I'm back! On with the story!

I do not own 'Adventure Time.'

Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 30

The Arrival

Huntress lept from tree to tree, following the magic scent of Abracadaniel. She moved effortlessly from branch to branch, with the skill and grace of a professional parkour enthusiast. Finn rode on the back of Jake through the forest, covering the ground. Ice King flew above the trees, keeping watch through the air. The four of them traveled fast and as a unit, with Huntress Wizard at the lead.

Huntress stopped on a dime in the crook of a tree and raised her fist. "Hold!"

Jack dug his paws into the dirt and skidded to a halt. Ice King stopped his progress forward and floated above the team, flapping his beard to keep aloft.

Huntress stared into the woods with her intense, feline eyes. She inhaled through her nose and her antlers vibrated like tuning forks. Her eyes glowed a slightly brighter shade of green until her antlers stopped vibrating.

"We're getting close," said Huntress. "I can feel it."

"You mean you can smell it?" Ice King asked from above. "Abracadaniel uses a banana-coconut skin lotion if that helps. It smells really good. I actually tried to eat some of it when I went to his place this one time. Big mistake. It did not taste like what's on the bottle. Made my breath smell awesome though."

Irritation passed over HW's face for just a half of a second. "A can sense him." she clarified. "He's close, I'm just having trouble pinpointing him. We're getting close to the ocean, right, Ice King?"

"Yeah, I can see the sea from up here." Ice King said. "See what I did there? See the sea…? No…? Nobody…? Ah, the heck with you guys, I thought it was clever."

"If the scent is leading us to the ocean, then that's not good," said Huntress Wizard.

"Why? Do you think the Evolutionist is keeping everyone she kidnapped on a prison boat or something?" Finn asked.

"Or a submarine, which would be even worse," said Shoko, sitting behind Finn with her one arm around his waist. "We both know you never learned how to swim."

"My domain is the forest. My powers will be diminished out at sea," said Huntress.

"Elemental opposition," said Ice King. "Gets you every time. It always gave Flame Princess the leg up when we duked it out. That, and the chick is just a straight-up psycho when she's angry-please dear Glob don't tell her I said that."

"Let's head to the beach. We can figure out our next play there." Huntress said before taking off through the trees again.

"Don't worry, TV, Dad's coming for ya," Jake said before hurrying after Huntress.

"I need to start thinking up some hard-core, ice puns for when we find the Evolutionist." Ice King said before flying after the team. "Like…'icy you in hell'. Yeah, that's a good one. Hope I don't forget it."

Once they were past the tree line of the forest, Huntress Wizard somersaulted down onto the beach and Ice King flew down next to her. Finn and Jake caught up to them and Finn hopped off as Jake shrunk down to regular size.

"Ah, the feel of sand between my toes." Ice King giggled as he dug his bare feet into the sand. "I knew I should have brought my trunks."

"Focus, Ice King!" Jake complained. "Alright, Huntress Wizard, where's m'boy at?"

Huntress Wizard took another inhale and her antlers vibrated once more. She pointed out past the sea, over the crashing tide, roaring defiantly with each blow it struck to the beach. "Abracadaniel is out there somewhere," HW stated. "He's alive, that much I can tell. But I can't use my magic to track him any further."

"Then how do we find him?!" Jake demanded.

"Alright. Ice King's time to shine once more." IK stepped up to the coastline and aimed his hands at the ocean. Twin beams of white-blue energy shot from his hands and truck the ocean water, forming an iceberg. The iceberg then began to shape itself until it became a small schooner sculpted perfectly out of ice, with sails that looked like they were woven from snow. The figurehead was that of a gorgeous mermaid wearing a sea-shell bikini who looked suspiciously like Princess Bubblegum.

"Won't that melt in the sun?" Finn asked.

"Seriously, dude?" asked Ice King. "I just made a freakin' ship out of ice!"

"Oh, no, I think it's super cool, man!" said Finn. "Really awesome work! No doubt about it! But, still…isn't it going to melt?"

"Not with Captain I.K. on board!" Ice King flew up and landed at the helm, then he raised a glowing hand and a snow-knitted captain's hat formed over his crown along with shoulder pads and a big sash decorated with ice medals to complete the look. "All aboard, maties! We're shipping out! All hands on deck! Someone swab the poop deck!" Ice King laughed. "Glob, I've always wanted to say that."

"And, this is as far as I go," said Huntress Wizard. "Best of luck, boys."

"Hey, you've gotta come with us!" Jake demanded. "You're the only one who can track them down!"

