Note: As it is July, that means that Independence Day has happened. Not only that, but the children of the world have another month of summer vacation before they head back to school in August. Of course, that depends on where some children live, as the world has different cultures and governments. However, we are not here to talk about all of that. Rather, it's time to resume where The Mighty Loonatics has left off. It has been almost two months since the last chapter, so let's see what the new recruits (or the veteran team) have been up to. As I don't have much else to say, it's time for chapter twenty-eight.
Chapter 28: Crossing Paths
On Blanc, the Loonatics were at HQ, gathering several pieces of equipment and loading them into their ship. They not only gathered weapons, but also devices that would help them out in their new mission. Said devices included the Zoomatrixes, being their only means on flight outside of the ship itself. Ace made sure to pack armor that would protect everyone from biohazards or the cold harshness of outer space. Tech had done some minor repairs to the ship, as well as adding a few new features to it. Whatever these new features were, the Loonatics would be able to see them during the mission.
As they entered the ship, the team noticed that everything looked different on the inside. Not only was the equipment far more advanced, but it there were more systems that the Loonatics could use. There were even more seats installed, presumably so they could fit more people inside. Previously, there were six seats, but now there were up to fourteen. Clearly, Tech was planning to update the ship so that the team and the new recruits could use it together. All he needed to do was get the Mighty Loonatics on board whenever the original team saw them again.
The moment everyone was seated, Tech went to the ship's main controls, starting it up. Once it was ready to fly, he steered out of HQ, intent on getting to space as quickly as possible. When it was out of Blanc's atmosphere, the coyote was intent on setting a course to a planet. Which planet he was going to choose depended on what was easier to access. However, the ship could now travel to different star systems like how the travel station on Blanc could open wormholes. As such, this would allow the Loonatics to head to a different system much quicker than before.
"Alright, Chief, where do you think we should start looking?" Tech spoke.
"Well, we can rule out Freleng," Ace spoke, "because this could've been the work of someone outside of the planet."
"How can we be sure that the person behind this is in the same star system?" Duck asked.
"Good question, we don't know where the saboteur is from." Lexi spoke. "We haven't detected anyone who could've caused it on Blanc, and Zadavia hasn't mentioned anyone on Freleng who could be behind this."
Slam grumbled in agreement, having never encountered anyone capable of doing so. None of the Loonatics had faced off against anyone who could forge a message from the army and send it to them in hopes of dividing them. Not even Mastermind had done something during her battles against the team. Whoever it was, they needed to find the culprit before they struck again. If the original team was unable to find this mysterious villain, then things would go from bad to worse. At best, it would lead to them taking over the galaxy. At worst, it would lead to the unknown villain destroying the galaxy, quite possibly the entire universe.
Entering a coordinate on the ship's navigator, Tech waited for it to teleport to the Loonatics' destination. As the ship traveled through space, the Loonatics wanted to make sure they were ready to travel through the planet they would be entering. They had packed all sorts of different equipment, including environmental armor that would protect them, so they needed to know what they were up against. If they were unprepared, then the mission would be over as soon as it began.
On Acmetropolis, the Mighty Loonatics were checking all the cameras, looking out for crime. It had been two days since they went through that abandoned house, so they figured that a criminal had been planning something evil during that time. The police had gotten new members and upgraded their equipment since the original Loonatics left for Blanc, but that didn't mean that Acmetropolis didn't need crime fighters to give an extra hand. Even though there was no crime visible on the cameras, the Mighty Loonatics knew that something bad would happen. A crime alert would come up when a villain or lesser criminal was on the prowl. With that in mind, the new recruits had to fight evil, seeing as no one from the original team was there to give them some extra help.
With no visible crimes on the cameras, the Mighty Loonatics left the room. They decided to head down to the training room, so that they could run through a simulation and test their combat skills. None of them wanted to use their powers to fight, considering how it could cause damage to the room itself. If their powers didn't damage the room, then it would likely damage the machines used to run the simulations. As it was their job to succeed the original Loonatics, they did not want to destroy their old HQ, considering that it was an important part of the team's history. Destroying it would just be an awful move.
