AN: *flies in on a jet* Hello, there! Welcome to my fourth story! Now, let's have some camping fun!
Arthi blinked in confusion as the X-Squad led her through the strange new world. Colorful boxes blared sounds, glowing signs flashed advertisements, and metal beasts roared down the paved paths. It's utterly bewildering in the city the X-Squad went to for supply runs. These modern citizens were utterly devoid of self-preservation, cooing over her new plushie Sunwalker army.
"You dare mock the might of the Scourge?!" She shrieked atop her toy trike, the high pitched tone ruining any intimidation. Max, a blue shark Sunwalker with yellow and green flame decals, let out a squeak and tackled Mistress Sleighbell, a teacup poodle Sunwalker, and Madame Lockstella, an axolotl Sunwalker, in a hug, further embarrassing their leader.
"W-Where have you taken me, witch?!" She demanded of Sabrina, staring around with wide eyes, completely overwhelmed by this strange new world. Cars zoom by, colorful screens flash all around, and people walk about in clothes that show far too much skin.
"The modern day era, Arthi. You'll get used to it." Sabrina said.
It's all too much for the Sunwalker hybrid and former Lich King. She tried to spread her terror with a cry of "Kneel before your master, mongrels!"
But people only coo over her adorable costume. "Aww, look at the little Arthas! So cute!" One woman gushes, snapping photos as Arthi sputters in outrage.
Mortified, Arthi tries to command a group to serve her, only to be met with laughter. "I am your master! Kneel before the Lich King!" This gets even more photos and head pats.
A group of onlookers approached, gushing over Arthi's costume. "Omigosh you're so cute! Can Haru get a pic?" One girl with particularly pink hair asked, already pulling out her phone.
"I am not cute! I am Arthas Menethil, conqueror of-" Her demands were cut off by a tight hug and kiss on the cheek.
"You're adorable! Haru loves your plushie army too." The girl, Haru, it seems, began handing out headpats to Phan Phan, an elephant Sunwalker, and the others.
Defeated, Arthi slid off her trike with a pout. "This realm makes no sense. All will cower before me once I figure out how to make you all fear the Scourge!"
A chorus of giggles met her threat. "Aww she's trying so hard! Someone please give this princess an ice cream."
Arthi's right eye twitched. These people would pay dearly once she regained her true power...but free ice cream did sound good right about now.
"Oh, hey there, Haruchi, Tokachi, Isuchi, Harukichi, Yurichi, Mahichi, Hitsuchi, Kouchi, Niochi, Chitachi, Suzuchi, Shienachi!" Another girl, a bit taller than Arthi, said towards the pinkette, Haru, it seems, along with the blue-haired girl, an odd yellow-haired girl, a pinkette, a black-haired girl, a small white-haired girl, a brunette, a redhead girl, another, more taller white-haired girl, a girl with more snow-white hair, another brunette, and a taller redhead girl, before staring at the upset Lich. She had flowing locks of purple and blue-green eyes that seemed to glow like the other lights in town. Her purple sweater was nothing Arthi would have recognized. "Oh, you okay?"
Now looking up at the girl, Arthi sniffed. "I think so… I have no idea."
"Well, you know all these plushies are cute, yeah? Especially you."
Arthi stiffened. "Y-You saw my army?"
The white-haired girl laughed. "Yeah, we kinda did."
"Eep!" A flush of embarrassment washed over Arthi. She wanted to curl up and die, but the most she could do was attempt to hide her face in the collar of her jacket.
The purple-haired girl kept laughing. "Man, you're funny! I like that. What, is this your first time in Shibuya or something?"
Arthas had no real reason to keep talking to this girl, but for some reason, she had a calming, affable presence. "How could you tell?"
"Guess you could call me something of a people watcher. I can read people the moment I set my eyes on 'em." She smiled. "And you, girlfriend, are looking like a real newbie to this town."
"Well… you're right about that, I guess."
"Well then, my name is Tokaku Azuma, a former assassin of Class Black, this is my girlfriend, Haru Ichinose, the rest are Hitsugi Kirigaya, Kouko Kaminaga, Isuke Inukai, Nio Hashiri, Chitaru Namatame, Suzu Shuto, Haruki Sagae, Shiena Kenmochi, Mahiru Banba and Sumireko Hanabusa." The blue-haired girl, Tokaku, said.
"Hey, Tokachi, you kinda forgot me." The purple haired girl jabbed a thumb at herself. "My name's Otoya Takechi, but the news likes to call me the Modern Day Jack the Ripper! What's yours? By the way, awesome costume, you look exactly like a loli Arthas! Although, that stained glass could possibly make you a Sunwalker."
"I am no mere 'cosplayer'," she fumed, tiny hands balling into fists. "I truly am Arthas Menethil, the Lich King, now blessed with Sunwalker DNA! These plushies will be the start of new Knight Fangires, the harbingers of your doom!"
But the plushies seem more interested in hugging each other than obeying her commands. Even her elite death knight Toasty Pop, a toaster Sunwalker (don't ask how that got made), has abandoned his post to chase Nio around, toddling as he did so.
"Agh, useless sacks of fluff!" Arthi stamps her foot, only managing to make herself look more ridiculous.
"Nice to meet you, Arthi!"
"Huh?"
"What brings you to Shibuya tonight?" The blue-haired girl said.
"A supply run, Drakus initiated it..." Arthi muttered, as she saw Otoya's eyes have sparkles in them.
"You mean you're pals with Drakchi?!" Otoya said, already eager as everyone cringed at this.
"Y'see, Drakus is kinda sorta the first one to escape Otoya." Nio said, grinning all the while. "So, you can kinda say that he's the one that got away."
"Otoya, my love, please tell me you aren't planning another killing spree, I barely had time to get someone, and I only had time to get the original Ripper out!" A voice said, as a girl with gray-green hair, which she tied in a side bun walked towards them. She wore a navy blue coat with a white shirt and a similarly colored navy blue waistcoat inside, a white tie with a blue gem holding it around her neck, and black pants and cuffs with a gray rose pattern on them. On top of this, she wore a large blue top hat with a bow attached to it, which covered her left eye. And following her was a man with a white mask showing only his eyes in a menacing greatcoat with a double cape, and a top hat.
"Oops. Sorry, sorry, Vertin." Otoya sputtered, shaking her hands in apology. "I just get so excited, and lookie here! This catch is something special, I think. I was planning on poisoning her with the regular dosage, but she just kept saying she's Arthas Menethil himself, and that she got mixed with Sunwalker DNA!"
"Don't talk about me like I'm some fish!" Arthi fumed.
"Hey, Mister Ripper, how come you seem, well, human? With how evil you were in life, I would've expected you to be some sorta monster." Otoya asked, eager to figure out why the person she was nicknamed after seemed more human than she thought.
