Opening File: Friends on the Other Side
Loa, also spelled lwa are the spirits of Haitian Vodou and Louisiana Voodoo. They are also referred to as "mystères" and "the invisibles" and are intermediaries between Bondye from French Bon Dieu, meaning "good God"—the Supreme Creator, who is distant from the world—and humanity. Unlike saints or angels, however, they are not simply prayed to, they are served. They are each distinct beings with their own personal likes and dislikes, distinct sacred rhythms, songs, dances, ritual symbols, and special modes of service.
Contrary to popular belief, the Loa are not deities in and of themselves; they are intermediaries for, and dependent on, a distant Bondye. In a ritual the Loa are called down by the houngan (priest), mambo (priestess), or the bokor and the caplata (sorcerers and witches) to take part in the service, receive offerings, and grant requests. The Loa arrive in the peristyle (ritual space) by mounting (possessing) a horse (ritualist) in Creole referred as "Chwal"—who is said to be "ridden".
Once the Loa have arrived, fed, been served, and possibly given help or advice, they leave the peristyle. Certain Loa can become obstinate, for example the Guédé are notorious for wanting just one more smoke, or one more drink, but it is the job of the houngan or mambo to keep the spirits in line while ensuring they are adequately provided for.
Close File
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Opening File: Junior Grey People Recruitment Program
Though the Grey Agency has had the skills of the greatest agent for the last hundred years it soon became apparent that one agent was not enough to deal with current threats such as the Satyra, Evil Con Carne, the group better known as the League of Super Criminals, the Grimm and most importantly: the Fallen. In response to this the Grey People started a secret program inspired by the Huntsmen Academies. They would stake out potential candidates, disguised as a club or a job placement program. Once a candidate is selected they are immediately subjected to mind conditioning through a combination of drugs and hypnotherapy, advanced physical training and education.
These young agents would continue their ordinary lives but were ready to be called upon at any time with proper stories prepared for families to ensure no suspicion.
Close File
Xxx
"Ever heard of making a deal with the devil? That can be done in many ways and in every single one of them it involves paying a price. Depending on the deal you make it could be something you never thought you'd have to give up. In the end what could force you to go to such lengths?" TOM lectured, closing the file. "To save a life? To become a hero? Or just old fashioned greed. Just remember when the bell tolls it tolls for thee."
Xxx
One Year Ago
"We have found these potential candidates for the Junior Program."
Epsilon looked over the files, seeing the pictures and information on each candidate. Some were promising and some…less than others. "They do have potential…Except this one right here is rather peculiar."
He held up the picture of a boy with orange hair under a red cap having a rather…large pink colored nose.
"This one can be considered as a template to be a blank slate once the proper procedures have been made and molded into an entirely perfect agent." The aide suggested. "He shows no fear, high amount of resistance to pain as seen in the medical files and is likely to take any order without question. He has sat in his room for about…Three hours now and has not broken down or asked to leave, showing tremendous potential."
"Hm." Epsilon looked back at the file. "Very well. Proceed."
()
"I like pie!"
This was the voice of a rather…special boy sitting in a white room, simply smiling and waiting.
And waiting.
And waiting.
What exactly was he waiting for?
"Pie, pie, pie, pie!" The boy chanted over again and again and again without stop.
Even as the doors opened and in walked two men wearing white lab coats and masks, picking him up and bring him with them into another room with advanced looking equipment and computers.
"Is this the pie room?" The boy asked as he placed on a chair, his hands and feet restrained with clamps keeping his eyes open as a helmet with blinking lights was brought down over his head. "Oooh, is this a video game?"
"Kind of." One of the men answered, as an IV was injected into the boy's arm and he became quite.
The man at the computer pressed a button that activated the helmet, causing visors to slide over the boy's eyes flashed as strange techno music started playing.
"Subject is proceeding through phase one of conditioning."
()
"Memories have been erased completely. We've now begun his re-education." The technician reported Epsilon stared at the subject. "Basic education such as history, math and language. Once that is done we can begin the physical aspect of the training."
"Good." Epsilon nodded, seemingly satisfied.
()
Once the mental conditioning was completed the subject began the physical aspect of his training, meant to ensure his body functions were brought to the very pinnacle of human conditioning and perfection. The class he was in focused heavily on martial arts, mastering many forms while also focusing on training strength, speed, stamina, reflexes, agility, durability and senses.
