The road is rough but
wounds are healed by a thing called time
- "End of the Line," Luke Monday & Josey Montana McCoy
"BUTTERCUP, I COULD REALLY USE A FLIGHT RIGHT NOW!" Misty yelled at the top of her lungs as she made a mad dash through the northern suburbs of the Pokey Oaks neighborhood. "SERIOUSLY, WHY DID YOUR DAD EVEN BOTHER GIVING YOU SUPERHEARING IF YOU WERE JUST GOING TO IGNORE ME! CAN'T YOU PUFFS HEAR ALL THE WAY FROM SPACE!? SO WHY THE HECK ARE YOU IGNORING ME?!"
Nano Numbuh Two was huffing and puffing behind the girl, pouring every bit of his power into her person. They needed his F.A.S.T.F.E.E.T. ability more than ever since they were now on a time limit and it was unknown how much time they had left to reach the final two wormholes. Since leaving the Heroes Square memorial, Misty had been yelling into the open air hoping to catch Buttercup's attention. Unfortunately for the girl, Buttercup was not responding, and so Misty and Nano Numbuh Two were running (or flying, in the latter's case) through Pokey Oaks to reach the southern neighborhood where the wormhole was (hopefully) waiting.
"YOU ARE OFFICIALLY MY LEAST FAVORITE POWERPUFF GIRL, BUTTERCUP! DO YOU HEAR ME?! YOU! ARE! THE! WORST!"
"I'm tired," Nano Numbuh Two whined, slumping over midair.
Nano Numbuh Two had been holding off his fatigue for as long as he could, but he knew he couldn't do it forever. Nanos had a set limit of energy, and his bar was well into the red. He didn't want to leave Misty since she needed his ability, but there was nothing he could do.
Misty pulled out her NanoCom and checked her Nano's vitals. She flinched when she saw his bar was well into the red and had almost no stamina left. She had literally run him to his limit.
"Sorry, Nano Numbuh Two. Head back into the NanCom and get some rest," Misty told her Nano comfortingly, sending him back into the NanoCom.
The loss of her Nano's F.A.S.T.F.E.E.T. ability hindered her speed by half, but Misty still forced herself to run as fast as she could. She hadn't been overly athletic in her P.E. classes, however she felt she had improved on her athletic skills since being in the future due to being forced to walk and run everywhere. She just really hoped her own natural speed would be good enough to get her to the wormholes. Thankfully for the girl, she spotted a familiar red suit three blocks down in the southern portion of Pokey Oaks. She had never been more thankful to see a Plumber than she had in that exact moment. She was already pulling out the Synchronization Engine as she approached the wormhole which was thankfully still there. She fiddled with the nob for a moment and then raised it and aimed at the wormhole. She depressed the trigger despite not being right next to the wormhole; she figured if she could line it up in her sights then she was close enough to send off the message.
The wormhole spun around rapidly for a moment, looking out of control, and then it began to shrink and shrink and shrink until nothing remained of it. Misty collapsed to her knees in the spot where the wormhole had once been and drew in several breaths. Her whole body was aching and her lungs were on fire.
"Dangit. That other wormhole closed too, right?" Misty asked the Plumber, huffing in between each word.
"Yes ma'am," Plumber Gavin answered back respectfully. "I can't find the wormhole in the Junkyard."
Misty sighed. It was upsetting news, but hey, four out of five was good enough for her. Of course, that was banking on if the message actually went through. Once she was able to breathe normally again, Misty moved into a sitting position and checked on the Synchronization Engine. She hadn't been sure if the message made it when she'd pressed the trigger, but since it was supposed to be for Mandark, she wasn't too upset if he didn't get a message. Sure enough, Mandark's name was still in the device.
"Hey, you were monitoring the wormhole, right?" Misty asked the Plumber.
"Correct ma'am," Plumber Gavin answered her.
Misty ignored the whole 'ma'am' business because it felt like a losing battle.
"Did you see if a message went through?"
"It did, ma'am."
Misty's brows furrowed together as she looked back at the Synchronization Engine. How did a message go through yet Mandark's name was still in the device? Unless... Misty turned the dial and Mandark's name disappeared, leaving a blank screen. Mojo's name was missing. In Misty's hurry, she had turned the dial too far over and sent Mojo's message through the wormhole instead of Mandark's.
At that moment, her NanoCom beeped, indicating an incoming call. She lifted her hand and released a groan when she saw Mandark's imaging flashing across the screen.
"For a guy working on a time machine he has the absolute worst timing," Misty complained, ignoring Plumber Gavin. She heaved a sigh and accepted the call. "Yeah?"
"Don't take that tone with me," Mandark's holographic person stated. "I received a notification that all the wormholes closed. Were you able to deliver the messages in time?"
