On Today's Episode: A few days later, the spies start chasing the Great Kandinsky when he starts making a move for more magical gemstones, but when the spies actually acquire one of the gems Kandinsky is looking for, it becomes a race across the country to find the rest of them before the washed-up magician can get his own greasy hands on them. What is the mystery behind the Deep Power Stones and the strange power they contain, and could they possibly be coveted by other villains?
Act 3: Standing on the Border of Everything
3:41 P.M. – Beverly Hills Museum
A Few Days Later
The spies were looking in all directions for the Great Kandinsky, who had recently been caught trying to rob a museum downtown.
"Hey, why don't you stand still, you little freak?!" Clover complained.
"Oh, that hurts my feelings, spies. You'll have to do better than that to catch the world's greatest magician!" Kandinsky taunted from afar.
"More like world's biggest wash-out!" Nick commented.
"All right, this guy's already getting on my nerves," Mat groaned.
"Yeah, who wants to stomp on him this time?" Alex rhetorically stated.
"I'll take that bet," Bridget remarked as she brought out her yo-yos.
"Oh, wonderful, it's the yo-yo girl," Kandinsky taunted again.
"That's not all she's known for, ya know!" May shot back at him.
"Hey, these yo-yos can work some magic of their own, as you know pretty well," Bridget smirked. "Want me to demonstrate?"
"Another time, my dear," Kandinsky sneered.
"Oh, no you don't! You're not getting away from us!" Nick proclaimed.
"Yeah, like it or not, you're getting a demonstration!" Sam added.
"Time for you to have an ass-kicking on us!" Bridget shouted as she jumped forward and threw one of her yo-yos to hook it around Kandinsky's leg and yank him backwards so that Nick could fly into the air and blast him down with a flurry of psychic bolts.
"You wanna give it up now?" Nick taunted.
"Ah, it seems you have powers of your own, boy," Kandinsky laughed.
"Don't give that ol' 'I forgot' routine, you nut," Nick retorted. "You, of all people, should know that it was your meddling that gave me my powers in the first place."
"Well, then, boy, we are at a magical impasse," Kandinsky quipped. "Shall we make a show out of it?"
Kandinsky waved his wand and cast a spell that caused a dozen clones of himself to appear and surround the spies.
"Oh, wonderful, he's pulling this trick," Mat groaned.
"But which one's the real Kandinsky?" Alex gasped.
Nick closed his eyes and focused, trying to use his psychic abilities to find the real Kandinsky in the crowd.
And just as he expected, Kandinsky's thoughts were only coming from him and not his magical clones, so Nick spun to the southwest and fired a blast from his hands to knock down the real Kandinsky, his clones disappearing upon impact.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Nick taunted.
Kandinsky simply picked himself back up and created more clones to surround the spies, only this time the clones all kept moving around instead of just staying still and advancing threateningly.
Still, it wasn't hard for Nick to pick out the real Kandinsky so he could send him flying by throwing his hands forward and hitting Kandinsky with a short-range psychic shockwave.
"I can keep this up all day, you know," Nick chuckled.
"Then it seems we will have to cut this show short," Kandinsky proclaimed. "After all, I do have something very interesting to find."
With that, Kandinsky fired a blast of magic into the ground in front of him, creating a cloud of dust to obscure his escape.
"Aw, man, did he flake off again?" Clover groaned. "This is really getting old by now!"
"He didn't get far," Nick responded after using his psychic radar to search for Kandinsky. "I think we can still catch him if we hurry."
That said, the seven spies all followed Nick as he continued to use his psychic radar to pinpoint Kandinsky's location, eventually finding themselves back at the museum that Kandinsky had tried to rob that had led to this wild chase.
The spies all moved towards the back of the museum, where they could now see a strange portal in the back entrance lobby, with magical sparkles swirling around the portal.
"...okay, if that isn't weird, I don't know what is," Alex quipped. "And we've seen some weird things in our time with W.O.O.H.P., so..."
"I wonder what's in there?" Sam wondered. "And if it has something to do with whatever Kandinsky's trying to find?"
Nick took a step closer to the portal and looked inside, only for some strange, invisible force to yank him inside the portal, which closed almost immediately after.
When Nick could see again, he found himself inside an incredibly trippy void of bluish-violet light, with strange hexagonal patterns dotting the sky around him, along with small blue orbs everywhere.
Nick tried to start floating, only to realize he couldn't do that for some reason. As he began to fall, he instinctively reached towards one of the small blue orbs that were all over this place, and a large string of psychic energy shot out from his hand to latch onto the orb, allowing him to swing forward on the orb.
As Nick swung around on the orb, he dispelled the psychic rope and latched onto another orb in the same manner to swing that way.
Feeling like he was getting the hang of whatever was going on, that was when Nick noticed a strangely-shaped diamond floating through the void.
