followed suit. Instead of some deadly trap, or an evil beast, what they saw was a red room, with a simple meeting table to sit at and discuss issues, a few windows, and towering over them, dozens and dozens of book cases, rows and rows of them, like the world's largest library compressed into an uncomfortably tiny space.

It was just miles and miles of books, from ancient manuscripts that would surely dissolve in a touch, to large, cumbersome almanacs that would take years to read through.

"That guide could be anywhere!", Wrecker said, and he felt his head hurt from all the possibilities.

"We have no title, no author, not even a clue as to what the cover looks like!", Grime added, biting his nails.

"And the clock is ticking, guys! It's not like we have time to go through it all!", Annie finished, looking behind her back for signs of an enemy.

The trio all gulped in unison: How could they possibly solve this conundrum?

Grime began to pace the room, as did Annie, both of them speaking quickly and in alarm, searching for a solution. "OK SO WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE BOOK? WE KNOW IT'S SOME SORT OF GUIDE, MAYBE THE BOOK IS RED LIKE THE ROOM? THERE HAS TO BE A REASON WHY THIS ROOM IS SO RED! IT WAS SURELY WRITTEN BY A TOAD, MAYBE MUCK? OR MAYBE SOME ANCESTOR?"

Wrecker struggled to think with all the noise, or the fact that Annie and Grime were just walking all around, stepping onto the table and knocking into chairs. But it was when Annie mentioned Ancestor that Wrecker was able to remember the story he had heard just a few days ago.

"Of course! It's so obvious!", Wrecker cried out, and both Annie and Grime stared at Wrecker in surprise, stopping their constant chatter to listen. "Huh?"

Wrecker, excited, began to explain. "When I was searching for a place to keep the box safe, and met the Order, they told me about the toad who created the box!"

"Dang, that could be it, Dad!", Annie cried out, and she got herself ready to find the right section with the right letter.

Wrecker, however, than got a little uneasy as he remembered who the author was. "Um, I do have to add that… Um… Well, you see…"

"Yeah?", Grime asked, confused.

Wrecker sighed. "There's no easy way to say this. Grime, the toad who created the box is your distant distant ancestor, Slimes Croaker, or more specifically, Captain Claws."

Grime's eyes widened, for just a moment. He had heard tales of his ancestor Claws, but none mentioned a box of such destructive power. "…I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Just disappointed at my family once more."

Wrecker, not sure at first what to say, simply placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, before adding "Well… At least be happy that you're nothing like them."

Grime's surprise was soon drowned out by his smile. "Thank you, Wrecker.", he said gratefully.

Wrecker smiled at his friend, his son, in a sense. "Any time."

"Found it!", Annie suddenly cried out, and Wrecker and Grime nodded at each other and dashed to where she was, hanging off the 'C' section of the first row, her tongue stuck to the ceiling. "Here you go!", she muffled out, and she threw the book, socking Grime in the face.

"Whoops! Sorry, Grime!", Annie called out, and Grime flashed a thumbs up. "It's fine! Only my pride got hurt!"

Wrecker took the book from the now rising Grime, and the three of them began to read, Grime skimming pages as fast as he can. "This is just mechanical stuff, propaganda, more propaganda, a list of ways to torture someone named Thorn, yada, yada, yada…"

Grime tried to go through it as fast as he could, until he finally stumbled onto a page inscribed with strange runes. "What's that?", Annie asked, pointing at the runes.

"Ancient Toad writing. How strange. That hasn't been used since before the times of the Captains! Or even before that, now that I think about it! It's one of the earliest languages known to Toad! I only learned of it because I was bored and hung out in the library a lot!", Grime explained, reading the code.

"What does it say? Anything about some kind of sword that can destroy the box? Maybe a spell?", Wrecker asked, hopeful.

Grime's eyes went over each word, analyzing all the meanings, before he gasped and looked at them with urgency. "The Box… The runes on the box, the… The illustrations…"

"Yeah, what about them? All I can remember is that they show a Toad and a Frog.", Wrecker thought back.

"Exactly! Whatever that means, that's the key! That, and preparing a spell powerful enough to destroy the box without destroying Amphibia, but it says here it would take a year to conjour!"