"Sorta," Misty replied dodgingly.
"Sorta? What sort of idiotic-" Mandark cut himself off. He squinted his eyes behind his glasses in an attempt to see better. "Hold on...this doesn't look like the junkyard...Where are you?"
"Jeez, you really need to get out more if you can't even recognize this area," Misty said. "Seriously, touch grass every once in a while."
"Answer the question!"
"It sounded more like a demand. Anyway, I'm in Pokey Oaks."
"You're what?!"
"Pokey Oaks. I made it to the fourth wormhole," Misty clarified.
Mandark breathed out angrily from his nose, still looking annoyed by the answer. He closed his eyes and breathed in, letting out a sigh a moment after.
"Since you're at the fourth wormhole, may I presume you've managed to send off four messages?"
"You may presume," Misty responded.
"Well...at least you managed to do that," he said. "It is unfortunate we could not recruit Mojo sooner, but-"
"I sent off his message," Misty interrupted.
She closed her eyes and mentally counted down from three as she waited for Mandark's freakout.
"...YOU WHAT?!" Mandark screeched over their line. "YOU SENT A MESSAGE TO THE MONKEY INSTEAD OF ME!?"
"Pretty sure he's a chimpanzee," Misty pointed out.
"SEMANTICS!"
Misty rolled her eyes and fell backward, staring up at the dark green sky. She tuned out Mandark's ranting as he went on to explain why he was a better option over Mojo. It was easier to just let the guy go at it now that he was wound up. While he ranted, Misty stared up at the visage of Planet Fusion, the enemy that had put the world into such a dire state. The messages were supposed to warn the world about Fuse and give the past a fighting chance. She was supposed be sent back so she can lend her hand to the war, hopefully bringing it to an end before this bad future ever happened.
But then...what would happen to this future?
What would happen to everyone that lived in this time?
"Hey, Mandark. Can I ask you something?" Misty asked, interrupting the teenager's ranting.
Mandark paused mid-word, sensing a change in Misty's tone. She sounded contemplative, which was new for the teenage girl since she'd arrived in this time period. Out of curiosity, he decided to indulge her.
"What is it?" he asked, devoid of any snarkiness he usually had when speaking with her.
"Have you thought about what will happen when I leave?" Misty asked, keeping her eyes on the planet above her. "I'm supposed to go back to the past and stop this from happening."
"Yes," Mandark stated. "Dexter believes- ...believed you are the key to defeating Fuse. It's why it's important we send you back to your correct time period."
"Have you thought about what that means? When I go back?" Misty asked, tacking on the last question to clarify her inquiry.
"It means if you do your job, Fuse won't consume our planet," Mandark stated, his tone condescending.
"But have you thought about what that means for you? For this future?" Misty further asked, turning her head to look at the boy. "If I go back and stop Fuse, I'm going to erase all of this. I'm going to erase all of you."
Mandark stared at her from behind the screen for a moment, before he nodded his head to agree with the assessment.
"Yes, I know that," he said, dropping his condensation and speaking plainly. "That was always the plan."
"Doesn't that scare you?"
"Compared to what our world has become? No, not in the slightest," Mandark responded. "This timeline is already done for. There are very little of us left, and Fuse will ensure our complete erasure if we remain. No matter if we're here on the ground or on the airship, there is nowhere safe for us. If it's a choice between dying at Fuse's hands or being erased, I can assure you, all of us choose to be erased. It's why we're reconstructing the time machine to send you back."
Misty seemed appeased by the answer, if the way her shoulders relaxed were any indication. Mandark studied the teenager for a moment before posing his own question.
"Since we're having this discussion, I have a question of my own."
Misty nodded her head, silently encouraging him to ask. If she got to ask a question, he could too; it was only fair.
"You were sent further into the future than you ever thought, and upon coming to this point in time, you discovered your parents were no longer alive. Although our time is dwindling, Numbuh Two still offered to give you a day to grieve your loss. Instead, you immediately jumped into action," Mandark said, prepping his question. "I was curious on why. Why did you refuse?"
Misty's face turned reflective as her eyebrows lowered in concentration.
"Huh, didn't think you'd ask me something like that. I don't know if you'll even accept my answer since it'll sound weird. I can barely comprehend it myself," Misty said.
Mandark didn't say a thing further, but he did raise his hand and motioned it in a 'go on' gesture. Misty pursed her lips and turned her head away from Mandark to look upward. Unconsciously, her eyes trained in on Planet Fusion. Given its real estate in the sky, it was pretty hard to avoid.
