Greetings, readers, and welcome to another exciting chapter of the Earth-Ni Protectors! This one's going to be different from most of the others, since it's primarily composed of flashbacks. Still, that doesn't diminish the exciting events that will happen in this next installment. What am I talking about, you ask? Well, dive in and find out!
"MAROON AND THE EARTH-NI PROTECTORS!"
BOOK THREE: RESURGENCE
CHAPTER SIX: PLIGHT OF THE CAPERS
There's nothing quite like a thrilling adventure. Earlier on this turbulent day, Marco, Kelly and Austin went on an excursion in the Ukushra Badlands, to rescue Star after thirteen years of entrapment in the desolate desert. While their voyage took several hours, the unique chronology of Hekapoo's domain meant it was merely a fraction of a second on Earth-Ni. While Star and Marco were spry and satisfied after a month spent "catching up," both Austin and Kelly were tired from that exhausting experience.
While Lady Butterfly and Martial Boy spent the afternoon on patrol, the other pair of heroes were simply hanging out at home. Currently, they were reading together in the library. Austin was perusing his teammate's book on Woolhairdo, the martial art of Woolandia, with great fascination. On the other hand, Kelly had binge-read plenty of issues from Austin's collection of superhero comics; Superman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, you name it. However, her favorite books by far were the Diazes' own "True-Life Tales of the Earth-Ni Protectors" series.
"Woah, where has this been all my life? We never had superheroes back home." Kelly remarked. Since her culture practically revolved around combat, there was no need for anyone to fight for the innocent; They could do it themselves.
"Which one did you finish?"
"Issue #17: Attack of the Tenta-Killer!" Kelly excitedly held up the comic book, which featured all five—yes, five — Protectors battling an eerily familiar monster with long, purple tentacles. Needless to say, the Diazes took certain liberties when adapting the team's exploits to the page.
"Yeah, that's...that's a crazy one." Austin nervously replied. He debated telling Kelly about Marco's temporary turn to the dark side, but decided to open that can of worms another day. "So, what do you wanna do now? Air hockey? Video games? Sparring match?"
"Actually, there's something I've been meaning to ask you." The hairy-headed heroine nervously spoke. "I was talking with Star, and she told me something about Commander Cobalt. Is...is he your dad?"
Once that loaded question was shot, Austin's chest began to tighten. The truth about his father was a dark secret, and one he valued keeping safe just as much as his heroic alter-ego; But alas, it had been exposed. Noticing his nervousness, Kelly realized she had opened a nasty can of worms.
"It's okay, I'm not mad at you. I just want to know the truth."
"As much as I hate to say it, it's true. He is indeed my father." Austin sighed, and looked down at the floor in shame. "But he's not my dad."
"Oh...I'm sorry, it must be so hard for you."
"And the worst part is...he wasn't always like that." The teen vigilante arose from the couch, and walked over to the bookshelf; There, he picked up a small picture frame and handed it to Kelly. It depicted an African-American family of three; A nine-year-old boy, a suited man in his early forties, and a woman with black hair braided in a ponytail, who was wearing a green flight suit. The trio stood behind a sleek fighter jet, with a name and a callsign engraved on the side:
"SGT. REBECCA CAPERS - "COBALT."
"Aww, look at that cute little guy!" Kelly squealed, finding "Lil' Ozzy" absolutely adorable. She then looked at the uniformed woman he was standing close to. "And that's your mom?"
"Yep. Sergeant Rebecca Capers of the United States Air Force." Austin stood up and saluted while saying his mother's name; It was clear he respected her deeply. "Oh, the times we had back when the world was normal. Now I'm a superhero, and Dad's...well, you know."
"Oh..." The Woolett girl was awkwardly silent for a bit, but got an idea on what to ask her friend next. "What was your mom like?"
"Well...she was very sweet, and she always looked out for me. Not to mention how supportive of my...special interests she was..."
Turn the clock back six years, to a special time at the California Science Center, in the heart of Los Angeles. Today, the center was hosting a citywide contest; The Junior Gadget Fair! This event was a chance for young children with interests in engineering to make their own crazy creations, and display them for the world to see! Due to his prodigious skills in the subject, Oberon signed Austin up for the contest; At long last, today was the nine-year-old's time to shine.
Unfortunately, Austin was quite a shy little guy, and to him, this event was nerve-wracking. He'd have to present the project he worked on in front of hundreds of people, including a panel of judges. Currently, Austin was sitting in the auditorium with his mother, father, aunt and uncle. The Capers family watched as many young contestants showed their hard work to the crowd and judges.
"Give it up for Eugene Wintz and his potato clock!"
That was Austin's cue to come onstage and present his gadget; Sadly, the poor kid was stricken with stage fright.
"What's wrong, Ozzy? Aren't you going to show your little gizmo?" Rita queried.
"I think he's nervous." Rebecca gently placed her hand on her son's shoulder, and calmly looked him in the eyes. "It's alright, Austin. You practiced this before, you've got nothing to worry about."
"Besides, I helped you build it." Oberon added. Thanks to his parents' encouraging words, Austin bravely stepped out of his seat, and walked onto the stage with his project in tow. As the audience fell quiet, Austin held up his arm to highlight his creation; It was a metal bracelet made to fit over his wrist, and it held several retractable compartments.
"This is a u-utilly bracelet." The bright-eyed child spoke. "It's got tools in it, so it makes building stuff a snap!" Austin snapped his fingers on that cue, causing a Philips-head screwdriver to pop out of its compartment. "To show you how it works, I'm gonna build a lil' bench!"
