Chapter 4: The Bonding of Friendship

It's been a few days since Xana was saved from the Forbidden Cavern. The Shane Gang, Storm Hawks and Battle Force 10 had recently formed a new team, the Heroix Crusaders, suggested by Eli. Today, within the hideout, the Shane Gang was preparing their Mecha Beasts. They were going to head out to a place where the Storm Hawks and Battle Force 10 were currently staying for the duration of their visit in Slugterra. Xana was also coming along, strapped in a baby carrier on her mommy's back. As the Mecha Beasts were out of the garage, Eli, with his band aid removed from his left eye and revealing a scar, looked at his team. "You guys all ready to go?" He asked. The team nodded in agreement. "Then let's ride." Eli said. He revved up Lucky and rode out.

(Intro)

The Shane Gang rode their Mecha Beasts as they were heading towards Bullseye Cavern to visit the Storm Hawks, where they hid their base outside the cavern. "I wonder what the Storm Hawks' hideout looks like." Trixie said. "We'll see it when we get there, Trix." Eli said. "We barely know anything about the Storm Hawks, and Battle Force 10. I only hope we can get along." Yu Jie said. "Don't worry, Yu Jie. We'll definitely get along. As long as Pronto doesn't make up anything annoying." Harley said. "Hey! I will have you know that Pronto will do very well to behave." Pronto said. "Oh, you will. I know very well that you molenoids never shut up." Harley muttered.

Later, the Shane Gang was almost to Bullseye Cavern. "We should be at Bullseye Cavern in no time now." Eli said. Suddenly, he heard the sound of engines…in the air. Looking up, Eli saw the Storm Hawks flying overhead on their skimmers. The Shane Gang saw them too and became surprised by that. "Wow! I've never seen rides that could fly before." Kord said in amazement. In the air, Aerrow was leading the Storm Hawks as they decided to take flight for a moment to have some fun. Just then, from his co-pilot seat, Radarr looked down to see the Shane Gang on the ground riding their Mecha Beasts. "Hey, Aerrow! Look down!" He called out. Aerrow looked down and saw the Shane Gang. "Alright, Storm Hawks! Bring them around!" He called. He turned his skimmer around, with the Storm Hawks following behind, and landed back on the ground. The Shane Gang stopped their Mecha Beasts as Eli hopped off Lucky to walk up to Aerrow as he got off his skimmer. "Hey, Aerrow." Eli greeted as he shook hands with Aerrow. "What were you guys doing flying in the air?" He asked. "We were just flying around on our skimmers to get a better view of our new surroundings here in Slugterra." Aerrow said. Kord walked up, admiring the Storm Hawks' skimmers. "These are some amazing rides. As an engineer, might I ask what they're called and what they can do?" He asked. "Sure. These beauties are called skimmers. They're the primary aerial fighter crafts we Sky Knights use where we're from." Junko explained. "Each Sky Knight Squadron have their own variation of skimmers, equipped with their own unique weapon systems." Riggorix explained. "Wow. So awesome." Kord said in awe as he inspected their skimmers. "I wonder if I can upgrade our Mecha Beasts in a similar mode as these skimmers." "But Kord, our rides already have Glider Mode, so no need to upgrade them." Harley said. Kord sheepishly shrugged.

"Well, now that we're all here, we're here to visit you and your team. Do you know where your base is?" Eli asked. "No problem. We can lead you to the Condor." Aerrow said. "You guys have a pet condor?" Tad asked in surprise, mistaking the Storm Hawks' base for an actual condor, remembering a picture he saw back on the Surface. "Actually, the Condor is the name of our airship." Stork corrected. That stunned Eli, Harley, Eliza and the Garcias. Will, on the other hand, already knew about the Condor as he had been on it before with a certain teammate he had in the past. However, Xana and the rest of the Shane Gang were curious at what they were talking about. "Stork, most of them don't even know what an airship is since they don't see many air vehicles around Slugterra." Vuto said. "Oh, right…" Stork said, sheepishly. "Well then, you guys should follow us so we can show you our airship." Aerrow said.

Later, the Storm Hawks led the Shane Gang to their home. Once they got there, the Shane Gang was in awe to see the airship, known as the Condor, for the first time. "Well, this is it. Welcome to the Condor." Aerrow said. Kord was so wide-eyed, he almost felt his brain explode. "I've never seen such a beautiful vehicle before in all my entire life!" He said happily. As they entered the Condor, Aerrow gave his new teammates and friends a private tour of the entire airship. "And like our skimmers and weapons, our beloved Condor runs on crystal power." Aerrow explained as they entered the bridge. Will looked around and saw that the bridge hadn't changed a bit, neither had the Condor when he first entered it with his old team. He started feeling nostalgia on being here again. Just then, Fenix, Sid, Cottontail, Rosa, Russelia, Nix, Gundy and Fandy ran up. The Shane Gang became startled, thinking they were gonna attack. But, to their surprise, Aerrow petted each of them as they came up to him. "Uh, what's going on?" Trixie asked. "Sorry, guys. These creatures are the team pets. This is Fenix, Sid, Cottontail, Rosa, Russelia, Nix, Gundy and Fandy." Aerrow said, introducing each of the pets. "Wow, so these guys are your pets?" Aerona asked in surprise. "Yes, they are. And they're very well-trained. Especially when they're guarding our ship." Aerrow explained.

