Searching Begins

"Is it wrong I was kind of looking forward to having a scar?"

After getting back to the Noceda house before the police arrived and started asking questions (Maddie had luckily brought along a memory erasing potion to force down Jacob's throat), the humans, witches and frogs caught their breath.

Olivier had asked the above question when, after washing his face, he'd lifted his shirt to see that indeed; his scars from Cloakbot and Belos were no longer there.

"Yes!" Anne, Oum, Camila and Willow all said.

"Not entirely." Hunter and Bee said together, at the same time, getting confused looks.

"Well, I mean… Hunter weakly explained. "…Scars can like trophies! As long as they're from…. actual…missions or…fights…"

And again, more hate for Belos filled the hearts of all.

"I kind of see them as signs you presavered." Bee admitted, then unrolling one of his sleeves and revealing a burn. "Got this when Anne was playing too close top boiling water at the resteraunt and a pot nearly fell. Hurt like heck, but my baby girl was safe, so all was alright on my end."

"…I don't remember that." Anne said. "Why do I not remember that?"

"Honey, you were three when it happened. And I've done the same." Oum assured her daughter before giving her husband a peck on the forehead.

"Don't girls like guys with scars?" Gus asked Anne and Amity.

"NO! NO THEY DO NOT!" The two said together. "Especially when you love them and could've prevented said scars but were to slow or not around!"

They then realized they had said the same thing, blushed and then went to hug Olivier and Luz, respectively.

"Sweet Potato, its okay." Luz cooed to Amity, nuzzling her nose and rubbing her palms to calm her down.

"Thanks, Annie." Olivier smiled warmly at Anne, running his fingers through her hair.

"Still not happy." Both Anne and Amity mumbled so cutely, Willow made a note to make a memory photo of the scene.

Once the clothes had been put away and tea had been made, the assembled group had a meeting.

"So, just to confirm." Camilla said. "There actually IS magic in this world, and Olivier's ex-mentor, a dark wizard…who may give Belos a run for his money…"

"Oh, Grunge would eat Belos for breakfast." Maddie noted

"He's a better actor for sure." Hop-Pop mused.

"Darn right." Anne grumbled, recalling her last few days in Wartwood, when Grunge had been a lovely guest and performed a song for the talent show.

Filled with worry, Camila continued to summarize what she understood of the current situation.

"…Grunge is after three key items that'll give him God like powers. And on top of that, there is still the incoming invasion from the King of Amphibaland…"

"Just Amphibia." Polly corrected.

"…And returning to the Isles to stop the Collector. Am I missing anything?"

"No, that's the general synopsis." Bee said.

Camila took a long sip of tea before looking to her daughter.

"Mija? What is usually the best course of action in situations like this in your stories?"

Luz pondered.

"Ideally, we'd find some authority on magic we could trust to help us." Luz mused.

"Either that of use a spell to at least locate the general area these keys would be in." Amity added. "…Miss Lilith meant to teach me one…"

"Oh, I think I know something l;ike that!" Both Olivier and Maddie grinned, giving everyone hope.

"Do you have a map of the world?" Maddie asked Camila.

"We have a globe."

"Even better!" Maddie beamed.

"Wait, we DO know an expert of mag…" Anne started, only for her mouth to be coved by Olivier's hand.

"NO! No, no, no, no! We are NOT asking Alex for help." Olivier declared, leaving no room for argument.

"Alex?" Willow asked. "Who's that?"

"No one we need to think about!" Olivier quickly said. "In fact, I already…!"

"Alex Xanatos." Hop-Pop said. "Apparently some important young-un?"

The room went silent. Deathly silent. You could drop a pin and it would be deafening silent. Before finally, as Anne removed Olivier hand from her mouth:

"YOU KNOW ALEXANDER XANATOS?!" Luz, Camilla and Oum gasped.

"Oh yeah, we met at the museum." Anne said, glancing at her nails like it was no big deal. "Real nice guy."

"Ollie got jealous." Sprig added.

"Shush!" The half-witch gritted, his face red with embarrassment.