The horror of London smiled under his mask while staring at nothing, apparently envisioning something. "Well, milady, it's actually rather simple. In truth, I used to be that malicious monster you expected from me, though I have always been a gentleman. Everything I have done was to inspire fear in those whom I met and to rebuild the Assassin's Creed from its ashes. But then, after almost dying and Vertin saving me, I met them." He paused, a look of admiration on his face.
"Wait, who?" Otoya asks.
"The X-Squad. Some of the most chaotic people I have ever met, looking upon all others with pure contempt. Truly, they fear nothing. However, though they make everyone else feel fear, when looking upon people that earned their respect, there is nothing but friendship in her hearts. True, pure friendship, even when on opposite sides, they treat those that earn respect like they'd see them at a bar for drinks later. A color even more powerful and beautiful than fear. It was looking upon their stories that inspired me to become who I am today, though I can regress back into the monster I was before at any moment, should I so please, if it is necessary. Ever since the day Lord Anubis approached me, and gave me these chains," he gestured to the pitch-black chains wrapped around his arms and legs, "I have been seeking love, true love, unfortunately to no avail." He explained, his admiration-filled-voice turning into a sad one at the end.
Tokaku's eyes widened even more. "You mean to tell me that a legendary killer such as the Rail Tracer himself, an assassin so good they say he isn't even human, is actually capable of feeling love?"
"Now, let's go, we've got a camp to get to!" Drakus said, as the squad went through a portal, with Jack the Ripper, Vertin, and Class Black following them.
When Drakus crashed the SS Bloodlust into a mansion, he wasn't expecting this.
"How about a little helping of THIS?!" Five children were trying to blast him, but Mine went and pushed him out of the way.
"This might get ugly, gang!" Mine and Ladd prepared to fight the children, who were laughing like menaces to society, until Drakus aimed a lightning ball made of silver, blue and green lightning at them.
"In the words of Ron White, I'm drunk." Drakus said, bored out of his skull as he shot a beam of lightning at the kids, as the kids screamed and spasmed as they were lifted up into the air. Their appearance changed from well dressed kids to kids in heavily-clothed military and samurai armor with the letter 'Z' on their hats. The tall blonde girl staggered to her feet.
"The members of Sector Z... thank you." She said, as she clapped both her hands together and bowed, as Drakus flopped to the ground.
"You-you recommissioned us!" the short blonde boy exclaimed. "Well, at least I ain't in that dorky outfit!"
The tall blonde girl rubbed her eyes, and then looked at Drakus, but then, at Hitsugi, who looked slightly tearful, but hopeful.
"Hitsugi!" she exclaimed, running out of the mansion to hug the assassin.
"Alessandra!" Hitsugi said, hugging back.
Everyone in the room was left confused. Meanwhile, the rest of Sector Z began to stand up and wobbled.
"What is going on?!" Roman exclaimed, and everyone turned to him.
"Didn't you know? Angel's Trumpet and Numbuh 0.3 are cousins!" The short girl with brunette hair answered.
"What the...?" Drakus asked, confused.
"Come on! Five kids with that kind of tactical genius and strategy? Had to be ex-Kids Next Door that got delightfulized, well, that plan to get the rest went wrong." Satsuki said.
"What the fuck's a Kids Next Door?" Roman asked.
"See, the first delightfulization chamber blew a fuse, increasing its power eleventy-billion fold, so while Benedict lost the machine, he gained five kids in the process!" Hajime explained, as the newly commissioned Sector Z stumbled around like idiots.
"What's the situation?!" Sector Z's leader, Bruce, demanded suddenly, pulling the squad out of her thoughts. He cracked his knuckles.
"Oh, there's no situation," Drakus shrugged, setting down the module in her arms, "We just wanted more folks."
"Don't you realise our state is permanent?!" Bruce snapped, brow furrowing. "You can't just undo it; we're doomed to turn back into those delightful dorks sooner or later."
"When we got delightfulised," another of the sector, Davie, added, "we were hit with eleventy-billion times the normal power."
"And I just hit ya with twenty four trillion times that amount." Drakus grinned like a little madman. "If that doesn't purge this 'delightfulness' from your system, then I dunno what will."
"We're… back, forever?" Lenny asked quietly. He stepped up next to the last member of Sector Z, Constance, and she reached out. Their hands intertwined, a reassuring look passing between them.
"Uh, yeah, let's roll with that." Roman said, kinda confused. The pair smiled warmly.
"Alright!" Bruce cheered, punching the air with a fist. David and Alessandra nodded in agreement.
It's not often some fool, other than Providence themselves, try and attack Abysus or Van Kleiss, who we'll call Xavn from now on, even rarer to attack both at once. So, being in his own territory, Xavn had his guard down with no expectations for today, planning to spend it by watching over his people.
Sitting on his broken throne, he watched many EVOs pass by, using the halls to enter and exit into different rooms, passing by their leader without a word. Only Biowulf, who we'll dub Wulf, and Skalamander, Skal from here on out, stayed in place, right next to their leader like guard dogs. Breach, now dubbed Rift, was hovering around, always close by to be called on command, but still doing her own thing.
The man rested his eyes, thinking to himself over plans he'd been mulling over. But they snapped open when he heard the distress speed of someone rushing in, their heavy and quick footsteps disturbing the silence.
Another EVO that served Xavn dashed in, long dangling arms dragged behind them. "Master!"
Raising a brow, the older man allowed them his attention. "What is it?"
"Trespassers in the north! I don't know who they are, but they have some serious firearms." He panted, the long-distance finally getting to him. "A couple of us are already fighting back, but we require help."
Xavn frowned, eyebrows knitted together. Someone dared to enter their lands and start a fight? Well, it wasn't going to end well for these people. Yet he was curious, as it was clearly not going to be Providence, the EVO would have easily recognized them.
Lifting himself off his throne, the man swished his plant-like arm. "Breach, if you may?"
As Wulf and Skal joined his side, said girl dropped in from above, large arms hanging by her side. One lifted, swatting the air and allowing a red portal to engulf the group.
Preparing himself, Xavn straightened and cleared his throat, ready to either fight or talk, perhaps both. Skal and Wulf were just ready to fight, Rift would be on standby and the other EVO just seemed thankful he didn't have to run back to the fight.
Dropping onto the ground of Abysus soil, Xavn took in his surroundings. Even he needed a moment to figure out their location, as his homeland was rather large. He saw the edge of one of the many forests, one of their massive rivers feeding into it. Eyes following the water and ears catching the loud gunshots, he finally saw the sight of battle.
