"MAROON AND THE EARTH-NI PROTECTORS!"

BOOK THREE: RESURGENCE

CHAPTER EIGHT: WRATH OF THE WATCH


Tonight was a disastrous event in Earth-Ni history; The Unity Ball, a long-awaited party meant to bring the people of Earth and Mewni closer together, ended in tragedy when it was attacked by the Earth-Ni Attackers; A Cobalt Watch-backed force consisting of six sinister supervillains. The Attackers battled it out with their heroic counterparts, and their skirmish came to a close when their leader Dragonfly, revealed to be the Mewni-hating magnate Wanda Watts, grievously wounded Moon Butterfly.

After the heroes' narrow escape thanks to the Cleave Foundation, the Attackers fled the temple, and retreated to their current base; An empty, abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Echo Creek. Here, the Attackers and their watchmen were planning the next phase of their malicious plot...

"Damn it! We would've killed those pesky Protectors, if not for those portaling poindexters!" Ringmaster griped.

"Well, at least we got their leader." Steel Wolf gestured to the Attackers' latest captive; Austin Capers, who was cuffed to a steel chair. His weapons were gone, his eyes were blindfolded, and his mouth was gagged, rendering him defenseless. The boy's heart was pounding out of his chest, and for good reason; He was a helpless hostage, in a room occupied by his greatest enemies.

"Stand back, boys. This punk's all mine." The villainous Lady Lightning loomed over the captive Protector, and began shocking him with low-powered blasts of electricity. Austin let out a muffled scream of pain, as she slowly intensified the power of her lighting; Indra was dead-set on drawing this out as long as possible. Oberon, of all people, was appalled; She was using magic to torture his son.

"Stop, Indra! He's a human, just like us!"

"A traitorous human." Paladin scoffed.

"He's just a boy!"

"Never stopped us before." Steel Wolf remarked. As Lady Lightning continued to electrocute Austin, his father knew what he had to do; Reveal his darkest secret.

"HE'S MY SON!"

This was what caused the electrokinetic villain to stop in her tracks. The troopers and the other Attackers all looked towards their commander in shock and confoundment.

"Indra, leave the boy alone! He's been punished enough." Wanda spoke, then stepped towards her scarred teammate. "I lost my son because of the Cleaving. I won't let the same happen to you, even if yours is most unruly."

"Thank you, Agent Watts. My son is a hero; He's just fighting for the wrong side."

"He's like everyone else in this pathetic town; Too blind to see the enemies that walk among them, no matter how monstrous they may be."

"That's why we must bring it back to normal." Oberon spoke.

"I disagree, Commander. The Cleaving changed the world so drastically, that even if we kill all the Deviants on it, it will still never be the same. Earth needs a new world order, one secure enough to save humanity. Such a utopia can only be achieved through conquest."

Truth be told, Oberon always felt something was off about his genius teammate, but he never could pinpoint exactly what; Until now. Wanda had gone completely delusional, wanting to take over the world rather than save it.

"Are you listening to yourself? Your goal is tyranny! Cobalt Watch is a rebellion, not an empire!" Oberon angrily retorted. Wanda glared at the commander, and held her Magitech wand to her chest, forming it into the nanotech Dragonfly armor. She pointed all her weapons towards Cobalt to intimidate him, and the other Attackers did the same.

"That's not up for discussion. To liberate the world from deviants, liberty must fall."

"You're mad! Our forces are nowhere near strong enough to take over the world!"

"But thanks to my recent discoveries, they soon will be."

"I am your Commander! I order you to-" Before Oberon could finish his sentence, Wanda knocked him to the ground with a light pulse of energy; It didn't damage him, but it definitely cut him down to size.

"You may have created the Watch, but I will bring it to victory. After all, only the strongest may rule." Dragonfly snarled. "Keep your son under control, Oberon. If he interferes with my plans, then both of you will die."

Tonight, Cobalt Watch had changed leaderships. While the dreaded Commander Cobalt was no longer in charge of his creation, he was ousted and replaced by a menace ten times worse...


While Austin was held captive by his enemies, Moon Butterfly was surrounded by her family and friends. Unfortunately, it was under dire circumstances; The magic-wielding queen was gravely injured by the deadly Dragonfly, and now lay gravely injured in a cot at the Cleave Center's medical bay. As an on-site medic treated Moon, the five Protectors plus River were all on edge for a few obvious reasons. Moon was injured, Austin was captured, and most of all...

"It's true, isn't it? Magic is back." Star was horrified by this shocking revelation; The very thing she sacrificed so much to stop had returned, like a weed in the garden. Janna and Tom both nodded affirmatively, confirming her worst fears. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Moon longingly looked at her distraught daughter, and weakly spoke up. "Star, you gave up everything to bring the age of magic to a much-needed end. I couldn't bear to tell you it was all in vain." Star buried her face into her hands, and began to whimper. Then, Director Reyes and Dr. Tran entered the room to deliver some much-needed consolation.

"Your sacrifice wasn't for nothing, Star. We know very little about this new form of magic, but it's certainly not the mind-melting sludge you know. It's an invisible force of the universe itself, like life, or time." Director Reyes explained.

"Magic went through a metamorphosis; Like a caterpillar to a butterfly." Dr. Tran added. The scientists' explanation took the edge off Star's emotional pain, but it certainly didn't improve her morose mood.

"I'm so sorry, Star. I just wanted you to be happy." As Moon said this, the medic examined her midsection, and found something ghastly; A luminous blue infection had slowly spread across her body, covering part of her skin, and the veins beneath. Much to everyone's horror, the venomous wound started expanding, as the former queen groaned out in pain. Her terrible affliction brought back bad memories for both Janna and Kelly; It was eerily similar to the effects of the Solarian Sword.

"Quick, Janna! Use your magic to heal her wound!" River exclaimed. Janna took a deep breath, and pointed her Kali sticks towards her ally's affliction. But to everyone's dismay, including her own, nothing happened.

