The screen came back on to show a set of gates leading into town. It panned down a bit to show the group of heroes trotting along the path towards it.
"Finally starting to recognize stuff again," Axel sighed gladly as they went towards town. "Feels good to almost be home."
Jace, Petra, Lukas, Reuben, Axel, Olivia, Gill, and Maya stared at the screen sadly. "Oh yeah," Maya sighed, a sad look coming over her face as she stared at the screen. "I nearly forgot."
"Cheers to that," Petra said tiredly, shaking out some of her short red hair and twirling a bit of it around her finger.
Olivia shook her head a bit as she frowned and walked along the path. "I just can't shake what Aiden was saying about us back there. We do get a lot of treasure. And I guess- sometimes we might throw our weight around."
"Ahh, the classic 'heroes get arrogant' trope," Sparklez said wisely, "although I really can't see any of you getting like that." He paused, eyes flicking to Axel momentarily. "Most of you, anyway."
"What? No!" Axel protested, "Aiden's got a bad case of treasure-envy, pure and simple."
"Well," Jesse interrupted musingly, reaching one of her upper hands back to touch her chin, "I suppose we do always try and get the best treasure..."
"Yeah, but that just means we have good taste, not that we're like, bullies or something," Axel pointed out as the gates opened, allowing them access. The screen switched to show the area above the town, showing Reuben's monument, a small pool, the huge beacon that they'd lit up at the end of the previous episode, and a large building with a gold symbol above it, although the screen switched out too quickly for them to really identify it.
At the sight of the monument, both Jace and Jesse glanced at Reuben, who was nuzzling into their hands (which were resting on the top of his head), blissfully ignoring the screen. Both of them raised their eyes to glance at each other and nodded slightly.
They were going to save him. No matter what it took.
"Mmm, you have a point," Jesse murmured onscreen.
"Well, no matter what Aiden thinks," Petra spoke up, pulling off the gold helmet she'd put on to reveal her blue bandana, a guarded expression coming over her face, "there's one thing I know."
"What's that?" Jesse asked, twisting to face the redhead.
Petra raised a hand and raised her eyebrows. "They think we're awesome."
She was nearly cut off as a voice shouted out, making Jesse look around and the screen zoom in on a couple of civilians jumping up and down as if they'd just won the lottery, "They're back! You guys, they're back!"
Real-Jesse blinked, exchanging a glance with everyone on the floor.
"Run!" the other one squealed, "tell everyone our heroes have returned!"
"That's, uh," Jesse nodded at the screen, looking as if she was at a bit of a loss for words, "that's new." Her cheeks were already starting to turn red in embarrassment.
Onscreen, Jesse seemed to share the same sentiment, looking off to the side awkwardly and scratching the back of her neck, the same tint of red beginning to flush in her cheeks. She seemed pretty unused to the attention, too.
The man was shown running through the streets, his feet pounding against the stone walkways, and thousands and thousands of people stuck their heads out of the windows of buildings. Within moments, the man had an entire crowd behind him, all cheering and screaming in excitement. One man appeared up close, waving his hands above his head and yelling.
"They're, uh," Sparklez adjusted his sunglasses a bit and cleared his throat, "they're really happy to see you."
"Yep, Hybrid Order of the Stone is back in town!" Axel said cheerfully, shooting his spider hybrid friend a grin. She returned it, although it was more of an embarrassed one.
"I'm still not used to this. And I honestly thought there would be a stronger reaction to us being hybrids," she whispered to him.
Axel shrugged in response, patting her on the back. "Well, we saved the world because of it," he whispered back to her, "I guess they just think it's cool."
"Mmm," Jesse conceded, before walking forward through the crowd. Her cheeks were growing redder and redder by the second as she kept walking, and it was just like the end of the previous episode. You could hear bits and snatches of the conversation and the cheering through the overall tumult of the crowd.
Real-Jesse and Real-Jace's face were turning bright red. Lukas and Petra exchanged mischievous grins.