"He is high above his other classmates. I'd say he'd actually rival Francis." The teacher informed Epsilon, watching as the class ran through an obstacle class.
"His grades are that good?" Epsilon asked before being shown his stats. "Impressive. Will he be ready for mission trials?"
"He should be ready now. His previous…Mental state has actually contributed greatly to his re-education. He processes what he learns and can retain instinctively to the point he can instantly recall like a computer."
The subject in question passed the end of the obstacle course in first place.
()
"You have exceeded all expectations."
The subject stood straight in a professional manner, dressed appropriately in the customary clothing of the program, a black suit and sunglasses with his hair neatly combed.
"Now begins the test." Epsilon holds out a file for the agent to observe. "For several years now, we have tracked a criminal named Fusilli who has taken refuge on a place called Pleasure Island."
"Pleasure Island: the legend of an island where children go to enjoy life without rules." The subject immediately recited.
"Yes but it appears to be real rather than just legend." Epsilon said. "Pleasure Island has been the focus of many disappearances over the recent years, mostly of children that have run away from home. That is where you come in, agent. Your mission is to locate the island, infiltrate it and neutralize Fusilli. If you accept this mission, the agency will disavow any knowledge of your actions should you be caught or killed and if you refuse…you will be fired, by way of having your mind wiped…again…before you are dropped in an obscure third world country." He paused and muttered off hand. "We lose a lot of agents that way."
"Understood."
"Then you may begin your mission: Agent Billy." Epsilon nodded. "But be warned: once you reach Pleasure Island you will face unparalleled dangers and possibly a merciless death."
"And." Billy stood up. "Loving it."
Xxx
Buttercup felt an arm loop around her before she was flung away, pulled just out of reach of the strings as someone positioned themselves between her and Fusilli's strings. As the strands homed in on their new target the figure raised one arm and tapped a watch…which emitted a thin red beam that sliced through the strands.
"Fusilli," Billy declared, putting on a set of shades and then ripping away his entire outfit to reveal a crisp and clean business suit beneath. "Your puppet show is over."
"…you were wearing that in this weather?" Fusilli blinked. "How did the sleeves not show?"
"Trade secret." Billy said, and launched himself onto the stage. "In the name of Grey Agency you have one chance to surrender. Fail to do so and I will be forced to do to you what Cartoon Network did to the original Teen Titans."
"The…what?" Fusilli gaped.
"Classified. Fourth wall." Billy said quickly. "That was your one chance. Consider it up!"
The puppet master shook his head. "I will be in need of a heavy drink after this." He groaned and glared at his puppets. "Dispose of this one. He makes my brain hurt."
The five puppets leapt forward and surrounded Billy from all sides. Big Billy made the first move, launching himself into the air and becoming a puppet of solid rock poised to land feet-first on Billy, who dove to one side and cartwheeled out of the way while delivering a kick to Ace as he charged up an ice beam, causing it to fire off-target and partially encase Snake and Arturo. With two of his opponents immediately off the table for the time being Billy focused on Ace before the ring leader could recover, taking the puppet by the arm and flinging him around. Grubber chose this time to simulate inhaling and unleashed a sonic belch just as Ace flew towards him, flinging the ice-wielder back towards Billy.
The young agent leapt up and latched onto the flying puppet, using him as a makeshift torpedo as Grubber's belch flung them towards Big Billy.
"Omae-wa." Billy declared as he flipped Ace around. "Mo Shinderou!"
Billy tilted his head. "Duh…nani?"
CRASH!
Ace slammed into Big Billy at the speed of a bullet, flinging both puppets off of the stage. In the meantime Billy had kicked off of Ace and ignited a set of concealed Dust-Jets in his shoes, launching him back towards Grubber. As the agent closed in he flipped himself head over heels and brought both of his feet down towards Grubber's face as the puppet prepared a second belch. The jets unleashed a pulse which sent Grubber flying up into the catwalks and rope-works over the stage.
"Don't you know?" Billy landed on his feet and smoothed out his jacket. "It's rude to burp."
Fusilli stared in absolute shock at the scene before him, his expression shared by Buttercup. "H…how?!" The puppet master backed away. "What are you?!"
