Chapter 3: Forest Spirits
It was early and the weather was heating up in Meridiana. Soul Heart was eating lunch with Lucas again in what had become a routine with them almost every day. As usual Soul Heart faked her way through eating the smallest thing she could, just some tomato soup today.
"So, is Flash ready for the field trip tomorrow?" Lucas asked between mouthfuls.
"That nature hike? He's been looking forwards to it as much as he has lately." Soul Heart sighed, "He's been down lately, I think it's the changing season or maybe ever since Oopsy disappeared."
"Oopsy? I remember her, she was always in the back and shy before all this craziness started," Lucas too a drink from his coffee, "You're still alright with Flash getting involved with CB6?"
Soul Heart sighed, "I don't like him being in danger but unless I chained him in his room at night, I couldn't stop him." She smirked, "At least I know he's with someone who can keep him safe."
"Me, or CB6?" Lucas smirked back.
Soul Heart laughed, "Both, but thank you for helping with all this weird stuff. So about that field trip?"
"Just some nature hikes, I can get some samples, see some sights. You should come too. I've been there, it's a quite a lovely place in spring," Lucas' voice turned slightly deeper as he spoke.
Soul Heart was grateful she couldn't blush, "It is my day off but it's also a long weekend for Tarot and I'd like to just spend a day at home with no responsibilities, other than him."
They finally finished and left to return to their jobs. Luca shielded his eyes from the bright sun, "I'm not used to hot weather this time of year yet."
Soul Heart rolled her eyes, "Southern hemisphere."
Lucas has started getting involved with CB6 at night lately and while he found out that Soul Heart knew of CB6 he had no clue they were the same person. Regardless Lucas was strong and brave and had helped numerous times with Jose's schemes, and Soul Heart had recently caught on that he seemed to have on her; this left Soul Heart immensely confused. She liked Lucas, in a few times they had to speak outside of work she found Lucas intelligent and very interesting and he saw her adoption of Flash and Tarot and her love of books very endearing. Could she love like that? She loved her adopted children but was it the same? She put it out of her mind as she returned to work after another trip to the bathroom.
OoOoO
Jose was seated at his main office desk when the huge portrait of Von Reichter flashed and his real visage appeared. "What is it, Jose?" he sounded annoyed.
"Ah Father," Jose gulped, "Last night I was able to get some of what you needed."
"But CB6 interfered again." Von Reichter glared down, "And what you sent me wasn't even a quarter of what I needed."
Jose winced, "But Father I-"
"No excuses!" he jabbed a finger at the screen, "Until you think of something more substantial and useful you will sit and wait for orders, Jose! And keep an eye on the city!" he shut the screen off before Jose could reply.
Frostbite stood nearby, watching the whole thing without flinching. "Gee, Professor Cold Heart sounds mad."
Jose jumped down from his chair and stomped his foot while he visibly fumed, "It's not fair! CB6 keeps finding everything I plan, how?!" he goose-stepped around the desk and started pacing in the same manner, "I need something, a new monster, or monsters. I'll show father I can handle CB6. Wait!" he snapped his fingers and ran over to a file cabinet, but was unable to reach the top drawer and jumped up a couple times before he pointed at Frostbite, "Help me up."
"Duh, OK!" Frostbite hurried over and picked hup Jose so he could dig through the top drawer.
Jose grinned as he pulled out a file under D. "I know just the things to deal with CB6, one of father's other projects. Put me down!"
Frostbite set Jose down, "But what about the city?"
"Oh, I know exactly who can watch the city for me," Jose grinned and goose-stepped back to the desk, hopped up on the chair and dialed a number. "Joe, Hydra protocol."
On the other side of town Joe set the phone down and turned to his boss.
"Who was that, Joe?" the boss asked.
"Something important," Joe marched to his boss' side and suddenly grabbed him around the neck, lifting the boss off the ground.
"Ack! Joe what the fuck!" he struggled and tried to release the grip from his neck, but to no avail as he fumbled for his gun.
"Joe's dead but Von Reichter made me with his remains. Jose's in charge again and this time you won't be there to oppose him." Joe's voice was empty of passion.
"What?" The boss' voice became thinner and more strained as he began to lose feeling.
"You'll take that secret to your grave." 'Joe' held on until the boss stopped struggling, then squeezed hard enough to pop his head off just to be sure.
