Disclaimer: Look it up, yourselves, you bums. I'm not your mama.

Chapter 4

("Dearly Beloved" from Kingdom Hearts)

"I don't know how to tell you, girls, but I am clearly out of my depth here," Michael admitted as he slumped in his chair, sitting at the head of the dinner table.

The ticking from the clock on the wall added to the blight atmosphere hovering over the trio as Anne and Luz sat with him, both face-to-face on opposite sides. Michael tried to gather his thoughts a prepare himself for a follow-up when he noticed how crestfallen his newfound friends were acting. Luz sat with her sullen eyes staring at her hands, fingers fiddling, while Anne had her face planted on the table, her arms underneath like pillows for support.

Michael wanted to ask Anne if she was okay. A stupid question but no harm in wondering. Unfortunately, the young woman beat him to it and snapped at her host.

"What's there to figure out? I'm a fictional character who somehow wanders into the real world and finds out she does exist. The same goes with Luz too!" Anne raised her head and sounded uncharacteristically morose. Her eyes were puffy from all the crying earlier.

"That's not what I was—"

Luz shakingly nodded. "Your friend Anne's right! I just found out I'm from a cartoon and this is just too much to take in! Oh God, is anything about me real from the start? My memories of my friends and family, are they completely fake? And my girlfriend Amity? Is what I'm feeling for her genuine, or do the machinations of some puppet master bring it on? Do I even have free will?!" the Latina was already spiraling into despair, and Anne's remark didn't make things better, so it was up to Michael to bring things to order.

"That's enough!" Michael didn't intend to lose his temper nor smack his fists on the table, but it was enough to draw his two guests' attention. He took deep breaths and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Look, girls. I understand how much this revelation is troubling you, but insanely jumping to conclusions isn't getting us anywhere."

Michael glanced up to see Anne and Luz staring blankly, but the pair's eyes still held the overlapping depression that didn't go away instantly. It had simmered, barely being noticeable, but it was still present. The young man lowered back into his seat and clasped his hands into a philosopher's table, contemplating.

Michael continued, "Besides, seeing that since your shows have more or less ended, I highly doubt you guys are some sort of tulpas brought to life. If that was the case, then you two would have ceased from existence, wouldn't it? Yet, here you guys are, living your own lives with thoughts and feelings of your own."

After hearing that, the trepidations the two possessed disappeared, and Anne and Luz started to feel better. Well, at least for Luz. However, with her arms crossed and eyes narrowed, Anne remained skeptical.

"Okay, Michael. Since you believe we're not made up, what are we? How can you explain what's going on, what are we, and how are we even sitting in your kitchen to begin with, huh?" Anne questioned, mildly tart, and swung her arms outward in emphasis.

"As a matter of fact, I do have one," he remarked smugly. "I'm not sure why it's happening, but I think I know what's going on and how. This is just my hypothesis, but what we're dealing with might be an Earth Prime scenario."

Anne and Luz were respectively puzzled.

"Huh?"

"What's that now?"

Michael scratched his head. "I guess I'm the only one who reads classic comic books," he chuckled. A minute later, the young man took out a pen and some paper and drew circles. "As you already know from your adventures, we live in the multiverse filled with infinite other universes. However, according to comic books like DC and Marvel, there is a single Earth that is said to be where all other Earths originate from. That's Earth Prime, which I think is my universe. In short, it basically follows Mark Twain's quote: 'One man's reality is another man's fiction,' so to speak. Tell me if I'm losing you guys."

Luz smirked and pointed her index finger from herself to Michael. "Okay, I think I'm getting what you're putting out, but that doesn't explain how we got here."

The Latina blinked, falling back into uncertainty. Michael nodded as he shifted his gaze to Anne, the young woman averting eye contact, daydreaming.

"Anne, didn't you say you got here because of some flash of light? That you were with your friends one minute, and then in my kitchen the next?" Michael got Anne's attention as she perked up, arms unfolded and on the table.

