Finn and Huntress wizard were sitting on a branch together, staring down silently at the ground below them as still as they could possibly be. The duo were making sure they weren't being followed, however, they knew they had stuff to do like prepare the boar they hunted for food, secure the camp as a place of safe living, and starting on finding out a way to get back home. Who knows what is happening in their absence? There were not really many, if any at all, who could fill their shoes if something major goes down, and they did not enjoy the thought of them abandon everyone.
After a hour of two of unmoving boredom, the duo knew they had to move as they had much to do. After they arrive back to the camp, Finn stayed back at the home cutting wood, collecting water, and preparing the pig after being given the basic how-to by Huntress. She herself were casting spells on the house to improve it durability, like fire resistance, before moving back to where they arrived in AAA. The location was easy to recognise due to where Finn had landed and crushed a bush, and begun to search for clues to how they could return home, while also marking it up for future attempts.
She returned to the shelter to see Finn carrying small cut up logs inside the house, and was able to peek at the boar hanging at the back of the room. Following him in she nods to get his attention, causing him to drop the wood in a pile and before walking over to her. "I've looked at the spot where we landed with some magic. While this is completely out of my area, the world seems... hollow there. Like the universe is cracked or dented there, unfortunately I have no idea what I'm doing, and even if I did, I would not have the power to manipulate it in any way." She moves to the centre of the room, where a basic cooking system was set and some boar meat was being cooked. Finn grimaces before looking lost in thought when Huntress gets his attention once more, "Finn, we need... need... that Prince's-"
"Gumball?" He suggests, only just remembering it himself.
"Yeah, we need Gumball's help with finding a way home Finn. With the trouble we've been to him so far I think he will be happy to have us gone." She says forgetting the prince's name due to only hearing it once, but raising a good point to Finn. He grimaced at the thought of having created trouble for the royal, remembering how hard Bubblegum worked and how stressed out she became because of it. Looking to Huntress he nods,
"Yeah I agree, however... well... knowing my younger self I would just charge in and start swinging, solving problems with violence, and Fionna is definitely acting like that so far. We also both know that when a problem comes, I'm sent to deal with it, Princess Bubblegum and the other princesses hardly ever got directly involved. I think we will need to go to him directly, and I don't think we will get the red carpet." Finn explains, summarizing his worries, causing Huntress to nod in understanding. They have to break into Gumball's castle and probably into his lab to find the man, and he definitely won't appreciate that. But they did need to go home.
"You know a secret passage way to his labs?" He nods, grabbing something to eat from the boar as well, "We need to break in and stop him from calling for help, and probably tie him to prevent him using any tricks. The question is how?"
"That's not the only ting to worry about. PB had a serious problem keeping her nose out of other people's business, she was constantly spying on peeps. PG is likely the same, and will have cameras everywhere, maybe even in some candy folk, it wouldn't be the first time." Huntress looks at Finn with surprise at how far Bubblegum was willing to go in her in spying. She had heard about how she made Ice King cool the Fire Kingdom, nearly everyone who wasn't under a rock did and she knew PB lost a few friends and allies that day. PG was likely the same, they won't be able to enter the kingdom without being spotted and loosing the element of surprise...
"Wait... What if we use that to our advantage?" Finn raised an eyebrow in curiosity and edged her into explaining her plan, "If he has cameras everywhere, then what if we just find one and just stand in front of it with a sign?" Finn's mind took a second to process that plan and its absurdity, he blinked a second later, before slowly looking up at her.
"That plan is stupid, basic, and might just work." He grins at her, "Just where we getting the sign?"
"A market stall's sign?" She shrugs before adding, "The destruction of a market stall would surely get his attention as well." Finn nods as the duo properly dig into their food, before they form a plan, prepare gear, and enjoy each others presence as they sort out their current home before they execute their scheme tomorrow.
Gumball awoke early the next day to his cat alarm patting his head, before getting up and moving to his labs to start grabbing technology to make his homemade gear. There was no way he was going out to hunt two people who floored his champions without unbeatable science to back him up, as while he knows Fionna means well and wishes no harm to come to her prince, she never orbited him when it came defending him, always running in to the danger. To be fair she usually draws all the agro away from him, but these two were obviously smarter than that, and if they weren't then they could take Fionna down again before making their moves against him.
