"MAROON AND THE EARTH-NI PROTECTORS!"
BOOK THREE: RESURGENCE
CHAPTER TWO: THE NEXT PROTECTOR
Agony. It was all Kelly could feel, as she lied helpless on a stiff wooden cot. Earlier, the Woolett warrior teamed up with Star, Pony Head, Jorby, Talon Raventalon, Seahorse, Rich Pigeon and Quirky Guy to defend the Monster Temple from a rampaging Solarian Warrior. Unfortunately, their efforts had ultimately failed; With the exception of Star, they had all been struck by the warrior's deadly blade. Now, the fallen heroes were confined to the infirmary, where they endured torturous suffering from the magical wounds which afflicted them.
Kelly writhed in pain as the glowing red scar on her arm let out an electric buzzing sound; The blazing wound grew over, her shoulder blade and snaked up to the tip of her neck. Being from a culture entirely based around combat, Kelly had a higher tolerance for pain than others. But this was no ordinary wound; Tragically, their comrade Quirky perished from his wound, and exploded in a blast of harsh light. Since the curse had no known cure, his grisly fate would soon befall the rest of them...
"And if we all die, which we probably are, I just wanna say that y'all are like, the best friends ever." There went Pony Head with one of her melodramatic, long-winded ramblings; But this one was likely her last. Knowing that death was surely near, Kelly took a deep sigh, and longingly looked at the monster nurse tending to her and her friends.
"If this is the end...tell everyone I died with honor." Kelly spoke shakingly. The Solarian scar then snaked across her neck and reached her cheek; The wounds on her friends' bodies intensified as well. As the magical affliction began to consume her, Kelly worriedly whimpered; This was the end, and it was excruciating.
But all of a sudden, there was a huge flash of light; Then, everything went dark. Kelly eventually regained her consciousness, and awoke atop a hairy hill in her home dimension. A huge wave of relief hit the Woolett teen when she no longer felt any pain; She checked her arm, and the Solarian scar was finally gone. Good riddance.
"I'm alive...I'm alive!" Kelly shouted with glee, and joyously jumped up in the air. However, her giddiness was cut short by a sudden realization. "But how'd I get back home? I better get back to Mewni and check with the others." She reached into her thick, fleecy hair, and pulled out her dimensional scissors to regroup with her friends. But when she tried to open a portal, nothing happened!
"What the?" Kelly tried to make a portal once more, but got the same failed result.
"Come on, work, darn it!" She repeated the same action over and over, but her efforts were in vain. Confused, Kelly averted her gaze to the nearby town; Many other Wooletts were experiencing the same technical difficulties as her.
Frustrated, Kelly threw her scissors into the air, and slumped on the ground to sulk. She had no clue what happened, but she knew what it meant; She and all the other Wooletts were now limited to their world only. That meant no more Goblin Dogs, no more dragon-cycling with the Riders Club, and no more adventures with the friends she made all across the Multiverse. Overwhelmed by a life of loneliness on her home world, the disheartened girl began to weep...
In the present, Kelly was outside her native land for the first time in months. She stood outside the newly opened Cleave Center with her friends, watching police apprehend the Cobalt Watch operatives who attacked the lab. While Star, Tom and Janna helped oversee the assaulters' arrest, Austin and Marco stood outside the entrance and discussed some concerning matters.
"So, today's the day. My greatest fear has come to pass; Cobalt Watch is back." Austin sighed. Sadly, he'd suspected such a thing would happen. Across the planet, there were humans unhappy with life since the Cleaving. Thus, Cobalt Watch could rise again, along with what it stood for; Bigotry, brutality, and xenophobia.
"You think you-know-who's still leading them?" Marco cautiously inquired. Despite not mentioning the Watch's former commander by name, Austin still knew who his friend was referring to; He always wished he could forget that horrific revelation.
"I do. Moon said he escaped from prison when Ludo took over. If there's anyone in charge, it's him."
"We need to find answers, before those terrorists hurt anyone else. And I think I know where we can find them."
Inside the Cleave Center's spacious collider room, Kelly was discussing her newfound fate with Director Reyes, while Star and the others stood aside.
"I'm sorry to say this, my alien acquaintance-" Reyes tried to apologize, when Kelly abruptly cut him off.
"Kelly. My name is Kelly."
"Kelly, the Gateway Collider is too damaged to function. You won't be able to return to your home world until we fix it." The physicist apprehensively admitted. "It's going to be a few days, at least."
"A few days? But where am I gonna stay?" The Woolett worriedly wondered.
"Well, we can set up a room for you on the lower floor. It's not much, but-"
"Oh, NO you don't!" Janna exclaimed, and sauntered up to Reyes with a scowl on her face. "You are NOT imprisoning Kelly here like you did to me!" The mage continued, causing her hairy friend to gasp. All eyes were on Reyes, much to his discomfort.
"That wasn't me! It was all-"
"Doctor Reyes!" A deep, metallic-sounding voice called out. In the hallway leading to the collider room stood Austin and Marco, both clad in their Protector outfits. "We've got a few questions to ask you." The two heroes walked up to the foundation director, who broke out into a nervous sweat.
"This might take a while. Why don't you guys find Kelly somewhere to stay?" Marco suggested.
"Good idea, babe!" Star warmly responded, then turned to her wooly-haired pal with a smile. "Don't worry, Kelly! We'll find the perfect place for you to call home." She consoled, as Tom and Janna nodded in agreement.
