Hey, Author here, just dropping an author's note here to ask a few things and announce some others too.
If you've notice so far in every chapter I've posted, I've forgotten that fanfic dot net doesn't allow the greater and a less than symbols to break my scene transitions up, which I should have updated with line breaks as I post chapters within chapters….so yeah, hope ya'll weren't turned away by that mistake…and I'm not about to correct my mistake cause that's a lot of chapters to go through all over again.
Two, I'm reaching the final stretch of bunched up chapters, as you are no doubt aware, I've been posting chapters by increments of 5 chapters within one chapter, and they've been increasing in word count as I go along. I have a total of 150 chapters finished over in Space Battles, and I have been moving them over here for you all to enjoy. That means I got about 7 chapters left of bunched up chapters.
Finally, I gotta ask, how are all ya'll enjoying this story? Some feedback is appreciated.
Chapter 101, The Broccoli Arc part 2, The Potato farm
Elsewhere...
The Point...
Wayne was plenty sure that the Dudes of Hazmat will be working overtime after he saw the amount of broccoli outbreak.
The Rebellion operatives at the Point were shocked when they were ordered not to return to base at first and later, were angered when they saw most of their base and facilities having an overgrowth of broccoli. He knows how much damage will the broccoli overgrowth do to their finances but he couldn't care less about the finances. Right now, the fact that there's a dangerous amount of radioactive broccoli all over the world worries Wayne even more. It doesn't help that the radius of the disaster zones were getting bigger by minutes.
"This was a setup." Samir silently muttered as he sipped his soda and sat on the other side of the table he was sitting on.
"I know. The reactors we had were made to make sure these kinds of situations will not happen." Wayne responded with a grumble as he watched the growth of the broccoli from the CAVE, "Our failsafes would have automatically cheesed the broccoli to keep it from becoming incredibly radioactive. I swear this has alien machinations written all over it."
"Considering that we are currently at a secret war with alien man-children, I believe that this is the best explanation for it. After all, many of our Cartel executives were also the ones that inspected each and every one of those reactors to ensure that they are 100% safe for use." Samir added as Wayne remembered hiring the Cartel in inspecting the reactors as well and act as the second opinion whenever they finish constructing a new base, "The Salesfather mentioned to us that the GKND have their own weaponized broccoli weapons as well."
"Probably more advanced than what we have..." Wayne pondered as he started fiddling on his CAVE device, "I wonder... desperate times..."
Wayne thought about his options right now. The T-Supership is out for the time being due to ship suffering the same issues as well and the Project Space Whale are combatting the broccoli outbreak. The depots were also down so they have no access to anything outside of what they have in hand. Bases outside of their were also suffering the same issue. Foreign cells were hit just as hard and were currently getting busy with fighting the radiation themselves. The Rebellion may suffer a massive logistics and resource collapse if the situation worsen. The broccolium sabotage needs to be resolved as quickly as possible but he doesn't know where to start.
However, Wayne remembered that there's still one place left that the Rebellion could use. It was one of the old projects that William had in the early days when they were starting out and the place was officially shut down due to finding a better alternative power source. Unofficially, Wayne is still funding the place from his own pockets and made sure that only a handful of people within the Rebellion knows of the place.
"So, what do you intend to do now, Wayne?" Samir asked as he watched the situation unfolds with interest.
"For starters, I'm planning on breaking out one of our museum pieces." Wayne smiled as his CAVE has the map where the location of the old project was.
On the map, it was marked with the word "POTATO" on it and at the bird's eye view, it was seen as a massive potato farm that the Teen's Rebellion owned. They once tried to use potatoes as a power source in the past and even had Professor XXXL's assistance in making the
"A potato farm... what are you... wait... potato was an old power source before you... I see..." Samir understood the plan that Wayne has in mind.
"All Rebel operatives, we need to move out. I'll send the coordinates of the place where we are going." the Logistics Commander spoke as he pressed his screen for all the Rebels within the Point sees.
"A potato farm sir?" one of the Rebel Logistics officer asked as he looked at his phone in a confused manner, "I don't get it..."
"Trust me on this, guys. We'll need what's inside that potato farm if we're going to keep the Broccolium from going critical. Now get inside your cars, trucks, vans or whatever." Wayne stood up from his seat and did some light stretches, "Our guys in the city will need weapons and we need to start making them at the potato farm."
Beneath The Potato Farm...
Outside of the City Limits...
During the Broccolium Outbreak…
It had been three years since the Potato Farm, a nickname for the experimental base powered by potatoes had any activities until today.
The team who were once working on the research of potato power had switched to broccolium once they realized how powerful and efficient it was compared to shoveling potatoes to the reactor to power the whole setup. It didn't help that the fact that broccolium was also cheaper and less labor intensive compared to potatoes. Still, Wayne was put in charge in keeping the facility up and running as William believed in having some alternatives in case of emergencies such as bases failing due to some reasons.
Wayne was glad that he poured some of his own money to keep the place up and running. At least they have something to start out with during this crisis.
Teens are currently at work as they started to stuff the potatoes grown up above into the central reactor core to power up the facility. The teen farmers up above had been maintaining the farm for a while and had been growing the potatoes made by Professor XXXL's research in the hopes of creating an alternative to broccolium. While the reactors were being loaded with power potatoes, the manufacturing bays had been warmed up and were now producing weapons, munitions, armor and tools that will be needed by their people who are currently cut off from the usual supply line.
However, they only had one facility that runs on potatoes. The sooner they are able to retake and detoxify the base and the depots, the better. They cannot use potatoes forever to keep things powered. It can only run for weeks while Broccolium can run for half a year.
"Cree, this Wayne. We're sending in supplies for you guys to proceed with the Broccolium cleanup. We're using the Potato Farm right now." Wayne spoke to the Vice-Commander of the Rebellion through the CAVE device, "I know. I have to report to you guys about activating the place once more, I get it. I'll foot the bill in getting this place up and running. I just don't want the radiation to start spreading across the world and we need access to our high end stuff to clean up the spillage."
Wayne talked to Cree as he watched the T-Shuttle leave the hangar with the Broccolium cleanup kits loaded in its cargo. He heard that William is currently missing in action and he hoped that the Commander is all right. He was the leader of the Rebellion after all and while Cree can lead in his place, he'd rather see the guy safe and sound as he was the reason why many teens are different nowadays.
And if something tragic happened to William, Wayne will make sure that he will destroy the GKND operatives responsible for this mess no matter how long it will take him.
Chapter 102, The Broccoli Arc part 3, Bury the Seeds of Broccoli
The Broccoli Ocean Abyss
I had to figure out a way to return to my reality, world, realm, whichever applies in this place. The beach I had taken refuge on looked to be part of a larger land, Asparagus and Broccoli vegetation grew in place where trees and bushes would be. I viewed my surroundings and spotted various other vegetables growing, but Broccoli was the most prominent.
Making my way inland, I looked up one of the asparagus (palm) trees and spotted brussel sprouts growing…guess those are supposed to be coconut trees, but vegitized…okay…
I highly doubt I would bump into any sort of civilization, I only needed to find some form of sign or way to return home. My trek felt like years to seconds as time felt it had no purpose here, as if space and time did not want anything to do with this place except space was stuck behind to deal with this shit. Time simply fucked out of dodge. Oh sure, I can feel time pass in a sense, much the same way you can tell how long you've been awake before figuring out it's time to take a nap or hit the bed for the night…
…but this place made all that feel out of whack. As soon as I felt the grasp of time, it felt like sand slipping through my fingers. I definitely have not aged…if that's fucking understandable at all. Otherwise if time was all screwed up here, I would possibly be an old man or de-aged with how time felt so fucked up here.
For all I knew, I could feel I have been here for ages and never age, and return to reality a few minutes or hours later.
This definitely has Warp shenanigans written all over it, except the fucking warp is home to all that is vegetables and more prominently Broccoli.
Hey, maybe I found a way for space travel…freaking sailing the cosmos by using the Eldritch Broccoli Ocean, gonna need some hard convincing that my proposal isn't out of crazed nonsense from getting stranded here for some…time…
I let out a tired sigh, my walking had felt like it had been hours to seconds. My head aches just trying to get a feel and sense of my time here…
The ground beneath shook a bit, causing my footing to slip and have me fall on my rear as the land tilted a bit. I panicked and held onto a Broccoli tree as I felt the land I was on rise up, and indeed it did as I glanced at the view towards the beach. The jungle was sparse enough for me to see through it enough…oh shit…please no, oh god please no…
My head felt like it was splitting as a call echoed out, it was like a mix of a whale to that of the sounds from those creatures in the Pitch Black movie…please for the love all that is holy Broccoli!
From the Vegitized trees, creatures came out of hiding and flew off into the sky, causing me to gawk at the forms they took. Another sound echoed out loudly that caused my head to feel like it was splitting open, making me gasp in pain from the call.
Once the 'land' felt like it finished rising, two stalks began to rise over the foliage and Broccoli trees till finally they stopped. My gaze felt locked up in shock, wonder, fear, and a number of other emotions I couldn't discern. You would think my flight or fight instincts would kick in, but my situation had me firmly stuck where I was in near catatonic shock at what I was seeing.
At the tip of the stalks that had risen, the tips looked like a cross between the ends of asparagus and Broccoli buds. The two of them opened up like eye…balls…oh please no.
The stalks wavered around to view the surroundings, before the two of them bent backwards to look at me with brussel sprout eyeballs. I felt like the blood vessels behind my eyes burst, only they never did as I could still see as my eyes could move as the stalks gazed at me.
