Luigi strutted into work to see E. Gadd, surrounded by the team.

"Hey, what's going on here?" He asked, curious.

"Ya see, boy, a brilliant professor polished his inventing skills and used your gadgets without yer consent!" E. Gadd cheered.

"He tracked a signal to a house. We think a villain lives here, but we don't even know who they are." The captain complained.

"I think I've seen that place before. Apparently there was an Octarian march right through there, not so long ago." 3 remarked, giving the address a stern glare, "I live near there. Most people who live there are secluded and secretive. So there's no doubt somebody we've met before lives here."

"Wait… aren't most of the adversaries we know… human?" L spotted.

"Well… there's one that might not be..." Simon pointed to the bio of Mick. "He's not confirmed, nobody knows what exactly he is."

"No, that can't be right…" The captain stroked his chin. "He's swam in salt water before. No creature from that universe can swim in water with a PH higher or lower than seven. And seven can be fatal alone."

"See, that's where I come in!" E. Gadd chimed, "We're gonna go there!"

Everyone looked at E. Gadd as if a fly landed on his head.

"Who said that we were-" 3 began, only to be interrupted.

"We ARE going there!" The captain announced. "And we're gonna find this guy! 3, since it's in YOUR universe, you're gonna have to go in."

3 didn't stir.

"Or you could just ignore me, that works too."

·- ···· - ·-· ··· ···· ·· ··· ·- ·· ··-· · ··-··

Mick unlocked the door to his house. He didn't know what to expect upon opening it.

Are they gonna be mad at me? Are they gonna be happy I'm back? What am I about to walk back into?

As he slowly pushed open the door, nothing awaited him but the furniture and silence. And the tiny footsteps descending the stairs at a high speed.

Mick watched a short octoling teen scamper down the staircase.

"Who's there-"

"Man, I was trying to be quiet with that…" He sighed, and tore off his head and face coverings to divulge his coffee-complexion, side-swept do, and navy tentacles.

Mick was stunned as the kid bound him in a tight squeeze. "You're back! IT'S REALLY YOU!"

"Yeah. I'm back." Mick paused. "...where's your mother?"

"She… she was taken away."

Mick made a face. "...taken away?!" He hissed.

"She told me to hide and so I did. And when I came out, you were here and she was missing."

Mick huffed. "Well, I know what I'm doing later…" He looked at his kid. "How was your day, besides your mother getting kidnapped?"

"Fine." The kid replied.

Mick left, took a shower, made himself some coffee, then sat down.

"MAN, that felt good. After months of being gone, to finally see YOU again… except your mother, who's just gone. I guess she'll be back eventually…" Mick paused to give Sam(the kid) a glance. "Last I saw your mother, she was looking for somebody. Did YOU happen to know exactly WHO she was looking for?"

"Some long lost brother of hers." Sam replied, "I forgot his name."

"The march that came through here earlier… which direction did they go in?"

Sam pointed behind them. "They were going off that way."

"Alright. Then I might know where your mother is. I'll probably do that tomorrow." Mick finished his coffee and nearly fell asleep. He and Sam would have fallen asleep, if it weren't for a rumble outside.

"What was that?" Sam jumped up, cautiously.

Mick jumped up faster. "...Sam, I need you to trust me for a second. Go upstairs and hide in the exact same place you did when your mother went missing, okay?"

"I...But… You're-" Sam stuttered, before Mick grabbed their shoulders.

"Listen, you're my kid, I can't risk this. Go. Your dad's got this." Mick sighed as Sam slowly ascended the stairs.

Mick grabbed his blade. Impeding my privacy… You've crossed the line, MVPs.

Outside…

"Who's THAT?" L scoffed, "Doesn't look like anyone we've seen before.'

Simon pointed to Mick's bio again. "Ahem? This guy is the only exception!"

"No, he looks a bit taller than that guy." The captain claimed. 'Besides, even if this IS him, he'd stand no chance! We could just bag this guy instantly!"

"No, no, fellers!" E. Gadd reached for a cardboard poster. "You gotta show benevolence, ya gotta show compassion!"

The board consisted of the word compassion in bright glittery letters and rainbows.

"How are we gonna show compassion to a killer?" Simon thought aloud.

"Simple! Look, there was a kiddo with 'em, right?"

Everyone exchanged glances.

"There WAS a kiddo with him! So, imagine how the kid would feel if their daddy disappeared one day!"

Nobody stirred.

"Would they not be sad?"

Nobody stirred.

"They WOULD! So, don't just arrest him and then walk off like you basic people always do,"

The captain scoffed and E. Gadd continued, "but show sympathy, try to work somethin' out, ya know?"

The team looked around. "Where's Simon?" L noticed.

Inside the house…

Simon and Mick circled the living room, swords raised.

"Listen, Mick, I'd hate for your kid to watch you get killed. You can surrender anytime." He growled.

"Listen, MVP, I'd hate for my kid to see YOU dead on the carpet!" Mick retorted, fuming.

Simon tried swinging first. Of course, he missed.

Mick, a boost of adrenaline pumping through him, took one swing and nearly knocked Simon off his guard. This repeated, Simon trying to attack, Mick hitting way harder. Finally, Simon threw his hands up as his sword flew into the wall.

Mick smiled. "Listen, you intrude on MY property, threaten MY family… what went through your head, man?"

"It's my job, I can't do it any other way."

"You can't show mercy? You don't spare lives? You forcefully brainwash everyone you lock up! And let it be known that I am not getting brainwashed! My family needs this. I am not letting them just die out here whilst you greedy MVPs take me away from them!"