"As I said, my powers will not work to their fullest potential out at sea," said Huntress. "I would be little to no help to you out on a boat."

"Ship! It's a ship, not a boat!" Ice King shouted. "Yeah, that's right. I've owned one of these things for about a minute and I'm already turning into one of those guys."

"But how are we going to find the Evolutionist?" Finn asked.

Huntress pulled a small piece of chalk out of her pocket and walked up to Finn. She lifted up Finn's hat to draw a rune on Finn's forehead and mutter a spell, then she tapped the rune and watched as it blinked with a faint white light.

"May the wind guide you to your destination," Huntress said mystically.

Finn blinked. "...What?"

HW rolled her eyes. "Just follow the wind," she said. "You're on a sailboat, you pretty much have to anyway."

"Uh, okay," said Finn. "Thank you for helping us, Huntress. We couldn't have done it without you."

"It was my pleasure, Finn," said Huntress. "Or at least, it will be, once you repay your debt."

Finn cleared his throat anxiously. "How, uh…how do you mean?"

Huntress grinned like a wolf before she turned into a giant hawk and flew away.

Finn looked at Jake. "What did she mean by that?" he asked.

Jake rubbed the back of his head. "Uuuuuuh...Huntress is a…patient killer, bro," he said.

"Killer?!" Finn asked in alarm.

"Yeah, something like that," Jake muttered before stretching onto the ship.

Finn gulped and looked behind him. "Shoko?"

Shoko was kneeling in the sand in prayer. "Please, dear Glob, I know I'm the farthest thing from perfect, but if you could see to at least a three-way then I promise that Finn will devote his life to your name-"

"Oh, come on!" Finn shouted before grabbing Shoko's technically non-existent arm and pulling her towards the ship.

"What?" Shoko asked innocently. "I wasn't actually being serious about devoting your life to Glob."

At the helm, Ice King sang his Glob-awful versions of sea shanties as the wind blew the ship forward. Finn, Jake, and even Shoko hung over the guardrail at the other end of the ship, each of them looking ready to puke into the sea.

"I'm gonna kill him," said Jake. "I'm gonna toss him overboard, and feed him to the sharks...right after I barf right into the ocean."

Finn didn't reply. He just stared out into the sea with a worried look on his face.

"You okay, Finn?" Jake asked. "Yeah, Ice King's singing is utter torture. If you distract him, I can sneak up behind him and knock him out."

"That's…actually not a bad idea. But there's something else bothering me," said Finn. "Something about all of this feels…almost familiar. Like I should know who's behind this."

"...You don't think…" Jake began. "You don't think it's Bubblegum, do you?"

"She does fit the profile," said Shoko. "But, Finn, we both know she wouldn't do something like this."

"I don't think this is Bubblegum's work," said Finn. "The Princess might not be perfect, but she's not a monster."

"Then who's behind all of this?" Jake asked. "Who is the Evolutionist?"

Finn furrowed his brow in thought. "I…I don't know," he admitted.

"Me neither," said Shoko. "But to be perfectly honest, I'm still picturing the many ways we can repay Huntress and who all we might invite."

Finn slapped his forehead and groaned. "Oh my Glob, you are just awful."

"What'd I do?" Jake asked.

"Not you. My perverted past-self." Finn said, pointing a thumb at Shoko.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot about your invisible ghost friend," said Jake.

"She's not a ghost, she's my conscience who takes the form of my previous incarnation, who was and still is a coitus-crazed teenager." Finn reminded him. "I can't tell you how stoked she was when me and Marcy started dating."

Jake just blinked. "...It's hard to tell sometimes whether you need a high-five or a hug."

"Hey, guys?!" Ice King called from the helm. "I hate to interrupt whatever you guys are talking about, but I think I see a narwhal up ahead! You gotta see it!"

"Should we go see it?" Finn asked.

"He won't shut up unless we do." Jake headed to the helm and Finn followed. At the helm, Finn and Jake look in the direction Ice King was looking.

"See, look! A freaking narwhal!" Ice King pointed to the port side. (I'll admit it, I had to look it up.) "How often do you actually see one of those things?! Freaky-looking things, aren't they?"

The wind picked up, blowing in the direction Ice King was pointing.

"Oh, yeah. I think I see it," said Jake. "Man, things are a lot bigger than I thought."

Finn looked and saw the narwhal. Jake was right, it was a big one, about the size of a whale. Finn squinted his eyes and noticed something strange about the narwhal.

"Is that thing…metal?" Shoko asked.

Finn's eyes widened with shock. "Holly ham with a side of bacon. That thing's a machine."