"Y-yeah, that's what I told you a while ago," Anne confirmed, her attitude less discontented.

"And Luz. You never said how you got here. Was it the same ordeal as Anne's?" Michael pointed out. The Latina in question pursed her black-painted lips.

"To be honest, it's almost similar to Anne's predicament. My girlfriend and I were celebrating our anniversary, which was also the anniversary of when we liberated the Boiling Isles from Emperor Belos and the Collector. That's when a flash of light engulfed me and I ended up in the middle of some unknown town, back on Earth…er, Earth Prime, in the middle of a stormy day," Luz nervously explained while rubbing her chin.

Michael arched a brow. "So, what I've gathered from that, with how guys showed up, you two arrived here from a literal bolt out of the blue. It's not much, but at least we're getting somewhere," he murmured at the end.

Luz grimaced, waving her hand in a hindsight 20/20 manner. "Come to think of it, me meeting you in front of that psychology clinic was around the time when it happened. Talk about coincidences, huh?" she then innocently pointed out.

Michael, looking frantic, gave Luz a knife to the neck gesture.

"Wait, Michael, why were you at a psychology clinic?" Before figuring it out, Anne eyed the young man suspiciously and then almost leaped out of her seat, glaring daggers. "You didn't go to the store to get supplies, did you?! You thought I was crazy or something?!"

"I'm sorry, but what did you expect?" Anne was sneering close as Michael reposed, waving both hands nonthreateningly while excusing himself. "You came claiming to be a heroine from a cartoon series and I rationally assumed you were an escaped mental patient from an insane asylum."

Hearing that, Anne looked a tad hurt. "So, you did think I was crazy. And I bet you didn't even have a class project. What about all that talk about not jumping to conclusions?" She threw his words back to Michael while Luz watched, not wanting to intervene.

"You're right. I did say that, and I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't admit it, but I'm not a liar when I say I want to help you, Anne. You and Luz, even if it means eating crow from time to time," Michael frowned and shook his head apologetically. "Since we don't have anything to go any further on this quantum leap debacle, I guess we're going to have to figure it out later. Till then, let's show our new guest to her room, shall we?"

Michael got up and led the newcomer out of the kitchen, Luz catching up as he didn't slow down. Anne was left in the kitchen, tapping her manicured nails against the wooden surface with a shadowy veil over her eyes. Her troubled mind weighed her down, slightly miffed at her friend (with benefits). Regardless, despite feeling like stewing a little longer, the sobered young woman didn't let it last and recovered her strength quickly.

"Screw this!" Anne huffed. Anne jolted out of her chair and followed the pair, running almost cartoonishly.

Michael placed some blankets on top of the bed in the spare bedroom, Luz standing by the foot of the bed. The Latina watched with glinting eyes as Michael put a new pillowcase on the pillow, fluffed it up, and placed it on the bed.

Michael turned to the tomboyish Latina with a tired smile. "It needs some work, but it should be comfortable enough."

Luz stood straighter, crossed the difference, and embraced him in a tight hug, raising her head to meet Michael's eyes. "Thank you. For everything."

Michael was a bit resistant, but he patted her back in reciprocation. "There's no need to make such a big deal out of it. It's only common courtesy to provide guests with lodgings, or at least that's what my grandfather would tell me."

Luz steps back and shifts her gaze to the slight texture of the young man's athletic torso. "That's not what I mean, but that too. It's what happened earlier and how you saved me from getting captured, much as I hope you don't hold what I did to you against me," she stated while shyly finger-twirling a lock of her hair.

Michael brushed it off. "It's water under the bridge. You were scared and I shouldn't have been so abrasive in trying to get your attention." he turned and was about to walk out. "Now, if you need anything, Anne and I'm right down the halls. If not, then goodnight."

