"Thank you! Come again!"
Chowder gleamed and waved a hand. The urban ranger standing in front of his stand smiled and waved back, stepping away with their newly purchased frozen smoothie. Sweat dripped off the chilled drink, splatting onto the burning pavement underneath. In seconds it evaporated, leaving nothing behind.
The small catboy counted through the taros on his small tablet sitting behind the front desk, humming an upbeat tune to him. His head swayed left and right, the satisfaction of seeing the money go up catering to his brain. Even under the heat, he enjoyed slouching in a lawn chair in his cozy purple outfit. He even had a pair of little black sunglasses, giving off cool vibes.
Mung sat behind him as well, a spatula quickly put to work on hotdogs over a small grill. It sat hammered in the ground, the heat powered by a little propane tank. He had a tired grin on his face, hidden away by his own pair of sunglasses and a royal blue cap on. Twitching his mustache, he surveyed the Cul-de-sac and admired all of the happy customers. The tip jar was filled and their funds were up.
Yes, today was a good day.
"How much are we left on smoothies, Chowder?" he emphasized the 'w' in the word, looking expectantly at him.
The kid did a quick count of the little ice box below, measuring the smoothie station he had with him on hand and tapped his bottom lip. "We're about, erm.. six more drinks before we might need a rebatch."
"I don't think we'll need a rebatch," he replied smoothly. "We're doing just fine today with the progress we've made! Easy living, Chowder, eaaaasy liviiing."
Chowder snapped a finger gun at him, "Awe yeah! Easy living!"
"Excuse us, gentlemen!"
The two looked up, noticing another batch of customers standing in front of them.
All three of the Eds all were bundled up next to each other; Double D had his hands at his sides, Ed with his hands in his pockets and Eddy with his arms crossed. They all had their own unique smiles, looking directly at Chowder who was happy to serve them. Edd was the one who spoke first and also continued.
"We'd like three chillado smoothies, as well as three hotdogs please!"
Eddy nodded, "Yeah, it's been a busy day man."
"Okay! What flavor?" The boy asked, ringing it up on his tablet.
Ed bluntly said, "Blue!"
"Purple sounds great!" replied Edd.
Eddy darted his eyes at the painted billboard in front of them, humming to himself not knowing what he wanted at first. He just decided on, "Just gimmie a yellow."
The purchase was fast, all digitized. Chowder's tablet gave a satisfying bell ding to cue that it had been paid. He went to work, pulling out three cups and served all of them up deliciously iced drinks fresh from the freezer. The straws were violently stabbed through the holes and the napkins rapidly pulled out.
When the hot dogs had been served last, they were lined up in rows on their own little plates. The heater was notched on the downlow, as the grill was a bit too hot to handle for the moment. Mung waved his hand after dealing with the last one and stepped up to the front of the stand. He rested on it as he said calmly, "Thanks, boys! You're always good business for our stand."
"Of course, Mr. Daal! We appreciate your stand." Edd smiled, scooping up his dog and drink.
Eddy nodded, "Everybody loves you guys! How could we not?!"
"I love your hotdogs!" Ed replied, taking a massive bite out of his immediately.
Mung chuckled, giving them a wave. "You take care now! I'll let you get to cleaning up the pirate heap that just landed in our park!"
Ed and Edd laughed at his joke while Eddy rolled his eyes. "Yeah man, see you later!"
The three walked off, leaving the two of them together.
"It looks like just about everybody got a taste today, even a couple of the pirates!" Chowder exclaimed, pointing at a few of the men who were sitting together on the sidewalk.
Mung replied, "We'll give it another few minutes, then pack it up and take it home from here. We've done well enough to get off early."
"Al-right!" Chowder fist pumped the air, doing a little dance.
Sitting across from each other at a weathered picnic table, Numbuh Two, Five and Ranger Chris weren't getting anywhere with Captain Stickybeard. Their tense negotiations caused the air around them to grow dense, hanging heavily. Were it not for the smoothies all four of them happened to enjoy, they would have lashed out on each other from the summer heat by now. Numbuh Two's usually jovial demeanor was replaced with a stern expression, his brow furrowed in frustration as he leaned forward, hands clasped tightly together on the table. His usually cheerful voice carried a hint of annoyance as he addressed the pirate captain, his words laced with barely concealed irritation. "Captain, I understand your frustration but we can't let you get away with stealing nearly all of Pokey Oaks' candy. Everyone in Sector V is upset with the issues you have caused; why not just do actual work, or buy candy from the stores yourself?"
