Family

Chapter 492 Tree Hunt

By: Major144

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This is just a story for fun.

Bubblegum, Marceline, and X made their way through the jungle hunting S.M.T.H.R.S. The candy monarch had a device on her wrist that she was using to track the robot treehouse, by the energy signature on it's power core. The energy signature was about the same as it was in the past and since the area they were hunting in was mainly trees it wasn't too to track S.M.T.H.R.S. and try and put a stop to him. The three hunters had been very quiet for the majority of the track, so Bubblegum decided to try and break the tension by starting a casual conversation.

"So, you and Lance got married a couple of kids, how's that working?" Said Bubblegum looking over at Marceline.

"It's been working pretty good. Me and Lance, were already pretty tight and Simon, Betty, and my dad approved of us, so we decided to get married and eventually Mavis and Marcus were born. Life has been mostly fair." Said Marceline.

"That's nice." Said Bubblegum.

"So I guess it was a lot to take in seeing Neddy all grownup, got married to Eria, and seeing they had a couple of kids." Said Marceline.

"It...was. I basically fainted when I met Nora and Ezra and found out that Neddy and Eria were married. I...messed a whole...lot of my son's life." Said Bubblegum with a bit of sadness in her voice.

"Yeah. I'm really happy for Neddy and my sister. Those two have a happy life together with each other and their kids. I love my little niece and nephew. Neddy, really deserves to be happy after all the trauma he went through." Said Marceline.

"Neddy, Braco, and the Candy Kingdom didn't deserve to be punished for the crimes you committed." Said X speaking up, actually sounding sincere.

"Um...thank you." Said Bubblegum.

"You know I have a really personal question for you." Said X.

"X." Said Marceline.

"No let him, ask his question." Said Bubblegum.

"Alright then, what gives you the right, to decide that the Fire Kingdom shouldn't have the Sleeping Fire Giants?" Said X.

"I...I...thought they might pose a threat to both my kingdom and the rest of Ooo." Said Bubblegum.

"Oh really, that's what you tell yourself? Well I think you really did it because you just didn't like the idea of the Fire Kingdom having it's own advanced weapons that could rival your own." Said X with a glare.

"I never thought that! I...regret what I did and I wish I could take it all back." Said Bubblegum.

"Let me ask you another question. We're you ever truly friends with my past life, Phoebe or were you simply using her and keeping someone you viewed as a enemy close?" Said X.

"Phoebe was my friend!" Said Bubblegum getting a bit defensive.

"Really? Because I got her memories and the day you betrayed Phoebe, she didn't see a friend, she saw a cold calculating control freak, who doesn't trust anybody, but herself to do the right thing. You betrayed your friend's trust, killed tons of innocent people, greatly damaged Fire Kingdom, which lead to it's ruin. If you were really her friend, you would never had done what you did to the Fire Kingdom. You are both a fake friend and a hypocrite." Said X.

"Really got you there." Said Marceline.

"How was... I a hypocrite?" Asked Bubblegum.

"You created a factory that mass produced a army of those Safety Bots, which turned out to be a huge threat you created that fell into the hands of a madman. You had way too many weapons at your disposal. Yeah my people had the Sleeping Fire Giants, but we didn't mass produced them and we kept them hidden beneath the palace, only to be used in times of great danger. The only ones who knew about them back then were the royal family and a few trust nobles. You on the other hand flaunted your machines for all to see and you failed to put any necessary or affective safeguards to prevent them from being taken over by the enemy." Said X.

"You do have a poor track record of your machines falling into the hands of dangerous people." Said Marceline.

Bubblegum thought back to the time she created the Bubble Creator and tried to use it to assassinate Gumbald, only instead to have the deadly device malfunction and almost kill Neddy and Eria and then for the device to fall into the hands of Zim and almost have him use it to destroy the world. Gumbald had ended up stopping Zim and saving the day making himself look like a hero that day. The memory made Bubblegum shudder.

"I...know. I greatly underestimated Gumbald and his capabilities, now he's using my machines for his own evil purposes. And you're...right I was a terrible person and friend to Phoebe. A real friend would have spoken to Phoebe directly voicing their concern or would have not interfered with the business of the Fire Kingdom and trust the Flame King and Phoebe to handle the use of the Sleeping Fire Giants. Once I return to my time, I'll make everything right and I can go to the Fire Kingdom and see about creating some new Sleeping Fire Giants to replace the ones that were destroyed." Said Bubblegum.

"You really expect the Fire Kingdom to just trust you to build them some Sleeping Fire Giants?" Asked Marceline.

"Well..." Said Bubblegum.

"The Flame People will more then likely not trust you and suspect you have tampered with any Sleeping Fire Giant you give them. Like placing bombs inside them or giving them secret orders to go on a rampage and destroy the kingdom." Said X.