"Sorry, Moon. I never learned any healing spells, even when I tried to..." The saddened mage sat down, and actually began tearing up, feeling helpless to save Star's dying mother. Noticing her dismay, Tom placed his arm around her to offer some placation. It seemed like all hope was lost, until Star had a sudden realization.

"Wait, Mom! If magic's back, that means I can save you!" Star stuck her hands out towards her injured mom, and tried to muster her magic powers. "DIP DOWN!" But to her horror, she was left powerless.

"Come on, DIP DOWN!" Again, no magic. "Dip down, dip down, dip down, damn it! Why won't you work!" Poor Star even began hitting herself, in a rageful, last-ditch effort to awaken her dormant powers. Marco and River acted fast, and quickly restrained the girl before she could seriously hurt herself.

"I failed you, Mom...I'm so, so sorry..." As the devastated heroine began to bawl, an intrusive eavesdropper stood outside the medical bay, listening in to the heroes' conversation. Said spy was Wade Burroughs, the Foundation's resident handyman; Unbeknownst to them, he was a double-agent for the Watch. Burroughs snuck into a private room away from everyone else, and took out his phone to call his secret benefactor.

"Miss Watts, there's been a complication, and I can't give you the Cleave Rays. The center's on lockdown, and the Protectors are with us..."


Once Burroughs' info reached the Watch's warehouse hideout, the Earth-Ni Attackers began hatching an insidious plot, which was spearheaded by the usurping Dragonfly.

"There's been a change of plans. Our spy in the Cleave Foundation can't bring us the payload, because the Earth-Ni Protectors retreated to their headquarters. In response, we'll launch an assault on the Cleave Center, and take the key to victory by force."

"Key to victory?" This was the first Oberon had heard of such a thing; Obviously, Wanda knew something he did not. "What are you talking about?"

"That's classified information, Commander. You will stay here, and guard your unruly son." Wanda placed her Magitech wand in front of her chest, and it dispelled into countless tiny nanomachines, which formed across her whole body to create the Dragonfly armor. Once her transformation was complete, she flew out the entrance like a shooting star. The troopers and the other villains all followed her, with the exception of Oberon. Now, he was alone with only one person; His own son, or should I say, his prisoner.

There was a cold, hateful feeling in Austin's glaring gaze; One that made even Oberon feel on edge. The commander apprehensively approached his son from the side, and carefully removed the cloth gag tied around his mouth. He expected his son to fly into a furious, screaming rage for all the wrongdoings and mistreatments he endured, but what he heard next was something quite unexpected; Silence.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Oberon queried. The boy remained quiet for a few more seconds, closed his eyes, and spoke up.

"Where do I even start?"

"Listen, boy. Everything I'm doing, everything the Watch is doing, is for your wellbeing. This town is a deathtrap, your team is dangerous, and Watts is downright insane! I saved you from her minion's wrath."

"If Wanda's so bad, then why are you working for her? Oh, right; 'Cause you're an insane, genocidal maniac lacking basic empathy." Austin hatefully snapped.

"Agent Watts works for me, not the other way around."

"Really? It sure didn't seem like it. How'd she get out of house arrest, anyways?" As the scorned vigilante continued interrogating his father, Oberon took a deep breath, and chose to tell his son the truth.

"I saw potential in her. Because of her scientific genius and disdain for deviants, she was a perfect fit for the Watch. So, I had my finest agents break her out, and offered her a role in my inner circle." Cobalt explained. "Watts promised a weapon more powerful than any on Earth...and she certainly delivered..."


Two weeks had passed since the Protectors and their allies defeated Wanda Watts, and broke her tyrannical hold on Echo Creek. Once the mad magnate was defeated, she was sent back to her London home, and sentenced to house arrest until her trial. To add insult to injury, she was even stripped of her status as WattWorks' CEO.

As for the Mewni-merged village of Darby Glen, progress was slowly being made to integrate mewmans and monsters into their society. However, the UK government was quite wary of these strange new inhabitants, as they didn't have a magical princess to get them used to matters weird and wild. Still, it wasn't all bad, as news of the Earth-Ni Protectors made them realize the Cleaving wasn't all bad.

But on the outskirts of the Glen, trouble was brewing at the Magic Sanctuary; A sacred refuge owned by the Butterflies, until its destruction during the Cleave. The sanctuary's ruins became a WattWorks drilling site for corrupted liquid magic, which could be chemically processed into valuable yet unpredictable Ichor. Here, an unknown trespasser clad in black was sneaking into the now government-owned facility.

The interloper snuck through the ruins of the sanctuary, which had far less guards than usual. After the news of WattWorks' unethical tests with Ichor, the government banned its usage in any form, and declared the harvesting site a biohazard zone. Once she reached a large tanker containing the dark, slimy remnants of the old magic, she pulled out a peculiar device; A high-tech metal harvesting rod, with cutting-edge modifications.

The mysterious device began to emit a bright blue glow, as it siphoned up the liquid in the tank and converted it to Ichor. Much to the intruder's surprise, the rod began to transform itself into something entirely new; A dark blue wand, with an X-shaped core, a draconian head, and ornamental wings like that of an insect's. The resulting creation was the ultimate merge of Earth science and Mewni magic; The birth of the Dragonfly Wand.

Wanda held her experiment, and carefully examined it. For all the intense hatred she harbored for the Protectors, she had them to thank; It was Star's mechanical wand that inspired Watts to create an improved variant. Thanks to her technical brilliance, the Magitech wand had reached its fullest potential.

"YOU THERE! Drop the weapon, and raise your hands!" Three security guards had spotted the interloper who broke into the restricted area, and shone a bright flashlight at her. To their surprise, the trespasser was a most controversial public figure.

"Is...is that Wanda Watts?" One of the guards wondered, unable to believe his eyes.