Luz stopped him, shaking her head. "The one thing I learned from being on the Boiling Isles is that trust is hard to come by much like everything else is in life, I guess. Being taken from one place to another, finding yourself in a strange yet familiar place, it made me very jumpy."

"I thought you went to the Boiling Isles on your own volition. Didn't you follow that witch lady into some magic portal and become her apprentice, or something like that?" Michael pointed out, (poorly) recalling the plot of Luz's show.

Luz nodded, eyes rolling. "At first, yeah. After that, things didn't go so easily for me, being surrounded by monsters and demons," she said with a rough edge. Both hands were in her jacket pockets. "On the second day, I was drugged by this tentacled demon Adaghast without even realizing it.

"Wait. Wasn't he the guy with the ventriloquist puppets?" Michael asked.

Luz arched a brown. "Puppets? No, he didn't have anything like that," In the middle of the sentence, Luz sat on the edge of the bed and took off her shoe and stocking, showing Michael the scar on her ankle. "He did nip me in the foot, though. I thought it was a bug bite, but it was Adaghast. His tentacles have stingers that inject a hallucinogen into your system and put you into a dreamworld, forced you to live in some make-believe world before leaving you vulnerable. Before I knew it, my dreamworld crumbled and I was in the middle of the woods, almost about to get eaten by that sadist. Apparently, humans are a rare and delicious delicacy to some demons on the Isles and it so happened that I arrived during his cravings," she explained, rubbing her left ankle with a grim expression.

Well, I say that's an apparent deviation from the mainstream plot. Michael winced before shaking it off.

Michael's gaze lowered. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. It must have been hell, but how did you escape?"

"Eda, not the dream one, saved me, but it wasn't easy," Luz said straightforwardly. "She and King came into Adaghast's territory, and they all duked it out. the stupidest thing I ever did was use some plastic toy sword I found in Eda's closet, which only angered him because I kept tenderizing his tentacles with it." A dry laugh escaped her lips as she raised her right hand and cupped her face.

"Hey, you did what you could in that situation," Michael said, sounding sympathetic. "What matters is that you got out alive and had someone looking out for you."

"Yeah, you're right," Luz nodded.

"Do you have any regrets? Going to the Boiling Isles, that is?"

"Sometimes, I do. Sometimes, I don't."

Michael crouched a little and placed a hand on Luz's shoulder, the Latina nearly jumping when she felt his comforting touch and looked back at him. The space between the two grew silent, eyes unintentionally staring into each other's souls as both Luz and Michael's cheeks turned red.

The young man stood straighter than a board and mechanically moved to the doorway, Luz lowering her gaze in embarrassment with a quivering grin.

"Well, I guess I should get out of your hare. It's been a long day and I bet you're just as tired as I am," Michael coughed, voice cracking.

Luz shook her head ecstatically, with her face still flushed. "Yep! Super tired! I can't wait to hit the hay and relax!" Luz calmed herself and fiddled with her fingers. "But it was nice talking to you. Other than Amity and Eda, it's not easy opening up to other people."

Michael looked over his shoulder, nodding. "It's no problem. I'm happy to help. I know what it's like to find yourself in a dark place, feeling like the world's crumbling around you, but it's nice to need an ear to speak into," he said with a warm edge.

"It's nice to take a breather. Now, goodnight, Luz, and get some sleep. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a different day for all of us." Michael slowly shuts the door behind him, leaving Luz alone to herself.

Once she was truly alone, the fastidious Latina proceeded to change out of her clothes before getting into bed. Michael was about to step down the hallway and towards his room outside the corridor when Anne climbed up the staircase and blocked his path. The young man eyed her, unsure of what she wanted.

"Do you need something?"

Anne didn't answer him and remained silent. Both arms gripped together with an unhappy frown on her face, the air growing awkward. Michael shrugged and was about to continue walking. That is, until the young woman spoke up, stopping him in his tracks.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry for the way I acted back there. With everything dumped on me, from experiencing a little of this world, and the Venn diagram of issue that already exist in my life, it wasn't easy taking it all in. Besides, you were doing what you thought was right and I didn't mean to take it out on you. Looking back on it, I probably would have done the same if I was in your shoes."

