The Fifth Summoning (Hyperforce Go!)
As we continue our tale, one of the mysterious figures is seen pressing his hand up against the looking glass. Upon doing so, the images seen within its reflection suddenly begin to shift rapidly. The whole time this is happening; we see a young boy, whose face is partially hidden in shadow, staring silently at the images...as if watching for something.
Meanwhile, several warriors in armor take notice of this and become somewhat concerned. "My Prince; I am not, by any means, questioning your abilities" one guard stated, "but are you certain you will be able to find the final two champions you desire?" The young lad turned slightly towards the soldiers and assured them all was well.
"I know exactly where to find them, Sir Knight" the prince stated, "however, the true challenge will be in bringing them into our realm." Curious, a young lady approached the prince and asked him to give an explanation for his words. "Look well upon the looking glass, Mother" the prince instructed, "and I shall show you what I mean."
Intrigued, the young woman turned towards the looking glass and watched in silence. Finally, after several moments; the prince had found what he had desired and moved his hand away from the mirror. Curious, the group behind the prince approached him; wishing to see what he had found.
On the mirror's reflection was some sort of sphere bearing light pink and dark red colors. At the top of this sphere was what looked like a lone city. But it wasn't like any of the sort any of them had seen before. "This is where we shall find the next champion" the prince murmured, "but as I mentioned before, retrieving him shall prove quite challenging."
With that said, he placed his hand upon the mirror and the images upon it began to zoom in; until everyone could see a closer view of this metropolis. Truly, it was unlike any other city they had seen before. While the populace consisted of mostly humans, everything else appeared quite bizarre (at least, to the tall figures and soldiers.)
Every building was oddly designed, there were (what they considered) flying chariots soaring through the skies, odd mechanical devices could be found hither and yon and the attire the humans wore looked so outlandish; the guards questioned how anyone could go about in public dressed thusly. "This place is...interesting; to say the least, my Son" said one of the tall figures in a male voice, "but how and where might we find your desired champion here?" With a confident smile upon his face, the young prince pointed towards the horizon shown on the mirror; where everyone was greeted by a most surprising sight.
Standing above the streets like an ever-watchful guardian, stood what appeared to be either a large statue or...something else. "Gracious me" cried the mysterious female figure (whom the prince called "mother,") "what the devil is that, some form of giant?" The prince chuckled softly at his mother and said that while it was, indeed massive in stature; it was not a living giant.
"That, Mother is a machine the citizens of this city call the 'Super Robot'" he stated, "and it is here where we shall find our next champion." With that said, he waved his hand over the mirror and a new image appeared on it; one showing a young boy standing beside five small monkeys of different hues. "Behold, everyone" decreed the prince, "here are the protectors of this...Shuggazoom City, they are known to all as the Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce...GO!'"
While the prince lightly giggled at the protectors' title, there was much murmuring and whispering coming from the group behind him. Then; another figure, one about his height approached the prince and gazed at the image of these strangers. "Gabriel, beloved; kindly tell me what is it about this lad that intrigues you so" the figure asked in a young female voice, "what have he and his animal companions done that would capture your interests?"
The young prince, whose name was revealed to be Gabriel, nodded in understanding and placed his hand on the looking glass once again. Upon doing so, it began to show a slew of different events involving this "Hyperforce." With the aid of their "Super Robot," the young lad and his primates would travel across the cosmos; battling all manner of evil and rescuing all manner of peoples.
Perhaps, the greatest threat they have faced was a vile being known only as the Skeleton King. Upon seeing this being appear on the looking glass, everyone (with the exception of the prince) gasped in utter horror. "By the prophets" cried the younger female figure, "what manner of demon is he?"
The prince placed an arm around the female's shoulder and held her close, doing his best to comfort her. "In truth, beloved; this demon is not what he seems" he said simply, "long ago, this...fiend was once a man." There were many shouts of disbelief from the group, each one of them presuming their prince had gone mad.
"I speak the truth, everyone" decreed the prince, "the Skeleton King truly was a man, long ago...he was also the one responsible for giving life to the Hyperforce." Naturally, this revelation left everyone else present in the room feeling quite confused. Upon seeing this, the prince asked to be excused for a quick moment and left the room.
A few minutes passed by and Gabriel returned with a large book in his hands. On its cover was the same odd symbol that the boy in the mirror wore upon his clothing; one of a lightning bolt within a circle. "When I first learned of the Hyperforce, long ago; I asked the archivists to chronicle their history" Gabriel stated, "this is but the first part of it, however."