Once the Mighty Loonatics entered the training room, Klara went to the supercomputer and looked for a simulation her teammates can train in. Tech and Rev had shown her how it works, but it was rather easy to figure out. In the computer's database were dozens of programs, so the preteen searched through it, looking for the right one. Eventually, she found one that was set during Feudal Japan, where whoever activated it had to fight against ninjas and samurai warriors. Upon being selected, the simulation caused the training room to be filled with static, colors slowly blurring and shaping through it. The moment the colors formed the houses and buildings of Feudal Japan, the simulation began.
A few holographic ninjas rushed towards Jack, so he fought back. He punched one in the face, following it up with a roundhouse kick. The young man delivered an uppercut to another ninja, instantly knocking him out cold. While he wanted to use his powers, he didn't, primarily out of respect to the original Loonatics. It would just be awful to damage their old training room, considering how important it was. After all, you couldn't train a team of rookies in hand-to-hand combat without a simulation for them to improve their skills.
Upon being surrounded by holographic ninjas, Diane found herself in a bit of a jam. She had barely used her bare hands and feet to fight as much as she would have to now, but this was her opportunity to do so. Once a ninja took a swing at her, the Arctic fox ducked, causing him to hit another ninja. After that, the white vixen began to trade blows with the other holograms, occasionally catching their punches and kicks in order to land a direct hit. For the hits that weren't a result of her catching an attack, she was quicker than the holo-ninjas, hitting them so fast they dispersed in an instant. Diane fought harder as more enemies came her way, using all her might to take down the holograms.
Being forbidden from using powers would be a hindrance to anyone, but John did not let that bother him. In fact, he saw it as a perfect opportunity to practice his hand-to-hand combat skills. A holographic samurai walked up to the stag, being a foot taller than the latter. He swung his katana forward, only for the blade to be grabbed. John quickly disarmed the warrior, then stabbed him with his own sword. After that, the cervid used the holographic katana to fight against the other holograms, striking as quickly as he could. Unlike the others, he was intent on turning the simulation's tactics against it.
Having never used hand-to-hand combat to the same extent as his teammates, Simon saw the opportunity to improve himself. The greyhound was one of the two Mighty Loonatics who wouldn't ruin the system with his powers, but he chose not to use them. As he was up against ninjas and samurai, he would have to use his hands and feet to fight. Once a few holograms rushed towards him, the canine dodged their attacks and attempted to strike them in vital areas. While some of his attacks were unsuccessful, he didn't stop trying. By putting in a little more effort, Simon was able to defeat more of the holograms.
Lori fought with everything she had, deciding not to use her powers. While her powers wouldn't cause harm to the computers or the simulation room itself, that didn't mean that they were impossible to detect. For all the fennec knew, the AI that ran the simulations could have infrared detection, which would allow it to lock onto a target that wasn't immediately visible. As such, she used basic combat skills to fight against the holograms, doing everything she could to take them down. The ninjas were easy to defeat, but the samurai were much harder, having improved programming. Despite that, Lori was able to defeat the holographic samurai by outsmarting them and using their weapons against them.
While fighting against the holograms, Teagan used her experience from before she joined the Mighty Loonatics to defeat her opponents. She knew that she couldn't use her powers, as hers would be the most devastating. If the mallard were to use her electrokinesis, the shock could either short circuit the supercomputer or destroy it, causing an electric fire. Doing so would be dishonorable towards the original Loonatics, especially considering how her younger brother was a member of the team. Keeping that in mind, the avian used her hands to fight the holographic ninjas and samurai, not using a single kick. It was rather tough, but she refused to let the simulation keep her down.
Having taken martial arts lessons before, Klara decided to use what she learned to take on the holographic warriors. Like Teagan, her powers would cause the most damage to the training room and the computers that ran the simulations. With that in mind, the preteen refrained from using them, using mainly her fists to fight. She did the occasional kick, though she had a tendency to follow it with a vital hit, which would be damaging to a real person. The ninjas and samurai kept on coming as the simulation reached the end stage. As such, Klara kept on fighting until the time ran out, giving it her all.
Once the simulation ended, the Mighty Loonatics left the training room, wanting to check for a crime alert. When they got to the surveillance screens, the team saw a few teenagers hanging out in an alleyway. It was hard to make out what they were saying, but they seemed to be having a conversation about something. All of a sudden, one of the teens took out a suitcase, opened it up, and shown it to his compatriots. Whatever was inside of the suitcase, they were all thrilled about it.
