Within the heart of the Pokey Oaks North suburb, a meteor marred the pristine landscape. The crater, gouged deep into the earth, brimmed with the remnants of the meteor's violent impact, its jagged edges casting ominous shadows in the dim moonlight. Within the confines of the crater, the meteorite lay sprawled like a fallen titan, its surface scorched and pockmarked from its journey through the atmosphere. The once-gleaming exterior was now dulled and battered, its once-mighty form reduced to a twisted mass of metal and rock. Yet somehow, conveniently, it managed to land in the middle of a small square full of buildings. The neighborhood mostly remained unharmed, except for the busted earth underneath.
From the depths of the smoldering pit, an ominous green slosh seeped forth, its viscous surface writhing with an otherworldly energy that seemed to pulse with malevolence. A pool of green quietly swirled, shifting in thick chunks. A nasty stench dominated the area, a soft mist rolling throughout the park.
Surrounding the crater, a perimeter of light guards and boundaries crackled with energy, sealing off the site of the impact with an air of ominous finality. The guardians stood watchful and vigilant, their forms casting long shadows against the flickering light as they stood sentinel over the mysterious phenomenon that had descended upon the suburban landscape. Their bodies were equipped in thick suits of black armor, covered in nearly three full layers. Large rifles were strapped to their chests, small suit lights lighting up the directions they faced.
A couple of them gently overlooked inside the crater, watching in silence at this outer space spectacle from Planet Fusion. Soft breathing escaped independently from their visors and black masks covering their faces. Their hands calmly clutched the guns to their chests, remaining silent for the most part.
Soft crackles emerged from the edges of the rock, followed by the slight pussing of more fusion coming from the inside.
One soldier lifted his head up, gesturing toward the crackle. "Hey, you see that?"
"What?" the other replied.
He took a couple of steps closer to the edge of the crater and lifted his weapon up. The line shined down on the crack, watching it slowly grow. The soft light reflecting off of the ooze revealed it getting larger as the moments passed.
"It's almost like.. an egg." he softly said, motioning toward it.
The other placed a hand on one of the borders, leaning in and nodded. "Should we get back-up?"
"Depends on what comes out," replied the other one. A finger pulled back the hammer of the rifle, looking down the sights at it. "only one way to find out."
"Hey! Anastasia! Secure the perimeter!"
From the other side of the crater, resting behind a couple of set up terminals, a third soldier peaked her head up and reached for the comm on her helmet. "Perimeter has been secure, sarge. All civilians have been evacuated and transferred; something the matter?"
"Yeah, the crater's opening up. Get primed and ready." replied the soldier. She reached for her rifle and pulled the hammer back on it, looking down at the crack one last time. "Stay put; if it gets worse, I'm calling in a backup group. Maybe we can just bake whatever is in there and call it a day?"
The other soldier nodded and rested his weight on the barrier, keeping the gun primed. "Yes ma'am."
A section of the crater was now beginning to fall in on itself, revealing a glistening gooey inside within. It resembled the shape of a flattened egg, the fusion holding itself together as if resembling some jagged shamrock womb. The flashlight light penetrated the thick miasma, though was stopped when the outline of something muscular took form.
"What the.."
From the goop came a few curled fingers, covered in slime yet the faintest of a dark latex purple coming into view. It reached out, grabbing onto the fusion and pushed itself open. From the fingers came a hand, then a wrist, then a forearm as something started emerging.
The sergeant raised her rifle and tilted her head, "Might be a.. fusion? Of who?"
As it fully started slipping itself out, an enormous upper arm emerged. It was abnormally muscular, nearly cracking the outer shell as it pushed itself outward. From the depths of the fractured shell emerged a monstrous figure, towering and grotesque in its form.
Both flashlights steered up and all around as the sergeant gestured toward a hand, "Anna, call in backup! I think I know what it is!"
The figure's broad shoulders towered, making the crater feel smaller than what it actually was. Coated in fusion slime, it hunched itself over. It was like a giant baby, freshly born to the world standing upright on its legs for the first time. In a morbid sense, it was a tall, muscular baby. A dark purple cloth surrounded it, black stripes resembling a bit of color from inside. A husky, watery breathing rose in volume. A pair of clenched fists slightly twitched. Deeply underneath, in between the thighs of this hulking figure, a smaller and skinnier one emerged. It struggled to take shape, its strained fingers reaching out to grab onto something though slipped in the slosh from within.
From the control panel, a pair of hands viciously danced across the keyboard and a small ringing started. From one of the screens, the soldier reached her head forward and spoke out. "Calling from the crash sight, we need a squad down here as soon as possible-"
Within seconds, the loud spewing of automatic gunfire went off as the soldier started unloading an entire magazine into the figure. Dozens of bullets penetrated the thick chest and strong legs though to no avail. An unholy, guttural screech came from the figure as it slowly began to form a coherent voice.
Its arms raised into the air as it started to climb out of the goop pool and onto the street itself; a giant leg kicked the soldier aside like a pup, throwing the man toward a two-story suburban house behind.
"SARGE!" the man screamed and collapsed onto the ground.
The other soldier froze, standing still and looking up at the emerging figure in front of her. She had her rifle prepped and ready, her finger slightly shaking on the trigger as if looking for something to shoot. She couldn't, unable to fully comprehend what was forming in front of her.
A billowing, dark cape flung itself backward. There was no breeze, creating a breeze for itself. Its hands reached out and grabbed onto the shoulder, lifting herself up to come face to face with the leviathan before her.
"I repeat, I need a squad in Pokey Oaks North AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! I am sending c-coordinates-" Anastasia repeated on her end, submitting a transmission to Sector V and reaching for her pop gun pistol.
She raised it into the air and took a couple of steps back, "Are you alright?! Cody speak to me!"
The soldier on the ground struggled to get himself up, grabbing onto his arm and letting out a painful breath. "S-Stay back! I'm hurt.. but I'm o-"
ZAP!
A pair of bright red laser beams came from the depths of the crater as the smaller figure emerged. It was skinny, barely struggling to hold itself up. The lasers tore straight into the soldier, turning his helmet into a hot mess. Burnt steel enveloped the area as the man's head had blubbered apart and melted a puddle. He no longer moved, his hands at first reaching out for something but falling short. His rifle rested idly in his hands, now becoming an unfortunate casualty.
"CODY!" screamed the soldier as she aimed her popgun and started letting off bullets into the smaller figure. It collapsed quickly back into the goop of fusion.