With that said, he quickly opened the book and turned to the first chapter; where everyone saw an illustration of a man. He was a slender chap dressed in a bluish-black robe, had a mane of long scruffy black hair beneath his hood, his slim chin bore a pointed beard and he possessed two different colored eyes; one a sort of pinkish red and the other that of a light blue. "Intriguing, he has the look of a spellcaster" murmured the tall shadowed figure, "is he some form of wizard?"
Gabriel looked up at the figure, smiled slightly and shook his head; stating that he was only half correct. "This fellow is known simply as 'The Alchemist'" Gabriel explained, "as his title implies, he dabbles in the forces of human sciences and sorcery." Upon hearing this explanation, the people in the room started murmuring in understanding.
"Though it is a human form of the arcane arts, I am quite familiar with it" said the elder male figure, "but how is this man connected with the champion you seek." Without saying a word, Gabriel began turning the pages until he found what he desired; one showing the Alchemist with a group of monkeys. "How strange" murmured the younger female, "these creatures seem to resemble the primates we saw before."
It was then that they all came to a sudden realization; that the oddly colored primates in the book and those from the mirror were indeed one in the same. "This part of the tale is...admittedly strange" murmured Gabriel, "but one day, the Alchemist took these primates and made them into a team of half-organic/half-machine protectors." When the question of how this was possible was brought up, the elder male figure surmised that it must've been thanks to the Alchemist's skills.
"But why do such a thing" murmured the elder female, "why make five innocent primates into weapons of battle?" With a heavy heart, Gabriel turned to a rather grim chapter within the book. There, he spoke of how the Alchemist created a portal that offered a glimpse into the Netherworld; home of a race of beings known as the Dark Ones.
"That mad fool" growled the tall male figure softly, "creating even the smallest gateway into that realm poses a grave risk for all creatures, human or otherwise!" The moment these words were said, the prince placed his hand upon the looking glass and several images began to play out. The first one to appear was that the Alchemist and an associate standing next to him.
They were standing idly by; gazing through the portal into the Netherealm. At that moment, everyone suddenly spotted an orange monkey staring at the creatures within the portal. Then, while trying to "assert its ferocity;" it began jumping upon the Alchemist's machine.
In doing so, the machine began to short-circuit; thus causing the portal's protective barrier to weaken. Once it happened, one of the creatures suddenly reached through the portal and grabbed hold of the Alchemist. Terrified by the sight before them, one of the taller figures quickly pulled the prince away from the looking glass; thus causing the image to fade away instantly.
After taking a few moments to calm themselves down, the prince crept over to the book and reopened it; turning to the chapter describing the events they've just witnessed. "Due to the orange monkey's actions, the Alchemist's portal malfunctioned and one of the 'Dark Ones' suddenly assaulted him" he explained, "after this, the poor chap was forever changed."
From there, everyone began to understand the purpose of the robotic monkeys. "The Alchemist must have known these 'Dark Ones' would one day, invade the mortal realm" the elder female figure deduced, "thus, he wished to create a means to defend the people...should they ever break free." Though, the woman did speak the truth; the prince said there was more to things than that.
"It would take time for that to happen, Mother" he stated, "before that, the robot monkeys would be combating an equally fiendish threat...the Alchemist himself." This revelation caused quite an uproar, to say the least. The guards presumed their prince had gone mad, while each of the three shadowed figures asking one question; what happened to the Alchemist.
"I fear that after the Dark One took hold of him, its demonic essence began to corrupt the Alchemist from the inside" the prince explained, "in time, he was no longer human; he had become...this." Without saying another word; the prince turned to the final page, revealing an image of the Skeleton King. To say that everyone was horrified by the reveal would be a gross understatement.
"What of this...'Hyperforce'" questioned the tall male, "whatever became of them, after this change occurred?" The prince smiled slightly and said that thankfully, the monkeys were placed into a sleep-like before the Alchemist was transformed. "Due to this and also having their memories wiped clean, they would not learn the truth of their origin until many decades later" he stated, "that is where our champion comes into play."
Before anyone could speak up; the prince approached the looking glass again, pressed his hand upon it and began to focus. Within moments, a new image appeared; one showing a boy walking about a grassy plain outside the city. He was a rather young lad with jet black hair, sky-blue eyes, a bright smile and clothing consisting of a brown shirt, blue garments known as "jeans" and black and white footwear.
This lad seemed to be going about his merry way, one day. Then, he suddenly came upon the dormant form of the Super Robot; which was (at this point in time) covered immensely with moss. Feeling curious, the boy approached the machine to observe it more closely.
Then, without warning; a doorway opened at the robot's left foot. His curiosity growing ever stronger, the boy entered the machine. Upon fiddling with one of the switches inside, he was suddenly infused with a mysterious green energy.
