Hi everyone! Hey all! Got something a little different today, this time in the world of Amphibia! This is actually a birthday present for my bestie Kikithefox231 over on Tumblr who's a huge fan of the show and who's favorite character is Marcy. This was the first thing I thought of and I'm really excited to let it loose into the world XD So yeah I'll share my thoughts at the end please enjoy!
Disclaimer: Amphibia and all it's characters belong to Matt Braly and Disney. All rights go to them.
Marcy ran through the cold rain, her feet slapping against the hard pavement, splashing through puddles of icy water until her legs went numb. She didn't notice nor care, since she was already soaked down to the bone anyways, her form shivering and freezing as the rain continued to pelt her relentlessly. Her breath was visible with each forced puff from her aching lungs, her body not used to this much physical strain, still she didn't slow, not until the screams of her parents were drowned out by the falling rain. Her tears were indistinguishable from the raindrops soaking her face, but she could feel them escaping her eyes at an alarming rate.
The streets were nearly empty, most choosing to take shelter from the torrential downpour, the few brave souls wandering the streets, hid under the safety of umbrellas or other such coverings. As Marcy passed them, they all cast her a quizzical glance, clearly curious what a teenage girl was doing wandering the streets alone in a rainstorm. Marcy desperately wanted to escape the looks of judgment and criticism, ducking into the closest alley when no one was looking.
Like every alleyway in her city it was littered with trash and garbage cans, all pressed against brick walls to provide some kind of organization, though the contents were spilling out of the lids and onto the dirty ground below. It was dim and dark, heavy shadows blanketing the quiet space, giving it an unsettling, eerie feel. The only sound was the echo of raindrops pelting the rooftops above and the distant rumble of thunder.
Marcy paid no mind to the condition of her surroundings, pressing her back against the nearest brick wall, letting out shaky, panted breaths. The run had taken more out of her than she thought as her legs gave out and she slid down the wall, sitting on the dirty, cold ground. She stared up at the towering rooftops, the sound of quiet rain washing over her troubled mind.
How could they do this to me? Marcy thought, the tears returning and she buried her head into her knees. How could they take her away from everything she loved and then just expect her to go along with it? They didn't even give her a choice or ask her if she wanted to move. They just decided it and expected Marcy to play the part of the good child who did whatever they wanted. It wasn't fair. They didn't understand. Anne and Sasha were the only ones who had ever wanted to be her friends.
Marcy knew she wasn't popular and she knew people thought she was weird and awkward and disaster prone. But despite that, Anne and Sasha still wanted to be friends with her. She knew it was a miracle that two of the coolest people in the world accepted her and saw her as their friend. By all accounts, it didn't make sense to Marcy. And if her parents up and moved her away from her friends, there was no possible way she was gonna find anyone else willing to put up with her. She would be alone for the rest of her life, all because her parents cared more about their cushy jobs than her.
She couldn't leave Anne and Sasha, she just couldn't.
The gears in Marcy's head began to turn as they so often did, a plan beginning to formulate inside her distressed mind. Maybe she didn't have to leave, if her parents didn't find her then they couldn't make her leave Anne and Sasha, right? She had run away on impulse, needing space away from her parents after discovering their traitorous decision but what if she made it permanent? They would have to give up looking for her eventually right?
Marcy began to excitedly bite her thumb nail, trying to iron out all the fine details of her crazy plan. If she did do this she would need a place to hide out until it all blew over. Maybe she could stay at Sasha or Anne's place? No way that would be the first place her parents would look. The library? Definitely not. Her parents would totally check for her there. She practically lived there already.
With defeat, Marcy let out a depressed sigh, hiding her face away under her shivering hands. It was no use. There wasn't a single place Marcy could think of in town that her parents wouldn't find her at. And even if she did manage to find such a place, no doubt a well-meaning samaritan would end up ratting her out anyways. It just wasn't plausible. There were too many variables to consider.
What she really needed was some place outside of town. Somewhere her parents couldn't follow. But Marcy doubted a place like that could even exist.
Her best bet was to tell Anne and Sash. Maybe they could come up with something better. They had never let her down before. Somehow it always felt like when they were together, anything was possible. Marcy began to push herself off the ground only to be startled by an odd noise to her left. It was faint, almost to the point she didn't notice it, but something about it drew her in, an oddity that she couldn't quite ignore. It was a metallic sound, a creaking like gears grinding against each other and it stood out against the typical suburban soundtrack Marcy had been accustomed to her whole life.