But then, as the Shane Gang was getting acquainted with the Storm Hawks' pets, Pronto's attention to a control console filled with many switches and buttons. Being his ever-so self, he raised his finger and prepared to push a button. Aria noticed what he was doing. "Don't touch those!" She exclaimed. But Pronto pressed the button and triggered an alarm, startling everyone. Just then, a missile launched from the Condor's hull. Luckily the missile hit an unpopulated section of the cavern, causing a medium explosion. The Shane Gang and Storm Hawks sighed in relief that not much damage was caused. "Well, that was certainly something. Pronto wonders what these other buttons can do." Pronto said. But before he could push another button, Riggorix grabbed him and slammed him against the wall, holding him up as he growled. "You touch another one of those buttons again, and I will tear you apart." He said, threateningly. Pronto gulped nervously as he was dropped to the floor.

Later, after the Tour de Condor, the Shane Gang and Storm Hawks stood outside the Condor with their respective rides. "That Condor is so cool." Eli said. "No kidding." Kord agreed. "Say, Aerrow, would you and the Storm Hawks like to come with us to High Plains Cavern where Battle Force 10 is currently staying?" Eli asked. "Lead the way, Eli." Aerrow said as he got on his skimmer. "Pets, you guys stay and watch over the place." Aria said. As the pets nodded in understanding, both teams drove off and headed their way to High Plains Cavern. "Uh, you guys think we should've shown the Shane Gang that we could talk?" Cottontail asked. "Nah. I think after that missile issue, they've had enough Storm Hawk excitement for one day." Russelia said.

On the way to High Plains Cavern, Finn drove up next to Trixie. "Hey, Trixie, could you tell us about High Plains Cavern?" Finn asked. "Sure, Finn. Well, to start, High Plains is my home cavern. My sister, Brodie, is the town leader. It's completely filled with Phosphoro slugs, lighting up the whole cavern after dark. We care for many things in my cavern. Slugs, crops, lots of things." Trixie explained. Junko drove up next to Kord. "So, um, we, minus Vuto, are new to Slugterra, so we have no idea what other caverns are out there. So, think we can get a tour around?" Junko asked. "Sure, you can. But there's a lot of caverns here in Slugterra. That's why this place is called the 99 Caverns." Kord said. "Whoa…that's a lot of caverns. But not like our home as there are, like, thousands of mountaintops." Radarr said. "Speaking of which, can you tell us about your home, Atmos? What's it like living on the Surface?" Joshwa asked. Before any of the Storm Hawks could explain, suddenly, they started hearing engine sounds, coming right towards them and the Shane Gang. Suddenly, the Saber burst out of a nearby undergrowth.

"WHOA! SCATTER!" Eli yelled. Everyone quickly scattered as the Saber drove past them. Vert, who was driving the Saber, let out a joyful yell. "Woohoo! This is how you drive in Slugterra! Yeah!" He cheered. Following the Saber were Jetray, Tangler, Buster, Reverb, Chopper, Pom-Pom Pouncer, Steaming Wok, Dune Cat, Defender, Spine Crawler, Zendrill, Speed Runner, Dawn Spirit and Oathkeeper as all members of Battle Force 10 let out cheers of fun. They all drove by the Shane Gang and the Storm Hawks, who were all left stunned from their sudden drive-by. "Wow. Their rides are pretty faster than ours." Kord said in awe. That gave Eli an idea. "Let's go after them like we're in a Slug Run." He said, putting on his helmet and switching Lucky to Motorcycle Mode. "Ooh, I like the sound of that, E." Harley said with a playful smirk as he put on his own helmet and switched Delta to 3-Ryker Mode. The rest of the Shane Gang put on their own helmets and switched their Mecha Beasts to Vehicle Mode. The Storm Hawks were surprised by this. "That mode looks so cool." Aerrow said. "Thanks. Let's ride, everyone!" Eli said as he drove ahead with the Shane Gang following after him. The Storm Hawks followed too as they raced after Battle Force 10.

Meanwhile, Battle Force 10 was enjoying themselves as they drove through the cavern, driving past the obstacles. A few wild slugs were minding their own business before the vehicles drove by them in great speed, causing them to spin around and stop before collapsing out of dizziness. As they drove through the cavern, Jetray drove up next to Saber. "Vert, you think it's a good idea driving through Slugterra?" Olivia asked through the com-link. "It's fine as long as no one's around for our little joyride." Vert assured. "Hey, Wheelers!" Eli's voice called from the Saber's left side. The Wheelers looked over to see Eli driving beside them, waving at them. The Wheelers were surprised to see him. Just then, the rest of the Shane Gang and the Storm Hawks caught up to join the party. "Pull over or you'll hit and run some wild slugs!" Will called. Hearing that, Battle Force 10 immediately stopped their vehicles. The Shane Gang and the Storm Hawks stopped their rides too. Battle Force 10 then got out of their vehicles as the Shane Gang and Storm Hawks dismounted their Mecha Beasts and skimmers. "Hey, guys. What's up?" Vert greeted. "Hey back, V. You and your team nearly hit and ran over us when we were heading to your place." Harley said. "Oh, sorry. We didn't see you." Vert apologized. "Hehe, yeah. We were just having a joyride. Though, Vert was the one who suggested it." Olivia said, glaring at her brother, who smiled sheepishly. "Joyriding is fun, but it's not a good idea to be driving around Slugterra in those vehicles since they're from the Surface. Especially with the Storm Hawks' skimmers." Will said. "Uh, for your information, these vehicles aren't exactly Surface related, so we have our right to joyride in them whenever we want." Horace said. "Zip it, Horace. Will's right." Vert said. Horace was stunned to hear that. "We should be getting our vehicles back to base anyway. If you guys are wanting to see our base." Vert said. "Lead the way, V." Eli said.