From the giant figure came the amalgamation of several voices until it started to form into a deep, charismatic growl. It was full of charm, springing life to life reformed from something deadly.
" I mUSt ADmit, thatwas some great stuff!"
The sergeant pulled the trigger on her rifle, letting off a barrage of bullets into the stomach of the muscular figure. It let out a grunt in pain, dropping her onto the ground and clung onto his suit. It was made out of latex, slightly ripped now due to the bullets. He breathed through his teeth, hot bubbling mass popping the bullets out of his body onto the ground in an alien way.
"Anastasia!" cried the Sargent as she got up. She continued to send off the magazine into the muscular figure and gestured with a hand. "We need to get out of here NOW! I made a mistake, I am so sorry-"
The figure quickly and tightly wrapped his huge hand around the woman's neck, lifting her up. A pair of red glowing eyes crackled with an unnatural electricity as it hoisted her up. "You're going to regret facing one of earth's mightiest heroes, little lady."
Anastasia's eyes widened as she took a couple of steps back, reaching for another magazine across her chest and shakily started reloading the pistol. "I won't leave you, sarge!"
A couple of shots went off, drilling into the man's thigh as he breathed in sharply. "Oooh, ouch. Chilled to the touch! Blossom, send her off will ya?"
Emerging from the pool in full form was Fusion Blossom, her glaring red eyes turning to look at the woman in front of her. Her stinging voice raised in response, "Of course, major."
PEW!
The beams shot directly through the woman's helmet, burning away through her eye sockets and forcing her immediately to the ground. She was dead. No fanfare, no heroic sacrifice, merely another victim to Fuse's grasp.
"WOW!" screamed the muscular titan. A sharp crack twisted the sergeant's head in a certain direction, leaving her to go limp. The sounds that came from her were struggling, choking, dropped like a ragdoll to limp on the ground.
The man turned to look down at the woman, watching her suffer. His eyes lit up in a bright red before zapping down and completely obliterating her face within one second. Her body stretched and shook in a violent response underneath his boot, before falling limp and joining the rest of her squad.
A sigh in relief came from the figure as he stepped off the body, looking around at the suburb around him. He heroically posed, putting his hands on his hips. "I definitely don't miss the suburbs, don't you?"
Fusion Blossom took a couple of steps over toward Anastasia and knelt down, gently tracing a couple of green, bubbly fingers across her helmet. She pulled it off to reveal a flattened, zombified face. Young beauty turned into a corpse all within one night.
"I don't."
As she rolled her red eyes back, the bits and pieces of freshly mauled flesh slowly started to liquidate. It raised off of her body and invaded the fusion bloodstream of Blossom; it ran across her body, slipping underneath her clothes and gently began to take shape. The corpse underneath started to flatten, the outer skin and muscles being absorbed by her necrotic hand. It slowly peeled off until it was down to the bone, completely destroying her identity and defiling what was left of her corpse.
Although for Blossom, her youth started to reform. Her bubbly, fusion skin was being hidden behind a layer of skin and flesh. A soft, beautiful hue of pink returned to her. Within the span of a couple of minutes, her entire body was now transforming into a remnant of what it once was: human life. Her red eyes pierced the body in front of her, not a tinge of resentment. The only thing in mind was bloodlust, the image of Niles in his suit replaying in her head over and over again. Her hands clenched, almost drawing fusion blood just at the sight of him.
Standing behind the woman was now a pinnacle of Lord Fuse's creations: Fusion Major Glory. A cocky smirk crawled across his face, entertained by her complete and disrespectful assimilation of the girl in front of her. His eyes stared from behind the twisted, winged helmet. The iconic look of the superhero was created, though twisted into an evil narrative through negative colors. The red glow in his gaze made it obvious, his bubbly green skinny fizzing like an energy drink.
"Well this plan is getting better and better by the second!" he smiled. "Praise to Lord Fuse, we may be actually able to pull this off!"
The young girl stood up and turned to look up at him, her hair now a natural and iconic ginger as she tilted her head. As she replied, her voice was near parallel to the actual powerpuff girl. "Remind me, Major, what your role was?"
A thumb was pressed against his black-starred, latex chest. "I'm going to give enough of a distraction for you tomorrow to get yourself settled into the sector. I'll throw around some rubble, destroy a couple of houses and hopefully lure any of the nearby superheroes to fight!"
"What if you attract the army instead?" Blossom asked sharply.
The fusion superhero shook his head, placing his hands on his hips while his cape flew high. "Oh trust me, it takes more than an army to put down the Major Glory! Even so, I shall gladly give up my life for the cause! The Iron Warrior must be eradicated!"
"Good man," she replied, brushing her clothes off and standing up straight. "Don't get too carried away in the fun of it. Remember to deal as much damage to people as you can."
A two finger salute came from Fusion Major Glory as he gently levitated into the air, "Praise to Lord Fuse!"
Within seconds, a flash of green and purple followed behind him as he zipped off into the night sky.
Pokey Oaks North was vulnerable under his strength, and tomorrow it would learn what it meant to be sieged.
Fusion Blossom watched him go for a moment, tilting her head in slight judgment before heading off in her own separate direction. A red flash was left behind her as she zipped, perfecting Blossom's superpose as she started mumbling to herself. "Niles, where would you go without me?"
"AH!"
From the safety of a cheap bed, Niles jolted himself up. His eyes widened and his mouth agape; a cold sweat ran down the side of his head as he panted, searching in his chest for the next deep breath to take. His hair was a mess, tangled across the sides of his head. A hand reached up and calmly grasped onto his chest, somewhat soothing his struggle as he lowered his head forward and sighed. The faint sound of slight knocks startled him awake, nearly sounding like gunshots in his mind.
Niles dragged his legs off the edge of the bed and raised himself up. His feet slapped the ground until he slipped on his flip flops, letting out a pained sigh. The bags under his eyes were slightly defined, though mentally he felt rested. He turned to look out toward the faint window of the garage, recognizing that it was still night time. The soft knocking was coming from the garage door, repetitively in threes.
His hand slipped for the pop gun resting on the edge of his desk, checking to see how many bullets were in it and pulled the hammer back. It slipped behind him, hiding behind his back as he took a couple of steps forward. In a tired tone he called out, "Who is it?"
At first, silence was from the other side of the door, until the faint sound of a digital flash occurred. A familiar voice under a speaker spoke up in a muffled accent, " I do apologize for troubling you this early in the morning, sir !"