Anne's demeanor shifted with both hands behind her back, foot brushing leisurely on the floor. Michael stepped closer, the girl's lavender scent invading his nostrils, which he found lovely.

"There's no need to apologize, Anne," Michael smiled, reached up, and touched Anne's cheek, unopposed. "I stepped out of line and should have just believed you instead of simply going to get outside help. If Luz hadn't shown up and done some magic, I would have almost had you committed."

"I know, and I would have hated you for that!" Instead of a frown, Anne chuckled, seeing the humor in the irony. Michael did the same too.

"Yeah, you would," Michael said.

Anne moved and clasped Michael's hand, tenderness in her eyes. "But all in all, it worked out pretty well in the end, in more ways than one."

"The feelings mutual."

Anne blushed and smiled.

"Sweet dreams, Anne Boonchuy."

Michael nodded, turned, and strolled down the hall, making his way to the door. Anne was alone in the hallway as the young man's door was closed when her voice drifted from her lips.

"Sweet dream, Michael Therman."

Michael had taken off his clothes and slipped into his sleepwear, a pair of sleeping shorts and another T-shirt (Give Quiche A Chance!). He then strolled into the bathroom, the one in his room. After brushing his teeth, washing his face in the sink, and taking (three to four) pills from the medicine cabinet, the young man fell into bed and lay there. Darkness nearly encompassed every part of his room except the shafts of light from the full moon, bleeding in through the blinds.

Michael tried going to sleep. Sadly, that wasn't happening. No matter how much he tried, counting sheep and all, the day's events plagued his mind greatly, playing out like a theater showcasing. An absurdist flick where he was the protagonist in some warped reverse isekai dramedy (how ironic).

"Stop thinking about it so much and go to sleep. It'll be a new day in the morning and hopefully it'll get better," Michael whispered, chastising himself.

Rolling over, Michael crawled under his blankets, and exhaustion was finally setting in. The young man's eyelids grew heavy, and just as they were about to close, the door gradually slid open, and the hallway light blasted in.

Eyes widening, Michael gestured his hand to shield himself from the light. He tried making out who it was, examining the feminine silhouette at the doorway.

"Anne?" Michael called out, the bushy hair a dead giveaway.

"Hey, Mike. Sorry to wake you."

Her silhouette disappeared as Anne gingerly closed the door behind her and stepped closer, small shafts of light barely enough to give a good reveal. However, Michael could detect her gentle smile under her hazel eyes as Anne stepped to the side of his bed.

"I couldn't sleep, and I thought it would be alright to bunk with you for the night," Anne requested sheepishly.

"I don't know. An unmarried boy and a girl sleeping in the same bed? Doesn't that seem too risqué?" Michael smiled teasingly.

"Oh, please. Don't be such a pill all of a sudden. It's just for one night. Besides, it's not like it's the first time you've seen my bad side, dude."

"Yeah, but I still don't think…." Michael trailed off as Anne immediately slipped into the blankets and hurried over, his bare skin touching hers and taking in her warmth, hearts racing.

That was enough to tell him she was completely nude, even with her getting into the blankets and the dark vicinity surrounding him. The returning image of her toned, sensual body bare, leaving nothing to the imagination, eased his troubled thoughts instantly—that, and her ample chest. The young woman rolled to the side and looked at Michael like an angel ready to deliver sweet dreams.

A sad angel, to be exact. The crestfallen sullen was all Michael could see in her gaze, being so close to her.

"I don't mean to sound like an old-timer, but may I offer a penny for your thoughts?" Michael asked as he embraced her.

Anne didn't laugh but sighed. "Doesn't it bother you?" Anne asked with a frown. "I know you said we're real, but it's knowing at me. How do you really know that our lives aren't some sick joke?"