Later, Battle Force 10 was driving back to their base with the Shane Gang and the Storm Hawks following. "Wait until you guys see our new base. Sage, TRINA and Destina have been working hard on it since a few days ago." Olivia said. "There it is. Just up ahead." Vert said. The Shane Gang and the Storm Hawks looked ahead, but were disappointed to see a giant pillar reaching up to where the sinkhole was supposed to be. "That's your base?" Trixie asked in disappointment. "Yeah, that's just a pillar." Finn said. "It is now. But watch." Olivia said. "Sage, TRINA, Destina, we're coming in. Deactivate the camouflage." Vert said through the com-link. "Understood, Vert." Sage said through the com-link. Just then, the pillar suddenly changed into a massive building made from Sentient technology. The Shane Gang and Storm Hawks stared in awe at the base. As the 3 teams stopped their vehicles as Sage, TRINA and Destina exited the base and walked up to them. "Shane Gang, Storm Hawks, it is a pleasure to see you all again." Sage said. "Hey, girls." Eli greeted. "I hope you like our new base. We call it…the Hub 2.0." Vert said. "It's impressive. But how did you make it so fast in just a few days?" Stork asked. "Sentient-based nanotech. We also built it to cover the sinkhole up top so no one may discover it. And to prevent suspicion, we also installed a camouflage device to blend the base in with the cavern's surroundings." Sage explained. "Well, that explains the giant pillar. It's an awesome touch." Finn said. "Thank you so much, Finn." Sage said. "Well, I think it's time we give our new friends a tour of our new base." Destina said. "Thanks. We'd love a tour." Eli said. "Very good. Please follow us." Sage said as she, TRINA, Destina and Battle Force 10 walked inside the Hub 2.0 with the Shane Gang and the Storm Hawks following them.

Inside the Hub 2.0, Battle Force 10 gave the Shane Gang and the Storm Hawks a complete tour around the entire base. They were shown the Deployment Station, a garage for vehicle repairs, an indoor target range for slug slinging practice, a big dining room, complete with a machine that can make any food the team can think of, a gaming room, etc. "Alien tech is absolutely fascinating." Kord said in awe. "No kidding." Riggorix agreed.

Later, after the tour, the Heroix Crusaders exited the Hub 2.0 and relaxed on the grass. "Thanks again for the tour of your base, Vert." Eli said. "You're welcome, Eli. And you guys are more than free to come over to pay us a visit if you want to." Vert said. "You know, we should all get to know each other, like, a lot. I mean, we barely even gotten to know each other in just a few days since we saved Xana from the Doom Slingers and formed this big team of Heroix Crusaders." That gave Eli a thought and came up with an idea. "I know. We should all go out for a picnic and hang out. That way, we'll all get to know each other." He said. "I like the sound of that." Olivia said. "Oh, I love going on a picnic where there's food! And I especially like Rayona's cooking." Junko said. "Aww, that's so sweet of you, Junko." Rayona replied with a happy tone. "It sounds…nice." Stanford said, feeling a little hesitant. "What's wrong, Stanford?" Joshwa asked. Stanford stuttered and couldn't say anything. "I apologize for my boyfriend's behavior. It's his first interaction around new people." Agura said. This caught the Shane Gang and the Storm Hawks' attention, making them curious. "Could this be that Stanford has this lack of social interaction due to isolation?" Junjie asked. That caught Stanford off guard and almost went into a panic attack, which would've caused his unstable psychic powers to react. "Stanford's opening up, but he needs to do it slowly, not too fast." Zoom said, getting Stanford to immediately calm down. "Uh, yes. So, uhm…Eli, where do you wanna picnic? Which cavern?" Vert asked his best friend. Eli thought of this. "We'll be picnicking at Sandstone Cavern, Joshwa's home." He said. "What is Sandstone Cavern?" Spinner asked. "The cavern is owned by the wealthiest family in Slugterra, the Jones, Joshwa's family." Harley explained. "That cavern's pretty expensive." Will said. "Not to worry. I can tell my family about our new friends and allies, and they'll hook us up for free. And plus, my home cavern has a picnic area." Joshwa said. "That sounds awesome!" Ivan said.

