Demon Archives: Dabura. The Demon Lord of Namek's Underworld, Dabura was summoned by and allied with an alien wizard named Babidi. Babidi himself was allied with the Irken Empire. 2,000 years ago, Babidi's faction encountered the Big Mom Pirates and fought with them over territory on Namek. Dabura would be turned into a cookie and eaten by Commander Majin Buu. Babidi attempted to sway Buu over to his side afterward, but taking advantage of his trust, Buu lured Babidi closer before snapping his neck. Dabura would eventually respawn in the Underworld and reunite with Babidi. They continue to argue over whose fault their failure was to this day.

That night's bath and slumber had to be Sector V's most relaxing ever. Mali pled to cuddle with Christina that night, but despite feeling like a dolly, she decided to give Mali the satisfaction.

They didn't wake up until midway through afternoon. It saddened them to see the sky wouldn't share their bright spirits. It grew a shade of red as the Day of Demons loomed above them still, the earth riddled with Gaps like a cicada infestation. "I can't believe we actually took out three Pillars in one day." Isabelle said, the gang walking to the kitchen together. "Even a Demon Lord, too. We sure get a lot accomplished!"

"Then let's keep this streak going!" Christina fist-pumped. "We can totally beat the last two today, then it's just the D-Man himself!"

"Chris, I seriously hope the next few battles are more spaced out." Laruta replied. "We really pushed ourselves to stay awake after you were sent to the future, especially Mali. I don't wanna have to endure that again."

"It's prob'ly gonna happen more often in the future." Jason said, head laid back. "Better get used to it!"

"I'm just glad we're all safe and sound." Isabelle smiled. "If we stick together from now on, things should go… well?"

Lyserg was trapped in a pillory, his face shameful. "Uhhhhh…when did we install that?"

"Hello, Uno princess and Sector V." A girl appeared from around the pillory. She wore a large, white, frilly Victorian-era dress and wide silver hair. "I have taken the liberty of punishing my apprentice for his failure in protecting you."

"Who the frick are you?!" Ralph exclaimed.

"I am Jeanne the Iron Maiden, leader of Divine Angels Division X."

"Oh, it's you?" Chris realized. "Man, you look WAY different from that weird getup you were in before!"

"How dare you insult Lady Jeanne's fashion sense?!" Lyserg shouted.

"Silence. It is good to be honest so as to release one's negative feelings. Regardless, I shall not let such vulgar toward my armor slide. I will hear your apology, my child."

"Pfft, you look younger than me, shorty."

"I am over 200 years older than you. Anyway, since Lyserg failed to protect you from the demons, I've taken that duty upon myself. Right now, we're unsure of the fate of your father, but we fear his stamina must be waning by now. Diablo could be in the process of absorbing him as we speak."

"Hmm…" Christina bit her lip. She had been in the future for a week, so she feared her father was already gone… but not even a day had passed here. "…You know, don't you guys have Reapers? Couldn't you tell if someone was dead by now?"

"We don't believe Diablo would kill your father until the absorption was complete. Otherwise, the piece of Malladus inside him would transfer to you. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true: if you are killed, your father would take back the essence, and Diablo would be able to absorb both halves. You were lucky to survive this long, but I cannot permit you to-"

"Yeah yeah, put a sock in it, angel face." Christina pressed a finger to Jeanne's lip. "Don't you know I'm the best chance at burning down these demons? You think I'm gonna leave my dad to get absorbed? Even if Arceus himself told me not to go, I would say, 'Up yours.'"

"You see what I have to deal with?" Lyserg asked.

"And shouldn't you angel dudes be in the Underworld, makin' our job easier, anyway?"

"I used up what power I saved trying to defeat Alastor and Aku. I'm in the process of building power again. Even in this Gigai, there are nails inside my shoes and my inner lining, piercing me in several places."

"WHUUUUH?!" The teammates gawked.

"By submitting myself to continuous pain, my power will be stronger."

"You're a masochist, I get ya." Chris smirked. "Whatever, build up your power then. You still can't stop me from going."

