Opening File: The Secret Scientists
An organization of scientists who protect mankind against the hidden and terrifying things of the world. There are:
Dr. Arthure Beeman, who studies aliens and UFOs. However, far from being a conspiracy nut, his obsession is apparently justified as he saved the world from invasion by figuring out the 'crop circle code'.
Dr. Paul Cheecho, a scientist specializes in cold-climate research. He and a team of experts travel the world studying strange geological anomalies.
Dr. Miranda Grey, an expert at quantum physics and works on particle acceleration in Antarctica with her robot sidekick, Deadbolt.
Dr. Henry Cheveyo, a scientist stationed at the Mesa Observatory in Arizona.
Agent Epsilon, an agent belonging to a secret organization loosely allied with the Secret Scientists, though they have their own agenda.
And finally Solomon and Drew Saturday along with their son Zak Saturday, a family of world-saving scientists called 'The Secret Saturdays'.
There is evidence that the Secret Scientists used to be larger in numbers but the majority of them were killed in a secret mission that remains classified. The Secret Scientists chose remote locations to live, far from large inhabited areas to avoid contact to remain secret and to avoid contact with the Grimm. Their existence is considered mostly rumors to all but a handful of people, including Phil Ken Sebben of GrimmFall.
Close File
Xxx
"What is it makes a legend? A piece of history? A fairy tale? Or just something we all believe to be extraordinary whether or not it actually exists." TOM stated as he closed the Secret Scientists file. "Stories circling around things like magic and heroism. Everyone knows that they don't exist but why are we drawn to them? Because sometimes we prefer fantasy over reality? Or maybe because sometimes it's very hard to tell the two apart."
Xxx
"So where are we going?" A young boy asked as he stepped onto a large airship with his parents.
He was lean built and average height and weight for his age with black hair, eyes and dark brown skin from his African-American father, but Caucasian features and a shock of white blonde hair from his mother. His clothing consisted of yellow sweatpants, an orange shirt with an 'S' on the front and a black undershirt. With him was an eight-foot tall creature that resembled a cross between a gorilla and cat with red eyes. Trailing behind them was a 250-pound, genetically altered Komodo Dragon that let out a few hisses.
"We're going to Ruins that lie in the Wildlands in America, just near GrimmFall." His father, Solomon Saturday, better known as Doc answered.
Doc was of African-American heritage, with dark skin, black hair with a streak of white going down the middle, and one dark brown eye, while the other is of a pale blue color due to his being blind in that eye. He wore a black jump suit with an orange vest over it, a yellow belt, two yellow gloves and big boots.
"It supposedly the remains of ancient civilization that goes back even before the time when the Grimm were awakened in Japan. It may even hold a clue to the origins of the Grimm and the source that spawned them." His mother, Drew Saturday said.
Drew was a tall, slim, somewhat curvaceous, and rather attractive woman. She had long pale blonde hair that bordered on white, bright blue eyes, and fair skin. Her makeup consisted of pink eye shadow and lipstick and she wore an orange suit with a belt. On her back was a cover for her Tibetan Fire Sword which was a gift from the monks who raised her after her parents were killed.
"The source?" Zak Saturday asked.
"The source was a meteor that impacted the world millions of years ago and from it came a tar like substance that is actually the substance that the Grimm are made from, the Dark Substance." Drew explained as the family airship took off. "It's been suggested that the meteor was actually the remains of a God of Darkness that was destroyed around the time the universe was formed and it floated through space for eons before finally impacting the Earth."
"Or it is a form of life that simply reproduced to survive, despite the vicious actions of the Grimm." Doc chimed in.
"Anyways…" Drew rolled her eyes. "There's been some evidence to suggest that there in fact ancient civilizations that may have encountered the Grimm even before the time of the Emperor who tried to destroy the source which is known as the Pool of Darkness when the Dark Substance threatened Kyoto."
"So what did he do?" Zak asked.
"He was given a special elixir that he believed would destroy the Dark Substance. It was supposedly a special poison that upon being exposed to light from the sun would burn the Dark Substance until it was gone." Drew explained.
"A desperate move against something no one understood. Those measures often lead to unpredictable results." Doc closed his eyes.
"Or the only known way at the time to save his kingdom." Drew retorted, annoyed by her husband's constant interruptions. "It's not like anything else they had at the time would have worked. The elixir was created by Emperor's best doctors, highly knowledgeable in mystics and poison."
"A gamble is still a gamble." Doc said.
"And sometimes a gamble is all a desperate person has." Drew said, slightly raising her voice now.
Zak sighed, readying himself for another argument. This happened a lot considering his father was scientist and believed in all things rational while his mother was a mystic and believed magic to be real and they often clashed over their ideals.
