A/N: Well, readers, after a whole year of focusing on nothing but the special, Universal Runners is back online. We still have a few more chapters to go for the special, but we'll continue working on both at the same time now. Anyhow, here's the prequel episode to URI: United Cases we promised you. Note that it takes place before the events of the Arcanum special. So, without further delay...Let's Get Back Online!
Race to Rescue the Reunion: Part 1
In a dark cold world, with a greying red sky and a strong blizzard, in a tall, dark, ominous tower, the members of the Black Tundra were in a conference room, discussing their next evil plan.
"I say next we should conquer the world of Ben Tennyson!," Malgore asked.
"No, we should go for the world of Dimmsdale!," Tim Scam added.
"What about finding that new mystery world there have been rumors about?," a Foot Soldier suggested.
"That world is just as it is, Dugar: a rumor," Isaac Yune said.
"Vidal, what do you suggest?," Kozai asked.
"Well, Commander, I say we make to dispose of the Black & White Union Runners once and for all," she said.
"Dispose of them?," Willard asked. "We've been-there-done-that about a hundred times with zero success."
"Perhaps because we have been going about this all wrong."
There was a pause of confusion amongst everyone as she continued, "As Protectors of Unitas and the universe, the Runners cannot beaten, but as individual people, they can be broken."
"What's that supposed to mean?," Malgore said.
"She means that there is a way that we can truly harm them, but it is not of the body or the mind," Kozai elaborated.
"Then how?!," Scam asked. "Tell us!"
"Their hearts, Enforcer Scam! We must attack their hearts: the ones they love and care about the most in their lives!"
"Precisely," Vidal said as she clicked a remote at her screen that showed the Runners walking down a street. "And believe it or not, I know just the perfect opportunity: a family reunion."
"Family reunion?," Yune asked.
"Yes, one being thrown by a certain Water Runner, aka Jordan Waters..."
Meanwhile, in the real world, at Jordan's house in Los Angeles, Jordan's parents Ricky and Vina, and Uncle Kelo were making preparations for the said family reunion.
"So my parents, brother, and sister, and their families should be arriving very soon," Ricky said as he set a long table. "And Conway should be flying in from Miami as well."
"And my wife and the rest of my children should be arriving later this afternoon," Kelo added.
"And our parents too," Vina said as she hung up . "That is, if they can make the flight. You know how tatay feels about flying."
"Right. And by the way, where are those children of ours?"
"They went to the arcade. Said they had something important to do there," Ricky said.
"What important thing, besides the games could they possibly have to do there?," Vina asked.
At the said arcade, Jordan & Bren were chasing down another kid with a special wristband and giant teddy bear at the arcade with the other Runners following behind them.
"Stop, you thief!," Jordan shouted as they ran after him.
"Fat chance, losers!," the kid shouted. The chase continued until Jordan, with a leaping kick, sent the kid tumbling to the ground. The two then pulled on the items the kid had with them, starting a tug-of-war with them.
"Give them back, you bully," Bren shouted angrily. "We earned these fair and square."
"Forget it, I deserve these more than you!," the bully snapped back.
"Well, this glow-in-the-dark, color-changing wristband is for my big brother, which I'm going to give him as a gift for his return for my family reunion!" Jordan said in anger.
"And this giant bear is for my twin sisters for when they arrive for the reunion, not to mention my family trip to Manila after the reunion! Which means if you don't give these back to us, you're going to get burned!" Bren added as they continued to pull their prizes from the bully.
As they continued the tug-of-war, Itzal, Zeus, Calla, and Kani watched it in shock.
"Should you do something about this?" Kani asked to Zeus.
"In about 10 seconds," he replied.
Jordan, Bren, and the bully, meanwhile, continued their tug-of-war with the prizes, and began calling each other names.
"Dorkzillas!," the bully shouted.
"Sore loser pig!," Jordan snapped.
"Jerkface butthead," Bren added.
"And this is my cue to step in. Cover me, guys," Zeus said before he activated his RunCom as his friends covered him to prevent anyone seeing him.
"And your brother and sisters can go sit on a porcupine, because these prizes are mine!," the bully sneered.
However, Jordan and Bren's faces scrunched up in anger at the insults as they shouted, "NO, THEY'RE OURS! NOW GIVE THEM BACK!"
"ENOUGH!"
Both parties stopped pulling as they turned around and saw Zeus, now as Samuel Oak and angry at their behavior along with Itzal, Calla, and Kani.
"This is the limit!," Oak said as he turned to the bully. "You, they earned these prizes fair and square and you have no right to take them! So give them back and get lost, before I report you to the manager of this place!"