"Well...Don't get me wrong, I was upset when I saw my parents' names on the list of the dead, and then that the only thing left of my house was a stoop. But it was weird because to me, it didn't really sink in. That grief I should have felt didn't hit me because I couldn't connect to it. All of you lived with this for six months, but I just showed up. For all of you, the time when there was no Fuse was in the past, but it was just hours for me. To me, my home was still around and my parents were still alive." She kept her eyes on the sky as she brought a hand to her heart and clenched it. "And then something inside me reminded me they were alive, in the time period where I came from, and it spurred me to action. I could only see them if the time machine was rebuilt, and the only way it would be rebuilt is if I helped get it done." She closed her eyes, blocking out the image of the invading planet. "I didn't succumb to depression because I had faith. Faith this would all work out. Faith I'd see them again." She opened her eyes and tilted her head back to Mandark's image. "That probably doesn't make sense, huh?"
Misty was unable to get a read on Mandark's thoughts. Normally, the bespectacled genius would be easier to read, since his standard attitudes were annoyed and condescending. For some reason, his face remained quietly stoic as he stared at her. It was actually pretty unnerving.
"You're correct. That doesn't make sense," Mandark finally spoke in a deadpan voice.
Misty stuck her tongue out at him. It was a childish response, but it was the first thought Misty had. Nothing was said between the two for a moment, until it was broken by Misty sighing and getting into a sitting position.
"Well, you probably want your gadget," Misty stated.
"Invention," Mandark immediately corrected. "And yes, I will require it, but it would be more prudent for you to bring it to me along with the final piece of the time machine."
"Final piece?" Misty asked.
"Yes. Had you successfully completed your task, you would have already been in the junkyard for this," Mandark said. "There is a robot that used to be a member of Time Squad. I won't go into detail what the squad is but all you need to know is that this robot has the ability to travel through time."
"Wait, really?" Misty asked in amazement. "If this bot can really time travel, then why do you need me? I mean I want to go home and all since this place isn't ideal, but..."
"The robot was unable to," Mandark continued. "However, you need to find the robot's circuitry so I can use it to power the time machine."
"So a robot that can time travel is in the junkyard because...?" Misty asked, raising an eyebrow upward.
"Do not take that tone with me," Mandark quipped. "The robot went missing some weeks back, it's why no one thought to use it to fix the timeline. Numbuh Five found the robot in Tech Square and brought it back before the island collapsed."
Misty thought about the robot she had seen in the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. the first day she'd arrived in the future. She couldn't recall what had happened to the robot, but she had been too focused on her jobs to think about it further.
"Apparently," Mandark continued with an annoyed tone, "Numbuh Five handed the robot to that kid in the Cul-de-Sac. He didn't find any worth in what was left of the robot and threw it in the junkyard."
Misty didn't even need Mandark to label the kid; she already imagined the bald kid and rolled her eyes in disgust. Leave it to that entrepreneur wannabe to totally drop the ball.
"You'll need to go in and get whatever you can of the robot, then bring it and the Synchronization Engine to me at the Treehouse," Mandark said. "After that, the time machine will be operational, and you'll be sent back to your time period."
"And once I'm there, stop Fuse from causing this happen," Misty concluded.
Despite the pressures placed upon her, Misty felt elated. An excited smile spread across her face as she bounced up to her feet.
"Alright, Mandark, leave this to me. You'll have the robot parts before dinner," Misty promised.
"Hmph. Do not take that long," Mandark quipped.
Misty rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. Bye Mandark," Misty said, cancelling the call.
"Hey Jack," Misty greeted as she approached the neighborhood junkyard.
The samurai known as Jack smiled and bowed his head in greeting.
"Greetings, Misty," he returned. "What brings you to this area?"
"Mandark sent me to look for a robot. Have yah seen it?" she asked.
Jack gestured behind him. "Do you perhaps refer to M.E.G.A.S.?"
Jack was referring to a giant robot trapped in the infected zone. Even from this distance and behind an energy field, Misty could make out the appearance of the giant robot. It was a primarily blue and silver robot with a red car at the top of it.
"Nah, not M.E.G.A.S.," Misty responded. Mandark hadn't given the robot a name, but she recalled seeing it in the S.C.A.M.P.E.R., and the robot was definitely not a giant blue mech. It was brown and closer to the size of a standard human. "I'm looking for a different one. Apparently, Eddy threw it in here."
Jack crossed his arms and placed his chin between the thumb and index finger of his right hand. His eyebrows knitted together as he racked his brain.
"Yes, I believe I know what you are referring to. I seem to recall the boy from the Cul-de-Sac throwing something into the infected zone," Jack replied. "I had to go and rescue him when the Toxic Spawns swarmed him."
"That's awfully nice of you, Jack," Misty said. "Well, thanks for the information."
"I caution you to be careful," Jack expressed his concern. "This infected zone is extremely dangerous."
Misty held back the retort aren't all of them dangerous? She respected Jack, who was an amazing warrior in his own right. Really, Misty was surprised Dexter was choosing to put his trust in her rather than this time wayward samurai who could probably wipe the floor with the likes of the Justice Friends.