At the same time, the Hyperforce arose from their slumber and left their containment units. In time, these strangers would band together and become the planet's...nay, the universe's newest hope for survival. "Fascinating, simply fascinating" mumbled the tall male with great intrigue, "but...tell me, Son; what was that odd energy that merged with the boy?"
Despite feeling confused by it himself, the prince revealed that it was a force known simply as the "Power Primate." "This 'Power Primate' is a form of mystical energy that both empowers the Hyperforce and spiritually binds them with the boy" he explained, "it also helps enhance his own combat abilities." With every word the prince spoke, the group before him grew evermore invested with the Hyperforce's legacy.
"What of this 'Skeleton King'" questioned the young female, "were they able to defeat him, eventually?" As much as it pained him to say so, the prince revealed that the demon still plagued the planet Shuggazoom. "Even though the Hyperforce did best him once before, he would not remain dead forever" he stated, "with the aid of a mad sorceress, he was reborn into a new form."
The mere idea of an evil force rising up anew sent an icy chill down everyone's spines. "Even now, the Hyperforce does whatever possible to drive back his new army" the prince said sullenly, "this is what I meant, when I said retrieving him would be difficult to do." With these final words, everyone knew what had to be done.
"Then, time is of the essence" the tall male figure stated, "bring us our armor and ready the portal, we ride for Shuggazoom." Without a moment's hesitation, the guard prepared to follow their orders. When suddenly, the prince let out a loud whistle; causing everyone to freeze still.
"While I do approve of your idea, Father; there is still one other issue remaining" the prince stated, "unlike the three variations of Earth we've seen, Planet Shuggazoom lacks a great deal of forestland." Upon placing his hand on the looking glass one final time; the prince, once again, take a glimpse at Shuggazoom City. It was in that moment that everyone realized the prince's point.
"Blast it all! Without any form of ancient trees, we cannot open the portal" grumbled the elder male figure, "surely...surely there must be some forestland upon that planet!" After taking a moment to think, the prince hurried back to the archives and returned with another book on the Hyperforce. Without pause, he quickly skimmed through many pages until he found what he needed.
"According to this passage, there is an area of the planet known as the Savage Lands; which is some form of ancient jungle" he stated, "surely, our portal can work there as well." The tall figures thought on it for a moment and then, they agreed it was a chance worth taking. "Guards, bring our armor at once" the tall male ordered, "we must hurry and get to the Hyperforce as swiftly as we can."
(Line Break)
As we take a moment to leave behind the strangers, our tale now takes us to the outskirts of Shuggazoom City; where the Hyperforce and their leader, Chiro are seen fighting off scores of undead warriors. "Don't give up, everyone" the boy said stoically, "we can't let anymore of these bone bags into the city." Behind him, the Monkey Team each gave a silent nod to Chiro and began to retaliate.
Each one of them fought like a beast possessed. The green monkey known as Otto, with the aid of his blades, cleaved several undead in twain. The golden monkey, Nova unleashed a flurry of punches onto anyone foolhardy enough to cross her path.
The red monkey known as SPRX-77 (or Sparx for short) blasted at several warriors with his magnetic energy. The blue monkey known as Mr. Hal Gibson (or simply Gibson for short) blasted at several creatures with his electrical energy. Lastly; Antauri, the silver monkey, remained close to Chiro while also warding off the hordes with his ghostly powers.
Not too far off, many others were seen battling against the invaders as well. But alas; despite all their best efforts, the Hyperforce and their allies barely made a dent in the horde's numbers. "Don't give up, everybody" Chiro called out, "no matter what, we will stop the Skeleton King!"
After saying this, those standing with the Hyperforce let out a mighty cheer to help reignite their fighting spirits. Then, as if on cue; the skies above them began to darken and everyone could hear a familiar cackle echoing on the wind. With fear slightly creeping up their spines, everyone looked up and saw something flying down from out of the clouds.
It was a form of skeletal wyvern and atop its back was a small throne, where the Skeleton King sat proudly. The demon gazed down upon the battlefield with a wicked grin, gave the Hyperforce a glance and slowly erupted into a fit of mocking laughter. "You are foolish to think you and your monkeys can best me now, boy" said the Skeleton King, "I am far stronger than I was the last time we did battle."
There was no denying that the demon certainly had the means to prove his point. But regardless, neither the Hyperforce nor their allies showed signs of fear. With a fiendish smile upon his face, the Skeleton King swung his staff and a wave of dark energy suddenly flew down at the heroes.
Thinking quickly, everyone leapt as far away as they could from the blast. Unfortunately, some of it managed to slightly burn several of the heroes. "Jeez, that hurt" cried a man named Mobius Quint, "the kid and his chimps weren't jokin', when you said this guy was tough."