Puzzled, he didn't recognize these people, or their vehicles. Old cars, buses and some bikes, transformed into some zombie apocalypse style rides, designed for ramming and tanking hits, along with intimidation. The owners of the frankly horrendous machines were all scattered around in different groups, their clothing matching their wheels. Covered in thick protection, magazines full of bullets strapped over and around them, all with distinct red masks covering their faces. A couple even displayed grenades and other bombs on their clothing. Clearly an odd bunch, but they knew what they were doing.
One group was surrounding their biggest vehicle, more precisely, a liquid tank that must have contained an unknown substance. Many struggled to push it, as it was somehow dug into the ground and required great strength to move, they were even using their truck to try and push or pull it. Judging by their direction, they were trying to push it into the river. Not knowing what filled that tank, it was concerning.
A couple of these lunatics were driving in their smaller vehicles, firing or knocking into some EVOs. Every time they got a hit, they screamed in victory, like teenagers going around and knocking mailboxes down, having no dignity.
The final group was standing around in a defence circle, shielding the people pushing the tank. Using their endless amount of bullets to gun down any EVO trying to breakthrough. Some of them had already fallen, broken or even eaten by some of the stronger members of Abysus. But their goal wasn't to take over the place, as Van Kleiss deduced. It was most likely to spill the contents of the tank into the river.
Sighing in annoyance and anger, he looked to Wulf, ready to give his order, when his sharp eye caught something else. And the only reason he caught sight of it, was because of people being thrown across the air.
Some boy with dragon features, and not Rex oddly enough, along with a short blonde boy, crashed into the ground, hitting a nasty pile of jagged rocks. The one responsible let out an amused chuckle, walking towards the young EVO and kid, eagerly holding up his gun to display it in confidence. The large man, covered head to toe in thick padding, knee and shoulder pads, heavy boots and a dull red mask hanging on his shirt, strolled towards the boy.
The dragon boy barely had time to pull himself out of the rocks when a fist struck him across the face, causing him to tumble to the side. The boy grunted, hissing in pain and biting his tongue, barely catching himself. When a shadow loomed over him, he instinctively rolled to the side, dodging the metallic boot that would have crushed his head.
Even from a distance, Xavn noticed the boy's sluggish movements right away. Tired, dazed and hurt from the fight they've only just heard of. But he didn't know the human, having never faced him before. But it was easy to tell he was enjoying the boy's pain a little too much. Unlike Xavn or someone like No Face, this torture towards the child wasn't out of anger or purpose, but rather for pure amusement and petty hatred.
Now with that final piece of knowledge of the battle, the EVO leader began barking out orders, ready to kick these buffoons off his land.
"You are to go join the others down there." The man pointed to the EVO messenger, before pointing at the battle by the river. Then he turned to Skal and Rift. "Skalamander, you are to deal with the daredevils and their vehicles, while Breach, you are to begin removing these pests." Then he finally turned to Wulf. "You're with me, we're going to be dealing with what I presume to be their leader."
And they all moved without a word. The other EVO joined his comrades, while Skal began using crystal shards to strike at the maniac drivers, popping their tires and causing them to crash. Red portals rapidly started to snatch the gunmen, causing panic throughout the group, but Rift simply smiled at their fear and bewilderment. And yet they didn't leave, still firing like mad, so you had to give them that.
Meanwhile, Drakus failed to dodge another strike, his back crashing onto the ground. He could only be thankful that it was flat. But his energy was almost nonexistent, yet he refused to blackout. He wasn't going to give this man satisfaction by showing weakness.
"Guess I'll be the one that gets to put you down…" The hunter chuffed, snorting lightly.
"Heh...people tougher and more stylish said that, they're half dead now…" Drakus chuckled, still acting smug despite all his injuries.
"Drak, I'm pretty sure I saw bones popping in places I know shouldn't be popped, the fact you're still walking despite that breaks the laws of anatomy and basic health." Bruce said.
Despite Drakus' eyes wide open, everything was hard to see. Blurry, especially around the edges of his vision. His ears were ringing, followed by blood pumping loudly against them. His head was spinning, feeling like nails were stabbing different parts of his brain. But then he became aware of a shadow over him, as he heard the delusional man aim his gun, most likely at him. He wasn't ready to accept death, and then, he heard help coming.
The sight of a giant mass of plants caught the hunter off guard, allowing it to smash against him, successfully knocking his gun to the side and pushing him away from the Drakonian. Clicking his jaw, the man narrowed his eyes and looked at the newcomers.
Xavn retracted his arm, already straightening and folding his hands behind his back. "As amused as I am by your...get up, I'd rather you leave my land." He raised a brow, getting a better look at the man. "Whoever you are…"
Despite his eyes wide open, everything was hard to see. Blurry, especially around the edges of his vision. His ears were ringing, followed by blood pumping loudly against them. His head was spinning, feeling like nails were stabbing different parts of his brain. But then he became aware of a shadow over him, as he heard the delusional man aim his gun, most likely at him. He wasn't ready to accept death, and then, he heard help coming.
It honestly caught Xavn off guard, but he didn't show it. He knew people were fearful or hated EVOs, but this man clearly took that up a notch. "I don't care."
"Doesn't matter to me, monster." And, without warning, he swiped back his gun and pointed it at the EVO Leader, firing without a second thought.
Xavn didn't move, eyes narrowing as Wulf jumped forth. With one swift movement, the EVO wolf swatted away the bullet and dashed in, defending his king. Hunter Kain pulled back, using his covered elbow to jab at the mutant. Wulf grunted, taking the hit before flicking his claws, successfully cutting two long lines across the man's chest.
Kain slid back, swinging his large gun to knock back the beast. He looked down at the cuts. They weren't deep, barely nicking the skin. "It's going to take a lot more than that, mongrel."
"What?" Wulf grumbled, highly offended and raised his claws again.
Suddenly, Drakus got up, dusting his clothes, before smirking. "He's insecure about no longer being the alpha male. That, or he's a racist, they're all insecure hacks that won't ever get laid no matter how much they try."
"EVOs are an infection, not a race." Kain corrected with his false views, eyes locking onto Drakus again.
The young Drakonian didn't respond, still smirking as he riled up the hunter. Wulf ignored him and dove in for another strike, engaging with the hunter again. Moving his focus onto the metallic wolf, Kain finally moved his full attention away from the Drakonian.
Surprisingly, Xavn actually looked somewhat appalled, obviously looking over the wounds he could see from his angle. Drakus scowled at him, feeling somewhat embarrassed from the staring. But with this man with a lot of DILF energy looking at him, he managed to push away some of the pain, forcing himself to his feet.