"...wait, your family needs what? Money?"

"Yes, stupid, I thought you would know that!"

Simon pointed outside. "We can do that. But we need something from you in return."

"And what's that?"

Simon smirked. "You quit villainy and live a normal life."

"How much are we talking?"

Simon switched off comms after getting his response. "Maybe a few hundred-thousand dollars."

Mick slowly lowered his blade. "What are you playing at?"

"Nothing! I'm just pitching you a deal! We fight no more, you get your payment!"

Mick shot Simon a steely glare. "Are you REALLY telling me that you're just giving me a few hundred thousand dollars… if I ditch bounty hunting?"

"Yes."

"...you don't know how much you're helping me, doing this… th… thank you, whatever-your-name-is."

Simon felt a glint of pride in his soul- quickly diminished when he realized he still sat in Mick's house.

"Oh! I'll be fetching the supplies for you, expect it by… tomorrow."

Mick threw himself onto his couch, still giving a shocked, unbelieving stare.

Simon slowly stepped out.

"Mission done with…" Simon waved his hands in the air, "compassion!"

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Billy scoffed over a monitor.

"That bastard left me for ten bucks and some time with his kid?!"

"Yup. Mick ditched us." Marco huffed, "Dang it."

"I'll have to pay him a visit later. Maybe after I finish what I'm doing here… I've got a groove going and I can't lose it now!" Billy shoved a wrench back into his mouth and turned to a large tarp.

Arris slowly approached Marco. "Are… are you okay, mate?"

"We're the only ones left. Mick's left us, Cleats is arrested… Man. If we persist… we're next." Marco reflected, "MVPs want our heads, Billy's gonna take them if we try to escape… we really are hopeless. Wish I could quit."

"I wouldn't worry about it. Whatever devil's machine he's working on…" Arris gave Billy a glance, "It's sure gonna win this war."

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Two travellers stumbled over their own feet, running from winged forces behind them.

"Get to the portal!"

"Do WHAT?!"

The guy brandished a futuristic watch, brandished heterochromic eyes, and wore a red hoodie.

The girl, having misplaced both arms in a horrible accident, owned magnetic mechanical arms in place of them. They both ran as fast as they could.

"Open it! OPEN THE DANG-"

The girl finally opened the portal, in the nick of time. They both piled out of the portal and looked around. "Where are we now?" The girl asked, feeling the chrome walls.

The man heard a coffee get spat and felt it on the side of his face.

"What in the?!" A voice nearly swore.

They both turned. A man with an abnormally shaped face, huge nose, and green hat, branding a huge L on the top stood before them.

"Hey, you look like that guy from that game we used to play!" The girl pointed out.

"He does, doesn't he… Luigi?"

Luigi drew a gun. "Alright, you two trespassers have ten seconds to explain!"

"WOAH, WOAH, OKAY!" The man threw his hands in his pockets. "We're on the run. There's a universe in danger and we have to save it. We can't directly travel there, so we're going through portals in a set order to make it there. That good enough of an explanation for you?"

L didn't put down his gun. "I don't trust that sad excuse of an explanation. What are your names?"

"Do you really need-"

"Names." L demanded, cocking his gun.

"Fine. But first…." The man drew a bigger gun from his backpack. "We're gonna need yours."

"So THAT's how it's gonna be, huh?" L pulled out another gun. "You aren't as slick as you think."

"At least I'm slicker than you."

The man went to draw another gun, realized he did not own another gun, then sat his hand in his pocket. "Until I can get a new gun, forget what I said. Give me your name."

"Not until I hear your names." L retorted, sharply.

"If I don't hear yours, somebody's about to hear a bullet lodge itself in your forehead."

L snickered.

"Give me your names. Nobody has to get hurt if you just tell me. How else am I supposed to know you aren't Gamma thugs, trying to sabotage us?"

The man squinted.

"What the heck is Gamma?"

"NOPE!" L snapped, "You can't play dumb with me, I know you're just trying to fake it so you can steal stuff. Or are you a scout?!"

"Seriously, I have no clue what he's talking about… Do you?"

The girl shook her head. "There's a lot of Gamma-s. Which one are you talking about?"

"The multiversal pirates one...?"

The two began to think. Finally, the man replied, "Nope. Don't know it. Is it some sort of enemy of yours?"

"YES. Very much so."

Both of the trespassers exchanged glances. "Never heard of it." Both of them stated, bluntly.

"...you aren't just lying to me to get into an MVP base and steal everything?"

"Nope."

"What are MVPs?"

L facepalmed. "I guess you really aren't enemies… just delinquents."

"D-delinquents?!" Both of them hissed.

"I wouldn't stress about that. Instead, how about we get you guys home? Then we can go about our lives as if it never happened!"

Nobody stirred.

L huffed again. "Yeah, I knew that was a stretch. Where are you headed? We might be able to get you there."

"Well-" Both of the people were abruptly interrupted.

"After I get your names."

Huh... who are these two people? They aren't MVPs and don't plan to be... could it be that they're not from the MVPs? Or maybe... their own story?

I'ma give it to ya straight, they're from another writing thing in the works.

Mick's quit his villain job. But Billy's not gonna have traitors, right?

Also, be sure to check my profile... there's a link to the word counter! That means you could potentially have the chance to watch me write the next chapter. It's set to viewer, so you can't edit, but you can see the next chapter in production! This is a limited time offer! Right before the last chapter of season 2, I'm taking it down!