"What are they doing?" Lori asked. "Are they drug dealers?"
"If they aren't," Teagan spoke, "then one of them has robbed a bank, so that he could show his friends the money he managed to steal."
"If that's so, then why hasn't a crime alert gone off?" Jack asked.
"Guys, they're teenagers." Simon spoke. "For all we know, they could just be talking about some trading card game and their friend could've gotten a rare card that he had just received."
"That doesn't explain the suitcase." Diane said. "Even if it were a rare card, no one would carry something like that in a suitcase."
"I mean, if they had a whole lot of cards, someone would have a suitcase." The Greyhound said.
All of a sudden, the alarm went off, causing the Mighty Loonatics to leave the room. Once they were in the main room, they saw that a crime alert had been sent out. Did it have something to do with the teenagers that the team had seen through the security cameras? If not, then what was going on in Acmetropolis? There was no sign of an explosion or widespread ruin, so it had to be a crime that wasn't big enough to cause untold destruction. However, unless the Mighty Loonatics saw what was happening, they couldn't act.
Using the system in front of her, Diane accessed the crime alert to see what was happening. According to the report, someone had stolen military technology from an army base, then escaped without a scratch. One soldier claimed that the thief summoned shadowy monsters to protect himself, then used them to help steal the technology he was after. The army fired at the mysterious figure, but none of their shots hit. It was as if he had used an invisible shield to protect his body. No one could do anything to stop this criminal from escaping, and nothing they did had any effect on him or the shadow creatures that assisted him in the theft.
With a description of the thief being made, Jack and Diane knew exactly who he was. He was the villain who had teleported them to the woods and forced them to battle his dark creations. The mysterious figure claimed that he did so to test the young man and the vixen, but why hadn't he tested the others? Why was he stealing military-grade equipment and taking down soldiers with little effort? Whatever the reason, it wasn't good, and every fiber in Diane's being told her that the shadowy criminal was planning something destructive. As such, the Mighty Loonatics needed to find him and defeat him.
"A villain that can summon shadow beasts?" Lori spoke. "That's crazy!"
"What could he be planning with the technology he stole?" Klara asked.
"I don't know, but I don't think we would want to know!" Simon spoke. "We need to find that guy as quickly as possible!"
"Is it possible to even track this guy?" Jack asked. "Does he have anything that can protect him from telepathy?"
"No." Diane spoke. "But, it isn't easy to track him. He's being elusive enough to avoid my telepathy!"
"Mine isn't having much luck in finding him, either." Teagan said.
"Then let's get going before he reaches a safe spot." John said. "If he reaches one, we won't be able to find him. Never thought I would say this, but: Loonatics, let's jet!"
As he made his way out of Acmetropolis, the mysterious being had his shadowy creatures carry the military technology he had stolen. He was intent on gathering the European Jewel from the museum, but he chose to wait until after he brought the stolen devices to his hideout. Once he had the artifact, the unknown criminal planned to use it to increase his power and launch an attack on the city. If his power had strengthened far enough, nothing would be able to stop him. He desired to kill the original Loonatics and brutalize the Mighty Loonatics so that they could not hinder his plans for much longer. The shadowy entity would not rest until everyone was on their knees.
The moment he arrived to his hideout, which happened to be a bunker, the shadowy criminal heard something. It didn't come from any of his conjured monsters, given how they were still in the process of carrying the gadgets he had stolen from the military base. The noise in-question sounded like a jet engine, but somewhat muffled. By looking in the sky, the mysterious villain saw seven silhouettes flying down towards him. He didn't need perfect eyesight or telepathy to know who these were. Once they landed near him, the dark being felt confident, believing that they couldn't beat him.
"So, stealing stuff from the army?" Jack spoke. "Clearly, you had nothing better to do today."
"I just got tired of you and your little team interfering in my plans." The mysterious being said.
"What plans?" Simon asked.
"Don't waste your time speaking to him." John spoke. "It's clear that he intends to take over the galaxy or destroy it by using what he has stolen. I swear, most supervillains are so goddamn predictable, it's a shame."