"Nay, in this economy?! I'll be dipped in chocolate before I give any more of my money into just buyin' candy! Besides, it ruins the fun." he futed.
"You're just as dumb as you are fat." Numbuh Five had seated beside Two, sharply sucking on her straw with a side-eye to the pirate. She had a steely resolve, Her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The annoyance in her eyes had been hidden by the shade of her cap, though it was obvious to know her mood. She seemed ready to pounce at the slightest nuisance, her impatience evident in the way that she tapped her foot rhythmically on the ground.
"Yer really tryin' to fix everything? With that big green blob in the sky?" he poked his hook up to Planet Fusion, shaking his head. His spit flung out onto the table in front of them as he said, "Yer wastin' yer time."
Two shook his head, frowning. "Captain, that's why we need you. We need everybody to help! Look," he rubbed his forehead. "We thought it was best to take you head on because the Cul-de-sac didn't know whether or not you were going to comply."
"That's on you fer trustin' the judgment of an ill-mannered idiot." Stickybeard huffed, sucking up the last of his smoothie and smacked the empty cup down.
Five snorted, "We've been at this for years; it ain't just Eddy."
"The Kids Next Door has taken an initiative to try and recruit all adults and teenagers willing to help; we're pulling out all the stops on this one to succeed, by any means possible." Two explained.
Stickybeard sang a deep hum, squinting his good eye at the young man.
At the edge of the table, Ranger Chris loomed over the scene, his hand resting firmly on the tabletop as he maintained a vigilant watch over the proceedings. A bead of sweat ran down the side of his head, his presence adding an additional layer of gravity.
"We want to call off the turf war; it's pointless fighting over candy when there are more pressing matters."
The captain paused, "Then why are ye still persistin' on fightin'?"
"Candy helps strengthen our army's resolve, and plus," Chris reached up, grabbing onto his NanoComm and pressed a button. Popping up beside on his shoulder was Nano Grim, holding onto his scythe in his lap and whistling in a slightly higher-octave. "You have gumballs which help power our nanos."
"What are yer little guys fer anyways?"
Chris held out his device and placed his arm down on the table, motioning for Grim to move over and started. "Nanos are a recent development by both Dexlabs and Mandark Industries; based on many of our heroes and leaders. They're created using excess fusion matter and either the blood, hair or object of the person. Our imagination is used to help aid this process by purifying the matter, just like how the fusions struggled to get through the walls during the hydro hammer invasion. Since we know Lord Fuse is a hivemind, he doesn't have an imagination. That's why he's weak to it."
Grim held up his skeleton chin and smirked, taking pride in this explanation.
"They're neat little guys," the ranger gently rubbed on the reaper's head with a thumb. "They also boost morale and fighting power when fighting the fusion invasion."
The captain scratched his beard and remained quiet.
"You're sitting on a pile of that stuff, things we'll need," Chris went on, then turned to look over at Two. "You have anything else to add on?"
The young man tapped his hand on the desk, his mood lightening up just a little bit, "We want to make a proposition, if you'd hear us out. You know why we want candy."
"Aye, out with it lad!" Stickybeard ushered.
"We want those gumballs, as well as a portion of your candy and your service. For the entire stash in the neighborhood, the Cul-de-sac has agreed they would be willing to share their reserve if it means getting on our side for this war." Two explained.
The captain sat in silence for a moment; never in the past few years did he think he was going to be offered some kind of deal like this. They obviously wanted something out of him, yet he remained unsure on what it exactly was. He puffed out his bottom lip, "What is the butt-end from this, laddie?"
"You won't be getting as much candy as you've been hoarding, since it will be used to divide the candy up. Additionally, we want you to join us in fighting the fusion monsters head on. This would mean working with the Kids Next Door as well as earth's forces in general to secure sectors, cleanse the infection and actively fight quite often." He laid it out in front of him, dragging his hand across the wooden counter.