"Then it's settled. Tomorrow, we'll be having our picnic at Sandstone Cavern around lunchtime. We'll be picking you guys up." Eli said. "Wait a minute. Why do you guys have to pick us up? We have our own rides." Aerrow said. "Yes, but your rides are from the Surface, and everyone in Slugterra will get suspicious as they've never seen those before." Will said. "Will's right. We can't attract attention to our rides." Vert said. "Guess we don't have a choice then." Aria sighed. "Alright then. You guys can pick us up tomorrow for lunch." "Great. See you guys tomorrow by lunch." Eli said. And so, all 3 teams headed back to their respective hideouts to get ready for tomorrow's lunch.

The next day, at the Shane Hideout, the entire Shane Gang had gotten everything ready for their picnic lunch at Sandstone Cavern. Eliza and the Garcia Quadruplets made their lunch and loaded it in a small trailer attached to Watts' Mecha Beast, Lazu. Bella was also coming along while the other pets were staying at the hideout to keep an eye out for any intruders or trespassers. "Alright. Is everybody ready?" Eli asked. "Ready." Everyone said. "Great. Now we just need to pick up our friends. So, let's split into 2 groups. Harley, Bella, Trixie, Kord, Pronto, Vance, Mario, Lash, Shimei, Watts, Dana and Garcia sisters, you guys come with me to pick up the Storm Hawks. Dad, you take Mom, Xana, Cilan, Tad, Rune, Barry, Joshwa, Deagan, Junjie, Yu Jie and the Fuurin brothers to pick up Battle Force 10." Eli said. With that settled, the 2 groups split up to pick up their friends.

Eli's group had arrived in Bullseye Cavern's outskirt as they drove their way towards the Condor. Right there, Aerrow and the Storm Hawks were waiting for them. "Hey, Storm Hawks." Eli greeted. "Hey back, Shane Gang." Aerrow greeted back. "You guys all ready to go to Sandstone Cavern for our picnic?" Eli asked. "We're all set. We even have our own lunches made by Lavender, Skyla and Aria." Aerrow said. The lunches were all packed in a big basket, which was carried by Junko and Riggorix. "Great. Well then, hop on. You can also put your lunch in our trailer." Eli said. Junko and Riggorix placed their basket in the trailer with the Shane Gang's lunch before the Storm Hawks hopped onto the Shane Gang's Mecha Beasts. Aerrow and Radarr rode with Eli. Aria and Mimi rode with Harley. Piper and Starling rode with Trixie. Finn and Twilight rode with Vance. Junko and Judy rode with Kord. Stork and Lavender rode with Mario. Riggorix and Francine rode with Watts. Skyler rode with Aerona. Skyla rode with Fareeda. Sky rode with Kala. Amy Lu rode with Lash. Vuto rode with Shimei. And Odessa rode with Paulina. Sid decided to tag along by riding on Bella. She didn't mind having a traveling companion riding her. "Hold on tight. This is gonna be a fun ride." Eli said. "We've had fun too with our skimmers." Aerrow said. Eli smiled with a shrug before taking off with the rest of the team following, heading their way to Sandstone Cavern.

Meanwhile, Will's group had just arrived at the High Plains Cavern's outskirt. They were outside the Hub 2.0 as they waited for Battle Force 10. And right on time, the team exited out of the hidden entrance, dressed in their civilian outfits and Zug carrying their lunch, made by Rayona, in a container. "Hi, Mr. Shane." Vert greeted. "Hi back, Vert. Your Surface outfits look great." Will greeted back. "Thank you, Mr. Shane." Olivia said. "But where are Sage, TRINA and Destina?" Eliza asked. "They said they couldn't come due to their appearances as aliens." Sherman said. "But Iguanarox, Zug, Cellica and Houndoom were okay to come." Spinner said. "I'll act like I'm a new kind of species in Slugterra." Iguanarox said. "Zug act like new robot model in Slugterra's robotics." Zug said. "I'll act like a normal elf like the ones you have here." Cellica said. "And my Houndoom will act like a new dog species among your Slug Hounds." Iguanarox said, patting Houndoom's head. "Hound." Houndoom barked in agreement. "Huh. Good cover up." Will said with impression. As Zug put the container on Cilan's Mecha Beast, Battle Force 10 hopped on each of the Mecha Beasts. Vert rode with Will. Olivia rode with Eliza and Xana. Agura rode with Rune. Sherman rode with Cilan. Spinner and Iguanarox rode with Barry. Stanford rode with Tad. Zoom and Grace rode with Junjie. Talia and Cellica rode with Deagan. Rayona and Horace rode with Joshwa. Ivan rode with Daichi. Zug rode with Naoki. Zen rode with Yu Jie. And Houndoom rode with Satoshi. "Everyone ready to go?" Will asked. "Ready!" Battle Force 10 said. "Then away we go." Will said as they headed off to Sandstone Cavern to meet up with their friends.

