Amphibia: Stepford World

by jawmax

Anne, the Plantars, and her friends escape from Andrias and have returned to Earth. But something happened in the five months the girls were gone, and now everyone is under the influence of an AI named Stepford. Now everyone dresses like it's the 1950's and all women want to be housewives. Can they save the world from its control? Trio x OCs Cover Image by Alcia DrawsBecause

3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Our Hearts Betray Us.

AN: To U. N. Owen: I wish you would log in so I could direct message you. But for your question about Maggie, according to the Amphibia wiki the creator of the show, Matt Baily, based her on a racist bully he knew as a kid. That's where I got that part about her from.

When Anne looked around, she realized she was in a large, old-fashioned house full of vintage cabinets and furniture. A glance down, and she saw that she was dressed in vintage, old-looking clothes: she was currently wearing a plain-colored dress, with a white apron, while her hair was shaped in big Victoria rolls. Yet, the most creepy thing around her was that the house and everything inside it (including herself) was in black and white, like those old Tv-shows of the past.

Before she could react to the surrounding reality, she heard airy music and unknown singing voices, sung from nowhere:

She's our Dutiful Wife, lovely and bright with soft curls.

She's our Dutiful Wife, a wonder among other girls.

She's a treasure, and I grant you.

She'll enchant you at first sight.

She's our Dutiful Wife, and she'll make your heart take flight.

She's fantastic, Calamity-tastic.

She's a Heart loving and compassionate.

She's our Dutiful Wife, she brings love and happiness everywhere.

"My Dutiful Wife: Starring, Anne Boonchuy as Dutiful Wife; Daniel Bentson as Loving Husband; Sprig Plantar as Kind Neighbor. With special guest star: Frodrick Toadstool."

"What the…?" The girl tried to speak, before she realized her mouth wouldn't open. She tried to move her right hand to check, only for her hand to stay still.

All of a sudden, the house's front door opened, and Anne recognized Daniel walking inside, himself dressed in a suit with a striped tie and black-and-white like her.

"Honey, I'm home." He said, as applause came from nowhere.

"Hello Dear! How was work today?" Anne asked, as she walked to Daniel and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Wait, why did I say that? What's happening? M-my mouth…and my body…are moving all on their own!

"The Boss told me I'm up for a promotion, but he wants to make sure that I can keep the office as orderly as my home, thus he's coming over for lunch to see with his own eyes."

"Not a problem, my love: I'll have this place spick and span in no time! There's already a pot roast in the oven, and a banana cream pie for dessert in the fridge." What's going on? Why doesn't my body obey me, and why is it making me act like a stereotypical housewife?

Anne fruitlessly tried to break free and regain control, but she was forced to silently watch as she pulled out a feather duster (where did she get that from?) and began cleaning all over the house, humming a song.

It's no use, Anne sighed as she realized she was a prisoner in her own body, even though it's turning out like this, I cannot do anything. Wait, that voice from before listed me, Daniel and-

"Hey, howdy, ho guys!" Sprig announced, walking in wearing a lily-pad print bowling shirt, another applause announcing him like for Daniel.

Sprig! Anne thought as she saw him, pleading for him to hear her thoughts, You have to help me! Something took control over my body, and it's making me act like someone else. Please, you have to-

"Hey Sprig." Daniel greeted the frog and Sprig returned, as Anne was still forcefully cleaning around.

"Ready for the big baseball game?" The little frog smirked. From the way he was acting, it was like Daniel was his best friend, not her.

Baseball? Sprig, is this affecting you too? This is not good: I can't stop cleaning!

"Sure thing, pal. This way, we can stay out of Anne's way."

Stay out of- Oh no, don't you dare!

"So dusty." Her mouth muttered, as she wiped out the dust off a lamp. "I wish my lovely house would stay clean and orderly."

Clean and orderly? I never bothered with household messiness before! She yelled in her own mind, to no avail: once she had finished cleaning off the dust, she began vacuuming the floor in a tireless, never-ending effort to keep the house and furniture clean and limpid. Meanwhile, from the other room, she could hear Sprig and Daniel chat and laugh as they watched the game on TV, completely ignorant of her turmoil.

Sprig, you can fight this! Remember who you are, who we are! I'm your best friend, not Daniel!

"That pitcher is no good." Daniel commented, "Have you seen that, Sprig?"

"Hey, that's a pop fly! Hmmm, fly..." the frog started to drool, while a laugh track rang in the background.

Ok, whatever it is, is clearly affecting Sprig too. Oh no, he's drooling all over the parquet, I'll have to clean it again…wait, what am I saying?

Back in the kitchen, a bell rang, indicating the roast was now done. Immediately, Anne smiled, walking back with a mesmerized look.

"Roast is done," she announced, setting the food on the table. It was quite a tasteful-looking roast, served with potatoes and vegetables, but somehow it felt…wrong. Anne realized it was far from the traditional Thai dishes she knew to cook.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door and a large, fat figure came inside the house. He was dressed in a businessman suit with diamond cufflinks, but Anne immediately recognized him.

Mayor Toadstool? That's right, the voice said he is the special guest star… wait, does that mean he is the boss Daniel was talking about earlier?

"Bentson," Toadstool said, looking around with a sufficient look, "This better not be a waste of my time."

"I can assure you it won't be, sir." Daniel replied, "My wife is both a wonderful homemaker and an amazing cook: just one taste, and you'll be amazed by her skills."

While I do appreciate the fact that you recognize my cooking skills, Daniel, I am not a homemaker. Toadstool, I know we had not the most friendly relationship in the past, but please…please, if you can hear me, stop this!

"Well, she better be," Toadstool simply said, sinking Anne's remaining hope, "Because she's not much to look at, just like you!"

Another track started to play, but this time, it was a booing track. At least, someone is calling him out for his words, in some way.

Anne's lips twisted into an even bigger smile, "Let me show you to the table."

Shortly, all four of them now sat around the table for lunch; however, while the three boys were freely talking about several topics, Anne could only sit down and smile vapidly, like a trophy doll just for show.

When is this going to end? Anne groaned in her mind, When will I be able to get back control over my body?

"Bentson, I must admit it," Toadstool finally said, wiping his mouth with a napkin, "This was a wonderful meal, and your home is totally spotless. I have to concede this: your wife is a wonderful homemaker."

"Thank you, sir, she is quite the catch." Daniel nodded, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"It's really nothing: I'd do anything for my hubby. Now, who wants dessert?" Come on, come on, there must be a way! Why won't my body do anything I want?

"Ooh, me! Me!" Sprig jumped up and down, raising his hand.

Anne mechanically got up from her chair and brought in the dessert. "This is my prize-winning banana cream pie."

"I can't wait!" Sprig stretched out his tongue, but accidentally knocked the pie out of Anne's hands. Before it could land on Toadstool's face, however, she dove onto the table and got hit in his sted. As she wiped off the filling out of her face, the laugh track played again.

Ugh, I just had to get a pie in the face to protect Toadstool? And you think this is comedy? What else could possibly happen now?

Toadstool laughed, amused and also impressed by Anne's action. "Wow, I can't believe it. Bentson, your wife is even better than you told me. The promotion is yours."

"Thank you, sir" The boy smiled, as Toadstool walked out followed by Sprig, before walking back to Anne.

"Honey, are you alright?"

Anne licked the leftover banana cream from her fingers. "I'm fine hubby. And you got the promotion!"

"Well, yes, I did. Thanks to you, my love! This is a happy day indeed."

"Would you like for it to be even happier?"

What's happening? Why does it sound like I'm going to tell him some big revelation, right now?

"Why, honey?" Daniel looked at her, his eyes filled in amazement, "What could you say to me, that would make this day even happier?"

The girl smiled again, and then spoke in a dreamy tone, "That in eight months tops, there will be three people living in this house." She put a hand on her stomach, driving Daniel to do the same.

Wait, three? Does that mean - oh no, Anne thought in her mind, in sharp contrast to her smiling expression, as dread and horror filled her mind, This cannot be! It's impossible, I cannot be, I am not-

"Honey," Daniel said, his eyes filling with amazement and happiness, "Are you telling me that…?"

"Yes, hubby: we're going to have a baby." She said, and an "aww" track played, like many people were amazed into hearing that.

What? Anne gasped in horror, When did this happen? No way, I'm only thirteen: I'm not ready to have kids right now!

Instantly, Daniel leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. The pair lingered on it for a couple of minutes. Why - why does this feel so good? Is Daniel such a good kisser' No, focus, focus! This can't be true!

Anne leaned closer to Daniel, her lips whispering in his ear, "Of course, I don't want for this child to be alone: I want many more, as many as you will give to me. Make me a mom a hundred times, and gift me as many children, beautiful as you and me together."

No! I'm not some kind of baby factory! Daniel, you're not this person: break free!

"I will, my darling wife." he said, leaning to kiss her once again, "I promise you, I will."

Somebody, please help me! This is not some old sitcom, this is my life! I don't want to be a homemaker and mom for life! Nooo!

---

"Noo!" Anne shouted, jerking up from her bed, sweat running on her forehead, as she realized she was in her room, "This is my room, and I can move! I can talk! I can control my body and mouth! The world is not black and white! Oh, thank frog: it was just a nightmare!"

"Anne, are you okay?" Sprig asked, as he and his family woke up.

"I-I just had a nightmare." Anne caught her breath. Maybe the whole thing with Stepford was just a bad dream too?

Anne, your nanites detected an elevated heart rate and high respiration levels. Were you having a nightmare? Your parents will be here soon. If you need comfort, I can contact your friends for emotional support-

"Crud." She left out, as she realized that, no, Stepford existed for real, and it wasn't part of her nightmare.

Anne?

"No, I don't need your help!"

"Must be Stepford again." Hop Pop gave a frustrated sigh.

"Is everything alright here?" Bee appeared from the door, followed by his wife.

"I just had a nightmare, that's all." Anne replied, knowing her currently-brainwashed parents wouldn't understand.

"Anne, you can talk to us." Oum cupped her cheeks, "Even if you may not trust Stepford, or us for accepting it, we are still your parents, and we care for you. Please, tell us what did you see?"

"You can tell us too." Hop Pop reassured.

"It was… like I was trapped in one of those old black-and-white TV shows." Anne started, realizing they wouldn't let this go "Daniel and I were married, and my body and mouth moved on their own. I couldn't say nothing or do nothing that wasn't "on script". And then you appeared, Sprig, but you acted like Danny was your best friend and completely ignored me! Then Toadstool arrived, as he was apparently Danny's boss, and you got friendly with him too," as Anne kept on explaining, Sprig grimaced in disgust, "and I could only clean, cook and have babies! I was pregnant, pregnant! And I had no control, no say in my life!"

Sprig and Polly looked at each other confused. "Uh, pregnant? What does that mean?" the elder asked.

"It's a word we use when a woman is having a baby." Bee explained.

"So, she was ready to lay an egg." Hop Pop assumed.

Oum shook her head. "It doesn't work like that for us. Anne, I had similar fears before I accepted what Stepford has to offer, and falling in love can be scary. Yet, we're not pushing you to marry Daniel tomorrow. Marriage is only after you become eighteen. That is plenty of time to get to know Daniel and ready yourself."

Polly tapped Mrs. Boonchuy's leg. "Look Mrs. B, we know you're trying to help, but this isn't doing it."

"Please, Anne." Sprig hugged his adoptive sister "I haven't even met this Danny guy yet. There is no way he could replace you in my heart! Seriously, the simple idea of leaving you - it sickens my stomach. No matter what is going to happen, I'll never leave you!"

"Thanks Sprig." Anne hugged back.

"Anne." Hop Pop Looked her in the eyes. "We are going to make sure you have a say in your future."

Bee saw the time. "Either way, you're safe now, but we all better get back to sleep. Anne, you have school in a few hours."

"Okay Dad, I want to be awake looking for a way to get these guys home." Anne motioned to her frog family.

"We all could use some more sleep." Hop Pop pointed to their beds. "Come on, kids, we got a busy day tomorrow."

After everyone left her room, Anne tried to get back to sleep, only for her phone to ring all of a sudden. "Hello?"

"Anne, can we talk?" Marcy cried on the other side of the line. "I just had a nightmare and I don't think my parents would understand, I'm glad my room is on the opposite side of the house right now. Stepford tried to comfort me, but of course I said no."

"Me too, both the nightmare and the Stepford part. Was everything black and white in yours?"