She froze where she was, trying to listen closely for any other odd noises and after a moment her ears were greeted with another: the same creaking as before but this time accompanied by a mechanical whirring. Marcy's brain spun, trying to determine what the strange machine could be but it wasn't like anything she had ever heard before.
Curiosity got the better of her as she inched closer to the sound, crawling on hands and knees as she took cover behind a smelly trash can. Marcy squinted, trying to spot a shape in the darkness but the low lighting made it impossible to see more than a few feet in front of her. Luckily- or perhaps unluckily- the sound drew closer and she saw something step out of the darkness and into her line of vision.
A robot, like something out of a science fiction movie, stalked closer. It's technology was far beyond anything Marcy thought capable and yet its frame was coated in a layer of rust and grime that showed its old age. But the oddest part was the machine's appearance, its metal face and coiled limbs making it resemble a frog, a bizarre choice that made Marcy pause and cock her head to the side.
And yet Marcy could barely form thoughts, a novelty for her, in complete disbelief at her find. She had never seen anything like it before, not in the real world anyways, and for a moment she wondered if maybe she was experiencing hypothermia , causing her to see things. That was until it was close enough for her to touch it and she tenderly reached out and felt it's metal leg, the sensation of cold metal on her fingertips confirming to her that this was really happening.
Despite the uneasiness growing in the pit of her stomach, Marcy couldn't help but admire the advanced piece of machinery and knew she had to get a picture of it so she could write down her findings, reaching into her pocket to grab her phone. But the movement caused her elbow to bump the side of the trashcan, knocking it over and spilling its contents onto the dirty pavement. Marcy was now exposed to the robot's vision and the loud clattering grabbed its attention, spotting the huddled teen immediately.
As Marcy stared into the bot's artificial eyes, she gave a tiny little wave, an awkward smile spread across her face. "Uuuhhh, hi there. Any chance you'd let me study you for a research project at school?" she asked, hoping the robot proved friendly.
It responded by shooting a mechanical arm at her, Marcy barely having time to scream and duck, it's clawed hand implanting itself in the brick wall behind her.
It struggled to pull its limb free and Marcy used the opportunity to try and escape, hopping to her feet and bolting the way she came. Maybe if she made it onto a crowded street it would leave her alone. Or better yet, maybe the rain would fry it's circuits so it shut down. Unlikely, but she could hope.
But she never made it that far as the claw caught the back of her jacket, trying to drag her back towards her fate. "Oh no! No, no, no, no, no!" Marcy screamed, her fingers fumbling with her zipper. Finally, she managed to unzip the jacket, ripping herself free from it just as the robot gave one last yank on the thin fabric. The bot held the jacket up to its 'face', staring at it intensely for a few seconds, probably scanning it or something, and Marcy used this time to once again make a break for the exit.
But the bot was onto her game now and quickly took note of her escape, lowering down on its coiled legs, before springing up into the air, leaping high over Marcy's head. It landed in front of her with a heavy thud, the ground beneath it crumbling under its weight. Any chance of Marcy escaping was cut off by the large bot and she had to skid to a stop to keep from running into the machine.
It's bulky frame rotated around so that it was facing her, its large claws raised and opened menacingly, ready to grab or possibly impaled her, neither particularly better. Thinking fast, Marcy looked around for something to protect herself, snatching up a trashcan lid, holding it up like a shield.
The claw shot forward, faster than Marcy could follow, slamming heavily into her make-shift shield. The force was enough to knock her over but luckily the lid did its job, taking the majority of the impact. When she recovered enough to check the damage done to her shield, she was surprised to see the robot's claw was wedged deep into the lid, its appendages tearing straight through the thin metal. Marcy shuddered as she realized how close that had come to being her.
The robot pulled its coiled limbs upwards, trying to rip the lid from Marcy's grip. But she refused to let go, knowing that without protection she was a goner. Instead she was caught in a short tug-of-war with the machine, using all her strength to try and keep the shield in her possession. But this backfired drastically as the robot effortlessly lifted her and the lid high into the air.