"I have been following your deeds, and know you are capable of handling yourself," Jack continued. "I simply want to make sure you keep your guard up while you are inside."
Misty nodded in understanding and confirmation. This was the reason she hadn't made some sassy remark; he wasn't trying to talk down to hear like Mandark would be and was simply expressing his concern for another person.
"I will, Jack, no worries," Misty assured him. "I'm just heading in to find this robot and then I'm out of there."
Jack nodded his head. "If you require help, please do not hesitate to call on my assistance."
"C'mon, Jack, have a little faith in me," Misty teasingly complained to him.
The smile Jack answered her with was good natured. He was probably among the few in the future who could still smile.
"I do," Jack said. "I can tell you will do great many things."
"No pressure," Misty said.
"I find humanity is at its best when there's pressure," Jack said.
"If you say so," Misty said, heading for the DexLabs warp pad. "See you later."
Jack didn't say anything more to his fellow time-traveler. Instead, he gave her a quick wave as she disappeared.
As soon as Misty materialized inside the infected zone, her senses were immediately assaulted by the pungent smell.
"Ugh!" Misty groaned out in disgust, quickly pinching her nose. "Jack was so busy warning me about the dangers of the infected zone, he should have warned me about the smell."
Misty stood on the warp pad for another minute, bracing herself for the disgusting smell of the junkyard. She couldn't fight one handed, - well technically she could since all of her weapons could be wielded one handed, but it simply wasn't a good idea to fight one handed - so she was going to have to toughen up and just become accustomed to the smell. It took her a moment, but she finally felt her nose had become smell blind to the infected zone, and so she released her grip on her nose. She pulled out her Crayon Cannon from her NanoCom and began to search the infected zone.
Misty consulted her NanoCom's map as she ventured through the infected zone. Mandark, wanting the robot as soon as possible, pinpointed the bot's origin and sent the marker to her map so she wouldn't be searching all of the junk in the area. There were also the various monsters scouring the infected zone. Luckily for the teenager, the first part of the junkyard had floating objects above the Motor Raptors, and so she was able to avoid a battle with them. This wasn't because she didn't want to fight the monsters - she was all for wiping out Fuse's forces whenever she could - but she was on a sort of time limit; though nothing was official, Misty wanted to get the robot as soon as possible so she could go back to her time period and set things right. So, stealth was the most important part of the mission.
The infected zone had a bunch of floating objects, and many pieces were well above the floor, avoiding the majority of the Fusion Monsters. Misty used these as much as possible to get around the monsters. Her stealthy objective brought her further into the infected zone, approaching M.E.G.A.S. Misty took a moment to stop and stare at the larger-than-life mech stuck in a lake of Fusion Matter. She had only ever seen the robot on television whenever it went to battle with a giant kaiju. This was the first time she'd ever seen it (almost) up-close. Misty continued past the giant mech until she came to the spot on her map. She looked around and spotted the metal robot among a collection of Fusion Matter. All she could see was the head of the brown robot.
Misty reached out and grabbed the robot's head with both hands, pulling it from the ground. She moved carefully, incase the rest of the body was buried underneath. The head was light and moved easily, revealing nothing below it. The robot's body was separated from its head.
"Wow, just the head? Hope this is good enough for Mandark," Misty commented out loud, sounding a little disappointed.
"Just a head?" a robotic voice intoned indignantly, its mouth piece brightening each time it spoke. "I will have you know this head has a name."
Misty blinked at the robot's head before she released a high pitch screech. She then, with one hand, spiked the robot's head into the ground. The robot released a cry of pain as he made contact with the ground, and the force had him hopping two more times before coming to a rest.
"Owh! Why did you do that?!" the robot's head demanded.
"You're talking!"
"I'm a robot!"
"But you're a head!"
"I'm a robot!"
Misty's scream had already attracted the attention of the surrounding Dread Heads, and the screaming match between the two only enticed them further. Misty had to take a break from freaking out to handle the approaching monsters. With the help of Nano Eduardo's drain ability and her Crayon Cannon, the area was cleared of the monsters, giving the girl and the robot a moment to speak without worry.
Misty took a deep breath before picking the robot's head off the ground. The metal bars above its - his - optics were dipped downward like he was glaring at her. She supposed he had a right to do it. She wouldn't be very happy if her head was sent into the ground like a football.
"Okay, so, I should probably apologize-"
"You think?" was the sassy remark that interrupted Misty's attempt at an apology.
"...You know what. I'm not apologizing for sending you into the ground," Misty said, retracting her sentence. "So what's your name."
"You may refer to me as Larry 3000," the robot's head stated. "I am a member of -"
"Time Squad, right?" Misty finished. "Yeah, Mandark told me. You're supposed to be able to travel through time."