"She's escaped custody! Arrest her!" The three men rushed towards the disgraced industrialist, who tightly clutched her newly-minted wand. She could feel its power emanating through her body, unlocking a force she never knew she had. Blue, dragonfly-shaped marks appeared on Wanda's cheeks, and she let loose a mighty explosion of energy from her wand, instantly vaporizing the guards.

Wanda was at a loss of words. Since the chaos of the Cleaving, she had used high-tech security robots, towering mechanical juggernauts, and villainous enforcers to wage war against those who invaded her home. But now, the power to do so was in the palm of her hands, and it made her feel more powerful than ever before. The wand-wielder then fled the area to regroup with Cobalt's agents; With the ultimate weapon now in her grasp, she was destined to rule the Watch...


Back at the Cleave Center, Kelly was slumped down outside the medical bay, away from the others. The poor Woolett felt worried and devastated, as Austin, her beloved break-up buddy whom she had a budding romance with, had been captured at the Unity Ball. Now, he was sure to receive his heinous father's wrath...

Marco saw his close friend tearing up, so he sat down next to her, and placed his hand on his shoulder. "I'm worried about Austin, too, Kelly. If only we knew where he was."

"I know." Spoke Janna, who was eavesdropping on their conversation. "He's in an abandoned warehouse on the edge of town."

"Really? How do you know?" Kelly inquired.

"Oh, I put tracking devices on everyone's suits." The teenage mage remarked, causing Marco to freak out and frantically search for his costume's hidden tracker. "Calm down, Diaz! Austin told me to do it, in case one of us got captured again."

"Oh! That's pretty smart."

"Yeah. Here you are, using your creepiness for good." Marco retorted. The three heroes then walked back into the medical room, and explained their rescue mission to the other Protectors. Once the plan was established, it was time to head out into the fray.

"Alright, everyone. Operation Save Austin is a go!" Star exclaimed. As the Earth-Ni Protectors' auxiliary leader, it was her job to command the team in Austin's absence. But before the heroes could head out the door, Dr. Reyes stopped them.

"Wait, don't leave yet!" The director exclaimed. "Because of our intervention at the Unity Ball, this place is a prime target for the Watch to attack. If you all leave, there's no one standing between them and Mrs. Butterfly."

All of a sudden, a red glow filled the room, as a piercing siren blared. "INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!" Reyes pulled out his phone to check the security cameras, and saw a shocking sight; An entire platoon of Cobalt Watch troopers armed with high-tech weapons were breaking down the door with a battering ram!

"That's not good." Janna remarked. Star, on the other hand, was quickly thinking of a plan to push back the invaders and rescue her captured comrade. Then, it hit her; Divide and conquer.

"If the Watch is here, that means they aren't at the warehouse. Marco and Kelly, you two head out and save Austin. Janna and Tom, help me defend the fort."

"I'll stay here. A king's duty is to stay with his queen." River spoke, and held his wounded wife close to him. The Protectors all ran out of the medical bay, and went their separate ways to complete their missions. As the heroes left, Reyes locked the room's door, sealing the Butterflies away from the danger...


Star, Tom and Janna hurried down the halls of the Cleave Center, reaching the lobby just as the Cobalt troopers broke down the doors. The watchmen rushed into the building, when an arrow plunged into the ground at their feet, then burst into a concussive blast that flung them around the room. When the masked menaces got up, they looked up to see a nasty surprise; Lady Butterfly, Snatcher and the Violet Devil, all of which were in no mood for games.

"ATTACK!" Tom hurled three fireballs towards the troopers, who scrambled to avoid his infernal wrath. Several of the men fired at the heroes with their energy blasters, but Janna humbled them with Goth Moths, Rash Bashes, and all other sorts of frightful spells. Star launched a smokescreen arrow towards a squadron of watchmen, impairing their aim. Then, she leapt down to beat them senseless with her mighty Johansen strength. She used powerful punches, devastating kicks, and just plain throwing the men like rag dolls. This was the group that terrorized her people and mortally wounded her mother; By the fires of the Underworld, they were going to pay for it.

All of the sudden, the entrance of the center was blown to bits by an explosive rocket. The trio of heroes turned to find the rocket's source, and found a quartet of tech-troopers wearing cutting-edge jetpacks!

"Great, they can fly." Janna scoffed.

"Yeah, well so can I!" Tom jetted himself through the hole blown by the rocket, and darted into the sky to fight the jet troopers. They could fly, yes, but only with their special packs; Tom, on the other hand, was a master of the skies. He used his pyrokinetic powers to take one down, dodged a second watchman's blaster fire, and defeated him with a hot-footed kick.

"What is this, amateur hou-URGH!" Tom boasted, but he was cut woefully short when a jet trooper landed a lucky shot. The demon prince plummeted towards the ground, but managed to catch himself before he made impact.

"FINISH HIM OFF!" The jet troopers flew towards Tom with intent to kill, but before they could do so, one of them was thrown to the ground with a Levitato spell. The other's jetpack was pierced by an amazingly accurate arrow, causing the malfunctioning device to launch its user into a dumpster! Tom glanced at the ground, and saw his past and present girlfriends had saved his butt.

"Nice job, girls."

"Thanks. I think that's the last of them." Star huffed, when a frighteningly familiar cackle made her hairs stand on end. A razor-bladed metal ring flew right past her face, causing the former princess to realize something; That was only the first wave. Standing on the forested hill near the building were four fiendish Earth-Ni Attackers; Ringmaster, Steel Wolf, Lady Lighting, and Paladin!

"Oh, you've GOT to be kidding me..."


On the back of his loyal dragon-cycle, Marco rode through the skies of Echo Creek, with Kelly holding onto him tightly. After the attack on the Monster Temple, the cleaved city had entered a state of panic; Cobalt Watch now had a team to rival the Earth-Ni Protectors, and they wouldn't stop until every last non-human was dead and gone.