Realizing that this gem was probably what Kandinsky had been trying to find for whatever reason, Nick continued to swing his way through the void, avoiding oddly-placed bombs and doing his best not to fall to the bottom of this place, if it even had a bottom.
Eventually, Nick's swinging paid off, and he managed to catch up to the gem, yanking it close to him with his psychic grab. The instant the gem was in his hands, a blinding light filled the area.
When Nick could see again, he was back in front of the rest of the spies, the portal he'd used to enter that strange place closing up.
"Whoa, Nick, you okay?" Sam asked. "What the heck just happened?"
"I'll be honest with you, I'm not entirely sure," Nick quipped, glancing down at the ruby-red gemstone in his hands. "All I'm sure of is that I had to play Tarzan in a trippy void to grab this gem, and I have a feeling this is what Kandinsky was trying to find."
"That's right, it is," Kandinsky stated as he appeared in a cloud of magical dust in front of the spies. "Now hand it over unless you want me to turn you all into frogs."
"Empty threats, buddy," Nick chuckled as he blasted Kandinsky backwards with a trio of psychic bolts. "Now beat it."
"It seems that I've been outplayed for now," Kandinsky conceded. "But this is only the beginning. Remember, magic is my nature, and nature always wins."
Kandinsky vanished in another cloud of magic dust, leaving the spies to ponder what the deal was with this mysterious gemstone.
Again with that phrase, Nick thought. Why the heck is it such a popular buzzword with our rogues' gallery lately?
5:07 P.M. – W.O.O.H.P. Headquarters
Jerry's Office
"Hey, Jerry?" Sam proclaimed as the seven spies walked into Jerry's office. "We sent Kandinsky running for the moment, but we think we found something he was looking for, and we're not entirely sure what it is."
"Can you scan your database, RiCO?" Jerry asked.
"I'm on it," RiCO responded after materializing in the office, closing her eyes and searching through every entry she had in her internal database.
After thirty seconds of searching, RiCO's eyes pinged open.
"I think that's a Deep Power Stone," RiCO answered. "According to my data banks, there's a legend about five mysterious gemstones that each contain great power, once wielded by an ancient tribe of magic practitioners. But, when the tribe realized how powerful the Deep Power Stones truly were, they used the last of their magic to seal the gems away within spatial rifts so nobody except someone with powers like them could find it. There's an article about them at the museum, which is probably what spurred Kandinsky into searching for them."
"Now that you mention it, there was a portal in the back of the museum that took me into that rift to swing my way after the stone," Nick quipped. "I'm willing to bet that Kandinsky found a way to open one of those spatial rifts but couldn't figure out what exactly to do in there."
"According to the ancient texts, there are supposedly five different Deep Power Stones," RiCO stated. "And that probably means that Kandinsky isn't quite done searching for them."
"Hey, at least we've got a leg up on him thanks to Nick finding the first one," Alex stated.
"Jer, let us know if you catch any sign of Kandinsky again," Mat proclaimed. "Now that we know he's searching for the Deep Power Stones, we might be able to cut him off."
"Hold that thought," Jerry stated when he noticed something interesting on the office viewscreen, which was displaying RiCO's tracking program. "It seems like there's been a disturbance spotted somewhere in Phoenix, Arizona."
"Guess Kandinsky's doing half of the work for us," Clover chuckled. "Let's go and make it two for two, shall we?"
6:12 P.M. – Phoenix, Arizona
"Pardon me if I'm not sure, but... what exactly are we looking for?" May wondered once the spies touched down in Phoenix. "Is there any way we can track the Deep Power Stones?"
"I did manage to scan a sample of the energy readings from the one you've already found," RiCO answered. The red Deep Power Stone was being kept at W.O.O.H.P. for safety, as would the others once they were found. "At the very least, it should lead you to a rift so you can try and claim it before mister magician does."
"Guess that's our cue to follow the blinking lights," Bridget teased as the spies all began following RiCO's readouts in hopes of finding a rift that would allow them to claim the second Deep Power Stone before Kandinsky did.
"Believe me when I say this A.I. WILL NOT let you down," RiCO told the spies.
"I have a feeling that's going to stand true," Mat stated.
"Most A.I.s can get pretty mean on some subjects," RiCO quipped. "I'm one of the few A.I.s who do not."
"That's a pretty bold statement I'm willing to believe myself," Sam remarked.
The spies went in any direction RiCO's radar took them to.
"Holy crapbaskets," Mat remarked. "That's Chase Field!"
"And I'm picking up something there," RiCO stated.
"I'm surprised you know this place, Mat," Bridget commented.
"Years of watching Supercross on TV does that to me," Mat quipped.
Sam sighed a bit, knowing that sports talk is notoriously a guy thing (and a girl thing at times).
"How're we gonna get in?" Clover wondered.
"Well, we have to hope it's some kind of media day or something," Mat guessed.