The robot narwhal floated several yards away from the ship, almost like it was trying to provoke them. Its drill horn spun and several other mechanical clicks, whirs, and horns could be heard across the water.

"That's it! That thing is a submarine and the Evolutionist is in there along with all of the missing people!" Finn shouted.

"Oh, it's exactly what I was afraid it was gonna be," said Shoko. "Geez, nothing says supervillain like a submarine."

"We need to stop that thing!" Finn said. "Arm the cannons and harpoons!"

"Hey! I'm the captain and I give the order!" Ice King said. "Now let's do exactly what Finn said." Ice King raised his hands and cannons emerged from their gun ports. "Fire in the hole!"

The cannons went off and a line of ice cannonballs shot towards the sub-narwhal. The ice struck the sub-narwhal's side and it tilted to the side with a loud, metallic groan.

"Careful, Ice King! The kidnapped victims are in that sub."

"Gunter knows how to swim, don't worry." Ice King raised his hand. "Fire…again!"

Another barrage of cannonballs shot towards the sub-narwhal and is listed to the side once more.

"Alright, time to get in close and kill this fish!" IK shouted.

"I think it's a mammal, actually," said Jake.

"Don't ruin this for me!" Ice King shouted before he grabbed the wheel and turned to ship towards the submarine.

"Something's wrong," said Finn. "This is too easy."

"Don't overthink this whole thing!" Jake shouted. "I'm getting my boy back!"

Ice King's ice ship came up side by side with the sub-narwhal. The submarine made no sound. It just floated there in the water as the ship approached.

"Time to get my Gunter back," said Ice King. "Now, how do we get in? If we have to go through the back door, then we can all go home and say we tried. I don't care if it is a machine, I'm not living the rest of my life knowing that I had to go up a narwhal's-"

A hatch opened up on top of the sub-narwhal and a harpoon gun raised up out of it, then the gun fired and hit Finn square in the chest, knocking him backward.

Finn!" Jake shouted in distress.

Finn sat up off the deck, no visible harm done to him. The harpoon that had struck him wasn't a harpoon at all. It was a big glob of something sticky, like a big booger, stuck onto his chest and wouldn't come off. The glob of sticky goo had the end of a rope stuck in it as well.

"Uh-oh."

As quick as a wink, Finn was pulled off of the deck and towards the narwhal submarine. Finn shouted out in terror as he was pulled into the hatch, which closed as soon as he was in.

"FINN!" Jake shouted.

Ice King tried to freeze blast the sub-narwhal, but it sank down into the ocean before he could. Jake gripped the guard rail and peered down at the sea.

"No!" he shouted. "Give me back my son! Give me back my best friend!"

"Ah, geez. First day as captain and I lose my first mate?" Ice King complained. "Boy, this isn't gonna look good on the form."

The sub-narwhal burst out of the water from directly under the ship, breaking it into two big halves. Ice King and Jake were sent flying, but Ice King burst out of his captain's uniform and caught Jake midair before either of them could fall into the ocean. The two of them hovered in the air as they watched the ship sink and the sub-narwhal disappear back into the depths.

"...Well, this ain't good," said Ice King. "Now what do we do?"

"We need help," said Jake. "Fly me to the nearest payphone, Ice King. I have some calls to make."

"I have a cell phone you can use." Ice King said.

"No, you have a banana."

"A man can dream, can't he?"

"Just fly me to shore!"

"Okay, okay." Ice King took off to the shore. "Man, everybody is so pushy nowadays."

Finn opened his eyes and found himself in some kind of room, with white, round walls. The chair Finn was sitting in was comfortable, even though metal clamps held him from his head to his ankles, with his arms clasped to the armrests of the chair. Finn looked over and saw Nothung laying on a nearby table. He struggled against his bonds with all of his might but found himself incapable of breaking free of them.

"Shoko?" Finn asked. "Are you there?"

Shoko came around the chair into Finn's line of vision. "I'm always here for you, Finn," she said. "But I'm afraid I won't be of much help."

"Just hearing your voice helps me relax," said Finn. "I suddenly don't feel so alone. What happened?"

"It was a trap," said Shoko. "The narwhal got close, we got hit with a booger on a string, we got pulled into the submarine, and things went dark after that."

Finn closed his eyes and sighed. "Well…at least we found the Evolutionist's lair."

"There you go; look at the brighter side of things." Shoko smiled supportively and placed a hand on Finn's chest. "We'll be okay, Finn. Don't worry."

Finn smiled back, then he heard a door open behind him.