"Then you should be forewarned who you're up against. There are two more Pillars protecting Diablo's lair, and we believe these are supported by his strongest brothers: Baal the Destroyer and Mephisto the Spiteful. And of course, Alastor and HIM are still on the loose. It's helpful to know King Clawthorne is our ally, but you can't afford to be reckless from here on."

"As soon as we pin down where the Pillars are, we're gonna get right on 'em."

"That's about what I predicted." Isabelle sighed.

"Oi mean, Ah'm all for it!" Jason grinned. "It's better we take 'em out as soon as we can!"

"Come to think of it, that HIM guy is guarding one of the Pillars, ain't he?" Ralph asked. "And wasn't there a Gap to his lair in the forest?"

"That Gap is already sealed." Lyserg replied. "He probably knew it was a bad idea to leave it open."

"Oh…" Ralph bowed in disappointment.

"You wanna save Joaquin, don't you?" Isabelle asked understandingly.

"Y…yeah."

"But Joaquin turned into a portal, didn't he?" Shimmy asked. "Is he even still around?"

"That doesn't mean we shouldn't try!"

The main problem is we can't find a Gap to their lair unless another sector reports it, or if they try to trap Christina again. Laruta conveyed Trella's words.

"Unless we go into the Underworld some other way and head directly to their lairs." Christina reasoned.

"A prolonged journey through the Underworld is dangerous for mortals." Jeanne replied. "Even with Seastone Rings."

"I wonder if Uncle Raymond can help then?" Ralph suggested. "Heck, maybe he can get Clawthorne to bring us to their lairs."

"That's a start." Chris shrugged. "…Hey, I think I'm gonna swing by home real quick. Prob'ly should show Mom I'm okay."

"Sure, that's fine." Laruta said. "Provided you don't run off again."

"Distrusting your friend is sinful." Jeanne stated. "…But wise."

"Ugh." Chris eye-rolled. "No, I won't run off. 'sides, Angel Dust is gonna follow me, anyway." She went to leave the treehouse. Jeanne did, indeed, follow her.

Diablo's Lair

The Tyrant of Terror had the most aggravating day yesterday and had no chance to sleep at all. Snarling impatiently, the demon stomped into the communicator chamber. Clawthorne and Mephisto were projected from a magic orb, HIM from a bathtub cauldron, and Alastor was heard in a radio. "Pardon me, fellas, one of my channels isn't tuning in right!" the Radio Demon said. "Aku? Come in, Aku?"

"That useless fool PERISHED!" Mephisto thundered. "Along with Andariel."

"IMBECILES! ALL OF YOU!" Diablo's proclamation rumbled all of their domains. "Letting these mortals get the better of you! You're disgraces to demonkind!"

"Yes, you all should be very ashamed." HIM teased. "Baal is still safe and sound, so I've nothing to be ashamed of."

"And I woulda had those twerps nicked in the bag if Aku hadn't had an angel problem." Alastor reasoned. "We couldn't lose the princess to them, could we? I was only tryin' to help, big man, cut me some slack!"

"What about the father?" Clawthorne asked. "Have you finished absorbing him?"

"That stubborn old man only just decided to lie down and accept his defeat." Diablo answered. "Now begins the tedious process of absorbing Malladus. If you fools still wish to prove your worth, then I'm relocating you. Alastor, you will go to Mephisto's lair, and Clawthorne, you will assist HIM!"

"HOLD on!" Mephisto yelled. "I don't want that dog anywhere near Baal. I find it hard to believe he lost Azmodan so easily. You assisted those mortals, didn't you?!"

"I DID NO SUCH THING! I underestimated them is all! The princess was stronger than I thought she'd be, and so were her little friends!"

"No true demon would say such blasphemy! Diablo, I demand we ban Clawthorne at once! If he shows himself in our domains, our demons must be ordered to punish him!"

"And how do we know YOU'RE not a traitor, Mephisto?!" Clawthorne accused. "Just like Belial! He tried to rebel against you all, didn't he?! What if you WANT our enemies to take down HIM and Baal? What if you want Diablo to lose so you can take Malladus for yourself?!"

"YOU DARE CHALLENGE ME WITH THESE ACCUSATIONS?!"