"No, no, let go!" Marcy shouted, hanging onto the lid for dear life, her legs kicking uselessly in the air. She groaned, feeling her fingers start to slip from the handle. "Ugh, why did I have to play so many video games during gym class?" she pondered out loud, really wishing for some upper body strength right now.
But that was when she noticed something new about the bot: its false eyes were made of glass. That gave Marcy an idea. Using what little strength she had, she swung her legs back, building momentum, before kicking both feet forward with all her might, her heels slamming it's the robot's glass eyes, shattering them on impact.
Marcy smiled, shocked that she actually pulled such a stunt off, and she couldn't help but shout in victory. "Booyah- whoa!" As the word escaped her lips, the robot managed to get its claw free from the trashcan lid, dropping both it and Marcy to the ground. The bot's claws scrubbed at its face, trying to make sense of its loss of vision, brushing over its shattered eyes.
With the robot distracted, Marcy used the time she had to come up with a plan of attack. Even with it blind, she doubted she'd make it out of the alley without getting caught, it probably had another source to track her with, like motion or audio sensors. Hopefully not thermal or Marcy was done for. So her best plan was to take the robot out herself. But if she was gonna do that, she'd need some tools.
Marcy carefully crept over to the pile of trash she had knocked over earlier, gingerly searching through it for anything useful. As she sifted through the garbage, her racing mind began to formulate plans based on what was at her disposal. By the time she was done she had half a dozen plans to defeat her mechanical attacker. She quickly organized them from most likely to work to completely ridiculous and settled on the best one she had.
So, she slipped on a pair of dirty, leather gloves, double-checking them for any rips or tears, before picking up a piece of glass from a broken bottle. Then, she stepped over to the brick wall, examining it until she found what she was looking for: a power line running up the side of the building.
Using the piece of glass she carefully cut the line, making sure not to puncture her gloves since that was only protection she had against the deadly electricity running through the wire in her hands. Once she was done, she took the active end of the cord over to a puddle of rainwater, throwing in the frayed end.
With her trap prepared, all that was left was luring the machine onto it. She took in a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. She had to be brave and Marcy drew from memories of her favorite game protagonists, knowing she would need to be like them if she was getting out of this alive. But it was Anne and Sasha's memories that gave her the most courage, her grip on the make-shift shield tightening, making an internal promise to survive this for them.
Channeling her inner Sasha, Marcy yelled the first insult that came to her mind in the loudest voice she could, "Hey, you autonomous tin can, come and get me!"
This did indeed grab the robot's attention, rotating itself in the direction the noise came from, proving Marcy's initial theory correct, it did have some kind of audio sensors. Still, she didn't have time to ponder over that, not when it launched one of it's metal claws her way and she had to focus in order to be ready for the strike. She did a quick calculation, measuring the distance and force of the metal claw before tilting the lid just slightly to adjust to the right angle. At least she hoped it was the right angle. She wouldn't know until it was too late to correct herself.
The claw hit with a loud thunk, the weight and force shoving Marcy backwards into the brick wall, leaving a large bruise all down her back. But her clever planning didn't go to waste, the metal limb bouncing off the shield, before falling right into the electrified puddle.
Sparks lit up within the water, climbing up the bot's arm and into its metal frame, sending heavy jolts of voltage through the ancient automaton. The air itself seemed electrified, the smell of burnt metal drifting into Marcy's nose causing her to cringe. The robot shuddered and shook, streams of sparks bursting from every crevice of the machine's metallic body. Finally, it fell over with a definitive thud, lying motionless on the dirty, alley floor.
Marcy took a few breaths in, letting her nerves calm after the terrifying ordeal, eying the bot closely. She dropped her make-shift shield, slowly creeping over to the rusted metal body, needing to confirm that the robot wasn't going to get up and come after her again. But upon closer inspection, it was clear the machine wasn't getting up ever again now that all its circuits were fried. It looked beyond repair and Marcy doubted its creator would be able to pull off the impossible.
She pulled out her phone, ready to snap a picture of the broken bot, saying to herself, "Huh, well that went easier than expected."
As if in response to her casual observation, something grabbed her from behind, starling her and causing her to drop her phone.