Captain Stickybeard replied, "How much candy are we gettin' fer ourselves?"
"We plan on sharing forty percent with you," Chris replied. "Keeping the sixty and gumballs."
"Forty percent?!" he spouted. "As much as I'd be willin' to commission my crew fer a good bit of candy booty, yer practically sellin' me away! Make it sixty!"
There was a long pause from the other three, then they looked at each other.
"Fifty five." Two bargained.
Stickybeard shook his head, "Sixty is fair enough fer me, don't ye think? I'll even let ye keep yer little gumballs so long as we keep our share. If we're riskin' our life and limb fer yer plan, we best get accommodated well."
It was very clear Five was upset about this, though chose to remain silent. Her leg was kicking a little more rapidly, her flat foot stomping into the ground.
"Excuse us for a moment, we'll be over on the other side of the house." Chris motioned.
The two agents and ranger got up from their seats, walking over toward the front door of the suburb house. With the negotiations going on from behind, they were blocked well enough to speak privately amongst themselves.
"Are y'all out of your damn minds?" Five spouted immediately, firmly crossing her arms. "That sweet-stealin' corsair's been nabbin' treats for too long and how else you think Eddy's gonna handle this? The guy is gonna lose it!"
Chris held his hands up, "Hey, like he said, this was Two's idea. I'm just here to keep the peace."
Five shot a glare at Two, to which he responded, "I thought you said he was gonna comply?!"
"Compromise, yes! This? This is lettin' Stickybeard win!" she argued.
Two lifted up his goggles and rubbed his eyes, sighing out loud and slouched over. Next came pinching the bridge of his nose, then adjusting the goggles back on. "As a coordinator and leader for Sector V, I know this is going to upset a lot of our agents but it's the right call."
He stared at Five, shoving his hands in his pockets. "You remember the meeting we had several months ago, before we started the mission. We heard it from Niles himself: we need to get as many villains to our cause. It's a factor for getting out of this whole thing alive!"
The Urban Ranger, confused by his words, crossed his arms and tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
Two heavily sighed.
"Well, Chris I like you, just keep this on the downlow for now okay?" he said.
Like a diligent follower, he nodded in response.
Two replied, "We thought things were going well, though it turns out that a time traveler much like Larry 3000 came from the future. He warned us about losing the war for a few reasons, and not working with villains is one of them."
"The time traveler," the ranger's eyes widened. "The one who wrote the journal?"
Numbuh Five corrected, "Didn't write it, brought it. Apparently the whole thing's a mystery over in his timeline too. Yes, Two, Numbuh Five remembers it just fine. There's gotta be another way of gettin' this sucka to forfeit."
"This doesn't happen often, but my gut is telling me it's the right way to go," Two blinked. "I mean, we've already got Mr. Boss and Madam Margaret on our side here. Once we get Stickybeard, as well as a couple of others, all of the villains would be drawn to helping the cause a little bit. That's usually how they are; you know that."
An eerie silence befell onto Five; her hand tilted her cap down. "Five doesn't trust on relyin' the villains for nothin' but.. you got a point."
"So what does this mean for us?" Chris piped up. "Are we going to keep him here for now?"
Two shook his head, "Well, here's what I'm thinking: the estates isn't under my sector control, though I'm going to stay back to make sure this whole thing works out okay. As far as I know, Stickybeard will most likely be stationed here until he'll be asked to join the frontlines. Whenever another wide-scale invasion takes place, he'll be one of the deployed units."
Chris nods, "I'll need to have a chat with Eddy about how this change of pace will go; Wilt, bless his heart, will be so helpful with this."
"Good luck. You give Stickybeard one win and he'll never stop about it." Five griped.
"Well how do you think I feel?"
All three of them watched the fourth person approach with a hand over his vest, another in his pocket. A figure with ominous authority made his entrance dramatic, curled fingers over a snappy coat. He was clad in a signature dark suit and matching hat, striding forward with measured steps, his imposing figure casting a shadow over the gathering. He had a lengthy frame which towered over all three of them, exuding power. With a sharp jawline and a stern countenance, his presence commanded attention, his piercing canary eyes glinting with a calculating intelligence as he surveyed the scene before him.