Back at his office, Jose hung up the last call, "There, they'll take care of things until I get back." He hopped down from his chair and goose stepped towards the door, "Come, Frostbite, we have some spirits to awaken."
"OK, boss!" Frostbite hurried to keep up with Jose.
OoOoO
Flash Heart stood in line with other human and animal students early Friday morning waiting to get on the bus, which was one of the newest pieces of hardware the school had access to. He shuffled aside as a red fox muttered something to get past and join his blue raccoon girlfriend farther up the line.
A teacher walked the line up and counted them before she turned to the head of the line, "Everyone's here, Mr. Amato."
"Alright," Lucas nodded, "Everyone on the bus." He was smiling as he took the driver's seat and everyone else filed in. Flash sat next to a window near the front of the bus. A human student sat next to him but paid Flash no mind as he pulled out a book to read on the way.
Flash turned out all the conversation around him as he stared out at the passing city then the passing countryside. Ever since Oopsy left he had withdrawn from the other students. The fox and raccoon couple had tried to reach out to him but he just didn't engage, nearly starting a fight with the fox until the bell had rung that day. Outside of school he had been distracting himself by tagging along on CB6's mission whenever he could despite his mother's worries, and even Mr. Amato had joined in on fighting the various monsters that showed up after dark: a giant owl monster, flying goblins that burned up in sunlight, a giant nautilus octopus thing and a couple he missed out on due to being too tired and sleeping through them. But inevitably his thoughts would turn to his first friend from school and the crush he was still nursing, to the point that even his little brother said he was worried about him.
His thoughts were interrupted as the bus came to a stop and Lucas raised his voice to be heard over the student, "We're here! Everybody off the bus!" Flash Heart shuffled off the bus and joined the rest of the students. Maybe the fresh air would do him some good.
The nature hike thankfully didn't have any real tasks needed to do, other than writing a few sentences about flowers they saw, something Flash Heart did within the first half hour. A couple hours into the day they were at a shallow riverbed where Lucas crouched down to scoop some water into a small vial.
"What are you doing, Mr. Amato," Flash watched as Lucas shook the vial.
"Collecting samples, checking on some local pollution effects and other things. Personal research," Lucas smiled, "Interested?"
"Just wondering," Flash admitted. Neither were able to talk about their nighttime adventures so Flash wandered off trying to take in the majesty of nature.
"I heard people have been going missing out here." Flash caught two of the human girl students talk as he passed by the other teacher reading some poetry out loud to them.
"For how long?"
"A month or so, maybe longer but no one's talking about it yet. Used to be that people who went missing would return just fine until about then, now they just vanish. Something about spirits of the forest or whatever…"
Flash's eyes lit up. Maybe this was one of Jose's schemes or even Von Reichter. He checked to see if Lucas was watching him and the literature teacher was sufficiently distracted before he headed for the treeline.
The sounds of Flash's classmates faded as he moved deeper into the forest, the eeriness made him shudder slightly as he wondered what exactly he would find. He didn't have to wonder for long as he heard a high-pitched giggle nearby.
"Who's there!" Flash shouted spinning around to try and find the source of the voice. He blinked. Were the trees moving? He stared at a nearby tree as a humanoid figure slowly stepped out of it, taking on the shape of an alluring woman with wooden skin.
Flash was a bit too stunned to react as two more emerged from the trees and surrounded him. One seemed to sing, sounding like a woodwind instrument as she reached out with fingers that turned into long branches and wrapped around Flash Heart.
Too late Flash realized what was happening and tried to break free, dropping and rolling away from the branches. The tree women all hissed at him and lashed out, grabbing his foot and pulling him in. They all bared their splinter like teeth as they surrounded him.
A loud growl and bark nearby made them turn as something burst from out of the trees, plowing into and through one of the tree women and shattering its torso at the middle, spilling sustenance on the ground. Flash felt something destroy the branch around his leg then grab him and pull him along before he could react. The shock made him pass out as the newcomer carried him through the woods.
OoOoO
Soul Heart sat on the couch reading a book, not really having anything else to do on her day off. Tarot Heart sat next to her watching TV, relieved not to be in school as most children were. It was oddly peaceful until Tarot Heart felt a sudden urge to pull out his tarot cards and start shuffling them.
