"Thanks for your help, Alice. Are you sure you don't want your payment?"
Alice shook her head.
"I'm okay," she replied.
Frankie Foster frowned, but she shrugged in response and just pocketed the taros again.
"Well, thanks again," Frankie said. "Eduardo's been missing his Beanie Baggies and hasn't stopped crying since he lost them. He'll be so happy to have them back."
Alice smiled faintly. Aside from Wilt, she didn't know any of the Imaginary Friends that lived in Foster's Home, but she had briefly met Eduardo when she came to speak with Frankie. The purple Friend had been outside with Frankie, crying about his lost toys. The Imaginary Friend wasn't with them, and Alice had to guess it was because he was coaxed to go back inside where it was safer.
"Say, you live in the Peach Creek Commons area, right?" Frankie asked. Alice nodded, so the caretaker continued, "Would you be willing to do me a favor? Wilt asked for some toothpaste, and since he's over in that weird cardboard fortress, I was hoping you'd swing by and deliver it." She produced the tube of toothpaste from her sweater's pocket, showing Alice the item. "Of course, you don't have to. I can put this up on Help Wanted if you're busy."
Alice shook her head. "It's fine. I can drop it off."
"You're sure?" Frankie asked hopefully.
"I'm free for the day."
The woman flashed a brilliant smile at Alice, a look of relief settling in her eyes.
"Thank you so much," she said in gratitude, handing over the toothpaste. Alice took the item and placed it in her communicator. "You're a lifesaver."
"Miss Frances!" a voice bellowed over the loudspeaker.
Alice jumped in surprise, startled by the sudden call. Frankie frowned at the loudspeaker in irritation, running a hand down her face with an aggravated sigh. Turning back to Alice, her irritated look evaporated into a smile.
"Sorry, but duty calls. Thanks for your help," she said to the pre-teen, already taking a step in the house's direction. "Take care of yourself, okay?"
Alice smiled meekly, responding with an equally meek, "I'll try."
As Alice was leaving Foster's property and stepping onto Wilson Way, her communicator let out three beeps. It was notifying her that the job she had performed was ticked off as complete.
Recently, DexLabs rolled out a new app referred to as The Board that had been updated automatically onto every communicator. It was designed and run by Douglas, Dexter's best friend and one of the few humans who worked at the advanced technology company. It operated like a forum does on the internet, and was broken up into three categories: Help Wanted, Conversation Section, and Leaderboard.
Help Wanted was where the volunteers could pick up jobs from various heroes, villains and civilians; even the guides posted on there, though not for anything related to their ultimate goal. The jobs varied in what was required, like if a volunteer needed to retrieve an item or take out a certain number of monsters. The way it worked was that the person would post the job and a volunteer would claim it. Once it was claimed, it disappeared, and details were emailed to the communicator. If the volunteer decided to quit on the job for whatever reason, the job would go right back up to be taken on once more. Conversation Section was where the volunteers could make threads about whatever topic they wanted, so long as it followed the application's rules (Dexbots kept a special eye on this area, ensuring conversations were user friendly). Leaderboard was a scoreboard, keeping track of how many Fusion Monsters a volunteer killed. Because The Board had complete access to all data on the communicators, Leaderboard had immediate access to the number, keeping it 100% accurate.
Alice didn't rely on Conversation Section or Leaderboard; she never even bothered to check what was going on in either of them. Instead, she used the app exclusively for the Help Wanted area. She avoided taking on any job from the villains, and limited herself to the Suburbs. The jobs she picked from varied in difficulty, but none had been too difficult for her.
The two Rangers at the fortress' entrance gave her a nod in greeting, having already memorized her face as a friendly guest. After the Kanker Sisters (minus one sister) tried sneaking into the Cul-de-Sac with a giant hamburger, Eddy demanded higher security from the Rangers to ensure that any enemy of the crown (i.e., the Fusions and the Kankers) wouldn't be allowed in.
"Hello, Alice!" Wilt greeted as soon as she passed by the Plank inspired wooden doors. His giant smile was on his face, and his only good hand waved at her in greeting.
Wilt liked to spend his days at the entrance of the fortress, acting as the personal greeter to everyone who entered the space. Not too far from the Imaginary Friend was Ranger Joey, who was stationed there as extra security in case a Fusion ever did manage to sneak in (and, in his own words, he wanted to create as much distance between him and Eddy as possible).
"Hi, Wilt," Alice greeted, giving him a small smile. She tapped on her communicator, pulling out the toothpaste tube. "Frankie sent this."
"Oh how wonderful!" Wilt declared, taking the toothpaste tube from her. "Thank you so much. Sorry if it was any trouble."
"You asked for toothpaste?" Ranger Joey asked, wandering over since he found their conversation more exciting than just standing on the front lawn flipping his coin.
"I'm sorry, but this isn't any regular toothpaste. This is imaginary toothpaste," Wilt explained. "This will reinforce the walls."
Ranger Joey and Alice, in unison, looked at the toothpaste in confusion.
"The...toothpaste?" the Urban Ranger questioned skeptically, outwardly voicing Alice's thoughts. "Wouldn't duct tape or glue work better?"
"Double D tried all of that," Wilt answered, "but none of them worked. Fusion Matter kept damaging the walls. This toothpaste should do the trick. If it's alright, I'll show you."
Squeezing out a small portion onto his palm, he walked over to the wall closest to him and smoothed the toothpaste over the surface of cardboard boxes. Once finished applying the cream, he stepped back.
"Okay, it should be settled," he said. He swept his long arm in the wall's direction. "Come and feel."
Ranger Joey approached the wall and touched the spot Wilt had been working at, giving it a slight push. He was surprised to find that the boxes stayed intact, and even felt stronger.
"No way," Ranger Joey said, his eyes doubling in size. "It actually works?"
"Of course," Wilt said. "I'm sorry, but I wouldn't have asked for it to be delivered if I didn't think it'd work."
"But it's toothpaste," Ranger Joey argued, looking between the wall and Wilt in disbelief. "It's supposed to clean teeth, not hold up walls."
"Imaginary toothpaste works different from store bought toothpaste," Wilt answered.
"But it's toothpaste."
Alice watched the exchange continue until she heard her communicator chime, alerting the girl that she had received an email. The name briefly flashed on the communicator's lock screen, and it wasn't a name she recognized. Instead of removing the email, she opened it to see why Jimmy Jones was contacting her.
Subject Line: Plumber Base in Peach Creek Estates
Morning! Mr. Tennyson needs you to lock down the local Plumber base that's hidden over in Peach Creek Estates. Fusion activity has been spiking in the area, and Mr. Tennyson wants to keep them out. But the base has a high-frequency sonic security system, so you're going to need special earplugs, which are called Sonic Earplugs. Talk to Numbuh Two about them.
-Jimmy Jones
Alice's breath hitched as she finished the email. She wasn't entirely sure who he was referring to as "Mr. Tennyson," but made a guess that it was Ben, since he was working to lock up Plumber bases. This made it her first job for her guide.