"Friendly, aren't you?" The shadowy villain spoke. "Then again, I'm not surprised. You're so much of a sad, miserable person because your sister died."
"Great, you're the kind of villain who likes to play mind games in an attempt to break our spirit." The stag said. "You're a pathetic, spineless coward, you know that? Not to mention that you're also misinformed. I already avenged my sister's death by killing the bastard responsible!"
"Why don't you tell us who you are, dude?" Jack asked. "Are we just supposed to guess what your name is?"
"Perhaps it is time for me to introduce myself." The entity said. "My name is Umbra, and I will be the one who rules the galaxy! Once I get my hands on the European Jewel and increase my powers, nothing will stand in my way! I'll even kill the lot of you to make sure that my reign over everything goes unopposed!"
"Not if we stop you!" Diane said. "Prepare yourself for battle!"
Using his powers, Umbra created more beasts of darkness to keep the Mighty Loonatics occupied while he got a look at the technology he had stolen from the army base. The team fought against these monstrosities, using their powers to take them down. However, they occasionally used hand-to-hand combat to fight, even managing to defeat some with a single punch. Jack defeated more of them than his teammates, as his pyrokinesis was enough to burn them to ash. Klara, Diane and John got a few less victories, but they had fought harder than before. Simon, Lori and Teagan hadn't defeated as much of the shadow monsters than their teammates, but they were unfazed, intent on taking down Umbra before he did something with the military gadgets he had stolen.
As he watched the Mighty Loonatics fight his creations, Umbra noticed that they alternated between using their powers and using hand-to-hand combat. He realized that the team was far more powerful than he had anticipated. Due to only testing Jack and Diane, the shadowy being had only seen their powers, while the rest of the team were preoccupied. Now that he had seen the new recruits in action, he knew that they would be dangerous in battle. There would be no way for him to win if he fought them, even if he found a way around their powers. In terms of hand-to-hand combat, Umbra would have a challenge on his hands, as the Mighty Loonatics appeared to have more skill and experience in martial arts.
Knowing that he couldn't beat them physically, Umbra decided to mentally beat the Mighty Loonatics. As he saw Lori turn invisible in order to make two shadow beasts hit each other, the mysterious criminal decided to try her first. Once the fennec became visible, he would play some mind games with her. The second she lost the will to fight, the entity would destroy her.
"So, you can turn invisible?" Umbra spoke. "How does it feel to be the most useless member of the team? I mean, who told you that invisibility is a useful power?"
"I wouldn't say that invisibility is useless." Lori spoke. "By turning invisible, I can do things that can't be done while visible. I might even gain the ability to spread invisibility to my teammates, so that we can do a stealth mission. As for you, who told you that YOUR powers are so great? I mean, all you do is make killer shadow puppets! If someone had light-based powers or fire conjuring, you would be toast!"
Grumbling to himself, Umbra went over to Simon, who was using his powers to create bone spikes on his body. He had used these to impale some of the shadow beasts, so that they wouldn't be much of a threat. This power was impressive, but as far as Umbra was concerned, it was rather useless and pointless in battle. With that in mind, he hoped to turn this against the Greyhound.
"How about you?" Umbra spoke. "Where did your powers come from? Is it a desire to shock? If so, then you would succeed somewhere else! Or are you spineless, unable to determine what to do, all while being unable to stand up for yourself?"
"I'm not as spineless as people might think, pal." Simon spoke. "It's true that I have a problem speaking up, but I'm working on improving myself. You, on the other hand, clearly have no problem talking down to people. Maybe you're the one who's spineless, while I'm becoming braver and more assertive. Want a demonstration? Here, try THIS!"
Suddenly, Umbra was knocked on his back by a single kick. His attempt to psyche Simon out failed, and it resulted in him being kicked. Picking himself up off the ground, the shadowy villain saw Teagan using her powers to fry some of the conjured beasts to a crisp. Others snuck up on her, but she jumped out of the way, somehow knowing when to dodge before anyone or anything struck her. Umbra walked towards the mallard, hoping that his mind games would work on her. As two members of the Mighty Loonatics had stood up to him, there had to have been a member of the team he could break.
"You must be the sister of Danger Duck?" Umbra spoke. "It must pain you to know that your brother is a cowardly, selfish, greedy idiot. Your life must've been hell when the two of you were growing up."