Niles was annoyed. His face melted into a tired anguish as he reached for the garage door button and pressed it.
The door slowly pulled itself up to reveal the dynamo suit once again, mechanically bending itself over and walking inside. It appeared to be dry, scrubbed off to perfection and catered to in every possible fashion. Though surprisingly, it appeared to be moving on its own. It took a couple more steps closer toward Niles and extended a hand, offering it to shake.
A little playful scoff came from the man as he reached a hand out and grabbed onto it, shaking it as if it were another person. "You can control the suit?"
" This is a newer prospect, sir; it's something Dexter invented! " replied Nano X from within the suit. The eyes appeared to be glowing a bright white, indicating that he was in control.
Niles smacked the edge of the gun on the garage button and let it lower, letting go of the hand and placed the gun back down on the table. "You know where to leave the suit; hop out of there, X."
The suit took a couple more steps until it stopped in the center of the room, surrounded by a couple new additions Niles made to his garage. The suit's eyes scanned the room and X spoke, " I see you've made yourself comfortable in your new home. "
The magazine to the gun was removed, shoved into a small army ammo box he had under the desk. "The money from my service in Blackhead transferred over; I thought a good bed, a couch and a bigger fridge would be the best thing to buy right now. No new technologies yet."
The suit slightly hunched over and the eyes returned to its normal yellow; Nano Alien X popped out from the suit and slightly orbited its head, watching Niles with interest. "Speaking of, Dexter dropped off a gift for you! You should check the chest compartment."
He approached his suit and popped the chest open, reaching inside. What came out was a long, slender mechanical device in the shape of a bracer. It appeared to have a handful of buttons and knobs on the top, acting like a little interface. A tiny, circular screen was on the interface with the soft glow digitalized words of 'NanoComm' faintly flickering over and over again.
As Niles clapped it onto his right arm, it snapped in place and wrapped snugly. He jolted back in response to it, infatuated with its purpose.
From the tiny camera attached to this small screen, it began to scan Niles up and down in a bright blue. The man turned to look over at X and spoke up, "What's going on? Explain this to me, X."
"I believe the device is walking you through a process of setting up." X hovered a little closer to Niles, watching from a distance with humored interest.
Shortly afterwards, the scanning stopped and a display came into view. From the tiny projector came a digitalized screen, holographic in nature and bold. It appeared to resemble a computer desktop, showing the file image of Niles in the top right corner. There were several apps on the screen including messages, storage and emails all defined by small icons for each separate use.
The man looked up at this with interest, then selected one of the many apps titled 'Nano Tracker' using just his finger. There was a happy smile on his face as he started toying around with it like a child on christmas, obsessed with the technology he didn't have. "That labrat never fails to amaze me."
The outline of Nano Alien X appeared on the screen, showing several bars with different notches including 'energy', 'power' and 'ability'. His signs appeared to be nearly full, indicating that he was charged like a battery.
The man turned to look over at X and pointed the NanoComm over at him; a blue laser shot off from the projector, outlining the nano in a digitalized blues. For just a moment, dozens of ones and zeroes could be seen hovering in his place, until it finally stabilized.
The connection to X was secure, drawing him closer.
"Sir, I can feel a connection to you. I no longer need the suit!" X replied with a hint of excitement, immediately spinning around Niles' head.
"That'll be very helpful in the future," replied the man as he started his way over to the fridge. He pulled the silvery white door open, taking out a cup of easy noodles. "Plus, I can keep you around everywhere I go now."
A slight chuckle came from X as he took a seat on his actual shoulder, "I feel flattered, sir." His cheery attitude quickly subsided as he tilted his head. "Sir, I can read a bit of stress coming from your NanoComm. Are you alright?"
Niles took out the small seasoning packet from inside and grabbed onto the suit's arm, pushing a button and allowing it to light up as a makeshift fire. "Huh? Oh, I was having a nightmare when you showed up. Now I can't sleep."
"I do apologize for that, sir. Perhaps we could get you some medication to ease your trauma and let you sleep?"
He shook his head as he set the cup down in the hand's grasp, letting it softly cook for a while and watched. "No need for that; well, maybe not yet. I was just dreaming.. about Jack and Tex again."
X had a little worried expression on his face as his warm hand patted him on the neck, "There there, it's okay. We are in a safer past."
"I'm glad to have you with me, X. Even if I haven't known you for long, you're still a reminder of the past and what I fight for." he replied softly. His easing helped him a little bit, though with not much effect.
The nano rested on his shoulder with a slight hunch over now, occasionally patting him here and there. "Of course, sir. It's what Blossom wanted me here for. If you don't mind me asking, was it the mission again?"
The bubbling water began to rise, nearly edging the cup's rim. He quickly shut off the heat coming from the hand and gently felt the cup; it was incredibly hot, so he left it to settle for a moment and reached for the packet. "Yes it was; it was like even in my dreams I can't escape it, seeing Jack like that."
There was a moment of silence from X as he calculated his next words carefully. "Do you think we should go visit Samurai Jack? Would that ease your worry?"
"He's in the Darklands, right?" he asked back, turning to look at X. "Yes, I think I'd like that. I think.. as long as I know he's alive and well, I think that would help."
The nano nodded, kicking his legs again. "Let's plan a trip, whenever you aren't busy."
After letting the noodles cool off, Niles mixed in the seasoning with a little plastic fork and took a seat in his office chair. He twirled his fork into the ramen and lifted it up, watching the slight steam billow out from the confines of the cup and blew on it. A few moments later, he curled his mouth around it and took a big bite. He was greeted to the salty and addictive flavor of the seasoned noodles, causing him to slouch and enjoy himself for a moment.
X was stumped. How could a cup of noodles make someone happy?
"I take it you're not going back to sleep?"
He shook his head with his mouthful and swallowed, "I can't; I feel like I've rested enough. Besides, I might have another nightmare."
The nano nodded in response, calmly hovering over to the desk and stood upright on it. He put his little white hands on his hips, looking left, then right. "I haven't seen you in the past couple of days; have you been doing okay?"
He just shrugged, twirling his fork in for another bite. "Yeah, I've been alright. I've been doing my best to adjust to the past and just.. let go of the heavy stuff for a little bit. It's helped somewhat, though I still think about the mission quite often."
"I believe the mission is complete," X turned to look back up at him. "Now that's left is to win the war."