"Anne, stop it," Michael softly ordered as he combed through her curly hair and caressed the nape of her neck. "You and I know that that's not the case. Like I said before, you and Luz were already living your own lives before coming to my world. Not only that, but the more I touch you and get to know you, the more I'm sure you're not fake."

The young woman cupped both hands to her face, letting out a long sigh of relief. "It's just so much to take in, and in one day. You think you know who you really are, assuring that you have yourself figured out, and then it all come crumbling down in a blink of an eye. Think about it, everything I went through, what's the point if it's all a lie?"

"Yeah, I get what you mean," Michael smiled somberly, trepidatious resurfacing before brushing it off. "Be that as it may, I can prove to you that there's nothing to worry about."

Anne eyed the young man.

"Oh, really? How?"

"I only saw a few episodes but remember them clearly. When I was talking to Luz, she told me a completely different account of one of her adventures on the Boiling Isles. That tells me that we didn't create her, or you, but we stole your stories and passed them off, in this world, as our own. I'm not surprise that Matt Braly, the guy who made your show, took some 'creative liberties' to tone down the more adult themes of your life to make Amphibia passable. The same with Dana Terrace, God forbid," Michael recounted as he moved away and sat up, Anne doing the same, the blanket still wrapped on her. "I guess it's true what they say, there's nothing original about Hollywood."

Anne's eyes roamed along Michael's fit shoulders, meeting his attentive gaze. "That would make a lot of sense, actually. Still, it's hard to know what to believe anymore. Hell, I don't know if I can believe in myself."

"Then don't believe in yourself. Believe in me. Believe in the me that believes in you, Anne, because if I say you're you, then I say you are you," Michael smiled after giving his enthusiastic pep talk.

"Even when you know I'm not the actual Anne Boonchuy," Anne shot back, Michael's head lowered solemnly.

"Yeah, even when you're not the actual Anne," Michael repeated and nodded.

Anne caught the expression, "You're a good man, Mikey. It might have been a rough start for the three of us, but you gave us a place to stay and comfort us when we had nowhere else to go."

Michael remarked, leaned back, and stared at the ceiling, "I would say that's my grandfather, but I have to give credit to Methodist Sunday teachings."

Anne patted his chest, grinning.

"Thank you, Michael."

"Don't mention it, Anne," Michael then blew a raspberry. "So, what now?"

Anne's sober expression softened before a wicked smirk formed. "~well, seeing as both of us are up, I say we have a little fun~" she purred and flashed bedroom eyes, throwing the blanket off and exposing her gorgeously nude body, nipples erect. "~we got all night to ourselves, so why bother wasting it? Come here, Mikey. This little taste of Thai spice is all for you~."

("Absolute Territory" by Ken Ashcorp)

When Anne told Michael to have a taste of her, she wasn't joking. The young man was lost for words, seeing Anne's curvaceous rear. Her inviting thighs planted against the sides of his abdomen as she moved closer to his face, a tuft of curly brown hair right above her valley. Her perky breasts hung in a way that seemingly defied gravity. At the same time, Anne took off the young man's shorts, excitement glistening as she saw his cock hardened like stone.

"Well, what are you waiting for? My snatch isn't going to lick itself," Anne crassly demanded as she grabbed his erect member.

Bliss flared as Michael lied, Anne's warm touch causing his cock to thicken. He let her do what she wanted, feeling too good, the young woman's strokes weakening his very inhibitions.

"Any time now, Don Juan," Anne reminded him.

"Oh…sorry…"

Michael snapped out of his gaze and fixed himself. He took hold of her waist and pulled her back, her womanhood an inch to his face. Michael stared in awe. The young woman's dark flower was wet and dripping. It bloomed, a drop of nectar landing on Michael's lips, and he licked with desire. The young man lifted his hands, grabbed her firm ass, and spread her cheeks. A scent drifted up, and Michael took a deep inhale.