Xavn, at first, felt a little pity for the child, but when he stood, he showed off the rest of his wounds. Bruises spread across his exposed skin, a nasty one darkening his left eye. Cuts sliced across his body, mostly caused from the terrain, maybe even some from a knife, if Kain carried one. Now, plenty weren't causing serious bleeding, mostly creating long white, red or pink lines, but there was an unpleasant gash on his forehead, barely covered by his hair. His clothes were dirty from being knocked around. But what stuck out the most were three bullet holes across his body, one under his right knee, one on the left side of his stomach, and one in his left shoulder. All three were pouring out blood, sticking his clothes to his body, dirt already in the wounds. He was still standing, right arm dangling by his side. The pity the man felt quickly turned to horror.
And yet, the Drakonian refused to back down, already turning towards Hunter Kain to keep fighting. His legs shook, but he bared his teeth and pulled his left arm away from the wound, acting like he was willing to run the smoke.
Reaching over, Xavn placed his fake hand on the boy's shoulder. "Child, I would recommend-" He stopped himself, eyes widening. "Get down!"
Without another warning, he yanked the boy down. The sudden jolt, that Drakus was not prepared for, caused him to yelp in surprise. But they were both able to dodge Wulf, who was flung back and hit the ground, similar to Drakus before.
Lifting his head, Xavn looked at his follower, before looking at the attacker with displeasure. Hunter Kain was now sporting some nasty cuts, but he finally bested the beast and turned his focus to the other two EVOs. His eyes briefly looked to the younger one, allowing a smirk when he saw the child trying to curl up on himself, suffering from the damage done to his body. But then his attention turned to the older one, narrowing his eyes.
Xavn really didn't want to give this man the time of day, but with Wulf temporarily down, he would have to. He pulled his hands away from Drakus, who promptly laid down. As the older EVO moved to his feet, he glared at his arm, which was now painted in some of Drakus' blood. He was going to have to wash this darn thing later. And yet he couldn't help feeling a little sick to the stomach.
Catching sight of the man's gaze, Kain chuckled again. "Angry with what I've done to one of you."
Eyebrows furrowing, Xavn looked at his opponent with a scowl. "He's not one of mine…"
"That didn't seem to stop him." Kain remarked, lifting up his gun. But when he saw he ran out of bullets, he huffed and placed it onto his back.
That statement confused Xavn, causing him to tilt his head a little. But before he could even ask about it, Kain rushed in, throwing some heavy hits. Already reacting, the EVO ducked, dodged and twisted around. In one swift movement, he spun his gauntlet and smacked the man across the face. Kain stumbled back, but raised his hands and ran back in. He would give Xavn credit, despite how old the man looked, he was rather fit and fast, but that meant Kain wouldn't hold back. He pulled back one fist and struck with the other, so as the EVO leader dodged, he couldn't move in time for the other first, receiving a heavy hit to the stomach.
Coughing, Xavn moved back and extended his gauntlet, flailing it around and constantly trying to hit the man, who parried with his plated elbows or dodged most of the time. When the ruler managed to get a hit in around the chest, he dashed in. Kain tried to punch him once more, but Xavn ducked and twirled, raising his leg and kicking the man back.
Wiping his mouth, the hunter glared at his opponent. "I can see why you're their leader." He straightened, raising his gloved fists again. "But you can't protect them forever. Someone's got to exterminate you all."
"Honestly, you make it sound like we're a plague or something." Xavn retorted, still standing in a humble manner.
"You are, you're all the reasons we turn EVO. Once you're all gone, no one will ever turn again." Kain spue, his tone choleric.
That statement made Xavn pause, trying to process such stupid logic. "You...You think that's how that works?" He enquired, thinking he was mistaken.
Grumbling, the bulky man clicked his knuckles. "It's how you get rid of a virus. You remove the infected ones."
The EVO squinted at him, dumbfounded. "I…" He uttered, tongue folding around in his mouth as he tried to think of a reply. "You are a moron…"
Fuming with rage, Kain didn't say anything else and dashed in again. His opponent snapped out of it and raised his own arms in defence, already ducking and dodging the strikes again. But this time, Kain grabbed hold of the man, quickly using one of the many wrestling moves he'd learnt to flip him and smash him into the ground.
Xavn grit his teeth, bending his legs and rolled back onto his feet. But as he looked over the hunter, his eyes gazed behind the man, his lips twitching into a smile. Puzzled, Kain flicked around. Drakus, along with a rather small, thin and pale girl, stood behind him, the girl clearly an EVO based on her massive hands and extra arms.
Rift's eyes gazed from behind her hair, narrowed in anger at the sight of her favourite being attacked, and what appeared to be a new shiny wounded on the ground, laughing as he demonstrated similar powers to her own, as a large portal opened up, and lots of hillbillies popped up, surrounding Hunter Kain. The last you could see of him was his shocked and horrified face being dragged through by the hillbillies kicking and screaming, even begging Xavn for help, before vanishing, his final screams joining the screams of Adam and the Starfleet members echoing across the land, with Skal even wondering where was Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex playing from.
Once he was gone, and they were all sufficiently psychologically scarred, Xavn dusted himself off and walked up to Rift, looking down at the short girl, his expression showing he just died inside. "Where did that boy send them, and why did I hear Cotton Eye Joe?"
"No idea…" Was all she said, eyes already looking away.
Skal eventually came up behind her, having followed her once they finished their jobs. Their leader looked past them, seeing as their foes were getting dragged away to Ohio by hillbillies and the majority of their vehicles destroyed, except for a couple of trucks that were being taken apart. The tank was still in the exact same place, so he would get to inspect that later. As for the EVOs that still lingered around, many were already dealing with their wounds or removing bodies from both sides. Even if they lost a couple of their own, nothing terrible fell upon them.
"Master…" Wulf chimed up from behind, catching the attention of all three.
When they turned, they saw the wolf kneeling by Drakus. He wasn't attacking the boy, merely looking over his wounds, having no idea on what to do or say, as Drakus motioned for the four to follow him through a portal. Xavn moved towards the two, Rift following very closely, eyes stuck on Drakus. Skal shuffled behind at his normal pace.
"So…our focus…is there." Drakus said looking out at the woods as Roman crashed through some trees, as Davie tried to take the wheel so they wouldn't hit any civilians.
"So this…is where we're heading too…" Xavn said.
"Holy moly… It's huge!" Zap said.
"So here's a weird tidbit, Camp Little Moose has some legends for us." Satsuki said.
"Nice fact there. But holy crap, how the heck can we see if they're real?!" Shimura asked.
"You really want to find out, Tenko?" Sora asked.
"Well…I do..." Shimura said, as they saw some odd Loa symbols appear on the Drakerari.
"What was that?!" Taylor asked.
"Probably just a trick of the eyes." Ridley said.
"They don't look like they're tricks of the eye." Kanade said, as a deer man appeared, as a girl with unnaturally pale skin, a gray-skinned girl, a cat demon, a lost soul with one eye, and a spider demon fell in, alongside a snake demon and a taller lost soul with one eye.
"What in the world are these people…" Xavn said.