Niles blew on the noodles again, looking down at X. He made it sound easy, causing him to make a face. "Let's hope these technologies actually change the future; though, something tells me that's not the case."
"What makes you say that?" The nano asked.
As he took another bite, he chewed for a little bit. It took him a moment to answer, though the noodles triggered a thought. "Lord Fuse's tactics are centered around adaptability; he's much like us, though in a sick and twisted way. We both know that the catalyst to his operations here on the planet is his avatar in the Darklands." He helped articulate his thoughts by waving his fork around.
The nano remained silent, nodding along and let him speak.
"One of the main reasons we lost was because we took so long; instead of focusing on the battles that mattered, we were hellbent on winning every single one. Not every piece of territory is important, so I feel like the faster we retaliate and push simply toward the Darklands, the better our odds are at kicking him off this rock. You know, cutting the head off. Are you following me here?"
X scratched his chin, squinting up at him while he explained it. "I am following you, yes. That is a dangerous plan, sir. Perhaps you could lead the charge?"
"I just wonder what's currently stopping everyone from just.. I don't know, mass-charging the Darklands and putting an end to all of this?" Niles sighed, kicking his feet up on the desk and tilted his head. He felt a slight sting from the NanoCom and looked over, realizing it was reading his pulse.
"Well as you know, even if the past currently seems stronger, soldiers are spread thin everywhere. Many of our strongest soldiers still have their own seperate issues to face. Additionally, Fuse's influence is drawing us in, attempting to solidify us into one spot. So far he has succeeded." X retorted.
Niles nodded, kicking his foot and shook his head. "If I just had a map and knew what kind of soldiers we had available, what I'd do to Fuse's forces alone.."
For a little while, the two of them discussed the possibilities of countering Lord Fuse until day broke. The first light of dawn broke over Sector V, the sky painted in a soft hue of blue. It cast a tranquil glow over the quiet neighborhood below, the early morning air crisp and cool. The streets were deserted and silent, a majority of the operatives still nestled in their own beds after a night of restful slumber. The towering treehouse stood sentinel over the sleepy suburb, its windows reflecting the gentle light of the rising sun. Occasionally, the peaceful stillness of the morning was interrupted by the distant hum of a S.C.A.M.P.E.R. soaring through the sky, its sleek silhouette cutting through the dawn sky as it embarked on early missions. The sound of its engines served as a reminder that even in the quiet moments of the morning, the work of protecting the neighborhood from the forces of evil never ceased.
After an extensive conversation, a now fully awake and active Niles was standing in the middle of the garage. From the holographic screen was a miniature version of Frogger being played by the man while he was thinking to himself. "X, I think I've got it."
The nano quietly watched from the desk, his legs dangling off the edge while he blinked once. "What is it?"
"I think I'm going to dedicate my time to helping clean up the sectors and make sure the ground is laid out," Niles explained, gesturing with a hand. "I can continue to earn the trust of others and hopefully request an army to go up north to face Fuse's avatar. The less problems Sector V has, the more time Dexter has to build whatever is in that time traveler's book and increase our odds."
X nodded in response, "As for the villains?"
"For the villains.. I will work to see whose trust I can earn. Not all of them are going to want to work with us but we convinced Demongo in the future. That means it's not impossible." Niles replied.
"It's a good idea to have a plan to set into motion; I have faith in you." replied X. Despite not having a visible mouth, if he could smile at him he would.
The comm was shut off, leaving Niles to slightly pace back and forth as his mind began racing with thoughts on how to improve the sectors. He was eager, that ambition fueling up inside him violently. "We had eight years just doing what we could now; imagine if we actually managed to succeed?"
Bzzt! Bzzt!
The NanoComm on his arm vibrated, a tiny set of words appearing on the screen. He stopped, raising it and stared at what it said. The tech indicated he was getting a call, specifically from Blossom. A small icon of her showed up on the screen, a soft grin on her face as if she was actually enjoying herself somewhere.
Curiously, Niles pressed down on a button. The home screen popped up again in view, this time showing a virtual connection between the two of them.
On the hologram, Blossom had a concerned look on her face. Her hair had been tied up in a long ponytail in the back, dressed in her typical red dress with her bowtie on. There were some bags under her eyes, indicating that she hadn't gotten enough sleep last night. "Hey? Niles?"
The man nodded, looking up at the screen. "Morning Blossom."
"I see Dexter dropped off the NanoCom, good. I was worried I might have called a little too early." she replied.
He gestured over toward X who came floating into view, settling down on his shoulder. "No, X got it for me as well as the suit. What's up?"
"Good, are you awake? There's been a problem in Pokey Oaks North. Buttercup wants to see what you're made of, and to be honest we need a little bit of help here. Bubbles isn't responding to my messages." she explained somewhat frantically. From her end, her eyes turned to look up and over, the faint sound of a shout echoing in the neighborhood.
A worried look spread across Niles' face, yet also a bit of excitement. A mission? This early already? Things were conveniently working out day after day for him. He crossed his arms and nodded, "Yeah, I'll be over there in a second. I won't let you down."
"Great," she sighed in relief and waved her hand. "See you soon."
The call ended, leaving X and Niles somewhat in the dark. The man turned to look over at him and excitedly gestured, "Well I suppose we should get going then."
He quickly dashed over and pressed on the chest piece of the suit, watching it fold open and proceeded to climb in. Efficiently, the armor closed in on itself, tightening around his body for maximum comfort. It was a smooth shut, not held back by any indents or bent pieces of metal which would otherwise make it uncomfortable.
X quickly transferred himself from the NanoComm over to the suit, popping up and appearing as a tiny chibi again in the suit's helmet. Several different bars and statistics began to appear in the corner as Niles let out a comfortable sigh; it was always a pleasure getting to be able to use the suit. From within, he felt like a proper hero.
"Oh! I almost forgot- "
The helmet folded into the neck guard and stiffly did he walk over. His hand scooped up his superhero mask from the desk, putting it on to conceal himself once more. He started his way toward the garage door and pushed the button, impatiently watching it rise.
"How do you like your clean suit, sir?" X asked from within.
Niles rolled his shoulders and pushed the button again just as he was stepping out to close the door, "I love it."
"Dexter layered on nearly two full coats just to make sure it wouldn't stain again." he explained.