"Look at what you've done with this place!" Jesse called over the crowd, her cheeks still tinted pink, "it looks freaking awesome!"
More cheering, and one fan jumped high enough that she could be seen over the rest of the crowd, screaming at the top of her lungs. Jesse winced with an awkward smile, continuing to walk through the crowd.
"Welcome back!" the fan who'd squealed about them being back practically sang, rushing up to them and holding up her hand to Jesse for a high-five.
Jesse gave a little shrug and returned it, an awkward smile fixed on her face.
The girl ran over to someone on the sidelines as Jesse kept walking forward with a shy, awkward smile, giving another person in the crowd a tiny, shy, incredibly awkward wave, "Did you see that?! Jesse high-fived me! Me! ... it actually hurt a bit. Wow."
And with that, Jesse glanced over her shoulder just in time to catch the girl's eyes rolling into her head with a silly grin on her face and the girl collapsing to the ground, making her wince and rub her head awkwardly.
Nell chuckled. "You brahs get, like, totes famous!"
"Yep, that's us," Petra grinned, gesturing at the now fire-engine-red face of Jesse. (Jace was just rather pink.)"Jesse the Tomato-Head and the fearless Hybrid Order of the Stone!"
Jesse buried her face in Lukas's chest, mumbling something about Petra shutting up that absolutely nobody caught. Lukas blinked down at her, before feeling his own face grow hot and resolutely staring at the screen, ignoring the way the audience was starting to titter a bit.
A terrified scream suddenly rang out over the screen, making the four of them stop and look around.
"That... wasn't a 'happy to see us' scream," Olivia spoke slowly.
Real-Jesse emerged from Lukas's chest to see what in the world was going on.
The screen zoomed around to show a... structure that was reminiscent of a skull. With vines that looked like tentacles dripping down the surface and from underneath it. And having a lavafall coming out of its mouth.
Milo gaped at it in astonishment, completely speechless. Isa and Reginald exchanged a wary look.
"Wow. That's new," Petra said flatly, coming up to stare at it, before cocking her head to one side. "It somehow manages to evoke skulls and tentacles..."
"While still doing the whole 'barfing lava' thing," Olivia agreed, shaking her head a bit. "Yeesh."
"It's magnificent!" Ivor protested, attention finally diverted from the flint and steel.
"Yeah, that's the coolest build I've ever seen!" Magnus agreed exuberantly. Axel, Slab, Facemeat, Clutch, Nell, Soren, Dan, Gill and Milo nodded their agreement to the sentiment as well.
Ellegaard met Isa's eyes by accident. Isa glanced at the screen and then back at the engineer, raising her eyebrows. Ellegaard just shook her head a bit, an amused smile curling her lips up.
"It's, uh," Onscreen-Jesse blinked at it in bewilderment, seeming a loss for words. "It's certainly something."
"NOT MY FAULT!" Ivor's voice rang out loudly onscreen.
"Was that Ivor?" Lizzie asked, narrowing her eyes at the screen.
"That explains it," Gabriel muttered under his breath.
"Look out!"
"Help!"
The four hybrids exchanged a look before bolting towards the skull build, coming to a halt at the bottom.
"Oh, stop your whining!" Ivor snapped, "what are your pathetic injuries in comparison to my majestic tower?" The screen zoomed out, showing Ivor poking his head out of one of the skull's eyeholes.
"It's definitely a tower," Jace spoke slowly, blinking at the screen. "Majestic is... debatable."
Ivor scowled at him a bit.
Onscreen, Jesse blinked. "Ivor?"
Petra sighed. "Of course."
Ivor looked down, spotting Jesse, and grinned, waving his arms like pinwheels. "Oh, Jesse- you're back! Don't listen to a word these fools tell you," and he shot an irritated glance at the rest of the crowd.
A woman standing a good distance away from the spider hybrid turned to face her, putting her hands on her hips. "It's a fire hazard!"