G̸o̷o̵d̵n̷e̷s̶s̶,̷ ̴a̸ ̸h̵u̴m̸a̸n̸ ̷i̵s̴ ̶m̶y̶ ̴h̶e̸a̶d̷
I felt the green substance I felt and saw from earlier burst out of my ears, while my head felt it had been put under a hydraulic press. I don't even know how I'm still conscious, but I could definitely feel my head twitch all over.
The stalks bent down towards me, prompting what I felt to be intensified. I felt my eyeballs roll up in pain as I released the tree I was hugging, and collapse onto the ground in a twitching mess. My gaze still locked on with the stalks, as if something was keeping my gaze locked on with it.
G̷r̴a̶c̸i̶o̶u̶s̶,̴ ̶I̴ ̷f̷o̴r̷g̶e̵t̵ ̶y̵o̶u̵ ̸m̷o̸r̵t̷a̴l̴s̵ ̵h̸a̵v̴e̶ ̵y̸e̸t̶ ̴t̶o̶ ̶b̸e̴ ̸a̵b̴l̶e̶ ̷t̵o̴ ̴h̶a̴n̵d̵l̵e̶ ̷o̴u̸r̸ ̷s̴p̴e̶a̵c̷h̸ ̸a̶n̴d̵ ̶p̶r̷e̷s̸e̵n̵c̴e̶.̶ ̵
I let out a silent scream of agony, I pulled my gaze away finally and rolled onto my stomach and held my head. "Can you beings stop talking…Fucking Cthulu Eldritch shit!" I screamed out as my nose felt like it was dripping something again.
F̷n̶o̸d̴'̸n̵i̵n̸o̶r̴ ̸O̸l̵e̸r̶a̵ ̶g̸'̵n̴o̶c̶k̶t̴a̶,̸ ̵s̷u̶r̷e̴l̶y̸ ̵y̵o̶u̵ ̵h̸u̶m̴a̶n̸s̸ ̵a̴t̸e̶ ̸e̷n̷o̵u̵g̶h̸ ̴o̵f̵ ̷O̵l̵e̸r̵a̶'̵s̵ ̷b̴o̵u̸n̴t̵y̵ ̷t̷o̵ ̸h̸a̴n̵d̶l̷e̶ ̷f̵n̵o̴c̸k̴'̶o̸l̵a̵m̵o̴r̵
"Just stop speaking for a few minutes, fucks sakes!" I yelled while hissing out in agony, holding my 'bleeding' ears in pain.
That seemed to get across to the creature, except now it seemed like it was moving in amusement. Fuck if I know.
At least this creature is not hostile…yet…
Homebase
After Cree finished her talk over her cave device with Wayne, she had a few good plans in mind. With the clean up kits arriving within an allotted time, the teens and her would arrive back at homebase with them to get things back under control.
She insisted Sector V stay behind, saying they didn't have to come along if they didn't want to. Nigel and his friends were nice enough as it is to allow them to temporarily station at their treehouse.
It was when the teens and Cree finally returned to the Giant Broccoli that now stood where their base once was, that Raab was now standing at the base of the giant vegetable with nary any protection. Cree boiled with anger, wanting to stomp over to the teen and ask why his warning was off by three weeks early. The only thing that stopped her from storming over to Raab, was the Dudes of Hazmat had their Broccolium gigers going off.
Raab turned towards the teens with an angered and confused look, "Before you start blaming me, yes, this happened too early." He began while walking over towards Cree and the others. The Dudes of Hazmat pointed their gigers at him and zeroed their frequencies on him, only to get zero readings of contamination. A few of them shook and tapped their devices to make sure they were working, even pointing their gigers at the giant Broccoli to see if their devices still worked. Sure Enough the gigers had their needles threaten to almost break themselves on the counters.
Raab continued to walk over to Cree until he stood a few feet away from her, he pointed directly at the stalk of Broccoli with an angered look. "I felt something foreign, something deep beneath the Earth's crust…" He began to explain.
Chad scratched his chin in thought, "Cree…what are the odds the Galactic Kids Next Door planted something that caused all this?" He asked conspiratorially.
Raab had a confused look on his face, "The what now?" He asked.
Cree let an aggravated sigh out, "A topic for later, you sure this has nothing to do with that…um what was it again?" She asked him
Raab furrowed his brow, before realizing what Cree was alluding to. "The Brassica Oleracea, oh no, Calabrese had a different idea in mind." He answered with a nod of understanding.
Harold raised his finger in question, "Uh, like what?" He asked.
"Replace the earth's oceans with Broccoli for Olera to be able to arrive and grace the Earth an eternal bounty of everlasting vegetables…his words not mine." He sternly said afterwards with a frown.
"..." Everyone looked at Raab with various expressions.
"Holy crap man." Started Chad, "What is this, the call of Gubfigernoth?" He asked incredulously.
Raab looked at Chad in confusion, "What now?" He inquired.
Cree slapped her face, "Now I know How William feels when crap like this pops up." She groaned.
"Hey, does anyone mind explaining the reference?" Raab asked in annoyance.
"Gubfigernoth dude." Started Harold, "It's an eldritch horror mythos." He explained.
Chad looked Raab in a different light, "Hey, that makes you like straight out of the tale about the Shepherding town of Hytholous." He quipped in a lighthearted manner to ease the situation.
"Please, can we get back on topic!" Cree stressed while pointing towards the giant Broccoli.
Raab coughed into his bare fist not covered in Broccoli, "Right. Sorry." He responded.
"What the…" one of the Dudes in Hazmat said, prompting the teens to turn and focus to see what the teens were startled by, only to see dozens of people crawl from out of the ground at the base of the giant Broccoli. The people had various parts of their body covered in varying degrees of Broccoli, Raab's attention was brought onto one man in particular. "Calabrese." He said in anger.
Cree looks at Raab and back to the scene before her as did the other teens, not sure how to handle such an event. The Broccolium contamination still preventing them from getting any close to try anything.
The man now known as Calabrese had an ecstatic look on his face as he gazed at the teens, before frowning at Raab. "Heretic!" He seethed.
"Call me what you will!" Raab spat back as he stomped over towards him, only to stop in place as a barrier of Broccoli stalks blocked his way with a few gaps between them for everyone to still see the people behind the wall of vegetables.
"Rejoice surface dwellers!" Started Calabrese as he faced towards the Giant Broccoli in rapture, "For Olera has chosen a different path to grace us with her presence!" He exclaimed
"Uh dude…" Began Harold, "I think you're barking up the wrong tree, er, Broccoli I mean." He pointed out in confusion.
Calabrese turned around to give the Teens a look of pity and smugness, "Fools, you know not the incomprehensible plans, for Olera is beyond all understanding!" He declared.
Cree let an angered look cross her face, "No you fool, he means that Broccoli isn't the cause of some Eldritch god!" She disputed.
Calabrese allowed his head to lean back as he laughed, before calming down to look back at Cree with a frown. "Do you take me for a fool?!" He spat and pointed at the Broccoli with a crazed look, "What other reason would this happen!?" He asked gleefully in hysterics.
He turned around and knelt before the giant Broccoli, with his arms up in rapture along with the other people that came with him. "Olera! Oh Olera, we are ready for the bounty!" He began chanting with the others.
The teens were prompted to look over at Raab in confusion, who in turn offered a look of annoyance. "I never was part of that." He grimaced.
The Broccoli Ocean Abyss
The entity's eyes kept gazing down at me, as I tried to think of a way to communicate and look at these beings without my mind attempting to rip itself apart every time.
I̷ ̷m̶i̵g̸h̵t̶ ̷k̷n̴o̴w̷ ̵o̸f̷ ̸s̵o̷m̶e̵t̷h̸i̷n̸g̴ ̸t̸o̵ ̸r̸e̸m̴e̵d̷y̸ ̵t̷h̷a̸t̵ ̷
My head felt like it had collapsed in on itself, prompting me to roll up in a fetal position and hold my head in distress while my body spasmed in shock. "For fucks sakes, stop speaking for a few moments!" I yelled with my eyes wide open in pain and shock.
Just as the pain felt near unbearable, I felt something weave around my head, ears, and eyes. It felt like leaves but with the softness of cotton fabric, a mix between the two.
The pain finally felt gone, everything I felt from looking and hearing had subsided. I breathed a shaking sigh of relief and uncurl from my fetal position, and began to shakely stand up with the assistance of leaning onto a nearby Broccoli tree.
After I finally gained a sense of my bearings and self, I took note of my sight and found that my vision hadn't been hampered much. It was like a filter was placed before me, everything was still the same but the headaches no longer came when I looked at the scenery.
In a trial of effort, I inwardly prayed my eyes wouldn't feel like exploding again when I looked at the Stalks and eyes. With a turn of my head and eyes, my gaze finally landed on the being's brussel sprout eyes. What I got was an onset of a migraine, a pale comparison to the horror that felt like my mind was ripping apart. My eyes felt itchy, but better than the feeling of them bursting any minute.
I let out a shaky sigh of relief as I hugged the Broccoli tree in exhaustion, I don't know how much longer I could have handled that pain from before. The pain from before now felt like a distant past, my mind relaxed in a sense to the point that I felt like crying in relief.
Ybb mbrtbls nbbd tb bbt mbrb grbbns, gbbdnbss, Blbrb's tbsk shbbld hbvb bbbn sbccbssfbl by nbw.
(You mortals need to eat more greens, goodness, Olera's task should have been successful by now.)
I blinked in confusion at the gibberish I heard…at least didn't burst though this time, now they simply felt like they were burning.