Thinking quickly; one of the other allies, a young lady named Jinmay, tossed Quint a strange looking blaster. "Use this, Mr. Quint" she called out, "Gibson says the beams will tear through several undead soldiers in one shot." The space captain took a moment to look over the weapon, to see if it was easy to use.
Then, without warning; a monstrous Formless creature charged through a group of undead soldiers and was making its way towards him. As if by some involuntary reflex, Quint suddenly squeezed the trigger of the blaster; which in turn caused a beam to fire out the nozzle. The beam then surged forward and struck the beast squarely between the eyes; just as it came close to devouring him.
When the beam hit, the creature let out one final groan; before it was suddenly reduced to a mass of black goop. Quint stared at the end result of his accidental shot with astonishment, amazed by how powerful the weapon truly was. "Wow...that chimp wasn't kidding around" he chuckled softly, "thanks for the assist, lil' missy and be sure to pass my thanks to him."
Jinmay smiled at the captain, gave him a thumbs up and resumed fighting off any demons she came across.
(Line Break)
Elsewhere, far from the battlefield; one of the trees within the Savage Lands suddenly began to glow. Afterwards; a portal suddenly appeared within one of the trees knotholes and four figures in hooded robes stepped through it. After them, several armored knights followed close behind; each one armed to the teeth and ready for battle.
Once everyone was present, one of the tall figures pressed his hand upon the tree and closed the portal. "We must move quickly, everyone" one of the smaller figures stated, "I sense that the tide of battle is slowly turning in the Skeleton King's favor." With that said; one of the tall figures strapped a bow over his shoulder, while the others drew out swords.
Without any further delay, everyone hurried out of the jungle as swiftly as they could; hoping to reach the city before it was too late.
(Line Break)
Back at the battle, the heroes still managed to keep the invading Formless and undead hordes at bay. At the same time however, the enemy seemed to double in amount with every one soldier they've slain. As a result; Chiro, the Monkey Team and all their allies slowly began to tire out.
"I...I-I don't know how much longer we can continue" a man known as Super Quasar (leader of the Sun Riders) heaved wearily into his communicator, "my helmet's powers are almost drained and my team is barely hanging on." Behind him; his fellow teammates, Aurora 6 and Johnny Sunspot, are seen fighting off several armored undead warriors. But much like their leader, they too were bordering on empty.
"Same thing with my gloves, S.Q." Johnny called out, "plus, my wrists are getting tired." Just then, a skeletal soldier suddenly appeared behind him and was prepared to bring his sword down on his head. But Aurora quickly saw this and retaliated with a blast from her Sun Gun. The beam struck the soldier's blade, instantly melting it upon impact; thus granting Johnny the opportunity to deliver the final blow.
Soon, two small balls of energy appeared in his palms; which he then sent flying towards the soldier. Upon making contact, the creature barely had time to let out a death rattle; before it split in two and slowly disappeared within them. Though his attack proved successful, his gloves appeared dangerously low on power; which meant he couldn't do the same thing twice.
Just then, Otto rolled by and tossed three "Anti-Undead Blasters" to the Sun Riders. "Running low on ammo" he quipped playfully, "the team and I figured you could use some upgrades." The trio smiled at their green friend, charged up their weapons and rushed back into the battle.
Elsewhere, a group of feline warriors were battling just as fiercely against the hordes; while also rescuing any bystanders they came across. One of these warriors, a female named Neekeeta, was speedily carrying a pair of children upon her back to a safe haven; when they were suddenly ambushed by a pair of Formless minions. One of the children on Neekeeta's back shrieked loudly, as one of them tried to snatch her away.
But then, the creature was suddenly reduced to puddles of goop by a sudden energy blast. While still nervous, Neekeeta slowly opened her eyes to see who it was that saved her. It was then that she spotted an armored warrior atop one of a nearby building, holding a bow in his hands.
A split second later, several more warriors appeared and swiftly unleashed a volley of arrows upon the undead legions; reducing them to ash in a matter of seconds. "By the stars...who are these strangers" Neekeeta murmured in awe, "where did they come from and why are they helping us?" Just then, she saw the warriors gesturing to follow them.
One of the feline's comrades, a male named Tiqudo, gazed up at the warriors with a suspicious glance. "This could very well be a trick" he stated, "an illusion created by Skeleton King to make us lower our guard." Just then, one of their communicators suddenly started buzzing.
Without hesitation, both feline warriors pressed their paws against the devices. Seconds later, they could hear Jinmay's voice calling out to them. "Jinmay calling Neekeeta, are you there" her voice asked desperately, "are you and Tiqudo still with us; please, respond!"
