Vol. 08

Chapter 30

At a cafe, sitting at a table across from each other beside a window, Eddie and his forced on company, Marcella were enjoying their coffee. "Excuse me...Would you like some sugar?" she asked trying to start a conversation.

"No thanks, I'm fine."

"Oh, of course not! Then I won't either." On the other side of the window, hiding in the bushes, Selina was spying on the newly couple with Luna behind her.

"I wonder what they're talking about? I wish I could go in." Selina complained, as usual.

"It's your fault for spending all your money on ice cream." Luna added to her misery.

"I know! I'll transform into a waitress and..." Selina took out her Silver Pocket Mirror. Luna freaked and tried to grab it away from her. Selina pulled it away from her reach.

"No, you can't!"

"And why not?"

"Because you're supposed to use that only for when we're on a mission!"

"Oh, come on! Just for a little while!"

"Selina! What are you doing?" Manny saw the two doing something he wasn't sure what they're doing.

"And that's my cue. I'll see you around, enjoy your company with the nerd." Luna started walking away.

"Wait! Come back here!" Selina shouted but too late, Manny already got to her. "Hi, Manny..." (lightbulb) "Do you have any money on you?" She asked.

"Yes, I do..." Manny got to his wondering. Selina went up to his ear and whispered.

"Then how about going on a date with me right now?" Manny's heart skipped a beat.

"What?! Really?!"

"Eddie, I know of a really nice place. Would you like to go there with me?" Marcella asked at the same time being of his response.

"Sure, I don't mind."

"Really?!" Marcella scared the man a little by her surprise reaction. Everything is going according to plan. Not to far from where they were sitting, Selina was trying to listen in to the conversation.

"Shoot! I can't hear them from here either." Selina went to take a sip of her soda but noticed that Manny was also drinking the same soda in the same glasses, two straws in one. How cute! Selina backed off as Manny continues to drink the soda.

"Suit yourself." Manny finishes the soda all by himself. Walking down the street, Hermione walks with a worried face. "Hermione." Luna called out to her.

"Oh, it's you." Luna noticed her expression.

"What's wrong? You don't look very cheerful." Luna asked.

"Yeah..."

At the park, inside the recreation office, Mr. Birch was having a talk with the man in charge of the demolition project, the manager. "Well...It seems the construction company that was working on the park just left. As a result, he park will stay as it is for now. So, we would like you to continue to be the park's caretaker." Mr. Birch nodded in a agreement. Hermione was walking through the park with Luna by her side.

"What? The caretaker of this park?" Luna heard what Hermione had to say.

"Yes. He was the same until yesterday, but..."

"You should not come to this park without good reason from now on. You people don't deserve to enjoy the boons of nature." Mr. Birch said to her like a stranger.

"I wonder what happened to him?" Hermione grew worried. The manager was walking through the park while smoking his cigarette.

"That construction company is pitiful! There's no way animals and insects would interfere with the construction!" He threw his unfinished cigarette on the ground, a squirrel ran up to it and sniff at it with glowing red eyes. Hermione and Luna continue their peaceful walk until a disturbing scream came from behind. They both turn and saw the manager getting attacked by a herd of squirrel.

"What?! What are these?!" he yelled out.

"What's going on?" Hermione was amazed of what she saw.

"I'll never do anything to this park again! Forgive me!" The manager ran out of the park with the squirrels still on him. A thick crowd of squirrels were blocking the pathway not giving any space to walk through.

"This place is filled with a powerful evil aura!" Said Luna with a face of seriousness.

"What?!"

"This must be the work of the Evil Box!"

"Oh, no. Them Mr. Birch could also be..." Hermione started to panic. On the pond, Eddie and Marcella were in a rowing boat enjoying the scenery.

"I didn't know there was a park like this in the city other than the giant Central Park." Eddie commented.

"But this park is going to be torn down soon. I heard they're turning it into a business district." Marcella added. Eddie had a sad face.

"I see. It's such a nice park surrounded by beautiful nature."

"You think so too, Eddie?"

"Yes. People should think about taking better care of nature." Eddie knows what he's talking, Marcella was swept away by his words.

"Eddie..." In the distance hiding within the trees, Selina was watching the couple in the boat.

"What could they be chatting about?! I'll just have to get closer to them."

"Selina, you're being too bold." Manny got nervous just having the thought of the two of them being alone in the park. "this is not the place for...We should have a honest relationship, like a good normal couple. But maybe a kiss wouldn't hurt!" Manny positioned himself for the kiss of his dreams. He went for it. "Huh? Where did you go, Selina?" As Hermione and Luna continue to patrol the park, the bushes started to rattle, the two turned and brace themselves for whatever that's going to come out, but it was only...

"Selina!" Hermione yelled out.

"Oh, so you're both here, too. We can't leave those two alone after all." Selina went drastic.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Luna snapped.

"Selina, something strange is going on in this park right now!" Hermione informed.

"Something weird, like what?" Selina couldn't think anything other than Marcella getting her way with the scum bag, in her words.

"You guys again!" shouted a voice, the three turned to the man and saw Mr. Birch standing where the garden was.

"Mr. Birch!" Hermione yelled out.

"Foolish mortals! You people forgot the boon that nature provided you with, and the only way you can atone for it is with your deaths!" Mr. Birch's hat started glow. Within the shadows, Paris stood by and watch his plan take control.

"The energy level has peaked! Do it, Petasos!" After the command, Mr Birch's soul came out through his hat and transformed into a soldier wearing a toga with a cape, armored shins and arms with a large brim metal hat. The three were shock of what they saw.

"Mr. Birch..." Hermione saw his lifeless body and even aged lying on the floor.