"Hmph! Well, that's a short way to put it. There's far more nuisance and -"
"Oh, yeah, no, I'm stopping you right there. My grade in science is teetering on a B-, so whatever science talk you want to tell me should be saved for Mandark," Misty said, interrupting Larry's impending lecture. "All that matters is that you're needed for the time machine. So just to make sure you're safe..." Misty opened up her NanoCom's inventory and sent Larry's head inside, ignoring his protests as he digitized inside. "There. And as a bonus, I don't have to hear you complain. Seriously, who'd make a robot with a sass streak?"
Misty pulled up her email feature and shot off a quick message to Mandark with the Sychronization Engine and the head of Larry 3000 attached. Finished with the message, Misty made her way to the warp pad which was within eyesight. There was a bounce in her step as she made her way to the exit.
While waiting for the time machine to be completed, Misty opted to go around the neighborhood and eliminate the monsters as a final farewell to the terrible time period she had been thrown into. She could have waited in the Treehouse until Mandark and Numbuh Two were finished, but she wanted to be active and nothing sounded better than eliminating Fuse's minions. It wouldn't mean anything if this timeline was to be scrubbed out of existence, but it made Misty feel better.
It was an hour later when she was sent a message from Computress, stating her presence was needed at the Treehouse. Elation filled Misty's being as she re-read the message.
This was it. She was going home.
Misty made her way back to the front door of the Uno household, which was the base of the Treehouse, and entered. The door was never locked in the day time since there were several KND operatives in the area to protect it. She had expected Numbuh Two or Computress to be waiting to greet her and guide her to the machine's destination, but instead she was greeted by a hamster wearing a red turtleneck sweater and a pair of shades. Misty stared at the rodent for a moment before shrugging and following it through the house and then treehouse. A hamster in a cute outfit acting as her tour guide was honestly not the weirdest experience for her, so Misty opted to roll with it.
The hamster guided her through the winding maze of the KND base, eventually bringing her to a door that was partially opened. The little hamster raised itself to its hind legs and gave a bow, sweeping a stubby arm out toward the door. Misty smiled good naturedly at the critter and crouched down so she wasn't completely towering over the critter. She gave the top of its head two gentle pats as thanks.
"See ya around," she told it, though she knew that'd be a lie.
The little hamster chittered back at her; whatever it said she didn't have a clue. She assumed it had to be something good, though, considering the salute it gave her as she pushed the door open. Misty had been expecting to see a time machine in the room, and she wasn't disappointed. On the opposite side of the room from her was a circular capsule not unlike what she had stepped into at the Tech Square Convention Center. It was shabbier looking, and didn't look nearly as clean as the one Dexter had built, but given the limited resources and the fact it was built for function and not cosmetics, Misty couldn't blame them for not making it look prettier.
What brought a smile to her face wasn't seeing the time machine, however. Instead, it was seeing the people she had worked with while in this chaotic future waiting for her. They stood in two perfect columns from where she stood to the time machine. Buttercup, Numbuh Two and Numbuh Five stood lined up on Misty's left side. Eddy, Samurai Jack, and Eduardo stood lined up on Misty's right side. Waiting at the time machine on the opposite side of the room was Mandark and Computress, each taking a side. Larry's head could be seen on a pedastool with large wires connecting the stand to the time machine.
"You guys all came to send me off?" Misty asked, sounding touched by the gesture.
She had fully expected just Mandark, Numbuh Two, and Computress since they were the three working on the machine. To see all the others - even Eddy - waiting to see her off filled her with an indescribable warmth. She stepped away from the doorway and began her walk to the time machine.
"We wouldn't miss this for the world," Numbuh Two reassured her, grinning widly. "You're going to do great. You're going to make us so proud." His voice had choked up near the end, and he quickly swiped at the bottom of his goggles. "Sorry, sorry. I swore I promised I wouldn't cry."
"Hey, it's okay Numbuh Two," Misty said. "I'm nearly in tears just from seeing all you here."
"Awwh, you'd cry over me? That's touching," Eddy sarcastically teased.
"Drop into a Fusion Matter pool," Misty deadpanned at him. "I really doubt you're here to see me off."
"Nah, you're right. I'm just here to sell you a newspaper bag," Eddy said. "Ya know, in case you get time travel sickness."
"Yeah, should have figured," Misty said in a deadpan.
"Just ignore him," Buttercup cut in, rolling her eyes at the boy.
"I should ignore you like you ignored me! Did you seriously not hear me?" Misty complained to the green Powerpuff.
"I had my hands full!" Buttercup protested. "Besides, you're fine."
Misty rolled her eyes at the Powerpuff. Buttercup saw the eyeroll and grinned good-naturedly. She then gently punched Misty's arm.