"Alastor!" The deer man exclaimed, having suddenly leapt up. The squad yelped in surprise, while Wulf leapt onto all fours, growling at this unnerving Tumblr sexyman.
"Hmm…no idea on any of them." Georgia said.
The moth demon grimaced. "I've told you to stop doing that like, twenty times by now. Why do you keep jumpscaring people?"
"Because, dearest Vagatha, I am a complete and unbridled menace; discomfort is my amphetamine, and I indulge in it like a Wehrmacht conscript who just learned he's getting shipped off to Stalingrad. But enough about me, let's talk about you, the newest band of misfits in this amalgamation of a vehicle."
Wulf continued to snarl at him, but the Radio Demon was unfazed. Drakus had gotten over the initial shock, and now just found this guy's posturing mildly annoying.
"I don't think that will quite be necessary," the man said as he stepped between the squad and the demons. "I can join you as well."
The strange newcomer wore all black, his skin was deathly pale, and his black hair had been slicked back. Yuina immediately bared his fangs at the man.
"Watch out, y'all," Yuina warned. "That's a vampire, and an old one at that! I can smell it in his blood."
The newcomer bared his fangs back at Yuina. "A vampire I am, but I assure you, I mean you no harm. Let us not end this day with unnecessary bloodshed."
"Count Dracula, I presume," Doom said as he looked over the vampire. "I see reports of your demise were greatly exaggerated."
"I have been going by Draxulac around these parts, what with their being another me with an admittedly nice beard running around." Draxulac admitted. "But, yes, I am a Count Dracula. Please. Come with me to this Little Moose Camp, and I'll tell you all about the monster you seek."
"Is it smart to follow this man?" Ridley asked. "He is, after all, a very infamous and dangerous vampire."
Alastor gasped and put on an air of mockery. "Oh how right you are! How foolish we nearly were, not bothering to consider all the variables! Why we almost were taken in by a vampire, and we've only a horde of demons, menaces to all social standards, people willing to face down history's greatest vampire, and Latveria's sovereign ruler."
"Oh... I see your point," Ridley acquiesced.
"My armor contains splinters of the True Cross to repel vampiric attacks," Doom stated casually.
"Of course it does," Roman sighed.
"Well, if that's quite settled, shall we retire to the lounge now?" Draxulac asked.
"They look quite stylish, though the red deer should get more purple, it's a nice contrast…" A new voice said.
"Wait, who said that?!" Drakus said, turning around to see a girl with red eyes, light green mascara, pale yellow eyeshadows, grey hair with pink tints, and elongated rabbit-like ears walk into the room. She wore a hot pink, icy green, magenta hooded, and black hoodie with red and yellow patterns, and purple, orange and yellow chest pocket. She also sported black hair clips, a white blouse, a black bolo tie with a green emblem, a black and pale green colored skirt, cyan and pink leggings, as well as white, red, and dark blue accented sneakers. "Cousin Preme?!"
"Hello, Drakus, it's nice to see you." Preme said, smirking like a little shit as the two fistbumped and hugged each other.
"We'll have to check it out after we find a good place to land. We're supposed to meet up with someone after all." Hibiki said.
"Hey, are you sure you got in contact with this guy?" Neo asked.
"Yeah, said they'd come by and show themselves." Drakus said.
"I'm sure they'll be here soon. While we wait…" Neo said, as they looked at the oversized console sleeping like a rock.
"Yeah… Gotta wake up Sleeping Beauty over here." Neo said.
"I got this." Angel assured the others, as he pulled out a bugle horn. "Cover your ears."
The others did so before Angel Dust took a deep breath and blew it directly in front of the console.
"NOTHING WILL STOP THE NINTEGA!" The console yelled as he woke up. "Okay, where the fuck am I?"
"We're heading to Camp Little Moose right now." Zap said, as Roman crashed into some innocent pedestrians.
"Seriously, you gotta get a grip on your excitement." Roman said. "I know being revived is great and all, but you really didn't need to get all excited and try to rush us."
"Hehehe… sorry." Nintega said sheepishly. "I just got so excited about the fact that I'm not dead. I think I've worked it out, now I'm just peachy."
"Glad to hear it." Ladd said.
"And I'm sure you're all about first impressions, huh?" Neo asked.
"Well, you know what they say about them." Nintega said.
"Well that's true, or we wouldn't have some of the connections we do now." Drakus said.
"Well, I think we'll definitely be spoiled for choices here." Okami said.
"Take a look at the topography. Is this place big or what?!" Skal said, showing them a satellite image of the entire region from the sky, confusing everyone, because as it turns out, Skal is pretty good at anything involving geography.
"Whoa…" Nintega said in awe.
Draxulac poured himself a blood cocktail and then prepared one for Senketsu when he saw the Life Fiber's mouth watering.
"Now then," Draxulac said after taking a sip of his drink. "I believe all of us have come to this place seeking the same thing, the DomBox hidden in the woods. Given the unique powers I sensed from you all, I believe working together would be mutually beneficial."
"The Dracula I once knew in my home world was a racist fool and a relic of a bygone era," Doom said. "Why should we throw in our lots with you, Count?"
"Because I was the last person to control the monster in said DomBox before its disappearance," Draxulac stated. "I intended to use the creature to rule my world, and I would have succeeded if not for the interference of that infernal werewolf, Lawrence Talbot! The fool sacrificed his own life to drag me beneath the waves and drown me. By the time I was able to restore myself, a pair of bumbling morons had set fire to the Frankenstein Monster and agents of the church had started to close in on me. So, I had to flee."
"Anubis said that Yahweh himself condemned those morons for killing an innocent soul," Drakus scoffed.
"My confrontation with the bishop and his agents ended with them all dead and me in a state of near death and decay," Draxulac continued. "My servant Renfield cared for me for many years, but that lowly worm started poisoning his head with every manner of foolish modern ideas of morality and narcissism. He betrayed me just as I returned to full power."
"A sentiment some of us know quite well," Vaati mused, thinking back to Ganon.
"But though he took great lengths to prevent my return, it is not so easy to defeat Count Dracula," Draxulac continued. "I restored myself yet again and decided to return here to finally reclaim my monster to wield against the modern world, at least, until I learned what it planned." He then shuddered, legitimately horrified by what he learned.
"Ah, such lush greenery. Isn't it just lovely?" Georgia asked.
"Quite the sight. And this is only a small bit of the landscape. Woods, mountains, the lake, this place has got everything!" Xatra said.
"3, 2, 1..." Peepers sighed, somehow knowing that someone would come up and say the only words that would make the trip more of a mess.
What they saw, right outside the front gates, leashed to a pole, was a child sized creature wearing a plastic cone around her head, vigorously trying to scratch at it with a hind leg. It had red skin, black hair, broken horns, tiny bat wings, a spiked collar, hooves for feet, and a pointy tail. Malchior immediately identified her as a demon – not one of his, of course – and the squad was understandably perplexed she was out here, before all the others.