"Thanks. You guys are the best." Kelly replied with a smile; While she couldn't return home, at least she was re-united with some of her closest friends. While the four teens headed out, Maroon activated his wrist-mounted blades to intimidate Director Reyes.
"Tell me everything you know about Cobalt Watch! Are you still working with them? Who is their leader?" Maroon harshly interrogated, causing Reyes to nervously stammer.
"Quit it, dude." Marco replied, as he tugged on his agitated teammate's cape. It was clear who was who in this "good cop, bad cop" duo. "Look, we aren't here to hurt you. We just need to know what we're fighting against. Is there anything you know about Cobalt Watch's return?"
Director Reyes sighed, and tensely looked at Marco. "Meet me in my study. There, I'll tell you everything..."
"Alright, where to go, where to go..."
Star and her friends walked through the Cleave Center's parking lot, as they tried to think of a place for Kelly to stay. They hadn't yet thought of a location, but Star got an idea when she spotted her mother and Eclipsa waiting for their chauffeur.
"Mama!" Star joyously squealed, as she ran to Moon and hugged her tightly.
"Star! I'm so glad you're okay, I thought you were gone when you entered that portal!"
"It's no big deal, we've been through way worse. Marco and I are both fine, and we even brought back an old friend." The mewman teen mused and gestured to Kelly, who awkwardly waved to the former queens. "The ring thingy got broken during that attack, so Kelly's stuck here for a while. Could she maybe stay with you guys?"
"We'd be honored." Eclipsa warmly replied.
After a short car ride courtesy of Moon's chauffeur, the group arrived at the Butterfly residence in Cornstalk Flats; The neighborhood Desmond's construction crew built to house those displaced by the Cleave. After Globgor helped build the new neighborhood, he and his family moved into one of the houses, so the less fortunate folks could stay the newly-refurbished Monster Temple.
"Welcome to my humble home." Eclipsa introduced. Her two-story house was a far cry from the castle her bloodline resided in for ages; It resembled an average upper-class human household, but with a unique decorative flair. Strange-looking monster statuettes, abstract paintings and rare flowers in vases were just some of the personal touches the former Queen of Darkness added to make her house a home.
"And once Bananahat Musclewhale defeated the evil Lord Rygax, he rescued the lovely queen, and they lived happily ever after. The End."
In the comfort of the living room, Eclipsa's monster husband Globgor was telling a cherished childhood story to Meteora, their adorable hybrid daughter. Once the Flats had finished construction, Desmond offered the size-shifter paternity leave to take care of his child, while he and Eclipsa served on the Unity Council. Globgor happily accepted, so he could finally spend more time with his beloved baby.
Meteora's face lit up when she saw the visitors coming to their home. "Awwo! Awwo!" The half-monster baby babbled. She tried waddling over to meet the teens, but tripped on her tail and plopped down on the soft carpet. Overcome by the cuteness, Star and Tom both "aww'd" while Janna smiled faintly. Tom picked the toddler up, and joined Globgor on the couch with his girlfriend and ex-girlfriend. Kelly was about to join them as well, when Moon spoke to her.
"Don't worry, Kelly, you're not their only guest. I'm staying here, too; I need the company, since River is no longer with us." The former queen sighed, causing Kelly to gasp.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry..."
"Mom, why'd you phrase it like that! You made it sound like he died." Star refuted.
"Oh! My mistake. River's gone to Kenya, where the Johansen Kingdom ended up after the Cleaving. His family's disputing with the locals, so he's helping them get along." Moon explained, and showed Kelly a postcard of River and his friend Eddie riding an angry rhinoceros. "He's using his fame as a wrestler to bring peace to his people. I'm so proud of him..."
"He's a wrestler? Awesome! Told Marco it was real..." Kelly remarked.
"So, are you gonna stay here? We could have a sleepover!" Star offered. While Kelly wavered to make her choice, little Meteora was allured by the Woolett's bountiful head of fuzzy hair. She crawled across the couch, and inquisitively patted the girl's soft hair with her tiny hands. Once she knew it was soft and warm, she dove right in!
"Eek!" Kelly squealed in surprise, as the hybrid child crawled around in her fleecy hair. While it held a pocket dimension large enough to fit several people, she only did that with proper consent. "Get her out, get her out!"
"I got her!" Globgor shrank down, and hopped into the hair dimension to find his daughter. A few moments later, the size-shifter pulled out a wriggling, giggling baby Butterfly. "Sorry about that. She was trying to make a nest in your hair." The monster mused, freaking Kelly out.
"I think I'll stay somewhere else. It's a little too crowded in here."
"I understand completely. Good luck on your search!" Eclipsa crowed. The four teens then left the Butterfly household to find another home for their fluffy friend. As they walked down the street, Tom turned towards Kelly to give some advice.
"I think you should give them another chance. Meteora can be a real handful; Trust me, I've babysat her." The half-demon joked. "But she's really sweet once you get to know her."
"Actually, the problem's not Meteora. It's Star's mom." Kelly hesitantly replied, catching the former princess off guard. "You told me she gave Mina her army."
"Well, she did, but it's complicated. It doesn't matter, now; Mina's dead, and Mom redeemed herself." Star answered.
"I just don't feel comfortable staying with her. Not after what that warrior did to me."
"She's not wrong, Star. We all know what happened to Quirky." Janna coldly spoke with an upset expression on her face. She witnessed the late dragon-cycler's death firsthand; If the Butterflies hadn't made their sacrifice, Kelly would have been next. Star sighed in shame, and the gang continued their journey to find Kelly a home...
