Alarms blared through Dark Smog's factory as Bolt Senior was altered to a call, answering the line.
"What's happening?" Bolt Senior asked.
"Breach in Sector 4, sir! And Hex-Bolt has gome completely AWOL!" A worker said. "Virginia of the Team Star Thieves has been conformed on site, and he's engaged with Hex-Bolt! He's trying to keep him from some sort of coffin made of solid gold!"
"A coffin? It must be important. Have A.Y.A. and Punke go help Hex. I'll find my son and be there as soon as I can."
"Sir, Punke was the one who informed us of the situation. He said that Hex was trying to destroy the coffin."
"Hm. Why is that?" Senior questioned before what he heard next caused him to adopt an expression of shock. "It's holding who?!"
Back in Sector 4…
Hex-Bolt was going crazy to try and take down Annika K as he jump all over the area, avoiding any traps the Sub-Leader had set.
"Ah…so this is what a mental breakdown looks like. You really are in quite a bit of trouble now, aren't you?" Virginia J said.
"I was so close… so close to finally covering up the truth! But you just had show up didn't you?!" Hex asked as he conjured some tentacles made of sludge to try and bind the thief.
"The truth huh? Allow me to take a guess at what your plan was. You are a being who loves nothing more than to destroy nature, one of the reasons you posed as a human and joined this branch. Then, without anyone knowing, you attacked Dark Forest's branch leader and hid him away so the group could slowly fall apart. The rules state they can't replace branch leaders unless they are dead. But missing, that's a whole other story." Virginia J said. "It would interrupt the line of succession. Then when things were done and settled and Dark Forest tore itself apart, you would step in to fulfill your lifelong ambition…the destruction of the entire Nature Universe. Tell me…did I get that right?" Virginia J asked.
"…You know what, you got it right." Hex-Bolt said, suddenly clam. "But there's one thing I believed you overlooked."
"You don't even need to say it. You're gaseous, I know. My kicks won't even make a dent. So all I can really do dodge." Virginia J said.
"That…and I'm fireproof!" Hex-Bolt said as he slammed his hands on the ground, causing a torrent of flames to spout out from the pipes and furnace, drowning the entire room in flames. After a few moments, the flames subsided, Virginia J lying on the ground, his body emitting smoke as the robotic shell walked over and held it the drowned thief. "Oh yeah, crystal magic girl don't do well against fire, don't they? Still, since you're still alive I guess you're pretty resilient. I can fix that."
Hex-Bolt raised his other hand, preparing to unleash a flame blast to finish Virginia J off. "Any last words, crystal girl?"
"Yeah…did you get all that…junior?" Virginia J called out.
Hex-Bolt was confused before he looked out to see Martin B and Allan W standing with Bolt Junior and Marek.
"So…it's true…it was you. You kidnapped Redwood!" Bolt Junior said.
Hex-Bolt just stood laughing. "Yeah…I did. But that fact doesn't really matter anymore. He's small potatoes compared to what I'm going to do to the rest of Dark Forest."
"So, you guys know who this evil really is?" Martin B asked.
"Only the most vile being to ever cause harm to the Nature Universe. Hexxus, a living cloud of pollution and destruction." Marek said.
"I see…so that's how it is. Guess we don't got much of a choice." Martin B said. "We're gonna take him out.
"Leave it to us." Allan W said.
"Dad's already been informed of the situation, Hexxus! He's on his way here now with the entire of Dark Smog backing him. You're finished." Bolt Junior said.
(Cue: Monsters – Lunar Knights)
"As if I'd let you catch me when my victory is close at hand." Hexxus said as he powered on a few machines, including the incinerator. "I'll see Dark Forest burned to the ground, and if I have to bring Dark Smog donw with it, then so be it!"
Black Sheep of the Bolt Family – Hex-Bolt
"He's activated the Incinerator! Redwood in peril!" Marek said.
Hexxus laughed. "Now what will you do? You can't deactivate the incinerator without letting me go!"