Mewmans, monsters and even wary humans boarded themselves up in their homes, and shut off all the lights so they wouldn't attract the Watch. However, they weren't wholly helpless; Eclipsa, Globgor, Buff Frog, several of the Butterfly Kingdom's former knights, and the local police were guiding civilians to safe shelters, while the foreign royals and diplomats were airlifted out of town in helicopters. However, there was a particularly gut-wrenching sight that caught Marco's eye, and hurt his heart.

"Oh no..." At 4815 Avocado Terrace, Marco's parents were barricading the windows and doors of their household. Marco felt awful seeing his parents have to hide from the coming Cobalt menace, and it was made even worse by the precious cargo they were protecting; Mariposa and Meteora. The young hero hoped his team could put an end to the vile Watch, before they could harm his loved ones any further.

Kelly wasn't feeling any better than her friend. She too was anxious about the fate of Earth-Ni's denizens in the face of rising danger, especially her beloved Austin. While they weren't officially anything more than break-up buddies, she felt a bond with the boy like none she had since Marco. But fate had come to screw her over again, and clutch him from her grasp; Yet this time, she swore not to let her beloved buddy down.

"Don't worry, Austin. We're coming to save you..."


Meanwhile, outside the lonely warehouse appropriated by Cobalt Watch, Oberon was smoking a cigarette to calm his nerves; After all, he had a lot to be stressed about. Dragonfly had taken his forces to the Cleave Center, and had even usurped him as the Watch's leader; Furthermore, he had his son held captive inside, who was far from happy to be stuck with his estranged father. The commander blew one last puff of smoke, flicked his cigarette away, and headed back into the building to speak with his son.

"Look who's back." Austin snarled, venom eminent in his voice. "The man who made my life a living nightmare."

Oberon said nothing at first; He circled around the chair Austin was tied to, then knelt down to face the boy at eye level. "Despite your resistance against my cause, you made me proud, boy." Austin cringed, wondering what horrible thing he had done to earn such a claim.

"You protected the fair and innocent people of Parkersburg from injustice and crime, without seeking any reward; Like a true hero." The armored warrior spoke. "But then the worlds merged, and that wretched princess corrupted you with her insane ideology. Now, you're nothing but a slave to deviant filth."

"As opposed to being your obedient servant? I'd rather be dead." Austin's vitriolic response sparked anger from his fiendish father.

"Think, Austin! What have those primitives ever done for you? Around the world, innocent people have been terrorized by brutish barbarians and savage monsters! You need to come to your senses, and join me in saving the world!"

Austin stared deep into Oberon's fiery eyes, and spoke up once more. "Why would I? The king of monsters saved my life, that's more than you've ever done! And as for the mewmans you hate so much? THEY CAME FROM EARTH! That's right, they're human, just like us!"

Now, Oberon was furious. While everything Austin said was true, the commander didn't believe it; He was too blinded by his own hatred and hubris to see the truth. Out of rage, he knocked his son to the floor with a harsh backhand, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Your head's been filled with lies, boy! The son I raised is long gone, but I have a way to bring him back to the path of righteousness..."


In the Cleave Center's parking lot, the other three Protectors were duking it out against their dark counterparts. In the air, Tom was fighting off his fellow elemental, Lady Lightning. The two combatants sent scorching flames and blistering lightning towards one another, neither backing down from the brutal battle.

Janna was up against the Ringmaster, who was dodging her spells and magic blasts with acrobatic maneuvers. The sorceress had to be on her toes, as her opponent lobbed various high-tech rings towards her.

"Aye, lassie! You've gotten stronger since we last tussled, but remember who's the master!" Ringmaster whipped an explosive metal ring towards Janna, who leapt out of the way just as it hit the ground.

"Eat this, mustache boy!" Janna fired off a couple blasts of dark magic, but her adversary dodged them with an elegant backflip. "Oh, he's good..."

Unfortunately, poor Star had the worst matchup. Due to the uneven balance of heroes and villains, the mewman warrior had to fight Steel Wolf and Paladin at the same time! She was armed with only a bow, a quiver of arrows, and her physical prowess, against two formidable armored enemies. Star fought as hard as she could to stay on top against the villainous duo, but two villains at once was daunting, even for her.

Star fired a couple of sharp-tipped arrows towards Paladin, but the villain blocked them with her shield, then swung her fearsome flail. Star dropped down to dodge the attack, converted her bow into its staff function, and struck the mad crusader several times.

"I got you!" Tom immediately flew towards his endangered ex to help her out, but he was shot down by Lady Lightning. Steel Wolf ferociously charged at Star on all fours, and pounced towards her with his energized claws bared. But before he could take her down, the false monster was tackled by who but the Wild King!

"TIME FOR ROUND TWO!" The barbarian yelled boisterously. As River wrestled with his armored archenemy, Star continued fighting against Paladin. While Lady Butterfly was an agile warrior, fighting the nefarious knight was harder without her mechanical wings. She tried to keep her distance, while slinging arrows Paladin's way, but the warrior in white wrapped her ball-and-chain around Star's body, pulling her into the danger zone. They fought each other hand-to-hand, exchanging brutal blows. Paladin was a formidable foe for the former princess; She grunted in pain each time the knight's metal fists made contact with her body.

As the battle raged on, the Protectors began to realize something startling; The Attackers were more than a match for their heroic team. They were on the losing end of a staggering stalemate, until an idea dawned upon their craftiest member...

"Hey! Let's switch it up!" Janna exclaimed, then fired a ray of green energy at Lady Lightning, stopping her from striking Tom. As she charged towards the electric enemy, her teammates realized what she meant by "Switch it up." So, they all broke off the fights they were battling, and swapped opponents to turn the tables.

First up was Star, who chose to take on the Ringmaster. She swiftly dodged his volleys of throwing rings, and fired arrows towards the costumed fiend in return. The Scottish supervillain lobbed a spiked ring towards her, which she barely avoided; It had even cut off a bit of her flowing, golden hair!

"Alright, NOW I've had it!" Star reached into her quiver, and pulled out a specialized arrow she was saving for a special occasion. She aimed her bow, and fired it at an off-kilter angle, causing the arrow to fly right over Ringmaster's head!