Despite his overall maleficent appearance, there was a cold and handsome elegance to Father's demeanor, a sense of confidence born of years spent orchestrating nefarious schemes against the Kids Next Door. As he joined the conversation, his voice dripped with a subtle menace and slightly unhinged fury at times.
"Every time you Kids Next Dorks got the best of me, he never let me hear the end of it!"
Five smirked, "That's 'cause you deserved it."
"What are your thoughts on this, Father? Would you be willing to work with Stickybeard for a while?" Two asked politely.
The gentleman reached his hand up and grabbed onto his pipe, chewing on the end just a little bit while taking a good second to ponder. "From what I gather, he is a firm captain of his ship and an excellent strategist for his treasure. I highly doubt he is going to like any of you, especially after what you did to him. So long as he does not get too carried away with his shenanigans, he and I are fine. It's you I would be worried about, Mr. Gilligan," Surprisingly enough, he reaches into his breast pocket and draws a lighter. He flicks it once or twice, lighting the tobacco on the very end and starts billowing like a little incense stick. "Given you would have some time to mature and realize how foolish you were as rotten brats, maybe it will not be so bad now will it?"
Numbuh Two rubbed the back of his head, taking in his words carefully. "Well.. I guess that's good to know. In any case, I think we'll have to go with Stickybeard's deal on this."
"Let's get this over with," Chris rubs his head and starts walking. "Eddy is gonna be so frustrated about this."
Five walked along with them in silence, shoving her hands in her shorts pockets and slightly hunched her head over. She kicked a little rock off to the side.
"I figured I might as well say hello to him now that he is paying a visit." Father sighed, his angry expression easing that into a weary one.
When the group made their way back over to the picnic table, Stickbeard had gotten himself comfortable. His candy hook had been stroking at some of the bits of treats stuck in his beard, his head rolled back and using the table as a rest. His gaze was fixed to the sky, whistling a sailor's tune until the sounds of their arrival brought him back down to earth.
"Alright, we've had some time to talk about it," Two responded, grabbing onto his suspenders and pushing out his elbows. He puffed out his cheeks and said, "We'll take your deal."
The captain peered his eye over at them, a wide smile forming on his face as he sat up. "My, didn't think I'd be expectin' such a kind arrangement with the likes of ye. I'm happy to see we're at an arrangement."
Father puts his hands in his pockets and puffs a little bit of smoke, breathing in and sighs, "Hello again, captain. Pleasure to see you are finally joining us."
"It's been a while since I've seen ye, Father." Stickybeard nodded.
The gentleman shrugged, "What can I say? I've been busy."
"Workin' with the Kids Next Door now? Ye've stooped that low?"
"These are hard times, Captain. I figured we should put aside our gripes for now," his eyes glared, squinting at him. Some smoke added to the intensity of his words. "This fusion menace has been a problem for too long now and things are not the same. They are far much worse than what we have dealt with."
Captain Stickybeard blinked, "I have to admit, fightin' them fusions has been hard fer some of my crew. When in bundles, they put up a good fight."
"Well, we can do this together," Chris interrupted, taking a few steps forward. He shot Two and Five a look, then took the initiative to reach out with a hand. "Truce?"
Stickybeard looked at his hand, then up at Chris. An infernal malice raged within, recognizing the face of the man who brought him the most struggle for the longest time. Him and his crew of rangers, constantly battling over houses and candy. Whether it was the glint in his eyes, or the willingness to open up, the captain took off his cap and reached a hand out.
"Aye, truce."
The ranger gave him a firm shake, not letting go for even a second. This mattered to him too much, to all of the kids who looked up to him as a leader. He didn't smile, nor did he frown, yet remained stoic. From an older man to a younger man in a familiar field, they shared a moment of peace between one another.
Five nodded, "Then it's settled, Stickybum. You keep a majority of your share, join our cause, we get the lesser half and them gumballs. Everyone's happy, yeah?"
"I'm satisfied," Captain Stickybeard let go of Chris' hand and stood up. He slowly but surely got out from the picnic seat like an old man, then stood up straight and looked between the group in front of him. "I'll be helpin' ye with sortin' the piles. I figured ye've already ransacked my ship of her booty?"