Later, Eli's group were the first to arrive at Sandstone Cavern. The Storm Hawks were amazed at the cavern's luxury and never seen all kinds before in the Atmos. "Whoa, this place is really cool." Finn said as he watched people walking by and enjoying themselves in their luxury lives. "Is this where your friend Joshwa really lives?" Riggorix asked. "Yes. Joshwa is a member of the Jones family, the youngest son and brother of the Jones Sextuplets." Harley said. Just then, Will's group arrived in Sandstone Cavern with Battle Force 10. After everyone got off the Mecha Beasts, and Zug grabbed the container, Vert and Olivia walked over to Eli and Harley. "Hey, Shanes." Vert greeted. "Hey, Wheelers. You guys are just in time for the picnic." Eli said. Just then, he got cut off by Junko. "Great! I'm starving right now!" Junko said. "Pronto too has the desires for food!" Pronto said. Most of the Shane Gang and the Storm Hawks became annoyed by how similar those 2 were when it comes to food.

Later, Joshwa led the team to the picnic area and settled their stuff on the 3 reserved tables. While everyone was setting up, Xana was off her baby carrier so Eliza could help her family and friends. Bella, Sid and Houndoom were watching over her as they played with her. Together, they played chase with Xana chasing them. But then, Xana tripped on her own tiny feet and was about to hit the ground. But then, someone caught her before she could hit the ground. Xana looked up and saw that it was Iguanarox who caught her with his long tail. He helped her stand on her feet. "Are you alright, little one?" Iguanarox asked. Xana replied with an adorable coo, saying she was okay. Iguanarox smiled at her before heading back to help the others. Xana went back to playing with Bella, Sid and Houndoom.

Once the tables were set, everyone took their seats and started having a good lunch. As everyone was having lunch, everyone started chatting with each other as they started getting to know each other, forming bonds with each other. Pronto and Junko started eating like animals, disturbing several of their teammates. Eli, Harley, Vert and Olivia chuckled nervously from their table. "Man, E, you guys sure have changed ever since we all moved away 10 years ago." Vert said. "Yeah. We're pretty lucky to have all these guys as part of our team." Eli said. "So, how's life been for you guys after we all split up 10 years ago?" Harley asked. "Well, we've made quite a life for ourselves. We started taking part in the street racing circuits for some time before we settled down in Handler's Corners." Vert explained. "And how're your parents? What're they doing nowadays?" Eli asked. Vert and Olivia suddenly went sad at the mention of their parents. "What? What's wrong?" Harley asked. "You see, Dad disappeared a couple years after we moved away. And…we don't know where." Vert said. "A few years later, the same thing happened with Mom. Since then, it's just been me and Vert." Olivia said. Eli and Harley looked at each other at what they heard. "We're sorry to hear that, guys." Harley said. "Yeah. We know how that feels. We lost our dad when we were kids, which prompted us to travel down here to take over his position as the Shane protectors." Eli explained. "But we eventually reunited with him after we defeated our archenemy. At least until we discovered he was being controlled by the 2 ghouls who used to control Junjie and Yu Jie." Harley said. "Thanks for breaking it to them gently." Eli said, flicking a pea at his brother's forhead. "My point is…your parents are still out there somewhere. Just have faith that they'll be back and you'll be reunited." Harley said. Vert and Olivia smiled at that. "And next time, E, let me finish talking before flicking your food at me." Harley said before he, Eli and the Wheelers started laughing.

Trixie was showing Piper the videos she recorded through all of her adventures with Eli, Harley and the gang. "You recorded all these?" Piper asked. "Yep. I also post them online so I can help show our world that they can never live in fear." Trixie explained. "That's so thoughtful." Piper said. "Uh huh. And I heard from Aria that you're quite the expert on crystals." Trixie said. "That I am. I taught myself everything that I know about crystals. Conducted different experiments, examined different textures, even tested and retested their powers." Piper explained. "Guess a girl's gotta have her own hobbies." Trixie said. "Yeah." Piper said. Both girls giggled. "Say…I like that ring, by the way." Piper said, noticing Trixie's promise ring. "Thanks. It's a promise ring. Eli gave it to me in Jungle Cavern after we met our little Enigmo slug, Mo, so we can get married someday." Trixie said. "That is so sweet. I hope the same thing between me and Aerrow someday too." Piper said. "I guess we both have big dreams with our boyfriends." Trixie said. "Yes, we do." Piper said. "Even though Eli never knows what he's doing most of the time. He's stubborn that way." Trixie said. "Oh, Aerrow too. And that's one of his good qualities." Piper said. Both girls laughed at that.

Tad, Riggorix and Francine talked about how sad they were after they lost their families. "Yeah. It's quite a sad thing. Losing a loving parent to death, having a terrible parent to hate for causing you such pain." Tad explained. "Yeah, I know. How else did you think I ended up with this?" Riggorix said, gesturing to his eyepatch. "I could never hate anyone. Especially since I lost my parents to a great beast." Francine said. "But even so, I'm glad to be part of the Garcia family. They took me in after my mom died, keeping a promise they made." Tad said. "And I'm happy to have Riggorix and the Storm Hawks as my family now too." Francine said. "Me too, Fran. Me too." Riggorix said. "Hmm. Kinda ironic though." Tad said. "How so?" Riggorix asked. "You're basically a cat who now has a sister who's a fish." Tad said. Riggorix and Francine looked at each other before realizing the idea. "Oh, I get it." Riggorix chuckled. "Yeah, very ironic." Francine giggled. Tad laughed along with them. "But…if you do anything that hurts my sister, I will swallow you whole." Riggorix said. Tad and Francine were almost stunned by that. "You sure know how to kill a vibe." Tad said, making Francine laugh. "I do my best." Riggorix chuckled.