"Time to blend in," Sam quipped as she got out her X-Powder.
Alex and Clover followed, and Mat got out his Game Boy Advance SP.
"I think this could be my calling," Mat commented.
"I wouldn't be surprised, bro," Nick stated. "I've got a bit of a sports bug in me, too."
"Except it could be Motocross and/or basketball for me," Mat remarked. "And for the record, I might've suggested the old Sun Devil Stadium if RiCO didn't pick up anything."
7:01 P.M. – Phoenix, Arizona
Chase Field
"It's no media day, unfortunately," May told the others. "It's a straight-up game!"
"Great... where do we start?" Clover wondered.
"It looks like the game just went final first of all," Alex told everyone.
Something on the scoreboard caught Sam's eye.
"You see something?" May asked.
"Totally," Sam replied. "The scoreboard... but we have to wait until this crowd leaves."
"I bet it's that next power stone," Mat replied in hope.
Nick nodded in agreement.
After waiting just long enough for the game to end and the crowd to start shuffling out of the stadium, the spies all moved to check out the scoreboard to see if it could lead them anywhere.
And right there, on the walkway just behind the scoreboard, was another portal much like the one behind the museum. And Nick could see that it led to the same trippy realm that he'd found the first stone in.
"Welp, wish me luck," Nick quipped as he stepped forward, only to be gently pulled back by Bridget.
"Let me give this one a whack, 'kay?" Bridget offered. "Can't have you stealing the spotlight all the time, can we?"
"...okay, point," Nick chuckled as Bridget jumped into the portal.
After the customary flash of light, Bridget found herself in the same trippy void that Nick had swung through back in Beverly Hills, and right away, she could see the blue Deep Power Stone floating away from her.
Thinking fast, Bridget threw her yo-yos out to grapple on one of the blue spheres and swing her way through the rift, occasionally having to change direction, since this stone seemed to be actively trying to avoid her.
While swinging across the blue orbs, Bridget watched which way the stone was moving so she could redirect herself mid-swing if need be, realizing that the only way she was going to catch up (if she didn't want to spend all day swinging around this place) was if she cut the stone off in its flight path.
After jumping over a strange crystal formation, Bridget grappled to another orb with her yo-yos, only to realize it was actually a large, spiked mine she hadn't seen thanks to the crystal. She quickly dislodged her yo-yos, only for the mine to explode away from her and bounce her up slightly.
Okay, so I can grapple on those as long as I don't pull myself into it, good to know, Bridget thought as she kept swinging across the rift.
Occasionally, the stone would change directions and start floating the other way, but Bridget kept pace with it as best she could until she grapple to something that looked like an accelerator of sorts, and it swiftly flung her forward through the "air"...
...and right in front of the stone.
Satisfied with that outcome, Bridget hooked the stone with her yo-yo and pulled it towards her, and the instant it was in her hands, another flash of light occurred, and she found herself back on the scoreboard walkway in front of the other six spies, the blue Deep Power Stone clutched tightly in her hands.
"And that's two," Bridget giggled. "We're making some real progress, huh?"
"Why did I picture you having the time of your life swinging around in there?" Nick chuckled.
"Hey, it was pretty fun," Bridget admitted.
"And it looks like you might be making some more soon," RiCO answered from Nick's X-Powder. "I just picked up another energy reading from the stones somewhere in Las Vegas."
"That was pretty convenient, huh?" Clover quipped.
"Maybe the other stones are reacting to the ones we found," May stated. "It's just a theory, but it would make the most sense."
"Off we go to Vegas, then!" Alex proclaimed.
7:57 P.M. – Las Vegas, Nevada
"Wow, look at this place," May gasped once the spies had landed in Las Vegas, gasping in awe at how extravagant the city looked at night. "Truly the 'City of Lights' of the states."
"I've actually been here before, believe it or not," Bridget responded. "My parents took me on vacation here when I was ten, and it was amazing."
"Ooh, did I ever tell you about our last mission in Paris?" Clover giggled. "I met this incredibly hunky..."
"Down, Clover," Mat quipped. "There's a time and place to swoon over your 'baguette dreamboat', and this isn't it."
"Oh, come on, just a bit of swooning?" Clover gasped dramatically.
"Oy vey," May sighed.
"To get us back on track," Nick stated. "Any sign of the next Deep Power Stone, RiCO?"
"I'm picking up the signal at the top of the Stardust Resort and Casino," RiCO answered.
"I heard they're actually going to demolish that place soon," May stated as they flew up towards the Stardust.
"I think it's because they're gonna be building a new resort on the site," Bridget answered. "I think it's called 'Echelon Place'?"
"Do let me know if I'm interrupting something."
When the spies made their way to the top of the hotel, they found Kandinsky waiting for them, piloting a very strange pod-like machine. Another rift portal was open behind him.
"You won't be getting the third stone so easily, spies," Kandinsky laughed. "I'll see to that personally."