"You smell intoxicating," he commented.

Without wasting a second, he marveled at the beautiful visage once more before burying his face into her, tongue snaking out. He couldn't put his finger on it, but her juices had a naturally sweet texture, very healthy, to his delight. Anne's eyes widened a hair as she held back an erotic moan. She couldn't let him have all the fun, though.

The young woman proceeded to suckle on the tip, tasting the salty fluid leaking before going further. Her head, neck, and hand moved with practiced ease, but the moans were deep, her heart craving him with each second. Wet sounds blended with tiny cries, but the heat between them burned into a fiery blaze. Suddenly, a wiggling tongue slathered at her clit, and her hips moved in response, breaking her rhythm as a low, hissing moan escaped her. Cheeks spreading, Anne had never felt so exposed and vulnerable in her life. That is, except one time with a certain blonde, but that was in the past. Her beating heart finally settled as Anne adjusted to him, his mouth and tongue licking and sucking every part of her valley.

"Michael…" Anne whispered before giving the base of his cock a long lick.

The couple was caught in spiraling ecstasy. Wetness spilled into Michael's mouth as meaty inches thickened into Anne's mouth. The pair moaned in unison, the vibrations adding to the sensual symphony. Tongues moved with lustful desire as their bodies cried for release. However, such a desire never came as Michael and Anne ceased and changed positions.

Michael looked up, his face drenched in her juices. The young woman couldn't take it anymore, nor could the young man. Both craved each other. Anne hovered over his member on all fours, preparing to take him inch by inch, her womanhood itching.

"Wait…" Michael stopped her as he opened the drawer in his nightstand, reaching in and taking out an unopened rubber. "Before we go any further, let's make sure we're properly safe."

Anne's gaze narrowed, a dark aura manifesting. "Michael, why do you have a condom in your drawer?" Anne interrogated with jealous undertones.

Michael averted his gaze nervously. "…it's nothing. I bought this just for a precaution and not because I had girlfriends before or anything like that," Michael fibbed to save his own life, but the intensity failed to scare away his hardened boner.

After giving him the stink eye, Anne relented and took the packet. She tore it open, took out the rubber donut, and slipped it onto Michael's member, nice and comfy. He watched as the young woman got back into position, grabbed his covered cock, and slammed down onto it as euphoric energy coursed through her. There wasn't much resistance as her inner walls were basically molded around his shaft. Anne's body moved with an urgent need, hitting from the base and rising to the head at an appropriate motion.

"Easy now, Anne. There's no need to rush. We have all night to finish," said Michael with a hard edge, pleasure building.

His hands placed gently on her waist, admiring her tits bouncing to the rhythm. Anne ground her hips and savored each thrust, enjoying the curling swirls as his cock grazed against her inner walls. She couldn't put her finger on why, but it still managed to hit the right spots.

"I'm sorry, I know. It just feels so good that my body's acting on its own," Anne panted provocatively, the sight of her face flustering and tongue lapping proved evident.

Michael prompted his body up with his elbows, looking at his beautiful lover. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Just stay right where you are and let me do the work, babe. You deserve this more than I do," Anne whispered as she bobbed on him, hips moving with caged power.

It was the first time she ever called him that, which made his heart aflutter. To his surprise, this assertive side of Anne was a major turn-on. With his hands on her hips, Michael pushed his pelvis upward, Anne jolting from the new wave of sensual shock erupting.

Anne stopped momentarily with her hands on his chest, a shiver ran down her spine from Michael's throbbing cock still inside. "H-hey! No…fair! I said leave it all to me, didn't I?"

"I couldn't let you have all the fun, now, could I?" Michael's darker impulses rising up. He ran the back of his hand along her flat stomach, the very touch sending Anne chills. "You have no idea what you do to me, Anne Boonchuy."

She certainly does, in more ways than one.