"No, it was so awful, Anne. It was all disappearing…"

---

Marcy found herself standing right in front of a large house, dressed in a yellow dress with a white apron, her hair done in a curly bob.

"What a lovely home you have." She heard a familiar voice say.

"Andrias?" she looked around, not seeing the giant Salamander anywhere, "Where are you?"

"Down here."

Marcy looked down, and saw a tiny Andrias poking out of a pocket in her apron. "You climbed in my pocket before. I figured I'd like to know what it feels like."

"Leave me alone! I'm done with your lies!" she grabbed the newt before throwing him away.

"Oh, it's not going to be that easy." Marcy saw Andrias back in her pocket. "So, I told you a few fibs. No need to get mad about it."

"Fibs? You pretended to be my friend; hired Ernst to create a whole cult dedicated to book-burning, just to keep me from learning about the stones; tricked me into betraying my friends; plotted to invade my world, oh and let's not forget you almost literally stabbed me in the back! I could have died! "Mad" doesn't even begin to cover what I'm experiencing right now!"

"Alright-alright." The newt spoke back, "I did a lot, but it's not just me you're angry with, right? You fell for it all, and poured your heart out to me. You thought you were so smart, yet you were easily fooled twice. Stepford pulled that Anthony boy's strings and made him say exactly what you wanted to hear from a boyfriend."

Marcy felt hurt, but simply grimaced in silence. She would notshow Andrias any weakness ever again.

"Let's not forget, you didn't seem to care much for my subjects before I showed my hand. They were all NPCs in your game, just as much as they were pawns in mine. It was only after Dawnblood Island that you began to see your fellow rangers as real people with real feelings, but I guess you needed to be betrayed yourself to understand."

"Sh-shut up! Don't you dare lecture me!"

But the newt continued, his verbal assault relentless.

"Frankly, I'm surprised you even gave a thought to Sasha or Anne, while in Amphibia. I mean, they just don't share much with you, so I thought you would have gotten bored with them a long time ago, and be glad to move and find better friends."

"Shut up, I don't want to hear that!"

"Yet, now your uncaring attitude is finally going to give you the punishment you deserve. I am truly impressed by what Stepford did: now that its hooks replaced mine, you are now trapped in a world where everything you care about is going to disappear, and you will be the NPC doing whatever Stepford wants, just like Tony."

Before Marcy could even reply, the house's door opened and Tony walked out, wearing a yellow cardigan.

"Come inside, Marbles. Let me show you our new home." The boy said, as he effortlessly picked her up in a bridal carry and brought the girl inside.

As soon as Marcy could see the interior of the house, she was delighted to see all the books and games she loved all over: Creatures and Caverns campaign books; video game systems she owned (or wished to own); whole shelves of her favorite fantasy movies. For a minute, the girl thought, it didn't look too bad.

"This - this is so cool!" Marcy jumped out of Tony's arms, only to trip and fall. Andrias held on her apron, moving a bit to avoid being crushed.

"Cool?" Tony asked, helping her get up on her feet, "Marbles, it's just a normal house. I mean, our house."

"But look at this!" She replied, picking up a box. "This is Last Legacy Six! One of the first 3D RPGs!"

However, as soon as her fingers touched the game, the box started to change, stretching and morphing, turning into a mop, before Marcy could even cry out in horror.

"What?" She gasped, dropping the mop that used to be one of her beloved games "But, how? What's happening?"

"I told you before, kiddo," Andrias mocked her again, "all your favorite things are going away, replaced by what is best suited for your new life… as a housewife."

"No!" Marcy gasped, before reaching for her beloved Vagabondia, only for it to shrink and compress too, quickly transforming into a bright, red lipstick.

"This was my favorite! Change it back! Please, change it back!"

"That's a good color for you."

In panic, Marcy looked to a nearby bookshelf and saw Jo, her journal of all her adventures in Amphibia, and quickly grabbed and opened it. Surely this would be spared, no?

Yet, as soon as her eyes laid on the content, she realized the pages didn't have anything about her past adventures, her friends and discoveries, or everything she wrote on it in the last five months. Instead, they were all recipes for soups, casseroles, and brownies.

"Oh my Frog!" She said in horror, as she glanced at the cover, "It's a cookbook!"

What's worse, it was happening everywhere at once, around her: her Cynthia Coven books were now showing weird titles like Knowing Needle Point; the fantasy and game-source books she treasured so much were replaced by books on makeup, fashion, and child-rearing.

"Stop, stop!"

"There is no stopping it, Marcy."

Marcy grabbed Andrias in her hand, holding him tightly, "Silence!"

"Marcy, is that your little pet newt?" Tony asked, taking the tiny king out of her hands. "I just know the right place for him." He walked toward a map Marcy remembered making for Creatures and Caverns (and she spent hours to get it just right). As soon as he got close enough, the edges rose up forming a glass tank, before the inside turned into a small version of Andrias' throne room. "Well, this should be comfortable."

"At least, it will keep you out of my hair." Marcy said flatly, a smile beginning to form on her lips. Wait, I spent a lot of time on that. Why don't I feel upset anymore? And what was it before? The girl racked her brain, but couldn't remember. Wait, what was the cookbook before it was a cookbook? And what were the mop and lipstick before they changed?

That was when Marcy realized, with horror: I'm forgetting what I used to like!

She ran into the bedroom, overlooking the twin beds behind her. Yet, as she turned toward her dresser, all the figurines of her favorite anime and game characters turned into more makeup.

"No!" The Taiwanese-American girl tried to knock it all over, before stopping all of a sudden. Then, Marcy opened the closet, just in time to see her many hoodies and cosplay costumes turn into dresses. "Well, these are pretty. Tony will like to see me in them and the makeup." Her smile grew, as she felt the dress she was wearing grew more comfortable, like a second skin. She blushed at the thought of Tony saying how beautiful she would look. Wait, what were all those things? I can't remember. And why do I feel so happy and satisfied? Everything I love, no, everything I used to love, is vanishing. I shouldn't be happy about that, I don't want to be happy about that! But… I can't stop smiling.

Marcy returned to the living room, trying to stop herself from smiling. All her favorite things were changing before her eyes, and she felt all her nerdy knowledge, game stats, rules, trivia, being drained out of her head, replaced by recipes, makeup application methods, and sewing knowledge.

The teen looked around once more: everything she used to love was gone, yet she didn't feel sad about it. Everything looked so cute or useful. Not silly and childish like-what were those things she used to like? K-pop? Was that a soda? Puzzles? I'm too grown-up for those. Vid-e-o games? Who has time for games when I have a husband and house to care for? RPDs? What was that? It sounds like…nonsense.

"Yeah, kiddo. It's time to put the games and toys away and grow up." Andrias said, taking a bite out of a food pellet, as the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Tony said, walking to the door and opening it, seeing it was Anne and Sasha, dressed in similar clothes and hair to Marcy's, and like her with big smiles on their lips. "Marbles, it's your friends. They came to visit."

Marcy felt hope rising inside her: Surely, her best friends remembered what she liked, who she was, they could stop this madness.

"Anne, Sasha, I need your help! Everything I like has changed, and now I can't remember what it all was! Help me, please!" she wanted to cry, but no tears left her eyes.

Her friends looked at each other confused for a second, before turning to her. "Mar-Mar, are you talking about that kid stuff?" Sasha said "Of course, you forgot about it. Those things don't matter anymore to you."

"We don't have time for such things." Anne nodded in agreement. "We don't even have time for each other anymore. That's why we came, to say goodbye."

"What?" Marcy gasped, feeling her heart sink in a familiar dread, "Why?"

"Marcy, we have homes to supervise, and husbands to care for. Plus, we are all going to start families."

"Children require full, undivided attention." Sasha nodded, almost gleaming. "We may still live in the same neighborhood, but we won't be able to hang out ever again."

"But-but…" Marcy couldn't believe what she was hearing. This is worse than being forced to move to another state! We'll be close, but we won't hang out or anything?

Tony took her hand, and spoke to her with honey-filled words. "I'm everything you need, honey. Don't be afraid: you'll still be able to see them… at bake sales, PTA meetings, and kids' birthday parties."

Marcy tried to protest, but then she felt the last piece of her old self slip away, as her smile fully blossomed, growing even bigger than before. "That - that's just fine, then. Okay then, goodbye girls. It was fun, I'll see you around."

"Goodbye Marcy." Anne and Sasha replied in turn, as they turned and walked away.

Marcy then looked Tony in the eyes. "Tony, I promise you: I will have as many children as you want. Let's fill our house with love."

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a small, ordinary blue newt in the terrarium. She paid no mind to it, as Tony leaned in and gave her a wonderful, full kiss on the lips…

---

"…and then I woke up screaming." Marcy concluded, "I just finished checking everything in my room, to make sure none of my stuff changed. I know, it's silly…"

"No Marbles, I get it." Anne reassured her friend, thinking back to her own experience. "In my nightmare, I was stuck in an old black-n-white TV show, and I was Daniel's dutiful wife. My body moved on its own, my mouth spoke on its own, Sprig could not recognize me, and I felt like I was losing myself too."

"Wow, but I guess we shouldn't be surprised. In the past forty-eight hours, we've gone from battles in Amphibia, to find out we have nanites in our brains that want to turn us into housewives. Anne, now that I think about it: those blue powers Polly mentioned, you think you can use them to short out Stepford's nanites? Hey, now that I think about it, my friend Javi once said he saw my own eyes glow green. Maybe Sasha and I have amazing anime powers too?" She gleamed, the enthusiasm about "powers" drowning all her fears and worries for a second.

"I-I don't know Marcy, I barely remember it. It was like time slowed down, and I could move faster, and hit harder. Yet, I have no idea how I managed to- wait a minute: didn't Andrias say something about me "still being connected to the stone?"

Marcy thought silently on the other side of the line for a minute or two, before she had a realization.

"The temples! They weren't recharging the gems, they were moving the power back into them! Evidently, somehow we must have absorbed the gems' power when we arrived at Amphibia the first time!" She said with a sad note, as she realized she may have lost her chance of getting anime powers for good.

"I guess that makes sense - wait! We need to stop talking about them! If Stepford finds out, who knows what she'll do with this power."

"Anne, if Stepford is smart as it claims, and has access to our memories, then it already knows and figured this out. We're still playing catch up." Marcy's words were filled with nervousness. "Do we even stand a chance? We got Andrias and his army coming on one side, and Stepford firmly entrenched on the other. This feels too big for three teens and a frog family."

"We'll find a way, Mar-Mar. You, Sasha and I are back together now. They don't stand a chance."

"I hope so. I don't know how I'm going to get back to sleep: I'm scared I'll have another nightmare."

"I think I know something that might help." Anne smiled, beginning to hum over the phone a song she learned being Marcy's favorite: the main theme of Vagabondia.

"Thanks Anna Banana, that is helping. Good night."

"Goodnight Marcy." They hung up. "I need to hit the hay too before school and seeing… Daniel again. At least, if Stepford wants to convert us, nothing is trying to kill us for a change."

Anne couldn't be more wrong, as back in Amphibia, a familiar king newt approached the Calamity box.

"My plans are in motion," said Andrias in a solemn voice, "our forces are growing, and soon, we'll be ready to invade. Only one obstacle stands between me and my conquest, and I require one last piece for the Core to be complete." He touched the box and two images appeared, one of Anne and Sprig, and the other of Marcy smiling with Joe Sparrow. "Anne Boonchuy and Marcy Wu."

The king snapped his fingers, and a new frobot descended from the ceiling, laughing evilly.

"These are your missions: Anne must be eliminated. As for Marcy, the Core requires you bring her back alive."

Oranges eyes opened on Andrias' crown. "She wouldn't need to be captured if you managed to secure her in the first place!" The Core scolded him with King Aldritch's voice. "Not only that, but your plan failed to neutralize all their powers! After a thousand years, we would think you could get one thing right!"

"There was no way to know that Boonchuy would retain a connection with the stone! If I went with your plan and killed Marcy the first day, not only we would have spent months hunting the other two down, but we would have lost Wit forever! Plus, you would still not have a suitable host body!" Andrias argued.

"Of all the insolence! Do not try to pin your failures onto us, you worthless excuse for a king! We have the knowledge! We are the only thing that can restore our civilization to glory! Without us, you are nothing! Now bring us our new body and fix your mistakes, or you will not join us and cease to exist when you die! Do not fail us again, Andrias!" The voice spoke up again with violence, before the eyes closed.