Back at the Cleave Center, Marco and Austin were standing in the study of Director Reyes. The office had a bookshelf full of scientific journals and tomes from various sources; Two titles that stood out were "A Guide to the Multiverse" by Alphonse the Worthy, and "The Multiverse Truth" by Reyes himself. There were also some interesting knick-knacks; A pair of carefully dissected dimensional scissors, ancient tapestries depicting the late Magic High Commission, a ceramic figurine of the Butterflies' eccentric magical mentor Glossaryck, and a strange blue crystal in a glass case.
"Nice stuff." Marco complimented. "Reminds me of an old friend."
"So now that you're nice and comfy, tell us everything about Cobalt Watch." Maroon starkly spoke. Dr. Reyes adjusted his glasses, and inhaled.
"First off, I renounce those ruthless barbarians! I want nothing to do with them!"
"Then why did you work for them in the first place?"
"They were the only ones who took me seriously. For decades I studied the theory of the Multiverse, but my colleagues all thought I was crazy! Bu one man saw my true potential, and offered my dream job; Finding a way to access other dimensions."
"But that didn't work out, did it?" Marco inquired.
"By the time I found out what I was really hired for, it was too late; The Commander and his mercenaries held me hostage as their scientist slave." Reyes sighed. "But once they got ahold of Star's scissors, they had no use for me, and cast me out. So, I decided to get even, by giving the warship schematics to his most hated enemies...
"So that's why you gave us the plans..." Austin realized.
"What happened then?"
"I went into hiding. I'd sullied my good name in the scientific community by working with terrorists; Because of my foolishness, I became a disgrace. For the longest time I hated myself...but everything changed when the worlds collided. That world-changing event revealed the key to dimensional travel; So, I made it my life's goal to right my wrongdoings and use what I learned for good..."
"Wow..." Marco droned. It was impressive how much Reyes had changed, from a Cobalt-serving lackey to a standout scientist.
"That's why I invited Miss Butterfly to test the Collider; To bury the hatchet with the person I wronged the most. You don't have to forgive me, Protectors. I just want you to know that I've changed."
"You've changed for the better, Director. The world will thank you for what you've done." Diaz commended, eliciting a smile from the scientist.
"Hold on, I've got one more question." Maroon commented. "What do you know about the new Cobalt Watch? The one that formed after the Cleaving."
"Not a lot. They're an elusive sort, you see. All I know is that they've sprouted up from one Cleave Zone to another; It was just a matter of time before they ended up here."
"I see." Austin sighed, disappointed. "Thank you for your time, Director, and good luck with your research." The crimson caped crusader then left the scientist's study, with his knightly predecessor in tow...
The Echo Creek Mall. This spacious shopping center was a bustling hub for the whole area, which only grew after the Cleaving. Since then, several mewman and monster-owned stores popped up, as well a special one owned by humans; The official Earth-Ni Protectors shop, owned by the parents of one of the heroes; Rafael and Angie Diaz.
This wildly successful store sold merchandise of Echo Creek's beloved heroes; Toys, T-shirts and even toothbrushes were some of the many products made in the Protectors' honor; What's more, half of all proceeds would go to various Cleaving-related charities! The whole thing was Marco's idea; After all, he had plenty of merchandising experience during his stint as the lovely Princess Turdina.
However, the most popular product sold at the store were the "True-Life Tales of the Earth-Ni Protectors" comic books, which were drawn by Raf and written by Angie. A brand-new issue was released today, hence the lively crowd. Said books were being checked out by a braces-sporting clerk in a homemade Lady Butterfly costume.
"Keep up the good work, Darcy!" Rafael kindly encouraged, as he autographed a customer's comic.
"Please, call me Starfan13!" The clerk retorted. While they dealt with the bustling masses, Angie finished bottle-feeding Mariposa, and gently set the baby in her playpen. She cooed joyously, and hugged a soft plushie of her heroic big brother. Life at the Earth-Ni Protectors store was good, but trouble was looming not so far away...
A caravan consisting of five black vans drove up to the front of the mall, and pulled over outside the curb. The doors of the vehicles opened, and five armed and dangerous Cobalt Watch troopers came out of each one. The masked insurgents menacingly marched towards the entrance, which was protected by a single measly mall cop.
"S-stop right there!" The mall cop cried, when he was struck with a sudden blow to the head. This incapacitating blow was dealt by the high-tech flail of the Paladin, a xenophobic zealot with a hatred of all things Earth-Ni. This knight clad in white used to lead a troupe of cutthroat demon hunters, but that operation was put to a swift end by the Protectors. But Commander Cobalt saw potential in her, and had his minions free her from prison to aid him in his treacherous campaign...
"Follow me, men! Today, we unleash righteous fury on the demons and pagans invading this fair city. To victory!"
"TO VICTORY!" The troopers repeated. Paladin charged into the shopping center, and her legion followed; The innocent people attending the mall were in for a hellish surprise...
Meanwhile, Star, Tom and Janna were escorting Kelly on a little tour of Earth-Ni, as they headed to the Ordonia household. Kelly was still awe-struck by her surroundings, as well as the various human, mewman and monster civilians; She'd been to Mewni many times, and even came to Earth once, but the cleaved city was an entirely new world for her to see.
"You sure you don't wanna stay with me and Marco? His parents are super nice, and his baby sister's adorable!" Star suggested. She absolutely adored the Diaz household and its residents; So obviously, she was sure Kelly would feel the same.
"Thanks, but I'd rather see what Janna's got to offer." Kelly apprehensively answered.