A red blur in front of her spooked her from her thoughts, and she glanced up sharply, finding that the red blur was Wilt's hand moving up and down in front of her face. Her startled eyes met his concerned eye.
"I'm sorry, but are you feeling well?" Wilt asked, stopping his hand when he got her attention. "You seemed to have gone pale."
"Bad news?" Ranger Joey questioned, nodding his head at her communicator.
"I'm okay," Alice answered, pocketing her device. "It was a job from Ben."
"Right, he's your guide," the Urban Ranger said. "I keep forgetting you work for him since you're around the Cul-de-Sac so much. I thought you were one of Double D's."
"I'm sorry if this is prying, but what is he having you do?" the Imaginary Friend asked. "You don't look very enthusiastic."
"Lock down a Plumber base in Peach Creek Estates," Alice answered. "But I have to speak to Numbuh Two first since he knows where some Sonic Earplugs are." At the confused looks on both her audience's faces, she clarified further, "It's a special set of earplugs."
"Peach Creek Estates? You better watch yourself," Ranger Joey warned. "Father's kids, the Delightful Children from Down the Lane, have been lurking around that place since his housing development was turned into an Infected Zone."
"Why would they be a problem?" Wilt asked, tilting his head in confusion. "They seem like nice kids."
"Don't let the delightful part in their name fool you, they're a real pain in the heinie," Ranger Joey warned. "If you can avoid it, don't talk to them. They have a way of messing with your head."
Alice nodded. She had heard of the Delightful Children, but only in passing. They were several grades below her, so it wasn't like she saw them around school. All she knew was that they were enemies of the Kids Next Door and liked to have the most over-the-top cake at their birthdays. What they could be doing in Peach Creek Estates and for what reason she didn't know and she wasn't especially eager to find out.
"I should go," Alice stated. "Jimmy didn't say when I had to do this, but it probably has to be done sooner than later."
"Yeah, probably," Ranger Joey agreed. "See yah around."
"Don't be worried, Alice," Wilt told her, beaming a bright smile. "You'll do great!"
Alice smiled weakly at his confidence, and left the Cul-de-Sac swiftly. She could have flown over to Sector V using the S.C.A.M.P.E.R., but she preferred to walk. S.C.A.M.P.E.R.s were for long distance travel, like if she wanted to go between the Suburbs and Downtown (not that she wanted to). She could have also used a Monkey Skyway Agent, but she definitely didn't want to use that form of transportation. Although Mojo had pledged his assistance with the war, she didn't exactly trust him or his minions. Being dropped from several hundred feet in the air didn't sound like fun, even if she had a way of protecting herself. So, she stuck to walking the distance between the Cul-de-Sac and Sector V's Treehouse. There weren't as many volunteers running around fighting off the monsters as there had been when Alice first started, but luckily there weren't as many Fusions roaming around either. Alice only had to fight off at least six monsters on her trek to the treehouse, which was smaller than normal (usually she'd be stopped by at least ten or eleven monsters in her travels).
The Treehouse wasn't busy when she landed on the hovering island. She hadn't gone the back route, but had gone around toward the front, facing Numbuh One's house. Several Kids Next Door operatives were by the front door, selling their wares. A Monkey Skyway Agent was sitting on the front steps, lazily scrolling through his communicator as he waited for a customer. Blossom was busy speaking with two volunteers, so Alice gave her a brief nod as she passed the Powerpuff. Numbuh Two was typing on his communicator when Alice approached him.
"Numbuh Two?" she called, getting his attention.
Numbuh Two glanced up. "That's me. What can I do for you?"
"I was sent here from Jimmy Jones. He said you'd know about the Sonic Earplugs?"
"I do know about them, but I don't have 'em," Numbuh Two replied, pocketing his communicator. "They were supposed to be in Genius Grove, but I just got word from some other volunteers that the earplugs were stolen by the Tech Wings. You're going to have to go down there and take out a few 'till they drop."
"There's others working on this?" Alice asked.
"Two others," Numbuh Two answered. "Ben usually does this."
Alice nodded in acknowledgement.
"When you get them, come back here. I gotta help you put 'em in and calibrate them to protect against the base's security system," Numbuh Two continued. "You good?"
Things were not going well.
Seven Tech Wings down and not a single sonic earplugs in sight. True, Alice didn't have an idea on what the sonic earplugs actually looked like, but she could guess that they were as small as regular earplugs. Since Fusions could absorb the item into their anatomy, it made it difficult for Alice to determine which creature had the item or not, so she was left to just hit whatever Tech Wing was within vicinity and just hope the item would drop. But the longer she was out in the area, the higher chance they'd start ganging up on her. Alice was just catching her breath after fighting off her eighth Tech Wing when she felt tapping on her shoulder. The girl spun around on her heel, raising her hand up in preparation for a battle. Her "opponent" raised up their hand and waved at the blue haired girl.
"Hey, Alice!" Suzy greeted her fellow classmate cheerfully.
"Suzy?" Alice asked in surprise, retracting her hand.
"What brings you to this neck of the woods?" the red head questioned, clasping her hands behind her back.
"I'm looking for Sonic Earplugs," Alice answered. "The Tech Wings are supposed to have them, but none have dropped them."
"Oh, you got an email from Jimmy, too?" Suzy asked, her eyes lighting up in excitement. "This is so cool! I just got my pair. Why don't I help you out?"
"You don't have to," Alice protested. "Ben wants the bases locked down."
Suzy shrugged nonchalantly. "The bases were okay before he called us in for it, so I think they can survive a little longer," she reasoned. "Besides, three of us tackling this would make things move a lot faster, don'tcha think?"
Alice was about to protest further, because she didn't want to impose on Suzy, but paused as she thought over Suzy's words. There weren't three of them standing there; just two.
"Three?" she repeated.
A Tech Wing decided it was the perfect moment to interrupt the conversation, swooping down over their heads as a high pitch screech emanated from its mouth. Alice and Suzy ducked, avoiding the monster's claws. Alice raised her hand, prepared to fire a blast at the creature, but a tentacle shot out and wrapped around the monster's neck, jerking it away from the girls. A second tentacle shot through the winged creature's chest, cleaving the Tech Wing in twain. The dissolved Fusion Matter rained down, forming a puddle on the grassy ground.
"Seriously, Suzy?" Nergal Junior complained, stopping next to the puddle and having his communicator vacuum it up. He spotted something on the ground and scooped it up. "You roped me into teaming up, the least you can do is not run o-" Junior's complaint died on his tongue when he spotted who Suzy was speaking with. "A-Alice?"
"Guess what, she's on the same job. She's joining our team!" Suzy chirped, completely ignoring the fact that Alice hadn't accepted her offer.
"But I-" Alice tried to explain, but was interrupted by an unamused Junior.
"Did she actually agree or did you make the decision yourself?" Junior accused Suzy, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I offered our services," Suzy replied flippantly. "It just makes more sense for all three of us to be working together on this job rather than competing."