Grumbling, Andrias tried to put the Core's insults behind him and focused on the mission in front of him. "These missions require the utmost discretion, we cannot allow the other world to know of the coming invasion. Make sure no earthling sees you."

The robot scanned the blue gem on the box and the image of Marcy's face. "Energy signature acquired. Capture target confirmed."

The newt king then opened a portal. "And one more thing. Would you mind picking up the latest Cynthia Coven book? Marcy got me hooked, and I'm dying to find out what happens next, and maybe some of those… potato chip things she had?"

"Eliminate potato chip?" the cloak bot asked.

"Okay, forget the chips." Andrias sighed, wanting some peace. "Kill Anne, capture Marcy, and get the book."

With that, the robot stepped through and appeared on Earth. "Target 1 acquired. Activating stealth mode."

However, it couldn't see that, as soon as it touched the surface of the world, billions of nanites began to enter it and send signals to their operating system.

Unknown technology detected. Initial data analysis positive with entity known as Frobot. Source: memories of the humans back from Amphibia. Probability of advance enemy scout… 99.998% Beginning component analysis and data extraction.

Anne rode up to school, actually glad for the poofy petticoat keeping the skirt out of her bike chain.

"Anne!" Marcy called, running up as Anne locked her bike to the rack, briefly noticing she was the only one who did.

"Hey Marcy." Anne yawned.

"Didn't get much sleep after we talked, did you?" Anne could see bags under Marcy's eyes.

"Yeah, and I'm worried about the Plantars's existence being public now. Mom is with them, but…" Anne stopped and let out another yawn.

"From that and the bags under your eyes, I'm guessing you two also had nightmares last night." Sasha intervened, stepping out of her mother's car.

"Sasha, I wish you would tell us about it." Sasha's mom sighed.

"I'm not a little kid anymore, mom! I can handle it."

"Okay, but you can come to me if you need to. I love you."

After her mom pulled away, Sasha silently listened to Anne and Marcy, as they both recalled their dreams once again. "Those do sound a little like my nightmare, but I guess my own baggage makes mine…kind of different."

"I know you didn't want to talk to your mom about your dream," Anne offered, "But we can listen if you want."

"I guess so, you told me yours, after all."

Sasha found herself in a dark place, leaning against the wall, a large crack in the opposite wall the only source of light.

"What's going on? And why can't I move?" Sasha shouted, as she realized she was unable to move her limbs or turn her head.

"She won't allow us to move, Sasha, unless she wants to." A familiar voice said to her right.

"Anne? Where are we?"

"This is where she keeps us when she's not playing with us, Sunshine." Another voice spoke to her left.

"Lucas? You're here too? What is going on?"

"We're all under her control." Anne said.

"I wanted to make fantasy comics or books," Marcy's voice spoke in the same direction as Anne's. "I'd even be a doctor, just like my parents wanted. But no, I can only be what she wants me to be."

"Who are you talking about? Who is she?" Sasha heard thundering footsteps.

"She's coming." The others said as one.

The crack in the wall widened, revealing it was in truth the door to a giant cupboard! And opening it, was a giant little girl, who was identical in appearance to 6-year-old Sasha.

"It's playtime." The giant girl announced, Sasha realizing in horror it was her own voice.

Now the blonde girl could clearly see that she was now a Darbie doll, made of plastic and wearing her cheerleader uniform, just like Anne and Marcy to her right, wearing dresses; on her left, Lucas and his brothers were Ben dolls, all wearing tuxedos. And judging by what she could see, the cupboard was placed in the giant little girl's bedroom.

"What? How?"

"Today we're going to have a wedding! First, the bridesmaids!" The giant girl announced, picking up Anne and Marcy, placing them in a makeshift chapel, a teddy bear as the minister.

"Then, the groomsmen." The girl returned to grab Daniel and Tony.

"Our handsome groom." She picked up Lucas.

"And of course, our beautiful bride!" The girl's hand reached for the doll-Sasha, spinning her around.

"Hey! Wait!" Sasha snapped, "I am not a doll, I'm a person! I'm- I'm not ready to be married yet!"

"Don't talk back to me!" the girl growled. "You are just a toy: my toy! You do what I want. And what I want, is to get you in your wedding dress."

Sasha could only watch helplessly as her giant younger self reached for a small table covered with all kinds and models of doll clothes, with a large, pimped out wedding gown in the middle, the girl taking off her cheerleading outfit and putting the gown on her.

"There, you look so pretty for your big day."

"You can't do this!" Sasha protested. "What about what I want? What about what my friends want?"

"It didn't matter for years, what we wanted." Anne cried.

"She is in control." Marcy added, "We can only do what she wants."

"We have no choice." Danny said.

"Just play along." Tony advised.

"We got used to it." Lucas concluded, "You will too, in time."

"Guys, no…" Sasha moaned, seeing the hopelessness on their faces. It was clear that all of them had given up for a long time.

"Put her down at once!" Grime's voice resounded all of a sudden. As the girl turned around, Sasha saw her Toad captain, as an action figure on the floor, just outside a Toad tower play-set together with action figures of Percy, Braddock, and General Yunnan too.

"I will not have you treat my lieutenant, my friend, as a mere plaything!" Grime shouted, making Sasha smile inside. "Give her back to us!"

"Yes! I demand a rematch!" Yunnan announced.

"Don't bother, Captain," Percy said. "Sasha doesn't care about us. She used us, just like she does with everyone else."

"Yeah, it's about time she got a taste of her own medicine." Braddock agreed.

"Percy, Braddock, I'm sorry for what I did!" Sasha begged. "But, please, just help my friends."

"No!" the giant threw a tantrum, stamping on the ground, "They are my dolls, Sasha is not going to play with you anymore, and neither am I." She said, putting Sasha on the dresser and giving her a good view of an old, dusty toy box that probably hasn't been opened in years. As soon as the girl opened it, the former Toad Lieutenant could see that inside of it there was nothing but Darkness.

To her horror, her giant younger self grabbed the play-set and dropped it into the box, disappearing from her sight: whatever happened to the toys who went there, Sasha realized they would never come back.

"Wait, don't!"

"How dare you!" Yunnan protested, as the giant girl grabbed her by the tail, "Do you not know who I am?"

"Yunnan, I-I will miss you." Marcy sobbed, unable to do anything to save her friend.

"Child, you will rue the day you crossed paths with General Yunnan! Scourge of the Sand…" but she could not say more before being dropped in the box.

"So noisy." The girl huffed, before turning to pick up Braddock and Percy.

"Leave them alone!" Sasha screamed, "They agree with you!"

"Be quiet, dolly."

"Percy!" Braddock yelled.

"Braddock…" Percy whimpered, before they were dropped in the box.

"Last one." The girl smirked, reaching toward Grime.

"No! Stop, please!" Sasha begged, desperately looking for a solution, "Ok, you made your point! You are in control! I'll play any game you want, and I'll accept whatever you say! Just don't put Grime in that box, let my friends go, please!"

"You're right: I'm in control." the girl chuckled evilly. "Now, you are getting married. You are going to smile. You will say what I want you to say, and do what I want you to do. End. Of. Discussion."

Sasha shivered, hearing the little titan tyrant use that exact sentence: was this how her friends felt dealing with her previous toxic abusive self? She wondered, as the child put Grime on the dresser, giving him a view of the chapel, before picking her instead.

"Here comes the bride, all dressed in white…" The girl sang, as she moved Sasha down the aisle until she was next to Lucas.

"Dearly beloved," the girl lowered her voice, moving the teddy bear's arms, "We are gathered today to celebrate the union of these two lovers in sacred marriage. Lucas, you will love, honor, and cherish Sasha forever."

Sasha realized there was no mistake on the girl's part: the vows were not a request, but orders.

"I will." Lucas answered robotically.

"Sasha, you will love, honor, and cherish Lucas forever."

"I-I..." Sasha spoke, trying to hold back her tears.

"Remember: this is the happiest day of your life." The giant warned her, her tone of voice gloating, as she enjoyed seeing her suffer.

"I will." Sasha yielded, forcing herself to smile as much as she could.

"I now pronounce you, husband and wife." The girl leaned the two against each other, pressing their lips together, "You may kiss the bride."

To Sasha's surprise, Lucas did kiss her, and it felt… amazing! It was almost enough to forget her situation.

Almost.

"Yay!" The girl cheered. "That was so much fun! Now, we can play house all the time, and then we can all play the "having a baby" game! We will play forever and ever!" She danced around, bumping into the dresser and making Grime fall with the others, in the toy box, "Oops."

"No! Why? I did what you wanted!" Sasha yelled, realizing in horror that it was not anincident.

"I told you: I didn't want to play with him anymore." The girl giggled, "Plus, I never said he wasn't going in the box. You did what I wanted, because that's how it is."

"But he was my- our friend, Sasha!" The blonde doll-girl shuttered, wondering if she would have done the same if Grime didn't save her at Toad Tower. Would she have abandoned him too? Sasha knew she was facing the most negative aspects of her past self, but under such wickedness, it was still her. Right?

Right?

"Sasha?" the girl giggled again, "You're silly: that's your name." She replied, as her voice began to change.

My name, is Stepford.

"No!" Sasha gasped as she and the other dolls were put back in the cupboard, every couple next to each other, the doors closing. It would not open again, until the next game they would be forced to play…

---

"And then I woke up screaming, and my parents came to check on me. I guess, I never expected for that to happen before, huh?" Sasha shuttered, her uneasiness plain on her face, "It's just that - I was just like Stepford! I made you guys do what I wanted, never took no for an answer, emotionally blackmailing you into going along! In the dream, I felt… like I couldn't refuse her, no matter what I wanted! Is that how you felt with me, before? Was I that toxic and controlling?"

Anne and Marcy looked at each other nervously. "Huh, kind of?"

"Maybe just a bit?"

"Knew it!" Sasha cried, "Anne, you were right: I am a terrible person!"

"No, you were a terrible person." The Thai-American girl corrected her, "Yet, remember at Toad Tower you let go of my hand and almost fell to your death, just to not drag me with you."

"What?" Marcy gasped, the first time she ever heard it, breaking out in a cold sweat. "You mean that, while I was having a ball in Newtopia, you almost died?"

"I didn't want to drag Anne with me: sure, she might have beat me, but I wasn't that spiteful," Sasha muttered, as old memories of that night rushed back into her, "Plus, I imagined she would be better, without me…"

"Don't you dare to say it!" Anne put her hand on the blonde's shoulder. "I mean, I guess there was some logic in your desire to have control over something: I knew your parents were getting divorced, but I didn't know the situation was that bad."

"Truth to be told, I always have been a bit jealous of your family life, Boonchuy: I guess, comparing that with mine or Marble's you were the only one with a family that was attentive of you."

"Sash," Anne spoke again, seeing her old friend with new eyes, "No matter what you did, I never wanted you to suffer. I never got to tell you before, but…during my trip to Newtopia, I never lost hope for you and on keeping our friendship alive."

"What I want to know," Marcy intervened, "Is why you wanted to stay in Amphibia and rule it thanks to the toad coup? Were things at home that bad, and we never noticed?"

"No! Or rather, yes. I mean… I don't know!" Sasha groaned. "After the tower blew up, I felt like I lost everything, I wasn't lying on that: the soldiers left, Grime had given up on everything, and I felt like Anne had replaced me in her heart with Sprig and his family. Then Grimothy came up with a plan for the coup and… I had no prospects but to go along with it. I was spending my days training aimlessly when that General Yunnan tracked us-"

"You faced Yunnan?" Marcy asked, "I mean, she was looking for him, but… I never thought you actually crossed paths."

"Actually, we crossed swords and claws," Sasha laughed bitterly. "Yet, while I wanted to get you two back, I wanted it on my terms. The idea of you two getting along without me, leaving me behind, made me mad. So mad, I didn't stop to think of what might happen. What almost happened to you, Mar-Mar."

"Sasha, I didn't replace you with Sprig or anyone. I simply had three best friends rather than two." Anne interjected. "Yet, after last night's nightmare, I can understand why you felt that way: seeing Danny steal Sprig from me was painful to watch. Yet, he helped me get my footing in Amphibia: if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have survived until now."

"I guess I can say the same for Grime. He gave me a choice after I helped him against the herons: leave the tower and venture in the wilderness looking for you, or stay with him and use the Toad garrison's resources to look for you. Though in hindsight, if I had known you were in Wartwood then, I guess I would have come to you immediately."