"Oh, like we'd be scared of a silly little flying toy," Sam taunted.
"Then how about you be scared of this?!" Kandinsky proclaimed, aiming his wand towards the spies and firing a blast of magic into the ground beneath them. This blast dislodged a large chunk of the Stardust roof with everyone but Nick stuck on it when Kandinsky activated his machine and unfurled a large set of helicopter blades that started spinning rapidly to send the roof chunk and its passengers high into the sky.
This left May on the roof with the portal.
"Welp, here goes nothing, I guess," May quipped as she jumped into the portal.
Meanwhile, high in the sky, Kandinsky pivoted his machine to face the floating spies, who all quickly activated their Jetpack Backpacks (except for Nick, who could fly thanks to his powers).
"Let's see how you fare this time, shall we?" Kandinsky laughed as his machine fired a trio of yellow energy orbs towards the spies.
"Come on, you washed-up sideshow act, we really don't have time for your crazy today," Alex taunted as she dodged and weaved through the orbs.
"So help me, you'll see who's really washed out!" Kandinsky shot back, firing a blast of magic from his wand towards Alex that Nick blocked with a psychic barrier.
"Touch my girlfriend again, and I break that wand on your face," Nick retorted, before glancing Alex's way. "...um, am I allowed to call you my girlfriend yet, or..."
"Of course, silly!" Alex giggled. "I did kiss you, ya know."
"Okay, good," Nick quipped as he and Alex faced down Kandinsky's machine.
"Ah, so the newly-minted couple steps up to play, huh?" Kandinsky laughed as he pivoted his machine to fire another trio of magic orbs their way, only for something to strike the back of his machine.
The cause turned out to be Bridget, who was now wielding what appeared to be enhanced versions of her yo-yos.
"Ta-da!" Bridget proclaimed.
"Nice upgrade, Bridget," Nick teased.
"Why, thank you," Bridget chuckled. "These bad boys were fresh from the R&D labs, created specifically for me and my yo-yo slinging repertoire. These are my new Super Elongated Titanium Yo-Yos, with super extra-long reinforced string to up my range, and constructed with double-folded raritanium plating to make them both ultra-sturdy and ultra-sharp!"
"Is there a rest stop between now and the point, yo-yo girl?" Kandinsky groaned, only for Bridget to whip her new yo-yos outwards around her and actually tear a noticeable gash in his machine with them.
"That's the point, magic man," Bridget responded as she began performing more yo-yo tricks around her, forcing Kandinsky to pilot his machine away from Bridget.
But in doing so, Kandinsky failed to notice Nick's right hand glowing a bright green as he charged up for something.
"Stop pestering me and let me concentrate on my show, you little charlatan!" Kandinsky shouted.
"Um, thanks for waiting, by the way," Nick proclaimed, little rings of green light began spiraling around his hand as he continued to charge up. "Looks like you're gonna be the first baddie who gets to taste my new finishing move."
Bridget slashed one of her yo-yos across the side of Kandinsky's machine to stall it just long enough for Nick.
"Your show is canceled, magic boy!" Nick shouted. "Final Shine Attack!"
Nick thrust his right hand forward, unleashing a massive beam of neon-green light from his open palm that thundered through the air and pierced straight through Kandinsky's machine. Naturally, this left Kandinsky with no choice but to eject from the machine just as it overloaded and exploded, sending debris and machinery parts flying every which way.
Eventually, everyone landed back on the roof of the Stardust, Kandinsky picking himself up quickly despite his destroyed machine.
"You haven't beaten me yet," Kandinsky groaned. "I have only begun to perform, after all."
Before Nick could raise his hand to capture him, Kandinsky fired a blast of magic into the ground, creating a cloud of light to obscure his escape.
"Why do they always do that?" Bridget groaned.
"Well, good news," May quipped as she returned from the rift with the yellow Deep Power Stone in her hands. "We have officially acquired the third stone."
"Only two more to go, right?" Alex wondered.
"Any leads on that, RiCO?" Nick asked.
"Yup," RiCO responded, displaying a map on Nick's X-Powder screen. "You're all headed off to the Everglades."
"Here's hoping we can beat Kandinsky there," Sam stated as the seven spies all hopped onto the Skyskimmer so they could take off for the Everglades.
"So much for a third quick mission," Clover commented.
"Clover, you had to think this was only temporary," Alex reasoned.
"Totally," Sam added. "As much as I want to do something else with Mat at the moment, it'll have to wait."
"That'd be good, to be honest," Mat commented. "I'm already looking forward to the next thing we do together, whenever that'll be."
Some of the spies felt that tension easing one notch.
That was when Alex got a look at Nick, who seemed to be focused on stopping Kandinsky once they got to the Everglades.
She decided to sit down next to him and ease some more of the tension.