She was yanked backwards all over again, only this time she didn't have a chance to wiggle her way loose as she was lifted into the air by something much, much stronger than her. Marcy looked over her shoulder getting a good luck at her new attacker, her heart leaping into her throat as she saw it was another robot, the same make and model as the last one. "Oh come on, there's more of you!" she yelled, before the breath was knocked out of her lungs, the bot slamming her hard against a brick wall. Pain surged through her back and she would have screamed had she not short on breath, coughing a few times as she tried to force air into her aching lungs.
This new robot didn't release its grip on the girl, pinning her against the wall, while its other claw retracted into its limb, a sawblade taking its place. "Whoa, you have saws too! Why didn't the last guy use that?!" Marcy wondered, for a moment forgetting about her fear. But that came crashing back to her as the robot tightened its grip, the sawblade spinning endlessly as it slowly moved in for the kill.
"No, no, no! Wait, don't!" Marcy screamed, renewing her struggles. She tried to squirm her way free of the restrictive grip around her waist, grunting with each new desperate tug. But it was pointless, the robot was infinitely stronger than she was and no amount of begging was going to rewrite its programming. Still, her fear overpowered the rational side of her mind as she continued to shout and holler. "Please don't do this! I-I can fix you up even better than new! Just let me go!"
But her persuasions had no effect on the bot, the saw now inches away from her face and she squeezed her eyes closed, unable to watch the blade that would be her death come any closer. Just before the spinning sawblade met skin, a voice screamed out from the darkness, a loud, booming tone that shook Marcy to her core.
"Stop!" A simple and yet powerful command, the robot obeying without hesitation, even the saw slowing to a stop in response to the order. "Let her go," the voice added, softer but still full of authority.
Marcy was dropped onto the ground, causing her to yelp in pain and surprise. She rubbed her bruised back from where it took the fall but her attention was fully on the mysterious voice, Marcy spotting a dark figure hiding in the shadows. And whoever it was was huge. Like, giant huge. Her brilliant mind was already frantically trying to put the pieces together when the looming figure stepped towards her, exposing him to the dim alley lighting, and sending her brain reeling all over again.
The figure before her towered over her tiny form, almost as tall as the buildings he was wedged between, his shoulders tightly pressed against the cold bricks. His skin was a light blue color, which almost glistened in the low lighting and Marcy could see a matching tail sway behind him. His bearded face was spread into a kind smile that would have comforted her if not for the lingering terror still clinging tightly to her system. His clothing choice looked like fantasy garb, something out of an RPG or something. Marcy's gaze lingered on the golden crowd perched powerfully on his head.
"I hope you weren't harmed, my dear," he said gently and it took her a moment to realize he was talking to her.
"Oh, uhhh, no I'm fine," Marcy finally said, trying to keep the shakiness and confusion out of her voice. "I've, uh, I've had worse falls than that in the hallways at school." She chuckled awkwardly at her own joke and the weird amphibian creature (Marcy was leaning towards either lizard or newt) smiled kindly in response.
He held out a single finger for her to pull herself up with and Marcy accepted gratefully. His skin was smooth and a bit slimy, Marcy concluding newt was most likely the correct species. Unless he was some alien species she had never of. "So, uh, what or I guess who are you?" she asked, hoping it didn't sound too impolite. "I've just never seen anything quite like you before," she quickly added, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.
"Oh where are my manners?" the oversized newt said with a gasp. "My name is Andrias. King Andrias, though the title isn't necessary. I come from another world, parallel to your own, called Amphibia."
"Amphibia," Marcy repeated, letting the name roll off her tongue. "So it's like a world of amphibians?"
Andrias laughed, his voice booming but brimming with an obvious gentleness that better matched his personality. "Oh wonderful, my dear! You are quite clever, Miss…"
"Marcy Wu," she said, offering a hand to shake.
He very gently wrapped his massive fingers around her hand, shaking it up and down a few times. "A pleasure to meet you, Marcy Wu."
"Just Marcy is fine," Marcy responded. "Or Mar-Mar as my friends call me." But suddenly realizing the bizarreness of the situation she asked a rapid-fire series of questions for the apparent king, much too fast for him to answer. "So are you newt or some other species of amphibian we've never heard of before? How far has your society advanced in terms of geopolitical growth? Judging from your clothing I'd put you at circa 1700, maybe 1800s, at least in relation to our planet. Are you here to spread your wealth and abundance with us or are you just here for study and research? If it's the latter I'd be happy to lend a bunch of books that could help you catch up on our history and culture."