"Besides, it'd be kinda awkward staying with her ex and his new girlfriend." Tom added. Star wanted to refute the half-demon prince's claim, but he had a fair point.
"Kelly, are you still hung up on Marco?" Star inquired. Kelly averted her gaze, and subtly nodded; While she was no longer afflicted by the Solarian scar, she was still healing emotionally from her break-up buddy suddenly breaking up with her. "Aww, I'm sorry." Star patted her pal's shoulder, in an effort to comfort her.
"Hey, at least he's happy now with you." The Woolett sighed. Before things could get any more awkward, Janna cut the conversation short.
"Yeah, yeah, enough about Marco. We're here." The mage-in-training retorted, as she gestured to her house; A seemingly regular two-story home, which was right behind a dark and ominous forest.
"You live there?" Kelly nervously asked.
"Cool, right? Once the worlds merged, those creepy woods appeared behind my house. Now are you coming in, or not?"
The teens then stepped through the door, and entered the Ordonia homestead. The place was quite nice and homely-looking, and was well-decorated with traditional Filipino artwork. It was a perfectly normal place; In other words, it was as un-Janna-like as one could imagine.
"Finally, no more stupid make-up." Janna groaned and wiped the concealer off her cheeks, revealing the verdant eye-shaped marks hidden underneath. Truth be told, she was quite proud of her new cheek marks, and hated hiding them; But if she didn't, her secret identity wouldn't be all that secret.
"Janna!" A voice happily called out; It was Janna's friendly mother, Tala. "How are you, my little super-girl?"
"Mom, not in front of my friends." The raven-haired girl grumbled. Janna's folks were surprisingly supportive of her superhero profession, as doing good for the community was a nice change from her typical troublesome antics.
"Oh! Hello, Star! Good to see you again, Thomas!" Star waved to Tala, and Tom nervously greeted her in return.
"Hi, Mrs. Ordonia." Poor Tom was always awkward around Janna's parents, as he wasn't sure if they'd accept their daughter dating a demon prince. But despite his worries, the Ordonias absolutely adored their potential future son-in-law.
"Who's your other friend?" Tala queried, as she pointed to the green-haired Woolett. "I don't think we've met."
"That's Kelly, she's from another dimension; Well, another another dimension. Basically, she's gonna be stuck here for a while, and needs somewhere to stay. Can she be my new roommate?"
"Of course she can! Any friend of Janna is a friend of ours."
"Cool, thanks, mom! Come on, Kellster, let's get you set up!" Janna exclaimed. Kelly smiled at Tala's generous gesture, and the young heroes headed upstairs to check out Janna's room.
The abode of the Snatcher was a rather...unusual place, and it only got stranger after the Cleaving. Some of the things there that caught Kelly's eyes including tomes and grimoires of the occult, demonic artifacts from the Underworld, a makeshift list of Janna's custom spells, and a huge floating eye that watched the Woolett wherever she went. However, the most concerning possessions of Janna's were a row of various voodoo dolls, including one of Tom.
Before Kelly could ask about her friend's creepy collection, she heard a snip and quickly turned around; Janna had cut off a tiny piece of her hair!
"Janna, what are you doing? That's my hair!"
"Yeah, and you've got plenty of it. I just took a little bit."
"But why do you even want it?"
"Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to." Janna retorted, then went to rummage in the closet.
"So, where am I supposed to sleep?" Kelly asked, noticing there was only one bed. "Are...are we shari-"
"Don't worry, I've got your bed right here." Janna pulled out the item she was looking for; A creepy open coffin for her roomie to rest in. Both the Woolett and her mewman friend were mortified, but the prince of the Underworld was hardly fazed; He was almost entirely used to her quirky "Jannanigans."
"EEK!"
"Ugh, loud."
"Janna, I really don't feel comfortable with this. Is there anywhere else I can sleep?"
"Take it or leave it, dude."
"Hey, I've got an idea! Kelly, why don't you stay at my palace? There's plenty of room, and it's got everything you could ever want!" Tom offered.
"Really? That sounds lovely!"
"Then let's get going!" Star cheerfully exclaimed. The group then headed on the move once more, with the exception of Janna.
"I'll meet you outside, just gimme a second." Janna closed the door, then put the coffin back in her closet. She looked around the room to make sure everyone had left, and once the coast was clear, she gave the Tom voodoo doll a peck on the cheek.
"I'll see you later, Lil' Tommy." The teenage mage then left the room, leaving her voodoo guilty pleasure on the shelf...
Outside the Cleave Center, Marco was tending to his beloved dragon-cycle Nachos, while Austin anxiously paced back and forth.
"Who's a good girl? You're a good girl!" Marco cooed, and fed his trusty steed a treat. While he doted on his precious dragon, Austin was still worried about the troubling news of Cobalt Watch's return. First, they terrorized Star for being different, but now things are even worse; They're after the entire world. To get his mind off the distressing scenario, the teen engineer decided to ask his friend a curious question.
"So, who was that girl who came out of the portal? The one with fluffy green hair."
"Oh, that was Kelly! She's an old pal from another dimension."
"Wait, you told me about her! She was your other ex!" Austin exclaimed, causing Marco to cringe.
"She's not my ex! We were just just break-up buddies...until we broke up."
"Really? How come?"
"Well...it was because I j-" Before Marco could finish his sentence, his cell phone began to ring; It was his mother!
"Hey mom, what's up?" Marco spoke into the phone, unaware of the terrible news he was about to hear.