"Oh, hey, so... I didn't make things awkward by calling you my girlfriend in the middle of that fight?" Nick wondered.
"If anything, I was flattered," Alex giggled.
"Okay, good, so I didn't make a mook out of myself," Nick chuckled. "Like I said, I really want to make this work, so..."
"Wait, am I your first girlfriend?" Alex asked.
"Honestly, yes," Nick admitted. "My other crushes didn't really go beyond the 'crushing', and the one time I did try to ask a girl out, well..."
Alex just smiled and hugged Nick from the side.
The entire time, Bridget and May looked away to give Nick all privacy possible.
9:02 P.M. – Miami-Dade, Florida
Everglades National Park
"We made it," Clover stated.
"Hopefully we don't see Kandinsky anywhere," Mat replied.
"My sensors are not picking him up," RiCO stated from Sam's X-Powder.
"That's a good sign," Bridget remarked.
"The Everglades are humongous, though," May replied. "I should know..."
That caught the attention of the main spy trio.
"You came here before?" Sam wondered.
"No doubt about it," May answered. "I remember one time thinking why I couldn't swim on a camping trip; my folks and I travelled here for years, but I wanted out after three years and not getting to swim once because my parents just wouldn't let me."
"I bet that had to suck," Alex commented.
"For that time, I lived with it," May replied. "Then, my own parents stopped going because I just didn't want to go again after three years."
"I came here, too," Bridget stated. "The scenery's still wonderful, though."
"No doubt it is," May replied. "When you can see the sunset just right, oh, man, it's one of the most beautiful things you could ever see."
"I actually saw an alligator once," Bridget quipped. "Believe it or not, I waved to it and it actually responded."
"It did?" Alex chuckled.
"Yeah, it kinda moved its head at me before swimming away," Bridget replied. "Steve Irwin would be proud. I just wish the rest of my classmates believed me..."
"Ah, good times," May stated.
"Well, memories aside, hopefully we can pick up that next stone," Mat remarked. "As much as I like memory lane, I have zero memories here. Until I joined W.O.O.H.P., I'd never travelled further than Vegas..."
"That's a bit sad, but sometimes travel isn't for everyone," Nick replied reasonably.
"True," May remarked. "And a fear of flying is not unheard of, but I doubt that's your case, Mat."
"You're right," Mat replied. "I just have no family who lives on the mainland, as Hawaii residents call the continental U.S."
"Just keep going straight, spies," RiCO replied from Sam's X-Powder.
"Let's just hope there's no bears or anything nearby," Mat stated.
"Tell me about it," Clover groaned.
"Why would there be bears here in the Everglades?" Sam wondered.
"I wouldn't put it past Kandinsky to try something like that," Mat answered.
"On that note, is there any sign of the rift?" Bridget asked.
"I think it's right in front of us," Nick quipped, pointing to just ahead, where a shimmering portal was open near one of the swamp areas.
"Well, that was easy," May noted. "Who's going in this time?"
Suddenly, a blast of magic shot in from far off and collided with the ground near the spies, exploding into a flash of light and forcing them to scatter in different directions.
"That would be me, you little no-talent punks," Kandinsky cackled as he made his presence known.
"Um, you're calling us 'no-talent punks'?" Mat taunted. "Look at you! You're the one who turned to stealing art just because your 'magic' got exposed for what it really is!"
"You really think you're in any position to be making threats at me, boy?" Kandinsky shot back.
Nick took a step forward, letting his psychic aura flare to life around him. "I wouldn't go that far," Nick taunted. "Because if you want to see real magic, Kandinsky, then I'll show you real magic!"
Nick ducked under another magic blast, then aimed his right hand to fire a Final Shine Attack into Kandinsky's chest, sending him skidding back a few feet.
"Oh, you can dial the power on that down?" Alex wondered.
"Yup, I can adjust how much power I use for it if I'm attacking something sturdy or something fake like him," Nick quipped.
"Oh, now you're a comedian, huh?" Kandinsky shouted as he waved his wand, then snapped it down to create illusionary crocodiles all around the spies.
"Someone needs to get into that portal before Kandinsky can!" Sam exclaimed.
"I'll take that, then," Alex responded.
"I'll cover ya, Alex!" Nick stated, firing a flurry of psychic bolts to dispel a few of the illusions and give Alex enough room to make a break for the rift.
Kandinsky attempted to fire another blast of magic at Alex, but Nick raised his hand to project a barrier in the path of the blast, easily blocking it so that Alex could jump into the rift, which closed behind her.
"Just let it go, Kandinsky," Nick taunted. "We've already got three of the stones, and we're about to get another one."
"This is only the beginning of my show, you brats!" Kandinsky retorted. "Now taste my power!"
The spies all prepared themselves for whatever Kandinsky was going to pull next.