"And your face," Ivor called down, "is an ugly hazard! So I suppose we're even."
Real-Jesse buried her face back in Lukas's chest, making a lot of little choking noises that sounded suspiciously like she was furiously repressing her giggles. Lukas followed suit, yanking the sleeve up to smother his own face. Everyone was doing their best to keep from laughing, Milo going so far as to climb over the back of the couch and duck down.
Ivor scowled at them all, a pink blush making its way over his face.
"Was that-" Gabriel made an odd 'coughing' sound. "Was that really necessary, Ivor?"
"Uh, Ivor," Jesse called up to him warily, gesturing at the skull build, "what exactly is this?"
Ivor put his hands on his hips proudly. "It's my new house!"
The Order all blinked. "... what now?" Ellegaard finally asked, flatly.
"And, my, uh, contribution to society. If anyone wants free lava, this is the place to get it. You're welcome!" he shouted down the crowd, a lot of angry muttering ensuing.
Gabriel facepalmed.
The crowd that was gathered around the bottom looked at Jesse expectantly, hands on their hips, brows furrowed. The spider hybrid hesitated, looking up at the build, then back at the crowd unsurely.
"Jesse, all I wanted was what any man wants," Ivor said. "A little house of my own."
Real-Jesse blinked. "That's oddly sentimental, coming from-"
"With loads of lava pouring off of it," he finished.
"... never mind."
Lukas coughed a bit, arching his eyebrow at the potionologist. "I'm, uh, I'm not sure everyone wants that."
"I do," Milo said meekly, raising his hand like a schoolboy.
"It's so awesome," Magnus whispered loudly in agreement.
Onscreen, Petra walked up to Jesse with a frustrated look on her face, Axel and Olivia moving closer to get a better look at the build. "Ivor. I know you mean well. But your 'house' wants to kill people!"
Real-Jesse got a fit of the giggles.
"Dude," Axel called, kneeling next to the lava pool and looking at it admiringly, "you made a killer house!"
"Exactly!" the woman snapped, "'Killer'!"
"What about just moving it somewhere else?" Jesse suggested meekly, "I'm sure-"
"Move it?" Ivor cut her off. "Way more lava is going to spill out if we do that!"
Jesse winced a bit, the crowd once again turning to stare at her expectantly. "Well? We have to tear it down!" the woman exclaimed, hands still on her hips.
"No no no, don't do that!" Clutch groaned.
"We can't let that monstrosity stand!"
Ivor leaped down from his tower, the woman looking a bit startled, and ran right up to Jesse, who stepped back a bit with wide eyes. "It's my house, Jesse," Ivor nearly begged her, "I have just as much a right to build something as all these people, don't I?"
"I'm pretty sure none of them built a giant house that vomits lava on people," Hadrian replied sarcastically, indicating the screen.
Jesse burst out laughing, burying her head back in Lukas's chest to muffle it, although the blonde had also started shaking with laughter. Jace had literally fallen over, cracking up so hard he was nearly crying, while Petra was nearly choking on her laughter. Olivia had her own head buried in Axel's chest in an attempt to stifle her laughter, the burly boy doubled over and cackling with laughter. Reuben, Benedict and Winslow were all 'laughing' as well.
Aiden was nearly in tears right now, the first emotion he'd visibly shown in a while bursting out in a raucous laugh, while Maya had collapsed onto Gill and was hooting with laughter. Gill was cracking up as well, trying hard to stop laughing and failing miserably. Magnus had nearly fallen off the couch and dragged Ellegaard with him, although she wouldn't have been much help either- she was now nearly crying with laughter. Soren was stepping on the instep of his foot to try to keep from laughing and failing miserably anyway, while Gabriel had just dissolved into a fit of helpless laughter.