"Hello, small demon," Drakus said. "Why are you out here earlier than the other children?"
"I'm not a camper here, so I have to wait," the imp grunted, scratching even harder, finally getting out, revealing that she was wearing a red jacket, black pants and red boots. "What's it to you-"
She glanced up at Malchior and Charlie, paled, and immediately bowed before him. "Oh no! I'm sorry, your wickedness, your highness, I didn't recognize either of you! Please, please don't hurt me or my mistresses! We've done nothing to anger a mighty demon lord or the princess of Hell such as yourselves!"
"You have nothing to worry about," Charlie said quickly. "So you're not a camper here?"
The imp nodded rapidly. "Yes, my mistress is the beautiful and powerful fallen angel Lilim, and my other mistress is her little sister Cherubi. I'm going to be her fuck toy when she grows up!"
"It's good to have a goal in life," Malchior said in approval. "Wait, Lilim… Would she by any chance happen to be related to an angel named Serafina, who has a snake demoness named Eden as a lover?"
The imp's eyes lit up. "Yes, that's her! You helped them get together in heaven! They owe you a great deal!"
"I was happy to help," Malchior said. "I'm assuming, then, that Lilim is here on counseling duty, much like my friend, Candice Catnipp?" He'd thought he heard Cleo mentioning she had an angel for a bunkmate once, but he hadn't realized she meant it literally.
The imp nodded rapidly. "Uh-huh! Lady Serafina was busy helping Lady Eden get settled in heaven, and her mother Lady Ofanina has a chariot race, so Lilim came instead and brought me because her boyfriend threatened to skin me if he had to watch me one more time. I only defecated on his bed like a dozen times!"
Charlie stared at her. "Do… You also need help getting to heaven?"
The imp made a face. "We all know that Mistress needs to get out of there, but she is still in denial. Don't worry, though! She protects me!… As much as she can…"
"… I see. Well, if you ever do need help, I'm sure that I can help," Malchior promised. "By the way, I don't believe I got your name?"
"Oh, I'm Courtney!" the imp said cheerfully, pointing to a tag on her collar. "It says so right here! At least I think it does, I can't read."
The squad examined the tag. It did indeed say COURTNEY.
"I will remember that name," Charlie promised. "Now, if you excuse me, I should go in-"
"Wait, before you go, can you please take the stupid cone off?" Courtney pleaded.
"Why are you wearing it in the first place?" Giff inquired.
"It's supposed to keep me from scratching at the stitches they used to close up the wound I got when Mistress's boyfriend tried to sever my jugular when I tried to stop him from beating Mistress when she whispered too loudly while he had a hangover," Courtney said matter-of-factly.
Lune stared at her. "I think you both need to get out of hell."
Courtney sighed and started scratching again. "You and me both, pal."
Someone had emerged from the bushes and looked rather frightening and disgustingly spooky.
"PERISH, RENFIELD!" Draxulac cried, getting in the Drakerari and running the man over.
It wasn't Renfield, but one of the camp counselors who looked utterly terrified, and already bleeding from the slash in his gut.
"It's the Woodsman, he's real! This camp is haunted!" The camp counselor told them.
"And there we go." Peepers said.
"Woodsman?" Kanade asked. "What woodsman?"
"Just leave before it's too late!" The camp counselor told them as he ran out of the camp, holding his gut.
"Wait, where are you going?!" Davie called.
"I'm going to Camp Big Moose!" the counselor kept running off until he was out the front gates.
"Moulder Clan, lobotomize and genetically modify this man so extensively that he'll turn into a writhing tower of flesh which is simply too ugly to die." A voice said, as a horde of rats charged at the poor counselor as the group watched as they dragged the man into a cave, as screams of agony emanated from it, as a giant mutated half-rat half-man hobbled out on 8 legs, screaming in agony as his body suddenly disintegrated away, as a knight with a top hat, monocle and mustache holding a cup of tea walked into view.
[DAMN]
[When did this become a Scooby-Doo horror film?!]
"What…" Seiren said.
"You know… This looks kind of preem." David said.
"Uh, what are you drinking, sir?" Hibiki said.
"Yorkshire tea." The knight said.
"With something extra from Gamer Supps, a company which sells some of the finest legal energy supplements in the world, but perhaps even greater than that is their relentless assault on your ability to be a normal person, because they have invested tens of thousands of dollars into the science of sexualizing plastic cups. Nothing and no one is safe from their reach, but we might be able to take control. If we buy enough products, maybe, just maybe, they'll let me and Brit design our own totally platonic and safe-for-work cup." Another voice said, as Brit slapped his helmet.
"Apologies, but Reggie is rather unstable." Brit said. "By which I mean he's an AI fused the essence of eldritch horrors beyond comprehension and only my helmet can contain him lest he'd plague the lands with madness and genocide."
"So, Mister Brit, what brings you to this place?" Drakus asked.
"This place is called Camp Little Moose, but we all know this is simply a miniature Eastern Europe. True to form, the land is inhabited exclusively by children, 17th century Russian nobility and recently paroled sex offenders. As such, I fear the main exports are bad haircuts, class warfare, eldritch horrors, and uncomfortable conversations." Reggie said. "But perhaps the greatest downside is that some parts seem to resemble something that should be inside of a used toilet bowl. However, that's exactly the kind of environment you'd expect a species of rat named the Skaven to thrive in, and thrive we will. The goal here is to transcend the weakness of our genetics by 'responsibly' using 'science' to 'ethically' create the perfect organism. The only issue is that the more we edit chromosomes, the greater the risk of developing a minor side effect called genetic instability, where your chance of survival is about the same as getting shot in the head, because the main symptom of this condition is immediate and rapid physical disintegration. And if you take it too far, genetic instability turns into explosive instability, which causes your anatomy to detonate on contact with anything."
"Why don't we, oh I don't know, work on a cure?" Lute said.
"We could do that, or we could just push you down a garbage chute and try again. Because by pressing this button, we can literally recycle you." Reggie said, as Brit showed off a button on his gauntlet with a trash can symbol on it. "This is done through the use of the Growth Vat. You can think of it like a compost pile for people. We're going to try to solve the mysteries here and make a beast with the maximal amount of genetic modifications. And according to my calculations, the chance of doing that successfully is approximately 0.03%. So, you know, we're going to be doing a lot of recycling."
"Oh yeah, Pull up to a camp with demons, an apparently sentient console and a knight with a crazy AI. Like that's not gonna be weird." Mera said.
"This is not a Camp Little Moose welcome." Candice frowned, as she came up to the front sign which had the words 'GET OUT!' carved into it.