Austin then picked up a few wooden planks, and rotated the bracelet to its nail gun configuration. He set the planks in place, and prepared for the moment of truth. But when he snapped his fingers, nothing happened!
The junior engineer repeatedly snapped his fingers, but nothing happened. As the little machine whirred and sputtered, Austin tried activating the other tools on the bracelet, to no avail. Through some unforeseen mishap, Austin's project was malfunctioning! Frustrated and infuriated by the bracelet's failure, Austin threw the machine to the ground, breaking it. As his family and the rest of the crowd gasped in shock, the disheartened boy ran offstage in shame...
Outside the center's auditorium, Austin was slumped down in the corner, crying into the sleeves of his emerald-green hoodie. For weeks, he worked so hard on the "utility bracelet" idea, and even made sure to get his father's help when he ran into trouble. Unfortunately, even Oberon's help wasn't enough; The machine malfunctioned in front of hundreds of people, humiliating the poor young prodigy. The child continued to weep, until he sensed someone sit down next to him, and place her hand on his shoulder.
"Austin, are you okay?"
"I'm not okay, Mom! That stupid piece of junk broke! I'm a failure..."
"You're not a failure, honey. You just made a mistake."
"So?"
"Everyone makes mistakes. Your dad does, your aunt does, and sometimes, even I do!" Austin calmly looked up at his mother, and she wiped the teardrops from his cheeks. "And even though you made a mistake, I'm still proud of you for trying."
"Really?" Austin sniffled.
"Always and forever, honey." Rebecca then hugged her distraught son, and softly kissed his cheek. He was now feeling much better, thanks to her tender placation. She then helped her little engineer up to his feet, and he smiled at her warmly. "Now, would you like to go back in, or do you want to see the aquarium?"
"Aquarium." The child quietly spoke. After that fiasco in the auditorium, Austin had enough of the Junior Gadget Fair; He just wanted to wind down and see some sea creatures. So, the two Capers headed down to the marine exhibit, to wind down with some mother-son bonding time. As they walked hand in hand, Rebecca turned to her child to tell him something she truly meant:
"Just think, Austin. Someday, you're gonna change the world..."
"And so, I may have lost the contest, but I learned something far more important; Never give up."
"Aww, that's so sweet! Your mom is an angel."
"Yeah, you're right about that." Austin spoke, a pained expression clear on his face.
"-Wait, I-I didn't mean it like that, I swear!"
"It's alright, I get it. She died when I was twelve...protecting her country." Kelly just gasped in shock at the gut-wrenching news she had heard. "Her passing hit me hard,but it hit Dad even worse; He designed the plane she was flying." The lead Protector shakily admitted. Before founding Cobalt Watch, Oberon was a prominent weapons designer at Avidex Industries, a defense contractor affiliated with the Air Force. In fact, that partnership was what led to him meeting Rebecca, and eventually marrying her.
"After Mom died, something about Dad became...off. He became more distant, more paranoid. He felt responsible for her death, and that messed with his head. I guess it's what led to his fall from grace..." Austin sighed, when he felt Kelly gently place her hand on his shoulder.
"You know, if your mom was still around...she'd be super proud of you." At first, Austin's expression was shaky, and his eyes were welling up. But then, he suddenly reached in and hugged the Woolett tightly, causing her to lightly gasp, and blush a little.
"Thanks, Kelly. That means a lot..."
While the pair of Protectors were resting at home, malevolence was stirring in a dingy, derelict roadside restaurant in the middle of nowhere. This lowly wing shack was the last bastion of Cobalt Watch's American division; After several humiliating defeats at the hands of the Earth-Ni Protectors, the remaining five operatives were awaiting the arrival of the mysterious Dragonfly, an esoteric agent of the Watch. While their commander worked alone in a secluded office, the four troopers sat together in the bar, drinking liquor as they chatted the night away.
"You know, those mewmans may look like us, but lemme tell you, they sure as hell don't start that way." Remarked Private Andersen, an operative hailing from the Outback. "They hatch from a clutch of eggs, then eat each other 'till there's only one left!"
The other troopers reacted with disgust, but also felt some humor in Andersen's anecdote. Obviously, his statement was untrue, but some people were willing to believe anything they heard about denizens of Mewni.
"False. Lieutenant Andersen has misinformed you." The four foot soldiers fell silent as Oberon Capers himself entered the room, without his trademark battle armor. What he wore underneath was a specialized black bodysuit covering him from the neck down, which his armor was meant to go over. Three of the men stood at attention, but Anderson just scowled.
"Oh yeah? What makes you the expert?" Andersen snidely scoffed, causing the other henchmen to flinch. They knew the hell Oberon went through after the failed attack on the Butterfly Kingdom, but their cretinous cohort was blissfully oblivious. Oberon stepped up towards his unruly lieutenant, and stared him down menacingly.
"Do you know why I'm in charge of this organization?" The commander rhetorically asked. "I know our enemies better than anyone, because I was trapped in their dimension for over a year, with no way of escape."
"You serious?"
"Pour me a drink, Lieutenant. After all we've gone through, morale is low; But we will persevere. After all, I survived a world where no man should ever set foot..."