Meanwhile, inside the rift, Alex momentarily panicked when she realized her Jetpack Backpack wasn't working in here for whatever reason and started falling, but she quickly reached for one of the blue orbs, and a long strand of blue light connected her to it so she could swing around on it.
Oh, yeah, that's how Nick said he and the others did it, Alex thought.
After swinging on a few orbs, Alex noticed the fourth Deep Power Stone floating around through the rift, though this one appeared to be taking a more vertical path than the others had.
Remembering the others' advice, Alex began swinging her way through the rift, occasionally having to get creative to slip through the gap between two large crystal formations that would have blocked her way otherwise.
After hitting an accelerator that flung her forward, Alex made a grab for the stone, only for it to abruptly float upwards and away from her grasp.
That was also when Alex noticed a strange device with four upward rings. She grappled over to that, and instead of flinging her forward like the accelerators, this one sent her soaring much higher into the air.
So that's how I'm gonna catch this one, I guess, Alex thought.
Occasionally, Alex would have no choice but to grapple to a mine, remembering what Bridget had said about her time in a rift, and sure enough, Alex let go of her grapple before she could hit the mine and it exploded safely away from her, bouncing her just high enough to grapple to another blue orb and continue the chase.
Alex knew she had to hurry and catch this dumb stone, since she had no idea how long she could stay in here, so she started to find creative ways to cut off the stone's flight path, occasionally using the "lifters" (her word) to get much more height and figure out which way to go.
Eventually, Alex managed to take a devious route by deliberately moving away from the stone, guessing it would go the other way, then grappled straight to the west and hit one more accelerator that finally flung her to right in front of the stone.
Alex reached out to grapple to the stone and snatch it up, a flash of light depositing her back in the Everglades with the green Deep Power Stone clutched in her hands.
When she heard something strange, Alex jumped into the air to avoid a rampage of snapping alligators.
"Keep your eye on the birdie," Kandinsky chuckled, aiming his wand for Alex.
"Keep your eye on this," Nick taunted, knocking Kandinsky down with another Final Shine Attack.
"I got stone number four!" Alex exclaimed when the spies all regrouped with her. "That one was annoying to get, let me tell you."
"Then that probably means the final stone's gonna be the hardest one to claim," Bridget quipped. "But let's worry about that later, once we've taken care of mister fake stagehand over here."
"You won't best me that easily," Kandinsky proclaimed. "After all, we're in the middle of nature, and doesn't nature always win?"
"All right, you, start yapping," Nick retorted. "So many of the baddies we've busted recently have been spouting that phrase once we've caught them. What, exactly, are you trying to tell us?!"
"You really think I'm going to spill the beans?" Kandinsky laughed. "A true magician never reveals the secret to their show. You're just going to have to figure it out for yourselves!"
With that said, Kandinsky fired a blast of magic into the ground to obscure his escape.
"Okay, this is getting really old by now," Sam groaned.
"Hey, at least we've got the fourth Deep Power Stone and Kandinsky has jack and squat," May quipped. "And that means only one more to go, right?"
"Speaking of that, spies, I've just got a lock on the final stone's energy readings," RiCO answered. "For this one, it looks like you'll be heading to Arlington, Texas."
"Ooh, does that mean it's time to be a cowboy again?" Clover chuckled.
"We'll see when we get there, I guess," Nick quipped as the Skyskimmer flew close to pick them up so they could head off towards Texas.
As they flew, both couples made sure to get some time in with each other, knowing they probably would have to deal with Kandinsky yet again when they reached Texas.
To pass the time, Bridget even showed off some more of her yo-yo tricks (this time with her normal yo-yos, thankfully) and Sam, Alex, Clover and Mat were definitely impressed.
Here's hoping it won't be much longer until we can wrap this case up, Nick thought. And hopefully we can figure out just what the hell "nature always wins" is referring to.
10:36 P.M. – Arlington, Texas
Globe Life Park
"This the place, RiCO?" Sam asked once the Skyskimmer had touched down in Arlington, just outside of Globe Life Park, home stadium of the Texas Rangers.
"I'm detecting an energy reading somewhere inside the stadium," RiCO responded.
"Well, at least there's no game going on today, right?" May stated, noting how empty the stadium looked. "That should give us free reign to find that last stone before Kandinsky does."
"Let's hope, right?" Bridget replied as the seven spies all shuffled into the stadium to begin searching for the rift that would lead them to the final Deep Power Stone.
"Is this a venue for the Supercross you spoke of, Mat?" Nick wondered.
"Not that I know of," Mat answered. "I've only seen the Houston Astrodome, the new Reliant Stadium, and Texas Stadium in Irving."
"Those I'm familiar with," Nick commented.
"Who knows, maybe this could be that next new venue soon," May remarked.
"It could," Mat commented. "If it's a football or baseball stadium, it's got a chance."
The spies moved around and split up to cover more ground. Some checked out the field, some checked out the stands, and some checked out other spots.