"But I don't want to slow you two down," Alice protested, finally able to get a word in. "I haven't been able to find any earplugs yet, and Ben wants the base shut down before the Fusions get in."
"It's fine," Junior assured her. "I have the last pair." He fished them out of his pocket and held them out to Alice, who stared up at him in surprise. "We were actually looking for the third pair to give to Numbuh Two. When Mandark left for Tech Square, the Plumbers hid the Sonic Earplugs in his yard since they figured his parents wouldn't go searching for them, but Lala found them. She told me there was only three pairs in the box when she searched it, so that's how many were stolen. That last Tech Wing had the final pair."
Lalavava was Mandark's younger sister. She was about two years younger than Alice, so Alice never had any classes with the girl; she merely saw her around Gallagher Elementary when Alice used to go there. Lalavava was a bully who treated others with zero respect; she didn't even treat fellow bullies - Sperg, Mitch, Terrance - with any respect. Alice didn't exactly trust the younger girl, but Lalavava never showed any interest in science, so would she care about bases focusing on the extraterrestrial?
"See? It's basically destiny that we all met up," Suzy stated proudly, striking a triumphant pose by putting her fists on her hips. "So what do you say, Alice? Want to team up?"
Alice hesitated with her answer. The idea of teaming up with others hadn't ever crossed her mind; she always expected she'd just go it alone like she did for group projects in school. Whenever teachers had then group up, the other students would shun Alice and so she'd be left on her own. Suzy's persistence in recruiting Alice was throwing the alien girl for a loop; Suzy was behaving like she actually wanted to work with her. Then there was Suzy's logic; it would make more sense for the three of them to work on shutting down the base together rather than competing with each other.
Suppressing the nervous butterflies that fluttered inside her stomach, she nodded at the two of them.
"Okay," Alice agreed, taking the earplugs out of Junior's hands.
"Fantastic!" Suzy cheered ecstatically, pumping a fist of victory in the air. "Those Fusions better watch out, 'cause we're coming for them!"
"First we need to go to Numbuh Two," Junior pointed out dryly. "These aren't just regular earplugs."
"Well I know that," the redhead replied. "I was just pointing out that we're a dream team. Have you always been so moody?"
Junior rolled his eyes from behind his glasses, and motioned his head back toward the area behind DeeDee's backyard.
"C'mon, we can hitch a ride with the Skyway Agents," he pointed out, already moving in that direction.
Alice tensed up at the mention of the monkeys, worried about trusting them. It would be a faster way to travel, but... Alice was jostled when Suzy linked their arms together. The redhead smiled brightly at Alice and then at Junior.
"Actually, since we've got this nice weather, why not walk?" Suzy suggested. "Besides, we gotta keep in shape. Can't let Fuse's minions get the better of us."
Junior's brows furrowed, a confused frown settling on his face. He opened his mouth to protest the idea, but Suzy was already making her way out of Genius Grove, tugging Alice along. The blue haired girl was so surprised that she stumbled, catching herself before she could fall face first to the ground.
"C'mon, Junior!" Suzy called over her shoulder. "You don't want to be left behind, do yah?"
Junior frowned, momentarily looked at the Skyway Agents, and then released a heavy sigh and followed after the two girls, putting his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. Flying would be faster, but Suzy was too stubborn to be swayed, and Junior didn't want to put up a fight. Said girl still had her arm interlocked with Alice's, leading the girl out of Genius Grove. The two girls were barely two steps into Pokey Oaks South when a pack of Newspaper Ninja appeared out of nowhere just a second after Alice felt something was wrong. Alice startled at their arrival, but Suzy reacted quickly, pulling out a Whizbee and throwing it at the pack of three. It exploded at their feet, halting their movements momentarily.
Without releasing her hold on Alice, Suzy pulled out a Crayon Cannon and started shooting at the pack, focusing primarily on the one in the middle. Alice was surprised by how efficient Suzy was, but also realized that the three Fusions monsters were not moving. They were frozen in place, and based on the guttural sounds they made, it wasn't by choice. Alice couldn't let Suzy do all the fighting, so she raised her unused hand and sent an energy blast at the ninja to the right of the leader. It took three shots, but the creature turned to Fusion Matter, and Alice diverted her attention to the Newspaper Ninja to the left of the front ninja. Suzy had finished dealing with the middle monster and helped fire at the ninja on the left. With the two dealing with the monster, it easily dissolved into matter.
Suzy released a pleased hum as she put her weapon back into her communicator. She tilted her head over her shoulder, winking at the boy that was standing behind the girls.
"You're getting better with that," she complimented.
Alice looked over her own shoulder as well, only just piecing together that the monsters had been frozen in spot just like that day at school. Junior had his glasses off, and was rubbing his eyes with his hand. When he moved his hand away, Alice was able to catch red tinting the edge of his eyes, indicating that the organs were irritated.
"Haven't had to do this much since winter camp," the boy said, lightly complaining to himself as he put on his glasses.
"You had monsters at winter camp?" Suzy inquired, her eyebrows raising.
"Something like that," Junior answered, shrugging his right shoulder evasively.
"Well you did good," the redhead praised. She spun her head around to face Alice, her eyes sparkling in excitement. "You did good, too, Alice. You weren't even using a weapon! Was that your power, like moving the lockers back at the school?"
"Yes," Alice answered. "I've...been practicing."
Suzy's eyes seemed to have gotten even brighter, and Alice took a subconscious step away, forgetting that her arm was still linked with Suzy's. Still, the movement spurred Suzy into action, and she continued their trek to Sector V, Nergal Jr. following at their heels.
"You know I heard about some girl fighting off a boss Fusion in the Cul-de-Sac a while back. Rumor has it that she did this without a weapon," Suzy explained. "That was you, right?"
The inquisitive look Suzy was sending the girl already knew it was Alice; she was just looking for verbal confirmation to her suspicion. Alice worried her bottom lip. Eddy's accusatory look flashed in her mind, and she tensed.
Looking away, Alice admitted, "Yes."
Suzy nodded sagely.
"I figured. When I heard it, I remembered the school, so I figured it'd be you," the redhead responded. "I've never faced off against a boss before. They sound pretty frightening."
"How did you hear?" Alice asked demurely. She didn't think it was the talk of the Cul-de-Sac. None of the Urban Rangers that had been present that day would give her nods when she saw them, but none would broach the subject with her.
"The Urban Rangers and Buttercup Scouts are good friends, so I heard about it through the grapevine. I had an inkling it was you, but wasn't sure till right now," Suzy replied. "So, were you born with it?"
Alice bit down hard on her lip, her eyes shifting away out of fear. There was no denying she was born with these abilities, but she just wasn't willing to say it. What would they think? How would they respond? Was it just safer to stay silent on the matter? Should she lie and say she didn't know? So many questions, so little answers.