"But-," the bully tried to argue.
"NOW!," Oak shouted.
"Alright, alright! Here, I'm sorry!," the bully said as he let go of the prizes and ran off.
They sheepishly turned to their angry friends as he continued, "Are you two out of your minds?!"
"Yeah, you two almost got in trouble and annoyed the gamers and the employees in here," Kani added.
"Not to mention that my siblings and I have never gone that extreme over some arcade prizes," Itzal put in.
"Give us a break, guys! That kid stole them and we worked and played really hard to win them. We're just lucky that our parents aren't here to see that fiasco," Jordan reasoned. "Besides, I haven't seen Conway since Christmas and I don't want to blow on our reunion!"
"And I may be a rebel, but if I can't do even just a simple thing for my siblings on their visit, I will never forgive myself!" Bren added.
"That doesn't mean you two need to act like savages just to recover those prizes!" Calla pointed out.
"Come on, guys! Please, we're sorry about how we acted," Jordan pleaded. "But please don't tell my parents about this!"
"Same here. My dad said if he hears that I got into one more fight, I'd be living in the Dark Ages for two months!," Bren begged.
"Relax, we won't say a word," Itzal said. "Just don't go all crazy like that again, okay?"
"We won't. Just glad our parents-," Jordan started to say.
Suddenly, Jordan and Bren's phones started to rang, which caused them to froze in horror as Kani said, "Speaking of the devils..."
They quickly picked up their phones and said in unison, "Hello?"
Later, the Runner are back in Waters' house with Jordan and Bren's presents are all wrapped up from the gift wrapping department, which their parents are impressed at what they are going to give to their relatives.
"Not bad, Jordan," Vina said. "Conway will definitely like it."
"Thanks, mom," Jordan replied.
"And when you sisters see that bear, they're never gonna want to let it go," Kelo added.
"I know, that's why I wanted to get it for them," Bren said. "That way they'll stop taking my stuff."
"Well, anyhow, how about your friends help in the yard with some of the preparations?," Ricky said.
"Glad to, sir," Itzal said. Everyone then spent the next hour prepping the backyard for the reunion: setting up tables, putting up a banner, etc.
When it was all done, they all sat back and took a breather.
"Man, that's the hardest I've worked in my life," Bren said.
"Yeah, it shows," Zeus said.
"Well, what do you say we hit the Millennium Mall again and take another load off?," Jordan said.
"Mmm-hmm," the others all said in agreement as they left again.
"Should we told them about the twins quickly?" Kelo asked to Ricky.
"Maybe they'll find out for themselves," Ricky replied. "Besides, he just called me that they are headed to Millemium Mall as well."
Later, the gang had all gathered at the Pikmro Arcade to hang out again, this time with Andre and Layla as they called them earlier. At the moment they were looking at what games to play.
"How about FlightSim?," Calla asked.
"No, boring" Jordan said.
"Or Time Crisis 4?," Itzal asked.
"Played that a hundred times already," Bren said.
"Battle Chess 2.0?," Andre said. Before Bren could say anything, Zeus stepped up.
"I'd like to take a whack at that," he said.
"And that just shows how much of an old timer you are," Bren snickered as Zeus glared. "That Battle Chess game is for nerds."
"Actually that Battle Chess game is for everyone," a voice said. The gang turned to see a boy about Jordan's age wearing a sleeveless aqua hoodie vest that covered his face and head, a navy blue shirt underneath it, blue wristband, blue pants with a chain-like puzzle rope hanging behind him, and blue and white sneakers.
"That game is for everybody…except for those who think it's for just nerds because they think they're better than everybody else," the boy said.
"What's that supposed to mean?," Bren said, slightly offended.
"It means a braggart like you couldn't play this if you had your eyes closed."
"Oh yeah. Well you couldn't play it if you had your eyes wide open!"
"Then I challenge you to a game, Braggy-pants!"
"You're on…whoever you are."
"This ought to be good," Zeus said as the gang watched. The two boys stepped over to the game and started it up.
After a few minutes, Bren and the hooded boy are on a table with a touch screen on the top of it as Bren moves his virtual piece, namely a king-like piece, forward. He snickers at this, knowing that move might help him win. Unfortunately for him, the boy says, "The knight moves in to attack your king."
"WHAT?!"
With that, the boy does so as the piece destroys the king piece with his sword, allowing the boy to win as his screen says, "YOU WIN!"
"Checkmate, I win!," the boy said.
"Aww, man," Bren sulked.
"Well, he sure showed you, huh cuz?," Jordan said, amused.