Hey, I'll take this any day over the ear shattering and bleeding.
"Still can't understand you…got some kind of fruit of language or something…" I asked, then regretted what I said.
The last thing I needed was to eat something…
The sound of cracking went off, I turned my head in the direction of the noise. I now immediately regret asking that question of mine as a large appendage made its way for me, I fell backwards in shock and fright as the thing rocketed towards my forehead.
The next thing I knew and felt was blinding pain, the damn thing had stabbed through my forehead before retracting back out of sight. My mouth hung open in silent pain, and grasped where I was stabbed and expected to die from getting impaled in the head…only to furrow my brow in confusion as I felt no hole where I was stabbed.
I often forget you mortals are fragile, unable to comprehend my kins language without the assistance from us.
I sat straight up and blinked in shock, before snarling in anger. "Oh excuse me for being a lower life form to comprehend an unfathomable being!" He spat out before smacking my mouth in shock, fear, and caution.
I warily looked up at the eyeballs, I saw what I thought might be an expression of amusement.
Quite the crass mouth on you, but expected in your situation…your reaction is a tad better than that fanatic fellow.
I am freaking conversing with an Eldritch entity…what's next, raining cats and dogs?
Flakes of Broccoli buds rain to be precise
As if to prove the creature's point, I began to feel the drops of the very things fall from the sky. I looked upwards to see a giant cloud of warped Broccoli, I looked on in shock when a zap of asparagus lightning struck the ocean of Broccoli.
"I want to go home!" I yelled/begged with annoyance. I keep thinking that this is all a dream, but the pain from earlier solidifies that I am not dreaming.
The stalks with Eyes peered at me closer, as if inspecting something.
Earth is a bit far from here, but I might be able to help for a price.
I gave a defiant look at the eyeballs of brussel sprouts, "Last thing I need to do is make a deal with the devil!" I argued
The lids on the eyes…quirked up in amusement…I don't know, the thing is probably just doing it to imitate the Expression for me to be able to understand
Ah the old human saying, my word you mortals always mistaken us for those meat gods.
Oh good god there's Eldritch meat abominations.
What, is there a god that has its worshipers chant, 'beef for the beef god, bacon for the bacon throne?
…Please no…
Ah, You heard of Bos Taurus!
…"About that deal?" I asked desperately to forget what I just heard.
The brussel sprout eyes ?gleamed? in victory/excitement?
Aid Olera's breach unto your world.
"No." I simply said, and plopped myself down, "I would rather be stranded here than doom my planet." I remarked.
Who said anything about dooming your planet? It's the Galactic Kids Next Door that are attempting to doom your world.
I swore it seemed the creature seethed at the word of the GKND.
I looked up in confusion, "The Broccolium reactors weren't the fault of the Brassica Oleracea?" I asked in confusion.
Ah, good to see you mortals have finally grasped the power of Broccoli! Tell me, how far have your people figured out my kin's Broccoli and its potential?
"Please stay on track!" I begged, "We can converse later on that matter."
I released a tired sigh, and tried to think of a compromise…
Oh, you wish to bargain with my offer!?
"Please stop reading my mind!" I groaned in annoyance.
Not my fault your thoughts are loud, goodness lad.
After an undefinable time had passed, I thought of a possible alternative. "Instead of Earth, Mars can be an option…" I offered.
Mars? Humans don't live there.
"Yet." I simply refuted.
So you imply you are willing to aid Olera, on the condition her arrival is on mars?
I offered a shrug, "The damn place is full of marshmallows, not quite useful when humans eventually need to terraform mars." I answered.
Besides, If Olera can grow greens over there at a good pace, a breathable atmosphere can be viable quicker than waiting for generations and centuries.
Hell, this could be a good way to make instant terraforming possible.
Indeed, creating a breathable atmosphere for you humans would be child's play in your words.
…right, loud thoughts…
"Where is Olera now?" I asked cautiously.
The stalks retreated back into the air and began swiveling about, before coming back down to me.
It seems she was just about to appear at this place called Sector V…I believe it is called, but I managed to redirect her back to converse with.
Oh Good god, I practically saved the Earth from a mind fuck of an Eldritch being. I looked around towards the ocean through the gaps in the Broccoli trees, "Um, how long till-
-to what nonsense have you asked of me Nahbras! One of our kin's stolen seeds is threatening my world!-
From beneath the sea, A multi-bulbus being emerged from out of the Broccoli ocean. 'Her'? Size nearly dwarfed …Nahbras's own? The body was lithe, with a bit of hunchback from a large Broccoli bud growing off her back.
One of the human mortal somehow ended up here Olera
What could be passed as Olera's head was what looked like a cross between a brussel sprout and steamed Broccoli, 'her' twelve eyes were that of various sizes of large asparagus with large Broccoli buds held within them as eyeballs.
I think I can boast my isekai life is one of the few to ever witness an Eldritch entity, and that's without going insanely mad.
The eyeballs of Olera all peered directly at me in…fascination?
-human? How ever did you manage to get here? It should be impossible for you humans to yet fully grasp the concept of how to reach this place-
…"My base's Broccolium Reactor sent me here somehow…" I cautiously answered
-it's a tad little early for you young mortals to be messing with our gifts-
Nahbras's stalks and 'eyes' looked directly at Olera
Come now Olera, better they figure out and learn early than later. Makes it easier for them to grow early on!
Olera's 'eyes' peered at Nahbras's own
-do not tell me what to do Nahbras! We lost too much to those blasted creatures and their organization, I do NOT want to miss this one chance, only to fail our ultimate goal.-
And there's the end goal I worried about, cause that sounds like some ominous shit.
Olera peered directly back at me with what looked like admonishment and anger.
-cease your presumptions mortal! You and your kind are so quick to rush to conclusions, this 'end goal' has nothing to to with the sacrifice of lives-
Um…did she-
-Your mind is loud and obnoxious, presumptuous and paranoid!-
"...Sorry?..."
Some of Olera's 'eyes' peered back towards Nahbras's own, while the rest stayed focused on me
-Now explain!-
Nahbrus's 'eyes' twinkled in amusement
Homebase
The Dudes of Hazmat were befuddled as their gigers stopped going off, but the more pressing issue was Calabrese. The man looked loss as he desperately held his head in confusion.
Raab looked up in puzzlement, directly up towards the top of the Broccoli. A worried look crossed his face before morphing into fright, he turned to look at Cree. "It's about to get worse!"
Cree threw her hands up, "Oh come on!" She groaned, only to be pulled by Chad as Every teen made a run for it. Not a second later, Calabrese began to laugh hysterically as the Broccoli began to grow taller.
One of Dudes in Hazmat had their giger held up, only to still get nothing indicating Broccolium contamination, "I don't understand!" He yelled through a muffled tone through his gear
At the top of the Broccoli Homebase
So many thoughts ran through my head as I stood atop the Broccoli that now stood where the teens Homebase once was, the conversation I had with Olera and Nahbras constantly ran through my mind. I placed my hand on my head to feel I still wore that 'clothe' around my head, eyes, and ears, my time spent within the Broccoli ocean realm was indeed not a dream or figment of my imagination. I even traced the scars under the cloth on my forehead to the ends under my eyes.
Within the grasp of my hand was a stalk of stiff asparagus, I brought it up to my face only to forget I needed to take the wrappings around my eyes off.
I gazed at what I held, proof of evidence that I was indeed within a reality of Broccoli and vegetables.
-Insure at least one Broccoli rises to absorb the radiation-
I let out a sigh and gazed up towards the stars as the Broccoli reached above the clouds, you would think oxygen would be thin at this height but…
I'm fucking standing on something that was agreed to help produce oxygen
I looked around for something to sit on, and spotted a monobloc chair. "Better than nothing." I softly murmured before taking a seat over on the chair to wait for the giant Broccoli to finish growing.
Chapter 103, The Broccoli Arc part 4, It's about to get Gouda
Top of The Homebase Broccoli
My eyes gazed across the horizon, I idly scratched my chin as I sat on the monobloc chair. The stiff asparagus staff still within my grasp, I moved my other hand to finally remove the last bits of 'cloth' off my head and stowed the material away for later examination.
"Behold brothers and sisters, for we are standing atop the gracious gift of Olera!" A voice announced behind me.
I turned my head to see who could possibly have climbed up the stalk, and found people with various parts of their bodies covered in broccoli. I suppose the cult of that Brassica Oleracea would be the ones able to find their way up here…still doesn't explain the weird looks I began to get from them.
The stares that began to gather on me prompted the man leading the front to turn towards me, he had a puzzled look on his face before a euphoric look spread across his face. "Ah, a harbinger of Olera!" He exclaimed.
The fuck?
I sent the man a curious look, "I think you are confusing me for something else sir…"
The man clasped his hands and bent forward in a formal bow, "My name is Calabrese, honorable Harbinger!" He answered joyfully.
I furrow my brow in confusion, "I'm a bit lost here…" I began while standing up from the monobloc chair with the asparagus in hand, and walked over a bit to fully face the man. "I can understand the Harbinger part, but what makes me come off as one?" I asked.
Calabrese pointed at the stiff asparagus within my hand, "That very Asparagus is a gift from Olera!" He decreed, "And the key to opening portals to the Broccoli ocean!" Calabrese explained.
I brought the stiff asparagus up to look at it further, before looking back at Calabrese. "You're a bit too on the nose…Calabrese." I remarked with a bit of caution to my tone.
The leader of the cult made to walk closer, before he was just a few feet away from me. "Yes, yes, I can feel it, you are new to these…gifts…" he drawled out while careful with his words.