"All animals in this park, massacre the mortals!" Petasos yelled out his command and a sea of birds burst out from the trees and flew all over the park.

"This is unforgivable! Upon the Rule of Mercury, Lend Me Your Speed!" After Hermione transformed in rage, Luna transformed also.

"Selina, don't just stand there!" Luna reminded her.

"I know that! Upon the Rule of Diana, Lend Me Your Light!" Over at the pond to the newly couple, Eddie had a sharp pain going through his head. He held his head trying to stop the pain. Marcella got worried.

"Eddie, what's wrong?" As she tried to help him, a huge flock of birds came charging right at them. She got up on the boat to try to scare them away, "What's going on?" but instead the birds flew right through her and knock her off the boat. Eddie got up and tried to catch her but no luck, he end up the same way as her, in the water. Petasos made the butterflies to spread some powder and more likely bothering the Guardians.

"Man, these bugs are just annoying!" Selina tried to shoo the them away but it wasn't working. Luna was being attacked by a group of squirrels, biting all over her making her very close to shredding them into miniscule pieces.

"GRRRR! This is going to become a blood bath if we don't do something quick!" Said Luna with her fangs showing.

"Quicksilver Haze! Surround!" The bugs fell to the ground like dead flies, the squirrels were knocked out and Luna calmed down. "The animals have been weakened! Prepare yourself!" Hermione threaten the monster.

"Holy crud, Mercury's on a roll!" Selina commented.

"Then I will use...Hand Net!" Petasos threw a ball at Selina.

"Watch out!" Hermione yelled out but it was too late, the ball explode in front of Selina and became a huge net and trapped Selina in it. "Guardian Moon!"

"Petasos Rope!" From his cape, Petasos took out coils and coils of thick rope and wrapped them around Hermione very tight. Back at the pond, the two manage to swim to land safely.

"Are you okay?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But you weren't feeling well..." Marcella wondered as she tried to catch her breathe.

"Oh, it was nothing serious."

"If you say so." Marcella let him be. She felt something wrong. I feel something bad around here. "Eddie, stay here! I'll be right back!" Within the park, Petasos was squeezing the life out of Hermione, Selina watched helplessly as her arms and legs were tied up in tight leather straps in no way of cutting it.

"Guardian Mercury!" Luna charged to Petasos but he threw a net and trapped the wolf flat on the ground.

"I'll squeeze you to death first and then the mut!" Hermione tried to brace herself from the pain. When she looked at Mr. Birch's body again and got very anger.

"Mr. Birch...I can't forgive you! I can't forgive YOU!" Hermione snapped.

"Iron Fist, Collide!" The attack cut through the ropes, the net and the leather straps. Breaking free the heroes.

"Whoa! That was too close for comfort!" Selina commented. Marcella jumped down to the ladies in her transformation.

"Are you okay?" Marcella asked.

"Can't you help me in a better way?" Selina of course complained.

"Is that any way to talk to someone who just rescued you?! Well, he's the one who interrupted my date." Marcella stand up to the monster.

"I can't forgive you for taking advantage of Mr. Birch's feelings!" Said Hermione.

"You'll pay a heavy price for staining everyone's favourite hangout with evil." Marcella added.

"In the name of Olympus, we will defeat you!" The two owned the line.

"Wait a minute, that's my line!" Selina complained.

"Fine, then! I'll take care of all four of you together!" Petasos took out even more coils of rope than before, but before he launch them a handful of leaves crash into his face, blinding him. Selina looked up where the attack had come from, Guardian Earth was standing on a branch of a tall tree.

"Guardian Earth! In the nick of time too!" Selina shouted out.

"Now's a good time other than chatting, Guardian Moon!" He responded.

"Yes, Sir!" Selina took out her discus and set it to fly. "Silver Moon, Watch My Aim!" She threw the discus to the enemy and watch it fly. When impact, the monster disintegrated into thin air leaving nothing behind. Mr. Birch began to regain his consciousness.

"See ya later, Guardians!" Guardian Earth disappeared within the trees.

"As usual!" Selina said under her breathe. Later on, when they went back to their normal selves, Hermione attend to Mr. Birch's care.

"Hermione, what have I been doing?" He asked not remembering anything.

"It's okay now. Don't worry. You were just having a bad dream." Hermione reassured him. Eddie comes walking to them looking terrible.

"Geez. That was awful." He tried to wipe the dirt off his shirt.

"Eddie! Is it okay for you to get up?" Marcella went concern.

"Yeah, I'm completely fine now." Eddie smiled. Selina rolled her eyes at the two. Marcella went up to her and whispered.

"Maybe Eddie really is Guardian Earth."

"There is no way in Hell that this guy is Guardian Earth! Look at him, he's not even built right!" Selina spoke a little too loud.

"Huh? What are you guys talking about? And what's wrong with the way I look?" Eddie got a little sensitive with his image.

"Oh, no! It's nothing at all. And you look fine. Don't listen to her!" Marcella elbowed Selina on her side, which kind of hurt. He has to be! Eddie is surely Guardian Earth. She thought to the clouds. Manny came walking to them looking for you know who.

"Oh, there you are Selina!" He yelled out.

"Oh shit! Manny..." Selina went paper white.

"I looked everywhere for for you. Now, let us continue our date." Manny had to say it. Eddie and Marcella will have a field day with this.

"Manny, don't go making up stories!" Selina tried to laugh it off.

"What are you talking about? You're the one who asked me out!" Manny defended himself well and honestly.

"Really? Good going." Eddie teased. Selina tried to hide.

"That's not true! I'm telling you, IT'S NOT TRUE!"