When the man tapped his rocket boots twice, he took off into the air. He extended his arms out and back, going into his iconic pose as the helmet folded over his face once more. " You've got to give the man credit: it doesn't matter what project he works on, he always gives it his all. I've come to respect that over the years. "
Back over at Pokey Oaks North, a standoff took place. An even larger perimeter had been set around multiple buildings, the dozens of people living in these suburban houses quickly evacuated. An even larger bundle of Sector V operatives had taken hold around every corner, boxing in this particular park square. The huge holographic barriers sealed off the park like an infection zone, double-enforced by separate lines of available soldiers with their guns by their sides at the ready. Based on sheer size alone, it seems there were nearly a hundred agents by now surrounding this area in order to ensure it was sealed tight.
Within the perimeter, several of the suburban houses were destroyed. The streets were lined with a handful of corpses which were even more unfortunate casualties to this rogue fusion. The streets were stained in both blood and fusion, indicating the ongoing battle which was occurring so close to home.
From the other side of the barrier, both Blossom and Buttercup stood together with their arms crossed. Both of them had their own signature glares as they faced forward, standing together with a small escort of soldiers who were also watching.
Fusion Major Glory stood still in the center of this zone, his cape twirling in the wind while he mimicked their pose. His arms were crossed, an ambitious smile on his face as he didn't move. He was an immovable bulwark to an unstoppable force, eager for his next fight. All he could do was wait, so he waited with a smile.
Standing beside Blossom, a young woman dressed in her own KND armor had her arms crossed. A lollipop had been jammed in her mouth, her dark face hidden underneath a red hat. Over her armor was her signature blue and white coat, slightly drifting in the cool morning breeze. She didn't look happy, one hand gently fiddling with one of her dual pop gun pistols. When she tilted her head and reached up to grab her lollipop, her golden earrings slightly clinked in the breeze. She had some sass to her stance, her fingers eager to draw at a moment's notice.
"Blossom," she started with a particularly sassy accent. "What's this fool doin'? How come we ain't rushin' in there to give this sucka a well-deserved ass-whoopin'?"
The powerpuff girl sighed, tapping her foot. "I wanna make sure we have enough fire power for this, super fire power. We can't lose any more lives than we already have, Five."
The agent loudly sighed, "Then what am I here for? To watch you guys play?"
"No," Buttercup shook her head. "You're here to make sure you and your guys keep the area secure. Personally I'd love to watch you guys unload on him," she snickered. "But unfortunately this isn't your common fusion."
"It's Major Glory! Yeah, I got that part." Five retorted. "I can still get in there and give him trouble no sweat-"
Blossom shook her head, "I appreciate your enthusiasm, Five, but please. He'd snap your head backwards if given the opportunity. We're already risking the other recruit's neck just to get him over there."
"His suit's got him covered," Buttercup said. "Otherwise, I can get him out of here."
Blossom took a deep breath, "If, for whatever case, he fails Buttercup.." she turned to look over at her. "Or gets commissioned out of service, what then?"
"Sis, can we not talk about this right now? If he wants to fight, let him fight. He knows the risks, he's a soldier." Buttercup debated. "Treat this as a test; you want to see what he's made of, don't you? Why are you worrying?"
The girl sighed, rubbing her temple a little bit and saw Fusion Major Glory chuckle from the other side. "I just don't want anyone else to die, Buttercup."
"I know, sis, I know."
From the sky came Niles gently landing in between a couple of buildings on the ground with a dramatic entrance. His hands helped balance his drop, softly plopping down and starting his way over. He pressed the button on his helmet, revealing his face as his neck-guard triggered. His wild hair gently drifted in the wind, followed behind his cape upon his arrival.
Numbuh Five looked back over at him with a smirk and twirled her lollipop in her hand. "Well well well, if it ain't superman. About time you showed up, I was about to take your place."
Niles chuckled and waved a little bit, "It's good to finally meet you in person, Numbuh Five. I've heard a lot of good things about you."
"Better have," she replied with a grin, crossing her arms. "From who?"
He rolled his shoulders and the thought of Numbuh Two came into mind. He had a soft crush on her, something he figured he would wingman quite literally ahead of time, "A lot of soldiers, especially Numbuh Two."
"Awe, ain't he just the sweetheart." she smiled widely, now showing off her white teeth.
Blossom nodded toward Niles' approach, gesturing over toward the barrier. "Good morning, thank you for coming. I do apologize for this unprecedented call but it's urgent."
The other powerpuff gave a nod and two finger salute, "Morning, nerd. Ready to show us what you're made of?"
The man looked out toward the barrier, squinting his eyes and brushed a gauntlet through his hair. "Is that.. Major Glory? I mean, as a fusion?"
"Yep, in the flesh." Buttercup replied. "We have no idea how he got here other than that meteor from the sky the other day."
Blossom nodded, "My sister was right; the comet housed a fusion creation. As far as we know, we have no idea how Fusion Major Glory came to be so this is big trouble. We sent an agent to contact the actual Major Glory and see if he's still okay back at Bravo Beach but haven't gotten a response yet."
"What about Bubbles?" Niles asked. "Is she still coming?"
Buttercup shrugged.
"We don't know," replied Blossom. "She's been radio silent dealing with even more beacons downtown. I'm starting to get worried about her. She tends to.. go off on her own sometimes without telling us, though comes back with promising results. Hopefully, she's okay."
"Which is why we're having you step up to the plate today with us, tin-can. Have you ever fought a fusion superhero before?" Buttercup asked.
The man nodded, fondly recollecting one of the many fights. "I did, in the future. We won but it didn't end well."
"Well, if it's just going to be us three then let's head on in." Blossom ordered, stepping up to one of the barriers. "Stay alert, alright Five? You might get your fill yet."
The girl nodded and gave a two finger salute, "Yeah yeah, Numbuh Five's all comfortable here. You just get in there and save the day so she can take the day off."
When the three stepped inside the infected zone, Fusion Major Glory rolled his shoulders and took a couple of steps forward to approach them. Underneath his muscular legs did he leave footprints behind, quaking the literal ground itself with each step. He gripped onto his fist as his smile widened, his cheeks nearly cutting with how sharp it was. He tilted his head, popping his knuckles with both of his hands as a gust of energy began to brew from him. "So! These are earth's mightiest heroes, huh? I was hoping for a more impressive bunch."
"We'll show you who you're messing with, fusion!" Blossom snapped back. Immediately within the moment she leaped off of the ground and into the air, kicking herself forward with an intense speed.
Buttercup followed in pursuit with an ambitious smirk on her face, kicking off the ground behind her sister.