Shoko disappeared with a blink of Finn's eyes. Finn tried to turn his head far enough to see behind him.

"Who's there? Are you the Evolutionist?" Finn asked. "Because if you are, I can finally tell you that your name is really dumb."

"So says Finn the Human. Not a lot of creativity in your name. My name at least has some meaning to it."

Finn went completely still. His eyes widened and his mouth ajar. "...Dr. Gross?"

The doctor walked around and came into Finn's line of vision, looking just like she did last time he had seen her. Dr. Gross smiled at Finn. "Hello, my dear boy. You are looking well."

"...I…I don't understand." Finn said. His voice was calm but alarmed. "You're the one who kidnapped all those people? What are you even doing here?"

"Wow," said Dr. Gross. "Well, it certainly seems evident that you missed me with all your heart. I must say, I am genuinely hurt, Finnegan." Gross pressed a button on the chair and the clamps around Finn's body were released. "I thought you'd be happier to see me."

Finn sat up and rubbed his wrists. "Did Mom really send you to find me?"

"Yes, after Kara, or Susan, as you call her now, failed to bring you back and after you sent your 'dear John' transmission to us, your mother became desperate to see that you were safe and sound," said Dr. Gross.

"So why are you kidnapping people?!" Finn demanded.

"People?" Dr. Gross asked. "I haven't kidnapped any people. Just ten mutants, each with their own set of unique qualities."

"One of them was my best friend's son," said Finn. "And another one of them has a niece who I promised to bring back to her."

"You mean the hybrid and Abracadaniel," said Gross. "Interesting specimens, both of them."

"Specimens?" Finn's eyes widened. "...You're experimenting on them, aren't you?"

"I've been studying them, yes." Dr. Gross asked.

"Why?" Finn asked. "Why are you doing all of this? I'm here now, let the others go."

"This isn't about you or them, Finnegan," said Gross. "This is about the future of mankind."

"What are you talking about?" Finn asked.

Dr. Gross smiled and lifted a hand onto Finn's shoulder. "You hated how limited your life was back on Founder's Island, yes?"

Finn blinked.

"You wanted the chance to be even more, and realize your full potential." Dr. Gross continued. "But on the island, that was impossible. That's what the human race has become: limited."

Dr. Gross walked over to the table. She picked up Nothung in its sheath and smiled down at it. "In this world, you have found your true potential, and become the Helper of an entire group Kingdoms. You have dedicated your life to better the lives of others." Dr. Gross turned around and grinned at Finn. "In that aspect: I am quite proud of you."

"Where is this going?" Finn asked.

"I'm not here to bring you back to Founder's Island, Finn. I won't take you away from the world that made you a legend." Dr. Gross put the sword down and walked back to Finn's side. "I am here to prepare this world for the arrival of humanity."

"You…you want to bring everybody on Founder's Island to Ooo?" Finn asked. "Mom would never agree to that."

"Do you agree?" Dr. Gross asked. "Think about it for a second. You've progressed remarkably here in Ooo. Imagine what the rest of the Humans can accomplish without an ocean barrier."

Finn gave it some thought for a minute. "...I don't think introducing Founder's Island to Ooo is a bad idea…but I don't think it's a good idea either," said Finn. "Founder's Island…isn't ready for Ooo. And I don't think Ooo is ready for Founder's Island either."

"Yes, this world is quite chaotic." Dr. Gross agreed. "The people of Founder's Island would be eaten alive…quite literally, in a few possible cases."

Dr. Gross folded her hands behind her back and walked up to Finn. "...Which is why I am going to eradicate every lifeform in Ooo."

"WHAT?!" Finn cried.

"A restart. A blackboard wiped clean." Dr. Gross spread her hands. "Ooo will be cleansed of monsters and mutations, so that the Humans may reclaim what was once ours. We will rebuild, we will thrive, we will be dominant once more."

"What kind of psychopath are you?!" Finn shouted. "You're talking about-"

"Genocide?" Gross asked in an almost bored tone.

Finn stared defiantly into Gross's eyes. "Murder."

Dr. Gross sighed. "You always had a gentle heart. The entire island loves you for that, including me."

Finn tried to get off the chair but the clamps on the armrests trapped his arms before he could get off.

"And maybe you're right. Maybe it is murder. Maybe I'll be remembered as a monster after this is all over, and maybe I'll deserve it," said Gross. "But I'm willing to accept that. Mass extinction of multiple mutant species is a small price for Humanity's path to greatness."

"How exactly do you plan to wipe out all of Ooo?" Finn asked.

