Matters not helped by the winds outside, even Miracle Cream couldn't stop chills through the bones of that crew. Over two years ago it took only moments to get the tour and face him, a simple Gemerald trade to have an assumed truce taken care of. How they wished it would remain that way…

But the further the New Justice Team travelled those caves now, and the further the mercury dipped below thirty-two, the more they realised just how serious their latest encounter had become. Whether from sheer nerves or cold, Mayfield had racked up a bunch of shivers; even for asking about warmth both Clobberella and Super King had denied him.

Months to build trust and get them here, only minutes to be reduced to tagalong, at best.

The caverns started to grow central after several minutes of walking, where they found themselves glancing around the huge arena that'd likely been set up. Emptiness at first; just a field of ice before they began to notice the chambers, bevelled sections, and chiselled gaps to peek out.

"Great Cheech's ghost… How did Zookeeper do this, especially through the summers?"

"Lots of money, lots of servants, good amount of time, plenty of…"

"Did I ask you, Thomas?"

"No ma'am."

It wasn't just the ice itself to shrivel him inside. He knew he had tossed his goodwill again, even the friendships he sacrificed limbs for. All the lessons in the months since coming here… Now he had returned to the petulant brat he'd always been.

"Who was I, to decide what the Fates should hold for me?"

Plenty of thoughts as they took more moments to look around, soon spotting the true source of their recent problems. A sight to blow them back 12-gauge plasma style, jaws could've cracked the ice as they watched that machine chug along. The sheer size, constant output, the carts upon carts of storage…

After a few more moments to look around, they spotted the true source of their recent problems. Jaws could've cracked the ice as, blown back 12-gauge plasma style, they watched that machine chug along. The sheer size, constant output, and unthinkable storage. Had potential millions, even billions, of soldiers lined up once that got out.

"If only Cookieville never screwed you up… Zookeeper, we've come to answer your challenge… Stand & deliver, or face justice's wrath!"

Only reverbs and falling icicles to show for the Captain's brave callout, even several of them. Hearing nothing, she beckoned both her teammates towards those carts, towards the purple sea of vials that sat there undisturbed.

"I guess we'd better encourage him out of his seat. Super King, go make some ice holes. You, help me grab these things. If nothing else we can deprive him; I doubt he'll go swimming after them."

At first it'd been a careful operation; Super King tempered a belched flame into a burner, and Clobberella grabbed some handfuls to drop into the water, getting as low as she could to improve precision. The cold suddenly grew several orders worse for Thomas; he became no help as his hand grew quick to stiffen and lock up.

Another set of dirty looks, as the once dynamic duo instead chose to lift the cart to dump the lot at once.

"You won't have your serums forever, Zookeeper. More you ignore us, more that shall sink… Come on out!"

A reverb off the icy walls, and then a rejoinder similar, and creepier, to the chill of Death off her apartment.

"In due time, my dear, in due time."

Leela spun about in every direction, that voice worming through her core: "What the hell do you mean, you bloated snake?"

"For starters, it personally gladdens me to see you make it. In simple terms, you're my favourite adversary… I've lost count of how much I've stolen from your pathetic life; your dreams, your boyfriend, your trust and your beliefs… And you know what, Little Miss One-Eye?"

Taking a graceful skate of purpose towards them, none other than The Admiral…

"I'm not one to let go of such hot streaks so easily."

Only a curdling muffle to be heard as Mayfield's mouth was clapped, as a syringe full of serum plunged into his neck. Falling to his knees, he watched agape as his veins began to corrupt, electrifying and glowing purple-and-black.

Seemed about right; for those sudden racking shivers near the carts, it had been his powers fading away. Trust even miracles to start betraying him now.

Meanwhile, waddling out of his true lair with arms open wide, was their worst enemy of all.

"Well, well, well… It's quite a fond reunion we have here! Might I suggest we stay a while? I've got some tea and scones in the oven?"

Leela looked livid upon sighting him; she moved to mow him down before The Admiral gripped her arms and pinned them to her back. Grew tempted to drag him along in punching the Zookeeper, but she knew that such impulses wouldn't let her stay Captain for long.

"What the hell did you do to him?"

"Take a wild guess, you fool! After that failure of my war, I remembered I didn't need anything so grand and wasteful to beat you. This time, I'm letting your fake fiancé take command, with my two-point-zero! Everything you've faced once before, and a brilliant boost in brainpower as well!"

The Zookeeper then ripped out a red button, and kept yammering while Leela squirmed to break free.

"And this baby will rip him from inside out, at any moment I desire! You'll be there, helpless to save him, just as you were helpless to save Fry."

"If I ever get my hands on you, so help me Lord…"

"Oh, what, you're going to pummel my teeth in? How long have you failed to follow up? In fact, why don't I let such a wonderful streak continue?" Two quick claps, and the Admiral spun Leela around.

Dug his paws into her outfit—earning quite a protest—to seize her single antidote. Flicked it into the gapped cavern, down the ice and out of sight, before they all watched the ice wall shut off access. Super King had no time to react, before his own door was ripped open. There went The Professor's antidote, sliding down and vanishing into that darkened chamber.

The bevelled section soon gave way to a five-by-five grid, imbued by a selection of two combo-coloured tiles; black & purple, or green & gold. Even for still gritting his teeth, Mayfield had tilted his head towards it, getting the oddest feeling.

Another sneer, quick double-clap, and stare into his lair: "I take it you know what comes next."

A dozen of his corrupted civilians to emerge, now much better in a scuffle, and a great deal tougher for soon surrounding the team. Two or three apiece, and plenty of substitutions yet.