The trio looked at each other. The solution, the key to saving Amphibia… It was in their hands.

"I wonder why Claws would have that written down.", Annie asked, confused.

"Perhaps he wanted to make sure no one ever uses it after him.", Wrecker offered, and Grime nodded. "That sounds about right."

"Well, now all we need to do is…", Wrecker started, but as he did, Grime leaned his hand on the shelf that had held the book, accidentally pressing a secret red button that hid on said shelf.

A loud, piercing alarm played.

"What the fuck?!", Annie shouted, jumping in the air, while Wrecker, panicking, looked back and saw that Grime was leaning on the button.

Lost in the heat of the moment and the burning paranoia he felt, Wrecker finally cracked.

"How could you?!", Wrecker shot coldly and angrily at Grime, who, suddenly realized he had pressed the button by accident, waved his arms in shock. "Wrecker, wait, it's not what you think…"

"Of course it's what I think!", Wrecker shouted, stepping closer to Grime, disappointment and rage emanating from his eyes. "You just couldn't handle it, could you? You couldn't leave your father behind, you couldn't just make a choice for once!"

"Dad, what are you talking about? Grime would never betray us!", Annie retorted, outraged at the concept. Grime looked forlorn, guilty even though he hadn't done anything. "Wrecker, I swear, I… I…"

Wrecker, however, was raving, his eyes clearly crazed, and he stared into Grime's eyes with unparalleled anger. "How long were you planning this? How long were you planning to hurt my daughter? Were we even FRIENDS?!"

"Dad, stop!", Annie shouted, pulling Wrecker away, as Grime looked away with shame he didn't have to feel.

"I knew this would happen! It always does!", Wrecker shouted, his anger beginning to be replaced with despair, hot tears starting to stream out of his eyes.

"What do you mean?!", Annie shouted, getting tired of this.

"That I would fail again! That I would trust the wrong person! It happens every time, every time I think I'm safe, the people I love are safe, something goes wrong and it's my fault for not seeing it!"

"Dad, he didn't betray is, get it in your head!"

"Annie, don't you get it?! Now both of you are gonna lose each other, all because I didn't do this myself! I should never have let you help me, I should never have put you in harm's way! But I did, because I'm a bad father! I'm a Wrecker, like my father always said I was!", he screamed, his voice getting hoarse, his face filled with tears.

He fell to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. "I failed you… I failed you again… I should have done more… Should have seen this coming…"

Annie and Grime looked at each other, and then back at Wrecker. Annie, knowing what she had to do, leant down and embraced Wrecker.

"Stay away from me. I'll only make it worse."

"Dad… Dad, he made a mistake. You know better than that."

"No I don't. I always fuck up. I always trust the wrong person."

"You trust me."

Wrecker slowly looked up, lip trembling. He silently listened now, recognizing the point she made.

"Dad… Dad, you made mistakes. It's ok. Just like Grime, it was just a few mistakes. I know you never meant to hurt anyone. I know you're trying to be better.", Annie said, caressing his head, enveloping her in her warmth.

"I'm… I'm supposed to keep you safe, now they're gonna hurt you, stop your wedding…"

"I chose to help. I made this choice. As did Grime. It's not your fault. And if you never let us try, how are we ever gonna survive out there without you?"

Wrecker slowly nodded, sniffling. "I guess… I guess that's true…"

Annie smiled softly, giving back to Wrecker the love and care he had given her. "You helped us a lot, Dad. It's ok. When we work together, we can't fail. One day, Grime and I will be fine without you. But we're ok with your help. Just… If you want us to be happy, you have to let us try."

"…I'm sorry."

"It's ok. You only did it because you love us."

Wrecker looked up at Grime and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Grime. I… I should have had more faith in you. I just want you not to lose like I did."

Grime, who had been silent the entire cooldown, walked slowly over to Wrecker and placed a hand on his head. "Wrecker… You have always had faith in me. I understand why you panicked. I understand your fears. I promise you… I won't let you down."

Annie and Grime wrapped their arms around Wrecker, and Wrecker let himself smile for a moment. He had been so afraid that his family wouldn't be happy, that they would be hurt, that he stopped them from doing just that. He had been so worried he'd fail them that he almost did.