"Looks like someone wants us to leave." Husk, the cat demon, said, as the squad wandered around, trying to look for any sort of person.
In the driveway, a police officer stood next to a white police car interviewing a man dressed in a beige Camp Little Moose uniform.
"...just a campfire story, but he was here. Madder than a bear with a bee sting. He was laughing when he threw his ax at me."
The police officer nodded. "I think it'd be a good idea to cancel the second session of camp," he said as he jotted something down on his little white notepad.
"Way ahead of you, Ranger Knudsen," the Camp Little Moose man assured him. "I've already notified all the parents. Camp Little Moose is closed for the summer."
'What? Didn't we just get here?' Mystle thought to herself.
"What?" Candice pouted. "You can't cancel camp!"
"Why, I'd know that hair anywhere," one ranger smiled with a chuckle to the greenette Sternritter. "Candice Catnipp, get over here and give me a Little Moose welcome!"
Candice obliged, and the two motioned while chanting, "High in the mountains-"
"Deep in the spruce-"
"On the shore of the lake-"
"It's Camp Little Moose!"
"Little Moose, Little Moose...Little Moose!"
They both laughed and bro-hugged.
"I guess that's how we'll have to greet the campers." Mystle whispered.
"Oh, my..." Lute looked insulted somehow.
"Ah, the Little Moose welcome always warms my heart." the ranger smiled as he wiped a tear from his eye.
"What sorta equation happened here?" Sho asked, referring to the boat house.
"I don't mean to scare you kids, but we're having a little trouble with an axe-wielding maniac." the other ranger spoke up.
"It was the Woodsman." the first ranger added in.
"Oh come on, the Woodsman again?!" Angel put his hands to his head in dismay.
"Who's the Woodsman?" Ark asked.
"I don't know, but I don't wanna find out." Yuina replied.
"The Woodsman?" Candice laughed a little. "Oh, come on, Burt, you know that Jerry McReety isn't actually out there in the woods."
"I swear, Candice, I saw him with my own eyes." Burt told her.
"I bet it was just a prank from those admittedly cute dweebs at Camp Big Moose." Candice chuckled.
"I've heard of camp rivalries, but I think this is a bit extreme." Neo said.
"I have to agree." Chane agreed.
The police officer winked at her. "You hit the nail right on the head, beautiful," he purred in agreement.
"Oh, I didn't say anything." Charlie spoke up with an embarrassed smile.
The police officer tilted his head to one side and smirked. "Well, I wasn't talking to you."
Vaggie coughed to stifle a snicker, while the Rail Tracer glared at her.
Chane gawked at the police officer, blushing furiously. "Me?" she signed incredulously, pointing to herself.
The police officer scanned all of us with his eyes. "Well, it's best if you folks head on home," he advised us. "Let the professionals handle this." He turned one heel curtly and headed to his car. I could have sworn he winked at Chane as he climbed into the front seat.
"Did he just wink at us?" Mystle stared after him as he drove off, leaving dust billowing in his wake.
Ladd nudged the Tracer with his shoulder. "Somebody likes your little wife!" he hissed with an amused grin.
"Shut up," the Tracer replied, Chane still blushing like a schoolgirl.
"But I was gonna be a counselor, a mentor, a hero." Candice slouched in disappointment.
"Oh yeah?" Zap pointed to the front gate as a bus drove into the camp.
"Hey, don't feel too bad about all the shit you've done in the past. We are all guilty of something, right?" Commented an incredibly beautiful woman with a sinful figure wearing a black leather jacket studded with spikes, very tight pants, hard spiked boots made for stomping, and a very low-cut T-shirt of a death metal band. She had black feathery wings and a white pointed tail, and her hair was short, black, and choppy.
"Lilim, right?" Roman asked.
She nodded. "Yep. Guess you met Courtney outside?"
"I did. She is quite worried about you, and from what she said your current living situation isn't exactly-" Roman started.
"That's none of your business," Lilim flinched, eyes darkening. "And it's not her place to go blabbing about it either. Everything is fine."
"Really? Because it doesn't sound fine-" Neo signed skeptically.
"You're not even from here, you don't have any idea how things work for demons on this planet," Lilim insisted. "Everything's fine. This is how things are supposed to be. Barbatos and I are very happy together, and I don't need you or my mom or my sisters constantly poking their noses where they don't belong and telling me the last several thousand years of my life have been a complete mistake!"
"Neo… Didn't say anything about any of that," Drakus said, confused. "But from what Courtney said, it doesn't sound like your current lifestyle is safe for either of you. As a pet owner, aren't you responsible for the safety and well-being of your imp, meaning you should consider whether your actions and the actions of those around you are in either of your best interests?"
Lilim flinched even more. "You know, when my sister talked about you, Malchior, she never said you're friends with the sort of guy who sticks his nose into things he doesn't understand because he thinks he knows so much better than everyone else."
"If I hadn't stuck my nose into things I wasn't involved with, your sister's paramour might still be trapped in the Pythonian Quarter or worse, Azu might still be imprisoned deep beneath Hiden Intelligence or once again a slave of Able," Malchior pointed out. "And my oldest grandniece has been called on more than one occasion the biggest busybody in the Bronx. If she got it from me, I can only be flattered, since it is another thing I have in common with my family," Malchior added proudly. "Is denial something that runs in yours?"
Lilim clenched a fist, the temperature in the place rising exponentially…before Drakus grabbed her shoulders, thunder seeping into Lilim, as Lilim froze, as Drakus revealed everything Barbatos did to her in a new light, and revealed that she has a chance to head back to Heaven. "Oh. That's… I've never even considered… Would going back to Heaven even work for me? I've been bad for so long…"
Satsuki shrugged. "Well, only one way to find out."
Lilim bit her lip. "But… I turned my back on Heaven. On God."
Momoko smiled patiently. "Do you truly think so little of Him that just because you turned your back on Him, He would ever do the same for you?"
Lilim was left speechless at that.
"Hey there, Mr. Watanabe!" A blonde boy said as he got onto the bus.
"Hello, child." The talking hamster who claimed he was actually a ninja master replied. Luke didn't really understand why a hamster was his bus driver, but it was hardly the strangest thing in his life.
For some reason, the hamster balked at the sight of the Drakerari. "Whatever drove that, um, isn't going to try to eat me this time, are they?"
Luke considered this for a moment. "I can't honestly promise that," he admitted.
Watanabe cringed. "Lovely."
Something told Luke he didn't think it would actually be lovely.
"Good to meet you, bat kid," Luke stepped forward and held out his hand to shake the Rainian beside him. "I'm Luke!"
"Trudy," the purple-haired girl said flatly.
"Elena." The redhead girl said, chuckling a bit.
"Zick." the blue-haired boy concluded, shaking Luke's hand.