I narrowed my eyes at him in suspicion, "I'll be straight with you, and cut past the bullshit." I began with an annoyed look and tone.
Calabrese held up his hands in mock surrender, "But of course." He began, "Go right ahead Harbinger." He gestured for me to go on.
I pointed at him, "Your first plan with Olera is no longer viable." I started with a warning look. "I was lucky to even come across Nahbras, get Olera to halt from even arriving at this area."
Calabrese's expression drooped in shock. "You…you halted our divine giver from arriving!?" He shrieked.
Just as he was about to lunge at me, I halted him in place with my asparagus stick swiftly pointed at his neck. "I'm not done asshole!"
The leader of the cult gulped as he stared down at the asparagus, "Sir Harbinger, careful with that please, you have no idea of its capabilities and potential!" He warned/begged.
While I held the man at asparagus point, I pointed up towards outer space. "A deal was made, Olera will still have Earth, but she has to dwell on Mars." I explained.
"Mars?" One of the others among the cult asked.
"How are we supposed to get there?" Another cultist asked.
Calabrese's expression turned to relief, looking at the asparagus in my hand. "Now sir Harbinger, allow me to have that." He began with a gleam to his visible eyes. "I require that to take us to Olera!" He demanded
"No." I simply state with a firm grip on the stiff asparagus staff.
The man looked shocked before forming an angered look across his face, "Hand it over, boy." He hissed the last part out, "You are acting unbefitting of Olera's Harbinger, only I can bring out its true potential! I do not know why Olera gave you such a wondrous gift." Calabrese hissed in anger as his body began to shift, prompting the cultists watching on to back away in caution.
I didn't want to deal with this shit right now, and gripped the asparagus firmly in both hands before swinging an arc of Broccoli energy out at Calabrese. "Maybe I know her plans better then!" I exclaimed in annoyance and anger.
Unable to dodge in time, Calabrese was hit dead on and was set flying onto his back a few yards away after sliding along the ground for a bit. He blinked in shock and got up with a worried look on his face. "Wha- how!?" He abruptly stood up to look his body over, still covered in Broccoli but whatever he was attempting was now halted and neutralized.
"I am not the one in the way of Olera's plans…" I started to say while pointing the Asparagus in a warning manner at Calabrese, "I have altered the plans with her, pray I don't alter them involving you gone out of the equation!"
Always wanted to say the line with a spin on it.
One of the cultists stepped forward with a raised hand, "huh, Harbinger sir? Belstar here…um…what should we do then?" He asked confusedly.
I offered a haphazard shrug, "Wait three years, then get a ride to Mars?" I answered off handedly.
"Three years?"
"We have to wait longer?"
"What are we supposed to do then?"
"I was promised chips and Broccoli cheese dip, did I come for nothing again?
"Screw that, I came for the blackjack and hookers!"
"Wrong cult social meeting Greg, you're thinking of the bacon cult next county over!"
"Wait, this is a cult?"
…Calabrese and I blinked at each other in confusion as the group of cultists devolved into various heated arguments.
Bottom of the Homebase Broccoli
Looking up at the stalk of Broccoli, Cree held her hand flat over her eyes to view upwards. It had been a few hours now, and the clean up of radiation had gone smoother than expected. The Broccoli that had just now finished growing in front of her had somehow absorbed the contamination, and the Dudes in Hazmat have been arguing non stop for the reason.
Cree's eyes went directly at the Dudes in Hazmat with annoyance written all over her face. "If you're done bickering, I need you working at the other bases now!" She demanded heatedly.
"But Commander Cree, the Broccolium could leak again!" One of them argued.
Cree narrowed her eyes at the teen, and placed her hands on hips in impatience and annoyance. "Did you bring the stuff for that exact reason?"
"Yes but-"
"The other bases need to be checked and cleaned then!" Cree argued.
The Dudes in Hazmat looked at each other and shrugged, before taking their leave to address the other bases in need.
Chad walked up to Cree with an unsure look on his face, "Um…you sure that was a good idea?" He asked, unsure of himself.
Cree gestured around the area of the giant Broccoli, "The gigers have yet to go off, any reason for then to continue wasting time here, when they could be needed elsewhere?" She pointed out
Before Chad could reply to Cree, several entrances opened up on the Broccoli stalks. Every teen went on high alert and aimed their cheesy guns of various cheeses.
Right as creatures began to pour out and charge at the teens, the variety of Broccoli creatures barely made a yard of distance before meeting a fusillade of cheese fire. The loud bangs and clangs from cheese guns and gouda grenades went off filling the air till it all came to a rest when Cree held her hand up for everyone to pause firing. The racket echoed far into the distance as everyone readied their weapons for another round.
Bodies of torn and gooped up Broccoli creatures littered the ground, prompting Cree to frown in worry. "Looks like we'll be going in to neutralize whatever spawned those things…" she remarked.
Chad look at Cree oddly, "Why not just cheese bomb the damn thing?" He asked
"Dude…" Began Harold from the sidelines, wielding a cheesy gatling gun while a large ammo pack was carried on his back, "You wanna be the one to clean that big of a mess up?"
"...I see your point…" Chad grimaced.
A loud engine cried out as a van drove its way up to the Giant Broccoli, prompting the teens to look who was arriving. Just before the van looked to run them down, it turned abruptly to a screeching halt. Most of the teens who dove out of the way assumed the worst, glared at the vehicle and its occupant.
As the van rested back on all wheels from tilting, the sudden turn and stop having almost sent the van rolling, the window rolled down to reveal Stacey with a shit eating grin. "Whooooo wants some kick ass modified cheesy weapons from the artillery division!?" She asked cheerfully.
"Are you sure about this Cree?" Asked Chad as he checked his weapons over.
Harold, Stacey, Chad, and Cree would be heading into the Broccoli's entrances in teams of two.
Cree gave a pointed look at Chad, "Got any ideas yourself?" She asked
Chad looked at Stacey, then at Harold, before shrugging at Cree. "Nope." He simply answered.
"You think we'll be able to find William in there?" Stacey asked while charging up her laser cheese gun, before checker her cheese glocks
Harold looked questionably up at the giant Broccoli, "If I know Will, that guy is probably stuck fighting some Broccoli beast." He quipped with a smirk.
That brought everyone's mood back up, prompting them all to begin heading in. "Alright…" Began Cree as she paired up with Harold, "Radio silence from here on out, and I doubt we'll even get any signals anyways." She states.
Chad and Stacey sent a gesture of a nod before heading in through their entrance, before Cree and Harold went through theirs.
From the rest of the Teens of the Rebellion point of view, the entrances closed up behind the teens that entered, prompting Chuckie and Steve who stayed to look at each other in worry.
"Um…" Started Chuckie with worry.
Steve shook his head, "The Steve-
"What did William and the others say about referring to yourself in third person?" Asked Jenna from the back in annoyance, and glared. "No one thinks it's cool!"
Chuckie smirked at Steve, "Now you were saying?" He asked.
Steve rubbed his neck in embarrassment, "I was going to say, I hope the other bases are faring well…" he answered
Top of the Homebase Broccoli
Disregarding the commotion and arguments from earlier, and seeing everything was calm for now, I went to sit back down on the monobloc chair to relax a bit.
"The very power within that asparagus you wield is beyond simply a weapon!" Insisted Calabrese as he walked over with a more subdued nature, "Please, I insisted you let me use it!" He begged.
My eyes sharply looked at Calabrese with annoyance, "My stance is final!" I argued, "The Broccoli is to stay protected until I say so!" I exclaimed while gripping the asparagus stiff firmly.
Calabrese leg out a frustrated sigh, "You waste such potential! I refuse to believe Olera chose you, much less conversed with you!" He spat in contempt.
I gestured over to a nearby Broccoli covered tire, "Sit." I spat back.
"I will-"
I slammed the grip end of the asparagus on the ground, "Sit. Your. Ass. Down." I hissed through my teeth in anger at Calabrese, my slam of the asparagus sent distorted waves along the ground of the Broccoli we all stood/sat on.
Calabrese took a seat with an unreadable expression, the closest I could guess is defeat or reluctance but acceptance. Once the man took a seat, I leaned forward on my chair and looked directly at him. "Have you ever personally been in the realm of the Broccoli ocean abyss?" I asked pointedly.
The man allowed himself a smirk, "of course I-"
"Outside of dreams, directly in person!" I snapped at him, interrupting him intentionally.
"Whuh?" Calabrese asked in shock, while his body slackened in disbelief.
I pointed and flared at him, "I will not tell you the details of how I got there first." I began, instantly getting a dirty look from the man.
I am not gonna divulge that it requires some sort of process that involves getting caught within an explosion of Broccolium, the last thing this world needs is that sort of danger.
"No words can describe what I saw…" I spoke in anger and trepidation of my sanity that had almost slipped, "The mere SIGHT of Nahbrus caused my eyes to feel an excruciating amount of pain…" I leaned over at the man with a fixated crazed look.
Calabrese leaned back in caution, "W-w-well a-a-a of course that would happen to mere mortals!" He exclaimed in amusement somewhat, "Surely you should have felt-"
"MY NOSE BLED GREEN BLOOD FROM THE MERE ACTION OF HIM UTTERING A WORD!" I yelled a thunderous boom, my fire and silhouette nearly covered me from losing a grip on my anger. I seethed at the Broccoli zealot.
I leaned back on my chair, but kept a firm look on Calabrese. "My head felt it had collapsed in on itself each time Nahbrus spoke, the mere look in the direction of his eye stalks caused my eyes to feel like they were about to be popped like grapes!"