"I know what you're trying to do," Teagan said, "so I'll say this: You really don't know anything about me. For one, my brother and I were separated when we were young, so I did not know where he had gone after all these years. Even while I was working for the government, I was unable to speak to him. Despite having rediscovered him, I love him regardless of his flaws. You just want to use flaws against us in an attempt to become victorious, but it's clear that it isn't working. Sorry, but you'll have to use a different tactic in order to fight!"
Rushing towards Teagan, Umbra was intent on striking her down. However, he was then launched backwards by an electric shock, causing him to land behind Klara. Once he was standing again, the dark entity felt as though mentally breaking her would be easy. Children would believe anything told to them, so the preteen would be no exception.
"Why does the team let you come with them?" Umbra spoke. "What use could you be on a mission? You're just a kid, meaning that there's nothing you could do! Keeping that in mind, I could -!"
Umbra then found himself being bound in rock formations that resembled hands. He was then lifted off the ground, far above the Mighty Loonatics and his shadow creatures. With the shadowy criminal at her mercy, Klara was unwilling to let him go. Considering what he had done and what he was trying to do, the preteen tightened her geokinetic grip on him.
"You want to know why we're beating you?" Klara spoke. "It's because you're too busy gloating and forcing us to fight your monsters instead of fighting us yourself! If you think I'm useless because I'm a kid, then that's because you don't study your targets. You only studied Jack and Diane, but ignored the rest of us. If you had seen us all in action, then you would've known what we all can do. We're kicking your creations' asses, and it's nothing compared to what will happen to you!"
Using her geokinesis, Klara destroyed the rock hand constructs, causing her to drop Umbra. The mysterious entity was quick to take flight, so that he didn't die when he hit the ground. Once he was on his feet, he found himself surrounded by the Mighty Loonatics. With three members he hadn't lectured in front of him, the shadowy criminal decided to talk down to them.
"So, Johnny Boy, still tore up about your sister?" Umbra spoke.
"You already tried to do that to me, pal." John said. "I miss my sister, but I feel better knowing that I can stop guys like you from hurting the innocent like how that bastard did."
"And I would save your breath in front of me, dude." Jack warned. "I'm more than capable of roasting you alive, blasting you several yards back, ripping you to pieces, and whipping you into submission!"
"Well, Diane, what about you?" Umbra asked. "You are daddy's little girl, aren't you? How do you think he would feel about what you're doing?"
"My father was a great man, so he would feel proud of me for fighting evil and protecting the innocent." Diane spoke. "He might not have been my real father, but I loved that man more than life itself."
"Yes, I am well-aware that he had taken you in after your biological parents had died." The shadowy villain said. "But, is it worth protecting the weak to honor him? You could've done anything else with your life!"
"Then clearly you fail to understand how I function!" The Arctic fox said. "My teammates and I protect the innocent, no matter who they are! As for you, you have no business trying to use my familial bond against me or trying to break our spirits!"
"Believe us, we're not as powerless as we look." Lori said. "Of course, you didn't study us enough to see that."
"Now, why don't you show us who you really are?" Simon asked.
"I refuse!" Umbra shouted. "My plan was supposed to take off once I won this battle, but I have failed! This shouldn't have happened, not even for a second! How could all of you be this powerful?! Why do you protect those who you can rule over?! Is it because you were born with such great power, but choose to share it with your families instead of dominating everyone?! There's no way this could be happening! I've even kept the original Loonatics away from you, hoping that it would weaken you! But not only did that phase of my plan fail, it completely backfired!"
"You know, the more I hear your voice the more it sounds familiar." Diane spoke. "In fact, I think I know who you might actually be! Teagan, link your telepathy with mine! We're about to see what's behind the shadows!"
Before Umbra could think to escape the Mighty Loonatics, he felt a powerful force reach into his mind. Diane and Teagan were using their telepathy to read the thoughts and memories of the mysterious villain, intent on seeing who he was and how he got his powers. In Diane's case, she wanted to see if she was right in her suspicions towards him. Umbra kept his thoughts shuffled, so that the Arctic fox and the mallard couldn't read them all. His idea wouldn't help him for much longer, considering how his enemies would keep rooting through his memories until they uncovered his identity. It wouldn't be long until Diane and Teagan found it.