"Just get going and give Fuse's butt a kick for me," she said.
Misty kept her annoyed look for a second longer before it dissolved into a grin. She gave Buttercup a two finger salute.
"You got it," she told her.
"The path of a hero is never easy," Samurai Jack's wisdomed words imparted, turning Misty's attention to him. He was looking at her stoically for a moment, before a smile broke out on his face. "However, I see within you the strength to save this world from destruction." He then bowed to her in a sign of respect. "Though our paths diverge at this moment, it has been an honor to consider you an ally and a friend."
Misty grinned at the words, feeling her cheeks heat up a bit at the sincerity of the words. Jack was way too skilled to be treating her like some great warrior. "Thanks, Jack, but it's really me who should be honored. Honestly, you should be the one going back to the past and fighting the bad guy."
Jack stopped bowing and returned to his full height, resting his hand casually on the hilt of his katana.
"It is not my place. My past self will no doubt do everything in his power to assit you and defend this planet from the unspeakable evil, but it will not be his sword that will deal the final blow," Jack said. "It will be yours. Destiny shall guide you forth to your victory. You must only believe in yourself."
Misty grinned and winked at him. "Don't worry about that. Once I put my mind to it, literally nothing is going to stop me."
She took a step to continue walking toward the time machine, but was stopped by Eduardo throwing his furry arms around her and lifting her off her feet. The Imaginary Friend's loud wailings briefly assaulted her ears given her proximity to him. Ridiculously large tears fell on her as he twisted himself side to side, bringing Misty along for the ride.
"¡Te echaré mucho de menos, Misty!"the Friend sobbed. "Ojalá no te fueras!"
Misty didn't know what he was saying, but she made an educated guess based on the way he was crying.
"Awh, c'mon pal, it's okay," Misty said, patting his arm. "I gotta go and fix everything and make sure that mean old Fuse doesn't threaten your Beanie Baggies."
"It's going to be okay, Eduardo," Numbuh Two said comfortingly, coming to Eduardo's side.
"Yeah, she's just going to the past," Buttercup said, coming over to the other side of Eduardo and gently guiding his arms to release Misty.
"I...I know," Eduardo said, sniffling as he put Misty back on her feet. "I will just miss mi amiga."
"Awwh, I'll miss ya too, big guy," Misty reassured him, hugging him. "But I'll see a past version of you, and we'll be friends again."
"You promise?" Eduardo asked.
"Promise," Misty confirmed.
The words brought some relief to the Imaginary Friend. He wiped at his eyes and sniffled.
"Be safe, mi amiga," Eduardo said. "And make those yucky monstruos go away."
"You got it pal," Misty told him, patting him for a final time on his arm.
Misty stepped away from the Imaginary Friend, allowing Buttercup and Numbuh Two to console him. She approached one of the first two people she met when she awakened in the future. Almost as soon as she stopped in front of her, the spy of Sector V reached out her hand and smiled.
"It's been nice meetin' ya, Misty," Numbuh Five said. "You're not half bad, for a teenager."
Misty smiled and took her hand, giving it a shake.
"Same to you, Numbuh Five," she said. Then, with a cheeky grin. "You're not half bad, for a kid."
Numbuh Five laughed and used her free hand to pat the other girl on the shoulder.
"Say hi to Dex for me," Numbuh Five told her.
Misty waited a beat, to see if Numbuh Five had anyone else she wanted to tact onto the list. When nothing came forward, Misty raised an eyebrow.
"Really? Just Dexter?" Misty asked. "You two secretly dated or-"
Numbuh Five rolled her eyes, turned Misty around, and gave her a shove toward the time machine.
"Just get going, will ya. We're all waiting for you to save the world," the operative said.
"You are literally expecting me to leave on that note!" Misty complained. "You know what, whatever. I'll just needle it out of the past you."
"Uh-huh, you go do that," Numbuh Five said induglingly, waving at Misty.
"How humiliating," Larry's head said from the pedestal. "I was designed for better things."
"You are fueling the time machine that'll send me back so I can save the world. How is that not 'better things?'" Misty questioned the bot's head as she passed.
Larry grumbled but didn't counteract her argument. MIsty sniffed in victory and continued forward. Computress and Mandark were waiting for her expectantly at the time machine.
"You've finally arrived. I've calibrated the machine to send you back two minutes after Dexter's expected time jump," Mandark explained to her.
"Why not just send me back the moment I was supposed to be there?" Misty asked.
"Because I don't want Dexter to think his experiment actually worked correctly," Mandark explained. "I must prove my intellect is superior to his since I am cleaning up his mess."
Misty rolled her eyes, but honestly she expected this sort of pettiness.
"I would say never change, but well..." Misty trailed off.
