Accessing Global Security Satellite System
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Accessing Grimm Horde Approaching Nowhere Kansas
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Accessing Sectors:
13 – Darklands
8 – Wilds
4 – Nowhere
12 – Monkey Mountain
11 – Foothills
10 – Upper Catacombs
9 – Forgotten Falls
7 – Lower Catacombs
6 – Really Twisted Forest
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Estimated Time to Arrival in Nowhere: 4 days, 23 hours, 15 minutes, 28 seconds.
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Evacuation Protocol For Sectors 6-8 In Effect
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Logging Off Global Security
Xxx
Scrooge chuckled as he smiled at his old comrade, "Ah it's good to see age hasn't made you any less of the wild spitfire that helped keep Sebben in line and made even the Grimm themselves tremble in their dens.
Lydia snorted as she jab Scrooge with her cane, "And don't you forget it feathers."
"Aye still the the same ol Lydia." Scrooge said with a roll of his eyes which Lydia rebutted too.
"And you're the same old thrill seeker penny pincher." She arched a brow, "Though honestly I was surprised while back on the news to hear that certain adventurer was making a comeback with his family in tow." She continued with intense stare. "Especially since last I heard through the grape vine a certain prideful miser not only retired from that life but cut practically everyone family included out of your life over a decade ago."
Scrooge's eyes dimmed as he sighed morosely while staring down at the ground, "Aye...aye that I did. After...after what happen to Della I just pushed everyone away." He gave a bitter chuckle, "After all they'd probably be safer without this old greedy fool."
Of course as soon as he said that he had, by instinct to block Lydia' cane from the attempted knock on his noggin he regained a small smile as chuckled, "Yep still the same Lydia."
Lydia simply grunted, "Good to see you haven't lost your skills while you've been moping around for the past decade blaming yourself for that hard headed nieces of yours mistakes and bad choices."
Scrooge gave a start as he gave a small glare, "Now listen here Lydia-"
Only to be cut off by Lydia not having it, "No you listen, I might have retired by the time that little rocket ship happen but I still kept myself in the loop. So I know enough details to know." She stared him deep in the eye, "That what happened wasn't your fault. She's the one that choose to go in that rocket and take it for a joy ride behind your and her brother's backs."
She gave a scoff as she looked as she looked at him with sympathy, "And if certain things I've heard are true, it wasn't the first time she went behind your back."
Her next words cut Scrooge deep as he looked away from her with hint of shame on his face. "Because from what I heard before her she tried to play astronaut she was making some new friends you wouldn't approve of."
They were both silent following Lydia words for what seemed like an eternity before Scrooge shook his head and looked back at his old friend. "I'm afraid we'll have to agree to disagree, Lydia when it comes to my past mistakes."
Lydia simply shook her head and grumbled under her breath about stubborn old ducks, which he gave a weak chuckle to.
He regaining a serious as he looked at her, "But my past mistakes or my problems, aren't the reasons why I'm here." He then gave a little cough into his fist, "Not the main reason anyway, Stanley isn't going to weasel out of giving my dues." He said with a shake of his cane before he looked at Lydia with a look of concern, "Sebben shared your report and told me what's been going on in this town. So I have to ask are you alright?
Lydia gripped her cane hard as she replied with heat though not directed at Scrooge, "What do you think? I let my guard down and look what happens! My grandson gets conned by a demon triangle of all things, send to some pillow dimension, and has a freakin kid out of wedlock!
Lydia sighed and showed a rare vulnerable side to herself that of fear and worry for the future, "I'm worried Scrooge…my knucklehead of grandson he's changed."
Scrooge reached out and placed his hand on Lydia's shoulder, "Well you have to remember he did apparently spend an entire lifetime in another dimension."
Lydia shook her head as she again gripped her cane and her frustration lead to her snapping back at her friend, "It's not that!" She let out a sad weary sigh, "It's more than that, while he still acts like the same old knuckle head. There's…a darkness...an edge… to him that wasn't there before.