"Marco! We need your help immediately!" Angie worriedly huffed.
"Oh, no! What's wrong?"
"The mall's being stormed by men with guns! They're wearing blue, and have scary masks!" Rafael cried, as Marco's heart sank. Not only was Cobalt Watch attacking a crowded public area, but the lives of his family were in the hands of those menaces!
"Don't worry, we'll be there ASAP!" Marco promised, and quickly hung up. "Come on, Austin! We've got no time to lose!" The two heroes boarded Nachos' saddle, and swiftly flew off to the Diazes' rescue...
"So, that's a no on staying here?"
Tom had just presented Kelly with her lavish guest room; It had a queen-sized bed, a plasma TV, a gumball machine, all the latest video games, and even a jacuzzi! The demon prince couldn't comprehend how she could refuse such a generous offer. However, the answer was quite simple; The climate.
"Sorry, Tom. This place is really nice, but we Wooletts don't fare too well in the heat." Kelly panted, as she sweated and sweltered due to the castle's scorching temperature. Lucitor Palace was much hotter than usual, and having a head full of wooly hair only made her suffering worse.
"Oh! Yeah, sorry about that. The AC's been on the fritz all week." He replied, when the whole palace was shaken by a ferocious, frightening growl. "...And that was Mom arguing with the repairman."
Suddenly, Star received a call from Marco, and eagerly answered. She didn't even get the chance to greet him, as the worried boy spoke as soon as she answered.
"Star! We need you guys to get to the mall, it's an emergency!"
"Why, what happened?"
"Cobalt Watch is attacking, and my family's in danger! They need our help now!"
"That's HORRIBLE! Don't worry, we're coming, sweetie!" Star then abruptly hung up, and turned to her trio of friends. "Tom, call up a carriage! It's time to save the day."
"I'm on it." Tom and Janna headed out to hail the former's main mode of transportation, while Star approached Kelly.
"Come with us, Kelly. It's a tough fight, and we need all the help we can get." Star pleaded. Lucky for her, convincing Kelly to fight was as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
"Say no more, Star. This is gonna be a hell of a time..." The Woolett warrior enthusiastically replied, as she reached into her hair and pulled out her prized ancestral sword. If it was a fight those terrorists wanted, then that's exactly what they would get...
Back at the mall, all hell had broke loose in the midst of Paladin's "sacred crusade." Ruthless armed goons ransacked the mall's stores, and menaced the mewman and monster customers with their stun-batons. While the underlings attacked the innocent bystanders, Paladin took hold of a microphone, and the self-righteous warrior's voice emanated over the intercom.
"People of Echo Creek! I am the Paladin, humanity's chosen savior! My noble forces and I will exterminate the wretched Deviants plaguing this city, and bring the Earth back to normalcy. Fellow humans, oust the deviant scum from your stores, and you will not be harmed."
As the mad crusader continued commanding, a pair of brutish Cobalt Watch troopers were holding up the Earth-Ni Protectors store, in order to capture the nonhuman customers inside.
"Hand over the deviants! The world's better off without 'em." The sinister soldier sneered. While the frightened patrons hid behind tables and shelves, Rafael courageously stood in the way of the troopers, shielding his customers.
"No way! We're not afraid of bullies like you!" The artist asserted; Unfortunately, that answer caused the trooper to strike Raf with his electrified baton, sending the man to the ground.
"RAFAEL!" Angie screamed, as she rushed to her hurt husband. Starfan hid behind the desk in fear, as Mariposa began to bawl loudly at the sight of her father being struck.
"If you're not with us, you're against us." The masked menace unholstered his pistol, and prepared to execute the man who stood up to him; But before he could pull the trigger, he head an enraged scream, and the ferocious roar of a dragon.
"Leave my family ALONE!"
Like a knight in shining armor, Marco swiftly raced towards the troopers on Nachos' back, then leapt off the reptilian steed to kick the fiend that hurt his father. The militant reached for his knife and tried to stab Marco, but the teen hero retaliated by disarming him, then breaking said arm. The man cried out in pain, but said agony was deserved; Never mess with a Diaz.
After using the other goon as a chew toy, Nachos threw the helmeted menace like a ragdoll, and wheeled over to Mariposa's playpen. The frightened baby's face lit up once she saw the friendly dragon-cycle, and she began to clap joyously.
"Naho! Naho!" The tiny tyke babbled. Nachos gently picked Mariposa up with her jaws as if she was her own offspring, and carried her to Marco, who was helping his dad up off the ground.
"Are you okay, Dad?" Marco worried, noticing the bruise left behind by the trooper's baton.
"I am, now that you're here, son!" Rafael replied.
"Nachos, help get everyone to safety! We'll handle the bad guys."
"We're so proud of you." Angie kindly spoke, but her heart began to race when she saw another trooper point his rifle towards Marco. "LOOK OUT!"
The trooper was about to open fire, when he was hit by a rapid barrage of energy blasts, from where but the utility bracelets of Maroon! The masked vigilante then finished the menacing mook off with a series of strikes to the neck and ribs.
"I got your back."
"Save the day, son." Rafael wished, as the Diazes and other patrons of the store followed Nachos to escape the battlefield. As they fled, Marco swore he heard his baby sister squeak out his name, which warmed his heart. Marco and Austin then charged through the halls of the mall to strike at the heart of the attack...