"Isn't there any irony that these spots are all landmarks some of us are familiar with?" Alex wondered.
"Maybe a bit," Sam stated over the Ear Ring Communicator.
"But if this is where RiCO spotted anything, we're not going to second-guess anything," Bridget stated.
"No doubt," Nick remarked as he was with Alex.
Bridget and Clover were checking out the stands with Sam and Mat while May was getting other spots in the hallway, and even spots that were reserved for media people only.
"Clover and I don't spot anything yet," Bridget told everyone.
"Nada in the media spots," May added.
"The stands aren't providing much help," Mat added.
"Hold on... I found something," Sam replied.
She happened to be in the east end of Globe Life Park, staring at what appeared to be a note addressed to the spies.
"I guess we know that means send it to Jerry and RiCO," Mat quipped.
"I found the next rift, too," Bridget added.
"Hold on, Bridget," Nick stated. "Tell us where in the stands you are!"
"I'm right on the third base side," Bridget answered.
"I've also got some trouble in my part," May replied, pretty stressed.
"Is it Kandinsky?" Nick wondered.
"Yeah!" May chastised. "I'm holding him off for now, but not sure for how much longer!"
"Hang tight, May, we're coming!" Sam exclaimed.
"Okay, I'll take the rift," Bridget told them.
"We'd better hurry, then," Mat replied, slightly anxious by this turn of events.
Bridget nodded to herself before jumping into the rift, finding herself inside the trippy void once again. The instant she noticed the purple Deep Power Stone floating away from her, she unfolded her yo-yos and set to work, grappling across the void as best she could.
Occasionally, the stone would get tricky with her and fly underneath one of the crystal formations that she couldn't break through, but Bridget took the high road instead, using an accelerator to fly over the entire crystal formation and get a step closer to catching it.
After swinging around another field of mines, the stone decided to fly higher into the air, so Bridget grappled to a lifter that sent her higher up to keep pace with the stone.
At one point, a massive wall of crystal stood in Bridget's way, with no possible way around it, and she knew she couldn't afford to waste time trying to grab this stone if she wanted to get out and help the others deal with Kandinsky.
So, Bridget decided to improvise, letting herself fall until she was right under the crystal wall and grappling to another blue orb to swing under it and back into the air, still keeping up with the retreating stone thanks to that.
After passing a few more crystal formations, Bridget used a lifter to soar over another one and hit an accelerator that flung her closer to the stone, though she was still just out of reach.
Thankfully, it didn't take much longer, with Bridget swinging under another crystal wall and hitting a lifter that sent her soaring to right in front of the stone. Bridget swung her yo-yos out to catch the stone, and one flash of light later, she was back in the stadium, the purple Deep Power Stone clutched safely in her hands.
"And that should be all five," Bridget quipped. "That one was surprisingly easier than I thought it'd be, though..."
Bridget's musings were interrupted when a blast of magic flew by her, and she looked in its direction to see Kandinsky running away from the rest of the spies, occasionally firing magic blasts at them to slow them down.
Bridget placed the purple stone in her Jetpack Backpack, then waited for Kandinsky to get close enough before whipping out her yo-yos and hooking them around Kandinsky's ankle. When Kandinsky tried to keep running, Bridget yanked her yo-yos back, sending Kandinsky flipping into the air.
Nick took this opportunity to raise his hand and capture Kandinsky inside of a psychic bubble.
"Well, well, magic man, look at where we are now," Nick chuckled. "That's all five Deep Power Stones for us, and jack and squat for you. Maybe next time, don't leave a big ol' trail for us to follow if you want to succeed in your schemes."
"That power is rightfully mine!" Kandinsky shouted, beating on the edge of the bubble to no avail. "How dare you take it from me?!"
"Oh, just stuff a cork in it already," Bridget quipped. "We won, and you lost. Just accept it already."
"This isn't the last you'll see of me, spies!" Kandinsky retorted as a W.O.O.H.P. chopper flew by, ostensibly to pick up their captive. "After all, nature always wins, and you haven't even seen its full wrath yet!"
"Didn't Bridget tell you to stuff a cork in it?" Nick shot back. "And stop spouting that phrase, it's getting real annoying by now."
Nick flicked his right hand upward to send the bubbled Kandinsky to the chopper, if only to silence is rambling.
"Well, am I glad that's over," Clover quipped. "Took a lot longer than I'd hoped, but at least we've taken care of business, right?"
"Seems like it to me," May replied. "Now let's get out of here and get back to W.O.O.H.P., shall we?"
The Skyskimmer parked just outside of the stadium so that the spies could leave Texas and return to Beverly Hills.
11:45 P.M. – W.O.O.H.P. Headquarters
Jerry's Office
"And purple makes five," Bridget quipped as she placed the last stone in the case with the others, the case quickly closing up and locking itself up with all five Deep Power Stones safely tucked away inside.