After taking a moment to find cover, the two feline warriors quickly answered Jinmay's call. "We hear you, my friend" murmured Neekeeta, "we are safe...thanks to some armored strangers." Not long after she said this, Sparx's voice started speaking through the commlink; proclaiming they've seen similar warriors within their location.
"Many of them have laid waste to several of the Skeleton King's minions" Tiqudo added, "are they another faction of allies you've not told us about?" Almost immediately, Jinmay reported that no one knew where these warriors came from or who they were. "Frankly, it all seems far too coincidental that they've arrived just when things started getting hairy" her voice stated, "but if they want to help us, I'm not..."
Just then, the signal for the commlink suddenly started cracking up; creating a shrill buzzing that almost deafened the two felines. After almost ten seconds, the noise was soon replaced by the all too familiar sound of Skeleton King's cruel laughter. "Run and hide all you like, fools" he cackled, "but no matter where you go...I will find you."
Mere seconds after this was said, two undead soldiers suddenly emerged from the shadows and assaulted Neekeeta and Tiqudo; all while laughing at them in their master's voice. At first, the two felines tried to defend themselves. But alas, they were no match for the soldiers' combined strength; which had been amplified by their master's dark powers.
Within seconds; they were quickly overpowered, beaten to near unconsciousness and put in chains. Once defeated, the soldiers collected their prizes and walked away. But unbeknownst to them, the mysterious armored warriors from before saw this happening and quickly followed after the fiends
(Line Break)
Sadly, things did not seem to be faring well for everyone else. Just as victory seemed almost within reach, for most of them; the Skeleton King's hordes swiftly regained footing and overpowered them. Slingshot had almost been broken apart, the Sun Riders were quickly taken captive, nearly half of the Robo Ape legion was shut down and several other brave fighters were soon subdued as well.
Not long after; they, along with all of Shuggazoom City's citizens, were brought into the main square and forced upon their knees. As every man, woman and child looked upon one another with despair; the Skeleton soon descended upon them atop his wyvern. The last few that were brought to the square was the Hyperforce themselves, which left everyone utterly stunned.
"I...I can't believe it" Jinmay thought to herself, "of all of us, I thought Chiro and the team would last the longest." As she watched her boyfriend and his team be roughly forced upon their knees, Jinmay closed her eyes tight and prayed that this was all a cruel dream. But when she reopened them seconds later, everything still looked the same; her left arm was missing, the people of Shuggazoom City were bound in chains and worst of all, her friends has all been captured.
She couldn't believe it; after all their preparations, all their training and all their planning...they still failed. As she lowered her head and suddenly began to cry, Jinmay suddenly heard a soft squeaking in her ears. At first, she presumed it was the Monkey Team; which led her to believe they may have broken free.
But then; seconds later, she heard a sinister voice whispering into her ear...one she never hoped to hear again. "Don't cry, little robot" it said cruelly, "unlike the others, your suffering will last just a little longer!" With tears still trickling down her cheeks, Jinmay opened her eyes and saw a familiar yet horrid sight.
It was a monkey, much smaller than that of the Hyperforce's own but still equally intelligent. He had pink fur, beady eyes a large light-blue bow upon his head and wore a blue top with a frilly skirt. In an instant, Jinmay remembered the creature all too well.
It was her former "pet" monkey, Sakko; one who had been by her side since she lost her memories ages ago. But she later came to see that her little "friend" was actually one of Skeleton King's minions. She had not seen Sakko since the day Chiro saved her.
But now, Jinmay noticed just how much the creature changed since then. His fur had become slightly shaggy, there were tears in his clothing and he now sported a patch over his left eye. But Jinmay saw that he still had the same cruel smile upon his face she remembered from long ago.
"It is so good to see you, my former Mistress" Sakko chittered, "I look forward to seeing the Skeleton King pull you apart, circuit by circuit." To help emphasize his point, Sakko gave a swift yank at one of the wires protruding out of Jinmay's shoulder; causing her to whimper. Upon hearing her cries, Chiro growled at the little chimp and threatened to hurt him if he touched Jinmay again.
But just as the boy prepared to make good on his promise, he was suddenly shot in the arm by a blast of dark energy. He clutched at the wound painfully and looked up to see the Skeleton King, smiling down at him. "You are no longer in any position to make threats, child" he chuckled, "I have the power, your army is defeated and your people are my prisoners...what hope do you have in defeating me now?"
In that moment, Chiro wanted nothing more than to break free of his binds and clock the bone bag in his chin. But after fighting for so long, his energy was almost spent. It seemed as though their defeat was inevitable.
Then, all of a sudden; the skies rang loudly with the sounds of horns blowing. While still holding onto his sore arm, Chiro looked over his shoulder to see where the noise was coming from. It was then that he spotted several hundred dozen soldiers in odd-looking gold armor marching in their direction.