In the heart of the shopping center, Paladin stood imposingly, as her minions corralled the people they captured into the middle of the mall. Her plan was to round up all the so-called "deviants" into a single place, so they could be disposed of all at once. The xenophobic militia had gathered twenty monsters and fourteen mewmans for the slaughter; The latter group was harder to find, as ones that wore Earth garb could hide in plain sight.
"We've gathered all the deviants we could find, ma'am." One of the troopers reported.
"Excellent work. Now let's send them to hell." The armored evildoer coldly ordered.
"You heard the boss! Ready...aim..fi-"
Before the watchmen could execute their targets, a flurry of small bombs were lobbed into the area, which exploded into clouds of thick, dark smoke. Both the troopers and civilians coughed, their visibility diminished by the smokescreen. Now that the soldiers were blinded, the innocents they targeted fled for their lives, with some of them accidentally trampling the troopers.
"Who did that?" One of the goons shouted. As the smoke began to clear, Maroon and Martial Boy leapt into action to fight the callous crooks. Between the former's nifty gadgets and the latter's formidable fighting skills, the pair of Protectors were a most formidable duo.
Maroon launched his whip-cords at a pair of troopers' rifles, and yanked the firearms away; Without their arms, the helmeted hooligans were easy targets for Marco to take down with well-placed punches and kicks. The fight was going in the heroes' favor, until Austin was hit from behind by a baton-wielding trooper. He unsheathed his wrist-blades to duel the fiend up close, but three more melee enemies joined in the fight. Now, things were getting difficult.
"I need backup!" The caped vigilante cried.
"Don't worry, I'm coming!" Marco rushed towards his struggling friend, but flinched when he was nearly hit by a metal ball on a chain. The martial artist turned around, and gasped when he saw the attack's strike commander; It was his old foe, Paladin!
A few weeks after the Protectors resolved the WattWorks crisis, new enemies arose; A group of zealots called the Hellslayers carried out attacks on Echo Creek's demon denizens, and even tried to invade the Underworld in an attempted crusade. While they were ultimately defeated by the Earth-Ni Protectors, the Hellslayers were formidable foes; Especially their leader, who was back and stronger than ever...
"Well, if it isn't my old friend, Martial Boy." Paladin spoke in a mocking tone, as she flourished her flail.
"Paladin? I thought you were still rotting in jail!"
"That's not my destiny, child. I was put on this Earth to rid it of sinful wretches like you. You defend the damned and love a deviant; No wonder you were possessed by a demon!"
Enraged that she brought up his darkest hour, Marco ran towards the mad crusader and swung his sword, but she blocked it with her sturdy shield. Then, she knocked the boy back by charging at him with said weapon. Marco tried to strike once more, but she wrapped the flail around his blade, and yanked it out of his arms. Paladin then shoved Marco to the ground, and pointed her weapon at the teen hero.
"End of the line, heathen." Paladin raised her flail to deliver the killing blow, but before she could do so, she was struck by a green blast of energy, which toppled her over. Marco looked up, and was relieved to see the cavalry had arrived; Star, Janna, Tom and even Kelly had all come to help!
"Marco!" Star quickly flew to her boyfriend with her mechanical butterfly wings, and carried him out of the fray; When Marco was in a pinch, he could always count on his guardian angel.
"There they are! The pagan, the demon, the witch and...whatever that thing is." Paladin sneered, as an offended Kelly scowled. "Time to kill some false heroes." The nefarious knight then swung her high-tech flail towards the Protectors and their pal...
"Remember, the Commander wants this one alive!"
As the other Protectors fought against Paladin and her ilk, Austin was trapped in a fight against four watchmen armed with electrified batons; The Watch's standard-issue melee weapon. He used all the gadgets in his arsenal to put up a fight, but soon became overwhelmed by the rapidly repeating shocking strikes.
Austin tried escaping with his rocket boots, but one of the watchmen grabbed him by the cape, and yanked him back to the ground. He fired off a wrist-blast in self-defense, but his target ducked away from the shot; The group then retaliated by savagely striking him with their weapons, in an attempt to render him unconscious.
"Kelly!" Marco worriedly cried, alerting the armored Woolett. "Aust-I mean, Maroon needs our help!"
"What should we do?"
"I have an idea. Still remember those Woolhairdo moves?"
Back on the ground floor, Austin was still being mobbed by the brutal Cobalt Watchmen. He desperately wanted to retaliate against his audacious abusers, but couldn't muster the strength to even get up. Just as the poor guy thought he was done for, Kelly leapt down from the second floor railing and landed in a three-point stance, with Marco in her hair!
"Let's do this!"
While the troopers were able to take on Maroon, they were no match for the in-sync fighting style Kelly and Marco shared. Using mighty moves like the Top-Knotted Double Fist and Legendary Side-Bangs Sweep, the fighting pair made short work of the troublesome terrorists. Once the bad guys were dealt with, Kelly knelt down to help the battered vigilante to his feet.
"You okay, dude?" Kelly queried. At first, Austin didn't speak. For one, he was still quite sore and disoriented from the brutal beating at the hands of those criminals; Secondly, this was the closest he'd ever been to the mysterious extradimensional. He wasn't sure what to say to her, until two words suddenly escaped his lips:
"BEHIND YOU!"
A fifth trooper fired at the Woolett with his rifle, but instead of dodging, she shielded Austin with her own body. The masked vigilante gasped, assuming she was done for; But to his surprise, Kelly was unharmed! While Marco took down the offending enemy, Austin was astounded by Kelly's abnormally durable hair.
"Your hair...it's bulletproof!" The helmeted warrior exclaimed, dumbfounded.