"I wouldn't do that!" Protested Bubblegum.

"And no one would have suspected you or ever thought you might critically damage the Fire Kingdom or destroy their sacred objects, but you did." Said Marceline.

"I...see your point." Said Bubblegum.

"The Flame People have good reason not to trust you." Said X

"So what are you going to do?" Asked Marceline.

"I'll...enlist the help and assistance of other bright minds to assist me in the construction of the Sleeping Fire Giants. People who have no loyalty to me and can oversee my work to make sure that I'm trustworthy and I'm not tampering with the machines in any form of way." Said Bubblegum.

"That could work. I would recommend Peridot and Gata for that job, since they were both friends of Phoebe and have no real loyalty to you." Said X.

"You're...helping me?" Asked Bubblegum.

"I'm helping my past life and the Fire Kingdom, not you. I still have my gripes with you and don't fully trust you. We're not friends. We're allies working towards a goal that benefits my people and Ooo." Said X.

"Yeah and I'm just being nice and helpful to you for the sake of Neddy. Like it or not, we're technically family and I want Neddy to have a better future along with Braco and the Candy Kingdom and the best way to do that is to help you return to your time." Said Marceline.

"Thank...you for your honesty. I really appreciate your help and I give you my word I'll fix all this and make it right." Said Bubblegum.

"You better, otherwise once you return to your time and don't fix this mess you made, will figure out some way to go back in time after you and belt you one." Said Marceline.

"Count on that." Said X.

Bubblegum couldn't tell if they were being serious or if they were joking. She just nodded her head and they moved on with the hunt. After a few minutes Bubblegum asked a question.

"So you'll think when I return to my time and start changing things, Neddy and Eria will still end up together?"

"Totally. Those two got along very well and they eventually fell in love when they got older. I remember the two of them playing together when they were just little kids." Said Marceline.

"They'll love each other no matter what changes happen in the world around them." Said X.

That cheered Bubblegum up and comforted her. At that moment what looked like a root tentacle with circuitry on it suddenly shot out of the bushes and grabbed X the legs. X managed to let out a surprise shout before he was dragged through the plants and slammed into a few large rocks and tress along the way.

"S.M.T.H.R.S!" Yelled Bubblegum.

Bubblegum and Marceline quickly took off running after X, until they came across a large clearing, where they saw S.M.T.H.R.S the robotic treehouse. S.M.T.H.R.S had the body of a large tree with a round circular metal dome in the center of the top with a metal door and windows. The tree had several root tentacles at the bottom, two large bark limbs that severed as arms, and a long metal tentacle that had a large metal green eye at the end of it.

X was dragged towards S.M.T.H.R.S, and the Fire Elemental quickly created a fire sword he used to slice through the root tentacle and escape. Marceline helped X to his feet and they faced the robotic tree along with Bubblegum. S.M.T.H.R.S eyed the trio and then he spoke.

"Hello creator, my new master told me that you had returned."

"Hello S.M.T.H.R.S, I take it Gumbald is your new master." Said Bubblegum.

"Correct. I take orders from from Gumbald and another." Said S.M.T.H.R.S.

"Who?" Asked Bubblegum.

The eye pointed downwards and began to project a hologram of a exact duplicate of Bubblegum, who was wearing a red suit of armor with a red and white striped cape. Bubblegum stared at the duplicate in, while X and Marceline glared at it. It took Bubblegum to realize who she was staring at."You're the robotic double I created! You're Double Bubblegum!" Said Bubblegum.

"Correct. Hello my inferior creator. Surprised to see your better?" Said Double Bubblegum.

"What are you doing?" Demanded Bubblegum.

"I'm working for our beloved uncle to help put an end to you and make this future permanent." Said Double Bubblegum.

"I order you to stand down! Code D-174!" Said Bubblegum.

"Sorry, but all the little codes and protocols have been removed. You have no power over me or any of your machines." Said Double Bubblegum with a smirk.

"It was worth a try." Said Bubblegum.

"It's funny, I was once a duplicate created to merely serve as a stand in for encase their was a attempt on your life or to go to a event you didn't want to attend. Now I have been given a true rule of power." Said Double Bubblegum.

"You're just a tool for Gumbald." Said Bubblegum.

"You made me to be a tool. I was a disposable to you, but Gumbald see my value." Said Double Bubblegum.

"You're nothing, but a killer!" Snarled X.

"Oh, I remember you. I enjoyed having your friends killed. I'll be sure to have you and that little girlfriend killed." Said Double Bubblegum with a smirk.

"You really are a creep." Growled Marceline.

