El Tigre: Mirrorcle City
By Jawmax
Chapter 1: Beyond the Looking Glass
Manny and Frida were joy riding some go karts one night in Miracle City. "These are awesome!" Manny yelled.
"Yeah, why would anyone throw these in the dump?" Frida asked just before both engines blew up sending both crashing in front of the Miracle City Museum. "Oh, that's why."
Then a small black figure landed on top of the museum and entered through the skylight. "Looks like Black Cuervo at it again." Manny said before spinning his belt. "El Tigre!"
Frida grabbed onto El Tigre as he fired his chain claw and zipped up to the roof. "So, how fast do you think you'll kick her butt this time?" Frida asked.
"That will depend on if Granpapi steals the generator in the Miracle City power plant or not. Dad did hear someone was going to try and steal it so he might stop him." Manny explained.
As they got in, they overheard Black Cuervo talking with someone. "Jango of Dead? Are you trying to steal the Emerald Eagle too?"
"What? No, although that would be a nice bonus, but my Nana sent me and her skeleton banditos to steal this ancient magical stone tablet." Jango pointed to giant stone tablet right behind him across from the Emerald Eagle display.
"Two bad guys for the price of one." El Tigre said. "This should be fun."
"Banditos attack!" Jango ordered.
"Thanks for distracting El Tigre Jango!" Black Cuervo said as El Tigre slashed down several skeletons, she stole the jewel but as she tried to take off Frida grabbed her legs.
"Not going to be that easy!" Frida said.
"Get off me! I hate you!" Black Cuervo yelled as she tried to shake her off going back and forth in the air.
"Feel the might of my mystic guitar!" Jango said as he fired a magic laser but with all the shaking about the girls swung in front of the beam's intended target hitting the Emerald Eagle and bouncing toward the tablet. The inner surface crumbled away revealing smooth reflective glass.
"Dude. The thing's a mirror." Frida said seeing hers', Manny's, and Black Cuervo's reflections.
Then then whole city went dark. "Guess Granpapi got the generator." El Tigre said. Then the surface of the mirror began to glow a bright white and a powerful wind pulled the three toward it! Instead of hitting a glass surface they seemed to be going through a wormhole and thought for a moment they passed by…themselves? Then when they came out the trio were right back where they started, the floor of the pitch-black museum. "What was that about?"
Black Cuervo kicked Frida off and flew up. "I don't care! The Eagle is mine!" She then said sweetly. "See you soon El Tigre." She rocketed off into the dark city night.
"Well at least we stopped Jango." El Tigre said helping Frida up.
"We better go home. My parents might freak with me out in this blackout." Frida said.
"Can you get back on your own okay? I can't see anything."
"Yeah, I'll be fine. See you at school tomorrow, just hope Vice Principal Chakal doesn't blame us for this somehow."
As the two left Jango came out from behind the mirror. "Great now I have to lug this thing back to the hideout by myself. Still those three were talking weird. Especially that bird girl."
El Tigre swung through the lightless city until he got back home at Casa de Macho. "I'm home." Manny said turning back to normal.
"Good to hear Manny." He heard his father Rodolfo say.
"So, when do you think the power will come back on?"
"That depends on how long it takes the technicians to fix the damage your father did!" said Manny's grandfather Jorge. "It would have been even longer if he got away with it!"
Manny was confused by that last part. "Only as long as it would take for them to pay the ransom!" hearing his father say that really confused Manny until the lights came back on and what he saw shocked him. His father was wearing a spiked leather jacket, flaming skulls were on his mask, gloves, tattooed on his bare chest. Looking over to his grandfather his stubble was gone, he was wearing a white lab coat, stars instead of skulls hung from his sombrero. Rodolfo looked at Manny and got a smile on his masked face. "Manny! You're finally wearing the belt! Oh Mijo, does this mean you are finally ready to join me in evil? The feared Wild Pantra!"