Milo, who'd been about to re-emerge from behind the couch, dove behind it again, Isa shaking with silent laughter on the couch and Reginald burying his face into a couch cushion. Cassie was fighting the biggest grin ever as she paused the episode to give everyone a chance to collect themselves, while Stampy had actually fallen off the couch and was now wheezing on the floor. Dan was right next to him, face buried in his arms as he nearly cried with laughter. Sparklez had dissolved into a fit of the giggles, while Stacy and Lizzie had tears rolling down their faces.
Harper had a pillow shoved up to her face, shaking with laughter while Ivor was laughing too, bent over at the waist and allowing his long hair to flip over and hide his face. The gladiators were in stitches, Em and Nell couldn't stop laughing, while Otto was chuckling and couldn't stop. Mevia was openly laughing, clutching at her stomach as she struggled to breathe, while Hadrian was also starting to fight a grin.
At last, the laughter calmed down enough that most of the members could at least pay attention to the screen without dissolving in a fit of giggles, and Cassie pressed the play button again.
Jesse paused onscreen, before shrugging and dropping her voice so that only Ivor could hear her. "Ivor, why don't we remove the lava, move the house somewhere a bit less... public, and then put the lava back in?" she suggested.
The man paused, a thoughtful look coming into his blue eyes. "... that actually seems like a good idea," he said at last.
"Yes!" Real-Ivor threw his arms into the air with a grin. "Long live my lava house!"
A ragged cheer rose from the audience, the members of the audience who weren't cheering either halfheartedly pumping a fist in the air or simply sitting in silence with a grin on their faces. Jesse smothered a grin.
"Good!" Jesse raised her voice again. "We'll move the house out of the way so that we don't have to deal with a house that's, um, dripping with lava," she called, most of the crowd seeming appeased now and trickling off.
Ivor turned to Jesse, patting her on the shoulder and making the spider hybrid grin. "Glad to see you're a natural diplomat. Haven't seen you in a while."
"And by a while, I assume you mean two days?" Petra asked sardonically.
Ivor shot Petra a look. "Ha ha." He then turned to Jesse again, a smile coming over his face. "So, what can I do for you?"
Jesse grinned at him. "Ivor, we found something at that temple you told us about!" she exclaimed, cheerfully.
Ivor jolted forward, grabbing ahold of Jesse's shoulders and making the spider hybrid start back in surprise. "What? You did?" He seemed to realize what he was doing a second later and let go, clearing his throat awkwardly as a blush came over his cheeks. "Ah, yes, ahem... well, come here." And he extended his arms in a hugging motion.
"Wait- you're offering her a hug? When was the last time he hugged us, that one Christmas?" Soren asked, looking at the other members with an exaggeratedly shocked expression.
"Mmm, yeah, might've been that night he got massively drunk-" Magnus agreed, grinning and resolutely ignoring the way the teenagers in the audience were starting to giggle.
"I-in my defense, you were the one who challenged me to a drinking contest while we were both rather tipsy already-!" Ivor argued back.
"Yeah, didn't you both pass out on top of each other after- what, seven dozen beers?" Gabriel jumped in a little too eagerly, a grin on his face as the giggles turned into full-blown laughter. "You were both completely sozzled after that-"
"Can we discuss drinking habits after we finish watching the episode?" Ellegaard interrupted, barely able to repress a grin as Ivor spluttered incoherently where he was sitting.
Onscreen, Jesse gave Ivor a quizzical look, before shrugging and moving into the hug.
He started talking in her ear, her long hair blocking his mouth as he muttered rapidly into her ear. "Meet me in the Treasure Room. Ten minutes. And bring the thing you found." With that, he released her, gave her a pat on the back, and walked off again.
"Huh. You can be subtle. Who knew?" Magnus hummed.
Ivor threw a pillow at him.
Jesse blinked twice, arching her eyebrow as Petra came up behind her, before turning to look at the redhead. "I wonder why Ivor wants us to meet him in the Treasure Room..."
"Oh, did he say that?" Petra asked, looking slightly surprised at this.
Olivia spoke up, making the others all look at her. "Well, if we're going to move this, I'm going to go see if Ellegaard, Magnus and Soren can help us out. We'll be right back."