"I do forget to mention these parts, do I? Whoopsy-daisy… No matter, feast your eyes on what lies ahead. You'll need great vision under pressure, a keen, quick-witted mind, and the ability to prepare for some classic, deadly games of mine…"

While the original heroes were left to curse, the ultimate criminal conducted his spiel; who'd be doing what, as those minions soon grabbed them, a split-up of sorts now setting in effect.

"And as for your friend, if you fail him, he'll be helping me rip you and the Earth asunder, all en route to conquering the universe… You've all got one hour to succeed, so better be quick. And of course, have fun!

A great laugh to rise from his chest, as he prepared the ticking countdown and called Admiral back to stand guard, to prepare his front-row seat to the New Justice Team's failure.

In the middle of her almighty blue streak, Clobberella found herself tossed into an ice wall nearest to the grid. Super King, for such self-imposed stature, had found himself sliding spear-like into the chamber, only a loud clang of metal to put him to a complete stop. Mayfield got tossed closest to the entrance, rolling and thudding along as those minions went separate ways towards each member.

Eyes widened, heart beating fast, Mayfield faced off against the minions who cracked knuckles and bared teeth. The worst kind of life lessons, now ready to stack upon his plate.

The Zookeeper's would-be army, time itself as well, the freezing cold to numb him… Worms could only do so much to counter such idiocy, that which left him the same child to be bullied, harassed and broken apart on his first night in the city.

Wasn't sure why they didn't just kill him, it was what he deserved… Maybe Zookeeper wanted to know the full effects of this serum, witness the light die from his eyes before he lit up the true way.

Exactly as he showed Fry, since the first day they worked 'together'.

¸.·ˆ¯)¸.·ˆ¯)¸.·ˆ¯)¸.·ˆ¯)¸.·ˆ¯)¸.·ˆ¯)

Once he popped his head from out of the ice wall, the Best One of the Three—or so he'd have you believe—could only switch on his eyebeams and gaze about, fearful for his missing prize. Afraid to move for the possibility of a hole, his lights soon spotted two of Archbury's men kicking the vial between themselves. A game of Keep Away; Ronaldo and Messi versus an outdated robot.

In fact, he was soon sent plunging into an ice hole, weighed down by his cape and trapped by the relentless men to toy with him. Knew he had no lungs, so were happy to press his head under, watch him flail about. All he could do in response was to burp flames, curse off the walls, and swat arms against the untroubled nuisances.

The five-minute mark had crawled by, and already the winner looked obvious right from the get-go.

"I get my hands on these rats, I'm gonna drown them, I swear to…" One could argue that he wouldn't fail in vain, had he done so.

Elsewhere, Clobberella had felt the pressure heap upon her, not just for the foreign puzzle to face, but for the three minions who swarmed her throughout. Had always been a cry of "Hi-yah!" to escape a bad situation, but it now seemed that this was the night when she couldn't lay a hand on anything.

Had been quite the while since she and Zookeeper met like this, so long since she remembered his true modus operandi. It had always been his game plan to play her emotions; threats, phone-calls, letters, rigged odds and worse to lure her into more impulsive states.

All dirty tactics, and they had never failed to work.

"Damn all this to hell, if Mayfield had that stupid outfit on, we'd be getting help in no time."

Five minutes became ten, as Mayfield had thoughts flash of remaining in hospital while continuing to get beat up. Never would've faced such a triple-whammy in that bed, that one bad day of being fired, broken into sprinkle-sized pieces, then eventually corrupted to Zookeeper's side.

"Fucked it all up, mate… Could've had the universe to search for your future, yet you just cared for this small world. Not like Leela had no reason for such malice, maybe you don't deserve the new life she gifted you…"

Just then he started catching blows to the head, a change to make a huge epiphany flash before him. Leela HAD been teaching another lesson the whole while; who you were was determined by actions more than words. For a so-called 'tough guy', he had a rather poor fight record; against Leela in his 'leathers', Kif for being a 'bounty hunter', and even against Zapp. A coward himself, but a pragmatic one.

He soon pleaded and begged for mercy, as the minions were then ordered to discard and toss him aside. Giving his profuse thanks, he took his chance to crawl and hobble away, hearing Zookeeper's chortle for limping out of sight.

"Would you look at this, Clobberella? Seems like your 'tough-guy' hero wet his pants and saved his own hide! I wonder what that could remind us of… Those who don't remember the past and all."

As the scenes of dread started to swarm her, as those powerful creatures kept stalling what little time she had left, she could only sink to her knees and scream towards the opening.

"That's how you treat me, after I take your worthless corpse in?! DAMN YOU, THOMAS!"

Hearing that, The Zookeeper knew his plan could not have gone better. Just wanted to lure them in, drag such dreams and hopes towards eventual end before crushing them. Mayfield had ran off, but he'd be among his ranks soon. Clobberella's wails had pierced the walls, no sweeter music he'd ever hear. Super King had still gone nowhere, judging by the books of bad language off those walls.

First, he'd make them watch their own slow murders, then he'd add Mayfield to his permanent slave roster, and then his plans to seize the planet, the universe later, would go on uninterrupted. Seemed eager to have them know, as his laughter echoed against their struggle.

"Tonight, I wipe the stains off my undefeated streak! Soon, I will BOW any planet, every galaxy, all the star systems before my whim! I'll become the God to snatch every last treasure, create a kingdom that none shall ever surpass! Ultimate victory, in my hands… Nyah ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha ha!"

As unhinged as he might've sounded, he might've been absolutely right… This was how he envisioned things to go, similar as they did to eighteen months ago.