Soul Heart closed her book, instantly alert to her son's action, "Tarot, what's wrong? Is Jose planning something again?"
"Maybe, I hope not." Tarot Heart began dealing the cards onto the table. Part of how CB6 had stayed on top of things was through Tarot Heart's predictions, often very accurate at least to where Jose was currently up to something. Soul Heart didn't force him to do it but he felt compelled to help as he didn't like running into danger, unlike his older brother.
Soul Heart watched anxiously as Tarot Heart read his cards, which only got worse when her son gulped. "He's heading out of the city… he's going to be near Flash!" Tarot Heart whipped around to see Soul Heart already undressing and shifting into CB6.
"Lucas told me where he went, I can be there in less than an hour." He paused once he'd grabbed his clothes out of the closet then turned to Tarot Heart, "Will you be alright here on your own?"
Tarot nodded as CB6 started to dress, "I'll be fine, mom, just please save my brother."
CB6 put on his glasses as opened the window, "I promise I will," then jumped out and across the roof tops. Tarot Heart watched from the window for a minute, then shut the window and went back to watching TV. He was too scared to do another reading, lest he get a terrible answer.
OoOoO
Flash Heart stirred awake lying on what felt like soft leaves.
"He's waking up, come and see!" A male voice said.
"I'm sure now you'll be filled with glee!" a female voice rhymed with the first.
"Huh, what?" Flash opened and rubbed his eyes, only to see two white and black bear faces right up in his, "GAH!" he jolted up and nearly crashed into the closer panda's face.
Both jumped back as Flash sat panting on the bed of leaves he had been lying on.
"We're sorry, we didn't mean to give you a fright," the girl panda spoke.
The other panda extended a hand to Flash Heart, "My name is Perfect Panda and my sister's named Polite."
"Umm thanks," Flash Heart shook Perfect's hand, "What's with the rhyming?"
Perfect and Polite shared a look, "For most of our lives, it's just something we do."
Polite nodded as her brother withdrew her hand, "For as long we we've know, it's just been us two."
Flash Heart looked at the two, they were about his age and only just starting to look distinct, nearly identical twins were it not for their differing genders, wider hips on Polite and broader shoulders on Perfect, also neither were clothed. Flash averted his gaze then jumped when he saw who was standing at the entrance.
"DIZZY!" Flash Heart jumped up and ran right into Oopsy's arms, hugging her tightly.
"Flash! Oh thank god you're alright!" She hugged him back.
Flash stood back to get a look at her. She too was unclothed and looked a lot healthier, her hair was undone and had grown a bit past her shoulders. Flash only just realized he was still holding her and let go, "I missed you."
Oopsy smiled, "I missed you too."
Flash looked around to see that they were in a small house that looked like it was carved into a large rock, even with windows that had wooden shutters, a couple stone slabs that served as tables (probably what had been carved out to make the windows), and three beds made of leaves and other plant matter. "So what's going on out here and what's with the wonder twins over there?" Flash pointed back over his shoulder to Perfect and Polite, who were kneeling next to one of the stone slabs.
"It's a bit of a story, sit down and I'll tell you." Oopsy motioned for Flash to sit with her and the pandas at one of the slabs. "It started after that night at the theatre. I was too scared to stay around in case Von Reichter could track me and I didn't want to be tempted to hunt down more of his creations for sustenance, so I ran. I made it out here and I just collapsed, I think I was going through withdrawal," Oopsy smiled, "And then these two found me."
"She was lying in the woods, shivering and cold," Polite said.
"Because of some strange drug, so she has told," Perfect nodded.
Flash half-squinted at the twins, "Do you ever get use to them talking in rhyme?"
Oopsy giggled, "It'll start to grow on you, give it time."
Flash groaned, "Oh lord, now we're doing it. But seriously what's their deal?"
"They looked after me, helped me get used to sleeping and eating again even when I felt too sick to move." Oopsy exhaled and deflated a little, "some days the pain felt so bad I thought I would die."
Polite reached over and touched Oopsy's hand, "But you survived and now you can live."
Perfect smiled, "No need to thank us, it was our joy to give."
"But still thank you," Oopsy bowed her head towards them.
Both pandas turned to Flash to continue, "We've lived out here as long as we can remember," Perfect said.
"And we help people who get lost, at least until September…" Polite trailed off.
"Is that when those tree monsters showed up?" Flash leaned in, suddenly remembering why he was even here.