He leaves his lab with gadgets and tricks in every pocket and up both sleeves. A smile on his face. He won't let a single threat come to his eternal kingdom, and his days in the lab without rest that many berated (Mostly his faithful helper: Butterscotch Butler) were 'not good for him' and gave him a 'poor reputation' had been worth it if he stops these spies. Exiting his castle he strolls to a squadron of banana guards, and Fionna and Cake front and centre. "Good, you are both here with the guards I asked for. We need to go to the location of your confrontation-" He pauses at their confused faces before sighing, forgetting the limit of two syllables, "... The location of your fight." They all released 'ohs' at the clarification as he decides to continue "We can follow their tracks to their base of operations, maybe even find their leader, and bring them down." He ends with slamming the bottom of his clenched fist in his other hand's open palm, causing Fionna to throw her arm up, clutching her blade.
"Algebraic! Can't wait to get revenge for that knock out." Cake nodded as well, mirroring the same thoughts just against a certain wood nymph. Turning to the main gate the group lead the way out of Gumball's life work, his pride and joy, his kingdom, and toward the forest to the south west against a threat that might threaten it all. Fionna was front and centre with two banana guards diagonally at her sides, Gumball was in the middle, his towering size enabling him to look over Fionna and Cake at the back, her banana guards mirroring Fionna's to create a rhombus shape around the Prince. The walk was silent, mouth shut in favour for eyes open, scanning the calm environment for violent intent.
"We're here." Fionna states, looking at the flattened bush that she fell in. Gumball hummed in thought, hand on his chin, before getting low to the dirty ground while trying to spare his clothes from its touch. He then however notices foot prints and blood drops.
"I thought you didn't land a blow against them?" He says staring at Fionna, which she returned with a puzzled look.
"We didn't... unless I somehow did without realising." She looks at her hand with amazement which Cake also shared,
"You're getting so good with that blade that not even you are realising that you attacked, you're getting swift." Causing Fionna to swipe the air with her blade, pride on her face. Gumball tried to resist an eye roll at their immaturity and failing to not get distracted, at least they are better than his other guards, who were all standing around staring at trees.
"Or what I fear has happened is that we are too late, and they've already taken a life. But who lives around here-"
"Mr. Tree Trunks!" Both girls shout panic on their faces, sadness and anger quickly envelope it however, wanting revenge for failing to protect the elephant. "Gumball... lead they way. For Tree Trunks and his pies!" Fionna shouts raising her blade and running along the tracks, which the banana guards follow with their measly war cries. Gumball just sighs and runs after them before they get in danger or lose the tracks.
As he ran with them, he let science pave his way just like how he did with kingdom, using scanners and tracking devices. The calming sounds of nature was rudely interrupted by loud beeping and metals clinkering together as the large group charged through the forest to intercept their foes.
The group become silent as soon as they see a structure made of trees, woven and knotted together. With Gumball's signal, the group quietly approaches the building's entrance, four banana guard first, Fionna, Cake and Gumball in the middle and the remaining four guards at the rear. Suddenly the building vine door opens, revealing the fan boy who was carrying a pile on bones wrapped up in a bag on his shoulder, which he promptly drops upon seeing the Candy kingdom's bad but loveable guards. He darts inside before a shout bellows out,
"HUNTRESS! WE'VE GOT COMPANY!" He re-emerges a second later with the wood nymph, now known as 'Huntress', close behind him both bearing their weapons but not attacking. The banana guards split up to reveal the three important individuals to the duo, their presence dominating in getting their attention. Finn takes a step forward before addressing the royal,
"Prince Gumball, please let us expla-"
"We are not here to talk! We are here to bring you to justice!" Fionna cuts him off raising her self into a fighting stance. Which she promptly drops when everyone gives her annoyed look at pointlessly elevating the situation. The Prince in conversation turns his gaze back to Finn as his champion retreats with a blush.