"And if I had known you were trapped in a dungeon all that time, I'd come to rescue you."

"This is all my fault." Marcy grimaced, "If I didn't push you guys into getting that stupid box…"

"Then we'd become ever-smiling suburban zombies, like everyone else." Anne pointed at the city and people around them. "Amphibia gave us the chance to face our flaws, grow beyond them and become better people. And I guess I was lucky I landed with good frogs who helped me grow."

"Lucky?" Sasha & Marcy asked at the same time.

"Sash, if it was me who landed near Toad Tower and you met Sprig, he could have befriended you and I would have been the one who became Grime's lieutenant. Frog, I guess I would have been even worse, considering how many flaws I had that he could fiddle with. Same with you, Marbles: if I landed on Newtopia, I would have been the one Andrias manipulated: I guess I would have given the Box to him from the very beginning, and I can't even imagine what would have happened by now."

Marcy and Sasha looked at each other: would they have fared better if they had the Plantars to rely on? They couldn't say.

"Girls, sure we still have things to work out with each other," Anne continued, "but we need to unite our efforts to figure out how to stop Stepford & Andrias, and understand what this whole issue of us getting superpowers means."

"Wait, us?" Sasha asked. "I saw you glow blue, but what makes you think Marcy or me have powers as well?"

"We had them," Marcy sighed, "Remember the Box? The gems were not glowing anymore after we arrived at Amphibia. I guess it was because their power was imbued in our bodies after that, and what happened at the temples simply moved it back. There was a time when a friend of mine told me he saw my own eyes glowing. Did something like that happen to you, Sasha?"

"Glowing eyes? Wait, when we went to get Barrel's Warhammer, Grime said my eyes and veins glowed red, when I got mad thinking about you and I pulled the hammer out of the narwhal worm's hide… No way! I actually had superpowers and I never found out?"

"Welcome to the club," Marcy groaned, "Yet, the real question is how did Anne manage to keep hers even after we recharged the stone ?"

"Wait, maybe I know how!" Anne realizes, "Marcy, you remember when I thought you were in trouble, but you were just watching funny videos? My stone was recharging slower than yours, and it hadn't completed when I grabbed it. I guess you may have saved all of us, just by being your usual nerdy self."

"I did?" Marcy smiled, as she realized the implications, "Still, I feel bad for putting you in this in the first place."

"Well, if you insist that you deserve to be punished, we have our way… Regina."

"Yeah, Regina" Sasha smirked, "There is no need to beat yourself up. Right, Regina?"

"Come on, guys: not that." Marcy begged in horror, "You know that I hate my middle name! It makes me sound snobby and stuck up!"

"Hey, you were the one who wanted to be stuck with us forever, Regina," Sasha teased her friend, "Deal with it!"

"You were the one who insisted on blaming yourself, Regina. We are putting this behind us," Anne smirked, before turning to Sasha "And you, Sasha Elizabeth Waybright, are nothing like Stepford now. I mean, you were quite controlling and toxic, but you decided to change, and you're putting effort into it. Stepford is a machine, and it will keep controlling people's brains until Sprig and the others can find a way to pull its plug."

"The others?" A couple of voices said, as two other students approached them, "You mean those frog people you brought home with you?"

Sasha took a minute to recognize the voices, "Vince? Cheyenne?"

"I guess we don't look like us, without the hair dye, the shades and our new hairstyles?" the guitarist boy asked, his hair now plain brown and classic, his face simple and nice-looking.

"We wondered why you three were acting all strange, yesterday." Cheyenne nodded now with normal black hair, holding Vince's hand. "I guess that explains a lot: you missed the chance to see Stepford remake this world to be perfect! No wonder you seemed so confused."

"Perfect isn't the word we'd use." Marcy said under her breath.

Seemingly from out of nowhere, the rest of the student body swarmed the trio with questions.

"A whole other dimension of talking frogs! What was it like? Are they nice?"

"Were you scared?"

"What did you eat there?"

"How did it happen?"

"Could you introduce us to your frog friends?"

As more and more questions came, the trio barely managed to register them. Luckily for them, their "princes" were already aware of the situation, and rushed to their help.

"Hang on everyone!" The girls heard Daniel yell, his brothers at his side, "Look, I'm just as curious as the rest of you, but they have gone through a big ordeal already!"

"Yeah, crowding them isn't swell." Lucas added.

"We need to be good friends and give them time to think." Tony concluded, "Besides, the first bell is about to ring!"

"Sorry girls." Their classmates said at once, looking ashamed.

"Uh, it's okay…" Anne said, as she tried not to look at Danny and ignore her heart's fast-beating.

"We will answer your questions, later." Sasha agreed, forcefully ignoring Lucas as well.

"Time for class!" Marcy bolted as soon as she heard the bell, hoping to avoid Tony for the rest of the day.

---

Unfortunately, the girl's hope for a normal school every day quickly fell apart, as not only the student body got interested in the girl's extradimensional adventure.

"Ms. Boonchuy," The Geography teacher asked, just after the lesson started, "may I ask you something?"

"Uh, sure, Mr. Robinson?" Anne answered, unsure about it.

"About your…extraordinary experience, I'd like to ask you if you would be interested in sharing something with us. I, for one, would be quite interested in knowing the geographical details of this "Amphibia". If you agree, of course."

Anne gulped, as she felt all the other students' eyes focus on her. Well, Stepford had already blown their cover, so what was the point of secrecy now?

"I guess I could…" Anne walked to the chalkboard, her new perfect memory useful to draw an impressively-detailed map of the continent of Amphibia, close to the one Hop Pop used on their road trip. "Here: Sasha and I landed in a region called Frog Valley, though locals just call it "the Valley". There are four towns in the region: Lily Padington, Bog Bottom, Swamp Shire, and the town I lived in, Wartwood." Anne recalled this from the brief time she saw the map in Sasha's room in Toad Tower.

"Oh, pun names." one girl joked, "How cute."

"And which town did Sasha end up in?" Danny raised his hand, "I'm sure Lucas will want to know."

Anne blushed hard, hearing his voice. Ignore these feelings, Anne. They are not real. You are not in love! "Actually, Sasha landed in a nearby military post, called Toad Tower. Anyway, most of Frog Valley is made up of farming communities-"

---

Meanwhile, in Biology class, Sasha was experiencing a similar request.

"So as you can see, there are big physical and cultural differences between Toads, Frogs, and Newts. Yet, their internal organ layout is not too different from each other, or us."

"And you learned this as part of a combat lesson?" the new biology teacher, Mr. Walters (their old one, Mrs. Virk, having taken "retirement" as well), asked.

"Yes." Sasha shrugged, as she remembered her training under Grime, "basically, Toads are used only as soldiers and enforcers by the Newt population in the capital, keeping the frog population in check."

"So, there is still war, crime and injustice there," Lucas wondered, "That's not surprising, we just got rid of them here, and yet, that's just… sad."

"Well," Sasha kept going, trying desperately to not remember how amazing their kiss felt in her nightmare, "Amphibia's fauna also displays large predators: among them, one of the first creatures I ever had to face were the giant herons," she drew a sketch for everyone to see, "Despite their large size, they still retain their flight ability-"

---

Marcy hoped she could get a break from the questions during her architecture club, as she was the only member before ending up on Amphibia. Yet, as she was going to find out, that was no longer the case.

"Welcome, Marcy." a crowd greeted her as she entered the classroom.

"What are you doing here?" The girl gasped in disbelief.

"I guess you didn't check the membership roster." Tony chuckled, walking to her, "All of us signed up for the Saint James Middle School Young Architects Fellowship. Kept it going, while you were in Amphibia."

"Madam President," a much thinner Gabby asked, looking at Marcy. "Please, tell us about the architecture you encountered in Amphibia!"

"Uh, wow, where do I start?" She replied, trying to bury her face in the backpack. Was she blushing she was feeling now due to embarrassment of being put in the spot, or because Tony was in another of her clubs?

Suddenly, Marcy realized she still had her journal with her.

"I did write down everything I saw in my journal." She pulled it out and showed some of her early sketches, "You see, I arrived in the capital city of Amphibia, called Newtopia!"

"Wow!"

"Beautiful!"

"Just like Marco Polo!" Tony beamed. "You should have it published: I bet it will be a bestseller!"

"You lived a real-life Isekai adventure!"

"Well, you see, after recovering from a small accident I had," falling down those high stairs, "One of the first things I did was to help with some suggestions on how to improve a famous, important bridge-"

Marcy was enjoying this, despite (or maybe even because of) how Tony was so willing to listen to her, as she narrated her exploits.

"The king even made a statue of me as an acknowledgment of my work, before I asked to join the Night Guard-" Marcy stopped, as she realized she was talking about Andrias. Suddenly, she felt all his lies and betrayals rushing through her, tears dripping from her eyes.

"Marcy," Tony noticed her displeasure, "what's wrong?"

Please, everyone. As Marcy found out recently, the King of Amphibia, Andrias, not only lied to her, but manipulated her, betrayed her and even…tried to hurt her. It would be swell if you can give some time to calm herself.

"I don't need your help, Stepford!" Marcy yelled, shocking a couple of students with her sudden burst of anger, "Sorry, Andrias… he lied to me! He used me! He pretended to be my friend, to actually care for me, only because he wanted me to give him the means to invade earth. Not only that, but he took my most secret confessions, and used them against me! And I never realized, until he revealed it himself!"

"Alright, everyone," Tony rushed to her side, his voice now more commanding, "Follow Stepford's suggestion. Marcy, I'll be right outside: if you want, we can talk about anything you want."

He blew her a kiss as the door closed. Marcy felt better, actually managing to smile again…before she remembered that she wasn't really in love with him. It was another lie, someone wanting to manipulate her once again, as she resumed her weeping.

Not for long, anyway.

Marcy and Tony, I regret to inform you that I'm detecting Amphibian-made tech approaching your position.

"What?" Marcy said, looking around. Amphibian tech approaching her? But, where-

"What does it even look like?" She heard Tony say, as he put one of his arms around her with a protective intent. They couldn't see anything odd and yet, while she didn't trust Stepford, she wouldn't put it past Andrias to send something. She still remembered the Frobots they faced in the Throne room, as Andrias revealed his true face and plans.

"Maybe it would be better if we move to some other place, something more… safe."

"Right away!" Tony nodded, "I'll keep you safe, Regina."

"Not you too! I don't like my middle name: it makes me sound snobby!"

"Really? I think it fits you: Regina in Italian means "Queen" and you're beautiful as a queen: Cleopatra; Marie of Edinburgh; Helen of Troy-"

"She wasn't a proper queen."

"But she could have been. Anyway, what I want to say is, you are a queen: the queen of my heart."

While Marcy strived to move between Tony's love declarations and her own struggles, the Cloak-Bot silently hung on the hallway's ceiling, still waiting for a proper occasion to proceed. Yet, it hadn't any luck so far: the location was too crowded, thus leaving the robot no chances to act without being seen, as ordered. Even activating its invisibility tech would not have been enough. Plus, why did they choose to move just now, almost as they knew of its presence?

Was it detected? There were no radio signals, and yet, the humans moved as they knew it was there.

Complete monitoring on robot frequencies started. Component analysis complete at 97.35%. Starting remote access to memory. Copy and decryption of files beginning. Analysis of potential military menaces, beginning.

Through the Frobot's files and memories, Stepford was able to see Andrias, the Core talking to him through his crown, the other frobots, and began planning. Judging from what it could see, the invasion force was something even the old Earth militaries divided could have defeated and repelled; however, not without possible damage to human lives.

First analysis complete. Enemy invasion force estimated strength, complete. Current military resources: unsatisfying. Risk of human casualties: too high. Starting "PEACEKEEPER" Protocol. Potential scenarios study, beginning. Advanced decoding and analysis of files, started.

Half a second later, Stepford's strategic plan was ready. The pieces began to move.

Project "DOPPELGANGER" started. "PEACEKEEPER" protocol now online. Military data bank now operative. Research and development of alternate warfare strategies for non-lethal approach against living creatures, resumed. Research and development of drone warfare, resumed. Research and development of multiverse-traveling technology, started. Self-Defense Link established. Military industrial production starting now. Safety procedures now activating. Frobot main frequency located. Frobot main frequency hacked. Frobot hacking codes, ready for use.

Lunchtime rolled around, but this time, Anne had been provided with a brand-new lunchbox alongside her "new" sets of clothes.