Minutes flew by in a flash. Anne was lost in the mystical bliss, Michael's cock deep into her. Each thrashing hit the right tempo, bliss dancing as Anne bounced her hips, changing the speed from slow to fast on his cock. The pair took turns, much to Anne's annoyance, both exchanging their symbiotic rhythm. Anne and Michael were floating on a cloud to paradise, unable to contain the rising tide of pleasure. Regardless of how good the pair felt, though, it was coming to an end. Anne's body was reaching its limit, the same with Michael, his cock thickening within her as some of his discharge was beginning to spurt out. Pulling back slightly but keeping the throbbing member halfway out of her lower lips, another seed was about to shoot out and before she made one final slam downward, Michael caught her by surprise with one push. Her damn finally cracked, a string of orgasms rocking her very soul. Her upper body collapsed forward, Michael holding her with a gentle caress. Pure ecstasy cascaded over the two as Anne let out one last moan.

Michael released every last drop of his seed into her, the condom doing its job catching it. The stress the two carried had immediately vanished. He and Anne held each other and basked, both sweaty and exhausted. Finally, sleep had dawned on them, and the two remained in the exact position throughout the night, not one of them desiring to change places, one giving the other a delicious kiss on the lips goodnight.

Luz woke up in an unfamiliar bed, the morning brightness hitting her through the window. Turning over, she expected her girlfriend Amity to lie by her side, like in her dreams. Unfortunately, she found the rest of the bed empty, leaving her to recount what thoughts plagued her sleep. Images of her lavender-haired lover filled her thoughts, and the witch hungered for the Latina, taking her with relentless lust and desire. Although it hadn't been that long, Luz deeply missed her and craved her touch.

That's when she perked up and remembered something odd about her dream. It wasn't just her and Amity in them, but another figure. A young man whose face she couldn't make out, taking the two on a world of carnal delights. His hard cock riding her like tomorrow would never come while Amity sat on her face. Sure, she's read manga and fanfics about menage a trois, but she never had the guts to pursue one, nor having dreams of one. Nonetheless, her wet and soaked panties proved that the thought turned her on.

God, I'm such a pervert. Still, I can't put my finger on it, but I swear I've seen that man before, but where? Hunter? Gus? God no!

Luz's mind wandered, eventually shaking off before going down that rabbit hole as she threw off the blanket and got out of bed. Her purple and white shirt and kitty underwear was her only clothes on.

Better not focus too much there, Luz. It's just a dream, and dreams are not real. Well, except for that dream parasite that brought your fantasies to life, we swore never to discuss that again.

Not wanting to dwell on this because it was making her cheeks fluster, Luz tried putting on her shorts and jacket, her on-edged thoughts screwing her over.

This is so embarrassing!

Clothes on, she opened the bedroom door and made her way to the staircase. That's when her senses caught the smell of bacon and eggs wafting in the air, a gurgling hunger bubbling up in her stomach. It was enough to make her mouth drool as she followed the aroma. Luz climbed down and stepped into the kitchen, where she couldn't believe the spread that was laid out on the dinner table. Eggs, toast, bacon, it was all there on separate plates, but she only saw Anne gazing at the window in front of the sink. No sign of Michael anywhere.

Luz turned to the clock on the wall. 6:35 AM was what it said. Could he still be asleep? She assumed.

Stepping closer, the Latina slowly approached with a timid smile. Anne turned and smiled back, waving her coffee mug. Her eyes gave Anne a once-over, almost blushing. Her bathrobe was quite distracting, though her gorgeous legs and cleavage gave a good morning show for the witch-in-training.

"Michael got up pretty early before any of us did if that's what you're thinking. The guy's a pretty light sleeper and I thought this would be a good opportunity to surprise him with a small buffet of bacon and eggs when he gets back. Making breakfast is the least I could do to thank him for taking us in," Anne smiled with closed eyes, answering Luz's question with ease.

"So, where is he now?" Luz wondered as she raised her head, Anne towering over her. "And I don't mean to sound rude, but why are you so…glow-y?"

