Author's Note: I'm sorry everyone. Once again, I needed to divide a chapter into parts so I could get something out to y'all before too long. Also...I keep posting on here, but I haven't gotten any reviews for new chapters posted. Aside from one troll review that I deleted cause it was clearly meant to trick me into bullying some innocent writer on the site here.
I'm still posting, but I'm just wondering why everyone is so silent on here? I know part of it is because this is a dead fandom and I have gone months sometimes in between posting chapters. And for that, I apologize. I won't stop until this fic is finished one way or another.
Let's go!
As the duo sped as fast as was legally allowed in Mr. Gar's car, K.O. thought about what Dendy had told him earlier that day. You two must find a balance. As much as he hated to admit it, his friend had a valid point. T.K.O. had almost broke loose a few times when K.O. let his emotions get the better of him. And those previous times, it was only the lucky interventions of Professor Venomous and his friends - unintentional on Venomous' part - that prevented T.K.O. from getting loose again.
But that wouldn't mean T.K.O. wouldn't stop trying. If nothing was done to address this, T.K.O. might try and break out on his own and lock K.O. into his own subconscious as payback. He got into a lotus position and focused. K.O. tuned out the world around him. Mr. Gar. The wind rushing in his ears. The car. Everything.
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When he opened his eyes again, the landscape had changed. T.K.O.'s house was still intact from last time, along with the little swing set and sandbox attached. K.O. could almost feel a cold wind howling in the empty world and shivered. But there was no sign of T.K.O. having broken out from the lower levels, so that had to have been a good sign.
K.O. concentrated on what he wanted to appear, and an elevator sprouted from the ground next to him. It opened and no one was inside. No T.K.O. trying a sneak attack. Good, good. He entered the elevator and pressed the button labeled Subconscious (AKA Timeout Zone). As the elevator snailed down, some jazzy music was softly playing on the speakers. Or, at least K.O. thought it was jazzy. He wasn't great with identifying music genres. But it was a peaceful tune and there was a woman singing about seconds and pieces connected.
T.K.O., I know things have been messed up between us. K.O. thought. But we can still fix things. We could beat Boxman Jr. together and we could work together to face Shadowy as one. Please…meet me halfway on this…
The door slid open and K.O. was greeted with a pitch black void. He took a deep breath and released it. And then, he jumped and began to float as if weightless. K.O. considered this for a moment and began to perform butterfly strokes to help move around. If I was my inner darkness, where would I be…?
And then, as the door dinged! closed again, K.O. had his answer.
I'd wait for me to leave the elevator!
"POWER FIST!" K.O. shot a flaming blue Power Fist at the door, blasting it open and exposing T.K.O. inside. He looked at K.O. in astonishment before beginning to whistle off-key. K.O. frowned in disapproval. "T.K.O.! You weren't trying to leave me trapped here, were you?!"
T.K.O. stopped whistling and hid his hands behind his back. His cheeks were turning rosy-red. "No? I was…uh…doing my annual elevator inspection!"
K.O. smiled approvingly. "Oh! That's okay, then. I should probably let you get back to - hey, wait a minute!"
He started "swimming" back to the elevator. T.K.O. growled and started pounding at the the button to go up. K.O. "swam" faster as T.K.O. grew panicked.
"Grr….what's with this thing?!" T.K.O. smashed at the console. Suddenly, his fist went right through it and sparks flew out. Smoke began to build in the exposed elevator. "Oops…"
"Wait!" K.O. cried out. "Don't go!"
T.K.O. narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Uhhhh…You do realize that neither of us can't, now. Right?"
"Of course, not!" K.O. said. "It's my mind, I can fix it up in snap!"
T.K.O. blinked. "So, what you're saying is: doesn't matter how bad something breaks, cause you can fix it with a little literal brain power?"
"Uh huh." K.O. was almost there, he could touch the outside of the broken door.
T.K.O.'s lips curled up in a sneer. "But this is my mind, too. And what I say goes!"
K.O. gaped in alarm. "NO! Nuh uh! Nuh uh!"
A fist shot out and dug deep into K.O.'s chest. He keeled over and was sent spiraling back into the void.
"Later, loser!" T.K.O. twiddled his fingers in a mocking farewell. The next moment, the shattered doors reassembled themselves and the console too. By the time K.O. could try throwing another Power Fist to stop him, the elevator shot back up. On any other day, K.O. would have been too shocked to try doing anything other than throw attacks aimlessly in his new prison. But T.K.O. had made a point. Literal brain power could help. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Before long, the elevator was back and opened up.
K.O. was relieved to see that T.K.O. hadn't escaped, so it was a little amusing to see his inner darkness cackling as he stepped out of the elevator. When he saw K.O., there was confusion and panic in his eyes as T.K.O. realized he had never left the subconscious at all. This time, K.O. rammed them both inside of the elevator and pressed the button for Conscious Mindscape before another escape attempt was made.
"HEY!" T.K.O. grabbed K.O. by the vest. "What's the big idea?!"
"Shadowy's back and -"
T.K.O. pushed him roughly to the floor. "Ohhh, I see. So, you need my power to fight him! Is that it?! Can't do anything big by yourself without a power boost?!"
"No." K.O. said firmly.
"Huh?" T.K.O.'s mouth went wide open.
"'T.K.O." K.O. began, trusting that he would be able to say the right thing to his other half. "Everything between us started because Shadowy Figure brought you out -"
"You mean when you brought me out and didn't like my style!"