Andrias let out another booming laugh which halted Marcy's nerdy rant. "I'm not sure I followed all of that but I am thrilled you are taking such an interest in my world."
"Well, yeah! Who wouldn't?!" Marcy exclaimed in excitement. "I mean another world full of anthropomorphic newts, it changes our understanding of… everything really."
"That's exactly why I came here. My people have been exploring other worlds for generations, learning all we can, peacefully exploring for the sake of expanding our knowledge."
"Wow! What a noble endeavor," Marcy said, thrilled to find someone with her same thirst for knowledge. As much as she loved Anne and Sasha they didn't have that same drive, so it was nice to relate, even if it was with a creature from another world.
However, remembering how their introduction went, Marcy glanced over at her robotic attacker, now standing idly at the king's side, just waiting for its next command. "But, uh, gotta ask, how does the murder robots fit into your peaceful vision?"
For just a second the smile dropped from Andrias' face, before returning with more vigor than before, the newt king explaining, "Well, you see, not everyone is as welcoming to our presence as you, so certain... precautions have to be made. I was informed you humans might be hostile, so I sent out one of my robotic guards to make sure it was safe."
"I… guess that's fair," Marcy said, trying not to sound skeptical to the monarch. She really didn't think it was necessary, especially since she had almost been the one to die by that decision, but it's not like Marcy knew anything about the other worlds, maybe the paranoia was well justified. "Buuuuttt, maybe murder robots don't help create the best first impression," Marcy cautiously added, being very delicate with her wording so she wouldn't offend Andrias.
Surprisingly, Andrias agreed with her, nodding and saying, "You are absolutely right, my dear. That was a poor choice of judgment on my part, I apologize for that."
"Oh no, it's fine," Marcy said, waving it off. "No harm, no foul. I'm glad I could teach you something."
"Indeed." Andrias observed her closely, seeming to come to some kind of decision regarding her. "You know Marcy, in all my years of travel I've never met anyone quite like you before."
"L-Like me?" Marcy blushed, taken aback by the compliment.
"Oh yes, in fact, I'd like to make you an offer. How would you like to come with me to Amphibia? I'd make you my royal advisor, you could help me continue to spread my message of peace to other worlds and I'd make sure you were treated like royalty."
"Oh wow!" Marcy breathed, her eyes wide with shock. She began to bounce in place doing a little circle to help her process her shock. "Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow! This is incredible! That would be- I mean, is this really happening! Did I fall and give myself a concussion again! Oh man, this is just like the plot of Fantasy Quest 7 where the main character is taken to another world to be its heroic savior, except without the oversized weapons or gravity-defying hair, but still!"
This was perfect! Marcy was overjoyed at her change in luck. Not only would she be able to live out her childhood fantasy but there was no possible way her parents would be able to find her in Amphibia. Now she wouldn't have to say goodbye to-
She was struck with the realization she was forgetting the most important part of all this. In all the excitement, Marcy had completely forgotten about Anne and Sasha. She couldn't leave them behind, they were more important than any dream, no matter how fantastical it was. Andrias noticed the frown form on her face, gently cupping his massive hand behind her back as he asked, "What's wrong, my dear?"
Marcy held back a grimace, the newt's kind gesture making her bruised back throb painfully. Though it paled in comparison to the pain in her heart. She sighed, her heart aching at what she was about to say but knew it had to be said. "King Andrias, I would love to go with you to Amphibia but I can't. My friends, Anne and Sasha…" Marcy quickly pulled up a picture on her phone to show Andrias. "They mean everything to me. And I can't- no- I won't leave them behind. So… sorry."
Andrias took the phone from Marcy holding it between two of his fingers, squinting so he could see the small image on the screen. "I see," he said grimly, something about his tone making Marcy feel… weird.
But just like that he broke into hearty laughter, Marcy staring up at him in surprise. "Is that all?" he asked, as jovial as ever. "You had me worried there for a minute, Marcy."
He handed her back the phone, which she took with a puzzled expression. "You're friends can come with you." Andrias proclaimed, reigniting hope into Marcy's chest.
"Really? You mean it?!" She asked, pressing the phone tightly against her chest.
"Of course! Any friend of yours is welcome in my palace for as long as they wish to stay!"