"Ha! You missed!" Lo and behold, the arrow then defied physics, and swooped down to strike the villain in the back, stunning him long enough for Star to take him down with a well-placed kick. The secret of the seemingly magical arrow? Heat-seeking technology, implemented by a certain tech-savvy teammate...

Tom literally flew circles around Steel Wolf, leaving behind a trail of fire as he avoided energy blasts and missiles from the villain's high-tech armor. The demon prince landed in front of the lupine evildoer, who brought his mechanical arm down upon him. However, Tom caught his brutish blow with ease, and used his scorching touch to melt through Remus's armor. Once the human inside was exposed, Violet Devil grabbed him by the collar, and knocked him out with a well-placed punch to the face.

Janna was hiding behind a car, while blindly firing off Goth Moths, Tarantula Tornados, Baby Marcos, and all the other spells she could think of to take down Lady Lightning. While she had a much more diverse array of attacks, Indra only had one; Electrocuting people to death. The cloaked villainess levitated above Janna, and prepared to strike her down, when the dark apprentice cast another spell.

"SHADOWY SERPENT SNARE!" Following her incantation, a black viper construct wrapped itself around Indra, but she easily broke its constriction with her electrokinesis. Enraged, she prepared to strike the Snatcher down with extreme prejudice, when Tom flew towards her, and punched her in the face. Indra crashed to the ground, and quickly shook off the impact. However, when she opened her eyes, Janna was standing above her with a wicked grin on her face.

"Spiral Hypnoslumber." Janna conjured the hypnotic spell she learned from Eclipsa, which lulled the lightning-wielding menace to sleep. "Sleep tight, lunatic."

Lastly, Paladin was up against the part-time Protector and full-time wrestler, River Butterfly. Although he seemed to be just a boisterous oaf at first glance, his Herculean strength was nothing to scoff at. Paladin tried doing the chain-wrap move she used on Star before, but the mighty king broke through it like it was silly string. With her flail gone, the mad crusader charged towards River with her shield, but he used his enormous battle club to demolish it with ease. As a last resort, she pulled out a dagger to try and stab him, but he grabbed the knight, and threw her to the ground.

Out of options, Prudence removed her helmet, and attempted to reason with River. "Hold on, now! You wouldn't hit a lady, would you, Your Majesty?"

While River prided himself on old-fashioned values like courage and chivalry, he drew a line at showing mercy to the genocidal maniac who tried to murder innocents, including his beloved daughter. "Justice is EQUAL OPPORTUNITY!" He shouted, then swung Paladin around like a discus, and threw her into a nearby tree. Now, the villains and their ilk were defeated, and the Cleave Center was safe at last.

"Alright, everyone. Round up the bad guys, and take them to Reyes. I gotta check on Mom." As Star hurried back into the building, her teammates began to deal with their defeated foes, not knowing an even greater enemy was on the warpath...


Austin's heart was racing, and his nerves were shot. His terrible anxiety was for good reason; Not only were his hands and legs cuffed to a chair, but on his head was an ominous, sensor-laden headband wired to a mysterious machine. Three feet in front of him was a blank LCD screen, and small auditory buds were planted into his ears. Because of these creepy devices, Austin knew exactly what horrible thing his father was going to do; Brainwash him into a slave to the Watch.

"I didn't want to do this, boy, but you left me no choice. I made Diaz try to kill his wretched girlfriend; Surely, I can clear the corruption from your mind." Oberon flipped a switch to activate the brainwashing machine; The dark screen began to flash brightly with disorienting light, with various startling images hidden between the frames. Chilling subliminal messages fed into the boy's ears and brain; Commands to give in to the Watch, and kill all non-humans with extreme prejudice. Austin turned his head away and shut his eyes, but Oberon grabbed his head, turned it back in place, and pried open his eyelids.

"See the truth, boy! Look upon the glory I've created! This is your birthright!" Now, there was nothing separating him from the assault on his senses and mind. Austin mustered as much mental fortitude as he could, to try and fight off the brainwashing. He thought about how Star and Marco changed his life for the better, how Janna and Tom helped him fight for the good of Earth-Ni, and most importantly, how much he loved Kelly.

The thoughts of his friends and loved ones were touching, but even they weren't enough to stop the evil orders prodding in his mind. Austin could feel himself slipping towards the darkness; Just as he was about to succumb, the brainwashing machine was struck by a thrown dagger, disabling it. The subliminal messages faded away, much to the boy's relief; A second sooner, and he would've been broken by his father's brutal brainwashing.

Furious, Oberon turned around to see the intruders so daring as to ruin his moment of triumph. Lo and behold, standing at the warehouse entrance with their swords drawn were Austin's rescuers; Martial Boy and the Wooly Warrior.

"Let my boyfriend go!" Kelly angrily shouted. While his consciousness was clouded from the assault on his mind, Austin still perked up when he heard Kelly refer to him as such; Looks like she saw him as more than a break-up buddy.

Oberon angrily glared towards the Woolett, then looked back at his son with a sneer. "So it is true. I'm so disappointed in you." The armored warrior donned his battle helmet, activated his energized wrist-blades, then charged towards the heroic duo, beginning a battle for the fate of Maroon...

Marco and Kelly worked in tandem, using their shared swordplay skills to fight off Cobalt. Their swords clashed against his deadly blades, as they hit him from both sides. Between Marco's light, swift strikes, and the heavy blows of Kelly's huge Neverzonian sword, the armored commander was on the ropes. To shift the odds in his favor, Oberon activated his suit's jetpack, and took off several feet in the air.

While hovering, Cobalt fired wildly at the pair of Protectors. Marco used his agility to avoid the villain's wrist-blasts, while Kelly stood her ground and deflected them with her broadsword. As Oberon continued to shoot at the heroes, they realized they needed to even the odds.

"We gotta ground him somehow!" Marco exclaimed.