As they drew closer, Gibson could see that each one of the warriors was armed with (what he considered) "primitive" weaponry. Several of them were armed with bows; while others carried swords, spears or wooden staves. "Who in the void are these strangers" murmured the blue primate, "and what do they plan to do with such poor weaponry?"
After marching forward for a few more steps, the strangers came to a sudden halt and assumed defensive stances. The Skeleton King gawked at them with a wide-eyed glance, as if confused by their presence. Then, he and his minions started cackling madly.
"I do not know who you are or where you all came from" stated, "but if you plan on saving these fools...think again!" With that said, he blasted at the strangers with his dark power. But before the beam could even reach them, the warriors who were armed with staves held their arms up high and began to chant in unison.
Within seconds, a dome of golden light suddenly formed around them; blocking and destroying the Skeleton King's blast. The Hyperforce, their allies and all of Shuggazoom's citizens gasped in astonishment; while the Skeleton King simply seethed with rage. "All Formless, attack" he roared, "wipe out every last one of those intruders!"
The creatures collectively grunted in reply, drew out their swords/raised their clawed hands and charged towards the golden warriors. Faster and faster the creatures ran, ready to slaughter every one of the armored strangers. But just as they came within range; a figure in a hooded cloak came to the frontline, swung his arm down and cried "LOOSE YOUR ARROWS!"
With this command, all the warriors who were armed with bows quickly made their move. Each of them took out a golden-tipped arrow from their quivers, raised their bows high and fired. The projectiles were then sent flying into the air in an arch, before descending down towards the approaching Formless and demon armies.
As the arrows drew closer, the hooded figure looked towards the captured heroes and humans and gave a whistle. "Quickly, everyone; close your eyes" he shouted, "do it now before it's too late!" Everyone looked at the strangers in confusion, wondering if this was some kind of trick.
But then, Chiro took a look above him and saw the arrows nearing ever closer to the ground. He also noticed that the arrowheads seemed to be glowing, somehow. Though he didn't understand what the strangers were planning, Chiro knew he had little time to debate on it.
"Do as he says, everyone" he ordered, "close your eyes as tight as you can!" Though they were quite confused by the order/request, everyone knew the boy would never steer them the wrong way. Thus, they did as they were told and shut their eyes tight.
Before long; there were sounds of energy pulsations, steel cutting through bone, painful animalistic screeches and cries of horror. Among these noises was the voice of Skeleton King, who sounded as though he was being brutalized. "What the heck is going on" thought Chiro, "are the new guys actually winning?" At first, he thought about opening his eyes and risking a peek at the action.
But before he could do it, Chiro suddenly felt his body loosening up; which meant that his binds were somehow removed. After that, he was suddenly jerked off the ground by his arm and found himself being pulled away somewhere. Eventually, Chiro decided to risk a quick peek to see what was happening.
Upon opening his eyes, Chiro saw that he was being pulled along by a hooded figure. He also noticed three other ones holding the Monkey Team under their arms, while the armored warriors were busy leading the other freed prisoners. Above them, he saw that the Super Robot was following them.
"What the...what's going on" murmured Chiro softly, "who are you people, why did you help us...and where are we going?" The figure faced the boy, showing only a glimpse of his green eyes beneath his hood, and simply told him to keep moving. "We are almost to the Savage Lands, Master Chiro" he stated, "the time for questions will come later, just keep moving!"
The young lad didn't know which surprised him more, the fact that this stranger knew his name...or the mentioning of the Savage Lands. "But those jungles are dangerous and we're all too weak to fight anymore" Chiro stated, "how do you expect us all to survive the rest of the way?" In response to his concerns, the figure holding Gibson and Nova in their arms told Chiro that they had nothing to fear.
"We traveled through those jungles earlier and discovered a safe path that will lead us to safety" the figure said in a female voice, "all will be revealed, when the time comes." Though he was still confused by their current situation, something in the two figures' voices told Chiro that he could trust them.
(Cut to the center of the Savage Lands)
After almost a half hour of running, everyone found themselves deep within the Savage Lands. As promised, the path the strange warriors discovered led them safely through. But everyone, especially the Hyperforce, couldn't help but wonder if the Skeleton King had recovered from the earlier attack and if he was still pursuing them.
Meanwhile, several people were beginning to grow antsy from the amount of walking they did and started thinking they were being led into a trap. "Okay, look...we all really appreciate the assist, guys" Johnny Sunspot heaved bitterly, "but unless you tell us where we're headed, we ain't takin' another step!" Not long after he said this; Quint, Slingshot, Olianna and several of Shuggazoom's citizens began voicing similar complaints.