Stork and Stanford just stared at each other as they slowly ate. "You're staring. It's making me uncomfortable." Stanford said. "Well, I can understand that. You're staring is making me uncomfortable." Stork said. "You don't interact much with anyone other than your teammates, do you?" Stanford asked. "Yeah, same as you. Except some people think of me as paranoid while you had that…lack of social interaction." Stork said. "So, in any case, we're not that different." Stanford said. "One might put it that way." Stork said. After a while of staring, they started laughing. "I'm really having a blast at this picnic." Stanford said. "Yeah, me too." Stork said.

Talia and Rayona watched as Finn, Twilight and Vuto ate, occasionally feeding each other like most couples do. "So, are you 3 like in a three-way relationship?" Talia asked. "That's one way to put it." Twilight said. "You see, I'm bisexual." Finn said. "And I'm pansexual." Vuto said. Talia and Rayona were surprised to hear that. "You see, after I first arrived in the Atmos, when I met Finn and Twilight with their team, I felt myself being attracted to them." Vuto explained. "I didn't know at first what it was I was feeling at the time myself. But then, I figured it out after realizing that I was bisexual." Finn said. "I didn't mind that, of course. And because of that, I got myself 2 very handsome boyfriends." Twilight purred seductively. "I think I'm gonna hawk up my lunch." Rayona said, feeling her stomach turning at the three-way couple.

Junjie and Yu Jie sat with Zoom and Zen as they ate. "Young Zoom, if you mind if we might say so, we are very impressed with your incredible archery skills." Junjie said. "Thank you. It's really quite the special talent of mine, next to my Muay Thai fighting and riding my Chopper." Zoom said. "If I might ask, who taught you your archery skills?" Yu Jie asked. "Nobody. I taught myself." Zoom said. Junjie and Yu Jie were stunned to hear that. "It's true. Ever since he was 7-years-old, he devoted his spare time from Muay Thai training to study the art of archery. He even knew how to make his own bow and arrows." Zen explained. "And with every year, as I got older, I mastered my archery skills and became one of the best. Even earned myself a trophy in a young archery competition." Zoom explained. Junjie and Yu Jie were amazed by this as Zoom reminded them of their ancient ancestor.

As Joshwa and Ivan ate at their table, Ivan kept staring at Joshwa's robotic arm. "Um, Joshwa? How exactly did you get that robotic arm?" He asked. "Well, it's quite a complicated story. You see, back when I used to work for Dr. Blakk, when he grew tired of my many failures, he hired that assassin, Dred, to kill me. He used a Thrasher ghoul and sliced off my arm." Joshwa explained. Ivan was shocked by that. "I would've been left to die, if Kala hadn't rescued me, brought me to the hospital and requested a robotic arm be made for me. I'm grateful for everything she's done. She saved my life, and discovered my true family heritage to the Jones family." Joshwa explained. Ivan was in awe at this tale.

The Garcia sisters ate with the Cortez brothers and Horace. "I still can't believe we're actually eating with members of the Garcia family." Spinner said in disbelief. "Oh, we take it you are familiar with our family?" Aerona asked. "Yes, of course. We've eaten at one of your gourmet restaurants. Some of the greatest food we've ever tasted." Sherman said. "Yes. We left good tip after we got check." Horace said. "You know, if you guys want, we can offer you guys a discount on meals whenever you visit one of our restaurants." Paulina offered. "You'd really do that?" Spinner asked in surprise. "Sure. What're friends for?" Fareeda said.

Meanwhile, from above the trees, a bit further from the Heroix Crusaders, a mysterious figure was standing on a branch, spying on them. He appeared as a young man with light purple skin, violet eyes and dark green messy hair. His outfit was steampunk based off, colored black, copper and grey. "These wimps are somewhat daring enough to fight against the Omentaurs at the Forbidden Cavern, rescuing that mere little girl. But then again…they made it out alive." He said, gaining an interest in the Heroix Crusaders. "Time to have a little 'fun'." He took out a dark card, which had a skull mask, from his pocket. "Time to put this card to the test." He said.

Meanwhile, back with the Heroix Crusaders, they had a good time as they continued to chat with each other. Junjie and Yu Jie continued talking to Zoom after Zen walked off. But as they talked, Zoom felt something was off as he sensed a hostile aura nearby. "Zoom, what's wrong?" Junjie asked, noticing behavior change. Suddenly, without warning, Zoom grabbed his bow, locked his arrow and fired it. The arrow flew fast and struck into a tree…nearly hitting the mysterious figure's head. He was surprised at how Zoom knew exactly where he was. The rest of the Heroix Crusaders were surprised to see him. "How did you know he was there?" Yu Jie asked. "I sensed him via aura. He's an enemy. He was spying on us." Zoom said. Eli drew his blaster and aimed at the unknown enemy. "Who are you?! Do you work for Heltora?!" He demanded. "Hmph! To answer your questions…first, I am Mazel. And yes, I work with Heltora…my sister." The mysterious figure, named Mazel, said. The Heroix Crusaders were shocked to hear that Mazel was Heltora's brother. "Funny. I never knew Heltora had a brother." Pronto said. "She does now since she asked me to join in the fun." Mazel said as he held up his dark card, which catches Vert's attention. "What is that?" Vert asked in suspicion. "You're about to find out." Mazel said. He eyes Xana's Infurnus plushy and throws the dark card at it. As the card hit the plushy, it consumed it with darkness as the Infurnus plushy suddenly started growing larger. The Heroix Crusaders looked on in shock as Xana's favorite toy transformed into a huge monstrous version of itself, coming to life and into an Omentaur, letting out a terrifying roar!