"ON IT!" Kelly sprinted towards a nearby shipping container, and used her sword to slice one of the doors off its hinge. Once it was loose, the Woolett hurled it towards Cobalt, who was still firing at Marco as he parkoured across crates and shelves. The spinning metal rectangle hit his jetpack dead-on, disabling it.

The commander crashed to the ground, but quickly got back up with a combat roll. Angered, he charged towards Kelly with his blades drawn, but Marco swung from a hanging chain, and delivered a powerful two-footed dropkick that staggered him. The martial artist sprung off the armored warrior, did a backflip, and landed in an agile three-point stance.

Marco then equipped his sword, and used it to block Cobalt's next attack. Although Oberon's energized blades were lethal, Marco's sword could truly take the heat; The blade was forged from a mewman blacksmith's special metal, which was tested against Austin's similar weaponry. As Marco dueled with the commander, he caught a glimpse of Austin struggling in his restraints.

"Kelly, go help Austin! I've got this!" Marco ordered. Kelly ran to her captive lover without looking back, pulled a shortsword from her hair, and used it to cut through his cuffs. Although Austin was still dazed from the mental torture he endured, he still felt a wave of relief come over him now that he was free.

"Kel..." The vigilante weakly moaned, and lightly placed his hand on Kelly's cheek. Seeing her beloved break-up buddy in such a broken state caused her blood to boil; She was going to make Oberon pay for his abuse, no matter the cost.

As she guided Austin out of the warehouse, Marco was still locked in combat with Commander Cobalt. The red-clad hero used a particularly powerful strike to break one of Oberon's wrist blades, but the fiend retaliated with a strike that disarmed Diaz of his sword. Luckily, Marco didn't need a sword to fight; He was just as proficient in hand-to-hand combat. Martial Boy used all his focus to dodge Oberon's deadly slashes, and clapped back with punches targeted at the weak points of his armor. However, Cobalt managed to land a good hit with his armored fist, which sent Marco crashing to the floor.

"Marco Diaz. If Austin hadn't met you, he never would've gone astray. You killed my son, and it's time I returned the favor." Cobalt pointed his wrist-blaster towards Marco's head, and the hero's heart raced in terror. Just when it seemed like all was lost, Kelly leapt back into the fray, and slashed Oberon in the back; The callous commander yelled in pain, as his armor sparked and sputtered.

Oberon looked at the warrior who attacked him, and saw that her expression was much different; In their previous fight, Kelly was haughty and overconfident, which led to her debilitating downfall. But now, she was downright furious, which spelled trouble for him.

Kelly blocked Cobalt's wrist-blasts with her sword, and slashed him across the chest, breaking off more chunks of his armor. The armored commander quickly activated his wrist-shield to bear the brunt of her next blow, and activated his other bracelet's blade to put up a fight. However, the Woolett was much stronger this time, as he admittedly had a hard time fighting off her brutal attacks.

"I am NOT NOTHING!" Kelly screamed, and hit Oberon with an upward slash, which broke his battle helmet in two. She continued attacking with her sword; Slicing off his shoulder plates, ripping his cape, and breaking off parts of his gauntlets. For all the commander had done, she had no room in her heart for mercy.

In a last-ditch effort to save himself, Oberon lifted up his left leg and activated one of his rocket boots; The concussive force knocked Kelly into a wall. While she was dazed, Cobalt acted fast, by launching his whip-cord around her throat, and reeling her in close. The Woolett gasped and sputtered for air, as Oberon dragged her across the room; She struggled to break free, but the villain made sure to disarm her of both her primary and secondary sword. Once she was in prime killing position, he turned on his wrist-blade, and raised it up.

"Time to finish what I started..." Oberon snarled hatefully. He was about to bring his deadly blade down to decapitate his foe, when he felt a searing, agonizing pain coalesce in his midsection. The commander cried out in pain, and looked down in shock to see a blade tipped with red energy poking through his stomach. His shock intensified when he looked behind him, to see who had done such a thing.

"SON?"

That's right. Austin had retrieved one of his utility bracelets, and activated the collapsible blade straight into his father's abdomen. Equally shocked by this were Marco and Kelly; They never thought the vigilante had it in him to deliver such a harsh and lethal strike. Neither did he, judging by the look of conflicted, heartbroken rage that was tearing him apart inside. Austin quickly pulled the blade out of his father's body, and he fell to the ground, too weak to fight.

As Oberon writhed on the ground, Austin could feel the shock and horror of his actions begin to consume him. By stabbing the commander, he felt he had proved himself to be just bad as his sinister father.

"Wh-what have I done?" Austin quavered, as his hands shook, and his gut churned. Both Kelly and Marco placed their hands on his shoulders, in an attempt to comfort their shaken teammate.

"It's okay. It's going to be okay..."

"Come on, we need to go." Marco spoke. However, poor Austin was frozen in place, staring at his injured father. "Don't worry about him, the cops will be here soon. We need to help Star!"

The mention of the rebel princess's name got through to Austin; It was more than likely her struggles were just as bad as his. He snapped out of his state of shock, and grouped up with his teammates; But before leaving, he spoke his last words to his defeated foe.

"I'm sorry, Dad..." With his parting words spoken, Austin recovered the rest of his stolen gear, joined up with his rescuers, and left the warehouse; In a last-ditch effort, Oberon weakly called out to his son.

"Son...Son! Don't leave me here, Austin! Don't leave me to die!" But alas, the mighty Commander Cobalt had finally got his due; He lay on the cold, hard floor, wounded and alone, just as he always deserved...


In the room where the Gateway Collider was held, our heroes were dealing with imprisoning their heinous enemies. Reyes used his Rhombulizer ray to encase the four Attackers in magic crystals; While they weren't nearly as durable as Rhombulus's, they did the job well enough. On the other hand, there were too many tech troopers to crystallize them all; Instead, Tom used his demonic powers to wrap them up in mystical chains, which dragged them down to a prison in the Underworld's depths.