"ENOUGH!" Diablo bellowed. "You're ALL on thin ice as it is! You will do as I just ordered! HIM, if you suspect even the slightest ounce of treachery out of Clawthorne, destroy him! Understand, Dog?!"

"Y-Yes, My Lord, of course! No treachery from me, no sirree!"

"By all means, he can come on over." HIM said. "Managing Baal can be very tiresome. I need to let him out into the Mortal World every 12 hours, or else he'll ruin everything in my beautiful lair. Perhaps taking King out for a walk can calm his mind, hmhmhmhm…"

"Then before we sign off, I'd like to make another proposal." Alastor said. "About the Uno princess… I just thought of something that could make our job a little bit easier. If she dies, wouldn't her piece of Malladus just get transferred to her father? So, if we kill her, then Diablo can absorb both halves right there!"

"Hrm…that is true." Mephisto agreed. "Well, Brother?"

"Yes… that would be easier. So be it! Kill the princess on sight and any others around her! Now, begone!"

Christina's House

Chris had no reason to knock on the door of her own house, so she marched right in. Her mother kept the house unlocked for whenever she came back home; and Maddy wasn't afraid of robbers or demons breaking in, anyway. "Tina!" Maddy embraced her child warmly. "Look at you, you're wrapped up like a mummy! Yesterday was intense, wasn't it?"

"Heh, you don't know the half of it."

"Have you had breakfast, yet?"

"Not really."

"Then I'll make us something. …Uh, who's that girl outside?"

Chris thought Maddy sensed Jeanne with Haki… but the upper head of the Victorian girl was clearly visible peeping up from below the window frame, pink eyes narrowed. "Just some kid the angels sent to watch me, she doesn't need to eat."

"Oh, like that green-haired kid. If you say so…"

Maddy whipped up some pancakes with toast as they ate on the back porch. Christina recounted her story from the past week/yesterday. "On top of all that, you're one week older now." Maddy said. "Kids grow up too fast. I thought you looked a few millimeters taller."

"And what've you been doing with your life?"

"Just the usual Haki class. Someone's gotta train those kids, am I right? But the school was getting swarmed by demons, too, and some of them made a fair workout. So, I wasn't being completely unproductive."

"Ain't you worried about Dad? You can trash all these villains easy."

"Maybe I could, but then you wouldn't be Kids Next Door. It's your time to shine now. Unless it's… getting too stressful for you?"

"I mean, I'm still havin' fun. I just wanted ta make sure you were alright with it… since you did prepare us for this job."

"Christina, I'm sorry all this had to happen. The KND isn't just about beating the average supervillain. Between demons, powerful criminals or world-ending disasters, the KND's jobs can be too much for kids like you to handle. But, when we were your age, there were important jobs we had to do, that only we could do… and I'm certain there will be important things that only you and your friends can do. That's why we hope you'll be strong enough; to handle situations like this or anything else. I'm really proud of how much you guys did yesterday… but if you're too tired now, you can take a break. Don't push yourself to keep fighting because you think you have to."

"Well, it's not like we can jump to the next Demon Lord right now. But I ain't ready to stop, yet. Me and my buds will definitely take these demons out."

"I know you can." Maddy smiled. "And don't worry too much about your dad. His will is strong. He'll hold out as long as you need him to."

"Yeah…anyway, you think we can train? I wanna brush up on my Haki. It's hard to it and firebending at the same time."

"Molding two different forms of chi isn't easy… I'm not even a bender myself, so I'm not experienced. But yeah! Extra training never hurt anybody… as long as it's not in illegal basement fights."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Underworld

Lord Death wasn't as terrifying as the old books made him look. He was a handsome, peach-skinned spirit with sharp yellow eyes under bangs of black, white stripes on the left side of his hair. His black cloak flew in the dead wind atop the saddle of his skeletal Stalhorse. Behind him were a platoon of Reapers on their own horses, galloping in a synchronized lineup as Kid requested. Not that many of the Reapers were dressed to accommodate the lineup, such as Grelle Sutcliff in his dark-red attire or Greg's impish stature.