All he wanted was for them to be safe and sound. If the way was to help them rather than protect them…

Perhaps this was the way.

"How touching."

Wrecker, Grime and Annie all turned around and gasped, as an old and slimy Toad with greying ginger hair sneered at them, standing upright, wearing a slick black uniform.

"We really forgot about the alarm, didn't we?", Annie pointed out, feeling sheepish.

"I mean, we were havin' a moment.", Wrecker replied.

The Toad Officer walked slowly and methodically towards them, enjoying every second he held their fates in his palms. "Well, well, well, if it isn't The Wrecker."

Wrecker stood up to stare him eye to eye. He was afraid, but he held his ground.

"I always felt you wouldn't be able to resist. Once a frog, always a frog, I see."

He momentarily glanced at Annie, who had her fists clenched, ready to kick butt if she needed too, before looking at Wrecker again.

"The Captain will be more than happy to punish you and this pathetic monster by your side."

"Say that to my face, asshole!"

Wrecker raised his right arm, blocking Annie from the Officer. "Leave her out of this. This was my mistake."

"Dad, no!", Annie objected, fear in her eyes at losing her father.

"Just take me instead, Officer.", Wrecker stated with finality, refusing to let his daughter be hurt.

"With pleasure. Your assistance in stopping these filthy frogs is most appreciated, My Prince.", The Officer said to Grime, who was surprised at the assertion.

Wrecker didn't say anything. Least he could do was not get Grime in trouble for what he didn't do.

But as Grime looked at Annie and Wrecker, and then at his own hands, he narrowed his eyes, and looked up at the Officer, an aura of resolve rising around him.

"No."

The Officer turned, surprised at the statement. "No? What do you mean, My Prince?"

"Don't punish them. Don't arrest them. Don't kill them. Don't harm a single hair on their heads."

Wrecker and Annie stared at Grime, confused at what he was doing. The Officer was even more so. "I apologize, My Prince, but do you not want the culprits to be punished?"

"I do. But they're not the culprits."

He presented his hands in surrender, his heart set. "I am."

Everyone in the room reacted with shock at this statement, as Grime went to his knees and offered his wrists for arrest. The tension could be cut with a knife.

"This… This is preposterous! You must be joking!", The Officer cried out, trying to understand what madness this was.

"You can't give up, Grime!", Annie cried out, terrified of what could happen to her love.

"Grime, what are you doing?", Wrecker asked, lost at this culmination of events.

Grime stared intently at the Officer and spoke with acid and venom, abandoning his father's ways. "My father, you, all you leaders of Toad Town… You're the real monsters. You are trying to kill The Frogs, The Newts and The Salamanders, all because you think you're superior. This is not the way. If this is who we are, we don't deserve to be the line!"

Grime spilled his heart out, finally joining the stance true to his soul, finally expressing what he truly felt inside. "I want to protect Amphibia, not control it. That's why I tried to destroy the box. That's why I betrayed my father. That's why I want the throne as soon as possible, so I can do what my father should have done. That's who I am."

He looked back at Wrecker and nodded his head. "I… I made a choice."

Wrecker's eyes flashed with realization, and then with pride. He smiled at his boy. Grime smiled back, before the Officer raised him up and growled.

"Your father will have much to say to you."

As he said that, however, Wrecker got another realization. Looking around him as fast as he could, he saw a part of the wall he could realistically ram into.

And he did just that, tearing a hole in the tower, bricks falling down to the ground below.

"What the hell is he doing?!", The Officer shouted, as Grime looked in alarm. Annie ran up to the now hurt Wrecker, bleeding from his left eye, lying in pain on the floor.

"Dad! Dad, are you ok?!", Annie cried out, feeling his face for any cuts.

"My eye sight was getting worse anyways. I'm sure it will be fine.", Wrecker reassured her, before whispering to her "Take Grime, go to Wartwood, find a Mrs. Sadie Croaker and follow her to the Order's HQ with the guide. Quickly!"

"But… But what about you?", Annie asked, and Wrecker shushed her.

"I'll be fine, because you'll be fine. I trust you. I helped. Now go and be amazing, like I know you'll be."