She than looked over her shoulder at Scrooge, "You know that Triangle goon we've got in custody"
Scrooge nodded his head with faint scowl, "Aye and I've already made sure to arrange transport for him, he can join the rest of his friends in the cells at the Hall of Heroes, till Sebben can decide what to do with those idiotic triangle worshipers."
He arched his feathered brow at her curiously, "But what about him?" Lydia sighed as she explained what happen when she and her grandson went to apprehend him."
(Flashback)
Bud trembled in terror. "Wait please you don't want to do this, it won't bring her back, and I can he-"
BANG!
Hoagie pulled the trigger but Lydia batted the gun away before he could shoot, sparing Bud's life. "Hey!"
"We're doing this by the book, Hoagie. He might know something." Lydia scolded.
(End Flashback)
Scrooge now carried a look of worry as he softly replied back, "I see." Before he moved to assure his friend, "But you shouldn't think too harshly of the lad, after all considering what he's going through he's probably not thinking straight.
"And we both know this business isn't without its bloodshed or darker side." Lydia retorted back, "But neither of us ever killed a patsy who was already beaten in down in cold blood, did we?
Scrooge sighed heavily, "Aye..no..no we didn't."
Lydia gave a strong sigh stared off to the horizon at something seemingly not there, "It's looking like he's started to take after his father's side of the family.
Xxx
".. Genki Sanban." Tiburon said as he lowered his fists along with Baron.
"Wha-? Genki? That super moody girl from back in the day?" Baron asked as Genki glared at him.
"Nice to see you as well, Samedi." Genki rolled her eyes. "Still a degenerate, I see."
"Wait, why are you here?" Samedi asked.
"The same reason you are all here, I assume." Genki responded.
"Sebben sent for you and SAM-R-I?" Tiburon asked.
"Let's just say we have a vested interest in what Van Kleiss has been doing here." Genki answered, glancing at Tiburon. "Good to see you again as well, Tiburon. It's been some time."
"A lot has changed since then... How's those little girls?" Tiburon asked.
Spider-Man landed next to Samedi. "They know each other?"
"They used to date and the guy in the blue samurai armor is her husband." Samedi said simply before walked up to the two. "Look, me and Tiburon were just heading there to free those people. And this fortress is crawling with his forces, and it doesn't matter how tough any of us are, they will overwhelm us and kill us."
"You suggest we team up?" SAM-R-I asked.
"Look, we're on very similar missions here anyway. Might as well work together." Baron said. "We have a map, and we can help you find the kids before this place blows to kingdom come."
"What? What are you talking about?" Genki asked.
"The bigger group we came here with? Yeah, we broke up, and now they're going to the top of the tower to blow up that Ion power core." Samedi explained. "And WE have the only map."
Genki rolled her eyes. "You haven't changed a bit. Very well, we'll work together."
With that, the group continued to walk down the dark hallway before Genki, SAM-R-I, Spider-Man and Tiburon immediately stopped as they held their hands out to stop Baron from walking as they looked around the dark ceiling.
Baron let out a sigh as he spoke. "Alright, you guys are the super sense ninja Hunters, what is it this time?"
"So, you guys finally made it." A voice spoke from at the end of the hallway as a dark armored figure stepped out.
"Wait, I know that armor." Samedi recalled with a surprised face. "Mars?"
Mars Polemarchos arrived out wearing the same set of 'Earth Scorcher' armor he wore during his first attack on the city of GrimmFall.
"Mars too?" Tiburon asked. "I'd think Sebben would have mentioned that was he sending you of all people."
"That's because he didn't, I actually tried to take down Van Kleiss's Fortress by trying to lay down some explosives around the tower, but... I was caught." Mars said before gesturing to Genki and SAM-R-I. "These two helped me out."
"Classic crazed loner vigilante..." Said Baron as Mars shot a glare at him through his masked helmet.
"Except he wasn't acting alone." Genki replied. "Feral sent him to infiltrate the fortress and take it out."
"That wouldn't be the same Feral who likely ordered that military strike, would it?" Tiburon snarled.