"You mean be a hero fighting for good like his Granpapi…" Jorge's sombrero turned into a mech suit. "…Puma Professor!"
"Viva camisa." Manny turned to a red feathered Senior Chapi.
Seeing his family was eager for an answer which he really needed himself, so went with the truth. "I uh, haven't decided on which yet."
Wild Pantra looked disappointed. "Well at least it's a step in the right direction. "Let's see what they are say about my heist attempt. Probably praising your grandfather for stopping it."
On the T.V. was someone Manny was not expecting. "As mayor, I wish to say that even though the blackout caused a surge in crime our proud city's many deputized hero types had stepped in and kept safe the citizens of our minty fresh spring of justice and heroism mang." Mayor Oso said.
"I uh, got homework to do!" Manny said running into his room.
"Such a good boy." Jorge said.
"He is evil!" Rodolfo argued.
Inside his room Manny was trying to make sense of everything. He hardly noticed the floor was covered in sketch pads. "What's going on? It's like Miracle City has been turned upside down!" Manny then looked out the window toward the volcano at the heart of the city but the words on it explained some things. "Mirrorcle City? Then when we were pulled into the mirror we ended up in some kind of opposite world! Oh no, Frida!"
Earlier Frida walked up to her house, but something was off, it looked like the lawn had grown since she left for school that morning and while the guard dogs did growl at the sound of others coming, they let her by and seemed nicer than usual. When she came in, she tripped on a bottle on the floor into a pile of old pizza boxes. Then the lights came on and saw her house was a total dump! Beer bottles and pizza boxes everywhere, unplugged electronics and piles of cash were in a separate corner of the living room, and she almost threw up when she saw dozens of roaches and rats scurry around the kitchen. "What the heck?" Frida asked when she saw herself in a dirty mirror. Her signature goggles were replaced by red rimmed glasses and her hair was back to its natural brunette, her spiked arm bands were gone, she was wearing a blue single piece long sleeved dress with a red bow tied at the collar, and she was now wearing sensible shoes instead of her rocker boots. "I look like a nerd!" She screamed.
Then in came her family through the front door. Her father Emiliano had a sleeveless leather jacket one and blue jeans and motorcycle boots, and while he still had an eye patch it had the head of a blue bull on it. Her mother Carmela was in the same outfit and now wore her hair long and wore shades. Her sisters Anita and Nikkita also wore similar outfits but Anita's hair was dyed red while Nikkita's was green. "Frida, you missed…" Anita began.
"…out on some choice looting." Nikkita finished.
"On what?" Frida asked confused.
"The blackout. What? Still think you're too good for…"
"… dropouts like us, Ms. classical violinist?"
"Now girls it's your sister's choice if she doesn't want to ride with the Blue Bull biker gang." Emiliano said dropping a big bag of money in the pile of cash.
"Besides I love the look on the cop's faces when they see that honor roll bumper sticker I put on my bike, priceless!" Carmela said.
Frida was freaking out. "V…violin? Hon…honor roll?" She ran up to her room screaming.
"Was it something I said?" Carmela asked putting down some stolen jewelry.
Frida's room seemed to be the only place that was clean. On the walls were posters of classic composers, shelves with books of all kinds of subjects, and on her desk on a stand like place of love and honor was her violin which right now was repulsing her like cross for a vampire. "No! Keep away from me you, vile instrument of dorkness!"
Then she heard her father yell. "Frida, you friend Manny Rivera's on the phone."
"Coming!" she yelled back glad to be away from the violin.
"Here you go sweetie." Her father handed her the phone. "He's a good kid your friend, could stand to have a little more backbone though."
Frida paid no mind to the comment. "Manny, are you still you?"
"Yeah, Frida we're not in Miracle City!" Manny said over the phone. "This is some crazy mirror world called Mirrorcle City! My dad is the villain, my granpapi is the hero, it's all backwards!"