Annie laughed in relief, wiped the tears from her face, and kissed his forehead. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, baby."

Annie then ran to the Officer, who was trying to restrain Grime, and with a flip kicked him to the ground. She raised Grime to his feet.

"We're running."

"Ok!", Grime said, confused but willing to listen. He and Annie bolted out the hole and landed mostly safely on the ground, guide in Annie's hands. They waved to Wrecker and kept on running.

Wrecker stared at them with a warm smile as The Officer, standing up, stomped his foot and dragged Wrecker with him. "Fine! If I can't have him, I'll have you! Muck will deal with you!"

As Wrecker got dragged away, and the Officer ordered some soldiers to chase Grime and that frog girl he's with, the Officer looked down at Wrecker and sneered. "I hope you're proud, traitor."

Wrecker, eyes almost shut, smiled wryly. "…I sure am."

"And that's what happened, Captain Muck. These… These traitors have turned your son, one way or another."

Wrecker had been in Muck's quarters many times. Usually it was because he was being given a mission, once or twice he had come there to deliver some news.

This was the first time he had been there strictly to be reprimanded, maybe even punished.

And Wrecker doubted it was a slap on the wrist and a stern talking off to.

So far he couldn't see much of it, as The Officer had him on his knees, his head forced to look down at the floor. It was hurting his neck, but he couldn't really voice dissatisfaction right now.

Muck, meanwhile, was uncharacteristically silent. Wrecker could barely hear his breathing, let alone his contempt. He couldn't tell, but it sounded like he hadn't even risen from his seat. What was going on?

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, but was really only a minute and a half, Muck broke the silence with a voice that sounded jagged like glass. "…Raise him up."

The Officer did as he was told, and Wrecker, shaking his head to regain composure, his sight a little blurry thanks to the damage he took earlier, was face to face with Captain Muck, the Toad who had turned him into a tool for his own gains, the Toad who had made Wrecker fight for the wrong side, the Toad who had hurt Grime so badly.

"Sergeant.", Muck responded calmly. Odd. Was he perhaps trying not to come off as outraged?

"…Muck.", Wrecker responded, hate underlining every syllable.

The Officer smacked the back of Wrecker's head, making Wrecker disoriented again. "You will refer to him as "Captain", traitor!"

"No need. He may call me by my name.", Muck said, quietly, firmly. Something in his voice just kept confusing Wrecker. It wasn't angry, as much as it was clear. It sounded like Muck was… At peace, with something?

Wrecker had no idea how powerful Muck was, but he felt like he just might find out now. He hoped he could hold on long enough in a fight with him.

"Or at least… At least go out swinging for the right side."

Muck had his back turned on The Officer and Wrecker. He didn't say anything for another minute, just stared out of his window, at the long plains and hills that led to Toad Town. He sighed, a long, quiet sigh, and then he turned around to them again.

"…Leave us."

The Officer blinked in confusion. "How come?"

"I want to be alone with The Wrecker."

"Ok, Sir.", the Officer replied, and he marched out, saluting all the way.

The door closed, and Muck stared into Wrecker's eyes, and Wrecker did the same to him. There were no words, no actions, no hush breaths.

Just two men, alone in a room, a million degrees of separation between them.

"…I would like you to repeat what Grime had said back in the office. I want to clarify that those were his exact words."

Wrecker found the request a little odd, but he complied anyway. Attempting to remember, he looked up at the ceiling a little. "Um… He said that me and Annie shouldn't be punished, arrested, killed, or even have a hair on our head touched."

Muck nodded slowly, hands behind his back. "And then he went off to find a way to destroy the box, to ensure the equality of all species?"

"Yes."

Muck turned around and looked out the window once more. His hands shook, only a little, but still. The rage inside him, it burned like the deadliest fire. If he could, he would have killed Wrecker in every way he could consider, until all that would be left was the blood on his knuckles.

"Everything I have worked for… Everything my ancestors worked for…"

Wrecker didn't understand what was going on, but he had to give Grime and Annie enough time to survive to find a way to destroy the box. "Look, I'm the one in charge of this rebellion. Your quarrel is with me, not Grime, not my daughter."