The message came in the form of a Hell Butterfly, landing elegantly at the castle's doorstep and projecting a hologram. Death recognized Mephisto, saw a stranger wearing a creepy Jirachi mask… but most importantly, saw his own son unconscious and wrapped in a spider-web. "As you can see, we have your son. If you wish for his safe return… you will surrender your scythe. Come to these coordinates if you agree…"

Death could see Mephisto's lair in the distance: clouds of smog filled the dark sky, formed by the stacks of a city-sized factory. But it seemed the demon himself would meet Death directly in the field, prepared with his own army of demons and dark spirits known as Hollows. "Mephiphiphiphi!" Mephisto laughed. "Well, I didn't say you couldn't bring friends. But my deal remains true… hand the scythe to me and your son will be brought here in an instant."

"I want to see Star now. Bring him out!"

"No, no, no. I don't want you to pull any trickery and try to make off with him. But I am a demon of my word… hand the scythe over and he will be teleported here."

"Heh…" Death smirked, drawing his scythe. "If you want the scythe so bad… you should be here to take it!" He leapt forth and SLICED Mephisto's neck… but it merely phased through the hologram conjured by the Hell Butterfly.

"Mephiphiphi! One cannot have all his cards on deck. But one way or another, that scythe will be mine!"

Right as the hologram vanished, a pinkish energy blast, glittered with stars, blasted Death backwards. The caster wore the same Jirachi mask he saw before, its eyes slit with lines running below them, past the edges of its triangular smile. They had four purple horns bent into "N" shapes, wearing bright purple, star-glazed stockings and a gown with glowing yellow shards on their ankles, wrists, and hip. Their torso area was almost bare except for coverings of the same bright-purple design. "What… or who are you?!"

The stranger electrified Death with pink lightning. This signaled the start of the battle between the Reapers and enemy spirits. The Masked Mirage tried to take Death's scythe, but he kicked her off and flew above the clustered battle. The Mirage warped behind and trapped Death in a Space Block, exploding it, but would defend herself as Death whipped out twin pistols and shot her. Mirage warped several miles away and conjured giant stars, casting them at Death, but the Grim Reaper sliced them down en route to the foe. Death fired a single bullet, ridden by his tiny Zanpakutō spirit, Patty Thompson. The girls would fly past the Mirage's front barrier as Patty would kick the bullet precisely into Mirage's hip, dropping her guard. Mirage warped behind Death and surprised him with a giant black hole, attempting to suck him in.

What Mephisto didn't yet know was that Death had already enlisted the help of two certain others, creeping along a deep valley toward the factory. One appeared to be an enormous spider with a humanoid upper half, and the other riding her back, much smaller in comparison and almost missable, was a girl with monochrome hair and a purple dress. "Astere, this cave seems good." The spider said, squeezing into a cavern just big enough for her. "Is it possible to create a portal here?"

"Yes, I think I can manage… but are you sure we should involve them, Lady Velma? Mortals aren't supposed to be involved in spirit business, are they?"

"Just call me Velma, sweetheart. And haven't these mortals already gotten involved? Star's friends have a right to rescue him. If you know where his cousin lives, head there and ask them posthaste. I'm confident I can crush my cousin, but there will be other strong demons waiting for us. Ask them to bring whatever help they can."

"Okay…" Astere stretched a gaping, pink portal into being and leapt inside.

Moonbase

It brought Perry relief that Christina made it home, but the Supreme Leader couldn't be satisfied until every problem on his current checklist was crossed out. Fortunately, the solution to another problem was just on the horizon.

"Heeeeey, Perry!" Mikaela Gilligan's jovial grin shone on the Global Tactical screen. "Is Team Jennu still up there?"

"Yeah, she's… right behind me. Tiffi, too." The camera angle couldn't confirm this.

"Mika!" Jennu jumped beside Perry. "What's going on, did you find Star?!"

"Um, not exactly… but we just met someone who can help us find him."

Mika stepped aside to reveal Astere. "Who's she?"

"I'm Astere. This might sound a little sudden, but… I'm Star's ancient cousin."

"Whuuuuh…?" That was a little more than sudden to Perry.