"Well, actually they just get stuck in there. Getting them out is the worst."
Up on the second floor of the upscale mall, Star, Tom and Janna were locked in battle with the prejudiced Paladin. This trio of heroes were the ones said villain hated most; One was a mewman, one was a demon, and the other practiced dark magic to fight crime. Fighting with the powerhouses of the Protectors was no easy task, but this was a most determined foe.
Star quickly fired three arrows at the callous cavalier, but the villainess quickly deflected them with her shield. Then, Paladin retaliated by knocking Star out of the air with a long-range strike from her whiplike battle flail. But immediately after that attack, the warlike white knight was hit in the shoulder by one of Janna's dark energy bolts.
"Vile witch!" Paladin whipped her flail towards the mischievous mage, who dodged and positioned her fighting sticks to cast another spell.
"MIDNIGHT SHRIEK!" A volatile violet beam emanated from the skull-tipped Kali sticks, and headed towards the nefarious knight. Paladin quickly blocked the shot with her shield, then charged towards Janna like a furious freight train. While Snatcher had the clear ranged advantage, Paladin was much deadlier up close; Using her flail, she knocked away the sticks Janna needed to cast spells, then struck her in the head with an armored backhand, enraging Tom.
Next thing Paladin knew, an overwhelming plume of demon fire was headed her way, courtesy of the Violet Devil himself. Her specialized heatproof shield was the only thing stopping the white knight from being cooked like a Thanksgiving turkey. In a battle of brute force, she was sure to lose to the infuriated prince of the Underworld; But if there was one thing the Hellslayers knew, it was how to fight demons.
First, Paladin wound up her flail's chain, and swung it towards Tom; It wrapped itself tightly around his throat. Then, she repeatedly jerked the weapon's handle around, yanking Tom around as the chain slowly strangled him. She raised the weapon up, then slammed it down, knocking him into the floor. Poor Tom tried to get back up and fight, but the armor-clad villain stomped on his head, hurting him even further.
As searing pain coalesced in the demon prince's skull, Paladin reached into a sheath strapped to her belt, and pulled out her deadliest weapon; An exquisite short-sword, with a blade made of the purest silver. Legend had it such a weapon could kill even the mightiest demons; Today, she planned to prove that legend was true...
"No amount of souls can save you now, devil prince! Your wicked reign has come to an END!"
Before Paladin could strike the final blow, an unfamiliar opponent leapt up and slashed her with an enormous sword, cutting a sizable gash in her chestplate. To her surprise, Kelly had come to the rescue!
"You call that tiny thing a sword? THIS is a sword!" Kelly mocked, as she flourished her ancestral blade. Infuriated that her chance to kill Tom was ruined, Paladin rushed towards Kelly and tried to slash her. The Woolett warrior blocked her blow with ease, but the mad crusader kept on striking. With each parried blow, the silver sword became more and more bent, until the blade broke in two.
"My sword!"
"-Is made out of silver. Good for killing demons, horrible at literally anything else." Kelly cleverly retorted, as she winded up for the final strike. She swung her blade upwards towards the nefarious knight, landing a blow that split her helmet apart, and knocked her over the second floor railing. The evil extremist fell into the fountain below with a resounding splash. Before she could break free, Star ensnared her with a net arrow, trapping the villain at last.
"You're all going to Hell!" Paladin snarled, as she struggled to break free. Suddenly, she became surrounded by a field of green magic, and was floated back up to the second floor. To her surprise, Janna was holding her up with a Levitato spell, while helping Tom to his feet.
"Hey, Pally! Feast your eyes." In a surprising moment, Janna leaned in and passionately kissed her bruised, battered boyfriend, in front of everyone, no less. This was unusual behavior for her, since she was less keen on PDA than Star. But then again, what's more fun than pissing off your biggest hater by doing what you love?
Once she was sure Paladin got a good view of her smooching her demon love, Janna ceased her Levitato, and the armored charlatan fell like a stone into the fountain once more. The now free crowd began to clap and cheer, while Tom was on cloud nine thanks to his girlfriend's unexpected kiss.
"Huh. I knew Star and Marco would end up together, but that's a surprise." Kelly commented. There were a great many things she missed out on since the Cleaving, and "JanTom" was just the tip of that iceberg...
A few minutes later, the police had arrived to take Paladin and her Cobalt Watch garrison to jail for their heinous attempted crimes. From the height of the second floor, Star and Marco oversaw the Cobalt criminals' arrest.
"Well, there go some of the biggest jerks in the world." Marco coldly spoke. Paladin's forces tried to kill dozens of innocent people, including his own family; Hopefully, they'd be locked up for good this time...
"Yeah, especially that Paladin. She gives knights a bad name." Star responded, then lightly pecked her partner on the cheek, causing him to blush. Not a moment later, Kelly excitedly rushed towards the couple with an infectious grin on her face.
"That was AWESOME! I haven't felt this good in months!" The teenage Woolett excitedly gushed.
"Just a regular day for the Earth-Ni Protectors." Star playfully retorted.
"Oh, there's something I forgot; I still don't have a place to stay..."
"You don't have somewhere to stay?" Maroon asked, as he quickly headed over to his teammates and their friend. "I can fix that..."
Later in the evening, the six teens were hanging out in the spacious basement of the Capers household. Star and Marco were just finishing up a friendly game of air hockey, while Tom, still sore from the fight, was resting his head on Janna's lap as she played with his soft, pink hair.