"I swear, if I'm the only non-human here," muttered Rayco, a rather chubby Rainian whose cloak/wings looked more like a muumuu with what looked suspiciously like a fishbowl over their head, which they ardently claimed wasn't, and the creature looking suspiciously like a goldfish swimming around their head was a symbiotic life form/emergency food supply and not a pet.
"If you're a ninja master, why are you a bus driver?" Elena asked.
"I've told you before, I'm renting myself out as Little Moose's bus driver because money is tight right now and keeping our equipment in tip top shape isn't cheap." Watanabe said.
"You know, my mom could probably help with that," Rayco offered.
Watanabe sighed. "I looked into it, we can't afford her prices."
"We have very reasonable discounts and a long-term payment plan-"
"With a ridiculous interest rate, it's practically robbery." Watanabe said.
"It is not robbery," Rayco insisted with a scoff. "It is perfectly legal. Our lawyers have made sure of it."
"Has your mother actually gone legit, or is she just pretending?" Zick asked.
Rayco scoffed. "That is rank slander and I will hear no more of it!" They declared, carefully not answering the question.
"Hi!" Kirby, a cute round pink puffball with red feet wearing a camping uniform, said.
"Nom-Nom!" Said Nom-Nom, a plant girl a foot taller than Trudy with green skin, hair made of leaves, vines wrapped around her limbs, and a very wide grin full of sharp teeth.
"… Philia? Philia, they're talking to you," Elena said, nudging Philia, a bee-like alien who was a little chubby, clutched a stuffed animal resembling a bee, had a stubby crystal stinger, and a necklace and tiara made from amber with undersized glittering wings.
Philia blinked. "What? Oh, right, sorry, I just… I forgot again."
"Forgot what?" Zick asked.
"That I can't speak to them telepathically, just like everyone else on this planet," Philia said apologetically. "I've been here for a little while now, but I still can't get used to it. Being surrounded by so many people but not being able to read their thoughts. This is the first time I've ever been around so many people not from the Hive, and most of them mammals at that."
"Must be hard, being away from home." Zick said.
Philia nodded. "Yes, especially since I keep having to remind myself that all of you are actual people."
There was a pause.
"What do you mean by that?" Slowly asked Zick's best friend Masaki, the only other person on the bus who could pass off as human besides Trudy, Luke and Elena on account of actually being a human.
"Well, it's like I said, I can't read any of your minds because none of you are linked to the Buzzing like I am, so in a very real sense you don't entirely count as people," Philia explained. "More like… Organic, incredibly sophisticated drones. In fact, if it weren't for my constant link to the Buzzing now, there are times I wonder if any of you are actually real since I am unable to perceive any of you with anything more than my regular senses and have entertained thoughts that I actually died in the accident that transported me across the universe and all of you are nothing more than figments of my imagination sparked by my dying brain as my consciousness gradually fades away."
Everyone stared at her.
"Nom-Nom," Nom-Nom whimpered.
"I'm fairly certain I exist," Rayco said.
"Which is exactly what a figment of my imagination would say," Philia countered, and the Fangire had no reply to that.
"Well… Can a figment do this?" Elena asked, leaning over and tapping her on the nose. "Boop!"
Philia looked at her, briefly cross eyed, then chuckled. "I suppose not, no."
"That's life for you," Zick said sympathetically. "The only thing you can be certain of is you can't be certain of anything."
"That is illogical and untrue. There are quite a few things I am incredibly certain of," said Maria, a gorgeous Gridlocked child with features resembling her mother, short dark hair in a similar cut with emerald and purple streaks and a longer side ponytail, prism ear modules, small metal angel wings going from her back, purple-emerald eyes and nails, a cybernetic claw for a left hand, a black bow in her hair with purple-emerald trimming, and a third eye in her forehead resembling Cain. She smiled and fondled the very pink device resembling a Tamagotchi hanging from her neck, which had an emoji face looking like a much younger Poppy smiling happily in it. "For example, I love Pico more than anything in the universe."
The emoji turned into a heart at this. "Pico!" chirped Maria's best friend Pico.
Everyone cooed at this, with Nom-Nom chirping "Nom-Nom," enthralled as always by Maria's unshakable love for Pico.
Just then, the dusty yellow school bus came to a halt in the middle of the driveway, the doors opening, Candice smiling at them all…. "Hello, kids!"
"Hello!" Everyone chimed.
"Wait, camp's cancelled," Burt told the kids as Candice tried to stop him. "Didn't you kids get the message?"
"What message?" Trudy droned.
"He meant the one that said 'Welcome to Camp Little Moose'," Candice walked over with an excited and friendly smile to the kids. "I'm Candice, I'll be the best damn counselor you'll ever have."
"Should…we let some of the most deranged psychopaths on the OVDF's payroll teach at this camp?" Rayco asked, disturbed.
Drakus burst into laughter. "Please, I can guarantee way worse has been done here."
"Is your cousin insane?" Rayco whispered to Preme.
Preme shrugged. "Possibly, he said he killed and revived hundreds of people on a bender."
"And many of which were Goro Aori's friends, and your cousin, in the following weeks, hurt even more," Rayco said, horrified by Drakus' antics. "The only reason Aori's leader of Katsutoshi instead of second-in-command is because the former Captain, his mentor, is still in the hospital after he got wounded by Drakus while trying to protect a family of refugees."
"Hey! I didn't mean to hurt him! I was shooting at some thugs trying to rob the place he was at and he was just in the crossfire!" Drakus retorted, as Rayco cringed at how nonchalantly Drakus said that.
"Wait. That little guy is Kirby! The OG super tough Pink Puff!" Drakus said.
"Really? This little puff ball? Must be a tough customer." Jax said, looking at him.
"Don't let his cute demeanor fool you. Kirby's tough. He's successfully defended Dreamland countless times." Drakus said.
"Does that look tough to you?" Roman said, pointing to Kirby, as Preme was dressing him up.
"He may be a hero, but he's more cute than tough." Kanade said.
"I don't know if this is such a good idea." Burt said to Candice. "Maybe we should put these kids back on the bus."
The bus honked its horn and the doors closed as it then drove off, away from the campsite.
"Hey, hey, hey, where are you going?" Burt shook his fist at the leaving bus. "You get back here!"
"So, first off, the zip line!" Candice said, as Philia, Kirby, Nom-Nom, Maria, Pico and Rayco followed.
"Sounds awesome!" Luke eagerly followed after Candice.
"Sounds cool!" Elena said.
"Sounds awful," Trudy muttered, holding her cell phone in one hand.
"Sounds amazing." Zick said.
"I feel like we're forgetting something." Bruce spoke up.
"You mean like that we're gonna have to be the new Mystery Incorporated?" Mystle asked.
"That's it." Constance said, bridging her nose.