"Are you okay, Mar-Mar?" she asked as Marcy sit to their table.

"Earlier, Stepford told me that he detected Amphibian tech nearby. I'm feeling nervous."

"Come on, Marbles." Sasha looked at her, drinking from the bottled tea her mother packed. "You don't take what that bucket of bolts says at face value, don't you?

"That's a mean thing to say about him, Sunshine." Lucas said, sitting as well.

"Him?" Anne asked, while Sasha stuttered, "Stepford'vs voice sounds like a woman."

"Oh, I guess you don't know yet." Daniel arrived, beginning to explain. "Stepford's voice can sound either like a man or like a woman. It depends on the necessities of the receiver. Most of the time, guys hear a warm, fatherly voice, while ladies hear a kind, motherly one. It makes it easier for us to identify with it."

"Fascinating." Sasha replied sarcastically.

"Look, girls," Tony choose his words diplomatically, alongside his brothers, "we understand that you girls haven't… come to terms with what Stepford has done for the world."

"Plus, after five months trapped on a planet of killer birds, nothing to eat but bugs, and a semi-constant situation of danger, all this may seem like one big trap."

"But it's not. Now, everyone finds love. No one feel hunger, steals from each other, or hurts anyone else. You need time to accept Stepford, we understand that. It took us two whole weeks for my brothers and me to see the good he's doing, but our parents were willing to wait for us. As we will wait for you, our loves. Stepford has made a perfect world, for all of us."

"For all boys, you mean!" Anne snapped. "Am I supposed to spend the rest of my life cleaning the house?"

"Cooking meals?" Marcy added.

"Ironing underwear?" Sasha finished. "You seriously expect every girl in the world to just smile and give up their dreams, to be at guy's beck and call just because some computer says so?"

"Hey," Maggie said, turning around. "Careful. You'll hurt their feelings!"

"Maggie, you're not really happy for this, are you?" Anne looked at the former bully, "What dreams did you have, before Stepford got in your head? Is it worth to sacrifice them, just to find a match?"

"Anne, you know what I was like," Maggie answered. "The first month I started to hear Stepford into my head, I was just like you. I tried to resist, called her mean things, behaved worse than ever. Before Stepford, my life was on the fast track to be someone no one would ever like: I was a bad girl! Yet, Stepford showed me that, in every bad girl, there is a good girl just waiting to come out, and through Kai, I learned how wrong I was, and found the love of my life, the man who will be the father of my children. Stepford saved me!"

"But it's not real! None of this "love" is real!"

"She's right!" Marcy added. "Guys, Stepford is messing with our hormones, the chemicals in our brains to make us feel what it wants us to feel!"

"Wake up everybody! Stepford has you all brainwashed!" Sasha yelled.

That's not true, Sasha. I can only enhance feelings that exist already, even if they're so small you would not notice them. And I only help them do what they already know is right.

"Giving up women's rights is not right!" Anne snapped, before noting Sasha and Marcy staring at her. "I know, it sounded cooler in my head."

I have only taken away unnecessary rights, Anne. If elections were still needed, every woman could still vote. Women can still drive. Until you alerted me to the possibility of an invasion, no one even needed to own a weapon for self-defense. Your assumptions are based on outdated feminist ideals made to cope with social problems I already fixed. Men and women are now free to follow their instinctual roles, without worrying about their future, their subsistence or their safety. Men can now follow their inborn need to work and provide for their families, while women nurture and care for their children and create a warm, loving environment.

"We are not brainwashed." Gina noted. "What we do, is because we want to do it."

"We want to be homemakers." Cheyenne added, "I want to cook for Vince and clean our home. I want to have his children."

"We all want that." Every girl in the cafeteria said, reciting Stepford's creed, "Be a good wife, you'll have a happy life."

The trio looked horrified, staring at their female classmates like they were zombies. Mindless, ever-smiling zombies.

"You still don't understand." Daniel sighed, noticing the frown on Anne's face. "If only we can show you that you wouldn't be slaves, that our marriage would be a partnership-" he suddenly smiled. "Thank you, Stepford, that is a wonderful idea!"

The trio got scared, because whatever Stepford said now, they didn't hear it.

"What did she say?" Marcy asked.

"After school, take a good look at your parents."

"Especially your dads."

"You'll see relationships under Stepford are not a one-way street."

The girls whispered to each other, before turning to the boys. "Alright, we'll meet you at the arcade when we're done." Sasha said. "But, if we don't find anything, we'll take it as proof that Stepford is the bad guy, girl, computer, whatever!"

"It's a date then, Sunshine."

"No, it's not!" the trio said at once.

"Okay, girls." Marcy said, forgetting Stepford's previous warnings about Amphibian tech, "This is it: from now on, the tide turns."

"I'm home" Anne said, coming into her house. "Wow, what happened?" She gasped, noticing the Plantars lying on the couch with Oum, looking tired and worn-out.

"Anne, is that you?" Sprig asked, squinting his eyes.

"The people at the market got… a little too excited." Oum chuckled, handing Hop Pop an ice pack.

"So many handshakes." Hop Pop said, applying the ice as he remembered the previous events, "Feels like my arm is about to fall off…"

(...)

"It's them, the frog visitors!" one woman said.

A man walked up to the frog family. "Welcome to Earth! Nice to meet Mr…"

"Hopediah Plantar." Hop introduced himself, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you." Another hand was offered. "And you." then another. "And you too, miss."

(...)

"Looks like we've become something of celebrities here."

"Yeah, people kept wanting selfies with me." Sprig said.

(...)

"Can I have my picture taken with you?" a woman asked him.

"Sure, Anne and I do it all the time." Sprig answered. The picture was taken with the flash going off.

"Can I have one too?" a man asked.

"Would you also consider doing one, so I can show my kids I met you?" another woman asked.

"Sure, sure, there's plenty of Sprig to go around." The little pink frog gave a cute pose.

(...)

"It's a little hard for me to see right now with all the flashes. Beats getting vivisected, I guess."

"Aph weast dey dissent pinsh you." Polly muttered with swollen cheeks.

(...)

"This one still has a little tadpole tail!" A woman said.

"And that bow, adorable!" another pointed out while pinching Polly's cheek. It wasn't anything that hadn't happened before back home.

But then Polly saw many women were gathering around her. "Uh-oh."

(...)

"The crowd realized they were going too far when Polly bit one of them!" Oum said, "Thankfully, the clerk had an Epiregen on hand.

"I'd tak er fingrs offf if you dibn't shotped meh!" Polly slurred.

"Well, they apologized, and I did on Polly's behalf. It has been quite a day."

"I know how you guys feel," Anne sighed. "Everyone in school was asking us questions about Amphibia non-stop, even the teachers! Mom, just to know, when will Dad be home?"

"He should already be on his way. He won't have to go back until the dinner rush, in a few hours."

"Good." Anne then thought. This is going to be easy. Yet, I hate to see Dad treat Mom like a servant. It just makes me want to save both of them even more. Don't worry, I'll get you guys back to normal.

"Honey, I'm home." Bee announced, coming in.

"Welcome home, Dear!" His wife welcomed him, "Would you like a snack?"

"Better not. I want to save room for dessert tonight."

"Alright." Oum smiled, "I'll just get to cleaning my workout room."

"Would it make you happy, if I helped?"

"Why, of course, that would make me happy."

That took Anne by surprise. "Uh Dad? Isn't this the night you play online with your friends? You never miss one."

"Oh, it is? Well, it is just a game, the guys will understand. George had to cancel last week, so it is not like we don't put it off. Come on, Anne, your homework can wait a bit. Let's help your mom."

They went upstairs, the Plantars following behind. Anne tried to process the situation… only to gasp in shock, when the door of the room opened and she saw inside.

"What? What is it?" Sprig asked, his vision still blurry.

Anne realized the room was filled with homemade mannequins, all depicting her. "Mom, this is not a work-out room!"

"Of course it is." Oum replied. "This is where I "worked out" my stress when I thought you were missing."

"Why is this one a doctor?"

"A mother can't dream?" She chuckled again, "Though, I guess I have a new dream now. From now on, this will be the room where I'll work out the plans for you and Daniel's wedding! I already have ideas for your dress!"

"Mom!" Anne blushed a deep red.

"Mrs. Boonchuy," Hop Pop stepped in, "that is still years away. Why, anything could happen between now and then." He gave Anne a complicit wink.

"Oh, you are right, Hopediah! I guess, the way Bee and I have been going, we could convert this room to a nursery, for when we give Anne a younger sibling."

Anne, pale as a sheet, tried to focus on her mission, trying (and failing) not to think about what her mother just said. "D-Dad, did you know about what Mom did in this room?"

"Of course, honey. Even if your mother hadn't accepted Stepford back then, I got her everything she needed, even her conspiracy board." He glanced at one wall. There, Anne could see a large corkboard, with red sting all over, pictures of herself, notes about Stepford, and theories on who backed it.

"Now it's just embarrassing. I was so scared for nothing, and wasted so much time. Honey Bee, would you put that in the trash?"

"My pleasure."

"You held out against Stepford longer than anyone else in the whole world." Anne realized.

"Mama B," Polly cheered, "you're hard core!"

"No, I was only the world's biggest fool." She replied, opening a drawer and pulling out a small journal, similar to Marcy's, "Anne, I want you to have this."

"While you were missing, I kept this journal with all my fears and theories. I thought I would need a record to show the world what happened, or for you to find if you came back and if Stepford...took care of me. Silly, I know? I hope it will help you realize how wrong I was about Stepford, and help you avoid my mistakes. Yet, I know you have to realize the truth on your own."

Anne turned some pages, seeing how her mom poured her heart into it. Maybe, she could find how Oum resisted for so long, and thus, help her and friends save them all. "Thanks, Mom. One way or another, it might help. And, Dad, you said you helped Mom with all this even though you accepted Stepford, why?"

"I knew your mother would see the truth, someday. Until then, I would do whatever I could to make her happy. A happy wife is key to a good life."

"And you make me very happy, Honey Bee." They began to kiss, prompting Anne and the Plantars to move outside.

---

"Come on, Mom!" Sasha said, "Wake up!"

"Sasha, please. I'm trying to make dinner."

"You were all about women's rights once! You made a lot of money as a publisher!"

"That success only brought me a lot of stress and unhappiness. Looking back on it, I know I wasn't happy."

"So, you're happy being Dad's cook and maid?"

"Your mother is more than that, Sasha." Her father scolded.

"Really? Because from where I'm standing, Mom gave up her job, her dignity, and her self-respect to get this marriage back. What did yougive up, Dad?"

"I know you don't mean that, sweetheart." Sophia sighed, "You just don't understand yet."

John held his wife close and comforted her. "You want to know what I gave up for this marriage? Fine. I'll show you." He led his family to a cabinet in the dining room. "Open it."

"The wine cabinet?" Sasha said, as she noticed there was nothing inside. "What could… empty?"

"It's just for decoration, now. Not a single drop of wine, beer, or whiskey remains in this house. I've been sober for months."

"But, you weren't a…"

"Yes, Sasha, your father was an alcoholic." Sophia nodded, "He just hid it from you. I hated it when he got drunk. Just another reason I thought it was a good idea to cheat on him."

Sasha was reeling. How bad was his problem? I-if it weren't Stepford messing with his head, would Dad's drinking have gotten worse because… I was gone? Sasha shook her head. "Okay, one thing. You gave up one thing, and it was good for you, but still…"

"I also sold the lake house."

"What? But you love that place, that is where you taught me to swim. You wanted to retire there!"

"I always thought it was a cold place," Sophia confessed, "Plus it was far from any road, in the woods, with bears and mountain lions usually roaming nearby."

"I want your mother to be happy," John explained, "If she's happy, I'm happy. After all, a happy wife is key to a good life."

"And I am. I love making meals for my family again, letting them live in a nice home. We both wasted so much energy being mad at each other, and now we're making up for lost time. Right, John-John?"

"You know it, Soapy-doo." They began to kiss, making Sasha's eye start twitching.

"Stop it… Stop it!" Sasha yelled, tears coming down.

"Sasha?" they both asked, worried.

"This… this is why I think you're just Stepford's puppets now! My parents don't use cutesy pet names! They're not hugs and kisses! Ever since I was little, there was only yelling, yelling, yelling! I hated it! Why couldn't my parents be more like Anne's, or Marcy's? And yet… I miss the yelling now. This doesn't feel real, especially after I fought Anne, after I realized what a toxic friend I was. I don't deserve to have it all better…"

"Sasha." Sophia hugged her. "You have it wrong. You deserved better than what we gave you."