Niles stayed back, raising his arm cannons into the air and fired off two violent beams. Streaks of sunlight dashed from his palms, piercing into Major's broad chest.
His eyes flared a bright red and sent off a pair of beams straight for Blossom as he charged forward, his intense mass flexing even with a single step as he lifted off into the air and soared toward them. "SPECIAL TECHNIQUE: SUPER FUSION BREATH!"
He inhaled backward and paused in mid air, puffing out his enormous chest. From the depths of his stomach came a disgusting chunk of green, spewed out like violent acid reflux toward the two girls. The corners of his mouth and lips were stained in a bright green as he hacked up a strong-stenched bile on both of the girls.
Blossom let out a shriek as she fought through it while Buttercup steered off to the side and found her entire body being burned alive. Hot fusion burned her skin yet shockingly the pain didn't stop her.
The powerpuff girl dashed forward and began trading blows with the fusion, throwing punches and kicks left and right. She was fast, relentless and furious, her left and right hook proving to be a devastating match for Major.
Blossom managed to get herself back up and inhaled from her chest, blowing out a vicious breeze of arctic wind. It coated him with a frosty overcast, slowing him down in the moment through her zero degree violent breeze.
Niles joined in on the fray, boosting himself forward and went for a landing kick on the major. His form, speed and direction was on point as the heel of his boot was headed straight for the man's jaw.
SLAM!
Major grabbed onto Niles' ankle and chucked him onto the ground, fighting the bitter cold as he let out a grunt in frustration. An enormous fist reeled back and decked Buttercup straight in the jaw, taking advantage of Niles' momentum on her.
WHAP!
Buttercup violently smacked into one of the hologram borders, causing a searing back pain as well as the border to flicker from the damage. She forced herself back up to get into the fight, starting her way back.
There, in the center of the park, Blossom and Major started throwing punches toward one another with an epic speed. Her nimble speed met his blunt force, ducking and weaving his heavy attacks.
A grunt of frustration came from Major as he threw a punch here only to miss, throwing a kick here and showed no signs of dealing damage. Within the moment, his hands formed into a pair of finger guns. The edges of his pointer fingers lit up in a bright white as he shouted, "STELLAR BULLETS!"
Miniature Shooting stars manifested from his fingers, firing off in energy blasts which struck into the girl's chest. Three stars hit her and ripped parts of her dress, sending her flying backward and into a tree nearby headfirst.
Niles breathed heavily as he managed to climb back up and kicked into the back knee of Major, forcing him down and grabbing onto the back of his head. His hand started to charge up, the other formed into a fist which beat into Glory's side over and over again. He grit his teeth, putting as much intensity as he could into each swing.
Unfortunately, Major Glory's muscular form brute forced all of his punches, making it seem like he did nothing. The fusion superhero grabbed a hold of Niles and lifted him up into the air. Lowly did he sneer, "Arachnid.."
Niles' eyes widened as he looked down at him through the helmet, straining through his grasp and grabbed onto his choking hand. He forced with a strained force, " Y-You know me?! "
His grip grew tighter as he lifted the superhero up into the air and slammed him down into the ground. His other hand gripped onto the concrete below as he started smacking Niles over and over again. His helmet started to crack and wane under the heavy weight as Major screamed, "I WILL BREAK YOU!"
ZAP!
Two green lasers started melting his gripping hand, causing him to drop Niles in front of him with a roar in pain. When it stopped, he turned to the side as his cape covered over the metal man's face.
Buttercup was zeroing in on him with an intense speed, her eyes glowing a violent green as her hands started to heat up with a sickening green flame. "Hey ugly! Over here!"
PUNCH!
The powerpuff girl's fist latched onto Major, sweeping his upper body up off of his feet. She continued with her combo followed by a kick to the chest, another punch in his other cheek and finishing it with a headbutt.
He collapsed after her rapid succession onto the ground and left a dent with his own sheer size, letting out a groan in frustration. His hands gripped into the dirt and concrete, folding underneath him like sand as he started pushing himself back up. His eyes started to spark and fizzle, his anger growing by the moment. "Step aside, girl! I will snap your tiny frame in HALF!"
"That's not very heroic of you, major!" Blossom yelled back as she zapped forward toward him at the speed of light. She landed right on his chest, stepping on him and started pelting him with dozens of small fists. Her upper weight was shocking, a super strength billowed from inside of her as she kept this monster pinned. Punch after punch she didn't stop, her fury growing through each hit.
Major's face started growing bruised, though his glare didn't subside. "STAR-SPANGLED LASER VISION!"
PEW!
A red blast sent Blossom reeling into the air, throwing her off guard as her hands flew back.
Buttercup leaped forward to get a landing kick, only to be met with being smacked aside from his hand like a pest. "ACK!"
Niles was third in the order, lifting himself up and fired off another beam into the fusion's thigh. The heat started to drill into the muscle, weakening it as he looked somewhat melted.
Fusion Major Glory turned back, his eyes firing off another piercing blast which hit Niles straight in the chest. He was sent off of his feet from the sheer force, landing on his skidding back in the center of the street. "Oof!"
The handfuls of soldiers which were watching this battle threw their fists up in the air, cheering on for the three. A couple of them hoisted their guns up in the air as well, showing safe-distanced support from all around.
Numbuh Five had her arms crossed with a wide smirk across her face, watching this fight play out. They were struggling quite a lot, the thought of stepping in in the back of her mind while they went on. He proved to be an immense threat, should Major escape the infected zone.
Niles coughed a little bit as he lifted himself off the ground, shakily standing up and looked up at Major. He was calmly walking toward him, rolling his fists and shoulders as he grit his teeth. He raised them into the air, flexing his muscles in front of the young man as fusion goop began to envelop around his chest, arms and legs. "You're no match for my.. FUSION ARMOR!"
Over his dark purple latex, fusion manifested physically into another layer of thick armor. He made himself into a living tank, even his cape freezing over into a green crust which was defended by any oncoming physical attacks. Additionally, everything this man had to say was dramatically out of proportion. The young superhero made a sigh in annoyance.
" You've got to be kidding me ."
The fusion leaped forward hastily, throwing a fist into the ground immediately.
Niles rolled over, rocketing himself up off and sent a rapid-fire shot from his hand cannons to retaliate. Some of the armor from Major's back shoulder cracked, implying there were weak spots.
From underneath his legs, Major was sweeped by Buttercup as she wrapped her muscular arms around his waist. He was sent flying, spun into the air around flimsily. A green fire scorched from her eyes as Buttercup let out a roar in anger, sending him into one of the many suburban houses.