"Well, after my 'hired muscle' does some demolishing, I'm just gonna create another virus that will wipe out what's left." Dr. Gross explained calmly. "Anything that manages to survive after that will be hunted down and terminated."

"A virus?" Finn asked. "...That's what you've been doing with the people you kidnapped. You've been trying to use their DNA to create a virus that will target them and wipe them all out."

"And still be utterly harmless to Human life and possibly the fauna of this world so that we'll have something to eat." Dr. Gross confirmed. "There's the Son of Minerva I remember. Lucky enough not to inherit his father's idiocy." Gross shook her head in disgust. "If that fat, old fool hadn't screwed up the simple task I gave him, you wouldn't have been sent to this mutant-infested place. Then again, you being here is the only reason I came here and discovered this world's potential as a new home."

"What are you talking about?" Finn asked.

"Maybe I should let all the cats out of the bag," said Dr. Gross. "I'm the reason your dad was able to get out of the Holding Cells and make an attempted run for it."

"What?!" Finn asked. "But…how? And why?"

"You really think your father could orchestrate something so complex?" Dr. Gross asked. "I'm the one who gave him the idea of using you to get past the Guardian. The whole mess was my idea: the submarine decoy, the Seeker that was with your dad's group, Steve breaking your dad out of his cell, that was all me. Your father was simply my pawn."

"Okay, but why?" Finn asked. "I was almost killed!"

"Your dad's fault, not mine," said Gross. "I told him to take his time, but he acted too quickly. Getting on that boat as soon as he broke free, damn fool. All I wanted was to give your mom a good scare. Give her a feeling that the island wasn't safe anymore, so that she might consider expanding back to the other islands." Dr. Gross closed her eyes and hung her head. "We nearly lost you that day. I thought you were dead, and I hated myself for it. I hadn't felt that much shame since my virus reduced your mother to an AI."

Finn stared hard at Dr. Gross. "...You let the virus out on purpose, didn't you?" he asked. "All those people…dead. Just so you could give everyone a 'good scare'."

"The release of the virus was indeed an accident. I had meant to release it at a much later time and in a better location." Gross admitted. "It served its purpose though; it killed the Island Leaders and reduced the population. But your mother…" Gross clenched her fists. "Thank the Founders you were unharmed."

"Don't pretend to care about me!" Finn shouted. "You're a murderer and a lunatic!"

"I do care about you." Dr. Gross placed a hand on Finn's shoulder, which Finn tried to recoil away from. "I love you like my own nephew, Finn. I see great potential in you, just like everyone else back home. You're the son of Minerva Campbell. Your future is by her side, leading humanity to a greater tomorrow. I'm not doing this for glory, Finn. I'm doing this for ourpeople. Do you really want the humans to live the rest of their existence on that single island? I'm sorry, Finn. I really am. But in order for the Humans to live…Ooo must die. I'm begging you to accept that."

"You'll kill everyone," said Finn.

"They don't matter, Finn, what matters is what's best for us as a species," said Gross. "Your people need you, Finnegan Campbell. Do not let them down."

"My friends need me." Finn shook Gross's hand off of him. "Ooo needs me."

"You give them order in a world of chaos and you do it for free, that's the only reason they worship you," said Gross. "They don't love you, Finn, they love what you do for them."

"You're wrong," said Finn. "I have friends here. Friends I consider family. Even Ice King–to a serious, right-on-the-border extent. And if they're in danger, whatever the danger might be, I'll always fight to protect them. I'd rather die before I raise a finger to hurt them."

Dr. Gross stared at Finn for a very long time. "Think very carefully about this, Finn," she said calmly. "If you join me, if you accept your place in this world as a leader of humanity and simply let the mutants die, we'll go back to Founder's Island and convince your mother it's safe to come back to our homeland. The Humans will be able to truly thrive again. Would you really stand in the way of that and deny your own people the chance you've been given: the chance to be something more?"

"...Go to hell," said Finn. "My girlfriend's dad runs the place, I can get you the VIP treatment."

Dr. Gross sighed and shook her head. "...I don't believe in a God," she said. "...But I do believe we all pay for our sins."

Dr. Gross pressed a button on the chair and the clamps held Finn against the chair once more.

"And I am willing to pay that price."

Finn struggled with all of his might against the restraints, his eyes wild with panic. "Let me go!" he shouted.

"I can't do that, Finn." Gross lifted her hand and it transformed into a surgical cranial drill. "I need you on my side, one way or the other."

Finn stared at the drill with eyes wide with panic and fear. "W-what are you doing?"