After a while, the tallest of the cloak figures faced the group and held his hands up high; causing everyone to fall silent. "Listen well, everyone" he ordered, "at the moment, it is no longer safe for your people and those you call your friends." This bit of news caused everyone to suddenly start whimpering with fear.
Next; the figure with green eyes stood before them and said that in time, Skeleton King would recover from the Flash Arrow attack and seek everyone out. "Originally, we came here to retrieve only Chiro and his compatriots" the green eyed stranger stated, "but due to this complication, we must now bring all of you to our home until further notice." Upon hearing this, the group erupted into a loud cacophony of outraged complaints.
"Wait...are you saying we're gonna take refuge here in this jungle" Johnny Sunspot grumbled, "if that's the case, you may as well leave us with Bone Head back at the city." The cloaked figures shook their heads slightly and strongly urged everyone to follow them just a little longer. "Our destination lies just another mile down this path" one of the smaller figures said, "it won't be long now, we promise you."
Everyone found themselves at a bit of an emotional crossroads, upon hearing this. On one hand, none of them felt like moving any further and wished they were back in the city square. But on the other hand, these strangers put themselves at great risk to save them.
So; with that in mind, everyone decided to suck it up just for a few more minutes and keep going. To help rejuvenate them, several of the soldiers reached towards their belts and unclipped a small pouch. Upon opening them, everyone could see what looked like some form of bread.
"Eat what you can, everyone" the green-eyed stranger stated, "you must recover your strength." For a moment, everyone just stared at the bread with great uncertainty; wondering if this was some sort of trick. But then, Otto quickly snatched up a piece and gobbled it down in a matter of seconds.
The Hyperforce watched their comrade eat with alarmed expressions, thinking he was being reckless in eating food from strangers. But after a while, nothing appeared to be amiss; Otto's face wasn't changing color, he wasn't choking and there were no unsightly blemishes/growths appearing after he'd consumed the bread. After finishing the last few bits of the bread, Otto licked his lips slightly and exhaled with great satisfaction.
"YUM! That was delicious" he exclaimed, "kinda had a...nutty yet citrusy sorta taste to it." While everyone was relieved that their friend was okay; the moment they heard him describe the bread, the rest of the Hyperforce thought he was talking nonsense. But then; the strangers offered it to each of them, their allies and the citizens.
"Go ahead, guys; eat it" urged Otto, "it's really good." Without any further delay, everyone took a leap of faith and bit off small bits of the bread. Within seconds, everyone tasted the very "nutty yet citrusy" flavor Otto mentioned before and swiftly devoured the bread with great delight.
"Wow...that stuff is good" Chiro murmured while chewing, "thanks for the food, Mister...wait, we didn't learn your names." The hooded figure with the green eyes faced the young hero and bowed his head respectfully. "There will be time for introductions later, my friends" he informed, "but for now, we must reach the center of this jungle as swiftly as we can."
At first, everyone felt incline to argue with the figure. But then, sounds of angry roaring echoed far behind them; which sent icy chills down their spines. "The Skeleton King is recovering from our volley, no doubt" said one of the armored warriors, "we must hurry before he or his legions find us!"
With that said, the figures and the armored warriors rushed off into the distance; all while urging everyone else to hurry. "Should we really keep following them" murmured Johnny Sunspot, "we don't know who...or what they are, how they got here or why they're helping us." While there was some truth in the young lad's words, everyone knew they had little time to debate on the matter.
"Well...we either keep following these guys or stay here and get our tails handed to us by Bone Bag again" quipped Sparx, "the choice is yours." With that said, he and the rest of the Hyperforce hurried after the four figures. Everyone else remained behind, for a few seconds; as if contemplating on their situation.
In the end, they realized that no one should "look a gift horse in the mouth" (as they say) and decided to follow them as well.
(Line Break)
After just a little more running, everyone arrived at their destination; the center of the Savage Lands. But much to their surprise, the Hyperforce saw nothing but jungle and...more jungle around them. "What the...what gives here" growled Nova, "you guys said you were leading us to safety!"
Soon after she said all this; one of the tall figures suddenly turned towards the yellow monkey, took a knee and gave her a light pat upon the head. "Do not be afraid, friend Nova" he said in a soothing tone, "give us a moment and we shall take you to a safe haven." Meanwhile, the other three strangers ahead of them could be seen looking about the foliage around them; as if searching for something.
Upon seeing this, Antauri approached them and offered up his assistance in seeking out...whatever it was they wished to find. "I thank you for your offer, my silver friend" said the second tall figure in a female voice, "but even your powers or the technology your blue colleague cannot find what we need." Obviously offended by their words, Gibson was prepared to give the strangers a piece of his mind.