After checking a few planets for the being who was responsible for that fraudulent letter to the Frelengian Army, the Loonatics decided to head back to Blanc. Every person they interrogated turned out to be innocent, so there was no reason to check again. In fact, some of them were unaware of Freleng, Blanc or Acmetropolis, making their alibi more plausible. Tech even used a lie-detector to confirm it, allowing the Loonatics to let those who they interrogated go free. Despite none of the people they suspected being guilty, Ace had doubts. The culprit had to be somewhere, even if they weren't on the same planet.
While on their way back to Blanc, the Loonatics received a message from Zadavia. Ace immediately answered it, wondering what the Frelengian wanted. The call was coming from HQ, meaning that she had likely been looking for the team. None of them wanted to worry her, but they had to find the unknown criminal before they did something terrible.
"Loonatics, are you there?" Zadavia's voice came out of the communicator.
"Yeah." Ace spoke. "Sorry if you couldn't find us back at base, but we were looking for whoever had faked us sending that letter to the army on Freleng."
"If you haven't found him, then that's a problem." The Frelengian said. "However, we have another problem, and you won't believe where it's coming from: Acmetropolis!"
"Gee, what could be going on down there?" The rabbit asked.
"Is a meteor heading towards it?" Duck spoke. "Pretty sure that the system you set up on Acmetropolis can destroy it before it destroys the planet."
"No, but the second team is fighting a villain who has been watching them from a distance!" Zadavia said. "From what I can tell, they're winning, but that's only because he didn't know what they could do! He only knew what two of them could do, but he was clueless about what the rest of the team was capable of!"
"Oh-no-if-they-keep-fighting-him-he-might-gain-the-upper-hand-and-kill-them-all!" Rev cried. "We-need-to-get-down-to-Acmetropolis-before-that-villain-tears-them-to-pieces-blows-them-up-decapitates-them-or-even-eats-them!"
"Good thing I made sure to add its location in the ship's directory." Tech said. "Zadavia, we're going to head to Acmetropolis!"
"Just be careful when you get down there!" Zadavia warned. "You don't know what he'll do when he sees you!"
Once the call had ended, Tech set a course for Acmetropolis, intent on getting there before something bad happened to the Mighty Loonatics. While the new recruits were reportedly winning their battle against this new villain, it seemed like he would strike back against them. The main Loonatics did not want their fellow team to fall in battle, considering how they were the only means of defense on Acmetropolis. Duck in particular wanted to help the rookies, considering how his sister was in the team. Ace hoped to incapacitate the villain before he could escape, assuming the new team hadn't already done so. By the time they had gone through the wormhole, the Loonatics hoped to see their successors up and moving.
After a few minutes of using her telepathy on Umbra, Diane collapsed. John went to catch her, so that she could recover from doing what she had done. The Mighty Loonatics were intent on taking their enemy into custody, now that they had him surrounded. Simon had gotten out a pair of handcuffs, while Lori had a stun device she had brought from HQ. As for Teagan, she was ready to call the police, so that they could take Umbra to jail. Perhaps the Mighty Loonatics would be able to unmask him once he was restrained.
"Let's be careful, Diane's unconscious just from reading this guy's mind." John spoke.
"And he's still up and moving?" Jack asked. "How powerful is this guy?"
"It doesn't matter right now." Lori said as the handcuffs were put on Umbra. "What does matter is getting this guy behind bars."
Suddenly, a portal opened up in the sky, with a ship flying out of it. The Mighty Loonatics looked up, wondering what was up. It wasn't every day that a starship came out of a portal, unless its occupants were evil. However, Teagan was using her telepathy to detect who was inside, so to confirm that they weren't a threat. Several powerful brainwaves were coming from the ship, to the point where a telepath could detect them with no problem. Luckily, those piloting the starship could be trusted.
"What the Hell is that?" Simon asked while holding Umbra on the ground.
"It's the original team." Teagan said.
"The original team?" Klara asked. "Why are they here?"
"Looks like we're about to find out." John said.