"Oh ho ho hoooo!" Gus and Willow chortled, intrigued to hear more. Sadly, details would have to wait.

"HOW COME YOU NEVER TOLD US?!" Oum and Bee gasped, then realized. "Wait…was this the same time you guys and Eda BROKE into the museum?!"

When the frogs, her daughter and Olivier looked down at their feet, Oum began chatsiz9ing them in Thai, which gave Luz the time to search for a picture of Alex on her phone.

"..Well, can't say I'd blame him." Gus noted, as he read the accompanied article. "Son of the richest man on earth, genius in his own right, MMA junior championship runner up…"

"half Greek in all the right ways." Luz added.

The more that was said, the more Olivier, Hunter and Amity made a silent agreement: 'Keep (our) respective beloveds away from this boy!'

"So, when you say, 'richest man on earth'….How rich are we talking about?" Gus asked.

"His father, Mr. Xanatos, once bought a castle in Scotland and had it placed on his skyscraper, brick by brick pretty much EXACTLTY as it would've been in its heyday." Camilla said.

"…I feel poor just hearing that." Amity confessed.

"Did I mention that apparently, Mr. Xanatos did that on a whim?" Olivier smirked. That wasn't the full truth, but if it would fuel Amity and Hunter's aligning with him to keep the girls they loved away from Alex? He'd stretch the truth as much as he could!

"He's also magic royalty." Sprig said. "Granddaughter to Titania, queen of the Faye, if that means anything."

Again, you could hear a pin drop it got so quiet.

"…WHAT ELSE HAVEN'T YOU TOLD US?!" Luz gasped.

"In my defense, how exactly could I have brought it up?!" Olivier said. "Senor Noceda, could you please get that globe?"

"Didn't your mom and Miss Lilith con…?" Amity began.

"They got LUCKY." Olivier cut off, making it clear he didn't want to elaborate. "And those are mom's, Aunties AND Oberon's words."

Releasing a deep breath, Olivier was relieved to see Camila had snagged the globe and placed it on the table.

"…A thought occurs." Gus said. "Do either of these spells SHOW the keys?"

Maddie shook her head, while Olivier nodded and caught on.

"Luz? Do you have a pen and paper?"

Catching onto Olivier's plan, Luz beamed as she whipped out a notepad and pencil. Olivier then spun a magic circle as they clasped hands, an Oracle spell linking their minds as he then began to recite the spell"

"Seall dhomomh na tri iuchraichean ura Airson cumhachd…"

The images came to him and Luz, who hurriedly drew them in her trance:

A book

A statue of a one eyed triangle with stickman limbs wearing a top hat with a hand stretched out.

And what looked like the tip of a dragon's tail.

They then broke their hand lock and ended the spell, their brows sweaty but the image clear. No one noticed Vee's eyes turn black for a split second….

"And now for the locator spell." Maddie said, clearing her throat as Sprig set the globe in front of her. "Eye of the Hawk, nose of the wolf…wings of the all seeing dark one! Take the place of my eyes…and light the way to Knowledge. SENSE!"

On the globe three small flames manifested

And again, no one noticed Vee's eyes turn black for a split second….

"…Huh." The witches, Maddie and Vee noted. "Well, would you look at that?""

"What?" Oum asked.

"Two out of the three Keys are in America." Camila noted.

"…Well, that's certainly convenient." Hop-Pop mused.

"Yeah, usually things like these are scattered across the globe." Bee noted. "Then again, a lot can happen in a couple years, never mind centuries."

"Gravity Falls, Oregon and….Oh…Oh Titan, no…" Olivier groaned

"Ollie?" Anne asked in concerned, her worry growing when he responded:

"…A key is Mewman territory." The son of the Owl lady whined.

"Oh, dios mio, no!" Luz whined.

"Those jerks…?! Really?" Anne groaned.

"Okay, you've mentioned Mewmans a bunch of times." Hop-Pop groaned.

"Wedon'ttalkabouttheMewmans." Olivier, Anne, Bee and Luz all hurriedly said together.

"Who the heck are they and why do you hate them so?"