"On second thought, you don't have to tell us," Suzy assured her, and her assurance brought Alice's eyes back onto her. "You look like you're still coming to terms with it, and it wouldn't be right of me to force it out of you. Tell me when you're more comfortable. I can't speak for Nergie-" 'Nergie' sent a withering glare in Suzy's direction for the nickname she had bestowed him, but the girl ignored it. "-but whether you're an E.V.O, demon, alien, Imaginary Friend or a science experiment gone right, it won't change my opinion of you."
"We're in agreement," Junior commented, his glare dissolving and his features softening when he turned his attention on Alice. "You shouldn't be ashamed of what you are, but you've already been through a lot, and this probably didn't help. Take whatever time you need to be comfortable with it."
Alice's cheeks turned slightly pink in embarrassment, and she glanced away. Ever since Eddy's outburst at her, she had been expecting everyone to react the same. Unjustly and unfairly, she had assumed, what with this being an alien invasion, that everyone she'd tell it to would freak out on her. She hadn't taken into account that maybe some weren't like Eddy who were afraid of aliens because of the invasion or like Harangue who had a dead-on hatred of anything extraterrestrial even before the invasion. Granted, she hadn't exactly told either of them that she was an alien, but their guide was Ben, a teenager who could change into any alien, so maybe they wouldn't be so quick to scorn her heritage.
Still, the part of her that was filled with trepidation kept her from spouting off her lineage. Instead, she showed her appreciation for their understanding by thanking them.
Suzy shifted topics following Alice's expression of gratitude, asking the girl what she'd been up to since joining the war effort. Suzy had been up in the Wilds for a week, helping around Camp Kidney. The camp's scoutmaster had locked himself up in his office, and the assistant scoutmaster, Mister Slinkman, needed help keeping the Crazy Metal Boy Scouts from hurting his Bean Scouts. Junior had been helping out primarily in Endsville, but had drifted into the Nuclear Plant and City Point whenever a job popped up. Compared to Alice, they seemed more seasoned, having volunteered at the very start of the war.
Their trip to Sector V was interrupted occasionally by packs of Ball-Peen Meanies and Pesky Ponies. Normally a time hassle when alone, the process of exterminating the monsters went by a lot faster with two others to help out.
"Howdy!" Numbuh Two greeted the trio when they approached him on the floating island. "Did you get the plugs?"
"Of course," Suzy chirped, pulling out her pair. Junior and Alice followed suit.
"Great job. Put them in, and I'll adjust it for you. You're going to use these-"
"-At Father's development site," Junior cut in, completing the sentence as he did what was instructed. "There's a base hidden in there, which isn't where I'd put a base. Putting something that top secret in a residential area is asking for someone to sneak in."
"Yes, but it's hidden. Jimmy Jones is sending the coordinates once we get there," Suzy responded, doing her best not to look in Junior's direction because Numbuh Two was calibrating the earplugs in her ears. "Besides, even if some teenagers stumbled onto it and tried entering it, the alarm system would send them running."
"Which is why you were sent to get these," Numbuh Two contributed to the conversation, moving on from Suzy to help Alice out.
Alice flinched out of habit, not used to non-family members touching her. Numbuh Two worked swiftly, spending maybe a handful of seconds to fine-tune the pair. Once he finished setting up Alice's earplugs, he moved to work on Junior's.
"You'll be able to hear normally until you find the base's access point. When you use the code on the access point, it'll trigger the system's alarm. The earplugs will deafen so none of you lose your eardrums," Numbuh Two explained. "Once the code is accepted, the alarm will turn off and the base will be locked down."
"Do we return the earplugs to you?" Alice questioned.
"Ben wants you to keep 'em. You may be called on to lock down more bases, so it'll be faster and easier for you if you've already got the tools," Numbuh Two answered, stepping away from Junior. "Okay, you're all set to leave."
"Let's get moving, team," Suzy instructed her two teammates, leading the way to one of the many ziplines that went from the floating island to the ground. "We've got a base to lock down!"
"Aren't you going to take the Skyway Agents? It's faster," Numbuh Two pointed out.
"We're getting our fitness in," Suzy replied without turning to look over her shoulder. "It's a beautiful day, and I don't want to waste it."
Numbuh Two lifted up his helmet enough so that he could scratch his head in confusion, watching the trio descend to the ground. Logically, it made more sense to use Mojo's monkey minions. The agents would fly them into the Cul-de-Sac, and then they'd walk to Peach Creek Estates from there.
"Awh well." Numbuh Two shrugged. "They're just shutting down a base. How hard can it be?"
"Are you not aware that stepping foot on this property is considered trespassing?" five voices interrogated as one.
Getting the Peach Creek Estates had been easy for the group of three, only having to handle a few pockets of monsters that thought they could get the drop on the pre-teens. Their biggest roadblock, currently standing between them and the Dexbot that led into the infected zone, was known as the Delightful Children From Down the Lane.
Alice took a step back, creeped out by the behavior they exhibited. She knew that they operated like they were one body, but it was seriously creepy how much of a hive-mind the five shared. Suzy and Junior were noticeably less disturbed by the manners. Suzy kept her smile on her face, looking just as friendly as ever. Junior, although not looking creeped out, crossed his arms and leveled an annoyed look in the Delightful Children's direction. The Delightful Children didn't look frightened of this look, sending back a haughty expression of their own as the five continued blocking them passage to the Dexbot.
"We're here on official guide business," Suzy explained, showing her communicator to them like it was a police badge.
"So?" the Delightful Children challenged. "We've been tasked by Father to make sure no one steals anything from his development site."
"There isn't anything worth stealing in there," Junior pointed out, tilting his head in the Infected zone's direction. "Everything's contaminated."
"Even still-"
"Even still," Junior interrupted, advancing forward so that he was standing directly toe-to-toe with them, "you're going to move out of our way and let us through or I will make you."
Alice stared wide eyed at Junior's back, stunned by the threat he had made. She knew the Delightful Children were not good people, but they didn't pose them an immediate threat. She glanced Suzy's way, to see if the feelings were mutual, but Suzy didn't look worried in the slightest. She kept smiling, looking almost confident that the outcome would be in their favor.
Junior and the Delightful Children held a silent staring contest, each side antagonizing the other to back down. Finally, just before Alice's nerves could completely fry under the pressure, the Delightful Children stepped to the side and walked past Junior. The glasses wearing half-demon followed their movements, just to make sure he wouldn't be attacked by surprise.
"Don't touch anything that doesn't belong to you," the five warned, passing by Junior and Suzy without causing a fuss. They paused next to Alice, and turned to give her their attention. There was a knowing look in their eyes that didn't sit well with Alice. As if to confirm her thoughts, the Delightful Children smirked. "Wouldn't want more alien things to interfere with Father's development, now would we?"
Alice blanched at the implication. They knew. They knew about her identity. The Delightful Children, pleased with themselves, continued past her.
"Have a nice day, freaks," the children said as they left.
"They're one to talk," Junior bristled angrily.
"Leave them," Suzy replied. "They won't be bothering us for a while. Let's lock down the base before they decide to do some snooping and realize they've had some seriously good tech in their backyard."