His large furry friend, his adopted brother named Fiskerton Saturday let out a few mumbles that Zak easily understood.
"You said it, Fisk."
Xxx
"So you are a ghost and a human who is the clone of another half ghost half human who is this hero from where you are from and was cloned by another 'halfa' who is obsessed with this guy's mom?" Artemis summed up Dani's story in one sentence.
As far as hero origin stories went this could actually top almost any origin story she knew, including Superboy's.
Dani nodded. "Pretty much. The guy who made me was the vampire looking ghost who took off from that lab we were in. Last time I saw him he tried to blackmail the entire world into surrendering to him in exchange for turning a comet that would have destroyed the world intangible so it would pass through the Earth instead."
"Got to say as far as hero origin stories go, that almost tops the list for me. And I've heard a few." Artemis commented.
"Yeah, I can imagine." Dani glanced at the girl in Superboy's arms. "Think she's okay?"
"She still has a heartbeat so she is alive at least." Superboy answered, adjusting his arms so the girl could rest more comfortably. "Aside from that I don't know."
"That guy said he was taking her powers." Artemis commented. "He must have tried draining her powers from her. Must be why she's still unconscious."
"So her powers might be gone?" Dani asked.
"Hard to say. We'll have to wait for her to wake up and see how she is." Artemis noticed the sun starting to go down. "It'll be getting dark soon and it'll likely be very cold."
"The cold won't bother me." Dani said, gesturing herself in her ghost form.
"Me neither." Superboy said. "But if we don't find help soon we'll probably starve. We only carry a few protein bars."
"Where are we anyways?" Dani asked, looking around.
"Not sure." Artemis answered and sighed. "But I am not sure we're even on our own worlds anymore."
"What do you mean?" Dani looked back at Artemis.
Artemis sighed, knowing she'd have to explain to Dani what was going on. "Dani, have you ever heard of the Justice League?"
Dani shook her head. "No."
"And we've never heard of Danny Phantom either." Artemis continued. "The last thing Superboy and I remember was vanishing into some sort of…wormhole generator before waking up in that lab. I don't think this is the dimension we are from."
"What?" Dani gasped, looking very scared. "So…we're on a whole new world…And no one out there knows where we are?"
"Looks like it." Artemis knelt down next to Dani. "I know it's scary but I am sure our people will be looking for us."
Dani looked down at the ground. "Looking for you maybe. Aside from Danny and his friends no one knows I exist."
"You mean he won't be looking for you?" Artemis asked.
"I…I don't exactly have a home anymore. I have been sort of living on my own and the last time Danny saw me was me flying off dramatically." Dani explained sadly. "I couldn't live with him because I was afraid of Vlad coming after me. He tried to melt me down and dissect my remains before Danny finally stabilized me. I just couldn't stay in the same city that Vlad was not only in but he was also the mayor of."
Artemis and Superboy shared a look, both of them feeling sad for this little girl who turned out to be a clone like Superboy. The difference was that Superboy who was given the name Conner Kent had his friends to help and even Superman though he was reluctant at first. Dani on the other hand had no one aside from Danny to help her only when she was in danger and was left with no home, friends or family to help her. In a way Dani was mix of Artemis and Superboy since she was a clone and her father tried to make her into a weapon.
The similarities were enough to make them wonder if this was some bizarre twist of fate.
"Dani," Artemis said, placing a hand on Dani's shoulder. "Even if no one from you world is looking for you we will still help you. We're all lost now and right now it's only us so it's better if we stick together."
Dani smiled a bit. "Right."
"Right now we better set up for the night." Artemis said as the sky grew darker. "We'll get some early sleep and try to start moving before dawn."
"Why so early?" Dani asked.
"We're in the middle of a desert and even if you and Superboy can handle it the temperature is going to get very hot when the sun comes up." Artemis said, remembering her survival lessons with her dad.
"I could always look for help. I can fly around and come back." Dani offered.
"We'll save that idea for tomorrow." Superboy gently placed Raven on the ground and started looking around for anything to be used to make a fire. "We don't know what might be out there and we're all tired from that fight and traveling through this desert."
"He's right, Dani. Let's get some rest before we try anything tomorrow." Artemis agreed.
Dani stared for a moment before nodding. "All right."
Xxx
He watched as they prepared for rest, content to remain silent. He wasn't even sure if he could even speak to them but decided for now it wasn't necessary. For the moment they were safe and that was all that mattered. He wasn't sure what to think of their stories, other than that they were apparently from other universes which was something he hadn't seen before but knew such a thing was not impossible.