"Sorry about that, she has always been swing first, think of any consequence as they are happening" Gumball apologies, earning a 'hey!' from Fionna before she quietly grumbles to herself. Finn however only chuckles before replying,
"ehh no prob, comes with 'young blood' or so I was told by my brother." It was Jake's excuse for him whenever he donked anything up, and had to constantly reminded Bubblegum when they first worked for her. Finn let a silent chuckle in his head as he remembered PB quickly learning why you don't give a kid delicate things, physical or not. No idea if the saying was true but Cake has most probably said the same thing in that case. Sure enough Gumball smiled before becoming serious again and asking a fair question:
"Why were you spying on me? And who do you work for?"
"We didn't mean to spy on you, well we did that ONE time but that was so we know when we could ask you a few questions." Finn replies. Gumball squints at them, 'Then how did they know the secret entrance/exit?' Before he could reply Huntress adds,
"The only person we serve right now is ourselves. And each other." Which caused the duo to give glances to each other before returning it to the company at hand.
"And what questions were you going to ask me?" Which caused them to look at Fionna and Cake before Huntress replies,
"Questions we would like to ask in private." 'Dodging the question? Suspicious... And they want him alone with no guards as well...'
"Sure-" He extends his arm to shake with Finn "- Lets return to my castle, you know my name but I don't know yours?" Finn goes to shake his arm.
"Its Finn-" Suddenly Finn turns blue with a shocked expression on his face, as electricity flows through him upon grasping Gumball's hand. The Prince only watches. There were too many unknowns in the equation, and they had said lies throughout the conversation. They had to be taken back to the Candy Kingdom's prison for interrogation for the truth and the safety of his life work. But surprise was returned to the sender as Finn just stood there with the shocked expression yet was in no pain, nor was he collapsing or jittering as one expects from being electrocuted. As the buzzing stopped and Finn was no longer blue, all who were present were staring at their handshake. Finn looks up, before yanking his arm back with PG following it until a knee to the stomach stopped him. And then all chaos broke loose.
Fionna charged in only for vines to launch out of the ground and entangle her, courtesy of Huntress Wizard as she turns to launch a volley of arrows, causing all the banana guards to yell and run with their tails between their legs. Cake charged forward and landed a enlarged blow against Huntress, causing her to drop Fionna. Flying back she landed on all four, then glares at the feline and growls. Charging forward spearheaded by her arrows she forces Cake to stretch away and into trees. With the lack of room Cake couldn't enlarge her entire form, so she starts swiping with large claws only in attempts to escape the Huntress, who rapidly closes in from behind...
Fionna was about to help her sister when she remembers Gumball, and the man standing above his winded form. She rushes forward, sword positioned to impale Finn, what he side steps and boots her in the back, sending her sprawling onto the floor. She rises quickly however and takes a swing that Finn blocks, locking in a stalemate of strength. Suddenly pathetic war cries come from Finn's right. The banana guards have recovered from their spooking and were now charging spears at the ready. Finn jumps back last second, causing all their weapons to lock up in a mess. With a single swing he destroys all the weapon heads, causing them to look down in confusion and fear,
"Run away!" One shouts before all of them starts scrambling away in random directions with arms above their heads, one running straight into a tree. Finn turns from the spectacle of stupidity as his gaze locks onto Fionna, who had just helped the recovered Prince up. A net suddenly comes buzzing from up the Prince's sleeve that Finn simply cuts in half. Fionna charges forward swinging like a maniac while PG flanks, pulling out two metal objects from his pocket that he unclips and combines into what looks like a gun. It forces Finn to retreat from the duo as they charged forward with killer intent.
"Hey! knock it off! I don't want to hurt you!" Finn shouts, blocking Fionna's blade as a beam grazes his back.
"Why are you still lying!?" Fionna shouts as she raises her blade, but gets tackled by Finn as an attack as well as a doge from another one of Gumball's lasers. The action knocks the blade out of her hand, so in desperation to get Finn off her she grabs his head and pushes. Due to his larger structure he doesn't budge, however, it does undo the straps on his hat, making it snap off in her hands.