Mandark may have come to terms with being erased from the time line, but Misty still had trouble putting it into words. The arrogant genius picked up on her meaning and merely smirked at her.
"The time machine is now fully functional," Computress addressed Misty. "It is now time for you to return to your tim epriod and save our planet."
After saying this, the front of the time machine hissed open as it swung upwards. The interior looked as shabby as the exterior, but again, function over fashion. Misty walked up the short flight of steps and then descended into the time machine, but stopped so she could look over at the only living boy genius.
"Not going to wish me luck?" Misty asked.
"Hardly," Mandark said with a scoff. "Scientists don't work on luck."
Misty rolled her eyes in an obvious of course, silly me gesture. Before she entered the temporal machine, Mandark's voice paused her movement.
"Besides, luck is not necessary," Mandark continued. "I have faith you'll stop Fuse and prevent this future from happening."
Misty whipped her head around to look at the bespectacled boy, first in surprise, then out of gratitude. He was smirking at her, but there was a sincerity in his eyes that told Misty he wasn't lying; he really had faith in her.
Misty held up her first to him. At first, Mandark just stared at her. After a moment, realizing she was waiting on him to do something, he raised his own fist and moved it towards hers uncertainly. Misty grinned and connected her fist to his in a fist bump.
"Catcha later, Mandark," Misty said, descending into the time machine.
"Farewell, Cull," Mandark returned.
Once Misty was inside of the time machine, Mandark and Computress immediately went to their consoles to finalize the process. The door of the time machine swung downward and closed with a click. Unlike Dexter's, this door had a glass window that gave Misty the ability to see out into the room. Everyone - including Eddy and the little hamster - was waving at her. The sight brought a smile to her lips and tears to her eyes. She may have only been with them for a short time, but she was going to miss them; all of them.
Computress' voice came over the interior speakers, counting down from ten. Once Computress hit one, the machine whirled to life. A blinding light began to glow in intensity before completely consuming Misty's vision.
Misty blinked, and the white light was completely gone. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the new lighting. When they finally did, she found she was in the same room, only it was different. Instead of her new friends and a time machine, the room was filled with crates. This was obviously a storage room before Mandark and company had converted it to build their time machine. The very notion of seeing it brought Misty a sense of joy; she was in the past! She was a little confused on why she was in the treehouse instead of the convention center, but whatever! She could still get in contact with Dexter and explain everything!
Misty exited the storage room and stepped into the hall. She stood there for a moment, trying to recall the direction the sweater wearing hamster had taken. She was going to have to backtrack, but she ultimately decided to take a right. She had taken maybe four steps before a sudden and loud alarm blared through the entire treehouse. The sound caught Misty off guard, and she leaped back in surprise. She slammed her hands over her ears to protect her eardrums from the noise.
"URGH! WHY DOES THIS HAVE TO BE SO LOUD!" Misty yelled at the top of her lungs.
Almost as soon as she voiced her complaints, the noise suddenly cut out. Misty removed her hands and sighed in relief.
"Oh thank-"
"Hold it right there, teenager!" a female's voice demanded from behind Misty.
Misty spun around, met with two operatives wearing the same outfit of a green jumpsuit and armor plating with KND painted across it. The two, a boy with green hair and a girl in braids, were pointing hand-held weapons at her.
"Oh, hey-"
"Hands up, teenager!" the boy shouted, interrupting Misty.
"Excuse me? I'm Mi-"
"I said, hands UP!" the boy shouted, raising his weapon higher.
"Would you let me just-"
Misty cut herself off when she saw the two operatives press down on the trigger of their KND issued weapons. Given the tight space, there was nowhere for Misty to hide. She instead dropped to the ground, avoiding the blasts from connecting with her. From her place on the ground, Misty glared at the two operatives.
"What the Tartarus!"
"You are trespassing in a K.N.D. treehouse!" the girl shouted at Misty.
"It wasn't my fault! I was literally brought here," Misty complained.
"Yeah, and we'll help you out," the girl said, aiming her weapon at Misty again.
Misty tensed and scrambled to get on her feet. They say that when faced with a terrifying or life dangerous situation, it activates a fight or flight mode. Shooting at her enemies was an immediate response honed in by her time spent fighting Fusion Monsters, but it was not an option here. She didn't think these operatives would look too kindly on her if she shot at them, and she really wasn't interested in harming anyone. So with the fight option not being possible, that left her with flight. She was going to have to make a mad dash for the exit and hopefully get into contact with someone who would stop these two from treating her like she was target practice. Just as she had made it to her feet, a pink blur rushed in and situated itself between the two parties. Misty blinked and then grinned opened mouth as she saw Blossom floating in between the two, using her body to shield the teenager from the operatives' attack.
"Blossom!" Misty called in elation.