"I'm going to fix you," said Gross. "I was hoping it wouldn't need to come to this. Really, I was. But you've forced my hand. I am going to make you see things my way, you are going to stand by your kind and forsake these mutants, and I'm going to fix your revolting taste in women. Really, Finnegan? A vampire? The Bubblegum Princess would have at least been suitable. Honestly, I actually would have been cool with that. You should have accepted Sarah as your future spouse. And you will, don't worry."

Dr. Gross used her free hand to lower Finn's hat. She then aimed the drill at the side of Finn's skull. Gross wiped off the rune HW drew on his forehead, only giving it a single curious look. "You'll be happy. The people of Founder's Island will praise you as their hero, you'll work with your mother and me to rebuild human society once all the mutants are dead, and you'll start a family with Sarah. You should be thankful, Finn. I'm giving you a better life than anything Ooo can offer you."

"Please…don't do this," Finn begged.

"I'm not the bad guy here, Finn. I am not the antagonist of this story, I am not the villain twirling his mustache as he recedes into the shadows," said Dr. Gross. "I do this because I care about my people. Especially you. This, contrary to appearance, is an act of love. Now…hold still."

Finn gulped. "Be…before you drill me,"

"Please don't say it like that."

"Could you let me pray to the almighty Glob, just one more time?" Finn asked.

Dr. Gross lifted an eyebrow. "You took up this culture's religion? Well, that is just disappointing, Finnegan."

"All I'm asking is that you give me one more prayer, that's all." Finn looked into Gross's eyes. "...Please?"

Dr. Gross rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll just get that nonsense out of your head during the surgery." her surgical drill morphed back into a hand. "Well, go ahead."

"I, uh…I need my hands," said Finn.

Dr. Gross sighed in annoyance before pressing a button out of Finn's reach. The clamps on Finn's wrists opened up, freeing his arms. The rest of his body was still clamped to the chair though, and Finn didn't think he could pry them open.

"Make it quick, I'm on a schedule here." Dr. Gross said impatiently.

Finn brought his hands together.

"...Do you believe in magic, Dr. Gross?" Finn asked.

"Of course not." Dr. Gross answered. "I'm a scientist."

"Yeah, I didn't think you did."

Finn made a gesture with his hands and chanted a spell, then disappeared in a burst of snow.

Dr. Gross' eyes widened to the size of saucers as she stared at the now-empty, snow-covered seat. "...What the f-"

Finn reappeared by the table and picked up his sword. "This is mine," he said before disappearing in another burst of snow.

Dr. Gross blinked and just stood there for a second. "...Alarm! Escaped specimen!" she shouted into the ceiling.

Finn ran through the submarine, desperately trying to find a means of escape. The sub's interior lighting was now red, and a loud, high-pitched alarm sounded throughout the entire vessel.

"Finnegan!" Dr. Gross's irritated voice shouted from the intercom. "Cease this nonsense! Whatever parlor tricks you learned in Ooo will not help you escape your destiny!"

A door closed up ahead, blocking Finn's way forward. Finn vanished in a burst of snow once more and reappeared on the other side of the door. He continued to run through the facility, looking for a way out.

"You were meant to be an Island Leader, Finn. The Island Leader. The high priest of Humanity, speaking the word of Minerva. Stop fighting me and take responsibility! You have a duty to your people!"

A group of security robots that looked like toddler-sized crabs popped out of the walls and came scuttling towards Finn, extending their pincers, which looked like they were meant to grab a hold of Finn and drag him back to Dr. Gross.

Finn, although feeling a sudden amount of guilt and regret from seeing crabs again, raised Nothung and destroyed them all. He continued to run.

"We are in a submarine, Finnegan! Several leagues under the ocean surface! What exactly is your plan here? You gonna swim for it? You don't even know how to swim!"

Finn ran until he came into another closed, metal door. He stopped for only a few seconds to cut a rectangular hole in the door. Nothung was happy to oblige, literally glowing with power as it cut through the metal. Finn hopped through the hole and found himself in a small hallway.

"YOU BELONG TO US! NOT TO THEM!"

Finn stopped running. Along the left side of the hallway were cells. And in the cells, behind blue force fields keeping them in, were the missing ones. Flambo was the first to notice Finn, running up and pounding his fiery little fists on the force field.

"Finn! That you, brudda? Ho-ho, you got no idea howhappy I am to see yous again!"

"Flambo! Don't worry I'll get you all out of here!" Finn drew his sword. "You might wanna step back a bit."

"Wait! Finn! There's no time!"

Finn went down the hall until he found Abracadaniel in his cell. The D-list magician looked scared, leaning against the force field with eyes wide with panic.