Xana started to cry upon seeing her favorite toy turn into an Omentaur, letting out its horrifying roar. Everyone in Sandstone Cavern looked over when they heard its roar and saw it. They screamed in terror as they ran for their lives. The Omen Infurnus Plushy breathed out dark fire from its mouth towards the Heroix Crusaders! "Watch out!" Olivia shouted as she and everyone moved out of the way, dodging the attack. "Horace, get Xana somewhere safe!" Vert ordered. Horace nodded before he went and grabbed the crying Xana, running off with Bella, Sid and Houndoom following. The Shane Gang brought out and loaded their blasters. Aerrow took off his scarf and unveiled the Atomic Crystal. "Skylight Unite!" He called, transforming the Storm Hawks into the Skylight Guardians. Most of Battle Force 10 drew their blasters, ready to battle. The Omen Infurnus Plushy growled as it prepared to fight. It breathed a dark fireball, but Vert drew his sword and sliced it. "Not on my watch." He said. Spinner shouted as he ran towards the Omen Infurnus Plushy and threw a powerful punch, which knocked the Omen Infurnus Plushy back. But the Omen Infurnus Plushy snickered, like it didn't even feel it. "What the?! That punch could've broken a Zurk's spine!" Spinner exclaimed in shock. "Big bro, it's a stuffed toy. That punch just basically fluffed it like a pillow." Sherman said. "Oh." Spinner muttered, realizing that part. "Leave this to me." Odessa said, firing a barrage of aura spheres from her hands. But they bounced off the Omen Infurnus Plushy's soft cuddly outer body. "It's not even flinching!" Odessa exclaimed. "Let me at it!" Skyla exclaimed as she motioned her hands, summoning a storm of sharp leaves and sending them towards the Omen Infurnus Plushy. But the leaves couldn't even cut through its soft cuddly coating. "We can't even cut through it!" Skyla exclaimed. "And I don't wanna risk burning it!" Skyler exclaimed. Mazel just chuckled sinisterly as he watched the whole thing. The Omen Infurnus Plushy took a deep breath as it prepared to attack again. "LOOK OUT!" Eli screamed as the Omen Infurnus Plushy breathed its dark fire.

Meanwhile at the safe spot, Xana continued crying. "It's okay, Xana. Your brothers and our friends are doing their best." Horace said, trying to calm Xana down. "Cuddles! CUDDLES!" Xana cried, wanting her precious toy back. Horace mumbled in Ukrainian, not being able to handle a baby girl.

Meanwhile, back in the battle, Eli dodged one of the Omen Infurnus Plushy's dark fireballs. "How are we gonna stop this thing?! We hit it with everything we got!" He exclaimed. 'Eli! It's me, Wizard. I'm speaking to you through my telepathic powers. Now listen. I know how you can stop that corrupted plushy. You have to purify it to remove the darkness from it and revert the plushy back to normal.' Wizard's voice explained telepathically. "But how can I do that?" Eli asked. 'Use your Aether magic and create a magic circle.' Wizard said. With that said, Eli focused his mind, motioned his hands and summoned the magic circle with all 13 elemental symbols. "Guys, move out of the way! I'm about to fire!" He called. The Heroix Crusaders heard him and quickly moved out of the way. Eli shouted as he unleashed a powerful energy beam from the magic circle. The attack hit the Omen Infurnus Plushy as it became engulfed in purifying magic. The dark card within the plushy dissolved and returned the plushy to its normal form. As the magic subsided, the purified plushy floated towards Eli, allowing him to grab it with a smile, happy that he successfully purified it, despite it being his first try.

"Well, it looks like the show is over already. That's annoying." Mazel said, annoyed that the show was already over. "But still, I'm rather impressed to see that the Heroix Crusaders defeated my Omentaur." Before leaving, he glanced over at Eli returning Cuddles to Xana, who's very happy to have her precious toy back and hugged it very tightly. Mazel was disgusted by this sight and disappeared in a black fog.

With the danger over, the Skylight Guardians changed back to their Storm Hawk forms, Aerrow used the Atomic Crystal to restore after defeating the Omen Infurnus Plushy and the Heroix Crusaders continued their picnic. Xana happily played and hugged Cuddles. Her family watched her being so happy. "I love seeing Xana so happy again." Eli said. "She really loves her toy very much since it was a very special Christmas present from Santa Clause himself." Harley added. "I tried my best to calm her down, but I was unable to. She just kept crying. All she wanted was her toy back. And I'm kinda not good with babies." Horace said. "Well, you're gonna have to get use to it with having Xana around." Eliza said. Horace grew worried at that.