Billy took off his glasses and fixed him with a stare. "I'm just an innocent. Little. Boy. And you are under arrest."
"No. No!" Fusilli conjured more strings. "You won't take me alive!"
"Funny thing." Billy undid his tie and tossed it aside…despite there being a second tie under the first which matched it perfectly. "I was hoping you'd say that."
The two began to slowly circle one another, one conjuring multiple strands which snaked in closer towards the other who simply popped his knuckles and assumed a defensive stance.
"You really think that you can beat me on my own turf?" Fusilli snarled. "You are in over your head, little boy!"
"Perhaps you're right, but there's one thing you've forgotten." Billy replied.
"And what would that be?"
Billy smirked. "This stage is approximately twenty meters long from front to back-curtain."
"What is that supposed to- whoa!" Fusilli's arms flailed as one of his feet slipped off of the edge.
In the time that it took for him to regain a tentative balance the puppet master left himself open to a flying kick by Billy, who let out a rather…exaggerated war cry. "Haaaaaaaaiiiii-yah!" The force of the blow, combined with an explosive burst from the sole-mounted dust jets launched Fusilli clear off of the stage.
"And the rest." Billy put his sun glasses back on. "Is silence."
From off stage Buttercup called. "Uh…I don't know if the reference really fits. Not a huge theatre-buff though."
"That's okay." Billy nodded and pretended to dust himself off. "Not many are these days."
"You…" Billy turned around, watching as Fusilli climbed back onto the stage with an enraged look on his reptilian face. "BRAT! When I turn you into a puppet I will take pleasure in breaking you into a dozen little pieces!"
Fusilli lunged at Billy, abandoning all form in planning in his enraged state of mind, which was what the agent was hoping for. Billy threw an object onto the floor and covered his eyes as it exploded in a blast of light that blinded everyone watching. Billy elbowed Fusilli in the chest and threw the mad Mobian over his shoulder, slamming down onto the center of the stage. Fusilli growled as he stood up, ready to attack again when the spotlight shined down on him.
Fusilli stared up at the light, his mad look fading to serenity. "No…Please no. I can do it."
From above the stage the theater masks unleashed their strings again that fell towards Fusilli…
And a second later he joined his own collection as a man-sized marionette while the other puppets fell lifelessly onto the stage.
"And so the puppet-master takes the stage." Billy said stoically.
Buttercup had been watching in stunned silence through the entire fight and gasped in horror as Fusilli was turned into a puppet by his own masks like he did with the Gangreen Gang. Billy walked up to the now puppet Fusilli and reached into his cape, pulling out some kind of talisman before placing it onto the floor and smashing it under his foot. Fusilli was then suddenly pulled up into the mouth of the sad mask and in a flash of light he was gone.
A second later the masks shattered, leaving nothing but a dusty cloud that fell upon the stage while the puppet Gangreen Gang reverted back to their normal selves.
"W-What happened?" Buttercup asked.
"He made a pact with the spirits that were converting his victims into puppets. However since he could not feed them anymore because of what he had become they took him into their world as payment." Billy answered. "Looks like a messy end for the Great Fusilli. But that's what happens when you don't eat all your vegetables."
Buttercup just stared. "…What?"
Billy pulled out a table and made a call. "Fusilli has been neutralized. Get a containment team here on the double and collect all evidence. I will also need transportation arranged for the kids to be taken back to their families with their minds of Pleasure Island wiped."
"Understood."
"Hey, I am not getting my mind wiped!" Buttercup snapped as she marched up to Billy who pulled out a strange device. "Hey! I'm talking to you-"
She remembered seeing a flash of red light before blacking out.
Xxx
"Good work, Agent Billy. With Fusilli neutralized and the children extracted we can immediately prepare to sink this island to ensure it is not used as a hideout again." Epsilon produced a folder for Billy to see. "This is your next assignment."
Billy looked over the contents and the name of the placed he was going to: Gravity Falls. "Let's go spread some freedom."
Xxx
"Jimmy is up in GrimmFall?!"
Sarah had long since woken up since her experience inside the stomach of Fenrir but it was something neither she nor anyone else was eager to talk about. Ed seemed back to his normal self but kept a close eye on Sarah as she slept and so far his sister had not inflicted any of her usual abuse on him which was a relief to almost everyone but in the meantime there was more pressing news.