A couple weeks had passed since Cobalt Watch's failed invasion of the Butterfly Kingdom. In an act of diplomacy, the monarchy reached out to the U.S. government to make a deal; All the watchmen were sent back to Earth to await justice on their own world, and the FBI covered up the xenophobic organization's existence, relegating it to classified information.
However, the Watch's ringleader wasn't so lucky. For using stolen dimensional scissors to wage war on Mewni, Oberon committed a heinous crime against magic itself; Now, he was at the mercy of not only Queen Butterfly, but the Magic High Commission as well.
"So, these are the guardians of all magic; A goat, a candle demon, a living rock with snakes for arms...and a talking snow globe. Unbelievable." Oberon remarked. He already knew the trial's inevitable outcome; As an enemy of the kingdom, he was doomed to be punished. The question was whether they would take his freedom, or his life.
"Oberon Capers. You stand accused of stealing dimensional scissors, and using them to attack the Butterfly Kingdom with a flying warship. How do you plead?" Spoke Omnitraxus Prime, the sentinel of space-time.
"Guilty! He's guilty!" Rhombulus shouted loudly. The crystal-headed lout had a nasty tendency to listen to his gut instead of his brain. Still, even a broken clock is right twice a day.
"Guilty as charged." The Earther scoffed.
"Well, Mr. Capers, because of you I made it much harder for humans to get their hands on these scissors." Hekapoo snarked. "But not impossible..."
"Alright, CRYSTAL TIME!" Rhombulus pointed his serpentine arms towards the disgraced commander, but before he could petrify him, Moon spoke up.
"Wait, Rhombulus." The crystal jailer reluctantly lowered his arms, and Moon turned her glaring gaze towards the accused party. "I want to know where you got those scissors, and why you attacked our kingdom."
"You can thank your daughter for both." Oberon snarled, much to the Commission's chagrin. "They were her scissors."
"I beg your pardon? Star doesn't have dimensional scissors."
"Actually, she does. I took them away, but her good pal Muscles earned 'em back. Good times." Hekapoo retorted. Her anecdote raised concern from the queen, but now was not the time to get sidetracked.
"What I did to your kingdom was righteous justice. You banished your daughter to Earth, without caring about the damage she did, or the people she hurt. The princess was protected by diplomatic immunity, but Cobalt Watch is above the law. You gave the world a virus, so I gave it a cure."
Now, Moon was seething with hatred and contempt for the callous commander. This was the man who terrorized his daughter and her people, and by magic itself, he was going to pay for his crimes.
"Alright, NOW it's crystal time!"
"No, Rhombulus! He can't wield magic, he's only human. He has no ship, no weapons and no army; He's hardly a threat." Moon scathingly explained, then glared daggers at her criminal enemy. "Besides, you shouldn't be so impulsive. May I remind you that you crystallized my daughter for no reason?"
"W-wha? I didn't-Well, I had to, it was-LEKMET! You said you wouldn't tell her!" Rhombulus stammered, flustered as can be. The wizened goat demon just bleated in response.
"Besides, I have a more fitting punishment in mind. You tried to kill my daughter for being the only mewman on Earth; So, you will be imprisoned in the dungeon for the rest of your life, as the only human on Mewni."
The queen had reached her damning decree, and Oberon was furious. Overcome by blind rage and bloodthirsty hatred, the head of the Watch rose from his seat, his wrists still shackled in handcuffs, and charged towards the Commission. Hekapoo reacted quickly, and threw one of her scissor's blades like a ballistic knife; The dagger struck its mark, creating a nasty gash on the commander's right cheek. Oberon let out a pained cry, and fell to the ground. For his outburst, the fallen commander had been branded with the true mark of Hekapoo.
"Guards, take him away!" Moon exclaimed. Two royal guards grabbed the felled, bleeding villain by the arms, and began dragging him out of the Bureaucracy's courthouse. Oberon jerked his head up at the magical queen, and gave her a cold, hateful glare.
At long last, Commander Cobalt had received a fitting punishment for the Dauntless Crisis. By terrorizing Earth's only resident mewman, he had doomed himself to a life of imprisonment in Mewni's darkest dungeon...
In the tech-riddled workshop of the Capers household, our heroes were hard at work. Austin was making some modifications to his utility bracelets, with Kelly helping out as his rookie assistant.
"Be careful, Kelly. This thing's got a hair trigger."
"Relax, dude. I can handle it, I apprenticed for the local blacksmith when I was-" Kelly's explanation was interrupted, when a smoke bomb detonated due to a mishap the Woolett made. The two teens coughed and hacked as they ran out of the smoky cloud.
"Dang it, Kelly!"
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do that! I swear!"
"It's alright, don't worry about it. At least it wasn't the pepper spray." Austin joked. "Besides, it's nice having a buddy to help me. Sometimes Uncle Dez gives me a hand, but usually I just work solo."
"Yeah, well being alone's no fun. Trust me." Kelly retorted. After several lonely months on her home world, the wooly-haired girl cherished her newly-rekindled friendships, including the one she had formed with her new housemate. "So, how long have you been a hero for?"
"Over a year, I'd say. However, I wasn't the OG Maroon."
"Oh?"
"I made the tech, but Marco was the one wearing the suit." Austin explained, surprising the Woolett.
"Marco? Well, if you didn't wanna be a hero, then why'd you make the suit?"
"Well, I wasn't always the fighting type. I created Maroon because I heard some news that would change my life..."