"Abracadaniel!" Finn shouted happily. "Debra and Cadebra say 'hi', by the way."

"Aww, you got to meet Cadebra?" Abracadaniel asked. "She's a really big fan of yours."

"Yeah, she's pretty cool," said Finn.

"She really is. Now listen! I don't know what it is, but something big is coming and it's gonna destroy all of Ooo!"

"The hired muscle," Finn muttered.

"Robochick said it's almost here." Abracadaniel continued. "And that was a while ago…I think…time has gotten hard to keep track of. Look, just get hey-hey out of here! You need to get Ooo ready for what's coming!"

"What's coming?" Finn asked.

"Heck if I know! Break into TV's cell and wake him up so he can teleport you out of here. It's the only way to escape!"

"But I can't just leave you guys here!" Finn protested.

"Finnegan Campbell!"

Finn must have heard that same voice scold him hundreds of times. He turned to see that Dr. Gross had stepped through the cut-open door. She glared at Finn with anger and disappointment.

"I grow tired of your insolence and your inpudence." the doctor said. "You're seriously making me consider applying shock therapy to your rehabilitation."

"In addition to the drill you plan to scramble my eggs with?" Finn asked.

"Give it up, Finn." Dr. Gross said. "There's nowhere to run."

"I don't run from fights," said Finn. "And neither does this guy."

Finn ran up and sank his sword into one of the cells' force fields. The energy field shivered and shook before bursting away into nothing.

With a mighty roar, Connor the Marauder ran out of his cell and charged at Dr. Gross.

"Oh, come on-"

Connor gorilla-punched Gross right through the cut-open door. He let out another war cry before turning to Finn.

"You're Finn the Human, right?" Connor asked in a much calmer voice. "Wow. I am, like, such a huge fan. It is, like, a huge honor to meet you."

"Appreciate that," said Finn. "Uh, I don't mean to sound rude, but if you could…" Finn pointed at the door he had cut through that Gross had been sent flying through.

"Oh, right right right right! Sorry, got side-tracked there. Totally, bro, totally." said Connor. "You need her alive, or…?"

"I'd prefer it if you didn't kill her. She's a family friend," said Finn.

"Gotcha. BRB." Connor let out a caveman roar before squeezing through the cut-open door after Dr. Gross.

Finn ran over to TV's cell and thrust Nothung into the force field. The force field burst away and Finn ran to TV's side, pulling the anesthesia lines out of the Rainicorn-Dog hybrid.

"TV! Wake up!" Finn grabbed what he assumed was the shoulders on TV's weird, beachball-shaped body and shook him. "Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

TV wouldn't wake up, so Finn set him down and rubbed his chin in thought. "Let's see…if he's anything like his dad, then this should work," Finn cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Who wants snacks?!"

"Me! I want snacks!" TV shouted as he woke up instantly. He then looked around his surroundings. "Hey wait a minute…where are the snacks?"

"TV, look. There's not much time. I need you to teleport the two of us out of here." Finn said. "We can get the rest of your family and come back for the rest of the prisoners."

"...Are we going to get snacks afterward?"

"Wow, you're even more Jake than Jake is. Just get us out of here before Dr. Gross gets back!"

"She really needs to change her name. Kinda surprising she hasn't already." said TV.

There was the sound of a transformer exploding and Connor was sent flying past the TV's cells. A moment later, Dr. Gross stepped in front of the open cell, looking quite angry.

"Okay, bye. See ya later Finn's mom or whoever you're supposed to be." TV said before grabbing Finn's arm and disappearing the two of them in an array of colors.

"NO!" Gross shouted as they vanished. Once they were gone, Gross shouted in frustration and pounded her fist against the wall, putting a dent in it. "I told Minerva to put him on medication. She said he 'didn't need it', well, look at him now! Can't say I was wrong, now can you?!"

Finn and TV appeared on a beach. Finn looked around and saw the wrecked ship covered with algae and barnacles. This was the same beach that Finn had washed up on. The same beach that Kara had arrived at when she came to Ooo.

"What is it about this flippin' beach?" Finn asked himself.

"I think it's nice here." said TV. "I'm sorry. This was as far as I could bring us."

"It's cool, TV," Finn said.

TV!"

Finn and TV turned around to see Jake rushing out of the woods and straight towards them. He rushed at TV and wrapped his arms around his son in an affectionate hug.

"You're okay! My boy's okay!" Jake shouted.

"Hey, Dad." TV said casually. "Could one of you guys fill me in on a few things? I don't really remember much from that really long nap."