"It was." Mars answered. "I wasn't happy about that either. I sent word to him that I had planted the explosives and he immediately ordered that attack with the blessings of the Council."
"Glob damn it." Samedi sighed. "And let me guess, Van Kleiss intercepted your transmission and disarmed those bombs."
"Yeah…" Mars grunted. "I had to go along with what Feral said because…If I hadn't answered him, he would have set off the bomb he put inside me."
"A bomb?" Spider-Man spoke up.
Mars took off his helmet and turned around, brushing his hair away to reveal a small scar. "They implanted a micro sized bomb inside me. If I tried to run or refuse communication they would have detonated it."
"Glob damn it to the Nightosphere." Samedi grunted. "That's beyond illegal. What the hell is the council playing at?"
"They're scared out of their minds between Van Kleiss and the Grimm army approaching and they don't believe they can trust Sebben and the others to handle these kinds of problems anymore." Mars placed his helmet back on. "Luckily SAM-R-I gave me enough of a shock to disable the bomb. Now all I have left to do is find a way to blow up this place."
"Funny thing is, we were actually about to do the same thing. Well, we're actually gonna rescue some people who are being experimented on by Van Kleiss, but a few members from out group is gonna blow this place sky high." Baron stated. "You might be better off having us to help you."
"... Fine, but only because it seems you know the way. And when we're done here, I'll come back and butcher Van Kleiss and his lackeys for their crimes!" Mars growled clenching his fist.
"You'll have to get by us first."
The group spun and spotted a dark shadowy figure slowly approaching them, followed by several gang members who were all carrying advanced looking guns. As it came closer, the darkness around it faded, revealing a monstrosity so horrific everyone froze in complete shock.
"Oh man and I though Venom was ugly." Spider Man remarked, trying to keep his stomach contents from shooting up.
"Thank you, I was still feeling a little self-conscious about myself but I think your reactions have killed off the last of that in me." The creature spoke in an eerie, creepy voice.
It had a misshapen skull, with sparse teeth for a head, only one eye, dark blue skin, and exposed bones on certain parts of their bodies, black claws, and a big gaping hole in their chest with black and white striped tentacles hanging out.
"Still, I think some introductions are in order." The creature made a dramatic bow. "I am Shade, Master of Darkness and Shadows and as you are all about to find out."
The creature made a gesture of spreading its arms out and darkness seemed to envelop the entire hallway with the group in.
"Here is where hope fades!" Shade proclaimed.
SAM-R-I grabbed the handle of his sword. "I don't think so."
He unsheathed part of his sword and released a great light that burned away the darkness and caused Shade to scream in agony as he covered his eyes. "Cursed light! I can't stand it anymore!"
"I will handle this one." SAM-R-I said to Genki. "Go with the others."
With that he shot forward and slammed into Shade, the two of them flying down the hall and the group could hear them crashing through several walls.
"Good luck." Genki whispered to the armored hero that was her husband.
"FIRE! OPEN UP!" One of the troopers yelled gesturing his hand as the squad started to open fire.
But Genki, Mars and Li jumped on one side of the hall ducking for cover behind a structure while Baron, Tiburon, and Albert did the same thing on the other side of the hall.
As the Troopers continued firing at them, Li yelled out. "Does anyone have any enlightening plans?"
"The second they stop firing we-" But Mars was cut off by Genki.
"For the love of- HERE!" Genki yelled as she grabbed Mars' arm and used the plasma blaster on it to blast through an air duct that was next to Baron, Tiburon, and Albert.
Before they could react, Genki hopped across and dodged the incoming fire in the middle of the hall as she made it to the opposite wall as she crouched down and started to get into the open vent.
"If you want to live! Move it!" Genki yelled as she made her way into the air ducts as the guys stared for a quick moment, before snapping out of it.
"You heard the lady! MOVE IT!" Mars yelled as he and Li made it to the opposite wall as they both made their way through the open air duct.
"Wait, SHE was the girl you liked back in the Emperor festival? Genki Sanban? Wow, I can see why you liked her now." Forneus commented.