Before his life story intertwined with a certain magical princess's, Austin Capers was a regular boy living it up in the bustling heart of LA. Back then, he was a normal kid just like any other, albeit one with some rather interesting tastes. While he loved tinkering with spare parts his father brought home to make crazy creations, Austin also had a much simpler interest; Drawing.
Austin enjoyed drawing a myriad of fun things; Wild animals, robots, dinosaurs, and military vehicles like tanks and jet planes. But most of all, Austin loved to draw superheroes. As an avid fan of both comic books and superhero movies, the kid loved the very idea of masked crime-fighters making the world a better place. Currently, he was finishing up a sketch of his own original character; A caped crusader with a metal helmet and gadgets mounted on his wrists.
"Alright, now all he needs is a name." Austin remarked with satisfaction.
"Austin! Come down here, I have something very important to tell you." A voice called from downstairs; It was his father! Austin rushed downstairs to the living room, and sat down in an armchair to hear what his dad had to say.
"Pretty soon, we're going to leave Los Angeles."
"Wait, we're leaving? For how long?"
"As long as we need. I've been looking for a new job, and the best options are in Echo Creek." Oberon explained. "Don't worry, I purchased a fine home with everything you and I could ever want. Moving is the right choice for both of us."
Austin wasn't sure how to respond to such a sudden statement. On one hand, he loved Los Angeles and didn't really want to leave; But on the other, his father was out of a job, and moving was the best way to keep the Capers' lives on track. Right now, he could only think of one question to ask.
"When are we leaving?"
"Two weeks. That's plenty of time to say goodbye to your friends." Oberon stated. Austin headed back upstairs to his room, and booted up his laptop; It was time to do some research on what his new home would be like. At first, the results were of your average suburban town; Strip malls, taco shops, and the not-so-famous Echo Creek Mud Pits. However, once he dug a little deeper, he witnessed some sights that were truly weird and wild.
A massive butterfly beast attacking a man in broad daylight. Real live monsters attacking a party bus. All hell breaking loose on a football field. The videos Austin watched were nothing short of unbelievable. But each and every bewildering and fantastical event in Echo Creek shared a common factor; At the center of them all was a mysterious blond-haired girl, with what seemed to be a magic wand.
"Woah...that girl's amazing!" Austin was astonished; The mystifying magical girl had just redefined his idea of impossible. Between the monster army and all the other crazy things in the Creek, his potential home seemed terrifying; But watching the wand-wielding woman battle her enemies gave him a genius idea.
"A town that crazy needs a hero. And I'm gonna make one." The teen engineer headed out to his workshop, and set his superhero drawing on the table. He gathered some high-tech mechanical parts his father gave him to tinker with, as well as some spare red and black fabrics left behind by his fashionista aunt. To mark the start of a super new project, Austin scrawled out the working title of his latest concept:
"Project Maroon"
What could be worse than a dark, dank, dirty dungeon beneath a medieval castle, in an alien dimension? Trapped in prison with no way out, Oberon Capers was truly living his own personal hell. For weeks, he had been chained to the wall in tight metal shackles; His hair and beard had grown over the weeks, and the poor maintenance of the place left him dirty and unkempt. The gash given to him by Hekapoo had healed over time, leaving a nasty permanent scar on his right cheek. But as miserable as the dungeon was, the commander found the shame of his failed invasion to be even worse.
"Here comes the carriage!"
Currently, it was feeding time, which for some godforsaken reason, was done in the most humiliating manner; Being spoon-fed gross, maggoty gruel like a baby. Oberon swerved his head out of the way to avoid his degrading fate, but the prison guard held him still, and crammed the rotting sludge into his mouth. Disgusted, the reluctant prisoner spat the gruel in his captor's face, as an act of rebellion. The guard let out a shout and wiped the F-grade food off his face, while Oberon smiled for the first time in weeks.
"Agh! You'll pay for that, you slimy wretch!" The furious guard picked up a whip, and raised it to flog his unruly captive. But before he could strike the first stinging blow, both men heard a strange noise, which grew louder by the second. As the sound reached its peak, an enormous horde of unusually large Mewnian rats stampeded into the room!
The man shrieked in fright, and involuntarily tossed his sword upwards as the rodents swarmed him. Acting fast, Oberon grabbed hold of the sword, and used it to cut through his chains, finally freeing him. The guard cried out for help, but Oberon ignored his captor's plea; This was his one shot at escaping the dungeon, and he sure as hell wasn't going to waste it.
The disgraced commander fled through the dungeon halls, while slicing through rats with his stolen sword. Eventually, he reached the prison's exit, and saw the blinding light of the sun, after spending days on end in darkness. Overwhelmed by the brightness, Oberon abruptly shut his eyes, and his vision slowly adjusted to the drastic change in illumination.
Once he regained his sight, he saw absolute chaos in the kingdom; Mewman villagers were being menaced by hordes of monstrous rats. Even the royal knights were being brought to their knees by mere rodents! Seeing the so-called mighty Butterfly Kingdom being brought down by lowly vermin made Oberon realize something; Cobalt Watch would have been victorious, if not for that pesky princess...
Oberon rushed through the kingdom, searching for an escape from the calamitous chaos. As he looked around, he saw that even the mighty King Butterfly was brought down, as well as a familiar-looking teen clad in a red hoodie. Could that have been the boy who struck him down in the first place? Oberon scoffed, for he did not care. The commander continued to flee the kingdom, when a bizarre creature landed in front of him.