"...Eat more greens?" He weakly spoke up.
My eyes cut a sharp look at him, "And how did you manage to converse with them?" I asked scathingly.
Calabrese finally had a smirk on his face. "Generations upon generations of receiving the gifts!" He disputed.
"So why didn't Olera give you this?" I asked pointedly while holding the asparagus staff in question.
"..." He held up his finger with his mouth open about to speak, before shutting it to think. After a moment passed, "I…am I not worthy? Were we not worthy all this time?!" He asked in panic.
I scoffed at the man in an existential crisis, and sat back in a relaxed position on the monobloc chair. "Of all my life, I never thought I'd actually meet some warp fuckery nonsense." I muttered.
Calabrese looked up in confusion, "I'm sorry, say that again?" He asked.
My eyes idly glanced at him while resting my chin on my fist, "Your prayers were answered, received, the bounty of greens your people received is not a sham" I answered back.
"What are you saying?" Calabrese asked desperately.
I let out a frustrated sigh, "Keep praying and honoring Olera, she never considered your people nor you unworthy." I am not sure I would even be the one to talk theology here…
Just as Calabrese was about to continue speaking, one of the cult ran over to us with a panicked look. "Brother Calabrese, Harbinger sir!" The person cried out
Calabrese frowned and stood up to address his acolyte, "Brother Dicicco, what troubles you?" He asked concernedly.
Dicicco wheezed while he tried to catch his breath once he reached us, "Give me *gasp* a second." He asked.
My chair was positioned sideways now, allowing me to look his way before looking at Calabrese with a confused look, who returned it back.
Calabrese looked back at Dicicco, "Now what troubles you?" He asked after the acolyte finished getting his breathing under control.
"Teenagers are inside the Broccoli, they've done a good amount of damage to the glorious Broccoli of Olera!" Dicicco exclaimed in worry.
Oh shit, I forgot to try contacting the Rebellion of my return, among a few other things that needed to be addressed…
Like fucking leave this Broccoli to help absorb the Broccolium contamination! Shoot!
Wait…would I come off as crazy or something If I tried to explain my plan, and the deal I made with an Eldritch Broccoli?
"...Then why are you telling me this?" Calabrese growled out.
I tried to feel my pockets for the C.A.V.E., and found it intact and fine. I breathed a sigh of relief and began attempting to dial into it, only to get no reception…I moved the device around in the air to find a reception.
Dicicco waved his arms around in panic, "There were Broccoli creatures in the way, they even attacked our own people!" He reasoned.
Calabrese groaned and sighed before pacing around to think of something, "Surely those creatures should know the distinction of us!" He exclaimed.
I walked around to keep trying, only to still get nothing…shit, looks like this will get different to explain….
"Stop them if you can where possible!" I began while looking in Calabrese's and Dicicco's direction, "But nothing lethal, just bring them up here if you can!" I explained.
Calabrese frowned at me, "I will not have this Broccoli desecrated by such filthy feet!" He denied.
Dicicco looked between Calabrese and I in confusion, unsure of what to do.
I held my asparagus staff out at Calabrese in a threatening…manner,...
You know this probably looks ridiculous to anyone that doesn't grasp that I'm not holding some mere five foot long stiff asparagus…
"I can take your gifts Calabrese…I can feel that much of what is capable of this asparagus!" I deathly warned.
The man shook with anger, "You…you, this is nonsense, I refuse to-" he yelled as he charged at me.
Before he could continue speaking, he found himself impaled in the stomach by the asparagus. I had made my move to take the annoyance out of the way, the man looked down in confusion. "What…I don't feel…"
I narrowed my eyes at him in contempt, "I'm not killing you, if you hadn't noticed." I began as I retracted the asparagus from the man's stomach.
Calabrese looked down to see no hole or any trace of the impalement. I look up at me with a broad smirk, "Still an ignorant fool, unable to grasp the true potential of Olera's gifts!" He boasted.
I smirked back at him, and pointed directly behind him. "Then what is that?" I asked in a snarky tone.
Calabrese looked back and paled, behind him was a green portal that began to pull him in from an unseen force. "What?" He asked as he tripped in an attempt to run away, and began clawing desperately to escape. "What did you do?" He shrieked.
I shrugged, "Beats me." I snarked back with a smirk, getting an aggravated yell as the man struggled to escape the grip of the portal. "I just felt an instinctual way to send you to the Broccoli ocean…"
The man smirked at me, "Fool!" He laughed hysterically before releasing his grip to disappear into the tear in reality, before the portal closed back up.
…was that even a good idea? Shit might bite me in the ass later on…
Dicicco look at me in confusion, "Sir?" He asked.
I looked back at Dicicco, "Bring those teens here, non-lethally!" I stressed
The Acolyte snapped at attention with a smile, "At least that fanatic is gone." He mused.
…
…wait, what?
"Um…" I began to say as I looked to the others who were still here, "So, was he just an outlier or something?" I asked.
"I think the guy received the position through bribery."
"He was creepy too."
"Calabrese was starting to make our cult look like those suicidal cults on the surface."
"Oh come on! I thought I was the only one here thinking that!"
"Does this mean Chip and Broccoli cheese dip is not being served?"
"Damn it Jon, is food all you think of?"
I clicked my teeth in thought, "Okay, then why were you all following the guy to the point of threatening the Earth?" I asked pointedly.
"I owe him twenty Broccoli bucks."
"He promised a buffet of cheese and Broccoli."
"I thought it was a buffet of bacon and eggs!"
"Different cult, next county over Jeffery!"
I rubbed my forehead in exasperation, "Just please get those teens over here!" I asked/demanded before moving to sit back in my monobloc chair.
Maybe I should have stayed in the abyss to avoid this kind of headache…
Nah, this headache beats Eldritch headaches by a long shot.
Chapter 104, The Broccoli Arc part 5, Don't hurt the Broccoli please
The Potato Farm...
During the Broccolium Outbreak...
"Sir!" Began one of Wayne's division members who rushed up towards him with a photo in hand, "Cree, Chad, Harold, and Stacey have gone into the decontaminated Broccoli to neutralize whatever is spawning some sort of Broccoli creatures from inside." He explained before showing the photo up to view, "However, one of our recon drones managed to take a rather troubling picture of the pressing issue concerning Commander William!" The teens exclaimed while showing the taken photo.
Within the photo revealed William sitting atop the Broccoli, a lone monobloc that he sat upon. His head was wrapped within an alien cloth like substance, while in his hand was held a long staff of a stiff asparagus.
"And this was just minutes ago!" The teen continued before showing another photo.
Within it showed William standing across from what looked like Cultist of Broccoli, with a man at front conversing with William by the looks of it. The cloth that had covered William's head was now gone, to reveal his face that now bore a dark green scar running down the center of his forehead to split underneath his eyes.
"Sir..." began the teen in a white tank top and camo cargo pants by saluting first before speaking, "Permission to speak, sir!"
"Permission granted! What is it, Abe?" Wayne asked the teen who was his protégé in the Logistics Division.
A rigid teen who was raised in a way that reminded him of someone being raised in a boot camp of all things. When he first joined the Rebellion, he immediately marched into his office and reported that he was there to join the Logistics Division. The soldier boy who kicked his door, saluted at him and loudly introduced himself while making a request to join his division got him gobsmacked at how to handle the recruit.
Few months later, Wayne's quite glad he took the kid in. He now had someone who can run things should something happen to him or he had to take to the field since he's one of the few supernatural specialists in the Rebellion.
"Sir, the Commander-in-Chief might have come to a compromise with the strange broccoli people who are currently not showing any signs of hostility towards him! The other officers do not know that the situation is different and they need to be alerted, sir!" the teen said in an orderly and blunt manner that made Wayne smile as he too had come into that conclusion as well.
Wayne was glad that the kid was able to see that things aren't as it seems.
"However, there is a communication disruption between us and the rest of everyone, sir!" Abe's follow-up was something that he wished he did not hear but it was the unfortunate truth of the situation.
Currently, the line between the Potato Farm and the Ground Zero had been disrupted after they got the last message from William about him doing fine. The recon drones they sent there were able to see what was going on as well as how the others in command were currently fighting something that was only acting out of self-defense. The creatures that they were attacking would have backed off had they not pointed neutralizing cheese weapons on them.
Not only that, Wayne can sense so much power from the broccoli structure that was currently plugging up the Broccolium radiation below. He's quite sure that the Dudes of Hazmat knows that the Broccoli at the Homebase is better off being left untouched than it being blown to bits and letting the GKND continue the spread through their weapons.
Everyone in the Potato Farm who heard Abe's analysis also came into the same conclusion that letting Cree and the others keep on doing what they're doing will be bad for everyone and someone has to tell them in person that they need to stop.
"Get the shuttle ready. I need to get there in person, now." was all that Wayne said as he started to walk to the hangar.
One of Abe's personnel rushed up to him with a few more photos retrieved from the drones, prompting him to look them over with a discernible look. He rushed over to Wayne to give the last three photos taken.
One was of William holding his C.A.V.E up, no doubt trying to get a signal but to no avail. That certainly brought a crack of a grin on Abe's serious outlook.
The second one detailed William stabbing who could only be assumed the head of the cult, the man didn't seem to be in pain. In fact, the impalement was barely an impalement with how the Asparagus staff did not go out the person's back.
The last photo had William alone with the other Broccoli people, sans the One head honcho that Abe assumed was the worst of the fanatics.