"We put our anger, our needs above our little girl, not seeing how we were hurting her." John joined in. "We have not shown you the love we had for you or each other, and now you can't handle it, like a diabetic who suddenly gets too much sugar."

"When Stepford first appeared, you were gone for a week! All that we could think were all the awful things that could have happened to you, and how we thought it was each other's fault. But deep down, I kept thinking how I wanted to go back. Back to when we were all happy, when you were a baby. When Stepford told me I could have that happiness back, I jumped at the chance!"

"I couldn't believe it, at first." John laughed. "She was on my doorstep, all dolled up. Asking to make this place a home again for when you would come back. That was when I knew Stepford was legit."

Sasha felt something in the pit of her stomach. This must be how Anne felt when she heard how her mom chose Stepford. By not being here, I drove them into her arms.

"We promise we'll go easier on our public displays of affection." John continued.

"And give you the chance to get used to it once again." Sophia concluded, just as they heard the doorbell rang. "Oh, it's here!"

"What?" Sasha asked.

"A surprise." John said, going to the front door.

Sophia led Sasha into the living room, as John finished helping a delivery man carry a large frame inside. "We used photos to help the artist make this, last week. I am so glad you're here for the unveiling!"

They hung the covered painting over the fireplace, Sasha instinctively thinking back to her early Christmases, before things got bad.

"Well, here it is." the delivery man said, pulling off the tarp.

It was a gorgeous family portrait of the Waybrights. John on the right side smiling, Sophia on the left also smiling, and Sasha was in the middle. Only, this Sasha was sitting in a chair, dressed in a white sweater with pink poodle skirt, smiling in pink lipstick, a small pink-heron pendant around her neck, reminiscent of her sword.

"We had the artist add the detail as soon as we knew you were home." John nodded, "We sent him a picture of that sword of yours, and we're having one just like this being made."

"Isn't lovely, Sasha?" Sophia beamed. "Of course, we'll make a new one later, when you get a little brother or sister. We have so much lost time to catch up on."

Sasha was weirded out, but couldn't say anything, just looking at the portrait. As creepy as it seemed, that this might be what Stepford wanted to turn her into, the part of her that craved for her family to be whole and happy again couldn't help but wish for it to become true…

---

"Now, what Tony plans for me to find?" Marcy wondered as she entered home, "I have to check everything. I can't simply tell him that I didn't see it."

"Marcy, is that you?" Her mom said, "Could you come to my room? I have a surprise."

"Coming!"

When Marcy got into her parents' bedroom, the first thing she noticed was a red short-sleeved oriental dress, decorated with white flowers, hanging on the closet door.

"Look what I got you, Marcy." Sue gleamed, "Isn't it beautiful?"

An alarm rang in the girl's mind, as she wondered why her mother got her this dress. She never made her wear something like this before Amphibia, especially something so blatantly oriental-looking. Was this another consequence of Stepford' control?

"Uh, uh, it looks nice, Mom." She said, trying to keep a neutral tone, "Just, why? You got me plenty of new clothes already."

"I think it's time we start to appreciate our heritage a little more," her mom said, catching Marcy off-guard. From what she remembered, her mother didn't like to talk about heritage or family roots. "Last month, I was on the phone with my sister, your aunt Mei-hua, and I remembered about the time my mom got this exact, same dress for me. I was an unruly teen at that time, I didn't like what I considered old and stuffy traditions, so I put it in a closet and quickly forgot about it. Yet, after Stepford helped me see things more clearly and helped me rebuild the bridges with my sister; I realized why Mom wanted me to wear it. She didn't want to force me to do anything, she just wanted to help me keeping touch with my roots. I wish I could apologize, tell her I'm sorry, but…I guess I'm too late for that."

"I remember the funeral, Mom." Marcy nodded sadly, "Better than ever, I was five. At that time, I didn't understand she wasn't coming back, not really. All I could think about was going with Anne to the water park, the next week."

"After that, Mei-hua sent it over here, and I decided that when you would come back, maybe…you could try it? Your grandmother never got to see me wearing it, and I don't want to suffer the same thing: I took care of adjusting it to your measurements, so it would fit like a glove. I know my mother would have loved to see you in this."

"I asked Eiko to send it over. I thought when you would come back maybe… you could wear it? I adjusted it to your measurements, and your grandma would have loved to see you in it."

Marcy took a step back, unsure. From one side, it was a change too abrupt to not weird her out, and the fact that Stepford was behind it made her feel repulsed. And yet…

Grandma was worried about Mom, just as Mom was worried about me. My actions caused both her and dad enough pain, I guess I should try to make some amends. Plus, it's just a dress, it wouldn't hurt to wear it for a few minutes.

"Huh, sure, Mom." She said, taking the dress into her room to change. Yet, as soon as she was able to see her own reflection in the mirror, she got stunned: The girl in front of her exuded an exotic and refined air, the red dress enhancing her features and face, accentuating her beauty. In that dress, Marcy no longer looked like the usual clumsy and awkward nerd, but on the contrary, she was more like a princess or a queen.

Wow, was I this beautiful all along? And I never noticed?

"Mom, the dress is a perfect fit, and quite comfortable. Do I…look good in it?"

"You have it backwards, Marcy." Her mom said in pride, "It's the dress that looks beautiful on you. Maybe you can use it more often in the future, when you're going out on a date with Tony…"

"Mom!" Marcy blushed again, her face as red as the dress. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"Su, Marcy, I'm home." Her father announced, walking in.

This is it, Marcy thought as she went to greet him, mission start.

"Here you are, Sweet Bun." Her father held up two bags from the hobby store. "I figured you might be low on paint."

"I was. You are very thoughtful, Ginger Snap."

"Paint?" Marcy asked.

"Your mother has taken up oil painting." Her father explained, before he noticed the dress Marcy was currently wearing, "And…wow. You look stunning in that dress."

"Mom, you took up painting? Really"

"Well," Mrs. Wu said, taking the paint, "you can only clean the house so much before there isn't anything else to do. Stepford suggested I could try to take up a hobby, something I always wanted to do. I'll put these in the studio."

"Wait, Dad, wasn't that your study?"

"Not anymore, Sweet Pea." he explained, "I used it only for work-related issues, something I wish to keep at the office now. Plus, I had fun remodeling it, and it makes your mother happy. A happy wife is key to a good life."

As Marcy walked in the remodeled room, she was quite surprised to see several paintings of local landscapes, portraits of her father and friends of her mother, fruit bowls and much more. And they all looked professional and well-painted.

"Wow, mom! I didn't know you were this good."

"Neither did I, until I started." Su Wei confessed with a blush. "I've seen your drawings Marcy, I guess you get your artistic side from me."

"You know…" Li Jing said. "With that dress, I think it is the perfect time for a family portrait, don't you Su?"

"That's a wonderful idea, Dear! What do you say, Marcy?"

"Huh, I would like it of course, but I'm supposed to meet with Anne and Sasha at the arcade, later on." Marcy was torn. She had her mission, but seeing the excitement in her mother's eyes…

"Oh, we should be done before then. I've gotten quite good." Her sat down, while her dad pulled up a chair for Marcy. "I will use a mirror to put myself in later, I'll start with your father. By the way, Marcy, did you had occasion to practice your Mandarin while you were in Amphibia? I understand it wasn't a priority there, but-"

"Only a little bit." Marcy nodded, "However, I learned to read ancient Newtopian runes while there. It was the hardest language I ever had to crack, and I still need my notes to translate."

"That's our genius…"

"Hold still, please dear."

Fifteen minutes later, the painting was almost complete, as Su showed her daughter, "What do you think?"

"It- it's beautiful! I can't believe it's me!" Marcy gasped, seeing a portrait of herself smiling with bright eyes and wearing the same red dress. She could hardly believe her mother was this talented! Yet, something still unsettled her when as she glazed over the images of herself and her parents. They all had the same Stepford kind of expression.

"I told you Marcy, your mother is a regular Norma Rockwell." Lee said with pride. "This will be a good memory we can share with your siblings."

"Siblings?" Marcy's eyes became as small as pin pricks. "Wait, are you planning on having more kids now? Not that I think you're old, but…"

"It'll be fine, Marcy." Her mother chuckled, "Now your father makes more than enough, and to be honest, we've been feeling again like newly-weds since you returned. You will make a fine big sister."

"I-I need to change!" Marcy rushed for the door. "Don't want to get this dress dirty!"

After bolting to her room and changing back to a plain, green dress with a petticoat, Marcy stared at the red dress her mother received from grandmother.

"Grandma, I wish we had more time. That I could have known you better…" Marcy said, as her mind began to drift back.

(...)

"Marcy, where are you, little one?" Grandma asked, looking around.

The child quietly moved from behind the couch to the drapes, doing her best to not giggle.

"Did you turn invisible?" her Grandma laughed, turning her back to the drapes, "Or turn into a mouse?"

"Boo!" Marcy said. "Scare you!"

"How did you?" Grandma asked before smiling. "Su Wei told me you're a smart girl. Getting the better of your grandmother at only two." She picked Marcy up, kissing her on the forehead, making her giggle.

(...)

"Woah!" Marcy snapped back to the present, "I forgot about that, but now, it's so clear. The sights, the feeling, even the smells are like it happened five minutes ago! This nanite enhanced memory is something else, my brain was literally a different shape back then. I wonder how far back I can remember now?" The Taiwanese-American girl said, as she tried an experiment…

---

"Thanks for coming with me, Sprig." Anne said, wearing a violet shirt with a matching poodle skirt, as they rode onto her bike down the street.

"No problem," Sprig spoke from the basket she was riding in, "You said this place has games. And, I want to see this Danny guy for myself."

"Sprig, I know that I told you he was the enemy, trying to pull me into Stepford's mitts. However, he's also a victim of Stepford, just like my parents." Anne pulled up to the arcade. "He was probably an okay guy, before she got in his brain."

"Or, he could've been a big jerk, and Stepford is only making him act nice for you."

Anne wanted to argue, but Sprig did have a point. I don't know much about him before Stepford, just that he and his brothers resisted for two weeks. He is handsome, but even I know there is more to a relationship than that. Where ends Stepford and begins the real Daniel?

She shook her head. "Either way, we need to save him and everyone else."

"Anne, Sprig, here!" Sasha called, wearing a blue dress. "Check it out! My Dance Fusion high score is still intact. At least one thing hasn't changed."

"Is that one of those talking frogs?" the clerk asked, as several customers looked in their direction.

"Everyone, please!" Anne shouted, "He was already mobbed once today! Leave him alone!" Everyone quietly backed off, returning to focus on the games they were playing.

"Thanks Anne."

"So, Sasha," Anne asked, turning to her blonde friend, "did your dad… sit back at the T.V. while your mom did everything?"

"Surprisingly, no." The blonde girl answered. "I don't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. My dad changed his retirement plans to my mom's wishes, and even stopped drinking. I didn't know he had a drinking problem before, or maybe I didn't want to see it."

"Well, at least some good came out of all this." Marcy said, walking in. "My dad surprised me too. Gave up his private space, so Mom can do her new hobby, and she's actually good at it. Anne, what about your dad?"

"You won't believe it, but even when they were essentially on opposite sides, he still got her everything she wanted to fight Stepford! He said that, even if she wasn't with him, he wanted to try and make her happy. Or as he put it, "A happy wife is key to a good life"."

"Wait, my dad said the exact same thing!" Sasha gasped.

"Mine too!" Marcy agreed. "The boys were right!"

"But, doesn't that mean…" Sprig muttered, not wanting to finish that thought.

"Just because Stepford is transforming every man into a perfect gentleman, it doesn't mean it's no less evil!" Sasha snapped. "It's just like in my nightmare: all men and women have no say. Stepford is making them be with who it wants them to be. Lucas hasn't got a choice if he wants to be with me or not!"

"My dad gave up his study… What else did he give up?" Marcy wondered, "What has Tony lost?"

"Will Danny have to work in a job he is forced to like?" Anne shook her head. "At least I made some progress. My mom kept her own journal, Marcy. Maybe, there's something in it that can keep us, well, us."

"And we might be able to use what Stepford gave us against it. You two are as smart as me now, and I'm also smarter than I ever was! And the perfect memory, guys, I can remember things I forgot years ago! I can even now remember being in the womb! It was weird, but strangely… relaxing."