CRASH!
Rubble was sent flying everywhere as Glory landed in an upper-floor bathroom, the concrete walls and roofing spewing around like dust. The building started to collapse in on itself as Major threw himself back up and out like nothing happened. He growled, posing in the air as he flew back toward the powerpuff girl.
FLASH!
From behind came a pair of streaking pink lightning bolts, shattering Fusion Major Glory's chest armor within an instant. He turned to look back, slowing down his momentum in the air to see Blossom manifesting lightning bolts within her hands.
Sparks surged all across her body as she kicked off the ground, heading toward him and reeled another lightning bolt back.
He growled, "I don't need the Justice Friends to show you TRUE freedom!"
Within a split second, Major booked it with his superspeed and gripped Blossom tightly. Her lightning subsided as she started shaking in his grasp, elbowing him in the arm over and over again to try and escape.
The pain boosted his strength as he started reeling her around like a ragdoll, winding her up. A chuckle came from him as he lifted up his pinkie finger, tightly pinching around her neck and continued hoisting himself up.
Buttercup panted heavily as she turned to look over at Niles, going for a sprint. "Tin-can! Go for the right, I got the left!"
"On it!" Niles replied and together did the two lift up off the ground, speeding after Major.
Blossom got turned into a projectile, sent at an intense speed toward Niles. Fusion Major Glory's strength turned her into a living missile, rocketing toward the iron warrior.
Desperately his arms wrapped around Blossom, though the two of them were sent into the ground with an enormous blast. Concrete sweeped up all around them as some of the armor scuffed from the impact.
Thankfully, Blossom was unharmed, though both the breath and strength was knocked out of Niles as he clinged for what space he could find.
Buttercup let out a shriek as both of her hands transformed into balls of green flame; she smacked them together, her entire body heating up as she started to turn into a living torch. "I'll teach you not to hurt my sister!"
With both hands she punched them forward, letting out a violent screech. A gust of green flame imploded from her fingertips, enveloping the fusion in a frenzy of hell.
Major Glory fell back as a whirlwind of green flame engulfed him, melting his armor and body as he let out a yelp. "ACK! HOT! HOT! HOT!"
A little devilish laugh escaped the girl as she fired off like a bullet into her own whirlwind of flame, sweeping him off his feet and back onto the ground. A sickened laugh escaped from her as her fiery fists started to violate Major's face. Bruises started to form through the fusion as she didn't hold back, nearly flattening his jelly head hit after hit. She treated him like a punching bag, no different than her regular boxing routine. "Playtime is over, pal!"
Blossom lifted herself up off the ground while they were busy, helping Niles up and looked at him with a concerned face. "Are you alright? You took a heavy beating back there, Niles-"
The man coughed from underneath his helmet, pressing on the button to get some fresh air. His face was bruised, his hair now a wild greasy mane and his eyes widened. He grasped for what breath he could find, placing a hand on his chest. "Y-Yeah, I just.. need a minute. What do y-you need me to do?"
There was a mixture between desperation and frustration in Blossom's eyes; something told her they shouldn't have taken him into this fight, an unnatural worry for the man starting to fall over her like deja vu. Her hand reached out and gripped onto his shoulder, dusting himself off as she turned to look back over.
It seemed that Buttercup and Major were an equal match at the moment, the two wrangling one another and trading blows with each other on the ground like a high-stakes wrestling match.
"Give us support, less melee. Be a distraction but never a priority. Got that?" Blossom ordered, poking his chest armor.
Niles nodded, doing a couple of strained jumps to keep the blood flowing. "Yes ma'am."
As she turned back forward, her eyes lit up in bright red as two lasers once again fired into the back of Major. His armor finally cracked, falling apart. The hot laser started to burn away at his back, piercing his fusion skin and body like a living piece of carved jello.
The fusion grabbed onto Buttercup and threw her off him, getting up and immediately shot his hands into the ground. He let out a loud roar, throwing his head up and back. His bubbly veins throbbed, his muscles bulging like a disgusting mass. Slowly but surely his wounds began to seal up, roughing out the edges of his melted body in order to transform into his perfect form again. The ground underneath him turned into resources for recovery, chunks of concrete entering into his body to toughen himself up.
From out of nowhere, Nano Alien X popped up beside Niles. His eyes darted between his roughened state and Fusion Major Glory, a bit of surprise on his face. "Oh my, sir?! What kind of fight have you gotten into?"
"The one I need to get into," Niles panted, taking a couple of steps forward and kept his eyes focused on Major. "Can you heal Blossom and Buttercup from here too?"
The nano quickly made a visual calculation, hovering beside his head. "No, just a little closer."
"Alright, on my mark buddy." he said and started jogging over toward the action.
Blossom landed right on top of Major and let out a shriek, kicking him in his side over and over again while her nails dug into his neck. She grit her teeth, sweat running down the side of her head. Her hair was now strained and messy, barely held together by her red bun. As she took one more deep breath, a scorching fire emerged at the edges of her throat as she prepared for another elemental burst.
In front of him, Buttercup let out another grunt and was running up for another kick to the face.
Surprisingly, Major Glory had other plans.
His hands gripped onto her again, taking advantage of her light weight and threw her forward. Emerging from the back of her throat came a violent breath of fire, shooting out straight toward Buttercup.
The powerpuff girl's eyes widened, causing her to kick and zip up into the air just to avoid the pure scorching ray which would otherwise toast her alive.
The grass, dirt and concrete right where she once stood lit up in a blazing glory. Blossom's fire breath nearly decimated one edge of the park, an intense amount of fire shot off within a short amount of time.
Soon afterwards, she was drilled into the ground again. Major stood up with an emboldened strength, stomping her into the ground. The bottom of his foot hit Blossom's chest and head, kicking her further and further into the dirt. "AHA! TAKE THAT, GIRL! STAY DOWN!"
Blood now stained the dirt beneath as Blossom's nose broke, her eyes slightly rolled back as she struggled to get up. The pain started to feel numb, unable to process the intense beat-down she had received. She pushed herself a little bit too much, causing her to twitch and not move.
"X! Give me something else that this suit does! Hit this guy!" Niles ordered as he held out both of his arms.
The little nano pointed a finger forward, the suit slowly shifting and transforming in response. Both of his arms began to form into two big chunking cannons, "Firing off mini-missiles."