"I'm an ancient Zathurian from the Spirit World."

"Oh, Star talked about you!" Jennu remembered. "You look… oddly peachy for an ancient Zathurian."

"So, do you know where Star is or something?" Perry asked, scratching his head confusedly.

"He's being held prisoner by a demon called Mephisto. Right now, Star's father is fighting his minions outside his lair… but I've set up a portal that can lead us to his lair. We thought you all would be worried, so I came to offer you the chance to help. Supreme Leader, do you have any operatives suited to this mission?"

"Well, OBVIOUSLY, we're going!" Mikaela stated. "We can't leave Gabe's cousin to be demon food!"

"Don't leave US out!" Tiffi shouted. "Jennu, let's grab the others and head down there ASAP!"

"Wait, you can't just rush into this!" Perry cautioned. "We need Seastone Rings to survive in the Underworld! …Well, I don't think I do, but you guys. Sector MG procured Seastone Rings from their magic schools and tried to deliver them to other sectors, but they couldn't find that many. We didn't have some prepared for your team either, Jennu."

"So, I guess only a few of us will be able to go right now…" Jennu figured.

"ME! I VOTE ME!" Tiffi's hand shot up.

"But, Tiffi, will your powers even work in the Underworld? They're not even working now…"

"It's because of the moon." Perry replied. "A sign of the Day of Demons is the moon turning red. This color amplifies the power of demons, but weakens Water and moonbenders… the latter especially. And the Underworld doesn't even have a moon, does it?"

"None that I've seen." Astere answered.

"Then I'm just… supposed to sit here and wait?!" Tiffi argued.

"How about I be the one to go?" Jennu offered. "I'm the next combat savvy."

"I can lend you Gabriel's ring!" Mika said. "He and Rudy are dealing with an attack now, so they aren't available, anyway."

"To be honest, these aren't the kind of numbers I hoped for…" Astere replied.

"I don't really wanna recruit Sector V after what they've been through yesterday." Perry said. "…But maybe I can ask Sector IC. They have two operatives that should be able to survive the Underworld, I'll see if they'll come with us."

"That would be… 'us'?" Astere caught that word. She then thought back to what Perry said before, about him not needing a Seastone Ring. "Wait, Perry! Were you planning on joining us, too?"

"Of course I was!" Perry tapped the sword hilt at his back. "I don't like being a desk jockey all day! Haha!" He turned to show off his reflective shield.

"That's… the Mirror Shield?" Astere gasped. "Does that mean…"

"Mika, we'll be down there in a second. Lemme just put Jas and Fras in charge and argue with their protests."

"Don't argue too long!"

Perry and Jennu rushed to prepare… leaving Tiffi with her head bowed dejectedly.

Facilier's Voodoo Emporium

Tucked in a quiet, dead-end alley of Cleveland, Virginia, a skull sign highlighted with flames advertised the small magic shop. Inside was a collection of magical artifacts found by himself or his late father. Ralph, Shimmy, and Trella visited the witch-doctor, who used his crystal ball to contact Eda Clawthorne. "Well, ya called at the right time." Eda replied. "Diablo just ordered King to provide backup to HIM. But their trust in him is waning. Diablo ordered HIM to attack him at the slightest sign of treachery."

"OI, all these pronouns is confusing!" Shimmy shouted. "Which him is HIM?!"

"YEAH, it didn't sound right rolling off my tongue either! The fact is, HIM probably won't let King get very close to Baal, or even set foot in his lair at all. Even if you kids turned invisible or tiny so you could hide easier."

"What if King made it to HIM's lair on his own and made a Gap for us to take?" Ralph wondered.

"The Demon Lords are aware of any Gaps in their territory. HIM would rush to close it immediately."

"So, you snot-nosed kids wanna get the jump on HIM, eh?!" a new voice spoke.

"Oh, hey, King!" Eda looked away. "Still keeping up with the evil act?"

The skull-headed demon took her place in the crystal ball. "You don't stand a chance against Baal, brats! He's a magnet for destruction! He eats it for dinner! Word is, even HIM can't keep Baal locked up in his lair for too long!"