The Loonatics' ship landed on the ground, its side door opening shortly after. Once it was open, the Mighty Loonatics could see their predecessors standing in the entrance, looking rather worried. Seeing this puzzled the new recruits, as they knew the old team as brave superheroes. Whatever they were worried about, it was something serious. However, when the Loonatics saw their successors staring back at them, they let out a sigh of relief. Clearly, they had come to check up on the new team.
"Are you guys alright?" Lexi spoke. "Are you hurt?"
"We're fine." Jack said. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Chasing after the villain you were fighting!" Duck spoke. "But, considering how you're still in one piece, I can happily say that you caught him!"
"You can say that again!" Simon said.
Looking down at Umbra, the Loonatics were surprised that their successors had caught him. He didn't look powerful, but there was a massive aura coming off of him. The mysterious villain lifted his head, only to see the Mighty Loonatics and their predecessors looking down at him. While he was glaring at the original team, they didn't seem to know who he was. But Diane had used her telepathy on the shadowy being, meaning that she knew who he was. Umbra was infuriated, knowing that there was no escape now.
"Dammit!" He snarled. "Even after everything I did, all of you are together!"
"What are you talking about, Doc?" Ace asked.
"I had faked a message to the Frelengian Army, trying to separate you from a certain member of the team!" Umbra shouted. "Then, I was going to force all of you to split up, so that you would be scattered across the universe! Once you were all separated, I would get the European Jewel, destroy your successors, and take over the universe!"
"Now we know what you were planning." Tech said.
"But your plans were foiled." Lexi spoke. "Time to take you to jail."
As the Loonatics approached Umbra, a frightened gasp came from Diane, who had jolted awake.
"Wait, don't touch him!" The Arctic fox warned.
Duck had grabbed Umbra, only to be thrown to the side. He landed on his feet, then tried to launch his Eggs at the shadowy villain. Undeterred, the mysterious entity fired a blast of pure darkness, preventing the original Loonatics from reaching him. However, the Mighty Loonatics rushed at him, intent on stopping him from escaping. Jack had grabbed onto the criminal, deciding to expose his identity.
"Jack, don't do anything stupid!" Diane warned.
"C'mon, don't you want to see what he looks like?!" Jack spoke.
"Keep your filthy hands off of me!" Umbra screamed. "You haven't seen the last of me, Loonatics and Mighty Loonatics!"
Without warning, Umbra used his powers to teleport out of the area. Jack fell to the ground shortly after, having failed to unmask the mysterious villain. The Mighty Loonatics helped their teammate up, all while the original Loonatics looked at the military gear that Umbra wanted to steal. While the villain did not teleport the technology away with him, the team knew that they couldn't leave it where he had fought the new recruits. However, before they could have the military reclaim these devices, the veterans went to speak with the rookies. The Mighty Loonatics were trying to catch their breath after such a battle, though they had only succeeded in defeating Umbra's monsters.
"Well, I hope you guys are happy, because the bad guy's escaped!" Duck said.
"Get bent, we were fighting him while you guys were in space!" Jack spoke.
"Yet you didn't knock him out or anything!" The mallard scoffed.
"I was about to unmask him, just so you know!" The young man said.
"Is that a fact, punk?!" The duck asked.
"Alright, you two, this isn't the time to fight!" Ace said. "Duck, you and the others take the rookies back to HQ, while I call the Army and tell them to take this stuff back to the base it was stolen from!"
While Ace got in contact with a general, the Loonatics took the Mighty Loonatics to their old HQ. They had failed to arrest Umbra, but that didn't mean that he would resurface on Acmetropolis. However, there was one thing that was on their minds: Just who was he really? Diane had read through his mind with her telepathy, meaning that she had uncovered his identity, but she was silent about it. No one pressured her about it, but they needed to know what the mysterious criminal's real identity was and what he looked like. Once they knew who he was, where he had went, and what his next move was, the Loonatics and their successors would be able to catch him and bring him to justice.
Note: Now we know who the mysterious being is (or, in the very least, what he goes by). What will he do next? Can the Loonatics and the Mighty Loonatics beat him the next time they fight him? Will Diane reveal to everyone what his real identity is? Will he do it himself? Just who is Umbra, and what does he look like behind his mask?
Until next time, guys, this is ElectricWizard99 (yes, I changed my profile name), signing off. Peace!