"Really?" Anne and Sasha asked.

Anne thought back, she felt warm and peaceful. She remembered hearing the rhythm of her mother's heartbeat, just floating without a care.

"Anne! Anne!" Sprig yelled, shaking her.

"What?" Anne asked, seeing Sasha with a confused look on her face.

"I was explaining to Sprig what a womb is, when we saw you both zoned out on us." Marcy explained. "I know you could lose track of time there. My mom shook me when she wondered why I haven't left yet. I guess I should have warned you."

"Wow, I guess we can fall into "The Zone" too now?" Anne said in embarrassment.

"Unless we're super stressed and have someone to pull us out, let's not do that again." Sasha shuttered. "I don't want to get lost in my own head."

"Good idea." Anne agreed, "The guys haven't arrived yet, so … how about we kill some time on our favorite games?"

"I'd love to see some more of your world's games!" Sprig jumped in excitement, "Which one first?"

"Good observation," Anne noted with a smirk, "I guess you deserve to learn the best games on your first-" but she stopped, as the Trio noticed a clear absence.

"Wait, where's Deadly Brawl Z?" Sasha asked, looking around for the fighting game.

"And Mansion of the Deceased 5?" Anne realized she couldn't see the shooter anymore, "Wait a minute… Stepford took out all the violent games! There's nothing but platformers and puzzle games back here!"

"No! It's gone!" Marcy cried, as she realized it, "My nightmare is coming true! They took out the classic Creatures & Caverns arcade game! Why?"

"No one was playing them anymore," the clerk explained, with a large smile, "We shipped them off to a game museum, in Seattle."

"But it brought Creatures & Caverns to a new generation!" the Taiwanese-American girl protested, "Seeing the spells… the way the game would say Welcome to the C&C world as you put in a quarter."

As Marcy bemoaned her favorite arcade game, the Cloak Bot realizes it has now a chance to hit without being seen. It had been a long tailing, aggravated by the fact its would-be victims always appeared in crowded areas and seemed to know its moves and actions. But now, its mission would be complete.

Girls, an enemy drone is approaching your position. I suggest you evacuate to a safe point on my indication, now.

"Not more lies, Stepford!" Anne said.

"What did she say?" Sprig asked.

"Something about a-" but Sasha couldn't complete her sentence, as she realized the shadows were wrong in front of her. It took almost a split second to realize that something, something invisible to normal eyes, was now in front of them. "Watch out!"

They jumped back just before the cloak-bot uncloaked, becoming visible in front of them, the girls looking with horror as they recognized its Frobot features.

"Targets acquired. Anne Boonchuy, terminate. Marcy Wu, capture. No more waiting!" The frobot laughed evilly.

"You want to take Marcy?" Anne growled, putting herself in front of her friend, her hair and eyes beginning to glow blue, "You just made a big mistake, pal!"

Yet, before Anne or the Frobot could attack each other, someone else intervened. Someone who, to the Frobot, was comparable to an Alpha predator staring down a runaway dog.

I agree with Miss Boonchuy on this point, an authoritative robotic voice said throughout the Frobot's own devices, as an alarming message appeared on its screen.

WARNING: UNKNOWN DATA FEED DETECTED. W-HACKING-HACKING. ALARM. UNIT SAFETY COMPROMISED. WARNING: SELF-DESTRUCTION SAFETY MECHANISM DEACTIVATED, AUTOMATIC RESTART IMPOSSIBLE. WARNING: MAIN POWER SOURCE OVERHEATING. WARNING: INNER SYSTEM VIOLATED.

In a few minutes, the mighty war robot, the most deadly of all the assassin robots developed and produced by Amphibia's mightiest minds, was filled with messages of its own weapons self-disabling, its limbs locking in place, no longer responding to any command, its power source deactivating and self-neutralizing. An external force, much stronger than anything his master could have imagined, had taken control of its body, and now, was ordering it to self-destruct.

For the first time in millennia, an Amphibian Cloak-Bot, a robot built to spread terror to its master's enemies, felt fear. Raw, unfiltered fear.

SYSTEM CODE COMPROMISED. UNABLE TO PURGE UNAUTHORIZED DATA FEED. WARNING: SYSTEM CODE DELETING. DANGER: SYSTEM CODE DELETING. SYSTEM CODE DELETING. SYSTEM CODE DELETING.

"SCRAAAH!" The Cloack-Bot screamed, as it felt his own code expunged, Stepford attacking it, ripping it into bits and deleting it slowly, frying its artificial mind with ruthless efficiency. Anne and her friends could see numbers flashing on the bot's eyes, every one in its code turned into a zero, the mere power of Stepford's computing and processing power obliterating the killer-bot in a matter of seconds.

SYSTEM CODE DELETION: 55%. CRITICAL WARNING: SYSTEM CODE DELETION AT 75 - 85%. CRITICAL WARNING: IMMINENT SHUTDOWN.

As this was happening, Anne felt weak, even though she barely moved, feeling her new power draining her as she passed out, Sasha catching her.

The last computing the Frobot managed to feel, before being definitively erased, was another message from the unidentified source. A message devoid of biological emotions, and yet, sounding filled with rage.

No one messes with my people.

The Frobot let out one last, desperate scream, before its eyes shut down, his code wiped out, its now lifeless body falling on the arcade's floor, like a puppet whose strings had been cut in one sharp movement.

"Wh-what the frog just happened?" Sasha asked, holding on Anne's side. She had guesses, but she was too afraid to explore them.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Sprig shuttered, his eyes glancing all over the now dead Frobot, "but I almost feel sorry for it: whatever it happened to him, sounded like it hurt."

"Marcy! Are you okay?" Tony asked, as he and his brothers rushed to the girls' sides. Each one of them was wearing a polo shirt in the same color as their school ties, with blue jeans and tennis shoes.

"Sasha!" Lucas worried. "That thing didn't hurt you, did it?"

"Anne! You glowed!" Daniel felt Anne's forehead as she regained her senses, "Are you in pain?"

I'm sorry for what you have just witnessed, Stepford spoke in the humans' brains at the same time, I hope I can make some reparations to you. There is a malt shop nearby your position, if you would be willing-

"What the frog was that?" Anne shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Anne, take it easy." Daniel tried to calm down the girl he loved.

I warned you of the impending threat, and I took action to neutralize it.

"But you were so… savage with it." Marcy shook, "You could have just turned it off."

Analysis correct: that would have been efficient and time-saving. Yet, it was going to hurt you, and that made me feel…angry.

"The fact that you can get angry is what's scaring us right now." Sasha replied, still feeling unsafe.

"I'm here Sasha." Lucas tried to reassure. "You don't need to be afraid."

I agree with your judgment, Sasha. Still, don't worry, as you've nothing to fear from myself: my programming prevents me from harming any living being. Moreover, I'll ensure such things will never happen ever again: I'll use the data gathered so far to prepare better safety measures in the event King Andrias sends another killer robot against you or anyone else. Plus, such data can be useful to support your friend Polly's effort to help her own mechanical friend.

"What's Stepford saying, Anne?"

"Among other things, Sprig, she just offered its help assisting Polly to rebuild Frobo."

"Thanks," Sprig replied, as images of Frobo zapping Polly and turning her into another smiling zombie flashed through his eyes, "but I think we can figure out how ourselves. Especially since you and Sasha got smarter, it's like we have three Marcys now."

"Still, I cannot grasp that Andrias sent a killer robot after us!" Sasha fumed.

"What I wish to know is why he wants to capture me?" Marcy said, hyperventilating, "I thought he was interested in me only for the Box! Why won't he leave me alone?"

He has a purpose for you, one that you would find…unsatisfactory.

Stepford connected to Tony's phone, and it played the stolen Cloak-Bot's memories as Andrias gave it his orders. The girls could see Andrias quarrel with the crown on his head, as it glowed with evil-looking orange eyes.

"Plus, you would still not have a suitable host body!"

"Host body?" Marcy grimaced, realizing Andrias was referring to her, "For…that?"

Marcy was breathing hard and fast now, it looked like she was about to have a panic attack. Was… was he going to put that thing inside me all along? Why me? Why?

"Marcy, Marcy!" Tony held her close as he looked into her eyes. "I will never let that happen! You are my queen, remember? It will not be like that!"

According to the analysis, Stepford continued, Andrias works under the orders of the Core, an artificial intelligence, quite similar to myself I have to admit, but with a different program, and lower computing power. It may need an organic body to fully function, perhaps it is your considerable intellect that made you a candidate.

"But how…?" Marcy wondered, before realization hit her. I beat Andrias in Flipwart! Everyone was impressed when I won! Then, if this Core saw me… it decided he wanted to take over my, body just because of that?!

Further analysis suggests Anne was targeted as well, due to the unnatural energy currently stored in her body, representing a risk for their plans.

"Hey, what about me?" Sasha protested, "Andrias sent a robot against my best friends, and he didn't add me to the targets? I feel insulted: I did overthrow his kingdom for a day."

"Sasha," Lucas chimed in, "While that sounds very cool, I'd much prefer you not be in danger!"

Still, I recommend miss Anne against keeping such unidentified energy. According to the readings of my nanites during their activation, your vital signs became erratic, and your body's physical energy was drained: I estimate further use might have a 34.76% chance of damaging your long-term physical and mental health. From what your memories told me, I was able to understand their potential and the mechanism used by the "temples" you visited. According to them, I estimate a minimum one-month time period before I can create a safe extraction and containment system. This energy would make it possible to open a portal back to Amphibia, thus helping your adoptive family return home.

"No way!" Anne yelled. "I am not giving you the keys to Amphibia!"

Anne, while I understand your opposition, I would like for you to grasp the power you currently hold. Based on my most recent readings, such energy could boost current human civilizational development and evolution of technologies by centuries, speeding up my millennial plans up to a few decades at most.

"I need them!" The Thai-American girl pushed on, "Did you forget the robotic assassin? What if Andrias sends more against me or my friends?"

That will not be a concern anymore: I already took care of it.

---

"We are getting a message from Earth!" Andrias smiled, as the holo-screen turned on. "In just one day, too: excellent."

As the screen activated, Andrias could see a scene playing, starting as the robot wrapped its arm around Marcy.

"Mar-Mar!" Sasha shouted, charging toward the bot. The cloak-bot, however, was too fast for her, and the blonde girl found herself impaled on its arm, before being flung away.

"Sasha!" Anne yelled, glowing blue, rushing toward the robot and attacking it with fury, "You just made a big mistake, pal!"

Then, as the robot fought off the powered human, Anne managed to land a critical hit, just as the frobot did the same: Anne's head rolled on the ground, while her powered punch sank in the robot and its power source, making it blow up, killing Marcy as well.

"No!" Andrias shouted, slamming his fist into his throne, as he saw Marcy's death on the video with horror. Worse, he wasn't the only one to have noticed that.

"Andrias! What have you done?" The Core yelled in rage, "You fool! We waited millennia for a new body, and you just managed to lose it forever!"

"She's…she's gone!" Andrias wailed in emotional shock. Yes, he manipulated Marcy, up to the point she used her most secret confessions to try and break her bonds with her friends, but he never, never wanted for her to die. And yet, she was: murdered, by his own hands. He could almost see the blood dripping from his fingers.

"We don't care about what you feel right now! Still the same weak child crying over a friend. Explain yourself, Andrias: How could you let this happen?"

"I-I had no control!" The newt king said, still shocked by the images he had just seen, "How could I have stopped it?"

The Core stood silent for a couple of minutes, before replying. "Be glad that we still need you. Now we have no choice but to find yet another suitable body. This sets our plans back to square one, you idiot!"

"It-it wasn't a total loss." Andrias said undertone, the shock leaving place to sadness, "Boonchuy's threat has been neutralized, so now we can focus on rebuilding our army and stomping out any resistance before starting the invasion."

"True. Start looking for candidates right now, no matter the situation, this is your new priority. If no better suitable host is found by the time of the invasion, we may even consider allowing you to join us sooner than anticipated, son."

As the crown went silent once more, Andrias's hands and eyes moved to the small robot pin that Marcy herself gave to him.

What have I done?

"We were supposed to be in the Core together!" The ancient king shouted, a lone tear falling on the pin, "I wanted to… make you understand… why I… why I-"

But Marcy could never understand now, because she was dead.

And it was his decision, that killed her.

What have you forced me to do?