"So, what? He takes Baal out for walks or something?" Shimmy asked.

"Very destructive walks, in fact. HIM says he needs to let Baal into the Mortal World every 12 hours. He needs to go on rampages to satisfy his lust for destruction, otherwise he would just destroy HIM's lair."

"If that's true, then… there should be reports about that." Ralph reasoned. "Let's try to research areas that suffered mass destruction in the past day. Shouldn't be that hard."

"If THAT'S your plan, I guess I better head to HIM's lair." King declared. "To PREPARE for you."

"Whatever, Dogbone. …Uncle Raymond, I was wondering if you had anything that could… well, remember that spirit thing I mentioned? Joaquin?"

"The one that was used by HIM as a portal?"

"Yeah… I was wondering if you had anything that could help him. If Joaquin's still around, HIM could still be controlling… WAIT A MINUTE!"

Geez, not so loud, Ralph! Trella signed. I'm blind, not deaf!

"I just remembered when we were on Terraqua! When Mr. Whale came back! He said that his .I.E. was cursed by a crab demon, but he used purifying water to save him. Chris and Lyserg said HIM had crab claws, so it has to be the same. Uncle Raymond, do you have any purifying water?"

"I can't say I do… but if you're talkin' about spirit water, you could find that at any spring with high spirit pressure. Easier said than done, I reckon."

"We could go back to Terraqua and ask Whale where he got that juice." Shimmy figured. "But do we really wanna go all the way up there in the middle of all this?"

"Why don't ya leave it to me, kids?" Raymond suggested. "There's any number of people I can phone to help find spirit water! The Horvitz family, my godmother, heck maybe my old school saved some. In the meantime, why don't I suggest a way for you to contain Joaquin? Do the KND still have them T.H.E.R.M.O. ?"

"Joaquin is still linked to my paddle watch. I can modify it to draw and trap him in."

Maybe I can help calm him down if he tries to attack us. Trella smiled.

"Then you kiddos better hop on that." Raymond suggested. "Them demons ain't gonna rest long. But speakin' of, how is Chrissie now, anyhow?"

"She went to visit home. I'm glad she's able to relax for once…"

Christina's House

This was perhaps the most unrelaxing day in the neighborhood. Christina swarmed her mother with waves of fire, the girl having to swallow it back before it spread to other homes. She threw rapid punches, the flames flickering on and off as her knuckles turned black like iron in-between. "GAH! Is it even possible to use both at the same time?!"

"I've seen it done." Maddy reasoned. "But not by many. Most people who are born with bending just prefer to focus on that. Maybe you should just focus on the Haki by itself. You still haven't learned to coat your full arm."

"Huff…" Chris dispelled her fire and tried to focus the Willpower Chi to the surface of her arms. "Hnnn…dammit!" Instead, flames combusted, Chris dispelling them. "Maybe if I flex instead." She tried to flex her muscles and pump the chi into them… but they popped like fiery bubbles. "DAMMIT! Ugh, maybe Haki just ain't for me. This one little bit." She hardened her knuckles. "This is all I can manage. Maybe I should just focus on firebending…"

"Your will is weak."

Chris cast a glare to Jeanne, sipping tea at the table. "'Scuse me?"

"Haki is the symbol of will. If your Haki is weak, then your will is weak. And a weak will leaves you susceptible to sin."

"Keep your church crap to yourself."

"When I first saw you, I could tell that you gave in to Malladus's will. If you fall to Diablo's minions, you will lose your will again. If you cannot master Haki, you have no hope-"

"And I suppose you're a Haki master yourself?" Maddy cocked a brow.

"I never learned the art, but my soul is strong nonetheless."

"Then don't criticize people for trying to learn what you never learned. Tina, let's try it like this." Maddy knelt behind her daughter and grabbed her arms. "If Haki is willpower, then it's like freedom. Imagine yourself breaking out of some chains. Punch yourself free and attain your free will."

Chris shut her eyes to better picture herself in the scenario. She tried to thrust arms forward, but her mom's grip restrained her. Her flames would keep flicking on, but Maddy withstood the heat. Maddy loosened the grip a little so Chris's arms could stretch a little further. She imagined herself growing more free, punching further, harder, and more determinedly.