Polite nodded, "One day they showed up and started to drag people away."
"We wanted to help but we were too scared to stay. It was right after Oopsy appeared but she didn't want to fight," Perfect turned to Oopsy, who looked away in shame.
"Until today she could only change at night," Polite said.
"You're still a werewolf, Dizzy?" Flash asked.
Oopsy nodded, "I thought it would go away, but instead it changed. I didn't want to fight those things because I can smell the sustenance in them. I don't feel the physical cravings anymore but I don't want to risk accidentally drinking it. I kept watching them from a distance but I was too scared to do anything, until I saw you in danger, Flash."
"Can you show me?" Flash Heart was eager, "Maybe we can destroy those things before anyone else gets abducted."
"Well…" Oopsy stood up, "We'll have to step outside but, for you, I can try again." She motioned for Flash to follow her outside.
Both Perfect and Polite Panda both smiled as they watched Flash Heart leave the cave.
"It's nice to have company, and one who's so cute," Perfect sighed as he stared through hooded eyes.
"I agree, but he has eyes for Oopsy so for us its moot," Polite put a comforting hand on her brother's shoulder. "Will we ever find a home with others some day?"
Perfect nodded, "Yes, we just have to believe and we will find a way."
Oopsy took a deep breath and smiled, "The air out here is so fresh. The Pandas helped me get in tune with nature, both out there," she spread her arms wide, "and in here," she touched the middle of her chest then turned to face Flash. "Please don't be frightened."
"I'll try, Dizzy," Flash tried not to show how nervous he suddenly felt as Oopsy took a couple more deep breaths.
Oopsy shuddered a bit as her body started growing, she held her head for a moment as her muzzle pushed out, her ears popped up into triangular points and tail stretched; her muscles grew more defined and she grew taller. Instead of her fur turning black and greasy it seemed to become silky in texture but maintained the same vibrant green it always did, if not more so.
Flash stepped back as Oopsy kept growing until she was nearly twice his height, especially with her feet lengthening to paws where she stood on her toes, then finally let out a howl which made him jump. Then he stared as she turned to face him with a wolfish grin.
Oopsy's werewolf form wasn't the black-furred and misshaped hunched monstrosity it had been before. Although she was broader and more muscular with claws on her hands and feet, she looked like a taller anthro, the same size as an adult human, and visibly more defined.
"Well, what do you think?" Oopsy's voice had become deeper and carried a growling undertone to it, but far from the bestial noises she had made before.
Flash Heart found himself staring at her breasts, which had grown in tandem with the rest of her, but snapped out of it to answer, "You're very sexy, I mean big! And you're hot, Dizzy, I…" Flash found himself clamping his hands over his mouth before he said something stupider. "Sorry…" he mumbled from between his fingers.
Oopsy giggled, "Thank you, that means a lot. I've been so afraid people would be afraid of me like this. I think the sustenance made me the way I was before, made it harder to think and not act on instinct… or maybe being in nature cleared my head enough."
Flash blinked, "Nature? Oh shit! I forgot about the nature hike!" he spun around and was about to take off until he realized he had no idea where he was.
"What?" Oopsy walked over to him.
"I came here with my class, Mr. Amato's probably freaking out about me going missing!" Flash was starting to panic.
Perfect and Polite had emerged as Flash started to panic and Polite spoke up, "Don't worry, we know where everything is, you'll be fine."
Perfect took Flash's hand, "Follow us and we'll get you back in no time."
Flash Heart nodded and started to calm down as Perfect and Polite lead him away. Oopsy slowly shifted back down to her bear form and followed, eventually falling in step beside Flash Heart and they started talking, trying to catch up on other things that had happened since she disappeared.
OoOoO
A fixed idea drove a Jeep through the countryside while Jose held on. Going through several off-road trails mostly hidden by the treeline until they reached a small hidden dock with a watchtower painted so it just looked like an unusually tall tree from a distance.
Jose hopped out and pointed up at the tree, "Frostbite, get up there and keep a look out. I don't want anyone following us here."
"Duh, ok boss," Frostbite scrambled up the tower while Jose goose-stepped towards the main dock building.
Jose grinned when he saw the fixed ideas loading up a transport boat with their occupants, dead and unconscious humans who were being handed off to the fixed ideas by the tree women that had attacked Flash Heart.