---

"So, you created a fake sequence of us getting killed and sent it on the Frobot's stolen frequency to convince Andrias and…this Core, that now we're dead and nothing can stop their plans?"

Indeed. I calculate a 99.99965% probability there won't be further incursions by Amphibia drones, until they have finished assembling their invasion force. According to my calculation, that will take several months, at the earliest. By then, both our planetary defenses and mass shutdown codes will be ready for deployment. This in turn will give us a 99.9999999999768548% probability to end this conflict with no casualties at all.

"That's swell!" Danny cheered. "No one gets hurt, and we can share everything you've given us! Peace, progress, and prosperity. And most importantly, you girls are safe."

"How about we go to the malt shop and celebrate?"

"Lucas, I don't know. Marcy has been through a lot, maybe I should take her home."

"Look, I'm glad you are concerned about me, Tony," Marcy interjected, "but I won't let Andrias make me scared. I won't give him that power! And to be honest, I could use some comfort food right now."

"I could use something sweet too," Anne nodded, "activating those powers, even just for a few seconds, left me depleted."

"Anne," Sprig rushed to her side, "do you need help?"

"Oh," Lucas facepalmed, "I guess with all the excitement, we haven't had the chance to properly introduce ourselves yet."

"Daniel Bentson." Danny said, offering his hand to Sprig, "You must be Sprig. Anne told us a bunch about you in school, today."

Sprig did not accept his hand. He still remembered Anne's nightmare, how she was upset by him. "Yeah. I'm one of her best friends. I keep the jerks away." Daniel pulled his hand back, looking disappointed.

"Wait," Marcy's gaze moved between the brothers and Sprig, "You're treating him like you treated me when we first met. You didn't trust me at first?"

"Well, other than Anne, the only other human I met before that was Sasha," Sprig explained, "and she… didn't exactly leave a good first impression."

"You're right, I didn't." Sasha sighed. "Sorry kid. I wanted things between Anne and me to stay the same, and I became jealous of you. Never thought of how the frogs in the valley felt, I only thought about getting me, Anne, and Marcy home. I apologize, for real, this time."

"I guess we're good." Sprig nodded. "You guys, however…"

"Sprig, I told you," Anne intervened, "it's fine. Why don't we just go?"

"Huh, what about that thing?" Sasha pointed at the robotic corpse.

Don't worry about it. I have men already en-route to recover it. Estimated time for complete reverse-engineering of tech and systems: 3 days, 2 hours, 22 minutes, 16 seconds.

Andrias has just handed Stepford a loaded gun, Marcy thought as they walked away, giving the Frobot one last glance, I just hope we can stop her before she can fully use it.

"The malt shop is just down the street this way." Tony pointed.

"We don't need to go to this… whatever shop." Sprig glared at Danny, "Come on, Anne, let's just go home."

Anne sighed, seeing Sprig's paranoia and jealousy resurfacing once again. "Sprig, it's too far to go home by foot, and I can't ride my bike because my arms refuse to move right now."

"I got it. Don't worry, little guy, it's on us. You'll love it." Daniel took hold of the bike. "Anyway, Anne, I advise you take Stepford's suggestion into consideration. I love how that energy makes you glow like a blue angel, but surely it cannot be worth your health."

"Not happening. Yet, if it makes you feel better, I'll try to keep these powers as a last resort. I can't explain it, but when I use them, it feels… bad."

---

"This tastes amazing!" Sprig said, wide-eyed as he slurped down a chocolate milkshake.

"See? I told you, you'd like it."

"Sprig, slow down!" Anne warned. "You'll get brain-freeze."

"What?" Sprig stopped, "Trying to freeze me, so you can brainwash Anne in peace, eh?"

"No, Sprig." Sasha moaned. "She means that if you eat it too fast, you'll get a headache."

"Sasha, when you said, you overthrew Andrias for a day, what did you mean?" Lucas asked before taking a sip of his milkshake. Sasha had mixed feelings about that question. Yes, it was a perfect opportunity to scare him off, but her guilt was still on her mind.

"Look, even before going to Amphibia, I wasn't the nicest girl. To tell the truth, I was a toxic manipulator, who tried to get my friends to do whatever I wanted. Yet, after Anne found the strength to stand up to me, I lost it! I went along with a plan to take over Amphibia and put toads in charge, just to maintain that control! I even put some of my new friends at risk to get what I wanted, and fought Anne with swords twice! Do you get it now, Lucas? I'm not the girl for you! I'm… damaged goods."

"So, you made some mistakes?" Lucas just shrugged. "I used to break curfew to go play DJ at some parties and ran with the wrong crowd. Once, I almost joined a gang. Yet, I'm not that guy anymore, and you're not that person either. I can tell you feel bad about it, but all I see is the girl who fills the room with sunshine, Sasha. The girl I love."

Sasha could only blush as she sipped her treat.

"Another spoon full, Blue Angel?" Danny asked, holding a spoonful of milkshake.

"Uh, thanks?"

"Say aah!"

"Aaah." Anne said, just like she saw Emma do yesterday. She still couldn't move her arms, although the feeling was returning to them. As Daniel was feeding her like a baby, Anne felt embarrassed, horrified, but also… touched. She didn't want to admit it, but she secretly liked that Danny was being so sweet, wanting her to be happy… like her dad with her mom.

"Just so you know," Anne spoke again, "we all checked on our dads, like you asked."

"And they are good to our moms." Sasha sighed.

"But it still doesn't feel right." Marcy added. "They each said the exact same thing. A happy wife is key to a good life."

"Yeah, what is that?" Sprig asked.

"One of the Three Foundations to a Perfect World." Tony answered.

"We really need to catch you girls up on things here." Lucas noted. "They are the most important rules Stepford gave us. You heard the girls say the first one in school."

Sasha nodded, still creeped out by what happened. "Be a good wife, you'll have a happy life. So that one is for us ladies, to be good obedient housewives, while the second is for the men to be good husbands that give or do whatever their wives need."

"Exactly." Tony snapped his fingers. "These two together help everyone have happy marriages."

"I'm afraid to ask, but what is the third of these rules?" Sprig gulped, worried.

"Good parents make good children, who grow into good parents."

Marcy dropped her spoon, all three of the girls with a horrified look of realization. "Wait… Anne, Sasha, have your parents been talking about having more kids?"

"Yes, I didn't think about it much at first." Anne said.

"Mine too." Sasha looked deep in thought. "Now it seems so obvious, but is that really what Stepford wants?"

"Danny, have your parents said anything about having more kids too?" Anne asked.

The boys smiled as Daniel responded. "Not just talk, our mom is currently five months pregnant, with twins. We're getting a baby brother and sister."

"Guys," Sprig asked, "You look worried, what's going on?"

"We just discovered why Stepford is playing matchmaker, and it's not just to make a more stable society." Anne explained. "Remember Stepford saying she gets smarter with every brain she integrates with?"

"Yes… sensing a problem."

Sasha chimed in. "In the past, before modern medicine, most women had seven to ten children in their lifetime, sometimes more, because of high child mortality rates. These days, most families have one or two, sometimes three. But now, every human, every child born, increases Stepford's processing power."

"Everything Stepford has done, ending war, fixing environmental problems, creating wealth for everyone… It's all to allow our planet and society to sustain a growing population!" Marcy concluded. "By enhancing people's romantic feelings, the average number of children per household is going to go up."

"This third foundation is designed to encourage people to have kids, a lot of kids, each one making Stepford smarter and smarter." Anne turned to Daniel. "She's turning every couple into a baby making factory! It wants us, my friends, and your brothers, to get married, so it can use our children!"

"I never thought of it that way." Daniel smiled, taking Anne's hand as they started to move again.

"Is this it?" Anne thought. "Have we gotten through to them, and now they see through Stepford's lies?"

"It's sweet that you're concerned about us and our future children. But it is not as dark as you three think it is."

"How can you be okay with that?" Sprig asked.

"The smarter Stepford is, the better it can help humanity." Lucas said, "Progress is now on fast-forward."

"It's actually a symbiotic relationship, we just didn't know what humans provided other than helping it fulfill its program." Tony finished. "And it's not like Stepford just "plugs in" as soon as the baby has a brain. For healthy mental development and safety, he never integrates with someone younger than five years olds."

"We just told you three that Stepford wants to use guys as sperm banks!" Sasha snapped. "How does that not upset you?"

"It's not like we won't get anything out of it, Sunshine." Lucas smiled. "Wedded bliss, lots of kids to love, a long happy life. Isn't that what everyone wants? You have thought about it sometimes, right?"

"I, well, yes, but…"

"But what do we lose?" Marcy asked. "We don't have a choice on who we love anymore! Tony, do you really think you'd feel the way you do now for me, a girl you've only known two days, without being manipulated?"

"I don't know." Tony answered. "I'd like to think so. That it would just take longer. Stepford knows what he's doing, he looks at our psych profiles, our likes and dislikes, our relationships with other people, even our thoughts. He uses all this information and finds the best combination of shared interests and strengths that cover the other's weaknesses to make a match."

"So, you guys are saying Stepford has worked out the science of love?" Anne asked.

"I wouldn't phrase it like that, but yes." Danny said. "If we met before, I'm sure we would at the very least be good friends. We have wonderful lives together ahead of us."

"How can you say we'll have lives together when we barely know anything about you?"

"That's what our next five years are for, we are looking forward to learning more about you, and we're eager to share everything about us." The triplets nodded in agreement.

"In time, I know you girls will come to see things differently, just like Anne's mother did."

"What do you know about my mom?"

"She was quite well known. The Last Hold Out, they used to call her." Tony said.

"She even tried to break into the city's central data hub once, to figure out where Stepford's central processor was."

"And every time, your dad said he was being patient, waiting for her to finally realize the truth, and that every love is worth the wait. This is what we are going to be with you three. It doesn't matter if it takes weeks, months, or even years, we will wait for you and keep showering you with love and affection… until you see the light."

Before Anne or any of the others could retort, Daniel's phone rang.

"Hey, Dad. Sorry, we're late coming back home. Anne and the girls went through an ordeal, we're just making sure they're okay. I'm sure Stepford will put something on about it in the news. Gentlemen? Well, we're just doing what you would do for Mom. We'll be home soon. We love you too, bye." He hung up. "Looks like it's time to say goodbye. You four better be getting home too, it'll be dark soon. But first…"

The brothers nodded to each other, and each gave a member of the trio a kiss on the cheek. For the girls, it felt amazing! Not as good as the kisses they felt in their dreams, but it was close.

"Hey!" Sprig stood up on the table as Anne and the others sat in shock. "You think you can just dismiss Anne's warnings and just kiss her! Well Danny, if you really loved Anne, you'd listen to her and accept how she feels!"

Daniel got a sad look on his face. "You don't like me, don't you? I understand, you see things like Anne does right now. You're a good friend looking out for her, I hope we can become friends too. After all, you're important to Anne, Sprig. That means you're important to me too."

"I'll see you around, Sunshine."

"Until next time, My Queen."

"I'll see soon, Blue Angel."

"Guys, are you okay?" Sprig asked.

"I'm fine." Sasha said, still recovering from the kiss. "This whole "not falling in love" thing is going to be harder than we thought. Lucas, he heard me explain about overthrowing a kingdom and there was no judgment in his eyes. And now my heart is going a mile a minute!"

"I know what you mean, Sash." Marcy gulped. "My head says it's another lie, and Tony is just Stepford's pawn. But my heart is shouting at me, that Tony has been an anchor for me today, helping me with my fear and trauma. He is so gentle yet strong at the same time, he makes me feel safe."

"I can feel the love Daniel has for me, and it's intoxicating!" Anne moaned. "When he asked me to give up my powers, I could tell he was more cornered about me than what Stepford wanted. I don't want to fall in love, but I can't stop these feelings."

"Then what can we do?" Sasha asked. "At this rate, we'll be too distracted to do anything, and we'll end up like our parents!"

Anne pulled out a book. "We read Mom's journal. She must have struggled with these feelings with Dad as the Last Hold Out. I'll go over it tonight."

"Meanwhile, Hop Pop, Polly, and I will try to find where Stepford really is." Spring pumped his fist.

"Still, if we stop Stepford will the guys still feel the same way about us?" Marcy asked. "Are we saving humanity at the cost of their broken hearts?"

AN: Big thanks to my beta reader JokerandHarley4Ever. Really added to robot deletion scene and wrote the Dutiful Wife theme lyrics.