Inside The Giant Broccoli.
With Cree and Harold
Spindly hallways and caverns made up the the insides of the giant Broccoli, from pieces of the Homebase integrated into the walls to bridges of Broccoli fused with asphalt and vehicles.
"Hey…" Started Harold as he walked with Cree through the innards of the Broccoli. "Did you notice yet those Broccoli creatures seem only hostile when we aim our weapons at them?" He whispered as he covered Cree's back while his gatling cheese gun was lowered.
Cree allowed a thoughtful look to cross her face, "You're not wrong…but that makes me uneasy even more!" She remarked as she traveled with Harold through the inside of the giant vegetable.
"What…that those Broccoli creatures seem docile if we don't attack them or the Broccoli itself?" Harold asked idly
Cree let out a sound of agreement, "Exactly, they were hostile, but now they're all acting like kittens as long as we don't attack!" She remarked.
"That is because the Harbinger wills it!" Hollered someone, prompting Cree and Harold to turn their heads but keep a steady hand on their cheesy gun weapons.
The one who announced it was a young woman with a thin curvy figure and long pale-blonde hair tied into a bun, and some bangs falling to the side of her face. Around her head that covered her eyes was a cloth of unknown makings. Her pants were a bit loose and baggy that hung off her frame, with a tight fitting top to cover her torso. Her skin was completely green, with tufts of asparagus sticking out of her hair.
Cree looked up at the woman with suspicion, "Who?" She asked cautiously
The woman shook her in disappointment and shrugged, "With Brother Calabrese sent to the green beyond, the great and mighty Harbinger has tasked us to bring you to him."
Harold leaned over to Cree, "Wasn't Calabrese that one fellow that called Raab a Heretic?" He whispered loudly
Cree shrugged, "I think so." She answered.
The woman sneered down at the two, "I can hear you whisper all that you know!" She exclaimed.
"What's taking so long Sister Nesco?" Asked by a figure completely draped with asparagus and Broccoli, the only visible parts of their body visible were green eyes that shone through the vegetables that grew out of their head.
Nesco sighed in a mock pout, "Belstaaaar!" She whined, "I was about to act all antagonistic like and tease them into fighting!" She stomped her foot in disappointment.
Belstar's eyes shapely looked at Nesco with annoyance, "Sir Harbinger did not say anything about wasting time here!" He insisted.
Nesco harrumphed and stormed away in frustration, "Never get to have any fun!" She muttered and disappeared into the walls of the Broccoli
Harold and Cree looked blankly at the scene that unfolded before them. "And I thought the Negaverse incident was weird." Harold spoke aloud.
Belstar looked back towards the Teens, his voice and height made him look and sound that close to an adult in his early twenties. "Now, allow me to get you out of here, wouldn't want you destroying any more holy land here." He remarked.
Cree and Harold looked at each other with unsure looks.
With Stacey and Chad
"Stop shooting!" Chad ordered as he struggled to keep Stacey and her trigger fingers.
Stacey gave Chad a glare, "Come ooon! This is the only time I get to test my cheesy guns!"
Chad brought his face up to Stacey with a heated look, "Each Broccoli creature was docile until you shot at them!" He exclaimed.
Backing away with a sheepish look, Stacey let a nervous laugh out. "...Can you blame a girl though?" She teased and quickly aimed to shoot her shotCheesegun at another Broccoli beast, before Chad slapped her aim down to shoot the ground.
"Stop it already!" He begged with a glare, with Stacey giving an innocent whistle.
"Yes. Do please stop destroying the Gift of Olera!" A gruff voice announced from behind them.
Stacey whirled around with a scream and unloaded her cheesy shotty. After her shells were all spent, Stacey looked to see who she shot.
Chad backed away cautiously in fright, with Stacey stuck in place unknowing what to do.
The man who spoke behind them was at least four heads taller than them, with a broad body that was hidden under a short sleeved green shirt. On his back grew several stalks of Broccoli, all bunched together that one could mistake for a turtle shell. His pants were worn jeans, but his feet were bare.
"You can call me Waltham…" began the man with his arm outstretched, covered in cheese from blocking the shots. Waltham yanked and shook the cheese completely off with nary a trouble. "Credit to you teens, but you'll need stronger cheese." He quipped with a smirk.
Stacey took out her autocheese laser and aimed at Waltham, "Oh yeah, how about-"
"Oh come on!" Argued Chad as he slapped the gun out of Stacey's hands, "If he wanted to actually attack , he would have countered right then and there!" He reasoned
"No! I don't trust him!" Stacey argued back heatedly while pulling out another gun to aim, only to get it smacked out of her grasp too. "stop it!" Chad insisted.
Waltham chuckled down at the scene before him, "Young miss, your friend is right, I am merely here to take you to the Harbinger." He announced
Stacey harrumphed and turned around angrily, muttering obscenities under her breath.
Chad looked at Waltham with a clueless look, "Who now?" He asked, "I thought you were led by Calabrese.
Waltham smirked and chuckled, "Hooboy." He remarked, "That guy…" he began to regale the events prior topside at the upper level.
Outside on top of the Giant Broccoli
William's POV
"Come on, don't you think it'd be fun!?" Nesco asked me as I sat on the monobloc chair.
Just a few minutes ago, the Broccoli cultist teen had appeared out from one of the walls nearby, and ran with a giddy excitement written all over her face. The next minutes were spent listening to her ramble on about acting all different, put up a front and such.
Pretty sure A fight would break out just for her amusement, but…I never actually got to spar with any of the teens to a certain extent.
Much less get them to fight me in such a way…but who would be arriving? The fight would turn out differently depending on who arrived first.
"Who is Belstar bringing?" I finally asked, prompting Nesco to hop in excitement.
She clasped her fingers in enjoyment while grinning ear to ear, "If I remember correctly, A girl named Cree, and the teen that was with her, Harold!" Nesco answered excitedly.
Okay, that would be interesting, fighting the two seemed interesting…
I stood up to face the other cultists still around, "Alright, listen up folks…"
Top of The Homebase Broccoli
Few minutes later
3rd POV
Cree was abruptly thrown to the ground from the Broccoli wall nearby, prompting her to roll, catch herself and stand back up with caution. She surveyed the area and found she was standing at the very top of the Broccoli. Cree looked around for Harold, but was nowhere to be seen. "HEY!" She hollered, cupping her hands in the meanwhile, "Harold! Where are you!" She yelled.
"He might be lost along the way!" Nesco teased from over behind a pillar of Broccoli, she grinned at Cree with a teasing smile. "Maybe even tossed to the holy Broccoli beasts by Belstar!"
Cree looked at Nesco with a frown, "What'd you do with him!?" She demanded from her, Cree's weapons seemingly lost through the transit along the way
"He'll be fine for now…" William's voice announced from nearby, prompting Cree to look around in hope.
Not far away was William sitting on a monobloc chair, facing the edge of the ground. Cree brightened up when she realized who it was, before frowning at what she just heard.
William stood up from the chair with a staff of asparagus firmly within his grip, and faced hercwith a frown. "I think it's about time I punish you heathens for desecrating this most holy land with your feet!" He grandiosely announced, while pointing the asparagus at Cree.
Cree looked on with confusion before frowning at her Commander, taking note of the dark green scar that was now prominent on his face. "Cut the shit William, you're fooling no one!" She declared with impatience, while tapping her foot.
William scoffed at Cree, "Do not-" He couldn't finish before letting a snort out, "Sorry!" He chuckled and looked at Nesco with an apologetic look, "Her face was priceless at the first second."
"Are you freaking kidding me?!" Cree yelled and stomped over, "I almost thought the worst!" She yelled while her distance closed between William and her.
Before Cree could get any closer, William swung the asparagus out at her, barely touching her. William shot a sheepish look at Cree, "Can you blame me for an attempt?" He asked.
She shot back a dirty look, "You need to work on your acting skills more." She huffed while crossing her arms. "Where's Harold?" She asked.
William pointed down, "He's fine, just down below he idly answered." Cree let a sigh of relief out. "Then help destroy this place!" She asked.
"No…" William answered back with a frown in a defensive stance, "The Broccoli stays." He firmly said to Cree.
Cree had a confused look form across her face, before glaring at William. "You better explain yourself William, and this better not be another ruse!" She demanded.
William had a pensive look on his face, "It's a bit hard to explain…"
"Well then try me!" Cree spat back glaringly.
William looked down at his asparagus he wielded, before looking back at Cree. "It's better I stab you with this to show you."
"..." Cree looked at William in befuddlement, "HAVE YOU LOST IT!?" she yelled in anger, "That's it, you somehow lost it through the Broccolium Reactor explosion!" She reasoned.
William looked down at his vegetable staff, before back at Cree. "What I know now can not be expressed with words Cree, please, trust me!" He asked honestly.
Harold looked around the place he was in, "Uh …hello?" He asked around, only to be greeted by Belstar as he emerged from a nearby wall.
Belstar looked around in confusion, before cursing under his breath. "Confound it Nesco!" He griped.
Not a second later, Chad and Stacey fell from out of the nearby Wall, while Waltham walked calmly through before a frown found its way on his face.
Waltham looked over at Belstar questioningly, who shook his head. "Nesco is up to her antics most likely." Belstar remarked.
"Who?" The two teens present asked that have yet to meet her.
Nesco hummed excitedly as she pretended to pull the strings of puppets as Cree and William exchanged blows with An electrical staff and asparagus respective.
"Damn it Will!" Started Cree as she blocked a low swing from William, "Just try explaining! It can't be that hard!" She reasoned.