"Then we're just gonna have to smash it to bits!" Martin B said as he started bashing on the incinerator with his lead pipe.
"Stubborn boy! I hope you choke! In fact…!" Hexxus said as he blasted a puff of toxic fumes at him.
"Oh no!" Martin B called out as the fumes were coming closer.
"Ice Blast!" a voice called out as a icy blasted went and blew the fumes away.
Martin B smirked. "Took you guys long enough!" he said as everyone saw Lute Jake N and Kenny F standing there. "Wait, just you three?"
"We had to split up. No worries." Kenny F said. "Right now, Yuta's heading for the main control room to shut down the boiler and traps."
"You keep smashing stuff, Martin! We'll keep this walking hazard busy!" Lute said as the three of them grouped up with Allan W and Martin B.
"Careful guys. Fire doesn't seem to work on him." Matthew M noted to him.
"Hmm…then if not fire…perhaps ice. Snow Freeze!" Jake N said his snow blowing, extinguishing a large amount of the flames.
"Nice work, Jake!" Allan W said.
"Now what, though?" Kenny F said.
"If he's really Hexxus, then he'll be vulnerable in his spirit form. You have to destroy his armor! It must function like a containment suit!" Bolt Junior said.
"Hmm…perhaps his armor is vulnerable to more natural elements…" Marek proposed. "Jake and Lute, was it? I think your skills would be the most helpful here."
"Of course." Jake N said.
"Leave it to us." Lute said.
"Go! Ezra!/ Go for it! Tove!" both called out to their Terrennials's as they bombarded Hexxus with ice and earth attacks as the armor started to crack.
"My armor…!" Hexxus cried, noticing the damage. "You're trying to release my true form, are you? You don't want to do that…"
"We'll just have to weather the fallout!" Allan W said as she rushed in and started punching away at the armor rapidly as it was falling to pieces bit by bit until it finally crumbled.
"Oh yeah! That's the fist of the Team Solar, for you!" Martin B said.
"Don't celebrate just yet, Martin. Look!" Allan W said.
The armor began to ooze with oli and poison before a geyser of it shot out from the armor, shaping in the form of a massive, skeletal creature made of oli and poison, with robe-like forms of sludge, powerfully-shaped arms clawed hands, and flamed and burning in his skeletion-like torso.
"Told ya you shouldn't have done that!" Hexxus laughed evilly.
Spirit of Destruction – Hexxus
Hexxus raised his hands, causing toxic fumes to form around the Team Solar.
Toxic Love: Decreases power, increases cost of skills by 50%. Inflicts 100 damage every minute. (Unremovable)
"There, I'd say that about evens things." Hexxus remarked. "Now then, let's end this little tour of yours with a bang!"
"He's right. His body is coated in oli. He'll catch fire just by getting into the incinerator." Allan W said.
"Crap, if he jumps in there and blows himself up, he's gonna take us and this entire factory with him!" Martin B said.
"Now where's the fun in that? I'd much rather watch you all choke on my secondhand smoke! Then again…I should probably speed the process up!"
Sludge Wave: Deals medium Nuclear damage, reduces speed
Hexxus conjured up a wave of oliy sledge that crashed down onto the kids.
"We're reallt in a tight spot here. He's acting like he'e got fill reign. Though, guess he kinda does." Lute said.
"Not yet he doesn't!" Bolt Junior said as he noticed the holes of boiling water Punke and Volcanion had left, then looked up at massive up above. "Hmm…if fighting ahead isn't going to work, then we'll just have to outthink Marek, keep them alive!" he said as he ran to the nearby control booth.
"Yes! Of course." Marek nodded as he pulled out his Staff of Asclepius. "Be healed and cleansed." he chanted as a glowing light surrounded the kids.
Light of Aclepius: Heal damage, removes debuffs.
"Whoa, thanks man!" Martin B said before noticing Bolt Junior working. "Hey, what's the kid doing?"
"He has a plane But him some time!" Marek said.