The menace who found him was a diminutive, one-foot-tall green bird monster, with a grey beard and a bag of chips for clothes. He had with him two steeds; A giant bald eagle, and a spider bigger than any on Earth. But most striking of all was his left hand, which had a glowing green crystal embedded in its palm.
"You there, halt! You must bow to the new king of Mewni!" Ludo commanded. Oberon sneered at the diminutive creature, repulsed and appalled.
"I bow to no king. Especially not a grotesque goblin and his pets."
"Listen here, you big galoot! You have no idea who you're messing wi-" the false king refuted, when Oberon raised his sword to try and strike him down. As Bird and Spider shrieked and hissed, Ludo instinctively cast out the one spell he knew:
"LEVITATO!"
With that simple incantation, the mighty Oberon Capers was caught in a field of green energy. Ludo then jerked his arm upwards, catapulting the commander into the sky. Once the villain was long gone, Ludo began to clap and cheer excitedly.
"YES! Did you see that! That was my farthest one yet!"
The Earthling screamed in terror, as he hurtled through the skies. Oberon thought his humiliating defeat at the kappa's hand would be his demise; But alas, he was not that lucky. The former commander fell like lightning, and crash-landed into the depths of a river outside the castle. After the initial shock of his landing wore off, Oberon quickly fought his way out of the cold waters, before any of its dangerous wildlife could claim him. The lone human clawed his way to shore, and coughed up the water he swallowed.
After coming to his senses, Oberon stood and witnessed the very thing he dreamed of; The Butterfly Kingdom going up in smoke. Watching the kingdom fall was immensely satisfying, even if its conquest wasn't by his hand...
Later in the evening, it was dinner time in the Capers household. The table was set, the family had gathered, and the food was finally ready; On the menu tonight was juicy air-fried salmon, with herb-roasted potatoes and garlic couscous.
"Wow, this tastes amazing! Dez, your cooking gives Goblin Dogs a run for their money!" Kelly proudly remarked.
"Thanks, kid. Only the best for our guest of honor." Desmond replied. After taking a bite of her fish, the fledgeling Protector decided to ask a question she had for Austin's guardians.
"So, you two are cool with your nephew being a superhero, right?"
"Absolutely. Ozzy helps so many people doing what he loves, and it's a way better life choice than what "he who shall not be named" is up to." Aunt Rita retorted. "Although, we weren't too keen on it at first. He kept his hero business secret from us for quite a while. That was during his "edgy phase."
Rita's retort caused Austin to groan, and bury his face in his hands. "Auntie, please don't call it that."
"Edgy phase, huh? You never told me about that." Kelly joked, and playfully nudged him with her elbow.
"I'm not surprised." Dez commented, and sighed. "That was one of the scariest moments in all of our lives..."
Being a hero is harder than it looks; Especially when you're only human. It had been about a month since Austin took up the mantle of Maroon, and followed in Marco's footsteps as a masked vigilante. In the dark hours of the night, he fought criminals by utilizing his stealth and gadgets, along with the element of surprise.
However, his latest altercation with a group of thugs turned into a head-on fight. Due to his lack of combat experience, the caped hero was stabbed in the back; One thing led to another, and he ended up in Parkersburg General Hospital, for the first time since his arrival. Angry and ashamed from his humiliating defeat, Austin lied in his bed in a dour mood, until a nurse walked in.
"Excuse me, Mr. Maroon. There are some visitors here to see you."
"Visitors?" Austin quickly reared upright, and winced from the stinging pain in his back. "Wait, don't open tha-"
"AUSTIN!" Both Rita and Desmond hurried into the hospital room, and rushed to their injured nephew. Both of them looked rather tired and unkempt, since it was eleven o'clock at night. "Oh my God, what happened to you? Are you okay?"
"Speak to us, Austin!" Desmond cried.
"I'm fine, guys. Some punk just stabbed me in the back." The teen vigilante growled.
"How is that fine?" Rita exclaimed, when her husband noticed a familiar helmet sitting on the hospital windowsill. Then, everything clicked.
"You're Maroon..."
"You've got a lot of explaining to do, kid."
"So this is why you've been coming home late, sneaking out at night, hiding where you've been!"
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because I want to HELP!" Austin shouted, causing his guardians to fall silent. "There are thieves, and muggers and gangs running amok the city, hurting good and innocent people like you! You don't deserve that kind of crap!"
"So your solution is to be a knockoff Batman?" Rita refuted.
"I just want to be a hero, like...like Star Butterfly!"
"Star who?" Desmond wondered, causing his nephew to realize something; He never told his guardians what really went down during his stint in Echo Creek. After all, if he did, they'd probably think he'd gone insane. Still, there was no better time to reveal the truth than now.
"Guys, I've got something really important to tell you...but you're never gonna believe it."
"It can't be worse than what we already know."
Austin let out a sigh, and began to tell them the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But the truth can be hard to believe, especially if it involves a magical princess who fights monsters, a mysterious masked vigilante, a medieval kingdom in another dimension, a high-tech flying warship, and a murderous terrorist group led by Austin's missing father.
"And that's why I must protect this city and its people."
"Nurse, I think he's got a concussion." Rita remarked.
"I dunno, Rita. Smyth's son plays football for Silver Hill Prep. 'Told me he got hurt 'cause some crazy girl booby-trapped the field." Desmond noted.
"I'm telling the truth, I swear! That's why I wear this mask, that's why I want to do good! That's why Dad abandoned me!" Austin snapped, then broke down sobbing. All his anger and apathy stemmed from one thing; Oberon's ruthless rejection of his own son.