"Please," K.O. pleaded. "I don't want us to fight anymore."
"So you want us to get chummy with Shadowy, instead?"
"Not him. Us."
T.K.O. started at him, incredulous. Then, a small chuckle burbled out of him. It grew louder and longer, darker and crueler. Chuckling turned into chortles and evolved into full-blow laughter. T.K.O. laughed. And laughed and laughed. Tears of mirth started rolling down his cheeks and he sank to the floor, pounding at it for some form of release. K.O. felt queasy in his gut as he helplessly watched. Once or twice, he tried to reach out to T.K.O., but his proffered hand was swatted away.
By the time the elevator opened again back near T.K.O.'s house on the regular mindscape level, T.K.O. was slowly starting to regain control over himself. He was taking deep breaths, with an occasional giggle coming out with no warning. When he was able to look at K.O. again, his face puffed out like he was threatening to laugh again.
When he could speak again, T.K.O. sounded breathless. "You…you…actually…listened…to your…"
"She's not my girlfriend, Dendy's just my friend!" K.O. was starting to grow sick of the shipping jokes. They were 6-11 for Cob's sake!
"Sidekick?" T.K.O. finished with a leer. "The science baby that did all…all of those…experiments on us?!"
K.O. wouldn't stand for anyone disparaging any of his friends. "Dendy apologized!"
"I don't care!" T.K.O. snarled. "Once done, never forget the crime!"
"You caused a lot of messes, yourself!" K.O. pointed out. "Our house, the Plaza, wrecking Dendy's lab, eating all of Mom's cookies…"
T.K.O. dismissively waved him off. "I don't 'member any of that."
He crossed his arms and glowered at K.O. "So. What daya want to try this time? A new punching bag with your face on it? Another sync-suit techno thing? Maybe we can settle things once and for all right here and winner doesn't get wiped out of existence." Saying this, T.K.O. pounded his fist into an open palm with a smug smirk on his face.
"Well…" K.O. nervously stepped away from T.K.O., realizing that he hadn't really thought that far ahead. "Maybe if we -"
K.O.? K.O.? Are you okay, son?
"Mr. Gar!" K.O. put a hand to his forehead. "Oh man, I totally forgot! We'll talk in a little bit, T.K.O.! Please make yourself at home!"
He closed his eyes and concentrated on a rising sensation and couldn't hear what T.K.O. was irritably saying in response. It could have been something how it was T.K.O.'s home, but he wasn't sure. K.O. felt everything shift and then
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"…okay? K.O., please say something!"
K.O. groggily opened his eyes. "Something…"
He saw Mr. Gar sag with relief and sat up. They were back at the Plaza, and the sun had already set. Enid and Rad were inside of the Bodega, finishing up for the day. Wait a minute, didn't they have school or something? Or maybe K.O. wasn't scheduled to work today and he forgot in all of the excitement.
"You know, I could tell Foxtail that you're not feeling to well and we could lure out this shadowy guy some other way." Mr. Gar looked at him waringly. "You coming down with something?"
"Uh uh!" K.O. fervently shook his head. "Just had to visit my subconscious to pick up my inner darkness and lost track of time."
"O..kaay…"
K.O. looked back at his friends and an idea came to him. "Mr. Gar, could we bring Rad and Enid along with us to the Glorb Tree? I don't think they've ever seen it before and we need all the help we can get to catch Shadowy."
Mr. Gar considered this for a moment before nodding. "Sounds like a plan. EMPLOYEES!"
Rad and Enid rushed out, standing at attention. "YESSIR, MR. GAR, SIR!"
"Someone's broken into the Glorb Sanctuary," Mr. Gar paced back and forth between his three employees. "Foxtail has already enlisted K.O. and myself for this task, but the chances of success will increase twofold if you two don't louse it up. Do I make myself clear?"
"Foxtail?" Rad looked uncertain. "Didn't she try stealing Glorbs during the last season?"
"And depower you and take over the Plaza without a second thought?" Enid added, clearly not pleased with her former principal.
Mr. Gar cleared his throat and let an uncomfortable frown show. "She did. But she saw the error of her ways and is doing everything she can to make things right! And it's up to everyone to give her that chance, the same with P.O.I.N.T."
"Couldn't they be working together for some secret revenge plan?" Enid nervously asked, realizing that her boss was serious about his intentions.
Mr. Gar's shades drooped down in astonishment at what his 'customer's worst enemy' employee was implying. Terrified of her boss's displeasure, Enid tried backtracking. "It's just that, um, we haven't really seen her all season, and no one's really heard from her and you know that silly trope where heroes who used to be bad but are on the mends? And then it turns out that they never changed at all?"
"No need for excuses, Enid." Mr. Gar held up a hand to stop any further protests. "I understand where you're coming from. My history with Foxtail hasn't been the greatest the past few years. But I refuse to see the worst in everyone around me."
"But don't you tell us that we slack off a lot?" Rad bravely - or dumbly - interjected.
Mr. Gar's cheeks burned at the question. "I-I just saw that to you three so you can prove me wrong. And you always do! So, do you two think you have what it takes to put the past behind you for this mission?"
"YESSIR, MR. GAR!" Enid, Rad, and even K.O. saluted their boss in unison.
"VERY WELL!" Mr. Gar boomed. "TO THE GLORB SANCTUARY!"