But while the couples were chilling out, Austin and Kelly had been chatting for the past few hours, while sitting on a pair of comfy bean bags. Austin was fascinated by the Woolett's daring adventures across the Multiverse, while Kelly found the exploits of the Earth-Ni Protectors incredibly captivating. Between their experiences with Star and friends, there was a lot to discuss.
"And so, we finally defeated the Royals Red, and saved the town once again!"
"Wow...I wish I was there." Kelly sighed. "Instead, I was stuck back home with Tad."
"Hey, you had some awesome adventures, too! I wish I could've helped fight Meteora, or the Solarian Warriors." Austin replied.
"Trust me, you were better off on Earth." Kelly responded, as she gently rubbed her arm. Between getting her soul sucked out and nearly dying from the Solarian wound, those missions were anything but fun.
"So, are you sure I can stay here?" While it wasn't a mighty palace or a five star hotel, Kelly found Austin's home a better fit for her than any of the other places. After all, she wasn't the first non-human guest to stay in the Capers homestead.
"Of course! Anything for a new friend. As long you don't chew on my shoes or break the spare bed, like the previous houseguests." Austin joked, causing Kelly to giggle.
"Thanks, that means a lot."
"So...I heard you and Marco broke up a while back. I know how that feels...lately, I've gone through the same myself. Do you think we could be...break-up buddies?" Austin innocently asked, causing Kelly to cringe. While she and Marco used to be in a semi-romantic relationship to get over their latest splits, having him break up with her only made poor Kelly feel worse.
"Umm...how about just regular buddies?" The bushy-haired girl awkwardly asked, as Marco walked over to the two teens.
"Hey, mind if I steal Kelly for a minute? I need to talk to her about something." Austin nodded, and Kelly got up to speak with Marco on the other side of the room.
"Kelly, it's been a long time since I last saw you."
"I'll say." The Woolett sardonically remarked. "So, what do you want to tell me that's so important?" Marco exhaled deeply, and longingly looked into the spectacled eyes of his former flame.
"I'm sorry." Marco humbly spoke, surprising his fight-loving friend. "I want to apologize for breaking things off with you so suddenly. You didn't deserve to get hurt like that, especially not by me. Do you think we can still be...buddies?"
Touched by Marco's sincere apology, Kelly leaned in and hugged her amicable ex. "Always" She warmly replied. Truth be told, she was at least happy that Marco was finally with the lady he longed for most. Maybe someday, she'd find someone who made her feel the same way...
"Glad to have you back, buddy." Marco replied, when Star suddenly hugged them both.
"Me too!" Star piped. All of a sudden, the basement door was opened by who but Echo Creek's most successful fashion designer; Austin's own aunt, Rita Jean-Marcelin!
"Come up to my studio, everyone! I've got a special surprise for our guest of honor..."
A few minutes later, the teens all gathered in Aunt Rita's in-house fashion studio, which doubled as Austin's workshop. Currently, Kelly was trying on a special outfit in the changing stall, although she wasn't exactly sure what it was. While she changed, her five friends sat on the nearby sofa, eagerly waiting.
"Alright, I'm done changing." The spectacled girl spoke from inside the booth.
"Then come on out!" Star excitedly squealed. The others began encouraging Kelly as well, until she stepped out of the stall with a dramatic flair. Her new attire's main piece was a sleeveless spandex bodysuit with armored accents; It was colored white with magenta touches here and there, much like the sweater she usually wore. On her feet were matching pink boots, and her arms were adorned with armored wrist braces and fingerless gloves. Kelly's new look was completed by a mask based on her battle helmet, one which covered the upper portion of her face, and fashioned her plentiful hair into a high ponytail.
Kelly's new look was received with cheers and applause from her friends, causing the Woolett to smile and blush. "Lookin' good, Kellster." Janna remarked.
"Austin, the ring!" Rita reminded, causing the teen engineer to frantically jump from his seat and stumble towards Kelly. He fumbled into his pockets, and pulled out a small silver ring. Kelly plucked the trinket out of his fingers, and noticed the symbol engraved on it.
"What's the "G" stand for?"
"G?" Austin snatched the ring out of the heroine's hand, and reached into his other pocket. "Sorry, that was meant for someone else. Here's yours." The boy handed her a different ring, one marked with a sword symbol.
"So, what is this?"
"It's a hero ring. Made it with a mixture of magic and science; I call it Magitech." Austin explained. "It was for Star's dad, but he chose to be a wrestler instead. So, we've been saving it for a sixth member."
"And we want it to be you." Star added, touching Kelly's heart. She felt honored by such an offer, to be a part of her friends' fighting team. So, she followed Austin's directions, and flicked a switch on the modified hero ring. The Magitech accessory scanned her costume, connecting the two entities as one. Austin then donned one of his utility braces, and a ten-inch metal blade jutted from the device. He used said weapon not to harm Kelly, but to knight her.
"By the power invested in me, I knight you the next Earth-Ni Protector; Wooly Warrior."
"That's the best name you could think of?" Rita playfully joked.
"Hey, I think it's a great name." Kelly complimented. The other Protectors cheered for their newest member, who was swelling with pride; For so long, she'd been lonely in her home dimension; But now, she was welcomed to the new world of Earth-Ni with open arms, and was even entrusted to protect it. At long last, she was back with the friends she loved, and even made a new one as well.
"Look out, Earth-Ni! Here comes the Wooly Warrior!"
At long last, the Earth-Ni Protectors have broken the "Sixth Member Curse!" How will things go now that Kelly's a member of Earth-Ni's greatest superhero team? Stick around to find out!