"Perfect, Father's dryads are here. You, get over here!" he pointed to the black-haired human-looking man who was overseeing the operation. It was a tecno, an artificial human created by Von Reichter to infiltrate human society just like the underbosses he'd activated back in the city.
"Jose," the tecno sounded nervous as he approached, "What does the boss want. I assure you we-"
"Shut up! I need the dryads right now. You will turn them over to me," Jose pointed to the 40 or so tree women who were about to shuffle out: they looked like human women with bark or wood for skin and leaves for hair.
"But we're making our quotas thanks to them," despite Jose's small size he was clearly afraid to defy him.
"I'm sorry, did I say I'm making a request, or politely asking? NO!" Jose stomped his foot, "that was an order!"
"Yes sir!" the tecno turned to the dryads, "dryads, you're being turned over to the command of Jose."
The dryads turned and shuffled over to Jose, who rubbed his hands in glee. "Perfect, with this army I'll put an end to CB6."
"BOSS! BOSS!" Frostbite's shout cut through the conversation, followed almost immediately by many repeated thumping sounds as he tripped and fell down all of the stairs. Jose sighed and goose-stepped outside just in time to see Frostbite getting up.
"What is it, Frostbite?" Jose scowled as Frostbite stood up and started to wave a telescope around.
"I saw him, the CB! The CB!" he pointed roughly in the direction he had spotted them.
Jose grinned as he folded his arms behind himself, "Perfect! I'll finish off CB6 and be back in the city before father even knows I've been gone." He ran over to the Jeep, "Dryads, follow me!"
Frostbite ran to the driver's seat, which the fixed idea had vacated, and they took off with the dryads following close behind the vehicle.
OoOoO
Getting out of the city had been the easy part, running along the roads towards where the class had gone proved far slower. CB6 was too worried about getting there in time to be conservative so whenever there was a downward slope, he would coat the road in ice and slide down before breaking into another full tilt run. He was relieved when he saw the school bus parked nearby and heard the students and teachers nearby.
CB6 didn't even bother with subtlety, running into the shallow tree cover and jumping over the last hump to land next to the river, startling everyone. He scanned the area and after not seeing the yellow bear he turned to Lucas, who was staring at him in stunned silence like everyone else.
"Lucas, where's Flash Heart?" he asked as he marched over to the teacher.
"Flash, uhh," Lucas looked around, "did anyone see where Flash Heart Bear went?"
The red fox boy raised a hand, "I thought I saw him going up that riverbank," he pointed to where Flash Heart had climbed up towards the forest.
"I saw him too," the blue raccoon girl next to him said, "I didn't think he was going anywhere…"
"That's alright, just stay here we'll go find him." Lucas was about to turn back when he heard everyone gasp as CB6 jumped right up to the riverbank and Lucas had to rush to climb after him while everyone watched. Most of them had heard of the vigilante bear going around fighting weird monsters but none of them had actually seen him in person before; if even half of the rumors about him and the monster were true then they didn't want to get anywhere near what was going to happen.
Lucas reached the top of the riverbank where CB6 grabbed his hand to pull him the rest of the way up, "So what brings you out here?"
"Flash is in danger," CB6 turned and started marching into the woods.
"You always know when that kid's in trouble, huh?" Lucas commented.
CB6 swept his gaze around as they got farther into the trees, "Yeah, I just… I need to keep tabs on him."
"For Soul Heart's sake?" Lucas caught up and now walked alongside the brown bear.
"Yeah, also for his," CB6 stopped, "did you hear that?"
Lucas paused, then held up a hand to his ear, "Hear what?"
There was a faint giggling in the air, "OK that time I heard it," Lucas looked around then blinked. It looked like some of the nearby trees were… dancing?
CB6 tensed up as the sound intensified, coming from all around them. The 'dancing' looked like a heat mirage which forced Lucas to rub his eyes as though he were hallucinating. One of the dryads seemed to form out of a tree and reached towards Lucas, its fingers growing into branches.
Lucas snapped out of it and punched the creature in the face, CB6 jumped into action and landed a flying kick at the creature's head, severing it and sending a stream of sustenance spurting onto the ground. In an instant the other dryads emerged from the trees, surrounding them and all hissing at the pair through splinter-like teeth.