Junior grunted in agreement and walked up the ramp to the Dexbot who was patiently waiting. Suzy made to follow, but paused when she realized Alice wasn't following. Spinning around, she found the blue haired girl standing several paces away, blue eyes glued to the dirt beneath her feet.
"Alice?" Suzy prompted. "Are you coming?"
Alice didn't respond to the call; she didn't even hear it. Her eyes jumped from the dirt to the Infected Zone sporadically, like they couldn't figure out which one they wanted to settle on. Or maybe they were avoiding looking at the barrier that separated the tarnished Earth with the rest of the environment. Alice had never stepped foot in an Infected Zone, and carefully avoided jobs that would have her go into one. Her stomach twisted and turned any time she looked at one, typically bringing up bad memories of the invasion. Had she known that this particular job would lead her here….
"What's wrong, Alice?"
Alice's breath hitched, and she jumped at the call. She forced herself to meet the faces of her teammates. Suzy had drawn nearer to her, and Junior had stepped away from the Dexbot to stand at the base of the ramp. Both were looking at her in concern. She looked away in shame and embarrassment, wrapping a hand over her chest.
"It's...I..."
Words failed her, so she shut her mouth and tightened her hold on her arm.
"Have you ever been in an Infected Zone?" Junior asked. There was no judgement in his tone, just honest curiosity.
Alice shook her head.
"You're thinking about that day at school, right?" Junior asked.
Alice bit her bottom lip, her eyes shifting to look to the other side. She didn't verbally confirm it, but it was an admission all the same.
"Awh Alice, you don't have to be ashamed of that. I still think about it too," Suzy consoled, approaching and carefully sliding a hand around girl's shoulder so that it was a half-hug. "It was a scary day, but we can't let that fear stop us."
"Besides, you won't be alone," Junior added. "We'll be with you the entire way. You'll be okay."
Alice took in a deep breath, putting a lid on her nerves. They were right. She needed to do this. She nodded at Suzy.
"I-I'm ready," she announced.
Suzy and Junior smiled at her, and the three of them stepped onto the platform. Junior pulled out his communicator and began making the entry request. While he was doing that, Suzy leaned in close to Alice, whispering, "Just stick close, and everything will be okay." Alice nodded, just before she felt herself getting lighter. Looking around, she found that herself and the other two were filling with light. A moment later, their scenery changed.
The inside of the Infected Zone was exactly like Alice imagined, but also different. The grounds were mostly contaminated, and the land looked like it was separating, something that hadn't been happening during Father's development. Surprisingly, things that shouldn't be moving (like wooden planks and concrete slabs) were moving, or suspending in mid-air. Alice stared in a mixture of fascination and trepidation.
"Yeah, it's freaky," Suzy agreed, correctly reading the reaction on Alice's face. "Apparently too much Fusion Matter effects gravity and is making all of this-" she swept her hand to the moveable objects "-possible."
"Don't step on the green stuff," Junior cautioned, stepping off the Dexbot. "It's concentrated Fusion Matter, and it'll burn you."
Junior led the trio further into the zone, coming up to a large wood stump that had a zipline installed into it. Alice stared at it in surprise, since that was not a normal contraption found in a developing site. She'd seen it at the treehouse in Sector V, but she didn't expect to see it in an Infected Zone. Suzy hopped up and grabbed the handle, shooting off from the stump into a half-built house. Junior stepped up next, but stopped when he saw Alice's perplexed look.
"It was put in by Dexter's team," Junior explained, waving a hand at the wire. "It's a fast and mostly safe way to get over Fusion Matter. They added a cannon too, to help get over large open spaces."
Alice's eyes doubled in surprise. A cannon? Was that safe? Junior stepped back from the zipline and nodded his head at it.
"Here, go first," Junior said.
Alice agreed, hopping up to the stump and grabbing the handle waiting for her. With a kick, she went down the short line (Sector V's Treehouse had a longer line, considering how high up it was) and met Suzy on the other side. Junior came down a second later, landing next to the girls.
"Who's got directions?" Junior asked.
"I can do it. I left my map on," Suzy answered, pulling out her communicator. "Map says we're close by."
Suzy led their group of three to the left of the house, going through an undeveloped part of the structure. Suzy was nearing its exit when the hair on the back of Alice's neck stood on end. Suzy took one step onto the dirt, and a Heavy Pincher appeared, bringing its pincher downward. The monster was too close for Alice to strike him with one of her blasts, so she did the next best thing: she threw up an energy shield. It wasn't a dome, like she had learned to do under Blossom's teaching, but just a large wall-like structure that was tall enough to protect Suzy from the Heavy Pincher's attack. The monster released an aggravated cry when it saw its attack repelled. When Alice saw Suzy pull out her Camp Oar, she dropped the shield. With the shield dropped, Suzy immediately went on the offense, swinging her melee weapon. Two tentacles sprouted from Junior's back, and he used them to wrap around the monster's long arm, twisting it. Suzy delivered the final blow to the monster's main body right as Junior was able to snap the monster's arm off, dissolving the monster into Fusion Matter. Releasing a sigh of satisfaction, Suzy wiped away sweat from her brow.
"Thanks for that, Alice," she said to the other girl, sending her a smile.
"But I didn't do anything," Alice protested. "I couldn't help."
"Protecting me from a hit is not nothing," Suzy countered. "Don't put yourself down like that."
"It was one monster, and this was a tight space," Junior continued, retracting his tentacles after giving them a once over. "Your blasts wouldn't haven't been possible without hurting one of us, so you made the right call."
Alice stared in surprise, but nodded. She still felt like she could have done more, but maybe Junior was right. Maybe she would have done more harm than help if she had tried to do more.
"Now let's get back on track!" Suzy declared, pulling off her communicator from her hip.
She didn't put away her Camp Oar as she led the way to the Plumber base, clearly expecting to be intercepted by another monster. Fortunately for them, the three resumed their expedition with no interference from the Fusion Monsters, although they had to carefully maneuver themselves over a batch of Fusion Matter that was imbedded into the ground (and Junior had pointed out the cannon for Alice, just so she'd know what it was). The three circled the access point, staring down at the object that was sticking out of the ground.
"You taking the lead on this one?" Junior asked Suzy, looking from the access point to the girl.
"Sure!" Suzy answered him, holding up her communicator. "Get ready."
Junior stepped back three paces, to put some distance between him and the noise that was going to come. He reached out and touched Alice's elbow, guiding her to follow him. Suzy tapped away at her communicator, and almost instantly the alarm rang out. The sonic earplugs did their job in buffering the majority of the noise, leaving only a low hum to be heard by them. It was only five seconds later that the noise turned off, and the access point locked and disappeared into the ground. Suzy grinned in the direction of her two teammates.
"Mission accomplished."
"We should probably leave. That noise will attract some Fusions," Junior mentioned, roaming his eyes over the area to keep from being surprised again.
Simultaneously, their communicators all chimed, although the sound was different for each communicator. Alice grabbed her communicator and opened up the mail app, finding that Jimmy Jones sent in a new email.