"Honey, I'd like to understand that too." Oum added.

"Remember what I told you guys about Belos' life before he went to the Boiling Isles?" Anne said. "Well, picture an entire city of people like him, only they embraced magic and fought off and killed the demons and witches, reducing them to criminals."

Willow, Gus, Amity and Luz (who had been trying to find a nicer way of saying it) all grimaced. No one noticed how pale Hunter got at that description

"And they're so lazy and willfully ignorant!" Camilla noted. "….A lot like Gravesfield, actually."

"Sounds like easy prey."

That line came from Vee, whose eyes were blacked and whose smile was in her true form

"V-Vee? Mija?" Camilla asked

"Sis?"

"…Oh crud." Olivier whispered as he realized what was going on and a memory then came to him; a creature like Vee suddenly attacking him…

Without a second thought, Olivier fired an orb of light into the Baslisk's mouth. Vee swallowed it and was immedeantlyt back to normal

"W-what just happened?" Vee asked, before Camila and Luz hugged her in relief.

"Side affect of Dark magic; too much at once? It corrupts the soul." Olivier explained.

"…]You know in hindsight? The fact that Grunge DIDN'T become a full-on despot despite specializing in it speaks volumes of his control." Maddie pointed out6, which unitentionally filled the adults with even more fear.

"…Any reason you just blasted Vee…?" Gus began.

"I've had bad experiences with Baslisks." Olivier admitted, making it clear he didn't want to elaborate. But judging from Vee's widening eyes and Hunter's gasp? They had an idea of what happened.

"Where's the other key?" Amity asked, trying to change the subject. "The one that's NOT in America?"

Maddie gazed at the location and read the name:

"….Hong Kong, China."

OWLPHIBIA

"Well, isn't this interesting…?"

In a darkened room in one of the tents of a travelling carnival, someone watched the kids as they plotted out their next move. Someone who also had an interest in the current three keys…well, one in particular.

But then there was the young half-witch boy: They'd never met, but she knew all about him; she'd been watching him since the day his mother took him in as her own. Not because she cared per say, but he could be useful if siad mother ever crossed her way.

"So, little Eddy's boy is here and looking for a way home. And with such promising allies, eh?"

She smiled evilly; a Blight, a Baslisk, an illusionist and plant magic wielder who even from here, she could tell made that shrivelled old prune Terra look like a child? Never mind the artificial but still potent Titan blood he had in the Boonchuy's home in California, or the girl who helped Belos become Emperor of the isles?

"Never a dull moment with the Clawthornes, eh, Eddy?"

The woman looked over her shoulder to a framed picture of Eda Clawthorne, still in good condition...despite the dart holes and knife had been taped and fixed several times and their was even some faded lipstick from kisses.

"We could've shared it all. Ruled the isles together." The woman reminisced sadly, happy memories of scamming and pranking with a teenage Edalyn in her mind...before he mood soured. "Bui nooooo! YOU had to soften up at last moment!"

She then drew a dagger from a holster on her leg and glared at it.

"We were on route to conquering all the magic schools together...and then YOU went and got yourself cursed when you didn't have the grit to crush Lily!"

She tossed the knife right in between the photo of Eda's eyes...and instantlyt regretted it.

"No, no. that wasn'ty tour fault. Not at all...and even if it was? You still helped me when I needed it most."

Invigorated, the woman stood up and stretched; revealing that underneath the shawl she wore, she was a strikingly beautiful woman. Her skin was faded but gave her a 'creepy-sexy' look, accompanied by the beauty mark on her chin.

"And thanks to that help? I'm rich, powerful and adored; teh perfect look for me to get what needs to get done."

She removed the dagger out of the picture and mended the slash, staring adoringly at Eda.

"I may not know exactly what's happened back home, bit I think this is a perfect time for Auntie Kassandra to introduce herself."

There was this…Grunge to consider, but for now? It was time for Kassandra Cosmostar, a true and proper witch, to offer those poor, unfortunate souls a helping hand…...

Global Justice HQ

"We picked up some images and recordings in Gravesfield. Paid for and bought silence."