"Yea, though in our defense Eddy insisted on puttin' it in with the reserve." Five replied.
The old man griped, "Arrgh, o' course that bildrat would be quick to the draw. Tell 'em I'll be there to help get it organized; he won't be able to tell which candy is which."
"I'll let him know," Ranger Chris replied. "We appreciate this, Captain. Maybe finally we could set up some kind of, I don't know, trade?"
Stickybeard laughed, "Don't be actin' so quick, boy! This is just a fix fer now. Only time'll tell."
"The kids like these two aren't so bad, now that they've matured," Father gestures toward the three beside him. "It's those snot-nosed gremlins who whine and complain about everything and throw a fit about the littlest things!"
Bzzt! Bzzt!
Numbuh Five reached into her pocket and pulled out her communicator, clicking her tongue and turned to the group. "I gotta take this, for just a moment."
Two gave a thumbs up and Chris nodded, starting their walk off with Father and Stickybeard toward the throne in the center of the Cul-de-sac.
She side-stepped off to another building nearby and sat down on a bench, overlooking the exchange between them and the Eds. She pressed the communicator up against her ear and looked displeased, puffing out a bottom lip. "Hey sis."
A familiar and slightly older voice spoke out from the phone, one that once brought anxiety but now had a heart-felt connotation: Cree Lincoln. "Abby, where are you right now?"
"Over at the Cul-de-sac, doin' some work. Why?" she replied.
The woman on the other end replied, "How long are you gonna be? Your little boyfriend's been wantin' to have dinner with us and won't stop buggin' me about it."
"Boyfriend?" She blinked. "You mean Hoagie?"
The woman replied sharply, "Yes! I'm talking about Hoagie! Who else did you think I'd be mentioning?"
Numbuh Five turned to look over at Two, widening her eyes and jolting up from her seat. "Sis, hold on for just a sec. Gotta check something-"
"Ugh, alright."
She quickly put the communicator on mute, picking up the pace.
At the center of attention, Eddy reclined on his makeshift throne, flanked by his loyal friends being the other two Eds, their expressions a mix of curiosity and apprehension. His head rested in his hand, posing like a truly dissatisfied king.
Numbuh Two stood tall, his arms crossed in a stance of determination, while Ranger Chris maintained a vigilant watch, his gaze unwavering as he assessed the situation. Father had a hand in his pocket, the other holding onto his pipe and Stickybeard: standing defiantly with his arms at his sides.
"You've made a decision, huh?" Eddy asked. "We're giving him three fifths of the haul and that's final?"
Two nodded, "He's agreed to let us keep the rest, including the gumballs, and join our cause."
There's a tense moment of silence as Eddy sits up in his chair, a piercing glare. His fingers grip tightly on the arms of the throne.
Edd nervously pulls at his collar, darting between the people surrounding the throne. Looking at Eddy's expression, he gulps, anxiously awaiting his response.
The last Ed simply stands there, a pokerface while taking in this information. He understood it quite well, though deep down was a little bit nervous about it.
Father just smiled, waiting for it to all play out.
"Well that's great!" Eddy threw his hands up, kicking his legs over one of the arms. He folded them back over the back of his head, growing more comfortable by the minute. "About time this whole thing's brushed over; Stickybeard can make up for his mistakes, we can shake hands and all move on from this! Welcome to the club, pal. You are officially unbanned from the Cul-de-sac!"
Stickybeard had an annoyed expression on his face.
Not like it mattered anyways.
"Numbuh Two!"
The group looked back, seeing Five slow down her rushing and breathe out. Despite the sores she had from earlier, somehow the girl managed to push through it and placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "This is urgent, sorry fellas. Gotta pull this one aside; carry on your talk."
"Uh, okay?" Eddy raised an eyebrow. "Sure thing, Number Five."
Two looked at her with a worried expression, getting pulled to the side, "What? What's going on! We're just about to get this whole thing started-"
Five's hands grasped around his pilot's cap and violently threw it off, including his goggles.
"Ah!"
He blinked, wiping a hand over his eyes and squinted at the sun. His wavy brunette hair had flown out, slightly greasy from being so condensed in there for so long with the sweat.
She peeled at his fingers away, showing off his now teary eyes which were slightly bloodshot.