"Keep in mind, physical attacks aren't going to hurt him. He's gaseous." Matthew M said,
"Right. Burn him apart, Ursula!" Martin B said as he fired using his Terrennial.
The fire hit Hexxus dead on, but did minimal damage. "Ha! Sorry, kiddo, but your fire's too industrial! Care for a think?" he asked before he hurled globs of acid at the kids.
Acid Rain: Deals light Nuclear damage
"So that's it." Jake N realized as the kids managed to dodge the attack. "Only natural elements are able to damage him. That's why the attacks made by Lute and myself worked so well." he said. "In that case…we simply need to bring him more at one with nature!" he said. "Ezra!" he called out yet another blizzard against Hexxus.
"Tove, now!" Lute called out as the a lot of the toxic fumes were being falling rock our of the room.
Hexxus cried our as both Ezra's ice and Tove's earth damaged him more than Ursula's fire. "You little brats! I'm the result of all you people taking nature for granted! You don't honestly think you can beat me, right?"
"You're correct Hexxus, you cannot be beaten It is why you were sealed away, or so I've heard." Jake N remarked.
"But that doesn't mean we can't knock you around a bit!" Martin B said.
"Oh yeah? Well, let's see how you like it when I turn up the heat!" Hexxus claimed as he gathered flames from the furnace and inserted them into his ribcage, before inhaling.
Deforestation Breath: Deals major Fire damage to all enemies.
"Now Burn, you little-!" Hexxus prepared to unleash his attack, before he was interrupted by a torrent of boiling water being dumped onto him. "Aaugh! What the-!?"
"Just in time, Junior." Marek called to Bolt Junior, who at that moment, was the one who cause the water to dump on Hexxus, drenching him in clean, pristine boiling water.
"Hey, Hexxus! It's bath time!" Junior called, dumping the other buckets of water right onto Hexxus, the flow of water washing his body away towards the pit Punke and Volcanion set up earlier.
"Ah! Boiling water? This is from those stupid traps Punke set up!" Hexxus reallized. "That stupid trainer!"
"Heh…maybe those traps weren't meant for kids at all!" Junior smirked before Hexxus's body was washed completely into the hole. "The final move is your, Team Solar!"
"Allow me." Jake N, calling Ezra once more. "You my have a horrid form, Hexxus… but I think I can turn you into something presentable yet. Ezra, strike! Snow Frezze Blizzard!"
"As you wish." Ezra said.
Ezra's powerful ice attack buffeted the oliy sludge in the hole, and thanks to being mixed in with the water, his while body was being frozen over.
"Hah! You think that I'll just-!" Hexxus said before realizing his situation as he was being frozen solid. "Wait… what's this?! NO! NOOOOOOO!" realized before his whole body was frozen over, leaving him as an overgrown ice sculpture.
"Not my finest work…but I believe I'll remember this one for a long time." Jake N remarked.
(End song)
At that moment, the doors to the sector opened, revealing Bolt Senior himself as his troops, and Dark Smog and Forest members barreled into the room to surround the kids.
"Back away from my son, you thieving troublemakers!" Bolt Senior commanded.
"Wait, Dad, no it's alright!" Bolt Junior said. "They were helping us! It's Hex that's bad guy!"
"Hex?" Senior asked before he noiced Hexxus. "Is that him?"
"It is, sir. In truth, he is known as Hexxus, a spirit of pollution and destruction. "Marek said. "He's…He's been holding Grand Arbiter Redwood captive all this time!"
"Did you just say…Grand Arbiter Redwood?" a snow owl asked, a look of shock. "He's been here all along?"
"He must be inside that gold coffin. Hex was trying to toss it into the incinerator when we came in." Marek said.
The Dark Forest members rushed over to the coffin. Pushing a button on the side, steam was released from the coffin as the lid slid right off.
"Grand Arbiter… Is that…really you?" Aslana asked.