For now he was content simply remain silent and watch over them until they were safe and he could figure out what to next later.
Xxx
Off in the distance, near where the group had escaped from Van Kleiss' lab a hand trailed across the ground, coming upon the tracks they had left as they left to be anywhere but here. He had arrived via portal created by Sammael which saved a lot of time for him, considering how long it would have taken to get here by foot.
Jujunga narrowed his eyes as he glanced along the trail of footprints. 'They haven't gone far. It will be easy to track them.'
The hunt had begun.
Xxx
"It has been a few hours and I can't find a portal." Skulker, the so-called greatest hunter of the Ghost Zone grumbled as he looked at his scanner.
After escaping that lab with Plasmius he had been looking for a ghost portal to return to the Ghost Zone and start planning his next hunt for the ghost boy and perhaps the little ghost girl too but for some strange reason he couldn't find a portal on his scanners. Sure portals were random and they stay open for long but Skulker was experience enough when it came to finding portals fast enough. Plasmius had long since disappeared but the hunter ghost couldn't care less. Plasmius was of no concern since he would be a wanted felon in either Earth or the Ghost Zone and Skulker considered Phantom a more worthy prey.
"A portal should have randomly formed, even in remote locations such as this place clearly is." Skulker muttered, taking note of the desert he was in. "I only need one portal and even if it lasts only a few seconds I can track the pattern until I find a portal stabilized enough to return home."
Sounded so easy and yet he was having so much trouble.
"It's nearly impossible for a portal to never form in one location of the planet. They may be random but they can appear anywhere." Skulker looked at his wrist scanner again. "But it's already been a few hours. A portal should have least been detected before disappearing by now."
Was it possible that this place was the one location on Earth where a portal could not be formed?
It was extremely unheard of but not unlikely.
If that was the case he would just have to keep on moving until he found a portal.
"If I am lucky that Ghost Boy will be along, looking for Plasmius and I'll have another opportunity to collect his pelt." Skulker took through the sky. "It's not like I am on entirely different world where there are no ghosts and no Ghost Zone."
A screech made him stop and he spotted a dark outline moving through the clouds. He activated his binoculars and looked through them, seeing a large dark winged creature.
"Hm…Possibly a large predator that likes to hunt in the desert." Skulker mused. "Perhaps I would fare better if I learned more about where I was. I'll start by following that creature. Perhaps it'll lead me to a place where I can learn where I am."
Skulker flew after the creature, following it from a safe distance.
Xxx
The tournament appeared a little bigger than everyone had initially thought but that was probably because of the number of people showing up. Tournaments were often common in GrimmFall and encouraged for possibly applicants for Nevernest and for students to learn how to defend themselves even if they have no wish to apply for Hunter training.
"Wow. Look at all the people here." Wally said, marveling at the number of applicants that were signing up for the tournament.
It turned out to be a large bunch, all of them around the same age as him, Nigel and Abby.
"I recognize one of them." Nigel whispered, his eyes landing on a red haired girl standing in the crowd. "That's Fanny Fulbright."
"That red head from school?" Abby asked, following Nigel's gaze.
"Yeah. Her father is head one of the major Dust corporations here in America." Nigel nodded. "She's really tough too. She sent Ernie and his buddies to the infirmary when they tried picking on her."
"And I thought we were the school troublemakers." Wally commented with a smirk. "I heard my uncle was hired to train her along with someone else."
"You mean Scotty Blake?" Nigel asked.
"Who?"
"As in Scotty Blake of Clan Blake from Scotland?" Abby asked, looking a little surprised now. "As in Clan Blake that are revered as being the strongest fighters on the planet?"
"Really?" Wally asked.
"You didn't know your uncle was hired to train the daughter of the head of the Fulbright Corporation? Or that he was working with the Scotty Blake who is considered one of the strongest Hunters on the planet?" Abby shook her head.
"I heard he had a job but I never asked." Wally shrugged.
"Well there's his job." Nigel said, gesturing back to Fanny. "Abby and I have known her since kindergarten. She's nice but has a bit of a temper. Hoagie's…Dad worked for her dad."
The three shared a saddened look since they knew about Hoagie losing his father.
"Recognize anyone else here?" Wally asked, changing the subject.
Nigel looked around and shook his head. "Nope."
Abby spotted someone with curly blond hair in two braids and felt something familiar.
"Abby?" Nigel asked, noticing the look on Abby's face. "Are you all right?"
"Huh?" Abby shook her head. "Sorry. I thought I…Never mind. It's nothing."
She must be imagining things.
Xxx
"This turned out bigger than I thought." Eddy commented, having come to the tournament with his fellow trainees that right now consisted only of Ed, Nazz and Johnny.