They were a brilliant bright blue, slightly red from the sensitivity though full of shock as he winced. "Abby?! What are you doing!"
"Oh boy, okay," she let go of him, letting out a sigh in relief and took off her cap. "You ain't a fusion. I got worried for a second."
Two grabbed onto his cap from the ground, shaking his head, "Why'd you do that?"
"My sis just called me; she said you're at the house," she paused. "That ain't you!"
The young man clicked his tongue, folding his hair back in on his head and stuffed the cap on just right. "Yeah, that's not me. You gonna handle that?"
"Definitely," Five replied firmly. "She don't know it ain't you 'cause she hasn't checked."
Hoagie rubbed the back of his head, throwing his goggles back over his eyes. "Alright, well stay safe! If you urgently need some backup, I know Blossom and Nigel are back home at the treehouse. They can handle a fusion of me no sweat, I'm sure."
"Alright," Abby nodded. "Sounds good. I'm gonna head out."
With little to no preparation ahead of time, Five tilted her head to the side and leaned in. Her lips tenderly met with his as she wrapped an arm slightly over his shoulder. He was pulled in sharply, though quickly curled both of his arms around hers and pulled her back. She planted a fleeting yet passionate kiss on his lips, a silent exchange of emotions in the midst of the chaos. Though brief, the touch of her lips lingered in the air, leaving an undeniable mark on the moment before she broke away.
"Woah," Hoagie chuckled, his entire face a bright red. A hand rubbed the back of his neck as he blurted out, "B-Be safe-"
Abby nodded, her face flushed in pink as she turned back. She gave a peace sign and a smile, darting off to the nearest transport.
As Numbuh Five quickly departed, the atmosphere among the group shifted subtly, charged with a mixture of surprise and intrigue. Chris arched an eyebrow, silently acknowledging the unexpected turn of events. Father, his usually stoic demeanor momentarily faltering, glanced at Two with mild interest. Ed, Edd, and Eddy exchanged bemused glances, their eyebrows raised in unison as they processed the unexpected display of affection. Lastly, Stickybeard clutched onto his hat and had a teasing snicker on his face.
"Aheheh, uhm-" Two winced. "Where were we?"
Chris kicked a foot, lowering his head and tried to hide his little grin. "We were just about to discuss terms, though if you needed a minute I didn't want to intrude-"
"Huh, I didn't expect that but it makes sense." Double D replied. He sharply sucked on the straw of his smoothie afterwards, taking in a big sip for this little bit of entertainment.
"I was beginnin' to wonder why the two of ye were starin' at each other; I recognize those kinds a looks when I see 'em." Captain Stickybeard chuckled like a proud uncle, strangely happy to see them like that.
"Well, I suppose we can get back to it. I think we can handle this well. Don't you, captain?" Eddy smiled widely.
The captain took a deep breath, nodding in response. "Aye, if ye want yer kids to get the candy, we'll divvy it up then? My men have their favorites."
With the wave of Eddy's nonchalant hand, Chris followed orders and quickly jogged off to start getting the bags.
While Eddy and Stickybeard continued their conversation, Father stepped off to the side with Two and took the pipe from out of his mouth. "So, Mister Gilligan, you want to get the adults on your side now huh?"
"Well, yeah, it's an initiative. Sector V is trying to get everything together and organized," he replied. "Everything now is just.. busy work."
The adult snickered, "It's different now that you're older, isn't it?"
"Yes it is," he replied heavily. "I never realized how hard a lot of you guys had it when I was younger. It's easier to sympathize with a lot of the villains; some of them know better but a lot of them don't."
Father gestured with a hand, "Something the Kids Next Door tends to forget is that, at some point, we were all like you once."
"Don't you wish you could go back to it, though?" Two looked up at him. "Didn't you enjoy being a kid?"
There was a long moment of silence as the man listened in on the candy trades, lifting the pipe back into his mouth and puffed it out a little bit. "Sometimes, though that happens rarely. Eventually those thoughts fade over time as you get older; you will realize that, if we make it that far with this green foe."
"That's what I'm worried about," Two sighed, looking up at the sky. "I've come to realize that we all need each other. If we do win this war.."