"Thanks for the help, Protectors. I don't know where we'd be without you." Dr. Reyes told the demon prince.

"No problem. That's what we're here for." Tom replied.

"Tom, come quick!" Janna rushed into the room, an urgent look clear on her face. Tom heeded his girlfriend's command, and the two heroes hurried into the medical bay to see a gut-wrenching sight. The Dragonfly Venom's potent effects had taken a toll on Moon; Not only was she running an intense fever, but her veins were glowing blue, as searing pain coalesced through her body. What's more, Star was hunched over her bed chanting "Dip down" repeatedly, in a strenuous effort to unlock her dormant magic. Sadly, her determined attempts weren't enough to save her dying mother. Overwhelmed by self-hatred and grief, Star broke down crying, and buried her face in the blankets of the cot. Moon weakly placed her hand on Star's hair, to try and comfort her devastated daughter.

"It's alright, Star. If I don't make it..." The former queen sighed, and River held her other hand. "I want you two to know that I'll always love you." Overwhelmed by emotion, both Star and River hugged tightly, tears in both their eyes. For Star, her worst nightmare had come true; Her mother was dying, and there was nothing she could do about it. However, their tender, emotionally charged moment was interrupted when the alarm blared once more; Another intruder had entered the building.

"Intruders? How many are there?" Janna griped. Tom looked at the security feed to see who had come to the Cleave Center, and what he saw shocked him.

"One..."

"Star, stay with your mother. We'll take care of that vile villain." River ordered. As the three heroes ran out of the medical bay, Star remained with her mother, determined to save her no matter the cost...


As the rebel princess's turmoils went on, a menacing specter levitated through the darkened halls of the Cleave Center. Since all her subordinates had failed, the Dragonfly herself had come to claim her coveted quarry, no matter who or what stood in her way.

Wanda's first obstacle came in the form of mighty River, who let out a war cry as he leapt towards the villain. The Wild King held out his ram-headed club to clobber her, but alas, he didn't even get the chance to strike the fiend who hurt his wife; She formed her gauntlets into energy cannons, and blasted him through the ceiling, as easily as one would swat a bug.

Next up was Tom, who wasted no time in attacking his enemy. The demon prince blasted Dragonfly with an overwhelming inferno of flame, hoping to bring her down before it was too late. But much to his horror, the master of Magitech walked right through his fiery plume, hardly scathed by the scorching heat. Before Tom could even think of a next move, Dragonfly converted her arm into a plasma-tipped blade, and slashed through his midsection, bisecting the demon.

For mere mortal men, that gruesome move would mean instantaneous death. But for Tom Lucitor, it was but a scratch, albeit a very painful one. Enraged, Tom's top half crawled towards Wanda, as souls leaked from his wounds. The Violet Devil conjured up a fireball to throw, but the villain launched an energy grenade towards him, sending the hero flying. Now that the demon was dealt with, Dragonfly continued on her way to the prize.

"MIDNIGHT SHRIEK!" Janna's spell struck Dragonfly dead on, pushing her back. However, the magic-absorbing nanites in Wanda's armor turned what should be a devastating attack into fuel, making her stronger. She retaliated against the Snatcher with a spell-boosted laser beam; Janna quickly conjured up a barrier to bear the brunt of the blast, but it soon collapsed against the villain's Magitech might. Her attack knocked Janna into the wall, rendering the girl unconscious; She was quite lucky, as a full-power blast would've killed her.

Wanda stepped into the room where the damaged Collider was held, and saw a shocking sight; The other Attackers were all frozen in crystal. At first, she wanted to free her subordinates, but her eyes were caught by the true prize; Held on a special rack were eight newly-made Cleave Rays. These high-tech tools were gateways to the Multiverse, and the key to the Dragonfly's ultimate plan. She was about to seize the technological treasures, when she heard a sudden shout.

"DON'T MOVE!" Standing in the doorway was Director Reyes, who wore the Rhombulizer gauntlet on his right hand; Furthermore, the experimental weapon was aimed right at his insect-like enemy. "Drop your weapons and stand down, or else you're joining your friends in the crystals!"

The Dragonfly said nothing; She only stared the director down, her face obscured by the armor's menacing helmet. "I'll do it!" Reyes shouted. A few tense seconds passed, until the director decided to crystallize Watts here and now. But just as he was about to take her down, an unknown assailant smashed him over the head with an Erlenmeyer flask, knocking him to the ground. The director cried out in pain, then gasped in shock when he saw his assaulter.

"B-Burroughs! You betrayed me?"

"Watts pays me more." The double-agent retorted. Dragonfly loomed over the injured physicist, like an angel of death. A wave of terror overcame Reyes, as his past had come back to haunt him once more.

"You truly are a brilliant man, Alexander. But your fate was sealed when you turned your back on the Watch." The Dragonfly raised her metal tail, and plunged its venomous stinger into Reyes' heart, killing him instantly. But just as she executed the foundation's director, a familiar voice cried out his name.

"DR. REYES!" The scientist's malicious murder was witnessed by three heroes who arrived in the nick of time; Austin, Kelly and Marco had all returned from their perilous battle with Cobalt, only to find out the battle wasn't over.

"You murdered him!" Marco furiously shouted.

"And you will join him!" Dragonfly fired a swathe of mini-rockets at the Protectors, but they all leapt out of the way, and lunged towards her. However, the winged warrior made short work of them, by blasting Kelly away, throwing Maroon towards the wall, and lastly, grabbing Marco by the throat as he leapt at her. As the teenage hero sputtered and struggled to break free, Wanda unformed her nanotech helmet, so her dying prey could see her face.

"This is justice, Diaz. For you, and the monster inside you." Wanda equipped her plasma blade, and grinned sadistically as she prepared to behead Marco. At this moment, Star, who heard the commotion from the medical bay, rushed into the room to see such a heartbreaking sight. Her beloved boyfriend, who she unintentionally cleaved dimensions to remain with, was going to die. Such a devastating threat made her feel terror, anguish, and sickness...along with something else entirely; Something she hadn't felt since the destruction of magic. It felt like an adrenaline rush amplified one hundred fold, one caused by a bond that transcended worlds. As the familiar feeling rushed through Star's body, the former princess knew exactly what to do.