William blocked a retaliated strike at his head from Cree, "And I keep telling you, what I saw and experienced is beyond words!" He returned back.
In a fit of impatience and anger, Cree struck aside William's asparagus staff and thrusted her palm out at William. A blast of wind struck his chest that sent him skidding back, prompting him to look in bewilderment at Cree and down at his chest.
Cree cursed herself, before William smirked at Her. "Damn, now I really want to see what you're capable of!" He announced.
"It was a mista-wait…" Cree began to say before she looked at William with a pissed look, "This was an act too?!" She shrieked.
"...I was serious about the Broccoli needing to stay." William simply answered.
Cree looked at William suspiciously, "And the stabbing part?" She asked.
William held and pointed the asparagus staff head end towards his stomach, "Here, watch…"
Cree moved to stop William, but too late as the Asparagus impaled through his stomach. "Damn it Will!" Cree yelled in fear for her friend.
William turned to show his side, the asparagus never went out his back side even though it was pretty far in through his stomach. He pulled the asparagus back out and looked at Cree with an honest look. "See, no damage, no hole, just some technique I can feel that has a few purposes." He shrugged.
Cree pointed at William and the Asparagus, "So all that was to see how good I can fight?" She asked pointedly
William pointed at Nesco, who was waving back teasingly. "To be honest, I was as bored as her, figured I could throw down with you for a bit." He answered back.
Cree pursed her lips in disbelief, "You're an ass, you know that!" She exclaimed, but before William said a word, he aimed his asparagus at her, "Come on, let's keep going!" he challenged.
"William…" Cree began, while pinching her nose bridge, "We need to contact the others, not fight each other." She stressed
"Tried that." William simply remarked offhandedly, "Check your Cave, been trying mine for the whole time I been up here." He sighed in frustration.
Cree looked on in confusion before hastily grabbing out her device to look at her reception. "OH YOU GOTTA BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!" She yelled before looking at William in realization. "How long have you been up here?" She asked.
William shrugged, "I'o'no." He muttered, before rolling his shoulders to get some cricks out. "An hour at least? Been in the Broccoli ocean realm for who knows how long…fucking time felt nonexistent." William explained.
"Hol' up, hol' up…" Began Cree as she held her arm out in a halting manner, "Broccoli ocean…what?"
"Damn it Nesco!" Yelled Belstar as he arrived with Waltham not far behind. Nesco giggled to herself before disappearing off into the nearby Broccoli thicket
Arriving with the two were the others, prompting William to wave at them. "It's hard to explain, but I'll try…." He began
"Everyone, STAND DOWN!" Wayne shouted from the shuttle's speakers as he approached them, "Don't do anything on the broccoli! That thing is too vital in keeping the radiation in one place! Don't cheese the thing or else we might end up having a massive broccoli farm all over the county!"
Before William was about to begin explaining, he stopped with a sigh of relief for many reasons. Less people to explain to, and an air ride was available to get off this things…but most importantly… "At least Wayne and some others caught on quick as to the purpose of the Broccolis…" he muttered to himself. Every base that now had a giant Broccoli sprouting up, needed to stay. Almost ironically becoming the treehouses for teens…
The shuttle got close to the group's location and the hatch opened with Wayne at the opposite side. The small ramp started to unfold.
"All right you guys, let's get you all down from here. The shuttle should be enough to get you all down to ground level." Wayne spoke as he gestured them all to come in.
Stacey and Chad looked at each Other in confusion while Harold scratched his head, "You mean the Broccoli needs to stay?" Asked Harold.
"Theo sent me the analysis of it when I got here. Giant Broccoli's absorbing the radiation as we speak." The Logistics Officer spoke as people got on the shuttle.
William gestured for everyone to start getting on, "I'll help explain the full reasons for all this Broccoli, it's still good for us but our good friends of the Galactic kids next door stole dozens upon dozens of Eldritch Broccoli seeds." He explained.
"WHAT?" Exclaimed everyone
"Yeah, I figured that the global meltdown wasn't caused by human error. It has alien shenanigans all over it." Wayne grimly agreed to William's declaration.
As William made for a seat within the aircraft, "Freaking planted a seed in every planet with sentient life as a failsafe." He snarked
Cree moved to sit across from William as the others sat in their own seats, she glared at him. "Explain everything, do not leave anything out!" She insisted.
Sometime later
"Which leads to the present situation." Finished William after his explanation of his experiences and revelations.
"Dude…" Muttered Harold
Chad had his mouth open in shock
Stacey looked in thought, and grumbled
Cree looked to the side and around as if trying to think of a reasonable counter, she almost couldn't believe what she was told, but…
William's scar, the unknown fabric he showed, a sliver of what the asparagus was capable of…
"I did hear about vegetable cults existing but to think that one of them has a Broccoli deity of all things… the KND would be really freaked out about this if ever they find out…" Wayne muttered as he thought of the implications of it all.
Chad clicked his teeth in annoyance, "Gonna be real hard to ease them into all this." he grimaced
"At least we know that those alien creeps consider broccoli as weakness." Wayne shook his head, "They must really be that bad if they can't stand broccoli of all things."
Harold scratched his chin in Thought, "Hey Will, I think I found our solution for space travel…" he smirked
William looked at Harold, Before realizing what he was alluding To. "No, just…no man." He shook his head, Harold waved him off. "Come On man, the place practically has time nullified there, just need to figure out some shield tech and windows to shut." He teased back.
"Still, a broccoli nodespace… That's a pretty neat way to travel fast. The Salesfather used sublight to wander across the galaxy. This discovery's wild." Wayne added as he thought deeper on what William saw.
William looked over at Wayne, "Sublight?"
"He travelled in realspace in other words. Sublight means that he did not use FTL…" The dhampir made a motion on his hand on the Commander's comment.
"Then we can't use that, space travel needs to be near instantaneous for the roads ahead." William shook his head to himself.
"You still need the ship to operate in sublight whenever they're outside the broccoli space." Wayne frowned at William's dismissal, "You need to make sure that your ship is mobile and able to move without resorting to FTL."
William acquiesced, "Fair enough, no point in mid to short range travels…"
Stacey allowed a grin to cross her face, "Not to mention, A form of space travel That the Galactic kids next door would never Touch With a hundred meter long pole." She quipped.
Cree looked at William worried as she looked At his scar, "You are okay after all that thought…right?" she asked.
"He's all right. However, we still have a problem…" Wayne took his CAVE phone and activated the hologram function to show a hologram of the world that still has radiation outbreaks growing every second, "Think you can do that trick again at a global scale before we lose more branches, Commander?"
William looked down at his staff of asparagus, and shuddered before standing up in the aircraft. "I'll be back …" he grimaced before striking at the air with the-
"William, it would be best to do it on the ground." Wayne said as the shuttle landed on the Potato Farm's landing pad and the doors opened, "You'll blow up my shuttle if you do that."
"Oh shit, right…" William gave Wayne and everyone a sheepish look.
As William struck out at the air crossways with the Asparagus, a tear into reality opened up. "Don't even ask how I know this can work or happen, it just freaking comes to me…I blame Olera or Nahbras to be honest…" he griped before disappearing into the tear, before the hole closed up behind him.
"So… is anyone up for a tour to the Potato Farm?" Wayne asked the other teens.
Stacey waved her arm up, "Ooh, got any potato launchers?" She asked gibbly
Harold looked at Stacey in amusement, "Of course you would be the one to ask that."
Wayne pointed at the vehicle at the landing pad that is actually a rocket truck with 50 pods that can launch homing potato rockets at high speeds. It also has other potato based munition crates next to the vehicle as well.
"Sweeeeet mother of mercy!" Stacey awed at the sight.
"I could use some touring." Chad shrugged, "My science class next week is studying the various uses of the tuber."
Cree groaned as she remembered that glass, "Let me guess, your teacher is doc blue?"
Chad returned Cree a look of confusion, "He's not that bad." He defended
"The guy has an unhealthy rivalry with Professor XXXL." Harold griped.
"Just remember that the farm grows special kinds of potatoes and not the usual run of the mill kind. Professor XXXL likes his stuff super mutated and useful." Wayne sheepishly said as he remembered the Professor's flamboyant spectacle as he introduced to them his work.
Cree looked off into the distance, more importantly the direction of the portal that was once opened up by William. "You almost had me worried." She thought to herself with a smirk.
"Over there is a plot made to raise the special hot potatoes that can act as hand grenades and explosive charges." Wayne said as he started give everyone a tour, "We have to refrigerate them after harvest to prevent them from detonating."
Near sundown time at the potato farm
William sat on the monobloc chair he retrieved on his return trip, leaning back in relaxation after a long day of Broccoli taming And controlling. He rested his eyes a bit as he basked in the setting sun, a sight he greatly Welcomed after his time in the Broccoli ocean abyss.
I await on mars with your promise, I held up my end of the deal.
William's eyes shot open as he sat up in shock, and looked around. "Right …" he muttered. "An Eldritch Broccoli god Now lives on mars…" he mused.
The giant Broccoli were here to stay at each base, he supposed it wasn't all bad though. The very vegetables themself are a self-sustaining energy source…
"Loads of work ahead of us." William murmured before resting his eyes once more.
In space, a group of alien man-children raged as they saw their gambit fail to come into fruition. They need to take out the planet Earth lest they start to spread. They are gaining allies now and any more than that will be ruinous for them.
(Ruinous? Really? Now I just wanna make a joke of warp shenanigans. )
"This must not stand!" Disputed Numbuh Cornicus as he slammed his 'palms' on his table
"The Broccoli seed was supposed to work! It always has!" Reasoned numbuh cow with a soft moo.