CB6 growled right back as an icicle spear formed in his right hand, "Where's my son!" Lucas barely had time to process what he heard before CB6 stabbed the nearest dryad through the chest, the freezing effect killing it instantly as the whole scene descended into chaos.
Jose sat at the edge of the tree line and listened to the carnage inside, unable to see much through the trees. He glowered as he stood up on the seat and leaned over the windshield, "Urg! CB6 is meeting his end and I can't see it!" He jabbed a finger into the forest, "Take me in closer!"
Frostbite looked at the space between the trees, "Uhh… I don't think it'll fit."
Jose turned to Frostbite in fury, "I didn't ask, I gave an order! Take me in closer!" he stomped on the seat. Frostbite just shrugged and hit the gas, knocking Jose back over the seat as they rumbled over the trees, losing one of the side-view mirrors in the process. Frostbite stopped just short of crashing into a tree but thankfully close enough for Jose to see once he climbed over the front seat.
Jose grinned as he saw the fight turn against CB6 and Lucas, "This is perfect! Get the popcorn!" Frostbite produced a bag of popcorn from… somewhere which Jose took without questioning and sat down to watch and he munched.
Flash Heart sped up when he heard the sounds ahead, recognizing CB6's voice through the forest, "I hear something. Mom?" he took off into a run with Oopsy hot on his tail. Perfect and Polite slowed down.
"Do you think it's the creatures keeping us at bay?" Polite asked.
"If so I'm worried that they just ran into the fray," Perfect gulped. They nodded to each other then sped up.
Oopsy caught up to Flash, her body already starting to shift, "I smell them!" she growled.
Flash gaped as she finished changing, "Dizzy… you… really!" he panted.
"Yes!" Oopsy finished changing and dropped down to all fours, running ahead of Flash, who smiled and put on a burst of speed.
Lucas was being pulled down by the dryads right as Oopsy plowed into one and tore its head off in her teeth.
"What the?" Lucas grabbed some of the branches trying to tie him up and yanked them off.
"HA!" Flash Heart tackled one of the dryads as it was about to shoot its branches through CB6 and he turned around to stab it with the ice dagger he was carrying.
"Flash!?" He turned and kicked another, "Talk later!" he threw another spear into one as Oopsy leaped and sliced one of the dryads in half. She almost froze when she saw the sustenance on her claws but snapped out of it when she heard Flash manage to snap one of the dryad's limbs off and she dove back in to the fight.
Jose threw his half-empty bag of popcorn on the Jeep's seat, not recognizing his former monster, "Where did they come from!? That's not fair that's not fair!" He sat down in a huff as CB6 stabbed the last dryad through with an ice spear. "Take me home, now!" he demanded. Frostbite didn't argue and backed out, slower than before to avoid hitting any trees.
Perfect and Polite arrived right as CB6 let the ice spear melt in her hand as the last dryad fell. "That's the last of them," CB6 was panting from having used so much energy.
Oopsy was shuddering from the smell of the sustenance that now covered the battlefield, "Get rid of it!" she growled, "The smell! Can't handle the smell!"
"Alright," CB6 whirled his arms around and all the green liquid streamed up into the air before converging into CB6's mouth. He drank deeply even feeling his belly bloat out as he drank far more than he ever had in one go. He huffed and patted his slightly bloated belly, "Good, more than made up for what I spent today." His belly was slowly shrinking back to normal as his body processed the sustenance and he turned to a panting Flash Heart. "And what were you doing out here, Flash Heart?"
Flash Heart gulped, now that the adrenaline was off, "I heard about the people disappearing and thought it was one of Jose's things."
"So you just ran off away from the group," Lucas sounded mad, "What would I tell your mom if you got seriously hurt, or never came back?"
Flash Heart looked down, turning to CB6, "Sorry mom."
"Mom?" Lucas blinked then turned to CB6 who just sighed at Flash's blunder.
"It's alright, I saved him," the more feminine voice drew their attention to Oopsy, who had changed back to her bear appearance, "And the panda twins there looked after him." She pointed to the still very shaken pandas.
"Oopsy? Well, thank you and you too umm?" CB6 turned to the pandas.
"My name is Perfect and this is Polite," Perfect nodded, trying to get his nerves under control.
"Forgive us, this all gave us a fright," Polite took a couple deep breaths to calm down.