"Sticks and stones. Now let's get this over with. S.M.T.H.R.S kill them all!" Said Double Bubblegum before the hologram vanished.

The tentacle with the eye rose up and S.M.T.H.R.S struck out with his root tentacles roots. Bubblegum quickly took flight along with X and Marceline using her boot jets. She fired lasers and X fired blast of fire at the root tentacles setting them on fire, but a couple of hoses popped out of the dome and sprayed water on them dousing the flames, before one of the hoses fired a compressed water blast that slammed into X knocking him to the ground. Marceline flew at S.M.T.H.R.S slicing off a good portion of his right arm, but as soon as she did that root tentacles sprung out of the severed limb and began to attack Marceline forcing her back as she defended herself from the tentacles. A small cannon pocked out of the dome and fired a blast of sap from it that Marceline managed to dodge, but another blast hit X pinning him to a tree.

"X!" Said Bubblegum as she went over to X to try and free him.

"Forget about me, I can breakout of this. You use that big brain of yours and your powers to figure out a way to take that thing down!" Said X.

Bubblegum nodded as she turned her attention to S.M.T.H.R.S and began to fly around him firing her laser as she tried to figure out a way to beat the robotic treehouse. She glanced at X, who was heating his way out of the sap and got an idea. Bubblegum got close to S.M.T.H.R.S and cut a hole in the bark at the center, she then dodged some roots as she began focusing her powers on the sap in the tree drawing it out through the cut she made. Soon sap began to gush out the cut weakening the tree and making it skinny. S.M.T.H.R.S staggered around on it's weakened limbs and Marceline began to hack them off and made the tree fall over onto it's side.

"Timber!" Yelled Marceline as S.M.T.H.R.S hit the ground with a loud thud.

S.M.T.H.R.S tried to attack with the tentacle with the big eye at the end, but Marceline hacked that off with ease. X freed himself from the sap and went over to the down S.M.T.H.R.S, with Bubblegum and Marceline. The three of them looked at the dome.

"Not bad. Got to give you a bit of credit, that was a clever use of your powers. Nice job." Said X.

"Thanks." Said Bubblegum.

"So do we just bust in and shut this guy down?" Asked Marceline.

"Yes. I also might want to see about salvaging any data from S.M.T.H.R.S's servers to see if there's any useful information that could help us against Gumbald and his forces." Said Bubblegum.

X used his powers to cut through the door and the trio entered the dome. The inside of the dome had some advanced looking comfort chairs bolted to the ground with tv screens and a mini fridge nearby. There was one computer near one wall that appeared to be the brain of the machine. Bubblegum went over to the computer and began typing on it.

"I'm shutting you down S.M.T.H.R.S." Said Bubblegum.

Double Bubblegum's face appeared on the screen smirking.

"Congratulations you beat a tree. Be assured, when we meet you won't be so lucky." Said Double Bubblegum before the screen went blank.

Bubblegum opened a panel and pulled out a microchip and placed it in a slot on her gauntlet. Her work was done. The trio left the dome and outside, where they were confronted by the hunters sent from the Breakfast Kingdom, Lizard Kingdom, and Farmer Village. The hunters carried phones that displayed the faces of the rulers, all of whom glared at Bubblegum. Breakfast Princess and her two sisters, Lizard Princess, and Cloud Dancer the head of the Farmer Village.

"Hello Bubblegum we waited a long time to see you and finally get justice for the crimes you committed against our people." Said Breakfast Princess.

"Breakfast Princess. Toast Princess. Strudel Princess. Lizard Princess. Cloud Dance." Said Bubblegum at the sight of the leaders and the clear anger and disdain they had on their faces.

"Hey! Whatever your beef is with Bubblegum, give it a rest. There's no need to fight. Bubblegum is trying to return to her time and fix the future. Just tell us what your issues with Bubblegum is and she'll fix them." Said Marceline.

"Yeah, I mean I have some pretty big issues with Bubblegum, but I'm willing to set them aside to work with her to give my people and Ooo a better future." Said X.

The leaders were silent for a few moments and then Lizard Princess spoke.

"Do you honestly take us for fools? Once we tell Bubblegum what our issues are, she'll only commit the same crime again to other citizens or to citizens of other kingdoms and villages and keep those actions hidden."

"Rotten people like her don't change." Said Cloud Dancer.

"This twisted evil must be purged!" Said Breakfast Princess.

"What did I do?" Asked Bubblegum.

"As if you don't know you sick woman!" Said Lizard Princess.

"Enough talk! Hunters go forth and finish Bubblegum and make her death painful!" Said Breakfast Princess.

"To battle!" Yelled Cloud Dancer.

The screens went dark and the hunters advanced towards Bubblegum, Marceline, and X ready to to fight and kill.

To be continued.