Disheartened by their nephew's breakdown, Rita and Dez hugged the young man, in an effort to placate him. "It's okay, Austin. We believe you..."
"I understand why you're doing this. Your mother joined the Air Force because she wanted to protect her country. I see that same heroic spark in you." Rita kindly spoke. "You know what? This town does need a hero."
"R-really?"
"Yes, but that nifty suit of yours isn't cutting it. Once you heal, I'm signing you up for lessons with Sifu Yangchen. She's the Wing Chun instructor that taught me self-defense. Nice lady, too."
"Hear that, kid? You can be just like Bruce Lee!"
"Or Marco Diaz..." Austin morosely remarked. The constant talk of Star and Marco deeply saddened him, as it brought up bad memories; A few days ago, Marco called Austin out of the blue, and informed him that Star was called back to Mewni for her own safety. He offered to help find her, but Marco told him to stay on Earth; The people of Parkersburg needed him more. He knew not what happened to Marco after the call, but one thing was certain; He was going to honor his friend's promise, even if it killed him...
Several months had passed since the climactic defeat of Toffee of Septarsis. As Star and her friends worked to improve mewman-monster relations, Oberon Capers spent his life on the lam. After retaking the throne, Queen Moon sent her forces out to find the human fugitive and return him to the dungeon. However, he evaded every apprehension attempt so far; The High Commission considered him too weak to be their problem, thus all he had to deal with was the occasional royal knight.
In a remote and wild Mewnian forest, Oberon was tracking his latest prey; A young stag, similar to the deer found back on Earth. The fugitive drew his bow, and aimed an arrow at the animal's heart. But just before he could make the kill, a loud horn was sounded, scaring the stag away. As the hart bounded off into the bush, Oberon angrily turned towards the one who cost him his dinner; A royal knight bearing the crest of the Butterflies.
"Oberon Capers! You're under arrest, in the name of Queen Butterfly!" The armored dame ordered. Oberon fired an arrow towards the warrior, but she blocked it with her shield, and continued marching towards him. Knowing this fight was going to get physical, Oberon drew the sword he stole from the prison guard, and prepared to face his chivalrous foe.
However, his anger turned to fear, when the ground began to shake beneath his feet. To his horror, an enormous monster was stomping through the shadows, and it was coming closer! The knight, on the other hand, was painfully oblivious to the encroaching danger.
"Scared, huh? You're even more cowardly than I thought." The warrior laughed at her frightened foe, but her grin fell flat as a shadow cast over her. The woman looked up, and saw a gigantic purple she-monster, who had pointy ears, devilish horns, fearsome fangs, and clovers on her cheeks. The gruesome Goliath's eyes glowed a sinister shade of green, and she fired a beam of energy at the knight. When the monster was finished, her foe was nothing more than an empty, soulless husk floating in the air.
Horrified by the magical monster's fearsome show of force, Oberon took off running. However, he tripped on a root he didn't see, and came crashing down to the ground. The former commander struggled to get up, but he couldn't escape in time; The monster used her mystical beams to absorb his soul, making her stronger. Now, Oberon was one of the many victims of the mighty Meteora Butterfly...
"What a load of bull! If that monster killed you, then how are you still here?" Private Wu, one of Oberon's subordinates, was doubting his latest yarn, and for good reason.
"It did not kill me, Private. It sucked out my soul."
"What's the difference?"
"The effect only lasted for several hours. Once I regained consciousness, I took my chance and killed that wretched knight." Oberon gruffly stated. "After that, things only got worse..."
As twilight turned to nightfall, a brawl had broken out in the backyard, between the pair of Protectors. However, there was no ill intent from either hero; They were practicing their hand-to-hand combat skills in a friendly sparring match. Using his Wing Chun skills, Austin was able to hold his own against his bushy-haired opponent; Woolhairdo was nearly identical to karate, which Austin had already dealt with when sparring with Marco.
Austin dodged one of Kelly's punches, then grabbed hold of her arm and pushed her to the ground. However, the Woolett did a combat roll mid-fall, and easily returned to her feet in a fighting stance.
"Nice move."
"Thanks, you're pretty, too." Austin wearily remarked; It took him a second to realize his mistake, and become all flustered from it. "Pretty GOOD! You're a pretty good figh-OOF!" While he was caught off-guard, Kelly struck him with a swift hit to the chest, staggering him. He tried to fight back, but she got a few more hits on the teen hero, then knocked him to the ground with a well-placed kick. Austin tried to get back up, but the Wooly Warrior tackled him, and caught him in a headlock. After his struggling failed, Austin finally tapped out, and Kelly released him.
"So, was I better than Marco?" Austin asked through deep, exhausted breaths. "At fighting, I mean."
"Ha ha, very funny." Kelly lightly bopped the boy's shoulder, and sat down next to him under the yard's only tree. "I was holding back, you know."
"Of course you were." Tired from the sparring match, Austin laid his head down on a soft, fluffy cushion, and sighed in relief.
"Well, someone likes my hair."
"Gah!" Forgetting he was laying on his friend's fleecy hair, Austin jolted up, and got all red in the face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to! It's just so soft and fluffy, and oh my God I sound super creepy."
"Don't worry about it. Make yourself comfy, my dude." The Woolett retorted. Austin lied back down, and cozily rested his head on her hair, causing the girl to smile. "Hey, I've got another weird question to ask you."