From the folds of his arms came small barrages of perfectly stowed missiles; one by one they shot off in bundles of five, splitting off like scatter-shots as they started to bundle around the air of Major Glory.
A tiny string of explosions scattered all across his body, pausing his kicking temporarily as he raised his arms in frustration.
"Ahahaha! Man I love this suit!" Niles laughed loudly, watching his little barrage end after pelting into Glory.
Landing perfectly on top of the fusion was Buttercup, wrapping her legs around his neck and squeezed tightly. Her hand grabbed onto his face and pulled up on his nostrils underneath his mask, the other hitting him with a green-flame fist several times.
"You freak! Why don't you pick fights with someone strong enough like you!" Buttercup hissed, smacking him and burning his face alive.
He let out a yelp in pain as his hands struggled to grab onto Buttercup, dizzy from the barrage. "N-None of you.. are strong enough alone-"
"Come on! I'm right here, pal!" Buttercup snapped, smacking him one final time for good measure.
He bolted up into the air, his cape now tattered and ripped as he took Buttercup with him. She was thrown off, forced to fall as he threw down one final kick.
The powerpuff girl landed on the ground with a loud bang, leaving a crater in the ground. Frustratingly she grunted through the pain, standing back up shakily as he went soaring straight toward her.
BOOM!
The girl was flattened underneath his own weight, Niles fear spiking in response. "No! Buttercup!"
Nano Alien X threw himself forward without cue up into the air, a cosmic light surrounding his tiny body. His white hands raised into the air as he struck a pose, harnessing the power of space around him. The light grew brighter and brighter, flashing with a beautiful intensity. With subtle motions and very little movement he shouted strongly, " CELESTIAL LIGHT!"
Flash!
The three heroes felt their wounds begin to naturally seal up as X's healing properties kicked in. Their intense beat down individually was slowly starting to heal itself back up, the rejuvenating force of the stars washing over everyone in the fight. Though the pain was starting to really shine through, the damage everyone had taken in this brawl subsided. Their wounds were sealed, their bones popped and mended back in place and their blood pumping. A miracle was performed within sheer seconds.
The small nano hunched over, landing right on Niles shoulder and began to fade. "Good luck to you, sir.." he said weakly. The nano reappeared back in the suit, leaving him on his own for now.
"Thanks, buddy." Niles said, feeling the adrenaline pump as he raised his hands in the air.
Pew!
The first hand cannon shot off, the continuous beam of light landing straight in Major Glory's chest.
Pew!
The second followed quickly, hitting him in his side thigh.
Niles held onto this pose as the battery started to eat up, leaving a continual burst of laser energy to envelop over him. His arms struggled to hold up, vibrating from the intense amount of plasma he put into his attacks. His fingers slightly curled, though he knelt down a little bit to hold the pose. He grit his teeth, watching Glory shatter under the intensity. "Come on.."
Blossom recognized what he was doing and joined in behind him, firing off her laser vision. It hit him straight in the chest, sending him stumbling backwards and onto the ground.
Finally, Buttercup shakily crawled out from the crater underneath with a deep breath. Her flaring green eyes sent off a third pair of lasers to drill into him. From the billows of her stomach she shouted, "You think you're tough?!"
Fusion Major Glory was pinned down, hit by everyone as he let out a yelp in pain. He was paralyzed from their teamwork, forced onto his hands and knees. He tried to absorb any kind of mass to heal himself, though the intense heat forced his body to slowly melt and fall apart. "Gah! Can't.. move!"
He shut his eyes and tried to force himself back up, though couldn't. It was a constant struggle of even trying to get himself up; he was barely holding himself together, now his muscles deflating and transforming into a giant pile of green goop.
From the other side of the border, a shadow fell over the sun. Numbuh Five lifted her head up and raised a hand over her eyes, trying to get a good look at the sky as she squinted. She bit her lower lip, having casted her lollipop aside and tilted her head. "What was that?"
It paused for a split second, covering part of the sun. The outline of a figure in the air left her on edge as she stood up straight and pulled out a pair of aviator sunglasses. She puffed out her lower lip, putting them on to get a good look at what was hovering over the air.
She paused, a slight smirk on her face as she shook her head. "You cheeky girl; show 'em how it's done."
The figure started falling, falling fast. Nearly turning into a living comet, a fire enveloped around them as they quickly made their way toward the center of the infected zone. They appeared unharmed, a living meteor much like the one that crashed earlier the other day. It kept going, brightening up the sky in a hue of orange.
The entirety of the deployed soldiers turned their heads to face the sky, watching this raging inferno come at a quick pace. Immediately one of them got up and shouted at the top of their lungs, "Guys! Get out of there! Something's coming!"
As Niles held his pose, both of his lasers stopped as he shook his hands. An intense heat caused him to jolt and release some of the exhausts as he stood back up. Conveniently his eyes witnessed the soldier shouting, causing him to stop and take a couple of steps back from the center of the park.
His eyes turned to look up, and then…
BOOM!
The park ground shook as an intense, fiery explosion landed right on top of Fusion Major Glory. The dust and concrete picked up, lifting up a couple of trees and buildings off the ground as if a miniature nuke had just gone off. Both Buttercup and Blossom were swept off their feet, sending them back and into the air.
The dust formed around the center of where Major Glory was, though there was no sight of him. The near dozens of soldiers climbed as high as they could to see what happened, preparing to enter the zone if need be as a few of them pulled the hammers back on their rifles and pistols.
Niles coughed loudly and turned to look over at the two girls, seeing they were okay and expressed worry. The wind, once again, was knocked right out of him as he turned to face what exactly just landed.
What was left of Fusion Major Glory was now just a pile of melted fusion essence, waiting to be sucked up and absorbed. Climbing out from the ground was a familiar young girl, now covered in dust and bruises as she confidently stood tall. Her blonde curls gently twirled in the wind and her light blue dress remained unharmed. She had a black sash around her waist, including a pair of flat black shoes just for show. A pair of bright blue eyes blinked and seemed unphased by the dust, looking forward at the three heroes.
Buttercup had a big, toothy smile on her face while Blossom just sighed in relief. She had a slight grin, wrapping her arm around her sister and started making her way forward toward the new combatant.
Niles took a moment to pose, his cape billowing behind him to try and look good with his hands on his hips. "Good to see you finally made it!"
A playful giggle came from the girl as she stretched her arms and legs, gesturing with a thumb behind her as she smiled widely. "You guys rang?"