But then, the green-eyed figure suddenly held up his hand; quickly silencing everyone behind him. "Everyone, I have found the tree" he stated, "now, we simply need to activate the portal." Upon hearing the words "tree" and "portal" in the same sentence; Chiro, Jinmay, the Hyperforce and almost everyone with them all looked at the stranger with utterly baffled expressions.
"This is it" murmured Tiqudo, "we trudged all the way here just to see a tree...HOW DARE YOU MISLEAD US?!" Before anyone could stop him, the male feline warrior leapt at the strangers with the intent to brutalize them. But then, in the blink of an eye; he was quickly restrained by the group of armored warriors. "My Lords and Ladies, you must act quickly" one of them said while keeping hold on Tiqudo's arms, "if this warrior does not harm you first, the skeleton demon certainly will."
One of the tall figures gave a soft nod of reply and immediately began his work. He quickly approached the tree, pressed his hand upon it and closed his eyes. Everyone watched silently with a mixture of anticipation and impatience, wondering how long the strangers planned on keeping them waiting.
Then, Antauri suddenly let out a soft gasp, closed his eyes and held his fingers atop his temples; as if he sensed something. "What is it, Antauri" murmured Chiro anxiously, "is it the Skeleton King...is he almost here?" The silver monkey shook his head and gestured towards the tree the figures were standing next to, which began to radiate an eerie glow.
"Okay...I'm not the only one seeing this, right" questioned Sparx, "how in the void are they making that tree glow?" Everyone else was just as confused as their red friend was and they desired answers, before they planned on following the strangers any further. But before anyone could say anything, a blue-ish vortex suddenly appeared from one of the knotholes.
Afterwards, the figures began a desperate attempt to help usher everyone inside of the portal...but no one moved. "Do you really expect us to just up and abandon our home" a vendor named Mr. Gackslapper cried in dismay, "if that's so, you've got another thing coming!" The Hyperforce watched, as numerous other citizens began voicing similar objections to the strangers' request.
But then, Jinmay quickly stood before the crowd and begged them to calm down for a moment. "You may think I'm crazy for saying this, folks" she murmured, "but...I think we can trust these four." No sooner had she said this, a young boy named BT scoffed at the young robo-teen.
"Look, Jin; you're an okay hero, I guess" he muttered, "but I'm gonna need some more convincin', if ya expect me to go into some hole to...who knows where." Each of the four figures sighed loudly, upon listening to the lad's words and agreed he had good reason not to trust them...for the moment. "But from where we stand, Lords and Ladies; you are left with two options" the green-eyed stranger stated, "you can trust us and allow us to take you to safety...or you can remain here and become slaves to the Skeleton King, once more."
Upon hearing these ideas, everyone swiftly realized how dire their situation truly was. So, in the end; they chose the "lesser of two evils" decided to follow the strangers. "Rest assured, everyone; you shall not be leaving your home forever" one of the tall figures stated, "this is simply us retreating to safer quarters."
With this statement, everyone was now fully convinced to follow the foursome and approached the portal. But just as the Hyperforce was about to pass through, the green-eyed figure called him aside. "I promise you, we will bring you back here and save your home" he assured, "but when the time comes, our numbers shall be greater than before."
With that said, he entered the portal with the other three strangers; leaving the Hyperforce behind to consider their options. "It's your call, kid" murmured Sparx, "do we follow the leader...or stay here?" At first, the lad considered taking the latter option; believing the Skeleton King had to be stopped then and there.
But then, he looked around and saw how weak and beaten everyone was; including his team and allies. "I know things seem...weird; to say the least, team" Chiro exclaimed, "but something about those strangers tells me we can trust them." Mere seconds later, Jinmay seconded her beau's statement; proclaiming that she somehow sensed an innate goodness in each of them.
In time, everyone quickly came around and agreed to follow the lad; including the rest of the Hyperforce. "We're trusting in your good judgment, Chiro" murmured Antauri, "I hope we won't come to regret it." With that said, the team took each other by the hand and entered through the portal.
But unbeknownst to them; Mandarin, the former leader of the Hyperforce and servant of the Skeleton King, was watching the scene transpire from high in the trees. As it watched the portal slowly close up, it let out a soft yet joyous laugh. This is interesting" he muttered with a grin, "I must inform the master about this, he may know of a way to follow the Hyperforce...wherever they went."
With that, he began leaping and swinging through the treetops as swiftly as he could; anxious to return to the Skeleton King and reveal his discovery.
(AN: BUM, BUM, BUUUUM...dramatic reverb! Good news is the strangers have found their next champion and brought many innocents to safety...wherever they went. Bad news, Mandarin saw everything; which means Skeleton King may not be too far behind. What will happen next...tune in next time, to find out)