Just then, Burpy hopped onto Eli's shoulder and chittered something. "What is it, buddy?" Eli asked. Burpy responded with a familiar tone via his chirps and chitters. "Why I haven't heard that song for a very long time." Eli said, recognizing the tone. "Hey, Wheelers! Burpy wants me, Harley and you guys to sing the special song that we wrote a long time ago." He called. "Uh, what is this special song?" Spinner asked curiously. "It's a song that we wrote when we were kids, alongside our friends Maxwell McGrath and his cousins, the Ferrus Quintuplets." Olivia said. "Ooh! I wanna hear!" Junko said, wanting to hear the song. The rest of the Heroix Crusaders agreed, wishing to hear the song too. Vert chuckled. "Sure, you can hear the song. Lucky thing I brought my guitar with me." He said, bringing out a guitar. Battle Force 10 was surprised at this. "We didn't know you had a guitar the whole time, Vert." Spinner said. "Well, this guitar actually belonged to my father before he went MIA and he decided to pass it down to me." Vert said. He readied his guitar and plays out the tone as he started singing the song.

[Connected from Barbie and the Diamond Castle]

Vert: I'm blindfolded on this carriage ride that they call life

Olivia: Keep trying to make it through that next turn

Knuckles white and holdin' tight

Eli: So here I go, takin' the curve

Harley: But I know that I'm never alone

I think of you

Together: And how you never let me go

I feel…

Vert: Connected (Olivia: Connected)

Eli: Protected (Harley: Protected)

Together: It's like you're sitting right with me all the time

Olivia: You hear me (Vert: You hear me)

Harley: You're near me (Eli: You're near me)

Together: And everything else's gonna be alright

Cause nothing can break this

Nothing can break this

Nothing can break this tie

Connected

Connected inside

Olivia: It's not an accident the time we spend apart

Vert: But now we're so close I can always find you

Right here in my heart

Eli: You've given me something I need

And I don't ever want it to end

Harley: Because of you

Together: I know I've found my strength again

I feel…

Vert: Connected (Olivia: Connected)

Eli: Protected (Harley: Protected)

Together: It's like you're sitting right with me all the time

Olivia: You hear me (Vert: You hear me)

Harley: You're near me (Eli: You're near me)

Together: And everything else's gonna be alright

Cause nothing can break this

Nothing can break this

Nothing can break this tie

Connected

Vert: Connected inside

Together: Every time that I breathe

I can feel the energy

Reachin' out, flowing through

You to me and me to you

Wake or dream

Walk or stand

You are everywhere I am

Separate souls unified

Touchin' at the speed of life

Life

Woah, woah, woah

I feel…

Vert: Connected (Olivia: Connected)

Eli: Protected (Harley: Protected)

Together: It's like you're sitting with me all the time

Olivia: You hear me (Vert: You hear me)

Harley: You're near me (Eli: You're near me)

Together: And everything else's gonna be alright

Vert: Connected (Olivia: Connected)

Eli: Protected (Harley: Protected)

Together: Now you're in my mind, now I'm feeling fine

Olivia: You hear me (Vert: You hear me)

Harley: You're near me (Eli: You're near me)

Together: And everything else's gonna be alright

Cause nothing can break this

Nothing can break this

Nothing can break this tie

Vert: Connected

Olivia: Connected

Eli: Connected inside

Harley: Connected

Vert: Connected

Olivia: Connected inside

Eli: Connected

Harley: Connected

Vert: Connected…

Together: Inside

As the song ended, the Heroix Crusaders were amazed by their song. "That was the most beautiful song I've ever heard." Piper said. "That song was inspired by our friendship since our childhood." Olivia explained. "If only Max and his cousins were here to sing along with us." Harley said sadly. "We'll see them again soon…if we ever want to return to the Surface World." Eli assured, giving his brother a comforting hand on his shoulder. Harley smiled as he nodded. And so, the Heroix Crusaders continue their day with their picnic. But then, a figure in a white cloak watched them from the trees. It was the same figure who was watching the Shane Gang from their swim in the lagoon. "I know that one day, you will all save my universe. Along with little Xana." She said. And with that, she disappeared into thin air in a white mist.

WOW! Wasn't that amazing?! The Heroix Crusaders go on a picnic in Sandstone Cavern after the Storm Hawks and Battle Force 10 had already set up their temporary Slugterra headquarters. But then, Heltora's brother, Mazel, shows up and turned Xana's plushy, Cuddles, into a giant Omentaur! But Eli managed to use a new trick and purified Cuddles of Mazel's darkness. Afterwards, after returning to the Shane Hideout, Eli, Harley, Vert and Olivia sang a song they used to sing with Maxwell McGrath and the Ferrus Quintuplets as kids. But what else will Heltora have planned with Mazel? Will Max and his cousins ever reunite with their childhood friends within the Heroix Crusaders? Leave a review if you want.

Special thanks to FoxyKhai0209 for adding the Barbie song. I might be a male, but even I enjoy a good kid's song now and again to remember my childhood.