Subject Line: Plumber Base in Peach Creek Estates
Great work! However, that's not the only secret base in the area. Mind going over to Goat's Junkyard and locking that base down too? You can reuse the previous code.
-Jimmy Jones
Attached with the message was the coordinates for the next base.
"Numbuh Two wasn't kidding about needing these for another base," Suzy remarked, pocketing her communicator. "Ready for round two?"
"It's close by," Junior commented. "It can be done quickly."
"On the plus side, we won't have to deal with the Delightful Children," Suzy added on, going back the way they came since their exit was nearby. "Since Goat is away, he's having Coop watch over the place, and Coop is a big teddy bear."
They left the Delightful Developments Infected Zone (encountering no Fusions along the way since they hadn't regenerated quickly enough) and were pleased to find that the Delightful Children were nowhere in sight. The trip from Peach Creek Estates to Goat's Junkyard was met with little resistance, save for a pack of Heavy Pinchers that were put down swiftly. Junior's nose crinkled as they neared the junkyard.
"Why would anyone want to be near this dump?" he asked aloud, eyeing the piles of junk with disdain. "It smells disgusting."
"Don't you live at the center of the Earth?" Suzy questioned over her shoulder. She had an eyebrow raised upward. "Isn't it fire and brimstone down there?"
Junior's face tinted pink and he hastily responded, "That's the Underworld. And besides, we moved into a home in Endsville a year and a half ago."
"The Nuclear Plant is next door to Endsville," Suzy pointed out, spinning around so she could speak to him while walking backwards. "That produces a worse smell than this place. Probably poisonous, too."
The pink on Junior's face deepened to a rose red as he realized that he had no counter. He was thankful the conversation was forced to an end because their small party made it to the entrance of the Infected Zone. A Dexbot was their only greeter, offering a generic "Very nice weather we're having" as they stepped up to the platform. Junior was nearly complete with their request when he was interrupted.
"Where do you three think you're going?"
The three in question turned to find a redhead woman - Kiva - exiting the trailer, marching straight toward them.
"Guide job," Suzy replied, showing off her communicator like she had with the Delightful Children.
Kiva blinked at the green communicator, and her shoulders sagged like the tension had been sapped out of her.
"A-are you okay?" Alice asked the woman.
"Yes, just relieved," Kiva responded. "We've been having some trouble with kids sneaking in to steal parts from Megas, only to get cornered by some Fusions."
"But that shouldn't be happening," Suzy remarked, her eyes widening in alarm. "The Dexbot is only supposed to allow volunteers in. Our communicators were given specific designations to prevent this."
Alice blinked, having not known that, though it made sense why Suzy knew this bit of information. Kiva sighed and nodded in agreement to Suzy's reasoning.
"Unfortunately, someone good with robotics came in and busted it. It now allows anyone in with or without a communicator," Kiva replied. "Coop and I have been trying to fix it, but it's a software issue rather than hardware. I've been waiting on DexLabs to send over someone to repair it."
"I didn't think these could be hacked," Junior commented, looking over at the Dexbot. "DexLabs is pretty good with their security."
"Could be a competitor," Suzy pointed out, frowning in concentration. "Mandark is his biggest rival in the tech industry…. although I don't think he'd be able to pull off something like this."
"I really doubt this was his doing," Junior rebutted. "He's a copycat, not a hacker."
"You three don't need to worry about this," Kiva stepped in. "We have a solution on the way, and it'll be fixed. You have a job to complete, remember?"
"Right," Suzy answered, nodding her head in determination. "We'll go lock up the base, and come back to solve the mystery of who did this."
"I appreciate the offer, but really-"
"This isn't just about this Dexbot," Junior cut in, pointing a thumb at the robot. "If someone's able to do this here, what's stopping them from doing it elsewhere?"
"I already notified Dexter the moment it happened. He's been sending out technicians to all the other Dexbots to check that they're in functioning order," Kiva explained calmly, trying to be rational with the kids.
"Is there any video that could be reviewed?" Alice asked.
"I already checked the Dexbot's," Kiva answered. "Apparently it doesn't record video, it just keeps a record of any communicators that it granted access to."
"The junkyard doesn't have any surveillance?" Junior questioned skeptically.
"It's a junkyard," Kiva volleyed back. "The only thing worth stealing is Megas, and that's not possible. It's just parts that can be stolen."
Junior nodded, conceding to her point. It would be rather ridiculous to have video surveillance for a junkyard.
"What are you talking about, Kiva? Goat's got a camera."
Kiva spun around to stare wide-eyed at a heavyset man standing at the junkyard's archway. In one hand was a sub sandwich and in the other a video game.
"What does that mean, Coop?" Kiva questioned, though it sounded more like a demand.
"Goat bought a camera a while back," Coop replied, raising his sub holding hand to point out the camera that was stationed at the corner where the archway met the fence, facing toward the Dexbot.
Kiva looked at the camera incredulously before dropping her gaze back onto Coop, her eyes narrowed in annoyance.
"When were you going to tell me about that?!" she demanded.
Coop shrugged, unfazed by her annoyance. He took a bite of his sandwich. "I thought Jamie would."
"He did not!"
Coop took another bite out of his sandwich, looking far too casual for the situation. Was he not taking it seriously? Kiva breathed in heavily through her nose, and physically composed herself. The three kids wisely kept silent through the whole ordeal.
"Can you get the video?" she asked Coop in measured tones.
"Sure," Coop replied cheerily, moving towards the trailer.
Kiva massaged the side of her head, releasing a huff of frustration.
"If I had known about this sooner…" she muttered to herself, but the kids heard it anyway. She turned to regard them. "You three should continue with your job. Be careful while you're in there."
"No need to be worried," Suzy responded. "We're an unstoppable team. No monster has been able to take us down."
The corner of Kiva's lips quirked upward briefly, and she nodded at the confidence Suzy exuded.
"Very well," she said, turning so she could return to the trailer. "Stop by when you're done, so you can see who the mystery vandalizer was."
"Deal!" Suzy called after. After giving a wave goodbye to Kiva's back, the girl spun around to regard her teammates. "Ready team?"
"Have been for a while," Junior responded, leading the way to the Dexbot platform.
Even though the Dexbot was broken, the three still showed their communicators so that there would be a recorded log with their personal numbers attached to it. Junior pulled out his communicator, activating his map function so that they could follow it to the base. Alice took a sweeping look around the zone, finding it wildly different looking from the development site. Items that shouldn't float were floating, which was like the other Infected Zone, but the sky was a very dark green. There had been green tints in the sky in the prior zone, but this one was especially dark. It didn't make the place feel very welcoming, especially with how empty it was. There was no soul in the zone except for them and the Fusions; other volunteers were probably sent away by Kiva to ensure their safety.
"C'mon, I'll lead the way," Junior said, stepping forward to lead their group. "Based on where the coordinates lay on the map, I'm pretty sure I passed it last time I was here."
"You never mentioned that," Suzy responded, tilting her head. "Hiding some secrets from us?"