"AHOY, CHRIS!"

She snapped out of her thoughts as Jason hopped the fence. "Jason! I was in the zone! I almost broke the chains!"

"Oi don't see any chains!"

"What do you want? Is there an emergency?"

"Ah was just comin' to check on you! But we are workin' on a plan to look for the next demon. If you're training, can I spar with you?"

"I'm just trying to practice Haki, Jason. If you wanna learn it, maybe Mom'll teach you."

"Mum said she never needed Haki. 'Cause her lightbending was the best there was!"

"Way to rub it in, Jason."

"Ha ha ha! Still, if you wanna train, let's just go find some demons to beat up! Should be plenty to pick from, eh?"

"Sorry, but she won't be accompanying you." Jeanne said. "I won't allow Chris to confront any demons until she shows improvement in her skill."

"You don't tell me what to do, loli brat!" Chris shouted.

"Yeah, you ain't our captain! I am!" Jason followed.

"According to Lyserg's report, you were overwhelmed by Andariel's poison. You stand as much chance against Diablo's followers as she does."

"Poison ain't exactly my element! And it wasn't even daytime!"

"Then you have some improving to do on your own. Do not be consumed by pride. Understand your shortcomings and-"

"Blah, blah, blah! Fine, ya little drongo! Reckon Ah'll see if me own mum's available. Catch ya later, Chrissie! Show me 'ow much you improve!" Jason flipped back over the fence and left.

"Heh heh…you, too, Captain."

Sector RT

Perry's ship landed several yards away from the treehouse. He, Jennu, and a third recruit raced up to Mika and Astere. "Yo, it's Lucina!" Mika grinned, casting the vampire a wave. Lucina Stork had sandy-brown hair, dark-blue eyes, and had defining bat wings against her midnight-blue shirt. She wore a webbed black skirt, indigo stockings, and black ballet flats. "I get a mission with the vampire maiden, babyyyy!"

"We're naturally adept with the Underworld, after all!" Lucina grinned, showing off her fangs.

"You said you'd be bringing two extras, right?" Astere asked.

"Loki turned into a squirrel and flew off before we could land…"

"What? …Loki?" Where had Astere heard that name before- "AH!" A squirrel landed on her head and clung onto her twin-tails, hanging behind her.

"Now, there's a head I recognize!" Loki cheered. "Darling, I missed you during the vampire crisis, where were ya?!"

"GET OFF ME!" Astere threw the squirrel off. Loki morphed back into his human form, 13 years old with tan skin, silver hair in corn rows, and a yellow sleeveless hoodie. "Ugh! Why'd you have to invite him of all people?!"

"You… know each other?" Perry cocked a brow.

"I saved her life." Loki answered. "And she's pretty ungrateful."

"YOU DID NOT! You harassed me at the concert and you… You know what, forget it! If this is our full party, we need to get started!"

"Wait, is this the girl you said you flirted with-" Lucina tried to ask.

"TO THE PORTAL!" Astere took flight.

"Soooo… how'd you two meet?" Perry asked Mika, the group calmly following the stranger.

"She showed up at the treehouse and told me she was Gabriel's 'cousin.' He talked about her after last Christmas, so I believed her… So, Perry, what's that cool shield?!"

"The Mirror Shield! It's one of Link's Three Sacred Treasures!"

"Whoooaa!" Mika admired her reflection in the shield's shiny surface. "But shouldn't that be super breakable?"

"Dad says it isn't. I guess it's magic, heh heh."

Astere flew into the garage of a vacant house, where a bright pink portal swirled with life. "Are you a spacebender like Star?" Jennu asked.

"Yeah. But as a spirit, I can warp between the Mortal and Spirit Worlds. When we go through here, we'll be outside the doorstep of Mephisto's lair. He's one of Diablo's top officers."

"And he's the one holding Star hostage?" Perry asked.

"What about his mother?" Jennu followed. "She's the one who brought Star to Earth in the first place."

"Well, she… Let's just go in first. My acquaintance can explain."