Father shook his fist, "Some of them might go back to their old ways, others will not. You brats were the worst knot in my back right up until this.. this SCUM arrived!"
All the young man could do was shrug, "We're with you on that."
"Good luck with your plan; I'll be surprised if you get the whole alliance to work out," Father waved a hand to help articulate his words. "I am being moved elsewhere; I have been told the Jungle Base needs some researchers on hand and I will be leaving here tomorrow."
It took him a second to register that, "You're leaving the Cul-de-sac?"
"There are not any fusions around here, are there? The fighting is happening up north and that is where I am needed. The more monsters I can get my hands on, the better."
Two replied, "True that. Well in any case if you're heading out, good luck with your expedition! Stay safe up there."
"You will not have to worry about me," his entire body slightly burst into a hot orange glow, enveloping himself in flames as he glared. "I will make sure those fusions pay a steep, steep price!"
Hoagie's eyes widened a little at his anger, watching him begin to walk off and just leave him be. He had some pretty bad anger issues he thought, feeling the heat even just by being near him. The man scratched his chin, "Well anyways, I guess I'll see you later! Take care of yourself, Father!"
The older man didn't say a word, instead marching off toward the direction of the front doors. All he did was wave him away slightly, then churned his hands into fists with a defiant march. He seemed to have discovered a newfound determination, something he didn't expect to have after seeing the Cul-de-sac handle the situation with the captain.
Numbuh Two took a couple of steps over, his gaze introduced to a steep heap of bags piled high in the street under the hot sun. He made a face, realizing that most of those treats would be melted if not chilled in time. Being simply just a mediator, he kept his hands shoved in his pockets and just stood on watch for now. Biting the edge of his cheek, he gave a look of concern as he stopped to think about the many things that happened today. With the fight turning out to be a victory, as well the turf war put to an end, now it was time to move on to other prospects and continue this grand plan of preparing the assault on Fuse's forces. He thought about what both Stickybeard and Father said, though now just feeling exhausted with everything that happened today. All of these events and responsibilities cluttered his mind, making him slightly burnt out.
His mind drifted away and back onto Abby for a moment, rubbing his lips together thinking about their shared kiss. He grinned, his weary eyes closing behind the glass lenses.
He missed her more and more with every passing moment.
5/11/24
If you've made it this far, thank you very much for reading! It's been quite a climb, especially with life getting in the way a little bit too.
I really enjoyed getting to explore on the alliance between the Cul-de-sac and Captain Stickybeard. In the game itself, Stickybeard is still stranded with his crew on the other side of the estates next to his ship. I wanted to advance the points of the story and make it focus more so on the characters rather than the fusion threat for now. At the time, when I had nearly finished Halo 3, I loved the part in the campaign with both the UNSC and Covenant teamed up to put a stop to the flood. There's a parallel between the heroes and villains up against the fusion invasion, something I felt like I wanted to include and really emphasize in this story.
For some references, Mr. Boss and Madam Margaret are villains in the KND. They aren't present in the game, though this universe acts as if they were there, as well as the many other unlisted villains Sector V has happened to come across. Additionally, a third villain listed here is Cree Lincoln (Abby's older sister) who earlier was a teen villain. Now with the age up, times are different and they aren't definitely as cutthroat with one another as they used to be.
Father is additionally present within the game at the Cul-de-sac; at early levels, you do a couple of missions for him on researching the fusion monsters which roam the area. He sort of acts as a spy in a way, still getting dirt on the KND while also helping by providing valuable information about their common foe. In my eyes, Father is still a cold but strong-willed man. Given the circumstances he's placed in, I'd like to think he isn't as quick to outburst and is in fact quite contemplative on the things happening around him when in friendly territory. Having his number one enemy be one of his most trusted allies, it makes him think twice about the fusion invasion. With Sector V as all practically adults and his older age, he's had a lot of time to dwell on it. As someone who enjoys writing villains, there's a bit of bias here for Father from me. Getting to explore a more empathetic and honest vibe from him is satisfying to me, compared to his outbursts and violent tendencies.
It's so fun getting to age up all the characters because it adds weight, a gap I can fill to round them out more that's also familiar to me.
P.S. If you missed the Chowder joke, go back to the birthday chapter. You'll get it.