"Marvelous job as always, spies," Jerry proclaimed. "We'll make sure that Kandinsky can't get out any time soon."
"We're already making improvements to the containment facility, and we're actually also in the process of constructing a brand new containment facility," RiCO answered after materializing in the office. "We figured, given what I'm capable of, we could construct a place that uses my systems as an intermediary and make it that much harder for your rogues' gallery to break out."
"Once again, you are a lifesaver, RiCO," May chuckled.
"Aw, you guys," RiCO giggled, happy to hear that. "I'm just doing my part for the team."
"With that all done and dusted, how about we head home, everybody?" Sam stated.
Before anyone could respond to that, a large rumble shook the area, forcing the spies to jump slightly to keep their balance.
"Okay, what the heck was that?!" Alex gasped. "It sounds like something just blew up!"
"I'm scanning the area now," RiCO responded, the office viewscreen pivoting around Beverly Hills as RiCO utilized W.O.O.H.P.'s orbital transmission satellites to pinpoint where that explosion had come from.
Nick felt his blood run ice cold when the screen stopped on where the blast had come from. It was in a residential neighborhood that he realized...
...no.
All Nick could do was repeat the word "no" on increasingly tense loop as he charged out of the office, the rest of the spies following him as quickly as they could.
By the time the remaining six spies caught up with Nick, they could only gasp and stare in horror at the sight before them.
It was the Kelly house.
Or rather, what was left of it.
Pieces of the house had been scattered in every direction by the explosion, and much of the remains were currently ablaze.
Nick could only hope that his parents hadn't gotten caught in the explosion as he rushed forward, psychically flinging debris out of his way while the rest of the spies moved to assist however they could.
As Nick continued to chuck debris aside, he frantically used his psychic radar to scan for any thoughts in the nearby area.
But when he only sensed the thoughts of his fellow spies in the vicinity, he felt another chill running down his spine.
Please don't tell me I'm too late, Nick thought, still hoping that they had survived.
Sadly, his efforts were for naught.
May called the spies over after dousing another flaming wreck with her Ultra High Pressure Water Cannon, a gadget shaped like a pirate ship cannon crossed with a water pipe that allowed its user to shoot blasts of water at varying intensities.
Nick flung the debris away, only for his worst fears to be realized when he saw the two bodies under the wreckage, the bodies of his mother and father.
Nick took a step back, still unwilling to believe what he was seeing. But there it was, mocking him with each glance he took.
Just then, Sam noticed something strange on the bodies.
"...those are stab wounds," Sam gasped, stepping forward to take a closer look. "I don't think it was the explosion that killed them."
"Wait, so somebody just flat-out murdered them, then blew the house up?!" Mat shouted. "Who the hell would do such a thing?!"
"That, you little Hawaiian punk, would be me."
Nick spun around so fast he was surprised he didn't get whiplash, as did the other spies, to behold the smugly grinning face of Tim Scam.
"I figured I'd need to plan a suitable revenge for my last defeat, after all," Scam chuckled. "This seemed like the most satisfying option available to me."
"So you jump straight to cold-blooded murder just because we foiled whatever bull you were planning before?!" Sam shouted. "You've really lost your mind this time, Scam!"
"You have five seconds to get over here before I waltz over there and strangle you with my yo-yos," Bridget growled, whipping her Super Elongated Titanium Yo-Yos around herself to emphasize her threat.
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I have other matters to attend to," Scam laughed, activating a device on his coat to teleport away.
As the emergency crews all started arriving on the scene to assess the situation, all Nick could do was fall to his knees and start crying.
The rest of the spies all moved closer to hug Nick, knowing he needed all the support he could get at the moment.
To be continued...
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Next time...
Clover: I may never get used to the trash bin method.
Nick: Jerry, RiCO, I know that we said we'd be ready for anything, but I sincerely and seriously hope that you called us here because you have some news about Scam.
Jerry: Thankfully, Nick, the answer is yes.
RiCO: I've been tracking Scam's location for the past couple days, since he seems to have been trying to throw us off, but it seems like his signal has finally settled down somewhere in Mistralton, South Carolina.
Bridget: That... that bastard, now he's going after our hometown, too?!
May: Is there really no low this freak won't sink to?
Sam: He's one of our most heinous foes for that very reason. He seems to just keep finding new lows to sink to with each passing caper.
RiCO: I've already got your gadgets loaded and a Skyskimmer ready for you, so all you have to do is take off.
Nick: Good, because when I find that son of a bitch, he's gonna pay for everything he's done to me, next time on Totally Spies the Movie: Another Side, Another Story, "Walk Forward Through the Cold Dawn"!
Bridget: You're getting a lot better at method acting, Nick. You really pulled that scene off with aplomb!
Nick: You can thank the improv coach for helping me get into the mood of the scene. I figured it needed to be dramatic enough, and I've never really been that good at drama.