Wrecker was almost begging now for this. "Take me. Take me instead!"

Muck, with another sharp sigh, turned around and shook his head. "You do not understand, Wrecker."

This pissed Wrecker off. If he was gonna fail, he was the only one going down. "No, listen to me, you asshole! You kill me, I'm responsible for this! You touch Grime or Annie and I swear I'll resurrect myself and… And kill you as a ghost, or somethin'!"

"No, you don't understand!", Muck growled, before calming himself down and taking back control. "What I mean is… I couldn't even hurt Grime or you if I wanted to."

"Liar. I know what you did to him. And I stayed quiet because I thought that's how things go. But now that I know… You can bet I'll make you feel what he felt, you son of a bitch.", Wrecker said, with a rage only a parent could feel for their child.

"I can't hurt you or Grime…", Muck continued, ignoring his threat. "Because I am under order not to."

THIS made Wrecker stop talking, and instead, his jaw dropped. "Under order? YOU'RE in charge!"

"Not anymore.", Muck replied non-chalantly, closing the curtains on his window, and turning around to face Wrecker once more. His voice was calm, but his eyes were clearly reflecting the madness of a man whose plans had all died out of reach. "Grime ordered for you not to be hurt, or killed, or arrested, or punished. He has chosen to destroy the Box."

"…And?!", Wrecker asked, frustrated, clearly tired from a long day too. "Look, man, if you're gonna kill me, just do it, enough with this mystery bullshit!"

Muck closed his eyes, rubbed the creases in his forehead, and finally spoke again. "Toad Law states that once an heir has reached maturity, at eighteen years of age, any order of theirs is law, and they can effectively succeed onto the throne with merely a word. His orders mean that I cannot do anything to you, to your… Daughter, or to him, since he has chosen to go and destroy the box. And since he wants the throne as soon as possible… It is his when he comes back."

Wrecker's eyes widened in shock, as the monumental words circled his head. Grime… By making the choice… Grime had just saved Amphibia. He was in charge.

"I… I can't believe it.", Wrecker thought, as he realized that everyone in Amphibia was saved. Everyone was safe.

And while a part of him felt proud of himself, and a part felt so relieved for the innocent people Muck could have hurt, his eyes flashed with pride and joy most at the fact that it was his daughter and the boy he cared for so deeply who had saved Amphibia.

"Well… Whaddaya know?", he thought to himself, feeling a glow in his heart. Was this…

Happiness?

Muck, however, was less pleased. Not able to do a single thing, totally out of control, Muck had done what no Toad Captain had done before: Lost.

He stared at Wrecker with a hate incomparable to most. "…Congratulations, Wrecker. You doomed this land with your false views. Now the weak will rule the earth and send us all astray."

His voice got rougher as he went as close as he could to hurting Wrecker without hurting him, clenching his fist and nearly spitting on his face. "You turned my own son against me."

Wrecker once, would have cowered down, or looked away, or stammered.

But Wrecker swallowed down his fear and stared straight into Muck's eyes, his soul quiet, a truth leaving his mouth.

"…No, Muck. You've done that yourself."

As Wrecker began to address Muck, Annie and Grime had embarked a carriage and were trying to lose the soldiers pursuing them.

"They're gaining on us! What do we do?", Grime cried out, as rain began to fall on them, and he prayed inside for their Snail to move faster.

Annie, popping her head out to look behind them, saw the Toad Soldiers ride their snails and aim their spears and bows and arrows at them. "I don't know, Dude! If only we had some kind of…"

Suddenly, Annie looked down and saw that peeping from inside the carriage was a wooden slingshot.

Her eyes flashed with inspiration.

Muck eyes flashed with outrage, but he had to keep quiet, so he did. Wrecker, meanwhile, said what should have been said a long time ago.

"For so long, you treated your son, your own son, like a tool. Like… Like a statue, that should be molded in your own image."

"Grime, keep driving, I'll cover us!", Annie cried out, and, collecting some rocks with her tongue, she began to sling projectiles at the Toads.

"You hurt him when he stepped out of line, you tried to brainwash him when you knew that deep down he took after his mother.", Wrecker kept on, feeling a strange, comfortable feeling. Like it was right.