"Hey, hey, it's this place again."

Marceline came flying out of the forest wearing her sunproof outfit. She flew up to Finn and rested an arm on his shoulder. "Bring back any good memories, Finn?" When she saw that Finn didn't even blush, Marcy frowned behind her mask. "Dude, what's wrong?"

"...I know who the Evolutionist is," said Finn.

"Really, who?" Jake asked, finally letting go of TV. "Give me a name, man. I've got a score to settle."

"So do I!"

Ice King flew down from the sky and landed in the sand. "Who's the bunter that's got my Gunter?!"

"Bunter?" Marcy asked.

"Look it up."

"It's Dr. Gross," said Finn. "The Evolutionist is Dr. Gross."

"Wait, you mean your teacher or whatever that turned Susan into that mass of muscle she is?" Marceline asked.

"Yeah, that's her."

"The cyborg lady we saw in your memories who looks good in shorts and a tank top?" Ice King asked.

Finn rolled his eyes. "Yes, her. Look, long story short, she wants to kill everyone in Ooo to make room for the Humans."

"What?!" Jake shouted. "Geez, that's just…that's just mean!"

"So what do we do?" Marcy asked.

"We stop her." Finn said grimly. "We save Ooo."

"From what exactly?"

Just then, a green barracuda jumped right out of the water. The fish morphed into Huntress Wizard right before it hit the sandy beach, who did a roll and came up on her feet.

"I hate having to turn into a sea creature," HW complained. "It so messes up my style, even if it is a predatory sea creature."

Finn studied HW's eyes and saw something he hadn't yet seen in them… Panic…even fear.

"Something's coming, guys," Huntress said. "Something…big…is coming."

Then the narwhal submarine burst out of the water in a geyser of seawater several yards from the coastline, wailing with a mechanical hum as it broke the surface. A large hatch big enough for a tank to drive through opened on the sub's back and somethingshot out of it.

That something landed on the beach with Finn and his group. It was a large mecha-suit. A terrifying suit of armor three times the size of any Seeker. Plated steel, shoulder-mounted cannons, feet that looked like they could stomp apart bricks of solid concrete, and three-clawed hands that looked like they could crush diamonds. Fitted at the center of the suit's main body, behind a barrier of polycarbonate, was Dr. Gross, fitting her cybernetics into the controls like a tick taking root in your hair.

"...Okay, I know she's the bad guy, but you gotta admit that's one rad suit of armor," said Ice King. "Not taking her side, just calling it as I see it."

"Finnegan!" Dr. Gross screamed. "I educated you! I treated you and your mother like my own flesh and blood! I was even the doctor who delivered you the day you were born! Even when my actions nearly got you killed, the day you were lost to the island, the result of that mistake made you a legend in the eyes of these mutant abominations! After everything I've done for you, you still consider these freaks to be more family than me?!"

"Yes." Finn replied immediately. "I do."

Meca-Gross got into a fighting stance. "So be it."

"Is this it?" Marcy asked as she drew her ax-bass. "She won't be too hard to take down I don't think."

"She's not what I was talking about," Huntress said warily.

The ground began to shake.

The gang looked around in confusion, trying to figure out what was causing the ground. Gross noticed too, but instead of looking confused, she looked overjoyed. Gross even began to laugh like some kind of maniac.

"Too late, Finn! He's here, and he's ready to go!" Meca-Gross shouted.

"Who's here?!" Finn demanded.

"You should thank me, Finn." Gross mocked. "Another familiar face!"

Many miles off the coastline, that familiar face submerged from the ocean.

Finn froze with a sudden feeling of fear and hopelessness. "...Oh, no." He and the rest of his team backed up and inclined their necks as they slowly watched the figure rise out of the ocean. "No, no, no."

The Island Guardian stood over them. He was even taller than Finn had imagined, now seeing it only ankle-deep in the ocean. The Guardian clenched his enormous metal fists and Finn swore its eyes were focusing directly on him.

"For twenty years now, I've been making upgrades here and there on the big guy in secret. Hit him with whatever you've got, he can take it!" Mecha-Gross gloated. "And now, the two Protectors of Humanity, him and myself, of course, shall wipe out the plague of mutants in the world!" Gross extended her arms almost like a minister would in church. "The world is ours…as it should be."

Ice King blinked up at the metal giant. "...Well, we're dead."

Place your bets if you want, but with the way things are looking, Ice King might be right.

Also, I apologize for Shoko. Actually, I'm not sorry at all. I'm having way more fun writing for her than I initially thought I would.

Until next time!