"Thanks for saving Flash, and you too, Oopsy?" Lucas recognized the green bear, "and you're a werewolf?"
Oopsy nodded, "Long story."
"I bet, also Flash? Mom?" Lucas looked from one to the other.
CB6 sighed, "I guess I need to stop keeping this secret from you." CB6 took off his glasses frames and shapeshifted his body. Lucas and Oopsy just gawked as Soul Heart formed under the clothing, the breast lumps straining the shirt fabric slightly.
"Soul Heart?" Lucas just stared.
"You're the librarian bear?" Oopsy rubbed her eyes.
"Like with Oopsy mine is a long story," Soul Heart sighed, "And I don't want to talk about it now," she shifted back to CB6 and replaced his glasses, "I'll tell you the details later, right now we all need to get going, and we're going to have a talk at home, Flash Heart."
"Yes mom," Flash Heart turned to Oopsy, "guess this is goodbye again, thanks Dizzy, you too," he waved to Perfect and Polite who still stood where they had been when they were watching the fight.
Oopsy looked at Perfect and Polite, then back to the others, "I'm coming with you."
"What? Really Dizzy?" Flash lit up.
Oopsy blushed but smiled, "Yes, I feel better, in control and I miss you." She turned to the pandas, "thank you for looking after me but I want to go back to the city."
Polite smiled, "We're happy to see you're feeling fine."
Perfect approached and gave her a hug, "Feel free to visit us any time. You got rid of those monsters that kept us at bay."
Polite clapped her hands together, "Now we can go back to helping people that lose their way."
"Do they always talk like that?" CB6 asked.
"You get used to it," Oopsy and Flash both blinked then started giggling.
"Right, but we need to get back and Oopsy," Lucas coughed, "you can't go back without clothes."
"Wear this," CB6 took off his coat, "It can button up."
Oopsy couldn't help but snicker as she pulled on the coat and fastened it up, "I feel like a streaker."
"Mind if I catch a ride back with you? I'd rather not run all the way back or waste all the sustenance I just drank," CB6's stomach was back to normal now.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the group returned, even cheering for CB6. The students hounded him all the way back to the school bus.
"Are you that superhero?"
"What's with those monsters?"
"What's it like at night?"
CB6 sighed, "Alright I'll tell you: the monsters are being created by a mad scientist bent on world domination. But don't go looking for trouble like Flash did." He looked ahead to where Flash and Oopsy were boarding the school bus.
"Ha! I knew it was a mad scientist!" one of the female students said.
Despite being ready for a punishment when he got home Flash Heart was in a much better mood as he sat next to Oopsy.
"Are you alright, Flash?" a dark blue girl bear leaned over the seat in front of Flash Heart.
"I'm fine, Melancholy," Flash leaned up against the window.
"That's a relief," Melancholy sat back down next to a brown lynx in a t-shirt.
"It was too dangerous to go out like that, you're lucky that CB6 showed up to find you both," the lynx folded her arms.
"Yes, Calm Heart, thank you," Flash sighed.
"So Oopsy, you're back?" the red fox from earlier stood up to lean over the back of Oopsy and Flash's seat alongside blue raccoon girlfriend. "Why were you living in the woods."
"Oh well… that's an odd story… I just needed some time away from the city." Oopsy shuffled nervously.
"Without clothes?" the fox glowered at her.
"They probably wore out, Anger Heart," the blue raccoon said. "I don't know if we met before but I'm Guidance Heart Raccoon."
"Thanks, Guidance, I just…" Oopsy blushed. "Need some time to adjust but I'll be back at school later, with clothes." That got a laugh out of the other five animals as Anger and Guidance sat back down.
OoOoO
Monday at noon, Lucas met Soul Heart for lunch but instead of going to their usual place she invited him into the lunch room of the library which was thankfully empty of anyone else.
"So…" Lucas twiddled his thumbs, "About CB6."
"It's me, Lucas," Soul Heart sighed, "It's always been me but I didn't want anyone to find out and hunt me down during the day, especially after I adopted Flash and Tarot."
"So… what are you? Some sort of Frankenstein's monster?" Lucas was having trouble processing, "and are you a man? A woman? Both?"
"I'm genderfluid, I feel like a man as CB6 and a woman like this, especially when I'm being their mother. As for what I am… I guess an experiment like that is the right word. I can tell you more when we have more time but I was created by the same man who is creating those monsters and I need to drink the sustenance in them to survive. I don't need to eat or drink anything but water or even sleep. Don't ask what I do after our meals."