His hair falls and envelopes their heads and obscures everyone's vision of his neck, but Fionna still notices the lack of something. With wide eyes she reaches up and rubs his neck, "No gills..." Finn jumps off and grabs his hat in one smooth motion, panic on his face. He hope he hasn't donked up the multiverse and ends up in the Citadel. After a few silent seconds of Fionna staring at him with wide soul-searching eyes, he releases a silent sigh. If the guardians haven't come then what he is doing here is meant to happen. Suddenly a sound of a laser charging up fill his ears, he was in Gumball's sight.
"Gumball wait!" Fionna shouts causing Gumball to halt his attack, yet still keep his gun charged and aimed at Finn. She looks at Finn as she rises before uttering, "You're Human..."
"Yes, now can I please explain myself to you now?" Finn announces, causing Gumball to tap his fingers against his gun in thought before looking up at him.
"Fine, but we will return to my castle first, I've got some tests for you before you answer our questions." Gumball says with the banana guards running behind him who he quickly tells to halt. Finn turns to the forest before yelling,
"Huntress! We've talked it out!" He shouts to the forest, which he just realises has been silent for a while. Huntress saunters out, dragging Cake behind,
"Sorry Fionna, but your sister didn't get her revenge today." Which causes Fionna to grab her sister's unconscious body and hold her in her arms. "Don't worry, she'll only be knocked out for a short while. I think." Which earns her a glare by the young blonde. Huntress uncaring of the look turns to Finn "Where are we going?"
"Back to the castle, Gumball has some questions for us." The banana guards then form a four person sandwich on the duo, with Fionna carrying an unconscious Cake alongside Gumball at the front. It took only a glance at Fionna to tell she was just barely holding back on asking a barrage of questions at Finn, and this walk was only giving her time to think of more. Finn sighs, he was going to have fun avoiding many of those questions. He learnt about his origins like his father and founder's island when he was a few years older, she was not ready for all the answers and he might just have to be upfront about it.
A while later Finn and Huntress just looked at each other, having a unspoken staring conquest, bored out of their minds as they sit in their cell. Huntress was resting her cheek on her palm, Finn meanwhile shifts uncomfortably, trying to ignore his gender bent counterpart on the other side of the bars who was still staring at him. And by bars, he meant two bars, just like the ones that had held Ice King back when he was younger and had to make him cry to undo the King's accidental mistake. Gumball quietly strolls in through the trap door, notepad in hand,
"You two will come and answer my questions now." He orders, leaving no room for debate. Rising, they walk around the bars as they follow the Prince, Fionna rises silently as well a second later, still staring at Finn. They soon enter a enclosed room, void of anything but a metal table and three chairs. A small black box was resting on top of the table as the Prince sits on one side of the table with Fionna standing by his side.
He removes the box to reveal it was covering a recording device and a strange white crystal, which he picks up and looks at the duo, "This crystal is apparently 'magic', we just haven't figured out how it works scientifically yet, and will glow continuously until you lie. For example: I'm a girl." Sure enough, the crystal in his hand goes dark, "I'm a boy." It glows faintly, like a night light in the dark. He then places it in front of duo before grabbing his notepad and pen before starting the recording device. "First question: why were you spying on us?" It took a second but Finn reaches for the crystal before holding it in his hand, making it glow.
"So when you finished talking we could ask you some questions." And the crystal still glows, yet doesn't produce any heat, remaining weirdly cool to the touch. He places the crystal down again, as Gumball merely nods.
"Next question: What questions did you want to ask?" Huntress reaches for it next, lifting it up while staring at Gumball.
"What was going on and if we could have a health check up, however our questions have changed." It glows once more before she put down again.
"Right... and who do you work for?" Huntress answers,
"Myself and the forest." It glows before she hands it over to Finn,
"Anyone who is in need of help, but mainly Princess Bubblegum." It glows once more. Gumball hums in thought and interest.
"Princess Bubblegum? I don't know any kingdom with a ruler called that... Next question where are you from?" Finn reaches for it but Huntress is faster, grabbing and answering the question,
"Another dimension, likely from a alternative time line." It glows, causing Gumball's eyebrows to rise in surprise. Alternative timeline?