"Go for it."
"Your ex-girlfriend...what was she like?"
"You really want another sob story?"
"Hey, you brought up Marco! It's only fair."
"Touche. Well, lucky for me, she wasn't a clingy mooch like you-know-who." Austin remarked, causing his friend/pillow to cringe. "Her name was Sabrina. She was a cheerleader at school, and we met when she made a copy of my suit to fight crime with. After I revealed my identity to her, we ended up going steady. Heck, she even saved me from getting experimented on by an evil corporation!"
"Dang, dude! How are you still not together? You didn't dump her, did you?"
"Of course not! And she didn't dump me, either. The reason we broke up was bigger than both of us...and it's one of my greatest regrets..."
Turn the clock back to the midst of the summer. It had been a couple days since the WattWorks infiltration, and the turbulent events that stemmed from it. But now, the chaos had settled, and WattWorks' draconian security measures were finally repealed. To celebrate, Austin and Sabrina were having an all-day date across Echo Creek!
While the unlucky cheerleader was wheelchair-bound from the injuries she sustained while rescuing her boyfriend, that didn't stop the couple from having fun. They went on a lovely hike through the forest, stopped to eat at the Cavern Tavern, and saw the latest superhero movie at the cinema. Now, the two lovers were heading up to one of Austin's favorite places; The Mewnian mountain he visited just before moving to Parkersburg, now named Mount Lekmet to honor the late Commission member.
After picking Sabrina up and setting her on the soft grass, Austin sat down next to his love. He let out a deep sigh, and smiled as he took in the beautiful vista. The landscape below had changed drastically since his last visit; The ruins of Butterfly Castle and the Monster Temple co-existed with the modern, small-town aesthetic of Echo Creek; In a way, it was the best of both worlds. It was a moving sight for both of them, as Sabrina seemed to be tearing up.
"The view's that beautiful, huh?" Austin queried, causing his girlfriend to let out a disheartened whimper.
"It's not that. Austin, there's something I need to tell you..."
"Oh...what is it?"
Sabrina sighed, and braced herself to drop a metaphorical bomb on her poor boyfriend. "I'm leaving Echo Creek." Needless to say, Austin was at a loss of words, so she elaborated. "My parents said we're moving to Parkersburg. Apparently, it's much safer there, and they don't want me getting hurt anymore."
"I don't understand. You've gotten broken arms, broken legs, concussions, contusions, every injury you can think of. And that was before the Cleaving! Why are you leaving now?" While his reasoning was sound, it only caused Sabrina to tear up even further. Something was really wrong; Something Austin hadn't realized, until it was too late.
"They found the Rouge suit." There it was. The real reason she was being forced to leave her cherished home. "They know I snuck out to save you, and that's how I ended up in a wheelchair."
"Oh, God...this is all my fault! I-I'm so sorry..." Guilt overcame the young hero like a tidal wave; Perhaps if he hadn't been so brash as to break into WattWorks, this tragic break-up wouldn't have happened.
"It's okay, Austin. It was for the greater good." Sabrina wrapped her arm around her boyfriend's torso, and held him close. "I knew this would be our last day together, so I wanted to make it special." The two teens tearfully shared their last kiss on the mountaintop, and held each other in a bittersweet embrace. On this mournful twilight, the sun had set upon not only the town, but their relationship, as well..
"After that, we tried keeping in touch, but our relationship just fell apart. What's the point of staying together, if we can never see each other again?"
After telling Kelly the somber story of his breakup, poor Austin was feeling down in the dumps again. He slumped against the tree, and longingly looked towards the ground, whilst morosely recalling what he lost. He wasn't the only one affected by the tale; Kelly was rather moved and moist-eyed by Austin's experience. Seeing her friend so sad from his breakup made her feel bad as well, so she did the first thing that came to mind; She hugged him tightly, much to his surprise.
"It's okay. I know how you feel, and you're not alone." The Woolett consoled. Austin reciprocated his teammate's embrace, and the two ended up lying on the ground together, with Austin resting on her hair.
"Thanks, Kelly. I really needed that."
"Of course. That's what breakup buddies are for." The two teens looked up at the stars together, feeling at peace for the moment. It was wondrous how quickly their relationship grew; They went from strangers to acquaintances, then teammates to friends, and finally, something a little more special...
Many months passed since Oberon's false death, courtesy of Meteora. After Eclipsa took the throne, the kingdom stopped sending knights after him; The new queen considered it a waste to hunt down someone she didn't even know. But just because the knights stopped coming didn't mean Oberon's life was any easier; Ferocious fauna, marauding monsters and brutish bandits were all dangers the Earther had to brave time and time again, and now, he was finally at the end of his rope.
The fallen commander stood silently and solemnly over a cliff in the southwest part of Mewni. He had tried countless times to find a way back to Earth, but every one of his efforts had failed. The bitter truth was that he'd never see his home or his son again. Having had enough of the hell he lived in, Oberon knew he had only one option left; Ending his own life.
Oberon sighed deeply, and braced himself to embrace the end. "So this is how my life ends...lost and alone in a living hell." The fugitive thought. "I'm coming, Rebecca." He stepped back, and prepared to leap to his demise, when the impossible happened; A swirling portal of blue and violet hues had appeared five feet away from the drop-off. Oberon gasped in shock; Could this be his ticket to freedom?