"As usual." The commander, a woman with an eye-patch grumbled before she spied the images.

"Its not Gargoyles." Someone cut in before the chief could even ask. "They don't match any in records, nor have any clans had mages this skilled since before Constatine and the Canmore purges."

"Aside from Demona."

"Ah, yes. Sorry, ma'am. She's in her Domique persona in China right now, so that rules her out for now?"

"DNAmy?"

"Not really her style…and not even Sevarius' mutates could pull off some of these feats." Another aide mentioned.

"…Don't suppose it could be Mewmans?"

"Wedon'ttalkabouttheMewmans." Many on the bridge said together, before one cleared their throat and explained:

"….They are still refusing to even consider traveling outside their zone."

The commander sighed; she enjoyed her job and it was necessary, but she missed the good ol days when it was just her facing her brother's forces, or one of the various mad scientists. No, this new age brought magic, monsters and all sort of problems

"There IS one thing of interest…." Another aide said as Anne's face appeared on screen.

"Anne Boonchuy. 13 years old. Disappeared on birthday 6 months ago. Recently seen back home, but not announced as returned just yet. She was seen at the scene, along with the break in at the museum, the attack at the park and X's own stake outs of a movie theatre and studio."

Okay, they had a starting point.

"Then go get X on the phone. Tell him he'll be working with Team Possible."

To be continued…

Next Time: CABIN 7, VEE AND HUNTER!

I'm sorry! I know I promised more of Marsha and Vee's friends, but my mind went blank, so I've moved the Cabin 7 group interaction to next chapter. I welcome suggestions and will of course give credit if and when I use the ideas.

The spell Olivier used comes from the recent Gargoyles comics (issue #7 if anyone is interested) while the spell Maddie used from 'Hyde and Closer' a short-lived (7 volumes) Fantasy manga I came across years ago. Basic story is a boy's teddy bear coming to life to defend him from wizards after his latent magic. Give it a read if you can; I'm being vague so as not to spoil much.

I also set up the arrival of Alexander Xanatos, now a teen (he was born in 1996, same year as the Calamity Trio) to show up in the main story and down the line, during the Museum episodes, which I plan to have a chapter or two after the Convention Arc that is about to start. No worries, OlivAnne lovers; he has no interest in causing relationship drama….but he HAS inherited dear old dad and mom's sneaky nature in his own way.

Thanks to MetroXLR99, we will also see a proper continuation of the Vee and Hunter sub-plot next chapter. Vee's uncharacteristic actions and the fallout next chapter comes from MetroXLR99; having eaten some of Grunge's dark magic, we'll soon see it has some…side affects. These effects have been alluded to and explain in other stories and art, but now will be shown. Plus, Olivier has had…experiences with Balisks that the moment here reminded him of….

What I am most happy for, it that we also introduce another villain into the story; MertoXLR's 'Kassandra Cosmostar'; Eda's foil in every way. They recently posted a picture of her on the DeviantArt account, so go and take a look. Link here:

(https/metroxlr/art/The-Owl-House-Kassandra-Cosmostar-Gift-Art-1171646803)

I was hoping to have her appearance in 'City of Angels' (wherein she'll be the main villain for what I call 'the pre-series sagas') up first, but that chapter is still taking some time, so please accept this little tease of her for now.

Thanks to suggestions MetroXLR99; We also know that Olivier had at some point, a bad encounter with a baslisk. That's sure to add a nice bit of drama in the Hunter/Vee mini-arc. And Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable will be major players in this story! Will they be allies, foes or something in between? Read and see!

On that note, a question to the readers; Amphibia takes place in the 2020s, should characters from Disney shows crossing over be aged up, or the same ages of their shows? Let me know what you think in the reviews.

Final point; should I include the MCU into this crossover? I feel Dr. Strange and Wong at least could be interested and of help/aid, plus in 'BTAB' we heard Cloakbot had encounters with Spiderman and the TMNT.

Leave your thoughts and suggestions for chapters involving said characters in your reviews.

Until we meet again? Stay safe, warm and happy!