With coffee in her mouth, Anne almost spats it back into her cup, droplets splashing on the window. Almost to a comedic level with her eyes buzzing and cheeks puffed. Luz lurched back and grimaced, Anne fiddling with her robe as she covered up, chuckling and flustering.

"Oh, it's nothing! I just got a good night's rest is all! Yep! That's my explanation and I'm sticking to it!" Anne said with a skittish before she looked over to Luz, and her expression immediately softened. "As for where is Michael, why not see for yourself."

The young woman gestured a guiding hand to the window. Luz followed and looked out with curious eyes. At first, she thought Anne was merely admiring the sun, seeing it slowly rise from over the horizon. To her embarrassment, that was not the case as her mouth dropped and eyes widened.

A small open training field was set up in the backyard, a cobblestone path leading to the house's backdoor. Right next to the exercise equipment was a small garden, and an array of flowers bloomed, ranging from roses to honeysuckles. The kind of garden that would make her friend Willow green with envy, but that's not what sent Luz gobsmacking, far from it.

In the middle of the yard was a Wing Chun dummy, and using the wooden apparatus was Michael. Luz and Anne watched with subtle amusement as the young man smacked each pole with expertise, spun the rotary around, and then blocked the incoming attacks.

"What is he…." Luz trailed off with a befuddled scowl.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I think it's some kid of morning training. He probably does it before getting his day started. You know, clearing the whole mind, body, and soul kind of stuff. It would explain a lot, if you ask me," Anne surmised with an arched brow before turning to Luz. "Anyways, how did you sleep last night?"

"Not so well. It's really hard to sleep when you got so much on your mind," Luz said with a dour expression.

"Talk to me," Anne asked.

"What's there to talk about? We're stuck in an unknown world where, apparently, we're fictional characters, which we aren't, thank God. I don't mean to recap on that, but it's still kind of heavy," Luz confessed, arms crossing while taking a cleansing breath. "Do you ever think we'll return home?"

Anne lost her smile and shook her head. "No cap. It might be a while until we come to that crossroad, but look on the bright side," she said while bringing back some optimism. "We're in another world with so much to explore and many possibilities for a new adventure, and who knows? With how we got here, we might run into other like us, possibly our friends, don't you think?"

"I guess," Luz shrugged.

"Plus…" Anne reached around the Latina's neck and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I can easily think of something worth our time here," she cooed with a mischievous grin.

Luz didn't understand what Anne meant until she shifted back to the window, and that's when she was at a loss for words. The Latina's expression turned to pure shock, her face as red as a tomato's. With so much sweat dripping onto his shirt, Michael grabbed the edges and gingerly took it off to let the morning air cool his body, exposing his washboard abs. No matter how hard she tried, Luz couldn't take her eyes off while Anne admired the view, bringing her mug to her lips for another sip.

"I am so going to enjoy being here," Luz said with a giddy smile.

Anne giggled and nodded.

"Me too, girlfriend. Me too."

A/N: Hey, everyone. This is Kman134. I'm here with a new chapter of "Intruders from the Other Side." I know this is a bit wordy for basically a talking head chapter, but I was mostly running on fumes when I wrote this and wanted to get some vital info out of the way, which is why I don't consider this my best one. It's both existentially conversed and fanservice-y, which I wanted many people to enjoy. As for the Earth-Prime and comic books reference, it mostly follows the notion of that Darkwing Duck episode. You know, the one where people in the real world are subconsciously taking story ideas from the exploits of other people in the multiverse. As for why I made some changes to Luz's adventure, it's to make her exploits much darker and more believable than in the mainstream. Also, let's be honest: There were missed opportunities for clarity, and some parts didn't make much sense, no disrespect (well, maybe a little on Dana Terrace). Lastly, there are some pop culture references here and there that I dare you to find. If you can't, then God help us, nerds. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it and send me your thoughts on it. Peace!