Once the steam cleared, inside the coffin revealed the unconscious form of Grand Arbiter Redwood himself, Branch Leader of Dark Forest. He was a middle aged man with thick stubble, strong arms and legs, and brownish-golden hair like autum leaves. Groaning, the man slowly opened his green eyes as he sat up.
"By Color God Green, it is him!" Bolt Senior realized happily. "Redwood, can you hear me? Are you alright?"
"Ugh…what an unpleasant nap." Redwood groaned as he stretched his arms, before he noticed Aslana. "Oh, hello Aslana, how are-?"
The Branch Leader was interrupted as his second-in-command pulled him into a tight hug.
"You have no idea how hard it has been for us since you were gone." Aslana said with tears in her eyes. "I tried to pull everyone back up as best I could in your stead. We're all just so glad you are back."
"Ah…thank you." Redwood replied in confusion as he hugged Aslana back regardless. "I feel like I missed something important."
"We'll explain later." Bolt Junior smiled.
"Right…we still need to gat at those…" Bolt Senior said before seeing the thieves as was as Virginia J gone. "Hey, where'd they go?"
"It looks like that bolted during our reunion." a male crocodile said before turning to Hexxus. "So… What are we gonna do with him? Any ideas, Aslana?"
"As long as he's frozen, he's no danger. We'll have to put him someplace very cold so he doesn't come back to destroy us all." Aslana said.
"Why not put him in my den, then? I can use a statue to decorate the place anyway." the snow owl said.
"An excellent idea, Gloria." Marek said. We shall leave him in your care then."
"Oh, care is a very strong word for what he put us through." Gloria said with a laugh. " An Altreante would have been feeding him to drahmin, but… I'd imagine he would not taste very good. But to keep him intact until we decide a proper punishment."
All of Dark Forest laughed it off as both Dark Forest and Dark Smog were together once more.
"In any case…Punke!" Bolt Senior said. "I'm afraid You'll have to take over Hex's reponsibilities until we can find a new fourth sub-leader. That's not a problem, is it?"
"Of course it isn't, boss. After all, I'm the one who set up those traps that stopped him in the first place." Punke asked.
"Wait, you were planning to double-cross him the whole time? a monitor lizard asked
"…maybe." Punke said. Honsetly, kinda wanted to see how things would play out first."
"Well, in any case it all worked out. Gloria, I believe a promotion may be in the foresseable future." Aslana said.
"You are certain, Aslana? But once we get back, you won't be acting Branch Leader anymore. Would you even have the authority?" Gloria asked.
"I'll allow it." Redwood said. "I'll need to be briefed on what happened, but from what I'm hearing, it seems Aslana has done a fine job im my absence. You may promote Gloria to 4th Sub-Leader, Aslana… if you still wish to."
"It would be my honer, Redwood." Aslana said.
"Thank you. I promise I shall not let you down." Gloria said with a bow.
As the two branches celebrated these pleasant developments, Punke looked on with a victorious grin.
"(Hexxus, you crazy bastard you…thanks for helping me look good.)" Punke thought on himself. "(The boss'll be happy that I can bring more to the table…)"
Inside of the camper…
"Well that was a bust. How was I supposed to know someone was inside that thing?" Aaron said.
"To be fair, I did say it could happen." Martin B said.
"Just glad they were too busy with their reunion to notice us taking off." Lute said
"Looks like Annika did the same. Makes sense for the Team Star Thieves to want in on the stealing." Rudy said.
"So what happens now?" Martyn F said.
"Simple…we go on towards our nect destination. Dark Future, headquartered in the next site, Future City." Aaron said. "They're been developing a whole lot of futuristic inventions straight from the Inventor himself."
"Sounds like fun. I can tell this might be a big score." Martin B said.
"Fore sure! I can't wait to see the tech Dark Future's been working on… and I can't wait even more for us to steal it." Matthew M said.
"Yeah…I mean,,,not like anyone would bother attacking them." Aaron said.
Meanwhile, in a distant ship heading for Future City, a small cloaked figure sat in the darkest depths as they waited for their arrival.