"Shut up and get into the vent!" Tiburon yelled as Forneus crawled through the vent himself as Samedi was using his cane's gun mode to create some cover from the gunfire.
"Tiburon! What are you doing! Get in the vent!" Baron yelled.
"Are you kidding me? That vent is probably full of diseases and bacteria! I'm not going in there!" Tiburon yelled.
Baron sighed and rolled his eyes as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a piece of jerky.
"Hey boy! I got some seal jerky! You want the seal jerky? You want the seal jerky?" Baron asked waving the seal jerky in front of Tiburon like a dog with a treat.
"Oh, come the hell on!" Tiburon yelled as Baron was still waving the jerky in front of his friends face.
"You want the seal jerky boy?! Go get it! Go get it! Go get the jerky boy!" Baron tempted as he dangled the jerky in front of the open vent.
"I'm not a dog you ass! You really think you're going to trick my by tempting me with-"
"Go get it boy!" Baron yelled as he tossed the jerky down the open vent as without even finishing his sentence, Tiburon jumped in the vent after the jerky.
Baron smirked as he shot at the firing squad a few more times before jumping into the vent himself. As Baron slid down the vent he eventually landed on a pile of scrap metal and garbage. As he got up and looked around he could see that he and everyone else fell into a trash compactor with a locked metal door obscuring the way to freedom.
"Wow! A garbage shoot is a really AWESOME idea! I mean, why didn't I think of that? I mean, WOW! What an incredible sent you've discovered! And since my senses are heightened it several dozen times worse for me." Tiburon said sarcastically to Genki as said woman glared at him and Baron sighed.
"... Okay, if were done playing the blame game." Baron said picking his hat back up and putting it back on. "We should find a way out of here."
"Okay, I'll just blast the door open." Mars said as he aimed his blaster cannon on the underside of his wrist at the metal door. "Stand back!"
"... Wait! Don't-!" But Albert was too late.
PEW!
But that's when the blast shot ricochet off the door and bounced around on the walls as the six Hunters crouched down trying to avoid the blast, as it finally lost power and burnt out.
"It's a confined area with magnetically sealed walls!" Albert yelled.
"Will you stop that before we're all killed!?" Genki yelled at Mars.
"Oh... Of course your worship! Look! I already had everything under control until you-"
"Can both of you please stop!" Li yelled as they both quieted down. "It will not take them long to figure out what happened to us."
"Well... Let's look on the bright side. It could be worse." Baron said as they all heard a low growling noise come from the dirty water they were all standing in.
"It's worse..." Tiburon simply said.
"There's something alive in here..." Genki said, looking down at the dirty water with narrowed eyes.
"It's just your imagination." Mars replied.
"Wait! Did you see that!?" Tiburon yelled as he pointed in the murky water where a tentacle moved.
"What? I don't see anything!" Mars yelled.
"Well... While all of you try to figure this out, I will try to hack the control panel besides the door to try and get out of here." Forneus said as he walked over to said control panel as he pulled out a wire from his Tablet and connected it into the control panel as he started to go to work.
All the while, the rest of the group was frozen as they tried to look through the dirty water for the creature.
"Something just moved past my leg!" Baron yelled.
"You're overreacting; I'm sure its nothing." Just as Mars finished that sentence, a tentacle out of the water grabbed Baron by the ankle and dragged him under the water.
"Baron!" Li and Tiburon yelled as they both jumped in to help him.
Li and Tiburon both struggled with the tentacle that was trying to drag Baron under, but it was stronger than either of them expected as it started drowning Samedi.
But, that's when Genki sped over to them with her sword out as she yelled. "Stand back!"
As Li and Tiburon hopped out of the way as Genki brought her sword down, slicing the tentacle in two as the creature growled in pain and crawled back into the murky depths. Li and Tiburon then helped Baron back up as he was gagging for air, as his friends helped him back on his feet he get out a few deep breaths before turning to Genki.
"Thanks." Samedi said simply.
"Don't mention it." Genki said placing the sword back in its holster.