Junior shrugged. "Didn't see an opportunity to bring it up. Watch out for trash flying out at you."
Junior guided the two girls through the first portion of the Infected Zone, taking a path that didn't have them encountering the many, many Scrap Tyrants. On the other side of the junk wall, they only had to encounter two Scrap Scrappers, disposing of them easily. They found the base's access point at the south-center of the Infected Zone, thankfully left unprotected from the monsters in the zone. Either the monsters didn't know what this access point protected, or they were busy doing other things.
"You want to give this a try?" Junior asked Alice, looking her way.
Alice sent a concerned look Suzy's way, but the redhead sent her a thumbs up as a response. She turned her head back to Junior and nodded slowly. He nodded back to her and stepped away from the access point, letting her get closer. Alice took in a deep breath; there was no reason to be worried. She'd seen Suzy do it, and it was pretty easy. Pulling out her communicator, she mimicked everything Suzy had done, and heard the dull sound of the security system's alarm through her Sonic Earplugs. It lasted seconds, and then went away. The base's access point retreated into the ground, safely secured from any that would try to force their way in. A second later, the communicators chimed.
Subject Line: Plumber Base in Peach Creek Estates
You did it! The bases are locked and secured. Thanks for the assistance. Mr. Tennyson will be pleased with your good work. I'll be sending more jobs your way soon, so keep your communicator on.
-Jimmy Jones
Alice moved to put her communicator back on her person, but stopped when it chimed again. She looked at the new message.
Subject Line: Thanks a Lot
Hey, just got word from Jimmy about you locking down the bases. Thanks! It would have been a real challenge if Fuse's cronies got 'em. Keep up the good job.
It's Hero Time!
-Ben Tennyson
Alice smiled briefly at the message and put her communicator away when she felt Suzy come to stand next to her.
"Ready to leave this place?" Suzy asked Alice. "Junior's complaining about the smell."
"Just because you don't have sensitive senses doesn't mean you get to mock me for having them," Junior argued back at her, already making his way to the Dexbot at the back of the Infected Zone. "And just to repeat myself from the last place, we don't want to attract more Fusions!"
Suzy shrugged at Alice in a what-can-you-do manner but followed after the half-demon. Alice followed behind, giving Megas' resting spot a lingering gaze as she passed by the giant robot. It was standing in a puddle of Fusion Matter so deep Alice couldn't see the bottom, and everywhere along its metallic body was Fusion Matter stuck to it. Seeing it trapped sent a chill down Alice's spine; it was supposed to be capable of protecting the Earth, and yet this is where it rested, unable to save so many people from the first day of the invasion. She forced herself to keep moving. There wasn't anything she could do for it today.
When the group of three returned on the other side of the Infected Zone, the Dexbot that operated the teleportation pad had a weasel standing on its two hind legs, tinkering with the Dexbot's innards. Alice recognized the creature as Weasel, a highly successful author and DexLabs' most recent employee. The mammal spared them a quick wave of salutations, and then continued with his work uninterrupted. The trio stepped off the platform and wandered over to where Kiva and Coop were huddled by the trailer, looking at a communicator held in Kiva's hand. The two adults looked up when they heard their footsteps approach.
"Hey, hey!" Coop whooped as he greeted them. "Welcome back. How was Megas? Still covered in that goo?"
"Unfortunately. Luckily the Fusions weren't getting close to it," Suzy reported. "Did you find our mystery saboteur?"
"Yes," Kiva replied, a steely look on her face. "I don't recognize them though."
"They're super creepy," Coop added, shuddering as he remembered them. "I mean, how is it possible for five kids to walk as one? That's a trick from a horror film!"
Alice's blood ran cold as she immediately thought of who that could be describing. Nergal Junior's eyes hooded over in anger, and Suzy's lips turned downward in displeasure.
Ranger Joey had been right with his warning.
"The Delightful Children," Suzy said, identifying the kids for the two adults.
"They don't look very delightful to me," Coop said, squinting his eyes and tilting his head at the communicator's surface, as if trying to see if a different angle would make the saboteurs more delightful looking.
"They're not," Junior growled.
"They're enemies of the Kids Next Door," Suzy added in.
"We need to put a stop to them," Junior ordered. "This is despicable, even for them!"
"What do you purpose we do?" the redhead girl questioned calmly.
"Scare the crud out of them. Beat 'em up," her male teammate answered. "Take your pick."
"We're not going to attack them," Suzy countered, her brows furrowing. "It'll solve nothing."
"It'll keep them away from a Dexbot," the halfling demon replied. "They may even learn a lesson."
"You are not going after them," Kiva interjected, crossing her arms and falling into her military training.
"You're going to stop me?" Junior demanded, his voice dipping an octave.
The atmosphere shifted, and everyone felt it. The tension was dark and dense, so palpable a knife could be run through it. Suzy and Coop were shifting their gazes between Kiva and Junior rapidly, surprise visible in their eyes. Kiva widened her stance, preparing for Junior to launch at her. Two tentacles popped out from his back, waving erratically as if ready for a fight. Alice stared at Junior in panic, her breath catching in her throat. She had to stop this before someone got hurt.
Remembering how Aunt Muriel would rein Uncle Eustace in after a particularly long fight with her mother, Alice mimicked the memory and reached out, touching his arm just above Junior's elbow. The action was usually enough to draw her uncle's attention away and calm him down from his worked-up state. Junior's attention moved to her hand and then to her face, and she saw the exact second the aggression left him. The fight in his eyes was doused like water on a flame, and the tentacles retracted into his flesh. Seeing that he wasn't going to bite someone's head off, Alice pulled back her hand, muttering a quick apology because she had technically touched him without his permission.
"This matter is being handled without your involvement," Kiva stated, sensing that the danger had passed. "I didn't put this on Help Wanted, and I'm not going to. Dexter has been notified about the incident, and a copy of the video was sent to him. The Dexbot is being fixed and given a stronger firewall to protect it from further sabotage. Since you mentioned they're an enemy of the Kids Next Door, I'll get into contact with them so that they can deal with the Delightful Children." Perhaps realizing she was being too harsh on the kids (particularly Junior), she continued in a gentler tone, "You don't need to invest more time here. Go and help others who need it."
Junior didn't look very pleased with the answer, but he didn't make a comment. That was the best they were going to get out of him. Suzy, recovering fast from Junior's outburst, smiled brightly at the two adults.
"That's why we volunteered," Suzy stated. "Though we should probably take a break. We've been going non-stop." She looked over at her teammates. "What do you say?"
Alice looked in Junior's direction briefly, and, noticing how his shoulders were sagged, she nodded. They probably did need a break. Junior shrugged noncommittedly, not concerned with what happened next.
Taking that as an affirmative, Suzy continued, "Let's go back to the Cul-de-Sac. I know this stand that sells mouthwatering food and drinks. It'll be my treat!"