"You're telling me! Instead of cops my family is a biker gang! Which would be cool actually if it weren't for two things, the house is a total pig stye and apparently I'm queen of the nerds!" Frida whispered back
"What?"
"You couldn't see me in the dark, but I'm dressed like a prissy little bookworm! My mom says I'm on the honor roll Manny. The honor roll!"
"Woah, that does not sound like you at all."
"What about you? Any changes?"
"Not that I can tell, although mirror dad did seem surprised that I was wearing my El Tigre belt. Maybe I just wasn't interested in having superpowers."
"Wow, so both our counterparts are lame. Well, if that freaky mirror got us here then let's sneak out and go back! Heck with both our dads being criminals they probably won't mind us breaking in."
"I'm not sure about that Frida. My dad was talking about how he got a code he needed to break open a safe by shocking a guy with his Bronze Boots of Brutality and I don't want to be on the receiving end if these people react badly to us not belonging here."
Frida then had the image of her family beating her up go through her head. "Oh, good point."
"Also, we're not the only ones who went through the mirror, we can't leave without Black Cuervo."
"Manny, she can find her own way back."
"No, I mean we literally can't leave without her. It's something my dad told me about magic spells and mystical items once. I think since we all came here together, we can only go back together, or the portal won't work."
"Oh. Alright let's look for her first thing after school."
"Frida, your pizza is getting cold!" she heard her mom say.
"Be right there!" Frida said and then she had a thought. "Wait Manny, if you dad was a hero but now, he's a villain then that means the rest of the Flock of Fury…oh I wish I could see the look on her face!"
Again, earlier that night before power was restored Zoe Aves also known as Black Cuervo returned to her and her family's hideout. "Zoe was your mission a success?" she heard her mother Carmelita ask in the dark.
"There was a little unexpected interference but mission accomplished." Zoe said reaching for her stolen emerald.
"Backup power is coming online." Zoe's grandmami Pachita said. "Oh, Zoe there's some cookies on the table, help yourself. You earned them."
Zoe thought that was a little weird, but she was a kid and wouldn't turn down a free cookie and began eating it as she heard her mother say. "Good, this night is another victory for…" The lights came on. "…the Flock of Freedom! The greatest Superheroes of Mirrorcle City!" The woman with her mother's face was dressed in a gold version of her super suit with white highlights and vizor while her grandmother's suit was blue with green highlighting and vizor and her high collar had a pattern like peacock feathers. Zoe began choking on her cookie while trying to keep the emerald hidden.
"Zoe! Are you alright?" her grandmothers look-a-like asked worried.
"I'm fine!" Zoe coughed holding up a white gloved hand. It was then she got a good look at herself reflected it one of the bases monitors. Her suit was now white with a yellow visor and pink highlights and the sight of it filled Zoe with disgust.
"Thank goodness." Carmelita said. "Mother, why do you have to spoil her like that? We haven't even had dinner yet."
"Oh, I can't help it." Pachita sighed. "I'm just so proud of her."
"Actually…" Zoe quickly came up with a lie. She didn't know what was going on, but one thing was certain, this wasn't her family. "…I had a burger while on the mission and I'm…" She gave a convincing fake yawn. "…really tired from a busy day of crimefighting." That last word made her want to gag.
"Of course, Mija." Carmelita smiled. "But before you go to bed, I know I've said this before, but we are both so happy you joined us in the Flock of Freedom as White Cisne, and with your grandmami as Madam Plume, and me as Condora, we'll keep our beautiful city safe. I was so worried that your gentle nature would make it hard for you to fight for justice, but you've been wonderful."
Before Carmelita could hug her Zoe let out another yawn. "Thank you Mami. Good night." Zoe had to use all her will power not to fall for this praise, no matter good it felt this was a fake, her mother was Voltura and she would never fight for justice!
As Zoe turned to leave Condora had one more thing to say. "Aren't you forgetting something? Or do you plan to sleep in your super suit?"