"Blossom?" the two operatives asked in surprise.
"Stand down. She's not your enemy," Blossom warned sternly.
"But she's an intruder!" the girl operative argued, pointing a gloved finger at Misty. "She could be working for Father to steal KND technology while Sector V is away. It isn't safe to let a teenager like her run around unsupervised."
Blossom shook her head.
"She's not working for Father. Take a good look at her," Blossom said, floating aside so the two operatives could look at her. She was still close enough to protect Misty if the two operatives decided to attack again.
The two operatives cautiously lowered their weapons to look at the teenager. Misty, now having a Powerpuff to back her up, raised to her feet so she could look at the kids. It took a moment, but the eyes of the operatives widened to a considerable degree.
"Wait...that's...that's..."
Blossom nodded, as if reading their minds and knowing the answer they came to.
"This is Misty Cull, the girl who travelled through time," Blossom answered for them.
The jaws of both operatives' dropped as the answer was voiced. Feeling confident now that her life wasn't in immediate danger, Misty crossed her arms and smirked. She was also incredibly pleased to be addressed by her name first before her moniker. It took a while to get the people of the future to stop referring to her simply as 'the girl who travelled through time.'
"That's right. I'm not an intruder," Misty said. "I just accidentally wound up in that room."
"It's her. It's really her!" the girl operative loudly whispered to her comrade.
"She's finally here," the boy operative whispered back at the same volume.
Misty raised a confused eyebrow. The two had quickly switched from treating her as an enemy to being starstruck. She knew travelling through time was a big deal, but she didn't think her name would be that known already. Had the news already reported what happened? Had these two caught a livestream or something?
"Uhhhhmmm, okay? I mean I know I'm like two minutes late, but that was Mandark's fault. He wanted-"
"Two minutes?" Blossom interrupted in confusion.
"Yeah. I mean, you were there, so you know Dexter was just sending me five minutes into the future - which by the way, thanks for flying so far for the save," Misty explained. "Anyways, Mandark sent me back two minutes later, so it's really like seven minutes. It's just boys being petty."
Blossom's brows furrowed together, and the two Kids Next Door operatives were looking at each other quizzically. Nothing they did filled Misty with confidence.
"It's...just been seven minutes since the experiment..." Misty said again.
Blossom closed her eyes, breathed in deeply, and released it through her mouth. The alarm bells immediately sounded in Misty's brain. Whatever Blossom was about to say, it was going to suck.
"Misty...the experiment was two months ago," Blossom revealed gently. She opened her eyes so her pink could stare into Misty's gray. "You've been gone for two months."
Misty looked at the Powerpuff for a moment, blinking at her as her mind tried to comprehend the answer. Once the train made it to the station, she threw her hands up into the air and released a frustrated cry.
"CAN NONE OF YOU SCIENTISTS DO TIME TRAVEL RIGHT?!"
This chapter wasn't going to exist and had been part of what was original chapter four, but the chapter became too long so I cut it in half. It's for the best since it gives a little breathing room for everything.
If it hasn't become obvious, this series, and Misty especially, have more anime influence than my previous FF story. It's a bit hard to convey in written format, but I hope you're feeling the energy. It makes Misty a lot of fun to write for.
I wanted a brief moment where Misty questions the morality of erasing a timeline, and it also shows the sacrifice the survivors are willing to make. Plus, it's a nice moment for Mandark as well. I didn't want to make her and Mandark's relationship completely antagonistic. Apparently the game shipped the player characters with Mandark, so I guess it means they have to come to an understanding somehow. Anyway, their brief talk before she goes into the time machine was partially inspired by the Star Trek '09 movie. It's the scene where Kirk and OS!Spock are talking before the latter teleports Kirk and Scotty to the Enterprise. Anyone who has seen the movie knows the scene and doesn't need it explained.
Misty going back technically four months instead of the full six is because A) the game heavily implies the fight has been going on for a bit before the player returns and B) I'm not writing another 'from the ground up' story. Two months feels just enough time where everyone's been integrated in the war, but not enough that the place is completely overrun. Plus, with the messages sent back as a warning, the heroes have had more time to plan and combat the initial onslaught.
Originally, Numbuh Two was going to find her. I opted to instead have two operatives from the game (Numbuhs 106 and 312) find her since they're stationed in the Sector V area. Blossom coming to Misty's rescue made the most sense instead of Numbuh Two. He was going to come in with "there was a temporal fluctuation" and then I thought "why would he know that? how would he know that?" and switched it to Blossom who would have heard the yelling and then used her super speed to rescue Misty. Also Misty's reaction to being dropped two months instead of minutes was just plain funny for me.
Misty retrieving Larry's head is from "Bring Me the Head of Larry 3000." And obviously, Misty going back to the past is from the mission "Time to Go."