"I know. Even those Kankers freaks are here." Nazz said, frowning at the sight of the three girls who flashed smiles in her direction when they spotted her.
"Who invited them?" Eddy asked.
"It is how you say…a free country three haired Ed-Boy." Rolf replied, maintaining a calm gaze at the Kankers as he looked around even though he was not part of the tournament.
And he wasn't entirely impressed with most of the applicants who probably had no idea what it meant to be a true Huntsman.
"Plank says this ought to be a walk in the park." Johnny said, holding up Plank.
A kid talking to a piece of wood would be odd by about anyone's standards but Rolf could tell there was something about…Plank that wasn't normal.
His trained senses could see something in that piece of wood with eyes and a smile drawn onto it that made him believe there was more to it and Johnny than meets the eye.
Xxx
"This will be so awesome!" Ben Tennyson said, sitting with his cousin and grandfather in the audience.
Unlike most of the people his age he was not participating which was actually fair for everyone else considering his ability to transform into aliens with the help of the Omnitrix.
"I am just glad you didn't try to sneak in." Gwen commented.
"It would have been fun but I'd probably wipe the floor with everyone here." Ben said, leaning back on his seat.
Gwen rolled her eyes at her cousin's attitude. "Yeah, sure."
"Come on, you two. Don't start this. Nigel, Abby and Wally are participating." Max said, pointing to three kids that his grandson met in the middle of an attack.
"So how many are there?"
"They'll want to keep it small and want to go quick. A minimal of fifteen will be enough." Max answered, familiar with how such tournaments worked.
Xxx
"See anyone worth fighting?" Lee Kanker asked, crossing her arms.
The Kanker Sisters had only signed up so they could have a chance to use the suckers that signed up as outlets for their annoyance and frustration. Their mother hadn't been too happy with them for losing to a single farm boy no matter how tough he was and had sparred with them to make sure they were not going soft on her.
She made sure by not going easy on them.
"That farmer's Hunter wannabees might work." Marie said, easily spotting the ankle-biters from Peach Creek. "This will be a walk in the park."
"What happens if we fight each other?" May asked which earned her a slap on the head from Marie. "Ow! Hey!"
"Then we just fight, moron. Mom had us do the same when we were younger." Marie scoffed at her younger's sister stupidity.
"Too bad the farm boy is not participating. It would have been nice to have a rematch with him." Lee said, annoying her two sisters' fighting. "But we can see how his ankle-bitters fare. I'll take the short yappy one."
"Dibs on the big goofy one." May quickly said.
"Fine. I guess I'll take the weird kid or the blond valley girl." Marie scoffed. "Where's the cute book worm?"
"Ask and they might tell you." Lee simply answered, not really caring.
All that mattered was who the sucker that she was going to beat on was. This whole tournament was a joke and it would probably end with her and her sisters making it to the final round.
Xxx
Marceline remain composed, feeling grateful that Betty decided to remain with her as she stood with the contestants. Looking around she could see all of them looked excited with only a few of them being as composed as she was.
"Man, all these guys wanting to be Hunters." Marceline whispered as she looked around. "Have they even started on their weapons or their Semblances?"
Betty glanced down at Marceline. "Don't worry, Marceline. These tournaments are limited to hand to hand combat. These are just to show who might take the training of a Hunter seriously."
"So it's less of a tournament and more of a show." Marceline surmised.
"A show where you can get hurt if you are not being serious." Betty smiled. "So don't get in over your head, young lady."
Marceline smiled and nodded. "Right."
Betty looked up at the center of the ring where apparent referee was standing, a dog Mobian with blue fur wearing a bow-tie and a monocle . "I know that Mobian."
"Really?" Marceline asked.
"He is Sir Colin Bartholomew Montgomery Rothchild III, or Rothchild for short. He's a teacher as Nevernest Academy." Betty explained.
Marceline looked at the Mobian, finding him to be a little short to be a teacher at a Hunter Academy. "Doesn't look much."
"Don't be fooled, Marceline. He's an accomplished teacher and happens to be a friend to Phil Ken Sebben." Betty replied.
"Wow." Marceline was now impressed.
She had read about Phil Ken Sebben who was apparently not only the mayor of GrimmFall but also the headmaster of Nevernest Academy. She wondered how someone could handle the responsibility of both those kind of positions but he was respected by the majority of the Hunstmen community for his work. She now wondered if this Rothchild guy was a strong Hunter even if he looked very short.
Maybe she'd see for herself during the tournament.
Xxx
She sniffed the air, finding a familiar scent among the crowd. 'She's here. Perfect.'