"See you later!" Jesse said cheerfully, playfully saluting to the Enderman hybrid. The Enderman hybrid rolled her eyes with a grin, saluted right back, and the burly male and the tall female walked off side by side.
"Ishipit," Gill coughed, before clearing his throat. "Sorry, I really need some water."
Maya hid the huge grin spreading over her face.
"Well, let's go find Ivor, I guess," Jesse said mildly to Petra, the two of them exchanging a smile, and the two of them walked off in the other direction.
The screen blacked out.
"Aww, I hope we catch up with you soon," Axel said, pouting a bit.
Jesse shrugged, giving the burly boy a solid pat on the back. "Well, it's not like anything that interesting is going to happen while we're gone."
"Yeah, it's not like we'll be running into a bunch of fire squids or something," Petra joked.
The screen faded back in to show a large hall with a huge statue of the amulet on the ceiling, even better than the ones back at Soren's fortress. Jesse and Petra trotted along a long red carpet, passing by dozens of treasures and posters, the most precious ones at the end. The amulet, the Witherstorm's Nether Star, the suits of armor Ivor had had, and a few empty pedestals.
"Wow," Stacy shook her head admiringly, "you guys've been busy."
"Amazing," Soren breathed in interest, "that's even more impressive than the original Order's treasure room."
"Wow, this place is really shaping up," Petra whistled, looking impressed, before she turned back to the front- and her eyes widened. The screen switched to show someone's back as he stared at the treasures on the pedestals.
Jesse gasped. "Hey, it's Lukas!"
Several other members of the audience's heads snapped around to face the screen, eyes widening.
"Whoa! Lukas! I don't believe it!"
The screen switched back to the spider hybrid. Jesse's green and red eyes widened in shock, the relaxed smile falling off her face, and her head snapped around from looking at the redhead just in time to see Lukas whip around to see them, his own blue-green eyes wide.
A/N: Let there be fluff... next chapter. xD
RQTC: Did anyone notice the Indiana Jones reference a few chapters back?
Who's ready for all the ADVENTURE to start in a few chapters? xD
Meeeeeee!
Also, guess who just realized that there's only 14 chapters until we reach the 100-chapter milestone (gapes)
Emily The Avenger: Woot woot!
LunarStarsMoons: (shrugs) Sorry... :3 / I know, right? xD I just love a few of them more than the others.
CrystalTearsofFaith: I'm not sure that makes sense... knocking someone off the edge and then catching them... ... eh (shrugs) Interesting idea, though. :3
S4SH4L4SH4theGaMeR101: (laughs) Very true. / Probably stay the same. I'm not sure it'd make sense for them to suddenly change into a human. xD
DarkPrincess2001: Is he? xD
AquaK13: He's a tree hugger! (grins) / (whistles) Nice :3
LittleAngelbun: (pokes the wrapped box) Is this going to explode in my face? / Also, glad you're happy about the new chapters x3
Darkbeast Dend: (grins) Yep.
NinaNaranja: Nope, not just you xD / Yeah, I feel bad too (frowns) / Hehe, yeah Harper's great x3 / Oh, it is? (checks) HOLY SH-
SofiaTheWriter88: Yeah, that's true :3 / Hehehe xD I didn't even realize that until you pointed it out. / He did xD And I agree. / If I could watch anime on PAMA... ohoho xD
RapidSammi: (laughs) / (is excited with you) (glomps you)
Beli0304: (cracks up) / I'm glad you liked it!
J.M.M.: Let's see if they did! xD / How do you mean?
Rabbits rule: Very true (nods) / (blinks) ... I- okay... / Thanks, Fluffy! / (laughs at that) / Wow, that was- that was kinda cold, Fluffy. / LE GASP! Kylik! ... you're getting along with people, good for you x3
the indecisive bird: (laughs) / (cracks up) Lol dude. / (winks)
Chlosky: (grins)
x.X. A.L. X.x