"Alternative timeline? You mean you are a different version of us created from a alternative choice in past?" Finn just nods, which only causes Gumball to point at the crystal. With a eye roll he picks it up,
"Yes." It glows. "And that's what we wanted to ask you about. We went... unknowingly, so we wanted a health check up because we didn't feel to well after arriving. We then noticed the... differences between our timelines, and went to you- well aiming for Princess Bubblegum who was a female version of you, for help... only for us realize that you weren't her and had to book it before something I feared happen." Despite the large dump of information, the crystal still glows.
"And what is you feared?" He asks curiously, causing Finn to sigh,
"Doing a cosmic crime. If you do, guards from a place called the Citadel will bring you back to hold you there in a eternal prison." He did not want to be like his Dad. Won't even chance it. "I feared messing with the dimensions or timeline, I not sure what is a cosmic crime and what is not. Didn't want to risk it." Gumball nods in understanding, that fate did not sound pleasant and would be wise to try and avoid it, and if you don't know what will trigger it then you best stay as far away as possible. Finn did not mean to startle him, just being cautious to the extreme to avoid doing a 'cosmic crime'.
"Say... if you're from a different timeline... then who are you in this world?" Gumball asks Finn, what just makes Huntress Wizard narrow her eyes,
"He serves a Princess called Bubblegum and is a human. I would of thought someone of your intelligence would of made the link by now."
"I did. Like you said, the connection was obvious. Just wanted to make sure that Fionna is Finn's counterpart, because Finn seems to be older than Fionna, which means although your from a alternative timeline, you're still from the future... Anything I should prepare for?"
"Wouldn't that just donk up the timeline, making everything worse?" Finn replies, which causes Gumball to grit his teeth. Those that try to change the future usually cause it. He nods slowly, before stopping the recording device. "We done here?" Finn ask what just earns another nod from the Prince. Suddenly the door bursts open and cake rushes inside, a bandage on her head.
"Wait! If you are from the future you can't just not tell us! Come on! Spill the gossip!" Cake says grabbing Finn. Cake's interrogation causes Fionna to remove her dam on her questions. She too goes in front of Finn spilling questions on the startled Finn, which he stops with a hand motion.
"I just said I can't tell you!"
"I know. But come on! Tell me, will I find love? What about Fionna? Will she find love?" Cake asks before eyeing Huntress Wizard. "Will it be a male version of her? Glob I hope not!" Cake says, still salty about being knocked out twice causing her to hiss at Huntress, which earns her a growl in return, before she answers her question,
"We are not dating..." She was going to continue her rant about why she was not hunting love when a thought strikes her. They had no reputation of her, no person to look tough to, no forest for her to watch over if her male counterpart is doing it. Finn right now no longer serving anyone, and his counterpart was handling hero work that if the timeline was to flow as correctly as possible meant he can't really do for her. She can't 'cease to exist' as right now as she has now no reputation, she didn't exist right now. A relationship with Finn and her future were up to her to decide right here, right now. Finn snaps her from her thoughts as he continues for her.
"Even if were dating, we're from a different timeline, you could end up with someone else." Huntress just blankly nods. Would Finn still be interested in a relationship? She would have to discuss it with him sometime. Not now though. She still had to make up her mind herself. The group of noise, mostly consisting of Fionna and Cake, rises as they Finn for answers, with him constantly denying them. Prince Gumball only smiles as he leaves them to enter his labs, and Fionna and Cake were eventually frightened into going home by Huntress, leaving her alone with Finn for the remaining pleasant journey home through the forest, walking to make it last and to give her time to make her decision.
Princess Bubblegum was frantically running around the battlefield, scanning equipment in hand. Marceline was flying around, using her strength to flip debris, uncaring in where it lands. The area was blackened as if scorched by a great heat, and a humongous crater now exists where the portal use to be. Bubblegum was stopping her scanning every few seconds to answer the call of a panicking royal, all of who now knew of the accident and Finn being missing.
All were worried about their hero and dear friend, many in all kingdoms were doing a search for Finn, using scanners and magic, may they be a royal or scientist or civilian. Bubblegum starts scanning the crater some more, getting a negative beep from her device before looking up to the sky. "Oh Finn, please be safe..."