"Shut up!"
"Hey, easy. It's not that bad," Kani said, trying to console Bren.
"Yeah, it's not so bad losing to me, Bren," the boy said.
"Easy for you to–Wait, how'd you know my name?," Bren asked puzzled.
"Yeah, how did you know his name?," Jordan asked suspiciously.
"Come on Jordan, you guys can't tell me you don't recognize your own cousin," the boy said as he removed his hood, revealing his black-blue spikey hair, blue eyes and face. Jordan and Bren gasped in recognition.
"OCEAN?!," they said in unison.
"The one and only," he said as Jordan embraced him in a hug. Bren shook his head in disbelief.
"I should have known it was you, Ocean," he said. "No wonder I lost so bad."
"And yet you didn't know."
"Well it's good to see you too, O.C.," Bren said as he shook hands with him, quite reluctantly
"I guess you're here for the reunion," Jordan said.
"Of course, Jordan. Uncle Ricky said you might be down here today, so I came to see ya. My parents, Nia, and Lake are all the house."
"Well what about River? Is she here too?"
"Yeah, she stopped at the art shop next door. You know how she-"
Suddenly, somebody smacked Ocean at the back of his head.
"OW!"
Everyone looks behind him to see a girl his age with long, black-blue hair, and wearing a shirt with a vest, a short denim skirt with a red fanny pack, and blue and red sneakers with white short socks.
"RIVER!," Jordan said as he rushed up and hugged the girl.
"Hi Jordan," River said. "Just came into check on Ocean. I'm guessing he just trounced Bren in Battle Chess?"
"Wiped the floor with him."
"Figured."
"So, um aren't you gonna introduce us?," Layla cut in.
"Oh yeah," Jordan said. "Everyone, these are me and Bren's cousins, Ocean and River Waters. Ocean, River, these are our friends we told you guys about."
"Oh, yeah the UR Gamers Club," River said.
"Well it's a pleasure to meet you all," Ocean greeted.
"Hi, I'm Kanon Kimura, but you can call me Kani. And might I say, being named after bodies of water is often said to be a great honor and means that you have the personality's of-," Kani introduced herself before being dragged off by Calla.
"I'm Calla Gale, her older cousin. And despite her weird habit of spouting crazy facts like those, she's actually a nice kid to hang out, as am I," Calla said.
"Likewise," Ocean said.
"I'm Zeus Starr," Zeus introduced himself.
"So you're the famous Twilight Star in ULO," River said. "Glad to finally meet you."
"Thanks," Zeus said in reply.
"And I'm Itzal Kurosawa," Itzal put in.
"The Dark Reaper: the mortal enemy of all bad boys in ULO," Ocean said. "And my cousin's secret sweetheart. I'm honored to be in your presence."
"It's a pleasure to be in yours, too." He then started to blush after Ocean's comment about his secret crush, until he realized something. "Hey! How did you know Zeus and I are famous as ULO PVP and PK players?!"
"Only way that could've happened is if someone told them," Zeus said as he and Itzal turned to the two cousins.
Bren and Jordan then grinned in embarrassment before the latter said, "We had to! Otherwise, he will interrogate us about you two until our minds break."
"And trust us, O.C. here knows how to interrogate," Bren said as they started to reminisce about one time.
Flashback:
Two years ago…
In a different house, a 9-year old Jordan and 10-year old Bren sit on the couch, while a 9-year old Ocean paces back and forth, with a 9-year old River watches them.
"When we were nine, one of us stole and ate Ocean's favorite snack from him behind, and when he found out, he held us in until one of us confessed."
"I can do this all day long," Ocean said. "But I see you two can't."
"Come on, Ocean, you're being silly," Jordan said. "It was just a couple of cookies."
"No, it was my favorite chocolate brownie cookies, which were laid out for me by my mom. And one of you ate them."
"It wasn't me," Jordan said.
"It wasn't me either," Bren said.
"THINK AGAIN!," Ocean shouted.
"One of you better fess up otherwise no one's going anyplace," River said.
"Especially, to the bathroom, which I know you have to go to from all that squirming you're doing Bren. So let me help you with that."
He then took a pitcher of water and slowly poured it into a glass. The sound of the water made Bren squirm more and more, until finally her shouted, "Okay, okay. I ate them, it was me!"
"There that wasn't so hard was it?," Ocean said.
After the flashback, Zeus and the others stared at Jordan and Bren weirdly as Ocean then says, "Sorry, I have a force of habit about that. My Dad's a cop, by the way."
"So what? Jordan's Dad is a cop, too. I know he's very stern and passionate about his job," Kani said.