Little did they know, more alien ships outside of GKND are starting to slip past them. Ships that contain alien refugees. Aliens who saw how a species unable to take flight outside their solar system is stymying the efforts of the GKND. They intend to rebuild in the world called Earth and find the ones who rebuffed the alien man children's plots. They will not let their people die without avenging themselves after what was done to their people.
On the planet of Mars, Olera looked up to the stars in delight. A scarce few of her seedlings are coming to the Sol system, along with many others. And she thought they perished at the hands of the …. She hissed to herself, choosing not to even deign to say the organization's name right now
"To think that you would also be here, Olera…" the telepathic voice of the Salesfather spoke, "I suppose that Mars is now untouchable… Perhaps I will launch the seed of life to Venus instead."
Well well, and here I thought you perished Young one.
Olera looked towards the Earth in delight
"I will guide my new people to the stars to the best of my abilities before the day the long sleep takes me." The Salesfather huffed, "But until that day comes, this world is under my protection."
The Broccoli ocean abyss is more than welcome to offer You a place of your afterlife
"I thank you for this offer." The old Unfallen spoke, "However, I intend to rejoin the Heart after this… I am the last one that wishes to be united with them once more…"
Very well then, just Be sure to help those earthlings understand That Mars awaits a bounty of green and Broccoli.
"Very well…" was the last message of the Salesfather before silence took over.
Olera looked on into the deep space, she had peered into the abyss through her scrying, it will be a tough road ahead for those Earthlings but with the help of Alien refugees and left over acolytes of her from various alien races….
Three years…oh what fun, is what those mortals would say, what an emotion indeed
Chapter 105, Tying up a loose end
A Week later
Broccoli-treehouse Homebase
It took some great effort to renovate and repair many of the systems and rooms that were now fused with the Broccoli Tree, some parts were cordoned off till they were deemed safe while the Broccoli creatures that inhabited and defended the place were given wide berths out of caution. Upside to the creatures were their appearances few and far between each other, most teens chalked them up to patrollers.
With the Broccolium Reactors no longer reachable deep within the Broccoli trees without a reasonable amount of protective gear, We were able to still draw energy from the very Broccoli itself. Some finagling was done before we were able to get a method to draw electricity and power from the walls and certain parts of the place.
Garages were built around the base seeing as how you couldn't exactly drive into the place without some difficulty, the top of the Broccoli on the other hand made for excellent an airfield with its wide area and the rooms beneath for stowing the aircrafts away.
We're still trying to reason with the Kids Next Door about safety with Broccolium, their trepidation and disgust of Broccoli is fair with where it comes from.
Besides, it's not like we're forcing the stuff on them, they can get used to the stuff once they reach their teens.
And probably for the best, especially with the matters of the research on the Broccoliuranum warp drive.
Ah yeah, I forgot about the more potent nature of Broccoliuranum…
We had classifications of Broccoli radiation, from one to five. Broccolium sat at five, wanna know what we had to do for Broccoliuranum? Fucking raise the number up to ten. Jesus cripes.
The Radiation of Broccoliuranum always sat with a radiation of an eight point five, to a staggering nine point seven. Just barely reaching the max measurements of Broccoli radiation contamination.
The Dude in Hazmats had to upgrade their equipment, just to harvest the Broccoliuranum from deep within the Broccoli trees. Their locations deep under the large vegetable trees, their sources nigh infinite but hard to procure.
I think it has to do something with some new tech that draws in the energy source and compacts it into a bright and glowing ball within a lead container for transportation. At least I think they use Lead. Research and development have figured that Broccoliuranum is too potent to simply use on Earth for power, but to power future spaceships and their warp drives were right on the money for use.
We're still figuring out how to safely use such potent grades of Broccoli, and it's been touch and go with great effort and caution.
Much work is still ahead for restorations and fixes, but the Teen's Rebellion is recovering at a nice pace.
Homebase Showers and gym
A morning of working out a good bit had me use the base's showers for use, right now I had just put on a fresh pair of pants and shirt. A mirror by the sinks had me look at my new look, I had my hair cut to a nice and short length now.
(I'm honestly thinking of Nero's haircut from DMC 5 here for reference.)
Better than dealing with the unruly hair from before, but the scar was still prominent and a remainder of what I experienced. I glanced over at the nearby wall where the Asparagus staff was, just alone and leaning up against the corner. I don't know why, but there is always an urge to keep the damn thing close to me. I kinda chalk it up to either some sort of coping mechanism, or a deep sense that the thing is best left out of other's hands.
I frowned at that, I needed to find a way to put it in some sort of subspace within myself or something for easier carry. I don't trust the damn thing to lay around for just anyone to pick it up, I risked enough by letting it lie alone while taking a shower. I'll address the issue later when I can though.
Picking up the asparagus, I left the showers to head to the refurbished conference room to check up on things.
Conference room
As I made my way to the room in question, I could pick up chatter going on between Stacey and Nigel through a video call.
"Uncle Moosk found the nest over in South America!?" Stacey exclaimed in shock.
A pause happened from Nigel before he retorted back, "Wait Uncle, no wait, you mean all this tie stiff is real?" He asked incredulously.
I entered the room to finally see Stacey giving Nigel an annoyed look, "Isn't that why you called?" She asked with impatience and tapped her feet in annoyance.
Nigel had an expression of surprise, "I called to see if you were really related to that adult, he kept going on about his beloved niece and her crusade against tie creatures!" He rebuked.
"It's all real Nigel." I exclaimed while making way for a seat, both of their attentions were brought on to me. Nigel was the first to greet me, with Stacey next.
"Now…" I began as I made to sit with the asparagus staff placed across my lap, "What's so hard to believe?" I asked pointedly at Nigel.
He offered me a shrug in return, "I'm just being cautious here, I had to run some background checks on Moosk." Nigel answered back.
"Well…so what's your verdict now?" I smirked at him, who simply sighed back. "Um…I could use some back up with a few of you teens, think you can try skipping school to help?" He asked nervously.
Stacey and I looked at each other with undecided looks, before both of us shrugged. I looked to Nigel with an honest look, "I think I can pull some strings, I am a bit far ahead with my studies." I remarked.
Stacey formed a smirk on her face, "And I can ask Uncle Moosk to get me out of school for 'family' matters." She cheekily states.
Nigel let a relieved sigh out, "Good, more familiar faces the better." He remarked before giving his thanks and turned his call off after giving his bye.
I gave a questioning look to Stacey, "We got any of those handcrafted ties for protection from the Queen's breath blasts?" I asked her
Stacey smirked at me, "Just two unfortunately, but we should be fine as long as we keep the others tagging along to be weary of the breath blast." She remarked.
That's a relief somewhat, but this operation still needs caution and a good amount of starch weapons brought. "We still got the starch plume bomb?" I asked curiously.
Stacey frowned and shook her head, "A lot of our reserves have been hit by the Broccoli incident, but I'm sure your cousin brought his own form of starch bombs." She quipped with a smirk.
"Most likely." I mused
South America, Tieland (ironic I know)
Trekking through the vast jungles, I still can't figure why we couldn't just fly in at the destination. Stacey kept insisting that it would wake the queen up.
Wait…
Wasn't there supposed to be a traitor of some sorts during that tie episode…what was his name again?
My thoughts were interrupted by some idle chatter as we approached the camp up ahead, Moosk's and Nigel's voice was prevalent.
Right as Stacey and I reach the edge of the camp, a kid walked over to Nigel after that one froggy character spat about making the queen pay.
"...must have been this wide, Name's Windsor-" Began the kid, before all hell broke loose with Stacey.
"You!" She screamed before rushing in to take out the kid with a blast of starch from her autogun.
Before Nigel or any of the others could react in time, Windsor was hit and sent flying into a tree.
Nigel looked over at Stacey in shock, "What did you do that for!?" He asked in shock and anger, while aiming a Mustard blaster at Stacey.
…Oh shit yeah, it was Windsor that set the trap and betrays everyone…
Moosk walked over between with his hands hand, "Be calm comrads, Moosk too asks why Moosk's niece shot comrad Windsor!" He reasoned.
Stacey pointed at Windsor who was now unconscious up against a tree, "That snot nosed brat works for the tie company, most notably the son of your boss you once worked for Uncle!" She explained in anger.
Nigel lowered his gun down in shock, "Wait, what?" He asked.
I walked over to the kids and ripped open his jacket, and sure enough a hissing tie snapped out at me. I immediately went to shoot it with my starch handgun in Shock, "Cripes." I muttered, "Didn't think it would actually do that…" I muttered
I looked back over to Nigel, "Well…at least less chances of a surprise I think." I remarked.
Moosk laughed and patted Stacey's back in joy, "That's Moosk's Niece, always a step ahead!" He rejoiced.
Stacey stumbled forward from the gesture, "We wasted enough time as it is Uncle" She began to say while walking away and pointed at the stone monument building, "It's best we get started now!" She reasoned.
"Yes, yes! We'ses get ours's revenge, yes!" Giggled the frog looking fellow while carrying with him a starch gun.
…I forgot about him too, wasn't he supposed to be an impression of Gollum from Lord of the Rings?
"So…." I began to say as we began making our way into the building, "Everyone in favor of sticking together rather than splitting off into teams?" I asked
"Probably for the best." Remarked Nigel as he walked alongside me with Moosk and Stacey not far up ahead and Froggy far up ahead.
This better not turn into another…no, no jinxing it this time. Shut it thoughts!