"I can guess. So where does that leave us?" Lucas averted his gaze.
"We're still friends, and other than the CB6 thing I never lied about anything." Soul Heart felt awkward.
"I mean… I like you Soul Heart, you're smart, you're organized and you're good with kids I just… I feel awkward saying all of this after everything," Lucas sighed, "I wish you had told me before, but I get why you were alright with Flash going out with CB6 at night."
Soul Heart giggled, "I was there the whole time and I can't just lock him in the apartment at night. Though he really screwed up Friday and I had a long talk with him and grounded him over the weekend." She sighed and touched her chest, "I don't know how to feel about you Lucas, ever since I adopted Flash Heart I'm dealing with feelings I thought I couldn't have and even towards you. But until Von Reichter is dealt with, I need to focus on this." She smiled, "But when my nights are free again, maybe."
Lucas brightened up, "Really well. I mean."
"I get it, but you should eat lunch, if you have time left." Soul Heart smirked.
"Oh, right! lunch!" Lucas got up and made a mad dash, so ready to talk about this he'd not grabbed anything to eat. Soul Heart laughed, deciding to just let him have his panicked rush for the day. Hopefully now she wouldn't have to fake eating when they met up for lunch going forwards.
OoOoO
Flash was fuming a bit after being stuck at home all weekend and not able to see Oopsy, but she had found a place to sleep and even found some clothes, just a t-shirt and a skirt and now her hair done up in a braid. She and Flash met up for lunch.
"So how does it feel to be back, Dizzy?" Flash asked as they headed for the lunch room.
"Awkward, funny, but happy," Oopsy smiled, "I mean I'm not trying to seduce you into a trap now, so…"
"I kinda wish you were, I mean maybe," Flash Heart chuckled.
"I could turn you into a werewolf you know, I mean I think I was supposed to before," Oopsy averted her gaze when she realized what she had said.
Flash jumped then stopped right outside the lunchroom doors, "R-really?"
Oopsy nodded, "Yes, I mean if you want…"
"Well, I mean I'd like that but I… well I don't know how I'd feel about that and it would be a big change." Flash gulped, "But I think we should go out a bit first, I mean really get to know the real you who isn't trying to get me killed."
"I think I'd like that," Oopsy smiled, "I mean we can go out tomorrow if there's not too much homework."
"HEY!" both jumped and turned to see Anger Heart standing up at a table with his hands to his mouth, "COME SIT WITH US!"
Both were startled but somewhat elated to be invited and the hurried over to the two vacant adjacent seats where Anger Heart sat next to Guidance Heart with Calm Heart and Melancholy in the last two seats.
"So, welcome back," Melancholy said, "been a while."
"Yeah," Oopsy fidgeted, "got a lot of catching up to do, classes and people."
"You're a lot calmer than you used to be, I mean," Guidance cleared her throat, "you were a lot clumsier when we were kids."
"Yeah, I was," Oopsy smiled, "Time in the woods helped me since… there's a lot of loose tree roots I'd trip over if I didn't learn how to walk properly. Floors like this aren't so bad anymore."
"It's good to see you again," Calm Heart smiled, "and Flash Heart, I guess wandering off worked out then."
"Yeah, and it got me a date," Flash shot back.
Oopsy giggled, "Yeah, we're going out tomorrow if there's not too much homework."
"Congrats man, you seem so much better now," Anger Heart reached a fist over to Flash. Flash fist-bumped Anger Heart then opened his lunch as the six of them ate together.
OoOoO
"You disobeyed my orders, Jose!" Von Reichter glared down from the screen at a very cowed Jose who was trembling.
"But father I-"
"No excuses!" Von Reichter jabbed a finger at Jose, "You disobeyed me, got my dryads killed and interrupted my supply of human resources!"
"But I activated the sleeper Tecnos, the mobs are under our control now," Jose fumbled.
"Far too early, but now we need what they can provide to replace what you disrupted. From now on you will stay in the city if you want to rule it. Now you will wait for my next contact and don't interfere with my other operations again!" Von Reichter shut off the screen.
Jose took a deep breath to calm down then goose stepped over to the chair and threw himself in it, fuming. "I'll get CB6 for this!"