"Yeah, except our Dad's a professional police detective who can piece together clues and details so well that he could catch anyone in a lie," River pointed out.
"Well, I hope he's not as protective of you as Jordan's dad is with her," Andre said slyly as he got closer to River.
"Um, I don't think we've met?," River said.
"Oh, I'm just a guy who thinks you are B-E-A-Utiful, babe. Too bad I'm a one-woman man with a special swe–"
But he stopped in mid-sentence when he heard some growls that only he can hear, which revealed to be Amica's as she angrily glared at him from Kani's purse without having to get out, much to Andre's horror as he corrected himself, "Special…sweater that I'm sure will draw your attention."
"Okay..." River sheepishly said, now weirded out by Andre's second thoughts.
"By the way, what are you two doing here in the mall? Aren't you and your folks supposed to be in my house right now?" Jordan asked.
"Actually, Cousin Ryder is here buying a cake as a gift for us, which he didn't tell us what flavor as always," River said as she pouted about not knowing what flavor the cake will be.
"So we were hoping we could run into him around here so we can go together," Ocean finished. "Which is weird, since he knew around this mall and we haven't seen him for a while."
"Can we at least call him?" Jordan asked as Bren readied his phone.
"Well, I don't know if he's done buying that cake, but I guess."
Bren dialed Ryder's number, and soon enough got an answer.
"Hello?," a voice said.
"Hey Ryder, it's Bren. I'm here with Jordan and the twins and a couple of friends of ours," Bren answered.
"Hey Bren-owski!," Ryder said.
"Heard you are gonna do one of your cake surprises," Jordan said.
"You know it, Jordie–I mean Jordan."
"Well, would you give us a hint as to what the flavor is?"
"Well, all I'll say is that the frosting is one of the three basic flavors, and the filling is-"
Suddenly Ryder was cut off and sounds of struggling were heard over the phone.
"Hey, what are you–get off me! Hey!"
"Ryder, what's going on? Are you okay?!," Jordan asked as everyone listened in on what was happening. The struggling continued for a few more minutes before the call cut off.
"Hello? Hello?!" Bren shouted on the phone in worry, only to get no respond. "Phone went out, guys."
"Oh, man. Ryder…," Jordan said.
"I think someone just abducted him," Itzal said.
"Guys, what just happened?," Ocean asked.
"Yeah, what's going on?," River added in.
"Well, I think-," Bren started to explain.
However, Zeus covered Jordan and Bren's mouths before they can explain what happened and dragged them and the others away from the twins before he whispered, "Guys, I doubt that struggle wasn't from a normal criminal."
"What do you mean?" Jordan quietly asked.
"In the background, I heard hissing sounds. I thought it was my imagination, but the minute the call was cut, I knew the sounds had to be familiar. That was the sound of a portal being activated by the braces that Black Tundra wore!"
"Rewind!" Bren interrupted. "Are you trying to say that those cult jerks kidnapped Ryder?! But that means..."
"They've adapted a new strategy," Andre said. "They realize they can't get to us as individuals or a group."
"So now they're going after those close to us," Layla said.
"And apparently, Jordan and Bren's family reunion has provided them with the perfect opportunity for just such a plan," Kani added in
"We got no time to lose! We have to find those Black Tundra creeps and stop them before they get any closer to our home lives! I won't let those jerks get at our family the same way they got to Zeus's loved ones!" Jordan said in anger.
"I agree, but where do we start?," Calla asked.
"Does Ryder's phone have GPS?," Andre asked.
"I think so," Jordan said.
"Then give me his number and I can hopefully trace his phone back to his abduction location!"
"Great, but what about the twins?," Itzal asked, as everyone looked back at Ocean and River. They had to find Ryder, but they couldn't tell the twins about their Runner status.
"What's going on, guys?," Ocean asked.
"Is Ryder okay?," River said.
"We think Ryder might've had a little accident," Jordan said. "We're gonna go trace his phone and see if he's okay."
"Well, can we he–,"
"No!," Bren shouted. "I mean, we can handle this. You guys just go home and don't tell anyone about this."
That having been said, the eight friends all quickly left the arcade, leaving Ocean and River puzzled. Figuring their cousins and friends weren't telling the full story, they knowingly nodded at each other and began to follow them. But unknown to them, a young boy in a school uniform watched them behind the pole.
A/N: The Black Tundra's going after Jordan's family now?! What a low blow! Will the Runners be able to find Ryder and stop the cult? Will Ocean and River discover the truth? And what flavor was that mystery cake? Find out in Part 2, coming soon!