Astere entered the portal first. The five mortals shared a cautious glance before following her. The dreary air of the Underworld quickly weighed down on them; even with Seastone Rings or natural immunities, they already longed for the air of their homeworld. "Uck…I hate it already." Perry said. "So, who's…AAAAAHH!"

"Blimey, way to kill the silence!" Loki flinched, as did the others. "What's your problem? …BLIMEY!" He glanced up and flinched at something else.

"WAAAAH!" The others joined them in screaming: hanging directly above them was an enormous spider. They immediately assaulted it with projectile attacks.

"STOP, STOP!" Astere yelled, making a Space Block. "This is my acquaintance! She's the Spider Queen!"

"THAT'S A CRAZY ACQUAINTANCE!" Perry cried.

"Children are so impulsive." The queen sighed, her humanoid head hanging down. She had white skin with purple lips, matching her dress and gloves. Her black hair was wide and thick, adorned with an orange, horn-shaped crown with four red "eyes" and spider fangs. "You remind me of Mandy's husband."

"Y-You mean… my Aunt Mandy?" Perry asked.

"Ah, that is true." The spider smirked. "I suppose this was only fate. I am Velma Green the Spider Queen. Perhaps you've heard of me?"

"I'm… not sure."

"How could you not? I'm Star's grandmother, after all."

"WHAT?! Star never told me he was part-spider!"

"That's a shame." Velma smiled wryly, rubbing her fingertips in a passive manner. "Perhaps I'll tell my story some other time."

Velma (from Billy & Mandy) was a Demon Lord who ruled the Arachnimorphs and Skulltulas, the spider beasts of the Underworld. The Skulltulas themselves are the souls of all the nastiest spiders who once lived in the Mortal World. Velma was the childhood friend of the previous Grim Reaper, later to marry him after he took the throne of Demon King. Shortly after, they gave birth to "Death the Kid," Star's father and the current Lord Death. "Star sure has a confusing family tree." Mika commented.

"Indeed." Astere agreed half-sarcastically.

"What you need to know now is that I have a cousin who works in Diablo's army." Velma began. "Her name's Cydaea. She's an Arachnimorph like me, but she's learned the ways of the Succubi. She can craft special clothes designed to hypnotize people into doing their bidding… and I fear that's what happened to Star's mother."

"You mean that outfit she brought to school?!" Jennu gasped. "So, by then, she was already hypnotized?!"

"Indeed. As part of Diablo's plan, they need to dispose of the current Demon King, my son. This was certainly part of that. Cydaea and I never saw eye-to-eye, so she has no qualms about attacking her own relatives. She forsook us as soon as she fell for that cretin, Azmodan."

Velma hung lower, her face hanging directly above the frightened kids. "And we don't talk about Azmo, no, no, no. We don't talk about Azmo, but… On my wedding day, we were getting ready-"

"AHEM." Astere coughed. "This really isn't the best time for a song."

"Well, anyway… Beyond this cave is Mephisto's lair, a giant weapons refinery. He'll likely have Cydaea by his side. I'll go ahead and try to fight them, but are you prepared to face them as well?"

"Will the Master Sword be effective against them?"

"Is it true?" Mika gasped. "You brought the Master Sword, Perry?!"

"Huh? Oh, no, just the Mirror Shield. This is the Gilded Sword." Perry drew the gold-patterned weapon.

"What?!" Astere gasped. "Why wouldn't you bring the Master Sword?!"

"Because when I tried to grab it…"

"Huuuuuuurrrrr!" Perry practically strained himself trying to draw the sword from its sheath. Cheren cocked an awkward brow.

"It wouldn't let me. Couldn't even use the Light Arrows. Just the Mirror Shield!"

"Is that really going to help?!"

"Geez, what a worrywart." Loki eye-rolled. "Look at us, we have plenty of strong operatives here! Let's go crush some demons!"

"Yeah!" Perry cheered. "We can't keep Star waiting! Let's go!"

The six kids followed Velma out of the cave. They watched as the Spider Queen jumped across the canyon leading to a massive, boiling factory. With courageous hearts, the kids raced to the factory.