He was doing the right thing.

"But what you couldn't understand, Muck, is that we don't have kids to make them be like us."

Annie shot more and more projectiles, knocking off one soldier after another.

"And…", Wrecker said, taking responsibility for his mistakes. "We don't have kids to keep them safe, because one day they need to find themselves. They will always want your help, but they don't need you to protect them. After all, it's not about protecting them."

Knocking the last one, Annie cheered and leapt back next to Grime. She smiled at him. He smiled at her.

They kissed.

And they felt safe in each other's arms.

Wrecker smiled as he spoke, feeling his heart sing. "We don't have kids to keep them in the nest. We have them so we can watch them soar."

Muck said nothing. He merely turned around, trying to digest his failure.

Wrecker, however, had one more thing to say. "Oh, and Muck?"

Muck turned around, eyebrow raised. "Yes?"

"You can't hurt me or punish me for this."

Coarsing through the air, Wrecker punched Muck straight on the nose, breaking it instantly. Blood gushed down Muck's face, as he held his aching face on the floor.

"…This is for hurting your son."

Four days later, Grime and Annie had returned, and their world had turned upside down: With the effective transition of power, Grime was now leader of all Amphibia, and he hadn't even had to say a word (or well, he had already said it).

The preparation were well underway a mere hour after their arrival, and Grime and Annie were being asked many questions.

"Are we still sending divisions to exterminate the rest of the frogs, sir?"

"Do you want your predecessor to be… dealt, with?"

"Is she going to be your queen?"

"Captain Grime!", yet another statesman shouted, and Grime cringed at the title. Turning around, he shook his head.

"…Please don't call me that. I'm… I'm not a military man no more. I'm a man of peace."

"…All right. Then what is your title?", the statesman asked, confused.

Grime smiled softly. "Grime. Just Grime will suffice."

Annie held onto his arm, not used to so much attention. "They're not saying anything about me being a Frog."

"Apparently whatever I say, goes. So… I think they'll be a lot less offensive to Frogs, dear.", Grime explained, and Annie grinned.

"Awesome."

Grime laughed, and kissed her on the cheek. "Yes. Awesome indeed."

"All right, all right, let me through.", Wrecker's voice suddenly rose from the crowd of statesmen, and he appeared in front of Annie and Grime, wearing his best smile. He had spent all morning trying to make his costume look more presentable.

"Dad!", Annie cried, and she ran to embrace him. Wrecker hugged back as hard as he could.

Grime walked slowly to him and beamed, feeling good about himself for once. "Um… As you can see, I'm kind of in charge now. I promise you that…"

"I know.", was Wrecker's only response.

Grime could have cried right there and then, but he chose not to. For now.

"Thank you. For… For not giving up on me."

"Well, I realized I had made a mistake not seeing how much you had changed. In fact, I made more than one mistake.", Wrecker informed them, and they both looked at him with surprise as he cleared his throat.

"Dad, what are you talking about?", Annie asked, confused.

Wrecker tried to hide his tears too, but he was less successful. "There… Sorry."

He let the tears stream down. "All my life I have… I have never thought I'd reach a moment like this. One where the people I love are happy, and I… I can spare a moment to not hate myself."

He held their hands, and squeezed, feeling free, feeling safe. "I… You don't need it. I trust you to make the right choice. But I just want you to know that… That you both have made me so, so proud. I love you both with all my heart, and… And I know… I KNOW… That you're going to be safe. That my family will be safe."

"Dad…", Annie tried to speak, but she was crying so happily. Grime had also let a few tears shed as he realized where this was going.

With a heart that was not heavy, but at peace, Wrecker let their hands go. "…You have my blessing."

"YA HOO!", Annie cried, bouncing up in the air, while Grime laughed merrily. Annie went down and twirled her beloved in the air, laughing too, before they rested their foreheads on each other.

"Next week?", Grime asked.

"Next week.", Annie replied.

And they kissed once more, Wrecker staring at them with pride.

He saw them sore.

And he couldn't be prouder.

And for once, for once in his life…

Wrecker truly felt happy and at peace.

For once in his life…

Wrecker felt glad to be alive.