During the whole Fenrir debacle Jimmy had been kidnapped from his home and apparently taken all the way to GrimmFall.
"Why was the squirt taken their?" Eddy asked Nazz who had been the bearer of the news.
The kids with the exception of Sarah who was still under house arrest, Rolf who was absent for some reason and Double D who was in Gravity Falls at the moment had gathered in front of Jimmy's house as Nazz relayed the news.
"He was kidnapped by a very bad guy but someone saved him. I think it was someone from the Justice Friends."
Ed and Johnny's mouths curled into big smiles. "THE JUSTICE FRIENDS?!"
"Here we go." Eddy sighed, rubbing his face with one hand.
The Justice Friends, a group consisting of some of the mightiest heroes on Earth that just so happened to be stationed in GrimmFall were Ed and Johnny's heroes.
"Yeah, Jimmy called Sarah from their Hall and told her everything." Nazz nodded and explained. "He was kidnapped by some Mobian called Katz and was rescued by some…flaming dragon hero."
"Flaming dragon?"
Kevin, the neighborhood bully didn't really have much to offer in this discussion. He had not been around during the Fenrir debacle since he was working on his bike that he planned to ride off one day, leaving Peach Creek forever.
"That's what he said, dude." Nazz shrugged. "Anyways, he's up at their Hall of Justice right now but his parents are making plans to go up and get him."
"They are going to the Hall of Justice?!" Ed and Johnny exclaimed as one again. "Those lucky ducks! Can we come?!"
Eddy rolled his eyes. "Sure, why not?"
"YAY!"
Kevin grumbled. "Dorks."
"Actually, that's the problem." Nazz spoke up, earning everyone's attention. "Jimmy's parents are too afraid that something might happen to them or Jimmy on the way to and back from GrimmFall and Jimmy doesn't exactly want to leave."
"Say what?" Eddy asked.
"He's kind of…got a hero worship thing going on." Nazz sighed. "So his parents have asked Rolf to be the one to go up and get him."
It's not as if it wasn't surprising.
Jimmy's mother was a small, shy and fragile woman, with a behavior similar to Jimmy's. She's never had a job and doesn't have to do any house chores since she was just as frail as her son, leaving her husband to take care of them. Jimmy's father would never dream of leaving his wife's side, fearing something might happen to her like their son so it would make sense to hire someone with the skills and transportation to bring him back.
"Rolf?" Kevin and Eddy questioned, speaking at the same time like Ed and Johnny did. "Why Rolf? And stop copying me!"
"Rolf's the only one around here who has got his own transportation and he's been trained to fight off Grimm." Nazz answered before another argument started.
"Let's go ask Rolf if we can come with!" Ed suggested excitedly and ran towards Rolf's house.
"Right behind ya, Ed!" Johnny laughed as he followed the lovable oaf.
"They do know what Rolf drives, right?" Kevin asked, shaking his head.
Nazz frowned. "Then how about you lone us your bike or even ask your mom to-"
"She's not my mom!" Kevin snapped, his angry response making a shocked Nazz step back. "And I don't care how Fluffy is. You want him? Go get him."
Nazz was scowling now. "And you wonder why we don't hang out anymore. Fine, I'll take Rolf's wagon over you any day."
Kevin shrugged and simply walked off.
"What was that about?" Eddy asked once the jock was gone.
"Family issues." Nazz simply said. "Come on. Let's go see Rolf."
Xxx
High above the planet a large ship emerged from deep space in a flash of light, hovering above the planet.
"We have arrived."
"Excellent. Begin planetary wide-scan."
A moment passed before the scan was fully complete. "We have detected four signatures."
"Four? We only have three with us! White Diamond assured us that only three were active when we left!"
"The fourth must have activated after we left."
"That's just…Great." The commanding person, someone with the voice of what sounded like a child sighed. "Well, at least we'll have four with us to take back to Homeworld. Nephrite, take us to the first three immediately."
"Yes, Aquamarine."
"Pearls, you can prepare the containment units for the targets."
"As you wish."
"Let's hurry and get this over with. Tell the Rubies they better find the leader of Cluster assignment before we're done."
"Roaming Eye is being launched."
A smaller red ship detached itself from the larger ship and headed down to the planet.
"Now let's hurry up. We don't want to keep White Diamond waiting now, do we?"