"Don't worry everybody; all I have to do is activate the opening mechanisms for the door here and..." Albert said as he pressed on his Tablet and large mechanisms could be heard from the walls as everyone looked at the walls with cautious expressions.
"Umm... Is that supposed to happen?" Baron asked as the room started to slowly appear smaller and smaller.
"Is it me, or does the room seem to be getting smaller?" Tiburon asked as Li got a look of realization on his face.
"The walls are closing!" Li yelled as he ran to the walls and tried to push against its force.
"WHAT!?" Everybody yelled before Mars joined Li at the same wall, trying to help him push it back as Genki, Tiburon, and Baron tried to push the other wall back.
"Opps... I think I might have accidentally activated the trash compactor." Albert said as he tried to fix the mistake he made on his Tablet.
"Ya think!? Fix it!" Baron yelled.
"Trying!" Albert replied as the walls started to move in closer and closer to one another.
The Hunters did their very best to reverse to at least stop the movement of the walls but to no use. Mars grabbed a large pipe from the pile of trash they were standing on as he tried to use it to stop the trash compactor, only for the pipe to be bent out of shape as well. As the walls grew in more and more, the walls were only a few more feet apart.
"Any time, Albert!" Li yelled.
"Almost there!" Albert yelled back as he was still tapping away at his Scroll.
But as the walls were only a few feet apart as the Hunters were about to be crushed...
"Eureka!" Albert yelled as the doors finally stopped, and then reversed as Li, Baron, and Albert cheered while Tiburon, Genki, and Mars still remained stoic.
"Thank heavens, we're saved." Li sighed in relief.
"Alright now, can you manage to open the door now and not do something drastically wrong again like release the alligators?" Baron asked before the door slid open.
"Good, now we can get out of here." Genki said as Albert looks back in the trash pile as he picked up a pizza box with half a pizza still in it.
"Look at this! Who just throws out half a pizza?" Albert asked.
"And look at this couch! Somebody threw out a WHOLE couch, and it's in great shape!" Baron said as he and Tiburon stood in front of a dirty looking couch sitting in front of them.
"Yeah, put a little Febreze on it, scrub it out a little and it'll look great in your apartment." Tiburon said.
"You know what... I know we have a dangerous mission and everything but... I'm taking this, I'm taking this couch." Samedi said as he managed to get it half way out the door as Tiburon was on the other side. "Okay, you ready?"
"Yeah."
"You ready?"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Okay? Lift it!" Samedi said and both men lifted the couch as they tried to get it through the door but had difficulties. "Wait! Wait! Wait- Okay, easy! Easy, easy-"
"Alright!" Tiburon replied.
"No, no, no, no! Stop, stop, stop!"
"Turn it like this?"
"No, no, no! The other way!"
"Okay! I'm trying!"
"No! Not your left, MY left!"
"Okay!"
"No, no, no, you're doing it wrong!"
"What do you want me to do?!" Tiburon yelled looking over the couch as he looked at Baron holding the other end of the couch.
"Okay! You see me-?"
"Yeah-"
"You see how I'm twisting it like this?"
"Yeah-"
"Okay, twist it like this, but... From your angle!" Yelled Baron.
"Okay."
"Okay, try to move it again in three, two, one!" Yelled Baron as the two tried to move it through the door, but just couldn't fit through.
"Okay just- No, no, no, no, no! Okay, you know what? Just put it down! Put it down!"
"Alright, alright.""Put it down..."
"Alright..." Tiburon said as both men put the couch back down as Samedi started rubbing the back of his head thinking.
"Okay... We need to find another way here..." Samedi said.
"For the love of GLOB! There are guards all over the place! We don't have time for this idiocy!" Genki yelled, rubbing her head as she thought to herself. 'These two haven't changed a bit.'
"Okay, you know what? Alright, alright, I think I have an idea here. We're gonna take the cushions off, unscrew the legs, take the mattress out, and this entire thing is going to be a lot more simpler. It's easier then we're making it." Baron said, having barely heard Genki.