Alice and Junior found a picnic table to sit at while Suzy went off to get some smoothies for them. The stand Suzy had gushed about on the way to the Cul-de-Sac was called Mung Daal's Catering Stand, and it was run by a purple cat kid dressed far too warm for the weather. The line wasn't especially long, so Suzy was able to purchase and acquire the smoothies in little time, returning to their table with a tray of three plastic cups, one for each of them. She handed out the smoothies dutifully to her two teammates.
"These are Chillado Smoothies. They're the perfect way to cool down," Suzy explained to them. She dropped down next to Alice. "Don't drink it too fast, though. It gives brain freezes."
"Is this a joke?" Junior questioned, eyeing the drink in his hand.
"If you don't want it, I'll take it back," Suzy replied, holding out her hand to him.
Junior frowned petulantly and brought the drink closer to his person. Suzy smiled, having anticipated his response. She took a sip from her smoothie, watching with interested eyes as Junior and Alice both took hesitant sips from their own cups.
"So, what do you think?" she asked them.
"It's...surprisingly good," Junior answered. "I thought this was going to be terrible based on the name."
"Chowder only makes the best," Suzy stated with an affirmative nod. "What's your take, Alice?"
"It's good," Alice answered, going back in for another sip. She was cautious to not drink too fast, like Suzy warned.
Silence settled over the group of three as they sipped from their smoothies. Alice wasn't sure if there should be any small talk, but she didn't think she was the best person to start said small talk. Junior, on the other hand, decided to take it upon himself to start a conversation.
"Listen, about today," Junior began, meeting their eyes briefly before dropping them to his cup in shame. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry." He then clarified, "For how I acted."
"With the Delightful Children, Kiva or both?" Suzy asked, staring at the boy calmly.
"Both, but mostly my reaction to the Delightful Children," Junior answered. "I was just really annoyed that we weren't going to-"
"Deal with them?" Suzy finished, echoing his words from earlier.
Junior's cheeks pinked, and he tightened his hold on his plastic cup.
"Listen, I know it's not a satisfactory ending, but it's not like this was something we had to do. This is for Dexter to pursue," Suzy explained.
"It still isn't right," Junior answered back.
"No, what they did isn't," Suzy agreed. "But we have to let it go and look to other jobs, other people to help. We can't stay fixated on their bad actions."
The half-demon frowned, obviously displeased, but then he released a heavy sigh.
"Yeah, I know," he muttered. Breathing in deeply, he forced his tone to be less negative. "So, where are you two going after this?"
Alice shrugged as an answer. She never planned how her days were going to go, and was prepared to just accept another job in the neighborhood. A giddy smile crossed Suzy's face as she leaned forward.
"Well I was thinking, why don't we stick together and form a group?" Suzy proposed.
"Us?" Alice asked.
"Of course! Today was proof that we'd be amazing. We work well together!" Suzy pointed out. "We could get twice as many jobs, helping twice as many people!"
"Well... that is true," Junior admitted, brows coming together in thought.
"See?" Suzy turned her smile on Alice. "What do you say? Want to form a group?"
Alice hesitated with an answer because she had never been in that position before. She'd figured that this would be a one-time thing. The thought of joining a team left her with a stomach of butterflies.
"S-sure," she answered, ducking her head.
"Awesome!" Suzy cheered. Alice missed the glancing look Junior sent her, but the redhead did not, and with a Cheshire grin she asked, "So what about you, Nergie? Want to join our girl troop?"
"Stop calling me Nergie," Junior groused. "And fine, I'll join."
"Perfect! Then it's settled," Suzy said, jumping up from her seat. "I'll set up our team name for the Leaderboard and attach your com numbers to it."
"We need a group name?" Alice asked in confusion.
"The Leaderboard is set into two charts, singles and groups," Junior explained to her, stirring his smoothie. "Since we're going to be forming a group, we're going to be linked together, so our kills will be counted collectively."
Alice nodded, following along with the explanation. She didn't have much use for the Leaderboard, but she'd keep that to herself. Junior and Suzy clearly relied on the Leaderboard, and Alice didn't want to ruin that for them.
Suzy grinned at held up her cup in the center.
"I'm calling a toast, to our new team!" she declared. "On three. One..."
Junior and Alice shared a look, but brought their own cups so they touched Suzy's.
"Two...Three..."
"To our new team!" the three cheered.
Hello, everyone! Thank you for returning and reading another chapter.
I want to thank legomegazord and OpenFusion's team. Legomegazord's mission videos helped me with Alice's guide missions, and OpenFusion gave me the opportunity to visit both Infected Zones and be reminded of where everything was inside them.
All the missions Alice is a part of comes from the game. In order: Eduardo and the Pirates (Part 1), Imaginary Reinforcements (Parts 2 and 3) (sorta), Bugs and Earplugs, and Base Case (Parts 1 and 2).
Suzy and Junior are here to join Alice as main characters. We didn't get their appearances in the game, although Virt did reveal a sketch for Junior on his tumblr. For the purposes of the story, Junior doesn't wear his winter coat, he's wearing a black leather jacket over a red shirt, black pants, and black shoes. Suzy's clothing is closer to her look in Johnny Bravo, but instead of white socks she wears yellow knee length socks.
We have more inclusions of characters who were never in the game. Jimmy Jones, once I learned of him (I stopped watching Ben 10 after the first season of Alien Force, so I had to do some research), was a character I absolutely wanted in the story. Since Ben has his hands full with Vilgax and the Space Port, Jimmy is the obvious choice to have as his liaison. Maybe the other guides will have a liaison, maybe not.
Initially, the Delightful Children weren't going to be in the story because Father was going to be at Peach Creek Estates, but then I decided to leave him at Hookslice Hills (his intended place in Legacy) and use his kids instead. Of the many, many Kids Next Door kids I wanted in the game (FusionFall, Retro, or Legacy - it didn't matter which), the Delightful Children were in my top five. They were just going to be a name-only reference (like Lalavava), but then the idea of them attempting to block entry into their father's developing site and later messing with the Dexbot in the Infected Zone over was more exciting to write out (plus, sabotage seems right up their alley). Alas, no beatdown was planned for them, but who knows what the future will hold.
Weasel's appearance wasn't planned, but with the Delightful Children messing with the Dexbot, it seemed like a good place to insert him. I'll be honest, I.M. Weasel was a show I didn't watch (only saw one or two episodes, it wasn't in circulation any time I was watching Cartoon Network), so I had to do some research. Based on what I found, slotting him in at DexLabs seemed the best place. On the topic of unplanned characters, Chowder was another addition. Chowder was another show I didn't watch, but since the show is centered around good, including him at the Cul-de-Sac and having him run a stand seemed like the best place for him (no, he won't have the ability to know he's in a story).
Also, because the different cartoon worlds have to meld together in this universe, the kids in the Suburbs went to Gallagher Elementary instead of their own world's elementary schools (minus the Codename: Kids Next Door characters since that's where the school is from). This is where the majority of the characters know each other from. They all go to Gallagher Elementary for their elementary years, they move on to Pokey Oaks Junior High for their junior high years, and then move on to Peach Creek High School for their high school years.