"Wherever that leads, it can't be worse than here." Oberon backed up several yards, and sprinted towards the portal as fast as he possibly could. Then came the leap of faith; He jumped across the cliff with all his might, and narrowly made it through the wormhole.
After hitting the dirt on the other side of the portal, Oberon slowly rose to his feet, and took in the refreshing new sights. In his surroundings were wide expanses of tall grass, as well as verdant acacia trees strewn here and there. A herd of impalas grazed in the distance, their eyes glowing brightly in the dark. Most important was the night sky, which had plenty of stars, and only one moon. This environment was unmistakable; It was the African plains! At long last, Oberon Capers had returned to Earth.
"I'm home! I'm home!" Oberon cried out joyously, for all the world to hear. After enduring countless horrors as a fugitive in Mewni, he was finally free to roam the Earth once more. Even better, he could make out the glow of a village in the distance. The renegade ran towards the light, to meet the first humans he'd come in contact with in over a year. But then, like a bolt from the blue, a huge sonic boom blared across the savanna, and its shockwave knocked the commander to the ground, where he fell unconscious.
Nothing could ever prepare Oberon for the horrors he witnessed once he awoke. Giant monsters bigger than the largest elephants roamed the plains. Hairy, muscular barbarians clad in hides rode through the skies on enormous eagles. A towering warnicorn battled it out with a pride of hungry lions. As all these anomalous events occurred, a wave of emotions unlike any other hit Oberon like a freight train; He had just escaped Mewni, but now, Mewni had come to him. Utterly emotionally destroyed, the vagabond fell to his knees and screamed in pure, agonized rage...
"I remember that day." Spoke Captain Oyewelo, a Kenyan member of the Watch. "My village was attacked by monsters, but we fought them off, thanks to you."
"That day was the worst the world had ever seen, but it gave me new purpose. Cobalt Watch was destined to return, to bring the world back to normalcy." Oberon dictated. "And someday, this infernal nightmare will all be over."
"Amen. Now let's drink!" Private Andersen cheered. He took out a bottle of liquor, and began pouring it into five shot glasses. However, their round of drinks was rudely interrupted, when the derelict restaurant's doors were broken down with a battering ram! Anderson dropped his bottle to the ground, and it shattered as a heavily armed SWAT team charged into the room. Before they could reach for their guns, one of the SWAT officers threw a stun grenade at Oberon and his unmasked goons, which exploded into a flash of bright light and a deafening boom. The disoriented men were then knocked to the ground, and the SWAT team pointed their rifles towards them.
"Goddamnit! Who left their phone on?" One of the troopers snapped.
"Well, boys, we did it. We took down the mighty Commander Cobalt." The SWAT captain remarked. "You boys are going away for a long time."
"Ambassador Penn sends her regards." Another officer added, as he took out a pair of handcuffs to restrain the Watch's stunned leader. But just as he got to Oberon, something shocking crashed through the ceiling like a comet, and shook the ground as it landed. It was a sudden intruder, who had to be seen to be believed.
Standing in the middle of the room was a mysterious figure clad in sleek, futuristic armor unlike anything ever seen before. The suit was colored a striking azure, with electric-blue glowing accents. The warrior's helmet was downright draconic in design, with incandescent, horn-like antennae, and luminescent lenses like a viper's eyes. However, there's armor's most alluring properties were the four insect-like, hard-light wings sprouted from the back, and beneath them, a prehensile mechanical tail with a scorpion-esque barb at the end.
"The Dragonfly..." Oberon weakly spoke. This legendary individual was the mysterious wildcard of Cobalt Watch; A figure as revered as she was feared...
"OPEN FIRE!" The entire SWAT team shot at Dragonfly with their rifles, but their bullets merely bounced off the draconian warrior's armor. The armored menace pointed her fists towards the officers, and much to their horror, they morphed into powerful high-tech cannons! Dragonfly fired a blast from said nanotech weapons, which evaporated the captain with ease.
The other officers cried out in horror, for they were next. The insectoid menace turned her armored hands into a pair of plasma blades, and sliced through the rest of the men like they were made of butter. Then, she used her hard-light wings to fly high into the air, and faced down the trio of vans outside the makeshift base. A fearsome flurry of miniaturized missiles launched from her shoulders, and the high-tech rockets targeted the vans, blowing them and their passengers sky-high.
Once her enemies were naught but ash and dust, the Dragonfly gracefully floated back to the ground. Infuriated by the deaths of his cohorts, the last surviving SWAT officer charged Dragonfly with his stun-baton. However, the warrior used her bladed mechanical tail to pierce the officer's heart without even turning around.
Once the Dragonfly was finished, shock and awe filled her surroundings. The four remaining troopers were bewildered with amazement; Even Oberon was impressed. While he was the Watch's uncontested leader, the mysterious Dragonfly was their deadliest agent by far.
"Greetings, Oberon." The armored warrior coldly spoke, to which her superior nodded in acknowledgement. "You made the right call, summoning me to this backwater town. The Earth-Ni Protectors have fought your men plenty of times, but they've never seen anything like me..."
At long last, the Dragonfly has come to Echo Creek, which spells bad news for the fair folks of Echo Creek. Why, you ask? Well, without revealing too much, I can tell you this; Dragonfly is the most powerful villain to appear in this series! But what makes her so mighty? It's a secret, and one you're going to find out in the next adventure of the Earth-Ni Protectors. Till then, stay cool, and stay tuned, because things are gonna get WILD!