"DIP DOWN!" Star fired an innate blast of magic towards the Dragonfly, which broke her deathly hold on Marco. The room fell deathly silent; At long last, Star had permanently regained her magical powers, much to everyone's shock; Especially her own. As conflicted as she felt about magic, she was glad to have it back; Wanda had messed with her friends, family, and all of Earth-Ni, and for that, she was going to pay.

Star quickly fired off a flurry of spells at Dragonfly, and they hit her in rapid succession. Wanda fired a missile at the mewman in return, but she transformed into her six-armed Butterfly form, and conjured a golden-hued shield that easily tanked the explosion. In return, Dragonfly fired an array of energy rays fueled by Star's attacks, but the Butterfly easily dodged them with her agile flight.

"You may have your wretched magic, Butterfly, but I am-" Wanda's boast was cut short, when Star abruptly tackled her into a wall.

"SHUT UP!" Fueled by rage and a need for revenge, Star beat down on Wanda, hitting her with six Rainbow Fist punches in rapid succession. The Magitech menace conjured various weapons in an attempt to fend her off, but the former princess made short work of them. In a last ditch-effort to kill her six-armed foe, the Dragonfly attempted to sting Star, just as she did to Moon; But to the villain's horror, Star caught her bladed tail, and tore it off like it was nothing.

Finally, Star raised all six of her arms, and let loose on Wanda with a powerful blast of golden energy. Due to her magical powers being the strongest since Eclipsa, she was able to overload Dragonfly's magic-absorbing armor, causing it to malfunction and shock its operator. Wanda cried out in pain, and the nanotech armor reverted to its true form; The Dragonfly Wand.

Worn out from the fight, Star fell to her knees; Marco and Kelly helped her up, as Austin looked down at the fallen villain.

"It's over, Wanda."

"WRONG!" Wanda grabbed her wand, and swung it horizontally, creating an arc of energy that knocked the heroes over. "The war has only begun!" She pointed her wand towards the crystalized villains, and it released a wave of high-pitched sonic energy, which shattered the crystals like glass. Now that the other Attackers were freed, she used her magic wand to levitate a Cleave Ray towards her, then used it to create a black, diamond-shaped portal. Wanda leapt into the wormhole, and her still-shaken cohorts hurriedly followed.

"After her!" Kelly exclaimed. The heroes all got to their feet, but the portal closed just as they reached it. With the Attackers gone, the skirmish at the Cleave Center was yet another Pyrrhic victory; The battle was won, but not the war...


After the villains escaped, Star and her teammates rushed to the infirmary, where Moon still lay sick and dying. The venom had reached its final stage, meaning she was moments away from a painful demise; Luckily, Star had finally unlocked the secret to saving her mother's life.

"This better work." The ex-princess worriedly muttered. She placed both hands on the site of Moon's wound, and began the healing spell passed through her lineage for countless generations. This spell had no fancy movements, or wordy incantations; Its power came from the kindred spiritual energy of the user, which Star had more than enough of. She closed her eyes and focused intensely, hoping she had what it took to heal the queen; After a nail-biting thirty seconds, she opened her eyes; To everyone's relief, the venomous wound completely vanished!

"I...I did it." Star gasped, when her mother suddenly embraced her in a tight, loving hug.

"You saved me, Star. I'm so proud of you..." Moon kindly spoke, causing her daughter to break down in tears of joy. As River and Marco joined in to make it a group hug, Austin was sitting on Kelly's lap, resting his head on her fluffy hair. The poor guy had been through a lot tonight, and needed comforting; As a break-up buddy and potential girlfriend, the Woolett was happy to oblige.

Outside the medical bay, Dr. Tran and the other scientists were mourning the sudden death of their esteemed director, whose body was covered by a white sheet. It was a terrible tragedy, to lose such a brilliant man to the wickedness of the Watch. Tom and Janna, who had just recovered from their fight with the Dragonfly, were also shocked by Reyes' death.

"I'm so sorry." Janna consoled Elisha; She wasn't usually this sincere, but these were turbulent times.

"He was a good man. I definitely won't be seeing him at home." Tom added. All of a sudden, the dark and somber mood of the center was broken by a blaring noise, one that seemed to come from the sky itself. Janna and Tom glanced at each other, and quickly ran out of the room, towards the entrance. The other Protectors had the same idea, as they were soon joined by Star, Marco, Austin, Kelly, River and Moon. The eight heroes hurried out into the parking lot and looked to the sky, where they were greeted by a nightmare come true.

"My God..." Austin couldn't believe what he was seeing, nor could any of his allies. A giant portal had opened in the skies above Echo Creek, and out of it floated a flying dreadnought bigger than the deadly Dauntless. Hundreds of flying robot soldiers poured out of the ship, as did thirty-foot-tall mechs with jet boosters, hovering tanks, and armed VTOL aircrafts. Out of nowhere, a full-scale Cobalt invasion unlike anything before had come to Echo Creek, proving the Dragonfly right; The war had only just begun...


And that's the chapter! Commander Cobalt may be defeated, but the Watch is far from gone; A massive invasion has come to Echo Creek, and the whole world is at stake. It's up to our Earth-Ni Protectors to make a last stand against the forces of evil...

Also, I have some bad news to share. Well, it's bad for you, but good for me. Tomorrow, I'm heading out on vacation for a week, which means I won't be able to write Chapter 26 in time for next Thursday. Earth-Ni Protectors is going on a brief hiatus, until I'm able to start writing again. I hate to do this after a huge cliffhanger ending, but we all need to take breaks and relax. But don't worry, because I'll be back soon!

Until next time, I'm FungusDungus000, and this is "Maroon and the Earth-Ni Protectors."