"Whoops. I guess I'm more tired than I thought." Zoe hit the control on her watch and the suit vanished but what replaced it was even worse. Her fingerless gloves were gone, her boots were replaced by sneakers, but those and everything else, her dress, her nails, even her socks were all pink. She ran to the bathroom unable to keep from throwing up from all the disgusting cuteness. While small villainess tried to contain her rage, it would only get worse because when she opened the door to her room, she was nearly blinded not only by more pink objects but also most surfaces were covered in glitter. Closing the door, she screamed into her pillow. "I'm going loco!" calming herself down Zoe tried to think. "First thing I need to do is hide this." Zoe pulled out the emerald and looked around a saw a pile of stuffed animals and growled. "This will do for now, it's clear I'm in some other dimension where I'm a goody-goody superhero. But really, is the other me five?" She stuck the jewel in the pile of plushies acting like she was sticking her arm in a pile of manure. "The last thing I need is to be thrown in jail by a fake mom, if I'm going to get back to my real life then I'll need Manny and blug, Frida's help if what Grandmami said about spells is true." Zoe opened the drawer she kept her pajamas in. "Is that super suit the only thing that girl wears that's not entirely pink? Guess I should be glad her bird is a swan and not a flamingo." After she changed, she then came up with a plan. "I'm sure I'll see them at school tomorrow, in the meantime I can't just bluff my way through conversations like I did with Condora, she or my classmates might actually have a brain cell and figure something is wrong. Luckily like me this White Cisne keeps her diary in the same place. It should have some info I can use…" Zoe then saw right next to the diary was a picture frame and the photo in it made scream into her pillow again. It was her back in kindergarten with Frida, where it all began between the two. It was at someone's birthday party and written on the picture were the words "Frida and Zoe. Besties forever." After a good scream Zoe went right into reading the diary. "I hope this fake Zoe isn't as sappy as she seems."
Elsewhere in Mirrorcle City Jango of Dead finally made it to Sartana of the Dead's hideout with the mirror. "Sorry it took so long Nana. White Cisne got in the way but when the thing became a mirror she and her little friends were pulled in and then when they came out, they all left not even bothering to look for me."
"Jango, it does my old evil bones proud to see that you've brought me the Magic Mirror of Malaysia!" Sartana then played a cord on her mystic guitar and the mirror glowed slightly.
The Sartana's reflection then spoke. "Behold my grandson through this magic mirror is a world where except for those of the Dead like you and me every hero is a villain, and every villain is a hero. This portal will let us not only take over Miracle City but the world!"
"Not only that but it lets me finally talk to some as awesome I am." Jango from Miracle City said.
"Right back at you handsome." Mirror Jango said. "Still, how's this going to help either version of us take over the world?"
"Those that travel through the mirror switch places with their counter parts and on night fall of the third day they become just like them forever." Mirror Sartana explained.
Miracle Sartana continued. "I, thus she has created a spell that will only allow the heroes of both worlds to be pulled in and gain control of them once they become villains!"
"By the time we complete it White Cisne will be my counterpart's evil slave and we'll be rid of that winged brat forever, then both will have an unstoppable army of villains to take over the world!" Both Sartanas laughed at the same time.
"Wait, if this White Cisne is the counterpart of Black Cuervo then, you're going to make El Tigre evil!" Miracle Jango laughed.
Mirror Jango didn't get the joke, "Who the heck is El Tigre?"
Miracle Sartana then had a look of troubled realization. "Uh oh, the Rivera boy! He hasn't chosen to be a hero or a villain yet! The spell won't work on him!"
"Judging by the look on my face this El Tigre could ruin everything! We must begin casting the spell now!" Mirror Sartana said.
"Jango! Go and destroy El Tigre now!" Both Sartana's said at the same time.
"Right! But one thing first to see just how alike we are." Mirror Jango said. "Favorite torture device?"
"Oh, I can't just pick one! They're all so evil and awesome!" Miracle Jango said.
"I know right?"
Next chapter: The new you.