"That's perfect!" Marcy exclaimed, her mind already racing with all the possible adventures her and her friends would go on together. "Anne and Sasha are gonna love it! We can do what we want, go where we want, and best of all we'll never have to be apart ever again!"
Andrias smiled. "Wonderful! Since you're so enthusiastic about the idea, I'll send a servant to retrieve them as soon as we get back."
Marcy laughed, imagining Sasha and Anne's reaction to a weird, talking newt showing up at their door. "Oh man, they're gonna be so surprised."
"I'm sure they will be," his tone remained light and cheerful but his face darkened as he turned to his robot minion, giving the slightest hint of a nod. The bot's eyes glowed red, indicating it had received its master's unspoken order. Andrias allowed the sinister smile to slip from his lips, before quickly regaining his kind mask once more.
"Well now that that's settled," he said, addressing Marcy. Andrias stood, pulling a small music box from his pocket. Marcy was captivated by the intricate designs etched into its surface. wondering how many secrets were lying around its delicate frame, just waiting for her to decipher. Maybe the king would let her study it later. For now, her biggest note were the three glowing crystals embedded in the lid. In the dim lighting, Marcy could almost swear one of them was glowing brighter than the others…
"Let's get you to Amphibia," the newt king suddenly exclaimed, startling Marcy out of her thoughts. He flipped the lid to the box open, a bright flash bursting from within.
Marcy instinctively raised her arms to protect her sensitive eyes from the blinding beam, only for it to vanish as quickly as it came. She blinked her eyes open, finding herself staring mystified into the swirling, dark portal before her.
Marcy's mouth dropped open, her eyes full of wonder and curiosity as she slowly reached out towards the pitch blackness right in front of her. It was almost like a mini black hole and she could feel the weight pressing against her, trying to pull her into its otherworldly void. She wanted to comply, could feel the pull in her soul as well as her body, and she had to resist the urge to jump through without warning. Cautiously, she touched a finger to the swirling black and it disappeared inside.
She could still feel her finger attached to her hand and was surprised by the odd tingling sensation vibrating through it and up her arm. Other than that, there seemed to be no other side effects, though she did pull her hand back, flexing and unflexing it a few times to make sure it was still working properly.
Now that she was reassured over the safety of the portal, Marcy was ready to step through. Almost. There was still one thing she had to know before she entered. Looking up at the giant king she asked, "King Andrias, what made you choose me instead of someone else you've met on your travels? I know I'm smart but how do you know I'm the right pick?"
Andrias crouched down, placing a massive hand on her shoulder, a reassuring smile lighting up his face. "My dear, trust me when I say you are exactly what I've been looking for. I know we will do great things together."
Marcy's face lit up with joy, clearly pleased at his response. And so, taking a quick breath in and a short look back at the world she called home, Marcy stepped through the portal and into the next chapter of her life.
Now alone in the alley, Andrias let the smile drop, his nice facade cracking as the true newt showed itself. He did a quick scan of his surroundings, making sure no one had seen any of what had just occurred. He turned to his robotic minion, still waiting for the okay to fulfill its orders. "Clean up this mess, we can't leave any evidence behind," Andrias commanded, gesturing to the broken pile of junk. He snatched Marcy's jacket off the ground, tearing it in several places before handing it to the bot. "And make sure to put this where someone can find it. Hopefully, they'll think she was eaten by something. Oh, and do the same with her friends' clothes. But be discreet about it. I'll need their trust in order to be ready for the invasion."
The robot complied, going about its mission as Andrias calmly walked over to the portal. An eye opened up on his crown, whispering silent words into his ear. The newt king nodded before replying, "Yes, yes, it's just like I said. She's exactly what we've been looking for."
The portal closed behind him and with it any hope of finding the runaway Marcy Wu vanished without a trace, the only witness to her departure was the gentle, falling rain.
Hope you enjoyed! This is obviously just the first part of the story but I don't really have any plans to continue it for now. Me and Kiki have discussed how we think the story would go from here but I'd like to leave it up to you guys to decide. Obviously, things would be so much different and it's fun to speculate. Let me know you guys thoughts! And not sure if anyone would want to create something for it but if so I'm calling this the Runaway AU just so you all know.
Anyways that does it for me. Happy belated birthday Kiki! And have a great day everyone!